"Yasei! Yasei! Where are you?" Haru was running through Konoha snapping his fingers and looking through every nook and cranny. A simple game of hide and seek turned into a nightmare for Haru. He walked about snapping his fingers at a fevered pace that grew faster with each passing minute.

Suddenly the sinking feeling in Haru's chest began to swallow him as he walked through the small crowd. Was he being watched? What were they thinking? His breath caught in his throat and his hand was shaking so quickly that the sweat gathering on his palms was shook away as quickly as it formed.

Haru abandoned the search and ran to the Konoha Park and climbed into the one of many trees. He moved like a monkey, using his arms and legs to climb rather than walk up the tree's side. Haru climbed as high as he could, high enough so that he wouldn't be seen by whatever put him on.

He began to breathe easier and deeper while he felt his pulse relax, "Haru-niichan!" Konohamaru suddenly popped into the tree loudly announcing his presence. Before he could process everything Haru used the body flicker technique to get to the ground and he was on the run.

Haru took flight until his chest burned and his heart was pounding through his ribs. He ran himself to a corner behind the library and slowly began to compose himself, "Konohamaru," he said to himself, "He's a good guy, Haru. Relax, relax."

While he was getting over his anxiety he failed to notice that the wall had a misaligned pattern, "Haru," said a voice from behind the disembodied wall.

Haru snatched a kunai from the holster and held it up at the misaligned wall, "Who's there?"

Konohamaru dropped the cloak, "It's me, Konohamaru," he said lightly, "Is something the matter? I tried to talk to you earlier, but you kept running."

Haru huffed and put the kunai back, "You startled me," he said with hand still shaking slightly, "So what do you want?"

"Well you kept snapping your fingers and you looked like you were in a hurry," he said.

Haru smiled a simple smile, "I was playing hide and seek with Yasei, but I can't find him. I don't know where he could've gone. He always comes back when I snap my fingers."

"Is that so?" Konohamaru asked while messing with the goggles on his head, "Hey, hey! We can help you find him, kore. It'll be faster if we all work together."

Haru tilted his head, "We?"

Konohamaru whistled loudly and soon two more people appeared. The first was a sleepy looking boy with a drop of snot from his nose and the second was a girl with orange hair tied back in red elastics. Udon and Moegi, "We're the Konohamaru Army Corps!" Konohamaru said cheerfully, "The three of us will find your monkey in no time."

Haru smiled, genuinely this time, "Thank you," he said before putting up a seal, "Multi Mini Shadow Clone Jutsu." Around Haru's feet a small group of five-inch clones of him appeared. He picked them up and gave one to each person, "Take these with you, it will help us keep in touch."

"Whoah, where did you learn this jutsu?" Moegi asked.

"Later," Haru said, "We need to find Yasei. Let's go!"

The troop scattered and searched for the missing monkey. Each one of them approached the search differently, but Konohamaru took the old-fashioned approach of just asking the villagers, "Excuse me, have you seen a monkey around here? Gold fur, long tail, about big enough to fit on your shoulder?"

"A monkey? Nope, sorry."

"I've heard about some kids that were chasing a monkey earlier. I hope that helps."

"A golden monkey, eh? Let me think…Oh yeah. Some kids were chasing it, once they caught it the monkey started having a fit. When I asked why the kids say that they were going to give him a bath and they went on their way."

Konohamaru nodded, "Oh, um, do you know which way they went?"

"I think they were heading towards the Naka River."

"Thank you." Konohamaru sped off and picked up the clone holding on to his scarf, "Naka River. How are we going to let the original know that?" he asked.

"He already knows," the chibi-Haru said with a cutesy voice, "This jutsu is a modified version of the Shadow Clone Jutsu. We're smaller so we can actively transport info to Oyabun and he can do the same for us. Were kinda like radios"

"I see," Konohamaru said, "He really is a genius huh?" the little clone shrugged, "So is there anything we need to know?"

"Just head towards the Naka River and meet with Oyabun," Chibi-Haru said, "He'll be waiting there. Moegi and Udon know what's going on too," he said, "We'll regroup and search together."

A short time later Konohamaru landed to see Moegi sitting against a tree and looked up to see Haru in the branches. The two of them watched him move for a minute, "Geez, he moves just like a monkey," Moegi said.

