I apologize for my absence, but my mental state has not been quite right for writing. I've updated my profile with a general outline of the reasons. I will not go into more detail than outlined there.

Chapter 40:
Dreams of Retirement

Naruto closed his eyes, scratched the back of his head, and laughed. Junichi's confusion only escalated when the blond jinchuuriki continued with an apology. "Oh, sorry, sorry, just got a little carried away there." Though Miyagi rolled his eyes, he returned an amused smirk.

Junichi sighed and rubbed his brow. "If I had to choose, I suppose I prefer to go out this way." He looked to Miyagi and Aina. "It is embarrassing to think I would end up underestimating shinobi." He turned his attention to Fugui and sighed dishearteningly. "No, I should say I overestimated…" He paused, looked up, and chuckled. "Rather, I weighed my options poorly."

"Will you surrender peacefully?" Miyagi prepared the first hand seal for the signature jutsu of the Nara clan.

Junichi waved him off. "There is no need to get hasty." He eyed them knowingly as he placed a hand under his sash. "After all, you need me alive."

Aina reached into her field pouch as she approached him. "That's the preference." She removed a slip of paper covered with seals.

Junichi turned sharp eyes towards Aina. She stumbled for a moment as he studied her and calculated a new mystery. "Did you say 'preference'?" She nodded. His throat reverberated as he contemplated a moment longer. "Are you saying I am a target you prefer to capture alive, but you suffer no consequences with my death?"

"Hey, you're not going to psych us out!" Naruto pointed towards their target. "You're just upset 'cause we caught you with your pants down!" The analogy worked, and he knew it. They never even suspected Miyagi and Aina, and their little act when the mercenaries managed to capture him was perfect.

Junichi chuckled, catching the group by surprise. "Yes, indeed you did." He shrugged. "I am embarrassed." He turned his attention to Aina then Miyagi. "Now before you tie me up, would you care to tell me who you really are? You cannot be Yorukage. They are rogues from your village, true, but you are obviously still loyal."

"What makes you think we'll tell you?" Aina spat before she could check her temper. She shook her head. She reached out to grasp their target when Hinata stopped her. She looked to the Hyuuga heir with a hint of confusion.

Hinata pulled her hidden ally's shoulder as she squinted her eyes. She observed their target with an unusual intensity. When Miyagi was about to question her, she finally spoke. "Something's strange." She did not elaborate immediately. Her friends let her concentrate for a moment longer. She finally blinked and tried to explain what she saw. "Have you observed any ability to manipulate chakra from Junichi?"

Miyagi and Aina both shook their heads. Hinata continued. "For a brief instant, I thought I saw something to contradict both your observations and my own." Her vision followed Junichi's arm to his sash. She blinked repeatedly when she saw the object in his hand. Rather, she saw a strange void grasped tightly under the cloth. "He's hiding something similar to the minerals in the mountain walls."

Miyagi's eyes widened. He approached Junichi and forced his hand into the open. He held a small, blue crystal reminiscent of a small flame. He narrowed his eyes in thought. As his brow furrowed, he wondered how he missed it. "Is this the aokasou Fugui brought you?" His eyes searched the ground. "When did he pick it up?"

Junichi sighed. "Oh well, I guess there is no point hiding it." He tore his arm from Miyagi's grip. He continued as he rubbed his sore forearm. "I had hoped you would drag me halfway out of this mountain before you noticed." He shrugged. "Best case scenario, you would not notice until Old Tree authorities took me under their custody."

Naruto looked to Miyagi. "What's going on?"

"If I had to guess…" Miyagi started with a sigh. "…I'd say our former host is using your signature jutsu." He held up a hand to forestall any questions. "Fugui brought an aokasou fragment from the room they were holding you in. If I had to guess, a massive chakra spike made it 'forget' the jutsu it was holding." He rubbed the bridge of his nose and spoke under his breath. "Troublesome."

"How did we miss him using the aokasou, then?" Aina practically yelled. "Even the most skilled shinobi can't use justu so efficiently that no chakra is wasted!"

Hinata shook her head. "No, I just barely noticed it." Everybody directed his or her attention towards her. "I saw a little excess chakra escape through his ears." She licked her lips. "I just didn't know what to make of it. His chakra system isn't developed at all, so I was initially confused."

Naruto practically growled. "This isn't getting us anywhere!" He prepared hand seals of his own. "I'll find him, and we can sort this out later!"

Miyagi stopped him. "Wait, we have no idea where he is." He looked to Junichi. "Somehow, he was able to use your Kage Bushin justu and slip away from us with the aokasou. We can't underestimate him and rush into the situation blindly."

Naruto looked to Fugui for a brief moment. He remembered their conversation while they held him captive. He focused on the flame-like crystal Miyagi confiscated from their target. "What's so special about this aokasou, anyway?"

Miyagi sighed, but he explained anyway. "When it was first discovered, the aokasou were sold as jutsu amplifiers. However, their true nature was revealed as villages were formed." He sighed. "It may just sound like a coincidence, but greater protection meant scientists could study the presumed 'miracle' crystals. Instead of amplifying justu, they found the aokasou stored justu."

