Chapter 16: Searing flames

Kyo lounged heavily in his arm chair. The rest of the group was all gathered around Kairi as she read them all a chapter from the 'Nin Wars Saga' a historical fiction series based on the events of the Third Secret World War. Normally Kyo was just as entranced by the fast paced story of life, death, and love as the children were, but today he found he couldn't concentrate. There was something tapping at the back of his mind. A presence he didn't know. An aura he couldn't place.

'Who is it?' he asked himself silently. 'It could be important…'

A sudden gasp jerked Kyo abruptly from his thoughts and he sat up strait to look around the common room of the apartment he and his students all shared. Ino's eyes were wide and bright with unshed tears as she listened, her fingers grasping Shikamaru's shirt tight enough to leave it forever wrinkled. The rest were enraptured by Kairi's voice as she dictated the vicious fight taking place in the text. Even Shikamaru didn't find it to troublesome to sit up straighter in attention. Kyo, too, found himself being drawn into the story, only to be pulled away as the aura continued to move closer.

'What should I do?' he asked himself as he tried to track the slippery aura. 'It could be an enemy, but whoever it is moves as if they belong here…'

"Kairi," Kyo suddenly called, gaining the immediate attention of his wife and students. "I'm going to take a quick walk."

Kairi nodded solemnly and sent her husband a soft smile. She understood what that meant: stand-by, something's not right.

"Keep reading Haruno-sensei!" Lee shouted.

"Yeah!" the other children chorused and Kairi laughed as she turned back to the captivating novel.

Kyo grabbed his katana from its stand by the door before he silently slipped out the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Kyo slipped around the corner of his building carefully, not making a sound. He crept along the wall, his black and blue attire blending well with the darkness. It wasn't long before he spotted an earth-real figure ahead of him.

He slid along as if on ice. His pale skin and pure white hair simply added to his otherworldly air. His clothes were as white as his hair and they fell loosely about his thin frame. Kyo narrowed his eyes. This man did not belong here. That was strikingly obvious, and yet he made no attempt to hide himself.

Suddenly the pale man halted. He stood strait and tall, his cool eyes glaring off into space. "I know you are there Haruno-san," he spoke. "There is no need to hide from me."

"Considering you were able to see through both of my concealment jutsus I would have to say otherwise." Kyo responded as he walked out of the shadows and dropped his genjutsus.

"I have been trained in the detection of such deception, Haruno Kyo-san," Was the other man's response.

"I see," Kyo said with a slight smirk. "Well, it seems that you have me at a disadvantage. I do not know your given name or even your surname."

"I am Kimimaro, servant to Orochimaru-sama," Kimimaro's shoulder split open revealing the bone. "And I have come to kill you."

Kyo watched in disgusted fascination as Kimimaro reached over with his right hand and grasped his now protruding shoulder bone. Quickly he slid it out of his skin, as easily as Kyo slipped his katana from its sheath.

"I see," Kyo said slowly; his eyes trained on the sharpened bone. "You are of the fallen Kaguya clan. I have heard of your unique bloodline limit although I can't say I have desired to test the rumors."

"I do not care if you do not wish to fight," Kimimaro stated. "For if you will not fight you will simply die easier."

Kimimaro lunged at Kyo's still body. Still in flight he feinted to the left and sent out a barrage of bullet like bones from the tips of his fingers. The bones solidly connected with both Kyo and the wall behind him creating a screen of dust and dirt. Kimimaro stood tall as his dull eyes took in the dust covered damage.

"Pathetic," he said. "To waist your life in such a useless manor."

Suddenly Kimimaro's eyes widened and he leapt quickly to his left, just barely missing the heavy slash of a katana. Kimimaro turned in surprise to find Kyo standing unscathed with his katana in hand and a confident smirk on his face.

"Your clan must not be as brilliant as you are said to be if such a junior skill was able to confuse you," Kyo taunted as his eyes darted to where the smoke was clearing.

Kimimaro followed the bluette's gaze to where he had thought to have killed him. His eyes widened a fraction in surprise as he took in, not blood, but splatters of water.

"A mizu bushin," Kimimaro stated blandly. "I should have suspected."

Kyo said nothing as he dropped into his taijutsu stance while black marks began to spread across Kimimaro's body.

"It seems I shall have to take this fight much more seriously from now on."

XXXXXXXXXX

Night had fallen quickly over the newly formed band and in the darkness of the night Kakashi's team as well as Naruto slept heavily next to the dying fire. Sakura, Hinata, and Sasuke, however, were wide awake due to the overly long nap the three had woken up from only and hour before. Sasuke sat opposite the two girls on a log using the orange flames to read over some of the ninja scrolls he had pulled out of his and Naruto's bags.

