40. The Village of Kibō

'That took a lot longer than I thought…' Kabuto sighed.

The former right-hand of Orochimaru thought he had left Konoha rather stealthily. Although he managed to leave the village without detection, that didn't mean that the village wasn't made aware of his involvement sooner than he would have liked. Not long after leaving the village, he was bombarded with Konoha Anbu operatives, trying to either bring him back to the village or kill him. He managed to deal with the first attack and kill his assailants, but by the time the second set tried to attack him, he had to change his approach. He had to find alternative routes to take and be even more careful with his escape from Hi no Kuni.

What should have been maybe a four day trip took him nearly two weeks. Despite his delay, however, Kabuto arrived at his destination: the former, central base of Orochimaru in Ta no Kuni: Otogakure.

Kabuto walked through the hallways of the base, his eyes wandering the rooms making sure that there was no threat present in the rooms. Nobody was present, however. After news of Orochimaru's death spread, most the shinobi loyal to Orochimaru scattered. The buildings and hallways of 'Otogakure' that were once constantly filled with Orochimaru's subordinates and experimental guinea pigs were now empty.

'It's almost saddening. I would like some form of company. Somebody to talk to keep me from going insane.' Kabuto noted in his head. A thought then entered his mind, causing him to chuckle. 'Hopefully nobody bothered to move Kimimaro. I'd be disappointed if he wasn't here. The two of us need to have an interesting conversation.'

The spy proceeded to enter one of the various rooms in the building and entered a small medical center in the building. There, to his relief, was a young man lying on a white bed. He had white, shoulder-length hair and pale skin. There were many tubes connected to the man's body: going into his mouth, his ears, and into his veins. There was also a seal placed on the man's head, keeping him unconscious.

Kabuto chuckled to himself as he walked over to his bed and sat down on it.

"Kaguya Kimimaro, it's a joy to see you again." Kabuto commented. "I was just thinking about how much of a problem it would be if somebody decided to move your body elsewhere. It's good to see that you remained right here in Otogakure, waiting for Orochimaru-sama to return. You are truly loyal to him, aren't you?"

The man, Kimimaro, gave no reply. He remained in his comatose state on the bed.

"Unfortunately, I have to admit, Orochimaru-sama is dead." Kabuto informed him with a sigh. "… There was nothing anybody could do about it. He was killed by his former student and the Sandaime Hokage. There were too many variables we couldn't predict." The spy then gave the comatose body a sharp look. "Although, I do suspect the invasion would have went a lot smoother if you were in condition to fight, Kimimaro. But unfortunately, you are ill, and there is nothing I can do about it. In your condition, you weren't able to of any use to Orochimaru-sama."

Once again, Kimimaro gave no reply. Kabuto brought his hand to Kimimaro's face.

"… Although, I must admit, Orochimaru-sama is not fully dead. His body may be gone, but his will shall last. It shall live on forever as I continue his work from where he left off. And there is still a possibility that you could be useful to me, and by proxy, him." Kabuto stated with a chuckle. "But then again, your illness is an issue. Your life and body is no use to Orochimaru-sama's will."

With those words, Kabuto channeled chakra into his hand. His hand now resembled a scalpel. He brought his hand down to Kimimaro's throat and cut into his skin. Kimimaro's throat was slit and blood started to leak out. The young man was no longer comatose; he was dead.

"Despite the circumstance with your illness, your blood and your kekkei genkai should still be useful." Kabuto told the corpse as a maniacal grin developed on his face. "Don't worry: I won't damage your body too much. Everything will be done carefully to preserve you. I'm just going to partaking in a little research to see if I can make your bloodline useful to Orochimaru-sama."

'Time to get to work!' The former right hand of Orochimaru mentally chuckled.

On cue, Kabuto started to pull out various equipment and tools to cut into Kimimaro's body. It was now time for his experimentation to begin.

The merchant caravan, escorted by Team Anko, moved through the swampy wilderness of Mizu no Kuni as quickly as they could. They navigated the land, keeping a careful eye on their surroundings and looking out for any possible threat.

Anko continued to lead the group, mentally prepared for any battle that could arise at any moment. While she walked, though, she couldn't resist thinking about the events that occurred upon arrival in the country.

'Why were we attacked right away by the Mizukage's shinobi? And why did that Ice Release user help us? Konoha isn't allies with the rebels. They should have just left us to fend for ourselves and not get involved and draw attention to themselves. There must be a reason. Was the Ice Release user trying to keep the merchants safe?' Anko wondered to herself. '… And speaking of that damn ice user, is it the same one that Kakashi encountered?'

"Anko-sensei?"

The jōnin pulled herself from her thoughts and turned to look at Hinata. The girl had walked forward from her position and was now walking directly behind her former sensei.

"Any particular reason you aren't in position?" The jōnin questioned.

"I have my Byakugan activated. I'm prepared to jump back at any given moment." Hinata replied. "You just seemed to be in thought and I was wondering if you were alright."

"I'm fine. No need to worry about me. I'm just thinking about that damn fight at the port town." Anko commented with a sigh. "That Ice Releaser somehow got past your Byakugan, you know? And he actually fought the Mizukage's shinobi. It doesn't make sense why, though. He'd have to be with the rebels, but we aren't allied with them? Why help us?"

