Naruto: Tornado of Souls V2

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or RWBY

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Here is Chapter 8. Enjoy!

Last time:

Training Ground 52

It had been a long day of training and Ino and Sakura basically had to be carried by Kurenai and Anko back to their respective homes. The blonde and the rosette were so tired they hadn't even brought up Sasukeism…that is really tired.

Blake, Pyrrha and Hinata finished picking up all the scattered weapons and straightened up the training grounds as Kurenai had told them to. Hinata asked the other two girls to stay a minute before they parted ways. The three were sitting in the shade of the trees and Pyrrha asked, "What did you want to talk about?"

Hinata answered, "Your weapons." Seeing both girls raised their eyebrow Hinata continued. "The Milóand Akoúo̱ Pyrrha used and Gambol Shroud Blake used are well within the technology we have right here in Konoha." said Hinata to Blake and Pyrrha. "You wouldn't have the gun forms but if they were made of chakra metal it would mean there is no longer a requirement for dust cartridges. I already have a pair of short swords being crafted for me that are equivalent to Midnight that Cinder Fall used on Infiltration missions. What do you say?"

"I say such custom made items would cost a fortune." said Blake. "As I understand it chakra metal is rare as hen's teeth."

Pyrrha said, "I'm curious as to why you would bring up the subject to begin with Hinata."

"Things that happened in the past….in our previous lives….I don't know if we will ever be friends but I'd like to make it up to both of you in a small way." explained Hinata. "I thought I would gift you with new weapons to protect yourselves. I have the resources and much more knowledge of Konoha than you do. It would be my gift to both of you as a way of apology. I'm not who I was but I'd like to make amends somehow. Maybe it is a naïve idea on my part."

Both the redhead and the faunus girl were a bit shocked. "You'd just…give us custom weapons for free?" asked Blake.

The Hyūga Heiress nodded. "I would really like to become friends someday. There are challenges in the future we may have to face together. I'd like to do that as friends and comrades instead of strangers."

Pyrrha looked slightly pleased but Blake looked hesitant.

"It doesn't have to be right away." said Hinata. "I-we have company."

The conversation would have continued but Jiraiya's shadow clone arrived. "Good evening ladies; I hope you had a productive day. Naruto and I had a situation to deal with and couldn't come."

"What kind of a situation Jiraiya-sama?" asked Hinata.

Blake asked, "Is anything wrong?"

"I'd be glad to help if you need." said Pyrrha.

"Funny you should ask." said Jiraiya's clone. "I bet Naruto would like to see you three at his new apartment."

…

Chapter 8

Konoha, Uzumaki Naruto's New Apartment

Naruto was fidgeting as he practiced his hand sign speed. There were lots of small motor skills he could work on such as kunai balancing and so forth but what he really wanted to do was go out to the training grounds and seriously tear things up. Of course, he was too exhausted to do so…it was just the principle of the thing. At any rate he promised Jiraiya to follow the overcautious doctor's orders and behave…for now anyway. Jiraiya had gone out to get Naruto another high calorie meal from the Akimichi restaurant so Naruto was alone. He heard a knock on his front door and immediately drew a kunai. Creating a shadow clone to open the door he saw Hinata, Blake, and Pyrrha standing there. They all looked like they'd had a long day of training but Naruto was very happy to have the company. Naruto smiled and said, "Hi girls! How did you find my new place? I just got here a few hours ago."

Hinata looked at Naruto's malnourished appearance and gasped. "Naruto-kun, what happened to you? You look so underweight!"

Pyrrha also looked a bit shocked. "Jiraiya-sama said something happened but…" said Pyrrha.

Blake's amber eyes widened with alarm. "Naruto, are you okay? Should you be up and around? Maybe you should be lying down."

"It's not as bad as it looks girls…!" said Naruto as the three young women grabbed him and took him over to sit on his couch. Finding himself surrounded by concerned kunoichi; Naruto said, "I'm really okay!"

