Naruto: Tornado of Souls Final
Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or RWBY
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Here is chapter 14. Enjoy!
Last time:
Naruto's Apartment
Blake was wearing one of Naruto's oversized t-shirts and some shorts with a belt to cinch them up around her narrow waist. Her clothes were currently in Naruto's clothes washer and dryer. The blonde knew nothing about the differences between washing darks and lights together and seemed to be positively terrified of Blake's lingerie so he told her to feel free to use the washer herself.
She came back into the front room and looked out the window with her ears prominently on display. 'Gods help me!' thought Naruto. 'Blake-chan looks like a cat girl fantasy mate that Ero-sennin made up for one of his books. If she says meow or starts purring at me I'll positively die from this hard on!' Lightning flashed outside and silhouetted Blake's sinuous curves to Naruto. 'Down earthly desires!' Naruto mentally screamed at his throbbing member.
"Naruto-kun?" asked Blake.
The blonde looked up and saw her amber eyes scrutinizing him very carefully. 'What is she thinking about I wonder?' "Yes Blake-chan?"
'I wonder if Naruto has any idea how good he looks to me right now?' thought the feline faunus girl as she studied his wiry, muscular frame that were barely hidden by a snug t-shirt and shorts. 'All that working out has turned him into dangerous company for a girl…' Lightning flashed and she and saw a wild, untamed look in Naruto's eyes that drew her like a magnet.
Blake thought of a scene in her Ninjas in Love books and barely resisted her urge to lick her lips. She was sweating. 'Heaven help me! It would be so easy to give in tonight.' she mentally purred to herself. "I don't know when this storm is going to let up Naruto-kun. Do you have a place I could sleep tonight?"
'OH YEAH BABY!' screamed Naruto's inner pervert. 'She's practically wagging her tail at me! I'll make that pussy purr all night long! Bwahahaha!' "Ummm…Well, why don't you take my bed Blake-chan?"
Blake thought about Naruto lying low at the foot of the bed to… 'He wants to lie low and ambush me in his bed! OH YEAH!' thought the cat eared girl with a mental squeal. Blake blushed in the low light. "W-well, I guess we could…" She could smell the intoxicating hormones coming from Naruto in answer to her own…
"…And I'll take the spare futon in the spare bedroom." finished Naruto.
Thunder crashed outside and the power went out leaving two very aroused young people staring at each other's hungry eyes…
…
Chapter 14
Yamanaka Residence
Pyrrha woke up and realized she had dozed off in the tub. The redhead sweat dropped and thought to herself; 'I can't believe I fell asleep. Even the water is cold. How long was I out? I can still hear it's raining out.' Drying off she got dressed and exited her room. Most of the lights were turned off for the night. She peered into Ayano and Inoichi's room and saw that Ayano was sleeping peacefully. That's when Pyrrha noted that something was amiss. Ayano was fully dressed. From the way the bed sheets were it was obvious that the Yamanaka Matriarch had on her house slippers in bed as well.
The redhead quickly came in and tried to wake Ayano up to no avail. Turning on the lights in the bedroom Pyrrha realized that Ayano was unnaturally still, even for sleeping. Ayano's eyes were open and vacant. Pyrrha kept calm and checked Ayano over carefully. 'She has a steady pulse and is breathing normally but her eyes are open and she didn't even blink when the lights came on…Has she been drugged?' Thinking hard, Pyrrha suddenly came to a realization and channeled chakra. "Genjutsu kai!" she said loudly.
Ayano immediately sprang up like a live wire and was looking around fearfully. Her eyes focused on Pyrrha and the older woman immediately grasped onto the redhead in fear. "P-Pyrrha-chan! Thank the gods you are alright. I saw Sakura-chan and-and Ino-chan was killing me with a kunai! I-"
Pyrrha gripped Ayano by the shoulders and said, "Ayano; you were caught in a genjutsu. Calm down!" Seeing Ayano regain her bearings the red-haired girl asked, "Did you say you saw Sakura?" Seeing Ayano nod; Pyrrha said, "Tell me what you saw."
