Chapter 6: The Hidden Sand


Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Because I'm writing longer chapters now, I unfortunately won't be recapping chapters anymore. Wouldn't want to overload you with a long & winded recap and an even longer chapter. Read Author's Note at the end of the chapter for more.


"I can see the end of the forest from here." Chikara announced to his teammates. Since Yorukō took off after giving the order, everyone took off into the forest at breakneck speed with the goal of arriving to the Hidden Sand within the same day, or the nighttime at the latest. Yorukō, Yuina, Kori, and Sayuri all hopped from tree to tree, with Chikara traversing through the forest on the ground; subsequently acting as a second pair of eyes if needed. After hearing his announcement, everyone pushed harder to exit the forest by pouring chakra into their feet – something that allowed them to go even faster. Within a few moments, Team 1 was no longer in the forest and now faced a vast desert in front of them.

"We're…out…" Yuina slowly said while she caught her breath.

"Why did…we do that?" Kori asked, also catching her breath. She looked towards Yorukō, Chikara, and Sayuri, noticing they weren't losing breath like they were.

"It was best that we exited the forest as fast as we could've. That reduced our time of getting to the Sand and leaving in that order." Yorukō explained, not changing his focus from the now vast desert in front of them.

"But you guys…aren't low on stamina…as we are." Yuina complained.

"Suck it up. We can take a few minutes to rest – if Yorukō allows – for you guys to get your breath back." Chikara suggested.

Yorukō nodded: "That's fine, but I do suggest that you two don't take too long. There's nowhere we can go under for shade which will only cause us to burn under this scorching sun."

"Thanks, Yorukō-kun…" Kori said: "I won't need long, promise."

"We need…better stamina…" Yuina wheezed.

"Well, to make it better for you guys, we won't need to be running as hard as we did anymore, but we do need to keep a constant pace throughout the desert. Word has it that it's prone to desert storms and tornadoes, something I'd rather all of us avoid." Yorukō explained, earning nods from everyone.


Five minutes later…

"Yuina and I are good now, Yorukō-kun." Kori announced. Yorukō looked at both her and Yuina briefly when he slightly nodded and faced the vast desert once more.

"Are we ready to move out, Yorukō?" Sayuri asked with Chikara looking on for his answer.

"Yeah." The teen jōnin simply answered.

Not long after, the squad went deeper into the desert at a more controlled pace for Yuina and Kori to keep up with the others. A while passed with not one word being exchanged with one another, everyone's focus firmly on working to beat the desert's heat and being on the lookout for any anomalies in their way. Yorukō suggested traversing in a star-shaped pattern with Kori being in the middle as the sensor, everyone protecting her while she can focus more on being on the lookout for enemies uninterrupted.

"Yuina-chan." Yorukō called out after a few more minutes of silence.

"Yeah?" she answered.

"I understand that you have some gripe with the Hidden Sand – I remember you telling me that in great detail – but I want to hear your confirmation that you will not be doing anything rash while we're here to deliver this message." Yorukō elaborated.

"I…" Yuina slowly answered back, unable to form the right words to her boyfriend.

"Listen," Yorukō said after hearing her hesitation: "I understand that what they did is unforgivable, and in any other situation I'd allow it – help you even – but this is not the time for that. We're tasked with completing a mission for the Hidden Leaf, not the Hidden Frost. Tsunade has helped us when we needed it most and going off-script now would only strain our relationship to possibly the point of it going back to square one."

Kori, Sayuri, and Chikara all remained silent and merely chose to observe the situation unfolding in front of them as they continued across the desert, Sayuri and Chikara hoping that the kunoichi would find the logical sense in their captain's words. For Kori, she remembered consoling Yuina that night after her mother was killed by a handful of Hidden Sand shinobi right in front of her. She remembered her cousin's cries for her mother as she bled to death, each moment getting progressively worse than before. Kori couldn't stand to see her older cousin in that state as she considered Yuina to be an older sister to her, feelings of usefulness surfacing within her for not being able to do more for her. A few days of isolation passed, and Kori met up with Yuina to apologize for not being there as much as she wanted to be, with Yuina thanking her for still being there for her that night and apologizing for potentially putting her in harm's way. Since then, their bond only strengthening further. In this situation, Kori resolved that she would help Yuina exact revenge when the time was right, consequences be damned. The sensory kunoichi was broken out of her thoughts when Yorukō cleared his throat and brought the attention towards him.

"Yuina." Yorukō said, intentionally dropping the -chan suffix: "I'm not saying to not do it; getting your revenge that is, but this isn't a request from your boyfriend to follow the mission. This is an order from your captain. I won't tolerate any intentional hijinks to this mission, understood?"

"That's a bit too cold, Yorukō-kun!" Kori protested: "She could have the best opportunity to finally avenge her mother, and you-"

"-Let's say she does get her revenge during this mission. Cool. She avenged her mother, all is right in the world, right?" Yorukō interjected. Kori nodded although Yorukō doesn't see it: "Without knowing the priors, the higher-ups of the Hidden Sand will think you murdered their shinobi in cold blood. Who's that going to look bad on?"

"The Hidden Leaf." Chikara answered.

"Precisely. Even though the Sand is still recovering from their failed invasion on the Leaf, it could still be considered a declaration of war, which could also lead to our exile from the village, and thus releasing the hunter-nins on us once more." Yorukō finished: "Tell me, is that something you're willing to risk incurring for getting revenge on your enemies for killing your mother in this moment?"

"So, what you're saying is: you don't want me to exact my revenge. Am I hearing you right, captain?" Yuina asked, putting emphasis on captain.

"You're misreading what I'm saying, Yuina. All I'm saying is that now just isn't the time." Yorukō answered.

"That doesn't make any sense! You're plotting revenge on your own father, and we're to just let these guys roam free?" Kori argued: "If anyone should be on our side with this, it's you, Yorukō-kun! You should know how we feel about this!"

"These situations aren't the same." Yorukō brutally countered.

This struck a nerve in Yuina upon hearing that, causing her to abruptly stop. This in turn caused everyone else to stop and look at her, her usually bright purple eyes now devoid of emotions fixed solely on her boyfriend. Yorukō remained in his position, his blue eyes returning the same level of intensity towards her while he folded his arms.

"These situations aren't the same, huh?" Yuina asked, mirroring her boyfriend's words: "You're right; you've never watched a loved one die in front of you. You just want to kill your own father because of what he did or didn't do to your mother. I get it, Sayuri-san was put through hell, and she did die, but you never even knew about it until she told you as a corpse."

Yorukō remained quiet as Yuina continued: "You got lucky; at least you get to make up on - what do you call it – 'lost time'? Here's a newsflash for you, Yorukō – I don't have the same luxury as you do. I won't feel satisfied if I don't avenge her. What if we never come back to the Hidden Sand after this? What if this is the one opportunity I can't afford to miss? What am I supposed to tell her once I eventually die and move on to the afterlife?"

Kori stood beside Yuina after her rant, tears beginning to form in the latter's eyes. She allowed Yuina to lean on her shoulder to calm her down, her blue eyes fiercely fixated on Yorukō.

"Isn't there some way for us to exact Yuina-chan's revenge, Yorukō-kun?" Kori pleadingly asked, her tone betraying the conviction in her eyes: "Why can't you agree with us?! We've done everything you've wanted us to do, and we can't get this one act done?!"

Chikara stepped forward towards the trio when he saw Sayuri's arm extended in front of him. Looking at her, he noticed the older woman intently looking at the situation unfolding in front of her, as if patiently waiting for the conclusion. The duo noticed that Yorukō remained silent throughout both kunoichi's tirade, as if he was patiently waiting for them to finish. He released his arms, allowing them to drop to his sides when he let out a rather aggravated sigh.

"…Fine." Yorukō said after some time. He looked at the two girls when he noticed a change in their demeanor, a small smile beginning to grace both their faces. These expressions were quickly changed to one of horror as he continued: "If you are so hell-bent on exacting revenge at this particular time, I'll let you go; however, you'll have to face two things: breaking the mission code of conduct by deserting, and the more harder one of the two: you both would have to get past the three of us, and I promise you…that will not be possible."

"Are…Are you serious, Yorukō-kun?" Yuina incredulously asked: "After everything I've said, everything I've been through, you still won't make it easy for me?"

