The thick heavy blade slide into the moist ground. Kumo released the handle and let it sink further in stepping back from the moss covered grave. The blade shone in the sun no longer speckled with dirt and rust, the way the sword towered over the patch of earth made Kumo smile, it looked so regal standing up out of the ground like that shining brightly and reflecting the blue clouded sky.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked turning to Nenshō. "Didn't you say you were going to wield this sword someday?"

Nenshō shook his head smiling, "Not yet… I still have a long way to go before I can claim any right to this sword, next time I come here though… I'll have earned it."

Tenten crossed her arms smirking, "Are you sure? This sword dose suits you and besides how will you know when you've earned it? You've already killed Noburu."

"Noburu was trash, killing him didn't earn me anything except the right to leave this country behind me… I'll know when I've earned the right to wield it."

Kumo picked up the scorpion puppet and slung it across his back the wooden legs attaching to the rings on his jacket; he turned to the grave one last time and bowed.

"Goodbye master."

Kakashi looked at them arms folded, "It's time to go."

Hinata helped sling Nenshō's pack over his shoulder, "Can you manage?" she asked him knowing he was still a little weak from the fight last night.

He nodded and they set out together.

"You're very calm about being forced into our village; I expected the two of you to put up an argument at least." Tenten asked matching her pace with Nenshō's.

He smiled, "there isn't much to argue about, considering the alternative was dying… besides Kumo probably loves this."

Tenten looked to the puppet master silently walking alongside Hinata, "Hinata did say he wanted to be a part of Zabuza's Mist Village. But what are you getting out of this?"

"Me?" he asked raising his head a little to think about it. "I guess you could say I'm not expecting anything from the leaf." He rubbed the back of his head looking at the cloudy sky. "But I guess if I can train with you lot it won't be for nothing. Are the rest of the Leaf shinobi as good with a blade as you?"

Tenten smirked, "Sorry Red but I'm one of a kind, if you want to learn to be that good you'll need to learn from the bun-head."

Nenshō grinned, "That doesn't sound so bad."

They stopped as they reached the end of the bridge leading off the island where three figures stood waiting for them. A bald headed man stood with two masked ANBU on either side.

"Ibiki" greeted Kakashi, "I was hardly expecting to see you here."

"Are these the fugitives you wrote about?" he asked looking at Kumo and Nenshō.

"They are" said Kakashi shaking Ibiki's hand, "I take I you three are here to retrieve them?"

Ibiki nodded, "that's right; we're under orders from the Hokage to detain both prisoners and escort them to Konoha for immediate interrogation, I have to insist that both of them be immediately disarmed."

Kumo and Nenshō stepped forward handing their possessions over to the ANBU members, Kumo handed over his scorpion puppet along with his bow and belt holding his kunai, paper bombs and several summoning scrolls. He surrendered his gloves and spools of steel razor thread along with the small spider puppets. Nenshō surrendered his armor along with his supply of paper bombs and a bag of small metal ball bearings.

The ANBU members slipped black bags over their faces and bound their hands together with silk cords taking note of the Kakashi's letter to not use metal. As soon as the two were secured they pulled syringes from their jackets and stuck them with the needles.

"It's a mild sedative" explained Ibiki seeing Hinata's reaction, "We will meet you all in Konoha for debriefing."

Ibiki and the ANBU members picked up the two bodies and disappeared into the trees. "Well no use waiting around here" said Kakashi, "lets head home."

Tusnade eyed the four of them from across her desk her hands folded in front of her, Ibiki stood off to her side. "Ibiki has told me your mission was a complete success."

They all nodded as Kakashi stepped forward handing her a stack of torn pages. "What is this?" she asked shifting through the papers.

"Pages from my bingo book" explained Kakashi, "They'll need to be replaced considering the names in them have all been crossed out by those two we brought in."

Tusnade's eyebrows rose, "Fifteen pages!?" she asked receiving a nod from Kakashi, Ibiki took the pages as Tusnade handed them to her and looked through them one by one.

"Excuse me" said Hinata looking at Ibiki, "but um… how are Kumo and Nenshō… did they make it back just fine?"

Ibiki nodded, "They are currently being detained, I'm here to witness your debriefing and use what I learn in my interrogation of those two and see if their stories match up with yours."

Hinata stared at the floor for a while before Ibiki spoke again.

"If it is any consolation both of them have been highly cooperative and have shown little signs of resistance."

Hinata smiled and nodded. "May we see them?" asked Tenten.

"Absolutely not" said Tusnade, "those two are to stay confined until Ibiki has finished their interrogation and feels they can be trusted."

"And if Ibiki feels they can't be trusted?" asked Naruto.

"I've been given full authority to dispose of them however I see fit." Explained Ibiki putting the torn pages back on the desk.

"They've done enough to earn our trust" said Tenten, "they have my trust."

Ibiki looked at them all, "Do you all feel this way?"

When everyone nodded he folded his arms, "I'll take your opinions under advisement, however before I can interrogate them I'd like you hear your sides of the story… so please start at the beginning."

