Scattered Part: 1

A couple months after the Flame Festival, Team 7 was coming back from a successful C rank.

"Man, what a disappointment! Literally, nothing happened. We just sat there guarding a herd of cows," complained Naruto.

"That's a good thing, Naruto. I thought we had already gone over this. You shouldn't go looking for a fight," scolded Anko.

"Yeah, but I wanted to guard something cool, like a bank or an artifact, not cows."

"As much as I hate to agree with Naruto, this mission was terrible; we've only fought bandits and people who barely have a grasp on chakra. I think we have grown strong enough to be tested by opponents near our level," voiced Sasuke

Anko glanced at Sakura. "Do you believe the same?" she asked, curious about her thoughts.

"Yeah, I do. I'm not saying our experience so far isn't useful, but we can never really know how strong we are until we face another ninja."

Anko looked over to Kakashi, and he shrugged.

"To be honest with you guys, our luck as a team has been very good; usually, by this point, we would have run into ninjas on one of our C ranks, while the ranking system is supposed to signify danger; it's not perfect, but if you guys really want to be tested, then I'll ask the Hokage for a B rank,"

The genin perked up

"Really, you're the best, sis," complimented Naruto

"Calm down. I can't make any promises, but I'll try to ask. Trust me, you guys are not the only ones bored with these missions. But don't think this is some sort of game. When I said we were lucky, I meant it. Don't forget the dangers that come with being a shinobi."

Kakashi was at the front, enjoying the banter from his team. It made him nostalgic for his Team 7. In Anbu, it was completely silent during travel, so this was a nice change of pace. They were jumping through a dense forest, and the sound of wildlife and them hopping from branch to branch filled the air.

Something peculiar caught Kakashi's attention, and he halted on a branch; the rest of the team mirrored his action, their curiosity piqued.

"What's wrong, Kakashi sensei?" questioned Sakura.

Kakashi stood for another moment. He had to make sure what he sensed was correct. He lifted his headband, revealing his sharingan, and looked east; it verified what he felt.

Kakashi's actions made everyone tense,

"Do we have enemies incoming, Kakashi?" asked Anko, as she put senbon between her fingers.

Kakashi pointed east

"Someone is emitting their chakra in a distinct pattern; I'm familiar with it. Anbu employ it as a distress signal, indicating a grave situation," Kakashi explained, his voice tinged with concern.

"Why does that mean someone needs help?" asked Sakura

"No, because Anbu never call for help if we are at risk of capture or death. They usually destroy their bodies; they only signal for help if they have essential info they have to pass on before their deaths."

"If someone is in trouble, then we have to help them," proclaimed Naruto

Kakashi looked at Anko. "Do you think it's a good idea to bring the team? I can just go check it myself,"

Anko looked over to the genin; they all did their best; please don't leave us face.

Anko sighed

"I believe in them, plus we just talked about them needing more formidable challenges."

Kakashi nodded

"Okay, follow me; it's in this direction."

They came upon an open clearing, and Kakashi had to hold back his shock,

There were the scattered and bloody bodies of leaf Anbu

Kakashi quickly searched for any nearby chakra signature; the source of the signal was one of the bodies against the tree.

"One of them is still alive," stated Kakashi

Kakashi then gave orders to the team.

"Sakura, go with Anko and see if you can sense any nearby chakra signatures; Naruto, create a few shadow clones and scan the surrounding area; if one is destroyed, report it immediately, and Sasuke, you're with me."

Team 7, in perfect synchrony, followed Kakashi's orders and swiftly went to their assigned roles.

Kakashi dropped down to the anbu's side and checked for a pulse; it was faint, but he was still alive. He checked the man over to see if he could patch up any wounds to save his life, but outside of a few cuts and bruises, there were no injuries that would result in the ninja's critical condition,

Abruptly, one of the man's eyes opened, and he coughed, the action bringing him pain.

"The signal actually worked; I didn't expect it to do shit,"

"What happened here,"

"I recognize that voice, Kakashi?" The survivor's voice was filled with surprise and intrigue.

"Wait, don't tell me, Ebiro, it's you."

"Good to see you again, Captain."

Kakashi held back his shame at watching another comrade die and asked for details

"Please, Ebrio, tell me what happened."

In a strained, raspy voice, Ebrio began to explain.

"We were doing a check; Jiraiya found some info that led us to think there was a spy for Orochimaru in the village and that they may have a meeting in this area." Ebrio began coughing again, and Kakashi quickly let him sip from his canteen,

"We ran into a genin, and we observed him for a, but it just seemed he was picking herbs; everyone else wanted to leave, but my curiosity got the better of me; I told them to check out his bag that he left unattended, he was on us in a second, he was using a special technique, with his hands he would slice at us and, It was like he was cutting through your body, Crow went down immediately, and we engaged, He demolished us, I haven't seen anyone fight like that since you, I think he thought he killed me he aimed for my heart, but he must have missed by a few centimeters, lucky me I guess" Ebrio gave a humorless chuckle and began to cough again this time expelling blood.

"Come on, stay with me. We can get you back to the village."

"Ah, captain. Still a bleeding heart," Eribo looked Kakashi straight in the eyes through his mask.

"Can you take off my mask? I want the world to see my beautiful face in my last moments," he said, still finding a chance to be humorous in his last moments.

Kakashi obliged and took off his mask to reveal Erbio's face. He was middle-aged, with brown hair graying at the ends, a patchy beard, and an old scar across his cheek.

Eribo looked up to the sun behind the canopy of the trees;

"You know, when I was under you, I thought this leader shit would be easy, but look at me now; I got my entire squad killed,"

"It's not your fault; there is nothing you could have done."

Eribo used the last of his strength to put his hand on Kakashi's shoulder

"Captain, I need you to do something. Don't let that bastard get away with this; don't let me and my men die in vain; the info we got said the meeting would take place sometime past noon; you still have time; he went north that's probably where the meeting is going to take place."

Kakashi resigned his emotions and asked for more essential info

"What did he look like? Did you recognize him?"

Eribo shook his head," He wore a cloak and a hood, and what little I saw of him, he was probably henged, way too generic."

Eribo let his hand fall off Kakashi's shoulder, leaned back against the tree, and closed his eyes, "Thanks, captain, I'm glad you came.

He then slumped back into the tree,

Kakashi put his head down momentarily, got up, and turned toward Sasuke,

"Gather the others. We need to have a discussion."

Team 7 met back up in the clearing.

"So what happened," asked Anko

"They were attacked by a spy for Orochimaru; they had a lead about a potential meeting, and they ran into him," explained Kakashi

Anko's heart skipped a beat at the mention of her former sensei, a mix of fear and nostalgia washing over her.

"Did they get anything on him, any lead on his identity," asked Anko

"His appearance was probably henged. The only identifier was a technique he used when his hands would glow green, allowing him to cut internal organs," explained Kakashi

Anko thought for a moment,

"Sounds like the chakra scalpel, but only advanced medic ninjas use that technique, and I've never heard of it being used for combat."

