MASSIVE UPDATE: Hello all! As we finish the year off, I want to give an end of year present as well as some updates.

First: Haunted is now on AO3, and as I published on there, I made some edits. With me posting this chapter, I will also be updating the entire fic on this site to reflect those edits. You don't have to re-read, but I will just say that Midori's last name got changed. Old readers know why.

Second: With the new year, I have gotten and settled into a new job that I am very happy with. It is weird being out of college, as I have WAY more free time now that I'm not working part time after classes or worrying about homework. With that new time comes the will to write. So, I've challenged myself to get a new chapter out before the end of each month. So, FINALLY, there will be consistent uploading. I really want to hold myself to this.

Thank you all and please enjoy the newest chapter, with MANY more to come!

EDITS AS OF 12/30/2022

NOW:

"Lady Chiyo, do you know who this person is?" Kakashi asked grimly, his team gathered around the corpse.

All except Tsukiko, who'd excused herself for a brief moment to rest. She'd been on the verge of overusing her Kigen Gensogan, the strain in her expression telling. Privately, he suspected she needed a moment to gather herself emotionally. That fight had proven her ability, but he couldn't imagine the mental pain of facing Itachi. An icy anger crept over his heart, sorrow for the younger woman clashing with the urgent need to continue their mission.

"I do," the old woman confirmed with a slight nod. "His name is Yura, and he's a jounin from our own village."

"A Sand shinobi?" Naruto questioned, tilting his head.

"Poor fool," Lady Chiyo continued. "He went missing after Gaara was abducted, while the village was still in disarray."

"Is it possible that he was a spy for the Akatsuki?" Sakura asked, brow furrowed.

"No." Both old and young Chiyos spoke at the same time.

"He served on the council for four years," the Sand woman explained.

"I met him several times," the dark-haired girl added. "As an Ambassador, I'm trained to look for spies that infiltrate deep into the ranks of allied villages. He was extremely trustworthy."

"That may be true," Tsukiko agreed, walking over to the group briskly. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot, but her gaze warned against mentioning it. "This jutsu seems surprisingly similar to Orochimaru's Reanimation Jutsu. That calls for a human sacrifice to be the body for the summoned soul. It would appear that this man was used to transmit Itachi and thirty percent of his chakra to fight us." She crossed her arms, sighing. "It's possible he could have been going after Gaara and gotten caught, or was taken in the first place for this purpose."

"The Fireball Jutsu...it was created by the Uchiha clan," Kakashi added. "It's their specialty. That attack was the real thing, so I would have to agree with Tsukiko."

Chiyo clenched her fists, one still tightly wrapped around her hourglass. "Yura definitely went after Gaara," she replied. "They must have kept him in case of further pursuit."

The old woman shook her head quietly, remembering that the girl hadn't been fully briefed on the attack. 'If Yura was a spy, then the reason why our defenses were so easily breached becomes clear.' Over her long life, she'd become sadly used to betrayal such as this. Still, despite his prowess, she hadn't thought Yura to be that extraordinary that he could have hidden his true intentions for so long.

"All this means is that we must be getting close," Tsukiko soothed, placing a hand on her student's shoulder.

"Do you think there will be more?" Naruto asked.

Tsukiko shook her head. "I doubt it. It's far too coincidental that Itachi was the one here to face us. His style isn't meant to be used out in the open like this, but he was trying to slow us down. If the clone could have defeated us, then he'd have stuck to his strengths and planned an ambush."

Nodding to herself, the white-haired jounin gestured behind them. "I thought I sensed something, just for a moment. If they have a sensory specialist, then they knew who was coming and figured Itachi would have the best chance of slowing us down. If he wasn't aiming to kill us, then that means the clone lacked the power. Which in turn means that the maximum amount of chakra you're able to give to one of these clones must be thirty percent."

Sakura's eyes widened, while Naruto nodded along like he understood perfectly.

With a slight hum, Kakashi looked ahead. "So they already threw their best shot at us, meaning it would be pointless to send another clone since we'd just defeat it and strip one of their members of a third of their chakra."

"So let's get going!" Chiyo impatiently pushed.

With a swift glance at Tsukiko, the silver-haired male nodded. "Either Guy and his team are already there or they are dealing with something similar. Either way, we need to move."

"Right."

The group took off, moving a little faster than formation dictated, the urge to make up for lost time too overwhelming.

"Are you alright?" Kakashi spoke quietly, still looking ahead. "You fought well. That training you did paid off, but I'm worried that you overdid it."

Biting a trembling lip, Tsukiko's voice was just a bit too casual. "No problem. It was easier than I thought, even for only thirty percent. Let's just focus on Gaara for now."

'I used a lot of chakra on the stare down, but not much on the fight.' She was tired, but not even close to being depleted. 'Still, it's better for them to think that I'm pushing myself rather than having a mental breakdown right before a mission.'

Seeing Itachi had hurt and confused her far more than she thought it would, and that gentle smile was playing over and over in her head like a kunai to the brain.

'Maybe he did catch me in his Tsukuyomi,' she thought humorlessly.

She was distracted from her malaise by Lady Chiyo moving to join the two jounin.

"I don't want to alarm anyone," she began. "But the situation is worse than I thought. For them to stall for time using such a powerful jutsu, it must mean one thing: the extraction of the Tailed Beast has already begun."

Tsukiko closed her eyes for a brief moment, worst suspicion confirmed. "If Chiyo's hourglass is anything to go by, it probably started a few days ago."

"We're out of time," Kakashi muttered. "We need to get to Gaara."

