Chapter 7

"Huh? Who are you?"

"It's polite to introduce yourself first, Naruto Uzamaki," Shihizuki retorted. Even with his bangs covering the scar that marred the side of his face, people were still suspicious. Some days he wondered why Raito even tried. Oh yeah, it was because he asked her to.

"So you've heard of me! Then you know what an awesome ninja I am!"

"No," Shihizuki said flatly. Naruto's face fell.

"Then how do you know my name?"

"Naruto!" Sakura called. She paused when she saw the kid Naruto was talking to was kind of creepy looking. "Who's that?"

"I don't know, he won't tell me," Naruto replied bitterly. He frowned and sat down on the spot of grass beneath the tree Shihizuki was leaning on.

"My name is Sakura Haruno," the pink haired girl introduced.

"I'm called Shihizuki. Nice meeting you."

Sakura shivered. This guy was dressed in black, his hair was a wreck, he was incredibly pale, and long bangs covered half of his face. On top of that, he was wearing long sleeves, that were black no less, when the weather was nice. His combat boots did nothing to help his image either.

"You there! You look like you think you're so tough, but I'll show you! Fight me!"

"Konohamaru, is it? I don't play with children as young as you."

"How did you know my name? No matter! I may be young, but I'm strong! I will fight you, and win!"

Shihizuki shook his head, careful not to show his scar. "If I were to land one hit on you, you would die."

"Shihizuki! Don't threaten little kids!" Raito smacked him upside the head, harder than usual. "Hi Naruto, Sakura. I see you've already met Shihizuki."

"You didn't have to hit me, I wasn't going to hurt him or anything..." Shihizuki whined.

"What are you doing in town?" Sakura asked. "You're here for the Chunin exams, aren't you?"

Raito nodded. "Are you three taking them as well?"

"Believe it! Say, where's Haku?"

"He's around here somewhere. If you'll excuse us, we have a few things that we need to do before the exams, but I'm sure we'll see each other later."

"Hey! I'm still here, and I still want to fight!" Konohamaru yelled. The two other kids behind him nodded. Raito kneeled down in front of the kid.

"We've got other things that we need to do, would it be ok if we did this later?"

"Humph, you guys are just afraid that we're going to win. Ok, I guess we can give you time to train and get ready."

"Thank you," Raito replied. She drew up to her full height. "You might want to train as well."

Konohamaru nodded, and ran in the other direction, where he probably intended to train. He fell down when he ran into someone.

"That hurt," the boy in a black suit said, and picked Konohamaru up by the back of the shirt. "You may be small, but that doesn't mean I won't hesitate to beat you up, kid."

"Oi!" Raito called.

"Hm?" Kankuro turned his attention from Konohamaru to the girl that was approaching him. Temari did the same thing.

"Put him down, it was an accident."

"Oh yeah? And who's going to make me?"

Raito crossed her arms and glared at him defiantly. At the same time, she cursed her lack of height, he was a good five inches taller than her. "I will."

Kankuro put his hand on her head. "Big words from a small person."

Raito waved away his hand. "I admit, I am impressed that you can pick on a five year old," Raito bit back sarcastically. "But if you don't put him down I'll hurt you way more than you intend to hurt him."

Kankuro help Konohamaru even higher from the ground. "If you want him, take him."

"Enough. You prove nothing by beating up a few kids."

'Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro are all siblings judging from their last names. Not only that, but Gaara has a demon sealed inside of him. I'll need to warn Raito if it looks like it's going to come to a fight,' Shihizuki thought.

Kankuro dropped Konohamaru, and Raito caught the small boy and set him safely on the ground. He and his friends ran away. Raito dropped her offensive stance, but didn't completely drop her guard. She looked at Gaara, who was hanging upside down from the branch of a nearby tree.

"I assume you three are here for the exams?"

"Why else would we be here?" Kankuro asked. "You sure are slow."

"I wouldn't be so sure, it isn't exactly the best of ideas to pick on little kids in someone else's village," Shihizuki defended. "Come on, Raito, we have other things to do. Until we see each other again, Kankuro, Temari, Gaara."

Raito and Shihizuki turned to leave.

"Wait."

Sasuke's command caught everyone's attention. Raito turned her entire body, while Shihizuki moved only his eyes. 'An Uchihah? I wonder how the Sharingan compares to my own eyes...'

