Hospitals were dour, morbid places. Crispy white, sterile, and filled with odd smells from chemicals used to keep everything sanitized. Groans and whimpers from the ill and wounded murmured through the walls. It made the cheerful cries emanating from one room all too strange, inappropriate even. Although, there was cause to celebrate.

"Take it easy!" Tsunade set her hands on her patient's shoulders and pushed down without her super strength. "You're still recovering." Her eyes widened when he hugged her, unintentionally burying his face in her breasts.

"Thank you, Lady Hokage!" Tears seeped from his eyes. "This means everything to me!"

She, raising an eyebrow, returned the hug and patted his back. "You might want to lay down to keep it then."

"I will!" Lee sobbed.

The door slammed open, revealing an anbu. "Lady Tsunade!" He fell to his knees as a sign of respect. "Shizune has returned with Genma Shiranui and Raido Namiashi, who have been horribly injured and are awaiting treatment!"

Pulling Lee away, she turned to the anbu. "I guess I am already here." She shrugged before walking out, the masked ninja making room for her. "Beats paperwork." Her eyes shifted to the girl waiting on the outside seat. "You stay until I come back."

"Yes, Lady Hokage," she said.

Lee, doing a hand stand, peeked out several seconds after they left. "Hinata Hyuga?" He blinked when she nodded. "What are you doing here?" He looked around. "Is Neji visiting?"

"No. I…may have gotten Naruto in trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

She winced. "...Ninja from the Sound Village approached him offering a place with Orochimaru." Pressing her fingers together, a lump grew in her throat. "Except he is planning on taking Naruto's body for his vast reserves of chakra." Her vision blurred. "I defeated him to stop him from going when I thought it was just a position bu–"

Touching the ground with his feet while still having his hands planted, he shot straight up. "You defeated Naruto?!"

"Uh…yes."

"Congratulations!" He clapped his hands together. "You have my envy to go with my respect!" His eyes widened. "Wait, did something else happen?"

"I let him go after we…" Blood rushed to her cheeks as she smiled in pride. "Joined as man and woman."

A solid minute went by before Lee's entire body went red. "I see!" He ran to the window of his room and threw it open. "I'll retrieve him this instant!"

"Wait!"

"Right!" He zoomed back to her. "Where is the Hidden Sound Village?!"

"The Land of Rice; how do you not know?" She blinked when he disappeared in a blur of green. "Oh no." Hanging her head, she whimpered. "I did it again."

Lee stored a bottle of what he mistook to be medicine into his pouch as he streaked through the village. "Hold on, Naruto!" Heartfelt tears emerged from his eyes. "I'm going to save you from yourself!"

One of the hospital staff stepped into his empty hospital room and looked around. "Where did Rock Lee go?"

"...To join the rest of his team," she half-lied.

"He shouldn't even be moving after such an invasive operation." Shaking his head, he walked down the hall. "I need to tell Lady Tsunade."

She stood up. "I'll do it!" Gulping, she looked down the hall. "...Where is she?"

"Likely with new arrivals." He led the way.

While it was unwise, the retrieval squad needed all the help it could get. Lee was more than willing to, even if he didn't understand the full situation. He was yearning for action and a chance to prove himself. Hinata winning against Naruto showed it was possible while Naruto winning against Neji did the same. This was something he couldn't let pass without taking part in.

Kimimaro and Naruto kept going without saying anything. Both could feel a tension growing between them. Orochimaru wanted Naruto's body, but they knew he wasn't the type to go along willingly. The latter was now deceiving the former. It was difficult to tell if he hated the Leaf so much he would risk everything for the chance to destroy it. Like all good lies, his unsaid one was based on truth.

Naruto frowned when they stopped in an open field. "Is this the place?"

"Actually, this as far as I go." Kimimaro pointed ahead with his makeshift weapon. "You are to wait at the Valley of the End."

"What's that?"

"A natural border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rice created by the last duel between Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha."

"What a melodramatic name."

"You've been quiet." Naruto blinked.

He stared, unconcerned. "I'm not one for small talk."

"...Are you planning on dying here?"

"No. It's best if I eliminate all pursuers. After I'm done, I will join you and Lord Orochimaru."

"Well…" His eyes widened at an influx of memories and fatigue. "That fucking douchebag!" Looking back, he scowled. "Fatass and Six Arms are dead." A growl built in his throat. "Neji… You too, Shino. Pieces of shit!"