All three girls narrowed their eyes and said, "No, you are not okay Uzumaki Naruto!" Blake was on his left on the couch and Pyrrha was on his right. Hinata sat in the seiza position in front of him to block any escape.

"Tell us what happened to you Naruto-kun." said Hinata using the dreaded puppy eye no jutsu. "We were very worried when Jiraiya-sama said a problem had arisen."

Pyrrha nodded, "That's right Naruto; we missed you at lunch and wondered where you were."

"Jiraiya-sama should have told us immediately and we would have come to see you Naruto." said Blake in a concerned tone.

"Now tell us what happened Naruto/Naruto-kun!" demanded the three kunoichi.

'Yikes!' thought the blonde prankster.

…

"So let me get this straight Naruto-kun." said Hinata. "A ninja broke into your old apartment last night and nearly killed you with by putting an arrow through your shoulder and now you are 'fine.' Why does something not add up here?"

Naruto was perspiring heavily under the triple interrogation from the girls. "You know I've always healed fast Hinata-chan." said Naruto with a weak smile.

Blake frowned. "Maybe we should strip him and check him for injuries."

Naruto's blue eyes bulged. "W-W-WWHHAATT?"

Pyrrha nodded. "Naruto; many warriors have died from unreported injuries because they were acting tough and didn't want to admit they were hurt. Now take off your shirt!"

"EEEEEKKK!" shrieked Naruto.

As if on cue (and because he'd been listening through the door the entire time) Jiraiya came in only to see Pyrrha pulling on Naruto's sleeve, Blake pulling Naruto's shirt up and Hinata pulling at Naruto's pants. "I brought din -OH MY!Should I come back later everybody? It looks like you are all awfully busy right now. Should I give you an hour or so?"

Everybody froze upon realizing what a compromising position they were in. All three girls shot to the furthest corners of the room faster than a body flicker and Naruto (temporarily airborne) landed in a heap on the couch and tried to pull his clothes back into place. Jiraiya almost had to shove his fist in his mouth to keep from exploding into laughter at the sheer horror and embarrassment on Naruto's face when the blonde squeaked, "It's-not-what it-looks-like-Ero-sennin!"

…

After everyone was seated at the dinner table Jiraiya said, "Oh I see, you were just checking Naruto for injuries." Turning to the still blushing Naruto he said, "Well, that explains everything perfectly. You are so lucky that these lovely ladies care so much Naruto." 'I couldn't have scripted this situation better! This is pure gold!' thought the Super-pervert.

"Ahem. Well. Um yes, we were all very worried for Naruto-kun's health and got a bit carried away." said a still rosy cheeked Hinata. 'It is a miracle I didn't faint!'

Blake was blushing like a tomato herself. "Well, the main thing is Naruto is okay Jiraiya-sama." 'I wish I could die; I'm so damn embarrassed.'

"What they said." said Pyrrha in a totally robotic tone of voice as her eyes stared blindly into nowhere.

Jiraiya said in a Fatherly tone, "Well there's no harm done. It was just a little miscommunication." 'Gods if I'd only had a camera!' "Let's all eat first and then we can discuss other things."

Everyone was more than happy to forget the incident and Naruto chowed down while everyone else ate at a normal pace.

…

"He had six arms?" asked Blake in a frightened tone. "Did he have black hair up in a ponytail Naruto?"

Naruto gasped. "Yeah that's exactly right. Do you know that guy?"

Jiraiya quickly interceded, "That's right Blake-chan; you did some reconnaissance on Oto Village for us didn't you?" 'I keep forgetting she has Tsuchi Kin's memories. This could be a real plus.'

Blake let out a small breath of relief and nodded to Jiraiya. "Yes, the ninja from Sound is named Kidōmaru and he is one of Orochimaru's four elite bodyguards known as the Sound Four. You're very lucky that you escaped him alive Naruto. I forgot his favored weapon was a bow. It should have occurred to me earlier. Is there a trail or did he already escape the village?"

