Chapter Five: The Shinobi Arrive

"Hey guys!" Sakura shouted, waving her hand in the air. She was sitting outside of the inn with Shino, Hinata and Kiba. She saw the Sand shinobi nearing from down the road.

"Oi!" Kankuro shouted in response and smiled. Gaara noted these were all Leaf ninja with excellent sensory skills, plus a medic kunoichi, while he and Kankuro excelled in capturing the opponent if needed.

"Good to see you again," Gaara said with a soft smile. Kiba and Sakura grinned at them, while Hinata smiled shyly and Shino's face was like always hidden behind his jacket and glasses.

"Let's go inside," Shino said, "Why? Because on the road we are easily spotted."

"Ehh Shino, we know," Kiba grunted in response and stood up from his squatted position next to his enormous dog.

"They haven't changed much," Kankuro mumbled with a smirk. It was good to see comrades from the Leaf again, though Gaara was slightly disappointed to see Naruto wasn't amongst them. But Naruto was also a Kage now and thus likely busy with something else. Surely they would meet soon enough again.

"Hey, I remember this place," Rin said, "they have great dango here!" The inn was the only building in the area. The road from there led down the hill towards the city. They saw it could be no more than a mile distance.

"Well, the lord of the Land of River's is waiting inside to debrief us," Sakura said. Gaara expected so, it was written in the message he received.

Kankuro pushed open the heavy wooden door to the establishment and they followed after him.

"Good afternoon," a man with an unshaved beard who smelled of alcohol said while polishing a glass listlessly. They nodded at him. Sakura looked around the room and slid her finger across one of the tables. It was dusty. She remembered they used to shine like they were recently waxed. The bamboo floor looked damaged and spoiled in some places.

"The inn's quality has somewhat lessened," she whispered.

"Err, yeah," Rin agreed.

They proceeded to the back of the inn's restaurant where the Lord was sitting between two of his bodyguards.

"Hey! No dogs allowed!" a woman shouted as she walked out of the kitchen door next to the bar.

"Ah? Shit…" Kiba said as he turned around back to the exit. When he was outside with Akamaru he made sure no one was watching them before he turned to the dog.
"They think I'm gonna leave you behind? Think again, suckers. Transform into me Akamaru!" he said. Akamaru barked in response and with a poof of smoke there stood a perfect copy of himself, one hand on his hip and cocky smile included. Kiba chuckled and they re-entered the inn.

"This is my twin brother!" he said to the woman who now stood alongside of the man. Akamaru waved at the couple. They marched with hands in their pockets towards the end of the restaurant. Mizawa and her husband Daisuke threw them a suspicious look. The others had pulled two tables close to each other and were already seated. Apart from them the inn was empty.

"Honey, isn't that our lord Shaozai?" Mizawa hissed poking her husband.

"Hnn? Ah...," he squinted his eyes and peered at the little man in between his big guards. Was he seeing double? He rubbed his eyes. Must be the booze. "Yeah, I suppose so," he shrugged and took a chug out of a saké bottle. Mizawa snatched it out of his hands.

"Enough of that! If the Lord likes our inn, we might get more customers," she said while throwing him a glare. "Aki! Aki!" she called out. A young boy walked out of the kitchen door and looked at her questioningly. He wore a red baseball cap to hide the scar on his forehead and had an apron wrapped around his middle.

"Go clean that table, dear," Mizawa said and shoved a wet cloth into his hands.

Aki stared at the table with curiosity. He spotted the different forehead protectors and the lord of the Land of River's amongst them.
'Those stupid shinobi, scheming plans I bet,' he thought angrily. He pulled his cap a little deeper over his eyes and walked off. Without warning he smashed the cloth on the table, water squirting out, and started rubbing as though he had a personal issue with it. He didn't care that he ran the wet cloth over Kankuro's hand which had rested on the table.

"Hey, watch it kid!" he blurted. Aki's mouth corners curled up into a smile. Served him right, that ninja. He turned around and walked away like nothing happened.

"Oi! The table! It needs to be dried!" Kankuro called after him, standing up from his seat. Aki threw a dishcloth at his face.

'This is why I hate kids,' Kankuro thought before sitting down.

"Give me that, I'll do it," Matsuri said and he gladly passed the dishcloth on to her.

