Hey, all! I'm running on a tight schedule at the moment, so not much to say now except putting a section for Beta Readers was a good move for FF! It's such a great idea, so I'm also going to offer my services! (Even though...I'm probably not the best for the job...heheh). Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

"Do I…know you?" Midori said uncertainly, inspecting the man behind the barrier.

The two men looked at each other, then back at Midori. The one who had spoken said to the other, "I don't look that different, do I?"

"We were quite young, so perhaps we do!"

"No, but Midori-chan would remember unless…"

"She's lost her memory!" the two said in unison.

"What on Earth are they rambling about?" Neji said aloud.

"Beats me," Kiba said.

"Midori-chan!" the two shouted, "Do you not remember us?"

"Uh…not really." She was still contemplating over how two strange men could possibly know her when she just recently came back into the "Naruto" world.

"So it's true! She lost her memory, brother!" said the one with short black hair and green eyes.

"Intolerable!" the other declared. He stared intensely at Midori, making her flinch. "Don't you worry, Midori! We will restore your memory!"

Midori opened her mouth as if she were going to say something, but could only muster an "Uh…"

Meanwhile, Neji was trying to devise some sort of plan. These people weren't ordinary bandits or shinobi sent to halt their mission, he was sure. Even if their orders were to stop his group, they knew Midori, which was nearly unfathomable. Plus…They uncomfortably reminded him of the boisterous beasts of Konoha.

"What's the plan, captain?" Kiba said impatiently.

"Take down the barrier, Midori," Neji said. They were obviously not going to attack now. "You two," Neji turned to the brothers, "I believe my earlier question was never answered."

"Hidari and Migite at your service, taichou! We are the Kousen Brothers!" the two saluted Neji. Yes…they were very much like Lee and Gai.

Neji refrained the urge to grimace and kept a straight face. "And what's your business here?"

"We were sent by Master to annihilate you as to stop your mission to steal his precious item!" they answered.

How can they confess to something like that so easily? Midori thought, raising an eyebrow.

"…All right…" Neji said after he was sure they weren't going to suddenly spring into action and attempt to kill them like they were ordered to do. "And what's your relation to Midori?"

"We," Hidari said, "Are apart of the Hikari Clan!"

"Whoa, whoa," Midori said suddenly, "You just said you were the Kousen Brothers!"

"Of course! We aren't about to showcase our clan name! That would be suicidal!"

Midori internally slapped her forehead. Duh.

"You realize when the massacre had happened, you weren't the sole survivor, Midori-chan! Luckily, some of us were able to get away, but it's nothing compared to the numbers we used to have," Migite said. "Ever since we were taken in by Master, Hidari and I have been searching for other survivors to recreate the clan, including you. We know our country will never be reconstructed, but the least we could do is find others who shared the same fate as us! You've been searching too, I'm sure!"

"Well…" Midori said uncomfortably.

"Wait, so you guys are telling me you're Midori's brothers?" Kiba interrupted, saving Midori from making a fool of herself. Again.

"Not brothers," Hidari said. "Hikari Clan members have many branches of families!"

"If we were to go by our family trees…" Migite said with a thoughtful look on his face, "Her father—may he rest in peace—was our aunt's brother's brother."

"You can call us your cousins, Midori-chan!" Hidari said.

"Cousins…" Midori repeated.

"There you go!" the brothers said in unison.

"These guys really aren't a threat," Kiba whispered to Neji. "I'd even bet those guys would show us where their master keeps that 'precious item' if Midori told them to."

Neji didn't doubt that, but then again, he knew nothing of their master and his influence on the brothers. "Just to be safe, we should learn a bit more about these two," he murmured.

---

"How hard can it be to find a crusty old man?!" Nami roared, punching the trunk of tree short-temperedly. Her patience was wearing thin, and she was losing light quickly. She swore, if that Yousai person left his little cave by the time she found it…

Nami groaned, falling over backwards onto the grass with a 'thud!' She stared up into the thick, overhanging branches and leaves. She'd already gone through a few caves, but there was no sign of anyone living in any of them.

"YOUSAI, WHERE ARE YOU?" Her scream upset the birds that scattered at the echoing sound.

Suddenly, she heard a rustling in the bushes. Sitting up speedily, she crawled over on hands and knees towards the bush. "Yousai?"

"REOW!"

"ACK!" Nami fell backwards to avoid her face getting clawed off. The cat ran off without a glance at Nami and soon disappeared.

"Damn cat…" Nami growled. "Wait…" What was a cat doing in the woods anyway? Even Tora wouldn't have run away this far out into the forest, and there weren't any wild cats running around in these woods as far as she knew…

"Hey! Wait up!" Nami called as if the cat could hear her as she ran off.

---

"So…um…" Midori said uncertainly. Neji and Kiba had made sure that it was her job to 'interrogate' her 'cousins'. After all, when Neji and Kiba tried to get anything out of them, they wouldn't give any vital information. It didn't seem right to use force on them, and Midori wouldn't have allowed it anyway, but they still had a mission. So, their Plan B went something like this…:

"We're running low on water, so Kiba and I will locate a source," Neji said. "Midori, why don't you catch up with these two while we get water?"

