Naruto and the three stone-ninja awoke slowly with the dawn, rose reluctantly then shook off the rigors of having slept on the bare ground all night long out in the open. Seeing Tomoki still asleep, Naruto snickered and clamped a hand over his mouth to keep quiet as he crept over to him. Squatting down over his fellow genin's chest he reached for his face and peeled one of his shut eyes open with his thumb. "Hey, Tom-tom!" Naruto shouted. "'Time to get up!"

Tomoki squawked and awaked with a start, with the blond genin's mischievous, grinning face filling his vision. His arms and legs flailed while Naruto hooted with laughter. "Naruto!" the genin cried and grimaced, then grabbed his orange sleeve with both hands, planted his feet close behind Naruto's backside and bucked him off. Floating after him, Tomoki straddled Naruto's chest, slipped both hands around the inside of his collar and synched it in a tight, tourniquet choke.

The blond's eyes bugged, his face turned red, and his feet kicked for a moment before he reached into Tomoki's face and levered the pressure point under his nose until he rolled off and flopped flat on the ground, panting.

Naruto sat up, coughing a storm, and rubbed his neck. "I didn't know you were so…crabby in the morning!" he remonstrated sourly.

"You," Tomoki gasped. "Are a maniac! Why…why can't you just say 'good morning' like a normal person?"

Uiko stared at the two leaf-genin and shook her head, while Reona looked away uncertainly.

"You two are a couple of dorks," offered Fugo.

Tomoki crept to his feet, brushed the leaves and little pebbles from his long-sleeved blue shirt and shook out his grey, pocketed vest that he'd wadded up to use as a pillow. He stretched his arms and waist, then ran a hand over his bristly, short cut hair.

The sight of his would-be captors made him pause in reflection. His eyes drifted toward Reona. With her rounded face, innocent eyes and pig-tales, she seemed entirely out of her element here in the wild. Her techniques really were pretty solid, and she had some skill with shuriken and the bo-staff. And, yes, he'd felt the same way about his teammate Chiaki when their team had been assembled. Still, Chiaki, even then seemed as a scar-faced veteran by comparison.

Huh…he thought as an idea occurred to him. Maybe this is a disguise too! He shook his head. Well maybe not. If it is, she's sure got a jonin-level skill with the transformation jutsu.

His attention turned reluctantly then to Fugo who was gathering his belongings together sullenly in preparation for the journey ahead. What's this kid doing on a mission like this? Tomoki wondered. Walking somebody's dog, finding a stray cat…I don't know if I'd even trust him with a 'D'-rank mission.

Looking now at Uiko, he frowned in consideration. She must have known how stupid her mission was, he supposed. I guess it's just out of loyalty to the Tsuchikage than she went through with it anyway. The elder kunoichi noticed his attention and looked back at Tomoki, whereupon he gave her a disarming smile and glanced away. It's a miracle none of them got hurt…or that they're not facing interrogation at the hands of the Anbu. It's lucky for all of us that our Hokage had no interest in using this as an excuse for war.

A tired groan drew the genin's attention, and he turned toward Naruto who sat limply on the ground, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He yawned widely, stretched his arms, tied on his blue, hidden-leaf headband. Tomoki grinned at this and checked his gear. His stomach grumbled with hunger, but he'd exhausted his supplies the previous night and so there was nothing to be done about that.

After Reona affirmed that she was ready Uiko organized them as she had before and they set out, subjected again to the girl's taxing, yet useful, jutsu. Tomoki's eyes narrowed with a pained expression while Naruto grit his teeth and shuddered. Fugo was near to tears.

For hours they set aside their discomfort and walked through the twisted reality of Reona's ghost-walk jutsu, which somehow seemed to compress hundreds of miles down to only a negotiable handful. Tomoki had almost gotten used to it, if such a thing were possible, when it suddenly ended and they found themselves ejected back into the normal world. This time they found themselves upon a gravel road flanked by mile markers, amidst what looked like farmlands – furrowed fields subdivided by low, stacked stone walls.

"Reona!" barked Fugo with a peeved scowl. The red-head balled his fists by his side and stamped his feet. "You quit too soon!"

