Chapter 26: A Darker Power

The cavern beneath the Akatsuki base shook slightly with the power it held, the power of the massive statue that filled much of its space. The statue in question was vaguely human in form, but beyond hideous. Its limbs were jointed in a way that seemed subtly wrong when studied for too long. Its face was adorned with nine eyes placed seemingly at random. One was open fully, and another was becoming wider by centimeters at a time.

Most eerie of all, the statue's mouth was open and otherworldly blue chakra flowed forth, engulfing the human figure that floated in midair before it. From the woman's body, a darker blue chakra streaked with purple was flowing back into the statue. Though her eyes were closed, the blonde dressed in the uniform of a Kumo jounin was not still, her body shaking and seizing, her face a contorted mask of agony. The statue's throat flexed like a living thing as it drank the essence of the bijuu that had been sealed inside the woman when she was a baby.

Kakuzu, a bounty hunter, a missing-nin who had outlived his village and most recently shinobi terrorist, stood on one of the statue's fingers watching the extraction. He generally viewed emotions as a waste of mental effort, so his feelings on the proceedings mostly amounted to irritation that he'd have to settle for the smaller 'dead' bounty on Yugito Nii's head.

The 'live' capture amount he was forsaking by handing Yugito over to the Akatsuki after subduing her in the sewers beneath Kumo was massive, a bounty posted by a vengeful widowed noblewoman from the Land of Water whose husband had been assassinated by the jinchuuriki. Unfortunately, Yugito Nii was in possession of a bijuu as well as a valuable head, so the widow in question would have to be satisfied with a corpse and the knowledge that the kunoichi had suffered a great deal before her death.

When the statue's second eye was fully open, glowing with a blue/purple fire from within, the statue closed its mouth, and the stilled body of Yugito Nii fell towards the cavern floor below. Kakuzu blurred into motion, catching the corpse before it could strike the ground. He wanted the face to be recognizable when he handed it over; payment would go smoother that way.

"Such a gentleman," Tobi commented from his perch on the statue's other hand.

Kakuzu snorted. "Respect for the deceased has nothing to do with it." He paused, and glared back at the masked man. "Where is Pein, anyways? Isn't he supposed to be here for this?"

Tobi shrugged. "Said he had some business to take care of and left, last I heard." The masked man acted carefree, but Kakuzu had been a shinobi longer than anyone else in the room had been alive, and he knew well-concealed concern and irritation when he saw it.

"Well when you see him, tell him that hauling a live prisoner all the way here instead of having the statue summoned to a hideout near the Land of Lightning was a massive pain in the ass," Kakuzu growled.

"Really?" Tobi replied innocently. "Hidan's been in such a good mood about it."

Kakuzu glanced at his grinning pale-haired partner and sighed. "He would," the ancient shinobi muttered in disgust. Kakuzu wasn't squeamish, but he'd been heartily sick of watching and listening to Hidan torture their prisoner by the journey's end. Granted, something had to be done to keep her chakra focused on regeneration rather than escape, but that hadn't been Hidan's concern. The dark priest had enjoyed the flaying, the burning, the scourging and everything else he'd done to make the chained kunoichi scream and hurt whenever they stopped somewhere remote enough that she wouldn't be heard.

"So what now?" Kakuzu asked bluntly, changing the subject. "Our main base is gone and apparently so is the Leader. The Three-Tail is next, but we seem to be down half of the team that was supposed to bring it in." His glance at Kisame Hoshigaki earned a sour glare in return. Itachi Uchiha defecting and taking Sakura Haruno with him had taken everyone by surprise, no one more so than his former partner.

Tobi shrugged. "Our objectives have not changed. The Leader established multiple fallback positions – like this one – for a reason. We don't lack places to hide, and we know what needs to be done next. Kisame will hunt the third bijuu, with, hmm…"

Deidara raised a slender hand. "I'll back him up, since we're both lacking permanent partners now."

Tobi's masked eye swung to study the blond bomber for a moment before he nodded shortly. "Makes sense."

Grunting in agreement, Kakuzu slung Yugito's corpse over his shoulder. "Whatever. I'm going to go collect on this piece of meat. Hopefully the Leader decides to come back and, you know, lead at some point." With that he departed the cave, Hidan's footsteps following in his wake.

