Chapter 41 Discoveries

The streets of the Leaf was filled with scared people as the ninjas enforced marshal law upon the village. After Kado's speech ten refugees had been killed by villagers claiming that they where demons. One of those deaths was a mother with two young boys, that had caused a yet another riot which had to be put down. There was a large amount of talk and a demonstration in favor of throwing out everyone who couldn't be confirmed as a member of the leaf village, the hard core members even wanted to throw out the Sand ninja and villagers. Another group was even preparing to leave the village and surrender to the demons. They like the rioters where stopped from leaving the Leaf village.

"This has gone totally wrong." stated Tsunade as she looked out of the window, everything was falling apart. A food caravan had been an attacked by hungry people the moment it had entered the village, flames where coming out of several buildings, in the poorer sections of the village all of society seamed to be hanging on the edge. Then came the horrible news from Sakura and Ino, the sample was a fake.

Down below the Namikaze clan was coming to grips with the news.

"What do you mean it is a fake?" asked Adria

"It's a fake, wrong drug it looks the same but it isn't the same." explained Sakura as she ignored the smile on Seth's face.

"They let us go." whispered Minato as he lowered his head "I thought it was strange that they put all of us in to the human world and then that they didn't chase us."

"But you can still work right?" asked Adria

"Ya…the blood sample I took when I was turning and once I separate out my blood from the transformation agent but that will take time." said Sakura unable to bring herself to say that it would take around a week to separate enough of the transformation agent from the small samples of her blood to work with.

"How much time?" asked Kushina but she already knew the answer

"It's too long isn't it?" asked Naruto

"Yes." answered Sakura

"How come we needed know it was a fake sooner?" asked Adria as she looked at Sakura.

"I would have needed a full medical lab to discover it and we don't have that in the den." explained Sakura

"No one is blaming you Sakura-chan it is all our fault." stated Naruto "I should have known it was too good to be true, I felt something was wrong but I hoped I was wrong."

"We both where hoped that luck was breaking our way but it was all a trap." said Minato

"Now what do we do?" asked Adria as she looked at her parents, older brother and Sakura all of them where looking down none of them having a workable answer.

In the demon world Gaara of the desert opened his eyes for the first time in days, he looked around the room to see a medical drip attached to his arm. The bag was empty as a nurse removed the bag.

"Good day Gaara of the desert." said a voice that caused Gaara's blood to boil as he looked toward the source to see a demon fox with tan fur. "Do you remember me?"

"Shukaku." growled Gaara as he noticed that he now had new teeth in his mouth.

"Yes, just wanted to see you." stated Shukaku as he smiled like a mad fox "How are you doing?"

"How do you think!" growled Gaara as he fought against the restraints. Suddenly the door opened as another fox entered the room.

"Shukaku what are you doing here?" asked the fox

"Nothing doctor." said Shukaku as he lowered his head.

"Go back to your room." ordered the doctor as Shukaku walked away being lead away by a nurse, his head was down and he was mumbling something to himself.

"Sorry you had to meet him again, he had a mental breakdown when he was assigned to deep cover as your demon." stated the doctor "We couldn't pull him out until the Attack gave us a cover story. Now let's look at you. The transformation seems to have progressed rather well. Now we just have to decide if you are ready to be taken into the general population."

"So I am a fox right, that is why you are here?" asked Gaara as the doctor laughed

"No…this is a joint hospital." explained the doctor as he pulled out a small hand held mirror up to Gaara's face. His face had red fur framing his face pushing out around his face, two set of fangs one upper and one lower, his eyes were also silted. "You're becoming a lion."

"A lion?" asked Gaara

"Yes" answered the doctor "Looks like the fact you where drugged unconscious means your transformation is speeding up a bit, we may have to try that on your sister our current method isn't working the best."

"My sister?" asked Gaara

"Yes, we got one of those four groups you tried to send out and soon we will have the others." stated the fox "Now why don't you rest a bit and we will see if we can transfer you to general population to finish the transformation."

It was just before sundown and Hinata and her team was finishing up their patrol, they had on patrol for almost 12 hours now and all any of them wanted to was get some hot food, maybe a drink or two and some sleep.