"You were still in the bath and I went to check on you." said Ayano. "Ino-chan was in her room. I heard it was still raining heavily out and then I heard a noise in the hall and saw Sakura-chan was there. She was sopping wet and had a strange smile on her face. She said hello to me and then I saw Ino-chan was stabbing me repeatedly with a kunai. I thought I was dead and I heard Sakura say, 'Let's lay you down to sleep forever.' I was petrified and it kept repeating over and over and over! It was just like what happened to the Harunos!" She started to cry quietly as Pyrrha hugged her.
Pyrrha said, "Somebody placed you in a genjutsu and whoever it was knows what happened to Sakura's family. Will you be alright Ayano? I need to check on Ino-chan. She could be in danger!"
Ayano looked afraid but said, "Go check on my Ino-chan. I'll be fine."
The red-haired girl nodded and gave Ayano a hug before she dashed back into her room and put on her combat gear. Pyrrha quickly opened Ino's door and turned the light on. The room was a mess but there were no signs of a struggle. She saw a shattered teacup and bloodstains from whoever's hand that had been holding it. There were a few speckles of blood here and there and they led out of the room into the bathroom where it was obviously bandaged. 'What happened here?' She held her hand by the partial handprint shaped bloodstain on the counter and thought, 'This handprint is slightly smaller than my own; it's probably Ino-chan's.'
Looking about in the hall she saw another bloodstain on the door that led to the Flower Shop. Drawing her Tsurugi Pyrrha went out to the shop and saw the shop door was forced open and that the rain was pouring in from outside. Pyrrha's green eyes narrowed and she slid up to the open doorway and listened. She heard voices over the rain and peered around the corner. The streetlights showed two silhouettes. One was obviously Ino's. The other could have been Sakura's but the person had some sort of rain cloak on. Pyrrha crept out in the rain and heard Sakura's voice. She sounded odd…
"Sasuke-kun is waiting for us Ino-chan!" said Sakura. "You can be with him too like I am. We're going to build a new Uchiha clan but Sasuke-kun needs more wives!"
Ino sounded shocked. "W-what happened to you Sakura? You are wearing an eye patch and….and what about Kizashi and Mebuki?" Who-"
Sakura chuckled, "They were necessary sacrifices Ino-chan. Just like Ayano will be. She's in a genjutsu so it will be painless. You just have to slit her throat and Sasuke-kun will be pleased. Then you'll belong to him like I do. We need to hurry now!"
"Y-you want me to kill my Mama?" shrieked Ino. "You killed your own parents?"
"It will prove you have no connections to Konoha anymore Ino-chan!" said Sakura in an all too happy voice. "I made it so easy for you! My parents were awake and fought me! Why do you think it was such a bloody mess?"
"NO!" yelled Ino.
Sakura growled, "I won't let you throw away this chance of a lifetime Ino-chan! I'll put you in a genjutsu too."
Pyrrha appeared behind Ino with her blade and shield out. She said, "I don't know who you are but you're not Sakura! Genjutsu kai!"
The wave of chakra she expelled didn't reveal anything to Pyrrha. Sakura was still standing there with a creepy smile on her face. Sakura said, "So that's it! You have tried to replace me as Ino-chan's best friend. No wonder she is confused." Sakura placed her thumb under her eye patch and flipped it upwards revealing a sharingan with three tomoes in it. Hearing both Pyrrha and Ino gasp the rosette said, "Don't worry Ino-chan. It's not Sasuke-kun's. It's a gift from dear old departed Kakashi-sensei! With this I can defeat even you Pyrrha."
Sakura vanished in a blur and appeared behind Pyrrha an instant later. She had a jian sword and brought it down in a deadly arc towards Pyrrha. The gladiator countered with a brutal mule kick that sent Sakura tumbling. Pyrrha quickly took the offensive and started driving the rosette back with her superior swordsmanship. Sakura leaped back and said, "Let me show you real power Pyrrha!" The pinkette made the ram seal and flared her chakra. Black lines in a wave pattern emerged all along Sakura's skin. "With Orochimaru-sama's gift I'll crush you bitch!"
Ino gasped in horror. "A curse seal!"
Pyrrha hadn't heard much about the cursed seal but found that Sakura's strength and speed were magnified a great deal. The redhead was taking a beating until she caught Sakura in a cross slash and knocked the crazed kunoichi's jian away using her magnet release.
