Hello again! I am unfortunately, still unemployed. The plus side to that is that I had more time to work on this fic.

I promised myself I wouldn't bitch about getting less reviews, but after last chapter's sharp drop, I couldn't help asking myself: maybe I shouldn't have type-screamed Obama 08? Hey, I understand that not everyone here would agree with me, I tried to make it funny, and I just tried to communicate what gave me the energy to finish up last chapter (since it was the truth). If that's the case, it was not meant to offend anyone or say "IN YOUR FACE!!" So can I receive more than 10 reviews now?

Alright, time to respond to the reviews I did get:

I am a Fun-nin: That was pretty much the point: Naruto WASN'T thinking clearly, and sometimes people in high positions make dumb decisions.

Serika2001: Glad I could make you feel for the characters. And things are about to get worse.

Cecixx19: Just Tsunade so far. It will be dealt with soon enough

Spazzgirl: Uh, no, he's not used to it, he's just DEALING with it. And Midoriiro, for the record, is fine under medication…oh, who am I kidding?

Mrfipp: I think I've seen that game: I think it's where some moron pours gasoline on a random object, lights it on fire and makes no attempt to run, and hopes to make a spot on Most Outrageous Videos? And you don't know HOW hideous Tobi is in this fic. Deidara's tongues, well, I figured they had to be good for something else. Naruto is in quite a shithole now.

Believeit6: I hope this wasn't too long. As for their states of mind, when you're going under some kind of emotional stress, it can lead to you doing dumb things.

Disclaimer: I wrote to Santa asking for the rights to Naruto…kind of doubtful I'll get that, considering I ran over someone with my car…in WalMart…

Shiguri mumbled incoherently in his sleep, tossing and turning wildly. Suddenly, he shot up, and quickly doubled over in pain.

"Careful. You shouldn't be moving."

Shiguri turned around, and saw his sensei with his back turned, next to a fire. Looking around, Shiguri realized they were in a cave; a smart move, considering that lighting fires in the battlefield can get you spotted easily. "You saved me. I suppose that means you kicked those Akatsuki guys' asses, right!?" Shiguri screamed excitedly.

Naruto took a long time to respond. Without giving Shiguri any eye contact, he mumbled "In terms of a physical battle anyway."

Shiguri realized something was not right. Looking around frantically, he noticed his comrades weren't with him. "Wait! Where's Yuji and Iori!?"

Naruto turned around, and despite the poor lighting, Shiguri could see Naruto's eyes were red, not from Kyuubi but from crying. "Shiguri, I'm so sorry. I'm so very sorry."

Shiguri's eyes widened in disbelief. "No." he whispered. "NO!! How could you!? You said you would protect us, right!? Why didn't you use your bushins to come get us all!!? Instead, you came only for me!! And why, I don't know; I wasn't exactly your favorite student, and despite all of this I am the furthest thing from grateful!! What kept you there that prevented you from coming after us!?" Shiguri started crying himself. "I guess whatever vendetta you have against those guys was more important to you than we were."

Shiguri seemed to have finally calmed down, but the rage inside him never died. In disgust, Shiguri pulled his makeshift cover over his body, and turned away. Naruto stared back at the fire, and silently agreed with everything he said.

Tsunade looked outside the balcony, silently praying for all of her ninja to be alright. A slow, deliberate movement to her side distracted her and caught her eye.

"For you, Hokage-sama." Gaara stood to the side of her, offering her a cup of tea. He held one for himself in his other hand.

"Thank you, Kazekage-sama." She graciously took the cup, but did not drink it; the incident with Orochimaru made her a bit paranoid. As Gaara took a sip of his tea, Tsunade asked "How are your soldiers faring?"

After Gaara swallowed, he replied "Not too good. Though both our nations have a higher ratio of jonin to chunin, Iwa's numbers are simply staggering. Combined with the knowledge of their own country, it helps make them a formidable adversary. Don't worry; they'll fall. It's only a matter of time. I just wish we didn't have to sacrifice so many."

"As do I. No one deserves to be Kage if they are willing to blindly sacrifice their soldiers." Tsunade, deciding to go against her instincts, took a sip of her tea. Gaara was behaving strangely, but not in a manner that deemed him threatening. "Hokage-sama, Uzumaki will forgive you. I promise."

Tsunade turned her head to Gaara, realizing exactly what he meant. "How did you know?"

Gaara pointed the Hokage monuments, and replied "Every time I looked at the Yodaime, I couldn't help but notice how much he resembled Uzumaki. It was the Yodaime who sealed the Kyuubi inside Uzumaki, correct? Before he left, he kept asking about my relationship with my father. I put those altogether, and that's how I wound up with my conclusion."

Tsunade smiled slightly, and said "No wonder you were able to obtain the rank of Kazekage at your age back then."

Gaara put his cup on the balcony, merely nodding at her statement. "Something else seemed to be bothering Uzumaki though. I can't quite put my finger on it though…"

Tsunade finished her own tea, and replied "My apprentice knew about Naruto's father as well."

"Haruno?"

"Correct. She and Naruto were teammates as children, and Naruto always had strong feelings for her. With time, she returned those feelings. Naruto's conflicted right now; deep down he still loves her, but that's also why he's so hurt inside; the fact that she was in on it makes it that much worse for him. He doesn't know if he can trust her, and conflicts like these tend to make one hurt the other emotionally; the problem is, they often hurt themselves ten times as much in doing so."

"Love…" Tsunade turned her head, curious about Gaara's statement. "Forgive me, Hokage-sama. Uzumaki taught me a lot about human emotions. It all started back during the chunin exams…"

"Yes, Sakura told me about that incident. What she remembered and was told, anyway."

"I've never seen anything like it. Not even after the battle. He put everything on the line, just for her. The look in his eyes…I'll never forget it." Remembering exactly why he and Naruto fought, he turned to Tsunade and bowed. "Forgive me, Hokage-sama. I really regret what I almost did to her…"

Tsunade held up her hand and almost shouted "Stop it! I thought Sakura made it clear to you that she forgives you; if you feel the need to do it again, ask her!" Gaara clamed up about it at that moment. "What worries me even more is that he might die without letting go of his anger. And that Sakura might die with regret."

"By the way, just HOW did you get your council to let Naruto into the battlefield when it was known from the start Akatsuki was involved? It took much more…strenuous methods than usual to convince mine just to let me come up here."

"My ordeal was probably no different in that regard. The council was almost unanimous against sending Naruto in; it took me and Hiashi to remind them we're up against formidable enemies right now, and that he was worth the risk. Just enough votes passed to approve my plan. What really worries me right now is that their fears might prove correct."

Gaara then asked "Hokage-sama…just what is it about the biju that the Akatsuki want? It can't simply be to harness their power; their chakra, especially Kyuubi's, is too much for any modern weapon to contain. The only thing I could think of is that they're trying to create new jinchuriki, but given the experience we had, I'd imagine most would've been happy to join their ranks."

Tsunade rubbed her temple, hoping it wouldn't be brought up. "My intelligence source has been trying to find that out for years; we only just found out where their leader lives: Soragakure."

Gaara's eyes widened. "S-Soragakure!? Impossible!! It's only a myth!!"

Tsunade replied "So we believed. But Naruto killed one of Akatsuki's agents and we uncovered the truth. Some of it, at least. We still don't know who the leader is; whoever he is, he knows an awful lot about the biju…" Tsunade and Gaara looked into the night sky, silently praying that the answers would be found without too terrible a price…

Sasuke sat on a bench, outside of an inn. Midoriiro insisted that they stop there. Personally, he wanted to simply make camp in the woods, but Midoriiro would have none of it.

"If it's about money, don't worry about it!! I was thinking of finding us some jobs while we're here anyway!!"

Sasuke sighed. While cash would be nice when they stopped by something to eat, it wasn't that which got to him; it was people. Sasuke was still suffering from so much inner turmoil that he wasn't ready to be near people yet. Just watching them blindly go about life without a care in the world…it infuriated him. Infuriated him to no end that whatever gods were in power seemingly condemned him to lose everything. Their indifference infuriated him, making his stomach twist that they had no idea what they could lose, or be driven to throw away. It also filled him with sadness; watching them, it reminded him of that which he tossed away…

"Alright Sasuke-chan!! I got us a room!!" Midoriiro stood right outside the entrance.

Sasuke blankly stood up and muttered "Sure, that's g…wait a minute." Sasuke looked at Midoriiro and looked her in the eye. "A ROOM?" He put special emphasis on "A".

MIdorriro smiled and replied "Well, I could only afford one. Besides, someone has to make sure you don't run off." Sasuke nearly turned white at her statement, realizing that she seemed to be reading him like a book. "Let's go inside. I think we can both agree that we need a bath, right?"

Sasuke splashed some water into his face. It felt good to have a bath…an actual bath. Sure, he showered at Orochimaru's plenty of times, but it required standing; Orochimaru sought to train Sasuke constantly, and relaxing in a body of hot water was not allowed. Sasuke sighed, relishing the feeling of the hot spring. He had forgotten just how wonderful relaxing in water felt…

"How's the water, Sasuke-chan?"

Sasuke's heart nearly jumped out of his mouth. "She wouldn't…" Slowly, he turned around, and then feared his eyeballs would explode in that instant. Midoriiro was walking towards his spot in the water, and she didn't even have the decency to put a towel on!! The image of Midoriiro's…lovely body…burned into his mind. "Wait…did I just think 'lovely'?" Taking another good look at her body, he realized no other word could describe it. She had a perfect hourglass figure, lovely thighs, full breasts…and then he saw THAT part of the woman body on her. Sasuke's face became almost as red as his sharingan eyes and he felt another sensation completely unfamiliar to him.

