Well, this was a heck of a lot longer that I intended it to be. 8,200 words roughly. Sheesh. If you like it, review. Or not, review. I'll take it. By the way, this is over Team 6. Taking a bit of a break from Team 9. Anyhow, disclaimer at the ready: I do not own Naruto, or anything of the sort.

Chapter 12

"Alrighty, brats, step it up!" yelled Anko, her Genin marching in front of her as they patrolled the Land of Fire border. "We gotta get to the next station by nightfall to report in, and we ain't gonna get there if we drag our feet!"

Lee saluted, needing no further prompting. "Yes, ma'am! We will reach the next station in a three hours!" He paused, "No, it will be one hour!" Tomitsu and Yakumo both sighed but didn't complain; Lee always set the pace of the team during missions and it was their duty to match it.

Anko grinned wickedly. "That's the spirit, Bushy Brows! I might not have to even use my snakes to prod ya along!"

"That is…good news," said Lee uncertainly. No one liked her snakes; not even Lee could be spirited about facing her summons. Tomitsu breathed a sigh of relief inwardly, fearing that Anko would release her pets if she heard. Yakumo, however, wasn't so cautious, and let out a huge sigh. Anko snapped her head toward her, and grinned.

"Oh? Do you not like my scaly friends, Princess? Well, they like you a lot!" She bit her thumb and slammed the ground with the bleeding hand in one motion, and a gigantic cobra reared its hooded head out of the smoke. The entire team froze, and Tomitsu slowly put a hand on his katana. "And don't try to kill it, Big'un. You killed enough of my summons already, and they ain't rabbits."

"Anko-sensei, you sometimes leave me no choice but to kill it," answered Tomitsu quietly, "If you do not want them killed, do not summon them."

Anko laughed. "Aw, and not see your terrified faces?" She turned to the cobra. "Get 'em, girl!" The cobra hissed and struck at Yakumo, who instantly jumped to the side. "Hey, stay still, Princess!"

"Like hell, sensei!" she said, hurrying through handsigns, "Demonic Illusion: Fires of Hell!" The cobra growled at her, but quickly recoiled, its hood flaring larger.

"Princess! Don't kill it! And stop with the damn genjutsu!" shouted Anko.

"Then recall it!"

"Hell no!"

Yakumo's eyes turned dark. "I'll do it!" she warned. Tomitsu and Lee edged away from her; anyone in close proximity could be subject to the demonic genjutsu she used. A breeze rustled through the trees, and Tomitsu furrowed his brows and looked ahead of them.

"Princess, don't you dare-," began Anko, pointing a finger at her, but was interrupted at a hand signal from Tomitsu, "What, Big'un?" she said irritably. The cobra hissed again and lunged at the samurai, who clamped its fanged mouth closed with a hand.

He nodded his head toward a group of trees in front of them and mouthed, "Brigades."

Anko smiled. "Let's scare 'em," she mouthed back. The rest of the team caught the order, and smiled with Anko. Tomitsu let go of the cobra, which growled and slithered back a few feet, eyeing them carefully.

Anko raised her voice to carry over to the group of trees, "Getting bored, brats?"

"Yeah, that little snake won't be that hard," responded Yakumo, drawing a hiss from the cobra, "We need more than this." She looked meaningfully at her teammates.

Tomitsu grinned. "Indeed, sensei. A more difficult challenge may be in order." Lee saluted to agree.

"I agree with Tomitsu, Anko-sensei!"

Anko grinned mischievously and slammed her hand onto the ground, five snakes the width of tree trunks slithering from the smoke. Anko, now that Tomitsu had pointed them out, could sense the bandits, and could sense their hesitation. The cobra, now confident in numbers, along with the five snakes seemed to grin at the Genin.

They struck without warning. The six split evenly, two for each Genin. Yakumo quickly flipped backward as one slammed into the spot she'd been, and hurried through another set of handsigns. However, she was interrupted as the other snake bit at her, it mouth wide enough to fit a full-sized man. She had the audacity to punch its snout.

Tomitsu laid a hand on his sword, but did not draw at a scowl from Anko. His snakes both attacked in tandem, and he vaulted over them, using them as leverage. They instantly twisted around and watched him carefully. He smiled smugly at them, riling them enough to attack.

Lee was the first to attack, surprising the snakes. He zipped toward them, the snakes tensing up as he ran circles around them. The snakes struck whenever they believed they saw an opening, but instead hit only air. A light-hearted laugh escaped the youth; maybe Anko was getting to him a little.

The snake that Yakumo had punched looked bewildered as she grabbed its head and directed its motion toward the ground. The other had just shaken its dazedness off, and attacked her. Yakumo, with a slight grin, stepped to the side to let the snake sail past. It clamped its mouth around the other snake's head, fangs piercing the scaly head. Anko was annoyed by this.

"Princess! I said don't kill 'em!"

"I didn't," countered Yakumo, "The snake did." She patted the still-live snake, which gave out a muffled hiss and disappeared into smoke.

Tomitsu looked up from the knot of snakes that'd he caused by weaving between them. He could be agile when he needed to be. "Well, I am finished with these. It was not as difficult as I imagined." He kicked the knot. "These beasts are simply dumb." The snakes disappeared.

Lee saluted in front of the two snakes that had taken him, both of which weren't moving and had dents in the side of their head. "Anko-sensei! I have completed your challenge, and it was most easy!"

Anko beamed at her students. "Well, do we need another round?" she asked, sensing for the bandits. Her grin widened; they had fled, leaving the scent of fear and…other things. Lee and Yakumo looked at Tomitsu, who also paused to sense. His senses were fine-tuned to notice any difference in the environment, mainly due to Anko's training and his own instinct.

He smiled slightly. "We are satisfied for the time being, Anko-sensei. Thank you."

