"Don't stay out too late. We will be heading back to Mizu by morning."

A beautiful young man with long hair, black shinobi leggings, a gray turtle-neck and two frigid blue leg warmers turned around when he heard the voice of his master. He smiled softly and nodded once before responding.

"I will not stray long, Zabusa-san."

Chapter 19

Momichi Zabusa wasn't sure what to make of the young man who he procured before his attempted assassination on the previous Mizukage. Haku was a boy with striking beauty, so much so that he was easily mistaken for a pretty girl. Even as he grew older, the young man's cheek bones only seemed to soften as his face kept its round, oval shape and his eyelashes grew longer and fuller.

Haku was also the perfect tool; he deceived many people, but only for his master. If Zabusa told him to do something, he would not only do it but also make sure that he did it swiftly and cleanly. Haku's skill with throwing kunai was on par with Zabusa's; although, to be fair, Zabusa wasn't much use with throwing weapons; Haku's ability with senbon needles was deadly accurate, but the boy often only used the needles to disarm his opponent, rather than outright kill him. Yet, Haku never hesitated to kill if Zabusa willed it.

Haku was Zabusa's left arm, his strongest arm, and yet also his heart; the boy's compassion for life and the well-being of even his enemies at times Zabusa used to think was weak… yet as time passed, he quickly realized how powerful that compassion could be. In some cases, Haku's begging to spare lives of their enemies and his alluring and friendly personality nabbed them several contacts around the fire country and wave country. During a mission in wave where they were to kill a bridge builder for a shady character named Gatou, Haku begged off the man's life due to a young boy in the village, the builder's grandson, who stood up to Haku during his first assassination attempt on the bridge builder. In the end, Gatou tried to turn on Zabusa, but the two of them annihilated Gatou and his cronies, took their pay and then some from the wallet on his corpse, and waited quietly while the bridge was being built before moving on.

Still, Zabusa was the demon of the bloody mist. One did not simply stop killing if sympathy was costing money; and Haku, who was a compassionate young man with a heart like no other, was also a soulless tool when he needed to be. As he aged, he only grew better, and more in Zabusa's favor.

Now that the boy was older, Haku was even more of an asset and Zabusa knew he could never let him go at this point. Most of their successful missions were due to the young man's skill in every facet of the shinobi life; from ninjutsu to genjutsu, taijutsu and most recently medic jutsu, Haku was a shinobi worth his weight in gold.

To top it all off, Haku had a kekkai genkai, or bloodline limit, allowing him to create a dastardly jutsu, one that hardly reflected his personality, called the Demon Ice Mirrors. He used it rarely, but rarer did the time come when it was needed.

To let Haku go now would mean Zabusa would have to fight tooth and claw yet again for scraps, and the luxury that they could afford now, if they so pleased, was far too convenient for the ex-Mist nin to give up.

No, Zabusa had no intention of giving up the lavish life of having Haku around.

When Chojuro reached the beach, his legs gave out. His face planted itself onto the shore as the waves receded and then washed over him, over and over again. He felt no pain after the long walk, oddly enough, but he knew that he could not get up. The eerie feeling of needles poking their way out of his body made him shiver, but he still felt no pain. He turned his eyes to look to his side and saw the sunset down a ways, setting into the sea.

As he started to black out, he heard a light gasp just as the waves stopped moving back to burst back forwards. When two hands set on his shoulders and he saw the pretty eyes of what looked like a young woman staring back at him, Chojuro's senses went out like an ember smashed out by a heavy boot.

"I'll be back in a bit, girls. Don't play so rough with her, Anko." Naruto smiled at the two women in his company as he stopped by their hotel room door.

Anko smirked, though her eyes did not relent on eyeing the redhead like a piece of meat. "But Naruto, I don't know how to play any other way." She smiled when Tayuya flinched; the young girl was growing pale at the look the older woman was giving her.

"Don't you fucking leave me in here with her! What the hell, Naruto?"

