Chapter 27: The Fated Split

Isami rolled over, peeking out the window. The sun shone through pleasantly enough to rile him into a seated position. He placed his hand on Hitomi's shoulder, pushing her to a shake. "Judgment day, wake up!"

The girl groaned, pushing herself up and rubbing her eyes. "Does it have to be today?" She moved her hands to look him in the eyes. "What am I gonna do? You'll be off the leash and free to act like a fool without a good set of eyes on you."

Isami snickered, rubbing his head. "I'll certainly do my best, but I know a certain someone's brother who won't be so keen on cutting me any slack either. Man, I'm about to have my hands full here in a minute."

Hitomi jumped up, getting ready. "You got that right! I know a certain someone's sister who's going to have to shoulder your responsibility for a couple years. Just don't bring Takeshi back acting like you!"

Isami laughed himself, dressing as he continued. "My sisters already strict enough." He turned to her, watching Hitomi finishing her preparations. "That being said, I wouldn't mind if she could learn to be more like you."

Hitomi looked back with a playful look herself. "Well, I guess I wouldn't hate it if you rubbed off a little on Takeshi."

The couple broke out in laughter before settling down. Isami looked her in the eyes intensely. "You remember what I told you about Akiko's triple layer seal, right?"

Hitomi waved him off. "You should know better by now; my mind is like a steel trap. Besides, I feel like she might end up saving my ass a couple times, despite having the handicap. Just be sure to take care of my brother."

Isami rubbed his nose. "Likewise. Takeshi's got a lot of heart. He'll be able to keep me in line while fighting three opponents at the same time!" As the mood died down, the man pocketed his hands. "I know you guys are going to blow me away the next time we meet." He looked away slightly. "Just be careful. I have a feeling its not going to be a walk in the park to our destinations. I've got enough on my mind; I can't afford to worry about everything if I can help it."

Hitomi crossed her arms. "Don't even think about worrying. These kids are going to be my pride and joy protégés when all is said and done. We'll make it through these short years and I'll take pleasure in watching them wipe the floor with you."

Isami brightened up. "That's about what I'd expect from the girl I chose." Hitomi blushed with a smile as he nodded. "If they keep up, I may not even get nagged about filling in for pops in the coming years."

Hitomi knocked him on the head. "A knucklehead like you shouldn't be dreaming about being the Hokage in the first place. You've got a lot further to go."

Isami laughed. "Yeah, you're right about that! My old man won't be going anywhere anytime soon."

A loud pounding came on the door, making them jolt. As Hitomi and Isami rushed to the door, she noticed Kochi still sprawled out in bed. Hitomi threw one of the girls shoes at her, knocking her awake. "You idiot, get ready already!"

Kochi whined, rolling over. "But I'm not even going anywhere!"

Hitomi tapped her foot. "Too bad. You're going to see your friends off and start helping your brother and his group get stronger."

Kochi leaned up with puffed up cheeks. "Yes, mom." The woman gritted her teeth. "It's a shame those older river ninjas are going back. I wouldn't have minded getting closer with them a little more."

Hitomi pulled back. "Which one?"

Kochi tilted her head. "Does it matter?"

Hitomi slammed the door. "Just get dressed and get going, you dolt!"

OoOo

Asumaru remained agitated, staring at the ceiling. "Man, we're really not gonna be on time, are we?"

Isami sifted through the morning paper. "Women." After a moment, he shifted his eyes over. "So, you're coming with me after all?"

The man yawned, nodding slowly. "Dad figures it'd be better that way. Old man's out cold."

Isami nodded, putting the paper down and crossing his arms. "Heard he's been pretty busy trying to narrow down the Hell's Phoenix sightings."

Asumaru picked himself up, seeing Hitomi. "Yeah. He's got it down to ten possibilities, but I guess he figures I'll pick up his slack based on any new information we pick up along the way."

Kochi walked out with a wide yawn. "Shouldn't have been out so late. I'm beat."

The Nara rubbed his head. "Man, you really need to be more responsible before stuff like this."

The woman stuck her tongue out. "That's what boring people say."

The Nara sighed as they began to depart. "Guess there's no helping it. Try to teach my sister some of that, would you?" He rolled his eyes at the thought. "Maybe not. Wouldn't do to have her being so open with everyone."

OoOoOoOo

The rookie group of ninjas had already gathered around, ready to part ways. Akiko spoke with Takeshi and Tsumi. "Can't believe it's already been a week. I'd say this is gonna be pretty rough on me."

Takeshi left his hands in his pocket, agreeing with a nod. "Team Seven will always be the A team. It's been a blast working with you and Tsumi." The Uchiha glanced around. "Wish I knew what the deal was with Noriko. For her and her father to just up and disappear after our match like that…"

Tsumi looked at the angst between the group and waver her arms. "Hey, knock it off! You're going to make this harder on me to, you know?"