"At no point did I ever say I wouldn't allow you to avenge your mother. However, I said it just cannot happen now. If you let yourself be consumed by hatred that easily, it only speaks volumes of how weak-willed…you both are." Yorukō bluntly explained to his girlfriend and towards Kori. He noticed both their resolves slightly wavering, prompting him to continue: "I get it. Getting revenge and to avenge someone that close is crucial at certain times, but to compromise an existing mission to do so is a risk in and of itself. If none of my words are getting to either of you or you still wish to get revenge – when I'm almost 100% positive you may not fully remember your mother's attackers…" Yorukō said while clasping both hands together: "…you're more than welcome to try defeating me to get to it."

'That stance…don't tell me he plans on using that jutsu!' Sayuri worriedly thought to herself.

"Be forewarned." Yorukō said, small layers of ice beginning to form around him: "If you truly are serious about this, then I'm sorry to tell you Yuina-chan, but our relationship is over, and Kori…I'll be sure to finish what I started when you and those other hunters pursued me."

"You're not serious, are you, Yorukō-kun?" Yuina asked, gradual fear being inflected in her voice.

"Yorukō-kun…you…" Kori added.

"If you can't see the shit I had to go through when I became a missing-nin and realize that the same shit will happen to you if you go through with this, then I can't help either of you. I only want you two, especially you, Yuina-chan to live happy…then…oh well." Yorukō elaborated, the air around them beginning to get colder which caused both girls to shiver slightly.


"What jutsu is he planning on using, and why do I feel a massive sense of dread?" Chikara asked.

"It's his Ice Release: A Hundred Divine Fists jutsu, a jutsu he told me he used on a cult member once for falsifying hope in a village." Sayuri explained: "Although, I've never seen such concentrated chakra before for a jutsu. He told me he had to leave him alive, thus weakening the effects. If this is being used to kill someone, then…"

"He isn't holding back in the slightest this time." Chikara concluded: "He fully intends on killing his own teammates, one of which he's committed to."


"Well, what's it going to be?" Yorukō asked: "Is losing your life over a revenge attempt worth it?"

"If what you're saying is true, Yorukō, then I'd rather not risk everything with what we have." Yuina calmly answered after relenting for several moments: "I was wrong. Throwing a mission away for the sake of revenge would just look bad on me."

"Are you sure, Yuina?" Kori asked. Even though she was scared of the idea of facing Yorukō to side with Yuina, Kori still resolved to fighting if her older cousin was willing to fight.

"Is that your final answer?" Yorukō asked, earning a nod from his girlfriend. He pondered on the strain this may have on their relationship moving forward and how they'll act towards each other, but he reminded himself at the fact of being her captain and making the difficult decision of putting the mission over his girlfriend. He had wanted to aid her in avenging his mother, but it would be hard to cover up should they had gone through with it.

"See? Things would've worked out." Sayuri told Chikara.

"Almost killing his girlfriend to preserve a mission? I admire the commitment to his duty, but when is enough considered to be enough?" Chikara asked. 'You've changed a lot over the years, Yorukō. Unfortunately, it's not for the better.'

The air around everyone began to get warmer as Yorukō stopped focusing his chakra. The two girls let out a breath of relief, allowing themselves to relax their almost rigidly tense bodies from that stressing exchange.

"Now that we've overcome this issue, I think it's time we continue heading towards the sand, yes?" Yorukō asked. Not wanting to deal with that again, Kori nodded almost immediately at her captain's suggestion, while Sayuri and Chikara nodded once.

"Hold it, Yorukō-kun." Yuina said: "Were you really going to attack us if we decided to pursue those shinobi?"

'Glad to know she's not that mad at me.' Yorukō thought to himself before sheepishly rubbing the back of his head: "I really wasn't, but if you were serious, I would've had to restrain you both at the very least."

Yuina and Kori both facepalmed, Chikara fell on his back, and Sayuri looked astonished at her son at his revelation. Both girls stomped towards the Hasegawa heir and placed both index fingers on his chest.

"What was the point of all that then?!" Yuina angrily asked: "Were you trying to scare me to death?!"

"You're evil, Yorukō-kun! You made me think I was going to die!" Kori protested.

"At times like these, you have to remember, I'm not your boyfriend – and in Kori's case, ex-boyfriend – but I'm your captain. I have to be responsible for everyone involved, and you just weren't listening to what I was saying. You'd be blinded by so much rage that if something happened to you, you wouldn't notice until the end. How would that make me feel knowing that two of my precious people died while being blinded by rage?"

"I guess we didn't see it like that at the moment." Yuina admitted.

"Just remember that there's always another, better time to do something." Yorukō concluded.

"Shall we go now, Yorukō?" Chikara impatiently asked: "I'd rather not see this horror show again."

"Yeah. It's time to go." Yorukō ordered before taking off once more, his team now fully following suit. Yuina still felt a little conflicted but understood Yorukō's position as team captain. Kori was now fully relieved at the fact she wouldn't have to fight Yorukō to help Yuina fulfill her promise; the incident firmly reminding her that he could've killed her then just like he could've in their last encounter.


In another part of the desert…

"It seems the air isn't cold anymore." One man observed. He wore a black robe with red clouds patterning around it. He wore a straw hat which covered most of his wild yellow hair that stood out from his other two partners along with a unique scope-like patch that covered his left eye.

"It would look so." Another man commented. He was a short man with a large frame, his large back almost at the height of his head, a weird metallic tail sticking out of his identical robe to his partner. Similarly, he also wore a straw hat.

"Judging from that sudden change, I'd surmise that there is another group en route to the Sand." Another man added. Unlike his two comrades, he wore a simple black cloak which obfuscated his face, leaving his mouth visible.

"Well, they're of no concern to us." The short man dismissed: "Our only business is capturing the jinchūriki of the One-Tails."

"Are you sure that's the wisest idea, Sasori?" the hooded man asked.

"Let me inform you of something. The only reason you're with us is because our leader and yours formed a partnership." Sasori told the hooded man: "With us, your protection is moot. Keep asking stupid or irrelevant questions…" he primed his tail in front of his 'comrade': "…and you won't even make it to the Sand."

"…Fine, fine." The hooded man waved his hands in dismissal. "No point in angering an Akatsuki member anyway."

"Good." Sasori said before looking at his other partner: "Deidara, send some of your clay as recon towards the village."

Deidara simply nodded as he placed his hands into two pouches at both sides of his waist. Several seconds pass before he removed his hands, revealing two large mouths in the middle chewing at assumably clay. The mouths spat the chewed clay out which now formed into small yet noticeable snakes. The Akatsuki member used a single ram sign to activate the clay, causing it to move towards the direction of the village.

"There are some Hidden Sand shinobi heading in our direction, Sasori." The hooded man pointed out as he sensed several chakra signatures: "I thought you said you had it covered."

"…I do have it covered in fact, but how about you handle the situation?" Sasori suggested: "Besides, I want to see firsthand if you're any good."

"Sampling a product before buying it, eh?" asked the hooded man, a smirk gracing his lips: "I can't say I don't like the idea. I was getting bored anyway." He had no time to continue talking as the trio were surrounded by Hidden Sand shinobi, each looking at them with hostility in their eyes.

"Woah! I didn't even realize we were already that close to the village!" the hooded man observed as he noticed a silhouette of the naturally formed entrance/barrier to the village.

"State your business-" one shinobi ordered before noticing Sasori's and Deidara's robes which caused small chatter amongst the others.

"Isn't those guys the ones we were to be on the lookout for? Black clothing with red cloud patterns?" one asked.

"Wait…who's the third man then?" another asked.

"No time for that, we have to stop them!" one added.

The hooded man clicked his tongue at the shinobi around him. He counted each member on his fingers, totaling seven. Despite covering his eyes, he got a good look at each of them as he folded his arms in a disappointed fashion. "If this is the caliber of Hidden Sand shinobi, then capturing your Kazekage will literally be a piece of cake."

"Watch what you say!" screamed one shinobi as he landed on the final seal, the other shinobi following suit. Within moments, each of the seven shinobi fired wind projectiles towards the trio, all attacks hitting flush at close range and causing a massive cloud of sand to form. As the dust settled, the group looked on in triumph when they heard a familiar voice, causing each of them to freeze in horror.

"Again, if this is what the shinobi of the Hidden Sand have to offer, then capturing the Kazekage should be a piece of cake." The hooded man commented with disappointment. The dust cloud fully settled, the sand shinobi saw the three men protected by a translucent barrier made of wind, serving to nullify the damage taken from their consecutive attacks.

