Sorry again, everyone. It's been months since the last chapter, which ended and began this story's rendition of the Kazekage Rescue Arc. As the last chapter showed, there are a lot more factors in play this time around, some of those are going to be shown in this chapter as Team Seven attempts to cross the Western Desert. The end of last year and this year have been chaotic in some ways I wish they weren't. Anyways, I'll save the author's commentary for the end, you've all waited long enough, enjoy the chapter!

I do not own anything.

Poison Dove & Maelstrom Fox

Chapter 25 - Kicking Up a Storm Pt.1

It lives up to its name of a sea of greenery, I'm actually going to miss it. Almost thirty minutes of flying and Semiramis had seen nothing but sprawling forest beneath her. The occasional mountain and rivers and lakes dotted the landscape every now and then. Oh, and the occasional giant tree whose stature rose to cast a shadow over the rest of the land. Semiramis took note of a handful of those, perhaps they would make for good hiding places…or private retreats when she needed to getaway.

While she looked at the ground, she also kept an eye open for anyone or anything that might be tailing them, or lying in wait for them. Her intuition told her that this mission wasn't going to be easy, or simple. A monarch had been kidnapped by a criminal organization, a monarch with a…checkered past to say the least, not to mention said monarch held a power within him that could lay waste to countries. From what she understood, the Fifth Kazekage's father had attempted to harness that power as was customary of most Tailed Beast Hosts, only to fail miserably. That left her wondering, where could this Akatsuki organization succeed if they were indeed collecting Jinchūriki?

"See anyone tailing us?"

Blinking, she looked up to her right to find Team Seven's leader - this mission's leader - staring back at her. Kakashi Hatake's gaze was the same as a person asking for the time of day. If he was suspicious of her or anything else, he wasn't showing it, something she found to be a common trait of his.

Shaking her head, Semiramis stared straight ahead. "No, but that might be because I'm not looking hard enough, or whoever is tailing is better than I suspected."

"You really believe that someone's following us?" He innocently asked. The Copy Ninja watched as her gaze moved to Naruto, still ahead of the group and practically leading the flight group. Rather it was on land or in the air, he was going to be taking the lead on this. Given what their mission objective was, that wasn't a surprise, but that also meant he'd likely be the first to run into danger when it appeared. "Naruto's been let out on missions before…but this is the first time that we've had one that's most likely to bring us directly into contact with the Akatsuki."

"And he is one of their targets." The Servant responded. "Some would say that by sending him, we're practically offering the strongest of the Tailed Beasts on a silver platter."

"True, but once Naruto found out that Gaara had been kidnapped, nothing short of hogtying him and locking him beneath the Hokage Tower would stop him. For a little while at least." Kakashi added with a chuckle. It was one that Semiramis joined in as she knew that such a thing would only delay Naruto at best, especially given the training she and Jiraiya had put him through. As the laughter quieted down, the two faced forward, their faces impassive. "As harsh as it is, Naruto's going to have to face the Akatsuki sooner or later. It's unavoidable."

"I'm glad that we're in agreement on that. Personally, I would prefer it if we could capture one of these Akatsuki members so we could interrogate them." Semiramis declared. "Yes, I know each one is an S-Ranked criminal meeting getting them to talk would be…difficult, but I am confident that I could do so."

"Are you now?" Kakashi inquired, turning his head to the side to look at the mysterious woman his knucklehead student had seemingly partnered with. She was a classical beauty, a woman of refinement and culture, everything that his student wasn't and probably the last sort of person he'd ever associate with. Actually, looking back, Naruto actually did seem to attract all sorts of people…including aristocrats, many of whom seemed to possess…emotional trauma of some sort. That wasn't quite the vibe he got from the black-haired woman with pointy ears, she wasn't some damsel in distress. Right now, she actually looked more to be of the "evil queen" type. Kakashi suspected his analysis was right, though she was holding back on the "evil" part; it would show itself perhaps when they came into conflict with someone who'd earned her ire.

He was not looking forward to seeing that, but he would inevitably take note of when it happened.

"Oh, I've wrangled some confessions out of those who claimed to have iron tongues." She reinforced the image with her tone, dripping with fondness of what was undoubtedly horrific torture the likes of which Ibiki and Anko would have been impressed by. "Should we be so fortunate, I'll try to…contain myself somewhat until we get back to the Hidden Leaf Village. I know whatever information I wrangle out of them will be best shared with the village."

"Uh-huh. That's good to know." He nonchalantly replied. "And what information that you deem…private and personal?"

Now it was Semiramis' turn to look on with suspicion and intrigue. Kakashi Hatake was proving to be every bit the shrewd and sharp man that she'd been led to believe. That was both reassuring and concerning as it meant that little would get by him. Still, that meant that things would be interesting instead of boring, which Semiramis honestly appreciated. "Should I deem it of benefit to the village and its people, I'll tell. But Mister Kakashi," Placing a finger to her lips, the Assassin smirked at the Copy Ninja, her serpentine eyes glowing in the sunlight. "Do remember, a woman must keep her secrets."

"Yes, I'm aware." He casually responded, keeping his cool. It'd been a while since he'd had a woman look at him in such a way. Kakashi felt his blood race. "And so long as those secrets don't put the village or students in danger…you shall."

The two individuals sized each other up with their eyes, sharp as blades. It was bound to happen once Team Seven took off on a mission together. This had to happen or else they never would have been able to operate as a team.

"And so long as those secrets don't put the village or students in danger…you shall." Those are the words of a man who truly loves his students and his village. "Noted." Semiramis solemnly responded. "Should we perhaps run into trouble-"

"Whoever is tailing us, their first priority would be to retrieve Naruto and get him back to the village." From his tone, it was clear he'd ran over the possibilities in his head. Kakashi seemingly took no joy in thinking about them, but he had to take precautions, as both the team leader and Naruto's sensei. He owed the boy far too much. "Semiramis, should things go that far south, you have my permission to take Naruto and flee. Subdue him if you have to…but don't let him fall into the wrong hands."

Something pulsed through her - a sense of warmth and…happiness. Semiramis felt her fingers tighten into a fist as a breeze sent her ponytail wavering. "I swear on my father's name, I won't." Her gaze flickered to her Master, still out in front. "But I'm going to use every bit of power that I have to ensure it doesn't come to that." She made a small yet noticeable smile the man had quietly noted. "Heh, I'd rather not hear Naruto yelling at me for abandoning not just the mission…but his friends."

Kakashi laughed. "Well, sounds like you've come to know him well."

"Well enough…he's an interesting boy, one whom I don't think I've ever met. Back in my world, people like him either go far or their recklessness gets them killed."

"Our world's much the same, though that's why you have teammates and friends who keep you from doing anything too stupid." A look of fondness colored the masked ninja's face as he looked up to the clear blue sky. Whatever memory he was recalling, it was definitely a happy one; Semiramis would have been lying if she didn't say that she was the least bit curious. "Sometimes, they're doing the stupid things right with you to make sure you make it out alive."

"And what, pray tell, makes you think I'd indulge in such stupidity, Kakashi Hatake?" Snapped the Assyrian Queen.

Under his mask, the Copy Ninja looked at her with that goofy smile that seemed too common in this world. Even now, she still hadn't really gotten used to it. "You've been with Naruto for what I believe to be almost two years, right? I'm sure he's dragged you into plenty of ridiculous adventures! Several of which you probably protested against!"

He seemed a little too happy in making that deduction. What Semiramis hated was that he was dead right. Worse than that, she couldn't hide that fact no matter how much she tried. At the very least the masked ninja wasn't laughing at her, he seemed content to bask in being right in silence. That was a wise move on his part since he was riding a creature that ultimately answered to her. As tempted as it was, they were on the clock, and the fate of a person whom Naruto cherished depended on them. Oh, and his entire nation too.