Sakura sat still and silent; a confused, yet serious look on her face. Hinata found this discontented Sakura to be rather unnerving and she wanted to help the pink haired girl regain her true cheerfulness. The boys may not have noticed, but since leaving Gaara's compound earlier that morning Sakura had grown slightly withdrawn, a near brooding expression on her normally placid features. For some reason it seemed as if she was searching for something. Hinata gulped as she slid down the log to sit next to her friend. She wasn't afraid of the pink haired girl; she just found it slightly awkward to suddenly leap into somebody's personal business.

"S-Sakura-chan?" Hinata asked quietly. "A-are you alright?"

"Hm?" Sakura started, not realizing that Hinata had moved. "Oh, yes Hinata-chan, I'm fine."

Hinata took a deep breath. "I don't believe you."

Sakura stared at the other girl in shock. Hinata never said anything like that to anyone. She was always the first to comply on every thing. A smile crossed Sakura's soft pink lips. It was rather refreshing to watch Hinata stand up to somebody.

Hinata bit her lip, perhaps she had been to rude? She really shouldn't have pried. Now Sakura is going to hate her…Suddenly Sakura smiled.

"You're right to say so Hinata-chan," the young Haruno said.

Hinata gaped in shock. "What?"

Sakura giggled. "I said you were right to not believe me. There is something wrong."

Hinata's surprise quickly morphed to fear and concern. "Are you hurt, Sakura-chan?"

"No," Sakura replied softly. "Just confused really."

"About what?"

"Well," Sakura began. "Since we left the compound I've been trying to 'touch' Ichigo through our heartstring bond, but I can't feel her. I know she isn't hurt because I would have felt that. It's more like she just disappeared."

Hinata looked down at her clasped hands in thought. Maybe…?

"Is it only Ichigo-chan?" Hinata asked. "Is she the only one you can't feel?"

Sakura's nose scrunched up as she reached out with her mind. "No, I can't feel anyone accept for those of us that are here. But why?" She asked mostly herself. "What's happening?"

"Do you remember when we first started to leave and we found Ichigo?" Hinata asked softly.

"Yes," Sakura responded.

"Well you couldn't feel her really well then either, could you?"

Sakura blanched. "You're right!" she exclaimed. "I couldn't!"

"What about before that?" Hinata prompted, her voice growing firm and confident. "When was the last time you felt someone?"

Sakura thought for a moment. "Hm, the last time I felt an aura from a distance was when Hikari-nee-chan and Itachi-nii-chan came to get us from the academy. I felt them coming, but I also felt someone else. I don't know who it was but it was strong and scary. It made me feel sick."

Hinata nodded slowly as the pieces of this puzzle began to fall into place. "Do you still have your necklace that Naruto-kun gave you?"

Sakura sent her a 'duh' look and pulled the cat shaped carving out from where it hung under her shirt collar. "Why do you ask?"

"Didn't Hikari-nee-chan ask to see it before we left?"

Suddenly it all clicked in Sakura's mind and she gasped. "Hikari-nee-chan must have put a jutsu on it to block my heartstrings! She knows that I never take it off so she probably figured it was the best thing to put it on."

Hinata nodded. "I think so too. Now the real question is why she did it."

Sakura thought for a moment before she snapped her fingers in triumph. "I've got it!" she shouted. "Once when I was five I asked Hikari-nee-chan if Haruno's are the only ones who can feel our heartstring connection!"

Hinata looked excited. "What did she say?"

"It was like this…"

XxflashbackxX

Five year old Sakura sat at her desk looking over her new school books. She had always been fascinated by the things you could learn in text, so when she received these she wasted no time in leaping into them. At the moment she was just finishing up the chapter on auras and she found it absolutely fascinating. She didn't know that normal people could sense auras too; she thought it was only something her clan could do.

'Hm, maybe the book is wrong?' she thought. 'But how will I know for sure?'

"Are you reading your books already 'Kura-chan?" Hikari asked with a giggle. "I don't understand why you like them so much. Field experience is much better."

Normally when Hikari said things like this Sakura would snap back that without knowledge field experience would start and end with death, so what she actually said startled the Haruno heir a bit.

"Can non-Harunos use the heartstrings too?" Sakura asked suddenly, her nose still pressed into her text book. "I thought it was our blood-limit."

"What do you mean?" Hikari asked as she walked into Sakura's room and slid the shooji door shut.

