The news Hikari was found and well reached everyone from Ino. They had her, she was safe. A bit tired but safe none the less. Hearing and knowing that eased many, especially her family. Especially, Gaara, Naruto, and Shikamaru. The latter who thanked the heavens she was alright. Troublesome niece she was, when this was all over, he would make sure to tell her. Right now, that would have to wait, Shikamaru sadly and regretfully had to relay the unfortunate message that he and May where ambushed and became separated because of it. Something he wished he hadn't said, made Gaara's heart drop like a stone. It wasn't something anyone wanted to hear, knowing Gaara's initial reaction was to find her. Shikamaru quickly assured him he would take care of that, to just go and meet up with Ino and the others.

To take care of the children first. Stressing it to great lengths. And by great it would be something May would say to him. And Gaara knew, he knew she would the safety of the children came first, it always did. Biting back his resistance agreed.

Which was good for Shikamaru, despite his turmoil of emotions crashing around he managed to keep his mind focused and on task. Having an unfocused and emotional mind wouldn't help the situation at all. Not to be mean, but Gaara would only ruin it with his hastiness in locating May. Shikamaru knew the lengths Gaara would go for May. It rivaled his own, if not greater.

He remembered, making a left, seeing it years ago when they all went to rescue May though calm. Gaara thrashed his sand around at Razhor like his earlier days. Trying any length to wrap and crush the boned mutant dog into a Sand Burial. There was no ounce of mercy or forgiveness in Gaara's eyes. They remain cold if not colder than ice. There was dark vengeance behind them, that still sent a shiver down his spine. If that wasn't enough, during the way he found out Gaara put his all into fighting against Madara after the Uchica nearly ended May. If Gaara hadn't covered her in time with his sand.

And now, right now...Shikamaru knew what Gaara would most likely do, he couldn't be here.

This time he'd handle it.

Stopping coming to a two way path, he looked in the direction he should choose. Whoever it was that came suddenly from behind was skilled, very skilled. Quick too. May wasn't able to sense them, they struck like lighting, leaving him but took her. The question was why? All he knew was after they took her, about half an hour the place began to shake and..there where currents.

A shift.

In something, whatever it was, it wasn't good. The shakes he noticed where becoming longer and stronger. Staring at the two paths, watched them carefully as the place shook again. The one on the right shook less than the one on the left.

Left it was.

Taking it he hurried, May was needed for something. He knew it, his heart lurched at the thought. No, he couldn't think like that. He'd make sure nothing would happen to her. It was duty as a brother, he swore it. He promised. Not just to his father, her Master, Neji, or her sister, but to himself.

He told her this, he remembered.

It was once after she moved in with him and his family. She was still somewhat unable to walk, she had a chair to use if she wanted to go out or she could use crutches. The day was fair and good, the after was warm and well. His mother...their mother insisted she get some air so Shikaku helped her outside, setting her down on the patio. While he and Shikamaru took to a game of shogi, listening to May play on the flute.

When it suddenly stopped. "Hmm?" Shikamaru paused and looked up from his game.

His father did the same. "May, what is it?" The man asked.

She said nothing only stared out across the grounds, in the direction of the forest and pointed. They followed her finger, seeing nothing. "It's just trees." Shikamaru told her.

"I am aware of what they are." She said. Turning to him. "I though I saw something, move. Among the trees."

Shikamaru's heart raced then dropped. "It was a creature, on four legs with antlers." May described.

The deer. She saw a deer. Shikaku chuckled. "Yeah, they're the family's deer. Shikamaru," he turned to his son. " go get her chair, so I can May to look at one."

Still in the middle of their game, Shikamaru gets up and goes back inside for a moment. Came back with her wheelchair, set it on the ground and scooped May up placed her in the chair. Shikaku took over and rolled her towards the forest, Shikamaru followed. They didn't go too far but enough to see the deer. Her face lite up upon the calm brown creature. It delighted her, even more so when his father took out so food for her to feed. The deer was hesitant at first but came and ate it from the palm of her hand. She giggled softly. It was from that small giggle the promise to her came in his mind. It reflected on his father's face.

And was given to Shikamaru further after Shikaku's passing, from the war. Yes, he and the others had to defend their land from the threat. But, Shikamaru had much more to defend. He raced to the battlefield when he got word of May's sighting. His heart almost stopped when he thought he almost lost her by one of the Tail Beast Bombs, when became stupid and took the creatures attention. Luckily he didn't, but that didn't mean he wasn't upset. But glad she was alright and when she became a mother the promise grew further.

