Disclaimer: I do not own any of the mentioned series within this story and I do not make a profit from it either. Now please sit back, relax, and enjoy the story. ^_^

Arc Summary: When a plan to infiltrate a roaming clan in the Senju's territory goes awry, all is lost for Kagome. But even in the darkness she is able to find hope in a person she least expected. But how long will this bond last? And at the end of everything, will they just end up betraying each other for their clans?

The Infiltration…

Madara awaited his siblings at the front gate of the Uchiha clan's base. His armor was noticeably missing, as was the sword that was normally strapped to his waist. He only wore dark colored clothing and very little of it at that. Kagome and Izuna mimicked his choice in style as well. If this mission was to be successful then they would have to be as silent and covert as possible. The less was equate to the better.

"Let's go." Their patriarch commanded. His siblings nodded in agreement. Within seconds they were running across the fields, crouching slightly with each step to hide effectively in the tall grass. If they were fast enough, then they would be able to make it to the outskirts of the Senju forest within half a day. However it would not be wise to rush blindly into their territory. They would need to scout out the area for at least another half day and then proceed with the upmost carefulness from then on out. The slightest screw up would mean the end of their clan. The rest of the people in their age group had either yet to awaken their sharingans or just simply weren't strong enough to take over the clan as a leader. No one was powerful enough to lead them properly should their deaths occur.

"Oi…" Kagome started softly.

The boys turned to glance at her, curious as to what she had to say.

"Can you two be any louder?" Their expressions dropped. Poking fun at them during extreme situations had always been her way of lightening the mood slightly. Albeit she had the nasty habit of doing it during the most inappropriate of times, but better now than when they were in the forest.

"And you talking so damn loud is any better?" Madara snapped out of irritation. Izuna's brow twitched. Were they really going to do this now? Of all the times to be arguing, this was definitely not one of them.

"Would you two please just stop for one day?" Izuna growled fiercely. Kagome glanced up at him in shock. Never had she heard him raise his voice to either of them. She turned her gaze back down the ground. The only thing she wanted to accomplish was lighten the mood a bit, but now she saw that was a poor choice to make. Sensing their sister's sudden change in disposition, Madara glared over at his brother. It wasn't his place to jump into their arguments, nor was it his place to make such comments.

"Silence." He commanded severely. Izuna shook his head. He never intended on hurting Kagome's feelings, but that was just how things ended up. The youngest sighed quietly. Although Madara and Kagome argued a lot, he was viciously overprotective with her. Not even he was safe from their brother's wrath if she were to be harmed in any way, emotional or physical alike. This was not going to be a good day, he could just feel it.

The three continued on until the sun was at its highest point in the sky. Just as they expected, they had made it to the outskirts of the Senju's homeland. A sprawling forest that covered hundreds of miles in every direction. Before the Senju had claimed the forest as their territory, it had been known as the Forest of Spirits. Many claimed that the souls of those who died in battled haunted the area. But most of the claims had been proven to be mere mythical fairy tales to scare away unwanted visitors. In all likelihood, the Senju clan's ancestors had probably started up that rumor decades ago to keep trespassers out of their territory.

"Let's go." Madara stepped forward. His siblings followed suit. They took to the high tree limbs. Stepping nimbly onto the branches, the trio adjusted their weight between each foot accordingly to make as little noise as possible. Beads of sweat dripped down Kagome's face as they proceeded further into the wooded labyrinth. It was far too quiet for a forest. No pleasant chorus of birds on the wind, no solemn croaking of frogs, no beautiful symphonies of crickets, and no movement of shrubs from the natural wildlife. There wasn't even a life signal coming from the trees themselves. It was almost as if… this entire area was an illusion.

"Stop!" Kagome commanded quickly. Madara and Izuna landed on the next branch abruptly. When they turned back, they realized that their sister had already activated her Sharingan-something she rarely did unless absolutely necessary.

"Genjutsu…" She answered their unasked question, "We've never even entered the forest. We're still in front of it."

Madara growled out his frustration. He'd find the caster of the genjutsu and then rip out their entrails and force feed it to them. He was not going to allow this person to make him for a fool without suffering the consequences!

"Kagome, can you see his chakra signal?" Madara glanced at her. She was amazingly talented at tracking signals. Although ninjutsu was not her forte, she was great at picking up a chakra signal from many miles away. However the drawback was that the less she knew a person, the less likely she'd be able to sense them. The more she knew them, the further she could track them. A complete stranger would have to be within a short distance from herself for Kagome to be able to pick up their chakra. This technique was mostly only good during a stealth mission such as this one. It was almost worthless in a fight on the battlefield. What would be the point in tracking someone when the enemy is right in front of you? Also, when on the battle field, they had many allies that would cover their blind and weak spots.