That set Semiramis on another path of thought that she felt fit to discuss with Kakashi. "From what I understand, the Fifth Kazekage…was quite a troubled boy growing up."

"Yes…that's a…kind of describing it." Kakashi affirmed after a few pauses.

"Oh, at least his murderous tendencies were channeled toward the village's enemies eventually. I've heard of far worse cases." The Assassin nonchalantly said. Kakashi raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. "You know what I'm going to ask. While we're being sent to aid the Sand Village…I imagine not all will welcome our aid. Ultimately, we're seeking to restore a former killer to power. Such a thing will never go over entirely well with all of the masses. For that matter…how much goodwill has this Gaara truly earned?" Briefly, her eyes flickered at Naruto. Semiramis counted the seconds in which she spoke, expecting him to turn back and look at her. He never did. She didn't reach out to his mind to see if he had heard her.

Kakashi apparently chose to say nothing in regards to the brief break in their conversation. "A while back, the last of the anti-Kazekage groups were supposedly stomped out." Without looking her way, he saw her eyebrow rose. "But it's entirely possible that new ones could have risen up. On the flip side of that...it's entirely possible in Gaara's absence, the village will begin looking at a replacement. The Hidden Sand's not had the best of luck when it comes to their Kages."

"…His father was the previous Kazekage, and I believe he was assassinated by Orochimaru, correct?"

"Yes, and before him, the Third Kazekage's sudden disappearance had dire consequences for the village during the Third Shinobi World War. Rumor goes in the village that the position's cursed." The veteran ninja stated. "Do you believe in curses, Semiramis?"

"Hmph, I know they exist, but the sort that you speak of…well, I'm not adverse to believe in them. If such a curse does exist, then it will be our job to break it. I know Naruto will certainly give his best, and I shall do my best to support him."

"…Then this mission should go smoothly." There was a brief pause as a late summer gale blew across the forest. Both individuals searched for the faintest hint of sand on the wind. Neither found it, but they knew if they kept on flying, they would. When they did, they knew the real danger would start to show itself. Semiramis actually felt giddy with anticipation for when that happened. Kakashi himself felt a slight desire for whatever that was going to happen to them to just happen already.

He knew down to the marrow of his bones that this mission wasn't going to be easy, or straightforward. They'd left the village with so little information, which by the time they got it news of the Kazekage's kidnapping has no doubt begun to spread. It was an open door to chaos…and he knew some of the worst types of monsters flourished during such a time.

The only question was how much chaos were they about to fly into…and what would it take to make it out of it.

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"You know, if you lean any more, you're going to fall off, Naruto. It'll be a long trip down to the ground."

He probably needed to hear Sakura's voice since all he had was his own, and it wasn't saying things he really wanted to hear. "Wouldn't be the first time." He replied. A smile grew along his face as he affectionately rubbed the oversized dove that he and the rest of his team were riding on, the large avian cooed softly at his touch and rubbing. "Luckily, this big guy here will be there to catch me so no worries."

Sakura laughed, "So, you have fallen before. Why am I not surprised." Short laughter filled the air between the two old teammates. Sakura subconsciously rubbed the white feathery exterior of the creature beneath her, causing it to let out more "coo" sounds. It felt so…incredible, perhaps too incredible for words. She honestly couldn't explain it - at first glance, the doves were seemingly no different than other summoning animals, yet she detected something different about them. "This doves…they're-"

"Though she called Magecraft but eh, to me it's magic. Magic, like really, really magic, regardless of what Semiramis says. It's kind of her world's version of ninjutsu, though she tells me they also have that."

"…Another world." The pinkette murmured, looking back at the black-haired woman. There was absolutely no doubt that she was eye-catching…but Sakura also couldn't help but feel something unsettling about her. She placed it as having to do with the fact that apparently she was a poison expert; Sakura was a medical ninja whose job involved counteracting deadly poisons. To say that the two of them were opposites would have been like saying the sky was blue. Not to mention there were her eyes, sometimes she could have sworn they reminded her of serpentine eyes. As anyone with a knowledge of Team Seven's wild history would tell you, that was troubling all by itself. She looked at Naruto, who surprisingly looked back at her with a comforting smile.

Sakura couldn't help but smile back, a sense of reassurance flooding her. "Don't worry, Semi-chan may come off as a little dark and uptight, but she's definitely got a heart, and she can kick ass in a fight."

"I saw a little bit of that, she was certainly able to hold her own against Anko-sensei."

"Speaking of which, what was up with that?" Leaning in close, he whispered, "Um, I don't remember her being that strong."

It was now Sakura's turn to grin, and grin she did. "Oh, a mission here and there, served as motivation to get a little stronger. She wasn't the only one, Naruto. We've all gotten stronger since you left with Master Jiraiya. I've certainly gotten stronger, right?"

"Yep." He responded without missing a beat.

"And would you say I've gotten prettier?" She followed up with a flutter of her eyes.

Now, those familiar with Naruto Uzumaki would have been forgiven for expecting one of two answers - yes or no. Those expecting no would have likely argued that the blond was thinking his crush was always pretty therefore couldn't get any prettier. Those who chose yes would have assumed that his feelings for her were still there, lingering like morning fog.

"Yes, you have." Naruto responded with a smile. The real reason though was entirely different.

"Regardless of rather you just saw her five years ago or five minutes ago, if a woman asks you if she's grown more beautiful, you are to answer yes. Is that clear?"

Semiramis' stern glare would have at one point been utterly paralyzing, but by this point, Naruto had gotten mostly used to it. "Um? Do I have to? I mean, can women really be thaaaaat…never mind." His Servant's sharpening glare brought back memories, most of them not exactly what one would call entirely pleasant. It wasn't like Naruto considered his luck with women bad (some would go as far as to say he had the opposite), but he did notice that women had their…quirks. One seemingly universal quirk is their pride in their appearance.

Unless he had a death wish, or the woman he interacted with pissed him off that much, he would follow his Servant's advice.

"Ah, so you have learned something during those two years you were gone!" And apparently, Sakura recognized his thinking for what it was and approved. Would she have socked him if he'd said no? Probably not at this height. "Remember that when we get to the Sand Village, that's why I asked you that question."

"Have they been talking about me?" Excitedly asked the whisker-faced teenager. "Do I seriously have a reputation?"

"Eh, well…yeah, you do." Oh, what the hell? There's no harm in telling him, especially since he's actually earned it. "When we had our Chunin Exam in the Sand Village, there were a few that were disappointed you weren't there. The village knows you as the guy who defeated Gaara when he was at his worst…and helped bring out his best." As she spoke, a warm smile grew along her face. It was no doubt fueled by the look of genuine shock that marked her teammate's face. Sakura knew it was the admiration that he'd always been yearning for. "Apparently, Gaara talks about you a lot…and so does Kankuro and Temari apparently, though not as much."

The awe on his face looked like it'd been stamped on by her hand. Sakura was happy, though she also felt a tad bit guilty. She knew that Naruto's mind was no doubt consumed with thoughts of Gaara's kidnapping, but she knew that his mind needed to be taken off of that subject before he did something dangerously stupid. On a more positive note, she believed that he deserved to know that his efforts to reach out to people were being noticed, and even appreciated. Gaara's family certainly thought so and when they got to the village, maybe they would be able to show it. Well, that would actually likely come after they'd gotten the Kazekage back. Sakura felt a knot form in her gut as she contemplated what that struggle would be like. It would no doubt be unlike anything that she'd experienced prior, perhaps even outdoing the mission to the Land of Rice Paddies to infiltrate Orochimaru's base.

I'm stronger than I was then, and so's Naruto. She told herself with a slight tightening of her fists against the dove's back.

"You're going to tell me not to get too worked up, aren't you?" Naruto called.

Yep, he's definitely gotten smarter. "If I did, would you listen? We already have Temari, who's probably just barely holding it in."

