Fingers ready to create and eyes peeled to look upon my work from locations unknown. Ah life can be good. Some rest and a minor look on the bright side can do that to a pessimist. Even if she's a seriously cranky Capricorn. Talk about results. On with life. And everything shitty about it. Here before you my faithful readers is ch. 5, long awaited and probably going to be longer than any other. Ultimate Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and its characters for I'm lacking in such skills and doubt to be worthy of such awesomeness. Read, review, no flames and a big ass Snickers bar. YOSH!

"Iii" speech

Iii thought

Iii spirit speech/conversation

Chapter 5: What Just Happened?

Snow fell in small flakes to the silent and empty streets of the gray city. The only life proved to be several birds, a stray cat or dog, and a large group of strangely garbed people walking cautiously across the frosty ground. A cold wind howled past them the snow falling faster, making them hold themselves against the cold. Naruto and Iruka shivered the most considering their conditions. The strangers, however, seemed unaffected by the change in the weather pressing forward hair blowing along with the harsh wind. "How much further?" Neji called from somewhere behind them.

"YES! How much further must we progress my strange fellows?" Gai roared in a disgustingly passionate voice, nearly making certain unlucky people deaf all the while sweat dropping at the delusional man. Man… and they call us freaks. White on black thought, his eyebrow possibly twitching uncontrollably underneath his mask. To avoid conflict, the unmasked stranger answered for him. "Only so far. Another minute for sure."

"You'd better hope so," Kakashi growled, still angry with himself for slipping up like he had, allowing Iruka to get hurt. Maybe worse. A whole lot worse.

"Don't worry." A voice contended causing the one-eyed man to turn and see the unmasked warrior walking next to him and Iruka. "You don't have to feel so down about it either."

Curious and aware now, Iruka spoke up. "Why?"

"Because it's the occupational hazard is all. The fact that you were hurt is just another event in the timeline in which to put behind you. What should matter now is what the future holds. Whether you hide behind secrets or you walk out in the open doesn't matter. You learn from your mistakes, and take courage in knowing how to prevent the same thing happening twice."

"You sound like a scholar or something. Do you teach?" Kakashi queried, eye smiling in amusement. Chuckling the bare faced man answered with his mischievous smile. "Only in the matters of war, life," he paused and continued slyly, "even love."

Astonished, the chunin teacher blushed while the Jounins' surprise failed to remain hidden from his masked face. Nearly laughing at their discomfort, the young warrior waved away their worries. "Such affection is acceptable. Your lives are your own and what others think of it shouldn't matter to proud ones such as yourselves. With some rest, a bit of solids and fluids in his system, even a little assistance will have him on his feet in no time. Don't worry Red Eye, you and your friends are in safe hands."

"We're here." His counterpart called from the front of the group, standing before a building almost like all the others. Only difference was the fact that it looked like an inn with a restaurant/bar at the bottom and the living areas at the top. Standing at nearly eight stories, it actually looked worth living in, especially since the front walkway was completely snow and ice-free. Opening the door the two looked back, awaiting the group to go before them. Choji attempted to enter only to be stopped with an arm and a single reminder. "Don't be rude, ladies first." The unmasked man said bowing at the back, holding out his free left arm to the closest female. Taken by surprise by the distinct show of politeness, Kurenai (being closest) took the invitation and entered, followed closely by the other girls.

Once inside, the first thing to be noticed was it's lacking of people to fulfill the setting of roadside inn. Dark hardwood floors, traditional wooden tables and chairs almost gave the room an medieval or western feel to it. Behind the bar at the left stood a tallish figure cleaning glasses for future use. Wearing the same clothes as that of the two strangers, his was different by far. His mask pertained that of a dog, a German Shepard if you're wondering (1), with a darker brown outfit to match. Turning his head slightly to look in their direction, he tensed, only to have it waved off by one of the strangers. His voice was a bit gruff and demanding but not enough to be threatening, "You're late. Again."