"Reona?" Uiko repeated with evident concern as she went to her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," answered the bewildered girl who looked around as surprised as the rest. "I mean, my jutsu just…stopped working."

The stone-ninja leader studied her for a moment then looked around warily. "Well, alright," she muttered then brushed strand of hair from her face. "Maybe it was just your chakra control. It looks like we're almost home anyway. Do you think you can continue?"

The girl straightened seriously. "Sure!" she stated. "I feel fine."

Uiko patted her shoulder. "Ok," she said, then announced to the group, "let's take a few minutes rest then we'll move on. It's not too much further."

Naruto rubbed his tired eyes and yawned. "Fine with me," he said wearily then reclined against the wall that bordered the road. "Wake me up when you're ready and not a minute -- hey, what's going on?"

Tomoki and the other ninja froze, for now there was another in their midst. The tall figure, in baggy blue and white, stood next to Uiko with his arm resting upon her shoulders – not at all threateningly, but friendly. His other arm rested causualy behind his back and his ebony face was canted upward and away at a contemplative angle. Long, dark braids hung down to his shoulders.

Fugo snarled, crouched and raced at the newcomer, but Tomoki caught his arm and brought him to a stop. "Don't do it," he urged. "This guy's serious."

A tense moment followed as the four ninja, two from the leaf village and two from the stone, watched and waited.

At last it was Uiko herself who spoke. "Hello, Sebellius."

The man turned toward her with a glorious, beatific smile worthy of Buddha Himself. "Hello, big sister," he greeted merrily.

The woman smiled tightly. "I take it she wants to see us."

"Oh, indeed!" the newcomer confirmed grandly with a nod then stepped back with both hands clasped behind him so that Uiko could explain.

The senior stone ninja turned to the four juniors and struggled for a moment. "We've got a slight change of plans here."

"Oh, really?!" hooted Naruto from where he rested. "I didn't notice!"

"'Just a little detour," continued Uiko gently, but the expression on her face was pure awkwardness.

"Are you serious?!"

The kunoichi sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Please Naruto," she began, then appealed to his companion, "Tomoki, can't you put him on a leash or something?"

Tomoki glanced at Naruto who sputtered angrily at her remark. "I've never been able to before," the quieter boy offered with a shrug. "But he's right, you know," he replied. "I mean, do you really mean to tell me that the kidnappers have been kidnapped?"

The woman fidgeted at being put on the spot, and it was Sebellius who intervened. "Kidnapping?" he commented with a sardonic drawl. "Perish the thought! You are the honored guests of the Princess in Exile."

"Oh, well!" bellowed Naruto who came to his feet, adding: "Why didn't you say so before!?" The stranger sniffed at the boy's sarcasm. "Just who do you think you are showing up out of nowhere and expecting everyone to do as you say?! Everyone else might be scared of you, but I'm not!" Tomoki tugged at his sleeve, but the blond genin ignored it and raised his fist. "And you won't be so high-and-mighty when I knock you down!"

Tomoki tugged again and spoke in his ear. "I don't think that's a good idea, Naruto."

"No?!" the ninja objected, "and why not?"

"He might not be wearing a headband or anything, but he's jonin level at least."

Naruto looked back at him then at Sebellius, conflicted. His expression hardened and his hands quaked tensely. Here we go, thought Tomoki anxiously as his mind turned toward the fight to come and hoped that this visitor from the Princess in Exile, whoever she was, was not as fearsome as his recently-developed senses were telling him he was.

"Alright," Naruto relented grumpily to Tomoki's surprise. "We'll see what's up with this princess. But this getting kidnapped stuff is getting old!"

Uiko's shoulders slumped with relief while Sebellius blinked and bowed humbly. "Thank you," he said. "Thank you all. I appreciate your forbearance."

The five ninja followed their new leader across the fields, passing by teams of farmhands who waved and greeted him, and then onto another gravel road.

Naruto, still displeased at this turn, wove his way to the tall man's side. "So what's going on here, anyway?" he demanded. "Who are you, and who is this princess you're dragging us to see?"

