*Chapter 27*: Chapter Twenty Four: Unwelcome Reunion

Chapter Twenty-Four: Unwelcome Reunion

Naruto was more experienced than most genin- a trait exacerbated by the fact that said experience had been crammed into far shorter a period of time than was mentally or physically healthy. Yet despite this, passing through each town they searched was an eye-opener for him.

Other than his few short weeks in Nami no Kuni, Naruto hadn't experienced life in a city other than Konoha. He found himself unused to and unready for the hectic, endless motion of these places. Back home, even when in a hurry, the civilians had a relaxed, easy air about them.

Not so, here, and these other towns he'd passed through in Hi no Kuni. They did not have the desperate unemployed poverty that he'd seen in Nami no Kuni, back when they'd first gotten there, but here outside Konoha there was visible the effects of hurry, worry, and heavy labor in every face that passed by. Yet there was cheer, here, too- these were a people who worked themselves hard, and played hard, and took pride in what victories they could wrest from their daily lives. These were a people who threw themselves whole heartedly into everything they did.

It took Naruto a small while to understand that to these people, a folk who did not live in a hidden village, the pace of life differed. These people had no native forces of ninja whose missions would pave their streets or whose numbers would police their populace. Their own labors were the only thing they could rely on- and yet, somehow, they managed not only to survive but to thrive. There was a vitality out here in the open world that seemed lacking in Konohagakure.

Naruto had a nagging feeling that there was a lesson in this for him to learn, somewhere.

Ebisu and Kurenai were somewhere behind them... or perhaps, today, somewhere ahead of them, waiting for them as they ran their rounds of this town. Or who knew? Maybe they were standing nearby here, walking by, maybe drinking tea in a shop across the street in henge. Each day they searched a town, the genin made standard (and sometimes nonstandard) sweeps of the city streets, and as evening drew to a close, the jonin would review their performance and results. Should they miss clues thye jonin would then input their own findings and conclusions, at which point the genin would decide their next destination or course of action.

As mid afternoon began to give way to evening, Naruto frowned, and paused in his information gathering. They'd been through four towns so far... but despite this, they'd still not seen hide nor hair of their quarry. They'd found leads in all four towns on this Tsunade woman, and by their pace they might catch up to her at the next town since their freshest lead placed her in town only two days ago, but Naruto was still unsatisfied at their progress. She'd stayed in towns for as little as twelve hours according to some sources, and the distance could easily stretch out again with little or no warning. If it did, this search could take weeks or even months before they finally cornered her and brought her back.

A nagging sense on the edge on his perceptions brought itself to the fore, a feeling that something was wrong, very much so. His frown deepened. He felt a presence, and it was familiar, slightly, very uncomfortably so.

Naruto shot a look in the direction of Hinata. Whatever it was he was feeling, she didn't seem to notice it... which meant he needed to be doubly on his guard. Shino likewise seemed unaware that anything was amiss.

This was no time to take chances: Naruto closed his eyes and pulsed the Kamigan briefly.

The Kamigan told him many things in his blink to assess his surroundings. There were currently five people whose posture and direction indicated they were watching the trio of genin. The first two were Ebisu sensei and Kurenai sensei. The third was a young woman with the bearing of a ninja but carrying no identifying hitai ate, who wore senbon box launchers concealed in her sleeves as well as a number of ninja tools in various places on her person. The fourth was... Kabuto? And right next to him, confirming suspicions that Naruto'd held since the second exam, was the fifth observer, whose presence and identity made Naruto's blood run cold.

Orochimaru.

"Hm." Noted Orochimaru approvingly. "It seems he noticed us rather quickly."

Kabuto frowned. "We can't afford to play with him Orochimaru sama." He commented.

Orochimaru shifted his position on the low rooftop in absolute silence, as he drew forth Kusanagi. "Being that he can see us, that makes this all the easier, then." He replied, smiling. Then the smile diminished as a pair of feet touched down on the roof nearby. "You're late." Orochimaru said, sounding slightly miffed.

The new arrival didn't seem very impressed by the presence of Orochimaru or his signature weapon. "The traffic was terrible." He answered snidely. His eyes scanned the ground below, while he fiddled with a knob that rested where his left ear used to be. "The little cockroach is warning the other two- interesting. He recognizes me- and the two jonin, with him and his new team, are in that little cafe the other two are walking towards." The newcomer paused, then added, "He says to tell you that he can read lips, and I can pass on to you anything he has to say."

