Chapter 183

Day of Reckoning: Revenge of the Master Trapper and the Stone's Ambush!

The day of their test had finally arrived.

In some ways it didn't feel like ninety days had passed since the Trinity first set their sights on entering the Anbu Black Ops. How could it?

In that fragment of time they had weathered Haido's invasion and the Gelel Incident, witnessed the fall of the Waterfall and Grass Villages and reigniting of the Third Great Ninja War. They shadowed the likes of Kakashi on infiltration and Intel gathering missions, led their units against a former Seven Swordsmen alongside Mist shinobi, fought and killed the Demon Brothers, and narrowly survived the power of Mito Uzumaki.

For ninety days the Trinity leapt from fire to fire, tested in the searing flames by enemies hellbent on their capture, death, or the destruction of their world. All the while they were ground into the dirt by unmerciful teachers who demanded they meet the highest of standards among shinobi.

They suffered at the hands of Kurenai's ever-progressing genjutsu and Might Guy's insane physical training regiment, pushed to the absolute limits of their physical and mental endurance.

They endured Kakashi's relentless demands of greater effort. He, like Guy and Kurenai, tested the fortitude of their Wills and their bodies at every opportunity. He knew better than anyone what was necessary to survive the Anbu Black Ops, so he forced them to face that hell head-on.

There were days they wished they were dead instead. Days where the concepts of training and torture were indistinguishable from one another.

How badly did they want to succeed, their teachers training silently demanded of them.

How serious were they about excelling among the elite of the elite?

How committed were they to treading this path of shadows?

How far were they willing to push themselves to fulfill their goals?

How hard would they fight to survive together?

Indeed, there were many days they wished they departed from their beaten, bruised, and weak mortal shells. Days they realized their training was indistinguishable from physical and mental torture, as they were pushed to the breaking points of mind, body, and spirit.

Yet the Trinity recognized the necessity of such arduous trials. They recognized their teachers were preparing them to tread the darkness, and all it entailed.

If they couldn't survive ninety days of hell, there wasn't a snowballs chance in hell they could hope to survive the Anbu Black Ops.

Alone they may not have stomached it. Together, though, they persevered through Anko Mitarashi's survival exercise in the Forest of Death, as well as the Crows intimately dissecting their weaknesses. They studied strategies under the guidance of Shikaku and Yoshino Nara and, for Amari, her aunt and uncle pulled her aside to teach her more of the Nara Clan's techniques.

Shizune pushed Mimi to her absolute limits, then beyond. Yūgao, like her Master before her, showed Amari no mercy in training. Mr. Anbu resorted to draconian methods for special, impromptu training sessions with Sasuke and Mimi throughout the three months.

In short, it was ninety days of pure hell even demons and devils would shudder at the mere thought of.

Together they survived, their bond strengthening alongside them. There were missteps along the way, errors that made them question their life choices. Yet they licked their wounds, learned from their mistakes, and tried again.

Today was the day they put all of their hard work to the test.

Before dawn the Trinity gathered at the Leaf's front gate. Kakashi, Kurenai, and Guy were already there waiting for them.

The street was quiet, absent of the pedestrian traffic that would come and go when the sun finally rose. Shinobi patrols made their rounds through the sleeping Village; the curfew remained in effect indefinitely as a result of the war.

Yesterday's snow lay on the sides of the road, shoveled there by whatever poor Genin team were tasked with the menial labor. The sky was clear. Puffs of condensations exhaled by the shinobi drifted off.

Draped in black cloaks, the Trinity stood relaxed despite their attentive gazes. Sasuke draped his hand over the hilt of his chokutō, attired in a white high-collared shirt bearing the Uchiha crest, black pants, and matching arm guards.

Mimi, resting her left hand on her hip, donned her flak jacket over a blue v-neck and black pants. Her hands were covered by plated fingerless gloves, and a silver bracelet adorned by four amber gems was secured around her left wrist. Aoko braced her hind legs on the Inuzuka's shoulder, black head and body resting in her companion's wild mane of dark-brown hair.

Amari stood between her comrades, attired in a navy long sleeve and black pants with her harness fastened over her torso and tantō over her right shoulder. All three members of the Trinity wore mesh armor long-sleeves.

Across from them were Guy, Kakashi, and Kurenai, the latter of the trio donning a grey cloak over her white shinobi dress and black thermal leggings. The mood was calm but serious.

"Now that we're all here, are there any questions before we begin the debrief?" Kakashi cut right to the chase. "You'll be departing immediately as soon as we finish. So, if you have anything on your mind, now is your only chance to ask."

"All right," Mimi spoke up. "Assuming we'll be under guard by one or both of our usual Anbu guardians, won't that cause security issues for Fū, Naruto, Karin, and Yakumo?" She made an absent gesture with her right hand. "Those Foundation bastards have targeted three of the four at least once already."

"I was wondering the same thing," Amari said. "And I wanted to ask if it was safer for all parties if we were only monitored by the Crows." She shook her head. "I don't want our test to open any gaps in the Leaf's defenses for the Foundation or the Stone to exploit."

"Mm. That's thoughtful of you to consider," Kakashi said, "but there's nothing to worry about on that front. Arrangements have already been made to fill in the gaps of security around the Leaf, and around those four in particular."

"Don't forget, you four are high-valued targets for our enemies as well," Kurenai reminded. Her eyes drifted from Mimi to Amari. "The Masked Man has already approached the two of you when you were separated from your guardians. There's also Orochimaru and the Foundation to consider; Orochimaru may not have shown himself since the Sound Four, but that doesn't mean his interest in capturing Sasuke and Amari has waned. I imagine its only intensified since. And the Foundation has their own reasons to eliminate all four of you.

"If any of them sense even the smallest gap in your defenses while your away, they'll exploit it. For that reason, both of your Anbu guards and the Crows will be monitoring you during this test," Kurenai explained.

"Will you three be guarding the Leaf or fulfilling missions while we're away?" Amari asked.

"Kakashi, Guy, and I will remain in the Leaf, for now," her mother answered. "With the Stone's recent advances Lady Tsunade can't afford to spare all of us. Yakumo will be staying with Fū, Karin, and myself while you're away."

"Master Jiraiya will also be monitoring Naruto and Fū," Kakashi informed. "And, as far as I know, in addition to Atsuko's agents, Shikaku and Lady Tsunade have another Anbu agent on standby to monitor Karin and Yakumo, should Kurenai, Guy, or I be needed elsewhere."

Elsewhere being the frontlines of the war. Amari flattened her lips together, but didn't address it.

There was nothing to address. This was the life of a shinobi.

This was their twisted world until humanity ended its elective cycle of war.

She could only hope and pray they all survived it.

"Sounds like you guys have everyone covered, then," Mimi said. Then shrugged. "That's the only question I had."

"I'm good to go," Sasuke said.

"No more questions here. But I would like to say thank you," Amari followed, bowing slightly. "Thank you for pushing us as hard as you did. Whatever hell awaits us, together we'll make it through to the other side because of your training."

"There's no doubt you four have come far. Your tenacity to excel through every obstacle we put before you makes me proud," said Guy. He placed his hands on his hips and held them beneath his serious expression. "However, this test is where it counts. If you falter now, then that's it. You'll have to find another path."

"This test is designed to simulate the difficult missions you will be expected to undertake as members of the Anbu," Kurenai explained. She, too, wore a serious expression. "So don't get cocky. You need to treat this as if it were a real mission, as if your actions are all that stand between the success or failure of a major Leaf counteroffensive. You need to treat this as though the lives of your comrades and the civilians who call the Leaf and Land of Fire home are on the line. If you can do that you'll have a chance at passing."

"We will," Amari said.

"Don't worry, Guy-sensei, Kurenai-sensei. We won't take this test lightly," said Mimi, earning a bark of agreement from Aoko.

Sasuke nodded silently.

"Well, since there aren't any questions, let's jump right into your mission," Kakashi said, reaching into his flak jacket pocket. He retrieved a scroll, then tossed it to Amari, who caught it with her left hand. "That scroll possesses a map of your inevitable destination. I want you to memorize its as we go over the details."

Amari unraveled the scroll, right eye glowing crimson. Sasuke and Mimi stepped closer. The Uchiha studied the map with his Sharingan, utilizing his enhanced visual prowess to see even in the darkness. The Inuzuka held out her palm, then a small white orb of light suddenly appeared, hovering silently over her gloved hand and illuminating the scroll for her and Aoko to see.

The mapped area was contained within a small circle. Detail was scarce. It looked drawn in haste, with conjectures on enemy presence scribbled in the margins. Droplets of blood stained the edges. In the bottom left corner of the page was a final six worded message.

Ambushed. No traces will be left.

"A scouting unit located a critical supply line," Kakashi began. "Unfortunately, no one made it out alive. As is the custom in the Anbu, in order to prevent their secrets from falling into enemy hands, they destroyed their bodies to leave no traces behind."

Grim, but realistic.

"Their final act was delivering this message to us. Intel is scarce, I know. But this is the best we can do. Your unit's mission is to sabotage the supply line by destroying the bridge located on the map."

"We don't know what manner of force you'll be facing," Kurenai said. "But its safe to say they will fortify their supply line. They'll be expecting another Leaf unit, and given their unknown numbers, you should try to slip through as quietly as you can."

"We're simulating the battle at Kannabi Bridge," Amari deduced. "Except in this simulation the first unit failed and the enemy has had time to reinforce their position."

"You're right, little one."

"Sounds like we're being sent on what could be considered a suicide mission, simulating the worst case scenario for a shinobi unit, while the fate of the Leaf's future depends on our success or failure," Mimi said.

"Precisely, Mimi," Guy nodded. "If you four hope to excel within the ranks of the Anbu Black Ops, you must be prepared to overcome challenges such as this."

Mimi grinned slightly. "Guess I shouldn't have expected anything less from the Anbu Black Ops. This'll either be a wild time, or the worst mission of our lives. Can't wait to find out which."

"Since you four have trained in the Forest of Death and know its layout and dangers," Kakashi said, "your mission will take you to the abandoned grounds used in the Chūnin Exams during your great-grandparents generation. The directions are on the map. Fair warning, Lady Tsunade claims it is just as deadly and dangerous as the Forest of Death."

"Naturally," Sasuke drawled.

"Finally, you'll be given five days to complete this mission. If you haven't returned by dawn of the sixth day, you'll be assumed KIA. In other words, you'll fail our test. Understood?"

"Understood," Amari said.

"I hear ya."

"Got it," Sasuke nodded.

"You guys finished with the map?" the Nara asked, looking to Sasuke and Mimi.

"Yeah," her comrades confirmed.

Amari rolled it shut, tossed it back to Kakashi. "Is that the end of our briefing, Sensei? We're ready to mobilize."

He nodded once. "Yeah. That's it. Good luck."

"Do your best!" Guy said, shoving his thumb out and grinning.

"Stay vigilant," said Kurenai.

"We will. Sasuke, Mimi, time to head out."

"Yeah."

"Right behind you."

Without another word, without a sound, the Trinity vanished.

Not a single snowflake fell from the day the Trinity departed to the night of the next day.

The afternoon sun warmed the surface of the leftover snow, melting it over the course of two days until not a single ice crystal remained, leaving the streets clear, if not a bit muddy.

However, when the sun fell, so too did the temperature. It was only when the sun breached the horizon and climbed to its zenith that the freezing air warmed to something more manageable, if not chilly.

For two days, as the Trinity trekked through fields and over rolling hills to their objective, the Leaf hummed along at its usual tempo.

The reconstruction efforts provided the steady beat of hammers crashing against nails, and on the odd occasion against thumbs and fingers, which often led to loud outbursts of every curse known to man. Nearby children often giggled and would proudly repeat the new words they learned to their friends, and then their parents, who would then scold them and demand they never speak them again, just as their parents had told them when they were children.

It remained an ineffective strategy, no matter the era.

The steady, creaky snore of saws shaving through lumber could be heard as a wheelbarrows squeaky wheel rolled along the road.

Vetted refugees from the Grass and residents of the Land of Fire fleeing the Stone's merciless advance struggled to gather their bearings and get their feet beneath them in the foreign Village. Some quickly found work, their skillsets suited for jobs of construction, salespeople, customer service, nursing, cooking, or administrative assistants.

Some younger than the Academy's recent batch of graduates and as old as the departed Third Hokage found themselves performing menial labor jobs. They took whatever work came their way, whether it be washing dishes, cleaning stores, or sweeping floors, or hawking all manner of services and material things, or performing deliveries. Some even took work on construction sites, all in effort to establish a steady foundation for their family.

Meanwhile the slow and arduous process of vetting refugees continued. Those yet to enter settled within the camp constructed beneath the walls of the Leaf, where they remained under strict surveillance.

Some refugees had departed in the immediate days following the fall of the Grass and Waterfall Villages, traveling towards the coast of the Land of Fire, towards the Land of Tea, and some to Nations like the Land of Rivers and Hidden Rain.

They went anywhere that might welcome them. Anywhere they might reestablish their lives outside of a Village.

Anywhere that was far from the Stone and the war of the Great Nations as they could get.

