A/N: Welcome back, dear readers and lurkers! Here's another tasty chapter for you, just a day late! Please enjoy.

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

Ino and Sai Come Close to Each Other

Ino landed on the rooftop with her four padded feet with a whisper of a thump. In a piebald cat guise via transformation jutsu, she had staked out her home, wiggled herself onto the property, and had waited hours for the right time to sneak into the main house. As far as she could tell, the major members of the clan were elsewhere, having tasks to perform off clan property, and the main house was not brimful of people.

On her padded paws, she slunk across the tiled roof and with a careful judgment of distance, hopped onto a narrow windowsill. The window was unlocked- -the latch had broken and hadn't been repaired yet, forgotten in recent events. Using her paw, head, and shoulder, she nudged apart the window a few inches in the frame. It slid with a quiet rasp- -wood frame inside wood tracks- -and she had enough space to slip into the dark room.

Her cat ears perked; she listened in the dark. After a long minute, she discerned no additional movement on the floorboards. Despite her experience over dozens of infiltration missions, she had a difficult time softening the hard pound of her heart. She breathed to calm herself and ran through her objectives: Infiltrate the main house. Infiltrate Lady Inohime's office. Search and pilfer any written missives, maps, or plans relevant to Miyazato Seiichi's movements in Konoha.

So far, so good. She was in an unused guest room on the top level of the main house. The doors in the house were traditional sliding doors, lightweight with rice paper and delicate bamboo frames. In her cat body, she managed the door and stepped into the hallway. Floorboards inside the old house would creak, so she'd have to distribute chakra into her footpaws to travel the walls or ceiling. The ceiling was a better bet as no decorations would impede her movement. She did so, and as she traversed the family home, she saw the furniture had been covered with white sheets. White sheets, shapeless and draped, loomed in the dark, like ghosts in a haunted house.

She wasn't about to lose her nerve over a notion so silly, so she continued forward through the dark, quiet halls. Nothing stirred; even the air had ceased to move. Ino's cat ears didn't hear the simplest of sounds...she felt buried in the silence. Where is everyone? Why has the furniture been covered? Is the family painting?

For what seemed like hours she navigated the ancestral seat until she came to the study. Daddy had often brought her in there, and as he conducted clan business, let her snuggle in his lap.

The pain struck her hard in the chest, the pain of his loss, her grief as messy and as jagged as a glass shard plunged into her heart. Keep going. Don't look back. Before she set foot inside the study, she concentrated for a minute or two with her chakra sensory technique. A few familial signatures flared within her radius, but they were in the bedrooms and remained at rest. Some residual chakra lingered, but no active chakra signatures were inside. One thing had gone right for her.

Before her headache had a chance to worsen, as she had overused her hidden techniques and chakra in general, she cut off the chakra sensory technique.

Someone had not closed the study door flush to the wall, so Ino in her cat body managed to wiggle her way through. Once inside, she shut the door and released the transformation jutsu. Not risking a lamp, Ino activated a shinobi lantern. Her search would have to be quick. The longer she remained, the more likely she'd be heard or seen. She started at the desk, but before she touched anything, she noticed the strange position of a stack of papers; a drawer ever so slightly ajar. Minor details which could be written off as carelessness within the day-to-day usage of the room, but to Ino's eye, these were signals as loud as a siren's call. Someone's searched the study!

And on the heels of her first question: Is someone still here?

Was it a trap? Maybe. Shit. Should a trap be sprung, she'd have to negotiate it the best she could. She'd come too far to turn back.

She had not sensed chakra inside the study, so whoever it was had some high-level Anbu chakra seals to erase their chakra signature. Names flashed through her mind: Sai. Yamato. Genma. Anko. One of the Aburame, Nara, or Akimichi clan who could ferret out Yamanaka secrets. A former member of Root. Or it could be her mind played tricks on her and she was alone in the study. Sai...are you here, watching over me?

