The door opened without a sound. Hiruzen smiled upon seeing his old teammate and friend enter. His office in the Hokage Tower was warm and cozy, a sharp contrast with Danzo. Hiruzen choose to ignore that. Above all, despite their different views, they were still friends and remnants of an era long gone.

Danzo moved with the aid of a cane, one side of him covered in bandages. Age had forced his back to curve despite his pride. Hiruzen felt his own age in his eyes, the persistent ache in his left knee and the wrinkles in his face. It was a strange thing, growing old. He would have loved to see his teachers and all of his own children grow old but life was not so kind.

The two sat opposite each other, Danzo's cup of tea growing cold while Hiruzen sipped his. Every movement he made was followed by Danzo's sole eye. Not for the first time did Hiruzen wonder what had happened to him. At night, in the darkest moments, he let his imagination conjure horrible conclusions that involved Orochimaru, but he refused to let those simmer. Most of them.

"What is it, Hiruzen?" Danzo broke the silence.

Hiruzen contemplated his reply. It was based on his own fears and again a product of dark thoughts. "It's about one of the Genin, from this year."

Danzo's spine stiffened. Hiruzen let his smile fade. He never imagined a conversation between the two of them to become so painful.

"Chi. Ketsueki Chi." he continued. "I've noticed your... interest in her."

Danzo gave him that cold smile he had become known for. His interest was an open secret. The Ketsueki were always both a blessing and a curse to Danzo. "I'm making sure that she won't harm this village."

Hiruzen hummed, drinking again. Perhaps sake would have been a better option. "No faith in our teachers?"

Iruka was the most dedicated teacher they had. He was kind, patient despite his temper, and cared for every student. His bond with Naruto was nothing short of familial and it warmed Hiruzen's heart. Urging the young man to become a teacher was one of his greatest personal achievements.

"The Academy is not the right place for her kind." Danzo said. "I've told you before, she should have been enrolled in ANBU the minute the Ketsueki-"

"An eight-year-old in ANBU?" Hiruzen raised his eyebrow. "Even for you that's extreme. She was not stable at the time."

Danzo tapped his cane on the floor. "Plenty of shinobi younger than her, have survived."

"Do not forget that the Foundation is gone." Hiruzen eyes turned hard at the memories of Danzo's former organization. The child-soldiers with blank faces, nothing more than machines still visited his dreams sometimes. Minato abolishing it was probably one of his greatest decisions as Hokage. Sensing his personal guard stirring, Hiruzen reigned his chakra back in.

Danzo bit down a sigh. They've had the same argument for five years now. "ANBU is the only place she would grow up stable. She and the Uchiha boy should have been there right after the massacres. I'm warning you again, Hiruzen. That boy is blinded by vengeance. Once day he will turn against us."

Hiruzen thought of the first time he had met Chi. A skinny four-year-old with a toothy grin and pigtails, clutching her cousin's pants and offering a rose to Hiruzen. He thought of bright-eyed Sasuke who adored his brother and loved him more than life. He thought of Kakashi who only spiraled into self-destruction behind that mask. He put his cup down.

"Chi is a child. Yes, she is rough around the edges, but she would not fit in ANBU." Very few did, and they usually ended up worse than before. "And Sasuke, well, keeping him safe is the least I can do for those boys."

Danzo's eye darkened. Hiruzen held his gaze. When did we fall so far apart? When did you become part of the darkness?

"We'll see how she develops." Danzo said with finality in his tone. Hiruzen smiled as he picked up his pipe. He usually won these arguments. The deal had been to wait until Chi was at least a Chuunin before getting her into the ANBU. It was part of a compromise; either she'd go to ANBU or she'd be forced into medical training where she'd undoubtedly end up as a research subject before long. Hiruzen understood the need to remove her from the main corps, but he wanted to stretch it for as long as he could.

"That was the plan, old friend."

Maybe, in time, she'd develop as a normal student. Maybe Sasuke would see that revenge would bring him nothing. Maybe. Hiruzen could only hope.

In front of the Nara district, night~

A cold breeze send chills down the spine of Ryuya. The shortest member of Team 11 was standing in front of the Nara district, wearing only her short lavender dress and a dark purple shirt over it against the chill. Her backpack was heavy and the straps dug in her shoulders. She was alone but had the constant feeling that she was being followed. Above her head was one of the lanterns that were placed on regular intervals along the street.