"Go on ahead. I'll take care of them."

Naruto shot him a look. "What are you plotting? Setting up a camp anyone could track us by, taking it slow in the woods, leaving those jonin alive, and stopping here to mop up stragglers after leaving behind your uppity fodder? Either you or Orochimaru wanted someone after us."

"I could ask the same of you." One of his white brows raised ever so slightly.

"Got no idea what you're talking about."

"Whatever the case, Lord Orochimaru is more than capable of handling you."

"That so?" Naruto narrowed his eyes. "I don't see him here."

"Is this really what you want to do after coming so far?"

He shrugged. "We never did get to finish our fight." A grin spread across his face. "And I did almost kill you the first time, remember?"

"That trick won't work again. Right now, you're a third of what you're actually capable of. Defeating me isn't a possibility."

"Why don't we test that theory?" Holding out a hand, he concentrated chakra in the center of his palm.

Kimimaro did not move an inch when the Rasengan whirled to life. "If you were going to use that, you would've chosen a different range to better negate my close quarters advantage: I can easily slit your throat or stab your heart from this distance."

"You're no fun." The swirly-death-ball dissipated into nothing while he turned to the direction of the valley. "Guess I'll leave you to kill each other." A hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"I want you to take care of Jugo should I die here."

Looking back, he furrowed his brow. "The batshit crazy 'Sage' kid Anko-sensei found with Orochimaru?"

"That is Jugo, yes."

"And why should I do that?"

"Because I'm asking you as a man and an enemy you fought against. I hold nothing against you, whatever your true intentions. Lord Orochimaru's will is Lord Orochimaru's. He knows full well every plan you could ever devise. Jugo needs guidance. He's much like you: prone to nonsensical outbursts yet gentle at heart."

"Asshole." He patted his hand. "Fine, I'll watch out for your boyfriend but only because that Sage stuff interests me."

He took back his hand. "Good enough, I guess." Watching him sprint away, he hummed. "The best I could hope for, really."

"Retarded fucking lunatic." He shook his head as the wind flew by. "Why do I meet so many and end up liking them after everything?" The laughing in his head made him cluck his tongue.

"You're becoming one of them."

"After all of this, are you still not happy with me?"

"On the contrary, I am brimming with joy and excitement I have not felt since my earliest days."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Then why haven't you said anything?"

"Far too interested in watching this play out to commentate. The memories of our remaining halves can't come soon enough. I hope they kill at least one of them."

"I only really wanted Neji and Sasuke to die." He scowled. "Guess I can add Shino to that list."

"You have no idea how relieved I am that girl didn't change your mind. I was worried you'd go down the same path as Kushina. In a way, you have, but you're not letting that love become your world."

The greenery ahead blurred. "Love is what I am… I realize what they meant now." He laughed, happy and sad.

Kimimaro turned at a single figure emerging from the woods where all the fighting was. "If you've come for Naruto, I'm afraid he's already gone ahead."

"That's fine." Sasuke's hands went through seals. "I'll catch up with him."

"Go on then; I won't stop you." He gestured to the other side of the clearing.

Sasuke stopped on the bird sign. "...What?"

"You heard me." Dropping his sharpened ulna, he pointed with his fingers. "He's waiting for you at the Valley of the End. Isn't he your objective?"

"Just what exactly are you plotting?"

"If I was scheming, why would I tell you anything?"

He furrowed his brow. Of all members of the retrieval team, he was best suited to handling both Kimimaro and Naruto. The others couldn't fight the former like he could, and the latter wasn't any different. It was dangerous to leave an enemy like him be though. Something was going on behind the scenes. Naruto, according to the Hokage, took priority over everything else, even their lives. His allies had to make due without him. The Sharingan would safeguard him from any traps. Picking up his trail, he jumped to the side of his enemy before taking off after his teammate.

"That was far easier than I thought it would be." Kimimaro sat down and picked up his spike.

Orochimaru wanted both of them. Neither was developed enough for his taste, but he didn't have much of a choice. The rot in his body was becoming far too unbearable. While he saw Naruto's progression, he wasn't fortunate enough to see Sasuke's. It was all set for them to test each other. One killing the other was out of the question, to his knowledge. Everything he wanted was seemingly in reach.