"I-I'm sorry about my son, honored guests. He's just... Ever since... Our daughter..." Mizawa's voice quivered with emotion. She fell silent for a moment, emptied her throat and straightened her apron. "Well, that's that... Would you like something to eat or drink?" After she had scribbled their orders down she left.

"I could eat a horse!" Kiba growled.

"I would advice against that. Why? Your stomach doesn't have enough room," Shino replied matter-of-factly from behind his shades.

"Loosen up buddy, its matter of speech, 'aight?" Kiba retorted slightly annoyed.

"Comrades look out for each other," Shino told him earnestly. Hinata smiled at them as they seemed to stare each other down. Her eyes met those of the two sand siblings.

"They're friends but they've still not become accustomed to some of each other's habits," she said laughing sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it," Gaara replied, "but let's get down to business. Lord Shoazai, you've been silent so far. Please inform us."

The frail man with the thin beard had sat with his hands folded on top of each other, a birthmark clearly showing on the back of his left hand.

"It started two years after the fourth ninja war had come to an end..." he started. Kiba sighed sensing a long story was coming up. Gaara's face remained unchanged. He was curious about the information. Anything that could lead him towards a solution. "People from our country have disappeared. Especially those who live outside of the big cities... the farmers... the lumberjacks... hard-working country folk... There have been kidnappings on several occasions. As of now, our number of missing people reached hunderd-seventy-one. No one knows where these have gone to. My people long for an explanation. Even the owners of this shinobi inn have had their loss. Their oldest girl, just a blind lass, was taken one night..."

Gaara averted his eyes to the couple behind the bar. The woman had returned to her husband, she buried her face into his neck. Has this inn become so run down because of the grief that hit this family? He felt sorry for them.

"Some bodies were found. Mangled beyond recognition at times. Seeing our history with… criminal organisations… my scouts have roamed the valleys looking behind every tree and in every brook. To no avail. But now... Something interesting happened." He squinted his eyes and looked at them from deep under his brow.
"Just a week ago my scouts were travelling the coastline when they found a pair of footsteps on the beach. Strange... in an area so far from society. These footsteps trailed to sea and ended there, as if a couple of people waded into the water and did not come back. The coastline of the Land of River's in that area is known for its jagged cliffs and rough waters. No place for leisurely swimming. My scouts lay down for the night to watch. And see! Emerging from the water was a man, dressed in a dark heavy suit with some devices that must have made him able to travel underwater. When they lost sight of him in the thicket they were unable to track him down any further. More have gone in and out of the ocean. I've let my scouts retreat three days ago. We leave it up to you to find out the meaning of this."

"Very well," Gaara said determinant, "have one of your men accompany us to the location and we shall investigate it thoroughly. We'll find them."

"That's good, I put my trust in you Lord Kazekage," Shoazai said steadily. He then pointed at the guard on his left. "This is Takeo, he'll escort your group. I'll be waiting in my mansion in Tanigakure for your report."

"Very well," Gaara replied.

They heard soppy munching sounds coming from one end of the table. The ninja turned around to find one of the two Kiba's face inside a bowl of curry and rice, food flying across the table, curry sauce dripping from his chin. He looked up at them and licked his tongue all around his mouth. The lord of the Land of River's stared at him blankly and Matsuri pulled a face of disgust. Kiba scratched his neck and laughed nervously.
"Akamaru is hungry you see," he explained.

"Arf!" his clone said.

"I think this is my cue to take my leave," Shoazai said with an eyebrow pulled up. His other guard who remained nameless helped him rise. The shinobi stood up and gave him a bow, Shaozai returning the act of respect towards Gaara.

"I hope to hear from you soon, Kazekage-sama," he said one last time before he spun his heel, paid the innkeepers and left the building.

"When we finish eating we'll leave immediately," Gaara said to the others.

"Ack!" Nana exclaimed and gritted her teeth. She was trying to force herself through a narrow path between two blackberry bushes. Their thorns scraped against her clothes. She still couldn't believe what had happened. The laboratory completely broken down. Everyone had to be evacuated and many died. Was that her fault? They had cleaned up rubble and bodies on the bottom of the ocean in a hurry, but a lot of junk washed on shore. On top of it all, experiment B26, known to her now as Ayumi, was still missing. Nana didn't have the guts to return to the capital city without trying to look for her. So here she was. She abandoned the salvaging team to roam this damned forest in search for her. They must retrieve her… even if she was found dead. Knowing doctor Heero, he would not rest until he knew what had become of her. But still the secrecy of their organisation was on the line. The laboratory… a disaster if someone found out. Thus removing their tracks had higher priority. She carried a pistol like tool, but it was no weapon. It was an electric gun used to start the mechanic device on the base of one's neck. She planned to use it on Ayumi. She waded through the thicket panting, scanning the ground.