Naruto nodded in understanding, and Miyagi continued. "Konoha banned the use of aokasou. They were deemed too dangerous, even a security risk. I'm not sure how the other villages view them, but I've never heard of loyal shinobi ever using them. I imagine they agree. The risk is simply too high for the reward. Sure, a shinobi could use a jutsu he or she normally couldn't, or a shinobi could make a justu more powerful or efficient. However, the jutsu is stored in the crystal. It is vulnerable to enemy capture."

Naruto smirked and chuckled. "So?" Everybody looked at him strangely. "He's just copying my Kage Bushin." He rubbed his nose in confidence. "He never trained to use it. He hasn't fought in countless battles to hone it." He cracked his knuckles and prepared his hands seals. "He's just a fake, a fraud." He pushed chakra into his signature jutsu. "He doesn't know how to really use it!"

"Naruto, wait!"

"Tajuu Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" Naruto shouted at the top of his lungs with his usual exuberance, completely ignoring his allies' protests. Air popped and hissed as solid clones filled the room and filed into the hallway. When the dust cleared, an army composed of a single face stared menacingly at a visibly frightened Junichi.

"Make no mistake, Junichi…" The crowd echoed in imperfect unison. "…we'll find you!" One of the clones, maybe the real Naruto, grabbed the panicky target by the collar. "You don't understand what you're messing with, and there is no way you can hide!" With a bone-jarring smack, Junichi's aokasou formed Kage Bushin faded into the ether.

Aina pinched the bridge of her nose. For a moment, her image flickered as her chakra and temper spiked. "Naruto!" She heaved a heavy breath, as she looked the nearest copy in the eyes. "How are we supposed to find him now, huh?" Even if the display scared their target, he had a cliff side full of caves and twisting tunnels to hide within.

A single Naruto leaned back on laced fingers to protest. Inwardly, his teammates decided he was the original. "Come on Sakura, give me some credit." He looked at her as she raised her hands to her face to release the jutsu. "While you and Shikamaru did your part, Hinata and I were hard at work with ours." When he looked to Miyagi, he instead saw their chunin leader removing the paper seals holding his perfect disguise.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru grunted as the last paper seal burst into flame on its way to the ground. He lazily leaned against the nearest wall. "I don't think getting captured was part of the plan." He eyed the blond genin and shrugged. "Though, it was an unexpected boon." He cut off Sakura before she could protest. "We learned of a connection to Akatsuki."

Sakura sighed and acquiesced. "Fine!" She planted her fists on her hips and angrily tapped her foot. "That still doesn't explain how we're going to find Junichi!" She glanced at Naruto. It was important that they found out everything they could about Akatsuki, but they could not risk alienating Konoha with poorly executed missions. Worse, they could not afford to botch one just to get information for the sole reason it benefited them.

"I…" Hinata started and almost gasped when every eye in the room focused on her. She could handle Naruto better now. She was still shy, but she had spent enough time with him to talk more clearly. Still, dozens of his eyes staring at her made her feel awkward. "I th-think I know wh-where he's going…" She stammered and cursed herself.

Naruto smirked. "Well, beats my idea!" He laughed at the incredulous looks he received from Sakura and Shikamaru. "What?" He shrugged.

Shikamaru shook his head and motioned for Hinata to continue. She nodded and complied. "When I was gathering evidence, I ran across his holding cells. That's where I found the boy…" She indicated the slumbering child. "…but also, most importantly, every record of every 'transaction' since he entered the former daimyo's service."

"Why would he return there?" Sakura wondered aloud. Naruto nodded in agreement, and Shikamaru rubbed his chin.

"W-Well…" Hinata paused shyly. "I-I couldn't see it clearly, but…" Even she hated admitting a weakness in the Byakugan. "…th-there was a safe hidden in the wall." She thought back on what she saw and described it. "I saw its outline and locking mechanism, but the wall's composition prevented me from peering inside. I-I think it's important to Junichi."

"Right!" Naruto crooned. He looked out into the hallway. "You made a map, right Hinata?" She nodded and unfurled the corresponding scroll. After a moment, his teammates looked at him. Shikamaru cleared his throat to get his attention. Returning his attention to Hinata, he smiled and nodded. "Right, where's the room?"

Shikamaru and Sakura paid close attention to the map as well. They knew a few routes out, but they knew the shortest was the safest. Feeling he understood the route sufficiently, Shikamaru turned his attention to Fugui. With a heavy sigh, he addressed his team. "Naruto, I only want Kage Bushin going after Junichi and any men remaining in the tunnels." He paused in case of protest, but he was pleasantly surprised to hear none.

Clearing his throat, he continued. "You can get some Kage Bushin to secure and carry Fugui out of here. We'll hand him over to his village, along with the child of course. I'm sure they'll want answers concerning his activities." He sighed. "As troublesome as it seems, it'll help Konoha." He eyed Naruto suspiciously. "You got that?"

