Chapter 153

Storming the Beaches: Merry Madness in a Maelstrom!

It appears they've sent out a scouting party.

Cloaked in afternoon shadows, Osamu observed the departing five-man unit descend the ramp of the land-ship.

The leader, a tall male in resplendent steel plate armor, cradled a helmet beneath his arm as he descended, trailed by a red cape and four hulking companions. His stride was purpose-driven and elegant. His posture immaculate. A lieutenant, the Crow presumed, unlike the dull ogres who followed him.

The ogres wore a dour brown armor. Others like them performed menial labor or patrolled the land-ships immediate surroundings. Osamu had seen less ugly from a circus freak show, frankly speaking.

A short sword hung from the lieutenant's belt. His companions carried heavy, two-handed weapons—spiked maces, giant axes, great-swords. It signaled to the Crow the ogres possessed grand physical strength, but little finesse or dexterity.

They followed the lieutenant like obedient pups, halting when he halted at the foot of the ramp while he donned his helmet.

The grunts are all identical, observed Osamu. Is it a Clone Technique of some manner? Uniform attire?Are all the people of their continent truly so large?

For four hours the land-ship had remained stationary. No soldiers, save their patrols, departed its sphere of influence. Until now.

Curious. Had they lost their way? Or was the mountainous terrain too much for their land-ship to traverse? What mechanisms powered it?

So far, Osamu possessed few answers. Too few. Their predictions of crossing the border into the Land of Wind would need adjustments if this continued.

I must scout the interior, the Crow decided. Now may be my only chance, but I will need an unguarded entry point. A tower this size could contain several hundred soldiers. Perhaps more. I require a vent or a pipeline.

There, he spotted a ventilation pipe on its hull.

That should do. In the meantime, I'll have my squadron monitor the scouting party.

The knights trekked out onto foreign soil.

The Crows observed and plotted the invaders inevitable demise.

Training to enter the Anbu had officially begun.

Across the Leaf, training in isolation from their peers, Amari, Sasuke and Mimi and Aoko found themselves in three separate hells. Each unique to the teacher.

Mimi and Aoko found no mercy against Kurenai Yūhi's blades and multi-layered genjutsus. Evading the gaze of the Sharingan was a neat trick, the Genjutsu Master would admit to the younger kunoichi, but genjutsu, she would lecture, could be applied to a victim through various means. She couldn't rely on Sasuke or Amari to always be there to break her free from a densely layered genjutsu. She had to learn to sense and counter them herself.

Furthermore, if she could not face the darkness within herself, she would never be able to survive the Anbu. Nor would they allow any of them to enter it. Genjutsu had the power to target the heart by weaponizing their greatest fears, stressors, raw nerves and buried emotions.

Kurenai knew it would seem cruel, but if they were committed to entering Anbu, they had to conquer all of that now. If they didn't, the missions and demands of the Anbu would sap them of all their light.

Later, when the Trinity would reunite, Mimi would be as drained physically as she was emotionally. Coated in sweat and bruised, she would go on to describe the entire session in an exhausted mutter as, "A goddamn waking nightmare."

Sasuke, it could be argued, was the least fortunate today. A fact he realized all too well when he was placed under the supervision of Might Guy.

Mercilessly, his weakened strength and stamina were targeted in drills no sane individual would ever submit themselves to. Exercises Guy would claim demanded the intestinal fortitude and unwavering determination only select shinobi possessed. For he had seen what the Anbu had done to his Eternal Rival, and though he did not wish them to follow that path, he understood its necessity.

So, in making such harsh demands of their bodies, he would also force their spirits to strengthen as well; a strong body and mind were required to endure his training. And an even stronger body and mind were necessary to withstand the darkness of the Anbu.

Sasuke wouldn't say more than a few words when they reunited, grunting or humming in response to questions, but otherwise remaining silent. He hung an arm over his eyes as he lay in the grass. Like Mimi, he, too, would be noticeably soaked in sweat, bearing large contusions the Inuzuka winced at upon seeing.

There, by the river they'd thrown, pushed, and tackled each other into, Sasuke would fall asleep. Exhausted, certainly. But comfortable and at peace beside Amari, Mimi and Aoko.

While they suffered at the hellish training of Kurenai and Guy, Amari would be at Kakashi's and the Crow's mercy.

She received no quarter.

At the foot of a steep rock face were four Shadow Clones. One was training to expand her natural Sensory Abilities to locate targets assigned by the Crows. Failure to sense a target in a set time or to sense a series of targets led to gruesome depictions of comrades dying because of her failure.

Seconds mattered. Split-second decisions and communication could be the difference between losing an entire squad or no one at all. In a world where shinobi could conceal their scent, approach silently, or be invisible to the naked eye, the ability to sense chakra without an enhanced organ was a valuable tool she couldn't allow to gather dust, rust and dull with the passage of time.

The second and third Shadow Clone's committed to similar training, except they trained exclusively to strengthen the perception of the Sharingan or the Byakugan, respectively. Crows zipped about, sometimes barreling towards the Shadow Clone's to test their reflexes, or, other times, concealing themselves to force them to scout an area more thoroughly.

Finally, the fourth Shadow Clone was set against a Shadow Clone of Kakashi in a familiar exercise: Capture the bell.

Unlike the original bell test, Kakashi showed little to no restraint. He fought as the famed Copy Ninja, not the aloof teacher nose deep in a pervy book, striking hard enough to hurt the Shadow Clone, but not hard enough to dispel her outright.

Countless bouts ended with his blade to her throat.

Likewise, the Shadow Clone fought utilizing all of her abilities out of pure necessity, with exception of the Crows. They refused to join her. If there ever came a time where they were separated, somehow, she had to possess the skill to fight an overwhelming enemy without depending on their aid.

When the Shadow Clone did receive too much damage, dispelling, one of the other Shadow Clones would create another to continue. Little by little he was whittling away at her stamina and chakra.

No matter how much effort the Shadow Clone exerted, no matter what strategy she employed, the vast valley separating their years of experience and strength were too much.

It wasn't an excuse, in Kakashi's words. There would be plenty of shinobi like that in the future; she'd already encountered more than a handful of them.

Against all odds she had to keep pushing. Keep thinking. Keep fighting. Keep searching for a way to survive and complete her mission. That's what it took to be an elite among the Anbu.

While her Shadow Clones trained on the grassy field below, Amari was sweating and grunting as she climbed the steep rock face, forbidden from using chakra. If that wasn't tough enough, her right arm was tied behind her back.

Kakashi had put it simply:

"Of the three of you, in physical strength, you're the weakest," he said. "That was the case before your injury. It's even more true now."

Amari grunted, clutching rough stone beneath her fingers. It's annoying, but he's right. I've trained for agility and flexibility, and strength, of course. But when compared to Sasuke's and Mimi's physical power, I'm the weakest. My recovery has caused me to fall even farther behind.

She felt it against the prisoners and Mizuki. Hell, she felt it when training with Naruto and Sakura before that whole incident unfolded.

Remedying the steps she lost wasn't enough. In order to reach her goal she had to spring past the kunoichi she was before the Sound Four Incident.

That brought her here, climbing with her non-dominant hand, weighed down by her full shinobi gear, including the several sizes too large Chūnin flak jacket meant to simulate the weight of the armor worn by Anbu agents.

