26 Chapter 21: The First C-Rank

Before we get going, first things first. I've got a poll up on my profile, and I'd really like for you all to vote on it, if you haven't already. If you don't mind, that is.

Otherwise, I don't really have anything else to say, I think, so let's move on with the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Assassin's Creed. They are the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Ubisoft respectively.

Chapter 21

The First C-Rank

Team Eight stood at attention in the mission office as the Hokage studied a report in front of them. "You've done quite well for yourselves, Team Eight. This was your twentieth successful D-ranked mission."

Following the alterations to the Academy, Konoha reorganized their rankings for missions, to better accommodate the Academy students undertaking missions. Previously, missions were ranked in one of five categories. D-ranked missions were very simple missions, basically chores done inside Konoha or in the surrounding area or civilian villages. C-ranked missions were usually missions that involved a level of danger and possible death, but normally only the threat of very dangerous local wildlife or bandits. B-ranked missions were higher ranked missions reserved for chuunin rank or higher, and usually involved missions dealing with enemy or rogue ninja of chuunin rank or lower. A-ranked missions usually involved combat against jounin ranked opponents, or involved an objective vital for the safety of the village. S-ranked missions almost exclusively were for elite jounin or ANBU shinobi, and almost always involved the village's safety.

However, with Academy students undertaking D-ranked missions in the village, it was decided to split the D-ranked missions into two different categories. Now, D-ranked missions solely encompassed those missions that were done outside the village, and were for genin ranked shinobi or higher. The missions that remained inside the village, and involved performing labor or chores for civilians, or maintaining the village, were now ranked as E-ranked missions, and were reserved for Academy students and genin teams that required more work on their teamwork.

Anko grinned, puffing her chest out a bit at the Hokage's compliment. She had checked the public mission reports lately, and her team, in the five weeks they had been together, currently had successfully completed the most D-ranks so far, as well as a few E-ranks in their early days as a team, to help smooth out their teamwork. Team Ten was behind them with a total of fourteen D-ranks, while Team Seven only had six D-ranks, though they did have the highest number of E-ranked missions. Ino had informed her team that Sakura had told her about how Kiba and Sasuke still were butting heads quite a bit, which was weakening their teamwork.

The three genin under her command also seemed happy as well to receive such a compliment from the Hokage himself. They were smiling and beaming a bit, as Sarutobi wrote out four receipts so they could claim payment, and handed them to the four shinobi. "I'd like for your team to report back tomorrow morning. I know you just returned from your previous mission, but I do believe I have a mission that your team can help with. A C-ranked mission," he said.

Naruto grinned, barely containing himself from cheering, as Ino and Hinata gasped lightly. Anko however blinked in surprise. "A C-rank Hokage-sama? Are you sure about that?" She asked.

Sarutobi smiled a bit, feeling happy see Anko was being cautious. "It's nothing too big. You'll be dealing with dangerous wildlife, not bandits or anything like that. A good starting C-rank, don't you think?"

Anko nodded, feeling more confident. Wildlife could be dangerous, but she was confident that her team could handle it with herself there. Sarutobi smiled as he nodded. "Good then. Return tomorrow for mission details. Dismissed," he said.

As the team left the building, Anko grinned at them. "Alright team! Everyone head home and make sure your supplies are all in order, then rest up. Big day ahead of us tomorrow," she said happily, before disappearing.

Ino turned to her teammates, smiling at them. "I can't believe we're going on our first C-rank mission! This is so cool!" She said.

"I know right? One more step to us becoming awesome," Naruto said, as Hinata nodded, smiling.

Ino fidgeted a bit with her supply belt, which now contained a holster for a kusarigama she had purchased from the blacksmith Ganzo. Anko had insisted she find a melee weapon, and so she had decided on the kusarigama, thanks to the reach it had and its ability to trap or disable opponents. "So what do you guys think the mission will be? I mean, we're going to be hunting some type of dangerous beast, so what do you think?"

"Probably going to be a really vicious wolf pack, or a bear," Hinata said. "Most civilian hunters are skilled enough to handle most anything out there, so this will be something normal hunters can't entirely handle."

"Guess we'll see, huh? We'll need to be extra careful though, since even bears and wolves can be really dangerous," Naruto said.

Ino nodded, before glancing up at the sun. "I'll need to head back to the shop. My dad said he'd probably need some help with some new flower shipments. I'll see you both tomorrow!" she said, as she headed off.

