The Nine

Chapter 5

Ino had dealt with death before in her life. She had to; it came with the job description. The hardest experience she'd ever had with death would have to be the passing of her sensei, Asuma. Struck down by the Akatsuki member Hidan, he led dying in the arms of Shikamaru. She'd always remember his last words to them. He said he was proud of them, proud of how far they'd come. That mere sentence pushed Ino to Jounin. Someone was PROUD of her. Not just anyone though, it was her sensei. Thinking back to her sensei had motivated her new found goal of reaching ANBU only recently.

So now, Ino had experienced her second worst dealing with death. It was the death of herself, so to speak. She remembered the life fading and leaving her physical body. The last thing she remembered was someone grabbing her and seeing a pair of beautiful ocean blue eyes.

The next time she awoke was on a boat, if the swaying was any indication anyway. She opened her eyes but only saw a blur of dark colours coming together into an ugly picturesque view. She tried to stand up but pain shot through her body and she fell back down into the welcoming arms of the comfy bed she lay in.

She heard a soft, male voice, "You need to rest, Ino. You have a few broken ribs and some other serious injuries from the fall."

She tried to make out the owner of the voice but her eyes wouldn't stay open long enough. She once again entered unconsciousness.

In her next visit to reality, she was being carried on some sort of stretcher. She could hear voices, many different voices. One loud voice rung out from the rest but she only heard snippets of what he was saying, "-uto!" He seemed to be addressing someone nearby, "-rother fr-…-other moth-." She had no idea what he was talking about, "-iller B-..misse-..-s bro!" What a weirdo.

The next thing Ino knew, she was in probably the most comfortable bed she'd ever been in. Well, it felt like a bed. There were some differences. For one, it felt like she was floating in mid air for some reason. Secondly, she was getting a tingling sensation all over her body. It was extremely relaxing but it was weird none the less. However her thoughts were cut short as she fell into unconsciousness once more.

The next time Ino woke, she opened her eyes and could actually see things. She was in a hospital bed that much was for sure if the white walls and ceilings were any indication.

She sat up slowly, wincing as her body ached. She was surprised though, she thought it'd hurt a lot more. She remembered being told she had broken ribs and other injuries. Remembering the deep gash she received from the chasm wall, she looked at her shoulder. It was bandaged but it didn't hurt too much when she moved it.

Moving the covers off her body, she realised she was wearing different clothes. Grey slacks and a baggy white t shirt to be exact. Strange hospital garments. Not that she was complaining she hated hospital clothing; it was too uncomfortable and looked stupid.

Getting out of bed, wincing from the sharp jab of pain of her ribs protesting to the movement, she limped over to the open window near her bed.

Looking out, she saw one of the most beautiful villages she'd ever seen. The buildings were beautifully designed, traditional yet with a modern twist. She could see the harbour from her current position. There was a single ship docked which looked like a Mist vessel if her knowledge served her correctly. Ino looked at the horizon and she could make out a tiny ship in the distance getting closer.

Drawing her eyes away from the ocean, she surveyed the beautiful village once more. There were fountains, ponds, parks, even a market district! Shaking her head, the gravity of the situation it her. For all she knew she was in enemy territory. Her first objective was to find her equipment… which was nowhere in sight.

Suddenly, the door behind her opened. She whirled around, flinching from the strain of moving so fast. Stood at the door was a young woman, around 18 years old. She had short, light green hair. She had dark skin and wore clothing that revealed her toned stomach and a skirt with mesh shorts underneath. The young woman was carrying a tray with a glass of water and sandwiches.

She placed the tray on the nearby table and gestured to the food, "Here."

Ino walked up to the tray and eyed the girl suspiciously, "My names Ino."

The woman rolled her eyes, "I know who you are, Naruto's told me about you."

Ino grabbed a sandwich and asked, "You know Naruto? Where is he?"

The woman watched as Ino began to eat the sandwiches, "Of course I know him! He's the one who brought your sorry ass here. You were pretty beat up, what'd you do, fall off a cliff?"

Ino paused on her second sandwich and nodded, "Yeah I did."

The other woman's eyebrows rose as she whistled, "Wow. Clumsy."

Ino reached out for the last sandwhich as her eyebrow twitched in annoyance, and asked, "So who are you?"

The young woman smirked and put her hands on her hips, "The mighty Fuu of course! Fuu-sama to you."