It was a real pain.

If this is meant to be a metaphor for the road ahead of me, Amari thought, shifting her right foot first to the next sturdy hold, I am not amused.

Carefully pushing through her right foot, she climbed higher, gripping the slim hold beneath the tips of her fingers before bringing her left foot up.

The process was nearly the same each time. First she'd find her holds, then she'd climb as high as they took her, trying, and generally failing, to find a decent rhythm. She wasn't getting anywhere fast.

Higher on the wall was Kakashi, mirroring her one-armed state as he, too, climbed the cliff face. It was a gentle reminder that there were no excuses. No shortcuts. No easy roads.

If she wanted to enter the Anbu, she had to prove herself. She had to prove she could keep up.

She had to prove she could follow in Shisui's, Itachi's, Aimi's and her Mama's footsteps.

Amari climbed with that goal in mind.

"I wish I had gotten farther," Amari said, poking at the food in her bento box.

"You know, I remember a time when you set low expectations for yourself," Kakashi replied airily beside her.

Seated beneath the shade of a tree, leaves a mixture of greens and yellows, Amari pursed her lips in a thoughtful pout. She glanced at the adjacent rock face to the marker indicating where her strength had given out.

I didn't even reach the overhang.

Kakashi had not only climbed across it, but ascended even higher above it.

"I was different then," she replied softly. "I had nothing left when you guys found me. At least nothing I could see. Now…now I have more than I ever thought possible. So much of it is good. But some of it… Some of it is just heavy."

A lineage tainted by loss and hatred. A Clan on the verge of extinction. A future twisted by two wars—the Stone's and Kasai's. The girl at the orphanage would've collapsed beneath the weight of it all. Somedays she felt like she would, too.

She needed more strength, experience and wisdom. It was the only way she could bear it all.

It was the only way to change the world itself.

"I never imagined I would learn where I came from before the orphanage," she continued after a brief pause. "All I ever wanted was to fulfill Ryu's wish. I wanted to be worth his sacrifice. I wanted to show him the future through his own eye, and let him see Kasai finally pay for his betrayal. But it's all so much bigger now."

Amari lifted her left hand up, fingertips red and somewhat raw. "All because of this blood flowing in my veins. This blood that ties me to the very origin of the Village System, and the sacrifices made in pursuit of a better world. Sacrifices my parents and Shisui made to protect and preserve both the Uchiha Clan and our Village. And my life, in their final moments," she added beneath her breath.

"Your bloodline does tie you to the origin," her Sensei said. "However, this burden isn't yours alone to bear. We all share it."

Kakashi raised his gaze to the green and yellow canopy above. "Every shinobi that has ever existed, alive and dead, has upheld the system currently in place. Whether for good or ill, we maintained the status quo in times of peace and in times of war.

"We're all tied to it. Maybe not by a direct ancestor like you are, but through the sacrifices and blood shed throughout shinobi history. Through friends, comrades and even family who gave their lives for the Village they held dear." Kakashi looked at her. "It isn't your duty alone to change this world. It's all of ours."

"I know," she sighed. "I lose sight of that sometimes. But I… I just…" The kunoichi squeezed her eyes shut. "I don't want to let anyone down. Shisui, my parents, Ryu, Itachi and Aimi, you and mom and everyone I hold precious; I can't bear the thought of failing to become the person you all believe I can be. I can't bear the thought of making their suffering and sacrifices be in vain.

"That's why I'm trying to push myself so hard. I can't settle for less than my very best. I have to go farther than I have. I have to burn brighter. Hotter. It's the only way I'll ever become a real guardian. It's the only way I'll ever reach them in time."

"Wait until Shikamaru hears this motivation. He'll be ecstatic," replied Kakashi lightly.

Amari chuckled softly. "I'm a troublesome girl, aren't I?"

"Yep. But that's what makes you, you."

"Guess so."

"Shisui, your parents, they wanted you to live more than anything else. So did Ryu. And so do we." He eye smiled at her. "Their sacrifices will never be in vain. Because you're here. Alive. Trying your hardest to improve yourself and this world of ours."

Shutting her eyes against the sting of tears, Amari smiled.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei."

His gentle hand rested on top of her head, ruffling her hair.

"You'll be fine, don't worry. Now eat up. The sooner you finish, the sooner we can get back to training."

"Right."

The bento box was a lot more appetizing than it had been moments prior. She blamed the existential dread she woke up with, caused by a silly reason—a bad dream. Not even a full-blown nightmare. Her chest hadn't pounded. Her sheets weren't soaked in sweat. It was just an average bad dream, and a foggy one at that. More non-sensical than anything else.

What little she remembered depicted a kingdom straight out of a fairy-tale. She'd seen vineyards stretching as far as the eye could see, a city of stone larger than the entire Leaf Village, and gilded spires touching the clouds. And there she was, in the grandest ballroom she'd ever seen, guarding the royal family. The King and Queen, the newborn Princess, and the Prince, who had every woman in the palace vying for his hand.

Except when an assassin made his move, she couldn't move as quickly as she should have. She shoved her way through the crowd, but someone else always got in the way. So she waded through the people, shoving, yelling, and when she finally breached through the crowd…

She woke up.

That nonsensical dream left behind an existential dread she couldn't shake. The thought, the fear, she'd be too slow. Too weak. That she would fall short of achieving everything she set out to do, and fail all those who trusted her because of it.

It frustrated her. It compelled Amari to double—triple—her efforts to regain what she'd lost through her recovery.

So, she set her standards high for training. Then fell short of them.

The existential dread found its foothold as she lost hers. It made the food unappealing. Until Kakashi swept in, anyway. Existential dread could sap hunger from even an Akimichi, she bet. It'd probably make gourmet food taste of stale bread.

Either way, she finally felt a little at ease. Today was only the first day of training, after all. They weren't even close to done yet, so there was no sense fearing a future she hadn't reached when the present was right in front of her.

If she fumbled now then she really would fall short of her grand goals. And that'd just be troublesome.

As she neared the final bites of her food, Amari remembered a question she'd meant to ask her mentor since the Land of Snow. Time just never seemed to permit her a chance.

"Kakashi-sensei," she began after she swallowed her food, "you don't have to answer this, but I was wondering… You once told us the names of your closest friends were engraved on the Memorial Stone. Did… Was it one of those friends who gave you your Sharingan?"

"It was," he confirmed after a beat, voice low.

Kakashi's gaze traveled far away. Far across their little training sanctuary to a place neither of them could ever reach. To a day neither of them could change. To a friend neither of them could save.

Amari opened her mouth, but closed it before she could speak again. You don't like talking about your own loss, she thought. Don't ask him to relive his to sate your curiosity.

After a quiet moment, during which the Nara chewed on the last bites of food as she considered her next words, she finally spoke up.

"Then I need to give my training all I have," Amari decided.

"Hm?"

"You're trying to show them a better future, too, aren't you?" she asked, putting her empty bento box aside.

Amari rose to her feet, raised her arms above her head, clasped her elbows and bent to one side. Once she felt a good stretch, she shifted to the other side.

"I'm going to help," she said at the end of her stretch, looking down at her surprised mentor's face. "Ryu, he wanted me to see a better future for us, one where we were free. I want to show him that future, through his own eye." Amari tapped her pointer finger against left temple.