"I take it you like what you see?" Midoriiro asked as she grabbed a bucket of water. Sasuke, breaking out of his trance, dove into the water, hiding his body and turning away. The young woman chuckled at his antics and sat on a rock next to him. "Come on now, don't hide it; admit it, you like this." Midoriiro poured the water on her, as if to emphasize her point.

Sasuke, who dared not look, asked "Just why are you bathing right in front of me when you could have gone to the woman's bath?"

"I read a lot of manga whenever I go by a bookstore; whenever a man and a woman travel together, and bathe in separate areas, no matter what they do to prevent it, they always wind up seeing one another. It then leads to a bunch of misunderstandings and romantic tension that is quite frankly not worth it. So, I decided to just skip all of those trivial things and just be done with the inevitable conclusion. Besides, the women are much too chatty to my liking so I just decided to spend the extra money for the private bath."

Sasuke could not help but think this woman did not have proper role models growing up…not that he had anyone better.

"Besides…I've seen you plenty of times; I think this is just fair." Midoriiro added with a smile as she slid into the water with him. Sasuke simply remained silent and tried to ignore her the rest of the night. However, as usual, she made that nearly impossible for him.

Deidara's hologram flickered atop the statue's fingers. Tobi and Hidan's soon followed. Then Kizu, with his female companion showed up as well. "Hey…where the hell is Zetsu?" Deidara asked. He didn't care much for that cannibal, but it was unlike the man to skip out on meetings. Kizu was very strict about that sort of thing, and by strict, he meant violent. Deidara did once, and he never forgot the beating he took.

"I sent him on a mission." Kizu replied. "This matter does not concern him anyway. Now on to business: first off, the time to stabilize the machine is near. With fewer members, this task will be far more strenuous." Deidara groaned at the prospect. The crew would take shifts, using their chakra to contain the biju's chakra within. Often, members would have to do this for a full day and were allowed days of rest until it was their turn again. But it required that everyone be present. Now, they would have to trade places far more often with so few left. "Our primary prize is the Kyuubi jinchuriki. As you all know, he has grown strong, perhaps on par with the Sanin. Worse, due to the mechanics of the statue, his beast will have to be added last. We cannot risk waiting anymore; there are fewer of us, and by the time we're free to move, he will only grow stronger once more. Which means we must keep him captive until it's time for his biju to be extracted."

Deidara then spoke. "That thought crossed my mind as well. But he is quite the trickster, very difficult to capture. And even if we do imprison him, his spirit seems impossible to break. I'd imagine even if we severed all four of his limbs, he would lick his way out of whatever cell we hold him in."

Kizu coldly replied "Yes, I have noticed that. But, I believe I may have finally found a weakness. Tobi?"

Tobi's head tilted in confusion. "You mean I can beat him, Kizu-sama?" he asked excitedly.

Kizu groaned and could barely contain himself. Rubbing his forehead, he calmly replied "No, Tobi. You're going to exploit his weakness. Remember the jewels I gave you?" Tobi nodded his head enthusiastically. "There's someone I need you to beat. This one, I'm confident you can defeat. Hidan!"

Hidan moaned "Whaddya want?"

"Make sure no one else interferes. Let Tobi do his job. If at all possible, help him, but make sure you don't kill his opponent. We need her alive."

"Damn it! Where's the fun in that!?"

Kizu narrowed his eyes, and growled "I don't recall letting you in this organization for fun." Hidan piped up, with a frightened expression on his face. He was one of the few Kizu came to personally and was beaten by him badly. Taking his silence as a "yes sir", Kizu continued. "The same goes for you, Tobi. We need this one alive." Tobi, who was rarely silent, simply nodded. "And Deidara. Do what you wish with Uzumaki, so long as you don't kill him."

Deidara grinned slightly. "Would it be alright if I made a limb or two go 'bang'?"

"As long as he doesn't die." The meeting was adjourned, and everyone returned to their business.

Yuji awoke with a groan. "Ohh…some nightmare I had." Yuji remembered being in a fight, and felt the fear and uncertainty. "Almost as if I were in a real fight…" Then he began to take in his surroundings. "Hey…this isn't my house!" In fact, it seemed more like he was in a cave; where the lights were coming from, he couldn't quite tell. Yuji sat up and then felt an enormous pain in his stomach. "That guy! I remember…!" He hunched over quickly after a sharp intake of pain. Suddenly, he heard someone come towards him.

"Hey! You shouldn't be moving yet!!"

Yuji looked to his side, and saw a girl about his age next to him. She had bluish hair, pale skin, and gray eyes. As she tended to his wounds, Yuji noticed that her unusual colors made her appear quite pretty. "…Next to Iori anyway." He reminded himself. "Who are you? Where am I?" Yuji then noticed he could barely speak, and his body felt like lead. "I bet getting stabbed will do that to you."

The girl laid him back down gently, and said "My name Hyouike, and you're in my hideout."

Yuji then replied "Hideout? I don't like the sound of that. Is it a good thing or a bad thing?"

"It's always been a good thing for me. My kind is not exactly popular in Earth Country." She then took something out of her pocket, and held it up to him. It was his headband! "And judging by this thing, I'd wager it would be a good thing for you too."

Yuji, still a bit uneasy, hoarsely whispered "My comrades…I have to get back to them…"

"Trust me, I wish you could, for your own sake. But an impaled abdomen is not easy to fix, especially when I had to review my old man's textbooks every step of the way." Yuji then looked at her apprehensively. "Don't worry!" she nearly shouted, throwing her hands up. "Everything went perfect. I'd say you will recover in a couple of days." She pulled a blanket over Yuji's bandaged body. "But you have to rest. It won't do your friends or yourself any good if you don't allow your body time to heal." She then gave him a particularly icy stare. "And if you go and kill yourself, I'm going to be pissed that my hard work and sleepless nights were for nothing."

Yuji then whispered "Yes…rest…" The young shinobi once again drifted into sleep, taking some comfort that at least he was in good hands. "Iori…Shiguri…Naruto-sensei…I'm coming. That's a promise."

Hyouike smiled, then looked to his old clothes. Undressing a boy would have normally been very difficult for her, but in his state, she was able to concentrate on saving his life and didn't pay much attention to the parts she wasn't supposed to see. Being on her own made her quite lonely, so having the company of another her age thrilled her. But she was conflicted; her family taught her to never trust any ninja, not even those foreign to Earth Country. Sighing, she decided she would wait until the boy was at least able to stay awake before she judged him. Walking over to a candle, she blew it out.

Shibakariki, Iwa's premier swordsman, hacked and slashed his way through the Konoha and Suna nin with ease. He was an exceptional fighter; Iwa thought about letting him train more individuals like him and make swordsman equal to those found in Kiri. But he had no interest in teaching, only in slaying. His swords were nothing special; simply dual-katana. It was his skill that earned him his reputation, and based on that, he considered himself to be better than those mist swordsmen. His green hair and scared body, which he displayed even in battle much to the dismay of his comrades, showed him to be an intimidating man. By now, he had taken down 4 Konoha nin and 5 Suna nin. "Alright!! Anyone want some more!?" His answer came not in the form of a verbal answer, but in a sneak attack from behind. He blocked the dagger with one of his swords, and smiled in amusement. A Konoha ANBU by the looks of it tried to take him down in a completely unfair fight. Shibakariki actually appreciated those who tried sneak attacks first. The more "honorable" ones often died the fastest. "Hoho. That's quite a back-handed tactic. Think I like ya already, kid." He then concentrated his chakra into his arms, and pushed with such force that the masked nin was sent flying into a cliff. The mask cracked, and fell, revealing the face behind it. "Hm, quite the pretty boy you are. My mom would love to meet you, but she's in the cemetery. Is that alright?"

Sai rose, and with his emotionless face, replied "Sorry. I don't like people who are foolish enough to get killed. For all I know, you'll bury me next to some dumb bitch that simply ran off a cliff in the face of a superior fighter."

Shibakakiri's face contorted in anger. "You…son of a bitch!!! MY MOTHER WAS A SAINT!!" He lunged, and crossed his swords.

Sai dodged, and kicked the swordsmen in the face, sending him sprawling. "I heard about you. They say you're the start of 'The Swordsmen of the Rock'. I can tell you you're not close to being on par with a kiri swordsmen. But for what it's worth, you're most certainly an individual to be concerned about."

Shibakakiri got up, and tasted blood. "But I didn't even cut him…" He then put his hands to his nose, and then a realization dawned on him. "It's MY blood." His eyes widened in horror, and as a result, he screamed in rage. "MY BLOOD!! I'LL SLICE YOU TO LITTLE BITS AND FEED YOU TO THE PIGEONS!!" He crouched low, and began to spin, becoming a small tornado. "Gufuken no Jutsu!!"

Sai retreated from the whirlwind of blades, but it was too fast; he had to block with his dagger, and even then he received several cuts. However, he found every half-second there was an opening. Sai waited for the next one, and stabbed the swordsman in the throat. However, a puff of smoke revealed it to be a mud clone.

