Moon's Light, Reality's Dream

Hey guys, Amy here... I would just like to say, thank you for the hits on the story. I hope you're all enjoying it. DON'T WORRY, favored characters will appear in the next chapter. Well, at least there will be more appearances. Since this is a long story, we sort of have to stretch out these chapters so that you know the characters a little bit better. Please enjoy!

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Moon's Light, Reality's Dream
月の光、うつつの夢
Chapter Two - 無慈悲 (Mercilessness)


温室崩れのPrince
You’re Prince of a ruined glass house
後頭部にシヤンデリア
with a chandelier behind your head.


“Oji-san,” Ishida stood with his hands on his hips, squinting skeptically from behind his monkey-like mask at the small carriage containing the disappointingly small amount of cargo the two teams of Anbu were to safeguard en route to Hoshigakure. The old man holding the reins to the horses in his slightly shaking hands turned slowly to glance down at the young ninja, his warm smile causing even more lines to crease his aged, weatherworn face. Everything about the young Anbu, from his nonchalant stance, to the disrespectful tone of his voice made Nisei cringe behind her own mask, her hand twitching to discipline him. How did this obvious simpleton ever make it out of the Ninja Academy, when it was apparent he couldn't even remember the smallest parts of his training? Who in their right mind would have accepted such a halfwit into Anbu in the first place? Her eyebrows rose further as his voice, incredibly, carried on. “What's so important about this shipment?”

To make matters worse, Ayu then stepped up beside him, her jittery, much too high pitched laughter not fooling anyone, except maybe that old man. Fooling him wouldn't be so hard, since he seemed like someone who was lost, in every sense of the word. Nisei couldn't help but frown as yet another of her charges broke the same cardinal rule. Ayu's voice came out as shaky as her laughter. “What he means to say is, ‘It is a pleasure to be protecting you. We hope to get you to Hoshigakure as soon as possible and without trouble’.” A stiff, curt little bow followed these words, and Nisei felt her eyes rolling in her head, and heat starting to rise slowly in her cheeks. They had to go and prove just what incompetent morons they were, right in front of Kouki-san. It was only to be expected, really. Had Nisei honestly expected to get through this first mission with her team without experiencing any embarrassment whatsoever at their incompetence? If she had, she must've been dreaming.

Finally the old man laughed softly, the mirth wheezing out of his chest in soft, short gasps.“Such cute masks…”

Following those words, Nisei turned a glare on her three team members, as if daring one of them to speak again. After giving them a long moment, and a mile of rope to hang themselves with, she grabbed Ishida's arm with one hand, and Ayu's with the other, none too gently dragging them both towards the back of the carriage. “Day One. What rule were you required to memorize? Do not speak while you’re on a mission. If you absolutely need to run your mouth, then you will speak to me and me only." Each of them received a shake after this and she released Ayu, nodding at her and gesturing back towards the others nearby, turning her attention fully on Ishida as his team mate darted off relieved to be escaping the lecture, however deserved it was. "And you, Ishida. You were not paying attention at all, were you? This small shipment is filled with weapons and it would be very dangerous if anyone else got their hands on them. Especially the embittered rogue ninja who would not hesitate to kill you for what’s stored in these boxes.”

His face dropped and he bowed his head, knowing that he'd messed up yet again. “Hopefully no one will try to attack...”

“We don't waste our time with hope. We just ensure that any who try, fail.” Nisei said, keeping her voice flat, and without the harsh undertone of annoyance that was trying so hard to creep in. Hoping that rogue ninja wouldn’t attack wasn’t a characteristic of Anbu, either. Anbu wanted to annihilate these rogues altogether. There was never mercy granted for those who chose to prey on the weak instead of protecting them. Though most of these rogues were complete idiots, anyone should learn after awhile that messing with the Anbu is no laughing matter, even these creeps who were only out for a good meaningless fight, or the chance to steal something of great value. Yes, the Anbu methods were harsh, but harsh was required to send the message out loud and clear. Nisei jerked her head towards the front of the now moving group and watched her young student dart off to take up his guard position while she settled into her own, at the rear. She knew better than to waste time hoping there wouldn't be an attack, choosing instead to prepare for the inevitability of one.

