Even without footprints, amidst the trackless expanse of sand, Zan could discern the subtle signs of a large party crossing the desert. But these signs went unnoticed by the nin behind him.

"We're close." Zan asserted, raising his hand to a rocky formation in the distance. The rockface was riddled with numerous cave openings, making it an ideal location to conceal the presence of an invading force. The sight alone should have confirmed they arrived at the right place.

"How do we know he's tracking them?" Temari asked out of Zan's earshot. To them, the lack of tracks cast doubt over Zan's abilities and motives.

"You think this is a trap?" Jun spoke furtively with the sand nin.

"Zan will try to slip away, and we're going to let him," Kankuro kept an eye on him as he answered in a hushed voice. A tired groan erupted from the back of the group.

"Ugh, this is the worst. It's actually getting hotter," Ayame complained, drawing their attention.

"What about Ayame?" Kankuro remembered that the blonde nin could sense chakra.

"Ha?" Ayame struggled in the heat. He wiped the sweat off his brow and pointed to himself, "What about me?"

Temari revealed the new plan, "You're going to track him." The weight of this responsibility caused Ayame to grimace, and he lagged even further behind.

As they drew closer to the rocky formation, they expected Zan to encourage them to split up. When he didn't, Kankuro tried to force it and pointed to one of the tunnels ahead.

"We'll cover more ground, c'mon." Kankuro suggested, and Zan bought into the reasoning, obediently following his lead.

Ayame took on the responsibility of monitoring for anything strange and seized his chance to finally sit and rest after that long trek. Suddenly, a deafening rumble echoed from within the rock.

Then silence.

"H-Hey…did you guys hear that?" Ayame jumped to his feet anxiously. The tunnels seemed to shake, causing loose debris to cascade down the rock face.

"It's just a rockslide—" Temari tried to reassure Ayame.

But Gaara wasn't so sure. "I feel it too,"

Another rumble put them on high alert as they searched frantically for the source of the disturbance. It was the tunnel caving in, and a cloud of dust blew back.

"Nnh..." Temari swung her fan to clear the air, revealing a pile of debris that blocked the tunnel's entrance.

"I didn't sense anyone molding chakra," Ayame lowered his arm from its protective position over his sister and helped her to a stand. "And I can still sense both of them inside,"

Gaara noticed an opening above them, and the others followed suit. Inside sloped downwards until it opened to a cavernous chamber. None of them were able to make out what was happening with such little light. But they could still hear.

"AGGGHH!" A scream filled the chamber. That was Zan!

"Get back!" Kankuro urged, scrambling up the debris to escape. Inside the chamber, three large, shadowy creatures swarmed, their black bodies barely visible in the dim light.

This was a nest.

"IS THAT AN ANT?! WHY IS IT THAT BIG!?"

There was a huge crevice where the floor should've been. The ants had burrowed from below, creating another tunnel that led somewhere deeper. The restructuring left the area weak and restricted combat, escape was the only option. At the bottom of the chamber was the source of the scream. Zan's ankle was locked in a giant ant's mandibles and it began to drag him away. He screamed again as it crunched harder, and frantically continued his efforts to free himself.

"We've gotta help—" Ayame began, but Temari held him back.

"Weapons won't do anything," she cautioned.

"Besides, the whole cave is unstable; any more weight and the floor will collapse!" Kankuro added.

Ayame couldn't believe they were willing to stay up here and watch. He didn't know the tough carapace was known for being impervious to normal weapons or the serrated jaws strong enough to excavate rock.

"We can't just—" Ayame argued, but in the midst of their dispute, sand began to swirl around the joints and body segments of one of the ants. Gaara crushed the vulnerable spots, causing the ant holding Zan to separate into individual parts.

The success prompted Gaara to use the same technique on the remaining two. But, even after decapitation, the mandibles were atrophied in a closed position. Zan would never be able to free himself on his own.

"I'll be quick," Jun stepped to the edge.

"Wha–Get back here!" Ayame lunged for her as she leaped down. Dust and debris immediately dropped from the ceiling as the chamber grew more unstable.

With cautious and delicate steps, Jun approached Zan, who desperately pleaded, "J-Just…cut it off!" He was willing to try anything to get away from the creature's head.

Observing his futile attempt to pry the jaws open with his hands, Jun decided to take a different approach. Using a nearby leg as a lever, she applied additional force, gradually loosening the creature's hold on Zan.

"Tch…" Kankuro eased himself down and grabbed another leg to help free Zan faster. "You better hope this doesn't cave on us," he grunted, working diligently alongside Jun.

