*Gasp* "307 reviews?!" *faints*

Huzzah to everyone who reviewed, fav'ed and followed! You have inspired me to continue once more, rising bravely against the Writer Block in an endless fight to write this Chapter for you! Feel my love for you!

*cough* Alright, you got it.

The number of you reviewers is too big for me to thank each of you here! That's amaaaaaazing! The message for you all is: "THANK YOU SO MUCH MY DEARIES! All the support you show me shall be taken to heart and treasured for the future Chapters! :D"

My #1 Guest Fan: My Mr Ukki was a really, really funny and interesting story! And I'll give up my soul to bring this story to an end – I did promise it, and it being a Naruto-promise, well… you know how it ends for them! And 'Buffering' is a sad song :'( This is the price for all those cliffhangers, isn't it?

WingedAngel96822: I think Orochimaru would bribe 'Kashi-chan with a lollipop and bring him to his spooky dark laboratory… well, not really. But I think it'll be difficult to gain the bijuu for himself when said bijuu snarls, "DON'T YOU DARE PEDO-SNAKE, YOU!" ;)

And warning (?): not-really-graphic description of half-smashed body parts, but if you have enough imagination, well… I'm warning you. Just to be sure.

Hereby I present you the Block of Text you were waiting! :D


Chapter 27: Leaving

Kakashi's head pounded when he awoke. If the pain wasn't an indicator of his survival, he might have thought his head was smashed in.

He felt uneven, wet stone underneath his right cheek, and water dripped down his hair. The boy slowly got into a sitting position (if it could be called that), looked around and squinted, seeing only darkness around him. His chakra felt too dense to be forced in his eyes and he gave up.

'What… happened?'

No one answered him for a long time (well, it felt long, but it probably was just a few seconds) and he almost dreaded he was alone in his head when Kurama gruffly replied, "A cave in."

'Cave in…?' His memories sluggishly came to his mind, and his eyes widened. There wasn't any exit, and Minato had grasped his arm-

-then his vision blurred, and it felt like a Shunshin-

Kakashi clutched his head with a groan. Minato-sensei attempted to teleport them outside, but it seemed he got halfway to his marking kunai. Somehow. The rest of the memory wasn't clear enough to understand what happened exactly, but the chuunin was sure it involved rocks. Lots of rocks.

Someone groaned near him.

He turned around and winced at the sharp pain in his head. He forced his chakra toward the sound, and he didn't know whether to feel relieved or worried that Anko was a couple of meters to his right. After all, the smell of blood was unmistakable.

"Anko?" he whispered cautiously, crawling near her. He didn't trust himself not to fall face-first if he stood up.

The kunoichi groaned again, then whimpered. He still didn't have any idea about her condition, but she was most likely injured.

"Use the Bijuu Cloak." Kakashi heeded the sighed suggestion and tried to focus his and Kurama's chakra on his skin. The bijuu seemed to take pity of the boy and helped him.

The area around him instantly brightened, although knowing how big – or rather, how cramped – the space was almost gave him claustrophobia. Kakashi squinted to his surroundings, then froze when his eyes landed on Anko.

Her left arm was partially under a boulder, bleeding, half-smashed and bent at a painful angle.

Anko weakly tried to shield her eyes with her right arm, but even that action seemed to drain her of her energy. She was face down on the wet stone, and Kakashi could tell she lost a lot of blood by her paler-than-usual complexion (and by the slowly-growing pool of blood under her arm).

"Wha…?"

"It's me, Anko," he whispered, hoping she didn't realize her arm looked more like crushed meat. "Don't worry. I'm Kakashi."

Her light brown eyes were struggling to focus on his masked face. "Kaka…shi…?"

'What now?'

"We move her away from the boulder and fix her arm." Like it was the easiest and most obvious thing in the world.

'FIX?! How do you fix that?!' Kakashi inwardly shouted, disbelieving. Just how the hell did anyone 'fix' a half-smashed arm without medical training or proper instruments?!

"Oh, we can." His older self chuckled, as if he was amused by the chuunin's shock. "Iryo-ninjutsu are based mostly on chakra control and knowledge of the human body. Between the three of us," he gestured to himself, Kakashi and Kurama, "we have enough control to fix just about everything. I think."

Before the boy could argue it wasn't that simple and his confidence didn't help matters, the bijuu spoke up. "We lift that rock, wrap Anko's arm into our chakra, move her away and fix her arm. It's not that difficult to understand."

