The twenty first chapter... Shino hasn't completely finished his role, either. You'll also note two more character appearances which some of you may enjoy. Assorted notes follow the chapter.

Chapter 21: Hurricane Wall

Sasuke lightly ran his hand through Hinata's hair, watching it fall away from his hand over her shoulder. Unfortunately, it was finally time for them to move on; they should return to the camp soon in any case. They parted with a final caress, returning to the course they had been moving on before their long respite.

Abruptly both of them noticed Shino before them, standing in between two trees. He was not moving, his clothing was still, there was no chakra surrounding him, he simply was there: his hands in the pockets of his long coat, the high collar of it obscuring his face and his sunglasses obscuring his eyes. There was nothing to indicate how long he had been watching them, if at all.

"Hello, Shino-kun," Hinata greeted him. He nodded briefly to them both.

"Hinata-san. Sasuke-sama." After moving beside them, Shino glanced away, eyes fixed on something far on the horizon. "I have already spoken with Ino-san and Sakura-san; they have the scroll."

"I trust you didn't come here to chat," Sasuke said dryly, watching Shino. He did not waste words, which was an understatement, so there was definitely a specific reason he had come to them.

"No." Shino readjusted his glasses. "Not only is the enemy army coming, they are pursued by shinobi of every nation."

"Then the Hokage wishes us to remain here," Sasuke surmised, "at what will be the heart of the conflict." He received the slightest of nods. "I take it that this has not been discussed with the other Kages, and that there is a great element of uncertainty?"

"Negotiations are underway," Shino told them. "But the status of the other shinobi in regard to you is still unknown. Exercise caution and avoid any conflicts if possible."

"Will you be here, Shino-kun?" Hinata brought herself to say. Somehow, she would feel a great deal more safe if he were there in the battle.

"There will be two others," Shino shook his head. "My mission is incomplete."

"Other messages, right?" Sasuke guessed. "There are critical positions such as ours, and Naruto-san wanted to ensure that no communications were blocked." Shino nodded his assent silently, then turned to walk past them and into the thick green forest. No goodbyes were necessary, and so there was complete silence. Just as Shino passed Sasuke, however, he turned his head just slightly and said in a barely audible voice:

"Take care of her." Then he was gone.

For a long moment Sasuke and Hinata remained where they were, pondering the nature of the message and what it meant for them. In the sky above, the sun continued to move, inching toward nightfall and the inevitable attack. With a slight glance at one another, they began to walk forward.

"Is that guy really our target?"

The leader grunted, nodded curtly, his eyes never shifting. Like the rest of them, he was looking below from their hidden vantage point in a large tree. Fire Country was filled with them, so unlike his home, which made spying was remarkably easy. Of course, they had to be cautious, so close to Konoha.

"He doesn't really strike me as dangerous," another one of the assassins commented, dropping down to sit on the same branch. "I don't think this will be difficult in the slightest."

Far beneath them the shopkeeper continued to work silently, wiping off the long counter by the front of his ship. He moved lazily and slowly, as if he was in no hurry to get anywhere in his life. Though clearly that of a restaurant owner, his loose clothing was vaguely reminiscent of shinobi armor, and his hands were still clad in tight black gloves with metal plating. Obviously a warrior of the past.

When one looked at him he didn't immediately seem old, but after watching him for a moment you realized that he was far older than he appeared. Still, he seemed to have aged remarkably well, as most shinobi did. He still had all of his hair, which appeared to be a naturally silver color. It had been grown out a fair amount, vaguely spiky locks falling over one of his eyes and onto his shoulders.

"Can that really be Copy Cat Kakashi?" one of the assassins muttered, shaking his head.

"All shinobi grow old," the leader spoke up for the first time. "Death is an opponent that no man can defeat. Some have tried and for a time escaped death, but all have failed."

"Aw, man, it's not going to be any fun beating up an old guy. Can't we target somebody else, like the Hokage? They have better uses for this much talent than cleaning up after yesterday's trash."

"Don't be a fool," the leader snapped. "Any shinobi as powerful as he was has to be taken seriously. Even old, he still has all his spiritually generated chakra, and thousands upon thousands of jutsu. They assigned this many assassins to him so we could end the battle quickly, before he can get started. Once in battle, I imagine he'll quickly remember all his old skills, even if they've been in temporary disuse."