"I thought so, too. " agreed Kakashi

"So what do we do now," questioned Sasuke

Anko's frustration was perceivable, her voice trembling with anger and concern.

"I would say go after the bastard, but if he was smart, he would have doubled back to the village to protect his identity; I doubt we could find him,"

Kakashi spoke up.

"Actually, Ebrio said he went north toward the presumed meeting area. This attack could not have happened no more than an hour ago, and there is still a chance he is still there."

"We have to go after him," Anko said, determined.

Kakashi prepared himself for the backlash of his next suggestion

"I think I should go by myself,"

"What the hell do you mean by that!? You can't expect us to just sit this out," Anko said, irritation in her voice.

"This is more than just your standard missing nin; we are talking about a spy who was able to take down an Anbu squad like it was nothing; we can't take the risk," Kakashi said, defending his reasoning

"Was all that talk about us being a team just junk? As soon as things get a little tough, you have to go lone wolf on us; I'll be damned if I sit this one out, and you, of all people, know that I can't let this chance pass me by; this is the biggest lead we had on him for over a decade!" yelled Anko.

"Yeah, sensei, we are a team; we can't just let you go alone," Naruto exclaimed.

Kakashi looked down in shame, realizing that his suggestion contradicted his philosophy.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I don't want to lead you guys into danger when I'm not sure I can keep you all safe."

Anko walked over and placed a hand on Kakashi's shoulder

"You don't give us enough credit; we worked hard for months to get these kids ready for anything; you've seen how hard they have worked and how much they have grown; believe in them."

"Yeah, sensei, let's go kick this guy's ass," Naruto said, hyped up from Anko's speech.

"We won't let you go alone; we're a team," said Sakura

"We haven't trained this hard to be left out as soon as things get tough." declared Sasuke

Kakashi felt proud upon seeing the resolve in his team/

"Okay, let's go, just be careful."

Team 7 leaped through the trees northward, looking for the meeting place,

Something caught Anko's eye

"There's a clearing over there."

They rushed over to the clearing, and when it came into view, they saw a cloaked figure standing in the middle.

Each member swiftly ascended their chosen tree, positioning themselves for the impending encounter. Anko and Kakashi, their eyes locked, began a silent conversation, their hands moving in a blur of signs, strategizing their next move.

"Engage- Hostile- Immediately, "Anko signed, her eagerness to confront the spy palpable in the air.

Kakashi shook his head and signed back.

Risky-Observe-Wait-Follow

Frustration came over Anko, and she signed aggressively.

Opportunity-Ignore-Risk

Their planning was cut short as five figures jumped into the clearing before the cloaked man.

The shortest figure, a woman with a vibrant mane of dark pink hair, stood out among the group. Her attire, a black shirt under a tan tunic, was adorned with a symbol on the hem. She wore black arm warmers, traditional black shinobi sandals with calf-length leg warmers covered by bandages, and a purple, rope-like belt tied in an inverted bow around her waist. A black hat with pipe-like stripes and bandaged sides completed her ensemble, keeping her bangs in place while the rest cascaded down her back.

Next to her was a man with light blue hair with one of his bangs covering his eye. He wore a black shirt under brown tunics with long sleeves that bore a symbol on the hem and black skin-tight shorts. They wore black arm warmers, traditional black shinobi sandals with calf-length leg warmers covered by bandages, and a purple, rope-like belt tied in an inverted bow around their waists.

The tallest member was a large and imposing young man, towering over the rest of his teammates. He had fair skin and narrowed, slanted orange eyes; he had three tufts of orange hair on his head: a mohawk running down the middle and two similarly styled tufts at the side. His attire was a beige-colored, sleeveless tunic and a pair of black. He wore black arm warmers and a necklace with red circular pieces separating long, metallic pieces. He wore traditional black shinobi sandals, mid-calf leg warmers covered by bandages, and a purple rope-like belt tied in an inverted bow around his waist.

Next to him was a dark-skinned shinobi with black, shaggy hair tied into a ponytail and black eyes. He was the second-tallest member of the team; he also had six arms and was the only one wearing a shinobi headband with a musical note on it. His attire was a black, sleeveless shirt under a sleeveless gray tunic and black skin-tight shorts. He wore black arm warmers, traditional black shinobi sandals with calf-length leg warmers covered by bandages, and a purple, rope-like belt tied in an inverted bow around his waist.

In front was a pale-skinned man with vivid green eyes, angular facial features, two scarlet dots on his forehead, and shoulder-length white hair. He wore a light lavender, loose-fitting, long-sleeved, zip-up shirt, black pants cut off around mid-calf, bandages wrapped around his ankles, traditional shinobi sandals, and a purple, rope-like belt tied in an inverted bow around his waist. He also wore two red, tube-like hair ornaments, one on either side of his head, securing two locks of his silvery-white hair.

Kakashi and Anko's eyes widened in recognition when their gazes crossed over the six armed ninja in the clearing.

The cloaked man spoke first.

"You're late," the cloaked man's voice carried a hint of impatience. "I risk being discovered with each passing moment I'm out of the village." His words hung in the air, the tension palpable.

"Sorry, it's not exactly a leisurely walk to get here," said Tayuya.

"Quiet," Kimimaro said as he glared at Tayuya; she shrunk in on herself and looked at the ground.

He turned back toward the cloaked figure.

"Give us the dossier, and we'll be on our way."

Naruto sat silently in the tree. He didn't really know what was happening, but he got a terrible feeling from everyone in the clearing. Naruto then felt something crawl on his arm, and he looked to see a spider; he panicked and quickly smacked it against the tree. He looked around, worried he made too much noise, but he didn't even get the attention of his teammates.

At the same time, Kidomaru flinched, face twitching in the clearing. He opened his eyes.

Kidomaru looked at the cloaked man;

"You know, for being the boss's second in command, I would have thought you would have made sure there weren't any bugs following you,"

Kidomaru produced a golden metallic material from his pores, molded it into a kunai, and threw it at Naruto.

This caught Naruto off guard as he moved out of the way, but he lost his footing when he fell off the tree and into the clearing.

All the figures in the clearing turned toward Naruto.

Anko dropped down next to Naruto, afraid to leave him alone in the open, with the rest of the team following suit.

Kakashi and Anko stood in front of the genin.

Kimimaro gave the spy a bored look,

"You should leave. If your identity is discovered, our master's plan may fall through; just their knowing of your existence puts that at risk."

"I don't know what makes you think you have superiority over me; you may be a vessel, but that doesn't mean I can't put you in your place if you overstep your authority." the spy retorted

The two shared a tense silence,

"I would be interested to see how that would go," Kimimaro said, his face giving away no emotion.

The figure smiled lightly under the hood, and body flickered away from the clearing.

During this time, Team 7 made a plan.

"Do you recognize any of them," asked Kakashi

Anko shook her head.

"I've never seen them in any bingo book, but that is definitely the six-armed guy who was getting Orchimaru's test subjects. Also, that white-haired guy has markings of the Kaguya clan.