Naruto grinned mischievously. "Way ahead of you!" At the incredulous stares, he continued. "I already have my Kage Bushin scouring the caverns, so I just need to tell them the proper route and Junichi's likely position." His grin widened as one of his clones popped out of existence. After an instant, all but three clones remained in the room with the original. They followed some silent orders he gave the one to release.

Shikamaru tilted his head to one side, but he had no reason to question him. He turned his attention to Hinata. "Did you see anything else suspicious in his holding room?" She shook her head in the negative. With a heavy breath, he gave his marching orders. "Okay, let's get out of here. We'll cover all the exits just to be sure." He eyed Naruto knowingly.

No longer laden heavy with ice, the cloud ceiling parted under the heat of the sun. As focused beams of sunlight penetrated the thick canopy of the forest, rainbows formed to announce the end of a long and heavy downpour. The countryside glistened and sang as flora and fauna woke from a short slumber. However, not all was peaceful and bright.

The high sun also cast light onto a lengthy gouge torn into the forest floor. At the end of the new scar, Zetsu laid and stared at the blue sky peaking through cloud ceiling and forest canopy. "That girl learned an unbelievable jutsu. To think, she took me by surprise." He looked to his black side. The landing had torn his arm asunder as if a tree root scraped across hard stone. He looked down at this waist. His legs were in a slightly better state.

He pushed his white arm into the soil, so he could more quickly absorb needed nutrients. "I haven't seen that jutsu used properly in a long time." He tried to laugh, but it came out as a harsh cough. "I may have to reevaluate my strategy. She is a superior fighter to what I first imagined." He observed the progress of his repairs.

His legs and black arm still looked ragged, but he removed his white arm from the soil. As he pushed himself up, he looked in the direction he flew from and smiled. "Well, there's always an alternative." He grunted and made his way out of the forest. As he made his way to the clearing where he ambushed Shion's escort and captured Neji, he released seeds from his heels with every step.

With a guttural guffaw, he reached his white hand out to collect poisonous plants as he passed. They appeared to bend to his will as they beckoned to his call. As he swept his hand over the toxic vegetation, he formed a plant-spear and drove the lethal venom into the spearhead. He readied his weapon as he pushed a final line of brush aside.

As Zetsu emerged from the tree line, Shion gasped in horror. She had no idea how the plant-man survived. The hammer her remaining shinobi guardian hit him with was massive, without peer. She swallowed hard and almost clung to the captain of her personal guard. The gentle mist rising from the warming ground only added to her fright.

Tenten stared down her opponent. He was in much better shape than he should have been. She knew her weapons, and she knew her jutsu. She hit him cleanly, and she sent him flying. Taking a deep breath, she hefted the massive hammer and prepared for another assault. However, she glared at her assailant's weapon. Something about it set the hair on the back of her neck on end.

She put on a brave face as she stared her opponent down. She took a few steps forward, emphasizing the ease with which she carried her substantial weapon. Internally, she was taken aback when the plant man did not as much as flinch. She was certain he could not see through the distortion, and her weapon held every ounce of power its size demonstrated. Then she froze in place.

Tenten was not scared. She tried to move forward, but her feet refused to rise from the muddy ground. After another heave, she decided to look down. She heard Zetsu chortle eerily. He trapped her. She did not know how, but he made it so that she could not move. She saw the strangest sight; roots wrapped tightly around her feet and ankles, and they fastened her in place.

"I see…" The white Zetsu began. "You changed the refraction of light with a simple Suiton jutsu. However…" He hefted his poisoned plant spear and took careful aim. He was not getting too close again. The black Zetsu finished. "…if I know where you are, your main advantage is gone!" He let his victory sink in a moment more before he let loose his plant spear.

He leaned back and planted his weight. He heard something sloshing in the mud, and he delighted some in his opponent's frantic struggle to get free. He arched his arm forward and threw his whole body into the attack. "No, Shion-sama! Don't!" He released the plant spear before his mind could process the implications.

Zetsu looked up to see Mizukura desperately looking towards his charge. He saw Shion covered in mud on a straight trajectory for Tenten. He felt anger well up in the pit of his stomach as the daimyo priestess tackled his opponent to the ground an instant before he heard a blood-curdling scream.

Tenten looked in horror as the terrible spear pierced Shion through. The world slowed to a crawl. The scream on her lips could not even escape her throat as the daimyo priestess dropped to the ground, teeth clenched and gripping her side. She was in pain, disabled by more than a glancing blow. The world, slowed and terribly muddled, seemed to leap into clear focus as Shion collapsed into the muddy ground.

Tenten tore at the roots wrapped around her feet. In frightful irony, her jutsu affected them much the same as it affected her massive hammer. They were too heavy and weighed her down. She fought hot tears as a part of her mind wondered why Zetsu had not attacked. She practically screamed at that part to remain silent.

An unfamiliar sound refocused her attention. From her peripheral, she noticed her opponent take a step back. The ground heaved violently before exploding with mud, roots, and rocky debris. When she wiped the mud from her eyes and cleared her vision, she felt a weight lift from her heart.