Before Sai could realize what was happening, the real Shibakakiri stabbed him from behind. "That was a good kick there! And I admit you're quite skilled with a blade! But in the end, I am the supe-" He stopped in mid-sentence when he noticed Sai bleeding from his mouth. The blood seemed a bit…off color. Reaching out and taking some on his finger, he put it in his mouth. He immediately spat it out upon tasting something toxic. "Is this…ink!?" Just then, a snake crawled up from his underneath his clothes and bit him square in the jugular. Shibakakiri grabbed it and squashed the creature beneath his feet, but suddenly felt himself become very drowsy. Soon, he passed out, and the real Sai emerged from behind a rock. He tore a piece of cloth and wrapped it around his face to make up for the broken mask. He would also have to convince Ibiki to torture him into forgetting or a vow of silence. An unbroken vow of silence was much more appealing to him, but he would let Ibiki decide the best course of action. "Don't worry, the poison in my ink is a simple tranquilizer. So far, we've been fighting mostly weaklings who rely more on weird contraptions than actual ninjutsu. You're one of the first truly formidable opponents we have faced, and that makes it a priority for us to interrogate you."

Though Sai and Sakura were forced to separate, there was still a medic on the team. Sai told him to hang back until he took care of the threat, much to his dismay, but even he had to admit he would have likely gotten killed and would not have saved anybody if he did interfere. As soon as everyone in the troop was healed or at least out of danger, Sai gave them the order to return to the village.

As he carried his prize over his back, Sai thought back to Sakura. Granted, he was still having trouble grasping what emotions really were, but he recognized he was actually worried about her. At first, he told himself it was simply for practical reasons; her awareness, something crucial for a shinobi to survive, was waning. However, something was also tearing at his gut, making sure that what was probably her business would stay in the back of his mind. "Perhaps I should inform Hokage-sama." He continued on, telling himself that everything would work out okay. "Dickless and Ugly will pull through. They always have."

Shikamaru took the lead in front of his students. He was initially one of the prime strategists in the war, one of the youngest ever. Most would've taken pride in that, but it was troublesome as usual for Shikamaru. In planning strategies back at home, he had no way to be aware of any other unforeseen factors until it was too late. His current position in the war changed that; now he could change things at a moment's notice. The problem now was that he could be killed, and he had a new chunin and 2 genin to look after. Tsunade was being forced to send everyone, but she made sure to make medics available as possible and evaluate the most dangerous threats. Still, it did not sit well with him to bring children along. Though he would never admit it, he was attached to his students. He would never forgive himself if anything happened to them. He then thought back to Temari. Shikamaru never imagined that he would fall in love, even though he did see himself starting a family. After the little "incident", Garaa calmed down and accepted their relationship. Granted, there were no plans yet, but they pretty much did consummate their relationship. It tore his gut every time he thought about the fact that he may never return to her. Or worse, if she was killed; Temari also had to fight. Garaa did swear that he would do everything he could to keep her safe. "Probably one of the few times we'll ever have an understanding. I can only imagine telling my younger self that psychopath would be my brother in law one day." He then remembered something; he took out a photo from his vest. He and Temari took it before they separated. "I could've at least had a smile across my face. Well, at least Temari seems happy enough." In the photo, Shikamaru and Temari were in their ninja attire. Shikamaru looked quite solemn, while Temari smiled and hooked his arm.

Shikamaru was brought back to the present, and remembered he had a job to do. They were traveling on a narrow trail formed on the walls of a canyon; one wrong move and the only consolation one could offer was that they would not suffer. Uryuu and Kenshin proved to be quite proficient in battle, and of course his intelligence and his own techniques helped quite a bit if he said so himself. But it was Hanabi's Byakugan that especially helped them. Shikamaru was able to come with the correct strategies sooner and at the right times due to her ability to see everything around her. He reminded himself to complement Hiashi whenever his team was allowed to take a rest back in the village.

He was brought out of his thoughts when some small rocks fell in front of him and continued down into the canyon. "Odd…according to the geologists of the area, the rocks should be pretty steady." It might have been an animal…or a person climbing the canyon…could it be an enemy!? "Hanabi.." Shikamaru pointed upwards. "Up there. Tell me what you see."

Hanabi activated her Byakugan, and looked upwards. "It's a girl…very familiar…wait, is that Myojin!?"

Shikamaru looked up, seeing a blur come down quickly. Soon, he could make out a definite human shape, and he believed whoever it was, he or she was screaming like an animal. "Myojin!? You mean Naruto's kunoichi student!?"

"Yes, it's definitely her!!" The said person suddenly jumped onto the path ahead of him, and Shikamaru could immediately tell something was wrong.

The first thing that caught his attention was that she was drenched in blood. Hanabi didn't detect any battles nearby. Second, her heavy breathing seemed to indicate she was exhausted, like she was running and fighting the whole time. If it weren't for the third and final thing he noticed, he would have guessed that she would faint any minute. She held the two kamas he observed, and her face was contorted in a hostile manner. She took on the beast-like appearance she had during her fight with Hanabi, and a large amount of chakra radiated throughout her body. Uryuu and Kenshin got their weapons ready, but Shikamaru held out his arm. "No! Something's wrong with her!! Hanabi, is her team anywhere nearby!?"

"Not that I have noticed!!"

Before Shikamaru could ask, Iori took a swipe with her weapons, and being unable to back up safely, Shikamaru was forced to block with both of his arms. "You!!" The cut was pretty deep, but for now he couldn't worry about it. Shikamaru immediately made his hand signs, and captured Iori in a shadow. Iori struggled to move, and she was indeed more trouble than what the jonin was used to. He made a motion for her to drop her weapons, and just as it looked like he was about succeed, she broke free and head butted him into his team. She immediately leapt upon him and swung down. Shikamaru blocked one kama with a kunai, while Uryuu blocked another with his black katana.

Hanabi leapt forward and kicked Iori away and off of her sensei. It wasn't a powerful kick; too strong and she would have sent the girl falling to her death. Hanabi didn't want that, not only because of the fact she was a comrade (despite their somewhat bitter rivalry), but she had an idea about what was wrong with her. "Sensei! There's something in her system that I believe is making her behave this way!! Whatever it is, it seems to feed off her chakra!! It's almost like a parasite!! I can neutralize it, if only she'd stay still!!"

"Got it!!" Shikamaru rose, and prepared a slightly different jutsu. "Kage Nui!" His shadow split up into tendrils, but instead of planning to kill the girl, he was going to try something a bit different with this technique. Just when the tendrils were about to pierce her skin, they coiled around her limbs instead. Iori struggled to break free of her bonds, and it seemed she would do that at any minute. "Hanabi!! Whatever you're going to do, do it now!!"

Hanabi leapt forward, and got ready to do her Hake Rokujuuyonshou…

Sakura leaped through the trees in a hurry. She could not believe what the messenger from Ino's team had said. There was no way it could be true, not even under the worst conditions! Even if he hadn't been himself, there would be no way that Naruto would let that happen!! "How much further!?" she yelled at the messenger.

"Not far. Hopefully, Kin will have healed most of them!! She really needed to speak with you, though! She said you knew that girl better than her!!" As they continued, the messenger continued "You should have seen her. That girl…she was a monster." It took all of Sakura's will power to restrain herself.

Finally, the two touched down from the forest onto the steppe where Ino's troop lay. Sakura stared in horror beneath her mask. Granted, there were no fatalities, which was always a good thing, and everyone was clearly out of danger. Ino was rather skilled after all. She handled everything quite splendidly if she said so herself. However, to think something like this was something a child of Konoha did was beyond her comprehension. She needed to get to the bottom of this.

Ino noticed her, and signaled for the chunin subordinate to watch over them while they conversed in the forest nearby. When they were hidden, Sakura nearly screamed "Ino! Are you sure it was her!? Iori!?"

Ino barely nodded "Oh yeah. I'd recognize her anywhere. Something was wrong though. She had beast-like features, and was in some sort of berserker rage…"

"Was she in the middle of fighting someone nearby!? Maybe she was so confused that…"

"No, there was no one there! Sakura…I'd like to think what was going on is not her fault, but I can't let her run loose like this!! We have to stop her, or else we'll put everyone at risk!!"

Sakura looked away, and nodded reluctantly. She was concerned about Iori's berserker rages, but felt during the tournament that she conquered them. "Give me your word that you will not use force to kill her. By all means stop her, but make sure she is alive, AND that she can recover to be a shinobi once more."

"You don't have to worry about that from me, Sakura. But what you should be worried about is any Konoha nins she will attack after us…or those that came before us. Naruto was no where to be found…I know he would never allow something like this to happen if he could help it."

Sakura nodded. "Thank you. I'll send a message to Tsunade-shishou. She'll make sure everything will be alright."

As Sakura was about to leap away, Ino called "Wait! Sakura…" She paused for a long moment, but Sakura was patient enough to let her finish. "I guess, given the situation, this isn't important…but I'm worried we won't get another chance to talk about it."

Sakura slowly turned around, and looked at her friend. "Okay."

The two sat, and Ino spoke. "I'll get right to the point: I know something is happening between you and Naruto." A moment of silence confirmed that things had not improved between the two of them. "I know what the two of you do with yourselves is your business. But whatever it was that caused this rift is bringing out the worst in both of you."

"So, he really isn't happy, is he?" Sakura asked herself.

"What?"

"Ino…I planned to confront Naruto about all this. You really think I was in such a funk that I wanted nothing to do with Naruto? I wanted to fix things. But then, I saw him and Hinata together. She hugged and kissed him." Sakura emphasized that last sentence rather bitterly. "After that, I'm too afraid to tell him how I really feel. I know he'll only reject me again, and I don't think I could take that."

"Did she kiss him on the lips?" Ino asked.

Sakura yelled "Of course!! They…well…" Ino raised an eyebrow underneath her mask. "Actually, I'm not so sure…"

Ino sighed exasperated. "So, had a little jealousy streak there, forehead?"

