"She's gone!"

"What!?" Asuma exclaimed.

"Sacora is gone," Kurenai repeated. "She was with us at the stalls, but now we can't find her anywhere!"

"Did you check all of the market?"

"What else have we been doing for the past hour?"

Kakashi jumped in beside them and shook his head when he straightened. "It's no use. Pakkun found her scent mixed with someone else's leading away from the market; whoever has her would have left the village by now."

"Shit," Asuma cursed. "We'll have to go now, or we'll lose them."

Kakashi nodded. "You both head out first; I'll sound the alarm and bring help. Pakkun will be waiting for you at the gates."

A weight sank in Kurenai's stomach as her thoughts returned the break-in. But a kidnapping in broad daylight, smack in the middle of the village...such a thing had not happened in a long while, not since they first discovered the cult trading people with Orochimaru years back. Evidently, they were doing more than just trading, and now Kurenai feared the worst. I am such a fool! I should have been more careful!

A warm hand enclosed her shoulder, and she found herself looking into Asuma's stern yet reassuring eyes. "Don't beat yourself up over it. We'll get her back."

She squeezed his hand and gave him a wan smile. "I know; we have to."

Kiba watched the dogs assemble at the entrance of the clan compound with a growing sense of impatience. "I can hold my own in a fight, and Akamaru's just as good as any ninken here! Why do we have to stay behind!?"

"Go sit your ass down in your room, boy!" Tsume barked back. "If they wanted a genin, they would've said so!"

"So what if I'm a genin!? I can do many of the clan techniques! You've seen me! I–"

"No means no!" Tsume snarled. "This isn't a game, Kiba. All your griping's good for is causing delays; if you wanna help so badly, how about doing some growing up first?"

Kiba's face reddened with indignation. "I-I'm not–"

Hinata grabbed his arm back. "Please," she entreated him, "s-stop fighting..."

Hana gave their mother a cautious glance and sighed. "Anyway, we'll be back soon. I'll let you know how it goes, okay?"

The impetuous Inuzuka yanked his arm away from his teammate and turned his back on everyone. Taking that as a yes, Hana and two other clan members followed Tsume's lead out of the compound, their loyal ninken loping in stride beside them. Shino watched them disappear into Konoha before finally turning with a wary eye to Kiba.

"Are you going to be all right?"

"Does it look like it to you?" Kiba shot back.

Hinata twiddled her fingers together uneasily. "D-don't be mad, Kiba...we couldn't have known..."

"It wasn't even a minute!" He balled his hands into tight fists. "A ninja was right under our nose, and we didn't even notice!"

"As much as you want it to change, what's done has been done," Shino reminded him. "And since we weren't assigned to go, we can only wait to see what will happen next. Besides, our clans have capable people who should be able to fetch her back."

Hinata nodded in agreement. "So please, don't be upset..."

"But what if they don't?" he challenged, whirling about to face them. "Are we just gonna sit here and do nothing?"

Shino raised an eyebrow. "Do you doubt their abilities?" he questioned.

"Of course not! I'm just saying..." Kiba shook his head. "Agh, forget it! I'm taking Akamaru for a walk. You guys just go home or whatever."

Shino frowned. "Kiba, wait–"

But he picked up the little dog and stormed off into the village without so much as a glance back at either of them. Shino crossed his arms in exasperation while Hinata could only sigh in defeat. Their eyes met in an exchange of troubled glances, and with an uneasy accord, they quietly left the compound.

Tight ribs – stiff legs – garbled voices.

Through the numbing fog in her head, these sensations ran their course in ebbing tides until it no longer became bearable to lie back and let them be. She stirred awake to a hard and wooden reality that contorted into rolling, loopy shapes, and an incessant ringing in her ears that momentarily drowned out the voices.

Just as suddenly, the ringing cleared, and everything grew calm.

"I got you through the barrier at risk of discovery."

Sacora blinked as she registered the words. She squirmed about in her wooden prison, until she realized it wasn't a prison at all.

"I identified her for you and even tracked her schedule; but apparently, that wasn't enough."

She rolled onto her back and winced at the sunlight piercing through her eyes. Tears streaming, she flipped back to her side to let the flashing spots pass.

"I ended up doing everything. And now you have the audacity to demand payment?"

"What do you think the word 'hire' means?" another voice sneered. "You wouldn't even listen to me about waiting until the chunin exams. You owe me."

What's going on? Sacora tried hefting herself up, but her binds held taut against any bending movement. With a flopping lurch, she lifted her shoulder sideways onto the edge of the cart and blinked about at the fuzzy scenery around her, in particular at the vague outlines of two figures standing ahead.