"So." Orochimaru said. "You realize that I am not here to fight you, then, Naruto kun."

"He says if that's true, then why the sword?"

"A precautionary measure." Orochimaru answered.

"He says he doesn't care what you're here for, and that we can go back where we came from, because we won't get it in the first place."

Orochimaru frowned. "That's not very gracious of you, Naruto kun. We'd rather not fight you over this- why stay in Konoha, where they hate you? I want you more than all of Konoha combined. And... I also know the real reason Arashi chose you to seal the Kyuubii. But, of course, you know him as Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage."

Zabuza chuckled. "I think you got his attention, boss." Zabuza waited a few seconds, listening. "He says that the words of a traitor aren't exactly known for their reliability, especially when it comes to the people they betrayed."

Orochimaru grinned. "Ah, but you can't disbelieve those lovely eyes of yours, can you, Naruto kun? Because they tell you exactly when someone lies and when someone speaks absolute truth. And the truth is... your beloved Yondaime Hokage was a greater traitor than I ever was."

Zabuza waited for a long minute as Naruto seemed to mulled this over, before Kabuto spoke up, "Orochimaru sama..."

"I see them. It would appear that we are out of time, Naruto kun. If you ever want to finish this conversation, then meet my agent alone at the bridge of Sun and Fire twelve miles west of the town Honba on the border of Rice and Fire. He'll be a disposable agent, only meant to lead you to someone competent enough to tell whether you've been followed... so make sure that you aren't followed or you'll never hear the rest of what I have to say. The agent will only be present on the night of the new moon one week after the final exam for chunin promotion, so I suggest you hurry with your current mission- you only have two and a half weeks left til then."

Orochimaru turned to go, but Zabuza stopped him. "Wait, boss. He says that while you clearly believe what you say, simply because you believe in it doesn't make it true."

Orochimaru's smile was cold and victorious. "What is truth? What is truth, Naruto kun? When you've found the answer to that... maybe then you'll know what it is you're looking for, from both myself AND Konoha. See you in eighteen days...

Naruto kun."

Naruto was shaking with pent up energy. Kabuto had always struck him as off, and by the third exam preliminaries he'd been fairly certain that whoever he was, he wasn't a Konoha nin. Now, Naruto understood why- he'd been working for Orochimaru the whole time. And worst of all, Mamochi Zabuza was still alive, and working for the Hebi Sannin as well. As an enemy, he'd been powerful, even caught by surprise and up against the completely unfamiliar abilities of a jinchuuriki.

And after his first defeat at Naruto's hands, Orochimaru couldn't have picked a more motivated opponent to face off against the Kyuubii container.

Not here to fight, but brings out his sword the moment he sees I noticed him. Indecision? Caution?

Fear?

Naruto hadn't SEEN any signs of fear... but ninja were trained to conceal their emotions, and Orochimaru was an infamous master of all things shinobi. After their first encounter, Naruto had studied everything he could find on the Sannin, at times simultaneously training his own skills by breaking into high security records in the Hokage tower at night to find more. Despite working eight to twelve hour shifts at Konoha hospital, Naruto still found he had enough time for research on the side.

It was amazing how much you could find the time for when you needed only a few hours of sleep each night. And for someone who, even before graduating the academy, managed to infiltrate the Hokage tower, doing it now was child's play.

The trouble was, even though he'd found a great deal of information, most of it interesting, the majority of what he'd learned was singularly unhelpful.

After the death of his family, he'd become more and more obsessed with learning how to become immortal. He fled from the village after being caught dabbling in forbidden arts, and was last seen in the company of a nuke nin from Mizugakure by the name of Kisame.

Naruto had also learned, disturbingly enough, that Anko sensei had a curse mark of her own. It made Naruto feel a certain sense of kinship with the older woman, but her marking had been far worse than his own. Orochimaru had inflicted the chakra parasite on his student and left her locked alone in a shed for two days, just as he'd done with nine other children. She'd been the only survivor.