"I'd try to, I mean, you'd be the third person to tell me to do that." Neither of the two teenagers needed to look back to know "adults of the group" had told him exactly that. Temari hadn't even bothered as she was in the same boat as the Jinchūriki. She was out in front, separated from the group leaving Kakashi and Semiramis the closest; they also happened to be the oldest, though the latter didn't quite look it. For Naruto and Sakura, it almost felt like they were their chaperons…which they practically were. "I know what everyone thought when they heard Gaara was kidnapped and I'm the one who's being sent to look for him." He could feel Sakura's eyes on him, they reeked of concern for his well-being. Turning to face her, he smiled, hoping to reassure her as best he could. "Don't worry, I know what Gaara would say if I tried to do something that recklessly stupid…him and Sasuke."

Sakura's eyes widened at the mention of their absent teammate. It was an unspoken void that affected all of them, save for their newest member. Given what she'd seen of her, she suspected that Semiramis was aware that her presence on Team Seven didn't fill that void, but it wasn't like anyone was going to say anything about it, or spurn the aid she was offering.

"I'm…going to try not to think about him. We need to focus on someone else we can save, someone who definitely needs it now more than ever." The medical ninja declared. "I'll have your back through and through, alright?"

"I know you will, you always do." Affirmed the genin. "Just…be ready if we end up running into Itachi and his partner." Naruto saw the way her whole body tensed. It wasn't like he had much room to talk since his encounter with the older Uchiha had been limited to once, and he hadn't traded blows with him, which in retrospect, was probably for the best. He knew if Sasuke couldn't even hold a candle to Itachi, the old him didn't have a snowball's chance, and that wasn't even factoring in Itachi's partner.

"You won't mind if I…cut off a leg or two, will you?"

A bolt of fear shot through him, temporarily surprising him. Whenever he thought of that day, specifically the implication of having his leg cut off…his whole body seized up with fear. Naruto had realized it was because of his sheer powerlessness - the fact that he could have punched and kicked and screamed, and it would have done nothing. It was a reminder of how utterly weak he was, even after all that he'd been through up until that point.

Hehehehe, yeah…you were such a pathetic little runt back then. Practically a fly buzzing around that thought itself a mighty eagle.

Naruto silent reached forward and placed his hand on his stomach. When you talk like that…you sound like you're acknowledging that I've improved. Grinning, he affectionately rubbed his stomach, almost like he were reaching out and patting the muzzle of the monstrous fox within him. Thanks, Nine-Tails.

The gesture was not appreciated. Don't go getting the wrong idea, brat! You're still a cocky runt who's prone to biting off more than he can chew!

Well, I've always got people to back me up when I do. The blond ninja cheerfully fired back. Including you. He chuckled as he felt his stomach grow hot; The Nine-Tails may not have been able to directly manifest in too many ways, but he'd learned to make do in others. And Naruto had learned how to deal with that, much to the fox's frustration.

Just don't go getting yourself caught, you little brat. I am NOT getting ripped out then crammed into another blasted container, especially one like that accursed urn that tanuki ended up in!

Urn, huh? Gaara did mention at one point that's what Shukaku was sealed in. Were you ever sealed in something like that, Nine-Tails?

Hell no! I'd never let myself get caught and humiliated like that! The fox roared back. His voice boomed in Naruto's head like thunder; this was something else he'd gotten used to. At least he wouldn't have to worry about his eardrums being blown out, by the fox or the "screamers" in his life. Not to mention I don't plan on letting myself get captured the same one that loser has!

Sheesh, for a giant fox who made attempts to escape in the past (and probably planning to do more right now and in the future), in an ironically contrasting way, he sure had higher standards to be imprisoned in a human - insect in the vulpine creature's words - rather than be in an inanimate object. Naruto wondered if the other Tailed Beasts felt the same way as the Nine-Tails did. But on the more important subject...

So you've got my back? Awesome! We are turning into a better team after all! "Ow!" Shouted the genin with a wince, drawing the attention of his companions. He'd yanked his right hand away from his stomach, to Sakura and Kakashi's surprise, it seemed to be glowing red like he'd burned it. Semiramis waited for him to look back and meekly apologize. She simply rolled her eyes, already knowing what had happened without even speaking a word to either her Master or his inner demon.

Only time would tell if the relationship between the two would improve on this mission.

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At night...

"Back home so soon, yet here we are again, under the stars in the wilderness." The blond ninja mused, staring up at the night sky.

"Personally, I would have liked to have spent more time in the village…but…this isn't so bad." She looked to the side and saw him smiling at her. Semiramis felt her cheeks heat up, even as she looked away. "Besides, by this time tomorrow, I'm hoping we'll be back in the thrall of civilization. As you know, Naruto, I'm a city girl."

"Heheheh, and you know I'm an anything kind of guy. The Sand Village…it's really, really different from the Leaf." Naruto mused.

The campfire had long since been snuffed out and the other half of the group had gone to sleep. Or at least it seemed like they'd gone to sleep. Naruto looked between his teammate and their sensei and their Suna-born companion, a sneaking suspicion that the oldest nina wasn't quite as asleep as he seemed. It'd be the far from the first time he'd feigned sleep. Semiramis seemingly took notice of that too as her coppery eyes occasionally flickered to the two. She seemed to be paying close enough attention to them as she was everything else in the forest. Naruto looked at the trees and counted four doves keeping sight over their campsite. All of them stood out like sore thumbs in the darkness-clad forest, but their eyesight was top notch. Just another nice use of birds so commonly seen as peaceful and docile.

"I'm…frankly a little surprised at how calm you're being." Spoke the Assassin.

Naruto laughed. She'd seen through his memories and knew better than most just how impatient he could be, especially when his loved ones were involved. "Well, as much as I wish I could, it's not like I can just warp across the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind. It'd be cool if I could though."

…If only he'd inherited his father's jutsu. This Flying Raijin technique would have been an incredibly useful boon. It seemed rather ironic that the impatient son of a man who could move at near lightspeed lacked his father's trademark ability. Naruto would have loved the ability, perhaps too much, and that would have been another dilemma for him to overcome. From what she understood, the Flying Raijin took an acute sense of spatial awareness and sharp senses; her Master was working his way toward the usage of both, but his mastery of them was still a long way off, even with his improved usage of the Kitsune-ken. "As I said, if there's a sandstorm brewing, my doves won't be able to fly through it. We'll have to take shelter somewhere."

"And we won't be able to tell that until we've gotten to within a mile or two of the border, and even then, once we entered the Land of Wind, we'll still be at risk." Naruto groaned as he recalled the way that his fellow Jinchūriki had told him of his homeland, that it's barren and at times storm-ridden nature made it near inhospitable. "Alright, so let's run this, Gaara is kidnapped about two days ago and it takes…"

"On foot, it'd take almost three days to leave the Land of Wind on foot under optimal weather conditions, and that's assuming they left on foot and that they even left the country altogether."

A blond eyebrow was raised. "You seriously think they'd stick around after attacking the village and kidnapping the Kazekage?"

"…Fair point." Behind her stoic façade, Semiramis was silently pleased that her Master was taking the time to think things out with her. It was the kind of analytical mindset he'd been sorely lacking when they first met. "First and foremost, they would have to keep Gaara subdued, but I'm also going to guess that they'd need him alive since if he dies, so does his Tailed Beast. That would mean that they'd either have to stop at an oasis or they came prepared with supplies of their own."

"You know, I seriously don't think they'd stop at one of the oases, it'd be too dangerous for them, especially since they'd likely still be carrying Gaara around with them."

