The sun could not be seen coming up over the mountains, only the color of the sky changing let it be known the sun was coming from the other side. The light was dim and the air was cold as winter approached here along the border area between Earth and Wind countries. No man's land. Except ...except ...there was a man here. Several of them. Too many of them. Armed. Mean. Lethal.
The silence was not disturbed by the running footsteps of nimble feet, no, those went undetectable. And only a blur could be seen if the person watching were very, very good and paying excellent attention. The guard yawned and blinked, missing the small signs that he was not alone. One moment he was thinking it had been a mistake to eat the squid yesterday because he just wasn't feeling all that well, and then there was nothing. The guard died swiftly and without raising an alarm as his body was lowered carefully down.
One hand signal had the two teams of three splitting up, as previously planned in their meticulous briefing earlier. One mission, two teams. Two objectives.
Once past the outer perimeter, the first team split off, heading north. The second and younger team watched them and looked down into the small, hidden valley. Here, they'd wait for the first team to get into position.
Energy thrummed through the three, the dim light playing off their headband protectors marking them as Suna ninja. The two males stood nearly a head and a half taller than the shorter kunoichi as they all tripled checked their weaponry for this mission.
"Your tags ready?" The young man was taller than he'd been two years ago, the hair longer, and his bare chest covered in not only weapons but a silver streaming tattoo with no beginning and no end. He'd also bulked up through the chest and shoulders some more, strength radiating off of him.
The kunoichi frowned, the top half of her face hidden beneath two masks, one made of the skull of a mountain lion. "Worry about yourself."
A dry chuckle from the third member of their team had both frowns turn towards him. Blue spiked hair with deep green tips was only one of the changes. In the past two years he'd gotten some growth spurts, now he was half an inch taller than their team leader though he was also more slender with not quite as broad shoulders. "He just wants this mission done, has a date lined up for when we get back."
"So do you." Michi hissed over at Rokuro.
"Focus." Hanabi hissed, then stilled. "The replacement guard is arriving early. He's leaving the barracks and heading this way." She said, using her family bloodline limit, the Byakugan.
Hand signals replaced words as the three melted into the area, unseen and waiting.
o.O.o.O.o.O
The door to the office stood closed while the leader of the Hyuuga clan held conference with a faction of visiting trade dignitaries.
Asobu the cat stalked up to the closed door and sniffed, then turned his back toward the office and instead headed for the library. He blinked his gold-green cat eyes at the man sitting there, staring intently at the office door across the hallway. Veins bulged around his white-eyed gaze as he focused intently on the meeting that he was not a part of. The cat yawned and turned away, looking for something more exciting.
Hinata stopped at the door to the library and looked in, she smiled softly. "For shame." She chided and let go of the two chubby hands she'd been holding.
"Jiji-san!" Both Ryusei and Nowaki scrambled to be the first to tackle their beloved ojiisan.
Their grandfather smiled and disengaged the Byakugan as he scooped up the two wriggling packages of two-year old energy.
"Spying on Neji, father? You relinquished control of the clan to him, and you taught him. Trust him." Hinata watched her twin boys pull and tug on Hiashi in a way she had never done as a child. They held no awe or fear of him at all. "Sometimes I wonder if they're really mine."
Hiashi caught her whisper and gave her a smile that had softened over the past two years, but only where family could see. He patted both boys on the back as he settled back in his own seat. Ryusei bounced a bit hard, drawing an 'oof' from the former Hyuuga-clan leader and current Konoha council member.
"No hurt jiji-san!" Nowaki scolded his younger twin brother, who only grinned back, his baby teeth clearly visible.
"I'm not hurt." Hiashi sighed happily and ran his hand over Nowaki's head. "And you need a hair cut." The boy slapped his hands over his ears and giggled as he shook his head. On the other side, Ryusei mirrored him as both boys began to bounce.
"Snacks?" Aki, the head housekeeper, appeared at the door with a tray laden with goodies.
Both boys grinned and slid from their grandfather's lap, laughing and running with up stretched hands. Hiashi sighed dramatically. "Rescued by cookies, how humbling."
Hiashi watched the duo clamoring for their favorite snacks with a smile as Hinata rescued the pot of tea from Aki along with a cup. She poured for her father and offered him the tea.
Blinking over at his eldest, Hiashi's smile faded into his usual stoic expression. "No."
