Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Twilight ❯ The Disconsolate Ninja ( Chapter 20 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter 14 : The Disconsolate NinjaÊ

Name: Kazahana Kouji.

Age: 15 years of age.

Rank: Chuunin, but fighting skills are Jounin level.

Added Info: Trained at the small town of Ririgakure in Fire Country, a Konoha missing nin for approximately 3 to 4 years.

Trainor: Maiya Okani

Maiya? Sasuke frowned as he read the scroll the Hokage gave him. He glanced momentarily at Tenten, who was sitting silently beside Lee, before looking back at the paper. IsnÕt Maiya TentenÕs last name?

Sasuke frowned again as he rolled back the scroll. No, its impossible. I didnÕt have any information that Tenten came from a village named RiriÉ I think thatÕs pretty far offÉ

He sighed as he placed the sealed scroll on the table in front of him and relaxed back into the couch, thinking intensely about strategies and plans.

ÒCan I see this, Sasuke-kun?Ó asked Sakura.

ÒSureÉ Go aheadÉÓ Sasuke muttered.

She picked the scroll up and read the contents. ÒIs this the nin the Hokage suggests for us to recruit? A missing nin for 3 years? Well, isnÕt that a surpriseÉÓ

ÒThe Hokage thinks that he went as a missing nin because of the turn of circumstancesÉ He didnÕt initially want to leave Riri and Fire Country, but he had to eventually, because of certain dark reasons that I believe was similar to mineÉÓ

ÒSimilar to yours? Revenge? Or Orochimaru?Ó

ÒEither, Tsunade saidÉÓ

ÒHow confusingÉ we cant completely trust him until we know his every bitÉ Its dangerousÉÓ

ÒI know, but the fact that the Hokage is recommending thisÉ guyÉ cannot be ignored. He must be pretty goodÉÓ

ÒOr maybe, the Hokage is using us again,Ó snorted Neji. ÒYou know that they can be manipulative sometimes. Besides, they cant go and admit that there is a stronger village than Konoha. Tasogare has earned my respect, and I can see that KonohaÕs elders are extremely jealous of your power and influence, as well as your wealth. And your ninja prowess would overthrow KonohaÕs more than 2 timesÉÓ

ÒCan be,Ó Hinata muttered. ÒIt seems a little far-fetched for Tsunade thoughÉÓ

ÒNothing is impossible anymore, Hinata,Ó Shikamaru sighed. ÒUnfortunately, just about every scenario can happen from this point of turningÉÓ

ÒAnd thatÕs whatÕs very annoying,Ó Naruto grumbled. ÒIt makes it all so complicatedÉÓ he added, fingering the yellow-orange ikapasui swinging slowly like a pendulum on his neck.

ÒAll I know is that IÕm interested in this Kouji person, whoever he is. I want to see what heÕs made of, why the Hokage prefers him so muchÉÓ Sasuke muttered, sighing. ÒWhat could be so special about a brat like him?Ó
In the forest, Kouji sneezed 4 times. He shook his head slightly, settling down on a tree branch near the tent where Itachi and Orochimaru are currently in. He cocked his head slightly to the side, wondering if he was catching flu or something.Nah, just the dust or somethingÉ cant be having a flu, IÕm immuneÉ Oh, now youÕre so great, youÕre even immune from colds?

Yes, I am immune, and no, IÕm not that great, I just meant that I drank immunization pills earlier which prevents me from catching coldsÉ mountain air is very chilly, and we cant afford to lose our health now, can we?

OhÉ sorry.
Oh, good, you know how to say sorry. ThatÕs an improvementÉ

Excuse me? YouÕre the one who doesnÕt even know how to say a little excuse me, or thank you, or sorryÉ

Huh? Oh, yeah, I forgot thatÉ hey, where did you come from anyways?

Oh, me? I came fromÉ uhhÉ well, if you count only this day, I came from the toilet to do my morning rituals and I caÑ

I didnÕt mean that, bakayaro! I mean, where did you originate? Where are you from? What world or dimension or universe are you from?

Me? Earth, Fire Country, RirigakureÉ #25 Hattori StreetÉ 2nd floor, room to the leftÉ

Kouji rolled his eyes as he let the voice inside him babble incoherent and useless things, making himself deaf from the words. ÒOh, Kami, what did I do to deserve this sneak in my mind!Ó he grumbled silently.
Hey! I resent that!