"We all saw the attacks hit you!" A shinobi commented.

"That level of wind will never damage me. If you had a stronger jutsu or someone who can perform stronger wind techniques then you'd have a chance." The hooded man explained matter-of-factly: "However, this is the weakest jutsu in my arsenal."

"Your weakest jutsu?" Deidara commented, catching his attention: "Seems you can withstand quite a bit of damage with this."

"It's my weakest jutsu. If I trained my wind element as I should be most of the time, then it'd be near indestructible. The biggest problem with this is…" the barrier dispelled itself, allowing the three men to land on the ground while still being surrounded: "…I have a limit of how long I can keep this particular jutsu activated."

"Are you stupid or something?" one sand shinobi asked: "Revealing your weakness while you're surrounded by enemies? That just makes it easier for us to defeat you!"

"For one, there's still two more people – and from personal experience – they will be too much for you guys to handle." The hooded man countered: "And secondly… you guys were already dead the moment you decided to surround us."

Almost immediately, steel rods from various angles began shooting up from the ground and into their chests or neck, immediately killing all seven sand shinobi; the blood swirling around each rod which gave it a grisly sight to behold. He made another hand seal, causing each rod to absorb the blood of the dead shinobi, leaving only dried husks. Both Sasori and Deidara looked impressed at their partner's work, some of their doubts beginning to dispel from their minds.

"Steel Release: Rod Hail." Said the hooded man as he released his hands. He turned his attention to his Akatsuki partners as he continued: "Well then, shall we continue to the Sand?"

Deidara and Sasori merely nodded as they resumed walking, their hooded comrade following suit.


"You guys felt that?" Kori asked.

"Yeah." Chikara commented: "It seems we have other shinobi with an interest in the Sand."

"Not just that, Chikara," Kori interjected: "I was talking more about that massive chakra spike just then."

"I felt it too. Real question is – are they friends or foes?" Sayuri asked.

"Judging from that large sand cloud we just saw; I'd say they aren't friendly." Yuina added.

"Whatever the case may be, we won't intercept them unless we don't have a choice." Yorukō ordered as he pointed at the entrance of the Sand Village: "Look. We're already here."

Team 1 noticed the large entry point that serves to protect and barricade the Hidden Sand, Yorukō being the first to spot a couple of guardsmen at the very front. Pushing on, it took the team a few moments to fully be at the entrance, only to be stopped by said guardsmen.

"Speak. What is your business here?" one guardsman asked

"We were sent here by Lady Tsunade to deliver a message to the Kazekage." Yorukō respectfully answered as he reached into his pocket and got a scroll. He showed it to the guardsmen who then let them in after seeing the valid insignia on its seal. Bowing to them, the group continued into the entrance. Each of them looked around at the large mountainous area, pushing on towards the village to not feel any more claustrophobic. Several minutes pass and they all see the village in earnest, noting it to be smaller in size compared to the Leaf but not that much larger than the Frost.

"If you continue straight ahead, the Kazekage's office is at the end of the village. You can't miss it." One guardsman closer to the village told Yorukō, earning a slight bow from the group. They went further into the village, stares firmly placed on them due to their attire; each shrugging it off as they continued walking. Yorukō noticed a restaurant as they were walking and stopped. He turned around to face his squad, each looking at him with curiosity.

"I understand that we're all probably hungry from that walking and…other incidents, believe me, I am too." Yorukō started: "However, I do suggest we deliver this message to the Kazekage first so that we can have more time to enjoy our meal while we recover our strength to make it back to the village."

"As much as I'd want to disagree with you, Yorukō-kun," Kori said first: "I also want to hand the message over so I can eat to my heart's content."

"I second that." Yuina added, Chikara and Sayuri nodding in addition.

"Well then, this impromptu vote is over." Yorukō said as he turned in the direction of the Kazekage's office and began walking once more, everyone else following suit.

Before long, Team 1 arrived at the Kazekage's building in the back of the village. Everyone noted how large it was, almost comparable to the Hokage's office in the Leaf. Seeing the entrance, they went further into the building and up its stairs when they were stopped by two older shinobi in flak jackets.

"State your business, Leaf shinobi." One ordered.

"I came here to deliver a message to Lord Kazekage. I was under the impression that the village would've already been notified of our pending arrival." Yorukō professionally explained as he reached into his pocket and removed the scroll with the Hokage's insignia on its seal. He handed it to the shinobi who then looked it over and returned it back to Yorukō after realizing the seal is official.

"Go down this hall and his office is on the second right." The shinobi told Yorukō while pointing to the left.

"Thanks." Yorukō smiled before bowing to the two shinobi with the others following suit. The two sand shinobi returned the gesture towards them as they watched the squad's shapes disappear as they went further down the hall.

"So…are we not going to acknowledge the fact that girl looked awfully familiar to that woman from the frost?" asked the other shinobi, alluding to Yuina.

"You mean that Nogami lady those depraved shinobi defiled?" replied his partner.

"Yeah…she looked as if she was her daughter or something." The second shinobi observed.

"If that is the case, then it will get interesting when she realizes those very men are still alive, albeit permanently relieved of her duties." The first shinobi said in amusement.

"You think she'll attack them?" The second shinobi asked, excitement seeping in his voice.

"She's not as stupid to attack them in the village. Now that they're all decommissioned, they're no more than civilians. With that, attacking them here would come off as unwarranted, despite how deserved it may be." The first shinobi explained. He briefly facepalmed and let out a sigh as he continued: "Personally, I'll never understand why those guys were allowed the chance to even roam the streets free again."

"Yeah…" The second shinobi simply said before his thoughts landed on Sayuri: "Wait, what about the Hasegawa matriarch? You saw how she looked; she's clearly a reanimation."

"That was weird. Reports said she died at least 14 years ago, but she's here now." His partner added: "What's more interesting is her son, Yorukō. Wasn't he a rogue ninja at first? How'd he get into the Leaf and have a high status of jōnin? It hurts my brain thinking about it."

"Well, we're seeing all of this before our eyes, so how about we just enjoy where all of this is headed?" The second shinobi suggested to his partner: "For what it's worth, I think we should keep an eye on them while they're still here; see if anything interesting happen. We do have enough status to arrest people here if needed."

"Right." The first shinobi agreed while looking in the direction Yorukō and his squad went in and finding nothing.


Soon after receiving directions from the Sand shinobi, Yorukō's group made it to outside the Kazekage's door. Yorukō was the first to move, the jōnin gently knocking three times using the back of his hand. He and the others waited patiently until they heard a voice allowing them inside. Opening the door, Team 1 found the Kazekage Gaara and his older sister Temari awaiting them from behind his desk.

"Welcome to the Hidden Sand, jōnin of the Hidden Leaf. I hope your visit has been positive thus far." Gaara said with a small smile.

"Thank you for the introduction." Yorukō said first with a slight bow with everyone else following suit: "As for our visit, I can't be completely sure about how we feel just yet; we've barely had time to explore the village."

"I see." Gaara replied simply.

"We have a scroll from Lady Tsunade for you, Kazekage-sama." Chikara said as he pointed a finger at his captain: "Yorukō-san has it for you."

"Yes, I'm aware." Gaara responded: "Although it was late, I received a small message via messenger pigeon from her informing me of your pending arrival."

Yorukō reached into his pocket after hearing the Kazekage's reveal and retrieved the scroll. Walking forward, Yorukō handed it to the young Kage who took the scroll from him with a small nod exchanged between the two. Yorukō turned around and walked back to his team as Gaara opened the scroll and began reading its contents. A few moments passed when Gaara closed the scroll and placed it in a drawer before closing it and placed his hands on his desk, giving his full attention to Yorukō and his squad.

"Thank you for bringing this scroll to my attention, Hasegawa-san and company." Gaara said, thanking the jōnin and his squad. He rose from his seat and looked outside a window towards the village as he continued: "I do not wish to be curt, but due to the urgency of this message, I must ask you to leave so that I may begin planning my next moves."

"I understand, Kazekage-sama." Yorukō replied with a bow before turning around to leave: "We will be on our way now." Without hearing a response, Yorukō exited the Kage's office with the rest of his squad following suit. After everyone left, Yorukō closed the door behind them and placed a small seal on the door, much to everyone's confusion.

"Let's leave this area for now." Yorukō ordered: "As for what I just did, I'll explain once we're on the outside."

