Chapter 29: Having a "Blast"

Asumaru stretched his feet. "Man, what a crazy turn in events. Iwa, leveled by a volcano…" The Nara looked to his friend. "You sure not telling them was best?" Isami remained focused, still looking for his targets. Asumaru rubbed his head. "Right, sorry. I forgot you were still trying to find them."

Isami broke out in sweat, finally getting a visual at an extreme range of distance. "Hey, I think…" Isami stopped, realizing his friend had stopped moving. The man deactivated his byakugan with a smirk. "So, looks like you're going to save me the effort, right Luna?"

The woman approached him, taking her hood off with a bow. "So, you're Isami, huh?" She flushed slightly, seeing how handsome he was in person. "Are you single?"

Isami laughed, pointing at her. "You know, I have a weakness for a pretty face and a good body, but I'm afraid I've already found the one for me."

Luna laughed quietly once more, putting her hand on her hips. "Oh hush, you knew that was a joke. There's no chance in hell I'd even consider that. You know about this technique by now I'm sure."

Isami crossed his arms with a serious face. "Osamu isn't with you, so you're not here to fight. What do you want?"

The white haired woman sat against the desk and crossed her arms. "Both of you remind me a lot of him…" Isami narrowed his eyes as she shook her head. "Anyways, I'll have to ask you to stop any ideas you have for advancing across the border to Iwa."

Isami smirked with confidence. "Why should I listen to you at all? You know, I already know exactly where you are. The land of demons…you've gotten far, huh?"

Luna dropped her jaw slightly before smiling again. "I'm surprised at how far your byakugan can see." She lifted a hand to the side. "Iwa was a ticking time-bomb set up by the Kuden. I don't know all the details, since I was young, but our original plan was to take them out and surround the leaf."

Isami scowled slightly. "Original plan, huh? I don't imagine you're going to tell me the new one then."

Luna laughed. "Obviously." She put her arms back in a crossed position. "Our leader has been through some trying times. Believe it or not, we've helped what few survivors there were at Iwa."

Isami clinched his hand in anger. "After conveniently not telling them about the eruption that is! Don't even try to piss me off right now!"

Luna withdrew, explaining herself. "You're wrong. There was a deadline. This plan was old, and only our leader and Kuden knew the true end game." Luna pushed herself up. "I'm not asking you to believe anyone. Guden must have found a way to speed up the process and used the commotion to make his way East." Isami said nothing as she continued. "My mother had a vision of future where the Kage brought destruction and war to the land. Our leader has laid everything on the line to stop that prophecy. He is almost certain that your father is the one who will be responsible for it all."

Isami remained serious before cracking a smile. "A daddy's girl, huh?" Luna flinched, trying to maintain full composure. Isami smirked. "Nah, I'm kidding. There's no way someone directly related to our enemy would be so vulnerable." Luna sweat slightly, matching his smirk. Isami crossed his arms. "I don't know if you still have your mother or not, but I promise you, my old man is incapable of bringing turmoil to the land."

Luna turned her back. "That may be…but we're not going to allow it to happen, just in case." She turned her head with a smile, noting he didn't try anything. "You're the son of a man who saved everyone and gave birth to peace. But, that very man may well end this world. Is that something you're prepared to allow?" She shook her head, turning to him. "At the very least, it looks like I can trust you...to an extent."

Isami lay back, staring at the ceiling. "Are we done here?"

She nodded, preparing to leave. "Our nation and armies are massive. The One for All can only control so much. You WILL start a war if you attempt to cross our borders. That being said, if you manage to quell any fakers and defectors, we won't complain." She lifted her hand. "Two years, Uzumaki Isami. I can tell you knew the original plan. If nothing happens in two years, there can only be peace…or war." Isami jumped back up at the statement, making her smirk. "Release!"

Isami looked over to Asumaru, who stared at him with a bland expression. "You didn't have to give up, you know."

Isami rubbed his chin. "Hey, hold that thought." He used his byakugan, returning to the sight where the four stood. Isami saw as her chakra diminished to near nothing. Isami's eyes jolted. What the? I didn't think I was right. He observed the girl that traveled with them. Isami grinned. "Hold down the fort for me."

Asumaru twitched his eyebrow. "What?" In a flash, Isami was gone, making Aumaru lean back. "What an idiot. That's a banned move…"

OoOo

Noriko had dropped her rouse, being far enough away to not be detected. Suddenly, a whoosh sound came from her sword, making the group spin around. Noriko let out a sweat. "Isami!"

Daisuke ran and hid behind Osumu, who clinched his fist. "Looks like you came to the wrong…place…on time!"

Luna gasped out, lifting her hand. "Stop."

Isami turned his attention to Noriko. "I don't know what you're plan is, but if you do betray the leaf, there's going to be consequences."

Noriko let out a heavy sweat, too nervous to talk. Luna rose up, stepping forward. "I've underestimated you, Isami. However, you need to leave. Now."

Isami shook his head. "I just needed to be sure it really was you." He took her sword, dissolving the seal. "There. Now I have no way of reaching you." Isami gave Noriko a final glare before he looked Luna in the eyes. "I know about the One for Words, thanks to you. I'm not scared…in fact." Isami pulled out his stat card and threw it at Luna. It simply bounced off her onto the ground. "I know you're the One for All's daughter." The entire group froze in shock, but Isami continued. "I dare say you're in some way related to the Uzumaki's." Luna couldn't budge at his perception. Isami smirked looking at Noriko. "You may not have guessed it, but your mother was an Uzumaki. You can do the math on that one."

Noriko twitched, looking at her hands. "Mother was…"

Isami pointed back to Luna. "You guys aren't my enemies yet. Although…" He narrowed his eyes. "What are your intentions surrounding my sister?"

Osumu grunted as Luna continued to hold him back. "Yuuki is…was important to us." She locked eyes with him. "As were you. There's way more land in this world than you 'great' ninja villages care for." She crossed her arms. "I can't speak for the One for All, but he will not allow Yuuki to come to harm at the hands of Guden." She pointed her finger at him. "That might change if you don't take my advice and leave immediately."