The relative quiet of the forest around her was already oddly suspicious . Of course, after you’re so mercilessly and thoroughly trained to find everything suspicious, a flower out of place, a blade of grass bent the wrong way, a tiny scratch in the bark of a tree - these simple things would all look positively murderous. Birds carried on their cheerful cacophony in the treetops, while reptiles slithered into and out of the shadows, their passage marked silently by the waving of the grass and undergrowth of the ancient, sleeping forest. Insects continuously buzzed and hummed, darting through the entire spectrum of her view, creating their own orchestral counterpoint to the birdsong surrounding them. Each of these tiny details was important in and of it's own right. Even the smallest imbalance of nature was obvious to a ninja, even more so to an Anbu. Nisei kept her eyes and ears open, constantly alert to an increased degree of awareness due to her inexperienced, and so far nearly dangerously incompetent, team being out here, as well. Therefore, she wasn't even slightly surprised to find she suddenly had company.

Kouki landed gracefully right beside the Anbu captain, his black cloak billowing out in the gently tugging fingers of the wind, as he effortlessly matched his pace with the now steadily moving caravan. “I truly do feel bad for you, Nisei, being stuck with the youngest group of Anbu.”

“Are you sympathizing with my current circumstances, Kouki-san?” Nisei chose not to stop the small smile that formed on her usually passive face. The mask hid all but the crinkling of her eyes, anyway. This wasn't even close to the first mission she'd been on with Kouki. He was a higher rank than her, having already been an Anbu captain when she was still just an operative, and he was damned proud of the work he’d done in the past. As he should be. Every much needed assassination, every Bingo book betrayer he had managed to capture, every mission he'd been sent on had turned out to be an overwhelming success. He'd made an honorable name for himself, and Nisei felt a small stab to her heart as each of her failures flashed almost tauntingly through her mind. Next to this man, she couldn't help but still see herself as not much more than a dumb kunoichi. Nisei knew that she was stronger now, much stronger, but that feeling didn't change much within her own mind.

Kouki tilted his head to the side, and she almost wished she could see his face. The feeling lasted for all of a moment before he spoke again. “Should I not sympathize with you? We were friends before Anbu. Do I stop caring about your well being because our situations have changed?" His head turned back to regarding the young ninja around them, instead of riveting that dangerous gaze solely on her. "When does that ever stop? When should it?”

“This is very unlike you.” She answered quietly, drawing his gaze back to hers, nearly drowning her in that pair of dazzling blue eyes. She held them for as long as she could manage before turning away again. “Thank you for your concern, Kouki-san, but I feel that it isn’t necessary.”

She felt those eyes as if they burned into her while he studied her for a long moment. In her younger days, Nisei had an unfortunate tendency to give herself, her feelings and thoughts, away on many occasions, all too easily. At this moment, she couldn't help but wonder if she'd just done it yet again. She knew she certainly wasn’t fine, and she hadn't been fine for awhile, but prided herself on keeping that hidden from those around her. When the fire of anger had started to flicker out within her, a hollow, empty sadness had slowly risen to take it's place. As was starting to happen all too frequently lately, memory returned to assault her with images and feelings she wished to leave buried in the quickly receding past. Kouki watched her cautiously, out of the corner of his eye, many of the same memories now rising to haunt him, as well.

Nisei had no business being on that mission back then, and it had changed something within her. He didn’t have to close his eyes to see the image of her coming back without her Anbu Captain, none other than the great Hatake Kakashi. Kouki had watched in silence as Nisei wandered out of the forest, dazed and taking small, unsteady steps until she couldn’t possibly hold herself up anymore. The lost look she gave to the rest of the squad faded into an obscured blur before she collapsed.

Kouki’s eyes searched the ground, as if he could still see Nisei’s unconscious body there, the way he found her that day. He was the first to reach her, leaning down to gently lift her up, resting her against the nearest tree. The long, black strands of her hair were sticky with blood under his fingers, and with a start, he realized it was her own. His hand trembled as he raised it, taking her wrist and pulling her hand slowly away from the right side of her face. There, just along the curve of her cheekbone and following the shape of her eye, was a deep, clean gash still oozing a few thick, crimson drops. The missing piece of her Anbu mask proved to be what had sliced her. It had been broken off of her face.

