Harbinger

by tigerowl

Naruto's friendship with his teammates Gaara and Haku is put to the test as they prepare to deal with the threat of the Akatsuki. The secrets Jiraiya has kept come to a head, and Naruto must shoulder the responsibility of protecting much more than the Leaf Village. Continuation of Forlorn. AU NaruHina, GaaSaku, NejiTen, ObiRin, OCs *Taoism, Self-Indulgent World Building, longfic

19. Dismantling

Note: I'd like to thank and welcome euroteres, SilverFang555, and Ayrmed! Morlin, Red Wings, Ancestor's Dragon, fiveflyingsquirrels, and samsaraknight…I thank you all sincerely as well. I have much love for you reviewers and your two-cents. But I care for all review-shy readers too, that's why I try to update somewhat often.

Chapter Soundtrack: "Technicolor Beat" by Oh Wonder

Chapter 19- Dismantling

"The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be."- Socrates

Hinata was seated beside Kurenai on the low-hanging limb of a maple. The girl had her hands customarily folded in her lap while her sensei, far more relaxed, had her hands at her sides; legs crossed. She was smiling as she looked out over the training field.

Sato and Shino were nearby sparring. It would appear that Sato was back to his pre-Star-mission health. He whirled over the grass, dodging swarms of insects. Shino exchanged volleys of shuriken with him, holding back just a hair with his throwing speed. He and Hinata were both aware that Sato's energy and athleticism distracted from the numerous wounds he had sustained. His maiming was not very far behind him. The scars on his hands and arms, and, revealed with the Byakugan, scars that scored his back and chest frightfully, were sure to be permanent. Sato had said that he didn't mind them, "It makes me look a bit tougher…"

"You did very well today, Hinata." Kurenai's voice was warm, "I may have only nicked you once." She recalled that when Genjutsu failed to ensnare her student, a hail of weaponry was not much more effective.

"Once." The girl nodded, "I hope…that I did not hurt you, Sensei."

Her teacher chuckled, "The pain has passed," She glanced down at her bruised arms where Jyukken had broken through a defensive block, "I think it was wise of me to ask you for a rest."

"I'm sorry, I should have held ba-"

"Do not apologize for outclassing me in hand to hand combat." Kurenai said sternly, "I was hardly a match for your Taijutsu when I first took you on as a pupil. I have no right to complain now that you've grown so much."

Hinata's smile was small. Kurenai had always been a practitioner of positive-reinforcement, with her, at least. The woman had other methods of communicating with Sato and Shino. At the moment, she was haranguing Sato from a distance for using kodachi when he had been expressly warned not to. In retaliation, Shino thought it fair to use a pole-arm. The boys had at each other and Kurenai sighed with a shake of her head.

"Their punishment will be the injuries I wanted them to avoid." She decided.

"Sato-kun is feeling much better. Today may be a good day for him to practice with swords again."

"Maybe…" Kurenai glanced at her, "So while we have this moment, may I inquire about the unrest in your clan?"

"Um," Hinata hesitated, wondering which particular issue she was referring to. There were several occurring simultaneously.

"You've had suitors." Kurenai provided an example.

"Oh." She then understood, "It's…not something that I enjoy dealing with, but I am free to decline every offer a visitor makes."

"I hope your father is advocating for you."

"He is." Hinata reassured her.

"Good. Such an asinine tradition is tragically typical of the Hyuga clan, forgive my criticism. Many clans within the Leaf Village no longer subject their children to matchmaking and other foolishness…"

Hinata nodded silently.

"If at any point you feel that your rights have been violated by your elders, or if your freedom is not adequately safeguarded by your father, I will vouch for you." Kurenai declared, "I would happily take it up with the Hokage. Your clan may claim to have unquestionable influence over your duties as a Lady of the Hyuga," Her tone was sharp, "But as a Sensei, I have influence over your career as a shinobi. No one will jeopardize it so long as you are my student."

"Thank you, Kurenai-sensei." Hinata was relieved, "I don't think I will be forced to marry anyone. It's just unfortunate that I have to humor so many guests…"

"We can take more missions if you like, if sabotaging your schedule will help," The woman was clever, "Just as soon as Sato is cleared for it."

"I'd like that." She watched as Kurenai turned her attention back to her male students. While no one could replace her mother, Hinata felt that her Sensei often protected her in the way a parent would. She liked to imagine Kurenai that way.

A short while later the training session wrapped up and the team members went their separate ways, intending to meet again the next morning. Hinata ventured into town and considered how she wanted to spend her afternoon. Since she was not immediately needed by her father or relatives, she wished to default to a favorite pastime. The garden was looking a bit dull these days.

Hinata had a light spring in her step as she cut across town. She anticipated a letter from Naruto soon. She was also glad she had at least a full seven days that would not include entertaining suitors. For now it was business as usual with her team and it was a lovely feeling.

Ahead of her, Chouji was parting ways with Ino and Shikamaru, trading their company for his father's. He and Chouza ventured in the direction of the Akimichi estate while Shikamaru followed a half-step behind his girlfriend down the street. Ino's radar quickly picked up on Hinata approaching. She altered their course, partially dragging Shikamaru, and then met up with her.

"Hinata! I heard this rumor-!"

Shikamaru's subtle nudge stopped her, "You said you were cutting back on perpetuating the rumor mill, Ino. At least give Hinata-san a proper greeting first." His said pointedly before adding, to great effect, "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you, Shikamaru-kun." She smiled sedately when Ino put an arm around her shoulders, steering the group towards the flower shop.

"Hi Hinata! Shika got that greeting out of the way for me," She said while ignoring his sigh, "So now I'm going to go ahead and tell you the latest gossip…"

"Of course. After you do I would like to buy some flowers."

"Sure!" Her voice lowered slightly, "Shikamaru said that he heard about a fight at the Hyuga compound."

Hinata wilted, "Yes…that did happen."

"Was it really Neji? Was it about a-?" Ino was interrupted by Shikamaru again who reminded her that it was a sensitive matter.

"I…" Hinata hesitated, "I know that Neji-niisan did not instigate anything. But he was attacked by a member of the Main House. It may be wise not to discuss what motivated it."

"That's the best part!" Ino whined.

"I'm surprised," Shikamaru commented, seeing Hinata wasn't especially tight-lipped about the event, "It happened at the Main House…that makes me wonder if it was…" He trailed off, rapidly deducing that Hikune's comings and goings from the Hokage's tower and Shogi tables indicated some kind of distress. Giving Ino that bit of information would feed the insatiable monster, though.

Upon arriving at the flower shop Ino relented and gave up on the mystery, for the time being. She knew she could extract a hypothesis later from Shikamaru with certain persuasions.

Hinata was magnetically drawn to purple irises that were on display. She inspected them briefly before taking two small pots over to Ino at the counter. Ino rang her friend up with a discount, "How are you holding up? I hope they cut it out with the omiai business your elders mandated."

Shikamaru leaned on the countertop, lost in his thoughts while the girls chatted.

"It's not so bad. I'm free for most of this week."

"Thank goodness. I hope you didn't meet any real weirdoes…"

"Well…some were…blatantly incompatible…"

Ino cocked an eyebrow, "Aside from being way older than you?"

Hinata nodded, "Yes. Many of them couldn't even hold a conversation…some had strange pastimes…" Her brows knitted in disdain, "And there were a few who said they expected me to cease all ninja activity if they married me."

"Ass…" Ino elongated the word, "Holes. Why would they say that? They're trying to marry a kunoichi! You'd think a man would do that because he liked how you can defend yourself."

"No. I was told it was unbecoming of a quiet lady."

"You abandoning your shinobi career was probably the only way those guys could feel good about themselves." Shikamaru supposed, "A secure man would never ask for such a thing."

Ino gave him a brief, appreciative smile before turning to her friend again, "I'm sorry you've got to put up with that garbage. It's a good thing Naruto would never flat-out tell you: quit being a ninja, it's ruining my confidence!"

"He never would."

"How about we all do lunch sometime? You're free this week and Shikamaru is getting two days off."

Hinata brightened, "I would like that!"

"Good! I'll swing by and get you tomorrow."

They parted on a happier note and Hinata waved to her friends before ducking out of the shop with her potted irises. On her way out, she could see Shikamaru catching Ino before she nearly toppled from the top rung of a footstool. She smiled to herself, 'Ino seems so happy. Shikamaru does treat her very well…even though he doesn't make a big show of things.'

Hinata returned home without incident and switched into her "serious gardening outfit". It was kept in the bottom-most drawer of her bedroom's armoire. She used the same pair of brown-kneed pants and weathered apron for every venture in the garden. Naruto, who often knew where to find her on Hyuga grounds, had once told her that she looked very "cute" dressed in raggedy clothes. Hinata tied her hair up with a white handkerchief before she and her new plants arrived in the garden. She set down a wooden tool basket before scanning the flowerbed for spots to dig holes.

'I haven't had a chance to do this for some time.' Hinata thought to herself, 'Mother was here every day, back then.' She could remember the woman's dedication; the way she was stooped over azaleas and white aster for hours, pruning, 'And Father used to watch her quietly.' Hinata looked over her shoulder to a window, 'From there. It made him happy.'

In the back of her mind, Hinata knew that the undeniable similarities she shared with her mother were the exact things that made her father's heart ache. Her appearance and demeanor; even her taste in food and hobbies, 'I know he misses her so much. I think he always wanted me to be more like him…so he didn't have to think of her whenever he saw me.' While Hinata had adopted her father's fortitude over time, she would forever be a carbon-copy of her mother.

She re-homed the first iris in damp soil, humming to herself, and then heard voices coming from the house. While patting the dirt around the flower's base, Hinata watched as Hikune and Fujita emerged from the veranda door. The older boy was clad in his Jounin vest and had a travel bag with him.

'So his mission inactivity is over.' She noted. She was surprised that it had gone quickly. In all likelihood, Neji had not been enthusiastic about punishing him.

Hikune accidentally shared eye contact with her for a moment, sending a bolt of awkwardness through them both. Fujita swept him along while begging to be taught a new jutsu, oblivious to the tense moment. Hinata turned back to her work and excavated the second hole a bit more, 'I am still unsure of how to feel. Hikune is a very caring person and is close to his brother and parents…' She frowned sadly, 'But I can never forget what he did to Neji-niisan…' She had to witness about a minute of violence with her Byakugan before she arrived to break up the fight. It had been dreadful.

What was most puzzling to her was Tenten's involvement. Neji had explained, with his limited knowledge, that Tenten must have been visiting Hikune frequently. 'Why would Onee-san spend time with Hikune when I know that she…?' Hinata was a stalwart believer that Tenten had a deep-seated and romantic love for the Hyuga heir. There could be no other explanation. Yet there was no way to determine why the kunoichi had grown close to another member of the Hyuga clan. While Hinata was sure that it hadn't been a serious relationship it had still caused unintended damage.

And she would never feel quite right about Hikune again. Every gentle smile he gave could barely conceal Hinata's memory of swiftly sealing his tenketsu; hearing his wails.

She looked once again to see Hikune joining his teammate, Mion, before bidding Fujita farewell at the gate. Hinata paused in her work and sat on her heels; her eyes met with Hikune's once more. There was a true apology communicated in his gaze. It made her heart lurch.

---

Naruto had no trouble waking when Fukasaku asked him to. After quietly stretching and then dressing he could hear the distinct protest of Jiraiya coming from the next room over. 'This is the first time we've woken up Ero-sensei early since he was injured…'

Peeking out of his doorway, Naruto observed as the small toad and Jiraiya had a verbal altercation.

"Jiraiya-boy, you've healed significantly. Eventually you're going to have to resume a normal schedule." The toad reasoned.

"Eventually never meant now, did it?"

Fukasaku seethed, "You asked me to help you with Naruto's training, so that's what I'm doing! Wake up and join us at the Toad Oil pool."

"Sure. In an hour."

The toad hopped into the room and slaps could be heard. Naruto slinked past in silence and exited the house, not wanting to be involved in an argument between two old geezers.

The majestic sunrise bathed the valley and its vegetation in soft light. Naruto lingered in the grassy yard for a short while before Jiraiya emerged from the house, defeated. Fukasaku followed after him, carrying a cane as if to discourage any further mutiny from his old student.

"Mornin' Ero-sensei!" Naruto was a bit cheeky with his greeting.

