Author's notes: I'm baaaaaaack! * crickets chirp* Well, for those of you still reading (if there are any of you still reading), I'd like to apologize for the huge break, and I figure I owe you an explanation.  You see, my older brother, who this fic was originally written for, and I came at something of a tiff.  You see, he told me he didn't like Naruto, and what's more, refused to like it.  Now, I would not accept that, so basically set down an ultimatum: if he refuses to watch Naruto, I refuse to fic.  Needless to say, he has made it to the second season ^-^  Let's give him a hand, everyone!

            I'd also like to apologize for this chapter.  There's no real action, but it does have a purpose, I swear!  And don't worry, the proverbial shit hits the fan soon!  So, doozo, chapter five.

            Standard disclaimers apply.  

They were the last ones to arrive.  But because it was Hayate-san and Hayabusa-san, none of the Mugen Tenshin was going to say anything, even if some did discreetly cast annoyed glances in their direction.  But when they caught Ayane's threatening glare, they quickly looked elsewhere.  For his part, Hayate had the gall to look completely unaffected at having kept the rest of them waiting, and instead blinked blearily, meeting Genra's gaze unconcernedly.  Genra frowned, but then couldn't help but smile.  Hayate was a smart-ass to the core, and he brought with him an unprecedented disrespect for the rules.  Genra had yet to decide whether this was a strength or a weakness.  Either way, the future of the Mugen Tenshin was going to be interesting, and he silently applauded this young man in front of him.  Hayate had already won his loyalty and respect.  He wasn't about to lose it just because he overslept.

            "Well, then," Genra said, addressing the crowd, "we'll release you in pairs at intervals of 10 minutes each."

            There were a few murmurs of complaints.  "That's not enough time," someone whined.

            "Then I suggest you run," Genra replied complacently.  "Now, when I call your names, please come forward here, and wait until I give you the signal to enter the forest.  Maru and Hikaru."  Two came forward to the spot indicated.  Genra checked his watch and when the time came, said, "Now" and they were off, disappearing into the thick mass of trees.

            "Ayane and Hayate."

            His daughter looked up in absolute shock.  "Quickly now," he said, confirming that secret kernel of hope that blossomed at his words.  She got up and stood next to him, eyes fixed determinedly forward.  But before he sent them off, he heard the soft "thank you" uttered under her breath before they too were gone.

            Kasumi watched her brother disappear and was utterly shocked to find herself release a breath of relief.  Immediately, she tried to squelch that thought.  It was horrible of her, to be glad that she wasn't paired with Ayane.  It would have been good for both of them, she reasoned, to be paired together.  If they couldn't settle their differences in the field, how could they expect to be proper kunoichi? 

But the feeling of having escaped a fate worse than death still wouldn't leave her.  And she realized with a shock that…that—that she hated Ayane.  Hated her.  She feared her wrath and envied her strength.  Just being near her set every fiber in Kasumi's body tense with nervousness and dislike.  Unbidden, her treacherous mind mockingly played back a not too distant memory.  Love her, had she said?  What a joke.  How was she supposed to do that when her body reacted like a gazelle that sensed a predator nearby?  It was innate—a survival instinct.  How was she supposed to convince herself to love Ayane when her own subconscious wouldn't let her?

            Her mind was in such turmoil that she started when she felt a hand gently touch her shoulder.  She looked up in surprise to meet Ryu's eyes.  "It's our turn," he said.  She nodded, mind scrambling to pull herself together, as she joined him at the starting point.  She threw all her efforts into just plunging into the forest, so much that her surroundings blurred by her in a mess of earthy green and brown, and Ryu had to concentrate just to keep up with her.

            He let her be until he heard the faint sound of running water, at which point he had to throw a shuriken at the next branch she was planning to leap onto just to get her attention.  He motioned for her to follow him.

            They found the stream pretty quickly.  Unbuckling the empty flask he carried on his belt, he dunked it into the running water to fill it and tossed it to Kasumi before he cupped his hand to take a quick drink himself.  He waited as she threw back a deep drink, her gasp of satisfaction betraying her weariness, until she was wiping her mouth with the back of her hand before asking, "Do you want to talk about it?"

            Kasumi looked up in surprise.  She hesitated at first, but eventually shook her head.  "I didn't know I was so bad at hiding my emotions."

