17 2/2

Yugito's eyes narrowed a bit at hearing the sedated part. That meant that whatever this package was, it was alive. Deciding that she had enough info, she began to slowly climb down the wall, only to stop as she heard a noise. Glancing up, she froze as she saw the rooftop sentry now standing on the roof above her. She remained still, watching them glance around slowly, before they turned and moved away. Letting out a sigh of relief, Yugito quickly but stealthily climbed down. Once on the ground she quickly removed the wall climbing spikes and left the area.

Meanwhile, Mukei and Raphael were walking near the west part of town, near the docks. They were discussing possible plans to deal with their target and the spoils they might uncover.

As they rounded a corner, Mukei finally spoke. "So I need to ask…out of all the people you could be hunting down to kill, why this one person? This weapon merchant or whatever he is?"

Raphael blinked at him. "What do you mean exactly? Why not this man? He's profiting off this war, perpetuating it for his own greed."

"Yeah, but wouldn't it make more sense to attack the people behind the war? The Mizukage, or the rebel leaders? You'd end the war if you took one of them out. Seems to me that would make more sense than target some middle-man profiting from the war," Mukei said.

Raphael chuckled softly. "I'm afraid it's not that simple, really. If I was to kill the Mizukage, would that end the war, or would it escalate it? Who's to say it wouldn't make the war worse, and cause more people to die? Or the same with the rebel leaders? Not to mention that, in their own ways, both sides are doing what they're doing to protect people. The Mizukage is attacking kekkei genkai users because he believes they are a threat. The rebels are fighting to protect the kekkei genkai users. But this man we're targeting…he is perpetuating the violence and death for his own personal gain. Tell me, which seems like the more logical choice to kill, to help the people of this country?"

Mukei nodded quietly. "I suppose I see your point. But why are you even bothering with all this in the first place? What do you really gain out of this?"

Raphael glanced at him. "To be honest? Nothing really. Probably seems crazy, but it…well it's hard to explain without divulging all my group's secrets. Suffice to say…my group strives to try and protect the freedom and wellbeing of the people of the world from the shadows. We target those who would threaten that wellbeing and freedom, and ensure they can no longer continue with their plans."

Mukei tilted his head. "So that's it? Why would you do something like that in the first place?" He asked.

"The group I belong to…it's ancient. At least a thousand or two thousand years old. In the old times, they sought a way to bring peace to the world, to unite the people in brotherhood and fellowship. They targeted warmongers and criminals to try and create peace in the world. But as time went on, there arose those who both shared their ideals, but also opposed them. This other group believed that peace in the world could be attainted, but only by forcing the people of the world to follow their ideals. So, our group and theirs fought, and in doing so, our group altered their goal. While we still strive for the day when all men might set aside their differences and greet each other in friendship, we focus instead on protecting the freedom of people, so that they may one day choose the peace we seek to bring to them," he said.

"But…if you're protecting people's right to choose and stuff…then how are you different from the group you were at war against if you're attacking people for the choices they make? Like this weapon merchant or whatever?" Mukei asked, confused.

Raphael chuckled softly. "You're awfully inquisitive about my group. Thinking about asking to join maybe?" He asked with a grin.

As Mukei gave him a bit of a glare, Raphael answered. "We respect and encourage people to choose their own way. But we also believe that people should face the consequences of their choices. If someone has an ideal or belief, that is their right and no one has the right to interfere. But when they try to enforce their will on others who are not willing, when they harm others for their own personal greed and gain, that is when we step in. They made their choice, and thus they must face the consequences of their actions," he said. "I can understand that it is complicated and confusing. But I can't really make it any clearer without divulging secrets of the group," he said simply.

Mukei just blinked at him. "You are really one strange man," he said. "But…I suppose I could see the allure of helping people in need," he said softly.

Raphael grinned at him. "Sounds like someone wants to be more than a pirate," he said.

Before Mukei could respond, they found themselves stopped by Yugito popping up in front of them. "I've got some information," she said quietly. "We should find somewhere private and talk."

Raphael just nodded, and the trio headed towards the inn they were staying in, to make plans.

