Wow, so many reviews. Seriously, thank you everyone for taking the time to do that, it means a lot.

With Shikamaru supporting her, Ino and Shikamaru quietly made their way towards the medical floor along with Shino, Sakura and Naruto. Leading the way through the tower were Kurenai and Itachi. Kakashi had disappeared for one reason or another, but Naruto and Sakura were fairly sure he was with Sasuke and Gai had left with the medical ninjas that had taken Lee.

There they discovered Sasuke had already been moved to Konoha's hospital as had Hinata, various clan members coming to collect their heirs and move them to the more equipped main hospital. Thanking the ninja there, Naruto, Sakura and Shino left with Kurenai, leaving Itachi and Shikamaru to make their way to an unconscious Choji while Ino got checked over by Izumi.

"Is Lee going to be okay?" she asked the medic.

Izumi sat on the floor, a green-sheened chakra coating her hands where they hovered above Ino's ankle. "He's beyond me, the bones in his left arm and leg were crushed into splinters and there's torn muscles throughout his body," she explained sadly. "We've patched him up and set the limbs ready for casts, but no one in the village has dealt with damage from using the Eight Gates. As it stands, we can't allow him to retain his status as a ninja. Lee's been forcefully retired."

That was the worst blow for any ninja, but more so for someone like Lee who had struggled to even gain the rank of ninja in the first place. Ino felt herself grow hollow at the thought. For her, it was expected that as the child of a ninja, from a prominent ninja family, that she too would become a ninja. But Lee was a child lacking in talent from an unknown family. He'd put his all into becoming a Shinobi and now the title was being torn away from him.

"Does Gai-sensei know?" From where she was sat, Lee looked to be alone in the medical ward. He looked small and fragile in the bed, his body swathed in bandages.

Izumi nodded. "He does, he's gone for a walk."

"I don't understand though," Ino said as Izumi had her flex her ankle and test it. "You healed me in a few minutes, it would have taken weeks if my ankle had just been bandaged. Why can't you fix Lee?"

Izumi looked away sadly. "Medical ninjutsu… it's never been well taught and those who have learned it since Lady Tsunade left the village are all self-taught, myself included. It's a difficult technique and while I'm one of the most skilled in the village at current, I'm still woefully under prepared for something like that. I'm worried I'd just make Lee's injuries more severe, or worse, hold him together just enough so that he can make to his next mission and die because I did a bad job." Checking Ino's other injuries, Izumi spent a little while longer applying her healing chakra to Ino before giving her the all clear.

Ino got up and made her way towards Choji's bed while Izumi started towards an office at the back of the room, only for Itachi to call out to her. After a moment's hesitation, Izumi joined Team 10 by Choji's bedside, hands clasped lightly in front of her. "Can I help you, Itachi?" she asked her tone one of forced detachment. So quickly Ino could have blinked and missed it, Izumi's bled into the red of the Sharingan. As though resonating with them, Itachi's own Sharingan blossomed. Then both Sharingan were gone, their owners acting as though nothing had happened.

"When you head back to the village, I'd like you to take Ino to Shisui," Itachi explained.

"Who's that?" Ino asked at the same time Izumi asked, "Why?"

"He's going to train Ino over the next month," Itachi replied in answer to both questions.

"Wait, you're not training Ino?" Shikamaru balked, his eyes bugging, "But she's fighting Gaara!"

"I'm aware." Itachi raised a placating hand. "But I can't train both of you and I feel Shisui is the best person to pair with Ino, while I train you, Shikamaru."

"What if I don't want your help?" Shikamaru challenged his tone rising in anger, "I can train with my dad just fine for Dosu. You train Ino."

"I appreciate your valour, but I can't help Ino win that fight," said Itachi simply. Turning his gaze to Ino, he added, "Shisui is a stronger ninja than I am. From the look of your bracket, it would be better to make a tactical forfeit, but as you know, the ruling is that you can lose and still make Chuunin. I trust Shisui to help you hone your skills enough to prove your physical prowess and intelligence while also preventing you from meeting the same fate as Lee."

