15 … 16 … 17 …

Yuiko sighed as the ground approached. She gave up on keeping count of the number of times she'd spun through the air. Finally, she slammed into the dirt, phasing her nose through the ground to keep it from breaking.

Don't get up. Don't get up. Just stay here forever.

Yuiko's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of clapping. She shifted her head, glaring daggers at Aoba, who sat casually against a large tree trunk at the edge of the clearing. His smile widened as she regarded him, and he picked up the tempo of his applause.

"How about you give it a try?" Yuiko spat, pushing herself up onto her arms.

"Nah, I'm good," Aoba said, putting his hands behind his head as he leaned back.

"Ah, ready for another round, Yuiko? Your passion is admirable; it sings with the excitement of youth!" Guy shouted, flashing a wide grin. He crouched slightly, the sand sliding beneath his feet as he struck a pose ready for combat.

Yuiko had returned to the lodge after her meeting with B only to find that Naruto and Yamato had disappeared somewhere into the forest for some training. It was then that she ran into Aoba and Guy, the latter of which finally seemed on his way to a full recovery from his seasickness. Guy wanted to make sure he was back to his 'full embodiment of youth,' as he'd put it, and begged Yuiko for a sparring session until she reluctantly gave in.

Yuiko was one of Guy's favorite sparring partners, even though her taijutsu was nowhere near his level. No, what Guy liked about Yuiko was the fact that she kept getting back up. She was one of the more resilient shinobi of Konoha, and certainly one of the most stubborn. Her aversion to pain was far outstripped by her aversion to defeat — well, at least for the first 14 rounds or so. After that, her commitment declined rapidly as she came to the conclusion that, once again, she was no more than a glorified punching bag when it came to Guy.

Yuiko slowly rose to her feet, every part of her body aching in dismay. She had to take the full force of everything Guy threw at her, since trying to phase only made things worse. The instant Guy noticed Yuiko phasing through an attack, he would open up the first gate of the Eight Inner Gates formation to disturb the flow of chakra throughout his body. Yuiko had ended up with a broken radius bone last time that happened, and hadn't dared to try her luck again after that.

"Hey, how about we all break for lunch?" Aoba said, getting to his feet.

Yuiko looked at him like he was an angel descended from heaven. Guy simply laughed.

"Already?" Guy shouted, shaking his head. "Aoba, you seem to be on a different level than the hot-blooded combatants who stand before you. We spent days bedridden at sea; our energetic demeanors demand that we make up for that lost time by reconditioning our muscles to their most vigorous state!"

"You were the only one bedridden, you know," Aoba said flatly. He shrugged halfheartedly. "Alright then, I'll be back at the lodge."

Yuiko lifted her arm weakly in his direction, watching as her lifeline began to leave the clearing.

"Ah, there you all are!" a voice from behind her said.

Yuiko and Aoba turned about as Motoi entered the clearing. The way he was carrying himself indicated that he was in a much more jovial mood than they had seen him before. "I came to inform you of the location Master B is training Naruto," he said.

So he really is doing it, Yuiko thought, her expression brightening.

"Good to hear," Aoba said, approaching Motoi. "They seemed to get off on the wrong foot earlier; I was a little worried."

"Naruto is an admirable child. He reminds me of Master B when he was younger," Motoi said with a nod. "Going up against that squid, I could tell that he's not as strong yet, but Master B will have him there in no time."

"Squid?" Aoba said, raising his eyebrows. "He fought the giant squid?"

"Uh," Motoi said, suddenly looking embarrassed. "Well, that part isn't really important. The important part is —"

"Wait, no," Aoba said, leaning forward. "I have so many questions."

"This is a fascinating training method I've never heard of before!" Guy said, bounding up next to Aoba. "Please elaborate! I would like to learn the method behind this squid-style fighting technique!"

Yuiko looked on thoughtfully as Motoi babbled something about Killer B fending off the giant squid again. Aoba calmly tried to get Motoi to elaborate while Guy shouted over him asking Motoi to confirm his assumptions about squid-style taijutsu.

He said B fought that squid, Yuiko thought, her eyes widening. So he really did have to go for a swim. Huh.

"Anyway!" Motoi shouted, his jovial demeanor now a thing of the past. "Naruto is at the Falls of Truth, fighting his true self!"

Guy and Aoba fell silent. Motoi sighed in relief.

"I have some questions," Aoba said flatly.

"His true self!" Guy shouted, throwing his fist into the air. "Brilliant! Who could be a greater opponent than one's own self? I can't believe Naruto is going through such harsh training! I can't ignore a young man struggling during the springtime of his youth! We must show him our support!"

"You should yell louder next time," Aoba said, rubbing his ear. "I don't think they heard you on the other side of the island."

Yuiko was at Guy's side in an instant, slapping her hand over his mouth when he inhaled sharply.

"Sorry," she said, regarding Motoi.

"It's … alright," Motoi said, wondering what Konoha's selection criteria were when it came to sending him their shinobi.

.


.

"What? Your true self appears within the waterfall?"

"That's right," Motoi said, nodding at Guy. "Naruto came face-to-face with his true self here, and defeated it."