High in the mountains of the Land of Demons, chill winds heavy with snow howled between snow-capped peaks and hurled themselves against ice-rimed cliffs. The same winds tore at the cloaks of the six silent figures climbing a narrow trail higher into the mountain range that bore the name 'The Teeth of the World'. Temperatures on the exposed path were well below freezing even without the wind chill, but none of the travelers so much as shivered, or even seemed aware of the cold. All possessed orange hair and purple eyes, and moved with an eerie synchronicity.

For days the Six Paths of Pein climbed into the mountains, not halting even when the sun slid below the horizon and the chill became so fierce that even the hardiest wildlife took shelter. The Paths were corpses animated by chakra and an indomitable will; the weather meant little to them.

The sun's thin light streamed down from a cloudless blue sky on the day when the Paths reached their destination, a narrow valley that seemingly ended in a smooth cliff face. The Deva Path removed a leather tube from beneath his cloak and opened the container carefully, pulling out a rolled parchment centuries old. Pein had looted the ancient map along with other pieces of information from the chapter house of the Land of Demons' largest and oldest monastic order. The hundreds of warrior-monks he'd slaughtered to reach the archive, and the dozens of priests he'd executed before finding one willing to talk bothered Pein not at all. Instead he studied a sketch on the old map, and looked back up at the cliff face ahead before nodding slowly.

The sketch was of a small stone fort resting in the shadow of a sheer cliff half a kilometer high. Looking at the sloped cliff before him, Pein could see where the monks of antiquity had collapsed the cliff face on top of the fort before those skilled in the use of earth chakra fused the fallen stone into an impressive tomb. The new rock face was carved with warnings in a myriad of languages. 'Turn back from the tomb of the Lady of Midnight' they all proclaimed.

The Deva Path stepped forward from the other Paths and raised his hands. The whole valley shook, the very rocks groaning. The fused rock fall was shaken apart, the boulders that made its mass falling up. When the ruined fort was uncovered the Deva Path gestured, and the hundreds of floating rocks fell to either side of the path with a tremendous crash. The Six Paths stepped through the fort's crumbling gate and into the half-collapsed stone structure.

Almost immediately the light from outside seemed to become pale and sickly. The Paths made their way past the main gate, and through narrow, twisting hallways designed to frustrate hostile intruders. Darkness surrounded them, and a few of the Paths formed orbs of light in their hands. As they moved deeper into the fortress they noted the growing strength of a malignant chakra. Tiny dark wisps of it seeped from cracks in the stone, but Pein was not deterred.

In the heart of the fort was a great hall, several stories tall with a vaulted ceiling, and tall, narrow windows high above. Each window was closed with metal shutters that appeared to be sufficiently warped and fused that only their complete removal would allow in light from outside.

The long tables and many chairs of the great hall were mostly shattered, and skeletons littered the stone floor. Some wore the garb of monks, others the heavier armor of soldiers and samurai. All of the gear present was antiquated, suited only to battlefields written of in history books. The malignant chakra clinging to the stones of the fort was stronger, but the Six Paths continued unconcerned until they reached the dais where the fort's lord would have dined before it was taken over by a darker power.

A single throne now occupied the dais, polished hardwood carved and inlaid with gold. Skeletons were stacked two and three high around it yet they obscured it not at all, for the throne was not built to human dimensions. The seat was almost two meters off of the ground, and the throne's back rose five meters above the dais. The top section was dominated by a carving of a tigress that was realistic enough that it appeared to be ready to spring from the wood and strike.

Reclining on the throne was not a skeleton but what appeared to be mummified remains. Pein judged the body to belong to a female based on the swell of breasts and hips under the expensive cloth that shrouded it. Female the throne's occupant may have been, but not human. She was easily more than three meters tall, and when the Deva Path craned his neck to study her features, Pein could see how different her features were. She was hairless, delicate horned ridges beginning just above her eyes and continuing back along her skull. Two larger horns jutted from her dry, desiccated skin just ahead of her temples and curved back above and around her ears before ending in sharp points.

