The Curse

Chapter Seventeen: Suspicions

Sakura winced as she tenderly touched her red cheeks, raw from the continuous heat she had subjected them to by practicing for hours on her newly acquired technique, courtesy of one Uchiha Sasuke. The training had been a strange mixture of intensity and casualness: while both Sakura and Sasuke were determined for her to master the jutsu in time for their entrance into the Tri-Point Forest the Uchiha also exercised patience with her, especially since she didn't initially specialize in offensive Ninjutsu.

After soothing the minor burns along her cheeks, Sakura placed a green-glowing hand to her chest – the area warmed and her lungs lightly aching from the constant deep breathing drills she performed. Despite the little time spent learning and practicing the Great Fireball Technique Sakura felt proud of how quickly she had improved, even impressing her genius companion by the small smirk that graced his lips with every second longer the jutsu lasted, every inch in the flaming inferno's diameter added, and every increase in temperature felt.

"How are you feeling?" Sasuke asked, watching her healing hands trace over the raw marks of her skin.

"Good," She answered with a genuine smile, even when her voice was raspy due to the dryness of her throat; she swallowed, "Really good. I mean, doing that jutsu…It's exhilarating – to have that much power build-up in your body and when it's released it can be so destructive yet…calming at the same time. It's like…allowing all that roiling and terrifying out so that the peace can settle…" She blushed, shyly looking Sasuke's way to find his brow arched, listening to her with curiosity and amusement, "Sorry, I'm rambling…"

Sasuke only smirked before looking ahead, keeping pace with the kunoichi as they returned to the general area of the forest Naruto would be, "…No, I understand…I feel the same way."

Sakura grinned, allowing the silence to fall comfortably between them. A warm feeling different from the fire's doing had filled her body, her heart feeling freer and lighter with the knowledge that she had just strengthened her bond with Sasuke, even if it was as simple as training – though the fact that she was taught an Uchiha Clan Technique made his unexpected gesture even more heart-warming.

"Don't ever hesitate to use that technique," Sasuke stated firmly, eyes directed on the dirt trail they had decided to follow, "Especially when we enter the Tri-Point Forest."

Sakura nodded, considering his words with complete understanding, her mind beginning to withdraw to The Plan set to be executed in two days, "Of course."

"There you are!"

Naruto landed in a crouch just a few meters ahead of them causing Sasuke and Sakura to halt in their steps, gazing in curiosity upon the blonde-shinobi whose physical features were shifted into that of his Sage Mode. He grinned, standing up and dusting off his orange pants, toad-like eyes switching between his two Team Kakashi comrades.

"Where'd you go off to?" Naruto inquired, his sly look towards Sasuke causing the Uchiha to clench his fists tightly in irritation and exasperation, "…I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"Dobe," Sasuke growled contemptuously, eyes closed and fighting the strongest urge to pinch the bridge of his nose – or punch the blonde's face in.

Sakura, however, grinned just as slyly back before performing several hand seals – causing Naruto to watch her movements curiously and warily – brought a hand to her mouth, breathed in, and finally allowed a steady stream of fire to escape her lips and connect with the grassy ground. Naruto yelped in surprise as he leapt away from the small flames that now danced just inches near where he once stood.

"We were training, Naruto," Sakura finally answered as she stepped forward and stomped out the flames with her boot, her tone clearly emphasizing 'training' since she hadn't been oblivious to his teasing, "Need another demonstration?" Her eyes glinted with obvious warning.

Naruto instantly held up his hands in surrender, absently noting the smug smirk gracing Sasuke's expression, "N-No, I'm okay," He grinned broadly, "But that was awesome, Sakura-chan! Good job!"

Sakura beamed, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she walked past him, causing the trio to continue their pace through the forest, "Thank you."

Naruto fell into step beside Sasuke, nudging the ex-Avenger with his elbow before waggling his brows suggestively when their stares met. Sasuke scowled and didn't resist the urge to smack the blonde upside the head.

"Ow!"

Ignoring the sounds of their scuffle and the muffled grunts behind her, Sakura tilted her head to the side with thought, "Naruto…Why are you in your Sage Mode?"

Rubbing the bruise on his chin, Naruto allowed her question to register before he brightened with remembrance, "I used it to find you two. And I remembered that you wanted me to check for the natural energy source during the daylight hours – you know, from your test last night."

Sakura's eyes widened, turning her head to connect her stare with Naruto's orange-bordered eyes, her features sparkling with eagerness, "That's right! What do you feel, Naruto?"

Naruto shrugged, hands shoving into his pant pockets, "It's the same as before: a large area deep in the Tri-Point Forest is where they're all gathered. There aren't any pockets moving around – though it's to be expected since it's the daytime – and the energy seems a little…muted…Or at least, not as strong as it was last night…"

"At least we know that they don't disappear," Sakura murmured thoughtfully, "And that they all go to one place since you said they're not scattered around the Forest…Hmm…"

Silence followed, only broken by the sound of distant birds and footwear crunching along the path they followed.

"So…" Naruto breathed out, removing his hands from his pockets and placing them behind his head, Sage Mode melting from his facial features, "What's the plan?"

Sakura pursed her lips, slowing down so she could fall into step with her boys, "…Let's split up," She looked up to glance between obsidian and royal blue, "I'm going to see Osamu-san and get some Medical Tools that I can use for some research. You two can head to Base – talk to Dai-san and Raiden-san – get as much information as you can about The Plan and their past experiences with the enemy – to help prepare us."

Sasuke and Naruto nodded – their expressions firm and resolute.

"You can count on us!" Naruto affirmed.

Team Kakashi had parted ways when they had reached the Western Gate of the Bird Border Village. As planned, Sasuke and Naruto headed towards the Northern Compound where Base was while Sakura ventured to the Southern District of the Village, informed by a few helpful – yet still wary – villagers where Yamamoto Osamu's Clinic was located.

Again, Sakura couldn't help but observe her surroundings as she walked the wide streets towards her targeted destination. Despite the warm, sunny day and the slightly crowded streets, the kunoichi could still discern the tension suffocating the air. She noticed the villagers' reserved and suspicious personalities, going through the motions of daily life in a mechanical way, clearly wanting the peaceful environment of the past yet unable to attain it with the knowledge of The Curse plaguing their minds.

Children didn't play freely, and if they did it was in the safety of the sights of their loved ones rather than eagerly exploring their surroundings in typical childish curiosity. Adults spoke in hushed tones, looked at the Medic with uncertainty, and walked about with stiffness in their postures.

The atmosphere was beginning to affect Sakura, the Village's paranoia beginning to seep into her own bones, piling on top of the fears and uncertainties she already possessed concerning the Mission and her own experiences.

She walked faster.

The further she walked the more thinned out the population of the streets became. There were still the occasional crowds, but Sakura noticed that she was beginning to reach the outskirts of the Village's center – particularly away from the busy avenues of the market. Her emerald irises scanned her surroundings, searching for the modest, two-story, yellow-colored building the locals described as Osamu-san's Clinic.

She spotted the building without trouble – the large sign proclaiming 'Clinic' just above the wooden door a blatant indication for her. It was situated on a corner of two intersecting streets, homely and welcoming. However, upon her scrutinizing, her keen eyes caught – just further down the quiet, deserted street – a flash of white, stark against the darkness of an obscure alleyway. Upon closer scrutiny, Sakura found the object of her attention to be a white, metal gate – simple and slightly rusted, usually used as a welcoming entrance to homes or beautiful gardens.

But this white gate…

There were no lush gardens or attractive homes beyond but rather a foreboding darkness that unnerved Sakura. Logically, she could identify her uneasiness as just mild curiosity, wondering what lay beyond the ordinary, innocent-looking entrance with its pathway lined by tall, bricked walls before tapering off into shady brambles leading further south-west towards the Western Forest.

It was a mild curiosity that began to grow with the sudden desire to explore what lay past the ominous white gate and its following darkness.

It was a feeling – pulling at her chest like an invisible lure.

'…Strange…'

"You…"

Sakura's inner musings were immediately interrupted by the desperate voice that reached her. Blinking, the Medic twisted her head and was met by large, brown eyes that were staring straight at her. A woman stood just a few feet away from Sakura and was probably only a few years her senior, dressed in civilian attire. Her hands trembled, gripping the front of her sweater as she stared at the Hidden Leaf kunoichi with pleading.

"…May I help you…?" Sakura asked unsurely, peripherals finding small groups of people at the streets' sides, their eyes directed on the exchange, curious.

"Y-You're one of those shinobi, yes?" The woman asked, voice shaky, eyes growing moist, "Y-You're trying to stop The Curse, right?" He voice was steadily getting higher with what Sakura diagnosed was hysteria, but before she could voice her confirmation or help comfort her with kind words the woman had lunged forward, grabbing Sakura's wrists tightly – almost painfully – nails digging into her skin, "M-My son went missing! M-My husband went after him and hasn't returned either! They've both been gone for two weeks! You're going to find them, right? Right? F-Find them! My husband! My SON! You have to! PLEASE!"

Stunned, Sakura could only stare with equally wide eyes into the terrified and desperate expression painted plainly on the woman's face. Around her, the whispers of the surrounding crowds were getting louder but the kunoichi couldn't concentrate on their words. The fear and anxiety in the woman's eyes gripped Sakura's heart and she wanted to open her mouth, spill out assurances, make promises, do anything but stand there stupidly, but she couldn't.

All her mind could conjure up was, 'Who is this woman? Don't touch me; I don't know where your husband or you son is! I'll TRY! Just let go of me! Let go of me NOW! LET GO!'