Hinata's smile faded as she looked down, then made her self look back up to meet his eyes. No longer was she the shy child unable to stand up for herself. "You don't know what I ..."
"I'm on the elder council. I know that a medic is heading to Suna to train in exotic fevers while one of theirs is heading here to study something-ology."
"Oncology." Hinata whispered. "And I ..."
"Have not finished your training." Hiashi frowned. "You are not a full medic yet, though the Hokage speaks well of your progress. But the surgery specialty you are working towards takes longer than being a mere field medic."
"You are on the council, your words ..."
Hiashi shook his head sternly. "The rest of the council would wonder why I was sending a surgical trainee to learn what is outside of her area of study. Especially since there are several far more qualified for this trip."
"My qualifications ..." Hinata tried again, her voice still soft but with a hint of deep-seated resolve.
"Are not for this exchange, the decision ...."
"Stop interrupting me!" Hinata's voice didn't rise, but the mere fact that she'd cut him off had Hiashi's eyes narrowing on his eldest and usually most pliable child. "I am an excellent medic. And sending a surgical trainee would not be overly suspicious, especially as those outside of this family and the hospital don't even know my qualifications. We're ninja. We know how to keep secrets."
"The council knows ..." Hiashi started brusquely.
"It can be explained that this is an area that I need further training in ...it can be explained!"
Hiashi watched quietly, letting her finish and stare at him pleadingly. "Are you quite done yet?"
Hinata blushed, but firmed her chin and nodded briefly, refusing to drop her eyes in deference.
Sighing, Hiashi took a deep breath. "You are not going to be part of the medical exchange." He held up one finger as Hinata opened her mouth. "Do not stretch my patience further by interrupting again. Now. That doesn't mean that you can't travel to Suna."
Hinata's mouth dropped and then she pulled back, whispering. "You've nixed every attempt I've made to go there. And had the Hokage block Kankuro from visiting as well!"
Hiashi shook his head. "You give me too much credit. The Hokage had her own reasons for keeping your husband away from Suna, though I admit I had some input into that. But two years have passed."
The purple-haired kunoichi swallowed nervously and waited for her father to finish.
"Two years." Hiashi's voice trailed off as he looked over at the bouncing two-year old twins. "You don't think I miss her too?"
"It wasn't supposed to take this long." Hinata hesitated briefly and then reached out to touch her father's forearm lightly, a bit surprised he allowed the touch.
"No, no it wasn't. But ...there are forces outside of Konoha and outside of our control that I can not share with you. Forces I wasn't even aware of before becoming part of the elder council of the village." Hiashi looked down at Hinata's hand and then frowned when she pulled back from him. What had he missed with his eldest child by being stern? He'd tried to mold her into someone she could never be, and it was only now that he had a new child, two really, and grandchildren that he was getting a glimpse of the mistakes he'd made as a young father.
"Father?" Hinata prodded gently as he fell into silence.
"Yes." Hiashi stirred and moved away from any thought of regret, what was done was done. "Two years have passed. No one will think it odd for you and Kankuro to visit Suna now. He does have family there."
Hinata caught her breath. "Do you ...no, of course you mean it. You always mean what you say."
Hiashi grunted. Then his hand snaked out and caught hers. "The boys stay here."
Her lips firming, Hinata glanced over at where her twin boys were now seated on a small couch, their little legs drawn up under them as they ate their cookies. They were covered in crumbs and she suspected that their fingers would be sticky as well. "More assassins?"
"Not to my knowledge." Hiashi said in a low voice as he too looked over at his grandsons. "But I will not put them in danger. You can go or not, that is your choice. The boys will stay here."
Hinata thought about it and then nodded reluctantly. She too would never put Ryusei and Nowaki in danger. "When does the Hyuuga council call for them?" She asked hesitantly, bringing up another touchy subject, her voice a bit strained.
Hiashi frowned, worry entering his own pale-eyed gaze. "Soon." He said ominously.
But before Hinata could respond, there was a streak of fur, an angry feline yowl and two year old Jishin came screaming into the library. "Give back! Give back! Kitty give back!"
The cat, Asobu and the toddler chasing him circled Hiashi twice before the Hyuuga managed to grab his teary-eyed child. Jishin squirmed and kicked and even managed to land a pudgy fist under his nose before she slid from his grasp, her shirt nearly coming off before he let go.