Naruto remembered the horrible pain of the curse mark- Kakashi sensei had said that if it hadn't been for Kyuubii, the mark would have most likely killed him. Had Orochimaru known that the kyuubii would keep him alive? And if not, had the snake Sannin been trying to kill Naruto? Or was he simply that cavalier about gambling lives to waste the blonde on a long shot?

That snake bastard's the sort that if he gives you ten ryo and you confirm the count on your fingers, you'd better recount your fingers before you put the money in your pocket. Naruto mused sourly. But he wasn't lying when he said the Yondaime Hokage was a traitor... which means he believes it totally. What does he know that the village doesnt?

Naruto vaguely registered the sudden arrival of Kurenai sensei and Ebisu sensei, with Hinata and Shino in tow. At their prompting, he briefly gave the two jonin every relevant detail he could, save for Orochimaru's invitation, but held them back as they moved to investigate. "They left no traces- they're already gone."

Ebisu pushed his glasses up on his nose. "What else are you not telling us?"

Hinata looked uncertain, ready to protest, but Naruto forestalled her. "More than I really have time to tell you, but right now our other watcher is getting ready to leave. She's about twelve to fourteen centimeters shorter than orochimaru, by my best guess, although she hasn't stood up straight since I've seen her, so I might be off by a few centimeters either way. She has straight, dark hair, she's wearing a dress kimono with concealed snaps on either side all the way to the hip, and has spring loaded senbon box launchers on either arm. I think the needles are poisoned; either that, or she keeps the spring launchers somewhat heavily oiled. That rooftop-" Naruto pointed. "-and she saw me point; she's running away." "Let her." Kurenai responded. "We need to get back to Konoha."

"Because of Orochimaru?" Naruto asked.

"If Orochimaru is here, then it stands to reason that he's after something- quite probably you." Kurenai said. "And whatever he wants from you is unlikely to be very good for your health."

"I don't think he's here to interfere- I can read lips, you know." Naruto replied irritably. "And from what he was saying to his subordinates, he's more interested in observing than anything else." Naruto cocked his head to the side. "By the way, in case you're interested, while we were arguing the woman got out of range of my sight. She's gone now."

"And I said let her get away." Kurenai snapped. "Remember that Ebisu san and I are the jonin sensei's here. You're too full of yourself and convinced you know better than we do- That sort of attitude on a mission can get you killed." Ebisu watched her out of the corner of his eye, but said nothing.

Naruto's response was to simply stare back at her, his face expressionless as he began counting off on his fingers. "Orochimaru is a known factor in all of this. I've fought him and one of the two henchmen he has with him; the other I've already seen in combat once before. His intentions, for the time being, are to observe, in so far as I can tell, and therefore I at least have the beginning of an idea as to what he and his can do."

Naruto levelled his palm facing upwards. "This other woman is a complete unknown to us. Aside from her physical appearance and the gear she was carrying on her at the time, we know nothing about her. We don't know what she wants or who she is working for. This is why I identified her as our biggest threat at the moment."

Shino chose this moment to speak up. "We will at least learn where she is going." Naruto's puzzled look made the smile widen somewhat. "Naruto, you didn't notice?"

Naruto blinked and shook his head. "Notice what?"

Shino chuckled, and raised a finger. On the end of it perched a tiny insect, gently fluttering its wings. "The female kikaichu beetle gives off a very subtle scent, almost undetectable... except to a male kikaichu. The male can detect that odor from miles away."

"You planted one of her? That fast, just from my description?" Naruto asked.

Shino nodded solemnly, his smile gone now but the remnants of it still lurking in his eyes. "Most people never really notice bugs."

Naruto turned inward. Did you notice when he did that Bii-san?

YES.

Why didn't you tell me?

BECAUSE YOU CAN'T ALWAYS DEPEND ON ME- AND THIS IS A SAFE WAY TO POINT OUT TO YOU THAT YOU MISSED SOMETHING IMPORTANT AND HAVE IT STICK. Kyuubii answered. LEARN TO NOTICE FOR YOURSELF AND WE WILL BOTH LIVE LONGER.

Why are you so worried about that? Naruto asked. You never miss anything, not even when I do.

KID, IF THAT WERE TRUE, I WOULDN'T BE COOPED UP IN HERE WITH YOU.

Naruto didn't know what to say to that.

Instead of answering, he asked aloud, "Then since we have no means of tracking Orochimaru and his group, but we do have a way to follow our other observer, shouldn't we at least follow up on that?"