Eventually, they created enough space for Zan to slip out, and he fell back in relief. His injuries were now evident; his pants were drenched in blood, and he winced when Jun examined his wounded ankle.

"Patch him up after we're outside, we don't have time for this!" Kankuro forced her up and then looked down at Zan whose dazed expression answered the unspoken question of whether he could walk or not.

With combined effort, Kankuro and Jun managed to lift Zan to his feet, carrying his unresponsive form between them. During their journey back, the edges of the crevice started to crumble away, the floor vanishing rapidly. A glance was shared between the two nin; ditching Zan meant they'd make it to the others in time and for a second it was considered, but ultimately, they persisted, slowly dragging him toward the wall.

"C'mon, c'mon!" Ayame stretched out his hand from above.

Zan's condition deteriorated; he faded in and out of consciousness and couldn't climb. They lifted him up, but he could barely reach. Temari held onto Ayame's shirt, allowing him to lower himself further, and he almost reached Zan. Meanwhile, another portion of the floor dropped into the tunnel behind them. Jun anchored her feet into the ground to avoid sliding; they were very quickly running out of room.

"Nnhh?!" In an instant, Jun was pulled backward as the ground beneath her gave way. Kankuro attempted to grab her while still holding onto Zan, but it was an impossible task. Ayame had to watch helplessly as all three of them vanished from view into the dark tunnel, having been just within reach.

"They haven't returned yet," one of the council members noted.

"We should have never sent them and never involved Konoha. This is purely an internal concern," another council member chimed in.

Inside Nitaka's expansive sitting room, the room was alive with the clinking of glasses and the shuffling of cards, suggesting that this gathering was a nightly routine for them. The voices of the old men discussed the situation with candor now that they were free of the political correctness of the council chambers.

"Konoha is not our enemy, we would be foolish to refuse help given the state of things," Sajo had a more moderate take on things.

Joseki, on the other hand, was quick to deflect blame onto the Leaf Village. "This whole situation is the fault of Konoha's third Hokage," he asserted. "We would never have been drawn into Orochimaru's plans if he had been dealt with. Now look at us…" His focus wavered, and he set down his cards in frustration.

"...If you ask me," Nitaka finally joined the conversation. "Fault lies with our late kazekage," there was brief pause, followed by silence, as the other council members were taken aback by the comment. Nitaka expected this and began his explanation. "He was unable to detect the deception and not strong enough to defend himself. Aren't intelligence and strength integral to the position?"

"You say that with hindsight," Sajo pursed his lips. "How can you speak–"

"It's not just that." Nitaka interjected firmly. "Rasa was never able to convince the daimyo to increase funding for the village. He was a weak leader, and for that, we had to turn to Orochimaru. And what have we gained? Nothing…only suffered more losses." With each word, Nitaka's points resonated with the others, slowly winning them over.

"We need new blood," He gave his final point. This was the real reason he'd invited them, he wanted to gauge their reactions to this suggestion...

It appeared they were also in agreement.

"...nnhh," Kankuro blinked groggily and lifted his head up. Still in the nest? That's right, the last thing he remembered was falling. He wanted to stand up but something tight was keeping him from moving his arms. He tugged and found his wrists bound together.

"What the–" All of his gear was gone too.

"Are you injured?" A feminine voice spoke behind him and he realized was tied to someone else.

"Jun?"

"They removed my hip bag and weapons."

"Yeah, my stuff's missing too,"

"Can you see anything?" Jun asked, her position left her facing the wall.

"Barely," he squinted ahead. It wasn't as dark as he expected; there must be a light source, but any light this far down had to be man-made. "Whoever tied us up also took Zan."

With so little to go on, they'd have to take things one step at a time. "Any ideas on how to get out of these binds?" He asked aloud.

"...If I did, I don't think we'd get the chance,"

They heard the footsteps before they saw their captor. As the figure came closer they could see the silhouette reach for something and raise it high like someone readying a weapon.

"Get ready,"

"I am,"

The weapon came down, but to their surprise, it cut them loose. Kankuro saw that as an opening, he made a quick plan to disarm the figure, but Jun grabbed his hand to hold him back.

"I must speak with you," The figure said.

For now, it didn't seem like they had a choice.

The two followed the man into another chamber where light poured from a vertical tunnel, bathing the area in moonlight. Now they could see their captor. He wore the same style head-scarf as Zan, and his clothes were purely functional for desert excursions. There was also a small fire; the first thing Kankuro noticed was their missing gear beside it, while Jun noticed the person lying by the fire.