A flash of green caught his eye and drew him to throw his bone. "Not so fast."

It slapped away the projectile, revealing itself to be a bowl-cut-haired young man in green spandex with a Leaf Village emblem on his belt. "You must be one of the Sound Ninja!" Pulling back a fist, he launched himself at him.

Kimimaro, recognizing the slightest unbalance in his form, waited until he was close enough. He jumped over the feint into a sweeping kick, narrowly leaned out of a recovery rocketing backwards elbow at his liver, and hopped back from an actual launching punch. The style was too straightforward. While extremely effective against opponents physically inferior, it lacked finesse.

"You remind me of Neji."

"I didn't see you with the rest of the squad sent to recover Naruto Uzumaki. That explains why you engaged me in Taijutsu."

"It is my one and only way of attack!" Lee planted a foot back in preparation for his next move.

He would've shaken his head if he cared. "Then you're already dead."

"Hold on!" Opening his pouch, he fished out the bottle he took from the hospital. "I must take my medicine."

"...Okay."

It was of no consequence to him. Taijutsu was something he was one of the world's best at. His kekkei genkai elevated it beyond the reach of anyone. Even if it were some kind of stimulant, there was none that could put him on his level. The differences between them were like night and day: he fought as hard and as stiff as a rock while he was fluid enough to make others doubt he had bones. There was no way he'd regret it.

Sakon was the strongest of the Sound Four, in theory. His abilities lacked proper counters, his body was extremely durable with the Cursed Mark amplifying it, and Taijutsu against him was usually a terrible move. Nearly all of those advantages were useless against his opponent: a Yamanaka riding in his brother's body. The assist he had was finally doing something to fulfill its role.

The Naruto clone slammed its Rasengan into him. "How's that?!"

Ino, broken out of her blood-lust by sheer surprise, gaped at her opponent spiraling back into the chasm wall. "…Good job." She patted its shoulder to set it off guard.

"Ino!" Kiba yelled, drawing a glance from her.

"What the fuck?!" Hand over a gruesome wound, Sakon struggled to pull himself out of the rock. "You hit me dumbass!"

"...Wait, what?"

The clone's eyes widened in mixed fake and real surprise at an influx of memories before it jumped away from Ino's grasp "Oh shit!"

Sakon snarled. "Worthless idiot! Just what do you think you–" A powerful gale sent him deeper into the wall and several others followed after.

"Idiot!? When the fuck are you fodder going to learn who's in charge here!?" It did not let up even the slightest.

Kiba raised an eyebrow at the not-so-friendly fire. "This is getting really confusing." Going after the clone would've drawn its attention, so he decided to stand by and watch.

"Yeah. It's not really fun anymore." Ino looked down at herself. "And this body is super gross. Think you can handle it if I go back?"

He scoffed. "You saw what that guy took!" A bark from Akamaru in his true form drew his attention. "No way. We'd be too low on chakra to do it again." Another bark made him wince. "You're right: that doesn't matter if we don't make it out of this alive." Ino's odd stare made him raise an eyebrow. "What?"

"Did you really understand any of that?"

"I'm an Inuzuka. Of course I did."

"Then what's the plan?"

"First, Akamaru needs to pee on you." The dog barked to affirm his words.

Ino blinked. "...Did you just do all of this to make your pet pee on me? Even if I am in a different body, that is so gross!"

"His name is Akamaru, and we need to do it if it's going to work."

"If what's going to work? You're being really vague about this."

"Do you want me to spoil the surprise? Because I assure you it's going to be fucking awesome."

"Fine." She sighed. "Do what you need to do, but if you tell anyone about this, I'll take control of your body and ruin your life."

"Unlike Naruto, I never betray my comrades." He nearly fell over when she slapped him. "Hey!" Looking to Akamaru, he pointed at her. "Do it!"

Ino groaned when the puppy lifted his leg. "Never thought this would happen when I became kunoichi." She whimpered as the yellow stream came out. "This is one of the worst days of my life."

"Don't be so dramatic." His face scrunched at the salty-smelling liquid emerging from her eyes. "Are you seriously crying?"

"Your dog is sullying me!"

"We're going to die if this doesn't work!"

The Naruto clone laughed as it hammered Sakon with another Gale Palm. "You guys are hilarious in a really pathetic way!"