Sakura blushed, but nodded yes. "I guess so. But it's probable. You and I both know Hinata always had a crush on Naruto. We broke up because of something I did, and I assumed in his frustration that he finally noticed her. Besides, Hinata is a much nicer person than I am, and she always held Naruto in the highest admiration. What in the world would keep Naruto from liking her?"

Ino just listened intently, as if she was completely neutral to the situation. "Well, you don't have to tell me what caused the rift. But judging from your story, I'd guess that you came upon this scene when your intention earlier was to apologize and express your real feelings." Sakura nodded, confirming her assumption. "Even so, that event did not and doesn't change the fact that you have strong feelings for him. You have to talk to him, Sakura. Whatever it is that's eating you up inside, get it out, and make sure he listens. Otherwise, you'll never be able to move on." Ino finally stood up. "Thanks for telling me Sakura. I wish I could elaborate more, but these times are not ideal for chatting. I just hope everything works out in the end. Oh, and stay alive. Please."

As she was about to walk away, Sakura yelled "Wait!" Ino turned around, wondering what else Sakura could want. Compared to the other kunoichi of their generation, she was quite the workaholic. "Ino…you say that as if you've been through something similar before."

Ino seemed to hesitate for a moment. "Yeah…I did." Her voice seemed rather pained when she said that.

Sakura struggled to find the right way to say it. This really wasn't the time to discuss such things. But Ino had already taken some of her valuable time to attend to her problem. She needed to ask her, to assure herself that she found the answer she was looking for. "Would it be alright if…you told me about it? As quickly as you can?"

Ino gave a slight nod, and sat down once more. Sakura figured it was someone she did not know about back during their teens, after Naruto returned. "Okay…back when you and Naruto started training under Hokage-sama and Jiraya-sama…I realized I was in love with Shikamaru."

"What!?" That was certainly unexpected; Ino still talked about Sasuke for quite a while back then.

"I kind of realized somewhere along the way the one I really liked was Shikamaru. But all the time, he seemed rather annoyed whenever I was around. By the time I realized my true feelings…I noticed how often he would hang around Temari whenever she visited, and it just crushed me when I realized he developed feelings for her, even if he did not realize it yet. Eventually, I stopped talking to him. Soon, he took notice that I was upset about something, and every time he asked, it generally ended with me cussing him out. Finally, one day, he grabbed my arm and demanded to know what was wrong. When he yelled 'You're one of my best friends!', something in me snapped, and I broke down crying. I confessed to Shikamaru right there, and I expected things to go straight to hell from there. Instead, he patted my shoulders, with a slight smile on his face. He started very honest with me, saying that he could not return my feelings, then emphasized that the bond we had was one of his most precious. We had a pretty long hug afterwards." Ino finally paused to gather her next words. That, and to find a way to wipe her tears underneath her mask. "To be honest, I think our friendship has gotten stronger afterwards. Even though it didn't turn out quite the way I wanted it to at the time, I don't regret telling him."

Ino then walked up to Sakura and hugged her. "Sakura, the first heartbreak is always hardest. I know how it makes one feel inside. Especially when you never told the other guy exactly how you feel. But you'd be surprised how letting them know will actually make things better between the two of you, even if it does not bring forth the result you hoped for."

Sakura took time to absorb Ino's words, amazed at how her friend already seemed to have such wisdom. "Ino-pig…since when did you become so smart? I'm the one with the giant forehead!!" Ino chuckled along with her. The two embraced in friendship, glad to at least have one moment of happiness in this brutal war if not solve their problems. "Thanks again, Ino. I don't know if I'll ever get the chance, but if I ever see Naruto again, Hinata or not, I will tell him my feelings." Sakura stepped back. "I've really got to go. I was supposed to meet up with Lee's team. I understand the need for it, but this switching me from team to team is really getting on my nerves." With that, she took off.

"Got get'em." Ino whispered.

Naruto finished inspecting Shiguri's wounds, and considered him fit to move. Naruto was worried that the burns he suffered would leave permanent scars; after all, he still saw several shinobi in Konoha that carried scars, and surely Tsunade tried to help. But what was important was that he was out of danger and otherwise made a full recovery. That still didn't change the fact that Shiguri hated him right now…not that he blamed him.

"So…may I ask what mission we are going to get ourselves killed in this time?" the genin asked sarcastically.

"The way I see it, none. What happened to Yuji and Iori was my fault. I won't let the same happen to you." Naruto got up and made his way towards the cave entrance signaling for Shiguri to follow him. He did so, with great reluctance. "Shiguri, I'm taking you back to Konoha. I need to be sure you're safe while I look for Yuji and Iori. Besides…I can't bear your death on my hands."

That last statement really wanted to make Shiguri kill him right then and now. But, there was no point in getting himself killed, so he decided that it was best to follow his lead for now. As they cautiously made their way through the desert, Shiguri sarcastically said "So, you're finally doing your job now, huh? I kind of wondered why you sent us when you simply could have used your clones to set off those traps!"

Naruto stayed silent for a while. He tried to think of why he did that, not so much to defend himself, but because he wanted to know as well. "Living in the past, I guess." Naruto concluded. Shiguri simply growled in disgust. Naruto made no motion to correct him. "I deserve it." He told himself. "I was their sensei. I was supposed to look after them. But I failed." Finding no one else to talk to, Naruto thought to himself "I don't deserve to be Hokage." He found it a bit odd that after everything going on he still even thought about that dream, but now, he was sure he was done with it.

The two continued to run for quite some time. Naruto figured they wouldn't reach the border for a few days, so it was important that they made could time. It was especially hard when considering there were no forests in which they could tree hop; that often meant they could get to their destination faster. Suddenly, Naruto stopped, and signaled for Shiguri to as well. The two then hugged the canyon wall. "What is it?" Shiguri whispered, struggling not to yell in annoyance.

"Iwa nin. Lots of them." Naruto emphasized. There was a canyon beyond the wall, about a hundred yards wide. A battalion of Iwa nin marched through it, filling the corridor, and there appeared to be no end in sight. "Too many for us. We can't stay here, they're bound to find us. We have to go around them."

Naruto and Shiguri began scaling the walls immediately. They had to maneuver from the cliffs above. It was actually a dumber plan than it sounded; loose rocks would fall and alert the ninja below of their presence. Fortunately, they had a perfect henge to make up for that: Cliff Goats. Despite being equipped with hooves, they could scale the mountains as if they defied gravity, and though they were considered an endangered species, they were known to be in this part of Earth Country. Naruto and Shiguri transformed into a pair of them. This time Naruto made sure there would be no blunders on his part. He told Shiguri to transform into a goat with no horns, indicating he was a female; the animals often traveled in harems with one adult male. Naruto finally understood the point of the wild-life lessons, for what good that helped to make him feel. As expected, during their climb, they did alert the ninjas to their presence, but were shrugged off as mere animals. When the pair found an outcropping to hide behind, they took it and released their henge.

"Them…" Shiguri growled.

Naruto replied "I need to find out what they're planning. There's so many of them…they're plotting something, I know it. We need to follow them until we know what they're doing…"

"And then kill them while you leave me to die!?" Shiguri yelled, not too fond about his "sensei" making any plans after what happened.

Naruto, humbled and willing to take any verbal abuse for his tactical blunder, replied "No. My mission as of right now is that of intelligence. I cannot engage in combat; there's too many, even for me, and even if I could confront all of them they would most likely take you hostage. When they set camp, they're sure to go over their plans. That's when we'll act.

"Yes, she's in room 300." The nurse replied.

Deidara made his way toward the ward, not even caring to thank the nurse. Upon finding the room, he slammed the door open. Unfortunately for Tobi, he was standing right behind the door's path, and unexpectedly was forced to introduce his masked face to it. "So, I take it the operation went well?" Deidara asked Genkakushoujou, who was lying on the bed, with her two teammates by her side.

Genkakushoujou lifted her leg to reveal the scars of her re-attached foot. She then wiggled her toes to show the nerves still worked. Deidara nodded in satisfaction. "Excellent. Also, I must commend you for coming up with such a brilliant plan, using one Konoha nin against the others. Even if she fails, she'll either be killed in battle or in trial." He then looked at his other students. "And I'm sorry to say this, but it seems we won't have another mission together for quite some time."

"So, you're through with us?" Kounga asked.

"Well, not in that sense. You're still needed at the camps, Kounga." Kounga's scars made it nearly impossible to tell when he was actually frowning, but Deidara knew him well enough to see that he was. He walked over and whispered into his ear "But when I knock that fool over his chair, and on his ass, I'll make sure better things are in store for you." Kounga's eyes widened as he realized that he meant the Tsuchikage! His face, not betraying anything, simply nodded. Deidara then turned to the patient of the room. "And sorry my dear, but seeing as you're fully recovered, they want you out in the front. I've heard that you've become quite good with strategy, correct?" Genkakushoujou nodded reluctantly. She hopped off the bed, and prepared to embark on her new duty."San, you're with me. You're going to help me out in a little operation." He said. San simply nodded. Kounga and Genkakushoujou simply rolled their eyes; they knew Deidara was too proud of him to disassociate with him.

With that, he marched outside the hospital with his team and Akatsuki comrades, but Kounga and Genkakushoujou would be heading in a different direction than him. They split off from their main group to meet with their new commanding officers.

"Deidara-sempai…is it time?" Tobi asked.

"Almost, Tobi. First, I'm going to take care of something a little personal. It won't interfere with our plans; in fact, I think it might actually help."