Asobu jumped up between the twin toddlers on the couch, then hissed as Jishin came after him again. "Give back! Bad kitty! Bad kitty!"
Both Nowaki and Ryusei jumped up to help their aunt chase the cat as the feline took off again. The frenzied cat streaked out the door just as Anko stepped in front of the entranceway and scooped up her daughter with a frown. Jishin let out a piercing screech of rage and tried to squirm free, but her mother wasn't letting go. Ryusei and Nowaki started babbling and trying to get by Anko as their little voices escalated.
"STOP!" Anko raised her voice and all fell silent.
Hinata sighed and watched, knowing too well that the tactic wouldn't work.
Jishin took a deep breath and stared at her mother in defiance. The silence ended two seconds later as she bent her back into an arch and screamed at the top of her impressive two-year old lungs. Ryusei and Nowaki covered their ears and giggled, then joined in the cacophony. At the top of their equally as impressive lungs.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Hiashi stood, raising his voice and looking terribly stern. Hinata nodded as her two boys quieted and hiccuped as they looked at their beloved jiji-san. Even as a two-year old she knew instinctively that she'd never yelled or thrown a fit around her father.
Jishin though stared at her father and caught her breath, her baby lips trembling. Big fat tears rolled down her baby soft cheeks as she reached out for him with both arms. "Papa!"
Hinata swallowed her chuckle. That had to be Anko's blood in the little girl. She would never have dared tried to get her stern father to hold her, and she never would have sniffled all over him. Hinata winced and handed her father a tissue as he sighed.
"Now. What is going on?" Hiashi demanded as his daughter buried her little face in his shoulder.
Anko sighed and ran her hand through her spiky hair. "Her nannies managed to hide all her pacifiers, but she still had one on her."
Hiashi grunted, frowning. "I thought we were trying to break her of that habit."
"We?" Anko objected, sneering as she crossed her arms. "Next time you do it if you want them gone so badly."
"Just tell me what happened." Hiashi said, ignoring the jibe.
Anko grinned and shook her head. "I asked Jishin to show the cat her pacifier. She popped it right out and handed it to me to show Asobu. When she wasn't looking I tucked it away. When she turned back I told her the cat had eaten her pacifier."
Hiashi groaned and closed his eyes. "And now she wants the cat to give it back?"
"She's been chasing him everywhere."
"Oh the poor cat." Hinata smiled and shook her head.
Hiashi thought about it a long moment and weighed every thing carefully. He then bent down and put Jishin on the ground. He looked at her most seriously. "Go get it back."
The toddler grinned mischievously as her father used his Byakugan. "He's back in the hall between the dining room and kitchen."
Jishin took off like a streak, her two young nephews following right behind her all three of them screaming and giggling like banshees.
Hinata sighed. "Now why did you do that? You had her all quiet. We could have distracted her from the pacifier and that would have been the end of it all."
Hiashi just watched the toddlers as they ran down the hallway, his expression carefully neutral.
Anko sighed and threw up her hands in disgust. "It's the cat. He did it to torture the cat."
Hinata looked surprised and a bit confused. "The cat? But she'll try and catch poor Asobu looking for her pacifier. The cat will get no peace."
The corners of Hiashi's lips tilted upward ever so slightly.
o.O.o.O.o.O
Rinako sat at the table as Shizune poked and prodded her hand, running her through a series of movements and such. Finally Shizune nodded and sat back.
"Well?" Rinako looked at the healer anxiously.
"You're progressing well." Shizune packed up some equipment quietly. "Nothing to worry about."
The former-cloud ninja frowned sharply. "But the finger was tingling!"
The Hokage's assistant sighed and shrugged. "And you've been working so hard I'm surprised none of your fingers have fallen off just to get away from you. A bit of tingling? Could be just about anything, more than likely some swelling pressing on the nerve slightly. The last surgery was almost a year ago, this is not connected and your hand is healing far better than first anticipated."
Rinako looked down at her right hand in worry.
"And haven't you been learning one-handed seals?" Shizune asked. "Genma says you're quite efficient with them."