Ino shook her head, exasperated, but asked her a question anyway, "Can I see Naruto, please? I need to speak with him."

Fuu seemed to contemplate her request for a few seconds. Scratching the back of her head she replied, "Well, I guess so. It couldn't hurt." She stepped outside of Ino's hospital room and beckoned her to follow. "This way."

The journey was mostly in silence. Only broken when the woman, Fuu, was greeted by people who knew her, Ino guessed anyway.

They exited the hospital and took to the smooth concrete streets. Ino still didn't have a name for the place she was in. Turning to Fuu, who was walking along beside her casually, she asked, "Fuu, what is this place?"

Fuu eyed her for a moment and replied, "This here is Uzushiogakure no Sato. Took us a while to rebuild it, but… its home I guess."

Ino's eyes widened. A hidden village? How did no one know of its existence until now? The two ninja entered the market district and Ino was amazed. The amount of shops and stalls was astounding!

She walked past a multitude of different types of venders, selling exotic fruits from faraway lands and other produce to the locals. Shops and restaurants were open too, with owners beckoning her over to purchase some of their wares. She smiled politely but declined them all.

One thing she did notice was the amount of stares she was receiving. They weren't hateful stares, more curious if anything. Were foreign ninja that rare here?

Leaving the market district, Fuu led Ino to an entrance to a large garden. There was a large wall running around it and the huge traditional archway she entered through was traditional architecture too. Walking through the tall entrance, Ino observed a large open garden with a long path leading to a large traditional building. The garden contained many types of plants, beautiful in her opinion. There was a large pond too, with a tree overhanging it. The one thing Ino did find strange was the lack of people. The market was bustling with activity, but this garden was completely empty.

"This area is where we jinchuuriki live, we prefer to care for the grounds ourselves." She stated, as if anticipating her question. Ino's eyes suddenly widened, we jinchuuriki?

"You're a Jinchuuriki." She stated rather than asked, shocked at the revelation.

Fuu smirked back at her as they approached the large traditional building, "Yeah, the 7-tails jinchuuriki at your service."

Ino was speechless; she'd never really met another jinchuuriki other than Gaara or Naruto. She eyed Fuu as she walked in front of her, she seemed pretty normal.

Entering the beautiful structure through a pair of sliding doors after some steps, the duo took off their shoes and entered a hallway area.

The house reminded her of a traditional clan house. She observed her surroundings. Rooms were scattered around with sliding doors as entrances. There was a middle open area with a small garden and several floors which were accessible with stairs

Heading through a door from the lobby, they entered the open area in the middle walking along the smooth wooden sidewalks. At the end of the passage, another door was waiting. Fuu opened the door and shouted, startling Ino, "Naruto! She's awake!"

Ino recovered from her sudden fright and walked into the room, ushered by Fuu. It was a modest room, a bookcase to the left and a desk to the right with a painting just behind the holder of her attention. Naruto was sat at a small table in the middle of the room, with scrolls laid out before him. His blue eyes met Ino's and stared for what seemed like an eternity until he spoke, "Ino, I'm glad you're okay. I got a bit worried for a minute there." He finished with his usual smirk.

Ino stood frozen on the spot. She almost died and she had no idea of the status of her friends and all he could do was smirk? She balled her fist and Fuu took the opportunity to speak, "Well… I'll leave you guys to it. Bye!" She was gone before Ino had time to look back.

Ino stormed up to Naruto, who was just getting up, and grabbed his shirt, "I almost died trying to find you and you're just sat here all cozy without a care in the world! What the hell, Naruto!" She reared back her fist and slugged him in the face, sending him back a few paces as she released his shirt.

"Ow!" He rubbed his cheek, trying to soothe his enflamed cheek. "I can explain! Ino, wait!" He pleaded as he saw her rearing back her fist.

She lowered her arm and relaxed her hand, "Depending on how you answer my questions, I might let you off the hook." She sat down at the table littered with small scrolls. Glancing at them revealed that they were trade routes to and from Uzushio.

Naruto sat down again, still nursing his cheek, and smiled brightly at her, "So, what'd you wanna know?"

Ino leaned forward slightly, "Everything! What the hell is going on? You leave randomly one day without saying a word, we find a weird note, I fall off a cliff and you save me? Nothing makes sense anymore." Her voice slowly got louder nearer the end, causing Naruto to wince.

