Naruto: Tornado of Souls V2

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or RWBY

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is chapter 25. Enjoy!

Last time:

Hokage's Office

The next morning Hiruzen was addressing Kakashi, Kurenai and Anko. "Teams 7 and 8 will be going on a Grimm extermination mission. Branwen Raven and Mitarashi Anko will be joining as well. You are the only groups with experience fighting the Creatures of Grimm. I want them eliminated. We also need to reclaim the Emerald from Bishamon."

The three jonins were looking over their mission orders. Anko asked, "What do we know about this Emerald other than it's a religious artifact? What if it actually attracts these creatures?

"If it's necessary, destroy the Emerald." said the aged Hokage. "I'm leaving that decision in Kakashi's hands. It may be nothing but a large jewel. Whether or not it has 'mystical properties' is debatable. I've included the history of Douindo Village and the Emerald in your mission dossiers. Suffice it to say the people that founded Douindo Village found the Emerald while mining and took it as a sign of good fortune. The decided to build Douindo Village around that site back in the Warring Clans Era. The Village was always peaceful because it had no resources of note and no strategic value. It was actually quite a shock to hear it was wiped out."

"When do we leave Hokage-sama?" asked Kurenai.

"As soon as you are ready." said Hiruzen. "Good luck and good hunting. You are dismissed."

…

Chapter 25

Fire Country, Konoha Village, Training Ground 9

Early in the morning Malachite Miltia and Melanie stood in front of their temporary sensei Maito Gai. Gai was in his thinking pose with his thumb rubbing his chin. "I believe your sensei Anko is correct. As a tag team you are quite formidable but individually you both rely too much on one style. You each need to learn to use both your hands and feet with equal proficiency. Nothing would throw off an opponent like suddenly changing stances and doing the exact opposite of what they are expecting in battle. You would each gain a huge advantage out in the field."

Both girls looked thoughtful at learning each other's moves and Gai said, "First we need to teach you the taijutsu moves to incorporate into your arsenal and then we can see about getting some proper hand and foot blades for both of you. I'm confident that we can stoke your Flames of Youth to new levels. What do you say?"

If it will help us down the line then I'm all for it." said Melanie.

Miltia nodded in agreement. "Let's do this!"

"Then let us begin!" said Gai taking the nice guy pose…

…

Naruto's Apartment

It was late morning and Naruto and his byakugan hime were very busy. They had been since that morning when Hinata came to his apartment with some racy intimates under her battle dress that Naruto was only too happy to relieve her of…Things heated up from there. Now Hinata was on top of her man in the 69 position. The blonde thought to himself as he feasted on his girlfriend, 'Hiashi would be pissed if he knew the parts of Hinata-chan that I've been kissing-' Then he howled like an animal as the incredible felatio Hinata was giving him drove the blonde ninja completely over the edge. Hinata ground herself into his mouth hotly before she joined her lover in ecstasy seconds later.

Hinata was panting heavily as Naruto spun her around so she was under him again where he could make love to her once more. Hinata licked her lips and smiled as Naruto entered her and started thrusting rapidly once again. 'Oh god he's an animal!' "Take me again Naruto-kun….!" she said with wild eyes. As they spun into a lover's clinch Hinata rolled on top of her boyfriend once more as they climaxed as one…

The two lovers were panting as the sweat rolled off their bodies onto the soaked sheets below. Hinata smiled down at him and said, "I love you Naruto-kun. We should have done this sooner." There was a knocking at the front door and she added, "Ignore it. Nobody is home."

Naruto nodded and pulled her down for another impassioned kiss and said, "I love you Hinata-chan. I don't want to stop until our legs give out!"

She giggled and said, "Let's go till are bodies give out!"

Then they heard a loud banging at the door and Naruto growled, "God damn it!" He made a shadow clone and said, "Get the damn door!"

The naked clone looked annoyed but henged into some clothes and went to answer the door. The door banged again and the clone opened the door irritably and growled angrily, "What do you want?!"