"Why, Deidara, for once you've actually made yourself useful!!" the Tsuchikage bellowed. Deidara just rolled his eyes, knowing it was all a pathetic act; in truth the Tsuchikage was probably livid that he didn't come up with that idea himself. Mutsuguro walked up and gave him a hard pat on the back. "I think this is the renewal of a beautiful friendship!!"

Deidara groaned at the prospect. On top of not being a sociable guy, one could never be too careful about how a man that killed his own sensei would treat his friends. "I…just figured such a tactic would both crush the Hokage into surrendering and galvanize our own men. I mean, the surge will force Konoha to evacuate some of its citizens, right? It's such a wasted opportunity otherwise. Besides…they're no better than the Ainu, right?"

"Of course, no one would care if we wiped that village of the face of the earth! I'll get a messenger owl ready, the sun has nearly set!! The troops must know about this immediately!!" He practically ran out the office, leaving Deidara alone to sigh in relief.

Cautiously checking to make sure the guards were not looking, he then made his way to the desk, and took a seat in the chair. Propping his feet up on the desk, he sighed in satisfaction. "I can see why he killed you, sensei. Sitting in this does bring out a sense of…entitlement. I could get used to this, oh yes…"

"I must admit, Deidara, that was quite clever of you." It was Kizu, talking to him telepathically once more. "I just wanted the war as a means to separate Uzumaki and Haruno from as many of their allies as possible, as well as make sure no one could come to their rescue. You, however, took it a step further and practically guaranteed it."

"Luck of the circumstances, really. I wouldn't have told him had he not decided on a surge. I just figured with the majority of the top jonin and ANBU carrying out missions within this country, and mostly chunin stationed at Konoha, we could finally get him. Of course, there's the Toad Sage and the Godaime Hokage to deal with, but it's my understanding they are quite sentimental. So, if the troops are clever enough, they can make it out of there without those two giving them any trouble."

"My compliments to you, Deidara. I've already informed Tobi and Hidan of their new mission. Be ready to stand by."

Naruto snuck into the camp grounds of the Iwa nin. He didn't bother disguising himself this time; no human-sized animal would come near a group of humans this big. He had to be careful, sneaking between the boulders and using his senses to make sure the sentinels weren't looking his way. He made his way to the edge of the camp, and took a look. Just as he feared, there were way too many of them. The only way to overcome them all was to call upon Kyuubi. "Tempting." Quickly he made a small summon, and a toad, perhaps as big as his thumbnail, appeared. "Get into the general's tent and don't leave until I tell you." He whispered. The toad nodded and hopped away.

The Iwa nin thought nothing of him; there was a marsh nearby, and there were species of toads that would bury themselves in the sand. The spy toad hopped towards the tent in the middle, and crawled through the space.

The toad set off a signal that Naruto would feel, letting him know he was inside. Using his chakra, Naruto concentrated so that he could hear everything his toad did.

"Our troops are more than 95% chunin, and not very high ranking ones at that. Still, even one jonin will have trouble fighting against a swarm. Our forces should be enough to break down the walls and make our way into the village. And that is precisely what they'll think we're doing."

"There's more?" Naruto thought.

"Once we group together, it will be impossible for us to hide. The sentries will give out an evacuation order, and that's when we'll take its citizens. Granted, we don't know where the bunkers are located. But we'll have our hawk summoners on the lookout; they won't miss a thing."

"You forget, they're still shinobi. They may very well sacrifice half their own civilians to ensure their victory…"

"You don't know us very well." Naruto commented to himself, disgusted that anyone would assume the council would order such a thing…at least the entire council anyway.

"You've forgotten how our conflicts began in the first place, haven't you? The First Tsuchikage was a cruel and ruthless man, a fundamentalist in the shinobi way. He sacrificed many of his troops for victory, and had total control over the village. However, Konoha and the Second Hokage were stronger still. Normally, he would have simply increased his standards. But what infuriated him was that they were stronger and had a system that by no shinobi means should survive. We used to kill children who did not pass, whereas they gave their recruits as many chances as they wanted. We gladly sacrificed our own, but for the most part they refused to do the same unless someone consented to it. Our Tsuchikage had total control over the village and its affairs, whereas the Hokages were checked by a council. And while we gladly took any mission, Konoha often refused missions that were deemed 'unjust'. Not only did it make the Tsuchikage mad; he was afraid that the rest of the shinobi would get the same ideas as well, and the society he desired would be destroyed. The previous Tsuchikages have tried to destroy Konoha whenever possible ever since, for it is a representation of something that is not meant to exist in the shinobi world, yet thrives. And that is why, this time, we will win. Once we have the hostages, and show them we mean business, not even the remaining sanin will be able to do anything about it!"

"The order came rather suddenly though. What gave him this idea so suddenly?"

"Apparently it has something to do with that traitor Deidara. It was his idea really."

Naruto was horrified. Naruto knew Tsunade would do everything she could to rescue the hostages, should they succeed…but with their numbers, they just might pull it off. And if Deidara suggested it, it had to be a plan to extract his biju! "I have to warn them!!"

Just then, the general noticed the toad underneath his desk. "What is this?" he growled distastefully.

"I'll get rid of it." One of the guards took a kunai and impaled the creature.

Naruto felt terrible that he had to sacrifice one of his toads, but it couldn't have gone any other way at that point. All he could do now was make sure its sacrifice was not in vain.

The general began shuffling his papers when a thought occurred to him. The guard was scooping the remains of the foul creature up, and he ordered "Wait!! Is it possible for me to examine the skin?" The guard put his hand forward, and wiped off the blood until the toad's skin was revealed. To the untrained eye, it looked rather unremarkable. Dark-green with some long spots. But the general knew better. "The toads in this region have bumpy skin. This one's rather smooth."

He then ran outside and yelled "We have a spy amongst us! He can't be in disguise; he must be nearby the camp! Search everywhere!!"

The Iwa nins immediately searched feverously for anyone who looked like a stranger. Naruto knew he was found out, but not spotted; there was still time to get away. What he didn't count on, however, was one of the Iwa nins having a sense of smell equal to Kiba's.

The one Iwa nin who did sniffed the air, and his eyes widened in anticipation. "There!" he yelled, pointing towards Naruto's location. "There he is!"

Knowing there was no point in escaping in a stealthy manner, Naruto jumped onto the boulders and jumped as far away as he could with each bound. However, a shower kunai descended upon him, and rained down on his body. Naruto fell dead…and vanished in a poof of smoke.

The real Naruto opened his eyes as the memories of his Kage Bushin flooded his mind. "Shiguri, we have to leave!! They're on to us!!"

Shiguri rolled his eyes, but did as he was told, and followed his sensei as they ran across the mountains. "Yet another screw up…"

"Shiguri, they're planning to take Konoha's civilians hostage!! Once they do that, there's no telling what they will demand!! We're going to have to get there before that swarm does!! Once there, we'll escort them somewhere else!!"

Now this got Shiguri to forget about his qualms with his sensei and put Konoha ahead of his feelings. For all the bad attitude he showed, it was still his home, and he would gladly give his life to protect it and its people. Then, something else occurred to him. "The Hokage will do everything she can…but my grandfather…" This worried Shiguri considerably. Danzou always talked about necessary sacrifices that even at a young age he did not agree with. "If we get there before they do, we can save everyone, whether he likes it or not."

Little did they know, the general was watching them run up the mountains with a telescope.

"Nothing to worry about, sir." one of his aides said. "Though we found him out, there's no way he could know what we're planning. Not from that distance."

The general turned and screamed "Fool!! Those Kage Bushins transfer information to the original when they're dispelled!! Archers!!" Iwa nin with cross bows stepped forward. "Aim 40 degrees South!! Hit the top of the mountains!!" The archers' arrows were wrapped with explosive tags. They fired in the direction indicated, and just as the general had predicted, Naruto and Shiguri landed on the peak he singled out. The arrows struck the top…and an explosive avalanche came raining down on the pair.

Naruto looked up to see something above him explode. The next thing he knew, the rocks were halfway towards him. Without thinking, he shielded Shiguri from the avalanche above as it came crashing down on them.

Yuji finished slurping the last of his porridge. Slowly, with each day, he was able to stay awake longer; the pain in his abdomen had finally vanished, and Yuji felt that he could walk again. His nurse, however, recommended against it.

Just then, Hyouike walked inside the small room. "How are you feeling?"

Yuji replied "Much better. I think I can even manage to do minor ninja stuff again."

Hyouike smiled, and said "I need to check the wound, just to be sure." Yuji sat up, and waited patiently for Hyouike to make her diagnosis. As she was doing so, he couldn't help but look at her. She was beautiful…he never saw that combination of hair and eyes before… "It's closed up perfectly. But I'd recommend you take it easy; there's no telling…"

Wrapping his blanket around him, Yuji went to get his clothes, causing Hyouike to turn around hastily. He was a bit uneasy that this girl was the one that undressed him…but that was standard medical practice, especially for those that did not know medical ninjutsu. As he put on his clothes, Yuji said "Hyouike, I appreciate everything you did to help me. And believe me, the last thing I want to do is make all your hard work for naught." As he fastened his chunin vest, he continued "But my people are at war, and my friends are out there fighting." Fully dressed, Yuji noticed his glasses were missing. "Probably lost in the river. My vision's adequate enough as it is." Turning around Yuji walked towards Hyouike, tapping her on the back to let her know it was okay to look. Giving a serious look of determination, Yuji said "Please, I need to get out of here so I can help them. On top of that, I don't know where to go; if you can at least show me where you found me, I can take the rest from there. Besides, I don't want you to get involved with the enemy; no doubt they're looking for me, and will kill you as an accomplice. But I promise you, if something does happen, I WILL protect you ."

