Author's note: This chapter will feature some plot twists. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.


Chapter 12: Meeting the Unknown

Inuzuka home, Village Hidden in the Leaves, Land of Fire

Kiba Inuzuka had been walking through the park and the village while being soaking wet. The brown-haired man had to avoid glaring back at the villagers who stared at him in surprise. But could he blame them? His entire clothes were wet and it was an unusual sight to see someone walk in the streets wearing wet clothes. Therefore, such reactions was to be expected, at least from his point of view.

The young man was slumping his face as he kept walking to his home. "Next time I visit someone, I'll bring extra clothes" he muttered to himself as he kept moving, as his sandals were wet as well. They left him tracks along the way. Kiba sighed as he began focusing on what really was important to him. "But then again, wet clothes are the least of my worries. I gotta be open to mom and Hana about where I've been" he then remarked.

When he stood outside the Inuzuka home, Kiba was surprised when he saw Akamaru running straight towards him. Yet despite this, the young man immediately smiled by seeing his partner coming towards him. He sat on his knees and happily received Akamaru.

"Hey there, buddy! Boy, am I glad to see you!" Kiba exclaimed while Akamaru licked his face so intensively that he almost fell on his back. "Whoa…take it easy, Akamaru. I wasn't gone for long!" Kiba added while enjoying and hugging his canine partner.

But Kiba's reunion with Akamaru was short-lived, as he could hear someone approach behind him with a cough. Looking past Akamaru, Kiba could see his older sister and mother standing by the door with their arms crossed. Something suggested to Kiba that they were dissatisfied with him. But Kiba simply grinned at them smugly in return.

"Hey there, mom, sis. Sorry for being late" the brown-haired man told them.

"Don't give us that look, Kiba! Do you know how worried we were when he discovered you were not home yesterday!?" Hana snapped at him, her voice filled with disbelief.

Tsume only gritted her teeth in annoyance. "But that's not only it. Just look at yourself! What the hell happened to you!? You're soaking wet, for God's sake!" she exclaimed in her usual bad-tempered fashion.

Kiba got up on his feet and glanced at those two with a deep frown. This time, he did not feel like wasting time arguing with his mother and sister. The brown-haired man knew what he had to do, as much as he felt reluctant to do so.

"You wanna know what I did? Fine! Because guess what. Yesterday, I was on a date with Hinata" he then spoke up, his face even hinting to defiance.

Hearing this stunned both Tsume and Hana. "A date…with Hinata?" Hana asked, only for Kiba to nod his head as a yes in return. The young woman only gasped as she saw her younger brother's confirmation. "Kiba…what were you…" she was interrupted by the Kiba's voice.

"Spare me your bullshit-exclamations, Hana! You know damn well that me and Hinata have been keeping in touch with each other ever since I talked to her that day!" he snapped at her. "And for the record, Hinata was the one asking me out and what we did is between us and us only! So both of you can stop putting your noses in where you shouldn't!" he then added while making sure his sister and mother heard what he was saying.

While Hana was astounded by Kiba's continued defiance, Tsume was not impressed. The brown-haired woman even showed her feral growl towards her son as she was angered by what she was hearing from her son. "You slept at the Hyuuga mansion!? Then it means you and Hinata had…" the middle-aged woman was outraged over the things her son had done. In fact, she could see Kiba simply grin at her cockily, something which only infuriated her. Tsume angrily grabbed Kiba by the collar of his sweater and looked him in the eye. "YOU FUCKING PIG! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!? YOU'VE SCREWED THINGS OVER BETWEEN US AND THE HYUUGAS!" she yelled at him.

Despite seeing his mother in her angry self, Kiba remained defiant. As a matter of fact, he even showed his mother away from him and unleashed his own feral anger towards his mother.

"DON'T LECTURE ME, MOM! WHAT ME AND HINATA DID YESTERDAY, WE'LL NEVER REGRET IT! YOU CAN'T JUDGE US, SHE CAN'T JUDGE US AND HIASHI CAN't JUDGE US" Kiba snapped while mentioning Tsume, Hana and Hinata's father Hiashi. Tsume still glared at him angrily over hearing how reckless her son behaved. "AND WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TO LECTURE ME ABOUT LOVE!? YOU CHASED OFF DAD, WHICH MUST BE REALLY TERRIFIC FOR SOMEONE WITH A BAD TEMPER SUCH AS YOU TO ACCOMPLISH!" the brown-haired man then said.

Tsume's feral eyes only narrowed further as she heard what come out of his son's mouth. "SHUT YOUR MOUTH, BRAT! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAPPAENED BETWEEN US!" she hit back.

"YEAH, BECAUSE YOU NEVRE TELL US, DESPITE THE FACT YOU ARE OUR MOTHER!" Kiba snapped, his anger taking hold on him once again.

Hana suddenly stepped in between them. "Enough! Just stop, both of your!" the brunette called out to them while trying to separate Tsume and Kiba from going at each other. She looked at the entrance and saw Gaku standing there. "Gaku, a little help here, please?" she asked the clansman of the Inuzuka clan, who had just been observing the verbal confrontation between his cousin and Kiba.

The middle-aged man with brown facial hair stepped in to help. He began holding Tsume by her shoulders, trying to pull her away from this confrontation. "Easy there, cuz! Go inside and have a drink or something" Gaku encouraged her while slowly pulling her away. He looked at Hana. "You keep an eye on Kiba, would ya? Me and her will have a talk over this" he then told the young woman, who simply nodded her head in return.

Tsume still had her angry glare towards her son, yet she soon sighed deeply and closed her eyes. Kiba was still watching her with narrowed eyes, the young man still uncertain about what his mother might do next. To his surprise, Tsume turned around and walked inside, with Gaku accompanying her. This only left Kiba alone with Akamaru and Hana. He could see that she was still glancing at him dispassionately while having her arms crossed.

"Tch, I'm starting to regret ever coming back now. The only thing that I missed was Akamaru" Kiba said while smiling at his canine partner, who wiggled his tail happily. The young man leaned down to hug Akamaru, who only licked him back.

Hana sighed deeply. "It's not that we're worried about you, Kiba. We're worried about the safety of the Leaf Village" she said, thus forcing Kiba to glance up at her with a raised eyebrow. "Don't you understand? When word gets to Hiashi Hyuuga that you and his daughter had sex in the mansion, who knows what his reaction will be. Another stalemate will occur between our clans. This is your doing, Kiba. And now, it will come back to bite not just you, but also the rest of us Inuzukas in the ass!" the young brunette sternly told him.

"Stalemate this, stalemate that, blah, blah blah! I don't get why you're so afraid of that miserable goat Hiashi, anyway" Kiba remarked while feeling irritated when hearing what her sister said. He rose up to stand on his feet. "I've always been there for Hinata, not Hiashi. He's just a deadbeat dad who only cares about…." Kiba was interrupted by the voice of his sister.

"Alright. I get it! I know how you feel about him! He is an arrogant bastard. But like it or not, Hiashi is Hinata's father. That you must recognize" Hana said, only to sigh while forming a slight smile on her face, which somehow surprised Kiba. "But if you slept with Hinata, how were you able to sneak out of the mansion undetected?" the brunette questioned him.

Kiba pointed to himself, which he actually pinpointed to the fact he was wet. "Well, here you have the answer. Hinata revealed to me a secret emergency exit in her bedroom. It led to an underground passageway, which means I was under the mansion while using that way. But little did I know, this emergency exit led me straight to a giant lake near the park. And that's how I ended up getting wet" the brown-haired man explained while detailing the story.

Hana had to chuckle when hearing Kiba's story, which only made him slump his face in irritation. "Quite a story you're telling me here, Kiba. I don't even know what to say in return" she admitted to him.