YouÕre a sneak and youÕre in my mind, so thereÕs no reason for you to resent it, because its all true.
It is so not true! Yes, it is! No its not! YES IT IS!

NO ITS NOT!
YES IT IS!

NO ITS NOT! Waahhhh! IÕll tell TÑ
SHUT THE FUCK UP BEFORE I MAKE YOU!

Kouji steamed at the thought of that girl. He hated being reminded of her. Her and her doings. That stupid little voice in his head was almost about to say the resented nameÉ heck, heÕd go crazy if he heard that stupid, fucking nameÉ

(a/n: IÕm sorry for the sensitive ones out there, but I just had to use the word for emphasizingÉ after all, this is a rated T fic, so thereÕs no case in thatÉ)
Itachi sat inside the tent with the ill-tempered snake, pressing himself to endure the fuming and grumbling and sinister chuckles of the leader. He twirled his favorite kunai around his thumb and forefinger, rolling his eyes rather obviously as he endured the boring silence. HeÕd rather be in the Elite Base, rather than sitting here and wasting his time with this ever-so-silent snake, busy plotting against his pledged group.

ÒWhatÕs the matter, Uchiha, getting bored, are you?Ó

ÒYes, I am, thank Kami you noticedÉÓ drawled Itachi lazily, snorting.

ÒHow about helping me out formulating plans?Ó

ÒOh, I donÕt need to, because one is already in motion, right?Ó Itachi sneered. ÒAnd besides, my idea will only be contradicted by none other than our very own leaderÉÓ

Orochimaru glared at him, before closing his eyes once again. Then Itachi sighed. ÒCant I take a break from all of this?Ó

ÒYouÕve been taking your breaks a little too often, Itachi.Ó

Itachi snorted. ÒWhat are you, my mother? I donÕt need somebody to reprimand me if I want to take a break. Its my life. And besides, anybody would be bored to death in this stifling tent. Except you, that isÉÓ

ÒSince when did you become so sarcastic, lazy and talkative, Uchiha?Ó

ÒEver since I was a child, I was talkative. Ever since I was a kid, I was lazy. And ever since I was a ninja, I was sarcastic. You gotta live with it.Ó

ÒI didnÕt know you were going back to your old meansÉÓ

ÒSo?Ó shrugged Itachi. ÒWhat should it be to you if I am? And besides, I feel no obligation to tell you about anything that I doÉ So can I take a break now?Ó

Orochimaru just glared.

ÒOh, donÕt worry, IÕm pretty sure you can win with that idea of yours. Divide and conquer, right? Yes, yes, thatÕs goodÉ there is an entrance atop the mountain, according to KisameÕs researchesÉ its how they can train up there in the coldÉ Anyways, you put that head of yours to work, while I get out and refresh myself. IÕve got no purpose in here anywaysÉ donÕt worry, youÕve got somebody spying over me right? So youÕll know what IÕm up toÉÓ

With that, Itachi disappeared with a resonating poof and a large puff of smoke. Orochimaru hissed in annoyance. There is really something fishy about him, but I cant place itÉ

(a/n: Since when did Fafa Itachi get so talkative? As far as I know, I donÕt know any Fafables under the surname Uchiha who likes to talkÉ)
Itachi sighed as he reappeared just outside the tent, near the foliage. He felt that a pair of eyes was glued onto him as he walked into the forest, relaxing his muscles. It was such a hassle with the snake nowadays.

HeÕs getting suspiciousÉ but so what? Its even better if he finds out. HeÕll think that I tricked him and heÕll be forced to change plans for safetyÉ giving us more time to mobilizeÉ not that we need it thoughÉ

Itachi smirked. He never dreamed of the day when heÕd be working hand in hand with Konoha and his brother once againÉ he had previously assumed that after that night when he left Konoha, heÕd never get to have any more connections with themÉ that is, apart from his blood connection with Sasuke. But apparently he was mistaken, since here he was, helping and aiding KonohaÉ well, not really KonohaÉ it was TasogareÉ but still, it had some connections to Konoha.

He sighed as he felt the aura behind him, stalking him with every step. He ignored it and walked on into the forest, his acting flawless. He acted as if there was really nothing bothering him, as if he just wanted to get a rest from everything else. Then he suddenly stopped in the middle of a clearing.

LetÕs just hope this is not a bad timingÉ I have some things to reportÉ

He smirked, touching his left chest with his right hand. The seal on his hand glowed, and the chains on his heart tightened slightly, and with the speed of lightning, he disappeared, leaving no trace behind whatsoever.
Kouji blinked three times before regaining his senses.