From the moment she left her house she could almost feel two eyes bore holes in her back. She stuck to the open streets where some people still wandered around until she reached the clan districts. It was eleven o'clock and she hoped that her teammates would hurry up and come already. According to the map they took from the library, Chi's house was the closest to the location so she should have been here by the time Ryuya arrived.

Chi told them to gather near the Nara compound instead of her own district. When Shinji demanded an explanation she simply told them that the safest way to get to her house, meant that they would first have to walk around the entire Nara Forest and then cross the Forest of Death in the darkness. The Nara's forest was not large but it formed three-quarters of the district's borders. Going around the forest led straight to the path towards the Forest of Death, just outside the village. Going the other way meant taking a huge detour and crossing multiple other clan districts. Not to mention that the Nara clan specialized in using and manipulating shadows. Not even seasoned shinobi would dare to do that.

Both girls quickly caved and thus the public entrance to the Nara district became their first meeting point. There was a wooden gate at the very back of the district. The gate, no more than a wooden arch with a sign, led to a shortcut that brought them directly to the main entrance of the Forest of Death. It was constructed fairly recently, when Nara Shikaku's wife complained to her husband and subsequently the Hokage that a child like Chi should not have to face inspections and a two-hour journey just move between her home and the village. No one dared to go against her and thus a road was build, cutting straight from the Nara district to the Forest of Death and turning two hours into half an hour and granting Chi's eternal gratefulness towards the clan.

Gathering near a shinobi clan at night sounded like potential suicide, they knew it. Yet Ryuya was pretty sure that the laid back clan members couldn't be bothered by her presence, especially since they would be smart enough to recognize her as a threat equal to a mouse. Ryuya was short and skinny, a 'doll' according to her father. Ryuya was still debating whether she liked that or not.

Her fingers clenched around her headband around her neck. Her hair was too short to tie back with the headband like a lot of her classmates had done. The day before she began her final year at the Academy, she decided to cut her long navy tresses to a short but practical bob. It was a hard choice but she felt proud of it.

Ryuya wanted to become a kunoichi to look cool to her younger siblings and cousins. Being the oldest of three, with two brothers bound to grow bigger and stronger than her, she felt her pride crumbling. Being a shinobi would put her back on that pedestal and give her the strength to protect them as she ought to.

Ryuya was the first from the family consisting of bakers and pastry chefs to become a shinobi. Her family owned a large bakery at the center of the village. Her parents, aunts and uncles all worked there, while her only surviving grandmother watched the children. She was the one to tell them about the night the Nine Tailed Fox attacked and killed one of her sons along with her husband.

When Ryuya told her she wanted to become a shinobi, her grandmother had frozen in fear. Four-year-old Ryuya told her proudly that she was going to protect her family and the bakery from any enemy. Her parents probably indulged her and allowed her to apply, believing she would quit soon enough. Unfortunately for them, they hadn't counted on Sasuke Uchiha to be in the same class. Just like almost every other girl and a few boys, Ryuya's crush on the kid soon became her greatest motivation. Every day she would bring cakes and fresh loafs to tempt Sasuke, making the rest of the class jealous, but to no avail. She just ended up eating it herself or sharing it with Shinji, who usually sat beside her.

Her teachers had more than often chided her to bring healthier food. Ryuya would have done that, if she had the ability to become fat that is. She had even vowed that she would stop eating them if she gained any weight. After all, how could she compete for Sasuke's attention if she was fat and with a face filled with pimples?

Footsteps neared her and she looked up, hand hovering over her weapon's pouch strapped to her thigh. Shinji's scarf was flying behind her as she ran down the street. Her footsteps echoed against the wooden walls on either side. She too wore a backpack, Ryuya noted. Her own pack was small but sturdy, sown by her aunt from empty sacks of flour. It only contained weapons, some rations and a basic med-kit.

Shinji was wearing a deep red scarf over her simple, gray sweater and black leggings and knee-protectors. Her brown hair was held back with her headband and the ribbon was woven into her two braids. Her weapon pouch didn't need an extra strap to stop slipping down and there was a short blade strapped to her other leg. Already, she looked more like a shinobi than Ryuya felt.