Hyouike tried to think of a way to convince him otherwise. Sadly, she couldn't think of any. He was for the most part recovered, and there's no doubt his comrades would be looking for him, as well as Iwa nin who would were looking to finish the job. And if they found him, she could wind up dead…or worse, be sent to the camps. Sighing, she replied "Alright. But no fighting. I'm serious. The ninja here are cold-blooded killers; you do NOT want to be found, and I wouldn't bet on you being able to take a whole group."

Yuji bowed in gratitude, and replied "So long as I don't have to. Besides, after fighting someone who cuts himself for some extra armor, I'd say you didn't have to tell me in the first place."

The first thing that Yuji made note of as they made their way outside was the snow that covered the land. From what he heard, this was nowhere near the quantity that Snow country possessed; the ground only had a few centimeters worth of snow to show for it. But that didn't change the fact that it was damn cold!

Yuji was distracted when Hyouike called back "The river where I found you was quite far. It's amazing you didn't die of hypothermia before I could treat you." Hyouike noted. "Please bear with me."

"It didn't help that she had a full winter coat on." Yuji thought. Hugging his arms, he figured to distract himself by having a conversation with the girl. "Hyouike…I know this sounds rude, but I can't help but notice that you look…well, different."

Hyouike turned around with an annoyed look on her face. "Oh? What of it!?" she snapped.

Yuji, taken aback, stammered. "N-Nothing…it's just, I've never seen anyone with hair and eyes like yours, and none of the Iwa nins I've seen so far share those traits as well."

Hyouike just stopped right there. "So, you think I'M an abomination as well!?" she hissed viciously.

Yuji stopped walking, SHOCKED that this girl could be called such a thing. "What the hell are you talking about!? You're a pretty girl, and whoever said that deserves a smack upside the head, with maybe a kunai in the eye to go with it!"

Yuji was so caught up in his brief speech that he failed to notice Hyouike blushing quite red. "Y-you really never heard of the Ainu, have you?"

Yuji gave her a look showing he clearly did not know what she was talking about. "Ainu?"

"I'm an Ainu. It would take too much time to explain my people's culture…but everywhere we go, we're distinguished by our gray eyes and ice-blue hair."

"And they think that's unattractive? If so, I'm not the one who needs glasses!!"

Hyouike just looked at him in amazement. "I'm surprised that someone on this continent has never heard of my people."

Yuji replied "Why should I? We don't have Ainu in Fire Country."

"You did. A long, long time ago. Eventually we were forced into Earth Country. And then, when the First Tsuchikage was murdered, everything went from bad to worse." Yuji was silent, his attention clearly hers. "The man who would become the Second Tsuchikage was the real killer. But he used us as scapegoats for the crime. Being different, it wasn't hard to convince his people that we were inferior, and that WE should be punished. First, we were banned from trading without special permission, and even then, we were powerless against harassment and beatings. Then, we were forced into neighborhoods where we worked for nearly 16 hours a day, with nothing but turnips to eat. And now…" At this point, tears began to well up in her eyes.

Yuji could tell she was struggling to control herself. "What?"

"And now…the camps." She got out, barely audible

Before Yuji could ask what she meant, his sixth sense had kicked in. Traveling in dangerous territory without his team kept his adrenaline high, activating it even without the excitement of battle. "Quick! Hide!" Before Hyouike could ask, Yuji grabbed her wrist and pulled her behind a boulder. It was a rather pathetic hiding place, but it was the best they could manage for right now. Putting his hand over her mouth, he glanced behind the rock, and confirmed his instincts.

A group of Iwa nin made their way down into valley from the mountains bordering it, and checked their surroundings. Yuji made sure neither he nor Hyouike moved a muscle, but couldn't help but notice two of them were carrying a sack. "Let's take a break here, gentlemen." The team captain said. The two others dropped their sacks without a care, and pulled out some cigarettes. But what caught Yuji's attention was that there seemed to be something alive in them. "Aw man, I'm glad to get out of the front-line." one of them chided. "Those Konoha nins…don't tell anyone I said this, but they're just too much."

"Couldn't agree more." His teammate replied. "Don't know how they do it, but if we were evenly matched in terms of numbers and technology, we'd be slaughtered. It's a good thing that there's so many of us." Just then, one of the sacks seemed to be crawling away from the Iwa nins. It didn't go unnoticed.

"Aw, dammit to hell!" The leader ran up to the sack and kicked it several times until it lay still. "We're going to have to cut our break short; sooner or later their spirits are going to heal and they'll try to make a break for it. Not that they could, but you know me, I tend to lose my temper way too easily." he laughed. With that, they gathered up their cargo and vanished.

After a good minute, Yuji let Hyouike go, and cautiously scanned the area to see if there was any trouble. When he turned around, he noticed that Hyouike was trembling with fear. "Those were people in those sacks, weren't they?" She didn't respond. "They were your people." Yuji spoke with a tone of realization. Hyouike barely gave a nod. Yuji turned around, and stared at the direction the ninjas headed. "Hyouike…I have to see it with my own eyes…"

She knew it was likely that both of them would be killed, and taking him there was a stupid idea. But a part of her screamed that someone had to know, it might be her people's only hope. Reluctantly, she nodded. "Understand, you may not be able to do anything to help, not by yourself. Your people are not likely to help. And once you see it, you MUST run."

In response, Yuji slowly walked over and took her hand. "Don't worry…" he whispered. "I'll protect you…I promise."

Despite the cold and the fact that he was still in rather weak condition, Yuji ran at half-speed and carried Hyouike on his back as she guided him. "Okay…" she pointed. "…beyond that mountain…"

She couldn't say anymore, and Yuji didn't push her. Whatever it was about the camps that got to her, it was too emotional for her to handle, that much he could tell. Yuji climbed up the mountain, his passenger a bit of a problem, but he did not complain. He was halfway to the peak when he saw it: Barracks after barracks, surrounded by fences. Even with his fairly poor eyesight, he could see people doing various things. What, he could not tell, and even if he had his glasses, he would probably still need a telescope. "Hyouike, what are they doing?" His stowaway still remained silent. Yuji couldn't see her face, but judging by her trembling hands, he could imagine it conveyed utter horror. "We're going down, okay? You should probably be the one to tell me this…but whatever you do, don't scream."

Slowly, the pair made their way down the mountain, and found a small pit where they could hide behind some small boulders. It was only about twenty feet down, but with the boulders blocking their view, he could not see much. "Blast it, I can't see from here. And I can't risk going inside…not without a disguise."

That's when he heard footsteps. Close by, but not close enough to be a credible threat just yet. Carefully, he eased his head out of the boulders just enough to see a group of Iwa nin heading toward the entrance. Most of them seemed to be kids, about his age.

The leader was probably a professor. "Here is where we are currently keeping all the Ainu we can find, safe from the rest of society." he instructed. "We are about to begin a tour of the camps, and I must warn you, you will see things you will not like. Keep in mind, as human as they appear, this race is a savage, vile one. They were far crueler to each other when they were free, but here at least, there is order. They don't deserve the privileges of normal men either, and as of yet they've given us no reason to treat them as one of us." Just then, one of the students began to make movements as if he was dancing and raised his hand. The teacher sighed and asked "What is it this time, Tsugigire?"

"S-s-s-sensei, I've got to go!!"

Shaking his head, and presumably rolling his eyes underneath his sunglasses, he replied "Just hurry it up! And if you have diarrhea again, we'll leave you behind!"

The student practically dashed up the hill for some privacy. Right near the pit where Yuji and Hyouike were hiding. "Perfect." Just as he stepped on the rock to pee, something snared his neck, and was pulled in. Yuji covered his mouth and pressed a kunai near his neck. The kid put up no struggle. Yuji then noticed there was no headband on. "He must be an academy student." Checking his clothes for weapons and finding none, he whispered "Hyouike, I think I've got someone you can handle."

Handing the hostage over, Yuji then transformed into him. It wasn't perfect, though; there were minor inconsistencies. "Tell me what I need to adjust."

Looking at their new captive, Hyouike whispered " His hair is a little bit more flat…better, now his eyes are brown…perfect. Now, his nose is bigger. Bigger…bigger…too big, too big!!"

They both knew they were running out of time before the professor got suspicious. They hoped he would do what he said he would, but as they could hear the footsteps coming towards them, those hopes were slashed. Yuji frantically tried to get the transformation right. "Tsugigire!? Where the bloody hell are you!!?"

Just then Yuji, disguised as Tsugigire, popped out and yelled "Present!" This move was a huge risk; he did know this kid the slightest bit. Anyone close to him would call him for the fake he was. "I-I'm glad you came back for me, s-s-sensei." Yuji said, trying to imitate the kid's stutter.

"Just shut up and come on!!" the man yelled, jerking him by the arm.

Yuji paid no attention to the professor as he followed the group the through the camps; his attention was drawn to the prisoners. He couldn't tell if they were Ainu at first; all of the men had shaved heads. It was only when they came up close to show off their gray eyes that he suspected it, and confirmed it when all of them on a snowflake attached to their uniforms. The camps were decrepit, and that was putting it nicely. Observing the prisoners, he noticed that most of them were dangerously thin…

"Come on, move it!!" Yuji turned around, and saw some ninjas shove a prisoner on the ground. He was completely naked, but that didn't stun Yuji nearly as much as his body condition: He was emaciated!! He was practically a living skeleton, Yuji wouldn't have believed anyone in such poor condition could even move. Before anymore noise was made, the guards stabbed the back of his neck, ending his life.

