A/N. In advance? I'm not sorry.

A small village. From my position hidden between roofs, I counted twenty-three houses, an inn, a storehouse, and a communal building. Couldn't be more than 300 people living here, yet all of them avoided one particular house. No chakra signatures to be found even fifty meters close to it. Like they were all avoiding it. Tsunade's smell was coming from that house, but there was another smell coming from that house I was getting more and more familiar with.

Yaketsuku.

I looked up. The middle of the day. By my estimation, not even 2 o' clock yet. Weird time for clandestine operations.

Slowly, I reached into my pack and took out a chakra pill. Biting into it, I could feel my system protesting the forced chakra generation.

I was going to feel this tomorrow, and my chakra control would suffer again, but it's better than nothing.

I'm not going to be able to use any medical ninjutsu, and any Demonic Illusions more complicated than Hell Viewing are also out. Karura's Gaze? No idea yet.

That still left me with ninjutsu, taijutsu, and my regular Bestial Illusions.

My fingers involuntarily twitched.

"What are you doing here, Inuzuka?" Tsunade's voice came from behind me.

That didn't shock me. It didn't! "I could ask you the same question." I turned around.

"Were you following me this whole time? Disobeying direct orders?" She raised an eyebrow at me.

She was outfitted in her jounin vest, like she had done every day so far. Despite deliberately avoiding combat, or healing. Her hitai-ate fitted loosely around her neck, like Hinata did in the show. Just not as tight. Like an afterthought. Her coat was still on. The same green coat she always wears. All of it told a story.

The jounin vest is a statement, as far as I'm concerned. She didn't wear it at all until this mission. In the show, she doesn't wear any uniform whatsoever after the Second War, besides the Hat.

Despite not fighting, she's ready to fight. But why?

"Why are you here?"

"Are you done psychoanalyzing me now?" She crossed her arms. "What are you doing here, Inuzuka? What happened to the mission? Give me a status report."

I suppressed the urge to click my tongue. "We arrived at the Outomo clan grounds, but they had already left. They took everyone. Women, elderly, children. We found them about a dozen kilometers north of here, guarded by two Cloud ninja. I made an executive decision in the field to proceed with the arrest."

"Orochimaru specifically told you to avoid shinobi combat."

My jaw set. "He said to avoid them. He didn't say we couldn't fight them."

"That's a technicality at best."

"We completed the mission. I have two body scrolls and the blood of seventy eight people on my hands." I extended my right hand. It was still red, although whether that was from the scrubbing or the blood I couldn't tell you. "Would you like to shake it?"

She blinked, deliberately. "Stop the Yamanaka bullshit, Inuzuka. It doesn't fit you." She slapped my hand away. "You killed everyone? By yourself?"

I shook my head. "We collectively took care of the Cloud ninja. Neither of them were jounin. Both Hayama and Aimi were injured, but both are stable. Aimi has a healing factor, so she'll be fine. Hayama is currently being transported to Konoha hospital as we speak, along with the rest of my squad. While they were moving, I stayed behind to take care of the civilians."

She was silent for a bit. "...I see. And you just happened upon the roof of a random village right after?" A faux-smile.

"I smelled you. I also smelled Yaketsuku. Are you going to try and confront him?"

She frowned. "I don't have to tell you anything, brat. Go home." She made to walk away.

"Is he connected? To everything?" Tsunade paused.

"That's none of your fucking business, brat! Now go away!"

Earlier she hesitated, when I put out my hand. I listened, and her heart rate sped up. Despite the coat, despite her investigations. Just me telling her about blood was enough to cause a reaction. "..You can't fight as you are. Why are you here alone?"

"I can fight just fine. I don't need a rookie genin's help on an investigation."

Fucking hell. "You didn't even know what you were even looking into until I told you! Let me help!"

"Absolutely not!"

"I helped you before! You said you would come back to me when you're ready!"

She swung her arms in the air. "I fucking lied, kid! I don't want you to have anything to do with this!"

"Why are you chasing after them? What do they have to do with you?"

"It doesn't matter! This is too dangerous for you! You think just because you survived against a few Cloud-nin that—"

Speak of the devil. "Five different chakra signatures entered the house. At least two of them are jounin." Yaketsuku is meeting up with Cloud? For what?

