Hello to all, and shoutout to the person (can't remember the name...) who corrected my spelling of Amaterasu. As for Neji who is now Byakugan-less...well, you see.

Chapter 20

They arrived back at the Leaf Village that night, double-timing it under Guy's and Anko's orders. They had changed formation, Naruto switching with Neji. Neji hadn't said a word after he had delivered his astonishing statement, and he was receiving concerned looks from TenTen and Guy. The Hyuuga ignored them, though, absorbed in his own thoughts.

'My parent's gift removed the seal...but now they have stripped me of the only ability I can use efficiently whether they meant to or not. I cannot begrudge them, though. I am free of that curse now.' Neji launched himself off a branch. 'Now how can I keep this from the Main Family...and how do I confirm my father's tale?'

The sun made its way across the sky, and then the faint glowing of light came into view. Lee, in front, pointed eagerly at the distant pinpricks of lights barely visible in the thickness of the forest. "There is the Leaf Village! We are close!" He jumped above the tree canopy, disappearing from view for a moment, and then he came back down. "Yes! Very close!"

Naruto grinned at Lee's energetic shouts, but then he looked over at Neji, his face balancing between concerned and steely. He truly sympathized for Neji, but then the Hyuuga had to leap over this hurdle. He had to adjust. If he didn't...well, he couldn't call himself a ninja in Naruto's eyes.

As they arrived, there was a surprise visitor guarding the gate.

"Naruto!" shouted Iruka, waving over at the blonde.

"Iruka-sensei! Whatcha doin' here?" asked Naruto, grinning, "It's usually those other two...Uh, what're their names? Kotumo? Izumomo? Kometsu?"

Iruka chuckled. "They needed to do something for the Hokage. I was sent here after the Academy let out for the day. Their names are Izumo and Kotetsu, by the way."

Naruto shrugged. "Ah, whatever. Close enough." He suddenly brightened. "Hey, sensei, could you take me out for ramen? It's been a while."

Iruka raised an eyebrow. "It's been two weeks, and you just got back from a mission of all things! Aren't you tired?"

"No."

Iruka shook his head. "Energetic as always, but ask your leaders first." Naruto looked at Guy and Anko. Anko shrugged, not caring, and Guy nodded. Iruka caught the nod. "Alright, Naruto. You're on as soon as I get off this shift." The blonde whooped, and Guy waved him back over.

"I've got to disband the team before you go anywhere, though," he said, lining up his students before him. Anko did the same nearby. She talked lazily with colorful language mixed in, and then she waved her hand. Tomitsu vanished in a blur, and Naruto could make out him flashing down the streets. Lee and Yakumo set off together, talking and laughing.

Guy cleared his throat, drawing Naruto's attention. "Now, seeing that we're all tired-,"

"Not me, sensei," said Naruto.

"Most of us, I should say, I think that you should all head home or to whatever other activities you want to do. I'll give you a three-day break. I'll file the report...however bizarre it might be." He disappeared, and Naruto went over to lean against the guardhouse and chat with Iruka. Neji and TenTen walked together in quiet, TenTen for the sake of Neji and he for the sake of organizing his thoughts.

They reached TenTen's house first, and she could hear something clattering to the ground and Misuro muttering under his breath. TenTen opened the door, but then she turned back to Neji. "Neji, are you sure you're okay? You haven't said a word since this morning."

He looked at her. "I'm fine, TenTen."

She kicked the doorjamb distractedly. "'Kay, Neji...look, about this morning-,"

"Please don't mention it."

"-I know you'll pull through this like any other thing that's stood in your way. You've always been like that."

Neji looked at her with a lost light. "How can I? How can someone pull through the loss of a limb that has no replacement, no prosthetic? What if...what if fate has deemed that I lose my eyes?"

"You still believe in fate, Neji?" asked TenTen, gaze even. He turned away, silent. That was a good question, and a question to which the answer was unclear to Neji. Naruto, the outcast, the neglected jinchuriki thought to be a monster...he had achieved more than Neji ever could. Neji may have now hated the ideology instead of the people, but his beliefs were still uncertain. 'What Tou-san said...that all he wanted to do was make a choice of free will...maybe, just maybe, I could defy fate...maybe.'