They set up camp that night in a cluttering of trees. Lee built a small fire, and Tomitsu and Yakumo went off to hunt. Anko simply relaxed against a tree. Lee, after he'd built the fire, started to tree-walk, something he still had trouble with, even though Anko had thought he couldn't do it at all. He ran full-pelt up a tree, his speed taking him halfway, and he managed to tap the highest branch before falling.

Anko watched him. "Gettin' easier, Bushy Brows?" she asked after a while.

Lee, after landing after maybe his tenth attempt, nodded confidently. "It is indeed, sensei. I can feel myself going higher and higher with each try, and I can partially control my chakra flow." He paused and shot a happy grin at Anko. "I would have never thought I could even use chakra. You have showed me otherwise, sensei."

Anko shrugged noncommittally. "You're welcome, Brows, but it's kinda a requirement for senseis to teach their kids that."

"Yes, but you are my sensei." With that rather vague statement, Lee once again tried to reach above the canopy of trees. Anko shook her head, a smile playing on her face. 'Enthusiastic little guy, not to mention helluva lotta grit in him. No wonder Guy likes him.' She closed her eyes, waiting for Tomitsu and Yakumo.

The smell of burnt meat and a rustle woke her. She opened an eye and saw that the hunting pair had returned, and Tomitsu was holding an unrecognizable, scorched carcass of some animal. She sat up. "Why the hell is the meat burnt?"

Tomitsu looked at Yakumo, who was staring uncomfortably at her feet. "Yakumo-san?"

"Well," said Yakumo, "Me and Tomitsu were hunting, as you know, but, uh, I kinda got carried away…" she trailed off at Anko's uncomprehending expression.

"OK, you hunted, yeah, but how the hell did that…thing get burned to a crisp!?"

"It was a rabbit, sensei," informed Tomitsu lightly.

"I don't care if it was a goddamn unicorn! How'd you kill it and burn it in one go?"

Yakumo shifted awkwardly. "Well…erm, I used genjutsu to hunt, and-,"

"Wait a minute!" said Anko, "Genjutsu for hunting?"

"Well, yeah. It makes the animal easier to catch."

Anko could already see where this was going; she and her team knew the full extent of Yakumo's powers. "Alright, lemme guess: you used some sort of fiery genjutsu, lost control of the same genjutsu, and burnt the poor rabbit."

Yakumo nodded, blushing ashamedly. Anko shook her head, but then grinned devilishly. "You ought to learn how to control that, and I might just get you in with T&I. No prisoner could stand you with that kind of genjustu."

"Sensei, I'd kill them!"

"So, Princess?" Yakumo stammered, and Tomitsu cut in.

"May we begin to eat, sensei, even though the animal destined to be our dinner is scorched to a blackened crisp?"

"Wordy as usual, Big'un, but sure. Why the hell not?" Tomitsu nodded and pulled a small carving knife from his kimono. A few minutes later, the carcass had been gutted and quartered evenly. Tomitsu handed out the meat, and they sat around the fire eating in a comfortable silence.

Anko licked her fingers when she finished. "Damn, that's good. Hey, Princess, do that kinda thing more often. That fire added a certain…seasoning."

"Sensei," said Yakumo tiredly, "You know I can't control my demonic genjutsu fully. If it backfires-,"

"Then we're all burnt toast, yeah, yeah, I know. Still, that was good. You could cook with that kind of fire."

"Genjutsu doesn't work on vegetables."

"Oh? And how would you know?" To this Yakumo turned light shade of pink and turned away. Anko felt a teasing opportunity present itself. "Princess? C'mon, tell us."

"Because…because I've tried. I had to cook a potato and I tried to use my genjutsu…kinda caught the kitchen on fire by accident." Anko stared at her incredulously, but then fell back against her tree, howling with laughter. "Quit laughing!"

Anko shook her head. "Hell no! That's gotta be the dumbest thing I've heard since the Nara incident!" She fell to the ground, her laughter now muffled.

Yakumo was fuming. The Nara incident had been the release of the reindeer from Nara property, and a couple of the younger members of the Akimichi and Yamanaka clans riding them around the village. Yakumo had nearly been trampled, and the rider had paid for it with a night of very realistic nightmares. Rumor had it that a particular blonde had joined in. The incident was considered fun, embarrassing, terrifying, or troublesome, depending on whom you asked.

"It's not that dumb! Inomaru was dumbass for doing that!" argued Yakumo.

"It's damn close," said Anko, sitting up and wiping her eyes.

Tomitsu smiled. "It is indeed, no offense meant Yakumo. We all have our moments."

Lee nodded. "Yes! I remember one time when I was walking around the village, and I accidentally wandered into the women's bath-,"

"Oh, sure, Bushy Brows. It was so an accident," said Anko sarcastically.

Lee cocked his head to the side innocently. "What do you mean, sensei?"

Anko nudged Yakumo, who blushed darker. "You know what he means, don't ya, Princess?"

"Shut up, sensei."

"Ah, bit bitchy now, aren't we?" asked Anko, chuckling, "Looks like I'm rubbing off on you. Too bad I can't get to Bushy Brows or Big'un."

Tomitsu snorted. "As if your psychotic tendencies need to affect me, sensei. Then I would be a mass murderer or something of the like."

Anko shrugged. "I can control mine, Big'un. Control yours."

"I do not…endure bloodlust well," stated Tomitsu flatly, "therefore it is an arduous task to control such emotion."

"Man, you ruined the atmosphere," pouted Anko, "Mentioning blood and all that. Getting all sad and philosophic on us." Her eyes flickered, and she yawned. "Well, let's hit the hay. Lee, you take first watch."

"With pleasure, Anko-sensei!"

"Yeah, yeah," muttered Anko, waving a hand and leaning against her tree, "I'm gonna bed here for the night. I like the open air."

"And it'd be your luck if it started raining," joked Yakumo, drawing a weary glare from Anko.