The female form on the throne remained upright in death, her body pinned to it by no fewer than four spears that had been driven clean through her torso. The Six Paths extinguished their chakra lights but the area around the throne remained illuminated by a muted glow emanating from the spears themselves. Each radiated a chakra of its own, one that might be soothing in another context but merely felt dissonant amid the dark chakra that filled the fortress.

Without a word the Asura Path stepped forward and grasped the first spear. His muscles bunched under cracked skin as he wrenched the weapon free. Asura tossed the weapon negligently to the Preta Path. In the grip of Preta, the spear quickly lost its light, and the potency of the malignant chakra in the room intensified.

One by one the Asura Path removed the spears and the Preta Path absorbed their holy chakra. With the light of the last spear faded the darkness lasted only a moment. Two orbs of deep blue light appeared as the mummy on the throne opened her eyes.

Of all the faces I dreamt of seeing when I woke, yours was not one of them brother. The voice was a whisper without source, and in its wake the room's air grew colder. The breath of the Paths produced small puffs of condensation. Come to gloat over your little sister, tricked and trapped by the apes you love so dearly?

Pein considered these words. The Deva Path shook his head, looking up at the azure eyes high above. "You are mistaken. I am not the Sage of the Six Paths, though I am heir to his power."

The mummy's blue eyes widened in surprise at that statement. You are… yes, a mortal. I smell the weakness of your blood beneath the power of those eyes. What do you want here, then?

The Six Paths crossed their arms in eerie synchronicity. "I seek knowledge. I have scoured this land for means by which a demon of great power might be killed, or at least defeated. I seek to lay low not an insubstantial shade such as those that plague the souls of the weak and corrupt, but a demon with power enough to eclipse mine; power enough to obliterate a city from afar. In this land's history there was mention of only one demon so fearsome. You; the Lady of Midnight."

I was not defeated, the chill whisper replied angrily. I was betrayed!

"Ah yes, Shiroe," Pein replied. "The records of the oldest monastic orders here spoke of him; said that he stole your heart and then your power."

The demon's whisper grew to a rage-filled shriek at the mention of that name, and the temperature in the great hall plummeted. Frost started to form on the metal piercings of the Six Paths, but they showed no discomfort.

What demon possesses the power to vex one such as you? The Lady of Midnight murmured once her rage had faded.

"Uzumaki of Whirlpool Isle," Pein replied calmly.

A moment of silence followed that statement, and then ghostly laughter. Reminders of my dear brothers abound, it seems.

Pein frowned. "Uzumaki is your brother?"

The first of us, the Lady of Midnight agreed. The eldest. Whatever he has taken from you, whatever slight he has delivered, let it go.

"That is not an option," Pein shook his head. "I will find a means to defeat him. If you cannot offer an answer then my search will continue." The Six Paths turned to leave, but a gust of chilly wind blew the doors of the great hall closed.

Wait. Pein turned back to look at the mummy on the throne. You wish to reclaim what Uzumaki has taken from you?

"I never said he took something from me," Pein replied softly, his tone dangerous.

You didn't have to, the Lady of Midnight replied gleefully. I know my brother; if you're still alive you're not his rival for power or someone who has wronged him. I know what has brought you here; he's claimed a woman you care for as his own. The Six Paths growled wordlessly, eliciting a laugh from the demon. Love and pain radiate from you like warmth from a fire.

"I do not feel pain. I AM Pein," he responded coldly. "Now tell me something worth my time or I'm done here." With a wave of his hand the Deva Path obliterated the doors that had been closed by the wind and stalked toward the exit.

You cannot kill Uzumaki any more than those damnable monks could kill me, the cold air hummed with the Lady's voice. But if you wish to take back what is yours, that… is possible.

Pein turned back to the mummy on the throne. "Tell me how," he demanded.

Alone you will fail, she whispered, glowing blue eyes crinkling in amusement. Otsutsuki's borrowed power isn't enough; you're still mortal. You will need the aid of one who can contest Uzumaki on his level if you wish to challenge him successfully.

"I suppose you're referring to yourself," Pein replied, allowing a hint of scorn to enter his voice. "You can't even move, 'Lady of Midnight'. How can you help me defeat Uzumaki?"

