Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Our Lives in the Hurricane Chronicles ❯ Chapter 17

"We are family! … Get up, everybody, and sing!" –Sister Sledge
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Mayu watched the sky through lazy eyes. She had been waiting for her team for over twenty minutes. How long did it take to get a mission? Mayu let out a long, slow breath as she continued to stare up at the sky. Her back and head rested against the main gates of Konoha. A little while back, Naruto's group had returned to the village, but they brought someone back with them.

Sora was his name, and Mayu could tell right away that he might've been a prankster. It could have been the fact that he said he was going to tell Naruto's girlfriend about the kiss he got on the mission. Mayu had half a mind to pummel Naruto on the spot, but... Sakura said she already handled that. The group had then left, leaving Mayu with their waves.

The girl covered a yawn. She scratched her head. "Where are they...?" Mayu thought, finally looking down. As if by some type of magic, her three teammates appeared right in front of her. "It's about damn time," she muttered, pushing herself off the wall.

"Gomen, gomen, Mayu-chan…!" Nakatsu apologized with a smile.

Mayu took this time to look over her teammates. The one who had neglected to wake her up this morning, her eyebrow twitched just thinking about it, had this weird grin on his face. That grin slightly freaked Mayu out. "Wonder what he's thinking about..." she thought. Sasuke suddenly chuckled, and then stared at her, grin still in place. Mayu froze. "On second thought, I don't wanna know..."

Her blue eyes moved to her pale teammate. Sai had his head stuck in a book. First Impressions with Your Friends Family Members, it said. Mayu blinked at the book title. That was slightly weird... She cleared her throat, and then turned her attention to Nakatsu. "So what's the mission, Nakatsu-kun?" she asked.

"Ah... Well, it's a retrieval mission," the older male answered.

“Really…? Where…?” Mayu asked.

“It’s in the of ” Sasuke spoke up. “That’s where the mission is taking place.”

“Really…?!” Mayu gasped; she sounded excited. “I get to see Haku again! I wonder if he still looks like a girl…” she muttered.

Nakatsu looked confused. Who was this Haku person? He shook his head. It didn’t really matter as of now. “Anyway, I’m about to tell you about the mission. Pay attention.” Mayu did as she was told. Nakatsu was always serious when he read the missions, D-rank or higher. “We are retrieving a missing-nin from Konoha. He was last spotted in the of ”

“Why are we going after this dude?” Mayu asked. “Is he important or something?”

“Actually, the Hokage has told us that he has information regarding Akatsuki. A lot of information,” Nakatsu answered. “This guy has been tracking Akatsuki for years now. There’s really no telling how much information he has, but the Hokage believes that he knows a lot. It’s up to us to bring him in for questioning.”

“Right…” Mayu responded. “It took them that long to get that info?!” she thought. “So who is this guy?”

“His name is-”

“It’s your uncle!” Sai interrupted, finally closing his book; he put it in his bag and then smiled. “I can’t wait to meet him.”

“Ah… That would explain the book,” Mayu thought, and then her eyes grew wide. “MY UNCLE?!” she shouted out loud.
*************************************

… It used to be a spectacular place where children played with friends and family. Two trees had shaded the entire playground from the heat and light of the sun. The beautiful flowerbed, that contained various brightly-colored flowers, is what attracted the girls to the park. The swing set had been one of the most popular things at the playground. The silver, metal slide had been the second. The small sandbox, being the third most popular, contained the palest sand anyone could see. If the moonlight hit the sandbox just right, it appeared to glow in the dark. Looking at this small place from her place on the bench, Yasume sighed. “Twelve years… and this is what it’s been reduced to,” she muttered, closing her eyes.

The two trees that once shaded the park had been cut down over the years, leaving only stumps in its place. The flowers had wilted and died, and in their place were weeds. The swing set had been completely removed, leaving not a trace of its old presence. The big metal slide, they hadn’t bothered to get rid of. It stood there, rusted; weeds grew up the slide and stairs. Weeds were now growing in and around the sandbox as well. They didn’t seem to care that they had completely destroyed such a stunning place.

Yasume’s brown eyes glanced over across the street. There used to be an apartment building there. The windows that had faced the park were always a good way to see it. The apartment building, unfortunately, had been damaged in the conflict with the Sound. Yasume sighed as she closed her eyes. She leaned her head back and just listened to her iPod. It had been a month since she came to this place, and yet the iPod had not gone out. Perhaps it had something to do with doing through time-spaced continuum…?

Whatever the reason, it made Yasume’s head hurt, so she tried not to think about it…

It had been almost a week since… the Neji incident. Yasmine had yet to take control over her own body. She had been inside, curled in a ball, in that realm. Even when Yasume tried to talk to her, Yasmine never responded. Was she really that upset over the past? Yasume scoffed. To her, it was irrelevant. The past didn’t matter. What’s done is done, and it couldn’t be changed, so why bother brooding over it? Her counterpart didn’t know the answer, and yet here she was, days later, still gloomy.

“Mine-chan…? Mine-chan…!” Yasume heard a voice, but didn’t bother to move. Instead she opened her eyes. What she saw was a pair of deep brown eyes staring back at her. “Mine-chan, what are you doing here?” The foreigner noticed that the ninja didn’t have her forehead protector on today.

“Just on my lunch break,” Yasume answered, taking out one of the headphones. She lifted her head, and then hunched over to pick up the boxed juice that was on the ground.

Tenten hopped over the bench and sat down next to Yasume, who was now drinking the juice through a straw. The weapon’s mistress stared at what used to be a playground. Her brown eyes then turned to Yasume. “Ne, Yasmine…” she began. “You’ve been acting strange lately… ever since that day. I mean, we haven’t been to lunch in a while… Is what happened bothering you?”

“Bothering me…?” Yasume mocked. “Teh…! Hyuga Neji has nothing to do with me.”

“Why are you here?” Tenten tried a different approach.

“Ya got me,” Yasume answered with a shrug. “I suppose I’m just visiting the attractions.” Tenten hesitated before speaking.

“This… isn’t exactly an attracting place,” she muttered, turning her attention back to the ‘dead’ park.

“I know, right?” Yasume responded, staring at the small sandbox that was just a few feet from where the two girls sat. She crushed the juice box in her hand, and then tossed it in a nearby garbage can.

Tenten slowly turned her eyes back to Yasume. “… You’re not Mine-chan… Who are you?” she asked. The wind suddenly picked up, causing the two girls’ hair to sway. Brown eyes stared at each other; both pairs’ stares were intense. Yasume suddenly smirked, and then she turned away.

“I’m Yasmine’s defense mechanism,” she said.

“Defense… mechanism…?”

“Hai…” Yasume said. “For a girl like Yasmine, the environment she grew up in was too cruel. I was created when she couldn’t–when she gave up.”

“… Mine-chan gave up?”

“Her parents died when she was three years old. Her abusive uncle took her in afterwards. Once, the beating was so bad that Yasmine tried to get away,” Yasume continued. “That asshole threatened her with a broken glass. Because she was running, the glass dug into her skin, down her back.” Tenten gasped. “Somehow, after that, she ended up here. Eventually, Neji and her met and became friends. Back then, he wasn’t a jackass, so it was easy to become his friend. Neji was her only friend… and he told her he hated her.”

