49 2/2

Anko smirked at that. "You know, part of me wants to be indignant at you thinking I need someone to defend my honor…and another part of me wants to make out with you a lot more for it," she said. However, as she glanced up, she let out a groan as she saw the wall mounted clock. "Uugghhh, I need to go going. Hinata's going to be done with her training soon."

Raphael just gave a nod, reluctantly releasing her so she could stand up. "Speaking of Hinata, I wanted to ask you something," he said, slowly scooting his chair back into position. "As you have spent more time with her, you have a better understanding of her skills, abilities, and mentality. So I believe you are a better judge of where she stands then I am. Do you think she's ready for her assessment?" He asked.

Anko just stopped, her eyes wide in surprise as her mouth opened slightly. After a few moments, she shook her head, regaining her bearing. "You're…considering her for final assessment? For her to become a full assassin?" She asked.

"I am," Raphael said. "What I've seen of her abilities leads me to believe that perhaps she is ready. But you, as her sensei, have a better grasp on her overall capabilities. Which is why I'm asking you, before I make a final decision," he said.

The purple haired kunoichi let out a sigh, slumping against the desk a bit as she rubbed her forehead in thought. Finally she answered. "I…believe she is ready," she said. "She is skilled with her bow, hidden blades, her naginata and its sword form, and her Jyuuken. She has a firm grasp on strategy and analysis, so she can plan out her assassinations well. The only thing I'm worried about is whether or not she's over what happened with her family. Especially with her match against Neji coming up."

Raphael nodded quietly in understanding at that. "That could be a problem. But do you think it'll affect her ability as an assassin?"

Anko rubbed her chin in thought. "Mostly, I'm worried about her confidence. She's finally managed to build up a sense of self worth and strength after being tossed aside by her family. But if she loses this fight against her cousin, it could set her back. And if she's been made an assassin by that point…it could jeopardize her ability to function in the field. We might have to start all over with her training. And I think that would be just too devastating for her." She clenched a fist at that, closing her eyes.

Raphael, seeing her in distress, stood and gently pulled her against him. She let out a sigh, her muscles relaxing. "I don't think I could stand seeing her like that. It was pretty tough when I first took her in, and she hadn't grown on me yet. If she lost it now…" She let out a shuddering sigh at the thought.

"Then we'd help her come back. All of us. We're her family now," Raphael said, squeezing her gently.

She looked up at him, giving him a smile. "Thank you, Raphael-kun," she murmured.

"No problem Anko-chan," he said, adding the honorific to show his affection to her, before smiling playfully. "I don't suppose I could get another 'thank you' make out?"

She just snorted and lightly smacked his arm. "Maybe later. Let's not cheapen the hot making out," she said, smirking slightly. "Catch you later, senor," she said, winking at him before heading out, sashaying slightly as she did so.

Raphael shuddered slightly as he watched her leave. "Sweet Maria, I am in so much trouble," he murmured, even as he grinned and sat down in his chair. He spent a few minutes calming down, before turning back towards the paperwork. Finding a letter from Dorobou, his contact in Suna, he blinked and began to read it.

In their training ground, Ryoushi watched as Hinata fired arrow after arrow into the target, all while continually moving, changing direction erratically. It had taken her some time to get used to drawing and aiming while walking, as it was harder to maintain the proper draw on the bowstring while moving, as well as keeping her aim steady. But constant, persistent practice both with Ryoushi and on her own had allowed her to get to a point where she was at least proficient. Ryoushi nodded in approval as he watched her finish her current set of arrows, the target riddled by arrows in the bullseye and around it. "Not bad," he said. "You're at least consistent so far, so now you just need to perfect it."

Hinata nodded at that as she moved to retrieve her arrows. "Thank you, sensei," she said with a smile, only to frown as she did find one arrow way off the mark. Shaking her head, she finished grabbing her arrows and moved back to start shooting again.

Ryoushi however waved his hand. "That's enough for now. I want to speak to you first."

As the former Hyuuga approached him, he sat down, indicating she should sit down opposite him. "I want to ask you a few things, if you don't mind. Your first opponent in the Finals…I understand he is your cousin?"