Ino felt dread pool within her. Quaking, she summarised, "So even you think I can't win." She'd thought she stood no chance against Gaara the moment the match had been announced, and to hear her Sensei openly saying the same hurt more than she had expected, tears prickling at her eyes. "I'll just quit now then."

"You're not quitting," Itachi told her firmly. "I never said I'm sure you'll lose. You both have difficult fights ahdead but the way I fight doesn't suit your strengths, Ino. That is why I'm suggesting you train with someone else. I'd also like both of you to train with your families and learn more of your clan jutsu." He turned to Shikamaru. "Your main weakness is lack of stamina and offense. In your InoShikaCho formation, you're a defender. One-on-one matches require you to be flexible in that role, that's why you're sticking with me. My stamina isn't the best but I know how to utilize it effectively as well as disable opponents at a distance. Besides, you promised me no complaints."

Groaning Shikamaru scratched the back of his head. "Fine."

He turned back to Ino, "Shisui is practically a phantom when he wants to be and a master at sleight of hand. I don't want you touching Gaara's mind at all, but increasing your sensory capacity and pairing that with a fighting style should be well within Shisui's ability."

Izumi's eyebrow twitched. "That's an odd turn of phrase. What's wrong with Gaara's head?"

"You mean other than that he's a psychopath?" Shikamaru grumbled.

"He might not seem all there, but his technique against Lee suggested that while he might generally allow his sand to do the majority of the work, he's a capable tactician. He didn't use the sand of his gourd against Lee until the boy launched his final attack," Itachi explained. "Gaara pushed his sand armour to its limit, holding it in place to wear Lee down and then used the gourd when he felt Lee's wrist and ankle break on that final blow. He knew he'd outlasted Lee, I'm sure of it. Therefore, it's likely his mind is too strong for the Transfer technique and even then, if Kankuro is to be believed and the sand attacks on his own, your body might be killed while you aren't there to move it. Either way, it's a waste of chakra and other Yamanaka techniques I've seen run the risk of making Gaara more violent. There are powerful people coming to watch your match, if he suddenly attacks them, it could be an international disaster. Stay out of his mind," Itachi repeated.

Ino didn't feel comforted in the least. She was fighting a monster impervious to any attack she knew and only had a month to master new ones. From someone she'd never met and even then it still sounded like Itachi wanted to dangle her in front of a crowd to sate his own ego. "So why can't I quit?"

"Because I want you to train hard for a month," Itachi replied simply. "I want you try and apply yourself. If, at the end of that time you still don't think you can win, forfeit. I'm not asking you to win, Ino. I'm asking you to try. I want all three of you to do your best, and working towards personal goals is the best way to do that."

"I don't follow. What personal goals?" Shikamaru said. "I'm perfectly happy quitting here too and remaining a Genin."

"So you don't want to avenge Choji and have a rematch with Dosu?"

Shikamaru made an awkward face, "Hey, don't put it like that."

Itachi smiled, "I can't force any of you to fight your matches, but I am ordering you all to train hard this month. Choji included. When he wakes up I expect him to work on his own skills and help you two if needed."

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. "So we could rock up on the day and quit?"

"If you wanted to. All I want is three motivated students trying their best for a month."

Izumi smiled at the two finalists. "I think you're misinterpreting Itachi's intentions." They looked to her in confusion and even Itachi's expression was one of curiosity. "Itachi believes in both of you, but he knows you're scared, Ino, and that you, Shikamaru, lack motivation. And you, Itachi," she added with a playful note, "need to work on your bribery skills. So far the only one gaining anything here is you."

"What would you have me offer?" Itachi asked tipping his head. Looking between the two Uchiha, Ino realised she'd seen Izumi before. She was the girl in the picture in Itachi's apartment.

"I know one thing I want," Ino spoke up, eyes glinting mischievously.

"I'm not sure I like your expression," Itachi noted, his voice a pitch higher as though he was genuinely worried about what she was going to demand. "But fine. Whatever it is, I'll provide if you agree to train all month."