I was not always as you see me, The Lady growled angrily. I ruled this land for centuries, and none dared challenge my might!

"So what happened?"

I was betrayed, the Lady raged once more. That worm Shiroe stole my diadem. Without it I could not renew myself, and armies of those too foolish to bow at my feet threw themselves to their deaths in the face of my power, until I was reduced to the pathetic state you see now.

Pein nodded thoughtfully. "The ancient texts of the monks were vague on what Shiroe did, saying only that he stole your power and hid it away. Tell me about this 'diadem'."

It is my crown, but the metal is unimportant. It was set with three gems, each one imbued with a portion of my essence. Its creation was a risk, but it made me strong beyond your imagining. Were you to return the diadem to me my power would be more than ample to match Uzumaki and sever his bond with his latest concubine.

"I see," Pein murmured. "Very well; if this crown of yours is so potent I will locate its gems, and in return you will help me reclaim Konan from Uzumaki."

Pein could sense the Lady's surprise. Plainly she'd expected him to drive a harder bargain. Instead the Six Paths moved forward to form a semi-circle around the throne. What are you- was as far as the Lady got before the six shinobi raised their right hands, and beams of purple light with a core of darkness shot forth to strike the mummy's chest. The Lady's ethereal voice filled the great hall with a scream that continued without pause as Pein poured chakra into her wasted body. The light of the transference illuminated her form enough that the gradual transformation was clearly visible, her skin turning from desiccated and gray to a smooth, supple hide the color of an emerald. Flesh swelled and firmed beneath that skin until the ancient wrappings that had hung loose on her frame hugged her generous figure tightly. With creaks and cracks of bones moving for the first time in centuries her hands released their grip on the arms of the throne, Her four-digit fingers ending in delicate claws flexing, testing their movement. Smooth muscle flexed in her long, slender legs, and her three-toed feet curled in on themselves for a moment.

When the Six Paths lowered their hands, the Lady of Midnight lurched forward off of her throne, staggering and falling to hands and knees amid the bones at first. "Why?" she asked, her voice resonating like Uzumaki's, but in a pleasant soprano rather than a rumbling bass. "I told you to bring me the diadem, not-"

"Uzumaki is not my only concern," Pein replied grimly. "I will locate this diadem for you, and with its power you will aid me in challenging him, but until then I will have other tasks for you."

Still on hands and knees as she became re-accustomed to movement, the Lady's blue eyes blazed with indignation. "I am not your servant, mortal! I will not be dictated to by… what are you doing! Unhand me!"

Despite her size, the Lady was not yet strong or coordinated to resist when the Preta and Asura Paths grasped her arms and wrenched them behind her back. Even kneeling she was taller than the Deva Path but Pein could see uncertainty in her glowing eyes when he stepped forward. The Deva Path spread his hands, and six rods of black metal – one large, two of medium size and three thin and small – drifted from sheathes under his cloak to float in the air between them, suspended in the air by Pein's chakra. The Deva Path gestured, and the largest of the rods flicked towards the Lady of Midnight, curving as it went. It encircled her neck, forming a perfect ring.

The Deva Path gestured again, and the two black rods of medium size flew towards her, each one bending as well before fitting itself snugly around the base of her large horns, just forward of her temples. Pein saw discomfort as well as anger flicker across the Lady's face as they dug into the skin and bone, ensuring a tight fit. The Deva Path sent the three smallest rods on their way, and the Lady of Midnight tried to flinch away, but the Asura Path's extra arms caught her in a headlock. Her melodious voice cried out in pain as the three small rods pierced her skin, two forming hoops in the lobes of her ears, and the third piercing her septum before curling into a nose ring.

The Preta and Asura Paths let go of the Lady of Midnight once that was done, and the demon touched the collar in apparent disbelief, her fingers running over the bands on her horns, a wince crossing her features when her gingerly touched the new adornments to her ears and nose. Disbelief turned to rage as she rose to her feet. "You DARE? I have razed NATIONS for less insult!" She lunged forward, claws curled to rend the shinobi before her to pieces, but the Deva Path only snapped his fingers. Purple light shone for a moment from the Lady's new collar and other adornments. Her body went limp like a puppet with its strings cut and she sprawled at Pein's feet, only her blue eyes still moving.

