Chapter Five: Border Clash
Of course, Sakura had some business on the side.
She insisted on rushing back to her apartment to get some things and shut the door on them before they could come in. There they waited, and Naruto had to admit he was glad of the time to rest. It was kind of nice, just admiring the village and looking at streets he'd left behind. Even so, it was kind of taking a while.
Eventually, Naruto moved forward and knocked on the door. And he wondered who her parents were and why he'd never seen them. They'd never showed up for any school events or even graduation. But he'd been so miserable he hadn't noticed.
Actually, where had Sakura been then?
"Sakura?" asked Naruto. "Sakura, you almost done?"
"Sorry, Naruto, I've just been trying to get some things I'll need," said Sakura inside.
"Don't hurry," said Kakashi. "We have enough time to pack."
"Is that really the case?" asked Hinata curiously.
"We were ordered to rest up before we set out anyway, Hinata," said Naruto. "And it's standard procedure to get everything you need."
"Right," said Hinata, nodding.
The door opened, and Sakura stepped out, and there was something... odd about her. She was wearing a bag as he'd never seen her wear. And her expression was oddly blank. "Okay, I'm done." Silence as her expression changed. "Naruto, could you move, please?"
"Sakura..." Naruto halted as he thought of what to say. There was a desk behind Sakura, and it had nothing on it besides a picture of Team 7. And all of the books were on advanced theoretical subjects. "You're apartment is really clean."
"Yeah, I try to keep it that way," said Sakura. "Can we move please, I don't want to hang around here? Let's go."
"Oh, sure," said Naruto. "Don't you want to say goodbye to your parents, though? I mean, uh... they didn't die in the Sound Invasion, did they?" He felt horrible for the asking, but he genuinely did not know. Sakura hadn't said anything about them, and he hadn't noticed her looking.
Hinata and Kakashi shared a glance at this instead of telling him he was an idiot.
"Oh, them?" asked Sakura. "Don't worry; they aren't really around that much. Or at all."
And she raced off quickly, and Naruto took his time catching up, feeling more and more troubled. Hinata fell back to sit next to him. "What is it, Naruto?" she asked.
"I've known Sakura for years, and I know almost nothing about her," said Naruto. "I mean, I know who your family are, Hinata. I know about Ino, and Shikamaru, and Choji and Kiba. Even Kakashi-sensei.
"But this is the first we've talked about it."
"Well, I'm sure you can get to know her better if you ask," said Hinata. "Politely, of course. It could be a sensitive subject. What you said was... not tactful."
"Right," said Naruto. Then he saw Hinata glancing back. "What is it?"
"Her apartment is completely empty," said Hinata. "There are no personal items."
And out onto the road, they walked again together. Kakashi led the way, with Sakura moving behind him. As they did, Naruto remembered his time together with the Konoha 12. "So, here we are, back on the open road and on a quest to save people.
"Just like old times, huh, Hinata?"
"Yes, definitely," said Hinata. "I am... glad to be with you again, Naruto."
"Just stay focused, Hinata. We've got work to do," said Sakura.
"Sakura is right," said Kakashi. "Remember that every mission could have serious consequences if we fail. Every action we take could make the difference."
"Whatever you say, Captain," said Sakura bitterly.
"So, Sakura, Naruto, how have you been doing?" asked Kakashi suddenly.
"Eh, pretty good. Pervy Sage and I have been going on all kinds of adventures together," said Naruto.
"I've been hearing a lot of people," said Sakura. "Also, I practiced drawing anatomy."
"Ah, well, both of those are good," said Kakashi.
"Captain Kakashi," said Sakura suddenly.
"Yes?" asked Kakashi.
"Naruto said something which I genuinely don't get earlier," said Sakura. "And he's refusing to explain his reasoning for it.
"I was wondering if I could get your opinion on it."
"Sure," said Kakashi. "Though you don't have to be so formal, Sakura."