Jiraiya snorted at him before mumbling, "Hey kid…"

"So you wanted me to start training today? You're not exactly…all better…"

"Yeah, I definitely know that, but I'm not participating in strenuous activities today…Pa is doing the physical demonstrations." Jiraiya smirked, "I'll just stand around and lecture."

"If that's all you plan to do, then you best not complain while doing it." Fukasaku remarked sharply.

"That request would make sense if I wasn't, you know, injured."

The toad raised his cane in warning, "Mark my words, Jiraiya-boy…it could be much worse."

"Uh…right." Jiraiya's attitude did a self-preserving 180 and he lead the way to the training pool. It was a slow procession as the group walked beneath giant banana leaves all the way to a courtyard surrounded by toad statues. With a relieved groan, Jiraiya took a seat in the grass and Fukasaku hopped to the top of stone steps beside the pool. At the center, a toad fountain was spouting oil.

"And here we are!" Fukasaku announced, "Would you care to begin this lesson, Jiraiya-boy?"

"Not entirely, but," He gave Naruto a warm look, "If Naruto's making the effort then I might as well." Jiraiya cleared his throat, "Hm! Senjutsu is the art of absorbing and harnessing natural energy. I bet Pa's told you about this already, but maybe not so much about how it's done."

"No, we didn't discuss how to do it."

"It's tricky business. Feeling the chakra in nature all around you takes patience and discipline. It won't feel the same as the chakra within your body." Jiraiya scratched his chin, "I can't properly describe what natural chakra feels like…but we can help you discover it for yourself."

Naruto astutely glanced at the pool, "It has something to do with that oil?"

"You bet it does. Toad Oil is a great tool for helping a shinobi become more sensitive to natural chakra. If you hold still and focus, with a bit of practice…you'll be able to feel it. From there, you'll have to learn how much is appropriate to absorb, because if you take in too much," He nodded towards a behemoth statue, "You will quickly transform into a toad statue if you're saturated with natural energy."

"How do I…" The boy looked perplexed, "Not do that?"

"I'll give you a good smack that'll bring you back to your senses," Fukasaku announced, "I can prevent that transformation."

"Oh. Phew…"

"Yeah, so you don't need to worry about that. Pa will keep an eye on you." Jiraiya assured him, "If you take in too little natural chakra, it'll barely make a difference. Once you strike the proper balance of mental energy, physical energy and natural energy within your body…" He smiled, "You will reap the incredible benefits of Senjutsu."

"Your speed and strength will become exponentially greater!" Fukasaku added.

Jiraiya continued, "And you'll have a tremendous, external source of chakra to tap into."

"Then we can teach you some time-honored techniques…" The old toad was getting excited.

Naruto was quickly revved up, standing between the two sages. The prospect of having a reservoir of chakra that did not come from the Kyuubi was too good to pass up. The pride of mastering jutsu his teacher was famous for was also enthralling. He rushed up to the steps where Fukasaku was settled, and was about ready to douse himself in oil.

The toad's cane barred him from the pool, "Not so fast, Naruto-boy."

"Yeah…I need to mention the realistic outlook of this training," Jiraiya informed him solemnly, "Naruto, you are very likely to spend most of your days patted down with oil…and getting the shit beat out of you. Then you've got to learn to accumulate nature chakra without oil and practice…" He squinted his eyes, estimating, "Probably for the next five years."

Naruto whipped his head around, aghast, "What?"

"Well that's how long it took me to get the balance right. I meditated my ass off!" He pointed accusingly at Fukasaku, "And Pa and Ma beat me over the head until I was cross-eyed, regularly, for pretty much five years. It was nearly ten years before I had mastered all of the techniques…"

"No, no, no…there's no way I'm staying away from home that long!" He crossed his arms, fuming, "I'll miss the exam! Hell, I'll miss a lot of exams! I might as well tell Baa-chan that she can't count on me as a Leaf ninja!"

"Relax."

"No! And what about Hinata? Or Gaara or Haku? All of my friends!" Naruto's nostrils flared angrily, "We agreed that two years made sense! Why would you encourage me to start training like this when I'm getting prepared to go back to Konoha?"

"Someone had to go and forsake Kyuubi-chakra." Jiraiya nagged, "Need I remind you that the Akatsuki will be after you? Quite soon, might I add. You need to be able to at least escape them, or better still, clean their fucking clocks!" The sage raised his voice, "I am not losing you or Gaara to criminals like them."

"I…" The boy hesitated for a moment, "I…understand all of that. But is training more important than me living my life and accomplishing what I want to do?"

Jiraiya looked at him with a stone-faced expression, "You won't get to live or accomplish things if they kill you."

"Okay." Naruto accepted that argument, "So…what if I really train hard…and then when it's time for the Chunin Exam I take a month off to return to Konoha?" He brightened with another idea, "If I make enough progress maybe I could travel between Leaf and Mount Myoboku? I'll keep up with Sage Training!"

"No."

Naruto scowled at his teacher, "Why not?"

"Because I know that once you're in Konoha you won't leave again."

"Sure I could if I-"

"I'm not an idiot, Naruto!" Jiraiya was furious, "It will be hard enough for you to rationalize that shitty, turnaround trip as soon as you see your friends and start missions," He was bristling, "You'll tire of that routine. You won't take this training seriously. And forget it if you carry on dating that princess of yours! I know you well enough to be absolutely certain that she will wipe that cockamamie plan of yours right out of your head!"

"Ero-sensei-!"

"I'm putting my foot down." Jiraiya announced, "If you're going to take on a member of the Akatsuki, you're going to need all of the chakra and training you can get. I won't always be around to protect you. That anti-Fox chakra stunt of yours was the last straw. You're going to master Senjutsu or bust. Got it?"

Wide-eyed, Naruto stared at Jiraiya and wracked his brain for a solution. He wasn't going to pass over Sage Training, but he wasn't willing to sacrifice the next few years of his life either.

"Then I'll stay here. I'll train." Naruto relented, "But I'll finish early."

"That'd be impressive."

"In less than a year!"

"That'd be pretty goddamn impressive!" Jiraiya ground his teeth at the declaration, "You have no idea how intense this gets! I trained for ten years to learn all that I know now! You can't make light of it, because-" He gestured his thumb towards a toad statue, "That's gonna be you."

"I can do it." Naruto insisted.

"You can't."

"I will because I really need to."

Jiraiya brought his uninjured arm down and slammed his fist on the ground, "You need to listen to me! This isn't like the Rasengan or the Hiraishin! No amount of your inherent talent is going to speed you along…if you screw up there are severe consequences. I don't want you to get captured and killed, but I sure as hell don't want to walk up to a statue and say: hey Naruto, how's it going?"

"Enough, Jiraiya." Fukasaku finally intervened, "Before this argument starts to circle in on itself, I suggest we give Naruto a taste of what he is to learn." He motioned for Naruto to approach him, "Come here, Naruto."

He knelt down beside Fukasaku and got a comforting pat on the shoulder. Some tension escaped him, but Naruto was still not quite returned to his amicable mood. The length of Sage Training was an issue he would need to revisit later. Fukasaku scooped a handful of toad oil from the pool and rubbed it onto the back of Naruto's hand.

"Jiraiya is right. This training is long-winded." Fukasaku explained, still rubbing, "No one who has ever studied Senjutsu has ever mastered it in so little time."

"What's the record?"

Fukasaku chuckled, "I'm not sure. Jiraiya was the fastest learner I've met. I suppose past disciples were not in as great of a hurry as the two of you…"

There was a tingling like static electricity, but far more faint, seeping in through the spot on his hand. Naruto noted that the sensation then coursed through his whole body, a rich, profound, organic energy that was at the same time gentle and fleeting. He thought his eyes were deceiving him when he watched his fingers fuse into the webbed hand of a toad.

"What the-?"

He was clubbed over the head by Fukasaku's cane. Jiraiya laughed vindictively.

While whimpering in pain, Naruto could see that he had returned to his human state. Fukasaku sighed and hopped over to the nearest stone statue, "I expect that you felt something?"

"I think I did…just a tiny bit."

"Yes. You'll be able to feel natural energy more easily with more training. A master such as myself can feel it whenever I am still, without the assistance of toad oil." Fukasaku told him, "You may think it foolish to endeavor to learn a skill like this, at least for now…" He paused for a long minute, still and silent, then spoke again, "But you'll be glad you did once you can do this!"

The small toad heaved, getting leverage on the bottom of the towering stone statue, and with a grunt of effort, the toad lifted the effigy over his head. Naruto's mouth hung open in shock and Fukasaku slowly turned, balancing tons of stone over his head. His arms wobbled slightly.

"Jiraiya-boy," Fukasaku called, "Catch!"

Jiraiya screamed in terror when the toad let go of the statue, but was relieved when it was set back on the ground harmlessly. The ground trembled. Fukasaku cracked himself up, "Ha! You really thought I would throw it at you? Ho ho…no, I respect these disciples far too much to break them over your head…"

"That wasn't funny, you damn prune!" Jiraiya barked, "I've been through enough!"

Naruto had found it entertaining. When Fukasaku returned to the steps he asked for Naruto to take his shirt off. A bit fearful, Naruto complied, and was splashed with more toad oil.

"It's time for you to give it a try, Naruto-boy. Be still and calm. Be one with nature!"

He folded his legs and took a seat, 'Is it really that easy, Gramps? If this is gonna take me years…I doubt I'd know nature even if it came up and punched me in the face…'

The prickling, delicate chakra surrounding Naruto began to find its way in again, by far more rapidly. Almost immediately he was bashed on the head. Without opening his eyes, Naruto lurched over and groaned, massaging the sore spot.

"Off to a great start!" Jiraiya chortled.

"Quiet!" Fukasaku warned his former student, turning back to the blonde teen, "Sorry, Naruto-boy. Let's resume."

And they resumed and resumed for hours.

It was a dismal, tedious morning eclipsed entirely by pain and frustration. By noontime Naruto was wondering if Fukasaku could see the growing, scarlet lump that was rising up from the crown of his head. He could feel nature chakra well enough, Naruto estimated, but his mentors insisted he was moving too fast or absorbing too much. Since "too fast and too much" was the only speed Naruto had ever been comfortable with, Sage Training, he concluded, was utterly foreign to him, 'Never mind Pa and his hate-stick…'

By early afternoon Naruto experienced a small breakthrough. He had held back, concentrating more deeply, honing in on the delicate tendrils of energy all around him. Ever so slowly and cautiously, he let the vibrant rays permeate him, mixing warily with his own chakra. Then there was a warm, creamy substance on his face. It was most assuredly not nature chakra or anything of the sort. Naruto opened an eye and then, with a sigh, relinquished his sharpened, meditative state.

He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and inspected, 'Okay. This looks a lot like-'

Jiraiya was peeling with laughter, "Ha ha! First time's a real bummer! Ha!" Naruto confirmed that it was bird excrement trailing down his head and cheek as Jiraiya continued, "Better get used to that! The more in-tune with nature you are, the more frequently animals and other wildlife will approach you. There will be plenty more birds where that came from!"

"Aw will you shut up, Perv!" He flicked his hand in Jiraiya's direction, shaking the poop off.

While Jiraiya hooted mirthfully from the grass, Naruto turned to Fukasaku, pleading for assistance, "Please tell me he won't be here every day when I practice?"

"I assure you he won't, in fact," Fukasaku shouted to Jiraiya, "Get lost already! You've given all the input we can stand!" And Jiraiya happily retreated, "There…now he will sleep and you and I can avoid further antagonizing."

Frowning, Naruto watched as Jiraiya disappeared around the bend, "Hey, Pa…"

"Hm?"

"I know Ero-sensei told me that I can't treat this training like any other technique of tried to learn, but," He made a hand sign in preparation of making Kage Bunshin, "I think I would do better if I was getting more experience. That's just what works for me, you know?"

"So you wish to use Shadow Clones?"

"Is that cool?"

"Well," Fukasaku rubbed his chin, "The trick is that while they can relay their experience to you they can also absorb too much natural energy. You should not make more clones than I can smash, or we risk turning you into a statue in double the time!"

"Whoa, okay…how about four?"

The toad approved of the suggestion and Naruto proceeded, letting four clones materialize beside him with a puff of smoke. Without protest the doppelgangers sat and closed their eyes, preparing to meditate deeply.