Naruto raised his hand, stopping her before she could fire another load of questions at him. Clearing his throat, he began, "Well, I left that note by accident actually, a careless mistake by me. I received it by messenger bird a week before. It meant that two of the other jinchuuriki, my friends, have gone missing and that Akatsuki have returned."

Ino's eyes widened, "Akatsuki? But… that's impossible! We defeated all of them, surely?"

Naruto nodded, "I thought so too, but there have been reports of individuals in black cloaks with red clouds. Although no one keeps sight of them for long, they're like ghosts."

"So you think this new Akatsuki is behind the disappeared of your friends?" She asked.

Naruto shrugged, "Who else would it be? Not many people can take out a jinchuuriki, especially those two." He leaned back on his hands and continued. "Weird thing is, their movements aren't like the old Akatsuki. Before, Akatsuki would've just stormed this whole place and burnt it to the ground trying to get to us. Now, it's as if they're waiting for us to leave."

Ino didn't know what to think. To find out that an enemy who took years to defeat has returned and already taken two jinchuuriki, she didn't know what to do. Calming her mind, she addressed Naruto once more, "Why'd you leave without saying a word? Surely bringing a team with you would've helped you."

Naruto's gaze hardened slightly as she stared at the scrolls on the table, "I came before the council to request official leave. I even asked them to be assigned a team at the least, but they wouldn't budge. Tsunade was powerless, being out-voted by the whole council. I told them about Akatsuki but they didn't believe me. They said that in case it was true, I had to stay within the village for protection."

Ino understood now. The council wanted Naruto to stay in the village in case Akatsuki actually was back. One thing didn't add up though, "If Tsunade knew, why would she send us on this mission to find you?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head, "Tsunade wasn't there for the meeting with the council, she only voted. My request was listed as a person request when it got sent to her office so she had no idea what it was. As the Hokage, she is required for more important things rather than attending all of the council meetings."

Ino nodded, content with the explanation. She thought of what to ask him next. She pointed a finger at him, "You were meant to be a day ahead of my team and I. How is it that you saved me in the chasm and still get here before they do? And where the hell are they? Why were you even in the chasm?" This was all too confusing, what could he do, teleport or something?

Naruto chucked at her frustration, he stood up and headed towards a cabinet at one end of the room. Not long later, he returned with a tray with tea. Pouring Ino a cup, he explained as he poured his own, "Well, I took the chasm route because I didn't know there was a bridge to be honest. I just started to climb down, not one of my best decisions in life. It took me a day to get to the bottom, by that time you guys had caught up. As to where they are, they'll probably reach Uzushio soon."

Ino sipped her tea, taking in the information like a sponge, "What happened after you reached the bottom?"

Naruto picked up his small cup, "Well I had to dodge falling pieces of bridge thanks to someone." He chuckled at Ino's face and continued. "I saw you fall into the river and got you out. After some CPR I did as much to your wounds as I could, but there wasn't much I could do with little medical supplies."

Ino paused in her drinking and looked at him, "So you carried me? It still doesn't explain how you got here before my team did."

"I'll get there just wait. I'm currently working on a seal my father used; it was the technique he was famous for. It's still in the experimental stages of development, but I'm getting there. It allows me to transport myself to another location faster than known possible." He pulled out a three-pronged kunai with a seal around the handle from under the table. "This is the type of kunai my father used. I've been working on the seal for years, all of his were destroyed. Anyway, I have these seals placed in certain places. The ship we arrived on included."

Ino's eyes widened in realisation, "So you teleported us to your ship? Just like that?"

Naruto laughed nervously, "Well I had to carry you for about a day, I'm still learning it so I have to be a certain distance away from the seal. And I haven't designed it yet so that it can transport more than one person, so…. You may have broken another rib from the trip."

Ino's eyebrow twitched, "You broke another one of my ribs?" She sighed. "Well can't you place those seals everywhere and just teleport everywhere instead of walking?"

Naruto shook his head, "No. I've only made three so far. It requires a special type of ink and it takes several days to construct the seal."

"Aah. Makes sense." She finished her tea and placed it back on the tray. "So you got close enough to the ship to use.."

"Hiraishin no Jutsu."

"…Yeah that. And then what?" She asked. Things were starting to make sense now.

Naruto finished his tea and replied, "Yagura and Gaara were there, I contacted them when I left Konoha to bring the ships. Before I left them, I told Gaara to wait behind with Yagura. That way the others would get here fine."

Ino let out a deep sigh, "This is a lot to take in. What about Akatsuki, how will you deal with them?"