"Well." Sakura began as she pointed at her book. "It says here that chakra print detection and aura tracking are really important for Shinobi to learn, but I thought only the people with heartstrings could sense auras. Does that mean everyone has heartstrings?"

Hikari smiled down at her overly intelligent (in her opinion anyway) little sister. She had certainly never been curious about such things when she was five. In fact she hardly knew anything on the genin written exam when she was six. It was a miracle that she managed to pass. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't been able to answer any of the questions during the chunin exam either.

'Hm,' she thought. 'I probably ought to study before I take the jounin exam next week…' She shook her head. 'Study later, answer Sakura's question now.'

Sakura sat patiently as Hikari thought, knowing that her mind wasn't on her question.

'Sometimes I wonder why Hikari ended up with light as her element instead of air,' Sakura thought. 'At least then she would have and excuse for having her head in the clouds all the time.'

"Oh! Right! You asked me a question!" Hikari exclaimed and Sakura rolled her eyes. "Hm, to answer you plainly, everyone can sense chakra and if they work at it they can memorize an individual's chakra print easily. What makes the heartstrings different is that people who have them are much more sensitive to those auras." Hikari paused for a moment. "For example, I can sense, identify, and track everyone within the walls of Konoha if I opened up my heartstrings fully. So, if a stranger were to enter Konoha I'd know immediately."

"But you said that normal people can do that too." Sakura reminded her older sister.

"Not quite," Hikari responded. "See without the heartstrings a person can only sense an aura when it is with in a twenty foot radios at most. Even with out advanced training you can sense up to fifty feet at least, as well as memorize those chakra prints within an instant."

"Oh!" Sakura exclaimed. "I get it! We're born with an advanced ability to sense and memorize auras like the sharingan right? All we have to do is meet someone and our heartstrings will remember their aura forever just like the sharingan only has to see a jutsu once to be able to copy it!"

"Exactly," Hikari said with a smile. "You really are a genius."

"Hikari-nee-chan?" Sakura asked. "Does the heartstrings have a weakness?"

"Of course it does," Hikari responded. "Even the sharingan has a weakness."

"Then what is it?"

Hikari frowned slightly as she tried to figure out how to word this. "If a person has a really strong chakra signature then it is quite easy for them to pick out a heartstring user. Our chakra signatures have a unique pulse to them that would give us away faster then lightning."

"Is there a way to stop our auras from pulsing?" Sakura asked innocently.

Hikari grinned. "Not without cutting our heartstrings almost completely off."

Xxend flashbackxX

"So in order to stop Orotomato from finding you she must have done a jutsu that would make your chakra signature seem normal." Hinata said.

"Right," Sakura responded. "Which means that she must have cut off my heartstrings almost completely."

"Is that dangerous?" Hinata asked worried.

Sakura shrugged. "I don't think so," she said. "We'll be without our usual early warning system but other then that no. Maybe we could even fix the jutsu so that I can still use my heartstrings without giving myself away."

"We can start working on it tomorrow." Hinata told her. "But for now we have to sleep."

"Yeah."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Kyo watched in indifference as Kimimaro let his curse seal spread rapidly across his pale skin.

"This was a gift from Orochimaru-sama many years ago," He said. "It has been many a dozen fights since I last had to reveal it."

Kyo growled as he felt the newly heightened power pulse heavily from his opponent. The pale man's power level was quite greater then his own now. Where Kyo was confident he could have beaten Kimimaro before, now he found that it would be nearing the improbable.

Kimimaro let out a sadistic smirk before the tips of his fingers fell open revealing the bones beneath the skin. "Die."

The barrage of bullet like bones sent Kyo into a desperate scramble for his life. Dodging left and right, up and down, only just escaping from what could have been a fatal injury. Tired of being on the offensive, Kyo lunged at the bone user head on before his hands flew together in a quick set of seals.

The bones Kimimaro sent in his direction impacted solidly with Kyo's body before it was engulfed in smoke and revealed itself to be a kawarimi.

Kimimaro's lifeless eyes slowly roved his surroundings searching for his missing assailant. He only just ducked when a side sweep from Kyo's katana rushed to meet the air where his head was only seconds before.

Twisting around Kimimaro struck out with his bone sword and caught Kyo's katana as it swung in for another attack. For almost a full minute the two stood locked in place, swords crossing to form an x like pattern. Then, quite suddenly Kyo leapt back and sheathed his sword as he hands flew together in another set of seals.

"Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!" Kyo shouted as a large dragon of water materialized from the air to head strait for the unsuspecting Kimimaro.