Missions continued within and outside of the Leaf. Shinobi passed the check-in station, some on their way out to reinforce the frontline, replacing their fallen brethren. Runners returned with news from the battlefields. Members of the Medical Corps departed for Aid Stations, or returned with KIA. The Intelligence Division was as busy as a disturbed ant mound; Shikaku Nara, the Commander of the Leaf's forces, had his hands full.

Anbu and Foundation agents departed and returned on top secret missions, or stalked the shadows within the Leaf, securing its walls and its population. Young shinobi from the new generation trained with their teachers, on their own, or performed whatever missions were asked of them within the walls of the Leaf, easing the burdens on their limited manpower where they could, when they could.

Messenger birds departed from and arrived at the Leaf's messenger bird station daily, often bearing reports from their allies in the Sand Village.

Correspondences between the Fifth Kazekage and the Fifth Hokage came and went almost daily, with a common subject between Lady Pakura and Lady Tsunade revolving around creating an open formal line of communication with the Mist. Their hopes to create a Three Nation Alliance were inching closer and closer to reality every day.

For those two days the new normal they had all acclimatized to was maintained. For those two days, had the Trinity returned at any given minute before nightfall, they would've found their home precisely as they left it.

At nightfall of the second day, beneath the black canvas dotted by thousands of twinkling stars and the glowing half moon, the atmosphere in the Leaf suddenly shifted.

Shinobi all across the Leaf Village stirred from sleep, drew their gazes to the closest window, or paused in the streets at the tangible change.

The Aburame Clan's insects became agitated. The ninken of the Inuzuka Clan perked up, alert; the youngest pups growled or whined. Members of the Hyūga Clan, Hinata and Neji among them, woke, left their rooms, and stepped out into the cold air, where they found Hiashi Hyūga already scanning the Village with his Byakugan.

Shikaku Nara, already awake, sat on his front stairs, waiting for the impending report from the Crows and Anbu Black Ops.

It was then ribbons of smoke began to rise all across the Leaf…

Karin's eyes snapped open. Instantly her mind and sensory abilities were alert, even as her vision remained fogged and submerged in darkness.

Lying on her left side, she sensed Yakumo's presence behind her; the Kurama was already sitting up, fully awake and alert. She sensed the disturbance just as keenly as the Uzumaki.

Fū was directly in front of Karin, seated on the edge of Amaririsu's side of the bed.

The Waterfall kunoichi was guarding her, she realized on a sub-conscious level, from whatever—or whoever—might be responsible for rousing them in the middle of the night.

Something is actively preventing me from sensing the outside world, she dissected the strange sensation. Even people who have never molded their chakra should feel this. It's like we were breathing clean air a moment ago, and now its been tainted by an odor of burning garbage and squalor.

What the hell is going on?

"Fū?" she murmured, uncertain.

"Someone deployed a special kind of smokescreen," Fū said, voice soft and strangely serious. "It's disrupting our ability to sense their chakra. But don't worry, Chōmei and I have you covered."

"It must be a vast smokescreen. My entire sensory range is disrupted," Yakumo noted quietly.

Karin hummed. Hers was, too. She had no idea sensory disrupting smokescreens existed, there was still so much she needed to learn about the weapons of shinobi. It would have to wait. They had more pressing concerns.

She sensed Kurenai beyond their bedroom, moving from the living area towards the stairs—she was likely performing a security check.

No one else occupied the house. With the smokescreen, however, there was no telling if one of those Foundation guys were simply hovering outside their window or not.

In order to deploy a smokescreen capable of disrupting the entire Village, they would have to plant multiple smoke bombs at strategic locations throughout the Leaf. That's definitely something the Foundation could pull off, but…

Karin shut her eyes and furrowed her brow.

It's set everyone at high alert. They basically launched a firework into the sky to say, "Come find me."

So who could it be? Has the Leaf been infiltrated? It can't be a Stone invasion like in the Grass, right? They just started dropping bombs, they didn't deploy any smokescreens like this. At least none around me.

The mere thought it could be Stone shinobi…

Karin clenched her right hand into a fist in front of her chest. She opened her eyes and stared at the window. She wasn't ready to fight. She didn't want to fight. But…

I won't… I won't be taken prisoner ever again. I won't…

In dark silence they waited. Still. Silent.

Lub-dup, lub-dup, lub-dup.

Her elevated pulse thumped vividly in her ears, drowning out all other noise. She swallowed noisily, at least in her own ears. Karin swore she could hear Fū's and Yakumo's hearts, too, and they were calm. Hers wasn't.

The door to the bedroom creaked open. She flinched despite knowing better. As the hallway light entered, Kurenai drifted through the open portal like a silent specter.

"Is everyone okay in here?" she asked.

"Yep. Chōmei and I have this whole room covered, Miss Kurenai."

"Can you sense anything, Sensei?" Yakumo asked.

"No," she shook her head. "I'll give whoever is responsible credit, they've layered the entire Leaf in this smokescreen. Likely in order to evade the Anbu Black Ops."

"Do you think its those Foundation guys again?" Fū asked.

"Anything is possible," Kurenai said, gliding silently to their bedside. "However, this smokescreen strikes me as too brazen. Despite concealing themselves, whoever is responsible has alerted the entire Leaf to their presence; I have no doubt my comrades are all prepared for combat as we speak. So were anyone to attempt to strike at us the Foundation would be implicated immediately."

"Which means the perpetrator is probably someone else," Yakumo concluded. "It could be a spy the Anbu located, right?"

"Possibly. Still, I wouldn't put it past the Foundation to take advantage of this opportunity. So, for now," Kurenai sat on the edge of the bed and patted Fū on the head, "we'll wait this smoke out together."

Karin felt more secure already.

From the window of the Hokage's Residence, Tsunade observed the smokescreen with her lips pressed firmly together. She crossed her arms over her pink kimono-styled blouse, the burgundy sleeves of her haori provided warmth against the chill penetrating the walls and windows at this short distance.

Out there, in the thick smokescreen, it was now no man's land. Any person caught within would be running blind, deprived of visual cues and of their sensory abilities, should they possess any. Just the way their scurrying spy wanted it.

Once already the spy slipped past the Anbu Black Ops unit monitoring them. Despite possessing a clear picture of the man, his identity was as much a mystery to the Intelligence Division as the will of the Gods were to common folk. He didn't match anyone within the current bingo books.

This spy is a special talent, Tsunade observed, tapping her left pointer finger against her bicep. An elite shinobi you can't just create out of thin air.

The Crows archivists were searching for any leads regarding the shinobi's identity. Given the age of their spy, though, they would be scanning through several decades worth of shinobi from the Stone and the Cloud. Thus far, nothing had come of it.

Tsunade monitored the smokescreen. It was a genius move, assuming they had a decent escape route. The specialized qualities of the smoke would prevent any Sensory Type from locating them, and, if she were to bet, it was doubtlessly wiping away their scent, too.

As long as the smokescreen was drawn over the Village, not even the Crows of the Leaf would be able to locate him. To understand every element they would have to overcome to escape, and implement such a masterful counter successfully…

Yeah, they weren't dealing with any average spy or shinobi. This one was top notch. In fact, they were the kind of shinobi tactical doctrines were written off of. The kind of shinobi strategists would still be studying and teaching their next generations about ages from now.

So, who the hell were they? Someone like this should've stuck out like a broken nose at a beauty pageant in their bingo books and the Crows archives. They should've been a bright red pimple on the face of the shinobi world, a massive white pustule clear for all to see, leaking and ready burst at the slightest hint of pressure.

Tsunade shifted her jaw. She stopped tapping her finger, pinching the burgundy fabric of her haori between her thumb and forefinger.

How on earth do we know nothing about this man?

The bedroom door slid open gently, then slid shut again. Lantern light flickered in the window. Tsunade didn't look away from the Village, there was no need.

"Lady Tsunade, I'm sorry to disturb you, but I think I may have identified the spy," Shizune spoke up as she approached.

That got her attention. Tsunade released her sleeve. She half-turned from the window to face her assistant, who held an oil lamp in her left hand and a small, thin black book in her right, thumb pinned somewhere three-fourths of the way through it.

It was only a matter of time before they found something. She was surprised Shizune beat the Crows to the punch, though; her assistant was an organizational godsend, there was no doubt about it, but she could only imagine how thorough the Crows archivists were.

"What have you found?"

"I was poring over old bingo books from the time of the Second Great Ninja War when I came across this," she said, gesturing with the booklet. "A man whose talents fit the criteria of our target and bears a striking resemblance, if not somewhat altered by the rigors of time."

"The Second Great Ninja War? That's stretching back thirty years," Tsunade said, stepping closer. "I can't imagine a Stone or Cloud shinobi from that time who wouldn't still be in our most up-to-date bingo books."

"He isn't from the Stone or the Cloud."

"Hm?"

Shizune opened the book, handed it to Tsunade. Her assistant brought the lantern closer, illuminating the page, before pressing her finger beside the man in question.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes, felt her jaw tense. She might've gasped if she didn't feel a cold chill race down her spine.

"He's a shinobi from Heat Devil Village," her assistant explained. "It's the closest match I've found, although I can't say I recognize his name."

"It's not surprising you don't," Tsunade said. "You're too young. By the time you were old enough to be a shinobi, the tales of Gennō the Master Trapper had faded from the world's memory. All for the better, I say."

The horrible traps he had laid, the wounds she had witnessed as a result…

Tsunade balled up her fist.

"Gennō. I haven't heard that name in years. Not since Heat Devil Village was destroyed by the Hidden Valley Village. All reports indicated that not a single soul survived from Heat Devil Village. An entire generation of people, culture, and traditions vanished that day."

"I could be wrong," Shizune offered.

"No," Tsunade shook her head. "Don't doubt your instincts. If anyone could slip past the Anbu Black Ops and set this smokescreen off, its Gennō. He must be as ancient as Sarutobi-sensei by now. I don't know how he survived. But, for now, that doesn't matter. We need to capture him alive. Immediately. Before someone sets off a trap."

Glancing to the window, she noticed the smokescreen thinning out. Silhouettes of buildings once obscured by an opaque veil took form. But the danger was far from passing.

Leave it to an old war to wake an ancient ghost from its grave.

Gennō, she growled, what the hell are you up to?

He sensed his pursuers the moment they appeared. It was only a matter of time before the smokescreen faded. Seems he had gotten slower in his old age.

Leaping through the eastern forest outside the Leaf's walls, the leaves, branches, and trunks painted in the inky shadows, the elderly man attired in a black and steely grey ensemble and a tan headdress, which concealed everything except his dark eyes, continued to leap along the bare branches.

One leap. Two. Three. He counted each motion, used the numbers to focus his mind and command his withered and battle-worn body ahead against the gnarled pains of time and untended injuries.

Five. Six. Seven.

On the eighth leap, he sighed. "Well, I guess age catches up to all of us sooner or later."

He landed on the next branch, then dropped down to the forest floor. He collapsed to his buttocks, rested his back against the trunk of the tree, and tried to catch his breath. His nostrils and lungs burned. The cold air was doing a number on the old organs, and his aging bones and inflamed joints, too.

"Although," he breathed heavily, "I suppose I shouldn't have expected anything less from the Leaf's Anbu Black Ops."

His vision in the dark wasn't as sharp as it used to be, but he didn't need to see well to know an entire Anbu Black Ops unit now surrounded him. He didn't need to lift his gaze to see the white porcelain masks resembling monkey's, ox's, and a variety of birds.

Truth be told, he liked birds ever since he was a boy. So it was a shame they were used to instill fear by this wretched Village.

The Anbu Black Ops unit dropped from the tree branches. They hadn't lowered their guards, nor did they approach recklessly. Intelligent youngsters. It seemed he could still ruffle the Anbu's feathers despite his old age.

"You will return the blueprints you stole from the foreman's house," commanded one of the men.

"Now why would I be carrying something like that around after all this time?" he wondered aloud, chastising the young fools.

He could scarcely see their silhouettes, yet the audible sharp intakes of breath were worthwhile after all these years of carrying this heavy burden. This inescapable weight of anger, grief, and vengeance he couldn't ignore anymore than the necessity to breathe.

"I've had a long full life as a shinobi. If this is how it has to end, so be it. I just wish I had lived long enough to see the end of the Leaf Village with my own eyes!"

He pulled open his vest, revealing his coup de grâce: Dozens upon dozens of Paper Bombs layered his torso, enough to carve a scar into this forest that would remain long after he departed.

"Paper Bombs!" another man announced.

"Take cover!" the first man ordered.

Seated on the forest floor, in the shadows, he couldn't quite see them bound away in retreat, but he sensed it.

Gennō, the Master Trapper lowered his head, eyes crinkling as his lips pulled into a smile beneath his mask.

You're all far too late.

I sure would've liked to share another bowl of ramen with Naruto. Ah well, this is how it has to be.

Reckoning day had finally come.

In the silent, black stillness which surrounded the Leaf, a dome of brilliant orange light flashed into existence in the eastern forest. Then the sudden eruption roared, awakening all those who had managed to sleep until that moment with a start, clawing forth frightening thoughts and memories of the Invasion of the Sound and Sand Villages, the Akatsuki bomber destroying the Grass and all its towns, and that red light which erased a town and made the earth itself tremble and the sky weep before its might.

