"Medusa Javelin"

By Nes Mikel

Acknowledgment;

I herby acknowledge that the work of fiction presented here is for my own personal amusement and entertainment purposes alone. Most of the story, characters, place names and other etc stuff in this fiction are copyright Naruto, Kishimoto Masashi, Weekly Shounen Jump, and any others I might have forgot.

For non up-to-date readers, this fiction contains characters and events introduced post-timeskip and spoilers up to Chapter 293. I also humbly suggest reading Garden of Sanctuary first before reading this fiction. Although not a requirement, many things in this fiction will not make sense unless that has been read beforehand. The link to Garden of Sanctuary is in my profile.

With that said, enjoy.

"Medusa Javelin"

"These thoughts… bring remorse…"

- Sixth Entry -

"Faith"

Reign of the Fifth Hokage, Twenty-eighth year. December 15th.

40 years old.

The Hidden Cloud Village, located atop the peaks of Mt. Fushikazan in the heart of Thunder Country was well known for their defensive capabilities. It was the only village among the Five Great Shinobi countries that boasted impenetrable defenses and were actually true to their word. The Hidden Stone Village came close due to their natural mountain barriers that protected their borders, but the Cloud had a reinforced fortress constructed on top and inside the highest mountain in all Five Countries. Not only did it exhaust the invaders in order to climb the harsh slopes in order to even reach the village, the slopes themselves were laced with dangerous traps and was scattered in such a way that it was virtually impossible for a person to climb unscathed without a proper guide – much less an army.

Of course, this worked both ways, as traps and the slopes themselves severely limited their offensive capabilities, as it was dangerous to even leave the village. They usually forged alliances with different nations when it came to war, the last example being partners with the Stone when they invaded the Leaf over forty years ago. Had not the Stone pulled out early in the long war, perhaps they could've even won in the war that ultimately ended in a stalemate.

Still, all that seemed irrelevant when Cloud Village Diplomat Senritsu Bashou found himself on the receiving end of a kunai, in his administrative office no less.

His first thought, naturally, was that the Ninth Raikage had sent ninjas to kill him. He had been a little outspoken during the recent Village conferences held annually inside the Raikage Courthouses. He had repeatedly criticized the Raikage in his latent policies and pointed out multiple flaws that had potential to cause a huge uproar in the governing body. A quick look at the said ninja that held the kunai at his neck, however, quickly refuted that thought.

"Don't move." The masked ninja in front of him said.

Bashou's startled expression soon settled into something akin to a smile. "Nice way to greet someone who you haven't seen in so l-"

"Close the door." The ninja spoke with a touch of ice, edging the kunai closer to his neck.

Bashou held his hands up as he submitted to the ninja's request. "Okay, okay." He said as he took a few cautious steps backwards and slowly closed the door with his tip of his foot. It closed soundlessly. His back still to the door, he fumbled with his left hand as he pushed then twisted the knob sideways, clicking the lock into place. "Done, yes? The blinds are already down."

"Soundproofed?"

Bashou nodded, though careful not to accidentally wedge his neck into the kunai blade. "I made sure of that when I had this room made, yes."

"Chances of someone interrupting our 'meeting'?"

He gestured with his hand to the intercom on top of his office desk. "If you would allow me…"

The ninja nodded and nudged Bashou gently forward. "Try anything funny and you know what happens." The ninja warned him.

Bashou nodded again as he pressed the button on the intercom. The return chime sounded immediately and a young female voice emerged from the other end. "Yes, Bashou-san?"

"Ahh, Kaoru-chan, how are you today? When I brushed by your office just earlier you looked dashing. Those were new Jade earrings, yes? Shougo-kun must be treating you goo-"

"May I remind you, Bashou-san," His secretary interrupted him over the intercom in a not-so-friendly tone. "That sexual harassment is strictly prohibited in the workplace and is a punishable offence."

"How mean!" Bashou whined. "I didn't even complement on how well your new pink bras fit your breasts!"

One could almost see killing aura seeping through the intercom from the other end. "Bashou-saaaan?"

"Ahahaha! I'm only kidding, Kaoru-chan! I only called in to say that I'm going to be entertaining a female 'guest-of-honor' in my office, so I want no interruptions! So keep the scary administrative guys away, will you please? Thank you!"

Even before his secretary could protest he cut off his transmission. Bashou then turned to his captor with gleeful glittering eyes. "Well? Was that satisfactory?"

Although the mask covered the ninja's face, the creases of a frown were obvious. "You entertain female 'guests' often?"

"It's a good cover in case things such as this happens." He explained.

The ninja shook its head, in obvious disapproval. "I should've known better."

Bashou narrowed his eyes in a smile. "Can you at least withdraw the kunai from my neck, pretty please? That thing is inching awfully close to my neck…"

Much to his relief, the ninja complied and withdrew the kunai and expertly tucked the blade away into its weapons holster. "I didn't want to take any chances. I hope you understand."

"I know. But I'll say," Bashou said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I'm really surprised you actually managed to infiltrate the village undetected. They would make a ruckus if they found out!"

"Let's not find out."

Bashou picked up a hint of a threat in there somewhere. He pretended to look hurt. "Of course! I'm insulted you suggested that imply otherwi-" The kunai's sharp point touched his Adam's apple. He held up his hands in surrender. "It was a joke, a joke. Sorry."

Sighing, the ninja withdrew the kunai a second time. She then removed her mask and promptly shot him a cold glare. "I'm not in the mood for jokes, Kakashi-sensei."

Hatake Kakashi, alias Senritsu Bashou chuckled a bit at the way he was called. "You really do know how to make a guy feel old, Sakura. Sensei? I mean, come on."

He studied his former student in front of him for a bit. She hadn't changed much, still in her beautiful twenty-five year old youthful appearance supported by the cosmetic ninjutsu that halted her aging process. She was wearing the traditional lightweight ANBU armor but he noted that she had a red spiral tattoo on her arm, not the usual black, marking her status as the Commander of the entire Konoha ANBU corps. He supposed he would've been in that position had he not accepted the long-term covert mission that planted him in the heart of the Cloud government. It was a pleasant surprise to see her again after all these years.

"So, how are things back home?" Kakashi asked.

"I'm not here to exchange pleasantries either." Sakura growled dangerously. Patience has never been Sakura's forte. "I've wasted enough of my time as is. When Tsunade-sama ordered me to track you down, we realized that you never revealed your assumed identity in the annual reports you've submitted. It took me three months to find out who you were."

Kakashi was pleasantly amused. "I'll take that as a complement. So what gave me away?"