"Zan," The man called out, and the boy slowly sat up.

His injured ankle was treated, hinting at a connection between him and the man. Zan shifted to make his leg more comfortable and looked both relieved and apprehensive, his expression transitioning from one to the other as Jun and Kankuro joined him at the fire. "Thank you…for saving me,"

The man sat down by their weapons and tossed his blade so they could all speak without fear of attack. "It's not often we get outsiders this deep in the desert. You are going to convince me you are deserving of my hospitality."

"...Are you asking if we're enemies?" Jun wasn't sure what he was getting at, and he didn't counter that reasoning.

"Gives us back our weapons and find out,"

"...He's afraid of you," Zan swallowed nervously like he was speaking out of turn with that remark. "But he shouldn't be,"

"Zan–"

"People have died, father…and you're only worried about yourself," Zan admonished him. The boy had more to say and looked across the fire to the nin. "We're on the same side. At the outpost, I was there for the same reasons as you."

"Why? You're not from the outpost," Kankuro waited for more context and Zan's father took over explaining.

"No, we don't live in any settlement…We live out here," Zan's comment at the outpost made more sense now. But it still didn't answer the question. "We value our isolation and an investigation might draw unnecessary attention. You're probably too young to remember; after the last war, a small handful of nin broke away from the village. We wanted to return to our traditional way of life, before the founding of hidden villages, back when we were nomadic clans." When Zan's father said that, Kankuro grew suspicious.

"You're a missing-nin,"

"...You are free to call me that, but out here...I'm just Tsuneo," He stoked the small fire. Protocol meant killing him on sight, or at the very least, arresting him. "But I'm only here to collect my son, I don't wish to quarrel with a child."

"And what about Hao!?"

"He's made his choice." Tsuneo was stern, his gaze alone silenced the boy. There was a turn in conversation as the man stood up now. "You two take your things, forget you saw us and we'll part ways." He took a few steps and pointed upwards to the vertical tunnel. "This leads outside,"

Kankuro grabbed his puppet and Jun her hip bag. Zan struggled to stand up and wobbled after the two as they went to the exit. "W-Wait! Let me come with you–"

"Zan," His father intervened, gripping Zan's shoulders firmly to detain him. "This doesn't concern us."

Halfway to the tunnel's outlet, Kankuro could still hear Zan's protests. "Hao…" He wondered about that name. "Think that's a family member?"

Jun dismissed it as irrelevant. "We suspected Zan knew more than he let on, but he didn't. Our focus should be on reuniting with the others–"

"You don't get it," Kankuro interrupted her as they stepped outside, halting her before he continued, "Zan's a nomad. If Hao is one too, then this might not be an invasion at all!"

It suddenly clicked for him and a tense knot formed in his stomach.

"Choosing a location near the border was the perfect setup for triggering the council's response," Kankuro quickly briefed Jun as they maintained their rapid pace, both desperate to find their siblings. "We fell for it!"

"What do you know about what's happening here?" Jun asked.

They ran alongside the giant ant nest to the place where they were first separated. The desert was a completely different landscape at night. The warm colors were now eerie shades of blue under the light of the moon; the others would contrast against the now white sands, but it also meant they'd be visible to anyone else out there.

"It can't be a coincidence that we were given this mission," Kankuro's lip curled angrily. "Whoever is behind this…" He paused, hesitant to voice his suspicions aloud.

All the evidence was circumstantial, but if the past was anything to go off of, it wouldn't be the first time something like this happened.

Concerned, Jun stole a glance at him when he trailed off. "Are you alright?"

Way out here in the desert, it was the perfect backdrop. "I'll be fine once we find my brother,"

"Your…brother?" The specificity of his wording made her wary. Gaara?

"I think he's the target," He admitted.

"...How do you wish to proceed?"

"...After we find the others, we have to get Gaara out of here,"

"Understood–"

They climbed up the side of a dune and reached the top, only to have a shuriken fly between their heads. Kankuro acted quickly, grabbing Jun's arm and pulling her down to avoid any further attacks.

"Tch…Damn it," Cursing under his breath, Kankuro tried to peek over the sand dune, but their presence had already been noticed; three nin were en route.

He caught a glimpse of his siblings in the distance, but he wasn't able to get a good read of the situation before he ducked back down. One thing was for sure, the fighting had already begun.

"...Your tactic from yesterday, it might work now." Jun remained composed and offered a strategy they could both follow.

"And what about you?" He was in the process of attaching his chakra strings as he asked.