“Ne-Neji did that…? I didn’t think-”

“Well, being four years of age, Yasmine couldn’t take it,” Yasume interrupted. “She ran and fell off a cliff. She somehow was sent back to her home. Her uncle was furious. He slammed her up against that wall so hard… that her mind just… split. That’s when I was born.”

“Split personality! You are her other personality,” Tenten deducted. This was amazing…! Split personality or not, she was finally opening up to her!

“Ya know, Tenten, people don’t normally find that info to be exciting,” Yasume stated. “It’s not normal after all.”

The weapon’s mistress bit her bottom lip. She looked down at her hands. “I’m glad… Whether you are just another form of her, I’m glad that I get to know more about her,” she said. “What Neji said has really been bugging me…”

“You can’t see it, but I can… Tell me something, Yasmine… Do you trust Tenten?”

“Is that right…?” Yasume drawled out, crossing her arms. Out of the corner of her eye, she stared at Tenten. “So you don’t think she trusts you?”

“Does she…?” Tenten asked. “Is she still making me think she’s weak when she’s not?” Her eyes were hidden by her brown bangs.

“She trusts you,” Yasume said, causing Tenten to look up in surprise.

“Re-Really…?” she asked, staring at Yasume.

“Geez, Tenten, it looks like you’re about to cry, or something.”

The weapon’s mistress looked away in embarrassment.

“But yeah, she trusts you. Yasmine would have screamed at me to stop telling you her past,” Yasume continued, closing her eyes. “Mayu didn’t even know about it until three months after we met.”

“Three months…?! Not even Ishikari Mayu knew?!” Tenten thought in surprise. “Wait…! What happened to the uncle? He allowed Mayu to take her away?”

“Oh, him…?” Yasume asked, uncaringly; she then grinned. “I killed him the night I was created.” Tenten’s mouth dropped open.

“You… killed him?” she asked.

“That’s right!” Yasume drawled out.

“B-But technically… you were four! You killed at fo-four?!” the kunoichi stared with wide eyes at the foreigner. That was something she was not expecting. Yasume turned to her, all forms of grins gone from her face.

“Do you regret knowing Yasmine’s past now?” she asked. “Do you regret the friendship that was created?”

“N-No… I-I-I’m still hap-happy,” Tenten muttered. She stood up. “I have to go. See you later,” she walked away, head bowed.

“Sure you will,” Yasume muttered. She yawned loudly, and then watched the kunoichi go. “She’s freaked out.” The girl put her head back again and stared up at the sky. “What a way to tell who your real friends are, ne, Yasmine?” A smirk appeared on Yasume’s face.

She wasn’t the first…
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The of is a relatively poor nation, and as a result does not have a hidden village. There aren’t many ninja here, and those ninja who do live here do not use their abilities often. It is an isolated island but used to be prosperous nonetheless, that is until Gato set his sights on it. He crushed the people’s will and monopolized the import/export trade, which was vital for the economy. Team 7’s first genuine mission was here, and with the help of Momochi Zabuza and Haku, Gato’s reign was ended for good.

“But what the hell is this?!” Mayu shouted, pointing a finger at the now completed bridge. The name it had been given was The Great Naruto Bridge. It had taken the team about a day and a half to get here, and that’s what welcomed them.

“Yeah, that was about my reaction as well,” Sasuke commented, looking up at the sign. “Naruto was bragging about it the whole time, though.”

“That is so stupid! Weren’t we there, too?! Did I even die?!” Mayu continued, clenching her fists. “Why the hell did it have to be named after that idiot?! It at least should have been or something like that?! Hell, I’d even take ” The other two members of the team were clueless.

“Sasuke…! You’re here!” a voice exclaimed. The four looked down at the actual bridge. What they saw was a person running towards them, arm up in a wave. Sasuke looked surprised for a moment.

“Oh, it’s Haku,” he said.

“Haku…?!” Mayu repeated. “Hasn’t changed a bit, I see.” Sai and Nakatsu remained clueless.

Haku greeted Sasuke with a hug; the Uchiha returned it. “It’s so good to see you again,” he said.

“Yeah, but I thought I said we’d come to you,” Sasuke said. “You didn’t have to greet us.”

“I suppose I was too excited,” Haku said. He nudged Sasuke in the ribs. “When you said Mayu was on your team, I got really excited,” he continued, this time in a whisper.

“Yeah, but things haven’t gone according to what I told you before,” Sasuke whispered back. “So please don’t say anything about it, alright?” Haku nodded his head, and then turned his attention to the two confused looking people; Sai had gone back to reading.

“Gomennasai, I haven’t properly introduced myself,” he said. “I am Momochi Haku. It’s a pleasure to meet Sasuke’s team.” He gave a slight bow.

“Wait… You’re a guy…?” Nakatsu asked, incredulously.

Haku’s eyebrow twitched, but the smile on his face never wavered. “That’s right…! I’m a male,” he answered. Mayu chuckled.

“Even after all these years, Haku has yet to lose his feminine features,” she mumbled under her breath. “It’s nice to meet you!” she said a bit louder, causing Haku to turn to her.

“This must be her,” he thought.

He had to admit, he wasn’t not expecting her to look like this. He was expecting someone with childish features. Yes, there was some, but Haku could tell that there was something deeper, something this girl wasn’t showing to the world. She was hiding… something. Could it be that she hadn’t forgiven Sasuke for what he’d done? Or could it be something else entirely…?

“This is Ishikari Mayu,” Sasuke stated, gesturing to the girl; she bowed in respect. “These two are just some people I know. I hope you have enough room for all of us.”

“You bastard…!” Nakatsu grumbled, glaring at the uncaring Uchiha.

“I’m sure it’s not a problem,” Haku said. He sweated. He had noticed some type of animosity between Nakatsu and Sasuke.

“My name is Sawatari Nakatsu! And I’m the team leader!” Nakatsu stated. “Thank you for housing us for this mission!”

“I am called Sai,” the pale ninja finally lifted his head from his book.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all. Please come,” Haku said and then turned. The team nodded their heads. The four had already taken off their headbands. Nakatsu had told the group that it was better that the missing-nin didn’t know of Konoha’s presence. They followed Haku across the bridge.

As she walked, Mayu noticed that the weather had been much clearer than the last time she was on the bridge. It actually felt more inviting. “A lot can change in three years,” she thought, looking at the sparkling blue water. She turned her eyes to Haku’s back. “Come to think of it, why is Haku still alive? And he said his surname was Momochi. I remember Sasuke telling me that Zabuza was still alive, too. I wonder what happened when I left Sakura’s body…” Mayu glanced at Sasuke. He walked by Haku’s side. “… Sasuke should know what happened, right? I’ll ask him.”
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Team Gai were now resting in the fifth training ground. Their training consisted of running around the field for about thirty minutes, taking a five minute break, and then ‘sparring’ against the air. After twenty minutes of that, they took another five minute break. The team was now on that break. Gai-sensei and Lee were doing handstands; that was their idea of a break. Neji took these five minutes to meditate, something he usually did on breaks. According to him, it was the only time that Lee and Gai-sensei were quiet. Tenten lay on her back, hands locked behind her head; she stared up as the clouds slowly drifted by.

