"Kaya!"

"Right!"

Keij sprinted towards a new array of a mixture of Suna-nin and Sound-nin, keeping low. Kaya sprinted behind him, arms behind her as her brow furrowed. Once close enough, Keij slid his feet in-between a Suna-nin's legs and did a quick uppercut, sending the older man into the air. Kaya inhaled before jumping onto Keij's back, bending her knees before jumping high into the air to meet the Suna-nin. A hand engulfed by water slammed into the man's face, the water rushing into his open mouth, choking him.

Smirking, she fell back, landing easily on the ground before using her left foot as a pivot to turn and slam her elbow into a Sound-nin's chest. As the man doubled over, Zane laced his fingers together before bringing both of his hands down on the man's neck, breaking it before he hit the ground.

"That's three for me." Zane said lightly with a grin, placing his hands on his hips. "How many do you got?"

"Five." Keij called back as he used a high-kick to send a Sound-nin flying out of the battle. Kaya flipped onto her hands and brought her legs down on a Suna-nin's head, pounding him to the ground.

"Four for me." Kaya pushed herself back onto her feet, smiling at Zane cheekily, "Looks like you're last." His face paled extremely, and she blinked; had she upset him? "What?"

"Kaya, behind-!"

Kaya blinked before being pushed forward by a strong, feminine hand and hearing a loud clash from behind. In shock, she looked over her shoulder, only for her eyes to widen.

Three Sound-nins fell to the ground, multiple cuts and tears along their flesh. A figure stood there plainly before looking over its shoulder at her. It was then that Kaya recognized her. "Meyu-chan...?"

The younger girl grinned, "Call me Yume. Okino Yume."

//+//

'I can feel her...'

'Aw, shut up and focus you worthless boy! Move!'

'What is she doing back here?'

A fist collided with his chin.

'STUPID! Look what you did! Now focus, bastard!'

'Focus...Focus...'

//+//

"What? Yume?" Kaya questioned, only for Yume to smile.

"Yeah. And Koji and Zai." She added, motioning over to the two boys who had just gotten done with four Sound-nins. Keij blinked before glancing at Kaya.

"What is this?"

"I'm not sure." Kaya replied, still looking at Yume. Yume's smile faltered before she rubbed the back of her neck.

"Well, it's kind of complicated-"

"Yume, another division is in the village. Do you want to take action?" Koji interrupted quickly, the sun reflecting off of his metal head protector. Yume frowned before sighing and glancing at Team 23.

"I hope you three don't get in the way much." She said lowly before nodding to Koji and Zai, running off towards Konoha. Zane blinked blankly before scratching his head once the three had left.

"What the hell?" Kaya groaned, hitting her forehead before running after the three.

"Just follow them!" She called back to the two boys, who glanced at each other before loyally following.

//+//

Konoha looked like a war site. Perhaps because it was the beginning of one? But for whatever the reason, that synonym immediately came to her mind as she sped across tiled roofs, looking around.

The streets were littered with Suna-nin, Sound-nin, and Leaf-nin. The center of the village was also overrun with plant life, and it was a good distance from there that she finally stopped.

"What now?" Zai asked from behind her; the two had caught up to her momentarily. Yume sighed, rubbing her neck as she stared off towards the treetops of the woods, where she could barely make out a large demon that towered over everything. Zai followed her gaze before looking back at her.

"...What do you want us to do?" He asked quietly, and she tensed before rolling her shoulders, Koji remaining silent in the background.

"See if you can break your old records." Yume replied airily, looking back at them. "Twenty and twenty-two, right?" Zai's eyes widened as he glanced at Koji, whose lips thinned.

"Are you serious? You just want us to kill them?" He asked coolly, and she smiled.

"Killing an innocent one is minus five points." Zai stared for a moment before chuckling and shaking his head.

"You sure know how to make serious situations into games." Was all he said before disappearing with a step, Koji sighing before following suit. Yume exhaled before staring at the barrier that was in the center of the village; she could sense the immense chakra inside and calculated that it had to be the Hokage.

"Hokage-sama and Orochimaru are inside." She blinked before looking over her shoulder. Kaya stood a few feet behind her, arms crossed over her chest loosely. "Jounin are spread throughout the village and there are still a lot of villagers in the arena."

"Dead or alive?"

"Unconscious. Why do you care, though?" Kaya narrowed her eyes, "You're a Suna-nin; you're on their side." Yume stared at her for a long moment before rubbing the back of her neck and looking away.

"...Do you always judge people by appearances?" Kaya blinked in surprise, unsure on what to say. Yume sighed, looking off towards the barrier that concealed Orochimaru and the Hokage, "That is what's wrong with society; people judge mainly on appearances, the most unimportant thing you could possible judge on."