"I concur…but it's possible that they might have passed close to one, doubly so if one of them was perhaps injured. Though he was taken, I don't believe Gaara would have been the type to go down without a fight." Coppery gold and bright blue stared at one another through the darkness, tension gripping both of them. On Naruto's side though, there was a small glimmer of hope. Semiramis would have liked to give that hope an extra boost, but she was a realist. They had so little to go on all any of them could do was speculate. That wasn't a healthy way to get to sleep, especially when it was going to be sorely needed. "Naruto," she spoke. "Go to sleep like the others. As usual, I'll stand watch. Should something happen, I'll let you know."

He didn't protest, only smile at her in that same goofy yet assuring way. Yawning, he crawled into his sleeping bag alongside the others. Within minutes, her pointed ears registered his soft snoring. She hoped this wasn't going to be one of those nights where those soft snores grew into something louder, if not for her sake than for the rest of their companions.

Alone, the Dual-Classed Servant silently basked in the quiet serenity of the night. It was what she was used to, being alone with no one and nothing but her own thoughts. It was coming to this world in which she'd learned that while she was alone in one way, in other ways she had companions, allies. Reliable allies as she'd call her current lot. The three ninja sleeping around the former campfire were all dependable from what she'd seen of her Master's memories. If given the information they needed, perhaps they could pull this rescue mission off. However, for that to go smoothly, she would have liked to cut down on the number of potential…wild cards.

Standing up, the black-haired woman walked to the edge of the campsite, arms crossed and with a dismissive look on her face. With that same look, she flared up her aura, divine yet insidious as a creeping demon, such as the essence of Queen Semiramis of Assyria. It spread out like one of her hundreds of poisons, invisible and deadly. All the woodland animals felt it and seized up with fear, knowing they were in the crosshairs of a predator who'd slay them in a heartbeat. Semiramis could taste the fear on her lips, but it wasn't their fear she was searching for.

A minute passed, then two, then three, she counted seven minutes in total during which she'd stood still as a statue, no, a sentinel. It was hilarious to think about as normally, she was the one who had sentinel standing guard over her. It was their duty to give their life for hers should the need arise. Semiramis was curious if these men had the same commitment to their goal.

Evidently, they did as Semiramis sensed nothing, or almost nothing. Even if they were on the far edges, they could still feel enough of her venomous aura to get the hint, which was all they were going to be given. It was ironic that they could no doubt see her, yet she couldn't see them; she gave them high marks for being able to blend in. Of course, she could remedy that problem if she wanted to. In flaring up her aura and projecting it in their direction, she let them know that. Again, it was the only warning that they were going to get.

Rather or not they took it was up to them, as was rather or not they pitched in to make sure this mission was a success. If they did, then Semiramis might show a little mercy to them.

If not, she had absolutely no problem sending them back to their cycloptic master to be disposed of. She highly doubted he'd kill them primarily out of mercy as he didn't seem the type. He did seem like the type who'd likely have their bodies dissected to study the secrets of her poison. Oh, it would only be a small sampling of the pain that awaited him and his subordinates should they cross her.

Having sent her message, she returned back to the tree she'd been resting against and leaned against it. She didn't need to sleep…but she could feint the attempt. Who knows, maybe somewhere along the way she might actually choose to get a nap or two in. She had her doves standing guard as they always did so as far as she was concerned, they were safe.

For the moment anyway.

⊲=≡▷-ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ-◁≡=⊳

Dawn was both a welcome and a repulsive sight.

"That was one long-ass hell of a night." Owl declared, being the one to speak for all of them, including Cat.

These all-nighters weren't anything new for any member of the six-man team, but they weren't exactly pleasant, especially when they had something to keep them up at night. The subtle threat of one of their targets certainly did the trick in ensuring that no one got to sleep, and if by some miracle they did, their dreams would have a dark ring around them. None of them had dark circles underneath their eyes, contrary to what the pointy-eared woman believed, they'd been through worse. Root weeded out such weaknesses in all of its recruits, especially those who were in the upper echelon like them.

Through the eyeholes in her mask, Cat gazed up at the sun slowly rising above the horizon. It signaled the start of another new day, one that she could feel was going to be filled with…excitement. "Get ready to move." She commanded her four subordinates. What little rest they'd gotten would be all that they'd get as they set out in tailing Team Seven again.

Just like before, they kept their distance from the five-man team, knowing that if they got too close they'd be spotted. Actually, their presence had already been deduced by the most dangerous and intriguing member of the team. She'd given them a warning to keep their distance, reluctantly they were going to follow suit…for now. Their mission was to observe and if need be, secure the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki; the latter was the only reason they'd step into the light and potentially fully reveal themselves. As dawn broke, however, they would stay confined to the shadows.

Even with the return of sunlight to the world, shadows lingered, and it was in those shadows that the Root team thrived. The brighter the light, the longer the shadow it cast, that was a part of Root's philosophy, and Team Seven were unknowingly verifying it.

The five-man team eagerly pressed on ahead, having taken to the skies on their oversized doves. Their ability to fly made it slightly harder than usual to keep pace with them, but the squadron made sure not to lose track of them, no matter how far or how high they flew. It helped that they'd charted out their path by now, all they had to do was stay on the fringes of their sensory sphere and remain hidden, which was ironically made easier thanks to the separation of the earth and sky. Still, Cat remained on guard, not just for any tricks from either Kakashi Hatake or the Assassin, but for other unforeseen outside elements. By now, she was sure that word of the Kazekage's kidnapping had started to become public knowledge; it'd certainly reached the Hidden Stone and Cloud Villages. The latter she doubted would respond fast enough to be a problem, but the former was an entirely different story.

Especially since they'd reportedly lost track of both of their own Jinchūriki.

"Ah, so that means the hunt is on." She'd mused upon reading the report several months ago. An uncomfortable knot had formed in her stomach at the realization that the delicate power balance between the villages was about to be violently upended.

Violence found Team Seven about a mile into the Land of Wind. After all the talks and speculations, the team ended up running into a brewing sandstorm. Maybe someone had jinxed the journey.

Cat raised her hand holding back her five compatriots, all of whom followed her order near robotically. There was also a touch of common sense as they all could see the brewing storm on the horizon. Wading into it would be a fool's errand, not to mention it could result in the failure of their mission if they ended up coming face-to-face with one of the team's members. There was no least dangerous pick, there was only one dangerous pick-the so-called Queen of Assyria. Such a thing would be a death sentence, rather it happened here in the now swirling sands or elsewhere at the blade of one of their own in an act of mercy.

Not to mention some of them, namely Wolf and Owl, really hated sand. If they had a say in the matter, they would have forgone this mission, but it was out of their hands.

"Yuriko." Owl spoke, standing right alongside her. "What do you want us to do? It'll be hard to track them through that brewing sandstorm, even I'll have a little bit of trouble."

"…We're going to hunker down." The cat-masked kunoichi declared. "We'll wait it out, just like Team Seven will. We won't lose sight of them…because we're going to place a tracker on them." Looking back at Bear, she saw him already reaching into his pouch for a slip of paper. "That's how we'll keep track of them, this is the opportunity we've been waiting for. Ihara."

"Almost ready." The brawny man declared, walking up to her right. It was deeply ironic that he was the most physically imposing member of their team, yet he was also the most creative and his preferred jutsu without a doubt the most artistic. Normally, such creativity and interests were to be stomped out of Root, but Ihara was…different, unique. Even Lord Danzō had seemingly recognized that his artistic side was best left untouched and untarnished, even if he was ingrained with Root's philosophy. Then again, it was equally likely that the war hawk recognized that his creativity and his ability to operate in the field were tied to one another, thus fostering the former was in his best interests. Ihara wasn't the only one who had that particular "quirk". "Daigan, I'm ready."

Owl nodded and stepped forward, his hands coming together. "Byakugan!" He shouted, behind his mask veins contorted around his pale white eyes, which easily saw through the slits in his mask. Placing his right hand atop Ihara's, he linked their vision giving him the opportunity to send off his origami scout. "I see them, almost seventy meters ahead of us. It's looking like they're going to be pressing on ahead into the coming storm. Isn't there an oasis nearby?"

