There is no excuse. I'm so sorry I've kept you all waiting. I promised I would make chapters shorter, but I wanted to get all of this out of the way in one fell swoop, and this is the result. Next time, I will try harder to make that happen.

I only hope you all continue to enjoy, and next time I'll do my best to cut these long chapters by three, even if it means ending on a cliffhanger or random scene.

A carriage pulled up towards a dilapidated warehouse district in the middle of the night. Byakko waited inside at the top floor of one close by, observing his visitor through a broken window. As the building was technically condemned, the samurai police typically didn't bother with these places unless they were informed. Outside, he saw Hyakuunjou, who in reality was the Konoha Chunin Naka Shiguri, step out of the carriage. Byakko took note of the driver; a boy about Shiguri's age, with glasses. "Could this guy be undercover?" Byakko doubted it immediately upon thinking it; whatever this boy was to Hyakuunjou, he looked too frail and pathetic to be of any help. His ridiculous foreign get up further hinted that he was just a servant. Still, even servants could snitch. "Ookami, go ask about the driver." he ordered a thug

The servant stepped out of the driver's seat and walked inside, pulling on a long chain. Three women with bags over their heads, and their bodies covered in potato sacks, grunted as they were forced outside. "Who's he?" Ookami asked, pointing at the bespectacled Yuji.

"My servant." Shiguri replied, showing no signs of fear or anxiousness in his voice. "He's mute, so he couldn't snitch if he tried. And besides, I haven't been able to confirm it, but I think he's kind of retarded."

Yuji suppressed an urge to give him a dirty look, but that didn't stop a vein on his forehead from popping.

"Even so, he's not coming in." Ookami ordered. "You bring the merchandise in, and he stays. If these guys here see anything suspicious…"

Before Ookami could finish, Shiguri nodded in understanding. Turning to Yuji, he said, "Why don't you take a break, Jeevey? I'll take it from here." Shiguri took the chains from him, and went inside.

Hearing the yakuza barricade the doors behind him, he knew there would be no escape if he blew his cover. "Fat chance of that happening." he thought suppressing a grin. "I'm just too good at this bad kid stuff."

"Well, show me what you got." Byakko stepped into view, flanked by his guards.

Shiguri brought the "merchandise" forward without hesitation, tugging on the chain hard for good measure. "These were a few tourists who were stupid enough to travel by themselves with no knowledge of self-defense. I had to move them away from their point of kidnapping to ensure no one would be able to trace us."

Byakko nodded, satisfied with his street smarts. "Only three?" he asked incredulously.

"We just started." Shiguri replied. "My men have confirmed finding others; they'll be ready soon enough. These are the ones I am most eager to get out to market, and see if your best customer would be interested."

Byakko pulled the bag off the first one. This one had quite a pretty face, with alluring hair. The style was rather plain, but some of the female yakuza could fix that. "Not bad." Byakko nodded in satisfaction.

"Let me go, please!" the girl cried, tears flowing down her cheeks.

Byakko than felt her body, predictably eliciting screams of disgust from the poor girl. "Great body type as well. I think she'll do." Byakko motioned for his men to take her into another room.

"Alright, so far so good. Now, what do we have here?" Pulling the bag off of the next, even Byakko was stunned. Her face alone was so womanly. Her purple hair made her look exotic. And those lips…many noble women paid good service to get lips like those through surgery, but there was nothing like the natural thing. "Looks like we have a real winner here." He smirked, cupping the captive's cheek.

"Fuck you!" she suddenly screamed, spitting on him.

"You'll learn to watch your tongue, you little tramp!" He yelled, backhanding her and seemingly knocking her out.

"Sorry about that." Shiguri apologized sheepishly. "That one's been a problem since I got her."

"She's a fighter, I'll give her that." Byakko said, wiping his face with a handkerchief. "Don't worry, though; we've got just what the doctor ordered for ones like this." Taking the opportunity to inspect her body while she was still out cold, he smiled in satisfaction. "Mmm. I'm tempted to keep this one for myself. But, I've had my fair share of bombshells like these. I suppose I can part with her."

The men dragged her into the back without their boss having spoken a word. "So far so good. Hopefully, this will be the grand prize of your bunch." Lifting the bag off, he looked even more stunned than before. A young woman with sparkling blond hair and blue eyes faced him. One side of her face was covered with bangs, making her look like she was begging for it despite her sad and frightened look. Byakko only grinned menacingly. "I just may have to have a little bit of fun with this one myself before selling her."

Though he couldn't see it, Shiguri clenched his fist slightly hearing his comment. "Keep it together…she can take care of herself." he reminded himself silently.

Ino pretended to be so frightened that she couldn't even speak, shaking her body as if trembling with fear. Byakko inspected her body as well, and sent her away. "Well kid, I must say, I am impressed with your tastes. You were wise to bring them to me; they're definitely top quality."

Shiguri, trying to remain nonchalant, replied, "So, I'm just curious; who is the buyer?"

"Don't know." Byakko replied. "His representative makes the purchases. Safety in case we're found out."

"Makes sense." Shiguri said, hiding his dissatisfaction with the answer. "I'd love to stick around, but I've got to get the rest of the merchandise ready. It could take a while, and our business here is concluded."

"Whatever happens, just make sure you come here in 4 days." Byakko handed him a sheet of paper, detailing another address. "We'll be having the auction here; I'll introduce you to the guy. And remember, same procedure as before." He gripped Shiguri's hand, squeezing. Though he was old and never a ninja, Shiguri could only imagine how much he could bench press. Though it looked like a friendly gesture, Shiguri could tell he was giving him a silent warning. Byakko may have fallen for his story, but he didn't trust him completely. And Shiguri knew he had ways of ensuring collateral in case anyone double-crossed him. "I'll see you there." With that, he walked off, and Shiguri was allowed to leave.

Shiguri returned to the carriage, silently thankful that Yuji was unharmed. He got inside and told him "Get going." emphasizing the gruffness in his voice. Yuji cracked the reigns, and the horses took off.

When they were out of earshot, Yuji turned back and looked at Shiguri incredulously. "Retarded? Where the hell did that come from?"

"Makes you even less threatening… which isn't exactly hard to do to those who don't know you." Shiguri smirked. Noticing the silence that permeated the atmosphere, Shiguri did his best to save face. "Aw, come on! You know that's not what I really think of you! I'm not exactly in a situation where I can be nice!"

Another moment of silence. Shiguri feared he might have truly offended him, until Yuji sighed in defeat. "Fine. I believe you." Shiguri sighed with relief as well. "I guess if we were going that route, I couldn't read my manga while I was waiting."

"Well, so long as you make funny noises for the sound effects they probably wouldn't have gotten TOO suspicious." Shiguri commented humorously.

"But what's really bugging me is letting Ino-sensei and the others alone with them. You think they will be alright?" he asked apprehensively.

"Chivalrous as ever, huh? Don't worry, they're all experienced kunoichi; they'll be fine." Shiguri said, seemingly confident in his answer, but truthfully had the same fears as his friend. What made it even scarier was that their jonin superiors were essentially captives, and if something went wrong, it would be up to him and Yuji.

Yuji replied, "I hope you're right about that."

"By the way, how are the transmitters working?" Shiguri asked. His senseis were trying out a new model designed to look like a hairpin; none of the yakuza would think to discard them

"I'm not able to hear much; a bit of sobbing, some sighing. None of them are from anyone I recognize. I guess that just means they're being prepped like Byakko said. Hopefully, Ino-sensei and the others are okay for now." Yuji informed him as he pressed the receiver in his ear.

"So far, so good." Shiguri commented. "I wouldn't expect for us to hear anything valuable, not now. Hopefully they'll be able to keep them throughout the duration of the operation."

"One other thing." Yuji said. "The other merchandise you mentioned. What are we going to do about that? Yugo and Temari-sensei were the only kunoichi available for this mission; there is no way we'll be able to get a harem together"

Shiguri took a moment to brainstorm on that. "Shit." He finally cursed. "I didn't think that far ahead. He just mentioned how little quantity I had, and I just said something on instinct to save face. If we don't come up with something fast, our cover will be blown for sure."

"I've an idea." Yuji said. "Hyakujuuno's story is that his father was killed during a samurai raid, right? Statistically speaking, the number of busts has gone up. Maybe you can tell him that you were found out, and had to escape without them."

Shiguri slightly nodded in satisfaction. "One problem, though; it has to be convincing."

"Leave that to me." Yuji replied, his enthusiasm finally returning. "Medical ninjutsu is good for more than just healing and poisoning."

Shiguri's eyes widened as his mind began to comprehend what he meant by making the story "authentic". "Yuji...what are you planning?"

Ino was thrown into an empty cell along with Yugo and Temari. They would be together inside for only a few minutes, as the Yakuza had to prepare to hook them on the most addictive opium they could find. Ino, not wanting to risk alerting the guards to their true identities touched her comrades' foreheads and set up a mind link between them.

"Plain hair? Shikamaru likes it!" was the first thought coming out of Temari, not yet realizing they were linked.

"Well, Shikamaru does have different tastes from most other people." Ino replied. That got her a dirty look from Temari. Ino could only smile nervously in response.

"Anyway, back to the mission at hand." Yugo interrupted, her no-nonsense attitude diffusing the situation before it got out of hand. "Ino, do you believe Dandelion-san will be here, or at the auction?"

Ino replied "No, I doubt it. Judging by the time between she went missing and now, I fear she was already bought."

"The question is, from whom?" Yugo thought.

"It will be almost impossible to trace her at this point." Temari commented in apparent defeat.

"Impossible for most anyone but me." Ino reminded them. "This was to be expected though; and that's why Tsunade-sama selected me for this mission."

"So, Ino." Yugo asked. "What's the plan now?"

"We simply wait for the auction, and we'll move on from there. Has everyone got their naloxone pills?" The two nodded affirmatively. Naloxone was a competitive antagonist to opioids, and would help prevent them from becoming addicted to the opium that Byakko was about to administer into their systems. Ino may not have been at Sakura's or Tsunade's level, but she was an accomplished medic in her own right.

Suddenly, their cage opened. "Hurry up!" one of them yelled to three other thugs, as the three kunoichi were roughly grabbed by the shoulders. "We need to get these whores prime and ready!"

The next morning, in Wave, Sakura sat down at the kitchen munching on bacon and eggs that Tsunami prepared. It would take a while for the results from the objects she gathered from Felidae industries to come back to her via Katsuya. But Tsunade was a fast worker when she had to be; they should be back soon. Suddenly, Tazuna came in, carrying a large piece of paper. "Morning, Tazuna-san. What's that you got there?"

"I remember you telling me about your little trip to Felidae Island and that unknown weapon. I suspected I knew what it was, and I just need to confirm it." Laying out the blue prints on the kitchen table, he made sure that Sakura could see the designs clearly. "Was this the object you saw?" Tazuna asked Sakura as she finished her last bite.

Sakura looked at the diagram, observing the handle, and the barrel of the device. "Yes. I'm sure of it." Sakura said. "On its own, it didn't look dangerous. But something about it packs a punch. What is it?"

"It's called a gun, a pistol to be exact." Tazuna replied as he pointed to the different parts of the weapon. "It uses flint, iron, and gunpowder. This piece…the trigger, right here…is pulled, and a piece of flint is pulled with it, creating sparks via friction from the iron stored. The sparks inside lights the gunpowder in the barrel here, and the explosion inside will propel the metal balls, which we call bullets."

Sakura was genuinely impressed. "Ingenious. How do you know about these?"

"They're part of our standard military now, and we're slowly making them available to citizens provided they're not criminals and spend at least 2 years of military training. Ever since Gato, we've agreed that we couldn't rely on our geographic protection and began making weapons that would even give shinobi a run for their money. The pistol was one of our first, and now we're making another variety with longer range, accuracy, and if worse comes to worse, can be used in melee combat. But enough about all this; a private company shouldn't be able to get these yet. Which means…"

"… wherever they're getting these things from, it's from within the government." Sakura finished for him.

Tazuna sighed. "I might have a few suspects in mind. I'll look into it."

"Tazuna-san…don't!" Sakura warned him. "You'll put yourself in danger…"

Tsunami, overhearing the conversation, was about to agree with Sakura, but Tazuna gave his reply quickly. "If what you say is true, we're already in danger!" Tazuna huffed. Rising from the seat, he began to adjust his tie. "I've got to go to work, and I'd feel better if I was more proactive about it. Don't worry, I can handle myself; I know how to be subtle." Tazuna, upon observing his daughter's look, sighed. No matter how sure he was of an opinion, with that look Tsunami could force him to compromise. "However, I do have one request."