There stood Kakashi giggling uncontrollably as the heavy scents of sweat and sex combined wafted out through the doorway. "Sorry to interrupt Naruto but Team 7 has a mission with Teams 8 and 15. Pack for three weeks and meet me at training ground 52 in two hours." Then the jonin chortled, "I hope you are using plenty of protection!" He then body flickered away before the angry and embarrassed clone could throttle him.

Naruto's clone closed the door and locked it before he dispelled….

…Back in the bedroom Naruto groaned having received the memories of his clone. "Damn it Kakashi-sensei...we have a mission Hinata-chan. Teams 7, 8, and 15 have to meet at training ground 52 in two hours. We need to pack for three weeks."

Hinata sat up giving her boyfriend a glorious view of her beautiful body. She sighed and said, "What a turn off." She leaned down and kissed Naruto passionately once again before she said, "Let me use your shower before I head home to get my combat gear Naruto-kun."

…

Training Ground 52

Two hours later Team 7, Team 8 and half of Team 15 were present for Kakashi to brief them about the Emerald and the Creatures of Grimm involved. "…And that is the situation we are dealing with. The Malachite twins aren't ready to fight Grimm yet but Raven and Anko certainly are. Are there any questions?"

"How many Creatures of Grimm does this Bishamon person have?" asked Pyrrha. "It could make a huge difference in our tactics."

Kurenai answered, "At this point we don't know. He obviously has enough to wipe out a small village. Currently we're planning to attach Anko and Raven to Team 8 because Hinata is the only one with experience against Creatures of Grimm on our team. We will adjust our strategy as needed."

"Until we get Douindo Village we won't be able to estimate the full situation." added Anko. "The place may be entirely abandoned. We need to find a trail we can follow if it is."

"The sooner we get there the sooner we'll know the situation." said Kakashi. "If we set out within the hour well make it there by tomorrow morning."

…

Hokage Tower

Sarutobi Hiruzen smoked his pipe peacefully in his office as he watched the three genin teams check out of the village front gates using his telescoping technique. 'Those three teams will show just how effective our forces are against the Creatures of Grimm. Tactics, weapons and formations will all have to be evaluated. Bring them home safely Kakashi.'

…

Training Ground 9

Maito Gai spent the morning supervising Melanie and Miltia along with Lee fanning their Flames of Youth. In the afternoon the twins were thoroughly worn out and relaxed against a tree while watching Gai trained Lee in the Goken style. "It's so fun watching Lee-kun working on his Goken." said Melanie. "I've never seen someone so passionate about the martial arts. He really looks up to Gai-sensei. It's cute."

Miltia smiled at her sister's enthusiasm. "Anko-sensei was right about Gai-sensei being able to overhaul our taijutsu. He's a great teacher…except for the green spandex."

Melanie cringed. "Yes, Lee-kun could use a new uniform."

"Tenten-san said Lee had his hair in a long braid when they first met." said Miltia. "She said that she has a team picture. Would do you think nee-chan?"

"He would look good with long hair." mused Melanie. "I'll have to ask Tenten-san to see that picture."

…

Jiraiya was observing the twin's interactions with Team 9 from a distance. "They seem to be adapting well to Konoha. The white wearing twin Melanie seems to have an infatuation with Gai's disciple Lee." He took some notes for his summary report for the Hokage. 'These girls are going to be outstanding kunoichis with the right guidance. I believe Anko was right about not taking them on combat missions yet. They don't have the long range endurance they need just yet. On the other hand they are doing well training with Lee now that he is building his strength back. Excellent.'

…

Douindo Village

The next day the Konoha Teams came up to a ridge overlooking the Village of Douindo…or what was left of it. There were a few buildings left intact but most of the village was in ruins. There had been several fires but they were burnt out leaving scorch marks here and there. The bodies of many villagers were left lying about in various states of dismemberment and decay. It was very obvious that the village was dead. The Temple that formerly held the Emerald enshrined was completely ransacked. Various smaller Creatures of Grimm were prowling about feeding on the carrion.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed and he said. "Destroy every last creature infesting the village. Team 7 take the north entrance to the village and Team 8 take the south one." The genins quickly spread out into their teams and went to opposite ends of the village to pincer the Grimm in between them. Raven went with Team 8 as planned. The jonins held back in case a major threat emerged.