"Got held up. You know just as well as I do Chevy (2) that the enemy's starting to swarm like a bunch of bees with a kicked in hive. That and this bunch right here," White on black growled grumpily, thumbing at the group settling into the nearby chairs, "had problems of their own. Leaving them like that would be stupid, we'd be court marshaled, and if Mr. One Eye over there pulls out that book again, my friends and I will take much pleasure in burning, ripping and or slicing it into atom size pieces. Got it?"

Horrified at the accusation, all saw Kakashi quickly put the book back in his pocket, his lone eye wide with amazement that the stranger had noticed the book's' appearance without turning around. Even Neji was amazed at this sudden insight on their surroundings. How did he do that? Does he have something similar to Byakugan? Who and what are they? Maybe this can be questioned later… but something still bothers me. "Pardon but I don't think you ever told us your names."

Perking up at this missed detail, the three looked at each other before looking back at Neji, the unmasked one answering first. "This is an unusual question but quite commonly overlooked in rough times. Allow me to introduce us: I am Evan (3) and this is my older twin brother Ozzy (4)." He said calmly as his newly introduced companion took off his mask and waved less than halfheartedly. The difference between the two was clear. Evan was smiling warmly and had a look of optimism going on. Ozzy, golden green eyes sharper than his brothers', gave cold looks all round, almost ready to pounce and totally kill something if it so much as made any kind of wrong move. Or just movement in general. "And as mentioned, this grump over here is Chevy." Evan continued, giving the dog-masked man the thumbing gesture.

"Hey." Chevy said shortly, blackish gray eyes flashing in mock indignation, then asked. "Anyone hungry? I'm sure the others have started by now. Any orders?" Expectant, he stared with blackish grey eyes at the group before him. As foreseen by those who knew the large young man best, Choji went down an amazingly long list of different foods, appetizers and other dishes to fulfill his stomachs constant low growls. Sweat dropping Chevy started to walk away with a hesitant step "okay, uh, I'll see what we can do about all.. of.. that… uh right, I'll be right back." Without another word, the dog-masked man left through a door on the far right side of the bar, moving faster than necessary. The twins however, were in a state of shock, their jaws practically on the floor. Or at least Evan's was. Ozzy just looked a bit pale, trying to comprehend how a normal human could eat so much. After several minutes of astonished silence, Evan exploded.

"ARE YOU FOR REAL? HOW ON THIS EARTH CAN YOU EAT THAT MUCH? You might be a worthy rival for that of the biggest eater out of this entire city!"

"I could? What do you mean?" the plum man asked, curious in as to who Evan was preferring to.

"Only the largest of the large, and one of the strongest of the strong. Considering his size, he'd probably out-eat you by far more than what you order if given the chance."

"Is that so? And how do you know?" Asuma called from where he sat, filling the room with cigarette smoke.

"How do we know he asks? How do we know?" Ozzy's words dripped with sarcasm, making it sound like a stupid question. "The guy's over eight feet tall and weighs over 5 tons. It's not hard to miss let alone forget a guy that big. He's a giant for crying out loud!"

Asuma's cigarette fell from his mouth in shock while everyone else had expressions that threatened to have them eyeless for the rest of their lives. "What does he look like?" Tenten asked hesitantly, fearing that the one the twins spoke of was some sort of monstrosity they'd faced earlier. Waving away the fear, Evan answered her question in an even and calming tone. "No need to panic. The guy's harmless and really gentle, he may not look it, but he can prove it. He's a real hit with the kids." He said winking at her. "Besides, no one's ever really managed to unlock the guy's anger."

"Does this character have a name by chance?" Iruka queried equally curious about the infamous gentle giant whose actions were obviously focused on being non-violent.

"Actually yes," Ozzy said leaning back against the bar, sitting on one of the stools bolted to the wooden floor. "Name's Greg (5) but the only thing wrong with him is his language."

"Is it foul?" The chunin asked, sending a glare at a one-eyed man, who tried to hide behind his book then remembered the danger of its existence and just took to staring at the ceiling.

"No, it's just he can only say one word. Grog (6). Which to us sounds like Greg, but he responds to either one really. Of course he could be trying to say 'frog' but you never actually know what the big guy's tryin' to tell ya."

"Then how do you talk to him? Can't you understand him?"