Akiko shook her head with a smile. "You're right." The girl turned around, looking through the forest. "They're probably out there somewhere, walking their own path. We might even cross roads with them sometime. Noriko wouldn't do anything with half-assed thought. I trust her."

Takeshi crossed his arms, deep in thought. "I'm really not trying to think negative, but what if when we cross paths with her, she's on the wrong side?"

Akiko shifted her eyes to him with a smile. "It wouldn't even surprise me. Just beat the hell out of her until she remembers what it is she's trying to accomplish."

Takeshi jolted away slightly. Does she know something? He looked over to Tsumi, who gave him an ignorant shrug. Takeshi sighed. "I'd hate to do it, but if that's what it comes to, I'll be ready."

Tsumi nodded with a grin. "I know you two will be prepared, so there's nothing to worry about. I'll take care of her if she shows on the home front!"

Both Kobi and Shikamira approached the conversation, placing a hand on Tsumi's back. "We're right behind you. No one's getting by us without a fight, man!"

Akiko smirked, seeing Nagi walk up and place a hand on Takeshi's shoulder. "I'm there to help out while I can, too. No comrade left behind."

"Same!" Nezero showed up, fidgeting ecstatically. "A friend of yours is a friend of mine!"

Akiko jolted, feeling Inora snug next to her. "Oh yeah? Better not have too much fun, you hear me?" Nezero laughed nervously with his team sweating behind him. Inora giggled herself. "If it comes to it, I'm sure it'd be a little fun on our end to."

Akiko grinned, seeing her peers pumped up and ready to go. "Guess there's really not a thing to worry about after all, is there?"

"Don't forget about us." Shitto raised his hand, sweating nervously. "Why? Because there are things even we are strong enough to control."

Chojiko pumped his fist in determination. "That's right! If sis can do it, I can to!"

Akiko laughed heartily. "Seriously, you're all too much. I think it's going to be up for grabs on who comes back the strongest at this rate!" The group of ninja broke out in friendly laughter.

OoOo

Kaito mantained focus on Datsu, gauging him closely. With a sudden opening of his eyes, he swung his blade swiftly at him. Datsu dodged the swing, backing into a defensive stance as Kaito continued. "What the hell, dumbass!" The swordsman continued, noting how fluently his friend evaded the attacks until Kaito finally took a punch to the face. Kaito nodded with a smile. Datsu smirked, crossing his arms. "Yeah, I'm going to miss your psycho ass to."

Akano continued to look away. "It would appear you've gotten better." Before Datsu could retort, he felt his mouth force shut and his skin begin to peel away. However, Datsu managed to break the genjutsu quickly.

"A simple, 'Oh, good luck with a group of women Datsu!' or 'Here's a normal goodbye to a dear teammate, Datsu!' would have been fine!"

Kaito smirked. "You've really made a lot of progress, Datsu. I look forward to trying to kill you the next time we meet!"

The confident man stuck out his thumb upside down. "Many have tried. Don't get in over your head, samurai-nin!"

Akano turned to face Datsu now. "You've proven satisfactory as our leader. May your travels be well."

Datsu felt disgust over his face. "On second thought, I think I preferred it when you two tried to kill me."

Datsu felt a hand get placed on his back. "Don't worry about the village. Once we're back, we'll stop at nothing to keep pace with you." Zente gave a convincingly warm smile.

Karui pinched the man's cheeks. "That's what this air head thinks. We all know I'm going to be the strongest once this is all said and done."

A cold hand was placed on the duos shoulders before they could argue. "Don't think I'll allow you two to continue slacking like you have!" With that, she felt a man's hands grip her shoulders. The woman slowly turned, turning a flush red. "Shin-Sama!" The woman pulled away, hugging herself in embarrassment.

The man pulled back in a sweat. "Weren't we putting our hands on each other's shoulders and saying cheesy farewells?" The group stared at him awkwardly, making him close his eyes and turn. "Damn." Standing tall, he continued to speak. "Datsu. By the time you return, I'll have had my chance to prove myself stronger than Rekano. If that happens, I'll be forced to take his position."

The teen aggressively pointed his finger at the bulky man. "Bull shit! If that happens, I'll gladly hand you your own ass cooked however you like it! No one's beating the shit out of the old man unless it's me!"

A smile shed across the man's mouth before turning to him straight faced. "Watch your language! You're going to be working with women for a while."

Datsu jolted, flipping him the bird with a blush. "Not like I'm trying to impress anyone! You can't tell me what to do anymore!" A deep, evil aura surrounded the man, making Datsu pull back. "Yes sir…"

OoOo

Hoshido continued on his rant. "And if that were the case, you may not be able to recover quickly enough and the wildlife would surely swoop in, and…"

Lili kicked her teammate in the shin. "Would you cut it out already?" With a fluff of her hair, Lili placed a hand on her hip. "We're not even going to be traveling out and about for that long. Even then, I can handle whatever comes my way."