"I-I don't that answer, TenTen. Nothing is clear to me at this moment. Things have...happened to make me question myself," he finally replied.

TenTen nodded. "That's better, I think." She looked up at the sky. "I wish I could see the stars now. The light blocks them out. I've always liked the stars, always above everything and never changing. One of the only constants of my life, the others being my family," she looked back at Neji, "and my team. I know you'll get through this and be stronger than ever when you do. That's what a genius is. That's why we call only certain people a genius." She turned to enter the house. "Bye, Neji." She shut the door, leaving Neji alone.

Naruto laughed as Iruka finished telling a hilarious story about a time in the Academy where a couple of boys had taken after Naruto and painted the entire-well, almost entire-inside bright pink. Teuchi was laughing as well, his back to them as he cooked. Ayame was sitting across from Iruka, giggled behind her hand. Iruka grinned, and he started to eat the ramen in front of him.

He stopped to ask, "Naruto, how'd your mission go?"

Naruto swallowed. "Good, I guess. A few bumps here and there." The memory of a glassy-eyed Neji falling to the ground and Sayuri's crazed laughter came to mind. "A few were harder to get over though." The blonde tapped the rim of his bowl with his chopsticks. "Alright for the most part. Definitely a life experience. Did you know it was a B-rank?"

Iruka stared at him, stunned. "What!? A B-rank? Why in the world are Genin going on-!"

Naruto waved his hands to calm him down. "Hey, hey! There was two teams of Genin and two Jonin. We weren't gonna be beat easily...or so we thought." At a quizzical look from Iruka, the blonde sighed. "I don't want to talk about it in public, sensei."

Teuchi turned, another big bowl of ramen in his hands. "Go 'head, Naruto. I gotta free bowl of ramen if you do. And I'll close the shop just for our best customer."

Naruto grinned slightly. "That's bribery, and you know it, Teuchi."

Ayame feigned surprise. "Are you refusing free ramen, Naruto?"

"'Course not!" Teuchi laid the bowl in front of him, and he turned the open sign outside over . Naruto took a couple of bites, and then he gradually told his story about the mission, about his argument with Neji, about the two people calling themselves Akatsuki, and then finally about Sayuri Uchiha. Naruto reached to the part where Sayuri was killing his teammates, and Ayame gasped, covering her mouth with a hand. Teuchi put a comforting hand around her, and Iruka held her hand thoughtlessly.

"...and the spike just shot from the ground and...got teme good in the chest. The spike went back down...and he fell into me and I put him on the ground...we...forgave each other...and...then..." Naruto was quiet for the longest time. "...he died."

Iruka, still holding Ayame's hand, asked, "But I saw your teammates alive, so what's with-,"

"The genjutsu thing made me think they were dead," explained Naruto, "They weren't really, but it still...made it unforgettable in a bad way. Then the senseis came and fought Sayuri off, and Kakuzu also ran off." He shook himself. "That night a few people from Fu's village came and got her. Then we came back." Naruto looked forlornly at his bowl of ramen. "And my ramen's cold."

Iruka grinned, and both Ayame and Teuchi laughed nervously. Teuchi took the bowl and handed Naruto a slip of paper. "'Ere's a coupon for later. Sorry 'bout that." Naruto nodded his thanks, took the coupon, and headed out the stand. Teuchi looked after him. "Yeah...that Sayuri...I knew her. She was quite a nice girl, but I didn't see 'er after the trial any, and that was close to thirteen years ago...Poor thing went crazy, I guess..."

Iruka looked at him, absentmindedly stroking Ayame's hand with a finger. "You knew Sayuri? Was she really that good and really that insane?"

"Like I said, she was nice 'til the trial with 'er team'n'all, and, yeah, she really was that good. Showed up only by her nephew Itachi." Teuchi's face hardened. "And you better let go of my sweetie's hand 'fore it goes in the ramen." Iruka glanced down at his and Ayame's intertwined hands, and he let go quickly and blushed a red only matched by Ayame. Iruka laughed awkwardly and backed out of the stand slowly.