"The thing is: he makes it simple by indicating what he's trying to say, wants to say, or what was said. When you really think about it, he's really great at communication despite his handicap." Evan smiled as Chevy appeared again behind the bar, but was being followed by a middle-aged woman possibly in her 40's or 50's. What caught the most attention was her lacking of a mask, showing her face for all to see. Almost black hair fell in healthy waves to her shoulders over a plain crème v-neck t-shirt and khaki pants like the three warriors only with fewer pockets and more loops for sticking tools and what have you in 'em. Standing tall with hazel eyes to match, she turned to face the group before her like a lioness facing a hoard of misbehaving cubs. Seeming unaffected by this, Kakashi did his usual "Yo." Raising his hand in greeting, eye smiling at the new woman. Ignoring this she turned to the twins on the other side of the bar. They tensed, Ozzy shifting to get out of the way as Evan prepared to duck only to have their attempts become useless. In a single swing of the arm, the woman hit the two over the side of the head with a frying pan that somehow came to hand like a baseball bat. The two were sent flying across the room and crashing into a corner, knocking over tables and chairs.

Chevy winced as the objects fell on the two, having ducked out of the way to avoid any injuries to be inflicted on him too. He winced again as the woman yelled, "YOU'RE LATE!! AGAIN! What am I going to do with you two? Coming home late almost every night. Honestly, what would your parents think if they saw how you two inconsiderate brats keep on staying out when you could be dead for all we know! Well? WELL? CARE TO EXPLAIN?"

"Um, maybe you should've asked that before you hit them right?" This sentence also earned Chevy a face full of pan, the woman's anger still not satisfied. The two brothers struggled with tangled limbs before getting off of the floor to stagger back to where they'd been sitting. Ozzy responded to the question, frustrated. "Well, Tia (7), maybe we could've come back sooner if this lot hadn't popped out of nowhere!" he growled, holding his nose and pointing at the ninja group behind him. Evan sat next to his brother at the bar holding his head and struggling to keep the tears in his eyes from falling. The strange woman turned to the group again, causing some of them to jump despite herself. "So which one's the big eater then?"

Hesitantly, Choji raised his hand in the hopes of serving this strange ordeal. Much to the surprise of all, she jumped over the bar to tower over the oversized teen. What happened next even surprised the authoress of this story! The woman's next words shocked all three of the warriors to where their jaws were on the floor. For she said thus: "YOU are the bravest kid I've met in all my years of culinary work to demand such a large amount of food all at once! I on the other hand, cannot fulfill this request since somebody" she paused to glare at the twins who flinched "forgot to bring fresh supplies to the kitchen on time once they were done with their daily patrol. However," pausing for effect "I'm sure I can whip up something to satisfy the hunger of you and your friends." Smiling sweetly, she who is dubbed 'Tia' turned back, jumped back over the bar and headed toward the door. Before exiting she turned around again to stab a finger at the twins "And you two can clean up that mess you made or I'll deep fry you both!" she nearly yelled, slamming the door behind her.

"Yes aunt Loni (8)." The two said in unison, getting up again to pick up the fallen tables and chairs they'd landed on when sent across the room: frying pan style. Jaws dropped at the mention of 'aunt Loni', Naruto with his curiosity getting the best of him asked "THAT was you're AUNT? Dude she's nasty! How do you put up with her?"

"We just do. She's more of a prohibition officer than a relative, considering she yells more than she's violent. Aunt Loni can be kind of harsh but her cooking's to die for!" Collapsing in one of the chairs Evan continued on with his story. "Back home she was the All-County Cook-Off Champion for over twenty years! But she got out of the running to let everyone else have a crack at it. Why she followed us out here is beyond us, but if she hadn't, we'd probably be skinnier than paper."

"Why doesn't she have a mask like you guys? Isn't she a warrior?" Tenten queried, a delicate eyebrow raised in question.

"That is a fairly good question milady. And the answer is that she's not a warrior in the sense of blood shed and kicking ass. More in the sense of spices and cutting heads off dead fish." Chevy called from the bar having returned to cleaning glasses. His voice was slightly nasal and the fact he could stand at all was proving to be a strain. "Her occupation is to feed and defend, not kill or attack. She's got a good arm though." The last sentence was announced with misery and annoyance. Though such actions were needed, how they were being taken wasn't good.