Isami spit to the side, making a hand seal. "You'll see. I've heard of clans who can envision the future. It's not a full picture, and even still, it can be wrong."

Luna stuck her hand up. "One last thing." She looked at Osumu, who nodded back to her. "Even as the days of peace begin to burn…"

Osumu returned the hand rise, continuing. "At our darkest day, the golden sun returns!"

Isami kept a still face, chuckling slightly. "Lame."

She flushed in embarrassment, explaining the phrase. "Idiot! Every posting has an official in Hell's Phoenix. If they cannot finish the phrase, or finish it in public, they are rouge or fakers."

Isami lifted an eyebrow. "So, it used to be something even more lame, huh?"

Luna threw a kunai at him. "Just die!"

Isami disappeared, leaving the group in silence. Noriko dipped her head. "I was careless."

Osumu grunted, picking up the stat card. "yeah, you were." He looked at it, dropping his demeanor. "Yo…it's…he's not…"

Luna took it from his hands, carefully observing it. "In our current state, he could have easily killed all of us." She clinched her fist. "We looked like fools yet again."

Noriko finally managed to regain her composure. "I don't fully know what the hell I'm tied up in, but if you ask me, you just gained a powerful truce."

Luna nodded, leaning back. "That man…if only we had managed to move in to recruit him five years ago."

-Hell's Phoenix HQ-

The One for All stomped his foot twice, continuing to look out the window. Fumio entered in a rush, panting. The leader closed his eyes. "Did you get in a fight with the paperwork again?"

Fumio stood, closing the door quickly. "It's Luna. Her first meeting with Isami went well."

The man turned to him, crossing his arms. "First?"

Fumio coughed, regaining his composure. "Yes, well…let me explain. The woman that was with Luna was actually Noriko. Isami had apparently already planted the FTG seal on it and used that to teleport to Luna when she was vulnerable."

The One for All felt his rage quickly build as he sat his hands on his desk. "Let me be clear: If you tell me exactly what I don't want to hear, there's going to be a lot of death."

Fumio poured sweat, changing his approach. "Luna and her group were completely untouched." He could feel the tension in the room almost vanish. The One for Words continued. "Anyways, Isami has somehow managed to deduce that Luna is your daughter."

The One for All paused, sitting in his chair. "Yet he still did nothing?"

Fumio nodded. "Yes. From what I gathered from the conversation, he was the most concerned about Yuuki. His FTG seal has been removed as well."

The one for all dropped his nerve and let out a breath of relief. "You actually scared me, Fumio." The lingering intent to kill still spread throughout the room in a chilling aura.

Fumio sweat out in response. "Forgive me, sir." He cleared his throat. "Luna also taught him our first-level pass-code. That could be extremely bad."

The One for All let out a rare smile as the intensity subsided. "You worry too much, Fumio. Admittedly, I was concerned as to how Isami would develop into as a man, but it looks like my worries were for nothing." He cleared his throat. "Be sure to keep our teams vigilant on the border." The leader sat up straight with a serious face. "We are not to proceed against any forces led by Isami within one year unless he sets foot in our territory. That's an order. I will not have us being the ones fulfilling the prophecy."

Fumio dipped his head once more. "Sir!"

After he left, the One for All plopped his feet up on his desk. "So far, the Leaf is moving in as pure defense. Perhaps she was wrong about you, Naruto." Memories of the mysterious woman clouded his mind as he closed his eyes in deep thought.

-Konoha's night out-

"Are you two done yet?" Kobi leaned back, looking at the time. His face dead-panned. Girls take so much time…

"Alright Kobi, what do you think?" The teen's eyes shot open, seeing an older Tsumi in a short, floral sundress with short shorts on, a great pair of heels, and a pair of sunglasses on. She placed her fingers on the side of the glasses, leaning in. Kobi about fell out of the seat.

Shikamira laughed from behind, wearing a simple, yet elegant sheath dress with complimentary heels. "I told you he'd get blown away."

Tsumi laughed, lifting her glasses. "It's true. He didn't even know who we were disguised as adults!"

Kobi regained some of his composure, laughing nervously. "Holy hell…You two look incredible! I'd never think twice about you being old enough!"

Tsumi smiled, pointing over to the men's clothing store. "Well? The bar's set pretty high; don't disappoint us."

Kobi grinned in a somewhat uncharacteristic confidence, making his way into the store. Shikamira leaned in. "You think he's gonna be passable?"

Tsumi nodded. "I think he'll manage a good enough sense of style. Besides, if he's really Kochi's brother, he'll be able to pull it together."

OoOo

The girls rested on the bench, both looking bored. "Hey, how long do men usually take to get ready?"

Tsumi looked at the time. "About twice as fast by now…"

The two sighed. Men...

A man walked up to them, rubbing his head. "Hey, sorry I'm late."

Tsumi and Shikamira blushed, seeing the sharp dressed man. His hair was short on the side with a soft gel sticking his hair up. He wore a breathable V-neck under an open jacket, both of which were well fitted. His jeans fit just as well, matching the outfit with a nice, complimentary pair of shoes on. He wore a silver watch on his left hand and a simple necklace. The stubble facial hair was well groomed and showed a lot of maturity. His eyes met Tsumi's, making her blush and avert eye contact.

Shikamira pulled her aside, whispering. "Th-this is a good test! We don't want to ask suspicious."

Tsumi nodded. "You're right. Do your best!"

Shikamira reddened slightly, dismissing her. "He talked to you first. You do it!" With a well calculated shove, Tsumi was forced back into the conversation.

She finally spoke up. "Can…I help you with something?"

The man broke character, stuttering slightly. "Oh…Oh! You didn't know it was me?"

Shikamira caught Tsumi, who practically passed out. Shikamira grew bashful as well. "Damn it, Kobi…You really out-did yourself. I'd have expected to see something more along the lines of your father."