"Naruto-boy."

He cracked an eye open.

"Jiraiya is not trying to discourage you. I suspect that he has a mountain of worries…and it seems to be most palpable when you are near. While I can't approve of how he has been trying to impress upon you the seriousness of Sage Training and how your life can be in jeopardy…I do believe he has said those things because he cares for you." The toad reasoned, "To be quite frank, I am on your side, child. You can pursue this training as quickly and intensely as you see fit. After all, if you can achieve it in a year's time, why in the world wouldn't you?"

"Ero-sensei doesn't think I can." He pointed out sullenly.

"Naruto…he was not the brightest student in the world." Fukasaku grinned, "Jiraiya-boy was downright hopeless! Look how far he made it! I am confident you will surpass him…and maybe that is what grates on his ego. He must expect that you will."

"Sheesh! I'm not doing it to be better than him! I'm doing it because I want to stay alive!"

"A perfectly sensible motivation." The toad nodded.

Naruto closed his eyes again and relaxed, 'At least Pa thinks I can do this.' And he got the sense that, once he had the opportunity to ask Hinata, Gaara or Haku what they thought of his endeavor, 'I guess…they'll plan to see me soon.'

---

Two days later, a few miles beyond the perimeter of the Leaf Village, Hikune and his teammate were completing their return journey. Their mission to escort a terminally-ill young lord and his family to a seaside palace was successful, albeit very sad, they had conceded. The journey home was a bit more pleasant.

"I'm telling you, I didn't say a word to her," Mion insisted, "I just went to the forge and picked my sword up. She didn't even charge me as much as I expected."

"Are you certain Tenten doesn't know about it?"

"Just chill already. If your cousin wanted to sweep it all under the rug and forget about it, what makes you think he'd be inclined to tell her?"

With a deep sigh Hikune acknowledged news of his tantrum had not spread very far. His teammates had safeguarded him adequately and had happily resumed missions with him when the Hyuga elders gave permission. He counted himself lucky that his outburst had not gotten back to the young lady who had caused it.

Mion commented on how the forest always smelled different, smelled better, the closer one came to Konoha. While Hikune agreed distractedly, he heard the faint snap of a tree branch behind them. His trained ear registered that it had a distinctly human quality to it, and so he held out his hand to his teammate, signaling caution.

Without a word, Mion waited for directions as Hikune surveyed their surroundings with the Byakugan. The pair dropped down from the treetops to the ground, watching the undergrowth knowingly.

"We already know you're there." Hikune warned, "Come out."

A long, eerie pause ended when a man stepped out of the leafy thicket, holding his hands up helplessly.

"I need some help." The stranger told them.

"Apparently. You've been following us for quite a while." Hikune observed, "What do you need?"

"I have friends in the Leaf Village. Since I don't know my way around very well, I thought it'd make sense to ask Leaf shinobi."

The precise moment they lowered their guard, the man's arm snapped, hurling a kunai that landed between the two and sunk into the tree bark behind them. Mion laid his hand on the hilt of the sword at his back while Hikune pulled the knife free and read the message tied to it. 'What is this? It's…' There was no demand, no threat, nor any kind of intimidation conveyed through the note. It merely had three names scrawled on it, 'These are the members of Team Gai.'

Hikune's suspicion was rapidly evolving into alarm. He folded the note and tucked it into his belt, surmising it may need to be presented to the Interrogation Corps, 'This man might need to be brought in for questioning if he does not explain himself right here and now.' Two people Hikune was very concerned about had been named on the list, and he highly doubted it was for cordial reasons.

"You can't be friends with people you don't know." Hikune told the stranger, "Otherwise you'd have recognized me."

Mion gave his friend a confused sideways glance, whispering, "What're you-?"

The man was delighted, "Oh! So I found a friend I've been searching for," His eyes narrowed, "Your features would suggest that you're my Hyuga friend, are you not?"

"I'm Neji," Hikune's lie was almost panned by Mion's stupefied expression, "And you are a nukenin."

"See? We know each other quite well already."

"I don't know why you're searching for my team, but I suggest you quit while you're ahead. We have no business with the likes of you."

"But I'm sure you're at least a little curious about why I stopped by," The nukenin prodded, "I'm Koinyu, by the way. I've been so rude! We ought to get better acquainted."

The name was familiar but the young Leaf ninja could not exactly place what significance it held.

"So you're a Rock outlaw." Mion spat a toothpick from his mouth, gripping the sword hilt firmly, "I think we can guess why you're looking for Leaf ninja to torment…"

"You can?" Koinyu raised finely-groomed eyebrows in surprise, "I thought I'd need to give an oaf like you a few minutes to figure it out."

Hikune had to order Mion to stay put and not cut the insolent rogue's head off. He returned his attention to the instigator, "Either you tell us what you need from your 'friends' or I will personally escort you to our Interrogation center," He fell into a Jyukken stance to illustrate.

"Where's the kunoichi of your team?" Hikune nearly lost his nerve when Koinyu continued, "She's the only one Bihokokuni-sama is troubled by. There's no need for us to quarrel if you'd be willing to exchange her."

"Forget it." Mion hissed.

"What do you want with her?" Hikune demanded.

"What do we want? We want to make a statement!" Koinyu smiled, "Though…you two shall serve as a decent introduction. Your severed heads will look especially good, I must say." He did not delay a moment more, and unleashed a tremendous storm of magnetized kunai and projectiles. They rained down with ferocity from all directions.

Koinyu flitted about, weaving hand-signs as Mion was cut up like a schoolyard target. Hikune rotated to defend against the assault and immediately countered. He rushed after Koinyu, dodging traps, and came close to cornering the nukenin for a 64-Palm strike. A wall of knives separated them, and while Hikune dealt with it Mion dove in, bloodied as he was, and used a Fire jutsu to steer Koinyu back in the direction of his teammate.

Hikune's Air-Palm hit their adversary squarely in the back, knocking him across the clearing and into the trunk of a tree. Mion descended first, preparing a mighty swing of his sword, and was greeted with Koinyu's visage dissolving into a substitution: a substitution comprised of a shrapnel-bomb. He had no time to escape, and, while rolling away behind the cover of trees, felt metal slice into the back of his vest and legs when it detonated.

Hikune had his opportunity to engage the nukenin in hand to hand combat. He was not very skilled at all, and had taken substantial punishment from several palm strikes. Hikune reeled back as his hands began to bleed profusely. His Byakugan picked up on the issue, seeing Koinyu's skin was capable of producing sharp edges as if it were comprised of iron.

"People have never been comfortable with getting close to me." Koinyu droned; taking the offensive before Hikune could retreat properly. He directed another typhoon of kunai and weaponry, forcing Hikune to rotate. Mion charged at him from the right, cutting down on Koinyu's impervious shoulder with a clang, and was then quickly ensnared by a cable. The nukenin had produced the wire from a trigger up his sleeve. Hikune was swift enough to cut his friend free with a Jyukken strike and they regrouped, flanking the enemy on either side as his weaponry darted by like a flock of birds.

Mion felt the sword in his hand shudder after Koinyu completed another jutsu. Magnetized, it wrenched free of his hand, "Wait a-!" and shot forward, missing Koinyu handily, and then impaled Hikune as he was readying a Lightning Style technique. His hand-signs faltered and he paused, eyes wide, swooning where he stood. He had been skewered from front to back through the center of his chest. Mion moved to catch Hikune, barely functioning with his own metal-battered body, and ignored Koinyu's quip about "the uselessness of teammates".

Another storm of knives came down on them, rendering them pincushions, and then they were still.

The cawing of a crow echoed in the distant reaches of the forest. Koinyu put his hands on his hips and observed his fallen targets, "Well now…you two were all bark and no bite! I really do appreciate that you didn't waste much of my time," He walked out of the clearing, dusting off his shirt, "I don't want to keep the lady waiting."

An eternity passed within the span of a minute after Koinyu had left them to die. Stuck full of blades, Mion struggled to prop himself up on his arms, looking over to his wounded friend, "Hikune." He slipped his knees beneath him, feeling a cascade of blood rush from the punctures in his back. The man hauled himself closer to his teammate, sliding across the stained grass, repeating Hikune's name.

A soft cough answered. Petrified, Mion laid a hand on Hikune's arm, "You're awake? Good! I thought he'd double-check us."

Hikune's breath was a shuddering rattle. His eyes opened and shut for a few moments, as if the nerves firing in his brain could no longer process commands. He only said, "No."

"No- what? Come on, we've got to-"

"I won't…be awake much longer," His eyes shut again, resigned and calm, "Can't move."

"I'll get us some help." Mion valiantly tried to stand and collapsed, "Just give me a second."

"Shoda."

"I know…I wish he came with us this time. He was busy at the hospital." Mion lamented, believing that the medic-nin of their team would have made all the difference in their dire situation.

While Hikune lay still on his side, Mion struggled to move or do anything practical in nature. He extracted some of the knives that limited his range of motion and hastily bound up his leg with cloth ripped from his shirt sleeve.

"Take it out." Hikune's words were nearly inaudible.

Mion's voice cracked, "You'll die if I do."

"I will anyway."

Hating himself, Mion did as he was asked. The blade was removed quickly and Mion began to weep, despairing, having never imagined he would have to do such a thing. Hikune's vest was saturated and the man no longer had his faculties. He hallucinated the sound of his mother's laughter. Behind closed eyelids he pictured his father's face and then his younger brother, his mind conjuring images with impressionist features; soft color and light.

Concluding that there was no escape or possibility of help, Mion stopped struggling. He slumped over right beside his friend, no longer crying, and breathed more slowly.

"You know, the Hokage has such a big crush on you." Mion said in all seriousness, "I can just tell. It's good she's single. If you asked politely I'm sure she'd keep you secret." He laughed in spite of himself.

Hikune's silence was expected. Mion stared at him for a long moment, and then wondered if his wife and unborn child would be angry if he didn't try to get up and be there for them.

He drifted off.

---

Tsunade scanned over two notes: one was from Yuuhi Kurenai and the second was from a medical examiner. With a 'hmph!' of annoyance she settled her eyes on Hatake Sato, who stood expectantly in front of her desk.

"You do look a lot better." Tsunade conceded.

"Does that mean you'll clear me?" The boy smiled excitedly.

"It's just an observation." She glanced over the notes again, "Shino."

Shino had been waiting without comment beside his teammate. He respectfully obliged the village leader, "Hokage-sama?"

"Is Sato keeping up well?"

"Just as well as he did prior to his injury." The young Aburame confirmed.

Sighing, Tsunade set the documents down, "Kurenai is vouching for you as well. I suppose I can give you permission for D and C ranked missions with a clear conscience, however," Her tone sharpened, "If you experience any complications or set-backs while performing your duties you must report it to me. There is no guarantee that you are at full strength yet."

"Let me find out. I promise I'll be honest, Tsunade-sama."

"You damn well better be honest! After all the work I put in fixing you…" She gripped the arms of her desk chair, "Don't expect me to be your personal physician should you sustain injury again. I don't care if Kakashi cries or begs."

Without warning, an ANBU agent materialized in the room and kneeled about a pace away from Sato. He flinched in fright but regained his composure, miffed that Shino had not spooked in the slightest.

The masked shinobi spoke, "Hokage-sama, I have urgent news that I need to share with you."

Eyebrows raised, the woman stood from her chair, "You're cleared, Sato. The both of you are dismissed."

Inquisitive and a little uneasy, Sato and Shino both left the office and shut the door behind them.

"I get the feeling this is bad news," Tsunade murmured, "What is it?"

"My squadron was beginning a patrol of our third sector, about two and a half miles outside of the village," The agent explained, "We discovered two Leaf shinobi fatally wounded in the forest. The attacker has not yet been determined and I sent three of my subordinates to begin tracking whoever was responsible. One of the shinobi, the Chunin, is still alive. He is being cared for at the hospital."

"Which pair was this?"

"Hyuga Hikune and Runruna Mion."

Tsunade sat down again, shocked. She had been quite fond of them and had even had a pleasant conversation with them days before.

"Hikune is dead then?"

"Yes."

"You retrieved his body?"

"Affirmative, ma'am."

She twisted her chair around to face the window and stared out at the horizon, dotted with treetops and patchwork buildings. Her mind raced before she could come to a decision, rising to her feet, and then addressed the Black Ops ninja, "I need to speak to the survivor. Was he conscious?"