Yume looked back to Kaya with a smile, "You would think someone older like you would understand." Paralyzed in shock, Kaya could only watch as Yume sprinted to the edge of the rooftop before disappearing over the edge.

//+//

"Twenty. Damn." Zai scowled as the Sound-nin fell to the ground, looking over his shoulder to see Koji finishing off his twenty-third victim. Once done, Koji looked over his shoulder at Zai.

"Twenty-four."

"Cheater! I specifically counted twenty-three!" Zai growled, turning to point an accusing finger at Koji, who shrugged.

"I beat you either way." Zai's face flushed with fury.

"Tch..." Koji smirked before nudging his head towards the arena.

"Come on; the crowd is still in there." Zai exhaled before following after the retreating Koji, eyes half-lidded.

'...Yume, why the hell are we here?'

//+//

He pulled his arm back, breathing heavily. This was it; he was going to end this annoying person's life, with his talk about protecting his stupid comrades.

How idiotic.

"How can you say that?! I've seen you with her! What do you call her, huh?!"

He had never really answered that foolish question. After all, how could he when he didn't know the answer himself?

He moved his arm forward, hand clenched into a fist. It was over.

//+//

Yume watched silently as the barrier disappeared, five Sound-nin immediately jumping out while ANBU members moved to stop them. She watched as one Sound-nin produced a web from his hands, trapping two ANBU before escaping. Frowning, she tried to focus her chakra on the Hokage, but was puzzled when she couldn't sense his signal.

"He's dead." She looked over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow; will the intrusions never end?

"Oh? And you couldn't even stop the enemy from leaving?" The man's face didn't shift in emotion. She felt her brow furrow; this man looked somewhat familiar...

"...You're Okino's sister." She frowned before fully turning around.

"Who are you?" She questioned cautiously, and he smirked.

"A friend of Usaka."

"You're not welcome; leave me alone." She mumbled, turning to jump off of the roof. However, the man said something quite disturbing that made her stop.

"So I hear that Usaka's dying." Her stomach churned and something sharp lurched in her chest. For a moment she couldn't breathe, but then she shrugged her shoulders.

"Yeah. So?" He frowned, pulling at his dark hair.

"Thought you might care a little bit more; he talked about you most of the time." The man added solemnly before sighing and looking off towards the roof where a small amount of Jounin was. "Guess I'd better go." And he leapt on to the next roof, leaving her to stand at the edge, eyes wide.

She felt as if she had been stricken across the face.

'...He talked about me?'

Suddenly, her knees buckled and she fell onto her rear end, still awe-stricken. She stared as a small circle formed in the center of the other roof, surrounding the body of the dead Third Hokage. She stared for another moment before her head snapped back, sensing something. Without hesitation, she quickly got up and sprinted towards the woods.

She didn't know how she was able to move this quickly; the pull of this person must have added to her speed. Either way, she was in the woods in no time, hastily looking around. Finally, she looked up, only to gasp.

'Mr. Sandman!"

//+//

Koji and Zai immediately stopped, Zai even accidentally dropping an unconscious man back to the floor as his ears prickled. Koji carefully set a woman back down in the arena before looking over at Zai.

"...What was that?" Zai shook his head, bewildered.

"I have no idea...Just a sudden burst of chakra, I guess." Koji's lips thinned before he looked down into the arena. Three Leaf Jounins were facing off a Suna-nin and a cloaked man. Zai followed his gaze before frowning. "Baki was in on this?"

"Appears so; quick, let's go." Koji added when he felt a lazy eye on him. Zai nodded and the two hurried out of the arena and into the streets. Glancing at each other, they suddenly tensed; they recognized this chakra.

"Yume!" Zai exclaimed, moving to run in the direction that he was sensing her from. However, Koji grabbed a hold of his shoulder firmly, shaking his head. Zai blinked before slowly relaxing and looking the other way. "...What now?" Koji's reply was stopped when a shuriken was thrown at him. With quick reflexes, he tilted his head to the side, the shuriken passing by harmlessly.

"Hn. Not bad." Koji and Zai looked to the left, where the older Keij stood cockily against a building wall, twirling another shuriken around his finger. "You actually moved out of the way."

"What's your problem?! We just helped you out, teme!" Zai scowled, eyes narrowed. Keij merely shrugged before pushing away from the wall, the shuriken stopping in his hand.

"That was questionable; you are Suna-nin, after all." Koji exhaled quickly in an irritated manner.

"How predictable." He murmured before slipping a hand into the sleeve of his jacket, pulling it back out with five kunai knives. "Leaf-nins are so judgmental." Keij didn't seem to be affected.

"It's called society."