"Great!" Ino beamed.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Do I want to know?"

"Izumi's that girl from Itachi's apartment. I want to know the story."

"Wait, what?" Though Izumi had been the one to speak, both hers and Itachi's cheeks were tinged pink. Ino let out a small squeak of excitement. Yes, finding out what the story was would be worth a month of intensive training.

"Oh yeah, she does look like the girl in the picture," Shikamaru noted, looking from Izumi to their Sensei. "And I've never actually seen Sensei flushed before." He smirked, "Sure what the hell. I'll put my back into it for the truth behind that. I'm curious about the mystery boy in that photo too, so my deal is a full explanation of the photo. With a right to verify your story against Izumi and anyone else I might see fit to ask."

Itachi's mouth opened to speak only to close again. Covering his face with his hand, he sighed heavily. "Why couldn't you just have asked for me to pay for yakiniku every night?" Behind him, Choji sat bolt upright and swivelled his head like a periscope, startling everyone.

"Food?! I'm sure someone said food. Where?!"

Somewhere between perturbed and resigned, a bead of sweat rolled down Itachi's face, the older teen sagging slightly. Chuckling into the back of her hand Izumi turned to go. "Well, your teammate looks fine, and if you're all agreed, I'll just finish my paperwork and introduce you to Shisui," she told Ino with a bright smile before walking away.

With plans to meet at Itachi's apartment at seven for their promised dinner, Ino left the training ground with Izumi, who was like a veritable ray of sunshine as they walked through Konoha.

"Itachi really has a picture of me in his home?" she asked Ino as they headed towards the Uchiha district.

"Yeah, he wouldn't tell us anything about it though."

"Well, I won't spoil your reward by reeling off stories," Izumi giggled. Leading Ino through the streets she greeted various Uchiha shop owners that waved to her and slipped down a side street Ino wouldn't have noticed on her own. "Shisui works for the Police Force, so we'll double check he isn't there before I take you to his house."

"So he's a Police Officer, not a ninja?"

"Both technically. He used to lean more on a ninja, but he's ended up with a desk job. It doesn't affect his ability," she added. "Both he and Itachi would rather train 'til they dropped than sit at a desk all day, so I imagine he'd be glad for the change in pace."

Ino didn't know what she had been expecting when they entered the Konoha Police Department as she trailed behind Izumi through the swathes of desks in the building to the back corner. But to not see the man behind stacks of paperwork had been a surprise.

"Hey, Shisui? Are you in there?" Izumi asked.

"He's in there somewhere," chuckled the Uchiha at the desk behind them, pushing a lock of long brown hair back as he looked between reports.

"Excuse me, ladies." Turning, Ino saw another Uchiha male. This one looked to be in his fifties, his hair grey and styled into a leftward spike. "Shisui's been bathing in paperwork all day. I wouldn't be surprised if he's asleep somewhere in all those stacks," he chuckled as he sidled past, pointing to the piles with the scroll he was carrying. "Feel free to slip behind the desk and give him a poke, Izumi."

Izumi looked at the stacks of paperwork carefully stacked on the floor around Shisui's desk, pouting. "I'd rather not. I think he might cry if I knock them over, but thanks, Tenzo." She was silent a moment before an idea came to her. "Shisui~. There's someone here to see you. They brought food~," she sing-songed.

"... What kind of food?" a male voice from somewhere behind the desk grumbled softly.

"Uhh… onigiri?" Izumi tried.

The voice sighed. "At least I don't have to move to eat that." A hand rose up from the middle of the work cell and flapped around. "Izumi, feed me!"

"This guy's supposed to be my Sensei?" Ino muttered to Izumi. "He sounds like a kid."

"Huh? Izumi, you with someone?" the voice asked curiously, one of the stacks of paper twitching.

Izumi rolled her eyes. "I did say someone was here to see you. Escape your desk and I'll buy us something from Auntie Maiko's café."