"I-I-I'll just b-b-be going, then!" He bolted off as soon as the flaps went back down.

Teuchi laughed. "That was fun! Scared him good!" He fell against the counter as he laughed.

Ayame fidgeted. "So you're not mad?"

"Hm? No! He's a good man...wait, what do you mean..."

Guy knocked on the Mission Report door and opened it. The sun was setting and barely visible above the horizon, throwing orange light into the room. The Hokage sat where he usually sat, his aides sorting through the paperwork. He looked up as Guy entered. "Guy, how have you been?"

"Better. Has Anko been in yet?"

"No. Why?"

"Her report will be very similar to mine, and I'd like to have a seat before I tell it and then write it..." Guy glanced at the aides meaningfully, and the Hokage dismissed them, only asking two to bring a sofa. Guy plopped down heavily into it and sighed before he started, "Alright, when we first set off, we didn't suspect a thing. However..." When he was finally done telling the story of the mission gone terribly awry, the Hokage leaned back into his chair and let out a long breath. Guy watched him carefully. "What does this mean? Are the Akatsuki moving toward the jinchuriki now?"

The Hokage shrugged. "There's no reliable intel as of yet, but what bothers me is the fact that your and Anko's squad saw Naruto with the Kyuubi awakened...and, from what I hear, he very nearly lost all control. This is troubling. Very troubling."

"Are you not worried that Fu was sent here on a spying mission?" asked Guy.

The Hokage waved it way. "The ANBU knew that as soon as she arrived. What they didn't know or expect was the Waterfall to send their only jinchuriki. This is all very troubling." Guy nodded and uncrossed his legs. He absentmindedly scanned the room, from the picture of the Yondaime to the empty sofa seat next to him. The Hokage was deep in thought. "So...Sayuri is dead, the Akatsuki possibly targeting jinchuriki, Naruto's jinchuriki status leaked to his teammates, and Neji Hyuuga's Byakugan gone."

"That's the gist of it, yes," said Guy.

"Good Lord," breathed the Hokage, "My idea was terrible."

"No, the timing of it and the client involved were terrible."

The Hokage nodded, and there was a silence. Guy moved to rise, but then he noticed something shimmering into view onto the sofa's empty spot. He watched in amazement as Touza materialized, legs dangling off the edge of the sofa. His mouth was hanging open, and his eyes were as wide as saucers. The Hokage regarded him in complete surprise as the did the ANBU that suddenly appeared beside the sofa.

"Hokage-sama!" shouted one, "Should we-," The Hokage held up a hand, and Touza didn't respond for several moments.

When he finally did, he asked sadly, "So Naruto-san's ninja adventures weren't fun?" All present blinked, and Guy had to suppress a smile at Touza's childish, crestfallen face. The Hokage couldn't hold back, and he smiled grandfatherly at the boy.

"What's your name, child?" he asked gently despite his knowing it.

"Touza."

"Touza? Is that it?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama-san."

"How are you today, Touza?"

Touza shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "Fine, mister Hokage-sama-san." He looked around. "Is that other meanie with the nose-thingy not here?"

"Iruka? No, he's not here. How'd you get in, Touza?"

He pointed at Guy. "I followed Guy-sensei-san. He opened the door and I got in 'fore it closed." Guy raised an eyebrow. He had been certain he had come in alone. Very certain. "I was just gonna stand and watch, but then that other man brought in the sofa. Then I sat down," he said simply. He looked at the ANBU present, and he waved at one in particular. "Kitty-cat-san! I saw you the other day when we were playing hide'n'seek! That was fun!"

Hyo blinked under his mask, and his fellow ANBU had to quiet their sniggers. Hokage kept smiling, and he gently asked, "You know Hyo-san?"

Touza nodded enthusiastically. "Uh-huh! He would try to sneak up on me and I would run away and sneak up on him, and then he disappear and I'd chase and then he'd chase and I'd chase-,"

The old Hokage held up a hand. "Slow down, Touza. You mean you could sense Hyo-san?"