Sakura hissed, "I can't win without a sword. I guess we'll have to call this a draw." She glanced over at Ino. "Ino-chan, we'll continue this conversation later without interruptions. I'm your best friend and I know you love Sasuke-kun as much as I do. Orochimaru-sama will guide us!" Sakura then vanished into the ground using the headhunter jutsu.
Ino burst into tears as lightning lit up the sky…Her friend Sakura was truly gone…
…
Naruto's Apartment
Blake and Naruto's tongues danced as they fell back on his bed battling for dominance. Blake quickly got on top and hungrily eyed her prey. Her hot, naked prey that was standing at full mast. Naruto pulled her down on top of him and started grinding himself heatedly into her womanhood. She struggled to get loose and ravish him but he quickly flipped over on top of her and started trailing kisses from her neck up to her cat ears. She almost went over the edge when his tongue and lips touched her sensitive cat ears feather light. Blake eagerly started kissing his neck and shoulder.
Naruto was shaking and going crazy at the sensations of Blake's rough tongue lapping up the sweat pouring from his body. He was impossibly hard when he lowered himself and started pulling the shirt off of her. He quickly latched his mouth on her exposed nipple and worshipped her like a goddess. She shivered and quickly threw Naruto's shirt she was wearing the rest of the way off with a manic smile as he slid two of his digits inside her. The faunus girl howled in ecstasy as she climaxed in his hand. She was panting on her back staring at Naruto as he whispered something with a smile as thunder roared and the lightning lit up his face.
She watched with unhidden glee as she saw Naruto withdraw his fingers from her and slowly, erotically brought them to his lips where he lapped up all her juices like the sweetest nectar and grinned hungrily. He was towering over her as he sat up on his knees ready to enter her. Blake smiled and spun back on all fours facing him before she sprang at him and tasted herself on his hungry lips. She quickly straddled his member and let out a purr as he entered her for the first time. Feeling him fill her to the hilt; her amber eyes widened and she watched their shadows silhouetted in the lightning flashes. The faunus girl became mesmerized watching their shadows make love to each other again and again in a dance as old as time itself…
…
Naruto's bedroom
Blake woke up early in the morning feeling high on the afterglow and realized she was alone and more importantly, dressed. She felt wet and sticky as could be down low and she reached down into the shorts she borrowed from Naruto. The faunus girl felt she'd soaked them clean through into the sheets. "Oh my god…That was the most intense wet dream I've ever had in my life…."she muttered in amazement. She remembered sharing a chaste kiss with Naruto before she went to bed. After that the cat eared girl had rocketed off into fantasy land.
Realizing that Naruto's bedroom and in particular his bed now smelled like her; Blake let out an uncharacteristic "EEEEP!"
…
Rice Country, Southern Regions
Early in the morning the Konoha forces were marshalling and organizing into five battalions broken down from the two divisions. Jiraiya and Shikaku had put the finishing touches on their plans the night before. "Weather predicts we're going to be dealing with heavy storms this afternoon." said Shikaku. "We have about six hours of leeway to push forward before the storm front hits."
"Let's make it count then." said Jiraiya. He soon gave the order to move out and the five Konoha battalions moved rapidly towards their points of attack. To the Oto forces under Jirōbō's command the formations seemed random until the Konoha forces started charging through weak points in the Oto lines that there was no way to reinforce due to terrain or sheer distance. The breaches in the line were becoming overwhelming and the last remaining member of the Sound Four quickly called for reinforcements over the radio…
…And all he heard was static.
The frontline Oto forces were in total disarray and within the hour and isolated groups were being crushed by pincer movements on Jiraiya's orders. The well-fortified areas that were the linchpins to Rice Country's defenses were being completely bypassed and then flanked. "How could this have happened?" cried out Jirōbō. "How could they know all our weaknesses? This situation is hopeless. Order the men to fall back!" ordered the large Mohawk wearing boy.