‘Kakashi…’

That one word, and the harsh, hurt sound of the whisper she voiced it in, triggered the connection for Kouki. Even as the stunning realization dawned in his mind, Kouki knew that the Copy Ninja had a reason behind everything he did. Those reasons were just never simple, and rarely apparent at a first glance. Attacking Nisei out of nowhere didn’t seem at all like something that he would do. It was something much deeper than anything Kouki could probably ever guess at. The next morning, after that blazing war, that unforgettable mission, was the last time Hatake Kakashi joined in any Anbu activities as an Anbu. In fact, the very next day he had resigned. Nisei’s attempt to make him stay had resulted in the strike which led to her scar, a mark that would never be a trophy, like a battle scar, but only a monument to her failure. Obviously, she had foolishly tried to fight him. But that on it's own, couldn't be the only cause. There had to be more to it, an imperative reason as to why Kakashi’s presence was so needed. The obvious one, that he was the best Captain in Anbu history, just wasn't enough. Something more, something personal, lay behind the scar on Nisei's face, and the shadow of sadness haunting her eyes.

Ishida was doing his best to remain focused on his surroundings, but knowing he was under Nisei's watchful eye, and now that of Kouki san as well, made it just that much harder. More than anything he wanted to prove to his sensei, hell to everyone, that he and his team were ready to be Anbu. He always knew when Nisei's attention was on him, could feel that golden eyed gaze as if it was boring into the back of his brain. She always watched him like a predatory bird, a hawk waiting for that one mistake that would leave him open to become her prey. Ichida knew his new sensei didn’t hate him, it couldn’t have been hate, but constant failure wasn’t a pleasant feeling. At least he was allowed to be in the front. It wasn't easy, but in spite of his overly relaxed nature, he'd never expected it to be any different. Maybe there was hope for him yet.

The boy stopped suddenly, hearing a new sound, a subtle change in the air around him. His chakra was burning furiously as his eyes picked up what the other Anbu had so far failed to see. A moment later the reins in the old man’s hands were sliced clean through, and the responsible kunai impaled itself in a tree with an ominous thudding sound. The blade had barely missed Ishida's face. If he hadn't stopped when he did... He pushed that thought aside, already springing into motion, his hand closing around the kunai and yanking it free. It wasn't fear that drove him, no. There was no room for fear within him at the moment, merely purpose. He drew his arm back, the well trained muscles responding perfectly, and returned the offending kunai to it's owner, point first. The shadowy figure deeper within the forest moved suddenly at the proximity of the blindly accurate throw, giving away his position exactly as Ishida wanted him to. There was no time for petty self congratulation though as he scanned the forest, his breathing unlabored, letting his training take over.

Kouki looked at Nisei for a brief moment, already knowing that the best idea would be to split their force, his group taking the shipment and Nisei's staying to hold off the attackers. He called to his team, as he pulled himself up next to the driver and excused himself for shifting their places.

"Ibuki, point. Hikaru, rear. Minase, stay behind me and keep to as much cover as possible, ne?" He didn't wait for any of them to answer, turning instead to regard Nisei as his perfectly trained team responded accordingly. “Nisei... you've got this?” His words rang out even as he spurred the horses forward. He smirked, accepting her annoyed and lazy thumbs up to be a ‘Yes’, as he turned his azure eyes back to the road before him, urging even more speed out of the surprised and frightened horses.

Nisei watched Kouki and his team, her golden eyes narrowing and darkening as the carriage rapidly moved up the road, it's progress already becoming obscured by a thick cloud of dust. This was the moment she'd been both waiting for, and dreading. A hostile encounter would ultimately prove if her students were capable of what Konohagakure required of them. As always, it would be trial by blood - the only true test of a ninja's readiness to be Anbu.