"My chakra is all that animates you, my Lady," Pein explained as the Deva Path crouched in front of her frozen face. "I will provide as much as you need for the tasks you will be given, but challenge me and it can be taken away just as easily."

You… you need me… the chill wind protested.

"I can use you," Pein corrected her. "From my perspective, it's you who needs me. I will restore your power as you desire, and you will use it to give me what I desire, and we will both benefit. But don't think me fool enough to trust a demon on her word alone." Stepping back, the Deva Path flicked a hand at the Lady, and the purple glow of her adornments faded. She climbed to her feet cautiously, still shaking with anger.

"You will regret this insult, mortal," she vowed softly.

"Possible, but unlikely," Pein replied. "Now, I can't keep calling you the 'Lady of Midnight'. What's your name?"

She looked away from Pein with a disdainful sniff, but spoke after a moment. "That moniker is a corrupted translation. My name is Mayonaka."

"As you wish," Pein offered. "Now do you feel like walking to my base? We'd rather not have to carry you." Mayonaka didn't deign to answer, but when the Paths exited the Fortress she followed, her luminous blue eyes glaring murder at their backs.

Ino Yamanaka lounged on her sofa with a glass of wine, feeling reasonably content. She would be happier if she was still sitting in the clan head's quarters rather than the ones she'd moved into after making chuunin, but if she wasn't honoring her father's last request to lead the clan, at least it was a lot less work being one of the rank and file again. Also, one of her closest friends was home now, which was certainly a cause for celebration.

Ino watched Sakura drink from a wine glass that was held in a hand with skin noticeably paler and smoother than the rest of her. Ino had never had a more complex regeneration than skin regrowth, but she'd assisted in the procedure enough to know how much it hurt. She didn't envy her friend the agony that regenerating a whole hand must have caused.

"You missed an awesome party last night," Ino commented.

"Yeah well… I had other stuff to do." Sakura paused. "I'm surprised you went, things being as they are and all."

Ino shrugged, acutely aware that Sakura was studying her silver eyes that were a far cry from the green she'd been born with. "I'm still not happy about the situation, but I've admitted to myself that it's not anyone's fault except the Kyuubi's. Naruto didn't choose to do this to me," she pointed at her eyes, "and with the bond suppressed I can think clearly again. I could distance myself from two longtime friends, or I can deal with the awkwardness until I figure out how to free myself. I'm already getting a better handle on how the Soul Mirror's bond works. One of the benefits of all the free time I've had recently."

Sakura nodded. "Still, going to Hinata's bachelorette party? Is she still giving you the stink eye all the time?"

Ino shook her head. "No, I think I've made clear enough that I'm not interested in Naruto, bond or no. Hinata's been less hostile lately." The blonde grinned. "Hell, they're getting married. If we had been in competition, I think that would be a win for her."

"True," Sakura admitted.

Ino refilled her glass and studied the pinkette over the rim. "So spill, billboard brow; where have you been disappearing to recently? You didn't come to the bachelorette party, I've barely seen you since you got home… what's filling up your calendar all of the sudden?"

Sakura scowled. "I've been busy, Ino," she replied pointedly. "I did just get back from almost a year in captivity, remember? Plus, with Shizune in a coma," she sighed sadly at the reminder, "Tsunade-sama needs me in the hospital more than ever."

Ino gave Sakura a skeptical look. "Uh-huh…"

"What?" Sakura demanded defensively.

"That may be true, but it's not the whole truth, Sakura. Who is he?"

Sakura stiffened for a moment. "Who is who?"

"The guy you're seeing, dummy," Ino replied sardonically.

Sakura shook her head. "There is no guy," she insisted.

"Yes there is," Ino shot back. "C'mon Sakura, how long have we known each other?"

"What makes you so sure there's a guy?" Sakura shot back defensively.

