Author's Notes: So this is it, the last chapter, the end of the tale. Everything will be wrapped up. There's of course a short epilogue to follow, and my afterword, but all things end here. I hope everyone enjoyed this story and thanks.

Chapter 27 – A Completed Arsenal

It was a three day journey to the coast, and the nearest port town of any reasonable size. Akai pushed his younger subordinates hard, his own long legs and veteran experience carrying him across the land in great ground-consuming strides. It was all Ise and Yi could do to keep up. Thus, they reached the port town early, just after dawn on the third day. Akai did not bother taking in the town, but simply made for the docks immediately.

"We'll charter a ship to take us to a larger port, and then make the full journey to Mist. Hopefully there is a fast vessel in port," he all but dragged Ise and Yi to follow.

At the docks, however, there was little good news. All the fastest ships had left recently, with the end of the winter storms, and none had come back yet. Most of the remaining vessels were local. The harbormaster told Akai that it would likely be two days at least before any ship to carry them arrived. The Warlord accepted the news, but his irritation was clear. He wished to be back at his post in Mist immediately.

Akai took his irritation out on Ise and Yi, marching the tired ninja outside of town and forcing them to demonstrate the full extent of their skills, until they had not an ounce of chakra remaining. The Warlord was impressed by both of them, but neither Ise nor Yi felt well disposed to appreciate it at the moment.

"Good," Akai said when they were done. "You two make up two thirds of what Mist needs to meet the threat of the coming years. Excellent, it seems the plan was a full success."

"Two thirds?" Ise and Yi asked together.

"You two will make up part of a three man team," Akai stared directly into their eyes. "A team that will destroy the enemies of Mist and be completely unstoppable."

"Um, who's the third member?" Yi questioned.

"I am," a soft voice spoke from behind Yi.

Yi and Ise spun around, and the Warlord's head jerked up to see a very short girl standing behind them both, dressed in a mist ninja uniform.

How did she appear there? Ise was shocked. Her scent is unfamiliar, but I can feel her now. She must have closed the gap in an instant. That is unbelievable speed. Who is this girl?

She was indeed strange, wearing a uniform colored an unusual azure shade, much brighter than the standard Mist uniform, and with a stance that should have been unbelievably uncomfortable held with perfect normality. Her hair was short, and she was herself shorter than Yi, a very small girl, but her body held such obvious compact power that both the shark-blooded ninja and Mizain stepped back from her.

"How are you here?" Akai asked, clearly surprised, but not nearly so shocked as Yi or Ise at the ninja girl's appearance.

"Good afternoon sensei," she replied. "I have been searching for you by the pheromone I placed on you before."

"Pheromone?" Ise asked. "I don't smell anything."

"Even your nose, chunin Hoshigake Ise, will not detect it," the girl told him. "It is not something a nose can detect, but something else."

There was something in the way those words were spoken that triggered Ise's memory, reminding him of a moment long ago, of words spoken before he left the village. "You are Stomatoa Saki," he recognized.

"Yes," she answered, and then turned to Yi. "You are the Mizain?"

"Yes," Yi responded cautiously. "I am Mizain Yi."

"I am pleased to meet you then," Saki told her. She extended her hand. It was a strange motion for she held her hand upside down, her arm bent inward. Cautiously, Yi took that small hand in her own and shook it. "I hope we will work well together," Saki smiled softly, the only motion she had performed so far that was at all human.

"So, we are to be a team Warlord?" Ise asked Akai.

"Indeed, though I did not expect to announce it so soon," Akai scowled. "Even if you had a way to track me," Akai's voice revealed that though he had not known about it this did not surprise him, something that only made Ise and Yi even more awed by Saki. "How did you get here from Mist so quickly?"

"Tsuki Kendai of the Seven Swordsmen brought me," Saki replied. "Mizukage ordered her to bring you back as soon as possible."

"The Lunar Lady is here?" Ise blurted.

"Ten miles north, she waits in a town there," Saki answered frankly. "When night falls she can return all of us to Mist."

"One of the Seven Swordsmen can do that?" Yi looked at Ise.

"Moonlight Walk, it is one of her powers," Akai answered instead. "It is most useful in many situations." He turned to the three ninja. "Well then, it was intended to have this announced formally by Mizukage, but I see no need to not tell you now. You three will be appointed a special team of three. You will report only to the Seven Swordsmen and Mizukage himself. Chunin Hishigake Ise, you will lead this team. A great trust is being placed in your hands, do not fail."

"I will not Warlord, or I shall die first," Ise saluted, hastily standing formally. "May I ask, what will be the purpose of this team?"

"You are charged with the destruction of the fugitive organization known as the Akatsuki and the death of all its members as well as the fugitive Orochimaru and servants." Akai replied.

Ise took in a breath sharply. "As you command Warlord. Are we to begin immediately?"

"Ha!" Akai laughed. "No, I told you Ise, you had three years to complete your mission. Since you have finished early, there is a great deal of training left to make you fully ready. Now, let's go, I want to get back to Mist as soon as possible."

Ise turned to his teammates. "I'm ready, Yi?"

"To serve with you, always," she smiled genuinely.

"Saki?"

"I will always obey, though I hope I will like this."

"Then let's go," Ise told them. "I do not face the prospect of the Akatsuki without fear, but with the Mizukage's confidence and the guidance of the Seven Swordsmen I am sure the three of us can destroy them."

The others nodded, and they fell into step behind the tall form of the Warlord, heading swiftly to return to the storm-swept island of Mist.