            "Well," Ryu said with a grin, "you're not really.  I just know because it's you."  Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, he realized he said something wrong.  His statement made Kasumi's mouth drop open and her eyes bug out.   Inexplicably, he felt embarrassed.  "I mean," Ryu amended quickly, "I know you pretty well.  So…"  It didn't seem to work.  If anything it made things worse: her face turned beet-red and the flustered silence deepened.  Ryu, he thought to himself, you have got to stop putting your damn foot in your damn mouth!  "…Sorry," he finally said, lamely.

            Kasumi shook her head furiously.  "No!  It's okay!" she protested.  "I mean," she said, taking a deep breath, "it makes me really happy to hear you say that."

            ….Oh.  Suddenly, it was Ryu's turn to have no idea what to say back.

            He was vaguely surprised to hear her break the silence: "Hayabusa-san, what do you think of Ayane?"

            "Ayane?"  Kasumi nodded.  Vaguely, he got the sensation that this was a loaded question and he should be very careful in how he answered.  "She's…an amazing kunoichi.  As I'm sure you know."

            Kasumi looked far away.  "I do," she said faintly.

            "And…."  What did she want him to say?  "Her resilience is incredible.  She faces a lot of opposition, but she still tries really hard and stays focused.  Even I don't think I could do that," Ryu confessed, surprised to hear himself say that.  "I really admire her for that."

            "I see."  Kasumi stifled a sigh and fell silent.

            Ryu frowned.  "You know, you shouldn't feel like you have to prove anything against Ayane.  You're a great kunoichi, too."

            Slowly, she shook her head.  "I'm not."

            "Yes, you—"

            "No, I'm not," Kasumi interrupted, the bitterness audible this time.  "Did you know that Ayane has already had real missions, Hayabusa-san?"  Ryu said nothing, but his face showed that he wasn't surprised at all.  "She…told me what she did.  How she killed a man she had never met before."

            It was easy, Kasumi.  Just in, and then out.  If you aim for the throat, they don't even have time to scream.

            "And she was so…collected, when she said that.  Her eyes were so cold."  She shivered at the memory.  And the mocking voice echoed somewhere in the recesses of her mind.  But, of course, as the daughter of the Mugen Tenshin head, you knew that already, didn't you?

            Kasumi's mouth went dry, but she whispered, "And that was when I realized, that that was what made a great ninja."

            One year your junior, and already surpassing you!  You should be ashamed!  One day you will be expected to lead this clan.  I did not raise my daughter to be such a weakling and disgrace.

The heat of frustration and humiliation that didn't all necessarily come from envy flushed across her face, and despite knowing that modesty told her she should shut up right now, the angry words kept spilling from her mouth like a torrent she couldn't keep at bay.  "I am my father's daughter!  I must uphold the glory of the Mugen Tenshin!  I must become stronger!  I…I…" 

I'm so afraid.

She started when she felt the light touch of Ryu's hand on her shoulder.  She looked up, shaken, into his concerned eyes and was momentarily amazed to see herself reflected there that she almost missed his soft words.  "Ayane does her job well," Ryu said gently.  "From what I'm told, she's one of the most efficient in her class.  But that's not necessarily what makes a ninja great."

The questioning look he got prompted him to explicate: "I'm not sure how it is necessarily for a guild like the Mugen Tenshin," he admitted.  "The Dragon clan was created for the purpose of training elite bodyguards for the Emperor.  And when we did—that other kind of stuff—our guiding principle is to maintain and serve justice, and protect the greater good."

"Unlike the Mugen Tenshin, you mean," Kasumi said, half bitterly, half defensively.

"Your clan operates very differently from ours," Ryu said, "like many other rival clans.  If it wasn't for this alliance, I wouldn't have had a single clue how a clan like yours operates."

 "I'm sorry you're wasting your time with merciless killers, then!" Kasumi spat.

Ryu was quick to placate her.  "That's not what I meant.  I mean, that's what I was trying to get at."  Kasumi cast him a dubious glare.  "Listen, being here has opened my eyes.  Until I came here, the only way of the ninja I knew was what I was taught.  I thought that the only way to be a great ninja was to follow the rules of the elders to the letter.