Ino set down her glass and started ticking off fingers. "You're wearing makeup every day; you haven't done that since you broke up with Kiba," she noted on the first finger. "You're shaving your legs way more than you used to," she added on the second finger. "Every so often you stop, look off into space and blush, which you didn't do even when you were dating Kiba," Ino ticked off a third finger. She paused and then grinned before raising a fourth finger. "Finally, you've got that 'I'm getting laid' glow about you. Since you're constitutionally incapable of casual sex despite my influence that means there's a guy. So when do I get to meet him and bestow the 'best friend' seal of approval?"

"There is no guy, Ino! You're imagining things," Sakura insisted.

Ino shrugged. "Suit yourself, Sakura." She picked her glass back up, running her finger around the rim before offering the pinkette a sly look. "Want to hear something juicy?"

"Would you refrain from gossiping if I said no?" Sakura replied tartly.

"Nope! Besides it's not gossip, just… interesting." Ino paused. "Everyone was getting hammered at Hinata's party last night, but both Tenten and I noticed that the drinks the waiter was bringing Hinata were all non-alcoholic."

"But why would she- oh," Sakura's eyes widened.

"Yup," Ino replied with a grin. "She 'fessed up when we asked about it. They're getting married so fast because she's going to start showing soon."

"Oh wow," Sakura said before frowning. "Wait… why would she remove her kunoichi seal before they were engaged?" Her eyes narrowed. "She didn't do it without telling Naruto, did she?"

Ino shook her head. "No, that's the interesting part; she still has the seal. Tsunade-sensei confirmed what Hinata and Naruto already suspected; the bond of the Soul Mirror doesn't get along with the kunoichi seal. It corrodes the chakra bonds in the tattoo, eventually rendering it useless." Ino glanced out the window, recalling the moment of icy terror she'd experienced at the revelation that the sex she'd had with Naruto that one night in the Land of Lightning had been effectively unprotected. Months and months had passed since then and her menstrual cycle was uninterrupted, so the Soul Mirror wasn't a guaranteed pregnancy at least.

CRASH

Ino's gaze whipped back to Sakura. The pinkette's face was as pale as a sheet, and her wine glass had slipped from suddenly limp fingers to shatter on the floor. "Sakura, are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, umm… I… yeah, I'm fine," Sakura replied mechanically. "Sorry about the glass."

Ino grabbed a broom and dustpan out of the closet to clean up the broken glass; thankfully it had been empty when Sakura had dropped it, so there weren't any wine stains.

Sakura was still looking a bit spooked when the glass was cleaned up. "What was that all about?" Ino asked.

Sakura didn't really look at her, rubbing her wrist and staring into space. "Muscle spasm," she murmured absently, "I'm still getting used to the new hand; sorry."

"Uh-huh," Ino replied skeptically.

"I need to, umm… I have to go," Sakura said abruptly.

"Sakura, wait," Ino called out, but her friend was out the door in a flash. "What was that all about?" Ino asked herself irritably.

Haku had been trained in moving cross-country swiftly and silently by her first master, Zabuza Momochi. He had fought in the Third War before his exile, so he'd had his share of maneuvering in the Land of Fire's trackless forests. He'd passed on the tricks he'd learned from observing or pursuing Leaf ninja to Haku, so while she wasn't quite as adept in the method of treetop travel as the nation's natives, she could still make good time.

Haku travelled quickly, making a beeline for the region where the Mizukage had told her Konoha was hidden. Few Mist ninja had ever been there willingly save for occasional genin and their teachers attending Chuunin Exams, but they'd known where it was located for some time. Haku could have found it without any information at all thanks to the demon Uzumaki, whom she cursed daily now. She knew exactly where Naruto Uzumaki was, because his presence was tugging at the edge of her mind constantly like a blazing beacon just beyond her line of sight. The dreams of Naruto had resumed even before she reached the coast, and they'd gotten bad enough that she was sleeping only the bare minimum needed to stay alert. Haku's thoughts drifted to him whenever she wasn't focusing on something else, provoking unwelcome physiological reactions. The sooner I get to Konoha and he quiets this damned bond again, the better.

