---

Nobushige suddenly fell as they got close to the dome, landing outside of it. It was deliberate to give him a believable seperation. He saw the guards didn't notice.

Either worst ninja ever, or I'm in for some deep shit. My instincts tell me the second. Ugh. Those other 5 running around are draining my chakra, I'd better disperse them and go with simplier clones for the moment.

Nobushige did a handsign to disperse his current clones. All of them suddenly died. The funniest of which was one who was watching the Hidden Waterfall Village, who suddenly dropped dead eating at a restaurant outside.

Just as quickly he formed new handsigns, creating a quick shadow clone. Nobushige rolled to the side of the building, pressing himself against it as his clone took his place with the guards. While he was already caught he suspect, he played along, and had the guard do nothing more than nod at his trip, not explaining it with words or anything.

These guys are real stiffs.

Nobushige stood against the wall thinking for a minute of his course of action. He heard motion below them, and started to see smoke rising. It seemed like the action had already started. He wanted to start killing as well, rush the two guards, and slap them with an explosive tag, but he felt nervous suddenly.

Every damn thing about this is off. These guys don't even care of the commotion, that I don't understand orders. It's not ignorance, my covers been blown. They know they have an intruder, why don't they care? Do they really think that highly of this Kiyomi Kanagata? Hmm. There's not a man on this earth I can't kill. A fool fights, a ninja strikes from the shadows.

Nobushige continued reviewing what he knew, before deciding it was time to prepare. If he was forced to fight, he was not going to do it suddenly, or try to show off.

Reaching into his ninja pouch, he started doing inventory, leaving it mostly empty, with most of it getting discarded. There were ten Fortune Lots in his pouch, and ten explosive tags. Nobushige even had to admit he was going to have trouble fighting with this few resources.

He reached into his pouch one more time, tracing his hand through his pouch, small traces of chakra felt across as he touched the explosive tags. This was going to be fun.

Guessing time. Clone, are you about to see our lovely Kanagata?

His clone continued with the two guards inside the dome, silently. He was as stoic as ever, but on the inside, he itched to move.

Leading the clone Kobuto into the dome and through its expansive network of hallways, the two shinobi, after two minutes of walking, stopped before a large door. Glancing up at it then at one another they then pushed them open, entering the center of the observatory. The moment that Kobuto's clone stepped through the doorway, passing the boundary of the door frame, he was frozen in place, unable to move. The two shinobi glanced back at him, expressions largely uncaring.

"Well done, pets," said the voice of a woman, the owner nowhere to be seen in the expansive room. At the top of the room was the same black substance, and within the room there appeared to be a series of black apparatus. Some of them were the same rods, others were operating tables upon which there were individuals who appeared to be unconscious members of the waterfall village's shinobi force. In several other locations there were civilians, apparently undergoing the same experiments.

Suddenly kneeling, the two shinobi had turned their backs to the paralyzed Nobushige, placing one knee upon the ground in deference. A platform had lowered from a ceiling which, while possessing holes in various areas, was largely blocking the view of the curved peak of the dome. On this platform was a woman, a familiar woman, with a small smug smile on her face, a hand on her hip and her weight leaned to one side as the platform descended and eventually clicked into the ground.

As she looked Nobushige's clone over her small grin broadened and her eyes lit up, then she laughed. Taking a moment to compose herself the woman walked around her captive several times as if she were a hunter surveying her catch--she was. "Wow Nobushige, you've really grown since I last saw you in Kumogakure," she glanced at his head protector, her smile turning to a smirk, "I see you've gotten new friends. When do ya plan to betray this bunch, mmm?" She laughed, as if her joke was hilarious, to her it was.

She stepped closer and laid her hand on the man's cheek, cupping it gently, letting her thumb pry his bottom lip down slightly, her eyes meeting his. "I wonder if you remember that special night we had so many years ago. I doubt it," as she said it electricity crackled around her, even through her hair, conducting into the ground and likely setting his hair on edge. "You know, Noushi, I could carve you up. Maybe I might, perhaps this time you won't forget me so easily," her calm smile didn't alter at all, and neither did the glow in her eyes. Nonetheless, there was a distinct air of malice about her.

As if to make a point, the woman then kissed him, despite his paralysis, her lips pressed to his and her tongue slipping into his mouth for a brief moment. It would be pleasant for a moment, if he was into forced kisses, and then the lightning chakra would flood his body. Rings of light formed around the clone's body as it happened, moving up and down over it. After several passes the clone would feel the chakra that made it up almost...solidify. She'd bound the chakra so tightly that unless she released the bonds, the clone wouldn't dissipate. She'd also magnetized it.

At this Kiyome backed away, licking her lips and smiling, "It's too bad you couldn't return the gesture, Noushi, but you'd probably try to bite my tongue off or place one of those pesky Fortunes on me and I just can't have that." She turned her back to him, gesturing for her two minions to rise. They did so immediately and faced Nobushige, binding his hands behind him, then his feet, magnetizing them together as if they were metallic. One of them placed their hand on his body and a pulse of electricity went through him, continuing to do so even after the hand was removed. It was like feeling a small amount of static continually run through your body, but it wasn't entirely unpleasant.

The paralysis wore off and where Nobushige couldn't see, Kiyome's smile grew.

---

Not the least discouraged that their lightning had been blocked one of the shinobi was too late in noticing the explosive tags and was promptly engulfed in flame. His comrades however, used his death to tell them where the tags were, and changed trajectory, deciding to head for Mayumi after all.

Meanwhile, the woman had jumped over the area with the kunai and tags, then suddenly rocketed down to the ground, where she slid and thrust her weapon forwards at Mayumi's head. Electricity sparked off of the pitch black weapon as it moved.