Neji stood between her and Zetsu, bold and proud. He stood with a regal grace that spoke both arrogance and confidence. "Get to Shion-sama." His voice was strong, betraying no weakness. "Retreat with the rest of her entourage. I can handle this alone." He narrowed his eyes, Byakugan blazing.

Tenten nodded and responded in a near whisper. "Be careful…" She took in a deep breath and released her jutsu. With a loud hiss and a crack almost like distant thunder, her massive hammer returned to its seal. She easily ripped the roots from her feet. She pushed herself to her feet and walked towards Shion. She gripped her side, noting with some disdain potentially bruised ribs.

Tenten dropped to her knees next to the daimyo priestess and winced. She ignored her own pain as she leaned over to cradle Shion for transport. She paused with a gasp as she noticed the unusual pallor of their patron. She placed an ear over her mouth and listened. Raspy breath met her, and she shot a worried glance to her teammate. "She's been poisoned!"

Neji nodded in understanding. Before he could either taunt his opponent into making the first move or press forward, Zetsu disappeared into the ground and foliage. He looked angry, weak, and worried. Tenten pondered his expression just long enough to realize his retreat. He was not aiming for Shion. He did not want her dead, so he likely worried for his own life.

Neji relaxed and straightened, but his extremities lightly shook from obvious fatigue. His knees nearly buckled when he turned to face his teammate. He turned and hobbled towards the battle worn daimyo priestess and her honor guard. Tenten hid from his gaze as he turned towards her. "You did well to hold out until I could escape."

Her eyes widened and she looked at him. Obviously, she had not expected his praise. He had not seen her reaction, focusing on the injured Shion. "We must hurry; Shion-sama requires medical attention." He turned to Tenten. "Can you administer emergency aid?"

She shook her head. "N-No… I haven't gone over poisons with Papa." She looked away when his lips turned down in a contemplative frown. She simply fell into the flow of things as he gave orders. They were going ahead with Shion, and Mizukura would follow behind with the rest of Shion's entourage as quickly as he could.

They arrived at the palace hours before Mizukura could catch up. When he arrived, he saw them standing impatiently in the hallway. "Well, Tenten certainly looks impatient. That Neji is as unreadable as ever." He walked up to the kunoichi and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's not your fault." He knew his words were of little comfort.

She smiled weakly in response before returning her attention to the large, double doors. "We told your palace medics that she was exposed to high concentrations of local poisons." She held out the spear that pierced through Shion. "I was able to examine it on the way." She sighed miserably. "The lead medic is confident, but…"

"Trust their judgment." Neji interrupted. He turned to look over Mizukura. He turned his gaze just enough to inspect the rest of Shion's honor guard. "You should also seek medical attention. Zetsu drained your chakra dangerously low." After delivering his assessment, he returned to waiting for news on Shion's condition.

"He means well." Tenten reassured Mizukura. "He really does. It's just…" She paused to reflect on her words. "It's been a trying day for all of us." She still felt uneasy, but she had convinced herself it was the medical emergency. She did not want any more stress falling into her lap for a long time.

Mizukura nodded before turning around to order his men and Shion's ladies-in-waiting. They were all anxious, but they needed medical attention and rest. He also needed them ready for another attack. He needed to be ready in case of another attack. He knew how necessary his barrier was to their defense. As he walked away, he also worried about damage from the long downpour. He would have to check for casualties later.

Far downstream of the palace, rapids twisted mercilessly towards a waterfall. The rain caused the river to swell, and it swept everything in its path further and further downstream. A cave along a cliff formed a new bank, and a figure managed to grab hold. The figure climbed and coughed, covered in mud and debris. Mizukura's dour warning to his guardsmen was right. They had to check for casualties immediately after recovering.

Suigetsu whistled and leaned back on interlaced hands. "Who'da thunk the high 'n' mighty Hyuuga would come a callin' personally." He bowed dramatically. "I feel honored." He looked up when he heard no response. "Huh?" He chuckled. "Tough crowd." With a shrug, he continued. "Fair enough, I s'pose. It's not like…"

"What business do you have with us?" Hiashi interrupted harshly. He looked around to survey the battlefield. To normal eyes, it might appear that the rogue shinobi simply embarrassed the warriors of the sand. With his powerful eyes, he saw past common facades. With no small feeling of pride, he witnessed his youngest daughter appraising the situation with the same level of scrutiny.

Matsuri was, by no means, weak. In his esteemed opinion, she was worthy of ranking among the jonin. He also understood why she resisted promotion, due in no small part to rumors and subsequent investigations. Hiashi also recognized her immediate disadvantage. Suna tasked her with protecting Kankurou's young charges in his absence.

He returned his attention to Suigetsu when the impatient rogue breathed disappointingly through his teeth. "I come all the way out to the desert, and I keep getting the cold shoulder." His arm instinctively edged towards his sword. He clenched his fists remembering Sasuke's words. Konoha's elders were his targets.

"I don't really care what happens to Hiashi." Sasuke interrupted plainly. He stared dispassionately at the back of his eyelids, and his knuckles supported his chin. He gave off an air of disinterest. He received curious stares in response, bordering on incredulous. He opened his eyes just long enough to let his impatience come across.