"In and out."

"Alright. I'll be on my way now. Prepare another team and survey the perimeter. I want the Sensory Corps notified as well."

"Right away." He vanished.

Tsunade briskly made her way out of the office and down the hallway. She passed Shizune and beckoned her to follow, "Walk with me."

"What is it, Tsunade-sama?"

"A team of Leaf shinobi was attacked just outside of the village. One fatality." She began descending the stairs, "I want to get to the bottom of this before I lose any more of my ninja."

"Right!" Shizune followed and Ton-Ton kept in single file behind her.

Feeling that the incident with the Akatsuki was not too far behind, Tsunade could not help but suspect another attack. She reflected on Hikune; she had been the one to approve of his promotion to Jounin, trusted him with several high-profile missions, fancied him in her afternoon daydreams, and appreciated him just as much as other shinobi that had found a place in her heart, 'He had such promise.' She wasn't listening to whatever Shizune was saying, 'On my watch… this will never happen again.'

---

By the time Chiyo had plodded into the Academy training yards behind Matsuri and Muta, their presence seemed wholly unnecessary. A more experienced class of students was doing demonstrations for a younger, newly accepted class. Tazuna and Inari circumvented the crowd of students and met with the Sand ninja. Inari grasped Matsuri's arms, wide-eyed, "You're back! Are you okay, Matsuri? They were saying you got abducted!"

"I did. I helped some of the students escape." She clarified, "But we have to be careful! The Shin clan has moved into the city in an effort to take more children."

Tazuna raised a bushy eyebrow at Chiyo. She was doubled-over and trying to catch her breath.

"She'll be fine." Muta assured him, "Chiyo-sama is here to provide protection."

"Golly-gee, we've got superior security today don't we?" The old man nearly rolled his eyes, "Where the heck is Kankuro? If there's a problem I expect him to get his butt over here and watch these kids! Not your Sand grandma and grandchild."

Matsuri opened her mouth and then shut it, not wanting to speak out of turn. Muta estimated that Kankuro would arrive at the school after doing a sweep of the city.

Chiyo waggled a finger at Tazuna, righting herself, "Now that's no way for a grandpa to talk! If a granny can't make a difference in these children's lives then why are you standing here, you old fart?"

"You've got twenty years on me."

The old woman strode past him into the fenced-in yard, motioning for Matsuri and Muta to join her. She called over her shoulder, "It seems to me you're just jealous that I'm a Legendary Ninja!"

"Keep dreaming." He gruffed and then turned to yell at a pair of latecomers, "I told students to be here at 10:00AM! You're going to make up whatever you missed."

The two boys shouted an apology before joining the audience. The lesson continued for another ten minutes before the majority of both classes ventured inside to the lobby for refreshments. There was a lull as Matsuri and Muta took a seat at a picnic table. Chiyo stifled a yawn.

Tazuna's stomach twisted in horror when two adult shinobi suddenly vaulted over the fence and pounced on the gaggle of students that had lingered outside. Two more Sound ninja ambushed the students, tossing a net over them with a practiced motion.

"Oh! I love it when they rush in without thinking..." Chiyo made a hand sign and flicked her wrist, revealing ten of her puppets that had been disguised as students. Hacking the net apart, several of her puppets swung forward and stuck the attackers with bladed arms. Bloodied, the men fell backwards and dared not move.

Shrieking in fright, the remaining two darted about, trying to regain some control with Sound Ninjutsu. While Chiyo and her Sand companions scrambled after them, Inari cautiously led his grandfather out of the training yard and around the back of the building. He kept a kunai steadied in his hand, reflecting on the situation, "You know what, Grandpa? That old lady can probably handle it."

"I don't want to take that chance, Inari. We need to stay clear of the fighting." Tazuna peered into the lobby through a window, seeing there was mayhem inside, "What the-? What's going on?"

Tazuna opened a disarmed emergency exit door just a fraction. He and Inari stuck their heads in and beheld the rest of the Shin clan wrangling up over a dozen students, binding the screaming youngsters like prisoners and dragging them out the double-doors of the cafeteria. The two boys who had arrived late were assisting in the harvest. Inari recognized them and hollered, "You rotten traitors! I'm gonna have you kicked out of the program and-!"

A hail of kunai and shuriken shot towards them, and Tazuna shut the door fast enough to deflect the strike. He and his grandson took off running, hoping to inform Matsuri and her esteemed elder of the trickery.

At the front of the building they found it was not going so well. A Sound Genjutsu had put Chiyo to sleep and her puppets lay scattered around her. Muta was trying to shake her back to consciousness while Matsuri scared off the last able-bodied enemy. With a sigh, Tazuna gave Muta the update while a platoon of extra Sand ninja arrived at the Academy just a minute too late.

"What am I paying you people for?" Tazuna roared, pointing to Chiyo, "If this lady is what you consider elite then I hope I can get a refund! Go get my kids!" Inari directed the squadron towards the back of the building.

When Kankuro and Menma rounded the corner onto the grounds Tazuna held up a hand, halting them, "No. I don't wanna hear it. Honestly, I want to fire you."

Kankuro smiled, "You sure? I'm having them funneled into a trap."

"Bullshit."

Alarmed, Menma vouched for him, "Tazuna-san, Kankuro disguised one of his puppets as a hostage and lured three members of the Shin clan. We've captured them."

"Where? Back in town?"

"Yup. We extracted the truth from them about where their rendezvous point was. I've got my Jounin waiting there now." Kankuro filled him in, "If the rest of the clan brings the kids there while my tracking platoon is following them…they're gonna be right where we want them."

Frustrated, Tazuna criticized the dangers of the rescue plan. Menma spotted Matsuri and hurried to her, enclosing her in a tight hug, "Matsuri! I was told that-!"

"I'm fine." She was very pleased that he cared, "Thank you for helping Kankuro-sama! I knew I could trust you."

"I'm sorry that I didn't do more to prevent this…"

"You're making up for it." Matsuri assured him. They followed after Kankuro and Tazuna who were moving along to the ambush site. Muta was stuck with hauling Chiyo away while she snored.

It was exhilarating to finally coordinate with her allies, Matsuri thought. Kankuro was at the head, storming down a series of memorized alleyways and streets, and Menma and Matsuri tagged along, aware of Inari and his grandfather trailing behind them. Overhead, Baki had flashed by over brick rooftops, positioning another squad. 'Now we have the opportunity to overwhelm them! There are three times as many Sand ninja here than there are Sound!'

The group halted, feeling the earth beneath their feet rumble. People scattered away from a small building's collapse and then they about-faced, avoiding another explosion near a footbridge. Screams of panic intensified as smoke bombs peppered the streets. Kankuro continued on, calling to his subordinates, "They're trying to create a diversion! Stick to it! The Sensory Corps are onto them."

Wind jutsu cleared the smoke on the road, restoring visibility, and Matsuri sighed happily to see about ten students rushing back to the protection of Sand Academy teachers. The Shin clan, it seemed, had used the last of their explosives. Sand ninja dove in and met them boldly. Matsuri looked over her shoulder to scold Tazuna on his cynicism, and then glimpsed him being bodily dragged into passageway. With a gasp, Matsuri tapped Menma on the shoulder, "We've lost Tazuna and Inari!"

Without notifying Kankuro, who was using Karasu to discipline his enemies, the two turned around.

"What happened?" Menma had his ocarina in hand, "They were just with us!"

"I don't know. I saw Tazuna's feet and then-" She was interrupted by combative shouting, "This way!" Matsuri leapt up, crossing over an awning, a tavern sign, and then stone edging, keeping pace with the retreating Sound ninja and his captives. Menma barreled down back to the pavement, tackling the shinobi from behind. He dropped Tazuna, who was much too heavy of a hostage, and then raced away with Inari tucked under his arm.

Tazuna pulled a cloth gag out of his mouth and struggled to his feet, "Get Inari! I'll find some help!" He hobbled back to the main road while Matsuri and Menma flew on, keeping the lone Sound ninja in their sights.

Disoriented, Tazuna returned to the main drag's sidewalk and found that the avenue was a mess. 'Unbelievable! This damage is going to cost a fortune!' He held his nose as he passed through the fading gas of a smoke bomb, trying to flag down a Sand ninja. No one seemed to hear his impassioned, indignant demands, "One of you bums has to go help my grandson! Come on already!" He didn't have the heart to take the Academy Teachers' attention away from their frightened students, and so he popped into every unlocked shop door and eatery, screaming for a shinobi's consideration. After six failed attempts, he got someone's attention in a café.

"Hey you!" Tazuna barked at a Mist ninja seated at an antique table, "We've got a crisis on our hands! You like this town, right? If you think it's worth stopping thugs from screwing with the Tide Village then lend a hand!"

"It's nice here…but I'm not a resident." The twenty-something was hip and well-dressed; "I just arrived here a day ago." He sounded utterly disinterested.

"So, you're not the motivated sort, eh?" Frustrated, Tazuna gnashed his teeth, "Well the Sand kunoichi who is chasing down a criminal to save my grandson has only been here for a few days. She thinks it's worth fighting for."

The man gave him a long, even look. He balanced his chin on his left hand regally, "I really don't like fighting if I don't have to."

"Who the hell does?"

A tense 30 seconds passed as onlookers (bewildered coffee-drinkers) watched the old man and the shinobi engage in a stare-off. The young man reluctantly stood up and pushed his seat back, finishing his last sip of tea. He walked over to the demanding old man, "You're Tazuna, right?"

"Yeah."

"I'll help," The ninja offered, "But I don't want anyone to know about this. I'm trying to lay low," He moved to the door, rolling up the sleeves of his yukata, "Oh…and I want a gift voucher to this restaurant when I get back. You can do that for me, I'm sure."

"Fine, you stingy bastard!" Tazuna relented, "The youngsters ran into the forest near the canal. Please…just go help them."

"Very well." With the matter settled, the shinobi went ahead and ignored the waitress' complaint of an unpaid lunch bill.

"Hang on a second," Tazuna followed him out the door and onto the smoky street, "What do I call you?"

The man raised his eyebrows as if surprised by the question. He swirled a pipe around in a small detergent cup and a smile spread on his face, "I'm Utakata."

---

"Matsuri," Menma kept his voice down as they stalked through treetops, "We need to be careful. This is the leader of the Shin clan."

"Yes, I recognize him. He spoke to me a day ago." She recalled, "I don't think he'll be so tough when he's not surrounded by his precious clan!"

He shook his head, "Please don't misunderstand. Ongakare is not physically strong…but if he separates us from each other we won't stand a chance. Stay close to me."

"Will he hurt Inari?"

"He won't." Menma frowned, "But I don't think he'll hesitate to punish me."

A surge of adrenalin coursed through the girl, 'That's not happening! I know we can do this. As soon as I have the chance to get Inari back…'

Fortunately for them, Inari was cursing up a storm and being as difficult as possible. The two young shinobi were able to follow his incensed babbling to a grove of cedars. Ongakare had dropped Inari, fed-up, and was thinking about silencing him with a jutsu. Matsuri and Menma leapt down from the canopy, weapons poised, and were both swiftly pummeled by a cloth sash that arced up to meet them. They landed in the undergrowth nearby and Ongakare clucked his tongue, drawing his sash-whip back into his sleeve.

"Your calling in life must be to pester me." The man groaned, "I have bad taste in trainees. Why do I always find whiny, disobedient children?"

"Have you ever thought it's because we don't want to join you?" Inari was struggling with the tie around his wrists and ankles, "You've gotta learn how to take no for an answer!"

"I can't afford to. Not anymore." Ongakare turned his gaze back to Menma, "You are exceptionally disappointing. I thought I could rely on you…my last devoted student. You'll throw away your heritage for some mock-up shinobi village full of mediocre charlatans…"

"I don't want any part in your way of life. You helped me survive, but…you have no regard for others. I was taken in not as your family, but as your pawn; that's what a clan is to you. You have never cared about the harm you inflict!" Menma was bristling, "I would rather stand alongside the friends I made here."

"Hm. Well…that is the typical language of a bad investment…" Unimpressed, the man made hand signs and then clapped in Inari's ear; the boy went rigid and then toppled like a wooden plank.

Tense, Menma muttered to Matsuri, "He's using Sound Ninjutsu."