Ebisu seemed to give it some thought before quirking an eyebrow at Kurenai as he pushed his glasses up higher on his nose. Naruto suddenly found himself liking the jounin and elite sensei- while he was making good with his billing to remain in the background, his deference to her still managed to convey his opinion that Naruto's suggestion had merit.

Kurenai sighed and wiped at her forehead with the palm of her hand. "Yes. I admit you have a point." She said with a sigh. "Not the least because of the activity of Kumogakure in this area. If hostilities are to break out, it's best we know what we're up against."

"I'm almost certain it's the same group that has been tailing us since Hakato last week."

Tsunade grunted as she watched the pachinko balls tumble past stoppers and knobs, falling into the bottom of the machine. She smiled as a ball bounced into the center hole, and the 'Spin' light lit up. The reels began spinning automatically. "So there's no doubt in your mind... but no proof." Tsunade commented. "What are they like?"

A second ball dropped in the center hole.

"It appears to be a genin team formation, but with two jounin sensei's." Shizune answered. "One of the genin appears to be a Hyuuga, and a second an Aburame. The third genin wears leaf shaped earrings, I''m not certain what clan, if any, that he comes from."

A third ball fell in, and was closely followed by a fourth. Several spinning reels popped into existance in the lower portion of the screen, one a jumble, and the second a cat... a second cat... and a seven. "Damn." Tsunade muttered, as she launched another twenty-five balls into the machine. "And the jounin?"

"I don't recognize the man, but the woman appears to be Yuuhi Kurenai." Shizune answered.

"Ah." Tsunade said. "By my last information, that would be team eight. That other genin is Inuzuka Kiba- and you should have known that he was an inuzuka by his clan markings on his cheeks, not to mention his dog. The other two are Aburame Shino and Hyuuga Hinata."

Shizune frowned as Tsunade downed another cup of sake- her fifth since Shizune had been watching. "He didn't have any clan markings OR a dog. You should have more faith in me than that, Tsunade sama."

Tsunade arched an eyebrow at this. "Well, ordinarily I woudl agree, but after that run in last month with that Kishimoto clan nin..." The legendary medic chuckled as Shizune huffed, looking away with a scowl. She took the chance to sneak another cup of Sake. As the powerful alcohol burned its way down her throat, she sighed. "All that aside, if they chose to replace the Inuzuka boy, I wonder why? It's fairly apparent that Konoha wants me, or at least to find me, for some reason. And the Inuzuka boy was not only a core member of team eight, but his family make excellent trackers. I can't imagine why they would want to replace him." Tsunade launched another twenty-five balls; almost immediately three plopped into the center hole. The second to last ball made a fourth even as the reels for the first were still spinning.

A small cartoon character at the corner of the screen began watching the spinning reels while eating popcorn at a frantic pace. A cherry... a cherry... and a cherry.

Bonus balls plunked into the tray beneath the machine, and a center gate opened. Tsunade eagerly plunked more balls into the machine. It was in jackpot mode, now, but every spin of the reels was either a minimum payout, or a loss. Shizune was still amazed by it after all the times she'd seen it. Tsunade sama is the only person alive who can lose money on a jackpot payout. She thought to herself. It's eerie, just how bad her luck is. By the time the jackpot sequence has finished, Tsunade was actually behind by forty balls.

Tsunade seemed only slightly miffed by the results as she began launching the second tray of balls at her elbow into the machine.

Shizune finally tired of waiting for Tsunade to comment. "What do you wish to do about this, Tsunade sama?"

"Do?" Tsunade said, watching the machine intently. "We don't need to do anything, I think. We'll find out what Konoha really wants when they find us." Tsunade chewed at her lower lip as she sent another few balls into the machine. "We can wait for them here."

"They won't track us here." Shizune replied. "I crushed the beetle the Aburame kid sent after me a block from the vantage point where I was watching from."

Tsunade chuckled at her. "You weren't fast enough. I can smell it on you."

Almost on cue, the door to the pachinko parlor opened. Shizune turned to face the ninja who walked in, her eyes guarded and embarassed.

"Shizune, if I wasn't willing to meet with them at this point, we wouldn't still be here." Tsunade commented, as she launched another twenty-five balls into the machine and knocked back another cup of Sake. She didn't bother to look up from the game as the five Konoha nin approached, stopping only a few yards away from Shizune.