Sebellius glanced down at him charitably. "I'll be pleased to answer your questions, young ninja," he said in a lilting accent then looked over his shoulder, "unless you'd rather, Uiko. It was not my intention to supplant you."

Uiko sighed. "If you must know…twenty years ago, Lady Acacia of the River Lands married Prince Ostrid Medea Shan, the Tsuchikage's great-grandson, and became part of the royal family. But she had a difficult and seditious nature, and when, inevitably, they separated, she was exiled to the lands and cottage granted her by her marital contract."

The six crossed to one side of the road to allow some carts, piled high with hay bales, to rumble by.

"Well," Sebellius began nonchalantly. "That's one way to tell the story."

"Ok, fine," Naruto continued. "So where do you fit in?"

"Though Lady Acacia is no longer a part of the Hidden Stone Village and cannot garrison ninja, she is allowed uchi-deshi." Uiko scoffed at this.

Tomoki ventured, "So, you're her live-in student?"

"Yes, that's right." The man turned to him and smiled. "I'm proud to say I'm senior-most among them."

"Them?" asked Naruto. "How many does she have?

Sebellius thought for a moment before he replied, "About four-hundred at last count."

The two ninja exchanged glances, then the blond genin observed, "That's gotta be one crowded cottage."

Tomoki chuckled then suggested, "And the Tsuchikage doesn't mind?"

"I have no way of knowing," said the tall ninja with a shrug. "So far, he seems content to wait her out."

As they walked along further, they saw that some of the fields had been converted into training ranges, running tracks and obstacle courses which teemed with students – a wide assortment of young boys and girls who practiced martial arts, weapons and techniques of various kinds. Wherever the group passed, the students all stopped right where they were, no matter how deeply engaged in their training they were, to acknowledge Sebellius with a deep bow straight from the waist.

Fugo turned up his pug nose with disdain while Reona's gaze never left the few feet that preceded her. "Yeah, yeah," said Naruto. "I did all that stuff too and more, a lot more, believe it!"

At the next field the group was greeted with the familiar staccato rhythm of clacking staves, where the students practiced bo-jutsu. Tomoki's eyes widened as he noticed one student who was head and chest taller than all the rest and thickly built, then did a double-take. A giant! he thought, then realized, No, that's not it. That guy's just older than the others. As they drew up to them, the students all stopped what they were doing and bowed. Tomoki's eyes fixed on the big trainee, and his footsteps gradually slowed to a stop.

"What's up, Tomoki?" asked Naruto as he noticed his friend falling behind. "Hey, where are you going?"

The leaf ninja hopped the wall and started over the grass toward the big student, who remained bowed. The rest of the group now stopped too, turned and looked after him. Uiko set her hands on her hips impatiently, while Sebellius simply took a seat. Tomoki's footsteps brushed through the wild grass, sending grasshoppers and other bugs to flight in his passage. He stopped before the student and looked back for a moment at the puzzled travelers, then turned back with a smile. "Wen?" he ventured. "Is that you?"

A grunt escaped the young man. "Yes, Tomoki-sensei," he replied hesitantly.

The ninja grinned as he noticed how much thinner the storyteller seemed from when last they'd met. His hair was neat and short as well. "When you asked if I thought you could be a ninja," the genin said, then paused and rubbed his neck, "I had no idea you were this serious."

Wen hesitated for a bit before he replied, "It's been a hard road, sensei, just like you said."

Tomoki looked at his classmates, a collection of fierce, wiry, seven and eight year-olds who were disciplined enough to remain still and bowed this whole time, then chuckled sagely. "Your 'Princess in Exile' I suspect is very capable." He looked off into the distance, then added: "Please, don't call me 'sensei', Wen. I'm far from it."

"But it was you who set me on the path," Wen replied.

The boy puffed out a breath. "You needed nothing from me," he said then winced as Uiko called to him from the roadside with an insistent tone. Sebellius, meanwhile, signaled his permission for the students to resume, which they all did at once. It wasn't like Tomoki to keep anyone waiting, so he got ready to say his farewells, but Wen remained bowed to him and there was something about that bothered him and made him pause. "Look at me, Wen," he said, but didn't know why.

