(Ya know, I was a shinobi once, like you, then I took a kick to the knee.)

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. -. . - -.- -..-. -. .. -. .- .- , "Enemy Ninja, huh." Kakashi took a few more seconds to realize the person signaling was a female, but the way the chakra was flashing wasn't Rin's style… meaning her power was needed on the battlefield…

"Oh crud."

Wolf sped up, only a few individuals could overcome Fox's abilities in battle, or there was a whole battalion of mercenaries… then how would someone be able to break out of a stampede and signal him?

"Oh crud," Kakashi repeated, even louder.

Chapter 10: First Believable Excuse!

Rin engaged in a loud fight with the two unwelcomed guests, parrying and striking with a Kunai and a Katana. Kisame swiped Samehada to the side whilst Rin was whipping through seals, her weapons tucked under her arms, the man grinned as she narrowly avoided being decapacitated.

Itachi, meanwhile, was not at all bothering to turn melee, launching a few Shuriken here and there. Thus causing Naruto and Sasuke to cautiously bring out their own Kunai to prevent their charge from taking an injury.

Kisame side swiped Samehada yet again, Rin leaping into the air, was forcefully intercepted as her opponent swiftly kicked her in the stomach. Flying backwards, Rin had extended her arms to perform a series of backflips sacrificing her sword, Kisame madly chasing after her. Itachi used this opportunity to step closer to Tazuna, honestly not caring that he was passing Rin.

Their Sensei pivoted, directing a set of Kunai at Itachi. The eyes of Sasuke's brother barely spared a glance at the onslaught before mindlessly ducking. A few stray strands of hair were imbedded into the stone. Rin changed her attack on Kisame to a ranged offense of Jutsus aiming for Itachi. Water sloshing below the bridge rose and formed a torrent of destruction.

Naruto's jaws slacked at the sight of hundreds of gallons in size. How Itachi was sprinting faster than the attack was truly impressive.

"Brace yourself," Sasuke tensed his defensive stance, Kunai up at his chest. His brother's eyes burned into his own, as if calculating what would be the most painful death.

"Don't tell me what to do," Naruto scowled, nonetheless readying his own Kunai too.

The Elder Uchiha nimbly jumped over beams, well ahead of the funnel of liquid hurtling after him. More water rose in the form of a barrier in front of Naruto and Sasuke, Itachi cupped his mouth, inhaling and breathing out a huge storm of fire. The wall of water did not submit though.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Rin called from afar.

A clone of Sasuke's sensei instantaneously Shun Shinned next to the Missing-nin, "Suiton: Water Prison Jutsu!" The blockade collapsed, immediately swamping his elder brother.

Itachi stumbled backward, water racing up and around his cloak.

The clone stooped down, panting with one hand maintaining the prison, while Itachi bored his eyes into Sasuke's indifferently. His brother was mouthing something, a Sharingan erupting, then replaced by a shuriken like pattern.

Amaterasu.

Rin noticed the occurrence too, "S-suiton:-" The clone was abruptly destroyed as black flames engulfed the sphere.

Itachi was once more, free.

Naruto gulped, but pride rang through his stance indefinitely.

Instead of heading for Tazuna, Sasuke found himself flying backwards, with a hand pinned against his throat. Itachi's Mangekyou Sharingan spun wildly, before his vision was graced with black and white.

O.O.O

Sasuke found himself to be tied against a pole, similar to that of Team 7's first bell test- correction, the original Team 7's bell test. His attention was forced to meet the gaze of his brother, whose hand was tightly grasping his chin.

"What did Danzo do to you Sasuke."

"Who's Danzo?" Sasuke decided to play innocent.

Itachi pried Sasuke's mouth open, "No seal… this is worse than I've expected," He mumbled.

"Let me rephrase what I said," The Elder Uchiha faintly pulled out a gleaming white Kunai, "Who are you, and what are you doing in Sasuke's body."

"But I am Sasuke! Why would you ask me this, Ni-san?!" Sasuke protested.

At least that's half of the truth…

Itachi was half a beat away from homicide, "Sasuke wouldn't call me Ni-san, he would rather say 'jerk' or 'dumbo'"

"People can change!" Sasuke bitterly repeated what Naruto had said.

Itachi raised an eyebrow, "If that is true, why would you suddenly change your personality and life interests after one nap?" The Missing-nin clarified, "The Yondaime has been giving me once and a while reports on your behavior, honestly, you shouldn't try chasing after that Haruno girl."

Just how much meddling did the Fourth Hokage do?

Most logical response is a crud ton of stalking and ANBU guards.

Should we tell him our little secret?

That's for you to decide.

Sasuke mentally berated Kurama for it's usefulness.

"If you aren't going to tell me…" Sasuke's brother waited in the temporary silence, before inquiring, "How much do you know about the Kyuubi already? I am able to sense two powerful chakra signatures that can be identified as two jagged halves of a whole, didn't the Sandaime seal the other half of the Kyuubi inside of him? If the Kyuubi is sealed in your mind, then you must know of the Nine Tails."

Your brother truly is a genius. The Kyuubi stated, thoroughly impressed, Mind if I talk to him?

If you don't kill me, sure.

O.O.O

Rin hissed in annoyance, sure, life was not fair, but when life throws three potentially life threatening Missing-Nin into a mixture, there was no way one could call it unfair anymore. Rather, using the term "unfair" was a severe understatement.

Maybe…

Nah… still too small of an effect to describe the situation she was in at the moment.

Yet, she loved it. The feel of adrenaline kicking in, muscle memory being put to work. There were those that lived for battle, then there were those that enjoyed it thoroughly. Especially how intense your focus becomes so one doesn't have to think about anything else but survival.

