A/N: I know this is horribly late but I've had a shit load of other stuff on my plate and didn't have time. I will do my best to make up for the long wait all though I'm not quite sure how to do that yet...

By the way I tried to say what Mikomi said as her introduction in the last chapter in one breathe and I have just one thing to say...unless you want to die of oxygen loss don't try.

Disclaimer: These are a complete waste of space because it should be quite obvious to everyone that the writer doesn't own whatever they're writing about and besides, there are hundreds of thousands of fanfictions, what are the odds of the actual owner stumbling across yours?

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[Insert chapter name here]

Rioko and Yajuburi's heads whipped around to stare at an unfocused figure.

"Well don't you have a piss pour imagination." Rioko said.

"'Insert chapter name here' What the hell is up with that?" Yajuburi asked.

"Fuck off." I said.

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"Are we there yet?" Mikomi whined.

"No." Rioko replied.

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"I said no."

"How about now?"

Rioko sighed but said nothing. He heard Yajuburi mutter "I hate kids." and smiled.

They'd been running for more than an hour but they still hadn't caught up to the others.

Mikomi yawned and grumbled "Think we went the wrong way?"

Rioko shook his head.

"Then why haven't we seen them yet?" Mikomi asked.

Rioko shrugged and was about to say something when a figure lying in the snow made his blood run cold. Seii lay in the snow covered in blood with slash marks all over her body.

He heard Yajuburi inhale sharply next to him. "Master Takomo..." he muttered in shock staring at the same spot as Rioko.

Rioko barely processed what Yajuburi had said and took a tentative step towards the body of Seii. Mikomi rolled her eyes and said in a voice dripping with sarcasm "Oooh... well I'm glad to see that we've started naming rocks. What the hell is the matter with you dip-shits anyway?" She bit Rioko on the arm and in the instant of pain the image of Seii flashed and was replaced by a rock.

"What the hell?" Rioko said right as Yajuburi broke into a full on sprint towards the rock yelling "Master Takomo!" Rioko realized in an instant what was going on. The deep canyon that was a hundred feet straight up of plain ice, the small caves in the walls, and the rock illusion. "Yajuburi wait!" Rioko screamed after him but it was to late. A thin blade of ice shot out of the snow and pierced right through his chest.

The imposing bodyguard 's eye's flashed with sudden understanding of what was happening and then he fell backwards into the snow forming a large pool of blood around him as blood poured from the hole in his chest.

"Shit!" Rioko screamed as he activated his Kokugan noticing a blade of ice shooting towards him just in time to dodge.

Mikomi yelped and dug her claws into Rioko's arm in an attempt to hold on. Rioko gritted his teeth in pain and looked around him. Figures were slowly emerging from the caves on the canyon walls but one figure cause him to gasp in shock.

His father stood in the front of the assembled group with a twisted grin on his face. "Well, well, well. Rioko. You certainly have come along way with that Kokugan of yours, eliminating most of our men that attacked you at the port, but I'm afraid that won't be happening again." With that he shoot forward with such speed that even using his kokugan it looked like his was running.

"Shit." was all he said before his fathers fist collided with his stomach sending him flying backwards. Rioko lost control of his Kokugan and it failed. He quickly regained control of it and looked up to see the rest of the group were charging him too.

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Rioko found himself standing once again in the cavern with Igno's cage at the far side. Once again, as he drew closer, Igno stepped into view.

"Your weakness is becoming troublesome." He began "Since you're here I have a business proposition." Rioko said nothing and the giant falcon continued. " I possess power beyond that of anything in this world except perhaps the Kyubi no kitsune. I am willing to grant you that power but in return you must release me as soon as I find the means."

Rioko stood in silence for a minute and then in a soft voice he said "No."

The room swam and he dropped back into darkness.

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Rioko's eye's shot open and the ninja standing over him holding a sword above his head jumped back in shock. Rioko's eyes had turned a deep shade of yellow. His Kokugan flickered into being but the world looked different. Rioko looked around and saw that everything living had a small light pulsing within it. He slowly got to his feet as the black chakra bubbling up from all over him took the shape of wings once more. Then formed a series of hand signs.

"Saiko Yaiba!" he yelled and a blade made of steel formed in his hand and began to crackle with unseen energy then it started glowing black and Rioko began to stalk towards the slowly retreating ninja. He licked his lips and felt the lust for blood and shivered with anticipation. Then he vanished and appeared in front of the closest ninja. He saw the ninjas shocked face and grinned before driving the sword through him. He saw the light instantly leave his eyes and the ninja fell silently to the ground. Then Rioko/Igno dropped the sword and it vanished in a puff of smoke.