The young storyteller looked up and his eyes brimmed with tears. Upon his cheek was a branded scar – a single character charred into his flesh. 'Vagrant' was what it said.

The sight of it hit Tomoki like a blow. "What's this, Wen?" he gasped.

"I was hoping you wouldn't notice," Wen explained with unconvincing carelessness as he rose. "When I came to the Hidden Stone Village…well, I found out the hard way that they don't care much for people who don't have regular jobs."

"Wen," the genin's voice halted and he rested his hand on the man's shoulder. "I'm…so sorry."

The student shrugged. "Don't be…it's not your fault."

The boy's chin dropped to his chest, then he moved close and asked quietly, "Are you ok here, Wen?"

The young man's nod was slight, but without reservation. "Yes, sen --," he stopped himself. "Yes, Tomoki."

The ninja straightened. "I didn't expect to see you again, but I'm glad I did," he offered. "Take care of yourself, ok?"

Wen gave him a fleeting, genuine smile. "You got it," he answered, "and you too."

The 'cottage' of the Princess in Exile turned out to be a sprawling three-story manse whose handsome facades were adorned with fieldstone and decoratively-patterned brick, tall windows with pointy-arched tops, steeply-gabled roofs, tall, twisting chimneys, and elaborate iron gates. The two strangers from the leaf village gawked at the strange architecture that neither had ever encountered before.

Sebellius lead them over cobblestone paths through a variety of geometrically-conceived formal gardens and sculpted landscapes. While Uiko, Reona and Fugo were lead away by another disciple, the tall uchi-deshi brought Tomoki and Naruto to wait in a garden cloister bounded by towering hedges. A servant brought them fruit punch and biscuits, which they devoured almost instantly.

"Please," asked Tomoki of the servant. "Would you bring more if it's not too much trouble?"

"Yeah, a lot more!" Naruto hastily amended, then called to the servant's fleeing back: "And keep it comin'!" He puffed a breath and looked around appraisingly. "This is different," the boy remarked, with his lips and tongue bright red from the drink. His eyes followed a bird's flight to where it alighted in a high branch.

Tomoki looked up at the broken columns and cracked pediment of the pavilion in which they stood, which had been crafted to look like an ancient ruin. A 'folly' is what Sebellius had called it. "Yeah," he agreed distantly and worried his lip, drew a thoughtful breath, then looked out at the flowers and the playful topiary animals – elephants, horses and turtles.

"Did you know that guy you were talking to?" asked Naruto.

Tomoki grunted affirmatively. "I met him in Shijun, back when you got…when we were there." He paused for a moment. "I guess he wanted to be a ninja more than I thought he did."

"So what do you think is going on?"

Tomoki shrugged faintly and gave no answer, whereupon Naruto flicked his earlobe with his finger. "Ow, hey!" the genin complained with a wince. "What was that for?"

"Don't blow me off," answered Naruto sharply and pointed at the side of the boy's head. "I know you've got something going on up there."

The genin looked at him crossly then rolled his eyes. "What do think I know that you don't? he asked. "This is all as weird to me as it is to you!"

"This place, you mean," Naruto probed, "and those three stone-ninja."

"Yeah, that," Tomoki started, paused then spoke again as Naruto started to glare, "but they don't bother me that much. I mean, sure, this 'cottage' speaks for itself. It's like something from another planet." He started to pace, gesturing vaguely with his hands. "As for Uiko, Reona and Fugo, it's hard to tell where to begin with what's wrong with them. Where's their sensei? Who would send three genin, two of which have little if any experience, on what for us would be a 'C' or 'B' rank mission? It makes no sense."

"I thought that was weird," said Naruto who folded his arms. His yellow eyebrows furrowed suddenly. "Hey, wait a minute, if none of that bothers you, then what?"

Tomoki grimaced. "I don't know," he ventured worriedly as he rubbed his forehead then dragged his hand down his face, "but there's something else there that I'm just not getting."

"Ahh, you think too much!" Naruto brayed and waved his hand.