Ongakare cut Inari free and then whistled, looking smug when the bewildered boy rose to his feet again. He patted Inari on the shoulder and gloated, "You children seem to think that if you don't come willingly then you will not be subject to my commands." He took a step back, aloof, "But you'll wish you came of your own accord after I've made you dance."

Hollering, Inari warned his friends to avoid him as he charged. His movements had been high-jacked by each whistle and trill Ongakare made, directing him like sheep dog. Matsuri was grateful that Inari only had about three or four kunai on him, which she capably deflected. Inari's close-combat was virtually harmless, but it did drive a wedge between Matsuri and Menma, who were both concerned about hurting the innocent boy. While dodging and defending, Ongakare's sash coiled around Matsuri's leg and tripped her. A blink later, Inari had punched her several times in the face, "Oh gosh! I'm so sorry!" The boy was inconsolable as his mutinous body engaged in terrible violence.

Several melodious notes reverberated from Menma's ocarina as he flitted from the branches above, hoping that Ongakare would not interrupt his song. Matsuri quickly noticed the effect it had on her, 'Wow! It's as if I could-' She caught Inari's hand and then hurled him like a Frisbee into a tangle of ferns, 'Oh! I hope I didn't hurt him!' Matsuri hopped up, pulling Ongakare by his sash and mightily flung the man with a cry when she wrenched herself free. Menma landed beside her, continuing the jutsu.

"I feel like…" She tried to put the sensation into words, "Like a bull. A stampeding bull." He laughed at her description but could not waver. Chakra flaring, muscles alert, Matsuri took off after the lone Sound ninja and summoned from her scroll, procuring a chain-scythe.

While the kunoichi went back and forth with Ongakare, avoiding his sash and slashing sections of it with her weapon, Menma located Inari. The small boy announced his imminent spring but was freed in the nick of time; Menma had countered the jutsu with a few hand seals and clapped for him.

"Thanks," Inari wheezed while slouched over, "That took a lot out of me…I hope Matsuri's okay…"

"I've got to get back to her. The Rush Melody is going to wear off! Stay here." Menma pushed his friend down into the cover of greenery, "If you have the chance you need to get away."

"I can help!"

"He'll use the same jutsu on you if he gets close enough." Menma warned, "Return to your grandfather and let us handle this." He darted away before Inari could protest.

The momentum Matsuri had built up was fading. She and the Sound ninja dueled with their ranged weapons, evading each other, ensnarling their weapons and tugging. They had a tug of war before their respective whips broke apart, snapping against tree trunks. Menma started up his melody again from behind Matsuri, bolstering her.

The girl grinned as she rocketed down, looping her scythe dangerously as she would a Jouhyou's dart. She hacked through tree branches and then sunk the blade into her enemy's back. He collapsed and then the substitution broke, revealing a small tree stump. A panicked sound came from behind her and the music abruptly ended.

Matsuri turned to see Menma's throat snared with Ongakare's sash. With his free hand, the Sound ninja tossed his second cloth whip at her, knocking her off her feet. She reached desperately for her weapon when she felt the sash wrap around her neck, squeezing tight. She and Menma flailed as they were ruthlessly choked and dragged around the grove. Ongakare took the time to kick Menma while he was defenseless, "You are a first-class idiot. Don't you understand that even if you wish to be on their side and support their cause you will never be accepted here? You'll never have a home again!"

Eyes wild, Menma hissed ferociously; his hands prying urgently at the ribbon around his airway.

The cloth dissolved and then tore apart. Ongakare fell backwards in surprise and Matsuri watched as the section of sash imprisoning her was also burned through. If she wasn't crazy, she was sure that she saw a bubble eat through the fabric as if it were acid.

Matsuri staggered to her feet and was relieved to see Menma heaving in the grass, finally able to breathe. A man in a long, blue yukata strolled past, blowing bubbles with a pipe. He regarded her curiously and then asked, "You two are friends of Tazuna's, right?"

She nodded stupidly, unsure of whom her savior was.

Utakata glanced over to Ongakare, "And you are annoying villagers here…" Before the Sound ninja could begin a witty retort, a huge bubble enveloped him from behind. His screech of shock was muffled within the sphere.

"You know," The Mist ninja was conversational with Ongakare, "Many scoundrels have tried to take over this land before you…they've tried to coerce and intimidate people here. Have you learned nothing from witnessing their failures?"

The clan leader's screaming intensified. The liquid of the bubble was alkaline, burning the man while he was trapped. Utakata let him writhe in agony for a short time before setting him free. Ongakare howled while he rolled in the dirt, trying to relieve the chemical burn that was devouring his skin.

"There." Utakata folded his arms, satisfied, "He should hold still for you now."

Menma, who was on his feet again, exchanged a look with Matsuri. It had to sink in that the stranger intended them to finish what they started. The boy began another tune on his instrument and Matsuri, invigorated, completed the Sound ninja's beating.

---

Menma and Matsuri had tied Ongakare up in his own sash and dragged him back into town. They thanked Utakata as he walked ahead of them, incredibly nonchalant.

"Oh, it was nothing." He shrugged, "All I really did was stand there and talk."

While that was certainly true Matsuri thought of how the man's odd jutsu could wreak havoc, 'It seems to me that there are many shinobi around here with unusual talents.' Menma's music, an elderly puppeteer, and now a gloomy bubble-blower; she was feeling very normal by comparison.

After arriving at the main avenue near the Academy they stopped to rest. They were greeted by Sand ninja who had defeated the rest of the Shin clan and were inspecting the well-being of all trainees. Inari had returned to Tazuna's side and was taking stock of every single displaced brick and shard of broken glass. Even from several blocks away, she could hear the old man's furious, penny-pinching grievances.

Baki happily took the unconscious clan leader from Matsuri and sent her over to Kankuro. She and Menma observed as he used smelling salts to rouse Chiyo, who had been left on a bench. The old woman's head snapped up, "Woo! Ha ha! Take that you pigs!" She was waving her arms as if her prized puppets were still at her command.

"Chiyo." Kankuro snapped his fingers in front of her face, "You're not fighting anyone!"

"Of course I am, you fool! I've just whipped every last one of them!" She cackled.

"You've been asleep."

Chiyo regarded him quizzically for a moment and then looked around at the wreckage and smoke. "I did all of this…while I was asleep?" She stood up and dusted off her tunic, "My word…Ebizo will have my head if he sees this."

"That's not what I mean." Kankuro sighed and gave up after the old woman tottered away. He smiled when he saw Matsuri, battered and bruised as she was, "Hey kid…it's good to have you back."

"I'm glad I made it back." She agreed.

"Did you take the leader down?"

Matsuri indicated Menma with a tilt of her head, "I had help!"

The Jounin's unyielding stare fell on the blonde boy, "Huh. So you're definitely with us?"

"I am." Menma nodded, wondering when he would no longer have to affirm it.

"Well then, you owe Matsuri a lot. She stood up for you since the start." Kankuro rolled his neck to relax and then froze, bewildered, when other shinobi appeared at the far end of the road, "Oh you have got to be kidding me."

"What's the matter, Kankuro-sama?" Matsuri quickly realized what the problem was. Gaara had turned up with Leaf ninja at his side, walking slowly between the devastated store fronts, his face revealing plainly how he did not have money to fix this.

"Rescued the kids. Stopped the Shin clan." Kankuro shook his head, dismayed, "Gaara's gonna kill me anyway."

"Sensei won't do that! We did what we had to do!"

"We're gonna go broke paying for this and Temari is gonna rub it in my face…" He trudged to his doom. 'We didn't need backup after all…and Matsuri was just fine. I kind of shot myself in the foot by asking Gaara for help and then letting him see this disaster…' He prayed that if he kissed up to the Kazekage and apologized for his blunder he might escape with minor injuries.

Matsuri kept her distance for the time being, watching as Gaara seemed to reanimate and begin speaking to his brother in the coldest, severest tone she had ever heard. Even the Leaf ninja who had tagged along shrunk away in fright.

"Matsuri…"

She turned back to Menma. He blushed when he told her, "I really do owe you a lot. I owe you everything."

She was flustered, "D-Don't be silly!"

"If it hadn't been for you…I doubt I ever would have had the chance to make this place my home. I couldn't have escaped the Shin clan on my own." Menma furrowed his brow, resolute, "Allow me to make it up to you! I want to thank you by taking you out."

"You…do?" Her voice was faint, "Out where?"

"On a date."

Matsuri wasn't sure exactly what she said while sputtering in the affirmative, but she noticed that it made him smile.

Afterwards she asked if he wanted to meet her sensei, "That one over there with Kankuro?" He shuddered but with her assurance he consented to it. They passed by Tazuna and Inari who were seated on the edge of a fountain (its spout now crooked) and Tazuna gave them a half-hearted wave of thanks. His grandson sighed.

The old man looked up when a hand was extended to him. It didn't seem like it was held out to help him up either. Utakata, as casual as before, had stopped in front of him with an expectant expression.

"What?" Tazuna rumbled.

"My voucher."

"You greedy little snoot!" Tazuna slapped his knee, shouting, "I didn't even buy it yet!"

---

The following morning, in one of the Leaf Village's most heavily abused training grounds, Tenten and Lee had joined their sensei to begin a weaponry drill. Lee had grown proficient with nunchaku thanks to the kunoichi's weekly lessons, and so Gai had necessitated that they train as a group. This would mark the third practice session that, in Tenten's opinion, had gone rather well. For about a half hour they went through forms and listened to Gai's critiques.

To show off, Tenten summoned a three-sectioned staff that was fundamentally similar to nunchaku. She wheeled around with the longer weapon and continued the exercise. Gai stopped what he was doing, intrigued, "Tenten! Why don't you let me have a go at that?"

Lee looked devastated when his mentor stepped away to try something new. Tenten stood beside him and watched as Gai proved that he was rather gifted with a variety of melee weapons. 'Wow. He's a natural.' It was one of the few, if not the only, real way she connected with her teacher. She just didn't have it in her to wear the jumpsuit or run hundreds of laps.

"Lee, if you want," She grinned, "I can teach you three-section staff next! I know you can do it."

He hugged her tightly around the shoulders, close to weeping.

Gai's very impressive and unexpected flaunting of Tenten's weapon stopped when Neji arrived. He was over twenty minutes late but everyone greeted him happily anyway.

"I should have come earlier," Neji told his team apologetically, "I cannot join you today."

"Ah, do you have clan duties to attend to?" Gai asked understandingly.

Neji's expression was miserable, "There has been a death in the Main House."

Lee dropped his nunchaku after hearing the announcement. After a few brisk steps closed the gap between them, Tenten got a firm grip on Neji's arm, apprehensive, "Not Hinata-?"

"No. Hinata-sama is fine." He clarified, "Hiashi-sama requested that I assist him throughout the day with arrangements. Also," His voice lowered, "I need you to come with me, Tenten."

She was sincerely perplexed, "Oh. Can I…be helpful…in some way?"

"I'll explain." Neji muttered.

"Well, if the two of you have such matters to attend to I have no choice but to cancel training," Gai regarded Lee, who was distressed, "Never fear, Lee, we can continue if you wish!" He looked back at his gloomy student, "You have my condolences, Neji."

It was odd how Gai's words truly did convey just the amount of compassion that Neji needed. Even though he hadn't disclosed much about what had happened, Gai instantly knew how heavily it weighed on him.

They parted ways and Tenten was confused as to why she was necessary in this event. She pondered if it had been a clan elder, one of Hiashi's compatriots, or heaven forbid one of the youngsters. It did not surprise her that much that Neji wanted her around. She did have an affinity for calming his nerves and getting his temper back in check. She also had a very well-rounded knowledge of his clan.

The silence between them persisted. Tenten was too afraid to ask for particulars when they crossed into town and then entered the grounds of the Hyuga estate.

The Hyuga clan's grief was very apparent. Tenten had never seen anything like it. Near the steps of the main building Hiashi had dozens of Branch Members beside him, speaking softly with their heads bowed.

"Over here." Neji instructed, leading her around the mass of bereaved clansmen.

They took cover beneath a tall tree to the left of the house. It shielded them from the sporadic but large raindrops that swept down in the breeze. The clouds overhead were rolling by on a rushing wind.

With a clear view of the veranda of the house, Tenten could finally see Fujita curled up on the corner of the porch. He was seated with his knees pulled up and his arms folded to hide his face. She understood.