Holy crap! He disappeared like a bubble!

Crap is not holy, you idiotÉ

I know, you pest, it was just an expressionÉ

Well itÕs a grammatically incorrect and unjust expression!

WhateverÉ Damn, he escaped.

Kouji leapt down from his hiding spot in the trees and examined the very spot where Itachi had been standing previously. His marks on the grass were still visible and fresh, but apart from that, he left no trace behind. Not even chakra signatures of any sort.
But IÕm POSITIVE he used chakra! His hand glowed! That MUST have been some kind of technique! Nuh-uh-uh! It MUST have been a techniqueÉ unlessÉ

UnlessÉ

UnlessÉ

UnlessÉ

UnlessÉ It was aÉ bond configurationÉ

Correct. Apparently your lessons in Riri are still of some use. ThatÕs good.

But Kouji was too busy working it all out to reprimand his inner personality about the mention of his former life.

Kouji saw that the seal glowed yellow. There was a color-coding in bond configuration. If the bond glowed blue, it meant that it was a bond between very close friends, or best friends. If it was pink, it was between lovers. If it was red, it was between husband and wife. White was between parents and child. Black was between a mere acquaintance. Green was between good friends. Brown was between teacher and student. And yellow wasÉ was between brothers or sisters.
Brothers or sistersÉ brothersÉ could it be?Sasuke sighed as the Kages and elders sat around them, discussing topics about the war. Most of the important Jounins were present tooÉ but that did not matter. Right now, all Sasuke wanted to do was to lie down in SakuraÕs arms and to relax. This was too much stress, and his head was aching.

Naruto grumbled in annoyance beside him. It looked like he was mentally praying for a miracle to happen, a miracle that would divert their attention away from the stupid war. ÒIt would be a lot easier and less stressful if theyÕd just stop their bickering and just settle with the original plansÉ crap, they put us in charge, but it looks like they donÕt trust us!Ó Naruto muttered furiously to Sasuke.

Sasuke grunted. ÒThese idiots donÕt realize that theyÕre wasting their time.Ó

ÒIf the two of you would stop whispering to each other, maybe you could listen to our proposals and ideas?Ó Tsunade snapped.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and Naruto sighed, shrugging. ÒIts boring, ya know. You put us in charge, but you donÕt trust our judgment. Maybe its better if you just take over and we go back to Tasogare, huh? That way, weÕll have no problems,Ó Sasuke sighed.

ÒYeah, if you donÕt mind, weÕre having just enough stress right here, so please, donÕt let it overflow?Ó Naruto followed.

TsunadeÕs eyes narrowed, and she was going to start reprimanding, but Sakura intercepted. ÒTsunade-san, you have no right to correct their thinking, because frankly speaking, theyÕre on your level. TheyÕre kages as well. And they hold the decision whether or not to sever the ties between Konoha and Tasogare. You have to be very careful.Ó

Tsunade stopped at that statement. It was true after all. Konoha was asking help from Tasogare and Tasogare has nothing to lose even if Konoha was defeated. And they could care the least if there were massive casualties. It was a big favor that they were including themselves in the war in the first place.

Before she can finish her train of thought, there was a little pop in the corner of the room, beside Kakashi. He was startled and jumped back from the person that emerged.

The person scratched his head. ÒOops, bad timing.Ó

ÒAhh! Itachi-nii-san! YouÕre my savior!Ó Naruto squealed girlishly, jumping at Itachi and hugging his torso so hard that Itachi practically turned blue.

Sasuke threw a slipper at NarutoÕs head. ÒLet go of my brother, Naruto. DonÕt kill him, heÕs my last remaining family.Ó Naruto immediately released Itachi.

ÒLast remaining family as for now,Ó Itachi smirked, collapsing with Naruto beside Sasuke on the sofa. ÒBut IÕm sure pretty soon the family will welcome a certain pink-haired kunoichi as a new member, right, otouto?Ó

ÒShut up, Itachi,Ó growled Sasuke, burning red. Sakura blushed 8 shades of red, before squeaking imperceptibly.