"Wait, what do you mean by 'extraction?'"

Wincing at the look of horror on Chiyo's face, Tsukiko gestured for the Sand Woman to explain.

"They're after the Shukaku," Lady Chiyo explained grimly. "If they can draw out the One-Tail, they can create a new Jinchuriki."

"A new Jinchuriki?" Sakura repeated, obviously unfamiliar with the term.

All the blood drained from Chiyo's face, and she was unable to look at anything other than the slowly moving sand in her hand. There were less than fifty grains moving, nearly invisible unless she focused.

"I told you, didn't I?" Lady Chiyo sighed heavily. "How the Tailed Beasts possess power beyond all reckoning, and how every land has tried to use them as military weapons? The Jinchuriki is the name given to those who control that power."

"But earlier you said that no one could control the power of a Tailed Beast!" Sakura protested.

"Not for lack of trying," was the grim reply. "There were, of course, those that tried to harness that great power for their own purposes, attempting to control the beasts by sealing them away inside of people." The old woman's eyes closed with shame.

"By doing so, they hoped to suppress the Tailed Beasts and then bend that might to their will."

Naruto's hand clutched at his stomach, looking suddenly pained.

"And the ones with the Tailed Beasts sealed inside of them, such as our own village's Gaara, are known as Jinchuriki. They wield unimaginable power, thanks to their resonance with the Beast they carry. If you count Gaara, then all told, there have been three Jinchuriki in the history of the Sand Village thus far."

The old woman paused, stopping on the limb of a tree to allow the others time to process. Writing a quick report of what happened, Lady Chiyo pulled out a scroll and summoned a wind-up bird that took the report in its mouth and flew away.

"It's up to you," the Sand ninja murmured.

Before they could continue moving, Chiyo's small voice, more scared than Tsukiko had ever heard, seemed to pierce the tense silence.

"How are the Tailed Beasts extracted?" With her head lowered, they couldn't see her expression, but the slight tremble in her shoulders said enough.

"Chiyo, maybe it's better—"

"Tell me." Cutting the pink-haired girl off, Chiyo's voice was hoarse and pained.

"A couple of things are needed."

Part of Tsukiko wanted to stop the conversation, but sometimes the pain of not knowing was far worse, something she could personally attest to. Still, seeing her bright and outgoing student hunched over a tiny piece of glass and wood was heartbreaking.

"A sealing jutsu strong enough to counterbalance the Tailed Beasts power, and a lot of time. But were things to reach that point, then the Jinchuriki…" Even for someone as experienced in death and war as Lady Chiyo, she hesitated to finish and crush the young girl bearing her name.

But some words don't need to be said.

A low noise, like a choking sound, managed to escape the dark-haired girl's mouth, the sound soul-wrenching. She was clearly holding back wails of agony.

"Is that a certainty?" Sakura asked softly, blinking back tears.

Watching her namesake with regret and pity, Lady Chiyo nodded. "We extracted the Shukaku from the two previous Sand Jinchuriki, and both died as a result."

The silence seemed to last years, only broken by choked noises of grief.

Naruto finally moved, gently touching Chiyo's arm. "It's not like you to cry," he said softly, a gentle smile on his features. "We still have time, right? I promise you, we'll save Gaara."

Her head shot up, enraged for a fraction of a second. But then she saw something in his expression, and her anger melted away to a desperation. "We can still save him, right?"

Nodding, he squeezed her arm. "Let's hurry."

Itachi opened his eyes, careful to keep his expressionless façade intact. His chest was clenching with a strange mix of sorrow and pride, his relief at Tsukiko's massively improved abilities tempered by the guilt that he'd been holding her back this whole time.

'I'm the one who insisted on cutting her movements down to the basics, instead of recognizing their purpose.'

It was almost shocking how well she had confused him, the near-dance aspects of her footwork and punches making the Sharingan's foresight more of a hindrance than an asset. His eyes saw each movement as purposeful and tracked where she'd go, only to be completely wrong when she switched her steps.

Those black eyes were also surprising. She'd shown that ability when she'd broken his wrist, but to have such control over it already...From what he could gather, it allowed her to amplify her abilities and likely use more than one element simultaneously. Perhaps all five at once. And the way she met his gaze fearlessly meant that her chakra was in constant and rapid movement. Was it faster than Tsukuyomi?

'Tsukiko doesn't possess the power to break free once captured, but if she could avoid the technique in the first place…' The implications were astounding. She'd be able to disarm the biggest threat to the Leaf Village almost single-handedly. No wonder the Amaya clan was seen as too dangerous to the balance of power.

Another smile threatened to tug his lips upward.

"Looks like you're done too, huh?" Kisame's tone was more weary than expected, obviously in a bad mood. The fight must not have gone well.

"Yes," he replied shortly. "I was out of chakra."

His partner turned to look at him, the look on his face making Itachi wonder if he'd somehow betrayed his good mood.

"Well…" The shark-like man continued after a pause. "We did only give the sacrifices thirty percent of our chakra, right? This jutsu's handy for creating exact duplicates of ourselves, it's true…" His mood seemed to worsen, jaw tightening. "But with that little chakra, it's no big surprise our stand-ins were taken out."

'He's more bothered than usual. Is it because of Masuko?' After their last run-in, Itachi had his informant give him a report on the purple-haired woman, worried that another Mist ninja would harm Tsukiko. She seemed reliable enough, and his partner's reaction to her helped solidify that she was strong.