"I didn't see your jutsu do much against him!" Kiba yelled.

"That's because I wasn't aiming at his head!" It focused on the growing impact crater in the ravine wall. "Have you learned your lesson yet?!"

"What the fuck is wrong with you!?" Sakon screamed.

Rolling its eyes, it blasted him back again. "I guess I need to make you watch your brother die!"

Ino blinked. "Okay, maybe Naruto is kind of an asshole." She nearly sighed in relief once Akamaru stopped.

"Told you!" Kiba crouched down for his dog to hop on to his back. "Lay down so he has no way to escape."

"In the pee?!"

"Now is not the time!"

She let herself fall back. "This is all you're getting from me!"

"Good enough." He closed his eyes and formed a reverse ram seal while her consciousness returned to her body, concentrating his chakra on combining their forms.

"What are y–" The Naruto clone turned and widened its eyes at a giant growling two-headed white wolf. "Holy shit!"

Ukon caught himself with his hands and feet before springing himself back. "Please!" He bit into his thumb.

Kiba and Akamaru drilled into him as his fingers shifted into the boar seal. They shifted course down, pinning him against the ground. From what they saw his brother endure, stopping was out of the question. Neither could until he was either dead or split in half. Rocks cracked and split under their sheer force. Their white fur was splattered with red. A long, agonized scream filled the air until they felt earth rather than flesh. They jumped back from their victim before returning to their normal forms spent and drenched in blood.

Ino's eyes looked as if they would pop from her skull. "What in the world was that?!"

"...Fucking hell, man!" The clone stopped to laugh at the twitching halves left behind. "You didn't know that during our fight, did you?! That was hardcore!"

"Ukon!" Sakon ran out of the ravine wall to his brother while it was distracted.

Kiba grit his teeth. "Now how the hell do we kill that one?"

He looked down at the normal face of his kin. "You're going to be alright." Shifting out of his second stage, he embraced his other half. "Just leave it to me, like always." Their bodies began to join again, saving Ukon from certain death.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me!"

"I'm going to kill you, you son of a bitch!" He charged out of the crater.

"Ino!"

"Out of range!" She yelled.

"Dammit!"

The Naruto clone shook its head as it brought its hands together. "Really should've gone for the head."

"Die!" Sakon's fist clunked against wood rather than flesh.

"What are you guys doing in this ravine?!" A vaguely familiar figure walked out from behind a rock. "Do you have any idea how confused I was when I heard a ruckus in a dark chasm?!"

Ino squinted at the figure. "Puppet Sand Guy?!"

"Kabuki Face?!" The Naruto clone's eyes widened. "Is Gaara here?!"

Kankuro twitched. "My name is Kankuro, and he went up ahead closer to the Land of Rice to stop you himself, but it looks like I'm the lucky one!"

"Stay out of this!" Sakon put his weight on a heel to pivot but the puppet held him with its arms.

"I'm under strict orders to assist in the Leaf's retrieval of Naruto Uzumaki, and you're in the way." He walked behind the two-headed young man and held out his arms. "How about a hug?"

"Oh, fuck you!"

"Rude." His body cracked away, revealing another odd-faced puppet.

Kiba raised an eyebrow at the odd display while Akamaru tilted his head. "I don't know what you're about to do, but that guy can take a lot of damage."

Kankuro emerged from the bandages behind it. "No worries; I've got this." With a flick of his fingers, the stomach of his second puppet opened.

"Are you just going to stand there and watch?" Ino asked in her normal body, turning to the Naruto clone.

It held its hands out. "If either of them couldn't beat one of you guys, what's the point of helping out?" Scoffing, it watched Sakon and Ukon be shoved inside. "Just another piece of shit that doesn't know his place."

"You slammed him with that swirly thing and kept blowing him back with wind."

"Even if I didn't, he wouldn't have gotten past you. Kiba could've taken care of him if you focused on me instead, but he might've reached the real you."

She raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you attack my body?" Blinking, she tilted her head. "Why aren't you attacking me right now?"

"Let me out!" Sakon yelled.

Kankuro made Karasu split apart and emit blades from its separated limbs. "Now why the hell would I do that?" Waving both his hands, he slotted the limbs into the small openings in Kuroari.

