Hey! It's been quite a while since the last update, has it not? Almost a year. I'm not gonna make excuses, coz quite frankly there aren't any. I just got so fed up with the recent "Naruto", I lost pretty much all drive for stories based on its world, sadly this tale included. Heck, I reached the point where I stopped reading the manga altogether, too annoyed to continue.

For a long time I've been battling with the thought of returning to this tale, coz I really liked it, but every time I got around to actually writing the chapter, I quickly lost the drive I had a moment ago. This is what disappointment can put you into. It was a shame though, coz as I stated several times over the years, I truly enjoyed this tale and while in comparison to most of my works it's rather simple, I grew to like it.

So what pushed me to try and revive it? Well, probably the fact that even though it's been a year since the last update, I kept getting quite a bit of PMs asking me to continue… so many of you kept asking to return to this tale… I gotta be honest, at times I replied that I was hoping to get back to it, but all attempts ended as the paragraph above reads.

What's different now? Not much, I suppose… frankly, with some many stories on FictionPress (ones I feel at least as much attachment to as NNG, often more), I didn't thought that I'll be returning to this. With that many tales to manage at once, I find my time to write some 'real' stories (which I quietly hope to publish for real one day) greatly limited. Basically, reviving NNG can be considered suicidal move.

So why the hell? I'm not sure, but the fact it I guess I realized that, everything aside, this story means (or at least meant) a lot to many people. The number of PMs I got proved that much to me (btw, it's nice to receive congrats that way, but a review every once in a while wouldn't hurt either… I'm talking to those who limited themselves to PMs only, once the story got put on hiatus).

How should I put this… this story is back by 'popular demand'. But with everything I wrote above, I wish to make one thing clear: don't think of me as bad or anything, but I'm doing this mostly for you guys. My love for "Naruto" really seems to bite the dust, but I also wouldn't want to leave you hanging, so I'll make you a deal (dead-serious deal): above my issues, I'll keep on updating this fic (maybe not once a week like earlier, but at least once every two weeks), but ONLY if you'll keep on reviewing. The moment reviews are gone, so is this story.

With that said (to get on a more positive note), I really appreciate all the 'fan mail' (PMs). It is flattering to know this many people actually care about your work. I wish to thank all of you who kept on reviewing this fic over the years and after the hiatus kept fighting for it to be brought back. This chapter is dedicated to you all! (and sorry if I missed to reply to your review for some reason).

And with that looooooong A/N out of the way, I wish to invite you for the newest NNG ride:

Chapter #124: The Truth Behind…

Title Page: Hizoku and Tobane are in the ballroom, dancing, while in the background Kusari is also dancing with Kumiko (who sweat drops) and on the other side of the room, Kogane is leading Takaru, who also doesn't seem to enjoy the situation

A loud 'clang' echoed through the stadium as Hizoku's spear clashed against Reiji's axe due to the baldy genin blocking an attack from behind. The redhead merely narrowed his eyes, instantly jumping back and sprinting to the side, this time charging from the metal-nin's right, before anyone could do as much as blink, yet this next assault was also in vial as the Kane shinobi's weapon easily threw the opposing blade off course.

"That Hizoku kid is fast," Lee analyzed quickly as the redhead jumped back once more, extending the distance between himself and his adversary. "Close to what it should've been upon opening few of the Gates, though in his case it seems he just pumps up chakra to joints in his legs and hands to accelerate their movement, so the body as a whole pretty much remains as fast as it was. Quite clever really, though without a doubt, it puts a great strain on the body, having to keep the energy in these, precise spots. I imagine all fours are currently burning. This is not a technique one can use for a long span of time…"