But before the words could bubble out of her mouth in her panic, warm hands had grasped hers, prying the deathly grip off her wrists, causing teary brown and wide emerald to shift towards cloudy blue-grey.

"We're trying our hardest to find them," Isamu stated softly – gently. He was holding both the woman's hands in his, looking down at her with kind sympathy while Sakura watched with slight detachment from the scene, heart still slowing from her panic, "We need a little more time, every second counts, which means we need to leave Haruno-san alone to continue her research…"

Isamu continued to voice encouragement – hope, faith – to the older, sobbing woman but his words became muted to Sakura's ears. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply to regain her bearings.

"…Sakura-san?"

The familiarly aged voice caused Sakura's eyes to open, greeted with the sight of Osamu, leaning heavily against his wooden cane and his round, spectacled gaze filled with concern under furrowed, white brows.

"I-I'm so sorry," The distraught woman apologized as she wiped her rolling tears from her cheeks. Sakura switched her gaze towards her as Isamu gently tapped her shoulder with console, "I-I didn't mean to surprise you, I-I just…my husband…my son – and Osamu-san, I didn't mean to interrupt you…I…I…"

"My dear," Osamu cut in kindly, hobbling forward, "Do not fret, your worry is to be expected for your loved ones. You look exhausted, go home and get some rest…"

Before he passed Sakura, the Civilian Physician offered her a kind smile before gesturing to the open door of his Clinic with a slight wave of his wooden cane.

"I can only assume you came all this way to the Southern District to make me a visit," His pleasant smile broadened, "Feel free to wait inside, Sakura-san; I'll be right with you."

Sakura stared at him before panning her gaze once more to Isamu and the sniffling stranger, "…Right."

With a sense of relief, Sakura turned and walked away, towards the Clinic, her steps measured yet slightly hurried. Another set of footsteps followed.

Just before she stepped through the Clinic entranceway, a sudden weight rested atop Sakura's shoulder, "…Feeling the pressure?" Isamu's voice was soft and considerate, if not a little curious.

Silent, Sakura looked to the floor, pink brows furrowed, "…I just…" She sighed, resigned, "Yeah, actually, I am. It's…a heavy acknowledgement when there are so many people counting on you."

"It is," Isamu agreed with a nod, "Remember though: Chin Up, Haruno-san. You aren't shouldering this alone, yeah?"

It was nice to be reminded that and Sakura smiled, "Yeah. Thanks, Isamu-san."

"Good," He grinned, patting her shoulder once more before moving off, adjusting a pack on his back that she had failed to see before, "Alright, I've got to head to Base, but I'll see you there, right?"

Sakura nodded, "Yeah, I'll be there."

One more wave in farewell and Isamu walked off towards the Northern Compound. Smiling, feeling a little more at ease, Sakura entered the Clinic with a renewed determination pushing her.

When Sasuke and Naruto entered the Northern Compound they were greeted with a flurry of activities; Base was alive with energy. An excited grin immediately lit up Naruto's expression as he watched various spars in motion scattered across the open landscape of the Compound. The Suzuki Twins, Akio and Akemi, were parrying Taijutsu attacks with impressive fluidity and power. Occasional insults thrown by sibling rivalry could be heard above the 'clang' of metal, competitive smirks gracing both their faces.

"You're getting slower, Akemi!" The red-headed male taunted as they jumped a respectable distance away from each other; he lifted his chained scythe in defensive preparation, "Don't tell me you're putting on even more weight!"

Akemi visibly reddened in response, throwing her right arm forward and pointing the tip of her sai towards her smirking twin, "Shut up! I'll show you slow!"

With notable alacrity, Akemi performed a series of hand seals subsequently holding up her dual sai before a crackling blue energy bordered the narrow blades, "Raiton: Rakurai!"

With a soft grunt Akemi pushed off the ground with chakra-enhanced force, speeding toward her brother as her weapons left a trail of blue light, a vicious cry leaving her lips as she swiftly swung her sai with practiced grace and efficiency. Akio dodged, rolling out of the way of her second strike, electric currents grazing his skin in uncomfortable shocks. Steadying himself on one knee, he counter-attacked with a swing of his scythe, forcing Akemi to jump away from the blade and the added length of its attached chain.

"Katon: Ketsugō-en no Jutsu," Akio muttered as he executed his own set of hand seals. A bright spark lit the clearing before a burst of flame crawled along Akio's weapon, coating the chain and the scythe in red heat leaving the twins glowing in respective orange and blue, glowering in fortitude.

Akio was the first to move, swinging the chain in his hold – untouched by fire – towards his sister, like a flaming whip. Nimble as she was, Akemi dodged, jumping above and ducking below the dangerous scythe, barely missing strikes that would not only draw blood but burn the wound terribly.

"…They go all out, don't they?" Naruto observed beside Sasuke.

Akemi had now taken the offensive, running towards Akio at her best opening, taking her electric-covered sai and slashing it with the intent to wound his torso, only for it to be blocked by his scythe. The ensuing collision of both weapons – fire and electricity – caused an explosion that blew both siblings back.

"We have to, if we're going to survive out there," A familiar, masculine voice stated.

Sasuke and Naruto turned away from the Suzuki Twin's continued spar to find Akiyama Raiden standing feet away, rubbing a towel through his sweat-drenched, silver-white locks.

He grinned in greeting before throwing the towel over his shoulder, "We've been preparing extra hard for The Plan – today we'll be getting in a few vigorous spars and workouts as well as going over our strategy. I assume that's why you're here?"

Both Naruto and Sasuke nodded in affirmation.

"And Sakura-san?" The older shinobi asked curiously as he looked around for their female comrade.

"She'll be around later," Naruto answered, "She had to visit Osamu-jii-chan for some stuff."

"Alright," Raiden acknowledged, "Well, you're welcome to join in on some spars – our meeting won't start for another hour or two."

"Sasu-nii! Naru-nii!"

Sasuke felt tiny, petite hands curl around one of his own prompting him to look down into silver-grey eyes that shined brightly with excitement, emphasized with her incessant tugging.

"You're here!" The young girl beamed happily.

"Hi, Reika-chan," Naruto greeted with a wide grin of his own.

"Where's Saku-nee?" She asked, looking around, a hint of fear reaching her eyes when she found no sign of the pink-haired Medic, "Is she okay?"

"…She's fine. She'll be here later," Sasuke answered, earning a relieved smile from the tiny child.

"Okay!" She released Sasuke's hand and ran behind the two Leaf shinobi, pushing their backsides with both her hands, "I made cookies again! Have some!"

Raiden smiled, amused, before waving them along and leaving to join Shin, Souta, and Dai on the Training Grounds. Behind Sasuke and Naruto, Reika was babbling excitedly, continuing to push them along towards a table and canopy that had been set up at the edge of the Practice Fields.

Only two figures were seated under the shade of the awning accompanied by the smell of freshly-baked cookies. One they recognized as Takeru, serious-looking as ever with his crossed arms, surveying his comrades critically as they sparred. The other figure was a little older than Takeru, had a larger, more muscled build, though his blue eyes sparkled as he laughed and munched on the baked treats, also watching the progress of those younger than him.

"Masa-jii! Take-oji!" Reika squealed as she ran towards the table and pointed at Sasuke and Naruto animatedly, "Look who's here!"

Both men turned towards them upon Reika's call. Takeru's reaction was immediate – he scowled, mumbled under his breath, and left the table before Sasuke and Naruto could arrive. Naruto scowled also and Reika and the other male watched Takeru leave with matching frowns.

"Take-oji…" Reika whispered in melancholy.

The older male sighed before allowing a wide smile of welcome to spread across his face. He stood, dusting cookie crumbs off his lap – his tall stature and the friendliness he exuded reminded both Leaf Ninja of the late Jiraiya.

"Considering the way Takeru up and left just now," He stated in a deep, rumbling voice, "You must be the hired help Daisuke-boy called for. Pleasure to meet you," He held out a large, meaty hand, "The name is Kobayashi Masahiro."

Naruto took his hand with equal openness, "Hi! I'm Uzumaki Naruto! And this is Sasuke-bastard! You'll probably be meeting Sakura-chan later!"

Masahiro laughed, intrigued by the boy's happy personality, "I'm sure you've already heard the many thanks for your help but I'd like to add my own," He gestured to the open seats which the two shinobi took – Reika climbing onto Naruto's lap – and settled himself back in his chair, expression dimmed, "Even I will admit that we need it."

Naruto grinned, "Happy to help!"

"So in exchange for your help," Masahiro started as he leaned forward with folded hands, "I'll answer any and all questions that you may have. I'm sure there are many things you wish to know."

Sasuke and Naruto exchanged a glance before making themselves comfortable.

"Actually…" Naruto started, "There are."

When Sakura entered Yamamoto Osamu's Clinic a sense of being home filled her – even if the walls weren't white-washed and the air didn't smell of chemicals the simple knowledge and atmosphere of where healing took place left Sakura feeling a little more at ease.

She glanced around at the yellow walls, decorated with images of past patients, pictures the local children drew, and posters of medically-related diseases and cures. Cots lined the back of the room, tables were neatly covered with tools, and a door leading to the back was probably used for excess supplies. On shelves connected to the walls, plants were lined up, small white cards in front of them indicating their name and use – Sakura recognized most as medicinal herbs and there were others she wasn't familiar with, though she assumed they were native to Bird Country.

