Chapter 15: Rescues and Funerals part 1

This in not my book BUT I have asked for permission from the author but he still hasn't replied if anyone can get in touch with him let him know if he wants me to I can remove it from here

go check out the book at https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13466952/2/Reincarnation-How-Absurd-The-Story-of-Kenta-Yamanaka-Book-1

We're back! Happy Monday! Hopefully this chapter will be the boost you need to get through your long day! I wanted to get this chapter out sooner, but my concentration this weekend was just piss pour and I didn't want to deliver a sub-par chapter for you all.

The long awaited retrieval mission is finally here, I hope you all enjoy the twists and spins I put on this overdone, tired mission to try and bring something new and different while keeping to the main core/idea surrounding this epic shift in the canon storyline. The lineup is different, the leader is different, and the fights are different. If you don't like it, I'm truly sorry. As I said, I'm attempting to create a story that is both new and fresh, while keeping to the canon storyline as much as possible with all the changes I've made.

With all that being said, I'm really excited for you to read this and see what you all think!

Only one more chapter remains after this one and then we jump right into Part 2!

Ami's Bae poll will close once chapter 16 posted! You have anywhere from 1 to 3 days, depending on how inspiration strikes me for the final chapter of part 1!

Let's get to it :D

My eyes snapped open and I shot out of bed, simultaneously reaching for the kunai I kept close at all times. Eyes darted around the room and I stretched my senses out, noticing no one in the immediate vicinity. I locked onto the large chakra signature at the front of my house at the same time that the urgent banging that had initially jolted me from my sleep echoed once more. I relaxed just ever so slightly and made my way to the front door. I vaguely noticed that no one else was in the house. I knew Kono was staying with a friend, but where the heck were my mom and dad.

I opened the front door and was greeted by the sight of an ANBU agent nearly nose to mask with me. They quickly averted their gaze and took a step back.

"Ah, Chunin Yamanaka, Lord Fifth requires you in his office immediately." The ANBU rattled off. I noticed their voice was distinctly male, yet sounded quite young. Maybe only a year or two older than me.

"I've never met an ANBU agent who could get flustered before. Do you have any way of identification, Mister ANBU? I don't quite feel comfortable being one on one at" I glanced at the clock and scowled "0400 with a potential imposter." I stated, rather annoyed at the time.

"Oh, um, well you see. I have this. But, uh…" And as he pulled out his identification card he pointed down. That's when I noticed I hadn't bothered to put a single article of clothing on before answering the door. I was as naked as the day I came into the world. I verified the seal on his identification labeling him as one of Lord Fifth's personal ANBU and handed it back to him.

"Well, Parrot, I suggest if you want to make it as ANBU, you don't blush like a virgin on seeing the body of Konoha's hottest bachelor. It isn't very professional and doesn't really scream 'potential assassin' if you ask me. Please let Lord Fifth know that I will be in his office in 3 minutes."

Parrot took back his card and nodded rapidly before disappearing into the night. I shut the door and laughed to myself. Poor kid, I hope he isn't so fresh that he'll make the mistake of telling his teammates. They'll never let him live that one down.

***************************Konoha's Number 1 Bachelor**********************************

I frowned as I stared at my military commander, he returned my gaze with a completely unreadable neutral expression. Annoying. I hated how I couldn't read a damn thing on Lord Fifth's face. He was too good at this!

"So, let me get this straight one last time. It's 0500 and I still haven't had my coffee so you'll have to forgive my lack of sharp wits this morning, Lord Fifth." I said rubbing my temples. The headache had started the second I walked through the door and continued to get worse by the second. "Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha left the village at midnight?"

"That is correct." His monotone reply came.

"A newly promoted Chunin and his Genin teammate were able to just waltz out of our village and we didn't find out about it until they had been gone over three hours?" I asked in disbelief. What the hell was the barrier squad doing? That explains where dad and mom were this morning.

"The simple answer? Yes. The long answer? No. My brother has been taking his lessons with me quite serious. He was able to place illusions on all the right people to ensure they didn't raise any alarms until they had a sizeable head start." Lord Fifth shook his head in exasperation.

"I understand, I guess, why Sakura would feel the need to seek out Orochimaru. Her seal is much more advanced than Anko's, so doubt about the truth of this second stage would trouble her. Why Sasuke though? I know he cares about her, but to go through all this trouble to help her out… Something else is going on." I mused out loud.

Lord Fifth sighed. "You do your rank and clan proud, but give me more personal trouble."

I looked up at him. "What do you mean, Lord Fifth? You know something, don't you?"

He nodded. "I promised myself I wouldn't make the same mistakes as Lord Third. One of them being keeping unnecessary secrets, being so convinced that my solution was the one and only. Sasuke came to the conclusion, and I had to agree with him, however begrudgingly, that this was all the beginnings of a trap to lure Sasuke to him."

"So you sprung it early." I concluded. "Why though? Sasuke and Sakura are strong, yes. But this is Orochimaru. We have no idea what plans within plans he has."

"I trust them." Lord Fifth replied simply. "I had to take that leap of faith. The determination and Will of Fire they both showed convinced me to let them go. If I cannot trust my troops, we are doomed from the beginning."

"Understood, sir. Then may I ask why I'm here?" I saluted.

"We may have sprung the trap, but we still have to play our part." He replied ominously. "I trust the two of them, and I believe in them, but as you put it, Orochimaru is one of the most cunning and sly opponents on the planet. We have to give them every advantage they can have."

"Meaning what, sir?" I asked, the ominous feeling in my stomach growing by the second.

"We have to fight tooth and nail to get them back. I will send a retrieval team after them that you will lead. You are the only one allowed to know the truth. The rest will think that they are going after two comrades who abandoned their village." He told me truthfully.

My insides burned. "I mean no disrespect, Lord Fifth, but you are doing to Sasuke and Sakura exactly what Lord Third did to you, are you not?" I hissed, barely containing my anger.

He nodded his head. "In a sense. I make the village believe that they are traitors so that they may infiltrate one of our village's greatest enemies? Is that what you mean?"

I nodded, unable to trust my voice.