"Your mask, Kakashi-sensei." Sakura said, her frown deepening. "You taught me a long time ago that a ninja-"

"Must be able to read what's underneath the underneath." He finished the sentence for her.

Sakura looked annoyed but to his relief she didn't pull her kunai out a third time. "At first, it was kind of hard for me to believe that you'd still wear that stupid mask over your face amidst a village full foreign ninjas." She said. "Then it occurred to me that that's what you want people to believe. After that, I just had to file through the lists to see if any important Cloud officials wore a facemask. That finally led me to you."

"Very good, Sakura. You've grown up to become a fine shinobi indeed!" Kakashi nodded happily as he circled around the desk and sat himself comfortably in his office chair. "So, what brings you here to the Cloud? In person no less! Something unsatisfactory in my reports?"

"I'll tell you what's unsatisfactory in your reports. All those lovey-dovey stories you write about some secretary and her boyfriend, you'll give Jiraiya-sama a run for his money. But that's not what I'm here for." Sakura breathed in a deep breath before she spoke again. "I'm here to relieve you from your fifteen-year old mission, Kakashi-sensei."

For the first time since they met, he looked a little shocked. "You're here to kill me?" He sat himself upright in his chair, now fully cautious. "Sakura, I don't know what they told you, but I assure you that I haven't done anything to betray the Leaf. Cut off I may be, but I would never-"

"I don't doubt your loyalty Kakashi-sensei, nor does the village. I'm not here to kill you."

"If you're not here to kill me, then why are you here?"

Sakura narrowed her brows, looking deadly serious. "You have been chosen as the successor to Tsunade-sama, Kakashi-sensei. You have been named as the Sixth Hokage. I've been ordered to take you home should you accept."

He blinked.

"You're kidding."

"I wish I was, Kakashi-sensei."

Teradaya Kaoru was a woman who prided herself in never being afraid in the face of power. She had, in the past, faced a serial killer who had ordered her to beg for her life if she didn't want to die. She refused him, and in rage the criminal swung his sword and marked her with a permanent scar that that streaked across her left abdomen. She had also, in the past, refused a lecherous Cloud councilman his offer of making a plaything out of her for one night in exchange for large sums of money. When she refused him too, he abused his political power and had her demoted to the lowest ranks of Cloud citizenship – prostitution.

She had spent many years, horrible years in the whorehouses. Created by the ninja village under the pretext of 'entertainment among the ninja ranks', she was forced to do many things she never would have done hadn't she be tied down, drugged, defenseless. But never once had she catered into depression and she continued to live on strong.

It all paid off in the end; the serial killer had been caught and executed, while the corrupt councilman was exposed and whisked away into penal servitude. And when the Cloud government acknowledged their mistakes and finally released her from confinement, they had issued an official apology and offered her a job in an important administrative position within the Raikage Courthouses, the epicenter of the Cloud government.

Which all led to this current job of hers: secretary of Diplomat Senritsu Bashou, the village's resident sexual harassment demon.

Despite her daily threats to Bashou that she would someday report him to the higher-ups about his behavior in the workplace, Kaoru never once did actually carry out her threats. Kaoru did not hate Bashou. In fact, she rather liked him. Despite his flaunting behavior, he was a well-liked, well-respected, kind man that was worthy of Kaoru's respect.

Granted, her boss was an obvious pervert. Famous for reading those perverted novels widely known as the 'Icha Icha Paradise' series, once he picked up the book he never put it down until he was through with it no matter the situation. He was also fond of chasing pretty skirts down all day if he were left to his own devises. It was part of her job to keep him in line.

She also knew how he claimed to have entertained many female 'guests' in his office, but despite the rumors Kaoru knew better. The truth was, Bashou actually helped these woman guests, listening to their pleas of help, offering assistance wherever he could. If you were a woman and you were in trouble, Senritsu Bashou was the man to talk to. Bashou was a gentleman, a man of his word. To her knowledge, he never once took advantage of any woman, even if one were willing.

Kaoru herself owed many things to this man. It was he who had exposed the corrupt councilman and sprung her from the whorehouses in his crusade to abolish the foul establishments and to end inequality between men and women. It was even he who arranged Karou to meet Shougo, who she fell in love with and were planning to marry next spring. He was like a father to her. Her real one never cared for her anyway.

Today was like many other days. She had received her daily dose of teasing from Bashou through the intercom, secretly pleased that he noticed her new Jade earrings that were indeed a present from Shougo. Despite her earlier foul mood, she found herself humming in happiness. So when she heard his wishes that he didn't want to be disturbed while he was 'entertaining' his 'guest-of-honor', she never would have imagined that he was a Leaf ninja spy speaking to his village contacts and instead believed that he was helping another woman out of her problems.

A knock sounded. She looked up from her stack of papers to see three girls clothed in plain brown kimonos standing in front of the open doorway of her office.

"Ah, Tsuno, Oki, Kobi! What a pleasant surprise! Come on in, come on in!" She stood up from her office desk and beckoned the three in. "How may I help you?"

"Thank you, Kaoru-san." Tsuno, the eldest of the three sisters was the first to speak. "Is Bashou-san available?"

These three sisters were among the many Bashou had saved from either poverty or starvation. Although life in the Cloud Village was comfortable, the many towns that surrounded the base of the mountain were not as fortunate and were constantly plagued with sickness and food shortages. These sisters were three such victims.

"Unfortunately, no, he's not available at the moment." Kaoru answered. "He's, you know, 'entertaining' someone." She expected the three girls giggle at her small joke, but when their face continued to remain sober, suspicions arose immediately. "What's the matter? Is something wrong?"

Looking hesitant, Tsuno spoke. "Kaoru-san… we, um, well…"

"Oh for Raikage's sake, Tsuno-neechan, enough with the stuttering already." Kobi, the smallest and the feistiest of the three interrupted her shy older sister. "Kaoru-san, look, we have reason to believe that the thief was in our barn. We even saw him, right? Tsuno-neechan, Oki-neechan?"

"The thief?" Kaoru asked, puzzled. "Oh, you don't mean…" Understanding slowly dawned on her.

"Right, the thief." Kobi said. "The thief who stole the village's artifact – the Twin Emeralds!"

"The Twin Emeralds?" Sakura asked, looking more than irritated. "What's that have to do with anything?"

"Look, Sakura, I was going to write about it in the next annual report, but-"

"Cut to the chase, Kakashi-sensei. This doesn't explain why you're refusing the position of the Sixth Hokage."

"Have a little patience please, I was going to get to that." He said as he righted himself up in his chair. "But really, Sakura, what do you know about the Twin Emeralds?"