"Name it." Sakura answered.

"In case something happens, look after my family." Tazuna told her. "I'll be sure to keep myself alive, but I need you to make sure Tsunami and Inari remain safe."

Sakura replied "Naruto and I should be enough to protect your daughter and grandson. But Kakashi-sensei is going with you; Tigre has Uchiha clones, that I'm sure of, and shinobi of that quality have ways of assassination in broad daylight an plain view."

Having a feeling this was an argument he couldn't win, he sighed in defeat. "Very well then. I'm counting on you." Looking at his watch, Tazuna cursed under his breath. "Shit. I nearly forgot to wake Inari. He's going to be late for work."

Sakura's eyebrows quirked in surprise. "Inari's not in school?"

"He can go back any time he wants." Tazuna answered. "He wanted to learn some skills, however, and given how unstable our economy and situation was only a few years ago, we thought it would be good for him to learn some skills he could always fall back on."

"I'll go wake him up." Tsunami answered. "I'm done here, so it's no problem."

"Don't worry about it, sweetie." Tazuna waved to his daughter. "I'll handle it myself."

Inari sprinted through the forest, not knowing the when or why, and finally reached the beach. It was always his favorite place to go; it helped him feel safe and forget about his troubles in the world. He couldn't remember why he came here; it felt like it was supposed to be something important.

"Inari…" a feminine voice said.

Inari turned to his left…and his jaw dropped at the sight of what he saw.

Sakura was only a few feet away from him, wearing only a shell necklace that failed to cover her breasts (minus the most important part), and a tiny grass skirt that barely passed as a loincloth. If even a slight breeze blew, Sakura would have been completely exposed to him, yet this did not seem to bother her. Instead, she seemed to look forward to such an "accident".

Inari didn't dare make a sound; even if this was wrong, the sight before him was just too good to ruin.

"I've been looking for you…" She inched towards him closer, slowly and seductively, teasing him with her thighs, her forbidden treasures threatening to escape their flimsy confines. "I need a real man…to satisfy me…"

Before Inari could reply, Sakura suddenly kissed him. There was nothing chaste about it; it was hungry and needy. Inari lost the precise details of what was happening to him, but he didn't care. He never thought he would experience anything like this in his teenage years. He went with it, and had what was perhaps the best time of his life.

It seemed he was a natural at this, as Sakura only kept moaning his name. "Inari…Inari…"

When it seemed their tryst was about to come to a spectacular end, her voice began to change. It became deeper…hoarser than any woman should be. "Inari…Inari…"

She was beginning to sound like an old man, yet Inari couldn't stop to his horror. Come to think of it, she sounded like…"Grandpa!?"

Suddenly, beneath him, instead of Sakura, was his grandfather! "Inari…"

Tazuna shook his grandson a bit rougher. "Man! This kid will probably sleep through the apocalypse one day." Raising his voice, he said "For the last time kid, wake-"

"AHHHH!" Inari bolted up from his bed, his face covered in cold sweat. Checking his surroundings, and seeing his grandfather next to him (fully clothed, thank goodness), he began to calm down. "A dream…it was only a dream…" he panted.

Tazuna gave his grandson a worried look. "Inari…what's wrong? What were you-?" He cut his sentence off when he was noticing something protruding from Inari's blanket. Both Tazuna and Inari turned red at the sight of it. "Oh…" Tazuna groaned, looking at his grandson sheepishly. Then, he realized exactly what Inari dreamed of and how he contributed to it. "Oh!..." he exclaimed in realization. Suddenly, he clapped his hand over his mouth, trying to prevent the laughter threatening to escape from coming out his mouth. He failed miserably, and had to hunch over as he laughed. "HAHAHAHA!" he bellowed. "No wonder you woke up with such a cold sweat!" He continued laughing at the absurdity of intruding on Inari's wet dream. "I can't blame you; I'd be traumatized too if I was getting frisky with…with…" He giggled manically like a child. "…myself!" he finally burst out.

Inari feared his grandfather would roll on the floor any minute, assuming he did not curl up and die first. "It's not funny gramps! I'm scared for life now!" he complained.

"Hey, it could have been worse." Tazuna said, seemingly calming down. "It could have been some of my co-workers. Trust me, they're even uglier than me!" Inari didn't have a reply for that; it would have been all the same to him. "Anyway, get a cold shower in and get dressed! You're running late!" Tazuna exited Inari's room, as his grandson only sighed.

"I've a feeling today's going to be a long day."

"Rin?" a 13-year-old Kakashi knocked on the door of his surviving teammate's apartment. Things had never been the same since Kannabi Bridge; the loss of Obito took a toll on everyone who knew him. However, Kakashi and Minato were somewhat able to go on with their lives. At least Minato had Kushina. And, if nothing else, Kakashi had the promise he made to Obito to keep him going forward. However, ever since the Sandaime granted them some R and R, Kakashi had not seen Rin once. He feared she never even left her apartment. "Rin! Please, open up!" he shouted, more frightened than angry about what he might see. Kakashi was about to give up, when he heard faint footsteps across the door. Finally, it opened.

Kakashi's face dropped at what he saw. Rin looked like a mess. Dark circles ran under her eyes, her hair was disheveled…and her eyes were red, indicating she had been crying profusely. She was only dressed in a large T-shirt; normally Kakashi would sternly tell her to get dressed, but Kakashi knew that it was another sign of her depression and decided not to bother her about it. "Rin…" he said, to finally break the silence. "…I haven't seen you in a while. I was worried." Rin didn't respond; it was almost as if she didn't even see Kakashi. "May I come in?" Kakashi didn't wish to intrude, but she clearly needed some kind of intervention, or at least someone to talk to.

Rin walked away, leaving the door slightly ajar. Deciding that was a silent cue for permission, Kakashi helped himself inside, taking notice of the state of Rin's apartment. He'd been here a couple of times; the most recent event he could recall was when Rin held a celebration for him being promoted to jonin. At the time, he only accepted the invitation out of courtesy. "Even if I didn't love her, I should have at least accepted her as a friend…" He remembered how spotlessly clean and organized it was back then. Now, a fine layer of dust was gathering on the furniture, and papers and other belongings were haphazardly thrown about the place.

Rin then placed a teacup in front of Kakashi. "I'm sorry. All I have right now is water; I haven't really been expecting company."

Kakashi thanked her anyway, and gulped down the water quickly, like he always did when eating in the presence of others. "Rin…I miss Obito too." Kakashi finally said, knowing the exact cause of her distress.

Rin at first, said nothing. Finally, she replied "Not like me, you don't."

Kakashi turned, and grasped her hand. "Was it a mistake? Telling you Obito's feelings for you?"

Rin gripped her cup tightly; Kakashi feared she might even break it. "I'm not sure…" Rin finally replied. She sniffled a bit. "But…ever since he died, nothing feels right. When Obito was around, even in the darkest of times, the world always seemed fun, and I had a feeling that no matter how bad things got, things would work out. Now, without him…this world feels so empty."

Kakashi didn't have anything to say to that. "He was my best friend. Always. And I didn't even realize it until that damn mission." Kakashi's palms clenched. "If I could only let go of what happened to my father…my fears of the consequences…I would have gone with him from the start. And…and we would all be together."

"You shouldn't blame yourself, Kakashi." Rin responded, still not looking at him. "Instead…you should blame me."

Kakashi immediately bolted up from the couch and grabbed her wrist firmly, staring right into her eyes. "Rin, there was nothing more you could do for him. Obito…was happy to give his life for you."

"Well, I'm not!" Rin suddenly screamed as she tore her hand away from him.

Kakashi tried to reach out to her. "Rin, please…"

"No, you don't understand!" Rin shouted. "I'm a medic-nin. Your life, Obito's, you were both my responsibility. And, if I couldn't have kept him alive…" Tears flowed down Rin's cheeks freely. "…I should have at least stayed with him until the end." Kakashi was at a loss on how to comfort her. If anything, for her safety, he took her away from Obito as he was dying under the avalanche. "Can you imagine, what it must be like? Still alive under a pile of rubble…watching as you're friends run away?" Rin wiped her nose with a Kleenex Kakashi handed her. "Even worse…the girl you love leaves you, without her ever knowing your feelings."

Desperately trying to comfort her, Kakashi hugged her and said "Rin, it's alright. It will be okay, I promise…"

"No Kakashi. It WON'T be okay!" she screamed, pushing him away and onto the coffee table with strength that surprised the young jonin. "Obito may have not been perfect…but he was brave, kind and…" Rin had trouble spitting the words out. "I can't describe it."

Kakashi softly touched her shoulder, refusing to back down just yet. "You don't have to." he said. "But whatever you feel Obito is to you now…and whatever I am to you…please, know that I'm here for you, however you want. You're the person Obito cherished most…and you're my friend. I promise, I'll protect you, whether it be from others… or yourself."

It took a moment for Rin to respond. "Is that all you came here for?" she seemed to ask coldly.

Kakashi stuttered "W-well, technically, yes, but…"

"You should go; I'd like to be alone right now." Rin got up from the couch, and headed towards her bedroom.

Kakashi could only look in shock. He decided that now that he learned what was troubling Rin, it would be best to give her some space until he could figure out a better way to approach her. Walking out, he said "Obito…you have no idea how much she misses you…"

"Kakashi…Kakashi! You awake!?"

Kakashi was brought out of his trip down memory lane by a loud knocking on his door. He was awake for the past hour doing that. "I'm up. I'll be with you shortly." He called back. Kakashi rose, and glanced out the window. "Obito…were you really alive? All this time?" Kakashi dreaded the answer, no matter what it might turn out to be. But, he knew, no matter what, he had to face it. "I have to make sure…for the sake of Rin's soul…"

Elsewhere, on a ship out in the sea, the crew went about their usual business. There were a couple of guest workers down in the deck…they would collect their money and be dropped off at their next stop. It irritated the regulars that the captain would allow vagabonds to work at half the wage they would, but it was either keep quiet or speak up and lose their jobs.

There was one other person that was not normally part of their crew…a stowaway. Normally, such a person would be locked up…if not thrown overboard. But, somehow, the young girl got on the captain's good side.

Two foremen carrying a large crate observed as she peeled away at the potatoes. Neither could doubt that she was cute, but they were still wondering how she convinced the captain to allow her to stay on board. "Hey, you think she-?"

"Doubt it." His friend asked as they lowered their heavy cargo. "Cap's devoted to his wife, you know? Besides, he's got a daughter about her age. I guess she appealed to his soft spot."

"Well, at least she's working for free; unlike those other patches."

"Well, if you want to stay employed, I suggest you keep your mouth shut either way."

Suddenly, the whistle blew. "Lunch time!" one exclaimed.

All sailors went down to the cafeteria to take their much-needed break (in their opinion anyway). Iori, however, continued peeling away. She didn't feel like company, let alone amongst gruff men who probably would stop at the nearest brothel as soon as they reached land. And…though it sickened her to think like this…peeling the potatoes made her imagine peeling the skull of her father's betrayer. Some deranged pleasure seemed to come from it…

"I haven't seen anyone so focused, if not enthralled, with peeling the potatoes." Someone next to her said.

Iori turned to her left, and saw a young man, probably her sensei's age, look at her passively. He was quite good looking to, with a good build beneath his casual clothes and spikey black hair. Though he wore a neutral expression on his face, she could see by the look in his eyes that he seemed quite amused seeing her. Iori said nothing, and went back to work.

"It seems you've got something on her mind." He said to her again, expecting a response.

"It seems you have a way about sticking your nose into other people's business." Iori replied sarcastically.

"Usually, you'd be wrong. But you're a special case."

"I'm warning you, mister." She growled, nearly slicing up a whole chunk of potato. "If you're looking for a 'good time', I'll have you know…"

"With that attitude, trust me, it wouldn't be 'a good time' for either of us. Besides, you're too young for me. Anyway, something else about you has got my interest."

Iori sighed in annoyance. "Well, out with it then."

"You look like a girl possessed." He stated bluntly.

"Thanks for your concern, but an exorcism won't be necessary, thank you."

"You know that's not what I meant." He shot back, for once sounding a little irritated. Leaning against the rails and looking up to the sky, he explained. "When I was your age…younger, actually…my family was killed. It was a dark time in my life."

"You were alone?" she asked, interrupting him. Though she didn't show it, she was suddenly interested in his story.

"Yes and no." he explained. "I had friends, people who cared about me after the incident. Willing to guide me and everything. But, I was so stuck in the past that it felt like it didn't matter. I felt bound to avenge them. And I went to dark places to accomplish my goal."