"Had that been my original mission, I would have taken it with a smile on my face. Sasuke and Sakura are leaving the village labeled as missing nin for the sake of a top-secret mission. I left my village for a top-secret mission with the label traitor AND kin slayer. I brutally murdered innocent men, women and children before fleeing into the night. Sasuke and Sakura tricked a few guards and left. To me, that doesn't seem at all like the mission I was given. Does it seem similar to you?" He asked, eyes hard and voice cold.

I shook my head. "No, Lord Fifth. Forgive my impudence. I just worry for my friends. They're not even a year out of the academy and they're infiltrating one of the most dangerous person on the planet's base. I'm much better suited for this type of mission and just the thought daunts even me." The feelings of fear, guilt, and simmering anger warring with each other.

"I understand. Do not think for a moment I didn't hate every single word that came out of my mouth when I gave them this mission. It was the first of many hard decisions I will have to make as Hokage. However, I will put my faith in them. Do you know why?"

I shook my head once more. Mind still spinning.

"Because they asked me to do this." His voice softening a bit.

I locked eyes with the youngest Kage in mild shock. "They did?"

He nodded. "Well, Sakura did. She wants to prove her worth and loyalty to the village. Regardless if the team sent by Orochimaru was lying or not, she wanted to take this mission and prove to herself and her peers her strength. Sasuke couldn't let his woman go on such a dangerous mission alone." He smirked at the end, causing much of the tension I'd been feeling to ease.

I smiled slightly. "Then, I must help them succeed in any way that I can. Tell me what I must do, Lord Fifth."

He smiled and bent over his desk, profiles of his troops scattered about. We spent the next 30 minutes quickly making plans. Minute by minute the apprehension crawled back into my shoulders. If I made one wrong move I could lay suspicion at my comrade's feet. If I did that, they may never make it home to clear their names as living shinobi.

**********************************Kenta in Serious Mode*********************************

I eyed the team that had been assembled especially for this retrieval mission. Each person had been briefed the same story we were going to tell the public. Sakura Haruno became a missing ninja in order to unlock the potential of the seal on her neck. She had kept hidden the whispers of power that had been growing with increasing volume. Sasuke Uchiha attempted to stop her single handedly but was then forced to join in on abandoning his village in exchange for Sakura's life. It sounded weak in my mind, but with Anko's cursing about how she should have known, it helped bring a certain credibility to the story.

The plan was simple. Lord Fifth had one of his raven's follow the group since their departure. We were to rendezvous with the summoned animal and it would guide us right to the enemy team. I was confident in the team we had put together. Our generations best and brightest. Each had a skillset that was complementary to the team, yet each could hold their own in a one on one fight.

Naruto Uzumaki, Fú, Neji Hyuga, Rock Lee, Ami Kogure and Myself. All capable of the long distance speed we would have to maintain in order to gain on the enemy. I glanced at our 6th member who had a special assignment. Haku Yuki would be traveling with us about halfway before breaking off for his own unique mission. During their escape, the Oto group encountered a team of Konoha ninja are their way back from an S-Rank mission. Tired and injured, they were able to not only hold up the enemy team for over an hour, but forced them to show their full strength in order to eventually overpower and defeat them. The delay would be just enough for our group to catch up and intercept.

The worry in my stomach was tenfold though after hearing who the two Konoha Jonin were. Raido Namiashi and Genma Shiranui. Our team 11 captain was gravely wounded just hours away from home. The rational part of my mind knew that Sakura and Sasuke weren't actually missing ninja and that they didn't raise a hand against their comrades, but the irrational side of me wanted to beat them to within an inch of their life for letting it happen in front of them. Haku must have sensed the worry from team 11 for he spoke up first.

"Naruto, Ami, Kenta. I promise that I will do everything in my power to stabilize your captain and his teammate. My education is basic, and I just became Tsunade's apprentice, but my job is to redner basic first aid while an experienced team of medics is assembled and a guard is rounded up for them. If the worst should happen, I have stasis scrolls for both of them. Please, focus on your mission. You cannot afford to let your minds wander. You opponents were strong enough to take down two special jonin. Two special Jonin that were tired and injured, but still neither of them weak." His soft and kind voice reassured us. It helped me, and by the looks of mild relief on Naruto and Ami's faces it probably helped them as well. I nodded and steeled myself.

"Haku is right. Game faces, ladies and gentleman. Lord Fifth's raven got some valuable Intel from that fight. We have basic information on each of the opponent's we are likely to face. You were all selected for your ability to counter at least one of the opponents. Now, let's move out! Even with the little over an hour Genma and Raido were able to buy us, our enemy still has a four-hour head start. Let's move! We have no time to waste. We bring Sasuke and Sakura back, kicking and screaming if we have to!

And with that, the 6 of us bolted into the trees, the mad dash to intercept our enemy before they crossed the borders was on.

*************************************Boom Boom**************************************

We had been running at a steady pace for nearly 7 hours now. Haku had left us 4 hours ago, with more assurances that Genma and Raido would be alive and well, awaiting our successful return. I had called multiple short breaks to ensure we didn't end up in a fight with an exhausted team. Neji suddenly called out in alarm.

"I see them! 1km at our 12 o-clock. They seem to be resting and have yet to notice our approach." He talked quickly but quietly. I called a halt.

"Neji, do you see Sakura and Sasuke?" I asked.

He squinted his eyes, focusing his Byakugan. "I see Sasuke, but I see no sign of Sakura. There is a barrel though that my Byakugan cannot pierce. If I had to guess, I would say she is in there."

I nodded and thought for a moment. I quickly devised a plan and relayed it to my team. Everyone agreed and we made our move.

**********************************Operation Begin**************************************

"Dynamic Entry!" Lee's voice cried out, leg making contact with the large Orange haired teen's head. The fatty was thrown back several feet and Lee made a quick retreat.

"Fire Release: Fanning Flame Formation!"

"Wind Release: Fanning Flame Formation!"

Naruto and Ami released the combination technique the two had been working on for weeks. Ami uses the 'Phoenix Flower Technique' and blankets an area, while Naruto's 'Breakthrough' technique fans the flames and increase the melon sized fireballs into much larger and dangerous ones. The results were as intended. The rest of those in the camp scattered.

'Yamanaka Clan Technique: Mind-Body Disturbance' I thought to myself, taking aim at the androgynous looking pale skinned male. As soon as the technique connected I knew something was off. I attempted to force him to stab the 6-armed male directly in his line of sight. Only half his body seemed to cooperate. I quickly ended my technique, knowing it was a waste of chakra at this point.