The only female member of Team Gai sighed softly as she closed her eyes. On the outside, she looked calm, but inside her mind, she was practically livid. She wanted to fight someone. She wanted to fight now! Tenten was normally rational, but for some reason… she really wanted to break stuff. “Tenten, my youthful comrade, it’s time to spar!” Gai’s voice caused the girl’s brown eyes to open. She sat up and smirked.

“Hai, Gai-sensei…!” she said, and then stood.

“Today’s sparring will go a little differently today,” Gai stated. “Instead of Lee and Neji today, it will be Neji versus Tenten. Lee and I will observe your spar, and then after fifteen minutes, it will be switched. Neji and Tenten will observe our fighting habits. Am I clear?”

“Hai!” his three comrades answered him. “Gai-sensei…! Could we do push ups while watching?” Lee asked. Gai-sensei chuckled.

“I admire your youthfulness, Lee,” he said, hand on his chin; he gave a bright smile. Neji sweated as he tried not to roll his eyes. “But today, we must have full concentration on our teammates.”

“Gai-sensei…!”

“ ;Lee…!”

“Gai-sensei…!”

R 20;Le-”

“Don’t you dare start that again,” Tenten interrupted, glaring at her two teammates, who looked as if they were about to hug. The look-alikes stared at Tenten in a stunned surprise. No one had ever interrupted them before. As they continued to stare, they noticed something different about their teammate. There had actually seemed to be flames dancing around her!

“Tenten is going to unleash her flames of youth!” Lee thought, punching the air.

“… Something is not right…” Gai thought, slightly narrowing his eyes.

Neji finally opened his eyes and stood. “Let’s get this over with,” he said in an indifferent voice. But that was normal for Neji, Gai noted. He turned his attention back to the female member. She had taken off her top and dropped her giant scroll! Of course, she was still wearing her maroon-colored tank top. Sometimes she would take off her normal top to train, but she would never drop her scroll. Something was definitely not right…!

“Let’s…” Tenten muttered, crouching down slightly.

“YOSH…!” Lee cheered. “Do your best, Tenten, Neji… but not really because this is a spar…” he muttered as an afterthought. Tenten’s eyes narrowed, and then she charged at Neji.

“Why is she running towards me…?” the Hyuga thought, watching his teammate get closer. “Her style is-” His thought was cut off because Tenten had disappeared from his sight. “What the…?!”

He turned around only to see Tenten’s fingerless gloved fist coming towards his face. He quickly grabbed her wrist. He didn’t have time to think about his teammates unusual fighting style because her other fist was ramming into the side of his face. The startled Hyuga’s grip loosened as he slid back. Neji shook his head. That had been some punch… It hurt like hell.

Neji tried to focus his attention back on Tenten, but she had disappeared again. He felt it–up! Neji looked above in surprise. What he saw was Tenten’s shoe about to make contact with his face! He quickly jumped out of the way. He turned around to see Tenten had landed on the ground, but then jumped up after him. Neji had to dodge and block the girl’s furry of punch and kicks. “She’s not giving me a chance to counter…!” Neji thought.

“Wow… Tenten’s speed has increased,” Lee commented. He watched his two teammates land on the ground. Tenten had tried to back kick Neji, but he grabbed her ankle and threw her away. Tenten didn’t falter in her attack. She rushed back at Neji with incredible speed, once again aiming punch and kicks at his body. “She’s actually pushing Neji back too!” Lee was right; Neji’s back was now near a tree.

Tenten smirked, noticing this fact. She pulled back her fist. Neji activated his Byakugan; he held his hands as if he was holding something. Tenten’s eyes grew wide. “Hakke Kuushou…!” Neji exclaimed, thrusting his hands forward. An unseen force knocked Tenten way back. She placed her hand on the ground to help her stop sliding.

When that didn’t help, she jumped in the air and did a small back flip. Her feet landed, unexpectedly, on the bark of a tree. Tenten didn’t let that slow her down though. She propelled herself away from the tree and towards Neji again. She turned in mid air and aimed a kick. Neji quickly moved from his place. Tenten’s foot collided with the tree Neji had near; it went right through it!

“Why… do I get the feeling she’s actually trying to hurt me?” Neji thought, backing up away from the broken tree. He watched as Tenten stood up; she was glaring at him! “And what’s with these taijutsu abilities? She has never shown them before. She hasn’t used one weapon since we’ve started.” Tenten, without warning, ran at him again. Neji narrowed his eyes, and then tried using his Gentle Fist. He didn’t want to hurt Tenten, but natural instinct took over. Tenten, though, was not making it easy for him to land a hit. “Her speed…!”

Tenten suddenly got passed Neji’s hands; her fingers curled around Neji’s clothes. She lifted the Hyuga over her head, and then slammed him to the ground. She brought her leg up and then down. Luckily, Neji brought his arms up in a cross to protect his face. He quickly grabbed her ankle, and then slammed her to the ground. Neji swiftly stood and backed away from his teammate. She had yet to stand.

Tenten’s hand twitched, and then she used her arms to get up. She turned to Neji; her nose was bleeding, causing the Hyuga’s eyes to widen. No one had ever bled during a spar. His stance dithered slightly at his seeing his teammate’s blood. Tenten flitted all over the place; Neji reeled back in surprise. She suddenly appeared in front of him. Before he could defend, Tenten kneed him in the gut, causing Neji to hunch over. Tenten then swung her body in a pivot on her front leg; she lifted her back leg and kicked Neji in the face.

The Hyuga fell to the ground, spinning; blood spurted from his mouth. Neji panted heavily as he slowly turned over. His eyes widen; Tenten’s fast was coming towards him! He lifted his arms up and braced himself for the impact. “ENOUGH, TENTEN…!” Gai-sensei’s voice shouted. The girl’s fist suddenly stopped, centimeters from Neji’s face. Pale eyes open slowly to see Tenten panting heavily above him.

Sweat made her skin glisten in the sunlight. Neji wasn’t any better; sweat ran down his face and neck as he, too, panted heavily. He had not been prepared for such a fight. It actually seemed as if he were fighting the enemy. Tenten slowly stood up straight, her arms at her side. Neji gradually put his arms down as well. He watched his teammate wipe the blood from under her nose; she turned her back to him. “What the hell was that about…?!” Neji thought. Confusion showed on his face as he wiped away the blood.

His clothes now had blood on them…

Gai-sensei and Lee hurried over to the two, Lee cheering all the way. “Now that’s what I call the flames of youth!” he shouted. “Are you two okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine…” Tenten muttered as Neji stood.

“Tenten…! I had no idea you were so good at taijutsu…!” Lee exclaimed.

“How come you’ve never shown these skills before?” Neji asked, narrowing his eyes. “And why choose now to demonstrate them?”

Tenten only smirked.

“That… is my own little secret,” she replied. “I’m going home for today. I’m not feeling well.” She walked off, not waiting for some sort of response. Tenten picked up her things, and then walked away. For a moment, the three were silent. Lee then turned to Gai.

“Gai-sensei…! Did you know about Tenten?!” he asked.

One could hear the excitement in his voice. Neji turned his attention to the older man as well. He, too, was curious. Gai sighed heavily before answering. “Yes, I did know,” he said. “I didn’t know that she was–her skills in her taijutsu have increased since the last time I saw her use it.”