"Deal." Ino tensed and jumped a foot in the air. It was the same voice as before, but it was behind her, not the stacks of paper. "Oh, you look like how I feel," the man noted, looking Ino up and down. Turning, Ino was met with what she at first mistook as an older Sasuke. The man before her had a similar face, but his expression was far more open than she remembered Sasuke's ever being. His dark eyes shone with mirth, though the slight bags under his eyes told of many sleepless nights. Short dark wavy hair stuck up in all directions, something that was probably aggravated by how he agitatedly ran his fingers through it. "I'm Uchiha Shisui, I'm afraid I have a lot of paperwork as you can see. So if you have a police enquiry, I'd suggest asking another officer for help," Shisui said bashfully.

Ino raised her hands, "Ah, um, it-it's not like that," she stammered. "Actually, I'm in the Chuunin exams and I need a Sensei to help me train for the third exam. M-my name's Yamanaka Ino."

"Oh?" Shisui blinked. "What about your Sensei?"

Izumi nudged Shisui towards the door, "Come on, let's get some food in you, we'll explain outside. Inabi, if anyone asks, Shisui's on break."

The long haired Uchiha from before waved his hand dismissively without looking up, "They won't!"

Several minutes later found Ino at a wooden bench in a quaint little café, sharing a pot of tea and a small platter of onigiri with Shisui and Izumi, the former practically melting with each mouthful and the latter excusing herself to talk to the owner of the café, Meiko, taking her mug of tea with her.

Unable to find it in her to interrupt the man from what was most likely his first meal all day if she went off how he was treating it, Ino resigned herself to sipping at her drink while Shisui enjoyed the feeling of not being surrounded by knee high stacks of paperwork for the first time in hours.

"So, about your Sensei," Shisui said, third rice ball in hand. "How come they aren't training you?"

"He said it's because two of us passed and he's more equipped to deal with my teammate and his matches than me and mine," Ino explained boredly, reading the café's breakfast menu for something to do.

"That's a bit shitty of him," Shisui noted. "So why me? Did Izumi mention I was dying from deskwork?"

Ino smirked, scoffing a little. "She did make it sound like you would rather train than sit and work. But no, actually my Sensei recommended you."

Shisui paused, onigiri halfway to his mouth. "Is that so? I feel kinda bad for insulting him then. By the way, who is your Sensei?"

"Uchiha Itachi." Shisui promptly choked on the mouthful of rice he'd been eating. Coughing, he took a moment to compose himself. "Uhm…. Are you okay?" Ino asked worriedly.

"Y-yeah," Shisui gasped. "Sorry. Wasn't expecting that answer." He coughed again, flushing as the Meiko brought over a glass of water from him. "Thanks Auntie," he mumbled, waiting for her to go back to Izumi before talking to Ino. "You're Itachi's kid. I guess that makes sense, there aren't actually that many people who would line up to ask me to teach them anything." He ran his hand through his hair thoughtfully. "Who're you fighting?" Shisui asked, his back a little straighter, his voice a little deeper. His chakra seemed to shift a little too, sharpening slightly as though even that was getting serious.

"Gaara. He's from Suna."

Shisui frowned. "In that case, I don't know anything on him immediately." Humming thoughtfully as he looked Ino over again, he said, "I'll do some digging. You look really tired and have that air of post-mission processing. Go home, get some sleep and we'll meet up in the morning to exchange information."

"So… is that you agreeing to teach me?" Ino asked. "What about your paperwork?"

"Yep, and don't worry about that. I have enough holiday saved up to take the month off, I'll go by the chief's house later and talk about it," Shisui said, waving his hand. "It won't be a problem."

Ino still wasn't entirely convinced by the arrangement, but Shisui seemed to exude confidence and calmness in equal measure and the easy smile on his face made Ino reluctant to burst his bubble. Gaara wasn't going to be beaten with optimism.

"If that's all sorted," Shisui began, plucking the last two onigiri from the plate. "I'm gonna go back to the Police Department. I'll meet you at Yamanaka Flower Shop around noon tomorrow. Does that sound alright? Oh, and please feel free to train with your family in the meantime."