Sakura scoffed. "The Twin Emeralds are an artifact of some sort that the Cloud had treasured for about forty years. No one knows what the Twin Emeralds really are – rumors say that the artifacts were discovered when the Cloud excavated some ancient ruins and are said to pulse with strange energy. It is located deep within the vaults buried underneath the Raikage Courthouses in which its entrance is bound by high-level genjutsu seals and is guarded by Jounin-class guards full-time. It is said that the vault is impossible to infiltrate."

Kakashi nodded. "That's correct."

Sakura waited for a moment, expecting her teacher to say more. She was instead met with silence. Her tolerance for patience was quickly wearing thin. She should've expected this eccentric attitude from her teacher, but even knowing that he would be difficult didn't help to deter her growing anger.

"And…?" Sakura finally asked, making sure her displeasure was noted in her tone.

Kakashi blinked innocently. "What, you don't know?"

"If this is one of your puzzles, Kakashi-sensei, then-"

He didn't wait for her to finish. "The Twin Emeralds were stolen, Sakura. Right out of the vaults."

That earned her attention all right.

"That can't be. The Leaf had tried several times infiltrating the vault, but all attempts failed miserably. There's no way anyone could crack that vault with those defenses in place. Unless…" Sakura trailed off. An idea sprung into her head. "Was it an inside job?"

"Sort of." He answered. "When the search party investigated, they discovered a long, winding tunnel dug underneath the vault that led all the way down to the base of Mt. Fushikazan. Quite the feat for the thieves, I must say."

She was surprised. "All the way through from the base of the mountain? That must've taken years… decades…!"

"Yep. That's what the investigators say too."

"When did this happen?"

"Two days ago. The Cloud forces have been on high alert since. The news is all over the country, Sakura. I'm surprised you didn't know."

"It took me three days of careful climbing in order to reach the top, Kakashi-sensei." She explained. She crossed her arms in front of her and nodded her head. "So that's why there were more guards posted outside the village walls… it was really tricky for me to sneak in undetected."

It was Kakashi's turn to look surprised. "You mean you actually managed to sneak in here by scaling the mountain and the walls? I thought you got in here by assuming a fake identity as a potential client."

"Too risky. My hair is way obvious, dyed or not. Henge is futile too knowing their genjutsu barriers, and there's no way I can pass myself as a client if I were wearing this, don't you think?" She said, referring to her ANBU uniform.

"I suppose so… but still."

"I'm not the little girl you know anymore, Kakashi-sensei." Sakura forced a tiny smile. "Far from it."

Kakashi returned the smile. "Right." He said. "I seemed to have drifted off from the topic a bit. Sorry."

"That's all right. So what does the Twin Emeralds have to do with your refusal of accepting the title of the Sixth?"

"I saw the thief. Or thieves, I should say."

"Who were they?"

"The Akatsuki."

He did not want to wake up. In his sleep, he was warm, cushioned by the branches and dreaming remorseful dreams decades old. It wasn't as if he liked remorseful dreams, though; it was just that he simply liked the occasional change. It was nice to have a bit of variety, and, after all, those memories were important to him. They showed him images of his past self, images that could've been long forgotten had he not dreamed of them. The flashes of moving images were unwelcome because they all-too often unearthed unpleasant memories. But he embraced the dreams in its entirety because they were necessary things to keep his already fragile identity intact. It was a complicated relationship.

It was the wind that dispelled his dreams. They gave him a savage beating whilst his prone form slept atop the network of branches and the force eventually pushed him out of his bed and into the ground. Fortunately, his fall was short, and so when he hit the ground he aroused from his drowsy state without injuries – flesh injuries, anyway. The right side of his body had been scratched and dented in a few places, indicating that, had he had fallen on his left, maybe he wouldn't have been as lucky. Oh well. It really didn't matter if he had been injured in his flesh left half or his prosthetic right half that combined together to shape his body. Either way, a few jutsus would fix him up just fine.

He took a few sweet moments before he sat upright from the forest floor, still a little dizzy from waking up so suddenly and having suffered a fall. He realized he was a bit disoriented and felt like vomiting – which wasn't a pleasant option because he was still wearing his mask that was a pain in the ass to remove. Thankfully, all that came out was a dry retch. For once, he was thankful that his stomach was empty. He rubbed his belly, now aware of hunger.

He stood now, dimly observing the far horizon from the single hole cut out from the mask to allow him sight. The sun was high, glimmering down through the canopy of branches and tinged the sky above slightly pink. Air's dust, he assumed.

He inspected the tree from which he fell. The branches were twisted and torn from where had fallen, and much of the yellow fruit of the tree were missing. He silently grumbled his displeasure. Seasons were so inconvenient at times. There goes his plan for breakfast.

He heard sound, voices. People. Of course, he was in an orchard after all, an orchard of pears to be precise. Perhaps he had been spotted? He immediately squashed the thought in his mind. Of course he had been spotted. In an orchard full of trees covered in specks of snow, here he was, a hulking figure (of sorts) who wore pitch-black lightweight armor that encompassed his entire body and wore a orange mask on his face with a black, swirling pattern that centered in on his eyehole. If that didn't make him stand out, he didn't know what did.

He considered for a brief moment what he should do. The last time he came in contact with people – normal people anyway – it started off terribly. He remembered in grim red shards the terrified faces of… what were their names? Tsuno, Oki, and Kobi? The three sisters who lived in the small farm where he last took residence in were startled out of their wits to see a strangely dressed man sleeping in their barn besides their animals. He could've stayed and explained to them what he was, but knowing that his explanation would just make things more complicated, he instead kindly asked them to pass on a certain message before he hastily made his exit. He would have to drop by the barn some day and secretly deposit some gold ryo coins in front of their barn as a token of gratitude for carrying out his wishes – he confirmed they did just that when he spotted the three sisters making their way towards the village yesterday. Although they seemed better off than most others, they still looked poor enough. Surely they could use the small boost to survive the harsh winter season. What use was money to him if he could not use it?

He heard a scream, then, as if a plug had been pulled, silence. He winced at the noise. That meant only one thing. His partner was here. The scream must've come from the poor orchard farmer. Maybe he should have slept somewhere else. He hated getting the uninvolved involved.

"He had to be silenced." A voice said, as if reading his thoughts. "You have already deliberately exposed yourself twice. You cannot afford to do so again."

"Sorry."

"Perhaps the farmer would have lived had you not decided to stop us from killing that man. We must satisfy our hunger somehow."

"I know."

"So why did you interfere?" The voice asked.

