Hunting or Bust: The Journey Continues

Dust 9: Coming Out The Other Side

Welcome back everybody!

Here's another installment of the July marathon update!

Got a few more chapters of this baby already in the chamber, and I'm getting ever closer to the finale! I hope to get more of these out soon.

But until then, enjoy!

((((((((Hunting))))))))

The ringing in Yugito's ears hadn't quite subsided after waking up to fire and smoke before frantically jumping out the window. And even though the rain surrounded them and Banesaw and his crew stood menacingly over them, only the sound of her breathing and heartbeat filled her ears. She saw Banesaw level his chainsaw and his crew prepare to move-

Something glinted in the night and exploded directly in front of their pursuers.

Yugito's hearing suddenly returned in time with the explosion as she gasped. She felt Sienna grip her wrist and pull, "RUN!" Yanked up to her feet, the cat stared at the back of the tiger as they sprinted through the rain and smoke, "Don't look back!"

"W-Where can we go?!"

"Anywhere but here - gah!" Sienna clutched her side and nearly stumbled from the pain. Yugito quickly took her arm around her shoulder, hoisting her up and helping her along as they ran into the forest. Sienna struggled to connect another blade to her chain, "If they catch us, we're dead!"

The explosion from her thrown dart started to settle with the pouring rain and Banesaw lowered his chainsaw, the side of it covered in soot after blocking her surprise attack, "Khan is injured. Nii will slow down to accommodate her. We can find them."

"And we're going through with this?"

"It is what High Leader Taurus and Noble Guard Rōshi requested of us." He answered, "Simply ask yourselves; will the dream you have for the Faunus come true under Taurus' guidance, or Khan's middling policies?"

The masked Faunus looked between each other, their hesitation melting away after a moment as they picked up the pace. They ran into the forest to give chase as the inn burned and crumbled behind them.

((((((((Hunting))))))))

"Sooooooooo~…"

"So what?"

"Can't help but notice a lot of the tension in the room has vanished now."

"I think you're misreading things."

"Oh really? Because before you two wouldn't even stay in the same room together. Now you're sitting next to each other, eating breakfast, being civil, and maybe more~?"

Minato and Kushina were indeed sitting beside each other while eating around the table in the Belladonna Manor. And their improved relationship hadn't gone unnoticed as Tenten, Sun, and Kali smiled like giddy children at the chance to poke fun. Blake, Ghira, and Jiraiya didn't jump at the opportunity like the others but they were glad to see a change in the two's interactions.

The pair shared a look of confusion at their odd interest in their rekindled connection. Kushina shook her head as she grabbed the teapot, "Look everyone, I don't know what you're expecting, but I promise we can't deliver."

"We've only just started talking again." Minato agreed while passing her an empty cup.

"And there is so much still to work through."

"But we do want to be able to work together."

"To help both here in Menagerie and Mistral when the time comes."

"So, while you should probably temper any expectations…"

"We'll continue to work towards making things a little easier." Minato took a sip of his drink as Kushina looked at everyone, "Is that okay?"

"You made him tea." Tenten noted with a smile.

The pair's eyes widened as Minato pulled his cup away, "O-Oh." He seemed caught off guard that he hadn't noticed that sooner and quickly tried to hand it back, "Sorry about that. I didn't mean-"

"It's okay." Kushina held her hand out before he could pass it, "I meant to make that for you. I'm not sure if it's the same way you used to like your tea but-"

"No, it is. It's perfect." An awkward laugh slipped out before he grabbed the pot next, "Here, let me make you one."

A look of fright came over Kushina's face for an instant before she shook her head, "M-Minato, you don't-"

"No, it's okay. I've been practicing for years now. I know I'm not ready for cooking breakfast yet, but my teas and coffee are…" He paused before shrugging, "Well they're passable."

"They are?" She sounded surprised, remembering the many incidents during their time together when Minato had tried to cook and prepare something that only ever seemed to end in…well, catastrophic failure was putting it gently. But hearing that he'd learned to prepare something had Kushina smiling hopefully, "I can't believe you learned to do that."

"Well, I thought it was time to learn." Minato laughed as he started pouring water into the cup, Kushina eagerly watched him with her tail swaying behind him.

Everyone else watched in silence and with varying grins and smiles.

Jiraiya sighed, "Damn, I thought they passed the clumsy flirting part of their relationship already. You don't backstep there after having a kid."

Blake giggled at his side, "If Naruto could see this I think he'd pass out."

"From joy or disgust?"

"First one, then the other."

Minato and Kushina looked peeved at all the attention they were getting. But they didn't seem to notice that now the room that had once been filled with tense silence or dreary focus was filled with amusement and relief. Seeing the two reconcile some of their differences after weeks of avoidance did wonders for their morale.

Tenten couldn't help the big grin coming over her face as Sun sighed contentedly and leaned back on his hands, "Man, this is fun. Can't remember the last time we could relax like this. It's nice to-"

"Chieftain!" They heard a frantic scream from the hallway as a guard rushed into the dining room, "Chieftain, there's trouble!"

"What is it?"