"The only thing I owe you..." A wet, metallic slice cut through the air as her vision filled with a spray of red. "...is a lesson on insolence."

She didn't know how long she stayed frozen for; all she could see was the slick blood raining to the ground and the slumping body that followed. The details waxed and waned in clarity, but as the remaining figure turned about, her vision finally sharpened to a cruel accuracy that accentuated every corner of his displeased features.

With a gasp, she fell back into the cart in an ungainly thump. Her heart raced as she struggled to the other side, but she already knew the effort was futile. In half the time it took her to roll away, the stranger had jumped onto the edge and was peering down at her with a disappointed scowl.

"Awake already?" he muttered, and hopped down beside her. With a deft hand, he grabbed her shoulder and flipped her onto her back; with the other, he held two thin needles clenched between his fingers.

"N-no!" Sacora rasped. She writhed against all hope, but his grip was as firm as the ropes around her. Before she knew it, two stinging pinpricks of pain slid into her neck, and her frantic movements slowed to a sluggish crawl.

"That should keep you out for a while," his booming voice drawled. Her eyelids rose and fell as they failed to battle the thickening in her mind, morphing the world into blotches of light and color. The last thing she saw before phasing out was the silhouette of a man's face, framed amidst a blizzard of white.

Kurenai landed on the branch beside Pakkun and crouched in preparation for another leap as she watched him sniff the air.

"Hn..." he mused. "The scent has shifted."

"Not too far, I hope?" Kurenai ventured to ask.

The little pug's brow knitted into a frown. "No, but something's not right. It's too stationary. Kakashi's coming up with some tracking reinforcements; best wait 'til they arrive before we move on."

Kurenai bit down on her lower lip as she thought of the time slipping through their fingers. She knew better than to argue against this particular ninken of Kakashi's, though; his talking abilities aside, his skills included detecting a subject's threat level and distance through scent. If he had doubts as to a certain scent, then she was wise to heed it.

Tsume and her clan members arrived shortly after, followed by several Hyuga and Aburame. Kakashi stood amongst them, nonchalant as ever. Once Pakkun gave them a quick rundown of the situation, they moved as a whole through the trees in the direction of the scent. Is it a trap he senses? Kurenai wondered as she glimpsed Pakkun leaping through the foliage. Or are we preparing for a hostile encounter?

They stopped at the edge of a clearing that the road below cut through in a winding line. It would have appeared to be nothing special if it weren't for the flayed corpse bleeding out on the ground below. The Inuzuka dogs whined in agitation and Pakkun's nose wrinkled as they leapt down to investigate. The body, male, seemed fresh, for only a handful of flies had taken to landing on it; but any chance of identification was moot, as the skin from the neck up was torn and badly mangled.

"Her scent," Pakkun grumbled after several sniffs. "It ends here."

"What do you mean by that?" Asuma asked.

Tsume snarled in distaste at the bloodied skin. "It's all over this body. Going by smell alone, this should be your target."

Kurenai stiffened. "Is it possible...?"

One of the Hyuga knelt beside the corpse and activated her Byakugan. "There's no masking jutsu placed on the body," she clarified. "Only a scent technique was used."

So not her. A relief, albeit a temporary one. If they're going through all this effort to keep us from finding her...

A gust of wind blew into the clearing just then, brushing through the trees in a rustling sigh. Suddenly, the dogs whipped their heads about and sniffed the air in a frenzy. Their shinobi partners too appeared excited by whatever change had overtaken them, feral eyes sweeping the treetops with suspicion.

"The scent," Hana exclaimed. "It's everywhere!"

Kurenai closed her eyes in exasperation. I knew it.

"How badly is it scattered?" Kakashi inquired.

"Like roaches in daylight. Keep up that Byakugan," Tsume advised the Hyuga, a bracing hand placed atop Kuromaru's head. "We're gonna need it."

Asuma stepped in beside Kurenai with a disquieted look. "It's just like before, isn't it?" he remarked softly. "Scents would get muddled."

And the trail would run endlessly, Kurenai finished in her mind, unable to bring herself to say the words aloud. To the point that it became wasteful to continue the search...She shook her head. "One of the Hyuga will come with us," she announced to the group. "The rest of you, split into teams. We can't chase all the leads but we'll try to cast the widest net possible."

Pakkun turned in response to Kakashi. "I've got several branches of the scent that seem particularly strong. I'd recommend priority over them; give me a minute to make sure we're on the same page with the Inuzukas, and then we can get out of here."

While that was being accomplished along with the exchange of earpiece radios, the Aburames' arms clouded over in large, speckled clusters as they summoned their insects to the surface. The buzzing of tiny wings momentarily filled the air, casting thin shadows over the forest floor that dissipated in all directions as quickly as the shinobi below.