Hinata stiffened at that, before doing her best to relax as she sat across from him. "How do you know that?" She asked him, her voice growing colder.

"I managed to obtain a flier listing the matches when they were being distributed across the village. When I saw who you were matched against, I began looking into your opponent. I found out that he was your cousin, amongst other things about him."

"My former cousin…I am no longer part of the Hyuuga clan," she said stiffly, correcting him.

"I see…so this match you're going into…it will likely dredge up a lot of bad memories and powerful emotions for you?" Ryoushi asked, as Hinata frowned.

"Why are you asking me this, Ryoushi-sensei?" She asked him, eyes narrowing a bit. He simply held up a hand to her in a peaceful gesture.

"I want you to recognize the dangers of what this match will represent," he said. "If you allow yourself to be overwhelmed by your emotions, whatever they might be, it could lead to your defeat or worse. You must try to not allow your emotions to affect you."

Hinata just frowned at that, glancing away. "I can handle myself," she said.

Ryoushi chuckled softly at her words. "So you say. What will you do when your cousin taunts you about being banished? When he talks about how you were too weak for the clan, that they tossed you aside like you were nothing? That you-?"

"Enough!" Hinata shouted, eyes closed and fists clenched as she was breathing heavily. Ryoushi became quiet as Hinata sat there for a few moments, before slowly looking up at him, her lavender eyes filled with anger but also pain. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder, as she let out a soft shuddering breath.

"I am sorry for the pain you are feeling, but not for what I said. You need to understand and prepare for what is to come," he told her softly. "You must be able to master yourself, to give your opponent no weakness that they may exploit."

Hinata kept looking at him, before nodding slowly and slightly. "What do I need to do?"

"Meditate on what was said and done to you. Work through it, and come to accept that it happened to you. And once you've done so, it will no longer affect you as it does now," he said. "I would suggest doing so with someone else present, so they can help you overcome the emotions you will feel at first. But in time, you'll be able to handle it on your own."

Hinata nodded in understanding as Ryoushi looked up at the sun. "Our time is almost up. Please take what I said to heart, and I will see you for training tomorrow."

The former Hyuuga slowly stood up, stretching a bit as she did so. "Thank you, sensei," she said softly, bowing to him as Ryoushi simply bowed his head in return and watched her leave.

Hokage's Office

Sarutobi let out a satisfied murmur as he placed the last piece of his paperwork aside, smiling as he leaned back in his chair, pulling out his pipe. It seemed he finally had time to relax, what with everything that had been going on. The Chuunin Exams were stressful enough, but with the added problem of Orochimaru being around, and the negotiations with Kusa had added to the stress. Not to mention preparing security for the Finals, which was one of the few times Konoha's security could be at its weakest. So many foreigners entering the village, stretching their shinobi thin for security purposes as they had to watch all of them for potential infiltrators and such.

Smiling as he began to puff on his now lit pipe, he closed his eyes, only for them to open and for him to sigh as he looked to his left. "What is it Raphael-san?" He asked the figure standing there.

"Forgive the intrusion, Hokage-sama. But I had some important things I wished to discuss with you," the assassin mentor stated. "I would have waited till tomorrow, but one of the topics is potentially very important for Konoha's survival."

Sarutobi simply let out an annoyed sigh and nodded to him tiredly. "What is this new threat then?" He asked.

Raphael pulled out a scroll, laying it out and unrolling it before unsealing a folder of documents. This he opened, laying out the different documents. "This is all information I've been looking through since my return from Nami and Mizu," he stated. "Some of it was sent to our warehouse while I was away, others have arrived since then. What I've noticed is some patterns that I find disturbing."

As Sarutobi leaned forward, Raphael continued. "This is information from informants across Hi no Kuni, as well as the few I've established in some of the other smaller countries and Kaze no Kuni. They all mention recruiters doing their best to remain anonymous as they gather together missing nin or disgruntled shinobi from various countries and villages. They're directing these rogue shinobi towards the northern countries, and there was mention in a few of the reports of an Otogakure no Sato. I even received a report from Zabuza Momochi that provided the most information. He and his followers were approached by someone from this new village. They tried to recruit him to the village, giving him specific information. He declined the offer, but sent the information to me."

