A/N: I was so glad an anon reviewer asked about the NaruHina post-lovefest! I immediately thought, "Hey! I wrote that scene! Where did that notebook go?..." So I threw a plot edit in chp 27 and made a silly aside in this installment.

Yeah, and Setsuko Arashi was a character I created for this story. She's in a temporary partnership with Itachi for the purposes of killing our favorite blonde-nin...slowly.

Japanese Fun: Sashiburi-da-na– aninformal slurred Ohisashiburi basically "Long time no see."; Ryoukai – means "understood", very military, kind of like "Sir, yes, sir!"; Chigau! – "Wrong!" ; Gaki –"brat"

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Alas, Naruto will never be mine

Chapter 28 – Setting the Board

Naruto, Neji and Shikamaru approached the looming walls of the village at dire speed. The green washed concrete surrounded the village proper, a monolith rising twice as high as the tallest building in view. In his race to main gate of Konoha Shikamaru had a sudden, vivid flashback to when he was still just a brat with a runny nose. He had been out for a walk with his father and back then had pointed out the massive wall's ridiculous appearance to his father. "It's too big for our village," he informed his dad, "You can't even see the trees outside." Shikato had only looked thoughtfully at the walls and said to his son, "That's because, Shikamaru, the village needs to be protected from attack."

"That's stupid," he had replied stubbornly with all the wisdom of a six year old, "No one would ever attack our village. It's filled with ninja!" Shikato indulged his son with no more argument and let him think what he liked.

"I never knew how lucky I was to be a kid during that time," an older and wiser Shikamaru realized. The thirteen year span of life he had before becoming a genin was the longest time of peace Konoha had ever known.

The three chuunin were approaching the main gate rapidly and the wall's vastness seemed to grow with each leap and bound. To the top of the nearest building then in an impossible leap for anyone but a ninja they finally reached the rampart above the gate.

Swirls of fog clung to the long shadows beyond and the in the thick of the old trees. Far below where they stood was the beaten clay path in front of the gate. The humble beginning of the Great Northern road that led to Ota village, then Shikubara, all the way up to Tanza where it eventually met the trade roads into the Lightning and Waterfall Countries.

"Eerie," thought Shikamaru as he noticed the dead silence that surrounded them. Naruto gritted his teeth with impatience and hunched forward leaning over the guardwall's edge. Shikamaru glanced at him noticing for the first time a strange purple mark under his ear.

"What the heck happened to your neck?" he asked. The other nin looked surprised and ran a hand over the spot. "Wow, it hasn't healed yet," he said mildly, "that fox is such a slacker sometimes."

Shikamaru stared harder. "Those look like teeth marks, Naruto."

The blond-nin grinned. "Yeah, Hinata wouldn't stop apologizing."

Shikamaru was sure his look was priceless as Naruto's grin seemed to double.

"Kora! Be quiet you two."

They turned to look as Neji reacted, the Byakugan emerging on his face. Shikamaru strained his senses and after a moment heard the faint tinkling sound of blades meeting in combat. The noise grew and cut off abruptly as a hawk's cry keened sharply above them.. From the inky depths of the shrouded trees appeared a owl-masked man in a silver and black uniform.

"Anbu," breathed Naruto.

The lone masked nin shot towards the village and was joined by others coming from the mists, their fleeting steps were like a swarm of black, shiny dragonflies skimming cross a pond.

In moments the blurred shapes were on top of the wall and moving past three chuunin into the village. One them stopped seeming to coalesce from thin air in front of Shikamaru. Unperterbed, the pony-tailed chuunin tilted his head up. "I know it's not Raido," he thought, "probably another squad captain."

"Take all your teams to the shelters," Shikamaru said giving him orders. "Hold there until we weaken their resolve and beat them out of the village."

Splattered in blood and clearly not his own, the man stood motionless for a bit studying the three young nins. Naruto started grumbling about rude people when the Anbu finally spoke looking at Shikamaru, his voice gravelly and serious.

"We lost two in there on the way out," he said with a pause. "The one who's following is... strong."

The Anbu departed without anymore explanation.

"Well," muttered Shikamaru sarcastically, "that was helpful." The nins leaned forward in anticipation. With the Anbu pulling back into the village it was just a matter of time now. Neji was again the first to spy something.

"I can see them," he said abruptly, "Raido was right. There's a lot of them, but they don't move at all like ninja." His face tightened. "Strange. They are all holding back like they are waiting for something..."

Naruto and Shikamaru waited for Neji to continue and became worried when the genius Hyuga looked confused.

"What's up, Neji, "asked Naruto.

The serious nin looked annoyed. "There's a girl walking towards the gate road. I couldn't see her before for some reason. She's pale and has almost white hair."

"Setsuko!" Naruto exclaimed with a slight tremble to his voice.

Just then a huge explosion came from the eastern part of the village. They all turned to see the massive head of a snake rear up from the dust clouds of it's arrival.

"It's huge," breathed Neji.

Naruto flicked a kunai out of his pack and his chakra expanded with such intensity Shikamaru could see a reddish glow flicker at the edge of his vision.

