AN: Author Note – Alltariss – This chapter reveals the Iburi clan and Yamato in action. Kakashi also get some combat, while Orochimaru plots his escape.

Chapter 12

Blood On The Wind

The Iburi clan were once a clan of skilled warriors. As time passed they slowly developed a Kekkei Genkai that proved to be a double-edged sword. They could turn themselves into smoke, thus any attack would simply pass through them. In the midst of battle it was a valuable skill, but it had a fatal weakness. They would lose the ability to reform themselves if even the slightest breeze were to hit them whilst in their smoke form.

It became instantly clear to their rivals that all they needed to do to defeat them would be to use basic Fūton techniques. In the end their bloodline became their downfall to such a degree that they had to abandon their home and live in seclusion. It would be during Orochimaru's travels that he would encounter the Iburi clan.

Kinoe had learnt of Orochimaru's escape from overhearing a conversation between two members of the pursuit squad. He had travelled in the same direction as the traitor was believed to be, but had found no sign of his objective. Pressing his hand on the grass beneath him channelled his Chakra through the plants. Kinoe wasn't a Chakra Sensor, but he could utilise this method to mimic one. He spread out his awareness and soon enough sensed the fluctuating Chakra of Orochimaru.

"His Chakra isn't stable, no doubt wounded from escaping the kill-squad," he whispered to himself.

Before he consciously cancelled his technique he sensed a large group of Chakra signatures that Orochimaru was walking towards, as well as Kakashi that was approaching from another direction. He closed his eyes and focused entirely on both his objective and the unknown group.

"He's deliberately walking towards the unknowns, so it can be assumed that their affiliates of his."

He leapt to the trees and hurried towards the group of people he assumed were compatriots of Orochimaru. As he progressed through the forest towards his destination his thoughts drifted to his orders. He knew of Orochimaru and his dealings by accompanying Danzō whenever they needed to meet. The snake-like man had always unnerved him on an instinctive level.

Kinoe came to a stop when he reached a giant tree. The size of it easily dwarfed any other tree in the forest and from a casual observation he could tell that it was hollow. He noticed a small snake motif engraved near the base of the tree and recalled from his studies exactly what this place was.

This was one of the meeting places that would be used if Danzō and Orochimaru's dealings would ever be compromised. It was a small secure locale that housed the Iburi clan, allies of Orochimaru. He walked into the entrance that was a small part of the tree cut away at ground level to allow ease of access for people to enter and leave.

Kinoe admired the inner configuration of the base, as a Mokuton user he was stilling learning to form complex structures with his bloodline. History had long told great tales of Senju Hashirama and how he could build entire houses with his Kekkei Genkai. Kinoe had longed to replicate such level of skill ever since he learned of it from his earlier years of education.

As he walked into a large opening he noticed a layer of smoke at his feet that permeated throughout the area. As he reached the centre of the place the smoke thickened and rose above his head, as if seeking to engulf him.

"Who are you?" a voice called out. "How do you know of this place?" it asked sternly.

"Danzō-sama sent me, I come with urgent business regarding Orochimaru-sama," Kinoe answered immediately.

The volumes of smoke all coagulated into multiple shapes before finally solidifying into human form. There were more people than what Kinoe had sensed before, making him wonder if he should improve his Chakra-sensing technique. The man who Kinoe assumed was the leader was tall and well-built for a trained civilian. The Iburi clan wasn't affiliated with any village and so their skills in combat were simply limited to Taijutsu and techniques unique to their smoke forms. They didn't dare fight with any ninja as any competent shinobi would easily destroy them.

Light-skinned, and short brown hair with a small two-part moustache. He wore a simple and ragged grey vest, dark grey pants, and sandals. Kinoe could be certain that the man before him was easily the strongest in the clan. He noted that the majority of the people around him were young. He didn't see a single elder amongst them. The young agent slipped his hand into a pocket in his vest and withdrew a scroll which he handed over to the elder man.

"This contains critical information regarding Orochimaru-sama."

The man opened the scroll and read it contents before verify the signature.