Kiba flattened himself further against the tree as the wind rolled past. He waited until the sounds of people dwindled in the distance before daring to peek around the trunk again, eyes carefully scanning the surrounding forest to ensure that he was truly alone.

"Sounds like it'll only get more difficult from here," remarked a voice behind him.

Kiba jolted. "What the–!?" He spun around and found his teammates standing on the branch behind him, almost losing his footing in the process. "Sh-shino? Hinata? What're you guys doing here!?"

"You may be a fool," Shino pointed out, "but you aren't going to be one alone."

Hinata nodded. "I put together some first aid and emergency rations," she added meekly, bringing to attention the small pack she carried on her back. "Just in case..."

At this, Kiba's shocked face mellowed into a wide grin. "Sweet! I was actually getting hungry."

"...You truly are a fool," Shino sighed, and held out a finger to retrieve a beetle that flew out from a fold in the Inuzuka's coat. "So, how do you propose we go about this? You do realize we're trying to tail tracking experts who could easily discover us..."

"Who said anything about tailing?" Kiba accepted some jerky from Hinata, which he bit into with relish. "I've been keeping downwind of them, but I'm gonna follow a scent trail of my own. Isn't that right, buddy?" he asked the little dog beside him. Akamaru yipped in agreement and was rewarded with a freshly broken piece of jerky.

"How different would it be from what they're following?" Shino queried yet again.

Kiba smirked. "Everyone's so worked up over Sacora's scent, even the kidnapper forgot. It's pretty simple, really." He took another bite and disclosed smugly as he chewed, "It's the smell of dango. Specifically, sakura dango."

"Th-that's right!" Hinata realized. "She was still eating it when we last saw her..."

"But it's pretty weak, so we gotta move fast," Kiba added.

Shino crossed his arms and nodded. "I can't disperse any kikaichu for now if we don't want to be discovered. Hinata ought to conserve her Byakugan, too; at least until the scent is stronger."

Kiba handed the rest of the jerky to Akamaru and dusted off his hands with a smirk. "Just leave it all to me."

"Look, Fan! Isn't this the prettiest swallowgale you've ever seen?"

"Oh, she's lovely...your father is so generous with you, Chuni."

"I've done very well this year! Of course he had to reward me." Lips curve into a mischievous smile. "But, Fan...I heard that you've displeased your father. You've done something...bad."

"Wh-what?"

A door slams open with a metallic clang, revealing the innards of a naval ship. Father stands at the entrance, unhappy. "I know what you told Hayate," he scowled. "You must not be proud of this family if you would spill such secrets willingly...I'm sending you away for good."

A shadow glides out from behind him, slender in the red light, cascading black hair and crimson eyes. "Come with me, Sacora. I'll take you to the village. You'll never see them again." Her outstretched hand is strangely inviting, but before Sacora can think about accepting it, she notices something clenched in between the fingers –

Needles.

Ow! Sacora winced and blinked back tears as blunt pain lanced through her temple. When it subsided, she squinted at her semi-dark surroundings through watery vision and tried to raise her head from the rock that had so suddenly become a pillow. But the ropes reminded her of her predicament; eyes darting, unfamiliar scenery greeted her at every turn in the form of a dark forest. "Mmmph–" And now she couldn't move her mouth, either.

The crunch of undergrowth silenced her panic. She froze, every swish and rustle heightened by her fraught senses. As the sounds came close, she spied a man's outline emerging from the trees. Initially vague, his shadowed profile quickly brought back unwelcome images of blood and needles. She shut her eyes tight when he looked her way.

"They're late," he groused. He strode over to her – so dangerously close she could hardly breathe – and propped her up against a tree with a tug of the ropes. She listened to him pace about some more, head pounding in suspense, before he suddenly fell quiet somewhere ahead of her.

Her eyes opened a crack. He was standing with his back to her. Thoughts of what he was waiting for raced through her mind. Am I going to be sold? Are they going to kill me? Just like that other man had been, cold-blooded and unfeelingly; her mouth ran dry. I...I don't want to die like that!

Sacora swallowed and tried to flex her wrists. They wouldn't budge; the ropes were too tight. She let out a silent exhalation and curled her fingers into a loose fist. Ever so slowly, tiny flickers of flame came dancing to life just above her fingernails. She raised and lowered them at intervals to try to reach the ropes while watching her captor shift about. Higher and higher she sent them, knuckles grazing against the bark, until she could feel the heat creeping against the small of her back. Eventually, the rope felt a little looser on her wrists.

Yet perhaps she should have stopped, for when she was able to smell the singed hemp, it was already too late. The man sniffed; "Something's burning...?"