Tegun crossed his arms, clearly not very enthusiastic. "You're the closest thing I have to a relative, Lili. Don't underestimate anyone, you hear?"

Lili shifted her eyes around, making sure there were no other watchers. With a smirk, she channeled chakra into her hands. "I've already made it leaps and bounds since we came here." The rasengan formed neatly in her palm, shocking both the ninjas.

Tegun pumped his fist. "No way! I can't believe you were taught the rasengan just like that!" The boy took another look at her, nodding his head. "You really have gotten stronger, haven't you?" The boxer shook his head with a smile. "That's just like you. Wouldn't do to let anyone beat you for too long, eh?"

The girl let the chakra fade away, placing her hand under her chin with a confident smile. "It's not about that…entirely. If there is a group out there wreaking havoc on the land, we have to do our part to help as well. They'd be hopeless without us." Lili laughed, slightly crazed.

Tegun deflated, rubbing his head. "I still don't know what world you live in…" With that, he punched his fist together and perked up. "Guess you're right though. It won't do to be ill-prepared. I don't know why I even bother worrying about you in the first place."

Lili chuckled, crossing her arms. "It's because you're to use to relying on the Teruya." Lili became sheepish, looking away from the group. "I suppose it will be pretty different without you two dragging me down."

Hoshido dropped his thought process in order to halt Tegun's argument. "Yeah...we'll miss you to, Lili."

Tegun turned back to the girl, seeing a tear drop to the floor. The man crossed his hands behind his head, walking away. "You're right. I'll be sure to bring you some souvenirs from Suna to make up for it."

Lili smiled away from them. "I won't complain; do what you want."

OoOo

"Alright, everyone gather around please!" The Hokage cleared his throat, looking over his group of young ninja. "It's been difficult to see off our children. I know it's been hard to say goodbye to your fellow teammates as well." Naruto looked over to Isami and Tsumi, who held a somber face. "Just remember, this isn't forever. I'm going to work tirelessly on finding ways to guarantee everyone's safety. However, I know everyone in this group is capable of forming new bonds and shedding into some of the best ninja this world has seen. If I may, I'd like to say a few words."

Naruto breathed in a soothing breath before continuing. He lifted his arm to point to Shin. "Rekano's rival and every bit as powerful. I hope you continue to offer your guidance to our young ninja." The man closed his eyes. He pointed over to Nia and her group. "We've overcome Hell's Phoenix and gained important allies as well. Your skills are a great asset and I look forward to seeing how you develop." Nia bowed at his words. Now Naruto acknowledged Isami. "My son, you better be careful; you're turning into a man before everyone's eyes. Make true on your promise and continue to forge the best ninja you can." The young man scratched his head, looking away. Now he looked over to Asumaru. "The Nara have been a close friend of our family since I was young. Knowing us, Isami is bound to get in over his head. Take care of his blindsides, will you?" The man left his hands pocketed, nodding. Now his gaze hovered over Hitomi. "It's been great watching you develop into the woman you are today. As much as our family remains in conflict, it grows ever closer to one and other. Keep diligent and please continue to assist our family further." The girl beamed a smile. Naruto laughed nervously. "I know, I'm a bit long winded here, but I think it's only right to see you off with respect."

Sasuke showed himself, pushing the Hokage subtly to the side. "This guy will go on forever if I don't step in." The collective group grew slightly unnerved at the sight of the Uchiha as he crossed his arms. "Listen closely, I'll wrap this up." His eyes shot over to to the various groups and their leaders before closing them once more. "As I watched your fights, it is clear why the leaders of the teams were in charge. Even if you weren't aware of it, you have all inspired your team to go beyond the task of being average ninja. However, you should all reflect on yourselves and try to find your own path to walk. If you're like Datsu, Kobi, or Nezero, you should focus on not being so annoying." The entire group shot their eyes at the two.

"I'll give you all an example..." The Uchiha opened his eyes. "Takeshi, look sharp." The young Uchiha shot up straight. "You've gotten over your faults on your own and gained the respect of everyone here. However, you need to worry about yourself more. If you don't reach out and take what you want from this world, someone else is quick to snatch it. Hold more confidence in yourself."

The young Uchiha felt unsure before responding with vigor. "Yes sir. When I come back, I won't hesitate to challenge you." The group gasped as the Uchihas locked eyes with sharingan active.

Sasuke scoffed into a smile, closing his eyes. "Maybe when your eyes are the same as mine." With that, he pointed towards Akiko with a straight face. "You've learned a small lesson already; don't let power consume you. No one here has the right to question your ability or your intelligence. No one else is more accepted as a leader in this group than you are. More importantly, you have the ability to change the tide instantly." Sasuke eyed his old rival. "It's not unlike someone I once knew." The Uchiha locked eyes with the girl once more. "I don't need to tell you that you are the key to everything right now. Since you became a ninja, you've been pushing everyone to shatter their limits and work together. Get out there and prove you won't be beaten so easily." The blond closed her eyes, nodding politely.