To his left Yuji saw the guards taking several corpses into a trench. "Okay, lite'em up." One of the ninjas dropped a match on the bodies, and then they were engulfed in flames. Yuji then looked to a barrack next to the one he was walking through, and noticed a group of women. Their heads were unshaved, and they were also naked. They were a bit too thin, but they looked healthy otherwise. Under normal circumstances, Yuji would have gotten a major nosebleed by now, but with everything else going on around him made him, he didn't care about such trivial matters. It seemed they were being forced to do jumping jacks. "In this weather!?" Yuji thought. "What kind of people would do this!?"

"AAAAHHHHH!!!" Yuji looked behind him to see one of the prisoners running. Yuji was frozen with uncertainty; he could attempt to help him escape, but in doing so he would reveal his disguise. At the same time, he couldn't let him just die…however, the decision was made for him when the man ran right into the electric fence. Sparks flew from the fence, and the man fell back, smoldering and dead. Realization dawned on Yuji. "He couldn't live like this anymore. He threw his own life away…"

"Tsugigure!! Hurry it up!!" Yuji tore his attention away, and headed inside with the rest of the class.

"The inside is accommodating to the guards, while the prisoners are kept in a much more humble position."

Yuji's attention once again drifted away from him as he saw the boxes that passed for beds. They were too small for a man to fit in without major discomfort. The cafeteria looked no better; everyone was forced to stand, and he doubted the broth they were drinking had any real nutrition. One prisoner accidentally bumped into another, causing him to spill his soup. The latter screamed in rage and attacked the other man like an animal. None of the other prisoners, nor the guards, interfered.

Soon, they moved to another location, staring at a room through a glass window. More Ainu prisoners were being lined up, but they were different for some reason. None were wearing the standard prison uniform. Half looked to be middle-aged and older; the other half were children, ranging from Yuji's age to younger and well into their teens.

"As you know, we require hard labor from our prisoners. They must be at least 18 and no older than 45 to do so. Otherwise, there's no point in keeping them around." Yuji then noticed the professor had a switch in his hand, which he pressed. A yellowish gas then filled the room, and its occupants began choking. Some foamed from their mouths and convulsed uncontrollably. "They're dying!" Yuji thought. As if that wasn't bad enough, one of the prisoners smashed his head against the glass in front of Yuji, cracking it. "Step away, everyone! There could be a leak!"

As the group hurried out of the hallway, Yuji looked back to another room and saw an Iwa nin with an Ainu woman. He couldn't tell exactly what was happening, he was running too fast to tell. What he did see though, was that she was pinned up against the wall, and she had no clothes on…

"Making another round with these twerps, Kanbiiru?" The group stopped to bow to the nin in front of them, and Yuji barely got over his shock to follow suit: It was Koungasenki!

"He's here!?" It took all of Yuji's will power to restrain himself and attacking him. He started to worry Koungasenki might see through his disguise and then…

"These field trips are an important part of the education of children if they're to be groomed into fine shinobi!!"

Koungasenki just laughed as he looked through the group. He then backed up and said to the teacher, "If you'll excuse me, I think there is something I need to say to these maggots." Nervously, the older man obliged. "So, you think this is a just cause? That you will be remembered as heroes for torturing and killing an entire race?" As the group stood silent, pondering what they believed, Koungasenki held up his hands and said "Don't get me wrong! I LOVE doing this! I just get annoyed when people defend this stuff by saying it's a just cause!" Walking around, grinning wickedly (not that one could easily tell), he said "Well, I'm sure if it were the other way around, the Ainu here would say cleansing us from this world is a 'just cause' as well. The fact is, PEOPLE love doing evil things. We shinobi are the prime example of that. We'll gladly kill anyone, so long as we get paid. It's simply human nature. I'm sure you've had comrades killing other comrades over petty matters. Surely you've known of the time we invaded that baron's castle and killed the women and children as well." Koungasenki began to laugh in a manner so cruel it sent shivers down everyone's spine. "Don't cover up your inner evil and defend it with 'just cause'…" A group of prisoners walk by him with an escort, and picked one and stabbed him in the throat. Turning around with his half-smile, half-frown, he shouted "…EMBRACE IT!"

It was then that Kanbiiru noticed someone in the group was missing. "Hey, where's Tsugigure?"

Yuji made a break for it and ran towards his companion's hiding spot. The two abandoned their captive and got as far away from the camp as possible, but Yuji emphasized that he still wanted to stick close-by.

Soon, they managed to find a cave, and Yuji, using his chakra-enhanced strength, stacked boulders at the entrance to hide themselves. It was cold, but Hyouike found that the cave had plenty of firewood. After lighting a fire, the two stared into it, neither speaking a word.

After a while, Hyouike took a glance at Yuji's eyes, and could instantly see the boy's inner turmoil. "You saw it."

Yuji's breathing increased rapidly, to the point of hyperventilating. He tried to form words, but instead all that came out were inaudible hiccups. Finally, he managed to speak. "Oh god, oh god. What went on in there…" Yuji began to cry softly, and clenched his fists. "I just stood there. I let it all happen." He stared at her with red eyes and yelled "I could have done something!!"

Hyouike, seemingly in a world of her own, responded "If you tried, you would have been killed. They're MY people, and all I could ever do was hide. Did you ever think of how it makes ME feel? Besides…it doesn't take much to get a normal person to enjoy that kind of thing. It makes me wonder if I should just kill them all if I could."

Rubbing his temples, Yuji asked "How long..How long has this been going on!?"

Hyouike emotionlessly answered "Four years. All of them involving me watching from the sidelines. Just last year, I watched as my father lost his hand in a piece of machinery and get discarded."

"Four years!?" Yuji yelled in shock. "Since I was a little kid!? It can't be…surely, the Hokage would…"

"…intervene?" Hyouike asked, with a tone of malicious sarcasm that did not go unnoticed by Yuji. "What would your Hokage have to gain by declaring war and sending his soldiers to death in the name of a humanitarian cause? Especially for us!?"

"You're wrong! The Hokage would…"

"…probably kill us, just like the Nidaime Hokage did."

Whatever Yuji's current train of thought was, it stopped right there. "That's impossible!! We would never…"

"Oh, it certainly happened. We used to live in the Northern Regions of Fire Country, and we travelled in caravans. My grandfather was there at the time it happened; he was probably about ten years old. One day, as he told me, a battalion of Konoha nins had stopped by, ANBU he believed, due to the masks they wore. They started harassing one of our traders, and when he stood up to them, he took a severe beating. He may have even been beaten to death. The rest of his people took note of this, and nearly started a riot. The ninja proclaimed they had the authority of the Nidaime Hokage, and then killed one of the Ainu in the crowd. None of them had weapons, nor did they know a thing about martial arts, so they remained quiet, and from that point on were at their mercy. They then escorted the entire caravan into the village, and placed them in jail. My grandfather didn't know exactly what they were doing, but one by one an occupant was taken out, and never heard from again. His mother managed to find a small hole in the cell, small enough for a child like him, and made him escape. By the time he found a new caravan of Ainu to take him in, he had learned that everyone captured was lynched." Yuji couldn't believe what he just heard. He just could not comprehend his country's leaders allowing something like that to happen… "After that, we left for Earth Country, believing we would be safer there. Ame and Kusa were at war, so we had to take the long way around those two countries. But, as you can see, it turned out to be a case of jumping from the frying pan to the fire." Hyouike then looked at Yuji. "My people have been convenient scapegoats wherever we travelled. Can you honestly say your people have changed? Or that even if your generation has no ill will towards my people, that you can say with a straight face you would treat us as human beings?"

Yuji couldn't answer her, his face showing a blank expression. Instead, he stood up, and walked deeper into the cave, into the pitch black darkness.

An hour passed, and Yuji finally came walking back towards the fire, now barely anything more than embers. "I had to think. About what I saw. About what you told me." Hyouike just looked at him, curious as to what conclusion he came to. "Quite frankly, I don't know if what you told me was true. Though you convinced me that the event you described actually happened, there has to be more to it. I will find out, one way, or another…but right now, that's not important."

Yuji suddenly took her hand."Wha…?"

"This can't go on. I will not let my soul bear the burden of standing by and doing nothing more so than I already have. I'm going to break up that camp." Hyouike, in response, stared inquisitively at him in disbelief. "It will take time to get ready, and I'm going to need your help."

Hyouike looked at him with hope for a second, then her face scowled and pulled her hand away from him. "Why should I trust you!? In my mind, your people are no different from them!! I bet if your Hokage found it worth the time, he would do the exact same thing."

"If that's so, then why did you help me!?" Yuji asked, failing to hide his annoyance.

Hyouike looked like she was struck across the face, and tried to think up a reasonable response. "I…I don't know!!" she cried, collapsing on her knees. Sobbing softly, she whispered "I just…you were drowning, freezing to death." Hugging herself, she whispered "No matter what kind of person you are…I just can't let anyone like that die. My dad…he helped everyone, no matter what they were. He even treated some Iwa nin when the genocide started. Everyone hated him for it…but he would always argue back 'Selective compassion is good as no compassion at all'. I suppose…I was trying to honor his teachings when I found you."

Yuji then helped her up and brought her to face him. "Then consider this my way of repaying you, and at least part of an apology from my people."

"Wha?"

"You're right, I can't rely on help from Konoha; too many politics will get involved, and by the time any action is approved, too many will be dead. Enough will die as it is while I prepare a plan…"

"You think you can take them all on by yourself!?" Hyouike shouted in disbelief. "You're chunin at best!! Even a high-ranking jonin would have trouble dealing with them all!!"