Tayuya was the first to speak to them,

"I don't know who you are, but you assholes stumbled upon the wrong place."

Kakashi then whispered instructions back to the genin

"We shouldn't try to engage with them; our main priority should be returning to the village with the information we gathered."

"Oh, my signal, go the way we came and return to the village."

Kimimaro's eye wandered over at Sasuke and spotted the Uchiha symbol on his clothing; he then spoke.

"Interesting; our master may forgive this early engagement if we manage to kill the copy ninja and take the Uchiha,"

Kimimaro's statement further fueled Kakashi's decision for them to run.

"Go!" yelled Kakashi

Anko threw a smoke bomb down.

"Don't let them escape! Kakashi is a formidable opponent; I'll take him. The rest of you, handle the others," Kimimaro's voice boomed with urgency.

Kimimaro then began after his quarry with the rest of the Sound Five.

Sasuke was filled with anger at himself. This was his chance to prove himself. But when the white-haired man's piercing gaze fell on him, a wave of unease washed over him, threatening to shatter his confidence.

"Why are we running," asked Sasuke

"We have no reason to engage them." Kakashi's voice was firm, but the tension in the air was palpable.

"Who were those people?" inquired Sakura

"Ororchimaru's henchmen, high ranking ones at that. I think I saw curse marks on a few of them. Trust me, guys, my entire being wanted to stay back and fight them, but we can't risk it," said Anko, frustration layering her voice."

Without warning, a volley of golden kunai whizzed through the air, their metallic gleam cutting through the dense woods. The group was caught off guard and forced to scatter in different directions to avoid the deadly projectiles.

Behind them, the Sound Five were gaining on them,

Kakashi looked over at Naruto.

"Naruto, we need a diversion. Create shadow clones, transform them into us, and send them in different directions. We have to split up. If we stay together, they'll track us down easily," Kakashi strategized.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" asked Anko

Kakashi felt anxious and conflicted about whether this was the right decision.

"I don't like it, but I believe in you. Focus on retreating, keeping your wits, and staying safe."

Everyone nodded, and Naruto created dozens of shadow clones, transformed into Team 7, and began to spread out in all directions.

Kimimaro slowed down and analyzed the clones; "They split into two groups. The woman and the blond went east; Tayuya and Kidomaro, I need you to follow them; Jirobo, focus on capturing the Uchiha and Sakon; I trust you will dispatch the girl and assist me with Hatake."

The Sound Five followed their leader's orders and went after their targets.

After several minutes of fleeing, Naruto and Anko dodged another flurry of projectiles from Kidomaru.

"Damnit, turn around and fight us, you leaf trash," yelled Tayuya

Anko considered their current situation. While she and Naruto could fight these two, they had to return to the village and meet the rest of their team.

She turned toward Naruto.

"Naruto, do the shadow clone thing again."

He nodded and put his hands on the ram seal.

Shadow Clone Jutsu

Naruto created twenty clones, transformed half of them into Anko, and had them speed in various directions,

"Good job," Anko praised as she and Naruto changed directions and blended in with the clones

Just the melody of a flute hit their ears.

Anko's vision began to distort. She immediately recognized the genjutsu and disrupted her chakra. The vision faded, but she looked over and did not see Naruto. She looked down to see him careening toward the ground.

Anko took action immediately and hopped off the tree at full speed, catching Naruto before he hit the ground. Naruto began to scream, still trapped in the genjutsu; Anko channeled chakra into Naruto, disrupting the genjutsu.

"What happened," said Naruto, still dazed

"Genjutsu, whatever that noise was probably the source."

"Good observation," Tayuya said as she landed on a branch above. At the same time, Kidomaru landed on another near her.

"That was nice scurrying, but genjutsu doesn't affect shadow clones, so it was easy to single you out."

Kidomaru spoke, "What will the rats do now that they are cornered?"

Anko looked at Naruto, and he had a look of determination in his eyes and nodded; she looked back toward the sound ninja and smiled,

"Well, it looks like we have to fight. We wanted to save you the trouble, but it seems you guys need to have your asses kicked,"

"Tough talk from a bunch of bugs. We'll see if you can put your money where your mouth is."

Tayuya bit her thumb, ran through hand signs, and placed her hand down.

Summoning Jutsu

After the smoke cleared, three giant ogre-like creatures stood in front of her,

"Whoa, bringing out the Doki this early, you must be pissed; I guess I'll follow suit," Kidommaru said as he bit his thumb as well and weaved through hand signs.

Summoning Jutsu

A giant spider then formed; Kidomaru spit on his hands and began to form it into a giant spider web that went across the treetops,

Anko cursed under her breath; it was just their luck; not only two summoners, but they also had unique abilities. Looks like she couldn't hold back here;

She picked her finger on one of her sebon and performed.

Summoning Jutsu

A giant blue snake appeared with Anko standing on top of its head.

Naruto looked in awe at Anko.

Tayuya's smile grew wide;

"This is even better; we get to fight the failure the master talked about,"

"Failure?" Anko said, trying to hold back her emotions.

"You're the one who couldn't even activate your curse mark; I doubt you'll be much of a challenge," commented Kidomaru

Kidomaru and Tayuya then activated their level-one curse mark. Kidomaru's spread across his body in black entangling lines, while Tayuya's went across in straight lines in a jagged zigzag pattern.

"Well, unlike you, I don't need someone else's power to be strong; I have enough power here between myself and this future Hokage," Anko said. Then she looked at Naruto and nodded.

He took that as a signal, threw a shuriken, and performed the

Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu

Hundreds of shurikens flew at Tayuya and Kidomaru; Tayuya played a melody and ordered the Doki to defect the shurikens; Kidomaru formed webs in the path of the shuriken; they were unable to cut the webs and stopped in their path,

Anko took this chance to quickly strategize with Naruto; she ordered her snake to get down next to Naruto and began talking.

"I'll take the spider guy, and you take the flute girl; my advice is to get that flute away from her; it seems that most of her abilities are based on it, "

Naruto nodded. "Got it,"

"Also, take these." Anko put something in Naruto's hand, and he looked at it.

"Thanks, be careful, sis."

"I should be telling you that. "

Anko hopped on her snake and began to race toward Kidomaru.

Shadow Clone Jutsu

Naruto created twenty shadow clones and had them charge at the doki.

"If all you can do is create clones, then that won't be enough," mocked Tayuya

The clones then began to get into formations. Five clones stayed back, and three other groups of five went toward the Doki,

Tayuya was curious about the strange formation, but she wrote it off as she played a song on her flute, and the doki then went toward the clones;

"Now!" yelled the group in the back

In the first three groups, one clone crouched down, and another clone jumped off the back of it, leaping in the air and clasping their hands together. The three clones behind then made hand signs and performed.

Wind Style Great Breakthrough

This launched the clone forward rapidly toward the doki; the clones then yelled.