"I had to."

In the corner of his mind, the man thought that an outsider might've seen this scene particularly amusing. After all, here he was, an oddly dressed man sitting in the middle of a pear orchard talking to a disembodied voice that seemingly came from all directions. But then again, he knew such things were not going to happen. The voice made sure of that when it had done whatever it did to that poor farmer.

"Whatever your intentions are, it was not worth the risk of crossing us."

He picked up the strained tone in his partner's voice. "Zetsu-san. I don't think you've got the right idea on this guy. If you find out who he is, you might find out why he tried to kill you."

"And by refusing to disclose the identity of this 'guy' you speak of, you are not helping. What are you planning, Tobi?"

"I'm not refusing anything, nor am I planning anything. They gave me an order not to kill him, Zetsu-san. That's why I had to stop you."

"Tobi." Zetsu's voice changed. It was the other personality speaking now. "If that's the case, until we understand our leader's will we have every reason to doubt you."

Tobi sighed and scratched the behind of his cloaked hood. It was complicated when Zetsu referred to itself as two people, not that it was far off from the truth. "The man who attacked you was Kakashi. Hatake Kakashi."

Zetsu did not reply immediately. It was only after a while that the first voice returned. "The man looked nothing like Hatake Kakashi. What is your evidence?"

"He's been planted by the Leaf as a undercover spy, Zetsu-san. As for evidence, Leader briefed me of his identity. Is that good enough?"

"Is this all for the preservation of the 'process' and not one of your dialogistical beliefs?" Zetsu asked.

Tobi hated when Zetsu disapproved of his policy of avoiding unnecessary casualties. It was plainly obvious that Zetsu had a policy totally opposite of his, and constantly reminded Tobi of his lack of willingness when it came to killing people

"Yes." He eventually said.

"Which yes, Tobi?"

He breathed in and breathed out. "The 'process', Zetsu-san. The 'process'."

Another brief silence passed before Zetsu spoke again. "Our memories of the man are clouded."

Tobi simply shrugged at that. "I won't blame you. It's been, what, twenty, twenty-five years since you've last seen him? When Sasori-san died, around then. Not to mention-"

"Deidara warned you a long time ago that you talk too much." The second personality of Zetsu suddenly cut in.

"Yeah well, he's 'dead' too along with Itachi-san and Kisame-san." Tobi replied calmly. "All in the name of the 'process'."

Tobi then looked down and stared at the cylindrical container he carried in his hand. About twenty centimeters in diameter and about a meter long, the artifact contained inside was the last piece to the puzzle. It was something he so painstakingly worked hard after decades of digging, and with careful planning and execution, the artifact was finally in his hands.

"It's hard to believe that it's all coming to an end soon." Tobi said, reminiscing. "Don't you think so too, Zetsu-san?"

"The Akatsuki will not end. We will continue to exist in the Shadows. We are the dawn, and forever will be."

"Yeah, I know. I'm just saying that-"

Zetsu's presence disappeared even before he could finish his sentence.

Sighing once, Tobi silently walked away from the orchard trees and into the cold grasslands beyond. He had a task to do still.

And all will be over. Soon.

"…The Akatsuki? But Kakashi-sensei, you know that Itachi long ago-"

"He must've failed. Or lied. I don't know which, but they were the Akatsuki, Sakura. There was no mistaking it. Those robes…"

That was more than enough to clear her doubts. "Did you recognize any of them?" She asked immediately.

"No. There were two. One of them looked like… like a man with a Venus flytrap over his head. He was very odd looking. It was he who I spotted first, quite by accident actually. Ran right into him after the vault had been broken into and alarms were sounding all over the place. After seeing who he was, I tried fighting him."

"You fought him? Kakashi-sensei, you know that-"

He held his palm up, stopping her. "Yes, I know I could've exposed myself, but I was careful. I had myself established as a capable fighter despite being a Diplomat so I had some ground to work on in case I was forced into a situation where I needed to fight. He caught me off guard though and I would've lost. He had me pinned down and the best I could hope for was to wish for reinforcements. I could've lasted longer but not without breaking my cover. He was about to kill me when the second Akatsuki interrupted."

Sakura raised her eyebrow at that. "You mean this second Akatsuki member actually stopped his partner from killing you? Why would he do that?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. What's even stranger is that this other Akatsuki took his time to actually expose himself all over Cloud Village. He deliberately appeared in front of many people and even allowed himself to be caught on the surveillance tapes. We have him on our most wanted list now and had it distributed all over Thunder Country." Kakashi picked up a piece of paper on top of his office desk and offered it to Sakura. "Here, would you like to see it?"

She took the leaflet and studied the man on the wanted poster. "This isn't much help." She said after a while. "He's covered in black, and he's wearing a swirly mask in front of his face. The only thing that might give the Cloud clues to who he might be is his hairstyle, and that can be changed easily." She put the paper down. "What about the flytrap man? "

"Unfortunately it seems like whoever else he ran into he killed. I'm the only witness. I gave them the description, but of course I didn't tell them that they were Akatsuki."

Sakura frowned. "Didn't the Cloud have jinchuuriki and had them kidnapped by the Akatsuki too?" She asked. "Wouldn't they figure out eventually?"

"Yes, the Two-tails and the Six-tails, Nekomata and Raijuu I believe. But the Akatsuki never did attack the Cloud, Sakura, not directly like it was in the case of Gaara when he still held the Shuukaku within him. In Cloud's case, the jinchuuriki simply disappeared. They made a fuss all right, but they never did pursue their disappearance that seriously. They were more like… relieved when they were gone."

Sakura made a face at that. It seemed like no matter where the jinchuuriki were born, they were treated like monsters and could be cared less by the villagers.

Naruto…

She shook the thought away from her head. "So," Sakura began. "What you're saying is that now that we know the Akatsuki is active again, you can't afford to leave."

"Correct. I have a better chance at finding out more information about the Akatsuki if I stayed here. I'm honored to think that the Fifth has considered me as her successor… but honestly I can think of dozens of others who are more qualified than me and actually willing to take on the job." He smiled a bit. "Yourself included."

"Oh please. There's no way someone like me could-"

"I'm sure you're high up in the list of candidates. You've proven yourself a capable leader and a valuable asset to the village. Not many could pull off a stunt like sneaking into the Cloud undetected, Sakura. I'm proud of you."

"…Thanks."

"Sorry I couldn't meet your expectations."

"It's all right. It wasn't a total waste coming here. Information about the Akatsuki's reemergence alone was worth the trouble. And it's been nice to talk to you again, Kakashi-sensei."