"E-eh? But, didn't you say to rest?"

Shisui blinked. "Yeah, today. But I was meaning you don't have to sit around waiting for me if you have other things to do."

"Oh."

Chuckling, Shisui reached out and poked her forehead with his index and middle finger as he walked towards the café entrance. "Well. Later." Shocked, Ino didn't reply, her hand sluggishly coming up to cover her forehead. When she turned to look for Shisui, the man was nowhere to be seen.

"Kaka-sensei totally blew me off for training," Naruto complained flopping beside Itachi in their booth at the barbecue restaurant. "And I wanted ramen!"

"Quit your whining, Naruto, you're not paying," Shikamaru chastised. "We already agreed on barbecue before you were invited."

"And you aren't the only one not getting taught by your Sensei," Ino pointed out.

"Eh? Itachi's fobbing one of you off?" Naruto asked, looking between Itachi, Shikamaru and Ino. "You better not have been a dick like Kaka-sensei and sent them off to a weirdo pervert."

"He's weird, sure, but I don't think he's a pervert," Ino reasoned, thanking Choji as he passed her a plate of carefully cooked meat. Content in his role of chef, Choji minded their food while the others talked, his reward being that no one realised or commented on his pile of meat being double the size of anyone else's.

Shikamaru cocked an eyebrow, "Who did you end up with, Naruto?"

"An asshole," Naruto huffed. "He calls himself an elite Jonin, but I kicked his butt before we even entered the Chuunin exams."

"Huh? How'd you beat an elite Jonin?" Choji asked.

Naruto beamed. "My Harem jutsu. The guy's nose bled so much he passed out." Getting up, Naruto clasped his hands into the sign for Transformation. "I'll show you!"

"Naruto," Itachi cut in firmly, "if you do that here, we'll be thrown out."

Ino cringed. "What kind of weird ass jutsu is it?"

"Don't ask," Shikamaru sighed. "But still. Sasuke's got like his entire clan, how come Kakashi-sensei isn't training you, Naruto?"

Naruto crossed his arms in annoyance. "Kaka-sensei said I have the worst basic skills. Which is a lie!" he insisted. "Then that Ebisu guy gave me some stupid papers and lectured me on how much of an idiot I am. Asshole!"

"Was he trying to say anything in particular?" Shikamaru pressed. Naruto's lack of attention span for long explanations was legendary.

"Something about cat control and Sasuke being as amazing as Sakura at it. I hate cats!" Naruto snapped, reaching for a piece of pork on the barbecue, only for Choji to swat his hand away with chopsticks. "Hey!"

"It's not ready yet, Naruto, one side is still raw," Choji insisted.

"And I'm not sure they were talking about cats, Naruto," Shikamaru added.

Itachi hummed softly in thought. "Did Ebisu-sensei have you doing any particular exercises?"

"He took me to a hot spring and told me to walk on the water," Naruto replied. "I spent all afternoon getting hot baths 'cause I kept falling in."

Choji perked up. "If you want, Naruto, I can come with you tomorrow and show you how to do it."

"Wait what?" Naruto blinked owlishly. "You can walk on water?"

The three Team 10 Genin hummed. "Itachi-sensei had us learn before the Chuunin exams," Choji explained, piling some meat onto a plate and offering it to Naruto. "Since I'm not preparing for the next round though, I'd be happy to help, here you go."

Naruto's eyes blew wide. "Really!? That'd be awesome, Choji!" Thanking Choji for his food, Naruto chuckled to himself, seeming much happier to have someone he actually liked offering help.

"So what's your Sensei like, Ino?" asked Shikamaru now Naruto was quiet enough for other people to converse.

Ino hummed in thought, searching for the right words. "He's a Police Officer. And he kind of gives off big brother vibes, but I wouldn't say he left the impression on me that he's strong."

"There's strength to be had in deception," Itachi noted. "Most strong ninja don't act like they are, so they continue to be underestimated."