She snuffed her flames right as he turned and feigned unconsciousness once more. All was quiet as he made his way towards her; suddenly, she was pushed face-first onto a patch of dried leaves. A muffled cry escaped the gag, much to her regret, though the ruse was short lived anyway when her captor let out displeased tsk upon discovering the burnt rope.

"Awake again?" he grumbled. "That was enough to knock out a grown man."

She wriggled against the weight of his foot on her back, puffing several hot breaths into the gag that threatened to sear her cheeks. When he flipped her over, the scorched cloth fell away and the fire redirected to his face, blown as vehemently as her constricted chest would allow. He gave a startled cry followed by an annoyed kick that sent her rolling into a tree.

"Why, you little–" He reached into a pouch behind his back and slid out four long, menacing needles. "I didn't want to get rough with you, but you give me no choice!"

Sacora spit leafy debris from her tongue and attempted to roll away as he pounced on her. With a hand pushing on her head and a knee across her back, he had her pinned; no matter how badly she wanted to flail or scream, her limbs were locked tight and her mouth choked with loamy dirt. I don't want to die, she thought as tears began forming, the images of Father and Chuni flashing behind closed eyes. I just want to get out of here.

Someone, anyone, help me...please!

"Child."

It was primal, rumbling deep from within the bowels of ancient time itself. The guttural timbre stirred her to the very core, strong tremors of thunder resonating throughout her soul. The call was as much a command as it was a greeting, summoning her to open up her sight to something far greater than what she was capable of understanding. When she gathered the courage to do so, it was a sight both unsettling and wonderful.

Winding and serpentine was its physique, the great horns crowning a broad head atop a regal nest of hair-like plumes, ridged with jagged spikes that ran along the twisting coils of its seemingly never-ending body. Brilliant scales gleamed with an unearthly inner light, glowing like crackling embers with every heave of the gargantuan belly. Its speech was not formed from its mouth, yet she heard it booming all the same, loud and clear.

"Long ago, when your people did not yet have a word for 'dragon', they called me Jin She."

"Gold Snake," Sacora breathed, recalling stories of the legendary breed of dragons that the First People witnessed flying down from the volcanic mountains of the Capital City; the first known teachers of the art that would become known as firebending. But how am I meeting one now? General Iroh killed the last dragon years ago...

"I could ask the same of you," the gravelly voice returned. Its bearded muzzle bent close to her, the orb-like eyes studying her with interest. "Many humans have I met in this strange place...only you survived."

"S-survived?" she stuttered.

"Those who have seen me did not live beyond their first screams," the creature answered cryptically. "Such is the consequence of a forced containment of the spirits..."

"What do you mean?" she asked, bewildered. "You're a spirit?"

A cloud of steam emitted from its nostrils as it dipped its head in an affirming bow. "And you, little one, are my vessel."

"I'm...what?"

Flashes of gold twinkled at the corners of her vision as the coils shifted into an endless loop, the voice echoing from all corners as the bearded head traveled in a meandering circuit around her. "I have been with you since you first arrived here," it began. "I have felt your woes and dreamed your dreams. You, also, have been intertwined with my essence; you simply hadn't realized."

Sacora blinked. "Ever since I...came here?" She remembered dark-robed circle and the rising pillar of fire. "So...those chanting people, they..."

"Mm." Its rumbling sigh resounded through her ears in deep ripples. "An unfortunate practice of these jealous humans. Many lives it has endangered, and with scant success. For all the persistence, we have only seen one other living vessel."

"We...I have?"

She was given a pointed sidelong glance in response. "The boy with the whiskers."

Sacora wondered who that could be, until it clicked in her memory a moment later. Naruto? The foolish genin who bragged about becoming Hokage? As his cocksure face came to mind, the same heated roiling as before returned to her stomach like the clashing of two rival flames. Clutching it in surprise, she looked up to find the dragon's belly flickering in tandem with hers.

"But...why? Why would they do this?"

"Power? Pride? The desires of the humans here are as much a mystery to me as they are to you, little one." A drifting whisker brushed gently past her, and she found the sagely eyes looming just above her head. "Once, they were friends of the spirits. The scroll you possessed...it was a testament to that friendship."

She gasped. "You know about the scroll?"

"I remember it well." Its eyes took on a distant cast as it lowered its plumed head to her level. "A warrior of this land once wandered across the spirit world and befriended an Avatar on the other side. To symbolize their bond, they created a pair of scrolls imbued with each of their individual power that allowed them safe passage across the spirit world and the ability to visit one another on the eve of every full moon." A scaly lid lowered on the eye nearest her and lingered wistfully. "The scroll you were given, little one, was the Avatar's scroll."

