Chapter 14: First Game: Unsealing of the Scrolls

Chapter 14

The sun rose in the air over Iwagakure as the loud sounds of the hustle and bustle of the village could be heard in the celebration of the 2nd day of the Five Great Games. Currently three people were walking around the village shrouded in cloaks to hide their looks. Just as they were roaming around the crowded and bustling village a person accidentally bumped into one of the cloaked figures. Angered, that cloaked figure was about to lash out, however before he could retaliate he heard the commanding voice of his comrade speak.

"Kai. Stay your hand. We did not come here to cause trouble. We are simply observing. Know your place."

Kai gritted his teeth before turning away from the frightened villager and whispered disappointedly. "Hmpf. As you wish...Koji."

As Kai walked off disappearing into the crowd Koji just let out a sigh and shook his head.

He better not blow our cover. The time isn't right yet. Kara can't be exposed too early or I'll lose my chance to observe Jigen more. I need more time to find out his weaknesses. If it wasn't for the organization giving Kai a job to reach out to the feudal lord of water during the Five Great Games he wouldn't even be here. Tch. I'd have killed him already too, however I'm not sure how Soren will react.

Koji was brought out of his thoughts at the sound of Soren's voice. "We should split up."

Koji furrowed his brow behind his mask and cloak and nodded. "Very well. And what will you be doing, Soren?"

Soren slowly began walking away as he replied indifferently, "Observe the competition. It will help us gauge the current standing of the Five Great Nations. Besides, it's also a festival. Perhaps I'll get something to eat."

With that only Koji remained as he stared at the spot where Soren disappeared to.

Hmpf...Sansen Soren...the only member of Kara's inner circle that is a bit of an enigma to me. Other than Jigen he's the only other person I can't get a good read on.

Without wasting anymore time Koji walked off and also disappeared into the crowd. Currently there were multiple large screens erected all over the village projecting the live recording of the Games. At this moment all participating teams were gathered at the Mountain Hill Forest near Iwagakure where the First Game, Unsealing of the Scrolls, would take place. Konohamaru, Zen, Hiroshi, and Shikadai remained seated in their room as they waited to be called upon.

Konohamaru looked at his team and said, "Alright you three, it won't be long before our team will be called. It's anyone's game. We might be facing a team from another village or we could even be facing the team from our own village. Whatever happens just do your best. Now, you all remember the rules of the game right?"

They all nodded as Shikadai commented, "Mn. The First Game is called Unsealing of the Scrolls. There is a 2 hour time limit per game. The stage setting will be one of the designated areas in the Mountain Hill Forest. Our team will be pitted against another team. Each team will be given a scroll and two unsealing tags. The unseal tags must be kept on one or more of the team members at all times while each team will be given 10 minutes before the start of the Game to hide and conceal their scroll. The objective of the Game is to obtain our opponent's scroll and unseal tags and then successfully use them to open the scroll whilst at the same time defend our own scroll and ensuring that our unseal tags aren't stolen from us. The unseal tags must also be visible at all times meaning everyone will know who carries them. Obtaining our opponent's scroll is worth 30 points. Obtaining one unseal tag is also worth 30 points. In total if we succeed in stealing the scroll and both unsealing tags from our opponents then we'll gain 90 points. If one team gains all 3 items and fails to unseal the scroll before the time runs out then that team is penalized 30 points. That means we'd get 90 points for obtaining all of their items, but if we don't unseal the scroll by the time limit we'll lose 30 points bringing us down to 60 points. Also, for every item we manage to keep safe then we will gain 30 points. In essence, if we successfully keep both unseal tags and our scroll safe we will gain another 90 points for a total possible points of 180. If we steal all three of their items, but they manage to steal two of ours then that means we'd gain 90 points plus 30 points for keeping one of our items totaling 120 points, but the other team will gain 60 points for being able to steal 2 of our items. Unsealing the scroll will also end the game."

Konohamaru nodded at Shikadai's quick recap of the rules. It was then that they heard the Iwagakure announcer and referee call out. "And now welcome to arena field number 3! From Iwagakure, Team 2 led by the Jonin Ittan! Along with the three Chunins Ganji, Khan, and Jiro!"

The crowd surrounding the outskirts of the large field shouted in excitement as the participants appeared before them. The Five Kage sat on the highest tower observing everything below as several giant screens also portrayed the visuals of everything happening in the large arena field. Currently there was another game going on as well in a different arena field and the happenings of that battle was being displayed on screen. Darui smirked and commented, "Oh, Mizukage, looks like team 1 from your village is doing quite well against team 3 from Sunagakure. If I'm not mistaken that Chunin Kagura was one of the participants in the last Great Games and even won."

Chojuro simply smiled and fixed the glasses on his head as he replied, "Well, I am quite confident in their ability. Now I wonder who will be facing off against Iwagakure's second team."

It was then that the announcer shouted, "And now! Please welcome team 2 of Konohagakure led by the Jonin Sarutobi Konohamaru! Along with the three Chunins Nara Shikadai, Hyuga Hiroshi, and Yagami Zen!"

Once again the crowd went wild with loud cheers and shouts as Konohamaru and the others arrived on the large arena field. After both teams grabbed their respective items the announcer then continued, "Both teams will begin on opposite sides of the chosen field. They will have 10 minutes to conceal their scroll in the area and make preparations with their unsealing tags. Then without further ado, match...START!"

