A/N: Okay, so the last chapter getting some pretty solid reception was great to see, because it let me know that I still have most of you here to read these chapters. As such, any plans I may have had to take an actual hiatus are now null and void. I'm here till the end, and if things go smoothly, this fic will be finished on or before Christmas.

So, for this chapter specifically, the first scene will be something I've been wanting to try for a while now. It'll be a first-person monologue from Satsuki. Think of it as an extended foray into her thoughts.

So, I know that's a big departure from the style of this fic up to now, but I *do* have a third-person version of the scene written just in case you guys would prefer it after reading the first-person variant.

Time for Chapter 69 ( ͡ ͜ʖ ͡)

Enjoy!


I had my reasons for doing what I did.

We always do, don't we? There's always a justification. An argument to be made for why people do the awful things they do. God knows I came up with more than a few. I really should have taken it as a bad sign that Itachi wasn't enough for me to feel satisfied in my decisions, but I was young and arrogant. I thought I knew what was best for myself, even though I was blind and lost. The world was too big, and I desperately wanted to face it down and overcome it on my own. My ego never died. I still had so much to prove, both to myself and the people that made me into who I was.

Even laying half-dead in that drum, I was still just waiting to break out and start sprinting. I wanted to feel the power I'd been promised, and I couldn't handle waiting for too long. I could feel the world around me. I could feel the barrel I was stuck in being shifted and moved. I could feel the distance between myself and the home I once knew growing. I had thrown it all away, and I was in too deep to regret it. How I made it that far at all is a mystery. I always criticized Naruto for being reckless, but of the two of us, I was always worse. I fought Gaara alone when I should have waited for back up. I attacked Itachi without a second thought. And finally, I broke off and ran away without so much as a goodbye.

My punishment was coming. Naruto was closing in. I wasn't a sensor, but I was sure of it. For all that I was itching to escape that drum, I was more nervous than I'd ever been. When I was conscious enough to think, at least. Naruto had never scared me before. He was harmless, and behind his temper, he was one of the sweetest human beings I'd ever met. But just then, being carried through that forest, the thought of facing him was petrifying. What he would say, what he would do, all of it. If I hadn't been barely-functional, I might've even cried in that barrel.

It was my own fault. I could have just gone on my way and left when I was supposed to. I could have run without a word. But I couldn't kill my feelings. I went to him anyway, and made things so much more difficult than they needed to be. It was the best night of my life, right up until it wasn't. I'd hoped that Naruto wouldn't be sent after me. That Lord Third would know better. But of course, luck wasn't on my side. He was coming, and he wouldn't stop until he got to me. That bloody, single-minded drive that I fell in love with was now the scariest thing imaginable.

The worst part was, deep down, despite my fear, it made me happy. Some twisted piece of my soul wanted to be chased. Longed to be confronted. Awful, I know. He deserved better. I'd dragged him into a violent game of cat and mouse. For the thousandth time, I'd made his life a living hell. I was toxic. A rose without petals. Just a stem with thorns. I had half a mind to abandon any notion of facing him at all. Something awful was happening to me in that drum, both mentally and physically. I didn't want him to see what I was becoming. It would only break his heart more than I already had.

But, I chose to stand my ground. To let him try to convince me. It's the one decision I made that I stand by. Even if things had gone up in smoke, I could have gone to the grave knowing that I was fair to him in the end, and gave him a chance to do his worst. Because, no matter how much that tattoo polluted my mind, and regardless of how badly I wanted Itachi dead at my feet, Naruto was stuck deep in my heart.

He was my sunlight, and I wanted to feel his warmth one last time.


Time had a way of slowing itself down when tensions were high. Seconds felt like minutes, minutes like hours, so on and so forth. One of the many unexplained inconveniences of life. At the very least, action within those drawn out moments could quell the compounding stress that came with it all. Conversely, inaction only intensified the painful tedium. Especially when such lethargy was the only true available option. As the clock ticked away toward nine o'clock in the morning, Hiruzen's unpleasant solitude in his office dragged on. He had done all he could. He had dispatched an initial force, and then a subsequent backup unit. Beyond that, there was little else he could contribute.

He could only pray that things would play out smoothly. Despite their low rank, the entirety of Shikamaru's assembled cell were capable ninja. Neji, Naruto, and Lee in particular were highly proficient combatants, with supplementary skills being provided by the team's remaining members. They could handle themselves. But no matter how many times Hiruzen repeated such logic to himself, he could not ease his nerves. They were competent, but they were still children. Children without the means to combat the worst of what could come their way.