Honestly, Rin could relate to Naruto. They both had an obsession for revenge, both had lost someone dearly important to them, both wanted to become stronger, but Naruto was a kid (mentally).

Rin? She was a grown up with responsibilities.

Ah.

She thought about the unattended paperwork she would have to finish.

Rin parried another blow from Kisame, slowly inching backwards. From her peripheral vision, Rin could tell there was some brotherly love and bonding being exchanged between two certain Uchihas.

It struck Rin's nerve though, why would two Missing-Nin that were considered so powerful that even the ANBU had to stay wary of... be fighting for a petty businessman?

Indeed, if Akatsuki was an organization, why send an Uchiha whose power and technique is based off of fire.

"Are you after Sasuke?"

Rin ducked as Samehada swung over her head and grabbed onto the wrappings. She grunted, forced to release the sword when spikes suddenly struck out.

Kisame maliciously grinned, "What makes you ask that?"

Rin's deductive reasoning spouted through her mouth, "Well… there is no reason for a Uchiha (block) to be in a country who solely relies on water… (kick)."

Her opponent drove his sword past her guard, sucking the chakra right out of her, "Good reasoning, but you're incorrect."

Rin faltered for a second. If they're not after Sasuke…

Kisame smashed his foot against her knee, in turn, knocked Rin off balance and threw her against a vertical propped up steel beam. It wobbled precariously and slowly inclined to fall.

The Nohara tested her leg if she could stand up and run, but her knee was entirely fractured and she flopped back down. Rin tried gathering the remnants of her chakra, but failed once more after reminding herself her chakra was sucked out.

There was no time to get her knee back into top condition without being skewered/flattened or both.

This would be a sad ending.

She pulled out an exploding Kunai, and flung it as hard as she could at Kisame's feet. He simply used Samehada to deflect the attack, sending it off to explode midair next to a support beam in construction.

Rin closed her eyes. If the falling beam didn't kill her, the Missing-nin might as well.

O.O.O

Kakashi swooped in, saving his comrade from becoming Flat Stanley(™) 2.0, "Yo, Fox." His elbows supporting her back and legs.

"Wolf? Are you kidding me, of all times to show up?!" Although Rin's tone didn't show it, relief washed through her eyes.

"Would you rather that I didn't…" He commented dryly, "Consider it lucky that I wasn't popped on my way here."

She immediately perked up, "Wait, where's the original?"

Kakashi muttered, "Battling Itachi, apologies that I wasn't here when time called for my presence, you see, I sent a clone back to Tsunami's house and found out it was being raided. My clone was wiped out by a Kunai for some reason, there was probably an enemy ninja on the loose that was highly skilled in the field of tracking. Sasuke was still in the house, not wanting whoever it was to harm Konoha's Jinchuuriki, I left. Seems like that tracker was actually Itachi himself."

He is rather skilled with projectiles. Rin admitted, But not as skilled as me!

Wolf leapt off a rope dangling in mid air, barely avoiding a water bullet. Rin winced as her legs swung freely, "That by far was the first long and believable explanation you've ever given for being late. Now if you'd let me down to heal myself…"

"No, you'd get killed, I can't go back on my promise no matter what. This is also why you aren't a Captain, you're easily surprised… and hurt… aaaaaand-"

"Oh Kakashi… that's so sweet, wait... so you'd only save me if you're forced to upon a dead friend?"

"... That did not come out as it was supposed to."

Rin grinned deviously, "By the way, Itachi is after the Kyuubi."

Kisame sniggered, Wolf's porcelain mask could only hide so much emotion.

"So, who's going to tell Hokage-sama his only heir and Konoha's Jinchuuriki were attacked by two S-Class Missing-nin?"

O.O.O

(Konoha)

"That's IT! WHERE'S THE BOSS BANANA HEAD?!" Konohamaru knocked the Hokage's door off the hinges.

Minato, currently in a heated discussion with Iruka glanced over his desk.

Iruka froze mid-sentence, "Konohamaru! Explain yourself, not only do you have to replace the door, but your manners need work!" Then turned to the Yondaime, "Apologies."

Minato being a forgiving man, brushed it off, "It's fine, he's probably just-"

"WHERE IS HE?!" Konohamaru shouted, stomping furiously.

"Who?" Iruka asked.

Konohamaru took in a deep breath, "SASUKE! OUR BOSS! HE HASN'T BEEN SEEN FOR 7 DAYS! 7 GLORIOUS DAYS WHERE I COULD'VE RAN OFF AND CHALLENGE HIM, WORK ON MY TRANSFORMATION JUTSUS, PLAY TONS OF 'NINJA', PAINT THE HOKAGE MOUNTAIN, AND… AND…"

The academy instructor slowly pushed the hyper boy out, "He's on a mission."

"Oh... bye bye then!" The Sarutobi merrily picked up the door and shut it behind him, soon to fall over again.

Iruka glowered, "Cat, aren't you supposed to be doing your job?"

"My mission description had nothing to do with kids."

Minato grumbled, "Well now it does."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Iruka scratched his hair, "So, we agreed we're sending a small retrieval team out to extract Team 7 if they do not come back tomorow?"

"Dead or alive," The Hokage confirmed, "Now-"

"Hokage-sama!" One of those characters in Naruto whose names aren't even mentioned skidded to a halt and tripped over the fallen door, causing papers to fly.

"What is it?" Iruka snatched a floating portfolio, "Ah, thank you. This is exactly what we need." After flipping through and making sure the content was undamaged, he handed the folder to Minato.

The fodder scurried off, brushing the dust from his pants while running out and about. In the meantime, Minato's face fell, "About the Retrieval Team?"

Iruka asked tentatively, "What seems to be the problem?"

"Send them out now. Cat, you heard me."

"But, Hokage-sama…"

"NOW."