Naruto shook his head. "Listen, just behave. Both of you. Why don't you go out and have dinner together? I won't sit here while Orochimaru's out there wrapping this country around his little finger. There's got to be some way I can hit him. Maybe financially… I don't know. Politically…" He sighed, looked at the two girls as if their eyes would give him the answer, but then left in a frustrated huff, shutting the door and walking away with a precarious, nervous gait.

Tayuya sighed. She turned to look at Anko, who quietly shook her head.

"We need allies… there's no way we can hit him here in the capitol… I know a few of his contacts here, but they're too high up; we might as well try and well… you know."

Anko nodded. "I'm surprised you managed to keep from saying 'assassinate the Daimyo'." At that, Tayuya paled and tried to cover Anko's mouth with her hands, to no avail. "Even if someone were listening, that is foolishly vague and we obviously do not have the manpower for it. He's the Daimyo of the fire country, one of the strongest countries in the world; he's not paranoid, he's probably underestimating the people that want him dead anyways."

Tayuya frowned. "Whatever… that still is stuff you should not say when there're ninja everywhere."

Anko shrugged. "This is a samurai run city. They are the police force, the guard, the military power, the enforcers… there are only visitors and spies in this area… maybe a few local resident shinobi, but that's it."

Tayuya shook her head, "I just feel uneasy about this place… like someone's been watching us since we arrived."

The dark haired vixen sighed and began to unbutton her top, "It may be Bankei and his group; I wouldn't be surprised… keep up your guard..."

Tayuya narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, just trying to get you to drop your guard." She once again unclasped another button and leaned back on her bed as she pushed her chest out slightly, leaving her top with the nearly impossible task of containing her generous bosom.

Tayuya promptly stood up and left the room, leaving a half-naked Anko to her own devices in the room until Tayuya was absolutely sure that Naruto was back to protect her from the sultry woman.

Anko stepped out shortly after Tayuya and followed her, her top back on somewhat and her hat on the top of her head as she walked a short distance behind her to the elevator. Tayuya ran in and pressed the button to go down to the first floor and the door began to close.

"You're so mean, Tayuya." Anko called out, playfully.

As the doors were closing however, Anko saw something move behind the girl and immediately she began to run up to the elevator.

Yamanaka Ino looked up in surprise when she saw the same blond from earlier leave the same hotel she and her father were staying at just as she was entering. He was young, about her age or a little bit older probably, but his face had strange whisker marks on it. She sat there confused, eyeing the young man as he walked past, oblivious of her as his thoughts were elsewhere.

Ino bit her lip, ready to turn around and follow him, but then she noticed someone else doing it for her already. A man wearing red war paint on his face was standing on top of a two story building, looking down on the blond. His outfit completely clashed with his surroundings, making Ino almost gag at how obvious it was. With a few hand seals to mold chakra, Ino held out her hands and…

Tayuya furrowed her brows, asking "What?" while her eyes focused on the dark haired girl even as a figure came down from the maintenance hatch above her and landed with an arm wrapped around her, his fingertips catching her by the throat. "Mean, backstabbing little girls should be punished."

Tayuya had trouble gasping as she felt her throat constrict and her tongue dry out as Bankei's hand began drawing water from her mouth and vocal chords to keep from making any sounds.

The elevator door opened and Bankei stepped forward, still grasping Tayuya by the throat while his other hand removed her kunai pouch and began to snake his palm up the front of her shirt as he stood behind her.

Anko, deliberating on whether to strike at the man and risk Tayuya being killed or, worse, getting in the way, was not able to act quickly enough to react to an ambush as doors all around them in the hallway began to open up as samurai without their protective armor came out and brandished their swords against her.

"It looks like you little fools simply can't keep your guard up. Strike after strike, I land it."

"You have a very competent network here, don't you?"

Bankei smirked, raising his eyebrows suggestively. "If you're interested, there's always room for expansion. Of course, you'll have to complete a few favors for me and a dozen or so of my friends before you can get in."

"Fuck you." Tayuya finally spat out, wheezing part of the way through it.

