A/N: …It's been way too long. Forgive me, please… ;;; I could've posted Sunday when I got back from the con, but I was too busy squeeing over the Bakura cosplayer I hugged THREE TIMES (I hugged Gaara once, too :D), then looking at pictures of Bakura while I pretended to write an English essay. Then, the next day, I spent a while watching episodes with Bakura in them while drawing him on my homework, and last night, I spent more time watching him while avoiding other homework. (Yes, I do this on a regular basis. Can someone please tell me why I'm a still a straight-A student?)

Anyway, now I've finally remembered to post this while I'm actually on a computer, instead of, say, downstairs eating dinner. o.O

As you might have noticed, chapters will be coming less often now. I'll probably explain why around 40 or so… D: (This mysterious chapter 40… oooh…)

-o-

I awoke to someone's face right above mine and instinctively sat up, which was a little bit difficult with a stranger in my personal bubble. Or, actually, not a stranger, as I saw after I'd refrained from swearing into her personal bubble.

"Shihai-san!"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you're supposed to be working." She straightened up, grinning, and I couldn't miss the way her eyes slid toward the sleeping Abura. Who was probably actually awake now, thanks to me shouting Shihai's name.

Somehow, I didn't feel too sorry for him.

I nudged the "sleeping" pyro with my foot, which was unnecessary, I suppose, but amusing. "Someone's here to see you."

"Actually, believe it or not, I'm not. Well, I am, but not just him. Not him in particular. Specifically. Whatever."

"Cheh. So you woke me up for nothing." Abura scowled.

"You weren't asleep," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Cheh."

"Actually," Shihai said again, "your sensei sent me with a message, since I wasn't busy at the time she spotted me and I guess she was. She said, 'Get a move on.' I couldn't figure out why 'til I found y'all sleeping here like a bunch of Naras. She must've known." The medic-in-training grinned.

"I'm sure she did," I muttered. "If you see her, tell her we're working on it, please?"

"We aaaaaaare?" Eiri mumbled, sitting up and groggily rubbing his eyes. "Iiiiii thought we were sleeeeeeping."

"That's what it looked like to me, too," Shihai grinned.

"Looks can be deceiving," I said wisely. "Just look at Abura-kun."

"Cheh." He seemed unoffended, so I elaborated.

"He looks so cool, with his oh-so-apathetic demeanor and his… swoosh hair… but on the inside…" I shook my head despairingly. Eiri snickered, and Shihai attempted to keep in her laughter.

"Well, Shihai-san," I said, picking up a strip of wood as if I knew what to do with it, "it is, in fact, time to get back to work. So long!"

She waved cheerily and disappeared; as soon as she was gone, I dropped the piece of wood and was surprised that Abura didn't torch it before it hit the roof. Maybe he didn't want to set the whole building on fire. "That settles it. If this building hasn't been fixed in the three months since it was destroyed, it can wait a little longer. You heard Chie-sensei."

"No, I heard Shihai-san."

"Shut up, Abura-kun. Eiri-kun, go keep Isane-chan busy."

"What should I dooooooooo?"

"I dunno. Whatever you normally do with her. Take her on a date. That'd make her happy."

"Cheh, she'd probably strangle him with joy."

"Hm, probably." I frowned. "That might not the best idea… Find something else to do."

"Actually, I say we risk it."

"You do?"

"Cheh."

"…I suppose that's a good enough yes. Eiri-kun, go take Isane-chan on a date."

He paled visibly. "Whaaaaaaaat?"

"You heard me." I turned away, hiding a grin. "Go on. Get. I have work to do."

"Ehhhhh…" He leapt away, probably with far more reluctance than he really felt. I snickered. Abura rolled his eyes.

"Cheh. So what should I do?"

"Eh. Go light something on fire," I cackled, and disappeared.

-o-

I wasn't too sure what I was looking for—mission orders, maybe, if they were careless enough to leave them laying around—but it was easy enough to find the place where Isane and her squad were staying, and equally easy to get inside.

Or, well, so I thought. I'd forgotten that Isane was a trapmaster.

I struggled with the ropes that had been hidden up until just a moment ago as they crawled up my legs, twisting about the firmly. It was my sincerest hope that they weren't somehow rigged to alert someone of their distant triggering—although, knowing Isane, they might well have been. Finally, I managed to cut myself free and stagger through the door, where I was immediately engulfed in another wave of ropes.