Sarutobi frowned at that, looking over the reports. "Someone recruiting missing nins and other shinobi? How many are we talking about?"

"I cannot be certain, but given the number of these reports, we can theorize that there are dozens that have been recruited, and still are. Maybe more we don't know about. And this has been going on for months apparently," Raphael said.

The aged Hokage tapped one finger on the information quietly. "Orochimaru has made an appearance in the village. We have a tentative connection between him and this Otogakure no Sato. And now apparently that village has been recruiting missing nins for some time now. That is worrying news indeed."

"That is not all of it. My contact in Suna has reported unusual shinobi movements. They've been deploying teams and platoons of shinobi for weeks now, with no sign of any of them returning any time soon. Two of my informants in Hi no Kuni have reported seeing Suna shinobi moving through the western territories. And the fact that others in the same area have failed to report in at all, I think it is possible they saw these movements as well but were silenced. Add in that joint Suna and Oto shinobi group I ran into on my way back to Konoha, and I believe we are looking at a potential invasion," Raphael said.

Sarutobi sat back in his chair, rubbing his forehead at that. "Orochimaru infiltrates Konoha, infects a genin with his Cursed Seal, and this new village tries to kill that same genin. Suna sends their jinchuuriki here to Konoha for the exams, while their shinobi are now entering our country in force. And we've seen at least one instance of these two villages working together. I believe you are right. We're likely looking at an invasion." He leaned forward, indicating the reports. "Please make copies of all this information. I want to have my own people look over all of it, and gather the council to brief them on this potential situation. We'll need to prepare for the possibility and ready our defenses."

"Of course, Hokage-sama," Raphael stated, as he gathered up the information. "The second topic I wanted to talk about was a new lead I found connected to this group we believe Gato was connected to. We have discovered that there is a noble in the daimyo's court who Gato apparently was reporting to. He was the one who helped Gato to acquire several port towns along the Hi no Kuni coast, without the daimyo's knowledge. I believe that this noble is the next link up the chain in the organization that Gato belonged to. My informants have gained information that he has since gained shadow control over some of the port towns after Gato's death. With your permission, I'd like to send one of my assassins to take him out."

Sarutobi frowned heavily at that, as Raphael handed him a new piece of paper with information on it. "I'm not sure I can authorize that, Raphael-san. This is not some corrupt corporate head or a black-market weapon's dealer. This is a noble in the daimyo's court, one of his advisors."

"This group is potentially dangerous, Hokage-sama. Naruto raised a point about the map we found in Gato's office that worries me, that Gato was helping facilitate an invasion. If that is the case, we need to gather all the information we can…and remove the members of this group as we can find them," Raphael insisted.

The aged Hokage just closed his eyes, before finally answering. "Who were you planning to send in?"

"Hinata…I believe she is ready for her assessment. And I also believe she is best suited for this particular target, given a favorite hobby of his," he added, before Sarutobi could voice his disapproval.

Sarutobi frowned heavily, sitting up straight now. "Why?" He asked simply.

"The noble in question is Todo Mishiraya. The information I have gathered on him has come from what is well known to the public, and what my informants in the capital have told me. His mansion is a quite well guarded, and he would be safe in there from all but the most skilled shinobi or assassin. However, he also is an avid hunter and will go on hunting trips several times a year. And one of those trips is approaching. He'll be outside his guarded mansion, and easy prey. Especially for Hinata with her bow," Raphael stated. "What's even better is she could stage it to look like a hunting accident, if she was so inclined. This will be her assassination to plan and execute."

Sarutobi took a deep breath, slowly filling his pipe and lighting it, starting to smoke as he considered what Raphael said. After a few moments of silence, he finally spoke. "And you would be there with her, to help her?"

"I'd keep her safe, yes. And I would do my best to make sure nothing is traced back to Konoha. But this is her assassination, not mine," the assassin stated.

Sarutobi puffed a few times, feeling the narcotics entering his system, before he spoke. "I cannot authorize this mission. Not officially. At best, I can authorize a training mission," he said.