Itachi didn't pry, knowing that Kisame would love to turn the tables on him and demand an interrogation, but he couldn't help feeling faint amusement that the older male seemed to be defending himself and what must have been a less than satisfactory fight. Either Masuko had beaten him too easily, or she'd found out about the clone and been offended. If they were even half as close as him and Tsukiko, the latter was a safe bet.

"The jutsus they can use are directly proportional to how much chakra you give them," Kisame complained.

A faint ripple down the line of Itachi's chakra sobered him instantly. "But it was more than enough to buy us a little time," he murmured in response.

The swordsman frowned, studying his partner with a faint suspicion as those red eyes closed. Itachi had sounded irritated, even mournful at the thought of them finishing the jinchuriki transfer.

'Maybe because it's a kid.' Kisame had no doubts about the qualifications of younger ninja to be Kages, especially considering his experience with the Mist, but he was still bothered by the thought of killing someone so young.

Not that the Kazekage was an infant, but still. Kisame had killed so many kids, when he graduated from the Academy, during and right after the war, and even since becoming an Akatsuki member. It was the only time that fighting sickened him. What joy was to be had in taking the life of something so new to the world? What honor?

He'd had to compromise his own morals and desires several times over the course of his life, but it never got easier. So he grinned, made jokes, and volunteered as soon as possible to pull away from that damned cave and the dying gasps of the boy. The fight with Masuko made him feel worse, both for insulting her with a clone and for the reminder that his past wasn't totally behind him.

'Looks like Itachi isn't as cold as he seems. Even he can be affected by something like this.'

So, as he closed his own eyes and let his ears fill with death croaks, he actually felt a bit closer to his partner, more like he understood what went on behind that blank expression. The guy hadn't killed his little brother, even if he had shown no mercy in attacking. Perhaps there was a thin line in Itachi that he wouldn't cross unless he had to. Just like him.

"The jutsu wore off, did it?" Their leader asked, voice crackling like a receiver. Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "But, we were able to delay them. That should be enough. Well done, Itachi, Kisame."

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" The gravelly voice of the puppet master revealed his irritation. "Need I remind you where the bodies for your jutsu came from? They were both my subordinates."

Ringed eyes closed dismissively. "Hmph. You should be the one thanking me. It's only because of my impersonation jutsu they could join the ranks of the Akatsuki. Short-lived as it was." Chuckling slightly, the leader studied the near-fully awake Gedo statue with satisfaction. "It's almost finished."

Inwardly, Itachi felt a faint flicker of hope that Tsukiko would arrive in time, though he knew his delaying the group spelled the end for the child Kazekage. More blood on crimson-stained hands.

"Zetsu, get rid of those two we used for the impersonation jutsu." The leader's order overshadowed the unending raspy cry of the One-Tailed Jinchuriki.

"Understood."

Ringed eyes moved to the figure next to Zetsu. "Itachi, what of our enemy's number and abilities?"

"I fought a five-man squad mostly made of Leaf shinobi, comprised of Tsukiko Amaya, Kakashi Hatake, Sakura Haruno, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Naruto Uzumaki, and Chiyo, an elder of the Sand."

Sasori's head lifted in surprise. "Hmm...Granny Chiyo."

"Stop here!" Kakashi called, landing in the middle of a clearing.

The group had been traveling for another two hours, and the sun was setting, the sky dyed orange and red. They had an hour's light at most.

"Why?" Naruto asked, out of breath. They had been forcing a faster pace to make up time, and the blond boy wasn't entirely over his brief stint in Itachi's genjutsu. "What is it, Kakashi-Sensei? What's wrong?"

"We're taking a short break," he said firmly.

Tsukiko nodded, registering her own strain and recognizing the need to recover some stamina. They all needed to rest.

"That's a very wise decision," Lady Chiyo agreed.

As expected, Naruto and the younger Chiyo were the ones to object.

"Tsukiko-Sensei!" The young woman lifted the hourglass for her to see. "We can't stop here! Not even for a moment! Please!"

"I understand," she soothed. "I promise you, I absolutely understand. But remember what you were saying a few days ago about our pace and about resting when Naruto wanted to go ahead?"

"I know!" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "But we're so close and we might not have very much time left!"

The blond boy ran to Kakashi, arguing just as fervently. "What do you mean? Come on, you were the one who was saying we couldn't waste anymore time. If we just lay around here doing nothing, Gaara is gonna be—!"

"Naruto!" The jounin spoke sharply to get his attention. "Chiyo, listen too. Our pace has slowed since we faced off against that bogus Itachi."

"He's absolutely right," Sakura agreed.

"It's agonizing, I know," Tsukiko frowned with sympathy. "But if we take the time to rest now, we'll be able to set up a faster pace, reach Gaara quicker than we would have, and have chakra to actually save him."

The hurt looks on Naruto's and Chiyo's faces were physically painful to see, and Kakashi's tone lightened as he spoke. "Keep in mind, tomorrow we'll probably end up facing the guys who kidnapped Gaara. We'll need our full strength."

Blue and turquoise eyes met, a silent conversation between the two most worried about the Kazekage. When Chiyo finally nodded, Naruto sighed. "Yeah...we understand."

Team Guy opted to rest for a few hours, giving the dark-haired jounin and Tenten time to recover from the fake Kisame fight.

Sitting around the campfire next to Neji, Masuko quietly cleaned her weapon, thoughts far away.

'I hope Chiyo's alright…'

No doubt they had run into some trouble, but Tsukiko and Kakashi had likely managed alright. No, she was far more worried about the young chunin, especially after the conversation they'd had the night they arrived at the Sand Village.

Tsukiko had gone to shower, so Masuko took the time to corner the girl and ask her some questions.