"What? Your chakra sense is that good?" She was looking at me appraisingly now.

"They're not hiding, like you were. They announced their presence. Was this a planned meeting?" I asked.

She took a second to consider. "What's your auditory range? From how far can you hear conversations?"

"Last I checked? Two hundred meters. The village is rather quiet, but I'd have to focus in pretty hard still."

"Good. Guess you're part of the mission after all." She made a follow-me gesture. "Keep your chakra suppressed. You know how to do that, right?"

I nodded. "You want me to listen in on the meeting?"

"And tell me everything. Don't leave a single detail out."

We jumped off the roof and onto another one, closer to the source this time.

I sat down and turned my back to the building, hiding my body from view. Closing my eyes, I brought chakra to my ears.

Same focusing technique as when I used it for watch earlier. This time, though, I had to localize it. Cut through the noise.

The clink of a hammer from the blacksmith's shop. Two women sharing gossip on the street. A child getting chewed out by their father. A dog barking in the distance. The people's steps, their scrapes, their grabbing and pulling. Everything humans did made noise.

All of it had to be filtered out.

And so I did.

"I'm ready."

"Recite it all directly as you heard it. Don't leave a single detail out." Tsunade whispered. Clearly, she had experience with Inuzuka ninja.

"Alright."

3rd P.O.V.

"..And you didn't do anything to stop them?" The first jounin asked. Yaketsuku had forgotten his name. It was the first time he had seen him outfitted in jounin slacks, or anything besides casual civilian garbs. Usually they only met clandestinely, with no conversation between them besides the occasional intel swap. Cloud kept to themselves, mostly. And it was his job to keep it that way.

Considering his partner's new attire, and the three extra men he had brought with him, he had obviously failed.

"I did what I could. No one could have accounted for a few genin on their first mission blowing the whole operation in a week." Yaketsuku responded.

And by all rights, it was impossible. Tsunade didn't help them, and Yaketsuku made sure Orochimaru was kept busy. The fact that they managed not to kill themselves on the first day was a miracle to him. Something else was going on, and Yaketsuku was determined to get to the bottom of it.

"Well, maybe you should have." The second jounin said. This one he doesn't know. "We paid handsomely for those mines, and now all that investment is gone."

"So you'll take it by force instead? Ignoring our years-long arrangement?"

"Our arrangement was null and void the moment you let the yakuza clan die." The first jounin responded.

The other three chuunin in the back's chakra spiked, in anticipation of violence. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily for them, their hopes would be dashed.

"Invading the Land of Hot Water outright will mean war with the Leaf. Are you sure you can afford that?" Yaketsuku asked, pushing his glasses up.

The second jounin smirked. "Oh we're completely sure. You've kept us out of our slice of the pie for too long, treefucker!"

"I was afraid of that answer. I think this meeting is adjourned." Yaketsuku's chakra flickered, then vanished in a poof of white smoke.

"Shit! A shadow clone! This place is a tra—"

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!*

Arata P.O.V.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!*

"AH! FUCK!" I shouted. I couldn't hear my own shout.

My ears! My fucking ears! My head is splitting! My vision is dark! I can't see! I can't hear!

So. Much. Pain.

"..ta are you…ay?"

Make it stop! Make it stop!

"..just…"

PLEASE! Make it stop!

"can't….make me…"

"Please…."

Am I standing? Sitting? Falling? I can't tell. Where am I? What is time I—

Both hands on my ears. Cool, shaking. Liquid in between.

I gained my sight first. Tsunade was inches from my face, terrified.

Next, my voice came back. "Wha.."

"Oh thank Kami." She exhaled. I can hear!

"You.. healed me."

"I…did." She looked just as perplexed as I felt. "Look kid, we have to get out of here. No doubt Yaketsuku heard your screams." She violently brushed her hands off on my clothes. There was blood on them. My blood.

"Yes. Yes I did."

And there he was, on the roof next to us, watching with arms crossed.

I hastily stood up from where I was crouched. "You were dealing with Cloud. Why?" I asked.

"It is my mission. I was ordered to."

"You have a mission separate from ours?" There's no way he's not Root. The evidence is all over.

"I don't answer to you, Inuzuka."

"No, but you do answer to me." Tsunade responded. She had somewhat collected herself now, but she was still shaking.