“When is the last time you saw her use it?” Lee asked.

“It was back before us four became a team,” Gai answered. “You see, I already knew who my genin team would consist of, so before we were properly introduced… I spied on all three of you. I saw you three training your hearts out, and it brought tears to my eyes!” Gai clenched his fists as he thought back.

Neji resisted from rolling his eyes. The older male was practically crying waterfalls at the moment.

“As I watched Tenten, I witnessed her throw her weapons down. She began training with her fist and legs,” Gai continued. “I was extremely excited that my team would consist of taijutsu specialists! A team specializing in taijutsu…! What a magnificent dream…!”

“Gai-sensei…” Lee choked; he was practically near tears.

These two would never change…

“But when the four of us became a team, little Tenten never showed any taijutsu abilities,” Gai went on. “She always used her weapons when with us. Over the course of our time together, not once has she used taijutsu. I guess I eventually forgot what I saw that night…”

“Hm…” Neji was still left in the dark about something. He was about to voice his question, but Gai suddenly yelled out.

“But wasn’t she beautiful?! The fire in her eyes as she attacked and defended against Neji!” his tears really did look like waterfalls, pouring out of his eyes.

“Hai, Gai-sensei…!” Lee agreed. “Tenten has succeeded in bringing the blaze to her fights. She was simply brilliant! Being around near her spar felt like being in an inferno!”

“COME, LEE, NEJI…! WE MUST FOLLOW TENTEN’S EXAMPLE AND FAN THE FLAMES OF OUR YOUTH AS WELL!” Gai shouted, and then took off.

“HAI, GAI-SENSEI…!” Lee shouted, and then took off after the older man. Neji’s eye twitched as he watched them go.

“I’ll… never get used them,” he said. His pale eyes glanced upwards. “But why did Tenten suddenly twitch her fighting style? Why with me? … I can’t help but think that… she was angry.”
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A lone figure stood at the entrance of the Great Naruto Bridge. He stared at the name of the bridge for a moment. He could have sworn he heard that name somewhere before… The man grunted, and then shrugged. It didn’t matter. It was just a stupid bridge.

The man began the long walk across the bridge. He noticed that there were no guards or anything like that. Perhaps the reason was because this small place wasn’t worth sneaking into. The man smirked as he continued to walk. “After I’m finished with this mission, they’ll definitely tighten up security around here.”

“All you have to do is kill him. You don’t have to blow up the entire area. Just kill him and then leave. Do not cause a commotion.”

“Sorry, that wouldn’t be much fun… un…” the man said.

The smirk grew.
*************************************

“So what’s the plan? Do we split up and search the entire island?” Nakatsu asked. He, as well as his team, was sitting around a squared table. Each member had taken each side. Haku had gone to get ‘refreshments.’ Sai took a rolled up map from his backpack and spread it out across the table.

“On our way here, I picked this up,” he said, smiling.

“Great job, Sai-chan…!” Mayu exclaimed. She turned her blue eyes to the island map. “Although this island is considerably small, it would still take days to search it.”

“Even if we do split…?” Nakatsu asked.

“Yes, and I don’t want us splitting up to look for him, anyway,” Mayu stated. “My uncle is strong, ya know. He’s not a force to be taken lightly.”

“Well, neither are we,” Sasuke commented.

“Hm…”

“According to the Hokage, this man has found several Akatsuki hideouts,” Nakatsu said, crossing his arms. “He has destroyed every single one of them. But not one Akatsuki member was present during this, so…”

“So basically, he knows how to find these hideouts, but doesn’t know Akatsuki’s true power,” Sai finished.

“The Hokage also said that whenever he meets ninja from Konoha, he doesn’t kill them,” Nakatsu said. “He just knocks them unconscious, and then disappears without a trace.”

“Well, if anything… that tells us that he’s still loyal to his village,” Mayu said.

“Yeah, that’s what Hokage-sama told us.”

“We’re back at square one,” Sasuke said. “How do we find him?” The room was silent. They couldn’t split up. Searching the island would take days, and by that time Ishikari Mori could be long gone. Mayu sighed heavily.

“If only there was a big gathering where everyone in the village had to attend,” she muttered. “I’d much rather find a needle in a haystack than a certain ant in a colony.”

Sasuke almost rolled his eyes at that weird analogy.

But he had to admit, he wanted to find Mayu’s uncle. Why…? Because it was Mayu’s uncle…! This man was the last living relative of the girl. He had to meet Ishikari Mori, and he definitely had to make a good first impression.

“Uchiha Sasuke, eh…?” a man would say; his eyes were covered by his bangs.

“Yes, Ishikari-san… I wish to marry your niece,” Sasuke would respond. “Please allow me the honor of doing so.” He would bow, showing respect for the older man.

“Hm… You have shown great strengths, Uchiha Sasuke. I believe you have what it takes to protect my precious niece.”

“I do. I would do whatever it takes to ensure her safety.”

“Very well, I give you my blessing… Make her happy.”

“I will.”

“Sasuke…! Stop with the evil laughter!” Mayu’s voice made the young Uchiha come out of his daydream. “You’re freaking me out…!” Sasuke coughed lightly, noticing three–no, four pairs of eyes staring at him; Haku had entered the room, carrying a tray of drinks.

“… I wasn’t laughing,” he replied lamely.

“Freak,” Nakatsu coughed out, causing Sasuke to glare.

“Excuse me,” Haku said, gaining everyone’s attention. For that, Sasuke was grateful. “I couldn’t help but overhear.”

The eighteen-year-old sat down next to Sasuke, and then handed the four cups of tea out to the team. “You sure it wasn’t eavesdropping?” Mayu asked in a teasing voice; she took a sip of the tea. She almost spit it back out. How could she forget that she didn’t like the bitter taste of herbal tea? Haku chuckled before answering.

“As it turns out, there is a social gathering,” he said. “The whole village is going to be there.”

“Wow…! Really…?!” Mayu exclaimed.

“Hai,” Haku nodded his head. “Every year, the village celebrates the end of Gato’s rule. Every person in the village will be there. Anyone not attending would surely stick out like a blond-haired shinobi called Naruto.” Sasuke and Mayu both chuckled; the other two teammates didn’t get it.

“Well, this is perfect!” Mayu commented, smiling. “Uncle Mori will have no choice but to attend, even if he doesn’t want to. It’d be so much easier to find him at a party.”

“Why do you say that?” Haku asked, curious.

“Uncle Mori is more of a loner type,” Mayu answered, smiling. “He’s shy and very private.”

“Excellent…!” Nakatsu said. “We’ve got this mission in the bag! All we have to do is find him. Mayu-chan would talk to him, since they’re related, and we won’t even have to fight at all.”

“Somehow… I doubt that,” Sasuke thought. “Not that I have a problem with it.”

“There’s a minor flaw in your plans,” Haku stated, causing all heads to turn to him. “This is a formal gathering.”

“What…?” Sasuke asked incredulously; Haku nodded.

“You have to dress up. Glad I told you beforehand, ne?” he smiled.

“I don’t wanna dress up…! I’d probably die of embarrassment if Uncle Mori sees me…” Mayu groaned in thought.

“Sweet…! I get to see Mayu-chan dressed up…!” Nakatsu cheered in thought.