Anko frowned, but Bankei just laughed. "Oh, that's part of the plan. Believe me." He sneered at the young redhead in his grasp before taking hold of one of her breasts and squeezing tightly. "But before that…" he turned his gaze to stare into Anko's chocolate brown eyes, "You are Hidden Mist's Mizuri Ai, aren't you? I want you to tell Namikaze that I have his little companion. If he wants to save her, he'll have to give himself up. I doubt he will, but it's worth the try." He grinned as Tayuya's face revealed the loathing for him that he instilled within her.

"He is out right now; I can't get him right this second." Anko said, trying to buy time to figure out what to do.

"I don't care. Get him, and tell him that if he wants her to stay untouched then I want him to meet me just outside of the city limits on the east side. You have until tomorrow afternoon. Tell him I'll kill her if he doesn't show up."

Anko saw the look that was in Tayuya's eyes and was surprised by it; the gaze that peered back at her was one of resolve. She had no intention of letting Naruto sacrifice himself for her.

Anko said, as a last-ditch effort, "You should take me instead. She's inexperienced, and probably a prude. Just look at those tacky clothes and that hat she's wearing. It makes me sick just looking at it."

Bankei arched a brow and smirked, leaning on Tayuya's shoulders as he wrapped his arms around her. He constantly drained and replenished the girl, making Tayuya aware of an ability that she didn't know the Nonoko people had having never been on the receiving end of one of their attacks before: the ability to not only drain water and dehydrate someone, but also the ability to share water and hydrate that same person and possibly someone else.

Seeing that she had his attention, Anko took a step closer, smiling as she slowly jutted out her curvaceous hips, raising her arms slightly show off her chest as she brought her hands behind her head in a slow and controlled, serpentine manner. "You should go with the one who's more experienced… more capable of suiting yours… and your friends' needs."

Tayuya felt something stiff press against her from behind, but he had successfully ruined her speaking until she parched her dry throat.

"Mm. Tempting. I have to admit, though, breaking a virgin like this girl has its ups too… what are you willing to do to trade places with her?" He asked, now playing with the girl.

"Boss, the elevator's going. Shouldn't we…"

"Shut up! Just two of you get on either side of it and kill whoever walks in. A couple of those sharp sticks you guys are carrying should be enough to poke through a few bellies. So, as you were saying… Mizuri Ai…"

Anko smirked, knowing she had the man right where she wanted him. She was buying time. "Anything."

One of the guards sucked in his breath at the way she said it. Bankei whistled. "Well, damn… fine, arms behind your back. And don't try anything stupid. They're going to tie you up."

Anko glared, "You must think I'm stupid. Let her go first. It's not like we can get away from you anyways without you letting one of us go. Not with so many of you." Anko had counted six bodyguard samurai and she was sure that the slightly parted doors housed a few more of the Nonoko tribe. They were known fairly well for their poisonous darts.

"Well, I can't simply let her go… I suppose I'll just have to take both of you then…" Bankei threw Tayuya up against a wall where one of his guards pressed his curved blade up against her throat, pinning her back. Anko glared and formed a few hand seals when suddenly the elevator door opened.

Everyone turned to look in its direction as the first door of the cage parted to the side and then the two metal sliding doors opened up. There was some confusion until a man with a red face stepped out from behind the panel within the elevator and stepped forward to be met by the two samurai guarding the elevator.

"Wait, that's one of ours… Bo Long, what on Earth do you think you're doing? You weren't supposed to walk around in the halls with your face paint on." Bankei pointed at his face, which was missing the war paint that was usually there.

"Let them go. If you hold them any longer, then I will be forced to kill you."

Bankei blinked, "Bo, what's wrong? Why are you saying that?"

Without warning, Bo Long stabbed himself in the eye with a kunai and screamed out in pain for a moment as he fell to his knees. His gasping lasted for a few seconds before it abruptly stopped and he stood up again. He said calmly, as if blood wasn't gushing out of his destroyed eye. "If you do not heed my warning: I-will-kill-each… and every-one-of-you."

The group of samurai began to lower their weapons, scared at his threatening voice and the way it seemed as if his body was being possessed.