Only one way to find out- -open the safe. She'd ignore the other hidey-holes scattered around the room. She may not find anything of value, and those 'slips' (as Sai referred to them) were difficult to access, though kikaichu, wood-style, or ink-style could uncover and circumvent the locks. This safe was hidden behind the main bookshelf, in the center section, and required some delicacy to unlock. After she'd completed the safety measures Daddy had taught her, she unlatched the metal door and pulled it free of the protective bars. Where there had been an emergency stash of money, their family history and tree, hidden formulae and sacred techniques, and other items of significance, was a single square of parchment in the center of the top shelf. Everything else had been cleared out. Written on the smooth paper was her name.

To stop the scream, she clamped her hand to her mouth. And stood, trembling, as her mind roared with panic because she'd been fucking anticipated. Miyazato or Lady Inohime, or both, had anticipated she'd find her way home to search for answers or clues in the study, and anticipated she'd unlock the safe. They had known. They had left the estate unguarded on purpose. No one watched for her. How? How had they known? What was she supposed to do?

Seconds elapsed as she vacillated between curiosity, terror, and mindless panic. The scream was in her throat, stuck, but she mastered her wits and reached out a hand to take the square of paper. Her hand shook, her mouth and throat were dry and her chest and shoulders had gone tight, but she withdrew the paper. She was breathless as she unfolded it.

Her first observation was that the paper had more weight than she expected.

No words were written on the inside, and the piece was cut into a large square. A dense bouquet of flowers was sketched in color pencil, but it wasn't a bouquet in the traditional sense. No stems were drawn; the whole blossoms were formed into a balanced, symmetrical circle as though placed on a countertop for a top-down view. Three layers were present in the 'bouquet'- -a larger outer circle; a smaller inner circle, and the third a single rose (maybe?) unfurled in the perfect center. Within the illustrated calyx of the very center was a thin ribbon tied into a bow- -within the knot of the bow was a heavy ring.

This was a message, obviously a message designed for her eyes. She debated a moment since to take it would give an indication of her presence in Konoha and of when she'd arrived. Any hesitation would run down her time, so she slipped a blank sheet of sturdy calligraphy paper from a stack out of a desk drawer. The light was all wrong to see the fine lines and shades of the illustrations, but she needed only to mimic the size, weight, and appearance of the message. A careful transformation jutsu gave her an accurate copy of the original message, and she placed this copy inside the safe, engaging the locks and necessary other countermeasures. At first blush, whoever looked would assume the message had not been disturbed and to further ensure her tracks were covered, she straightened the papers and other items which had been displaced.

In her cat form, she slunk out of the main house and off the estate to lose any tails in the twisted and dead-end Konoha alleys. By the time she came to the Academy, the sun struck the east walls and windows of the building with robust golden rays. Faculty and staff had arrived about an hour before school started to set up their classrooms and make final preparations for the students who would soon flood the halls with laughter and raucous talk, so in a hidden corner around the back of the building, she transformed into a copy of a twelve year old child she'd healed during a visit to Suna. The boy had brown hair, brown eyes, no distinguishing features, and was the perfect average height for a pre-teen. His normal, undistinguished appearance blended well enough so she could move among the students and teachers without notice.

To kill time, she wandered to a few flower beds alongside the Academy to pull weeds and deadhead the clumps of thirsty daisies. Tut, tut. Without her family's care, the beautiful gardens would go to pot. What a waste. While she worked, she thought about Chouji- -his birthday was at the end of the month- -and whether or not she'd be free to celebrate with him. Chouji would never plan a party for himself and neither would Shikamaru, the lazyass. Chouji had been sweet on Karui for a while, so maybe he'd plan a visit with her in Kumo and drum up the courage to tell her his feelings. Ino prayed he would; he and Karui would make an adorable couple.

She lost her struggle. Hot tears streamed over her cheeks.