He flashed her a bright smile, the best he could anyway with that mask of his. "Likewise, Sakura." Then, "You have a way out?"

"I do, don't worry. The method's quite ingenious, actually. We have been developing ways to-"

The intercom sounded. Kakashi and Sakura looked at each other, a little unsure if they shoud answer the call. The intercom beeped again, and looking hesitant Kakashi leaned over and pressed the button. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Bashou-san, but I felt that you needed to be notified of this."

"What is it, Kaoru-chan?"

"Tsuno, Oki, and Kobi are here to see you. They say it's urgent."

Kakashi released the intercom button cutting off the transmission and looked at Sakura. "Three sisters." He said. "I helped them in the past. Not sure what they want, but if Kaoru says it's urgent, I'm sure it is. Do you want to stand in while I meet these three?"

She didn't reply but in turn nodded back and formed seals with her hand. A puff of smoke later, she henged herself into the appearance of an grimly-looking female Cloud nin. "I'll be Shigure, your unwanted visitor. Deviate from there."

Kakashi nodded back at her, understanding the necessity of the act. He slowly pressed the button on the intercom.

"Send them in."

Tobi was now quite a distance away from Cloud Village and was nearing the Fire-Thunder borders. He found himself in a forest, quite thick, running through the tress to look for some sort of suitable clearing for his up and coming meeting.

Eventually he found one such clearing. It was rather small; patches of dirt gave away for low green grass and were surrounded by tall, long trees. The sun was high so there was ample light. Enough to see – well, whatever was necessary.

After catching his breath for a bit, he sat himself in the middle of the clearing, methodically taking out several items from his tool pouch. He pulled out two tightly bound scrolls, and a clear crystal ball small enough to fit on the palm of his hand. He laid the items out in front of him, and then finally took out the cylindrical container that contained the two artifacts within. He stared at the glass case for a moment, studying its contents for a while before he set it on the ground and turned his attention back to the crystal ball. He picked it up from the ground and fit it on top the flat of his hand. Concentrating chakra into his fingertips, the previously inanimate sphere slowly came to life. Images swirled inside the crystal ball, the pictures and sounds of people slowly coming into focus. It was difficult to maintain such images over such large distances, but knowing the people seen inside the sphere helped him tremendously.

The image showed him an overhead view of the disguised Hatake Kakashi and the henged Haruno Sakura, welcoming the three farmer sisters into the office.

Tobi smiled. It was all going according to plan.

"Welcome, Tsuno, Oki, Kobi." The elderly Bashou said as he stood up from his chair, looking at each of the young sisters when he called their names. "I should've told Kaoru-chan to send you three in immediately, but I wasn't expecting you. I hope you accept my apology."

"That's quite all right, Bashou-san…" Tsuno pushed a nervous laugh. She bustled forward to greet the Diplomat, extending her hand. He gently cradled her hands into his and shook on it. When he let go, she was about to say more but the small woman that accompanied Bashou inside the office spoke first.

"So you are the three?" She stood before them. A Cloud-nin, Tsuno could see, someone she didn't recognize through. Her eyes were deep and dark, hidden in sockets that seemed to have receded into her head, a painfully obvious sign that this ninja had seen her share of tough times. To Tsuno's shock, the woman reached out with her small hand and brushed her cheek. "I've heard many things about you."

Bashou shifted nervously as he sat back down in his chair. To Tsuno, he spoke. "Ah, forgive me. Her name is Shigure. My… ah… consultant of sorts."

Tsuno had absolutely no idea who this woman was or what she wanted from Bashou. It did kind of baffle her that Bashou didn't even seem to want her here, however. But there was no time to think about that, for this woman – Shigure – was looming over her now. "What an exotic looking creature." She said. "The color of her skin, the texture of her flesh… why, she's just like a little toy."

Tsuno endured this, but only barely. Her two sisters were shocked by the Cloud nin's frightening behavior and were frozen on the spot. Tsuno's gaze drifted over to Bashou, her eyes pleading for help. To her relief, help soon came. "Shigure, you're scaring her." Bashou said.

The woman stopped her caressing. She turned and glared down at Bashou. "What I do is none of your business."

Bashou was calm and collected. "Well, you have that right. But may I point out that it is exotic looking creatures like these who are working and dying on our behalf, even as we speak, all over the country. It has been difficult enough for me to persuade the Raikage assembly that our citizens deserve more respect than to be treated like playthings."

Shigure scoffed but said nothing more. Instead she retreated into the corner of the office, arms crossed in front of her as she dimly observed the remaining occupants of the office.

"Sorry about that." Bashou said, cutting into the tense atmosphere. "She can be nice once you get to know her-" A snicker sounded, but he ignored it. "But anyway, what brings you three here to my office?"

It was Kobi but that cut in first. "Bashou-san, we met the thief!"

He looked puzzled. "Your house was broken in? If that's the case, I can ask the office to dispatch several ninjas to investigate-"

"No, no, no!" The youngest sister shouted. "You see, it was him, him! The thief!"

His puzzled face remained. "I'm still not sure if I understand…"

Oki stepped forward. Usually the quiet one, it was rare for her to speak but she made an exception. "We recognized him as the thief who stole the Twin Emeralds, Bashou-san."

"…What? You mean…?"

"There was no mistaking it!" Kobi said. "He looked exactly like the picture on the wanted poster!" She held up the leaflet and pointed at the picture of the swirly masked man. "See, see?"

"If this is true," Shigure spoke, malicious aura emanating as she stepped forward. "Why, pray tell, did you not inform the assembly first? Instead, you come to this man? You citizens are so incapable it makes me si-"

"Enough Shigure." Bashou interrupted her. "I'm sure the sisters have a reason for coming to me first. Am I correct?"

Tsuno nodded. "Bashou-san… when we met the thief, he asked us… to deliver a message to you."

He looked shocked. "A message, you say?"

"Yes. He asked us to tell you-"

"Ah, sorry sorry! I really didn't mean to startle you guys. I'll leave, right now. But in exchange, can you do me one small tiny favor, pretty please? You know Senritsu Bashou, right? The Cloud Village Diplomat? Well, if you have the time can you tell him I said hi and I'll be seeing him soon? Oh, and tell him that the Raikage is prepared to betray him? Would you? Thanks!"

Kaoru was still in her office, working through her piles of paperwork when the man of her dreams literally blasted himself through her office doors.

