Hello, Hello! Yup it's me, Zerolr, once more back with a batch of Chappie 5! This one is all Naruto, Enjoy enjoy!

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Chapter five - Black and White Monsters

Well once an accomplished Genin become Chunin, they earn enough money to live on their own if they desire. It's a simple fact of life. Ninja although a dangerous profession, is a high paying job. If played right, they can provide you an easy going lifestyle. Mostly all of the former teams moved into apartments buildings and they moved close to each other.

Neji, Lee and Tenten lived on the same floor as neighbors. On the level below them, Ino, Shikamaru and Choiji. On the building across the street Shino, Kiba and Hinata lived there. Naruto who had always lived alone had his home elsewhere, same with Sasuke who hated to live close to anybody he knew. However Sakura, lived underneath Shino, Kiba and Hinata respectively. Hinata although she had her own place and paid for it, hardly ever stopped there because as future heir to the Hyuuga Clan, she had to always stop by or stay over at the main estate.

The rain that had been pouring down so mercilessly this morning was finally clearing up and well, Hinata looking up at the clearing sky smiled.

Shizu walked in the Hokage's office and presented herself as she usually did. Tsunade, underneath her sea of paperwork looked up.

"They're here," she simply stated.

"Arrghh!" rasped the slug woman, "Why is that Kakashi persistent in keeping that reputation of always being late for things?!"

"It's not that I wanted too," came a voice out of the blue. Tsunade looked up and spotted him walking in, followed by his three former pupils, "There was this small kitten—"

"Enough!" she cried, "I'm pissed off, if you haven't noticed!"

"Gomen, gomen," he apologized humbly while placing a hand behind his head.

"Ahhh…you're always pissed off, Old Granny—"

A heavy text book flew and hit him square right in the middle of Naruto's face, sending him flying right to the back of the room, knocking into a bookcase in which collapse and buried him with very informative texts. Sakura sighed heavily, Sasuke snickered evilly.

"Listen—this is your mission." She began setting back down in her chair.

"Hai!" The three of them Kakashi, Sakura and Sasuke saluted in unison.

"Of course I believe that all of you are already aware of the problems we're having with these strange holes that are starting to appear all over this world. The Akatsuki have made it their top priority to spread it's madness around."

Sakura gulped fully aware of the digital camera floating around in her backpack. Naruto pushed aside the books that had fallen over him discovering suddenly that he was bleeding from his nose. He stood up and made his way to the group.

"Madness?" he asked.

Tsunade looked up, "Yes, madness," her eyes were steady and quite serious, "Although I've tried to see if we can make use of it."

The four of them registered surprised faces. Tsunade sighed heavily. Shizu continued.

"Rifts have opened not only here but in the other countries as well, as a result we've discovered that faster travel routes could be established."

"O-oh…" gasped Naruto highly interested, "But Tsunade what's on the other side of the rifts and what's so bad about it?" he asked curiously.

"So if faster travel, do you mean coming in and out of different rifts be like jumping large distances, this is grand innovation…" suggested Kakashi right after Naruto spoke.

"Amazing," commented Sakura.

"…" Sasuke kept silence. He pondered on Naruto's last question.

"And it has been proven," answered Shizu with a definite nod, "A Junin on his top speed can arrive to the Hidden Village of Sand within two to three days. Walking at a regular pace between rifts, that same distance will take him two to three hours.

The group remained stunned

"Ehh?!" cried Naruto.

"Outside of our line of vision of our knowledge rests an entire urban wilderness filled with constant distraction as well as strange creatures…" spoke Tsunade with much authority. She stood up and stared straight at Kakashi, "I've been testing this new route with some basic spy nins." She walked out from her desk and stared out of the window.

"It was a simple task me and the Kazekage have been working on."

"Gaara!" burst Naruto suddenly.

"A—hem!" she coughed giving him a deadly look. Naruto grabbed lovingly at his nose. She continued, "We've been sending letters to each other, however…"

"However?" asked Sasuke.

"My messengers haven't been coming back."

"Could it be the Akatsuki?" asked Sakura.

"Iiie," no replied Tsunade shaking her head, "They're flashy, they love to let us know if they've done something. I've received this from him by one of his swiftest birds." Tsunade motioned to Shizu who pulled out a red boarded scroll marked with the Sand symbol.

Tsunade,

I inform you that your messengers arrived however they passed on soon after. Will was what kept them going. Physically they were fine, however I sense that their bodies were nothing but empty shells. One said something of "Black and White monsters." That is all. I suggest that we stop this.

Fifth Kazekage, Gaara of the Sand

"There you have it." Tsunade spoke after Shizu finished reading the letter.

"What the hell is this," growled Naruto.

"Black and White Monsters," mumbled Sasuke.

"So, let me guess," Kakashi began. Tsunade smiled glad that he understood. "You want us to gather information on these strange creatures that attacked those messengers?"

Tsunade nodded, "Yes, it Naruto going with us?!" cried Sakura, "He's the last person who knows about keeping low profile!"

"Hey—Sakura-chan! Who's side are you on?!" cried Naruto indignifed.

"The side of common sense," replied Sasuke.

"Shut up!" he barked

"Naruto."

He looked up towards the Fifth whose shadow extended over Naruto. Her brown eyes shone a little although her face was quite grave, there was a tone of hope and urgency in her voice, "One day, someone will take my place… That someone will be in charge of watching over and protecting the Konohakugre of tomorrow that will eventually integrate with that foreign world outside of our illusionary walls and the people that dwell in it"

Naruto's mouth dropped a little while she spoke, but when it closed again his gaze steadied and his brows furrowed. He turned to face Sakura, "Please don't worry about me, I can behave, I'll prove it to you!" He smirked and gave her a big grin, "I promise!"

"Humph. That attitude won't last," began Sasuke.

"What did you say!!" he screamed

"See, you lost your cool already…" he continued.

"Kakashi," voiced Tsunade while she pulled him aside, "Please keep a careful eye on Sasuke, there might be a chance that he'll bump into Itachi and you know how he gets."

Kakashi looked back and saw Sasuke and Naruto arguing again. He slowly nodded fully understanding.

Hinata walked and walked until she saw within a stone's throw Lee, Neji and Tenten still standing on one hand their soaked muddled clothes beginning to dry out in the sun…