Konohamaru shrugged, "I guess that's what happens when you're always with a monkey."

There were the sound of footsteps as Udon rushed on the scene, "I'm here guys."

Haru jumped from the tree and snapped his fingers to dispel the small clones n a puff of smoke, "So, briefing time," he said while sitting down, "Our objective is to find and retrieve Yasei. According to our info a group of kids captured him and they're around the Naka River. They're not far away either."

"How do you know that?" Moegi asked?

Haru held up a long, gold hair, "He's shedding. We'll need to follow a trail, but if he hears me snap my fingers he'll respond if he can. We may have to fight, are you alright with that?"

Konohamaru thrust a fist in the air, "I'm gonna be hokage, if I'm scared of a fight I'll never be there."

"I guess I'm in then," Udon said.

"Me three!" Moegi said, "Let's go, I wanna see the monkey." They travelled down stream and it wasn't long before the began to hear the sound of kids through the trees. It was a group of four kids their age and in the middle was a boy holding Yasei rather tightly, "What do we do?" Moegi whispered.

Haru took a breath as we thought, "I just wanna run in and grab Yasei."

"We can't do that," Konohamaru said, "Use your head, Niisan."

Udon sniffled, "How about we just talk to them," he said.

The three of them gave him sideways look, "What?"

Haru shook his head, "I'm not just going to sit there and watch you talk while he just holds Yasei."

A few minutes later, the three of them somehow ended up surrounded by the group trying to negotiate Yasei back. Udon was doing the talking. Haru's hand tapped against his side, since he was holding back from attacking the boy holding Yasei. Konohamaru was standing close to Haru so the negotiation wouldn't blow up and Moegi was just standing there with her head in her hand. Yasei struggled valiantly against the kid's grip the whole time.

Moegi sighed, "How did this happen?" she muttered.

"I don't know," Konohamaru replied.

Haru growled, "A Gilligan cut is not funny in this situation."

"What are you talking about?"

"I want my friend back, Konohamaru. Talking is not getting him back."

Udon nodded, "So that's why we want the monkey back," he ended. In the chance Udon couldn't be a ninja he could be a great merchant.

The boy tilted his head as he looked at Haru. He wasn't very special or remarkable, but he had a few traits that stood out. He was tall for his age, 150 cm. Another thing that stood out was his pale skin, mostly because it contrasted so strongly with the long, dark hair that fell to his shoulders. His eyes were dark shade of brown that matched the trees around him, "Okay, which one of you is the one that wants it?"

Haru stepped to him immediately, "I do."

"What's your name?" he asked smugly.

"Haru Sarutobi, now give me my friend back."

He laughed, "You think I would give him back just because you asked?" he said with a coy smile, "How much do you want him?"

Haru punched his fist into his palm, "Teme…"

"The name is Unkei Kogara. If you want your pet back you'll have to fight for it." Haru started forming hand seals, "Taijutsu only," he said as he gave Yasei to another. Take it or leave it."

Haru attacked immediately with a quick kick, but Unkei managed to block it, if barely. Unkei countered with a barrage of attacks of his own but Haru dodged all of them seamlessly. Haru deflected a punch and spun to chop the back of his neck, but Unkei spun back to block it and followed with a spinning kick. Haru ducked and flipped back to dodge another combo of kicks. With that opening leaping forward onto Unkei's shoulder and flipping back. Once Haru's hand hit the ground he used his legs to haul Unkei's body and slam him on his back.

Haru moved down to pin Unkei and put a hand around his throat with the other poised to punch him, "I win."

Even from his position Unkei smiled smugly, "You know, you're pretty up close like this."

Haru huffed and punched him in the solar plexus, "Baka," Haru looked around to see the group of kids he was surrounded by step in just a little closer to them, "A deal is a deal. We can leave with this or this can be a free-for-all."

"I guess you would be going all out then won't you?" Unkei asked. Haru nodded, "That would be dangerous." He snapped his fingers and his crew came to attention, "Let the monkey go, Eiko."

Yasei ran to Haru immediately after he was let down by the one holding him and Haru picked him up and held him, apparently ignoring everything else, "Oh, Yasei, I'm so sorry I lost track of you like that…" Haru went to the closest tree he could find and climbed it to a rather high, but sturdy branch above the other children.