“It’d be harder to conceal my sword if I have to wear formal clothes…” Sasuke thought, slightly pouting.

“A social and formal gathering…?” Sai thought. “I’m sure I have a book on that…”

“This is going to be quite fun,” Haku thought, noticing the team members’ facial expression. His eyes turned from Sasuke to Mayu. “And what an opportune time to help out Sasuke with his problem...”
********************************

A party is defined as a social gathering. It is for celebration or recreation. It can have religious, cultural, or seasonal insinuations. There are various types of parties. Traditional parties are social gatherings within a fairly formal atmosphere. Celebrating an event or an occurrence is considered to be a traditional party. Sai looked up from his book.

His dark eyes scanned the inhabitants of the large room. All of the people were dancing, laughing, or smiling. Sai’s eyes looked down at the page. “Various types of parties…” he thought. He flipped the page. On the next page, it listed several types of parties. His eyes widen in fascination. Who knew there were so many categories? “Minna…” Sai whispered into his wireless radio; it was concealed from the naked eye by a genjutsu. “Did you know that there were several varieties of social gatherings?” he asked, eyes still reading. “They don’t exactly go into detail about what happens at these different types, but–what’s a sex party?”

A snort, giggle, and embarrassed cough came into his ears.

“Sai…! This is no time to be asking such things!” Nakatsu’s embarrassed voice almost hissed. “You’re supposed to be looking for Uncle Mori!”

“Gomen, gomen…” Sai replied. He snapped his book closed.

“Since when did he become your uncle?” Sasuke’s voice asked.

“… Sh-Shut up, Uchiha…!”

“Now, now, children…” Mayu’s voice sounded as if she was scolding younger people. “We’ve got a mission to carry out. You can argue later. Anyway, Nakatsu-kun, any luck in the bathrooms?”

“None… He hasn’t come in yet,” Nakatsu answered.

“Sasuke…?”

“Nope, he’s not–Stop fucking with me!”

“What the hell was that?” Mayu’s voice asked, sounding a bit ticked off.

“Some girls won’t leave me alone,” Sasuke answered. “Anyway, Sai, what about you…?”

“There’s no sign of Ishikari-san,” Sai answered. “Are we what you call a dysfunctional family…?” he mused in thought.

“I don’t see him in here, either…” Mayu muttered. “And it’s been two hours since the party has started…”

“Maybe he didn’t come…?” Nakatsu suggested.

“Haku would have told us by now,” Sasuke stated.

“Alright, keep your eyes open and alert,” Mayu said.

“Hai…!”

Sai focused his attention on the crowd around him again. Everyone was dressed in western styled clothing. Apparently, it was another form of celebrating the end of Gato’s monopolizing over the imports. Sai, himself, was wearing a black tuxedo without the tie. Actually, the other two males of his team were wearing the same tuxedo. Of course there were variations. Nakatsu had a satin silver dress shirt underneath his black jacket with a matching tie; Sasuke had a white dress shirt, but he had no bow or tie. He had unfastened several of the buttons of his shirt, showing off his chest.

Sai remembered Mayu saying she ‘about had a nosebleed’ when she saw them together. He recalled Nakatsu chuckling and the slight blush on Sasuke’s face when she had said that. Sai didn’t understand why his male teammates reacted in that way, so he kept it in mind to ask them about it later. When Mayu had walked away to begin surveillance, Sai heard Nakatsu whisper to Sasuke that Mayu was beautiful. Sasuke replied by hitting Nakatsu on the head, saying ‘She’s my eye candy, damn it!’ Sai didn’t understand this.

It was Mayu, after all. She was only wearing different clothing. Sure, she had her hair styled in curls. Sure, she put on mascara and eyeliner to enhance the blue in her eyes. Sure, she had a simple, yet elegant, strapless, satin sky blue dress. And yes, maybe she did smell a little better than normal, but… it was still Ishikari Mayu, complaining about how the clothes she wore were ‘itchy as hell!’ and how the ‘damned shoes!’ were ‘killing’ her.

Sai shrugged as he continued to glance around the room, occasionally waving to females who winked at him. It caused them to giggle and turn away, red faced, so Sai thought this action was okay. He thought back to his three teammates and mentally sighed. Would he ever understand them…? “This weird dysfunctional family of mine…” he thought.

Perhaps he should study relationships a little more…
****************************

Nakatsu adjusted the volume of his wireless radio, which was concealed by genjutsu, to a minimum. He sighed. Why exactly was he assigned bathroom watch was beyond him. Sai and Mayu had gotten the two rooms full of people. Sasuke had got the entrance of the huge building apparently the place used to belong to Gato when he was alive. And Haku, who decided to help with the mission, searched the village. The older male would be here soon; he would help Nakatsu with searching the upstairs of the building.

It was relatively quiet upstairs than downstairs, so it would be likely that the shy Ishikari Mori was up here somewhere. Nakatsu almost scoffed. It was a little hard to believe that anyone in the Ishikari family was shy, but that assumption was based off of Mayu. But nevertheless, he had to go on what Mayu told him, not what he thought.

Nakatsu exited the bathroom, tightening his tie a little. He had checked about five bathrooms and there was still no sign of the target. And that’s another thing… Why the hell was there so many bathrooms?! Judging from the information Haku had told them, there were still several other bathrooms to check! Luckily, the bathrooms were divided up for male and females. So really, those several bathrooms were cut in half.

“Is Yamato-san being reduced to this as well?” Nakatsu thought with a heavy sigh. He walked down the corridor, hands shoved in his pockets. The bathroom at the end of the hall was in his sights. Everyone in ANBU knew that if the Hokage asked to temporarily remove the mask, that person would be assigned a team, as well as a name, or doing some ridiculous task. Nakatsu had once heard that the Third had made an especially skilled ANBU operative baby-sit some foreign kid years back.

He was lucky that he didn’t have to do something like that. Instead, he was given a team. And ever since Nakatsu joined this team, there hadn’t been any action for him. Well, there was that thing with Orochimaru, but he barely did anything. Anyway, that’s not the type of action Nakatsu had been thinking. There was a girl on his team; she was a very cute girl.

In spite of his flirting with Mayu, she had yet to… take him to her bedroom. In the past, he had always gotten the girl whenever he was paired with one. Always…! Nakatsu didn’t understand why Mayu was so different… Maybe it was the fact that the girl had actually been the one to inadvertently convince him to become stronger, and he hadn’t been working as hard to get her attention because of it. No, that couldn’t be it. After all, Mayu had been his crush when they were younger. Now that she had grown up a bit, she was even more attractive.

Nakatsu shook his head and frowned. His hand was on the doorknob of the bathroom he was about to check. “I really shouldn’t be thinking about Mayu-chan right now,” he thought. He turned the knob. “But I really need a fix!” Nakatsu was about to push open the door when he heard a sound. Running water…?

He opened the door fully. What he saw made him pause. There was a person taking a shower. The glass door was closed, so all Nakatsu could see was the outline of the figure. He could tell that the person was blond… and this blond was curvy. Nakatsu smirked. “Hello sex…!” he said to himself in a low voice. He went inside and closed the door softly behind him.