"What the absolute shit, Kidomaru?! I thought you said you could detect anyone in a 1km radius with that gross butt thread you release!" A crimson haired woman screamed out.

The large teen had recovered and regrouped with his teammates. "Now Tayuya that is no way for a lady to talk." His bass voice rumbled.

"Fuck you, Fat Ass! You got taken out too fast. You need to train more!" She yelled at the mammoth teen.

Naruto's eyes glazed over and a flash of… something was there and gone within the same instant. His mouth dropped open and he pointed at the crimson haired potter mouth.

"YOU! You're an Uzumaki!" He screamed. The entire clearing went silent.

The girl paused only a moment before sneering. "Listen, kid. Not everyone with red hair is an Uzumaki. I'm an orphan. No last name, no past, no history."

"No, I know you are an Uzumaki. My blood is calling to you! My name is Naruto Uzumaki, son of Kushina Uzumaki, grandson of Korinna Uzumaki, the last Uzukage of Uzushio! I'm the last line of the royals. I know you're an Uzumaki. It's my bloodline. Your blood sings to me, and I can hear it. Your blood sings loud, you're nearly pure blooded!" He said, voice laced with an authority and confidence I didn't know the boy possessed.

"Naruto, how do you know this? You never mentioned a bloodline. Was it in your grandmother's journal?" Ami asked in concern. The boy shook his head.

"Remember that day I asked Kenta what sensing felt like? What he described didn't help me, but I felt the faint singing in my blood that day. An Uzumaki was leaving Konoha that day, I just didn't know what it was at the time. Now, staring this girl in the face? It's just… I don't know how to explain how I know, I just do. It's like an instinct or something." He explained, brow furrowed.

"Well regardless how you know, it's irrelevant. She is an enemy and a subordinate to Orochimaru. She's a dead woman walking." I growled out.

"NO!" Naruto yelled, surprising me. "I mean, please, Kenta. Let's capture her, let Anko and Aunt Tori question her. Anything. I cannot let you kill my clan member though without a valid reason. For all we know she could be being blackmailed or forced to work for him."

I was about to agree before the dumb woman opened her mouth. "Psh. As if, dumbass! I willingly work for Master Orochimaru. He's given me power, in return I serve as one of his high lieutenants. We are the sound four! I am Tayuya of the North!" She boasted proudly.

"Jirobo of the South" Fatty said calmly.

"Kidomaru of the East" 6-arms states.

"And I am Sakon of the West." The pale boy stated with a smirk.

I looked at Naruto, and his eyes were pleading. "Very well." I spoke quietly to my team only. "Listen, Naruto really wants to capture this girl and bring her back with us. I say it's stupid, however she is a higher up in Orochimaru's troops. We can probably get valuable information from her. If we can, capture her alive. The rest, I want their bodies cold and stiff by sunset. We cannot allow such dangerous opponents to live and potentially hurt us in the future." My entire team nodded in agreement. Naruto discreetly passed out charkra suppressant seals, paralysis seals, and prisoner transport scrolls to the team. It seems the sound four were done waiting and playing games with us.

"Earth Release Barrier: Earth Prison Dome of Magnificent Nothingness!" The large teen called out, hands palm down on the earth. Before any of us could react, we were engulfed in darkness.

"Cocky brats. Jirobo, you stay here and drain them dry. We will continue on. Meet up with us once you are finished." Kidomaru order. Jirobo nodded and focused back on the dome of earth.

"Shit." I hissed out. I stretched my senses and cursed again. Every inch of this place was laced with enough chakra to block out my senses entirely. Naruto withdrew a seal and activated it. A small but surprisingly bright light covered every inch of the dome. "This dome is sucking our chakra at an impressive rate. Within 10 minutes those of us who aren't a Jinchuriki will more than likely be at dangerous levels. We need a plan and fast. Fú, Lee, see if you can break out."

They both nodded and each went to a side of the dome and hit it for all they were worth. Both put sizeable dents but the wall repaired itself almost instantly. I nodded to myself, theory confirmed.

"Neji, this Jirobo was last sighted here" I pointed to the direction I mean. "Focus all your efforts and see if you can verify his position. Naruto, do you have a seal that you can use on these walls that won't be drained immediately and can do some type of damage to it?"

Naruto nodded and smiled brightly. "You bet I do! I just finished developing this a few weeks ago. It's a breech seal. You place it, and pumped a quick burst of chakra into it manually. The seal will then boost the amount and fire off a concentrated blast at the back of the tag."

I smiled in triumph and turned to Neji. He had a look of complete concentration and then nodded. "I can barely make him out, but I managed to find him."

"Naruto, give Neji the tag. Neji, place the tag directly where his head is located. Then stand back and rest your eyes. Naruto, on three, detonate that tag and pull the hand back if you don't want a hole through it." I order. Both boys complied, Neji placed the tag about 2m off the ground. "Naruto, you ready?"

The boy nodded. "Whatever you're planning, if I get injured I'll heal in time. Just say when."

"On three then." I said and withdrew a senbon. This one was slightly different than the ones I typically use to administer my poisons. It was longer, thicker, and best of all? Chakra conductive metal.

"One"

Naruto placed his hand on the seal, I molded my chakra.

"Two"

Naruto held up a half ram seal and closed his eyes. I converted my chakra and directed it to the piece of metal I was holding. The lightning chakra began to spark dangerously in my hand.

"Three!"

"Detonate!" Naruto called out as I hurled the electrically charged senbon right where the tag used to be. The results were instantaneous. A large, concentrated explosion blew out the back of the tag, the smallest light of the sun peeking through. A cry of surprise and pain was cut off quicker than the tiny hole could repair itself. The result was instant. The chakra in the air that had been interfering with my sensing quickly receded. I nodded at Fú and with an effortless punch, she tore right through the dome of earth. We stepped back out into the light.

The orange haired boy was on the ground. A perfectly circular hole had been drilled directly between his eyes. He lay flat on his back, eyes lifeless and unblinking stared towards the canopy of trees. A pool of blood was slowly gathering where he lay. I looked around at my team, gauging their chakra levels. Lee was the only one who had been affected. His Chakra was abysmal but was steadily growing. It amazes me how quick some medics are to give up on people because it's "just like the other cases." I threw a pill at him.

