Boom!

"Man the east gate! You there, head to the north, tell them to lock down! No one gets in or out, is that understood? Bring me Ani Chou."

"Yes, Captain!" The various shinobi disappeared to their stations.

Kankuro glanced up to the moonless night, its inky blackness enhancing his night vision. It made sense this all would be done in the shadows; seemed like every wicked thing was these days.

"Captain, the guard are posted and waiting for further instructions." A female shinobi reported from her kneeling position.

"Good."

"You asked for me, sir?"

Kankuro tapped her shoulder, so she stood beside him. "Ani, we're going on a hunt."

"Yes sir, hunting for what?"

The puppet master flexed his hand, strings of chakra buzzing through his fingers. "There are only so many people in this world who have mastered my style of jutsu, let alone this village. I've pulled the thread. You and I are going to see where it leads."

~

She'd been in there a long time.

Gaara shifted his weight in minuscule movements, terrified of doing something to disturb her process.

He knew time worked differently on the subconscious plane, but he didn't account for being the one waiting on the outside.

Pulling a handkerchief out from his pocket, Gaara dabbed at Rin's split chin, wincing when she did.

"Sorry."

She didn't respond. He wasn't sure why he expected her to.

Temari paced like a jungle cat, her muscles taut, scowl hard on her mouth. "How much longer?"

"I don't know."

"Well, how long did she take with you?"

Gaara's eyes flicked up to her. "I wasn't keeping track."

She grunted and leaned against the wall, examining the pair. "What do you think is happening in there?"

The Kazekage curled his arm up, so that she was cradled against his chest, resting his chin on her forehead. The amount of perspiration worried him. "I'm not sure. I can't imagine it's good."

Temari held her own arms, her voice softening. "Do you think we should pull her out of his mind? Is she strong enough to take whatever he's showing her?"

Gaara's mouth stitched into a soft smile and he brushed her hair back. "If there's anything I'm sure of, sister, is Rin Ito's strength. She'll come back to us."

"How can you be so sure?"

His gaze found hers. "She survived me, didn't she?"

Temari didn't know what to say to that, so she said nothing.

Not until the explosion from above them rocked the laboratory, sprinkling dirt from the ceiling onto their heads.

Gaara's sand rushed to protect them, hardening against the falling pebbles and exposed roots.

Temari was on her feet instantly. "What the hell is going on up there?!"

"I'm not sure. Find Kankuro. Assemble your team and address the cause of the explosion."

She nodded. "Right. What about you?"

Gaara looked down at Rin, who's breathing quickened a few ticks. "I'll stay here as long as I can. I trust you to handle the threat, but don't hesitate to call on me, if you can't. I'm still the Kazekage of this village and I'll put my people first."

"Yes sir."

"Dismissed."

His extended hand moved the protective sand from overhead to the large door, moving it just enough for his captain to slide through, before slamming it shut behind her.

Gaara held his precious one close, his lips to her ear. "Hurry, Rin."

~

The stone houses stood quiet in the night, so quiet they seemed to hold secrets of their own. Each one felt as if they were conspiring against him.

Kankuro turned to his partner. "Stay close, we're almost there."

Ani quickened her steps, her kunai out and at the ready. "Sir, why have you selected me for your escort?"

"Are you questioning my judgment, lieutenant?"

She bit the inside of her cheek. "Certainly not, sir. It's just, I haven't been on any solo missions with you yet. If there's a pressing threat inside the village that calls YOUR attention, shouldn't you choose a more experienced shinobi?"

Kankuro smirked. "Trust me, you're plenty experienced for what I have in mind."

The tone of his voice made her face flush.

They approached the building she knew as the prison, the same place rumored to hold the mad Sound captive.

Kankuro came to the back side and turned to face her. "We're here."

Ani glanced from him, to the wall and back, confused. "Sir?"

"Lieutenant Ani Chou. What's the meaning of your clan's name?"

"Loosely translated to 'butterfly,' sir."

"And what does your jutsu specialize in?"

She swallowed. "Insects, sir."

Kankuro smiled. "Exactly. Believe it or not, there was a time when your captain was bested in a one-on-one fight."

Ani tried not to show she didn't doubt that fact.

When she offered no surprise, Kankuro cleared his throat. "There is a shinobi in the Leaf, whose insects completely tore through my chakra strings, and even more importantly, tracked down my position from their residue alone."

He took hold of her hand, sending the blood racing to her cheeks. "Captain!"

Kankuro placed her open palm on the stone wall. "Let's see if the Sand's insect keeper can match the Leaf's."

Ani looked from his eyes to the wall and exhaled. "But I... yes, sir."

Her eyes closed, chakra focusing to the core of her body.

Kankuro stared, not caring that it was rude or making her uncomfortable, he wasn't going to miss this up close for anything.

He'd watched this particular kunochi very carefully at her Chunin exam. The Chou clan had but one daughter, out of seemingly endless sons, and though she was proving to outshine her brothers at every turn, not a scrap of credit had gone to her skills.

This was her time to show her worth to one of the head captains of the Sand.

The swell of her chakra lit up her pretty, dark skin in a blue light, as she removed her jacket, exposing the tattoos that waited underneath.

The insignia of her clan, two lines of green and black butterflies, lifted from her arms and flittered around her head, sprinkling them in their iridescent dust.

She lit up the moonless night.

Kankuro watched, mouth slightly open at the sight, when she wedged her fingers into the holes he indicated.

The butterflies nestled around her hands, licking up the scent, holding it in their memory.

"The keeper of these strings is still in the village."

"Can you track them?"

"Yes, sir."

"Excellent."

He stood to the side, letting her lead the way.

Ani walked in an almost trance-like state, her movements slow and fluid, extending her hand for one of the butterflies to land on. "They say we're close."

Kankuro looked around. "That can't be right, we're in the council's quarters."

Her glowing blue eyes sized him up. "We're close."

He licked the salt from his lips, tightening his puppet's strings around his fingers. "Well, this changes things."

The butterflies traveled from one house to the next, lingering for a moment, sniffing out their prey with an almost hungry dedication.

Kankuro never considered such beautiful creatures to be so terrifying, but then, most dangerous things had some level of beauty to them.

Ani stepped forward a bit before freezing in her tracks.

The Captain steadied himself, sliding Crow out from behind his back. "Lieutenant?"

She sniffed the air, the shimmering butterflies wafting around her head.

Suddenly, her arm shot out to the side, extended finger pointing to one door. "In there."

"Are you sure?"

Her face was deadly serious.

Kankuro's lips curved into a smile. "Well, all right then. Let's see if he's home."

BOOM!