"Your friend was an Uchiha like me. More than that, I'm your student. That bond connects me to your friends, and your friends to me," said Amari. "So, I'm going to help you show them a brighter future. We'll let them—Ryu and your friend—see everything through the eyes they entrusted to us. Which means I have to keep climbing that cliff until I reach the top, no matter how troublesome it is. I'll keep climbing until I can keep up with you. Until we reach that future together… I mean," Amari lowered her gaze, "as long as that's okay with you."

Kakashi said nothing as he rose. Nothing at all until he rested his hand on her head and eye smiled at her.

"Of course. Now, come on," he said, gesturing with his chin to the cliff face. "We've rested long enough. This time we'll climb with our dominant hands."

Amari gave a sharp nod.

I'll help you show them a brighter future. That's a promise, Kakashi-sensei.

As his student ascended the cliff face, on the ground below, Kakashi uncovered his Sharingan eye.

Can you see her, Obito? Amari has taken your Will into her heart, too. She's working so hard for the sake of the future. I know you'd be proud of her. You'd be right here, right beside me, encouraging her to go even farther. Probably to become a Hokage, just like you. And Rin would be with us, cheering her on.

Please. Watch over her, as I do, he thought, pulling his headband over his eye. All right. No more resting. This training isn't just for Amari. There are things I also have to protect.

With that thought driving him, Kakashi began to climb.

Across the sea, three battleships sailed outside the coastline of the Land of Water, scouting the terrain for a covert point of entry, unaware of the two shadows they harbored on board. Both steadily, silently, sabotaging the ships artillery—long-range cannons and other equipment they'd never seen before.

It was a recurring theme.

Meanwhile, on the shores, the gathered Mist shinobi raced ahead of the ships towards the ambush point, wholly unseen by the foreign threat.

The Commander of the Anbu had made their mission clear.

"Haku and Fuugetsu have infiltrated their ships, eh?" Zabuza rubbed his bandaged chin. "That gives us an advantage. And these cannons you've sketched…"

They appeared drawn by the original architect. No doubt Mei's little runt would have use for it later, should all the cannons be summarily destroyed.

"Artillery like that could punch a hole through the sturdiest of fortresses," he ruminated. "Against a ground force? Hmph. Our shores would've been soaked in shinobi blood before we knew what hit us."

The invaders were full of surprises. None of them good. Had the ships aimed the barrels at the beach, or any port town, the shelled earth would be all that was left. That and the dismembered bodies of the poor fools caught in the blast.

That isn't war. It's slaughter.

Slaughter they narrowly avoided. So far. Clock was ticking.

Zabuza eyed his subordinate and dipped his chin in approval. "Good work, Keiko. This will save lives."

"As is our duty." She bowed her head. "Haku and Fuugetsu will sabotage any artillery capable of firing down Portside. Without it, their long-range capabilities cannot be used against our Nation."

"Mm. Good. We can destroy their ships before they perform an about-face."

It wouldn't matter the potential devastation their cannons promised if they couldn't fire. An ambush was in order. Caught at close-range, unaware, they could tip the balance and retake the advantage.

"Hmm."

"What are you thinking, sir?"

"Their current heading will leave them no choice but to sail around the isthmus connecting the mainland to Hokkaido Peninsula. Smells like the perfect spot for an ambush."

"Shall we mobilize now?"

"Yeah."

Zabuza hefted the spiked mace of the enemy out of the sand and onto his shoulder, turned around, and raised his voice to be heard.

"We're moving out! Be quick about it! We need to reach Hokkaido Peninsula before the enemy. That's where we'll sink these metal men once and for all!"

The three battleships sailed on.

Evening hour was at hand when they neared the peninsula, waves parting beneath their bows as thin veils of mist rose from the sea. Steadily the wisps of mist thickened into a disorienting fog of white.

Though the ships decelerated to a snails crawl, they continued to sail deeper into the fog. Deeper. Soon even their own hands could not be seen inches from their face. One might have mistaken it for the clouds of heaven, were it not for the bitter air of hell.

The shadows concealed within the mist signaled their fellow shadows aboard the ships.

It was finally time to begin.

Thus the assault began with a jovial whistle, sung in haunting, grim cadence.

Metal boots stomped across the deck of the main battleship, drawn towards the whistle like bees to honey, its jovial nature betrayed by its menacing inflections. Like a chorus of children singing nursery rhymes of the Great Plague.

Kana strutted ahead of a troop of heavily-armed soldiers, pearlescent armor sleeker on her tall, supple body than the identical hulking brutes who shadowed her.

Every long stride cut through the thick curtains of mist, sharp and elegant, possessed by righteousness. She believed wholeheartedly in Master Haido's objective.

Once the artifact was in their possession, they would unite the world under one ruler. One power.

Master Haido.

He alone possessed the wisdom to wield the artifact. Master Haido alone possessed the wisdom to stand at the pinnacle and lead the world, and they, his knights, would guard and protect him from all those who opposed his path. As was necessary against such savage natives.

Utopia was theirs to bring forth. But it required sacrifices. That was the only way for the world to have a future.

The whistling suddenly stopped. There was silence for a pregnant moment, then, as they approached the central hoist, it began anew. Only now the whistler raised his voice in dark song.

Sailors sail along the sea

Shadows assailing, oh so mean

But these souls are doomed to walk the plank

Cursing the shadows who cut down their ranks

For heathens and Demons seek your soul

Hear them a'callin', the bell has tolled

For the Mist will swallow whole

Those who steal pure souls

They'll crush and dice

Set fire to knights

And leave you so cold

Leave you cold

Kana narrowed her eyes at the peak of the hoist where the silhouette of the whistler could be seen. Whoever they were, they kicked their legs like a bored child on a time-out.

On a cold wind, the mist thinned around the whistler, revealing a teenage boy attired in a black cloak and pants and an orange shirt. The ends of his shoulder-length blond hair undulated in the chilling breeze. The rest was kept stationary by the blue bandana he wore, adorned with a strange metal plate. A long wooden club lay over his lap.

"Charming song, little boy," she drawled.

A haughty expression crossed the teenager's face. He jutted his chin out in pride and kicked his legs with more fervor, all while keeping ahold of his wooden club.

"Wasn't it? It came to me out of the blue. Boom!" he cheered, hopping up with surprising agility to stand on the hoist.

He spread his arms out, weapon in hand, and lifted his head to the mist covered sky, almost as if asking a god to smite him where he stood.

"I was inspired by the circumstances. I couldn't hold it in. To deny such spontaneity is like denying life itself. Ha ha ha!" He giggled a disturbing giggle.

"And are you the little demon seeking my soul?" she mocked.

The teenager gasped and pressed his hand over his heart. Mockery for mockery.

"Me? A little demon?" He jabbed his wooden club at her in feigned offense. "Shame upon you, madam. Shame! I am a wayfaring wanderer, wayward and weary, wild, willful, witty and woeful, wrestling winter where wind wails, whistling whimsically to worldly warriors.

"Demon? Nay! Native, dear neighbor. A noble nomad, nonconformist nor normal, nominated, notably, to neutralize numberless nuisances. Are you keeping up? Do I need to slow down for you?"