Konoha, two days later

Naruto sat in the Assassin's warehouse, quietly studying the two scrolls in front of him. They were the ones he had received from Sarutobi some months earlier, when the Hokage had revealed the identity of Naruto's parents to him. He had already looked through each of them, happy to have some connection to the parents he never knew. Each of them contained a letter from his parents, as well as photo albums of their lives, and a gift from each of them. Being shinobi, they knew how dangerous their lives could be, so each of them had prepared these 'just in case' scrolls, in the event one or both of them died before Naruto was old enough to understand what was going on.

Both scrolls had contained messages from his parents, telling them about their lives as children, their time at the Academy, which was where they met. He had laughed when he heard his mom describe Minato as being wimpy and girly looking. And how Minato had talked about how his mom viciously beat down some kids who made fun of her.

Their messages each talked about their friends and adventures in the Academy, and how they had graduated. They then both fondly talked about the time when Kumo shinobi had kidnapped Kushina when she was a genin, and how Minato managed to rescue her, thanks to her leaving a trail made of hair she pulled from her head. About how that was when they started dating. They talked about their adventures as shinobi, their friends and comrades and teachers, before coming up to when Minato asked Kushina to marry him right on top of the Hokage's Tower. The messages then talked about their marriage, and Minato's appointment to the Hokage position, with him having Kushina as an unofficial advisor and 'co-Hokage' as he put it.

They then had talked about when they learned that they were going to have a baby, and how excited they both were. Before each of them apologized that they couldn't be there for Naruto, and wishing him the best of luck in life. Kushina had listed a whole bunch of advice like eating healthy food (and a lot of ramen as well), getting lots of rest, wearing clean underwear, and to find a girl that made him happy, like she had been happy with Minato. Minato had simply told him to follow his own path in life, and to listen to everything his 'blabber mouth' mother said. And then both of them had told him how much they loved him.

Naruto remembered sobbing when he had read the last part, happily clutching each scroll to him, ecstatic in the knowledge that his parents had loved him. He had eagerly poured through the photo albums they had left him, soaking up the images of their lives.

Lastly, he had turned to the gifts each of them had left him. Minato had left him a book written by Jiraiya the Sannin, called The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi, saying it was what inspired them to name him Naruto. Kushina had left him a stuff plushie of a fox, which she had intended to give him to cuddle with in his crib as a baby. Naruto had happily accepted both gifts, and had been reading the book his father had left him since then.

Now, as he studied the scrolls, he couldn't help but feel warring emotions. His parents had died, putting the Kyuubi in him. They had protected him, but they had also cursed him. Cursed him to hatred and loneliness. He knew he couldn't blame them for that, they couldn't have known. But he still felt a part of him blaming them for the loneliness he had suffered until he was six years old.

He was drawn from his thoughts when the door opened. Glancing up, he pushed his thoughts away as he saw Anko enter, grinning at him. "Ahhh, there you are Naruto. I heard you got out from the hospital today. Sorry I wasn't there to pick you up, but I was a little busy," she said.

Naruto nodded softly. "I understand Anko nee-chan," he said, stuffing the scrolls into one of his supply pouches. "How's Hinata?"

Anko grinned. "Why don't you ask her yourself?" She asked, standing aside and Hinata shyly stepped forward. Naruto's eyes widened, seeing her wearing a lavender Assassin recruit tunic.

"H-Hinata? Y-You became an Assassin?" Naruto asked in surprise.

Hinata just nodded. "I-I have Naruto-kun," she said a bit shyly. "You…you all have helped me grow stronger. And you were there f-for me when my…w-when the Hyuuga abandoned me. I-If I can grow stronger, and repay you all for helping me by joining your group…t-then I want to become an Assassin."

Naruto just grinned. "Hey, you don't need to repay us for helping you grow stronger. That's what friends do," he said, as he moved closer, only to yelp as she hugged him.

"I-I'm glad you're okay," she said. "I-I was so worried, after what happened to you," she said.

Naruto just hugged her back, grinning awkwardly. "H-Hey now, no little slap is going to keep me down," he said, trying to reassure her. She just kept hugging him.