"You little-" Zai started, taking a step forward, only to pause when a flash of black appeared before them. Koji relaxed slightly as he recognized the hair, and Zai took a step back while Keij stared forward, slightly surprised to see Kaya standing in front of him, arms outstretched. His expression changed shortly after, however, and he frowned.

"Move." Kaya narrowed her eyes and held her ground.

"Make me." He rolled his eyes.

"Tch..." However, he put the shuriken back into his leg pouch, "You let people get to you."

"And you don't let anyone get to you." Kaya shot back, causing Koji and Zai to glance at each other with raised eyebrows; this was unexpected.

"Lovers' quarrels aren't our thing, so later." Zai said, giving Keij a smug look when he was glared at. Koji sighed before running down the street, Zai following close behind.

"Must you always have the last word?"

"You know me all too well."

//+//

His head fell to the side as a fist collided with it, the force sending him spiraling backwards toward the ground. He stared up at the sky in awe, not minding as his body fell through the air.

He had missed.

He collided with the ground, the breath knocked out of him for a moment. His head lolled to the side, where he could see that annoying blonde laying a few feet away.

'Why...Is he this strong?!' He felt his anger grew and his narrowed his eyes.

"...My existence will never be extinguished..." He said lowly, his voice growing stronger, "It won't be extinguished!! There is no way that I would let it disappear!" He yelled, only for his eyes to widen as the blonde lifted his face up and began to push himself towards the other. Gaara felt himself begin to panic.

"Do...Don't come any closer!!" He yelled frantically, only to stop as Naruto finally looked at him, tears threatening to run down his face.

"The pain of being alone...Is not an easy one to bear." He choked out, "Your feelings...Why is it that I can understand your pain?"

Gaara's eyes widened to their fullest extent, and his lips parted in astonishment.

"But...I already have many people who are important to me now..." Naruto continued, regaining his composure, "I won't let you hurt those people important to me."

He felt a certain sting in his chest.

"Mr. Sandman?"

"We make a good team."

"Gaara!"

Naruto's eyes suddenly narrowed, "Even if you try to kill them...I will stop you..."

He didn't understand. "...Why? Why do you go so far for other people's sake?" Naruto didn't answer right away. When he did, however, it had sounded so sincere.

"They saved me from the hell of being alone...They acknowledged my existence...That's why they're all important to me..."

Gaara stared. 'Acknowledged...His existence?'

"Those who always stay beside you. If you make them important to you, they will always watch over you with love."

His eyes softened. "Love..."

'...That's why he's so strong...'

"But, you have important people too..." He blinked and Naruto continued, determined to make him see, "That girl...She acknowledges you. Temari...Kankuro..." However, before he could go on, his face fell to the ground again, just as Uchiha appeared.

"That's enough, Naruto..." He said lowly, kneeling down beside his comrade as Gaara watched, "Sakura is fine now. This guy is most likely out of chakra. The sand holding Sakura has completely collapsed." Naruto turned his face to give a tired smile.

"...I see..."

"...Mr. Sandman?" Gaara blinked; no. She couldn't be here; she had just left a couple hours ago. "Look what you did to yourself." Awe-stricken, he moved his head towards the sky, only to see Yume hovering over him, a small smile etched onto her lips.

"...Yume..." She smiled again, about to say something, only for two figures to suddenly appear before both of them, kneeling. Gaara looked over to see Temari and Kankuro, and he inwardly sighed.

'Uzumaki Naruto...'

"That's enough...It's over." Kankuro looked over his shoulder with a wince.

'It's the first time I've seen Gaara so beat up...'

"Alright." He said, warily watching as Yume stepped back. Carefully, he pulled one of Gaara's arms over his shoulders, but just as they were about to make a run for it, Gaara stopped them.

"...Your ribbon..." He murmured, and Yume blinked before smiling, waving it off.

"You can give it back to me later, okay?" He stared at her, his eyes half-lidded, before Kankuro finally took off, Temari following behind. Yume watched the three leave, hands behind her back, before glancing over at Sasuke and Naruto.

"...You must be good friends." She said lightly, just as Naruto closed his eyes, a smile gracing his face. Sasuke stared at her for a moment before replying.

"...You're with that guy?" He questioned, hand lingering over his kunai pouch. Yume blinked before giving a light giggle and looking off towards the direction where "that guy" had gone.

"Yeah. I'm with him."

//+//

'Someday...Even I will...'

His eyes closed for a moment as he felt the air rushing by him. When he reopened them, they were distant and somewhat sad. "Temari...Kankuro...I'm sorry."

Temari and Kankuro looked at each other in surprise and confusion before Kankuro stumbled out, "It's...It's alright."

'...I'm sorry to you, also...Yume...'