Naruto shrugged, "No idea, but it'll be discussed at the next group meeting." He stood up and returned the tray of tea to its original position on the cabinet. Ino only now noticed his attire. He was wearing black pants with bandages at the bottom. He just wore a simple white t shirt, similar to what Ino was wearing. Very similar to what Ino was wearing actually, she wondered.

Ino stood up, ignoring the protesting of her body, and asked, "Am I wearing your clothes?"

Naruto came closer while scratching his whisker-marked cheek, "Uhh, well I knew how you hated hospital clothes."

Ino's eyes widened, he remembered that? A small smile spread across her face, radiating beauty. Ino wondered what else he remembered. She had spent time with him before out of missions; they'd hung out and gone for dinner a few times. Some might even have called them dates, but she knew better.

Naruto coughed, bringing Ino back to reality, "We should head to the docks, your team should be arriving soon." He walked towards another door at the side of the room and turned to face Ino once more. "I'll be right back. I've had your Jounin uniform repaired, it's over there." He finished pointing at a stool in the far corner of the room which had her uniform nearly folded upon it.

Ino thanked him and remembered one last thing before he closed the door, "Oh! Naruto? I remember waking up in some sort of really comfy bed, but it felt like I was floating in mid air. There was this really strange tingling sensation all over my body too. What was that?"

She swore Naruto's face became a shade greener, "U-uh, don't worry about it. You'd rather not know." He disappeared behind the door, leaving Ino to her thoughts.

She'd learned a lot in the past hour. She'd met another jinchuuriki, who didn't seem so bad. She learned Akatsuki was back and already taken down two jinchuuriki. Naruto was learning his father's signature jutsu, the Hiraishin no Jutsu. And she was in the long destroyed Uzushiogakure no Sato. Long day.

Picking up her Jounin uniform, she inspected the shoulder. There wasn't even a sign of a hole. She smiled; at least she wouldn't have to pay for a new one. Quickly removing Naruto's clothes, she slipped on her uniform. There was one thing missing though, her wakizashi.

"Looking for this?" She turned around and saw Naruto, in different attire, holding her wakizashi. He threw it to her, who promptly attached it to its rightful place. Ino looked at Naruto's new clothing. The bottom half was the same. It was the top that was a difference. He wore a black, form fitting t-shirt and black fingerless gloves, the same as her Jounin ones. He had equipped his pouch on a belt and kunai holster too, on top of bandages on his left leg. He wore a large red scarf around his neck, ripped and frayed at the ends. Ino thought it looked pretty cool actually. On his back he carried a sword, it was similar to a katana but straight, and she couldn't tell much else since it was sheathed in a black scabbard.

"Shall we go?" He asked, stepping forward.

She nodded. He led her out of the large house and through the front garden. The trip through the market district was met with Naruto being greeted by nearly everyone in the street.

As they headed down a street towards the dock, Ino faced Naruto, "You seem popular."

He met her gaze and chuckled, "Well, I have given them a new start. I guess they're just grateful is all."

Ino shrugged, "I guess. Aren't there any other ninja around here?" She hadn't actually seen any other ninja except for Fuu and Naruto. It seemed odd for a hidden village to have no ninja.

Naruto scratched the back of his head and grinned nervously, "Well not at the moment, so hopefully we're not invaded or something. But we're in talks with a few of the smaller neutral countries who have ninja. The ninja and their families may move here if we give them supplies or become their protection, things like that. But it seems like we're hiring them, we'd rather have our own ninja, so we're in talks at the moment."

Ino thought it made sense. Getting ninja from smaller countries in return for supplies and protection makes it seem like they're being hired, like mercenaries. For a country that's trying to have official ninja rosters it wouldn't be beneficial in the long run. Suddenly an idea came into Ino's mind, "Why not make an academy?"

Naruto shrugged, "Already discussed it, and we don't have enough able teachers."

Ino pressed onwards, "Well instead of getting ninja from other countries, why not get teachers? It'd be cheaper. Who knows, maybe ninja will join you by their own choice?"

Naruto looked thoughtful for a second and then smiled brightly at Ino, "You're a genius, Ino! It just might work. Thanks."

She smiled prettily; it felt good to be useful.

They seemed to exit the village through a small pass and walked along a footpath for a few minutes. Eventually they came to a large set of stairs leading to the docks. They began to descend.