"This is Danzō-sama's signature, no doubt about it. I am shocked to hear that Konoha has betrayed Orochimaru-sama so easily. Nevertheless we shall prepare for his arrival."

He closed the scroll and with a small pulse of Chakra, activated the self-destruction seal. The scroll disintegrated into dust and would leave no evidence for others to discover.

"I am the head of the Iburi clan, Gotta," the man introduced himself. "May I know your name, Shinobi-san?"

Kinoe removed his ceramic mask. "I am Kinoe-"

"Tenzo?!" a young girl cried out from behind him.

"Yukimi," Gotta called sternly, though she ignored him.

The girl, Yukimi, was about the same height as Kinoe with a similar complexion as Gotta, but with long wavy brown hair. Kinoe quickly noted her features, her blue eyes with freckles underneath them, her clothing consisting of a ragged sleeveless kimono which had long since turned brown from its original white and straw sandals.

The young shinobi ignored the outburst and chalked it up to childishness and mistaken identity.

I have little time for such things.

"The situation as it is now is precarious," Kinoe stated loud enough so everyone could hear him. "If unforeseen circumstances were to occur such as Konoha's betrayal of Orochimaru-sama or Danzō-sama, then it was previously agreed that they would come here for aid."

"Then Orochimaru-sama is coming here?" Gotta asked.

"I'm certain of it," Kinoe replied. "He's being pursued by an entire ANBU unit, but at this moment they've scattered to cover more ground. According to what I've been able to sense only one ANBU member is heading towards this location."

The entire clan instantly burst into hushed whispers and conversations. It was clear to them that they may need to step in and fight. Gotta raised his hand and silence soon followed.

"Do you know who the pursuer is?" he queried.

Kinoe nodded affirmatively. "Hatake Kakashi."

Gotta's eyes widened in surprise. "Hatake? Is he related to…"

"He is the son of Hatake Sakumo, the Shiroi Kiba(White Fang). He most likely tracked Orochimaru-sama by summoning his Ninken."

Gotta scratched his chin in thought. "We will fight Hatake, of that you can be sure of, but the fighting will no doubt attract others of his unit."

Kinoe placed his hand upon his chest. "Leave the rest up to me. I will ensure Orochimaru-sama leaves the country safely without fail."

"Orochimaru-sama helped us greatly and we owe him much."

Gotta turned towards his clan and spoke loudly.

"Everyone get ready for battle and make preparations for Orochimaru-sama's arrival."

Everyone dispersed hurriedly to quickly get things ready. Kinoe was about to leave when Yukimi grabbed his arm and pulled him towards a particular part of the wall nearby. She pushed him flat against the wall and stood back to gaze at him. Kinoe was confused until he saw markings on the wall.

She's checking my height? What is the purpose of this?

"It's exactly the same as Tenzo's," she exclaimed.

"Enough of this Yukimi," Gotta scolded. "He's not Tenzo."

Feeling fed up of not knowing what was going on, Kinoe quickly asked who Tenzo was.

"Yukimi's brother," Gotta answered. "He isn't here anymore. We placed him in Orochimaru's care three years ago."

Kinoe's brow narrowed in thought.

Three years ago? I've never heard of Orochimaru taking in any child besides Mitarashi Anko.

"Yukimi," Gotta called. "Show him around while we get things ready."

The girl nodded and motioned for Kinoe to follow. She revealed to him various passageways that led to different areas and some which simply looped around to lead one back to where they started. Eventually she led him to an open area with small tree saplings that were planted in an unordered fashion.

"This is our graveyard," Yukimi started. "Instead of using headstones we plant trees."

Kinoe gazed at all the plants and could feel their presence despite being overshadowed by the giant tree they lived in.

"I like to think the souls find refuge in the trees and protect us."

"The soul, huh?" Kinoe said softly.

"Our ability to transform our bodies into smoke was incomplete. We didn't have total control over the smoke either. Some would simply turn into smoke without notice, sometimes the smoke would just dissipate without turning back into the body."

Kinoe looked up and noted the holes in the ceiling to allow for sunlight and rain to fall within the area to keep the trees healthy.

"Members of our clan never live long lives. You probably noticed that there weren't many elders, huh?"