"Reiji's left eye was specially modified by Kane's best metal-workers," Hogosha thought to himself with a playful smirk appearing on his face, his eyes settled on his battling teammate. "It has a build-in scanner that analyzes his opponent movements, allowing him to predict the adversary's route with much accuracy. Basically, what the Leaf's Uchiha were so proud of, we managed to achieve by technology. That redhead guy may be fast, but in these circumstances it won't give him much: Reiji knows from where the attack will come and as long as he stays in place and doesn't try to counter, he has to deal with much less body coordination that that Grass kid, making his reactions a point of a second faster then his adversary's… but that proves to be enough to block all assaults. It's as simple as that…"

"That's it?" the axe user asked teasingly, resting his weapon on the shoulder. "Talk about overrated. I suppose there's no point in letting this continue any longer, coz you won't be able to amuse me anymore. Guess now… it's my turn," and with that he bite his thumb, quickly writing a seal on his blade, using his own blood.

"It's the same as the one he used against me!" Hanamaru instantly realized, his eyes widen. Immediately the metal-nin swung his blade, releasing another chakra blast, only this time the energy swirled like a snake as it came at Hizoku, who quickly ducked under the incoming attack, charging forward with his upper body lowered: "No… this time I need to get up close!"

Reiji merely smirked, pulling his axe back, which in turns made the 'snake' turn, going after its target again, aimed right at the Kusa gennin's back. The redhead didn't even looked over his shoulder and the moment the assault was inches away, he strafed to the left, pushing himself to the side with the help of his hand.

The attack dug into the ground, instantly getting dispelled, which made the bald ninja narrow his eyes, while his adversary kept coming at incredible speed. With a quick thrust, Hizoku aimed at his opponent's heart, yet Reiji easily dodged the assault by spinning on his foot and as the grass-nin passed him by, he swung back, right at the back of the spearman's head.

In a flash the redhead bended forward, making the attack whistle over its target, while Hizoku threw a kick back, going for the Kane shinobi's face, only to have the attempt blocked by his adversary's free hand. This did not stop the Grass gennin, who instantly using his other leg to twist his body and with his back facing the axeman, he cut from above, bringing his spear at the top of Reiji's head.

With no, other option, the metal-nin quickly blocked the attack with his weapon and threw a knee to the side, smashing it against Hizoku's back. This threw the redhead off balance, pushing him forward, yet he managed to save himself by breaking the fall with his hand and using it to flip, landing safely on his feet.

Reiji immediately unleashed another snake slash, but it didn't even came close to hitting its target as the Grass gennin sprinted left, leaving only a trail of dust. The bald shinobi's eye managed to keep up however, allowing him to spin on his foot and block the attack that came his left, once more making the two weapons collide.

With a quick swing, the metal-nin blasted both blades to the sky, leaving the two gennin wide open. In a blink of an eye he charged forward, ramming Hizoku with his elbow and as the redhead let out a yelp, he brought his axe down, right at his opponent's chest.

The slash ripped the skin, spraying the air with crimson and staining Reiji's blade. The spearman jumped back a few time, extending the distance and panting heavily, while blood dripped from his chest, leaving his adversary smiling confidentially. Hizoku remained unfazed, albeit the wound, his eyes set on the liquid gathered on the axe: "This outta do it…"

"What the hell?" Funbo asked himself, narrowing his eyes. "That slash just now was aimed at his heart and yet the redhead dodged by leaning back just a little, avoiding a fatal blow… but with his speed he should've been able to dodge completely. Could it be… he took the blow purposely? If so, back then in the smokescreen he must've allowed himself get hit too… but why?"

"The First Dance is useless against that bald guy," Taka concluded simply, his hands wrapped before his mask. "Hizoku certainly realized that up till now and yet he's still… dammit, that asshole is really going to go for it!"he added, narrowing his eyes as he got up, heading towards the exit that lead to the village. "Stupid bastard…"

---Two months earlier---

Hizoku and his team were resting on a meadow after training, Tobane and Nezumi panting heavily. The boys seemed to be perfectly fine though, a fact that annoyed the hook user to no-end: "This is so unfair! How come you people don't get tired? I feel like I'm about to faint and you three were going at it even before Nezumi and I came. What the hell are you?"