"Heh," a ruthless smile tugged at Kana's lips. "Are all people of this continent so long-winded?

"They aren't even as charming," he replied as if it was all so terrible. "Do you realize the difficulty I face being this witty and handsome around such passionless bores? It's pure murder."

He flourished his club, then rested it on his shoulder. "Speaking of murder, I think it's time for the party to finally begin. Starting with…"

He thrust his club towards one of the main cannons.

Nothing occurred.

The teenager tilted his head, flattened his lips together, and tapped his club against the metal hoist, causing a metallic ringing to cascade over the ship.

"Starting with…"

He thrust his club at the cannon again.

The sea and ship went undisturbed.

"Hmm." He tapped his club against the hoist again in frustration. "This has never happened to me before. I was hoping to entertain a supple and handsome woman like yourself with explosive fireworks. Instead, stage fright has caused explosive impotence," said the teenager.

Kana let out a harsh laugh. "It's curtains for your show, little boy. Maybe its time I give you a spank—"

An invisible fist suddenly buried itself in Kana's solar plexus.

From Portside, a furious explosion ripped across the battleship deck. Her ears were overcome by a high-pitched ringing as a wave of blistering heat crashed through the cold winter, bursting from the cannons like an erupting volcano to wash over the knight's body.

Kana whipped towards the explosion.

Another invisible fist. Then another and another. Punch after punch slammed against her chest cavity, rattling her insides as explosions roared across the silent sea, joined in its stunning chorus by the disturbing screeches and groans of rending metal.

He's dismantled our artillery.

Spires of flames and smoke rose amid the looming mist. Kana grimaced, shielding her face behind her forearm. The piercing whine was finally beginning to fade.

Portside guns on all three vessels were finished, evident by the fires. But the haughty little stowaway left starboard untouched. Why? A lone saboteur, even with minimal explosives, would weaken the firing capabilities of the whole ship, not merely one side.

Could he be that stupid? No. Inexperienced, perhaps, but not stupid. A stupid kid wouldn't have been able to pull this level of damage off.

Kana made out the groan of a collapsing metal as she swept her gaze across the ship; the high-pitched noise would remain, but she was slowly regaining her senses. There were other noises she was beginning to pick up on. Chief among them, a giggle of pure madness.

It was as the metal soldiers formed a defensive position around her that Kana saw them.

Through the thick clouds of black and white, illuminated by the dull orange glow, she saw human-shaped shadows flickering through the mist. Shrieking steel, crunching metal, smaller explosions, the chaotic cacophony of war roared from every direction.

They'd sailed right into an ambush.

Kana was suddenly struck by a thought. The saboteur had drawn them towards the middle of the ship with his accursed whistling and ridiculous song, then he tapped his metal club against the hoist. That. That was the signal for the ambush!

"Cursing the shadows who cut down their ranks."

That little bastard, she snarled. He was taunting me the whole time!

At the top of the hoist, shaded in white, black and flickers of orange, the boy slapped his hand to his forehead while giggling uncontrollably. Madly.

"I- I- I suppose you could say I was premature! Heheheeee!"

Kana whirled on him, lips curled and teeth clenched. He was pointing at her. And laughing. Laughing so loudly, arrogantly, until he was bent over bracing himself on his knees.

Suddenly the waves beneath them swelled. Kana and her troops stumbled as the ship lurched towards starboard.

Giggling insanely, the madman of the continent made no effort to maintain his balance. He threw his head back as the ship lurched, the additional momentum throwing him clean off the hoist; he clutched at his stomach, doubtlessly aching, as he plummeted. Laughing the whole way. Freely. Madly.

Until he crashed against the deck.

Kana's eyes went wide at the sight of the body exploding into a puddle of water. His wooden club bounced on top of the puddle that was once laughing at her, clunking and drumming an awkward metallic and dull beat.

Yet joy eluded the knight. For a new calamity had begun.

Flecks of white snow fell from the heavens all around Kana and her troops. She felt an unnatural cold that should not exist sweep across the ship. The hooks hung from their hoists swayed and groaned like ghouls hung from trees. Netting and tarps strung over their cargo vibrated and slapped noisily. The wind shrieked around the warships towers.

The temperature is dropping so rapidly, I can feel my whole body beginning to tremble. My thermal layers are useless.

Kana fought the primitive instinct to rub her arms. She couldn't feel the heat of the flames any longer. Every exhale expelled clouds of condensation. Every inhale made her lungs feel ready to crack.

This isn't right, she analyzed. This isn't a blizzard blowing in, and the sea… Even a tropical cyclone couldn't compel it to churn like this.

The ship lurched again, rolling the wooden club and causing the puddle to spread closer to the knight. Kana stumbled again.

It's as if the sea is coming to life beneath our feet.

The unadulterated rage in the waves swelling and crashing against the battleship was matched only by the wrath of god.

As she tried to gather a foothold and yell out orders, a new silhouette rose from the sea, banking the ship towards port.

Possessed by instinct, Kana rushed to their secured cargo, against gravity as the flat deck rose into a steep incline. Until the sight above her was no longer the horizon, but the void of white mist and black smoke intermingling above.

More and more of the void overtook her line of sight, quicker and quicker, the sudden incline and tug of gravity becoming nearly impossible to combat.

Kana ground her teeth together and leapt just before solid ground vanished beneath her feet, fingers latching onto the netting, clutching them with all of her strength. She felt her body swaying through open air as the ship continued towards capsizing.

Looking down, the knight watched on as her troops were deposited off the ship, bouncing off the deck, the railing, the burning cannons, and each other before splashing into the sea.

The nearly capsized ship suddenly began to realign.

At that moment, the netting ripped apart, loosing the cargo crates for a free-fall.

Kana held onto the torn net. She swung towards the stern, lowering quicker and quicker towards the sea, then felt herself crash and slide along the deck. The cargo crates tumbled and caught on the port railing as the ship leveled out. But the momentum of the ship pitched them starboard.

For that reason, as she hung onto the netting, sliding towards the sea, Kana was able to witness the tremendous malevolent shadow in vivid detail.

The sight of it stole her breath.

Hanging by the tearing threads of the netting, she felt a sharp shiver shoot through her core as the sea churned, as waves crashed against the deck, and the ship pitched into yet another steep angle. She almost preferred to capsize. It would've been a godsend by comparison.

Looming over the ship was the silhouette of a hydra, its sixteen pairs of golden eyes blazing through the heaps of smoke and mist.

"What devilry is this?" Kana gasped.

Beside her, a puddle of water streamed by. When the wooden club bounced into view, the non-threatening puddle sprang into the air before her, taking on a human shape once more, gripping the wooden club in its watery fists.

It was the teenage boy. In the light of orange flames his blue eyes glinted with madness. A brand of a flower marred his hand. A blade had cut him deeply from his nose to the middle of his right ear.

Kana let go of the net, sliding—falling—out of range of his swing. The metal rending crash that followed her told the knight everything she needed to know—the boy possessed incredible power. But, then, so did she.

She caught herself on the railing below, rage matching the roar of the cold, churning sea within arms reach.

Lifting her gaze, the flames of her cannons reflected in her eyes as she glared at the ratty stowaway who had made a fool of her.