The florescent lights hummed overhead bathing the room in white light. Kumo looked at his own image in the two way mirror on the far wall wondering how he could be so unfamiliar with his own face. His goggles had been taken from him and he was forced to see himself and his white eyes. He had been forced to hide his Byakugan behind the tinted lenses for as long as he could remember; his mother had insisted he keep his eyes a secret and he had just that. He had become accustomed to wearing the leather and brass goggles even while he slept; pale lines marked his face showing where he wore them. He also wondered what people were looking at him from behind the mirror, he could of course find out with his Byakugan but they would see that and he would only rouse suspicion.

The steel door opened and the large bald headed man entered in stepping over to the table and taking a stead in front of him. Ibiki stared at him before opening a notebook and clicking his pen.

"Let's start with some simple questions" he said, "Kakashi Hatake and his team have spoken on your behalf and if this goes well you and your comrade may be granted citizenship within Konoha."

"I understand." Kumo said folding his hands together.

"What's your name?" he asked simply already writing away in his notebook.

"Kumo Sabaku" he said casually.

"And you were born in Suna?" he asked looking up from his notebook.

"I was" said Nenshō leaning back in the wooden chair trying to get comfortable.

"But according to Kakashi Hatake's report you left Suna when you were 12, why did you leave?" Ibiki watched the redhead scratch his head.

"My clan wanted me dead" he explained, "The kazekage wouldn't offer any protection so I left Suna."

"You're speaking of the Kinzoku clan?" he asked the pen dancing across the paper.

"That's right."

"Why did your clan want you dead?" Ibiki stared at him looking for any change in facial expression.

"Can I get a cigarette?" he asked ignoring the question and leaning against the table.

"I'll get you a pack after we're done here" he explained scribbling in more notes, "Once again why did your clan want you dead?"

"They thought I didn't possess their metal manipulation Kekkei Genkai?"

Nenshō smiled at the obvious trick question, he was trying to see how much he knew of the Kinzoku clan.

"No they believed I didn't have their ability to make fire in my palms, they didn't want me associated with their clan."

"But you do have the ability to make fire in your hands."

Nenshō nodded smirking, "I didn't learn about this ability until I started my training with Zabuza."

Ibiki nodded, "Have you considered returning to your clan now that you clearly possess their bloodline trait?"

Nenshō frowned, "Fuck no; I'd rather go back to prison."

"Why is that?"

Nenshō looked Ibiki in his eyes, "If you met my family you would understand."

"Your mother's name was Supūru Sabaku, is that correct?" asked Ibiki. It had been two days since there last interrogation session and so far things were going smoothly on both ends. Ibiki had just about managed to ask all the questions he could think of. His notebooks were practically a biography for both subjects and each interrogation he managed to fill in more details of their lives.

He dropped an open file onto the table in front of him a picture of a blond haired woman with caramel skin looked up at him. The picture was taken ten years before his birth but she looked the same as she did the day she died.

"That is correct" he said taking the photograph in his hands.

"And this is her picture?"

"Yes" he said looking at the detailed files giving her known history and abilities to the leaf village."

"You claimed she was an ambassador to Konoha and was having an affair with Hiashi Hyūga, do you have any proof that you are Hiashi's son?"

Kumo shook his head setting the photo down, "No, I always had to believe my mother but I don't possess anything physical other than my Byakugan."

He scratched at his short black hair, "Though my mother often told me I looked him with the exception of my tanned skin."

Ibiki nodded taking note of his complexion, "Did your mother speak fondly of Hiashi?"

Kumo nodded closing his eyes, "Sometimes, she never admitted this but if it wasn't for his engagement I believe she would have stayed with him, but she was also concerned how the Hyūga clan would treat a bastard child."

"So your mother brought you to Suna, and trained you as a shinobi. Did she train you as a puppet master?"

"A little" admitted Kumo, "she trained me to use chakra strings as weapons, unlike most puppet masters we can form the threads to be razor thin and cut through flesh. After a few years she convinced lady Chiyo to train me."

"How did she convince her?" Ibiki handed Kumo his wooden pipe already packed with tobacco, he took the pipe, holding it as Ibiki held a lit wooden match to light the contents.

"My mother was once a student of Chiyo herself, but when Chiyo learned of my Byakugan she agreed."

Ibiki raised a single eyebrow, "Why did that convince her?"

Kumo gave a little half smile, "she was very bitter about the Second Shinobi War she thought it was poetic to be able to train a member of the hated Hyūga clan she managed to keep my secret from the rest of Suna but took pleasure knowing we had gained the Hyūga's fabled Kekkei Genkai."

"I see" Ibiki said nodding, "were you fond of lady Chiyo?"

Kumo nodded, "As eccentric as she was I enjoyed her tutorship."

"I hate to inform you of this but two years ago she died?" said Ibiki.

"What?"

Nenshō lit his cigarette on the match Ibiki had lit; a metal lighter would be too much of a security hazard to be allowed within twenty feet of him.

"When Zabuza died you and Kumo were soon captured by tracker ninja from the Hidden Mist village?" Ibiki had awakened him in the early hours of the morning about three hours before he would usually wake up. It was a common tactic to disorient him and see how his story's fit with sudden questions and what details he would give in his tired sleep, many trained interrogators wouldn't host their interrogations on a consistent schedule it would give the subject time to prepare their stories and mentally ready themselves for any tricks or tactics that could be used.