"Eat that. It's a special Yamanaka recipe. It still tastes like butt, but it's less harsh on your body. It stimulates your body's natural ability to recover chakra. Unlike the solider pill which loads your body with neutral chakra, causing strain on your pathways." I said absently, looking around the clearing and trying to ascertain where the enemy fled to.

"That is quite impress, Lt Kenta. Why are these not available to the general public?" Neji asked politely.

I couldn't help the small smile that formed at being called Lieutenant. It was a nice feeling, one I could get used to. "They're made from rare and exotic plants. The supply is much smaller than the demand. We reserve them for the Hokage to distribute to his troops for high ranking priority missions." Was the short reply. He nodded at the brief answer, understanding dawning on his face. It meant missions like these. Where time was of the essence and it needed to be done yesterday. I finally caught the faintest lingering of chakra from the direction we were originally moving. It seems as though they were also in a race against time. I tossed one of the special pills to each of my team members. "Use them if you need to. It'll keep you going for 24 hours straight, but your body will crash afterwards. Solider pills can last up to 3, but going that long on those will leave you hospitalized for at least a week. These you just need a good night's sleep. Now, the enemy seems to be in a rush. They're continuing on the same path, fleeing as quickly as possible to Rice Paddy Country. We have less than three hours to finish our mission before they cross the border. If they are able to do that, our mission is a failure as we have no clearance to be in another countries territory. Let's move!

**********************************Go, Go Kenta Rangers!********************************

Though we had initially started to gain our opponents, our presence didn't go unnoticed this time and our way forward was being hampered. More and more sticky, white threads began to box us in and limit our movements the closer we got. We eventually burst through a particularly dense section of canopy only to be caught, midair in the enemies trap.

"Well, well, well. The little insects took care of Jirobo quicker than expected. It's no matter, he was by far the weakest member. I, Kidomaru, will be your opponent. You cannot escape my threads once you're in their grasp. I'm going to hold you here before finishing you off. I've been told I play with my food too much, but we have the time now." The 4 armed boy stepped out of the shadows and onto a branch high in the air, cocky smirk planted firmly in place. His eyes widened though as the 5 of us gracefully fell to the branch just below us. Neji had easily cut through the threads, and the threads surrounding Fú just seemed to snap.

"I will take him on. We have no time to delay. Go, now. I am the only one who can see his threads and cut them with ease." Neji stated with confidence. I opened my mouth to agree before Fú cut me off.

"Neji, you go with them. This little spider needs a lesson on who the apex predator of the insectoid kingdom is." Fú spoke up in a serious tone.

"But Lady Fú, my Byagukan-"

"Is a valuable tool the team still needs. Chomei's chakra is corrosive to his threads. They cannot even hold me. I'm the better opponent." She spoke up, eyes blazing. "Though the species of insects known as the Dynastinae are generally harmless and complete herbivores, they're the strongest insect in the world. Some species being able to life 850 times their own weight."

Well, that explains the super strength I thought with slight fear for the petite girl. I was about to protest and order Neji to fight and then I remembered Lord Fifth's words. Sometimes you have to put your personal feelings aside and trust your troops.

"Fú, are you 100% confident that you can take him?" I asked, boyfriend mode out the door, right now I was asking as her commanding officer.

She turned towards me and smiled brightly before giving me a quick kiss. "Absolutely. Chomei and I will squash this spider and rejoin the group before you know it."

I mulled the decision over once more before nodding and turning to Neji. "Fú can handle him. Plus, I think your abilities are better suited for the remaining two. Let's trust Fú and move on."

Neji agreed hesitantly before taking off with Naruto and Ami after they wished Fú luck. My eyes followed them before turning back to Fú.

"Listen to me Fú. He's a lieutenant in Orochimaru's army. Do not ever underestimate him until his heart stops beating. Come back to me, safe and sound. That's an order." I tried smiling at the end but it came out as more of a grimace.

Fú was able to flash that blinding smile at me and wink. "Trust me, Lt Kenta. I don't need a knight in shining armor to save me. It's nice, but I'd much rather prefer to stand side by side with my knight. I'll come back to you, I swear it." Her eyes blazed with such a fiery determination it took everything in my power not to grab her and whisk her away to a dark corner right there.

"Then kick his ass. You don't want to miss the rest of us beating down the rest of these idiots." I said, able to slightly smile this time. She nodded and turned her full attention back to her opponent. I took off after my teammates.

****************************Fú Bae Gunna Kick Spidey's Ass********************************

Fú met her opponent's eyes and snarled. Her chakra thrummed just beneath the surface, ready to answer her call. The 6-armed boy smiled confidently at her.

"Why did you just allow my teammates to continue on? I thought you said you were to hold us as long as possible." The kind voice of Fú was replaced by the hardened voice of a Kunoichi of Konoha.

He shrugged. "Once I'm done playing with you, I now have the back of your teammates. I can pick them off while they engage my other teammates. It's a win in my book." He then began to change slightly. Twisting and intertwining lines began to cover the boy from head to toe. Fú's scowl deepened, knowing he was activating his curse mark. The boy slammed both hands on the ground and a plume of smoke erupted above Fú.

"Summoning Technique: Kyodaigumo!"

A spider larger than a wagon appeared and began to rain down 1000s of tiny spiders. The smaller spiders began to unleash their silky threads over the entire area. Kidomaru smirked as he watch Fú and the entire area became a giant trap. He dismissed his summon as she wasn't exactly a battle type. The field was set, this match was over. Kidomaru smirked in victory. His confidence was short lived though as a worried frown replaced his grin of triumph. As he watch, the 1000s of threads that had covered and trapped the girl simply fell away as if burnt. Normal fire wasn't usually enough to burn his threads as his chakra saturated them.

"As I said, my chakra is corrosive to your threads. The second they make contact with my skin, they erode away. Hopefully you aren't a one trick pony or this battle is already over." The mint haired girl called. Not boasting, plain truth. Kidomaru scowled before his eyes widening in alarm. A thick and fast moving strand of the own girls thread was within striking distance. He dodged to the side and felt a sense of panic in his gut. The girl was now smirking, hand held on the monkey seal.