"So guess it's just us, huh?" Naruto asked, as he and Hinata headed off. "You wanna grab a snack first, or maybe we should go get some light training?"

Hinata grinned. "Race you to the cinnamon bun stand," she said, as she suddenly bolted, with Naruto blinking.

"Hey no fair! That's cheating!" He shouted, racing after her.

Hinata just grinned as she raced along the street, keeping her eyes open for any obstacles or people she might bump into. She kept running, before sliding under a large cart that was being pulled along, making the person who was pulling it yell out angrily at her as she got back up and kept running.

Naruto smirked, leaping quickly on some stacked crates before launching up onto the roofs of the building, running quickly along the rooftops, as Hinata remained on the ground. He grinned as he flipped over a ledge onto the next roof, running quickly to keep up.

Hinata found her way blocked by a crowd of people, and so she swung to the side, leaping through a deserted stall to get around the crowd, and rolling on the other side. She had to admit, it was fun utilizing the parkour and free running skills Raphael had taught her. It was exhilarating, moving so quickly and freely. She almost laughed as she front flipped over a small cart, landing on the ground.

She saw the cinnamon shop, and sped up, eager to get there first. She was getting close, only to blink as a shadow flew over her, and Naruto landed on the ground rolling and getting to his feet right at the stand. "Guess I win," he said with a grin.

Hinata just pouted at that. "No fair, you used the rooftops," she said, as Naruto chuckled.

"You did get a head start," he said with a grin. "Now let's get some buns," he said, heading in with her quickly following him, grinning.

They soon stepped out, Hinata happily munching on a bun, when they were greeted by a soft voice. "Hinata-san, Naruto-san. It's good to see you again."

The two looked up to see Yakumo approaching them, smiling a bit tiredly, while a slightly older boy wearing an almost skin tight green spandex suit, orange leg warmers, and a red forehead protector around his waist like a belt jogged in place next to her. Naruto studied the boy, seeing bandages wrapped around his fingers, hands, and forearms. He paused, eyes going wide as he took in the boy's unique bowl shaped haircut and very large eyebrows.

Hinata smiled at Yakumo. "Yakumo, how are you doing?" She asked. "And who is your friend?"

"This is Rock Lee-san," she said, smiling. "Kurenai-sensei has me training alongside him and his sensei, when they are available. She says it's part of the training to help me grow stronger, so I can be a kunoichi."

"Yosh! Yakumo-san's spirit of youth burns brightly!" The now named Lee said, startling Naruto and Hinata with his loud and exuberant voice. "And it is my honor to help her achieve her dream of one day being a strong and proud kunoichi!"

Yakumo smiled a bit sheepishly at the pair's stunned faces. "Lee is a bit…energetic. As is his sensei. But they're among the greatest taijutsu users in the village."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Rock Lee," Naruto said, as Hinata nodded. Lee just smiled brightly, giving them a thumb up.

"And it's a pleasure to meet you as well! I remember seeing you both during that taijutsu lesson in the Academy. Hinata-san, you defeated my teammate Tenten, and you Naruto-san fought my rival and other teammate, Neji-san. He acted most un-youthful in your spar," he said.

"Well considering he's got a tree trunk up his ass, that's not surprising," Naruto said, as Hinata lightly smacked his arm. "So what brings you two out here?"

"Oh, we just finished my workout, and I asked Lee-san if he'd like to get a quick snack with me," Yakumo said, smiling a bit at Lee.

"Well, we won't keep you then. Naruto and I need to train a bit and get ready. We've got a mission tomorrow, outside the village," Hinata said, bowing a bit. "It was a pleasure to meet you Lee-san, and it was good to see you too Yakumo."

"Same here," Naruto said, grinning as he shook Lee's hand.

"And it was an honor to meet the both of you! Perhaps one day you could join me and Yakumo in training," he suggested energetically.

"Maybe," Naruto said. "It's always good to train with friends."

Lee nodded, as he and Yakumo moved past them. The two teammates watched Yakumo and Lee head off, as Naruto grinned. "Think she's got a crush on him?" He asked.

"Maybe. She has idolized him," Hinata said, blushing a bit as she thought of her own crush on Naruto. She just shook it off and went back to eating her cinnamon roll as the pair headed off.

