Coughing loudly, though as quietly as he could manage, Shino stuffed his handkerchief against his lips in an attempt to muffle the loud, hacking sound. Pulling a hypodermic blast tube from one of his inner pockets, Shino pressed the end of the gun-like tool to his neck and pulled the trigger. This newer concoction was one of promising ingredients, but hope was the farthest thing from the Aburame's mind.

Stumbling to the basin of water in his small room, Shino coughed flecks of blood into the shallow pool. Gasping for breath, he waited for the vaccine to take effect. Gritting his teeth through the sudden, searing pain in his spine, Shino bit down on the bloody rag to keep from screaming.

Slowly, Shino slid down the length of the basin, a chill overtaking his body as shivers surged through his limbs. "No, no," he gasped, "not yet." Perhaps his condition was only getting worse as time moved on, or the excess amount of Midi-chlorians from the Jedi aboard the ship was detrimental to his health. Either way, he still had to find the answer to his problem because time was only getting shorter for him.

Several agonizing minutes passed by as the Aburame shivered against the hard metal at his back, the bloody rag clenched between his teeth. Just as he thought his time was up, and the potential treatment was not going to work, he broke out into a sweat and the shivers ceased. Falling sideways to the floor in exhaustion, Shino stared at the small cot that was meant for him to sleep in. He didn't think he could sit up, let alone pull himself into bed.

He hadn't told Naruto that his time was running out. He didn't tell him that each treatment was becoming less effective. He didn't even mention that before Naruto had showed up, he had given up hope and was actually in the development of a suicide serum. Something that was painless, but not quick. He wanted to go out with a feeling of euphoria, as a consolation prize for his failure to find a cure.

When Naruto showed up at his… tree step, he was shocked and appalled. He thought that the Jedi Order had actually sent a hit man to get rid of him and his research. He hated the naked man so badly; he wanted to kill him as soon as he saw the lightsaber on his belt. In fact, he wanted to die while killing Naruto at that time, and so he didn't immediately execute him. Funny, his own suicidal intentions saved Naruto's life.

Taking his mind off of the more ironic situations of his past, he couldn't help but congratulate himself on a job well done. He had the serum now, in his possession, for when the pain becomes too much, or the treatments stop working completely.

Another thing he didn't tell Naruto: he didn't plan on surviving. Not anymore. Yes, he would continue his research. Yes, he would continue his injection regimen. And no, he wouldn't use the serum until it was absolutely the end for him. But, none of that gave his intellectual mind any reason to believe he would survive the next few months or so. Longer, if he found a better treatment.

He knew this would kill him. Treatments, albeit painful ones with less than ideal side effects, were possible. But a cure? It seemed like such a farfetched idea to him now. When he initially left Coruscant, he had planned on fighting to the very end. He would show his resolve, his resilience.

But that was years ago. Now he knew better. Midi-chlorians were his enemy, and he was outnumbered a trillion trillion to one.

Fingering the hypo in his pocket, Shino slowly nodded off to sleep. If his time came, at least he could say he didn't make the mistake of staying in the Getsuei system, where no one even knew his name.

"Again," roared Kyuubi, brandishing his lightsaber menacingly. The boy before him gulped and began firing his dual blaster pistols, each blast being batted away easily by the Uzumaki man. Growling, he used the Force to pull both weapons from the precarious grip of the Inuzuka stowaway. "Useless."

Kiba stood there with absolute terror in his eyes, feeling the pressure of the man's presence bearing down on his very soul. For the life of him, he could not remember why he had ever thought Tayuya was the queen of mean.

"That's because you're trying to get him to do something he's no good at," Hinata argued from across the training chamber, arms crossed defiantly. "He's a pilot, not a soldier."

"We've got plenty of pilots," Kyuubi spat, "and a million droids and computers to replace any organic failures. Why should I be responsible for him when he has no combat sense?"

"I'll be responsible for him."

"Oh yeah?" Kyuubi closed the distance between himself and his apprentice, and pointed a black-clawed finger at Kiba. "And I'm responsible for you, therefore making him my problem once more."