In the small waiting area Sakura absently took note of the children's play area, colored brightly in soft pinks, purples, and yellows, scattered with dolls and other playthings for youngsters. Osamu-san seemed like the type of man – type of doctor – who went out of his way to make sure his patients, particularly his younger ones, felt as comfortable as possible, especially with check-ups. Sakura could understand and tried to apply it in her own work ethic – the more comfortable the child the less problems of nervousness and fear during the check-up.

The Medic couldn't help but snort as she recalled Naruto's and Sasuke's check-ups who abhorred physical examinations – if only adults could be so easily placated.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Sakura-san?" Osamu asked as he hobbled in from the entrance, eyes bright.

"Osamu-san," She bowed, "I apologize for the late notice and unexpected visit but I was wondering if I could borrow a few Medical Tools for some research."

"Oh yes, yes, of course, not a problem my dear," The older man assured as he moved past her towards his Tool Table, rummaging under the desk and removing a large messenger bag to put the supplies in, "May I ask how your research is going, Sakura-san? As you had seen outside, our community is growing quite anxious…"

He sent her a sad glance before placing a spare microscope in the carrier; Sakura frowned also, "I'm hoping I'll have more answers by tonight – with the help of your tools of course."

He nodded before pulling out a drawer and removing several Petri Dishes, "You know…I can empathize with the villagers. I may not have lost family to The Curse but I have lost family – my brothers, my cousins, my wife and son – to the Third Ninja World War. Being surrounded by these tragedies brings back those sad memories," He paused in brief thought before removing a medical kit and adding it to the weathered sack, "I can't thank you enough for coming. It may not seem like it but your and your team's presence rekindles our hope. It helps us to know that actions are still being taken to help us and to finally put those lost to rest…"

Sakura could feel her heart weigh heavier with the elder man's words. It was nice to hear that Team Kakashi's appearance brought hope but it also applied pressure to the outcome of their given aid.

"And…between you and me, Sakura-san," Osamu began hesitantly, "I believe you bring Daisuke hope too – he's changed over the years…more introverted and isolated, throwing himself fully in his research of The Curse. He seems better now, more positive. As a man who looks after that boy like a son, I ask that you please keep an eye on him – keep him level-headed and safe."

Sakura blinked, nodding slowly as Osamu finished packing the supplies and walked towards her, full bag in hand.

"I'll try…" Sakura answered as she gratefully took the carrier from his hands.

"Daisuke…" Osamu sighed, resting both hands on the top of his cane, "…Daisuke has many secrets also – he's a guarded boy because of his past – particularly his sister and teammates. However, don't let it deter you – it takes time for him to open up, be patient if you can. I've known him most of his life and he still hides things from me…If you need to, protect him from himself…"

"…I'll keep that in mind…" Sakura answered as she shouldered the messenger bag, "…Thank you, Osamu-san."

"It's my pleasure," He smiled, bowing his head, "Stop by anytime, Sakura-san."

The Medic returned his smile – mind a little chaotic with the words of his speech – but she bowed in thanks and turned to leave, giving a final wave before closing the door behind her.

'Can this Mission get any more complicated…?' Sakura thought dismally as she stared up at the late-afternoon sun, 'And Dai-san…What secrets could you be withholding…?'

The inquisitiveness from before entering Osamu's Clinic also returned and Sakura's emerald irises swiftly met the sight of the lone, white gate at the end of the street. Frowning, Sakura began to walk towards it.

"What can be through there?" Sakura muttered curiously.

The end of the street where the ominous entryway lay was deserted of any people – as if repelling the community but still pulling her in with intrigue. When she reached the gate a coincidental gust of wind blew against her body and through her pastel locks, pushing her towards the darkened alleyway.

Reaching out a hesitant hand, Sakura's fingers brushed along the cool metal before she applied increased pressure, pushing the gate open with a consequent whine of rusted iron. Looking around, making sure she had no other company, Sakura ventured forward into the darkness.

Naruto took a cookie from the offered plate and helped himself to a generous bite. Reika had left his lap to talk to Akio and Akemi, who were treating their respective injuries now that their spar was over. Sasuke sat in typical silence next to the blonde, dark eyes directed towards Dai, Souta, Raiden, and Shin, who were training on the Fields, though his ears were open to Masahiro's explanations.

"Can you tell us…?" Naruto started as he picked up another cookie, "Can you tell us everyone's involvement in The Curse? As much as we don't want to pry…" He trailed off uncertainly, not wanting to voice his suspicions of The Group aloud.

Masahiro seemed to understand Naruto's implications and only nodded kindly, "We've either lost a loved one or our reasons are for the Village itself – to protect our home and the community within it."

The older man's smile faded and he picked up his glass of lemonade and took a sip, "Sasaki Yuudai and his wife, Yuen – Reika's father and mother – had been my closest friends and my students. We were one of the first cells to be dispatched for this Mission. While my initial reason had been to simply complete an Assignment – the reasons I follow now are to avenge my best friends' deaths and finish what we started so many years ago…"

Naruto looked at him with sorrow, watching as Masahiro blinked in remembrance before setting down his beverage and pushing onward, blue eyes focusing on the Suzuki Twins, "Akio and Akemi lost their father to The Curse – a shinobi who was also assigned to the Assignment several years ago."

He tilted his chin towards Dai, Souta, and Takeru, who were practicing Fire Jutsu on distant targets, "Takeru lost his wife to The Curse – she was an exceptional kunoichi, admired in the village – and he loved her very much, which is why he hates The Curse with a passion," He frowned, eyeing the younger boys on the Training Field, "Souta and Daisuke lost their sisters – I'm sure you know that Dai-boy's sister – Aneko – was one of the first attacks."

Naruto nodded his head in recollection.

Masahiro then gestured to the other side of the field where Raiden, Shin, and Kasumi were seated, discussing quietly in their huddle, "Those three over there are a cell – or, well, actually Raiden and Shin were in an original team."

"Original team?" Naruto asked, confused.

Masahiro nodded, "Raiden and Shin had another team member – Aneko, Daisuke-boy's older sister," Naruto's eyes widened in surprise and even Sasuke turned his head to regard him, "Their team was close, and although young, Raiden and Aneko cared for each other very much. When she died by The Curse, Raiden and Shin were just as adamant in avenging her as Daisuke-boy was. Kasumi joined their team not long after – she's probably the only one of The Group that doesn't have a reason to be here…"

"…Why does she stay then?" Naruto asked as he eyed the woman he had met the night before – quiet and expressionless – beautiful and intimidating.

"I believe she may have feelings for Raiden also…" Masahiro confessed, thoughtful, "…But she isn't the type of woman to openly express them," The older male shook his head, mumbling softly to himself – though Naruto and Sasuke could barely catch his softened words, "…Sensing a bit of a love-triangle between those three though…"

Sasuke locked stares with Masahiro, onyx eyes sharpened, "…Do you know the reasons for the Rain Ninja's presence?"

Masahiro blinked, his hand absently coming up to stroke his scruffy chin, "Not entirely too sure about that kid – just that Raiden and Souta found him wandering the Tri-Point Forest looking for clues. I'm assuming he was dispatched by Rain to find out about the Border Village disappearances but you'll have to get the full details from him. Though, I'm not complaining with his presence – he's helped us out a lot these past few weeks."

Sasuke hardly looked convinced with his sharply furrowed brows, but he dropped the subject as he turned away, refocusing his attention on the shinobi on the Practice Grounds.

Deciding to move them along, Naruto continued his inquiries, "What do you think about these Creatures, Masahiro-san? You've fought them, right?"

The older man gave a half-hearted grin, "They're annoying and terrifying as hell; and believe me, I've seen my share of gruesome things but never like this…Those walking bodies, those deformed creatures, that Shadow woman and Little Girl – whoever made these things or whatever The Curse was derived from must have really pissed off the balance between natural and unnatural," He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and gained back control of his rising temper, "…Those things aren't easy to fight – one good hit and they'll fall but then they'll just get right back up. Fire can only do so much and if you touch the Creature, you're as good as dead. The Deformed are vicious and that Little Girl – it's a wonder how something that should be innocent is anything but. I don't know what to tell you boys, except that when you go out there – stay together and don't get cornered. Once you're separated or isolated – you're done for."

Naruto gulped, the hand reaching for the last cookie going limp. Sasuke's demeanor only darkened – fists clenching with multiplied awareness of the lack of preparation, experience, and knowledge him and his Team were armed with.

Sakura frowned as she cautiously followed the darkened, brick pathway, her hands fisted tightly around the strap of the messenger bag Osamu had lent her. The wind tunnel that the narrow alleyway created caused her to shiver, warily watching the dark foliage ahead as it swayed with the currents. She frowned with every cautious step taken, her heart beating loudly in her ears, blood rushing hotly through her veins as a sense of foreboding washed over her.

The pathway she walked was covered with scattered dead leaves from the surrounding trees. The walls of the alley were made up of residential units and when the trail tapered off with the buildings' ends, Sakura found herself walking alongside aged trees, the sunlight blocked off by the thick canopies of leaves above. She eyed the surrounding trees warily – although they were green and lush she couldn't help but feel that they were exuding death and warning based upon the dark shadows they cast.

Several more yards she walked until the trees lining her sides began to lessen in number and then finally branched out into a larger space leading Sakura into a darkened clearing at what appeared to be the edge of the Western Forest. She stopped in her tracks, following the continued trail with her eyes before a final black iron gate reached her vision. It creaked, swinging lightly with the wind, it's marked entrance leading up to a dark and quiet, two-storey house, looming threateningly even under the dimmed afternoon light.

