A/N

I hope you're ready. There's a lot more thought in this chapter, as the situations that come aren't as simple. There are very important questions and concepts that are introduced. I'm sorry if you don't like your chapters long because this one is.

Chapter 24: A New Plan

"Alright, alright!" Yuuki waved her hands, settling down the group. A subtle breeze set in as she crossed her arms. Yuuki cleared her throat. "You've all no doubt been introduced to the lightning ninjas Lili, Tegun, and Hoshido." Everyone nodded, signaling her to continue. She bit her thumb in thought. "We're holding this outside today because there are way too many of us to be inside." She closed her eyes, nodding. "This will be the last meeting I hold for a little while." The group's collective eyes showed confusion. "For those of you who don't know, we've had other River ninja here in the village." Yuuki tilted her head. "Nia, you can come out now." Most of the group showed shock when the woman showed herself by melding out of the shadows. With a signal, Zente and Karui stepped out. "Go ahead and give a quick introduction."

Nia nodded. "I am Nia from the Village in the Rivers, heading the team with Zente and Karui. I am a jonin, and they chunin. We've watched you diligently and are quite pleased with all the great talent you all showed."

Zente stepped forward. "Ugh, hey. Name's Zente. Since most of us are gonna end up being the same rank, don't sweat any formalities."

Karui stepped next to him, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Just so you all know, he's afraid of crowds of girls."

Inora nodded as Zente silenced Karui. "Gynophobia, eh?"

Zente shot a look at her. "Quit making it sound like an illness! I just get sketched out when I'm out numbered, alright?"

Karui shook him off. "Anyways, I'm Karui. It's a shame we didn't get to stay and spar with some of you!"

Yuuki quickly stepped in, fearing the introduction would have no end. "As you can see, this meeting is going to be a lot different. Let me finish by allowing the more seasoned ninja lead this meeting off." Yuuki waved on more people.

Asumaru came up front with Kochi and Hitomi not far off. Shikamira tilted her head in confusion as he stroked his hair. "Hey, I'm Asumaru, former jonin assigned to Shikamira's unit and her eldest brother." The man looked up, more interested in the clouds. "I'm only here 'cuz Isami asked me to."

Kochi stepped forward. "Nice to see everyone! I'm Kobi's sister, but I'm wayyy smarter." Kobi scoffed turning his head. The men from the other villages were shocked by how beautiful she was. Kochi rubbed her head, sticking her tongue out. "I'm the last one in my age group to make jonin, but I still made it!" They all shook their heads with a collective thought. She's an air-head.

Hitomi stepped forward, now drawing on everyone's attention. "I'm Uchiha Hitomi. From what I hear, Yuuki disguised herself as me to stop the lot of you from getting fooled in the testing portion. I'm not sure how she represented me, but it probably wasn't far off." Datsu quivered around nervously upon hearing that.

Hitomi shifted to the side as Isami appeared out of nowhere, front and center. "I need no introduction!" The tone shift unsettled everyone enough to wake them up collectively. Isami crossed his arms, nodding as Yuuki sat down. "Nezero's sensei couldn't be here through most of the exams, unfortunately. However, Maki-san understands and has been briefed on the situation."

Kobi leaned over to Tsumi, whispering softly. "Hey, this meeting feels more like a debriefing, doesn't it?" Tsumi nodded in agreement.

Asumaru scratched out a rather detailed map of the great nations on a large chalkboard. He then annotated the different nations, giving them all the symbols. Isami continued. "Yuuki asked us to join this meeting to put some realism into the situation. I, myself, have gained permission by the Hokage to disclose sensitive information with this group." Isami shuffled behind his back, pulling out a scroll. He opened it, clearing his throat. "However, I also was given the task of handling this formality. In accordance with our rigorous, full examination and qualifications testing procedure for promotion to Chunin, I now ask the following persons to rise as called." The yard grew so silent that you could hear a pin drop. "Kaito and Datsu of the Village Hidden in the Rivers." Both men stood quickly. Datsu kept his excitement in, understanding the situation. "Hoshido of the Village Hidden in the Clouds." Hoshido bolted up as shocked as everyone else. "Nagi, Tsumi, Shikamira, Inora, Takeshi, and Yuuki from the Village Hidden in the Leaves." The leaf ninja rose firmly, not losing any composure. Isami smirked before continuing on. "As proctor of this season's chunin exams, under the authority of the United Village Promotion Act, and with written consent of the Sixth Hokage, you are officially awarded the title of Chunin." Many of the groups eye's grew wide with shock and excitement. Isami continued on. "Now hear this and stand. Tegun, Lili, Nezero, Vin." The group of individuals stood, surprised and confused at what it might be. Isami smirked one more time, reading a little more. "And finally, Kobi!"

Kobi shifted his head around in shock, rising while pointing to himself. "Me?" Tsumi pinched him, helping him remember to be formal.

The Uzumaki lowered the scroll to get a good look at them. "After careful consideration and observations of activity in and out of the line of duty, the five of you have been granted a special accommodation. If, before the next exam, a jonin or higher believes you have fully proven yourselves worthy of the title, they may unofficially elevate your rank to Chunin, later to be approved by a Kage." The excitement among the crowd swelled to a breaking point, almost ready to burst. Isami raised his hand. "Just one last thing, keep it in, ok?" He unrolled to the bottom of the scroll, barely able to hide his pride. "For the first time in leaf history, and with the approval of the Konoha Council, high ranking jonin, and three Kage vote, everyone but Yuuki please sit." Yuuki stood nervously, wondering what could possibly be happening. Isami proceeded. "Uzumaki Yuuki has demonstrated a high-level of skill and organization in every category a ninja can be graded. With the final condition of mastery in the field of Time/Space ninjutsu and natural leadership of her peers on and off the battlefield, Yuuki has been awarded the title of Tokubetsu Jonin. This rank is only slightly under the rank of jonin. Congratulations to everyone." The group lay dormant in silence briefly. Yuuki herself had not even considered the promotion in the realm of possibility. The jonin already standing before them all smiled at the reaction. Isami threw the scroll behind him with a grin. "Well? Hurry up and break for a while! This is a time to celebrate!"