"He has a point," another of the assassins agreed. "All of us have been noted for killing quickly, not lengthy fights. If sources are to be believed, he'll wear out his supply of chakra pretty quickly due to his copying skill. This battle will probably be brief and brutal."

"Let's make sure the brutality is done only to him." Drawing his cloak around him, the leader leapt from his branch. He landed lightly on the street beside the ramen shop, and the other shinobi followed immediately. There were eight of them in all, and they moved in ranks toward the shop.

By this point Kakashi had finished cleaning. He was sitting back in a chair behind the counter, balancing on the back two feet. In his hand was a book that he seemed to be pouring over with considerable interest. They approached him silently, but making no effort to hide their presence. Eventually all eight of them stood before the former shinobi.

Nothing happened. Kakashi continued to sit in his chair, reading his book. There was an uncomfortable pause, then Kakashi flipped a page, snickering softly to himself.

"Ahem." The leader frowned, annoyed at the subordinate who had made noise. He didn't like being mocked, and he was completely certain that Kakashi had sensed their presence.

"Oh, hey, didn't see you," Kakashi spoke up amiably, waving a hand vaguely in their direction. "What kind of ramen do you guys want? Can't say I get many customers around this time, though the Hokage drops by occasionally. Have I ever told you I was the one that trained him? That was back in the-"

"We're here to kill you!" one of the assassins roared.

"Ja, ja, it happens." Kakashi glanced up at them, gaze not really focused. "I'm in the middle of a really good part now, though, couldn't it wait? If I'm going to die, I'd at least like to die having read Jaiyra's last and, in my humble personal opinion, best work. Have any of you read it, by chance? Don't tell me how it ends."

"Most of the time, people don't get to decide how they die," one of the assassins commented with a snicker. "Are you ready for the next world, old man?"

There was a pause, then Kakashi shut his book with a soft clap. He sighed heavily, then glanced up at them. In his one visible eye there was something that seemed almost wistful, an emotion that couldn't easily defined.

"Eight of you against one man? Is it fair to gang up on someone like that? Is it necessary to kill every shinobi alive even if they were never a threat to you? Is it just to attack an old man who only wants to finish the rest of his life in peace?"

His speech gave pause to the group, none of whom moved for weapons as they had been intending to do moments before. Abruptly the leader laughed harshly, shattering the effect. A mocking smile appeared on his face, and he spread his arms to either side of him in a grand gesture.

"Fair? Who said anything about fair? Who said anything about necessity? Who said anything about justice? Above all, who said anything about peace?" His eyes hardened. "The fact is, Kakashi, that you are going to die, and you're going to die right now. Even though you're a retired, decrepit shinobi, you still have to die." He snapped his fingers. "Kill him."

The nearest assassin struck like lightning, a long kunai flashing to pierce Kakashi's forehead and end the battle instantly. A split second before the blow struck, Kakashi moved. His hand holding the book swept up, and the kunai embedded itself in its pages; his other arm smashed into the assassin's elbow, making a snapping sound; leaping out of his chair he kicked the attacker in the chin, sending him sailing backward.

As the would-be killer crashed to the ground, Kakashi straightened and put his hands in his pockets calmly. "Who said anything about retired?"

"Get him!" the leader roared, already a moment too late. Kakashi appeared behind them, legs flashing in swift kicks that were only barely avoided by the assassins. He landed before they could turn and was already striking again. One of the enemy shinobi was struck and sent hurtling over the nearby trees.

A massive warrior struck at Kakashi the next instant, an oversized kunai in each hand, aiming to skewer Kakashi's head from both directions. The older shinobi easily caught both the man's wrists, stopping his momentum completely. Roaring, the behemoth assassin stomped forward, trying to overpower his opponent. Kakashi did not move, but the force of the attack whipped at his clothing and made his hair fly away from his face...

Moments later Kakashi let go of the man's wrists, and the assassin collapsed to the ground where he did not move in the slightest. The remaining assassins were staring in shock, focused on the silvery hair eclipsing one of his eyes.