Meanwhile, in the Assassin warehouse, Raphael sighed as he set down the report that he had been given by Sarutobi. He looked up at Yugito, who was sharpening her hidden blade. "Mukei sent this in. His crew just tracked two of Gato's transport ships coming down from Kaminari no Kuni, loaded with mercenaries. They were heading for Nami no Kuni, roughly one hundred men in total."

Yugito looked up. "I guess Gato decided to stop trying to get men through Hi no Kuni. But this just means whatever he's up to down there, it must be big. You think he'll move in to oversee it personally?"

"Perhaps. If he's willing to spend this much money and manpower on a single operation…he's bound to want to make sure it all runs smoothly. I'll contact Mukei, tell him to keep an eye on things near Nami no Kuni," Raphael said, as he started writing up a response to their pirate ally. "Why Nami though?" he asked, as he wrote it. "I've looked over the reports…there's no resources, and while it might make a good hub for his ships, he could do it without mercenaries. There's got to be something else," he said.

"Well…there are the ruins of Uzushiogakure no Sato," Yugito said. "The Uzumaki clan lived on an island a bit northeast of Nami no Kuni. Gato…he might be trying to investigate the ruins for anything of worth."

"Would there be anything of worth to him?" Raphael asked, as Yugito chuckled softly.

"The Uzumaki clan was one of the deadliest clans in the world. It took the combined might of Kiri, Iwa, and Kumo to destroy them, and even then it was a Pyrrhic victory. The ruins of Uzushiogakure no Sato are probably still full of things left behind by the clan, which the devastated allied forces couldn't take with them. So yes, I think Gato might go looking for the ruins of the Uzumaki clan if he can," Yugito said. "Besides, anything he can't use, he can sell. I'm sure there's more than a few ninja villages who would buy up relics of Uzu."

Raphael nodded quietly at that. "Then we'll need to talk to Sarutobi about preventing that. For now, let's keep our ears to the ground and see if we can find any indication of where Gato is, or what he's up to."

Yugito nodded quietly, as she finished sharpening her hidden blade. "I think we should look at trying to expand our spy network towards Kumo. There have been a few skirmishes against Iwa, and that's shifted their attention westward," she said, as Raphael nodded and the two started working out plans to do as she suggested.

Unknown Location

A roughly fourteen year old red haired girl wearing a beige colored top and black shorts, with a purple rope belt tied around her waist and a black cap over the top of her hair grunted angrily as she got up off the examination table. "About fucking time you got done, fucking pervert," she said to a figure in the shadows.

"Now now Tayuya, I was just checking your physical health. After all, we need to make sure there's no long term effects from the Curse Mark," the figure said in a male voice.

Tayuya just sneered and stormed out of the examination room, while the figure quietly took some notes. The figure slowly glanced up, sensing something. "Orochimaru-sama? What can I do for you?"

The snake sannin stepped from the shadows, smirking a bit. "I'm simply checking on an investment. Is there any change in her status?"

"I'm afraid not Orochimaru-sama. The application of the Curse Seal still has kept her chakra chains and her memories of them suppressed. She still has no memory of her clan name or bloodline," the figure said.

"Such a shame. They would have been most useful to me. But still, she has proven skilled enough to be one of my elite guards. So I suppose I'll spare her, for now. Keep looking into finding a way to release her chakra chains, or finding a way to replicate them in another being," Orochimaru said, slowly fading back into the shadows. The figure merely nodding, going back to work and briefly adjusting their glasses with a smirk.

The Next Day, outside Konoha

Team Eight was tree hopping through the forests surrounding Konoha, heading towards their destination. Thanks to learning the tree walking exercise in the Academy, the graduating genin already knew this handy skill for rapid movement, allowing them to quickly move from place to place.

Anko, who was leading the team, sighed happily, enjoying the feeling of wind rushing past her and the smell of fresh air not contaminated by human pollution. She glanced back at her team, seeing each of them looking eager. This was their first C-ranked mission, and while each of them was nervous, they were also excited.

Anko glanced down at the road they were traveling along, and raised a hand as she spotted an intersection in the road. The team dropped down from the trees, with her approaching a sign post on one corner of the road. Reading the different village names, she nodded as she pointed to the road heading west. "It's this way," she said, quickly leaping up into the trees, with her genin following again.

