Tsuchibokori no Biwa watched his student cautiously as she purposefully crammed noodles and meat into her mouth with the reluctance of someone who knew they needed to eat but didn't want to. Kasaiki had confessed to be experiencing a poor appetite despite her exertion, but she ate anyway to replenish her physical energy.

Imai had explained what she called her High Tide (why she chose that name, he couldn't fathom). By cycling out the chakra through her Keimon (Gate of View), she could trick her gate into thinking her body was in far more dire straits than it actually was, increasing the chakra production to a degree that could only be found in someone experiencing extreme exhaustion, assuming they had access to the nutrients required to facilitate the process.

His student had been doing this so long that Biwa bet her body had trained itself to create Yang chakra even faster than most. But that was only half the equation. Yin chakra was the other, but for some reason that was never a problem for Imai. Her mental energy seemed inexhaustible. She credited her uncanny meditation habits, which was believable enough for Biwa to accept at face value.

Until he learned that Imai Kasaiki's intent was so unusual that it turned her chakra silver. Intent was carried through Yin chakra, and Biwa had never seen anything remotely resembling his student's.

"I can hear you thinking, sensei," a weary voice said, barely intelligible around a mouthful of food.

"I hope you don't mean that literally," Biwa replied.

She snorted. "Was that a joke? Wow, you really must be worried about me."

It wasn't really a joke, but he'd let her believe it was. They were in uncharted territory now; as far as he was concerned, his student manifesting some outrageous chakra ability wasn't far out of the question.

"I'm fine. I just have an emotional hangover. Which I realize makes me a terrible ninja, but just…cut me some slack. Please."

"I didn't plan on reprimanding you," Biwa said. "Those shinobi rules only technically apply while you're on a mission. Any fool that tries to embody them at all hours of the day will find themselves unable to perform when stoicism is needed most."

Not everyone would agree with him. But no one would argue.

"That being said, we will embark on our mission soon," he warned. "I expect you to be composed when we do."

"Hai, sensei," she said, still digging unenthusiastically into her food.

Biwa sighed, realizing that he had to engage in the least savory part of being a sensei. It had to happen eventually, he supposed. He just wished her brother was still here to do it in his place. Asano-san had been summoned via messenger wasp, so he had no choice but to depart the moment he could confirm his sister's physical well-being.

"Do you…want to talk about it?" He asked, uncomfortably.

She shot him an amused grin. "Is that a serious question?"

"Yes." She hadn't given him a no. "What did you see?"

She looked up at the stone ceiling of the Ogre mess hall.

"I saw nothing. It was what I felt."

Her hand reached up, tracing imaginary lines over her shirt…no. They weren't imaginary. Biwa had seen enough diagrams to be able to recognize the major chakra coil routes.

"I lost myself in my chakra," she whispered. "I do that frequently, but this time was different. The currents swept me away, more violently than ever before. From here. To here. To here."

Imai traced the imaginary path her "waters" took her. Biwa never quite understood her metaphors until now.

"I began to drown," she murmured. "Truly. I couldn't breathe. My lungs filled with water. I felt like I was dying. I felt true hopelessness."

Biwa refrained from pointing out that she wasn't actually unable to breathe—in fact, she had been hyperventilating. But that was beside the point.

Her finger settled on a single point, right above her heart.

"This is where I died. And when I did, everything changed."

Nestled in the crook of the Aorta and the Pulmonary arteries and veins, Biwa knew, was the most crucial tenketsu in the human body. They called it the Shimon; the Gate of Death. Medical science considered it to be the simplest of the Gates, as its only purpose seemed to be maintaining functionality of the organ around it.

However, Biwa also knew that there were some accomplished scientists who believed it held more secrets than that. The claim was almost impossible to substantiate, however, because any experimentation led to the nearly immediate death of the subject.

"Everything changed," Biwa repeated. "You mean, everything about your chakra?"

"With my chakra, certainly," she said, implying that there was more to it than that. But she didn't elaborate, and though Biwa didn't trust his student's judgment in many respects, he knew she would tell him if he really needed to know. He would lay off, for now.

"It changed color, you know," he stated, and her eyes briefly snapped back to his.