"At least we know that we have a few days until the attack.' said Kiba as he stood along with Akamaru on the rooftops. There job was to keep an eye on any movements either on the nearby building roofs and make sure that no new riot broke out.

"That will cause more problems than you think." stated Shino "People will grow more desperate and violent as they looked to their leaders to save them."

"Do we even have a plan?" asked Kiba as he looked toward Hinata "I mean Ino, Sai and Shikamaru said they have a plan but if they do why wouldn't they tell us?"

"Did you forget I know what they are planning?" asked Hinata

"Yes, but the point still stands." stated Kiba as he scanned the area, he saw movement in the distance. "I got two kids playing on a patio five houses down; do you think they are demons?"

"I don't think there are any demons in the village." stated Shino

"But you heard the Kyuubi over the speakers." stated Kiba "And if they can look human they could have just walked right into the village."

"And they know full well the damage we would do to ourselves if we thought demons where among us." stated Shino "Probably a small team entered broadcasted the speech and left to watch ourselves tear each other apart."

"That isn't going to happen." stated Hinata

"It already is happening." stated Shino as a figure stepped out onto a roof across the road from them. Normally the sight of a lone figure on a rooftop wouldn't raise any alarms but this wasn't normal times.

"Who wants to check this one out?" asked Kiba "It's probably nothing more than another smoker."

"It's my turn." stated Hinata as she activated her Byakugan. "I don't see any weapons or traps, wait I know him."

"Who?" asked Shino as Hinata jumped the gap between houses with ease.

"What are you doing up here?" asked Hinata as Gamba acted like he didn't hear her talking across the road or her landing behind him.

"Hinata?" asked Gamba as he jumped a bit to sell the surprise as he turned to face Hinata dressed in her ANBU uniform and mask.

"I am not Hinata, I am cat." stated Hinata as she used her ANBU cover name, which matched her white mask.

"Well you sound like her and your hair is the same length." stated Gamba

"You can't hide it Hinata." said a new voice as Hinata looked to see a new ANBU team landing around them. Hinata looked at them and instantly knew it was her cousin Neji and his team.

"Why did you break my cover?" asked Hinata as she took off her mask and looked straight at Neji.

"He knew it was you, so what is the point?" asked Tenten

"Who are you?" asked Neji as he looked toward Gamba.

"Gamba from river country." stated Gamba

"Why are you up here?" asked Neji

"Well…the house and the streets were crowed and I wanted some fresh air." explained Gamba

"The streets are pretty full." stated Tenten as Lee nodded his head in agreement

"Sorry for causing any trouble." said Gamba as he noticed Itachi and Fay hiding behind the Leaf ANBU ready to strike if they saw their prince in damage.

"It's alright just remember we are in a state of war against the demons just be more careful." stated Neji

"Alright…I was going to go out and grab something to eat." explained Gamba "Know any place good?"

"The fireside bar is only two blocks away." stated Hinata "I was going to go there and grab something."

"Great maybe I'll see you there." said Gamba as he opened the roof door and walked into the building.

"I think you where just asked out Hinata." laughed Tenten as Hinata's team joined them on the roof.

"That was the guy from Ichiraku Ramen?" asked Kiba

"Ya." answered Hinata "Kind of strange that I would meet him two times in two days."

"Maybe he is a stalker." stated Kiba

"How could he have followed you though your ANBU patrol, without you guys noticing him?" asked Tenten "You're the best tracking team in the Leaf, you would have discovered if someone was following you."

"I guess." said Kiba

"I never said I was going to meet up with the guy." stated Hinata

"Go ahead what the worst that can happen talking to someone about things other than being a ninja?" asked Tenten

"But he isn't Naruto." said Hinata

"Well Naruto currently is taken and is likely not going to be open again." stated Tenten as she forgot Lee had no idea that his love Sakura was now with Naruto. He knew they where demons but not boyfriend and girlfriend.

"What does that mean?" asked Lee

"We will tell you later." explained Neji before turning to Hinata, Kiba and Shino "Your team is off, get some rest."