While she attacked Mayumi the four elite shinobi who were airborne began moulding chakra, lightning channeling around their bodies at higher and higher speeds with every passing moment. When Shirayuri reached the rod, it would all discharge, directed right at the rod where it would strike and then expand outwards into a field of searing electrical particles. It seemed they weren't playing around even minutely. It was all business with this crowd.

---

---

Closing the distance, Shirayuri heard the electricity oscillating before she felt it. As such she was able to execute the necessary handseals to escape just before the strike hit. Delving straight into the ground and disappearing, the kunoichi frowned. It seemed that the waterfall shinobi hadn't been struggling for no reason. These guys were tough.

Taking in a deep breath, she ran through her options. She knew lightning was weak to earth and she knew that magnetism was weak to fire, so that seemed the best route to take. With this in mind she began gathering her chakra along the yari she had in hand and after five seconds she burst forth from the ground, whirling the Yari. Wind chakra was thrust forth from her body as she swung and spun the weapon around her form. Then the flames erupted, forming a hollow sphere of rotating flames around the lightning rod and effectively cutting off her aggressors. Exhaling to release the tension, Shirayuri turned to the rod and placed her gloved hand on it.

Focusing, she began conducting fire and wind chakra into the rod, utilizing chakra flow. Then she sent earth chakra in and used Doton: Hokyou to reinforce select areas by redistributing the rod's mass. After twenty seconds she focused the fire and wind chakra on the rod's weak points simultaneously and then expanded them.

The rod promptly began bloating and then it crumpled, the chakra infused metal crumbling and splitting into fragments. She immediately noted the decrease in static electricity.

Turning away she raised an arm and then pulled it closer to her chest. The orb of fire collapsed inwards and became a cloak, flowing over and around her body above her clothes. She took off, heading for the next rod.

---

Soria of the Forest

Tetsukuzu

---

Having risen many hours ago, Soria had tended to his garden and began fostering new experiments in his subterranean garden. Exiting as he felt it time to head for the sankage's office, the sage of forests, as some called him, took it all in. The sound of the bustling village, its people happily going about their days. Children ran about, and others retreated indoors, likely to escape the noise. He smiled to himself, grateful for the peace that had lasted 10 years. It was almost hard to believe that the war had ended, after having gone on for so long.

His path taking him before a large five floor building of feudal style, Soria glanced at it briefly, smiling slightly before he entered, making his way to the fifth floor where Ayameko's office was situated. Even before he'd risen four flights he noted the kage, and it turned out Shiou's presence in on the floor he was heading for. He chuckled, shaking his head and closing his eyes for a moment. He could imagine Shiō giving Ayameko a hard time for likely having just arrived. It was almost a ritual at this point.

Reaching the fifth floor and walking down the hall to Ayameko's office with a calm smile on his features, Soria's emerald green eyes noted that he'd been correct in his detection of the two's presence. It was nice to know that his skills weren't getting the rusty in the least. “Good afternoon Ayameko, Shiō,” he nodded his head to each woman, his smiling growing ever so slightly at seeing them.

His form coming to rest just outside the entrance to Ayameko's office, the man glanced to Shiō, “What's on our schedule for today?” His tone was calm, and he looked comfortable. Soria was seen as a very relaxed individual...unless you'd known him in wartime that was. Back then he'd been a whole different beast, but that was in the past now. These were peaceful times, and he hoped to keep them that way.

Hopefully he could.

The masked and hooded figure walked slowly down the single passage leading into what was now Sunagakure. To either side rose enormous, insurmountable cliff faces. The masked figure paid those no heed, however. It walked in the very middle, with a slow and measured pace, a relaxed left hand resting upon the hilt of a katana sheathed beneath the black, short, sleeveless robe the figure wore. In the boiling sun of the Wind Country, one could only guess at how hot the man behind the mask was.

He had walked this passage many times in the past - a very long time ago, this was true, but he had walked this passage much. The passage had not changed in the fifty or so years since he had last been here, but what was beyond had. Now there was a large village where once there had been a rather small settlement, the compound of the Suna Clan, a little-known clan which had emerged from the desert and so took on the name of the sand.

He stopped suddenly, standing in place. Three men appeared in a puff of smoke, surrounding the figure. There were a few moments of quiet as the new arrivals inspected the stranger. They had never seen him before, and he had some guts walking through in the middle of the day before the eyes of the guards. It was clear he was not attempting to hide, or if he was, then he was beyond incompetent.

'Reveal your identity and purpose,' the leading shinobi demanded. He stood right before him, the other two standing to the stranger's left and right, facing him and at the ready should he attempt anything.
'I am merely visiting family,' the voice which returned was rather deep, almost threatening, but the rather compliant and unassuming response gave no suggestion of a threat.
'Hmm, where have you come from? Identify yourself,' the shinobi narrowed his eyes, attempting to find a reason to suspect the man standing before him - his style of dress alone warranted suspicion. He could easily be an enemy spy, and given Sunagakure's dismal state, it could hardly bear to have its seeming strength compromised with enemy intel on its current state of weakness.

'I am a mere traveling wanderer who has found his way back to where he first began. When I set off, it was from here that I set off, and to this place have I returned,' the shinobi's narrowed eyes rose quizzically. Was he trying to confuse him with riddles and wordplay? Looking to the others, he waved the man along.
'Ok, off you go,' the black-clad and masked figure walked on and the three shinobi watched him until he was out of hearing range, 'watch him.'
The two shinobi to either side of him nodded before disappearing in a puff of smoke. He would be damned if he allowed an enemy spy to slip him by!



Daichi stood at the door of the house. What had brought him here, he did not know - he was on a search for his son, after all, not taking a walk down the road of memories. But he had found himself here, outside that door from oh so long ago - fifty three years, in fact. He wondered if she and her children were still here - how old had she been back then? Thirty? It was rather strange seeing how the settlement had changed and grown, and yet this house, and this very door, had remained the same.
He raised his hand to the door and knocked. There was silence. He knocked again.
'I am coming! Can't you be patient! Give an old woman some time!' came the irritated, high-pitched response. Well, seemed like the old crone was alive. Pity...