ÒExcuse me, people,Ó Tsunade snapped, apparently nervy today. ÒJust exactly WHAT is UCHIHA ITACHI, an 8 year convict and S-class criminal, leader of the Hidden Shadow, doing inside OUR base!Ó

ÒOh, him? Nah, heÕs not the leader of Kagegakure. Well, alright, technically, he is, but heÕs on our side now. OUR side meaning TASOGAREÕs side. HeÕs our responsibility, so donÕt fret. HeÕs an inside spy. YouÕve just gotta bear with us, because, hey, heÕs our ally,Ó Naruto explained.

ÒYah, and if you donÕt wanna take him off your S-class criminals list, fine, so be it. Besides, weÕre missing nins as well.Ó

ÒHeÕs an Uchiha, remember? That means he has legitimate claim over Tasogare as well,Ó Sakura shrugged.

ÒAw, IÕm touched. Little brother is standing up for me,Ó Itachi said mockingly.

ÒHow many times must I remind you to shut up if youÕve got nothing good to say?Ó sighed Sasuke.

ÒWhatÑever,Ó Itachi snorted. ÒSince when did older brothers follow younger ones anyway?Ó

Sasuke glared at him. Naruto snickered.

ÒAnyways, IÕm not here to annoy you, otouto. IÕm just here to report some news.Ó

ÒShoot.Ó

ÒOrochimaruÕs planning a ÔDivide and ConquerÕ scenario. HeÕs planning to enter through the top of the mountain, as you may well know, and heÕs got Sound and Shadow nins scouting at the base of the mountain right this moment, seeking other entrances. Be careful and make sure you hide all the other entrances. HeÕs also planning to eliminate your nins while theyÕre on patrol. That way, youÕll never really know about it.Ó

ÒOh, what an asshole. DidnÕt he realize that its dangerous up there? One kick at that stone pillar and thereÕs an avalanche. And besides, the doorÕs hidden with an illusionary technique and sealed tight with a jutsu that even he cannot break,Ó Sakura snorted.

ÒAnd the other entrances are well-hidden as well. Either inside deep caves guarded by lions and illusionary jutsus, or hidden by the power of the forest itself. Sometimes foliage serves as a good helper.Ó

ÒYes, well, sometimes the forest cant hide everything. You still need to be careful,Ó Itachi shrugged. ÒNever underestimate your enemy.Ó

ÒHow can you be so sure that the bastardÕs not feeding you wrong information?Ó said the Kazekage.

They looked at each other.

ÒYah, how can you be so sure IÕm not feeding you wrong info?Ó Itachi muttered, eyeing Sasuke.

Sasuke shrugged. ÒYouÕre binded, remember? AndÉ I justÉ know. BrotherÕs instincts, I guess.Ó

ÒBrotherÕs instincts, huh? Imagine, the great Uchiha Sasuke finally warming up. Omigod, I should have brought my cameraÉ damn, I forgot it back homeÉ SasukeÕs finally revealing some genuine Uchiha facial expressions!Ó Kakashi snickered.

ÒUrusai, hentai-sensei. ItÕs a good thing you forgot your camera, who knows, you just might edit SasukeÕs picture, place his face over a naked body and place it in your album!Ó Naruto snorted, earning a slap from Sakura, a punch from Sasuke and an appraising laugh from Jiraiya and Itachi. (a/n: Shut up.)

ÒCome to think of it, thatÕs a good idea!Ó Kakashi muttered. Then he started snickering loudly, floating off to dreamland. Sasuke growled.

ÒWhere did you learn that!Ó Itachi hooted in mocking laughter, watching his baby brother go beet red.

ÒWell, I learned from the best and unbeaten hentai of KonohaÉÓ Naruto snickered.

ÒNow I wonder who that isÉÓ Itachi said, waggling a slim eyebrow at a smirking Jiraiya.

Sakura cleared her throat. ÒExcuse me, peopleÉ no vulgar topics please.Ó

ÒNo minors inside the room, so no violations, Sakura-chan!Ó Naruto laughed. Tsunade fumed.

ÒYamero! How can you joke at a time like this! This is a war, for goodnessÕs sake, please take it seriously enough!Ó (a/n: Stop it.)

ÒYou know, old hag, thinking about matters too much is the thing that makes you grow old,Ó Naruto teased.

ÒYeah, and besides, taking a war too seriously is one thing that always gave Konoha defeat. Taking things too seriously and pressuring your people too much makes them break under stress, meaning that there are weaknesses and cracks in your armor,Ó Itachi followed.

ÒEstablishing a stable relationship between leaders and subordinates are first in the steps, then preparing for the war gently yet firmly. After that, we fight the war, as careful and firm as possible, avoiding too much casualties and sacrifices as much as possible. Applying too much stress on the people and the leaders might lead to lots of bad things, among them making the subs rebel, or making the leaders crack or get sick,Ó Sasuke added.