It only took a few minutes for Hinata to change into her street cloths and head to the same bar she had been drinking to her lost of Naruto. When she arrived she found the place packed even more than normal. It seemed that it was one of the few places that still had a fully stock kitchen including the luxury goods she found Gamba sitting in one of the booths with a beer in front of him.

"So you did make it." said Gamba with a bright smile

"Ya…not really the most smooth way to ask someone out." said Hinata "That was what you were doing? Right?"

"I hope I didn't cross the line, I never asked anyone out before." answered Gamba as he remembered all those traditions he had to follow back home in the palace, any party guest had to be first approved by an aid, then his mother before a royal massager sent out to deliver the invitation.

"It's ok, but it is better to ask a girl out by herself not in front of people she knows." laughed Hinata as she sat down and ordered her drink. "Didn't your mom teach you that?"

"No…she and my father had an arranged marriage." lied Gamba, it was partly true she had been arrange member of his harem.

"I thought that ended years ago?" asked Hinata as her drink arrived.

"They where the last couple to do it." explained Gamba as he partly lied again, now members could volunteer to be part of the royal harem not that he wanted them.

"So tell me about yourself?" asked Gamba

"Alright what do you want to know?" asked Hinata

"Anything." Answered Gamba

"My favorite color is light blue and I love cinnamon rolls and red bean soup." answered Hinata "How about you?"

"My favorite color is golden yellow and now…you may find this odd but I love smoked deer meat." answered Gamba as he remember going on the royal hunts with leaders from all the races he ruled "Something about killing your own food is just nice."

"So you're a hunter?" asked Hinata

"Ya, sorry if you don't like it but one of the few good memories I have of my father." said Gamba "See he died when I was eight years old, right after he took me on my first hunt."

"While I never personally had been hunting I can see why people would enjoy it." stated Hinata "Do you eat what you kill? If you kill for no reason you are just being wasteful."

"Ya…no point killing something just to kill it, all life is important." answered Gamba as Hinata smiled as they kept talking as their food arrived.

Outside a slight rain was falling as Kiba watched the two of them from across the street, his eyes locked on Gamba and Hinata as they laughed.

"That should be me." stated Kiba as he watched the girl he had longed for, for years going out on a date with a total stranger. "I mean what is wrong with me…is it the fact that I don't have blonde hair?"

Akamaru simply shock his coat sending water flying.

A few yards away hiding in a place where they could see their crowned prince and the person watching them while remaining dry.

"It's kind of nice to see our future prince trying to get a mate." stated Fay

"It is…but." started Itachi but stopped mid sentenced

"What are you worried that because he is a pure demon and she would be transformed that there could be a problem?" asked Fay "because when she is turned she will be a demon and you and I work great."

"No…it's just I am worried that first she will not forgive him for lying about demon and then can you imagine how the queen and the those who follow traditions to the letter will react to possibly having a turned human as queen." stated Itachi as Fay nodded her head.

"Ya….they already don't like him." stated Fay "All because he doesn't like every single one of the traditions put in place, most of which are just pointless."

"No arguments here." said Itachi

"Have you talked to your sister?" asked Fay as she changed the topic.

"She doesn't want to talk to me." answered Itachi "Reminds me of whenever mom was upset with Dad, she just won't talk to him for a while then she would let it all out."

"Mom like daughter I suppose." answered Fay as she lowered her head a bit.

"You want a kitten don't you?" asked Itachi as Fay's head snapped up, she knew this was a touchy subject to him but also such an important one. To pure demons having kids and having a family was the most important thing in the world, Fay was one of a small group of pure demons who could have kids.

"Don't you?" asked Fay

"Yes…but I am scared." admitted Itachi

"You're scared of what?" asked Fay "You aren't scared of anything. I saw you take down three of the best guards at once in a training session without getting touched."

"I killed my whole clan when I was human, than there was the way my dad acted toward my brother and me favoring one over the other. That caused my own brother to resent and later to hate me." explained Itachi "I don't want to repeat that."