Touza nodded again. "Uh-huh. He's hard to sometimes, though." He looked to Hyo again. "You're good at sneaking, Kitty-cat-san, but I got you that one time! You're not that good!" Hyo was peeved, and the rest of the ANBU turned away to laugh quietly. Touza bobbed his head happily. "Yup-yup! That was fun, Kitty-cat-san."

The Hokage chuckled. "So you're good at sneaking, Touza?"

"He gets me every time," admitted Guy.

Touza grinned and rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, I'm pretty good at sneakin' ''round, Hokage-sama-san."

"Who's your sensei?"

"Kitame-sensei. I'm still in the Academy." The Hokage's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but then he ducked his head to hide a smile.

"So...you're very good at sneaking, Touza. I ought to shake your hand," he said, holding out his hand to Touza who looked at it as if it were a foreign creature. The Hokage kept his comforting smile, and the boy timidly took hold of his hand and shook it. "There you go, little one. Was that so hard?" teased the Hokage. Touza shook his head. "Now, you better run along. It's getting late." The boy nodded, and he ran out of the room.

The Hokage smiled and interlinked his fingers. "So...Touza...the boy who can fool ANBU. Interesting." Hyo fell to one knee, and he bowed his head in apology.

"I'm sorry, Hokage-sama. I have failed, but the boy is obviously-,"

"-a harmless soul, Hyo-san," finished the Hokage, "Touza is a very mischievous boy, that is all. A mischievous boy capable of infiltrating high-security buildings." His eyes grew concerned. "And let us pray that he never tells Naruto of what he overheard. I want to tell him when the time is right."

Touza ran out of the Hokage Tower, and then he turned to look up at the window of the Hokage's office. 'Naruto-san...is the Kyuubi's jinchuriki? What's a jinchuriki? And what'd Guy-sensei-san mean by three or four tails? And Fu...that green-haired pretty girl...she's a jinchuriki too? So confusing...I'm tired. I wanna go to bed.' He yawned widely, and his form shimmered out of view.

Neji was leaning against a tree in the shining glade three days later, awaiting his teammates' and sensei's arrival. Birds were twittering their greetings and warnings, and, if he had been able, Neji would have watched them with his Byakugan. He had always envied them, the birds being symbols that always represented the antithesis of the Side Family, the freedom he had longed for, but now he had no reason to envy them for his restraints were gone. However, he had lost something valuable, something that even made him think that his newfound freedom was too costly.

A branch snapped, and he jerked his head in the direction to see TenTen pushing away the brush around her. She nodded at him respectfully, and he nodded back. She sat against the tree he leaned against and pulled out her wolf carving and knife. Wooden shavings littered the ground as she carved, and Neji closed his eyes, unfamiliar with the darkness that greeted him.

Crashing was heard, and Neji sighed as Naruto entered the clearing, nearly tripping over a rock. He muttered something about stupid rocks, and he looked over to Neji who arched an eyebrow. The blonde then raised his head to the tree. "Looks like teme really has lost his Byakugan eh, sensei?" Neji frowned at him and was about to scold him until Guy replied back, his voice coming from the leaves above him.

"Yes, it looks he has." Guy jumped down, startling both Neji and TenTen. Neji was ashamed at his failure to detect Guy; his abilities had taken a severe blow, apparently. Guy looked at him sadly, but then brightened. In the three days he had given them, Guy had thought of a weapon that would put Neji's close-combat skills to use. "Alright, you know the drill. Hundred for you two, two hundred for Naruto, then calisthenics. Go!"

After the 'warm-ups', Guy took out a scroll, cheering Naruto and TenTen. "You got a new jutsu for one of us, sensei?" asked Naruto. He shook his head, and he unsealed two tonfa. TenTen frowned, and Naruto tilted his head to the side. "What're those for, sensei? You gonna whack us with them?" Guy chuckled and shook his head.

"These are for Neji." He tossed them lightly to Neji. Neji caught and examined them with a frown, holding them awkwardly. He grabbed the handles, dropping one of them. He swore silently and stooped to pick it up. He heard Naruto snicker, and Neji glared up at him. "Since Neji has lost his Byakugan-,"

"-and become about as weak as TenTen," commented Naruto, drawing deathly looks.

TenTen thumped him on the ear. "That's a compliment and you know it, Blondie."