Trees splintered. Branches ripped violently off of trunks.

The shockwave, visible in the flash via a wave of black smoke rushing outwards from the epicenter, made the defense walls quake beneath the feet of the graveyard shift patrols. It crashed against their bodies, tightening their hearts in their chests.

For several long seconds the floors, walls, windows, and ceilings of every house in the Leaf rumbled and vibrated as though an earthquake were splitting the Village in half. For the refugees and the survivors of the Invasion those seconds were excruciating.

The flash of light faded first. Quickly. Mirroring the existence of a lightning bolt. The eruption, the horrific rending which shot hearts into throats and clutched them in tight fists faded a moment later.

Flames lingered upon the surrounding trees, however, flickering and dancing red and orange amidst the darkness; the dry bark had become excellent kindling. A plume of black smoke rose on the horizon.

Without warning the trembling vibrations halted. Like a ship being thrown around by the sea to suddenly run aground and halt, or a kite caught on a gale which suddenly ceased, the Leaf went still once more beneath the twinkling stars.

An ominous tension lingered behind in the silent stillness, a dread which loomed over the Village like the bleak shadow of a forsaken mountain.

Gennō the Master Trapper had set his trap.

And they were all caught it.

Beyond the Leaf's barrier the air wasn't tainted by the stark odor of smoldering trees. It was crisp that winter morning following the explosion, absent of the array of scents associated with hot and humid days, and the smoke and cinders of an old man's final dying act.

Those beyond the barrier hadn't the faintest idea of what occurred. It was another normal, winter day in the Land of Fire. Perfectly ordinary away from the frontlines, just the way the populace liked it. At least for now.

As light crept over the horizon, shafts of golden light filtered through the trees, casting inky silhouettes onto the earth. Standing half in the light and half in the shadows of a tree trunk, a figure attired in a draping purple cloak appeared as though materializing with the emergence of light.

From beneath the hood of his cloak, he studied the ancient grounds of the Chūnin Exams.

He couldn't see much, unfortunately. At this distance it appeared as ordinary as any other forest, with the exception of the chainlink fence time, weather, and Mother Nature had left in a disparate state of rusty and mold-riddled ruin. Abandonment personified. Without constant tending and care, humanity's grand empires, communities, and walls always collapsed, subsumed into a vastly greater force—it was only natural.

What a shame he couldn't see within. Visual prowess of a Byakugan would have been handy; he was certain the coming show would've provided if not entertainment, then at least amusement worthy of popcorn, as naïve children liked to say. Alas, he didn't possess any special kekkei genkai like that, nor did he dare to enter the boundaries of the forest.

He retreated quite some distance, concealing himself on a hill amidst a dense population of trees. It was better this way. Few willingly sought the attention of the Crows of the Leaf and the Leaf's Anbu Blacks Ops, and he knew very well what they were capable of.

The figure withheld a sigh. It was all unfortunate, really. He would've preferred to have a closer look. Call it scientific curiosity. It nagged at him, like an itch at the center of his being he couldn't ever reach.

Now that he knew who the target of his mission was—well, what could he say? The itch was as intense as a poison ivy rash. Primitive impulse commanded he scratch away until his skin bled, but he inhaled a calm breath, exhaled, and exercised a modicum of self-control.

Impulses could be too frivolous for his tastes, their conclusions often unworthy of the effort to reach them. Still…

What an interesting surprise this has turned out to be. I must admit, the figure thought, resting his hand on the trunk of a tree, I thought it was an odd request. But a scalpel has no say in what it cuts, it must merely cut to fulfill its purpose.

He had fulfilled his purpose. Strange as it was. The curiosity lingered, though, and so had he. Just to see who would be unfortunate enough to enter.

Who precisely was the target of this strange request? He wanted to know.

When he saw Amaririsu Yūhi, Sasuke Uchiha, and Mimi Inuzuka enter the grounds, well, the answer became clear. It certainly piqued his curiosity. So much so, he almost dared to test the Crows of the Leaf and the Leaf's Anbu Black Ops to witness how it unfolded up close.

Now it all makes sense. Kabuto Yakushi smiled cunningly. So, Sasori, you or the Akatsuki want to be rid of Amaririsu Yūhi before she becomes a threat. Or, rather, you want to be rid of Haya Uchiha, the Great-Great Granddaughter of Madara Uchiha.

Consider me intrigued. How did you know they would be here, I wonder. Is Danzō up to his usual tricks? Do you have another agent embedded in the Leaf? Is there another player I don't know about?

I guess I won't ever know. You've never trusted me enough for that. Us tools must know our "place." And I wouldn't want you to grow suspicious of me. Still… Hmhmhm!

Kabuto's shoulders shook with a silent and sinister chuckle.

You're a bigger fool than I thought, Sasori. You're underestimating the talent, intellect, and power of Amaririsu, not to mention Sasuke Uchiha and Mimi Inuzuka. You even underestimate the Crows of the Leaf and the elite guards monitoring them. To think I had such a high opinion of you. Perhaps I'm the fool, then, he mused lightheartedly.

Perhaps, though, I'm overestimating them, he considered, observing the ancient grounds. You have plotted quite the trap. I'm almost tempted to deprive you of it, if only to see Amaririsu survive. But there's that impulse again. Unfortunately I can't throw away our little alliance. Not yet, at least. You're still too valuable.

Still, Sasori, do you think this will be enough to kill Amaririsu, Sasuke, and Mimi? Do you think this act will end the line of Madara Uchiha, once and for all?

All right, let's see then. Kabuto grinned wildly beneath his hood. Who will live and who will die? This should make for an interesting experiment!

A light breeze hissed through the trees. From the shadows Kabuto watched the ancient grounds, waiting to see who would emerge victorious.

Shikamaru had expected a troublesome day ahead of him. Hard not to after that explosion shook the damn house from floor to ceiling.

Like I wasn't stressed enough about the war already, he grimaced. Now we have explosions going off in the middle of the night. What a pain.

Yeah, troublesome was the chef's special today, he'd known that before being woken at the crack of dawn by his mother. Not that he'd slept well after the explosion went off anyway. He bet plenty of new parents spent their night comforting their frightened newborns afterwards, while kids like him tossed and turned, wondering if an alert would suddenly ring out and call them to duty.

No alarm went out, at least none calling him. So he tossed and turned until his mother woke him up early—he was summoned by the Hokage. The Nara lacked the imagination to dream up what his mission might entail.

Now that he knew what they were dealing with, well, it wasn't manly to admit to anxiety, and it wouldn't do his squad's morale any favors if he lost his cool. So he didn't.

With his back to the memorial stone, hands on his hips, Shikamaru took a quick headcount of his arriving unit as the sun rose above the trees. They were all familiar faces. All comrades he could depend on.

Tenten, one of the first to arrive, sat on the grass while sharpening a kunai knife. Neji, arms crossed, leaned against the trunk of a tree. Rock Lee performed handstand push-ups on his thumbs. Hinata, who had arrived with Neji, leaned against a tree as well with her hands clasped beneath her waist.

If any of them were anxious, they didn't show it.

Kiba was approaching with Akamaru's head poking out at the neckline of his hoodie. Shino, the first to arrive before anyone else, stood silently. Cool as a cucumber, naturally. He kept his hands stuffed in his jackets pockets.

Ino stood behind and adjacent to the Bug Tamer; she rested a hand on her hip, eyes drawn to the path leading to the memorial stone where the others were arriving from. Sakura wrapped her left arm behind her back, clasping the right just beneath the bicep.

Naruto was pacing within two strides of Shikamaru. Patience had never been his strongest quality. He was clearly uncomfortable about the whole situation, not that Shikamaru could blame him.

Fū clasped both hands behind her back, humming as she rocked back and forth on her heels. She wore a peach long-sleeve crop top, mesh armor, and a short black skirt and thermal leggings.

Karin sat beside her, dressed in a cyan pullover sweater and whitish-grey sweatpants. She hugged her arms around her knees, thumbs poking out of the thumbholes in the grey long-sleeve she wore beneath the pullover.

Donning a Leaf headband, Yakumo flanked Karin's other side, rotating her upper body and hips, warming up in the cold air. Her ensemble was just as colorful as the other two girls. Her skirt was as blue as a spring sky, her mesh armor a bright red, covering her arms and legs. She wore a violet kimono-styled shirt over the layer of armor, tied shut by a pink sash; the shirt bore a long right sleeve and a short left sleeve—like Sensei, like student.

Although not a shinobi, Karin was a necessary addition, strictly because Kurenai and her sensory abilities were needed elsewhere in the Village at present. That left the safest place for the Uzumaki right at their sides.

Shikamaru swore he'd keep both eyes on the trio. He was certain either the Crows or another Anbu agent would be, too. If not both.

Bringing up the last of their unit, munching on a bag of chips as he approached, was Chōji. All they were missing were 'Risu, Mimi and Aoko, and Sasuke. And dammit did he wish they were here now. They needed all the hands they could get, and their extraordinary senses would've been an invaluable asset to to their mission.

"Oh, hey, are we waiting for anyone else or am I the last one here?" Chōji asked.

"This is everyone," Shino answered.

"All right, I'm glad we're all here. We can finally get started. " Shikamaru spoke up.

As Chōji settled into their group, those pacing, rocking on their heels and toes, sharpening their knives, or performing handstand push-ups ceased, bringing their undivided attention to the Nara.

"As I'm sure you're all aware by now the Village has been placed under an S-level security alert. Did anyone manage to sleep through the reason or are we all on the same page already?"

"Yeah, we know," Kiba answered. "Whatever that smokescreen was and the explosion set our whole Clan at alert."

"As it did with our insects," Shino concurred. "I can't imagine anyone slept through it."

"Lord Hiashi was already awake when Lady Hinata and I sensed the initial disturbance," Neji said.

"Sounds like all of us had our sleep disturbed," Sakura said.

"If I hadn't seen the smokescreen from my window I would've thought Amari was up to something," Naruto said. "Could feel something strange in the air, you know? Woke me from a really good dream, too."

"The compounds of the smokescreen are to blame," Yakumo explained. "It's main purpose was to disrupt Sensory Types or those with enhanced sensory abilities, like the members of the Aburame, Inuzuka, or Hyūga Clans, to name only three. However, whatever compounds they used were potent enough to disturb even civilians who have never molded their chakra."

"Yakumo totally nailed it," Fū agreed, nodding. Her expression—no, her entire aura was as serious as a heart attack. Shikamaru had never seen her like this before.

"Chōmei felt it as soon as the bombs deployed that nasty stuff. Karin and Yakumo, too. Miss Kurenai said the Anbu Black Ops were investigating something, but I was too focused on waiting out those Foundation guys to ask questions."

"I had suspected the Anbu Blacks Ops were taking action, so I did not get involved," Lee said.

Shikamaru hummed and dipped his chin. "You're right. The Anbu were at the scene."

"Just as I thought," said Hinata.

"This is as much as we know," the Nara began. "The Anbu have had a man under constant surveillance for the past two weeks. Recently he made his move, breaking into the construction foreman's house. Once inside he found the chest containing the blueprints for all the important structures in the Village, and stole every single document. He even managed to slip through the Anbu unit's fingers once."

"This guy managed to steal the Leaf's blueprints?" Tenten, like the rest of their comrades, couldn't hide her shock.

He already had time to process the news, so he couldn't blame any of them for freaking out now. Might as well have told them they were all sitting on ticking time-bombs—it wasn't far from the truth, honestly.

The details within those page would give an enemy a detailed analysis of their walls, their watchtowers, their hidden tunnels, evacuation routes, the Hokage's residence, Clan homes and compounds; hell, he'd bet even the Foundation's headquarters were in there.

It was a certified disaster waiting to happen. With those blueprints, an enemy would have the Leaf right in the palm of their hands, literally and figuratively.

Plotting the assassination of the Hokage, of Clan Heads, or a full-scale invasion would be child's play. If that wasn't bad enough, they were currently at war with the Stone, whose Commanders would pay top dollar to snatch those blueprints out from under them. If they hadn't already.

Shikamaru pushed the grim thought aside and said, "The smokescreen last night was meant to conceal the spy's escape. Despite all the smoke, the Black Ops managed to corner him in the eastern forest. But before they could get him to sing… Well, you felt his final moments more than he did."

Everyone either frowned, flattened their lips together, or hummed.

"The Anbu searched the blast site, but they concluded he was not in possession of the blueprints when the explosion occurred."

All they found, according to the Hokage, were whatever pieces of him remained. Apparently members of the Medical Corps were trying to piece his corpse back together, in the hopes they might find something. A clue on the blueprints, proof of his identity; he wasn't sure, and he really didn't want to be there for it. Sounded like nasty business.

"We have to hope they're not already in the hands of the enemy. Or the Hidden Leaf is history," he said. "You can see why Lady Tsunade ordered the S-level security alert."

"So, what's our mission? What do we have to do?" Kiba asked.

"Well, it's all hands on deck for this one," Shikamaru explained. "Between the battles on the frontline, missions, and now the security alert, every Jōnin, Chūnin, and Genin has some job to perform in or out of the Leaf. As you can imagine, shinobi like our Sensei's are preparing for the worst case scenario. That leaves investigating to us."