"Shougo-san!" She said, startled out of her wits. "What are you-"

The handsome blond man grabbed her by the shoulders. "Kaoru! Where's Bashou-san? Where is he?" He asked, his beautiful purple eyes sparkling with urgency. Ah, yes, those eyes, eyes she could lose herself endlessly in its embrace…

Kaoru cursed herself for thinking such things about Shougo when it was clear that the Jounin-ranked fiancée of hers was deeply troubled. "H-he's in his office." She answered. "Shougo-san, what-"

"No time, Kaoru. He's in danger. He must leave the village, right now!"

She was scared. She'd never seen him like this before. "Shougo-san! W-what's going on?"

"The Raikage, Kaoru. The Raikage! He just announced that Bashou-san is a traitor to the village and he must be executed!"

Her world came crashing down.

Just like clockwork. Almost too good to be true, really. Looks like the tip worked beautifully.

Tobi's face locked into a grin as he continued to witness the events unfolding through his crystal sphere.

Kakashi knew immediately things were spiraling out of control when he heard the message passed on by the three girls that came from the mysterious Akatsuki member. Things only got worse when his secretary and her boyfriend broke his office door down. One look at their distraught faces told him all he needed to know. So it seems that an anonymous tip by the Akatsuki blew his cover. He knew that the Raikage, who already resented him anyway had probably jumped on the opportunity and declared him traitor without even really bothering to check the tip's validness. He was that kind of man. Why the Akatsuki would do such a thing, however, he had no idea. Did they perhaps want something from him? Something related to Naruto? He stood up from his desk, looking grim.

"Are you here to arrest me, Shougo-kun?" He said, slowly turning to the only other man in the room.

"Bashou-san, I don't care who you are. Traitor or not the fact remains that you have helped both Kaoru and I tremendously. I'm going to get you out of here. Hurry please; we don't have much-" It was then he noticed Sakura's presence inside. Alarmed, he immediately drew his katana blade and held it in a trained stance in front of him. "Don't you dare try to stop me."

"I won't." Sakura said, still in her henged Cloud nin form. "But you won't be helping him escape. I will."

Shougo looked baffled. "What…? Wait, who the hell are you?"

Sakura released the henge, transforming herself back into her normal ANBU form. She made sure her mask was on, however. Would be bad if they ever found out exactly who she was.

A gasp from one of the sisters sounded. Kobi probably. "S-she's a Leaf ANBU!"

Shougo readied himself for battle. "You won't take Bashou-san away, you vile-"

"Don't be alarmed, Shougo. Everyone else too." Kakashi said, trying to calm everyone down. "She's an ally."

Kaoru looked like she was on the verge of tears. "Bashou-san… is it true? Is it…?"

He tried to look as apologetic as he could. "Sorry, Kaoru-chan. I really would've loved to see you in your wedding kimonos."

The first trickles of tears poured out of her eyes. "Bashou-san…"

He tried his best to push his feeling of guilt out out of his mind. "Sa- er, I mean, Shigure." Kakashi said, turning to Sakura, mentally slapping himself for almost revealing her true name. "If you have a way out, I suggest we do that right now."

"Doing that now." She replied as she took out a black scroll from within her pockets. She quickly unrolled out the paper and spun it around the top of her head. "Grab on to me." She commanded. "This is going to feel weird."

Kakashi had really no idea what exactly Sakura was doing right now but he decided it was wise not to argue. He came up behind Sakura and grabbed tightly onto her shoulder, careful not to hurt her too much.

"Guess this is goodbye, then, Bashou-san." Shougo said as Sakura spun the scroll around faster and faster. "Leave everything to me. I'll do my best to cover your tracks."

"Thanks, Shougo-kun. That's more than I could ask for. Just make Kaoru-chan, happy, would you?"

"I will, Bashou-san."

Sakura stopped spinning the black scroll papers and let them fall loosely around the floor. Her hands flew through seals. "Ninpou: Kamikakushi no Jutsu!"

Kakashi and Sakura blinked away from existence.

Ah, here we go now!

Tobi dropped the crystal ball gently back onto the ground and reached for his two scrolls. He spread them open revealing the complicated seals written on the paper, and then biting his thumb he smeared the black ink with red blood. Both of his hands came together in a set of seals, carefully going through each complicated one making sure he didn't make a mistake. When he saw his two targets whisk away in the crystal ball, he slammed his hands down on top of both of the scrolls.

Two large plumes of smoke erupted from where he slammed his hands down. He removed his hands from the ground and took a careful step backwards, admiring his handiwork.

In front of him were Hatake Kakashi and Haruno Sakura, hovering slightly above the ground with their arms and legs tightly bound together by a thin stream of white chakra energy coils.

The looks on their faces were priceless.

"Told you I'd be seeing you soon, right?" Tobi said, grinning triumphantly behind his black spiral mask.

Sakura had no words.

Well, almost.

"What… what the hell just happened?"

It was the best thing she could say with confusion running rampant in her mind. She was sure her technique had worked perfectly. So why were they here, stuck in some sort of clearing in the middle of some forest she didn't recognize, held prisoner by some strange jutsu in front of a man who was a member of the mysterious Akatsuki organization and was highly wanted by the Hidden Cloud when he stole their precious artifact?

"Ahh, the kamikaushi." Their captor said suddenly, bobbing his head up and down. "It's really quite an ingenious technique. It's sort of like a reverse summoning ninjutsu, right Sakura-san? You realized that that summoning ninjutsu is really a glorified form of space-time ninjutsu that bends dimensions in order to call forth intelligent nin-animals to this realm. So you realized that the same principles could be applied to humans too. There are few such jutsus already in existence, such as ones used in your Chuunin exams in order to prevent people from looking at their assigned scroll in… what was it, the second exam I believe? But the problems with those jutsus were that the person could only be summoned when somebody else opened the scroll, and you were whisked away all too suddenly without your consent. What the kamikakushi does is to instantly teleport yourself and anyone else to 'waypoint' stations scattered around important strategic locations around Fire Country, from anywhere, anytime. The 'waypoints' themselves are circles written in ancient arcane symbols, using blood to draw and burning them into the ground using your chakra. It's all quite similar to the Fourth Hokage's hiraishin techniques but at a much larger scale, which, I believe, provided your original inspiration for the technique. I think that above covers it. Did I miss anything?"

Her technique was supposed to be a village secret. Created after almost a decade of hard research and excruciating trail and error, it was Sakura's most proud accomplishment to date. The secret of her technique was only privy to a select few higher up in the ninja hierarchy, and even then only a handful of people knew the full workings of the kamikakushi, people she trusted her lives with. So how could someone like he know how her technique worked, down to the small detail? She was about to open her mouth to ask but she was stopped when a gloved finger touched her lips.