He never told her even as they sat again outside on the patio, Yoshino was making something to eat, they sat in silence. By that time Hikari was born and just about a two months old. She slept in her mother's arms, the sun was slowly sinking. A few deer could be see grazing in the forest. Two came over just to see if they could find anything. One of them came towards May, and poked their nose gently on her face. She let out a that same giggle, this time though it was more mature. Even when she stroked it lovingly. The promise again came in his mind this time much stronger than ever.

Now, it burned unyieldingly.

The path elevation changed, he noticed. It began to wind upward and there was something...else. Slowing his feet, came to a walk and listened...it was faint and far but knew what screaming sounded like and...clashing of metal. Followed by crackling of lightening. Flashes...no sparks from where he stood. It wasn't those sounds that set his blood boiling, the screams...those familiar screams of agonizing torment he knew them well. They branded themselves forever in his memory, how could he or anyone forget...

May!

With a plan in mind he sprung forward towards the cries of his sister, running faster than he ever though the could. He had to be careful, he had to make sure not to let his emotions cloud the plan he had...otherwise...going in head first was not going to work. There had to be another way in...his eyes looked rapidly for something or someway. With May's screams flooding his ears, it was starting to become battle between logic and emotions fighting to decide. With his willpower he had to cast aside the emotions right now, but they would show the moment he found the one responsible for all this.

He promised.

He...a body smashed out before him. He stopped instantly and jumped back. A bit of debris came up creating a small cloud of smoke, followed by the piercing screams of May from the now newly large cavity, he quickly entered.

"May!" He shouted, quickly shut his mouth, dodged a giant fire ball that nearly got him.

Waiting a moment, the sounds of May increased ran his blood cold. She was in this place...this...quickly he gazed around at the this...horrid place. It was something out of a mad laboratory. It almost mirrored on of Orochimaru's. The large containment capsules filled with unidentified liquid...then again looking closer the color was uncanny...dark and light green thick like ooze liquid...some where a thick blue-ish green oozed. And there was some other things...the gears, buttons...other machinal and electrical devices... two rather large metal constructed like canons with tubes sprouting from them to connect to their back, looking things, both angled downward with a decent amount of space between them...actually a rather large space..they seem familiar for some reason...as if he'd seen them in a form of a memory...but who's?

By the look of it...he summarized that they would need a huge amount of power source in order to work...again looking at the tubes of the canons some where filled with that blue-ish and green liquid...and...a faint whirling sound hummed earning Shikamaru's attention the same time as May's screams. The canons began turning on and the space between them...something started to flicker...a small golden-ish blue color. It began to transform and expand starting off small in the form of a small crack into a large dark golden-ish blue slow swirling sphere that started to slowly grow and pull things in. The energy around it crackled dangerous...it was...that energy...

"AHHHHH!"

May's screams tore him away the portal to a sight that almost made Shikamaru drop to his knees and a river of tears to fall. There strapped by their hands and feet by large thick metal cuffs embolizing them, extracting their energy ruthlessly. He almost didn't recognize May for a moment, she was nearly pale...and faint. Despite her screams, blood dripped from her nose, ears, and eyes, like tears...her face crinkled with darken pain. It was the same...the same many years ago..when he and everyone saw her memories, those dark memories she had to endure with Shredder. It was the same a mirror image. But much darker...she wasn't dying. Or crying out blood that obstructed her vision. Even if she seemingly looked in his direction.

This whole thing, it all began to come together now...little by little it flooded in...as his mind put it all together Shikamaru wasted no time and hurried over May, jumped suddenly when someone suddenly appeared before him. It was Sasuke, breathing hard and small trickle of blood coming down over his left eye. He seem not to notice Shikamaru, those onyx eyes where darker than ever, flashing with rage and determination. His sword out, that had tasted blood Shikamaru saw. The Uchica was fighting someone, the way he stood was more protective than attack. Though for who?

A question that was answered, from the dark growling chuckle that Shikamaru was sure had died. Turning around found Tigerclaw standing there with two clones of his own clad in nothing but a long brown cloak. The mutant looked...different, his eyes where..red...sharingan. Both of them activated, they weren't the normal sharingans either, by the flamed pinched brows of Sasuke, Tiger Claw's where Mangekyo. The mutant evolved, great.

"It seems another prey has come," Tiger Claw took notice of Shikamaru, who quickly looked away. To avoid any eye contact, rushed away towards May. "Not so fast, boy!"