Wolf grunted. "Yes, there is, and they probably plan on forcing their way there. Wish we could do the same, but like Yuriko said, it's too risky."

"Which is why we'll let them press on…but without leaving a nice trail of breadcrumbs for us to follow." Bear whispered seconds before throwing his right hand out. From it flew a single brown-colored object that both sailed the wind yet seemed propelled by its own power. Amongst the growing gusts of sand, it easily blended in, becoming invisible to the naked eye, but not to the eye of its creator and the Hyūga Clan member at his side. Together, they piloted the small origami object through the growing sandstorm. It was a tumultuous journey, one that required precise chakra control on the part of both ninja; given who they were, that wasn't a problem.

They saw the small origami bird flying deeper and deeper into the desert, getting closer to Team Seven, who'd understandably slowed down thanks to the brewing storm. That didn't mean that they'd stopped.

The two Root ninja cursed as they felt the change in the wind through the chakra-animated origami. Ordinarily, the group would have been great bogged down, but they had a guide, the sister of the Kazekage herself armed with her giant fan. She'd swung it about creating a wind barrier around them that protected them from the worst of the brewing storm. Ihara and Daigan looked between each other, together, they poured more of their chakra into the origami bird giving it the ability to penetrate the wind barrier. The bird had to stay low as not to be detected, though the attempt was aided in coming up on the group from behind.

Their target was obvious - the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.

Both men felt their already racing hearts accelerate as they maneuvered the bird beneath his black sandal. Neither sighed in relief until they felt the fingertip-sized origami successfully stick itself to the bottom of his sandal. It went completely unnoticed, just as it would have with any of the other four members of the group. They could have tagged the others, but the Jinchūriki was their primary goal and they wouldn't fail. Now, they had him marked.

Word was that Lord Danzō wanted the boy marked so the village could be made aware of his location when outside the village, but the idea had surprisingly been shot down by everyone. Some actually agreed with the idea since it might have been a little too restrictive; the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki seemed to do his best work when he was free. What he needed to know though was that his life and the village's security were tied to one another, granted getting that lesson through to him had fallen onto people who'd chosen to be extremely lenient with him.

"Alright, now that we've tagged him, we're hunkering down and waiting for this storm out." Cat declared as her two teammates broke off their concentration. They'd earned a little break, as had the rest of the team, a chance to actually relax a little.

Unfortunately, that relaxation was going to be done in a hole beneath the earth. Said hole was created by Wolf performing a set of hand signs before thrusting her palms into the sand. It and the earth parted ways for several meters down south, it was a perfectly carved out hole beneath the earth, one that would hold thanks to the binding seals put in place around the subterranean shelter. Without a word, everyone jumped in, knowing they were likely going to spend anywhere near up to an hour in the hole. Luckily, a handful of holes connecting to the surface would provide air, sandy air, but breathable air none the same.

The cat-masked kunoichi shot one last look at the now thoroughly developed sandstorm that Team Seven had disappeared into. This wouldn't be enough to stop them, she knew that, but it wasn't the storm that carried danger, it was what lurked in it. Or rather, who lurked in it.

"We're almost there!" Temari shouted over the roaring winds that surrounded the team kept at bay by her whirlwind. Her wind barriers were short-term fixes, and sometimes they weren't even that. Luckily, this storm wasn't the worst that it could have been.

"Here I was thinking the Leaf's summer storms were bad!" Naruto shouted.

It was met with a boisterous laugh from the Suna kunoichi. "Hah! You call those things you people in the Land of Fire have storms? Naruto, you're getting your first true Suna experience! Enjoy it!"

The whisker-faced blond ninja groaned at the remark. He was certainly getting to experience something incredible, but he wasn't quite sure that enjoying it was what he should have been doing. Looking at his teammates, they certainly didn't seem to be liking it. Neither did Semiramis, who'd been forced to dismiss her doves as they weren't suited for this kind of weather. Making it even worse, he could tell that she couldn't see through the shifting sandstorm as well as she would have liked. All around them sand raged, tons of it flying out in all directions and smacking into anything and everything in its path. Were it not for Temari's wind barrier, that would have included them.

As they walked, Naruto wondered if he'd be able to maintain a barrier as strong and precise as hers. Sure, Semiramis had tested him by flinging pain-inducing poison at him, but the poison she'd thrown had been…a single-shot almost attack to a degree. What was happening around them was a never-ending storm that could grow stronger in a heartbeat.

"Stop, we're here!" Temari shouted while unfurling her fan then whipping it forward. The sand was blasted away revealing, rather surprisingly, a clear patch of desert in front of them. Eyes widened as they looked around and saw a wind wall similar to the one that had protected them was keeping the storm at bay. "Watch your step, everyone, there's a slope ahead!"

"Thanks for telling us." Naruto said.

"Thanks for not running off at the mouth." The female blonde coolly shot back.

True to form, the group moved slowly, as they did they could see the rooftops and towers of the oasis-based town that they would be resting at. Coming to a stop atop the hill, the three Leaf natives and lone other worlder stood in quiet awe of the sizable town that spanned out before them. It had all been built around a bright blue lake that looked mighty appealing to the group of five. They'd been sparing in drinking water, it looked like that abstinence was at a happy end.

"After we take a break here, will we be able to make straight for the Hidden Sand?" Naruto asked, his fists tight in spite of the seemingly passive look on his face.

"Should the weather be fair…yeah. If he hustles across the desert after stopping here, we'll make it there tonight. Be warned, we'll be trading in the hot sun for the cold winds, and when I saw cold, I mean it." Temari stated.

"That's fine, we'll just warm up once we get to the Sand Village." Sakura declared.

"Then let's get going, everyone." Her spiky-haired teammate barked, jumping down and sliding down the sandy slope. He didn't bother to look to see if the others were following him, he knew that they were. Naruto could feel a continuous pounding in his chest - the rhythm of his heart in excitement. Ever since they'd set out, he'd done his best to keep a cool head, even though he'd have wanted nothing more than to take off at top speed toward Suna, wrangle whatever information he could then hightail it after Gaara and his kidnappers. That's what he wanted to do, that's what the younger impulsive him would have done. In some ways, he was still that same kid, but tempered more.

But he liked to think if he ran into danger from his impulsiveness, he'd be able to face it.

⊲=≡▷-ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ ᕳᕲ-◁≡=⊳

"I'll admit, these…beverages of your sand folk are-"

"Awesssssooome." The Assassin's Master finished for her, an absolutely heavenly look on his face. Were it not for her regal composure, Semiramis would have had a similar expression on her face.

"Told ya'." Temari happily boasted. She wasn't the only one wearing a smug grin on her face, the bartender was as well.

Food and drinks were nice, especially when it was free. Though the threat of an impending crisis loomed over everyone, there was still time taken to enjoy little things like this. Traveling with the (missing) Kazekage's sister certainly had its perks. The five-man team was going to need their strength to rescue the Fifth Kazekage and an exception or two could be made. Naruto and Sakura quietly giggled to themselves while Kakashi counted it as one ray of light in an impending storm; Semiramis thought the same.

While they took their small break, the storm outside began to subside. Naruto had quietly listened and waited for the howling winds to die down; as they did, he could feel his body filling with energy, and it wasn't just from the food and drinks. They actually made the energy surge all the greater.

"You folks make sure to come back here after you've rescued Lord Kazekage!" Shouted Seiichi, the bartender who'd served them as the group headed for the door. "And when you do, it'll be another one free of charge!"

"Awesome! Next time we come back, we may even bring him along for a day out of the office!" The whisker-faced blond proclaimed.

"You know, that may not be such a bad idea. Then again, knowing Gaara, he'll probably try to go right back to work the minute he's able to." Temari stated.