The door swung slowly open and a grumpy old face looked him up and down.
'What are you doing with that thing on your face?' she snapped, 'take it off so I can see who you are!' Daichi considered, for a few moments, a series of very painful things he could potentially do to her but thought better of it. He was being watched after all, no need to attract more attention than he already had. He lifted a hand to his mask and removed it, revealing the middle-aged face below, though the hair was as white as it had always been. The old woman squinted and looked at him more closely, leaning in on her cane and rising on her tiptoes. Her mouth opened slightly and her eyes widened.
'You...' she whispered, 'I...I've never seen you in my life! Who in the world are you?' he stood there looking at her, cocking his head to the left and smiling ever so slightly.
'Do you forget me, sister of my mother? I who grew under your roof until the torment drove me away?' her eyes narrowed and she backed away.
'Ah...you,' her voice was full of venom. She turned away and signaled for him to come in, 'close the door behind you.'
Complying, he stepped in and closed the door, following his aunt into the sitting room where she provided him with some water. Fifty three years later - what was she now? Eighty five? Ninety? Certainly had the will to stay alive, that was for certain.
It was in that moment that he realised what he had come here for. It was not out of a nostalgia for any golden past or love or even the feeling that she was family. He merely wanted to know something.

'So, what brings you here? How long has it been? Forty years?' she asked as she sat across the table, a cup of something warm in her hands. She had not provided him with anything after the water - not that he wanted anything from her but that one, little thing.
'Fifty three years,' he corrected her, 'I have come with a request. I wish for you to tell me something, for you are the only one with who can answer me,' he said. Realising that he was depending on her for something, she smiled slyly and looked away, playing hard to get. Daichi had no time for her games.
'Tell me where the location of the compound is,' she immediately understood what he said for her head turned towards him and confusion lit up her face.
'The compound? But...why?' Daichi's face remained emotionless.
'That is not for you to know, you simply need to provide me with the information I require and have a right to,' his voice was as cold as he could make it. It irked him greatly having to ask this woman for something - he was not even asking her where her children were, so little did he want to know. He would be forgetting her once more the moment he turned away from her after all. She sat there looking at him, her eyes moving from his face to the mask and scouring his black garb.

'You are that strange traveling shinobi, are you not? The one who became famed during the war. Black garb, horned mask, you are he, no?' Daichi gave a long irritated sigh. What was the point of her questioning? Nevertheless, he obliged her and nodded in the affirmative.
'Very well, I will tell you where it is, but you must do something for me first...'



'A black-garbed man?' the man asked, frowning slightly.
'Yes, and he was wearing a horned mask. Didn't seem suspicious but told Uchimaru and Sho to keep an eye on him,' the shinobi who had stopped Daichi earlier was stood before another man, who sat behind a desk. The man had long red hair which rested on the shoulders of his white kimono, and his green eyes were narrowed as he thought.
'Did he tell you his name?' the red-haired man asked, at which the other shook his head.
'Why, Kanzo-sama? Do you know him?' Kanzo got up from his seat and turned around, staring out the window behind him. It could not be anyone other than him.
'I want him. Bring him here. If he refuses, use whatever force you can - don't be afraid to hold back, he will survive. Is that clear, is that clear Hotaka?' the shinobi known as Hotaka bowed.
'It shall be done, Kanzo-sama,' he said before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Kanzo stood staring out of the window, foggy-eyed. He had faced off against the infamous black-clad ninja, some knew him as The Horned One, but here in Sunagakure he was known by a very different name, for they had seen his wings.

He of the Wings.

---

Real Nobushige

The real Nobushige continued going over plans in his head. Chaos below indicated the battle was continuing.Who the hell was this Kiyomi? Name almost sounded familiar, but Nobushige generally put down if he forgot a name, he'd probably killed them.

He raised his eyebrow as he heard another blast below.

I'm not one for battles, but damn they are tough. I didn't expect anything quite like this. I expected Heirana and Uchiha to have been run through way before this. Oh well, guess some things are bound to surprise you.

It was probably worst to go after straight after her right now, she was on guard, and it was definitely against his style. Then again, the invisible langauge they all had was a pain in the ass. He couldn't blend in and kill everyone in their sleep as per normal.

"Ugh. My chakra's already not the highest. I must be mad. Well, it's stupid to hold on to chakra, it's meant to be spent. Their fault for not keeping an eye on me, what do they expect?"

Nobushige threw an explosive tag in the air, and started a series of handsigns.

Paper Jutsu: Guided Path!

The explosive tag as it floated down started to circle forward, heading down the hall in circling pattern, it was headed whatever chakra pattern it could feel that was different than Nobushige's.

Nobushige continued weaving handsigns, and at this point, he felt his reserve already plummet.

"Damnit, this is going to tax me."

Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!

The moving explosive tag suddenly multiplied by a good couple dozen. All of the explosive tags fluttered down the hall in various directions, homing intowards various chakra signatures. Any guard inside the compound was about to have a very bad day.

"And one more to top it off. I know my clone's a popular guy, he's me after all. Let's have him say hi."

Nobushige was kneeling by now as he finished the final set of handsigns.

"Only got about a quarter in the tank. Let's hope that finishes it. Alive, dead, big difference, she wasn't worth capturing if this did her in."


Clone Nobushige
_________

Nobushige's clone was very surprised to find himself stuck in place, his eyes almost showed interest, and his transformation jutsu wore off from it.

He looked at the woman infront of him and.... had no clue who she was. It wasn't like he could keep track of every kunoichi he knew from the Hidden Cloud.