Immediately after the announcer finished his words both teams scattered to their respective sides. Konohamaru dashed through the stone trees and asked, "So, any ideas? Where and how should we hide the scroll?"

Shikadai pondered for a moment before speaking up. "I have an idea. What if we let Hiroshi create a fake tree and we hide the scroll inside and mask it as a stone tree using the Transformation Jutsu. Zen, one of your specialties is Genjutsu right? You can also set up a Genjutsu trap around that area to fool our opponents just in case. All we have to do is keep the fighting away from that area and pretend we're defending a different spot. We can even make a fake scroll and plant it somewhere pretending to defend it. As for the matter of the unseal tags we should let Konohamaru-sensei keep one and Zen, you keep the other. Hiroshi and I will each use the Transformation Jutsu on a piece of paper to make it look like an unseal tag when in reality they're fakes. That'll confuse them and make it harder for them to make the right choice."

Instantly the other three agreed as Hiroshi praised, "Nice Shikadai! That was some quick thinking given the fact that we weren't told which area we were going to be stationed in."

After the 10 minute time limit ended the true start of the game began. Zen remained hidden in an area pretending to be defending their scroll there while Shikadai dashed along the middle of the area where both sides would meet. Konohamaru and Hiroshi were the two who entered the enemy's territory to search for the scroll as Hiroshi's Byakugan gave him an enormous advantage. Konohamaru and Hiroshi stood hidden behind some stone trees as they both waited in patience.

"How close are they Hiroshi?"

Hiroshi focused on his Byakugan as he replied, "About 700 meters out and closing. There's three of them. No...wait...I'm seeing several dozen of them. Most likely clones, however the real ones might be mixed within them. From the looks of it the three enemy shinobi are the Jonin Ittan, the Chunin Ganji, and the Chunin Khan. The clones are mainly Ittan's and Ganji's. It also seems like Ittan and Khan hold the unsealing tags."

Konohamaru frowned. "Can you see if the scroll is hidden somewhere nearby?"

Hiroshi let out a complicated sounding sigh. "Well unfortunately they know that I'm part of the Hyuga clan thanks to my name so they took counter measures to make it a bit more difficult. I see several tens of scrolls hidden throughout the entire area. Most likely some sort of Clone technique. Also there's one member of their team hidden approximately 1.7 km north west of here by several hidden scrolls. Those scrolls seem a bit different. Something looks off about them but I can't tell why or if that's what they intended for me to see. It's possible they thought of a similar strategy and are guarding a fake area to force us over there."

Konohamaru nodded in agreement. "They know you possess the Byakugan so they prepared well. How about this. I'll go confront the Jonin, the two Chunins, and their Clones while you circle around on the sides and continue your search."

Hiroshi frowned. "You can't be serious Konohamaru-sensei. I know you're strong, but that's a Jonin and two Chunin who were personally picked for the games by the 4th Tsuchikage."

Konohamaru smirked, "Don't worry. I'll be fine. I'm only working to stall them." He then placed his hands in the Clone sign and created a Shadow Clone. The Shadow Clone then used the Transformation Jutsu to look like Hiroshi. "I'll make it look like I'm going to fight them to give this clone of you time to run off and escape pretending to look for the scrolls. They're sure to send someone after it and it won't be a clone if they want to ensure the safety of their scrolls. I'll slowly lead them to where Shikadai is hidden. If we play our cards right Shikadai might even be able to capture them in his Shadow Paralysis Jutsu. And even if they get past Shikadai and I, they'll still have to face Zen who already laid multiple layers of Genjutsu traps along the way."

Hiroshi nodded after hearing Konohamaru's plan as they both separated. Just as Konohamaru predicted Khan dashed after the clone as Ittan and Ganji engaged him in combat. Hiroshi had already left that area and was now searching for the scrolls. As he dug up one scroll after another he found nothing but fakes. He gritted his teeth and continued on. After digging up the 14th fake scroll he frowned and stared at the direction of the last enemy member who stood protecting an area of scrolls.

The last member of their team is called Jiro. Looks like that guy named Khan is still chasing after Konohamaru's clone and slowly leading him towards Zen's Genjutsu traps while Konohamaru is still stalling Ittan and Ganji slowly leading them to Shikadai. Wait, now is the perfect chance to confront Jiro. It's possible that they gambled on the fact that we would think that Jiro is defending a fake area so we would avoid him and not waste our time confronting him. However, what if Jiro is defending the actual scroll? In that case the set up of all these scrolls in the area is a ruse forcing me to waste my time here digging them up one by one. On top of that it is a safer bet for them to have Jiro defend the actual scroll since he might be able to call for backup. But with his teammates all occupied he has no idea that they can't come to his aid right away. I'll use that chance to place him under my Sharingan's Genjutsu and find the truth from him.