"Heh, that's just another difference between him and Granny Tsunade." Naruto remarked with a witty smirk.

"Naruto!" Sakura called, her scandalized look only to be met with a dry stare from her teammate. Even she was forced to reluctantly admit that he had a point as she deflated in defeat. "Um, would either of you mind if…I tagged along? That Melon Ball tasted pretty great."

"My personal favorite was the Crimson Sunset, it had a great taste to it, one that I won't mind trying again." Kakashi stated. Suddenly he felt an odd tingle, causing him to look around at the rest of the group, practically everyone was staring at him. "What?"

Interestingly, it was Semiramis who stepped forward, a look of intense concentration on her face. It was…off-putting for the Copy Ninja, though he held his ground as she walked right up to him. He still had a few inches on her, even with her heels. Her snake-like eyes intensely stared at his face, namely his lower half always covered by his mask; she seemed to be trying to burn a hole in it with her glare. Sadly for her, she wouldn't be the first - to try or fail. Looking away from her, he saw his two students hanging back, looks of curiosity on their faces before the blond and pinkette let out joint sighs of defeat. Now that, Kakashi certainly recognized. Turning his attention back to the Servant, he waited for her to do the same. Off to the side, Temari shook her head in annoyance. Sure, she'd had similar thoughts of curiosity, but she recognized that now wasn't the time for them.

"Kakashi Hatake," Semiramis spoke in a commanding voice that seemed to chill the desert air around them. "One day, I will uncover your face, I shall lay my eyes on it, that I promise you."

"…Uh-huh, I'm sure you will, Semiramis." He responded with a half-hearted laugh. "But can you do that time after we've finished the mission?"

With a haughty huff, she turned her back to the white-haired man and began to walk alongside her Master as the group looked to get back on the main road. It'd take them through the village's main door putting them back on the road to Suna, once there, they'd practically be sprinting the entire way. Or rather, the four humans would with the otherworldly spirit tagging along. It was a fun little "side benefit" she enjoyed as a spirit, albeit one bound to her Master. Said Master was looking at her with an aside glance.

"Good luck with that, Semi-chan." Naruto muttered. "Me and Sakura and Sasuke tried for a month to see what was underneath Kakashi-sensei's mask. No luck."

"Ah, but with all due respect, I'm not either of you." In spite of her attempted forewarning, her statement came out as unapologetically arrogant, which in retrospect was probably to be expected. Sakura merely rolled her eyes and stayed on course, knowing this was a conversation to be had for another day. "I will see the face underneath that mask before I leave this world. Even if I have to-!" Her determined remark was silenced along with all the other chatter on the street as the ground upon which they all stood shook. Wide-eyed, several stopped what they were doing and looked around trying to ascertain the source of the tremors.

For Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, and Temari, it was a source of alertness. The Leaf jonin dropped to his knee and put his hand against the dusty ground, his one eye closed in concentration. Naruto locked eyes with his Servant, a silent warning flashing between the two of them.

BOOM!

RRRRRAAAAAAHHHH!

The roar sent a wave of fear through the village's residents as it ripped across the entire oasis-based settlement. Clenching at themselves, their loved ones, or whatever was nearby, they all looked in a single direction to see what it was that had made the horrific sound. Team Seven and its additions did the same, their bodies already preparing for a fight that they knew was coming. Indeed, it was going to be a fight, one against a giant, towering foe. Temari's eyes widened in shock as she examined the epicenter of the roar. Her lips moved in a statement of wonder that spoke for all of them in regards to what they saw.

It was a snake, one so unnaturally large that it was in no way normal, which it certainly wasn't. In the glare of the midday sun, the various grooves and indentions on the wooden frame glistened, almost like gold. Was that gold sprinkled across its frame, or some sort of dust that only looked the part? The truth didn't matter as it did little to take away from the awe and terror-inspiring vestige at the creature invoked. A line of bloody-red spikes ran down its body, they too seemingly glowed, though it wasn't because of the sun. The creature's metallic fangs glowed as well, flashing silver that could shred multiple buildings in an instant and humans in even less time. As the latter began to scatter about in terror, the creature's eyes looked around, calculating where and what it should attack. For authenticity, it even hissed with a seemingly real tongue.

Naruto felt his blood chill at the sound, seemingly loud as a bell thanks to the size of the creature. Even as it chilled, it continued to run, even accelerating. His body remembered the last time he'd tangled with a giant snake, even if this one wasn't flesh-and-blood; Naruto really didn't like snakes. And neither did Sakura, who fell into a battle-ready position, a dark look on her face as she knew the monstrous construct was going to attack. The only question was what would be its target.

The Sand Kunoichi unfurled her fan. "It's already started. News of Gaara's kidnapping and you've got belligerents acting up!"

"With a giant-sized snake puppet!" Naruto snapped, alertness and disbelief coloring his face. "They can get that big!?"

"It's a war puppet! A ninja puppet that was built for war!" Verified the wind-user. But where the hell did it come from? Who made it!? Kankuro and the puppet corps are the only ones with access to the schematics to build them! Unless…! "I'm going to try and see if I can get-!"

RRRRRRRAAAAAGGGGHHH! Screeched the artificial animal. Apparently, it'd found its next target.

Naruto's already cold blood further chilled as the creature's glowing red eyes locked on him. Why does this sort of stuff keep on happening to me? He groaned internally in exasperation.

Hey, it's just you getting what you've wanted since you were a kid. The strongest of the Tailed Beasts offered with a sarcastic cackle. Besides, it's not like this is anything new for you, right? I'm sure you'll be able to handle this just fine! A minor speedbump to rescuing Shukaku's host!

The blond gnashed his teeth. A speedbump, that's exactly how Naruto would have described this; he didn't have time for this. "Hey, ugly! You got a problem with me!? Let's take it up outside in the desert!" Before he'd finished shouting, he turned on his heel and began to run, not even bothering to wait for his teammates' input. Knowing them, they'd deduce his plan in a heartbeat, then they'd berate him for how reckless it was. Naruto didn't care, the quicker they were able to deal with this thing, the better. He heard the beast roar again, yet he didn't feel that familiar tingle at the back of his neck or spine that sense the danger was right on top of him.

Because it wasn't.

SWOOOOSHHH!

Skidding to a stop, he spun around and watched as a linear storm of debris was kicked upward, a result of the puppet swinging its tail about. In doing so, Naruto saw that it had a massive single-edged blade at the end, perfect for slicing up buildings, and people. Though almost a dozen feet away, he could see the splotches of blood on the blade. It was then raised and plunged into the ground, creating another shockwave that rippled across the ground. Naruto's anger skyrocketed as he couldn't help but wonder how many people had just lost their lives.

Boom!

Instead of ignoring the air blast, the puppet turned its attention to the one who'd launched it. Temari returned the glare with one of her own.

"I'll restraint it while the rest of you put it down." Spoke the cold voice of the black-haired woman, the ground around her feet igniting with deep violet light. From that light burst several barbed chains that shot through the air like live serpents toward the giant mechanical snake. Semiramis could admit that the creature was quite a sight for mechanical engineering and warfare; unfortunately for it, it chose to show itself at the wrong time. A ninja puppet such as this requires a puppeteer, right? I have to find them and we can shut this thing down.

CLANG!

Her attention was pulled from her thoughts as she saw something that visibly made her mouth drop. From several ports in the body had came blades, rotating blades that managed to beat back her chains and their attempt to subdue the snake puppet. Semiramis blinked in surprise, genuinely not having expected such a mechanism; however, her shock was short-lived as her eyes narrowed. Holding out her hand, she added a corrosive element to the chains then sent them back. "Sakura, I'm going to summon a dove, if you can get a clear shot at that puppet's head, can you destroy it?"