Yada-yada, betray the cloud, banter, more banter. Nobushige groaned as the woman wouldn't shut up. Well, if he knew her, he knew why he hadn't paid attention. Wait, wasn't she a missing nin too? Glass houses he supposed. Magical night, eh, he couldn't keep track of every kunoichi he slept with in the Cloud.

And then she got his attention, and he was mesmorized as the bandages across his face were moved and he was kissed. Yep, she appearantly knew how to get his attention, more than 90% of the women he knew, way more than Uchiha or Heirana. He wondered if there was a spot on her guard open, then made note there probably was going to be alot more open afterall this. His hair stood on end, and goosebumps fettered his skin, then the realized it was literally the electricity.

Then he reminded him he had someone back home.

Stay focused Nobushige, that kunoichi back home is worth it.

Then he was bound and blinded. Damn this woman knew how to get his attention. Nobushige felt something strange from his stomache as he sat there.

"Man, I got the rumblies something bad. Probably a bad breakfast."

Great Clone Explosion!

Daichi looked at the picture again. The old crone had been deadly serious, she wanted this man alive or dead. Though preferably alive so she could take pleasure in bringing about his death. Sighing, he continued his walk, she had said he would be in one of the taller buildings near the cleft leading in and out of the village. Apparently he was the captain of the Sunagakure Anbu, not that all these ranks and positions mattered or meant much to Daichi. He had never joined a village, he knew very little of their hierarchies.

As he walked, people gave him strange looks and generally steered out of his way. He assumed his manner of dress was not exactly the usual. His traveling meant that the majority of his time was spent out of settled areas, as far from humans as he could be. It was unavoidable, however, that he enter the odd village now and again. His search for his son demanded it, and on this occasion, his search for something else. The Saduzow clan's library had once been famed all over the Wind Country - maybe even beyond. He had to find out if any of it had been spared. He doubted any looters had found their way there. The compound had been far off in the middle of the desert, well-hidden. His aunt had told him that the more important buildings were underground, with anything appearing overground being symbolic rather than hosting anything truly important. That meant that there was hope yet of finding out some of the clan's history, more on the Fusiongun...

All he had to do was find this man. It was nothing personal, if anything, Daichi owed the man something of debt for ridding this world of that crone's children. But Daichi needed in the information, and this man would be the price. He kept his eyes peeled for tall buildings as he got closer to the cleft.
'Leaving so soon?' Daichi stopped as a figure appeared before him and he sensed the two who had been watching him as they appeared on either side of him, 'why don't you come along with us instead, eh?'
Had they discovered his plan? Perhaps that old crone had set this all up to get him captured - he did not think she would not do it.

'I have no purpose with you, you have no right to take me anywhere. I go where I please, as I please,' Daichi's right hand rested as casually as it could on Sunaarashi's hilt, sheathed on his left hip.
'You are in our village, under our law. You must obey. We do not wish to use force,' the shinobi watched the black-clade figure, 'you are far out-numbered, and even if you were to defeat us, you will never get out alive,' considering this for a few seconds, Daichi released his grip on his sword hilt. There was no point in resisting. If they refused to release him, he would just have to find out for himself whether he could get out alive or not.

'Very well, I will go with you, but I will not stay for longer than I must. I have important things to be doing,' with that the two shinobi on either side approached him. He was not entirely aware of what they were planning until both of them gripped him and forced his hands behind him. Daichi struggled furiously, but one of them alone had more strength than he and they got the cuffs around his wrists. He immediately felt himself grow weak.
'Heh, good aren't they? Imbued with a chakra suppressing jutsu,' the one to his right said, 'my own idea. Kanzo-sama appreciates suggestions on improving our Anbu's base lethality, and these just do,' Daichi gave him a venomous look.
'I am not interested in your life story, imbecile,' he snapped. Had he said Kanzo? Was that not...

'Come, Kanzo-sama will be waiting,' with that they began walking their prisoner forth in the same direction he had been headed. It took no more than a few minutes before they found themselves entering a rather tall building. Daichi could not help but smile - well, they had certainly made getting in easier for him.

'Kanzo-sama, we have captured the target,' the leading shinobi stood still as the red-haired man looked up. Daichi surveyed him, this was the man the old crone wanted. He allowed his eyes to drift over the large room. Other than the three shinobi, Kanzo and himself, there was no one else present.

'So you have come, He of the Wings,' the man behind the desk stood up, a small satisfied smile playing about his lips.
'I hardly came willingly. Your men found it more fitting to slap their devices onto men and march me here like some mountain-lion prize,' Daichi's voice was cutting as he could make it. He certainly had no need to be respectful when no respect had been shown him.
'Ah, I do apologise for that. I did tell them to do anything in their power to bring you here,' Kanzo's smile grew.
'They could have tried the art of persuasion rather than stopping me in the middle of the road and demanding I go with them,' Daichi was clearly in an irritable mood, he wanted the cuffs off immediately and he made that rather clear by attempting to pull his hands out.
'I don't think those cuffs will be necessary now, if you would sit down, take that mask off, and hear me out,' Kanzo's eyes bored into the masked face.
'I may be more willing to hear you out when they are gone, yes,' cam Daichi's response. Kanzo signaled for them to take them off and Daichi stepped forward. Removing his sword from the belt, he sat down in the one seat across from Kanzo before taking his mask off - ensuring his hood was still up so those behind could see nothing of him.

'You certainly haven't changed much since last we met,' Kanzo sat down and put his elbows on the table, fingers interlinked under his chin.
'If you say so,' came Daichi's short response.
'I have an offer for you,' Daichi raised an eyebrow at this, 'join us. You will be honoured and of high rank among us, Sunagakure will gain much by your settling with us, and you will undoubtedly gain more,' Daichi's raised eyebrow rose even higher and a small smile crept across his face.
'Join you?' he laughed, that was quite a development, 'honour and position? Not that I care much for any of that, but if you brought one who you would honour before you in chains, what does that say, hmm?' Kanzo frowned, Daichi was clearly not giving his proposition any thought at all.
'And I have more important things to be doing. Finding my son...finding the compound,' he paused and looked at Kanzo for a few seconds, 'and for that, I require that you come with me.'