Kobi scratched his head. "Well, my sister used to use me a lot so she could help guys out with their style, so it just sorta rubs off, ya know?"

Tsumi regained composure. "Kobi! How are you going to react when someone makes a move on you?"

Kobi thought for a minute, looking around to make sure no one was looking and stared her in the eyes. Suddenly, Kobi cleared his throat. He leaned in, seemingly followed by a whimsical aura. "Thank you for your interest, really." He spoke in a soft, sincere voice. "I'm sorry, but I have a girlfriend already."

Tsumi blushed again, cursing under her breath. She huddled with Shikamira. "What do you think?"

She nodded her head. "That was well executed. It minimizes the rejection factor, addressing both the feeling portion and the confidence it takes to talk about that kind of stuff." Tsumi gave Shikamira a questioning look, prompting her to explain. "I've read a great deal of romance novels...purely for the research aspect." She peeked up at him, making him twitch nervously. "I didn't think a guy like him had such impressive skills."

Tsumi nodded, returning him a satisfied face. "Kobi, you turned out to be a natural at this! Where was that magic when we first met?"

He rubbed his head nervously. "Like I said, my sister insisted on me learning everything she knew about social intelligence. I'd sooner have died trying smooth talk around Takeshi and the other guys though." Kobi put on a genuine smile. "It's embarrassing, but I really like this kind of stuff now. Too bad it's not as useful in the ninja world."

Tsumi smiled, putting her sunglasses back on. "Alright! Now we just have to meet up with their group coincidentally. If anyone asks, we're from the lightning village here to check out the tournament."

Shikamira fiddled around with some cards. She channeled chakra in them before handing them to everyone. "Alright. I'm going by Mairu, Kobi is going by Oburi, and Tsumi is going by Tamiru." The group looked confused, looking over the I.D.s. She crossed her arms. "If we're going by lightning names, these are pretty believable. Even if we're called out, ninjas use fake names all the time, so it's not exactly suspicious."

All of them were listed at jonin and twenty two years old. Kobi pocketed it in his new wallet. "Alright! This is actually pretty fun already!"

Tsumi nodded. "Just remember; say anything confidently enough and no one will think twice."

Shikamira sighed. "I just can't help but feel the other teams are actually having a rough time while we mess around though." She looked up, seeing her group already leaving. She started to follow. "Screw it."

-Meeting Place-

Zente and Nia picked at their clothes, slightly embarrassed. Nia was hesitant about wearing her sleeveless dress, but was attracting a lot of attention with it from the guys. Zente had a conservative style to his, but everything fit well and he still managed to bring in passing looks. Karui and Kochi slapped hands with each other, both proud of their work.

Zente scratched his head, not used to gel being in it. "Man, even if you say we look good, it doesn't change how awkward I feel."

Kochi waved him off. "Nonsense! You just need someone to confirm it."

Zente let out a sweat. "I don't want someone to 'confirm it!'" It seemed to fall on deaf ears as the man grunted. "Is it too late to just train instead..."

Kochi scanned her surroundings, noticing a well-dressed group of three laughing casually. "Give me a minute." Kochi made her way over to them, out of ear-shot of her group. "Oi! You three! You look great, almost like celebrities!"

Kobi turned to her, tensed up slightly. Calm down, this was bound to happen. He smirked confidently. "Hey, not so bad yourself." He tilted his head, seeing her group. "You look like you could help us out. Any good places around here?"

Kochi grinned, looking at Tsumi. "I'm guessing you're not from around here?"

Tsumi lifted her glasses with a wink. "I've only been to the leaf when I was younger and on a mission." She wrapped her hands around Shikamira and Kobi. "We're from Kumo. It's nice to finally be here on our off time!"

Kochi shifted her gaze to Shikamira innocently. "Ah, so you're ninjas, huh?" She waved to her group. "See them over there?" She looked back to them. "They're all ninja from the Village of Rivers. I'm from the leaf, trying to show them a good time. You three should join us! I'll be the ambassador of the night life!"

Shikamira nodded her head. "These two have no manners…" She pointed to herself. "I'm Mairu." Using her cue, the others followed suit.

Tsumi smirked confidently. "I'm Tamiru!"

Kobi reached out his hand. "I'm Oburi."

Kochi nodded enthusiastically. "Great, you three are really good."

Shikamira and Tsumi opened their eyes slightly as Kobi laughed. "Yeah, I knew you knew right away, Kochi."

The girls jumped in shock at Kobi, but Kochi inspected his work thoroughly. She gave him a hug around the neck. "Kobi! You did so well!" She pulled off, putting her hands on her hips. Kobi grunted, feeling a little embarrassed about his sister's compliments. "And here I thought you'd never get a chance to party with me." Kochi gave the others a thumb up as well. "Seriously, Tsumi and Shikamira with you to? Never thought I'd see the day a Nara would go without getting dragged out."

Shikamira sighed in relief. "I figured you'd react so carefree. Are we that noticeable?"

Kochi waved her hand. "Not even close! I could only tell because I've used Kobi so many times for stuff like this." She gave the air a good wiff. "You three even managed to properly mask your scent and had confidence!"

Kobi laughed, rubbing his head. "It's still hard to do, since we're in taller bodies. I hope I'm gonna be this tall in a couple years!" Kobi gave another look to her group. "Karui seems pretty comfortable, but Zente looks a bit nervous and Nia is looking really self-conscious." He crossed his arms. "You planning on bringing them to a pre-game to loosen them up?" He glanced over to Shikamira with a smile. "You could probably use a little bit too."

Shikamira blushed, looking away. Kochi clapped in excitement. "We should go out all the time Kobi! You're good at this already!"

He waved nervously. "Hey, it may not have bothered you, but I'm underage. None of us plan on getting carried away, alright? Besides, I'm not going to trade my promises for a life of partying."