After collecting his thoughts Hiroshi dashed with his greatest speed towards Jiro's location. In a mere few minutes he arrived within 50 meters of Jiro and hid in the shadows of the large stone trees. He quickly placed his hands in the Clone sign and said, "Wood Style: Multi Wood Clone Jutsu." Immediately several clones of him appeared in the vicinity as he dashed around back to get behind Jiro. Just as one of the wood clones dashed out of the rocky forest Jiro quickly responded and shouted, "Wind Style: Wind Scythe Jutsu!" Right as the wind scythe slashed through the wooden clone several of Hiroshi's other wooden clones appeared in the air above, all aiming to restrain Jiro. This caused him to panic and widen his eyes in alarm. Just as he was captured and restrained by Hiroshi's clones his body turned into liquid water. His real body was dashing away in the distance as Jiro pulled out a kunai attached paper bomb. Just as he was about to toss it into the air a small wooden tendril tripped his feet causing him to stumble and crash into the ground. His fall caused him to drop the kunai and groan in pain. Before he had a chance to make his next move he heard Hiroshi's voice, "Wood Style: Wood Snake Jutsu!"

Fwish!

Not a moment later Jiro was completely ensnared as the wooden snake sunk its fangs into his neck causing his chakra to become suppressed preventing him from molding any into Jutsus. Hiroshi walked out of his hiding spot and commented, "Impressive. A Water Clone. Not bad. I didn't expect that from someone of Iwagakure, but too bad your disguise didn't help you escape. Since you're in the area, my Byakugan can still find you, that is unless you escape outside of my range. Unfortunately unless you possess a transportation technique you wouldn't have been able to escape my visual range fast enough."

Hiroshi picked up the kunai attached paper bomb that Jiro dropped and fancily twirled it in his hand. "Let me guess. This was meant to signal your teammates right? Odd though...why would you choose to run and leave the area you were meant to defend? Does that mean you aren't actually protecting your scroll here? Then, where is the real scroll we need?"

Jiro simply narrowed his eyes and scowled. "Hmpf. Go ahead and take a look. You have the Byakugan right? Just take your pick."

Hiroshi shook his head. "That's your mistake. You gave in too easily. Telling me to go take my pick right off the bat. I'm not that gullible."

In the next moment Jiro widened his eyes in shock and trembled a bit in fear as he witnessed the change in Hiroshi's right eye transform into that of the Sharingan. Hiroshi smirked in triumph as he instantly caught Jiro in an ocular Genjutsu. After a few seconds passed by Jiro slumped to the ground completely knocked out as Hiroshi turned back to the area Jiro was guarding just a moment ago and smirked. "No wonder the 8 scrolls hidden here looked a bit strange. Their Jonin-sensei Ittan placed some sort of barrier Jutsu around them to obscure my vision. Turns out the actual scroll really is hidden here. I would then have a 1 in 8 chance at choosing correctly and even if I chose correctly he placed a trap that would activate the moment I unearthed any of the scrolls. The entire ground would collapse and a signal would be sent in the air letting the other members know that they needed to return. Since their Jonin-sensei set up this trap he didn't bother telling the other members of his team how to disarm it. No wonder Jiro gave in so quickly. Not bad, not bad. Now I'm forced to make a selection, however it's too bad they didn't think about how to counter my Wood Style."

Hiroshi stood outside the range of the 8 scrolls and placed his hands on the ground causing wooden tendrils to erupt from the ground and snatch all 8 scrolls at once. Immediately the entire ground surrounding each of the scrolls collapsed deep into the ground before the barrier around the 8 scrolls expanded in size and connected to one another forming a giant semi-circular barrier dome above the collapsed ground trapping anyone who fell inside. Not a moment later Hiroshi took note of a contraption that shot a kunai attached paper bomb straight up into the sky as the means to signal everyone that the area with the scroll had been compromised, however thanks to Hiroshi's Byakugan and Sharingan he was able to react fast enough and tossed out his own kunai knocking the kunai attached paper bomb off balance and into a thick wooden box he created with his Wood Style before it could gain any momentum.

Boom!

The signal ended up exploding within the wooden box having the noise muted and the smoke created from the explosion trapped. Hiroshi grinned at his success as he looked at the 8 scrolls that formed the barrier. Only one of them remained a scroll at this point whilst the other 7 had been unfurled revealing a seal that activated upon being tampered with. He walked over and grabbed the real scroll triumphantly as he made his way back to the others.

At this moment Konohamaru panted heavily as he stood in the middle of the stone forest face to face with an immobilized Ittan and Ganji. Ittan gritted his teeth in shock as he struggled to move any of his limbs and commented, "This is...Urgh...the Nara clans Shadow Paralysis Jutsu!"

Shikadai stepped out from the shadow of the trees and nodded his head as he focused on restraining the two Iwa ninja. "That's right. Shadow Paralysis Jutsu, complete."

Ganji frowned at their current predicament. "How long have you been waiting there? Wait…" He then turned to stare at an exhausted Konohamaru and commented, "You...You purposely led us here. You pretended to hold us off while that kid Hiroshi ran off to search for our scroll. You pretended to panic and worry about Hiroshi's safety after we sent Khan after him and chased in his direction convincing us that we had you on the ropes when in actuality you were leading us to a trap all along."

Konohamaru simply grinned as he finally got his breathing under control and nodded. "True. We did plan that out, however I was really pressured in that fight."