"…A house…" She muttered before looking around at the untouched, dead gardens, the trees leading back to the town behind her, and sensing no other presences in the immediate vicinity, "…It's so…isolated…"

Biting her lower lip, Sakura hesitated briefly before continuing her venture up the darkened trail, flinching lightly as the black gate creaked loudly in the silence as she pushed it open. Tremendous curiosity, however, kept moving her forward and she vigilantly continued her trek until she stopped at the foot of the entrance steps.

Now that she stood looking up at the ominous-looking house, Sakura wasn't quite sure what she was trying to accomplish. To sate her curiosity, perhaps? Was it an attempt to find anything? To justify any suspicions towards the villagers and its community? To put her chaotic mind into even more pandemonium?

Sakura tilted her head, scrutinizing the quiet building with narrowed eyes. It was just like any other house if not a little gloomy in its run-down state, but it seemed abandoned with its unkempt gardens and lacking maintenance. No one seemed to be home either with the curtains drawn and the windows showing nothing but complete darkness beyond. Perhaps the owners had left to the Capitol after The Curse started? Or maybe they had fallen victim to The Curse like so many others had…

She frowned and took a single step back. She wouldn't go snooping no matter how much she wanted to, because she didn't want to risk tainting any memories or invading property and privacy. Besides, it was just an abandoned building – if not a little creepy-looking Sakura really found no other reason to continue investigating. And she couldn't base her sudden prying on just a gut feeling that something didn't seem right even with the circumstances – she had no right.

"…But still…" Sakura whispered as she reluctantly began to turn away from the house, "…This place does feel…strange…"

Thud.

Sakura stiffened, her keen hearing catching the muffled sound against the leaves crunching against her boots. She turned her head back to the house, not doubting that the subdued noise had originated from within. Clutching the strap of her medical tools bag, Sakura suspiciously stepped towards the house's right side where she was sure the sound had come from.

If Sakura hadn't been completely positive that a noise had indeed sounded, she would have summed it up as her mind playing tricks on her. However, as she neared a small, frosted window, big enough to barely fit a toddler should he or she decide to explore, Sakura's suspicions continued to rise. It was just inches above the ground, indicating a below-ground-level room: a basement she presumed.

It looked normal, a window that could be opened from the inside but she could see something barely through the frosted glass, attached. It was a rectangular paper, its size and dimensions familiar to her.

"An…ofuda…?" Sakura whispered unsurely.

Her brows furrowed sharply, curiosity and confusion increasing tenfold. Continuing her examination, however, Sakura could not discern any moving forms through the hazy glass and she could hear no further noises as she pressed an ear to the wall.

Perhaps she had imagined the noise…

Huffing with exasperation and increasing irritation, Sakura turned from the house and began to walk away, reminding herself that she had other priorities to attend to – namely her research and the medical tools she had recently acquired for use. Casting a final glance at the dark building the Medic nearly ran into the lone mailbox in her haste. Inquisitiveness returning once more, Sakura swiped the dead leaves from the top, circling the rusted object in search of a name.

In faded, bolded characters on the side, she was still able to read Makoto Residence.

Unbidden, anger began to swell in her stomach and her fists clenched tightly, "Makoto – Makoto Daisuke."

Her logical mind began to argue that 'Makoto' was a common name but she pushed it aside with ferocity – it was too coincidental.

"…Calm down, Sakura…" She commanded herself, even as she glared at the words painted clearly in front of her, "Just think about this, don't go berserk, don't lose your temper…everyone is entitled to their secrets…" She frowned, "Though there are some that shouldn't be kept…"

Osamu's words chose that time to flicker into her mind, '…Daisuke has many secrets also – he's a guarded boy because of his past – particularly his sister and teammates. However, don't let it deter you – it takes time for him to open up, be patient if you can. I've known him most of his life and he still hides things from me…If you need to, protect him from himself…'

"What secrets are you hiding?" Sakura whispered as she glared at the house – suspicious of what she had tried to inspect just minutes earlier.

Reluctantly, decisively, she turned away from the building and walked with determined intent back to the Bird Village. She had to be smart about this; she couldn't jump to any conclusions. Dai may have his reasons – maybe he didn't even live there anymore because of memories of his sister, Aneko. Maybe he was waiting for the right time to share this particular piece of information. Either way, she was feeling too angry to face him. She couldn't put herself in a position where she would blow up, especially when she, herself, had been snooping without reservations.

She'd give Daisuke a chance to redeem himself, to tell her of his own accord – to reveal what exactly he was hiding and was failing to inform her.

For now, she would research. Naruto and Sasuke would have to handle Base and The Group without her for today.

Early evening was beginning to descend on the Bird Border Village and Naruto and Sasuke silently followed the members of The Group into the house. Their meeting concerning The Plan would begin in a few minutes and both Leaf Ninja had noticed Sakura's continued absence with the day's progression. The two would have exercised more concern with this knowledge hadn't Naruto entered Sage Mode and pinpointed her location back at their temporary living space. They shared a glance before silently deciding that they just follow through with the meeting and check up on her after it was finished. They would find out her reasons for her nonattendance later.

Everyone had assembled in the Dining Area, taking seats around the wooden table – now cleaned of the scattered files Naruto and Sasuke had seen the day prior. Reika had already been sent to her room hours before for a nap and Isamu had returned to Base equipped with medical supplies Dai had him retrieve from Osamu earlier in the afternoon. Several more spars occurred – Naruto eagerly taking part against Daisuke and Souta – before everyone had been called in to discuss The – much anticipated – Plan.

At the end of the Dining Table – nearer to the back door – Raiden, Kasumi, and Shin were talking in hushed voices, occasionally pointing at a scroll in Shin's hands. Along the left side of the table, Takeru was silent, arms crossed over his torso; at his right, Akemi was inspecting a bruise on her arm; to her right, Akio was frowning, inspecting one of his scythes and glaring at his twin when he found a mark upon the steel blade; and then, ending the left side row was Dai, who was perusing intently through a scroll of his own.

Lining the right side of the Dining Room Table, across from Takeru, was Isamu – the Rain Ninja oblivious to the guarded glare Takeru was aiming at him and instead laughing with hilarity as he watched the Suzuki Twins begin to bicker across from him. At Isamu's left was Souta, his dark brown eyes staring eagerly at the scroll in Shin's hands before he shifted his head and waved Naruto over to sit beside him. The Leaf shinobi wasted no time in taking the indicated seat, dragging the scowling Uchiha to the unoccupied chair on his other side. Masahiro, grinning at the ruckus around the table, only chuckled before settling himself in the last free chair of the row.

"Don't you ever stop reading, Daisuke-boy?" Masahiro asked good-naturedly, waving his large hand in front of the navy-eyed male across from him.

Daisuke waved his own hand in attempt to move Masahiro's from his vision, briefly looking up to share a half-hearted smirk, "Trust me, you don't want me to stop. This is vital research material, old man."

Masahiro laughed loudly, "Knowing you, I'm sure you've read every, single report at least ten times already. Take a break!"

"No can do," Dai answered distractedly, eyes already roving meticulously over the coarse parchment.

Masahiro only shook his head in response. His lips were twitched upward in amusement, but his eyes were shining with clear concern, "Have it your way, boy."

"…Hey, where's Sakura-nee-chan?"

Sasuke turned his head, switching his attention from Masahiro's and Dai's conversation at his left to the exchange between Souta and Naruto at his right. The younger boy was shifting his chocolate-brown gaze between the two Leaf Ninja, brows pinched with worry.

"She's back at the house;" Naruto answered with a shrug, "Figure she's tired since it didn't look like she got much sleep last night. Sasuke and I will tell her about what's going on when we head back tonight."

Souta's tense shoulder relaxed a fraction but his expression still contained hints of concern. Subtly, his eyes shifted to Dai – whose own navy eyes had paused in reading – before nodding his head in acceptance for Naruto's benefit and turning his body to talk with Isamu. The slight movements did not go unnoticed by Sasuke, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Before Sasuke could think up a way to confront Dai – maybe even corner him with words that could cause a slip in information – Raiden had cleared his throat, prompting complete silence and everyone's full attention directed at the white-haired man.

"Is everyone here?" His charcoal eyes scanned the table, landing on Sasuke and Naruto in question of their female teammate, "Sakura-san?"

Sasuke closed his eyes and crossed his arms, "She's probably caught up continuing her research; we'll fill her in later."

Raiden nodded his head before he took the scroll in Shin's hand and opened it up, revealing a map of the Tri-Point Forest, "Alright, as we all know, The Plan is to commence in two days. Our mission is to cut through the Twisted Valley at the Tri-Point's center and investigate what's beyond it," His gloved hand pointed to a center-point on the map, blurred with the unknown of its geography, "The day will be no problem, however it's when night falls that it gets tricky: by cutting through the Twisted Valley we'll be moving deeper into the forest, which also means farther from the safety of the village. Even if we decide to retreat for another day it will be a difficult battle to get back inside the protective barrier."

"Then we had better cut through that forest fast," Akio muttered.

"Obviously," Akemi mumbled, exasperated, earning a glare from her brother.

"We've marked points along the Twisted Valley's edge where we've spotted tracks leading in or have witnessed the creatures enter through," Raiden continued as he pointed at red dots on the map, "We figured that if they're able to maneuver at these particular points then it might not be too dense which will hopefully make it a little easier for us to get through also."

"How do we plan on cutting through?" Naruto asked, confused, "You said before that the reason you've never explored there was because it's too complicated to get through…"

Shin nodded, stepping forward, voice smoothed and calm, "We'll be using various means – axes, Fire Jutsu, we've even learned a few Earth Jutsu to help push through the foliage. It's possible to get through, it's only time consuming."