Raphael, catching on, nodded. "Very well. I'd like to authorize a training mission for Hinata and myself. We would be gone at least a week, but we'd be back before the Finals," he said.

Sarutobi nodded as he began to write out the authorization on a scroll. "Then here you go. Please get me the copies of that information regarding Suna and the missing nin being recruited before you leave."

"It will be done, Hokage-sama," Raphael said, nodding and disappearing, leaving behind a frustrated and worried Hokage.

About a half hour later, Raphael had returned to the Assassin's Hideout, where a curious and slightly anxious Hinata was waiting for him. Raphael nodded to her as he moved to his desk, indicating Hinata should sit opposite him.

"What do you need to talk to me about?" Hinata asked as she sat down. She had been a bit startled and nervous when Anko had told her that Raphael wanted to speak to her as soon as she was done training.

Raphael pulled out the file he had shown the Hokage about Todo Mishiraya. "I have a new target for you. I know you're busy training with the Chuunin Exams, but this can't wait. And I want you to handle him because I feel you are best suited for this mission."

Hinata blinked and nodded as she took the file, starting to read it over. She almost immediately stopped, her eyes wide as she saw who her target was and his occupation. "You want me to kill this man? He is a noble in the daimyo's court. He's…wait…Todo Mishiraya?" She asked, as she started to recognize the name.

"You know of him?" Raphael asked, a bit surprised at that.

"He was a visitor at the Hyuuga Manor on more than one occasion. I believe he's a business partner of the clan," she said, eyes narrowed now as she read over the entire file. "And he apparently was aiding Gato as well. This is why you want me to kill him."

Raphael nodded at that. "Yes. We have a one week period to end his life, as well as steal any relevant information in his mansion that connects him to Gato and whatever the organization they both are a part of. I will be going with you…because this is your assessment," he said.

Hinata looked up sharply at that, caught completely off guard. "My assessment? This is my assessment?" She asked him.

"Yes, it is. I've been watching your progression and listening to Anko's own reports as well. I believe you to be ready to try and become a full member of the Brotherhood. But if you do not feel you are ready, please tell me now. I will postpone your assessment and assign another to kill the target," Raphael told her, looking her in the eyes. "Do you believe you're ready?"

Hinata could only just gape at him, stunned, before slowly speaking. "I…this is a bit sudden," she said. "I mean…I wasn't expecting to be considered for at least another half year at least, if not longer."

Raphael chuckled softly as he heard that. "To be honest, I was impatient to become a full Assassin. It is good that you are questioning your readiness. It means that you are not overconfident. But do you honestly believe that you can plan and execute an assassination all on your own?"

Hinata paused for a few moments, her eyes downcast as she thought it over. She finally looked up in order to give her reply. "I…believe I am ready, yes," she said finally. "I know I still have things to learn, and that I have room to grow and improve. But I do believe I am ready for this," she said quietly.

Raphael smiled at her. "Then pack what you need. We'll be departing tomorrow for the capital. And make sure to study the file on the target, so you can begin planning and preparing," he said, indicating the file still in her hand.

Hinata nodded as she stood, closing the file. "Thank you, mentor," she said as she bowed, before turning and quickly heading off, her mind clouded with thoughts on her new situation.

In the warehouse, Raphael took a deep breath before pulling a new scroll to him, and quickly began copying down the information connected to the missing nin and Suna, to deliver to the Hokage before they left.

Three days later

Naruto let out a tired sigh, stretching out his arm muscles as he headed home, feeling not just tired and sore from his training, but anxious as well. Hinata and Raphael had headed off for Hinata's assessment, and he was worried about what would happen. He knew the target was one who was very well guarded, and who could cause them a lot of problems if she was discovered. He was also growing anxious as the Finals drew near. There was less than two weeks left, before the Finals of the Chuunin Exams.

He rounded a corner into an alley, only to pause as he felt a flash of killer intent. His soreness and tiredness forgotten, he reached back, quickly drawing his sword and settling into a ready stance.

