This is a sequel to one of my previous stories, Rain of Shadows. If you start reading this and get confused please go read that first.

I: It Started with a Dream

Kakashi

Kakashi watched the Sharingan fade in Sarada's eyes, her chakra too depleted to maintain them any longer. She was laying on the ground, her breathing heavy and her hair and clothes drenched with sweat.

"Looks like you're finally done," Kakashi said, standing over her. "Good work today, but be careful about over doing it."

"No can do, Grandpa Kakashi, I've got to push myself if I'm going to become Hokage," Sarada replied as she stared up at the sky.

"Hmph, or get yourself an early grave," Kakashi quipped. "Still, I can't fault you for wanting to work hard. Just remember, your mind and body need rest too. What's the jutsu you're learning from Naruto now? Summoning, right?"

"Oh, yeah!" Sarada exclaimed, pushing herself into a sitting position. "I've got a toad contract just like Naruto-Sensei!"

"Summoning is quite a technique for a Genin to be attempting," Kakashi commented. "Doing that and then turning around for Sharingan training with me? That's a lot."

"Well I've got to do a lot if I want to become Hokage," Sarada replied.

Kakashi smiled underneath his mask. "Like I said, work ethic is good. But remember: you have limits."

"Will do, Grandpa Kakashi," Sarada said with a quick salute.

The former Hokage could tell in an instant that his newest student was not going to stop at her limits, just like his students of a prior generation never did. He let out a sigh, knowing that a student who worked themself to the bone was preferable to one who wouldn't give the necessary effort.

"Make sure you remember," he said, all too aware that it was going up to him and his former students to make sure that this one didn't go over her head.

"Can you get home on your own?" he asked as Sarada began to climb to her feet. "I have a meeting I need to attend, but I can help if you need it."

"No, no, I'm good," Sarada said, steadying herself. "Go on, I'll be fine."

The former Hokage nodded before walking off, heading to meet with his successor.

Sasuke

With a quick scan of his Rinnegan, Sasuke analyzed the giant steel door blocking his path. Orochimaru had certainly upped his security measures in the years since the young Uchiha was learning under the Sanin, but this wasn't going to be enough to stop him.

Having already identified a weak point in the door, Sasuke took his sword and drove the blade into the metal beside the door frame, finding a circuit passing through beneath it. With a surge of lighting chakra he triggered the switch that opened the entrance. With little flourish he removed his weapon and returned it to its sheath before entering.

With Orochimaru's final death a few months prior most of his former hideouts and labs were no longer in operation. This one was an exception.

"Wha...Sasuke!" a shocked Suigetsu exclaimed, coming out of a hallway with the famed Excutioner's Blade drawn. "I thought we were in real trouble there...unless...we are in trouble?"

"No, Suigetsu, you're not," the Uchiha answered. "I'm here to recruit you for a very important mission."

"Well, this is feeling familiar," the Water Shinobi commented, annoyance seeping into his voice. No doubt he was remembering when Sasuke convinced him to join in the hunt for Itachi Uchiha. "Well, no matter, we've got nothing better to do," he continued, stowing his weapon. "Ever since Orochimaru bit the dust we've kind of just been running on autopilot. Anyway, I'm sure Karin will be happy to see you. Come on." He turned to begin walking down the hall, pausing only to signal Sasuke to follow.

"Are there any other Orochimaru connected facilities in operation?" Sasuke asked as they began.

Suigetsu shrugged to start off his answer. "Don't know. If there are, they haven't contacted us and we haven't been able to find them. The old snake had been consolidating resources and concentrating more in the Hidden Sound itself in the years before his death. He was wiling to give Karin some more autonomy for her research, but others had been either shut down or relocated. I'd imagine they went kablooey with the village itself."

"Hm," Sasuke responded as he processed the information. The facility itself was small, and they arrived at their destination in short order.

Suigetsu banged on the steel door before almost as quickly pressing on the button that opened it anyway.

"Damn it, Suigetsu!" Karin's voice screamed through the doorway as soon as it opened. "Why do I have to keep telling you not to barge in?!"

"Calm down, Karin, calm down," the water Shinobi said, holding out his hands in the universal gesture of what he had already said twice. "You're going to like what I've got here, I promise."

"What could you possibly have that I would..." Karin began before trailing off as Sasuke entered her view. "Oh, hey," she said, suddenly bashful.

Suigetsu frowned with clear disappointment. "'Hey?'" he echoed. "Seriously, all this time and that's all you have to say?"

"Shut up!" Karin yelled, suddenly full of vigor again. "We're not kids anymore, my feelings have changed! And I have better control of myself!"

"Ooh, yeah, in control of yourself," Suigetsu quipped. "It''s not like you're yelling or anything like that."