Beyond the obvious issue of Orochimaru, the Hokage had taken a great risk in dispatching Gaara. The Jinchuuriki was, at least in theory, an ally for the present moment. His mission had been administered by Hiruzen himself. But the old man knew better than to assume the best. Gaara was completely unreliable. Though he held no continuing alliance with the snake Sanin, he almost certainly did not consider the leaf to be any better than a neutral party. Even putting aside the problem of loyalty, he was erratic, wild, and bloodthirsty. National ties likely meant little to him irrespective of circumstance.

Yet, he still stood as their best chance until the Anbu Black Ops managed to rendezvous with Shikamaru's team. Should push come to shove, with Gaara's intrigue seized by the enemy rather than his intended allies, he would be a powerful asset. Deep in thought regarding the topic, it was not until the third knock at his office's door and an accompanying voice that Hiruzen snapped back to attention.

"We've retrieved her as requested, Hokage-sama." came the voice of Genma Shiranui. Straightening up in his chair, Hiruzen cleared his throat.

"Thank you. Send her in." he replied. A brief few moments of interlude followed, with the end of them being punctuated by the door opening and a woman stepping through into the office. The very same that had accompanied Gaara into Konoha.

"You sent for me, my Lord?" the woman asked, bowing formally as the door closed behind her. Hiruzen nodded and gestured for her to sit down, to which she obliged.

"Forgive the sudden notice, but I'm stretched more than a bit thin right now." the Hokage said, adjusting his robes and hat.

"Now, first and foremost, I'd like to know your name. You're a new face." he asked. In most cases, all foreigners entering Konoha were required to fill out a registration upon their arrival, but Gaara and his companion had been escorted directly from the gate to the administrative building. Several steps had been skipped.

"Akane Morisaki. My rank is Jonin." the young woman said. Retrieving a scroll off on the left side of his desk, Hiruzen wrote down her name, rank, and country of origin. With her registration complete, he rolled up the scroll and deposited it in the drawer of his desk. No longer burdened by protocol, the old man took a close look at the Jonin for the first time since her initial presence before him. She was certainly an oddity, given that she called the Land of Wind's desert home. She clearly suffered from albinism, with ghostly white skin and hair to match, alongside a pair of light red eyes. Her hair was cut short, hanging just above her shoulders.

"I mean no offense by this, but I was expecting the man who led Gaara's team during the Chunin exams." the Hokage commented. Akane waved a dismissive hand.

"None taken. Baki is unavailable as of now. Politicking, you understand." she said vaguely. Opting not to press any further, Hiruzen shifted to a more intriguing topic.

"If I may ask, why didn't you accompany Gaara out of the village? You would've been within your rights to join him." he inquired. HIruzen had observed the departure of Gaara through the all-seeing display of his crystal ball, and had immediately taken notice of the Jonin's absence.

"I intended to, but he forbade me. Not surprising, but a bit frustrating." Akane answered. Hiruzen frowned, his eyebrow curling up at the response.

"You outrank him, do you not?" he countered, feeling as though he was missing something obvious. The Suna Kunoichi shifted in her seat.

"On paper, but it isn't so simple in his case. In all honesty, he holds more authority over me than I do over him, most of the time. I'm his designated attendant, as it were." she explained. Hiruzen's frown only deepened.

"Do elaborate. I'm not sure I follow." he requested. Akane took a moment, her eyes drifting around the room as she gathered her thoughts and words.

"Gaara-sama's father, our Fourth Kazekage, assigned me to act as his son's all-purpose shadow five years ago. Though, most of my job description centers around keeping him stable. I do outrank him, like you said, but status matters. I'm one among hundreds. For all intents and purposes, you could call Gaara-sama a prince of sorts." she said. Nodding along, Hiruzen stroked his bearded chin. Her use of such a respectful honorific in reference to the Jinchuuriki was telling.

"Forgive my insensitivity, but Rasa is dead now. Wouldn't that change things?" he asked. Akane shook her head.

"If anything, it's only given him more influence. With his father gone, Gaara is the frontrunner to succeed him." she revealed. The Hokage's eyes widened ever so slightly. It was the first he had heard of the decidedly major international development.

"They would appoint a child?" he questioned incredulously. Though he was well aware that his shock at the idea likely betrayed his already-obvious age, the mere notion of a teenager leading a Hidden Village perplexed Hiruzen.