Naruto shook his head as if trying to forget an unpleasant memory. "He didn't make it out of the village. I took his head off with a wind slash. The reason I moved to this apartment was in case someone else has targeted me. Last night was living hell and the poor security at my old apartment didn't help."

Pyrrha put her hand on Naruto's left arm. "It was your first kill wasn't it?" she asked sympathetically. Her green eyes were full of compassion that Naruto wasn't used to from others.

The orange loving ninja simply shook his head yes and he soon found Hinata was hugging him as she, Blake and Pyrrha gently soothed his troubled mind…

Naruto sat and talked with the girls about anything and everything until it started getting late. He eventually bid them a good evening and got his room arranged to go to sleep early. With everything that had happened he was tired out. It was a big comfort that Jiraiya was staying in the spare bedroom the first few days as well. Naruto fell asleep thinking of three angels that cared for him…

…

The Hyuga Compound

Hinata got home around eight in the evening and entered the Compound quietly. The guard bid her welcome and Hinata went straight to her room to shower. She had no doubt the sentries already informed Hiashi-sama she was back but as long as he didn't demand her presence then Hinata was quite happy to not see him. The heiress was wearing a yukata after she dried off from her shower and was about to get out some more advanced juken scrolls to study before she heard a knock on her door. Calling out; Hinata asked, "Who is it?"

A gentle voice from outside said, "It is Natsu, Hinata-sama. I have a message for you from the Elder Council. May I come in?"

Hinata sighed and came over to her door to allow Natsu to enter. Hinata asked irritably, "What message do the old fossils on the council have for me Natsu?"

Natsu gasped and said, "Hinata-sama! The Council of Elders-"

"The Council of Elders is a relic of a bygone era." stated Hinata curtly. "They are the reason the Hyūga Clan is backwards when we should be evolving. The Caged Bird seal is barbarism from the past that they force on our very own family. That is all the proof any of us need." The heiress sighed. "I suppose that is all a moot point for now. What is your message from them Natsu?"

Natsu was a bit floored from Hinata's rather impassioned speech. "Y-yes; the Elder Council has called for your presence in the Meeting Chambers."

Hinata raised an eyebrow. "…Pertaining to what Natsu?"

"I do not know Hinata-sama." said Natsu. "They simply sent me to retrieve you as soon as possible."

The Byakugan Princess narrowed her eyes. "Tell the Council that the Heiress of the Clan will arrive there in the Meeting Chambers at her leisure Natsu. I have things to do that are far more important than their endless meddling."

Natsu bowed meekly. The subtle killing intent from Hinata frightened her. "I will tell them straightaway Hinata-sama."

…

The Yamanaka Residence

Pyrrha came in having already had dinner at Naruto's new place. She apologized to Inoichi and Ayano for staying out late but they said that Kurenai had already informed them she might be a bit late when she brought Ino in. "So where did you go to dinner Pyrrha-chan?" asked Ayano.

Pyrrha explained, "Blake-chan, Hinata and I went to see Uzumaki Naruto to cheer him up. He was injured and Jiraiya-sama bought us all dinner so we stayed and ate there."

Inoichi nodded. "I heard what happened from my friend Akimichi Choza. Naruto must be pretty down being injured with the Chunin Exam finals coming up and all. Has he dropped out?"

"Naruto-kun and Jiraiya-sama are determined that he can compete." explained Pyrrha. "I hope it works out for him but right now Naruto-kun looks exhausted. He needs to take care of himself."

"You'll find that Naruto is amazingly resilient." said Inoichi. "With his metabolism he just might be able to pull things off."

"So tell us about your training today." said Ayano. "Ino-chan went straight to bed after her shower and just said it was a nightmare."

The redhead said politely, "Well, Sakura and Ino had a bit of trouble. They aren't as physically fit as the rest of us. I'm sure it will get better as time goes on…"

…

Anko and Blake's Apartment

Blake slipped in the front door and found Anko was up reading a weapons magazine. "I'm home Anko." said the faunus girl.