"Consider it done." Throwing her left hand out, the Servant summoned another large dove. It spread its wings in glorious joy while the medical ninja mounted it, the two then took off toward the puppet. Semiramis used both hands to manipulate her now poisoned chains, this way always offered her better control when it came to elusive targets, or troublesome ones such as the serpentine puppet that they now had to contend with. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Kakashi had disappeared. If she had to guess, he was either off rescuing civilians or searching for the puppet's puppeteer. From what she understood, they had to be close by, no doubt within a fifty-feet or so. Especially for a puppet as seemingly massive and powerful as this one.

"Semiramis!"

Another dove was summoned and then there were two ninja in the sky.

The Servant looked at Temari, who simply shook her head while holding her fan. "I've got my own! Just hold that thing still!"

"Yes, like I haven't been trying to do that." She drily fired back. Loath as she was to admit it, the puppet was squirming about too much for her liking, even with two of her chains wrapped around its serpentine body. The glee she'd felt in feeling them wrap around it was replaced with confusion as her ears registered the sound of her acid failing to do its job. "What the…?" With sharp eyes, she looked at where her chains had bound the snake as it wriggled and swung its body from side to side. Her chains had dug into it and the acid was eating away at the exterior…but not fast enough, almost like the puppet's exterior was resisting it. Semiramis' eyes widened as she saw the acidic green liquid attempting to eat its way through the golden dust scattered across the puppet's exterior body. The blades on its body were somewhat easier to deal with, but Semiramis felt chakra being used to fight back the poison. "A war puppet, huh? Quite intriguing. It's practically the same as a-"

RRAAAAAAAHHH!

Snapping her head up, she saw that her doves carrying the two Leaf ninja had been forced away, disrupted by the thunderous roar of the snake puppet. The roar was loud enough that even Semiramis back on the ground dozens of feet away felt the reverberations in her ears, wincing in pained annoyance. What came next though made the roar look kind in comparison. Tendrils of air were sucked into the beast's maw where it was then compressed. Wondering eyes saw the way light emanated from the beast's jaws, that light morphed into bluish-white arcs of electricity that left little doubt as to what was about to happen next.

Wide-eyed, Semiramis looked around the street. "Everyone, take cover if you value your lives!"

The beam of bluish-white energy cut a line through the village like a blade through paper. Just as quick as it came it ended, though not a second later the line of explosions shot upward. The flames were reflected in Semiramis' widened eyes.

This was not going as she thought it would, not as she hoped.

"Alright, that's it!" Her Master shouted overhead. He wasn't going to be detoured this time, and he wasn't waiting any more time on this unexpected distraction. Naruto was going to end this, and he was going to do so at the source.

"The head, no matter the entity, always aim for the head. More often than not, it's where the brain is located and its destruction will cease all bodily functions of the creature in question. Either separate it from the body…or utterly destroy it, whichever you prefer, Naruto, so long as you get the job done."

His blades seemed to react to the mental reciting of the "killing lesson" his Servant had given him. Semiramis had done her best to drive home that sometimes he had to fight with nothing short of an enemy's complete destruction on his mind. When facing some foes, Naruto found it surprisingly easy for him to focus on that. A mechanical monster that showed up out of nowhere and started wrecking the town? Oh yeah, it was really easy for him to channel all of his anger and desire for pain, almost too easy. The curved blades lit with orange wind as they drew closer and closer to the wooden top snout of the snake puppet.

THUNK!

"What the…!?" Naruto gasped as did Sakura, who was attempted to punch at the creature's neck and perhaps create a nice-sized hole in it. Both ninja's attacks were halted by a near-invisible forcefield that held their attacks back. "What the hell is this!? Some kind of barrier!?" As he pondered that, he tried his hardest to break it, pushing his blades down causing the barrier to manifest. It was a chakra barrier, one that he knew he could penetrate if given enough time - a couple of seconds to be precise. The flame-like design of the blades lit up and a putrid smell radiating from the blades as the power of poison began to course through them. The chakra barrier began to hiss and boil as it was gradually broken down. In a second, it'd be completely penetrated.

The serpentine puppet realized that and responded accordingly.

With a hiss, the creature rotated its head-no, not just its head, but its entire body while swinging its tail about. Gale-force gusts of wind ripped across the town, even sending some pieces of debris and signs flying like grains of sand. Semiramis' chains were temporarily halted, yet a second later and they were closing in again, all of them now coated in rich venom that she was sure would corrode the puppet's reinforced exterior.

Splotches of vile green dotted a sudden golden outlining that covered the snake puppet's body. The two colors seemed to be at war with each other, a physical representation of the two powers, the power of acid and the power of defense battling it out. Semiramis raised her right hand up and focused it on the flailing puppet. With a sneer, she curled her fingers - the patches of green began to explode, rapidly overtaking the golden barrier. It was strong, but there was no defense in this world that her poison couldn't overcome. Nothing. "Away, all of you! I will end this!" Semiramis called, her pride commanding her to annihilate this weapon down to its gears. Another voice told her now to do so as they were going to need answers as to where this thing had come from and why it'd attacked the village. She figured destroying sixty-to-eight percent of it would do, the rest could be confined in a sealing scroll.

Wails of animalistic ferocity were replaced by cries of pain, clearly this puppet could feel pain; Semiramis was thankfully for that. It'd been too long since she'd made something suffer.

In spite of her order to fall back, she spotted someone running up on the back of the flailing snake. She was amazed that Kakashi Hatake could move so fast while the puppet's body was being eaten away by her venom. His target was the puppet's head, a bright blue torrent of chakra blazing from a kunai blade he'd taken out. She knew his target was the head, same as her Master. Unlike Naruto, he'd have time to get the job done.

Or he would have, had the snake not had one final surprise.

"Kakashi-sensei, get off that thing!" Naruto shouted in alarmed eyes, his instincts telling him that something was coming. A second later and he was proven dead right as the serpentine puppet's body glowed red, from its seemingly wooden exterior to the visible joints. "That thing's about to explode, isn't it!?"

Temari was tempted to agree with him. As her brother was an aspiring puppeteer, she knew a little about the workings of ninja puppets. More often than not, they were equipped with some degree of a self-destruction function, sometimes as a last attempt to defeat the enemy or even to make sure the puppet didn't fall into enemy hands for exploitation. The former category genuinely sucked as some puppets, even small ones, could conceal some deadly explosives. Ones this big? About twenty-five to thirty, maybe thirty-five feet in length? The blast would blow a massive hole in the entire town and kill hundreds, including them.

Upon hitting the ground, Temari began to concentrate her chakra into her fan, it manifesting in the wind which coiled around her. The howl of the storm was near-deafening, especially to Semiramis, who watched from the ground level at the amassing wind. She genuinely wondered if the kunoichi could lift something that massive; such feats were certainly possible, but could it be done before the puppet exploded? Semiramis attempted to help out as much as she could, commanding her chains to once again wrap around the snake-like puppet; in fear of triggering a premature explosion, she reduced the acidity of the venom on the chains. Her right hand went from the air to the ground, a mystical sigil lined with ancient runes manifested beneath her. The Assassin was bathed in brilliant purple light as she called forth a plethora of chains. The ground beneath the flailing snake burst open as scores of black chains shot upward, coiling around the snake. Semiramis grimaced, lifting a behemoth construct as big as this was going to take no small effort on her part, keeping it lifted would take even more of her strength. Hopefully, Temari would take over from there.

Almost twenty feet away from the rooftops, Sakura watched the sight, slack-jawed. "She can….how many chains can she summon?"

Naruto chuckled. "A lot, and they're pretty strong." His laughter ended as his expression turned serious. "Sakura…that puppet…does it feel, familiar to you? Were you and the others went through your second Chunin Exams, was there a puppet master in the mix?"