"Here's where we stand," Shikamaru said. His tone was neutral, flat, but Sai heard the disappointment anyway. "All the trails in Water are cold, with the added complication of another shinobi gone missing. Somehow a gold frame is found in a destroyed warehouse in Sorutotaun, but is stolen along with a vessel, before it can be examined. The missing Kiri shinobi is tracked to a Swift Emperor Shipping compound and disappears, perhaps with the gold frame, and no traces of the employees remain in the compound. No trace of Ino or Takahino has been found since Merodichi. Correct?"

Team 8 was with them in Shikamaru's office as well- -in various positions stood Shino, silent with hands up to his forearms in pockets; Hinata with eyes averted; and Kiba with arms crossed and a stern frown. Akamaru lay like a white bear near the back wall. Inoichi stood near Shikamaru's desk, looking on with rapt interest. Within the hour of Ino boarding the boat at the Kiri docks, Inoichi had returned to haunt Sai and had been with him for the seven additional days they spent in Water.

"You have summarized the situation accurately." As the captain of the squad, Sai had taken the brunt of Shikamaru's displeasure. The window overlooked the east side of the Academy, rosy bricks baking in the morning sunlight.

"Miyazato hasn't shared any further information if anyone has reported to him. He'd be certain to proclaim his victory from the rooftops, so we'd hear of his capturing Ino had it happened." Shikamaru steepled his fingers. "Ino's the kind of shinobi to jump into danger feet-first, and because of her strong moral character, I'm confident she has returned to Konoha and has both established a base of operations and infiltrated our ranks for information. After your final report from Kiri, I informed the Intelligence Division and our jounin to report any new faces, unusual behaviors, or places for a secret base in the village. I can vet the reports for their relevance and probability and send a squad to further investigate."

Sai had stalled and dragged his feet on the operation in Water as much as he could, but the results were conclusive. The trails had gone cold. No Ino. No Takahino. No Yamanaka clan. No reason for them to remain in Water Country. Shikamaru had ordered them home, and any side trips Sai took to delay them further would paint him in a suspicious light to Kiba, who had manifested a watchful presence around Sai. Kiba had asked general questions about Sai's movements after he'd disappeared outside of Yu, but the repaired shirt sleeve and Ino's hair had planted perilous seeds in Kiba's mind, but, thankfully, those suspicions had cooled over the last week.

"She's very quick, isn't she?" asked Sai.

A deep, firm voice answered his off-hand remark. "Ino was one of the quickest and most clever students in our class. The top performing graduates were myself, Ino, and Sasuke. She and I were tied for the top position until I gained a point she lost on our final exams. Master Iruka was fair and objective, but we all knew, besides Naruto, Ino was his favorite. He can attest to her capabilities."

"See, I always liked the Aburame clan," said Inoichi. "They never diminish their opponents' talents. But more importantly, he's right about Ino's abilities. She loved the Academy and she loved the competition with Shino and her other classmates."

Her outranking Sasuke did surprise him. "I have witnessed her mastery over her clan techniques and her powerful Will of Fire. I meant no disrespect."

"As long as you understand she is not to be taken lightly."

"I understand," Sai said, and he did. While he'd observed Ino's mind function, she had displayed but a tiny fraction of her ability, of the natural forces within her.

Movement below drew his attention. One of the Academy students stood in an enormous patch of daisies, plucking at them with a swift, determined deftness. No other student had arrived at the school. The boy's clothes were Suna in color and style which indicated a recent immigration from the village. Inoichi sidled to stand beside him.

"Shino's right," said Kiba, from behind. "Ino's too clever by half. We've been on missions with her. She'd choose a place everyone else would dismiss, but she'd blend in. What're yer thoughts, Shikamaru? Any reports yet?"