"Screw you, Princess."

"Right back atcha, sensei." With that, she wrapped herself in her sleeping bag. Tomitsu laid down a few feet from her, gazing up at the stars. He hadn't brought a sleeping bag. Lee unrolled his sleeping bag in the middle of them, and then started his watch.

Lee sat with his back to the fire, which had dimmed since he'd started. After a while, he tapped Yakumo on the shoulder, and she took over. She brought out a sketchbook and began to draw the strange shadows cast by the dying fire, relying on her hearing for alerting her. She slowly made the contours of the trees, and the abstract shapes of the shadows. When the first trees were beginning to take shape, Yakumo looked at the moon, which had sunk to just below the tops of the trees. She then woke Tomitsu.

Anko woke to a haunting, slow melody of a flute. 'The hell?' she wondered drowsily. She looked over and saw that both Lee and Yakumo were in their sleeping bags. 'Ah, Big'un's got it covered. If not…we're dead.' With that thought, she fell back into the comfort of sleep, the haunting melody directing her dreams.

"Raid!"

Anko snapped awake at the sound of Tomitsu's shout and was on her feet an instant later. The clash of metal on metal told her Tomitsu's position, as did the odd moist sound of a blade cutting into flesh. She looked over to the vacant sleeping bags, and felt her heart sink. Had the raiders-

"Anko-sensei, get your barely covered behind over here and help us!" Anko smiled slightly. By the tone and the words it was definitely Yakumo, and where she was Lee wasn't far. The boy would die before anyone touched her.

A man sailed by her and slammed into a tree, and Lee's excited hoot echoed through the forest. Anko grinned. 'Those two definitely got it, judging by the screams of terror and pain.'

"Sensei, your help would be much appreciated at this particular moment!" shouted Tomitsu, his barely visible figure towering above some of the raiders. Anko nodded, and she ran and leapt into the air, taking them by surprise.

Tomitsu cut several of them down before they could recover, and by that time, he and Anko were back to back. "You having fun, Big'un?" she asked, parrying a sword with her kunai and disemboweling a raider.

"Do you desire my truthful opinion?" said Tomitsu, catching a hammer with one hand and stabbing the wielder.

"Sure!"

"I am not-," he ducked under a wild swing of a staff, "enjoying myself!" He slashed the raider across the chest. "By any means!" Anko laughed, and protected him from a katana in the back. "Thank you, sensei. Now let me repay you." He spun around Anko and ran through a raider.

The fighting lasted for a minute longer, the rest of the raiding force slinking back into the forest in fear. Anko relaxed, and Tomitsu wiped his katana on the shirt of one of the dead. Many of the raiders near Yakumo and Lee had fallen due to genjutsu or the breaking of their legs. Anko and Tomitsu had killed all of their attackers.

Anko took a look at her students. Tomitsu had lost an armguard somewhere, but other than that he was fine. Lee's suit was ripped to shreds, but the raiders had only scratched his skin. Yakumo fared better, only have a rip of two in her kimono. The Snake Mistress nodded to herself, and grinned at them.

"Well," said Anko, cleaning her kunai and storing it, "Doubt we're gonna get anymore sleep after that little surprise." The others nodded, and she looked up at the lightening sky. "It's getting near dawn anyway. Cowards attacked in the earliest time of morning. Bastards, all of 'em. Ruined my beauty sleep."

They gathered up their sleeping bags, or in Anko's and Tomitsu's case, waited for Lee and Yakumo. The sky was showing the first signs of dawn as they started their patrol, sunlight streaks painting the trees and lighting up the sky.

They checked into a station. "Anyone home?" asked Anko, peering into the small guardhouse. The floor creaked, an annoyed man with a mug stomped over to the window.

"What you want?" he asked rudely, sipping his mug of coffee.

"Hey, we're the patrol group from the Leaf. Team 6 reportin' in." The man grumbled and flipped through a notebook. He took another sip of the coffee before answering.

"Yep, gotcha right here. You Anko Mitarashi?"

"Yeah."

"Then sign here." He handed her the notebook, and she quickly scribbled her name. "Thank you." The man took back the notebook and stored it under the window. "You can go." He left the window, sipping at his coffee.

They departed, Anko strangely annoyed about something. Yakumo noticed it. "Sensei, what are you pouting about?"

"That guy at the border station," she replied, "Bastard, he was."

Yakumo frowned. The man had seemed a bit ill-mannered, yes, but that was most likely due to their arrival at an ungodly hour of the morning. "It didn't seem that bad. Was it 'cause he was rude?"

"No. He didn't notice these big, beautiful assets," said Anko, pushing up her breasts. Yakumo glared at her, face reddening, and Lee and Tomitsu, both in front of the girls, halted and stared uncomprehendingly at her. "What, boys? You like?" She jiggled them.

Tomitsu looked away, muttering, "What did I do to deserve such an indecent sensei?" Lee turned totally red, and stared at the ground.

"Sensei, do not do that please," he squeaked weakly.

"Aw, embarrassed, Bushy Brows? You shouldn't be when you have me as a teacher!"

Yakumo mumbled, "You're the biggest pervert I've ever met, sensei. I swear, if I meet one worse than you, I've give the person nightmares for a week." Somewhere, a white-haired, older man with a warty nose shivered as if something had crossed over his grave.

Anko roped in Yakumo with an arm and pinched her cheek. "Aw, so innocent! Don't like me hitting on your boy, don'tcha Princess?" Yakumo tried to separate herself from Anko, but couldn't, so she settled for a pleading look toward her teammates.

Lee cut in, albeit meekly, "A-Anko-sensei, we should continue our patrol, or we will not reach the next border station in time."

Anko didn't let go of Yakumo and grinned at Lee. "Alright, but I might just keep Princess here to keep me company. She's just so interesting."

"Get your hands-," grunted Yakumo, trying to push Anko off of her, "offa me!"