Ino's eyes kept track of each branch she was jumping onto as she leapt through the trees, while her mind raced a bit. They would be hunting wild animals, and she quietly was wondering what she could do. Hinata had her bow and Naruto a crossbow, which would let them easily take on any creatures they had to hunt at range, but all she had were kunai and shuriken. Still, she could at least wound or distract whatever they were hunting.

Hinata meanwhile was mentally running through a checklist of her supplies, making sure she hadn't forgotten anything. It was her fifth time doing so, due to her nervousness. Sure, she had been on numerous assassinations outside the village already, but each time, she had been nervous about forgetting something vital, leaving behind a weapon or supplies.

She let out a sigh as she finished her checklist again, trying to calm her nerves. They were only hunting animals, so it shouldn't be that dangerous. But still, if this was something that had warranted a C-ranked mission, it would be dangerous. She glanced over at Anko and relaxed, knowing that if her nee-chan was here, they could handle it.

About an hour later, the team was walking on the forest floor, nearing a clearing with a simple hut. Outside was a stand for cleaning furs, with what looked like a wolf pelt strung up and a fire pit nearby. As they approached, a man slowly stepped out of the hut, clad in simple clothes over a somewhat small, wiry frame, with leather wrappings around his forearms and shins. His skin was tanned from hours spent out in the sun, with a rough beard and long black hair tied back in a simply ponytail to keep it out of the way. He nodded to the quartet of approaching shinobi. "I take it you're the shinobi team I hired?" He asked.

Anko nodded as they stopped a bit from him. "I'm Anko Mitarashi, jounin sensei of Konoha genin team Eight, and these are my students."

The man studied the trio of genin, his eyes lingering a bit on the crossbow sheathed on Naruto's back, and the folded up bow on Hinata's. "Huh…didn't know shinobi used things like bows. That works well for us though," he said. "Names Ryoushi (hunter), and we're hunting a bear," he said simply.

"What…a bear?" Naruto asked, blinking in surprise. "Not to be rude but, you can't handle one bear?"

Ryoushi crossed his arms, raising one eyebrow. "Kid, do you think I would be asking for help if this was a normal bear? If it was, it would already be dead and its pelt hanging off my wall. No, this thing is a lot tougher than your average bear. It's big, it's mean, and the last time I tried to hunt it down, I did so with five volunteers from a nearby farming village that had lost some livestock to the beast. One of them died and three others were really badly injured. I got this from him," he said, pointing to a mostly healed scar running from above his left eye down over his nose. "Whatever this bear is, it isn't something normal people like us can handle. And it's getting bolder. It attacked a farmer's hut not one week ago."

"I'm surprised you didn't tell daimyo-sama. From what I understand, they enjoy hunting wild creatures," Ino said, only to blink as Ryoushi scoffed.

"Maybe the previous daimyo, but our current leader would find such practices uncouth and beneath him," he said, as he grabbed a nearby bow and quiver, belting the quiver around his waist and sliding the bow over his shoulders. "Besides, there's a lot more profit in it for us if we handle it ourselves. Are you all ready?"

Anko nodded, as her genin drew their weapons. "Alright. Any tips for bringing this thing down?"

"Yeah. Stay as far away from it as you can," Ryoushi said, grabbing a pack and starting to walk off. The four shinobi quickly followed behind him.

Ryoushi led them through the woods for over a half hour, stopping occasionally to check the ground, or to check a fallen tree trunk. Afterwards, he would keep going, with the four Konoha shinobi after him.

Ino fidgeted a bit, glancing around nervously before looking at Ryoushi. "S-So, you been a hunter long?" She asked, only for him to turn with a glare.

"Do not talk unless you absolutely have to. The last thing we want is to draw attention to ourselves. Keep quiet," he said in a harsh whisper, as Ino immediately backed up, looking down. Ryoushi turned and continued leading them to wherever it was they were heading.

Eventually, Ryoushi raised a hand, causing them all to stop. "We'll need to be careful from here on out. We're nearing its lair. The four of you should take to the trees, follow me from there," he said, as Anko nodded.

"Right. Weapons ready gaki's," she said, as they took to the trees. Ino gripped a kunai, while Naruto and Hinata drew their crossbow and bow. Ryoushi nodded as he saw them all, before drew his own bow and readied an arrow. Hinata blinked when she saw him place the arrow on the outside of his bow, and held a couple extra arrows in the hand gripping the bow.