He nodded. He had wondered why there wasn't any as they couldn't have died in battle. Most elders would have stayed at home to care for the young ones.

"It's why we planted so many trees…" Yukimi whispered as she placed her hand on a particular tree that was most likely there for a few years, as it was twice their height.

"But that was when Orochimaru-sama came to our aid," She continued.

Kinoe gave her his full attention. He had listened to her describe her clan's past and ability and it had matched the files he had read on them before he left on this mission. In the back of his mind he had wondered how such a clan could have survived this long without dying out.

Yukimi moved her hair out of the way and revealed a seal printed on the back of her neck.

"He created a seal that helped give us better control over our ability, but he said the seal wasn't complete and needed more research to perfect it. That's why Tenzo was sent to Orochimaru-sama as a research subject."

Research subject…

"The younger you are the stronger the ability tends to be. It's only after you age that you start to lose control."

"But then that left you as the only child here," Kinoe stated, his mind starting to work rapidly to understand what exactly what happened.

What the hell were you doing Orochimaru?

"That's nothing to be worried about," Yukimi said smiling. "It's not like any of the children he took with him are going to die. Even if he asked for me when he arrives today, I'd be happy to go. I'd get to see all of them again."

Kakashi stopped in front of a giant tree which his ninken had directed him to after picking up multiple scents within the area. The young ANBU dismissed and thanked them for their assistance. He walked into the entrance of the secret clan and soon found himself in a clearing.

"Where am I?" he whispered to himself. "Looks like I've found myself in a weird place."

As he progressed forward he was unaware of being watched. Kinoe and Yukimi lay hidden several levels above looking down on the intruder. As Kakashi wandered into the centre of the clearing he was soon engulfed in smoke.

Is this mist? No, it's more like smoke?

He turned around and tried to get a grasp of his surroundings, but couldn't see beyond an arms-length away.

This isn't natural, which means it's a diversion. In that case…

He removed his mask and revealed his Sharingan.

Let's see who you are.

Before he could even react, a plume of smoke solidified and formed an arm that grabbed the young shinobi by the throat and lifted him into the air. The rest of the body manifested and revealed that the attacker was Gotta.

"That mask… You're Konoha ANBU aren't you?"

Kakashi placed his palms on Gotta's arm and sent a jolt of lightning Chakra. The elder man was forced to release the shinobi by the electrical discharge. Kakashi stepped back only to be grabbed from behind by another man. A plume of smoke solidified and formed yet another assailant who charged at the boy fist raised. Fortunately, with his Sharingan Kakashi was able to evade it enough so that the man's punch hit the one who held him. As soon as he was free Kakashi leapt into the air and clung to the wall above the smoke with Chakra.

What the hell is this technique?

As he gazed below all the smoke cleared to reveal the clan members that were ready to fight.

"I'll take care of him," Gotta stated confidently, before turning into smoke.

Kakashi leapt towards the ground in the hope to escape and come up with a plan to counterattack. Gotta swirled himself around the boy before entering his body through his nose and mouth. Kakashi jerked awkwardly before grabbing his throat and other parts of his body. Moments later he started screaming in pain whilst writhing on the ground.

"Ibushimi no Jutsu(Body Oxidation Technique)," Gotta whispered in his ears. "Your entire body will suffer oxidation much like iron. Blood, organs, nerves, muscles, even your Keirakukei, all of it will suffer under my jutsu."

Kinoe leapt down near the tortured shinobi and observed the terrifying technique. He had now witnessed exactly what sort of skills such a bloodline can grant to a combatant. It was clear that while the Kekkei Genkai had easily exploitable weaknesses, it also granted incredible power.

High reward, high risk type of ability. Not something an ordinary person could wield with ease.

"I know what you seek," Gotta whispered to Kakashi. "I will definitely make sure you never come anywhere close to Orochimaru-sama."

Kakashi could barely comprehend the sheer amount of pain that coursed through his body. He could feel his bones grinding, muscles tearing, and skin breaking. He knew that if he didn't do something now he would wind up dead.