Team 7 rapidly tore into a group of Beowolves that had the misfortune of being in their path. As Naruto didn't have Shear Trigger he streamed wind along his kunai to use them like a pair of short swords. Pyrrha used her shield to launch Blake skywards where the feline faunus girl spun her body with Gambol Shroud in its kusarigama form to harvest up their foes. Anything that made it past the whirlwind of destruction caused by Blake was quickly dispatched by Naruto and Pyrrha. Kakashi nodded in satisfaction seeing his team doing their job well.

Team 8 started at the south end of Douindo Village where Hinata used her Midnight blades to cut a swath through their enemies. Kiba and Akamaru used their fang over fang jutsu and mowed down a lone Ursa. Shino found himself at a disadvantage because his kikaichū beetles had little effect on the Grimm other than to distract them. He had to resort to kunai at short range. Fortunately for him Raven was there with her O-katana to double team the creatures with Shino and evened the odds. Kurenai and Anko leaped in whenever it was necessary and the creatures were wiped out in fairly short order.

Soon the Konoha group was gathered at the Douindo Temple. Half of the stone building was caved in. "So this is where the Emerald was." commented Naruto as he looked at the wrecked altar. The Konoha ninjas were soon combing the temple remnants for any clues about Bishamon himself.

"He must be some kind of a swordsman from the way these men were cut down cleanly." said Raven. "Grimm are much messier."

Kiba shook his head. "The stench of the bodies is too much in here. Akamaru and I can't scent anybody at all. The trail is cold outside as well."

After about an hour the ninjas came up with little but a shard of the Emerald that Bishamon must have missed.

"Can we use this to track the larger Emerald?" asked Pyrrha.

Shino placed one of his kikaichū beetles on the shard and the insect quickly returned to him. "It seems that my allies can detect this Emerald easily due to its foul chakra. I fail to see how this stone ever became so revered if it tastes that bad."

Hinata sweat dropped. "Not everyone can taste jewels Shino-kun."

"Point taken." replied the bug user.

…

Fire Country, Konoha, Hyūga Compound

Back in Konoha Hyūga Hanabi was sitting down to lunch with her Father Hiashi. "I wonder how Hinata nee-chan is doing on her mission. I can't wait to become a kunoichi like her!"

Haishi smiled softly and said, "I'm sure she is doing well. Hinata has grown so much stronger in the last few months."

"I wonder when they will get back." pondered Hanabi. "She packed for three weeks. That's a long time."

"Some missions take longer than others Hanabi-chan." replied the Clan head. "I know from experience. She'll be back before you know it."

The pair looked outside the dining room window and saw the Clan Elders walk by in their turbans and wigs of various colors. Haishi shook his head in dismay.

Hanabi activated her byakugan and said, "It looks like the Elders have buzz cuts now so you don't get blinded by the glare off their bald heads anymore."

Hiashi stifled his laughter with a cough. (He had an image to protect after all). "I'm sure the Elders are happy that they are making progress."

His youngest shrugged. "Maybe in a few months everyone will stop calling them the baldness brigade and team toupee."

'The Elders will never live this down.' thought Hiashi with a mental chortle.

…

River Country

Teams 7, 8 and 15 were moving at ninja speeds through the trees following the trail of the Emerald and (presumably) the missing nin Bishamon. They'd seen and exterminated several Creatures of Grimm along the way but the ones the Konoha ninjas eliminated seemed like strays as opposed to being under someone's command. As they travelled through the foliage Hinata switched her byakugan on and of every few minutes to scout around and ahead of the group. Shino was in line behind her following the 'scent' of the Emerald. After nearly three hours of nonstop travel it was nearly dusk and the three teams decided to set up camp.

Soon the group was eating dinner around the fire. "It seems to me that if we are going to be fighting these creatures regularly a more fitting set of weapons might be necessary." said Shino in his usual monotone. "My allies and I are simply not suited to combat Creatures of Grimm. A sword our other bladed weapon would be a tremendous advantage here."