"Is she still not here?! I got stopped on my way by this uncle..." Shinji panted in lieu of a greeting and braced her hands on her knees. Ryuya winced, her stamina was no better. She looked around in the empty streets.

"I haven't seen her yet."

Shinji's rosy cheeks puffed up. "That stupid Chi! How can she be so late?! Did she not hear Ibiki-sensei? We could fail because she can't be bothered to get ready on time-!"

Ryuya flushed as Shinji's choice of words became bolder and more creative. Once she mentioned the Second Hokage's private area, Ryuya decided to zone out for the sake of her overall health. Shinji didn't stop ranting until she ran out of breath. She tossed her scarf, which had become unwound sometime during her metaphorical use of the First Hokage's Wood Style abilities, over her neck and glared around. Ryuya noticed the blessed silence and smiled at her friend.

"I am sure she will be here soon. She is probably packing a lot more stuff and weapons."

The brunette nodded, her lips tight. Neither had forgotten how Chi was the only member from an actual shinobi background. Just like Ino and even Hinata, she had her own jutsus and skills that were completely unique to her. Second-last she may be, both Ryuya and Shinji knew that they stood no chance against her in a real fight.

"My father told me to train as much as I can."

Ryuya looked up "Hmm?"

Shinji looked down, wringing her scarf "Since Chi is the only one with a shinobi background, we have to work even harder to catch up. So he told me to work hard."

Shinji's family was originally a samurai clan. Her uncle still was, but he lived in the mountains up north and she barely saw him. Her father had long traded his katana for a paintbrush and the family of three lived off the paintings and murals he sold. Her mother worked as a midwife. Both still kept the discipline of the samurai alive in their home, including training in Kenjutsu. Shinji liked to brag about it but her skill was not as polished as it should have been, since she had little interest in the art and somehow inherited her temper and impatience from her family's black sheep: her father's twin-sister who ran off, became a Ronin and was last seen in prison for assaulting a minor noble.

Both girls fell silent. Chi came from an established shinobi clan with their own jutsu and bloodline. Despite her terrible grades, she still had a head start. It was frustrating to say the least.

The two were so immersed that they didn't notice said teammate approaching them.

Chi was fond of traditional clothing and especially mustard yellow traditional clothing. But unlike her orange clad friend, she did have the sense to wear dark clothes in the night. It was one of the reasons that her teammates didn't see her. At least she hoped so. She walked as quietly as she could but her chakra was not suppressed. They should have been able to sense her from far. Even the Nara's lounging outside for a nap in under the stars opened an eye when she passed.

When she got so close that it started to become embarrassing, she coughed. Both girls jumped up with, to their credit, a kunai ready in their hands.

"Well at least you're prepared." Chi remarked dryly, eying the trembling tips.

"YOU'RE LATE!" Shinji was ready to pounce. She didn't seem to care for the sleep of the neighborhood. Ryuya looked around cautiously. Chi winced at the volume and raised her hands.

"Yeah, yeah, let's get going already. I have a good reason." Chi waved her hand and walked away, Shinji hot on her heels and Ryuya mentally apologizing to the sleeping people.

The three Genin left, their continuing argument still resounding when they had disappeared around the corner. From the shadows near the compound's forest, a man emerged. Slouched posture, goatee and long black hair: a typical appearance around here. Jonin Commander Nara Shikaku rubbed his head and yawned.

"Still not listening to what I said... What a drag..." He sighed, hoping that he would be long retired before these three would end up in his corps.

He turned around and walked into the compound, ready to resume sleeping. With a bit of luck, next time the girls would realize that:

Shadows aren't really strong at night since there is no light.

Nara's are inherently too lazy to move at day so what made them think they would move at night?

The clan is known for keeping deers. Only deers.

The simple fact that they were Nara's and therefore smart enough not to bother harassing little girls at night.

It was nice to hope, even with his experience in life.

'Training ground 44' or 'The Forest of Death'~

Chi sighed and tightened the elastic in her hair again. It was nearing midnight and they were still waiting for their sensei to come. She really just wanted to get in her bed and sleep. According to her classmates, they were the only ones to have a test at night. According to their respective sensei's, Ibiki was quite extreme and they needed a lot of good fortune to survive. Needless to say, Team 11 was not feeling confident.