He's taken over my body, essentially turning it against me. He's using his Chakra to cause all of this to happen. If that's the case then I just need to counter using my own Chakra.

He focused his Chakra into his hand and formed a haphazard version of his signature technique, Chidori(One Thousand Birds). He slammed his hand against his chest, electrocuting himself. While doing such a thing would kill a normal person, Kakashi had a high affinity for Raiton(Lightning Release) as well as the technique being created with his own Chakra. Which meant that he would hardly take any damage at all, but Gotta would not be so lucky. Immediately smoke poured out of the young shinobi's mouth and solidified into Gotta who was now kneeling on the floor in pain.

"You little shit," Gotta screamed through clenched teeth. He quickly stood up and drew and short blade from behind his back. Kakashi mirrored his action by drawing his own blade. They both stood a few metres apart, each in their stance. As if some signal fired off, they leapt towards one another with the intent to kill. The rest of the clan all stepped far back to avoid getting in the crossfire.

Kakashi jumped above Gotta and spun to strike him, but was parried as the man turned around. Gotta front flipped towards the boy bringing his sword down, utilising the spin of his body and gravity to increase its force. Kakashi tilted his blade diagonally to allow the strike to flow downwards along his sword and away from his body. He spun around on the spot and attempted to slice the man in half, but Gotta brought this sword up in a reverse grip to parry the move. Kakashi attempted a textbook overhead cut, but was once again countered.

The two opponents pressed against one another, sword against sword, for a few moments before disengaging. They immediately tried to strike the other during the split-second lull in the battle, but failed to land a hit. Kakashi swept his blade at Gotta's legs, only for the man to flip over it and strike down at the boy. Kakashi kicked towards Gotta's hand to disarm him, but failed as the man released his grip to make the shinobi's kick simply spin his blade like a fan in the air. Gotta lashed out with a series of leg sweeps, then grabbing his sword mid spin before it hit the ground. He then performed a reverse spinning back kick only for Kakashi to duck beneath it. He jumped over the kneeling ninja and tried to cut him, but the boy rolled out of the way.

They exchanged many more attacks as they each stood their ground. Kakashi deflected his enemy's blade upwards leaving his chest wide open.

"Gotcha," Kakashi cried out in premature victory as he found his sword simply phase through the man.

Shit! I forgot he could turn into smoke, but I didn't know he could partially shift his body into smoke. And to do so with such accuracy, it's maddening.

Gotta took the opportunity the strike his foe down but was denied when Kakashi leapt back and immediately turned about-face. He didn't have time to be confused about the ninja's actions as he ran away from him towards the exit.

"Do you honestly think I'm going to let you escape that easily?" Gotta rhetorically asked as he followed the boy.

Kakashi made it to the outside and turned around to face the exit. His mind ran at a million miles per hour as he calculated various stratagems to defeat his opponent.

He can turn into smoke and render physical attacks useless. He won't try and take over my body with the Ninjutsu he used before since I can simply shock myself again. Thus, he's left with physical attacks. There has to be a weakness that I can exploit!

Gotta reached the exit but stopped short of actually leaving the tree, his feet inches away from the sunlight. He gazed upwards and observed the branches to see if there was any wind. Seeing that the air was calm, he tentatively took a step into the sun and vowed to kill the intruder if it was the last thing he did.

Of course! He and the others lived in the cave-like tree because there wasn't any wind. They can turn into smoke, but a decent breeze would dissipate them. Wind pretty much equals death!

Kakashi noted that the current weather was sunny and pleasant. The air was calm now, but wind could pick up at any moment. All he had to do was keep him fighting outside and eventually the wind would kill him off. The young shinobi quickly lead the man further away from the entrance to entice him into his own death.

Orochimaru slowly entered the entrance of the tree and painstakingly made his way through the tunnel. The wound he received from Enma was difficult to heal and refused to be affected by medical Chakra. He knew that it wasn't poison, it simply wasn't Sarutobi's style, but something was hampering his attempts to recover.

He eventually found himself in the main chamber of the tree and leaned against the walls for support.

"Orochimaru-sama?" a voice called out. "It really is Orochimaru-sama!"