OoOo

Hoshido paced nervously with his peers watching. Lili tapped her fingers, finally yelling. "What are you so shocked for? You're the only one who made it out of that situation unharmed!"

Hoshido stood still, finally finishing his deduction. "What if I'm put in charge, and something happens to a subordinate, and I have to lead a retrieval mission, and…"

With a loud slap on the back, Tegun grinned wildly. "That's the spirit! Man, I can't believe we were looked on so favorably! I better hurry up and prove myself worthy of Chunin!"

Lili flipped her hair, confidently. "It's only natural we were praised. Cloud ninja are, after all, the best in the land."

Tegun scratched his head. "What world are you getting your information from?"

OoOo

Nezero kicked around, slightly upset. Vin crossed his arms. "What's wrong? Did you think you were gonna make Chunin?"

Kankiri tilted her head, worried herself. Nezero crossed his arms, staring in the distance. "No, that's not it. I gave it my best and really enjoyed my time here, but…" He tilted his head down in shame. "I feel like I let everyone down. I don't deserve to have this accommodation."

"Chin up, masochist." Nezero turned his head, startled by the source. Inora ran over momentarily to the group. "You are one of the strongest genin around; everyone can see that."

Her words got to him, but he still turned his head. "Just because my record showed a flawless count before our match doesn't mean I earned it." He dropped his arms, clenching his fist hard. "I train my ass off, mercilessly trying to master my arts. However, I just can't seem to fight women without getting carried away. I'll never have the right to move up with that kind of problem."

Inora walked up next to him, wrapping an arm around his neck. "You know, I really did enjoy beating the daylights out of you." Nezero blushed, shifting around. Inora smoothly whispered in his ear. Vin and Kankiri tried to lean in to hear, but it was to no avail.

Nezero pounded his fist, overwhelmed with excitement. "Ah! That makes perfect sense. That'll work for sure!" Inora nodded with a cat-like smile, departing back to her group. Nezero turned to his group with blinding confidence. "Alright team, here's the goal: All of us will be chunin by the end of the year!" Kankiri and Vin looked at each other before nodding with a smile. Nezero pointed towards the sky. "I'll be ready to take that title away from dad in three-no! Two years!"

OoOo

"So, we somehow managed to make chunin, yet you couldn't even get an accommodation. Ouch." Datsu pried Akano, expecting a rise from him. Nia smacked him harshly up-side the head.

Akano crossed his arms. "It's to be expected. I failed to show any ability when placed against a superior foe. Like Zente-san said, we didn't have a specialized role, so we couldn't compare to those who did."

Zente nodded, "Frankly, you never had a shot without that." Akano remained silent. "Everyone from the leaf surprised me. Did you see their drive? No question they all have put in a lot of thought and effort into their training. You've only had a moment to figure out how you want to fight."

Akano clenched his fist, looking up with more determination. "I can agree that I didn't deserve the win, but I have my pride. I've made a vow never to lose so shamelessly again!"

Datsu punched him in the arm. "That's much better! Enough with the quiet calm guy already." Akano glanced at him before closing his eyes with a smirk.

OoOo

Chojiko leaned back, sitting next to Shitto and Kobi. He glanced between the two and sighed. "Well, there's always next exam." He rested his eyes over on Kobi. "I'd say you earned the accommodation though. Shitto and I just didn't show much promise."

Kobi continued to stare at his hands, clenching them and relaxing them. "But how? All I did was get beat up." Ripper whined quietly, lying next to them. "Shitto did really well all things considered. He should've gotten this over me." Ripper's head jolted up, finally waging his tail in excitement.

Tsumi sat down, matching the nonchalant posture of the group. "If I'm to add my two cents as to why, it's due to the overall reaction to the fight." She pointed at Shitto. "You'd probably have earned the accommodation had you not been careless and underestimated you're opponent."

Shitto leaned forward, pushing his shades up. "You're exactly correct." He held his posture there, before pulling back. "Damn, everyone's waiting for me to make a point. I can't. Why? Because I had assumed they would've ignored me by now."

Tsumi shifted her eyes to Chojiko. "Anyways, I think you know why you didn't get the accommodation, right?" Chojiko nodded. "Your heart was finally there, which surprised everyone. Now they're probably seeing if you're going to carry it over all the way to the next tournament. If you do that, you'll naturally perform much better."

The chunky boy nodded. "I've been really hesitant about how far I wanted to get as a ninja. Sis has always been super serious. I didn't think I could be like her at all, but if I can become stronger and help my friends, that's enough of a reason for me."

Kobi smiled, looking over his friends. "I remember when all we used to talk about was how we'd always been dealt a bad hand. It's about the right time for us to grow a pair, huh?" He jolted waving his hands at Tsumi. "Na- I meant, uh , figuratively, since we're guys in all hah! I mean, of course I have one already, but, uh, you don't want to hear that." Tsumi had her arms crossed looking away, annoyed. Kobi rubbed his head. "Sorry."

Tsumi remained looking away. "No, really. Congratulations on having a pair." She turned back to him with a sigh. "The difference between you and these two is your attitude. You rush into your fights without fear. While that's not a good thing, your ability to take punishment, move quickly, and your latent ability to scout is evident. However, since your loss, you've been studying very hard and trying to become more of a man. If something like a loss in a tournament can spark this rapid change, then it's possible that you'll come out of any failure ten times stronger mentally and physically. Thus, It's natural to see how you continue to behave in the future."