Tiger Claw flung with sharp accuracy kunais, Sasuke blitzed and deflected them with his sword. "You're right it with me." He growled calmly, blitzed to the mutant swung a leg from the side.

It was quickly blocked by, that didn't stop him. Twisting Sasuke pushed back and slashed upward with his sword. Hit metal, again, Tiger Claw smirked having intercept with his spike metal gauntlets on his forearm. Snarled, thrusted a sharp flame claw at the human. Breaking away, Sasuke avoided just barely getting marked. He knew what that jutsu would if it touched him. It wasn't. Amatarasu, but it was deadly enough. Then again, from fighting the mutant, Sasuke noticed the difference in him. His strikes where heavier and deadlier than before. More masterful and full of rage...hatred. He knew the mutant never liked him back then...but this...this was fueled by something else...some other desire. One that outmatched his own, it almost felt suffocating. There was only one person, that was that way.

Shredder.

But, Shredder was died, Sasuke saw to it. He drove his blade right into the man's heart. Oh, how he longed to do that, he watched his body fall and was sure he saw his life leave it too. And eyes close...to be opened in Tiger Claw. There was no mistaking it, Sasuke knew it. Felt it. With each blow the mutant delivered. It was Shredder, the question was how? How in the world did that man even manage to live...to survive? To be transferred into another body, that could host him? Whatever the reason, Sasuke would make sure to put an end to it, again.

Gripping the hilt of his sword, charged it with lightening, drove it at the mutant. Swiped across, missed. Just barely, he managed to get a slighter of Tiger Claw's cheek. Drew some blood. Tempted to smirk, he knew now was not the time to do so. Angered, Tiger Claw made two more clones, attacked. Each one with a jutsu activated, sprung from different angles.

One swiped. One slashed. One kicked. Two more clones came, pounced.

Staying light, Sasuke fought them off. Pushing back, when come. Dropped down to avoid being struck. Drove his sword in another. Every part of his body reacted instantly. Like lightening. Created with the lightening a blasted web. Shocking and ending a few. Two more rose every time right after. He had to keep them at bay, so Shikamaru could get to May. Creating a clone himself, to aid him, held the line. As something slipped by.

Shikamaru reached May, using a kunai lightly poked the thin space between them. It sizzled. Just as he thought, there was a forcefield around her. That wasn't good. Taking a look at the device that held her, it had wires and tech he wasn't too familiar with. But, some he did. It was clear now...the integrated tech had some of theirs and that of Kraangs. May gave him a few lessons about their tech, as much as she knew. It was unique in its own. Still, there had to be a way to shut it down. Because he wasn't sure how much more his heart and soul could take hearing scream her life away. Quickly looking around the containment, found nothing. Everything was sealed and smoothed. He could stab it, then he wasn't sure what that would do to May. It could cause her to...she was fading faster. She was paler than before and...old wounds started opening and began to bleed. Her body was collapsing. Not to mention it was still trying to recover from giving birth. She might have been able to go into that form, but it was killing her.

Which meant that...all the other Nations...those she kept protected..their barriers where fading or already gone. Leaving them exposed, damn it! Why did she have to do that?

He screamed in his mind, but she wanted too. She wanted to make sure everyone was protected...even if it meant...shaking that thought away. He spotted a thin wire trailing away from the containment. Following it quickly, lead him to the control panel. Where again he came across more Kraang tech, still mixed in a bit with theirs. There had to be a way to shut this off...his eyes searched frantically for what it might be while also recalling what May told him. The symbols...they weren't...what did she say?

Their tech worked on energy source. One of their crystals, but...there wasn't any...he looked over his shoulder. Never mind, he forgot May's blood, had some of it in her. Damn.

What else did she say? About the tech?

….DNA, something about DNA? No...sort of...what about their letters? Hoovering a hand over the panel, unsure what to pick...she taught him about this too. Recalling quickly as he could a silhouette dropped down behind him. Rose a hand, slashed it down. Shikamaru moved just in time, only hit in the shoulder. Glared darkly at the mutant...no! His eyes widen, this wasn't a clone. Not at all...it was...

There!

Kaito saw through Onyx's eyes, Kankuro coming out from the far of the battlefield with the children. He hurried to reach the man. Hearing a screech overhead, Kankuro looked up at the familiar dark hawk circling over. Smiling, Kankuro sighed. Good. With another screech Onyx dropped down closer and roosted on a boulder next to the man. In just a few minute Kaito came.