Soon every member of the Iburi clan appeared and helped guide Orochimaru to place where he could rest awhile. A woman with a small medical kit and several rolls of bandages arrived to help clean and heal his wounds.

"Where is Gotta?" Orochimaru asked, seeking the leader of the clan.

"A member of the ANBU unit that was part of the kill squad, Hatake Kakashi, arrived and is currently being taken care of by Gotta."

Orochimaru turned to the one who spoke and was surprised to see a young ninja with a ceramic mask, typical of black-ops forces.

"I assume that you're a part of Danzō's forces?" the elder ninja asked.

The boy nodded. "I was sent here in Danzō-sama's place to ensure you escape the country without fail."

The man smiled, it felt good that his back-up plan was working out perfectly. Soon he would be able to leave the country and start afresh in a place far from any military force that would seek to stop him.

"The rest of the kill squad is scattered to cover more ground, but the only one to actually track you down was Kakashi. His Ninken summons were especially useful in that regard. The border isn't that far from here and within a few hours one could easily make it through."

Orochimaru chuckled at the briefing.

Hatake Sakumo's brat, huh? Last I heard he was on suicide-watch after he was forced to kill his lover. Guess he found the resolve to move on, an admirable trait, one I truly respect. Like a snake would shed its skin, one must shed themselves of anything that would burden them and continue forward. I can expect great things from you Hatake Kakashi.

Kakashi threw a salvo of kunai forcing Gotta to jump back. As the young shinobi ran towards his foe he quickly slipped the tip of his sword through the hole near a kunai's handle and picked it up from where it stuck in the ground. Without pause he swung his blade, throwing the kunai towards his enemy. Gotta was caught off guard and quickly turned his chest into smoke to allow the attack to phase through.

Kakashi struck horizontally with his sword, but misjudged the distance between Gotta and the tree behind him. The sword jammed itself in the bark of the tree leaving himself wide open. Gotta sidestepped and attacked, but the boy rolled backwards, relinquishing his blade. He picked up one of the kunai on the ground from his earlier attack. By the time he refocused his attention he was already forced to inhale Gotta in his smoke form.

"Die," Gotta commanded.

Before he could truly activate his technique the body he inhabited was struck down by another Kakashi. The body burst into Chakra forcing Gotta to retake human form. He leapt up onto a branch and smirked at the shinobi.

"How does it feel to kill your own clone?" Gotta taunted.

Kakashi didn't reply, instead he let another clone of his throw a few kunai at Gotta before dispelling. Gotta dodged them all except for one which left a small cut on his shoulder. The real Kakashi was already there and struck downwards at the man, only for him to take smoke form again. A few leaves from the trees around them fell and Gotta instantly noted the way they floated irregularly. Panicking as he didn't want to be in his smoke form whilst there was any wind, he retook human form completely forgetting who was behind him.

By the time the breeze reached them Kakashi had pierced Gotta straight through the heart, till the hilt of his blade touched his back. Gotta stared at the metal protruding from his chest, unable to believe what had occurred. He coughed and took shuddering breaths as blood dripped down his chin.

"You… You, bas-" He never finished his sentence as Kakashi twisted the blade.

With a great heave the young shinobi put all his weight behind his sword and slashed diagonally, the blade flowing down along the bones of the ribcage. With a squelch the sword was free and copious amounts of blood sprayed forth turning the green leaves red. Gotta collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut and fell down from the branch and onto the earth.

Kakashi turned over the corpse with his foot and observed the body. Gotta's eyes stared emptily back at him. It was a sight the boy was used to after all his time spent in the war. He knelt down and respectfully closed the man's eyes. He withdrew a scroll from his flak-jacket and opened it to reveal a complex seal array. This wasn't an ordinary scroll, it was an experimental one given to soldiers so that they may carry the bodies of their fallen comrades back home for proper burial. It also was used to prevent the enemy from claiming the corpses of their comrades for research.

In this case Kakashi was using the scroll to capture an enemy corpse. He was certain that Kirabachi would be eager to study the body and learn its secrets. With an entire clan of people capable of such skills, he was certain that as soon as every ounce of knowledge was drained from the body, Konoha would send in a strike team to kill them all. It was clear who they were affiliated with and the village would show no mercy.