I...I can't believe it! The odds that such a relic came from a mere street hawker; that she hadn't been the first to come to this strange place, that it was an Avatar–

"But you have not called upon me to recollect the past." A cloud of steam bathed her momentarily as the creature raised its snaking neck above her again.

She craned back her head to follow its ascent, brows scrunched in confusion.

"We are here because I have heard your cry. I can help you as I did on the night you arrived; if you will let me."

Sacora pursed her lips in trepidation, unsure of how much more of the dragon's knowledge she wanted to know. When she managed to find her voice again, she asked, hesitantly, "What did you do...on that night?"

With an understanding nod, the muzzle drew close again, and a slender whisker delicately tapped her forehead.

Crackling static broke through the silence. "Hana reporting. Potential hostilities up ahead."

"Muta reporting – we are also sensing hostile groups."

"Tokuma reporting...combat inevitable. Hostiles have thrown the first strike."

"Kurenai reporting; no hostilities on our side. Keep updating if possible." She finished the transmission with a grimace. "Iroha, Pakkun – I don't suppose you sense any trouble ahead?"

They stopped to let the tracker nin examine their surroundings, in particular for Iroha Hyuga to focus his Byakugan.

"There's a strange concentration of chakra nine kilometers to the east," said Iroha at length. "I can't tell if it's a hostile. It's unlike any shinobi's I've seen..."

Kurenai perked up. "That must be her," she said, exchanging glances with Asuma and Kakashi.

"A twelve year old girl has this much chakra?" Iroha asked incredulously.

Kakashi frowned. "That doesn't sound right. She has unusual structure, but no quantifiable reserves."

Iroha chewed his lower lip in thought. "I don't know. I can't see people in that area. Someone's erected a barrier, but that chakra's bleeding through it, and growing. Fast."

"It's in the direction of the scent we're pursuing," Pakkun added. "If it's her, we'll soon find out."

Armed with the information, they were ready to move out. But Iroha suddenly stiffened. "Hold on a moment...is that...?" He narrowed his eyes. "Lady Hinata!" he exclaimed. "Around eight kilometers northeast – I see Lady Hinata and her teammates! But what are they doing out here?"

Kurenai's eyes widened. With a clench of her fists, she fought the urge to curse. Of all the – "Oh, I think I know just why they're out here," she practically hissed through gritted teeth. "Where are they headed?"

"If I'm not mistaken, they'll reach that chakra concentration before we do," Iroha informed. "They're just about a kilometer's distance from it."

Kurenai pursed her lips as she weighed her options. "Is there no way to intercept them?"

Iroha went quiet as his opaque eyes scanned through the foliage once more. "We can only try to get there quicker. They are moving at too fast a pace for us to stop them, even if we angle our path differently."

"Just great," she muttered, running a hand through her hair.

"It's gonna be all right," Asuma assured her as they headed out again. "They're smart kids."

"Let's hope some of that training's rubbed off," she sighed, though it would have been all the more helpful if her lessons of caution and thought had been heeded instead. As far as she knew, she did not appreciate the stakes suddenly getting higher than they should be.

"K-Kiba, are we lost?"

"Like hell we are! Don't be such a baby, Hinata."

"She has a point," Shino interjected. "We've been going for hours and her Byakugan hasn't found anything...is your scent trail still even viable?"

He leapt onto another branch and gave his teammates willful glances. "Seriously, guys; when have I or Akamaru ever let you down?"

"That one babysitting mission..."

"Doesn't count!"

"Do you think we're too far from the village?" Hinata asked again, eyeing the purple sky with worry. "I-if we can't find her before dark..."

"It's only logical." As they stopped to take a break, Shino gave Kiba a pointed look. "We've tried our best, but we honestly have no business being here. If it isn't someone on the mission that finds us, it's someone sent for us or an enemy. We'll have to turn back."

The conflict was plain on Kiba's face as that sank in, combined with weariness. "Well, if we find her, we're gonna have to fight anyway. And I swear, guys, we're so close–"

"Hinata's Byakugan hasn't picked up anything despite being 'so close'," Shino pointed out. "I'm going to use my beetles now, but I can't guarantee our safety from discovery if they encounter those of my clan. Staying hidden shouldn't be a priority at this point, anyway."

"Well...fine!" Kiba snapped. "What are you waiting for?"

Hinata opened her mouth to say something comforting to her troubled teammate, but thought better of it when she saw the turmoil in his eyes. She bowed her head in submission as they waited for Shino's kikaichu to scuttle out from the depths of his jacket, hoping neither of them would see the fatigue that plagued her limbs.

A burst of orange light flashing through the trees forced her head back up. She turned to Shino and Kiba, wondering if they'd seen it too.