"Good timing Blake-chan." said Anko. "Did you already eat dinner?"

The cat eared girl nodded. "We went over to Uzumaki Naruto's and had Akimichi Barbeque."

"That must have been a long dinner considering the time." Anko raised an eyebrow. "Should I get a pregnancy test for you Blake-chan?"

Blake was blushing from her head to her toes as she screeched, "Anko nee-chan!" in embarrassment.

Anko just laughed uproariously. 'Blake-chan is just so much fun to tease.' chortled the Snake Mistress to herself…

…

The Hyūga Compound

Hinata was standing in front of the Hyūga Elders in the Council Chambers wearing one of her traditional white clan robes with the Hyūga Clan's Crest on the back. The Heiress found the Crest to be both fitting and ironic given it was a flame motif. She was unflinching in her demeanor and her eyes had a cool, remote look in them that made her seem untouchable. As before she simply bowed in politeness but showed no deference to the Council at all which ruffled some feathers…not that Hinata particularly gave a damn… Getting tired of waiting she asked in a bored tone, "I there a reason I was summoned here Elders? I have to get up early in the morning to train and I haven't got time to dawdle."

Elder Hiraku was incensed, "Don't think you aren't being monitored Hinata-sama! I for one-"

"You mean Hyūga Tokuma?" asked Hinata in a dismissive tone.

Elder Minako's eyes went wide. "H-how did you know?"

Hinata thought, 'I didn't; you just told me.' "I'm afraid that all of you are entirely too predictable." She channeled flame chakra into her glare are pinned Elder Hiroku. "As for you Hiroku; watch your tongue with me or you'll have a burn scar on your face that matches the one I put on your chest…How is your lummox of a grandson Hiroki anyway?" she asked smiling meanly. "Is he out of the hospital yet or is he still hiding away while licking his wounds?"

The Head Elder made a hand motion that shut up Hiroku before the man could retort. The killing intent rolling off Hinata as well as her vicious smile was enough for him to conclude she wanted an excuse to cripple Hiroku. "Hinata, we only wish to talk. I admit we did send Tokuma to look into your training and his report to us was simply staggering. Why did you not show this power to us before? Why did you not use this new style of yours against Neji? Surely you could have defeated him easily."

Elder Majo was starting to sweat as Hinata's fiery vision swept over her. Majo said, "Perhaps Hinata-sama didn't feel the time was right. It is best for a shinobi to be discreet with his or her abilities after all."

Elder Minako said, "Hinata-sama, I would ask what inspired you to create such a devastating new form of Juken. What you have created is nothing short of revolutionary!"

Hinata's eyes narrowed. "It is also something that every single one of you in this room would have forbidden because you traditionalists foolishly believe that juken is perfected and cannot be improved or evolved. Until that kind of thinking is washed away the Hyūga Clan will continue to stagnate and the divide between the houses will continue to grow like a malignant tumor that the Caged Bird Seal is. I'm going to strike down that self-destructive path you all have steered us on and if it means burning a few of you alive then so be it… I have been idle long enough and my patience with your outdated meddling is wearing thin. My Father Hiashi and my departed Uncle Hizashi wanted to unite the houses, but you quashed it. I will not be so easily swayed."

The entire Elder Council sat in stunned silence at Hinata's declaration of war. They were too shocked to speak and Hinata said, "It seems the Elder Council has much to think about. I am retiring for the night. Pleasant dreams." With that Hinata swept out of the room leaving the Council in silence.

'What are we going to do now…?' was the collective thought of the Elders…

…

Oto Village

It was early morning and Yakushi Kabuto was in a bit of a quandary. He was stuck in the Land of Rice because somehow he'd been discovered in Konoha. It wasn't to say that Kabuto wasn't making himself useful by taking care of the ailing Kaguya Kimimaro but his main duty was as an advanced spy for Orochimaru and he felt he had failed his Master in that regard. Orochimaru had dismissed Kabuto's discovery as a case of bad luck as opposed to any sort of failure on Kabuto's part. There were other issues as well. Kidōmaru had been dispatched days ago to eliminate Konoha's jinchūriki and hadn't reported back yet. It was too early to be worried given Kidōmaru didn't have an exact timetable (the spider ninja may not have even struck yet) but Kabuto had a gut feeling that things would go south.