The teenage boy stood perfectly balanced on the vertical plane, even as the ship began to pitch towards port again, silhouetted by flames and black smoke. His expression was no longer amused. It was one of murder.

Kana matched it.

The haughty madman thrust his wooden club at her.

"Now then, let's get this party started!" he growled malevolently.

"I'll eradicate you," she snarled.

As they lunged at each other, the hydra struck the warships.

And madness unfolded amidst the maelstrom.

Camouflaged beneath a sand-colored blanket, lying atop a warm, coastal sandy peak of the Land of Wind's golden dunes, Korobi and Yaoki peered through their binocular telescopes at the horizon of sea stretching out into the beyond. And the metal warships sailing along them.

"They weren't kidding," said Korobi, shaken by the strange vessels prowling off the coastline. "These ships are unlike any I've ever heard of."

"We have to tell Lord Gaara," replied Yaoki, slowly, carefully, beginning to shimmy and crawl out the back end of the blanket. "Don't lose sight of them, Korobi. I'll be right back."

"Right."

Yaoki exited the back of the blanket, unhitched the sled, and glided down the dune silently.

From the sea it was impossible to see the encampment of Sand shinobi hidden behind the high crests of a dune belt. The dunes served well as a natural camouflage, aiding scouting missions such as these.

Among the shinobi gathered at the camp were Lord Gaara, Hikari and Lord Kankurō, positioned somewhat adjacent—separate—from the main camp.

Fear, suspicion and hatred for Lord Gaara and Hikari continued to cloud the hearts of many in the Sand, even as Lord Gaara sought to redefine his bonds of pain, suffering and anger.

Before the joint-mission, Yaoki shared that fear. He knew Korobi did, too. Lord Gaara's history was…well-gossiped about, to put it mildly.

Even those who did not know him personally or experience his rampages firsthand knew vivid details. Often the incidents, and the boy responsible, were scorned in the barracks. Older soldiers were brash and fearless behind closed doors, they went so far to use the stories as a way to frighten and haze younger recruits.

Yaoki and Korobi had both been victims of it. Perhaps those hazing had enhanced their initial sense of fear around Lord Gaara. Or perhaps knowing there was little exaggeration to the stories did. It was difficult to say.

Those stories weren't told as often anymore. Not since the Fourth Kazekage's youngest child joined the regular forces. But the scorn lingered. It festered. The wound Lord Gaara sought to heal had been left unattended so long, the infection had spread far and wide.

In the days leading up to and following the Invasion they had known Lord Gaara to be a heartless killer. An unstable monster who could snap at any moment. He was someone who would crush their bones to dust, bury them in sand, and savor their final breaths if it pleased him.

Hikari, like Gaara, bore a similar burden. Ever since they first heard her name they knew her as yet another destructive weapon of the Sand. A weapon who wielded Iron Sand and Lava Style, capable of crushing their bodies or melting their insides if they weren't careful.

Hikari, it was said, was born of a mistake. Or rather, someone who should have never been born at all. She was a monster. Not even a freak of nature because she was wholly unnatural, or so it was said.

Worse things were spoken in the barracks after the failed Invasion. Far worse. Things Yaoki didn't feel comfortable repeating. Things he tried his best to forget.

"Yaoki, what have you seen?" Lord Gaara asked as he approached.

The sons of the Fourth Kazekage were already facing him. Hikari, seated on a blanket beside them, left leg extended out, had sensed his approach the moment he embarked on the sled.

Before the joint-mission Yaoki remembered how the slightest glance from Lord Gaara caused his knees to go weak, his teeth to chatter, and his head feel light.

He felt none of it now.

Because of that mission, Lord Gaara and Hikari ceased to be horrifying monsters and destructive weapons, capable of horrors normal men could not conceive.

"Lord Gaara, we've spotted the unknown vessels. They're sailing parallel to our coast."

"I wonder if they have a specific point of entry in mind," Lord Kankurō theorized, bringing a hand to his chin. "The border of the Land of Rivers isn't far from here, but although landing there would allow them to gather their equipment outside our border, they would still have to cross the desert to reach the Sand.

"Something has obviously brought them to our Nation specifically. They could've anchored in the Land of Tea, the Land of Fire, or the Land of Rivers, but they came our way."

"Then 'tis likely they've prepared for crossing the desert wastes," said Hikari. "We can presume they possess enough nonperishable rations to survive for weeks, months, perhaps years."

"If their warships are so advanced," Lord Gaara spoke up, "then we should assume any military equipment they've brought with them is as well. They may possess war-machines that can cross the Demon Desert."

"Now there's a scary thought," Lord Kankurō muttered. He crossed his arms. "Still, even if they anchor on our coastline, it isn't like a peaceful stroll through botanical garden is waiting for them. In previous wars, our desert on its own claimed countless shinobi lives—enemy and allies alike. There remain stretches of desert too hazardous for even natives of this Land to cross."

Lord Kankurō was right, of course. To this day, the safe passages located in the distant past were still utilized by the Sand to avoid the most hazardous sections. Those maps and passages, as well as the knowledge to recognize hazards, were drilled into them as students long before they ever stepped foot out into the desert.

Their forces were small enough without losing fresh recruits to the desert.

"How… How do you think they know about us?" Yaoki asked. "We didn't even know there were other continents. But these people are prepared to invade the Land of Wind…"

"Beats me," Lord Kankurō replied. "But they've either come to conquer our Nation, or for something hidden among its sands."

"Perhaps they are after the ruins of an ancient kingdom," Hikari considered.

"An ancient kingdom?" Lord Gaara questioned.

"Do you not remember? Yashamaru told us stories about them."

"Yashamaru…" Lord Gaara's eyes went wide. "That's right. He once said the Land of Wind was home to several ancient and forgotten kingdoms. He said some of their ruined spires could still be seen today. I had forgotten…"

"You really think these foreigners would be after some old ruins?"

"Could they not offer treasure to entice these foreigners?" Hikari asked.

"Maybe. But it'd be a pretty dumb risk," Lord Kankurō shook his head. "Most of the ruins are buried deep in the desert. All it'll take is one bad accident for some of them to collapse entirely. Others have their tunnels blocked off by debris. Not to mention the vicious fauna that nest in them now."

"Greed can impair intelligence."

"Can't argue with that."

"Do we have any maps of the Land of Wind's ruins?" asked Lord Gaara.

"I'll check."

As subordinates of Gaara and Hikari, Yaoki and Korobi had initially been given pity. Or, more often, they were ribbed by other members of the regular forces. In secret, of course. Never when either were nearby. Some merely teased them for reporting to younger shinobi.

Since the joint-mission, and since their friendship with Hikari and Gaara became more apparent to their comrades, a divergence had formed.

No longer were the pitied or ribbed, but scorned and glared at in disgust. As if they had become monsters, too, in a way.

Yaoki and Korobi did their best to ignore it. Because they knew Gaara and Hikari weren't monsters or destructive weapons. They were comrades.

They were friends.

Among the sand dunes they prepared for the invaders.

The sea was calm. The air was possessed by cold death. An iron curtain of clouds draped itself across the sky, obscuring the millions upon millions of glinting stars and the light of the moon.

The environment was truly perfect. Not an eye in the world, human or animal, could throw aside the shadows bathing the warships in a black veil thicker than tar, merging everything—sky, sea, ship and people—into a single, all consuming void of nothingness.