Gale Style: Palm Strike

One of the doki was sent flying, while the other two were thrown off balance,

Seeing a lapse in Tayuya's defense, the group in the back moved; three clones threw shuriken and performed the

Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu,

Creating hundreds of shuriken. The other two then performed,

Wind Style Great Breakthrough

This sent all of the shuriken flying toward Tayuya,

"Damnit," Tayuya said as she saw the amount of shuriken; her Doki wouldn't get to her fast enough to block the shuriken.

Tayuya ran to a nearby tree, dodging projectiles. She managed to make her way and land on the back of a tree trunk. She had various cuts, and some of her hair was cut.

"You bastard, "Tayuya shouted. She jumped to a nearby branch and played a song to get her Doki in position to attack, but when she looked at the surrounding area where Naruto was, he was nowhere to be found,

The fucker must have hidden during the commotion; she looked around, waiting for Naruto to reappear; just then, from above, multiple Narutos began to descend upon her. Tayuya played the melody and had her Doki attack the clones while she relocated to a different branch;

She interrupted her song and cast a genjutsu with her flute to discover the real Naruto. The clones dispersed, and one of the Naruto began to scream and fall onto the branch.

Tauya grinned;

"Nice try, punk, but you couldn't hope to beat me if you're shit at genjutsu."

She then commanded one of the doki to crush the downed Naruto

Right before the club hit him, Naruto smiled and exploded in smoke

"What the fuck." Tauya said in surprise

She then quickly turned around to see Naruto flying toward her, reaching toward her flute; she managed to pull it back in time before he could grab it. Frustration came across Naruto's face, but he then turned his body, began to channel wind chakra around his leg, and aimed a kick at Tauya's chest,

Gale Style: Cyclone Kick

When Naruto's foot made contact, Tauya flew backward, and a cyclone of wind sent her careening backward into a tree. When she hit the tree and began to fall, she quickly played a melody, and one of the doki caught her and landed on a branch.

"What the hell? Why didn't that work."

Naruto grinned.

"If you're asking why that didn't work,"

He pulled a piece of cotton out of his ear.

"I need to thank sis for giving me these." He then gave Tauya a determined look.

"Just wait; next time, I will get that flute."

Anko stood on the head of her summon, staring down Kidomaru.

"This is quite an interesting matchup, snake vs. the spider; I wonder who will come out on top."

"Do you always talk this much before you fight?" asked Anko

"It is only natural to banter with your opponent before a match. I hope you make this game interesting; my assignments of late have been less than invigorating."

Anko tightened her fist, "Kidnapping families to be test subjects is not exciting enough for you."

Kidomaru shrugged, "It's just a part of working under the boss,"

He smirked. "I'm sure you know a lot about that."

Tired of the conversation, Anko made the first move, launching several sebon; Kidomaru and his spider moved across the web l; he then created more weapons and began throwing golden kunai. Anko's summon moved away from the projectiles,

"Rush him; he's a long-range fighter," ordered Anko

Her summon followed her orders and began to extend upwards toward the web.

Kidomaru was he was prepared for her to get close. He created a kunai and slit the stomach of his spider summon open.

Anko shivered as she saw hundreds of small spiders fall from the spider's belly. She quickly hopped off of the snake and fell back towards the ground. The snake was unable to change momentum; she was caught in the swarm, and the spiders began to bite into it; the snake hissed in pain before it desummoned itself,

As Anko continued falling, she looked at the massive wave of spiders approaching her. She needed a massive jutsu and went through hand signs.

Fire Release: Great Flame Jutsu

Anko expelled flames that widened as they went further; this decimated the small spiders and engulfed the spider summon, dismissing it.

Once the flames cleared, Kidomaru was nowhere to be seen, but his voice began to echo through the forest.

"I should have guessed that a leaf Shinobi would have fire jutsu and such a powerful one. I should expect no less from the master's former student. I can't hold back in this scenario."

Kidomaru's body underwent a grotesque metamorphosis. His skin turned a deep, ominous red, and his once-human eyes now glowed a piercing yellow. His teeth and nails elongated into sharp points, and his hair grew long and gray. Horns sprouted from his forehead, shoulders, and elbows, and his mouth stretched wider. He removed his headband, exposing a third eye.

With a calculated precision, he carefully produced a sticky gold web from his mouth, creating a bow. He maneuvered himself using his webs and all eight limbs to aim and load the bow. He used his third eye to locate Anko's chakra; he saw she was hiding behind a tree. He produced an arrow and began to shape its head into a drill,

Anko leaned against a tree; this guy was a long-range fighter through and through. She would try to sense his chakra to find his location, but with all of the residue chakra from her technique and the summons, that would be nearly impossible. As she thought of possible strategies, Anko heard a whooshing sound and quickly ducked; the tree behind split open as an arrow cut the top of her shoulder,

Realizing that hiding was futile, Anko swiftly analyzed the situation. She looked at the hole the arrow had made in the tree, which gave her a rough idea of Kidomaru's location. With a plan forming in her mind, she dashed out from behind the tree, zigzagging towards where she thought the arrow had been fired. Anko focused her chakra to enhance her hearing, knowing that her visual reaction time might not be enough to dodge the arrows.

Anko heard an arrow as she turned. As the arrow scraped across her stomach,

Kidomaru began to load another arrow. This was not ideal. She was so direct with her strategy; it gave him opportunities but didn't give him time to plan.

Anko threw a smoke bomb, and Kidomaro focused his third eye. He saw her chakra split as two Ankos ran out from opposite sides of the smoke.

Kidomaru's heart raced as he realized the gravity of the situation. He needed to end this quickly, or he would be forced into close combat, a scenario he was ill-prepared for. Determination etched on his face, he attached a string to his next arrow and aimed it at the Anko to his right. With a swift motion, he fired. As she began to dodge, he deftly manipulated the string, altering the arrow's trajectory. It struck her square in the chest, and she vanished in a puff of smoke.

Kidomaru resolved himself: This fight would be over instantly as long as he could do that again. He repeated the same process, attached a string to the end of his arrow, and fired at Anko.

His aim wasn't as true, but it got her in her upper thigh. Kidomaru celebrated internally. The fight was his. She stood no chance of dodging his next attack if she lost her mobility. His revelry ended when the other Anko burst into smoke.

Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique

He only had a moment to process as the ground beneath the tree he was in exploded, and a fire dragon came toward him from below. Due to his positioning in the tree, he couldn't properly maneuver, and the technique hit him dead on.

He dropped his bow, and his webs burned away as he fell from the tree. He rolled around on the ground, expelling his sticky web from his skin to put out the fire. After a moment, Kidomaro was on his hands and knees, burns covering most of his body, with his right side taking most of the damage. He began to get up, but out of the ground beneath him came Anko, who pinned down his arms and held a kunai to his throat.

"Don't move. Tell me everything you know, or I'll kill you."

Kidomaru laughed through his immense pain.

"Killing me now will be a mercy compared to what Orochimaru will do to me," he said as he jerked his head forward, forcing the kunai to pierce his throat. He stared up at Anko as he began to choke and bleed out.

Anko sighed and got up.