"Or what, Princess?" Yakumo began to answer, but was cut off by an odd sound from Lee. Anko, who'd heard as well, looked over at the boy. "Bushy Brows, what's the matter?" Lee didn't answer, and he slowly sunk to his knees, eyes strangely blank and pupils dilated. "Brows?" He fell over and curled into fetal position. "Lee?" said Anko worriedly.

A moan escaped Lee, and he heaved heart-wrenching sobs as tears poured from his tightly shut eyes. Tomitsu moved to put hand on him, but froze. In a flash of sunlight, he'd draw his katana and blurred off into the forest. Yakumo yanked herself out of Anko's grasp and ran over to Lee.

"C'mon, Lee!" she said, turning him over on his back, "Don't cry, don't cry." She tried to get a proper look at his eyes, but Lee shook her off, curling tighter into a ball. Anko stepped toward them, but stiffened as she sensed a new presence.

"Princess! Move!" Yakumo looked confusedly at her, but leaped backward, a giant hammer smashing to the spot she'd been. The hammer seemed to stick into the ground inches from Lee, but it suddenly flew back into the forest.

A deep rumble of laughter thundered through the forest, sending birds into flight. A scarred-face man with the hammer across his shoulders lumbered out the forest, leering at them. His sleeveless shirt was dirt-covered, matching a pair of muddy pants. "Looks we got fresh meat here, Muko!" he said, aiming his voice toward the forest, "This gonna be as easy as getting a whore to bend over!" He tramped toward them, swinging his hammer, and Anko bit her thumb. "And this one loves pain! Score!"

"You got me pegged, baby," said Anko, slamming her hand onto the ground. Snakes erupted from a cloud of smoke and slunk toward the man, who spat at the ground unimpressed.

"Muko! Need ya tricks!" The snakes hissed as they lunged at him, but suddenly their mouths snapped shut. They fell to the ground, and began to writhe as though they were in pain. "Eat this, you scaly bastards!" The man shattered them with his hammer. "Thanks for yer tricks, Muko!" he said, still talking to someone in the forest.

That person soon appeared as a hooded, cloaked man materialized out of the forest. "They are not tricks, Fenji. My genjutsu techniques are of the highest degree. No one can defeat them."

Yakumo stepped up. She couldn't resist the challenge. "You sure about that?" she said boldly.

Muko sneered arrogantly, but then he turned thoughtful as he saw her clan's insignia on her kimono. "A Kurama of the Leaf…It has been long since my abilities have been test against a Kurama's." He paused, and seemed to smirk. "Then let us begin. A battle to be remembered: Kurama of the Leaf and Mininju of the Cloud."

Anko's eyes widened as she heard the clan name. "Mininju!? The genjutsu clan in Cloud?"

"Indeed," said Muko, lowering his hood, revealing a youngish face with bloodshot eyes under a shock of black hair. On his forehead glittered a Cloud headband, a scratch cutting it horizontally. "Though I have…gone rogue."

'Shit, this isn't good for Princess, but as long as he doesn't-,"

"And I challenge Kurama here," he announced, pointing at Yakumo, "to a genjutsu contest."

'FUCK!' A genjutsu contest wasn't exactly a contest; anyone who understood them knew that genjutsu contests were far from it. It was a battle of minds basically, the other trying to repel the other's genjutsu while simultaneously trying to cast their own genjutsu. The winner walked away exhausted, and the loser…went insane. And Yakumo had never been in one.

"Do not interfere, Fenji," warned Muko, planting his feet firmly into the ground. Yakumo steeled herself, and both started to go through handsigns madly. They reached the end of one set, and their eyes widened as they felt each other's genjutsu.

"You Mininju bastard-," shouted Anko, drawing a kunai and rushing Muko, but Fenji appeared in front of her, eyeing her lustfully. "Outta my way, you scarred-face asshole!" She tried to twist around him, but he gripped her hand.

"Muko said I couldn't interfere, so looks like we'll have our fun elsewhere," he said. He threw her into a tree, but she caught herself and tried to maneuver around Fenji. He seized her arm and waggled a finger in front of her face patronizingly. "No, no, no. You gotta come with Big Daddy."

"Fuck you!" She punched him in the gut, but he didn't budge.

"That tickled." He gripped the scuff of her neck, and hurled her into the forest. "Now let's have some fun!"

Tomitsu shouldn't have rushed into the woods alone nor should he have challenged this man, who called himself Daito. He slashed at the man's blurring shape, but felt only empty air. His eyes attempted to follow the indistinct shape of the Daito, but the man moved faster than Lee, which was quite an accomplishment. 'I cannot outmaneuver him, cannot outrun him…I have no other option.' Abruptly, Tomitsu sheathed his katana. "I concede. You move too fast for my eyes to follow," he admitted.

Daito stopped about six feet in front of him and grinned wildly, showing his fanged teeth. He had a feral appearance, with greasy hair and grimy skin. His clothes were fashioned from animal fur. "Aw, has the prey finally submitted itself to killing?" he rasped, licking his lips hungrily, "I'm disappointed. All the fun is in the hunt."

Tomitsu shrugged, seeming to be relaxed. "I cannot follow your movements, and that will result in my death. My resisting will simply prolong my suffering and delay the inevitable."

Daito laughed hoarsely. "At last, the prey does not fool itself with hope! This is refreshing to find such a spineless meal!" He scampered over to Tomitsu, and sniffed at his neck. "Ah, you will be most delicious! Not too much fat, not too much muscle." He pinched the samurai on the cheek, checking the firmness of his skin. "Yes, you will be-,"

"The last person you see in this world, cannibal," finished Tomitsu coldly, drawing his carving knife and stabbing Daito in the chest. The man stumbled back and stared down horrifically at the knife. "May the Supreme Being bless you," said Tomitsu, turning his back on him, "You will certainly require all the blessings you can receive." He walked away.