Anchored offshore of the desert wasteland, the warships positioned themselves outside of potential enemy artillery, yet within range for their long guns. A necessary precaution, thought Wakiko. One which already proved fruitful.

Once night had fallen, and the absence of light pollution rendered eyesight useless, Wakiko sent scouts ashore to investigate for natives. She'd felt a sensation of being watched since nearing the shores.

Perhaps it was undue suspicion, a result of being at sea for far too long. Only the hardiest of flora and fauna could survive a wasteland such as this. It was difficult to imagine anyone would choose to live among a sea of endless sand dunes. The chances of surviving something so untamed, so uncivilized, were pitiful at best.

Wakiko did not like to take chances, nor was she impatient. They had traveled a considerable distance for utopia on faith alone. Faith had built them an army and led them through strife, scarcity, across war-ravaged lands, and then across the sea through storms unlike any land dweller had ever witnessed. Finally they had reached the new world.

Others, like Kana and Ranke, were impatient. They could see their journey was now closer to its end than its beginning, and so grew impatient for utopia to be built, willing, wanting, to rush into the unknown with righteous and reckless fervor.

But the new world possessed more than the artifact they crossed the tumultuous sea for. People would be waiting for them. Natives of a continent who would guard their territory, as all animals do.

Of course, Wakiko's suspicion was on point.

Not long after her scouts went ashore, the inhabitants of the wasteland emerged from the shadows. As ordered, her scouts attacked on sight, but the initiative was already taken from them. The natives ambush was well-executed, crushing them with some strange manner of power she watched on the telescope. One that seemed to control the sands.

Now only a few scouts remained, but, in the end, she hadn't taken any true losses. Not like the wasteland dwellers, losing little more than a handful to the scouts nearly invulnerable shells.

Patience and healthy suspicion brought the foreigners out in force, now no longer hiding in the shadows of the dune belts like little rats. And they were in range of artillery.

"Prepare to fire," she commanded.

The tall and curvaceous knight signaled a retreat for the three scouts left ashore. In truth, it would not matter if they were there or not.

Alas, appearances were important, and if anyone suspected they might bombard their own forces, survivors would fall onto guerrilla tactics, which would complicate their righteous mission.

It also kept a card hidden beneath their sleeve should such a tactic be necessary for the cause.

Enemy flares, like festival fireworks, lit up the night sky and the warships suddenly. But it was far too late.

"Sorry," she apologized, a vile grin forming. "You're just necessary sacrifices for our utopia.

"All gunners, fire!"

Standing atop the face of a flat stone, arms crossed, Gaara squinted at the ships in the distance. On the sea their enemy had the advantage. Somehow they had to draw the ships into range where they could be eliminated. Somehow—

The sound of several cannons firing one after another straightened Gaara's spine. He heard the whoosh of the cannonballs, saw the red orbs blaze like dozens of red suns against the black environment as the whoosh transformed into sharp whistles.

No!

Gaara thrust his hands out and rivers of sand poured from the dunes at his command.

Kankurō, standing but a few strides away, noticeably stepped back in shock and fear at the sight of certain death approaching. Their fellow Sand shinobi mirrored his reaction, or turn and ran outright in retreat.

The tumultuous waves of sand rose around the squadron of shinobi, cocooning in a dome of soft and hard sand in what few breaths existed between the cannons firing and their rounds impacting against the desert.

Black sand rushed before Gaara's eyes, reinforcing his sand where their comrades were most congregated.

Then the artillery struck the walls of sand. And exploded through.

Screams echoed from the beach. In the haze of whipping sand and chaos of wailing shinobi, Gaara heard the initial whoosh of the second volley transform into sharp whistles quickly gaining on them. He saw the red orbs as they neared.

And then there was a void of black.

"Um, Lady Tsunade, what exactly are you doing?" Shizune asked, voice wavering between uncertain and anxiety.

Tsunade did not answer. She didn't lift her gaze off the book of missions laid out in front of her, finger and eyes gliding down them one by one in a fervent search.

There had to be at least one D-rank outside of the Village. One inconsequential mission outside of the walls.

Nothing.

Nothing.

"Arrgghhhhhh!" Tsunade groaned. She slammed the book shut and tossed it aside, its spine clattering against the wall before flopping among a pile of similar books.

"Aieeeeee!" Shizune finally settled on anxiousness.

"Oinkkkkkkk!" Tonton echoed her sentiment.

Immediately, Tsunade slammed another book in front of her; if there were no D-rank missions, then there had to be at least one C-rank mission. She began drawing her finger and eyes across them.

"Come on," she growled. "There has to be something. One mission. One! That's all I need to get her out of here for a few hours."

"A mission?" Shizune wondered. "Wait, who are you trying to get out of the Leaf, Lady Tsunade?"

"Amaririsu."

There had to be something simple—mundane—she could do outside of the Village. Something that wouldn't place her too far from the walls or in any present danger, but still far enough away before…

"Milady?" her assistant prompted for further explanation.

"It didn't take them long," she replied, voice short and to the point. "The payment from Katabami Gold Mine probably piqued all three of their interest. I knew this would happen, but I had hoped they'd be too busy to complain. Heh, stupid thought. It's not like they do anything else."

Team Guy's cooperation with the Mist had exceeded her expectations, frankly. Additionally, Amaririsu had done everything she hoped for as an envoy, lighting the way for the members of Team Guy to strengthen their potential bond with the Mist.

However, cooperation with the Mist, and conscripting a Chūnin to play envoy, without consulting the Councilors was finally biting her hand. It was so annoying.

"They want a meeting? This is the first I've heard about it."

"They didn't bother with formalities," she said, drawing near to the end of the page. "Probably because I didn't, either."

Fortunately the Councilors were just formal enough to send word they desired a immediate meeting. That provided the Hokage time to frustrate herself with the plethora of missions on the Leaf's shoulders, none of which apparently were mundane enough to send Amaririsu out on her own!

"Arrgghhhh!" She slammed the book shut but did not throw it aside. She wouldn't even bother to look at B-rank missions. Tsunade tapped her finger roughly on its hard cover. "I don't want to test our luck with the Masked Man or Orochimaru. And I don't want her too busy to train. Kakashi, Kurenai and Guy have enough of a challenge to prepare them in three months, but at this rate…"

Once the Elders heard Amaririsu was the envoy, they'd ask questions and make demands. Like speaking directly to Amaririsu.

That was absolutely the last thing they needed. The whole goal was to keep the kid as far away from the Elders for as long as that was physically possible.

So long as there was even a flicker of doubt about Amaririsu's true identity and heritage they had an advantage.

I need to buy us more time. With a stronger foundation, with more influence at her disposal, the Elders won't be able to walk over Amaririsu or make demands.

Influence was another weapon Amaririsu needed to wield. As a sword and a shield.

"If I may, Lady Tsunade, there is a new mission we've just received. I haven't yet added it to our ongoing lists. It should be…"

"A new mission?" she questioned.

Tsunade finally lifted her gaze to see her assistant leaning back, thumbing through the file folders she clutched against her chest.

"Ah, here it is!" Shizune declared, pulling a paper free. "It's a C-rank. Nothing dangerous. A client has asked us to catch a ferret—"

"Yes!"