"An investigation?" Naruto repeated. "Are we really suited for that sort of thing? I mean, I'm all for helping, but I'm surprised Granny Tsunade doesn't want the Anbu or something in charge of that."

"Under normal circumstances you'd be onto something Naruto, but think of who comprises this unit," he said. "Sensory Types, Shino's insects, the Byakugan, your Shadow Clones; our combined skills make us the perfect composition for recon and investigation. And combat, not that there's any chance for that presently."

Things could always change. Expect the unexpected and all that.

"Also, I doubt we're the only unit," he continued. Then shook his head. "The Village is too big for one unit to be in charge of, even one as big as ours. And my old man and the Crows are too thorough to leave any stones unturned when time is off the essence."

"Huh, I guess I didn't think about it that way."

"Anyway, since he didn't have them when he died, our mission is to find where the spy hid the blueprints."

"It's like finding a needle in a haystack," said Neji.

"If we want to find where he hid it, I'd say our best bet is retracing his steps," Tenten offered.

Shikamaru frowned. They weren't wrong. But… Now he had to address the part he wasn't looking forward to.

"Thing is, this guy had a reputation for setting some pretty nasty booby traps. Some thirty years ago, when our thief was at the height of his notoriety, Lady Tsunade was one of the medical-ninjas tending to the wounds of those fortunate enough to survive his traps. And the deceased who weren't so fortunate, well…"

He pressed his lips together in discomfort, lowered his eyes to the grass.

Lady Tsunade hadn't provided gruesome detail of what she had seen, she hadn't horrified him with nightmarish retellings of an aid station in the heat of war. She gave him a vague overview. She impressed upon him to "act with the utmost caution" five separate times.

That was enough to get a clear picture. He could see it crystal clear in the grave tone of her voice and in the dark shadows obscuring her eyes, betraying her youthful appearance by revealing the harsh scars of wartime memories to the young boy.

"Let's just say there were a lot of closed caskets," Shikamaru said after a beat, raising his gaze. "And chances are we'll run into similar traps when we're looking for those blueprints."

"I'd say its highly probable," said Shino.

"We understand. Just give the order and we'll get started," Ino said.

Reaching into his flak jacket pocket, Shikamaru retrieved a small stack of portrait photographs and glanced at the image printed upon it. He scowled. To think an old geezer like this had been sneaking around right under their noses.

"First," he began, "you'll need a little more background. After some digging we've learned this guy infiltrated the Village a few months back posing as a carpenter."

With careful precision, he threw the pictures like he was throwing kunai to everyone present, save Karin. Yakumo was quick to kneel beside the Uzumaki to share her image. It was Naruto's gasp which drew Shikamaru's attention, followed by Sakura's.

The image displayed an elderly gentleman wearing glasses, a green winter hat, a white scarf, and a long blue coat. He wielded a hammer and chisel, hammer poised to strike. Nothing at all shocking.

Yet their wide eyes, almost horrified, their open mouths—they recognized the old man.

"His name was Gennō, renowned as The Master Trapper," Shikamaru informed.

"No," Naruto murmured. "No way."

"Naruto, Sakura, you know this guy?"

"We… We ate together at Ichiraku's last night," Sakura answered first, bewildered. Her emerald eyes fell on Naruto, and softened.

"Old Man Gennō has been a regular for a while now," Naruto said after an elongated pause. "Whatever ramen he didn't eat he would give to me. This doesn't make sense," he shook his head, betrayal and hurt clear on his face and in his low voice. "Old Man Gennō didn't have a mean bone in his body. Even Amari thought he was kind. And…"

'Risu met him, too, huh? Shikamaru pursed his lips. Normally I'd trust her judgement on someone's character. Thing is, this guy's the kind of spy they use as an example to teach the next generation. He's even slicker than Kabuto, and that snake managed to trick the Leaf for seven Chūnin Exam attempts. Made us rookies look like fools, too.

Much as he wished for Naruto's sake that Gennō wasn't the spy, he couldn't ignore the substantial and irrefutable evidence because 'Risu thought he was kind.

"It doesn't make sense," Naruto murmured.

"I know its probably a tough pill to swallow, but Gennō was obviously acting," Shikamaru said.

"No, you don't understand," Naruto shook his head again. "I get that he was a spy. It's not the first time I've fallen for something like this before, and Granny and the others obviously figured out his identity. What doesn't make sense is that Old Man Gennō was dying."

Shikamaru furrowed his brow. Now that was news even the Hokage and his old man didn't know.

"Wait, this guy was dying?" Kiba wondered. "How do you know that? Did he say it or something?"

"No," Naruto shook his head. "Old Man Gennō never said anything like that. I sort of figured, it was something you could just kind of…tell, you know?"

"He's right," Sakura nodded. "It was sort of in the air around him, strange as that may sound."

"Amari confirmed it for me. She said she sensed his life-force and he was really close to dying. That's why it doesn't make sense. Why would Old Man Gennō go through all of this if he was at the end of his life?"

Crossing his arms, Shikamaru shut his eyes and began to examine the new piece of the puzzle, turning it around, flipping it over, tracing his fingers along its edges.

The Master Trapper was on his way out. 'Risu could sense it. So, what did he have to gain by infiltrating the Leaf and stealing its blueprints?

Vengeance was the obvious conclusion. He was seeking to destroy the Leaf due to the losses he sustained in the war thirty years ago; it was a solid motive, hardly out of the ordinary in the shinobi world. Shinobi had held grudges for longer, and for far less. Look at the Foundation.

Naruto was right, though. It didn't make sense, although not from his comrade's clear emotional reasoning.

Assuming vengeance was Gennō's motive, and assuming he knew he was on borrowed time, he sure seemed to waste plenty of it in the months leading up to being caught. Then, for an elite shinobi, he went out like a total punk, leaving whatever traps he set and his goal in limbo. Unfulfilled.

It didn't make sense. A guy bearing a grudge like that would've wanted to see it all play out. He would've wanted to watch the Village fall right in front of him.

So why waste so much time if he knew he was quickly running out? Why take the blueprints? Sure, selling them was the obvious answer; it would help achieve his vengeance.

Yet if that was the case, then why didn't he slip away with them when he outmaneuvered the Anbu the first time? Why stay in the Leaf until the final moment, even eating a bowl of ramen with Naruto and Sakura, instead of hightailing it to the Stone—the most obvious Village capable of helping him extract vengeance.

He'd wasted opportunities. Time. He'd been free of suspicion for months, the Anbu hadn't caught onto him until two weeks ago. A guy of his intellect, wielding the judgement, ability, and talent of an elite…

I'm missing something, Shikamaru thought. Something really important. But what could it be?

Exhaling a short sigh, the Nara opened his eyes and said, "I don't know what to tell you, Naruto. Maybe he just wanted vengeance. Maybe he wanted to sell the plans to the Stone. Maybe he didn't know he was dying. Either way, he's gone now. Right now we have to focus on finding those blueprints before they can fall into enemy hands."

Naruto's expression of betrayal and hurt didn't change. He nodded all the same.

"Yeah. I get it."

"All right. Our first stop is visiting the master carpenter."

The master carpenter's house, a large two-story structure with a teal roof, was surrounded by a wooden fence and, if Shikamaru had to guess, under constant surveillance. Additional buildings—lodgings or workshops, he assumed—occupied the corners of the property. Long planks bundled together and secured by ropes were leaning vertically against the structures. Elsewhere, sheltered beneath lean-tos, were stacks of lumber waiting to be used.

They were welcomed into the property without any fuss. They gathered in the spacious office of the master carpenter—a room filled with more masterfully crafted cabinetry and drawers than Shikamaru had ever seen.

Eyeing the drawers, he wondered if they would have to rummage through them all and examine every document the master carpenter possessed. Internally, he grimaced. Man, that would be a total drag, even if everything was labeled.

On tan circular floor mats his comrades sat in two separate columns, facing each other. Shikamaru sat in the middle of the floor, between the columns, directly facing the empty mat where the master carpenter would eventually sit opposite of the room's entrance.

Occupying the column on Shikamaru's left were Ino, closest to the entrance, followed by Tenten, Lee, Kiba, Yakumo and finally Shino sitting closest to the master carpenter. The right column was comprised of Hinata, Neji, Chōji, Fū, Karin, Sakura, and Naruto.

The master carpenter, a middle-aged man with a black beard and thinning hairline, wearing a white headband, a plum jacket over a white shirt and grey pants, stepped off a wooden box with a small stack of four ledgers, and a single piece of paper. He knelt in front of Shikamaru, set the booklets down, but kept the paper.

"Here's a list of all the blueprints that were stolen," he said.

"Thanks."

They're all pretty thick. Great. This is going to take a while, he thought, opening the top ledger and beginning to scan through it.

The master carpenter took his seat on the floor mat opposite of Shikamaru. He crossed his legs and, after setting the paper beside him, rested his hands in his lap.

"I can't tell you how ashamed I am for not guarding these plans properly. I can never face Lady Tsunade again."

Shikamaru turned a page, frowning. Talk about overdramatic. He would have to face Lady Tsunade again, whether he was ashamed or not. He was the master carpenter, after all. And, honestly, against a shinobi of Gennō's ability, there was no real shame in taking the loss. Plenty of danger, but no real shame.

He stole documents for every critical piece of infrastructure we have, he noted. And he's been here working as a carpenter for a few months now, which would've placed him up close and personal with all of it.

Raising his eyes, the Nara asked, "Which construction sites was Gennō involved with?"

"None. He didn't work on any of those," answered the master carpenter.

"But I thought… Didn't you say Gennō worked for you?" Sakura pointed out.

"The structures on that list involve the safety of the Village. Outsiders aren't allowed to work on them. I always make sure outsiders only work on residential construction."

A Master Trapper with all the free time in the world to plant traps on residential buildings?

Great.

"So then, you don't think there's any chance he could've slipped in and set traps on these sites?" Shino asked. He sounded just as skeptical as Shikamaru felt.

"We have excellent security."

"But, I mean, against Gennō that's, like, leaving a sleeping puppy as your guard dog," Fū said.

"Right." Neji rose. "We should check them just in case."

Hearing his approaching steps, Shikamaru shut the ledger and handed it off to his comrade.

"Here, Neji."

"I'll take the second as well."

"Right."

"I'll take the other two," Hinata said, rising. "We can cover more ground that way."

"I volunteer to help them," Lee declared.

"Yeah, so do I," Tenten said.

Shikamaru handed the last two ledgers off to Hinata and let his four comrades head out. He turned his head to his left, to Shino and Kiba particularly.

"I know I mentioned this, but there's still a chance the enemy hasn't gotten the plans yet. He evaded the Anbu Black Ops for a while during his escape, so he could've hidden them."

Kiba and Shino rose simultaneously. "You want us to think like thieves and figure out where, right?" the Inuzuka asked rhetorically.

"Leave it to us," said Shino.

They, too, filed out without another word.

"Ino and Sakura, I want you two to go over what's left of the old man's body. I know its a long-shot, but you might be able to find a clue."

"Got it," Sakura replied, standing up.

"If you think it'll do any good, then leave it to us," Ino followed.

With those two following the others out he was left with Naruto, Chōji, Fū, Karin, and Yakumo. He returned his attention to the master carpenter.

"Now let's talk. Gennō, I need you to tell me everything you remember about him. I want to know where he came from, who he talked to, what he did—anything."

The master carpenter dipped his head once. "I remember when he first arrived at the Village; it was about three months ago. He came to my place with a letter of recommendation from a famous Sand Village master carpenter. As you are all aware, there's been a construction boom within the Leaf Village since the Invasion. Every local carpenter has all the work they can handle. I needed more skilled hands, so I hired him right away.

"He was an adequate carpenter—nothing special. I didn't see any reason to offer him a permanent job, but like I said, we needed all the hands we could get. He took his job seriously, he always showed up on time, and didn't have any bad habits. At least none I heard of or any that interfered with his work. He always did what he was told.

"After he'd been working here a while, I discovered that the letter of recommendation he'd given me was a fake." He picked up the piece of paper and extended it to him. "I don't know if it will do any good, but here it is."

Shikamaru took the paper and examined it. It was nothing special. He couldn't see any glaring issues with it, anyway. Just looked like your average letter of recommendation, with somewhat untidy handwriting.

Fū was suddenly hovering over him, peering down at the paper. "So how'd you figure out it was a fake, Mister?"

"I'd been going over my records, and I found another letter of recommendation dating back to my father's time as the Leaf's master carpenter authored by the same man. Something about it struck me as odd so I decided to compare the two letters, and that's when I discovered that the handwriting didn't match."

"Hm," Shikamaru hummed.

In an otherwise flawless performance, it was just bad luck on Gennō's part that the foreman happened to have a real copy of the Sand's master carpenter's writing in his records.

"Do you mind if I see the other letter?" the Nara asked.

"Sure." The man grunted as he stood up. "It's over here in this cabinet." Sliding open one of the many drawers, he reached in, hand bumping around the small confines. "That's strange. I distinctly remember putting it in here."

"It's all right if you can't find it," he said.

"I'm sorry," the foreman apologized, sliding the drawer shut and returning to his floor mat.