In part because of her fatigue and growing distraction, Haku didn't notice at first that she was being shadowed through the stunted scrub forests north of the volcanic range of mountains that dominated the central Land of Fire. The trees in the area weren't large enough for aerial travel, so she was at ground level following a narrow road winding through the yellowed grasses and twisted trees. After Haku became aware of her pursuers she kept note of how they were maintaining a steady distance. At first she thought they were just a Leaf patrol keeping an eye on her, but after they'd been following for almost a full day, she realized something else was going on.

Haku kept travelling until she reached the east shore of a small pond, and there she stopped. Fighting the burning need in her very blood to keep moving towards Naruto, she waited until her shadows decided to show themselves. It wasn't until night had fallen and a full moon filled the clearing with silvery light that four figures rose from the tall grass to the north of Haku. Two were men in masks. The first was more than two meters tall and lean with a mask carved with a stallion's visage. The second was shorter than Haku and burly with a similar mask, this one displaying a snarling hyena. The latter of the pair was shadowed by two dark-furred mastiffs with pale blue eyes. Haku had seen their like fighting beside Leaf and Lightning ninja; they were no ordinary dogs, but ninken.

Haku almost missed the last chakra presence hidden in the shadows of the trees to the east, but she turned her gaze in that direction. "Is there something I can do for you three?" Haku asked politely.

After a moment's silence a woman with a compact, wiry frame emerged from the shadows, wearing a mask carved with a coiled boa constrictor. Her short dark hair was starting to go gray at the temples, but her movement had lost none of a shinobi's deadly grace. "So polite," the female ANBU spoke, her tone gently mocking. "We need you to come with us," she told Haku.

"I am already on my way to Konoha," Haku replied.

Boa shook her head. "You're not going anywhere near Konoha, Haku of Mist."

Haku frowned. "You know me?" She wasn't aware of any bounties on her head in Konoha, and she doubted that Naruto would have placed one on her, but the Hyuuga with the jealous eyes might have done it just to spite her.

"I make it my business to know all of Konoha's enemies," Boa responded coolly. Stallion and Hyena were slowly moving out of the grasses, and Haku warily stepped back, putting the pond behind her.

"I am not an enemy of your village. I've come bearing a message from my kage for yours." Haku slipped the sealed scroll Mei Terumi had given her from her pouch, holding it up so Boa could see the seal. "I intend no strife."

"Hmm… very well." Boa's tone seemed warmer, and Haku relaxed for a moment, only to start in alarm when the air rippled around her hand. An invisible grip seized the scroll and yanked it from her hand. The pressure very nearly broke Haku's wrist before she reflexively created an ice sheath over the joint and pulled her hand back.

The scroll leapt across the clearing, landing in Boa's hand. "There was no need for that," Haku growled, letting the ice dispel and rubbing her bruised arm. "I would have shown it to you – hey!" Boa broke the seal on the scroll casually and unrolled it to read the contents. "What are you doing?" Haku demanded, angered and perplexed. Official missives between villages were rarely interfered with so blatantly, even in times of war. Spying to obtain their contents covertly was one this, but this ANBU had just opened sealed mail meant for her kage. Something was wrong…

Boa scanned the contents of the note and snorted. "So the Mizukage thinks she can get a spy into Konoha just by waving a pretty piece of ass in front of the Kyuubi's brat? Well maybe he's young enough to fall for that, but it'll never happen." Haku felt the flare of chakra from Boa a moment before fire engulfed the scroll and she let it fall to the dirt.

"No!" Haku cried out. Without that document, getting to Naruto would be much harder. "Who are you?" Haku demanded. "You're not Leaf ANBU." Reading the Hokage's mail was one thing, destroying it after verifying its innocuous nature was something else entirely.

Haku felt a coil of air tighten around her neck, and formed an ice mirror between herself and Boa. The momentary pressure faded when Boa couldn't see her anymore, and Haku shuddered; the other kunoichi had just tried to kill her. Haku formed a single hand sign, and a shimmering mist rose from the pond's surface to surround her, scattering moonlight in every direction.