Judging by their stern faces, they had. The light dimmed and held steady in wavering flickers, blinking ominously through the leaves. A breeze blowing from its direction carried an acrid hint of smoke. Akamaru pawed the branch in irritation and let out a whine.

"Something's burning," Kiba remarked, rubbing his nose. "And it's not gunpowder."

"It...it could be her?" Hinata suggested hopefully.

Shino pushed up his glasses. "Only one way to find out."

It was a burst of freedom, a delicious breath of air, and a cool wind seeping between the flames circling her as she spun to her feet; a rush of reality so vividly clear, yet astoundingly surreal in its own right. Beyond the waves of heat, the remnants of her bonds lay scattered about the forest floor alongside her fallen captor, who was groaning with exertion as he struggled to move.

I feel so...full of energy, Sacora thought. From her fingers to her toes, to the very flush in her cheeks, she felt it everywhere. Whatever soreness she sustained had disappeared, and whatever fear was replaced with a brimming confidence. Never had she felt so invigorated before, so ready for anything.

This is only the beginning, a deep voice echoed within her. There is much we are capable of together.

Startled, she looked about for the source of the voice. "Jin She?" she blurted out. "You're here? I can hear you..."

And so you will, from here on out. Now show him.

A blur of movement phased past the corner of her eye; her captor had disappeared.

Show him what we can do.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as a prickling sensation crept down her spine. She whirled around and stared intently at the underbrush, somehow knowing the man was there despite not being able to see him. Time seemed to slow as she traced the swaying of the foliage, deceptively similar to the motions of wind. Fingers tensing, she curled back an arm and pushed with the largest flow of chi she had ever felt coursing through her veins.

The explosion of heat and light that issued forth nearly blinded her in its sudden ferocity. She gaped, dumbstruck, at the roaring inferno she had somehow unleashed upon the forest, till a barrage of hot needles flying out from the fire punctured her across the abdomen.

Before the pain could register, she whipped her gaze skyward. He's above. Without missing a beat, she punched up and felt her heart leap when a rain of needles came down upon her. Shielding her face, she rolled to the side to avoid them, catching a few in the thigh.

An ungainly thud to her right stole her attention from the wounds. Her opponent looked the worse for wear, but quickly recovered himself with a roll and the blurring of his fingers into the formation of hand signs.

I can't let him finish it! She pushed herself up and, gathering the surplus chi to her core, swept a large swath of fire after him.

She watched it engulf his figure and waited with bated breath for when it would overtake him. Instead, a boiling hiss emitted from his position. Next followed the gurgle of flowing water, and to her ultimate confusion, an angry torrent that came gushing around her, threatening to wash her away should it flow to completion. On a turn of an ankle, she pushed against the torrent whirling behind her, refusing to be extinguished so easily. At first, the effort felt gargantuan, almost insurmountable; but gradually her flames gained traction, burning brighter and brighter until the very forest around them almost seemed to glow white. The world for that moment was nothing but a giant hiss of light and smoke.

She followed the water in a swirling loop until sputtered out at the source; or at least, where its source was supposed to be. Thick steam wafted from the shinobi's previous spot, but her new instincts told her he wasn't gone. With a cautious turn, she spied him lying languidly on a branch behind her, clutching at a side wound.

"Impressive," he panted, "but too late."

A metallic rattle emanated from the trees above her. Two twirling chains shot out from the leaves faster than the eye could blink and wrapped themselves tightly about her wrists. With a panicked gasp, she looked up and found two other shinobi perched in the trees, each with a tight hold on a chain and a hand engaged in a sign that sent glowing energy through the metal.

"Hurry before she starts again," her captor grunted. "As far as I know, she's absorbed the Elemental Beast's power."

"N-no!" Sacora yelled, yanking at the chains. "I'm not going anywhere with you–"

Clang! A whizzing shape struck the midpoint of the chain, interrupting the flow of energy. It looked like a kunai knife with something papery at the end, but she had barely seen it when it fizzled and exploded in a shower of sparks, breaking the chain and freeing a wrist.

Then the air suddenly filled with a buzzing cloud that obscured the shinobi in the trees. As their curses filled the air, Sacora felt the remaining chain wobble and took the advantage to give it a heavy yank. The links crashed down in a clanking heap, followed by the shinobi who employed them. His body brutally hit the forest floor, but when it made contact, it changed to a mossy log that broke to splintered bits.

They are regrouping to attack, Jin She warned.

She braced herself accordingly, sensing that it would come on either side of her by two of the captors, and spotted the flicker of incoming bodies. Yet before she could strike, another pair of bodies whirled onto the field.

Spinning like wild cyclones, they gyrated about her in a frenzy and threw back her assailants at dizzying speed. She watched them separate warily at first, until one of them landed beside her and made her realize their scruffy gray coat and cocky fanged grin was not unfamiliar at all.