"Water Release: Water Whip!" Fú called out, the whip of water lashing out with blinding speeds. She had aimed it right where Kidomaru was escaping from her previous technique. The whip snaked around the teen's wrist and with a powerful tug, he was sent rocketing directly towards Fú.

Fú cocked her arm back and with inhuman speeds sent her fist crashing into the 6-armed boy's face. The sound of cartilage breaking and bones grinding was her reward. Just as quickly as he was pulled towards Fú, he was now rocketing back, crashing painfully into the trunk of a large Oak.

"It's a shame really." Came Fú's voice from much further than Kidomaru was expecting. "You thought because you have that abomination on your neck from Orochimaru that it meant you were special. If you had still only realized you were nothing more than a common house spider, you may yet live to see tomorrow. A non-threat to humans, you made the mistake of thinking you were a predator spider, when in fact, you hide in the dark and feed on the weak." Fú's eyes were blazing and her voice was hard as iron. "I am the Jinchuriki of the 7-tailed Beetle. Though Chomei was given the appearance of a giant Atlas Beetle, she is in fact queen of ALL insects. You sealed your fate when you thought you were tough enough to play with your food."

Kidomaru scowled and began to chew the webbing in his mouth. He spit it out and watched as it instantly hardened. Each of his 6 arms grabbing the hilt of a sword that was as strong as steel. Let's see how this little girl liked it when this spider grew fangs.

Fú charged and closed the distance rapidly. The spider and beetle began a deadly dance of flashing swords and crushing punches and kicks. Kidomaru was clearly skilled, even in hand to hand combat, if the multitude of small cuts that had quickly began to build up was any indication. Fú scowled. She had to be patient. Her biggest weakness was getting frustrated and making a hasty move instead of waiting for the opening she wanted.

Fú waited, doing her best to dodge and block all the attacks. They were quickly overpowering her. Those blade seeming to come from impossible directions. She perservered, the tiny cuts were nothing she couldn't handle. Finally, her opening arrived and she jumped on it. Kidomaru seeing his own opening lunged for a finishing move. All 6 blades thrusting forward. Fú inhaled and when she exhaled, a small but just as effective cloud of her 'Scale Powder' erupted in the spider's face. Kidomaru screamed and hastily abandoned his attack. The sound of whistling air was his only indication and he brought all six swords up in a hasty guard. His confidence in his creations durability was quickly shattered. A sound similar to an entire tree being snapped in half echoed around the clearing. Fú's kick was so strong that it snapped all 6 swords as effortlessly as one would break a pencil. Spit and blood erupted from the teen spider's mouth as her foot drove dangerously deep into his chest. His ribs screamed in protest and his lungs cried out as all the air was forcefully expelled from them. He once again crashed painfully against unforgiving wood, his ribs taking even more damage at the impact.

Fú exhaled and spit out a few small strands of her own sticky thread to some of the more severe cuts on her exposed skin. The threads bound the wounds shut and her potent chakra began to slowly heal the damage. A new ability Fú had discovered, it allowed herself or any ally touching her thread to slowly be healed. It was this ability that had Lady Shizune so interested in taking her on as her own apprentice. She went on for hours about how to incorporate those threads in battle, most of it went over Fú's head. The only thing that really stuck was that Lady Shizune, a powerful Jonin in her own right, wanted her as a student. Even in the heat of battle, Fú smiled brightly.

"Che. You're stronger than I thought little girl. I never thought some pre-teen kid would push me to my second stage, but I can't afford to lose here. It's time the spider show the beetle that it is in fact the greater predator." Kidomaru's pained but cocky reply came.

Fú puffed out her cheecks. "Pre-Teen?! I'm 14, almost 15 you ass!" She shouted in outrage.

"Wait? You're my age?! You look like you're barely old enough to be out past dark." Kidomaru taunted.

"Wait… you're MY age? You look like you're 30! I'd rather look young than like an old man before I even finished puberty." Fú laughed loudly, Kidomaru's face flushing in anger. His appearance once again began to change, but this time the results were much more noticeable. Fú gasped as where there once stood a teen, there was now a real-life monster standing across from her.

"The real hunt begins now, little girl!" He called as he jumped back, deep into the shadow of the trees. Fú went on high alert and began to pursue the boy. It was only Chomei's warning that saved the girl from having her heart pierced by the thick, golden shaped object that had come blitzing from the shadows. She turned and saw that it was a poorly, yet no less deadly crafted arrow.

"I knew he was a distance fighter. This is why I told Neji I would take him on. Neji has no distance attacks, but I do." Fú said allowed to herself as she began to weave the hand seals she'd need. Thankful that as they approached closer and closer to Rice Paddy, the humidity increased to almost unbearable levels. It would make her next attack cost a lot less.

Fú would admit that Kenta's mastery over water was absolutely breathtaking, especially for still being 13 years old. However, where Kenta had the finesses, Fú had the chakra to cover the difference and then some. It would be a long time before Kenta was near Fú's level of water techniques.

"Water Release: Water Hail!" Fú called out. The water in the atmosphere coallased, and soon hundreds of bullet sized water balls began bombarding the area in front of the girl. Trees and branches snapped and fell to the earth by the dozens. Fú continued her attack, the wide-spread destruction hopefully keeping the monstrosity busy.

"Fú! I sense him up ahead. He's dodging your water easily. He seems to have tiny threads spread out, the vibrations give him warning where your attacks are coming from. Let's close the distance with 'that' technique and finish him off!" Chomei's voice echoed in Fú's head.

Fú gathered the easily offered chakra from her lifelong friend. Four rainbow colored wings burst from her back and she easily lifted herself into the air. While other Jinchuriki seemed to grow tails when accessing large quantitites of bijuu chakra. Fú's shaped themselves into wings, ability to fly and all. She made the required seals and charged.

"Water Release: Flying Horn Charge!" A lance of pure, condensed water covered Fú from shoulder to hand. The pointed tip extended another 5ft past her fingertips. She barreled forward, pure destruction followed in her wake.