"Itachi-kun." purred Fay as she stood on her tip toes to rub her cheek against his, wishing that they didn't have to do this as humans "The fact that you know that means you can avoid it. Your just afraid of fatherhold but everyone is scared of parenthood, we will get though it together when the time comes."

"Fay…I know the answer already but once we finish this task in the Leaf would you want to be my mate, join my pride and have my kittens?" asked Itachi using the old traditional way of asking for a mate from her pride, Fay smiled before pulling him into a deep kiss, if they hadn't been on guard duty she would have mated with him on the spot.

"Yes…God yes." answered Fay as she planted kiss after kiss on Itachi only to suddenly back off a bit, remembering another of the stupid traditions "Wait you have to get my parent's approval for it to be legal?"

"I asked them a while ago, they have been pushing for me to do it." answered Itachi as Fay smiled even more. "And I am a pride of one so I don't have to ask myself."

"Well your pride is about to have a second member and in time more." Said Fay

Down in the restaurant/bar Hinata was having a great time, their food had arrived and they talked, laughed and ate. Neither of them brought up the demons or anything else. When the bill arrived Gamba had paid and they were still talking. Finally they turned t the topic neither one of them wanted to talk about, the demon.

"I wish we would have meet under different times." stated Gamba "Your whole village is in trouble."

"It is the demons fault." stated Hinata "They want to destroy us all because they want to save themselves. Sick."

"I mean I can understand why they have to do it but there has to be a better way." said Gamba

"How can you understand them?" asked Hinata

"Alright, let's say the human race was dying and the only way to save it was to turn apes into humans would you do it?" asked Gamba

"Apes don't have a culture." stated Hinata "It isn't the same thing."

"No, not perfectly but still wouldn't turning apes into humans improve their lives, they would live longer and to you wouldn't they have better lives as humans." said Gamba

"Still doesn't make it right." stated Hinata

"No…but not doing anything while your race is dying out isn't right." stated Gamba

"I guess all we can do is fight back." answered Hinata as she looked around the restaurant it must be near closing time since most of the tables where empty and the staff was cleaning up. There were still maybe three couples left apart from them and two of those couples where making out. Including one in the far booth a booth that was filled a day earlier by three strange people, including someone named Kado.

"My God…how could I not have seen it earlier." stated Hinata

"What?" asked Gamba fearing he had be discovered.

"Sorry I need to go I just realized I may have saw the demons here a few days ago, I have to tell the Hokage." said Hinata as she stood up and prepared to leave "I have to report to duty at eight but I should get off around four want to meet after that?"

"Where and when?" asked Gamba with a smile

"There is a red footbridge in the northern end of the main park, want to meet there around 4:30 or 5?" asked Hinata

"I'll be there." answered Gamba with a smile as Hinata did something without even thinking she bent down and kissed Gamba on the cheek. Both of them were stunned for a moment as their faces turned red.

"Well…see you tomorrow." stuttered Hinata as she took off

The fact that Hinata suddenly took off running toward the Hokage building caught Kiba, Fay and Itachi off guard. While Kiba took off Hinata to make sure she was safe, Fay and Itachi moved toward the prince.

"Don't worry, she didn't figure out I am a demon." answered Gamba "However she did see who she thought was a group of demons here a couple days ago."

"We were here two days ago." answered Fay

"Then we do have a problem." stated Itachi

It took only a few minutes for Hinata to reach the Hokage building, she ran toward the Hokage's office only to be stopped by Sai.

"What is going on?" asked Sai

"I need to talk to Lady Tsunade I think I saw some demons two days ago, maybe after they got into the village." explained Hinata

"She is talking with Naruto and his family down stairs follow me." stated Sai as the two of them moved toward the elevator that led to the underground base. Sai never asked any questions as they walked toward the cell where Naruto and the rest where located. They entered to find Sakura talking to Tsunade though the reinforced glass, the rest of them including Naruto was just sitting around.

"Lady Tsunade Hinata has something to tell you." Said Sai as Tsunade and Sakura turned and looked at her. For a moment Hinata just glared at Sakura.