'But-'

"And it's not like I didn't look into medical books when I was trapped into the Hospital, eh. After finishing Jiraya-sama's novels, I had to occupy my time and Tsunade-sama allowed me to read something else."

Kurama snorted. "Or rather, she had enough of your giggling when you read those smut novels."

"They're not that bad-"

'HEY!'

Somehow, Anko mustered up enough force to look at her left arm – and her expression became utterly horrified. Her mouth widened as if she was about to scream, but Kakashi put his hand on it.

"Anko, don't," he ordered with the best I-know-what-I'm-doing-don't-worry voice he could manage. If she started screaming and thrashing, who knows how her arm would be reduced… or who would hear her. "I'm going to fix it, but I need you to remain still and silent. Can you do it?"

The violet-haired kunoichi didn't seem too excited about his plan, but she nodded once and Kakashi really hoped she would do as ordered. Anko kept looking at him through wide eyes – probably because he resembled a human torch – but the chuunin told her not to make a sound, and she wouldn't.

Two chakra claws formed on his left shoulder and Kakashi grasped Anko's right arm, ready to pull her out. One claw reached her left arm and wrapped it up to the elbow in warm chakra, while the other sneaked underneath the rock.

'Three, two, one…'

They pulled.

Anko bit her lower lip to avoid screaming in pain, and she was almost sure she tasted blood when the sudden movement stopped. Kakashi thought about turning her on her back, but his older self shot down his idea.

"I'm no iryo-nin or psychologist," he said, "but I think it's better if she doesn't see the process."

"She's the Snake's apprentice. Do you think she'd be scared of her own arm?"

"Right now it's more like crushed meat and bones, and knowing her limb is like that isn't… a good experience. I would know."

'…It happened to you?'

He didn't even need to nod. "I was unconscious when the medic put my limb back together. Mostly. But the bandages had gotten undone and… I should have kept the Sharingan closed. That's all."

Younger Kakashi decided not to ask anything else and turned his complete focus on Anko's arm.

Their chakra looked… liquid, almost, and every part of the girl's limb was mostly immobile inside it. Several pieces of what he assumed was flesh were partially torn from the bones, and her wrist resembled a reddish mush of something. Her fingers weren't much better, and he would have deemed her unable to ever be a kunoichi again.

But Kurama seemed confident enough in his repairing skills, and Kakashi figured he might as well go with his plan.

"…Alright. Hatake – the older one – recompose the wrist. Kit, put back together ulna and radius. I'll repair the fingers. And don't touch the nerves without asking for my permission."

Both Hatakes nodded and set to work.


Kushina's shit is hitting the fan right now senses were tingling.

It felt like a persistent itch behind her neck, and she reached with her hand to scratch it. At first the red-head could ignore it – but now it was damn impossible. Something really bad happened, and she didn't have any idea about what it was.

She looked around her.

The camp her team set up wasn't disturbed – the five Konoha-nin were keeping to themselves near their tents, while the six Suna-nin were doing the same from the other side. Not exactly buddy-buddy, but if it meant no vengeful squabbles Kushina was alright with it.

The red-haired woman walked to the center of their camp, checking the main seal of her Hexagonal Detection Barrier. Nothing was out of place – Kushina recognized every chakra inside and around the barrier. Team Sandstorm, Team Whirlwind, Team Eclipse… they were all there, undisturbed. Her squad, Team Volcano, was exactly where it was supposed to be.

Kushina had something to say about the names, but she assumed it wasn't the problem she felt. There was something else that triggered her senses.

'Kurama? Any idea about it?'

The Kyuubi's eye twitched at hearing his own name. "…My fake isn't supposed to exist, and he'll pay for it."

'Jeez… I thought you had given up on that.' Kurama was still thinking about his 'fake'. Figures.

"It's a fact, human," he stated, baring his teeth at his jailor. "That fake will be killed once and for all for what he's done."

Kushina rolled her eyes. Furball was feeling cranky and vengeful tonight, wasn't he?


Sumori had never been so glad to have a plan B.

Since his companions had been so stupid to leave trails that hinted their shinobi nature ("You requested Taisei paper in a mining shop five times." "Yes." "…Idiots.") and arrogance ("This stupid town will never call ninjas, relax!"), they paid with their lives. But Sumori was smarter than that, and he hired a couple of nukenin.

…By the feel of it, there were little more than a dozen of people between ninjas and sailors.

He told them to remain hidden around the cave and surround it only if the seals he placed were disrupted. Which they were – courtesy of the Yellow Flash, a miniature version of the White Fang with a chakra rivaling the Sanbi's (greater, even… far greater) and other Konoha-nin.