"Stop acting like you can't see his potential! He can transform, for crying out loud. How many people do you know that can do that?"

"He can transform into a fucking dog," Kyuubi seethed, "how much more useless can he get?"

"He's just yet to take to his full powers. With a little practice, I bet he could do more. He's already said that he's transformed less than ten times in his entire life, so-"

"No," Kyuubi warned, "you can't keep him. We have no time for pet projects."

Kiba got the sudden, sinking feeling that the argument that the two of them were having was very similar to his own argument with his gang leader all those years ago… when he wanted to keep a small reptile as a pet.

Hinata shook her head, "I'm not asking for permission. He's coming with me, enough said. I only brought him here in an attempt to get you to train him. I see now that it's a lost cause. Come on, Kiba," she said as she maneuvered from around Kyuubi, towards the door.

Kiba almost wanted to object, feeling that it was indignant for him to follow along like a lost puppy. Deciding against that impulse, however, when he saw Kyuubi's glare, he ran after her.

"Hinata, what just happened in there?"

Kiba didn't miss the small smirk as she said, "I just like screwing with him."

"Isn't that dangerous? I mean, he is the leader of the Confederate army and all…"

But Hinata only shook her head, letting out a small laugh. "Haven't you heard? I'm indispensable. He puts up a strong front, but he knows that without my cooperation, this war would be infinitely harder." Grimacing, she added, "I am the Planet Conqueror, after all."

Kiba, feeling a little down, slowly transformed into a large black dog with vibrant orange eyes. Red markings extended below his eyes, reminiscent of his human tattoos. While transforming, he managed to keep pace with Hinata, who didn't even notice the change. He nuzzled his nose to her left hand, causing her to jerk slightly in surprise at the feeling of his wet nose. Looking down at him, she laughed so hard she stopped walking.

"You're the weirdest looking animal I've ever seen in my life," she explained through her tearful bursts of laughter.

Offended, Kiba bared his teeth. Unfortunately for him, Hinata seemingly mistook it for a smile.

"I'm glad you have a good sense of humor," she told him. Kiba decided not to respond.

Tayuya glared out of the viewport of her ex-boyfriend's ship as it sped through hyperspace. With her personal bodyguard at her side, as her father's own ultimatum for her leaving the planet, she had set out immediately to put down the dog she should have never taken in.

"To be fair," the soft spoken bodyguard said, "you never were very nice to him."

Tayuya rounded on the white-haired bastard, screaming, "What the fuck do you know about him and me, huh? I treated him like a fucking god, like royalty. I gave him this ship, I saved his ass from that gang, and I took him in when no one else wanted him."

"Technically, your father did most of that. However, you taking him in… it seems to me you treated him like a pet, something… subhuman."

"Kimimaro," she growled, "don't start with me. I'm not in the fucking mood." She turned grumpily in her swivel chair to stare back out the viewport for a few more minutes. Swallowing her tough attitude for a moment, she asked tentatively, "Am I a bad person? Was I really that awful to him?" She didn't have the courage to look at Kimimaro as he responded.

"It's tough to say, Lady Tayuya, but I do believe you treated him the best you felt you safely could." Kimimaro looked protectively at his charge. He was only a few years older than the young woman, who was still in her late teens. He grew up watching her. His whole life was devoted to her.

Gato took him in as a baby, had the best fighters in the galaxy train him. They instilled discipline, honor, and integrity into his very bones. As he grew up with Tayuya, he watched her. He was her best friend, her protector, and even her worst enemy at times. He knew that being raised as the daughter of the leader of a multi-planetary gang leader was hard on her at times, so she had to put up a tough front.

He made the flute she carried around at all times, as he had sensed early on her love for music. It had been Gato's decision and innovations that turned the beautiful instrument into an assassin's most coveted weapon. So she learned to deal with the thugs in her life with the violence and efficiency that Gato had always dreamed a son would.