"Hm?"

"Shihizuki, right? I want to know something."

"What do you want to know? I'm not guaranteeing an answer."

"How did you know their names?"

"You're a smart little Uchihah, you'll figure it out."

While it was unlikely that Shihizuki already knew the sand ninja, it was plausible, as was Raito telling him about Sasuke. The way he said it made all this seem unlikely though. Perhaps it was because there was no way to read this guy, between his face being hidden in the shadows and the dark bangs covering his face, combined with the fact that he was with Raito, made him an anomaly. Shihizuki was a stark contrast to Haku, and it made Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke realize how little they actually knew Raito.

Who are those two? It's fairly obvious that the guy is the leader and protects the girl, but do they intend to enter the exam with just the two of them? They'll get eaten alive in there...' Temari thought as she and her bothers left. 'Hidden Mist Village isn't reputed for having a great ninja program, in fact, just the opposite. They can't possibly think they stand a chance...'

This Shihizuki guy, what is he doing with her? He may look tough, but I doubt he's as good as Raito or Haku, he can't have been with them that long or we would have met him before...' Sasuke couldn't make heads or tails of his presence, there were just too many variables. 'In any case, I'll be able to beat him, and I look forward to the fight.'

'Is that Raito's boyfriend? Has he come to support her, or something? She sure does have weird taste... I wouldn't date that guy if you paid me.'

"Sakura, do you think we'll have to fight them?"

"I hope not. Did you see how that guy took the lead from Raito? He must be really powerful to earn her respect like that."

"Or they're bluffing. Raito looks less intimidating than usual standing next to a person like that. If they underestimate her like we did, it would work to their advantage," Sasuke explained.

"Point."

"That still doesn't explain why Raito wasn't acting as friendly towards us as normal," Naruto griped.

"Get real, Naruto, they're not here to be our friends, they're our competition," Sakura berated. "I doubt that he's on her team though. I don't think anyone could meet Raito's qualifications that quickly. I think he might be her boyfriend, that's the only way I can see anyone getting away with that kind of behavior with Raito."

"..."

Sasuke fell out of the tree.

"That's not possible!" Naruto and Sasuke said at the same time, then glared at each other.

"Are you saying that Raito can't get a boyfriend or something?" Sakura asked. "I guess it would be pretty hard with Haku there and all..."

'I guess it is possible...' Naruto thought. 'But, I'm going to make sure he's good for Raito first. I don't want her to get hurt...'

'I shouldn't be this angry over that... so what if Raito has a boyfriend? It shouldn't matter to me,' Sasuke thought angrily. 'She's not my concern right now. I need to concentrate on the exams...'

"Naruto, where are you going? Idiot, you don't even know where to find her."

"Yeah I do," he replied. "And I could find her before you anyway."

Electricity flowed between the two from the force of their glares.

"I doubt that."

"Find who?"

A shiver ran up Sakura's, Naruto's, and Sasuke's backs. Despite all of their bravado, Shihizuki really just creeped all of them out. It was like a horror movie when they looked behind them to see Shihizuki standing there, behind them. It was easy to imagine that instead of hands in his pockets, which they had yet to see, he had long claws that would tear them each to shreds. His eyes, instead of looking at them, seemed to look through them. Mainly this was because instead of looking at them, he was looking at the space above their heads, where a series of numbers resided, which only he could see. These numbers, if deciphered correctly, would tell him a few things. One set, the one that floated directly over their heads, would tell him when they would die. If applicable, other numbers would appear, such as when a seal or curse would appear, and information about their demon. Despite never having had to decipher information about a person's demon before, Shihizuki automatically knew which set told him what. Naruto had four sets of numbers, Sakura had one, and Sasuke had three. He put a thumb to his mouth, but didn't bite it.

"H-how long have you b-been standing there?" Naruto asked. Any second he was fully expecting the darkly dressed boy to burst into flames from the light of the sun.

"Long enough," he replied vaguely, his eyes never shifting from the space above Naruto's head. His head tilted to the side a little when he came to the conclusion of his equation, but he didn't believe it, so he started rechecking his math. "I bet that doesn't happen very often..." he said to himself.

"W-what is?" Naruto stuttered. This boy was really beginning to creep him out.