"Oh, shut up, already!" Kiba barked as he heard this. He then walked up towards the door with Akamaru tagging along. "Anyway, I could you help me find some new clothes? I gotta get rid of those clothes in the bathroom" he requested of her.

"Not so fast there, little brother!" Hana's voice made Kiba stop in his tracks. The young woman walked up to him. "Remember, Goro will be visiting us later. So try not to get into a conflict with him" she reminded her brother before entering the door.

Sighing deeply, Kiba entered the door and made his way towards the bathroom. "Fine! I'll try to play it cool. But make sure you keep a better leash on him as well!" he replied loudly to Hana before opening the door to the bathroom and entering it.

Meanwhile, Tsume and Gaku were sitting in the living room, with some of the dogs lying near them. It would seem that Tsume had managed to calm herself down and Gaku was relieved to see his cousin had done so.

"It's okay, Tsume. We'll figure something out" the man with the facial hair insisted to her.

Tsume simply groaned in return. "No. It's not okay, Gaku. I don't know what to do with that punk" she told him while feeling a hint of distress in her voice. "And just when me and Hiashi had started to find chemistry between each other. Now we'll be back at where we started" the brown-haired woman added.

Gaku showed understanding towards his cousin in return. "Yes, it is terrible. But the Hyuuga clan must be wise enough to realize that a stalemate between them and us is not in the Leaf Village's best interest. We will have to have a dialogue with them once again" the brown-haired man told her before he began thinking about something. "Unless the Hyuugas know about what Kiba did in the mansion" he then thought.

"Spare me your optimism, Gaku. I would rather focus on what's happening now than trying to sugarcoat it" Tsume blurted out, only for the middle-aged woman to sigh after she said this. "I'm sorry that I sound pissed. But Kiba said something that made me even more furious. It was about his father. Damn boy, don't know a thing what he's talking about!" she then revealed to him with a slight emotional face.

"I see" Gaku told her lowly while putting a hand on her shoulder. "But don't let it get to you, Tsume. Kiba only said that because of his short temper. And besides, we all know what happened between you and Yasei. He was only young and barley able to understand it" the man with the facial hair told his cousin.

Tsume glanced at her cousin with a slight smile, knowing the words Gaku spoke were true. "Thanks for the encouragement, Gaku. I really needed it. However, I can't focus on Kiba and his stupidity" she thanked him before rising up from the couch. Now, she was back to having her usual serious expression on her face. "Now I'll be having a chat with Hana regarding Goro's visit later. If you see Kiba, tell him we can have this talk about his actions the next day. Right now, I got more important things to focus on than his horny desires" she told Gaku before exiting the living room.

Gaku only mused to himself by seeing the cousin he always knew. "Sure thing, Tsume. Let me know wherever you need me" he told her loud for Tsume to hear.


Inside the Haruno home

Naruto and Sakura was sleeping so tight on the queen-sized bed. Having gone out on a date and then enjoyed some time together at Sakura's home, the couple had probably experienced its most spectacular night ever. The amount of pleasure and excitement they had done yesterday had really left them feeling comfortable in each other's embrace. Right now, Naruto was sleeping so sweet, as he was still dreaming. Sakura was lying sideways against her boyfriend.

But the pinkette's emerald eyes suddenly started opening as she could feel the rays of sunshine shine upon her. The young woman woke up and glanced at an alarm clock on her nightstand. That alarm clock was actually something Naruto had given to her as a gift. But problem was, it never rang. This led Sakura to believe that this was no alarm clock, but just an ordinary clock. Rubbing her eyes and yawning, Sakura stretched her arm over her sleeping boyfriend and grabbed the alarm clock. She rubbed her eyes once again to get a clear view of what time it was.

"Hmmmm…...what time is it now?" she wondered her emerald eyes finally caught glimpse of what time it was. Sakura widened in shock as she saw what it was. "AH! 10 O'CLOCK! NO…THE MEETING IN THE HOPSITAL!" she yelled out loud when realizing that she and Naruto had overslept. At first, she thought she had awoken up early in the morning, but that was not really the case here.

The pinkette quickly got off bed and grabbed the nearest clothes she could find. Meanwhile, Naruto was still sleeping, his mind drifted in another universe. Not even the alarm clock had managed to wake him up. But Sakura managed to put on a bra and panties, she quickly headed back to bet to wake up her boyfriend.

"NARUTO! WAKE UP! WE OVERSLEPT!" Sakura yelled while shaking her sleeping boyfriend at the same time.

Naruto slowly opened his eyes, yet he was still feeling so sleepy and laidback. "Sakura…good morning" he said to her while smiling so sweetly.

"CUT THE CRAP, STUPID! WE OVERSLEPT! WE'RE LATE FOR THE MEETING!" Sakura told him, yet Naruto was still in his own world of dreams and cuteness. "THE MEETING AT THE HOPSITAL YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO ATTEND, ALONGSIDE SHIZUNE AND LADY TSUNADE!" the pinkette then added to him.

When hearing Tsunade and Shizune being mentioned, Naruto's blue eyes immediately snapped in shock. He even screamed in fear as he remembered what Sakura had told him about during their date yesterday.

"AHHHHHHHH! WE'RE LATE! WE'RE LATE!" Naruto yelled as he got off bed to put on some clothes. "HOW DID THIS HAPPEN!? WHY DOESEN'T YOUR ALARM CLOCK RING!?" he then asked while putting on his pants.

Sakura slumped her head while grabbing the "alarm clock" to show him. "BECAUSE…...THIS ISN'T AN ALARM CLOCK! IT'S JUST AN ORDINARY CLOCK!" she told him sternly.

Naruto was surprised after hearing what his girlfriend just told him. He even formed a cheeky grin as he thought about it. "Ah…now that explains why it was so cheap at the store. I never really gave it much thought" he remarked to his own amusement. But Naruto was in for a surprise as Sakura threw his black sweater on him. He lifted it up to glance at her. "Hey! Why did you…" the blonde-haired man stopped speaking as he could Sakura's fiery eyes burn at him, which only made Naruto intimidated.

"JUST CAN IT, NARUTO! WE'RE LATE FOR THE MEETING!" Sakura told her as she had just put on some pants and sandals. This made Naruto take this seriously, and he put on his black sweater. Sakura put on a red headband on her head. But right now, she seemed to have calmed herself a little. "We don't have time to take a shower! Our priority is that we meet up with Lady Tsunade and Shizune at the hospital. We were supposed to be there while they were at the gates of the village to wish luck to the Shadow Squad on their mission!" she then began explaining.

Naruto had managed to put on all of his clothes, including his forehead-protector. But Naruto headed down towards the entrance door, he was also beginning to think about Sasuke and the fact that he was heading out with the Shadow Squad on their mission. Somehow, the blonde-haired man wished that he would've been present at the gate to wish him good luck. But would Sasuke actually approve of it? No. Naruto remembered what Sasuke had told him yesterday. The raven-haired man had encouraged him to spend time with Sakura and have fun with her. Sasuke did not wish for Naruto to become too fixated on him.

A smug grin crept on Naruto's face as he thought about his longtime friend. "I wish you luck the best of luck, Sasuke. I know you can make it out of the battlefield" he then noted in his head while thinking about him.

Sakura walked down the stairs and headed towards Naruto quickly. She was all set to go out, wearing her nurse coat. Sometimes, Naruto had to admire seeing his girlfriend dressed like that. It made him feel proud over to have been in a relationship with a spectacular woman such as her.

"Are you ready? I know a shortcut to the hospital, but we'll have to run if we're gonna make it" the pinkette told him while smiling slightly.