That's when Gamabunta crashed into the main Oto stronghold from behind. Jirōbō's eyes grew huge as Jiraiya called out, "Bunta; give me oil! Toad Oil Bullet!" The last member of the Sound Four tried to transform into his cursed seal state only to be drenched with toad oil. As Jirōbō wiped the sticky oil out of his eyes he saw Jiraiya complete some hand signs and cry out, "Great Fireball jutsu!"
Jirōbō didn't have time to scream as the conflagration burned him and his forces alive. For the remaining Oto forces this was an apocalypse. Their spirits broke seeing their main fortress get consumed in a pillar of flame and they began to route in terror. By not retreating in an organized manner they were wide open to being picked off by every jutsu and projectile available to the Konoha forces.
It was a colossal military disaster due to Tayuya's plans being in Konoha's hands. By the time the heavy storms came rushing in that afternoon the first three lines of Oto's defenses were completely overrun and the remaining Oto troops were in a disorganized state that only made matters worse. Many simply ran away blindly.
Jiraiya had his troops hold their ground when the hail started coming down. The Konoha forces started using barrier jutsus to protect themselves while the remaining Oto forces in the area basically ran for their lives…
…
Oto Village
As the storms were blowing over the Konoha forces to the south, Orochimaru and the core of his elite forces were retreating to the north. Kabuto reported in to his Master. "Orochimaru-sama; we've finished moving out the research supplies that are movable. Shall we plant explosives to destroy the rest?"
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed, "No, we no longer have the manpower thanks to Tayuya betraying us. It would take too much time. If we move out before this storm completely overtakes us so our elite forces will still be intact. Just leave the rest behind." The Snake pondered for a moment and then nodded to himself.
"I know Jiraiya. When he arrives here at this village he'll feel obligated to take care of all the prisoners we're leaving behind like the Fuma Clan. The idiot will be so bogged down in charity work that the Konoha offensive will grind to a halt. I have no doubt that will be the best delaying tactic we could use against him and Sarutobi-sensei. It's time to leave this place Kabuto."
"As you command Orochimaru-sama." said the glasses wearing nin. 'If all goes according to plan we'll have completely vanished by this time tomorrow and Jiraiya-sama won't be any wiser.'
…
Konoha Command Tent
"We've had and unbelievable victory this day!" crowed Inuzaka Tsume. "Our casualties have been minimal and the enemy has been scattered. If it wasn't for this damn storm we would have gotten even more of them!"
As boisterous as the troops generally were; transporting Konoha's wounded back and moving supplies was difficult given how much territory the Konoha forces had taken. The supply lines were a bit thin and the rain and hail was no help. Shikaku was looking over their maps to try and predict what the Oto forces would do once the storm broke. "Jiraiya-sama, our scouts saw no forces coming from Oto Village to reinforce the defenses we overran." said the Nara strategist. "You know Orochimaru better than anyone. What is he doing?"
Jiraiya looked over the maps carefully and said, "Unless I miss my guess, the Snake is going to withdraw entirely under the cover of this storm and avoid an open confrontation. He knows he can't win and sacrificed his front lines to buy time…Even if we run flat out towards Oto Village there is no way we can catch him if he's pulled out like I suspect. Let's focus on resupplying and taking care of our wounded for now. We've come too far to risk walking into a trap." 'Damn you Orochimaru; you always were a slippery snake.'
The Konoha forces settled in for the night. After a long day of fighting they needed to recover. With the storm raging over them there was little else they could do…
…
Fire Country, Konoha, Naruto's Apartment
The next morning; Naruto was up bright and early and found Blake was already up washing his sheets in a rather frantic manner. He raised his eyebrows and asked, "Ummm, Blake-chan; why are you washing my sheets?"
Blake blushed bright red. "No particular reason. I-I thought you might want them washed since I slept there."
Naruto waved his hand in the negative. "You didn't need to worry; all of you girls smell nice to me." Blake blushed a bit more and Naruto said, "I'll fix us some breakfast. What would you like to eat?"
Blake was about to answer when they heard a knock on Naruto's door. "Hold that thought. I'll get it." said the blonde. Naruto opened the door and saw it was Hinata who was blushing prettily. Naruto smiled, "Good morning Hinata-chan!" he said brightly.