Kobi blushed, looking down. Chojiko pushed himself to a forward lean and crossed his arms. "So, are you two dating or what?"

Tsumi narrowed her eyes. "Why, are you interested in me or something?"

Chojiko shrugged. "If you're offering."

Tsumi stuck her hand out. "No thank you."

He leaned back again. "Suit yourself."

OoOo

Inora trotted back over to Shikamira and Yuuki. "Sorry about that, where were we?"

Yuuki crossed her arms. "So you're choosing the masochist after all, huh?"

Inora waved her arms around. "Wait just a minute, I never said anything like that."

Shikamira pondered in surprise. "It's rare to see a rise out of you. I think someone's in denial."

Inora put her hands on her hips with a confident smile. "You're naïve, it's called covering my bases."

Yuuki opened an eye with a smirk. "And which bases has he covered already?"

Inora pulled back in shock. "Yuuki!" She regained her composure. "How unexpectedly bold. I guess this is why you were double promoted."

Shikamira sweat out slightly. "Are you implying she was promoted for her ability to shake you up?"

Inora crossed her arms. "Well you didn't exactly do that, now did you? Besides, I think I'm gonna be the next jonin in town. I coulda beat you in the finals for sure."

Shikamira narrowed her eyes. "Oh yeah?"

Inora stood tall. "Yeah."

Shikamira shrugged. "Whatever."

Inora deflated. "Don't just give up!"

Yuuki stepped between them. "Alright, save it for another day you two."

OoOo

Nagi and Takeshi remained in the area, seated. They both stared in the direction of Yuuki's group of girls. Nagi piped up first. "They're really something, don't you think?"

Takeshi rested both arms behind his head. "Yeah. I don't know if it'll even take the other two six months to match Yuuki's rank. It's contagious, really."

Nagi smirked, looking around at the collective enthusiasm. "You're not wrong about that. Honestly, I always saw my cousin as second rate. She may have been energetic and smart, but between her average skills and lack of ability with the byakugan, I figured she'd had just been another genin in the crowd."

Takeshi chuckled slightly. "Most people saw her that way, and believe me, I heard about it. It's funny. I've known her for so long, so I never once thought that. She has that special something that doesn't come around often." He scoffed subtly. "To think she beat me in a chunin exam though. I'd be laughing right there with ya six months ago."

Nagi snickered himself. "There really is something to be said about that family. Whatever is coming in the days ahead, I feel empowered knowing the likes of our peers are here."

Takeshi nodded before rising. "We better stop standing around then. I won't rest until I have the strength to beat the daylights outta all of them and shake their hands afterward. That goes for Yuuki's dad as well!"

Nagi rose himself patting himself off. "What about your dad?"

Takeshi looked like he took a kidney shot. "One hurdle at a time, will ya? I liked it better when you acted like an idiot."

OoOo

Nia nodded between Isami and Yuuki. "That's enough chatter for now. We would like everyone to return to your sitting position." The group collectively filed back in place as Isami took his position at front once more.

Asumaru began scratching more information on the world map. Isami put his hands on the podium. "To some of you, this is going to seem very sudden and intimidating, but I have to ask you to keep calm while I explain. Most everyone will be going on an assignment that will last for at least eighteen months." The group grew slightly restless, but no one uttered a whisper. Isami pointed to Konoha on the map and drew a white line through the Land of Sound, the Land of Hot water, the Land of Frost, and finally to Kumo. "Hitomi, Yuuki, Lili, Datsu, and Inora will be headed north, east, and then northeast to the Lightning village. Along the way, they will be stopping in various locations. When they arrive, they will assist the Raikage and train as guest."

Isami tacked the chalk back on the village, drawing out an extensive path that ended in Suna. "Takeshi, Tegun, Nagi, Hoshido, Nezero, Vin, Kankiri, and I will be embarking on a long route. First, we'll observe the Land of Needles to the north before heading southwest to Taki in the Land of Waterfalls. After that, we'll cut all the way through the Land of Grass to the village of Kusa. Following through, we'll go to Ame in the Land of Rain, finally proceeding south to the Land of Rivers. We must be prepared for anything and constantly vigilant; our route is the most risky bar none. When we make it to the Village of Rivers, we'll be escorting the Kazekage back to his village. I'll disclose more on what exactly we're doing when we arrive, but we'll basically be assisting the Kazekage with whatever he requires."

Isami then returned once more to the board, taking it from Konoha to the Land of Rivers. "Asumaru will be joining the Kazekage, Shitto, Chojiko, Kaito, and Akano to the Village Hidden in the Rivers. Shin-san, Nia, Zente, and Karui will also be among the group. Once my team has rendezvoused in the rivers, Nagi will stay and we will continue to escort the kazekage back. This leaves Tsumi, Kobi, and Shikamira to stay in the leaf, helping the Hokage and the council with their issues." Isami rubbed his chin, staring at the routes before nodding. "Don't get reckless just because you have an easy route. There's a great deal planned for all of us, including the Konoha team." Isami tossed the chalk behind his back to Asumaru, who juggled it slightly, before settling it. Isami then closed his eyes. "Alright, in an orderly fashion, I'll hear your complaints and concerns." His eyes slowly opened, shocked by the scarcity of questions. Isami rubbed his chin. "Nagi, go ahead."

The Hyuuga settled his arm. "You've stated that the Land of Earth has not responded to our communications. What exactly does that imply?"