From Kabuto's personal experience with Uzumaki Naruto he felt the boy was naïve and foolish but at the same time there was something dangerous about the blonde. It had nothing to do with Kyubi; it was more the feeling that Naruto was a wildcard that couldn't be factored into Orochimaru-sama's (or anyone's) plans. That had Kabuto unsettled. Of course, that was the whole reason Kidōmaru was dispatched to begin with. Kabuto mentioned his views about Uzumaki to Orochimaru-sama and the Snake Sanin promptly sent out one of the Sound Four to deal with that Kyubi brat while the other three did their own job. Kidōmaru was probably the most intelligent of the Sound Four and though he was very arrogant (all four of them were) at least the six-armed ninja could back it up.

Kabuto looked over his latest reports on the other members of the Sound Four. 'Well, there is no reason their operation should be an issue.' thought the bespectacled medic to himself. 'There are only three weeks until the invasion and here I am fearing it will fail. I'll just have to redouble my efforts and have greater faith in Orochimaru-sama's wisdom.'

…

Konoha Village, the Yamanaka Residence

Dawn came much too early for Ino. Pyrrha decided to get her up a little early because they were late yesterday. "Grroooaaannn…I was having a nice dream about Sasuke-kun sweeping me off my feet and taking my on a tropical beach vacation in Moon Country. Let me sleep for another six hours or so. Please Pyrrha-chaaan?"

Pyrrha smiled and said, "Ino, just have a nice shower to wake you up and we'll have some breakfast together. Today's training will be better." Then Pyrrha made a fatal mistake. "What is it about this Sasuke person you and Sakura are always talking about anyway?"

Ino's bloodshot eyes got a manic look in the as Pyrrha turned her back to turn on the shower for the not quite awake Ino. "I MUST convert you to the True Faith of Sasukeism!" said a clearly out of her mind Ino that charged Pyrrha from behind.

Pyrrha stepped to the left and said, "Wait till the shower water warms up and-" Ino went screaming by in a flash. "-Or maybe you prefer a cold showers?" asked Pyrrha politely.

Ino's epic screech when she ran under the ice cold water still in her pajamas was enough to awaken the whole Yamanaka Clan and several generations of their ancestors as well…

…

The Haruno Residence

Blake was standing at Sakura's front door after pounding on it for ten minutes waiting for somebody to answer. 'Something is wrong here.' thought the feline faunus girl. She circled around the house and all was quiet. She took a delicate sniff and a stench hit her nose. Her Amber eyes widened. 'It smells like death from that house. I have to get ANBU or Anko nee-chan!' Blake dashed around to the front of the Haruno's home and looked about. She didn't know the pattern to summon ANBU so she looked about until she saw an ANBU with a Deer mask. "ANBU Deer-san, there is a problem!" Getting no reaction she exclaimed, "This is urgent!"

The ANBU turned to Blake and said, "You have a Konaha armband but I don't recognize you."

Blake said calmly, "I'm special probationary genin Belladonna Blake and I am the ward of Special Jonin Mitarashi Anko." She held up her identification papers and said, "Here is my I.D."

After ANBU Deer verified her identity he said, "Very well Special genin; what is it you have to report that is so critical to require ANBU?"

The amber eyed girl said, "I went to the house of Genin Haruno Sakura to pick her up for training and no one answered the door. After investigating the outside of the house I found a strong smell of death and the stench of blood emanating from the house. That's when I came to find an ANBU for help."

"Did you actually enter the house?" asked ANBU Deer seriously.

"No sir, there could be evidence." answered Blake quickly.

"Good girl." said Deer. He flared his chakra and said, "Lead me there genin Belladonna."