"Chiyo…" She trailed off, not quite sure where to start. "The people here seem to like you a lot."

They were sitting on a bench outside their rooms, the darkened hallway quiet except for their talking.

The dark-haired girl shrugged, fiddling with her fingers now that she was missing her hourglass. "When I come here as a junior ambassador, I make sure to help out where I can. Just little things, no big deal."

"Do you like it here?" Studying her student with keen eyes, the jounin knew the answer before anything was said.

"Absolutely!" Her expression brightened for the first time that day. "I really admire the people of the Sand. They have a hard time with crops and water, but still manage to be a strong and vibrant village. I've made a lot of friends and connections here."

'Including the Kazekage,' Masuko thought, opting not to bring that up now. "I see. Is that why you turned down the promotion to jounin?"

Chiyo flushed, looking away. "Kind of? It's just...Lady Tsunade offered me an amazing promotion in the program as one of the junior assistant directors of the entire ambassador unit. The director wants to train a replacement and so different candidates were chosen. You have to be a jounin, and I was qualified. My parents and family were thrilled." Her expression became stormy, conflicted.

Masuko made no move to interrupt, already having an idea of where this was headed.

"I turned it down because…" Her cheeks darkened. "Being the director of the program someday sounds amazing, but it also means that I'd never get to leave the village again. I'd have to say goodbye to the Sand."

To Gaara. The words hung unspoken in the air, but both kunoichi knew they were there.

Leaning back with her hands behind her head, the purple-haired woman hummed thoughtfully. "Well, I don't think that's anything to be ashamed about. The village you're born in doesn't have to remain your home. Look at me; I love the Leaf, and I detest the Mist. Even if I feel homesick sometimes, I'd never want to go back. But Konoha and Suna are allies and you could go back and forth. Does it really matter which one you call home at the end of the day?"

"But!" Chiyo looked up with wide eyes. "My family—!"

"Don't get to control your life or your future," Masuko interrupted firmly. "If you want to stay in Konoha, that's absolutely fine. But I'm sure the Sand would love to snatch you up, and you honestly seem far happier here. You've got to shape your own persona and create a Chiyo that was entirely you and not based on the Mitsuru name."

Guilt and confusion warred with longing, but the girl nodded. "I understand what you're saying."

"And there's no rush," the jounin added, giving her a sly wink. "Wait a few years if you want, see what makes you happy."

Chiyo stared at the ground, entire face red. "Gaara makes me happy," she mumbled quietly. "It's not really Suna without him."

A strong hand gripped her shoulder, fang glinting as the older woman smiled with pride and sadness. "Then we'll have to get him back, won't we?"

The sound of Guy sitting up snapped her out of her memory. Rest time was over.

'Hang on, Gaara. For Chiyo's sake, please be alright…'

"That's enough rest. We should get moving."

Kakashi's voice stirred Tsukiko from her nap, the woman moving to stand and stretching. Bones popped and she let out a groan of satisfaction. The rest had done a world of good.

Chiyo was already standing, and for a moment, Tsukiko feared that she hadn't slept at all. But the girl's eyes were no longer red with tears or exhaustion, so she must have dozed off at some point.

Rousing the other two took a few more minutes, but eventually the group was back on the trail, pace much better than before.

"Any change?" Tsukiko asked, noticing that her student was sneaking glances at the hourglass every few seconds.

"I can't tell," she replied worriedly. "The number of grains is still around fifty, but I think they're moving slower."

"We'll be there soon," Tsukiko encouraged.

A loud rumbling signaled that the eyes of the Gedo statue were fully opened, and at least one of the pupils was already darkening.

"Now, we're entering the final stage," announced the leader.

Kisame was the first to speak, his bitterness from his fight no longer present. "What should we do about these annoying pests?" he grinned, expression unseen on his shadowy form.

"They're getting closer, and more quickly than we anticipated," Zetsu reported. "I can't get too close to the Amaya, but I've been tracking them from a distance."

"Not a problem." Ringed eyes looked up at the statue. "We delayed them just enough. Ignore them. In any event, we have a backup plan."

Deidara smirked at the thought of defeating enemies Itachi had trouble with. "I think he means that in the end it'll be up to you and me, Sasori, my man. Hmm."

"Well then," the puppet master growled. "I suggest we hurry up and finish our business here. We'll want a moment to catch our breath before greeting our guests."

"Oh, yes indeed," the blond agreed. "We must be ready to give them a warm welcome."

Itachi kept his eyes closed, not wanting to risk giving away the anger coiling in his chest at the thought of Tsukiko having to face any of the Akatsuki.

"Blasted nuisances," Kisame grumbled. "They're such a pain." He too felt a discontentment at Masuko facing a different opponent after the poor showing he gave her the previous day.

"I never thought we'd have so much trouble finding a Jinchuriki," Hidan complained, angry that he was missing such an interesting fight.

Striking green eyes glared at him, his partner's voice sharp. "Calm down. We each just need to fulfill our own part."

Sensing that the group was weary from the strain of the ritual, the leader spoke up. "Enough talk. Concentrate, all of you. There can be no mistakes from this point on."

As if to prove his words, another pupil darkened and the boy inside the sphere of chakra gave an unpleasant jerk.

The Kazekage wouldn't last more than a few hours.

"They're confident they've delayed us long enough." Kakashi spoke quietly, voice heard only by Lady Chiyo and Tsukiko.

The younger shinobi were slightly ahead, Naruto and Chiyo leading the group and pushing just slightly faster than the formation dictated. Tsukiko couldn't scold them for it, though, and allowed them to keep going.