Suigetsu only chuckled. "Well, I guess ya get a fair taste of what I went through." Before Karin could go ballistic, he rolled an arm and cracked his neck. "I went to the desert for ya, man. The least you could do is indulge me a smidge." He smirked widely at the silent nod to continue. "I gotta admit; I admire the Hyuuga. Both ojii-sama and ojou-sama observed everything so nonchalantly." He laughed derisively before continuing his story.

Hiashi made his way towards the battlefield. Hanabi followed from a safe, reasonable distance. She was worried about Tsume, Hishu, and Mori. However, she knew better than to interfere. Even with a kekkei genkai, she was only a genin. She also knew their enemy's demeanor in no way impressed her father. He was obviously strong, but he tried to appear flippant. She stopped and looked up when her father held out an arm to halt her progress.

"I see you failed to answer my question." Hiashi started unperturbed. He continued forward, lightly pulling at his wide cuffs. "What business do you have with us?" He reiterated without a hint of emotion. Still, small hints spoke volumes. For all his boasting, Suigetsu hated the desert. He deflected statements and questions in an admittedly poor attempt at psychological warfare. Hiashi refused to see his opponent as the incompetent brute he pretended to be.

Suigetsu narrowed his eyes. He looked angry for a moment before his easy smile returned. "My dear ojii-sama, I'm here to take your ojou-sama into Hawk's custody." He said conversationally. He frowned slightly when the Hyuuga head failed to respond, even slightly flinch. His voice almost cracked, but he controlled himself as he spoke. "You guys certainly earned your reputation."

Hiashi observed his opponent's unusual reaction. It was disconcerting. The foreign shinobi shook all over with almost giddy anticipation. The Hyuuga head motioned his daughter to find cover, to which she immediately responded. He admitted inwardly; he was proud he did not have to lower his guard. She rushed to Matsuri and the genin, who managed to move out of the way.

Suigetsu whistled. He knew he had Hiashi's full attention, but he still felt impressed. "That's one ironclad guard ya got there, ojii-sama." He laughed as he settled into the first hand seal of one of his Suiton imprisonment jutsu. "Ya don't even appear to have a stance, yet I can't find one, simple opening."

Hiashi closed his eyes, fully prepared for the battle at hand. "On the contrary…" He opened his eyes; his kekkei genkai blazed in full fury. "…this is a stance I have yet to pass on." To everybody's surprise, the Hyuuga head made the first move. The move even caught Hanabi off guard. Most Hyuuga justu took advantage of the Byakugan by luring the opponent into a false sense of security and then attacking.

However, Hiashi seemed to disappear as he expelled chakra. Suigetsu almost continued his jutsu until he noticed something. "Is my weakness exposed?" He dodged, and his jutsu dissolved as his body melted into the desert sands. Even as his body reformed, he rushed his opponent. He received a knee to his gut as recompense.

He held his stomach with wide-eyed shock. He barely stumbled backwards to avoid the next kick only to receive the full force of a Hyuuga chakra expulsion. "Don't the Hyuuga rely on the juuken taijutsu? Sasuke didn't say anything about a repertoire of kicks!" His body exploded in a spray of water when he landed, and everybody else simply watched in silent amazement.

"Wh-What kind of jutsu is that, Hanabi-chan?" Tsume asked aloud the question also on the tip of Hishu and Mori's tongues. In all their spars, they only saw Hanabi use open palms and fingers in precise, chakra-infused strikes.

Hanabi stood a little straighter. Her Byakugan took in details normal eyes failed to understand. "It's a variation of juuken taijutsu." She turned a little to direct her next statement to Tsume. "Watch otou-sama's flow. I think you'll understand." She knew her peer was blind, but her kekkei genkai showed her a world eyes could not understand.

Hanabi took a breath as she recited her father's words. "You look, but you do not see." Her new friends regarded her in confusion. She might sound arrogant if not for her Byakugan. "You watch, but you do not observe." She turned towards them and allowed her eyes to rest upon each of their faces. Her attention was everywhere, but she knew the 'gaze' gave them comfort. "It's a basic concept of Yakedo."

Kankurou's genin practically gawked at Hiashi as he continued to one-up and surprise Suigetsu. Yakedo sounded extremely dangerous. They thought the Hyuuga head was burning chakra at a violent rate. Hishu was the first to speak up. "Isn't he going to be in danger if he keeps this up?"

Hanabi shook her head. She would not admit that she did not fully understand the concept. She would not admit that her elder sister was far superior to her in the art of Yakedo. "It is more an art than a jutsu." She tilted her head slightly to one side. "You match your opponent's flow and sweep them away in that blazing fire."

Tsume nodded, and Hishu and Mori agreed. Hanabi was young and inexperienced, but she skillfully used juuken to disrupt the flow of her opponents. They saw that in their sparring matches. Hiashi was accepting Suigetsu's flow. He blended into it and took advantage of his opponent's strengths and weaknesses.