All was silent, before suddenly sand shot towards him from the end of the alley. Naruto's eyes went wide, before he jumped back, channeling chakra into his ninjato. A cyclone of wind formed around his blade, before he slashed it towards the sand, the wind shooting from the blade and cutting through the sand, scattering it everywhere. Naruto sent a second slash down the alleyway, before settling into his stance.

There was silence for a few moments, then the soft sounds of sandals approaching. From the darkness came the figure of Gaara, the sand swirling around him. "Uzumaki. You are like me, and yet not like me. You are a monster like me, yet you pretend to not be one, allowing yourself to be weak."

Naruto frowned, doing his best to keep an eye on Gaara and the sand swirling behind him. "What the hell are you talking about?" He demanded.

"You are like me, in that you are a jinchuuriki. You hold a monster in you, and thus you've become one, like I have. But you allow yourself to be weak, letting people into your lives. You pretend that you are something else, that they mean something to you, that they will not try to destroy you when they truly realize what you are," Gaara said.

Naruto growled angrily, gripping his ninjato. "They wouldn't abandon me. They've known the truth about me for a long time, and they haven't tried to kill me yet," he said.

"I thought as you did, when I was young and foolish," Gaara said. "I believed that there was someone who cared about me, who saw me as a person. And then he tried to kill me, and told me what I was to him. That I was nothing but a monster to him, that he wanted to kill me. I realized in that moment, as his blood stained my sand, as he blew himself up trying to take me with him, that there is no such thing as family. No such things as friends. That the only thing that matters is myself, and my survival. That I am to only love myself, only care for myself. And to kill, to preserve and prove my existence."

Naruto could only stare at Gaara, tense and ready to respond if he was attacked. But beneath his readiness, he could feel a growing sense of horror and disgust. He remembered how he had been afraid and alone when he was younger, his only friend being Tomo. If it hadn't been for the arrival of Raphael, Anko, Yugito, and Hinata into his life, could he have ended up like this? Could the loneliness have driven him to become like this? An unfeeling killer?

Shifting his grip on his sword, Naruto tried to settle those uneasy thoughts. "What do you want? You aren't interested in killing me, at least not at the moment. You would have done so already."

"I want to know why you are allowing yourself to be weak. You could prove my existence, if you stopped weakening yourself worrying about others, and fight only for yourself. Because then you would be strong, and killing you would satisfy Mother's blood lust," Gaara said. "Perhaps if I killed those close to you, you'd finally understand, and fight me with true strength."

Hearing that threat against his friends, against his 'family', Naruto's resolved stiffened, and he glared back at Gaara. "You want to see my true strength? Fine then. I'll show you what happens to those who threaten those close to me. Because there's one thing you don't truly understand, Gaara. I will never stop fighting to protect those close to me. You can knock me down, cut me, stab me, leave me broken and bleeding, and I'll still stand back up and fight to my last breath to protect those close to me. You'll never have that strength, fighting for yourself. Because when someone pushes you to your limit, you won't surpass it. You'll cower, try to flee, and beg for your life, not wanting to die. Because you have nothing to live for but yourself," he growled out. "So you want to see my true strength? I'll show it to you, when we face against each other."

Gaara saw the fire and resolve of Naruto, and slowly a dark, manic grin started to spread against his face. "We will see, Uzumaki. We will see," he said, slowly backing away, disappearing back down the alleyway. Naruto watched him disappear, before lowering his blade, letting out a loud shuddering breath as he slumped against a wall.

"I'll admit, I'm impressed you showed such resolve in the face of almost certain doom," Kyuubi spoke inside his mind.

'Yeah, thanks," Naruto said a bit sarcastically, closing his eyes. 'One thing is for certain. Any fight we end up having is going to be long and bloody.'

With that final thought, he made a group of shadow clones and sent them to warn his friends, before heading off to his apartment.

As the night descended, and the people disappeared into their homes, one shadowy figure approached the Uchiha district, sneering to themselves as they saw the walls and the fan emblem of the Uchiha clan decorating said walls. Slowly slipping over the wall, Dosu smirked to himself as he slipped into the darkest shadows of the streets and alleyways of the Uchiha district.