Shihizuki's eyes darted to meet Naruto's own. "I'm not exactly sure..." he replied, as if in a daze.

"So you can see me, eh? Those are some very interesting eyes you've got there," a voice said. Shihizuki jumped a bit in shock, the nine tailed fox was talking to him. "I've never seen them before. Why don't you tell me about them?"

Naruto gasped in shock as well. "Is that..?"

Shihizuki nodded. "You can hear it too? I suppose you would... all the same... this shouldn't be possible..."

"What's going on?" Sakura demanded. The nine tailed fox laughed.

"So even you don't know, that makes things all the more interesting. I look forward to watching you. So tell me, little human, how does it feel to look in the mirror? I bet that's disconcerting."

"I knew it! You're really a vampire, so when you look in the mirror you can't see your reflection!"

Shihizuki shook his head. For whatever reason, he could read everyone elses' numbers but his own. The space above his head was blank, like a dead person's. "No. I..." a tear slipped down his face, trailing the edge of the burn. It went unseen beneath his bangs. Other than that, he gave no sign of his distress. "How do you know so much about me?"

"Every demon knows about you," the fox replied. "Only death has the answers that you're looking for. Want me to fetch him for you?"

"No. I'm sure I'll find him in my own time... Raito?"

"Who else? Hey, are you ok?" she asked when she spotted distress written on his face. It was barely there, but she could still see it. "What happened?"

"We talked to his demon," Shihizuki answered somewhat shakily. "He knows, the demon does."

"How much?"

Shihizuki looked at Raito. "Way more than he should. Apparently to demons, I'm common knowledge. Just freaking great..."

"What was he talking about? He said something about your eyes being interesting..."

"I guess we might as well tell them, it's not like we've got anything to lose, after this I'm leaving anyway. For as long as I can remember, I've been able to see how much time people have left, as well as their names just by seeing their face. I didn't know it before, but I guess I can see some other things about a person too. I know when you and your demon die, and when someone is going to put a seal or curse on you. I guess I can see and talk to peoples' demons as well." Shihizuki sighed.

"Raito, you make the most interesting friends, that's all I'm saying."

"So what did he mean about the mirrors then? You still haven't explained that."

"I can't see my own name, or when I'm going to die. The place where that information normally appears is blank to me. When a person is dead, the information isn't there anymore either, so yes, it is disconcerting."

"I see. So I was right, you are a vampire."

Shihizuki face palmed. "Idiot, I'm not undead." He grabbed Naruto's hand and put it to the side of his neck, just below his jaw. "Feel that? That would be a heartbeat. I am alive, damnit."

"...oh. Heh, I guess I was wrong. This skin feels weird though."

Shihizuki moved his bangs, showing the scar that traced up to his temple. It started near the top of his neck, and curved all the way up the side of his faced. "This, kids, is why it's dangerous to play with fire."

"What happened?" Sakura asked.

"My house caught on fire while I was in it," he replied. Technically it wasn't a lie, and he didn't want to admit to a suicide attempt just yet. "The only reason I'm even alive is because Raito happened to be there at the time."

"We, Haku and I, were on a mission to get something out of the house. On my way out, I saw Shihizuki, so I got him out as well."

"That's so romantic! And since he had nowhere to go, you let him stay, and once you two fell in love, you just couldn't let him go!" Sakura gushed.

"Er, Sakura? What the hell are you talking about?"

"But now he's leaving you because he doesn't want to put you in danger!" Sakura continued. "It's..."

"...only in your head?" Shihizuki finished for her. "I hardly need to protect Raito, and I think that the whole rescue thing was more of an afterthought. Besides, we aren't 'in love' or any of that nonsense. We're just friends." The whole thought was amusing to Shihizuki. "I don't have time for that kind of thing, holding those kind of affections would only hold me back. I can't afford that."

"Hold you back from what?" Naruto asked.

"That would be a secret. Exams start soon though, right? We should get going, Haku will meet us there."

When they got there, Haku was already waiting, a giant sword in his hand. He looked grim.

"He said this was yours."

There was no question as to who, Raito just took it. "How?"

"Gato."

"Who?" Shihizuki asked. As far as information went, he hardly knew more than Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. Haku and Raito worked on a need to know basis.

"He was in charge of our education and getting us jobs," Raito explained. "He was also the head of a cooperate empire, and a part of the yakuza."

