EDIT: yeah, you know the drill…

Kusari: Hey guys! I knew you just couldn't stand the others making an interview with Shang, so I've decided to take their place. Yes, it's me, your favorite shinobi, Hagane Kusari!

Shang: Actually, I believe that...

Kusari: On with the questions from our readers! Okay, there seem to be few questions considering those chapter covers. Would you mind making it a little clearer?

Shang: Yes, the chapter covers idea will be explained at the end of this chapter. I think it'd be better if we'd concentrate on answering readers reviews for now.

Kusari: Okay boss. So, one of our faithful readers wants to know who did Tsunade marry? Can you answer that?

Shang: It will be revealed later in the story. I'd prefer to keep this a secret.

Kusari: By the way, what's with all those grammar mistakes in the previous chapter? You suck... as Kai would say.

Shang: Yeah, sorry about that. I just wanted to update as soon as possible, since I've already forced you to wait so long for the chapter and forgot to double check the grammar. I hope that this time I've manage to free this chapter from such obvious mistakes. Sorry if I failed in achieving that goal.

Kusari: Alright, now the most important question: when I'll get a bigger part? I'm sure the audience can't wait to read more of me!

Shang: ...

Thanks for all the review. Hope you'll let me know what you think of this chappie as well. Now on to the story:

Chapter #11: Unspotted

Title Page: Kai is mocking a snake, sticking out his tongue

"And I suppose you know all about responsibility that comes with power?" yelled Kai accusingly.

"Of course, I do…" Deji paused for a moment. "After all, I've lost my free will in order to serve my country" she finished a little quieter.

-That time, back in Konoha-

Iruka knocked on the door and patiently waited to hear 'enter' from the other side. As soon as the phrase was heard, the chuunin pushed the door and entered Hokage's office where he saw the Rokudaime standing near the window, looking at the stars: "What is it, Iruka?"

"Hokage-sama…" Iruka began slowly, bowing his head. "I came to ask about team seven's new mission…"

"The one to the Stone Country?"

"Yes" responded the chuunin with a nod. "Are you sure they'll be able to complete it? After all, they're still just gennin…"

"Naruto's with them…" interrupted Kakashi, reminding him. "They should be fine. After all, our number one, hyperactive ninja have changed a lot. More then you know. Don't forget, the role he played in crushing the Akatsuki and Hidden Sound…"

"Yes, Rokudaime-sama" replied Iruka, nodding again. "But Naruto alone…"

"By this time tomorrow…" the Copying Ninja cut in once more, not letting him finish. "One of the shinobi I've send on a mission will return. I'll send him to help Naruto, but until then, our little blond will have to take care of himself."

"I understand, Hokage-sama" announced the scar-faced man. "If you'll allow me, I'd like to take my leave then. Classes start from tomorrow…"

"Okay" replied Kakashi simply. "Good night."

Iruka just bowed and then left the office. The sixth Hokage just got back to watching the stars: "Even though I said so…" he thought to himself, narrowing his visible eye. "Naruto, will you be okay?"

-Stone Country-

Naruto walked to the door with a sleepy face, as he heard the knocking. Once he opened them, he saw Ibuki and Kumiko standing in front of him: "What is it?" he asked, still a little out there.

"Deji-sama is gone!" replied Kumiko nervously. "She went to sleep before Ibuki did, but when I woke up to get something to drink, she wasn't in her bed! We searched the whole room, but she's gone!"

"Calm down" asked Naruto with a gesture, finally woke up. "Is all her stuff taken?"

"No…" responded Ibuki immediately. "Only her clothes seem to be gone."

"Well then, it doesn't look like she was kidnapped" announced the jounin thoughtfully. "Otherwise, why would only her clothes disappear? My guess is that she left on her own, free will. Any ideas as to where she might disappeared to?"

"Not really" Takaru barged in, joining the conversation. "But our blond pinhead's gone as well. Maybe he went after her or something?" he purposed, glancing at the Kyuubi vessel.

"It is possible" replied Naruto with a nod. "But, no matter what happened, we have to find her. We should split into three groups and search the village…"

"Can I be in one group with Kumiko-chan, sensei?" asked Kusari, with big, puppy eyes.

The jounin just sweat dropped.

-Back to Kai and Deji-

"You… lost your free will?" repeated Kai, with an asking tone.

"And how else would you call marring someone, I haven't seen even once in my life?" replied Deji, still avoiding eye-contact. "This marriage is meant to give peace to the people of this land and the Tree Country. Do you know how long our two countries has been at war?"

The blond just stood there, looking at her, without saying a word.

"Five years" announced the Stone princess, after the moment of silence. "Five, long years. It cost many lives, not only those of shinobi. This marriage will end it. If I wouldn't agreed to it, more lives would have been lost…"

"But why marriage?" asked Kai confused. "Can those dumb lords just sign a peace treaty?"

"It's all politics" replied the woman with a weak shrug. "None of the lords, neither my father nor the Tree Country leader, want to be seen as defeated. In case of a peace treaty, someone has to propose it to the other. The one, who would do that, could be considered as weak. And just for that, none of them would propose it. On the other hand, if their children would fall in love with each other, it would seem onckward if their countries would be at war. The perfect way out…"

The young gennin just lower his sight.

"People always think that being a princess is so easy and wonderful…" said Deji, after a short silence. "But that isn't easy or wonderful. The truth is that when a girl becomes a princess, she has to throw away everything. Do you know what it's like to have people looking at you, but not noticing you?" she asked sadly.

Memories of the times when he was called a loser just because of him name came across Kai's mind as he slowly replied: "Actually… I believe I do."