'Hikune.' Her stomach sunk. It seemed as if the ground under her feet had disappeared and a vertigo-like feeling made her head spin.

Neji stood to her left, also watching, "He hasn't been talking. He doesn't want to accept it."

Tenten watched silently as Hinata and Hanabi hovered nearby the small boy. They were encouraging him to eat snacks, what looked to be fresh cookies, and Hanabi was eating whatever Fujita turned away from. Hinata sat beside him and hugged him, resting her head on top of his.

Neji had not explicitly said who had died, but he didn't have to. He now grasped that Tenten was cognizant of his close relatives.

"When?" Tenten asked.

"They were found two days ago. His teammate barely survived." Neji elaborated solemnly, "The Hokage refuses to explain who attacked them or why. She did not have enough information."

After her throat had gone dry and tight her ability to speak was gone. A mountain of guilt came crashing down on Tenten, 'I should have treated Hikune better than I did. If I had known what was going to happen…I would have at least said that I appreciated what he did…'

Hideyasu took a spot beside his son and tucked him under an arm. Fujita pressed his face into the man's shoulder and shook with soundless sobs. Hideyasu nodded his thanks to Hinata and Hanabi and relieved them of their sympathetic efforts.

"How well did you know him?"

Tenten stared blankly ahead, unable to answer the question.

"I wasn't performing any clan duties or training during my last absence," Neji admitted, "I was recovering from injuries."

She snapped out of her stupor, "What?"

"I'm telling you the truth so that maybe you will do the same. Hikune and I had fought."

"Why? You two got along!"

"He was angry with me. He spoke about you several times." Neji met her gaze assertively, "Hikune knew you very well."

Terrified, Tenten held her breath for a moment and wondered how in the world she ought to go about explaining herself. He waited for her reply.

"It's true." She said simply.

"You were seeing him?"

It was humiliating to recap the events, "No. We became friends after we brought you home and then I trained Fujita."

"He made it seem as if he knew you as more than a friend." His voice was smooth but had the faintest edge of accusation in it.

"That's what he wanted," She confessed, "But I refused."

"You should have said something."

"Maybe I should have." Tenten agreed.

"If Hikune was bothering you, why not notify me?" Neji asked, insulted, "Did you think that I would be indifferent?"

"I had no idea what you would think."

His eyes softened slightly, but she could tell that he was still displeased, "Friends like us can often tell what the other is thinking. I'm quite sure you had an idea."

"I still chose not to. I can't change that."

"And I cannot change how he and I subjected each other to violence shortly before his death," Neji observed, "It was not a fitting way to honor someone I respected."

She turned to face the opposite direction, hoping that he hadn't noticed her lip quiver. Tenten had become a master of hiding sadness and she was not about to crack now. The flimsy rainclouds overhead were cleaved apart by a beam of sunshine.

"Tenten."

'Don't look at him. If I look at him I'm going to lose it.' She took a deep breath, regaining a shred of composure.

"You've done nothing wrong." Neji reminded her.

Like a true fool, she looked over her shoulder, teary-eyed. Her face declared that she disagreed, that she had gone about it all wrong. Though she couldn't say it aloud, at least he could see that she was despising herself.

Neji was processing. Comforting people was by no means something that he excelled at. She turned away again before he could initiate a pat on the back or anything akin to it. Tenten cleared her throat and then inquired, "Is there…something you want me to do?"

"I think you should attend the funeral."

"Isn't it supposed to be private?"

"Hiashi-sama did not object to it when I asked."

She shook her head, "It won't feel right."

"I don't see why it would." Neji figured the whole clan would be in turmoil, "It would be appropriate for you to be present."

"I'm sorry." It was the only phrase she could utter without blubbering. She left briskly, unwilling to let the iron façade she had proudly sustained to crumble away in front of someone who prized strength.

Neji watched her retreat. Maybe it had not been fair of him to request it, or maybe he had not asked because her attendance was something Hikune would have wished for; but he had wanted her there. Since Tenten could not abide such a thing, perhaps it would be better to let her sulk and continue feeling whatever it was that she had briefly revealed with that single glance. He supposed that now was an ideal time to return all of the courtesies and empathy she had given him during his troubled days.

In the spring sunlight he strode towards the Main House, 'If I am truly worthy of my friends…then now is the time for me to prove it.'

---

On a morning like most other mornings, Haku awoke, dressed and then assisted Hiroshi in opening the tea house.

While the portly man heated a tall kettle on a burner and prepared fresh treats, Haku swept the floors before taking the stacked seats apart and setting them up. There was scratching at the door of the shop. Haku unlocked it and allowed his rabbit to hop inside, "Pua! I haven't seen you in a while. You've been travelling a lot."

The rabbit perched on a stool and then pushed three scrolls onto a table with her nose.

"What a haul!" Haku was thrilled, "Well done!" He took a dandelion top from his pocket and offered it to his hardworking pet. It was not often that he received correspondence from Jiraiya, Gaara and Naruto simultaneously. Haku concluded the opening routine for the storefront and then took a seat, intending to read until a customer stopped by.

Pua re-settled in his lap while he began with Jiraiya's message.

Hey Haku,

I know that it's been a while since I wrote to you, but I can chalk that up to being seriously injured for these past several weeks. It's a legitimate excuse. It was kind of my fault, too. Getting up close and personal with Naruto's Kyuubi chakra while training is no picnic, and I know that I pushed him too far. I'm lucky to be alive.

As I recall what you told me in your last letter, I'm starting to see that you are lucky to be alive as well. You are deep in dangerous territory. Never mind that Zabuza is training you, which ought to have its benefits, but you don't want to get mixed up in the fighting between Mist Village factions in that area. You're more likely to stumble across rebels than you are supporters of the Mizukage. You'll know them when you see them: rebels are kind of like Zabuza. They are dissatisfied, battle-hardened jerks who are fighting to have some stake in a village that can't seem to get its act together. Oh, and if you are up to any funny business or illegal activity down there I suggest you knock it off. You are not a sword-for-hire and if I see your face on a bounty poster I will put my foot SO far up your ass.

Haku looked up from the parchment, astounded, 'This sounds like how he normally threatens Naruto…' He felt that he should think twice before accepting another mission from Inagawa, for his posterior's sake.

Now that I've established that, I'll lighten up. I had an existential crisis when I woke up here on Mount Myoboku. The Toad Sages here have been looking after Naruto and I, and I couldn't help but reflect on how cruddy of a mentor I've been to you all. I was in and out of your lives when you really needed consistency. I wasn't enthusiastic about being your Sensei when I know I should have been. I am a dirty old man whose books don't sell and his students always seem to have a life of hardship…

While I may regret many of my past choices, I have never felt more proud than when I think of our team. You, Naruto and Gaara are among the most outstanding, responsible and virtuous shinobi I have ever met…not to mention talented for your age…I take comfort in that. I truly do want you to find your clan, Haku. It's a tall order. It could take many years or it could happen tomorrow. They may not be quite what you expect them to be either, but when it happens please know that I look forward to hearing all about it.

Keep being there for your friends; do not lose sight of who you are. I can't forget about my bright, friendly bookworm and I sure hope that when I see you again you're still the nice farm-boy I saw last. You have a great future ahead of you just as Naruto and Gaara do. Oh, and when you wrap things up I think you ought to visit the Toad Mountain. Your bunny loved it here.

Take care of yourself, Haku.

Jiraiya

By the way, Gaara and I are lying to Tsunade to cover your tracks. You're welcome. We do it because we love you, now show us some love.

Smiling contentedly, Haku chuckled to himself, 'His trip seems to have reformed him! Sensei is being awfully affectionate in his letters.' He quite liked it. It was also heartening to read that Jiraiya fully supported the search for his clan. So long as he stuck to wholesome activities and made honest money, Haku believed he could stay in Jiraiya's good graces.

He moved on to Gaara's submission while he stroked Pua's velvet-soft ears.

Haku,

You and Naruto had very different advice to give me regarding my insecurities as a village leader. For as long as I have known you, I have relied on your understanding and logical approach to things. I never had to tell you much in order for you to see things from my perspective, however cynical I could be. I did as you asked and reached out to Jiraiya about how I felt. It was surprisingly cathartic. I expect to hear back from him soon. And as you suggested, I made short-term goals for myself. I know what I hope for in the future, but I am not in the best position to engineer most of the important projects I have in mind. No, I have not made many new friends in Sand, though you were optimistic about it. It is most likely because I have been too anxious and short-tempered to seem…approachable. Forgive me; I will make a better effort after the Suna Training Program ends. I am cooking frequently. You'd be impressed.

Naruto had already heard about my doubts from Jiraiya. His only counsel for me was this:

He had none.

How dare someone who aspires to be a village leader not have one single suggestion? Surely he's turned it over in his mind? What he plans to do when he is made Hokage? What impudence. I don't even think Naruto tried to put himself in my place, or if he had, he did not quite like what he felt! I am disappointed in him, to say the least.

Haku laughed at Gaara's tirade. He understood his friend's irritation, but he could not condemn Naruto's lack of an answer either. Hiroshi poked his head out of the kitchen in the back, spying Haku's reading material, "Oh! Is that a good one?"

"It is!"

My mood has not been completely horrible. Yesterday, Sakura arrived in Suna to impart some of her healing expertise to the Medical Corps. I think you would have enjoyed that class. Despite the fact that she worked with students for more than five hours, she was unfailingly pleasant. While she was gone I had to accompany her sensei, but he was abundantly aware of my desire for space. He left us alone that evening. She looks different.

I had not dwelled on it much; how our time apart could give us a shock with respect to our change in appearances. When Sakura arrived I am certain that I stared. Her shape and her voice were almost entirely new. Right away I schemed about a dozen ways that could have given me a moment alone with her. I am glad that I stopped myself. After all, my lack of control has never in the history of my life been safe. Restraint did not help much when I sent a Shadow Clone to retrieve her from the hospital. It tried seducing her.

"How bizarre!" Haku mumbled, fascinated that clones could think and act independently, even in inappropriate situations. He was slightly worried by the fact that Sakura had to deal with such a nuisance.

She quickly destroyed it, Haku sighed in relief, But I could tell that she didn't mind kissing it first. Haku's stomach churned. It was weird to think of Sakura, a childhood friend and fellow intellectual, in such a way.

I wanted more. I loved talking to her and being close to her. Everything felt right in the world. Tomorrow she will be returning to the Leaf Village when she finishes her second lesson. I'm half tempted to sabotage it and find other ways to occupy her time. Kakashi won't appreciate it, but I am the Kazekage. He can fight me if he doesn't like it.

While it may not be my place to discuss this, you may want to know what Temari has been doing.

His eyes widened thirstily while he read.

She has, and I use this term very loosely, "dated" approximately three men since you parted from us. They were all trash. Well, as a brother, that was my take on them. Thankfully she stopped humoring anyone who called on her after she became a Jounin, and more recently she has become hostile towards males in general. I really approve of this. She stated that "all men infuriate her" and, at least for the time being, she'll have nothing to do with them. Kankuro and I agreed and were spared her wrath.

I am sure it doesn't please you to hear that she has had her pick of men here, but maybe that comes as no surprise. Your abandonment is something she grapples with to this day. I care about you on a personal level, but as Temari's brother and village leader, I have plenty of reason to kill you.

Haku gulped.

I will spare you at Jiraiya and Naruto's request. I suspect that Temari may even care for you still, but it won't do to get your hopes up. Like me, she is capriciously violent.

I hope your training and your search continues unhindered. Do not put yourself in needless peril. And be aware…when my training program expires in the Tide Village, however many more months it takes…I will set my sights on you. If the quest for your clan appears to be in vain, I will relocate you to Hidden Sand as you agreed. You ought not waste your time in the Water Country when I have found several jobs here that could use your skills. I would rather send an investigative squad of mine to track your kin than watch you cavort with a nukenin. It's reprehensible.

Outraged, Haku's mouth hung open in preparation of a retort. It was pointless. He would need to write back some scathing words, because he wasn't about to take that criticism lying down!

Though I know you've stopped trying to contact her, if you wish to get a message to Temari you may send it to me. I have no interest in examining it before forwarding it to her. Now may be a better time to reach her. I should get some rest now. I feel like I will be able to sleep. Stay well and do the right thing.

Gaara

"My goodness…he is brutal even on paper." Haku huffed, rolling up the scroll and then set it beside Jiraiya's message.