"Yes, indeed," the old woman agreed. "I'm starting to think the same thing." She paused, watching the two desperate Leaf ninja with pity and slight confusion.

Up ahead, Chiyo made a pained noise, showing Naruto her palm. It was easy to guess what was in it, as she and the blond suddenly pushed forward with an extra burst of speed.

"Not so fast, you two!" Sakura exclaimed. "Wait up!"

The Sand woman glanced over at the two jounin. "I can understand the girl, but why is that boy pushing himself so hard to save Gaara? He's not even from the same village, and doesn't have the connection the girl does."

Kakashi and Tsukiko traded glances.

"What is he? What is that boy's story?"

Remembering the amount of information the old woman had shared, Kakashi decided that it was alright to let her know.

"Naruto is a Jinchuriki as well," he began, words pulling a shocked expression from Lady Chiyo. "He has the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed within him. It's not that he has any special feelings for the Hidden Sand, or its people, but he and Gaara are both Jinchuriki."

Tsukiko nodded, frowning sadly. "Naruto knows how Gaara feels better than anyone else in the Sand ever could. Better than Chiyo in this regard. Jinchuriki are treated pretty much the same way in every village, and it creates a bond only they can understand."

"That's why he feels this desperate need to save Gaara," the silver-haired jounin concluded. "It doesn't matter whether Gaara's from the Sand, or the Leaf, or anywhere else. He's a friend, the only friend who's felt the same pain Naruto's felt."

He smiled slightly. "Naruto's dream is to become Hokage, so the news that Gaara had been made Kazekage hit him pretty hard. He was frustrated, but at the same time, deep in his heart, he was profoundly happy for Gaara."

The white-haired woman felt her lips turn up, happy to see her friend connecting so well with his students.

"You see, Naruto has another remarkable gift," Kakashi explained, fondness unmistakable. "He doesn't need much time, or many words to make friends with almost everyone he meets."

Lady Chiyo hummed contemplatively. "As for me, I've lived a long life. I've seen many things over the years. I thought I'd come to know the ways of the world." Her voice lightened ruefully. "I knew that alliances with foreign lands were just for show, and not to be trusted. I knew that the only way the Sand Village was to be protected is if I did it myself."

None of that was surprising, as that had been the rule of the ninja world for a long time now. The Leaf was changing, becoming a place that promoted peace and cooperation, and inspiring its allies to do the same. At the same time, there was still a bloody legacy that couldn't be swept away so easily.

"It was my jutsu that sealed the Shukaku in young Gaara," Lady Chiyo admitted shamefully. "After consulting with his father, the Fourth Kazekage, of course."

The admission didn't surprise Tsukiko as much as it might have. Previously when the woman talked about the Jinchuriki, she had far too much knowledge about the extraction process without having taken some part in it herself.

"I truly thought I was helping my village, but in fact, I was jeopardizing its very existence." Her voice tightened with sorrow. "And now I find that my people's survival depends on one of those alliances with a foreign land I never trusted. I seem to have been wrong about many things. Perhaps everything…"

Lady Chiyo's eyes tightened as she stared at the two Leaf ninja so far ahead. "I am old and weary. I want nothing more than to just give up. When I look at them and see their youth, their potential...I envy them so much."

"No, no," Kakashi assured lightly. "Your life has only just begun. You're still young."

Surprised laughter escaped the Sand woman, expression lifting with gratitude. "Perhaps you're right." A thought seemed to strike her, voice becoming determined. "Maybe there is some purpose for keeping an old bag of bones like me around."

Tsukiko glanced at her questioningly, but the old woman said nothing more, lost in thought.

"It's almost finished," the leader declared, watching as the third pupil darkened.

As if agreeing with him, the Jinchuriki arched his back and let out a final death rattle, the noise chilling in the silence.

The last of the Shukaku vanished into the statue's mouth, and the darkening pupil solidified. Now there were three fully-formed eyes, signifying the number of successful rituals.

"It is complete."

Releasing their chakra, the Akatsuki members watched with uncaring eyes as the former Kazekage fell to the ground in an undignified heap, body limp as a broken doll. Dust puffed up with the force of his fall.

"Finally," Sasori sighed.

"So in the end, it did take three full days and nights," Deidara commented. "Hmm."

Itachi quietly lowered his hands, eyes locked on the small body below. 'He's around Sasuke's age…' His jaw tightened.

"It seems to get more exhausting every time," Kisame muttered, looking away from the corpse.

Hidan yawned, stretching. "My shoulders are stiff," he groaned.

"Well done," the ringed-eyed man praised. "Good work, everyone."

Itachi resisted the sudden urge to attack the man, an image of Sasuke lying on the ground superimposed over the Kazekage. While he remained calm outwardly, every muscle in his body was tense, only discipline holding him back.

'I'm so sorry, Tsukiko. I'll pay for all of these crimes one day.' Hell didn't seem punishment enough, but he'd happily spend an eternity there to atone.

'Sasuke…' He closed his eyes for a moment. 'Please hurry.'

Masuko landed in a graceful crouch on the water, the other Leaf nin around her. In front of them was a massive boulder with a piece of paper stuck to it, and a red torii gate behind them.

"So, this is the place?" Guys asked, turning to Pakkun, who was on Lee's shoulder.

"Gaara's on the other side of that boulder," the dog confirmed.

Stepping forward, the Leaf jounin studied the obstacle. "It won't be easy getting past that barrier."

The purple-haired woman eyed it critically. "Not my forte, but even I can tell that this is a very strong jutsu."

"What's the plan?" Tenten asked, determination crossing her features.