“There’s at least ten, maybe fifteen,” Ishida said in a low, quiet voice. Nisei almost wanted to pat him on the back, or even pet his wild hair, but she managed to restrain her pride as her voice matched the tone of his own.

”And what do you plan to do about it?” Even though her mask was still firmly in place, Ishida spared a brief glance back at her, as if he knew she was smiling beneath it. Ayu still stood much too close to Koji, practically hiding behind him. The medic Anbu were the weakest, but that was no reason to show it, to act the part of a coward. Nisei found it to be the typical response in the face of the first encounter with a real battle, though. Ishida stayed within good range, keeping his eyes focused on the trees, and Nisei knew that he was still counting and calculating. Apparently, he'd kept a good brain hidden somewhere under that riotous mass of ridiculous hair, behind that mischievous pair of laughing brown eyes. Koji was obviously born to be elite, but at this moment, Nisei looked fondly to Ishida as the one who would truly prove something today. Perhaps another Kouki lived somewhere inside of him.

Ishida took one step back, his weapon already drawn and held lightly, yet confidently in his hand as Koji moved closer to him, the green haired boy reaching his arm back for his own ninjato. Their eyes met and held for a long moment before Ishida turned to Nisei, his head bowing forward slightly.

“Nisei sensei, step back and let us show you how we’ve been practicing as a team.” The Anbu captain had no sooner opened her mouth to reply than five men charged wildly at them from between the trees. Without hesitation, Ishida and Koji moved forward to meet them, weapons flowing fluidly through the air, their bodies responding perfectly at every moment. Nisei kept her eyes glued to the forest, knowing more men hid within, and was about to bark an order when a sudden movement within the trees caught her eye, and the brief flash of a particularly recognizable figure nearly stunned her.

Suzuki Akira, the notorious rogue assassin straight out of the Bingo Book, was the one leading this attack. They were in for much more than any of them had bargained for. Nisei's new found faith in her team began to waver just a little as her mind set furiously to work.

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Hitori stepped out of the Anbu building with her black cloak around her, the hood pulled up over her startling titian hair leaving just her new raccoon mask visible to anyone who might happen glance at her. Danzou told her she was to be undercover, and she'd decided to start that immediately. Almost no one knew of the new mask, and covering up her all too recognizable hair would render her sufficiently anonymous. A swift glance to the sky confirmed yet another day of mild Konoha weather, and Hitori knew that Suna’s weather would be very different, and worse than it ever was in this sleepy village. She never did pay much attention to such small things, but she couldn't help wondering about them now because they suddenly directly affected her. As of the moment, she wanted to figure out how long she could run without having to stop at a tea house along the way. Getting to the Sand as soon as possible was definitely the highest priority. Traveling had always seemed a more troublesome thing than it was worth to her. The run itself would be a strain on her toned muscles, and she welcomed the challenge, wondering if she could shorten a two day journey to just one. She didn’t doubt her abilities in the slightest. The only time she ever rested on a mission was when she was with a team, when it was demanded by protocol.

“Hitori-chan.” That all too familiar voice assaulted her just as she was about to pass through the wide open doors leading into and out of Konoha proper. Of course, it was Yomi. He leaned his back lazily against a tree just to the inside of those doors, his arms resting lightly over his chest and one foot propped against the trunk. As he moved to join her, his arms uncrossed, his hands out almost in a gesture meant to imply helplessness. Hitori stopped and regarded him with absolute patience, her malachite eyes meeting his smoky topaz ones while she waited. A long moment of silence passed between them while she wondered exactly what her erstwhile partner was up to. He had piqued her curiosity, though his childish laughter only managed to annoy her a little. The last thing she wanted right now was another delay.“Danzou-sama requested that I escort you to Sunagakure.”

“No, he didn’t,” she quickly snapped back as she walked past him, striding between the heavily guarded, highly secured doors, her feet carrying her slowly, but steadily along the well worn path. In spite of having caught him out in a lie, she knew that Yomi wouldn’t be leaving her anytime soon. Danzou would never ask another Anbu to ‘escort’ her anywhere, and she briefly wondered if her partner thought she was stupid. Pushing the thought aside, she watched him with a concealed look of annoyance. He was walking with his arms behind his back, looking everywhere but at her.