Fú's meager sensing abilities were boosted to acceptable levels when accessing Chomei's chakra. It was the only reason she wasn't already dead. The Spider Monstrostity kept up a veritable rain of arrows. One after another, pushing Fú's aerial mobility to levels she had never been pushed to before. Finally, the spider was in her sights. His eyes widened momentarily before he smirked. He let go of the largest arrow so far. Faster and stronger than the others, Fú was barely able to dodge it from this distance… Or so she thought. White, hot, searing pain tore through Fú's shoulder. She cried out in pain, almost losing her concentration. Kenta's smiling face flashed in her mind and she pushed through it.

With a cry of defiance, Fú shoved the lance of water directly towards the boy's heart. A think, golden plate of armor quickly formed a protective casing around the boy's torso, but it was for nothing. The Bijuu chakra enhanced water technique slid into the golden carapace like a hot knife through butter. The boy screamed in agony only momentarily before the lance burst out the other side of his body. He was thrown back by Fú's momentum alone and was sent crashing to the ground, unmoving.

Fú, fighting back tears, barely held her concentration together long enough to safely hover her way to the forest floor. Kenta's advice kept replaying in her mind. She stumbled over towards the boy, already her threads were slowly making a loose cocoon around her body. She knelt down next to the boy. The curse mark had faded. His eyes were open and staring in pain and surprise. Fú checked his pulse and found… nothing. She smiled to herself.

She then managed to make it to the base of a large Oak. It's canopy wide enough to allow rays of warm sunlight to bathe her in their comfort. The threads began to weave themselves around her tighter and anchoring themselves to the beautiful Oak tree. A single thought floated through her mind before she gave herself over to the pain and exhaustion.

'Sorry, Kenta. I won't be able to keep my promise. You all will have to finish the mission without me.'

*********************************Fú Bae Smashing Spiders********************************

I jumped through the canopy in hot pursuit of the sound 4, now 2. I kept my senses on high alert, but my mind was elsewhere. That didn't last long as I cuffed upside the head by an irritated Naruto.

"Stop worrying and have faith in Fú, moron. She's strong, ya know? She's probably the strongest member of this squad." Naruto's irritated voice scolded.

I scowled at my brother. "I'm not worrying and I have complete faith in her." I growled back. "And hit me again and I'll take your hand."

"I call bull." Naruto said immediately, unperturbed by my threat. "If you actually believe that, your mind wouldn't be off in space. You have no faith in your girlfriend, and if she finds out, I'm running for the hills."

I do have faith, I!" Ami cut me off this time.

"Naruto is right, Kenta. Fú is strong. She almost beat Sasuke in a single hit, and that was without using Chomei even the littest amount. She's going to win. She promised you, right?" Ami smiled at me in reassurance.

I took a deep breath. They were, of course, right. I didn't want to admit it, especially to Naruto. He'll brag for weeks when I'm wrong and he's right.

"You're right. Both of you." I shot Naruto a 'don't you dare look.' His answering evil smile was answer enough. Weeks. "I can't do anything but have faith. We have a mission. Fú will defeat her opponent and join us soon enough." Naruto and Ami both smiled brightly at me before returning to their spots. I took a last deep breath and accepted my words. A small tension left my shoulders. Yeah, Fú probably was the strongest person here. Naruto was making some progress with Kyubi, but Fú and Chomei were in perfect sync.

"Look sharp. Sasuke was just transferred the barrel and the pale skinned boy is waiting up ahead. Sasuke and the girl are continuing on." Neji's voice called out in complete control. I nodded at the boy, he turned off his eyes for a quick break and I focused my senses, feeling for any traps.

We touched down across from the androgynous youth and assessed the situation. It was true, the red haired Uzumaki girl and Sasuke were quickly escaping. I glanced at Neji who nodded. He got into his battle stance and the rest of us continued on our way. The pale boy tried to intercept us, but Neji was there delivering a punishing chakra laced palm strike. The boy retreated and squared off against Neji with a scowl. Lee, Ami, Naruto and I continued on.

*************Seriously Sakon Got SO lucky he didn't have to fight Neji in Canon*******************

Neji eyed the boy without his eyes activated. "I've noticed something strange with your chakra since the moment I saw your group. What are you?" He asked in a blunt tone.

"Just a simple boy. You may refer to me as Sakon. I will be your executioner today." Sakon haughtily replied.

Neji nodded in acceptance. He would figure it out on his own. He charged while simultaneously activating his Byagukan. The two boys exchanged a lightning fast bout of skilled hand to hand combat. Sakon frowned, noticing the small bruises that adorned his arms, as well as the slight tingle in his arms. He knew about the Gentle Fist, but he had no idea how effective it would be. He smirked as his appearance changed. Small, conjoining dots littered the boys pale skin. If Neji could describe it, they looked like pictures of bacteria that he had seen in some of the basic texts he had read.

"Time to end this. I normally enjoy watching my opponents suffer before I kill them. But right now Tayuya is in need of some help. Don't take it personally that I don't kill you like all the others. I'm sure you understand." His cocky tone stated once more. Neji stared at him impassively. Since his fight with Naruto, he had begun to view the world as more than black and white. There were too many choices and unexplained phenomena to account for a fate that was so cut and dry. Neji would prove this today by doing his part to bring Sakura and Sasuke back.

Sakon rushed him and Neji was momentarily surprised by the increased speed. However, he quickly adjusted. His normal sparring partner was much faster. A hard cross rattled his jaw as a simultaneous jab left his ribs creaking.

'That's impossible. I was blocking both his arms when those attacks hit me. I don't care how fast someone is, that's not possible. My eyes will reveal the truth.'

The two boys continued to exchange blows, Neji taking even more mystery hits. After a particularly nasty attack that left his kidney throbbing, he saw it. A second set of hands had indeed made contact. They were not illusionary as was his initial theory. He broke contact and leapt back, catching the breath his lungs desperately needed. The pale boy didn't pursue. The cocky grin was back in place. Even in a rush he did indeed like to toy with his opponents. That would be his downfall. Letting a genius of Neji's caliber regroup was a death sentence.

"I have deduced your technique. You cannot win now. Surrender to me and you will live. You will be tortured and questioned and spend the rest of your days in jail, but you will live to see the hour." Neji stated without boast or brag.

Sakon snorted derisively. "I know I didn't hit you that hard to the head. Previous brain injury? You're on the ropes kid. This battle is mine."

Neji charged and unleashed a veritable onslaught of quick jabs, palm thrusts, and chakra laced attacks to the coils of his opponent. Sakon growled in irritation. Where before the kid was falling victim to Ukon's attacks, he was not only blocking them, but closing Ukon's chakra points as well! He did figure it out.