She looked down at him as he transformed from his curse mark state; he couldn't have been much older than her genin. Anko squeezed her fist; this could have been her if her curse mark had been successful; visions of her former teacher incited tears of rage and regret to stream down her cheeks. She then heard Naruto's battle not far away,

She cleared her thoughts and went to assist her student.

Sasuke dodged another large tree branch being thrown at him as he was forced further away from his teammates,

He needed to find a way to lose this guy. His thoughts were interrupted when another large branch interrupted his path, forcing him to land on the ground.

Jirobo landed in front of him.

"To think of our luck, Master Orochimaru has expressed interest in you. He'll be pleased if we capture you, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I have myself a snack first." Jirobo ran through hand signs.

Earth Release Barrier: Earth Prison Dome of Magnificent Nothingness

A rock dome encased Sasuke; he analyzed the wall briefly; it looked like a normal earth barrier. Sasuke then placed his hands on the dome and used

Lighting Release: Depth Charge

Sasuke began channeling the lighting chakra through the dome; the dome began to break apart as chunks started to fall off. There was a brief opening where Sasuke could see the light coming through, but the dome quickly began repairing itself. Sasuke stopped his jutsu, and suddenly, he felt a portion of his chakra drain away,

Sasuke wondered why he felt he had used a third of his; he looked around; the dome was fully repaired as if nothing had happened.

He heard Jirobo laughing outside the dome,

"You're probably wondering why your little lighting attack didn't work. Charka continuously circulates throughout the dome, reinforcing and allowing it to repair itself. Thanks for the chakra. I didn't expect a kid like you to have this much. Don't worry; I won't kill you, but we will be here for a while, so you might as well sit and accept your fate. "

Sasuke started to analyze the situation. The dome was even resistant to lightning attacks, and it felt like he was drained of chakra. Sasuke looked around the dome. He needed to attack at the point where the chakra was less concentrated. He then began to use depth charge to send tiny shocks to different points in the wall.

"I told you it's useless; you're just going to get weaker faster; I recommend you come to terms with your fate; I don't want to overdrain your chakra,"

Inside, Sasuke hit a point on the side of the dome; a more significant chunk of earth fell off before reforming more slowly than the other point he hit,

That must be it, thought Sasuke

He then put his left hand in the ram hand sign and channeled lightning chakra to his right.

Lighting Release Bullet: Powerful Breath

Sasuke thrust his fist forward, sending a powerful bolt of lightning at the weakest spot in the dome.

Jirobo, from outside, felt the dome shake as he saw lightning burst from the other side of the dome. He then took his hand off of the dome and jumped to the other side, landing in front of the new hole,

Sasuke emerged from the dome.

"Impressive; no one has been able to find the weakness of my technique that quickly before. I can see why our master is now interested in you. "

Sasuke smirked;

"Now that you're out of tricks get out of my way so I can get back to my team."

Jirobo chuckled;

"You are sorely mistaken if you think our fight is over."

The mark on the side of his neck expanded as it stretched out into chain-triangle-like markings over his body.

"This a taste of what lord Orochimaru will have in store for you."

Jirobo then jumped toward Sasuke; Sasuke dodged backward and saw the earth split open where Jirobo landed. Jirobo charged, trying to perform a shoulder tackle; Sasuke dodged to the side at the last moment. Jirobo took the rest of his momentum and ran first into a tree, toppling it.

Sasuke observed the destructive power of Jirobos taijutsu; one hit could be severe. Sasuke threw shuriken wrapped in ninja wire and angled them to wrap the wire around Jirobos. Sasuke held the end of the ninja wire and prepared to channel lightning chakra, but Jirobo flexed and tore the ninja wire like paper. He then moved forward and began to engage in taijutsu with Sasuke.

Despite his size, Jirobo's strikes were fast and precise, and Sasuke used his full attention to dodge. He had to jump to avoid the crumbling earth when Jirobos stomped the ground. Jirobo took advantage of this vulnerability and thrust a palm strike at Sasuke,

Sasuke managed to get both of his arms up to block, but the force of the strike sent Sasuke tumbling backward.

When he recovered, Jirobo was on top of him again; Sasuke reached into his pouch and threw a flash bomb, which blinded Jirobo and allowed Sasuke to get some distance. Sasuke then went through the hand sign and performed.

Fire Release Dragon Fire Technique

The fire dragon went toward Jirobo; Jirobo quickly placed his hands on the ground and used

Earth Release Shore Return

Forming a wall of earth in front of the dragon

At the last second, Sasuke made the dragon alter its path and directed it around the wall, hitting Jirobo; there was an explosion of flames. Sasuke waited a few moments and then heard the ground rumbling as the ground behind the earth wall began to rise until a massive boulder was lifted into the air.

Jirobo was covered in burns but managed to avoid critical damage by coating himself in the earth,

"Nice move, kid, but food isn't supposed to fight back; " He then threw the chunk of Earth at Sasuke.

Earth Release: Earth Mausoleum Dumpling

Sasuke's eyes widened. Didn't this guy say we wanted me alive? He dashed towards the side and narrowly avoided the boulder, but the impact knocked him away deeper into the forest. Jirobo smiled to himself; this kid was something else.

He went to the last place he saw Sasuke, but he wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Dammit, don't tell me she ran, Kimimaro might kill me."

Five smoke bombs dropped from above, making a circle around Jirobos. Jirobo stood in the center, looking around to see what direction he was coming from. The smoke began to disperse, and he still didn't see Sasuke; he looked up to see Sasuke above the lighting chakra surrounding his fist.

Lighting Release Bullet: Powerful Breath

Sasuke sent a powerful bolt of lightning from above that directly hit Jirobo. He heard his scream and landed a distance from the impact site. Once the dust cleared, he saw Jirobo on the ground, his features twitching angrily.

"How dare you; I can't believe I have to use this on a kid like you."

Jirobo's curse mark began to glow.

Sakura and Kakashi kept dashing through the forest after being separated from Sasuke; Kakashi noticed that they had made no distance on them, and their two pursuers were actually gaining. Realizing that they couldn't avoid conflict, Kakashi turned toward Sakura and said,

"Sakura, I need you to lead away the one with the blue hair,"

"Why, sensei, can we both fight them together?"

Kakashi shook his head;

"The one with the markings is most likely the leader; he also has markings of a clan with a very dangerous Kekkei Genkai; if he has access to it, he will be an extremely dangerous opponent; I can't risk you having you near me when I fight him,"

Sakura nodded. "Okay, sensei."

"Be careful; don't wander too far. I'm going to track you down after I finish him,"

"Got it." Sakura changed her path and began leaping away from Kakashi.

Sakon looked at Kimimaro.

"Should I follow her"

"Go ahead, just finish her quickly," said Kimimaro

Sakon began to leap after her.

Sakura saw a small clearing and touched down, preparing for a fight

Sakon landed across from her smug expression on his face.

Sakura charged, extending two fingers. Sakon's eyes followed them, anticipating a technique. In a sudden twist, Sakura circled her fingers. Sakon's vision blurred, ensnared by The Drunken Sight technique. A kunai was hurled, and Sakon evaded, his balance disrupted. Seizing the moment, Sakura aimed a strike at his unguarded side. Her punch never landed as her arm was struck.