He suddenly began pleading, in a totally different voice; one dripping with fear, "Please! Please, listen to it! I don't know why it's controlling me, but it stopped me from tailing Namikaze and-urgk-k!" He cut his own throat… the voice came back, this time saying, "You can still run…" just as his body fell limp to the ground, blood drenching the off-white carpet as the man died; not from the bleeding but from choking on his own blood.

Bankei was still looking in Bo's direction, but by chance he saw the glimmer of a mirror through the hotel's staircase window directly beside the elevator at the end of the hall.

"What on…" He said, but to his surprise all of the samurai that were guarding him suddenly turned their swords and pointed them at his neck. "What the fuck are you doing? Put those down, immediately!"

The guards closest to the elevator were shaking in fear at being manipulated in such a way, and as they saw Bankei look at them as traitors they shook their heads violently and pleaded for the spirit to let them go.

"Kill me then, if you can! Because I shall not run! I am no coward!" He yelled, glaring at his own guards who looked at him in fear.

Suddenly all six of his guards swung at one another, deliberately missing Bankei, and killed each other off at the same time.

He stood quiet, blood from his comrades on his neck as the doors to the hotel rooms began to close and windows were either open or smashed so the other Nonoko tribesmen in hiding could escape.

"My men… all of them…" He furrowed his brow, wondering why he wasn't being controlled. He looked back towards the mirror and saw that it was gone. In its stead, a small hand pushed open the door and a young blonde girl with long hair and beautiful green-blue eyes that locked onto his.

"You… you are blonde? Are you related to the Namikaze?" He asked, his heart pumping blood like a piston in his chest.

"Namikaze… so it is Naruto." She said, looking at the two women who were in daze from all of the senseless killing that happened around them.

"Why did you kill… why are they all dead?" He asked, glaring at her furiously.

Ino smiled softly and began forming seals. "You had your chance to run… I would've let them go if you had." She stepped up to him and pressed her palm up to his forehead. He glared and began using his kekkai genkai to suck away all of the moisture in her body until her flesh began to shrivel up. Ino gasped as her breath left her and Bankei sneered lividly at her. "I will make sure you keep you on the verge of death as I lay you on my bed and fuck you until your heart stops."

Ino smiled. He saw her smile and smirked, amused even as she began resembling a wrinkly old woman. "Stupid bitch. Forget that, I'm going to just turn you into a mound of dust… ugh… wait, what?" His eyes widened, and in her eyes he saw his reflection, clear as day, and her bare hand gently caressed his forehead as wrinkles began appearing on it and his skin began to dry up. His tongue dried until it turned to dust and his eyes began to shrivel up. He felt every part of his body lose its moisture as his own technique was turned on him. Just as his sight disappeared, he saw the vision of beauty standing before him once again just as she took the last drop of moisture from his brain, effectively leaving him brain dead.

"Stupid man. Weak men take advantage of women; it's the strong men who could if they so chose choose instead to protect them…" Ino remembered the look in Naruto's eyes as he put himself in between her and Orochimaru, several years ago. She remembered the strength that radiated from him and the surprise she felt when she literally could feel his resolve; it felt as if she were wearing a warm scarf or a snug sweater, and she knew he would give up his life for hers with absolutely no regret and no doubt.

"… with their lives if necessary."

Author's note: Thank you for your reviews and your support. I couldn't wait to really introduce Ino. I had a whole 'nother chapter written up and I had to just ignore it for now because I didn't like the way it flowed, plus it had to do with Sasuke and we'll get to that eventually. This chapter basically gives you a clue as to how powerful she has become thanks to her time with Inotsuyoi, her ancestor who made the glass fan, and to resolve the conflict with Bankei and the Nonoko village and clan. Now, her jump in strength isn't to make her unbeatable. I don't want to explain it out of story, but if you can figure out how she was able to defeat them so easily and (especially) reverse his jutsu, then kudos.

And no, the Nonoko don't have an eye jutsu or doujutsu (?) and Ino is reversing his technique a different way than what Inotsuyoi was known for, as she developed an ability that made her Uchiha kryptonite. (lmao) If you have any suggestions or comments, I'd love to hear them.