…

Training Ground 52

Kurenai, Ino, Pyrrha and Anko were still waiting for Blake to arrive with Sakura. "This is getting old." said Anko irritably. "Blake-chan must be dragging Pinkie here kicking and screaming. I'm going to body flicker over to the Haruno place."

Kurenai nodded. "Take your time. I'll start the girls warm ups."

Anko noticed everyone's looks of concern as she vanished in a swirl of leaves.

…

The Haruno Residence

When Anko arrived she saw the Haruno home was already taped off and she spotted Blake talking to ANBU Deer and Anko's friend ANBU Cat. Anko moved over to them quickly and said, "Blake-chan; are you alright?"

Blake got up and hugged Anko. She said quietly, "I'm all right but Sakura and her family…"

Anko gave her little sister a gentle squeeze and said to Cat, "Do I have clearance?"

Cat nodded and hand signed [Two dead, one missing. ANBU ears only].

Anko mouthed, 'Shit.' "Do you guys need Blake-chan or can I take her?"

Cat shook her head and said, "Blake did a good job today. There is no need for us to keep her here. Genin Belladonna, remember this is all classified for now. We'll inform you and Anko when things can go public."

Blake bowed in affirmation and Anko said, "Let's go and get some drinks back at our place. There's no need for you to be training after that." Creating a shadow clone Anko said to Blake, "My evil twin here will tell Kurenai-chan and the others what the public knows. We can't tell them anything else."

…

Hokage's Office

Sarutobi Hiruzen was not having a good day. The cursory report on the Haruno case was both Haruno Kizashi and his wife Mebuki were murdered by kunai and there was evidence that there had been a battle of some sort in Sakura's bedroom that either led to her being abducted or killed offsite. The whole village was being swept by ANBU and there were no signs of the pink haired genin. As the Third Hokage puffed on his pipe he went over different possibilities in his head. 'First Naruto, now his teammate Sakura…are they after Team 7?' He snapped his fingers and ANBU Jackal appeared in front of him. He quickly wrote down a set of coordinates. "Take a team of four to this point outside the village. Hatake Kakashi and his student Uchiha Sasuke should be there with ANBU Crow watching over them. Verify their safety and escort them back to the village. Someone may be trying to eliminate Team 7."

About twenty minutes later Gekkō Hayate reported in. "What can I do for you Gekkō? You said it is priority but everything today is a priority I'm afraid." said the tired Hokage.

Hayate nodded. "Forgive me sir. I am here to report that the remains of Kinuta Dosu were found upon the roof of Kikyo Castle Hokage-sama. He was crushed to death by sand. There is no doubt that Gaara of Suna is responsible."

Hiruzen wanted to face palm. "It seems that the Chunin Exam Finals are going to be over before they begin. Has a cleanup squad been called in to recover what is left?"

"Yes Hokage-sama." answered Hayate.

"Very good. Keep this in ANBU circles only." said the Third Hokage. "You are dismissed." after Hayate left; Hiruzen wrote a scroll and sealed it with the Hokage's stamp. "Turning to one of his ANBU he said, "Deliver this Shimura Danzo posthaste. It is for his eyes only."

…

Training Ground 52

Bad news traveled fast. The rumor mill was cranking full force about the Haruno family. When Ino found out she was (understandably) crushed and burst into tears. Kurenai decided to call of the training for the day and took Ino home. Pyrrha and Hinata were both out of sorts as well and went to inform Naruto of the bad news. Hinata was explaining the situation to Pyrrha. "Sakura is not only Naruto-kun's teammate but he has had a crush on her since the Academy. It's going to be very difficult for him."

"Shouldn't we get Blake first?" asked Pyrrha. "She must have known since this morning."

Hinata sighed. "I guess you are right. She probably knows things we don't. Do you know where she and Anko-sensei live?"

Pyrrha nodded. "Just follow me."