"So that wasn't just my imagination," she mused. "Do you know what that means?"

"A change in color usually has something to do with chakra potency," Biwa revealed. "But silver chakra…I don't know. Tsuchikage-sama doesn't know either."

Biwa had sent a summons to his father, detailing the situation. Ōnoki had asked if he wanted to abandon the mission, and Biwa hadn't responded yet.

"I suppose we'll just have to wait and see," she said. "It still feels like my chakra. Just…more."

Secretly, Biwa was terrified to know what that meant, so he didn't ask.

"Are you okay to continue this mission?" he asked instead.

"Oh, yeah. Totally. It's a couple days to Rain, right? I'll be back to one-hundred percent by then."

"Good," he said. "My gut tells me we'll need you at peak performance."

She smiled devilishly. "My gut tells me I'm about to redefine what peak performance means."

With that ominous statement, Biwa decided he'd done his job as sensei, and left his little monster to eat in peace.

- - - { ワナビー } - - -

The trip to Amegakure felt long. Mainly because the scenery was so shit. It really should have been called the Land of Mud; it was mostly bereft of light vegetation, because even plants could be drowned. There was no shortage of rain, of course, though it wasn't constant (in a couple years, when Nagato took over, that would change). Not even a pinch of sunlight escaped the heavy cloud-cover, and the humidity was so extreme that it felt like we were suffocating.

I was used to extreme humidity from my past life, but this body was not. It clogged my throat, and my teammates weren't much better off. We never complained, and slowly we grew accustomed. But in the meantime, it sucked.

Somewhere along the way, Iwao and Daigo sidled up to me, taking position on either side. I eyed them curiously, but they didn't speak for the longest time.

"You know, if I'm going to snap, the last place you'd want to be is close to me," I joked.

"Are you going to snap?" Daigo asked.

I pretended to think about it.

"Nah," I decided. "Not today, at least."

"Then we'd appreciate any advanced warning you can give us."

"But for now…" Iwao joined in. "Sensei has said nothing to us. We wanted to make sure you were combat ready, and to know if each of us should take on any additional responsibilities if your efficacy was in any way compromised. We can revise our formations, if necessary."

Holy Moses. By Iwa shinobi standards, that was beyond sappy. I felt a warmth inside that had been vacant since Fugatoro, and it seemed to push out the deep-seated chill of the rain.

My teammates were acting like my brothers, in a way that I hadn't experienced since Before. Yes, I'm aware that I literally have a brother in Kazuhiro, but he was more like my dad. This uncharacteristic protectiveness wasn't something I'd felt since…Ian.

Such a comparison wouldn't have crossed my mind not so long ago. Or if it had, I would have, without realizing it, swiftly and purposefully repressed it until it was long forgotten.

Reconciling my two lives was probably the most difficult mental exercise I had ever experienced. And by the end of it, I had changed. People would soon know that I changed. I could see my future actions coming across as more erratic, as I've decided to embrace the standards and tennents I valued from my past life. Some of them would push me further away from the widely accepted shinobi ideal. Spontaneity, respect for all, mercy, a lust for chaos. Some people in this world might call them childish. I won't care.

Oh, and a love for my comrades. That won't be so controversial, but how I demonstrate it might be.

Quick as a flash, I grabbed my teammates by the waists and pulled them into a crushing hug. They yelped in surprise and protest, but my grip was unyielding.

"I should be good!" I chirped as they tried to push away from me and each other. "Thank you for your concern, though. You're the best teammates a girl could ask for."

Then, I finally released them, and skipped ahead to chatter inanely with Biwa-sensei. I was going to make him my Kakashi or die trying.

- - - { ワナビー } - - -

The village our client was holed up in was called Suiteki. It was a shitty place, with half of its buildings demolished. Those that remained looked brand new; likely because they were.

"Are we allowed to know more about our client?" I asked. "What secrets he stole, and why he thinks Konoha is out to get him?"

"What secrets? No. But I can tell you more about the man. Tadakuni Mizuno is a lumber merchant with connections to a skilled taskforce, specializing in construction. He provides the materials the company uses to build. In the wake of the Second War, he found opportunity in Ame, and secured contracts with many Nanushi on the outskirts of the nation."