Naruto simply nodded his head as a yes. "Absolutely. We best get going. But believe me, Sakura. Grandma Tsunade will probably forgive us for arriving late" he told her.

Sakura raised an eyebrow in return. "What? How can you say that?" she asked him, only for her boyfriend to exit the door quickly. Not wanting to waste time thinking about the subject, Sakura followed Naruto out of the door. They had to reach the hospital in time.


Inside Tenten's weapon shop

Tenten was on her job and once again waiting for customers to arrive. The brunette sighed deeply as she realized that no one came. It made her bored. "Man, there's gotta be weapon-buyers somewhere in this village!" she exclaimed while resting her head on the counter in boredom.

Ever since the incident at the Aburame Clan Wedding, Tenten was refocused on her job at the weapon shop. But there was another factor that led to her in focusing on the job. During the celebration was interrupted, she had managed to have a few words with Lee over their recent disagreements. Tenten had regretted being so harsh on her boyfriend. But Lee also felt he also had some faults when it came to their relationship. The young man had admitted to Tenten about how it was time for him to look forward and stop being so amateurish and immature and start growing up as an adult.

Hearing these words, coupled with her regret over being harsh on Lee, convinced Tenten to give her boyfriend a chance to change himself. But to change, he would have to do that on his own and not because of another person telling him. She wanted Lee to see the flaws of his behavior on his own. But in the end, the couple soon agreed to go out on a date, something they had not done in a long time. But which day they would go out, was not yet decided.

Tenten's head suddenly shot up from the counter as he could hear the bell ringing from the door being opened. As soon as she saw who it was, the brunette's eyes widened in surprise. Standing there was Rock Lee, her boyfriend. He was simply smiling at her in his usual self while waving a hand.

"Hey there, Tenten. Mind if I stay here for a minute?" he asked him.

But Lee was in for a surprise as Tenten suddenly got off her seat by the counter and ran straight towards him, her arms stretching out to embrace him. The young man was caught in the brunette's arms and it astounded him at first. However, Lee only returned the hug, knowing better than to reject her.

"Lee…..." Tenten's voice could be heard in an emotional tone, hinting that she was happy to see him. "I'm so happy to see you!" she then said while looking into his eyes, her own eyes filled with small tears.

Her boyfriend only widened his own fuzzy eyes as he saw the emotional state she was in. But Lee simply smiled while putting his hands on her shoulders. This actually made Tenten surprised and she glanced at her boyfriend with widened eyes.

"It's alright, Tenten. I'm here for you. And I feel a lot better than how I did a couple of days ago" Lee told her before revealing something underneath his jounin vest. The young brunette was stunned to see that Lee's injury was now gone. Lee nodded his head at her. "That's right. The injury has faded away. I'm perfectly fine" he said, before leaning his face closer to Tenten's, which astounded her. "By the way, I must thank you for what you did at Shino's wedding. I'm glad that you helped me prevent from rushing towards those terrorists. It made me realize what to really take care off. And that is why I'm thanking you." he said to her before delivering a soft kiss on Tenten's forehead.

The young woman was surprised to see a different kind of tone in Lee's voice. It sounded so different. That and Lee's kiss only made her embrace him tightly. "Lee…..I need you at my side" she then told him as honest as she could.

Lee only smiled in return while patting her head lightly. "I also need you at my side, Tenten. As a matter of fact, I came here to have a talk about this date of ours" he then revealed to him, which made Tenten pay close attention to him. The black-haired man only smiled as he saw this. "Yes, we did have a discussion about this at Shino's wedding. But due to the celebration being interrupted, we didn't have the opportunity to plan it fully. That's why I'm here to let you have a say in it, not just me" the black-haired man told her.

Tenten could not help but to smile sweetly as she saw what her boyfriend was doing. "Oh, Lee. I just thought about the same thing. And finally, when things were starting to get boring on the job" she told him before she thought about something. "Now about which day, I would say that I'm available tomorrow. My time at the job is shorter than the others. What about you?" the brunette asked him.

"Same here, Tenten. I made some adjustments with regards to the shift. I say we go out tomorrow" Lee said to her before scratching the back of his neck. "And tell me, Tenten. What do you wanna do on this date? This time, I want to do something that you will also enjoy, not just me" the black-haired man then asked her with a hint of enthusiasm in his voice.

Hearing this made Tenten think deeply. She was rather unsure of what to decide on. However, she immediately fixed a bright smile at her boyfriend. "How about you and me just go to the new bar that opened up here recently. Trust me, it will be fun" the brunette insisted to Lee.

Lee only nodded his head in reply. "You mean the bar called Sake & Shochu? That sounds like a terrific choice, Tenten! I mean, as far as I know, we've never been to a bar on our dates. I heard there's also dancing happening at that place" Lee remarked as he was actually impressed by Tenten's suggestion.

"Then that settles it! Tomorrow in the afternoon, we'll go out and head to Sake & Shochu! But if it's too short, then we could spend some time at one of our places" the brunette said.

"But that depends on whether we're up to it, of course" Lee remarked while chuckling in amusement. He then put a hand on her shoulder once again, smiling at his girlfriend. "And let me be the one to pick you up for the date. You don't have to rush with arriving at a specific place. And if we do that, you'll be given plenty of time to prepare yourself for the date. I really can't imagine how gorgeous really are, Tenten" he then told her.

Tenten's cheeks blushed as she heard those words. Truth be told, she had never seen Lee act so flirty with him. But on another note, she liked Lee's suggestion. Smiling, she softly held Lee's hands and looked up to him with a smug grin. "Very well. Then I say we do this, my knight in green armor" she said before kissing Lee on his lips. The young man was himself surprised by what he was seeing, yet he returned the kiss by holding around her waist. As they parted, Tenten turned around to go to the counter, but not before looking over her shoulder to glance at Lee. "Come pick me up tomorrow, handsome. I'll be waiting for you" she said before giving him a wink.

Lee's heart was pounding, as he was filled with so much love for his longtime teammate. Without even thinking, Lee lifted his thumb up while forming a confidential grin with his mouth. His bright eyes even beamed with passion in front of his girlfriend.

"AS YOU SAY, TENTEN! YOU HAVE MY WORD AS YOUR LOVER!" he exclaimed with pride before he exited the weapon shop.

Being stuck alone in the weapon shop, Tenten could not help but to feel so incredibly enamored as she sat and thought about what she and Lee had just been through right now. The young brunette had never seen this side of Lee before. And probably for the first time, he never acted stupid or ignorant while talking to Tenten. Thinking about her boyfriend only turned her on even more.

"Lee…...since when did you become this person?" she wondered, still remembering about the conversation she and Lee had have at the wedding. "I really wanna see more of that side of you. But first, I'll have to make some concessions as well. Trust me, Lee. This date is gonna rock your socks off!" she then added to her thoughts while thinking about what she could contribute to this relationship.


At the gates of the Leaf Village

Shikamaru Nara and Choucji Akimichi were now accompanying Temari to the gates of the Leaf Village. It was time for her to return home to the Sand Village. As much as it pained the couple, both Shikamaru and Temari knew that they would have to prioritize their jobs above this relationship between them. But as they neared the gates, Shikamaru couldn't help but to sound insecure when Temari was about to leave.

"You sure you don't want anyone accompanying you? With what happened at Shino's wedding, who knows what those terrorists are capable of?" Shikamaru asked while feeling concerned for Temari's safety on her journey.

Temari simply glanced at him with a smirk. "Hmmm…..don't tell me you underestimate my abilities" she said with a slightly stern voice.