Maybe he just misplaced it, but it's pretty strange that the original document is missing. Could Gennō have taken it? But for what purpose?

For now he filed the suspicion away.

"To be honest," the foreman began again, "we didn't really care if the letter of recommendation was faked or not so long as he continued to do good work and kept his nose out of trouble. I realize now that it was a terrible mistake not to notify Lady Tsunade right away. It never occurred to me that the old man could be a shinobi, sent here from another Nation to steal our plans. Still can't believe Old Man Gennō would do something like that."

The master carpenter looked at each of them. "Look, are you absolutely sure he's the one who did it?"

Naruto lowered his head. "I get how you feel, I don't want to believe it either. But…"

"Everything is pointing to Gennō," Shikamaru said.

Before they departed the Nara asked for information on all the people Gennō worked with or was known to spend time with. Apparently the Master Trapper frequented restaurants and bars with his carpenter buddies, and though nothing might come of it, they had to interview everyone.

"So, what do we do now, Shikamaru?" Chōji asked as soon as they were outside the front gate of the foreman's home.

"It'll probably be a waste of time, but we need to check the place Gennō was renting out," he replied. "He may have tried to store the stolen blueprints there. It's a long-shot, but we can't afford to leave a single stone unturned. We also need to interview the carpenters he was friendly with."

"Sounds like we need to split up," Fū said. "Yakumo, Karin, and I can handle interviewing people, that way we don't place Karin in any immediate danger. And I'm awesome at asking questions."

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck, frowning. He hadn't wanted to split up. He wanted to keep his eyes on all three of them, given the potential for the Foundation to make a move. But, logically, she had a point. They needed to move quickly, and although Karin had been training to defend herself, she wasn't a shinobi.

Gennō's place could be a hive of traps. Bringing her there could endanger her life, and that wasn't something he could do.

Movement caught the Nara's eyes. Flicking his gaze up and right, he saw a Crow perched upon a nearby building. It was gone when he blinked.

"All right," he conceded. "Remember, we don't know where Gennō set his traps, so don't let your guard down."

"Don't worry, we'll be cautious," Yakumo promised.

"Yeah, we'll be super careful, so don't worry. We'll be regrouping in no time with a whole new lead to find these traps. That's a Fū guarantee!"

"I'll hold you to that."

The kunoichi blinked. "Huh, really? Like a pinky promise?"

"Sure. And if you come back empty-handed, I'll be sure Lady Hokage knows who to flick," Shikamaru drawled, half-turning to leave.

Fū paled. "Wai- wait! But I don't know if they'll actually know anything yet!"

He shrugged, smirking. "Guess you better hope they do, huh. Come on, Chōji, Naruto, we've got work to do," he said, walking off with his comrades.

"Hey, no fair! I was trying to be optimistic! This is really bad. Me and my big mouth. Yakumo, Karin, we've totally got to find something now!"

"Fū, calm down," Yakumo tried calm the panicking girl.

"You don't understand, Yakumo. Lady Fifth nearly killed me last time I upset her! She'll go through with it for sure if I screw this up!"

"How did you upset the Fifth Hokage?"

"She asked a dumb question about Lady Tsunade's appearance," Karin filled in.

"A dumb question… No, she didn't!" Yakumo sounded horrified, and on the verge of laughing.

"She did. Lady Tsunade nearly flicked her head off for it."

"I can't die now! I finally made a lot of really awesome friends, and I want to make more, and Amari said we'd celebrate with waffles when she got home!"

Chōji snickered. Naruto smiled in sympathy.

"You know, that was a pretty dirty move, Shikamaru," the knucklehead said. "But, honestly, I'm just glad it wasn't me on the receiving end this time."

"Just giving her a little extra motivation to stay on task," he replied cooly.

And, honestly, just trying to get her to lighten up a little. She's been pretty serious since we first met up. Not that I don't get it, he thought, glancing back once. She's already lost one home. Gennō is threatening to cost her this one now.

With luck, Fū's guarantee would come true. Because, honestly, they needed a solid lead.

He hated stumbling around in the dark.

Gennō's residence was mostly a dead-end. Shikamaru hadn't really expected to find the blueprints there; in fact, he would've been astonished had they actually found the blueprints tucked inside a dresser drawer, folded beneath his mattress, or hidden beneath a floorboard.

Instead, they found a clean and tidy home furnished with only the bare essentials. He'd lived as a minimalist, from the look of it. Didn't even keep his pantry stocked with anything more than a few microwavable cups of udon noodles. His landlord, a stout middle-aged woman, described him as the perfect tenet. He paid his rent on time, he was nice, quiet, a gentleman with good manners. Now and then he would come home after a drink or two with his carpenter friends, but he never caused trouble.

All in all, he sounded like a perfectly ordinary guy. He was remarkably unremarkable. Someone who would blend into the background and fade away without anyone ever noticing. The perfect spy.

Down the stairs of the apartment and on the street again, Shikamaru unfolded a small square piece of paper and examined it. Naruto and Chōji stood in front of him, on his left and right respectively, waiting to hear what he'd found and where it might lead them.

It isn't much, he thought, examining the paper and its contents. I'm not sure it can even lead us to anything. But he left it in the trash, I'd like to say carelessly. Except that doesn't fit Gennō's style. So, is it a diversion? A trap? Or is it so innocuous he didn't care if we found it or not. It's not like there's much I can do with it.

"Shikamaru Nara."

He went rigid, blood turning cold. Naruto and Chōji both recoiled, eyes wide, startled gasps breaking free of their lips. The source of the voice, a woman, was standing directly behind the Nara.

Half-turning, using the motion to step back and create distance, he came face to face with a bear-motif mask. Despite being a woman of average height, her straight posture, the white porcelain mask, the sheer presence of the woman made her feel like a giant.

A Crow was perched on her shoulder, dark feathers glinting iridescently in the sunlight in shadowy shades of crimson.

An ally, then.

"Dammit," he cursed, then sighed in exasperation. "What's with you Black Ops agents always appearing out of nowhere? You about gave me a heart attack."

"I would suggest sharpening your awareness," she replied cooly. Then she gestured to him, specifically the paper gripped tightly between his fingers. "Now then, what did find in Gennō's residence?"

"Just this," he said, gesturing with the paper. "A piece of paper he left in the trash with two names and times. Could just be a meeting with his carpenter friends, if he left it behind."

"May I see it? Thank you."

She didn't even look at the paper once it was in her hand. She handed it off to the Crow, who clutched it beneath their talons and flew off without another word.

"Huh? Why'd you give it to that Crow?" Naruto wondered.

"The Commander has a list he can cross-reference of all those Gennō interacted with. We also know his daily schedule. Soon enough we'll know if they were accomplices or acquaintances. In the meantime," her gaze moved to Naruto, "Naruto Uzumaki, you will come with me."

"Huh? Me? What do you need me for?"

"An interview. It's possible you possess Intel on Gennō."

"Hey, wait a minute, Naruto had no clue Gennō was a spy," Chōji jumped to his defense first. "He was just as oblivious as the rest of us."

"Yeah. Naruto isn't the kind of guy that would hide Intel to protect this guy," Shikamaru said. "If anything, he wants answers as much, if not more, than the rest of us."

"Allow me to reassure you, then, that Naruto isn't a suspect," she said calmly. "This isn't an interrogation. He will not be treated as a criminal or as an enemy, you have my word. However, it is precisely because he was oblivious to Gennō that the Commander believes we must investigate his memories."

"His memories?" Shikamaru repeated, furrowing his brow.

"Oh no," Naruto paled, "you're not going to put me in a room with Ibiki, are you?"

The woman's shoulders shook once with a dark chuckle. "No. As I said, this is not an interrogation. For all his talents, I sincerely doubt Ibiki could force you to remember every conversation you had with Gennō. It will be non-invasive. You'll undergo a trance, we'll guide you through your memories, and then you'll be free to leave. Inoichi will be there to oversee it."

"If Ino's dad is there, then you'll be in safe hands," Shikamaru said, looking to Naruto. "Not that you have much choice if my dad ordered it."

Naruto sighed. "Well, I guess I'll catch up with you guys later."

"Right."

"See you later, Naruto," Chōji said.

I hope the others have had better luck.

"Gennō, huh? Well, he didn't talk much. When he did it wasn't ever about himself."

Karin pursed her lips. It's the same story we've heard from everyone else. This Gennō guy has somehow been around all these people and yet they don't know a thing about him. He basically doesn't exist.

A cold breeze kicked up, blowing a cloud of cigarette smoke into her face. Karin scrunched her nose and squinted. Yakumo concealed a cough. Fū mirrored Karin's expression.

"Sorry about that," the smoking carpenter apologized, adjusting his position politely.

"That stuff is really bad for you, you know," Fū said, waving her hand through the air.

"Maybe," he shrugged and took another drag from his cigarette. Upon exhaling the smoke away from them, he said, "As I was saying, Gennō never spoke about himself. A group of us went out for food and drink nearly every night with him since he first arrived, we even took lunch breaks together, but Gennō was always quiet. Reclusive, you could say."

"Did his silence ever strike you as odd?" Yakumo asked.

"No. Not everyone likes to talk. Truth be told, I always had the feeling he was lonely."

"Lonely? In what way?"

"He was old but still working himself to the bone. As far as I can tell he didn't have a family waiting for him back home."

The man took a drag of his cigarette, then exhaled.

"Most men his age should already have grandchildren," he explained. "Or you'd think his son would be learning the trade with him. Yet he came alone. He hovered around us, was kind but distant. Maybe he was looking for some form of companionship. Camaraderie in the final chapters of his life. Don't know. Call me strange, but every time I looked at him, I got this feeling he was carrying a heavy burden of grief. And work was his only way to survive it."

Well, that was more than the others had observed of Gennō. It provided, perhaps, some insight into his mental state. Assuming it wasn't an act.

"Oh, wait," realization flickered in the carpenter's eyes. "Now that I think about it, there was this one time Gennō was in high spirits."

"Really? Do you know what it was about, Mister?" Fū asked.

"Yeah. He came back from lunch talking about some great kid he'd made friends with."

"Ah, oh…" Fū winced.

Naruto… Karin flattened her lips together in discomfort.

"He never mentioned a name, though… Hm. Well, that's all I can really tell you."

"Thank you for your time," Yakumo said.

Together they moved on. Their questions resulted in much of the same.

Gennō didn't talk much. He never mentioned anything about himself, either. He was for all intents and purposes a ghost they'd all experienced but had little to no memory of. He was a shadow, walking among them, but never leaving a single footprint.

In the Grass, under Zōsui's supervision, she had been a shadow, too. However, people had readily ignored her existence or treated her like a tool to be used then hung on a rack once they were finished; it made her awful condition easier to stomach, she bet.

Gennō was different. He was working side by side with these people, he was eating and drinking with them.

How could they not know anything about him?

This guy was the perfect spy, Karin thought. Even I can see that. He's like the Crows. They're always around, but no one ever sees them. Not until its too late.

Their final stop was a group of carpenters on break. They sat on the ground, on stacks of lumber, or stood around as they ate.

"So he didn't talk about himself to you guys either," Fū sighed.

"Sorry," one of the men apologized. "He wasn't a talkative guy."

"Well, mostly," another one said. "I saw him talking to these two guys before more than once."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah, I think I remember seeing that, too! There were two guys. He would meet with them after work. At least I think he did…"

"You saw him with two guys?" Fū asked. "Are you sure? Were they carpenters? Do you know who they were?"

"Um… I don't think they were carpenters."

"Maybe they were outsiders like him? They could've been working on residential projects together."

"No… Well, maybe. I can't really remember what they looked like, to be honest. Hmm. Were they carpenters? I don't remember seeing them around, but… Hmm."

"Please try really hard to remember. This may be super important."

"I'm trying, I'm trying. But…"

"It's right on the tip of my tongue… Ugh, I can almost see them."

Karin could sense the fluctuations in their chakra. They weren't lying. No, but the fluctuations were there all the same. She glanced to Yakumo, then Fū. Their serious faces said everything for them.

They sensed the oddness, too.

"I think you two are imagining things," the leader among them said, rolling his eyes. "Gennō spent his days working and his nights eating or drinking with us."

"Maybe you're right… But I'd swear I saw him with two men."

"I'm positive I saw Gennō talking to two guys. And for some reason I feel almost certain they weren't carpenters. I…can't remember what they looked like, though. Sorry."

"Well, thank you for your time," Yakumo said. "And if you do remember these two men, please tell the master carpenter immediately."

Leaving the carpenters behind, it wasn't until they were out of earshot, strolling along an empty road enclosed by wooden fences, that Fū turned around and spoke up as she walked backwards.

"Yakumo, Karin, you sensed that weird feeling back there, too, right?"

"I did," Karin confirmed.

"Yes," Yakumo nodded.

"Awesome, so it wasn't just me and Chōmei!" Fū stopped suddenly. She placed her hands on her hips, pursed her lips and squinted at the ground. "But what the heck could it be? Those guys aren't shinobi, no way. They weren't lying either, right?"

Karin shook her head. "No one we've met has lied to us. I would've sensed it."