"I-I'm sorry…you got hurt because of me," she said softly. "N-Neji…h-he hurt you because he knew you were my friend."

Anko growled. "Well maybe I should go and pay him a visit, teach him a few lessons about messing with you two?"

Hinata's eyes widened as she let go of Naruto and turned to her. "N-No! You don't understand why he's angry," she said, before looking down a bit. "I-It's my fault his father's dead."

Naruto blinked at her in confusion, but Anko's eyes widened in understanding. "His father was Hizashi, wasn't he?" She asked softly. Hinata just nodded in confirmation.

"I'm confused. Who's Hizashi?" Naruto asked.

"Hizashi Hyuuga. He was the twin brother of Hiashi Hyuuga, Hinata's father and head of the Hyuuga Clan," Anko said. "About six years ago, Konoha and Kumo were at war, but wanted to end the conflict. The Head Ninja of Kumo came to Konoha to sign a peace treaty. That night however, he broke into the Hyuuga Estate and kidnapped Hinata."

Hinata shuddered as she heard that. "I-It was my birthday…I-I had just turned three years old," she murmured softly.

Naruto's eyes widened and he touched her shoulder, offering her comfort, as Anko continued. "Before he could escape, Hiashi intercepted and killed him. Kumo however denied any knowledge of his intention to kidnap Hinata, and demanded that Hiashi be handed over to them to pay for the crime of killing their ambassador. Hokage-sama tried to find a way to keep the conflict from renewing itself while also not meeting Kumo's demand. I'm not sure of all the details of what happened next, but essentially, the Hyuuga clan pulled a fast one on Kumo. They gave them Hizashi instead of Hiashi. The two of them were identical in appearance, except that Hizashi was the younger of the two, and thus was part of the branch Family of the Hyuuga."

Hinata looked down, still shuddering. "N-Neji never forgave me…b-because of me, his father died, and he was forced to grow up without him," she whispered.

"It's not your fault!" Naruto said. "You were only three years old, and Anko just said the guy who kidnapped you was the Head Shinobi. That must mean he was really powerful, right?" He asked, looking at Anko, who nodded.

"Got that right gaki," she said. "Hinata, you can't blame yourself for Hizashi's death. No one could expect a three year old, especially one who was in the safety of her own home and who had just celebrated their third birthday, to be able to defeat a jounin level shinobi. Especially one who was as experienced and as skilled as he was. Kumo is at fault for Hizashi's death, not you," she said.

Hinata bit her lip. "B-But still…I-," she said, only to be interrupted by Naruto.

"It wasn't your fault Hinata! And if Neji can't see that, then he's a blind jerk, just like I thought he was when I fought him!" Naruto shouted. "So stop blaming yourself for something that wasn't your fault."

Hinata just nodded hesitantly, as Naruto grinned. "Good. Now let's get to training so we can show that jerk next time we fight him! We'll both be so strong he won't know what hit him. Right?"

Hinata nodded a bit more confidently. "R-Right!" She said.

Anko grinned. "Alright then you two! Glad to see you're fired up! So let's get to work!"

The two nodded, and followed her to start training.

Mizu no Kuni

Yugito stood in the room she and Raphael had rented in one of the inns in Kiri, facing Raphael, Mukei, and two of his higher ranking crew members. In the middle of them all was a rough model of the warehouse where their target was, and the surrounding area.

"So, this is the plan," Yugito said as calmly as she could. "Based on the information I gathered, we know that our target has at least two assistants. In all likelihood they're all shinobi or at least have shinobi training. We also know that a buyer from Kiri has arrived in town, and will be going to the warehouse later to purchase the weapons. Most likely the Kiri buyer is also a shinobi."

"The plan is this: Raphael and Mukei will intercept the buyer and Raphael will take his place, infiltrating the warehouse. I meanwhile will sneak up to the roof and kill the guard there, before sneaking into the warehouse. Mukei, you and your crew should wait outside. If I can, I'll attempt to sneak close enough to assassinate the target stealthily. If I can't do that, I'll set up a signal instead. Once it goes off, Mukei and his crew will charge into the warehouse. The target will hopefully flee to his office, where I'll be waiting to finish. Raphael, you'll engage the remaining shinobi if he's present. Afterwards, we'll divide up the spoils, and that will be that," Yugito said. "Are there any questions?"