The man paused for a second. "Let me ask you something. This person you're seeking revenge on…if he's no longer of this world, what then?"

Iori didn't answer, but the man could see the way she paused that his question did strike a chord in her. "By the time I was ready, I was too late. My…target was killed. I was consumed with more rage than I thought possible, and I took it out on his killer…and I got a lot of innocent people hurt along the way. In a way, I became what I hated."

Nothing was said between the two for a while. "So…what do you suggest I do instead?" Iori finally asked.

For once, the man seemed to be unsure. "I can't answer that." He finally said, honestly. "That's something you need to find out on your own. But…if I may express a belief I developed over the years, I should advise you to let go of the past. Believe me, I know; it's too painful to forget. But you have to move forward; otherwise, it's like a shark that can't continue swimming. You'll die, in a way. Also, if I may say so…over the years, I've come to believe that in order to be at peace with what was taken from us, we should be thankful for what is given to us."

The young man then looked at his watch. "It's halfway past lunch. You coming down?"

Iori only continued with the potatoes. "Not hungry."

The young man sighed and tucked his arms behind his head. "Suit yourself. I just hope whatever you choose…you'll be happy in the end." Finally, he went down below.

Iori, meanwhile, only stared straight into the sea. "What I've been given…" Memories of her team flashed by in her mind. But despite the apparently clear answer, it only left her more confused than ever.

The man who just talked to her did not go to lunch like he said, however. He went into one of the storage rooms where he and his partner were assigned. This was something that no one could be allowed to hear.

"So…was it her, Sasuke-chan?" From the shadows, Midoriiro stepped into the faint light.

Sasuke, who wisely did not give Iori his identity, nodded. "It's her. The photo matches."

"I'll inform Tsunade immediately." As she went about summoning a messenger slug, she asked "Do you have any idea why she ran away?"

Sasuke sighed. "Similar reasons as I did, it seems."

Midoriiro stopped. "Revenge?"

"Not entirely positive…but it sure seems that way." Sasuke answered.

"So, do we kidnap her and bring her back?"

"No; she'll only fight us the whole way. If that happens…I don't think I could hold back."

Midoriiro only whistled. "That strong, huh?"

Sasuke nodded, smiling slightly. "Naruto trained her well. But when all is said and done, we can't risk getting too close to her. We could expose ourselves…and the Hokage's connection to us. Inform her that we'll keep a close eye on her, but we cannot risk anymore direct contact. If it looks like she won't come back on her own, assure her we'll direct her back."

Midoriiro nodded, and sent the message.

Back in Konoha, Tsunade sighed in relief upon reading Sasuke's report. "Thank goodness…" she thought. She was worried that something worse than running away may have happened to the red-head jinchuriki offspring. That being said, she was still in serious trouble. What's worse, this would make Naruto look bad in the eyes of the council…which, judging by some of the upcoming candidates would be worse than usual. "No helping it now; I just need to concentrate on keeping her safe."

Writing on the slug's back, she informed her unofficial spies "Keep close surveillance; will send help once you finalize a location." With that, the slug disappeared.

Tsunade massaged her temples, and moved on to more important matters. Namely, the new upcoming council. Nothing was set in stone, but word on the street was often a reliable source on who was going to win. Homura and Koharu would retire soon, leaving 2 open seats, and judging by what she heard, the new council looked like it would be more aggressive than the last…especially when it came to Naruto. And that worried her. "Danzo supported those candidates…used the villagers' fears to manipulate them…" However, if they won fair and square, there was nothing she could do about it. It would be her responsibility to deal with them. Just as it would be Naruto's one day…she hoped.

"Hokage-sama!" a new page, substituting for Ino while she was away, called from behind the door. "The meeting has started."

"Tell them I'll be there soon." Tsunade looked out her window, and the village below. She knew there were many good people…and others who were either hateful or just never knew how to think for themselves. It wasn't a large group, not yet; but Tsunade knew to never underestimate the power of fear…especially in politics.

Inari hammered a final nail into the board he worked on. He stood, and wiped the sweat from his brow. His first few days on the job when he started nearly 6 months ago made him look like a bumbling fool, but overtime he had grown used to it and proved to be a competent craftsman.

Walking over to his boss, he said "Floor's done, sir."

"Good job, Inari!" The foreman said, smacking his shoulder. "Thanks to you, this place will be up in half the time it normally takes."

Inari blushed at the praise. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No. Everyone else should be finishing up their projects right now. I think we're all done for today. Head home."

Inari grabbed his tool box and walked outside. His mind drifted to thoughts of Sakura…Damn! He had to stop thinking like that! He could clearly see she and Naruto were a couple. And even if they weren't, he knew there were a bunch of other obstacles. Sakura wouldn't wait for him to grow up (and most would probably still find the relationship as creepy by the time he did), and her kunoichi career could also take a toll on any potential relationship. Inari sighed, frustrated with his crush. "Why does the most gorgeous woman in the world have to be out of my reach?"

"Looks like you had a rough day."

Inari nearly jumped out of his skin hearing Sakura's voice. He saw her leaning against the fence outside his workplace. Dressed in a mahogany sweater, black skirt and stockings, Inari was amazed he didn't pass out. Thankfully, he managed to utter a response. "Not really. You get used to it." Looking around to make sure no one suspicious was within his eyesight, he turned back to her. "So…aren't you supposed to be working?"

"Freelancers make their own deadlines." Sakura answered. Inari took it to mean coming for him was her job. "Besides, your mom asked me to pick you up."

Inari thought that was a pathetic excuse, but he played along with it nonetheless. "She really does worry too much. Any time I have to be home?"

"No, not really." Sakura shrugged. "She just wanted to make sure everything was alright."

Suddenly, a grin formed on Inari's lips. "I shouldn't…but…this is the closest thing I'll get to her becoming my girlfriend…"

"Hey." He said to her, suddenly enthusiastic. "Want me to show you around?"

Sakura seemed a bit perplexed. "Actually, I don't know…"

"Don't worry. I like to hang around before going back home. Mom won't worry."

Sakura then thought back to what Naruto said. "Well…I guess this will help a little bit…"

"Okay." She said. "Not too long, though. There are still things I need to take care of."

"No problem! Follow me!" Inari said as Sakura trailed behind him.

Then, her instincts caused her to stop. She felt like she was being watched. She turned to glance at all the civilians passing her by. Then, she saw someone, who vanished as soon as she spotted him. Or her; she didn't get a good enough look at the person. The one feature she was able to make out was that he wore some kind of mask that she would expect to find in an insane asylum, but somehow the person disappeared. What's more, no one seemed to notice such a strange person. "Something's not right."

"Sakura! You coming!?" Inari called back.

"I'll be right there!" she answered. Sakura hurried over to Inari. "If we're in a public place, we might be safe." Sakura briskly ran over to him, making sure she didn't look like she was panicking.

"Kakashi!" the young copy nin heard somewhere between sleep and awareness. "Kakashi! Wake up!" his sensei's voice yelled more clearly.

Kakashi felt something hard slap across his face, and his eye finally snapped open. Yet, he still found it hard to move despite the sudden jolt of awareness. "M-Minato-sensei?" he asked in bewilderment.

"Kakashi, Rin's gone!" Minato shouted at him.

Kakashi tried to rise, but stumbled. "Easy there!" Minato said as he grabbed him and settled him. "It looks like she drugged us; that would explain why we slept through it all well into noon."

Desperately trying to get his bearings straight, Kakashi grabbed the tent pole to help him stand. "Why would she do such a thing!?"

"I don't know." Minato said, clearly worried for their medic. "I can tell she's well ahead of us; even if I used my Flying Thunder God technique, it probably wouldn't be enough, especially if I can't tell where she's going." Walking towards the tracks he was referring to, he and Kakashi felt them. "They must be hours old. Kakashi, do you have any idea where she could have run off to!?"

Kakashi shook his head. "No! This doesn't make sense! There's nothing out there for her! Ever since Obito died, nothing's…" He stopped his tirade as both he and Minato realized the answer. "No." he whispered.

He and Minato pulled out their supply scroll, and dug out the map. After determining their location, and the direction of Rin's tracks, Kakashi instinctively plotted a point B. The destination and direction matched. "She's heading back to where Obito died!" Kakashi confirmed in shock.

"Here. Drink this." Minato told him, handing him a small vial. "It's a stimulant; should help energize us enough to overcome what drugs are left in our system." Soon, they were both up on their feet without any sign of dizziness. "I know Rin has been upset about Obito, but…"

"It's my fault." Kakashi said, clenching his fists. "I told her Obito loved her. If I hadn't done that…"

"No one's to blame here, Kakashi." Minato told him, squeezing his shoulder. "If Rin had no inkling of feelings for him beyond a friend, she wouldn't have done something so reckless. And there was no way any of us could have known, and it was not our place to tell her otherwise. Come on; let's go after her. And when we've caught up with her…we'll bring Obito home as well."

Kakashi was about to question him, but silenced himself as he realized what his sensei was getting at. "He doesn't intend to simply stop Rin, he intends to help her. Both to find Obito…and to help her move on." Kakashi nodded, as he and Minato took to the trees. "I thought I understood you then, Obito. But I guess I only scratched the surface." He thought, thinking back to what he told him when he went off on his own to rescue Rin. This wasn't any different; even though they had a mission to complete, Kakashi would never abandon his friends again. And if they didn't collect Obito's remains, Rin would only keep running away to find him. For both her sake, and the village's, they had to put a stop to this.

"You ready for this?" Tazuna asked Kakashi, currently henged as a typical businessman who shared none of the ninja's physical features as they stood outside Wave's official government building. There was a party for the council tonight, and Tazuna knew Tigre would be there.

Though Kakashi had been thinking of the past, this time he was also aware of the present, and knew how to act accordingly. "Let's do this." He answered.

Tazuna opened the doors, allowing them to step into the banquet hall where the feast was held. Kakashi glanced around, and saw for himself that while Wave was a nation well on the road to recovery, it still had a ways to go. Kakashi knew from experience how to spot the corrupt politicians in the council, and there were one too many in the crowd for his liking. Given the affluence they were celebrating under while the rest of the people were just finding their feet didn't help the way he viewed them either. He imagined Tazuna's influence as a hero managed to get at least some things done.

Tazuna then nudged his elbow, indicating for the ninja to look ahead. "That's him."

Kakashi laid his eyes on Tigre for the first time, enjoying a cigar with some other council member. He resembled his father at a younger age, his hair retaining its orange color without graying, and he was taller to. Muscular, in fact, even underneath his formal business suit Kakashi could tell he was athletic. Whether he could go toe to toe with a ninja, hopefully he wouldn't have to find out.

"So, shall we go meet him?" Kakashi nodded silently, and Tazuna led him on.

"And with this quarter's earnings, Felidae Industries will have the funding and resources necessary to look into your proposals." Tigre bragged to the other council member, smiling. "I think this will be very beneficial to both of us."

"You have my sincere thanks, Tigre-san. I'll have my secretary write up the orders immediately."

"Council-man Toujo. Tigre-san." Tazuna interrupted the two. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."

"No." Tigre answered, looking at Tazuna suspiciously. "We were just concluding business." Turning back to the other councilman, Tigre told him "We'll continue this tomorrow. I'll let you know in a few days' time what's possible.

The councilman took leave while Tigre, in a less jovial manner, addressed Tazuna. "Well, this is unusual. You usually go out of your way to avoid talking to me." He commented skeptically as he munched on his cigar.

"That hasn't changed." Tazuna replied curtly. "However, I was forced to bring this gentleman here and introduce you two." Gesturing towards Tigre, he told Kakashi "Kyoukai-san, this is Tigre-san. Tigre-san, this Kyoukai Tatsunokuchi, a representative of Sea Country's military. He wished to propose a business venture with your company."

Tigre momentarily removed his cigar, blowing out a puff of smoke. "Interesting." He commented, slightly curious now. "What kind of venture, may I ask?"

"If you don't mind, Tazuna-san…" Kakashi said, as Tatsunokuchi. "…I would like to talk to Tigre-san in private. Why don't you go refresh yourself while we discuss the terms?"

Tazuna looked between them, and then sighed. "Well, that sake over their looks like better company than you two; no offense. Good luck on your deal, you two." Tazuna left to help himself to a rather lavish dinner (but in his opinion inferior to his daughter's cooking), while Kakashi and Tigre walked to the balcony together.

"So, Kyoukai-san." Tigre began. "How may my company be of service to you?"

