Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Dining Hall, Bandit Camp, 13 Hours After Bandit Raid

"SETTLE DOWN, MEN!"

Everyone immediately quieted down.

"Everyone have everything?"

There was a chorus of murmured yes's.

"All right! To Kikai Heights!" the leader shouted.

"To Kikai Heights!" the bandits roared back.

Hidden Room, Bandit Camp, 13 Hours After Bandit Raid

The knife was a foot away from the man's heart.

6 inches.

A centimeter.

A millimeter –

Yukan stopped.

I can't do it.

I'm sorry, Big Brother, I …

Yukan hurled the knife into the corner of the room. Tears formed in his eyes and streamed down his cheeks. He bowed his head in shame.

I can't do it.

Hokage Office, Konohagakure, 14 Hours After Bandit Raid

"That's it, Shizune," Tsunade growled. "I'm sending reinforcements."

Shizune stopped her pacing.

"Tell Anbu Teams A, B, and C to rendezvous in Akiyama Forest, then split up and search the entire area." Tsunade ordered.

"On it." With that, Shizune opened the door and left.

Hidden Room, Bandit Camp, 16 Hours After Bandit Raid

Eight hours.

There was a Konoha forehead protector on the man's arm. Yukan frowned. Big Brother had always said that ninja from Konoha were cruel and wicked.

This man's face didn't look cruel and wicked. This man's face looked almost…lazy.

Was Big Brother wrong?

No. Big Brother was never wrong.

But this man looked like a man of peace!

Why did this man cause him so much trouble?

Yukan stiffened, realizing that he had said it out loud. Hopefully no one had heard him.

He put his ear to the wall, listening for noise from the dining hall.

Nothing.

So they'd left.

They'd left him alone, alone to deal with this –

"WHY CAN'T I KILL YOU?!" Yukan screamed.

He picked up his knife.

"WHY? WHAT MAKES YOU SO – SO –"

Yukan twisted the knife in his right hand and stabbed it through his left. Blood spurted out and flecked his face.

"SEE?" he wailed. "SEE? I CAN HURT MYSELF, BUT I CAN'T HURT YOU! WHY?"

"...too loud…quiet….sleep….."

Yukan's widened in surprise. The man had talked!

"…Temari….where's Temari…miss her…"

Yukan inched closer. "Who's Temari?"

"Ambassador….Suna…."

What was an ambassador?

The man fidgeted and shook his head violently.

"Miss….her…."

"Keep still," Yukan said. "You'll hurt yourself."

"No...bandits….no…." The scab on the man's forehead broke and he began bleeding again.

"Hey!" Yukan said again, hands reaching out to hold the man's head still. "I said, you'll –"

The man flinched at the touch of Yukan's chakra.

"…poison…chakra!"

Yukan's sight suddenly wavered.

"Hurts! Hurts!"

The world blurred, the earth spun. Yukan found himself in Shikamaru's mind.

And he saw everything.