"No! I'm not underestimating you! It's just that I'm worried if anything will happen to you on your journey" Shikamaru pointed out to her, yet Temari was still glancing at him cockily. The man with the ponytail gritted his teeth in frustration. "For crying out loud! Aren't I allowed to have a legitimate concern for your safety on a journey like this!?" he then asked her out loud.

Chouji tried to make him calm himself. "Slow down, Shikamaru! You're a making a scene! here" the chubby man encouraged him to refrain from using these outbursts.

Temari sighed in annoyance from what she was seeing here. "Geez, don't you ever grow up? And I thought Kankuro was more immature" she noted to herself, much to Shikamaru's own outrage. But she soon fixed a smile while approaching her boyfriend. To Shikamaru's surprise, she began patting his cheeks in a sweet and gentle manner. "There, there. That oughta calm you down to your senses" the dark blonde-haired woman said while continuing this silly thing with Shikamaru.

However, Temari was stunned as he could feel Shikamaru's hands on her shoulders and he actually faced her with a smile of his own. Temari's hand landed on Shikamaru's own shoulders. The couple was now gazing into each other's eyes, hoping to remember each other's faces since they would be away from one another.

"Just return home safe. That's all I ask of you" Shikamaru then told Temari from the bottom of his heart. While astounded by the tone of his voice at first, Temari eventually smiled as she kissed Shikamaru in a passionate way. The kiss soon ended and they glanced at each other once again. "Thanks for the kiss…I felt like I needed it" he then told her.

Temari only giggled to herself as she heard Shikamary say those words. "Very well, then I best take off now. I'll let you know when I've arrived at the Sand Village. Give Yoshino my regards" she told him before she took a brief glance at Chouji, who nodded his head weakly in return. "And you give my regards to the others, Chouji" she then told him.

While Shikamaru was dumbfounded, Chouji only chuckled nervously as he heard this. "I'll do what I can" the chubby man told her in return. Shikamaru and Chouji waved at the Sand kunoichi as she disappeared from their sights as soon as she walked into the nearby woods. After finishing waving, Chouji could hear Shikamaru sigh, which only surprised him. "You feeling okay, buddy? I understand you're worried about Temari, but she's a strong…." Chouji was interrupted by the voice of his comrade.

"It's not about that, Chouji. And trust me, I know how strong she is. When it comes to kunoichis, Temari is the woman you really don't wanna mess with" the young head of the Nara clan said while scratching the back of his head. "It's just that I've noticed how much energy she takes from me a day. But despite that, I actually feel happy. Temari's an amazing woman, she's someone worth wasting energy" he then told his longtime friend.

"Ohhh…I see. Well, I don't know what to say. But I sometimes think you and I are much alike when it comes to having personal relationships with women" Chouji told him while he was thinking about something. "It's been a while since me and Sanae talked. I wonder if she would be open to see me again" the chubby man noted while thinking about his girlfriend from the Hidden Stone Village.

Shikamaru had to glance at Chouji as he said that. Being one of the Leaf Village's top politicians, Shikamaru had been informed about many things, including the formation of the Triple Entente between the Leaf, Sand and Mist Villages. However, that information was exclusive to those politicians and diplomats that the three Kages worked with. And while the Triple Entente was an alliance and cooperation, it did not include the Cloud and Stone Villages. That's where Shikamaru's concerns started to take hold om him again.

"Hey Chouji. Can I ask you something?" Shikamaru asked his friend, who only smiled at him in return.

"Sure, what is it?" Chouji replied in his usual and friendly mood.

Shikamaru swallowed a gulp before opening his mouth to speak. "It's about Sanae. Forgive me if I sound like a weirdo or something, but what does she do for a living in the Stone Village?" he asked Chouji, trying not to sound so suspicious

But the chubby man immediately grinned with satisfaction as he heard what Shikamaru just asked of him. "I'm glad you asked, Shikamaru. From what I gather from our trips together, she's more than a kunoichi. In fact, Sanae is a great cook and a potter. I remember seeing one of the pots she made. It was so terrific. But her cooking was even more terrific. Gosh, I just miss her food sometimes" Chouji explained while thinking about the good times they had together.

As much as Shikamaru felt like asking more from him, he couldn't bring himself to interrogate his childhood friend. No, this was a personal matter for Chouji and he had no right to interfere. Instead of doing that, Shikamaru simply nodded at him with a nod and formed a smile with his mouth.

"Heh! Then I guess you must be lucky guy to date someone who can cook good" Shikamaru told him, which only made Chouji feel even more confident about himself. It was obvious that he needed to hear this compliment.


Inside a conference room at the Leaf Village's hospital

Naruto and Sakura was just sitting beside each other by a longtable in the hospital's conference room. But they were not alone, as they were surrounded by other important participants, including the Fifth Hokage herself. Tsunade and sat at the edge of the table, with Shizune being the one sitting to her closest from her left. Other participants included Kakashi Hatake, Mitate and Kanpo from the Medic Corp, Shiho and Yurika from the Leaf Villlage's Cryptanalysis Team, and veteran jounins of the Leaf Village: Aoshi Yamashiro, Raido Namiashi and Genma Shiranui.

As they were finally seated, Tsunade could not help but to muse to herself. She did that while glancing at Naruto and Sakura. "Well, I'm glad that you two finally decided to show up. I can't imagine what kept you from not coming her earlier" she then said.

Naruto simply gritted his teeth in slight anger while Sakura's cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "We're terribly sorry for that, Lady Tsunade. It won't be repeated, I promise" the pinkette told the Hokage while making sure Naruto was also willing to take this seriously.

"As much as I want to scold the two of you, I will let this slip. But only because it's you two" Tsunade revealed, much to the satisfaction of Naruto and Sakura. But the Hokage glanced specifically at Sakura, her eyes filled with seriousness. "But remember, Sakura. You are this hopsital's vice-president. Don't forget where your priorities are" she then told her.

Sakura only nodded her head in humility, thus giving her mentor full understanding of the matter. "Yes, Lady Tsunade" she said to him with a respectful tone in her voice.

The Hokage stood up and stood beside a blackboard that seemed to be used for presentation in the conference room. It was located at the edge of the room. Shizune also rose up from her seat and stood at the opposite side of where Tsunade was standing. The blackboard seemed to have a screen in the middle and it was switched on.

"I welcome you all to this meeting. As much as I would like to have it at my office, I felt like it was more suitable to have it in this room at the hospital" Tsunade started by speaking up. The screen suddenly showed them a picture of all the medics who was now with the Shadow Squad on their mission. "As all of you may know, seven medics has joined the Shadow Squad on its mission with the Grim Guard and the Divine Division. And these are the medics. They may be few, but I trust that the Sand and Mist Villages will be sending some medics to accompany them as well" the Hokage told them while smiling smugly.

Kakashi suddenly raised a hand in, to which Tsunade acknowledged with a nod directed towards him. "If I may interrupt you for a minute, Lady Tsunade. I was told that the Interrogation Squad was with them as well" he then said to her.

"You're correct. Ibiki Morino along with his closest associates will accompany the Shadow Squad. Their knowledge and abilities will be of great assistance to them" Tsunade noted while answering Kakashi's questions. "But as Hokage, I am confident in the Shadow Squad. Yugao has managed to gather quite a group that will serve the Leaf Village's interests" she added while musing over the fact.

The screen in the middle even showed them a full picture of those in the expedition. Naruto and Sakura could not only notice Yamato and Sai, but also Sasuke. Their eyes widened over seeing him being listed there, as well as what his codename was.

"So Sasuke really is a member of the Shadow Squad?" Naruto noted before forming a smug grin as he could see what his codename was. "Heh. Deathhawk, huh? Cool name. Much better than Sai's codename in my opinion" he said while moping at the end over seeing Sai's ridiculous codename.