"Don't let it get to you" Tokame asked a calm voice. "These two are just monsters…"

"She's talking about you too!" Taka snapped, yelling at his companion. But just as a new argument was about to explode, Hizoku collapsed to the ground, laying flat on his back. The other gennin gazed at him dumb fooled, while the redhead's breath quickened. The chain master only narrowed his eyes behind the mask as he spoke up, not really looking at the other boy: "Even the First Dance is still too much for you. If you ask me, you should skip using them for the time being. Even without those tricks you're one of the better ninja Kusa has to offer. The very fact Fugo-sama allows us to partake in the Chuunin Exam should be enough proof of that. After all, with what happened, he…" but he never managed to finish that thought as the spearman interrupted him, his speech surprisingly calm despite exhaustion just a second ago: "This is preciously the reason I can't ignore the dances…"

"What the hell are you talking about, Hizoku?" Nezumi asked curiously.

"Because of the whole issue with my father and Fugo-san, this might be my only chance at going to Konoha" the redhead replied simply, staring at the sky. "My only chance to fulfill that promise. I may be strong, above gennin level… maybe even chuunin level if you wish to go that far, but even so, it's still not enough to complete the mission. As I am now… I cannot dream of facing the Hokage…"

"Please, stop talking nonsense" Taka sid in an ordering tone. "Regardless to what you do, you can't catch up to the level of a Kage in such a short amount of time. You're bound to fail, I've been telling you this for weeks! In stead of worrying about that freaking promise, you should just forget it and concentrate on becoming chuunin for the time being. Once You rise up in ranks, you can think of challenging that Hatake guy…"

"If you made such a promise… could you just let it go?" Hizoku asked, making the chain master's eyes shift to the side, although none of the gathered managed to see that due to his mask. "I know the chances I have at my level… if I go against a Kage, I'll most likely die, but even so… I need to try. For the sake of my father… for the sake of Chitose-san… and for the sake of this world…"

"And this is why we're here to help you" announced Tobane with a warm smile. She extended her hand to help her friend get up, which he took voluntarily and gaze at Taka, who was now looking away: "Well, most of you are" the redhead noted, lowering his head.

---Flashback end---

The redhead held his palm below his bleeding chest, letting the crimson liquid fall freely onto it. His face has become still and calm as he observed the dripping waterfall for a few moments before turning to look at his adversary again. Noticing a confident smirk plaster on Reiji's face, he spoke up in a matter-of-factly manner: "You're a rather simple-minded fellow, ain't ya? Seems to me that you're basing your entire fight style on brute strength alone. I mean, axe isn't a typical, shinobi tool because most weapons of that sort are rather heavy… and heavy objects limit ones movements to a certain extend. That is why light katana, kunai and shuriken are preferable for our profession. Even spears are acceptable, since they extend the range of an attack, allowing the user to swing from a greater distance… but even putting your choice of weapon aside, it's easy to tell you rely mostly on doing damage by sheer impact. There's not much strategy there…"

"Oh?" the metal-nin asked, his face indifferent. "How's so?"

"Your attack patterns are rather straight-forward," Hizoku explained simply, still letting his blood drip freely onto his palm. "Basically you aim to beat the distance between yourself and your opponent, so that you can overcome their defenses with force of your axe. If the enemy tried to stay away, you have those chakra slashes, but they seem to be going in a straight line… nothing one can't dodge after seeing it a couple of times. You can read my movements perfectly, even when I sped up with the First Dance, but that's probably because the basis of my movements remain typical, body physics. Up till now, I've let you believe that I'm the same as you: a simple brute who relies on his weapon… but that's only partly true. While I am a weapon master first, what I've shown you so far is only a glimpse of my full power. I figured that weird eye of yours had some purpose, so I assumed Ekibyougami wouldn't be enough to defeat you. With that assumption in mind, I planned out our entire battle. Let me tell you one thing: you thought you had the upper hand all this while, but the truth is everything that transpired… every, single blow you landed upon me… was preciously calculated by me!"