Hoarse laughter stopped him. Tomitsu turned, more annoyed than frightened, and saw the Daito's head thrown back in a grating laugh. "How are you not dead? I pierced the heart, and I do not miss." Daito chuckled evilly, and gripped the protruding knife, and slowly pulled it out, the moist sound filling the air. It came free, with it bits of meat, and he threw it to the ground disgustedly, and the hole left by the knife quickly healed over.

"Looks the prey is a sneaky bastard," he grated, "All the more exciting." He blurred toward Tomitsu, who drew his blade. He slashed, but Daito intercepted the blade with his bare hands. They bled, but the wounds closed up instantly. "Such a fine defense for prey. Be a shame if someone-," He punched Tomitsu in the gut, "were to take it." Tomitsu held steadfastly to the blade, which got him another punch to the gut, and another, and another. On the next he relinquished it and hunched over, blood dripping from a corner of his mouth.

"You are…the most unpleasant person I've met," grunted Tomitsu, wiping his mouth.

"That all you got, my prey?" purred Daito, twirling the blade, "Let that be your last words as I kill you with your own weapon." He planted a foot on Tomitsu's back, and pressed the blade to his neck. "Now die." He motioned to cut the samurai's neck, but lost balance as Tomitsu keeled over unexpectedly.

Tomitsu grabbed Daito's legs and pulled them from under him. He acted as if to disarm the man, but Daito head-butted him and rose. "You sneaky-," Tomitsu jumped and tackled him to the ground. They wrestled, the man trying to stab at Tomitsu with the katana. Tomitsu kneed his opponent in the crotch, drawing a grunt but nothing else. Daito, in return, pinioned Tomitsu to the ground.

"The prey fights dirty, too," growled Daito, "This is very fun." Tomitsu kicked him off and flashed toward him, taking Daito by surprise. He grabbed Daito's fur shirt and flung him out of the forest and onto a cliff.

Below the cliff ran a rushing river whose roar reverberated up to them. Tomitsu had heard the roar of the river, and had intended to corner his opponent. Daito scrambled up, and tensed as he realized where he was. He grinned nervously as Tomitsu emerged from the forest. "Looks like the tables have turned. The prey and predator are now equal, but," he ran a finger along the blade, "I still have your sword."

Yakumo regretted her decision instantly as she felt the raw power of Muko's genjutsu. 'Son of a bitch this is intense!' She cast her own genjutsu, letting the man have a taste of her power. Muko's eyes narrowed slightly, but then he started to fade away. 'Genjutsu!' She released it just as soon as another had hit her.

She released this one, and Muko came into view, smiling arrogantly. She flew through handsigns, and Muko merely snorted as he deflected it. He taunted her, "This is it, Kurama? This is the legendary power of the Kurama?"

"Shut up!" He smirked, and spiders poured from the sleeves of his cloak. They skittered over to Yakumo, who threatened to hyperventilate. "Release!" The spiders shook as if a wind had blown, but continued their skittering toward her. She backed up slightly, hearing Muko snicker at her. Anger replaced her fear. "Release!" The spiders dissipated into smoke, and Muko smiled nastily at her.

"I would applaud for your efforts, but that was only the beginning," he said, dismissing a genjutsu cast by Yakumo, "Now is your demise, Kurama child."

"Screw you!" She cast another genjutsu, the most powerful in her arsenal. "Demonic Illusion: Gauntlet of the Dead!" Muko frowned as it affected him, but threw it off with a thought. "How the-,"

An ear-splitting crack resounded through the air. Yakumo stopped short, and looked in horror as Muko's body bent at odd angles. He threw his chest out, letting the cloak fall free. Yakumo gasped and scrambled backward as millions of spiders of a multitude of colors crawled from the cloak. "Wha-," Muko's body twisted, and his chest burst open in a shower of gore. Eight, spindly legs emerged from his chest, and a gargantuan spider pushed itself out of Muko's body, the bloody heap of flesh falling to the ground.

Yakumo screamed. The spider clacked its mandibles menacingly and inexorably approached her, its tiny companions scuttling around it. She stumbled up, and turned to run. She heard a hiss, and suddenly the giant spider landed in front of her with a boom. 'Please be genjutsu! Release!' The spider clacked its mandibles again. 'Release!' It clacked them again, and then grabbed her.

Yakumo screamed again. "Release!" The spider hissed, and its smaller pincers scratched her belly. She was frozen in fear, looking at the huge, furry, eight-eyed head of the arachnid. Muko's voice entered her head unbidden.

"Foolish girl. You obviously did not know what you were getting yourself into. I shorten the line of Kurama by one today." The spider hissed again, and its fangs pierced her chest, drawing a painful shriek from Yakumo. She felt the venom course through her body.

'I will not lose…I will…not die…I…will…not...be…DEFEATED!"

Muko watched confidently as the pitiful Kurama girl sank to her knees, as the boy had. The many layers of genjutsu he'd cast were nigh unbreakable, and he let down the mental barriers he'd constructed, so sure of his imminent victory.

He sauntered up to her, and put a hand under her chin. "Such a pretty thing, too…too bad I had to break her." The girl's eyes, which had been shut, fluttered open, and he prepared to gloat his victory. One look into her eyes told him something had gone awry. They were black, the iris, sclera, everything. And she smirked, as if she were the victor. He felt a chill in the air as she spoke.

"I am the destruction of humanity," she thundered, her voice now a demonic boom, "I am the reaper of the living. I am the harbinger of true darkness. I am the unconquerable fear you do not know. AND I WILL NOT FALL TO A FILTHY HUMAN!" Muko stepped backward in fear, the girl levitating to her feet. "Let your soul be mine! Burn in the fires of Hell!"