"You are the weakest one of the group, though."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, but I can still give you a hard time." Neji was quiet, and Guy cleared his throat.

"As I was saying, these tonfa are for Neji. I can teach him the basics, but TenTen-," he looked to her, "will have to pick up the rest. In this case, she is most useful person on the team." TenTen smiled at Neji.

Neji smirked at Naruto. "Unlike a certain blonde." Naruto made a face and flipped him off. "Very intelligent, Uzumaki-san."

Naruto rolled his eyes and mumbled, "Glad to see that stick hasn't been worked out yet."

"Touching." The blonde made another face but abstained from the rude gesture. Guy made two clones, and Neji stayed with the original while the other two went off with the clones. Neji looked down at the tonfas, still clumsily grasped in his hands. Guy unsealed another pair of tonfa, and he stood straight and motioned toward Neji.

"Your resting position is standing, arms loosely at the side." Neji stood to face Guy, but the tonfa drooped down to nearly brush the ground. "The tonfa need to be parallel and tucked to the side, Neji." With a rough motion, Neji tucked them to the side of his forearms, not enjoying the feeling of weight. He loathed the use of weapons though he had no hate for the wielders.

"The battle position is this." Guy spread his feet and bent his knees slightly, and he raised his hands into a boxing-like stance. Neji slid his feet reluctantly, feeling his body wanting to slip into Gentle Fist. Guy came over, and he adjusted the knees. "Your stance is important-,"

"-like in all katas," muttered Neji.

"-and this is especially important. The tonfa is mainly defensive weapon. You do not attack if you can help it." Neji looked sharply at his sensei. "You always counterattack." Guy tested the tonfa by spinning it. "From what I learned, that fact is engraved into your mind when you're training with this."

"Sensei, if this is the case, then I am-,"

"-a good fit for this, Neji. Trust me. The tonfa will become familiar to you with practice." Guy struck with a tonfa at an imaginary enemy. "There are three basic motions with this weapon. The wrist, the arm, and the hip," he explained, moving the parts he named. "The tonfa relies on speed and gathering enough force behind it to incapacitate. Try swinging it."

Neji scowled but swung and almost lost his grip on the tonfa. He tried to swing slowly, but he was wildly off-balance and stumbled. Guy lectured him. "Your grip needs to be firm but loose enough to let the swing be unrestricted, and balance is key-,"

"I know, sensei," growled Neji.

"Then show me." The Hyuuga glowered and swung again, his grip loosening but the tonfa staying in his hand. He slid his feet, and Guy still corrected him. "You don't slide your feet unless absolutely necessary. The movement comes from your-,"

"-hips, wrist, and arm. I know, sensei."

"Then show me."

This went on for an hour, Neji steadily swinging the pair of tonfa and making mistakes that Guy would correct. Guy went further to show that kicks and jabbing movements could be incorporated, but when Neji attempted them, he would worsen his stance or stumble. The genius, unused to something that did not come naturally to him, was irate but dared not to complain.

"Again, Neji," Guy ordered. Neji swung and kicked, but he nearly fell backwards. "Again." Neji swung, the tonfa whistling, but then it flew from his grip and hit Guy in the chest. The Jonin gasped for breath, and Neji exhaled slowly to calm his rising temper. Guy picked up the renegade tonfa lying at his feet and threw back to him. "Tighter...grip."

"If I grip any firmer, I can't swing properly," argued Neji.

"There is a balance to the grip, but you haven't found it. This will take time." Neji grunted, and Guy shook his head. "Don't be like that. You can do it. You're the genius of the Hyuuga."

"Which use Gentle Fist, not tonfa."

"Then be the unique one," said Guy with a sigh. His eyebrows rose as memories from his clones rushed in. "Huh...against two clones, TenTen and Naruto beat them together...impressive for Genin," he mused aloud. Neji heard and turned away. Guy continued to muse aloud as he drew out a scroll. "And TenTen's gonna take over Neji's training tomorrow...we need him back to full power..."