Asumaru took the question. "Basically, We haven't had word or means of communication with the Tsuchikage. The Hokage has always been adamant about maintaining healthy dialogue with the villages, but recently, and what Isami did not mention, the Mizukage has also dropped comms at precisely the same time. This isn't normal behavior and we are preparing for the worst, hoping for the best. The goal is to proactively maintain our relations and defend our villages, also crafting rounded teams to ensure we receive quality intel."

A few hands went down after the response. Isami pointed towards Chojiko next. The boy rubbed his cheek, "um…do our parents know? Or our senseis? I know Asumaru-Sensei must be okay with it, but are the others going to be okay with this?"

Hitomi stepped forward. "You're ninjas, things are going to happen that your parents won't like. However, we have been assured that everyone has been contacted and approval has been granted. Only my group truly has to be prepared to be absent the whole time. Luckily for the others, our villages aren't that far apart. Our assignments come first, but don't think you'll be left out of the loop."

Yuuki raised her hand now, seemingly waiting for everyone to get there questions out first. Isami crossed his arms as she stood. "Why does it appear as though we are evacuating the leaf?" The interrogation shocked everyone into consideration.

Isami shook his head in acknowledgment. "That's my first thought as well. However, if you put all the pieces together, it makes the most sense. Every bit of information we have from Hell's Phoenix and it's rogue members points to you, the Hokage, and I. All the recent attempts have all been centered around you, Yuuki. Not only is it safer on our up -and-coming ninja to spread us out, it will also give us a chance to see if we can rouse them into making a mistake. No doubt, if they intend to move on the Leaf, they will have to be overly confident that they can bring down the strongest, fastest, and most intelligent ninja on the planet. They aren't stupid, so if they do go through with an attack, it would be best to have the younger ninja far from the battle. We can't risk taking some of you out of the village strategically, but we have every precaution planned to get Tsumi, Shikamira, and Kobi out the first sign of danger." Isami inhaled before returning to the map. "If nothing happens after two years, we will start a new operation to re-establish full relations with not just the nations." Asumaru gave a thumb up. With a flip, the chalk board showed an in-depth geographical map of the entire world. "We'll be pushing through everywhere. If Hell's Phoenix makes itself known, we'll first attempt negotiation, and if that fails, declare war if need be. The worlds a big place: Hopefully this will blow over into peace, but it's up to all of us to be ready to fight for it." Isami closed his eyes, rubbing his face before returning his attention to the group. "Leaf ninjas. If for any reason you can't get in contact with the Hokage, Uchiha Sasuke, Nara Shikamaru, or Sarutobi Konohamaru, you are to report to me. If that isn't an option, you report to Hitomi. If that's not an option, Asumaru. I'm sure you can figure out chain of command after that, but let's hope we never have to utilize any of this information. Thank you, really, for understanding the importance of this assignment. It shows a lot of maturity in all of you." Isami cleared his throat. "This mission will be officially underway in one week. I suggest you gather your resources, say your farewells, and get to know your new team better. It's going to be a long journey. Enjoy the rest of your night."

OoOoOoOo

Shikamaru signaled the council to a seat as Naruto sat. Placing his cover on the table he rubbed his eyes before resting his hands on the table. "I know everyone here is getting tired of all these meetings; Between this and my youngest growing into chunin and jonin, its been a handful." Naruto gazed around his peers before shedding a smirk. "This decision wasn't made carelessly. Have faith in our children." Naruto leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs. "I'm open to your concerns, if you have any."

Choji cleared his throat, prompting Naruto to welcome his input. "Are we sure this is the best route? I mean, my boy only just found his strength. Those of us who have kekkei genkai will find it difficult to develop them without tutelage. Not to mention, it's going to be pretty hard on me to have both of them gone." Ino put her hand on his, looking to Naruto.

Sakura responded. "We understand your concerns, but this is the safest and most viable option." Sakura looked to Sasuke. "Eventually, finding your own path is what makes you stronger. We just have to be strong and support them through this."

Neji continued now, looking to Garaa. "The way I see it, Sunagakure is at the highest potential risk. Not only that, but its also the largest territory. Am I wrong to assume our teams are going to be spending a lot of time scouting?"

Garaa nodded. "That's correct. If we're to assume it was a hostile force that severed relations with the Tsuchikage and Mizukage, the most important thing we can do is establish a perimeter." Garaa looked over to Shikamaru. "No doubt that's what the lightning team intends to create as well." Shikamaru nodded.

Ten-Ten shifted around. "But if our children do have a run in with these enemies, that would put our children at incredible risk. With how thin spread they get, and depending on how we utilize the teams, will Isami be enough to fend them off?"

Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by a sharp scoff. "You need to open your eyes and think more logically." Sasuke crossed his arms with a stoic face. Sakura placed a hand on him in concern. "I'll be the first to tell you I don't like Isami." Naruto clenched his fist, ready to pounce. Hinata grabbed, gesturing him to relax. Sasuke closed his eyes. "If you look at his track record, it's nearly flawless. I don't buy into his whimsical persona. He's powerful. More powerful than anyone knows." Naruto pulled back, half relieved and shocked. "In fact, I'd wager he'd do a lot more than just 'fend them off'. That goes for the other group leaders as well. They aren't children to be coddled anymore."

Sasuke leaned back, ushering in silence. Naruto glanced around before nodding his head. "Right, then let's shift gears for now." Naruto fixed his eyes on his silver haired mentor. "Kakashi, I understand we have some new information?"

The man nodded, pointing to a settlement to the north-western border. "We've been fortifying our surveillance efforts in the most prominent areas of damage. It would appear as though there have been no recent signs of Hell's Phoenix, nor Guden. However…" Kakashi traced out a line with an arrow pointing northwest. "Four suspicious characters were seen headed in this direction. Our witness was overall not very credible, but he described them as two women and two men. Apparently, one of the men was extremely out there, and the women scolded him. Odd fellow, supposedly groveled at her feet."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Can you maybe skip the minor details?"