He knew he had to be careful, as shinobi members of the clan constantly patrolled the district, ever since the death of their former clan head and other members of the clan. The security was formidable, but Dosu was confident that he would at least be able to reach the home of Sasuke Uchiha, and slaughter him in his sleep. He smirked as he carefully moved from one shadow cast by a building to another, heading to the clan head home. He had used some elevated positions earlier from outside the district to map it out.

Nearing his destination, he felt his anticipation and adrenaline start to rise as he crouched down in an alleyway and studied the house. There were lights in parts of the house, but other parts were dark. He knew this would be the hardest part, finding his target's bedroom and slipping in unnoticed. Tensing himself, he began to step forward, only to stop as he felt the cold steel of a blade against his throat.

"I don't appreciate foreigners sneaking into my clan's home, especially when they're armed," said a cold female voice from behind him, as the blade jerked slightly, forcing him to stand. "The question is, are you here on your own, or on the orders of someone?"

Dosu barely held back a growl, as he tried to turn his head to see who had him, only for the blade to jerk, cutting into the fabric around his neck. He stopped at that, as the female spoke again. "I'm waiting."

The Oto genin sneered quietly, as he prepared to channel chakra down to his bracer. "It doesn't really matter. What matters is you're not going to stop me," he said, before preparing to launch sonic waves from his bracer.

Before he could however, a second blade cut right through his arm, severing it below the elbow. Before Dosu could scream, the blade at his throat reversed and the hilt slammed into his throat, disrupting his vocal chords and silencing him. Gagging and rasping, Dosu slumped over as he tried to breathe, only to be rendered unconscious by a second blow to the back of his head.

Kiseki quickly heated the edge of her sword with a fire jutsu, pressing it to the severed end of Dosu's arm and cauterizing the wound. Sheathing both blades, she picked up Dosu and his severed arm, before using a shunshin to disappear, leaving behind only a blood stain to indicate anything had happened.

Hi no Kuni western forests, daytime

Todo Mishiraya took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air as he and his hunting party was making their way through the forests within his fiefdom. The noble was a man in his forties, with neatly trimmed black hair that was just barely starting to gray at parts. He was of average height and build, though his muscles were slightly toned thanks to his days spent hunting and training in the use of his bow. His nose was narrow and long, almost like the beak of his hunting hawk, while his eyes were dark, usually passive except while he was hunting, when they became alive and energetic.

Besides himself, there was also his attendants and servants, a pair of his guards, and his personal bodyguard Shideyomi. Shideyomi was a large man, with a shaven head and gray, flint like eyes with a broken nose and scars on his left cheek and neck. Besides a bow, the man also carried a sword and a spear.

Todo, Shideyomi, and his guards were all riding horses, while the rest were on foot; following behind them as they started to slowly canter into the forest, bows at the ready.

"Remember everyone, I take the first shot," Todo reminded them, as they began to look for signs of any prey. One of his attendants, a tracker, took point, searching ahead for signs of any animals.

It took them about fifteen minutes, before the tracker raised a hand, causing them to stop, as he crouched and checked some signs on the ground. The tracker glanced around, before slowly standing. "Todo-dono, there's signs here of a deer, possibly a large buck," the tracker said.

"That'll be a good start," Todo said with a smile as he dismounted, followed by the others. One servant stayed with the horses as they all began to advance on foot, following the tracker. None of them noticed the figure crouched in a tree, hidden in a high hollow and the shadows of the leaves. The figure studied them carefully, waiting for them to move on, before slowly moving as well, hopping to another tree.

The tracker soon stopped again, examining a pile of droppings, before standing again, a smile on his face. "They're not even an hour old, Todo-dono. He is close," he said, pointing in the direction the buck seemed to be going.

The party continued to follow the tracks, eyes wide for any sign of their prey. Around them, the sounds of the forest quieted down as they approached, the animals growing fearful of their presence. Sunlight flitted through the tree trunks, illuminating some areas, but leaving the rest of the forest shaded and darkened.