The group stood before a roaring waterfall, regarding the small island in the center of the pond at its base. The grassy area where they stood was surrounded by a ring of trees which ended abruptly at the rock face supporting the waterfall.

"It sounds like something out of a fairy tale," Yuiko said, craning her head up to admire the rainbows shimmering within the waterfall's spray.

"It is no tale," Motoi said, picking up on her tone. "Facing one's other self has been a valuable training experience for generations of shinobi who have come to this island."

Aoba hummed in amusement. "Maybe one of us should give it a try," he said with a smirk.

"I've had enough training for today," Yuiko said mildly. She also had serious doubts about the sincerity of Motoi's statement, since she sensed nothing out of the ordinary from the falls.

"How about you, Guy?" Aoba said playfully.

"Don't be an idiot!" Guy said, a little too defensively. "We have to go and help Naruto!"

Aoba couldn't restrain himself from picking the low-hanging fruit. "It sounds like you're afraid to face your true self," he teased. "Is that it?"

"What?" Guy said, letting out a nervous laugh. "I'm not scared!"

"What about you?"

Aoba turned back to Yuiko, who was watching him passively. "Of course not," he grinned. "I was just fooling around. How about we get going, huh?"

Yuiko's eyes narrowed. "You didn't seem in a hurry before."

Aoba laughed as he waved his hand in a carefree manner. "It was just a joke! Probably nothing would happen, anyway."

"Oh ho?" Guy said, his confidence returning with the pressure now off him. He stood with his hands on his hips, fixing Aoba with a devilish grin. "It sounds like you have been offered a challenge, Aoba! It would be unbecoming of an elite Konoha jōnin to back down from a trial of bravery!"

Aoba laughed again, although this time it came off as a bit forced. "Come on, you guys. I'm sure Captain Yamato is waiting for us."

"They're probably just training," Yuiko shrugged. "We'd only be standing there, anyway."

The corner of Aoba's mouth twitched. "Motoi!" he shouted, whipped his head around. "I'm sure this 'Falls of Truth' business is a very serious endeavor for the shinobi of Kumo. I certainly wouldn't want to offend any customs by taking part in such an important tradition."

Motoi had been regarding their conversation with a cold expression. It was clear that Yuiko and Aoba's dismissive attitudes toward the falls weren't sitting with him the right way. The fact that Motoi appeared unwilling to cooperate, however, was what Aoba was banking on.

Aoba smiled in relief. His expression flipped to a grimace as a slow smile crept over the Kumo shinobi's face. "The training exercise is open to anyone," Motoi said. "Although, few are actually capable of overcoming their true self. Only shinobi of the strongest will are skilled enough for that."

Guy laughed heartily. "See, Aoba? You have nothing to fear!" He clapped Aoba on the back, sending the man stumbling a few feet forward. Aoba's carefree demeanor was on the verge of crumbling as he regarded the faces around him.

"Well, no problem then!" he said, his voice almost conveying that he actually believed it.

Aoba adjusted his sunglasses, walking purposely over the water and coming to a stop on the small island. He glanced back with a nervous expression to see if anyone was going to stop him. Guy was grinning from ear-to-ear, and he shot him an enthusiastic thumbs-up. Yuiko's expression was much more indifferent, but she mimicked Guy's gesture. Aoba turned back to the falls, swallowing hard. "A-alright," he said, sitting down, "here it goes. No big deal."

Aoba went still. Yuiko crossed her arms, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Aoba was probably right when he said that they should go meet up with Yamato, but she was still a little bitter over his reaction to her getting her ass kicked earlier. Goading him into facing the Falls of Truth was petty, but it wasn't like anything was going to happen anyway. Aoba was probably just sitting there trying to think up of a good story to tell them after he grows board with the charade.

"Hmm?" Guy said, a wrinkle forming between his prominent brows. "Could this be Aoba's 'true self?'"

A shadow had appeared within the waterfall, growing rapidly larger.

"You have got to be kidding," Yuiko said, watching in awe.

A large spray of water erupted from the waterfall as an object shot out toward Aoba. As the water fell away, Yuiko could see that the creature had a humanoid face with grey skin and beady eyes lined with a gill-like pattern on each cheek. Its body was a long tube wrapped in bandages, with short, grey spikes poking out randomly.

Its face looks familiar, Yuiko thought in shock. But not like Aoba … like something else I've seen before. What the hell is it?

Aoba let out a yelp as he tried to scramble backwards. There was a flash of green to Yuiko's right, and Guy was suddenly flying forward to meet the creature. Just as it was about to descend on Aoba, Guy hit it squarely across the chest with a jab from his elbow. Yuiko winced, almost feeling sorry for the strange creature as it flew back, crashing into the thick stone flanking the waterfall. As the dust and spray cleared, she could see the creature lying motionless in a larger crater. Guy looked down to study Aoba for a moment before holding out his hand. "Are you injured?"

Aoba took Guy's hand, shakily getting to his feet. "No," he said. He glanced over to see Yuiko and Motoi watching him, a blush rising on his cheeks. "It just surprised me; that's all," he said, adjusting his glasses. Aoba stood straight as he corrected his flak jacket and strode toward the creature. "I'll take it from here, Guy."