"If that's the case, Shisui must be a demon in disguise," Ino drawled. "He said he'll be my Sensei and that he's going to look into Gaara and meet me tomorrow. I think he'll change his mind once he finds out how strong Gaara is," she added softly.

"Don't be so sure," Itachi replied knowingly. "I think Shisui will surprise you."

Ino gave a half-hearted hum. "Just don't go back on your promise. I'll train, but if at the end of it I want to quit, I will."

"I have no interest in allowing my teammates to die, Ino," Itachi said firmly. "Gaara is a dangerous opponent, and it's wiser to avoid certain death than walk towards it blindly."

"What about what Ibiki was saying in the first exam?" Naruto asked, "He said we have to be ready to risk our lives if we want to be Chuunin."

"Yes, but there's risking your life where there's a chance of survival and agreeing to a suicide mission," Itachi explained. "Those are very different circumstances and only a certain kind of ninja participates in the latter."

"What kind of ninja?"

"A broken one. One with no family or friends. With nothing left to tie them to the village," Itachi said slowly. "But also… Hokage."

Naruto startled, his eyes blowing wide as he repeated, "Hokage?"

"To be Hokage means to put the village before your own desires every time. They will always fight an impossible battle because of the chance their sacrifice saves the village, either by eliminating the threat at the cost of their own life, or by weakening it so that the next combatant can win without dying too." Itachi smiled gently, "But you four are Genin with strong ties to this village, so none of you should run towards death just yet."

"When I become Hokage," Naruto started, "I'll be the strongest ninja ever, so no one has to die."

His smile widening, Itachi poked Naruto in the forehead, the blow a little harder than he normally would because of Naruto's Hitai-ate. "You'd better. I want to retire peacefully, not on the receiving end of an enemy attack."

Naruto made a face and slapped Itachi's hand away. Bursting with confidence, Naruto declared, "Leave it to me! I'll be Godaime in no time!"

"Cheery aren't they?" Kurenai mused from the other side of the restaurant. She, Anko, Kakashi and Hayate sat in a smaller booth, the grill turned off to make more space for the documents Anko and Hayate had brought. While they could see the group of teens, their own table was hidden by Kurenai's genjutsu, though from the couple of times Itachi had caught her eye, it was probable he wasn't a victim of the illusion.

"Well, Naruto is at least," Anko smirked.

Hayate coughed and reached for his drink. "Does Ino really stand a chance against Gaara? I'm surprised she didn't withdraw when the match ups were announced."

"Probably shell-shocked," Anko dismissed. "Going back to the task at hand: have any of you been able to locate Kabuto?"

"Locate would be the wrong word for my experience," Kakashi spoke up. "He was in Sasuke's hospital room. Not only had he disabled the guards, but he had the time between doing that and my arrival to surgically alter one of the corpses into a decoy so he could escape."

Hayate's eyes widened in horror, "But those guards were all ANBU!"

Kurenai frowned. "Why take the time to alter the guard? If he was there for Sasuke, Kabuto's time would be better spent dealing with him."

"Maybe he rethought his task?" Hayate suggested. "Do we know who he's working for?"

"Isn't it obvious? It has to be Orochimaru," Anko spat. "What did Itachi get out of watching the Oto Sensei?" she asked Kakashi.

"Itachi noted he seemed to delight in Sasuke's Curse Mark activating, but he also thinks the man was interested in it being suppressed by Sasuke's will," Kakashi reported. "He also noted Orochimaru reacted with similar interest in Neji and Gaara, though neither of us can be sure why."

"It might still be worth warning the Hyuuga," Anko sighed. "The Uchiha have also been informed about Sasuke and the Curse Mark. Lord Hokage summoned Uchiha Fugaku to his office the moment we were done in the tower."

"With the Byakugan and Sharingan looking for Kabuto, is there really any need for us to look?" Hayate wondered.

"It can hardly hurt to keep vigilant," Kakashi replied. "Especially if he's ANBU level. That means each of Kabuto's failures at the exams was intentional."