"It's not the same." Rinako said defensively, frowning as she thought of the jounin who stood as Lee's replacement when the green-clad ninja was needed for other missions. Genma, Lee, Kotestu, and Izumo. Oh, and TenTen of course. Rinako's frown deepened. Other than the Hokage and Shizune, these were the only people she'd seen in two years. Oh, a few ANBU dropped by with questions from time to time, but none conversed with her and she was clueless as to who they really were what with the masks and all.
"Will Lee be back soon?" She asked, trying hard to sound casual.
Shizune's eyes sharpened on her though. "Why?"
Rinako shrugged as if the question wasn't as important to her as it truly was. "Genma grumbles about running around the lake." She lied, though the senbon sporting jounin never seemed happy about accompanying her on her training runs. He'd never actually voiced an opinion on the matter.
"Hmmm." Shizune said noncommittally, then shrugged. "I don't know when the guard rotation will change again." She temporized, though how the information of when Lee and TenTen would return from their mission would benefit Rinako she wasn't sure. Still, the ninja way of life was to keep things secret, even when it seemed harmless enough. "Well, I'll be back next month, but send for me if the finger keeps tingling. I'm leaving some herbs that will reduce muscular swelling, I have a feeling that is the root of this."
Rinako thanked Shizune and escorted her to the door where Genma was waiting with Izumo. Some small talk and then the goodbyes. Shizune chuckled to herself as Izumo challenged Rinako to a game of cards. Lazy bum was probably just trying to get out of working out with the dog-ninja. The former Cloud kunoichi seemed determined to spend all her time training. Kind of reminded her of Rock Lee.
Shizune's step hitched just slightly, then she continued as an odd thought occurred to her. Rinako had asked about Lee, and only Lee. Perhaps she was asking out of a personal desire to see him again? Specifically him? Hmmm. Maybe she needed to have a chat with TenTen and Lee when they got back from their latest mission.
o.O.o.O.o.O
Noon was in high zenith as the three ninja climbed up out of the valley, they all turned to look back down at the compound they'd just left. Michi patted his pouch where the purloined scrolls were secreted. Now for the end game.
Turning he looked at both Rocks and Hanabi. He nodded toward a guard post they'd left alone earlier when they'd made their approach.
They needed to sneak back toward the compound. And to do it poorly. Hanabi grinned as the three of them deliberately made slight noises as they approached their enemy. And yes, they were now trying to get caught.
Nothing.
Michi frowned. He reached over to a tree and broke off a twig with a snap.
Nothing.
Rocks sighed. What kind of fucking guards were these? What did they have to do? Knock on the stupid door?
Suddenly Hanabi stiffened as she whirled around, leaping away as she signaled to her teammates. Both boys made it to the trees as the ground they'd been standing on just seconds before liquefied and five Earth shinobi rose up out of the morass. Quick as a snake strike, the trio found themselves in trouble.
Rocks startled as he jumped from his perch to avoid being scorched by a fire jutsu. Michi landed next to him a second later as the tree limb he'd been standing on disintegrated. Hanabi stood still in the trees, the man behind her holding a ninja-arts blow gun.
"Move slowly, that's a poisonous dart in the weapon. And you won't live long enough to get medical care." One of the ninja on the ground called up to her. "So dangerous."
"Yes it is." Hanabi said calmly and then smiled as her fingers flew and she leaped down to join her teammates. The man in the trees grunted and neatly killed the poisonous snake she'd just substituted for his weapon. He growled wondering what had happened to his blow gun and glad he hadn't screamed like a little girl when he'd suddenly found himself holding a coral snake.
"Did it bite you?" Smirked one of the other shinobi as they circled around the trio from Suna. His voice sounded less than impressed with the move. "Caught by a chuunin trick."
"Team Hyakunan." A portly man came out of the guard post, blowing smoke rings as he smoked his cigar. "What took you so long?"
o.O.o.O.o.O
"Two fucking years! The waiting is killing me! No, you idiots are killing me!" The man with the sunglasses and the bull's horn tattoo on his left cheek snarled. "Sweet is revenge and blood! Why do we wait? Those idiots should be crying a flood!"
Samui blinked haplessly as Tsume sighed.
Naruto scratched his head and looked at Kiba. "Revenge and blood?"
Omoi popped out the sucker in his mouth and shrugged as he pointed out what was obvious to him at least. "The word 'blood' is easier to rhyme with than the word 'revenge'."