The other participants were also stunned to see what Sai's codename was and it was unbelievable. Even the usually reserved Kakashi furrowed his brows as he read the codename.

"You gotta be kidding me" Genma noted while seeing this. "Who the hell names himself Penisshaft? Is this kid really THAT delusional?" the brown-haired man with the senbon in his mouth asked.

Sakura chuckled nervously as she heard what the older man just said. "I wouldn't necessarily say that Sai is delusional. He's just…...misguided" the pinkette then told him.

Naruto only shrugged his shoulders by hearing his girlfriend's words. "Misguided? He has regained his feelings. He's no longer bound by Danzo" the blonde-haired man noted in his thoughts while listening.

"I see that you have managed to pick different clansmen for joining this squad" Raido remarked as he studied each of the members on the screen. "I can see why the Inuzuka and Yamanaka clans didn't wanna send a representative. Their leaders are quite stubborn" he then noted with a light chuckle.

"The Yamanaka clan has already a close cooperation with the Interrogation Squad. Therefore, we understood why they refused when we asked" Shizune told him before she could not help but to slump her head when she was about to mention the Inuzuka clan's reason for refusing to send a member. "Now as for the Inuzuka clan…well, you already know" she added while not bother saying anything more.

"Hold on, is Ino also accompanying the Shadow Squad on their mission?" Sakura asked while taking of notice of seeing Ino on the screen.

Tsunade nodded her head in return. "Certainly. As you already know, Ino has started to take up her father's place as a member of the Interrogation Squad. From what I heard from Ibiki, Ino was his favorite subordinate. It's probably the first time I've ever heard of him having a favorite" the Hokage noted while confirming Sakura's question.

"Oh….." Sakura noted while feeling somewhat surprised. She did not expect someone like her rival to partake in such matters. The pinkette soon forced a smile on her face. "Then I best watch my back from now on. Ino will never best me to be a better kunoichi" she said while having some determination left in her.

Naruto had to smile by seeing her girlfriend acting so confident in her abilities. "Now that's the spirit, Sakura. Keep it up" she told her while also nudging her at the same time.

Tsunade cleared her throat and everyone's attention was focused on her once again. "Listen. There is also we want to share with you in this hospital. And for that, I would like Shiho and Yurika from the Cryptanalysis Team to come up here and explain" she said.

The Hokage and her assistant made way for the two researchers, as the screen in the middle began changing into something different. It would appear that Shiho was the one who would explain this. The screen was showing them so many numbers and letters streaming into different lines.

"Recently, we seemed to have discover something with regards to the terrorist attack a couple of days ago. You see, something happened with is at the Cryptanalysis Team" the woman with the swirl-tinted glasses explained while seeing directing their attention to the screen. "During the attack, our computers experienced something terrible. They started going crazy. It took some time before we discovered that they had been infected by viruses" she revealed to them.

The participants were slightly surprised from what they were hearing and it astounded them all. "But if that's true then it means….." Raido spoke lowly only for Yurika to nod her head weakly in return.

"Yes. We were hacked during the attack. And it appears to us that those hackers had some form of connection with the Crimson Dragon and his cohorts" Yurika told them while taking a glance at the screen. "I am not sure what to say of this, but I believe that those hackers didn't wish for us to track down the movements of the terrorists. That is why they chose to act while the Leaf Village was focused on the terrorist attack at the wedding" she then added to her analysis.

"If they hacked us, they're obviously planning on doing it again" Naruto said as he rose up from his seat, which surprised many, even Sakura and Kakashi. The blonde-haired man glanced at the Hokage. "Grandma Tsunade, I have a feeling that despite us sending the Shadow Squad on this mission, those terrorists will strike at the Leaf Village once again. What if they plan on diverting our forces?" he then asked the Hokage.

Tsunade took her time to think over the matter. "I know, Naruto. And truth be told, I doubt that this mission to find this Island of Tides will be easy" the blonde-haired woman said before forming a slight smile with her lips. "But that doesn't' mean we shall give up so easily. We will show this Crimson Dragon that the Hidden Leaf Village never surrenders to cowardly terrorists. While the Shadow Squad is out there, we must prepare ourselves for the inevitable. And believe me, we will overcome any threats to our lives. That's what it means to carry the Will of Fire" Tsunade then added to her explanation.

All those around the Hokage felt their spirits lifted when they heard how inspirational Tsunade actually was. And the fact that she mentioned the Will of Fire only proved to convince them that while Tsunade was not the Third Hokage, she was one of the few people who had inherited his philosophy.


Somewhere hidden in the darkness, the Island of Tides

Inside a dark cavern where there was nothing but crooks and ruffians who wandered through it, the three hooded figures that had committed the terrorist act at the Aburame Clan Wedding were now walking amongst the criminals. This place was almost like a city inside the cavern. The many thieves and criminals that infested it had built houses of shacks and dirt to live in this harsh environment. There was light, but the atmosphere in this place was horrible and chaotic. The many criminals that lived in this cavern were performing various activities, like drinking alcohol, watching prostitutes dancing and having contest of who was the strongest of them.

"Eh, this place stinks like dead pigs and goats!" the Azure Dragon said while wandering amongst the crowds of criminals who called this cavern city their home. "Why can't there be rules in this piece of garbage!? People here are doing as they please!" he then added while glancing at his comrades.

Only the Ebon Dragon seemed to have taken interest in responding to his accomplice's complaint. "Even if we had rules here, none of those ruffians would give a damn about it" he told his partner while glancing at bunch of criminals engaged in different kinds of activities. "In this place, the only law that exists, is the law of anarchy" he then added to his explanation.

"Tch, whatever. It doesn't heart to clean up your own ass or go swim in the ocean for that matter!" the Azure Dragon said before glancing at his other accomplice. "Now where are we off to, specifically?" he then asked the Crimson Dragon.

The Crimson Dragon was silent for a minute before he finally spoke up. "Someone has requested to see us. He has taken refuge in one of these lone caverns. From what the letter told us, he was from a celestial lineage" he spoke up, his voice filled with nothing but contempt and hate. "Whoever he is, I could care less. The only reason why we're visiting him is that he said something about destroying the Leaf Village" he added to his explanation.

It didn't take long before they reached to the cavern where there was no person to be seen in sight. However, the trio was surprised to see a line of people standing before them. These people seemed like pale humans that was dressed in black clothes, which covered their bodies. But their empty eyes could be seen, despite the lower part of their faces being bandaged. But what was also noticeable was the yellow crescent moon that was featured on their headbands.

As they neared, the group of people prepared themselves for combat against them, which only astounded the trio of black-hooded men.

"Who the hell are they!?" the Azure Dragon asked while brandishing his sword Narumi. "I've never seen them skulking around here before" he added.

"Whoever they are, they will regret ever confronting us!" the Ebon Dragon boasted while readying himself for combat.

But as the group of men were prepared for combat, they stopped when they heard a voice calling to them. It made them all snapped. "Restraint, my servants. They are my guests" the young voice called to them. Without delay, the mysterious people immediately stopped acting confrontational and even formed a line as if to greet the three people.

The trio was cautious about their behavior, yet they proceeded towards the end of this way. But the group was stunned to see that by the end of the cavern, there had been some sort of decoration happening. Even now, they could spot several pale-skinned women, that seemed to be maids. But they were standing beside someone.

Sitting on a pillow before a table was a young man with pale skin, shaggy white hair, attractive facial features, and six magatama designs tattooed on his collarbones. For some reason, his eyelids were closed. His choice of clothes was also unique to the trio's standards. He wore white, high-collared kimono with a black obi, over which he wore a pale green sash tied at the right shoulder. Beneath his robes he wore black fingerless gloves, long black pants and black shinobi sandals. This man was something they had never seen before.