One of Mukei's officers, his quartermaster, raised his hand. "Yeah…how do you expect us to fight against shinobi when we charge in? We're not exactly well trained soldiers or anything."

"You're more of a distraction," Yugito explained. "If you charge in, it'll draw attention off of me and Raphael. Not to mention that these shinobi won't be able to use a lot of ninjutsu, not without damaging or destroying the weapons and other supplies they have in the warehouse. They'll have to utilize taijutsu and genjutsu."

The quartermaster nodded, and with no one else asking questions, Yugito nodded. "Then let's get to work."

Following the information Yugito gathered from her reconnaissance mission, they had begun a watch both at the roads leading into town, and on the warehouse, to try and identify the buyer of the weapons. There hadn't been much success identifying the buyer before they entered the town, as while several Kiri shinobi had entered the town over the past two days, most simply were passing through.

However, by also keeping an eye on the warehouse, they were able to get the identity of the buyer. One of the three shinobi in the warehouse had left the warehouse, and after meandering through the town to throw off any trackers, he had headed to one of the inns, where he left a message with the inn keeper to be given to one of his customers. One of Mukei's crew, who had been sitting at the bar in the inn, managed to follow the message to the room of its recipient, and then relayed that information to Mukei, who relayed it to Raphael and Yugito. The pair of assassins then scoped out the room, and identified the buyer of the weapons.

Now, with their plan set before them, all they could do is wait for the buyer to head out to pick up his weapons, and they would set their plan in motion.

Yugito finished checking her equipment and supplies, and nodded to Raphael. "I'm heading out. Let me know when you intercept the buyer, Washi." With a nod from Raphael, she quickly headed off, while Raphael adjusted the radio communicator around his neck.

About a half hour later, one of the crew knocked on the door. "Cap'n, the target's heading out."

Mukei nodded. "Show time," he said with a grin, as he and Raphael stood.

Chouseki adjusted the kimono he was wearing and sighed as he walked down a street towards his destination. He hated having to wear these merchant clothes, but the Mizukage had ordered him to remain undercover while purchasing the weapons for the war effort. His chuunin uniform would have made him an obvious target, and discretion was mandatory in this situation.

Rounding a corner, Chouseki barely had time to react before a figure bumped into him. "Whoa, sorry there," the man he bumped into said, steadying him. Chouseki just nodded in gratitude.

"Thank you," she said, blinking though as his left arm itched a bit. Shrugging he began to head off, not noticing the man grin a bit as he retracted a thin metal blade into the bracer around his right arm.

Chouseki blinked, touching his left arm which was really itching now. He also felt a bit weak all of a sudden, and dizzy. Stumbling, he blinked again, trying to clear his blurring vision. People in the street blinked at him, curious about why he was stumbling, until two men walked over, steadying him. "Easy there lad," one said, as they steered him towards an alley.

Chouseki shook his head, realizing what had happened now. "N-No…let me go," he said, struggling to fight the effects of the poison in him. The two men merely kept walking and supporting him until they reached a secluded area. There, Raphael joined them as they began removing Chouseki's kimono.

"He'll remain knocked out for several hours. Make sure to get him back to his room," he told the two pirates, who nodded as they handed him Chouseki's kimono and shoes, as well as a few storage scrolls. Raphael removed his assassin robes, shirt and boots, before slipping on Chouseki's kimono and sandals before henging to look like Chouseki. Taking a deep breath, he nodded. "Let's do this," he said.

Yugito stealthily climbed the side of the warehouse, going slowly to ensure she could hear the rooftop sentry, and not give away her own position. She reached the lip of the roof, and very slowly peeked over the edge.

The sentry currently had his back to her. Yugito could try and go for a hidden blade strike, but given that he was a shinobi, if he even heard the slightest noise or sensed her in any way, her attack would fail. So she would need to strike from range. Very slowly she lifted herself up and crouched on the edge of the roof, silently removing a shuriken from one of her ammo pouches on her belt. With a flick of her wrist, the blade shot out almost silently, nailing the guard in the back of the neck.