"Naruto seems to think that Sasuke would stand no chance against Neji if they fought," said Sakura. "Now, Neji is strong, and I know the Hyuga is a great clan. But I don't see how Naruto could be that confident when we don't even know what Sasuke has been up to.
"The Leaf has been searching all over and found nothing."
"Well, it's possible that the Byakugan could be utilized for an ambush-" began Kakashi.
"I already thought of that," said Sakura.
"The Byakugan's nature allows it superior defense against the Uchiha's specialties," noted Kakashi. "The Sharingan is very useful for illusion and genjutsu. But only a Hyuga can put another Hyuga under genjutsu."
"Why is that anyway?" asked Naruto.
"Um..." Hinata halted. "It's our vision. We can see through solid objects and in three hundred and sixty degrees. Because of this, other people can't think as we do. A genjutsu requires you to ensure a person is an illusion.
"But you have to create the genjutsu based on your own experiences. For example, most people see forward and a little to the side, so their genjutsu will be based on that. But unless you can see like us, it's impossible to simulate a Hyuga's vision. And even if you could, our ability to examine the details of the illusion would be unmatched.
"And because of our precise chakra control, breaking genjutsu is second nature. We can do that kind of movement from birth."
"Which makes it impossible for a non-Hyuga to put one on them," finished Kakashi-sensei. "So if Sasuke has invested a lot of time into illusions, it will be ineffective. And given who he is training to fight, that is very likely."
"Right, but people who have a type advantage lose all the time," noted Sakura. "I don't see how Naruto can say Sasuke couldn't win.
"Ah right," said Kakashi. "Well, without seeing either of them in action, I can't say for sure. But I think Sasuke would at least hold his own, despite his lack of experience."
"Lack of experience?" asked Sakura in surprise.
"Naruto, you feel like chiming in?"
Naruto smiled at that. "If you don't know, I'm not going to tell you."
"Oh, come on!" said Sakura. "Stop keeping us in suspense!"
"Sorry," said Naruto. "But you'll just have to wait until they have a match. Or you can figure it out for yourself."
"Can you give us a hint?" asked Hinata.
"Well," said Naruto. "It has to do with what the Konoha 12 have been doing for the last few years. And what Sasuke has been doing. How we've been spending our time is important." Then he paused. "Anyone want another riddle? I promise you I'll give you the answer to this one soon if you don't get it."
Kakashi laughed. "Why not?"
"What would you say the best kind of battle to fight is?" asked Naruto.
"An interesting question," mused Kakashi. "I would say that the best kind of battle is one that you can win in a single strike. To win before the opponent has the chance to inflict injury on you."
"Sakura, what would you say?" asked Naruto.
"The best kind of battle is one where no one gets hurt," said Sakura, sounding like she was saying it for her own benefit. "I'm willing to accept my enemy surviving if it means my comrades do as well."
"And you, Hinata?" asked Naruto.
"The best kind of battle is one which is won with the smallest amount of force necessary," said Hinata. "If you use more force than you have to, then you've wasted energy and done more harm than you had to. That is the whole principle of gentle fist.
"And what would you say, Naruto? What do you believe is the best kind of battle?"
At that moment, Neji, Lee, and Tenten shot through the trees above them. They checked their pace to look down at them. Naruto was surprised as to how quietly they had moved, and Neji landed. "Lady Hinata."
"Oh, Neji," said Hinata. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, we're messengers," said Tenten.
"Messengers?" asked Naruto.
"Yup, Lady Tsunade is sending us with a message to the Cloud," said Tenten. "Well, technically, it's from the Leaf as a whole. A lot of the clans agreed on a message and asked her to send it.
"We're supposed to bring it to the Raikage after you're engagement."
"Why are you being used for messenger duty?" asked Kakashi.
"Well, that's the problem with having the highest endurance and speed rank," said Tenten. "We get used for this kind of thing a lot. Although, um... this is kind of more personal. See, the letter is sent with the authorization of the Hokage, but it's actually from the Hyuga.