Despite his eyelids being closed, the young man smiled, indicating that he could sense the trio approaching him. His gaze was even fixed upon them. "I bid you welcome, strangers. I am pleased to know that you received my letter" he told them, his eyelids still closed. "I apologize for my servants' behavior. My puppets tend to not know when I have managed to get allies on this world" he then added, still smiling gently.

The Crimson Dragon was so far not impressed from what he was hearing, yet he simply grunted in return. "Hmm…for being puppets, they sure as hell don't look like those. And I would've dealt with them easily, anyways" he said to the young man before crossing his arms. "Now let's skip the foreplay. Why have you called for us?" he asked him.

The stranger suddenly motioned for them to sit down, where there already had been placed three cups. It was obvious that this young man was inviting them for a drink, as they could spot a bottle on the table.

"Please. Sit down. I would like to get better acquainted with you three individuals" the stranger told them and the three hooded men took their seats, glancing at him suspiciously. He motioned for one of the maids to pour drinks into their cups and she did that without difficulties. The young man smiled at the trio. "It is a pleasure to be of acquaintance, dragons. My name is Toneri Otsutsuki" he then introduced himself.

The trio of hooded men were astounded, yet only the Azure Dragon was the one who seemed most confused. "Whoa, what did you just say?" he asked the young man. "I mean, Otsutsuki…as in…the Otsutsuki clan?" he then asked once again, his voice filled with curiosity.

The man named Toneri simply nodded his head gently, still smiling as he did that. "Yes, I am from the Otsutsuki clan. However, I am the heir to the clan's branch family and its sole survivor" he then told him while the others listened closely.

"What does that even mean?" the Ebon Dragon asked while feeling very suspicious. "As far as I know I carry little knowledge about that clan for that matter" he added.

"I see" the low voice of the Crimson Dragon could be heard as he reached his hand for the cup. He glanced down at the cup where he could see the wine. "It would seem that you are indeed from the Otsutsuki clan. However, you're not related to the Sage of the Six Paths. Rather, you are related to….." the hooded man was interrupted by the voice of Toneri.

"Yes. I am the sole descendant of Hamura Otsutsuki, twin brother of Hagoromo Otsutsuki and the younger twin son of Kaguya Otsutsuki, who you humans may know better as the Mother of All Shinobis" Toneri told him with a smile. "I see you are quite knowledgeable about such matters, which is one of the reasons why I have sought you here on this world, Crimson Dragon" he added while hinting to his admiration for the hooded individual.

Despite hearing the praise, the Crimson Dragon was not impressed. "And why have you sought me out? What interests do you have in this damn world?" he asked.

Despite the tone in his voice, Toneri simply smiled. "I came from the Moon to find some allies. Allies who will understand my cause" he said before his smile soon turned into that of a deep frown. "A cause that I must fulfill" he then added.

The Ebon Dragon finished his drink and put the cup down. "What is this so-called cause you speak of?" he asked Toneri.

"It is nothing but the destruction of mankind and the restoring the honor of my ancestor" he then revealed, his voice filled with contempt over speaking over the matter. "Mankind has weaponized Chakra and misused it's gift for war" the young man added to his explanation.

"Hmmm…...I see where you're getting at" the Crimson Dragon spoke up while finishing his drink. "Your goal is the same as that of Madara Uchiha, isn't it?" he asked the young man.

Toneri was still frowning deeply when hearing this. "Hardly. And Madara Uchiha is an example of those shinobis who have misused the power of Chakra for their own nefarious ends. And he also sought to exploit the powers of my clan! Such insolence cannot go unpunished!" he then said, while speaking about Madara with such venom in his voice. But he soon calmed himself down and took a drink from his cup. "One of my ancestor's goal was to do one thing if the Sage's world would descend into chaos. Destroy it, and punish mankind for their sins" he then said to them in a calm manner.

The trio of hooded men soon realized what this was. Apparently, the Fourth Shinobi World War had got this mysterious man's attention and he was now determined to complete what his ancestor always desired: to destroy the world for misusing the Chakra's power.

The Crimson Dragon glanced onto Toneri once again. "How do you plan on destroying the world? And what's it in for us?" he asked while wanting an answer.

This time, Toneri formed a smile once again. "Well that's just simple. By letting the entire Moon crash Earth" he then said, his voice even sounding very much intimidating.

The three hooded men were astounded when hearing this, yet they were calm on the inside. "Man, you sure have serious issues. So, you plan on murdering the entire human civilization? Not that we care at least" the Azure Dragon spoke up while not feeling any regret for what he just said. "But something tells me that you're not planning on murdering all humans, are you not?" he then asked the young man.

Toneri nodded his head once again. "You are correct. I will spare all those who are deemed useful to me. And you three are among them" he revealed to the trio of hooded men. "I have studied your actions across the world. And from what I gather, you recently infiltrated the Village Hidden in the Leaves. I take it you have fond memories there, Crimson Dragon" he explained while he was facing the Crimson Dragon with his closed eyelids.

"Tch, that piece of shit is no longer my home. They left me to die, including my clan!" he then said with a hint of anger in his voice.

"I see. But there is something I would like to ask of you three dragons. When you infiltrated this village, did you take notice of the Hyuuga clan?" he then asked them while sounding a bit curious.

The Ebon Dragon simply nodded his head in reply. "Yeah, we saw a pack of those bright-eyed rats. Didn't seem much of a challenge" he spoke up with displeasure in his voice.

This caught Toneri's attention. "So, you saw the Hyuugas. Then I take it you managed to get a glimpse of the Hyuuga heiress as well" he asked them while having so much curiosity in his voice. "Her name is Hinata Hyuuga. A stunning princess indeed" he then said while smiling.

"Ah, I remember her" the Azure Dragon spoke up as Toneri glanced at him. "You're probably talking about that bluenette with the big chest. Man, how tough she actually was. Baby's got back" he then said while beginning to talk dirty over Hinata.

For some reason, Toneri formed a frown over hearing this talk coming from the Azure Dragon. "I would prefer if you didn't speak about her as if she was in object. Hinata is a wonderful woman" he then sternly told the Azure Dragon.

The hooded man only shrugged his shoulders in return. "Tch, are you saying you wanna bang her or something? Well too bad, she already has a boyfriend" he then told him.

Hearing this caused Toneri to snap, as he was filled with slight disbelief over hearing this coming from the Azure Dragon. But the young man wanted to know more from what was just being said about Hinata. "Are you meaning to tell me that Hinata already has a lover?" he then asked him.

The Crimson Dragon was growing tired of this talk. "Enough of this bullshitting! Why the hell are you so obsessed with that woman, let alone the Hyuuga clan for that matter!?" he then asked while demanding an answer from Toneri.

The young man simply sighed deeply as he heard what was being said. "You don't have to raise your voice. I prefer that we do this talk calmly" he told the Crimson Dragon while one of his maids began pouring another round of drink in his cup. "I am after the Hyuuga clan for a particular reason. I desire their powers. As you may know, most of the Hyuuga's are like me, descendants of Hamura Otsutsuki. I take it you know about their Kekkei Genkai: the Byakugan" he told him while making sure the others listened to what was being said.

"I know. You don't have to fill every detail. You desire to gain their eyes, but for what reason? And what about this Hinata?" the Crimson Dragon asked, this time, his voice much calmer than usual.