Sasuke was sure that the first part of the her assertions were true, at the very least. When he and Sakura had first begun their relationship, they travelled together with Karin, Suigetsu, and Jugo for a time. The two woman had clashed constantly during that period, and it took Sakura spelling it out directly for Sasuke to understand that Karin was jealous of their romance. They managed to sort it out and become friends, or friendly at the very least. Sakura was sure that Karin still carried a torch for the Uchiha, but that it was no longer something she would obsess over. Having no sense for romance himself, Sasuke took her word for it.

"Enough," he said, seizing both of his former comrades' attention with a single word. "I have something important I need to ask of both of you."

"Oh, OK, what is it?" Karin asked with a sudden calm now that Sasuke had taken control of proceedings.

"Not here," the Uchiha cautioned. "What I have to say is sensitive information and I don't want to repeat it. Better to avoid being overheard by the wrong ppeople."

Suigetsu looked around at the clear lack of anyone other than the three of them. "Even now?" he asked.

Sasuke gave a single nod in response.

"Well...shit, then," Suigetsu commented.

Sasuke nodded again. "We're facing an opponent who commands a vast spy network and means of acquiring information that are not fully understood yet. We can't be too careful. To that end: where is Jugo?"

"You want to see Jugo too?" Karin said. "You're in luck, he's actually here. Well, outside, actually."

"Oh, really?" Sasuke expressed his surprise. "I admit, I'd been out of contact with him for some time. I didn't know he was with you."

Karin stepped out into the hallway Sasuke and Suigetsu were standing in. "Come with me."

"Did you ever wonder why we returned to working with Orochimaru?" she asked as they started moving toward the rear of the facility.

"Idly, maybe, but I never thought too hard about it," Sasuke admitted.

"Geez, thanks for caring," Karin responded, a layer somewhat bitter sarcasm in her voice. "Well, regardless, after you, me, and Sakura got everything sorted out, I decided that my next goal in life would be to find a cure for Jugo's rages."

"Oh, interesting," Sasuke said, not disingenuously.

"Suigetsu agreed to help me, and together we came back to Orochimaru, since he had the data we needed to get started," Karin continued. "Since Jugo himself needs to be kept away from people as much as possible, we were the only facility that was kept in a remote location when Orochimaru began consolidating the Hidden Sound's resources to form a true Shinobi village."

"Have you had success?" Sasuke asked as they came upon a heavily reinforced door. The extra protection made him think that Jugo was just as volatile as ever.

But then Karin turned to him and smiled with pride. "Come on in and see."

With that she opened the door, revealing a large outdoor garden hidden from the surrounding by the rock formation the facility was carved into. Sitting in its center was Jugo, admiring a bird that was sitting on his outstretched finger.

The trio of new arrivals walked into the outdoor space, startling the bird enough that it flew off. With the creature now gone, Jugo turned to address his visitors.

"Sasuke, I'm surprised to see you," he stated.

"Long time, no see, Jugo," the Uchiha replied.

The two stoic men regarded each other in silence for a moment before Karin sidled up next to Sasuke.

"So, you noticed anything yet?" she asked him.

"What?" he returned.

"You seriously haven't noticed?" Karin said. "Come on, Sasuke, I'm looking for a compliment here. 'Jeez, Karin, it's really impressive that you've managed to cure Jugo's rages. Not even my fancy Sharingan could do that.' Come on!" She paused, hoping for some response. "What, nothing?" she asked when none came.

"Why would he notice that in a few seconds?" Suigetsu asked. "It's not like Jugo was going berserk all the time."

Karin turned on the water Shinobi. "Well, excuse a girl for wanting a bit of praise!"

"What are you, a kid?" Suigetsu fired back. "A mature adult would-"

"Enough," Sasuke commanded, cutting through the noise with a single word and the sheer weight of his presence. He glanced momentarily at the now silent pair before turning his attention to Jugo. "Is it true that you can control your urges now?" he asked.

Jugo nodded in confirmation before elaborating further. "At least since Karin gave me her most recent serum last week. I've had no blackouts nor any other signs of violent outbursts."

"Aren't I awesome?" Karin asked. "Not even Orochimaru was able to accomplish this. The most he could hope for was containment and partial replication."

"It's a bit too soon to celebrate," Jugo warned, Karin visibly deflating as her hastiness was brought to light. "We don't know how permanent this is, so it is entirely possible that this is but a temporary reprieve and I will go out of control again in the future."

"Yes, that is true," Karin admitted. "That's why I've prepared multiple doses of the serum, just in case. Hopefully he won't develop a tolerance to it."

Sasuke nodded his approval before continuing with his questions. "And your abilities. Can you still use them, Jugo?"

The giant of a man lifted his hand, flexing his fingers, before closing his eyes and focusing in on himself. "I haven't tried, other than talking with animals, anyway," he said. "I do believe they are still there, but...I am afraid that I will lose control again if I use them."

"Hm, we may have to risk that," Sasuke commented before addressing the entire group. "I have a mission I need the three of you for."

Suigetsu smiled in anticipation. "You really really got me curious, I have to say. What kind of mission would warrant bringing the old Taka back together?"