"Isami!" The Uchiha pointed, unamused as the man stiffened. The Uchiha crossed his arms with an irked expression. "You're the one in charge of this entire operation. Don't get everyone distracted with the thought that everything's gonna be happy-go-lucky and that the world is going to come together in harmony." Isami crossed his arms with a stern look. Sasuke continued. "We're preparing for war. Konoha is the only known target. It's possible both Naruto and I are going to be killed." The group grew unnerved and shaken slightly, but the Uchiha continued. "If that happens, you're the Hokage. You're the only one fit to run the leaf with both of us gone."

Isami let his arms drop, not believing what he was hearing. Hitomi put a hand on his arm as Naruto stepped in. "Sheesh, talking like I'd never shut up. Listen, we're preparing for anything, but like hell I'm going to go down without a fight. Chances are you're going to be well aware of when the fighting begins. However, we're at the point where such considerations must be made. Just do what you've all been doing lately and I'm confident that we'll be ready to face any challenge across a united front."

Isami gently pushed Hitomi's arm off before crossing his arms. "There's no doubt in my mind that our groups are going to be strong enough to put down any threat that comes our way. If it's alright with you, I'd like to commence the operation as soon as possible."

Both Naruto and Sasuke smirked. The Hokage bowed his head slightly. "As you wish. Team Isami and Team Hitomi, front and center." The two teams did as commanded and stepped forward. "You know your roles. Get out there and gather whatever information you can. Challenge all who get in your way. After that, become the strongest ninja you can be and remember a united front can overcome any single ninja." The two groups nodded in respect and departed on the Hokage's signal. "Travel well, My children."

-Hitomi's team-

After a couple miles, Hitomi signaled the group to stop, relaxing a bit. "That was an earful. Is there anything you guys want to talk about?"

Datsu tapped his foot. "Where's he get off, calling me annoying?"

Inora chimed in. "Well, you aren't exactly easy-going and tactful with what you say and do, now are you?"

Hitomi silenced the two. "I meant about what's happening!"

Lili crossed her arms. "Is Hell's Phoenix really this great of a threat that they need to designate the next Hokage?"

Akiko turned away, contemplating her thoughts. "They have to be." She dropped her arms. "Just think about it; of the actual members, we have one that can track words in some way or form, one that absorbs and disrupts chakra, and one that can stop time. Of the known rogue members, we had Biton, who could manipulate anyone and Guden, who was extremely powerful looking and the 'tamer of hell's phoenix'. There hasn't been a single one that could be considered normal."

Hotaru concurred. "From what I gather, the rogue members should be the ones we need to be more wary of." She waved a hand. "Sorry, I only know so much."

Inora crossed her arms. "I don't think you're really that wrong. Yuuki's life has only been in true jeopardy against rogue members. Hell's Phoenix itself seems actually pretty keen on recruiting her."

Datsu cursed, tapping his foot. "Bastards had a foothold so close to our village to... I wouldn't be surprised if Hell's Phoenix comes from west of Suna, maybe even further south."

Lili popped in. "Doesn't that naturally mean the rogue members would have traveled east?"

Hitomi let out a sweat, looking over the group. "Man, you guys are really diving into this." She tapped a finger against her head. "Indeed, it's likely that Hell's Phoenix had a plan for taking out Iwa and Kiri at a precise moment. It's possible that the two fronts could agree to see that part through in order to isolate a common enemy." Hitomi sighed putting her hands on her hips. "But why?"

Akiko turned back to the group. "It must have been for something that benefits both parties. Guden is too selfish to allow anything to prevent him from getting his way. If Hell's Phoenix is, in fact, from the west and Guden wanted to avoid being confronted, he'd naturally go east. Therefore, he must have equally skilled subordinates able to track down Kiri's transportation route and taken the village." The group stared at her, prompting her to continue as she let out a sweat. "However, there's no telling if he continued east and took the Land of Iron and its surrounding land masses either. He could be anywhere still."

Hitomi breathed in a deep sigh. "Well, the only thing left to do is dig up any clues we can and continue our mission." The group broke off, preparing everything they had. Hitomi walked over to Akiko and put a hand on her shoulder. "You sure you're ok?"

She tensed up, sighing deeply. "I didn't even get a chance to speak with Isami before he left. I never figured he'd leave without annoying me first."

The Uchiha laughed, pulling out a letter. "Don't get ahead of yourself. He wrote you a letter." As Akiko accepted it, Hitomi got ready herself. "If you ask me, he was just afraid of crying in front of everyone."

Akiko laughed, eying the letter before tucking it away. "He's pathetic."

OoOoOoOo

Asumaru locked his arms behind his head, cloud watching while Isami joked around with his group. "Man, at this rate we won't make it to the Land of Waterfalls by the time we need to."

Isami silenced, looking over to him with a smirk. "No worries, you can just rework the plans if need be." The Nara grimaced, maintaining focus on the clouds.