"Oh now you're gonna complain you lazy son of a bitch? I don't remember you bitchin' and moanin' about it back at Academy. I wonder what happened to you that could've gotten you to open that poor excuse of a mouth of yours." A sarcastic drawl came from the front door as yet another stranger appeared from the snowy wasteland. Tall and slightly muscular, the newcomer came forward to sit at the bar, his black hair poking haphazardly in strange direction from under a mud colored hat that kind of looked like that of a fisherman, meant for calm water instead of whirling snow. Grey coat, black pants, hiking boots and dark green gloves made up his wardrobe, along with a dragon mask, similar to that of the other three warriors, hid his features. Deep brown eyes gave the group at the tables a curious look before turning to his comrades. "What's with the crowd? You two destroy something again? I didn't see any clouds of dust anywhere."

"Hey! The other times were on accident okay? It's not our fault that those people chose to live in this war-zone. Beside, we cleaned it up and got them to live elsewhere and you know that I'm sure." Evan snapped evenly, glaring at the newcomer.

"Sure, sure. And I wasn't the one who pulled every prank in the book ten times over in a time span of four hours almost all day, everyday, at the academy just to see when you'd get caught doing what the fastest." He growled from behind his mask, lifting it slightly to sip the White Russian he'd ordered.

Ozzy smirked in triumph as Evan tried to keep his snickering low key. "Ah the good day huh Brother?" Ozzy said sounding amused, the smirk threatening to become a full-blown smile raising his beer bottle as though to toast. Raising his own Evan chuckled and grinning like a fool. "Can't agree with you more. Do you remember how many teachers they had to replace? In no less than two days at a time? Haha great days are made of good pranks."

"You did all that in four hours? How'd you pull that off?" Sakura and Ino yelled in unison, their curiosity at its peak. Nodding the group edged closer to hear this strange tale. Shikamaru just grumbled about it all being 'so troublesome' and leaned back to nap, hoping to be left out of the action. But before the newcomer could utter another word, all four practically jumped at the next eminent event.

"HEY! OZZY AND EVAN-NISSAN ARE BACK!! CHARGE!!" a child's' voice rang true throughout the premises to soon be followed by a growing rumble of small shoes on wooden floors, stairs then floors again. A door to the far left burst open revealing a crowd of children probably no older than eight or nine, ranging in the youngest of five or six. Jumping up in mock dramatics (are we sure this isn't going to be a Gai moment? Let's hope not) Evan stabbed a finger in their direction and roared feigned anger and plastering a furious look all the while trying not to smile in amusement. "Indeed the sea of monkeys has returned! Come Brother for together we shall defeat their irresistible cuteness once and for all!!"

Trying not to laugh and sweat dropping at his forced involvement, he too took on a seemingly dramatic pose and replied with similar faked sincerity, "Of course! Their appearance means nothing to us for we are warriors who fight for all! But I suggest a means that of which is untested and highly dangerous to those of their caliber."

"You don't mean-? You really saying-?" fake fear appeared on Evan's face as though his sibling had just uttered a seriously bad word.

"Like hell I do. Gayle (9) shall you assist?" Ozzy inquired at the newcomer, who rose to stand beside them, pretending to be menacing with his mask firmly in place. Planting his feet rigidly, Gayle finally answered. "How can I not? You might the extra hands for…"