Now it was Deji who looked at him a bit surprised, as he continued: "You know what Haisha means?"

"A loser" she responded almost immediately.

"Yes" the blond nodded with affirmation. "That's also my last name. Thanks to that, everyone refers to me as a loser. It didn't matter what I did, I've always been a loser in their eyes. You might say it's some sort of a curse that cannot be taken away from me. Once a loser, always a loser…"

-That time, somewhere in the village-

"Where is she? Where is she, God dammit?" yelled Kumiko, looking around nervously.

"Calm down" asked Takaru with a stoic face. "We'll find her. After all, she's not a shinobi that can erase her presence…"

"Yes, but what if some ninja got her and erase their presence?"

"And to think I could let Kusari go with her" sighed Takaru as he jump onto another roof.

-That time, another part of town-

"We checked almost the whole village, but there's still no trance of Deji-sama" announced Ibuki, looking around carefully. "The only place, that we haven't searched yet, is that nearby forest."

"Guess it's high time to check it out then" replied Kusari and they both headed to the trees.

-Once more with Kai and Deji-

"Seems that we're both imprisoned by something" announced Deji with sympathy sounding in her voice. "You by your name and I by my position…"

"Even so…" replied Kai with determination sounding in his voice. "There's always hope to set ourselves free. All we have to do, is refuse to give up."

"And what do you think we can do? You can't change your name just like I can't become a normal girl."

"It's talking like that, that makes it impossible" responded the blond. "People can change, because they'll always try to change. Sometimes you don't have to do anything to change something, but sometimes changes have to be fought for."

"You know, for a dumb brat, you're not that stupid" stated Deji with a teasing smile.

"Touching" they heard a voice coming from behind and as they turned around, the two saw a tall man with short, spiky, black hair and mouth covered with a shinobi mask. He was carrying a huge sword (at least as long as he was himself) and a forehead protector with Iwagakure symbol on it. "Move aside kid, I came here for the girl" he announced simply.

"Really?" responded Kai stepping in front of the princess. "And what if I won't move?"

"It wouldn't make any difference" replied the swordsman with a shrug. "The woman would die anyway, only you'd join her. Now, be a good boy and move."

"Sorry…" said Kai, picking out his kunai. "But I never was an obedient child" and with those words, he charged right at the Stone shinobi.

The assassin just sighed, rising his sword and then hitting the ground before him with it, with full force. The ground under the blade broke and the crack that appeared raced right at Kai. Young gennin lost his balance, when his leg stepped in it and felt to the ground. When he raised his sight, all he saw was the blade of the gigantic sword, coming right at his head…

-life flashing before his eyes… is this the end of Kai?-

And this concludes this chapter. Next one should be uploaded rather soon. Please tell me what you think of this one.

Now, before I'll get to that chapter covers issue, there's one thing I need to ask you. It's about the names of the techniques. I'll let you decide about the form you would like the techniques to be written. I can either write them originally in Japanesse, in English, in Japanesse with the translation to English between the brackets right after the techniques name or I can make a jutsu encyklopedia at the end of every chapter. I believe that the first, three options are clear, so I'll explain the last one on the example of a technique already used in the story:

Insei Tooriame (Meteor Shower) - technique invented by Tsunade, first used by Takaru during his Gennin Exam. In order to use this jutsu, the ninja must first cumulate chakra into his hands and then, after performing the right seals, release it in the form of a flame. If the technique is performed the way it should be, the flames should surround the users hands, but not burn them. At any moment the user may release those flames upon his opponent. Even though this technique has incredible, destructive power, it's not meant to be used against many enemies, because it becomes extremely less effective.

Shuriken Kage Bushin no Jutsu (Shadow Shuriken Clone Skill) - one of very few ninjutsu techniques used by the Tanken clan. It was first used by the Third Hokage during his fight with Orochimaru. This technique multiplies a throw object into many, exact replications, that make damage. The Tanken used it mostly one shurikens and kunai's.

Okay, so I hope you'll remember to tell me in which form you'd prefer the techniques to be written.

Now on to the chapter covers issue:

First I'll try to explain what I meant by 'chapter cover' (seems that some didn't understood). If you read manga, you should notice that sometimes the titles of chapters are placed on the pages with drawings that doesn't have much to do with the actually chapter (for example chapter cover for the fifth chapter of the original 'Naruto' was Naruto dressed as a punk, holding a lollipop). Now, the idea of the chapter covers for this story was mostly aimed at the drawers who're reading it. I could give you guys description for every chapter cover and if you guys would like, you could draw it. Of course, those who would decide to do that, I'd place links to those drawings right before the chapter begins.

Also, if there won't be any volunteers, I still can simply give descriptions on how I've pictured the chapter covers to look like, so I'll leave the decision to you: those who are interested in drawing chapter covers, let me know and I'll try to contact you in someway in order to make the arrangements. Also, if you're not interested, please let me know if you'd like me to put descriptions of the chapter covers anyway.

And here is the description for chapter one, which I missed:

Chapter #1: Kai's ridding a giant toad (he's enjoying it or has his hands crossed before him) at the right side bottom of the pic, Kumiko's picking up flowers on the left bottom, above her Kusari's ridding an eagle or a hawk with those lame, pilot goggles on, in the middle Takaru, doing nothing (whatever you think off... probably the best would be sweat dropping at the site of his teammates or something like that) and on the top right (above Kai) Ibuki's sitting on a tree branch

Well, I believe that's that.

Hope you liked the chapter. Please tell me what you think about it.

Take care and hope to see you guys when the next chapter will be released as well.