Tsunade snatched the paper form her assistant and began glancing over it. A ferret recovery? Now that was as mundane as any mission could get. Perfect for Amaririsu.

"You're a lifesaver, Shizune. Hmm. Though this may require a squad. Ah, to hell with it! Shizune, I need you to summon and debrief Team Seven, immediately. Get them out the gate as soon as possible."

"Yes, milady."

Seemed luck was finally on her side, for a change.

Tsunade was too excited to question it.

"Okay, I gotta know," Naruto was the first to break the silence as they leapt through the trees. "Did anyone else think Shizune was acting super strange back there?"

"Understatement of the day, Naruto," said Sakura.

"Definitely," said Sasuke.

Strange was only scratching the surface of the whole situation. To Amari's mind, a green sky, a red ocean, and a panda with a snake for a tail and lion head could've been normal by comparison.

First, they'd been summoned to the main gate to debrief on their newest mission instead of the Hokage's office. While not unheard, generally speaking the rule of thumb was a squad leader, at bare minimum, received the mission directly from the Hokage to then debrief their squad wherever they pleased.

For example, when Kakashi sent Team Seven to the movies before meeting Princess Koyuki, he didn't debrief them on their mission until after they had learned who their client would be.

Those instances where only the squad leader was summoned generally occurred for reasons of efficiency. Sometimes, for instance, the administrative area was suffering an influx of shinobi traffic reporting in for new missions or reporting complete missions. Fewer bodies meant less clutter and less time wasted by, let's say, a young Genin griping about boring missions.

However, Kakashi wasn't with them, and she wasn't summoned to the Hokage's office, which brought forth the second strange part of all this.

Shizune personally assigned them to this mission. Orders from the Hokage, of course. But instead of merely summoning her alone or Team Seven to the office, which wouldn't take the Hokage's assistant far from her work, she met them at the gate.

Also, her debrief was bare bones in details. They'd been told the simple version: Find a ferret's last known location, track it down, capture it, and then return it to some nomadic tribe.

Afterwards, Shizune did everything short of patting them on the head, turning them around, and then kicking them out the gate with Tsunade's super strength. It left the entire team off-kilter for the last twenty minutes.

Amari had been working on a few theories.

"So it wasn't just me, then," Naruto sounded relieved as he swung beneath a branch to another lower branch. "I mean, obviously meeting at the gate was weird. Same thing with Shizune giving us this mission out of the blue. And why the hell are we stuck hunting down a lost pet again! This is kids stuff!"

"Hate to say it, but I agree. It's a waste of our time," Sasuke said.

"We—well, the three of us are still Genin," Sakura pointed out. "Despite the dangers we've faced, and the experience we've gained, we haven't even finished our first year as shinobi. Plus every mission is important to the Village now. Don't forget, we need complete every mission we can. For appearances sake, and for the money."

"Yeah, but, you can't tell me this doesn't strike you as weird, Sakura," Naruto retorted, leaping ahead. "Or that you wouldn't rather be training or heading out to stop a bunch of bandits or something. I mean, a ferret? Seriously?"

"It is weird. And you're not wrong. I would rather be training or gaining more combat experience," Sakura agreed. "I think we need all we can get. If and when the Stone finally ignites a war, I want to be sure I'm ready for it."

"Yeah. I wanna be ready to stop those guys, too. Them, the Akatsuki and Orochimaru."

The team each hit separate branches and leapt ahead.

"We all do," said Sakura. "But this mission is still important to the Leaf. It may not be the combat experience we're all trying to gain, but it's still experience we need. When you think about it, tracking a lost pet and capturing it prepares us to track people, too. More or less."

"Huh. I guess I never really thought about it like that."

Sakura was right, of course, on all accounts. There were a cornucopia of reasonable explanations for sending them to find this ferret.

The Leaf needed to complete every mission it could in order to fill their coffers to the brim before the war began.

Ultimately, money was as necessary to wage a war as it was to defend from it. For instance, if an army ran low on supplies, they could buy more from allies or black markets or, unfortunately, war-profiteers. Without that money, and without a means to acquire the missing or limited supplies, people could go hungry, soldiers could lack basic supplies, weapons, medicine, weakening their combat readiness and morale.

Defeat was almost certain in such a circumstance.

Furthermore, Team Seven required more varied experiences. They were already shaping into a combat specializing unit, but that alone wasn't enough.

Since their inception every major mission Team Seven had taken demanded them to enhance their combat skills. Bodyguard missions, generally. Which meant the enemy came straight to them.

Looking at it from another perspective, that meant their experience in tracking down targets was limited. They were always in a defensive position or plotting an attack on a centralized base, like Kazahana Castle, but rarely had they ever had to search for an enemy.

Tracking a roaming ferret could, in theory, better prepare them for tracking shinobi.

"This is also a C-rank, as opposed to a D-rank, too, so this is a bit different than hunting down Tora or walking dogs," Sakura continued. "We may not have to face bandits or shinobi, but the clients must have offered good money to bump the ranking up."

Another reasonable, and likely true, conclusion. Isolated, there would be no cause for suspicion or strange feeling, but none of it explained why Shizune met them at the gates and hurried them out.

Shizune hadn't been an imposter, nor had she concocted a fake mission; everything they'd heard was authorized by Lady Tsunade.

Besides, Miss Anbu would've sniffed out a conspirator of any kind posing as the Hokage's assistant.

"What are you thinking?" Sasuke fell in beside her.

"Yeah. You've been quiet this whole time, Amari," Naruto pointed out.

"I think there's a lot of truth in what Sakura was saying," she began. "Not only about the condition of the Leaf, but how we should think of this mission as a whole. So far, our idea of a normal mission are bodyguard and escort missions. But there are plenty of other missions we have zero experience in. In that respect, we're still rookie shinobi with a speciality leaning towards combat.

"To overcome the enemies we are up against, though, we need a variety of experiences. So even if it seems like a big drag, don't forget that every mission has importance. Every mission can give us experience. Even the boring ones.

"We also need to keep in mind, as Sakura pointed out, that every mission is important to the Leaf now. Every mission we complete, large and small, aids our efforts to rebuild, refortify, and prepare for the coming battles. Finances can change a war. So we need to put forth all our effort, as always.

"If we do that, we'll be back home in no time at all. Then we can find time to train smartly and safely on the way back."

They exited the canopy of trees onto a road, then leapt into the trees on the other side.

"However," Amari continued, "taking a step back from that, there's a lot that doesn't add up. For instance, they sent our whole squad out on this mission, which is taking us halfway between home and the Land of Rivers."

A frustrating note, if she said so herself. Had someone told them a ferret was missing on their way home, she would've helped Team Guy retrieve it and spared them from all this strangeness.

"When you consider every enemy who wants me, Sasuke or Naruto captured, twisted or killed, this decision doesn't make any sense. Sending me and Mimi together to the Land of Rivers was surprising on its own. But Naruto, Sasuke and I together?"

She shook her head. "Lady Tsunade wouldn't risk that unnecessarily. Let's be honest, I'm lucky I saw the Land of Rivers at all. Definitely after Mizuki's little prison break. If not for Atsuko, or my bond with Haku, someone else would've been sent. That's just the way things are right now."