Takeshi stepped in. "Seriously though, shouldn't we get moving?"

The sand and lightning nin glanced over to their leader, prompting Isami to shrug. "Don't sell yourselves short, we have plenty of time before the deadline." The man pushed his hand out with one finger up. "First order of business: scout the area where Luna used her jutsu." With his other hand, Isami rolled out a map, with a location circled.

Nagi rubbed his chin. "Interesting. From what I understand, there wasn't enough information to go off of to warrant a scout." Even Asumaru peeked over curiously.

Isami rubbed his head. "There isn't, I'm just guessing." Asumaru scoffed, staring back up. Isami continued. "Even if it's a long shot, I wager she'd use the jutsu close enough to ensure effectiveness while giving her the quickest retreat path. From there, I'm sure Asumaru can help more."

The Nara rolled his eyes. "For once, can't I do only what I was expected to do?"

Isami nodded enthusiastically. "I knew I could count on you. Just as expected."

The Nara face-palmed. "That's not what I…Oh whatever."

Takeshi crossed his arms. "The Nara clan seems pretty quick to change their minds about something."

Tegun smirked, crossing his arms. "It's a like a game for strategist. Hoshido would be like that to if he weren't so locked in his own world." The group stared at the boy, who mumbled to himself.

Nezero rubbed his head. "So, why aren't we moving?"

Isami sighed, pointing to the map. "Preparation." Isami indicated the new route with his finger. "As you can see, the area is almost exactly south of where we were heading in the first place. For our sake, the potential payoff in information is the most important." Isami indicated the old hideout, moving his finger through Suna and south. "I'm sure a couple of you could put two and two together and figure out Hell's Phoenix most likely derives from the south-western portion of our world, right?" A couple heads nodded, following along. "No matter how you look at it, we're eventually going to have a run in with the true Hell's Phoenix members."

Hoshido snapped to, pointing out Konoha. "Brilliant. If they had held the Land of Rivers, they'd have secured a complete surrounding of the leaf." He pointed to the two great nations. "The simultaneous attacks on the Land of Earth and the Land of Water would have split the remaining nations attention and forced the Lightning Village into a defensive position. The Isolation of the Sand to the Leaf would leave Konoha with the decision to force its connection to Suna or hold up a complete defensive effort in Konoha." Isami took a double take at the boy and the map as Asumaru swiftly closed in. Hoshido rubbed his chin. "But why? Surely they didn't expect to defeat all the powerful ninja of Konoha when they were together."

Asumaru scratched his chin. "It's too well designed not to have an endgame." He pinpointed the current trail of Hell's Phoenix sightings. "Something tells me Guden was meant to play his part at that point. An assault from every direction is hard for anyone to hold off. So, where does the One for All fit in at this point?"

Isami pulled the map back, shaking his head. "Sheesh, I told you, preparation. In the here and now, we have two groups of enemies. We need to focus on gathering intel on our enemies first before we can get all theoretical with it."

Nezero pulled back. "That's all new intel to us, right? Shouldn't understanding their initial plans be just as important?"

Isami put the map away and pointed at Hoshido. "Cause and effect. While I think in the end this is a very important topic, things changed the minute Rekano took control of the Land of Rivers. If you spend too much time studying and anticipating one plan, you are more likely to get caught off guard by an alternate strategy."

Asumaru pocketed his hands with a smirk. "It's like playing shogi with deceiving pieces in a thick fog. You know the general capabilities of the enemy pieces, but you don't know if the piece that looks like a pawn is actually a knight in disguise. If we don't get down exactly who the primary members are and what makes them unique, we're asking to lose, even knowing their endgame."

Takeshi gritted his teeth as his brain screamed. "This is too deep for me." He pointed towards Isami. "From what I gather, we're trying to figure out how strong they are and how we can pinpoint them. Let's just get to it before my brain melts."

Tegun slapped Vin on the back. "That's the spirit!"

Vin tensed up, jumping back. "What the hell? I was minding my own business!"

Kankiri chimed in. "Yeah."

Isami rubbed his nose, snickering among the crowd. Didn't expect Hoshido to have such a keen eye for war tactics. These guys are something else.

-Hell's Phoenix HQ-

The One for All sifted through page after page, rubbing his temples at his workload. A very specific knock came over his, prompting him to stomp his foot twice. A man entered the room and stood at attention. The leader sighed, putting aside his work. "What is it, Fumio?"

The man relaxed more, crossing his arms. "Fumio? Shouldn't you be more cryptic, One for All?"

The man rested his head upon his hand, paying more attention to his finger tapping. "I've got a larger than average workload to deal with. Can this wait?" Before the man could answer, the One for All took off his hood, revealing blond hair. "No, of course it can't." He opened his eyes, displaying a yellow hued stare. "Sorry. Proceed, One for Words."

The younger man bowed. "Over the past week, Uzumaki Yuuki's name has substantially dropped in terms of usage. However, number of shadow clone uses have gone up and the rasengan has been taught to several new users."