The fact that every now and then, disturbing noises and creaks resounded from somewhere in the forest, did not help. Not at all. Chi send a glare at the forest. It surrounded her home and she had grown up in between the massive trees and monstrous plants, but not even she liked to wander here at night. She always had the creeping suspicion that something forgotten was watching her.

Ryuya had long forgotten any hard feelings between her and Chi and clung to the latter's arm with all the strength she could muster. Chi was fairly sure that any circulation had already stopped despite her bloodline and the numb feeling in her arm was the sensation of the limp dying. She didn't dare to speak up though, in the silence every word sounded like it was shouted at the top of the her lungs.

Shinji's heart was loud as a drum. Any second now, someone would hear it and come and kill them. Gulping, Shinji forced her senses in overdrive the way they were taught at the Academy. Her chakra reserves were not bad for her civilian background. It even surprised Iruka since the Lee family did not have any known shinobi. Shinji focused and directed the steady flow to her senses.

It was like emerging from the sea. Sounds she couldn't hear before suddenly became loud. Her blurry night-vision sharpened and she could see vague colors around her. Scents filtered through her nose. Shinji paused and focused on the smell. Grass, gunpowder, iron and manure because the Nara's kept deers. There was one scent even closer, and stronger than the rest. Her stomach twisted.

"Ehh, guys?" The other two looked up at her whisper. It was Chi who found the courage to speak first.

"What?"

Shinji narrowed her eyes at her. When Chi spoke, the scent became stronger. I thought her eyes were brown, why do they seem so red?

"It smells like blood here."

These words send Ryuya in a fit of prayers and sobs against Chi's shoulder. Shinji send more chakra to her eyes and nose. The smell came from Chi, who simply shrugged. There was a faint red glow to her body, like smoke curling up in the wind.

"Probably your imagination." The tense line of her shoulders betrayed her.

The tall girl looked around, sharp eyes scanning the area. Ryuya tried to hide behind her back. Shinji's senses returned to normal. The air became much fresher and the faint outline left Chi's body. Even with only basic sensory training, Shinji could feel the raw chakra coming from Chi.

Naruto and Chi rivaled each other in stamina but were horrible at controlling it. The difference between them however was that Naruto's chakra was like a warm bath with tons of bubbles. Chi's chakra was like being dropped in cold glue. It clung unpleasantly and chilled to the bone. Shinji eyed her warily.

Did she kill someone? Her clothes are red, any stains of blood wouldn't show. But perhaps she changed and that's why she was so late. Did she kill that missing nin? No, she is just a Genin. Or is she? What if she killed Naruto? No, she wouldn't. They are friends an-

"Are you okay?" Ryuya asked.

Shinji realized that she had been staring at her teammate and averted her eyes. Chi frowned but then her eyes grew wide. Quick as lighting, she wrapped an arm around each of her teammates and jumped away from the forest. As soon as they landed, she pushed the two behind her and pulled out a kunai, aiming at the trees.

"Chi, what the he-" Shinji gasped, trying to balance herself. The speed had left her dizzy. Ryuya wasn't faring much better, bracing her hands on her knees.

"Shut up!"

Shinji's mouth snapped shut. Chi took a deep breath, eyes still trained to the dark silhouettes of the trees. She exhaled slowly through her nose, trying to calm her racing heart. Ryuya's eyes were brimmed with tears. The forest was still. The wind blew gently, sending shivers down their spines and making the hair on their necks stand up.

"C-Chi? What's wrong?" Shinji hated the way her voice trembled but she had to know.

"That wasn't me..." Ryuya whispered, pale as a sheet.

Shinji mentally replayed the scene. They were right. The voice was very similar, but it was still too high-pitched and way too cold. I should have caught that.

She swallowed and rolled her sleeves up, revealing the silver guards she had strapped underneath. Ryuya looked at them with poorly hidden envy. Her only protection was her shirt. Unacceptable. They were shinobi and they couldn't just let their teammate surpass them.

Ryuya tried to clear her mind. They were still in Konoha and near one of the biggest clan districts. The only place safer would be in the Hokage Tower. Besides, their sensei would show up soon so they only needed to keep up until then. Which reminded her...