"Who said anything about decrepit?" Kakashi asked amiably. Before any of them could answer he thrust one hand to the ground. Chakra exploded around him, arcing in a tight circle and collecting near his hand. While the assassins could only watch, Kakashi braced his hand with his other arm and continued to collect chakra, blue flames leaping around his palm.

He completed the Chidori then stood there watching the assassins, his expression unfathomable. There was a long moment during which no one spoke, and then the long blade moved to impale Kakashi through the chest from behind.

Whirling, Kakashi pushed the surprise attack aside and drove the Chidori through his opponent's body. The remaining assassins winced from the violent explosion, the leader only slightly shielding his eyes. Kakashi pulled his hand out and then moved to face them. Only half the assassins remained, and they were shaking where they stood. Narrowing his eyes, the leader paused a moment, then sneered.

"Impressive, Kakashi-yarou," he said, clapping patronizingly. "But we all know that technique puts quite a drain on your chakra. Even in your prime, you couldn't do that technique more than six times a day." Gesturing to the nearest two assassins, he snapped his fingers. "Pincer attack, now!"

Nodding, the shinobi exploded in opposite directions, touched off nearby walls and hurtled toward Kakashi from opposite directions at the same instant, weapons flying into play. There was a crash and an explosion of chakra... and both men fell backward off Kakashi's hands, collapsing on the street with holes in their chests. Both of Kakashi's hands were cloaked in blue flame that did not dissipate. There was a pause as a slight breeze swept over the street-turned-battlefield, then Kakashi calmly looked up at the leader of the assassins.

"Six?" he asked. "Who said anything about six?"

Slowly but surely Iruka moved down the street, leaning heavily on a wooden cane. It was a gnarled old stick and a bit too short for him, but he loved the thing. There was just something that made it seem so much better than your typical metal walker or anything of the kind. Not that shinobi should need walkers, but still...

It was a beautiful day, and he took a moment to glance up into the sky. Fire Country around this time of the year was really beautiful; more beautiful than any other part of the world, he thought. The cold froze his bones just a bit and made his arthritis act up, but it wasn't a problem.

Ideally, he wanted to just walk downtown in peace, but that usually never happened. There was almost always some annoying little kid who wanted to hear a story, or some hawking merchant, or a politician getting an early start on the campaign. Or five assassins leaping through the trees after him. Like the one now leaping at his back.

Abruptly Iruka jerked his back straight, one hand blurring as it swept behind him. His cane practically rocketed from his fingers, slicing through the air and through the shinobi leaping at him. The cane drove the assassin backward and pinned him to the side of a nearby stone wall.

Turning slowly, Iruka raised his hands to either side of him and stood on one leg. "So... who wants some of this?"

He'd always wanted to say that.

The battle was short and brief. All the assassins were young, weak and used nothing but textbook maneuvers straight out of the academy. If anyone knew academy procedures, it was Iruka. Finding his cane and ripping it out of the stone wall with some difficulty, Iruka continued down the street. Blasted ninja fights made his arthritis act up something fierce.

Soon he approached the small shop that had been his destination. Huh, part of the awning was ripped and a bit stained... not too unusual. Hobbling inside, Iruka discovered Kakashi sitting on the counter, making a feeble effort to read a book with a gigantic slash in the middle. It looked as though he had been in the middle of something but gotten distracted.

"Hey Iruka," Kakashi said, waving without looking. "I can get you something to eat right after I finish whatever I'm in the middle of doing... which was... wait, what was I doing?"

"Cleaning up the bodies strewn over your shop, maybe?"

"Yeah, that's it." Kakashi hopped off the counter and slipped the book inside his jacket easily. "What'll it be today?"

"Oh, the usual."

"Sure, sure," Kakashi shifted back to the other side of the bar. "You got money?"

"Come on, Kakashi-kun," Iruka rolled his eyes. "I always have money. You ask me that every day."

"Hey, don't knock it," Kakashi answered. "Can't ignore important matters like money. What do you think I am, a shinobi or something?"

Strange shadows were cast over the mostly dead city, making everything seem eerie and unreal. The sun was at the edge of the sky, glowing hot orange in the lower end of the atmosphere. A romantic mind might have considered it like a flaming sphere ready to crash into the earth and render judgment upon its inhabitants.