"On this mission, I hold the highest ranking in our chain of command."

"You and I both know Orochimaru has the highest, and we just overheard you admitting to misdirecting him. To foreign aggressors, no less." Tsunade grew more and more confident the more she spoke. "So it's time we get some answers, or we'll assume you're a turncoat and just get rid of you."

"I killed those Cloud ninja. Therefore, I admitted nothing."

"By blowing up almost half the village?" What?

I looked over and indeed. How had I not noticed so far?

There was a fire raging through the village, starting from where the blast originated. The warehouse was little more than a giant collection of black smoke and tar now. The civilians were doing their best to put out the fire, but with little luck.

Should I.. help them? Is Yaketsuku going to stop me?

"They are of no consequence. Soon, this place will be a stronghold for enemy Cloud ninja pouring into Hot Water. I just made that a little less convenient." Wow.

"Civilian lives mean that little to you?" I accused.

"They are not of the Land of Fire. I have no responsibility to them." He responded calmly. Unbelievable.

"It also means you won't stop me helping them either, correct?" Tsunade asked. She turned sideways, away from Yaketsuku and slowly went through hand signs.

"Water Release: Water Colliding Wave." Her belly inflated comically, before spewing out an enormous amount of water, way more than her body could hold, directly onto the village. It washed away all of the fire, including taking a few people with it. The water wasn't moving very fast, so they would be fine, but it was still worrying.

"What are you doing here, Tsunade? Just here to accuse me of treason as a pastime?"

"I'm here for answers. And I know you're able to give them." She faced him again. "You said you've had a deal with these Cloud ninja for years. Why?"

"That information is irrelevant to your mission."

"The mission you know about. I happen to have a second one. Straight from sensei." She held up a scroll she fished from one of her pockets and held it out to Yaketsuku. "That stamp authorizes a hell of a lot. Including getting rid of anything I deem to be a threat to my mission objective, so I'd suggest you start talking."

Yaketsuku's brow furrowed. "I have nothing of import to say."

"Yes you do. Why were you in kahoots with Cloud ninja, and does the Tower know about it? Clearly they didn't, considering they authorized the cover mission for my investigation under the guise of protecting our assets here."

Yes. Orochimaru wouldn't have deemed the mines crucial to defend if he knew we had a deal with Cloud, right? Never mind that dealing with what's essentially an enemy village with our own strategic resources is already way too out there of an idea.

"Not everyone is informed on our goings on with foreign powers. Not everyone needs to know. The best spy work is done with as little eyes and ears on our case as possible."

"Really? How do you explain directly going against our interests in Hot Springs then? The only way that's possible is if one, there's been a giant mistake, or two, there's another one within Konoha pulling the strings."

Yaketsuku's chakra sharpened. "How much do you know?"

"Enough to want more answers."

"Ask the Hokage."

"Strangely, I think he'd want to ask you instead. Do you want me to take you to him?" Tsunade's chakra sharpened too. They were going to fight? Here? Now?

"You don't know what you're doing. I'd suggest quitting while you're ahead."

"Be my guest."

They clashed. Too fast for my eyes to follow, they became blurs and a burst of chakra and force almost knocked me off the roof.

"A wind explosion is not enough to keep my fists away, Yaketsuku." Tsunade, now on the opposite side of the roof, said.

Yaketsuku sneered, less than a few feet from me. "And it wasn't the goal either way. After all, wind cuts." He showed his left arm, now bleeding freely from a large gash. "I know I can't win against a Sannin. But I don't have to."

Tsunade started shaking. That's not good. "I'll.. How do you know—"

"About your hemophobia? I have eyes and ears everywhere in this country. At least, I used to. Until this kid messed it up." He looked at me harshly.

Shit!

Four Legs turned up to eleven, I Shunshined out of there as fast as I could. And not a second too late, as half the roof was gone from a wind blast the moment I left it. I landed next to Tsunade.

"No hand signs?! How?!"

"Cha—chakra traps." She said, her voice still trembling.

I looked. There was a small inscription on the roof where I was just standing. Fuinjutsu?

"Give up, Tsunade. You're too big of an asset to the village to lose. I will have Chuugo wipe your memory and send you back to Konoha, and none of this will be necessary."