"What is it?" asked Tsunade

"Lady Hokage I think I saw the demons a few days ago in a local bar." Stated Hinata "A man name Kado along with two women where there."

"Kado is just a name if we hunt down everyone with that name it will take forever." stated Sai

"Well he had orange hair and the two people he was with a woman named Fay and a fifteen year old girl named Raeni." Stated Hinata

"Wait you said Fay?" asked Naruto as he turned toward Hinata. "Did she have black hair and dark eyes about 21 or 22 years old."

"Yes." answered Hinata

"Who is she?" asked Tsunade

"She is a demon panther royal guard, I met her in demon country." explained Naruto "She is also Itachi's mate-in-waiting."

"Mate-in-waiting?" asked Sai

"In this case it means girlfriend but it can also mean boyfriend." explained Sakura

"Did Raeni have black hair and really dark eyes?" asked Kushina as Naruto looked at his mom. "Fourteen or fifteen."

"Yes why? asked Hinata

"She looks like her mother even more as a human then a demon then." answered Kushina

"Who?" asked Naruto

"An old friend, I have only seen her three times since we where both turned." said Kushina "If it is who I think it is, that girl you saw was Raeni Uchiha."

"What…but there are only two Uchiha clan members and that girl is too old to be Sasuke's or Itachi's child." answered Hinata

"Because she is their younger sister, born human in the demon world and turned right after that." explained Kushina "I remember when I first ran into Mikoto and Raeni it was a conference between foxes and wolves."

"But Itachi is a panther and Sasuke is a snake." Stated Sakura

"They break families apart remember, the Uchiha clan they took from the leaf when Itachi so called killed them was split amongst the wolves, horses and bears. The felines wanted the strongest Uchiha so they got Itachi." Answered Minato "I don't know why Sasuke is a snake."

"It is where he belongs." answered Sakura

"So we know of three demons in our defenses, Kado, Fay and Raeni." stated Tsunade "That is more then we knew a while ago…now finding them is the problem."

"What do you know about them?" asked Sai

"Fay is a royal guard, a panther must be pretty strong if Gamba trusted her to be his personal body guard." said Naruto as Hinata's ears perked up and her heart seamed to stop.

"Wait did you say Gamba?" asked Hinata

"What have you seen him too?" asked Sai

"What does he look like?" asked Hinata

"Well in his human form he kind of looks like me." answered Naruto "Slight lighter hair and eyes."

"Then it is him." answered Hinata sadly

"What?" asked Tsunade

"I just had dinner with him." answered Hinata "And I am going to meet him tomorrow after work."

"So you had a date with him?" asked Sakura, Hinata didn't have answer her mind was racing to fast.

"Who is he anyhow?" asked Sai

"He is the possibly most powerful demon." stated Minato

"He just seemed like a normal person." said Hinata

"Well if this Gamba is the same one we think he is, which is might not be. He is really the crowned prince and future King of three of the nine demon races." stated Minato

"Well we know where he will be tomorrow and we will take him there." stated Tsunade

"You will not be able to take him. He will have guards on him." stated Naruto "Probably at least two highly trained guards."

"Fay, Raeni and Kado he has three." stated Tsunade

"First while the foxes are on good terms with the felines they wouldn't trust their only male heir to the throne with just one feline guard and the wolves and felines hate each other they have fought over a dozen small wars in the past." stated Minato "He has at least one more feline guard and likely more than one."

"Who would they bring?" asked Tsunade

"Likely he will want a small team and ones who know human culture so they can blend in. Only two come to mind Itachi and Yahiko." stated Minato "They may have more but those two are among the best guards."

"Itachi sided with us in the past we will have his support." stated Tsunade

"I wouldn't count on it." stated Naruto "He may have wanted to help the Leaf but he may think of himself as a demon panther now and that is his future king."

"Still we have to grab him, we could force a peace." stated Tsunade

"I have an idea but you will not like it.' said Naruto

Well my Ohio Bobcats didn't win against NC but they put on one very good game, much closer then I thought. So I decided to post this chapter, I hope you liked this chapter and Hinata's date and how she found out about Gamba. Now until next time please keep reading. Thanks Wilkins75.