Sakura stepped up to the Jinchuuriki. "It took six months of talks to convince your students that the Leaf village wasn't trying to pull a coup."
"Slow!" Killer Bee turned on Samui and her team. "Everyone is an idiot! Allies we must find a way to trust. If we don't ..." He growled.
Naruto looked up helpfully. "Must rhymes with trust. How about ....Making friends with our allies is a must!"
Karui groaned and dropped her head into her hands. "Don't tell me there are two of them!"
"Allies we must find a way to trust. Can't be no two ways or we'll fails. Don't be flaky like a pie crust, we need to let loose our collective tails!" Kirabi thumped his chest triumphantly then looked at Naruto. "You have a lot to learn about rapping, kid."
Kakashi closed his one visible eye and shuddered as Tsume mouthed the word 'fails' to Samui, who ignored her.
Karui slapped her hand down on the table. "Sure we were slow, but you took a two year vacation, then it took three huge fights and a destroyed forest before you'd even TALK with Naruto! Nearly tore everyone limb from limb when you heard about your brother. In fact, I think the locals say that the land was destroyed and won't grow anything for at least two seasons! And all of that once they caught up to you, because YOU thought it would be funny to lead them on a wild goose chase!"
Tsume nodded and rushed the conversation forward. "Then another few months as you both verified everything we'd told you."
Omoi shrugged. "Can't take the word of Leaf too cautiously. We still remember how the Uchiha attacked Kirabi."
Killer Bee stopped and sighed. "Best damned fight I'd had in a long while. Until you kid." He and Naruto shared a smile as Sakura rolled her eyes in female exasperation.
"Fine." Kakashi stepped forward. "Two years. We're here, we're together and we're working hard to find all the remaining Cloud ninja who are not aligned with the upstart Raikage."
Killer Bee scowled at the mention of the man who'd killed his brother, the former Raikage. "How many do we have now?"
"Not enough." Karui sighed. "About fifty."
"More than enough!" Killer Bee growled and pumped his fist. "I could do it alone! I am up to snuff and victory is already won!"
Kiba shuddered as he wondered in what universe 'alone' rhymed even remotely with 'won'. This man was the worst rapper he'd ever heard.
Samui stood and all eyes turned to her. Kakashi's paused at her impressive cleavage before finally traveling up to her face though. "It's not a question of attack power. We have that and more. It's a question of whether we want the village standing when we're done."
Killer Bee pouted and Naruto nodded sagely.
Sakura deliberately stepped on Kakashi's foot as Samui continued.
"We want to destroy the Village Hidden in the Clouds? We can do it. We want to save the village and do some pest control? Harder to manage."
"Humph." Naruto grinned. "Pest control. Hah!"
Sakura poked Naruto in the back to get him to shut up. The hyperactive blond settled down a bit and shot her a cheesy grin.
"The upstart dies." Killer Bee said bluntly and with dark intent. "No question about it."
"No rhyme either." Muttered Kakashi under his breath.
Kirabi turned to glare at the copy ninja, who held up his hands in mock surrender. "No question, the man dies." Kakashi assured the jinchuuriki of the eight-tailed demon beast.
Samui coughed to gain attention, which only drew Kakashi's eyes back to her impressive chest. Sakura stepped on his foot once more as the Cloud ninja spoke up again.
"We can not advance head on until we have the Daimyo Lord free and clear. We can not afford to lose him." Samui told them bluntly. "He dies? If he dies, not only do we lose the whole of Kumogakure, but possibly the entirety of the Land of Lightning will sink into a bloody civil war."
"Something everyone wants to avoid." Tsume growled. "I've told you before, if you have something of the Daimyo Lord's that holds his scent ...Kiba and I can find his location. The problem, as we all know too well is that he is well hidden and possibly moved often. We just don't know."
Omoi shook his head, moving his sucker from one side of his mouth to the other. "Leaf is support on this, not active. You come into the mission on any active level and this declines into the starting gambit of another Great Ninja War."
Kiba leaned forward. "All we would do is find the man. All active portions of the mission would belong to you and yours."
"Cutting it too close to the bone." Samui protested without heat. "You get caught or recognized out there and Konoha's part in this becomes far too obvious. Earth will step in due to the damned treaties and then everyone will be choosing up sides. It wouldn't be too bad if we were only acting against the village and the Raikage. But to bring in the fate of the head o f the Daimyo Lords? No. This has to be handled by one of our own."