"It appears that you were right, Naruto." Said Kurenai, as she looked over Tsunade. Next to her, the male jounin pushed his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose.

"Focus, Uzumaki san." He commented.

The blonde kid cursed softly under his breath, and Shizune realized that he was practicing a chakra control exercise, as she caught sight of the pair of leaves dangling from his ears and noticed that they weren't earrings, after all. His ears weren't even pierced.

The boy whom Tsunade identified as Shino just stared at Shizune- or at least, that was the impression she got from him. It was so hard to be sure with those glasses on, yet despite the lack of expression on his face Shizune had the distinct impression that he was glaring at her resentfully.

The Hyuuga girl stepped forward. "Hello, milady." She said to Tsunade, completely ignoring Shizune. "By the descriptions we were given, you would be Tsunade sama. On behalf of the Hyuuga clan, I have been sent to ask for your help."

Tsunade smiled faintly but didn't bother to look away from the pachinko machine. She launched another dozen balls into the machine. "You don't say. You've come an awful long way. Pity that you're going back empty handed." "You haven't even heard what we want from you." Hinata countered probingly. "Perhaps you should hear us out."

A ball fell into the center gate, and the reels began spinning as Tsunade watched. A seven... a seven... and a seven.

"I don't have to ask, and I don't want to know." Tsunade replied as the balls began dropping into her winnings tray. She seemed almost angry at her win. "I retired years ago. Konoha has no authority over me, and I have no interest in returning to that rathole for any reason. Every instinct I have tells me that what you want is bad news for me. So no. I refuse." Tsunade tossed back a cup of sake, and waved over a machine attendant to heat her up another flask. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm busy. Get lost."

Out of the corner of her eye Tsunade noted with interest that the blonde kid stepped forward.

"So this is the woman that your father wanted us to find, Hinata-san?" He asked, staring at the retired shinobi. His eyes washed over black with the RSM of a dojutsu Tsunade wasn't familiar with. "I see a woman under a henge, hiding from us, from Konoha, hiding from herself. I see an old woman trying to crawl into a sake bottle, so that when she leaves herself on a counter in a pachinko parlor one day, that the waitress can carry that bottle away, and that old bag never has to look at herself again." His head turned sideways, as he looked at the other machines, towards the roof, then back at Tsunade with those inky black eyes. "How small of you."

Shizune hissed at the boy angrily. "You know nothing, you little-"

"Naruto." Tsunade said, for the first time actually looking at him directly. Shizune shot a look at her mistress before she backed down with a visible effort. "Uzumaki Naruto- I should have known from the instant your instructor said your clan name. After all, to the best of Konoha's knowledge, you're the last member of your clan left." She snickered. "I guess maybe I AM slipping a little. Let's see if I can't slip a little farther." Tsunade took the flask that the machine attendant had set down for her and drank directly from it, not bothering with the cup. "We hit the bottom floor yet? No? Bottoms up."

Naruto watched her drink like a scientist examining an unusual result in a petri dish. "Hmm. Your body is metabolizing the alcohol quickly. Your bloodstream is filtering it through your liver at a high rate. And you almost automatically heal your liver through the damage you do to it. Almost as though you want to be drunk... but you don't dare fall asleep. Alcohol inhibits judgement. It lowers the barriers we use to hide our deepest pains and fears... so you want to be drunk, but you don't dare go to sleep." Naruto smiled a thin, little smile. "I wonder... What do you dream of?"

Shizune felt the blood drain from her face as she saw Tsunade's reaction. The older woman's finger tightened on the tray of Pachinko balls hard enough that the sturdy, durable plastic was beginning to warp and buckle. Tsunade's reply was soft, like a dagger wrapped in velvet, carrying a hidden edge. "My dreams?" She said. "You ask about... my dreams?"

"I know what it used to be." Naruto responded. "You were a medic nin, once. You fought to ensure that every shinobi cel in field operations would include a medic. You wanted to heal wounds, to save lives. I admire that. But I can't help but wonder what you saw... what you remember... what you still see when you sleep, when you're awake and sober, what images you see every time you blink your eyes... that the only thing you'll do is hide from it behind a haze of alcohol."