…

Naruto's Apartment

The orange loving ninja was sitting in silence staring out the window. Jiraiya informed him about the Haruno family when he got back this morning from picking up breakfast. Jiraiya was gentle with the information but he didn't lie about it either. Naruto thought to himself, 'They tried to kill me. They may have killed Sakura-chan. Jiraiya-sensei says Hokage Jiji has someone checking on Sasuke…And I'm locked away here in my apartment for my own safety. I thought Kidōmaru coming after me was a revenge thing for me rearranging Kinuta Dosu's face but now I wonder if Team 7 is the actual target. Could it be some group connected to Gato that wants revenge? Everything has gone downhill since I got attacked. Jiraiya-sensei said that a ninja is one who endures. I just have to hurry up and wait.'

Naruto was just numb…

…

Hokage's Office

The report came in from ANBU Jackal's Team and Hiruzen was reading it aloud to Danzo, Homura and Koharu. "ANBU Crow; dead due to a broken neck and skull fracture. Hatake Kakashi; dead. He was knocked unconscious, tied up to a tree and died of a sword wound through the heart. Uchiha Sasuke; missing though all of his belongs were left behind. Suspected abduction. This all happened day before yesterday. In order, Naruto survived the attempt on his life and is recovering. Kakashi was executed; Sasuke was abducted and possibly killed. Sakura's parents are dead from kunai wounds and Haruno Sakura has been abducted and is possibly dead. This is a disaster. Every member of Team 7 has been eliminated in the last three days."

All three Elders looked grim. Finally Koharu asked, "What are we to do Hiruzen? This is unprecedented."

The Third Hokage said in an iron tone. "I'll tell you three what we're going to do. We're taking the offensive. Danzo, have your ROOT eliminate all Oto Ninjas in Fire Country. Homura, begin making preparations to close the borders. I'm putting Jiraiya in charge of getting our ninjas here in Konoha on war footing. At the end of next week, we will officially cancel the Chunin Exams."

Homura said, "There is still the problem of Suna."

Hiruzen simply answered. "We don't touch our Suna allies just yet. Leave that to me."

"Going easy on Suna won't help our cause Hiruzen." said Danzo.

The Third Hokage pinned his old rival with a glare. "I'm not getting us in a two-front war. We will deal with Oto covertly and then see what the Kazekage wants to do. If Rasa-sama wants a war, he will get one in spades."

…

The Yamanaka Residence

Ino was sitting with Inoichi and Ayano on the couch. Pyrrha and Hinata stopped in to check on her a before they went to see Blake but they felt Ino needed some alone time with her parents. Ino had been terribly upset and was leaning in her Mother's embrace. She said in a sad tone, "Pyrrha-chan has the right idea. Naruto has loved Forehead for years and is really going to need some support to get through this."

Ayano ran her fingers through Ino's blonde hair. "I can't believe Mebuki and Kizashi are gone…at least there is a possibility that Sakura-chan is alive."

Inoichi said sadly, "It's always hard to let go. Princess, this is a shock to all of us. You know we'll be here for you. If by some miracle Sakura-chan is alive I promise you we'll take her in as family."

"I don't want to believe it." said Ino depressed. "I just can't believe they are gone."

"It will take time to sink in Ino-chan." said Inoichi. "The grieving process takes time. Just don't bottle it up. Talk to your Mother and I…and talk to your friends too. We all need to pray Sakura-chan is alive for now. It's all we can do." 'I can't bear to see my little girl this way. When she finds out about the Uchiha going missing it will be even worse…'

…

Anko and Blake's Apartment

Pyrrha gently knocked on Anko's door and the Snake Mistress soon answered. "Hey kiddies; are you here to see Blake-chan?"

"We wanted to make sure she's okay; sometimes it's good to have friends to talk to." said the redhead.

Anko ushered them in. They saw Blake was sitting at the dinner table listlessly. "Blake; how are you doing?" asked Pyrrha.

"I guess I'm okay." said Blake in a distant voice. "I've seen death before but I still feel kind of hollow. Sakura wasn't my favorite person but finding out she's missing or dead was a real shock."