Aoba stopped before the dazed creature. He looked down at it with disdain before pointing at it accusingly. "I do not cover up my insecurities through humor! And I've never doubted for one second that the red sunglasses look cool!"

Motoi loudly cleared his throat. "Your contact with your true self stopped the moment that thing disrupted the waterfall."

Aoba stood stock still for a moment before taking a step back from the creature. "Obviously that isn't me," he said. "It doesn't look a thing like me … right?"

Guy nodded, putting his chin in his hand. "But, I'm sure I've seen it before."

Him too? Yuiko thought, racking her memory. If Guy also recognizes it …

"It's … a puffer fish!" Guy shouted, pointing at the crater. Yuiko flinched.

The waterfall suddenly parted again, Killer B coming to a quick halt as he took in the scene. His expression brightened as he regarded the creature's state. "That thing is an Akatsuki spy! He was hangin' round us, bein' real sly!" he said enthusiastically. "If he escapes, he'll get intel on us! That could make things real dangerous!"

"A spy?" Yuiko said, her eyes widening. Wait … I've seen his face in the Bingo Book. He was the one partnered with Itachi. That's Kisame Hoshigaki! It was reported that Killer B and the Raikage killed him, though. How in the world is he here?!

The spiky object that had been enclosing Kisame's body suddenly retreated, as if it was spitting Kisame out. Its body flopped, to Yuiko's amazement, over to B, and wriggled up against his arm. Her jaw dropped as she realized the object was B's sword. It was apparently a sentient thing on its own, and gurgled happily in B's arms. B stroked its scaly hide, cooing at it as if it was a harmless house pet.

"That's ... kinda creepy," Aoba stated. Yuiko couldn't help but agree.

But wait, he carried that thing everywhere … including when I introduced myself to him. Shit!

She snapped her attention back to where Kisame had been lying, seeing that he had disappeared.

Dammit! I let that stupid sword distract me.

Yuiko noticed a black shadow moving in the water. "B!" she yelled, jumping back onto dry land.

Killer B ignored her, continuing his one-sided banter with the sword.

"B! He's taking your chakra!" Motoi yelled, running onto the water.

What's happening? Why would that sword be taking his chakra?

"All of you get off the water!" Yuiko shouted. Motoi ignored her, his attention fixated on B. Aoba leapt to her side, with Guy jumping back to the small island.

B suddenly fell to his knees, looking pale. Kisame's head popped up on the surface, a smirk on his face as he held the hilt of the sword. He was looking plumper now, and didn't make an immediate move to flee.

He used the sword as an instrument to take B's chakra, Yuiko thought. I had heard that B's sword possessed that ability, but I didn't think it could be used outside of combat.

Yuiko's eyes darted momentarily from Kisame to regard Aoba. He gave her a nod. Yuiko returned her attention to Kisame and began to stalk along the right side of the pond while Aoba took the left, leaving Guy in the middle.

Guy leapt toward Kisame, who reached his arm above the water to parry a kick aimed at his face. Yuiko shot forward with a kunai in hand, Kisame quickly ducking beneath the water. Yuiko and Guy both retreated to the small island as they watched the water intently. Yuiko didn't dare to follow him, even with her phasing jutsu; fighting someone like Kisame in his element could easily be fatal.

"Water Style!" a voice shouted. Yuiko turned to see that Kisame had partially resurfaced a few feet away from them. "Shark Bomb Jutsu!"

Water erupted around Kisame, forming the shape of a shark. It swallowed him up, jettisoning itself into the air. The shark flew away at high speed above the trees.

A flying shark? What the hell?!

"It's all over if he gets past the barrier!" Motoi shouted. "We need to stop him!"

"Leave it to me!" Guy yelled enthusiastically. "Eight Inner Gates! The Sixth Gate of Joy: Open!"

Guy's skin glowed a reddish hue, green light shining from his entire body as a wave of heat radiated from him. Yuiko covered her nose at the stench of sweat rolled over her.

"By yourself you'd be too slow!" B shouted, his right hand twisting and bulging as he spoke. "With the help of the Eight-Tails, in the way of the Shark-Freak I'll throw!"

Guy leapt onto B's open palm, which had now grown large enough to comfortably contain him. B cried out, throwing Guy into the sky with all his might. Yuiko caught the gleam of the headband Guy kept around his waist up in the sky before Guy vanished entirely.

"B," Yuiko said. "Can you —?"

Yuiko looked down at the sound of a splash — B had collapsed face-first into the water. She quickly knelt down to flip him over.

"I'm ... Okay," he said, exhausted. "I'll be good to go … right away." B's body started to sink below the water. Yuiko looped her arms under his shoulders to drag him onto the grass. She set him down gently as Aoba and Motoi approached to assess him.

"B," Yuiko said urgently. "Where are Naruto and Yamato?"

"The two of them are doin' alright; they should be here in a flash to join in the fight," B said weakly.

Yuiko nodded. "I'm going after Guy then," she said, straightening up. "Aoba, get Yamato on my trail immediately."

"Right!" she heard him call out from behind her as she leapt into the forest.