Sakura smiled, sipping her juice. ÒBesides, why the solemn mood when we can joke around a little? Having a little laugh is good for everyone. And besides, having the good times with each other establishes relationships between the nins, and that gives them a reason to fight and live.Ó

A concluding silence followed after SakuraÕs statement. Of course, what they had said had been mostly correct, and the other kages couldnÕt help but feel a little intimidated by the Tasogare rulers.

ÒYou guys honestly should get laid once in a while, youÕre so uptight! You should get yourselves relaxed, and what better way than to get laid!Ó

Guess who said it and guess what happened.
Kouji leapt agilely from tree branch to another, approaching the looming mountain quite quickly.

If he didnÕt use a jutsu, and his hands glowed yellow, that means he made a connection with a brother or a sisterÉ and as far as the Uchiha clan is concerned, thereÕs only one other remaining person possible to become a brother or a sisterÉ only one last blood relative leftÉ Uchiha Sasuke.

Whoa. All hail the genius. Thanks for stating the obvious, bud.

Kouji ignored the annoying voice chiding quite loudly inside his head, continuing his vigilant approach towards the mountain.

I shouldnÕt let Orochimaru know. IÕll investigate first. I might be wrongÉ thereÕs a small chance that I could be, but thereÕs still a chanceÉ Just what is going on around here?

ThatÕs what youÕre here for, finding out whatÕs going on. Itachi might be a traitor. But IÕm having a hard time imagining him fraternizing with his last blood relative, who despises him enough to harbor the notion of killing him.

I know, its like a dream. But still, thereÕs no other possible brother or sister, is there? As far as I know, the whole of the Uchiha clan was wiped out, except for the both of them.
HmmÉ fishyÉ like KisameÉ Kindly, donÕt remind me of the fishy, sticky bastardÉ

Too muddled in his own thoughts, Kouji failed to notice several faint auras quickly approaching from up ahead, pronouncing themselves more and more for each meter he took. And it was only too late when he noticed it.
Sasuke silently placed the folder with the new profile of a potential member on the desk as the chatter died down slowly. Itachi reached for it and flipped through the uncoordinated pages as Tsunade and Sasuke spoke.

ÒWhat do you want us to do with him?Ó

ÒHe is very valuable. It would help greatly if we had him on our side.Ó

ÒYes of course. But WHERE is he? And you cant expect me to pull out some men from the war just to find him, do you?Ó

Tsunade sighed. This was the flaw she was worried about.

ÒOh, dear otoutoooÉ I have something to tell youuu.Ó

ÒWhat?Ó

ÒWell, I just saw him earlier at the camp. He was drinking tea with some other spies.Ó

ÒWhat?Ó

ÒHeÕs working for Orochimaru. Not that he wants toÉ heÕs indebted. HeÕs a spyÉ heÕs spying on me. I knew I did a good job earlier. I just led him hereÉ I knew something was up.Ó

ÒYou mean heÕsÑÒ

ÒSASUKE!Ó

Fuzzy brows and smooth, shiny coconut-like haircut emerged from one of the darkened tunnels, a flurry of footsteps behind him echoing in the darkness. Apparently the leader has been hurrying and left his subs in the dust.

ÒLee, emergency?Ó

ÒSasuke, weÕve got an inside spy,Ó Lee announced proudly, striking the pose of his teacher. Gai smiled proudly at the now recovered Lee. His injuries from the Chuunin exams 3 years back had been grave, but they were remedied by the great medic Tsunade. She somehow managed to restore LeeÕs former body condition, at the sacrifice of one left finger. It was all the better than being an invalid for the rest of your life.

ÒInside spy? You brought him here?Ó

ÒI trust you blindfolded him, Lee?Ó Neji asked, raising an apprehensive brow.

ÒOf course. We took necessary precautions.Ó

Then 3 ninjas appeared out of the OFB tunnel, dragging with them an indignant, struggling boy with jet-black hair and a veryÉ sexy body. It was clearly visible through the thin fishnet shirt he was wearing. Apparently, Lee had removed his vest; a precaution to prevent them from being in immediate distance of a potential weapon. Resha whistled from one corner of the room.

ÒI can die happy now,Ó she whispered to her fellow twins.