"Kiba!? How did you get here?"

"That's Akamaru," he called out from her other side. "You're welcome, by the way."

She kept her shock in check when one of the shinobi came back at them with flying shuriken. She move to duck, but a barrage of shuriken coming in the opposite direction deflected their paths. Shino jumped down from where he was perched, and with him seemed to grow a hazy cloud with the most unnerving buzz that surrounded them.

"We need to move quickly," he panted. "I've immobilized one of them in the trees and my beetles will provide temporary cover, but the heat's too much for them."

They ran as far as they believed to be from the source of the conflict and found Hinata crouched on a branch ten feet or so above ground, watching for followers with her Byakugan. "You all followed me out here?" Sacora asked incredulously when they had a chance to take a breath.

"It wasn't easy, lemme tell you," Kiba panted. Beside him, Akamaru melted away from human to regular dog again.

"But...why?"

"Not the time," Shino interjected, and waved for Hinata to come down from the tree. "We've got a forest fire to worry about as well as being followed. I don't suppose that's your doing?"

Hinata dismissed her Byakugan to join them, but something she'd seen at the last second made her freeze. "Behind...!"

Sacora turned to meet whatever it was, not expecting the threat to wrap about her ankle. The new chain pulled her to the ground before she knew it and sent her skidding through the forest at high speed. Team Eight disappeared from view almost instantly, and with them, the hope of returning to safety. Flailing frantically, she summoned the strength to flip herself onto her stomach and dug her fingers desperately into the dirt. Little by little, resistance grew until the chain was taut with force, barely vibrating. Little more and her leg might be pulled clean off, she feared.

"Goddammit!" Kiba's voice cursed in the distance.

"She went that way," Hinata's followed, urgent and anxious.

If I can still hear them, I must not be very far. The thought strangely gave her strength. She dug deeper into the dirt and pushed herself up against the protest of her muscles. With a heave, she turned and grabbed hold of the chain in one hand. Tapping once more into her chi, she found the outpouring eager, almost hungry, and let it flow into the metal.

The links ran orange, to yellow, then white. The metal grew pliable beneath her fingers as the pull of tension started to favor her direction. Encouraged, she took the chain in both hands, pouring out more and more heat till the dried leaves beneath flared with tiny flames. In a final pull, the links finally snapped apart, spewing hot sparks into the surrounding underbrush.

"So this is the power that decimated our summoners in one night...if Konoha hasn't coveted you before, they certainly will now."

Sacora whirled around and hobbled to her feet, clenching fresh fire in her fists. "Don't come any closer."

The shinobi continued pacing about her unperturbed. "Villages have done far worse to hoard people like you. You should be lucky; we are kinder in comparison..."

A breeze blew through the trunks that chilled her to the very bone. The dark corners of the forest suddenly grew darker, and the shadows lengthened till they seemed to shroud even the light of the fires still burning in the distance. As the shinobi's pacing completed a full circuit, a feeling of cold dread seemed to wash through her.

"I'm quite glad you didn't let the Beast take hold of all your senses. Surely, we can talk this through with reason?"

Sacora held the fire steady but felt the resolve slipping from her fists. Somehow his words seemed compelling, but...

Bam!

A sudden weight slammed into her, pushing her forward into the underbrush. She recomposed herself and found Hinata behind her with Byakugan activated, while Kiba and Shino stood facing the shinobi.

"It was a genjutsu," Hinata said apologetically. "An illusion jutsu. I hope I didn't push you too hard..."

The shinobi looked them over and smirked. "Konoha sends children to run its errands now?"

"We gave you guys a hard time back there," Kiba retorted, "so don't get too cocky."

"Sounds like you brats need to be taught a lesson."

"Bring it!"

Without a second thought, they lunged at each other like ferocious dogs. But the hairs on the back of Sacora's neck told her they weren't alone. She pushed past Hinata and leapt in the direction of the incoming shinobi, intercepting him with a whirling kick before he could reach Kiba. As they fell apart, a blurring shape skimmed past him and sank a kunai into his leg, causing him to skid unsteadily when he landed.

"It's a strange sensation, larvae crawling in your wounds," Shino passively remarked, brandishing the bloody kunai. A tiny, wriggling line fell from a drop of blood off the blade, coming to a rest on the tip of his finger. "Have you ever heard of the tropical botflies? I've found that kikaichu larvae are partial to taking nourishment in a similar manner. With the proper amount of chakra, they'll grow rather quickly too."