Ittan simply smirked a bit self mockingly at himself as he chimed in, "Heh! The fact that you were only pressured in that fight is a testament to your strength. To think that you'd not only hold your own against Ganji and I, but you even managed to destroy all of our clones before leading us to a trap." Ittan then frowned as he finally noticed something odd. "Wait...how is that possible? Why do you both have an unsealing tag when I saw that kid Hiroshi run off with one too?"

Konohamaru slowly walked over to Ganji and Ittan as he replied, "Oh. That? It was just a little trick. Actually the Hiroshi you guys sent Khan after was just one of my clones under the Transformation Jutsu. The real Hiroshi has probably already found where you all hid your scroll." He then removed the unsealing tag off of Ittan's waist as he commented, "The other unsealing tag is with your teammate Khan right?"

Ganji furrowed his brow in frustration. "Hmpf. Don't think it'll be easy to get that tag from Khan. There's a reason we were okay with letting him go off on his own. Khan is strong."

Konohamaru just smiled in response. "That's fine. After all, my clone is leading him to someone who's also strong on our team." Without wasting anymore time he knocked out both Ganji and Ittan.

Shikadai let out a breath of relief. "Phew...Jeez Konohamaru-sensei. Did you have to spend so much time talking to them? I was starting to lose control over their paralysis."

Konohamaru just awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck apologetically.

Meanwhile Khan dashed with great speed as he was slowly catching up to Hiroshi's retreating form.

That's odd. Why the heck has he just been running around all this time? In fact he hasn't even made any real turns nor has he even tried to shake me off his tail in the past few minutes. It's almost like he wants me to follow him.

Then it hit him. Khan immediately widened his eyes in shock at the realization that he had probably fallen into a trap, however it was too late as he noticed that the person he was following all this time puffed into nothing but smoke. "A Clone?"

Just as Khan was about to rush back to his teammates he noticed the entire stone forest behind him had suddenly become denser with even more stone trees than before. When he turned back to his front he noticed the same thing. The stone trees in his vicinity were continuing to increase in number with every passing second. He quickly realized that he had entered a sort of Genjutsu type trap and placed his hands together shouting, "Release!" The moment he successfully freed himself from the Genjutsu his mind went completely dark as Zen appeared behind him and knocked him out. He grabbed the unseal tag on Khans waist and tied him up before dashing off to meet with the others.

In less than 10 minutes later Konohamaru, Shikadai, Hiroshi, and Zen gathered back together and utilized both unsealing tags they successfully retrieved from the opposing team and unlocked the opposing team's scroll. A brilliant light erupted from the unsealing of the scroll as it projected a giant image in the sky signaling their victory and ending the game. Their victory immediately generated loud shouts and cheers from the people in the festival. Some people had decided to bet on which teams they thought would win and which teams they thought would lose. Those who had bet on Konoha's 2nd team at that moment were especially happy. Even the feudal lords had their own bets going on and none were as happy at that moment as the feudal lord of fire who had bet on his own country's team. As the hours passed by and all teams had their matches the final results of every team's points were displayed on screen.

Konoha's 1st team obtained 90 points against Suna's 2nd team which gained 60 points.

Konoha's 2nd team obtained 180 points against Iwa's 2nd team which gained 0.

Iwa's 1st team obtained 180 points against Iwa's 3rd team which gained 0.

Suna's 1st team obtained 180 points against Amegakure's 2nd team which gained 0.

Kiri's 1st team obtained 180 points against Suna's 3rd team which gained 0.

Kumo's 1st team gained 180 points against Kiri's 2nd team which gained 0.

Kumo's 2nd team gained 0 points against Hoshigakure's 1st team which gained 180 points.

Ame's 1st team gained 180 points against Kiri's 3rd team which gained 0.

And finally Ame's 3rd team gained 60 points against Ishigakure's 1st team which gained 90 points.

All in all Konoha's 2nd team, Iwa's 1st team, Suna's 1st team, Kiri's 1st team, Kumo's 1st team, Hoshi's 1st team, and Ame's 1st team held the current lead being tied at 180 total points.

The sun had just began to set in the sky as the end of the First Game came to a close. Some teams were extremely happy with their results, others wholly disappointed and frustrated. Hiroshi, Shikadai, and Zen were obviously among the teams that were happy with their results and were now walking through the village taking in the sights and sounds of the festivities. It wasn't long before they bumped into some familiar faces.

"Oh, Kaito, Koen, you both are walking around too huh?" Hiroshi commented.

The two brothers turned at the sound of their names and smiled amiably at Hiroshi.

"Yeah, the food here is great! And the atmosphere is nice as long as you can get over the whole crowded thing." Koen responded.

Hiroshi snickered and said teasingly, "What happened, Koen? You didn't make it to Chunin?"

A thick vein popped on Koen's forehead at Hiroshi's teasing comment. "Hmpf! If only you had given up during the exam when we fought!"

Hiroshi just burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Don't blame me. You insisted on fighting one on one to settle the score. No wonder you weren't promoted yet. Still stuck on that one track mind of yours huh?"

Koen smirked mischievously and responded, "Oh? Well I've had time to practice my Jutsu. Maybe you'd like to have another go right now? I'll vaporize you into next week!"

Hiroshi inwardly flinched and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck as he attempted to change the subject. "Ha...Hahaha...errr...Oh! Right, you both are from here. So, any suggestions of what to check out?"