So, during these very few moments that she allowed herself to succumb to her more feminine side, Kimimaro tried to be as gentle with her as possible.

"I'm a coward," she said miserably. "He was the only person, besides you, that I could connect with. Yet… I still couldn't let him see the real me."

"Lady Tayuya, there are only a few people in this lifetime that we will ever feel we connect with. I would suggest you don't push those people away, but embrace them."

"Hm." Suddenly, her voice was rougher, and her language became courser. "Sounds like a bunch of bullshit to me. When I see that mutt, I'm going to beat him senseless and drag him back home. Then I'm going to show that freaky-eyed bitch just why no one messes with Gato."

Kimimaro sighed. He thought he had her convinced. Almost.

Shikamaru was not having fun on this little cruise.

"Your hair is so long and silky, Neji!" squealed Ino for, what seemed to Shikamaru, to be the thousandth time. For the past hour or so, she had been brushing the Hyuuga man's long, pitch-black hair, styling it, and then brushing it out again. "How do you like this style?"

Of course, Neji was unresponsive. He had been that way since they had found him. All the life seemed to have bled from the man, and the more lifeless he became… the more Ino fawned over him. Shikamaru glared at the comatose Hyuuga. When he had seen the small Hyuuga child, his condition seemed to go into remission. However, it didn't take long for him to withdraw from the world, once they boarded the ship.

"You look," Chouji remarked, while chomping through a bag of chips, "a lot like that Sasuke guy, actually."

And now that it had been said aloud, Shikamaru knew what Ino was doing. She was projecting her romanticized version of the Uchiha onto a blank slate… and now the long locks of the immobile man did, indeed, look like a larger scale version of Sasuke's hair. Shikamaru's hands clenched at his side.

There was a fairly large lounge in the ship, behind the control center. It was a lowered, circular pit with bench-like seats aligning the walls of the pit. Various meditation cushions were resting upon raised platforms across the pit, and Chouji sat on one, chomping away. Ino sat across from the large man, on the padded bench, with Neji on the floor, back resting against the bench in front of her. Her legs were folded up under her, and she seemed perfectly content dictating any style upon the uncaring man.

"Now that you mention it, Chouji," she replied, "it does, doesn't it?"

Shikamaru ground his teeth, anger overflowing his body. What was up with her? After all these years of fantasizing, she finds out the truth… and can't handle it? It was all becoming too much for the Nara to deal with.

"So, Chouji, tell us all about what that Uchiha looked like before when you first saw him. I must be remembering incorrectly, because he looked like shit." Shikamaru was a little surprised at the vehemence in his tone, but he didn't feel guilty at what he said.

Ino visibly cringed at the memory, and she turned her head to glare up at Shikamaru, who now had his arms folded. "Why do you always gotta ruin the mood, Shikamaru?"

Snorting, he replied, "Why can't you let that guy go? You don't even know him."

"Neither do you, but you don't seem to mind jumping to conclusions. Besides, this wasn't intentional." She turned back around to look at her handiwork.

"Yeah, I know… because you're chasing a ghost. Someone that doesn't exist. Something above mortal standards; you've set your dreams so high up on a pedestal that that's the only place you can look." He wanted to continue so badly, but he didn't want to mess things up at this point. After all, they were on a ship. And he really didn't want to be jettisoned into space.

Laughing without mirth, Ino shook her head, "You've got no idea. But…" now her voice lowered, "you're right about one thing. It's not him I want, not anymore. I guess… he's all I could hang on to over the years, since I left Ilum. I set myself up for a fall." She got up and climbed out of the pit, walking towards the door that led to the rooms of the ship. "I'm sorry I dragged you two into this." She then disappeared behind the sliding doorway.

Shikamaru stood there, staring after her. She had gone from joyful to depressed in nothing flat. Now he was feeling like the bad guy, despite her selfish actions being the catalyst of his rage. Making a decision, he went after her. Passing the door, he found himself in the hallway, doors lining each side. At the end of the hall, Ino was about to enter her room.