Kochi waved him off. "Alright, alright." She put her hands on her hips, smiling widely once again. "Well? Shall we see how you fare with breaking the ice? This is now me officially testing you three as my would-be students!"

Kobi looked to Tsumi and both nodded. "You go ahead; we'll catch up to you in a minute. That makes it look like we're thinking about your offer."

Kochi signaled ok, going back to her group. Kobi crossed his arms, looking at the two. "So, do you two know what to do in this situation?" Tsumi laughed happily, seeing Kobi lead. He pulled back. "Huh? What's so funny?"

Tsumi pointed at him with a smile. "You haven't realized it? Not once have you said 'man', and you've got us looking to you for advice. I never would have seen it coming based on your initial reaction to this!"

Shikamira nodded. "Indeed. You will make a fine player at this rate. You've earned my respect."

Kobi shook his hands. "No, you've got it wrong. If we weren't ninja, this would be normal stuff, you know?" He shook his head. "Aside from the player part...I would never do that..." Kobi returned his focus. "Let's just humor Kochi, I haven't seen her this excited in a long time." Kobi closed his eyes. "We need to rehearse ever so slightly before we go over there." His gaze turned to Tsumi. "It's no coincidence that we match relatively well. We'll be instantly recognizable as a couple when we're near each other." Tsumi blushed, making Kobi pull up a bit. "Unless, you know, you don't want that!"

Tsumi shook her head no, still flushed. "It's fine, we've just...never formally committed to it, that's all."

Kobi laughed nervously, looking to Shikamira. "Obviously, that makes you single and a good friend of Tsumi, or 'Tamiru'." Shikamira nodded as Kobi gave a thumb up to Kochi. "So, in short, I have roles for us. My job as the lone male is going to be complimenting the self-conscious girl as casually as possible, Tsumi's job is to assume Zente and Karui are dating, and Shikamira's job is to calm Zente down if he gets flustered in response." Kobi pulled back with a nod. "With that in mind, don't really try being fake. You'll probably already know what to do after a short while."

They began heading over. Kobi wrapped his arm around Tsumi's shoulder and she responded by wrapping her hand around his waist. Shikamira followed in a slight pace behind Tsumi. Kobi spoke up. "Yo, sorry we took so long." He pointed to himself. "I'm Oburi." He followed down the line. "This is Tamiru, and that's Marui. We're lightning jonin." He grinned warmly. "It's nice to meet you!"

Karui spoke up. "Kochi told us she had high hopes you'd join us!" She pointed to herself. "I'm Karui, this is Zente, and that's Nia. We're both still chunin, but she's jonin." Karui bowed. "It's nice to meet you to!" She smiled politely. "You two make an amazing couple!"

Tsumi smiled brightly. "Thank you!" She gave Zente and Karui and look between. "Are you two a couple as well?"

Karui and Zente flushed, looking at each other before looking away. Karui waved her hands frantically, speaking quietly. "N-no! We're just good friends, alright? S-seriously, he's too hopeless for girls." The woman laughed nervously.

Tsumi blushed, apologizing. "I'm so sorry. You two just looked so good together." Tsumi pulled away, talking with Karui more.

Kobi scratched his head. "Man, that girl…"

Shikamira sighed. "Don't worry, I'll apologize to Zente."

Kobi continued to scratch his head, pretending to just then notice Nia. He put on a wide grin. "I'm sorry about my girlfriend; she likes to say what's on her mind." Kobi extended his hand. "You're Nia, right?"

The girl nodded her head nervously, finally shaking his hand. "Y-yes. I'm only here to make sure those two don't get into any trouble."

Kobi smiled even more as he released her hand. "I'm glad to hear it! Someone needs to keep a level head, right?" Nia loosened up, nodding in agreement. Kobi nodded back. "Don't forget to have a little fun with it, alright? You look beautiful in that dress, so just relax and enjoy some small talk, kay?"

Nia blushed, glinting a smile before returning to her serious demeanor. "I'm not one for small talk. All I care about is getting these two home and back in the training mindset." Kobi laughed loudly, making her frown. "What?"

Kobi wiped his eyes. "It's nothing." He looked her in the eyes with a smile. "It's just…I used to think the exact same way." He crossed his arms behind his head, looking off to the side. "Treating outings like missions, trying so hard not to make a bad impression on people…" Kobi turned away, looking towards Tsumi. "Then, one day, I just said 'to hell with it' and lightened up for what I swore was a day." Well, let's hope I'm not foreshadowing here. Kobi looked to her as she intently listened. "The next month, I was able to train almost twice as hard with intense focus. I was just over-taxing my brain when I could have been giving it a break!" I say bull-shitting through my teeth...

Nia's jaw dropped, looking away unsure. "Didn't you worry about running into trouble?"

Kobi rubbed his head. "To be honest, I did as an afterthought." He crossed his arms. "But then I really did run into a misunderstanding. Since I'm so diligent in my training, I was able to automatically react to the situation and get right back into the good time." He winked, pointing at himself. "People like us; we're one of the best people to have around!"

Nia blushed. "Oburi, right?" Kobi made an inquisitive sound. The woman smiled warmly, bowing slightly. "Thanks for talking to me. I'll do my best!"

Kobi chuckled, giving her a thumb up. "Anytime, Nia. You'll do great!" For a moment, I almost forgot how terrifying she was. Hopefully she doesn't find a reason to get angry...

Kochi grabbed Kobi, walking away from the group casually. She smiled wildly. "Oh. my. God. Kobi! You've already managed to shave off, like, ninety percent of my workload! You passed my first test! Trust me, after tonight, I'm going to help you three master the art of both Ninjutsu and Fun-jutsu." She beamed up with laughter. "And the set-up between Karui and Zente, with the follow through! Nice!"

Kobi laughed, enjoying himself more. "Yeah, I can't believe how well that went. I was worried Nia might try to close herself off more, but I guess I pulled it off."

Kochi gave him a rub on the back. "Something tells me tonight's going to be super fun!"