"They sort of had to get permission to send something like this."
"Indeed," said Rock Lee. "We believe that the vendetta between the Hyuga and Cloud may soon reach a bitter conclusion."
"We are also to act as insurance for your mission," said Neji.
"So you are gonna help us?" asked Sakura.
"It depends on the situation when we get there," said Neji. "We're to stay aloof from a direct showdown if possible."
"Messengers traditionally are to go unhurt," said Tenten. "But, if they start joining in the fighting, all bets are off."
Naruto shrugged and had a thought. "Whatever you say, Sai."
No reaction.
Neji looked up at him in bemusement, as did Tenten and Lee. No reaction.
"What are you doing, Naruto?" asked Sakura, looking weirded out.
"Sorry, just checking," said Naruto.
They parted ways shortly thereafter and soon came to the border. Taking shelter behind some rocks, they looked out to the border. Sakura looked to Kakashi. "What do you think the message is, Kakashi?"
"Possibly a warning," said Kakashi. "The Cloud has crossed the Leaf several times. Lady Tsunade may wish to make her displeasure personally known. Or perhaps the Hyuga have some demand to make if things go well here.
"It could be that Neji has several messages and is to deliver one or the other depending on the outcome here."
Naruto peered into the trees across the border and wondered who was waiting out there. Looking over to Kakashi-sensei, he halted. "I've never been down here before."
"Well, most of your missions were in the heartlands, Naruto," noted Kakashi-sensei. "Do you see anything, Hinata?"
"One moment," said Hinata. "...Yes, I see them. There are a lot of them—a lot more than we expected.
"Hundreds, even."
"Hundreds?" asked Sakura. "You don't think this is a full-blown invasion, do you, Naruto?"
"Um, Kakashi-sensei, the same question?" said Naruto, wondering why Sakura was looking to him for answers.
"I don't know," admitted Kakashi. "It's possible that they are expecting an incursion or are testing for weaknesses. This kind of force is impressive but not enough for an invasion."
"It would be enough for a raid on some of our satellite villages," noted Hinata. "They could be waiting for something, though."
"Why don't we just go talk to them?" asked Naruto.
"What?" asked Kakashi-sensei. "What do you mean?"
"Look, let's just ask them what they are doing here and see if we can work things out," said Naruto. "Maybe they have a good reason for being out here."
"Um, Naruto, they've tried to kidnap me twice before," said Hinata.
"Yeah, but they said the last one acted without orders. Maybe they really did," said Naruto. "I know they could be as bad as everyone thinks, but we thought the same thing for Zabuza, and Gaara too. And I don't think all of the people over there could be as bad as either of them."
"We have orders, Naruto. Hinata is supposed to act as bait," noted Kakashi-sensei.
"Yeah, but Lady Tsunade didn't know about this kind of force," said Naruto. "Do you think we're expected to take out a small army?
"Maybe we could take them out, but it'll be hard. It could be a lot easier if we just talk with them."
Kakashi-sensei sighed and adjusted his mask. "...Alright, Naruto. Fine.
"We'll do things your way. How do you want to make contact."
"I'll send some shadow clones!" said Naruto.
Then, creating the maximum number of shadow clones. Then he sent them forward and remembered how difficult it used to be. Made a huge display, he halted by the border. "HEY! CLOUD NINJA! WE WANT TO PARLEY WITH YOU NOW!
"AND IF YOU DON'T, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BEAT YOU UP!" Then they vanished.
"...uh, that may have been a bit blunt, Naruto," said Hinata in a worried look.
"Idiot," said Sakura.
"Well, at least they won't misinterpret our intent," said Kakashi-sensei.
Then she stepped into place.
She was a tall, blonde-haired woman clad in a white tunic with long legs. Quite cute, but a bit stern for Naruto's taste. Moving forward to the edge of the border, she halted. "I am Yugito Nii of the Cloud, and I speak with the Raikage's authority.