"Ah, ah, ah. I'm sure you have lots of questions, such as: who the hell am I? Or, why do I know the full workings of the kamikakushi? But the question I think you should be asking is how the heck I managed to catch you two, no?"

As much as Sakura hated the thought, she knew he was right.

"And you're just going to tell us, just like that?" Kakashi asked.

The man in front of her removed the finger in front of her mouth seconds before Sakura tried to snap at him with her teeth. "Well, why not?" He asked innocently. "After all, this technique is quite ingenious too. The concept is ridiculously simple, though. I just created a sort of a… dimensional net, per se. I don't think you realize this, but where we are right now actually is directly in line between your office and the Hokage Tower in the Hidden Leaf. All I had to do was wait for you to come along, catch you in my dimensional net and immediately follow it up with a binding seal. Easier said than done, though. It's like… do you know what a bullet is? You know, those small, metal balls that shoot out of those new stick-looking things invented by the Stone recently? Those. Anyway, catching you two is kind of like catching two bullets out of thin air with my bare hands. The timing has to be perfect, you see. So that's why I had you guys forced into a situation where you had to use the kamikakushi so I could catch you two in my net, all the while keeping an eye on you through – see this crystal ball over here? I call it the senrigan – the distant eye. I believe the Third Hokage was rather fond of using something similar to this in order to spy on-"

"Why are you telling us this?" Sakura interrupted him before he went any further. "What do you want with us?"

"Quick to the point are we? Fine, fine." The spiral masked man bent down and picked some cylindrical container off the ground. He twirled it around his two hands. "Care to guess what this is?"

She couldn't clearly see the two objects floating inside the glass container, but through the hazy liquid she spotted a shade of green. "The Twin Emeralds. The artifact you stole from the Cloud."

"Quite correct. Except that this isn't an artifact, Sakura-san. It's a relic."

"A relic? What's the difference?"

"An artifact is a product of human art and workmanship, Sakura-san. A relic, on the other hand, is an object worthy of human interest because of its age or association. But there is another, lesser-known definition for the word 'relic', Sakura-san. A relic can be a part of a deceased person's body or belongings kept as an object of reverence. Such is the case here, these Twin Emeralds."

"Why are you telling us this?" She asked again. "I don't see what that thing has to do with anything-"

"Oh, but it does. You see, thirty-seven years ago, the last war between the Cloud and the Leaf ended. But it did not end quite as peacefully as many people would've hoped. There was an incident. During negotiations, the leader of the Cloud forces was murdered when he attempted to kidnap a member of a certain clan. The Leaf-Cloud relationships deteriorated from there and were just on the verge of eruption again when a under-the-table deal was arranged. The Cloud demanded the body of the murderer that took the Cloud leader's life: the then head of the Hyuuga Clan – Hyuuga Hiashi. The Leaf accepted this deal, but they actually turned back on their word. They instead sent to the Cloud the body of Hiashi's brother – Hyuuga Hizashi. And this," The man nudged the cylindrical container. "Is all that remains of him. His eyes. Glorified into relic status because green eyes in Cloud country are considered sacred. I think you understand where I'm going with this now, don't you?"

A horrifying thought slowly crept into her head. "…No… can't be…"

"Sakura? What's wrong?" Kakashi next to her asked, oblivious to her inner turmoil. His words fell on deaf ears.

"If those things are the remains of a Hyuuga clansmen's eyes, then those eyes should be white due to Byakugan!" She spitted out, almost shouting. "Not green! There's no way that could-"

"I'm sure you've heard of the Hyuuga clan's use of jyuinjutsu – the cursed seals that separate the Main Family from the Branch Family. It has some nifty properties; such as, allowing the Main Family members total dominance over the Branch Family by giving them the power to kill with a simple hand seal. And I'm sure you're aware that the cursed seal only disappears after death, sealing up the ability of the Byakugan along with it. What you don't know, however, is that when the cursed seal seals up the ability of the Byakugan, the color of one's eyes also change. They revert to their ancestral color – green. Just like your eyes, Setsuka-san."

"Don't call me by that name!" She screamed. "My name is Sakura! It's Sakura dammit! I'm not some… some…" She trailed off, at loss for words.

"Well then, now that my task of explaining is done, I wish you a happy journey home! See, once I release the dimensional net you'll be whisked away to where you were originally headed. I've sort of frozen you in space you see – that's why you're kinda floating in midair. Oh, and here you go, make sure you take this back." He walked up behind her and tucked the cylindrical container into her large tool pouch. "Make sure he gets a proper burial. The least you can do."

The sudden shift in topic startled her. "Wha… are you insane? You hold me hostage using some fancy ninjutsu capitalizing on the weakness of my transportation technique after exposing Kakashi-sensei out of Cloud, and you just all of a sudden decide to hand me over the relic that must've taken you years to get your hands on? Why are you doing this? What the hell are you Akatsuki thinki-"

Her constraints were suddenly released. She blinked away from existence.

"Geez, that student of yours, she asks too many questions. Not that I can blame her of course, but still. Heh, she must be confused out of her mind right now. It's really too bad that she won't understand what's going on until the end…"

Kakashi stared at the man in front of him with hard eyes. "Who are you, really? Not only are you knowledgeable with Konoha techniques, you even know about the Third Hokage's senrigan and the Fourth Hokage's hiraishin."

The man in front of him spread his hands. "Aww, come on, give me a break. I admit, it's been years since we last met, but I mean really. Has it really been so long that you can't recognize your best friend anymore?"

"…What?"

The man in front of him started removing his mask. It eventually fell, clattering to the ground. What met him on the other side was a face he'd never expected to see again.

"Hiya Kakashi."

"…Obito?"

The kiddy grin was still plastered on his face, just like he remembered after all these years.

"It's a long story." He admitted, looking sheepish.

"I'll say."

Sakura was at first horrendously worried when Kakashi didn't arrive at the waypoint station she constructed underneath the Hokage Tower after her initial arrival, but to her relief he whisked back into existence two hours after she was first released. He must've spent those two hours talking to the Akatsuki maniac but he refused to tell her what exactly happened during those two hours. Instead, he told her that he was now ready to take on the responsibilities as the Sixth Hokage. She hassled him for hours but she eventually gave up, retreating deeper into the basement and letting the others take care of the ascension ceremony.

She decided to visit Naruto instead.

As she walked down the corridors, she suddenly came to a stop and immediately convulsed in pain. She bit back a scream. There was no way she was going to let Naruto hear that.