ÒNow thatÕs one sexy spy,Ó Fukai muttered, eyeing the body and earning a nudge from an annoyed Neji.

ÒMm-hmmÉ job well done, Kouji, apparently, you were listening to OrochimaruÕs orders and reading your chakra signature books, huh?Ó Itachi chuckled, sending a kunai whizzing past KoujiÕs ear, cutting the blindfold clean off his eyes.

The boy straightened himself and shielded his eyes from the sudden, intense light that pained his eyes. ÒW-Where the hell am I?Ó he managed as he got his bearings back. He glanced around the well-furnished room, then to Itachi, Sasuke and Naruto. ÒSo I was right after all. Fraternizing with the enemy.Ó

ÒDo you really treat us as an enemyÉ Kou-kun?Ó Tenten said softly, startling all of them. ÒI still recognize you. You havenÕt changed.Ó

ÒI should have known, Maiya. I felt your presence,Ó Kouji said, turning his eyes on the girl. He glared at her.

ÒDonÕt tell me youÕre still at it! I told you, I didnÕt do it!Ó

ÒShut up, I donÕt think I can stand any more of your childish nonsense.Ó

ÒBut what IÕm saying is true, it wasnÕt me! It wasÑÒ

ÒTenten, shut up. I donÕt want to hear more of this. IÕve had enough of your worthless explanations!Ó

ÒWhy wont you listen to me? I thoughtÑÒ

ÒYou thought wrong, Maiya! You were a traitor! You broke the pact!Ó

ÒI didnÕt mean it! I didnÕt do it! How many times do I have to tell you, it wasÑÒ

ÒNo, it was not her, Tenten. I repeat, it was not her. I was with her that evening!Ó

ÒIt was all an illusion, Kouji, an illusion! Your thoughts were muddled with while you were sleeping that night! You werenÕt anywhere with her!Ó

ÒI saw it with my own eyes. YOU did it! YouÕre a traitor! A blood traitor!Ó

ÒI DID NOT DO IT!Ó

TentenÕs scream reverberated in the room. She was fuming with anger, so much anger that she had burst out of her seat unexpectedly, very un-Tenten-like. Silence reigned over the room as the two argued. Apparently they had an undecided, hazy past. The tension in the room was so thick, you could slice it like steak and serve it for dinner.

ÒI did not do it, Kouji, believe me, it was not meÉÓ
Orochimaru tapped his finger impatiently on the table, waiting for his spy. He was supposed to report tonightÉ why isnÕt he here yet? Its been a day and he hasnÕt reported yetÉ could something have happened?

ÒKabuto,Ó he called. Kabuto entered the room slowly, parting the tent cloth, which served as a door.

ÒYou called?Ó

ÒHave you seen Kouji anywhere today?Ó

ÒFrom what I recall, he was hiding in the trees, doing hisÉ duty. That was this morning. After that, I donÕt recall him going back into camp. And neither did I notice Itachi,Ó Kabuto said, adjusting his glasses, which glinted in the candlelight. ÒHe must be spying on him. Itachi is taking longer in the forest this time around, and naturally, Kouji wouldnÕt come back until Itachi does as well.Ó

ÒSomething came up, I can feel it. Ask Kisame where the Uchiha is.Ó

ÒI already did earlier, and he said he didnÕt know. All he knew was that Itachi frequently visited the forests, but his reasons are unknown.Ó

ÒThere is something going on with that Uchiha. He is hiding something from me. I can feel a traitor near meÉÓ
A figure cloaked in black walked towards Konoha silently, noticing the heavily guarded gates. Azure eyes narrowed. A hand reached out from the black coat and pulled the hat lower to cover the face. The wind blew slightly, ruffling the cloak and revealing several strands of vibrant blonde hair.

The Chuunins posted at the gates turned, blocking the path, ready to fight.

ÒWho are you? State your reasons!Ó

ÒIts not important who I amÉ I am here to helpÉÓ

ÒIÕm sorry but we cannot accept you just like that. No one is allowed to enter these gates without permission from the Hokage.Ó

ÒI am aware of that. Can you call her? I would like to have a talk with her.Ó

ÒIÕm sorry, that cannot be allowed. The Hokage cannot just meet anyone in person without proper precaution.Ó

Eyes narrowed again. ÒHmmÉÓ he said, turning and walking away without another word.

One of the Chuunins made a signal to another and one of them leapt over the high wall, heading straight for the HokageÕs office.

ÒWhat a weird guyÉÓ