Suigetsu looked on the ropes. His chest heaved in exhaustion and injury. Blood dribbled from his mouth, nose, and ears. Water cascaded down his body from his repeated attempts to escape injury in his liquid form. His face contorted in undisguised rage. "Okay, ojii-sama's got some moves. I'll give him that. I've got to get that ojou-sama and get out of here."

Hiashi's assault was relentless. He never allowed Suigetsu a chance to rest to catch his breath or mold chakra. He landed a punch, feinted a kick. He took out his opponent's knee in an attempt to send a debilitating elbow into the crook of his target's neck. It was almost comical to watch the shinobi of Hawk melt into water and reform while running frantically away.

Hiashi always pursued his opponent without a second's hesitation. Suigetsu did not try to escape. He watched his surroundings and his opponent for an opening, any opening. He eyed high walls of the canyon. It protected Suna beyond, and it acted to shield his quarry, the chunin he fought, and the genin she protected.

A smile crossed his face as a plan wormed its way into his consciousness. He turned and whipped a tendril of water at the Hyuuga head. He missed widely as Hiashi ducked. In a mere instant, the elder shinobi sent a knee into the water shinobi's face and a devastating palm strike to his face. Suigetsu crumbled to his knees even as bloodlust seemed to pervade his very being.

Hiashi was unperturbed as he sent a roundhouse into the seemingly crazed shinobi's temple. As he approached his prone opponent, he shook his arms and cupped his hands. He prepared for more traditional juuken strikes. He paused for a moment when he heard eerie laughter.

"Well, well, I must say I'm s'prised." Suigetsu spat blood onto the hot desert sand. "You're jus' ready to up and truss me up like a good ol' prisoner o' war." He wiped blood, sweat, and water from his upper lip. "I told ya already; I'm just here for ojou-sama. Hawk's got some…" He paused with bitter laughter. "…designs for her."

Hiashi stood over his opponent for a moment and studied his surroundings. His Byakugan searched for anything out of the ordinary. Before he could close Suigetsu's tenketsu, a massive crack echoed along the canyon walls. Hiashi looked towards Suna in mild disbelief. He returned his attention to strike his opponent, only for his hand to sink into the hot desert sands.

Junichi scrambled through his private office. He tossed aside documents and files as he hastily gathered his wealth. He no longer needed his 'business' documentation. He scraped his hand as he stuffed a particularly valuable promissory note into a hidden pocket. He pulled out the aokasou with some frustration. "I thought I could escape with that brat's jutsu, but he can easily create a thousand times more!"

He stuffed the crystalline object into a hidden groove and removed a sizable slab from the wall. His hidden safe stood in stark contrast to the surrounding stone relief. He threw the aokasou away as he entered his password. "Hurry, hurry…" He practically yelled through his teeth. He heaved a relieved sigh lock clacked loudly and door swung open.

He opened the bag and greedily relished the sight of precious metals and stones. He picked it up with a groan as he carefully reviewed his situation. He retrieved all his money, promissory notes, land deeds, and precious commodities. Shinobi were hot on his heels and could find him any moment. He still had a hidden stash of aokasou. He just had to make it to the nearby room and find the right one.

With a victorious grin, he planned his escape. He knew shinobi were intelligent; he was painfully aware. They figured out his trick with the aokasou before drilling home just how powerless he really was. A thousand of the blond genin looking for him put him at a disadvantage on his own home turf. He knew the caverns better than anyone, yet he still doubted a clean or easy escape.

As he rounded the corner leading from his office to the lines of cages, he paused to look at the room's sole decoration. A portrait of the late daimyo hung deliberately high. He scoffed and almost spat at the painting before grumbling and grasping the sides. With a mighty heave, he raised it above its anchor and tossed it aside. It clattered angrily across the floor as it splintered.

He did not bother picking up the fractured, gilded frame. To him, it was less than worthless. Instead, he pushed a small stone slab inwards. It activated a mechanism and slid away to reveal an aokasou over an intricate seal. He was about to activate it when he heard the shuffle of at least a dozen pairs of feet. He closed his eyes and turned around, ready for the inevitable.

He decided they were all likely fakes. They looked, acted, and moved exactly the same. They varied their pace and stride only to line up into formations. Junichi knew he could not escape the wall formed from a single face. He almost laughed. "Even the best laid plans have their weakness. I was not expecting an army." He did not remove his luggage.

A single Naruto stepped forward. "You have no place to run. I'd think it best to end this here and now with a simple surrender." Naruto knew his Kage Bushin could easily take Junichi alive. If a fight broke out, a few might pop out of existence before they subdued him, but subdue him they would. "Now, put down your…"

"It is rather funny." Junichi interrupted. "My mentor died because he underestimated shinobi." He paused to tap his chin. "I believe you were there. It is an incident I hope you would not soon forget." He chuckled morbidly. "It was, after all, Zabuza's last stand."

The same Naruto practically seethed. "You knew that pig-man?"

Junichi could not help but laugh. "Oh yes, quite." He paused to give the copy time to think. After all, he admitted Gato mentored him, but he showed no distress or anger. "He found me in a pitiable state and took me under his wing."