"Well, as you know, the Mist Ninjas from Kirigakure have not been very reliable as of late." Kakashi began. "They used to be our go-to ninja village. But with their infighting to become Mizukage and with their swordsmen now defunct, it's left us in a bit of a bind. We're working to train our own shinobi army, but as you can imagine, our results have not been very impressive."

"Interesting." Tigre said, looking out to the bay. "I don't see how I can help though. I'm a businessman, not a military consultant."

Kakashi looked around like he was making sure they were not being watched. "I'm getting to that. I understand you have a large genetics division?"

Tigre looked at him suspiciously. "Why…yes. Right now, it's not much more than standard gene therapy, but we've got other things going on; none of which I'm at liberty to tell you about."

Kakashi nodded. "Of course. What I'm proposing is a project involving genetic engineering of humans."

Tigre nodded negatively. "That's strictly illegal you know. You better give me something else to sell, cause I'm not sticking my neck out for some stranger."

"Either he's a legitimate businessman, or he's smart." Kakashi thought. "At least hear me out with what I'm proposing. As you know, Sea Country had a base that belonged to the Dark Sanin Orochimaru. He conducted several experiments in the field of genetics, mainly with kekkei genkais. We've wanted to duplicate his research, but unfortunately he destroyed all of his notes before fleeing, and we don't have anyone qualified to begin research on our own. However, we were able to determine the origin…" he reached into his vest pocket. "…of this." He pulled out a vial with red fluid, blood it looked like.

He handed it over to Tigre. After examining it in the fading sunlight, he said "It looks like blood."

"DNA, to be more precise, mixed with several preservatives." Kakashi said. "Orochimaru researched several bloodlines to create his ultimate soldier."

Tigre was slowly being more and more drawn in by the mystery. "Just what clan does this belong to?"

"The Senju Clan."

Tigre looked at him like he just offered him a billion ryo. "The Senju Clan? You mean the same one that…"

Kakashi nodded. "The one and the same. With just a few select elite soldiers with this bloodline, my country could potentially rival the strength of the 5 great nations."

Tigre looked the vial, and back at him. Slowly tucking it into his pocket, he asked "And what do you propose to do about payment?"

"Excellent." Kakashi thought. Quickly, he replied "I think we should do it in parts; we're not a particularly prosperous nation."

"Spend money to make money, huh?" Tigre asked amused.

"More or less; but if you live up to your end of the bargain, I've a feeling that money won't be much of a problem." He smiled as Tatsunokuchi.

Tigre smiled, and said "I'll take it to my technicians, see what we can do." Walking forward, he extended his hand. "Pleasure doing business with you." Kakashi only looked at him perplexed. Looking at his own hand, Tigre nearly smacked himself. "Of course! Where are my manners?" He retracted his hand and bowed. "Sorry about that; that was how the foreigners who sometimes trade in these lands show politeness and respect. I've been doing it so often, I've forgotten our own culture."

"No apologies necessary." Kakashi bowed back. "I'm glad you've accepted my proposal."

"Come by the Felidae towers in a week." Tigre told him. "As soon as we evaluate this, we'll run you through what's possible." Looking at his watch, he then said "If you'll excuse me, I'm late for an appointment." With that, Tigre went back inside.

Kakashi did so as well, looking for Tazuna. "So, how'd it go?" Tazuna whispered to him from behind, munching on some onigiri.

"He took the bait. We'll be ready to strike soon."

"If you're wrong…" Tazuna began to warn him.

"We won't cause any commotion until we're sure. And even if the worst happens, we'll make sure no one will be able to link you to us." Kakashi assured him. "But, I've a feeling I'm not wrong, unfortunately…"

Elsewhere, Inari dragged Sakura to the island's fair. Currently, while waiting for Inari to return, Sakura kept herself busy with one of the games. Normally, she would ace this, but even in a space as crowded as this, she had to keep up appearances. "Sorry, nice try missy!" the vendor told Sakura as she missed her target with her final ball. "Better luck next time!"

As she allowed the next person in line to step up, Inari came towards her, holding some exotic looking snacks. Noting a lack of a prize on Sakura's person, he commented "Wow. I thought you'd be better at this." He said.

Sakura of course was holding back her skills with ninjutsu, which Inari did not seem to pick up on. No point in dropping hints now. "You win some, you lose some." Sakura replied nonchalantly.

"Here." Inari handed her one of the two snacks. "They're Crepes. I got you one with strawberries and chocolate. Try it."

Sakura looked at the sweetened fruit wrapped in the dough and took a bite. "Mmm…" Sakura said as she swallowed. "This is good!"

"I'm glad you approve." Inari said. As the two walked out of the fair, Inari struggled for a topic for conversation. "So…what inspired you to become a medic?"

Sakura nearly panicked, but steeled herself. A medic did not necessarily mean ninja. However, it still implied a military connection; something she still needed to avoid. "NURSE, Inari." Sakura "corrected" him. "And to answer your question, my friends kept getting hurt. And I didn't want to just sit by and let that happen; especially when they have done so much for me when I was younger. There's not much to tell after that. I was on my way to become head nurse, but, circumstances got in the way." Inari was about to ask some more, but Sakura stopped him. "What about you Inari? How has life been here since the bridge was completed?"

Inari sighed, realizing that he was blowing Sakura's cover. "Idiot!"

Deciding not to dwell on his mistake, he continued the conversation. "Well…truthfully, it's been a bit of a mixed bag."

"How so?" Sakura asked, perplexed at the answer he gave her.

Inari sighed as he chose his words carefully. "Don't get me wrong; I'm happy for my people. And proud of grandpa. But…I just wish people would stop treating us like we're royalty. We've made it clear several times that we don't need to be treated like anyone special…grandpa was just doing what was right…and I…I didn't contribute towards anything at the time; I was too little to do anything really."

Sakura smiled slightly. "I'm afraid that's just human nature, Inari. When people accomplish great things, those around them feel obligated to treat them with the utmost respect. It's the same back….home; the village leader is hailed as a hero and given the utmost respect. We're just raised to do that or risk dishonor." Sakura would have elaborated more on Naruto's notorious lack of respect for authority, but she figured that was best saved for when they got back to the mansion. "As for you, I wouldn't say you contributed nothing…as much as it pains me to admit it, that would have been me at the time. You got all the towns people to rally together and helped drive off those rogue samurai. If you hadn't done that, I doubt the others who helped your grandfather would come out of it alive."

"I guess." Inari sighed. "And I've got plenty of friends who still treat me like one of them; I'm grateful for that much, at least. However, what really bothers me, is that ever since the bridge was completed, we've got to lead a life of privilege when there are others who are still recovering from Gato."

"For what it's worth, those who are humble about their good fortune and wish to share it with others often deserve it the most." Sakura told him. "Don't over think it. Just do everything you can to help your people and I'm sure everything will be alright eventually."

Realizing they've walked quite a distance from the fair, Sakura took a look around; it seemed they were in a shopping district now. Sakura, still being mindful of her surroundings, glanced at the various stores…and had to stifle a gasp. Without leaving Inari's side, she noted mannequins in a shop with ornate, white dresses. They came in many varieties; some had bell bottom sleeves that covered the entire torso, while others were strapless. But one thing they all had in common was the wide, circular skirts and veils on the top of their heads. For reasons she couldn't describe, they struck a cord with her. "Inari…what are those!?" she asked excitedly like she was a little girl again.

Inari responded by gagging upon observing what caught her attention. "Those things? Those are a new fad; wedding dresses, from a foreign land. Since it's much more expensive to host a traditional wedding, a lot of the locals are turning to those instead…"

While Sakura had nothing against a nice kimono, these dresses were unlike anything she had ever seen. Besides, after all that "tradition" had given her, she imagined that something that deviated from the norm would be more her fancy. "I wonder what Naruto would think if he saw me in one of those…" Without Inari noticing, her face turned deep crimson. "I-Idiot! We're not ready for that kind of thing yet!" But she continued to think more about it. "Then again, Naruto and I have already known each other for so long. And the way we live together…it's already like we're a married couple…"

She was jolted out of her thoughts when she glanced behind her and saw that same person with the mask again. She was stalking her from above the roofs, crouched low like a cat. Her mask looked even more fearsome now that she had a good look at it, reminding her of a muzzle for a pit bull. Her hair was wild, and black as midnight. However, Sakura did not panic. Instead, she tapped Inari's shoulder. "Inari, we should be heading home."

Inari at his watch, then her. "But Sakura, it's barely…"

"NOW." She told him sternly as she led him down by the shoulder. They briskly walked down the street back to Inari's house. "I just hope Tsunami's okay…"

Meanwhile, the kunoichi stalking them across the roofs gave up her chase, realizing she was spotted. Pressing her radio ear, she called in "Ameratsu, it's me. She spotted me; I'm afraid I've been compromised."

"It does not matter." Her partner on the other line said. "I've prepared a message for her anyhow. Head back to the towers, Tsukiyomi; I'll take care of things from here."

"And what about the Uxota family?"

"Again, that is also taken care of. Head back."

Tsukiyomi sighed, and replied "Affirmative." Almost like a mirage, her image shook and slowly vanished.

"What's wrong, Sakura?" Inari asked confused.

"Don't talk." Sakura ordered him, pulling him stronger. "Just keep moving, but don't run."

"What's going on over there?" she heard someone ask. At first, she thought the question was directed at her, but upon seeing a crowd gathering up near the shore, she realized it was a different matter entirely.

"Poor thing; it's such a waste."

Another bystander commented. "I think I've seen her at the port…yeah, to the island."

"Wonder what she was doing that got her in such trouble…"

Sakura, making sure no other surprises were in store for her and Inari, cautiously made her way through the crowd. If there was ever just ONE time she was thankful for her basic shinobi training, this was it. Sakura saw it was the tour guide to Felidae Towers, Tsukasa. The local police placed a tarp over her dead body, along with several other unknowns, probably security from the towers. "There will be time…and a place…for crying later." But this wasn't a random kill and dump; this was a message. For her.

Sakura made her way out of the crowd, and back towards Inari. "What is it?"

Firmly taking him by the elbow, she told him "Trouble." She guided him away from the crowd and down an alleyway. "We're going to run. Brace yourself."

"What!? But didn't you just say…"

Without another word, Sakura effortlessly picked up Inari and leapt onto the rooftops. The poor boy was too shocked out of his mind to even scream. From there, it was a mad dash towards Tazuna's mansion.

"Have you heard, Tsunami?" A grocer in another part of town asked. "Apparently, there was a mass murder on the other side of town." She said while bagging her customer's purchases.

"How awful." Tsunami cringed. "Is anyone we know among them?" she worried.

The clerk shook her head as she bagged the last of her groceries. "No. But I heard one of the victims was a young woman who worked for Tigre. Do you think…?"

Tsunami sighed. "I don't know. There's a lot of corporate espionage and the like going on in the world. There's really not much we can do, except let the police handle it."

"I suppose you're right." The clerk agreed sadly. "That will be 50 ryo."

Tsunami paid the clerk, and picking up her bag, went on her merry way.

The walk home seemed pretty uneventful. Until suddenly, someone grabbed her mouth and pulled her into a corner. Tsunami kicked and tried to scream for help, but her attacker felt like he was made out of a brick wall. "Sorry, missy. Ain't got anything personal against you. But this is strictly business." Without another word, he took out a tanto, and stabbed her in the back, making sure to aim for a spot that would induce total and complete paralysis, in order to silence her for the kill.

Tsunami went down, and landed face first in the street. Her assassin proceeded to finish the job, but then, she disappeared in a puff of smoke. "What's this!?" her would be assassin asked.

Suddenly, a hand from the shadows struck the back of his head, knocking him out. Naruto stepped out, looking at him. "I know what Kakashi said I should have done…but I'm going to take a chance." Naruto picked him up, and headed straight for Tazuna's home.

Meanwhile, the real Tsunami was reading a book she didn't have a lot of time for while waiting for Naruto to come back from the grocery shopping he offered to do for her. "What could be taking him so long?" she wondered. She then realized Inari and Sakura were gone for a long time as well. She told herself they would be fine, but her maternal instincts were practically screaming for some reason.

Just then, Kanshou announced "Tazuna-sama and Kakashi-san have returned."

"Well, there's at least some good news." She thought. Getting off the couch, she walked over to greet her father. "Father! Did everything go alright?" she asked as she approached the two men, one of which dropped his disguise.

"Yeah, sweetie. Everything's fine." Tazuna assured her.

Just then, Kakashi's face widened in alarm. "Everyone, get down!" Kakashi covered Tazuna and Tsunami as they planted themselves onto the floor . No more than a second later, an explosion rocked the mansion. Kanshou stood and drew his sword, ready for anything. Kakashi joined him while Tazuna and Tsunami hid in another room.