"But you don't have a dog-ninja or anyone capable of following a scent trail in your ragtag collection of shinobi willing to support your side of this!" Kiba growled in frustration.
Naruto looked up, his mind racing.
"Ragtag?" Karui sputtered, glaring daggers at the Inuzuka male.
Naruto stood up, looking indecisive and torn. "I think we need a break. I think we need a break right NOW!"
Every eye turned to the blond and he grinned cheesily at them, rocking back and forth on his heels trying to look completely innocent.
Sakura eyed him speculatively as Kakashi caught on to the fact that their blond teammate had something he was wanting to share with them in private. He nodded. "Yes, a break would be just the thing!"
o.O.o.O.o.O
Baki rummaged through the myriad of invitations, grumbling under his breath. "How many of these fucking things are there?"
Gaara shrugged. "I don't care, my secretaries go through them. That pile has only invitations they feel are appropriate."
"You mean there were more?" Baki sounded appalled, then shrugged in resignation. "Oh well, I'll just have to vet them all."
The Kazekage finished his letter, then was reaching for another set of scrolls when his hand hesitated. He turned to look at Baki, giving his councilor and former sensei his full attention for the first time that morning. "Why? This isn't your job. And I accept very few of those."
The wind master nodded, leafing through all the social invites. "I know, you need to socialize more."
"Why?" Came the blank-faced response.
"You need a wife." Baki stopped and pulled out three invitations. "And I don't mean Kaji." He said, referring to Hanabi by the name she used while living in Suna.
"No." Gaara glowered, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
Baki paused, knowing that look of stubbornness. Like the wind, he changed direction. "Or at least you need to go out more socially so you'll know how to act when you do start courting. No matter who you choose."
Gaara's quick denial died in his throat as he considered it a moment.
Baki pressed his advantage. "You've never been on a date. Not a real one. You don't want to be uncomfortable, you will need to know how to get on."
"You just want to divert me from Kaji." Gaara said quietly, eying his councilor carefully. "Put other options in my path."
"True." Baki conceded the point. "But ...the truth is you still need to learn how to speak to a female alone. And I don't mean trade or mission negotiations."
"Kaji and I will learn together." Gaara said coldly.
"She already knows. Daughter and former heiress that she is, I'm sure she's quite comfortable in this area." Baki paused and thrust the verbal blade deep. "You don't want to look the fool, or bumpkin in front of her ...do you?"
The sound of sand swirled within Gaara's nearby gourd as his temper rose. Baki eyed his former student and wondered if he'd pushed hard enough ...or too hard?
o.O.o.O.o.O
"Team Hyakunan?" Rocks pouted as he kicked the downed man in the ribs. "I hate that name, makes u sound like children. Team 'All kinds of trouble?' We're all chuunin now."
Michi smirked at the portly man who was looking a little less confident now that all his guards had been downed or flat out killed. "Some of us have been chuunin longer than the others."
"Rub that in one more time and I'll substitute your heart right out of your chest." Hanabi threatened, making the portly boss of the area swallow hard not knowing it was a bluff and she really couldn't do that. "Tei and I passed the second go-round."
"I liked Team Catastrophe or Cataclysm. Maybe even Destruction." Michi sighed. "Even had half of Suna calling us Team Toukan for three months. Team 'bitter cold'? I liked it!"
"Team Kousei had a nice ring to it." Rocks said as the three surrounded the portly chief criminal they'd been sent after. "But no, Mizu shot that one down saying 'rebirth' was too literal."
Michi sighed and uncorked his water container strapped across his back, letting his water-ribbon weapons circle out around him. "It was."
"I liked Team Shibito." Hanabi grinned chillingly. The boss criminal's round face froze and whitened as he stared at the smallest of the three ninja, his lips not quite steady.
Rocks chuckled dryly.
A deep voice from behind them laughed and all three spun. Hanabi was looking around frantically wondering how the HELL anyone had snuck up on them while she was using the Byakugan?! "Team Corpse? Seriously? No little girl, I don't buy 'Team Shibito'. You just made that up to frighten our boss."
There was no one there. Michi cut his eyes to Hanabi who was still searching for the source of that deep voice. Wait. She pointed. "He's in the rock there, or is the rock, or something ..." She could barely make out the suppressed nature of the man's chakra.