"Kankuro!" He rushed over, nearly breathless. Noticed one of his puppets out."The..." his heart beat with hope. "my brother! My sisters! Yoshi and the-"

Holding up a hand, Kankuro thumbed to the puppet and opened them. Wasting no time Kaito looked and saw Yoshi and the twins safe and alright. Minus Yoshi's small bruises and bit of dirt. He seem a bit thinner, but otherwise he was alright.

Good.

Forming a mystical palm, Kaito held it over them. For a few minutes. "Gaara wants them far away from here as possible." Kankuro informed.

"My thoughts exactly. Don't worry, I'll take you to a safe route." Kaito said, not looking up from his healing. "A team is waiting for us, Naruto and Shikamaru put together one. Wait," he realized something. Stepped back and counted. Only three...why wasn't there four? "Where is Hikari?"

At the mention of her name, Kankuro's face dropped slightly. The same with Kaito's heart a bit. "She's still back there." Kankuro explains. "We where able to get to Yoshi and the twins, before Ino and the others where able to get to Hikari. She's safe now, just not out. Gaara went to get her."

Not the words he wanted to hear, Kaito nose wrinkled and brows knotted. "We can't leave without her! I'll go back and get her." He said. "You take them to the team," he instructs Kankuro. "Onyx will guide you, alright?"

He takes off, Kankuro's hand snatched him back by the wrist. "No!"

"What!?"

Kankuro understood Kaito's reason, but, he also knew he shouldn't do it. "You can't go back. Ino and the others will get Hikari out. We have to get the others out of here. I promised, Gaara."

Their eyes lock against one another. Tensing up, Kaito turned and dropped his head. Bit his lip. "Fine. But once we do, I'm coming back. May...she has to...she has to have her whole family together."

His words hit Kankuro. "Yeah, I know. Come on."

Nodding Kaito told him to stay close and ordered Onyx to fly, the minute the bird does, Kaito activates his Foresight jutsu through Onyx. To provide further sight. Hurried to get the young ones to safety.

Hoping hard Hikari was alright. Hoping May was alright and they would come soon.

He wasn't the only either, back in Kohona, Boruto couldn't shake the disturbance he was feeling. After seeing his Aunt May's symbol appear then fade away. He knew in his gut something was wrong. That warmness the village had...suddenly seem to go away. The air became chiller. Not to mention his mother seem a bit more on edge, the ghostly look had. She was worried too, she could feel it. The trembling stare she had in her eyes that winched in pain. He'd never seen her like this...only when his cousin Yoshi was born.

Running through the village, he wondered if anyone else had noticed. They hadn't. Not many, but a few seem to notice the looming change in the winds. Still running through the village, stopped when he reached it...the spot.

Catching his breath, Boruto stared at it. Pleasant memories and moments filled him. May, they would come here so much...just the two of them. Whether it be for a walk, after they got ice-cream or for anything. He'd show off his jutsus to her and she'd clap happily and proud. Smiling. Though he loved when she took him flying, he loved this even more. This was their spot. where he always loved to meet her. Maybe a few times his cousins would be with him. But, he knew it was just their spot. After coming here...she'd take him to the park that was okay. But, right here...was the spot.

The spot he rooted himself, eyes began sting and run. He tried to hold in the tears but...they came. He should...of...he...damn it. Hikari...why...shutting his eyes, he saw May, his aunt standing there smiling at him. Calling his name. Opening his eyes he found Hikari standing before...her eyes reflected the same as his. Except they didn't burn.

He wanted to remain disgusted and angry at her...but..he just couldn't. He wanted her to come back too. Despite their...pestering relationship he wanted her back. So he could show who was better. Her high and mighty self. That arrogance she carried, fueled her as it did with him. Yet at the same time...the strength she had behind those eyes was amazing. The small bit of kindness that soften at times when came to the village. The few if not only thing that brimmed her with a small. Even if it was small. A smile that was going to stay...it was to be her gift. For her birthday, one he overheard from his parents.

Now...his eyes dropped, Hikari vanished from his sights. That strength in her eyes, fueled her to right the wrongs. To bring back her mother. To bring everything back, as arrogant as she was, she was stubborn too. Once she had it set in her mind, there was no way in taking her off that task. Her plans, she kept to herself unless caught. Which he and the others managed to do before she left the village that night to go get her siblings back. It was stupid and he was angry with her for...being so reckless. But, went with her. He and Shikadai did.

She really was a combination of her parents.

Since she was, she'd better return. So that...that...

Lifting his eyes overlooked the horizon, everything was going to be alright. Everything was...despite the change in the wind.