"A few reports have come in which would align with Ino's profile. I hadn't received any…"

Sai let Shikamaru continue uninterrupted and looked back to where he'd seen the Academy student. The boy'd moved a bit further along, knee-deep in the daisies, still plucking at them. His attention to his activity was complete, and he didn't notice Master Iruka's approach. Master Iruka might've seen the boy from a classroom window and had slipped out of a door on the other side of the courtyard. He monitored the boy for a minute or two; the boy was upset because he wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve and his narrow shoulders shuddered. Master Iruka greeted him. The young boy froze in place, but after a minute, he turned and answered Master Iruka. Shikamaru called Sai's name. When Shikamaru had finished with his orders to the squad, Master Iruka and the young Suna boy were no longer in view.

Ino's too clever by half. She'd choose a place everyone else would dismiss, but she'd blend in…

The Academy was near the Office and Shikamaru, the crux of all operations in Konoha. The Academy with students and staff in and out of the building every weekday. The Academy, in plain sight and too accessible to other shinobi. Too clever by half.

But Sai wondered and stayed silent.

"We may have a lead."

"Yeah?" said Kiba. "Another false report? Lucky us."

Shikamaru ignored Kiba's sarcasm. "Master Iruka came in to say a few of his teachers have reported stolen items and ingredients from their classrooms. The items were taken from locked cabinets not accessible to general genin or other students. Fake, transformed replacements were found instead. Furthermore, students are anxious about a certain empty classroom, saying it's haunted. Might I also add that the Academy has plenty of unused space, has bathrooms and showers, food stores, weapons, and a healthy research section in the library."

"She wouldn't be so obvious, right?" Kiba had an anxious line between his brows as he said it. "Ino doesn't make stupid mistakes. Why would it be so easy for us?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "Whether intentional or accidental, poke around a bit and see what you can find. I've given a list of the missing stuff to Intel to see what product can be made from everything. As soon as they have something, I'll let you know. You're dismissed."

Sai and Team 8 had investigated a dozen reports to no avail over the last 36 hours. The reports were from all over the village, and while some were more viable than others, Ino was in none of those places. They had had little rest, little time for recuperation. We don't have the time for breaks, Shikamaru had said. Everything hinges on how quickly we can find and secure her. Sai spent a lot of time wondering over the meaning of Shikamaru's statement. Why should they find Ino quickly? What 'hinged' on Ino's capture? Shikamaru hadn't mentioned anything to rush their timeline.

Should Ino be at the Academy, Sai was obligated to put forth his best effort to recover her. She'd told him and Team 8 to 'play their parts.' Last week, though, the 'beam of sun' feeling had persisted inside him, and in awe of how strong it burned, he'd suffered it to spread into his lungs, his heart, sinking deep in the dark caverns where his secrets were buried. And when they'd flown to Konoha, a sense of hesitation had shrouded him, wound around him with invisible threads. The closer he came to Ino, the more magnetized he was to her; the brighter and blinding the shine inside his chest.

They were at the base of the Academy, standing in the front garden. Sai forced his muscles to relax as he realized he'd tensed. "Hinata, will you take a look for us?"

She engaged her Byakugan, the web of raised veins bulging along the sides of her face. Sai, Shino, and Kiba waited as she searched the school building and after a few minutes, she shifted forward on one foot. School was in session, so faculty and students populated the classrooms. Hinata's long pause was understandable as she had to sift through the multitude of people inside. Her hand lifted, poised to reach out and touch the air.

"I see a boy alone in an empty classroom at the northwest corner, top floor, Room 505. I think...he's living in it," she said. "Should we inform Master Iruka? Since he looks to be a student, I mean."

"I'll send off a message. He can take action as he deems necessary. We'll go ahead with our capture operation." Sai completed the message in the form of a bird, which flew around the corner to find Master Iruka. "Is the classroom on the inside or outside of the building?"

"Outside. Windows line one side of the classroom," she answered. "Desks are stacked against one wall, but the desks do not block the door or the windows. There is a closet space and some cabinets."

