Author's Note:

Today I have some advice: it would appear that the best way to get reviews is not to write well, but to end your chapter with a really bad pun. I kid you not; the last chapter has received more reviews than any other. Opinions on the pun vary; some think it's good while others think its bad. But personally, I have to agree with the adage that:

A pun is only really funny, if it's also really punny (especially a pun 'bout honey)

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Naruto licked the palm of his hand and sucked each finger, "Man, that honey really is good!"

"See?" Vincent said confidently, "Everyone makes fun of my honey eating, that is until they try it"

"I mean seriously, you people need to try this"

"No," Temari said bluntly, "I'm quite sure we don't"

"Bah! Suit yourself"

"Oh, I almost forgot, Kisame" Vincent said as Naruto dug into his clay pot in search of honey, "Szark was here with his daughter recently, and though it's a big city, you should watch yourself"

Kisame blinked, "Wait… Szark is here...As in, Szark of the hidden mist? As in, Szark, Swordmaster of the hidden mist?"

"Hmm? Yeah. Like I said, you probably don't need to worry. He wanted a list of all the high powered shinobi in the area, then he and his daughter left"

"Hold on a second," Kisame said nervously, "just being within thirty square miles of Szark would make me worry, so being in the same city as him is a BIG deal"

Naruto spoke through a mouthful of honey, "How come yoush care so musch anyvay?"

"Allow me to be blunt: I learned swordsmanship from Hitero Matsu, who learned swordsmanship from Ganju Sakai, and he learned swordsmanship from Ikana Szark. Are we now getting some idea of why I'm concerned?"

Itachi crossed his arms, "But it's not like he's one of the seven swordsmen or anything, so I think you're overreacting"

Kisame shook his head, "Szark was around before the seven swordsmen, and his daughter, Ikana Seraphim, IS one of the seven swordsmen. Not only that, as if he weren't enough of a pain on his own, Szark uses a powerful ninjutsu sword and no one has any idea where he got it"

"Well," Temari said, "Now I'm worried"

Naruto was silent as his thoughts churned, "Temari… I think we saw him"

"What?"

"That old guy, at the restaurant. I think, no…I'm sure that was him. It would be far too much of a coincidence for there to be two old men in this city able to hide their chakra that well, and yet still have so much of it"

Kisame started to pace, "Well this is just great. We are so screwed. I'm amazed we haven't been found out already, especially considering the first place they'd look for people like us would…" Struck by momentary insight, his eyes riveted themselves to the office door, which slowly started to open.

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"For if I were an Oscar Mayer weiiiiiineeerrr, everyone would be in love with me"

Kabuto sat in tree, singing to himself. It wasn't like there was anyone close enough to hear him, and watching guards wander around can only amuse someone for so long.

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Vincent's secretary pushed her head into the office door, "Excuse me sir, but Szark-sama is here to see you again"

The young secretary balked at having so many piercing gazes focused on her, even as the Poohbah muttered to himself then spoke firmly, "Tell him I'm busy. If that doesn't work, have the buildings power cut"

The secretary rushed back out, sensing urgency, "Yes sir"

Kisame smacked his fist into the palm of his other hand, "We have maybe three minutes, so everyone listen carefully. Seraphim will most definitely be waiting on the ground just outside the window, and we have no weapons"

Itachi appeared unconcerned, "Ah, and whose fault is that?"

"This is not the time to be smug, Itachi. I have to think…"

And so, with a very determined (but still very polite) old man pushing his way past Karen the door lady downstairs, there was silence in the Poohbah's office as Kisame applied his often underestimated intelligence to getting them out of there.

The proverbial light bulb appeared at last, "Got it!"

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Ikana Seraphim stood below the central tower impatiently, leaning her rather small sword against her shoulder.

It is worth noting that the term 'rather small sword' is used relatively, meaning that she used a Katana rather than some type of broadsword and it was only five or so feet long.

Her father had told her to just stand and watch the Poohbah's office window. That was it, stand and watch a window. She had trained her whole life, practiced until she fainted from chakra depletion, and finally achieved membership as the first woman in the seven swordsmen. And her father told her to stand and watch a window.

It wasn't even a very interesting window, just a big sheet of glass somehow adhered to the wall. That was, until it shattered.

Shards of glass rained into the street as hundreds of clones poured out the window, running and leaping off in all directions. Her eyes scanned the mass, the surrounding buildings making it impossible to use the mass destructive type of jutsu typically used to clear such numbers of clones.

She was just about to send her own clone army in pursuit, when she noticed a chakra fluctuation. Locking her senses onto that 'clone', she bounded after it.

Among the clones, Naruto and Temari (who looked like Naruto thanks to a henge) ran quickly while not allowing themselves to move faster than the general mass of clones.

Naruto glanced back; "I think she took the bait, since she's coming after us"

"Can I just say now that I think this plan is completely insane"

"Sure, if it will make you feel better, but I suggest we run faster, since she's catching up"

"And was it really necessary to waste chakra on all those clones?"