A customer poked his head into the tea shop, friendly and inquiring, "Hi Haku! Did Hiroshi-san tell you what today's lunch special was going to be?"

"He did. Pork dumplings in broth."

"Great! I'll be back later!" Cheery, the man zipped right back out and the bell on the door chimed after him.

With a deep breath, Haku moved on to Naruto's letter.

Hi Haku!

I'm doing better since last time. I know that I wrote to you immediately after Ero-sensei got hurt, but I just wanted to tell you that I'm not trying to jump off a cliff anymore. He's feeling good enough to bitch and moan, so I don't feel that guilty.

What I should say is that I really miss you. I wish you and Gaara were here. Mount Myoboku is pretty amazing and it's not too bad having bugs for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

"Naruto-kun, I don't know if I have the constitution for it…"

When you guys aren't around it's like I don't have a foundation. No backup. No way to get bailed out. I'm sorry that I took that for granted. I feel…sad…a lot more often. It's so weird. Things feel heavier and more lonesome. And I was scared that if Ero-sensei didn't make it…what you and Gaara would think of me…

Haku shook his head, 'We would never blame you, Naruto!'

I'd like to tell you that I'm happier, but that's not true. Ero-sensei worked up the gall to tell me that he knew my parents! He's my godparent or guardian or whatever.

"What?" He muttered in disbelief.

So my parents are either from the Hidden Eddy Village or the Hidden Leaf Village or it could be a mix. He's too damn scared to explain it. They were good friends. I want to kick Ero-sennin in the balls.

When he gets around to telling me the complete truth I will tell you all about it. It's just…I never really worried about where I came from. A kid who only remembers an orphanage and then living on government assistance can't really get a straight answer about their parents, even though I think I asked a few times…I stopped caring. I had you and Gaara and I felt fine. I didn't research it. I didn't check cemeteries. I didn't even look for people who resembled me! I had everything I needed. Why is learning about my parents so frightening? I feel like once I know…it's going to change me. I mean, if you found your clan and then discovered you were supposed to be their cleaning guy or something…wouldn't you feel upset?

"I guess I would." Haku agreed.

I just hope that…they didn't leave me. I hope they loved me.

Haku felt tears well up, 'Why is everyone so emotional now? Good grief!'

Okay, enough of that. In case you didn't already know, Hinata is amazing. She and I get back to each other really quick using the Enshinsui. Toads here use it as a portal to the Leaf Village! Her family is annoying her…although she wasn't very specific about what they did. She said Sato is doing great and that she's working hard. I can't wait to see how gorgeous she is when I get home! Also…

He rolled his eyes. Being single was a bit underrated, as it turned out.

Have you had sex?

Haku knocked his knees on the table painfully, blindsided by the question. Pua leapt away from him in surprise.

What I'm trying to say is, I don't know if you or Gaara would skip over stuff like that when you write to me. Ero-sensei is trying to talk to me about it. I guess I have to listen. I was wondering if you'd done anything and if you're willing to describe it. Otherwise I'm stuck with this old Perv and his creepy books. I want to know because it's something I have been thinking about a lot.

Haku had thought it inappropriate to imagine Sakura earlier in Gaara's tale, but poor Hinata, the object of Naruto's affection and the untouchable princess of her clan…

Sorry if that was uncalled for, I guess I just thought you'd have more experience than me! I hope you find your clan soon! It'd be awesome if we could both learn about our families. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Talk to you soon, Haku!

Naruto

Haku gathered up the scrolls and mulled over what his team had told him, 'We are all experiencing a great deal of change. I have no idea how Gaara could be hostile towards me while simultaneously wishing me well…and Naruto thought that I might have…' He shook his head in embarrassment, 'Does he really think that I'd know something about sex? And if I did, that I'd discuss it?' Naruto had naïvely thought that because Haku had mingled with girls and had a brief relationship with an older kunoichi that it indicated some kind of experience. 'Not by any stretch of the imagination…' He supposed that if he did engage in such activities, he would only choose to do it with someone he cared for deeply. That was a personal preference.

"Haku, will you help me for a moment?" Hiroshi asked. He was at the store window hanging up an advertisement for holiday specials, "Step outside and tell me if it looks even. I always set these up cock-eyed!"

"Of course." He left his messages on the countertop and then went outside. Hiroshi had managed to hang up his sign properly, but before Haku could return to commend the man's handiwork he spotted a disconcerting pair down the road.

Raiga was stalking up the sidewalk with Ranmaru a few paces ahead of him. The small boy was happily pointing to shops of interest. They hadn't noticed him. Haku's eyes fell on the Thunder and Lightning blades strapped to the nukenin's back. Haku bolted inside the tea house, bell jingling, and turned in a small circle. Hiroshi gave him a quizzical look, "What? Does it look alright?"

"Your sign is perfect, Hiroshi, but I…" He picked up his rabbit and made for the kitchen, "I need to stay out of sight!"

"What are you talking about, Haku-kun?" Hiroshi was annoyed, "You said you'd help me this morning with customers!"

Haku answered from the backroom, "For your safety and mine, I don't want to be seen for the time being!"

"This is ridiculous! There's no danger at all."

The bell chimed again. Haku pressed himself flat against a storage cabinet and listened anxiously as a small voice greeted Hiroshi. A bead of sweat formed on his temple, 'Of course I invited Ranmaru to visit Nanakusa before Raiga attacked me…' At least Zabuza was not a player in this production; today was one of the man's weekly 24 hours of uninterrupted sleep. That left only one loose cannon to steer clear of.

There was an amicable exchange of words and then a pause before Hiroshi stormed into the kitchen, twitching his mustache, "What are you doing, Haku? You know I need to finish steaming the red bean cakes! I can't serve a customer right now."

"Hiroshi, I-"

"Get out there or I'll-!" He furrowed his brow, "I don't know what I'm gonna do. But you had better hurry up and see what that child wants!"

Haku put Pua down, sighing. 'Fine. I'll help as I promised, but I'm not foolish enough to show my face and have everyone around here electrocuted!'

Haku transformed into the likeness of a young, short-haired girl; apron intact. Hiroshi scratched his bearded chin, still not comprehending, "Why do you need to parade around as a lady? You could do that anyway with a bit of chest padding!"

"I don't want to be recognized." Haku whispered, "That ninja and I have met before and he knows what I look like."

Hiroshi peered from the doorway discreetly, "That teeny little boy is a ninja?"

"Yes; an apprentice to another swordsman."

Hiroshi considered it, looking back again to see the angelic child flip over a menu and marvel at it.

"Is he friendly?"

"Quite." Haku conceded.

"Then he's welcome! Quit acting so weird!" Hiroshi waved his hand, indicating the henge, "And who is this supposed to be? A girl you know or an original creation?"

"It's not original. This is what Naruto-kun's girlfriend looks like…"

"She must be a sweet young lady." The hefty man pushed Haku back into the restaurant, "Now get to work!"

Haku contritely scurried into the dining room and the round man set back to work making snacks.

His impression of Hinata was fairly good, at least he thought so, and he took Ranmaru's order without fear of Raiga bursting in. Ranmaru disclosed that his friend had dropped him off so he could shop and explore town. The sign in the tea shop's window got his attention and Ranmaru wanted to know if the sweet bean buns were available. Oh, and the oolong tea too.

Haku fetched the snacks and returned with a pot of hot tea. He set it down on the table, pretending that the white rabbit hopping around the shop was not his.

While pouring a cup of oolong, Ranmaru politely interrupted his small talk, "I know it's you, Haku. It's okay."

Disguised, Haku stared at the small boy and elected to give up the ruse. He ditched his transformation and then folded his arms, "Ranmaru…you should know better than to come here after seeing how Raiga and Zabuza interact."

"I was going to be careful." He looked a bit sad, "Well…you were being careful too. You transformed!"

"It would only stop Raiga from finding me. You're lucky that Zabuza isn't around."

"Raiga doesn't know! I didn't say anything." Ranmaru chomped on one of the buns, "Mmm. Besides…I can see people coming from far away and make illusions. We don't really have to worry." He washed it down with tea, "Ah! I just want to make a new friend."

Quizzical, Haku took a seat across from him, "What do you mean by you can see people coming?"

"My Kekkei Genkai."

"It's a doujutsu?" Haku was astonished.

"I think so," Ranmaru shrugged uncertainly, "But I don't know what it's called. I'm the only one who has it."

That quickly ruled out the Sharingan and the Byakugan in Haku's mind. He relaxed a fraction and Ranmaru asked if he wanted a red bean bun. He declined politely and ruminated on the situation.

"I want to visit this place a lot. It's nice here and I like the food!" Ranmaru explained, "You'll let me if I don't let Raiga cause trouble, right?"

"You would have to keep a low profile. If Zabuza notices either of you around here I don't think I would be able to stop him." Haku added, "It would be irresponsible of us to risk the safety of townspeople if those two started fighting again…"

"We can keep them distracted."

"Zabuza catches onto things quickly."

"I'll keep Raiga away. Your teacher won't get mad if it's just me visiting, will he?"

"That is a very good question." Haku folded his arms, thinking, "I suppose he isn't actually threatened by you…"

"Good!"

Hiroshi had emerged from the back and stopped at the table, glad that Haku was no longer masquerading as a girl, "So you aren't a troublemaker, little shinobi?" He laughed when Ranmaru ruefully shook his head, "That's fine! You're welcome here. I'm Hiroshi, Haku's friend."

"Ranmaru."

"Pleased to meet you." The shop owner looked to Haku, "Now tell me…is he going to be a regular?"

Haku was inclined to say yes. If Ranmaru intended to frequent Nanakusa, then some conspiring and caution ought to keep their ruffian companions from crossing paths.

Hopefully.

---

In a private chamber in the basement of the administrative building, Tsunade was reclined on cushions and reading by candlelight. She had needed to knock back some wine to get through the grisly details in the files she looked over.

She had been winding down from her inter-village endeavor with Hidden Star and then calamity had struck close to home. What had initially been a senseless slaying of one of her Jounin was appearing more and more to be a deliberate act. The notes from recent ANBU investigations, along with older documents that her sensei had handled years ago, had painted a coherent picture of what treachery was afoot.

The Chunin, Mion, had identified his assailant as a rogue Iwa shinobi: Shimofuri Koinyu. He was connected with a notorious war criminal from Rock by the name of Dintei Bihokokuni, a man who Jiraiya had given her ample warning about. From what she could decipher from dusty files and reconnaissance reports, Bi had been a bastard child of the renowned Sasagainu clan in Iwagakure. When his persistence to ascend in leadership and inherit clan treasures were rebuked time and again, he had taken several decades to eradicate any who opposed him, most especially descendants of the main line. The clan proper was virtually extinct.

He had been branded as a traitor by both Rock and Leaf, one of the rare bits of common ground they shared after a bloody war. Tsunade had no difficulty digesting all of this information, prying open a sealed file from Leaf archives regarding refugees from the decimated clan. They had not been any safer in Konoha than they had been in their homeland.

[Sasagainu] Withhold surname, Takaharu

[Sasagainu] Withhold surname, Chinatsu

Tsunade looked over their stats, birth dates, personal information and rank, noticing that they had been particularly accomplished ANBU under Hiruzen's command. She did not know them well, but she had heard about their acts of good will throughout the village. Three other members of their clan, excluding their parents who had died of old age, had also been killed. She glanced over the cause of death.

After responding to a distress message near the border of the Fire Country, Squadron 1, i.e. Team Hikki, was ambushed, resulting in three causalities and two shinobi hostages. Three days after the attack a response team discovered two decapitated bodies, that of the captain and the second-in-command, heads removed from the scene. This method of killing is consistent with other deaths perpetrated by Dintei Bihokokuni and his following.

Her eye twitched when she read a note scrawled beneath, added in by the Third:

A tip off was provided to me by the Root ANBU who had surveyed that area a week prior. I had been told a missing team could have been taking shelter in this expansive region, but it was misinformation. I sincerely hope Root was not involved with this incident. Shimura Danzo denies this, but I fear I made a grave mistake of assigning this mission to Team Hikki.

She flipped the report over to its final page, her thoughts racing with the possibility that Root had participated in the tragedy. 'Not that I've much cared for Danzo and his sniveling…or how he was always a thorn in Sensei's side…' She bit her lip, 'He may have been getting away with murder…and the Third had no real way to prove his guilt.'