"That's half of his appeal. Plenty of people in Suna's government think they can control him because of his age. It still isn't the easiest sell publicly, but options are short." Akane reasoned. Her logic was fairly strong, but it was a jarring piece of information regardless. Many new questions were springing up within the old man's mind, from whether or not Gaara even desired the position to the timeframe for his apparently inbound election. Nonetheless, Hiruzen tamed his curiosity for the sake of more prominent concerns.

"Well, as interesting as all of that may be, we have more pressing business to discuss." he said, transitioning away from the political discourse. If there was any more Akane had wished to say on the matter, she withheld it and awaited prompting.

"Do you consider him to be a danger to my genin?" Hiruzen asked, not bothering to pointlessly specify.

"With all due respect, why ask this now? He's long gone already." Akane said. It was a worthwhile point, but the elderly leader was in no mood.

"Answer the question." he shot back sternly. The Suna Kunoichi, once again, paused momentarily to carefully consider her words.

"It entirely depends on how they react to him. He isn't out for blood today. At least, not proactively. He won't attack them. But if a fight is brought to him, he won't take the high road. He never does." Akane said slowly. Hiruzen pursed his lips.

"What are his motives, then? We both know he has no personal stake in this mission, and he was a bit too eager for my liking." he pressed. He did not quite regret his decision to send the redhead, but he was far from sure of it. It was too late to turn back, but preparing for the worst was better than nothing. An odd mix of emotions passed over Akane's features.

"I wish I knew for sure." she said in a quieter tone. Hiruzen studied her in silence. Reserved as her reply had been, the Hokage could not shake the feeling that she was withholding her true opinion. It was clear that her dynamic with the Jinchuuriki was some distance from standard, both officially and personally. Glancing up at the clock, the Hokage resolved to wrap up the unscheduled meeting.

"Well, no matter what they may be, I made certain to deploy somebody capable of checking him if need be. Ideally, no conflict arises. For the sake of both of our village's, I hope none does." he said, standing up from his chair. Akane followed suit.

"You're free to go. You'll be informed when he returns." Hiruzen said. The Jonin nodded and swiftly exited the office, leaving the Hokage alone once more. In total, the conversation had lasted barely five minutes, but it had been densely packed. Sitting back down again, Hiruzen let out a long sigh. His thoughts quickly found their way back to Gaara's heir-apparency.

'Anybody who thinks they can keep that wolverine on a leash is an ignorant fool. He's far too cunning. He threw our police force for a loop.' he thought to himself. Gaara becoming a sitting Kage was a grim proposition indeed. He was repugnant in and of himself, and there wasn't a single doubt in the Hokage's mind that his reign would be despotic. Taking a long drag from his pipe, a dark thought crossed Hiruzen's mind.

'Perhaps it would be for the best if…no. Let's not go there.'


Of the many natural sounds one could find throughout the vast forest of the Land of Fire, echoing musical notes was not generally one of them. Yet, as Konoha's retrieval team sprinted across the open air branch by branch, the distinct noise of something resembling a flute or piccolo could be heard all around them. Such an oddity was cause for immediate concern given the circumstances, even more so due to the unnatural directionality of the music. It seemed to be emanating from all directions.

"I'm not the only one picking up on this, right?" Shikamaru asked his two present teammates, both of whom shook their heads in confirmation. Based upon their pace and duration of travel, they were likely close to the furthest reaches of the forest, but there was still a fair distance to go. At least another twenty minutes of continuous running.

"I can't tell where it's coming from. It almost sounds like it's sounding off from behind us half the time." Naruto, who was running at the Nara's left side, said. The gears continued to turn in Shikamaru's head as he attempted to decipher what exactly was transpiring. Music was not exclusively human in nature, birds could perform a myriad of songs, but it was almost October. Many months from mating season. Even if it had been spring, the melody was too complex, and too varied. Chances were, it was being performed by a person. One that had to be nearby.

With the simple deduction complete, Shikamaru moved onto the more pertinent question of 'why'. For both better and worse, the answer was provided to him in shorter order when, two minutes after the team's brief discussion, Lee veered off course and crashed into a thick tree branch.

"Lee!" Naruto exclaimed, rushing to catch his falling comrade as the eccentric genin plummeted toward the ground below. The blonde managed to catch Lee by the wrist and stick himself to the side of a tree trunk just before they reached the forest floor. A close call to be sure.