"Aw, don't worry! We have plenty of water!" Hidari laughed.

"And why does it take both of you to find water?" Migite asked.

"Well, uh, you see…" Kiba said, "Midori's real picky about germs and stuff! She won't share water with anyone, so she needs her own!"

"You are?!" Hidari and Migite gasped.

"…Yeah…" Midori responded.Kiba, you jerk…

Little did the three know, Kiba, Neji, and Akamaru were concealing themselves at a distance, spying—I mean, observing the small picnic-like lunch they were having. It was easy…After all, when combined the two boys had the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a hound.

"Midori-chan," Migite said, "We're sorry, but there's no way we can allow you or the guys steal Master's precious item."

"But how can you work for someone who steals?" Midori questioned. The notion boggled her mind; Hidari and Migite seemed like such nice guys.

"He didn't steal!" Hidari exclaimed. "That rat stole from him!"

"What?"

"The man we 'stole' from was a very rich man," Migite explained. "He seemed to think he could buy anything he wanted without thought of what the consequences were, the way he throws money around so easily. Some time ago, there was a robbery at Master's home. He never saw the face of the robber, and Hidari and I were away on an errand for Master at the moment. Master's a frail man and a non-shinobi, which is why we usually assist and protect him. He's not the richest man, but he does own fine antique items that are considered valuable."

"The item that was stolen from him was a family medallion," Hidari said, "It was passed among his ancestors for generations, and because he never had children, he still had it. When we came home, Master was in anguish. He thought he'd never see it again, but one day while we were passing by in the marketplace, he said he saw a glimpse of the medallion being passed off to another man. It was only a glimpse, and we thought he was mistaken, but his eyes hadn't deceived him."

"We tried to convince the man that that medallion was Master's, but he didn't listen. He had paid quite an amount for it, and he was not willing to give it back. We also questioned the elderly owner of the store, but he said his wares were sold to him through a string of people, and it would've been impossible to track the thief," Migite continued.

"But to steal it back?" Midori asked, "The man hadn't stolen it in the first place, so of course it would look like you were the enemies…"

"Well…The man always sells whatever he buys about a month later in auctions…" Migite said, "And he hardly keeps track of everything he's ever bought…We didn't think he'd miss it. He probably wouldn't have if Hidari didn't get us caught in the act."

"I said I was sorry," Hidari said, turning red.

"Well, what's done is done. Everyone knew Hidari and I worked for Master," Migite said. "So we eventually fled out of town. Master loved the medallion too much to give it up again."

"I see…" Midori murmured. "How terrible…"

"Sounds fishy to me," Kiba said to Akamaru.

"Ruff, ruff!"

"Yeah, but still…"

Neji looked at Kiba, cluing him in that he had no idea what Akamaru had just said.

"Akamaru says they'd have no motive behind lying to Midori," Kiba shrugged. "It's hard to believe they're cousins or whatever, though…I mean, how could they be when she comes from…uh…wherever she comes from?"

"According from what I know, I suppose since she and her friends had inserted themselves here with fabricated backgrounds, those pasts had come true," Neji deduced.

"And yet she couldn't remember them?" Kiba said, raising an eyebrow.

Neji shrugged. "It didn't seem to me that neither of the other two girls lived much in the 'past' they had created either…But what to do about this situation…?" He stood up from his crouching position, dusted off his legs and said, "I think it's about time we came back to them. Be sure to fill the thermos."

"Ah, you're back! Did you find any water?" Hidari asked.

"Yup, here ya go, Midori," Kiba said, tossing her the full thermos.

"…Thanks…" By their timing, Midori concluded that they heard everything Hidari and Migite had to say, but she had no idea what they were going to do about it. Surely we can't just take the medallion from this 'Master' if it's rightfully his, but…that man paid for it…

"We should get going now," Migite said.

"Why don't you come to meet Master?" Hidari asked Midori. "He'd love to see you, and we only had a little time to talk!"

After a quick glance at Neji and Kiba, she smiled, "Sure, we'll come."

"Only if you promise to hear Master out," Migite said seriously. "We're telling the truth." When he said this, he looked at Kiba and Neji as if he knew they didn't trust him.

"We promise," Neji said. I also want to meet that rich man they spoke of…

The group traveled a few miles before they reached a quaint cottage-like home. Hidari and Migite explained that this was where Master had stayed whenever he wanted to get away from the town for a vacation. It was secretly hidden within the myriad of trees in the forest, and no one would suspect a man of his stature to live there. It was true. Neji even had to duck to get through the low doorway.

"Master, we're back!" Hidari called. "And we've brought company!"

Immediately, a small, wrinkled man scurried over. "C-Company? Boys, do you realize that anyone out here can be looking for us? You can't just invite anyone you see on the road like before!" One glimpse from the Konoha hitai-ate and his heart nearly stopped. "Oh my, oh my, oh my…"

"It's all right, sir," Neji said calmly. "We just want to ask a few questions. We are not going to turn you in."