Sumori would have felt honored to have them as opponents if his plan A didn't fail so horribly. Nobody would get those invaluable chakra crystals without teleporting abilities now.

He sighed. Oh well. He could always brag about fighting the Yellow Flash and leaving alive.

Two cloaked figures approached him, and Sumori could recognize their eerie green eyes everywhere. The twin sisters of Suna, Akuma and Tenma – wielders of two Demonic weapons, the Kyoujin and the Ogama.

The two women watched coldly as the Kiri-nukenin stood up, although limping. He was once again grateful to have two emergency exits ready, one easily found and the other well hidden. Just in case enemy shinobi did arrive and he needed a quick escape, using the rising mist and the chaos to quietly run away.

Tenma's Demonic Scythe glinted in the moonlight. "Who are the intruders?"

Sumori eyed her Ogama with curiosity, but he answered, "The Yellow Flash, another jonin and four kids." He spat the last word like it was poison. Being bested by a bunch of children was laughable in his line of 'work', but he fought the damn Yellow Flash. Although he had the advantages of being a natural sensor, having the mist and the thick chakra to hinder his enemy's sight and perception.

Akuma's eyes gleamed in malicious delight. "The Yellow Flash?" she asked – purred, almost. "I've always wanted to face such a formidable opponent with my Dagger." The green-eyed nukenin leisurely drew the Kyoujin, like she was already savoring the moment her blade would sink in his flesh.

"They're still in the mine," Sumori added, looking warily as the sisters' eyes sparkled in excitement. "Surround the place – their lives will be the compensation for thwarting our plans."

The Demonic Sisters nodded curtly and left as quickly as they had come, leaving the other hired men to drag their 'leader' away.


"Done."

Kakashi wiped the sweat from his forehead. Anko's arm was back to normal, but she would have to not strain it if she wanted to keep being a kunoichi. He ignored his pounding head and, still keeping her arm in his chakra, he turned her around.

"Anko," he announced, "it's finished."

The kunoichi opened her light brown eyes and slowly turned to look at her arm, half-expecting to see it roughly bandaged and still bleeding. What she saw was… amazing.

Her arm was whole once again. She was completely stunned and was about to test it out-

"Listen to me." Anko immediately stilled and looked at Kakashi. He was obviously tired – and glowing?! – but his expression was set in a serious frown. "Once I remove my chakra, you shouldn't move your arm too much. It works, but it needs to remain immobile at least a week before doing anything that might strain it. So don't move it, alright?" How he regretted not bringing a medical kit or something resembling a sling…

Anko nodded and the chuunin removed his chakra from her arm.

"Thank you, Kakashi."

"No problem," he answered to her whisper. "Now we need to find the others and a way out."

"Which is going to take a long time, since this place is a labyrinth."

Kurama sighed. "We just need to follow the others' chakra and claw our way out. It isn't difficult."

'Like fixing her arm, I assume.'

"It's just as straightforward."

It was older Kakashi's turn to sigh. "We don't have many other choices," admitted the once-ANBU, then he straightened slightly. "At least Isobu's chakra isn't as thick. It's like a breath of fresh air."

'If this is fresh air…'

"Well, you got it."

He got it, indeed. Isobu's chakra didn't choke him nearly as much as before and they only had to find Minato-sensei, Rin, Obito and Hanju – their mission was completed, since there was no way the last shinobi escaped sensei's kunai.

"Kakashi, why are you glowing?"

He looked to his right, noticing Anko's questioning gaze. "Kekkei Genkai," he lied, using two chakra claws to dig his way forward.

"I've never heard of it," she admitted, frowning. "Not even Orochimaru-sensei told me anything about it."

Crap, Orochimaru. Everything Anko saw and heard would be relayed to the Snake Sannin. "It's a Kekkei Genkai of my clan, the Hatake," answered he, dearly, dearly hoping that the kunoichi wouldn't dig too deep. "But few… very few… managed to activate it. It was kept a secret, and I didn't even know about it until I asked Sandaime-sama what it was."

Anko tilted her head to the side, frowning. "So it's like… a recessive trait, right?"

"Sort of."

They cut down the conversation to turn their focus on the cramped, wet and labyrinth-like cave in search of an exit and their teammates. Kakashi's head kept pounding every now and then, a persistent weight in the back of his head (or mind?) that just wouldn't leave. A concussion?

"Not exactly – although yes, it is a weight… sort of. Just not blood pressing on your brain."

'What do you mean?'