Neji, not wanting to stay any longer, tossed his tonfa at the feet of Guy and stalked from the glade. He shoved his hands in his pockets, and he though miserably, 'As my teammates continued to grow stronger, I continue down the slippery slope of weakness. Was the removal of the curse mark worth the removal of my eyes? Was it? I-I'm not so sure now...'

Well, not as long as my other chapters. About...3900 words? Wanted to cut this short because the next chapter gonna be more Neji and then Naruto. Neji's little mini-arc is gonna be cool. To be honest, I didn't even think of it until a friend who betas this pointed it out when I told him. Anyway...omakes, the last one was in Chapter 4, I think? I'm adding one right here, because this chapter's short. You'll like when you see the title.

Omake

Team 6 and Drunken Fist

Team 6 had just finished a C-rank mission hot off the heels of their joint-B-rank with Team 9, and Anko wanted to treat them. Unfortunately, they were in the Land of Tea, a land known for its unassuming hard tea. Anko dragged them into a barbeque restaurant and seated them in a corner.

"Alright, brats, the limit's twenty-five thousand ryo! More than that and you're paying!" She sat against the wall with Tomitsu sitting beside her, and Lee and Yakumo sat across from them. The waitress slid their menus to them, and they all ordered tea except for Tomitsu ordered water. Anko shot him a surprised look. "You going cheap, Big'un, or do you not like tea?"

"Water seems to be what I desire as of now."

"This is the Land of Tea, Big'un! It's got the best damn tea around, and you're passin' it up for damn water?" she asked incredulously. Tomitsu shrugged noncommittally, and the waitress returned with their drinks and took their orders. When she was gone, the samurai took a dignified sip of his water, Anko rolling her eyes. "Such a prissy, you are."

"You didn't say that when I saved your life by killing those ambushing rogues, Anko-sensei. I believe your exact words were 'Goddammit, I hate bandits and hate sayin' thank ya to brats. Thank ya, Big'un.'." He took another sip of his water, and Anko simmered as she drank her tea, unaware it was hard tea. All the tea was hard tea...very hard tea.

Anko grinned drunkenly as she finished her glass. "Tha' was gooooood," she purred, "Wish I hadda 'nother." Tomitsu raised an eyebrow, and she wrapped an arm around him. "Hey there, Handsome," she said lowly, words slurring and eyes half-lidded and unfocused, "What's that scar from? Wanna show me any others?" He rolled his eyes and pushed her away.

"Obviously the tea can be intoxicating," he observed, "Fortunate that I did not desire it." What he said was heard too late by Lee who chugged down his glass of tea. Yakumo had refrained, not feeling thirsty at that moment, and she jumped in alarm as Lee slammed the glass down on the table, cracking it. A girlish giggled escaped him, and she put a hand on his shoulder.

"Lee, you alright?"

Lee suddenly sat straight as an arrow, his eyes drooping and face flushed. He wobbled slightly, and Yakumo poked him in the side. He jumped up and hit his head on the ceiling. "Yow! Who did that?" he demanded with a slur, now perched on top of the booth. Everyone in the establishment looked up curiously at him, and Tomitsu shook his head.

"You did that unto yourself, Lee-san," he replied. Lee whipped around and tried to focus in on him. "And please do come down from there. It is impolite to do such things." Lee was silent, face drawn in comical scrutiny.

He abruptly pointed at Tomitsu. "You did it! You hurt me! You wanna go, big guy?"

Tomitsu blinked. "No, I-,"

"WAAAAH!"

Tomitsu flashed away from his seat, upending it and several others. Lee crashed into the table, and Yakumo tried to restrain him as he rose to face Tomitsu. Lee pointed a wobbly finger at him and shook Yakumo off. "Stay...hiccup-still!" Lee bolted at him, and Tomitsu blocked a punch before a kick to the side sent him into a wall. "I said-hiccup-stay still!"

"Sober yourself, Lee-san!"

"I swear to drunk," argued Lee, stumbling toward Tomitsu, "I am not God!"

Anko giggled. "Obviously."

Tomitsu glanced at her. "Sensei! Your assistance is-," He ducked as Lee flew by and bashed his head into the wall, "-requested!"