The leader leaned back in his chair, taking the information into account. "It's likely Luna or Osamu have leaked information about you. How perceptive of Yuuki."

The younger man coursed his fingers through his medium black hair. "On top of that, the use of flying thunder god has completely halted and teams from the exams have split. There are the two Teruya's and the lightning team leader escorting Hitomi Uchiha, Datsu, and Akimichi Inora to Kumo-"

The One for All raised a hand, halting his words. "Two?"

The younger man fidgeted, embarrassed. "Sorry, I guess I was careless when observing them form Kumo. I'm confident that the two must be twins. Akiko and Lili are the names."

The man rubbed his chin. "With our ability to track Yuuki gone, we'd better be more careful with our observations. I don't want Luna or anyone else look like fools again."

The man bowed his head, continuing. "Right as always. More interesting news, everyone in that group but the two older kunoichi knows the rasengan. The team as a whole knows the shadow clone technique. I believe it was Naruto himself who taught them."

The man pounded his desk. "Naruto!" With a deep breath, the One for All calmed himself. "Why? Is he planning on involving those kids in this?"

The One for Words shifted around, slightly uncomfortable. "They must know much more about us than we thought. With Guden running amok, things are becoming more uncertain by the minute."

With both hands firmly planted, The One for All rose swiftly. The loud crash unsettled Fumio. "Do not mention that failure unless it's more information on him. The man's an unleashed fool too confident in his ability."

Fumio dipped his head. "Forgive my negligence. To continue, Isami is headed towards the Land of Earth, leading a team with Uchiha Takeshi, the two male lightning nins, the sand trio, Hyuuga Nagi, and Nara Asumaru."

"Damn it." The man shifted his eyes around in thought.

Moving closer to the wall, Fumio leaned against it. "It would appear the straggler that has joined Luna is certainly not hostile. If we aren't careful, they may push through the border and make it to Iwa."

The One for All pounded his fist, raising his head finally. "I got it. We'll have Luna contact Isami. That way, we can keep our distance and not have to use force to secure the border."

Fumio nodded, closing his eyes. "The fact remains that Luna would be pretty taxed from that. Besides, Isami has been off the radar for so long, I don't even have the slightest clue how strong he is."

The One for All sat down, slouched back. "This is all thanks to that idiot Guden." He rubbed his chin. "You know, once the Leaf falls, he won't be satisfied. Do we have any members near these Teruyas you speak of?"

The young man scratched his cheek, pushing off the wall. "I know of a team, but they're not that experienced yet. Are we trying to recruit them?"

The One for All put his work station back in order. "First things first. Luna is to halt Isami." He paused with his eyes closed. "We're not going to be able to hide the fate of Iwa, so tell her not to hide much. Then, I want you to send this team to escort the Teruya home. Something tells me Guden is going to make a move." He clenched his fist. "Recruiting is irrelevant at this time."

The Young man kicked off the wall, standing tall. "Yes sir!"

The leader smirked putting his hand on one of the many stacks of papers. "And when you're done with that, you can show me how the One for Words handles the words of the people."

Fumio deflated slightly turning around. "…yes sir…"

OoOoOoOo

"Whatdya mean you aren't leaving with them?" Kochi tilted her head, looking at Zente. The man rubbed his head.

"Well, someone has to escort the Kazekage back next week. The river's Team Two will handle that."

Kochi tilted her head once more. "I don't know what that is. How old are you all?"

The man pulled back, looking around. "Sheesh, you really aren't subtle about things, are you? Both Karui and I are seventeen now and Nia's eighteen. Why does that matter?"

Kochi pounded her fist. "Sounds like you're old enough to party!"

The man pulled back once more, sweating nervously. "What about that sounded old enough?"

Kochi tilted her head once more. "What? I'm almost nineteen, so it's not that weird to go out and about." She flexed her arm and put a hand on it. "Especially when we've got such dangerous jobs. Don't you think you deserve to have a fun night out?"

Zente flinched, turning away. "I've…got to go find Karui. She might have fallen in a well somewhere."

Kochi grabbed his hand, running forward. "I'll come with you! The nearest well is this way!"

Zente stared at the girl, dumbfounded. How could she possibly be jonin. Looks like she's just as much an airhead as Karui!

As they approached the well, Karui came crawling out to Zente's astonishment. "Karui, are you serious? How'd you even…"

Karui shook herself off with a sad face. "I was thirsty, so I leaned over to see how much water was in it." She slightly peered in the well. "I saw something that looked odd, so I tried to get a closer look..." She looked down at her wet clothes. "Now I'm soaked!" Zente's jaw was left agape as he could see a little more than he was expecting.

"There you fools are." Nia approached, seeing Karui soaked. She tossed her jacket at her. "I don't want to know why, just fix it."

Kochi placed her finger on her chin, nodding to herself. "Alright! You two should come to!"