"Sensei is late." Ryuya whispered, looking around anxiously.

Well that's just great. Shinji touched her tanto hidden behind her coat. Perhaps this is time for Jigai?

A spike of chakra alarmed the Genin and Shinji pulled her tanto out, aiming it directly at the source. Dying in battle was honorable as well. Ryuya, still pale, pulled out some senbon and Shinji vaguely remembered her being the only one in class who had some measure of control over those things. Even Sasuke had failed to land the needles in the center of the targets.

Chi's hand went inside her haori and produced a metal circle attached to a chain, which she wrapped around her hand. Her eyes followed Shinji's blade and she located the target soon after. Her chakra responded to her tension, burning in her veins.

"How cute. Are you Konoha's newest shinobi?" A smooth, male voice accompanied by a masked figure emerged from the dark forest. It looked liked the ANBU uniform but the mask was blank and the man wore a short, black cloak.

Ryuya felt cold sweat gather in her neck. Blood rushed through her head fast enough to make her dizzy. Killer intent washed over the girls. They subconsciously lowered their stances. Chi gritted her teeth. Her eyes had become two bright yellow lights in the darkness. The mask turned to her.

"Oh a Ketsueki, I thought they were all murdered?"

"Who the hell are you?" Chi's eyes narrowed. Her clan wasn't that big and like the man said, they were all either dead or missing now. Unlike the Uchiha clan, the Ketsueki clan was not well known. When they died, most people only found out after the Hokage had announced it. For a missing nin to know about her clan meant that he was from Konoha. Chi yanked the chain in her hand to the side, letting the blade attached to the end fall down.

The man stepped closer.

"I am Yatsushi. For now, let me entertain-" He stepped aside just in time to evade a kunai. Shinji had always been impatient and right now she did not have the time for a conversation with the enemy. She pulled out another one.

Yatsushi sighed "No time for chit chat then."

His hands flew through the signs and he slammed them on the ground. Behind the girls, the ground burst open. The trio jumped in the air but the shockwave pushed them forwards. They were forced to land right in front of the forest and, Yatsushi.

Now that they were near the man, they could see the blood dripping from the mask and cloak, like thick, dark oil. A headband functioning as his belt, shone in the scarce moonlight. It was a symbol that neither Genin recognized, but they did see the slash across it. Chi frowned, her previous theory of the shinobi being from Konoha now in doubt.

We are in so much trouble... Just where is our sensei?

Chi unwrapped a length of her chain and began to swing the blade of her Kyogetsu-shoge in low circles. Yatsushi didn't seem like someone they could engage in a close-range taijutsu battle. Among the three, Chi knew she was the only one with a chance against him. It wasn't like Iruka was here to stop her for doing a kata wrong. She stepped closer.

Shinji was torn. They needed backup and the only way was to distract Yatsushi and make a run for it. One of them had to run, the other were the shields. Sacrifices... Shinji wasn't sure if she could make one. Her family was proud and to die as a martyr would bring great praise to her household. Shinji was groomed since birth to be the selfless one and to give her life, it was just that the words clashed with her own beliefs. No one should be forced to give themselves up and Shinji had way too many dreams to tick off before kicking the bucket. Still, between the three of them, there was only one who would not be of any use as a distraction...

Ryuya dared a glance back. The ground where they had been standing on was completely destroyed. It had turned into a large crater with upturned roots and clay spread around. She felt sick imagining what would have happened to them if they hadn't moved. Tearing her gaze away, she fiddled with the senbon she kept in her pouch. They were brand-new and still in their container. She had enough to afford to lose some but, against an actual missing-nin, every lost senbon was one too many.

Yatsushi raised his arms to the side, showing his empty hands. "How about you ladies come with me, huh?"

"As if!" Shinji cried and threw a shuriken to the man. His hand shot out and he casually plucked it from the air. Chi groaned quietly. Shinji smirked and brought her hands together. The shuriken exploded in his hand and smoke engulfed the area. Ryuya ducked on instinct, ears ringing from the blast.

"Nice!" Chi spluttered and she squinted her burning eyes. Shinji got hold of her sleeve and tugged her away, her other hand wrapped around Ryuya's wrist. They turned and ran out of the smoke. Chi's lungs ached and the hot particles scorched her skin. Outside the cloud, the fresh air felt blissfully cold. Ryuya coughed, bent over, and Shinji pulled her scarf up to cover her mouth.