"I believe their memories are being influenced by a subtle genjutsu," Yakumo said.

"A genjutsu? Can we dispel it?" Fū wondered. " 'Cause if we can get the genjutsu to stop messing up their memories we might have a lead on… Well, I don't know what. But maybe these guys were, like, co-conspirators. Maybe Gennō wasn't alone at all!"

"It would explain why he altered their memories," Karin considered. "Assuming he was the one behind it."

"True," Yakumo said. "However, that is also assuming he altered their memories, erasing the identities of himself and his allies."

"Hm? What do you mean, Yakumo?" Fū asked.

"What if he created a memory instead?" Yakumo brought her hand to her chin. "We can't release a genjutsu because there isn't one actively effecting them. We only felt a fluctuation of chakra when we probed them about Gennō.

"So… What if he implanted a suggestion within their minds before the Anbu Black Ops caught wind of him? One that triggered when someone inevitably interviewed them about Gennō, creating a false memory."

"Now that would be an interesting turn of events, if I do say so myself."

The boisterous declaration caused all three kunoichi to jump. Karin squeaked, half-turning towards the source and half-hiding behind Fū.

An instant later she felt the immense presence of the person responsible. Her crimson eyes flicked up to the top of the fence, where Master Jiraiya crouched.

He grinned at the trio. "Hey there! Pardon me for eavesdropping, but sometimes I just can't help myself."

"Is that…Master Jiraiya? The Master Jiraiya?" Yakumo murmured in awe.

Master Jiraiya puffed his chest out and lifted his chin. "That's right, young lady! It is I, the Toad Mountain Sage of Mount Myōboku, the Gallant, wise and immortal spirit, and not to mention handsome, Master Jiraiya!"

"Whoa, Pervy Gramps! What are you doing here?" Fū asked.

Karin swallowed down her rapidly beating heart, and hid a smile at his mild grimace.

"To think I once had students who respected me," he moaned.

"Fū," Yakumo scolded. "Don't be rude."

"But Naruto calls him Pervy Sage all the time. Amari said he probably doesn't mind it because its, like, self-awareness."

"That doesn't make it okay," the kunoichi sighed.

"Amaririsu said that?!" Jiraiya's head sank. "Oh, this is even worse than I thought. She really is turning into her mother. Heh," his shoulder shook with a short, abrupt chuckle, "I guess this is my punishment, huh, Kushina? You always swore you'd pay me back. All because I informed the Mistress of Shadows you two needed 'the talk.' Now your children are tormenting me and tarnishing my reputation.

"Gotta say, though," he grinned, "the look on your flustered faces when she bound you with her Shadow Paralysis Jutsu was well worth this punishment."

"So, what's the deal, Pervy Gramps? Are you investigating Gennō, too?"

"As a matter of fact, I am," he confirmed, nodding once. "I was on my way back to Tsunade when I saw you three huddled together. Good thing I stopped by, too. Sounds to me like you three may have had more luck than I have.

"So," he dropped down off the fence to stand with them, "we may be dealing with an implanted false memory or a blocked memory. That requires a very advanced technique; Gennō in particular wasn't renowned for genjutsu when I last encountered his traps, but he had plenty of time to acquire new skills and refine them since then. Three decades worth. Hmm."

"What are you thinking, Pervy Gramps?"

"All three of you sensed something when they tried to remember this memory, correct?"

"Yep."

"Yes."

Karin nodded quietly.

"Then we can say unequivocally their memories were tampered in some way. Someone— Gennō or a potential ally—managed to do it while leaving minimal trace of the act. In fact, that we know their memories were tampered with at all is by chance. Dumb luck. It could've been Shikamaru's group interviewing these people, or any other non-Sensory Type, and I'd bet they never would've sensed a thing."

He made a small, dismissing gesture with his hand. "It would've been a innocuous detail—something hardly worth intense scrutiny while so much is at stake. Going one step further, the odds of the interviewer being a Sensory Type, let alone three wielding uniquely sharp abilities, are pitifully low."

"Which means, were he to prepare this weeks out," Yakumo considered, "he could depend on those pitifully low odds to shield his use of genjutsu. Their story wouldn't draw much attention. He may have had other acquaintances he drank with, after all."

"It would be easy to brush it off as nothing," Karin said. "None of the carpenters really knew anything about him. Most didn't even know he ate at Ichiraku's with Naruto."

"So does that mean the memory is false or just blocked?" Fū asked.

"It would be impossible to say based on this evidence alone," Master Jiraiya began. "However, a little bird told me Shikamaru's group also found evidence at Gennō's apartment. A scrap of paper with two names on it—both men. There were also times written beside their names, likely when they intended to meet. Alone these pieces of evidence aren't much, but together they have the potential to shine a light on Gennō's overall scheme."

Karin pursed her lips. "Isn't leaving something like that behind suspiciously careless of him?"

Jiraiya grinned. "You bet it is! And that's why I'm going to investigate it thoroughly. Now then, is there any other juicy details you three learned from your interviews?"

There wasn't much, they explained. Besides the mystery of the two carpenters foggy memories, the only real detail they gleaned about Gennō was the burden of grief the smoking carpenter mentioned. Jiraiya thanked them all the same and departed after reminding them to stay vigilant.

With their interviews finished, they set out to regroup with Shikamaru and the others.

Shino kept in step with Kiba, walking side by side his comrade as they followed Akamaru along a curved roof. The ninken sniffed the structure to its very edge, then stopped. He turned and looked back at the pair and whined with a sad expression on his face.

"Looks like he used some sort of odor-neutralizing element in last nights smokescreen. That guy came prepared," Kiba judged.

Yes, Gennō had proven several times over now how prepared he was to be caught. Even his insects couldn't find any trace of where he might have stashed the Leaf's blueprints, and since they had not been called off their search as of yet, Shino could only assume no one else had located them either.

By all evidence Gennō was a superb shinobi. An elite. He had dug a trench like an antlion, laid in wait, and finally sprang his trap when his prey entered striking range. It was flawlessly executed. In fact, it was so flawless its single blemish needled the Bug Tamer relentlessly.

Shino furrowed his brow, staring out at the Village behind his black sunglasses.

"Then why did he get caught?" he wondered aloud.

"Hm?" Kiba turned his head to look at him. "I guess the Anbu were just too intelligent for him."

"Of course they're intelligent. But he must have foreseen that going in." Shino looked to his comrade. "So then, why didn't he have another escape route planned out in advance?"

Everything else Gennō planned went flawlessly. He was ten moves ahead of the Leaf for months. A man of his skill, his intellect, his experience—the blemish was too great to ignore.

Kiba chewed on the thought a moment. He rubbed the back of his head and said, "You know, you're right. It doesn't make any sense. But there's no way to find out now."

"Dead men tell no tales," Shino said grimly.

Although…

The Aburame looked over the buildings, towards the eastern forest.

There are some insects which will play dead in order to evade predation.

These blemishes we're seeing, are they really blemishes? Or did he plan everything, even being caught by the Anbu Black Ops?

He needed to inspect the eastern forest. That's where the answers were, he could feel it. But first, they had to regroup with Shikamaru.

The operating room was nearly silent. The only noises were that of the hum of Medical Ninjutsu, the clinking of tools being set on or removed from trays, and the rare chatter and requests from the trio of medic-nin draped in off-white cloaks and pants working to piece together Gennō's body. An odor of antiseptic hung in the air.

Sakura and Ino watched the three men work from the entryway, out of the way and utterly silent so they would not disturb their superiors. However, despite the medic-nins keeping the remains beneath a blue blanket, they were close enough to see glimpses of their unfortunately gruesome job.

Sakura had seen what looked like part of a foot three times now.

I didn't even know piecing corpses together was a job medic-nins performed, she thought, observing the clinical detachment of the men. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. We learned about the Hunter-nin program in the Land of Waves when we first met Haku. They destroy the bodies of rogue shinobi to ensure the Village's secrets a body holds—like their Chakra Nature, the herbs they've eaten, ninjutsu, special medicine, and Kekkei Genkai—aren't learned by outsiders. And the Reanimation Jutsu proved a lot can be gained from a dead shinobi.

The men continued to work, their gazes and expressions neutral. This wasn't the first cadaver they had worked on. It wouldn't be the last, either.

Gennō… It's hard to believe that nice old man was a spy. Part of me still wants to deny it, but he's right there in front of me. In pieces on that cold metal table.

Sakura lowered her eyes, briefly. Just last night he had been whole. He had smiled and laughed as they ate together. As she had watched Naruto and Gennō interact, she vividly remembered thinking how they reminded her of a grandfather and grandson, and now…

She flattened her lips together, but focused on the medic-nins at work. She couldn't look away, she couldn't let her emotions come between their mission. Still…

I hope Naruto will be all right when this is over…

"Let's begin."

He was floating in a dark place. He couldn't feel his body. He perceived nothing except that deep, calm voice.

"Let yourself travel back through the pathways of your memories. One day ago. Two days ago. Three days ago. Further into the past. And finally the day you met Gennō. Where are you?"

Slowly, like colorful ink dripping onto a black canvas, an image formed within the darkness. Trees, at first. The leaves were changing color, some were still green.

"I'm in the woods," Naruto said, nearly mumbling in the trance. He wasn't aware of his present surroundings or his body. He floated in the woods, sensations of the day overcoming his senses. "I was training on my own. Trying to figure out the Adamantine Chains like Granny Mito taught me."

He could feel the sweat on his skin, he could feel himself breathing heavily, frustrated but no less determined to pull it off. Suddenly the trees whipped by—he was running.

"Then it was lunch time, so I headed for Ichiraku," he said.

Trees became buildings. He was moving too fast to see them. Suddenly, very suddenly, he halted in front of Ichiraku. The old man was there, standing just outside of it. Back turned to the young boy, his eyes were set off into the distance. He was looking at Hokage Mountain.

"That's when I saw him."

"So you didn't meet in the restaurant, but just outside."

"Yes."

"What happened, then?"

"I approached him and asked him why he was just standing there…"

The trance continued with the first bowl of ramen they ever shared together. And their happy interactions.

Sitting at a table in the far back corner of the dango shop were Shikamaru, Chōji, and the members of Fū's, Hinata's, and Neji's units. Booklets and clipboards were stacked neatly over the table in front of them.

Their investigations and interviews completed, they had regrouped to discuss what they had learned and plot their next move. Shikamaru fought against a frown as he examined his clipboard.

"So, nothing unusual in any of the buildings, huh," he said, finally losing the battle.

They'd all come up short, more or less. He didn't want to say they were holding position at a big fat zero—they had gained some new leads, after all. But they'd only gained a fraction of a point, and that hardly justified a victory lap. Not while Gennō maintained a stiff double-digit lead.

"They were all built according to the blueprints," Neji replied evenly from the other side of the table. "There were no signs of traps or sabotage."

Hinata, who sat between Neji and Karin, nodded her head and hummed in agreement. At the entry to the bench, beside Neji, Lee leaned forward as he asked,

"Do you suppose he was just acting like a carpenter to keep his cover?"

"Could be," Shikamaru considered. "But if his end goal was to steal our blueprints then there was no reason for him to play carpenter as long as he did. And if he knew he was dying it doesn't make sense to waste so much time. As far as I know, no one has found a single trap yet, either."

He should've been comforted by the lack of incidents. Instead it just filled his stomach with dread.

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock.

The clocks hands kept moving, the grains of sand in the hourglass falling. Reckoning day was swiftly approaching.

They were almost out of time. Shikamaru could feel it.

"Every day he lingered was a day the Anbu Black Ops may have caught wind of him," Yakumo added, seated directly opposite of Lee. "Should the memory his carpenter friends prove true, and should it be linked to that paper you found, then he and his two accomplices risked discovery with every meeting."

"Two forgetful carpenters wouldn't be a big deal." Chōji, seated between Yakumo and Shikamaru, spoke as he munched on yet another stick of dango.

He was collecting quite the stack, almost a whole dozen—so far. Shikamaru was dreading the bill.

"But imagine if there were a whole bunch of people with the same memory," his best friend added. "Or if people started disappearing. They would've been caught for sure."

"Assuming it wasn't a false memory, at least," Tenten added from Shikamaru's opposite side.

"That's a variable we'll have to wait for more on," Shikamaru said.

Hopefully soon. They were moving too slow. Caution was paramount, and yet he couldn't shake his gut feeling…

"Besides that piece of paper Pervy Gramps mentioned," Fū leaned forward, peering around Tenten, "what else were you guys up to?"

"Chōji and I started checking out all the places Gennō has been known to frequent. So far we haven't dug up any other clues."

Tenten leaned closer to read his clipboard. Karin frowned, twiddling her fingers.

"He didn't leave a trace anywhere…" she muttered.

"That's weird," Tenten said. "The whole list is restaurants?"

"Yeah. It looks like the only time the old man went out was to grab a bite." He set the clipboard down and looked to Hinata. They couldn't waste anymore time sitting around. "Okay. Hinata, I want you to go check up on Ino and Sakura at the hospital. Neji, Lee, Tenten, I want you three to regroup with Shino and Kiba in the eastern forest."

"The eastern forest?" Lee tilted his head. "Isn't that where Gennō was cornered by the Anbu Black Ops?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Shino was pretty insistent on investigating the area for any clues the Black Ops may have missed."