He went through another set of hand signs and yelled "Saiko Tosshin!" He began vanishing and reappearing all over the canyon with the shocked ninja trying to follow his path. Then he started appearing in front of each ninja smashing his palm into their chests right above their hearts killing them instantly. Then when only one remained he ended the jutsu and walked forward. "Where's my father?" Rioko/Igno asked with a twisted sweetness.

The terrified ninja began to stutter "Y-y-you'll n-never get any information f-from m-me."

Rioko/Igno rolled his eyes and while taking out a knife said "You know, you remind me of my uncle. I...hated my uncle. Well my uncle was...a drinker and one night he went crazier than usual and auntie grabbed the kitchen knife to defend herself and uncle didn't like that. Oh no he didn't like that. So he took the knife and said 'Why so serious?!'" Rioko forced the knife between the man's closed lips and slashed with all his might. The dead man dropped to the grond and blood began to pool in the snow.

Rioko felt Igno relinquish control and fought to maintain consciousness. He began to crawl towards Yajuburi's body and was surprised to see that he was still breathing.

"Yajuburi." Rioko muttered.

Yajuburi tilted his head to the side and saw Rioko. "Just go. I'm a dead man. Just catch up to the others and protect master Takomo." Rioko just continued to stare at the hole in Yajuburi's chest. "Go!"

Rioko got to his feet as Mikomi ran over and jumped onto his shoulders and with one last look at Yajuburi, he activated his Kokugan and ran as fast as he could in the direction they'd been going before.

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He reached them in about an hour and when they saw him covered in blood they began bombarding him with questions.

"Are you ok?" Seii said running over to him.

"What the fuck happened?" Anko asked giving Seii a look of contempt.

"Where's Yajuburi?" Takomo asked looking around.

Itachi alone remained silent. He walked up to Rioko and looked him in the eye "What happened Rioko?"

"We were ambushed," Rioko began "We were caught in a genjutsu and Mikomi here," he said pointing to the snow leopard on his shoulder "shocked me out of it but Yajuburi was hit before I could stop him." And Rioko proceeded to tell the story of what had happened up until this point.

Itachi listened in silence while Seii started berating Itachi for not just waiting and Anko let out a steady stream of curse words that no one could understand and Takomo stood still in a state of shock.

Itachi looked over at Takomo and then said "Ok we need to move. It's about another two hours to the village and I want to be there by night fall." He then ran over to Takomo lifted him onto his back and took off. Anko followed him instantly, still cursing, while Seii and Rioko looked at each other for a minute.

"I'm glad your ok." Seii said looking away from Rioko.

"Oh thanks Seii." Rioko said.

Seii dashed off after Itachi, her face turning red, but before Rioko could follow her, a shadowy figure appeared in front of him. Rioko started to activate his kokugan but it wouldn't work.

"I r afrade tat won't wrk on me." The figure said.

"Who are you?" Rioko asked.

"I r u from d futur."

"Seriously?" Rioko asked.

"Nah I r just kidng. I r te auther. I hav a mesage fur u."

"What?"

"Ur a fuking dipshit."

"Whats wrong with your spelling? Wait...WHAT'D you say about me?!"

"U dipshit! Hav u nvr had sex ed?!"

Rioko shook his head and I rolled my eyes. "Alrite. Wel basicaly...u no wat? Fuk tis. Heer, jst hav an epiphany."

Rioko's world began to spin and then he said "Holy shit! So Seii..."

"Yes."

"And she..."

"Yes."

"So what Itachi was saying..."

"Wuz crect."

"Wow. No that I think about..."

"Yes it wuz obvious."

"Stop tha..."

"Stop wat?" I asked innocently.

"Stop answering my unfinished sentences."

"Y. I no wat ur guna say. Wat evr. I r outa heer."

With that I vanished and Rioko suddenly found himself running next to Seii.

"Where'd you come from?" Seii asked.

"Uhh...I was just behind you." He said looking over at her nervously. 'Wow it was a lot easier to talk to her when I was ignorant.' Rioko thought. "Would you like to...get some Ramen with me in the village when we have time?"

Seii looked at him in shock and blushed "Really?"

"Sure." Rioko said looking in front of him.

They ran in silence the rest of the way until they reached the village.

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A lone figure stood in the shadows of an alley way and watched the Konoha group arrive and let out a hiss. Seii shivered and felt darkness descending upon the village of Seroku. It was going to be a very unpleasant stay.

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A/N: Well, hope you all liked it. Please feel free to review and subscribe. Happy New Years!