Nanushi were kinda like Mayors. Officials that acted as the head of villages.

"They were desperate for relief that neither the Daimyo nor Amegakure could provide, so they hastily signed unfavorable contracts. Now, the urgency for Tadakuni-san's services has declined, but the Nanushi still must uphold their ends of the contract. They must rely on Tadakuni-san's company exclusively or face repercussions."

Oh, so he was a piece of shit. A profiteer with no moral compass. Of course Iwa would want to partner with this guy. What the fuck was wrong with us?

"How does a lumber merchant stumble upon state secrets?" Iwao asked. "Sorry, but that could be relevant to our mission."

"He didn't stumble upon them," Biwa-sensei revealed. "He sought them out, not knowing they were held by one of Konoha's private interest groups. Now, he realizes that Amegakure is not a safe place for him. He knows any ally of the Hidden Leaf, or any neutral, minor village, won't hesitate to turn him over. Due to the nature of his business, he cannot relocate to any of the other great five either, as their environments aren't conducive to maintaining his livelihood. The land of Earth isn't either, but he can at least source lumber from the far west. Therefore, we are his only choice."

And then we'd be privy to the secrets he stole. Icing on the cake.

Our rendezvous point was the merchant's personal home, which was easy to find since it was significantly larger and nicer than any building near it. There were Hidden Rain ninja stationed outside the gates as guards, all of whom looked supremely nervous as they gazed upon Biwa-sensei. Calmly, he showed them our team's documentation, and we were welcomed on the foyer.

"Thank the Kami," Tadakuni said the moment he laid eyes on us. He looked exactly like I'd expected; nice clothes on the outside, a slob of a man underneath them. A manager who sat back and let his underpaid workers do all the work for him while he reaped the rewards. He wore glasses and was balding. He was short, sniveling and pathetic. There was a covering over us, so I knew the droplets glistening on his forehead were sweat.

"We apologize for the delay," Biwa-sensei said. "Konoha is indeed interested in you, Tadakun-san. We had to chase some jonin away."

It was a bold-faced lie which would both excuse our tardiness and increase the client's faith in us. I couldn't find it in myself to feel bad, even as he clutched his metaphorical pearls and gasped.

"I knew it!" he breathed. "Thank you, thank you. Please, let us leave right away. Our caravan is waiting in the back."

It was at that moment we realized we weren't escorting a single merchant. We'd be protecting a decently-sized convoy. Six sizable horse-drawn carts with canopies to protect their contents from the rain. Riding in some were irreplaceable members of Tadakuni's staff, and the rest contained personal belongings.

"Did we know about this?" I asked Biwa-sensei.

He had a thinking face on; I assumed he was mentally reviewing the exact wording of the mission parameters, which he had doubtlessly memorized.

"It is implied otherwise, but not stated outright. He's probably trying to get a lower rate. But don't worry about it, this once. This is a special circumstance. And we'll get our due."

I supposed it made little difference, in the grand scheme of things. Our team was still overkill for guarding an entire caravan, just by virtue of having Biwa-sensei present. However, it did raise one single complication that changed the entire scope of the mission. For better and for worse.

We departed Suiteki easily, the Ame entourage leaving us as soon as we got on the open road. We traveled two days without stopping, each of us sleeping in shifts in one of the carts, until we reached a significantly more populated city, Chosuichi. It was walled, and there was a significant security force made up of both local enforcement and ninja.

Because it was walled and had much tighter security, we had to pass through to the main gate. It was a long wait, as there were entire convoys of other traders also in queue. Plus any other miscellaneous visitors to the city (apparently Chosuichi had a rather popular red light district). But no, Tadakuni-sama insisted we make a stop. He said a sizable portion of his business finances were kept in a bank there, and sending someone to pick them up at a later date was out of the question. He must have thought they'd take the money and run—I supposed I'd be worried about that too if I treated my employees like shit.

At least it wasn't raining, currently.

We waited for a whole hour, and had barely made it halfway through the line. That was when a group of three meandered to the end. I spied them out the corner of my eye, and though they were dressed as civilians, I recognized one of them immediately. I was so shocked that I paused mid sentence.