"What the hell was that?" Shikamaru called as he dropped down to join the remainder of his cell on the ground. Upon reaching them, it became clear that Lee was both delirious and confused.

"I'm…not sure. I feel strange." Lee admitted as he steadied himself. He was shaking ever so slightly all over. After a moment of contemplation, Shikamaru stepped forward and tapped Lee on the forehead with his index finger. Through the contact, he sent a small jolt of chakra into his fellow genin. Instantly, the haze cleared from his eyes.

"Genjutsu. Probably stemming from that weird music, if I had to guess." the Nara said. Lee nodded and rubbed his head, clearly still recovering from both his tumble and the strain his chakra system had been put through by the illusory assault.

"I've been fading in and out for the past few minutes. I completely blacked out just now." Lee recounted. In retrospect, Shikamaru himself had been experiencing odd sensory hiccups within the very same timeframe. Momentary lapses of hearing, sensation, and even vision for mere fractions of a second at a time.

"Yeah, I've been feeling a little off too." he said, taking a sweeping glance around their surroundings. The music was still swelling around them with no signs of an oncoming dropoff. If anything, it seemed to be growing louder by the second. Genjutsu was a difficult hurdle to overcome if applied by skilled hands, and that of the auditory variety was particularly troublesome.

"Is it weird that I didn't really notice anything?" Naruto interjected. Shikamaru shot an assessing glance in his teammate's direction. Sure enough, the blonde appeared completely unaffected. Even Shikamaru himself, likely holding the strongest grasp on Genjutsu of the three, was exerting considerable effort to keep his mind straight amid the unwelcome melody. Naruto was stonewalling it passively. It was then that Shikamaru took a closer look at him. The Jinchuuriki's eyes were red and slitted. They had been shifting between their two standard colors throughout the mission, but the crimson hue almost always came coupled with a flash of the blonde's temper. Presently, Naruto was rather calm.

A thought then occurred to Shikamaru. One regarding the very nature of Jinchuuriki, and the implications said nature could have in regards to what could and could not affect them in contrast to a more ordinary person. Tempted though he was to dive headlong into the self-created rabbit hole, he thought better of it, and returned his focus back to where it was needed.

"A little, but it's nothing but a good thing right now. Either way, whoever is playing that music is nearby, and getting closer." he said, subconsciously drawing a kunai as the unseen danger closed in on them. Lee and Naruto both did the same. Soon enough, much to their collective surprise, the melody ceased.

"I figured at least one of you would've tripped and broken your neck after all of that, but getting you to sit still works too."

All three boys whirled around to face the voice that had suddenly addressed them. After several seconds of puzzled searching amid the trees and leaves, they spotted the owner. Kneeling on a branch thirty-odd feet up in a large tree, with wild red hair, pale skin, and a bandaged hat wrapped around her head was a young woman. No doubt, yet another obstacle sent to hinder them.

'She's got an instrument. That settles it.' Shikamaru thought to himself as he and his teammates kept their eyes glued to their adversary. Indeed, the redhead was clutching a small wooden flute. More or less confirming her culpability for the hypnotic music.

"And I figured you freaks would take the hint and quit by now!" Naruto snapped back loudly. The young woman simply grinned at his indignation.

"You lot are troublesome. Lord Orochimaru has given us express orders to keep you on a short leash." she replied. The simple mention of the Snake Sanin's name brought a look of unfettered rage to the blonde's face. As tensions rose, Shikamaru assessed the situation and all that could be inferred about it.

'If she's genjutsu-centric, she's probably a long-range type. She's been following us for a while now, if I had to guess.' he thought to himself. His gaze then shifted over to his teammates.

'Lee might be quick enough to close her down and rough her up, but we don't know that for sure, and he's the weakest against genjutsu. Naruto's definitely the best suited to deal with her if the music didn't faze him, but he's got better things to be doing on this mission.' he continued on within his mind. As he pondered, a few more barbs were traded back and forth between Naruto and the redheaded woman, with the Jinchuuriki's temper rising with every mean-spirited word. Inevitably, Naruto's self-control quickly failed him, and he took a step forward.

Sensing the outburst to come, Shikamaru's hand shot out and gripped him by the shoulder. The Chunin then stepped forward.

"This one's mine. You two go on ahead." he ordered his comrades, allowing an authoritative tone for the very first time since their departure. Naruto scowled.