Sakon recovered as he unleashed a powerful front kick, driving it into Sakura's chest with brutal force. The impact was staggering, knocking the wind out of Sakura as she was sent hurtling backward, her body skimming across the ground. She pushed herself up, holding her chest and coughing, trying to get the air back into her lungs.

That was the hardest she had been hit in her entire life; Sakura looked over to Sakon, who hadn't moved and was grinning at her.

"Oh, how I love the look of fear people get when they realize they are sorely outmatched. What will you do now, run, keep fighting, or just curl up in a ball and give up? Please don't do that last one; it's not satisfying when my opponents give up."

Sakura's eyes widened with fear; she was sure he was off guard. The genjutsu connected, but it was as if another person had hit her before she made contact. Was he just that fast? If he was, her chances of victory seemed slim. Sakura shook her head, dismissing her initial thoughts. If someone was moving at such a speed, she would have caught a glimpse of an afterimage, but Sakon didn't move at all.

Sakura stood and turned toward Sakon, eyes full of determination,

"Ooh, a feisty one, this should be interesting."

Her heart pounding, Sakura remained silent; this man's abilities, whatever they were, seemed to activate whenever she drew near. Sakura only knew one other earth jutsu in Earth Flow Spears, which could be used at a distance. Still, it could be easily dodged if she didn't use the technique at the right moment.

Sakura bit her lip; strategy wouldn't matter until she figured out what this guy had done earlier.

Sakon, growing impatient with Sakura's standing, rushed forward. Sakura managed to move back to dodge Sakon's blow, but she fell as she felt herself get struck in the ankle. Sakon put his foot up, about to stomp on her chest; Sakura molded the earth beneath her and sank into it, leaving Sakon to create a small crater.

"Crafty," commented Sakon

"You shouldn't waste time."

Sakon looked back. "Oh shut up, let me have fun; the girl is no threat."

Sakura had to focus on executing her next move. She had improved her mastery of the Hiding Like a Mole Technique and extended her range. She had used it in spars before, and she could only hope it would work now. If it did, she could get a hit on his blind spot.

Sakon saw the earth split open before him and prepared to block the incoming strike. When it didn't come, he looked backward to see another hole behind him,

"Thank you, brother,"

Sakura stood in shock as her hand was caught by another Sakon coming out of his back. Another arm reached out and wrapped its hand around Sakura's neck, suffocating her. She quickly pulled a kunai and tried to stab the arm with her free hand. The hand let go, and the arm disappeared into Sakon's body.

As Sakura was let go, she rolled away, creating distance. Sakura got up on shaky legs; she looked at Sakon as she saw another head sprout beside his own,

"You can create more limbs?" Sakura said as he ran a hand over her bruised neck

"No, this is my brother Ukon. He can meld into my body; he comes out when I need some help fighting,

Ukon turned toward his brother. "As I told you before, finish this girl quickly; we must return to Kimimaro. He may need help with Hatake,"

Sakon scoffed, but he relented. "Fine, I guess you have a point. I'm sorry, girlie. It looks like we need to end our fun early."

Sakura smiled as she got the info she needed.

She darted forward, her hand diving into her tool pouch, retrieving a handful of material. She took a deep breath and exhaled it towards Sakon and Ukon, who were left bewildered. In an instant, she descended into the earth, vanishing from their sight. As Sakon stood in a daze, a shower of white petals descended around them, accompanied by a gentle, alluring scent.

Ukon's voice dripped with frustration, "I warned you to put an end to that girl; now she's slipped away with nothing more than a mere party trick! "

"Oh, can it! She couldn't have gone far."

Sakon suddenly began coughing into his hand, and when he looked, he saw it covered in blood. Ukon followed suit and started coughing. Weakness overtook the brothers as their temperatures rose, their bodies trembling with an unknown force.

"I can't believe it; she poisoned us," Sakon said in disbelief.

"You fool, this is why you don't play in battle; we must get to Kidomaro quickly to see if he has an antidote."

Distracted, the brothers didn't notice as the spikes started to come from the ground.

Earth Release Earth Flow Spears

Sakon barely managed to prevent him and his brother from getting fully impaled, but Sakon had to break off a spike in his arm and thigh.

"Dammit, that bitch

Sakon looked at his hand to see no blood and that all of the symptoms of the poison were gone; he looked over at the ground to see shredded pieces of paper on the ground where they stood.

"Genjutsu," snarled Sakon, his anger palpable.

Come out here

Sakura emerged from the ground.

"I'm glad you told me you had separate bodies. That means you both have separate senses."

Sakura put her fist into her hand.

"So, will you curl into a ball now or keep fighting?"

"Oh, just watch, "Sakon said as his curse mark began to glow orange.

Kakashi stood in front of Kimimaro with his revealed Sharingan.

"Kaguya, huh? I heard your clan was wiped out by the mist years ago,"

Kimimaro's curse mark began to spread across his entire body in contorting and parallel lines.

Kimimaro kept a straight expression.

"Do not stall Hatake; I wish to fight you as soon as possible; my master will be pleased with me when I defeat you."

Kimimaro reached into his upper arm and pulled out his bone, forming a sword.

Dance of the Camelia

Kimimaro, in a swift motion, rushed forward in the dimly lit forest clearing, his strikes aimed at Kakashi's vulnerable spots.

Kakashi prepared to dodge and look for an opening; Kimimaro's strikes were blazing fast. He studied Kimimaro's movements. Each stab was aimed at a slightly different part of Kakashi, and he also changed the angle of the strikes each time.

Any other fighter would have no hope of deflecting his attacks unless they had a Sharingan. Kakashi took his kunai and parried one of Kimmaro's blows; this made Kimimaro show his first emotion other than indifference, as he had a surprised look on his face, his mouth slightly open and his eyebrows raised. Kakashi took his opening and slammed his kunai into Kimimaro's chest, only for the kunai to pierce the skin and then stop, sending force up Kakashi's arm, causing him pain. He quickly stepped back, dodging a fatal blow but getting sliced across his thigh.

Damn, it looks like he can manipulate his bones to guard his vitals, thought Kakashi

Kimmaro looked at Kakashi.

"So that's the power of the Sharingan; no one has ever even survived my Camellia dance, much less deflect it. Yes, my master will be very pleased; I'll shall take your eye to him,"

Kimmaro then put his bone sword back into his arm

Spikes of bone then began to protrude from his body, and various points

Dance of the Willow

Kakashi's mind raced as he assessed the situation. Engaging in close combat with an opponent who could transform his entire body into a weapon was dangerous. Kakashi's lack of long-range jutsu that could inflict significant damage was a glaring weakness. The longer this fight dragged on, the more chakra Kakashi was losing. The urgency of the situation was clear-he needed to end this quickly, and the only way to do that was to fight up close.

Kimimaro began to engage Kakashi; in his new dance, he dashed forward and thrust the two bones in his palms at Kakashi,

Kakashi managed to block one of them, but the other sliced the top of his shoulder.