"THE ULTIMATE ATTACK: TRIPLE TICKLE TORTURE!!" the three roared in unison, quite literally jumping at the crowd of children who were by then screaming and laughing excitedly as they were chased all over the place. Scattering like marbles spilled out of the bag, the tiny fragile forms spread everywhere, hiding behind tables, chairs, the bar and anything or anyone who might prove to be worthy as a shield. Pretending to roar like monsters, arms raised, hands like mock claws, the three young men managed to grab a small giggling body or two to snuggle and tickle until a new victim came into range. The room that was once close to deathly quiet had become a mini gymnasium filled to the max with little kids. It wasn't before long that Naruto, Kiba, Lee, even Iruka decided to join the fun, forgetting all fatigue and past events. "Look Brother! Reinforcements!! Victory is surely ours!!" Evan called over the noise, to busy laughing himself to keep up the act. Smirking but remaining oddly neutral, Ozzy kept himself busy trying to get the kids into the chairs and keep them there only to have them get up and run off giggling as though streaking on a hot summer day (cute but nasty image isn't it?). Luckily it all came to a halt when a loud whistle caught everyone's attention back to the door behind the bar. Obviously Ms. Loni had left drowsiness and returned to find chaos holding the ominous frying pan in hand to back up her authority.

"HEY! Dinner's almost ready and I expect you all to have washed your hands before you even dare come back down here to get it. March." Stabbing an angry finger at the mass of little people who started to shuffle off and through the door in a desperate attempt to escape the evils that a frying pan could bring. Sitting back at the bar, the three men return to sipping their drinks of choice, wary of the iron utensil that could swing at any moment. Iruka sat back down with a tired sigh, Naruto sitting across from him with his infamous grin on his face looking almost exhausted. Several minutes later the crowd of children returned to sit at their own tables, careful to stay put and quiet. Raised eyebrows could be seen on all faces of the ninja group, Asuma the first to speak. "Got an iron fist Miss? If you do it works better here than anywhere I've seen."

"I, sir, have to hold up said 'iron fist' to keep these nasty little buggers in line. Even if some of them are good-for-nothing irresponsible nephews-."

"Hey we're right here!" They protested in unison, smirking despite the indignation as she ruffled their hair affectionately with her own smirk on her face. "Now if you two can come help me back here, we can get these mouths full of my Belly Buster Buffet Special."

"Yes Aunt Loni."

The three disappeared behind the door only to return with platters of plates and silverware, Chevy already getting out glasses and what looked like several jugs of milk. This operation continued until all had a set of their own, Gayle pitching in to get the food out faster. Large varieties could be seen: shrimp, lobster, turkey, chicken, and other foods that would make Kakashi's mask look exceptionally moist with drool. Rice, corn, carrots and such as the like complimented the dishes, Choji obviously wanting to grab a tuxedo and marry the wondrous provider of sustenance started to gobble down all that he was given as soon as it was set before him, making those who didn't know him well to gap with shock at how quick it disappeared into the boy's bowels. "THIS IS THE GREATEST!!" he roared between dishes. This outburst put a proud grin on Ms. Loni's face. "Glad you like it. I'm always happy to bring some sort of positive energy out of people especially with my cooking."

"And if you think this is good, wait until dessert. Nothing and I mean nothing compares to our aunt Loni's desserts." Evan chuckled giving his aunt an all-knowing wink as her grin changed to a smile. She waved him away toward the door. His eyes wide, he stared at her, as though to ask, 'Are you sure?'

'Yes.' Was all the reply he got as she again waved him and his brother away toward the door behind the bar. The crowd didn't notice this, but the sad look in her eyes as she sat down herself wasn't unobserved by a certain experienced Chunin. "you care for them a lot don't you?"

Hazel met chocolate brown, sadness and lost memories swirling in the endless pools of the woman's eyes. "What can I say? Their my sisters' boys, leaving them by themselves would've been irresponsible, leaving them unattended for more than one minute and thirty seconds would be stupid. Especially in their younger years."

"Their younger years?" Kakashi queried from across the table his food already gone from years of practiced efficiency.

"You couldn't even get from here to the bar without jump-starting nearly eight out of possibly two hundred traps, set-ups, reversals and various and I do mean various types of things that would lead to the downfall of the best nanny any world has ever known. Keeping those two in line was hard enough, but telling them apart? Oye vay! They're as different as they're the same! One would act like the other and vice versa or just plain unaffected by anything I'd said at the time. They pulled that one off so many times it was creepy! But the one thing that never changed was how they acted as individuals."

"What? Like a pair of snot-nosed brats that don't know any better? Ow!" Asuma growled only to be given a well-placed punch from Kurenai. Rubbing his arm he glowered at her as she glared and shushed him with her red eyes. Before she could say anything, Loni spoke up. "Not exactly."

