Well, I decided to bring in Sasuke. As much as I dislike Team Hawk, I'll bring them in too. Oh, and they're not with the Akatsuki in this. I'm sorry, but they will never be the Akatsuki to me. They were just fine the way they were.

It's also to help add to the little conflict Teah has in being in love with two men. XD

--~~--

"What?! A man came across the bridge and murdered the guard?" Tsunami uttered in disbelief.

Tazuna nodded solemnly. "I'm afraid so. I saw it with my own eyes, and I managed to escape as quick as I could. There was no way in the world I would stand a chance against him. He was a big man, and carried a machete."

"What are we going to do, Grandad?!" Inari asked in worry.

"I don't know, Inari. But we're going to have to do something, even if we have to get everyone together." Tazuna said. "...If only Naruto was here. I know he would stand up to this titan like he was a just a mouse."

"You're right, Grandad..." Inari murmured. It was one of those times he missed Kaiza, the man he thought of as his father.

--

"Boss, are you sure that was a good idea to send him there?" Himetsu questioned.

"Though I tell you not to question my plans, but I see your point..." Fujisaki nodded. "Perhaps...we shall just cause a little stirrup and then move him elsewhere. But this time...we'll have him right where those brats want him. If they find him, we find the Princess...and the Nine-Tails."

"Excellent plan, sir."

"I am glad you agree... Now then, Mokira, any news?"

"Sorry about that, Boss! The Nine-Tails and the Princess, along with a friend, and Copy-Ninja Kakashi have arrived in the Sand Village right as we speak!" Came Mokira's voice from the crystalline ball.

"Excellent... Things are going just as planned! Keep it up, my minions...and this world will be OURS!!"

--

Around the island, Jason kept hidden in the shadows, and was still confused as to where he was now. Why was he in such a confusing place, surrounded by water? What was going on here? He didn't remember his mother giving him the next order.

Of course, after a minute, he forgot why he was even suspicious in the first place. So he pressed on, searching for potential prey. The island was small, he knew that.

It was hard, since he wasn't in his own place and couldn't kill when someone trespassed. That still worried him, the fact he was away from his home, his camp for so long now.

"Hey! You there! I know what you did! You killed the guard, you son of a bitch! Get the hell off the island!" Yelled a voice from behind him. "Explain yourself!"

Jason slowly turned around, meeting a single man holding a torch. He tilted his head, wondering what he was yelling about, and why he was using naughty words.

"Didn't you hear me, you dumb shit?! Explain yourself! Now!"

Getting thoroughly annoyed, Jason approached the man and stood a couple of feet away from him, glaring down at him. At his towering 6'6" height, he was pretty intimidating, and most especially with the machete he had in a sheath.

"Er...um...." The frightened man dropped his torch and backed away a few steps.

Jason wasted no time. He grabbed the man's throat with both his gloved hands, and squeezed, really hard. The man gasped and struggled to breathe, grabbing at his hands to try to loosen them up, but with no avail. Jason squeezed harder, and after a few seconds, the man went limp after being choked to death. He tossed him aside into a nearby building and continued on his way.

"WHOA! Stop it right there, you bastard!"

Again?

Jason turned back around, and this time didn't waste a moment. He held onto the teenage girl's shoulder with one hand, and thrust two fingers into her mouth, pulling at her jaw. The girl screamed and tried to bite down, but it had no effect at all. Jason swiftly ripped out her jaw, with slight difficulty, and tossed it away.

The girl thrashed, bleeding rapidly and then smashing her firsts against his chest. He grabbed her wrists and then snapped them in half as though they were twigs. Picking up the fallen torch, he finished the job and set her on fire. Leaving her to die, he walked off away.

--

"Hey, Naruto. Glad you made it here." Gaara smiled at his friend.

"Hey Gaara! Long time no see, old buddy!" Naruto shook his hand. "So hey, what is it you wanted to see me about?"

"I'm sure you've heard what's been going on in Konoha, and here in the Sand Village, correct?" Gaara said. "It's been said by eyewitness description that the perpetrator is a big, tall man wearing a Hockey mask and carrying a machete?"

"Yeah! Yeah, that's the guy!" Naruto nodded rapidly. "Yeah, we're pretty sure it was him! And Teah-nee-chan and I saw him!"

"It's true, Kazekage-sama." Teah said solemnly. "I was with Naruto that day we saw him."