They entered the docks and Ino saw the Mist ship. It was a dark ship, very streamlined looking. There were two sails on it, currently folded up because it was docked. There were quite a few dockworkers going about their daily business, one of them walked up to Naruto.

"Naruto, it's been a long time, eh?"

Naruto smiled at the old man, "Tazuna! Since when have you worked here?"

The old man stroked his grey beard and replied, "A few months, thought I'd give you a hand with the docks since I helped build the rest of this place." He finished smirking.

Naruto laughed at him, "Ha, I appreciate all the work you're putting in. Don't work yourself too hard though, you hear?"

Tazuna waved him off as he turned around, "I'm old, but im not that old yet kid. See ya around." He went back to his work.

Ino watched him go and then turned to Naruto, "Who was that?"

Naruto continued onwards to the front of the dock as Ino followed, "An old friend from Wave Country, he helped us construct the Uzushio. Ino 'aah'ed, signalling her understanding.

A small ship with a white sail was just pulling into the dock next to the Mist vessel. A board was pushed onto the deck of the ship to allow the crew to step onto the dock. Ino smiled, it was her team. And then she saw Sakura and happiness swelled up inside her, she missed her best friend.

Sakura stepped off the plank onto the pier of the dock. Looking around, she noticed Ino stood next to someone smiling at her. Her eyes widened. She died, didn't she? It was impossible. Not caring about the logic, she was rushing towards Ino in seconds. Tears streamed out of her eyes as she embraced her best friend that she thought she lost.

Yagura walked past and grinned, "Yuri?" Naruto face palmed. Yagura continued up the stairs leading to the main village.

Sobs racked her body as she struggled to control herself. Ino's voice broke through the sound of her sobs, "Sakura.. Ribs.. Hurt."

Sakura's eyes widened again and she released Ino, muttering apologies. Wiping her eyes she asked one word, "How?"

Ino pointed to the man next to her, "Him."

Sakura looked at the man next to her, blonde hair, blue eyes, whisker-marks. Her eyes narrowed, Naruto. Rearing back her fist, ignoring his surprised face, she punched him, sending him flying into the large stone wall of the dock. A dust cloud erupted from the small crater left in the wall.

Kakashi and the others joined Ino and Sakura, "I assume from that dust cloud that we've found Naruto?"

Sakura nodded, wiping her face once more, "I'm glad you're okay Ino. I thought I'd lost you for a second there."

Ino scoffed, "Pfft, like a huge fall would kill me."

The two friends shared a laugh. Shikamaru walked in front of Ino and hugged her, "Don't do that again." He released her. "You're a troublesome girl."

Ino smirked, "I try."

Shikamaru shook his head, "Troublesome."

It was then that Naruto emerged from the settling dust cloud, now sporting a red mark on both his cheeks. He walked back to the group rubbing his new addition, "Not the most grateful thank you I've ever received, that's for sure."

Kiba smirked at him, "Some bitches are just crazy, dude." He patted him on the back. "It's been a long time."

Naruto bumped fists with him, "It has."

Shikamaru yawned, "You'd know all about bitches, wouldn't you Kiba?" He hadn't made a remark about his relationship with dogs today, so why not now?

Sakura drowned out the following bickering and focused on Naruto. She looked him in the eyes intently, "You've got a lot of explaining to do." Kakashi stood next to her and nodded.

Naruto put on his serious face and replied, "I'll explain everything, I did what I had to do. You'll understand once I've told you."

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows, "I hope so, for your sake. It won't be long before you're labelled a missing-nin, Naruto. We'd be forced to take you in."

Naruto looked down, "I understand, let's hope it doesn't come to that." He looked at Gaara, who was waiting patiently behind the newcomers. "Gaara, would you mind setting up accommodation back at the house? We have un-used rooms."

Gaara nodded and departed without another word.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, "You sure it'll be big enough for everyone?"

Ino was the one who answered, "Don't worry, it's freakin' huge!"

Kakashi shrugged, taking her word for it. Naruto led them back to his house, allowing them to marvel in the beauty of the village along the way. Upon entering, Naruto had a local chef cook the group a meal, he explained that one of the other jinchuuriki usually cooked but she was away along with the other jinchuuriki who would be returning the next day. He said they were protecting an important trade boat as it came back to Whirlpool Country. It contained valuable resources necessary for the survival of the village, so sending a team of jinchuuriki made sure that no one would mess with it. The group were joined at the dinner table, situated in another large room of the house, by Yagura and Fuu. The table was of traditional design, allowing people to sit on the floor while they enjoyed their meal. After the meal Naruto explained everything that had happened and what was going on. After the explanation the whole group, except Ino, was stunned at the revelations.