The man's body went rigid, and his arms twitched as he feebly tried to move them, a sign that she had nailed his spinal column and disrupted his brain's connection to the body. As quickly as she could she moved to him, placing her right hand over his mouth while keeping his body standing. He was still weakly struggling, so she quickly stabbed her hidden blade on her left arm into the back of his heart, ending his life. Slowly, she lowered his body down to the ground, removing the shuriken as she did so.

With the sentry down, she slowly moved to the front edge, and kept watch. Soon enough she could see Raphael approaching, wearing a kimono she might expect a merchant to wear. With a grin, she quietly slid to the back of the warehouse, and climbed down the wall to the window she had seen earlier. She quietly scanned for any sign of the two remaining men in the warehouse, and not seeing them, she quietly worked the window open enough to lithely slide inside. She slid into some nearby shadows, and waited.

Raphael took a deep breath before knocking on the door of the warehouse. He waited a few moments, before a slat opened on the upper part of the door. "Chouseki-san?" A voice from behind the door asked.

"That's me," Raphael said evenly. The door opened and Raphael slowly entered.

The man at the door was wearing what appeared to be an ANBU uniform with a blank mask. Raphael slowly looked up, seeing another figure on the catwalk.

"Chouseki-san," the figure said. "Do you have the money?"

Raphael pulled out a scroll and unrolled it. Placing one hand on a storage seal, he unsealed a small pile of money. "Here's some of it," he said. "Where are the weapons?"

The masked shinobi went over to a stack of crates and removed the lid from the top crate. Inside were boxes of kunai and shuriken. Raphael went over, and began to inspect the merchandise, before nodding. "This all looks good," he said. He went back to the scroll, resealed the first batch of money, and held out the scroll to the masked figure. As he did, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He mentally grinned, seeing Yugito make her move.

The figure on the catwalk didn't even notice as Yugito stood up from the shadows. But they did notice the kunai that buried itself in his right knee, followed by another in his right elbow and a third in his shoulder. His right leg gave out as Yugito rushed forward, extending her hidden blade. He managed to yank a tanto out with his left hand, and used it to block Yugito's attempt to stab him, only to find his tanto caught in between two of the three blades of Yugito's right katar. With a twist she snapped the blade and lunged with her left arm, stabbing him in the chest.

On the floor, the masked figure had been reaching for the scroll of money when he heard the commotion on the catwalk. He turned his head to see what happened, only to feel pain erupting through his chest. He turned to look forward, only to find Chouseki no longer looked like himself, while his right hand was pressed against his chest. As Raphael pulled away, he retracted the hidden blade, only to find no blood. In front of him, the masked figure poofed into a log. Raphael cursed as he rushed to the warehouse door and opened it, signaling. Mukei and his crew rushed into the warehouse, weapons drawn.

On the upper level, Yugito quietly removed the blank mask her target wore, finding herself staring at a somewhat pale face that was locked in an expression of mild surprise and pain. She sighed, slowly closing his eyes. "Rest in peace," she murmured softly, before standing up.

Raphael shed the kimono, receiving his clothing and equipment from one of Mukei's crew. "One of them escaped. Search the warehouse," he said. Mukei's crew scattered throughout the warehouse, as Raphael finished putting his Assassin robes and equipment back on.

Yugito leaned over the catwalk. "The office is up here Washi," she said, before turning and heading towards said office. Raphael and Mukei soon followed.

Yugito was slowly examining the room when they entered, before turning. "There aren't a lot of documents," she said, stirring a small stove with a fire in it. "From what I've seen, they were destroying a lot of their documents. Probably to keep them from falling into enemy hands. However…apparently they had some documents they hadn't gotten round to destroying yet," she said, indicating a small stack of documents.

Raphael went over to the stack, and began to look through them. "Hmmm…there are a few reports here. Mostly about requirements for next shipments…wait…what's this?" he asked, pulling out one document. He read it, before his eyes hardened and he quickly stuffed it into his robes.