At times like this, he wished he still had a sword; Kimimaro then spun. Kakashi had to step back to avoid the remaining spikes on his body;

Kimmaro continued to charge at Kakashi, giving him no room to breathe. Kakashi waited for an opening. The jutsus he had to use were chakra intensive, and he couldn't afford to miss; he saw his chance when Kimmaro pushed the spikes in his arms forward;

Kakashi shot forward and began forming a chakra spiral in his right palm.

Rasengan

Kakashi was cut across his torso and upper arm. A bone was lodged in his thigh, but he hit his target when he slammed the Rasengan into Kimimaro's stomach; when it made contact, Kimimaro's eyes widened. He coughed up blood and was sent sprawling backward, but he managed to land, dragging his knee across the ground.

Kakashi gave no quarter as he unleashed his most deadly jutsu

Raikiri (Lightning Cutter)

Kakashi held condensed lightning in his palm, propelling forward at inhuman speed. Kimimaro, caught off guard, looked up only to see a flash of blue light as Kakashi plunged the Raikiri through his chest.

Despite his near chakra exhaustion and the imminent threat of bleeding out, Kakashi pushed aside his own pain and worry. His unwavering loyalty and concern for his comrades drove him forward. He needed to find the rest of his team.

Suddenly, he felt a surge of chakra emanating from the direction of Kimimaro's body.

He looked over to see Kimimaro's skin begin to darken. As he got up, the hole in his chest began to heal.

Kakashi realized that this fight wasn't close to over rethinking his strategy; he didn't have enough chakra to unleash that combo again, and he doubted it would be enough to keep Kimmiaro done.

It also seemed he had a few minutes until he fully recovered; making a decision, Kakashi dabbed a finger in one of his wounds and went through hand signs.

Summoning Jutsu

A small, pug-like dog appeared with brown fur, dark brown snout, and ears.

Pakkun looked at the state of Kakashi and said

"Why can't you ever summon me into good situations?"

"I need you to lead me to my student; she should be fighting nearby,"

Pakkun began to sniff the air and looked west,

She should be this way. "Can you still move?"

Kakashi groaned and got up.

"Let's go"

Things had gotten out of hand for Sakura, though, since activating the second stage, the brothers' teamwork had kept her on the back foot, preventing her from attacking.

She dodged a kick but was nailed in the side by a punch, sending her sprawling; she stood prepared to keep fighting.

"Where's the tough talk now, girlie."

She breath heavily, trying to come up with a strategy

Suddenly, a nearly fresh Kakashi landed beside her, surprising the brothers.

"Yo, I don't think it's fair that you keep harassing my student."

"Where is Kimimaru," asked Sakon

In clearing a few minutes that way, you might want to check on him,

"You're lying." accused Ukon

"Do you want to test that?" Kakashi said as he narrowed his eyes

Ukon looked at Sakon.

"This is why I told you to finish this sooner. We should check on him to confirm if he really beat Kimimaro; I doubt we'll have much of a chance."

The brothers returned to thier stage one form, and Ukon melded back into Sakon as they headed toward Kimimaro.

After the brothers left, Sakura exhaled the breath she was holding.

"Thank you, sensei. I don't know what I should have done." Sakura said in relief

The henge hiding Kakashi's injuries dispelled, and he dropped to one knee.

Sakura gasped at her teacher's state. "What happened?"

"I disabled their leader, but he's regenerating now; they'll find out soon; we have to retreat."

"What about the others?"

"I sent my summon to find Sasuke and lead him to us, and I trust Anko to keep Naruto safe. Come on, we have to move."

Sakura hesitated

"Sensei, we should treat your wounds first."

"We'll do that when we get somewhere safe; we have to leave before they return."

Kakashi jumped into the trees, and Sakura followed

Sakon arrived to see a detransformed Kimimaro standing, looking up at the sky. He landed.

"Kimimaro, what happened."

Kimimaro looked over at him.

"I failed. No one had ever broken through my defense before, and he did it twice in a row." Kimimaro's voice was filled with shame and disbelief, his eyes downcast.

"Did you take care of the girl?"

"No, we had her on the ropes, but Kakashi showed up and told us you were defeated."

"Why did you not fight? He must have been heavily injured."

"He must have been henged; he looked fresh," said Sakon without his usual confidence worried he would be punished for such a crucial mistake

"While I take offense that you would believe that I would leave my opponents "fresh," we have more pressing matters. I need you to find Jirobo and help him secure the Uchiha. Our connection with Kidomaru has faded; I'll go and assist them." The urgency in Kimimaro's voice was clear.

"Shouldn't we hunt down the girl and Kakashi," asked Sakon

"Kakashi is heavily injured. They can't move far, we can track them down later,"

"Okay, I got it."

Sakon hurried off to find Jirobo with a determined stride. At the same time, Kimiaro went to check on the status of the other members of his team.

Anko found herself in a whirlwind of events, the tide turning against her and Naruto with alarming speed. One moment, they were on the verge of triumph over the flute girl, and the next, they were trapped, their backs against a menacing ravine.

Anko looked down at her wounded leg; she and Naruto had no hope of fighting this bone dude at close range and had the cuts to prove it. Naruto stood next to her, breathing heavily, covered in cuts.

Kimmiaro approached slowly, bone spikes protruding from his body.

Anko winched. There was no way they could fight this guy; she looked back at the ravine behind them, judging the drop; she turned toward Naruto,

"Hey, can you swim?" Anko asked, her voice filled with urgency.

He looked at her. Yeah, I can

"Good,"

"Hey, what are you.."

Without a moment's hesitation, Anko made a daring decision. She wrapped her arms tightly around Naruto and leaped into the unknown, plunging into the ravine towards the river below.

Kimimaro looked down the cliff face.

A meek Tayuya stood beside him.

"They can't have gone far. We can still catch them," Tayuya suggested

"Don't bother; you've failed miserably in your task. You even allowed Kidomaru to be killed, and I liked him much more than you."Tayuya shrunk in on herself,

"The only reason I won't kill you now is that I also failed in my task, and you still have use to Orochimaru. Come, let's meet back up with the others."

Kakashi hopped from tree to tree with Sakura ahead of him. Sakura looked back; he was laboring and going slow;

"Sensei, we can stop and take a break,"

"No, we can't. We have to find. The others make it to Konoha; "

Kakashi stumbled and fell off the branch. Sakura jumped after him, barely breaking his fall.

"I'm good. We can keep going,"

"No sensei, you won't make we need to find somewhere to rest,"

As much as Kashi hated to admit it, she was right; he had only done quick first aid on his worse wounds, and the travel was already undoing that. The amount of chakra he had to use was also getting to him.

Any other ninja in his circumstance would be okay to travel for a few more hours, but with his Sharingan, it was like running on a treadmill on the brink of exhaustion.

"Help me lean against this tree," said Kakashi as Sakura lowered him.

"Go underground and see if you can sense any underground structures or caves,"

"Shouldn't we be looking for the others?

"Pakkun should at least bring Sasuke to us."