Shurikens immediately flew towards them, but Kakashi got them all in his hand with ease. "Shit! Did Tigre know-!?" As the dust settled, ninjas garbed in traditional black jumped out, ninjatos at the ready. However, the peculiar thing was that they were quite small, not even at the height of most teenagers.

"They're just children!" Kanshou shouted, still not dropping his guard.

"Don't let your guard down." Kakashi warned him. "I've encountered many child prodigies." Still, such prodigies were rare; to get so many at the same time was unheard of. And at this age, they were most likely genin, chunin at best. "What do you want!?" Kakashi demanded.

Without another word, they lunged towards Kakashi, with one throwing a vertical slice on top of his head. Kakashi blocked with a kunai, and tried to counter with a spinning kick, but the supposed genin somersaulted over his leg and countered with a spinning slash. Kakashi leapt back, receiving only a slight nick on his shoulder. Still, that shook his confidence. "These kids are good! Could they be..."

Kakashi was momentarily distracted when Kanshou cried out in pain. It seemed these kids had an edge against the samurai. Thankfully, the wound didn't seem to be too bad, but the blood leaking down his arm was not a good sign. Still, it seemed even with one arm, he was able to hold his own. Kakashi, however, feared if they wanted to, the little ninjas could move faster. Kakashi then stumbled upon feeling an impact towards his shoulder. His attacker came at him with the weighted end of a kusarigama. "They must be...!" Kakashi performed substitution as the ball came at him again, this time shattering a pile of rubble in his place. Popping his shoulder back into place, Kakashi pulled down his mask, and revealed his sharingan, preparing to go all out on his enemies. His attacker seemed to pause momentarily upon observing his left eye, and then looked a little bit more interested in him all of a sudden. He squinted his eyes, and opened them. Kakashi's own widened in shock. "Sharingan!" It seemed all the ninja children possessed them; what else could explain their expert movements and quick reaction times? "Out of the frying pan, into the fire..."

2 came at Kakashi at once this time. Kakashi tried his Shinju Zanshu, but as soon as he burrowed underground, the two retreated. "Their reflexes are good..." Kakashi emerged and quickly charged a kunai with lightning chakra. He flung it towards one of them, it's speed enhanced by the energy of the lighting. Unfortunately, the child-ninja dodged it. It did, however, tear off his mask. Though it was covered in black face paint, Kakashi recognized the face. "That...that is Obito!" Indeed, it looked like Obito had not aged since the day they were separated, and only gave him a neutral glare intent on killing. Kakashi prepared a doton jutsu, causing rocks to erupt from the under the mansion. However, with amazing agility, the false Obito scaled and leapt across the rising rocks towards Kakashi, coming at him like an arrow armed with a sword. Then, he suddenly stopped, and was thrown back against the rubble. "Naruto!"

Kakashi's student stood in front of him and gave him a thumbs up. "Sorry I'm late; ran into a bit of trouble."

"I'd imagine." Kakashi pulled a kunai as the two backed into each other, covering their blind spots and having kunai at the ready. "You think you can take on a whole legion of sharingan wielders?"

Naruto shrugged. "Dunno; I beat Sasuke and Itachi."

"Yeah, but those fights were one on one."

"Same difference." he replied. Kakashi sighed in exasperation. "Don't worry." Naruto assured him. "I've been training for years to deal with sharingan users."

Naruto charged at one, all of his strikes blocked by his target's ninjato. Another snuck up behind him and stabbed him in the back with a tanto. However, as his friends knew would happen, Naruto vanished in a puff of smoke as other bushin appeared to dog pile the two. Though they did a good job of fending some off, eventually the two were overcome by shear numbers.

"Naruto!" Kakashi called as he distracted some of the other ninja with shuriken. "We can't let this drag on! We need to capture them alive..." Observing the state of ruin the manor was becoming, he broke a cold sweat. "And try not to damage the mansion any further! Hokage-sama will have our heads if we're landed with a bill!"

"Hn!" Naruto grunted as he dodged sword swipes from another attacker. "That's really not my style!" Naruto shouted back as he grabbed his attacker's wrist and threw him over. The clone managed to right himself and jump off a wall. "But thankfully, we're teammates with someone who can get the job done the way you want it!"

As he said that, his clones surrounded the kids into a close circle. They were prepared to break through, but then small balls rolled towards them. Before the kids could react properly, the marbles sprayed a green gas. The kids tried to hold their breath, but soon, despite their masks, they passed out. Naruto's bushins dispelled, leaving the real Naruto walking into the gaping hole in the mansion with Tsunami's would-be assassin bound and gagged over his shoulders. "Thanks for the woman's touch, Sakura-chan." he said to the kunoichi behind him.

"It's not a big deal, really." Sakura followed with Inari, who was gaping open mouthed at his ruined home. "I'm surprised those sleeping gas pellets aren't standard issue."

"Listen, the authorities will be here any minute." Kakashi warned them suddenly. "We cannot let anyone else know we were here! We have to leave!"

Sakura looked at their captives, realizing that somehow they traced her back to Tazuna and his family. "But, how did they know we were here?" she asked nervously.

"We'll find that out later, Sakura! Carry as many as you can, and let's get out of here!" Kakashi reprimanded her.

Before they got it together, Sakura quickly bowed to Tazuna and his family, who emerged from hiding. "I'm so sorry for all of this! I don't know how, but this is all my fault!"

"Don't worry about it!" Tazuna insisted. "Something big is going down...and somehow, I've got to get to the bottom of it."

"You be careful, old geezer!" Naruto said as newly conjured bushin carried their captives.

"Leave a couple for the authorities." Kakashi reprimanded a couple from taking the last three. "We don't want Tazuna to lie more than he has to."

The two nodded, and dropped them. "Inari!" Naruto called. "You take care, alright? We'll see each other again soon!"

"Bye Inari!" Sakura said as she joined her team. "I had a fun time! I'm sorry it had to end like this!" With that, Team 7 leapt into the air and took off to some unknown location.

Inari sighed, burying his hands into his pockets. "See ya." He wasn't too hopeful that they would be able to live up to that promise with everything going.

"Don't worry." Tazuna assured him as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "One way or another, they'll be back."

Inari smiled at his grandpa. "Of course they will be..." he thought. "This is Naruto we're talking about."

Team 7 quickly relocated to the beach on the other side of the island; hoping to get some privacy...and hopefully, get away from the enemy. Setting their captives down, Kakashi said "Now...I think it's time for some answers. Sakura!"

Sakura pulled a stimulant from a scroll, and injected it into each of them. Soon, they all awoke.

"Alright then." Kakashi hissed. "I'd like to ask you all some questions. We can either do this easy where you'll simply tell us...or we may be forced to means I may regret later on." he warned them.

In an unknown location, Ameratsu sat in a lotus position, his eyes closed. To most, it would look like he was meditating. And that was partially correct; he was using meditation to watch events unfold from the child soldiers he dispatched. "They're stronger than I thought…" he said to himself.

Normally, that would only be a mild praise. However, something in the vision of the child soldiers troubled him: one of their targets had a sharingan. "I can't underestimate him...and if he's powerful enough to have acquired and use a sharingan...I'm afraid I'll have to terminate them before he can get answers." After making some quick hand signs, he said "Hakaitekei Hatoo no Jutsu!"

Before any of the Uchiha Children Clones could answer, suddenly, their eyes sunk to the back of their head and their bodies slumped, collapsing against each other.

"What happened!?"Naruto asked, alarmed.

Sakura quickly went over to them and checked their vitals. Pulse, heart beats, the works. It looked worse when she tried to use her chakra to resuscitate them. When one didn't revive, she moved onto the next. After a few frantic minutes, she finally gave up. "They're dead." she said in astonishment.

"What!?" Naruto yelled in disbelief.

"It's as I said, Naruto; they're dead." she replied sadly. As a medic-nin, Sakura took failure to save a life especially hard.

"They were in perfect fighting condition just minutes ago." Kakashi said, clenching his fists. "Whatever happened, it wasn't natural, and it wasn't us."

Without warning, Sakura pulled out a kunai, and stabbed it into the chest of one of the children. "Sakura-!? What are you...!?" Naruto yelled in shock.

"Their hearts, Naruto! I'm about to examine their hearts!" Sakura yelled back defensively.

Cutting her subject open, she then quickly put on some gloves and reached in for the heart. With a quick tug, it was outside in her palm. "Kakashi-sensei, give me a light." Kakashi quickly pulled out a flashlight and shined it over the specimen. "Complete myocardial destruction..." Sakura muttered. "...no natural disease or poison could do that without sufficient time and symptoms. Kakashi-sensei, are you tired from using your sharingan?"

"I can still do an examination if need be." he answered, already anticipating her next question. Without waiting for the go ahead, he pulled up his forehead protector and activated his sharingan. Squinting his eye, he muttered "Yeah. This one has seals all over the heart; I'd imagine the others had something like this, and however it was triggered, it killed them."

Sakura absent-mindedly set the heart back down into it's cavity. "I'm going to take a blood-sample; I'll have Katsuya send it to Tsunade-sama. And I'll be sure to tell her it's urgent."

Naruto only stared blankly. He didn't see Sakura and Kakashi conducting their investigation; he only saw red. "They...they were just kids!" he thought to himself. "And yet whoever it was, they killed them!" Naruto had heard of some clans eliminating their own when they fell into enemy hands, regardless of age; this was the first time he had actually seen something like that practiced. "Whoever did this...I will NOT let them get away with this!" he promised himself. Looking back to their other captive, Naruto excused himself. Removing the gag, he suddenly punched Tsunami's would-be assassin in the face. "Who hired you!?"

The hit man only grinned maliciously. "I'm a contract killer. I don't-"

Naruto hit him again. "Who hired you!?" The hit man responded by spitting in his face. Naruto simply wiped his face, and formed a mini-rasengan in his hand. Naruto pushed it into the hit man's chest, who cried out in pain. It wouldn't do the damage a normal rasengan would, but it was still painful to be at the receiving end. He slowly traveled down the man's body as he writhed in pain. "This isn't supposed to do much damage, but once we reach the end of the line here, I promise you, you're not going to like the results…"

"I'll talk!" he cried. "I'll talk!"

Naruto released his jutsu. "Hurry up."

"Okay." his victim replied. "I don't know the guy's name. He approached me with the job, flashing me the symbol of the Black Tiger."

"Sounds like Tigre's underground symbol." Naruto thought. "What the guy look like?"

"Black hair, like a mane, tall. His eyes were solid black." He looked back at the kids who were piled up. "In fact, he looked like a lot of those kids."

"That sounds like Ameratsu." Sakura interrupted. "Tigre really did hire this guy."

"Tigre?" the hit man responded. "The billionaire?"

"Even if he was unaware of whom he represented, he still knows too much." Kakashi said. "Why would they go through such care to make sure the children didn't talk, and yet this guy…" Kakashi's eye widened. "Naruto! Get away from him!"

"What!?" Naruto responded.

Suddenly, black flames surrounded the hit man's body. "AHHH! AHHHH! HELP! HELP!"

Naruto was about to try something, but Kakashi pulled him away, leapt towards Sakura and pinned both of them down. "Doton! Doryuheki!"Suddenly, the man exploded in a ball of black flame. Kakashi looked behind him. "A cruel joke of a trap…somehow, Ameratsu placed a seal on him. He allowed us the small mercy of giving us information…and would have annihilated us as soon as we got it." Naruto and Sakura only stared at the cruelty that unfolded before him. "We have to move again. An explosion of this size will attract attention." Team 7 fled the scene. The fire department would find no fire to put out, only a large portion of the beach turned into glass and some dead bodies to collect.

Tigre was rarely a man to get upset. Not because he was generally sweet-tempered; it was because with all the money and muscle he had, there was little for him to be upset about. So, when something did anger him, he would explode. He was just about to leave for home after finishing up some paperwork, and he received word that some of the products were sent to Tazuna's mansion. And he couldn't afford suspicions on him, not when he was so close!

He briskly walked to the elevator and went down to the sub-basement. As soon as the doors opened, he screamed "AMERATSU!"

His Chief of Security in question didn't even flinch as he continued to sit in a meditative position in the middle of the floor. "It seems something's troubling you." he said, seemingly undisturbed by his master's tone of voice.

"That's the understatement of the year!" Tigre shouted again, his energy from before gone. "I heard you sent immature products to eliminate Tazuna!"

"Ah, yes. They failed; don't worry, I made sure to dispose of them before they could talk." he replied nonchalantly.