"You're stalling!"

"Stalling for what?" Junichi counted. When no argument was forthcoming, he continued. "Did you know I wanted to be a farmer?" The copy did not hide his surprise well. "I doubt it was in the report." He blinked in thought. "Though, I doubt anybody really knew."

"What does this have to do with anything?"

Silence reigned for several, anxious moments. "I suppose it serves only as a backdrop for my eagerness to acquit myself of this place, this land, and this whole forsaken situation." When the copy was still for a long moment, Junichi continued. "The desire to farm without license was a crime. The late daimyo, may the oni devour his liver, did not take kindly to his land being used independent of his knowledge."

The copy mulled over the information for a moment. According to their intelligence, Junichi was a favored pawn of the late daimyo. He was a genius at organizing slave trade – both routes and auctions. He kept the five greatest powers off Old Tree's scent, thus preventing any form of retaliation. The late daimyo gave him the aokasou mine as another front.

Junichi chuckled in spite of himself. "After I was thrown in jail for trying to farm the land and sell people inexpensive food, Gato introduced himself to me. He used his money and influence to get me out of that viper pit." He spat angrily. "He took me as an apprentice."

"You weren't fond of the late daimyo or Gato." The copy went out on a limb.

Junichi nodded his head. "They were nothing but maggots hoping to get gorge themselves at Old Tree's expense." He shook his head. "They introduced me to power, the absolute power to control people's lives." He laughed despondently. "In the end, I was no better than them. I gorged myself on the decayed flesh of the living."

The copy eyed the target carefully. "I'm sure if this evidence comes to light…"

"I am not interested in a trial!" Junichi practically stamped his foot. "I am not interested in justice!" He removed a single, large gemstone from his back. "I am used to a certain lifestyle, and my plans are now ruined. I am leaving this place. Of that, you can be certain!"

Without another word, he spun around and activated the aukasou. A deep rumbling shook the entire cliff face, and the caverns within creaked and groaned jarringly. "I am leaving this place." Junichi repeated. Then, his tone shifted dangerously. "I am leaving alive or dead."

He rushed the wall of copies as he extracted a bejeweled dagger. He caught the first Kage Bushin unawares. It popped easily with a rush of air and excess chakra. Junichi was ready to fight his way out, and he did not care how he earned his freedom.

The light of day filtered through the cave entrance. The leaf shinobi were glad to see the warm hues of early evening. They chose an exit near the top of the cliff. With extra weight to slow them down, they wanted to make the return trip as easy as possible. Just as they were about to bathe in sunlight, a terrifying tremble shook the ground. Though many of Naruto's Kage Bushin stayed behind to guard the many caves, the rest helped the real Naruto and his friends into the forest.

It only took a second for a wash of memories to sweep over Naruto. His team stopped beside him to find out what happened. Without warning, Kage Bushin bounded into the caverns in what could only be described as a mad dash. Naruto explained with a growl. "Junichi means to take any means to escape capture." He looked Shikamaru dead in the eyes. "I mean any means!"

Sakura had to ask. "What was that tremble?"

Naruto shook his head. "He activated some sort of seal. I couldn't really see it, but I think it was a means of self-destruct. My Kage Bushin are trying to subdue him and drag him out, but he's resisting. Hard."

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. They were in danger of losing their target, but he had to think of the safety of his team. The tremble returned, and it was far more powerful. They could search the debris later, but not if they were dead. He made his decision. "We move out for now. We have to get away from that cliff and any potential sinkholes. We'll retrieve the body later."

His team nodded in agreement. He was glad he did not have to argue. Still, he turned to Naruto. "Can your Kage Bushin leave a marker to make things easier?"

With a devilish grin, Naruto thrust his hands together in his favorite seal. A copy popped into existence only to pop right back out. "Done." He exclaimed, rubbing his nose in pride.

As they turned to leave, Hinata scanned the horizon. Shikamaru looked at her worriedly, but she shook her head. With no immediate danger, they abandoned the cliff area as another tremor tore at its face. They were halfway into the forest long before the caves collapsed and sinkholes destabilized the entire cliff side.

"I must say; that was quite the feat to observe." Everybody looked up in surprise except Hinata. The owner of the voice approached disarmingly. "There's no need to fuss. I only want what's mine." The leaf shinobi almost sighed in relief at seeing Kira Bii.

Shikamaru nodded. "Of course, we were going to hand the child and the traitor over to the cloud. I just…"

Kira Bii interrupted. "You needn't worry about credit. I've already sent word to Raikage-sama of your deeds." He walked to the Kage Bushing holding Fugui. "If only you learned your lesson, sensei." He shook his head disapprovingly. "We were never monsters to be feared. In your haste, you became that which you sought to overcome."

Hinata had Naruto cradle the child and carry him to the cloud shinobi. Kira Bii looked gratefully to the sleeping child. Then he nudged the small boy's cheeks to gently rouse him. He wore a bright grin as the child wiped the sleep from his eyes. "Papa?" The boy's eyes grew wide as he slung his arms around Kira Bii's neck. "Papa!"