Kakashi nodded. "That was a bit of an oversight on my part. I should have foreseen it Shino. On the other hand finding out your kikaichū beetles can track both the Emerald and the Grimm makes you indispensible on this mission."

KIba added, "As much as I hate to admit it, some metal hand and foot claws like Miltia-chan and Melanie have would be a big plus -especially if we are low on chakra."

"After this mission we will be looking into the right weapons for you two." said Kurenai. "The thought never occurred to me what a disadvantage we would be at hunting these Grimm with just kunai knives. I could use a chokutō or some kind of short sword myself."

"Perhaps weapons like Team 7 has are in order." said Anko. ""I have a wakizashi back home. It never hurts to have extra options…"

…

Later Naruto settled into his tent with Kakashi. His thoughts were of his girlfriends. 'Hinata-chan is sharing a tent with Kurenai-sensei so she might as well be under guard and Pyrrha-chan and Blake-chan are sharing a tent with no extra room. Just as bad I'm stuck with Kakashi so I can't sneak out. Damn this sucks.' Naruto mentally groaned and rolled over to go to sleep. 'Looks like no goodnight kisses for you Uzumaki.' thought the blonde glumly to himself.

Guarding by the fire were Kiba and Shino. Akamaru was sleeping close by but the puppy was exhausted. Kiba said quietly to Shino, "Did you notice Hinata-chan has Naruto's scent all over her? So does Blake-san."

"The pheromones coming off both girls and Naruto are very strong." said the insect user with a nod. "Pyrrha-san also seems to have an interest on that note."

"I never pictured Naruto as a player." said Kiba in disbelief. "Who would have guessed?"

Shino shrugged. "Naruto is too honest to do that. As illogical as it sounds I'd estimate the girls are all aware of each other's activities. They all spend time together with each other as well as with Naruto."

"I guess you are right." replied the dog ninja. "Not to mention Naruto isn't smart enough to pull that sort of thing off. Hinata-chan would have killed him by now I reckon."

"I'm forced to agree." said Shino. The bug user cringed thinking of what happened to Mizuki. "It does make me wonder what kind of a relationship the lot of them are in though."

…

Pyrrha and Blake were talking quietly in their tent about the same subject. "Naruto-kun is a wild man in the sack." whispered Blake. "I'm sure he'll make you happy. I know Hinata-chan is as pleased as I am…I can't wait to take him again. I've got all kinds of kinky ideas."

Pyrrha blushed and giggled quietly. "After this mission I'll have to figure out a way to spend the day with Naruto-kun without Ino-chan tagging along."

The two girls laughed silently before they wished each other good night…

…

Fire Country, Konoha, Hyūga Compound

Uzumaki Tayuya was sitting back soaking in the branch family baths with Melanie and Miltia Malachite after a hard day's work. "So you girls already have boyfriends picked out? Damn, you two move fast! I haven't had time to even look since I've been busy with my fuckin' chunin duties."

The twins laughed. "There are plenty of fish in the sea Tayuya." said Melanie.

"You probably shouldn't swear so much Tayuya." suggested Miltia. "I think you scare some men off."

"Bah! If they can't handle my mouth they aren't real men anyway!" bellowed the redhead.

The three young women laughed together. 'Life here in Konoha isn't bad at all.' thought Tayuya to herself.

…

River Country, Forest

The next morning the three Konoha ninja teams got up with the sun and had a big breakfast before heading out after their prey Bishamon. Shino sent out his kikaichū beetles and quickly regained the trail. "He's heading due west towards the Suna Desert region. We can't cross into Wind Country territory with the current political climate."

"And we won't." said Kakashi. "We'll find a Suna border patrol and inform them of the situation before we pull out –if it comes to that."