"What's the yakuza?"

"Do you know nothing? The yakuza is a large criminal organization that makes money largely by anything illegal. Until recently, this area was controlled by the Hiraku family, but they fell apart after their leader died and the heir was an idiot. He wound up getting them caught, not that this area is particularly profitable anyway," Raito replied. "That's why no one has set up here since."

"And how do you know so much about this?" Naruto asked suspiciously.

Raito shrugged. "It's our job to know. A good ninja knows how different organizations are moving, and why. For instance, the yakuza has connections pretty much all over the world, and they communicate with each other. If one family owed another or for whatever reason benefited from tipping another, they might share information such as if their country was going to attack. During times of war, the demand for their services goes up, so if the shipment of drugs were to increase, it might be a sign that there were plans for war. Not only that, but they have a large hand in things, and are often a good source of information if you know what you're doing. Now having said this, don't get involved with them. The yakuza has a way of sucking you in until you can't get out. None of you are ready to deal with anything on their level."

"Hey, hey! You sound like you've been involved with them before, if you can handle it, so can I!"

Raito smirked. "There's no way you'd survive. It's exactly that kind of attitude that would give them reason to slit your throat. Besides, you have too many morals, I can hardly see you blackmailing someone, much less killing someone in cold blood over money."

"You still haven't answered the question," Naruto accused.

"Yeah, I have a history with the yakuza, and I have contacts there still. Why?"

"Hm...hm... I don't believe it."

"That's probably just as well. It's not like it really concerns you guys anyway." Raito attached the giant blade to her back after she said this. "Shall we finally go inside?"

As they passed down the hall, eyes automatically went to Raito's blade, and then to Sasuke. The sword was impressive, but the girl who went with it was small and there was nothing special about her other than the blade. Sasuke, on the other hand, was an Uchiha. The boy was a known prodigy, and an obvious threat. The girl behind him probably dressed for show, with her black cargo pants, dark grey shirt, the chain around her waist, the choker around her neck, and the sword. It was an obvious scare tactic, combined with the scary boy behind her. The fact that she was from Mist Village didn't help either, so her team was written off as not a threat.

So those kids from Hidden Mist Village think they actually have a chance...does she think that the sword will give her a chance? It's a flashy weapon, but huge. It would take a lot of energy to use it, she'll get tired within the first five minutes of a fight. If it's only there for show, then they would be better off if the more intimidating of the three held it, not that something like that would actually work on us,' Temari thought.

What didn't make any sense at all was Haku. Raito was dressed marginally darkly, Shihizuki was goth personified minus the makeup, and Haku just looked innocent. Teal is not an intimidating color, so Haku just looked out of place.

Of course, they didn't know that Haku used to be a hunter nin, and was arguably the strongest one out of the entire group. Raito had yet to win in a fight against him, and Shihizuki stood no chance. In any case, it didn't matter what the Genin thought.

Raito, Haku, and Shihizuki weren't there to become Chunin, they were on an official mission from the Hokage. Becoming a Chunin would be a step back for them, they would gain nothing by being judged by normal standards. They were already doing missions of that level, there was no need to prove that that they could. Right now, they were on a mission to protect Sasuke from Orochimaru, and possibly Naruto from the Akasuki.

Passing the exams was the last thing on Raito's mind when she scribbled down the answers to the problems on the page. For Genin, this test would be difficult and force them to try and cheat, but for Haku and Raito this was easy. Shihizuki didn't have a problem either, despite the fact that he didn't know how to solve the equations yet. The test was on a point reduction system, if he didn't put down any answers, they couldn't take off any points. Technically, he was neither right or wrong, and would get a perfect score.

No, what she was concerned about was the Ninja from Hidden Sound Village and the ninja called Kabuto. For taking the exams seven times, it was odd that he would help a team, the fact that it was Sasuke's team in particular set off warning bells in Raito's head. Not only that, but he intentionally prompted an attack from the Hidden Sound Village ninja to see how they attacked. This said that he knew that their attacks were special, when the Hidden Sound Village were just as secretive as the Hidden Star Village. The fact that he singled out the Hidden Sound Village of all the secretive villages led Raito to think there was something between them, which wasn't good. There was no reason for the Hidden Leaf Village to have a connection to the Hidden Sound Village, let alone the fact he was Genin.