This was stupid. Seriously, I knew better. Isane may have been my friend, but she still didn't want me snooping through her stuff—and it didn't mean she wasn't going to set traps. I mean, even if Eiri had been the one going through her things—I couldn't help but snicker at the thought—she still wasn't going to leave it undefended if she didn't know Eiri was going to be there.

Okay, back to the problem at hand. I was decidedly trapped this time, as was intended. I couldn't even reach a kunai to cut away the ropes.

The first priority was the mission. I bled chakra into the shadows that lingered throughout the room and began searching what I could see of Isane's belongings—and the other person's, who I assumed must be her sensei, as the Inukas' stuff was in the adjoining room. I was slipping farther and farther down, trying to reach into their bags and see through the gloom, when I suddenly fell over.

Instinctively, I leapt to my feet—and was surprised to find that I could.

Startled, I looked around frantically, wondering if I'd been released because Isane'd shown up and found me. Luckily, lying my way out of this situation wouldn't be too hard; my mind was already forming the words.

But Isane wasn't there.

I looked down at my hands and swallowed hard. They weren't the normal color; instead, they were a deep grey, which was quickly lightening. It wasn't long before I looked perfectly fine again.

Had I just done what I'd thought I'd done?

Apparently, I really could meld with the shadows now.

Well. That made life interesting.

I conducted a hurried search through the bags, looking for indication of whatever, and moved on to the Inuka twins' without much success. Really, I still didn't know what I was looking for. It would only be luck if I found something; I was obviously going to have to think this out better. Like maybe actually tailing Isane. Or her sensei. Or something.

Footsteps sounded outside the door and I made a split-second decision, dashing back into Isane's room and bouncing onto her bed. She popped in, smiling, and her expression turned to one of startled pleasure. I hopped back off the bed.

"Kori-chan!"

"Isane-chan!" I responded in kind. "I just got here a minute ago, I wanted to talk to you!" Something struck me; I frowned. "Didn't Eiri-kun ever find you?"

She giggled. "Yep. But I had to come get you, as soon as I picked something up from here. Your swoosh-haired teammate seems to have set something on fire."

I closed my eyes in silent horror. "How big a something?"

"Eiri-kun told me to find you," she cackled, which was definitely not an answer.

"Lead the way," I whispered, opening my eyes. She was practically doubled over in laughter.

"Oh, well, it must not be that bad, if it's so funny," I hissed, though I couldn't smother my own smile. Her giggles were infectious.

-o-

"So, how'd you get around my traps, Kori-chan?"

"Well, it wasn't easy," I said truthfully. "I got caught in the first one 'cause I wasn't paying attention. You probably saw it cut on the floor." I grinned sheepishly. "I avoided the second 'cause I knew you."

Isane smiled knowingly. "So they don't work 'gainst people I know…"

I think she was going to say something else, but I had already stopped dead, my jaw hanging open.

"Oh, Sand…"

"Your swoosh-haired teammate seems to have set something on fire," Isane repeated in a giggle, and I took off running.

"ABURA-KUN!" I bellowed, skidding down a road into the general vicinity of a burning building. Yes, you read that right. It took me a minute to realize that I had also already skidded past Abura, where he lurked in the shadows.

"That's my spot," I hissed, stalking back over to him. He was smirking with pride, and not at all deterred by my anger.

"Cheh, you told me to."

"You know very well that was a joke," I growled. "If you felt the need to give in to your pyromaniac impulses, why couldn't you light up something smaller?!"

He shrugged. "Cheh. I figured you'd want a distraction."

"Well, it didn't work; Eiri-kun sent Isane-chan after me, severely cutting short my spying."

The pyro rolled his eyes. "That boy is an idiot."

"Doesn't change what happened. What if you got caught? What if someone got hurt? Whose house did you burn down?"

"Cheh, look closer. No one was inside. And no one knows I did it."

Quivering with anger, I turned and finally recognized the building as the one we'd been 'building.' "No wonder Eiri-kun sent me," I muttered. "You destroyed all his hard work."

-o-

A/N: STALKER POWERS ENHANCED!

Ah, it's been a while since that happened. XD

…I know I have way too many reviews to reply to. I love you guys. ;;;