"What do you mean?" Kurenai asked politely still giving Asuma disapproving looks as he tried to ignore her.

"I mean despite the fact they would act like each other or just as one mind, but they would be the most explosive set of twin you'd ever bump into. There wasn't anything in the entire galaxy that they would argue over, even if was years beyond their understanding, they argued about it. From why ants follow each other, how rain falls up, even on subjects I don't even remember mentioning in their presence! Spells, traps, battle plans, designs, crafts, time management, targeting practices and efficiency. The list was endless with those two! They could go on for hours talking about something as simple as what causes ice to melt. Even on how long it took to melt at certain temperatures! Absolutely endless. Infinite. But the strange thing was: when you interrupted them with 'hey, dinner's ready' or 'hurry up and finish! You still have other chores to do!' the most amazing thing would occur for possibly the first time in days. They would shut up."

She paused. Her audience was hanging on every word, silent and expectant for more on the mysterious duo of destruction. "They would shut up? It was that simple?" Temari said, sounding greatly surprised at how the two would change in a matter of seconds thanks to a simple sentence sent in their direction. "Surprised me too. And to top it off, they'd just end it with some agreement or other, move on to the next task and just keep going with a different subject only this time agreeing with each others' views! They even managed to memorize every single known and unknown, illegal or not, moves to practically card, board, and field game known to man! Put those two up against the five strongest people you have on a football field, give 'em the ball, and the game could be theirs in less than five minutes every quarter."

"What about their parents? Why aren't they around? Are they out scout like those two were?" Iruka asked, regretting the question when the sad look returned to her eyes, her age visible in light wrinkles.

"Those two nephews of mine never knew their parents. No cousins, no grandparents, no great-grandparents and so on, just me and my brother who I can tell you is senile to where he thinks he's still on the battlefield."

"He still thinks he's in the battlefield? What the-?"

"Got hit too many times on the head from what I was told. Our thought was all the bloodshed finally caused the idiot to snap, especially the way he runs around--" no sooner had she said it, a roar reverberated through the house, reaching their ears like mock thunder, making them flinch and turn to look at the ceiling some with curiosity others with shock and exasperation. The words that followed were muffled but clearly coming from a person whose mind was definitely elsewhere. Running could be heard, a bang of metal on some random surface, a crash of a vase, smash of glass, until finally the words could be heard clear as day: "—on the left side. Come on men! We can take 'em! You on our right flank get movin'! Get into gear people!! Ready? CHARGE!!"

A middle-aged man, dressed in regular t-shirt and a pair of cotton pants with slippers to match, busted through the door where the children had come from. Old broom in hand, mopping bucket somehow expertly placed on his head, his rambling continued, brown eyes darting and slightly glazed from a mind forever trapped in a dreamland of terror and weapons in the forms of cleaning utensils. – Yeah, I made him crazy on purpose. Just wait, it gets better. Haha. – Suddenly he started to scream at the top of his lungs. "This room is FILLED with the enemy! Where are the scouts? Dirty pansy bastards! No matter. DIIIIIIIEEEEE!!!"

Gayle and Chevy pounced on the senile man, Gayle going for the broom while Chevy tried to get the man around the waist and back up the stairs. Being attacked in this fashion at a constant proved to be the man's advantage. Spinning the broom, the man whacked Gayle in the face, gut and neck, sending the masked man flying. Chevy manuevered to snatch the spinning broom from the man's hands only to get decked in the chest. Screeching to a halt, he whipped his sheathed katana from his back and managed to block another swing of the broom as the man continued to yell orders at invisible soldiers. The children closest had gotten up and run to hide behind Gaara, Temari, Ino, Kurenai, Sakura and Iruka, smart enough to know when to avoid the amazingly predictable conflicts. Gayle rose from the floor and prepared to assist as soon as he got another opening. Ms. Loni started to yell. "Knock him out if you have to Chevy! Gayle! Go upstairs and get the ropes and get ready to type a nasty problem!"