Kakashi rubbed his head. "Right, sorry. The witness claimed the women had pale skin, short-silky hair, and dark make-up."

Sasuke crossed his arms. "A description matching that of the attacker Yuuki gave."

Kiba pumped his fist. "Alright! How's about we get out there and take care of things?"

Sakura put her fist in hand with a smirk. "How far could they have gotten?"

Kakashi responded. "The witness saw them a little after Yuuki had won the Chunin exams. A hyper male, a stocky male, Luna as we suspect, and a dark haired women with an eyepatch."

Temari rubbed her chin before interjecting. "Not so fast. We still have no idea what we're dealing with and who these other two are. Judging by Kakashi's path, they're probably at the border by now."

As Shikamaru nodded, Naruto deflated. "We do, however, have the effective range of our mystery time stop jutsu." Shikamaru paused slightly. "fifty kilometers. And judging by the delay, I'd say that much left her chakra very drained."

Naruto crossed his arms, satisfied. "The other two are a mystery as well, but it's safe to assume they aren't as significant given the circumstances."

Kakashi picked at his mask subtly. "The eye-patch women also didn't dawn the same robes as the other three."

Naruto cursed under his breath before putting his hands on his hips. "Looks like they're still at recruiting as well." After brief silence, he nodded. "Right! Shikamaru, I need you to narrow down where they'll be in two weeks based on that that path so Isami can do his best to try to land a visual on them."

Temari's jaw dropped as he let out a sweat. "I didn't want to sleep anyways." He nervously grinned to Naruto. "There are countless possibilities, but I'll try to get it down to ten. It'll still be a long shot though."

Naruto nodded. "You're the only one who can. Let's hope these guys let their guard down." He returned his gaze over his friends. "Work out all your kinks everyone. If things turn for the worst, we're going to remind them just who they're dealing with!"

Sasuke grinned slightly. "I think you're the one who's going to need to un-kink. I could probably beat you with one arm by now."

Naruto pumped his fist. "What's that? You wanna throw down right now?"

The ladies became tense as Sasuke rose. "Sure you want to be humiliated in front of your wife?"

A new voice entered, bursting with energy. "That's the spirit you two! The power of youth still burns brightly, even now!"

Both Ten-Ten and Neji restrained and muffled Lee. "You're not helping!"

Konohamaru glanced between the room, lighting up a cigarette. Honestly...this crowd sometimes.

OoOoOoOo

Yuuki waved off her friends as they departed. Tsumi left with Kobi, Shitto, and Chojiko. Before long, it was only her and Isami remaining. The sun had set and night had swept in. Finally, Isami spoke. "Hey, Yuuki." She shifted her head over, interested in his tone. He turned to her. "Remember that research I was talking about?"

Yuuki raised an eyebrow. "I'm amused enough to let you continue."

He nodded. "If you're free, would you mind accompanying me now?"

She turned to her brother, seeing his demeanor. "I suppose you really aren't yanking my chain this time. Alright, where are we going?"

He put his hand on her head with a smirk. "I'm the only one who knows that." With a flash, Yuuki found herself in a pitch black area, only lit up after Isami set a torch. "Sorry about the entrance, it took me a while to navigate it myself. Let's see…" Yuuki observed as he sketched out an intricate pattern and set chakra to it. In contrast to the darkness, light poured in as a massive area revealed itself. Isami turned to her with a smile. "Bet you thought it was gonna be all ominous and creepy, didn't you?"

Yuuki crossed her arms. "As if…"

Isami poked her annoyed face with a laugh. "I could always tell when you were lying!" She swatted him away as he led her through the corridor. Yuuki felt her eyes widen more and more as they continued. Isami rubbed his head as she counted what seemed like tens of thousands of books across many shelves. "I'm a bit of a bookworm."

Yuuki couldn't help but awe at the meticulous organization of all the books, approaching the ninjutsu isle. She noted how further divided it was from elaborate blood-line jutsu to water jutsu puns. She narrowed her eyes. Go figure. She looked back to him as he nonchalantly relaxed against a shelf. Yuuki shook her mind. "Isami, a library of this size…surely it must be one of the largest collection in the land! How…?"

Isami closed a book he had sifted through with a grin. "I've been around the nations time and time again. Some books are donors, some are gifts, and some are acquired through mission findings." Isami rubbed his head. "However, most of them I just plain bought. Why do you think I never had any money?" Yuuki's eyes couldn't help but return to her surroundings before Isami quickly hurried her out. "I know, but now isn't the time." She couldn't help but extend a hand, wanting to investigate more. He finally reached a wall, scribbling out a different seal and opening the wall to a casual office room. Through a glass window, another door led to an absolutely massive empty area, only filled with a few trees. Isami crossed his arms in pride. "This is where the magic happens." Yuuki shook her head as if to attempt to wake up. Isami rubbed his nose with a hearty laugh. "Didn't think I was so hardcore, did you?"

Isami opened the door to the training area, grabbing a book before entering. As Isami sifted through the pages, Yuuki clenched her fist. "What could I possibly help you with when you have all the information in the world at your hands?"

Isami stopped looking at her confused. "Huh? I figured you would already know that. What information wouldn't be in any books in the world right now?"

Yuuki scratched her head before deflating slightly. "Oh, duh. New information."

Isami threw out a thumbs up. "Bingo!" He gathered the information from the book before returning his gaze to her. "Now, on a more serious note, what category do you think I excel in the most?"