"But I was wrong, Kasumi.  You and Hayate taught me that strength can be measured in different ways.  When I used to see so-called 'great' shinobi, I respected them, but I also feared them.  Because they seem so…merciless to me.  But you and Hayate aren't like that.  I want to be like that, too."  Ryu paused, watching her wide, bright eyes absorb everything he said, and saw that spark of hope flicker across them.  Something warm spread throughout Ryu's chest as he realized how he had come to cherish that.  I want to do it for you, he wanted to say.  Instead, he lowered his voice conspiratorially, "And do you know what?  I've actually become stronger."

The smile was slow to bloom, but when it appeared, was the warmest Ryu could remember.  "Thank you," she said simply.

Ryu grinned, and was about to respond, when he suddenly felt a presence nearby.  He felt Kasumi go tense as well.  They looked at each other and read what plainly each was thinking: an attack.  Nodding, they moved into position to get ready.

They barely had time to settle into their defensive positions before six shinobi dressed in black landed almost without a sound in a ring surrounding them.  Back to back, Kasumi and Ryu waited for them to make the first move.

            They took it.  The first, and perhaps extremely impetuous, ninja to launch a flying kick in Ryu's direction immediately felt himself flying in a kind of reverse trajectory.  His fellows, seeing their companion so easily thwarted, were more cautious.  For a few, tense moments, all Kasumi and Ryu could do was watch as the remaining five sized them up.

            As if planned ahead, suddenly all five jumped up into the air.  Ryu, narrowed his eyes, calculated as fast as he could.  Looking for an opening?  He wasn't planning on giving it them.  As soon as they seemed to be coming down, Ryu dashed forward, and he hoped Kasumi would do the same.  Staying locked in a trapped position like that would be disadvantageous.  Better to split up and at the same time split their opponents' forces.  Textbook response.

            He made them chase him to a nearby clearing.  When he felt as though he put enough distance between them, he quickly spun around.  Three.  That meant Kasumi got two.  Good.  He pressed his sudden about face to his advantage.  He took the nearest pursuer off guard and rammed him fully into the unyielding trunk of a tree.  Ryu only heard the grunt as the man's breath was pushed forcibly out of him before the body slid down to the ground, unconscious.  The other two stopped a short distance away, realizing any hasty moves against this shinobi could be dangerous.  Warily, they waited.  But Ryu was patient, too.  He wanted them to come to him.

            Eventually, they rose to the bait.  Coming in at different angles, they obviously wanted to take Ryu down at its point.  Ryu easily feinted backwards, not enough to get out of their sight, but enough to make it out of their range.  Lured by the promise of 'just a little bit more!' the shinobi pursued, bit by bit, until finally they got frustrated.  One signaled to his companion by the sudden aggressiveness in his stance that he was going to take one final charge and his companion followed. 

            Ryu watched them come at an alarming speed, and smirked.  And despite the fact that his attackers were charging forward with the destructive power of a bullet train, his face showed no fear, and he showed no sign of intending to move. 

            With about ten seconds left till imminent death, Ryu Hayabusa serenely closed his eyes and disappeared in a flurry of leaves and cherry blossom petals.

            One of the would-be attackers realized just a moment before he screeched to a halt.  Unfortunately, his thoughts were not quite as coordinated for the other to recognize the same and follow in the split second later.  As a result, the two ninja collided and stumbled in a decidedly clumsy heap.  Untangling their limbs from each other, they quickly picked themselves up and tried to get ready, but it was all ready too late.  Ryu couldn't help but flash a cocky grin before he conked their heads together.  A sound much like two coconuts banging together echoed a bit and then two bodies slumped to the ground.

            Ryu rifled through the unconscious bodies and pilfered their daypacks.  When he was done, he turned around to see Kasumi standing in the distance, mouth hanging open with what could only be open admiration.  Ryu merely tossed her one of the packs, starting Kasumi out of her daze to hastily receive it.

            "Looks like we've got dinner taken care of," Ryu said.  A nod was his response, as the kunoichi thoughtfully fingered a frayed edge of the pack.

            "Come on," Ryu said.  "Let's get moving."

            "A-ano…Hayabusa-san?"

            "Hm?"

"Can you…teach me how to do that?" she asked shyly, her cheeks flushing slightly. 