Haku had used the jutsu not a moment too soon; she watched sparks fly from its outer edge as a barrage of shuriken thrown frighteningly fast were deflected by the seemingly nebulous curtain. The haze surrounding her was not fog like other Mist ninja summoned to obscure their enemies' vision, but thousands of miniature ice mirrors the size of snowflakes. She'd been working on the idea behind the technique for years, but it hadn't clicked for her until the trip from Uzushio to Kiri. She tried not to dwell on the possibility that the bond Naruto had forced on her was empowering her natural abilities as it had for the other women he'd claimed.

The source of the projectiles was Stallion, whose hands were a blur of movement, faster than Haku had ever seen anyone throw. He gave up the attack when it became clear it wasn't working, and he charged her from the side along with Hyena and his dogs. With a wave of her hand and an expenditure of chakra Haku bade the pond's surface to overflow its banks between them, and then froze it into a seamless sheet. Hyena and his ninken slipped and crashed to the ground, while Stallion flickered before vanishing entirely. Haku felt the air stir around her again, and noted that Boa had moved around her large ice mirror. Haku was forced to dodge to the side; the invisible, grasping coils hooked her sleeve and tore it off, but missed the flesh of her arm.

Haku retaliated by forming the prison of ice mirrors she'd trapped Naruto and Sasuke in all those years ago, but extended the mirrors until there were no gaps in between, creating a faceted dome to imprison Boa. The air stopped trying to tear her apart, and she relaxed a bit. So she does need to see her target. Good, one problem down.

Unfortunately, Haku's other problems refused to stay down. Hyena and his ninken climbed to their feet with difficulty and then the man raised his head and howled, the sound echoed by his canine partners. The light of the moon intensified, and as Haku watched in shock both man and beasts started to change. Hyena grew taller and his already impressive upper body bulked out to bestial dimensions, his flak jacket tearing off of his body as he grew. Sickening 'pop's and 'crack's emanated from his body; Haku saw his knees snap backwards, his arms lengthening and his back hunching over, a pronounced hump forming. Long digits ending in cruel claws formed from his hands and feet, the talons on his toes sinking into the ice and giving him purchase. Even as Hyena transformed his ninken were changing in reverse, become more humanoid. When the process was over, all three were nearly identical save for the shreds of clothing adorning Hyena.

"He's really more animal than man when he changes," a male voice whispered behind Haku. She turned, slashing with an ice kunai, but met only air, a blur retreating from her strike. A moment later the blur resolved itself into Stallion, standing a pace away. "Sometimes the dogs eat their kills," Stallion told her maliciously before vanishing again. "Sometimes he joins in," the voice was behind her again. This time Haku simply formed ice spikes from the ground to impale the speaker, but when she turned they'd hit nothing. "But a pretty thing like you they'll probably fuck first," Stallion taunted from one side, vanishing again when she threw the ice kunai. "All three of them; if you're lucky you'll be dead before they start," the speedy ANBU offered from the other side of her.

Haku sent out a spray of ice senbon in every direction that forced Stallion into retreat, but Hyena and his transformed dogs were not deterred in the least; their thick, matted fur deflected or absorbed the ice projectiles. Haku spent more chakra to form a wall of ice to bar the path of the monstrous man and his man-like pets, but no sooner had she done so than her ice dome around Boa exploded, revealing a swirling tempest of furious winds in the contained space before they dissipated.

These three have trained together extensively. I could take any of them alone, but if I keep this up they'll probably tire me out before I put one of them down for good. Recognizing a no-win situation, Haku drew fog from the pond, blanketing the entire area this time. Quickly abandoning her former position as tendrils of air grasped through the mists to tear her apart, Haku formed several clones of herself from blocks of flash-frozen ice, tossing each of them something of hers that carried her scent and sending them in different directions. The fire Naruto's bond had put in her veins screamed at Haku to head west towards Konoha, but she rejected the notion; it was too obvious.

Haku ran south, exiting her fog bank alone to her immense relief. The scrub forest was thinner in that direction, but the faux-ANBU wouldn't expect her to go that way, so it gave her the best chance to lose them. Wasting no time, she sprinted towards the bare black crags to the south that spewed smoke and ash. Once I've lost them I'll turn west and get the hell out of this region.

Author's Note: If you want to know what Hyena and his dogs look like when transformed, picture a gnoll from World of Warcraft.