Using Kyuubi's power Naruto flung the blade into the distance where is hurtled away with unnatural speed. Shikamaru was amazed. He forgot how strong Naruto was sometimes.

"Neji." said Naruto.

"Ahh," Neji said knowingly focusing with his Byakugan. "It's two buildings away from the wall breach."

"They work well together," Shikamaru thought.

Naruto turned to look down at the trees in front of the gate and bared his teeth in reflex.

Shikamaru followed his gaze to where a petite girl with long unadorned lavender hair appeared standing passively and staring at the gate.

Naruto placed his hand on Shikamaru's shoulder and leaned in as he spoke. " I'll deal with our reptile problem cause I think 'you know who' is there too. Setsuko's dangerous. I've told Neji about her strengthes and weaknesses. All her jutsu are based on eletricity. Make her lose her temper and you've got her. Just watch out for whenever she brings her hands above her head. That's bad."

Shikamaru gave Naruto a dirty look. "Didn't she beat you in the Cloud Village exam?"

Naruto smiled reminiscing. "Yeah, the Raikage had to step in and everything. I'm the reason she got kicked out of her village." The blond nin seemed momentarily distracted as if recalling some fond memory. "Anyway," he said refocusing, "Don't worry! If anyone could take her down it be you guys."

Naruto turned, his hands blurred through a series of seals. "Good luck fellas, " he said winking out of existence.

"Hiraishin no jutsu," thought Shikamaru. It was a technique of Yondaime's that Naruto had rediscovered with Jiraiya-sama only recently. Naruto had just instantly transported almost a half a mile away where his kunai had landed. "He's such a clown," he said, "Then, he pulls some insane jutsu like that."

"Hmph, you should try leading him on a team," said Neji dryly.

The comment made Shikamaru smile as he turned to get another look at their opponent. "She doesn't look so tough," said. "Hey Neji why don't you henge into Naruto and go taunt her. I'll back you up."

"Very funny, Nara."

Just then, the hidden cloud kunoichi's hand shot up. A single kunai flew towards the gate. Konoha's main gate was a massive structure seventy feet high. The wooden planks in its construction were over a foot thick and steel reinforced.

Shikamaru was about to remark about the futility of her attack when he noticed, "Hey, there's a metal thread attached the it."

The roar was deafening.

Instinct drove Shikamaru to duck and cover as black smoke enfolded him. Taking conscious hold of himself, he reached up gingerly to peer back over the guardwall. They view was filled with smoldering debris and a jagged split now ran between the buckled hinges of the gateposts.

A shout went up from the trees as the mercenaries and sound ninja charged out to attack the gateless village. In response, Shikamaru stood up and threw a half a dozen shuriken at the approaching mass. The projectiles coursed toward their targets before veering off harmlessly.

"What the hell?" he exclaimed. "Did she do something?"

Setsuko's head tilted up. She was staring right at him.

"Just my luck," he sighed. There was a flash of metal. "Did she throw a weapon?" he thought desperately. "So fast... I didn't see her hands move."

Shikamaru felt a grip on his collar as Neji dragged him up in the air to exscape. A kunai landed soundly in the spot where Shikarmaru had been, it's hook-ring tied with a fine metal thread. This close to it now he felt his hair stand up as the surge came. Shielding his eyes against the coming explosion he muttered in a mimicking voice, "'If anyone could take her down it be you guys' ...screw you Naruto."

Deep within the village still far from the early fighting Tsunade quietly exited from a hidden door to the rear of her formal residence. She had hidden for so long she was sure she had fooled everyone. "Everthing is in place," she told herself, "I need to be ready when he arrives."

Tsunade crossed her arms in annoyance when she sensed the presence of others near her. Placing hands on hips she was expectant as two Anbu materialized from a swirl of leaves already in deep bows of apology.

"Excuse us, Hokage-sama, " said the shorter, stockier man who wore a bear mask. "Raido told us you would be here."

"I said no escort."

The taller Anbu broke in, "Raido-san thought it best to have someone stationed here. Hokage-sama, we were very careful. No one.."

Tsunade watched in horror as the top half of man was ripped off his body. A spray of blood hit her in the face, blinding her as she heard a gurgling moan come from the man next to him.

She jumped a step back wiping the blood from her eyes. Where her Anbu had been now standing over the two fallen bodies was a monster she had swore she'd seen die.

"Hoshigami Kisame," she spat like a curse.

The Sameheda made a metallic thud as it came to rest on Kisame's shoulder. The former Atasuki gave an inhuman smile.

"Sashiburidana, Tsunade," he said pleasantly. "Don't be surprised. That little medical-nin girl you have pretending to be you up in Suzurimura is still fooling everyone. It's just someone like me who's tasted your blood before would never be fooled."

Tsunade was silent as the memory of their battle three years ago came back. It was when she had been sure she killed Itachi. "And watched Gai die," she thought bitterly.

"I see that your fear of blood's still gone, which is good," the half-shark nin said as pointed teeth appeared in his smile. "That way no one can say I cheated when I bagged my second Kage."