"Because there are multiple, possible entrance points, we'll be splitting up into teams to cover more ground," Raiden continued, "What we'll be searching for is a route that can get us into the Twisted Valley with as little trouble as possible. Each team will have at least one Fire Type and one Medic for obvious reasons."

Raiden waved a hand and Kasumi stepped forward, removing a scroll from her obi, her voice spilled out in composed mellowness, "The teams are as follows: Team One will consist of Akio, Uzumaki-san, and myself. Team Two consists of Raiden, Akemi, and Uchiha-san. Team Three is made up of Daisuke, Souta, and Haruno-san. Team Four is Shin, Takeru, and Isamu-san."

Takeru turned red, hands fisting together as he glared at Raiden, "You're teaming me with him," He threw out his hand to point at Isamu, the Rain Ninja's eyes wide but not offended.

"Your Earth Jutsu will be beneficial in cutting through the Forest," Raiden answered coolly, unaffected by Takeru's glare, "His limited knowledge of Fire Jutsu will also be useful, and Shin has practiced some medical Ninjutsu thanks to Kasumi. You're an ideal team."

"I'd rather work with the Twin brats," Takeru countered earning identical glares from two pairs of olive eyes.

"Hey!"

"They're needed for the other teams' compatibility," Raiden sighed, "Deal with it, Takeru, it's only until we can cut into the Twisted Valley."

"Yeah," Isamu cut in, grinning, "You can trust me."

Takeru growled in response, "Like hell, I hardly know you," His eyes purposely flashed towards Naruto and Sasuke also.

"Grow up, Takeru," Masahiro laughed, "Let's be mature about this."

"I didn't hear your name being called, Kobayashi," The scarred man retorted.

"Someone's got to watch little Reika," The eldest responded plainly.

"Will you all just shut up?" Akemi groaned, rubbing her temples.

"The decisions are final, Takeru-san," Shin cut in smoothly, though his tone was edged with warning, "We're working together for a reason – this is far bigger than your personal qualms against Isamu-san, so I suggest you prioritize your antagonism."

Takeru glared but remained silent, crossing his arms contemptuously over his chest; Raiden continued, his eyes locking on the males of Team Kakashi, "I apologize for the abruptness of this decision, Sasuke-san and Naruto-san, for splitting up your team; however, considering your lacking experience we felt that placing you with at least one of us," He gestured to himself, Kasumi, Shin and Daisuke, "Then chances of your survival will increase."

Naruto frowned slightly, glancing at Sasuke to see his eyes opened and staring down at the polished tabletop, "…I guess…"

Raiden offered a reassuring smile, "As I mentioned before, these teams are only set up for cutting through to the Twisted Valley; investigatory teams within the Twisted Valley will also be different."

Sasuke closed his eyes once more, "…That's fine." Sakura would agree that splitting up would be beneficial as well, keeping an eye on as many people as they could; although risky to split up, Team Kakashi was formidable as a team and as solo opponents.

Looking back to Raiden, Naruto shrugged and jabbed his thumb towards the Uchiha, "What he said."

"May I…May I make a suggestion?" Daisuke spoke – the first time since the meeting started surprisingly. All eyes turned to him, his own navy irises directed intently on the scroll in his hands.

"And what suggestion is that?" Raiden asked, curious.

Dai took a breath and finally looked up, piercing his stare straight through Raiden's dark gaze, "I suggest…that we move The Plan to tomorrow."

Several eyes widened with surprise and Raiden quirked a single brow, curiosity still captured, "Why's that?"

The younger male licked his bottom lip, eyes darting to everyone on the table, stare fixing considerably on Souta before he met Raiden's interested look once more, "We're running out of time. The sooner we do this the sooner this can all be over. Why wait another day? The new ofudas have already been sent from the Capitol, Osamu-san restocked our medical supplies, and we've trained and discussed…What else is there to do?"

"Not all of us are ready, Dai," Raiden answered, sending a pointed look towards Sasuke and Naruto.

Dai sighed, "I get it, I'm not trying to put anyone in danger, it's just – time isn't on our side. Even if we just went out during the daylight tomorrow to scout ahead and start cutting through. I just can't sit around another day doing nothing…"

"Patience is a virtue," Raiden challenged thoughtfully, "I see your point but everyone needs to be in agreement."

"For once, I agree with the kid," Takeru stated gruffly, "Why wait?"

"I'm in!" Souta shouted eagerly, brows furrowed in determination.

Akio closed his eyes, "No complaints from me…"

Akemi bit her lip, unsure, "…I suppose…"

Isamu leaned back in his chair, resting his hands behind his head in a posture of relaxation, "Got nothing better to do, yeah."

All eyes turned to Sasuke and Naruto, the blonde frowning uncertainly; wishing Sakura was with them to help make the decision. She was the one with the most knowledge considering her experience and research – she would be better able to judge their readiness.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, eyes still closed, "My teammates and I aren't ready."

Takeru immediately scowled and even Souta frowned with disappointment.

"You can't expect us to readily jump in there when we don't know what's going on," Sasuke countered with a fierce glare, "Last time that happened, you almost got my teammate killed," He directed the accusation towards Dai, who flinched guiltily; he panned his gaze to everyone in the room, "We may be here to help but we're not going to throw our lives away carelessly," He looked at Raiden, "And although you say we may trust you with your experience to protect us, trust can only go so far towards people we hardly know – people who used deception to get our help," Again another glare was thrown towards Dai, "So no, my team and I aren't ready."

"…I agree with Sasuke," Naruto spoke up calmly, "As much as I really want to help – I don't know how I can help when I don't know what I'm dealing with…"

"So what do you suggest we do?" Takeru scowled, "Have the entire group wait for you until you're ready?"

"Hey, we're the ones who were called to help, don't blame us for not being debriefed about this unexpected assignment," Naruto retorted.

"I didn't think we needed help in the first place," Takeru scoffed.

"Alright," Raiden placated with his hands up, "You three are guests to our lands and we did decide to call for your aid. What do you suggest, Uchiha-san?"

Sasuke's jaw clenched, "Since you three seem to be the most knowledgeable – and most willing – to keep us prepared…" Referring to Raiden, Shin, and Kasumi, "I want you to tell us everything you know about these creatures – fighting styles, attack patterns, techniques – anything that I feel will have us prepared enough to start tomorrow like you all want."

Raiden scrutinized Sasuke calmly before smirking, shrugging his shoulders, "Sounds fair. It may take a bit of the night."

"Add in some spars," Naruto cut in eagerly, "Motor experience – give us some visual and movement examples too!"

Shin nodded, "Alright."

"…Does that mean we're starting tomorrow?" Souta asked.

Naruto smirked, body tensed with anticipation, "Depends on how the night goes…"

Sakura stared down at the Inventory Scroll in her hand thoughtfully before she shifted her gaze to the Medical Supplies she had set-up on the desk of the Study. Taking a deep breath she sat at the desk, unfurling the Scroll and removing a few evidence cards – one smeared from the trail of The Creature, another smeared with the blood of Satsuma Yoshiro from the autopsy she performed, and the last covered with the substance that had coated Yoshiro's heart – also from the autopsy.

Rummaging through her messenger bag, Sakura removed a few glass vials filled with what she had taken from the bathtub – after Dai had burned Yoshiro's reanimated body into nothing but charred rubble and dust. Her head twisted slightly to gaze at the plastic bag atop the filing cabinet, filled with remnant skin and bones – like the top of Yoshiro's head from his scalping.

Putting the evidence to the side, Sakura sighed as she slipped on a pair of latex gloves and took a seat on the chair, pulling the microscope closer to her.

She stared at her arrangement, feeling a sense of hope for new and helpful answers, determined to set a foundation for new clues or set her on the correct path for solving the mystery. With a resolute nod she picked up the first card of evidence, covered with the dark trail substance The Creature left behind. Carefully placing it under the scope, the Medic held her breath as she leaned in to gaze through the magnified glass.

Unfortunately, she was only human with limited knowledge and she stared down at the magnified image with furrowed brows, trying to make sense of what exactly she was seeing. The red specks littering the white surface of the card were blood no doubt – it was the dark substance Sakura couldn't identify. Removing a utensil from her given tools, Sakura scratched the metal pick along the card, gathering some material up and bringing it closer for her viewing. It was a substance that crumbled – reminding her of the texture of soil.

"Could it be soil?" Sakura asked herself, remembering she had compared it to dirt just a few days before also.

Sighing, Sakura switched the first evidence card out for the second, covered with the blood from Satsuma Yoshiro's autopsy. The new leaflet was dominantly covered in deep crimson, but Sakura found that the mysterious black substance was also present. Sakura wasn't an expert at identifying blood but the scarlet fluid always held trace amounts of chakra – minute but there. It was how blood seals could be formed, strengthened by the liquid life-force of a person and fused with their chakra.

Although a civilian, Yoshiro did possess chakra, everyone possessed chakra – it was just a matter of choosing whether to hone it or not. She closed her eyes, spreading her chakra to the tiny card and finding trace bits of chakra originating from the blood – but a grey haze was also present, similar to the haze she had encountered when trying to analyze the Corpses' chakras the night before – she assumed it was the natural energy Naruto could feel in his Sage Mode.

Sakura returned the first card to her sights, feeling for chakra and feeling a significant difference – the grey haze was still there but the blood held various chakras – almost conflicting – which supported Dai's explanation that it was everyone's blood within the dark trail substance.