"I can end this quick. Don't butt in." the Jinchuuriki growled as he shrugged the Nara's hand from his shoulder. Shikamaru fixed him with a hard look.

"Save it for Satsuki." he said. Naruto's face shifted through several emotions rapidly, but he reluctantly sobered and allowed Shikamaru to fully pass him, who made a hand sign as he walked forward.

"I'll give you both an opening. When I do, get moving." he said with his eyes fixed firmly on the henchwoman up above. The redhead barked a short laugh.

"You really think I'm going to–" she scoffed. In the midst of her bluster, the branch on which she stood was severed at the trunk by a sharp strand of Shikamaru's shadow. As a result, she came crashing down alongside the newly-cut log.

'I can't believe that worked.' Shikamaru thought to himself. He had done his best to covertly slide his shadow along the tree during his initial approach, but he had not expected the tactic to be fully effective. As the woman recovered mid-air and landed on her feet, Shikamaru glanced back over his shoulder and found that Naruto and Lee were already gone. They had taken his signal perfectly. With his team well on their way, Shikamaru directed his attention to his grounded foe as she rose up to her feet.

"That was cheap." the woman grumbled, dusting herself off as she spoke. The Chunin's mouth pulled into an irritated line. Something had just occurred to him.

'I'm fighting a girl. Again.' he silently complained to the powers that be. Gripes aside, he had advanced their cause by halting her, and he was likely in for a difficult contest.

"Like your tactics weren't." he shot back. The redhead took a deep breath, visibly calming once more. She then leapt back up into the trees and brought her flute to her lips. Shikamaru immediately rushed after her. His own preferred range would be a detriment if he were to linger within it. As he caught up to her mid air, she met his extended kunai with one of her own and sent sparks flying in all directions. The collision sent both repelling backwards, inadvertently rendering Shikamaru's attempt to close distance for naught by sending him back to the forest floor.

Brandishing his weapon and assuring his footing on the cold dirt, the Chunin took a deep breath.

'My gut says that this is gonna suck.'


Naruto blew hot air into his palms as he and Lee sprinted across the thinning foliage. They were very nearly at the edge of the forest. All that lay ahead of them beyond it was a small set of plains, and the so-called Valley of The End. An old monument portraying the likeness of Konoha's founders. After the latter landmark had been passed, they would be entering the Land of Sound. Of course, ideally, they would retake their wayward comrade before international travel was necessary, but the situation at hand was uncertainty itself.

There was no reliable way to know how exactly things were transpiring overall. Choji's fate, that of Neji and Shino, and most recently, Shikamaru's. It was all a mystery, and likely would be for any number of hours. All four of them had taken it upon themselves to buy precious time for the cell to move forward. Now, neck-deep in the mission, the team was hardly a team at all. Only a pair remained. Naruto hardly knew Rock Lee, but if nothing else, he trusted his presented character to be genuine. The eccentric genin was nothing if not earnest. Additionally, he had considerable faith in his strength. Though he had only seen him in action once, Lee's showing against Gaara had been breathtaking.

'Might be the best guy I could've ended up alone with.' he thought to himself as a cold wind blew back against the boys. Though a social person in general, the blonde was in no mood for idle conversation. Thankfully, Lee appeared to recognize as much, and had said very little since their separation from Shikamaru several miles back. In the following five minutes, the trend continued. They simply trekked on though the gradually emptying terrain. When said minutes expired, they slowed to a walk at the sight of true sunlight for the first time since their entrance into the dense woods. They had finally exited the forest.

As Naruto looked around in mild intrigue at the open grassland before him, his eyes landed on a figure some few hundred feet in front of them.

"Another one." he said, earning a curt nod from Lee. With no further discussion, the genin broke out into a jog toward what was almost certainly their fifth roadblock. As they drew closer, Naruto's eyes narrowed. It was a man, appearing several years older than he and his contemporaries, with white hair and a lean frame. He was wearing the very same tunic as the other henchman they had encountered, but lacked a shirt. He had two red dots on his forehead, a tattoo of eerie similarity to Satsuki's imprinted on his sternum.

Coming to a stop within meters of the man, Naruto and Lee cautiously eyed the man. He was sitting atop an odd barrel of sorts, and his posture was relaxed. He had been awaiting their arrival, if his body language was any indication. After a brief stretch of tense silence, the man stood up and stretched his neck.