It was the backlash from the souzou saisei, she knew. When she performed it initially in the battle ten years ago the regenerative cells within her were kicked to maximum drive and were exhausted. Normally they needed weeks before they were recharged enough so she could perform it again, but when Sai performed the second – the souzou gyakusaisei – it forced her already strained cells to work beyond critical limits and literally broke them apart. And even after ten years, she was constantly plagued with these occasional waves of pain. Despite the treatments she received from Tsunade herself at an attempt on natural reconstruction, they never ended.

Sakura suspected that one day the pains would prove fatal.

How ironic. Sakura grimaced as the pain slowly receded. Sai saved my life, but he killed at the same time.

Her only source of comfort came from Naruto. Recovering quickly, she soon found herself within the wide rooms of the dungeon. He spotted her immediately as she entered, his happy voice bouncing all over the dark walls.

"Hey, Sakura-chan! Been a while."

"Sorry Naruto. Been busy."

"Been about two weeks? What happened?"

The question caught her slightly off guard. Three months, actually. She wanted to say. But she didn't. She never could.

"…Ah, yeah. There was an emergency conference, and we all had to go to the Sand." She lied as she sat down next to him. She felt tied. Wrapping the blanket she brought with her around her body, she leaned her head over his shoulders.

"Sand, eh? How was Gaara? He's like, what? 20, 21 years old now?"

"…Yeah, he was doing a good job as Kazekage."

He's almost 41 years old now, Naruto. Garra already retired as Kazekage. Did you know that Temari's the current Kazekage now? You should see Shikamaru, Naruto. He's really whipped.

"Oh yeah, by the way how are those geezers doing?"

"Hm?"

"You know, the ones that you wanted them dead! Some of them are gone now, right?" He grinned.

She wanted to answer him truthfully. She wanted to tell him they were already all dead – save Hyuuga Hiashi – and she wanted to say that Tsuande tried her best to convince the just-as stubborn second generation Village Council to release him but still failed. So she settled for another lie.

"…Heh. Well, two or three of them are gone now, but most of them are still alive and kicking."

"Tsk, stubborn ones, aren't they?"

It was too much. She flinched at his words, praying to the dear gods he didn't notice. She saw that Naruto was about to say something, but she beat him to the punch. "…Sorry Naruto. I'm not really feeling well."

He looked disappointed. "Awww. Ok, get well soon then!"

"Good night, Naruto."

"Good night, Sakura-chan."

Naruto would be always Naruto. And she would do anything to keep it that way, no matter what. He was the only dear thing left to her in this world, and she was clinging on to him desperately, refusing to believe the truth that was shoved in front of her face. But she never realized. By doing so, she was only making her grief that much unbearable.

And the wheels of time turned forward and forward…

- Sixth Entry -

"Faith"

Reign of the Fifth Hokage, Twenty-eighth year. December 15th.

40 years old. Year 25 of Imprisonment.

Tsunade-sama retired as the Fifth Hokage today. She chose Kakashi-sensei as her successor. Due to the ceremonies and trying to find Kakashi-sensei in the first place and convince him to take up spot as the Sixth, I was away from Naruto for three months.

Naruto thought I was gone for two weeks.

Our senses of time have definitely drifted apart.

At the time, I lied to him saying that I had visited the Sand, but during that conversation another disturbing revelation was brought to light. Naruto thinks it's only been 5-6 years since he was imprisoned. I never mention to him that Gaara had already retired and the Village Consul members that had imprisoned Naruto in the first place were already all dead. Too bad their successors shared the views of the old ones.

It is mentally stressing. It's been real difficult for me to continue lying to Naruto. I still continue to lie to him, unable to look him in the eye. Also, it is getting rather difficult for me to maintain my youthful appearance. I had released the In seal on my forehead and performed Souzou Saisei twice to recover from my otherwise fatal wounds in my battle with Sas…

(The rest of the line is quickly scribbled out.)

The after-effects of the technique had been more staggering than I had originally thought. Despite treatments from Tsunade-sama, I never had fully recovered.

About the plants in the garden: Naruto explained to me that he combines the light from the moonlight with his own chakra to let it grow. It seems its DNA has been altered too, so much so that it shares Naruto's properties of longevity.

After Tsunade-sama retired, I placed several high-level personal seals of my own to the entrance in the corridors leading to Naruto's garden. There was no telling who would get in now that I wasn't working in the Hokage Tower full-time anymore. I would let nobody else disturb Naruto.

-END-

Author's Notes:

Good god, it's getting complicated. But at least I managed to answer one question one reviewer made about why Sakura's eyes are green instead of white. Of course, the explanation given in the chapter above only gives rise to more questions… all in due time, my readers! All in due time.

I intended for this chapter to be short, but instead it turned out to be the longest one I've ever written. I don't know why or how that exactly happened – I just started writing, and by the time I found myself finishing it just ended up that way.

Now, unlike the other chapters, this chapter contains OCs. If it were possible, I really did want to avoid the use of OCs, I really did. But with characters aging and the fact that there are no actual names of Cloud shinobis introduced in the canon storyline (manga-wise, anyway – and the guy who kidnapped Hinata doesn't count), I was left with little choice but to improvise.

It's been a policy of mine to use canon characters as much as possible when I write stories, and so I decided that if I were ever in a situation where I was forced to use an OC they would only take filler roles. I dislike using OCs because, in my opinion, they complicate stories and unless they are well made and believable they are just too unpleasant to read. Yes, I'm aware that there are stories out there that has OCs in them and still be excellent reads (off the top of my head, I can recall that One Hundred Days by Aaron Nowack is a good example), but all too often I read mary-sue stories, or 'I got sucked into the Naruto world' stories, or stories where an OC replaces a member in the team, or, worse, stories where an OC becomes a fourth member in a team – that usually are of poor quality and leaves me in an irritated mood.

Had I offended anyone in the above monologue, I sincerely apologize.

Anyway, so I doubt very much we'll see more of the three farmer sisters Tsuno, Oki, and Kobi, Kakashi's Cloud Village secretary Teradaya Kaoru and her boyfriend Shougo. Perhaps I could let them take on another small role later on, maybe. But I very much doubt that would happen

Also, since I am again too lazy to edit the disclaimer note above, I hereby declare that the name Senritsu Bashou are actually real character names taken from a manga-anime series known as Hunter x Hunter authored by Togashi Yoshihiro. I guess I like taking bits and pieces of other manga plot elements and let them make a cameo appearance in my storyline. It's not like I'm running out of ideas! Honest!

Yikes, I'm ranting. Anyway, that's about it I guess. As always, thanks for reading!

- Nes Mikel