"I'll tell you, but only once," Sasuke warned. "This is highly sensitive information, and the less it is repeated the better."

Garra

"We'll take care of everything," Baki told his Kazekage and former student.

"Good then, go ahead. I have a meeting I need to get to," Gaara replied. The older Shinobi gave a short bow before leaving the office.

Now alone, the Kazekage stood from his desk and walked over to the corner of the room where a seal was inscribed on the floor. He closed his eyes and, with a brief moment's focus, he linked his chakra with the seal. He opened his eyes to see not his office, but that of the Hokage.

Naruto smiled brightly at him, or rather the the avatar of sand that was now standing in the Leaf Village.

"So it works?" the Hokage asked. "Well, you and Kakashi-sensei designed it, so I shouldn't be surprised!"

Gaara shifted his gaze to the left and then the right, able to see the Hokage's office as if he were standing in it himself. Naruto was sitting behind his desk, Kakashi leaning against a window not far away. The Kazekage nodded, his doppelgänger in the Hidden Leaf mimicking his movement near one to one.

"Our prior tests were successful, but I'm glad to see that it works even over distances this great," he said. It was a unique jutsu Gaara and Kakashi had developed after the barely averted war between the Sand and Leaf. The machinations of the individual once known as The Master, now referred by the name Nao, had shown that the great powers of the Shinobi world needed to be able to communicate with each other quickly, instantaneously if possible.

"Unfortunately, this would be difficult to replicate between other villages," Kakashi commented. "This is only possible because of how long you have soaked your sand in your chakra, Gaara. Without that mixed into the seals' ink, there would be no connection."

"True enough," Gaara replied. His sand was the key to this system, working on the same principle as his Third Eye technique, allowing his chakra to link his senses to an inanimate object detached from his body. "However, your seals were the revolutionary component that made this possible, Kakashi. I'm confident that they can serve as the foundation for a more universal version of this technique."

The retired Hokage acknowledged Garra's compliment with a nod before swiftly changing the subject. "We do have other business to discuss, however. What is the security situation for the upcoming Chunin Exams?"

The exams had been expanded in the years since the Great War, with Shinobi of all of the Five Great Nations participating and each taking turns hosting it. It was now the Hidden Sand's turn and security was a major concern in the lead up to it, due first and foremost the recent instability but also because invitations had, for the first time, been extended to all of the minor villages as well the five.

"While it is impossible at this juncture to predict the exact number of people that will be participating in or spectating the exams, we are certain that it will be a significantly higher number than previous years," Gaara commented. "The lion's share of our efforts go into ensuring the village has the infrastructure to support that many people, but we're also improving our defenses against a wide variety of potential threats, particularly when it comes to sensory techniques."

Naruto nodded thoughtfully before exchanging glances with his former teacher. "Please continue that, Gaara," he said. "But Kakashi-sensei and I agree that it is unfair for you and your village to shoulder everything when we don't fully know what our enemy is capable of. We've been making our own plans, and Kakashi-sensei will be joining you in the Sand to help with the preparations."

"Thank you, that should be helpful," Gaara said. "Are there any...more proactive measures being taken."

Kakashi nodded before taking a quick glance around the room and out the windows to ensure the three Kage's privacy. "We've sent Sasuke. He's gathering some of his old comrades to hunt down Nao's network wherever they can."

"So with that, you can rest easy!" Naruto said with a broad smile. "Everything's going to be alright!"

Gaara regarded his oldest friend for a moment before allowing himself the briefest of chuckles. "Hmph, so be it. I shall share in your confidence, Naruto."

Sarada

With stumbling steps Sarada walked to the front door of her family's home, her shadowing stretching long along the ground as the late afternoon sun dipped towards the horizon. She stopped there, her shoulders slouching down such was her exhaustion. Before progressing any further, she took a single deep breath.

"OK," she said to herself as she exhaled. She forced herself to stand up straight before entering a place where should never have to hide any weakness.

Walking inside, Sarada said, "hey mom," once she saw her mother in the living room.

"You were out late again, and you look a mess," Sakura replied. Her eyes, the eyes of not only a caring parent but also one of the greatest medical ninja in the world, studied Sarada carefully. "Is everything alright with you?"

Sarada made herself smile. "Yeah, everything's going great!"

"Hm," Sakura hummed as she continued to watch her daughter. "OK then, honey. You missed dinner, so I put your food in the fridge."

Hearing about food induced a spat of hunger pangs in Sarada. "Really? Thanks Mom, you're awesome." With that she went towards the kitchen, set to take her food and eat it alone in her bedroom. There she would have the privacy to finally drop her act.

Sakura

The smile Sakura wore faded as her daughter left the room.

"Ah," she sighed as many thoughts and memories ran through her head. "I don't know if I should happy that she's working so hard, or angry that she's lying to me," she mumbled to herself. She started to make her way to the laundry room, but stopped when an idea came to her. "What would I have done if I was in this situation with Naruto when we were kids?" she asked herself.