He could easily picture Kurama's annoyed expression. "When I talked to the old man, I told him a part of your chakra absorbed too much of mine and was to be expelled. Do you remember?"

Both Kakashi nodded, the older one warily and the younger in confirmation.

"It was the truth – the seal sequences holding Older Kakashi's chakra have an opening to expel it. Basically, this modified Nine Way Seal needs changing the 'filter' for two times – or more for adults – before the host adapts his coils enough to withstand a complete transformation without repercussions."

This seal could be done on infants, too, and then it would behave normally. But sometimes the bijuu had befriended (well, more or less) other ninjas who didn't have adapted chakra coils, and the Rokudaime had to think of something. "Normally, the chakra would just disperse gradually. But in this case, the seals contain a conscience – Older Kakashi's – and dispersing the chakra would mean a slow, probably painful death."

Kurama hurried to explain before the Hatake could faint in distress or a sudden ninja popped up to fight. "Currently, you're merging – but there can't be two consciences in the same chakra, and they're fighting for dominance. This brings us back to the three possible outcomes: one of you dies, you two merge, or both live. The last scenario means forcing your chakras apart, which would kill Older Kakashi if I hadn't thought of a plan."

"…What plan?" the once-jonin didn't like having his life in a seal that could kill him if he remained, and kill him if he left. He wondered if that was what the bijuu felt like when sealed away.

They both could feel Kurama's smirk. "I didn't allow your chakra to disperse, which admittedly could lead to an overload," and oh, this was so reassuring, "but it also means you're still whole. This… headache is the result of both the knock-out cave in and your consciences fighting for dominance now that the seal requires new chakra."

"Which in turn means we need to find a safe place ASAP?"

"Exactly. We'll release you in a single, painful and probably explosive chakra blast, instead of dispersing it gradually." Something never tested and never to be repeated, but no one had enough time to plan anything else. "It would be like either an explosion, or a birth. Whichever."

'…It doesn't sound good. How much time do we have?'

Kurama hummed, thinking. How much time, indeed? "I'd say as soon as possible, but not after ten days from now. Eleven at most, but I don't recommend waiting."

"Well, we just need to find the others and return back to Konoha. Not that hard, right?"

They dearly hoped so.


A low whine resounded in the cave, snapping both Rin and Obito to attention.

"What was it, Rin?"

The kunochi bit her lip, rolling experimentally her left shoulder. "I think... it's Kurai," she said, slowly getting up and reaching her teammate. Obito took her right hand and the two genin quietly – well, more or less – hurried toward the sound, the Uchiha holding up a torch he had lit up with his Katon. He had never thought it would be useful until Bakakashi nagged at him to bring it.

The cave in could have done much, much worse, and they considered themselves lucky to be up and alive.

Rin had her worst injury on her left shoulder's articulation – something she had just learned healing, and once she summoned enough chakra control to begin the process Obito had woken up with a sprained wrist, healed a few minutes later. Their bodies were littered in scratches and bumps, but the kunoichi couldn't use up all her chakra and the two genin just cleaned and bandaged them.

The path was rocky, wet and uneven, which was expected after a damn cave in and a tidal wave. The two kids of Team Minato silently followed Kurai's whines, and when they got there they stared.

The gray ninken was sitting by her master's head, nudging and licking it in an attempt to wake him up. But Hanju's body was crushed by bloodied rocks from the waist down – it was no use trying to reanimate him.

Obito turned a vaguely pale green, staring wide-eyed at where Hanju's legs should have been – and probably still are, bones crushed and blood splattered everywhere. Rin swallowed the lump in her throat, nervously licking her dry lips. Knowing exactly what mess was hidden under those fallen rocks brought a wave of nausea to her senses, threatening to make her puke.

But iryo-nin had to endure, and Rin would be a iryo-nin.

"Hey, K-Kurai," she called. The ninken whimpered and glanced at the girl. "There… There's nothing I c-can do for H-Hanju-san. Come h-here, we need t-to go."

Kurai's ears and tail fell even lower. It was hard accepting her master's death. Rin sat near her.

Even in the little time they had talked to each other, the brown-haired kunoichi had bonded with the surprisingly level-headed Inuzuka. They remained friends for only three days – and now Hanju was already dead. She couldn't help it: being friendly and polite was something that drew people to her, but she should have known better than beginning a friendship during a mission.

Rin didn't notice the tears flowing down her eyes until Obito squeezed her right shoulder. He didn't find the heart to lie to his crush, and nothing left his throat.