"Shino, Hinata you two cover the window-side of the classroom for any escape. Kiba, you're with me. We'll confront Ino and try to convince her to surrender without hostile force. We'll use our comms. Set it to channel three."

The squad strapped the wireless radio communication devices to their necks and fiddled with the earpieces, setting the channel on the receivers. In the meanwhile, Kiba transformed Akamaru into a clone of himself and fixed the comm to Akamaru-as-Kiba's neck.

Sai noticed the grim frown on Kiba's face, but waited until Shino and Hinata had flitted away before mentioning it. "Kiba, everything okay?"

"Yeah. Let's get this over and done."

Something was restless and uncomfortable under Kiba's facade and had been throughout the last 36 hours. Sai had attempted to draw Kiba out of his mood, but was told he was concerned about Ino and the situation she experienced, nothing more. With Ino within their grasp, Sai decided to rely on Kiba, who had proved, time and again, a decisive and wise force on the battlefield and in separate investigations. "Understood."

As a single unit, they bolted to the roof and entered through the unlocked roof door. Inside the stairwell, Sai smelled heavy staleness to the Academy- -generations of pre-teen and teen funk lingered despite the cleanser used to mop floors and wipe windows and desks. Sai had never attended traditional school as Lord Danzo had hired tutors for general lessons on geography, history, reading, writing and other subjects, so he peered around with interest as he followed Kiba. They were in a quiet wing of the school in a darkened hall. He gestured to the classroom ahead.

"Hinata and I are in position," Shino said over the comms unit. "Ready on your go."

"Copy."

"No scent," Kiba whispered. "I'd smell him otherwise." He looked at Akamaru-as-Kiba, who whined. "Akamaru says he can't pick up a scent either."

"The scent suppression seal continues to be in effect on her," replied Sai. "You're able to monitor respiration and heartbeat."

"Yeah, but it takes a lot of concentration and chakra to focus it. There'll be a delay."

"We'll have to make it work." Sai depressed the talk button on his comm. "We're moving in."

Both Shino and Hinata replied. "Copy."

Sai motioned forward with his fingers so Kiba would go in first. They burst through the door, and in less than a second, had flanked the boy who stood at the dusty teacher's desk. Student desks were stacked in a messy pile close to the ceiling, and the air in the classroom was musty. A sleeping bag, school supplies, and other gear were set on the floor in the corner of the classroom, out of sight of any casual passers-by. The boy folded a sturdy paper he'd been studying and tucked it into a pocket. He then calmly turned his attention to Sai as though he dealt with elite shinobi every day of the week.

He said, "Master Iruka could've told me to go to class."

The boy was a smooth golden brown- -the color of many hours in hot sunshine, a true child of the Sand in every way. His clothes were beige and cream, a drape of cloth a shade of dry leaf brown over his narrow shoulder. The boy's hair was brown, but highlighted with blonde streaks (again, from the sun), and had quick, curious brown eyes. He started toward the door, but Sai shifted to bar his exit.

"One moment, please. What is your name?"

"My parents told me never to talk to strangers," the boy answered. He nodded his chin to the door. "I should get to class. Excuse me."

Sai's attention on the boy was complete. His team had not taken the time to monitor the boy's movements, but there was a certain...presence to him, a kind of Ino-ness. Sai was certain the boy was Ino disguised with a transformation jutsu; the best way to disengage the transformation would be to paralyze her and use a release technique. But before he did so, he'd have to confirm his suspicions as was protocol in any mission. The usual pull he felt toward Ino was silent at the moment; he hadn't felt it from her the entire week.

"My name's Sai. There's Kiba. Now we're not strangers," Sai said. "What's your name?"

"Akarui."

"I'm pleased to meet you. We've come from the Office of the Hokage on a special mission. I think you might be able to help. Would you answer a few questions?"

"Maybe," Akarui answered. He shot Sai a dubious look. "Depends on the questions."