Nodding, Gayle jumped over the bar and rushed through the other door, narrowly avoiding a head shot by the broom. He popped up behind the crazy man with the requested rope, trying to steer clear of the runaway broom. Chevy was having a hard time keeping the broom from causing any damage, responding, "I'm sorry Ms. Loni, but I'm probably going' to need to do more than knock him out. Gayle, a little help here?"

"Huh? Oh right." Unrolling the rope, Gayle's hands started to glow a light teal that spread across the ropes' length like a living fire. Almost as if brought to life, the rope raised itself from the floor, one end bearing the head of a dragon, the other of the tail. It took flight into the air, around the man, tightening and trapping his arms as the broom went flying harmlessly, thus receiving a good thwack across the face and onto the floor with Chevy's sheathed katana. Quickly grabbing the man by both ends he was carted away through the open door, which was closed securely, allowing everyone to breath a little easier. A few minutes later the two returned, Chevy looking a bit disheveled, Gayle actually had removed his dragon mask somewhere along the line. Deep brown eyes commented slightly tanned features, his nose broken once or twice to where its appearance seemed crooked. Sitting back at the bar on his stool, he quite literally let his head fall to the cool wooden surface of the counter with a loud 'thump'. His jacket muffled his voice as he raised his arm and said, "Gimme a vodka on the rocks, stirred."

"You and me, my friend, you and me." Chevy replied already pouring the beverages into fresh glasses, the old ones nowhere to be found.

"You boys alright? No more trouble I presume?" Ms. Loni queried from where she sat, looking a little worried.

"Nothin' we couldn't handle Ms. L., just another one of those things. He broke the other door though which explains how he got out." Gayle said, sipping his drink, looking like a truck had hit him.

"You don't look so good. Are you alright?" Iruka asked in his usual mother-hen routine manner, Kakashi poking him teasingly who he slapped, making people turn. Kakashi feigned a look of pain and turned back to looking back at the ceiling, Iruka fighting back a wave of pink on his scarred face. They were all saved when the twins returned carrying a large platter. Setting it on the counter, Evan turned to look at disheveled chairs and still hidden and curious children who had taken to staring with large innocent eyes at Gaara. A little girl with dark brown hair, wide cool grey eyes and bird-like features pointed a finger at him and smiled the sweetest smile a 7 year old could give (it's as cute as it sounds. I can probably sketch her on request), saying, "Spirit raccoon man. Spirit raccoon man. Spirit raccoon man-"

"Yes, yes, Disa (10), I'm sure he knows that already. Now you lot sit back down. Dessert is on the horizon." Ms. Loni scolded, oblivious to the amazed expressions on the ninja's faces. A five-year-old boy had stopped next to Naruto to stare at him with equal curiosity to that of the girl. Black hair, dark green eyes and a pudgy face continued to face Naruto's direction, making veins to pop on the blonde's head. "What?"

The boy said nothing, only continuing with his would-be staring contest.

"What? What do you want?" Naruto almost snapped, trying to keep his annoyance in check. The boy said nothing and tilted his head at the blonde, looking confused. "He's upset." The boy finally said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Huh?" the group stared at the boy, truly confused now.

"They both are." The girl piped up, almost popping out of nowhere.

Really confused now, Naruto just had to ask. "Who and what are you talking about?"

"The spirits."

"The WHAT?"

"The fox and the raccoon. The fox is in control of how he thinks now but the raccoon can't do anything 'cause he's confused."

"Confused? Confused how?" Temari asked, sounding a little desperate to know the answer.

"Why the man won't help him understand."

"Understand what?" Gaara's monotone voice was strained to keep everything in, from bursting into the open.

"Understand what's happened. To him. To you. He wants to know. He wants you to know. 'Knowledge is power' you know." The girl said sounding almost annoyed with his impertinence. Her eyes, close to metallic silver in color, had changed with the last sentence. Cat irises stared sharply back at the two boys, making them freeze. Before another word could be said, Ozzy called impatiently from the bar. "Disa, Hiroshi (11), get over here and help pass out plates or no dessert for either of you."