'How could finding one person be so damn difficult? Where did she go?'

Gaara and the other seven shinobi were running swift like shadows through the woodland of Tani. They crossed several rivers that run down the various valley's. Up and down the hills and mountains they went, the terrain getting rougher the further they left Tanigakure behind.

"We're almost there now," Takeo said across his shoulder, "be cautious."

The Leaf and Sand shinobi were surprised at how fast he could move despite Tanigakure being far from a ninja town. They were a nation of craftsmen and merchants mostly. But then again, nobles always made sure to have professional protection.

"Hinata, what do you see with your byakugan?" Gaara asked the dark purple headed girl. The veins around her eyes signalled she was using her bloodline limit skill.

"About two miles ahead of us the forest stops. I see cliffs. Beyond there the sea."

"Any movement you can spot?"

"None yet, Gaara-sama," she replied.

"Alright, stay focused. And keep your nose sharp Kiba. I have a feeling in my gut it's unnaturally silent here."

"Yes sir!" he said from on top of his dog, "nothing but the brackish sea air and wet earth."

"My insects sense no chakra," Shino added, feeling ignored for not being asked. They all sensed Gaara was right. Not a birds chirp could be heard, nor a startled deer, nor any sight of rabbits shooting down their hole as they passed. It was as though the land had drawn in its breath… waiting and waiting…

"That's right, no chakra is ever sensed in these regions. It's why we never paid much attention," Takeo grunted.

'No chakra… people with little or no chakra are easily overlooked by ninja who focus on opponents with large chakra amounts as indicator of their strength. Is this why Sunagakure was so easily surprised by Veeran and Gunzen's attack?' Gaara wondered. Suddenly Hinata gasped for air.

"What is it?" Kankuro said on edge.

"I can see the beach. It's littered with stones and… and glass… wires… it's a mess!" she replied.

"The beach is a mess?" Takeo exclaimed in shock, "this is news indeed."

Gaara furrowed his brow, wondering what would come next. A little while later they stopped under the dark of the trees. Beneath them a steep path winded down to a beach.

"There is the faint smell of blood in the water," Kiba growled. Akamaru barked in agreement.

What they saw was the ruins of a building. One big block of concrete lay on its side.
"B," Gaara mumbled to himself. A huge letter painted in blue on the side of what might've been a wall. It was thick and armored with steel pipes. It was obvious it had been part of a strong building. What had caused its collapse? There could be only one place where it came from. The ocean. "Sensory team, do you notice anything? Any persons?" he asked.

"I can't spot any people, Gaara-sama."

"My bugs are uneasy. Why? I don't understand."

"Was there anything known to your people about a building here?" Gaara asked Takeo.

"No, this is a complete surprise," he answered.

"Well, let's proceed down there and see for ourselves. Be on your guard!"

"I will stay here," Takeo told them, "and send a report immediately to Lord Shaozai about this discovery."

The Leaf and Suna shinobi jumped down the steep hill with ease and landed on the humid sand. They all had a sense of impending battle. The alarming feeling something was not right, hairs standing up in the neck. Kankuro called forth his Scorpion puppet just so he was ready. Matsuri looked unnerved and clutched one of the fast and deadly daggers she used in combat. Gaara scanned the area around him with his eyes, arms folded. He was ready.

"Be careful! If you look closely there are explosion tags everywhere! Even underground there are landmines," Hinata warned them. They proceeded to walk down the shoreline, bending over small pieces of evidence that there had been an inhabited fort close-by. Sakura picked a glass shard up and held it before the light. She felt it was exceptionally strong. She took out a little glass bottle and let it fall in.

"For lady Tsunade and Shizune," she explained.

As they proceeded closer to the rubble of the (to them unknown) laboratory the amount of explosives increased.
"Watch out where you place your feet," Rin said. A butterfly flew past them. They watched how it fluttered above the piece of wall. A delicate monarch butterfly. It flew in circles.

"Well decide already, you gonna leave or no?" Kankuro said. As though on command it graced down. Right on top of an explosive tag. The ninja braced themselves.