The hunter slowly continued forward, listening and watching for any signs of the bear or other predators in the woods around him, as he approached the beast's lair.

He froze when he heard the rustle of something nearby, and dropped lower in a crouch, slowly looking in the direction of the rustle. He froze when he saw a dark mass slowly moving through the trees, heading towards the lair as well. Ever so slowly, he signaled towards the dark mass.

Up above, Anko's eyes narrowed at the dark mass. She had seen bears before, but this was certainly the largest one she had ever seen. From the tree top, she was able to get a better view of it, and she could now see a few broken arrows in its hide, and even what looked like a broken spear. She in turn signaled to Naruto and Hinata with her hand, pointing to the bear. The pair slowly readied their weapons, waiting for Ryoushi to fire first on the beast.

Ryoushi watched the bear, tensing up a bit. It was nearing its lair, and he knew once inside, they'd have to wait for it to come back out again. It was far too dangerous to hunt this thing within its own home. It was at that moment though that the bear stopped, and raised its head, sniffing the air, its ears twitching.

As it started to swing its head around towards Ryoushi's position, the hunter struck, surging up and quickly firing the arrow nocked to his bow. Hinata's eyes widened as she saw him expertly draw and fire the three arrows held in his other hand in rapid succession, almost too fast for the eye to see. (1)

The four arrows rapidly slammed into the bear's hide, causing the massive creature to roar in pain, rearing onto its hind legs. Ino just stared in horror from her perch as this massive beast stood almost ten feet high on its back legs, his massive maw wide open as it let out an earth shattering roar.

Ryoushi was quickly grabbing more arrows form his quiver while backing up. "NOW!" He shouted out.

Up above, Hinata quickly sighted and fired an arrow from her bow at the bear, her shot slamming into the creature's hide in its shoulder. The bear just roared again, landing on all fours and rushing at Ryoushi, who quickly ran towards a tree. The bear roared as it followed, and lunged at Ryoushi just as the hunter ran a few steps up the tree and back flipped off, firing an arrow and putting it into the back of the bear. Said bear ended up smashing into the tree, which unfortunately was the one Ino was in. Ino yelped as she was shaken loose, and began to fall.

Anko cursed as she pushed off, grabbing Ino and landing on the ground. "You okay Ino?" She asked.

Ino nodded as she got on her feet, only to yell in fear as she saw the bear charging at them. Anko whirled, throwing a spread of kunai at the bear. The bear barely flinched as one kunai shredded one of its ears and another stuck into its shoulder. Anko tensed, ready to move, when Ryoushi jumped off a tree trunk, firing two more arrows into the bear's back. The bear roared, whirling as Ryoushi rolled on the ground after landing, coming up and firing a third arrow.

The bear roared, rushing at Ryoushi as he began to run to the side, firing arrows as the bear tried to follow him. Anko leapt up into the trees, with Hinata and Naruto following from above, waiting to get in their shots. Naruto aimed and fired, his crossbow bolt burying itself deeply into the bear's hide, causing the creature to roar loudly in pain at that shot and stumble.

Ryoushi quickly leapt up, grabbing a branch and swinging up onto it, before firing down at the bear, putting two arrows into its back near its neck. The bear roared angrily, rushing and slamming into the tree Ryoushi was in, as the hunter leapt off, rolling on the ground. He whirled, ready to fire, only to find the bear was almost on top of him. He raised his bow, as if to act as some defense as the bear reared up onto one leg, only for the bear to fall flat on its face.

Behind the bear, Anko and Ino were panting, having used the ball and chain of Ino's kusarigama to wrap around one of the bear's hind legs as it reared up, and yank it off its feet, though that hadn't been easy given the massive creature's weight. Ino quickly pulled on the chain, freeing it from the bear and leaping up into the trees with Anko, as the bear started to get up, only to roar in more pain as a crossbow bolt pierced it's right hind leg, and an arrow did the same to the other. Anko summoned a very large snake which shot forward, wrapping around the bear and squeezing it, causing the bear to roar angrily and struggling against the powerful constrictor. At that moment, Ryoushi moved forward, drawing a long knife from a sheathe tied around his right calf, and quickly moved in, driving the blade deep into the bear's head and skull. The bear let out one loud groan, and collapsed, dead.

