Whoo! And here we are, back again. :D

This begins the new...arc of the story. We're going to be moving further along with the plot, trying to find answers in getting our two little heroes back home safe and sound, some more training, because they'll need it, doi. Yeah! And a wee bit more romantic build up. Nothing too dramatic (not YET anyway), but enough to get things going in that department too. :D

And yes, you'll see I inserted a very typical villain line somewhere in here. X3 I had to, okay?

You all know the disclaimer by now.

XXX

"Let's take a break, this training's pretty hard." Helga announced, sitting on the grass.

"You're right Helga, it's getting late anyway." Arnold looked up at the sky, seeing the clouds rolling in as the hour of twilight was descending. He sat down on the ground next to her, leaning back on his hands for support. Glancing at Helga, he noticed she looked uneasy. "Is something wrong, Helga?"

"Huh?" She looked at him, and shook her head quickly before looking away. "Of course not, Football Head. I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you look uneasy and worried about something."

"That's it, I AM. But I don't need to be."

"What do you mean?"

"Hello? It's been ALL DAY, and I know Casana's been gone who-knows-how-long, and then a heck of a lot of time passes, she's nowhere to be seen and then Androgynous Boy goes after her, and wouldn't you know it, haven't seen either of them! Sure I'm worried, but they're strong ninjas! Why worry?"

"There's nothing wrong with worrying, Helga. Worrying about someone doesn't make you weak, or make it look like they're incapable of taking care of themselves. It just shows you're human and you have feelings, and you want to look out for their wellbeing. That's nothing to be ashamed of. Being worried to the point of unhealthy hysteria, maybe, but not like this. I'm worried about them too, I just want them to get through this crisis and make it back okay."

"Doi, they're our tickets to get home!" Helga stared up at the sky along with him, and a thought occurred to her. "Hey Arnold, I was thinking. We have to get those two together."

"Huh? Together?"

"Doi! That's what I said. News flash, they're in love with each other. But they haven't admitted it. So we're going to get them together, because let's face it, they're meant for each other."

"But Helga, we can't force them together, they may not be ready for it."

"That's not what I meant, Arnoldo. What I meant is that we give them a nudge in the right direction. You know, a push. Love does take time, but thirteen years is WAY too long, they need a push."

Arnold thought about that for a moment.

"And it won't be huge or drastic, either, so relax." She tapped her chin in thought. "In fact, you know that festival thing? We'll get them to go to that thing together! You and I are going, so it'd be like a double date."

"Won't they get suspicious?"

"Heck no. We'll just explain we're going and want to take a break from all this hectic worrying of being in a whole new world and since they're kinda our caretakers, they'll come along to make sure we don't get into trouble. See? They'll be there together and won't suspect a thing."

Arnold thought of it, and gave a nod. "You know, I think that could work. I see where you're trying to go with this."

"Hope you are. Because what we'll also do is get them to be alone together sometimes, to dance or walk around. I mean hey, I know the festival won't be huge like a street festival in New York City, but it'll be big, and I think we'll be fine. We just set up a meeting point, we go do our thing, they go do our thing, meet back at the designated spot, and they won't be any the wiser."

"That's a great idea, it'll give them a chance to be alone together and have a good time, and be able to have fun and not worry so much about what they usually do." Arnold added.

"Now you're getting it!" Helga nudged him on the arm. "So when they get back, here's hoping they do get back in one piece, we'll drop the bomb on them and get things going. You with me, partner?" She held her hand out to him in a business-like manner.

Chuckling, Arnold shook her hand. "I'm with you, partner."

"And just what are you two sillies up to?"

Turning around, they came to see Casana now standing behind them, smiling brightly despite her rips in her clothing, wounds and ragged hair. She looked as if she simply just got cut on the finger.

"Well, looks like you made it back in one piece. Huge intense battle to the death?" Helga stood up, studying the brunette carefully.

"It's a long story, actually." Casana admitted. "I'll probably tell you about it later. We just got back now, he's over there talking to Eri. How are you two? You aren't hurt, are you?"

"Oh no, we're fine." Arnold assured. "Are you okay, though?"

"Oh yes, I'll be fine. I've been through this ever since I became a ninja, it's nothing new." Casana waved it off. "So what have you two been up to to pass the time?"