Kimimaro, having been caught off guard by the attack, was slow in moving out of the water dragon's way. Crying out Kimimaro struggled to regain his footing as the large water mass crashed into him. Kimimaro's eyes widened in shock and pain as he felt one of his ribs crack with the impact.

'To damage my bones…' His dull eyes narrowed. 'It seems he is even better then I first thought.'

Kyo grinned as he watched the water dragon crash into his opponent. Kyo knew that with his control over the element of water, his attack was even more powerful then when the Nidaime himself used it. This of course was why he was called the Haruno genius. He had the ability to deliver the same attacks with ten-times as much force, while using the same amount of chakra; even Haruno Takeru-sama was unable to do that.

Kyo's confidence in his win faded fast as he watched his dragon disappear and leave in its place a monster. Large bones rose from its skin like spikes and a long lizard like tale protruded from its spine.

"Wha-!" Kyo cried in shock as he stumbled back. He had never seen something such as this. "What are you!"

"I am Kimimaro," the creature said. "You should feel honored that you have been able to push me this far. I have never had to advance to the second level of my seal before now. You are indeed a worthy opponent."

"Ch," Kyo scoffed as he dropped back into his stance. "It does not matter what new form you have taken. I will not allow you to win. Here is where you die."

Kyo's hands flew together faster then the eye could see. Finally he halted, his eyes trained on the grotesque form before him. "Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!" he shouted.

Kimimaro gazed blandly at the large wave of water that sped quickly toward him. He growled and his face scrunched up into an expression of loathing. "If that is the game you wish to play," he murmured as he too formed lightning fast seals. "Katon: Karyuu Endan!"

The large wall of flame exploded from Kimimaro's mouth and raced towards the equally large wall of water. The two jutsus met in a loud explosion that rocked the spirit tree all the way down to its roots. Steam filled Konoki village, creating a large opaque screen of water vapor. Screams sounded from all around as those that still slept were tossed viciously from their beds. Momentarily blinded, Kyo blinked to clear his vision while he reached out with his hands and absorbed the vapors of water into his hands.

Soon the village was clear once again, but Kimimaro was no where in sight. Sudden heat and loud crackling reached Kyo's body causing him to turn quickly only to gasp as his eyes came to focus on the building where he and his family were all staying.

"Kairi!" he shouted as he tried to mold his chakra into another water seal. He growled as he was unable to emit more then a small trickle of water; it seemed as though he had used up all of his chakra. Without a thought of himself, Kyo ran towards the building, doing his best to avoid the burning wood as it fell from the flaming walls of the large spirit tree. Cries of alarm and panic spread throughout the entire village as the people scrambled to escape from their burning home.

Kyo paid them no mind, his only thoughts for the safety of his rather large family. Kyo hadn't even reached the front door when it swiftly flew open revealing the coughing and singed occupants. Kyo nearly cried in relief as he grasped his wife by her arm and ushered the children from the building to one of the exits of the great tree. Kairi was sobbing and screaming unintelligibly as she tried to fight her husband's iron grip.

Once they were all a safe distance from the now burning village Kyo spun his wife around and grasped her shoulders. "Kairi!" he shouted. "It's ok! We're all alright!"

"No! No! No!" She screamed. "I have to go back! No, no, no, no!"

"Kairi!" Kyo shouted in surprise. "Calm down! What's gotten into you!"

"My baby!" she sobbed brokenly. "My baby!"

Kyo froze in terror as he realized why she was wailing. Akira was still inside their building. Looking around frantically he realized that it wasn't just his son. Hanabi was missing too.

Kaliea: Hahahahahahahahahaaaaaaa! Don't you just hate me? (sigh) I love a good cliff hanger, but only if I'm the one writing it. It's not so great if you're reading. (shrugs) Sorry bout that, but I'm feeling rather evil today. (Grins evilly) However if you review I may be persuaded to update faster…

Review Answers:

Danny-171984: So is it good enough to merit a long review:P

So-kun: Hey, hey! Can I borrow you big book of torture? (puppy dog eyes) please? I'll use it on Oro-teme!

Dragon Man 180: Hehe, no he can't I'm sure. As for a flashback or whatever, (shrugs) I don't see why not. We'll se how it goes though. I'm not promising squat. Thanks for the review!

Jays Arravan: Yes, aside from ChouTem all of the usual pairings are there as well as some oc pairings with the ones left out. The main pairings though are SasuSaku, NaruHina, and ItaHika.

Kaliea: Thanks to all who reviewed. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Till next time, ja ne!