"Call me Gaara, no need to be so formal, Princess." Gaara said kindly, and turned back to Naruto. "So, it's pretty much established that we're dealing with the same man, then. Do you have any further information?"

"Well, we're not sure...all we pretty much know is that he's got no chakra, so he's no ninja or anything. I guess he relies on his strength and that machete he's got. I haven't seen him kill for myself, but I can bet he gets the job done. What's happened here in the village?"

"Four teenagers were killed in the Oasis Park, and then several teenagers were killed in an abandoned house in the outskirts of the village while having a really big party." Gaara stated. "Another someone was killed in Oasis Park. All the deaths were unrelated to one another, so it's obvious he doesn't seem to have a pattern. He's killing at random."

"Man, that's weird..." Naruto said, frowning a bit in thought. "So we're dealing with some guy with no chakra, pretty strong, uses a machete, and killed so many people in less than two weeks, and not to mention he went from Konoha to here in a matter of what, days? It seems weird."

"It is quite odd, and we now can't seem to find any traces." Gaara mentioned, holding up a report. "All of our elites have searched every nook and cranny of the village, searched every house, and nothing. No evidence, no traces. Just his victims."

"Yeah! We saw that too, back in Konoha!" Naruto exclaimed. "We've got no trace of him at all! Who knows where he could be going next!"

"Have you sent out anyone beyond the village's borders?" Kakashi then asked.

Gaara nodded. "We have had them search the desert beyond the village, and no trace there either. We are having them go out further."

"Man, this is so weird! What's going on here?! Heck, we don't even know the guy's freaking name!" Naruto cried.

The red-haired Kazekage nodded in agreement. "This will be hard. But we're all doing our best. In the meantime, you guys should take it easy here in the village. They recently opened up a very luxurious hotel in the central square, you can stay there." He then smiled. "And tell them that I sent you all there, and you will get a special discount. I'll let you know if we find out anything else."

That was when Naruto's stomach growled. Very loudly.

"Heh heh! Well, I really AM hungry after a day of traveling! Let's go, guys! Hope that room service includes ramen!"

The girls laughed and Kakashi smiled behind his mask as they followed him out of Gaara's office.

--

"Are we all ready?"

"Yes!"

"He killed Hikaru and Sakajima! Let's get him!"

"Right, then let's go!"

Having gathered the townsfolk of the island, with any kind of weapon in hand, were all ready to revolt against the danger that was now threatening them. It would be tricky, and maybe they would lose a few, but, they were willing to sacrifice for the good of the village. The Land of the Waves were going to once again regain their reputation as a peaceful place.

"Onward!" Tazuna declared, pointing ahead.

All the villagers, including Tsunami and Inari, all chorused cheers and battle cries before they set out.

--

"Boss, what should we do? They're out to get him, and I think that could lead to some problems." Himetsu stated.

"Hmmm...you may have a point, my good man. Let us get him out. ...For now. I have a good plan. We'll let him have a little fun, but this time...in the Earth Country." Fujisaki mused. "And then, they can meet him halfway there..."

"Excellent plan, Boss."

"Of course, my good man."

"Boss! Boss! We have another urgent report!" Came Mokira's voice.

Fujisaki sighed heavily. "What is it, Mokira?"

"The Konoha Missing Nin, Sasuke Uchiha, is on the move not far from our location! He is making his way around the Wind Country borders."

"Hmmm...Sasuke Uchiha, is it? Well...this could be interesting... He is the Princess's cousin, I believe. ...And it appears he has strong feelings for her, am I right?"

"Affirmative, Boss." Said Himetsu.

"I see...I see...well, perhaps we could use this lad to our advantage... Keep out there Mokira, and report back if anything comes up."

"Right, Boss!"

--

"Come ON, Sasuke. We don't need those two, we can continue on our own together." Karin cooed, hugging Sasuke on the arm. "You know we would have so much more fun together."

Sasuke glared at her and wrenched his arm away. "Karin, I have told you before, get away from me. You are not here as some kind of a concubine. I need your skills, nothing more."

Throwing her arms up in frustration, she stalked away and stood against a tree.

"Heh heh, better luck next time, Kare!" Suigetsu hollered, laughing as he drank down some soda. "In the afterlife!"

"Oh will you shut up!?" Karin yelled, punching him in the face. But of course it only reformed itself. "You're the reason Sasuke doesn't like me!"

"Or maybe you're just a dumb violent bitch who doesn't have a clue about things that aren't going your way. Maybe you're too blind, which is why you wear glasses." Suigetsu grinned.