With the body now secure Kakashi turned to return to the clan base with sword in hand.

The wound was cleaned and stitched, it wasn't a perfect solution but it would suffice. Orochimaru had spoken to the young ROOT operative whilst having his injury taken care of. He was surprised to find out that the boy was able to use Mokuton. He recalled that he had left the genetics lab when only five test subjects remained, it was clear that the boy was the only survivor. He made a note to sincerely thank Danzō. He had actually found the lab first, then raised the surviving child in secrecy, and was now helping him escape from Sarutobi's kill squad.

What luck you have Danzō, to find the boy and raise him as one of your operatives. I can only imagine the chaos it would have caused if Sarutobi had found the lab or if Minato himself had located it. I can expect great things from you, Kinoe.

Orochimaru stood up and slowly twisted and turned to judge his mobility. It wouldn't do to have his wound burst open mid travel or combat.

"Orochimaru-sama," a young voice called for him.

He turned to it and noticed that it was a small girl about the same height as Kinoe. His mind recalled that she was one of many children he had given a prototype version of the seals he was developing. The one he had given to the children of the Iburi clan were meant to stabilise their Kekkei Genkai and improve their lifespan.

After all it wouldn't be good if they simply died out. I would hate to lose future test subjects.

"Ah, you must be," Orochimaru paused for a moment to recall her name. "Yukimi-chan, right?"

The girl smiled and her entire mood brightened considerably.

"You actually remember me?" she asked in awe.

The man smiled at her. "Of course, how could I ever forget?"

"Will you be taking me with you like the other children?" she asked.

The elder shinobi nodded and smiled wide enough to see his slightly elongated canine teeth. Before they could continue their conversation, a grey-haired youth interrupted them.

"You won't be going anywhere when I'm done, Orochimaru."

Orochimaru faced the boy and observed his demeanour. It was clear that the child wasn't afraid of him like many others, but he was cautious. He knew he would have to treat the boy like a real soldier; he wasn't just some meat shield but a real warrior. A boy who survived the fires of war to emerge a seasoned fighter.

Though I would still say he has a decade or two before he can truly fight in the same league as me.

"Where's Tou-chan?" Yukimi asked. "He was fighting against you wasn't he?"

Kakashi raised his sword and revealed the blood and gore that painted it red.

"What do you think happened?" he retorted, showing his blood-covered uniform.

Yukimi stared at the boy with wide eyes, her head shaking in disbelief. She knew her father wasn't weak. He was the strongest in their clan! No one else matched him in a fight. They were times when intruders would accidentally discover their home and needed to be dealt with, but she had always seen her father fight and walk away victorious. Yet, here was a boy just a few years her senior. A boy that had slain her father and acted as if it was nothing.

"It can't be. It's not true, you're lying!" she screamed.

Orochimaru placed a hand on her head and pulled her close to him.

"It's alright Yukimi. I know it's hard to understand, but what you see is the truth."

She gripped his shirt and shook as tears poured forth.

"Your father was a great man, who loved you so dearly," he spoke soothingly.

He knelt down to her level and looked her in the eye.

"Do you wish to join me, Yukimi? I can train you to be a great shinobi."

Yukimi sniffed and rubbed her eyes and cheeks. "Will I be strong?" she asked, her face morphing into one filled with fury. "Strong enough to kill him."

Honestly Hatake, you're making this too easy for me. It usually takes months, even a year or two to fully condition a child into having the proper mindset of an obedient killer. Your little show will serve as an excellent reminder for her, one she will remember throughout her training. She will never forget what you've done, until she rips your heart out with her bare hands.

"You are fortunate that I am in no condition to fight," Orochimaru stated. "But I'm afraid you won't be able to stop me."

"And why is that?" Kakashi asked, taking a fighting stance.

Before he could react, multiple limbs of wood burst from the ground and wrapped around him. The wooden limbs snaked around his legs and chest, while also keeping his arms tied together above his head.

"Mokuton: Shibari(Wood Release: Restraints)."