"What kind of bullshit is that supposed to be?" the axe user asked annoyed, pointing the tip of his weapon at the Grass gennin. "Are you actually telling me all the three times I slashed you… you let me do that? Don't take me for a fool, asshole!"

"Believe what you want" was the redhead's only reply as he quickly rose his hand to write a symbol on the blade of his spear. "But this match ends now!" he yelled, going through a set of hand seals at blinding speed.

Reiji instantly charged forward seeing this, swinging his axe in the process, releasing another chakra bullet, but before the attack could reach its target, Hizoku finished preparations, his battlecry echoing in metal-nin's head like a premonition: "Akuchitenshi no Mai!"

---the second dance is unleashed… and then?---

And this concludes this chapter. Hope you found it worth waiting for and do remember to leave a comment before finishing up. For the record: no, I didn't forget about Takai, his issue will return with the next installment. This one had way too little space to implement it, that's all.

As usual, here's the translation of the jutsu used in the chapter and below a quick list of characters in hope that it'll help you remember who's who:

Akuchitenshi no Mai (rough translation would be Angel of Blood Dance; 'tenshi' stands for 'angel', while 'akuchi' is 'impure blood')

KONOHA #3 (Shikamaru Nara): Rei Konpaku (lazy girl with the ability to merge with dead souls); Kogane Rikoteki (a girl from the clan of alchemists, who has a crush on Takaru); Toku Amagasa (a boy with a wooden umbrella); Kitsune Debano (a boy from a clan of blacksmiths, he has a lot of iron in his body); Hanamaru Gusoku (a chubby boy from the family of non-ninja);

KONOHA #4 (Hinata Hyuuga): Mikka Igaku (a young, medic-nin, capable of opening three Gates, she has a crush on Kai); Tsume Inuzuka (Kiba's daughter, whose dream is to save crimson wolves from extinction, her dog is named Uramaru); Senkou Hatake (son of Kakashi, the current Hokage, he's very fast, can use Body Flipper and Chidori); Kokoro Benda (a blond boy with a bloodline limit that makes him a telepath); Galu Kobushi (a green-haired boy, who excels in taijutsu);

KONOHA #7 (Naruto Uzumaki): Ibuki Tanken (a young prodigy of Konoha's assassin clan, a weapon mistress with ninjutsu based on wind); Kumiko Murasakki (a smart girl, who specializes in genjutsu); Kai Haisha (somewhat the protagonist of the story, he resembles Naruto in many ways, can use Kage Bunshin and as of late several, wind-based ninjutsu techniques); Kusari Hagane (a boy who used a chain controlled by chakra, he's a pervert, who has a crush on Kumiko); Takaru Gekido (the son of Tsunade, who sworn revenge, it's not revealed who his father is, the rookie in his year, he specializes in fire-based ninjutsu);

KONOHA (Shino Aburame): Hitomi Hyuuga (daughter of Neji and Tenten), Taki Hamano (a girl with a boomerang, very cheerful, uses water); Funbo Tanken (Ibuki's brother, a weapon expert who uses a stick and apparently has no emotions or attachment to his teammates); Akira Manako (a blind, genjutsu expert); Horohoro (a boy not born in the Leaf, he seems to share Hidden Mist techniques);

SUNA (Temari): Torune (Temari's daughter, she uses wind); Aoru (a redhead girl with a battle fan, she has a crush on Takai); Takai (second of the special, genetic experiment, apparently he cannot be killed and is capable of a skill similar to necromancy); Tarakudo (first in the genetic experiment, he's ability allows him to release bones from their joints, he always has his face covered by bandages with the exception of one eye); Honemaru (the third and only 'successful' genetic experiment, he seems like a perfect clone of Kimimaro);

SUNA (Kankuro): Hari (Kankuro's daughter, she uses senbon); Sabaku no Sabure (Gaara's daughter, twin of Touba, she uses sand and seems to have split-personality); Dekai (a swordsman who can wrapped his blade in wind); Horamaru (a boy, who uses metal strings, he enjoys bloodlust and hates Takai, Honemaru and Tarakudo, that last one in particular); Karame (a mummy-like boy, who has the control of paper);