"But how?" Sakura wondered aloud, "Why?"

The sun's setting rays slipped through the cracks of the drawn curtains, lighting up the vile near her elbow. Sakura glanced at it before taking a deep breath and uncorking the jar, carefully spilling the contents into a clean petri dish. She placed the clear plate under the scope and removed a pair of tweezers from her tool set, looking through the microscope with growing intrigue.

Picking through the pile of debris, Sakura removed a piece of thickened bone – too large for the petri dish – for closer inspection, squinting her eyes when she found the white item slightly charred, her covered finger sliding against it carefully to remove a thin layer of ash. However, she noticed the object was still unnaturally darkened, in a way not caused by the heat from Dai's Fire Jutsu – it was almost stained, on the inside, giving the bone a grayish hue below the surface, within the marrow.

"Typical bone marrow is either red or yellow," Sakura remembered from past studies, "Not gray."

She set the bone aside and searched through the petri dish once again, removing the lone tooth she had also found. She noticed it was a molar tooth, thicker than that of the premolars, incisors, and canine teeth. Although it was also covered in ash and contained the typical yellowing of plaque, she noticed that like the bone, the enamel was grayed on the inside, beneath the enamel and within the dentine, near where the tooth would have touched the gum.

Captivated, Sakura removed the latex glove from her left hand, allowing a tiny chakra scalpel to form at her index finger and cautiously cut the tooth in half, wanting to find out what the gray matter was. Her frown deepened with confusion and curiosity as she watched a dark, black substance ooze from the freed opening. Apparently the black substance had appeared gray under the white of the enamel and she could only assume the same was in the bone also – the dark substance made gray under the white of the bone.

The matter was liquefied as it left the tooth, trickling lightly along the smooth material of the object. Setting the tooth down, Sakura placed the tweezers back with the other tools before trailing her gloved finger against the dark substance, rubbing it between her index and thumb experimentally, noticing that it resembled that of The Creature's trail.

It was during this thought that the stray beams of sunlight disappeared behind the curtains and below the distant horizon, signaling the evening's arrival. To Sakura's surprise, the substance coating her two fingers shifted, like a ripple of water, the Medic pushing her hand away from her face as she stared wide-eyed at the mysterious element. Her gaze shifted, barely catching the same shift of the material against the tooth. She switched her stare towards the bone, watching with growing astonishment as the gray matter darkened within the marrow – as if moving inside it.

"…What is this?" She whispered with wonder, grabbing a spare, blank card and smearing the liquid on her gloves onto the rigid paper, "…Is this…what controls the Corpses?"

The resemblance of the evidence cards – three cards now turned to four – were remarkably similar and were most likely from the same origins. It was only a matter of what it was – what were the components besides the mixtures of various victims' blood.

Frowning, Sakura pulled her tools closer, ready for a long night of continued research and analysis.

Naruto grunted, crouching low as his royal blue eyes shifted against the darkness of the warehouse, fists clenching tightly as he concentrated his hearing on the slightest of noises. The scattered skylights on the ceiling above acted as a comparable substitute to the thick canopies of the forest, allowing an ample amount of moonlight to cast a dim luminance.

A gust of wind hit his back and Naruto immediately rolled towards a stack of crates, leaning against it to prevent any openings.

"A form of protection or cover can work against you, Naruto-san," A disembodied voice stated amongst the darkness, "Remember that these creatures can seep into the shadows…Every angle is a weak spot in every obscurity."

"So what the fuck am I supposed to do?" Naruto muttered in irritation as a Corpse lunged at him from behind the crate; he cursed again before allowing a weak Rasengan to form in his palm, throwing the attack into the moving cadaver's gut and watching it disappear in a puff of smoke.

"Your Sage Mode will be beneficial," Shin answered calmly, "From what you've told us, you'll have no trouble detecting them in that form. Unfortunately, you cannot practice it since we don't have the means to duplicate their unique chakra patterns. Instead, we will be using this exercise to give you tips in survival."

Footsteps echoed and Naruto turned, finding a replica of The Creature staring at him with feral eyes. He barely had time to dodge as the dark woman disappeared in a blur towards him, grunting as he twisted and threw a paper bomb at her, the ensuing explosion causing the copy to disappear with a pained cry.

"Very good," Shin commented, "Paper bombs are beneficial considering their fire properties. Remember, however, that it won't be destroyed like the clone is – it will retreat before attacking with more strength – more aversion and adaptation – towards the element."

Naruto grinned, fists pumping with triumph.

"Never let your guard down," Kasumi scolded – her rich voice echoing.

Naruto's grin dropped and before he could react a brutal force connected with his side causing him to fly across the massive room and into a stack of barrels. Groaning in pain he looked up at the hunched, shadowed figure growling at the edge of the moonlight's reach.

"What's that?" He mumbled as he slowly got up, staring at the larger form warily as he dusted bits of wood from his clothes.

"A Deformed," Kasumi answered, "Stronger and more resilient than a Corpse – prepare yourself for these beasts. Listen for their heavy steps in the forest – Listen for their heavy breaths from within the shadows – Listen for their distant howls in the night – If you don't they will rip you to shreds."

"Great," Naruto sighed sarcastically as he rubbed his bruised side, "So how do I kill it?"

"Your comrades have advantages," Shin answered, "Uchiha-san with his sword and Haruno-san with her enhanced strength. Mere kunai will have no effect; it will continue attacking despite its many wounds…Immobilizing it completely is the only way to survive an encounter with these creatures."

Naruto smirked, reaching into his back pouch and removing a weapon with a flourish, allowing the steel to slide against his fingers – it was a knuckle knife similar to the one the late Sarutobi Asuma used. The weapon glowed blue with added chakra and after an intimidating flash of blood-stained teeth, the blonde-haired shinobi lunged with remarkable speed, barely missing the swipe of enormous claws and striking in quick counterattack across the torso of his adversary, the addition of Wind Chakra slicing easily through flesh before following up and finishing off with a quick Rasengan.

The Deformed howled before disappearing in a large puff of smoke, Naruto once more landing in a crouch.

"You must keep in mind that these are clones," Shin pressed urgently, "The real thing will be much more threatening."

"Don't need to tell me twice," Naruto stated with understanding.

'You shouldn't let me touch you either…'

The remaining smoke from the Deformed disappeared and revealed a disturbing imitation of The Little Girl. Naruto stiffened uncomfortably, memories of the night before returning, remembering the corpse child's intent to feed on the innocent civilian girl, its merciless killing of the kitten, and its tried entry through the Village's protective barrier.

The Little Girl disappeared and reappeared with a wide grin beside Naruto, arm outstretched and index finger reaching out to make contact with his shoulder.

"Damn it!" Naruto cursed as he shifted on his feet and jumped away, eyes widening as a new clone of The Creature loomed dangerously at his right.

"Start dodging," Kasumi advised warningly, "Being touched by these two isn't an option."

Cursing again, Naruto was quick to call up a distraction of Shadow Clones, relieved when it seemed The Creature and Little Girl couldn't discern the real from the fakes.

"Good," Shin commended, "But always be aware of both your opponents – especially if they're these two."

As Naruto continued to dodge, sweat of trepidation and tire forming at his brow, red eyes spinning with the Sharingan intently followed his movements, eyes retaining the motions and ears preserving the advice for memory and future index.

Sasuke had already gone through his solo exercise – his stiff muscles and sweat-slicked skin showing how rigorous the training had been – using countless amounts of chakra for defensive and offensive strategies, keeping aware of his surroundings at every second, and building up stamina for times where constant evasion was necessary.

At least he knew Sakura wouldn't have troubles with the application of elusion – considering her role as a combat Medic and the drills Tsunade had put her through in her youth.

Everything else, he and Naruto were going to have to fill her in on. At least the Uchiha felt better with her knowing and having his Clan's Fire Technique for additional protection.

"Fuck!" Naruto growled loudly as he tripped, ducked low and rolled clumsily away from a swift strike from The Creature.

"You're fast learners," Raiden complimented as he wiped his brow with a new towel, tossed Sasuke a bottle of cold water, and then settled his gaze on the Leaf Ninja training below.

Raiden and Sasuke stood amongst the shadows, on a high-level perch that viewed the bottom of the warehouse with little trouble. The Uchiha leaned against the wall, beside a large window that overlooked the outside, in perfect view of The Group's large house.

"Hn," He grunted in response, taking a short swig of the proffered bottle.

"You think you'll be ready by tomorrow?" Raiden questioned curiously.

Sasuke was silent for several moments before he met his scarlet irises with charcoal eyes, "…My team wants to finish this Mission as soon as possible also. With this training…at least we'll be better prepared for what we'll face."

Raiden studied him in his own contemplative silence before nodding his head.

"Do not fall to any traps," Kasumi instructed, almost solemnly, "The Little Girl will not be the only child you will face. Corpses range from women to men of all ages. You cannot let it stop you from striking them down…No matter what…"

"What?" Naruto shouted, eyes wide.

Sasuke's jaw clenched and he watched Naruto's entire body tense up as several clones – children corpses – circled around his conflicted comrade.

"B-But they're just kids!" Naruto yelled, voice quavering as he watched them step closer towards him, young faces devoid of emotion, "I-I can't! Not to kids!"

"You must," Kasumi whispered reluctantly.