"So, you weren't lying. Well then the jig is up. Come say hello, Big Brother." Sakon stated in a mocking voice. True to his words, Neji was the least bit shocked seeing the second, identical head sprout from the boy's shoulder.

"Hello. My name is Ukon. Where my brother is quick tempered and likes to play with his enemies, I am impatient and level headed." He turned to Sakon. "Finish him brother, no messing around. Tayuya is alone." Sakon nodded and began to change once more.

People call Naruto a demon. Naruto is only a demon if you are unlucky enough to suffer his ire. His pranks when he's being particularly vindictive are as infamous as the fox sealed inside him. Naruto was no demon, and if Neji had to hazard a guess, the fox inside him really wasn't either. These things standing in front of him now? Pure demonic in looks and the sight of their chakra. It looked like chakra that had been diseased and begun to decay and rot. It took all of Neji's willpower not to gag and the pure vileness of it.

"You die now, Hyuga!" Sakon/Ukon shouted simultaneously. They rushed, much faster than before. However, Neji proved once again his genius. Since his loss, Neji had begun to see the merit in true, backbreaking hard work. His speed, stamina and strength had begun to grow by leaps and bounds. These fools were the first to find out.

The looks of pure hatred and frustration that were glaring back at Neji would have once not long ago made the boy overconfident in himself. He would have gotten sloppy, thinking his victory was at hand. The advice he gave his girlfriend, Fú, rang out in his mind though. These two were personally trained by Orochimaru. Do not give them an inch until their hearts stop beating.

Sakon leapt back, breathing heavily. He glared and Neji who stared back impassively. His glare turned into a smile of triumph as Ukon's head suddenly burst from Neji's shoulder. Neji still stared impassively at the head now attached to his shoulder.

"I see. So that's what it is. You have a bloodline that allows you to merge with each other and inanimate objects. This curse seal heightens the ability and allows you to merge with another human. I assume you intend to do internal damage or limit my movements in some way?" Neji deduced.

Ukon grinned widely. "You got it in one, kid. It's a shame really, if you were to join Master Orochimaru, he'd have the caged bird seal off your head and take you to new heights."

Neji's eyes flashed once before he sneered. "If you thought that a pitiful offer like that would entice me enough to abandon my family, you should have worked on your sales pitch a lot more. I'd say try again another day, but you won't be alive to work on it within 1 minute."

Neji then closed his eyes and concentrated. Releasing his chakra in a way that only a Hyuga is capable of, a way that many thought was a second bloodline. For only a Hyuga could naturally release chakra from every single point on their body. All 361 points simultaneously. Anyone else that could do it had to practice for years and years to achieve what a Hyuga genin could do. Neji's eyes snapped open, and with a large burst did in fact release chakra from all 361 chakra points. Ukon may have merged with him at the cellular level. But a bloodline takes chakra to use, and most bodies, even parasitic ones, cannot live when their host's chakra is forcefully injected into their own pathway.

"Gentle Fist Art: One Blow Body!" Neji stated simply. Ukon screamed. He toppled out of Neji, blood pouring from every orifice in his body. His curse seal deactivated and he began to weakly crawl towards Sakon.

"Brother. Help. M" He never finished his sentence. A kunai was buried to the hilt from the top of his skull. Neji stared at the now lifeless body impassively.

"YOU BASTARD! I WILL DESTROY YOU!" Sakon charged in a blind rage. Neji bent low to the ground. Left arm, hovering over the ground, held in a relaxed state. Right arm, held up above his body, palm extended to the heavens. He waited, Sakon charged. He was 5ft away, and Neji lashed out like a viper.

"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!" Neji's attack lived up to the name given. Gentle Fist. Neji's fingers were a blur, each subsequent barrage gaining speed. He finished the 64th hit just a split second after the 1st hit landed. Sakon stood ramrod straight. The shock almost too much for his body. His curse mark began to recede as he stared with hate filled eyes at his brother's killer.

"Gentle Fist Art: Palm Bottom" The prodigy said, voice emotionless, a true shinobi. Lacing his palm with sufficient chakra, he lashed out and struck his opponent square in the chest. He deactivated his Byakugan as the glimpses of the boy's heart erupted into a blood filled fountain. Neji didn't need to check for a pulse. His eyes had been opened wide by Naruto Uzumaki. They see everything now, and will never miss the slightest detail again.

***********************************Neji Beast Mode************************************

"GET BACK HERE!" Naruto called out. Sasuke and Tayuya ignored him and kept leaping through the trees. Naruto growled in frustration, his chakra reacting to his anger. "TAYUYA UZUMAKI, I SAID HALT!" He screamed out, his chakra lashing towards the red-headed girl. She froze. Miraculously, she froze and couldn't move. Naruto nearly slipped and crashed to the forest floor in his surprise, but caught himself at the last minute. Sasuke stopped and was staring at the girl before turning his gaze on Naruto. Confusion was the most blatant emotion on his face, but there was something else. Something I couldn't place.

"What the hell did you do to me, you blond bastard!" Tayuya growled out. She finally seemed to be gaining control back but her movements were still sluggish and forced.

Naruto shrugged. "Guess when a member of your ruling clan gives you an order, you can't refuse it." He smirked. He most likely wasn't wrong. It had to be something to do with Naruto's blood and how he was escentially the Uzumaki clan head by birthright. Unlike other clans though, ruling really did seem to run in his blood.

Tayuya snarled and turned towards Sasuke. She said something too low under her breath for me to hera. Sasuke nodded and without hesitating turned on his heel and fled. I began to move, but Tayuya wasn't letting us go without a fight. Her curse seal activated, markings like lightning racing across her skin. She slammed her palm to the ground.

"Summoning Technique: Three Doki!" She growled out in anger. Three, horrifyingly ugly creatures stood in the way of our path. Tayuya pulled out a flute and brought it to her lips. We didn't have time for this! As soon as these trees broke, there would be a large, open, unnamed field. Past that was "The Valley of the End" which separated Fire and Rice Paddy. I turned to Ami and Lee. "You two, take her on. Remember, capture her alive if possible. Don't risk your own lives though just to save hers." I ordered. They both nodded and intercepted the 3 monstrosities that had rushed us as soon as Tayuya began to play that flute. Naruto and I didn't have time to wish them well. We just had to believe. I would believe in them.