"May I pass over the border?"
Naruto looked to Hinata. "Anything?"
"Some people standing guard, but no ambush," said Hinata.
"Oh yeah, sure. I'll come down to meet you," said Naruto, racing down. As he did, he slid down a path, faltering. "Sorry about all this, things have been... hectic lately. I mean, I get back, and already we've got Akatsuki walking the borders. Plus, well, you.
"No offense, I'm sure you're all nice people.
"But you kind of have an army on our doorstep, and a lot of people don't like you very much right now."
"Are you threatening us?" asked Yugito.
"No, although I was sent over here to take out your entire team by myself," said Naruto. "I mean, I've got one or two friends, but even with us, it could be a hassle doing it without hurting anyone."
"Amusing," said Yugito. "What do you want?"
"Well, we'd like to know what you're doing here for a start," said Naruto.
Yugito paused. "You've said it yourself. The Akatsuki are walking your borders unopposed. And we've observed similar movements in other regions. Our observers have reported that both of your scouts have missed multiple S-ranked ninja.
"We suspect that they are going to be used for operations.
"The Cloud Village suffered serious casualties at the hands of Deidara and Sasori. Deidara was considered a possible candidate to be Tsuchikage. Itachi was from the Leaf, and Kisame was a notable enforcer for Yagura before he left."
"Okay, so what's your point?" asked Naruto, not sure where she was going with this.
"We believe that the Akatsuki are an extension of one or more of the Five Great Nations," said Yugito. "At the very least, we are convinced that they have been performing covert missions for them.
"We have no intention of letting them get into the Cloud Village."
Okay, that was actually a pretty good reason. "Well, um, no offense, but you're kind of wasting your time here."
Yugito eyed him without changing his expression. "What do you mean?"
"Well, uh, we've got the Hyuga," said Naruto. "I mean, those can see your patrols miles away through a brick wall. And they see in three-hundred and sixty degrees.
"That's the whole reason you keep trying to kidnap Hinata, isn't it?
"You want the scouting power. So, if the Leaf was actually working with the Akatsuki, they wouldn't cross the border. They'd sneak across with a Hyuga guide. They would avoid all your patrols miles before you even knew someone was there."
Yugito narrowed her eyes and seemed to be calculating his agenda. Naruto didn't really have an agenda, though. He just wanted to avoid a war. "That may be so. But the Akatsuki might be utilized as a distraction to sew discord in our lines for a Leaf invasion."
"Yeah, but that's never going to happen," said Naruto.
"Because you are the heroes?" asked Yugito.
"No, not at all," said Naruto. "I mean, we are sort of heroes. But that wouldn't be what stops us. What stops us is because the Leaf is only standing because we're heroes.
"After the Sound Village hit us, the whole thing was held together by scotch tape. The Old Man didn't have a successor until I got Tsunade in. She managed to fix things up a bit, but she did it by fostering goodwill.
"My friends went on many missions that didn't pay a lot, but which helped a lot of people. All those people were grateful to us, and I got them to believe in my ninja way and stuff.
"But, well, if I decided to invade somebody else's country, they'd realize I was only faking it. Then they'd abandon us in an instant. If you invade us, we'll have a lot of support, but not much good offensively.
"Although, I guess if you were to strike first, we could use that to justify an invasion. And you've already struck first several times.
"But that's your choice. I won't judge."
Yugito actually seemed to find this funny because she smiled a bit. "So you suggest a de-escalation because neither of us could win an offensive war?"
"Well that, and all-out war is a bad thing, isn't it?" asked Naruto. "I mean, ninja wage war all the time. But that's all low-intensity stuff. Sometimes nobody even dies at the end of it, and people can honor promises and stuff.
"And, well, we'd all go broke without that.
"But if things get really bad like with the Shinobi World Wars, it'll be terrible for everyone. Nobody will be better off; everyone will have lost people they love. And the hatred that is created will just make it more likely to happen again."