"What- What was that?" Ryuya gasped, looking back at the smoke. Shinji grinned weakly, wiping her tears away.

"I begged my parents to get me those new enhanced shurikens. They got a smoke bomb along with the explosive tag." She waved her hands in a large circle. "Double the boom and double the effect."

Chi spit the bitter dust out on the ground, wiping her lips with a grimace. "That's gross."

Shinji made a face. "Well, it works, doesn't it?"

Before an argument could break out, Ryuya pointed at the forest. "Guys!"

The smoke had cleared and revealed an empty space. Yatsushi was gone. Shinji swore out loud, cursing the First Hokage's genitals, and making Ryuya blush and Chi clear her throat. They stepped closer, cautiously.

"Does anyone sense him?" Chi whispered and Ryuya took this opportunity to test her sensory ability. She closed her eyes and concentrated like Iruka-sensei had taught her. She imagined building a spiderweb and carefully send her chakra down the imaginary threads. She concentrated for a moment before announcing:

"N-nothing. He's gone."

She barely finished her sentence when a kunai came flying at her from the darkness behind her. What?! Ryuya froze in shock. Shinji's arm shot forward and blocked it with her tanto, jumping back to stand besides her. "Not gone, I can sense him over there." she hissed, pointing at their left. Ryuya felt her ears burn.

Chi took up their rear, blade swinging in a wide circle in front of her. A whistling sound accompanied their fast breathing. Desperate to do something, Ryuya looked around for hints of the man. She was not going to be the weak link here, let that be another Genin's nickname. Her blue eyes took in their surroundings, scanning every little bit.

The crater, Ryuya now noticed, was pitch black. The edges were blurry. She stepped closer, lifting her hand to stop the hushed protests from her team. There was something moving out of the pit. Her breathing grew shallow and without a second thought, she ran into the forest, ignoring the cries from her teammates.

Shinji cursed again and looked at the crater. There were giant spiders crawling out of it and they all seemed to go after them. Running in the forest seemed like a great idea now. She nudged her tall teammate.

"Oi Chi!" her voice wavered and she took a step back when one spider came too close for comfort.

Chi gritted her teeth, brows furrowed in anger. "I know. We need to go after Ryuya. Stupid crybaby, this forest has spiders the size of her head!" She turned on her heels and shot in between the trees.

Shinji gulped and went after Chi, barely escaping the hairy spiders. It was best to stick together, she would beat that into Ryuya after they got out of this mess. For now she had to focus on surviving this horrible, dark place. Chi waited for her on a barely visible path, cut and paved between the massive trunks. The trees loomed over them and sounds surrounded them from everywhere.

Ryuya was nowhere in sight.

Shinji clenched her fists and let her senses spread out as far as she could. They decided to walk along the path, weapons out and eyes wide open. Chi tried to ignore the cold feeling in her stomach but, as more minutes went by, it got worse. She jumped on a log and looked around before jumping off. Shinji landed next to her and both girls winced when a loud squelch came from underneath her foot. When they looked down, it turned out to be a large centipede whose guts were spilled all over her sandal. Shinji suppressed a gag and stepped aside to clean her sandal, very glad that Sasuke was not here to see her.

"Does your clan have any tracking jutsus?" she whispered while rubbing her foot down on a grassy spot. There was a bitter smell coming from the dead creature and it was making her stomach protest. Shinji didn't know much about the Ketsueki clan other than they must have had no creativity in naming her. Seriously, Ketsueki Chi? Who thinks of that?

Chi's eyes flickered to Shinji and she found that the bright yellow color did little to calm her nerves. Chi's gaze pierced through her very soul and chilled her to the bone.

"We have one, but it requires her blood."

Shinji gaped, mind replaying her words just to be sure. Chi looked uncomfortable under the disbelieving gaze of the brunette.

"You know what, we are all going to have a nice talk after this." Shinji decided and Chi looked happy to agree. Barely suppressing a shudder, Shinji turned around and walked away. The weight of her tanto felt reassuring in her hand as she peered through the dense flora.