"And the kid?"

"I imagine… others… will have more interest in his termination."

My senses went haywire, all the hairs on my neck standing up. Before I could react, Tsunade grabbed me by the collar and threw me away.

Another wind blast knocked us both from our position, much stronger than the last time.

I landed roughly between alleyways, the walls of the buildings scraping against my skin as I was forced against them. I was away and out of sight. That was likely her goal.

I could still hear the fight going on above me.

"I'm not going to—going to give up. I'll fight you. I have no other choice." Tsunade muttered, more like she was speaking to herself.

Yaketsuku heard it, still. "You won't last long." By the sounds of his hands moving, I could tell he was bothering to use hand signs this time.

Tsunade followed up right after. Clashes of fire and water bathed the village into a hot and thick layer of steam. I could hear the villagers screaming.

Great. What now?

I turned off Four Legs and hid my chakra.

Think, Arata. Think!

Tsunade wants to fight, not run. Normally, a jounin against a Sannin is a no brainer. But I saw the way she shook. She's not thinking straight. And she's barely attacked so far. The momentum has been with Yaketsuku from the start.

It's not inconceivable that she would lose.

Should I cut my losses and run? Maybe get Orochimaru's help? I'm no use to her here. I wasn't fast enough to keep up with them just now, and I'm not strong enough to take on a jounin.

No. Fuck that.

Every single time on this mission so far. Every single time I've fought, I've had to be rescued. Even this time, I was just a burden. In the way. A nuisance.

Well I don't accept that. We're going to get every scrap of information we can out of Yaketsuku. Because that's what this mission is really all about.

Without Yaketsuku, I won't get the information I need to get to Danzou.

Without Tsunade, I won't get the leverage I need to get to the Hat.

Both are absolutely crucial to making sure none of the events that happen after the war will happen.

And so what if I can't fight him? I don't need to. I just have to run support. Throw a wrench in his plans, like he said. I messed up his plans. That was me. Not anyone else.

I think it's high time to field test this new genjutsu. But first..

I went through hand signs. This better hold, because I don't have enough control for the Chameleon Cloak. "Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique."

Slowly but surely, my image vanished from the alleyway, replaced by the murky residue of steam in the area.

Up above, I could hear them clashing again. I had to wait until I had both of them primed in just the right spot.

Another clash, and a building exploded. I prayed that there was no one in there. Already, more than one civilian was going to end up on a casualty list today.

First, I had to stop Yaketsuku in his tracks. Anxiety's Jaw doesn't have enough punch to stop a jounin, so I have to go bigger.

But, Tsunade also has to take the step and attack him. The only way I can make her do that is by Emblematic Pride. I've never cast it on an ally before, but needs must.

Somehow, I had to cast two genjutsu in very quick succession to another, high on a chakra pill absolutely eating through my control.

At least I'm not lacking for a challenge.

I waited until they were directly above me to activate it.

Bird.

Dragon.

Monkey.

Tiger.

"Bestial Illusion: Karura's Gaze."

All the hate I festered, all the resentment for Yaketsuku, I channeled. Then amplified. Then fed, and fed and forced it out of me.

How fucking dare he hurt my Ayame! Fuck up my mission! Hurt my sensei! Assault my fucking ears! And worst of all, stand in my FUCKING WAY!

Soon, steam wasn't the only thing cloying the air.

Dark, awful, disgusting mist, filled with hatred and malice and bloodlust made its presence known. Coagulating, gushing up and up like a blood fountain boiling itself off.

And it caught.

Both Tsunade and Yaketsuku froze in place, powerless. I could tell they were both actively trying to free themselves, to no avail. Why?

Because I pushed more and more chakra into the mist. It drained me like not even the Four Legs could, but it held them. Right up until I made my way over to Tsunade's side. Slowly, so as not to disrupt the technique. I had to be careful.

Can I control the mist too? I tried, struggled. It felt like pawing at a laser, but somehow the mist moved over to Yaketsuku's side, releasing Tsunade from its hold. She dropped onto the hard tile roof like a sack of potatoes.

"Please…" I said, through gritted teeth. "Get him."

Tsunade was hyperventilating. Her eyes clouded over, not seeing three feet ahead of her.

What did the mist show her?