It was a half hour later that they found the buck, a large one grazing on some grass. The party immediately crouched down, remaining silent as Todo quietly pointed in different directions, indicating where different members of the party were to go. Slowly, they began to move into position, forming a semi-circle around the deer, bows drawn and arrows nocked. But no one made any move to raise their bows, as Todo slowly moved into position.

Anticipating the kill, Todo slowly raised his bow, slowly starting to draw the arrow back as he aimed. He tensed, preparing to release the arrow, just as one of his servants stepped on a twig.

The deer's head shot up, its brown eyes locking onto the hunting party, before it turned and bolted. Todo cursed madly, glaring at the servant who had revealed them. "Damn you, you useless welp! All of you stay here!" He ordered, moving forward with Shideyomi and the tracker, while his guards remained with the rest, the one servant looking quite nervous now at what his fate was to be.

The now smaller party continued forward, trying to follow the deer while remaining quiet. If it felt safe, it would stop and they could still hunt it down and kill it. If not, they could find a new prey to hunt down. The tracker continued on ahead of them, following the tracks, as the noble and his bodyguard followed slowly, the noble grumbling angrily. If there was one thing he hated, it was anyone who ruined his sport.

Seeing though that there was no sign of their prey, Shideyomi spoke up quietly. "Todo-sama, regarding that report you asked for before we headed out, I received news. Many of the towns Gato was able to take over or purchase have ended up either falling back under the daimyo's full control, or have fallen into the hands of bandits and nuke nins. It will take considerable resources to claim those towns back."

"And we will. I'll convince the daimyo to begin a campaign to reclaim the towns, and make sure that they're rebuilt to support Ichigawa-dono's grand plan. As for the other towns, I'll come up with a plan to retake them. But for now, let us focus on the hunt. It is far more enjoyable," Todo said back quietly.

At that moment, the tracker stopped and frowned, looking down at the tracks. Slowly searching the surrounding area, the tracker frowned again. "Todo-dono, I've lost the tracks. The deer seems to have disappeared," he said.

Todo cursed again. "Well go find it! Send a signal when you find the tracks again. We will wait here while you do so," he snapped, as the tracker nodded and quickly rushed off. Todo's good mood was starting to rapidly disappear as the hunt continued to go poorly.

Shideyomi was about to comment, only to stop when they heard a rustling in the other direction. Both whirled, arrows drawn and aimed, but seeing nothing but a bush swaying slightly. Shideyomi slowly began to move towards the bush with his string slackening somewhat, as Todo remained where he was, bow aimed at the bush, arrow drawn still on his bow.

It all happened in a blur, as something dropped behind Todo and before he could react, struck him in the shoulder, right at a nerve that caused his arm to spasm. The arrow flew, burying itself into Shideyomi's head and killing the man instantly. Before Todo could react, there was a sharp pain in his back and through his heart, while a hand clamped over his mouth, muffling the yell of pain. Todo struggled weakly, feeling life ebb from his body as his killer lowered him to the ground. His darkening eyes looked up, briefly widening as they saw the hooded figure over him, the pale lavender eyes locking with his. He could only gasp and gape, trying to speak but being unable with his dying breaths, as the figure watched him.

Slowly leaning forward, Hinata whispered into his ear. "Rest in peace," she said, as she heard his last fitful breaths leave his body, before he was still. Slowly reaching up, she closed his eyes, before looking up in the direction the tracker had gone. Seeing nothing, she quickly moved to erase any trace she had been there, before disappearing back up into the trees, leaving behind the two corpses in the deathly silent forest.

Finally. Sorry for this chapter being a bit late, but I sort of got caught up in playing Assassin's Creed: Origins. Got it for my birthday in February, and it ended up consuming some of my time that could have been spent writing.

So I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, including Hinata's assassination assessment at the end. Guess we'll see when you start reviewing.

Remember that godofwargo010 and SPARTAN-626 both have fanfic ideas/challenges for anyone who is interested in taking them up, so give them a message if you are.

One last bit of news. One of my beta's, Kyuubi123, is going through some problems at the moment. Nothing serious, but for the moment, please pray for him or wish him well, at least in your mind and/or heart.

Thanks go out to Bill Alain for his betaing my chapter. And best of luck to Kyuubi123.

Till next chapter then!