They walked in tense silence. Shinji purposefully brushed her hand against Chi on regular intervals to be sure she was still there. Chi didn't comment on it, keeping her sharp eyes trained at the path ahead. The forest was alive. Owls hooted, bushes rustled and branches snapped. It was so dark that it hurt their eyes but neither dared to use more light beyond Shinji's tiny flashlight meant for discreet reading. It cast a coin-sized spot of light ahead, with a vague halo that made the ground blurry. Nonetheless, the girls clung to it.

After a few minutes of trying to sense Ryuya, Chi stopped and slapped her forehead.

"I can make clones."

Pausing to turn to her, Shinji shrugged "Yeah, so? I can do that too. Just one though." she added as Chi's words registered fully.

Chi shook her head, pushing the flashlight out of her face with a wince. "No, I mean solid clones who can help me search faster."

She formed a seal and, much to the shock of Shinji, ten clones appeared. They all gave her one nod and jumped away.

"That's so cool!" Shinji whispered. "Are they completely solid?"

"Yeah." Chi continued to walk, not waiting for Shinji to catch up. When she did, she had more questions than ever. Even the nerve-frying tension of their situation could not stop her.

"How did you learn this?"

"Naruto taught me, it's how he graduated." Chi said distractedly, eyes narrowing on a suspicious looking branch. There was a snap and both girls stopped and braced themselves.

A squirrel hopped down and glared at them, before scurrying off. Shinji tore her eyes away from the rodent to gawk at Chi again.

"N-naruto?! Seriously? But then-"

Chi shook her head. "It's a kinjutsu. Only someone with our chakra reserves can do it. And before you ask, if Sasuke tried this, he would die."

Shinji huffed. Chi gave her a grin but her words died on her lips. Her eyes widened and she turned on her heel, looking in a specific direction as memories flooded in.

"Found her." That was fast.

"What? How?" Chinji was not moving without an explanation. She planted her hands on her hips and waited. Chi rolled her eyes.

"Clones transfer their memories when they disperse. Let's hurry, she is in trouble."

They sped through the trees until Chi stopped and motioned for Shinji to go the opposite way. They had reached a clearing. Both girls moved without a sound, hiding behind the massive trees. Shinji tightened her hold on her tanto and peered around the trunk. Chi sat high on a branch and crawled forwards to look down.

On the opposite side of the clearing, Ryuya was tied to a tree. The ropes were tied around her entire body, and she was gagged with her torn sleeve. In front were three ninja's, dressed similarly in black cloaks and white masks. Chi spotted Yatsushi talking to the others and glanced at Shinji to point him out, only to find the other already glaring at the man. Shinji could recognize him because of his chakra. It was foul and cold, and luckily he did not seem to find it necessary to conceal it.

They looked at each other and Chi regretted not taking some of her blood, it would have made communicating a lot easier. That way she would have been able to tell her that her that they needed to investigate before attacking. You know, like Iruka-sensei had taught them over the past year.

The smoke bomb went off and Chi sighed before moving out. It was a terrible and rushed idea but they only had one shot. She threw in some bombs of her own, mixing a poisonous one with a normal one, before jumping to Ryuya. She cut through the mist and found her way to the tree.

Shinji was already halfway through the rope when Chi arrived and cut it completely with one slash of her kunai. Shinji caught Ryuya before she hit the ground in shock and flung her over her shoulder, grunting under the weight. She jumped away first, letting Chi to quickly scan the clearing for any signs of their opponents. The three missing nin were gone, but Chi had expected no less. She could only hope that they inhaled some of the poison.

The trio fled the scene as quick as possible. They jumped from tree to tree until Shinji had to stop to catch her breath. They dropped to the ground and Chi went to check up on Ryuya. The girl was crying as she yanked the gag out of her mouth, choking on the dust it left behind. Chi curled her fingers under Ryuya's jaw and forced her chin up.

"Snap out of it!" Chi hissed, leaning closer. Shinji peered in the gaping darkness behind them nervously.

The blue eyes went wide and Ryuya nodded shakily. She counted to ten and forced her panting to slow down. When she was more or less calm, Chi let her chin go.

"What did they do?" Chi asked urgently. Shinji wiped the sweat off her brow and came to stand besides Chi. Her mind raced ahead, remembering countless scenarios that they had studied in their brief espionage course at the Academy.