Muko trembled, and a powerful presence slammed into his mind. He hurriedly reconstructed his barriers, cursing. His vision swayed but cleared, the Kurama girl still standing. She began to advance on him, floating and feet brushing along the ground. He stepped backward, and felt the presence slam into his barriers. His vision cracked, along with his ribcage.

Muko gasped. "Wha-," The presence slammed into him again, and the barriers weakened further, and a chilling snap! rang through the air. Muko sucked in a low moan and sank to the ground, arms hanging limp. "H-how?" he whispered, looking fearfully at the girl who hovered just in front of him. She grinned cruelly and put a hand under his chin.

"Such a fragile mind you have, human. It's a wonder you survived one attack, but now," her grin widened, "you die." She tapped his forehead, and Muko's eyes rolled back as flames consumed him.

Yakumo laughed, her voice still containing the demonic inflection. "No human can stand in my path! No-," She suddenly gasped. "No, I will not return to that-," Her head twisted at an odd angle, "NO!" Yakumo sank to her knees and shut her eyes tightly.

'Get. Back. In. That. Seal!' With each though, she punctuated it with a mental push, and soon her eyes opened, returned to their normal brown. She blinked disconcertedly, but started at a moan from Lee. "Lee!" She hurried over to him, and put a hand under his head. Tears still poured from his eyes, but now they stared emptily at the sky.

One look into them, and Yakumo immediately knew what had hit him: genjutsu, and a powerful one at that. She laid a hand on his chest, and let her chakra flow into his system, purging the jutsu. Lee gasped as it lifted, and his eyes became clear. He looked at Yakumo in bewilderment. She smiled at him. "You alright, Lee?" she asked.

For an answer, he unexpectedly wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her. "L-L-Lee?" He let out a shuddering breath into her shoulder, and gave one last squeeze before he let her go, Yakumo blushing brightly as he did. "W-What was that about, Lee?"

Lee was uncharacteristically silent. He eventually whispered lowly, "I thought you were dead. That everyone was dead."

"Wha-that was a genjutsu, Lee. It wasn't real." He looked up at her miserably.

"It certainly felt real enough, Yakumo. It-it scared me. I had lost everyone. Guy-sensei, Anko-sensei, Tomitsu…you," He looked away, "I had failed to protect the ones I cared about. That genjutsu…" He trailed off. Yakumo said nothing. Lee finished his statement, "That genjustu was the most malicious ever invented. How someone could utilize it I do not know."

"Lee…you know that wasn't real, right?" said Yakumo.

"Yes, but it still affected me-,"

"Would you quit with the self-pity!?" snapped Yakumo suddenly. Lee lifted his head in alarm. "You think that this is gonna solve anything? Where's that determination? That optimism? Did it suddenly just leave you? Where's the old Lee?"

"I-,"

"No excuses! The old Lee would never make 'em! Guy-sensei wouldn't listen to 'em, and Anko-sensei wouldn't either! So quit with the self-pity! It's…just unlike you, Lee." He was dumbfounded for a moment, surprised by her audacity. "Well, Lee?" she demanded, waiting anxiously for a response.

A small grin slowly spread across the boy's face. "Yes! I channel the Power of Youth, and I have rebounded!" He sprung upwards and beamed at Yakumo. "Thank you, my blossom!" Yakumo flushed at his nickname for her, but smiled back.

"Now that's the Lee I know." She punched him on the arm. "You good?"

"Yes, I do not know what has happened here. Care to inform me?"

"We were attacked, and you were caught in a genjutsu. Tomitsu rushed off somewhere, and sensei is probably fighting one of the people who attacked us."

"I beat his ass, Princess. That's old news," informed Anko, coming up behind them, "That bastard was tough and a terrible flirt. I hate those kinds of guys. My snakes bit 'im in the ass though, literally." She noticed Lee. "Hey, Bushy Brows, how ya doin'? That genjutsu hit ya hard?" She had guessed on what had hit him.

Lee rubbed the back of his neck. "Yes, sensei. I did not expect it, and it…was horrible to say the least." Yakumo nodded in agreement. "Luckily, Yakumo was here to free me from the genjutsu."

"Yeah, that's good," said Anko vaguely, turning her head to look around, "Eh, so, Princess, where's the Mininju guy? He run off or something?"

It was Yakumo's turn to rub her neck. "Well, you see…you kinda stepped in him." Anko looked down at her sandals, which were covered in a black ash. "I, uh, kinda got carried away," said Yakumo sheepishly.

"Obviously," said Anko, wiping her sandals on the ground, "You incinerated his ass. Man, do I need you for T&I."

"Sensei, would you quit with those suggestions?" asked Yakumo irately.

"Just sayin' the truth, Princess." Lee cleared his throat, and they looked at him. "Yeah, Bushy Brows?"

"Do you know where Tomitsu is by any chance?"

"Nope. Last I saw he was running off in the woods somewhere. Hope he didn't get into trouble."

Tomitsu crossed his arms as he regarded Daito. "Surrender now, and be spared incomprehensible pain," he threatened coldly.

Daito grinned toothily. "The prey telling the predator to run away? You have guts, I give you that." He twirled Tomitsu's katana. "Have you already forgotten what I have?"

"No. I simply think the gap between us is too wide to be bridged by a katana. My hands are enough for you." He uncrossed his arms and stood straight, willing his mind and body to relax. "Attack at will." Daito growled and tore toward the samurai, who kept his composure. He saw the glint of his blade, and his body reacted.

He stepped to the side and jabbed at Daito's side, kicking immediately after. The feral man grunted but retaliated with a flurry of swipes. Tomitsu weaved between them and delivered a gut blow, drawing a pained breath from Daito. "Give. Up!" shouted Tomitsu, grabbing the man and flipping him over his shoulder.

Daito recovered as he hit the ground, and he swung the katana wildly as he raced toward Tomitsu again. The samurai intercepted the man's arm mid-swing, and punched Daito's elbow from below, forcing it to an unnatural angle. "Agh!" cried Daito, clutching his arm and dropping the katana.