Nodding, Team 1 walked towards the exit of the building, leaving within a moment of leaving the office. Once they've gained some distance, the team stopped at a midpoint in the village when they looked at Yorukō with anticipation for the reason behind his move.

"Something doesn't sound right with the message Tsunade gave me to give the Kazekage." Yorukō began, his gaze turned towards the building they were in: "I placed a transmitter seal that can listen in on their conversation on the door which'll then relay back to my head so I can learn the contents of that scroll."

"Are you crazy?!" Chikara hissed: "Listening in on a private conversation with another Kage can be almost considered an international incident if you're to be caught!"

"That isn't the wisest idea, son." Sayuri added: " Just like Chikara just said, you're testing some serious waters if you're to be caught. Better question is, when were you able to use Sealing Jutsus?"

"The way I made that seal, it can only be seen by me, or anyone with a good grasp over a Sharingan; as far as I can tell, there's only two Sharingan users left alive, so I have a good chance of not being caught." Yorukō explained to Chikara before turning to face his mother: "As for how I learned Sealing Jutsu, Yuina-chan taught me the basics last year after we became a couple. I asked her to teach it to me a while back, and I guess that was the best time to practice."

"Still, shouldn't you just not listen in?" Kori suggested: "Our only objective was to bring the scroll to the Sand, nothing more."

"There could also be a good reason why he's doing it." Yuina pointed out: "I'm not fully 100% with you doing this, Yorukō-kun, but I trust you."

"Thanks, Yuina-chan." Yorukō said appreciatively before turning in the opposite direction: "We DID say we were gonna eat after we delivered the message, so how about we do just that?"

"Fine by me." Chikara answered first: "However, I'm a little uneasy about that whole seal you placed."

"I can remove it with a hand seal when I've garnered enough information if that makes you feel any better." Yorukō explained.

"I think you're just not going to budge on this, are you?" Sayuri asked exasperatedly.

"Yup!" Yorukō said with a smile before walking off. His expression changed back to a serious one when he began hearing slight static coming from his seal before clear voices beginning to come through, his seal now fully functional.


With Gaara and Temari…

"So, what was on that scroll that had you getting that serious?" Temari asked.

"Temari…what is the meaning of a Kage to you?" Gaara asked.

"Hmm, a Kage?" Temari pondered: "Well, a Kage is someone who is ready to lay their lives down for the future of their village. Why?"

"After reading that scroll Tsunade sent, I have reason to believe that my life may be at risk." Gaara revealed.

"Why?" Temari asked, worried for her little brother.

"According to her, there's been a movement that's been going around; this group's main goal being to reveal the 'truth' of the 'broken' shinobi world and oust everyone in power." Gaara explained.

"That's just a group planning a coup d'état on major nations. Why do you think that could put your life at risk?" Temari pondered.

"It's not the group that's the problem, it's the other problem." Gaara replied.

"What other problem?" Temari asked.

"Something I omitted from telling that team is the true contents of that carrier pigeon." Gaara began: "The message was longer than I anticipated."

"Oh?" Temari replied: "What was it?"

"It seems Tsunade-hime received some information about the Akatsuki via Jiraiya-sama. He informed her about their current hunt of tailed beasts, and by extension, their Jinchūriki."

"So that means…" Temari started.

"…At some point, I will be pursued by some Akatsuki agents for Shukaku." Gaara concluded: "However, the real concerning piece of information is the most concerning."

The Kazekage's sister looked at him intently as he continued: "It seems this group concerned with finding the 'truth' and the Akatsuki has somewhat been working together for some time, something even Jiraiya-sama can't even find the reason for."

"So not only will Akatsuki agents will be coming after the Jinchūriki, but there's also a chance they could also be accompanying these other subordinates in causing a stir in villages." Temari summarized.

Gaara nodded at his sister's statement as he reached for the letter Tsunade sent: "From Jiraiya-sama's report, it would seem that a typical Akatsuki appearance would involve just two people at maximum, but now it'll look as if at least one extra will be with them. From the members we've seen in the Akatsuki in Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki, their strength is indeed formidable, but we really don't know anything about the strength of this group."

"This is truly troubling." Temari said: "Should we try to get this information out to the remaining great nations?"

"That would be ideal. The faster we can fortify ourselves against this looming threat, the better it will be for the safety of our villagers and shinobi alike." Gaara answered.


Yorukō made a single-handed hand seal as he walked with his squad down the village which was caught by both Yuina and Kori. He began walking slower than his usual speed, causing the team to slow their tempo and match his pace. His teeth began grinding in anger as he clenched his fists so hard to the point of his knuckles popping out and blood seeping down his hands. He spotted an empty bench on the side and took a seat there, his team following suit.

"What's wrong, Yorukō-kun?" Yuina asked, wondering what it could be that can cause such a reaction in her boyfriend.

"The saddest thing is…I can't even say it while in the confines in the village." Yorukō answered, his voice strained: "I heard just about everything between them before I just made that hand seal to dispel the jutsu. It's…it's a lot."

"What do you mean?" Chikara asked.

"I want to tell you, but considering why you're with us, I don't want to alert your leader with it. Can't take too many chances, you know?" Yorukō said.

Chikara seemed angry at Yorukō's explanation but ultimately understood based on his position.

"However, to keep it very, very simple, without going into little to no detail: The shinobi world is about to be rocked to its core soon." Yorukō continued. It took a few more minutes for Yorukō to calm down from the information he received before he stood from the seat and faced his team once more: "That was unexpected, but I highly suggest we get some food and leave. Sound good?"

Everyone nodded at Yorukō's suggestion when he turned around and walked further in the village, Chikara following not long after and leaving the three kunoichi alone for a brief second. Yuina and Kori looked at Sayuri who looked back at them while letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Yorukō. Whatever am I going to do with him?" Sayuri asked.

"When he dispelled that jutsu, it looked as if everything was coming to an end." Yuina said, a sad smile forming on her lips: "Honestly, why can't he just take it easy at times? Him being like this hurts me to see, you know? Knowing I can't do much to help him at all is beginning to make me feel inadequate; as if he wants to shoulder it all for our sakes and not care about the consequences. I want to be there for him too, you know?"

"You didn't see what I saw then, Yuina-chan." Kori added: "When I looked at him after he broke that jutsu, I saw pure fear in his eyes."

"Fear?" Sayuri asked: "I've never seen Yorukō fearful of anything in a long time. Are you sure that's what you saw, Kori-chan?"

Kori nodded.

"We have to catch him about that and find out what it is. I wouldn't ever want to see anything happen to him on my watch. Not when he's always been there for us, even when we didn't want him to be." Yuina said.

"You seem to forget that he almost threatened your lives earlier." Sayuri interjected: "Sure, I understand intimidation, but can you forget everything so easily like that, Yuina-chan?"

The kunoichi shook her head at the Hasegawa matriarch: "At first if we're really being honest, I was so set on finding a way to avenge my mother's horrific death by any means. I was even prepared to desert the team to do it – as would Kori – to see it through. When Yorukō-kun did that, of course I was hurt. I was betrayed at the idea that the man I love, the man I would easily give my body, my soul, my life for would in a sense for me, go back on his word and order me to not do it, I felt betrayed."

Tears began to roll down her eyes as she finished: "But, while he was forming that chakra against us, while I was so self-absorbed and prepared to potentially even risk my own life in an attempt to do this, I saw this look in his eyes, that look of pain; the anguish of losing yet another loved one, and the sadness reflected in my own eyes to his. Deep down, he even admitted it himself, he was prepared to just subdue us, but he had already prepared to die first for us and not the other way around."

Both Sayuri and Kori pulled Yuina into an embrace, all three of them staying like that for a while. Yuina allowed the tears to freely fall from her face as the other two just held her, both women understanding her pain.

"I just don't want him to shoulder everything on his own anymore." Yuina stated: "He shouldered the pain of having to kill everyone, he shouldered it when he had to wipe Tempest out, he's even shouldering it here. I want to be there for him just as much as he's been there for me!"

"You are, though. Yuina-chan." Sayuri reassuringly told the sobbing girl: "In the year I've seen you be with my son; I've never seen him be any happier in recent memory." She softly chuckled as she carried on: "You and Kori both hold a special purpose in his life. If it weren't for you both, I'd have reason to believe he'd already have been with me in the afterlife from the get-go."

"Hey, Yorukō." Chikara called out.