Master still looked slightly terrified, but it might've just been because Akamaru had stuck his huge head through the doorway and was panting over the welcome mat.

"A-All right, but please, keep the…um…dog out, I'm terribly allergic," Master said.

"It's all right," Neji said, "Kiba was going to run an errand in town anyway, right, Kiba?"

Kiba looked at him for a split second and said, "Right. Come on, Akamaru!"

"Ruff, ruff!"

"Master, we'd like you to meet Midori-chan! We finally found her!" Hidari said, pulling Midori to the front.

"Oh?" Master said with a kind smile. He took her hand, shaking it lightly, "You don't know how passionate these boys are with finding every single last Hikari who's survived. You should meet the others when they get back."

"Others?" Midori said uncertainly.

"That's right. Hidari and Migite have found a total of four over the years…and you're the fifth," Master nodded, "They all live with me."

Midori stared at Hidari and Migite, then looked back at the old man and said, "I hope they're not a burden to you…Having six people live here is…"

"Its fine, they're very manageable. Actually, I feel like I'm the one who should be grateful. I can't count how many times they've helped me along," Master laughed.

"If you wouldn't mind, sir, may we see the medallion?" Neji interrupted, "We are here on business."

"Neji…" Midori started, annoyed.

"No, no, the young man's right," Master said nervously. "Right this way." He bustled off, gesturing for the others to follow.

"Hey, don't be so rude to Master!" Hidari hissed quietly to Neji as they all followed.

"I was merely being productive," Neji said, "We've taken too many breaks as it is."

"We've already told you Master's innocent," Migite countered, "So you what you should be doing is finding a solution to the problem!"

"Thanks for the suggestion, I'll think about it," Neji said with a tone that implied he wanted to do things his way.

"You…"

"Hey," Midori said sternly, coming in between Neji and Hidari. "Neji, please," she said, giving him a look.

"Here we are," Master said, taking a box that had been hiding under his pillow. He took a ring of keys that had been hanging around his neck, picked one, and unlocked the box. Sitting on a velvet cushion was a round medallion with a complex design that closely resembled a bird above water. The medallion was golden and shiny, almost as if it had been polished every day.

"That's beautiful," Midori remarked.

"It is, isn't it?" Master said dreamily. "It's my prized possession. I feel bad about the boys stealing it from Kouza, but…it really is special."

"I'm sure it is," Midori nodded. She glanced at Neji with an uncertain look, but she couldn't tell what he was thinking, which she particularly like.

"Are you two going to stay for dinner?" Master asked, locking the box. "We always eat outside, so don't worry about the space."

"You go ahead and stay, Midori," Neji said. "I'll come to get you later."

"If you say so," Midori answered. Before he left, she suddenly touched his arm, stopping him. "Thanks." She blushed.

---

Kyoko sat on a single stool in the Hokage's office facing Tsunade. Next to the Godaime was Shizune who had a notebook and ink at hand. It wasn't hard to guess that she was about to be questioned.

"I'd like to have an overview of the events following the recent mission," Tsunade explained. "There's a lot on the line now that we've encountered Sasuke and Orochimaru, as I'm sure you know. I'm planning on sending a team to hunt for the Akatsuki members spotted. What would be the result?"

"The team you're sending…wouldn't happen to be Asuma, Shikamaru, Izumo, and Kotetsu, would it?" Kyoko said hesitantly.

"It would."

"…" Kyoko's mind was racing. It should've been obvious. She should save Asuma, of course, and allow everyone to skip the grief and sorrow. But if she were to do that, her team's information might transform into something useless. A new story would take off, wouldn't it? Or would things stay the same…?

She couldn't quite remember the details of every chapter she had read, and there was no telling what would happen. Should she really screw with what Kishimoto had planned? Perhaps this was what Midori had meant when they were twelve. Perhaps Asuma's death was a sacrifice for "the greater good".

Days ago, she would've immediately told Tsunade to call off the mission and that Asuma would die if it were to go through. But after seeing Sasuke and how twisted he had really become, she wasn't so sure anymore.

So what should she do? What could she do? Approve the mission and let things fall into place or...Save Asuma and risk a change in destiny?

Aaah...Neji reveals my secret. (dies) It's true, I've regretted making up those pasts in the NNJ for Kyoko, Midori, and Nami. It was so...UNNECESSARY. Seriously. But all I can do now is work off it. (grin)

It seems like I'm adding more and more goofy guys...It must be because I'm so attracted to them. lol Uh...besides Neji...I guess. But really, I think there are too many serious men in Naruto, I just want everything to LIGHTEN up! That's why I like Naruto, Lee, and Kiba so much. And for the record, "Hidari" means "Left" and "Migite" means "Right". Haha...Ima dork :P

For AizoAnime Watchers: Not sure if there'll be many updates today, so keep a lookout for tomorrow! If you'd like to not waste your peeks at the site for when we update, feel free to subscribe to the site and you'll be sent an e-mail announcement whenever we update. Sound good? (smile)

That's all for now! Thanks for reading!

-HM