"Fair enough," said Sai. Across the room, both versions of Kiba had snuck forward a few steps. "We think someone might be hidden inside the Academy. Have you seen anyone unfamiliar? Perhaps a kunoichi with blonde hair and blue eyes? Here's a photo." Sai produced the most recent photograph of Ino from her dossier file and showed it to Akarui.

"She's the prettiest lady in the whole world."

The statement was what Sai imagined Ino would say about herself given the opportunity. He couldn't help a quick smile. "Yes. She is pretty. Have you seen her before?"

"Nope. Can't help you. Can I go?" He checked himself. "Uh, sir."

"One more question. What's on the paper in your pocket?"

Sai's question took Akarui aback. "Paper?"

"Hm-hm. You had a paper open when we came in. I'd like to see it, please."

Akarui stared at Sai with insolence, and it was clear he didn't want to show the paper to Sai. Before Akarui answered, Kiba said, "Master Iruka's on his way up, Captain."

"The paper's private," said Akarui. He was uneasy, shifty. "You can't see it and I really should get back to class. Master Iruka can scold like the dickens, and I'd rather not waste the time listening to him. You shouldn't waste your time either. I've got nothing to do with anything." He put his hands together.

"Hey, kid, what're you-" Kiba's question was lost in the boom that rocked through the wing.

Sai hadn't seen it tossed, but a smoke bomb had detonated and enveloped them. White, opaque smoke clouded the enclosed classroom. Despite their fast reflexes, Sai and Kiba both jumped forward to restrain the kid, but he was too quick and small. He'd disappeared in the smoke. A moment later, glass shattered. Smoke shifted as fresh air blew in. Sai chased after Akarui, but when he came to the window, a big Konoha forest hawk had taken flight, skimming over green trees and red-tiled roofs toward Hokage Mountain. A transformation jutsu on top of a transformation jutsu.

Sai spoke over the comm. "Shino, Hinata! The forest hawk headed south!"

"On it!"

Sai had inhaled some of the smoke; it clogged his throat, his nose, and caused his eyes to water which obscured his vision. Ignoring the burn and tears, he pulled out the scroll and ink brush and produced two ink hawks; one for himself and Kiba, and one for Hinata and Shino. The ink hawks spread their wings, their screeches bounced between the buildings. Where he'd had uncertainty before, he no longer doubted. The boy was Ino as any younger and less experienced shinobi would've had too much difficulty transitioning into a hawk's body; in short, a genin would have a difficult time flying in a new body. Hinata had the Byaguken activated and while on hawk-back, gave directions as she monitored Ino's progress in the sky. They flew after her. But as they soared in the delicious May-blue sky, Sai focused on the brown hawk cutting the horizon ahead of them, a jolt shocked through his system.

The jolt snapped him straight into the classroom. He blinked, trying to adjust the cognitive dissonance the sudden change in scenery and experience caused. A hand was heavy on his shoulder.

"A genjutsu, Captain," said Shino from beside him. Sai continued to reel from the reality of the genjutsu; he'd never experienced genjutsu so pure, so convincing, before. Wait. I have. On the roof of the Office...the day of the engagement photos. Ino had carried him with her into the night sky. And in Sunda Umi, twice. The secret place. And let's not forget Sasuke's Sharingan.

Across the room, Kiba shook off his genjutsu as Hinata dropped her hand from his shoulder and reached to wake the second Kiba. Shino continued, "Hinata was in one as well. We entered through the windows"- -and indeed a windowpane was missing, no shards on the floor- -"You've been in the genjutsu for less than five minutes."

"Thank you," Sai said. "The boy…where is he?"

"I did not see him leave through the windows. As Hinata did not see him exit through the door, it is likely our quarry remains near but in disguise."

The door behind them slid open. In stepped Master Iruka in a conservative, neat gray zippered shirt and trousers. Sai had met Master Iruka when Naruto invited him along to Ichiraku. Master Iruka had been promoted to the Academy's headmaster position after the last one retired. It had been one of the first decisions Lord Kakashi and the council made once the village began its reconstruction. Master Iruka had a pleasant smile as he entered.