With that, Daichi jumped up at speed and drew Sunaarashi, slashing at his red-haired target's chest. The shinobi behind him stood frozen in shock.

---

Running away Mayumi heard an explosion and looked over her shoulder to see only one target knocked off. Gritting her teeth she grabbed a kunai as one of her pursuers landed sliding towards her and stabbing for her. To this Mayumi made a seal and spun around still holding her kunai as she made the seal and just as the blade was barely inches away from her face. "Transform..." As the white puff of smoke surrounded her the blade would pierce through empty air as a kunai struck out towards the womans heart in the hands of a smaller, younger looking Mayumi.

Using the simple technique to go back in time for herself, well appearance wise anyways, allowing her to shrink under the blade and strike for the heart while her victim still had momentum with their attack. The likely hood of them being able to dodge being minimal as she timed it with her Sharingan as to give them only a mere second to react and maybe a quarter of a second extra if they managed to stop themselves somehow. If they couldn't though then it would mean that Mayumi had taken another step at clearing the task at hand.

An eyebrow raising as she suddenly noted a good number of biosignatures being extinguished, their electrical energies disipating into her expanded field, Kiyome smirked. Then she noted another note. Immediately a field of magnetic energy sprung up in front of the clone's form and he was propelled away in the same moment the explosion erupted from its form.

Her smile returning and a chuckling laugh following soon after, Kiyome turned to survey the damage. Minimal, but that was without keeping in mind the members of her staff the man had killed.

"You never fail to surprise me," she said to thin air, tracking the small amounts of magnetically charged chakra that were returning to Nobushige to deliver the information from the clone. Grinning, she willed all doors and obstacles in her path to reach him to shift out of the way, then she levitated into the air and shot forwards, nothing impeding her path.

---

Caught off guard by her opponent's sudden change in size, Mayumi's strike nearly struck the woman, before her body suddenly shot upwards in a magnetically caused flip ending with the woman standing behind Mayumi and whirling, her weapon ready to strike with its spiked side. Lightning had nearly overtaken the object by then.

Meanwhile her two comrades were 6 meters away, keeping in line with Mayumi's position. Electrical energy was sparking about their forms. Then, earth spiked upwards, creating clouds of dirt and debris as the flames from Mayumi's earlier attack, revealed only 10 desiccated corpses—8 had survived and it appeared they were now assisting their comrades.

While all this occurred the four shinobi split into two groups, two of their ilk rapidly flying through the air towards Shirayuri while she approached one of the lightning rods. The other two had already gathered more oscillating lightning chakra and had begun releasing small orbs of it into the air around them each which floated away from them slowly.

Who knew what they were planning.

Kanzo just managed to sway out of the way of the slash, rolling to the right. The other three shinobi in the room were immediately upon Daichi, attempting to restrain him. He turned upon them, batting one in the face with the hilt of his sword and causing him to back off, giving a pained groan. They were just guards, most likely chunins.
'No!' it was Kanzo who spoke, 'stay out of this, I will deal with him,' he signaled for the guards to move away. Daichi had nothing against them - they may have shackled him earlier, but they made reaching his target easier. With reluctance, they moved away and Kanzo leapt upon Daichi. He managed to half turn but the other man was upon him and he felt himself lifted through the air and thrown with speed.

The window shattered as Daichi was flung out, the glass shards cutting his unprotected face slightly. He closed his eyes to protect them and immediately felt the air knocked out of him as his opponent took advantage of his momentary vulnerability to deliver a mighty kick to his stomach. Landing on a roof, Daichi rolled and leapt to his feet, a hail of small glass shards raining all around. Gripping his sword, he took a wary stance as his opponent flew downwards, forming hand seals as he did.

'Wind Release: Violent Whirlwind!' he shouted, before releasing a powerful stream of wind towards Daichi. The Saduzow leapt backwards as the roof he was standing on received the blow, a part of it collapsing onto the floor below. Without waiting for Kanzo to attempt soothing new, Daichi regained his footing and leapt forward, slashing downwards. A kunai was suddenly in Kanzo's hand and he blocked the blow. Daichi smiled as Sunaarashi suddenly started vibrating with a life of its own and an aura of wind emerged around it. The kunai was cut clean through and Kanzo only just managed to fall backwards, avoiding a cut which would have devastated his chest - as it were, his kimono was cut slightly, and the wetness suggested that he had received a minor cut.
'I would much prefer to not have to do this the hard way. Just come with me and it will be easier for us both,' Daichi knew that it would not be long before others got involved, he really did want to be out of here with his target as soon as possible.

'No, I will defeat you, and then you will join the village,' Kanzo spat before rising to his feet once more and throwing away the useless handle of the kunai, it would be best to keep his distance where the sword could not reach him. Daichi raised an eyebrow, the idiot still thought he could convince him to join? He certainly was optimistic.
'Very well,' he muttered, stepping forward to deal a more serious blow. Kanzo stepped back, his hands blurring as he prepared another jutsu. Daichi rushed forward in order to prevent him, but he was not quite able to react in time.

'Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!' and from Kanzo's palms came a huge blast of wind which sent Daichi flying several roofs away and into the cliff-face surrounding Sunagakure. Scowling, he fell off and landed on another roof, only to find a hail of shurikens and kunai flying towards him. Kanzo came up behind them and clapped his hands.
'Wind Release: Gale Palm,' the wave of compressed wind took up the shurikens and kunai knives, bringing down a rain of projectiles upon Daichi. His scowl growing, he raised his sword, once more vibrating with wind and slashed outwards, tearing through the compressed wind and sending the projectiles flying in different directions. Not letting up, he leapt at the still airborne Kanzo and made to slash at him. The other ninja quickly formed a shadow who pushed him down towards the roof, avoiding the incoming slash.