"Two of you? That's a pain." he said calmly. Something about him was distinctly different from the rest. Each of the previous four, no matter how menacing, had all given off some sort of feeling of vulnerability. A sense that they could, and would, be beaten. For reasons Naruto could not fully pin down, the Shinobi before him lacked such an aura of fragility. He was the final obstacle. The Jinchuuriki's gaze then fell to the strange barrel. It was giving off an unfamiliar, malignant signature. One that made Naruto's stomach churn. With a slight shake of his head, he looked back to his newly minted enemy.

"You're the last one, aren't you?" he asked bluntly. His harsh tone did nothing to shake the man, but he did receive a direct answer.

"I am. The other four take their orders from me, as a matter of fact." he replied. At this confirmation, Naruto sprung his second, much more pressing concern.

"Where's Satsuki Uchiha?" he questioned. With the knowledge that no more security would be found beyond the man before them, it stood out as very strange that Naruto could neither see nor sense his teammate.

"Safe and sound." the white-haired man said vaguely. The Jinchuuriki's hands curled up into fists. He had been working to control his temper throughout the day, but with his desperate objective so close at hand, his desire to maintain composure immediately wore down to nothing at the dismissal.

"Fine. I'll just beat an answer out of you." the blonde hissed. Lee immediately reached out to hold him back, but in one explosive movement, Naruto ripped across the small space between himself and the henchman. His intention had been to sink his fist wrist-deep into the man's gut, but despite not having been dodged or traditionally blocked, the Jinchuuriki found that his strike had been halted before it could reach its target.

"What…the hell?" he sputtered. Naruto had witnessed many odd things throughout his life, but what he was currently faced with was perhaps the most unusual of them all. Straining against his fist, poking right through the white-haired man's skin, was what appeared to be an entire rib cage. It had sprouted out incredibly quickly. Fast enough to fully form in the time between Naruto's sudden advance and his entry into close range. Less than a second in total.

"You look surprised. No shame in that. Most people are the first time they see it." the henchman said. He then seized Naruto by the arm and pulled him in. The Jinchuuriki immediately posted his free hand on the man's shoulder to keep himself from being skewered by the protruding bones. Unfortunately, it proved to be futile, as the ribcage quickly began to extend outward. Just as the shockingly sharp bones began to dig into Naruto's skin through his jacket, his teammate finally flew into action.

Blitzing around behind their foe, Lee wheeled a kick up toward the man's head. It was easily blocked by a raised forearm, but the distraction provided Naruto with an opening to take advantage of. Fully extending his arm, Naruto made just enough space to slam his foot into the oncoming ribs. The impact managed to loosen the man's grip on his arm and allowed the blonde to pull himself free. Flipping backwards in the air, Naruto touched down right back where he had started. Lee soon joined him, but not before absorbing a punch to the jaw on the way out.

"He's stronger than the first four. Much stronger." the taijutsu specialist said with a clenched jaw. A bead of nervous sweat trickled down Naruto's forehead. He still had a significant amount of power to draw on that he had yet to utilize, but he got the distinct sense that the same was true for their foe. A single exchange had dented his confidence.

"I'm not a great team player, but we've gotta attack him together." he said. Lee nodded and readied himself to engage. The white-haired man assumed no stance, but his feet did shift ever so slightly. He was ready for them, come what may. Just as the two opposing sides were about to begin their fight anew, an audible rumble radiated from the barrel behind him.

"Hm. A bit sooner than I was hoping." the henchman muttered. Naruto stared at the drum with great unease. A possibility that he had initially dismissed was clawing its way back to the forefront of his mind. Within seconds, the barrel began to periodically shake and emit a black smoke from its creases.

"Did we…wake something up?" Lee pondered aloud. Naruto shrugged his shoulders rigidly. Whatever the answer, it was far from good, and the guess forming in his mind as to what exactly was happening was only making the suspense of the moment more painful.

A beat later, his fears came to pass, and the drum burst open.


A/N: Okay, so I am VERY sorry for the long wait for this one. I got caught up in holiday shopping, and I had a bunch of work stuff to attend to. I hope it wasn't too bad, though :)

Now, for the chapter itself: As I said up at the top, I'm more than willing to edit the first scene back into the standard third person. I have that version written. I just wanted to try out some first person for once.

And, I'm well aware that this chapter moves at kind of a breakneck pace, but I really do think that this is more or less what this sort of mission would look like with the absence of flashbacks and such. I think it turned out okay either way.

Tell me what you thought! In particular, that first scene. Let me know in a review!

I love you all

See you next chapter!