"...And how do I know that you won't simply move a large force of troops up through here?" asked Yugito.
Naruto glanced back. "Oh, um, Kakashi-sensei, Hinata, Sakura, stand up, please!"
They stood up. "That's my army. There could be a couple of other guys here as backup, but I don't think they'd take your orders. Pretty sure we can take you, but we'd have to kill a lot of people. And I don't want to do that.
"if you want to make sure nobody else is around, go ahead and look."
Yugito now seemed convinced this was too good to be true. "...You're offering me a chance to observe your defenses?"
"Why not? What have I got to hide?" asked Naruto. "And if it will help convince you nobody is going to pursue you, it could help. Plus, well, fighting like four guys, it's gonna be the same no matter where we do it.
"Hinata, Sakura, come down here, please."
The two quickly came down, looking on incredulously.
"Yes, Naruto, what is it?" asked Hinata.
"I want you two to provide Yugito Nii with guidance as to how things are looking out here," said Naruto. "Answer any questions she has honestly, as long as it's not top-secret stuff or whatever."
"Naruto, are you sure about this-" began Sakura.
"Relax," said Naruto. "I can take them if something bad happens. And you guys are experienced ninja."
"...I insist on being able to take two guards of my choosing," said Yugito. "For security purposes."
"Are you seriously making demands to a no-strings-attached concession?" asked Naruto.
"I'm a ninja; I am obligated to be paranoid," said Yugito. "Especially when things seem too good to be true."
"You can't possibly expect us to go along with this," said Sakura. "Every time you Cloud Ninja been in the same room as Hinata, you've tried to kidnap her. Literally. We're already making extensive concessions for your benefit.
"If we actually did seize or kill you, you're entire army would attack immediately! You-"
"Sakura," said Naruto. "What your saying is all true, but it's really not the time. Hinata, are you okay with this? I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do. We could swap you out with Kakashi if you want."
"I am fine with it," said Hinata. Neji was nearby, after all, and he was surely watching this. They'd have the advantage of numbers. "If I cannot stand in the face of my enemies, I cannot be a real ninja."
"Fine, go ahead," said Naruto. "Sakura, I need you there as backup for Hinata. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. I trust both of you."
Yugito disappeared for a bit, and Naruto wondered if she was about to come back with an army. Hinata was here, after all, so she was waiting. But she came back with a beautiful red-haired girl with tan skin. With her was and a white-haired boy with tan skin.
"This is Samui, and Karui," said Yugito. "I assure you, they will be of no trouble."
"Great," said Naruto. "I was hoping to avoid a Fourth Shinobi World War today."
Karui scoffed. "You think a border skirmish would cause that?"
"It might," said Naruto. "You'd be surprised at how many Leaf Ninja want your Raikage dead. I mean, I'm not one of them. I don't believe in seeking revenge for its own sake. But, uh, there are a lot of other reasons besides that.
"I mean, if Hinata were to be seized again, anyone pushing for restraint would lose credibility. And then some aggressive people with very legitimate grievances get very, very angry. And in their anger, they might do something they'd regret.
"Something... massive.
"Something that would significantly destabilize the balance of power in the Shinobi World. And would also set a very grisly example to future generations about betraying your word.
"I'm talking about destroying the Hidden Cloud Village, Karui. Just because the Old Man was tolerant doesn't mean all of us are."
"Are you threatening us?" asked Yugito.
"No, no," said Naruto. "I'm being as cooperative as I possibly can to avoid a war. But that's not going to us any good if you won't work with me. I drive out the doves; the hawks will take their place.
"And they'll start looking for prey."
"I don't think doves actually would be able to keep hawks out," noted Omoi. "I mean, I don't think hawks eat doves. But maybe the doves have utilized some kind of aura of power to magically compel the hawks to leave.