"Call it a hunch," the Bug Tamer had said, regrouping with the Nara before anyone else had, "but I think the foundation of our investigation was corrupted before it began. Why? Because: Gennō was a shinobi without peer. A master of traps. He has lived all these years without anyone knowing he existed. Yet the only explanation we seem to consider for catching him is that he made a mistake. I, however, suspect we're the ones who have made a grave error."

"He believes Gennō is still alive," Neji stated rather than asked.

"He does. And, honestly, I'm not willing to rule it out yet."

"Then we'll leave immediately. Lee, Tenten, let's go."

"Right!"

"Good luck, you guys," Tenten said as she rose.

"I will take my leave now as well," Hinata excused herself.

"What about us, Shikamaru?" Fū asked.

"With the others chasing down our leads about Gennō, we need to focus on trying to figure out where he may have hid the blueprint—"

"Shikamaru, what's the status of your investigation?"

When the Fifth Hokage's voice entered his mind, Shikamaru's posture straightened instantly.

"Lady Fifth?"

"Huh?" Fū blinked, perplexed. "What does Lady Fifth have to do with this?"

"She must be speaking to him through the Yamanaka's Mind Transmission Jutsu," Chōji said.

"She is. Give me minute guys."

Not great, he admitted to the Fifth Hokage. So far nearly all of our leads have led to dead ends. Everything except the note we found at Gennō's and the altered or forged memory on those guys Fū, Yakumo, and Karin interviewed. I just sent Hinata to figure out how things are going with Sakura and Ino; they're waiting for the results on Gennō's body. Shino, Kiba, Neji, Lee, and Tenten are following up on the blast site where the Anbu cornered him.

"They'll be wasting their time. The Anbu have already picked that area clean."

Maybe so. But I'm beginning to think the foundation of our investigation was corrupted before we began. Starting at the blast site.

"Hm? What are you talking about?"

Something just isn't adding up. We're missing something about this guy Gennō. And I think I've figured out what it is.

Shikamaru shut his eyes, envisioning every step of their investigation so far, every important detail taking on the appearance of puzzle pieces he had carefully examined.

All we've managed to learn about the guy is that he's remarkably unremarkable. His coworkers thought he was an average carpenter. He did his work, never stood out, never made any big mistakes. Didn't have any friends—not really. Didn't have any enemies either. If he disappeared one day no one would miss him. They wouldn't think twice about it. He was the kind of person who could just fade away.

His undercover technique was so good it ought to be in the shinobi textbooks. Which is why it's so odd that a brilliant shinobi like him would let himself get pegged by the Anbu so easily. Doesn't it seem a little strange to you?

"Mm. You're not wrong."

And then, when he was trying to escape, he had no issue ghosting the Black Ops once before. But this time they caught him. For a man renowned as the Master Trapper, it was a pretty pathetic way to go. Not to mention he just gave up all those blueprints, left them floating somewhere in the ether without ever fulfilling his promise of revenge. A guy like that, bearing a grudge that long, there's no way he'd just leave it to two accomplices to finish, assuming they're real. It doesn't make sense. Unless…

"Go on."

Unless everything that's happened was part of the plan from the very beginning.

He couldn't see or feel the Fifth Hokage's physical reaction. Not truly. But even without a gasp he sensed the cold paralytic chill of his conclusion hit her. It pushed him to continue on.

His true identity being revealed, dying right in front of the Black Ops—what if it was all apart of an elaborate plot? We've operated on the assumption he made a mistake and died for it. But if we start at the beginning, assuming he's made us dance in the palm of his hand this whole time, then the threat may not be a series of random traps scattered around the Leaf. He may be leading us by the nose into something much bigger.

"Well, it is an interesting theory," she replied, voice steady. "But we don't have any evidence of his survival right now."

That's true. But still, we might be able to confirm what happened at the blast zone before the doctors finish piecing the corpse back together. With Shino's insects, Neji's Byakugan—

"All right, Shikamaru. I understand. What will the remnants of your unit do in the meantime."

My unit will return to the Master Carpenter' s place. There's something we're missing there. Something about that missing letter of recommendation, I can't get it out of my head.

"Then I'll leave you to your investigation."

Any word on Naruto?

"He's still undergoing the trance. So far, nothing groundbreaking."

Right. We'll keep working on our end, then.

"Let me know as soon as you find something."

Of course.

"—it had eggs and barbecue pork and he treated me to everything."

"Does this kid only think about ramen?"

"Shh."

Floating through his memories, the scene inside of Ichiraku changed. The old man reached into his obi and pulled out an old, beat-up photograph. He could tell it had been at the mercy of the elements, chipped and bent at the sides and edges, and it was a bit smudgy, too. He bet it was carried on the old man at nearly all hours of the day.

"Wait," Naruto murmured in a trance. "I remember one other thing."

"Yes? What is it?"

"He showed me a photograph."

"A photograph?"

"It was a picture of some kid who looked around my age. It was right after I asked the old guy why he was being so nice to me."

The photograph, he could still see it so clearly. The kid looked almost exactly like him. He had blond hair that had grown to his cheek bones and nearly to his shoulders in the back, blue eyes, as bright and blue as his own.

The boy was grinning widely, holding his fingers up in a peace sign to the camera. He wore a purple vest over a white shirt and looked really happy. Proud, even. Naruto couldn't say why, though.

"Oh, well I have a grandson. You see, he's about the same age as you are," he recalled the old man's voice and smile. It was a happy smile, but strangely sad, too. He must've missed being away from home. "So, in a way, you're not really a stranger to me. Some day, after I retire, my grandson and I are going to go off and live the life of treasure hunters."

It all sounded so cool, and so different than the life of a shinobi. He felt himself hope in that moment that the old man and his grandson would get to see that day soon enough.

Now that day would never come…

"Could Gennō have any family left?" Tsunade wondered, standing with her arms crossed over her belly.

"It isn't impossible," Shikaku considered as they listened in on the trance.

Naruto was talking about ramen again, he doubted they would learn much else from the boy. Gennō was too cautious, and too talented. That he may have a grandchild…

"There's a blank period from the moment Heat Devil Village was destroyed to our present moment where we have no knowledge of Gennō or his life," Shikaku continued. "He may have settled down, started a family. His grandson may be waiting for him as we speak."

"But to throw that all away—knowing he was dying—for revenge of all things?"

"Men have thrown away far more in pursuit of revenge."

"True enough. So, what now?"

"We continue to pursue what leads we have. And hope his trap isn't triggered before we find it."

They didn't bother with floor mats when they returned to the master carpenter's. There was no need to stand on ceremony.

Shikamaru, joined by Chōji, Fū, Yakumo, and Karin, gathered all of the master carpenter's ledgers, records, and what blueprints Gennō hadn't bothered to lift. They then settled on the floor together to begin their troublesome task.

Amid stacks of books and rolls of papers littering the floor their investigation began. Truth be told, Shikamaru wasn't certain what they might glean from any of these records. There may be nothing at all.

Still, like Shino, he felt they were missing something. Something at the root of the investigation they'd overlooked because of the immediate threat in front of their eyes, like missing the venomous spider crawling on their hands because a bear was charging towards them.

While the Bug Tamer and his comrades were searching the blast site, where the root of the whole investigation began, Shikamaru believed it best they dig even deeper. Back to what triggered the suspicion around Gennō to start with: The forged recommendation and then the missing blueprints.

If he had planned it from the start, including the forgery revealing his identity, then that's where, to the Nara's mind, his fake out would've started. He just had to figure out what he wanted to distract them from, and why. Then he could formulate a precise counter.

Several books later Fū let out an exhausted and defeated groan.

"Ughhh. So…many…numbers." She ducked her forehead into a ledger. "I think my brain is being broken."

"Believe me, I'm not happy about it either," Shikamaru replied evenly, scanning through transactions for a residential area. "But research is the basis of good investigation."

"Yeah, but still," Chōji sounded just as defeated. "There are so many numbers—my eyes can't take it."

"Maybe take a five minute rest, then," Yakumo said, cross-checking a blueprint to a transaction. "We need to work quickly, but we can't risk our eyes glazing over something important."

"I can go over one of your stacks while you rest," Karin offered, closing another records book.

"It's okay," Fū sighed, lifting her head. "I'll keep reading."

The door behind Shikamaru slid open.

"I'm sorry," the master carpenter apologized. "I've looked everywhere but I can't find it."

Turning his head and torso to look at the man, he dipped his head once and said, "Okay. No problem.

The master carpenter excused himself. Shikamaru returned his eyes to the ledger.

So, the original letter of recommendation still hasn't turned up. It obviously didn't grow legs and run away, and this guy has saved every important document and transaction he's ever touched.

He brought his thumbnail to his lips and bit on it. Partly in deep thought. Partly in frustration.

What doesn't add up is why the old man made it disappear. The forgery is the one he should've gotten rid of. Ditching the old letter does him no good.

He was still missing pieces to this puzzle. He could only hope he could find it among the records.

The blast site still smelled of burnt bark, smoke and smoldering ashes. Some trees were entirely uprooted. Some were leaning at odd angles. Others were cleaved in half, lying in the dirt. All were burnt—on both sides.

Shino took in every detail he could, his insects already crawling and flying from the perimeter to the epicenter. Kiba's and Akamaru's noses wouldn't be useful here, the residual odors were far too strong. Strong enough that even the Bug Tamer scrunched his nose now and then.

The center of the blast was easy to distinguish by the blackened earth. By comparison, the dirt lightened into shades of grey as one traveled farther towards the edges. Everything else was nearly exactly as he imagined it would be.

"As expected, the Anbu Black Ops picked this site clean," he said. "They didn't leave anything behind. At least, not at first glance."

"See something, Shino?" his comrade asked. Akamaru, sitting beside Kiba, tilted his head and made a curious sound.

"I do. It's actually quite obvious. So obvious it would be startling for shinobi within the Anbu to miss it, were there not other factors at play."

"What is it?" Neji asked, scanning the area with his Byakugan.

It wouldn't be useful, either, without a specific location to examine. He doubted even his insects would find anything; the spy they were dealing with was far too clever. He was precisely the kind of elite Shino believed him to be; only the best could dupe the Anbu more than once.

"Tenten," Shino drew his gaze to the kunoichi as he crossed the blackened dirt to the epicenter. "You handle Paper Bombs quite often, don't you?"

"I do," she nodded.

"So, if I were standing or sitting here," he asked, halting at the spot, "and I had wrapped my body with the precise amount of Paper Bombs necessary to create this explosion, would the explosion burn both sides of any of these trees?"

"Would it burn…"

He saw the exact moment the realization struck the kunoichi. Her eyes went wide, then snapped to the closest tree to her. It was held by a few roots, leaning nearly at a forty-five degree angle. She crossed the distance in a small leap. Examined the tree.

"He's right, this one's burned on both sides."

She then leapt to another tree.

"This one is burned on both sides, too!"

Lee, Kiba, and Akamaru joined the investigation. Neji's Byakugan finally had a target to examine.

Akamaru barked, confirming more of the same.

"Same pattern on these trees!" Kiba called.

"So are these!" Lee announced.

"They're all burned on both sides," Neji said, scanning the swath of trees quicker than their comrades could travel. "Even the trees farthest from the epicenter. That would be impossible if the blast came from one direction."

"To create these kinds of burns the explosions would have to come from multiple sources," Tenten confirmed his conclusion beyond any shadow of a doubt.

"But the Anbu Black Ops saw it happen, and they confirmed all of the Paper Bombs were wrapped around the man's body when they went off," Lee pointed out as they all began to regroup.

"Don't be so sure about that," Shino said, still standing at the epicenter of the explosion. "After all, the Anbu had to take cover to protect themselves. Considering the range of this explosion, and the lack of sunlight, they would've been far out of eye sight of Gennō when the Paper Bombs actually detonated. I doubt any of them witnessed the actual explosion."

The first assumption to corrupt their investigation. But not the last. The others were still here, in the dirt blackened by the Master Trapper's impressive scheme.

"Hey, wait a sec," Tenten spoke up as she neared, her sharp mind reaching the next conclusion, "what if a ring of bombs on the surrounding trees was set off first. Then the huge explosion in the center! If he timed the explosions close enough together it might've seemed like one blast."

"This is a good point," Lee nodded, placing a hand on his hip as he stopped.

"But in order to do that he would've needed time to set it up," Neji countered. "Before he made it here, Gennō was being chased by the Anbu and they had him cornered right when the bombs went off."

The second assumption to corrupt their investigation. Shino could see through it now, as Amari or Sasuke would say.

"Maybe they chased him," he said. His comrades all drew their attention to him. "Or maybe he was leading them here."

Kiba picked Akamaru off the ground, helping his companion to settle inside his hoodie. As he did, he asked, "So all along he wasn't trying to get away from them, he was drawing them to this spot?"

Shino dipped his chin once. "Everything points to that. But there's one last assumption we must break before I'd say its conclusive."

Lee gripped his chin in thought. "One last assumption… If all this is true, then it is safe to say there were other elements to his plan."

Neji crossed his arms and met gazes with Shino. "Can we be sure those Paper Bombs really took him out?"