"Yes, because otherwise it would have been to obvious that we were drawing her away"

They hit the city limits and started leaping through trees rather than buildings

"But still, that may have been a bit excessive"

Naruto silently conceded, but it was more because he wanted to focus on running than because he agreed with her.

They neared their destination and Temari fell back slightly, allowing Naruto to pull in front of her.

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Itachi and Kisame stood in the street, watching as the main door to the central tower was pushed open and an old man walked towards them, leaning on his staff for support, "How nice to see you again, Kisame-san. I have to say I wasn't expecting you"

Kisame scratched the back of his head, "Of the two of us, Szark-sama, I can assure you I'm the more surprised"

"You appear to be unarmed today… but I'm more interested in how those friends of yours managed to get my daughter away from here"

"Simple. I relied on the fact that you hadn't told her anything about the person or people you were after, so there was no way for her to know that there were four of us"

"Ah, so you remembered how much I enjoy being cryptic, do you?"

"I will never forget. You were the one who first told me that a mission is no fun when you know what's going to happen"

"That may be true, but a mission is also no fun when the enemy is unarmed, so I suggest you remedy that problem quickly"

"Oh, don't worry"

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A certain white haired medic nin's hands were tapping his tree rythmically,

"When the chimes ring five...six and seven, We'll be right in sev-enth heaven. We're gonna rock... around... the clock tonight, We're gonna rock, rock, rock, 'til broad daylight. We're gonna rock, gonna rock, around the clock tonight"

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Blasting into the campsite, Naruto grabbed Samehada and jumped as high as he could.

A nanosecond later, Temari had her fan and through no small feat of acrobatics, opened it and sent a shockwave of air straight up, launching Naruto high above the trees.

Holding Samehada by the hilt, like a javelin, Naruto forced as much chakra as he could into his arm, causing a few veins to pop out and a small spurt of blood, and threw the sharkskin blade as hard as he could.

Seraphim looked up as the sword flew over her head at near supersonic speeds, "…Samehada!"

She twisted in midair; hitting the next branch backwards and launching herself back the way she had come.

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Szark was continuing to smile politely, "So, Kisame, did you ever manage to get the feel for that backhand twist cut?"

"Nah, could never get the timing quite perfect, so I figured out a way to compensate by speeding up my backhand cross cut. Not as graceful, but equally effective"

Itachi slowly shifted his gaze between the two swordsmen, finally settling on Szark, "So… I hear you saw Naruto at a restaurant"

"Naruto? So that's his name… well then, give him my compliments if you see him, because his sensory attunement is truly amazing"

"I'm sure he'll appreciate praise from one such as yourself"

"Whoa," Kisame cut in, "here it comes…"

Running over to a wall and running up it, Kisame back-flipped off and grabbed Samehada as it flew past, landing lightly in a crouch, "Sorry for the delay. I'm ready now"

Szark grabbed his wooden staff by its thick end, his hand facing the ground, and flipped the staff so he was holding it like a sword, "Excellent. I was getting impatient"

Itachi blinked, "Um... Am I fighting too?"

"Of course," Szark said as if it were obvious, "Kisame alone won't keep me entertained for very long"

As he spoke, a ripple rolled down his staff, the wood seeming to melt into the shape of a blade.

"Wait a second, you're going to fight Kisame and me with a wooden sword?"

Kisame sweatdropped, "Itachi…"

"Why yes, I am. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Not really, but…" The Uchiha blinked; Szark was gone.

He threw himself to one side out of pure instinct, and the earth exploded behind him. When he looked again, Szark's wooden sword was embedded halfway into where he had been standing, and the old man himself was balanced on top, "My my, and I'd heard that the Uchiha had the best eyes anywhere. Do try to keep up with me next time"

There was a blur of movement and Itachi again got himself out of the way with fractions of a second to spare.

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Temari looked around nervously as they ran through the forest away from the city, now re-armed and re-supplied, "Are you sure it's okay to leave them like that?"

Naruto shrugged, "Well, Kisame said we'd just get in the way, and considering the opponent, I'm inclined to believe him"

She looked at him skeptically, "But…"

"There is the small matter of the fact that I'd rather not have to fight a sword master of hidden mist, but Kisame said they'd be fine, and we have to trust him on that"

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"And I'm…too sexy for the leaf… too sexy for the leaf…I like pot stewed beef"

Kabuto was now at the point of making up his own lyrics, and realized with a start that he was rather hungry.

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Extemporaneous Notes:

Those of you out there who have seen Fullmetal Alchemist might want to check out 'Laughing Shadow', my newest venture.

The link is, of course, on my profile page.

Actually, now that I think about it, you should go read it whether you've seen Fullmetal Alchemist or not.

Today's chapter is really short, I know. Next chapter will be normal length.