Ryoushi panted softly, yanking the blade out of the bear's head, as the snake disentangled from the corpse, and the four shinobi landed on the ground, approaching. "Well, that was an adventure," he said, cleaning the knife off. "Everyone alright?"

"We're fine," Anko said, dispelling the snake she had summoned. "What about you? The bear nearly had you."

"Yeah, though thanks to you and your kunoichi there, I'll be leaving this hunt without any additional scars," he said with a chuckle. "Thanks for that, by the way."

Ino blushed a little at the compliment, smiling. "W-Well, I owed you for saving me and Anko-sensei," she said.

Ryoushi just chuckled, before sighing as he studied the bear. "I don't suppose you'd help me get this back to my hut, would you? I don't think I can-" he said, only to blink as Anko pulled out a scroll and unrolled it, placing it on top of the bear. With a single hand sign, the bear disappeared, and the scroll landed on the ground. Anko just grinned as she picked it up.

"There we go. Should stay relatively fresh till we get back to your hut," she said, as Ryoushi just grinned a bit.

"You shinobi are making me jealous," he said. "C'mon. Least I can do is make you all lunch," he offered.

"Thanks. We'd be happy to accept," Anko said, as they followed the hunter back to his hut.

Tetsu no Kuni

Tetsu no Kuni was not the easiest place to live in, as the northern land was often covered in snow and ice, making it impossible to grow crops. The people of this land had to be strong and tough to survive the long winters that ravaged the land.

Tetsu no Kuni was also an oddity as it was the only land that still employed samurai as its main military force. While samurai could still be found in the lands surrounding Tetsu no Kuni, most of them were simply the royal guard to the daimyo of the various countries, and only saw combat in tournaments or when protecting members of the daimyo's family from bandits. Most of the true military power came from the shinobi villages in each land. In Tetsu no Kuni however, there was no shinobi village. Rather, the samurai who had seen the times changing against them had adapted, passing their teachings to those who could utilize chakra, and ensuring that their teachings, techniques, and beliefs did not die out, but instead lived on with new generations of samurai who added the ability to utilize chakra to the deadly martial arts of the samurai warrior.

That's not to say that only chakra users could become warriors of Tetsu no Kuni. The samurai legions of the frozen land welcomed new recruits to their ranks, whether or not they could utilize chakra. However, this sense of equality was shattered by a sad truth: chakra wielding samurai recruits had a much better chance of excelling and being promoted within the ranks of Tetsu no Kuni's forces, as they were the ones who would be able to combat any shinobi who dared to intrude upon the neutral countries borders. Those samurai who couldn't use chakra tended to be relegated to more menial assignments, such as simply clearing out bandits or patrolling villages and towns of less importance within the country.

It was perhaps for that reason that in the middle of a small village in northern Tetsu no Kuni, there was some discontent among some of the samurai there.

"I ask you, how is this fair? Why are we stuck in the middle of nowhere, guarding this village? We are samurai, not some petty militia," complained one samurai to his fellow warrior, as they patrolled the streets of the village they were stationed in, their armor covered in furs to help keep warm against the chill. Each was armed with the traditional wakizashi and katana at their waists, with the second samurai carrying a naginata, and the first one, who was complaining, was carrying a yumi bow with a quiver of arrows.

The second samurai sighed quietly, glancing at his companion. "This is our assignment. We're here to protect this village from bandit attacks and wild animals. Is that not simply enough, to serve our leaders and land?"

"Then why don't THEY ever get assignments like this?" The first samurai asked, growling softly in anger. "Just because they can use chakra, they're given the cushy jobs, and the greater honor. They're no better than shinobi."

"Keep your voice down," the second samurai said, stopping. "You do not insult superior officers like that, not if you want to keep your head."

The first samurai just sneered a bit. "Superior officers. In title and rank, maybe, but not superior," he said. "Still…I've heard rumors that there are others who are not content. Higher ranked samurai in the capital."

"Just rumors, I'm sure," his companion said, as they continued walking.

"Maybe, but still…I've heard that they aren't content with how things are throughout the various countries. They think samurai should be restored to their rightful place, instead of letting shinobi and chakra wielding samurai rule over us. It might be something worth looking into," the first one said.

"You should stow that kind of talk. You're talking of treason," the second samurai said, though he didn't sound entirely convinced.

"Maybe I am…but sometimes treason needs to be spoken to get things changed for the better," the samurai said quietly, as they kept walking through the village.