Raiden stepped towards the railing, hands circling the bars tightly, "…Naruto-san…Lay them to rest. Even if it means destroying their small bodies beyond recognition – we'd rather have that than let them be exploited or unnaturally revived…"

Sasuke looked away, out the window at his side, listening to Naruto's aggravated grunts of struggle. The Uchiha had undergone the same exercise, had hesitated himself, even fleetingly wondered how Sakura was going to react to this bit of harsh information. But he struck them down – his first with clenched eyes and grit teeth – before finishing the rest with even more detachment than he already utilized.

"…Do it, Naruto," Sasuke stated softly – though his voice echoed in the large building, bouncing off the walls almost hauntingly.

"B-But Sasuke–!" Naruto spluttered, still warily watching the tiny figures encroach upon him.

"They're no longer living," Sasuke interrupted, "Finish them…" He turned his head to look down, straight into Naruto's solemn royal blue eyes, "…Free them."

A silent conversation was shared between their locked eyes, recalling the memories of the Ninja World War – of the reanimated corpses of close friends and loved ones: Sasuke's brother, Naruto's many acquaintances – and slowly – tentatively – Naruto nodded before he clenched his fist, throwing his enclosed knuckles and Wind-Chakra enhanced blade against the tiny forms, tears of anguish brimming at the corners of his eyes as he watched his surroundings become covered in thick, white smoke.

'…This isn't right…And they aren't even the real things…' Naruto thought angrily, flinching inwardly as his hand contacted with a final, small body.

"We apologize…For our insensitivity…" Shin said sincerely, as a fresh wave of elder cadavers appeared, leaving no room for Naruto to recover, "…But we must prepare you…"

Naruto didn't respond, only continued his defense on his advancing adversaries, his features hardened, and lips pulled into a grim line.

Sasuke's gaze had been averted, red eyes narrowing as he noticed two figures leaving the house a few yards away from the warehouse. His keen sight recognized the forms as Daisuke and Souta – he frowned, allowing his Sharingan to spin as he read the fast moving lips of his new focus.

Even from his distance Sasuke could see that Daisuke was withdrawn, lines of stress and concern appearing on his forehead. He ran an irritated hand through his shoulder-length brown locks as Souta – surprisingly – glared angrily at the older man, his brows furrowed steeply as he pointed an accusing finger at Dai.

"Why haven't you told her yet?" Souta's fast-moving mouth reproached, "You called her for a reason right? You said she could help but you haven't told her yet!"

"We can't tell her yet, Souta," Daisuke with a deep-set frown, "It's not the right time, she doesn't know enough…As much as I want to; we can't…Not yet!"

"But why?" Souta pleaded stubbornly, earning more suspicions for Sasuke, "You said yourself earlier that we're running out of time! She…She…She can help…" The younger boy had bowed his head, tears sprouting at the corners of his eyes – he swiped at them to prevent them from trailing down his cheeks.

"Not yet, Souta…" Daisuke answered softly, tenderly, "But soon…We need Sakura-san to understand these creatures a little more before we take more action…I don't want to risk anything. And…she isn't ready…Not yet."

"Who isn't ready?" Souta pressed desperately.

Daisuke sighed, running a hand down his face, "Both of them aren't…"

Souta looked up at him, sniffed and wiped at his eyes again, "When will they be…?"

Daisuke placed a comforting hand on Souta's shoulder before pushing him back into the house, "…Soon, Souta…Soon."

Sasuke's clenched hand relaxed as the two disappeared from his view. His jaw was also tightly locked and his shoulders were stiff as he replayed the strange conversation back in his head. There was no doubt that one of their subjects of the conversation was Sakura, but the entire point of it was lost on him – he didn't know near enough to know what the hell they were talking about – and that irritated Sasuke to no end.

'What the hell are they planning?' Sasuke thought angrily, suspicion now increased even more than it had been – he was drowning in doubt towards Daisuke – and Souta too – now.

"You alright there, Uchiha-san?" Raiden's cautiously asked.

Sasuke's red-eyed glare must have been vicious, because when he connected his aggravated stare with the white-haired male, Raiden had blinked with surprise and wariness upon the severe expression.

Sasuke grunted as he crossed his arms over his chest and directed his attention back towards Naruto's training exercise, "I'm fine."

Raiden didn't look convinced and he even turned his head to see what caught Sasuke's focus outside the window, disappointed and confused to see nothing; he glanced at Sasuke once more before following his stare back to Naruto, "…Alright then."

"Shit!" Naruto muttered as he flipped away from The Little Girl and called up several Shadow Clones.

Sasuke's Sharingan irises glazed with deep thought, fists clenching once again as he unknowingly glared at the replicas of The Little Girl and Shadow.

'…Those two aren't the only ones that need to be watched…' The Uchiha thought strictly, recalling Shin's advice, '…Keep in mind that we may have enemies coming in at all angles – in every obscurity…'

It was late when Sasuke and Naruto returned to their temporary living arrangements within the Bird Border Village – past midnight and possibly a few hours beyond. They hadn't noticed, too involved and immersed in the lessons and guidance of Raiden, Kasumi, and Shin when it came to surviving the Tri-Point Forest.

Weighed down by fatigue and slightly sore from continuous movement and the work to increase their stamina, the two Leaf Shinobi stumbled into the dimly lit house. From the end of the hall, they could see the Study, its door opened and revealing various medical tools and papers neatly organized atop the desk. However, the chair beside it was empty.

A couple steps inside the building and Naruto and Sasuke peered into the Dining Room, seeing the Dining Table strewn haphazardly with papers and several scrolls. What caught their immediate attention was Sakura herself, slumped over the tabletop, pen held loosely in her hand, and cheek resting against a notebook scrawled with additional information probably gathered and theorized throughout the day.

The Medic's entire expression was relaxed in sleep, faint snores emitting from her mouth, before she moved and rested her cheek on her free arm in her unconscious search for a more comfortable rest.

"Must've been researching all day," Naruto mumbled, tired features lifting in amusement as he moved towards her, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder.

A part of Sasuke wanted to stop Naruto, to allow Sakura continued and needed rest, but he noticed the discomfort of her position as she slept and neither he nor the blonde had the strength to carry her up the stairs to her room.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto called softly, shaking her shoulder lightly, "Wake up sleepy-head. You tell me enough times not to sleep like that, so you shouldn't either."

Sakura groaned in annoyance, swatting his hands away before turning her head, releasing her pen and burrowing her face into her crossed arms, "Leave…alone. Sleeping…"

Naruto chuckled, "I see that, Sakura-chan…Don't you want to sleep in a bed though?"

"Go away," Sakura moaned irritably.

Naruto shook his head, gently prying her arms open, "Come on, Sakura-chan. We need to wake up early and well-rested. The Plan was moved to tomorrow…"

There was silence but Sasuke noticed Sakura's slightly stiffened shoulders. She turned her head, blinking drowsy but attentive emerald eyes towards them, "…Tomorrow?"

Naruto nodded sheepishly, before shrugging his shoulders and scratching the back of his neck, "Yeah, decided it earlier…Didn't want to waste any more time…"

She slid her eyes towards the silent Uchiha, "…You didn't argue the decision…" It was more of a statement rather than a question – an observation of their actions – though she didn't seem mad, just curious of the choice, especially when she knew how Sasuke was – he wouldn't have allowed it if he felt they weren't ready.

"…We received special training tonight to help prepare us for the entry," Sasuke answered, "We'll fill you in before we enter the Forest – though we won't need to utilize it since we don't plan on staying out when night falls."

She blinked, scrutinized them both before sighing and closing her eyes, "…Okay then."

Naruto chuckled unsurely, "…That's it?"

"I trust your judgment," Sakura mumbled.

Sasuke felt satisfied by that answer and Naruto smirked, poking her in the shoulder – earning an annoyed grunt from the Medic, "Well, I judge that you should go upstairs to bed. Up!"

Sakura grumbled but sluggishly stood from her seat, glaring half-heartedly at the boys before straightening up her papers and closing her notebook. Humming tiredly, she took both Naruto's and Sasuke's hands before leading them upstairs.

"…So much to tell you…" She muttered, almost incoherently, "…Suspicious…Questions…Ugh."

Sasuke was tempted to share his own thoughts and suspicions, especially after the disagreement he had seen between Daisuke and Souta – but Sakura looked too out of it to retain and process whatever he said and he was too exhausted, himself, to explain.

Tomorrow would be best.

"Night boys," Sakura said tenderly as she released their hands and offered a sweet smile, "See you tomorrow."

"Night Sakura-chan," Naruto responded, "Teme."

"Hn," Sasuke watched them disappear into their respective rooms, "Night."

Tomorrow.

With a new day came even more possibilities.

They were going to enter the Tri-Point Forest. Hopefully, Team Kakashi would survive it.

A/N: Um, hello! Yeah, so a super long chapter for you guys, especially since you've all been so patient with me…And it has a lot of good stuff to get the plot rolling even further. Share your thoughts please; I'd love to know what you readers are thinking right now! And I hope I'm not confusing anyone – below are character profiles for the Original Characters, in case you're a little lost. Tell me what you think of them – do you have any favorite Original Characters?

I really hope you're enjoying the story so far and I thank you all for reading/reviewing/and showing your support! It really helps to keep me going, especially when times are going tough. I really, really, really appreciate it. You're all the best.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Company – only the Plot and Original Characters.

Next Update: I'm not sure…It kind of takes a while to dish out chapters for this story. I'll aim for two weeks!

I'm also trying to work on Updates for Vengeance and Psychotic as well as a new mystery…uh, haha.