"Yes. The caster is just west of here. Second branch from the top. On the left of the tree." Kagome answered.

"Good. Izuna, I want you to do a reverse genjutsu until I get to him. He probably already knows that he's been discovered. So while you entrap him with your technique I'll bring him back here where Kagome can interrogate him. Understood?" He ordered sharply.

"Understood." The two younger siblings repeated at the same time. Madara nodded at them, and then took to the tree tops leaving them to follow his instructions. Izuna activated his Sharingan as well then began the genjutsu. He in particular was a master of illusions. He was very good at making sure his victims never knew that they were caught in his genjutsu until it was far too late. So far, no one has ever escaped from him. This time would be no different...

Izuna trained his Sharingan on his target and raised his hands to form the Dragon seal, "Bishamon."

Streams of crimson began to bleed into his vision. It covered the sky in a thick red veil. As the trails of bloody liquid spread, Kagome and Madara's forms disappeared from sight. Leaving only the image of his opponent glancing wildly around in his hiding spot. The genjutsu was a success. Now all that was necessary was to keep him busy long enough for Madara to bring him back for interrogation. A dark smirk spread across Izuna's lips. It was time for him to show their enemy just how powerful he truly was.

Ryota glanced from one side to the other wildly. One minute he had been casting a genjutsu on the intruders and the next he was thrown into this blood stained world. Even the trees and grass were stained with the color. How could he have been found out so soon? The only clan within the main land that had the ability to sense such abilities would be the...Uchiha clan... He stopped. A cold sensation of fear and dread swept through his body. Of course! How could he have not known it was them? Being so close to the Senju territory he believed that he'd run more risk being found out by them, however with the Uchiha's thirst for revenge after the Senju's attacks on their income, it wasn't all that surprising that the they would real their ugly heads.

Ryota's eyes narrowed as a dark shadow beyond the trees ahead twisted ominously. The silhouette shot between the foliage; the dark shadows of its outline curled ominously. He didn't know what kind of genjutsu this might be, but he damn sure didn't like it. But before he could concentrate on a plan, a barrage of black tendrils shot out from the tree lines and impaled him. He fought viciously against the attacks, but it the pain was wearing heavily upon him. Pushing the searing sensations aside, Ryota attempted to concentrate. This was only a genjutsu, the wounds were not real!

'Think Ryota, THINK! Those damn Uchiha's will be arriving any minute now. So How do I get myself out of their genjutsu before they show up?' He pondered to himself. 'Of course! How could I have forgotten! All I have to do is cut off my chakra for a brief second and then that'll stop the genjutsu. No problem!' Ryota smirked arrogantly. Although the Uchiha were quick, he would be quicker. The hidden assassin quickly slammed his hands together and cut off the chakra supply in his network temporarily. He felt the effects of the genjutsu slowly dissapate. The crimson that once surrounded him evaporated, and the heavy scent of copper completely disappeared. However, he also noticed that he was not where he once was. A large calloused hand was gripping him by the back of his neck, and two others were standing before him. One was a young woman in the middle of her teens, and the other a younger looking male who's eyes were crimson with his bloodlust.

"Kagome!" Madara barked roughly. His grasp over the male's neck tightened considerably. His sibling nodded at him grimly. She knew what he was asking of her and although the task ahead did not appeal to her, there was no other choice. Either she use that jutsu, or they'd be sitting ducks.

Kagome formed her hands into the tiger seal, "Katon: Kaki Kangoku No Jutsu."

Bright flames burst from the earth beneath their feet, encircling both Ryota and Madara. A malevolent grin spread across Madara's lips. This would prove to be very interesting indeed. The fires gradually rose over head to form an unsymmetrical barrier of five walls around them. One over the top, and the rest encircling the two men. Ryota struggled violently against his captor's vice like grip but to no avail. He thrashed from side to side, jerking forward brashly, and even attempting knock the male off his feet using his legs however it had no affect. Madara's grasp over his neck tightened even more sharply than it had before and a sinister glint entered into his scarlet, blood thirsty eyes.

"Move one more time, and I'll burn you alive."

Ryota froze at his harsh words. So caught up in his fear over the threat, that he didn't notice how some of the flames flicked from the wall behind them and very elegantly slithered around his wrists; binding them together. He threw his head back at the sudden and searing pain of the fire touching his skin.

"About time you got in here Kagome. I was beginning to think that you were just gonna abandon me here with him." Madara smirked throwing Ryota to the ground roughly.