Kobi waved her off of him with a smile. "Alright, sounds good, Kochi."

Tsumi and Karui came back with a snicker and Zente managed to keep a cool face with Shikamira helping with logic. Kochi came up, standing next to Nia and Kobi. "Alright, I'd say that's enough mingling. We're going to start out nice and simple and see where it goes from there."

Nia rubbed her arm, looking away. "Well, I suppose we did go through the hassle of dressing up, so we better not waste the effort."

Zente's eyes shot open, but Shikamira nudged him. He pulled it together, laughing nervously. "You're right. It'll be nice to relax for a little bit!"

"Woohoo!" Tsumi ran over, wrapping her arms around Kobi, who laughed at her excitement. "Let's get going while the going's good!"

-Land of lightning border-

Hitomi stretched out, looking over her team. With the exception of the destroyed village, the trip had been peaceful. She put her hands on her hips. "Alright, looks like we'll make it to Kumo by mid-day!"

Datsu pumped his fist. "That means we can start some REAL training soon!"

Inora sighed. "After a good bath, you mean."

Datsu tilted his head. "What's the point of bathing just to get sweaty and have to bath again?"

Akiko shook her head. "Give it up, Datsu. You're out gunned five-to-one on this one."

The group shared in laughter as they continued into a slightly cooler tundra. Hitomi felt the breeze, breaking into a serious face. Hotaru nodded to her. With a flash of her sharingan, Hitomi got into a combative stance. "Everybody, get ready!"

Within a second, the four young ninja put their backs to each other as Hotaru covered Hitomi's back-side. A certain familiar silence sank in over Akiko, who cursed not having her byakugan. No…I have these three at my back. We can take whoever shows themselves.

"Not bad, not bad!" A tall, dark clad man with spiky black hair approached with a fake clap. "You're the group that left Konoha, no?"

A thick, dark mist came over the area. The visible range fell to around ten feet, making Hitomi sweat. "Don't get full of yourself. I don't care who you are, we will kill you."

The man laughed, placing a hand on his face. "Where are my manners…" He swung his hand and immediately, several dark clad ninja began to attack. Hitomi and Hotaru were forced back a ways as the skilled ninja maintained their assault. The man drew out two swords, laughing manically. "We are the Carnage!"

Hitomi scoffed, landing a kick on one of the attackers and blasting the other away with a powerful punch. "Akiko, take charge! We're splitting off! They're not as tough as they look."

Hotaru dipped to duck a double team, but strong water jutsu caught her blind spot, sending her crashing into Hitomi and carrying them away.

The man scoffed calling out. "Enough. Two of you with me, the others will take out those kids."

The two appeared before him, bowing respectfully. "Sainan sir, are you certain we need eight people to handle those four?" His eyes jolted, feeling the sting of his blade against his throat.

"I don't really need help. Go ahead, speak one more time." The man backed off and they disappeared towards the jonin.

-Akiko's fight-

"Umpf!" Lili bounced back as the group returned to formation. Akiko faced the north, where Hitomi and Hotaru had headed. At her right was Datsu, facing south was Inora, and to Akiko's left, Lili had taken in a deep breath. The mist grew less dense, able to see about twenty feet. Lili turned her head slightly as silence returned. "Any bright ideas?"

Akiko held her chakra blade in one hand, countering a fire jutsu with her left hand. "Hahonryuu!" She turned her head back. "I'm working on it. There's eight of them and they're all very skilled in assassination-style combat. We can't be heroes here."

Inora and Datsu swiftly switched spots; Inora blocking a lightning jutsu with a wind jutsu and Datsu smashing an earth jutsu to pieces. Inora, now to Akiko's right, spoke quietly. "That mist got softer when that man got further away. Don't get worked up, I'm willing to bet the byakugan wouldn't have even see through this."

Datsu launched out a few water vortexes himself. "We have to do something; I can't get an opening to use any of my good jutsu." He cursed, talking quieter. "They're just testing us, trying to find our weaknesses."

Akiko slammed her sword in the ground, channeling lightning through it to stop any underground attacks. "Lili!" Yuuki spun to her left, planting a fist on the attackers cheek as Lili slid over to kick one of the assailant away. They stood still, as Lili picked up the blade. "Inora's right; Our only chance right now is to head south." Akiko put her left hand on Datsu side. "When I give the signal, create a barrier for us with shadow clones with protection on both sides. Then, we'll make a break for it."

Inora gritted her teeth. "What if they break off towards Hitomi and Hotaru at that point?"

Akiko accepted her sword back from Lili. "Then we'll be able to get some prep work done and end it. We have to be quick in that case." After a quiet moment of the enemies regrouping, she tinged her blade.

"Kage Bunshi no Jutsu!" Akiko and Inora countered multiple jutsu as Lili blasted the backside with a water vortex jutsu. The clones broke out and the group charged forward. Inora let out her butterfly form and lead the pack.

One ninja jumped in front with a sword pointed, but she just dipped under it at the last chance and blasted up through his stomach, hearing a crack. The man flew far out of sight and the mist shortly became much weaker. "One down!"

Now with a clearance of about fifty feet, the remaining seven had no choice but to show themselves. They formed an arcing line to prevent the group from assisting Hitomi. Akiko scowled, preparing herself. "Enough of this. Just who are you people?"

The group simultaneously dipped down. "We are the Carnage."

"Get down!" A man's voice came from behind them, forcing them all to take cover. His arms punched forward, launching massive chunks of earth aimed oddly behind the targets.

They felt wind sweep past them. "Disappear." Suddenly, a group of explosions wreaked havoc, but it was surely in front of the arc of seven.

Now in a swift dash, a girl appeared, clasping her hands. "Shining river!" A massive line of electricity burst through the area, leaving a quietness to settle in. The girl slouched down.

The two approached her, kneeling down. The taller male smiled. "Good work, Yuuhi!"

Akiko looked between her group before looking back. "Reinforcements?"