A pained scream filled the air for a few seconds before fading into silence. Blood oozed from the nooks and crannies of the larger puppet. It vaguely resembled a children's toy where the goal was to stick as many toy swords into a barrel until the figurine inside popped out except what came out was nothing but red. None of them could tell if he was dead though.

"Can you do that a few more times just in case?" Kiba asked.

"Sure." He brought the blades in and out three exact times, each more vicious and squelchier than the last.

Ino winced at the growing pool beneath the puppet. "...That was a bit much, don't you think?"

"You saw what that guy took!" Kiba kept his eyes on its stomach. "Don't even know if he's dead in there."

The Naruto clone squinted at them. "Did you all really forget about me for that trash?" It looked to Kankuro. "Why is Gaara trying to stop me?"

"He thinks you're making the wrong choice; said you'd understand what that meant." He maneuvered Karasu back in one piece.

It smiled sadly. "...Ironic."

"That's not the real Naruto," Kiba said, standing up.

"He's a Shadow Clone." Ino crossed her arms. "And I don't think he actually wants to fight us."

It formed the Shadow Clone Jutsu sign. "Right now, I'm a third of the main man's ability: taking you all on seriously would be like braining a bunch of retarded children." Their irritated faces made it laugh. "Thank you for understanding, Ino." With a puff of smoke, it returned to the original and joined with the last clone.

There was one more obstacle awaiting them.

Explosives could be a ninja's best friend or worst enemy. They were good for traps, getting rid of enemy clusters, and making someone a ninja really wanted dead so. On the other hand, faulty tags and balls could go off on their own or the wrong move could kill an ally. Kunai with tags tied to them could be caught and used against throwers, like one was against them.

Shikamaru drew his last explosive kunai and threw it above Tayuya's head enough that she wouldn't be able to reach it yet still be caught by the explosion. If she ran, Tenten could hit her with shuriken while staying would blow her upper body up. A lose-lose scenario but one was potentially the better trade-off.

"Dumbass!" Tayuya jumped, pulled it out, and threw it at Tenten.

His eyes widened. "Watch out!"

She knocked it back with a shuriken. "Please!" A grin spread across her face as it exploded by their enemy.

"Oh… That just leaves Naruto."

"Good luck with that." The clone darted from tree to tree to Tenten, avoiding every sharp tool. "Now, where were w–" Its eyes widened at Tayuya walking out from behind one.

She snarled at her. "Leave this fucking cunt to me."

It held an arm out between them. "I said I'd put a bitch in her place, and I meant it." It laughed at Tenten's defiant glare. "Neji soft…" An influx of memories made it snarl. "Fucking Neji!" Grabbing her arms, it pinned her to the figure in her tree. "How the hell could you stand a piece of shit like him?!" It scoffed when she looked away. "Really? You want to fuck him?" Her cheeks turning red drew it to roll its eyes. "Well, Neji's never gonna be the guy who does that."

"Oh! Didn't know you could." Tayuya chuckled and cracked her knuckles as she turned to Shikamaru's direction. "I'll leave you to your fun and work out some stress on that shithead."

"What?" It glanced at her walking away before focusing back on Tenten's blushing face. "Like I was…" Realization struck when it noticed the fear in her eyes. "...No! Fuck no!" Backing off, it shot her a look. "As if I'd ever do that, especially to a tit-less flatass like you!"

She twitched. "I am a perfectly attractive woman, you pervert!"

"Then you want me to?! What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

"Idiot! I didn't mean it like that!"

Shikamaru, behind a different tree from before, facepalmed at what had to be the stupidest conversation he ever heard. Neither he nor Tenten could fight either of their opponents directly, and they were closing the distance between them. It didn't seem like Naruto was actually interested in hurting them, but it wasn't as if his clones weren't putting up a fight. Winning was impossible at that point. They needed to retreat or hide until reinforcements arrived.

Tayuya clucked her tongue when she found no trace of him at his previous location. "Come on out, you fucking pussy!" She turned to where she dropped her flute. "Guess I'll just make your pansy ass scream again."

The clone stroke its chin at one of the main features that attracted Naruto to a woman. "I never actually noticed before, but you really do have tits."

"...Don't you dare." She gulped when it held out its hands and squeezed the air. "What about Hinata?"

It froze. "You're right." Shaking its head, it took its arms back. "Hers are bigger than yours too." A cry of frustration from her made it laugh.