She hiccuped. "I'm tired, honey. We can do it laterrrr..." She slumped to the floor and fell asleep. Tomitsu resisted rolling his eyes before Lee nearly broke his jaw. As it was, the punch still connected and hurt. He leaped away and rubbed his chin.

"Lee-san, please become sober!"

"I am not GOD!"

"I'm not asking if you are some deity, only intoxicated!"

"I am not into-indo-intoxibated!"

Tomitsu sighed, and Yakumo gestured at him to restrain Lee. He looked squarely at his drunken teammate. "I am sorry, Lee." A slither of metal, and Tomitsu was behind Lee, blade pressed to his throat. "Don't move."

"Ooooh, shiny!" Lee ogled his reflection in Tomitsu's katana. "Now who's that handsome devil there on the sword-thingamajig?" Tomitsu wanted to strangle Lee for using his sword for a mirror, but then Yakumo aimed a genjutsu at Lee.

"Tomitsu, keep 'im still! Maybe a genjutsu'll do the trick." She ran through handsigns. "Sensation Genjutsu: Dizzy Spell!" Lee peered at her closely, but then he turned his head to glare at Tomitsu, seemingly unaffected by the genjutsu.

"Hey, Big Nasty, take this!" Lee headbutted Tomitsu, and the samurai reeled back, holding his nose. Lee gripped a pillar that supported the roof of the restaurant, and he uprooted it and swung. "Play ball!" Tomitsu smashed a hole in the wall and ended up outside, and he glared as his katana flared with white light.

"Heavenly Blade!"

At that moment, Lee fell to the ground asleep, and Yakumo ducked as the crescent scythed through. Tomitsu frowned, and then Lee woke up and blurred at him unexpectedly. "Your mother is a wonderful persooon!" Tomitsu darted to the side, and he ran back into the restaurant. "Scaredy-cat!" taunted Lee.

The samurai shook Anko with no results, and he noticed his water glass was still partially full with water despite it being on its side. He splashed her with it, and Anko roared and punched Tomitsu in the gut. He muttered darkly, and Anko glowered irately at him.

"What you want, Big'un?" she asked shortly, words still slurred but eyes focused.

"Lee and alcohol is apparently a dangerous combination," stated Tomitsu dryly before Lee charged back into the shop.

"WAAAAAAH!" Tomitsu grabbed a protesting Anko under the shoulder and blurred to the other side of the building, taking with him a few tables. Anko glared as she stood, but then she surveyed the damage. Several tables were on their sides, and chairs were broken or cut cleanly in half. There was a ominous creaking coming from the roof, not surprising as one pillar had been removed and all the others cut in half. Lee recovered himself, and he stumbled a few steps to the side. "You wanna fight, punk?"

Tomitsu pressed his fingers to his temples and heaved a sigh. "Have we not been doing that very action?" he asked.

"WAAAAAAH!"

"Curses." Tomitsu braced himself to catch Lee, but Anko snatched the drunken boy out of the air with her snakes. They wrapped tightly around him, and Lee struggled as she walked over to him.

"Drunken Fist, goddammit," she grumbled, "Why da hell didn't Guy tell me that this brat can't handle his damn liquor? Not a good fit for my team..." Lee roared unintelligibly, and she knocked him out cold. "Yeah, yeah, zip it, ya lightweight. Gotta be careful takin' these brats out now..." There was a crack, and the roof began to sag. "Shit, now the place is-," The entire restaurant caved it, throwing up a dust cloud.

Anko, somewhere in the smoke, snorted irately and cleared the air with a wave of her hand. She stood unmoved in the rubble, and a piece of debris flew into the air, revealing a dusty Tomitsu. He scowled over at Anko. "You could have warned us, sensei."

"You're all fine," she said plainly, "Right, Princess?" Yakumo emerged from the pile of rubble with Lee slung over her shoulder. She glared at her sensei. "What's with the mean look, Princess? I ain't done nothin' wrong."

"You coulda warned me!"

Anko sighed and looked up at the sky, ignoring the growing crowd around them. There were angry murmurs, and Tomitsu eyed them warily. He spun his sword menacingly, and the murmurs quieted for the moment. Anko sighed again and winced as her head panged painfully.

"I need some booze."