"But when the doves were driven out, the aura of power starts going out of control. And the hawks utilize it to terrify their enemies and drive them before-"
"Shut up, Omoi," said Karui. "That doesn't have anything to do with what we were talking about?! It's a metaphor! He's telling that if we throw down with him, the fight will be no-holds-barred!"
"You guys aren't very professional, are you?" asked Naruto ruefully.
"Who are you to talk about being unprofessional?" asked Karui. "You're literally inviting us to inspect your defenses! Ninja are supposed to use deception!"
"It's worked pretty well for me so far," noted Naruto.
"Can we get this underway?" asked Yugito.
Hinata and Sakura led them away, and Naruto sent a number of shadow clones after them. Nothing actually happened, but Yugito, Karui, and Omoi spent hours working at it. They didn't seem to conceive that there wasn't some kind of trap or secret for of troops. Why would Naruto show his hand?
That was the problem with being cynical.
If you were cynical enough, you couldn't conceive of anyone being idealistic. But for now, Naruto made his way over to Kakashi-sensei, who seemed to be sketching out battle plans.
Kakashi looked up suddenly. "Naruto..."
"Yeah?" asked Naruto.
"You were testing Neji, weren't you?" asked Kakashi. "You thought he was Sai, operating on orders from Danzo."
"I was afraid of it," said Naruto. "Someone from the Konoha 12 would be the best choice. And he has a lot of reason to hate the Cloud.
"If you were going to turn him, you'd offer him the chance at revenge on the Raikage. Then you promise to get rid of the Caged Bird Seal and convince him I'd forgotten all about him."
"What makes you, so certain Sai is part of the Konoha 12?" asked Kakashi.
"It's gotta be one of them," said Naruto. "Or at least, one of them would be the best choice. It gives you access to Shino and Ino, not to mention everyone else in the Konoha 12. All of them are going to be important people someday, so if I were an evil mastermind, I'd want to turn them.
"It's what I would do."
"What?" said Kakashi.
"If hypothetically, I were super evil like Orochimaru, I mean," said Naruto. "I mean, whoever Sai is, they probably don't even know they're being turned. Danzo probably just offered them a chance to do some very important, dangerous work. Maybe for a bit of extra pay, I don't know.
"They aren't our enemy yet, but..." Naruto trailed off, and Kakashi-sensei gazed at him.
"What is it?" asked Kakashi.
"I can't read Danzo, Kakashi-sensei," said Naruto. "Whenever I meet a person, I can sort of... see myself reflected in them. I find the ways we are similar and appeal to those for common ground. It's how I become friends with people so easily.
"But the way things are, I can't find anything to bond over.
"I'm afraid we're going to be at cross purposes someday. I'll bet he already has someone in mind to succeed Granny Tsunade. And I don't want there to ever be a time where people in the Leaf Village kill their comrades.
"Just like I don't want to kill Sasuke, no matter what he has done."
"I know the feeling," said Kakashi. "The loss of Obito and Rin nearly broke me, and Minato went further. Without Guy, I'd never have stayed human.
"But that's a long way off, Naruto.
"Why don't we do some research on the subject when we get back to the Leaf?"
And, eventually, when a day of paranoia {mostly on the Cloud Ninjas part} had passed, Naruto saw them return. Moving down to meet with them, he noticed that Yugito Nii looked more paranoid than before. She and her companions kept gazing around as if expecting some shadow to appear.
Naruto took a guess at what happened. In his mind, they had convinced themselves that Naruto could not possibly be on the level. There had to be some hidden cache or army, or otherwise, he had to have some secret agenda. So they'd worked themselves up looking for it and trying to find it all day and come up with nothing.
And now they were wondering if the entire thing hadn't been a wild goose chase from the start. A clever ploy to convince them to waste a day for no gain at all. Except that didn't pan out because they now knew there was no army on this half. And they would be the aggressors in any conflict. So by all accounts, Naruto had given them valuable information free of charge.