"Hm?"

"Were you sure to leave them alone and head off like that?" The ROOT shinobi asked: "Seems pretty insensitive to me."

"I don't ever want them to see me like that again. Besides, my mother and Kori are both sensory ninjas; finding us would be a piece of cake." Yorukō said, slight dismissal in his tone.

Chikara shrugged at the jōnin's answer as he continued walking beside him. They both continued to walk for some time until Chikara grabbed Yorukō's attention to a restaurant called "Sandy Delight" close to the village's entrance. Walking inside, both leaf shinobi noted the sandy aesthetic the restaurant shared with the village's namesake, the round tables having small bits of sand falling from the edges likely due to the small breeze that passes through the building at certain intervals. The pair spotted a table towards the back of the restaurant and sat there while waiting for the remaining three to show up.

"Welcome to the Sandy Delight, travelers." A young-looking brown-haired woman said as she walked towards the table: "Might I interest you with something to drink?"

"No, thank you." Yorukō politely declined while pointing at Chikara and himself: "We're both waiting for our partners, once they get here we can all order."

"I understand." The waitress replied before giving the pair a small bow and leaving. Several moments pass before Yuina, Kori, and Sayuri entered the establishment, with Kori scanning the room to find the two men. Spotting them, she pointed the other two in their direction and walked to their table. Yorukō stood from his seat to assist his girlfriend in sitting down before returning to his own seat. Upon sitting down, he noticed Yuina's slightly puffy eyes which caused him to wonder what happened after he left them.

"Welcome to the Sandy Delight." The waitress said once she returned: "Is everyone here, traveler-san?"

"Yes." Yorukō answered with a smile: "Thank you for being patient, and I do apologize for the delay."

"It's fine, sir." The waitress said dismissively: "We consider today to be one of our slow days, so we try to accommodate customers at their own haste. Would you like the menu?"

All members of team 1 nodded, leading the waitress to leave and return with five menu sheets for each to read off. She used Chikara's paper as an example and pointed at a small sign at the bottom: "Whenever you guys are ready to order, one of you can just infuse a very small amount of chakra into it and it will alert me that you are ready."

"I see. Thank you." Kori spoke up. The waitress bowed to the group once more before leaving them to make their decision. Unbeknownst to them, there was a group of three men who were watching them intently, their main choice of focus being Yuina and Kori.


"Hey, you see that girl over there? Purple hair?" The first man whispered at the other table.

"Yeah…to think I'd see her again." The second man whispered: "I'm sure we killed her that night."

"We did. She could be reanimated." The third man suggested.

The first man shook his head: "Nah, that couldn't be it. Her eyes were white, and a reanimation's eyes are greyed to blacked out."

"From the looks of it, purple hair's the daughter of that skank. Look, I remember seeing that blue-haired bitch with her the night her mother was killed." The second man crudely commented.

"I remember it like it was yesterday: She begged us not to do the same thing to her daughter that we did to her, even going as far as to attacking us with that weird jutsu of hers." The third man recalled: "Because of her, the feeling in my right arm is completely shit; every time I even think about moving it, it feels like it's being constantly stabbed by endless kunai knives."

"She did get you good, but she managed to sever my chakra network." The second man said bitterly while looking down at his hands: Because of her, I can never perform a single jutsu again, meaning I can't be put on active duty ever again, unless I'm a 'support character' as they call it."

"She destroyed the nerves in your arm, she severed your chakra network." The first one repeated to his comrades while pointing at them both. He used his other hand and reached for his eyepatch and lifted it, revealing an empty socket: "She got rid of my one valuable thing, which so happened to be the same thing we used to find her: my Byakugan."

"How did she even do it? She shouldn't have had any way to use jutsus that night." Said the third man.

"I don't know. However, it's done and over with. She can't protect her daughter anymore, and for her blue-haired friend, what say we go pay them a visit for old time's sake?" The second man suggested.

"We'll wait until they get something to at least drink." The first man ordered, who we'll now call 'head scumbag #1'.


"You guys ready to at least get something to drink?" Sayuri asked.

"Yeah, I'm down." Yorukō answered.

"Same here." Chikara chimed in.

"I was about to ask the same thing." Kori added.

Yuina for her part was out of it; slight wisps of dread she felt earlier began to manifest into something greater, an almost too familiar feeling of uneasiness surfacing at the lower half of her abdomen. She was brought back to reality by a slight jolt from Kori, her younger cousin and everyone looking at her with concern in their eyes.

"Are you okay, Yuina-chan?" Yorukō asked, concern in his voice.

"I-I'm fine." Yuina shakily answered.

"Your voice betrays your words." Chikara told the girl: "You'll need to do better than that to convince us."

"Leave her alone, Chikara-san." Sayuri remarked as she took in Yuina's scared form: "She let out a lot earlier. Be a little more considerate, will you?"

Chikara looked away in slight embarrassment. Before anyone could say another word, the waitress appeared at their table once more thanks to Yorukō infusing chakra into the paper's reactive elements. The group managed to get themselves together enough to each tell the waitress what they wanted to drink. Moments passed before she returned along with another waitress to give them their drinks, both waitresses circling the table to place the drink in front of them.

"Okay…are you guys ready to order?" asked the waitress.

"Yes." Sayuri answered first: "I'll have the-"

"Well, well, well…what have we here?" asked the Head Scumbag #1 as he walked over towards Team 1. Stopping directly at Yuina's chair, he draped his arms around her shoulder, causing the kunoichi to tense further in anger. His partners followed suit as they walked over beside him and focused their attention on both Yuina and Kori.

"Please, get your hands off me." Yuina warned: "I don't know you, and I'm rather skittish of people I don't know putting their hands on me."

"Oh, but you see, my dearest Yuina-chan, I know you." Scumbag #1 simply said, not releasing his arms from the girl's shoulders. Yuina's eyes bulged at the man's statement. For her part, she was beginning to get more and more infuriated, every single negative thought beginning to invade her mind about the situation; a lone thought ringing through her head the most: what if he's the one who did it?

"You see, Yuina-chan – I can call you that, right?" asked the scumbag as he released his arms from the girl's shoulder and placed his right hand on his chest: "Call me Enji. I know we haven't met formally, but we did meet before. I think we met…a few years ago?"

Kori began putting the pieces together at Enji's conversation with Yuina before a fuse lit in her head, the result being clear: in one shape or another, this shinobi was present the night when her older cousin's mother was killed by the hands of Hidden Sand shinobi.

"I remember you too, blue-haired girl." The second shinobi spoke up: "Call me Yuji."

"I'm Kaji." The third shinobi stated.

"Sirs, may I please ask you to-" the waitress started.

"Shut it, bitch!" Enji screamed at the woman: "Why don't you scram before I kill you?"

The frightened woman heeded the angered 'shinobi's' words as she ran towards the back, tears rolling down her eyes as she left. The other customers began to take interest in the scene that's beginning to develop with these disgraced shinobi and the Leaf shinobi, whispers beginning to circulate around them.

"That 'bitch' as you so tastelessly called her was in the process of taking our orders." Yuina calmly said with thinly veiled anger in her voice.

"Ah, so angry. Where was this anger at when we killed your mother in front of you, huh?" Yuji sneeringly asked.

"You finally went ahead and said it, huh?" Yuina asked while standing from her seat to face the three men with Kori following suit almost immediately after.

"Yeah, I said it." Yuji triumphantly said, as if looking for some small gratification to sate his depraved life: "What was her name again…Sachiko, was it?"

A thick vein popped on Yuina's forehead at the mention of her mother's name but managed to still keep her cool as she remembered that she was a visitor and they were citizens. Kori looked at her cousin in mild worry, as she hoped Yuina's thoughts intrusive thoughts wouldn't get the best of her. Sayuri, Chikara, and Yorukō especially looked on with interest at the situation unfolding.

"Why are you here?" Yuina asked: "We didn't even bother you, let alone notice you while we're here."

"See, we killed your mother Sachiko and that's what the report says, but you never knew about the why." Kaji told Yuina.

"Why would she want to know the specifics?" Kori asked, pointing at Yuina: "Haven't introducing and owning up to your actions enough for her? Do you realize how much it's taking out of the both of us to not kill you right now?"

"It shouldn't take anything out of you, girl." Enji said: "If you even so much as breathe on us wrong, it can spell trouble for you and…your entire worthless team."