"Hello," he said. "I received your message, Sai, and thought it best for me to speak with you directly. On my way up the stairwell, I experienced quite a genjutsu. Is everyone okay?"

"We are all fine, Master Iruka," said Kiba and the reverence, the total respect, in his voice matched how Hinata and Shino looked at him. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm unhurt. Hinata, Shino, and Kiba, I'm glad to see you despite unfortunate circumstances." The faded scar frowned at them. He turned astute black eyes to Sai. "I heard you are captain of the search and recovery squad. May I offer my assistance to your operation?"

"We welcome any assistance," said Sai. He motioned to the area of the classroom where a sleeping bag, pillows, some clothes and other necessities were scattered. Snack and instant food wrappers peppered the disheveled sleeping bag. School supplies (textbooks, notebooks, pens and pencils) were stacked in an otherwise empty bookcase. The items were items a Suna twelve-year old would possess. "We met a student named Akarui. It appears he has been living here. Who is Akarui? And were you aware of his living arrangements?"

Master Iruka's features sobered. His voice softened. "Hoshi Akarui immigrated from Suna a a month or two ago with his sole surviving family member, his grandmother. Both of his parents died in the war. I believe his grandmother is...very strict with him. She had not reported he'd run away from home, but as he has been in attendance every day, we've had no reason to suspect he was staying on school grounds."

"You say he immigrated a month or two ago. How long has Akarui been in school?"

"A couple of weeks. Our records will show his exact enrollment date," Master Iruka said. "I'm sorry, but what relevance would his attendance have on your current mission objectives?"

"You are aware of who we pursue."

"Yes, certainly. Everyone is." Master Iruka's brow wrinkled with anxiousness.

Sai glanced at Kiba, but Kiba's attention was fixated on the pile of stacked school desks along the far wall of the classroom to the exclusion of the conversation between Sai and Master Iruka. Kiba's breathing had increased, stance on alert and weight forward on toes. Ah. It'd made sense for Ino to use the genjutsu to hide her transformation into one of the desks. That would explain why neither Shino nor Hinata had seen "Akarui" leave the school building. They could smoke her out with Shino's kikaichu, but Kiba may have determined her exact location via her respiration and heartbeat.

"The genjutsu you experienced was one Ino produced," Sai said. "We believe she poses as Akarui to have access to Academy resources. We also believe she is responsible for the theft of the items over the past week."

"Akarui is Ino," Master Iruka repeated. He nodded. "It is well within Ino's power and skill to create a cover identity and implant false memories into adults and students alike. We can check if any of the records have been falsified easily enough. However, mind jutsu can not explain every instance of Akarui's interactions within the Academy."

Master Iruka's acceptance of Akarui's true identity relieved Sai. "You agree we should track and examine Akarui, then."

"I agree, but I'd be more comfortable with a softer approach. Until we are certain of Akarui's identity, we should protect his dignity and handle his person with care."

"As kindhearted as always, Master Iruka," said Shino. He, too, had his attention on the stack of desks. He raised his arms outwards. "Shall I?"

Before Sai could give the order, a poof punctuated the moment. When the cloud dissipated, Akarui stood in place of a desk, as Sai had predicted. The boy's color was sheet white and he looked to be in pain. A dribble of blood streamed from his nose. He raised his arms over his head, but the gesture was apathetic, weary.

"I surrender," he said.

Sai realized Ino wished to preserve the integrity of her cover identity and surrender gave her an opportunity to gain control over the situation. Too clever by half.

"Akarui!" Master Iruka took a step forward, but Sai grabbed his arm and held him back. Beyond the immediate present situation, Sai wasn't sure what Ino's endgame was. "Akarui, why did you hide from Sai and his team?"