…

Bishamon's Camp

Bishamon was in the center of River Country south of the capital city of Tani. He was blissfully unaware that he was being trailed by Kakashi's group -otherwise he would have been in a much bigger hurry. The rogue Rain Country ninja was negotiating with a group of ex-Ame and Suna ninjas that called River Country their home base. It only took a small demonstration of the Grimm's power to establish Bishamon's position as the leader in the hierarchy. He now had nine missing nins to bolster his forces that were chunin or lower. It wasn't a massive army but combined with the many Grimm at his beck and call Bishamon considered himself fairly untouchable for now…

…

Forest

Kakashi called for a halt as the Konoha ninjas spotted Creatures of Grimm congregated ahead. Specifically it was a small group of Boarbatusks and a single Death Stalker. "Remember the Boarbatusks vulnerable point is their bellies." said Kakashi as he pointed to the boar like Grimm.

"….And what about the giant scorpion?" asked Kiba hesitantly.

"Sever its tail and then aim for the joints." said Raven. "The armor is very thick so be very careful."

"Be very careful…right." said Anko as she attached an exploding tag to a kunai. "This should get its attention."

…

Fire Country, Konoha, Hokage Tower

The Third Hokage was going over the report from the day before sent in by Kakashi via bird. "So the Aburame Clan insects can track the Emerald's unique chakra; interesting." Hiruzen thought aloud. 'It seems that bladed Remnant type weapons or at least swords are a huge plus against the Creatures of Grimm. The traditional four man cells of one jonin and three genins seem to still be solid. That's a plus.' Hiruzen paused and made a notation. 'They've only run into small and medium creatures so it's still questionable how effective traditional ninja weaponry would stack up against a larger foe.'

Pondering a moment the aged Hokage thought aloud, "Hopefully they won't run into any larger foes on this mission…"

…

River Country, Forest

"Death Stalkers are not pushovers; especially ones that are twenty feet long!" said Kakashi as he charged up his raikiri for the second time since the battle started. After it shrugged off Anko's exploding tag the giant scorpion like beast was seriously pissed off. The hapless Boarbatusks of various sizes were mowed down in the crossfire between the ninja's onslaught of jutsus and the Death Stalker's relentless counterattacks with its claws and stinger.

Finally Raven was able to land on the Grimm's back and slice off its tail stinger causing the beast to shriek in pain and anger. The monster scorpion was far from dead though as it bucked Raven off its back. Kiba and Akamaru were bowled over by the back of a pincer that was meant for Kurenai and Hinata who dodged. The byakugan princess countered with a bolt of flame to the creature's face that temporarily dazzled it. It screamed when Naruto rammed a rasengan into one of its mandibles right afterwards and destroyed it along with a chunk of the Death Stalker's head armor and an eye. Blake attacked from the left simultaneously and sliced two legs off at the joints.

With the Grimm flailing and temporarily immobilized Kakashi was able to drive his raikiri through the top of the beast's skull killing it at last. After the creature's death cry the Death Stalker evaporated into black smoke leaving a tiny demolished scorpion body behind….

Anko wiped the sweat off her brow. "Somehow I will never get used to those creatures not leaving behind a real carcass. It's downright creepy."

"Is anyone injured?" asked Kurenai.

All of the genins were battered but intact except Raven who was fortunate enough to be untouched. Kakashi, Anko and Kurenai were uninjured as well but everyone was exhausted from the battle. "Let's stop and take a break." said Kakashi. "We're in no condition to fight in another battle as we are." The tired group sat down under the cover of the forest canopy and broke for lunch.

Kurenai fretted a bit over the condition of the genins but after thoroughly checking everyone over it revealed that they were able to go on without trouble. "It's a good thing you kids have become ridiculously tough." said the beautiful red eyed jonin. "Everyone rest. We set out again in two hours."

…

Bishamon's Camp

Bishamon and his newly recruited men were a bit nervous. They'd heard the massive battle between the Death Stalker and the Konoha ninjas in the distance. They also heard the scorpion's death cry from miles away when Kakashi's raikiri finally struck home. The Emerald wielding ninja felt a chill down his spine when he heard the final shriek of his Grimm rearguard that he thought was nigh well unstoppable. 'What could have killed my Kurokami scorpion?! We have to get moving and fast.' he thought. Bishamon said with false confidence, "Sounds like one of my pets took out some pursuers. Let's pack up and move out in case someone else heard the battle. I'm not ready for open combat just yet." With the Creatures of Grimm guarding over their flanks Bishamon and his men moved out within the hour…

…

Fire Country, Konoha, Training Ground 10

"…So Pyrrha-chan took off on a three week mission day before yesterday." said Ino. "That's where Team 7 is along with Team 8. They also took Raven-chan and Anko-sensei."