And I'm, unfortunately running behind on my SasuSaku Month Prompts. The only reason I updated this is because it was mostly finished – my computer's down and this was saved on a USB, my other works however, suffered and I'm trying to figure out a way to recover it. Until then, I'm using my brother's computer – which he's usually on – which is a little difficult to use since I don't have 24 hour access to it. So sad!

But I want to get those prompts out before July ends! I want to see SasuSaku Month through!

Until then, I hope you enjoy this long update!

Character Profiles: (Listed from Oldest to Youngest)

Name: Yamamoto Osamu
Age: 63
Gender: Male
Rank: Civilian Physician
Physical Attributes: White hair; short beard, wears round spectacles, uses a cane.
Element Affinity: None
Family: Brothers (deceased); Uncles (deceased); Cousins (deceased); Wife (deceased); Son (deceased)
Teammates: None
Story: Took part in the Third Ninja War as a Civilian Physician. Moved to Bird Border Village to settle down. One of the first to rally and support The Curse's defeat.

Name: Kobayashi Masahiro
Age: 54
Gender: Male
Rank: Jounin
Element Affinity: Unknown
Weapon of Choice: Unknown
Physical Attributes: tall, muscular, large build. Straight, white hair, mid-back length. Blue eyes. Likes to smile and laugh.
Family: None
Teammates: Sasaki Yuudai (student); Sasaki (maiden name: Mori) Yuen (student)
Story: One of the first to be dispatched to solve The Curse's mystery. His students – Sasaki Yuudai and Yuen – were killed. Is Guardian to Sasaki Reika.

Name: Kurosawa Takeru
Age: 41
Gender: Male
Rank: Jounin
Element Affinity: Earth; limited Fire
Weapon of Choice: Unknown
Physical Attributes: Battle-hardened shinobi; slicked-back, black – grey highlighted – hair; distinctive scar crossing his face from left eye to right jaw. Serious and gruff.
Family: Wife (killed by The Curse)
Story: One of the first teams to be dispatched to help solve The Curse. Wife killed during a venture into the Tri=Point Forest. Continues to fight out of revenge.

Name: Watanabe Shin
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Rank: Jounin
Element Affinity: Wind; limited Medical Knowledge
Weapons of Choice: Unknown
Physical Attributes: Soft-spoken male, calm and cool, long black hair tied in a tail at the base of his neck, reaching mid-back; bangs framing his face giving the illusion of short hair; dark eyes.
Family: Unknown
Teammates: Akiyama Raiden, Ryou Kasumi, Makoto Aneko (killed by The Curse)
Story: Took on the Mission of defeating The Curse with Akiyama Raiden once discovering former teammate Makoto Aneko had fallen victim to The Curse.

Name: Ryou Kasumi
Age: 25
Gender: Female
Rank: Jounin
Element Affinity: Unknown (for now); limited Medical Knowledge
Weapon of Choice: Unknown
Physical Attributes: Wavy, long, waist-length, platinum-blonde hair. Bright, light blue eyes. Beautiful, aristocratic features. Soft-spoken, mellow-voiced.
Family: Unknown
Teammates: Akiyama Raiden; Watanabe Shin
Story: Was added to Akiyama Raiden's and Watanabe Shin's team after Makoto Aneko's death. Extremely loyal to her teammates. Kobayashi Masahiro believes a love-triangle between the three.

Name: Akiyama Raiden
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Rank: Jounin
Element Affinity: Fire
Weapon of Choice: Unknown
Physical Attributes: Shoulder-length white hair; charcoal eyes; serious yet comforting presence, born to lead; passionate; intelligent
Family: Unknown
Teammates: Shin Watanabe; Ryou Kasumi; Makoto Aneko (killed by The Curse)
Story: Took on the Mission of defeating The Curse with Watanabe Shin once discovering former teammate Makoto Aneko had fallen victim to The Curse. Cared deeply for Aneko. Additional reasons to be revealed.

Name: Takeshi Isamu
Age: 21
Gender: Male
Rank: Jounin (Rain Country)
Element Affinity: Unknown; limited Fire
Weapon of Choice: Unknown
Physical Attributes: Shoulder-length blonde hair; carefree and humorous; cobalt eyes.
Family: Unknown
Teammates: Unknown
Story: Found wandering the Tri-Point Forest for clues to The Curse by Akiyama Raiden and Yoshida Souta. Decided to stay and help when discovering their common goal.

Name: Makoto Daisuke
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Rank: Chuunin
Element Affinity: Fire
Weapon of Choice: Unknown; uses Ofudas
Physical Attributes: Shoulder-length brown hair; navy eyes. Conflicted boy harboring secrets. Can be carefree at times but mostly delving in his research for The Curse.
Family: Makoto Aneko (older sister; killed by The Curse)
Teammates: Kaya (former); Keitaro (former)
Story: Witnessed his older sister – Makoto Aneko – die by The Curse. Once a Chuunin, he was appointed by Toki-sama – Bird Country's Leader – to oversee The Curse and its solution. Called Haruno Sakura on deception for help.

Name: Suzuki Akio
Age: 16
Gender: Male
Rank: Chuunin
Element Affinity: Fire
Jutsu: Katon: Ketsugō-en no Jutsu – Fire Jutsu of Binding Flames – Coats weapon in Fire for further damage
Weapon of Choice: Twin Scythes
Physical Attributes: Shaggy red hair; olive-green eyes; muscularly fit; aloof personality.
Family: Father (killed by The Curse); Suzuki Akemi (twin sister)
Teammates: Suzuki Akemi; Yoshida Souta
Story: Father killed by The Curse, desiring to continue and see his Mission to the end.

Name: Suzuki Akemi
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Rank: Chuunin
Element Affinity: Lightning
Jutsu: Raiton: Rakurai – Lightning Jutsu: Lightning Strike – Coats weapon in electric currents for further damage
Weapon of Choice: Twin Sai
Physical Attributes: Waist-length red hair held in two pigtails; olive-green eyes; lithe and fit; temperamental, outspoken personality.
Family: Father (killed by The Curse); Suzuki Akio (twin brother)
Teammates: Suzuki Akio, Yoshida Souta
Story: Father killed by The Curse, desiring to continue and see his Mission to the end.

Name: Yoshida Souta
Age: 12
Gender: Male
Rank: Chuunin
Element Affinity: Fire
Weapon of Choice: Unknown
Physical Attributes: Short, brown hair; chocolate-brown eyes; Naruto-esque, hyper personality.
Family: Sister (killed by The Curse)
Teammates: Suzuki Akio; Suzuki Akemi
Story: Desires to get revenge for his Sister.

Name: Sasaki Reika
Age: 6
Gender: Female
Rank: Civilian
Element Affinity: None
Weapon of Choice: None
Physical Attributes: Waist-length, ebony hair; silver-gray eyes; intelligent for her age; innocence.
Family: Sasaki Yuudai (killed by The Curse; father); Sasaki (maiden name: Mori) Yuen (killed by The Curse; mother)
Teammates: None
Story: Loved by the members of The Group, she is now watched over by Kobayashi Masahiro since her parents' deaths. She continuously fears for her 'family's' safety. She likes to cook and bake to show her thanks and loves to talk – has taken an extreme liking to Team Seven and is very close to Yoshida Souta and Makato Daisuke.

Name: Satsuma Yoshiro
Age: 27 (presumably)
Gender: Male
Rank: Civilian (deceased)
Element Affinity: None
Weapon of Choice: None
Physical Attributes: N/A
Family: Unknown
Teammates: None
Story: Taken by The Curse and the first and only to be returned without the label of MIA or KIA. Diagnosed mentally unstable and left behind by the Rain Border Village during evacuation. Found by Makoto Daisuke – left in an ofuda-protected Clinic Room but escaped out of fear. Found by Haruno Sakura and later killed by The Shadow and Little Girl. Body found by Daisuke and Sakura; Corpse Reanimated and later used for further study.

PHEW! I hope that helps! Any further questions let me know with a Review or Private Message!

For anything that says Unknown, it's either not essential to the story or will be revealed late on. Hope to hear from you all soon, I really appreciate your feedback!

Thank you!

Please Check Out My Other Fictions! Including Psychotic, a Suspense/Psycho thriller/Horror! As well as a New Mystery.

UPDATES TO LOOK OUT FOR:
It All Started With – Chapter 17
False Façade – Chapter 2
Forbidden Bonds – Chapter 5
Missing In Action - Chapter 2
Vengeance – Chapter 2
The Road of Touch; The Road to Feel – Chapter 2
Psychotic – Chapter 1
Teamwork – Chapter 1

I'm sorry I haven't been updating the above stories like I've wanted to, it's just my Muse has been focusing so much on The Curse and I can't let that inspiration slip by, so please be patient with the other chapters of my stories, I will get to them, as soon as I possibly can.

And! If anyone is confused about the Mapping of this story, I'd recommend checking out the World Map at (www . leafninja . com) Just take out the parentheses and spaces, it's where I get a lot of my Naruto Information! :)

Oh! One last thing! Anyone got a Twitter? I made one for the sole purpose of making friends who have the same interests as me (Naruto, Inuyasha, Fullmetal Alchemist, Final Fantasy VII, Anime in general), let me know, I'm open to new friendships and whatever, up to you, just PM me or drop a review! Happy reading everyone!

Oh! And I plan on sending out some Pokémon (AAML), Fullmetal Alchemist (EdWin), and Final Fantasy VII (CloudTifa) Fictions too, so if you're FANS, please check them out! :)

You Are All The Best! And Feel Free To PM Me About Recent Naruto Manga Chapters Too! Heehee!

LotzaLove!
Len83
aka
Luvinukag83