Chikara stood up from his seat following Enji's provocative comment to stand beside his teammates, his KI so intense it caused the onlookers to shiver in fear. The three disgraced sand shinobi looked on in mild amusement, unaffected by his presence. Sayuri looked to go towards the others but was stopped by Yorukō, the teen seemingly more interested in watching how things continue to play out.

"Well, as Kaji said earlier, your mother was killed, but there's two reasons why we did it." Yuji said, bringing attention onto himself. He looked at Yuina as he continued: "The first reason…was that it was a mission given to us."

"What?!" Yuina screeched: "Who'd simply give a mission to kill another shinobi from a different village?"

"It was given to us by a member of the Frost Village. That's all we know." Enji honestly answered as he shrugged his shoulders.

Yorukō raised an eyebrow at that bit of information but remained in his seat as he continued to look over the menu options.

"The second reason is you, Yuina-chan." Kaji revealed.

"What do you mean, me?" Yuina asked.

"Well, the mission given to us was to exterminate both you and your mother. Thanks to Enji's power of the Byakugan – something I will get to in a moment – we were able to find you both within the confines of the village, but you two were out at the time and we were instructed to do it in a more discreet fashion, so we waited." Kaji explained.

"We followed you both throughout the village that day, the places you went to, the food you ate, even the clothing stores you went to." Yuji added.

"And then…you went home." Enji started: "Our mission began in earnest then. Just like before, we waited patiently for the right moment for us to strike. Honestly, watching you two became boring after a time, and we even decided on just doing it later in the night; but then it happened. The one window of opportunity."

"Yuina-chan decided to go look for this 'Yorukō-kun'." Yuji revealed.

Yorukō now looked on at the situation with full interest, the teen no longer looking at the menu.

"After you left, Yuina-chan, we struck. Your mother was no small fry as we quickly found out – she possessed a very unique ability, something she coined as Corrosion Release. Sachiko explained to us as she fought that it's a special ability that's exclusive to the Nogami family, calling it as far as a Kekkei Tōta." Kaji explained.

"Corrosion Release? This is news to me." Sayuri said to Yorukō.

"If Nogami clansmen can use this Kekkei Tōta, then Yuina-chan should be able to utilize it at some point, right?" Yorukō asked. 'We're going to have to get that power awakened at some point.'

"She was a master at using that Kekkei Tōta, you see. However, three is always greater than just one, and soon enough we regained the advantage and returned the damage she dealt to us." Enji commented. He brushed at his eyepatch with contempt as he continued recollecting: "Then she used something else on us. She called it Equinox – yet another Kekkei Tōta. She used it to destroy my Byakugan and combined it with the Corrosion Release to damage my partners here, severing Yuji's chakra network and damaging the nerves in Kaji's right arm so badly, he can never move it properly anymore."

"Seems you got lucky with what you received. If you were to fight her alone, you'd each be dead right now." Yuina said, a glint of pride in her voice as she heard her mother's exploits.

"Ah, but you see…the best part was yet to come." Enji shot back while pointing at the Nogami heiress: "You. I'm not going to lie and say it was all good with us that fateful day; your mother did a NUMBER on us – she whooped our asses, but then, the one window of opportunity, the single most important thing happened that changed the tides in our favor."

"And what would that be, you piece of shit?" Kori bitingly asked.

"Both you and Yuina came home." The disgraced shinobi answered. The tension in the restaurant became so thick it could've been cut with a butter knife; the silence so permeable that even a pin drop's sound would reverberate across the establishment, everyone extremely eager to find out what happened next. Enji took a deep breath as he enjoyed the attention he was currently receiving: "You see, your mother knew that having to protect you two as she fended us off would be too problematic, so she instructed you both to stay behind that door. That order ring a bell?"

Yuina and Kori froze up at the memory, leaving Enji to continue: "That brief moment of her changing her focus to you two allowed us to land a hard strike to the back of her head and immobilize her. And then…"

"Then what?" Yuina venomously asked.

"Well, we had to 'have a little fun' with her if you get my drift." Enji told the girl.

Every member of Team 1 got increasingly angry at the man's disgusting comments. Chikara was beginning to shake in rage while keeping his fists balled up, blood now seeping out of his hands. Sayuri couldn't take it anymore and stood beside Chikara and the girls, her eyes completely devoid of emotions and KI blazing throughout the restaurant. Yorukō's own chakra levels were beginning to spike as well, memories of the kindness and happiness he had when being with Yuina's mother surfacing in his mind now overwritten with the vile implications behind the disgraced shinobi's reveal. Kori looked completely drained of emotions, the girl only wanting to punch the man with the most strength she can muster, consequences be damned.

However, the one that felt pure, raw murderous rage at the three men was Yuina. Hearing the fate of her mother before her death sent her into a mental whirl spin – the mere implied images of her mother being defiled before her death filling her with more hatred for the village she was currently in along with new hatred for her own village for even sanctioning her mother's assassination. Without thinking, the girl swiftly brought out scrolls with intricate writings on them and looked at Enji before looking at the other two, every single negative thought imaginable running rampant in her head. Other patrons in the restaurant looked at the three men with disgust, whispers beginning to circulate throughout the restaurant.

"Woah now, remember you can't lay a hand on us." Enji sadistically reminded the girl: "Besides, you haven't let me finish the story yet."

"There is more to this? Yorukō asked, bringing Enji's attention towards him: "I'd strongly recommend you wrap this up."

"Such heartlessness." Kaji finally spoke up: "How are you even still sitting down throughout this?"

"Don't mind me. However, my patience is running very, very thin." Yorukō warned.

"Oh, scary!" Enji sarcastically said towards Yorukō as he returned his attention to Yuina: "Obviously, we had our fun with her, well just me and Yuji. Kaji vehemently wanted nothing to do with it; I told him he was missing out."

"That's because you decided on doing that to the woman. Our orders were to kill her and her daughter, and nothing more. Remember, Enji – I've still not forgiven you for that." Kaji told his partner who rolled his eyes at Kaji's in response.

"So, you didn't participate in those vile actions, Kaji?" Yuina asked: "Hard to think you sat there and simply watched those two do it."

"I wanted to stop them, believe me. I won't ask for your forgiveness in killing her, but if you want to take your revenge out on me after this, then I'll allow it." Kaji told her.

"That wouldn't even begin to come close to quelling the bottomless pit of anger I have for you, but if what you and Enji say is true, I won't direct all my anger at you." Yuina informed the sand shinobi.

"Thank you." Kaji told Yuina as he returned to Enji's side.

"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," Enji said as he received the attention once more: "once Yuji and I were finished, we remembered the other half of our mission in assassinating you, but then I wondered: why not try the forbidden fruit?"

"You don't mean…" Kori said in complete disgust.

"In every manner." Enji finished: "You two barely had enough skills at that time, you know? What were to stop us from doing it? You two? Please. Give me a break."

"Enji, I think you've said enough." Kaji tried intervening only to receive a hard elbow to his abdomen, causing him to double over in pain.

"No. She needs to hear this." Enji ordered.

"We were ready to make our move. Both you and your friend over there were close by the door – and we were ready to spring forward and sample some of that untouched womanhood." Enji started, a sadistically sick grin forming on his depraved face: "Think about it – the same thing that we did to your mother would be the same thing we'd do to you! A perfect way to send you both off to hell!" A scowl began to form on Enji's face as he continued: "Then, the second fateful decision had to be made due to a poor oversight."

"And that is?" Chikara now asked, fist primed.

"We didn't kill Sachiko right away. She managed to grab on to my leg and begged me not to kill you or your friend, Yuina-chan." Enji said: "She tried a desperate last stand against us, and considering that we ourselves were beginning to run low on chakra and sensed someone else closing in on us, we complied…with a catch. You remember this part all too well, don't you?"

"That's when the door opened, revealing all three of us. We grabbed your mother's beaten body and dropped it right in front of the both of you. Enji was tending to his wound as he explained the mission and part of what he was about to do to you, and then…" Yuji started.

"Yuji dealt the decisive blow by cutting her head clean off…right in front of you." Kaji finished.

"We took the opportunity to leave as we didn't want to earn any more attention, so we collected our pay and we went on our jolly way." Yuji told the girl: "But to think, fate must be shining on us! We get to tell you this, see what you look like now – and let me tell you, you definitely inherited your mother's genes!"