They remained frozen in mourning until Kurai's ears suddenly perked up and she started looking around. Then she barked.

"Kurai?"

The ninken spared another grieving look at her master's corpse, then nudged Obito's shoulder before silently sneaking toward… somewhere. Glancing briefly at each other, they followed her.


"Do you hear it, Anko?"

The kunoichi looked around her sharply, stilling her breathing. Then her ears picked a sound – scraping, scratching of claws against rock. "I do."

Kakashi, still brightening up the cave with his chakra, focused his gaze on a section of crumbled rocks to their right. The sound came from there, and he neared it as he kept an eye out for threats. Anko followed him and forced herself to keep her arm as still as possible.

She was amazed by the work he did: when she first looked at her limb, she had been horrified. She couldn't even feel it, and maybe that had been a good thing – Anko didn't think she could have remained silent if her nerves had been properly working.

But then feeling started to return to her arm, and the kunoichi watched in wonder as Kakashi created a chakra bubble (for the lack of a better word) and silently repaired her bones, stitched back muscles to the bones and slowly returned her control of her limb. It was amazing and completely impossible, and Anko wondered why Orochimaru-sensei didn't tell her of that Kekkai Genkai.

It was like a one man army: granting speed, strength, nearly infinite chakra – at least that's what she assumed, after feeling wave after wave of Kakashi's chakra – and medical abilities better than an iryo-nin's, maybe even rivaling Tsunade-sama's. Because no one ever repaired an arm half-smashed under a rock on the field and in less than three hours. It just wasn't possible to have that much energy and concentration.

"It's Kurai," her teammate breathed, eyes widening slightly. "And Obito, and Rin. They're just behind these rocks, all alive."

"What are we waiting for, then?" Anko was getting all excited to see her friends again, and if her arm wasn't supposed to be moved around she would have started digging. "Clear the way!"

Kakashi didn't need to be told twice.

Summoning three chakra claws, he immediately started shoving aside rocks of all sizes – luckily for them, there weren't big boulders in the way, probably due to the force of the cave in and the wave. The scratching behind the rocks became clearer, and the two shinobi could hear a sharp bark.

"What do you smell, Kurai?" It was Rin who asked it, voice full of hope for the better.

"It's us, Rin!" Anko called back, and they could hear Obito's yelp of surprise.

"Anko?!"

"Don't forget about me."

"Bakakashi!" The Uchiha shouted, relieved. Someone – namely, Rin – swatted the back of his head for his loudness and he lowered his voice. "Uh… Are you OK behind there? Are you poisoned again?"

It was meant both as a joke and a concerned question, and Kakashi refrained from snorting. "Of course I'm alright," was his statement, although his headache begged to differ. He had tried to use extra chakra to keep himself from swaying, but since it was caused by chakra overload the chuunin quickly discovered it was a bad idea.

The last of the rocks fell away under Kakashi's chakra claws and the four children almost ran to have a group hug – at least on Obito's side – but the way Rin and Anko were keeping their arms stopped them. Kurai glanced at them in evident relief, but her tail wasn't wagging.

"So… what happened to you?" Kakashi eventually asked. "Anko had her left arm injured, and after that we searched for-"

"Bakakashi, you are glowing!" Slack-jawed, Obito couldn't help but gawk at his teammate. What was he, a human torch?! Even Rin was staring at him like he had grown a few more limbs!

Was it really that unusual? "Kekkei Genkai," he drawled. Not knowing much about them beside Konoha's most important Clans, Obito and Rin just nodded in acceptance.

"As I was saying… we were searching for you and Minato-sensei." Then Kakashi frowned, looking somewhere behind his teammates and the ninken. "Where is Hanju-san?"

Kurai whimpered, ears lowered and gaze downwards. Rin was on the verge of crying when she answered, "He's dead, Kakashi. Probably… from blood loss."

Being reminded of her own bleeding meat of an arm, Anko winced in sympathy. She had been lucky to survive, and that was only because Kakashi was with her. The kunoichi would have died if he didn't know what he was doing…

The chuunin bowed his head in brief mourning – he had spent hours with him investigating, right? And yet, he didn't feel that sense of emptiness that followed the death of someone he knew. Kurama was unfazed as expected and Older Kakashi just… stood there, immobile in his mindscrape. This probably had happened several times before during this period, or his ANBU years.

"We need to find Minato-sensei, then. Let's go."

The genin and the ninken nodded in agreement and followed the human torch in search of the Yellow Flash.


Minato had been most relieved when the first chakras he felt were familiar.