Tsunade held herself ready. "This is bad," she thought, "I'll need all of my chakra for my next battle. I'll be too weak after fighting Kisame." The decision was out of her hands, she couldn't let him run unchecked in her village.

"Come on bastard," she growled, "bring it."

Kisame dashed forward drawing his sawtoothed blade before him. Tsunade was prepared to dodge when she suddenly recognized a flash of green.

"Konoha Senpuu."

Kisame was thrown backward as Lee's spinning kick caught him cross the face. Landing lightly on his feet, Tsunade's bodyguard stood confident before her in his signature pose, holding his right palm flat and raised to his opponent.

"Lee, I..." began Tsunade trying to explain. Rock Lee had been sent north with the rest of the delgation to the Raikage. Shizune used a seal enhanced henge-no-jutsu to hold Tsunade's appearance for the trip. Fooling everyone, only Raido, as her Anbu captain, Kakashi and Naruto knew the truth.

The tall young man with the bowl haircut kept his eyes focused on his opponent. Giving the Hokage a big thumbs up and his toothy, 'nice-guy' smile, Lee said, "I'll always be there to save you Hokage-sama. It's my duty as your number one bodyguard."

Tsunade couldn't help, but feel relief at Rock Lee's arrival, but as she saw Kisame's getting up and casually brushing himself off her dread returned. "He's can defeat him by himself," she realized, "together maybe we can end this quickly."

Tsunade was trying figure out a plan when she heard Lee clear his throat. It was always his way to get her atttention politely.

"You have somewhere else to be, right Hokage-sama?" he asked. "Please leave this man to me."

"No, Lee," Tsunade argued, "he's too strong..."

"Hokage-sama," Lee said in a rare interruption, "I thought we could try 'that' jutsu I had asked you create for me."

Tsunade's brow furrowed. "It might work...," she thought, "still it'd be tough for him, just maybe...he's right we all have things to do."

"Done plotting over there yet?" taunted Kisame appearing bored.

Tsunade threw away her hesitation. Her hands flickered through a series of seals and she intoned softly, "Tanuki Ransui no Jutsu." (Fake Drunkness Techinique)

"I'm not very strong in genjutsu," she admitted to herself. Fortunately the skill didn't require that much chakra. Tsunade she drew away to leave. "Lee, I expect you to finish this bastard," she ordered him with fierce nod.

The Tanuki Ransui was taking effect and Lee hiccuped, "Ryou-kai! Tsunaaaa-desama!"

Kisame watched the Hokage's Shushin techinique carry her away in the swirl of leaves. "I'll catch up with her," he thought, "This boy looks just like that Gai."

Kisame then saw that his opponent was swaying where he stood. In disbelief, he asked, "Oi, gaki! You drunk?"

Lee's face scrunched up as he began to scream, "Chigau, chigau, chigau! I'm fake drunk!.fake, fake, fake..." The self-proclaimed 'green beast' cut off suddenly collapsing to the ground.

Kisame took a curious step forward bringing the Sameheda off his shoulder when he heard a loud snore rip from the kid lying on the ground. He grit his teeth as he suddenly felt like he was being taken seriously.

"You remind me of Maito Gai," he said darkly, "Let's see if you bleed the way he did."

Naruto slipped into reality again as his jutsu brought him to the place his kunai had landed near the attack of the snake. He was still amazed at Yondaime's techniques which he and Jiraiya had puzzled out of a special scroll the Fourth had left before he died. Jiraiya had said only someone with Kyuubi's power could open it. The jutsu it contained were beyond imagination like Hiraishin no jutsu.

A spray of dust hit Naruto as he felt a vast shadow pass over him in the billlowing smoke. The approaching form revealed a man standing on the head of a giant, indigo-colored snake. His face obscured by bandages, his height, build and short spiky black hair were all different, but those malevolent eyes belonged to only one man.

"Orochimaru and Manda," called out Naruto. "Welcome to Konoha! So nice of you to return and visit."

Orochimaru crossed his arms smugly. "You and Jiraiya seem to share the same stupid humor."

The snake's hiss was like a lion's roar. "Orochimaru," said Manda, "I will take this one like we agreed."

"I don't have time to waste with you, Kyuubi-gaki," Orochimaru said. "Even if you avoid getting eaten by Manda here you'll soon have to deal with that Itachi when he arrives." The evil sannin dissolved as with his serpent-skin escape jutsu.

Naruto was pleased, Tsunade's plan was going perfectly. "Show's what you know," Naruto thought, "Look's like he doesn't know about Sasuke."

His smug look slipped as a massive tail slashed down at him. He dodged instantly moving to the next building to watch as the blow leveled the house he has stood on as well as the one behind it.

"Of course I still have Manda to deal with," he thought wryly.

The king of snakes rose up to stare balefully at his tiny opponent. "I've always wanted to know what fox tasted like," Manda rasped.

Naruto set his feet wide as he prepared himself. He had to end this quickly or the half the village would be flattened.

"Keep those beady eyes open you oversized garter snake," Naruto shouted, "The things I can do you're only going to see once in your lifetime."

TO BE CONTINUED

A/N: Yay! Quick-for-me update!