"Ah! Well done." The large rock in question became fuzzy and then in a cloud of smoke disappeared as a lone ninja stepped out of it. He grinned at them, letting them see the distinctive facial tattoo he was sporting.
Michi drew up sharply. He knew that tattoo, it was on a shinobi for hire in the BINGO book. An 'S' class criminal and a former Earth Country master jounin.
The portly man behind them raised a shaky hand toward the shinobi. "What took you so long, Yurasu? I hired you to protect me!"
The man shrugged and licked his lips as he stared at the three chuunin before him, then up at the criminal who'd hired him. "You're still alive, shut the fuck up. You're not nearly as interesting as the many-named team over here."
"They were getting ready to sneak into my compound!" The stout, cigar-smoking man protested again.
"About to do so? Oh no." Yurasu smiled evilly. "They already did. I'll bet they have the scrolls hidden on them even now. No. It looks like the plan was to escape clean and then get caught sneaking in so it appears they never got to their target in the first place. Oh, and then they'd get away making it look like a failed mission. Leaving behind fake scrolls. Was that it little team of 'all kinds of trouble'?"
Michi's face was stoic as he sighed. "I hate that name. Your boyfriend did us no favor by sticking us with that name." He cut his eyes toward the lone kunoichi.
Hanabi scowled. "He is NOT my boyfriend!" She then looked straight at Yurasu. "Fake scrolls? No. Nothing like that."
Yurasu's face brightened. "You're going to destroy the compound? Make it look like the scrolls went with it? How fascinating! How?"
"How?" Michi chuckled. "One word."
"Oh?" The 'S' class missing-nin looked intrigued. "Tell me baby chuunin."
Michi pointed at Hanabi. The kunoichi smiled and said simply, "Boom."
At her word, the entire valley seemed to explode inward in a series of explosions that made the very ground they stood on shake.
The boss cried out and whimpered as wind whipped around his sparse hair and he fell to his knees in shock. On the other hand, Yurasu stood his ground and let the wind of the blast whip around him as he eyed the three chuunin in front of him. Not one piece of their clothing even rippled with the blast wave as Rock's air cushion surrounded them.
Yurasu smiled and cracked his knuckles. "I thought this would be plain murder. Me? Against three lowly chuunin? Seems you're willing to make a fight out of it. Those charges aren't chuunin level, no something like that is destruction specialty jounin all the way. Beautiful!" With that, he fell into a fighting stance.
Hanabi grinned and Rocks sighed. "Don't let it go to your head, Kaji. You're still only a chuunin. Besides, your mask will break if your head gets too big."
o.O.o.O.o.O
"Time is up." Sai rose from his perch and stretched.
Shiho didn't even bother to look up, so intent on what she was doing that she didn't even notice his words.
"Nezumi? The Rock Village code-breaker will be here soon, we need to leave the library." Sai tried again, speaking louder this time as he used her nickname.
Shiho didn't even hear him.
Sai stared at her a long moment, then whispered. "There's a water leak over the scroll bookcase."
Shiho leaped up and spun, looking around frantically. "What? Water leak? What?!"
"Time to go." Sai held open the library door, his alert eyes marking the corridor making sure it was clear. Though he was sure that the other villages had their ways of spying on them. Just as he was sure that, in turn, his side was spying on the other villages as well.
"No water leak?" Shiho sighed, her heart still racing as she gathered her materials meticulously.
"No."
"You're evil." The code-breaker said without rancor, sighing as she headed for the door.
o.O.o.O.o.O
Sakura turned and glared at her two teammates. "What the hell was that about? Why do we need a break?"
"Dog-ninja. We need a Cloud Village dog-ninja!" Naruto smiled tentatively. "You were temporarily Hokage around two years ago. There is a Cloud dog-ninja we could use. You do know about that ...right?"
Kakashi looked at his blond former-student, his expression closed and hidden. "What do you know?"
Sakura frowned, thinking hard, but then shook her head. "No we can't, she died! She died after killing three of our own people!"
Naruto sucked in his cheeks and let his eyes slide away from those of his girlfriend.
"Didn't she?" Sakura caught her breath harshly. "But if she isn't dead, then...she's a prisoner? They caught her and are holding her in prison? Why hide that? No, never mind ....Lady Tsunade probably has her reasons. All political. And to keep the Hyuuga family from tearing the bitch limb from limb."