The ninja looked at him for a moment then broke into a grin. "Yeah," he replied, "probably so."

As they waited over the next hour, Tomoki paced around the garden and tried to keep his restless mind distracted. Naruto remained at the pavilion, concentrating deeply and practicing his jutsu.

He settled into a wide, horse-stance then inhaled deeply. His palms rose up along his head, drew back along his sides then extended straight out in front of him as he breathed out. After awhile he switched exercises and pressed his palms out to either side, brought them in close to his ears and pressed out again. At last, with his chakra gathered, he readied himself and bit all five of the fingers on his right hand. After making a complex series of hand signs, he dropped and pressed his hand to the ground at which a whirl of smoke arose.

Tomoki stared. "Wow…what was all that?" he asked, mystified.

Naruto beamed cleverly. "My new summoning jutsu!"

"Cool," the genin commented as he looked around. "Um…what did you summon?"

The young ninja's expression turned sour. "What do you mean?" he barked. "Can't you see?" Tomoki, taken-aback, looked up, down and around, but saw nothing. Naruto seethed and waved his arms. "Right here!" he shouted and pointed down by his feet. "Are you blind?!"

Tomoki eased toward him, looked down, then knelt. "Oh! Ok," he exclaimed with relief but then cocked his head curiously. "What is it?"

"It's a frog, dummy!"

The boy's eyes went from the small, dark shape that wriggled on the pavement to the vexed expression on his friend's face. I really don't see how this is going to help you fight Neji, he thought but kept it to himself.

"It's still pretty small, right now," Naruto admitted reluctantly, "but I'm working on it."

The ninja nodded obligingly then rose gratefully as he saw Sebellius draw towards them.

"Young masters," the man greeted them with an easy smile, "Lady Acacia desires to meet with you. Would you be so kind as to accompany me?"

Sebellius guided the two leaf ninjas along winding gravel and cobblestone paths though ornamental gardens and hedge mazes to a precinct enclosed by walled planters. A number of strong-looking men and women, undoubtedly the other senior members of the Princess in Exile's uchi-deshi, were there engaged in weapons practice, light sparring and randori but they stopped the moment the three arrived.

Following in Sebellius' shadow, Tomoki frowned uncomfortably as the Lady's disciples gathered in loose lines on either side to size them up as they passed.

"I don't know who you guys think you're looking at!" Naruto announced ebulliently. "But I could take on any one of ya! Believe it!" Tomoki's expression pained as he turned slowly towards him. "What?"

Tomoki shook his head. "It's really hard to be friends with you sometimes."

At the end of the procession awaited the princess, Lady Acacia, who was not what he'd expected. She was a youthful, middle age, with straight, sandy hair, mild caramel eyes and a proud, slanted smile. Her posture was straight and confident as she stood in baggy blue pants, with a long sleeved shirt of dense fishnet worn under a tan, tailored tunic. "Welcome to the Country of Earth, young masters Tomoki and Naruto," she began gracefully in a hearty, earthy voice, then bowed. "And welcome to my cottage and its lands."

The two leaf ninja looked at each other, and Naruto delivered a sharp look. "Go ahead," he whispered.

Tomoki smiled tightly. "Thank you, Lady Acacia," he said. "We're pleased to receive your courtesy."

She regarded them with a smile. "It's an honor. I don't believe any ninja from the Village Hidden in the Leaves has ever visited these lands before."

"It is quite a long way, Princess."

She turned to Naruto and quipped lightly without even a trace of pique, "I'm sorry that you find my poor disciples so unimpressive."

Naruto froze while Tomoki's eyes darted. "Please, Lady Acacia, my friend –."

"Oh, no, no," she interrupted. "I am an uncomplicated woman, if you can believe it. And I agree with his approach if not his conclusions. There is no reason at all for him to be cowed by my students because of their appearance alone." Naruto smiled victoriously and elbowed Tomoki who glared back with reproof. "But please, I can see plainly that you both are quite strong. Would you fight with me? I would be pleased to see what curious techniques you practice in your distant village."

"Hee-hee-hee, Lady, you don't know what you're in for!" Naruto laughed and grinned as he warmed his knuckles. "I've been training like you wouldn't believe and I'm stronger than ever!"