"Actually your friend Eri there's been training us to be ninjas and controlling our chakra and all that cool stuff." Helga said. "You mind showing us some stuff too?"

"Well sure! We'd be happy to. How about we start tomorrow morning?"

"Sounds good to me."

"That's fine by me, too." Arnold stood up then, and studied her worriedly. "...Are you going to be okay?"

Casana nodded, smiling in assurance. "I'll be fine, don't worry about me. You two can freshen up, and I'll make you something to eat if you're hungry."

"Hey, you just fought a big battle back there!" Helga protested, standing up too. "You should take it easy."

"Don't worry Helga, I can handle this kind of thing. I'll make you guys some food, it's no trouble at all."

But of course, Helga being stubborn as she was, didn't have it. She turned to Arnold, whispered something into his ear, to which he nodded and gave her a thumbs up, going off after the brunette.

We'll give these two a break, and I'll get ol' Eri there to help me with getting some food put together. Thought Helga.

XXX

When Arnold caught up to Casana, who was sitting by the pond, she was holding something in her hand and looking at it. Even though her face was at a profile angle, he could tell she looked a little sad. Why the sudden change in mood, even he didn't know. Slowly he approached her, with his sense of helping overs seeming to come over him then. She must've sensed or heard him coming, because she looked up to see him as he got closer.

"O-Oh, hey Arnold." The brunette said, reverting back to her usual register. But before she could say anything more, the thing in her hand, which Arnold now saw was a photograph, slipped out of her hand and blew away in the wind. She let out a startled cry, now getting up to try to grab it.

Luckily it blew toward Arnold and he grabbed it before it could get away too far. Against his better judgement, since it was facing him, he looked at it. It was indeed a photograph. The photo featured a man standing tall and proud, and immensely happy. He had brown hair, tan skin, bright chocolate brown eyes, and a long scar across his cheek. He was dressed in gray slacks and a long-sleeved green shirt, also adorning the same Village forehead protector that Casana had, tied around his forehead. The woman next to him was a gorgeous red-haired woman with curly fiery red hair, bright stunning blue eyes, and wearing a simple dark blue sundress. She too, was smiling with great joy, with a smile that lit up the entire photo. She too wore a forehead protector of the same village, hers was tied on her head with the plate facing the sky. In front of them, were two young kids, around four and six years old. The little boy looked a lot like his father, with the same brown hair and brown eyes and tan skin. He had a big toothy grin as he clutched his sister's hand. The little girl, he assumed to be Casana, with her shorter brown hair and bright blue eyes and paler skin, smiled happily at the camera, like she couldn't have been happier.

And then he just understood.

This is her family...she lost her family when she was six... Arnold realized. He handed the photo back to her. "Here...sorry for looking at it, I didn't mean to invade your privacy."

"No, no, it's all right." Casana assured him, tucking it away.

"...That was your family?"

"Yes."

"...I'm sorry, I heard about what happened. The um...massacre and all."

She smiled sadly at him and ruffled his hair. "It's all right, Arnold. It's been a long time since it happened. It's not easy to think about, but I've moved on. I... Do still bear the scars of that night, but I know all I can do is live my life as best as I can. Growing up without parents is tough, but there isn't much you can do to change that when it's so final."

"I know what you mean. I mean...well, I don't know if my parents are...gone or not, but growing up without them like I have really hurts." Arnold murmured.

"What happened to them?"

"No one knows. They left for San Lorenzo to help a tribe of people, because of a sleeping sickness. I was a baby at the time, they left, and they never returned. Their plane was never found, and no one knows what happened to them. I try not to think about it, but sometimes it comes up and I can't help but feel like I'm missing something in my life. I live with my grandparents in a boarding house, and the boarders are like an extended family. I love my grandparents, and I love the boarders, crazy as they all are. But I guess...well, I just have a void in my heart that only my parents can fill."

"At least you grew up loved and cared for." Casana smiled. "That helps a lot, it really does. It's wonderful that your grandparents took you in like that."

"Yeah, it was." Arnold gave a little smile, and then grew serious once more. "You didn't have any other relatives around?"