"It's the rouges! They're hitting spots all over Kuo Kuana!"

They urgently rushed out of the room to see. And Sun cursed his big fat mouth for ruining the peace.

((((((((Hunting))))))))

"Whoa, there's so much cool equipment here." Fū stared at all the state-of-the-art medical utensils and prosthetics on display, "This is awesome! Hey, do you think they could even replace my wings? Because flying is already cool, but with sweet mechanical wings on top-"

"Roll it back." Kiba turned her around and brought her back to the group, "We came here for a reason, remember?"

The reason in question was currently scratching his head as he stared at the strangers that entered his pharmacy, "What did you say your names were?"

"We didn't." Shisui nervously admitted.

"And how did you get my information?"

"Yo, we can't say." Bee deflected.

"So you won't identify yourselves or the people who told you to come here, but you want to know if there's a way I can help?" The group of five shared a concerned and uneasy look before slowly nodding. The old scientist sighed, "Well I'm sorry but there's just no way I can help you. Even outside of the question of if I should – I just don't have a way to do it."

The others sighed as Sasuke stepped up, "I understand this is a lot to ask of you. Especially from strangers. But we must leave Atlas right away. We can't keep waiting until the military decides that it's safe enough to lower the lockdown, whenever that might be. The person who told us about you said that we should reach out to a good man with connections. And you-"

"I understand, and I'm flattered that someone considers me a good man, but no." He insisted with a solemn shake of his head, "The position you are in is unfortunate, and I'm not a fan of this lockdown either, but not agreeing with it and actively breaking it are two very different things." He stressed, trying to ignore the tinges of guilt he felt when their expressions started to lower in disappointment, "And I do not have the power or authority to break something like that. I'm just a scientist who works in Atlas sometimes. Most times I'm down here, working at the Polendina Pharmacy and helping people. Tinkering with ideas like that young lady's fun robotic wings concept. But other than that, I'm not sure how I can help you."

Fū, Bee, and Shisui deflated as yet another lead seemed to dry up after all their work helping Robyn. They had to start brainstorming new ideas-

"Polendina?" Kiba suddenly piped up. They looked at him as he scratched his head in deep thought, trying to remember why that name sounded familiar, "Polendina? Why do I know that name? I feel like-"

"Penny."

The scientist's eyes widened as Sasuke looked at him in quiet surprise, "That was the name she gave during the tournament. Are you-"

"Pietro Polendina. Penny is my daughter." Pietro quickly introduced himself before looking between all of them, "How did you know Penny? Were you friends with her?"

"We were in Beacon while she was visiting for the Vytal Festival. We were friends. Well, she was friends with our friends." Sasuke quickly clarified, "We forgot our first meeting because it had been so long since we introduced ourselves."

Kiba chuckled, "Yep, but she still hugged you so tight you turned blue."

Sasuke let out a deep sigh, "Hard to forget a person a second time when they hug you that tightly. And she saved Naruto and Blake during their fight at the docks."

"I heard she kicked the White Fang's ass that night!" Kiba grinned as he started recalling the bubbly girl a little better, "And she did great in the tournament too!"

"She was so excited to be participating and said hi to all of us as we waited to go out into the stage." Sasuke fondly remembered the anticipation and determination he felt before the final rounds started. He could remember how excited Penny was to introduce herself to everyone and say how much fun they would have.

He looked up at Pietro and saw the old man's touched and longing expression, "I'm sorry there wasn't more we could have done for your daughter."

Pietro took off his glasses and dried his eyes before taking a deep breath, "What are your names?"

They looked at each other before relenting, "I'm Sasuke Uchiha…"

"And I'm Kiba Inuzaka."

Pietro looked at Sasuke in silence before looking down, "Can I see your hand?" Sasuke held it out, "No, sorry, I mean the other one." They looked confused by his request as Sasuke raised his arm and showed off the end of it, his sleeve still tied in a knot at his wrist, "You don't have your prosthetic?"

"My what?"

"General Ironwood insisted that those that were injured during the Fall of Beacon get replacements to help them during their recovery." Pietro reached for his terminal and typed something out before turning the screen, "See?" Sasuke saw his profile and a hi-tech mechanical hand listed with exact specifications and measurements, "We had your measurements taken so that it would match you perfectly. Did you never receive it?"

"Sorry, I wasn't in Vale when it arrived. I apologize for that."

"You left already?" Pietro asked, quietly humming as he scratched his chin, "And now you need to leave again?" They nodded and the old scientist sat silently before asking, "Are you running away from something?"

"No."

"Did you hurt someone?"

"No."

"Then why do you have to leave so urgently?"

"Because for a long time, we've been looking to find the strength we need to help our friends. And we have it now, so we want to get to them while we can. And we need your help."

Pietro leaned back into his mobile chair and considered their request in silence. He only stopped thinking when he heard a chime on his computer and received a new message. He opened it and read it, quickly typing a reply without stopping. The group of visitors watched as he and the person he was talking with shared several messages in rapid succession before Pietro finally leaned back.