Toneri began gently touching his closed eyelids with his fingers and it astounded those around him. Yet despite him touching them, they never opened. "My eyes were sealed within my clan's Energy Vessel, thus leaving me blind. That is why I must regain my sight by acquiring the Byakugans of the strongest Hyuugas: Hiashi and Hanabi. And then I will absorb the Chakra from all members of the Hyuuga clan" he told them before removing his fingers from his closed eyelids. "And as for Hinata, I will give her two options. Either she will become my wife and rule the Moon alongside me…or she will suffer the same fate as that of her father and sister" he then said, his voice sounding so cold and ruthless.

"Then that means you plan on enslaving the entire Hyuuga clan and make them your servants. A devious plan indeed" the Ebon Dragon noted while hearing this. "I suppose you called us out here to offer an alliance between us?" he then asked the mysterious man.

Toneri nodded his head in return. "Yes. I could have use for allies who understand how this world needs to die. We also share common enemies" he said before stretching out his arms into each side, thus showing them his servants. "And besides, with my assistance, you would benefit from having an army of puppets at your disposal. Simply relying on common criminals, crooks and raiders will eventually run your business out of steam" he then added while explaining what he would have to offer.

The Crimson Dragon suddenly got up from his seat and so did his cohorts. "While I admire your generous offer, I still think it's too soon to consider us allies. Therefore, we will have to consider it carefully" the hooded man said, his Sharingan also being activated. The trio then turned around to leave, but it's leader stayed to say some final words to Toneri. "But until then, we might as well stay in touch with each other. You stay here and we will continue with having contact" he then said before he walked to join with the trio.

Despite seeing this, Toneri simply smiled as he could feel the hooded trio vanish from his sight. It was obvious that he knew they would eventually change their mind and reconsider allying themselves with him. Apparently, this mysterious man had already figured out who those men really were beneath their hooded coats.

"Quite a gang you have, dragons. I expect you to have good judgement when it comes to choosing whom to make enemies with" Toneri said before his mouth formed into a frown. "Becoming my enemy is a fatal error, even to you" he then added, his voice sounding more serious than before.

As the trio walked back to their quarters in these caverns, the Crimson Dragon was in deep thought over becoming allies with this Toneri Otsutsuki. However, he felt no concern for Earth's well-being, let alone other shinobis. The Azure Dragon and the Ebon Dragon also felt the same way, even though their leader had a different view when it came to the world.

"I don't care whoever the hell that bastard is. My objectives are mine and mine alone!" the Crimson Dragon thought in his head while thinking about what the mysterious man had told him and his cohorts. "But then again, he could become useful in our plans to destroy our enemies. However, we best not let him use us as he pleases" he then added to his thoughts while his cohorts only glanced at him, waiting to hear what he was thinking of.

Even now, the Crimson Dragon's Sharingan glowed redder and they only signalized that he was not giving up his true objectives. No, he would not abandon his path of vengeance for the sake of some arrogant prince who thought he was superior.


Inside the basement of a hotel, Land of Waves

Since the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War, many of the smaller nations had changed. The Land of Waves, a small island nation off the coast of the Land of Fire, was no exception when it came to extreme national makeover. The nation had gone from being a poor and corrupted country, to a famous holiday destination, especially during the summers. Even now, a new type of class had emerged. This was a class of hotel moguls, who owned some of the most exclusive in the world. Not only was it the hotel moguls. Many foreigners had established themselves in the Land of Waves by building their own fancy apartments or villas. What was also common in the country was its fancy beaches and yachts that were docked nearby.

But right now, the Shadow Squad and their accomplices in the Medic Corp and the Interrogation Squad had arrived at their destination: a fancy hotel near the ocean. It was also located near the harbor, where they would board the ship that would take them to wherever the Island of Tides was located at. Even now, Yugao Uzuki and Ibiki Morino were having a talk about this.

"Okay. This is the place" Yugao told everyone while taking off her mask. But as they looked around in the basement, they couldn't see any other person. "This has to be a joke, why haven't the Grim Guard and the Divine Division arrived yet?" she asked out in slight irritation.

"I don't know. But it appears that we have arrived here first" Ibiki noted while glancing around in the basement. He then looked over to Yugao. "I know that this may sound disrespectful, but why don't we have a quick meeting before they show up?" he then suggested to the purple-haired woman.

Yugao could not help but to smile as she heard this coming from him. "You took the words right out of my mouth, Ibiki. I guess it would be appropriate for us to have this gathering in order for the Shadow Squad to learn how to behave with our allies from the Sand and the Mist" she noted before fixing a glance at the members of the Shadow Squad, who were currently leaning against the wall. "Shadow Squad! Gather up before us! We have some important words of wisdom to share with you!" Yugao commanded and all members responded without hesitation.

The members also took off their masks while standing before Yugao and Ibiki like a class. Standing behind those two leaders was Tonbo Tobikate, Shimon Hijiri, Mawashi Dokuraku, Kotetsu Hagane, Izumo Kamizuki, Iwashi Tatami, Mozuku and Ino Yamanaka representing the Interrogation Squad and Kusushi, Ugai, Mogusa, Oyone, Kito, Migaki and Iyashi representing the Medic Corps, who had chosen to participate in this mission. Asami Nakano approached the Commander of the Shadow Squad and bowed to her and Ibiki with formality.

"We have assembled the expedition, commander. You have our undivided attention" the teal-haired woman assured Yugao.

"Fair enough. Then let this little meeting begin" Yugao told Asami, who quickly returned to her post, standing beside Sai and Yamato. "Now I hope all of you enjoyed the journey to the Land of Waves. Because the next phase is where things will start to get tricky. And by that, I mean sailing the ocean" she then told them.

"While we have failed to locate this Island of Tides, I do suppose the Divine Division will be of more help to us with that" Ibiki then said to them. "These waters are after all their turf. But before we do the sailing, we will have to get better acquainted with both the Grim Guard and the Divine Division. And by that, I mean befriending their members" he then added while making sure they were listening carefully.

Sai suddenly raised his hand, and he was allowed to speak up. "If I may interrupt you, I have a question regarding our allies" the pale-skinned man said and both Yugao and Ibiki allowed him to have the word. "Due to the fact that we're allies in the Triple Entente, do you know the commanders of those groups?" he then asked them.

Yugao closed her eyes while shaking her head as a no. "Unfortunately, we don't know. In fact, neither Lady Tsunade nor the allied Kages have bothered giving out the names of those commanders" the purple-haired woman told him before opening her eyes. "But it is for a good reason. This is top secret information. Therefore, the names of the commanders can't be given out so carelessly" she then told him.

Ibiki could not help but to smile slightly. "Whoever they are, I'm confident that the Kazekage and the Mizukage have chosen the perfect leaders for those groups, just as you are to the Shadow Squad" he said while glancing at the members. "They will have to impress us if they want us to become allies in this Triple Entente" he said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"You want us to impress you?" all the Leaf shinobis snapped as they could hear a voice coming from the shadows. As soon as it vanished, they could see two different individuals wearing white clothes and a white mask that covered their faces, but not their eyes. But it didn't take long before more of these people began appearing out from the shadows. While they were standing on their knees, the one who had spoken stood up, as did his second-in-command, who turned out to be a woman. "Well, what do you think? Aren't you impressed of the Grim Guard?" the commander spoke up.

Despite being surprised, Ibiki and Yugao soon found calmed themselves, with Ibiki even going as far as to chuckle in amusement over what he had just witnessed. They approached the two leaders of the Grim Guard.

"Ah, you must be the Sand Village's Grim Guard, shinobis personally appointed by the Kazekage" Ibiki noted while glancing at them with a smug smile. He and Yugao eventually lowered their head in a formal gesture. "We welcome you to the Land of Waves. I am Ibiki Morino, Commander of the Interrogation Squad" he then introduced himself.