"We smash our way in!" Her teammate declared decidedly.

"No, Lee," Guy smiled, turning to greet the new arrivals.

Masuko did the same, picking up on her friend's chakra. 'Good timing, Tsukiko.'

"Late as usual, Kakashi," the dark-haired man smiled.

"Well," the jounin replied, relief in his voice. "You see, we ran into a little bit of trouble along the way."

"Naruto! Sakura! And Chiyo and Tsukiko-Sensei!" Lee greeted excitedly.

The dark-haired girl managed a strained smile, hands shaking. There had been a moment in the forest where the sand had stopped moving, the remaining grains freezing in midair. It had sent her and Naruto flying ahead, panicked and desperate to arrive.

Now they were so close, but she couldn't bring herself to check the hourglass again. Her fragile psyche would shatter if anything had changed. No, she'd see Gaara in just a minute and would ascertain how hurt he was. If Sakura couldn't help, she'd run the entire way back to Midori with Gaara on her back. Anything, anything to make sure he was okay.

"Wait a minute," Lady Chiyo grumbled teasingly. "By a little trouble, you don't mean me, do you, Kakashi?"

Naruto's eyes had turned red after seeing the hourglass, the lines on his cheeks longer and deeper. He glared at the other ninja, pointing to the boulder. "Well?"

Neji stared at him in surprise, the chakra boiling under his body even more massive than the shark-man from earlier. "Naruto…"

"Looks like we were just a step behind you guys," Sakura greeted, trying to smile.

"Yeah," Tenten acknowledged. "Who's that old lady?"

"Oh, this is Lady Chiyo," the pink-haired girl introduced. "She's an advisor from the Sand Village."

"Very pleased to meet you." The woman held up a peace sign.

"Nice to see you back, Tsukiko." Guy nodded, then gestured behind him with his thumb. "Now, let's take care of this issue."

"Right." Sending her dome out, Tsukiko bit her lip with irritation. "I can't see past the barrier, so we need to take it down quickly." She stepped closer to study the tag, mindful of traps. "Neji, can your Byakugan see anything?"

The dark-haired boy concentrated, vision far blurrier than usual. "Inside, it looks like there's a large cavern. But…"

"But what?" Naruto questioned impatiently.

"I just can't quite make out what's going on in there," he explained. "I see several people."

"Do you see Gaara?" Chiyo felt like her sanity was being stretched out like a rubber band, so close to snapping.

"I'm trying to locate him now," the older boy replied, the veins on his face bulging with chakra.

There was a figure on the ground, but focusing in felt like he was straining to see through murky water. He could make out a hand, then a robe with some sort of vest. But just before he could get to the face, a grip on his shirt pulled him away.

"Neji!" Naruto's cry revealed just who was clinging to him.

"Take it easy!" Neji snapped, trying to make sense of what he was now looking at.

The statue seemed to have three very alive eyes, the pupils moving around in a sickening way before all ten closed.

"I don't…what is that thing?!" Whatever he'd expected, a living statue wasn't it. Just the sight of it felt wrong, like something slithering behind his eyes.

"What's going on?!" The blond boy pressed, shaking the Hyuga. "Neji, what's in there?!"

Returning to his senses, the dark-haired male shook off the grip on his clothes. "Let go of me."

"Well, what did you see?" Sakura asked.

"It's hard to describe with words."

"Wait…" Tenten turned to the boulder. "So that would mean…"

"Yes." Lee seemed able to understand whatever his teammates were feeling. "It means that whatever it is, we will have to go see it for ourselves."

The more experienced jounin all traded glances, knowing that things were about to be difficult.

Guy was the first to smile, confidence leaking through his words. "That makes things easy, doesn't it?" His hand rested on Lee's shoulder reassuringly.

When he suddenly performed several backflips to gain some space, Tsukiko nodded in understanding.

'Let's try to brute force it, but I think this will be up to me and Kakashi.' Anbu training required an understanding of various seals and barriers.

"Coming through!" Guy roared, letting out a loud cry as his fist smashed into the stone.

The shockwaves of the attack actually rippled through the boulder, a physical representation of the barrier, and small rocks fell from above.

"Quite a barrier," Guy grinned.

Inside, the leader of the Akatsuki hummed thoughtfully. "It's getting noisy out there."

"It looks like we've got ourselves some expected visitors." Unseen on his shadowy form, Kisame's light tone did not match the tightening of his jaw.

"But which group is it now, hmm?" Deidara cocked his head as if to listen outside the cavern. "The one that my man Kisame was stalling, or perhaps…" He trailed off with a smirk, attempting to get a rise out of the red-eyed ninja.

As usual, Zetsu ruined the fun. "Both," his deeper voice answered. "It's both groups."

Hidan clicked his tongue. "So they all arrived at the same time. Interesting." His gaze dropped to the floor below, false sympathy entering his tone. "But what a pity. They're too late."

Itachi closed his eyes.

"It seems one of them is also a Jinchuriki." A dark chuckle escaped the usually grumpy puppet master. "Oh, don't be jealous now, Itachi," he mocked smugly.

"I still don't think it's fair that you two get to fight an Amaya," Hidan grumbled, looking far more envious than the Uchiha. "Such a rare fighter should be my target."

The former Sand shinobi laughed again. "I too am interested in the Amaya. If she's strong, I'll put her to good use."

Red eyes snapped open, and the entire cave seemed to suddenly fill with a dark killing intent. A chill went down the spines of even the most skilled fighters, their years of battle having honed the instinct that told them they were in danger.