Kakashi shook his head. "We can't possibly trust her. She killed ...." He paused as Naruto grimaced and shrugged, blushing. "She didn't kill ...?"
Sakura's mind was racing. "All those joint missions with you and Lee? You never brought them up, I just thought they ...and YOU managed to keep it a secret? From me?" She whistled, more than a little impressed.
"I still haven't brought those missions up. Not exactly ..." Naruto said. "But we MAY have access to a dog-ninja that Killer Bee can't object to. If she's well enough by now."
Sakura frowned sharply. "What about Hinata's little sister and her team? Who killed them if the Cloud kunoichi didn't?"
Naruto shrugged and shook his head, unable to answer due to promises he'd made to Granny Tsunade.
The copy-nin eyed his former student and then sighed. "Fine. Keep your secrets a bit longer. I'll find you a message bird." Kakashi mused, wondering how deep the game was being played. And were the genin team really dead? And if not ...Kakashi stopped and shook his head. Secrets upon secrets, that was the shinobi way. "I'll go find Samui ..."
"Like hell!"
The copy ninja stood while brushing off his pants, then jerked to the side defensively as Sakura's fist headed his way. Her punch hit the wall and a big hole appeared where Kakashi's head had been but a moment before.
"I'll need a message bird too!" The pink-haired kunoichi hissed, as she drew her fist back to strike again. "To tell my mother what a colossal jerk you are! Staring at Samui's chest like that! Pervert! Looking for Samui? Like we can't guess why you're not asking Omoi for a message bird!"
Naruto sighed and went to the door, opening it to ask Karui for some paper and a pen. The Cloud kunoichi looked in the room and raised a brow at Kakashi and Sakura fighting. She looked back at Naruto who shrugged. "He's dating her mother."
"Oh." She said as Omoi and Samui came up to join her, also curious.
"Now Sakura! Cherry Blossom!"
The pink-haired kunoichi gritted her teeth, snarling. "Don't 'cherry blossom' me you pervert! I saw where your eyes were glued on Samui, and it wasn't her face!"
"I was just making sure she wasn't using some sort of anti-gravity jutsu!" Kakashi defended himself with a chuckle as he escaped yet another blow, this one cracking the chair he'd grabbed to fend her off with. "Her breasts are awfully perky for their size."
Omoi stiffened and turned to stare at his team leader, eyeing her cleavage speculatively. "Anti-gravity?" His voice made it sound like he was now wondering about it too. "They are awfully perky, now that you mention it."
Karui growled and slapped Omoi sharply on the shoulder, but he didn't even budge. So she did it again.
"I'll also need a message bird." Naruto asked. Samui nodded though her two teammates were still squabbling, as were Sakura and Kakashi.
Samui looked inside as Sakura's fist actually caught Kakashi's hand against the wall as he dodged, but not quite quickly enough. The wall gave way, as did the hand. She winced as there was a loud crack. "I think he just got his finger broken."
"She'll heal it." Naruto sighed. "Either he's getting slow or she's getting faster."
"I am not slow!" Kakashi protested as he cradled his broken pinky, his visible eye rounded.
"No! You're a pervert!" Sakura challenged and grabbed his hand. "And stop getting Naruto to write the next Icha Icha novel!"
Sakura finished the small healing job of the cracked pinky finger, blushing that she'd actually lost control enough to strike Kakashi for real.
Omoi whipped around, forgetting Karui completely. "There's a new Icha Icha novel?" He asked, his eyes bugging out with hope and fervor.
Kakashi pointed at Naruto. "The original author is gone from us, but his apprentice is right there. He's already written one book in the series."
Sakura's blush disappeared as she sighed and watched with horror as Omoi dropped to his knees in front of Naruto, capturing his hand. "We need a new Icha Icha novel!"
Karui and Sakura both groaned as Samui stared with a blank expression. "I'll go get the message bird ready." She said, ignoring all the idiots behind her.
o.O.o.O.o.O
Sorry for the delay, the chapter was ready on Sunday. But FF net wasn't ....couldn't access the log-in part of the site to up-load until today. Hope you enjoyed the start of my own little shippuden! Two years have passed since the last chapter. :D
As usual, reviews would be appreciated!