Nia put a hand on her hip. "Only place I'm going is to train. Seems like you've all forgotten about that."

Karui looked over to Zente and Kochi. "Where are you going?"

Before Zente could defend himself, Kochi stepped in. "We're going to party. Live it up. Celebrate. Whatever you want to call it!"

Karui thought momentarily before nodding her head. "Sounds like fun! I'll bet Zente is a terrible dancer."

Zente deflated. "Nia, please come. I need some help on this one."

Kochi viewed her as she attempted to glare among the group. She crossed her arms. "You can't even tell your body wants a rest, can you?"

Nia irked, crossing her arms in a mimicked stance. "And clearly you all forgot how deathly serious our jobs are."

Zente and Karui didn't really react how she expected, prompting Kochi to turn with a smirk. "Fine. We'll just have all the fun without you."

Seeing the three in such a relaxed mood caused her to blush. She closed her eyes. "If I must come to ensure things don't get out of hand, I will. The best way not to cause any issues is to not go out at all."

Kochi pumped her fist. "Excellent! Nia can borrow some of my clothes and Kochi can borrow some of Hitomi's! I'm sure Zente would look good in Isami's party wear too."

Nia and Zente pulled back, both crossing their arms. "I'm not going to wear other people's clothes!"

Karui jumped up with excitement. "Shopping!"

Nia and Zente pulled back, huddling in secrecy. Zente began. "What do you think? If this idea gets stuck in Karui's head, it's just going to build and build until it's a crisis."

Nia nodded. "If this is what I have to do to get you all focused on training, so be it."

Zente stared at her awkwardly before continuing. "Strange, this is the longest we've talked, and you still haven't said anything not work related."

Nia nodded her head. "We have a serious job. There is no room for side conversation."

Zente nodded. "Or likability."

Nia nodded in agreement. Finally breaking the huddle, Nia crossed her arms. "Very well. Today we'll be training on how to blend in with normal people our age."

Karui tilted her head. "You make it sound like we're weird."

Kochi clapped her hands excitedly. "It's because you three are weird. It's great!" Kochi pushed Nia forward towards the town mall. "There's no time to waste! Getting two stiffs to loosen up and buy some good party clothes take a long time!"

Zente pumped his fist before being forced forward by Karui himself. "Stiffs!?"

-In the brush line nearby-

"Looks like they're definitely going to party." Tsumi crossed her arms, sitting annoyed.

Shikamira crossed her arms. "So much for learning anything useful from them."

Kobi remained seated, one hand resting on his head. "Man, Kochi is always going out and doing ridiculous things. She's never once been caught by our parents either."

Shikamira looked over at him. "You make it sound like she's been doing it for a while."

Kobi scoffed. "You kidding? Ever since her first payday, Kochi's been using her skills as a ninja to buy outfits and get booze. It's amazing she isn't dead."

Tsumi rubbed her chin. "Say, that doesn't sound like too bad of an idea." The two shot her a look, prompting her into a defensive stance. "Look, what else do we have to spend money on in the first place? I've got more cash than I know what to do with since that A-ranked mission. Besides, it would help to know how people of all kinds act so we can identify suspicious activities later."

Shikamira gritted her teeth. "Are you saying to take the money I've been saving and blow it on stupid drinks and clothes?"

Tsumi looked over to her and crossed her arms. "No, I'm saying you need to blow money on clothes."

Kobi ducked his head. "Oh man, this is turning hostile!"

Shikamira pulled back, crossing her arms behind her head. "You're...probably not wrong. As long as Kobi isn't too scared to do it, I'm in."

The women eyed Kobi intensely. "Don't look at me! We better come up with a good plan then. My sister is pretty keen, you know?"

Tsumi rubbed her chin. "Alright, we need to look convincingly old enough."

Shikamira raised her finger. "I'll work on the I.D.s!"

Kobi pointed to himself. "And I'll find someone to take care of Ripper!" The two looked at him, unimpressed as he sank his head. "Who am I kidding, Ripper takes care of himself." Said dog came out of the woodwork wagging his tail.

Tsumi waved her hand. "I'll have a few weak shadow clones take care of all our alibi, so no worries."

Shikamira crossed her arms. "If that's all, grab your money and meet at my place. We need to hurry up if we're going to keep track of Kochi's group."

Tsumi pumped her fist. "Operation: Bad decisions begin!"

They all departed, leaving Kobi behind. He rubbed his head in confusion. "...But why? I thought things were going to be pretty serious...and more mature."

OoOoOoOo

Hitomi and the group screeched to a halt, seeing a massive seared gorge carved out of the land. Remnants of what used to be a small town were evident, but most of what was left was just ash and rubble. They almost hadn't noticed the middle-aged man sitting behind them on a rock. He smoked his cigarette slowly as he focused his eyes on it. "Hard to believe how quickly it burns out, huh?"

Hitomi tightened her fist, approaching him. "Is there anything we can do to help? What caused this?"