Tomitsu quickly grabbed his blade from the ground, and he made to disembowel Daito, who snarled and disappeared. "Coward!" taunted Tomitsu, "Where do you have to-," He was cut off by a sudden impact from behind, and he fell to the ground, Daito's weight on his back pressing him into the ground.

"The prey shouldn't celebrate so early," breathed Daito into Tomitsu's ear, "It could get you killed." He seized Tomitsu's wrist and twisted it. Tomitsu grunted and bit his tongue, but did not surrender his blade. Daito twisted further, and Tomitsu tasted blood. Gradually his grip loosened on the katana, and it clattered to the ground. Daito languidly picked it up and pressed it to Tomitsu's neck. "Now, for sure, you die."

Tomitsu was breathing hard, sweat and dirt matting his hair. At those words, he felt anger rise inside him. He would never be defeated; his bushido would never stand for it. "The predator," he strained, "should never celebrate prematurely also!" He forced himself up and fell backward on top of Daito. They rolled, again trading blows, and stopped. Tomitsu was pinned for the third time, that sudden burst of anger replaced by resignation. He could hear the roar of the river below him, and realized that he and Daito were on the edge of the cliff.

Daito grinned predatorily down at him. "What was that, my prey? The predator should never celebrate early?" He laughed roughly. "Look at how mistaken you were! Now it is your demise!" He aimed the katana to stab downward into Tomitsu's throat. "Die!"

The katana plunged down, but stopped short of Tomitsu's throat. "Let go!" shouted Daito, his arm held in an iron grip by Tomitsu, his face a snarling rictus of rage, the anger rising yet again.. "Die already!" He pressed down on the katana, and its point quivered inches from Tomitsu's neck. Tomitsu grimaced, and he forced the point to stab into the ground next to him, cutting the straps of his remaining armguard.

It spun off the cliff and splashed into the river, its removal distracting Tomitsu long enough for Daito to pin his arms under his knees. Daito pulled the katana from the ground and growled. "You've been a thorn in my side. How I've longed to end this fight, so now it's time for the thorn to lose its point!" Tomitsu struggled to move his arms, and watched in despair as the katana plunged down again.

"Dynamic Entry!" Tomitsu's eyes widened, as well as Daito's, as Lee crashed into the feral man's back. Daito dropped the blade and tumbled over the side of the cliff. Tomitsu caught the blade as soon as it had fallen free, and he used it to prop himself up. Lee helped him up and clapped him on the back. "Anko-sensei and Yakumo told me that you had rushed into the forest. Why?"

Tomitsu held up a hand, too winded to talk. He regained his composure, and slowly answered, "I sensed someone in the forest, the person that might have caused your affliction of which you seem to be cured. Pray tell, how did the cure come to you?" Lee started to answer, but was caught off by Daito's familiar laughter.

"What is that?" asked Lee who was ignored by an exasperated Tomitsu. The samurai peered over the edge the cliff, vertigo seizing him for a second. He wrestled his fear of heights, which was erased by the sight of Daito hanging by a hand from a tiny outcropping of rock.

"I'm not that easy to kill, my prey!" he shouted over the roar of the river fifty feet below, "You should have learned that!"

"I know," muttered Tomitsu. He sighed and looked at Lee. "Lee-san, if I lose consciousness, please carry me back to the rest of the group. " Lee frowned and started to talk, but was interrupted, "Trust me. This technique takes a large amount of energy from me. Please do not argue."

With that said, he held his katana in both hands. It flared with a white light which ran the length of the blade. It seemed to flicker like fire but its heat was none. Tomitsu glared down at a now fearful Daito, both of their faces illuminated by the blade's light.

"Ancient Technique of the Samurai: Heavenly Blade."

Tomitsu swung his blade, and the fiery white radiance leaped off in a bright crescent. It sliced through the air, and Daito screamed. His grip slipped from the cliff, and the crescent made a thin line across his torso as it passed through him. His body hit the river, which ran red.

"Amazing," whispered Lee, "Wha-what was that?" No answer came. "Tomitsu?" Lee looked over and saw that the samurai was kneeling on the ground, breathing fast and shallow. Lee caught Tomitsu just before he slumped forward. "Are you alright, Tomitsu?" Tomitsu nodded his head sluggishly.

"I…I need to nap for the time being. Please excuse my laziness," he mumbled, eyes closing and breathing turning slow and deep.

"Aw, looks like the Big'un decided to take a break," said Anko from behind Lee, "Hell, he deserves it. That jutsu took a ginormous amount of chakra. Can you get him up by yourself, Brows?" Lee saluted and gripped Tomitsu under one armpit. He slowly picked him up, but staggered to the side. Yakumo came from behind Anko, and the two of them laid an arm on their shoulders. "There. Now let's go."

Team 6 arrived at the guard station at night, Tomitsu still recuperating. Anko banged on the door, and a gruff voice cursed. The door opened, and a mustached man stood in the doorway. "Hey, Team 6 reporting in and requesting somewhere to stay."

The man's eyes drifted down for a second, but snapped back up. "Why should I let you stay? You shinobi can sleep anywhere."

"Yeah, but one of us is out. Probably for a long time," said Anko flatly, "We need everyone at their best. And, if you don't give us shelter, I could report this to the Hokage. All stations along the border are required house shinobi when asked, aren't they?"

The man glared at her, but he nodded grudgingly. He stepped aside, and four entered, Lee and Yakumo a bit haphazardly with Tomitsu. The man took in Lee's shredded suit, the rips in Yakumo's kimono, and a sleeping Tomitsu. "Jesus, get in fracas or something?"

"Yeah, beat their asses though," said Anko, "Now where're the quarters?" The man led them to the back of the station, and pointed to two doors.