“If you don’t stop staring at me like that, I might start blushing.” Yomi rolled his eyes at her expression, not that he could see much with her mask over her face, but he always imagined that blank façade whenever he received no answer, no rise at all from his seemingly emotionless partner. “Let’s discuss, hm? Ahhh, the days of youth. You know, I was often perceived as the idiot of the bunch.”

“Not much has changed-“

Before Hitori could finish her sentence, Yomi’s short laughter cut her off, followed by slow, dramatic clapping. “Well done, Hitori! Insulting someone is funny.” He wiped at his mask, pretending to remove tears, “I’m so proud of how this new side of you is developing. I must be such an amazing teacher.” When that failed to even turn her eyes back to him, he chose to carry on as if he hadn't wanted an answer. "I've been thinking... You need to learn how to converse. Going into Suna, it's going to be expected of you to at least respond from time to time. That silent act of yours won't go over well at all. So.. let's practice, ne?" He eyed her sideways, noticing only a small twitch of her shoulders as if she was sighing beneath that concealing robe, and couldn't stop himself from grinning. "I'll take that as a yes." His hands rubbed together gleefully. "My old sensei was quite the bastard, you know. I heard you once went on a mission with him, before we were partners. How did that go? I bet it was exciting, seeing as he talks even less than you do, I think." A long moment of silence followed before he spoke again. "Ok, Hitori. In the art of conversation, when someone asks you a question, it's expected that you will reply."

"The mission went well." Her voice held no tone whatsoever and her gaze stayed locked on the road in front of them as she started moving faster, seeing her desire to shorten the trip from two days to one all but vanishing before her eyes. Yomi pretended he had tried to hold back the sigh that came from him, his head slowly shaking back and forth as he effortlessly matched his pace to her now faster one.

"Sometimes, it's also nice to offer details of your own when you reply. For example, how did he rate you? When he filed his final report on me to Danzou-sama, he had all sorts of delightful things to say about me, things I took in the highly complimentary nature I'm certain he intended." He fairly bounced beside her now, and she tried to suppress her irritation, knowing that he really was only trying to help her.

"Ruka-sama rated me 'highly competent'. I gave him the same rating as well." It was a struggle to force out what felt almost like a speech to her, and she nearly sighed again as Yomi's eyes widened, which had the effect of giving his monkey-like mask an even more comedic appearance. Then he whistled softly, expressing his incredulousness at the information she'd imparted, or how much she'd said. Either, or both, could be true.

"Wow, that's high praise from that evil, giant bastard!" He struck a thoughtful pose as he pondered for a moment. "I believe his report on me said I was a disgrace to the ninja name, not even remotely fit to be an Anbu operative, and the only truly useful purpose I could ever serve would be to clean up the streets after festivals, if I truly wanted to be of good use to my village." Soft laughter bubbled almost musically out of him before he continued on. "He also recommended that perhaps we would all be better served if I should just disappear entirely. Ahh, remembering training days is always so nostalgic." The sounds of crickets chirping happily nearby seemed much louder in the quiet following his last statement before he sighed heavily. "Now, it's your turn to volunteer something. Why don't you try asking me a question, or speaking of one of your own memories without prompting?" His voice raised ever so slightly in pitch and volume at the end, and it was just enough to cover another sigh from her.

"I have nothing to say, Yomi san." Her fingers twitched irritably and the silence stretched yet another long moment before she decided to at least try. "Actually, I do have a question. Does silence bother you so much?"

"Silence doesn't bother me in the slightest, Hitori chan. I just enjoy talking." Yomi's eyes scanned the thinning forest around them before turning down to the bag he started rummaging around in. He swore softly under his breath a few times, and at one point pulled his hand out and shook it fiercely before shoving it back inside, finally coming out with a long, sand colored scarf which he held out to her. "Here. You'll need this in Suna." She reached out to take the object from him, and her steps slowed as odd, random fragments of blurry memories assaulted her at the sight of it. Part of her remembered once wearing something like this, having never stepped outside without it wound around her head, neck and shoulders. "It will keep you shielded from the wind and sandstorms." Yomi's voice had taken a serious turn, his tone going somber. "This mission worries me."