The prisoner looked up to see the female from before walking through the wall fire. However unlike her companion, she did not wear an expression of anticipation or bloodlust. Instead her youthful face was pulled into a somber and somewhat stoic expression. Apparently her companion had caught his gaze lingering on her and delivered a swift kick to his ribs.

"Keep your eyes on me, I'm the one you need to worry about."

"Madara, let me handle this first." Kagome spoke up. She didn't want to be here any longer than necessary. Quickly moving past her irate brother, she kneeled down and lifted their captive's chin to meet his eyes. "What is your name?"

Ryota jerked out of her grasp violently. He would not give them any intel! Even if it cost him his life!

Madara moved forward, fully intended to punish him for refusing to answer. However Kagome held up her hand to him.

"Answer my questions peacefully and we will not have to resort to violence. My brother is more than capable of getting the information we want out of you with brute force. Do you understand?" Ryota glanced up at the woman. Her voice was sharp like a knife, but her eyes were incredibly soft... much too soft to be involved in the world of shinobi.

"...Understood..." Ryota paused, "But I will not answer your questions. That is my duty. I will die defending my clan!" His gaze met hers for a brief moment. The determination and fearless dispostion in them made her look upon him with pity. Such a waste...

"Madara... I leave him to you..." With that Kagome left the jutsu, and the prisoner behind.

Izuna watched his sister with a cautious eye. It was not like her to leave the jutsu early especially with Madara still within it. Her expression was so stoic and blank that it had him worried. When they were kids before the massacre, Kagome was the type of child to cry and laugh and simply just be who she truly was. However after the deaths of their parents she was forced to start hiding the emotions and pain that she felt from the public's prying eyes. As the new matriarch of the family, it was her duty to see to it that the clan surived and remained strong even after something so horrible. She was not allowed to show her weakness to anyone. Not even Madara. He was the only one that she really opened up to on a personal level, and the fact that she was even trying to hide her emotions from him was startling in the very least. He'd have to interrogate her about what happened in the barrier when they returned home from this mission. It would not do to have her acting like this.

"Already over?" She whispered to herself. The teen turned to look up at the clear skies above them, a distant and morose glint in her charcoal gaze. However her reverie was interrupted by Madara's insistant flailing of his chakra signal. "Alright already, I'll let you out. So impatient..."

"Release!"

The fires immeidately fell from their grand height, and slowly dwindled to mere sparks left on the earth. Kagome quickly kicked out the rest of the fires then glanced at her brother; purposely not looking at the crisp body lying flat on the ground at his feet.

"What'd you find out?"

Madara smirked, "It's a little known clan going by the surname 'Fuenikkusu'. The weapon that they're building is a sword that can manipulate the lightening element. However they were making it for themselves and not the Senju clan. Their current base is just a few kilometers out from here, next to the lake."

"Should we continue on now or wait for nightfall?" Izuna inquired.

"We'll move into the forest now, but just to hide our current location. At nightfall we'll strike against the clan and steal the weapon. If all goes well we'll be back by morning." Madara smirked arrogantly. However his siblings were not as confident. It was the three of them against an entire clan with abilities that were unknown to them. If that genjutsu user was sent out to this area to scout them out, then what other tricks did they have up their sleeves? In any case, Kagome was not quite convinced that this mission would be as easy as Madara was making it out to be. She only hoped that they would make it through this in the end.

The trio then took to the boughs of the trees once more until the were far enough inside the forest to conceal their chakra signals and forms with ease.

"Kagome, you're on watch until nightfall. Inform us if there's trouble." Their patriarch barked impatiently. He didn't like to have to wait, but if he could get his hands on that weapon than it'd be worth it.

She shook her head but took up a position high in the trees. These next few hours were going to be longest in her life...

The sun slowly fell behind the treetops and the moon rose brilliantly above them. Kagome was correct, those were the longest and most grueling hours in her entire life. Izuna was as quiet as ever, but he seemed to be watching her with a hawk like gaze that never let up. It was starting to creep her out a little. Not to mention that Madara kept twitching and pacing eagerly like an impatient child. Occasionally he would call up to her to check on their status, however they had gotten lucky in that no one had picked up on their presence yet.

"It's time." She stood from her place among the branches.

Izuna followed her example, however his eyes were still as probing as ever. Madara on the other hand quickly leapt up from the earth to the treetops. He was more than eager to continue on their journey. Sitting silently and waiting for the appropriate time to strike wasn't one of his strong points. But he had managed this time around thanks to Kagome's constant threats of having Izuna use his Bishamon techinque against him if he were to continue pacing.

The three gathered up what little belongings they had and made haste off into the night to face this new enemy. They rushed blindly yet cautiously through the boughs of the trees until the came within viewing distance of the lake. Dots of lights in the along the lakebed gave a type of life to the scenery that only could be created by population. Although the lights were not extremely bright, they were just bright enough to locate their exact position.