Sakura nodded and put her trust in her teacher,

Sakura performed the Hiding Like a Mole Technique and began to sense for any nearby natural structures; after about a minute, she came up and reported her findings.

"There's a cave a few miles from here, do you think you can make it,

Kakashi put his hand on his knee and groaned as he got up

"I have to, let's go."

Once they reached the cave, Sakura laid Kakashi down against a wall and immediately tried to perform first aid.

"Sensei, you were so worried about us. I thought you were going to keep yourself safe, too," Sakura said, her voice layered with concern.

Kakashi chucked. "Don't worry, I'm like this after every big mission. I'm used to it by now,"

"You shouldn't be"

After several minutes, Sakura had done her best to treat Kakashi's wounds. It wasn't a professional job, but she did well enough to stop the bleeding,

Kakashi maneuvered himself into a more comfortable position on the ground.

"I'm sorry; we shouldn't have taken you guys here."

"It's not your fault sensei we all wanted to go."

"Sakura, keep an eye out for Sasuke. You two are going to need to look out for one another. I probably won't be able to move for at least a few days. Until then, you have to keep each other safe. If it comes to that, you may have to leave me."

"Stop, don't talk like that. We won't leave you, so don't even say it;" light tears began to form at the edge of Sakura's eyes.

After a few moments Sakura asked a question

"Do you think Anko and Naruto are okay?"

Kakashi smiled under his mask

"Those two together are unstoppable; they'll be fine."

Kakashi, a few minutes later, fell asleep. Leaving Sakura alone to protect them both

Sasuke sat in a tree, avoiding suppression. His chakra was already struggling with Jirobo, but he had to retreat when the other one showed up. He barely managed to escape and was now hiding while the two of them searched the surrounding area,

He felt a presence and went to strike, only to have the kunai knocked from his hands. He jumped to look at his assailant, which was, to his utter surprise, a small pug.

"Man, Kakashi hasn't taught you guys any manners, has he?" said the pug

"Who are you?"

"My name is Pakkun. I'm one of Kakashi's dog summons; he ordered me to track your scent and bring you to him.

His voice was laced with worry Sasuke asked "Are the others alright?"

"Kakashi is with the pink-haired girl, but he mentioned he didn't know where the other two were, he asekd me to take you to the two of them."

"What about the two patrolling the area"

Pakun sniffed the air. "They are far enough away now that we can make our way to them."

With a resolute nod, Sasuke set off, following Pakun's lead, his heart set on reuniting with Sakura and Kakashi.

Anko and Naruto, still soaked from the river, traveled slowly due to Anko's leg wound. They washed up far downriver and had been traveling for a few hours. Naruto had no experience in cases where the whole team was split apart, and they had no solid idea where they were about Konaha.

"Are you okay, sis?" Naruto asked, clearly worried

"I'm okay, just as long as we can get somewhere to rest for a moment,

"Can't we rest now,"

"No, they might be after us; we can't risk running into the bone guy again,"

Naruto nodded while he was still worried about her state. He trusted that she knew her own body,

"So what are we going to do? We have to meet back with the others," asked Naruto

"Protocol in this situation is to find a town or village near a leaf outpost; they usually have ninjas stationed there."

Naruto's face fell, and he asked,

"Do you think the others are okay"

"Of course they are; that bone guy seemed pissed when he fought us; the others must have given them the slip. We just have to find out where we are and make it to an outpost."

"What outpost are you talking about? Inquired Naruto.

"They are all around the land of fire; they hold supplies and shelter for ninjas on long-term missions. If we want to meet up with the others, that would be our best bet since that would be the first place Kakashi and the others would go."

As they approached the edge of the woods, they heard voices from the shoreline. Anko looked at Naruto and motioned to get down. Naruto crouched right beside her and began to listen to the conversation. In front of them was a fishing hut with a small dock. Beside the dock was a sizable fishing boat with multiple people on it.

" I'm telling you, it's now worth it. We can't hide our haul; it will only backfire. The last time someone tried, they had their boat taken away, and he made an example of them."

"I'm not saying we hide everything; we just need to keep some for our families, at least. Please, my daughter is hungry, and the little we get to keep would only feed us both for the next week."

"No, I'm sorry, Takeshi, but I have to worry about more than just you. We could lose what little food we already got." said a tall brown hair man, presumably the leader of the group

As the two continued their argument, Anko turned to Naruto and said

"We should get their help and ask for a ride back to their village."

"What? Why didn't you say we shouldn't trust anyone but ourselves when we are out on missions,"

"Yeah, but this is different. I can barely move, and we are too vulnerable by ourselves out in the open like this. And they probably live in a village, meaning we can find out where the hell we are and head out to the outpost when I get better."

Naruto thought for a moment and then nodded. What Anko was saying made sense/

"Okay, let's go."

"Wait, they probably won't be eager to help random ninjas in the woods."

"So what do we do."

Anko performed hand signs and transformed into a plain brown hair woman in civilian clothing.

"Okay, transform into a younger sibling of this henge."

Naruto nodded and transformed; he had transformed into a brown hair kid with farmer's clothes,

Okay, here is the plan

After a few minutes, Anko explained what Naruto had to do

Okay, so remember the cover story and play it cool. Don't try to overact or say too much.

"I got it; back in Konoha, they call me Naruto Uzumaki, the master of disguise and espionage. "

Anko rolled her eyes. "Okay, come on, brat, let's start the show."

"Hello, can you help us, please?"

The fishers turned toward the woods to see a young boy and a young woman leaning against him, clearly favoring her right leg.

What happened, the leader yelled.

He began to walk forward, seeing that the two were clearly in some sort of distress.

The other fishermen around the area began to look on, waiting to see if they could help.

"My sister is hurt and sick, we got attacked"

"By who," the fisherman asked as he cautiously looked around to see if the attackers were still in the area

"Our parents had a small farm back west. We were attacked by bandits, and my sister and I ran." Naruto's eyes began tearing up, and his voice became more tense.

"But my sister hurt her ankle and fell and hit her head. Since then, she has been sick, and we have been searching the woods for help. I would go back, but Mom said not to, and I have no idea. "

The man interrupted Naruto and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, kid, you did your best."

The woman who had been silent outside of her ragged breathing spoke up in a hushed voice.

"Please help us, or at least my brother, please." She then put more weight on her ankle and winced.

The captain looked over to the rest of his crew, looking for silent confirmation of what he was thinking; after a few nods from his crew, he turned back to the boy and said

We can't help your sister here, but we can take you back to our town to get someone to look at her.

The boy sniffled and began to rub tears out of his eyes

"Thank you so much."

"Thank you. I don't know how we can repay you," said the woman

The man put his hand on the boy's head; no worries, kid, what kind of man would I be if I left a woman and child to fend for themselves. He then offered his shoulder for the woman to lead on, which she took early as he led her to the dock

"You caught us when we were about to head back anyway."

Naruto followed and asked, "So, where do you live? "

"One of the other sailors responded We all come from different villages, but we all live in The Land Of Waves."