"And I'm Yugao Uzuki, Commander of the Shadow Squad" the purple-haired woman said while glancing at the Sand ninjas sternly. "How about you remove your covers and show us who you truly are?" she then suggested, her voice not filled with pleasantries.

The second-in-command removed her covers and it showed them the face of a bright and smiling woman. She had dark hair and seemed to be around the age of the Kazekage himself. "My name is Yutaka. I'm second-in-command of the Grim Guard" she introduced herself while sounding so happy.

Neither Ibiki nor Yugao knew whether to take her seriously, yet they were mostly concentrated on the commander who removed his cover. He was sighing over hearing Yutaka's easygoing manner of introducing herself.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Yutaka? Being my second-in-command means that you also need to have act like one" the commander said before removing his cover completely, thus revealing his face for everyone to see. "Anyway, I am called Baki. The Fifth Kazekage chose me to lead the Grim Guard" he introduced himself in his usual cold voice.

While Ibiki simply gave him a nod of approval in return, Yugao had a much different expression when getting a glimpse of the man with those markings on his face. She was filled with so many emotions, but must of them anger and resentment. However, the purple-haired woman surprisingly managed to keep them hidden from the outside, even though Baki could actually sense her hostility towards him. It didn't take long before Ibiki and Yutaka did that as well.

"What seems to be the problem?" Baki asked her lowly, only for him to be surprised as the purple-haired woman drew out her blade and nearly landed it on his right shoulder. The Commander of the Grim Guard was outraged over this. "What the hell is the meaning of this!? We are allies!" he told her.

"Shut up!" Yugao snapped, thus shutting the young man completely. Even now, some tears could be soon falling from her brown eyes. She gritted her teeth in anger over seeing this man. "You…it's you!" she then said while her voice was seething with anger.

The members of the Shadow Squad and the Grim Guard had so far not moved to help either of their superiors. But both Yutaka and Ibiki tried their best to make Yugao lower her blade, yet she didn't respond to their pleas. Her eyes were completely fixated upon Baki, who had so far, not understood what was going on.

"Why are you doing this, Yugao? They are our allies!" Ibiki told the young woman, who held her grip on her sword firmly.

"Listen, Sand ninjas…..have you heard of someone named Hayate Gekko…." Yugao asked Baki, who surprisingly widened his only visible eye as he heard that name.

"Hayate Gekko…..that name sounds familiar….but where have I heard it?" he then said lowly before something hit in this young man's head. Baki was now beginning to recall something he had done years ago, especially at a time when relations between the Leaf Village and the Sand Village were icy. "Of course…...that Leaf Village jounin….he who was a master of the Dance of the Crescent Moon technique…but he…" Baki was interrupted by Yugao's angry voice.

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT BULLSHIT! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO THAT MAN WAS!?" Yugao yelled while never letting go of her blade. "HAYATE GEKKO WAS MY LOVER! AND YOU…...YOU KILLED HIM!" she yelled another round at the Sand ninja.

When Baki heard this, his only eye widened in shock once again. But he was not the only one, even Ibiki and Yutaka had become shocked when hearing the words that came out of the purple-haired woman's mouth. Many members of the Shadow Squad and the Grim Guard had not yet bothered to interfere. Only Asami seemed to have the guts to attempt her commander from committing such bloodshed.

"Commander…..please lower you blade" Asami pleaded to Yugao, yet her eyes and tears were mostly focused on the man standing before her.

"I see. So this Hayate Gekko was someone very dear to you" Baki spoke up, his voice surprisingly filled with sympathy. The man with the markings across his face simply bowed down his head in shame. "Then you have my sympathy and pity. I understand the pain of losing…." Baki was quickly interrupted once again.

"DON'T LECTURE ME, YOU SON OF A BITCH! YOU KILLED HAYATE LIKE HE WAS NOTHING!" Yugao barked at him while even moving her blade so that it was near Baki's neck. Even as she did that, a drip of blood could be soon on her blade. Rage was beginning to take hold on the purple-haired woman. "YOU SAND NINJAS THREW YOUR LOT WITH THAT FUCKING PEDOPHILE, ORICHIMARU! NOT ONLY DID HE KILL OUR THIRD HOKAGE, HE ALSO KILLED YOUR FOURTH KAZEKAGE! BUT WORST OF ALL…..you murdered the one most dearest to me" she then went on explaining the pain she had to endure.

While he was standing there and listening to what was being said, Baki could not help but to form a slight sympathetic expression on his face. In fact, he even closed his eye while lowering his head once again. This only indicated that he was now doing something Sand ninjas did rarely: acknowledging mistakes.

"Yes. I admit it. I killed Hayate Gekko. And although I did it for the sake of the Sand Village…..it is something I really wish I could change" Baki spoke up while admitting his involvement in Hayate's assassination. He then glanced at the purple-haired woman with nothing but a serious eye. "From what I can tell, revenge and agony is taking hold on you. I know that you desire my death. So if you believe that this will bring you satisfaction, then do it! Kill me now and see if that will satisfy your deceased lover!" Baki then challenged the purple-haired woman.

Yugao no longer had control of her mind and she angrily swung her blade to cut off Baki's head only for something to prevent the sword from reaching Baki's head. The purple-haired woman was astounded to see who it was that was holding her sword. It was a Mist ninja, who wore a giant, metallic mask that seemed to cover his entire face. It almost looked like a diving mask, as the mask had two narrowed eyes that were glowing blue. His choice of outfit was also interesting. It was a black one-piece swimsuit with many mechanical details on it. The question that remained was whether this person was even human. Yugao completely snapped as the masked individual lowered her blade gently.

"You must choose your opponents, carefully" the figure spoke in a metallic voice. This had probably something with his metallic mask to do. "One can't simply rush into such actions without caring about the consequences. That is what I hope you two understand" he then added.

Both Baki and Yugao glanced at him with cautious eyes, as they had actually never seen this man before. "Who are you?" Baki asked lowly as he could see the figure move away a bit.

Before everyone knew it, new shinobis emerged from the rooftops and it astounded both the Leaf and Sand shinobis. But from the looks of it, all those ninjas seemed to wear masks with slits for eye-holes and the Mist Village's symbol printed on their foreheads. This could only mean one thing. These were Mist ninjas, but not just any ordinary Mist ninjas. It was the Divine Division.

"I apologize for arriving late. But the Divine Division will make up for their own faults" the man with the mask said while showing formality towards his fellow commanders. "I am pleased to be of acquaintance to you. I am called Shachi Arashiro…..Commander of the Divine Division" he then introduced himself while saying who he was.

To be continued…..


Authors' note: Now that was a great chapter. We saw how Tenten and Lee were able to overcome their argument at the hospital and agreed to go out. We also saw how the Crimson Dragon and his cohorts were doing. Yes, we got to see where the hooded trio were staying at and this kind of offer Toneri Otsutsuki offered them. Yes, Toneri is from Naruto: The Last, and I have seen it. However, I want him to have a different role in this story, and not to be the character that was made to make Naruto jealous in the movie. In fact, this version of Toneri will have a more twisted personality than the one from the movie (especially with the way of acquiring the Hyuuga clan members) and he will also play a part in this story. But then again, we will also be focused on the Crimson Dragon and his schemes. Will he and Toneri become allies? But trust me, this story will not copy the movie's plot and Hinata is focused on Kiba instead of Naruto here.

And by the way, Yasei is my name for Kiba's father. It's basically Japanese for wild, seeing how Kiba, Hana and Tsume is Japanese for fang, nose and claw respectively. That's what I think fits in with family.

Also, Shachi Arashiro is an OC of mine. He is the commander of the Divine Division. When thinking about him, I was inspired by Black Manta from the DC Universe. But he is not a bad guy. Fun fact: Shachi is actually Japanese for killer whale.