Tenten, Lee, and Kiba gasped.

And there it was, the final assumption. The one which had blinded every single Leaf shinobi—even the Anbu—to such critical evidence left in plain sight.

Shino dipped his chin once again. "As I said before, everything we've learned now should've been obvious. Especially to the Anbu Black Ops. However, the other factors at play distracted them. Perfectly. Just as Gennō intended.

"There were the missing blueprints—their retrieval were critical, they were all the Anbu were focused on. From the report, Gennō revealed he didn't have them in his possession just before he detonated the Paper Bombs. He showed the Paper Bombs at the same time, ensuring the Anbu's retreat.

"There was the time of night. Limited visibility would've made the trees burn pattern difficult to distinguish. And they would've been more focused on searching the area for any sign of the blueprints, just in case he lied. Also they, just as we have, were operating on the belief he was making mistakes. This was before they knew his true identity, after all. They had no idea he was the Master Trapper.

"So, with that mindset in place, when they found the scattered remains of a corpse—well, who else would it be if not the spy? That alone would be enough to blind them to his potential survival. They had no reason to assume it was a corpse stashed here before the pursuit. Right in the place he needed it to create the illusion of death. And all of this would be far easier to construct if he had two accomplices putting on the finishing touches as the Anbu's eyes were on him."

"So the man in the medical center…" Kiba trailed off.

"It won't be Gennō," Shino stated. "Our investigation has centered around false assumptions, beginning here. Where we believed Gennō ended his own life, where we believed his mistakes and carelessness led to being cornered by the Anbu Black Ops. However, we're the only ones who have made mistakes and been careless. We've underestimated an old man in a profession where most die young."

"It would seem your investigation has borne fruit, Shino Aburame."

Each of his comrades was startled by the feminine voice. He wasn't. There was a whoosh of air beneath a bird's feathers. Neji's gaze flicked up and behind the Bug Tamer. Kiba, Akamaru, Tenten, and Lee followed his gaze.

Shino lifted his hand out of his pocket and raised his arm. A Crow took its perch on his forearm, its plumage colored black and shining an iridescent basil in the sunlight.

"I had a feeling the Crows would be observing us," he said calmly.

"Greetings, my name is Tsugumi," the Crow introduced herself politely.

Tenten rested a hand over her heart. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that."

"You and me both," Kiba sighed.

"I apologize for startling you." She turned her head to look at Shino. "I noticed you released your insects into the surrounding area. May I ask what you hope to find?"

"My insects are searching for his escape route now. I'm hoping it wasn't destroyed in the blast; it's the missing piece which would confirm he survived." He furrowed his brow. "Although I am confident in my conclusion, we've made too many careless assumptions so far."

"I understand. Hmm… Given the limited time between the Anbu's retreat and the explosion, his escape route must be within a short leap of this spot," Tsugumi said, indicating to the area with her wing.

"I agree. Neji," he looked to his comrade, "could you use your Byakugan to search the ground within that frame of reference?"

"I can," he nodded.

Shino stepped aside. The Hyūga took his position in the epicenter of the blast site and began to scan the area thoroughly.

When Neji would eventually locate the tunnel, hidden behind a fallen tree, Shino would not be surprised at all. He wouldn't be surprised by Tenten's estimation that it would've collapsed on itself in another day, rendering it impossible to find even with the Byakugan. He wouldn't be surprised by Kiba's and Akamaru's confirmation that there wasn't a single trace of anyone's scent within.

No, he wouldn't be surprised at all. Why? Because:

They were dealing with the kind of elite shinobi he believed Gennō to be.

Which meant…

"This man is not Gennō," Hinata stated emphatically.

Sakura could feel her heart racing. She'd known it, too, before Hinata confirmed the man on the table had an undeveloped Chakra Network; he had never infused his chakra.

She'd known as soon as she'd seen his right hand, peeking out of from beneath the blanket draped over the corpse, but not for the same reasons Ino had realized the truth as well.

Ino had been serving people at the Yamanaka Flower Shop since she was a little girl. She could tell what kind of work people performed based on their hands; carpenter hands, for instance, were much rougher, with bumps, callouses, and scars. And a shinobi who worked with traps would never have a hand as squeaky clean as the pale hand sticking out of the blanket.

For Sakura, it was the absence of a single scar, one on the back of his right hand, that made her reach the same conclusion.

"So if this guy isn't Gennō, then where the heck is he?" Ino wondered, bewildered.

Sakura felt her stomach drop, an ominous, cold sweat built at the back of her neck.

The Master Trapper was ten steps ahead of them. He was somewhere out there.

He was still pursuing his vengeance upon the Leaf Village.

Investigating the master carpenter's records had yet to uncover any irregularities. The young shinobi each felt the strain of sifting through so many pages of transactions.

Eventually they were even joined by Naruto, relieved from the trance with, in his feelings, little to show for the effort. As expected Gennō was tight-lipped even around a Genin who never suspected him.

Naruto settled in, creating two Shadow Clones to lift the load a little where he could, and began to silently poring over the transactions. He wasn't at all excited by the numbers or the mundanity of it all. Shikamaru couldn't blame him. He didn't like it either.

Turning the page of the ledger, the Nara scanned over the newest set of transactions. A restaurant, a teahouse, a bookstore, the Academy…

Wait, the Academy?

Shikamaru reread the transaction. He eyed the page number, closed the book, then began to scan the rolls of paper around him, the labels in the center marking the location of the blueprints.

I didn't see any blueprints for the Academy.

Had he missed it? Or was this the irregularity he'd been searching for?

"Yakumo," he spoke up as he scanned the blueprints in his immediate vicinity, "have you come across any blueprints for the Academy?"

"The Academy? No, I don't think I have." The kunoichi shut the book she was examining and drew her brown eyes over the rolls of paper around her. "There… There isn't any blueprint for the Academy here."

"Excuse me, sir! Can I ask you something?" Shikamaru called to the master carpenter.

There wasn't a single blueprint marked for the Academy he could see. None of the documents currently known to be missing included those specific blueprints, either. In fact, he couldn't remember the Academy ever taking damage in the Invasion, so why would their be a recent transaction for work…

The door to the room slid open. The master carpenter stood there, looking somewhat exasperated by the interruption.

"Yes? What is it?"

Shikamaru wanted to roll his eyes. Like any of them wanted to be digging through his files. They weren't the ones that didn't report the suspicious forgery as soon as they found it.

He kept his annoyance reined in. It wouldn't serve any productive purpose, and he needed to be as efficient as possible right now.

"I found records of some payments the Academy made last month."

The master carpenter furrowed his brow. "What? Last month?"

"It's here," Shikamaru said, grabbing and opening the book to the page.

The man crossed the floor and kneeled next to the Nara, who pressed his finger just beneath the first transaction the Academy made.

"Oh yes, that's correct," the master carpenter nodded. "We were doing some renovations to the facilities."

"Then why aren't there any blueprints for that job?" Shikamaru asked.

"What?" The master carpenter looked half stunned and half offended by the statement, as though he had insulted his competence and organizational abilities. "Of course there are!"

The man began to scan the rolls and their labels, reaching across the floor at times to examine the labels at eye level, as if that would somehow change the locations printed clearly and neatly for all to read.

"I- I don't know what to make of it. Where do you think they could've gone?"

"I have a guess. None of us are gonna like it, though," he said.

This was the only irregularity they'd managed to find so far. A missing blueprint for an average renovation, something that had slipped beneath the radar because major blueprints of critical infrastructure were missing. And if Shino's hunch ended up being true…

A commotion of voices outside disturbed the room. It was difficult to tell what was being said through the walls. Whatever it was, though, had people in a frenzy.

To the surprise of no one, Fū and Naruto were first on their feet and hurrying out the door. Shikamaru, Chōji, Yakumo, and Karin rose and excused themselves momentarily to follow the pair.

Stepping out into the street, they found a crowd of people gathered in front of the master carpenter's, gazes locked on the sky. Some were pointing their fingers at whatever they were looking at. Fū and Naruto were already trying to see what the people were pointing to.

What could be going on now?

Shikamaru raised his eyes as he stopped behind the pair, flanked by Chōji, Yakumo, and Karin. He saw a flock of black silhouettes diving like falcons from a higher altitude. Beneath them, their target: a large bird with white and purple plumage.

A bird that did not belong to the Leaf. It was carrying a blanket bearing a load of some kind, resembling how kids imagined storks carrying newborns.

"Karin, is that the Akatsuki bomber?" Shikamaru asked immediately.

"No," she shook her head. "There isn't a person on it. I've never sensed that bird before."

He felt a sliver of relief. He watched the Crows near the target. Then the large purple and white bird released its talons and suddenly vanished—reverse summoned.

The blanket fell open. Suddenly white papers, rolled and labeled meticulously, began to rain free of it.

The Nara's eyes went wide. It couldn't be!

The flock of Crows started nabbing the papers out of air.

"Are those—"

"It's the blueprints!" Shikamaru concluded, baffled. "Naruto, use your Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu to help the Crows catch them. Quick!"

"Uh, right! Here we go! Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

"Fū—"

The Waterfall kunoichi was already darting into the air, insect wings sprouted from her lower back as a horde of orange-clad shinobi ascended the nearby buildings and leapt after the falling papers. Black silhouettes zipped through the air, snatching the rolls.

There had to be hundreds of blueprints falling from the sky.

What a drag!

"Chōji, Yakumo, I want you two to work together to catch anything the others miss," he ordered. "Karin and I will stick together and do the same."

"You got it, Shikamaru," Chōji replied, nodding once.

"You can count on us," Yakumo said before they both leapt off onto the roofs.

"This doesn't make sense," Karin muttered. "He had the blueprints in his possession. Now he's dropping them from the sky?"

"He's making us dance in the palm of his hand. Because his real target was never these blueprints. I'd bet those were just a decoy, a shiny object to grab our attention," Shikamaru said, narrowing his eyes as his gut began to twist in dread. "But I'd give anything to know what that old man is thinking right now."

Their day, he felt intuitively, was about to get a lot worse.

In a shadowy cavern of stone, Gennō smiled to himself.

The missing blueprints were now falling from the sky, he knew. The Leaf were likely scrambling to secure them at this very moment. As he planned. They were too far behind now, however. He had them precisely where he needed them.

The fun has only just begun, he thought, sitting in the silence and darkness. And soon…

Yes, soon they would all witness the glory of his final trap.

Soon enough he would be free of this old, heavy burden.

Inside the abandoned Chūnin Exams grounds used decades ago for their great-grandparents generation, a dense woodland not at all unlike the Forest of Death in its appearance or its dangers, Amari, Sasuke, and Mimi stood with their backs nearly pressed against each other.

Amari clutched her tantō at her side, Sasuke's hand was wrapped around the hilt of his sheathed chokutō, Mimi, with Aoko's black form growling viciously from her shoulders and head, flicked her eyes about with a wild and feral grin on her face.

"So, you're the Great-Great Granddaughter of Madara Uchiha. And it looks like Sasuke Uchiha and Mimi Inuzuka are here as well," the Stone shinobi squadron leader, a Jōnin man, noted from the trees above. "It's unbelievable. So much fuss over three children."

They were surrounded. Unlike in the Waterfall and Grass these shinobi weren't conscripts, green as grass Genin, or mercenaries to be thrown in a meat grinder ahead of their superior trained troops. There were twelve in total, six surrounding her unit, six surrounding Yūgao and Mr. Anbu deeper in the trees.

They were all strong, she sensed. Handpicked by the Tsuchikage, doubtlessly, on the merits of their ability to complete their mission.

No one could've slipped through the vast sensory net our combined senses create. Especially Yūgao's and the Crows. Yet these guys… They appeared out of nowhere. Almost like they used a Summoning Jutsu…

"Careful," Amari said. "These guys aren't common thugs. Seems like Lord Tsuchikage has finally rolled out the red carpet for us this time," she added dryly.

"Looks that way. So, Mimi," Sasuke drawled, "is this the wild time you were expecting?"

"Nah. It's even wilder. We've got ourselves a real party now," the Inuzuka replied cheekily.

"Hmph," Sasuke snorted, and she sensed his smirk.

"Sasuke, Mimi, Aoko, just like in the Exams our test is no longer relevant. And just like that time we're all we have now," Amari said. "Mr. Anbu and Miss Anbu have their hands full, so we can't depend on them to save us. This is our battle and ours alone. They're a wall obstructing our path. The only way to reach our goals now is to stick together and blaze a trail straight ahead."

She heard Sasuke's chokutō edge an inch out of its scabbard. "Then let's stop waiting around. We'll carve a path right through them."

"Damn right. We're gonna teach these bastards why their superiors are making such a fuss about us," Mimi followed. "And make them regret ever starting this war."

"Agreed."

The simulation was over. Now they were neck deep in a real war again.

There were no retries, no second-chances. A small but powerful force of Stone shinobi were now in reaching distance of the Leaf Village. They couldn't let them achieve their mission or advance beyond this point.

You're in our way, Amari thought, eyeing their enemies beneath a burning crimson and piercing lavender gaze. And we're going to carve a path right through you.

We'll give your Tsuchikage a reason to fear our names.