Hinata smiled and said, "Good morning Naruto-kun…" Then she gently cupped his cheeks and gave him a passionate kiss. When she pulled away the heiress said, "That was for busting up Neji like he deserved."
Naruto had a bit of steam coming out of his ears and he smiled dreamily.
Blake had steam coming out of her ears for entirely different reasons. 'Maybe I should put a lip lock on him and continue where we left off last night.' Blake sauntered up and said, "Well, if it isn't Hinata-chan. What brings you by so early?"
Hinata raised an eyebrow and noticed Blake's faunus ears were proudly on display. "I might ask you the same thing Blake-chan." said Hinata darkly.
Blake smiled evilly. "I spent the night here last night with Naruto-kun." 'Top that fire starter. He's mine!'
The Byakugan Princes looked panicked but then frowned angrily. She ground out, "Is that so?" through gnashed teeth. 'I'll roast your cat ass. He's mine!'
Naruto chuckled unaware a war was literally at his doorstep. Naruto shrugged. "Yeah, Blake-chan got marooned here last night in the hailstorm. I had to use the spare bedroom so she could sleep here. It was a heck of a storm, don't you think?"
Hinata's eyes were filled with mirth and she smiled smugly at Blake. "I see; I'll have to crash over here sometime too."
Blake's ears drooped slightly and she thought, 'Curses! Naruto-kun is just too honest for his own good.'
Naruto invited Hinata in to have breakfast with them and the two girls sat down at the kitchen table in a silent war while Naruto went through the cabinets to see what he had to fix for breakfast. "So your ears are out." said Hinata.
"Naruto-kun says my ears are kawaii." said Blake haughtily.
Hinata narrowed her eyes and was about to retort when Anko suddenly appeared in a swirl of leaves in the front room which startled all three genin. She looked serious and said. "Good, you are all here. There was an attack at the Yamanaka Flower Shop late last night. Gear up." All three genins looked panicked. Anko turned to Hinata and asked, "Are you free? I could use your byakugan to help in this investigation." Hinata nodded looking a concerned.
Naruto asked, "Who attacked them? Are Pyrrha-chan and Ino okay? Were they hurt?"
The purple haired jonin said, "Pyrrha and Ino are fine. No one was hurt too much; just frightened."
Within a few minutes Naruto and Blake were in their combat gear. (Hinata was already in hers). "Let's move out." said Anko as she led the three genin over the damp rooftops towards the Yamanaka Flower Shop…
…
Northern Fire Country, the Valley of the End
Sakura sat down in the shadows of the valley and lit a campfire to cook herself a meal. She was exhausted and low on chakra from running last night. 'Poor Ino-chan; trapped in that wretched village. My rescue mission was a failure but at least I managed to make contact. Heeheehee. Ino-chan is smart. She'll come to us on her own.' Sakura yawned. "I'm still tired from using the sharingan." she thought aloud. "It looks like I'll have to go completely around the Konoha forces north of here and join Sasuke-kun in Orochimaru-sama's northernmost base." She smiled insanely. 'Since I have a sharingan now I can teach our future children how to use theirs.'
Sakura's face suddenly took and angry appearance. 'I can't believe I lost my sword to Pyrrha. She's trying to take Ino-chan away from me! Worse still, Pyrrha is strong as hell. Taking out that bitch is going to be a problem.' Her thoughts turned back to her new living arrangements with Sasuke. 'It's a shame the sex is so bad. He's so….small. I was practically bored the last time Sasuke-kun shot his load in me. It's got to get better.' She brooded for a while in silence.
Then Sakura's face morphed back into a crooked smile. 'Everything is going to work out. Sasuke-kun will get better with practice and I will soon be joined by Ino-chan. I wonder what other girls will be in Sasuke-kun's harem. I can't wait to have kids!' The pink haired girl soon was eating in silence wondering how big the new Uchiha Clan would become…
…
Konoha, Yamanaka Residence
Pyrrha was sitting on alert in the kitchen as she finished writing her report of what had happened last night. Anko told her and Ino to write down everything while it was still fresh. Ayano was sitting in the kitchen with the two girls waiting for the snake princess to return. She was still a bit nerve wracked from the night before. They heard Anko knock on the door and Pyrrha opened it. She was glad to see her team and Hinata.