He pulled off his glasses and wiped them, "I can't help you with my position. But I believe I know someone who can if you are who you say you are." Pietro smiled softly as he put his glasses back on, "If you are so set on getting out of the Kingdom, come back here tomorrow morning."

Fū and Bee cheered and embraced with joy as Shisui patted Kiba and Sasuke on the back, "Thank you, Doctor."

"Don't mention it, please." Pietro nodded and told them the time to come by tomorrow. With that the group bid him farewell and thanks for the help before they walked out the door. And Pietro sat back in his chair before typing out another message.

PieP: [And you're sure they're good people?]

PenP: [That's right! They are very nice! And they were my friends in Beacon!]

PieP: [You talked about that other team a lot more though.]

PenP: [That team had my best friends on it, but this team was also kind and very nice to me! If they say they are doing something to help their friends, I believe them.]

Pietro smiled warmly and chuckled to himself. He would have been a lot more critical and suspicious if he wasn't just an old man dealing with his daughter's friends. With a small smile, he typed away.

PieP: [Okay sweetheart, I need to prepare for tomorrow. Make sure to keep running your programs and we'll be uploading you to your new hardware soon, alright?]

PenP: [Sensational! I love you, Dad!]

PieP: [Love you too.]

((((((((Hunting))))))))

Running through the forest in the middle of a rainstorm at night was difficult, even with night vision. It wasn't made any easier by the fact they had to slow down to accommodate Sienna's injury while being chased by Banesaw and his crew.

Yugito panted as her heart hammered wildly in her chest. In a daze she looked back in fright, trying to spot the shadows of their pursuers through the trees. She had to stay on guard and prepared her flames-

"Watch out!"

Yugito's foot snagged on a root and she quickly lost balance. She toppled into the wet grass and ground as Sienna tried to keep on her feet, grabbing a tree before she fell over and stressing her wound when she felt her side get pulled. The former High Leader hissed and looked down at the fearful Noble Guard trying to catch her breath, "What are you doing? Pay attention!"

"T-They're going to catch up!" Yugito heaved, struggling to catch her breath as she frantically looked around, "And they'll kill us! He wants to kill us! They all want to kill us!"

"Calm down," Sienna grumbled as she leaned back against a tree and tried to spot anyone following them, "We don't need you panicking at a time like this. We need to focus-"

"It's never going to be enough! We can run and run, but we'll be hunted forever!" The cat Faunus gripped her hair, "He already has what he wants, but he's gonna bring everything else-"

She was suddenly yanked off her feet and brought into Sienna's livid and vicious scowl, "Enough! Pull yourself together!" The Noble Guard looked up at her with shaky, unfocused eyes. Sienna grumbled in disappointment as she let go of her collar and started to reconnect another blade to her chain, "He'll never stop hunting us. Even if we find some sanctuary or another White Fang cell that would take us in, it's just one loyal member of his that will get us when we aren't looking."

Yugito let out a trembling breath, "I-I just wanted to change things. Fight for our sake. I-I didn't-"

"I know you didn't. But this is what happened." Sienna said apathetically, "You threw your lot in with Adam and it helped him gain a foothold of power. Now he's taken that foothold and turned everything around."

Yugito's eyes widened, "N-No. No wait that's not fair. I didn't mean to help him do this-"

"But you did, even if you didn't know it. You were one of the Noble Guards he indoctrinated into his sect and helped him build a following. You helped him gain power and influence over so many Faunus that looked up to him. And you helped attack Beacon and bring the world to shambles. Deny it all you want but you are part of this-"

"W-What about you?!" Sienna blinked as Yugito's voice hitched and broke with desperation. The blonde woman looked on the cusp of a breakdown as she glared at Sienna, "You're one to talk! You were supposed to be in charge of him - a leader who reigned him in when his ideas became too much! But you shirked off responsibility on that Danzō guy before him! And after he was killed, you kept Adam around like he was going to be your puppet! Someone you could control!"

"I did!" Sienna bit back, "Adam isn't capable of leading or understanding what it means to be in charge of others! He was only ever a follower! He clung to those in power and was desperate for guidance! Under my leadership-"

"You would have died from that stab if it wasn't for me!" Yugito snarled, grabbing Sienna and slamming her back into the tree. As the tiger hissed in pain and snarled, Yugito started to burn with fury, "That's what your leadership did! You stood aside and reaped the rewards until he went too far! And your control only amounted to him wanting to take everything for himself! So don't you dare-"

A hand latched around Yugito's mouth and shut it close. Her eyes narrowed and she was going to break the fingers off of her, but stopped when she saw Sienna hush her while looking aside. Her ears twitched atop her head and she listened closely to everything around her.

The rain and rustling trees covered up most of the noise, but she could hear faint talking and movement growing closer. And not just that…

The growling and bleating of Grimm nearby stirred by their emotions.

Sienna sighed and hung her head. She looked up at Yugito and still saw the anger in her eyes, but it had been tempered by fear and uncertainty. The former High Leader pulled away her hand and gripped her shoulder, "I know I had my part in it. We both played our parts…even if we didn't mean to…and now we're here. Adam is going to have us killed no matter where we go. So we can keep running until the day we're caught…or we can fight."