Smiling, Daichi released the sword, allowing it to whip the clone's head off while forming hand seals. He then pushed his left arm forward and released blast of bandages towards the still descending Kanzo. Upon landing, the other ninja looked up only come into contact with the strange bandages, which immediately took hold of his face and began wrapping around the rest of his upper body. Daichi was careful to restrain the bandages from tightening too much, he wanted his target alive if possible. Maybe there would be a way to convince the old crone to let him go after she was done with him - he did not need to call upon himself the wrath of Sunagakure after all.

Landing, Daichi quickly picked up his sword and sheathed it. He needed to get out of here, and quickly. He could already see other ninjas leaping over rooftops, making their way to their location. Picking the paralysed Kanzo up, he looked around himself for a route out.

Nobushige kneeled from the chakra expenditure when he himself found a surprise. Electricity coursed through his body, making him grunt from the brief shock. Then he heard in the distance door slam open, and hum of something magnetic.

Nobushige panted as he reached into his pouch, barely able to complete 2 handsigns. His body complained on moving from both chakra consumption and the electrical shock. He wanted to instantly jump up and set up a Barrier Formation on the entrance to the dome before she got there, but his body wouldn’t move. It took him a second or two to regain use of his legs

“Not a good time to happen. Still, wonder how she likes my confetti.”

Down the hall she flew through, several stray explosive tags, about 4 looping around would lock onto her chakra, and flutter erratically towards her.

Nobushige grunted a few seconds later, as he heard a magnetic hum getting closer, and leaped infront the dome entrance, locking eyes with her, and throwing two shurikens at her, aiming for her shoulders, giving her attacks from behind and infront of her.

---

Flying swiftly through the dome towards Nobushige's location, Kiyome's senses picked up movements similar to those she'd detected prior to the explosions. Narrowing her eyes and smiling, the Kanagata's chakra lashed out in invisible tendrils of denjiton chakra, making pathways to the paper behind her, which were promptly burned to ash.

She hadn't even slowed down and when Nobushige threw the kunai, her field detecting his movements with great precision, she didn't move either. The weapons would veer to the sides, turn around, and fly right back at the man, now charged with lightning chakra.

She had earned her alias for a reason and it was unfortunate for Nobushige that he didn't recall their involvement all those years ago or he might have remembered her discussing her kekkei genkai with him. However, he was lucky in other ways.

She had no intention of killing him.

---

Nobushige raised an eyebrow as he finished his dive. The shuriken poofed as soon as she grabbed them, losing some momentum, but still continuing onward. They revealed their true form as paper shurikens, continuing their flight towards Kiyome’s shoulders. Throughout the paper shuriken’s form were various markings, explosive tags turned through origami into shurikens.

Nobushige had formed them earlier, and used transformation jutsu on them just before he had thrown them.

Nobushige then crashed on the other side of the door, feeling bruised as his ribs fell against the dome’s floor. He had no way of seeing the result of his throw, but activated the seal anyways, detonating the explosive tags turned shuriken.

Nobushige panted as he tried getting back to his feet, and running away. He was not about to fight this woman on even terms. It would have hardly been even if he had the chakra to do so.

---

They didn’t move and upon that occurrence, her body leveled off, so her feet faced ground, her hand suddenly had an explosive tag in it, and then it went off, metal having covered the flesh of the outstretched arm just as it did so. The explosion was directed via chakra, diffusing the blast of the two explosive tags and stopping them from getting close enough to do her real harm all in one movement. Her grin remained as she blasted through the remaining debris, began spinning mid air, and when she came out leveled off once more, sending lightning arcing from her in several directions, before most of it veered around to strike at Nobushige. At this point both of them had exited the observatory and were standing on the platform that supported it.

---

Nobushige did the bravest thing he could think of, and ran valiantly away. As he saw electricity begin to arc off her, he did a cross, creating the cheapest clone he could get away with, a water clone(who accidentally looked a bit like Igor, due to his disappearing chakra), which proceeded kick him off the side of the platform as the lightning crashed into it.

“Crazy biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch!”

Nobushige decided that gravity was a more merciful mistress than Kiyome was. He only hoped something would break his fall without impaling him.

---

Well the enemy sure seemed to be...capable. Mayumi had to turn as her lovely opponent flew over her. As the unnamed assailant poised to strike however, Mayumi leapt back away from the girl as a puff of smoke surrounded her again as she transformed back to her normal state. In that instance of having the small poof of smoke to cover it Mayumi threw her kunai at the woman's stomach area and reached back behind her with her free hand to grab the scroll that sat upon her waist.

Mayumi was hoping not to have to exert too much effort to deal with these minions, but it would appear as though they were going to be at least a minor nuisance. Sadly this would also mean that it would take her some time to get back to Shirayuri and Nobushige. She would have to make these fools suffer for the hassle they were causing her.

Noting the presence of their leader, the soldiers intensified their assaults. The airborne individuals began firing down on Shirayuri, who dodged as best she could. Meanwhile the woman was tripped up, the kunai striking her in the shoulder and digging in. She staggered and flashed backwards, electricity trailing through the air where she had retreated. Now standing 4 meters away she was not in the path of her comrades, who promptly sent lightning hurtling towards Mayumi from the woman's left.

Meanwhile the two fliers attacked Shirayuri.

---

---

Having reached the lightning rod, Shirayuri began her work and was nearly finished with it before she detected a familiar presence. When she noted it falling a sigh left her lips and she knelt down, expanding her aura of flames to block assaults from the airborne shinobi. Preforming handseals and pressing her hands to the ground, she closed her eyes and sent chakra streaking through the ground towards Nobushige's likely point of contact to the ground.