Naruto shot in front and said, "Are you alright Pyrrha-chan?"
Pyrrha smiled at Naruto's concern and said, "We're all unhurt but shaken up Naruto-kun."
Anko said, "I had Naruto send out some shadow clones to find Choji and Shikamaru. Asuma is already on his way Ino."
Ino sighed in relief and said, "Thank you Anko-sensei."
"What exactly happened last night?" asked Hinata. Blake was nodding in agreement wanting to know as well.
Ino shuddered. "Sakura…"
Naruto's eyes widened. "What about Sakura-chan?"
Pyrrha put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "She's joined Sasuke. They are both enemies now serving Orochimaru. She murdered her parents and tried to get Ino to join her. She wanted Ino to murder her Mother Ayano."
Both Naruto and Hinata were shocked. "The Sakura I knew was nothing like that…" said Hinata in disbelief.
Pyrrha said, "She now has the sharingan that belonged to Kakashi. She seemed proud that Kakashi was dead."
"Sakura is totally insane!" blurted out Ino as she burst into tears. "She claimed that she murdered Kizashi and Mebuki to prove her love for Sasuke! Sakura was proud of it! She used a genjutsu on Mama and tried to the same with me…Even worse she had one of those awful curse marks like Sasuke. She wants me to join her and Sasuke. She says Sasuke needs more wives to rebuild his clan. Sakura was so twisted and evil. It was unbearable."
Naruto sat down looking shocked. "So she and Sasuke joined Orochimaru willingly. Now she's trying to kidnap Ino…" He looked at Anko. "Sakura and Sasuke are being declared a missing nin now, aren't they?" Naruto asked.
Anko nodded grimly. "They are both considered a C to B-ranked missing nin officially. In Sakura's case we will have to assess her skills from Pyrrha-chan and Ino's reports."
Naruto turned to Ino. "We will protect you and your Mom Ino; all of us."
Ino hugged Naruto with watery eyes and said. "Thank you, knucklehead." Naruto just patted her shoulders awkwardly…
…
Rice Country, Konoha Command Tent
"Our scouts report virtually zero activity out there." said Akimichi Choza as he pointed to a eastern portion of the map of Rice Country. "The fortress there has been abandoned entirely and we can alleviate some of our supply issues by emptying it out."
"What about the Fortress itself?" asked Yamanaka Inoichi. "Is it any use to us? It's too remote to use as a hospital or a staging point."
"From the looks of it the base was set up to defend against an invasion from Hot Springs Country." said Shikaku. I think it's safe to clean it out and bypass it. Our demolition squads have enough to do without blowing up random empty outposts."
Jiraiya nodded in agreement. "If the already abandoned the place we'll leave it alone for now. Under the cover of that storm Orochimaru probably is marshaling his forces at Oto Village proper -If he's planning to make a stand that is."
"You sound doubtful Jiraiya-sama." said Choza.
"I'd lay odds we will meet only a token resistance at Oto Village." said the Toad Sage. "We haven't seen any major snake summons since we first crossed the border. I think Orochimaru has already moved on to greener pastures."
…
Fire Country, Konoha, Yamanaka Residence
Asuma soon arrived along with Choji and Shikamaru right behind him. The news about Sakura shocked both boys and they were very concerned for Ino's safety. The genin group was gathered in the main room of the Yamanaka home. They were playing cards together to pass the time and lighten the mood a bit.
Shikamaru had his fingers steepled in front of him. "What doesn't make sense to me is how Sakura gained the chakra capacity necessary to actually use a sharingan for even a short period of time. Kakashi-sensei was very limited in its use from what Naruto has said and he wass a full jonin." Then he looked at his cards and said, "I'll take two."
Naruto nodded and dealt Shikamaru two cards. "She also never had any affinity for any sort of sword before either. Besides, Pyrrha-chan is a superb sword wielder. For Sakura to even be able to push Pyrrha-chan a bit seems unbelievable."
"Sakura also never knew any earth jutsus to my knowledge. She must have learned the headhunter jutsu from Orochimaru." said Hinata. "I fold."
Ino shook her head. "She not only has a different set of abilities but her personality is completely different. I'll take one."