Yugito looked down miserably, "I don't want to fight anymore."

"I know you don't, Nii, but this situation calls for a fight. We fight now and maybe someday we we'll come out the other side where we won't need to. But you give up now and you're assuring we die. So what's it gonna be?"

Yugito stared at Sienna in silence as the rain poured down on them and the clouds cast everything in darkness.

((((((((Hunting))))))))

It had become an unspoken rule in the Belladonna Manor that since the trouble with the White Fang escalated, they had to stay inside to avoid any more problems or risks. It was an infuriating compromise but one that they all agreed on and understood the importance of.

Until Kuo Kuana was attacked. Then they abandoned their caution and let their Hunter instincts take control.

Blake, Tenten, Sun, Minato, and Jiraiya charged through the streets to the location the guards had given them. A home belonging to one of the community leaders that had come to the house to speak with Ghira just the other day. And the smoke rising from the house with people clearing away from it was enough of a signal of where to go.

"An end to the Belladonnas! An end to their tyranny! And an end to their collaborators!" Several armed radical White Fang members yelled out in front of the burning home as they kept the injured politician thrown to the dirt by their feet, "Anyone seen working with the Belladonna family or their ilk will be considered a traitor to Faunus everywhere! And they will-"

Gambol Shroud through flew the air and wrapped around the wrist of the rogue speaking. Before he had a chance to react, the ribbon yanked him away from the rest of his group and right into the metal-clad arm of Tenten's clothesline.

"It's them!"

"Attack!"

The rogues immediately charged into battle, aiming their guns or rushing forward with blades. The Huntsmen and Huntresses didn't hesitate to meet them in battle.

Minato's hands blurred as he rapidly cut through and deflected any bullets coming his way as he charged in. As he got close to the rogues shooting at him, he suddenly flashed away and cleared the path for Jiraiya. The toad Faunus roared as he palmed the faces of two White Fang members and slammed them into the ground.

Sun kept a duo at bay with several quick shotgun shots as Tenten ran past him. She connected her sticks to a staff and started spinning it around before charging in to attack. The end of her staff whipped out and forced the two Faunus to put up their blades to block her attacks. Her staff nearly turned into a blur, striking at each of the rogues as they desperately defended themselves.

Sun came flying in and struck one in the chest, pushing them back as he spun his nunchucks around his hands. Tenten separated her staff and the two Faunus were quickly besieged by a combo between the stick-user and nunchaku-wielder. Sparks flew and urgent yells emerged before their weapons were swatted out of their hands and the two rogues were knocked aside with a swift strike to the temple.

Blake rushed at the final member, their scowling grimace evident even with the mask covering their eyes. They yelled and fired at her as she swatted the bullets away with her katana and sheath. Gambol Shroud shifted into its sickle form and she threw it hard enough to ensnare her foe around the wrist. The rogue Faunus yelled and yanked on the ribbon, pulling Blake off her feet and preparing to tackle her. But he only grabbed air as she used Shadow to dodge, leap over him, and grab his shoulders before slamming him down into the dirt.

Gambol Shroud flew back into her hand as she aimed her pistol at him and all the rogues that had been defeated, "That's enough! Whatever you were trying to do, it comes to an end now!" The rogue White Fang members groaned and looked at each other, "Why would you do this?"

"Because anyone that works with you or your family deserves to be punished. And until that message is clear to everyone in Menagerie…we will not stop."

Blake's ears flinched as she heard a far-off scream somewhere further in the town. And those frightened screams seemed to appear in other directions as well. Her eyes widened, "Simultaneous attacks."

"Everyone will know it's a mistake to work with the Belladonnas now."

"Go!" Jiraiya yelled as he grabbed the rogue and slammed him firmly into the ground, "I'll watch over them until the guards take them in! Go stop the other attacks!"

There were no arguments as the other four immediately rushed out to stop the attacks. Minato flashed away to handle them as fast as he could as Blake, Sun, and Tenten sprinted through the streets together. They found masked men and women destroying businesses and buildings that had done work with the Belladonnas in the past. Even with their advanced training, the trio quickly put them down and kept them there until guards could collect them.

They were making fast work of the rogues, but it was clear they'd never reach them all at this rate. So as they ran along the three shared a look before separating. Their safety and caution were secondary to stopping these people and saving citizens from trouble.

But even as she knocked White Fang down and saved people, Blake's mind couldn't stop repeating what that man had said moments ago.

Anyone who worked with the Belladonnas deserves to be punished, and they wouldn't stop until everyone understood that.

The young Huntress ignored how dry her throat felt at the thought of what that meant as she continued to run to the next location.

((((((((Hunting))))))))

When Pietro contacted them about his contact finally arriving, they weren't sure what to expect. Some believed it would be a close ally of Pietro that could find a way out for them. Some had expected a shady, self-serving, disillusioned military officer more in it for themselves than the Kingdom.

No one - absolutely no one - expected to see Sasuke hug the contact the minute they entered the pharmacy.

"Guren!"