Tsunade shot to her feet, pachinko forgotten. Plastic balls scattered everywhere. The woman was taller than Naruto, who found himself at eye level with her breasts. Naruto turned his face up to meet Tsunade's glare.

"You little punk." Tsunade snarled between clenched teeth. "You've never seen a war. You've never even seen a battle. At most, you've had a couple of fights. What do you know, what do you think you know, about anything?"

Naruto's eyes didn't so much as blink as he answered, "I know that you were a medic nin once, called one of the greatest of all time, and you don't get that way unless being a medic means something to you. And I know that there's a kid back home that's been crippled, and everyone says you're the only one who can help."

Naruto's glare by now matched Tsunade's in its intensity. Shizune wore a look of apprehension that matched the ones worn by Hinata, Kurenai, and Ebisu. Shino was as unreadable as Aburame always were.

Naruto waited for a second, before he continued. "Where is your dignity? Where is your pride as a healer? I know it meant something to you once, so what happened?"

"What does it matter to you, brat?" Tsunade demanded, feeling somewhat cornered. This conversation wasn't going at all like she had expected. "You talk as though you were a medic, but you're no medic."

"How would you know?" Naruto's head tilted sideways. "The bottom of a glass makes a blurry lens to look through."

"I'd have to be drunker than this to miss the weapon on your back." Tsunade snapped. "A weapon like that doesn't leave room for anything else in your training. The girl was sent by her family to get me, you're clearly not related to her, and the Hyuuga wouldn't go to these lengths for someone who isn't a Hyuuga." Tsunade crossed her arms. "You aren't her boyfriend, are you?"

"Don't be ridiculous." Naruto said scornfully. "She's an heiress, and I'm an orphan."

"So what do you care?" Tsunade pressed, sensing a weak spot and going for the kill.

Naruto's reply was cool and devastating. "Because that's what a medic does."

Tsunade froze as memory rushed in, her eyes and mouth alike open in sudden shock.

("But Dan, you didn't have to do that, you... you fool! Why do you always have to try to protect everyone?")

("B-because... that's what a hok- hokage d-does.")

Naruto's casual dismissal of the idea of being with Hinata was tying her in knots. She wanted to say something, anything, to let him know the idea wasn't impossible, but the words caught in her throat. Unbidden, the words of Kurenai came to her as she'd spoken to team Eight before the Chunin exams.

("Surprise, this can be one of the greatest tools in the shinobi arsenal. Luck, too, is a great tool. But what is surprise, and what is luck? Luck is when circumstances occur for which we are perfectly prepared. Surprise is the inability to act effectively due to indecision brought about by being uprepared. Therefore you must remember that Luck- and surpriseare both an illusion. As shinobi, we create our own luck. As a chunin, a commander, it is your responsibility to make decisions rapidly based on ever changing conditions. Even a mediocre decision made in a timely fashion is far superior to a perfect decision that is made too late. Surprise is in the mind of the commander. Assess the situation fast, decide quickly, act immediately. This is often the difference between success and failure.")

In a flash of insight, Hinata realized that there was, here, a way to salvage this rapidly deteriorating situation- and she stepped forward. "Thank you, Naruto." She said, as Naruto and Tsunade stood staring tensely at one another. "I think this has gone fairly well. I would end this first round of statements and overtures, now that each side has had the opportunity to make their opening case."

Hinata faltered, uncertain, but rallied herself. Surprise is in the mind of the commander! Act! "Since tempers are tense and this meeting was admittedly abrupt and ill-planned, it is best if all p-parties involved have time to consider one another's positions before speaking rationally." Hinata forced confidence into her voice and posture; the minor stutter seemed to have bypassed everyone unnoticed. She turned her head to face the woman that they had followed here. "I regret that I have not had the opportunity to learn your name yet. I am Hyuuga Hinata, daughter of Hyuuga Hiashi, and heiress to the main branch of the Hyuuga clan. I assume that you are either a retainer or servant of Lady Tsunade?"

The woman composed herself and bowed. "I am Yamanato Shizuna, and currently the apprentice to Tsunade sama. As such, I find myself serving her in these capacities and others."