"The smile and look on her face were ones of madness." said Pyrrha. "She has undergone something horrific to have changed that much. Other than her obsession with Uchiha Sasuke nothing else matches from the Sakura I was acquainted with." The redhead paused. "I'll take one card also Naruto-kun."
"Could it be a side effect of the curse mark?" asked Blake. "Anko nee-chan says the curse mark tries to corrupt your mind. I didn't get to know Sakura all that well but she didn't seem very strong willed to me."
"I fold." said Choji. "Whatever convinced her to kill her own parents could have been the cause. Sakura may have snapped completely when she realized what she'd done."
"House takes two." said Naruto. "I wonder if Sasuke did something to her or if she was just that blindly in love."
"Sakura had a dual personality of sorts." said Ino. "Daddy explained it as a projection of her id. I wonder if she brought that to the surface somehow."
Pyrrha shrugged. "In her own twisted way she still wants to be your best friend Ino-chan. That makes her dangerous to you and Ayano especially. In her own distorted way it was if she was trying to help you."
"That's what has me worried." said Shikamaru.
…
Anko and Asuma were sitting in the Yamanaka kitchen with Ayano. They were both listening intently to the genin theorizing amongst themselves. Asuma was writing down their observations. While Pyrrha's report had been fairly concise; Ino's was skewed because of her (understandably) heightened emotional state. It seemed that sitting and talking with her friends while playing cards had not only calmed her down but it also had her thinking analytically like a proper kunoichi. Asuma said to Anko, "I'll have her write a follow up report tonight after she's had time to reflect on things."
"I'm wondering if we need to set up Ayano with some extra protection regardless." said Anko. "Sakura is targeting her."
Asuma shook his head. "We're so shorthanded right now that Ino and Pyrrha would probably be considered sufficient by the Hokage. We do have a war on after all…then again; maybe one of us team sensei could sleep here for the next few nights. One of us could easily overcome Sakura even with a sharingan."
"It probably would put Ayano and Ino at ease to have a jonin crashed on the couch." agreed Anko. "What do you think Ayano?"
"Any extra protection would be welcome." said the Yamanaka Matriarch. Last night was a horror show."
…
Konoha, Front Gates
A certain busty blonde sanin arrived at the front gates of Konoha and found the place was quiet as a tomb. "So the rumors of a war we heard in Tanzaku Gai were true." said Tsunade grimly.
Shizune set Tonton on the ground and said, "I haven't seen Konoha this quiet since the Third Shinobi War."
The chunin at the gate were younger and didn't really recognize Tsunade though they'd heard of her of course. One of them stamped her papers and said, "Welcome to Konoha Tsunade-sama, Shizune-san. Hokage-sama is expecting you. I'm sure you know your way to the tower."
Tsunade nodded and her group trudged over to the Hokage Tower. The straw blonde was surprised that they weren't given an escort but the general atmosphere in the village was very tense. They saw many patrols moving around and most of the civilians seemed to be staying indoors. "This is a depressing atmosphere." muttered Tsunade. The group soon arrived at the Hokage Tower and was ushered in to the Hokage's Office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was looking over the latest reports from Jiraiya and Shikaku. He set them down and looked up at Tsunade and Shizune. He said with a pleased smile, "Welcome home Tsunade-chan, Shizune-chan. You've been missed."
"Why did you cut off my bank accounts?" growled Tsunade.
Hiruzen got a flat look. "Come now Tsunade-chan; don't play dumb. I need you here and you would not obey recall orders. As the Third Hokage I'm reactivating your ninja status. Shizune-chan, you are a full jonin and your talents are needed at the hospital. You will report there at 08:00 tomorrow morning." Shizune nodded. "Tsunade-chan, I'm assuming you still suffer from hemophobia?
Tsunade saw the steel in her old sensei's eyes. 'I could fight him and leave but….' "Yes, I still have a fear of blood sensei." she said in a shamed tone.
"Understandable." said Hiruzen without preamble. "You're needed at the hospital as well but first we need a thorough psyche check. I know you've been suffering and it's high time we do something about it. The self-destructive path you've been on isn't what your family would have wanted for you."