Nakatsu was sure that his team didn’t need help for this mission. After all, it was only Mayu’s uncle they were looking for. What could possible happen that they need him? Nakatsu needed to get laid. He felt the need to be the player he was labeled as while in ANBU. What would his former ANBU teammates say if they caught him not doing what he did best?

The water shut off, causing Nakatsu’s smirk to grow. He walked closer to the shower. The shower door started to open; out popped a smooth leg. “Hi there, miss…” Nakatsu began. The leg twitched. Probably from embarrassment, Nakatsu assumed. “The sign outside, clearly, stated that this was the man’s room. I could help you find your way if you’re lost…” The Konoha shinobi anticipated the embarrassed giggle of a female, and then a timid reply, one that suggested he was dealing with a tease. The person was blond, after all.

Feeling quite bold, Nakatsu rested his hand on the exposed thigh. He gently stroked it; he could feel the blond flinch. Nakatsu chuckled lightly. “Or we could stay here and play, good-looking,” he finished. An enraged growl reached Nakatsu’s ears, causing him to let go.

The shower door slammed open, revealing a pissed off looking… man! Nakatsu’s face went as pale as his teammate’s, and his blood suddenly felt cold. “You jackass…! I’m not a fucking woman, un!” the blond shouted. “And I don’t like being mistaken as one either!”

“P-Pardon me, mi–I mean mister!” Nakatsu backed up. He had touched a man…! It was a mistake! Honestly, how many men out there looked like females?! First Haku, now this guy…! Damn it!

“AND YOU FUCKING TOUCHED ME!” the blond shouted. “PREPARE TO BE BLOWN AWAY BY MY ART, BASTARD!”

… This was not going to end well.
*********************************

Sasuke crossed his arms; his back rested against the wall of the building. “This is so boring,” he thought. All of the villagers had filed into the giant mansion. Sasuke was mildly surprised that the place didn’t burst because of being packed full of people. But then again, it was probably much bigger on the inside. The Uchiha hadn’t been inside yet.

He would rather be inside, possibly dancing with Mayu. Sasuke didn’t like to dance. It was a scientific fact that he couldn’t no matter how hard he tried. Every time he did try, he would always think back to when his father walked in on him dancing… in his mother’s clothes. The look that his father gave him was… traumatizing, to say the least. From that day forward, Uchiha Sasuke never did the dares his brother told him to do–oh, and he never danced again either.

Sasuke sighed. No one was arriving any longer, and yet he was still outside. It wasn’t cold or anything. Actually, it was quite humid. Sasuke really wanted to take off his jacket, but he couldn’t because of the concealed weapons he brought. Sure, this mission was important and all, but… “Damn it to hell!” Sasuke murmured. “It’s hot!”

“You, too, huh…?” a deep voice caused Sasuke to look up. He hadn’t heard the man come out. This fact made Sasuke narrow his dark eyes. The stranger walked to the railing, and he rested his arms on it. His head looked up to the night sky. “I don’t like crowded places either… especially if it’s clammy like this.”

“He looks… slightly familiar…” Sasuke thought, watching as the man lit up a cigarette. This man was almost seven feet tall. Not only was he tall, he was big, too. Not big as in fat. This was big as in strong, heavily built. The man was massive. The giant man blew out toxic smoke. “You shouldn’t smoke… It’ll kill you,” Sasuke muttered.

“… Kid…” the Uchiha was surprised that he actually responded. “This is one of the last pleasures I have left in this world.”

Sasuke stared at the man for a minute, and then his eyes widen. “Wait a minute…! This is him!” he thought in shock. “Ishikari Mori…! Just like the picture, but…” He was about to alert the rest of his team, but then he paused. Sasuke bit his lip before slowly walking towards the man. He stood next to him, also looking up. “One of the few pleasures you have left, huh?” he murmured. “I used to think that way…”

“Oh really…?” the man said, uncaringly.

“Yeah… because of that pleasure… I hurt the people I love,” Sasuke continued; he looked down at the ground below.

“Che… I have no one that I love to hurt,” the man said. “Oh well, guess I can continue.”

“What if there was? Would you stop?” Sasuke asked. “I didn’t stop… and because of that, I almost killed my best friend.”

The man frowned. He dropped his cigarette, and then stepped on it. “We’re not talking about smoking, are we?” he asked.

“Vengeance,” Sasuke clarified.

“What’s a kid like you know about that?”

“I know that it hurts.”

“… Who the hell are you?”

“I was just like you a few years back,” Sasuke continued, purposely not answering his question. “I used to believe that avenging my clan was everything. Constantly getting stronger to kill a man was all I ever thought about, that is… until I met her… She told me revenge wasn’t everything. And I didn’t understand until recently. Retribution doesn’t have to consume you, ya know?” He finally turned his dark eyes to the now glaring man. The burly man took a step back.

“Are you Akatsuki or are you from Konoha?”

“What would you do if you did have someone you could hurt with your selfish desires?” Sasuke asked. “Would you stop?”

“Listen, kid, I asked a question! It’s appropriate to answer your elders!”

“What if I told you that there was someone still alive from your deceased clan?” Sasuke’s question caused the man’s eyes to grow wide. His mouth dropped open, but no words came out. Sasuke had left him speechless. “Would you continue this little mission of yours, or return back to the village, your home, and own up to your responsibilities as a ninja of Konoha?”

“… Wh-Why–who is-” The sound of breaking glass interrupted him. Sasuke quickly turned to see his comrade jumping from a window, glass all around him. He saw Nakatsu land on the ground with a thud. Luckily, the glass hadn’t pierced his skin.

Nakatsu took off, away from the building. Seconds later an explosion was heard, causing Sasuke’s attention to go back to the window Nakatsu had jumped through. Flames and smoke practically shot out of the room. “What the hell did he do?” Sasuke grumbled.

“COME BACK HERE, SO I CAN KILL YOU, UN!” a male’s voice shouted. Out of the fiery room came a man on a large clay bird–the man naked, though… The blond made a throwing motion with his hand.

BOOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM

“What the hell is going on up there…?!” Mayu’s voice came into Sasuke’s ears.

“The people are panicking,” Sai’s voice also came into his ears. The Uchiha touched the small button on his radio, and then spoke.

“Uh… I just saw Nakatsu… being chased by a naked man,” he answered. There was a long pause, and then laughter.

“Sasuke, stop playing…! What’s really going on?” Mayu laughed out.

“I’m not joking, Mayu,” Sasuke said, saying her name loudly. More explosions were heard. “That guy… the one we thought died was chasing after Nakatsu. The one who kidnapped the Kazekage…”

“Ino-man…! No way…!”

“I’m pretty sure that that wasn’t his name, Mayu!”

“… The people are running towards the entrance now,” Sai commented. “I suggest you move Tori-suke.”

“Shut up, Sai!”

“WOULD YOU BASTARDS COME HELP ME…?!?!”

Sasuke winced. He turned his eyes back to the man, only he had left. The young Uchiha sighed. “I guess the mission is a failure,” he muttered. He hopped onto the railing, and then jumped down to the ground. He touched the button again. “We better go help him.”

“I agree…” Sai said.