Using her earth affinity, she softened the surface, increasing its elasticity. When Nobushige struck the ground it would have plenty of give. He'd not have much more than a bruise, if that. Once he'd made contact safely the earth would fold around him, creating channels of air elsewhere so he'd not suffocate in the pocket. She reinforced it with wind chakra, that'd help dampen any lightning that their quarries used.

Her attention turning away she finished her work on the lightning rod, taking it out of commission. She rose to her feet and split her attention between her comrade and the descending Kanagata. This was getting very messy very quickly.

As if to further accentuate her observation, two shinobi descended upon her, one striking with electricity, the other spinning mid air to attempt a kick to her midsection. Responding immediately Shirayuri rolled towards them and thus under both attacks. As she came up she released a blast of wind and whirled her yari, striking towards one of her assailants.

Yup, things had gotten messy.

---

---

Her eyes detecting Nobuhige's two compatriots, the Kanagat smiled even as one of them countered her attempt on her former lover's life. Too bad, she'd pursue him another time. Stopping her descent inches from the ground, Kiyome hovered and crossed her arms, a smirk resting on her lips. Her soldiers were doing well. It pleased her.

"Heh, if they can't handle them, then there's hardly a reason for me to lift a finger," she mused aloud.

Nobushige Toyotomi
That Falling Feeling

Nobushige tried gathering as much chakra as he could in his feet for landing, only to find he could put any there.

"Oh hell."

Glancing down, he saw the earth below him move, that was either a very good, or very bad sign. He wasn't sure which, but figured it couldn't get any worse.

He braced for impact, and closed his eyes as he neared impact.

I regret not killing her before leaving the Cloud!

And then he opened his eyes. He was alive. It seemed someone was nice enough to save his ass.

Nobushige crawled out the hole, looking at the battle between Heirana and a few mooks. He saw small fires around as well. He assumed they were Uchiha's doing.

"She had better not gloat."

Nobushige was tempted just to take a quick rest, get some chakra back, let Heirana and Uchiha do all the work. He afterall, was spent. Fighting without chakra was a bitch. He also had no metal weapons, he'd dumped those ontop of the dome.

At the same time, he had intel to deliver, but she was busy.

Nobushige groaned.

"Yeah, send 3 people to deal with a couple dozen trained ninja, AND an S-class nin. Great job mad kage, great job. Well, guess I've got a name to keep. Even Izanami needs a hand sometimes."

Nobushige picked up a rock the size of his hand.

"I once heard a story of a novice with a shuriken taking on his master...."

He threw the stone at one of Heirana's assailants, the one she wasn't assaulting with her yari, aiming a blow to the head. Nobushige's speed and precision in shuriken-jutsu was evident, even with a simple rock.

Running at speed, Daichi was not exactly a very subtle figure, particularly with the mummified body of a man on his right shoulder. He knew that his speed alone would not be enough, which was why there was not one Daichi running away, but four, each with a corpse on his shoulder. Just as the chasing ninja got closer, the four Daichis split up, leaping in different directions to make their escape.
'Get them all!' he heard a shout from behind him, just as a kunai missed his head by inches. It was strange, the very earth beneath him seemed to be moving...
Looking down, Daichi found that the earth was in fact moving - backwards! Giving an irritated 'tsk', he leapt to a nearby building and continued his escape.

He knew that if he stayed in the village too long there would be a complete lockdown and he would not be able to escape. Arriving at the great cleft in the cliff-wall surrounding Sunagakure, he managed to get his hands together, forming the tiger seal, disappearing just as a shurikent passed through his after image, and reappeared seconds later just beyond the cleft on the outside. The guards on the wall immediately spotted him, but he was already making good his escape and even as they attempted to chase him, he disappeared beyond a sand dune and they could not find him.

When they were gone, Daichi's head appeared from under the sands and he looked around for enemies before the rest of his body emerged. The old hag had told him that she would be in a hut not too deep into the desert, a good hour or two's walk, he wouldn't miss it if he walked in a straight path from Sunagakure. So he walked.



'Did anyone follow you?' she asked, to which he shook his head in the negative.
'Are you certain?' she insisted.
'What do you take me for? Some kind of amateur? Of course no one followed me,' he snapped at her, before turning to the body, 'though I'd suggest you not do anything too bad to him.'

He walked towards him and began removing the bandages as she spoke.
'Don't worry yourself about him, your part in this is done,' she threw him a piece of paper before telling him to get out. He quickly unfolded it and took a look.
'And you are sure this is accurate?' he asked.
'Of course it is, now get out,' he gave her an icy look before making for the door, turning to say one last thing before he left.
'Just know this: if you have lied, your fate will be far worse than this man's,' and with that he left.

Sitting in his chair, the Tsuchikage continued filling out report after report. He grasped his head from lack of sleep.

“Ugh, I have a bad feeling.”

In his stress, he had sent most of the staff in the office home. The last thing he needed was to deal with more people, unless it was important. He didn’t know what the bad feeling was, but he suspected it dealt with a neighboring country, and had sent heavier defenses around the perimeter of the village. He had the distinct feeling he had missed something, and he liked the solitude to think out whatever it could be.

Though the threat was unaware, the Tsuchikage was right on one count, there was a bad omen on its way. Approaching the village in complete silence was a man. Eyes and face hidden by a scarf and hood, the figure walked straight towards the gate into Iwagakure. However, he was not merely silent, his chakra was suppressed within a thin screen of chakra. The chakra was redirecting light and he’d cast out several others causing 5 spots where it was an unnatural pitch black. Three of the “spots” were weaving and wavering in odd patterns as they neared the village’s wall.