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" Tigre yelled. "As far as the authorities are concerned, they were after Tazuna! And who do you think the first suspect will be!?" he shouted, emphasizing himself. Ameratsu still did not flinch. "Why in the world did you send a squad after him without my permission!?" Tigre demanded.

"I was only following orders; I told them to track down and eliminate the person with the marker."

"Yes, the dyed bullets." Tigre confirmed. " The ones with only those with a sharingan can see that spray all over the target on contact, and mark everything they come into contact with as a result. I know, it was my idea. But why did you make them deviate-" Tigre then stopped himself. "The intruder from before. She was staying with Tazuna."

"That's what they confirmed." Ameratsu said, secretly feeling vindicated. "There was something odd, though. Tsukiyomi tracked the target herself, but the description didn't match. The woman we were looking for had black hair; what she tracked was a woman with pink hair. She managed to obtain a strand and confirmed pink was the target's natural color."

Tigre thought for a minute. As his finger scratched his chin, it began to slow down as he reached a conclusion. "I think I know who we're dealing with." he hissed.

Just then, the basement's phone rang. Ameratsu rose from his position to get it. "Ameratsu speaking." He listened for a moment. "Uh-huh. Okay, I'll let him know. Thanks."

Ameratsu hung up, and turned his attention back to Tigre. "Just some product information. About 80% of the new batch is ready for sale. Also, Susanno has returned from his mission."

Tigre rolled his eyes, uninterested at this point. "Anything else?"

"Yes. The lab had finished analyzing that blood sample this 'Kyoukai' had given you: it tested positive for the Senju bloodline." Though Ameratsu didn't show it, he was actually quite irritated that his master would consider using it, when he had several artificial uchihas at his disposal.

Tigre's face lit up. "It all makes sense now." he growled as he punched the wall, leaving a good size crack in it. "The spy, how that man got a hold of the Senju's DNA...I'm sure of it now. We're dealing with those same ninja from Konoha that Tazuna hired years back."

"Should we continue to pursue them?" Tsukiyomi's muffled voice asked as she appeared from the shadows.

"No. I'll have my meeting with Kyoukai as scheduled. It will make dealing with him that much easier...assuming that's his real name." He looked at his watch. "I've still got a while before our planned meeting. I'll call you when I have something figured out. Oh, and get whatever cadets you can ready for battle."

Tsukiyomi raised an eyebrow. "But they're not ready yet."

"I don't need them ready. I just need them...expendable, if need be." He yawned and stretched his arms. "Okay then. Good night." He exited, leaving the two siblings to themselves.

"Such arrogance." Tsukiyomi hissed. "And the children-"

"It will be a necessary sacrifice, my dear sister." Ameratsu assured her. "In fact, I believe we can make Tigre's plans for these...'heroes'...work in our favor." He returned to his meditative position. "Still, we should consult with Oni-sama. But be patient. It won't be long now, I can feel it..."

Tigre went over what he would do upon his meeting with "Kyoukai" as his chauffeur sailed his private boat. "I'll need to relieve the stress tonight before I can think clearly." he thought as he rolled some marbles in his hand.

Finally, they reached his private atoll; an island that was barely the size of Wave's Council Hall. In the center was a small but luxurious cottage. Most tycoons would rather have a mansion or a castle, but Tigre preferred to stay away from all that while getting his money's worth. Plus it paid to save. "Here we are sir." his chauffeur called. "Have a good night."

Tigre exited boat and walked towards the cottage as his ride sailed away. He went inside and observed his belongings has he made his way into the bedroom. Statues, paintings, other works of art, the best furniture that money could buy. Anything a wealthy man could want. But there was something else he wanted...something else money alone couldn't buy. But was just about to reach his goal; a little longer and it would be a reality. But first, he had to wind down a bit. He unlocked what seemed to be his closet door, then descended down a stair case.

He was smiling slightly when as he walked down. When he reached the bottom, he looked upon a young woman not even in her twenties, tied in chains to the wall. He cupped her chin as he looked into her defeated eyes. "Please…don't…"

He slapped her, hard. "You don't have any rights here, understand? And that includes talking back to me…" Another reason for the isolated house; no one would hear her scream.

"A marker of some sort?" Sakura asked Kakashi as they readied their sleeping bags.

"Yes." her sensei said. "That's how they were able to find us; I'm only glad we took precautions for such an event."

"Why didn't you mention it before!?" Sakura yelled. "This whole situation could have been avoided-"

"I didn't notice the fluorescent material until earlier tonight when Tazuna was attacked; I had my sharingan open by then..."

Sakura calmed down upon hearing his explanation. "I guess that marker sprayed on the ground and all over Katsuya when I had her get me out of there, and then spilled all over the lawn when we returned; that would explain how they were able to spot it. And if what you told me was correct, it can only be seen with a sharingan." Kakashi nodded in agreement. "But wouldn't we have to worry about them finding us now?" Sakura asked.

"I doubt it." Kakashi said. "The patch I saw was broken up; probably by the early morning dew. I'd imagine once you bathed and changed clothes, the substance was washed off."

Sakura muttered "Thank Kami for small favors." Truthfully, she was beginning to like the mansion and enjoyed staying there; she hated camping when she was unprepared for it.

As he stepped into his bag, Kakashi looked around. "Hey, where's Naruto?"

Sakura groaned in irritation. "I don't know; he just told me he had something to take care of and took off!" she shouted, flailing her arms. "He makes me so mad at times." she said, grumbling.

"I guess this is how real couples are..." Kakashi surmised. "I remember Minato-sensei and Kushina-san fighting like this often as well..."

"I'm sure whatever it is he's doing, it's for the sake of the mission..." he tried to assure her.

"But the fact that he wouldn't tell me WHAT it was means he knows I won't approve..." Sakura mumbled. "Just what are you thinking, Naruto?"

Naruto raced through the trees, hoping he wouldn't be damaging his precious cargo as he went along. Finally, he came to a clearing and touched down. After making sure he wasn't followed, he walked ahead to his goal. Even in the darkness, he could remember where he lay his first real foes...and friends...to rest. He knew Sakura, and perhaps even Kakashi, would not approve of what he was about to do. But if his gut feeling was right, he had to go through with this. Haku would understand...and maybe even Zabusa himself.

"Hey." he muttered as he approached the two graves his own team made for them. "I'm sorry I haven't been around to see you two for a long time; I've been busy for what seems like years." he explained. "I just hope whatever has awaited you both on the other side...it's all worked out."

He paused for a minute as lay down flowers on Haku's grave. "I got these for you; took me a while to remember what flowers you were picking back then...and a little longer to find them in the dark..." he chuckled. He gathered his thoughts for what he would say next. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you out of your situation. I at least got Zabusa to realize he did care for you...I only wish we could save both of you so that you would both realize it. On the other hand, the both of you have helped me create my own ninja way...life hasn't been a bed of roses...but I've learned so much, seen so much, and experienced so much since we fought. And no matter what anyone else said, I went about it all my own way And I don't think any of it would have been possible had I not met you both. So, for that...thank you."

He then turned to Zabusa's grave. "I'd imagine you'd throw an insult at me and ask what I'm really here for." he chuckled. "Something's going on here; something big. I'd imagine you wouldn't care much for it, but it's part of my mission. Also, they're USING kids. Not like you did with Haku; however twisted and self-motivated it may have been, you still saved and raised Haku like your own. You cared for him, no matter how much you denied it to me. But not these guys; to them, these kids really are just weapons. If they are caught, they are killed. They had no family, no identity..." Naruto fumed, but settled himself down. "I guess this means nothing to you, but I'd like to think even in the past, you would do whatever you could to protect Haku, and hide it saying you needed your 'precious tool' back. I respected that much about you, at least. This is something different. I'm not asking you to sympathize with me..." Naruto walked forward, and grabbed the hilt protruding from the ground. "All I ask..." He wrapped his other hand around the hilt, and pulled. For a moment, it seemed the sword would not give way. But a faint lurch encouraged him, and Naruto put everything he had into it grabbing it with both hands. Finally, the gargantuan sword, Kubikiribocho, was lifted into the air, shining in the moonlight. "All I ask...is for you to lend me your strength." he declared, holding the giant sword in front of the fallen mist swordsman's grave respectfully.

Kakashi, along with Sakura, had fallen into the light sleep shinobi typically entered during missions; deep enough to dream, but light enough to wake in an instant should they subconsciously sense something. However, no peace came to Kakashi this evening; the revelation of the childrens' identities had stirred a horrible memory within him...

Kakashi and his sensei, Minato, sprinted across the trees as they desperately tried to follow Rin's trail. It seemed fruitless; she had gotten too far ahead. Finally, they found her, and both panicked at the sight of her. Rin was embedded with kunai all over her back, probably from a trap, and covered in blood. "RIIINNNN!"

Kakashi was the first to reach her, and gently cradled her as he supported her back, mindful of the kunai. "K-Kakashi...?" Rin rasped. It seemed she was coughing up blood for quite some time, judging by her caked lips.

"Don't talk!" Kakashi told her. "Just lie still! We'll get help!"

"Now that we have a firm grasp on her location, I can get the medical squad." their sensei noted. "Kakashi, keep Rin as comfortable as you can! Make sure you keep her awake, and don't pull the kunai out just yet! We need to keep what little blood she has inside! I'll be back as quickly as I can!"

"Hurry!" Kakashi pleaded as Minato teleported himself away with his famous jutsu.

"Kakashi..." Rin rasped again.

"I told you not to talk!" Kakashi scolded her.

"I know, but I have to...I'm so sorry Kakashi." Her breathing became even more labored as she spoke, yet Kakashi did not have it in him to tell her to stop. "I know you were just trying to be there for me...promise to Obito or not. And I am so sorry I pushed you away...I was angry at myself over what happened to Obito, and took it out on you..."

"It's okay, Rin! You were in pain, and I couldn't do a thing to help you! But I promise, once we get through this I'll do my utmost best! I know I can never replace Obito in your heart, but I'll do whatever I can to make you happy!"

Rin gave him a sad smile. "I know you would. But Obito's alive...I know it." Kakashi wanted to reply, but the clarity with which she spoke stunned him. He couldn't simply say no. Was it because he didn't have the heart to tell her the reality of the situation during her dying moments...or because he so desperately wanted to believe her? "I'm not going to last much longer." Rin wheezed. "I anticipated something like this might happen. That's why, before I took off, I wrote this down..." She reached into her pocket, and slowly in her shaky hand pulled out an envelope caked with her own blood. "Make sure you give this to Obito when you find him. Please, promise me..."

Kakashi wanted to scold her, telling her she was going to make it...but any will to say those words faded as he watched the life slip away from her. Kakashi, despite his doubts, took the note, and nodded towards Rin. Rin cried in joy, despite the sight leaving her eyes. Though she was too weak to speak, she mouthed the words "Thank You." Her arm finally crashed to the ground, just as Minato returned with Konoha's medical squad. They rushed towards her, and tore her from Kakashi's arms. But none of it mattered now. Kakashi only kneeled with his head slumped towards the ground, as he desperately tried to process what has happened. Rin was dead, his promise to Obito broken. And now, he was alone.

Back in the present, yakuza boss Byakko recited the words as he looked over the letter he received by messenger pigeon for what seemed to be the 100th time.

"Samurai raided my storehouse where I kept the rest my merchandise. I'm afraid all I've got are the three I gave to you. I'll be stopping by at the auction as planned; sorry for the inconvenience."

"You don't believe him, boss?" one of his thugs asked as he read over his shoulder.

"I don't know." Byakko replied as he pushed the not-so-bright henchman away. "All I know is something's not right." Another thing that struck him as odd was the handwriting; if Hyakuunjou wrote this, either he was very sloppy or his writing hand was out of commission.

"Sir." another thug said as he approached him. "Hyakuunjou has arrived."

Byakko eyed him suspiciously. "How's his condition?" If he had a close call with the authorities, someone as inexperienced as him couldn't have made it out unscathed.

"Um, he seems fine. Oh! Except, he has a sling on his right arm!" he remembered.

Well, if Hyakuunjou was faking it, at least he was trying. Only one way to find out. "Send him in."

Within a minute, Hyakuunjou came down. His demeanor was as mean and threatening as ever, despite the obvious appearance of his arm in a cast and sling. If anything, like a wild animal, he seemed to look more vicious with the injury. "Hey. I take it you got my message?" he asked, as detached and challenging as ever.

Byakko approached him slowly, closely inspecting him. "Yeah. I got it." He then suddenly kicked the boy over and stepped on his wounded arm, hard.