"Coming!" she called and turned back to Gaara. "Communicate and all will be clear. He says he was angry, but not anymore. Even I can see that." Not another word said she dragged he who was dubbed 'Hiroshi' to the bar to assist with the new plate sets. All they could do was sit and gap in shock at the girl's words. They barely noticed the activity after that, too dazed but to listen to her words play over and over in their heads.

'Even I can see that.'

Yosh! Chapter 5 is Fin! Victory is mine, baby, mine I tell you! Bwahahahahaha! But don't you fear! For I, the Might Blue Lone Wolf, shall try to work my fingers to the bone in bringing unto you, my faithful readers, the much awaited, anticipated, and if you dare believe it, heart-stopping drum-roll: CHAPTER 6!! (Though I doubt I'll work to the bone, maybe to where it can't move them anymore…. Yeah, that sounds right) Anywho, onto the notes!

1) In the book I'm writing, much like ANBU, my warriors have masks that specify rank, element, spirit type (dog, cat, what type of each) even origin. Kind of like dog tags, only attached to your face. They're really plain except for markings that indicate rank and element through certain colors. Sometimes made of clay or wood.

2) Old French for 'a knight'. Would've named him Charlie but that sounded too common, too much of cliché.

3) Old Welsh for 'young warrior' or 'young bowman'. Evan fits it perfectly, since he prefers to be indirectly involved in all sorts of situations that is until push comes to shove, he gets pissed and then decides to take care of it himself. Kind of like a berserker. Kind of like when Kyuubi gets the better of Naruto and runs amuck. Only he has more control on which he points his anger at. To be truthful, he's a lot like Naruto personality wise.

4) Old English for 'a divine protector'. His name is an modern English version of Osmond, which at the time sounded kind of stupid so I changed it. It's obvious that he acts a lot like Sasuke (can't be any prouder) when in fact he is since instead of smiling in indifference at the loss of people he never knew, he didn't know how to take it and just shrugged it off.

5) Short version of Gregory (watchful one) and has extreme independent use. Though we have yet to meet this guy, he's one of the few characters I have that's still under construction. His face for example. And his mask. It's always the mask.

6) It's true that he only says 'Grog'. I guess that's something that makes him pretty cool other than his size.

7) Tia is actually a Spanish name for 'aunt'. I just it used it as a word in general or just a title like 'sempai' or 'kouhai'. In my book she doesn't really follow them everywhere, in here she just did it because she asked.

8) Finding her the perfect name was a real challenge for me, so I gave her three: Loni Marci O'Ronan. (The last one is the family last name) Loni (LAH-nee) is short for Leona (lioness). Think that one fits her perfectly. Marci on the other hand is a nickname for Marcia (martial or warlike one) also with an history of independent use. O'Ronan is some Irish name I found in a Irish surname book my parents own.

9) Old English translation: 'gay and lively'. Um no. The second one is better trust me. Irish Gaelic for 'stranger' because at this point that's all he is. Also used as a girls name. That's just got to suck.

10) Her original name was 'Katherine', but it sounded kind of predictable, like the name 'Elizabeth'. You see that one everywhere now. So choosing a less common one was in order. Old Norse for 'active sprite', you know, like a goddess. Greek for 'double'. The first one fits her in ways I have yet to tell you.

11) Hiroshi was this kids' new name since his other one wasn't as cute or droll as I thought it would be. That and the meaning was a bit religious. Yeah, no way I'm using a name of that distinction. Hiroshi means 'generous' and sweet enough to be. How can a pessimist like me resist creating something that cute?

Man that's a lot of notes! Well, that's all to be said for now, please read, review, ask questions and of course, no flames. Honesty is great but flames really burn ya know. And if Kyuubi-kun or Dhampir are reading this, I just want to say I love your work and I can't wait until you update. You guys rock!

Chapter 6: Ice and Silence

Looks like Naruto and the gang has it going for them, but what about Sasuke? Will I the author return to his situation at hand? I'm not telling! You'll just have to wait until all the more writing I do pays off with a decent update! And what did Disa mean by what she said? Is the group in a danger zone or a nest of harmless people with secrets greater than they've ever encountered? And where the hell are the Jewish cow amidst all this weird bullshit? Find out next time in chapter 6: Ice and Silence.