A/N: ....I updated. sits in shock
By the way, these "" things will denote flashbacks. As if you couldn't figure that out on your own....but anyway.....just trying to do my job to prevent any possible confusion....(ignores fact that she is confused about the story herself )

...

"Keep a low profile until the Tournament is over. Until then, go somewhere where you won't be seen."

"Yes, sir."

"A funeral will be staged in a few days. I understand that it will be hard on those close to you, but you will see them again in three weeks. Until then, you must be seen by no one and have contact with no one."

"I understand, sir."

"That is good. Go now."

...In three weeks...

...until the Tournament is over....

"I understand, sir."

Had he really? Of course he understood the logic behind it. Make the enemy believe they're safe, and they might lose caution and reveal something important.

That had been their hope.

But now...


He'd woken up in a small medical room with only the Hokage and Genma there beside him. He had already stopped breathing when his body had been discovered that morning at Kikyou Castle by two fellow Jounins, who had taken him to the medical center for the specialized medical ninjas there to perform an autopsy.

Were they surprised when he'd suddenly started coughing up blood.

All in all, the family jutsu he hadn't used since he'd served time in the Anbu squad had ended up saving him again. It had been very risky, and he was surprised that it worked at all...he could swear that he'd messed up one of the hand seals. At any rate, the Gekkou Genshi no Jutsu was always risky business, largely because it was a very complicated technique requiring intense concentration that could only be used during a near-death state, when one's mind and consciousness were already fading. In addition, it could only be used during moonlit nights.

The sun and the moon gave off different energy waves. The sun's energy vibes were different and caused conflict with the type of chakra energy needed for the Genshi no Jutsu, so it couldn't be performed during the day.

Performing Genshi no Jutsu halted one's entire body's functions; stopping cell production, energy production, brain functions, nerve systems, etc, so one remained in a state of suspended death that could last anywhere from two hours to two decades. However, Genshi no Jutsu weakened the body each time it was used, so each successive use carried with it greater risk of failing. Even when it succeeded, it left behind several side effects.

Such as a frail constitution. Cough.

He was lucky, though. The Genshi no jutsu had stopped him from losing too much blood and held him together long enough to be patched up by the skilled medical ninjas. And this time, only his cough had worsened because of the Jutsu, but he'd carried that with him long enough to be used to it by now.

The two med-nins who'd treated him were under an oath of silence. The Hokage had already guessed who, when, where, and why he'd been attacked, and what he'd told the village leader between bouts of uncontrollable coughing had only confirmed what the old man had already proximated.

Their hope had been to make it seem as if he'd really died, so that the enemy would think the Hokage still didn't know anything. Suspected something, definitely, but had nothing concrete. In the meanwhile, their own spies would be out gathering more information on whatever plot was hatching between Orochimaru and the suna-nins, and prevent anything from happening before the plot broke out and the countries were drawn into open conflict.

That had been their hope...

Now...

Now the Hokage had died. The village elders were scrambling about trying to find a suitable replacement. The Village of Hidden Leaf may be the most prominent ninja village in the world, but it couldn't survive without a leader.

Genma was right when he said "Sarujiji probably knew that all this would happen even before you got your ass beat up by Baki, the sneaky old monkey."

"By the way," Genma had added, "you don't have to worry about the Sand bastard. I took care of him for you."

A slight smile stole across his lips at that. "Took care of him", indeed. Hayate had no wish to see whatever deserted state the Jounin from Sand was left in after Genma's ministrations. He was, however, more than a little irritated that he wasn't able to take on the Sand-nin himself. He'd underestimated his opponent, and was glad that he'd lived through it to learn not to repeat that same mistake again.

For now, though...

Genma had been right about another thing. It was time to go back.

A/N: I have no idea whether Genma actually fought and won against Baki or ot. He was having a stare contest with Baki before he told Sasuke to go after Gaara. Then the manga started focusing on Kakashi (which isn't all that bad, anyway :P) telling Sakura to get Naruto and Shikamaru and stop Sasuke, and then it returned with Gai, Kakashi and Genma in a faceoff with Baki and Kabuto. It was apparent that they were going to fight but it was never elaborated (that is, I didn't get to read any further than that.)

"Sarujiji" is a combination of the Japanese word monkey "saru" and the impolite Japanese word for grampa or old man "jiji". It just seemed like something Genma would call the Hokage...he seems like the crass, cocky type to me ==;;;

Genshi means seomthing close to "fake death" or "illusionary death" (closer to the latter.) I made this jutsu up. It's not part of the official Naruto manga or the anime.

But I can still bash Baki XDDDDDDDDDDDDD DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE YOU STUPID SAND-NIN!!!! (rapidly stabs an already-mangled Baki plush doll with a pin)