"Teach you?"

"That teleportation jutsu.  That was amazing.  I've never seen anything like that."

Ryu started.  Alarm bells were going off in his head.  Of course she hadn't seen anything like it before; it was a special move of the Hayabusa clan.  Something, he realized, that was supposed to be forbidden to show anyone outside of mortal combat.  In which case you didn't expect the opponent to live to tell the tale about it anyway.

Uh-oh.

Ryu cleared his throat, awkwardly.  "Well…you see…we're not….  I mean…"

Kasumi seemed to know what he was trying to say.  She nodded her head resignedly.  "I understand, Hayabusa-san."  Ryu couldn't help but feeling like a jerk, again.

"It's just…" she said, "I….I want to be stronger, too.  If…you'll help me?"

Well…that cinched it.  He supposed one little jutsu wouldn't hurt….

Hayate was having a little bit too much fun, if you asked the ninja he had just finished throttling within an inch of his life.  This was only training! was the protest that died on his lips before everything went black.

            Hayate dusted his hands off as he looked over the black heap of unconscious bodies with satisfaction.  He heard the soft footfalls of Ayane running up to him shortly after.  "Hayate-san!" 

He turned and grinned at her.  Considering she was standing there, a little worn but otherwise perfectly fine, he'd say they won a decisive victory.  "Good work, Ayane." 

The girl flushed with pride and quietly accepted his compliment.  "We should continue moving, Hayate-san," she said.

But instead, Hayate chose to flop down on the ground.  "Nah, let's take a break for a bit.  I think we deserve it after all that."  Ayane, though inwardly anxious to get moving, carefully sat down and folded her hands nervously in her lap, occasionally glancing around for any other possible attacks.

Seemingly oblivious, her partner lay down and folded his arms behind his head.  For a few moments, Hayate merely watched the clouds rolling by overhead.  They were fascinating, really.  Clouds.  Something that free shouldn't be in such a hurry, he mused.  Or maybe they could because they had nothing to stop them.  "Ayane?"

Ayane's head snapped up.  "Ye—yes?"

"There's something I want to talk to you about, actually," Hayate said, still transfixed on the clouds.

"Talk…to me about?" she asked, her face starting to flush.

"Mm."  She waited, stomach twisting, for his next words. 

"Ayane…"

"Yes?  Yes?"

"Why do you hate Kasumi so much?"

He wasn't sitting up, so he didn't see her face fall.  But when she didn't respond after a while, he pressed, "Well?"

Ayane sighed.  "I…don't hate her…really," she managed, lamely.  At this, Hayate finally sat up and raised a brow quizzically at her.  "Really," she repeated.  "I don't."

Hayate rolled his eyes and flopped down again.  "You know, she wants to be your friend."

"No one wants to be my friend."  The bitter reply was out before she could stop it.  Slowly, Hayate sat back up and this time looked Ayane straight into her eyes.  Ashamed, she quickly averted her gaze.

"Ayane…" he began gently.

"It's nothing," she interjected.  "Please forgive my impertinence," she added, with a little bow.

"Ayane," he continued firmly, as though she hadn't said anything, "you're a great kunoichi.  Probably the greatest that the Mugen Tenshin's had in a long time.  And someday, I swear that everyone's going to know it."

Ayane kept her gaze trained downward, trying to control this feeling of overwhelming gratitude overflowing in her veins.  When she finally felt she had power over herself again, she whispered a heartfelt: "Thank you."

Slightly embarrassed and feeling extremely awkward, Hayate suddenly stood and brushed the leaves off his gi.  "Well, let's get going, shall we?"

It wasn't until well into the afternoon of the third and final day that Kasumi finally successfully managed that jutsu.  It was, she discovered, something akin to the kawarimi jutsu[1], only embellished.  That didn't make it any easier, though, so when she finally found herself about 100 meters above ground in the tree, looking down at the spot she had been, now littered with blossom petals, she couldn't hold back a whoop of victory.  From the ground, Ryu Hayabusa grinned up at his protégé which she returned enthusiastically.

            "How'd I do, Hayabusa-san?" she called out, perhaps unnecessarily, but dammit!  She was in a damn fine mood, and she wanted to hear him say it!