"That's a lot of firepower." said Choji as he munched on some potato chips. "What do you think they are going after?"

Shikamaru sighed as he laid on his back watching at the clouds drifting overhead. "Whatever they are going after we are falling behind. Team 7 in particular has become amazingly strong. I hate to say it but we're going to have to ask Asuma-sensei to work us harder."

Ino and Choji looked at the Nara heir in shock as if he'd grown an extra head. "D-did you just say you wanted to work Shikamaru?" asked the pleasingly plump Akimichi.

The blonde kunoichi of the team looked up and said, "Well, the sky isn't falling. Are you sick Shikamaru? You asking to work is like the Earth crashing into the sun."

Sitting up from his reclining position Shikamaru said, "We were all there at Lee's party when he got cleared from the hospital. You saw the spars. Team 7 was a whirlwind and Team 8 wasn't that far behind; especially Hinata. Your new friend Raven was very proficient as well Ino. We were left in the dust. The only conclusion I can come up with is they are training much more seriously than we are."

"Well, Naruto-kun did run rings around you and Choji during the spars." said Ino with a giggle.

Choji ate another chip. "Naruto was running rings around everybody Ino; not just us. He's become a human dynamo since he fully recovered from that Oto nin's attack and started eating right and working out…Maybe you're right Shikamaru. We really are falling behind. I guess it's time to put our noses to the grindstone and really work hard."

Asuma was quietly listening to his genins from the tree above them. 'It seems the kids are getting the right idea at last. Guess I'll make my presence known.' The Sarutobi jonin appeared in a swirl of leaves in front of his charges. "Good afternoon kids; are you ready for practice?"

Choji gulped and said, "Actually Asuma-sensei; we were hoping to up our training a bit. We're falling behind the other teams."

The jonin grinned. "What do you think Shikamaru; Ino?"

"It's troublesome but we have to work harder." said Shikamaru. "Team 7 and Team 8 are leaving us in the dust. Naruto and Hinata in particular are unbelievable."

Ino nodded, "Yeah, Naruto-kun really whipped Shika and Choji." (Both males glared at her). "It wouldn't hurt to practice a bit harder."

"As long as you kids know what you are getting into." said Asuma. 'Finally they are getting serious. I'll really have to put them through the meat grinder to catch up with the other teams…'

…

River Country, Bishamon's Former Camp

Kakashi and his team found what was left of the camp Bishamon and his men were using a few hours earlier.

"The scent is still fresh." said Kiba. "They left only two or three hours ago. The scent leads northwest towards the Suna Desert."

Shino nodded. "My allies confirm that the Emerald's chakra is in that direction as well but they are miles ahead of us."

"Is there a chance of us catching them before they reach Suna?" asked Raven. The red eyed beauty had bloodlust in her tone.

"Only if we ran flat out." said Kiba.

Kurenai shook her head. "That won't work. We wouldn't have the energy left to fight them even if we caught up with them. It would be best to coordinate with Suna if we can."

Naruto looked at the map and said, "They could be going northwest to avoid heading due north through Tani. It's a big enough city to repel Bishamon's army of Grimm with all the samurai there."

"Following their trail is really our only choice at this point." said Pyrrha. "We still don't know how many of them there are." said the radiant redhead.

"There were only ten or so men camped here including Bishamon." said Kiba. "I'd guess fifteen at most judging by the camp size."

"They didn't cover their tracks well either." added Hinata. "From the looks of it they grabbed their belongings and ran for the hills."

"They probably heard the Death Stalker die and took off." said Blake. "That indicates to me that the scorpion was a good chunk of their offensive power."

Kakashi rolled up the map and said, "Let's start tracking them then. Hinata's byakugan will give us the edge in figuring out how many Grimm we are hunting as well as Bishamon and his group."