"Yeah," continued Anko. "Lord Hokage has allowed unfettered access to all of Kabuto's mission records. There's lots of inconsistencies. Blank periods where his mission counts don't add up to reports."

Kakashi's eye narrowed. "Classified missions?"

"Most likely. We know Orochimaru had at least a few dealings with Danzo, so a code breaker is currently looking through the records we have on Root," Anko revealed. "If Kabuto was ever a member, that could explain his ability."

"Why doesn't Lord Hokage just ask Danzo directly?" Kurenai wondered.

Hayate answered, "Do you really think Danzo wouldn't lie to save his own skin there?"

"Not to mention the problems that arise should Kabuto be a ANBU Root agent," Anko noted.

"What problems? Don't all Root members have a seal on their tongues to stop them being traitors?" Kakashi asked.

"Orochimaru's a master of fuuinjutsu, I have no doubt he could remove that seal if he wanted to," Anko said. "Which means Orochimaru might have had a traitor in Konohagakure for years without even Danzo realising."

Hayate cupped his chin thoughtfully. "To what end? He's been gone for years, only to suddenly reappear at this moment. If he wanted the Sharingan, there's at least fifty of them in the village, and more Uchiha than just Sasuke go on missions outside of the village."

Kakashi hummed, "Itachi for one. You're right though, targeting them outside the village where there are limited resources and a low chance of backup would be ideal. Is he just high on hubris from forming a village of his own?"

"Orochimaru's probably never had his head on straight," Anko sighed. "He told me his goal is Sasuke, but that can't be the only thing he's here for. There must be something else."

"It's only a matter of time before it's uncovered," Hayate reasoned.

"Well? What is your report?"

Orochimaru raised his head and looked out to Konoha. As with all the foreign ninja entering the Chuunin exams, Orochimaru and his Sound team had been given a guest villa towards the outskirts of Konoha. A sign they were welcome, but not exactly wanted in the village. Below him on a wooden patio, Dosu sparred with Kin while Kabuto watched on boredly hands coated in green healing chakra above Zaku's arms repairing them. Again.

Crossing his arms, Orochimaru replied to the voice echoing in his mind. "I found the Kyuubi jinchuriki and I believe I've located another one. A demonic boy from Suna. His team gives him a wide berth and even his Sensei looks afraid," Orochimaru added with a chuckle. Closing his eyes revealed the world of the one contacting him; a dark cave with no lighting bar the chakra given off by multiple figures, their eyes the only distinguishing feature.

"Suna. Must be the Ichibi," noted a gravelly voice from the shortest of the phantoms. "My target."

"Is it wise to move on the jinchuriki now?" asked a tall phantom with beady eyes, "We haven't a full team yet."

"You just don't want to do all the heavy lifting, Kisame," Orochimaru teased. "And it isn't as though I'm not here for my own reasons."

"Just be careful not to confuse business with pleasure," the man who had contacted him said forcefully. "If those two are killed in your schemes, rest assured you won't be seeing dawn ever again."

Orochimaru's left hand twitched, the ring on his pinky finger catching in the light. "Understood, Leader," he said, glad the man couldn't see the snarl on his lips.

Cutting the communication, Orochimaru dropped down from his perch to confront his minions. "Pack up, we're leaving. Kabuto, rendezvous with Sasori, I have an idea I want to run by him."

"What about my match?" Dosu asked. Behind him, Kabuto gave a low bow and vanished in a flash.

Orochimaru cocked his eyebrow. "After how easily the Nara dispatch Kin, do you really think you can beat him? Retain some of your dignity, walk away," he sneered.

Dosu was quiet for a moment. "You asked us to kill Sasuke, then gave him the Curse Mark. Now you want us to leave." Orochimaru gave Dosu a dispassionate look, waiting for the foolish boy to come out with what his intention was. "I wish to stay."

Rolling his eyes, Orochimaru waved him off. "Do what you will. Kabuto is also testing his limits." Though perhaps leash was the correct word. "Kin, Zaku," he ordered acidly.

"Right away, Lord Orochimaru!" both replied like puppies eager to please.