"Not on almost all those. Naruto, I'm not even sure Kankuro could control something that big so expertly, and to be out of range." The pink-haired chunin warily stated. Though their sensei hadn't been given much time to search, he should have been able to find the puppet master in the few minutes it'd begun rampaging through the village. Sakura couldn't put a word on it, but she had a sickly feeling dancing in the pit of her stomach. Was it because they had this mess to deal with before even getting to the Sand village? "Naruto?" she offered.

"Yeah, I think the same." The spiky-haired blond agreed with a grim snarl. "This was a setup to keep us from getting to Suna!"

Sakura wanted to agree, but she found that she couldn't. Something about all of this just felt…off. It was a little insect of doubt that continuously buzzed in her ear, growing louder when she felt herself drifting toward the possibility that the Akatsuki might have set this up. "It's already started. News of Gaara's kidnapping and you've got belligerents acting up!" That's what Temari said, so is it possible that this is just some anti-Kazekage group taking advantage of the chaos? If so then… Cold sweat gripped the medical kunoichi. That grip strong, she looked around from the rooftop at the battered village. A majority of it was still standing, but the damage done was the sort that was going to take months to repair. Someone was watching us. Maybe the puppeteer or someone close to him. Whoever they were…they don't want us reaching the Sand Village!

"Alright, I've got all the wind that I need!" Temari shouted. She stood at the center of what was practically a localized tornado, which she funneled into the fan. Swinging it felt like swinging a temple pillar, the task was going to take almost eighty percent of all the chakra in her, but if it got the puppet into the sky and kept the village out of the blast radius, it was worth it. The wind was launched alongside the path of her fan, following its direction.

The concentrated wind blast moved toward the upheld serpent, still glowing red and growing brighter by the second. It would be a race against time, one in which hundreds would hold their breaths and pray until-

POOF!

"W-W-W-WHAT!?"

"THE HELL!?"

Kakashi didn't say a word, he only narrowed his eyes in irritated curiosity at what he'd just saw happen. One minute, there was a flailing giant snake-like puppet almost seventy feet in the air, and the next, in the most anticlimactic way possible, it was gone and replaced with a giant poof of smoke. "That move…that was a space-time ninjutsu. Summoning?" With his Sharingan revealed, he was able to see the surge of chakra, and even sense the slight spatial distortion. "I wonder…was this a real attempt to stop us…or was it a spur-of-the-moment decision? A test run at that?"

"You've got to be fucking kidding!" Screamed the older sister of the Fifth Kazekage, outright pissed in disbelief and frustration. Her knees buckled as she watched her wind blast, originally meant to carry the snake puppet, hit nothing. It just continued ascending upward into the desert sky. All that chakra built up and fired off…wasted. Temari screamed and cursed while sweat poured down her brow. Oh, someone was definitely going to pay for this, maybe she'd add the pain on the Akatsuki criminals who'd kidnapped her brother. One way or another, this was their fault.

She wasn't the only one pissed off over what amounted to wasted effort. Both of Semiramis' arms fell, a slight throbbing in both of them; she too had sweat sliding down her cheek. She hated the mere feel of it. Piqued, one of her golden eyes twitches as she made a nasty snarl. "Dammit it all. By the gods, I'll make whoever was responsible for this suffer!" Her hands curled into fists what she for once wished she could use to pummel someone, no doubt the puppeteer whose creation had given her more trouble than she'd been expecting. As it usually did, some of her anger receded in hearing the voice of her Master. Semiramis saw the concern on Naruto's face for her, impulsively, she pushed away the smearing anger and tried to regain a sliver of her composure by making a stoic expression. Minutes later and Kakashi arrived, Temari leaning on his shoulder.

"Tell me what the hell just happened." She huffed.

"I'd like to know that myself, but I fear that we won't get any answers here." Semiramis regained enough of her composure to speak with an air of civility. Mostly. Even the team leader looked rather discontent with the situation. "Someone was controlling that puppet, and when they saw it was losing, they called it back before it could be destroyed."

"But why though? Why send it after us just as we were about to leave?" Naruto questioned. "If we were the target, why not summon it the second we entered the town?"

"That's what I've been wondering…and I believe this entire thing was a spur-of-the-moment decision." Kakashi theorized.

"I…concur. Just as we were about to leave, that puppet is summoned, fights us, then retreats." Semiramis added. "…Could someone perhaps be attempting to put their name up for consideration for the position of Sixth Kazekage." Temari's eyes expectedly narrowed. So did Naruto's. "Or perhaps this is another faction…one willing to take advantage of the absence of the Kazekage and the village's destabilization."

"You know, I'm willing to put my money on that." Sakura noted. Her gaze briefly flickered to Naruto, who caught her green eyes staring at him. They then moved back to the destruction that the snake had wrought upon the town while they'd been fighting it. "Kakashi-sensei…"

The jonin slid his headband across his Sharingan eye. "We'll…do a quick sweep. Sakura."

"I know…I…I know." Again, her eyes flickered to Naruto. He seemed to realize that she was thinking about him. "We have a mission to complete, one of the utmost urgency."

"Then let's not waste any time. Fan out and do search and rescue. Temari, stay here and recover your strength. We're to be back on the road toward the Sand Village in ten minutes tops." Kakashi proclaimed. Personally, he didn't' like the thought of abruptly leaving so many people in catastrophe, but they had a mission to complete. Not to mention answers could only be found in the Hidden Sand Village, which they had to get to as soon as possible.

While his teammate and teacher raced off to begin search and rescue, Naruto lingered where he stood, so did Semiramis.

"Semiramis." He started.

Tapping her foot, they were assailed by a flurry of snow-white feathers. He smiled as they fell to the ground, laughing even before taking off after his teammates.

"Hm, you two seemed to have worked out a pretty good partnership, haven't you? Or is it just that?" It could never be said that Temari lacked courage. She took the accusatory glare of the Wise Queen of Assyria in her exhausted state and laughed. She continued to laugh as Semiramis took flight on one of her giant doves, not bothering to look back at the blonde.

It most definitely wasn't because the sand kunoichi had a point about the partnership bit. Whatever it was that they were facing, Semiramis felt more confident than usual thanks to the presence of her Master. She also felt confident in the allies that they had with them on this mission. From the get-go, she had a feeling they were going to be facing complications, and she was dead right.

Someone didn't want the Kazekage rescued, and from there she theorized there could have been a number of motives. From that assumption Semiramis' heart danced with dark glee at another possibility-had the Akatsuki had inside help? And if so...how much fun would she have in discovering who that inside help was? A wicked smile grew along her lips at the possibility of unraveling these growing mysteries.

Sorry that it's been months since the last update of this story. Between some computer troubles, getting my Covid shot and a myriad of other issues including a family health emergency, it's taken me some time to work my way back to this story. I'm glad that I was finally able to as this chapter marks the first real foray into this story's rendition of the Kazekage Rescue Arc, which as I'm sure some of you can see, will be going differently than in canon. Well, the ending of the last chapter pretty much showed that, but I wanted to put a finer point on it with this one. For starters, our "favorite" war hawk does indeed have a team tailing Team Seven, and some of its members may come as a bit of a surprise for you, and that's just one surprise.

Hopefully the next chapter won't say long to get out. It'll see Naruto and company finally arrive in Suna, get down to business, and a little more explanation on where that giant puppet came from. Speaking of which, it's a little headcanon of mine that after their encounter with Orochimaru in the Forest of Death, Naruto and Sakura aren't the biggest fan of snakes (maybe it's a bit personal since I'm not a fan of them, at all). Unfortunately, the desert is full of all sorts of nasty surprises which Team Seven and several others will continue to discover next chapter. Speaking of which, also expect a drop in on Deidara and Sasori; they were one of my personal favorite Akatsuki duos and in this arc I get to have some fun in exploring their characters.

Until next time, be safe and healthy, everyone!