Kaito just shook his head in amusement at the verbal exchange between Hiroshi and Koen as he responded to the question. "Actually Koen and I were about to head over to the Diamond Auction House. You guys want to come?"

Shikadai raised his eyebrow in curiosity. "Diamond Auction House? It sounds fancy. Don't you need reservations to attend things like that? And money?"

"Yeah. Dad's going to be there. He has a private room that seats up to 15 guests. Not all of them are being used up so there'll definitely be room for you three. Koen and I are just going to observe to see what kinds of things will be put up for auction."

Hiroshi quickly nodded in agreement. "Alright sounds fun! Count us in!"

Shikadai thought for a moment before shrugging his shoulders and decided to just go with the flow as he gave a sideways glance at Zen who also didn't seem to mind. It wasn't long before the five of them arrived at a giant luxurious looking building with multiple guards stationed all around it. Before they could enter the doorman stopped them.

"Halt. Please show your invitation letter and I.D. card."

However, before anyone could respond Kimimaro emerged from inside the building. "It's alright. They're with me."

The doorman immediately panicked and stepped aside as he politely nodded. "R-Right. Of course. I didn't mean to obstruct such noble guests. Please, make your way inside."

Hiroshi raised his eyebrow in curiosity but simply followed Kaito and the others inside. He took note that while the outside seemed beautiful and luxurious it held no candle to what the inside looked like. A few minutes later after taking a couple stairs and elevator rides they arrived at a large golden and shiny room with red satin couches and curtains with a giant glass window leading to a view of the auction below. To Hiroshi, Shikadai, and Zen's surprise there were already two others in the room and it was people they recognized.

"Mom? Dad?!" Hiroshi exclaimed in shock.

"Lord 6th?" Shikadai said in confusion.

"Sensei?" Even Zen couldn't help but voice his thoughts.

Izaya just smirked at all of their reactions and pointed to the couches signaling for them to take a seat, which they did. "What's with the shocked faces?"

Hiroshi scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Nothing. I just...didn't expect you and mom to be here. And wait, when did you both arrive in Iwagakure anyways?"

Hanabi smiled at Hiroshi's confusion but before she could reply the door opened revealing Iraia's frame.

"Sis?! You too?!"

Iraia simply walked over and sat down next to Hanabi and Izaya as she replied, "Yeah. We just got here this morning. Just in time to watch the start of the First Game. Congratulations, the three of you completely won your first match. Oh, and Kaito, you too."

"Ehhh...you guys should have told me you were coming. Wait, did others from Konoha come too? Err...is the village going to be alright then?"

Hanabi chuckled and nodded. "Others did come. It is the Five Great Games after all. It's only held every 2 years so it is a special occasion. Even if the others aren't competing there are still a lot of festivities they can take part in. And there's no need to worry about the village. Even though Naruto is here and not in the village we are at a time of peace. The Hokage spending a week away from it won't cause the village to crumble or we would have failed as its leaders. Shikamaru and his team are in charge of things and Neji, Lee, and Sai are there as well. After all they are now the Jonin Commander and Vice Jonin Commander. And Sai is the Police Chief."

It was then the door opened once more revealing Kurotsuchi, Haku, Akane, and Asuka. Haku smiled as he gave Kimimaro a warm hug. "Maro, I haven't seen you in a few months. It's been a long time since big brother, you and I have all been in the same room."

Kimimaro nodded. "It has. It's good to see you all again. Let's take our seats. The auction should begin soon."

The adults all gathered and took their seats in the back of the room. Kimimaro, Izaya, and Haku sat next to each other as Kurotsuchi, Hanabi, and Akane took a seat near each other, meanwhile all the kids gathered down in the front by the large window. Hiroshi, Iraia, Koen, Kaito, Asuka, Zen, and Shikadai waited with great interest to see what items would be revealed. The very first item up for auction was a very ancient and old scroll containing the technique for a Sealing Jutsu related to the First Tsuchikage during the warring era. The bidding price started at 80,000 ryo. All of the kids immediately widened their eyes in a bit of shock at how costly the very first item's price was, however they were even more shocked at how high the bid suddenly became in a mere few seconds. Zen was the only one who wasn't shocked as he wasn't too accustomed to dealing with large sums of money so he furrowed his brow and asked, "Is 80,000 ryo a lot of money?"

All of the kids gave Zen a weird look except Iraia as she commented, "Right...you probably aren't too familiar with the scale of money on this continent."

Zen nodded. "I don't really pay attention to what I get paid for missions so I don't really know."

Iraia let out a small laugh causing all the kids to drop their jaw in shock again as they rarely ever see Iraia so relaxed in front of others. She then proceeded to explain, "Here, I'll give you a quick summary. In terms of missions a D-rank mission averages 5,000 ryo as the payout. C-rank missions average about 30,000 ryo. B-rank missions average about 80,000 ryo. A-rank missions average approximately 150,000 ryo. And S-rank missions start at 1,000,000 ryo. So the scroll up for auction is already worth an average B-rank mission. Only high level Chunins and Jonins are ever assigned B-rank missions and those missions can be dangerous enough to cost one their life. The fact that the starting bid is equal to a B-rank mission is kind of surprising. That's a lot of money."