Hinata nodded, attempting to adopt her father's demeanor when he spoke to guests of the clan. "Then I wish to schedule a formal meeting tomorrow for the purposes of returning Lady Tsunade to temporary duty in the restoration of-"

"Cut to the chase, girl." Tsunade interjected. "You don't have to try and wow me with pretty words. Just say it."

Hinata paused in the way she'd seen her father do so many times when speaking to the clan elders, before she nodded. "My cousin, Hyuuga Neji, has been severely wounded, and considered crippled, by a genin in the chunin exams who used medical ninjutsu on him. All prognosis is bad and the medics of the village say you are the only person who can heal the injuries he's taken."

Tsunade flicked a quick look at Naruto, before looking at Shizune. "We can discuss it." Tsunade reached for the flask of sake, but Shizune snatched it up and away.

"You'll thank me for this later, Tsunade sama." Shizune said. "Would you prefer morning or afternoon?"

Orochimaru smiled suddenly as the trio travelled. "You're in a much better mood than you were when you arrived earlier." He said.

Zabuza grinned. "Something that's been bothering me for a while's not bothering me anymore."

Kabuto, from the other side of the sannin, raised an eyebrow. "What would that be?"

Zabuza's grin widened. "The brat has my old sword."

Kabuto's expression was puzzled. "I would think, as one of the seven swordsmen, you'd be upset by that."

Zabuza outright laughed. "She's not mine anymore." He answered. "Kubikiri is a fine blade, one of the greats. She deserves better than to rust in a river, forgotten. She needs to be cared for, held in hands that respect her virtues and will honor her in combat. He plainly lavishes her with the attention and care she deserves, and uses her well. I hope he joins us without a fight."

"You don't want the sword back?" Kabuto inquired.

Zabuza laid a hand on the pommel of the sword strapped to his back in a gesture that was almost a caress. "I have a new lady, now."

The massive, double edged blade on Zabuza's back glinted in the light of the setting sun.

End Chapter Twenty Four

-AN: Well, I thank everyone that has stuck with me. I know I don't update often enough, but my time is rather heavily leveraged. This chapter was largely written to the tune of Veteran of the Psychic Wars- meaning that I had it looping in the background while I was transcribing it. You may or may not be comforted to know that my back log of written story is up to one hundred twenty pages and change after the conclusion of this chapter.

I beg forgiveness of my readers for another thing: My inconsistent spelling of words and names. If I were to try and roll back through the 150k or so words this story spans so far, I'd have a breakdown. Another one. And I don't really need one of those anymore.

So. An Omake, a preview, and then sign off.

Omake:

"I'm almost certain it's the same group that has been tailing us since Hakato last week."

Tsunade grunted as she watched the pachinko balls tumble past stoppers and knobs, falling into the bottom of the machine. She smiled as a ball bounced into the center hole, and the 'Spin' light lit up. The reels began spinning automatically. "So there's no doubt in your mind... but no proof." Tsunade commented. "But they know I'm here."

"Almost certainly, Lady Tsunade." Shizune said unhappily.

"But I know they know I'm here. And since I can smell the remnants of the bug the Aburame kid had planted on you, then it safely stands to reason that they know I know that they know I'm here. But what they DON'T know is that I know that they know that I know that they know I'm here. So that gives me the edge."

Shizune stared at Tsunade blankly. "Um... how?"

Tsunade blinked back at her. "Uh... just trust me, it does."

End Omake

Preview:

Naruto had spoken up then. "You need to get that idea out of your head. I am not her boyfriend, only her protector."

Tsunade only smiled. "It would not be the first time the protector of the heir was selected as an appropriate match in marriage."

Naruto's voice was soft, but his words were crushing. "A marriage would never be permitted to a fatal crossing of kekkei genkai. It is already fairly well known that crossing Sharingan and Byakugan result in certain death for any who manifest both traits; I can only imagine how terrible the damage to any children whose bloodlines crossed her byakugan and my kamigan."

Hinata had never thought through to the logical conclusion of what a marriage to Naruto might mean. For a moment she tried to convince herself that it would be alright, that his dojutsu had to be an offshoot of the byakugan. Their eyes had so much in common for how they operated.

But deep down she felt a bubble of fear lodge itself in her soul, and it refused to let go. She finally blurted, "But Naruto, there's no guarantee-"

Naruto looked at Hinata, nodding slightly. "So it was me after all." He said.

End preview Ja mata.

-AXENOME