"Yomi san..." He stopped her before she had a chance to say anything more.

"I know your arguments already, and I won't deny that you're Danzou's best. There's not a single doubt in my mind that you are Anbu's best, even. But..." He sighed as they halted completely and stood regarding each other in the falling twilight around them. "This mission is sending you into a very dangerous situation, and the Sand's Kazekage is a dangerous man. It's natural for me to worry because... you're not just my partner, Hitori chan. You're my friend." Before she could even think of replying, he turned away again. "Come on. Let's get moving or you'll never get there." Having said everything he felt he needed to for now, he took off running with the speed his tiny frame gave no indication he could ever possess. With his words tumbling through her surprised mind, Hitori stuffed the scarf into her own bag and darted off after him.

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Blood stings when it drips into your eyes. This was something Ishida hadn't known before today, but he was certain at this point that it was something he would never forget. Was it his own blood or someone else's? He might never know. The point being, it stung and made his eyes water, causing the already blurry vision of the enemy in front of him to waver in a way that was seriously starting to piss him off. His ninjato darted and stabbed out before him, slinging crimson drops in a grisly shower when he sliced it through the air. The blade was so sharp, so keen that his muscles barely detected the resistance when it met the throat of his latest attacker and parted it effortlessly. Jumping back, he nimbly avoided that warm fountain of salty stickiness and spared a glance for Koji. The other youth's green hair was now a decidedly brownish color that gleamed wetly, and looked matted to his head. The grin he flashed at Ishida pulled oddly at the unbandaged, freely bleeding gash on his face. They'd all earned their new scars today. Ayu stood more to the rear throwing kunai and shuriken into the fray when possible. Some of those kunai had exploding tags attached to them that resulted in messy eruptions of entrails, and other fleshy bits, that covered the ground beneath their feet in a dangerous, slippery wet litter.

Nisei had her own hands full, engaged in close combat with Suzuki Akira. So far he'd managed to parry every strike of her ninjato with his own well used katana, and they were currently standing nearly nose to nose, their blades locked between them as he laughed mockingly at her.

"What will you do now, little Anbu? Your partner has left you, and taken the best of the team with him, it appears." His ragged laughter came again, seeming almost an assault on her in and of itself. She responded with only a sneer before shoving him backwards and bringing her blade around in a fast arc, the glimmering, silvery steel aiming straight for where his neck met his shoulder. He dodged to the side but was unable to entirely avoid the strike, taking a small amount of damage to his arm. "This kitten has claws!" He exclaimed as he danced a little further away from her, blood rapidly staining down his sleeve. Nisei circled in the opposite direction, keeping her senses trained on everything around her even as she kept her eyes pinned on the man she was fighting. Concern for her students flashed fleetingly through her mind before she pushed it away with a mental growl. Now was the time to prove themselves. She wouldn't always be around to protect them, but forcing herself to let go was much harder than she'd thought it would be.

Ishida saw Koji out of the corner of his eye, running hell bent towards him as he jerked his weapon from the chest of the man in front of him. Knowing exactly what his team mate intended, Ishida bent forward at the last moment, grunting softly as one of Koji's feet landed firmly in the middle of his back and he used it to push off, seeming to fly into the three startled rogues in front of them. In spite of the blood and gore, the very real danger, and the seriousness of the situation they were embroiled in, Ishida couldn't stop the laughter that came out of him. Koji made flying look awkward as hell, but his deadly landing on that trio of ninja was certainly effective. Apparently, Ishida had something to learn when it came to counting the number of enemies because more than fifteen men had appeared, and he was starting to wonder about his sensei, when he finally spotted her crossing blades with the man who was undoubtedly the leader of this ambush. His line of thought was rudely cut off when a blade passed mere inches from his still blurred eyes, and he leapt back with an oath before springing forward into his own attack, and unfortunately missing the other ninja creeping up on him from behind. Ayu's warning shout came too late, reaching him only after he felt the cold bite of steel digging into the back of his thigh. The coldness passed quickly in the wake of the searing hot gout of blood that shot out when the man jerked the weapon free with an evil grin plastered on his dirty, unshaven face. That look lasted for only a split second before being replaced by a look of shock as he toppled forward into the grass with three kunai sticking out of the middle of his back. Ishida nearly dropped, but somehow managed to stay on his feet as Ayu darted forward and started wrapping a bandage tightly around his leg above the wound.