The shorter, dark-haired male turned to her with a stoic face. "We're helping."

The other male jumped up, punching him in the arm. "Obviously, Kokuten!" He turned to Akiko. "Well, my name is Ryoku, since everyone else has been introduced."

Akiko put a hand-seal together, shocking the boy. "Kage bunshin no jutsu!" A clone appeared behind Ryoku to shield him from the attacking ninja. Lili had swiftly closed in as the ninja staggered, planting a strong kick to the chin to send him off his feet. After that, Datsu closed in a landed a powerful uppercut in the ninja's back, launching him high in the air. After that, Inora used her powerful butterfly chakra to meet the foe high in the air, blasting him well passed the fifty foot clearing. The group reformed in front of the new faces. "Thanks for the help, but try not to drop your guard."

Kokuten sweat, looking out to try and find the remaining forces. "You've got to be kidding me."

Yuuhi looked around the group that protected her, dipping her head as she stood. "Sorry guys, I thought for sure I put enough into that."

Akiko smirked scanning over the area. "It seems to have worked well though. Their hiding again."

-Hitomi fights Sainan-

Hitomi parried as much as possible with a kunai as the man bared down on her. His Kenjutsu is amazing. If it weren't for the sharingan…At once, a loud explosion rang out from Hotaru's direction, followed by male screams. The man scoffed. "Useless fools. Though, that just speaks for your skills."

Hitomi pulled back as Hotaru stood next to her. She gritted her teeth. "You can drop the act. I know you're working for Guden." She smacked her arm, revealing a fine blade. "I'll give you one more chance to answer; who are you?"

The man let out a chuckle before laughing once more, dropping both of his swords. "You think I'm even being serious?" He laughed out once more. Hotaru and Hitomi took the opening, weaving in quickly to take him out. To their surprise, he allowed Hotaru to stab his right side and Hitomi to stab through his chest. With his clinched fist now around the sword hilt, the other arm bashed both of them away. Hitomi was able to spin off some of the impact, but Hotaru was down for the count. "I guess I wasn't clear." He pulled out her sword, throwing it at Hotaru. Hitomi knocked it away with a kunai. The man picked both of his swords back up, pumping insane amounts of fire through both of them. "I am Sainan! I am Carnage!"

In the distance, a massive sound rang out, followed by a brilliant flash of lightning. The man scoffed. "Useless." He turned back towards Hitomi. "Very well then. We'll have to finish another time. None of you trash are my target anyways." The man faded into the darkness, shouting out. "Any of you scum still alive, fall back! We're done here!"

Hitomi clenched her fist, looking over to Hotaru. "We still aren't there yet…what are these people?"

OoOo

The dark mist slowly dissipated, leaving just the peaceful tundra left. Akiko looked around, finally dropping down with the rest of her group. "You all did great."

Datsu and Inora looked tired, but they pounded fist to celebrate. Lili leaned an arm on Akiko resting her head. "God…that was a lot of shit."

Akiko laughed, looking up to the group of three. "Ryoku, Yuuhi, and Kokuten, right?" They each nodded. Akiko grinned. "You really helped us out there! We were on the ropes for way too long there."

Ryoku rubbed is nose. "Well…you know. Couldn't just sit back and watch, huh?"

Yuuhi bowed politely. "I'm sorry we tried to look so cool on the entry there. Ryoku just got too excited."

The shorter darker looking Kokuten scratched his head. "We've trained for a long time, but we've never been in an actual do-or-die fight before. Honestly, I'm surprised we weren't killed."

Ryoku turned to him. "Have more confidence! This is the only way to gain experience fighting these people!"

Akiko stood with a skeptical look on her face. "You really might have died, you know?"

Ryoku dipped his head in shame. "I can't believe I was so careless…"

Yuuhi jumped up, softly chuckling while patting his head. "I'm sorry he's so hopeless when he tries to look cool..."

Ryoku pushed her off. "Knock it off, you airhead."

Akiko crossed her arms. "You're from Hell's Phoenix, aren't you?"

The group behind her jumped up, clearly ready for confrontation. Ryoku pulled back slightly in fear, but Kokuten stepped in front. "That's right. We were ordered to help escort your group to Kumo. What about it?"

Akiko signaled the other three to stand down. "I'm guessing you're not 100% familiar with your employer yet then, huh?"

Yuuhi tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Akiko shook her head. "It's nothing. We're still putting the pieces together ourselves." She looked Ryoku in the eyes. "What's the purpose of your group?"

Ryoku scratched his head. "Look, I don't really get it. We're from a small town. Hell's Phoenix reached out to us, allowed us to train, and we carry out your standard missions just the same as you guys."

Akiko rubbed her chin. "And is there an important detail you haven't mentioned?"

Kokuten sighed. "The only thing that's different is we're supposed to monitor threats." He pointed to the no named ninja that Inora took out. "People like that used to be forces of the old Hell's Phoenix, from what I gather. I've read up on them, and various other groups."

A fire ball erupted to the sky, silencing the group. Akiko looked to her group. "I figured someone from hell's phoenix would show. I trust them." She looked to the group, shifting her head towards the fireball. "Come on. Hitomi and Hotaru will want to hear this."

OoOo

Hotaru came to, shaking her head. "Damn it." Hitomi helped her to a seated position. She glanced around. "Did you take them on yourself?"

Hitomi shook her head. "Before he came at me, a chain assault of jutsu in the distance forced him to retreat." She looked down. "With that dark mist, I don't know that I'd have been able to beat him."

Hotaru looked down. "Sorry I got in the way there."

Hitomi shook her head. "It's not like I didn't get caught off guard either. Without the sharingan, we'd both be dead." Hotaru looked over her shoulder, seeing Akiko and the others arrive. Hitomi smirked looking over to them. "I'm glad you're all in good health. I knew you could hold out." She noted the three others. "Who's your friends?"

Akiko allowed Ryoku to speak up. "We are newer members of Hell's Phoenix sent to escort your group to Kumo. It was anticipated that you might face strong resistance from rouge members."