[Sasagainu] Withhold surname, Tenten

There were no vital statistics aside from personal information and birth date. The photo provided showed the girl at a young age, still attending the Academy. It was noted that after the ambush the Hokage had provided the aspiring kunoichi with a government stipend to support herself; a week later she had graduated and become a Genin.

Tsunade shut the file, exhaling, and then tipped back the last of the sake in her glass. 'If Sensei couldn't prove Root was involved…how the hell can I? This is a cold case.' She lowered her eyes to a report on Hikune's death, 'And just how was that young man involved so that he could become a target? This doesn't add up.'

She would like to believe that the only person in danger would be a Sasagainu descendant, but that was evidently not the case. Other shinobi were at risk. Mion had told her while still confined to a hospital bed that Hikune had pretended to be Hyuga Neji in order to extract information from Koinyu.

"Why do such a thing?" The Hokage asked, her nails rapping on the railing of the bed.

"Because…that man was looking for the members of Team Gai. He said he wanted Tenten." Mion expounded, "Hikune would never let anyone hurt her."

Names had been named. The culprit had all but vanished, and was undoubtedly ready to pounce on any target that ventured beyond the walls of the village. With this in mind, Tsunade was contending with the tough decisions she had to make in order to prevent new attacks.

The Hokage stacked the reports on a small lamp table and acknowledged the Black Ops shinobi who had arrived and kneeled respectfully.

"Were the files insightful, ma'am?"

"Thank you for organizing them. I've seen enough." She rose to her feet, "As soon as Tenzo returns, send him to me." The hard look on her face added, Now move it.

The ANBU agent nodded and then promptly exited the chamber.

Tsunade climbed the stairs of the building and felt energy seep out of her as she tried to imagine how she was going to tackle this problem. She needed more scouting teams. She needed to have a word with Jiraiya.

'And with Gaara borrowing Kakashi and Sakura to assist in the Land of Waves,' She sighed at the thought, 'Most of my go-to cronies are tied up for now. I can only hope their issues are resolved, otherwise I'm probably going to get a request to help the Tide Village.' She frowned, 'I really, really don't want to. Gaara needs to deal with it. I'm not going to hold his hand for everything!'

Luckily, there was at least one assistant remaining who could shoulder some of the stress.

Shizune held the door of the office for her, smiling slightly, "You were gone for so long. I put on some tea for you, Tsunade-sama." Tsunade nodded her thanks, "I can tell you already have a headache."

"Shizune," The Hokage fell into her desk chair, "You are a saint."

As if to drive the point home, Shizune moved to the desk and picked up a packet of forms before Tsunade could touch it, "Don't worry about these! I'll fill them out. They don't require your signature."

"Oh. Thank you…what were they for again?"

"I said don't worry about it," Shizune snapped her fingers so Ton-Ton would follow her, "I'll bring you the tea in a few minutes. Just do what you need to do, Tsunade-sama." She was out the door.

'Hm. She's probably looking for a pay raise.' Tsunade thought, 'And she'll get it.'

She wrote another long and beseeching message to Jiraiya, hoping that he would not be gone too much longer. More than ever she needed a reliable teammate and friend, and it didn't hurt that he had a thorough knowledge of her new enemy. A short time later Shizune returned with her tea and poured it, preparing to go back out.

"Shizune, come back as soon as you're finished with that paperwork." Tsunade instructed, "My next appointment is going to be awful…"

"Of course." She shut the door behind her.

Tsunade sat in silence and sipped her tea. She stole a peek at the clock on the wall and noted that she had less than ten minutes of solitude remaining. The woman had enjoyed two cups before her tranquility was disturbed by a knock at the door. She called for the team to come in.

Gai entered merrily and was followed by Lee and Neji, who had been at the tail-end of a conversation. She cleared her throat to signal she wanted everyone's undivided attention.

"Hokage-sama, is this perhaps an update on the mission you assigned to us for tomorrow morning?" Gai was curious, "I had heard you are sending many teams out for reconnaissance. Would you prefer us to do that?"

"No, you're best suited for the mission I gave you. I need to go over a few things with your team."

"Ah, then we need a few minutes. Tenten is running late!" Gai was a tad disapproving.

Tsunade rested her gaze on Neji, "I have not yet given you my sympathy, Neji. I'm sorry for your loss."

He thanked her quietly.

She continued, "One thing I should make clear now is that, because of an ongoing investigation, from here on out your team can only be assigned missions that are executed within the borders of the Fire Country."

"Investigation?" Neji was guarded, "Does it concern what happened to Hikune?"

"It concerns several parties, including but not limited to his death," Tsunade confirmed, "You and Lee, no matter whose team I allocate you to, I expect you to abide by this stipulation until further notice," When they nodded in acceptance she added to Gai, "You are the exception, Gai. I will keep you on regular activity."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Now to the next order of business…" She took a deep breath, "Tenten is not late."

The men stared dumbly and so Tsunade pressed on, "She is following an order. I apologize for not giving you advanced warning," She seemed most apologetic on Gai's behalf, for he was just as mystified as his students, "For security purposes, I have officially unassigned Tenten from your team and Maito Gai's mentorship."

The news crashed over Gai and his facial features turned upwards, contorting in absolute despondency.

"None of you may contact her in any fashion until I permit it. What I am investigating is a serious, classified crime that implicates Tenten's welfare, as well as the safety of all of my villagers."

Neji was quick to ask, "How long will she be gone?"

"Indefinitely."

His eyes flashed furiously, having suspected such a response, and he thought back to how he had spoken to Tenten the day before. She had stood at the back of the funeral. He thanked her. They later trained and things seemed to be back to normal. Neji could only assume that she had been given short notice as well.

"I will comply with your regulations for our mission assignments and limitations," Neji stated, "But I refuse to observe a no-contact order. It serves no purpose."

"It isn't optional." Tsunade bristled, "No one is going to jeopardize my investigation."

"Tenten is not at fault."

"This has nothing to do with what she did; it has to do with an unpredictable, outside issue."

Gai and Lee stood, stunned into silence, and watched as Neji insolently and verbally unhinged on the village leader.

"What kind of outside issue produces a gag order on a team? It's illogical. Clearly not a single one of us knows what you're talking about, albeit we'd be inclined to obey if we had at least an ounce of information," At some point he inhaled between the words, "We are entitled to know if your investigation involves any of our personal safety. Surely you're aware of the disclosure laws in your own village? It seems to me that you don't. Such a thing reflects your competency. If you-"

Tsunade stood and brought her fist down on the corner of her desk, hacking it off with super-strength. Her odious glare halted him and she roared, "Shut that arrogant mouth of yours and do as I say. I am the Hokage!" With a wave of her arm, she flipped the desk over and hurled it into a wall. The scroll intended for Jiraiya was mercifully plopped to the floor, "I can kill you a thousand different ways right now if I wanted some peace and quiet, which I rightfully deserve! I'd rather spare myself your objections! Is it too much to ask for a proper: yes ma'am?"

Gai and Lee flinched behind Neji. The young man was still outraged, but had shut his mouth as she had demanded.

They engaged in a stare-off and were equally matched competitors. There was no mistaking their mutual abhorrence. After several tense minutes Tsunade's shoulders relaxed and she cocked her head, hand on her hip, and regarded Neji like she would an adversary, "I will humor your whining, but this is not negotiable. You are all completing your mission tomorrow as scheduled."

Her icy gaze went to Gai and Lee, "Are you two going to give me grief as well? You're lucky I didn't reassign all of you!"

Sad and very scared, they accepted her orders. Neji was still seething.

"I expect more of you," Tsunade told him, "I don't care if you hate me. I don't care that you don't understand any of this…or that you think I am an incompetent leader. You are one of my shinobi and you take orders from me, no matter what they are."

His silence was the only appropriate reply. Neji would have called her many ugly things if he had spoken again.

"Dismissed." She said severely.

Team Gai turned around and ventured out the office door while Tsunade watched them. She had not wanted to make it any harder for them than she had to, but Neji's rebellion had been totally unexpected. If Tenten was a sore spot of his; fine, she understood, 'But shut up and don't talk back to me!' She stared at the open doorway for a few moments, clearing her head, and then stomped over to the wreckage of her desk.

With a powerful arm, she set it upright and returned it to its original position. She fetched her list of daily appointments and Jiraiya's message. Tsunade then sat down and ignored the debris and papers that were scattered about the room. The teapot had shattered.

She looked at the appointment list, 'Hmm…I need to drop by the hospital at 2:00 to check on Nichiyo.' He had received a donation of Kiba's bone marrow and was on the mend, but she wanted to make sure of it. Tsunade scanned down the schedule and blinked when Kotetsu and Izumo announced their entry. The best friends stepped gingerly over the papers and other paraphernalia on the floor.

"Oh good! Will you two please pick this up?" Tsunade asked pleasantly, "I almost killed someone."

"Sure…Hokage-sama." They dubiously walked around the room and retrieved her items. While they worked she reminded them that they would be on lookout duty at the village gates that evening.

She enjoyed her downtime and thanked Shizune when she returned will a stack of finished forms. Her former apprentice took a look at the crater in the wall, frowning worriedly, "Tsunade-sama…was that the awful appointment?"

"It was, but I got it over with."

After everyone cleared out of the office again and it was restored to order (mostly), she leaned back and groaned. Was it better to let Team Gai roam free and loose-lipped while a hunter lurked, or was she right to hush them up and hide them until she caught the perpetrator? 'Both options are unattractive…but I had to make a choice. I don't have everything under control just yet.' Maybe her sensei or Jiraiya would have done the same.

She daydreamed for a while and began to feel better. A shinobi entered the office without knocking.

Tsunade sat up straight and held her chin in her hand, "You're fast. I sent for you not too long ago."

The ANBU agent was wearing a colorful cat mask, "How can I be of service, Hokage-sama?"

"I had originally thought that I would assign you to some light overseeing. I just separated a team and I knew that they would dislike it…but one member in particular was belligerent." She pointed to the damaged wall, "I don't think Hyuga Neji is going to follow my orders. I will not have anyone interfere with the inquiry I am conducting, and so I would like to you specifically watch him." Tsunade pushed a folder forward on her desk.

The Black Ops shinobi picked up the file and thumbed through it to get an idea.

"Tenzo, I need you to keep him away from the kunoichi of Team Gai. I included her photo for reference." She folded her hands, "The criminal I am dealing with can capitalize on her being near any of her team members. Until I have a grip on this situation, I would like you to keep vigil and report back to me."

"Understood." He nodded, holding up the folder, "Shall I keep this?"

"Yes."

"Hokage-sama…"

She acknowledged him by pursing her lips impatiently.

"The damage to your office…this young man didn't cause it, did he? Otherwise you ought to take different steps to deal with erratic behavior."

"No…actually…I did that," She wasn't proud of her reaction, "He had a few choice words for me…and I chose to break an inanimate object instead of his neck."

"My! What a confrontational Genin!" Tenzo chuckled.

"You won't be laughing when you have to deal with him," She warned, "He'll give you shit too."

---

A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks for reading! Fiveflyingsquirrels asked me, after pointing out one or two references, if I would put up a "Did you know?" facts section in the notes. I'll do it from time to time.

Hidden Sand helping the Tide Village was alluded to in Forlorn when Gaara protected many of the residents in the Land of Waves. His "defense" is symbolic of his later participation with fortifying the Tide Village.

In Chapter 7 of Harbinger, Sasuke already knows Aoda, the giant black viper.

Rin's ninken is named Sesshu, as a play on words and homage to Sesshomaru, the dog demon from the Inuyasha series. Similarly, Sesshu Toyo was the foremost master of ink and wash painting or "Sumi-e" in Japan in the Muromachi period. This is a reference and tie-in to Obito's painting skill in the Sumi-e style, which is mentioned in several chapters.

In Chapters 1 and 6 of Harbinger, Lee can be seen using a technique called "Fledgling Peacock" which is a miniature version of Gai's "Morning Peacock."

Do you want to own Hinata's necklace in real life? You can. On the brilliantearth website a "Silver Song Bird pendant" can be found for just under $100.

Have you noticed something while reading and you're able to point out the reference? Share it in a review and it might be mentioned in the next chapter's notes!

Chapter 20- Youth Ignited