"Just what the hell is wrong with you?!"

"A lot of things actually, not that you really care."

"Having a hard life and having problems doesn't justify anything you're doing!"

"When did I try to justify anything?" It took a hold of her face with a hand. "I'm doing all of this because I can, and it's what I want to." Furrowing its brow, it shot her a look. "Why are you even here? Because you were given a mission they needed to throw bodies at?" A sigh left its lips as she grit her teeth. "Just another tool."

Peeking out from his hiding place, Shikamaru saw Tayuya heading toward her instrument. He knew immediately she couldn't be allowed to retrieve it. His hand dug into his pouch and felt mostly emptiness, so he took shuriken from his holster. They wouldn't do any fatal damage, but it's not like he had much of a choice. A twist of his wrist sent them flying into her back.

"Oh, you tricky son of a bitch!" She ran behind the tree and grabbed her flute. "Let's see ho–" A blast of wind slammed her against the ground.

"What the!?" Shikamaru looked up and saw a completely unexpected yet familiar figure.

"Aren't you supposed to be smart?" Temari spared him a glance before swinging her fan again, driving her further into the dirt. "Didn't have it in you to blow up a girl again, huh?"

The Naruto clone turned away from Tenten. "Is that?" Laughing, it began walking towards the kunoichi. "Looks like all my bitches are here!" Its smile turned into a frown while she glared at him. "Where's Gaara?"

A vein on her forehead bulged. "He went up ahead, but it looks like I get to take out some anger on you!"

"Don't turn your attention away from her!" Shikamaru yelled. "Her Genjutsu is based on sound and will disable us instantly!" He charged at the clone. "I'll handle this!"

It scoffed before dodging a punch. "Come on." Spinning on its heel, it kicked out a foot. It grabbed his shoulder, kicked out his other, and pushed him to the ground. "I'm a third now rather than a fifth, and you couldn't even take me then."

Tayuya, seeing Temari distracted by Shikamaru's take down, put her lips to her flute only for a kunai to go through her left wrist. "Fucking cunt!" She struggled to her feet.

"Bite me, you pathetic excuse for a kunoichi!" Tenten yelled.

Shikamaru looked up at Temari. "Finish it!"

"Watch and learn, pervert!" She swung her fan a third and final time. "This is what real Wind Style looks like!"

A breathless gasp for air left Tayuya's lips as a blade of pure wind passed through her body, cutting into the ground in front of her. Sensation from her left shoulder to her right side was replaced by immense pain. Her eyes widened at a flood of coldness and the wild beating of her heart. Everything went black after a few more seconds.

The Naruto clone looked from her bottom half to her top, both returning to their normal appearance, and shook its head. "What a waste of good pussy." It rolled away from a cluster of shuriken before taking cover behind a tree.

"You are so lucky we have orders to turn you in alive!" She jumped down from her branch.

It scoffed. "I'm a clone!" One last stream of memory made it cluck its tongue. "The last one!" Groaning, it peeked out at Shikamaru. "Kimimaro could run through every single one of you at the same time like it's nothing!"

Temari smirked as she pulled back her fan. "If that's who's waiting up ahead, Gaara will make short work of him."

"He would last a minute at best!" It shook its head before it made the Shadow Clone Jutsu sign. "The main man isn't going to like this, and you're all going to fucking die if he decided to stay behind."

"Oh please!" She swung and cut through the tree, but it was already gone.

None of them were prepared for what was up ahead. Only one of the Narutos fought with the intention to kill and refrained from assisting. Power wasn't everything in a fight, but their opponent had it and plenty of skill to match. Unfortunately, their perfect counter to his abilities went after their objective without them. It was something they'd likely agree upon if asked yet come to regret.

AN: On time, hooray!

It is really weird how the Sand Siblings and Lee kind of showed up out of nowhere. The Sand is some ways to the Leaf so getting to the Land of Rice is different, which kind of explains it. Before that, Lee blitzes Kimimaro in a flash. Guess he's just super fast and really good at telling where people are headed.

Been waiting for this part of the story since I first started writing it out and plotting in my head. These are going to be some fun yet hard chapters to write. A lot to think about. My original outline is still in play somewhat. Everything just happened a little differently than planned since outlines don't reflect the little things in an actual story.

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of a review or PM.