The fourth and fifth spot, in which Shinku existed moved in straight lines, but zigzagged about with increasing intensity, Shinku darting about to keep up with the jutsu he had conjured. The tactic was an unnerving one, meant to distract, confuse, and conceal. As the dark blots came into clear view of the sentries on the wall, Shinku utilized the Hiding in Camouflage technique, and stepped out of the blot that had been concealing him. He had also utilized Kasai no boshū(火災の募集 'Fire's Offering'), creating swirling dervishes of wind that surrounded and followed the blots of darkness.

He, rather than let them strike first, jumped into the air and landed on the top of the wall after two additional hops up it utilizing the tree climbing technique. Swiftly he took out the distracted guards, sending kunai into the backs of their necks, each of which was concealed by a layer of chakra that extended his camouflage technique. The only indicator of the kunai was its chakra and a tiny ripple of light.

The darting shadows surrounded by dust, small rocks, and wind were far more attention grabbing and were at the base of the wall now...and growing in size.

Not truly caring if anyone noticed, Shinku hopped off the other side of the wall and began his trek through the village, melting into the crowd, and not bothering to conceal his visual form any longer.

The Tasatsu Tsuki was descending on his prey.

The tsuchikage continued at his office, glancing up at his Jade Books of Heaven, they remained blank. He sighed, at least that was a good sign. Kobuto stood up, stretching from his chair, leaving the mountain of paperwork on the desk, glancing at the barren street below. Nobody to bug him, how he wanted it.

“I swear I’ll never finish that. Good for numbing the mind though. Only reason I do it. Guess I should stop, and do what's important.”

Grabbing his blade as he stood up, he pointed at a large map on the wall.

“Making the Stone, my biggest worry, as it ever should be. All these villages…. and none of them on the same friendly. Whether they are large, or small, power’s what we all want, predictable, and not a concern about them.”

He sighed again, his expression darkening, as he opened a drawer under the map, a filemarked S-class below it, particularly a group called Omoitsuku-za.

“Unpredictable….”

Looking at three pins on his map, he looked forlorn.

“I hope you three forgive me. Chances are one of you make it back….”

Slipping past the guards by circumventing them altogether, Shinku scaled the building with the tree climbing technique after traversing the length of the village via crowds. He had reinstated his invisibility before he broke from the crowd to approach the kage’s office building.

Once he’d reached the very top of the building he used his eyes to locate the kage, knowing he was in the office, and spotted him within his main office. Glancing through the building to see the layout properly, Shinku smiled. Noting the composition of the walls Shinku performed handseals and then dropped down onto the Kage’s porch. Then he glanced at the door and back to the wall and had a hilarious idea. Even if it failed, he’d not be terrible disadvantaged.

Smirking, Shinku descended down a floor, and infiltrated through a window, closing it quietly behind him. Oh this will be priceless. Let’s see if the genius notices what’s staring him right in the face, Shinku thought to himself as he ascended the stairs.

Reaching the top floor and location of Kobuto’s office, the assassin walked right up to the door...and knocked. As he did so he let his invisibility dissipate and the transformation technique activate, disguising him as one of the guards he’d seen. This was going to be priceless.

When Kobuto opened the door, Shinku’s expression would be a worried one and he’d be holding a small piece of parchment.

Kobuto sighed the moment he’d felt the chakra. Someone with something very important. The chakra was high, so it was probably someone important, but Kobuto couldn’t help be aggravated at it.

Kobuto closed the drawer with the S-class nin folder in it. He glanced at the map one final time before reacting. Perhaps rude to make the person wait. He talked as he walked over to his desk.

“Come in! Am I going to have to repeat ‘do not disturb’ unless urgent all day. Someone had better be dying.”

Kobuto closed the Jade Book of Heaven, picking it up as whoever it was the entered.

Entering the room, disguised Shinku saluted to Kobuto, “Apologies Tsuchikage-sama, but one of the walls appears to be under attack. The outer wall guards apparently saw no need to inform you, but I figured you’d rather know than not.” It was just a matter of waiting a few more moments.

“Also, I have a message scroll for you, sir,” disguised Shinku said, raising his hand to give the kage the scroll. He bowed his head in respect, waiting for it to be taken.

Kobuto raised his eyebrow. What were the outer wall guards thinking then? He didn’t move towards the messenger, just opening his Jade Book of Heaven.

“Put it on my desk, seems I have to have words with them.”

He motioned to his cluttered mess of a desk, then started to write across the book. He barely glanced at the messenger.

Wallguard, report~ Tsuchikage.

Words began to write across it.

A goat is the only sign of life I've seen all day. ~North guard

Was it on the Hana Steppe? That one’ll come right up to the rocks by the gate sometimes, only thing to the barren North gate. Oh, and quiet here. Just a few travelers.. ~West Guard

You guys are really bored. Merchant gates open to full capacity, a couple of shady peddlers? Want me to investigate? Could pull some of the slackers goat watching~East Gate

Kobuto facepalmed at the reports.

Nodding silently, Shinku walked to the desk and placed the scroll upon it before he walked to the door, turned to Kobuto and bowed his head. “Sir,” he stated, waiting for the man to look at him. When he did he spoke again, sounding slightly concerned, “I know there’s plenty to do, but don’t forget to get some rest or Su lin will make you.” He then bowed his head once more and left the room, closing the door behind him as he did so.

---

Stepping out of the Tsuchikage’s office, Shinku slipped into the crowd and shifted back to his normal garb, a grin on his lips as he slipped into a nearby alley, climbed the wall to get to the roof…and waited.

A minute or so later an explosion went off, glass shattered on the top floor of the kage’s office, and Shinku laughed before returning to invisibility and exiting the village. Having the Byakugan had allowed for the assassin to even see the Tsuchikage’s expression of horror and surprise when the explosive tag scroll going off.

The knowledge that others were suffering sure gave him a thrill.

At the scene of the blast, a small part of the message was still intact.

Dear Tsuchikage,
Check your privilege,
Sincerely, Omoitsuku-za.