RIP my computer. It's not dead, but the graphics just went flop again. So I'm retiring it for the day in favor of the good ol' laptop.
You might want to know about three stories planned for the future that have Sam Umino in them. There's 'The Hunt for Sam Umino' written by libithewolf, the sequel that isn't really named yet by WolfCinder, and 'Rin Hiragana: The Winter Ninja' by yours truly. Rin Hiragana's story PROBABLY won't effect the other stories, but who knows?
This story takes place 4 years in the future. This means Joseph is 16 or so, Sam is 11, and if you're wondering, Rin would be 9. As you might want to know, Sam got a personality makeover. The following chapter is dedicated to libithewolf, ze awesome ze cousin!

Sam Umino walked through the trees, carrying Yoshin. She knew what she was looking for. Who hadn't seen that special report? She just didn't know where it was.

Finally, she cam across it. There was a pile of dirt as well as a backpack. Sam walked right next to the pile of dirt.

"Hey, Ash, are you still alive in there?" Sam asked.

"Yup!" Ash replied. "Kinda hungry. Being stuck in holes for four days really makes you starving."

"Days?" Sam laughed. "It's been four years. I'm surprised you're still alive. But since you'll be dead soon anyway, I'm taking your backpack off your hands."

"Just let me out of the hole and it's yours!" Ash replied.

Sam rolled her eyes, grabbed the backpack, and left Sir Annoyance.

"Goodbye," Ash muttered. Rumors state that as he muttered the word, he died.

After Sam had used what she needed from the backpack (a Revive and a Hyper Potion), she set Yoshin down. "Better?"

Yoshin narrowed his eyes and nodded. Sam turned around, and the two silently went back towards the Hidden Leaf Village.

But something was in the way.

"Sam," Joseph greeted the ninja.

"Joseph," Sam replied, her voice cold.

"I see four years of ninja training has done you well," Joseph commented.

Sam narrowed her eyes without reply.

"That's the way it is, is it? Well, as rivals, we'll have to have battle, won't we?" Joseph asked. He tossed a Poke Ball, and an Infernape came out.

Sam and Yoshin exchanged glances, and Yoshin stepped forward, scowling.

"Winner gets our old friend Ash's backpack," Joseph stated, his eyes resting on the backpack on Sam's shoulder. "Infernape, Flame Wheel!"

Sam kneeled down and patted Yoshin's tail. Yoshin nodded, running forward as the air around him turned yellow with electricity.

"Volt Tackle. Grown, haven't you?" Joseph asked.

Yoshin and Infernape collided. Both fell backwards from the impact.

"Solar Beam!" Joseph commanded.

As Infernape prepared it's Solar Beam, Yoshin's hands fell into the Rat hand signal.

"Pika," Yoshin growled. (Thunder.)

A lightning bolt fell from the sky, hitting Infernape.

As Yoshin used Quick Attack to finish it up, Sam smirked. "I think I've won," the ninja stated.

Joseph nodded as Yoshin's attack hit. "So you have." He recalled Infernape. "Congratulations. I'll have to battle you again sometime."

Yoshin jumped onto Sam's shoulder. "Pika pika," (You'll never win.)

As Joseph walked away, Sam turned around. "Rin, you can come out now."

A girl with brown hair and blue eyes stepped out from behind a tree, her light green clothes rustling in the wind. "That was amazing!"

Sam just sighed. "I wish it was." She turned around, and the two ninjas and Yoshin headed back to the Hidden Leaf Village.

I don't know why, I just felt like adding Rin in. It was a last minute thing, I suppose.
So I guess now it's over for good. It was fun while it lasted, but now I can work on some new things. I've got a few stories to whip out at some point, and this ought to be a 'fun' week.
Farewell, for now.
~Spottedpaw13~