"Yeah we've already been over this" Nenshō said sucking in the smoke.

"But the both of you managed to escape. How is that?" Ibiki ignored his protests and asked away.

"After four years Kumo and I managed to get into contact despite our separate cells, he learned to send sound vibrations through his chakra strings in order to speak to me."

Ibiki turned the pen in his fingers used to the story already, "And he taught you to create chakra strings?"

Nenshō nodded, "I managed to use them to steel a kunai, it was more than I needed it was like a master key to me."

"And how did Kumo escape?"

"Once I opened his cell he managed to use me like a human puppet, after that I was unstoppable."

"You mentioned he could feed his own chakra directly into your body."

Nenshō flicked his cigarette, "As I've already told you he can see my chakra points and attach his chakra strings to them feeding it straight into my body charging me with his chakra."

"That's a lot of power for a single man to have over you?" Ibiki said clicking the pen.

"Kumo couldn't have made it out without me, and vice versa we'd be dead if we tried any dirty tricks."

Ibiki smirked, "But you trust him completely?"

Nenshō took another draw off his cigarette, "I do."

Ibiki dropped the two files on Tusnade's desk arms crossed. Tenten, Naruto, Kakashi, and Hinata sat in front of her ready to hear Ibiki's report. Two weeks had passed since they returned from the land of waves and everyone was on edge since. They had all been forbidden to speak of the two prisoners that they had taken back with them and were forced to secrecy.

"Their stories check out" said Ibiki, "they fit together perfectly with each other and the debriefing from the mission aside from some minor details, but those are to be expected."

"What of their equipment?" asked Tusnade, "I trust you had it analyzed."

Ibiki nodded, "Several ANBU members shifted through their gear, aside from the puppets we confiscated most of seems to have either been built through Nenshō's metal manipulation or stolen from the Hidden Mists prison, the scrolls we confiscated only contained simple weapons and puppets some we suspect were given to him by lady Chiyo when Kumo was being trained in Suna, naturally the puppets contained traps when we tried to disassemble them but we managed to avoid any injury, the puppets didn't contain anything illegal or nefarious the traps were just in place to avoid anyone from learning their internal workings."

"If we allow them to run freely through Konoha do you think they could cause trouble?" Tusnade shifted though the files pouring a dish of sake for herself.

Ibiki shook his head, "I hardly doubt it both of them seemed to be convinced they wouldn't last long in the open, their plans to eliminate their former comrades seemed to be the extent of their plans."

"They were completely willing to die as soon as the tracker ninja showed up." Added Kakashi.

"That's why I doubt they would try anything nefarious here" agreed Ibiki, "aside from Kumo's distrust in the Hyūga clan they show no form of resentment to Konoha, I have my confidence they will blend in nicely."

Tusnade sighed and looked at the five sitting before her, "Let me make one thing clear to all of you" she looked them over one by one, "These two are your responsibility, if anything happens because of them I'm holding all of you accountable, and I trust each of you to report any strange activates directly to me."

She turned and looked Hinata in the eye, "Hinata, I already know your feelings on the matter, but I can hardly stress how important it is that the Hyūga clan doesn't know about either Kumo or his Byakugan. I don't want to see him within a mile of the Hyūga compound, is that clear?"

Hinata nodded, "yes."

Tusnade took a sip of her sake, "I guess the time has come send them in."

Kumo and Nenshō looked at blond woman staring at them from across her desk. She eyes each and every one of them as Ibiki stood off to her side.

"Let me make one thing clear" said Tusnade, "I wouldn't hesitate to eliminate either of you two if it wasn't for the people in this room. You both owe your lives to these people Ibiki included, I trust you two won't forget that" They both nodded to her.

"I have made accommodations and living arrangements for both of you, in a weeks' time I will be deploying you on simple missions."

"With who?" asked Nenshō, looking at Tenten who stood off to his side sitting quietly a content little smile on her face.

"For the time being you two won't be assigned to any team, your both Genin and I'll deploy you both however I see fit with whomever I see fit."

"Genin?" said Nenshō, "don't you think we've crossed out enough pages in the bingo book for that?"

"You two are lucky I'm letting you live let alone continue your carrier as shinobi, and from what Ibiki's report says Kumo left Suna before graduating the academy, so granting you the rank seems more than fair."

Nenshō quieted at this, she reached in her desk and pulled a headband out handing it to Nenshō, She pulled out a leather skullcap with the head plate and brass goggles for Kumo.

"This is to be worn at all times" she explained, "it has a sealing Jutsu that will keep anyone from the Hyūga clan from looking through it; you can still use your Byakugan while wearing it."

Kumo took and looked at it seeing the archaic symbols on the inside sealing it, he ran his fingers over the leaf symbol; he slipped it on and adjusted the goggles and tightening the strings at the back. Nenshō tied the headband onto his forehead planning to secure the plate onto his armored hood as soon as he got it back.

"Is this all understood?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am" they said.

"Good, now get out of my sight I'll see you both in one week, and don't forget how short your leash is."