"Did you actually discover the bodies?" asked Hinata.

Blake shook her head. "I never set foot in the place. After I pounded on the door for a while and no one answered so I checked around the outside of the house. There was a window cracked open for ventilation and all that was coming come was the stench of blood and death. After that I went and found an ANBU to investigate. I sat outside and gave a report while the ANBU checked out the place. From what I could overhear it was bad…really bad. I've been home passing the time with Anko since I really didn't feel like getting out."

The girls sat and talked a while before Pyrrha and Hinata made the decision to go see Naruto. Blake simply wasn't up to it. "Tell Naruto-kun I said Hi." said the faunus girl as she showed Hinata and Pyrrha out.

"We'll do that." said Hinata. "You just take it easy."

…

Naruto's Apartment

When Hinata and Pyrrha arrived a shadow clone answered the door and let them in. "Boss is in the kitchen." was all the clone said before he locked the door and dispelled.

The girls peered into the kitchen and saw Naruto's eyes were closed with his right hand held out. A few seconds later a perfectly round, spiraling sphere of blue chakra came into being and Naruto opened his eyes. He simply said, "Hello Hinata-chan; Pyrrha-chan."

"What is that?" asked Pyrrha looking at the glowing sphere. "It's beautiful."

Naruto said with sense of accomplishment in his voice, "This is the Fourth Hokage's signature jutsu; the rasengan."

…

OMAKE –The death of Sasukeism…

The Yamanaka Residence, Ino's Room

Sakura and Ino brought out one of the best pictures any member of the Sacred Faith of Sasukeism could possibly possess. It was a framed picture of Sasuke in his ninja gear that showed off all of his Adonis like features. "…And this is the glorious, amazing, talented, handsome pinnacle of manhood Sasuke-kun!" said Ino with enough sugary enthusiasm to throw Blake and Pyrrha both into diabetic shock…or make them throw up…or both. Sakura's ooohing and aaahing and the genjutsu sparkles around the picture didn't help them fight back the nausea either…

Blake held up a hand in a 'stop' motion that made the genjutsu sparkles vanish and recalled from Kin's memories what she'd seen of Sasuke. "Ummm, correct me if I'm wrong; but isn't this the sadistic psycho with Orochimaru's Cursed Seal that was running around in the Forest of Death yanking people's arms out of their sockets just to get his rocks off?" Seeing the deer in the headlights look that Ino and Sakura had; Blake said, "M'kay! So very not interested. I'll take a pass on this one."

"He was just having an off day!" explained Sakura. Blake had a flat look of utter disbelief. "You've got to believe me!" pleaded the rosette.

The feline faunus growled, "What part of, 'If he asked me out in a bar I'd claim to be a lesbian to get away from him,' do your two fangirls not understand?"

"But he's like a handsome Prince! And he's the last Uchiha." argued Ino. Seeing Blake was totally unimpressed; Ino turned to Pyrrha. "Just take a look at this picture of Sasuke-kun and tell me the very first words that come to your mind Pyrrha-chan; like dreamboat or gorgeous."

Pyrrha scrutinized the picture carefully and had a brief flash of memory that Haruna Kato had in the first round of the Chunin Exams. "…You mean that duck-butt haired androgynous crossbreed is a guy? I honestly had no idea from what I've seen of it...er, I mean him."

Ino's mind imploded leaving her ears smoking and unconscious while Sakura fell backwards with swirls in her eyes in a dead faint.

Blake got a wry smile. "Wow Pyrrha; that was an epic putdown for the record. I'm truly impressed. You should write that one down for posterity."

"But those honestly were the first the first words I thought of." replied the redhead.

Blake sweat dropped. "Well, let's check on Sakura and Ino to see if either of them still has a pulse."

…

OMAKE END…

POSTSCRIPT:

The Omake seems out of place but I actually wrote it before the rest of the chapter. I liked it enough to keep it even though it really doesn't fit with the story's mood at this point. See you next time. Blue out. 2/1/22