He flicked the ashes away, staring forward. "No, I don't imagine there's much else to help with. Already dug up the graves for everyone I knew. Didn't seem right to leave their ashes to the wind."

The young members of the groups felt their hearts sink deep and couldn't begin to form any words. Hitomi felt the pain of the situation, looking back towards the town. "How many?"

The man continued, flicking away more ash. "Same as the last time I reckon. Fifty-two, as far as I know. Woulda been fifty-three if I weren't out trading. Came at night, too."

"I see." Hitomi clenched her fist tighter, dipping her head. "I'm sorry there was nothing we could do."

The tired man flicked his cigarette away, igniting another. "Blame and guilt are easy games to play. Don't think my kids would take too kindly to me being like that. 'Coarse, the wife is a bit scarier at that kinda stuff."

Hitomi shed a smile until she noted the tear rolling out of the man's eye. The Uchiha looked back forward. "We're going to find the man who did this. There won't be another soul harmed by that man."

The man closed his eyes once more. "Kind words, but I don't imagine you can control that much right now. War and peace come and go as they please. Just gotta be someone to pick up the pieces and put everything back together afterward."

Hitomi signaled the team. "Let's search the area. Respect whatever you can about the surroundings."

OoOoOoOo

Isami finished scouring the area before nodding his head. "Alright, I'm certain it was here then."

Asumaru and the others shrugged, coming to a stop. "How can you be sure? It's just some abandonned house." Isami gestured them to follow, touring the house.

The man pointed towards several corners in the place. "Seals that help enhance the field of detection for sensor nins are hidden in the wall. There are several areas to hide around here as well." Isami calmly herded the group outside. Without a pause, the house exploaded. "And the still active trap that was too time consuming to diffuse."

Takeshi's jaw remained dropped as chunks of wood and debris landed around them. "What the hell, Isami! You could have warned us first!" Isami held his stomach, laughing at the reaction of everyone.

Asumaru sighed. "Just like your ANBU missions. You really need to take these things more seriously."

Isami wiped his eyes before jumping back up. "Hey, don't be like that!" Isami pointed towards the four corners of supports that still held up. "Thought something was fishy about those. These likely enhanced the jutsu she used by resonating the frequency and transmitting it out further."

The Nara rubbed his head, already staring at them. "Yeah, I'd say you're right about that."

Nagi sighed, crossing his arms. "This makes me recognize my lack of experience."

Isami tilted his head. "Huh? Don't be like that! That's what a team is for after all." Isami pounded his fist. "More good news! That trap likely just sent out a signal to the sensor that set it up. Now they know we're on their trail!"

Takeshi deflated. "Why do I get the sense that that isn't good news at all?"

Vin piped up. "It might be. If they know we've discovered their hideout, they know we've taken out a key point to her jutsu. Enemies tend to be more organized when they're on alert, and thus easier to track. They'll be heading more directly to where they want to go."

Nezero grinned excitedly. "This is already turning into a fun mission, huh? I wonder what's next."

Hoshido jolted up. "What if there are similar structures like these? If one could act as the source of transmission, then what if similar towers could re-transmit the signal, and then give even further range to the technique."

Tegun slapped the boy on the back. "...Don't go speaking out nonsense again."

Asumaru shook his head. "No, he could certainly be right. There once was a man who used a varying chakra signal to control people to attack the leaf. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a way to extend a jutsu of this nature in a similar way." Asumaru rubbed his head. "Albeit there'd be a lot of signal loss if the poles weren't perfectly tuned for it."

Isami finished writing a message and sent the bird off. "Right, so in conclusion, we need to find weird structures that don't belong to see if we can't reduce Luna's strength. I'm sure her partner and Hell's Phoenix benefits in some way too, so this is like a pre-emptive win for us!"

Tegun raised his fist. "I don't really understand it fully, but alright! Looks like the detour paid off."

Takeshi crossed his arms, smiling at Isami. He's something. To the average person, that trap would have been the end of the trail. It's like we got a lot of something out of nothing. "Let's not get to excited now. I'm sure we've got a target on our heads now."

Isami scratched his cheek with a grin. "You aren't wrong."

-end-

-A/N-

Well, I can't tell if that was a slow or a fast chapter! When I wrote this, I felt Kochi and Karui were close to the same character. There are subtle differences, but the goal is to give more dynamics to these characters. We're going to see what some ninja do for fun, which is a complete challenge for me. It's not really ever dealt with in the series, so it brings new turf into the mix. It may not be your thing, but I enjoyed taking a step back and allowing characters to breath.

Part of the challenge in writing scenes for this story is when all of the characters are together. You don't want to leave people out, but it would feel incredibly dull If each and every person always weighed in on things.

So here's what I'm thinking: Chapter 30 is the end of part one. Once it's completed, I'm considering going back and removing all the author notes from the story and revising. Is that a good idea? Do people like this things? Do people read these things? Is there even a person left who has managed to read the entire story? Who knows…See you in March!