"How many are there Kagome?" Madara leaned forward with anticipation for a fight.

She closed her eyes then spread out her senses. The reaction nearly caused her to fall from her position.

"I cannot coun the numbers. Eighty-five percent of the people down there have a chakra level well above the average, but not much of a threat individually to us. However there's another five percent that well surpass our own powers. The last ten percent have chakra levels that are well below average; probably civillians... Madara we won't be able to do anything with so many shinobi around. We'll need to stake out the area until we locate the weapon and then we'll..." She was rudely cut off.

"I don't care about that Kagome. We're more than strong enough to handle all of them. Besides it was only five percent that we need to fear right? So let's get down there, use a transformation jutsu to infiltrate, and then take the sword from within. It'll be hard, sure. But it's not above our skill level." Madara stated arrogantly.

"Don't get too cocky Madara." Izuna piped up. The usually quiet male gazed down at the little clan with cautious eyes, "Just rushing in like we normally do will get one of us killed. We need a better plan. Allow me to use a genjutsu on one of them to get more answers. After that we'll go after the sword and head back to the clan. Agree?"

Kagome nodded her assent. However their brother was not too ecstatic about the anticlimatic plan.

"Fine, do as you please." He leaned back and pressed his back against the tree bark. For now he would allow Izuna to have his fun.

Izuna nodded at them, then disappeared into the forests.

Kagome and Madara perked up when their youngest sibling returned; his face grim and ashen.

"What happened?" she questioned quickly.

"I found the location of the weapon but..." His voice dropped to a low drawl, "It cannot be weilded."

"What do you mean 'It cannot be weilded'!" Madara snapped angrily. Kagome moved to allow Izuna a spot upon their branch.

"What I mean is that everyone who has attempted to use the blade has died horrifically. But that's not it..." Izuna shot a glance at their sister, "We need to leave and come back with more recruits. Kagome was right in that there are too many to take on by ourselves. We shall leave. That's final."

Madara grasped him by the collar of his shirt, "I am the patriarch of this family Izuna. Do not test my authority."

"There isn't time for you ego stroking brother! If we don't leave now than..." He shot another look at their sister.

"Or what? Why do you keep looking at her like that!" A defensive, and oddly possessive tone entered into their eldest brother's voice.

Izuna turned towards Kagome, "It's not safe for you here. We need to go back." His severe expression was enough to keep her from pressing for more information at this time... A decision she would soon regret.

Madara glanced between his siblings then reluctantly agreed, "Fine we'll leave. Kagome you go on ahead. Izuna and I follow after you in a few minutes to keep an eye out for tailers. We'll meet up with you by dawn."

She nodded then took off silently into the heart of the forest. For several minutes she leapted from branch to branch until her brother's figures as well as the clan's base faded from view. However she began to get the distinct feeling that she was being followed. Kagome quickly dropped her altitude to well below the boughs of the tree onto the ground. But before she could spread her senses out to detect the person; she felt a distinct stinging pain in the back of her head, then everything went black...

Techniques Used:

Bishamon- As the name describes, this jutsu is inspired by its Japanese mythological god. Bishamon was the god of warfare and punisher of evildoers. So even with his un-evolved sharingan, Izuna created this jutsu. It's somewhat like a miniature version of the Tsukiyomi, however it is still quite powerful in that it draws the caster's opponent in a crimson world. However it differs from the Tsukiyomi in that the caster never fully appears before its victim. Instead only the silhouette is visible to its victim. In the mean time, the 'shadow' lurks within the world and attacks the opponent from all sides. It never gives them a chance to gain their bearings, and the time/space between this genjutsu and reality is altered slightly in that what may be five minutes here is equate to five months in the genjutsu.

Katon: Kaki Kangoku No Jutsu-Fire Style: Fire Prison Jutsu. This jutsu was created by Kagome long before the start of the series. It's a fire style jutsu that encircles the enemy and captures them in five solid walls of fire around them, and also bindings of fire are wrapped around their wrists and ankles. Kagome is able to adjust the jutsu so that she may enter and leave as she pleases. Thus it is mostly used for torturing and interrogation.

Naruto Fan's Notes: I spent hours creating believable jutsus for this story. There are plenty more to come after this, since these are just some of the basics that have shown up. However if any of you wish to use any of these jutsus in your own stories than I request that you ask me first. I do not appreciate plagerism of any kind, but I'm also normally pretty leniant when I'm asked up front about this kind of stuff, so I won't shoot you down. I just like to know is all. Either way, I hope that you all greatly appreciated this second chapter!