Akarui burst into a flood of tears. He sobbed out, "I was scared! I thought they'd take me away from you, Master Iruka! This school is the one single place I've felt safe in since my parents died."

"I'm glad you feel safe, but we have to perform a small jutsu test on you," said Master Iruka, in reference to the common release technique. "Once you pass the jutsu test, we can further discuss your living arrangements. You won't have to leave school."

Akarui continued to weep: snot dripped out of his nose, slobber, wracking sobs so hard Sai thought he'd hyperventilate. Sai, through the duration of the drama, hesitated to speak the attack word. He knew Ino was in front of him, disguised and putting on one heck of a show, but in front of him nonetheless. He had a chance to let her break free. Her manner and behavior as Akarui could convince him to walk away. She'd be safe for a while longer. However, she was insistent he play his part, whatever part he was assigned. But why? Why should he play his part? More than anything, he wanted to stand with her as she navigated the dangerous landscape unfurled at her feet.

Master Iruka's big golden heart (according to Naruto's Academy stories) overpowered his reason, and he brushed aside Sai's arm. He took a couple steps toward Akarui, lured to the pain he saw flagrant in the young boy. His reaction was understandable as Ino displayed genuine emotion. Sai said, "I wouldn't, Master Iruka."

"Shall I release the kikaichu?"

"Don't let them hurt me!" screamed Akarui, cringing away. "Please!"

Play your part. He must trust in her secret plan. "Shino, release."

"No! Run!"

The yell was not from Akarui. Before Sai could comprehend the voice, he was slammed to his back, wind knocked from his lungs, and pinned under a strong, snarling Kiba. The attack had blindsided him completely. Off to the side, a green and gray blur tackled Shino, and the momentum of the two bodies crashed them through the wall of the classroom into the hallway. Loud buzzing filled the air. Sai didn't speak. He broke Kiba's hold, but Kiba was not to be thwarted and reasserted a different hold so what resulted was Kiba and Sai in a mess of legs and arms, rolling on the floor and crashing into furniture and desks. The holds Kiba exerted were not to maim or to kill, but to restrain. Sai's main attention was on Kiba- -brain in disbelief with Kiba's rash choice and also in relief Ino'd been given an opportunity to escape- -but he sensed Master Iruka and Hinata had exited the room as Shino wrangled with Akamaru-as-Kiba up and down the abandoned hallway.

Shino ended the fight a minute later, using the kikaichu to drain the chakra first from Akamaru, who lost his Kiba transformation, and next on Kiba, who sank to his hands and knees, weakened from chakra loss. He didn't continue to fight as his distraction had allowed Ino's escape. His purpose accomplished, he could do nothing further. Shino brought Sai to his feet. They stood at the window, empty of the glass.

Ino will be furious with Kiba, he thought. He said, "Shino, escort Kiba and Akamaru to the Office and explain everything to Shikamaru. I'm going after Master Iruka and Hinata. Once we have more information, I'll send you a message and you can join us at your earliest availability."

Shino said nothing, but stood in grim silence as Sai drew out an ink beast hawk and took to the sky to chase after Ino. Shino, as Kiba's teammate and long-time friend, would feel the effects of Kiba's decision to betray the team and the mission objectives. Shikamaru would not be pleased. Worse, how would Miyazato and the Yamanaka clan view Kiba's loyalty to Ino, should they find out?

With his mind on these questions, Sai soared high above the village, his eyes scanning for a man with a brown ponytail and a gray shirt, and a woman with black hair and a lavender outfit.

A/N: My apologies for any whiplash experienced in recent (and future) chapters. I find it easier to keep the plot moving if I cycle through pertinent main characters' heads within each chapter. With Part II coming to a conclusion in a few more chapters, it makes sense to use a variety of voices to narrate the important plot beats to avoid any stagnation or slow-down. Thanks again for hanging with me. I tend to word vomit & I did edit down this chapter (poorly).