Shino was not such a mind. He remained silhouetted against the sun, steadily at the top of a building. His expression was completely inexpressive, his thoughts a mystery. The men following him continued to watch from the trees, waiting for the proper moment. Without looking, Shino raised a hand, allowing something too small to be seen from such a distance to land upon it. For a moment he paused, then he nodded and began moving away from the sun across the rooftop.

"Hold it right there!" the leader of the assassins called out, appearing from the shadows at the edge of the roof. The other three assassins came as well, all gathering behind Shino, who did not turn or acknowledge their presence in any way other than stopping. "The Kazekage isn't going to be getting any messages tonight!" There was a long pause. "Well?" the leader demanded. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

"No."

Growling, the leader leapt across the roof, green flames exploding around both of his hands like a torpedo. In midair, streaking toward the back of the Leaf shinobi, he put his hands together. The wind suddenly howled, and he shot forward with even greater speed, his hands bursting all the way through Shino's chest

Instantly he seemed to crumble, appearing as a swarming mass of bugs that held his shape for an instant before flooding over the shinobi. The attacker gave a loud cry, but the sound abruptly cut off as he crashed to the ground in a shower of bugs. They swiftly skittered away into small cracks, soon leaving only the body.

"Destruction Bugs," one of the assassins cursed. "Fully matured ones, too. Don't let them touch you, they eat chakra like mad."

A thin beam of chakra exploded from the roof beneath them, startling but not striking all three shinobi. It faded almost instantly, leaving only a rough hole in the roof. Before any of the assassins could comment, however, hundreds of small bodies shot out of the hole. Acting together, like a gigantic whip, the bugs curled around the nearest assassin.

Gaping, the other two leapt away from the roof, leaving their comrade to his fate and narrowly avoiding two more sets of bugs that snaked across the space where they had just been. Falling back, the assassin allowed himself to smirk just slightly. This guy was tough, but it was fairly obvious which of his tools he relied upon most. Using bugs was a pretty good strategy, but not when your opponent could sense even their tiny chakras like he could. None of them were on ground level, so he'd probably have time to use a flame jutsu. With an easy flip, the shinobi landed on his feet just beside the building.

When he glanced up, Shino was standing before him. Before he could even begin to move, his target lashed out, the side of his fist crashing into the wall beside him. The side of the building exploded in an avalanche that quickly engulfed the assassin.

Only one remained, nervously holding his ground on one end of the street. He had already drawn his blade and held it at ready, fingers shaking slightly with anticipation. For him this was no random mission, it was the one he had been waiting for his entire life. At last it was time to kill this human who had made a hellish pact with monsters. It was finally time, and he was going to purify the world of this abomination.

He saw Shino calmly leap away from the building avalanche and struck at the moment. Racing across the street, he swung his blade in a lethal arc, aiming to slice down and through his opponent's neck. Shino landed before he could attack, but held his ground, merely raising a hand at the level of the sword. The fool! What does he think he's going to do, catch the blade? Electricity abruptly leapt around the assassin's weapon, burning with dangerous chakra. His opponent saw, but it was too late... too late...

Something exploded from Shino's palm, connecting with the blade swinging at his head. The assassin was shocked, barely able to draw his blade back in time to avoid a dangerous slash. Shino returned his hand to one side of him, and the other shinobi finally got a good look at his weapon.

One long object was currently breaking out of Shino's palm. It was slightly curved and one edge of it looked sharp, making it seem like... like... a mandible? The assassin's eyes widened, but Shino was already attacking again. With a backhanding movement Shino knocked his opponent's blade aside, then he sliced in the opposite direction.

The last of the warriors collapsed to the ground. Wordlessly Shino straightened his arm, and the mandible retracted itself, fleshing sealing over Shino's palm when it was gone. With a slight adjustment of his glasses, Shino turned and vanished into the night.

I cannot respond directly to those of you who review anonymously, but I appreciate your time. On that note, could LadyPearlDragon give me contact information? While I would like to discuss your legitimate critique, this is no longer the place to do so. Aside, your age guess is too high.

Chapter 20 received the most reviews I have ever gotten for one chapter, if memory serves me correctly. They are appreciated. The next chapter should be on time; we're nearing the end.