Hitomi stood up, crossing her arms. "So, you three were responsible for that flashy trick in the distance, huh?" She dipped her head, before resting her eyes on them with a smirk. "I hate to give Hell's Phoenix any credit, but you saved our groups life probably."

Datsu spoke out, pumping his fist. "What are you talking about? You could have taken that guy, right?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so. My sharingan couldn't see through that thick, dark mist. He was extremely powerful."

Kokuten sighed. "I'm surprised you all lived as long as you did; those guys were the Carnage."

Hitomi dead-panned. "Yeah, I know. They said it, like, a million times."

He shook his head. "Let me be more clear: In Guden's group, there is a group of ten jonin level fighters lead by a man known as Sainan. They were known to be ruthless in battle, but were strikingly diligent at following orders, like they were in Old Hell's Phoenix." Hitomi narrowed her eyes, listening. "In Hell's Phoenix, he was the One for Carnage. Now, he just calls himself Carnage."

Hotaru flopped her hand around. "Laaame."

Hitomi ignored her, focusing on him. "And who's Hell's Phoenix's One for Carnage now?"

Yuuhi raised her hands. "Umm…we're basically lost on that kind of stuff. They just want us to know and steer clear of these rouge members and report sightings." She tilted her head. "Our group isn't bad, are they?"

Hitomi looked to Akiko who shrugged, sighing herself. "I have no clue…" She pointed to the two corpses behind her. "However, at the very least, Guden and his group are."

Inora pumped her fist. "Hey, I took out one of them to!" She counted on her hand. "They took out two or three of them with their combination…and who knows where that last one ended up."

Ryoku rubbed his head. "Well, I'm surprised we could damage the Carnage to that extent, but it doesn't matter as long as Sainan is still alive. Let's just hope their siblings don't manage to reform."

Hitomi sighed. "Of course he has siblings."

Kokuten nodded. "There are three groups: The Carnage, The Savage, and the Calamity. Each of them has their own way of fighting, but I'd say The Savage is the most dangerous." He shrugged. "I've only heard, rumors anyways. That's pretty much all the information we have on the Ex-Members."

Hitomi nodded, looking at the sun. "What are your plans? We'll make it to the lightning village in a matter of hours."

Ryoku rubbed his head. "Well…" He looked between his group. "If you guys were able to hold your own against The Carnage, I doubt much else is going to happen. We'll be on our way."

Akiko nodded, extending her hand. "I've got a lot of bad experiences with people who have associated with Hell's Phoenix. Thanks for helping and showing us who the real threat is."

Ryoku grinned, accepting her hand shake. "If you guys are ever around the area, try and find us. We'll help out however we can."

Akiko nodded. "Like-wise. If you are in any trouble, come find one of us in Kumo." She stepped back. "I'm Akiko." She continued down the line. "That's Lili, Datsu, Inora, Hitomi, and Hotaru."

The three nodded, waving them off before returning the opposite direction. Hitomi rested her arm on Akiko's shoulder. "You sure you should have told them everyone's names?"

Akiko shrugged her shoulders, crossing her arms. "The One for Words obviously knows who we are. That means the One for All knew as well. On top of that, they made no move to recruit, and saved our hides. They aren't our threat…yet anyways."

-Outside the Village of Ame-

Another day had passed, and Team Isami had slowed pace, making sure to get a thorough scout of the area around the borders. Isami had taken Takeshi and Asumaru to take the night watch patrol. During this time, Isami spoke of what happened to Iwa and his encounter with Luna.

Takeshi crossed his arms behind his head. "Man, I can't believe a great nation can vanish…just like that."

Isami yawned, glancing around. "No kidding. I didn't really think Hell's Phoenix would help the refugees either."

Asumaru grimaced. "You still shouldn't have gone and done something reckless like that though. How did you even get the FTG seal near Luna anyways?" The man looked sternly at Isami.

Isami rubbed his head. "It was reckless, huh?" Takeshi shifted his eyes over to him. The man took another long check around before smirking. "I can't believe how much I could read Luna like an open book."

Takeshi irked slightly. "How could you possibly guess if she's an Uzumaki or not though?"

Isami scratched his cheek. "Well…she had a ton of chakra, and it seemed sorta familiar." He crossed his arms. "You know, under her makeup, I think she had a slight resemblance to my sisters. Closer to some of dad's features, like Tsumi."

Asumaru sighed. "Are you gonna answer how you even got to them?"

Isami made a mocking face to mimic his friend. "Fine, just because I know you won't let it go." Isami looked over to Takeshi. "Noriko was with them."

Takeshi narrowed his eyes, looking away. "That idiot…what is she up to?"

Isami tilted his head. "Honestly? I thought you'd be more shocked."

Takeshi shook his head. "It's something A-" Asumaru muffled Takeshi's mouth.

"Now that I think about it, don't use her name so much." He looked towards Isami. "Seems like this guy is pretty good at tracking names in particular. If they notice us all talking about someone supposedly from Kumo so much when we really shouldn't have a reason to, it'll raise a flag."

Isami shook his head after he let go of Takeshi. "He's right, you know? Can't have them figuring it out…especially if they have someone near as good on Guden's side."

Takeshi shrugged, walking ahead. "Whatever. Something she said made me feel like she understood what Noriko was doing. Like I said to her; if her reason gets lost, I'll just beat it back into her."

Isami nodded. "Fair enough." He squinted, activating his byakugan. He placed a hand on Asumaru's shoulder. "Head back to camp, would ya?"

Asumaru nodded, taking off. The night was hot. The wind blew through as Takeshi and Isami stood side-by-side. "Nice day for a good fight, no?"

Takeshi sweat slightly. "How many are there?"

Isami pointed. "Just the one here." He pointed in the air, counting. "And the twenty back there."

A massive man stepped forward, locking eyes with Isami. His hair was black and wildly un kempt. He must have been over seven feet tall, absolutely ripped with muscle. "Isami the invincible, huh?"