…

River Country, Forest

Bishamon trusted his instincts; they had always guided him well. Now his instincts were screaming at him that he was being hunted but he didn't know by whom. The few Grimm he left behind to slow his pursuers were being wiped out systematically. He could sense it through the Emerald. 'The Kurokami are most common in Ame territory but the hunter nins in Rain Country would hunt me down like a dog in the dirt. Still, I have to gather more Kurokami somehow. I guess we'll keep heading north.' One of his underlings had already revolted and tried to run but the Grimm killed him so the rest of Bishamon's 'followers' obeyed…

…

Later, Kakashi was examining the remnants of a dead missing nin from Suna. He was looking in his bingo book. "It's not exactly true that dead men tell no tales. This is Sumare Eiji who was a Suna chunin that went missing five years back. Looks like an Ursa got him about an hour ago. We are closing in on Bishamon's group and they are headed north towards Ame. I guess that is Bishamon's home turf but they want his head there so he must be desperate."

Blake added, "It's that or he has some hidden allies there."

"As viciously as the Rain Ninjas guard their territory I seriously doubt Bishamon is going back there." said Anko. "I've dealt with them before. He may just be skirting the border to head somewhere else like Grass Country further up north."

"We will intercept him long before then sensei." said Shino. "Grass Country is several miles away."

"Wherever he's headed we need to take him and his Grimm out." said Naruto. "As long as he stays in neutral countries we'll have him. We just don't want him to escape into Suna territory."

They sealed up the body of Sumare Eiji and set out once again…

…

Fire Country, Konoha, Training Ground 10

Shikamaru lay down on the grass and said, "I must be insane wanting to work like this."

"Yes, we are totally out of our minds." said an exhausted Choji from the ground.

Ino was leaning against a tree gasping. "This is almost as bad as when I trained with Anko-sensei and Kurenai-sensei."

Asuma was smiling obnoxiously. "You kids are doing great! Meet up here a seven tomorrow morning. I'll see you then." He disappeared in a body flicker.

"Sadist…" muttered Shikamaru.

Ino groaned. "I'll second that description. I can't believe Asuma-sensei is such a slave driver."

"I believe we asked for it." said Choji as he tried to get up and failed utterly.

Team 10 eventually hobbled back to their homes dreading tomorrow's training…

…

Training Ground 9

The Malachite twins were worn out for the day. Melanie had her arms aching and Miltia was complaining about her legs. They both were doing identical exercises but for obvious reasons hurt in different areas. Gai said, "Excellent my students. You are adapting quickly. Your style of taijutsu is unique and I believe that will come to full fruition later. Tomorrow we will continue working that muscle memory and start actual sparring so you can use your new moves fluidly. Good work!"

"Thank you Gai-sensei." droned the twins as one. They were exhausted and wanted to do nothing more than soak in the tub and go to bed…

…

River Country, Forest

The Konoha ninjas found a small encampment that had clearly been ransacked by both men and Grimm. Naruto growled at the devastation and said, "What was the point in this mindless destruction? These people had nothing to take…They raided this camp for nothing!"

Raven said, "Sometimes men are just as savage as Grimm are. They don't always need a reason to attack innocents Naruto-kun." 'I should know.' she thought sadly.

Kiba said, "I can't scent any survivors. I can only smell Bishamon's group mixed with Grimm." He sighed. "Hinata-chan, can you see anything?"

Hinata activated her byakugan and pointed north. "I see a few Grimm but no large ones. Bishamon's group is still outside my range."

"We'll just have to keep tracking the Emerald." said Anko. "Shino…?"

"I still have the scent Anko-sensei." said Shino. "It is in the same direction Hinata-chan is looking; due north towards Rain Country…."

The hunt was still on…

…

POSTSCRIPT:

Well, the Emerald Arc is finally rolling. Bishamon doesn't know what is after him but he's running scared and needs more Grimm to bolster his forces. What will come of that? Back in Konoha Team 10 has decided to get their act together and the Malachite twins are learning under Maito Gai's watchful eye. Next chapter the hunt continues. See you next time. Blue out. 9/7/17

Updated 4/6/22