"I.. can't strike him… while gazing…. It's consuming… too much chakra…" How did I think I could cast Emblematic Pride in this state!? This is why we don't field test new techniques in live combat!

"Ah… AH!" She tried speaking, but nothing came out.

"Tsunade! Please…" Is she even conscious still?

"So… much... blood..."

"I need you to help me out here! I'm going to die otherwise!" Yaketsuku's Root. In actuality. And I've never known them to play around.

"Please, if not for me, then for Dan! Do it for Dan! That's why you're here right?!" I'm running out of chakra! Hurry up!

Tsunade stopped. Her breathing calmed. Then started back up again, even worse.

"Shit, no! Tsunade, please I'm begging you! Don't leave me alone here!"

She wasn't getting up! Her breathing was getting worse. Her heart rate was through the roof. She's going into cardiac arrest at this rate!

"I couldn't…ha.. save!…. him….ha…"

"Breathe! Fight! Do something! Please don't leave me to die!" This was a mistake! On so many levels! The moment Yaketsuku gets out of there is the moment I die!

"Save me!"

The jutsu shattered. The mist dispersed almost as soon as I stopped feeding it chakra. A giant wave of chakra, so strong I felt it physically coming out of him swept the residue away.

Yaketsuku was clutching his head, his face entirely wet from tears streaming out of his ducts like a faucet. He had scratch marks on his cheeks, from his nails tearing through skin. "What.. the hell… was that…"

Killing Intent stabbed me like a knife.

"Tsunade!" I shouted. Pleaded.

"Never again." Yaketsuku mumbled. "Never again!"

He rushed me.

"TSUNADE!"

I woke up with a parched throat and a hurting stomach. On the floor, somewhere in the forest. I recognized the forest.

It was right outside the village we just tore apart.

"You're awake." I heard a female voice say. I tried to sit up, but ten thousand sudden aches all across my body made me reconsider. "Chakra exhaustion. After a chakra pill."

Yeah, that was Tsunade's voice, wasn't it? "We won?"

"More than that. I got the information." She came over and propped me up against a tree, putting a glowing hand on my forehead. I felt some of the aches vanish.

From a chakra pill? She really is a miracle worker.

"You saved me."

"I did." She paused, still crouched in front of me. "After you made me relive my worst nightmares."

"I'm sorry." It wasn't really my intent to get Tsunade caught up in the jutsu, but it's an AOE attack. I didn't know how to direct it. I'll have to fix that. "It was my mistake."

"That it was." I could hear birds chirping in the background. Strangely enough, no noise from the civilians. We weren't that far out, were we?

"Yet you still saved me."

"...Somehow I did."

"What changed?" Loaded question.

"I don't know. I just.. I just didn't want to fail again. When I thought that, coming to your rescue was just easy. Automatic." And she answered it?

"What made me pass out then?" I can't have passed out from fear… right?

"Oh he struck you. Perforated your stomach lining. Wasn't pretty." She said casually. Like I didn't almost just pass through the veil. Again.

"You.. healed me?" I asked, incredulous.

She looked down. "I.. did."

There is…. So much to unpack there. For now though, "Thank you. Really." I hugged her with what little strength I had.

"Yeah, whatever kid. Just don't do something so reckless again." She waved me off, but I could hear the small jump in her heart rate.

"No promises." I smirked. "How did you get the info?"

"See for yourself."

I looked past her. Yaketsuku sat leaned against the tree opposing me, much worse for wear. Both of his kneecaps and elbows were pulverized, from hard but surgically precise blunt force trauma. He's not going to be able to go anywhere. He was drooling from his lips, and his face pale, eyes vacant.

"I messed with his brain some, made him more suggestable. He spilled what I needed." That's… terrifying. And I'm going to ask more about that when the time's right.

"He didn't have the seal?" Danzou didn't leash him? Why not?

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "What seal?"

"On his tongue?" She gave me a quizzical look. "Clearly you don't know everything then."

"No, but you're about to tell me, aren't you?"

"That I a—"

Blood spilled behind her. Knife in his neck.

Tsunade's eyes widened, and she went still.

As she collapsed to the side, a white wisp of a girl removed her Juuken enhanced hand from her back.

"No you won't."

Her Byakugan was staring holes into my soul. "Aimi?!"

"Arata."