"Alright, that's enough!" Sayuri finally said, swirling ice winds revolving around the reanimated kunoichi: "I could care less about this mission; you three have to die!"

"I second that, Sayuri-san!" Chikara chimed in, hands clasped together in an earth-like seal.

"You can't attack us! Touching us will be detrimental to all of your statuses here in the Sand, and besides…" Enji warned as he brazenly reached for and fondled one of Yuina's breasts: "…we may have an opportunity to finish what we started, after all!"

"Oh, you're dead!" Kori shouted as she flashed through hand seals.

"This is embarrassing." A familiar voice finally spoke up. Both Enji and Yuji looked around to find the owner only for Yuji to receive a brutal knee to the back and Enji earning a kick in the shins which forced him onto his knees. Looking up, he saw Yorukō giving him the most disdainful look he'd ever seen in his life before Yorukō spun back and delivered a mighty kick to the man's sternum.

Yuina, Kori, Sayuri, and Chikara all looked astonished at Yorukō's actions. For someone who constantly preached about not breaking the mission, it was a complete contradiction to see him be the first one to break his own word and viciously assault two of the three disgraced shinobi.

"To make me go back on my own word…I could kill you for that, you know?" Yorukō venomously spat: "To think you could do that freely to another person without remorse, and then proceeded to threaten her daughter with doing the same thing to her…you're the worst kind of sub-human shit mark there is."

"You…you've done it now…" Enji said while slowly getting up to his knees along with Yuji: "The Kazekage won't like this, you know?"

"Really?" Yorukō sarcastically asked: "Did you know I just spoke to the Kazekage before we came here? We had a mission to complete, and we directly spoke to him. He wouldn't like the fact that a shinobi of his village is borderline sexually assaulting a foreign shinobi from another village now, would he?"

"We didn't assault anyone!" Yuji cried.

"Oh, now we're lying?" Yorukō asked.

"We're not lying!" Enji added.

"You are aware you're in a restaurant with witnesses around, right? People who've heard your rather tactless comments in full form? A waitress who you've threatened? Not to mention, my girlfriend who you fondled?" Yorukō inquired before making a hand gesture, instructing them to stand to their feet: "I think I have enough ryō to cover the damages I'm about to cause."

"W-What do y-you mean?" Yuji asked.

"It means I'm about to beat your lives within an inch of your life." Yorukō answered before looking at Yuina and Kori: "I'm giving you both a new order: join me in wrecking their shit."

"A-Are you serious, Yorukō-kun?" Yuina asked incredulously: "You told us to stand down!"

"That was before I found out that they raped her before killing her, and almost proceeded to do the same to you." Yorukō informed his girlfriend before looking at Enji: "And besides, my woman told you that she doesn't like to be touched, and you didn't listen. Well, let me add something to that, I don't want any other man to put their hands on her in any capacity but me, understand?"

Yuina blushed madly at his declaration.

"Now, for everyone else! If you don't want to take any damages, leave the restaurant." Yorukō suggested: "I'll pay for any lost food."

Everyone cleared the restaurant at Yorukō's words, leaving only Enji, Yuji, and Kaji. Yorukō looked at Kaji intently before he said: "We'll give you a choice. Either stay in this area and receive what your friends are about to receive, or be restrained by Chikara and my mother and wait for your judgement. Your call."

"Why spare me?" Kaji asked: "We killed her!"

"You didn't participate in the rape. That alone spared you being beaten within an inch of your life." Yorukō told the man: "However, your fate isn't up to me. I can only suggest what to do; Yuina's the one who decides what's going to happen, which isn't limited to just being beaten."

"Let him go." Yuina told her boyfriend.

"Are you sure?" Yorukō asked.

"He'll reap what he sows at some point, but he apologized for his involvement. No need to scar him in this moment." Yuina explained.

"I thank you, Yuina-san." Kaji said before being restrained by Chikara and Sayuri: "What's the meaning of this?"

"That doesn't mean you won't be watching what could've happened to you." Yuina told him: "You're going to watch."

"You ready, Yuina?" Kori asked.

"Yeah. Are you, Yorukō-kun?" Yuina added.

"I'm going to enjoy this." Yorukō said, a dark chuckle escaping his lips. The teen jōnin flashed through hand seals before extending his palm at the exit: "Ice Release: Ice Wall Barrier!" a brighe blue barrier made of ice began to encompass the singular exit of the restaurant, sealing them inside.

"You can't do this! You just can't!" Enji cried before receiving a hard fist to the face which broke his nose.

"I don't recall allowing you to speak." Yorukō told the man while retracting his fist. He glanced at Yuina as he continued: "What do you want to do first?"

"Well…" Yuina said with a malicious grin: "How about this?" The kunoichi took out a brush and began drawing a seal onto both his arms which resembled handcuffs, then proceeded to draw seals on his nether area which resembled a snake.

"What do you want me to do, Yuina?" Kori asked.

"Trap him in a genjutsu." Yuina told her cousin as she pointed at the scared Yuji: "I don't want him to see what I'm going to do to him once I'm done with this scumbag."

"On it!" Kori said cheerily as she flashed through different seals: "Genjutsu: Vineyard Torment!" On the final hand seal, Kori accurately pointed at Yuji with such swiftness that he was unable to deflect or avoid the effects hitting him, causing him to drop to his knees while violently clutching his head in pain.

"He'll be out until I release the effects of the jutsu." Kori announced.

"Wait, you hit me with the same technique, didn't you?" Yorukō asked: "I never recalled feeling such pain."

"Well…" Kori said while looking away from Yorukō's gaze, a slight blush forming on her face: "…I didn't want to hurt you, so I used the first version of the technique."

"That…makes me feel better?" Yorukō said before shaking his head, returning his attention to Enji: "Finished, Yuina-chan?"

"Just finished, Yorukō-kun." Yuina said as she returned to her boyfriend's side and made a hand seal towards Enji: "I'm going to finish what my mother started when she fought you; the pain you dealt to her will be returned twentyfold. Take this! Fūin: Lightning Punishment!"

The seals Yuina placed on Enji began glowing yellow around his hands and nether region when it began to electrocute him, causing the man to scream in complete agony. Enji fell on all fours in front of the pair, blood seeping from his ears and mouth. Yuina activated the seal once more, electrocuting the man further. Smoke began coming from the man's body, his body beginning to smell akin to rotting flesh. She used her right foot to deliver a mighty kick into his ribs, breaking them completely as Enji continued screaming in pain, his screams reaching outside of the restaurant. The onlookers grimaced at his screams but remained indifferent to it as they felt he deserved it for the things he told Yuina. Yuina delivered a knife edge chop to the back of Enji's neck, knocking him out completely.

"That's one." Yuina told Yorukō. She then looked in Yuji's direction and proceeded to walk towards him: "Now for the second. I took care of the main bastard; would you want to take care of the other one, Kori?"

"If I'm going to take care of him, then I may as well just increase the effects of the genjutsu." Kori said, an extremely malicious grin gracing her lips: "I'm going to enjoy breaking his mind like I used to break enemies when I was a part of the black ops."

Yorukō grimaced at his ex-girlfriend's words. 'That's a crazy girl for you there.'

"Yorukō-kun, could you hold me for a minute?" Kori asked.

"Sure?" Yorukō said, complying with the girl's odd request. Kori then fell onto Yorukō as she was held by the shoulders. Kori made another seal which caused both her and Yorukō to go limp, catching everyone but Yuina in the restaurant off guard.

"What just happened?" Sayuri asked.

"Kori finished her jutsu after all these years." Yuina said, a proud smile on her face: "She managed to find a way to transfer her chakra along with any others into a person's psyche." She gave a pouty look as she continued: "She knew it'd piss me off, so she used Yorukō-kun as the other person."

"That's actually impressive. Hidden Frost shinobi are impressing me more and more every time." Chikara praised.

In Yuji's mind…

"Where are we, Kori-chan?" Yorukō asked.

"It's a technique I made alongside my genjutsu in order to probe any enemy I hit with any of my genjutsu techniques." Kori explained: "Think of it like the Mind Transfer technique that the Yamanaka clan has."

"That's impressive." Yorukō commented before seeing a forest of vines in front of him. He pointed at it and asked: "I'm guessing that's where we're headed?"

Kori nodded: "Yeah. Best if you follow me though. Touch any of those vines and there's a chance your conscience may be swallowed into it."