She was suspicious of Hidden Sound Village because of the way Gato had treated it. While she hated him, Raito knew that Gato was at least fairly intelligent, and wouldn't avoid a village without reason. He had regarded it fearfully, and Raito suspected it had something to do with his boss. His boss was in charge of the village, from what it sounded like. He also was extremely cunning, and sneaky. If he led such a small village as the Sound, it had to be full of prodigies and persons of use. From what it sounded like, there wasn't any reason for them to be here as well, so there was something nefarious going on.

What it could be, Raito wasn't sure. The fact that Sasuke was here could have something to do with it, but she couldn't rule out the other possibilities. There was a chance that Kabuto just wanted information, and the ninja were proving themselves so someone important would notice them.

Those were just the people that had direct contact with Sasuke and Naruto. Also among the people that Raito was watching were the desert ninja, and those from Lightening Country. Wind Country held a grudge because of the deal that had been made not too long ago, limiting their power. Raito had heard of Gaara of the sand as well, a demon had been sealed inside of him as an effort to create a super weapon, but that had backfired and now he was viewed as a threat to the village. It was unlikely that he had been sent after Sasuke, because he was supposedly extremely unstable, but they wouldn't need him alive in order to conduct research on the sharingan. Lightening Country was probably still mad because of the lack of information they could pull from Hyuga's body, and getting the sharingan would be a goal they were likely trying to achieve.

There were too many possible suspects at this point. There were five different teams, Sand, Kabuto's, Sound, and two from Cloud, that had motive to attack Sasuke. Any of the teams, ok, that wasn't true, Raito knew for a fact that there were a few teams that were not allied with the Akasuki, but a large portion of the teams could be allied with the Akasuki. It didn't seem like their style, but they had only started moving recently, so it was a possibility.

When the proctor, who Raito happened to know personally, gave them the option of taking the last part of the exam or leaving, Raito made herself comfortable in her seat. She could tell that he was bluffing, and Shihizuki and Haku wouldn't argue with her on this one. She was undisputed leader, there was no question of it.

She was a bit surprised when Sakura put her hand up though. Shortly after, Haku's hand went up as well, and the three ninja left the room. There was no reason for them to be there if the people they were protecting weren't, after all. Raito stayed behind while Haku and Shihizuki went to wait outside. Nothing was going to happen that Raito and a few guards couldn't handle, and if it got any further than that, Haku and Shihizuki would notice.

Raito watched boredly from her hiding place while Naruto demanded why Sakura had pulled them from the test, and then they argued a bit, and finally Kakashi broke it up. As soon as Kakashi appeared, Raito decided that her presence was no longer needed.

"Where the heck..?"

"Raito? What are you doing out here? Did you guys quit?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, there was no reason for us to take that test if it was going to be that easy. I just wanted to know if we could, you know?"

"You mean that test was easy for you?" Naruto asked disbelievingly. Even Sakura had trouble answering those questions.

"Oh yeah. You're forgetting that I'm no ordinary ninja though. I decided that I really didn't want to go through the trouble of taking that entire test at the same time Haku put his hand up, so it worked out."

"If you're so convinced that you could easily beat the test, then fight me!"

"Meh?"

"I see that you're rendered speechless out of fear for my fists of might! There is no need to be scared though, I shall go easy on you!"

"No, that's not it at all. I'm trying to figure out why you're dressed like you're from the eighties. I thought we killed those a few years back. Of course, it wasn't easy, we had to use everything we had and then some things that we didn't, and some silver bullets, but now it's risen again."

Sakura giggled. Lee just looked offended.

"This material is super lightweight and breathable, thank you very much."

"If you say so."

"It also happens to be extremely youthful! Wait, you're just going to drop it at that?"

"Why wouldn't I? I think I've done the right amount of insulting."

"Such honorable youthfulness! You truly are a worthy opponent! Draw your sword, and fight me!"

"Draw my sword? Hun, this isn't a toy. It's for killing. My control isn't quite down yet, it's been a while since I've used a weapon this heavy, and I don't want to inflict any unnecessary damage."

"I doubt something like that could hit me, so please! Show me your youthful skill!"