"Sensei, I-" started Tsunade.
"Tsunade-chan, Konoha needs you once again." said the elderly Hokage. "I'm asking you because I don't want to order you to. It's time for you to come home Tsunade; it has been for a long time."
Tsunade said mournfully, "I'm old sensei; I feel old. I don't know if I can start again…"
Hiruzen propped his chin in his hand and said, "Say that when you are my age Tsunade-chan. You are a spring chicken compared to me."
Shizune covered her mouth to stifle her giggles but they turned out to be rather infectious and soon the group was all laughing.
The Third Hokage got over his chuckles and said, "I needed that. As I said; welcome home! …By the way, what's with the pig?"
…
Hyuga Compound
Hinata arrived back from the Yamanaka residence in time for lunch. Team 10 had the day off from patrols and Hinata hoped to spend the day with Naruto-kun. Unfortunately Team 7 had a full schedule that day and Hinata spent most of her morning over at the Yamanaka's place helping to calm Ino and her Mother down. 'It's hard to believe Sakura changed that much. If nothing else, her being able to face off with Pyrrha Nikos without being utterly destroyed is shocking enough. There is much more to this than meets the eye.' Hinata greeted her clan mates as she came in and walked over to the main house with a sway in her hips. 'Mmmm….at least I got a really hot kiss with Naruto-kun.' She giggled slightly and blushed.
It seemed that Hinata was a hot topic lately with the clan in general but she wasn't particularly concerned. 'I guess me roasting that fool Mizuki alive raised a few eyebrows. Oh well, he had it coming anyway.' The heiress was about to look for her little sister Hanabi so they could have lunch together but alas, she was intercepted by a messenger from the Hyūga Elders.
"Hinata-sama!" said Hyūga Tokuma as he trotted up to the Heiress. "I am glad I found you. Your Grandfather the Head Elder has invited you to dine with him for lunch."
Hinata's smile vanished and was replaced with a frown. "Tokuma-san, a ninja of your talents should be out on the front lines instead of running errands for the Elders."
Tokuma nodded and said quietly, "I requested to join the Second Division with Hiashi-sama but was denied by the Elders."
Hinata's eyes seemed to ignite and she said, "You are a Special Jonin. That is an insult to your skill level. Would you like for me to talk to the Elders Tokuma? It is no trouble."
The Hyūga jonin cringed at Hinata's burning glare and said, "I am glad to serve in any capacity Hinata-sama; please do not bother the Elders with something so trivial." 'Please don't barbeque them my Lady!'
"Very well Tokuma-san." said Hinata in a dark tone. "Tell the Head Elder I shall be there soon."
Tokuma looked pale. "Actually, Elder-sama asked me to escort you to the main dining hall."
The Heiress raised an eyebrow and smiled evilly. "Tell the old fool I had some feminine needs to attend to and did not need to be escorted. I'll get there when I get there."
The jonin blushed. "O-of course my Lady!" squeaked Tokuma in embarrassment. He quickly bowed and took off like a shot…
…
Konoha Mission Hall
Anko was talking to her team. "The spy we caught yesterday turned out to be from Hidden Cloud. The Raikage is on high alert because he believes Konoha is using Rice Country as a possible staging ground for an invasion."
"That's ridiculous!" said Blake. "We're trying to get rid of that snake traitor for good. It has nothing to do with Kumo."
The snake mistress nodded. "I know that and you know that but the Raikage can't afford to be lax about the situation. Once Konoha withdraws from Rice Country things will settle down."
"What will happen to the spy Anko-sensei?" asked Pyrrha.
"His fate hasn't been determined." said Anko.
"In other words he'll vanish once we've gotten all the information out of him we can." said Naruto in a dark tone. "He officially doesn't exist according to Kumo after all."
Anko nodded and said, "That's the way it goes sometimes."
"Any news on Sakura?" asked Pyrrha.
"She escaped us." said the jonin. "We don't have the hunter nins necessary to go after her and even if we did she's not a big enough threat to warrant a full scale manhunt. For now she's out of our reach."
Team 7 all nodded glumly and set out for their first patrol of the day…
…
POSTSCRIPT:
See you next time. Blue out. 4/18/22