            Ryu continued to smile that breath-taking smile of his (Kasumi's good mood seemed to make her high as a jaybird and prone to think a bit…recklessly) and called up, "That was…fantastic!"

            On normal days, or in the presence of her father, Kasumi would stare down at her hands and mumble something about how it was thanks to having a good teacher.  But up here, against the sky, adrenaline pumping in her veins, she just about felt like she could fly if she had the mind to.  "That, Hayabusa-san," she said, "is just the beginning!"  She heard his chuckle float up to her, and she grinned even wider.  "I'm going to be the best kunoichi the Mugen Tenshin's ever seen!  I'm going to—Hayabusa-san, did you hear that?"

            One hand against the tree trunk, Ryu tried to place what she was talking about.  He closed his eyes and concentrated.  And…there!  He was sure he heard it, too!

            The soft tinkle of a bell.

            Sparing only a moment to share an excited look, the two shinobi took to the trees as though they were of one mind.  They were within listening distance, but trying to find a tiny bell in the midst of all the thick foliage was still going to be a challenge.  If only….

            Luck was on their side.  A slight breeze picked up, and again, that melodious sound of victory.  As they closed in on the sound, they saw the fleeting metallic glint of the bell that had momentary swayed from the protection of the leaf it was nestled beneath.  Landing on a branch that placed them at eye-level with it, they both took a deep breath, glanced at each other, and, together, plucked it from its branch.

            Kasumi held it up to the sun and gave it a small shake.  She laughed delightedly at its sound.  "So much trouble for such a little thing."

            "Well, it's always the little things that cause the most trouble," Ryu said, remembering what his mother always used to say, particularly when he got himself into trouble.

            Kasumi opened her mouth to respond, when they heard a crunch below them.  Pulling out a shuriken just in case, Ryu motioned for Kasumi to put the bell away, and jumped down, mere inches away from the intruder.

            "Jeez!  Ryu!"

            Ryu stopped in mid-throw.  He knew that voice.  Apparently his leap down had managed to narrowly miss landing on Hayate's head, but knocked him instead off his feet.  From the ground, Hayate ruefully rubbed his sore ass.

            "Hayate-san!"  Ayane made an appearance shortly after her voice, helping Hayate off the ground, and glaring at Ryu for good measure.  As soon as she was able to, she got into a stance that said she was going to kick his ass and kick it good.

            Slightly taken aback, Ryu mumbled, "Sorry."  Ayane didn't break her stance.

            Hayate, on the other hand, merely laid a restraining hand on her shoulder and said nonchalantly, "So, I take it you're here because you heard it, too?  So where's Kasumi?"

            As though in answer to that question, his sister's voice trailed down from above: "Hayabusa-san?  Are you all right?"  Her head peeked over the branch limb, and her face lit up when she saw who it was.  "Nii-san!"

            Hayate threw a cocky salute upward.  "Yo, Kasumi."  Ayane scowled.

            Kasumi squealed and jumped down.  "Nii-san!  Look what we found!" she said, excitedly holding up her prize for everyone to see.

            Ryu gulped as he saw Ayane's eyes narrow dangerously.  Mentally, he smacked himself in the head at Kasumi's naïveté.  But what's done is done, he added to himself.  And he returned Ayane's steely glare to show that they wouldn't give up their hard-won prize so easily.

            Hayate's clear laugh dispelled anything they might have done, however.  Instead, he picked Kasumi up and spun her in a circle, making her squeal with delight.  "Good work," he said, giving her a noogie for good measure.  Turning to his furious partner, he said, "Guess we were too late, Ayane."  Ayane, momentarily thrown off balance and trying to erase the evidence of anger in her face but not quite successfully managing it, only nodded.  Ryu shook his head sympathetically, but didn't say anything.  After all, things had worked out in their favor.

            "You guys better go turn that in to Genra-sama," Hayate said, "before the sun sets.  We're going to go look for that other one.  Let's go, Ayane."  Nodding, the purple-haired kunoichi took off, with Hayate following.

            "Good luck, Nii-san!" Kasumi called after them.  Then, as an afterthought: "You, too, Ayane!"

            "Hey, the other one has to be somewhere, right?" came back Hayate's reply before he disappeared into the treetops.



[1] Replacement technique