Lady Acacia smiled back gently and bade her students, Sebellius included, to withdraw. "Oh, come now," she chastened Tomoki whose pained expression revealed his misgivings. "Think of it as a friendly contest."

The boy gave in. "If it is your wish, Lady Acacia," he said and started to unfasten his sword belt.

"Please," their host prevailed lightly, "keep them. I should hate to be thought of as putting you at a disadvantage."

The leaf ninja's eyes widened, but he took off his swords anyway. Then he looked around and made his way to one of the weapon racks set out for the uchi-deshi and selected a pair of bokken – wooden training swords.

The princess laughed. "Ah, what chivalry!" she joked. "However, it is misplaced. Like my name, I too have thorns and warn you that you should have no fear of cutting me."

Tomoki shrugged then smiled sheepishly. "Just doing my part to keep this contest friendly," he explained, "like you said."

The Lady nodded, gave him a demure smile, then looked at the two ninjas appraisingly as they began to circle her. "Ah," she began as she regarded Naruto's stance, "Leaf-style tai-jutsu." She swiveled toward Tomoki and noted his posture. "And Fire-Country Double Patriot Swords," she observed as she settled back lithely into a deep, leaning-horse stance. Her right hand floated up towards her face, palm down and fingers straight while the left settled behind her back. "I'm intrigued, but wonder how well you will fare against my Earth-Country Snake Fist," she said then beckoned, "Whenever you're ready, young masters."

Naruto sprang to the attack in a blur of orange, as Tomoki knew he would and charged too. The Princess slipped aside smoothly and pushed him past, then whirled and batted Tomoki's wooden swords aside. The boy recovered and withdrew his lead leg an instant before the woman's foot swept past where it had been. Naruto returned and struck at her with lefts and rights, but she coiled under his arms and twisted away then struck up under his chin, grabbed him under the jaw then threw him straight to the ground.

Now at her back, Tomoki jabbed with both bokken. Lady Acacia whirled around and knocked them away with her shin then lashed out with her other foot, forcing him to tuck his head and roll away. Naruto rolled back on his shoulders, put his palms on the ground and coiled his body, then sprang up and twisted, kicking at the Princess with both feet. She evaded easily, whirled low and kicked both of the boy's supporting arms out from under him.

Under pressure to attack again before she could follow up on the prone Naruto, Tomoki slashed at her but found that he could not cope with her speed and matchless fluidity. Even when Naruto rejoined the attack it became clear that she was only toying with them. She ducked inside and under Tomoki's swing, then leaped at Naruto, slapping aside his punches and seizing him by the face.

Her fore and middle fingers dug into the bony socket of Naruto's right eye, her ring and little finger dug into his left while her thumb locked under his chin. Tomoki flew at her, intent on striking her at the elbow, but her grip tightened and Naruto grunted as loud as he could and held his helpless arms out. Tomoki pulled back at once.

"I can't move very fast and keep my grip so you could probably strike me," she pointed out. "But I might inadvertently…crush your teammate's face." The genin's jaw tensed as she shook Naruto by the skull. "And you wouldn't want that, would you?" Tomoki's eyes darted; his mind recited the list of jutsu he knew – shadow gate, iron vest, transformation, spirit cannon -- none seemed an appropriate remedy. "And I know," she continued, canting her head toward Naruto, "he wouldn't want that." Tomoki shut his eyes and quivered at the sight of his imperiled friend, and he wished for his real swords. The princess chuckled. "I see chivalry has its limits, yes, but that's only reasonable. Despair no further, for I have no intention of doing him harm," she stated then pushed Naruto away.

The moment she did, Tomoki was upon her but she lashed out and poked him in the hollow of his throat. Immediately he gagged and staggered back as she came after him and dipped low. Her open-handed slap slammed through his inner thigh like a sledge and he crumbled to the ground. The genin huddled then looked up in time to see her instep rocket toward his temple, but she stopped the kick right at the surface of his skin. The displacement of the air pulsed through his skull as if he had been struck and he dropped limply to the ground.