And yet, the Uchiha appeared completely calm and unbothered. It was only Kisame, close enough to feel the full force of bloodlust, that had any indication as to where the danger was coming from.

'Interesting…' he thought, curiosity about the white-haired woman growing. 'I've never seen Itachi get like this.' He filed the moment away for later contemplation.

"Well, shouldn't we get this show on the road?" Hidan asked, growing irritated at the hostility in the air. He'd have to make several sacrifices to feel at ease, certain the loss of an Amaya was angering Jashin. "We got company outside to deal with. And there's still the small matter of a mission we have to complete."

"Yes." Zetsu's deep voice answered. "Let's get going."

"What about the intruders?" Dark green eyes glanced over at the entrance with vague interest. 'The Amaya's head will absolutely be worth something, not to mention her eyes.'

"I wouldn't lose too much sleep over them," Kisame dismissed. "We don't even know if they can get in here."

"Don't underestimate them." Itachi's voice was glacial. Tsukiko would have no trouble dealing with such a simple barrier. Carefully regulated shadow clones were enough to handle it, after all. Guy's group had a Hyuga, so locating the tags would be simple as well. "You should know better, Kisame."

The shark-like man laughed, hearing the warning in his partner's voice. "Well, they do have brute strength going for them, I'll give them that."

In truth, he was hoping that Masuko would have to step back from this fight. Deidara and Sasori were bad matchups for her, as the bomber could stay out of reach of a sword and the puppet master had a multitude of poisonous traps for long-range and close. His grip on Samehada tightened slightly.

Ringed eyes paused on the Uchiha for a long moment before moving to the two physically present members. "Sasori. Deidara. Take care of our new friends outside."

"I had a feeling you'd say that." The blond grinned. "Hm."

"But I want the Jinchuriki alive," he added.

"Understood," Sasori growled.

"Everyone else is dismissed," the leader concluded.

"Let's go," Hidan snapped impatiently.

"Right."

Two figures vanished.

"Well, I suppose we'll be leaving too," Kisame announced, feeling Samehada beginning to act up. It had taken no part in the fight, but feeling its master's chakra constantly exerted over the last few days made it hungry for attention.

"Itachi, this Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki, what is he like?" Sasori's graveled voice stopped the two.

Red eyes stared down at the man with barely-concealed contempt. 'As if you will actually be able to capture him.' Not as long as Tsukiko was near the boy. Between her and Kakashi, there was no chance of it.

The silence was broken by the leader's impatient prodding. "Go on. Tell him."

More and more figures vanished before Itachi spoke. "He's the one who bursts in and barks first."

As expressionless as the puppet master usually was, clear confusion radiated from him.

Deidara was more vocal, as usual. "Doesn't he have any identifying characteristics other than barking, hmm? And what of the Amaya woman? Surely you know a few of her weaknesses?"

Itachi vanished.

"Huh, guess not."

The hostile energy within the cavern had also dissipated, allowing the physical Akatsuki members to breathe a little easier.

"Well, that's it then," Kisame grinned before he vanished, pulling back into his physical form.

He stretched, standing up from the rock he'd been sitting on. "That was a little childish of you," he teased the younger male, testing the waters of his hunch. "Don't want to give them an advantage against your girlfriend?"

Itachi's eyes remained closed, though his stiff figure said plenty. "The swordswoman is at a disadvantage against those two. I didn't notice you offering any pointers to taking her down."

Kisame's grin faltered, and he chuckled ruefully. "Fair enough."

'Perhaps that woman is a subject best left alone for now.' It's not like he had anything against his partner. In fact, he quite liked the kid and felt that they had…well not a friendship, but a mutual respect. As such, he had no inclination to be given the cold shoulder.

"You sure you're okay with this?" He asked, switching topics and petting Samehada through its wrapping. "He was your target after all."

Itachi stood, voice slightly less icy. "Let's move."

Kisame grinned, sensing he was forgiven. "Right."

And though they had no real destination in mind, both men instinctively struck out in the same direction as the hideout, minds preoccupied with the same thought, but for different women.

'She'll be alright.'

"What is your plan?" Lee asked.

Guy walked back to the group, hand resting on his hip as he spoke. "Well, Lee, it's pretty obvious we need to get rid of that barrier."

"And how do we do that?" Tenten cocked her head.

"Before we can even think about breaking through, we should know what kind of barrier it is." Sakura glanced over at Kakashi.

"That's right." Guy nodded approvingly. "So, figure out the type of barrier. That's step one, right Kakashi? Tsukiko?"

"Yeah," Kakashi confirmed.

"What do you think?" Lady Chiyo asked.

The white-haired woman stepped forward. "Let me check." Her eyes turned blue, and the water under her feet lifted her up to study the paper pasted to the stone.

"Tch," Tsukiko clicked her tongue with irritation. "Looks like a five seal barrier."

Kakashi and the old woman both nodded in agreement.

"Five seal barrier?" Chiyo asked, voice strained. "Will that take a long time to break?"

"It's a strong layer of protection," the silver-haired jounin explained. "In which five tags with the word forbidden written on them are fastened around the area that's being guarded. One forbidden tag is in front of us. And four more must be in other locations."

"Can't we just pull them off?" Guy asked.

"It's not that easy." Tsukiko returned to the ground. "With a seal like this, the tags will be spread out as far as possible. But the trick is that they have to be removed at the exact same moment."

"So we'd have to remove them simultaneously?" Sakura clarified.

"Right." Kakashi's visible eye narrowed. "The barrier won't budge unless all five tags are pulled off simultaneously. It's a tall order." He pointed to the boulder. "That's only one tag."