"Hey, kid!" She greeted her young friend with a grin and embrace. Guren looked very pleased to be reuniting with the young Uchiha again after nearly a year, "I can't believe you're here."

"I can't believe you're the person Dr. Polendina was talking about."

"Well, I've been helping the doctor with some of his experiments and projects since being assigned here in Atlas." She spared the old scientist a look and he chuckled while tipping his hat, "It's usually stuff like picking up supplies or testing out gadgets or making sure he's gotten his sleep. So I was confused when he asked me to come down here outside of military business, and I was surprised when your name came up." She looked past him, "Even more so when you have so many other people with you."

"Everyone, this is Guren. She joined my brother and me to fight against the White Fang years ago before she was drafted into the army. Guren, this is Fū, Bee, and Shisui. They're people we met along our travels who want to help us."

"Itachi told me about the profiles he passed to you. I'm glad to see the people you found were so strong." Guren smiled, "Thank you for taking care of him along the way."

"It's no trouble. Honestly, we should be thankful for him finding us and giving us a chance to do more." Shisui said, "Seems like a lot more people have been doing something with our family name than I ever did."

"Uh, it's nice to meet you." Fū greeted the older woman with a nervous and flushed expression. She hadn't expected to meet such a cool older female soldier, as well as someone who was basically Sasuke's older sister. She tried to present a cool and respectable demeanor, "I-I'm Fū. Been helping – I-I mean protecting Sasuke from trouble. Yep, that's what I mean. I know how to fight like that."

Bee pulled Sasuke aside, sending a quick look to Guren before whispering, "So this babe-"

"Barking up the wrong tree."

"Got it." Bee turned around, "Yo, nice to meet you!"

Guren smiled and greeted all of Sasuke's new comrades. But her amusement and small smile faded into a tense line when she saw the last one glaring at her.

Kiba's face had twisted into a barely noticeable scowl behind his beard, but it was enough to get Guren's attention. She stepped forward, standing across from the tattooed man, and gave a short nod, "I'm sorry for what happened to your friends in Vale."

He grunted, "Sorry to hear what happened to your pal too."

…

"Look, I-"

"Save it." Kiba uncrossed his arms, "You're going to help us, right? Then that's all that matters."

Guren looked disappointed but nodded, "Right."

The others were confused by their interaction, but when they looked Sasuke's way he shook his head and promised to fill them in later.

"Well, I'm sure you have a lot to talk about." Pietro piped up as his seat started to turn around, "And I think it's for the best that whatever it is you have planned, I am not present to hear about it. So I'll be back here doing some work. And I'll leave you to…this."

"Thank you, Doctor." They nodded as the elderly scientist made his way into the back room. Sasuke turned to Guren, "You're up to speed, right?"

"Yeah. You need to get out of the Kingdom. Would've been a lot easier if you tried this before restrictions were placed on travel."

"Yeah, we know."

"Well, here's what we're looking at." Guren flicked her Scroll and projected the screen for them to see, "The only travel out of the Kingdom is being done to drop off supplies at designated Atlas military zones. A small amount in Vacuo. A fair amount in Vale as they try to settle things back to normal there."

"And Mistral?"

Guren sighed, "Mistral is where most ships travel and drop off supplies. But it's almost entirely to Argus, which is a hodgepodge of extremely strict and devoted Atlas Military members. Ugh, seriously, even Ironwood finds them exhausting to be around." She shook her head, "All those ships are meant to stop by one of these bases, and if a ship leaves a base they're only doing it to return to Atlas. So first things first; anyone here knows how to fly?"

"I do!" Fū cheekily smiled despite the furrowed looks she got, "Not in a ship but yeah."

"Okay. Anyone here a pilot?" A quick shake of everyone's head, "Well that only makes this harder."

Kiba scratched his beard before seeing the pensive and focused look on Sasuke's face, "What are you thinking?"

"Just that the easiest move would be to get on a ship, ride it out, and then walk out of the base without any trouble." Sasuke said before nodding, "Which I think would be possible to do."

"What?!" Guren exclaimed. Even the others looked at him like he had lost his marbles, "Sasuke, what are you talking about? You can't just ride a military vehicle to an army base and then walk through it like nothing!"

"We can if they don't know we're there." Sasuke looked over at Shisui and the older Uchiha started putting it together, "Here's what I have in mind."

((((((((Hunting))))))))

Banesaw and his crew slowly made their way through the forest as the storm and rain continued to rage around them. Even though the others moved slowly and with hesitation, he marched ahead with a goal in mind.

They spotted the footprints and trails in the wet ground leading them out this far. But with the rain getting heavier the tracks were becoming harder to follow. And as they reached a thicket of trees and foliage, the tracks seemed to fade altogether. The others believed that meant that Sienna and Yugito had escaped completely. But Banesaw knew the former High Leader's mindset…

"This had to happen, Khan. When it's time for an organization to strive for a new goal, leadership must change as well. Ghira Belladonna understood that when he handed power over to you. And when it was clear we needed to put more effort into our fight, you could have handed power over easily. But you kept a grip on it and refused to budge, even when it became clear that we were ready to fight wholly for the sake of this goal. When it was clear you couldn't lead us to the next step…there was no other choice for you, Khan."