If they were after sensitive information then they had to hurry and warn the Hokage. And also their sensei since his information was not right and he needed to improve the security of the forest. And get a clock. Ryuya blinked and then her already wide eyes went as big as dinner plates.

"T-they wanted me to tell them about S-sasuke-kun!" she whispered.

Shinji looked up in anger "What the hell? Why?"

Chi was already in deep thought but the loud exclamation startled her. With a glare she slapped the back of Shinji's head. In her mind, Chi looked through the countless scrolls her clan had written about the village. Carefully, she worded her hypothesis. "He is a Genin now but, he is one of the last with the ability to awaken the Sharingan. That dojutsu is super famous. If they get Sasuke, they get the Sharingan... Which is bad..."

She was about to answer the questioning looks of her teammates when all the alarm bells in their heads went off. They ran before they even realized what was happening. Shinji was never more grateful for the countless awareness exercises in the Academy. Chi had gotten a hold of Ryuya and half carried her to the next branch. Shinji threw another bomb behind her without looking and sped after the other two. With a huge burst of chakra to her legs Chi jumped to a large tree and pushed her panting teammates against the trunk. They were far from the Nara clan and her own district. Too far for any help.

"They are after information and we can't stop them at our level. So we have to prepare to give them either nothing or false information." Chi made a shallow cut on her arm and dipped her fingers in the dark blood seeping out. Shinji and Ryuya looked at her in fear. Neither failed to notice the sudden darkening of her eyes.

Chi reached out to Shinji.

"I am going to place a seal on you so that you can't give them any useful information. Stay still."

That last bit was unnecessary as the girl was mesmerized by the deep ruby color of Chi's eyes. Even in the darkness, aided with only a tiny flashlight, her eyes were hypnotizing. Shinji felt no shame in leaning close to examine the patternless irises.

Chi focused on remembering the right seal. As a young child, she had spend hours a day memorizing shapes and words, all from the lap of her grandmother. Carefully, but quickly, she drew a small and simple seal on their foreheads. It was primitive and either too weak or too extreme, she couldn't really recall. Either way, it would do the trick.

A dull pain spread through their heads when the seal activated and became invisible and both stumbled on their feet. Chi dropped her injured arm, and flexed her fingers.

.

A flare of chakra made Shinji look up. It was all the warning they got. Chi pushed the other girls off the branch and they ran away on aching legs. Chi was feeling the end of her chakra reserves. The three managed to keep the chase up for another minute but the three chakra signatures soon came too close and they were forced to stop. The three masked nin surrounded them.

"My, my. You girls sure can run. And poison? That was not very nice."

Yatsushi stepped closer and his pale green eyes curved in a smile. He did not seem tired in the slightest. Chi brought her hands together, trying to draw out chakra but the seals on Shinji and Ryuya acted like leeches. Ryuya slumped against her arm and Shinji was pale, tanto trembling as her hand couldn't hold it up anymore. Their eyes were glassy, no doubt the effects of the silencing seals. Chi gritted her teeth. Without their sensei they were helpless.

"What do you want?" she spit out. "We're just Genin!"

Yatsushi came even closer. "That doesn't make you useless, oh honored Ketsueki-sama."

Chi's thoughts screeched to a halt. Something moved from behind them and her teammates fell to the ground. On reflex, Chi jumped forward. A hand wrapped around her right wrist and yanked it back, twisting it until pain exploded in her elbow. A cry escaped her, heart hammering in her chest in fear. It had been a long time since anything had scared her so much.

Her grandfather would have been ashamed of her.

"You can rest for now. We will talk later, in a more appropriate fashion." Yatsushi's smirk could be heard in his voice.

Pain shot through Chi's neck and the world became dark. Her knees gave in and the last standing member of Team 11 collapsed to the ground. The three shinobi gathered the girls in their arms and disappeared in the dark forest.

Naruto's apartment, night~

Naruto woke with a start, arms flailing around until his blanket was on the ground. Blearily he looked to the side. His alarm clock displayed three thirty in the morning. His nightmare came back to him, but when he looked around he was still in his tiny apartment.

He fell back to his pillow and turned on his side, soon snoring again. He was alright, his house may be messy but there were no such things as centipedes in here!