"I happen to need glasses, you God damn shark fin!"

Sasuke ignored the two of them as they argued amiably in the background, as did Juugo.

They were not far from the Wind Country by now, and also close to the Earth Country, and they had heard some gossip around about the strange murders that occurred in Konoha, and then in the Sand Village. It was meant to be kept hush hush, but of course, the word was going around. A need for gossip? Or even a safety measure to warn others?

No chakra, leaves no traces other than his victims, and seems to move fast...this is indeed intriguing. Sasuke thought to himself. And I can bet Naruto is involved in this. ...Then that means she must be, also.

He shook his head at the thought and looked up at the full moon apprehensively. No matter what he did, he could not seem to bury the feelings, the bonds, everything he's ever had with those close to him. Naruto...and Teah, especially. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he was damn sure it wouldn't be this hard.

I wonder if they found anything... Sasuke thought, trying to keep his mind off his dilemmas, and focused on the matter at hand.

"Whatever! I'm going to go now and find a bathroom." Karin muttered, walking away from their little camp. It was a pain trying to go to the bathroom when there was no available facility around when you were a girl.

She went into the forest, and beyond that forest was the gate leading to the Hidden Rock Village.

"Stupid Suigetsu...it's his fault I can't get Sasuke into bed with me...God, what am I going to do to win him over?!" Karin growled to herself. "Maybe it's that slut of a cousin of his...why her, she's a family member for God's sake. What does she have that I don't?! Damn it..."

She pulled down her short shorts, and then her under pants, and heard a rustling along with the snapping of twigs. Pausing, she looked around.

"Sasuke...? Sasuke is that you...?" Karin smiled in a sultry way and did a little dance. "Come on out, you bad boy...you can have me."

No response. Just the whistle of the wind and rustling of the bushes.

"...Suigetsu?! That had better not be you, you damn shark! If you're peeking at me, I will kill you! Now go away!" She yelled. "What the hell!? Will you stop hiding?! I know you're there!"

Quickly she pulled her shorts up and started to move away, now feeling a bit nervous. Was there someone else here? Her senses weren't detecting chakra, for some odd reason.

"...Hello?! Who's out there?! It's not funny anymore, come on!" She yelled.

Nervously backing away, Karin felt her back hit against something hard. But it was too soft to be a tree...

She turned around, and craned her neck upwards to see Jason standing there, looking down at her. The eye holes of his mask were dark, so she couldn't see his eyes or his face.

"Who the hell are you?! Were you just watching me?! Because if you were, then you can just forget getting with me! I'll take you down if you don't stop this-"

Jason drew his machete and sliced the blade across her throat in one swift move. Gurgling and coughing up blood, Karin stumbled and fell to the ground, bleeding to death.

--

"Hey, what's taking her so long?" Suigetsu wondered. "She's been gone way over five minutes. I'd better go find her."

Sasuke shrugged it off. "Do as you wish."

"Whatever, man." Suigetsu picked up his sword taken from Zabuza and walked off into the forest. "Hey! Karin! ...Karin? Hello? Hey! Where are ya? Karin!"

The forest was deathly quiet, other than the sounds of the wind and the occasional hooting of an owl. And Karin was nowhere in sight.

"Kare? Kare? Where are ya? Helloooo? Come on, you're not gonna scare me if you come jumping out from behind a tree! Seriously, come on out! Hello?"

As he walked around, his feet stopped up against something soft on the ground. Looking down, his eyes widened in surprise and he stumbled back a few steps.

"H-Holy crap! Oh God! SASUKE, JUUGO! COME OVER HERE!"

--

"Man, do you really have to go, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi nodded. "Yes, apparently it's very urgent. But I know you guys can handle yourselves. If you do need something, you can radio Sai and Yamato, and you can meet up with them. Until then, stay here for a while and try to gather information. I'll do the same while I'm back there. Be careful, got it?"

Naruto nodded. "Okay, Kakashi-sensei! You can count on us!"

"Naruto's right, we'll do our best." Sakura agreed.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine." Teah nodded also.

"Good, I'm glad to hear it. If you do need me, you know where to find me." Kakashi winked and then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Naruto sighed hard. "Man, this is gonna be even harder now! What are we going to do?"

"We'll figure it all out soon, Naruto. The answers are right in front of us, we just have to know where to look." Sakura assured him.

"I can help you." Came a new voice.

Turning around, they all were surprised to meet with someone they never expected to see.