A shadow descended from the trees and Banesaw turned up in surprise. Sienna dropped down at him and roared while swinging her Cerberus Whip down at his head. He barely ducked in time as the chain shredded through a tree behind him and made it fall. She landed and he immediately charged at her with his chainsaw-

The engine revved and the chain clattered against her whip in a shower of sparks as they struggled against each other. Banesaw pushed forward and Sienna did her best to keep her ground with a grimace. With as much force as she could muster her arms screamed in agony and she growled, "You'd go to war with humans? Even if it meant your deaths?"

"Heh, you have so little faith in our abilities. This is why we can no longer follow you."

As Banesaw kept Sienna busy, the other White Fang members surrounded her and prepared to riddle her with bullets-

"HAAA!"

Another shadow descended, quickly covered by a flaming blue Aura as she fell between the gunmen. Yugito grabbed one gun and started superheating it while releasing a wave of flames in every direction to force them back. The gun became white hot in his grip and he had to let go as Yugito tossed the burning gun up-

The ammunition inside exploded, popping like a firework and firing bullets off in every direction. Everyone had to duck and cover as Yugito just weathered any stray shots with her Aura and rushed by. Once the wild shots had finished, the White Fang went back to sporadically firing at the Noble Guard.

"You idiot!" Sienna cried out, gripping the blade of her Cerberus Whip and swiping at Banesaw's neck and heart, "I always knew we had to stand up for ourselves! I knew we had to fight back! But I also knew war and annihilation were never an option!" She extended her chain whip and started spinning it wildly against Banesaw's guard, "It'd just end in destruction for both of us! What's the point in getting even if we're all worse off in the end?!"

"That's how we know how close-minded you are, Khan!" Banesaw howled, swinging his chainsaw around wildly. Sienna ducked and jumped over his blade as it rends through the forest around them and caused trees to topple over with each swing, "Our victory was never even a thought in your head! How could we keep following you?!"

As Sienna and Banesaw continued to exchange barbs and blows, Yugito continued to rush between trees and dodge bullets. She released bursts of fire between their gunfire before hiding in the forest again. Her fear was rising and rising in this terrible situation where there was nothing they could do.

"GRRRRR!"

And it was all going to Sienna's plan.

When Yugito saw the blood-red eyes peering through the darkness and the white bones of the Grimm charging at her, she rushed out from the trees. She ran towards the White Fang members and ignored the shots they took at her as she got past them-

And put them between her and the Grimm.

"GROAW!"

"AAAAHHH!"

As Grimm appeared and started pounding on the White Fang members, blood-curdling screams echoed through the forest. Banesaw spared a look back and saw his men get massacred by Grimm-

And as their Aura broke and panic filled the air, Sienna's Grudge started to swell with power, "WRRRAAAHHHHH!" The tiger Faunus knocked his chainsaw aside and started to land vicious blows against his body in rapid succession, "I WILL NOT JUST ROLLOVER AND DIE! DO YOU WANT TO SEE ME FIGHT?! DO YOU WANT TO SEE ME RAGE?! WELL HERE YOU GO!" Spittle flew off her lips as she screamed, "LET THIS BE THE ME YOU WERE HOPING FOR!"

Even as Banesaw suffered through her myriad of attacks, his hand lashed out and snagged her throat. And as she stabbed at his arm and finally broke his Aura, he slammed his knee into the spot she'd been stabbed. Sienna gasped and cried out in pain as he did it again. Over and over he choked her and struck her wound until her Aura started to flicker as well.

"This is it, Khan." His other hand found purchase on her throat and started to squeeze, "Go off to the next world and find the peace you couldn't here. And know your fight will be-"

"NO!" A powerful heat intensified and Banesaw had to release Sienna to dodge Yugito's flames. The blonde cat spread her Aura across her entire body and raged her flames while facing down the masked powerhouse.

He shook his head, "Another weak soul unable to continue the fight." He clenched his fists, "Come, child, and I'll make it qu- GAH!" A chain wrapped around his throat and Sienna pulled, pinning him back against a tree as he tried to pry it off, "KHAN, YOU-"

"HAAA!"

Yugito lunged forward and palmed Banesaw's mask and face. And in an instant, she released a powerful torrent of blue flames across his head that carried up into the trees and air above them until they cooled down to red. She kept this powerful stream up for several seconds before finally stepping back.

Sienna collapsed and loosened the chain, letting Banesaw topple to the ground as well. Yugito moved to help the former High Leader but heard the growls of Grimm around her. With the White Fang dead and Sienna teetering on consciousness, Yugito was the only one left to face them.

Fight now, and find peace one day? Or give up, and assure death today?

Sienna's words repeated in her head as Yugito yelled and charged at the Grimm.

She released flames so powerful it vaporized them in seconds.

Any that tried to tackle her from a blind spot was burned enough to pull back.

Yugito fought off an entire pack with her flames until her vision became blurry and her lungs begged for relief.