It was then they heard the auctioneer announce the winner of the first item with the ending price being 210,000 ryo. Zen stared at the auction below with a bit of surprise and intrigue. "210,000 ryo? The price more than doubled. That means it's true worth is about an A-rank mission?"

All the kids nodded as Kaito commented, "That's right. Well I'd say its true worth is probably around an average of 150,000 ryo, but that's because although that sealing scroll is rare it isn't the only one in existence. I think mom has one too stored away in a well protected place. The people bidding for it are those who either wish to study more about Sealing Jutsu, are fans of the First Tsuchikage, or are collectors of rare and ancient artifacts."

As they all watched with excitement discussing the next few items the 9th item up for action not only shocked the kids, but all the adults as well as they stared at the katana on the auction floor. The auctioneer began his description of the weapon at that moment.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you a rare artifact indeed. This weapon was found on the remnants of the 4th Great Ninja War battlefield! It's power and durability is of the highest quality. We've tried utilizing all methods available to us to try and chip the blade but to no avail. After our auction house performed a thorough investigation we discovered the origins of this blade. This is none other than the sword of kusanagi that was wielded by the one and only Dark Fire Shinobi, Uchiha Sasuke during the 4th Great Ninja War! Whether for decoration or for personal use it is sure to be a great asset to anyone! The starting bid will be set at 20,000,000 ryo!"

Haku had an awkward look on his face as he stared at the sword below. "Huh...Sasuke lost his sword during the war right? Guess we know where it ended up now."

Kimimaro nodded and let out an awkward sigh. "I wonder if Sasuke would try to buy it back?"

Izaya just shook his head amusedly. "Likely not. Sasuke can get a new one whenever he wants by paying a visit to Orochimaru. Oh? The bids gone up to 40 million ryo now. That was fast. I suppose the allure of obtaining the sword personally used by Sasuke during the war is eye catching. And to be honest the quality of the sword is of one of the highest make. I can't think of something that could actually break it except for my own sword."

The kids could only stare and continue to widen their eyes in shock as the price kept skyrocketing higher and higher until finally, someone from within another private room won it for 60 million Ryo. All the jaws on the kids simply dropped in disbelief at how insanely rich the people in the rooms were. Kaito turned to look at Kurotsuchi and asked with uncertainty, "Mom...are we actually that rich too since we're in a private room?"

Kurotsuchi awkwardly scratched the side of her cheek as she turned to look at Kimimaro for an answer. Kimimaro just shook his head. "Sorry Kaito. We're well off but not to the point where we could just spend 60 million ryo on a sword. We were allowed a private room because of our current status. Not money."

Kurotsuchi flicked Kimimaro on the forehead as she remarked, "Oi, you didn't have to be so blunt about it. Instead say something like there's no need to waste our money on a sword that we wouldn't even use."

Kimimaro gave an apologetic look and nodded as he turned his attention back to the kids. "Kaito, like your mom said. There's no need for us to waste our money on a swo-"

Kurotsuchi cut him off as she let out a sigh and placed her hand over his mouth. "Never mind. Honestly...this husband of mine…"

Everyone in the room gave an awkward smile at their dynamic but soon returned their focus on the auction. It wasn't long before the last item was placed up for auction ending the event, however as the announcer put it, to appreciate everyone's attendance they had showcased one more item. It was a completely black box that didn't seem to have any special features except for having some intricately designed patterns carved on it. The announcer even described it as being mysterious as they weren't sure of its function. In the end some person in one of the private rooms won it for 1,000,000 ryo. Izaya furrowed his brow a bit when he saw the black box but couldn't see anything odd with it so he left it alone.

By now it had gotten very late as the sky turned completely dark, however there were still lights all around illuminating the village from the festival. Izaya turned his attention to the kids. "Why don't you all turn in for the night. It's midnight now and you all have to wake up early in the morning to prepare even if the Game doesn't start until noon. You need your rest. You'll have plenty of time to enjoy the rest of the festivities on another day."

They all nodded as Zen, Kaito, Hiroshi, and Shikadai quickly took their leave. Iraia then asked, "Papa. Is it okay if Asuka and I keep walking around? We don't have to compete in the morning."

Izaya simply smiled and nodded. "Alright. That should be fine. Just don't be out too late. You still want to wake up in time to watch the Second Game right?"

Iraia and Asuka simply nodded in reply as they dashed off while Koen dashed after them shouting, "Hey! Wait for me! I'll show you guys around!"

The adults could only shake their heads in amusement at the kids before Kurotsuchi yawned. "Alright. It's getting late and as Kage I have to be up early tomorrow too for the Games."

Kimimaro nodded. "Then I'll walk you back."

"Hm? But...Maro it's fine if you want to stay. You haven't seen Izaya in awhile, right?"

Izaya just smirked. "It's fine. Kimimaro and I will have plenty of time to catch up. It's only the second day of the Games. Plus I'll be around for awhile so there's no need to rush."

Kimimaro nodded as he held onto Kurotsuchi's hands causing her to blush. "A-Alright. If you say so. Then, ahem...let's go dear."

Kimimaro nodded. "I'll see you in the morning Izaya, Haku. And it was good to see you again Hanabi, Akane."