"AHHHH! YOU SON OF A BITCH!" the kid screamed in obvious pain.

Byakko grabbed the tanto that the boy pulled from his back (and aimed for his heart), and increased the pressure on his arm; it was definitely broken. Finally, he relented. "Sorry about that, kid." He pulled him up with his good arm, and explained. "Just meeting you and you losing your stock...that's a bit suspicious, you know."

"Really, do I look like a rat!?" Hyakuunjou shouted.

"Can never be too careful." Byakko replied nonchalantly. "Anyway, it looks like you really did run into bad luck."

"Yeah. The son of a bitch who got me fucked up this arm with a damn kabano."

"Sorry about that; it happens to even the best of us." Byakko said. "But, if you're still up for it, I can still introduce you to the representative of my best customer."

"Well, after having my damn arm STEPPED ON, I need something to make this trip worth it." Shiguri hissed.

Byakko smirked; he was a real Yakuza's son. "Let's get you some codeine first; the person you want to meet is not going to be impressed if you keep looking like you're constipated. After this is over, I'll get in touch with this healer."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, a medical ninjutsu specialist; met him a couple of years ago. Scary looking guy, but he knows his stuff. For the right price, he'll fix you up, better than before."

Shiguri acted like he was thinking about it, but then replied "Thanks, but my own doctor is fine, thank you."

Yuji laid on the roof of the carriage as he looked at the stars. Unfortunately for him, there was hardly anything noteworthy out, due to all light pollution from the city. What's more, he was worried about how Shiguri was holding up undercover. He felt bad he had to be there injured; to Yuji, it was even worse because he was the one who inflicted those injuries on his friend.

"You're sure?" Yuji asked skeptically as they finalized the plan. Though it was HIS plan, once he realized Shiguri was serious about this, he was beginning to regret suggesting it.

"Yes." Shiguri replied with finality.

Yuji sighed. "Alright. I've made the calculations necessary to make sure it doesn't look like a simple accident or self-inflicted. In other words, it will really look like you were attacked."

"Good." Shiguri replied as he stretched his arm across the table. "Let's do this."

Despite his misgivings, Yuji complied, applying his chakra control to his fingers as he placed them over the forearm. "You ready?" Shiguri only nodded in response, clearly annoyed with Yuji's cautious personality. "Okay then. 3...2...1..."

Suddenly, Yuji jammed his fingers into the bone so hard that it was like mace hit it. Shiguri cried out in pain, and again when another impact came from the opposite direction further down the arm. "In a real attack, you'd have multiple fractures close together." Yuji explained, though it didn't look like it got through to him. As Shiguri's whimpers died down, Yuji settled the arm and put it into a sling. "Make sure you don't move it around too much. I want to be able to fix what I broke after this mission is over." Shiguri nodded weekly as he stood and got to writing the letter to Byakko...

"I'll give him this much; no matter how heinous the means or how much pain he has to put himself through, he's willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done." Yuji's watch suddenly beeped, the timer going off. That was his cue. "Okay then. Let's finish this." He jumped out of the carriage and jogged towards where the auction was being held, a few blocks away from the docks.

He wasn't going to go into the front; too obvious. He quickly ran into the adjacent alleyway. Of course, a guard was also posted there. "Hey, school boy, you better back the fuck up and-"

His demands were cut short as Yuji elbowed him in the stomach and pinched his jugular. Within seconds, he was out cold. Yuji quickly scaled the building, finding two more sentries on the top. Quietly, he caught them with his wires and knocked them out cold by banging their heads together. Deciding now would be a good time to drop his disguise, he quickly changed into a standard shinobi uniform, quickly adding his forehead protector and his father's cape. He was about to slip into the air vents, when he noticed something down below. Moving over to the edge of the roof, he saw a group of samurai having dispatched the guards at the front door. But these weren't ordinary samurai. Their armor alone suggested they were of high-class, and definitely not a competing yakuza's pack of dogs. These samurai belonged to nobility, and when he caught a glance of one of their emblems, he found out who. "These samurai are under the direct command of the Daimyo!" Yuji realized. "But our mission was commissioned by the Daimyo himself! Which means...he doesn't trust us!" Yuji had to act fast; if they didn't solve this case, they wouldn't get paid. Not only that, even high-class samurai were known to often slash first, and ask questions later. And they needed everyone alive for the mission to succeed.

Quickly, Yuji dove into the air vent, hoping that the samurai were not ready to spring their attack just yet.

"Yashida!" Byakko called as he guided Shiguri through the crowd. "Yashida, you dog! Came to enjoy more of our shows?" he shouted as he greeted the representative of his proclaimed "best customer".

Yashida, the man in question, was rather typical looking. Slick hair, small glasses, and standard business suit. He was clearly not suited for fighting, although Shiguri doubted even then the situation would not call for that. "Byakko-san." Yashida replied, unimpressed as he adjusted his suit. "You're still as eager to please."

"Well, have I disappointed before?" the crime boss laughed.

"No, you haven't." Yashida replied, maintaining his stiff demeanor. "My master tends to collect the best, and you have proven yourself very lucky this past year. Master goes through his play things rather quickly."

"Just means more money for me, assuming you're not outbidded." Byakko chuckled.

"Unlikely, considering the money he's given me."

The man then looked at Shiguri, and Byakko slapped his forehead. "Ah, my manners! Yashida, this is Hyakuunjou. He's the son of a deceased friend of mine, looking to follow in his father's footsteps. He wanted to meet you, learn whom his customers should be."

Shiguri did his best to look pleased, but not enthusiastic. Yashida, interacting with the criminal underworld, would not take offense. "Nice to meet you, young sir." the "gentleman" said. "I take it you have something to sell?"

"A few things." Shiguri replied nonchalantly. "I originally had more, but I ran into a bit of bad luck earlier this week. However, I'm sure what I've managed to salvage will be worth your trip here. My best, I promise you."

"We shall see, young sir." Yashida replied, adjusting his jacket. "My master has very particular taste. I will not waste his money on scared hookers you pulled off the street."

"Why don't you go have a seat and relax some, son?" Byakko asked as he placed a hand on Shiguri's shoulder, guiding him away before an outburst could potentially occur . "I'll be sure to make him buy at least one of your girls. That's a promise."

"Sure thing." Shiguri replied, following his suggestion.

As he walked down to take a seat, he felt a small but hard stone drop on his head. "Ow!" Shiguri picked up the offending rock, and saw two words written on it: SAMURAI. CAUTION. What's more, the handwriting was Yuji's. "Shit."

"Shiguri! Can you hear me!?" Ino's voice rang in Shiguri's mind.

Not wanting to appear schizophrenic or the worst spy ever, Shiguri decided to try replying with his own thoughts, hoping it was a two-way street like in the manga he read. "Yeah, I can. Listen, we're set, but samurai are outside! They could bust in at any minute and ruin this operation!"

"Shit!" he heard Ino inside his head, much to his relief. "Just keep doing what you're doing. I'll take care of the rest! When the raid begins, hide!"

Shiguri didn't know how Ino was going to make this work out, but knowing the crazy things jonin could do, he figured it was just best to wait and see. As he was told, Shiguri played along as he watched the auction. Most of the slaves up were the real deal; he guessed they were okay looking, but he wouldn't pay the ridiculous amount of money many of the others were. "Of course, I'm supposed to be one of the good guys." Then, Yugo was up, dressed only in wrappings and a loincloth like those before her. Many of the men whistled, and Shiguri would be hard pressed to admit that she wasn't attractive.

"What did I tell ya!?" Byakko said to Yashida. "The kid's got good taste!"

"Yes..." Yashida agreed. "He seems to have a firm grasp of my master's type...but think he's in the mood for something less…fierce."

Next up was Temari, who got similar responses. It surprised him when Yashida won the bid for her. "Looks like he got what he came for...I just hope Ino-sensei is ready with whatever she's planning..."

Temari was chained up and brought over to him. "Lovely." Yashida commented as he cupped her chin. "My master will most certainly be pleased." Shiguri was glad he was said to have a cold demeanor; he didn't think he would be able to disguise his disgust otherwise.

"Wait till you see his cream of the crop." Byakko told Yashida as he nudged him with his elbow. "You're going to love it; I guarantee it."

"And next up, we always save the best for last. Blonde hair, green eyes, high C..." The auctioneer stopped as one of the workers ran up to him and whispered something into his ear. "Um...I'm sorry, gentlemen. It seems we've run into a bit of a problem. Don't worry, we'll have everything under control in a few minutes and restart the auction."

Byakko found one of his men running all over, and signaled him over. "Jiru, what the hell is going on!?" he hissed.

"The bright blonde girl just passed out for no reason!" the yakuza whispered back. "We're trying to figure out what's wrong with her. All I know is that her breathing and pulse are normal, like she was just sleeping, but she's unresponsive!"

"Just wake her up, anyway you can! I don't care if you have to kick her, just do it!" Just as he said that, the samurai finally busted down the doors.

"Shiguri, now's a good time to hide under a table!" Shiguri did so, making sure to play dead, just in case.

"IT'S AN AMBUSH!" Byakko shouted as he ran through the crowd. "Grab all the swords you can, and waste these fuckers!"

The low-ranking samurai engaged the yakuza, but both were well trained. However, the higher ranking ones were making mincemeat out of them..and eliminating potential sources of vital information in the process.

"Damn...!" Byakko then pulled some weird object out of his trousers. "I was hoping to test it properly...but I'll have to take my chances it seems!" he growled as he aimed it at one samurai.

Suddenly, Yuji burst through the ceiling and landed on top of Byakko. The impact caused him to drop the weapon, and the weird thing slid across the floor. However, it suddenly exploded like a fire-cracker and seemed to wound one of his own men enough to bring him to his knees. "You little shit!" Byakko shoved Yuji off of him, and faced him. Without even taking a moment to see who...or rather what...his opponent was, he threw a punch. Yuji easily blocked, and with a well-placed kick, completely obliterated his knee, making his leg bend in the opposite direction like a piece of rubber. Yuji flipped out of the way and leapt from table to table to ensnare both yakuza and samurai in his wires. "Stop! We need them alive!" he shouted to the armored authority figures.

As Yashida was pulling Temari away, no doubt to escape the chaos away with his prize, she head-butted him and nailed him in the crotch, bringing him to his knees. "You're not going anywhere, creep!"

"ENOUGH!" the head samurai suddenly shouted as his men seemed to have finally gain the upper hand. "WE NEED EACH SUSPECT ALIVE!"

The samurai suddenly stopped their slashing, and simply restrained their offenders. Thankfully, it seemed most were still alive, especially the useful ones. "Sir!" A samurai, female by the sound of it, called. She was carrying Ino's still body over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "I went to the back door and saved as many as I could, like you ordered. However, this one is unconscious and won't wake up..."

Suddenly, the chief sheathed his sword and did a ninja hand sign. Ino suddenly came to life, and stood as if nothing was wrong. "Thanks." she said to the woman samurai, who was surprised at her seemingly miraculous recovery.

Suddenly, the head samurai wobbled, and looked around confused. "What? What happened? Where am I? W-" Before he could finish, he saw that he was in the basement he was planning to storm, his men capturing all the yakuza. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?" he suddenly yelled, more confused than mad.

"My apologies, sir." Ino addressed him. "I had to take control of your body; it took a while to sort out who among you was in charge."

"You dare!?" the chief addressed her, pointing his katana at her accusingly.

"Yes." Ino replied, unflinching in face of the blade. "Had you went about business as you usually did, you would have probably killed everyone in here without finding our target. I imagine we're looking for the same person, judging by your emblem."

The samurai seemed to relax, if only a little. "You're the ninja the lord hired."

"Precisely." Ino confirmed. "I wouldn't mind a joint operation, but if you made a wrong move, you could have jeopardized not only our search, but any of the innocent women already here. Plus, you were more likely to kill any leads than find them."

"The lord requested us to take over your mission!" He shouted defensively. "He finds that your village was taking too long with finding his niece!"

Ino only snorted in annoyance; the wounded pride of a samurai was aggravating enough to deal with. Add in a nobleman's arrogance, and it was a difficult combination to deal with. "Investigations are not a quick-and-fix solution, they take time. You're here now only because you've been trailing us; if he selected you from the start, you would be completely lost. We were the ones putting in the hard work to finding out who kidnapped Dandelion-sama, and we needed to find out to whom she was sold to. Yakuza don't keep records on those kinds of things for very long; they probably burned every piece of evidence saying they had her by now. And your interrogation skills; weak. They would only tell you what they believed you wanted to hear. I'm the only one who can verify the truth."