"Don't push it," she hissed softly as she tied the ends together. "You should be able to stay up a bit longer but..." Her words trailed off at the look of grim determination in Ishida's eyes before he turned to re-engage their enemies.

"Thanks... for all of it," he said over his shoulder as he moved away from her. Ayu bit her lip as she backed up again, reaching into her bag for more kunai and finally freeing her own ninjato. Medic or not, it was all too obvious it was past time for her to join this battle in earnest. She glanced distractedly towards her sensei before following Ishida into the fray.

This bastard was sincerely starting to warp her last nerve, Nisei decided as she closed with Suzuki yet again, this time smiling behind her mask in satisfaction as her ninjato slid down his blade to bite into the fingers wrapped around the hilt of his katana. His face barely changed expression and she had only a moment to wonder why before arms closed tightly around her, pinning her own arms to her sides and causing her to lose her weapon, which landed uselessly in the grass at her feet. "I suppose you think you've won now?" Even she was surprised at the calm tone of her voice as she relaxed in her captor's grasp, making her body into a movement hindering dead weight.

"No, I don't think I've won." Suzuki leaned closer to her as one hand reached slowly for her mask, intending to tear it off her face. His other hand held his blade high, poised to strike once the porcelain was gone. "I know I..." He never got to finish his sentence because a kunai suddenly appeared sticking out of his chest just below his shoulder. Nisei felt the man holding her captive grunt before his arms loosened from her and both men collapsed to the ground.

"Miss me?" Kouki's voice was as unmistakable as the bird beaked mask he wore, and Nisei found herself feeling irrational anger at the unexpected, and unwanted, rescue. "Isn't that Suzuki Akira? From the Bingo Book?" His foot nudged at the man groaning on the ground before he knelt down to secure him with the cords he pulled from his bag. "Your students are doing quite well out there, you know." Her lack of response made him wonder exactly what he'd done wrong as he wrapped the cords tightly around Suzuki's body, pulling them tight before knotting them. Kouki rose slowly and turned to regard Nisei who was glaring at him with her hands on her hips.

"I didn't need to be rescued, you know," she huffed before turning partially away from him. "This fight isn't over yet." Without waiting for him to reply, she lifted her ninjato and savagely attacked a nearby rogue who was charging at Koji's unprotected back. The feeling of the muscles in the back of the ninja's knees severing at the kiss of her blade almost brought a grim smile to her face, but her anger with Kouki prevented it from fully forming. "Bastard," she muttered under her breath before glancing around to see if there was anyone left to kill.

Ishida's breath came in short, heavy gasps as he rested on one knee with his head hanging down just a little. Aside from the wound in his thigh, every other hit he'd taken in this battle had been minor, and he counted himself beyond lucky. He nearly groaned seeing one of the few remaining rogue ninja charging towards him, and started to rise, but his vision was suddenly blocked by one long expanse of ivory thigh. His gaze slowly traveled up as the rogue hit the ground and he looked into a pair of pale blue eyes behind a neko mask. For a long moment he couldn't decide if he was looking at a man or a woman, but when the figure stretched a hand down to him, he realized it was definitely male.

"Ishida, right?" Somehow, Ishida could just hear the grin in the other man's voice as he allowed him to help him slowly back to his feet. "I'm Ibuki." A long moment passed. An awkward moment for Ishida that was interrupted only by soft, feminine laughter.

"Don't worry. He has that effect on everyone." Hikaru tipped her inu masked head sideways and leaned one arm casually on Koji's shoulder. "You guys did great. Where's your medic?" Ishida slowly raised his arm and pointed to Ayu walking slowly back over with Nisei and nervously checking the Anbu captain over for wounds. Kouki and Minase walked slowly out of the trees behind them, Kouki carrying the bound form of Suzuki Akira slung casually over one shoulder. Nisei stopped before her team, and patted Ishida softly on the head.