Yugito spotted a shadow moving towards them from the edge of her vision.

She yelled and made to attack the shadow-

But it moved too fast, got close to her in a single step, and struck her in the back of the neck.

Yugito toppled over, and couldn't see anymore as she slowly slipped into unconsciousness.

((((((((Hunting))))))))

There were a total of three dozen rogue White Fang members that had been rounded up across Kuo Kuana before the attack had come to an end. Blake quietly panted and sheathed her weapon as she made her way back to the center of the plaza where she could hear a commotion. As she approached she saw guards leading the captured rogues away, and her mother and father trying to calm the people that surrounded them. She spotted Jiraiya standing on the outskirts and watching everything, "What's going on?'

"People are up in a panic about this attack. And your folks are trying to calm them down." Jiraiya said.

Blake watched the disputes escalate as she sent a message to the others from her Scroll. A few minutes later, Sun and Minato arrived from their positions as well to see what was happening.

"Everyone, please stay calm!" Ghira announced, trying to get everyone quiet as their voices overlapped each other, "The terrorists have been captured and no more attacks have been initiated."

"We need to calm down!" Kali raised her voice, "The attacks have stopped but if we aren't careful we might draw Grimm to us!"

"But how do we know more of these people won't attack us out of the blue?!"

"They said they were attacking because we associated with your family! So what do we do now?!"

The rouges said they were attacking everyone who complied with the Belladonna family. At first, it was community leaders and politicians in the city most closely allied with the family. But as more attacks went on, the connections people had to the Belladonnas became flimsier and less tangible. Merchants that sold them fish. Guards that took orders from them. Sun even had to stop an attack on his favorite smoothie vendor just because he visited it every other day.

This wasn't just making a statement that people shouldn't side with the Belladonna family.

These rogues were making it clear they'd ruin everything that even remotely connected to them on Menagerie.

"Brothers and Sisters, please, collect yourselves!"

"Panic and fear will do us no good in times like these!"

Ghira and Kali kept their expressions neutral as Fennec and Corsac walked through the parted crowd to meet them. As they got closer, Ghira's brow furrowed and his fists clenched at his side in anger. The sheer gall they had to walk up here when they surely had a part to play in all this destruction. But Kali rubbed his arm and helped calm him down from doing anything rash.

The Hunters stood by the side and watched the White Fang representatives throw around pleasantries and empty platitudes. Sun frowned and shook his head, "Just seeing those scumbags walk around all free just pisses me off."

Jiraiya nodded, "I know we decided not to play into their hands and act violently, but it would be so easy to break their teeth and noses."

Blake tried not to show how tempted she was to indulge in that idea. She let out a quiet sigh and stepped forward, "You all can go back home and wait for us there. I want to make sure Mom and Dad are okay dealing with this crowd."

"I'll stick around." Sun shrugged, "We gotta wait for Tenten anyway."

"What's taking her so long?" Minato asked as he looked around, "Was she still helping the guards round up White Fang members?"

"I don't think so." Sun scratched his head, "I mean we separated further along the road but I didn't think any more roundups were being done. I just…" The young Faunus stopped looking so casual and started looking around as well, "I thought she was just dragging her feet."

Blake felt a little uneasy as she jumped onto a rock and started looking over the crowd for any sign of her friend. When she couldn't spot anything she swallowed the lump in her throat, "Tenten? Tenten?!" She raised her voice before jumping down, "Mom! Dad! Tenten hasn't shown up yet!" She pushed through the crowd to reach her parents, "She was supposed to come back here after her patrol!"

"What? Well, what if she went home? Can you call-"

"Oh, dear." They froze and looked over as the Albain brothers shared a look, "Has one of your guests ignored you?"

"How rude of them."

A pit fell in Blake's stomach and her ears slouched on her head as she realized what had happened. And as Ghira turned and nearly manhandled the two brothers, Blake rushed through the crowd and made her way down the streets. The others were already by her side and Sun quickly pointed out where he had separated from her during their run. They checked every spot and space they could find Tenten until a witness told them where they last saw her duck down an alley.

Her breath caught in her throat as she saw the destruction.

Portions of the walls around the alley had been shattered and destroyed.

The ground had been splintered and broken in fierce combat.

And at the center of it all laid Calad and Bolg with Tenten nowhere in sight.

((((((((Hunting))))))))

"I know Itachi's plans were never foolproof, but they were never as foolhardy as this." Guren whispered by the corner of a military depot they designated their meeting point, "I'm guessing this is something you picked up in the time you've been away?"

"Experience seeing when a foolproof plan can go awry when you need to create a plan along the way, and when it's just time to improvise."

"And now is the time to improvise?!" Fū harshly whispered, getting shushed a moment later and making her bite her tongue, "Sorry. Just…it's gonna be bad for us if we get caught here, right?"

"Yeah." Bee nodded, "Cells and jumpsuits and never getting to see the light of day ever again. Pretty hardcore…but I'm sure I'd manage. Pretty sure I'd get super ripped and work on my music all the time. In fact-"

He was grabbed by Kiba and Shisui before he could do anything to jeopardize the operation. The wind started to suddenly kick in and they looked up as a cargo ship descended to the platform. She looked to Sasuke and they shared a look to wait for the signal before making a move.