Yuuki crossed her arms. "I'd have to say space/time ninjutsu. However, you're pretty good at healing people too."

Isami nodded so-so. "You're half right. Specifically, I've pretty much mastered the art of Fuuinjutsu, or seal forming. This is a subclass of space/time ninjutsu." Isami closed the book. "I really don't consider my healing ability up to par quite honestly." He shifted his eyes, as if to recall something. "Obviously another flaw is the fact that my chakra levels are horrible compared to you, Tsumi, and dad."

Yuuki crossed her arms. "And here I thought Uncle-Sensei was just full of it. Not that I entirely buy that you're third strongest in the village."

Isami rubbed his head. "Well, I guess that's what the stat card says." Isami made a symbol on his arm and around him glowed. In her feet, should could feel the earth tremble slightly. Yuuki braced herself until it settled. Isami pulled out a blank stat card with a smirk. "I figured you wouldn't just take my word for it. But remember, there are things even these cards can't read." As he channeled his chakra into it, he looked up in thought. "I wonder if Shikamaru is willing to add fuuinjutsu as a sub-category…" As it finished, he handed it to Yuuki. "Read 'em and weep, sis!"

Yuuki snatched it shrewdly before observing. She felt her body freeze up as she read through it. Toughness: 12. Willpower: 14. Intelligence: 14. Battle Sense: 15! Chakra: 11. Speed: 14. Taijutsu: 13. Tools: 12. Genjutsu: 12. Ninjutsu: 13. Kenjutsu: 10. Total average: 12.72! Yuuki remained still and silent, letting reality slowly sink in. Her annoying, stupid brother turned out to be a closet genius. She looked up to him as he picked at his ear. "Fifteen?"

Isami finished his gesture, moving on to a fist pump. "I know, right! I can't say much about everything else, but that means I beat dad at something! I'm the best in the recorded world at battle sense!" Yuuki let out a sweat, slightly trembling. And I said I'd become stronger than him? I might as well have said I could be stronger than dad. This is going to take a lot of training. Isami tilted his head. "What's up?"

Yuuki shook it off. "Nothing! Just revising plans."

Isami nodded his head. "You really are a lot like me then." Isami ticked imaginary things with his fingers in thought before commenting. "So are we gonna fight in two years, or should we pencil in more time so you can accommodate this information?"

Yuuki pulled back as he clearly was stating her thoughts. "You're not even close! I was trying to remember what I ate on this day last year, if you must know."

Isami cursed, rubbing his chin. "Damn, that was my second guess..."

Yuuki sweat more. "Why the hell would you even…"

"Never mind that you fasted for a diet on this day a year ago, Yuuki. Let's get to the point of why we're here first."

Yuuki shook off her distractions to focus. "Alright, what is it."

Isami pounded his fist. "You're persona technique! It sparked a memory of an old mission dad went on, referring to a jutsu that's always been intriguing to me. Kage Kagami Shinten no Hou." Isami rubbed his chin. "Oddly enough, no one seems to remember that mission."

Yuuki scrunched her face. "What's the technique involve?"

Isami drew out circles. "As it shows, you need these circles and these strange handseals to perform it. Using this, you can completely transform yourself into another person, attire and all. The only thing not copied is the voice, reportedly."

Yuuki scratched her chin. "This justu sounds too good. One might transform into an Uchiha, or dad, and reap all the benefits."

Isami nodded. "Right, there's definitely a major issue. This transformation is permanent. To top it off, there isn't enough information to know what else the side-effects are, if you need to have vast knowledge of the target or not, and it's an incredibly complex technique."

Yuuki shuttered at the thought of being stuck as someone else for eternity. Then she jolted. "I get it, so why not let a shadow clone use the technique?"

"Alas, it's not that simple. When that shadow clone disperses, what do you think would happen to you? Could you say for sure?"

Yuuki sweat. "Right…it's already pretty rough with the personae."

Isami grinned. "That doesn't mean throw in the towel on the concept though. Persona's are something that I barely understand." Yuuki looked up as he closed his eyes with a smile. "Indeed, if you were to ask me to reproduce your technique, I would fail."

Yuuki clenched her fist. "So, what do you want me to do?"

Isami focused intently. "I don't think it's going to be something quite so simple, but who knows. It's going to be pretty crazy stuff, so let me know if you want to opt out." Yuuki tapped her fingers in anticipation. "Well, do you know how collaboration jutsus work?"

Yuuki nodded. "There's two references to it. One is basic, which involves two separate jutsus being used to complement each other. The second is combing chakras to form a strong, single jutsu. I do the first all the time."

Isami nodded. "Exactly correct. Now we're going to get really, really complicated. We want the second option." Yuuki gulped, staring intently. Isami proceeded by sketching out an example in the ground. "Firstly, I want you to use a persona, and then have that persona do a collaborating shadow clone with you. Finally, see what happens when what results is destroyed. Should be pretty safe, since you're only using a persona."

Yuuki wrapped her head around the idea before shaking her head. "A collaboration shadow clone, eh?" she scratched her head before smirking. "The nice thing about that is that there's no nature involved. All I have to do is do the technique as normal and use half of our chakras to make one."

Isami scratched his chin. "I suppose that should be fair enough to say. The thing I don't need to tell you is that this is space/time jutsu collaboration. I'll be monitoring to see what happens and there if anything goes awry."

Yuuki put her hands together in a seal. "Kage Ni Jinbutsu!" Hikari and Ayano. Right away, Hikari snapped to a point. "Perverted brother, My name is Hikari. Hi!"

Isami scratched his head. "Right, nice to meet you. And you're called Ayano, correct?" Said persona tilted her head. He rubbed his chin. "You really did a pretty good job designing the looks of them. The attire really suits them."