“… I suppose we should,” came Mayu’s hesitant voice. “Alright…! Everyone, follow the giant chicken!”
***************************

Nakatsu ran. Explosions were heard close behind him. “Damn…” he muttered as he ran. The dense forest made it hard to attack his opponent. And yet the blond could just wait to detonate his bombs. If only there was a clearing… “Yes…!” Nakatsu exclaimed, seeing a flat piece of land up ahead. In other words, there were no trees preventing his attacks from reaching his enemy.

When he reached the middle of the clearing, he stopped. A moment later, the giant clay bird flew into view. The blond man was still on its back. A sadistic smirk was on the man’s face as he looked down at his prey. “So you’ve finally stopped running, un?” he asked. “I don’t take too kindly to strangers touching me. You made a big mistake, un…”

“Trust me, I know...!” Nakatsu muttered, and then shuddered. He couldn’t believe he’d touched a man. Deidara suddenly made a tossing motion with his hand. Nakatsu quickly formed hands signs. “Kaze Danshingu no Jutsu…!” The wind suddenly swirled around him. Nakatsu quickly moved his hands in a sweeping motion.

“KATSU…!” Deidara formed a hand sign. The blond was in for a surprise when his art almost blew up in his face. He flew higher to avoid the blast. “What the hell…?!”

“That’s right…! Your little bombs won’t touch me,” Nakatsu grinned.

“That’s what you think,” Deidara said. “Look behind you, bastard.”

Nakatsu’s eyes widen, and then his head turned. On the ground, he saw clay spiders crawling towards him. “Ah, shit…!” he grumbled. The Konoha ninja jumped up, away from the deadly spiders.

“Can you dodge them all?” Deidara taunted, tossing a few clay bombs. Nakatsu turned slightly and used his wind jutsu to blow away the airborne bombs.

“NAKATSU-KUN…!” a female’s voice yelled, causing the said male to look up.

Coming towards him was his team… on a giant ink phoenix. He saw Sasuke form chakra in his hand. That chakra condensed into four thin-like needles. The Uchiha threw them down towards the four clay spiders; it was a direct hit! Sai quickly drew on a scroll. Suddenly, black ink shot out towards Nakatsu. The rope-like ink wrapped around his wrist and pulled him towards the bird. “Took you guys long enough…” Nakatsu grumbled as he stood; the ink disappeared from his wrist.

“You could have handled it by yourself,” Mayu stated with a shrug. “Besides it took longer to get to you because of our shoes.” Nakatsu noticed that his team wasn’t wearing their dress shoes anymore. “Can you believe this dude’s still alive, Sasuke?” Mayu asked. “I could’ve sworn he blew himself up…”

“I guess we were all fooled,” the Uchiha responded.

“You’ve met this man before?” Nakatsu asked. The four stared at the blond, who was staring back; he seemed to be thinking about something.

“Yup…! He’s the bomb crazy guy,” Mayu said. “He kidnapped the Kazekage awhile back.”

“Ah…” Sai’s eyes scanned over Deidara. “He has a bigger penis than Dickless…” Sasuke and Mayu held back a laugh.

“SAI…!”

“What…?̶ 1; his dark eyes turned to his teammate in confusion. Had he said something that was wrong…?

Nakatsu hit him over the head.

“Don’t say stuff that doesn’t help…!” he shouted. Deidara’s bird flew slightly closer to Sai’s.

“I must say that I am impressed by your form of art,” the blond said, gaining the team’s attention. “I, too, fight with my art… un.”

“I admire your art as well,” Sai responded politely; he bowed his head as he said that.

“You still grunt, huh?” Mayu asked, smirking. Deidara turned his blue eye towards her.

“Oh, it’s you again, un…” he grumbled, sounding disgruntled.

“Well, hello to you, too!” Mayu retorted.

“Wait a second, un…! You look like…” Deidara trailed off. “No, it couldn’t be…”

“What are you going on about?” Mayu asked.

Without warning, Deidara jumped from his bird, touched down on Sai’s bird, grabbed Mayu, and then jumped from that bird. He did this all in three seconds. One of his hands was wrapped around Mayu’s waist; the other hand covered her mouth. “Mayu…!” Sasuke exclaimed.

“Mayu-chan…!”

“Jester& #8230;!”

The ink phoenix flew towards the falling people. Clay bombs were thrown at the oncoming bird, causing the phoenix to fall back. “Katsu…!” Deidara yelled. The bombs exploded. The force of the explosion sent the two down at a faster rate. “If you don’t wanna die, I suggest you help us land!” the blond told Mayu. Tears welled up in Mayu’s eyes. Deidara pushed her down slightly, so that she would land first.

As expected, Mayu landed softly on the grass. “Good thing you’re so light on your feet, un!” he said, pulling Mayu closer. The girl, as a result, squealed. “Stop struggling before I plant a bomb in your body!” The girl did not stop struggling! “Damn it…! Stop already...!” Deidara complained; he released her mouth, causing the girl to breathe in deeply.

“YOUR FUCKING HAND WAS MAKING OUT WITH ME, YOU FUCKING JACKASS!” Mayu shouted, looking up at the blond, who was looking quite surprised. “WHAT THE FUCK WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?!”

Sai’s phoenix turned back into ink, causing the three males to fall to the ground; the three males were a few feet away from Deidara and Mayu. “Gomen, gomen…” the blond looked slightly embarrassed. “They do have a mind of their own.”

“Mayu-”

“Don’t do anything stupid, un! … Unless you want your teammate’s brain all over this field,” Deidara interrupted.

“You son of a bitch…!” Sasuke almost growled out. “Let her go!”

“Afraid I can’t do that, Uchiha,” Deidara said. “At first, I was sent to this island to kill a certain man, but… I kinda got distracted when that idiot touched me, thinking I was a woman! I don’t look like a woman, un!” Sai and Sasuke both looked at the older man.

“What…?” Sasuke asked, incredulously.

“Y-You thought Dei-kun was a woman…?” Mayu asked, looking confused. “But… he’s naked…”

“I knew you were gay.”

“NO! I didn’t see–I mean, I didn’t mean to–can we just focus?!” Nakatsu stammered. “Mayu-chan is his hostage! Let’s focus on that fact, alright?!”

“Anyway, I suppose I got a little distracted, but now I remember my mission,” Deidara continued. His eye glanced down at Mayu. “You’re an Ishikari, aren’t you?”

“So…?”

“So… you’re related to the person I’m supposed to kill,” Deidara continued. Four pairs of eyes widened at his statement. “That’s right…! That man has destroyed several of our hideouts. That freak, Kakuzu, was pissed when he discovered one of his hidden banks in flames.”

“HOW DARE YOU…?!” a sudden voice boomed. This voice sounded really angry. But then again, it also sounded as if the person was in agony. “HOW DARE YOU TOUCH MY MAYU-CHAN WITH YOUR TAINTED BODY…?!”

“Eh…?!” Mayu looked around confused. Her teammates, as well as Deidara, did the same. Where was that voice coming from?

Suddenly, a dark cloaked form appeared in front of the three males. All had surprised looks on their faces. The form grew taller, meaning the person was standing. The wind suddenly picked up, causing everyone to shield their eyes to prevent dirt and leaves from going into them. The wind came as quickly as it went. “What the hell…?” Nakatsu muttered.