Ryoushi's Hut

"Man, this is some pretty good stew," Naruto said, enjoying the meal Ryoushi had cooked for them. The hunter chuckled softly as he worked on skinning and cleaning the bear corpse.

"It's amazing what you can do with simple ingredients," he said. "Some of the best meals are simple ones. My father used to say that."

Hinata quietly set aside her bowl, looking at Ryoushi. "Ryoushi-san, may I ask a question?" She asked.

Ryoushi chuckled softly as he set aside his knife, turning to her. "Somehow I thought you might. You're curious about my archery style, aren't you?" He asked.

"Yes, ummm…how can you do that? You fired your arrows at a speed I didn't think possible and…were able to do so while moving around. I didn't think such things were possible," she said.

Ryoushi chuckled softly. "That's because most archers don't need to fire a bow that fast. An archer in the army will probably be standing in the middle of his army with all the other archers, firing at targets off in the distance. But here in the woods, when you're in a life and death struggle with a predator, there's no time to stand and shoot your enemy. So if you can shoot your enemy while on the move, then so much the better. And if you can shoot them rapidly, well then you've guaranteed that they're going to die. But it's not exactly something anyone can learn. It took me years of hard work and training to reach the level I'm at."

The ex-Hyuuga genin nodded at that. "I see then. I wish I could learn how to fight like that though. I think I could use it, as a shinobi."

"Aye, you probably could there. Being able to easily move around your opponent and still shoot them. Though I'd say you're capable of handling yourself in a fight without a bow," he said, eyeing the sword sheathed at her side. "But still…I'll be in Konoha in a few months' time, to see that Chuunin Exam you shinobi have. Perhaps I could give you some pointers while I'm in the village?"

The genin blinked in surprise and looked at Anko, who began to explain. "Every six months, one of the five major shinobi villages host what is known as the Chuunin Exams. It's a test that allows all the shinobi villages to display their strength by having their genin compete against each other in a series of tests. Those that excel are recommended for promotion to the rank of chuunin."

The genin all nodded, as Ryoushi grinned. "Right. So like I said, maybe I can give you some tips and pointers," he said, as he finished skinning the bear.

"I would greatly appreciate that Ryoushi-san. Thank you," Hinata said, bowing.

"It's the least I could do. Especially after the help you four gave me," he said.

At that point, Anko sighed. "Sadly though, I think we need to go. We need to get back to Konoha and report in. Thank you for your hospitality, Ryoushi-san," she said, as her genin quickly finished eating and bowed.

"It was no trouble at all. Thank you for your help. And if you ever need the help of a hunter, let me know," Ryoushi said.

"We will Ryoushi-san. Until next we meet," Anko said, before grinning at her students. "Alright gaki's, let's move out!" She shouted.

As the four shinobi headed off, Ryoushi chuckled. "Great kids…I hope they survive," he said quietly, as he entered his hut, passing by a pair of sheathed swords. Gently touching them, he closed his eyes, before turning and grabbing a couple of bowls with ground up herbs that would be needed to finish cleaning the bear skin.

Hi no Kuni, that night

A small boat quietly brushed up on the shores of Hi no Kuni, and a figure quickly got out of the boat.

"You better know what you're doing Tazuna," the pilot of the boat said, as the now named Tazuna helped push it back out onto the water.

"Yeah, I know. You two, okay? And if Gato makes a move on my family, you'll get them out of there, right?"

The boat pilot nodded, as he used an oar to paddle his boat back out onto the water, before turning, and using the motor to run the boat. Soon he disappeared into the darkness that covered the ocean.

Meanwhile, the man named Tazuna pulled a cloak around his body and quickly headed inland, moving with a purpose towards his destination: Konoha. Soon enough, he was swallowed up in the shadows of the night time woods of Hi no Kuni.

Well, I think that's a good place to stop. This was sort of a filler chapter, a filler chapter that sadly took me much longer to write then I wanted to. So sorry about that.

But, some of the events of this chapter are important, as you will see down the line. For now, I hope you all enjoyed this, and I'll see you next time.

Oh, and if you haven't, please vote on the poll on my profile.

Awesome thanks go out again to my beta's Bill Alain and Kyuubi123 for their great work.

1. Ryoushi is using a style of tricking shooting archery utilized by Lars Anderson. I've seen a video of him action, and his archery style is most impressive. I suggest you look him up.