Yuuki became excited herself. "I know, that was the most fun part too!" Yuuki crossed her arms. "I was considering making a tank one. You know, heavy armor and using a big ass shield and sword."

Isami awed like a child. "That woulda been so awesome!"

"Ehem!" Ayano interrupted the sibling talk. "If you two would please focus on the task at hand, that would be most efficient."

Yuuki recomposed herself. "You know, you're a real party pooper, Ayano."

The persona crossed her arms, annoyed. "Don't blame me, you're the one who made it that way."

Yuuki rubbed her head, laughing. "You're right though. Hikari, you know what we're aiming for, right?"

"Sure do! Don't forget to think like me…I think…" Hikari put a hand on Yuuki's back as she readied her hand seal.

Isami shifted his hands to his pockets, turning around. "Right, I guess I'll let you get to it. Should take a whi-"

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Isami glanced over, freezing when he saw the result.

Hikari piped up. "Woah, amazing Yuuki!"

The clone looked itself over, before punching out her fist. "Awesome!" The clone was identical to what Yuuki looked like fused with Hikari, armor and all: Even the chakra was signature matched.

Yuuki looked over the two in shock before looking over to Isami. "Hey, what now?"

Isami stumbled up to composure. "To think you could actually do it in one go…" He shook his head. "Right, now I want you to disperse the clone and see what happens."

The clone looked over the group before shrugging. "Bummer. You know, I could beat myself up right now…" Yuuki jumped back defensively. "Just playin with ya." With that, she dispersed, causing Yuuki to drop her head.

When she snapped back, she noticed the same effect that happens with Hikari, just seemingly not as potent. Isami wiped his head. "Part one, success!" Hikari and Ayano dispersed, returning Yuuki to normal. "Luckily, we found that using collaboration with a persona can be done. Two different chakras can combine to make one."

Yuuki crossed her arms. "No shit, that's literally what happens when my personae disperse. Did I just waste my time?"

Isami felt slightly deflated. "Well, no…We've learned that two can be combined. However, in your fight with Takeshi, Mari to Rin and Rin to Hikari have basically over written the two instead of becoming three. Since we've replicated it via shadow clone collaboration, I'm interested to see if we can produce results for combing three chakras into one."

Yuuki snapped in realization. "Hey, I get it! Hang on. Kage San Jinbutsu!" Rin, Hikari, and Ayano appeared once more.

Isami let out a hand. "Hey, a three way collaboration isn't that eas-"

"Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!" The confident girl let loose the justu, seeing the smoke clear into a form that was unfamiliar. Her hair was asymmetrical in the bangs, but just to the shoulder blades in length. It's color was dark violet with subtle traces of fuchsia throughout it. Her outfit was a stylish dress decked in light armor of brilliant design.

The clone looked over itself, clenching her fist a couple times. "You did well Yuuki. It's nice to finally meet you."

Yuuki pumped her fist. "Sorry about that. Guess I can finally say hi briefly. Never imagined putting polar opposite personalities into one would end up creating a formal, kind version of me."

Her brother bit his tongue, deep in thought. This is started to get alarming. No one should be able to get such an elaborate space-time ninjutsu down so effortlessly. We'd better be careful...Isami stepped forward. "Yuuki, to be able to use three separated chakras and combine it into one…that's incredible! On top of that, you did it in one go. You really earned that Tokubetsu Jonin title!"

Yuuki stared in shock as her brother fully complimented her. "I'm not really sure why, but it's super easy for me to feel in synch with them, even when their personalities are different." Yuuki nodded to her clone. "Alright, Karinki. If you would." The clone bowed, dispersing to leave Yuuki in a state like her, only with shorter, lighter hair.

Isami stopped her. "Now just a second."

Yuuki blushed, bowing slightly. "Sorry! Did I mess up?"

Isami pulled back. "Man, what a weird reaction for Yuuki to have." He shook his head. "Can Rin and Hikari make shadow clones?"

Rin spoke out. "Yes, of course. However, we generally rely on one another to provide support."

Isami punched his hand. "Cool story. Can I ask Rin to perform the shadow clone, but try to only use Hikari's chakra."

Rin glared at Isami for the attitude, but abided by his wish. "Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!" With a puff of smoke, Hikari appeared before them, but something seemed off.

The Hikari clone looked herself over before sighing and crossing her arms. "Great, I look like this buffoon."

The real Hikari jumped back. "Yikes! That's creepy! My face shouldn't be so gloom and doom!"

Rin looked back to her. "So that's what you think of me? Maybe I think your Naïve attitude is just as bad!"

Yuuki raised her hands. "Please stop fighting you two."

She spoke so softly that no one could hear her and now the Hikari/Rin clone had joined in. Ayano sighed heavily. "That's enough! You're both acting like idiots!" Her voice seemed to silence them swiftly.

Isami shook his head. What a circus this is… "Alright, now I want the clone to produce a fire jutsu."

Rin's clone griped. "I don't know any."

Hikari jumped up in excitement. "oh, I know! Use this one." Hikari made a few hand seals to make a demonstration. "Katon: Gokakyu No Jutsu!"

Ayano and Rin rolled their eyes. The clone did as well, but replicated the technique anyways. "Katon: Gokakyu no jutsu." To everyone's surprise, the fire jutsu went off without a hitch. The clone pulled back. "Huh?"

Ayano piped up. "That should be impossible! Rin's chakra is specifically Water and Lightning! Hikari is the only one of us capable of using fire techniques."

The quite Yuuki spoke up. "Um, I get it! By using only Hikari-chan's chakra, the clone resulted in a full, physical copy of Hikari-chan. However, since Rin-chan executed the technique, Rin-chan's personality was put in full control, meaning they weren't very in synch with each other!"