"My goal is not to take them out; I just need a diversion of some sort to let the Ainu escape. But if does come to that…" Yuji's eyes looked into hers, burning with anger they never had before. "…my hands will crush them all."

Two Kiri ninja sprinted through a forest, and found their superior officer relaxing atop the trees. "Taifuu-sama!!" they called. They kneeled before the figure lying casually on the branch.

"What is it this time?" the leader asked, clearly annoyed and having no intention of hiding it. "It better be something useful; for days you've found nothing but hunches. But I want something conclusive. Otherwise, don't even bother telling me." The leader gripped what appeared to be a staff. "I'm getting awfully tired of waiting when she could be getting even farther away…"

"We've found her."

This caught the leader's attention. "You're sure?" she asked, slowly and hesitantly.

"Yes, there's no mistaking it. She's with a young man. Right now, we don't know her companion's strength. I think it would be wise to…"

"She has no need for allies. If even that traitor Kisame feared her, then nothing could possibly be a worthwhile ally. Still…" the leader jumped down to the ground. "Attack her. Test her. If any of you manage to wound her…I suppose it's okay if you kill her. If one of you weaklings can knick her, there's no point in fighting her myself. I suppose knowing that she allowed herself to slack off while I pushed my body to the limit is a good enough substitute for revenge. Now, go!!"

Several other Kiri nin appeared from the trees, and made their way into the nearby village…

"Get going!! The boat will be leaving in 4 hours, and you two are only half-way there!!" a foreman on the docks shouted.

"Yes sir!" Midoriiro replied, carrying a crate across her back. "Come on, Sasuke-chan!"she called, looking behind her. "If we make quota, we'll get a raise tomorrow!!"

Sasuke did his best to make it look like he was trying to move the crate on his back harder without giving away his superbly athletic skills. Midoriiro was the one who suggested in the first place for Sasuke to hide the fact he was a ninja; he knew right from the start though that Midoriiro was secretly hiding some abilities of her own as well. He decided not to bring it up, and from there focused on his work.

"Alright, keep that pace up, and I'll imagine…" The foreman's sentence was cut off as his head flew off his body.

"What the-?" Sasuke felt his arms restrained as hunter-nins grabbed them, and kneed him in the stomach, effectively knocking the wind out of him.

"Sasuke-chan!" Midoriiro shouted, running towards Sasuke.

However, another ninja kicked her in the side of the head and sent her sprawling. "Is she really…?"

"There's no way! She can't be the one!!" Midoriiro struggled to stand, only to take an even more severe beating. "She's not even fighting back! Well, you heard what Taifuu-sama told us; if we even land a scratch on her, we have permission to kill her."

The leader of the squad, wearing a wolf-mask, held his hand up. "No, this is too good an opportunity. I want to see what it's like to fight a mist-swordsman."

Sasuke's eyes widened at the man's proclamation. "M-Mist Swordsman? Impossible!!" Sasuke knew right from the beginning that Midoriiro was hiding skills on par with ninja, but to be one of legendary status in his mind was impossible. Sure, she was bat-shit insane…but having seen almost all of the swordsmen, there was no way she could be one; even if she had the skills, she didn't have the murderous personalities of the others.

"Well, Miss Gaikai…it's an honor to meet you." The leader said, then running up and kicked her. "Or it would be if you lived up to your reputation."

Midoriiro coughed in pain, and whimpered "Please, please leave. Take what you want, just leave us in peace, I beg of you."

This only earned her another boot to the head. "Stupid wench!! You're so desperate to protect your identity that you'll die for it!? Pathetic!!" He stomped on her hand, eliciting a scream from her.

"Come on boss, we already know it's her!!" One of the other ninjas shouted. "No point in dragging this out; let's just kill her. Taifuu-sama gave us permission if she wasn't up to the task."

Upon hearing that name, Midoriiro's eyes widened. "Taifuu?"

"What are you doing!? What do you want!?" Sasuke yelled, struggling to break free of his captors.

The two ninja restraining him pressed kunai against the back of his head, and whispered "Hush. Your girlfriend over there is a criminal. Well, by our standards at least." One of them chuckled.

Sasuke didn't know why, but he was hesitant to fight. He could easily kill these men if he wanted; he wagered that he could even beat them without killing one of them. "But will that really make me a better person than I was yesterday? Will I really be helping a criminal?" When Sasuke laid eyes on Midoriiro taking a beating, though, his mind was made up. "Even if she is a mist swordsman…she's still my friend!!"

Before he could act, the leader nin grabbed her by the hair and said "Disgusting. I remember the vicious killer you use to be. It seems violence on yourself does nothing to get you into fighting spirit." Letting her plop to the floor, he then turned to look at Sasuke. Slowly, he began walking towards him.

"That's right, come here, you bastard…" Sasuke thought, preparing a surprise counter.

"If you have fallen as far as I've been lead to believe, maybe you'll respond to a…different stimuli. Watch, as I carve this bum's insides…slowly."

Just as Sasuke got ready to fight back, Midoriiro's eyes opened. But they were a different color. They seemed to be…amber. "Lay one hand on him…and I will gladly give you a free pass to HELL!!" she screamed. She opened her mouth, seemingly regurgitating a scroll into the air. She landed on her hands and preformed a spinning helicopter kick against her two "guards", knocking them out cold. She landed on her feet and caught the scroll before it even landed. Opening it, she revealed her sword.

The leader nin smirked underneath his mask. "Well well. She finally appears: Gaikai Midoriiro…the Bloody Flash of the Mist." The lieutenant suddenly hurled shuriken at her, and she kicked them away. Activating his Sharingan, Sasuke noticed the bottom of her ghettas were metal! "So, I take it you're willing to fight now?"

"When I unsheathe my sword, the next thing everyone sees is fire and brimstone."

The lieutenant replied "We'll see about that."

With a gesture of his hand, a whole swarm of ninjas descended upon her. However, to the naked eye, it seemed that she simply vanished. Then, limbs and blood flew. Sasuke could not believe his Sharingan eyes; even he had difficulty following her movements. Midoriiro had a very unorthodox fighting style; it looked more like she was dancing, jumping in the air, tumbling, and standing on her hands. Her swings were incredibly fast; it seemed she could take just one look at the enemy's eyes, know exactly how they would move, and take them down before they could complete their actions. Finally, there was no one left…except the lieutenant.

"You should leave, Koyoote. If you're no match for Taifuu, you're most certainly not a match for me."

At that moment, Sasuke realized he was so caught up in watching her fight, that he didn't realize his captors released him in order to help the rest of the squad. He turned to Koyoote, and could see that he was trembling. But not enough to back down from a fight. "You figured out who I am. From the sound of my voice, yes? Hah! While Taifuu has been hell-bent on killing you, she doesn't care how! She ordered us to attack you, and kill you if you're not up to her standards. I've once looked up to the swordsmen, and I've always dreamed of proving myself to them. And…" Pulling out two scrolls, the lieutenant hurled two massive shurikens at her. "…that's what I intend to show you!!"

Midoriiro dodged one, and knocked the other right towards his direction, forcing him to dodge. Rushing towards her with claw gauntlets, he struck, but Midoriiro easily countered with her sword, holding back both his weapons while using only one hand to grip her hilt. "Walk away. This is YOUR LAST WARNING!!" Midoriiro flipped onto her free hand, and landed a kick in the man's face, cracking his mask, and sliced his torso. The cut wasn't life-threatening, but no sane ninja would laugh about letting a lethal weapon like that get close.

Now that Sasuke could see his face, it was clear he was visibly shaken. "HAHAHA!!! A real mist swordsman would have cut me in two by now!!!"

"Or she could just be toying with you." Midoriiro replied coldly.

Koyoote's face twisted with anger. "Silence, you bitch!!!" He made hand signs, and began his technique. " Suiton!! Suidakatsu no Jutsu!!" The ground broke apart as a watery serpent rose above it, near Midoriiro, and twisted its coils around her. Once they formed the image of a snake squeezing its prey, the coils began spinning faster and faster until the ground in the middle was torn apart.

"She's going to be torn to pieces!!" Sasuke cried out loud.

Koyoote, on the other hand, was smiling with glee "Ha!! I'm sure to be recognized as one of Kiri's greatest…"

"…fools."

Looking up, Koyoote saw Midoriiro in the air, unharmed. "She jumped right before the coils closed in on her!!"

Midoriiro cried "Hiton!! Ikkatsu Ryu Tsuchi no Jutsu!!!" Chakra channeled through her sword, and as she swung down, a burst of energy like sunlight came crashing down on Koyoote, and a blood curdling scream accompanied the thunderous noise. Sasuke made the mistake of having his Sharingan activated, and the light was too much for him to take. When Sasuke finally opened his eyes once again, he saw the Kiri nin crushed, as if an entire ship was dropped on top of him. Midoriiro stood next to his corpse, clenching her blade in anger. At herself. "I'm sorry." she whispered. She then slowly turned her head to Sasuke, meeting his eyes with her own crimson ones.

Happy Holidays everyone! Hopefully, I'll have the next chapter up by New Year's!

Next Time: Sakura vs. Tobi!

Hyouike-Ice Pond

Shibakakiri-Lawnmower

Gufuken-Tornado Sword

Tsugigire-Patch

Kanbiiru-Beer Can

Koyoote-Coyote

Suidakatsu-Water Serpent

Hiton-Light Release

Ikkatsu Ryu Tsuchi-Thundering Dragon Hammer