Roaring madly, Naruto leaped at Lady Acacia with a flying kick but she dropped flat to the ground and let the genin sail over her. The princess then slid after him, pushing herself along on her back and striking up at his legs and groin with the spear of her hand. Naruto, unbalanced, retreated then gathered himself and swept his foot at her head, at which the Lady sprang to her feet and rolled away. The leaf ninja rushed after her, cocked his hips, and punched. She deflected it with ease, pushing it away at the extent of it's short reach with her palm, which then arced back to brush his eye. The woman coiled her arm under the blinded Naruto's and wheeled him into the oncoming Tomoki who had recovered enough to rejoin the fray, then delivered a pair of short, crisp kicks into his ribs and inner thigh.

Tomoki staggered back, realizing he was defenseless. His thoughts churned desperately. What should I do? What can I do? The answer from his training called to him – Relax! it demanded, relax. The boy panted for breath as Lady Acacia exploded toward him, faster than his eyes could catch. Through pure force of will, he made the tension ease from his shoulders. A calming breath seeped from his lungs and his eyes closed. Without the distraction of sight, he could feel her energy -- the great rivers of chakra that flowed within her. Her energy now was gathered, tight and coiled like a viper, intent to strike him. A moment before that energy sprang, he sensed the intent that guided it and leaned aside, only a scant few inches to allow her stabbing fingers to pass by. Reflexively, he struck upwards inside her guard with a short uppercut, and he felt the butt end of his bokken clack under Lady Acacia's chin.

She startled and stumbled back, her rhythm broken momentarily. Assuming she would expect a slash from his lead hand, he feinted, then slashed downward across her foot. The woman grunted and sprang away.

Tomoki's eyes opened again and the two exchanged glances. Lady Acacia looked down at her foot and shook it in acknowledgement of the blow which, had it been a real sword, would have cut off toes.

Maybe…considered Tomoki as he realized that she probably had enough chakra to resist such a strike, or at the very least limit its damage.

"Alright, Lady," growled Naruto who came forward, his chest heaving with breath, and with one hand cupped over his bleary eye, "you're pretty tough. I'll give you that." Gradually, he straightened and his hand fell away from his face to gather into a fist. "But this isn't over yet!"

Lady Acadia's eyes widened then she burst out with delighted laughter. "I see!" she praised, "The leaves don't fall readily."

Tomoki smiled at her prose. Though his body ached from where she'd hit him, compared to Kenshiro's metal element fist techniques and Esmeralda-sensei's brutal training it really wasn't so bad. He turned toward his teammate and they shared a smile then, buoyed by his infectious optimism, Tomoki closed his eyes and settled into a ready posture.

The moment he relaxed, he felt the approaching presences. At once Tomoki leaped toward Lady Acacia, abandoning his weapons and making hand-signs as he went. He landed with his back to her as scores of throwing spikes struck him across the head, chest and belly. Naruto gasped while Lady Acacia sputtered with shock and reached out for her protector. The yellow-haired leaf ninja rushed to his side but took a moment to put her at ease. "Don't worry," he advised as the steel darts dropped away from the unharmed Tomoki, "It's not what you think."

From over the top of the hedges and planted walls came ninja by the dozens, then by the hundreds! All wore slate colored uniforms and the headbands of the Village Hidden among the Stones.

"I guess the Tsuchikage is no longer content," observed Tomoki, who braced for another wave of shuriken and throwing spikes, as Naruto and Lady Acacia took refuge behind him. "Naruto, we've got to get out of here!"

"Right!" he answered as he made his hand-signs. "Shadow-clone jutsu!"

Immediately, an entire squad of Narutos appeared and rushed to circle protectively around them in an orange cordon. The first rank crouched low and drew kunai knives while the second rank launched volleys of shuriken at the leaping, charging ninja. As the oncoming army crashed into Naruto's shadow clones, Tomoki knelt in their shadows. The fingers of both hands joined and separated in complex patterns. "Shadow-gate jutsu," he intoned then seized both Lady Acacia and the real Naruto by the wrists, and all three vanished into the black portal he'd created.