Haku, Akane, Izaya, and Hanabi watched the two couples walk off into the night as Akane gripped Haku's arm and said excitedly, "Haku, let's go take a look at the games!"

Haku awkwardly glanced at Izaya who simply smirked in response. In a defeated sigh Haku nodded and gripped Akane's hands. "Alright. You win. Sorry Izaya, Hanabi, maybe we can hang out tomorrow. I have a score to settle with Akane."

Akane smirked as she dragged Haku away. "It's currently 3-1 you know. You need to step up your game honey."

Izaya and Hanabi just watched them slowly disappear into the crowd as Hanabi commented, "I didn't know Haku was that bad at games. With his skills as a shinobi I thought he'd be really good at them. At least the ones requiring hand-eye coordination."

Izaya glanced at Hanabi amusedly and kissed her on the temple. "Silly wife. Haku is letting Akane win. For now at least."

Hanabi raised her eyebrow curiously at Izaya's answer. "What do you mean for now?"

"Haha, well I was the one who taught Haku how to gamble. If you want to win big then you have to downplay your skills a little. Give your opponent a bit of hope. After they take the bait and think they have you on the ropes, then you go all out in the end."

Hanabi pouted at Izaya's answer. "Hmpf. I'm never gambling against you."

Izaya smirked and softly whispered in her ear. "What if the stakes are when we both win…"

Hanabi's cheeks flushed red as she immediately walked off in embarrassment. "L-Look Izaya, aren't you hungry? The okonomiyaki looks good!"

Izaya could only shake his head in amusement at Hanabi's reaction, however in the next moment he frowned as he noticed how many of the men in the crowd started eyeing Hanabi up and down. He quickly walked over and placed his arms around her shoulders pulling her right next to his frame. "Hanabi, please be a bit more aware of how attractive you are."

"Hmpf. I honestly think I should be the one telling you that." Hanabi pouted as she took note of all the women staring at Izaya with glossy eyes. They explored the festival for the next two and a half hours before deciding to turn in for the night. As they walked away from the area filled with festivities and into the much more quiet neighborhood where they were temporarily staying Izaya sensed someone approach from the shadows of an alley so he halted his steps warily.

"Izaya, what's wrong?"

"Don't move Hanabi." Izaya said as he stepped out in front of her. It was then a cloaked figure appeared before them and removed his hood prompting both Izaya and Hanabi to widen their eyes in a bit of surprise.

"Kai?" Hanabi questioned as she recognized his face.

Kai nodded and smiled amiably at her. "It's been a long time...Hanabi. More than a few years since we last saw each other."

Hanabi furrowed her brow a bit and asked, "What are you doing out here at this time of night?"

"I was just passing by when I noticed your presence. You know it's dangerous out at night. Especially with large festivals like this going on. You never know what kinds of people happen to sneak in."

Izaya frowned at Kai's wording. "You sensed Hanabi's presence? And you were hanging out in a dark alley? Why not meet us in the open?"

Kai glared at Izaya and smirked. "Right...Karasuma Izaya. You are here too."

Izaya furrowed his brow at Kai's condescending tone. "Seems you have an ulterior motive for meeting us here like this in secret where no eyes are around. So, out with it."

Kai just laughed. "Ha-Hahaha! Right. Very well. Hanabi, I don't understand why you chose to stay with this guy. I hear he leaves you alone quite often going on some sort of excursion of his. Surely you aren't happy with him. I can give you more than that. I can give you the life you want. I don't even mind that you have two kids already. Hiroshi and Iraia, I'll treat them as my own."

Hanabi narrowed her eyes in disgust and confusion. "I've never been happier in my entire life! What you're saying...is insane. What happened to you Kai? You weren't like this before."

Kai just smiled sinisterly. "So that is a no I presume? It's fine. Sometimes people just need to experience things before they realize that it's what's best for them. I'll take you away and you'll see it was everything you ever wanted."

Izaya let out a sigh as he didn't want to hear anymore of Kai's nonsense. Just as he took a step forward he widened his eyes in shock as Kai pulled out a black box. The very same black box that was sold at the auction earlier. Before Izaya could even say anything a silver black light filled the area for a split second before it disappeared along with him. Hanabi widened her eyes in panic and shock at what she had just witnessed. Just as she activated her Byakugan and was about to attack she felt a nick behind her neck in her blindspot. In mere moments she slumped to the ground unable to control her body's movements.

"K-Kai! What have you done?! Where is Izaya!"

Kai just smiled happily as he stared at Hanabi with possessive eyes of desire. "Don't worry about Izaya. I've trapped him in this box. It's known as the Dark Moon Box. It contains a powerful Sealing Jutsu on it and is made out of very special material that conceals its true nature. Complimentary work of the Otsutsuki clan."

Hanabi widened her eyes in shock. "What are you saying? Are you working in conjunction with the Otsutsuki clan? Impossible. The three that arrived on this planet were already dealt with."

Kai just laughed ignoring her questions and continued. "This box fell to this planet alongside Kaguya all those years ago. It has been lost ever since, until now that is. Izaya has been sealed away into another dimension within this Dark Moon Box. As for you Hanabi. There's a reason I stood over by the alley. It was to draw away your attention from the trap I set hidden on the opposite side of the street. Just where I knew your blindspot would be should you activate your Byakugan. With your attention focused over here the trap would be in just the right position to hit its mark. Don't worry. The serum injected in you only causes you to lose voluntary control over your body's movements. You'll still feel everything."