A masked ninja with a ceramic mask much like the one Kakashi had with him dropped down from above. Kakashi recognised him as the shinobi he fought during the attack against the Hokage. Orochimaru held onto Yukimi and formed a single hand-seal, before vanishing in a swirl of leaves taking the girl with him. Kinoe also disappeared in a similar fashion since his mission was officially complete.

Many of the remaining clan members glared at Kakashi, thinking that they could kill him now that he was tied up. Fortunately, the young shinobi had the foresight to create a Kage Bunshin(Shadow Clone). The clone dispelled leaving the clan confused as to what happened, whilst the real version of him fled the area. Kakashi leapt from tree to tree feeling incredibly frustrated. He vowed to himself that he would improve, the battle with Gotta had taken too long resulting in Orochimaru escaping.

It was the anniversary of the deaths of her team-mates. Kyōko left the care of the orphanage in the hands of her assistants, but took Naruto and Alto with her in a baby carriage. As she wandered throughout the streets of the district she was greeted with the usual sights that adorned this sector of the village like a glove fit a hand.

Drunks lying in the street from alcohol fuelled nights, prostitutes displaying their wares for any lonely man looking for a warm bed partner, dealers with mixtures of powders designed to send their consumers on wild trips of colour and euphoria. Such was the district she now lived and worked in.

Kyōko left the district and made her way to another, more civilised, part of the village. Shiro District had the main roads that lead to almost every other district in the village. Her destination was a particular shop that sold flowers, Yamanaka Flowers. Naruto was an addition the Yamanaka's wouldn't expect.

She held the firm belief that Naruto was an illegitimate child from the clan and was thus not taken in. Yet, she took both children with her as to ascertain the reaction of the clan leader, Yamanaka Inoichi. If Naruto was truly a child of the clan then she theorised that the clan head would feel uneasy around the child.

Proof of his heritage.

The door pushed open and knocked the small contraption designed to sound bells to alert the shop clerk that a customer arrived. It was to her advantage that Inoichi was currently working at the counter today. As she wheeled the carriage towards the counter she discreetly noted the reaction of the clan leader.

While she didn't expect any overt sign of his uneasiness to the child's presence, she could note the very subtle tension in his jaw.

So he does know who the child is. But I doubt that it belongs to him. Unless he cheated on his wife, which is very doubtful. Akiko is certainly a beauty. I can't imagine any sane man cheat on her, unless she's lacking. Again doubtful since they recently gave birth to a beautiful baby girl.

"Welcome to Yamanaka Flowers, How can I help you?" Inoichi said brightly.

"Good morning, Inoichi-sama, I was hoping to buy some flowers for my comrades," Kyōko replied.

Inoichi's brow raised slightly, clearly understanding the meaning hidden behind her words.

"Is there any particular flower you were hoping to get?"

"Hyacinths, purple ones if you have them," she requested, politely.

Inoichi nodded and moved towards a door behind him and disappeared for a few minutes. Afterwards he returned with a small bouquet of purple flowers.

"Here, exactly as you asked," Inoichi said, placing them gently on the counter.

Kyōko paid for them and thanked him before leaving the store with a sense of accomplishment. Bringing Naruto was a bonus as she had finally got the answer to the questions that tossed and turned in her mind. It was clear that the child was a part of the Yamanaka clan, an illegitimate child. She thought it was clear that Inoichi knew very well who the parents were.

As she walked to the cemetery she pondered over the reason why the secrecy was even necessary to begin with.

Why not take the child into the clan? Even if the child was illegitimate the public wouldn't know anything about his parentage. How could they? Even ninja forces wouldn't know. The secret would be contained within the clan and no one outside would know of it. Why would you deny a child with this much potential?

The cemetery was populated with a sparse few leaving her with plenty of privacy. As she moved towards the particular graves of her comrades, she felt an uncomfortable tightness in her chest. The feelings of guilt weighed heavily on her.

"It's been a while hasn't it," she whispered softly as she placed the flowers down gently.

AN: Author Note – Alltariss – This is the final chapter of the old chapters. From here on out it's all new stuff.