"Which means there's four more to track down," Guy concluded.

Naruto glanced over at Chiyo, eyes landing on her shaking shoulders. "Alright then, let's do it!" He said determinedly. "How do we figure out where the other tags are?"

Kakashi nodded at the Hyuga. "Neji."

The young jounin nodded. "I understand." He closed his eyes in concentration, then opened them suddenly. "Byakugan!"

It only took him a few seconds. "I found them!"

"Awesome, Neji!" Naruto praised. "Point 'em out!"

"One is on a boulder about five hundred meters northeast of us. The second one is on a tree trunk beside a river bank three-hundred-and-fifty meters south-southeast. The third you'll find six-hundred-and-fifty meters northwest, on a cliff. And the last one is in the woods, less than eight hundred meters to the southwest. That's all four."

Sakura tapped her chin. "If that's the case, each one of them is pretty far apart. How will we signal each other?"

"I think I can handle that," Guy announced, digging through his backpack. "We should just be in range for these." He held up a mechanical device with a strap. "They're wireless radios."

"Whoa, that's amazing!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Good thinking." Kakashi nodded approvingly.

Guy gave them a thumbs up. "Okay, so we'll stay in constant communication, and follow Neji's directions to the tags." He passed out the headsets. "Team Guy is the faster team, so we'll be the ones to handle this mission."

Naruto returned his thumbs up. "We're all counting on you!"

Tsukiko squeezed Chiyo's shoulder. "Whatever happens, don't go rushing in, alright? I'll have enough trouble dealing with Naruto, so stay level-headed for me. We'll get him back."

Tears stung the younger woman's eyes, but she nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"Alright, Lee, you head northwest into the woods," Guy directed.

"Yes, you got it!"

"The northeast boulder is all yours, Neji."

"I can handle that."

"Tenten, you'll get the south-southeast."

"Right. No problem."

"And I'll take care of the one on the northwest cliff. That's the one in the trickiest location and should be the hardest to eliminate."

Kakashi put on an earpiece. "What's the frequency?"

"One-seventy-four," Guy answered.

The silver-haired jounin nodded grimly. "Copy that."

Lee took a deep breath and then shouted loudly into the microphone. "Testing! Do you read me?"

Even the stoic Kakashi looked like he'd been electrocuted, and Tsukiko steadied him with a sympathetic wince.

"Lee!" Tenten scolded, tears in her eyes. "Your microphone's up too loud."

"A thousand apologies!" He exclaimed, bowing his head.

"Lee, the mic!" Guy begged, knees going weak as his ears threatened to burst for the second time.

"Ah!" Turning the volume down, the young man flushed. "Sorry, guys."

While they finished up their preparations and Guy bullied his team into putting their hands in for one of his weird chants before they left, Tsukiko turned to the others.

"We need a plan for dealing with the Akatsuki. It's possible that they're all in there."

Masuko smirked. "If that's the case, then Tsukiko and I already have our opponents. But I think it's unlikely that they would risk all being here. Especially after that weird clone jutsu, it's likely that they have some way of not being there physically. Best case scenario, it's just Gaara and the two that took him."

"In which case, we need to decide how to group up." Kakashi crossed his arms. "Lady Chiyo is obviously our best hope to handle Sasori. Tsukiko, I'd like to have you against the bomber, ideally. Your Wind can limit his movements and keep him out of the air entirely if needed."

"I agree," she nodded. "You and I should stay together, and Masuko, Naruto and Chiyo should help with Sasori. They're all close range fighters, which won't do much against the bomber. Sakura, be on standby if anyone gets poisoned or needs medical attention. Of course, the situation could change at any moment, so just try and keep things as advantageous for us as possible."

Naruto nodded, pumped up. "Let's go!" He put his hand out like Guy, looking at them expectantly.

"I would rather die," Sakura shot down.

"Me too," Kakashi said with disgust.

Chiyo nodded. "No way."

Her namesake shook her head. "Not a chance."

"When Hell freezes over," Masuko grinned.

"Maybe next time." Tsukiko's attempt to soften the blow didn't have much effect.

"Well, guess it's about time for us to shove off," Pakkun announced, both ninja hounds looking up at their contractor. "There's no real reason we should stick around. We'd just be getting in the way."

"Thanks, you two." Kakashi waved goodbye. "Good work."

"Alright. See you guys later." They vanished with a puff of smoke.

Tsukiko cracked her neck, staring up at the boulder with determination.

'Regardless of who's back there, my opponent will die.'

The leader inclined his head, signaling his intention to leave. "The rest is up to you two."

Sasori nodded.

"Not a problem," Deidara grinned, thrilled at the chance to trump the Uchiha.

With a series of hand signs, the man with ringed eyes prepared to release the jutsu. "I'll be waiting for your report." Then, he too was gone, along with the Gedo Statue.

With nothing to stand on, the two Akatsuki members fell to the ground, landing gracefully just in front of the Kazekage's corpse.

The blond man was silent only a few seconds before he sighed. "What's taking them, hmm? I wish they would just hurry up and get in here. Hmm."

His partner said nothing, which wasn't necessarily unusual, but was staring at the entrance with an intensity that piqued Deidara's interest. Plus, he'd given the puppet master the perfect chance to complain.

"Sasori, what's the matter, my man?" He chuckled. "I thought you didn't like to be kept waiting? Hmm."

"Yes…" The Sand Rogue's growl was shiver-inducing. "I hate it."

A.N. Alright, that's it for the year! Please let me know what you thought and have an excellent New Year, everyone!