But this was something they could not conceive of. So their minds went back whirling through incomprehensible elaborate strategies. And this made them even more tired, miserable, and paranoid. Hinata and Sakura, meanwhile, seemed to have taken a great deal of entertainment from it.
"...So, find anything?" asked Naruto.
"Nothing," said Yugito. "No traps. No other forces. No defenses.
"What are you up to?"
Naruto decided to throw them a bone out of pity. Since they seemed to want him to be some kind of diabolical mastermind, he supposed he could play that part. "Oh, I'm completely on the level here.
"I've already told you everything I know. Although, come to think of it, that whole theory about the Akatsuki working with the Leaf could be true. I mean, I don't buy for a second that Tsunade would ever condone something like that.
"But, well, she was kind of meant to be a puppet.
"So, hypothetically speaking, there could be some bad people who are going behind her back. And these bad people would be able to recruit the Hyuga for obvious reasons." He glanced to Hinata. "I mean, you were planning to turn her into a breeding slave."
"What?!" said Yugito. "What do you mean by..."
"Anyway, these people might have already lead a team of Akatsuki into your territory."
"What?" said Yugito.
"Now, they'd likely break ranks with those Akatsuki as soon as they were in," noted Naruto. "Deniability and all that. So you could find them pretty easy and do us all a favor and take them out.
"If you stuck around here, the Akatsuki might start targeting Jinchuuriki. They are all S-ranked ninja, so who knows what kind of chaos they could cause while we're talking here.
"So I'm not sure you've got time to stick around here and ask me questions.
"Hypothetically speaking, of course. I'd love to help, but, well, the Cloud doesn't seem to want to accept the Leaf's friendship.
"Bye."
Yugito, Karui, and Omoi sprinted back over the border, calling to their men and running off. Of course, anyone who was thinking wouldn't have bought it. After all, he was a front-line fighter and wouldn't be privy to that kind of strategy.
But, they had already convinced themselves that Naruto was not on the level. And their attempts to explain his 'deceptions' had led to them exhausting themselves. So they bought it without question and quickly rallied their ninja and left.
Of course, one can't sit in a tree posing for war for an entire day without becoming a bit stiff. The beating sun and a few drizzles had been hitting them all day, and so the retreat was by exhausted ninja. They probably would have been in better shape if they had fought a full battle.
Neji, Tenten and Lee landed. "...They're retreating. The Cloud are fleeing at a rate I've never seen a military force capable of," said Neji.
"How did you know we would be able to evade them?" asked Tenten.
"Well, I figured you were watching," said Naruto. "And I figured you and Hinata could see each other. So no matter what, you could be in different places."
"That's a good point," mused Sakura. "You're a lot smarter than you look, Naruto."
"Well, it's better than looking cleverer than you are," noted Naruto.
"Did you mean what you said when you suggested we might be aiding the Akatsuki?" asked Hinata.
"No, I don't think it's really happening," said Naruto. "Tsunade would never do that, and you'd have to go behind her back.
"But it could be; I think there are Leaf Ninja who might think of it as a good idea. And since it could happen, Yugito had to respond to it even if it wasn't happening.
"You guys want to deliver the message?"
"We'll see to it at once," said Neji. "I imagine they'll be quite panicked when they see us coming up behind."
And they shot off.
Naruto looked to Kakashi. "Hey guys, I've got an answer for you."
"Hmm?" said Kakashi.
"The best kind of battle is one you never have to fight at all!" said Naruto.
"Fine by me," said Sakura. "What do you think, Captain Kakashi? What now?"
"Now?" asked Kakashi. "Now we stick around here for a few days to make sure the Cloud doesn't double back. I'll send a letter to the Hokage and ask for orders. I'm sure they can send someone to relieve us.
"I hope you like hours of boredom, Naruto. Because you've just chased off our entertainment for the wee."
"Oh, right," said Naruto. "No one to fight."
There truly were some drawbacks to peace.