"Ladies on the left, men on the right. Bathrooms down the hall and to the right. You'll find them." The man left, and Lee and Yakumo entered the men's quarters and laid Tomitsu down on one of the bunk beds.

"We'll stay here till morning," said Anko from the door, "or until Big'un wakes up, whichever comes last."

Tomitsu awakened slowly, all of his muscles protesting the instant he tried to move. He bit back a groan and cracked open an eye. It was night, and he was sleeping in a bunk bed, a military one. He turned to the side and saw Lee snoring loudly in a bed on the other side of the room. Tomitsu sat up, refraining from wincing, and scanned his surroundings.

He was obviously in some sort of military-type of rooming, bunk beds lining both sides and a small foot locker sitting beside each bed. His bed was near the door, as was Lee's. Tomitsu shook his head to clear it, and swung his legs out of bed. His belongings, essentially his katana, were lying near the lockers, but Tomitsu patted his kimono for something far more personal. He smiled in relief as he felt the familiar shapes, and laid back down, sleep taking him.

He woke again, sunlight streaming through a window. The soreness had not faded a bit, but Tomitsu ignored it as he had. Lee's snoring was interrupted by a snort, and the boy sat up, his bowl cut in disarray. Lee looked over to Tomitsu, whose eyes had opened. "Tomitsu, you are awake!"

"Yes, Lee-san, but could you kindly not yell? My head is feeling quite tender." Tomitsu got up from bed. "May I ask where the bathrooms are?"

"They are down the hall and to the right."

"Thank you, Lee-san." After he was done, Tomitsu was walking back to his and Lee's room, and a door on the left flew open, revealing a half-dressed Anko. The samurai looked away. "Sensei, may I inquire why you are undressed?"

Anko frowned down at her appearance, but then leaned against the doorjamb. "Like it, Big'un?"

"Sensei, you are too old for me, not to mention your irrational propensities tend to wear on me." He left a shutdown Anko by the door, Yakumo's voice yelling at her, and grabbed his things from the locker. "Lee-san, is this the last day we are to stay?" he asked.

Lee nodded as they walked into the small kitchen. "Yes, Anko-sensei said that we would stay the night we came or until you woke up."

"How long was I asleep?"

Lee tapped his chin. "Last night was the second night, so…one and a half days."

Tomitsu's eyebrows rose. "I slept for a while. I'm surprised."

"Yes, we were also surprised. You are quite the heavy sleeper." Lee fixed himself a piece of toast, and Tomitsu chose to brew coffee, a rare luxury. A man with a prominent mustache walked groggily into the kitchen, and looked pointedly at Tomitsu.

"Kid, don't you dare mess up the damn coffee. It's damn hard to get it out here." He sat down at a table and snatched a newspaper to read.

The smell of coffee drifted through the air, and a few minutes later, Tomitsu asked, "Sir, how do you like your coffee?"

"Sugar and cream. Lots of it," grumbled the man. Tomitsu poured some of the coffee into two mugs, and added sugar and cream to one.

"Here," said Tomitsu, handing a mug to the man, who tasted it experimentally.

"Good coffee," admitted the man reluctantly. Lee nearly choked on his toast; that was the first positive thing he'd heard from the man. Tomitsu acknowledged the compliment with a nod, and sipped his own black coffee.

The three of them sat there in quiet until Anko, now fully dressed, banged open the door. "Where's the coffee? I smell it!"

"There is still some in the pot, sensei," said the samurai, pointing behind him, "No one is going to steal it, I would hope."

Anko pushed away Tomitsu, and poured her coffee, adding liberal amounts of sugar.

"Hey! Watch the sugar," complained the man, rising to leave, "Damn stuff cost an arm and a leg." He left, muttering something about wasteful ninjas. Yakumo caught the door before it shut behind him, and fixed some toast.

"Sensei, what was with that frenzy about coffee?" asked Yakumo irately, sitting by Lee, "Nearly trampled me."

"Eh? Oh, hi, Princess. What did you say?"

Yakumo sighed and rolled her eyes. "Never mind, sensei."

"Eh. Coffee!" She drank her coffee hurriedly. She wiped her mouth with a hand after she finished. She looked to her students, who were done. "Ready to head home?" They nodded, and Team 6 walked out the door.

Later that day, after they had made their last camp for the mission, Yakumo piped up with a question, "Hey, Tomitsu?"

"Yes, Yakumo-san?"

"The armguards that you lost, they had some sort of writing on 'em, didn't they? What'd it say?"

Tomitsu studied his forearms as if the armguards were still there. "They were an ancient relic of my family. The motto was engraved onto the metal."

"What'd the motto say?"

"In the dead language of the Land of Iron: Loyalty before Honor," he was silent for a minute, "I need to replace them when we return to the Leaf. I hope my father will not be too harsh."

Anko raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that, Big'un?"

"My father is sometimes too over-attached to things, and those armguards have been in the Gitsuuga line for generations. However, he must be practical. The leather was cracking and the metal was rusting." His team nodded, and Tomitsu softly whispered under his breath lest anyone hear, "Loyalty before Honor…I wish my father could remember that."

Anko organized the watches for that night, and lay down against a tree. Yakumo took the first watch, Lee the second, and Tomitsu the last. She closed her eyes, seeing Yakumo's figure against the fire. "Don't fall asleep, Princess," mumbled Anko.

"I won't, sensei." Anko gave her a tired thumbs' up, and she fell into a restful sleep. Seemingly, a minute later, a haunting, very familiar melody distorted her dreams. 'Eh?' She opened her eyes, and saw that Tomitsu was on watch but out of sight. 'That's the second time…whatever. Always hear that music when he's on watch.' She fell back asleep, the melody orchestrating the happenings of her dreams yet again.

Well…hoped you liked it. Read and review, please, and all that good stuff. And Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy whatever-doesn't-offend-you…you get the point. Toodles.