Isami smirked, scratching his head. "Well, if it isn't you, old so-and-so. How you been." He locked eyes with the man, crouching down. "Nice camouflage techniques you got."

The man started laughing. At first, it started as chuckles, but after sometime, he was cackling like a mad man. Between this, the two could feel a psychotic rage building. "I…Am…Savage!" He slowly began advancing towards them.

Takeshi flashed in front of the man's charge, getting a strong combo off before kneeing him in the face and sending him flying. "Big deal." The man appeared to be defeated at first glance, but began to stand up, laughing harder.

Isami squinted his eyes. "Quite durable, isn't he?"

Takeshi pulled back, getting ready. "His…chakra is moving faster now…"

Isami twitched, looking back towards the camp to see a similar reaction. "Takeshi…I'm going to make sure none escape. I'll leave him to you for now."

Takeshi turned his head, slightly annoyed. "Oh yeah, leave this crazed maniac to me. Asshole."

"Kill!" The man charged Takeshi, who weaved around his attack. He pulled a kunai and attempted to go for the kill, but the entire thing broke before piercing deeply into his skin. The Uchiha ducked a swing, kicking off his face to get airborne. He prepared a jutsu, but was caught off-guard by his burst of speed. Takeshi was choke slammed through a few trees before getting tossed like a ragdoll. The man pumped both of his fist, looking up in an insane laugh. "Savage!"

Not more than a few seconds later, Takeshi had made his way to his feet, stretching out his arm. "Not bad…for a weakling."

-At the camp-

Nezero unloaded combo after combo against the ninjas, but they just kept getting back up, more fierce each time. He rubbed his head frantically. "What are these guys, freaks? Do they enjoy pain or something?"

Vin kick his opponent in the face, turning it into a grab around the neck and threw him into another who was attacking Nezero's blind spot. "That's the last thing I want to hear from you!"

Kankiri used her spider puppet to pin a few down and spray them with her poison gas. Before long, one of them broke off, able to destroy the puppet. She pulled back. "Damn."

Tegun jumped in front, jabbing the opponent away. He looked back to her. "Good work! Looks like that poison worked faster than expected on them. Three down over here!"

Nagi weaved in and out with Hoshido, protecting him as he planted a line of tags on them. Finally, Hoshido jumped back, clapping his hands together to produce a gas that burned there eyes. "Go for it."

Nagi summoned a belt of tools, weaving in and out from their blind swing and began pelting his marks. At his back, he noted an enemy attack, crouching down. "Heavenly spin: Auger!" The powerful jutsu blasted the foe away as Nagi recovered. "Seven down over here!"

Asumaru arrived, smirking. He put on a pair of trench knives and lit a cigarette. "Don't count on taking any more of the fun, alright?"

-Takeshi's Fight-

The man stopped, grasping his head. "Gyahh! Kill!"

Takeshi's eye's widened more. "Incredible!" The man's chakra began building faster and stronger and the man became even more massive. Chakra leaked from his eyes and his mouth at this point. Before Takeshi could react, the man was on him, blasting him in the chest with his over-sized fist. Takeshi felt everyone of them. Holy shit! This guys getting way stronger! After getting launched another hundred feet away, Takeshi made a few hand seals. "Don't get cocky!" Electricity chirped around as he took off to meet the man. Takeshi dipped through, plunging his hand through the man's chest. "Chidori!" a massive burst of electricity rang out, finally stopping. Takeshi let the man fall, gasping for air. Takeshi himself struggled for air. He was so fast to...if not for the sharingan...

-At the camp-

Asumaru squared up five of them at once he grinned, looking between them all. "What a bother." They all charged at once, but he just used a flash bomb to quickly cover his escape towards the fire. With that, they had all become bound by his shadow. He took out his cigarette and tossed it to the fire. "Too bad for you guys." As if growing bored, he rubbed his head. "Ah, what the hell, how 'bout you just take care of them Isami."

Within a flash, blood began to pour out of all the remaining foes. Isami showed himself as they all fell. "I was worried they might actually take you down."

Asumaru laughed. "You kidding? They were almost too weak. I could have just walked them into the fire." He thought for a moment. "What was the point?"

Isami pointed towards Takeshi. "Every time one went down, they grew stronger, as if to feed off each others defeat. The main guy started siphoning away all of their chakra." Asumaru said nothing but nodded. Isami looked back to Takeshi. "That man became very strong when only half of these fools were taken out..." Isami glanced back Takeshi's way, and with a jolt, teleported away.

-Savage-

Takeshi went to leave when he heard the man rise once more. "URHAAAA! I…AM…SAVAGE!"

Takeshi jolted his body back bracing himself from the debris. "W-What the hell!" By now the chakra that had swelled in him was being pumped out in a massive, sustained flow. It just keeps coming!

Suddenly, it stopped pumping out, and even had been pulling in. The force started to become so great, even Takeshi was getting drawn in. "DIEEE!"

Chunks of Earth began to fly in, but just as Takeshi lost his footing, Isami showed up. "Not today."

-At the Camp-

Isami reappeared, jumping down. "Everyone! Get down, now!" As they did, a massive explosion detonated one kilometer away from their location, and debris were launched over the area. The light was bright, and seemed to and was enough to momentarily light up the night sky.

As everything cleared away, Isami sat up, looking around. Everyone was alright. With a foxy grin, Isami rubbed his head. "Soo, how was the nap?" They all shot eyes to him, making him laugh more. "That sure escalated quickly."

-End-

-A/N-

This chapter came later than expected, but I wanted to make sure I cleaned up a few details as I went. These rogue members of Hell's Phoenix are extremely powerful. Some are that way all around, others under certain conditions, but you'll find down the road that there is a lot more fight in this group than you thought.

It's almost sad...Only one chapter remains of part one of the Burning Leaves. This was a long chapter, but what can I say: I was having a blast ;P...I'll stop.