Kakashi was the first to respond, "Tsunade needs to be informed of the confirmation of Akatsuki's return. Our ninja need to be ready."

Naruto nodded, "Of course. We still have no information on them though. I've been trying to contact Jiraiya's old spy network, but no one is responding."

Kakashi narrowed his visible eye. Jiraiya's spy network should've responded to Naruto of all people. Could something have happened to them?

Naruto sighed, "Anyway, enough business. Tomorrow is the next meeting of the jinchuuriki. I invite you all to attend. We'll be discussing what course of actions we'll be taking against Akatsuki and our missing friends." He stood up and continued. "For now, I suggest you guys rest. Gaara has prepared separate rooms for all of you."

Gaara escorted the Konoha ninja to their rooms, bidding each one good night. Naruto slumped to the ground and sighed, long day. Where was that hidden stash of sake that Yugito has again?

Kiba laid down on his futon, man it was comfy. Gaara had even put a large pillow down on the floor for Akamaru. 'I wasn't sure of him at first, but he's a pretty cool guy.' He thought, stripping down to his boxers so he could get comfier. It was pretty late out now, so he may as well sleep. Tomorrow would be a long day.

Shikamaru was… well already asleep. He barely got out of his Jounin uniform before passing out on the comfy futon.

Ino was stood at her open window, allowing the wind to caress her body. She could see the whole of the hidden village from here. The house was situated on a hill. It was beautiful even at night. She could see the forested area between the village and the dock too. Looking out into the wide ocean she saw strange waves. Where they whirlpools? Shrugging, she got into the covers of her futon and closed her eyes. Her ribs still ached but she could cope.

Sakura was already in her futon and undressed. She was staring at her ceiling. She was glad Ino was alive, although the news of Akatsuki's return troubled her. She remembered her previous battles with them and it wasn't something she wanted to relive. She sighed, hard times were ahead. Closing her eyes, she let her mind wander and eventually drifted off to sleep.

Kakashi was stood on one of the walkways in the open-roofed area of the house. His eyes were on the sky as he saw a hawk fly towards him. The hawk glided to a stop and landed in the small garden in the middle of the area. The great hawk greeted Kakashi, "Kakashi, I have a reply from the old hag."

Kakashi stepped down into the garden and removed a scroll from the hawk's backpack, with a grateful nod the hawk waited patiently for Kakashi to read the scroll. Sitting on the walkway, Kakashi opened the scroll. His eye darkened at the contents, he broke out into cold sweat. This was impossible, why would Tsunade ask him to do this?

Kakashi.

The council has voted and Naruto has been dubbed a missing-nin. His time limit has been reached.

You are ordered to capture the jinchuuriki, including Naruto, and return to Konoha. Should they resist, kill them.

Tsunade.

A bead of sweat rolled down his face. Tsunade would never order this. He narrowed his eye and pulled up his forehead protector, revealing his sharingan. He scanned the scroll as his sharingan swirled to life. A genjutsu was placed on the scroll, a strong one at that. A few seconds later it was broken. Not strong enough. Kakashi sighed in relief. Who would place such a strong genjutsu on a mere scroll? Pulling his forehead protector back down, his mind raced through the possibilities. Thinking of none for now, he read the real contents of the scroll.

Kakashi.

It saddens me to hear of Ino's death. I will notify her family personally.

Keep looking for Naruto, send me any new information in your next report. The council are getting fidgety and keep asking questions.

Tsunade.

He burnt the scroll with a quick Katon jutsu and pulled out a blank one. He detailed everything Naruto told them, and their current location. He was careful not to mention strategic details in case someone intercepted the message. He made sure to mention Akatsuki's return. Placing the new message into Kyuumaru's backpack, he bid the hawk farewell as it flew away at great speeds. Sighing, he made his way to his designated room for some well-earned sleep.

Unbeknownst to the sleeping ninja, a dark figure stalked the rooftops of the great building. Like a shadow in the night, he moved along the rooftops without a sound. Pausing near the open-roofed area which Kakashi just departed, he surveyed his surroundings. He smirked and lifted a dark gloved hand to his earpiece and spoke through his white, ghostly mask, "This is Chameleon. Commencing assassination."