"Wait!" he called out. Ino's arms fell to her sides, and her head hung. Her hair completely hid her face. Shikamaru slowly made his way towards her.

"Look, Shika, I know you think I'm a fool-"

"Yeah," he said, interrupting her. He was now at her side, his arms crossed. "And a troublesome one, at that. But that doesn't mean I'm just going to let you get away that easily."

Her head turned up too look at him, an annoyed grimace on her face. "So you came to lecture me some more?"

Shikamaru stood there, mulling his options over in his head. Finally, he said, "No. I think I can understand what you've done and why; even though you don't want him, you can't let him go… but not being able to get over him hurts more than just you."

"Yeah, I get it," she said, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "No more trips to the middle of nowhere to-"

But she was too shocked to finish the rest of her sentence. Shikamaru pinned her arms above her head, and he was close enough now to feel her breath on his chin. "No. That's not it, either. It's me, Ino. This isn't about the team, it's about you and I. As much as I complain about the things you do, as much trouble I give you about your many impulsive decisions… I secretly love you for it. You do things that I'd never do without careful consideration first. You say what comes to your mind, no matter who it offends. Your painfully annoying obsession about your looks, your emotional outbursts, your-"

"Shikamaru?"

Put off, Shikamaru blinked. "Yeah?"

"Shut up." And she leaned forward to kiss him. Eagerly returning her affection, the kiss lasted for a blissful eternity before Shikamaru pulled away smirking.

"And your constant interruptions, whenever I try to voice what's on my mind."

Pulling free of his grip and shoving him playfully away, Ino quipped, "Because you have too much on your mind. If I'm not there to stop you, it would never end!"

Shrugging, Shikamaru looked at the open doorway to her room. Seeing this, Ino laughed.

"Not by a long shot, buddy." And then she was gone, her door closed.

Grunting, Shikamaru turned to go back to the lounge. "Troublesome woman."

Naruto grinned openly, pleased at Hanabi's abilities. They were sitting across from each other in a meditative position on the floor in Naruto's room.

"You've got a real talent for this, Hanabi!" he praised, keeping his eyes on the playing card that floated before him. "Think you can do two at the same time?" He held up two fingers, giving his best inquisitive look. Hanabi nodded fervently, squinting her eyes in concentration.

Sure enough, another card floated up, albeit precariously. Letting out a small squeal of delight, Hanabi lost her concentration and the two cards fell to the floor. She looked crestfallen for a second, before Naruto reached out a hand to rest a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"You're doing great. With a little practice, you'll probably be better than me!"

She looked up at him, blinked, and then pulled the datapad that Naruto had given her towards her, from where it was lying a few feet away. Tapping on it quickly, she paused. A moment later, she looked up at him.

"Dem-uhn-strashun?" she asked, slowly.

Grinning again, Naruto couldn't help but think again about her ability to learn quickly. She had mastered the interface of the datapad in no time, and was now able to find translations for what she wanted to see. Slowly but surely, she was learning Basic.

Nodding, Naruto closed his eyes for a moment. Large-scale Force techniques were simple; a matter of power. For manipulating something as small as a playing card, well… it was exponentially harder. Opening his eyes, his center found, Naruto unleashed his pent-up, refined power.

Every single card leapt to the air, spinning in two circles around Naruto and Hanabi, each going in a different direction.

Hanabi clapped happily. Deciding to take it a step further, Naruto closed his eyes once more. He was now feeling the world around him, through the eddies and swirls that made up the Force. Without opening his eyes, Naruto manipulated the dozens of cards flowing around them.

Without even seeing the spectacle, Naruto knew the cards were now soaring around them in intricate patterns, flowing at one pace. Expanding the range of the cards from one another, he made the cards spread into an atom-like pattern, as if Hanabi and he were the nucleus. Finally opening his eyes, feeling he could handle the Force manipulation efficiently now without his full concentration, he saw Hanabi was in awe of his display.

Her mouth was agape, and her eyes followed the circling cards with awe. Without warning, she threw up her arms and went into a long string foreign words and shouts. She finally looked back at Naruto, a big smile playing on her face.