The figure flipped back his dark hood, revealing short spiky brown hair. In Deidara and Mayu’s point of view, they saw blue eyes, narrowed into a glare. The two also couldn’t help but notice the snarl on the person’s face. Mayu’s blue eyes widened in realization. “So it was a henge…” Sasuke thought, narrowing his eyes. “That’s what he really looks like.”

“Uncle… Uncle Mori…” Mayu whispered. Her voice was ragged, almost as if she was being choked. “Un-Uncle Mori…! UNCLE MORI…!” Deidara was suddenly thrown back by a clearly excited Ishikari Mayu.

“Gah…!” he shouted as his back hit the bark of a tree.

Mayu paid no heed to the pained shout. Instead, she ran towards her uncle, arms outstretched, wanting to embrace the older man. Likewise, the man ran towards Mayu, arms widely spread as well. The two Ishikari met in a beautiful hug. Tears of pure joy ran down Mayu’s face. Mori picked up his niece by the waist and spun her around. The two laughed loudly. Finally, after all this time, they were reunited.

“Reunited and it feels so good…!” Nakatsu sang; tears welled up in his eyes. “This is so touching! I need a tissue!” Sasuke rolled his eyes at his teammate’s words, but he was happy for Mayu.

“Jester seems quite happy,” Sai commented. “Is this what it’s like when family sees each other?”

“Well, if it’s been a long time, I suppose,” Nakatsu answered.

“It depends on the circumstances,” Sasuke corrected.

“I’m not going to even respond to that because this scene is just too beautiful!”

“… You are so gay…”

Meanwhile, Deidara was watching the scene as well. It reminded him of when he was a nothing but a child. Back when his relative used to congratulate him whenever he sculpted a perfect animal or model out of clay. The blond himself was feeling a little misty-eyed. Deidara put on a sneer, and then turned his back on the five. Well, his mission was definitely a failure. The rest of his explosive clan was back at his hotel room. He had nothing left to fight them with. If he tried, he’d probably be overpowered. Two Ishikari, an Uchiha, another artist, and… and–and a pervert, would be too much to handle. With that thought, the naked man disappeared. “But it isn’t the last they’ll see of me… un.”

Mori set Mayu back on solid ground. “My precious niece…! I thought… I thought everyone had-” the man began.

“Mother sent me away,” Mayu interrupted.

“With… that jutsu…?” Mori asked; his niece nodded. “… Do you remember what happened?”

“I don’t think now is the time for that,” Mayu responded. “Let’s head back to…”

Sasuke touched his radio. “Haku…!”

“Yeah…?”

 220;The mission is half-way complete,” Sasuke informed him. “We’ll meet you back at your place.”

“Great, I will begin my mission as well.”

“Nani…?” Sasuke was confused.

“Oh, nothing... See you when you get back.”

“…” Sasuke looked slightly agitated. “What is he planning…?” he thought.
**********************************

“Bye-bye! 221; the receptionist chirped. “Have a nice night! See you tomorrow!” Yasmine nodded her head, and then pushed the door open. She gave the receptionist a small wave as she exited. Yasmine looked up. It was a dark night. The stars that usually shined down on Konoha were covered by night clouds; the moon was also hidden from view. Yasmine turned her brown eyes back down to earth, and then began walking.

Earlier today, Yasume had forced her to come out. The brash alter ego had actually threatened to beat up every single client. Of course, Yasmine couldn’t let that happen. She’d be fired for sure. Yasmine sighed. Having another personality such as Yasume was tough. Suddenly, there was a noise, causing the foreigner to sigh again. “Right on time,” she thought, not stopping her walk.

For the past couple of weeks, someone had been following her home. It was always after she got off work. Yasmine didn’t mind being followed. She assumed that it was the Hokage, sending someone to keep watch on her because she was a foreigner. It was understandable. Yasume just didn’t care when she was in control.

Tonight, though, it was a little annoying. Yasmine walked a different route home. Her stalker would probably be confused by this action. She would confront her stalker tonight. It had been weeks already! Hadn’t the Hokage deemed her harmless to the village yet?

Yasmine suddenly stopped. She was close to the Uchiha district now. She didn’t understand why the Uchiha place was so far away from the village. It actually seemed like it was isolated on purpose… No, that couldn’t be it. The Uchiha were looked at as heroes, a great clan that was vital to the village. Why would Konoha keep them isolated?

The foreigner frowned.

That person was still watching her. She could feel the eyes inspecting her from afar. Granny Theresa had taught her to feel such things. It was weird because, the woman had told her that she had to run away from a lot of guys, trying to get her on a date. That was so unbelievable even Mayu had made a face. Yasmine had to smile at the memory. Granny Theresa had made them both carry fifty pound weights, up and down the Statue of Liberty.

The person suddenly moved, causing Yasmine’s eyes narrow.

“Ano… Up until now, I’ve ignored your presence,” she said. “But I’m starting to feel that stalker vibe, so please stop following me.” Yasmine began to walk again, but she still felt the presence there. She stopped again. “Are you… Hyuga-san?” she questioned. “I do not wish to speak with you.”

A figure suddenly appeared in front of her. Yasmine stepped back slightly. The person had black and grey armor, arm guards, and a signature spiral tattoo on the left shoulder. Even without the standard uniform of those specially trained ninja, she had recognized the mask right away. “So it was the Hokage who sent ANBU to watch me,” she thought.

“… Hyuga-san…?” the person repeated. It was a male’s voice.

“Why has the Hokage not realized that I am not a threat to the village?” Yasmine asked.

“I’m… not watching you on Hokage-sama’s orders,” the man spoke. Judging from his voice, Yasmine could tell that the man was most likely in his late 20s or early 30s.

“Doushite…?”

“I had just come back from a mission a few weeks ago when I heard about a foreign girl, here, in Konoha,” the man said.

“So your curiosity got the best of you? Some ANBU you are.”

A light chuckle.

“You remind me of someone I knew,” he said.

“Who are you?”

“That info’s classified.”

Yasmine smiled.

The girl had suddenly appeared in front of the man; her hand reached out to take the mask. The man quickly jumped back, away from her hand. “Heh… You’re pretty fast for a civilian,” he said.

“But not fast enough for ANBU, right?” Yasmine responded. “If you won’t tell me who you are, please stop following me.” She walked towards him. The man didn’t move as Yasmine passed him by. “Oyasumi nasai…!”

“Goodnight to you, too… gaki,”

Yasmine stopped; her foot didn’t even touch the ground. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes expanded in surprise. There was only one person in the world who had called her that! Yasmine quickly turned around, wanting to look at the man one more time. Only… he had disappeared. The wind changed directions and blew her short hair forward. She pushed it back slightly, still trying to find the man. It was no use, though. He had gone.

“Was it…?” Yasmine muttered. “… Kaasan…?”
*******************************************
< br> It’s not the usually thirty because I really am thinking of shortening these chapters. They’re way too long! Just imagine how big the book would be if this were to be published! TOO MANY PAGES!

Anyway, with shortened chapters, that means more frequent updates, right? That should make some of you happy.

QOU:

“But wasn’t she beautiful?! The fire in her eyes as she attacked and defended against Neji!” –Might Gai


--Beta’d by UKELICIOUS–

Beta’s QUO:

“YOUR FUCKING HAND WAS MAKING OUT WITH ME, YOU FUCKING JACKASS!” –Ishikari Mayu
Please review, dear readers!