"You have my thanks." Kira Bii stated seriously. A lone tear etched its way down his cheek.

Shikamaru stepped forward with a question. "Not to sound suspicious, but why are you following us?"

Kira Bii set his child down and started to pull supplies for dragging Fugui back to his village safely. "I caught wind of your mission to Old Tree." He chuckled. "I actually didn't follow you. I took my own route and arrived shortly after you. I waited it out to see how the mission went."

"Troublesome." Shikamaru sighed. "You just wanted us to rescue your kid. Is that it?"

Kira Bii smirked. "I coulda done it myself, but I felt like being generous." He paused to emphasize the next part. "It's a great diplomatic boon."

The leaf shinobi could not deny his claim. They rescued a high-ranking shinobi's child and took a traitor into custody. They stood to gain far more than monetary reward. Regardless, the mission ended with Junichi's death. The diplomatic boon, as Kira Bii put it, was an unexpected and welcomed bonus.

As Kira Bii restrained his former sensei's body and chakra, the shinobi continued to talk. They meandered from one topic to the next. The cloud shinobi was almost alarmingly well informed. He knew about Pein's rampage and a number of new trade deals. However, the subjects were relatively unimportant. Kira Bii really only wanted to watch the army of Kage Bushin excavate the collapsed canyon.

They needed Junichi's body to validate their success. After several hours, they pulled his crushed and mangled corpse from the debris. Once they sealed the body in a scroll, Naruto related Junichi's final words. To Shikamaru, the tidbits were new pieces of Old Tree's puzzle. He had a strange feeling that something was not quite right.

After they gave their farewells to Kira Bii and his child, the leaf shinobi walked slowly back to the town they started in. While Shikamaru worked the puzzle in his mind, his team walked solemnly behind him. They wanted to capture Junichi alive, but the slaver made the task impossible. The self-destruct also took out a large number of his hired thugs.

Still, Shikamaru had questions for Gavin Marshall. Watanabe Junichi was not exactly what he seemed. Sure, he was a con and a slaver, but he seemed to want nothing else to do with Old Tree. He even hated the late daimyo as much as other Old Tree citizens they had met. The story grew more curious with time to contemplate.

When they arrived, three strangers greeted them. They looked important, and they soon proved it. They represented the people of Old Tree, and they were interested in the progress of the mission. After they exchanged pleasantries, Shikamaru broke the news. "We have fulfilled our contract and will now return Junichi to you."

The men blinked. Hideo, as he introduced himself, was the first to speak up. He scratched his silver mane in confusion. "I do not see Junichi-san among your ranks."

Sakura pulled out the storage scroll and unfurled it. As she knelt down, she released the blood seal and produced Junichi's body. "Unfortunately, he struggled and activated a self-destruct within his head quarters. He destroyed the aokasou mine in the process, and it collapsed on him."

"This is unacceptable!" The second man, Eiji, exclaimed. "We wanted him alive to stand trial for his crimes. If he is dead, how are we supposed to equate justice?"

The third man, Jun, heaved a mournful sigh. "I thought shinobi were business-minded." He meant to stab painfully in insult. "You have fulfilled no contract in his death."

Shikamaru looked between the three men. "In fact, the contract did not specify what state our target had to be in. It only stated we return him here with evidence of his crimes under the former daimyo." Sakura released the second blood seal as he spoke. "You may review the evidence at your leisure, but we require payment as per the contract."

Hideo stepped forward and picked up one of Junichi's accounting books. He spoke as he flipped through the pages. "I am sure Gavin-kun explained things clearly to you. We needed Junichi alive to stand trial. If he is dead, it appears we carried out vengeance in vigilante, false justice. The people need to feel reassured that we will not misuse political power as their former daimyo."

Shikamaru remained calm. "In fact, Gavin explained the importance of capturing Junichi alive. He emphasized how much he preferred that outcome." The men nodded, believing the case settled. "However, the contract did not very specifically state that Junichi's death equated a failure. As long as we returned with evidence to his crimes, our fees are to be paid." He paused for emphasis. "In full."

Eiji fumed, spat, and almost boiled over. "Are you threatening us? That is extortion, and we shall not stand for it!"

"It is not!" Sakura blurted out explosively.

Shikamaru held out his arm to forestall further complaint. Her adamant words quieted the three representatives. "Troublesome…" He sighed before continuing. "In the shinobi world, we follow contracts to the letter. If it does not say capture alive only, we take it to mean dead or alive." He eyed them carefully, trying to read them.

After a moment, he retrieved the contract and handed it to them. "You can claim ignorance, but Konoha will still demand full payment." He waited for a moment. He wanted them to fully understand the contract they agreed to. "We understood your desire to capture Junichi alive. We tried, but we still fulfilled the contract as it was written."

The standoff felt tense, but the contract forced the representatives to recognize Konoha's efforts. Jun rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You know what we have to do, Hideo."

I do hope everybody enjoys this. My next chapter shouldn't take nearly as long. I really hope that statement to be true this time.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,014
Story Page Count: 15