"Duly noted." Yorukō said. The pair walked into the forest together with Kori directing Yorukō where to go. Thinking that she may have nothing to lose, she made an attempt to hold Yorukō's hand, but to her surprise, she not only got to hold his hand, but he tightened his hold on it, causing the kunoichi to madly blush.

"Is everything okay?" Yorukō asked.

"Y-Y-Yes! I'm fine!" Kori quickly answered, breaking her hands away from his, almost immediately missing the contact they shared. Her mind snapped back to the objective when she saw Yuji being held in a crucifix-like position by the vines. She pointed it to Yorukō, the pair then walking towards it at a faster pace. Within minutes, they both arrived at the genjutsu victim.

"You fucking bitch!" Yuji screamed: "Let me out of this!"

Yorukō delivered a hard punch to the man's face following his comments and broke his nose like he did with Enji: "You will not talk to her like that, understood?"

Yuji only nodded his head, fear now in his eyes.

Kori giggled at Yorukō's actions, causing the teen to look at her: "What?"

"Oh, nothing. Just how protective you are of me even though we aren't together anymore." Kori told the jōnin.

"That's…" Yorukō said before turning his face away from her, a very faint blush sporting his face.

'His actions…surely it doesn't mean…' Kori thought to herself before she shook her head and returned her attention to Yuji: "I could let you off easily and just kill you, but I have something else in mind."

"E-E-E-Easy?!" Yuji stammered: "T-Then what d-do you have in mind?"

"I'm going to break your mind…permanently." Kori told the man, a sickly sweet smile forming on her face: "I'm going to put you in the same position my aunt Sachiko was in when you were being defiled and killing her. Only difference is, it's going to be giant toads, snakes, and prisoners of war taking turns with you in your mind until you eventually die, okay?"

"W-W-Wait! Aunt Sachiko? You're related to her?" Yuji asked.

Kori nodded: "Yes. My father was her older brother." She looked at Yorukō before asking: "Could you do me a favor and knock him out for me, Yorukō-kun?"

"Delighted to." Yorukō said as he lashed and knocked the man out with one blow. Kori placed one hand on his head and used the other hand to flash through some single-handed hand seals. After a few more seconds, she settled on a seal and placed her hand atop the other when she said: "This is a crude name for a jutsu, but for you, it's well deserved. Ninja Art: Eternal Mind Fucking!"

Yuji's body went limp.

"I suggest we leave before we hear the screams." Kori instructed. She made a ram seal while being held by Yorukō, forcing them out of the man's mind space. The two woke up when Kori found herself in a straddling position atop Yorukō when she screamed and jumped off the teen, earning a death glare from Yuina. Yorukō got back to his feet to see both men's beaten bodies on the ground with Kaji unconscious in Chikara's grip.

"What happened?" Yorukō asked.

"Your mother knocked him out a while ago." Chikara simply explained.

"I see." Yorukō said as he made a hand seal and melted the ice wall: "Well, our job here is done, so how about we leave?"

Everyone nodded and walked outside to find Temari and two Sand Jōnins looking at them with their arms folded.

"You know, I really should have you arrested for this." Temari said, sighing. She pointed at the entrance of the restaurant and gestured the two sand jōnins to go inside: "Thank the patrons here for their account of the situation. We'll cover yours and their bills. This isn't Hidden Sand behavior," she bowed to Yorukō: "and I'm very sorry." She turned her attention to Yuina and Kori: "And I'm deeply sorry for what you had to go through. I'll try to make it up to you by getting any information about that mission that resulted in your mother's death."

"I won't need it." Yuina told the jōnin before pointing at Yorukō: "He gave me the closure I deserved, so give it to him when you find anything."

"Are you sure?" Yorukō asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Yuina said as she gave her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek: "Think of it as my way of saying thanks. I know how much you love intel anyway."

"Then I have no choice but to take it." Yorukō told Temari.

"Fine by me." The sand jōnin said, shrugging.

"Well then," Yorukō started as he looked at his team: "shall we leave?"

Everyone nodded at the group leader before bowing to everyone at the establishment and leaving the village. The two sand jōnins returned with badly beaten up bodies and an unscathed third one, everyone grimacing at the sight of both Enji and Yuji. Some patrons looked at the fleeting forms of Team 1 and made a mental note to never mess with a single member of that team.

"Say, Yorukō-kun." Yuina said, catching the teen's attention: "What was that back there?"

"What do you mean?" Yorukō asked.

"Everything that happened in that restaurant." Yuina told him: "You were the one that instructed us not to do anything rash, yet you're the first one to strike them."

"Well, I couldn't sit there and listen to Sachiko-san's fate, or even worse, watch that bastard put his hands on you." Yorukō explained: "What kind of boyfriend would I be if I'd just let those happen?"

"But you went back on your word in a nutshell. You know that." Yuina reminded him.

"I'd be willing to go back on my word at any moment if anyone in this family is in danger. Especially for you, Yuina-chan." Yorukō told his girlfriend.

"Even for me?" Chikara asked with a hint of sarcasm, bringing the attention towards him.

"Yes, even you, Chikara." Yorukō answered with a chuckle: "You've shown me that I can trust you, despite you know…your sole mission is to spy on us. You stood up for Yuina-chan and Kori-chan and disobeyed the parameters of your mission. As thanks, even though it may take a while, I'll work on a way to negate that godforsaken seal Danzō put on you."

Chikara's and everyone else's eyes widened at Yorukō's declaration. The ROOT shinobi allowed himself a genuine grin to grace his face, the grin so infectious that everyone else had no choice to join in. Yuina walked over and stood in front of Yorukō after a few moments passed, her eyes gazing into Yorukō's as he looked into hers. She threw herself onto his body and passionately crashed her lips onto his, their bodies melding together with the contact they shared. Kori looked away in a mix of jealousy and embarrassment while Chikara whistled out loud. Sayuri merely smiled at the sight. Yorukō for his part returned the same passion she gave him, both tongues dancing aggressively with one another as they remain lip locked for several minutes, Yuina being the one to break it off.

"And that was my way of properly thanking you." Yuina told Yorukō: "Have I ever told you I love you?"

Yorukō was speechless at the girl's declaration. He looked at her eyes once more and found no deceit in them, only pure conviction behind her words. He dragged her in closer and took in her scent for a few moments until he released her from his grip, earning a pouty look from the kunoichi.

"Are we ready to leave?" Kori asked after some time.

"Yeah." Yorukō answered, earning nods from everyone in his squad. They continued walking towards the exit with the women chatting amongst themselves while Yorukō and Chikara remained silent, opting to simply observe them. Yorukō felt a sudden chakra signature that wasn't too familiar, nor was it completely foreign to him either. He doubted the idea that everyone else but Kori may have felt it due to this signature being heavily suppressed. He sensed two other signatures with the first one but ignored them completely.

"Be on alert." Yorukō instructed.

"What's wrong?" Sayuri asked.

"There's a chance that there may be a powerful group coming here. Be on alert." Yorukō ordered, earning nods from everyone.


Elsewhere in the Desert…

"There's a group of Hidden Leaf shinobi exiting the village, Sasori." The hooded man pointed out: "We could engage them if you guys want."

"No." Sasori curtly replied: "We're off track because of that little 'incident' that we just had to deal with. We resume our main objective at hand."

"I say we blow them up in a beautiful explosion! That would be art in its purest!" Deidara exclaimed.

"I'll kill the both of you if you oppose what I say one more time." Sasori warned: "Let's get to the border and get into the village."

"Fine." The hooded man relented with a shrug: "You're no fun."

The group continued walking in the direction of the village, Sasori being the last to walk behind his two partners. In his wake, he left a badly beaten and poisoned Kankurō in his wake. The hooded man felt Yorukō's chakra in a similar manner as he did his. An evil grin began spreading across the man's face as the wind blew past him, almost lifting his hood completely off.

'So, you're alive and well after all this time, eh…Yoru-kun?' The hooded man thought to himself: 'I won't alert these guys yet, but I have a feeling we'll be reunited very, very soon.'


A/N: This (currently) is the longest chapter I've ever written, and I loved every second of writing it. As I mentioned earlier, I won't be recapping the previous chapters from this chapter on – don't want to drain interest. Now, I did get a unique review from . For starters, I do appreciate the compliment, but as far as socials go, I'll work on that for this story, so keep an eye out. I did also want to mention that I'm going to be working on posting on a two-week basis for now with this story; if it works out well then I'll be doing that moving forward.