"Think it slipped Granny Tsunade's mind?"

"No," Amari refuted, shaking her head again. "I think something, or rather someone pushed her. Either way, Lady Tsunade needed one of us out of the Leaf, and now we're here."

"I wonder what's up," Naruto pondered.

So do I, Amari thought, pursing her lips. Could my outing as an envoy have gained too much attention? Or is it something else entirely…

In the end, she supposed it didn't matter. They were already out of the Leaf and on their way to capture a ferret. All they needed to do was focus on their mission.

And hope it wouldn't be too troublesome.

From the shadows of the foliage, the Masked Man observed the exterior of the stationary towering construct—the invasive cathedral of metal presently surrounded at its base by metal-clad soldiers.

What an interesting turn of events this was. From an unknown land, foreigners embarked across the sea with equipment he'd never seen before, and now, in their clearly war-like minds, it appeared they had every intention of invading one of the Five Great Nations. Or all of them.

To think they'd do so at such a critical moment, when the tinder box of the shinobi world was one spark from all-out war.

They were either incredibly powerful or war-minded fools. The Masked Man was curious to learn which, though the trail of destruction and death they left in their wake, perhaps, made the conclusion academic.

Humans were humans, no matter the continent.

Like an invasive species upsetting the natural habitat, these foreigners had plans of their own for the shinobi world. Plans that doubtlessly would interfere with his own.

For now, though, there remained a chance for them to be of some use. He could not write them off entirely as potential pawns. Not yet. That conclusion required further investigation.

I will need to be careful.

He wasn't the only entity searching for answers. Black, winged silhouettes wheeled in the sky and perched on the cathedral. The foreigners did not know the danger of that.

Why would they? They knew nothing of the Crows of the Leaf and assumed, like all arrogant fools, there was no force that could ever impede their path.

They did not know how hard the natives of this Land, accustomed to war, bred for war, would fight to push them into the sea.

Such was the nature of humans. They would fight to protect their land like dogs fighting for ownership over a stick.

I can't have foreigners ruining my plans, thought the Masked Man. I say its time we find out what you're really after.

Without a sound, without a word, the Masked Man vanished from the foliage.

He would have his answers.

Whether willingly or by force was up to them.

A/N: For anyone interested to hear what Fuugetsu's song sounds like, I sort of riffed off of a song called Lullaby of Woe from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Anyway, thanks for reading and hope you all enjoyed the newest update!

Review Response to NarutoFan: Glad you enjoyed the last chapter and the sisterly banter between Mimi and Amari. I'm happy I've been able to make them likable and human that even though you don't usually enjoy original characters, they, and the others, are still fun to read. I agree that there weren't many actually powerful and simultaneously competent in battle kunoichi's in the series, definitely when there was plenty of potential between Hinata, Ino and Sakura. Though I'd also say the further the series went on, the less competent everyone became so Naruto and Sasuke could shine. I rewatched the Kakuzu and Hidan vs Shikamaru, Ino, Choji and Kakashi fight recently, and though they sort of built it up like Ino and Choji would get to help avenge Asuma, they didn't really get to do anything meaningful at all. They mainly got in the way. Then, once Naruto arrived, everyone had to stand aside so he could prove to himself he could do the first version of the Wind Rasengan, to oversimplify off the top of my head. When I feel Ino and Choji should've had a chance to prove how much they'd grown in that fight to avenge their Sensei. For all that I love the series, it definitely has its flaws. But I still love it all the same. Few things, if anything, is perfect. Except maybe movies like Your Name and Weathering with You. Those would basically be Amari's holy grail for love stories.

Tenseigan Hinata would've been so cool. I'm glad, though, that I seem to be doing well enough growing everyone and giving them their time to shine.

We'll have to see how anything between Amari and Haku develops and when they reunite.

On one hand, you're not wrong about the part of them still being so young/still kids, so don't expect anything super romance based for really any of the rookies or Team Guy at this stage in the story. Hints, certainly, here and there will come about, but they're still, for me, too young to thrust into any real pairings. Definitely given the situation they're all heading into, in this arc and beyond. Expect attraction, warm fuzzy feelings, near moments and opportunities, but no real relationships of the intimate or romantic kind. Saving that probably for Shippuden. Unless the characters suddenly bring me there naturally, though with what few arcs are left, I don't see that happening at this stage. But anything is possible.

On the other hand, specifically about Amari's and Haku's bond, although they haven't seen each other since, they have been exchanging letters, keeping up with each other and their experiences for better or worse. Granted, seeing someone, speaking to them, interacting and such is more personal, but their bond has been growing little by little. And their connection as kindred spirits, as well as Amari's general openness with those she considers kindred spirits—Hikari, Yukiko, even Mimi as sisters—is how I might expect her to react. As Shisui pointed out, she has a lot of warm and affectionate feelings for people. Whether she squeaks them out is another matter.

If I had to create an ultimate ninja storm 4 ultimate move, off the top of my head, and going with Shippuden age, I'd have two ideas. First, I'd say their team technique would start with whoever wasn't tagged in jumping in/appearing beside the other, then with tanto aflame with normal fire and blade aflame with Amaterasu, they'd both charge in to initiate the move(working with video game logic, of course) Probably have dialogue with that lunging in with Sasuke as main saying something like, "Let's finish this," or Amari as main saying "Sasuke, with me!" From there, I'd either have them do some cool synchronized choreographed attacks with their blades, zipping around as they cut the person, their eyes glowing, and then finish the person off like Itachi's and Shisui's move and have them give the infamous over the shoulder Uchiha glare with Sharingan with Amari borrowing Shisui's line of, "Don't underestimate the Uchiha."

Second idea, have Amari launch a fire ball. Then, as the smoke clears from in front of the receiving person, they see Sasuke's Susanoo and its arrow covered in Amaterasu. He can say something like, "We'll burn you away." Arrow launches, hits the person, takes them up into the sky, because of course it does, then it shows Sasuke letting his Susanoo fade and him resting his arm on his sword as he does in Shippuden. Maybe say something like, "Your turn."

Amari beside him will have her left eye shut and say something like, "Turn to ash." Then she'll open her eye with the Mangekyo design and color with blood running down her cheek and the explosion will be red, yellow, or blue depending on what would look better animated.

After the explosion it can pan to them for either a serious note or a funny one. Serious note ending with a similar air of, "Don't underestimate the Uchiha." Funny note with Sasuke looking to Amari as the explosion is expanding across the sky and the wind is blowing and saying, "Think we overdid it?" Amari could rub the back of her head and say, "Probably. Explaining this is going to be a drag."

Sasuke's ending scene could be a picture of them walking side by side in the Village after her talk with Hiashi as kids, so she'd be in kimono and he'd be in casual clothes, with his dialogue saying something like, "Wherever our path takes us, I'll stand by her side. Always." Or an image of their eyes, with a more cocky Sasuke saying something like "Do you see it now? This is the power of the Uchiha Clan."

Amari's ending scene pictures could be the same, first one saying something like, "As long as you're beside me, I know we can blaze a trail to the future." Second something like, "Try all the tricks you like. These eyes of ours can see right through you."

Glad you enjoyed the Mist shinobi at the end.

Anyway, thank you for the review and hope you enjoy the newest update!