"Uhm, thanks?" he laughed, and she laughed too. The cards fell around them, but they continued to laugh.

Jackpot. Tenten had hit the Jackpot, just by following her instinct.

The Planet Conqueror had led them straight to Kyuubi. Yet… now she was feeling uneasy. They knew where the target was, but that didn't guarantee success. Especially since he was aboard a CIS flagship, surrounded by smaller, deadlier craft. Though she wasn't especially worried about a space battle, it was what would happen if she got close enough to the Kyuubi to take him out.

The Planet Conqueror was aboard the same ship, and who knew what else stood between Kyuubi and herself.

"Lee… we may have bitten off a lot more than we could chew."

"Then we will clamp our jaws shut, and let our will to overcome this take over!"

"What does that even mean?" Tenten complained, resting her head in her hand, leaning up against the control panel before her.

"It means…. You need to send me in, Ten." His voice was so low, so serious. It completely shocked Tenten into speechlessness.

"Wha-what? That's crazy, Lee! We have to do this on our terms, not theirs! Entering that ship is suic-"

"Stop! That woman paid us, and we took that money. We failed our mission. The only way to regain honor is to-"

"Is to what, exactly, Lee?" shouted Tenten, rising from her seat. "Kill ourselves on this mission because we got antsy? We should wait until he's vulnerable-"

"We can't wait that long. You asked if there was anyone she never wanted to see again! If we don't get rid of him as soon as possible-"

"No, no, no! I wasn't being literal, you idiot!" Tenten groaned in exasperation. "Why are you being so hard headed?"

"I know I can get at him," Lee said with certainty, his face serious. His large eyebrows were brought together, and his eyes were fierce. "Give me the chance, Ten."

"Lee… he's a powerful Force user, and a master swordsman. I couldn't live with myself if I let you fight him alone…"

"I won't be alone, Ten. Master Guy is with me all the time."

Tenten paused. What was he trying to say? Guy was watching him all the time or that he was always in his thoughts? Either way, Tenten didn't see how that should factor into her decision on whether to send in Lee.

"Lee, we can wait for them to land. When he leaves the ship, I'll set out to find the best vantage point to take him out. That's when we should do this."

"This isn't just about him, Ten…" he said slowly, turning away from her to look out the large viewport of the command center in their ship. "This fleet is heading to the Core Worlds. If we don't do anything to help, millions could die."

"So? That's not our problem. We're bounty hunters, Lee! Our allegiance lies with whoever is paying us!"

Shaking his head, Lee's whole body tensed. "These guys represent all that is wrong in the world. They wreak havoc in peaceful places, kill innocents… We can't just allow them to pass us by. We have to do something! We will use the power of youth to repel their calamitous actions!"

Now Tenten saw what was happening. Lee saw not a target, but the Tusken raiders of his past, ready to destroy and pillage. This was personal for him.

Laughing softly, "You want this bad, don't you?"

Lee whipped around, a gleaming smile on his face. He held out a determined fist before him, "Give me the opportunity, Ten, and we could take them out. Put that fiery mind of yours to work, and we will show them our will is stronger!"

Nodding slowly, Tenten began to formulate a plan. "Well, those Tusken raiders really don't know what they did when they came to your village."

Smiling, Lee said, "So, it's on?"

"Oh yeah, it's on."

Hinata stepped into her bedroom alone, allowing the door to slide close behind her before she completely collapsed. Ever since she was taken from the Getsuei system, something inside her was ripped to shreds. She pulled her original lightsaber from her belt and stared at it. It was the only companion that she had been able to hold onto over the past few years.

"Hanabi…" she whispered softly to herself, cradling her weapon to her chest. She was certain she had felt the girl while she was dreaming. Why was it when she was asleep that her Force powers seemed to be at a peak? However, she had not been able to contact Naruto through that strange connection they shared while sleeping. What was happening with those two?