Hanabi felt her body tremble a bit in fear at hearing Kai's words, but she quickly calmed down as the image of Izaya filled her mind. "What are you planning to do?"

Kai licked his lips as he slowly walked closer and closer. "I'll make sure your body forgets all about him. About Izaya. Yes. Your mind will only be filled with thoughts of me. Ever since we fought together in the 4th Great Ninja War in the 2nd division there hasn't been a day that I haven't thought about you. And now, you'll finally be mine!" Just as Kai was about to grab a hold of Hanabi he felt something hard bash against his chest flinging him through the air and back into the alley he walked out from.

"Izaya!" Hanabi exclaimed as she stared at Izaya's tall handsome frame illuminated in the moonlight right before her. Tears unknowingly fell from her eyes. Izaya felt his heart throb as he quickly bent down and removed the needle in Hanabi's neck before embracing her in a tight hug.

"I'm sorry Hanabi. I didn't mean to return so late."

Hanabi shook her head. "It's not your fault. You got back just in time. I was so scared that something bad had happened to you." She did her best to calm down her emotions and continued, "I knew you'd come back though. I believed in you. I always will."

Izaya felt his heart ache a bit and nodded. "Of course I will. You're the most precious person in the entire world to me. Can you move?"

"No. He used some sort of immobilizing poison. He prepared all of this in advance. Be careful Izaya. He said that that black box of his came with Kaguya all those years ago. I don't know how he knows."

Izaya frowned at Hanabi's words and quickly raised his hand catching several more poisoned darts aimed right at him. He then infused his chakra into the needles and shot them back from the direction they came.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Instantly the device they were fired from were destroyed. Izaya furrowed his brow as he commented, "Scientific ninja tools that can fire projectiles via remote control. And highly toxic needle coated poisons that even I don't recognize. I heard from Sasuke awhile back about an underground drug problem that was happening around the world along with trade of many illegal substances and weapons. Kai, don't tell me you're affiliated with this?" He gently leaned Hanabi against a wooden pillar he made with his Wood Style as he turned back to the alley where Kai had gotten up from.

"Now now Izaya. No need to jump to conclusions. You've been a thorn in my side since the day we've met, but to think that you'd be able to escape the prison I obtained just for you? Tell me...how did you do it? Even with your Flying Thunder God Jutsu you shouldn't be able to jump dimensions. There's no way you should have been able to escape the Dark Moon Box."

Izaya narrowed his eyes in focus and wariness at Kai. "It appears your information on me is outdated. How did you know about this Box? Even I wasn't aware of what it was or what it does. And how did you know it arrived here on this planet alongside Kaguya? Where did you get your information from? You couldn't have found out all of this on your own. Who do you work for? And where did you obtain these scientific ninja tools and poisons?"

Kai just growled with anger and dashed out at Izaya trying to kill him. Izaya simply frowned and easily avoided all of Kai's attacks before quickly kicking him in the side causing Kai to crash into the wall of the alley. Before Kai could make another move Izaya bound him in his Wood Style.

"It's fine if you won't answer me. I have plenty of ways to obtain the information I want with or without your cooperation." However, before Izaya could take a step closer to Kai he quickly turned around and used the sheath of Muramasa to parry and deflect a barrage of shuriken that was aimed at him from the distance. After successfully deflecting the last shuriken he took note of two cloaked figures on the roof of a building off in the distance. One wore a red blindfold and the other a mask. As he quickly glanced back in Kai's direction he widened his eyes in shock noting that two shuriken had pierced and killed him.

Incredible! I wasn't only defending myself from the barrage of shuriken but I was careful to make sure that none of them hit Kai as well. To be able to get two shuriken past me...exactly who are they? They definitely aren't ordinary that's for sure.

Before Izaya could say anything the one in a mask spoke up, "Our apologies 6th Hokage. If that man has offended you in any way please note that his actions tonight do not reflect on us."

The man in the red blindfold spoke next. "He has been punished accordingly. We will take our leave."

Izaya frowned and shouted, "Wait!" However he glanced over at Hanabi and stopped himself from giving chase as the two mysterious individuals disappeared in the dark cover of the night.

"Izaya...forget about me. I'll be fine. Those people seem like bad news. They'll get away if you don't go after th-"

Izaya clenched his fist as he leaned down by her side and kissed her lips with angry passion. "Be quiet Hanabi. You still can't move yet. You're making me angry at how you're belittling your life right now. Would you leave me all alone if I was immobile here in the darkness?"

Hanabi realized her mistake and quickly apologized. "Sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I was just worried since they seemed too suspicious."

"Mn. It's good that you understand but I won't let you off that easily."

It was then that one of the shuriken puffed in a plume of white smoke revealing a piece of paper prompting Izaya to raise his eyebrow in curiosity.

"The Transformation Jutsu?"

He picked up the piece of paper and unfolded it reading the one word written on it.

"Kara."

Hanabi frowned. "What does that mean?"

Izaya furrowed his brow in seriousness. "I don't know..."