KUSA: Tobane Hokku (a girl who uses hook-like weapons); Nezumi Kanraku (a girl who fights alongside her rat, Hamaru); Hizoku Wanabi (a redhead boy, armed in a spear, who apparently has some connections to the Leaf and meet Kai's mother); Taka Kuchibashi (a masked boy, who uses a chain, he seems to dislike Hizoku, but for some reason still aids him when needed); Tokame Kyohaku (a boy who controls light);

AME: Youji Kasano (a girl armed in three umbrellas); Karei Nokogiri (a girl who uses a saw on a chain and controls magnetism in a way); Tsuino Furikuzu (one of the sons of current Ame leader, his face is filled with scars); Nazaa Hebereke (a redhead, familiar with Drunken Fist); Ryo Eshaku (a boy who's special ability allows him to materialize chakra);

BAKUFU/TAKI: Kawa Azarashi (a girl who uses water, which she carries in bottles); Miaka Tora (a girl who teams up with her white tiger); Tetsu Abura (a chubby gennin, who swings a hammer and has two, firework launchers on his back); Shit Makko (Tetsu's good friend, who uses genjutsu); Kasui Rein (deceased, killed by Saiken);

TSUKI (Hinami Hoshiru): Teela Junsei (unofficial leader of the team, who has some relation to Kusari); Tenka (a mysterious, redhead girl); Tasuki Kihako (a swordsman, who has the same bloodline limit as Rei and uses a soul of the Shinobi Swordsman that killed his father); Nobu Chishio (the blond twin, with his brother he possess the ability to transfer the chakra of his sibling into his own body); Kumo Chishio (the green-haired twin);

KANE: Naginata (a girl with the stick); Reiji Ono (the bald axeman with artificial eye); Futatsu (a boy, who uses two katana and has a grudge against Kusari… more specifically Kusari's brother); Hogosha (a boy who uses water); Sentou (boy with metal arms, already returned to his home village);

KUMORI (Tategamaru): Raine (a girl with steel claws); Saiken Tenma (a mysterious boy with a headgear); Bakara (a boy who specializes in genjutsu); Kyuu (a boy who uses sound, supposedly second strongest in the team); Fuma (Tategamaru's son, he could transform into a wolf-hybrid, deceased);

OTHER: Naruto Uzumaki, Hinata Hyuuga, Shikamaru Nara, Shino Aburame, Sasuke Uchiha (currently Konoha ANBU); Kakashi Hatake (Sixth Hokage); Iruka Umino (Academy teacher in Konoha); Tenten Hyuuga, Ino Yamanaka, Kiba Inuzuka & Akamaru, Lee Rock, Chouji Akimichi; Sakura Uchiha, Neji Hyuuga (current ANBU), Sabaku no Gaara (current Kazekage), Hinami Hoshiru (jounin instructor of Teela's cell), Tategamaru (mysterious leader of Kumori's cell), Kumoshi (Tategamaru's partner), Sabaku no Touba (Sabure's twin, killed by Takai, currently his skull is part of Takai's collection), Chitose Haisha (Kai' mother, status unknown), Hideki Haisha (Kai's father, haven't made an appearance in the story); Satsuki (Hidden Moon leader), Genmei (Hidden Rain leader); Hidden Metal leader (name not revealed yet);

There… well, if it's still confusing, then naturally you may turn to reading the story up till now, it should help a lot, since I don't mention characters that are already gone or won't be playing a part in the nearest future (like Satsu, Ibuki and Funbo's father). If the story will prove popular still, then it'd be even recommended, as I won't be going back to remind of what happened earlier 9and there were hints throughout the tale) and the Character Popularity Polls will keep on appearing. But that's just an advice.

Thanks for tuning in and until next time, hopefully.