The shinobi thrust his hands forward and shot out chains from within his sleeves at the three of them. Shino and Hinata dashed away in one direction and Sacora in another, sending the chains out in converging lines. But as Sacora dodged and weaved past the intrusive links, she realized they all eventually came after her; the others were not the target and would only be collateral damage from getting in the way. She stopped fleeing and allowed the chains to latch onto her hands, wincing as they twined and tightened along her arms.

"You promised to help me, Jin She," she ground out as she dug her heels into the dirt. From the direction of the shinobi, the links began to glow with the flow of chakra.

And I have not reneged on that promise, came the guttural response. The question is, how will you use it?

She was biting on her lip so hard that it threatened to draw blood. But at the sudden tremor in the chains, she perked up with hope.

"Aaaagh!" The shinobi controlling the chains had fallen to his knees, his wounded leg soaked with blood and brimming with writhing, fat, maggoty shapes. Several fell like plump little berries as they outgrew the wound, shining in the dust with wriggling malice. Consequently, the chakra flow halted, vibrating tensely just less than a foot from her.

Sacora then noticed Kiba's opponent coming within radius of the chains' length, and after quick thought, decided to stop fighting their pull. She relaxed her heels and let the chains yank her away, sending heat through their links as before to make them more pliable, then kicked up to leap above the kneeling shinobi before she could run into him. Using his weight as an anchor, she pivoted her hip to orient her lower body and kicked out a whorl of fire.

The other shinobi jumped back to avoid it, landing with his back against a tree. After returning to the ground, she grabbed the chains and hurled his comrade into him. The momentum pulled her up again in a tilted arc that she rode till she was above the pair of shinobi, then brought her down for a fiery stomp upon the chains. An explosion of wild sparks and fire burst up around them when the flames made contact, searing up the tree in a molten bolt. The last thing she heard was Shino yelling for everyone to jump away before billows of smoke overtook her senses.

Once the worst of it was over, Sacora staggered to her feet, shaking off the hissing chains. She looked about in anticipation of more threats – they had simply been coming one after another the whole night – and was startled by movement and a groan coming from her left. As she turned and locked eyes with the enemy shinobi, he reached into his kunai holster while a blistered hand formed a hand sign. Her foot swept it aside and an ignited fist moved forward, ready to send the finishing blast should the need arise.

"Don't," she started, but never finished. Every instinct within her screamed to stop him before he attempted something new, but the more she looked at him, the more she wondered what he could do. Reluctantly, she let the fire sputter away and dropped her hands to her sides. He tracked her every movement with hostility still shining through his smoke induced tears, but moved no muscle beyond that.

From behind her, the wind that brushed them through the flames carried upon it the sound of new presences–

"Lady Hinata!"

"There you guys are!"

"Just what the hell were you all thinking!?"

Sacora could hardly believe her ears, let alone her eyes when she saw the senseis with another Leaf jonin and a wrinkly little dog coming through the trees. She met the gazes of the bewildered Team Eight before the adults enveloped them, then looked back down at the shinobi. Kurenai's sharp voice scolding the team compelled her to finally leave, and she was rushed at by the unfamiliar jonin and a concerned Asuma-sensei on her way to their circle.

"Sacora! Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she breathed, taking hold of Asuma's proffered arm. A large crackle made her pause and she turned to see the burning branches of the tree tumbling to the ground, right above where she last stood. She hid her face in Asuma's sleeve just before they hit. "I'm fine..."

Notes

On the conversation Sacora witnessed, I literally just learned about the barrier around the village so I went back and added a bit on it to the last chapter in the conversation between Kurenai and Asuma at the police station.

Jin She has a tricky pronunciation in English as the 'She' part is really hard to describe. My best suggestion, go on google translate, set to translate from English to Chinese (traditional or simplified, doesn't matter) and type in 'gold snake' to listen to the Chinese.

I know Legend of Korra established the origins of bending with Avatar Wan and the Lion Turtles, but I figured that was way back in the Avatar universe's past; besides, the animal legends are still part of the lore and the Wan origin is hardly relevant to this story. For that reason I decided not to touch on it, opting instead to add some lore of my own.

I am aware of the Tailed Beasts' origins as Hagoromo's creations. I think that, technically, they could qualify as 'spirits' according to a being from the spirit world. I didn't have Jin She explain these though, because I didn't want the exchange to drag on too long (hahaha get it? Drag on? Dragon? I know, I'm lame...)

For readers unfamiliar with ATLA: the Avatar is known as the bridge between the mortal and spirit world due to being part spirit themselves. So the humans of the shinobi world are referred to as "friends of the spirits" not only because they used to respect and erect temples for the Biju, but because one of them became friends with the mortal representative (if you will) of the spirits.

Finally, changed sparrowgales to swallowgales because I had the birds mixed up in my head.