"Don't worry, I won't miss." she assured him, withdrawing a few kunai from her hip bag. He understood the gist of her plan and gave a nod right before he went over the top of the dune.

Kankuro slid down the other side of the dune, moving his puppet away from himself to divide the attackers' attention. Two focused on him and the other on his puppet. More shuriken flew towards him, making it increasingly difficult to dodge and control his puppet.

"Nghh–" A shuriken sliced his leg, slowing him down. If the enemy got any closer, he might have to abandon this plan.

"AGH?!"

"NGGH!"

"HHKKK?!"

Three kunai launched from the top of the dune, expertly thrown by Jun, and by the time she slid down to join Kankuro, the three enemy ninja lay defeated on the ground. "Let's keep moving," Jun ran past him.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Kankuro replied, quickly following her lead. Most of the fighting was happening farther ahead. Their priority was still to get Gaara out of harm's way, but the odds of achieving that were becoming slimmer.

"Hey," Kankuro spoke aloud, hoping for some new insights, "Got any more good ideas?"

"You want to get your brother away from here, right?"

"It's not a want, it has to happen," Kankuro emphasized the urgency.

"That puppet…is hollow…" Jun observed, recalling their spar from the other day.

Confused by her comment, Kankuro hesitated, "Yeah, and?"

"Open it,"

"Wha–"

"Trust me,"

"Nnhh–There's too many!" Ayame was getting overwhelmed by the two nin he was fighting.

He managed to jump back to avoid their attacks, but another opponent came at him. Three adversaries at once were pushing his limits, but just when it seemed he would face a relentless assault, he found himself relieved as sand crept up the bodies of his opponents, immobilizing them.

"Thanks for the assist!" Ayame shouted as he knocked out the now incapacitated nin. Suddenly, he sensed Kankuro's chakra and fell back beside Gaara to share the news.

"..?"

"A little late than never, but I finally found the others," Ayame informed him, gesturing in the direction from where they would be coming.

"Then we'll meet them halfway,"

"Sounds good to me," Ayame agreed and headed in the direction he sensed the chakra.

"Temari, fall back."

The sand kunoichi was still dealing with her opponents, using her fan to create a vortex of wind that launched three of them up high as the chakra-infused air left multiple slashes on their bodies.

"Fall back?" Once she saw that they were regrouping with Kankuro she closed her fan and followed.

Ayame reached him first and motioned at him in confusion. "Ah, what gives?! Where's my sister–"

"Can you give us cover? I don't have time to explain everything," Kankuro interrupted, disregarding Ayame's question and focusing on Temari instead. She unfurled her fan and sent a blast of wind into the ground, creating a smokescreen of sand and dust that obscured everyone's vision.

"Augh!" Ayame shielded his eyes, "Are you gonna explain things now?" he called out, but when the dust gradually cleared, Kankuro was gone. "EH!? HE DITCHED US?!"

"No…" Gaara answered, "That's part of the plan,"

"What plan? Where is he going?" Temari was ready to pursue Kankuro, but Gaara's stern gaze halted her.

"We're going to remain here and hold them off for as long as possible…" He explained.

While Temari and Ayame didn't seem entirely on board with the plan, they got into position to face the approaching horde of over a dozen nin.

"Pfft, we're probably gonna last…what, 5 minutes? Maybe 10?" Ayame snarkily remarked. Truthfully, he thought that was a generous prediction; 3 against 16 were stacked odds.

"Maybe that's all we'll need," Temari commented.

As the enemies closed in, she waited for the right moment and then unleashed her technique, creating a powerful gust that knocked back most of the attackers. The chakra-controlled wind began to funnel, creating a dangerous whirlwind.

Ayame psyched himself up and joined the fray; he met some of the nin not caught in Temari's wind column and tried his best to hold them there. A single nin rushed from the back after Temari and Ayame began. He was different, much faster than the others and he easily avoided their deterrents and made a run at them, drawing his kunai.

"...!" The kunai shot past Temari and she heard someone wince behind her. She glanced back, expecting Ayame to be injured but her eyes widened in surprise.

"Gaara…y-you're bleeding,"

He had a small laceration on his cheek and touched the cut. Warm blood trickled down his chin and he looked at his red fingers in confusion. As the nin rushed towards him, his sand was not coming to his defense, so Gaara put his hands up to brace. But the nin ignored him and ran past with unbelievable speed in the direction that Kankuro had fled. Suddenly there was a puff of smoke as Gaara was replaced with Jun.

"..." She wiped the blood off her cheek and began pursuit.