"What's wrong?" Daigo asked, following my gaze.

"I need to talk to sensei," I said immediately, and left without waiting for a response.

Biwa-sensei was perched in plain view atop the hardwood canopy of the lead caravan. His job was to be visible, and visible he was. There was no way my person of interest, or those he was with, missed him.

With a single leap I cleared the roof and sank into a crouch next to him.

"Ne, sensei," I began as he gave me the side-eye. "Hypothetically speaking, what would be the best course of action to take if there was a team of Konoha shinobi waiting in this line with us?"

"If that were the case," he drawled, not breaking our facsimile of eye-contact to survey our surroundings like someone less experienced would. Probably, he had already noticed. "And if this were an ordinary mission, the protocol would be to not engage. To give no indication that you noticed their presence, if they were trying to hide it. To tighten ranks and prepare for an ambush."

I knew that already, and he knew that I knew that. But that wasn't what I was asking, and he knew that too.

"But in the case of this mission, and its hidden parameters?" I prodded.

"Make a statement," he said. "I know you're good at that. Don't worry; even their hidden leader will be too cowed to retaliate with me here."

It was at that moment that I realized something. This situation had gotten far out of hand, and I was the only one who realized it. The Tsuchikage hadn't anticipated this; he thought his S-Rank son was scary enough to keep any opponent from acting rashly. Neither he nor Biwa himself anticipated that Konoha would send someone who couldn't be cowed by such a lofty title.

Biwa-sensei couldn't sense the hidden member; that wasn't necessarily a cause for alarm. There were plenty of specialists that could disguise themselves even from a veteran like him. Successfully launching a sneak attack on him was another matter; great ninja had a keen active chakra sense and reflexes to match. That's why almost no one seemed to get the jump on named ninja in the anime. Biwa-sensei had faith in his own abilities, and I should too.

But I had context. I knew exactly why this mystery enemy was so elusive. I knew a lot about them, really. However, I couldn't possibly explain my foreknowledge. And at this point, it wouldn't really make a difference if I did. The wheels were already in motion. There was nothing I, or even Biwa-sensei, could do to stop them.

Plus, if I'm being honest, I didn't really want to. I had spent so much time worrying over this exact thing happening, but that was the worry of the Imai Kasaiki who had rejected her past life's experiences. The one who's sense of wonder for this life had been blown out of her at the tender age of four.

After my accident, and my following conversation with Yoshiro-sensei, I had resolved to treat my new life more seriously. To stop thinking about chakra as this amazing, magical substance, and more like a common tool. I hadn't fully succeeded on a subconscious level, but to an extent I had turned something so incredible into something mundane.

In many ways, the growth I made during that time of my life was good. The outlook was productive for my life and training as a ninja, and I still found it applicable in most respects. But treating this life seriously and finding awe in the fantastical elements of this world weren't mutually exclusive. And right now, I was certainly feeling a great deal of awe.

I couldn't stop these wheels. So, what could I do?

Despite everything, I began to grin. There was a simple answer, and it even fulfilled the Tsuchikage's objective.

What I had already resolved to do. Embrace chaos. Have fun.

If I was going to go out, then this time I'd go out with a bang.

I leapt off the roof of the caravan, stalking towards my target. When the crowd became too thick, I let out the barest wisps of my killing intent, and civilians scrambled out of my path. Ame ninja both felt and heard the disturbance, and almost moved to stop me. But Biwa-sensei's presence stilled their hands.

"Imai, what the hell?" Iwao growled to me. "What are you doing?"

I ignored him.

"You're making a scene," Daigo pointed out, and to him I spared a disdainful, raised eyebrow. His eyes flashed in understanding when he realized: that was exactly the point. He grabbed Iwao by the arm, and I left them paces behind.

"Oy, oy, Konoha-san," I said, the true giddiness in my voice stained malicious from my intent. "Why are you dressed like a civilian? You're not trying to sneak into Chosuichi, are you? Ame is neutral ground! That's against the law."

The boy stumbled back, behaving just like those around, doubtlessly hoping I wasn't speaking to him. But my eyes were fixed. He kept backing away in apparent terror as I crossed well into his personal space. Until he could retreat no more, trapped between me and a carriage.