Kakashi's bright signature flared like a lighthouse in the middle of the night, followed closely by the three genin's – Obito, Rin and Anko. A smaller chakra was within the group, and Minato recognized it as Kurai's – but Hanju was nowhere to be felt.

His 'mother-hen' instincts – as Kushina so aptly called them once – fretted instantly. There wasn't any adult with the children, and one of the nukenin may still be out to kill them!

'Well, there's Kurama…' he conceded grudgingly. The bijuu had proven again and again that he could be trusted – more or less, anyway – so he could be counted as 'adult', right? Right?

Furthermore, if he protected Kakashi-kun… and his student watched over the others… then there shouldn't be any problem, right? …Maybe Minato should go and check…

A sharp pain in his right ankle made him grimace. Alright, maybe that was an idea for another time… but it didn't stop the blonde from cursing the pile of rocks currently crushing his ankle. He had thought about teleporting out the cave, but since the children were still inside he barred that option. He had to bring them all to safety, all of them.

Then Minato entertained the thought of planting a marked kunai near his position and at least free his leg from the rocks, but then what would be its state? What if he ruined irreparably by moving it in any way? He knew that the kids could have been in danger as he tried to get out, but if he wasn't fit to fight and move around he'd be more like deadweight.

The jonin almost laughed at his situation: here he was, the famous and mighty Yellow Flash, downed by a pile of rocks. It wasn't that funny, but the utter inability to see anything and feel any form of chakra – other than the Sanbi's signature smeared on the rocks – was getting to his brain.

So when Kakashi's probing chakra washed over him, Minato answered with an immediate flare.

The blonde waited, wondering if between Kakashi's chakra and Rin and Anko's medical knowledge his ankle could be repaired fast enough – and was rewarded a couple of minutes later by crumbling rocks, footsteps and hurried voices.

"Minato-sensei! Where are you?!"

'Trust Obito to open his mouth first,' he thought with a smirk. "Behind here, Obito!"

A couple of seconds later, Kakashi's chakra signature rose greatly – at least Minato thought so, his senses reduced to hearing and chakra-feeling – and several rocks were thrown away by bright orange claws. Minato squinted at the light that temporarily blinded him. He was expecting a normal torch (the one Obito and Kakashi had bickered about for a good half an hour), not a…

…was his student glowing?!

"Sensei!" Rin and Obito were ready to throw themselves at him, but a chakra claw blocked their path. Glaring briefly at her teammate, the medic-in-training asked, "Are you injured, sensei?"

"My ankle is blocked," Minato pointed the rubble on his right leg, which stopped a little below his knee. "I could use a hand in this situation."

Like a charm, the four children and Kurai set to work immediately to free the blonde.


Akuma and Tenma were waiting.

Sumori, a couple of low-ranking nukenin and a dozen of hired sailors left for Shichi's port to prepare the ship. If the Konoha-nin knew of their imminent departure they'd have them already on their tail. Being the distrusting guy he was, Sumori left four hired nukenin together with the Twin Sisters of Suna.

As if that would stop them from leaving, if they wanted it.

No, they were there for the Yellow Flash – the infamous Konoha-nin, the one very close to have flee-on-sight orders plastered on his face. It would be a challenge worthy of a few hours of waiting on the sleek terrain – because of course it would rain right before a battle of this magnitude.

Both emerald-eyed sisters took great pride in their legendary weapons. Said to be forged in the flames of the Yonbi by a master blacksmith for a Kage, both the Kyoujin and the Ogama were blades to be feared – smooth, sharp and unbreakable, but rumored to drain their user's soul with each slain victim.

Akuma was above such nonsense, and Tenma agreed with her.

And so they were waiting at the entrance of the Turtle mine, their gleaming blades hidden under identical dark cloaks and Sumori's seals planted right where they needed to be.


Can this be considered cliff-hanger? Uh… well, it's pretty long...?

*cough* Well, that's it! They start leaving, Hanju died – I know I said they weren't dead, but I had to add a death of someone on Konoha's side. It was just so, so… I dunno, too good on Kakashi's side. Like, no one died even though they all were worried to death. Tell me what you think about it ;)

Next Chapter shall (most likely, for most part) feature Akuma and Tenma's ambush, mysterious seals and a battle scene… with other… things…

Kyoujin means "assassin's dagger", Ogama means "Scythe", Akuma and Tenma should mean "demon". Sources from both japanesedictionary and google translator (but only for Ogama! Thanks Fox's Ace for the site!) :D

Beware of the Kitsune's rage!

Shiiroi Kitsune21