"No. My dad's side all lived in Airisu Valley, and they were all... And my mother's family did live in the village, but eventually they moved on and lived too far away. After all I did want to train to become a ninja, and I'm not even sure they wanted me. They never much liked the Kusabana clan. My mom's parents didn't approve of my mom marrying my dad. Her best friend did, that's about it."

"I heard the village feared you and your family, did you ever know why?"

"In the big picture, no. But it's because we were of a clan they didn't understand. Long ago my ancestors were banished since they were considered freaks, and settled in what was once Airisu Valley, it became their own haven, their own home. And since then for the past few generations the family has lived and thrived there." Casana murmured, and looked up at the twilight sky as she sat back down. "But enough about me Arnold, I don't want to bore you with everything about my life."

"It's okay, I like listening to what people have to say. Even about their lives." Arnold sat down on the ground next to her.

She giggled. "You're such an interesting kid. You and Helga both. Very smart and articulate, insightful and you have a social conscience I would never have imagined in a child your age."

"It comes from having to grow up so fast, I guess." Arnold sighed.

"I can relate." Casana agreed. "I've had to do that. ...I guess in a way it's good to be aware of the world and mature at a young age, but even growing up too fast can have its repercussions."

"That's true. It's not easy having to grow up that fast." Arnold followed her gaze to the sky, thinking a moment. "Actually, I wanted to ask you something."

"Mm? What's that?"

"Helga and I...we heard of this festival going on in another village not far from that one other there." He pointed ahead of them in the direction of the village. "And we wanted to go to it, to have something fun to do and keep our minds off this whole situation. Just to let loose, as Helga said."

"Really? Well, I don't see why not." Casana shrugged. "It would be nice. I did see flyers advertising it in the village, and it did pique my curiosity. It's been a long time since we've been to a festival. Maybe it'll do all of us some good. Maybe we can even split up, if you two would be okay to be alone, or you two guys could do your thing and us girls could do our thing, and whatnot."

"Yeah, we can do that. Set up meeting points and see what we feel like doing. I guess it won't be huge, so we probably won't get too lost."

"No, I think you two should be fine, and we'll have trained you a lot more by then, so self defence won't be too much of an issue just in case. There'll be dancing too, that should be fun. ...Yeah..." A dreamy look came to her face. We only did dance that one time years ago... Wasn't even so much of a dance, it was just a party. It's too bad he doesn't dance... But I guess it won't matter... The thought of the night before when they'd kissed, no, made out, still succeeded in turning her insides into mush. All of the sake in the world couldn't even come close to intoxicating me...

"Are you okay?" The young boy's question interrupted her thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry. My head was in the clouds."

Arnold laughed. "I know what you mean. I daydream a lot, too."

"I'm not surprised." Casana gave a giggle and turned to him then. "I do that all the time when I'm not focused on my duties, or traveling around."

Although, my daydreams are getting weirder... Was all he could think before letting his thoughts just run free, reflecting on the day's events.

XXX

"I believe we used the perfect body..."

Within the depths of a dark, dimly lit room in the Village of Sound, Kabuto stood as he admired and mused his work. His very creation was within the shadows, mostly hidden from view, with the only splashes of light revealing parts of a face, a body, an arm, but most of all, a pair of piercing, green snake-like eyes, pierced through the darkness.

His creation was complete.

"With you, our goal to destroy Konoha once for all..." Kabuto mused. "Will come to be."

"But why stop there?" Came a malicious, slithering, sneaky voice within the darkness. The voice was feminine, likely pertaining to be a woman, and it was coming from the silhoutted, shadowed figure before Kabuto. A hand came out from the darkness, and picked up a small model of the Hokage Tower in Konoha, holding it up. The piercing eyes studied it for a brief moment. "Master Kabuto... Think of it, hmm? First Konoha..." The hand holding the Hokage Towel model immediately crushed it, the broken pieces falling to the floor as the hand unclenched. "Then...the world!"

Behind his round glasses, Kabuto's Orochimaru eyes widened with malicious glee, his mouth spreading into an evil grin.

"Yesssss..." He hissed softly.

An evil, horrific, striking and very much loud villainous laugh rang out from the room, reaching the upper quarters as Kabuto's newest creation laughed maniacally with pure evil.