"You did well today, Ishida kun... Koji kun... Ayu chan. I'm proud of all three of you." Her voice sounded as tired as she suddenly felt. Slowly, she turned away from the others. "Let's get home, ne? I don't know about you, but I sure as fuck need a long, hot bath." Without waiting for anyone else, she started taking slow, measured steps in the direction of Konoha. What the hell was with Kouki lately? It seemed like every time she turned around, he was there, even when he wasn't supposed to be. Nisei certainly didn't want him there, him and his sterling reputation, his mile long list of accomplishments. His perfect damned blue eyes. A growl of frustration started to well up within her and she only barely managed to suppress it. It almost seemed as if Kouki was developing a white knight complex where she was concerned, and that just wouldn't do. Somehow, she was going to have to figure out a way to put a swift and permanent stop to it. Lifting one hand slowly, she brushed at the dirt and dust on her arm and sighed. She'd figure out what to do about Kouki after her much deserved bath.


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“Lady Hokage.”

The blond haired Sannin sat at her desk, her head resting heavily on her crossed arms. She had pulled an all-nighter, which consisted almost entirely of tedious reading over the mountain of documents that always seemed to rise anew, as if it was her own personal, daily phoenix of paperwork. So much was happening lately, and with Naruto’s sudden return grave situations seemed to blossom like flowers after a good spring rain. The last report, which was still locked tightly in her grasp, rambled with rather explicit detail about the Akatsuki, and their vicious ploys to capture each biju. They would eventually come for Naruto, as well. She had to start worrying about his future, but she also had to take into consideration what it was that he wanted, which was to bring his rival best friend, Sasuke, back to the village. Shizune's small laugh finally penetrated her thoughts, drawing her somewhat unwillingly to full consciousness.

“Forgive me. She does like to sleep a lot.”

Slowly, Tsunade's topaz eyes opened. She had been pulled out of her thoughts to stare at some random Anbu, and completely ignore her aide. If Tsunade had any ounce of shame, she would have pulled herself together, but she honestly didn't much care. Everyone seemed aware of her occasionally lazy demeanor. She did her best to straighten herself in her seat, her back instantly making her regret the swiftness of that motion by delivering a sharp stab of pain. She bit her tongue not to curse loudly in front of the small company, and gave a curt nod for the Anbu to say what he needed to. He bowed low before starting to speak.

“Danzou has made a move.”

“Ah,” She said lowly, her pink lips turning up into a smirk. It made sense, especially with her just finding out that the Akatsuki were on the move again. “I knew he would, sooner or later. Please, elaborate… What has he done now?”

“Tsunade-sama,” Shizune was immediately in front of the Hokage’s line of view. Tsunade met her assistant’s dark gaze, and saw the obvious concern there. “This is bad, especially now. The situation with Naruto...”

Irritated, Tsunade rolled her chair to the side and regarded the Anbu with her sharp gaze. “Go on.”

Shizune’s hurt expression disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, then she glanced at the Anbu kneeling on the floor. He slowly raised his head and continued on with his information. “Two Anbu from Danzou's Root organization were spotted leaving Konohagakure just a little while ago. The shorter of the two wore a monkey mask. We're not entirely sure who either of them were. The taller one was fully cloaked and wore a raccoon mask unlike anything I've ever seen. There's no doubt it came from the artistry, but I do not know what it stands for, and neither does anyone else...”

Shizune spoke before Tsunade could open her mouth, “Should we send out a team to track and follow them?”

Tsunade cast yet another irritated look at her assistant, as if in reprimand for the interruption, and then shook her head while she brought a hand up to cover over her slight yawn, thinking as quickly as her tired brain would allow. “No. We won’t be so open about it, at least not yet.” She placed her hand down and firmly gripped the side of her desk, pushing herself back in her chair. “Anbu, I think that Danzou and I should have a talk. Please go inform him that I wish to speak to him. Immediately.”

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That’s the end of the chapter. I hope you’re all liking the story so far!