"Jump!" Kiba screamed, sniffing sulphur. The bomb detonated, setting off the other explosive tags and landmines. The shinobi raced to the edges of the beach. Matsuri wasn't in time and by sheer force got pushed into the air. Gaara noticed her peril and quickly used his sand to pick her up and shield her from harm.
'You're so cool, Gaara-sama!' she swooned in thought. Gaara quickly let her go when she was in safety and took a step away. Smoke rose up from the ground, the sand smouldering by the heat of the explosion, hardening. The remnants of the laboratory were blown into pieces.

"Shit!" Kiba spat.

"Those bombs were deliberately set up to destroy that rubble. But not only that, they could've just blown it up when they wanted to. They just left it there on the beach, inviting people to come have a look, inviting people to vanish along with the pieces of that building," Gaara said.

"I think you're right Gaara," Kankuro said nervously. Something was really weird here.

"Hinata what do you see in the ocean?" Gaara asked her. Naruto's fiancé strained her eyes to see into the depths of the water. Somewhere, about five miles off the shore, small beads of glass glistened on the bottom of the sea. Some loose rocks indicated there might have been a building, but it would have to be investigated closely. She reported her findings to Gaara. A building at 1,5 mile depth in the ocean, built in a crack of the earth. Someone didn't want to be found. That is a very clear indication they were hot on the tracks of the enemy. If only they arrived a little earlier... Something happened which destroyed all this. An attack maybe?

"Scan the area well…" Gaara said looking at Hinata. Her eyes searched the shoreline in both directions and the land beyond the beach. Almost she would have missed it. She squinted her eyes to focus.

"A girl!" she called out.

'How long have I been walking now?' Nana asked herself and scratched her nose. 'I think about two hours. Maybe I'm lost…'

Her white and blue outfit was smudged with mud and striped green where she had walked past plants. She had a long tear in the fabric on her thigh.

'I'm not made for tracking,' she sighed, 'should I stop?'

She thought of the people who had lived down at the fort. People who she had seen almost everyday, some of them lost forever. Her hands trembled and her eyes began to sting.

"Tears?" she sniffed and wiped them from her cheek with the back of her hand. She decided to continue just for a bit. All of a sudden she lost balance.

"Cursed root," she muttered as she crawled up to her knees. She looked over her shoulder and gasped. "It's you!"

The ninja ran through the forest as silent as the animals that lived in them. Hinata coördinated them towards the girl. A possible survivor? The vegetation was almost impenetrable here. They cut back the plants to reach their destination.

Nana bent over the body of one of the scientists. His leg was twisted into an unnatural position, a metal bar penetrating the flesh. Poor fellow. She checked his pulse and then her eyes softened. He was still alive. It was doctor Heero's personal assistant in lab B. He must've walked around in confusion after emerging from the sea until he collapsed. Suddenly she heard something rustling in the bushes close to her. She had nothing with her to defend herself. The Tabigarasu had expected the chances of exposure had drastically risen since their laboratory was destroyed and washed ashore. Hopefully the bomb tags would do the job of killing little spies. Her heart went tha-thump in her chest. The rustling came closer, she watched the leafs move. Nana held her breath... A deer shot out of the thicket. Both Nana and the young doe stood frozen in their tracks, looking in each other's eyes. Frightened the doe bolted away. Nana laughed in relief and bend herself over the fainted scientist.
"I'll make a poultice of herbs and bandage your wounds. I'll get you home!" she told him, glad she could help.

The first thing Gaara saw was an arm. A rather pale arm with dried blood. Then came the girl attached to it. Lavender hair falling across her face and soft arch-shaped eyebrows slightly darker than her hair. She wore a skin-tight white suit with a plunging back and short sleeves and pants. It was soiled with blood and mud. Something glistened in the sun in her neck. Metallic. With a shock he recognised it was she same thing he saw on Veeran and Gunzen. That moment he wondered how something looking so innocent in their sleep could be so close to his enemy. Was this the face of a murderer? He realized this girl would come to play an important role in his life the upcoming weeks. Just, Gaara did not realize that didn't have to be limited to the political aspects of his life.

A/N: Ha! I'm somewhat relieved I managed to weave the story to a point where Gaara first encounters Ayumi. I try to depict the canon characters like they are in the anime/manga and make the OC's diverse.
I'm really curious about your opinion. I would be happy to receive your feedback or suggestions :)