Isami nodded in agreement. "Couldn'ta said it better myself, aside from the annoying politeness. Basically, these two personae weren't meant to mix so well as to synch personalities like that. In fact, I'd say Rin didn't give any effort into collaborating, personality-wise." Hikari faded away as he continued the explanation. Isami nodded. "However, now all of Hikari's chakra is in that clone. Rin, can I ask you to use up a couple jutsus so that you are almost empty? As close as you can get it."

"Very well…" Rin proceeded to unleash several high level water jutsu that quickly drained down what little she was given in the first place.

Isami nodded. "Good, that's pretty low. Alright, now release the shadow clone."

Rin's shadow clone vanished. However, Rin was left in a similar state that Yuuki usually is after a persona goes down. Finally, Rin's appearance became fairly similar to Yuuki's current form. Rin looked herself over, noticing something. She made a few hand seals. "Suiton: Hahonryuu!" To her surprise, the jutsu didn't work at all. Now, she made a few more. "Katon: Gokakyuu no jutsu!" A large fireball shot out and shocked her further. "Fascinating."

Isami pumped his fist in celebration. "Alright, you can return Yuuki back to normal now." After a several pauses, Ayano brought Yuuki back to her original state. As she came to Isami bowed. "Welcome back little sister. Are you feeling well today?"

Yuuki kicked him between the legs and crossed her arms. "Now I am. Can't say I care much for that form."

Isami recovered, rising to his feet. "Step Two was a resounding success!"

Yuuki nodded. "To think that clone could completely overwrite Rin's natures yet give the appearance of both of them. That's basically Rin's personality using Hikari's abilities while being some Rankari hybrid person."

Isami jumped in excitement. "And thus, science is done! You could also say X person's personality, Y person's genetics, becoming Z person. Well, that's the theory so far anyways."

Yuuki contemplated this for a moment. "So, basically it's a way for you to forgo your genes and utilize someone else's. It's pretty simple all things considered. However, unstable things tend to have a way of breaking down."

Isami nodded. "Well said. I could tell that eventually, Rin's chakra signature would return to normal and her appearance would follow. The key is locking it that way and being able to unlock it just as easy." Isami scratched his head. "I still can't believe you can collaborate so easily like that."

Yuuki shrugged. "Who knows?" With that, she crossed her arms around her head. "By the way, what exactly was the purpose of this? You trying to create some super being?"

Isami laughed nervously. "I wish it were something so cool." Isami pocketed his arms. "It's actually for you."

Yuuki didn't hesitate to dig deeper. "Oh yeah? Why would I need a technique that elaborate?"

Isami turned back to her with concern. "Protection. You said yourself that there is a 'One for Words.' It would be reasonable to assume that such a person uses seals of chakra to keep up-to-date with any instance of that chakra or phrase."

Yuuki rolled her eyes. "So basically, you want me to go by a different name using different chakra. When were you just gonna tell me this?"

Isami laughed. "I like to know what's gonna work before I use it in a plan. Besides, you can't use it with anyone from the leaf, Datsu isn't an option since that might end up weird, so you'll have to use this with your favorite kunoichi."

Yuuki stopped dead in her tracks. "No, no way! You're asking me to walk around like some puffed up lightning ninja?"

Isami laughed before eying her seriously. "The minute Hell's Phoenix notices you on the move, they will come. When they come, they will end up getting to you one way or another. When they get to you, all-out war breaks out and people die."

Yuuki looked down, crossing her arms. "Sheesh. A simple 'just grow up and deal with it' woulda been fine, you know?"

Isami put a hand on her head with a smirk. "That's what I said. We're going to try this tomorrow afternoon, alright?"

As they flashed back home, Yuuki nodded. "You really think you can whip up a seal that quick?"

Isami crossed his arms with an upset face. "I've literally sealed a clone into a different person all together in a couple days. You think I can't handle this one?"

Yuuki shrugged. "Good point."

Isami pumped his fist. "I have to do it tomorrow because I'm going to be challenging Hitomi's father to a duel of acceptance in two days!"

Yuuki sweat nervously. "Wait, you're not serious are you? He'd kill you just for challenging him to something as stupid called 'duel of acceptance'. When he finds out you've been dating Hitomi and that you live together, he'll kill you a thousand times over!"

Isami clenched his fist. "Don't you think I know that? I've been preparing for this day for a long time. I'm not fully ready yet, but I have to do it now, given the circumstances."

Yuuki rubbed her chin before smiling at him. "You know, now that I've seen what your stats are and your library, I think you really might have a shot. At least at not dying."

Isami puffed out his chest. "Ever since I became chunin, I've been known as 'Isami the Invincible'. My advantage is…" Isami restored the seal he broke earlier. "I keep a hundred aces up my sleeve. Fuuinjutsu is the most under-rated category of all the ninja abilities."

Yuuki let out a sweat. The more I find out about him, the more I can actually believe what he says. I don't have the slightest clue how he fights. As he left, Yuuki noted that the sun had set. She crossed her arms. Guess I better let Lili and the others know.

-End-

A/N

I know you might be looking at Yuuki, thinking, "Just how much stronger are you going to make her?"

My response is, "Chill."

I hope you enjoyed the shift in tone on how I'm proceeding here. There is an obvious advantage to being able to think things through in this world. My goal is that as techniques are executed, you can look over it and understand how it was performed and that it isn't that far out there. By now, you should see that there is a segregation forming between the important and less important characters. It's wrong not to touch on every character, but it would be too bulky of a story if I were to detail every one of them.

New teams, new techniques. The Great Nations are getting this generation combat ready. You're going to see some barriers fall.