"Well, Ko-no-ha-san?" I sang, physically grabbing him by the face as he tried to look away. He struggled feebly, but I forced eye contact. Our faces were close enough for us to kiss, but even though he looked rather girly, he still wasn't my type.

"I'm…not…from Konoha," he simpered, the words coming out garbled as I was squeezing his cheeks too tightly.

"Don't lie," I hissed.

"I'm not!"

Not letting go of his face, I pushed him back with force, and he made a noise of protest as his back hit the spokes of a wheel.

"Ichiro-kun!" the girl with him protested, but I ignored her, and the brown-haired boy next to them both with his hands balled tightly into fists.

"Stop making this so difficult," I crooned. "I already know who you are. Just admit it. No?"

Before, everyone had just felt a shadow of my intent. Now I raised it several notches, and the air was filled with the sound of wheezing breaths. I summoned a kunai from my inventory, squeezing tighter to make him pucker his lips and fit the kunai between them. Like I was gonna put a smile on his face, Joker style.

"Imai, stop!" Iwao said strongly, and if circumstances were different, I might have felt proud of him. "He's just a kid."

"He's no more of a kid than I am," I retorted glibly, my eyes never straying from his, which were a shocking shade of blue. I put the slightest bit of pressure outwards, drawing beads of blood from the corner of his mouth. He was frozen, not daring to speak.

"Sensei isn't stopping her, so you shouldn't either," I heard Daigo whisper to Iwao behind me.

"Maybe if I make your mouth wider you'll have an easier time talking," I declared sinisterly, knowing someone would intervene before my bluff was called.

"Don't hurt my cousin!" the brown-haired boy demanded. He wasn't as good an actor as his teammates.

"How's a civilian going to stop me," I snarked back, raising a challenging eyebrow. He grinded his teeth but said nothing. "That's what I thought."

My forearm was close enough to my target's neck that I could feel his pulse. It wasn't racing as fast as it should.

"No objections?" I asked him, to no reply. "Very well then."

I tensed my muscles, but before I could slice, someone grabbed my arm. I strained lightly, but their grip was unyielding. Looking over my shoulder, I was completely unsurprised to see a great mane of white hair.

"Easy, Iwa-chan," he rumbled, something dark behind his eyes. "There's no need for that."

I laughed in his face, but stepped back all the same. He let me, and in a split second, Biwa-sensei was at my side.

"See?" I told him. "I told you so."

My eyes never left the duo before me, who I had only ever seen animated. But there was no mistaking that yellow hair, or that red face paint.

"That you did," he said, neutrally. "But I can't say I expected to run across one of the Densetsu no Sannin in Ame."

"And neither did I expect to come across Tsuchibokori no Biwa," he replied, but I couldn't focus on their dick swinging. Not with this kid in front of me.

His lip no longer quivered in fright, and his eyes no longer held anything beyond wariness. Namikaze Minato stared me down, and I would not look away.

- - - { ワナビー } - - -

AN: Hey guys. Life kinda sucker punched me this week, and I wrote this chapter basically in one sitting last night. I wouldn't be able to post today if not for my awesome betas helping me with the quick turn-around.

I was planning on releasing this next chapter in a week and a half. I'm sure you can guess why. Its going to be a beast; predicting at least twice the size of a normal chapter. But now, I don't even have time to start it right away. It might be closer to two weeks at this point. I don't want to rush this one; this upcoming scene was one of the driving forces behind me wanting to write this fic at all. So I really need to do it justice.

Sorry to end this chapter on such a hype note and follow that up with an update delay. Trust me, I would love nothing more than to hop right into it. Alas, I have other obligations. I hope it will be worth the wait.

I don't have a Ptrn. If you've gotten just five bucks of enjoyment out of this story, please consider buying my original work on amazon (information in my bio). Between the two sites this fic is posted on, I have nearly 2200 readers. If even half of you choose to support me in this fashion, I would have considerable bargaining power when it comes to getting future books published. More publishing deals means I can quit my day job, which translates into more time for fanfiction. It's a one time thing, and you even get more of my writing out of it.

Thank you!