Even he had to admit, Ino effectively burned him. The chief seemed to be heaving with rage underneath his mask. "Souji-sama." the female samurai interrupted, bowing respectfully. "I have encountered the Konoha ninja in my youth. They are reliable and do their best to keep their promises. I believe a cooperative effort will be beneficial for both of us. If we do not, this may prove problematic for both us and his excellency in the future."

The chief, Souji it seemed his name was, seemed to have trouble accepting it. "What were the exact words your master said to you?" Ino asked, her arms crossed. "It was to simply find her, wasn't it? Anyway you can, I'd bet. And don't lie to me. Believe me, I'll know."

The samurai looked around, seeing the likely suspects all rounded up, and finally, albeit reluctantly, relented. "Tie this filth up. Our...ally, has some questions for them." he mumbled as he sheathed his sword.

Yugo just came in then, escaping...more likely beating up...her captor from earlier. "What'd I miss?"

"Long story." Temari sighed. "But we've got our prey. That's all that's important. Let's get dressed and get it over with."

As the three went over someplace private to change into more appropriate clothes, Byakko hissed "Damn kunoichi bitches..." He tried to stand, but the way his leg was bent made that impossible. "AHH! AHH!"

Then, Shiguri emerged from hiding, yelling "Yuji! Come over here and fix my arm! I think that jackass over there made it worse!"he shouted, pointing his working thumb at the fallen yakuza boss.

"You...I take you in, and this is how you repay me!?" Byakko yelled.

Shiguri only sneered at him. "Sorry old man, but I'm not who you think I am."

"But I checked!" Byakko yelled. "I found your records! Those could not be faked, they're state property!"

"Fortunately for me, my friend here has a talent for forgery." he replied, referring to Yuji. "Your friend Kurohyou fathered a child, but it was a girl." he said as Yuji came to start the healing on his arm. "Since the cat's out of the bag, I guess I should introduce myself properly. The name's Shiguri. Naka Shiguri."

Byakko only growled in anger. "Screw you, punk."

The green chakra faded as Yuji removed his hands from Shiguri's once broken arm. "There. Why don't you give it a try?"

Shiguri removed the sling, flexed his arm and rotated it. "Still a bit sore. But, at least it doesn't feel like it will fall off. I don't plan on putting it through the ringer just yet."

"We'll need to have more sessions. We'll do the next one tomorrow, same time." Yuji assured him.

Shiguri sighed. "If we even have the luxury."

"Well, would you rather risk breaking it yourself?" Yuji asked, slightly miffed.

"Fine, fine. We'll do sessions. I just hope you'll forget about the hot nurse outfit. Don't get me wrong, you're cute in it, but we're just friends, you know? So, it's cool, you don't have to dress up."

Yuji rolled his eyes. "You're a real hoot, you know? If you're going to insult me, why don't you try a subject other than sexuality for a change?"

"Is your friend alright?"

The two turned to see the female samurai who spoke in their favor from before approach them. "Uh...yeah. I'm good." Shiguri replied. "Why's she so friendly with us?"

"Uh..." the samurai seemed to stutter a bit. "It's good to see you again, Yuji." She looked away, almost as if she didn't mean to say it out loud.

Yuji's eyes widened in surprise. "Uh, do I know you?"

The samurai seemed baffled. "You...you don't recognize me?"

"Well, the armor makes it hard to see any distinguishing features. I wouldn't even have been able to tell you were a woman had you not spoken up." he replied honestly.

The female samurai slapped her helmet. "Of course! Sorry; we were trained to think of the armor as extensions of ourselves. Nowadays, I don't even feel it's weight upon me." She unbuckled her helmet, and revealed her face. Her skin was tan, and her hair blue and tied in a bun, almost like the sky.

Yuji's eyes widened; only one person he knew had those distinguishing features. "...Hyouike?"

"Yuji!" Hyouike suddenly squeezed him with joy, as Yuji's face turned red. "It's been so long!"

"Yeah...how did you become part of the Imperial Guard, let alone a samurai?" he asked, still shocked to be reunited with a friend he hadn't seen in years.

Hyouike released him and smiled. "It's a long story..." she began, blushing.

"And it will have to wait." To Hyouike's dismay, Ino came in with her colleagues, this time dressed in their proper shinobi outfits. "I need you two to listen while we get the information we need out of these scum." She turned to the samurai chief, and told him "Line them up."

Byakko, Yashida, and several other yakuza and illicit customers were brought before them, tied up and on their knees (except Byakko, due to his broken leg. He was tied to a chair). Ino walked forward and held up a photograph of a young woman for all to see. She had hazel eyes, auburn hair, and was quite gorgeous. "This photograph was only taken 6 weeks ago, so I doubt she would look much different today unless she's a corpse. Do any of you know who she is?" None of them answered, and looked away. Based on her experience in looking at people's reactions, she believed they did. But she played along for now. "Nobody? She's Dandelion Hi , niece to Fire Country's Daimyo. 5 weeks ago, she was on a trip with friends, and their carriage was attacked. Though most everyone was killed on the trail over to the next town, one survivor said he saw her taken by men."

Byakko once again growled, and began to shout "And how do you know she's not dead now, you stupid-"

Ino suddenly stepped on the knee that Yuji injured earlier, and caused him to howl in pain. "I'm the one talking here, so keep your mouth shut until I specifically ask you!" She removed her foot, satisfied with the pathetic look on his face. "Now, to answer your question, if they wanted to kill her, they would have done so during the raid. So, there's reason to believe that at least some point afterward, she was alive. Based on the description of the attackers, we've tracked them as part of your gang. Given the amount of time that has passed, I'd imagine she's not here anymore." She looked around, noticing a couple of the yakuza sweating in fear. "They know."

She continued, this time addressing Byakko directly. "So, I imagine you sold her. I just want to know, to whom?"

Byakko just mumbled "They're all just faces to me."

"Bullshit." Ino interrupted. "This isn't a bookstore where hundreds shop and go. You have very specific clients. Wealthy, powerful, and still wanting more. And you stay in touch to ensure they will come back." Ino then took a seat. "I could read your mind, and no, that is not a joke. But it takes time; time I'm worried I don't have. And I can't search the mind of everyone here." Ino folded her hands together, and played with her fingers. "So...you tell me who you sold this poor girl to...or I'm going to make you believe you are a three year old girl. Fresh from potty training. We'll have a great time doing your pig tails." she smirked.

Byakko's brow cringed. He certainly heard of ninja doing incredible things, but surely, something like that couldn't be real? "You're bluffing." he finally said.

"Wanna bet?"

Ino jumped off her seat and searched the other yakuza, noticing one with many fingers missing; looks like he made a lot of mistakes and was demoted pretty severely. He seemed expendable. "Wait." he suddenly wheezed, staring at the kunoichi in fright. "What are you doing!?"

"Making an example out of you." Ino pressed her hand sign towards him, and before he could protest further, his body went slack. "You may release him." she told the other samurai.

"Are you sure? He's..."

"It will be alright." she assured them. "He will be no danger to anyone now."

The samurai reluctantly did as they were told, and released his bonds. The yakuza seemed to have revived, and looked around, puzzled. "Hey there." Ino cooed at him like she would a child. He looked at her curiously, not registering what these people here, and what these people were. In fact, it looked like he was slowly crawling away. "I'm sorry. You must be scared. Wanna play?" Ino then pulled out a Pretty Pretty Pegasus toy, a popular franchise among little girls, which he ran over to (seemingly unsure of his steps) and took it from her. He then sat down, and began combing it's mane with his fingers. "You like it?"

"Yeah." he said, enchanted by the toy. "Rainbow Gallop is the bestest in the whole wold!"

Every man who witnessed the sight turned white. None perceived the mere concept as a genuine nightmare, until tonight. "Yuji." Shiguri whispered. "Whatever you do...do NOT tell her of our trip to the hot springs back then..."

"And put my mind on the line for you? You're on your own..." he hissed back.

Ino left the poor soul to his own devices and approached Byakko. "So, as you can see, Byakko-san, I am capable of controlling and twisting the mind in a way not even the best hypnotists can manage. If you tell me what I want to know, you'll remain a man, both in mind and body. If not, well, you'll have your life, at least. Though it won't be much of a life by your standards."

The sweat on Byakko's face poured down as fast as a monsoon, and finally, he relented. "Okay, okay! I'll talk!"

Ino hurried back and took her seat in front of him. "Well? Go on."

"As I said, I've been doing this for years. I may remember my customers...but not the people I sell to them. After a while, they all kinda look the same." Ino made the same hand sign in front of him, and Byakko made it a point to speed up his explanation. "But judging by the picture you showed me...and the woman...yeah, I remember her. She kept going on, saying something along the lines of we'll be sorry or something. She was so certain about it too...and now I know why..."

He then looked at the photo again. "Judging by her appearance, she's certainly got the noble look. That's a rare find for our business, and worth a lot of money. Yashida, Tachima, and Chen seem to have a thing for exotic looking beauties. In fact, I was hoping one of them would buy you."

"Flattery will get you nowhere here." she warned him. "Anyone else that you know of with such tastes?"

"Lots." Byakko replied. "But most of them I haven't seen in years; probably killed by rival gangs or the samurai themselves. Maybe you ninja had a hand in it too. And none of them I've seen in the time she would have been in our custody."

Ino, satisfied, walked away and looked at the potential buyers they had captured. "I guess I have to interrogate one by one..." "Which one's Yashida?" None spoke. She turned to Byakko, who pointed to him, determined not to share the same fate of his unfortunate subordinate.

"No!" Yashida exclaimed.

"That's him alright." Shiguri interrupted. "Was introduced to him myself. Geezer's 'best customer' he claimed. Well, his master anyway."

"You don't understand!" the man said. "I'm not the one buying the slaves, I'm just representing my employer! He makes me do these things!"

"I'm well aware of that." Ino replied, showing no pity. "But that will hardly save you. Just tell me who you work for so we can get this over with."

"He'll kill me!"

"Not if we have anything to say about it." Ino said. "And the Daimyo will probably have you killed first." "We'll protect you, but if you don't talk, the samurai will have to take over. And their methods-"

Suddenly, Yashida convulsed, and fell over on his back. Ino and Yuji rushed over. "He's dead!" Ino yelled in shock as she desperately tried to find a pulse.

"Not if I can help it!" Yuji proclaimed. "Raiton! Tenchuukou no Jutsu!" Yuji sent electric chakra through his hands, over the man's chest, and instantly, he took in a breath of air, springing back to life.

"Thank goodness." Ino said. "Now...oh no...Yuji! He's going into cardiac arrest again!"

"Impossible!" Yuji applied his jutsu again, only to be met with the same result. "His heart's still failing! Something is inhibiting his pacemaker...and it's only getting stronger every time I add juice!"

"Keep it up as long as you can!" Ino placed her hand on the dying man's head. "I'm going to read his mind before all of his brain cells collapse!"

"Hurry!"

For a tense two minutes, Yuji managed to keep Yashida alive. But soon, no amount of electricity could get his heart going again. "That's it; he's gone. Did you find anything?"

"It wasn't much; mind-reading under pressure is pretty difficult." Ino stood to massage her temples. "But, I did see something. He definitely bought the girl, and he's somehow connected to Felidae Industries."

"That's a well known multibillion ryo conglomerate." the chief samurai spoke up. "Are you sure you didn't accidentally scan his memories for random things he's heard of?"

"Positive." Ino said, miffed at his doubts. "I specifically scanned for memories significant to him. And he is definitely somehow connected to Felidae. Our best bet is to head over to their headquarters right now." Ino then put her finger to her chin as she took a moment to think. "Strange..."

"What?" Shiguri asked.

"If I remember correctly, Felidae's corporate headquarters are stationed in the Land of Waves. That was where Sakura and Naruto went on their first mission." Ino waved her hand, brushing it off. "I'm sure it's just a coincidence." She then turned to the samurai chief. "Normally, I would tell you to bug off now. But seeing as your lord has ordered you to follow us, I suppose there's no point, huh?"

"Our orders are absolute." the chief replied. "I suggest we share the boat; it will be more cost-effective, and the state shall pay for the trip."

"Fair enough." Ino replied. She turned to the two chunin under her command. "You hear that kids? We're heading to the Land of Waves."

Next chapter: The mystery begins to unravel as all parties come together in the Land of Waves

Ookami-Wolf

Tatsunokuchi Kyoukai-Gargoyle of the Church

Hakaitekei Hatoo-Destructive Heart

Jiru-Chowder

Tenchuukou-Heaven's Restoration