Is this kid for real? Who says that?' "Rock Lee, right? Master of Taijutsu? Might Guy is your sensei, and Neji Hyuga as well as TenTen... not sure of her last name, are on your team, correct?" Raito asked as she took the sword off her back. She would need every ounce of speed she had if she was going to fight this kid, the sword would only slow her down. She pulled out a blindfold and tied it over her eyes.

Lee blushed. "I'm not sure if 'master' is an accurate description..."

"You have every right to be proud of that, I've heard of you. That alone says something about your skills. My name is Raito. Ready?"

"Are you sure you want to fight me with a blindfold?"

"Yep. Anytime now."

Raito deftly dodged a kick, then several punches, and then several more attempts easily. She may have been slower, but she fought Haku, which taught her how to listen and predict the next move. Lee was also slower than Haku, and she returned in kind, landing every hit. Fighting like this was her forte, but it was Lee's as well. He flipped away, and Raito lifted her blindfold.

"I see that in order to defeat you I'll..."

"Lee!"

"Guy sensei!"

"And so an adult crashes the part yet again..." Raito sighed. "I have the feeling things were just about to get fun too..."

"Lee! What have I told you about fighting outside of matches?" he scolded.

Raito bowed. "My apologies, Guy sensei. It was my fault. I should have declined when he offered to fight me, I was just curious because I've heard of the name Rock Lee. I have yet to see his full power, but he's just as good as his reputation suggests," Raito said honestly.

"Raito! I thought we agreed..."

Shihizuki stopped when he saw the look of unholy fury burning in her eyes. "Excuse me, Guy sensei, but there's something I have to take care of."

"Now before you start, there's something I have to..."

"What could you possibly say that would excuse your irresponsible behavior!"

Despite his dignity, Shihizuki knew that he was no match for a furious Raito. The most logical thing for him to do would be running, so he ran. "It was all Haku's idea! Please don't maim me!"

When they got back, Might Guy and Lee were still acting like they were a scene from a really bad movie. Raito picked up the giant carving knife and put it on her back. Despite the sappiness of it, she couldn't help but a bit jealous that Lee had someone there to support him and guide him.

"So you're the reputed Raito. Kakashi told me about you, since you're no longer taking the exams, feel free to train with us whenever you like!"

"Thank you for the offer, but I'll have to refuse. I assume Kakashi has informed you of the nature of our mission?"

"Normally I'd be concerned that someone such as yourself couldn't handle it, but you're so full of youth and vitality that it is sure to be a success! Come, Lee."

"Yes, Guy sensei!"

"Wait a minute, if you would. I'm concerned for Neji, as well. He may not be on my team or any of my concern, but if my sources are correct, this would be the perfect time for the two teams of ninja from the Village Hidden in the Clouds to strike. I can't really do anything about it at this point, but I thought that a warning is in order."

"So considerate of others as well! It touches my heart. I will keep this in mind, young Raito."

"Raito, why are you so concerned about Neji? Why would the ninja from Hidden Cloud Village try to go after him?" Lee asked.

"I'm sure Neji wouldn't appreciate my telling you, but I suppose you can ask him yourself."

"Ask me what?"

"To watch your back," Raito replied before Lee could say anything. She wasn't exactly in the mood to be interogated. "I'm sure Guy sensei would be happy to explain."
"That's not what..."

"Tact, Lee. It's called tact." At this point, Raito was glad that Team Seven had already left. Naruto had as much tact as Lee. "Lee wants to know why the Cloud ninja might want to kidnap you. Now if that's all..."

"What do you know about the Hyuga clan?" Neji demanded. Raito sighed. All of this would have been avoided if Lee just used his head for a second...

"I'm under no obligation to tell you, and I'm doing you a favor. I mean no harm to you, I swear it." In the yakuza, if you swore something, it was absolute. To break such a promise would mean death, regardless of who you offended. To Raito, it wasn't an option to not uphold such honor, even if neither of them were affiliated with the organization enough to warrant death.

Neji didn't comprehend the amount of weight Raito put behind such a promise. "How would you know about the Hygua clan when you're from Hidden Mist Village?"

"I know a lot of things, don't look a gift horse in the mouth." Raito never did understand that saying, the reason they lost the war was because they didn't question the motives of the giver. "I do have to get going though, I don't have all night to stand around and chat."

Neji did not trust Raito, at all. Already she knew too much, and there was just something about her that screamed there was something fishy going on. "Damn noobs."