"Hey!" Guren called out and waved as she approached the landing platform and the pilot getting help from some crew, "Do you guys need some help? I can only stand on guard for so long."

"Yeah, that'd be a big help!" The pilot nodded, "We've got a big shipment to move over to Argus and the sooner we're done the faster I can get moving."

Guren nodded and started hefting the cargo over on the floating dolly. They started loading up everything into the ship as the pilot went over the last of the checklist. She continued to help before she reached the last cargo box for them to load up. When no one was looking, she moved the box out of sight and called out, "We're all loaded up! Should be good to take off!"

She didn't see Sasuke and the others make a move, but from what she understood that meant it was probably already working. That was their sign to jump onboard, and from now on all she could do was trust that they knew what they were doing.

The pilot jumped into the cockpit and started to prepare for takeoff as everyone cleared off the platform. He flipped switches and started to prepare for the ship. The bay door closed on the cargo as the engines started to rev up.

Just in time for the cargo hold to flicker as a cargo box revealed itself to be Sasuke and his friends hunkered down as they hitched a ride. Fū and Bee looked up the ladder to the bridge atop as they heard the pilot list off his callsigns and readings to control. They knelt by everyone else and remained silent in the tense wait for something to happen.

The ship started to rise and tilt as it lifted into the air. And in moments they were heading out of Atlas.

A sense of relief washed through them as they seemed to have made it through the first hurdle. Kiba sighed, "Now how long is it gonna be before we reach Argus?"

"A few hours." Shisui whispered as he rubbed his eyes, "I'm gonna need to catch some rest and recharge so that I can use my Flicker fully by the time we arrive." He leaned back and closed his eyes before feeling the shivering at his side, "Are you alright, Fu?"

"Just a little chiller than I expected." The young woman rubbed her arms to try and get some warmth in, "I don't wanna start glowing too much or we might draw attention." She took a deep breath and her arm started to glow with a green Aura, "Now I just gotta hold it a little longer."

"Next part is escaping the base when we get there." Bee pulled out a candy bar and handed it over for Shisui to eat, "You and Sasuke better save your energy. We'll have six chances with Flicker when we get there, or we're getting caught and tossed away by the military."

That was true. Sasuke closed his eyes and tried to stay calm as the plan ran through his head. Sit down here in the cargo hold and try to avoid getting caught by the pilot. If he had any reason to come down, use Flicker to hide them until he was gone. And then finally use it to hide in plain sight at the Argus base and escape before getting noticed. It was a risky, wild plan that could go wrong at any point and land them in hot water.

Even so…Sasuke couldn't help but contently smile as he closed his eyes and leaned back.

They were out of Atlas. And soon they'd finally be in Mistral with the others. Just a little longer…and they'd all be reunited.

((((((((Hunting))))))))

As her eyes started to squirm and peel open, she heard an unfamiliar voice speak to her, "Don't try to force yourself. You're exhausted after the inferno you caused."

Yugito moaned and slowly started to open her eyes. She stared up at the top of a tent she didn't recognize and shuffled inside a cot she didn't remember slipping into. Her head rolled aside and she saw Sienna in a sleeping bag beside her still deeply slumbering. Yugito noticed her mouth slightly move with each soft breath she took and was relieved to know she was still alive after the attack.

The cat Faunus sat up and tried to move around…but paused when she felt the restraints keeping her hands bound together.

"You need rest for your fatigue, and we made sure to nurse your friend's injury."

She looked up to see two men watching over us. They looked identical, with pale skin and long hair and eyes that almost seemed blank watching over them. One was older and another much younger but the resemblance between them was so uncanny she knew they had to be related.

The older man sent a look back at the younger, "My son spotted your flames raging in the forest. He came over there to see what had happened. And the first thing you did was attack him." The old man sat up, "Neji told me you were surrounded by Grimm corpses and the bodies of other men, so I can understand your quick response. However the men were dressed in White Fang garbs, and the woman beside you is Sienna Khan, is she not?"

Yugito gulped, "I-It's not - things have changed. They were after our lives, a-and Sienna isn't-" She stopped herself and shook her head, "You can't-"

"We aren't going to do anything. Not yet." The older man stood up and turned before pulling the tent flap back, "My brother, the head of our clan, is coming down here to meet you. Whatever you have to say, you can tell him. He'll be the one to decide what to do with you. Until then you shall be housed and treated fairly. But if you take advantage of the courtesy, or attempt to create flames as violently as you did in the forest, my son with knock you out again."

On the run from their former organization to being locked up with some strange nomads that picked them up in the forest.

As Hizashi left and Neji watched over them, Yugito looked down at her restraints and then spared a look to Sienna with a solemn groan, "Looks like we're not on that peaceful other side of things yet, are we?"

((((((((Hunting))))))))

Done

We inch ever closer to a collision of storylines. Our characters a removing, traveling, and getting caught up in the mess! And once it all comes together-

BOOM!

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