"Washi, what is it?" Yugito asked, only for Raphael to shake his head.

"Not here Neko," he said, as he went through the other reports. He pulled out another one, studying it. "…they apparently were planning to send a kidnapped Kiri kunoichi back to their headquarters. An…Ameyuri Ringo," he said, reading the report. "They apparently learned that the Mizukage declared her a traitor and ordered her to be poisoned, while making it look like she died of an illness. They managed to sneak into the hospital and make it look like she died, while taking her away to send back to their leader."

At that moment, one of the crew called from the lower part of the warehouse. "Hey cap'n! We found a girl down here!"

The trio stepped out onto the catwalk, where they saw several of the crew supporting an unconscious woman. She was dressed in a hospital gown and pants, with a straight jacket pinning her arms to her side. She had long, very dark red hair, with pale skin. She also was rather short in stature.

Mukei leaned over. "Is she okay?" He asked, as one of the crew checked her over.

"She's just sedated cap'n. She'll be alright after a lot of sleep," he said.

Mukei nodded at that. "Then make sure she gets plenty of rest. The rest of you, start taking inventory of everything here in the warehouse! Let's see what valuables we have to sell," he said, as several of the crew grinned and went to work. Mukei went off to help them.

As Mukei left, Yugito turned to Raphael. "Raphael, what was on that first report?" She asked softly.

Raphael sighed quietly as he pulled it out and handed it to her. "We have some major problems," he said softly. "This is a communication from their leader, giving them new orders. Read the name at the bottom, the name of their leader."

Yugito quickly scanned the report, eventually reaching the bottom. Her eyes went wide at whose name it was. "Major problems is an understatement," she said, staring at the name at the bottom: Danzou Shimura.

So yeah…finally got this chapter done, and…well I don't feel that great about it. Not sure why. *sighs* Still, I hope you all enjoy it.

Hopefully, the next chapter will be much better, but guess we'll see, won't we?

Again, please visit my profile and vote on the poll there. It would be greatly appreciated.

Also once again, big thanks to my betas Bill Alain and Kyuubi123.

And now, please enjoy this omake.

Omake Inspired by Mandalore the freedom

The Onbaa of Konoha

Naruto's class was huddled in their classroom, watching a thunderstorm outside, as lighting flashed through the sky. Several of the children yelped in fear at the lighting flashes or loud rumbles of thunder.

Their substitute sensei Iruka smiled. "Now now kids, nothing to be worried about. You're safe in here," he said. "Now gather around, and I'll tell you about the legend of the Onbaa."

The students all blinked curiously, and moved closer, as Iruka began. "The Onbaa are mythical creatures said to live in the forests surrounding Konoha. No one knows what they look like exactly, except the Legendary Jiraiya of the Sannin, who claimed to have wrestled one when he was younger, and wrote a book about it. What we do know is that they are very tall, taller than the largest man, and with the strength of three men. And they are covered in thick gray fur."

"I-Iruka-sensei, are they dangerous?" Asked Ino, hugging her knees to her chest. Everyone yelped as there was another flash of lighting.

Iruka smiled a bit mischievously. "No one knows that either," he said. "Some say they are vegetarians, or omnivores," he said.

"Omnivores?" Kiba asked, tilting his head.

"It means they eat meat and vegetables," Sakura said, using her knowledge.

Iruka nodded at that. "Very good Sakura. But me…well I've heard something different," he said, leaning forward. All the students did as well, as he spoke softly to them. "I've heard that they…EAT CHILDREN!" He suddenly yelled.

At that moment, there was a lighting flash followed almost immediately by a rumble of thunder, causing all the children to scream. Their screams intensified as the door opened, revealing a figure covered in what seemed like gray fur. "THE ONBAA!" Chouji yelled.

A few minutes later, the headmaster of the Academy arrived, wanting to investigate all the screaming, only to find a peculiar sight. Mizuki was laying on the ground, covered in a gray wool cloak as several students were attacking him, and Iruka tried to get them off him. He sighed as he crossed his arms, trying not to laugh.

From that day forward, Iruka never told little kids monster stories, and Mizuki never wore that cloak again.