And Neji. The last time she had seen him, he was lying on the floor bleeding from his head in her room. What had happened when she was kidnapped? The answers were still unclear. When she had awakened from the drug induced slumber, Orochimaru and those two other bastards were nowhere in sight.

She clenched her teeth. The very thought of that snake-like asshole infuriated her. She would kill him, she was certain of that. The next time she saw him, his life would be forfeit.

But when would she ever get the chance? She was always watched now. She was sure that Kyuubi wouldn't let her be in the same system as Orochimaru now.

Thinking back to her mission to speak with Gato, and subsequent acquisition of a new companion, she suddenly felt guilty. Everywhere she went, she seemed to be picking up needful people. Hanabi needed her. Kiba had needed her. Naruto was bullheaded, but she believed that he now knew that he needed her, too. Even Neji needed her, though for a very different reason. His whole life was in preparation to protect the royal bloodline, which she was the last of. And she missed each of them.

She felt a connection to these people at a level that seemed scary. She wanted to protect each of them so badly… yet she was failing so miserably. All she could hope for was that they were all right, and together. If they were together, that would make finding them a million times easier.

Coming out of her guilty trance, she looked up from where she was sitting. The living quarters she had been provided with were nothing special. A small room with a bed and some furnishings, as well as a computer terminal.

Getting up from the floor, she walked to her bed. Sitting on it, still holding her lightsaber, she began wondering how she had ended up there. Her initial motive for joining the CIS was to kill Kyuubi. Then it turned into something else. She slowly began to hate everything that had a hand in her life. She hated the High Council for taking younglings from their parents, for brainwashing them… omitting free will completely. It sickened her.

She hated Kyuubi most of all. He was a ruthless, disgusting monster. His long, furry, red ears were just as menacing as that snarling face that seemed to be a cross between a canine and a human's. She hated how he was so powerful, that his abilities made all before him crumble in weakness.

She hated this malevolent being that seemed to dwell inside her. She had only encountered him once, in a dreamlike state, and he tried to act cordial… but she knew otherwise. If there was such a being that embodied the essence of evil, it was him. He was hiding behind a false visage.

And now she was beginning to hate herself just as much as the others. She was weak, pathetic really… for all the power that seemed to reside within her, she was unable to use it to her full potential. Was it really for the reason that Madara had said? Was she too hung up on the fact that she was responsible for the destruction of Corellia?

In a fit of anger, she activated her lightsaber and lashed out with it. Vvvvvmp, a long, jagged line of molten metal was cooling on the wall.

An idea popping into her head, Hinata slashed away, releasing all her anger into her work. Up, down, diagonal, sideways, curve, circle, slanted slash, twist and stab. Panting hard, her whole body was tense. Her body was curved into the stabbing motion, both arms were stretched out, each of her hands gripping the hilt of her blade. A rough carving of Kyuubi's demonic face was laid out before her, and her humming blade was resting in the dead center of his forehead.

Letting out a long breath, she retracted her blade into the hilt and wiped the few drops of sweat from her hairline.

"Uhh…" gasped a voice directly before her.

Blinking in surprise, Hinata cautiously moved closer to the still cooling wall. Peeking through the hole that she had made, she saw a terrified Kiba on the other side, holding up a plain white shirt that had a smoldering hole in the chest.

Hinata laughed hard then, propping her hand up in a safe area against the wall. She couldn't stop herself. She just kept laughing.

"Hinata," Kiba said tentatively, "is that you?"

Choking on her giggles, she looked through the hole once more to see Kiba's eye staring back at her.

"Hey, Kiba."

A loud groan came from the other room and Kiba recoiled from the hole, pressing the palms of his hands into his forehead. "You scared the shit outta me!"

Laughing again, Hinata managed to get out, "Did I tell you how glad I am that I brought you along?"

Kiba grunted, shaking his head, saying, "Yet, all I can think of his how much I regret it!"

"I can always take you back to Tayuya and Gato's men, if that's what you want." Hinata said knowingly.

Kiba paused, blinking, seemingly mulling it over in his head. "On second thought, I think I feel right at home here."