*******************************OP Lee and Ami Crazy************************************

Tayuya sent her three Doki's towards the pursuing Naruto and Kenta, but Lee was right there to knock back two, while Ami took care of the other. Tayuya scowled. If she couldn't take these two out right now and intercept the last two, Orochimaru would be very displeased. Tayuya wasn't particularly loyal to the Snake Sannin. She was actually at one point his prisoner, forced to fight to the death against 99 other prisoners. Her luck and skill saw her to the end with the other 3 who would join her as the sound 4. Since then she had power and respect, the only two things that mattered in this world. Especially being a woman. If you were a weak woman in a place like Oto, you were better off dead.

She began to play her dance of death, the two Konoha Shinobi were dancing and dodging the blindly fast and brutal strikes from her Doki. She switch the tune, and the Doki opened their mouths. At once dozens of white, worm-like creatures were added into the chaotic symphony that she played. The two Konoha ninja were fast and agile, but like all those before them, they would succumb eventually. On and on she played, and on and on they danced. She was the conductor, they were her symphony. Her mouth fell open, her concerto was falling to pieces around her.

The green one had landed on a branch, and right as one of her Doki closed, he disappeared in a burst of speed. When he reappeared, it was to deliver a bone crushing kick to the Doki he had just dodged. It dispelled immediately. Tayuya watching in horror as the small, purple haired girl unleashed a ball of fire the size of a small cabin into the face of another of her pets, it joined the first. The two converged on the last and with a flurry of punches and kicks, Tayuya was once again alone. She wasn't done yet. The curse seal on her neck burned in rage, she gave in. Where once before was a small, teenage girl, now stood a demonic woman. Her red hair and crimson eyes gave her a fearsome appearance, her dark skin and exotic beauty hid the dangers the lurked beneath. She played her tune of death once more.

The green one fell immediately to her illusions. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he was sent to the floor of the forest far below. The girl resisted for a few seconds more before she too followed her comrade to the shadows below. Tayuya smirked and jumped down to finish them off. If all else went to shit, at least Tayuya could say she did her part to the best of her abilities. She landed onto the soft, moss covered dirt below. The smell of nature itself pierced the veil of euphoric power the cursed seal granted. Her demonic eyes searched the floor for her victims, only to feel a sense of dread to fill her being. She felt the piercing of the fangs before her eyes even adjusted to the gloom.

From the shadows, Ami stepped out. A single snake extended from the folds of her kimono. Tayuya followed the snake with her eyes, knowing where the head of it was located. On her thigh, the snake's long fangs pierced into her exposed flesh. The venom injected, its job was done. The snake returned to its master. Before she could open her mouth to gloat, the energy in her body left her. She saw a flash of green as she fell to the ground, her curse mark receeding without a chakra source to sustain it. Lee looked down at her apologetically.

"I'm sorry, miss. We've placed a chakra suppressant seal on you. I'm going to seal you inside this prisoner scroll. You will be placed in a temporary stasis while inside. When you are released, you won't even realize what happened." The green boy bowed to Tayuya.

The purple haired girl walked up next, confident smile in place. "I could only assume you'd be immune to such a common paralytic, knowing who you master is. I just had to distract you long enough for Lee to slap that tag on you." Then to Tayuya's absolute horror, the two Konoha shinobi pulled wax out of the ears. It was a set-up. An elaborate trap to lure her into the shadows and lower her guard. She had been played. "Had you not messed with Sasuke in the hospital, we'd have never known that one of you used a sound based illusion. Hopefully you will learn from this encounter, Tayuya Uzumaki."

Tayuya closed her eyes, fighting tooth and nail to not let the tears escape that were trying oh so desperately. She didn't cry when she watched her parents slaughtered in a bandit raid. She didn't cry when she was captured by the snake. She didn't cry when she was forced to kill 100 other kids her age just to survive. She didn't cry when she received the curse mark. She never cried. This time however, she finally let the tears fall. For Tayuya realized, these weren't tears of sorrow or frustration. They were tears… of hope?

Blackness was her only answer.

*****************************Ear Plugs Most OP Ninja Tool in NaruVerse********************

Naruto and I raced across the field, quickly gaining on Sasuke. Just as I was about to call out, Sasuke suddenly stopped. Naruto and I slowed our speed and stopped once we were within striking distance of the Uchiha boy. He set the barrel down and stepped away from it before turning his attention on us.

"Why are you two doing this? You heard why we have to go! If I don't go, Orochimaru will keep coming after me until he gets me. I put everyone and the village in danger by being there! Sakura could die if she doesn't evolve and master her curse seal. Do you two want her to die just to boost your egos with a successful mission?!" Sasuke was nearly shouting by the end. Either Sasuke was an incredible actor, or not a single word he uttered was a lie. His chakra pointed to his feelings as being genuine.

Naruto spoke up first. "Sasuke we don't care! Let that snake bastard come! We'll beat him back every time! As for Sakura, I know I can and will find a way to remove that seal, count on it, ya know!" Naruto eagerly told his rival.

Sasuke shook his head. "Naruto, do you not realize how outclassed we were when we faced Orochimaru last time? It was 6 on 1 and he throttled us. He was toying with us! He knocked you out in a single hit! As for Sakura? When are you going to finish removing her seal? Before it completely destroys her chakra pathways, rendering her unable to follow her dreams of being a kunoichi? Or after she's in the morgue and you remove it from her cold, dead corpse?" He hissed.

Naruto looked momentarily taken aback but quickly recovered. "Before that, bastard! I'm a sealing genious. I'll have it off in no time!"

"Naruto you're too full of yourself!" Sasuke shouted, his chakra now lashing out wildly. He was starting to lose it, just like in the hospital. "Anko has had her seal for over a decade! We searched around, looked for all the answers. Your teacher couldn't even remove Anko's seal, which is the prototype that Sakura has! This is the only way Naruto, stop being dense! I won't let your ego kill Sakura. I'll kill you before that happens."

I stepped in front of Naruto, cutting him off. Sasuke's eyes were flashing between onyx and crimson. His rational mind losing the fight to his emotions when Sakura's life was on the line.