Hinata frowned at Anko's mention of the 'Ice Release' user. She wasn't fully certain how this person managed to avoid detection from her, and that was a disturbing thought to her. She wasn't certain if they could call this shinobi an ally at the moment, so it was concerning that there was at least one shinobi in the area that could potentially get past her eyesight. As the Hyūga began to think about the shinobi, she noticed something that Anko had mentioned. She then gave her former sensei a curious look.

"You called the shinobi a 'he'. Did you see him?" She asked.

"I didn't." Anko shook her head in response. She then sighed. "I'm just guessing. The Ice Release kekkei genkai is only found in the blood of the Yuki Clan shinobi and there are very few of them left. Most were killed in Kirigakure's Bloodline Hunts."

The chūnin shivered in response. The idea of being hunted for having a kekkei genkai was a scary thought to her. If the Hyūga Clan were from Mizu no Kuni, then would she and her family have been victims of the bloodline hunts? It was a terrifying thought: one she didn't want to think about for too long. She proceeded to shake her head and return her thoughts to her initial question.

"But why would that make you think the shinobi was male?" She continued to ask.

"Again, there are very few confirmed Yuki Clan shinobi still alive. The only one that I know that is currently alive is a male." Anko mentioned.

"Do you know his name?" Hinata's curiosity seemed to grow with each answer.

"No. I only heard the information from Kakashi. He actually didn't know the boy's name." Anko shrugged. "I just know what he told me. He led his own team on a mission to Nami no Kuni early in their career and the mission jumped up to an A-Rank due to the client lying about mission specifics. Something about being hunted by some rich, corrupt dude named Gatō. Still, they continued the mission and were attacked by two shinobi: Momochi Zabuza and this mysterious Ice Release user. They engaged with Zabuza twice, but only fight the Ice Release user once."

"So, these two shinobi survived fights with Kakashi-sensei?" Hinata's eyes were wide in surprise.

"Yeah, actually. Kakashi and Zabuza engaged each other twice and brought each other to a stalemate both times. Kakashi almost landed a killing blow on Zabuza during both fights, though, but the Ice Release user apparently intervened twice and saved Zabuza. The Ice Release user apparently fought all three of Kakashi's students and knocked them unconscious. According to Kakashi, while he didn't know the boy's name, he said he seemed too gentle to kill mindlessly and purposely attacked his students in a way to merely prevent them from fighting."

"Thank God." Hinata sighed in relief. Even if she wasn't the closest person to Sasuke, Sakura, and Kiba, she didn't want to imagine them dying. They were her classmates and people she believed she could call friends.

"Anyway, Kakashi said that Gatō eventually came to their battlefield and told them their contract was up and he and some goons he had employed were going to kill them, along with everyone else." Anko snorted at her own words. "Fucking idiot. He assumed that because he was rich that he was untouchable. Well, that idiotic action backfired on him. Zabuza and the Ice Release user ended up working with Kakashi and slaughtered Gatō and his soldiers. With the battle and the contract gone, Zabuza and the Ice Release user simply vanished."

"So you think that this person is here?" Hinata asked.

"It's just a thought. Again, he's the only Yuki Clan shinobi that I know still alive. Wouldn't like it to be him, though. That would mean Momochi Zabuza is probably nearby, and I wouldn't want to get involved with him. The dude's pretty fucked up." Anko commented. She then proceeded to chuckle, though. A fire proceeded to burn her eyes as she clenched her fists. "Though I have to admit, I wouldn't mind taking him on at some point. He and Kakashi stalemated, but I think I could take him. And if I did that, that would mean I was better than Kakashi."

"Er…" Hinata coughed in response. "L-Let's just hope we don't have to fight anyone while we are here."

Anko, recalling their mission and the current situation they were in, relaxed her hands and seemed to calm down.

"You're right. If they are here, then they are probably with the rebels. And, I'll say this again, I do not want to get Konoha involved in this damn civil war." Anko stated. "Let's get this mission done with and get the hell out."

Hinata merely nodded in understanding. The conversation between the two kunoichi seemed to drop and Hinata returned to her position amongst the caravan.

"Finally! Progress!" Masakado declared triumphantly.

After continuous practice, Naruto, Tayuya, and Karin were able to keep their sealing tags stuck to the walls of the temple. They were now capable of sealing their chakra within mediums. The group also improved significantly on their penmanship: both in accuracy of brushstrokes and in their general speed. The Uzumaki cousins were learning the initial stages of fūinjutsu quickly, much to the joy of both Jiraiya and Masakado.

"We're getting closer. A lot closer." Tayuya commented excitedly. "What's next on the training?

"Probably practicing with illumination seals, right?" Jiraiya questioned Masakado.

"Hmm?" Naruto gave his godfather a curious look. "What do you mean by that?"

"You know those seals I have placed throughout the temple that keep the rooms illuminated, even if there is no window?" Masakado questioned. Naruto and his cousins nodded. "We'll be working on producing those. They're not horribly difficult seals to create: don't require much sealing and the necessary kanji and symbols aren't too difficult to produce. But it'll combine both aspects of your training, penmanship and sealing your chakra within the seals."

"That makes sense." Karin stated with a smile. "When can we start?"

"Heh, you all really are anxious to learn." Masakado grinned. It really had been long since he had last instructed anybody on fūinjutsu, but he still enjoyed the feeling of having students who wanted to learn. It was the most rewarding sensation a teacher could have.

"Of course we are. We're making tons of progress too!" Naruto declared with a smirk.

"Yeah, you guys are." Masakado admitted with a smirk. The Uzukage, however, didn't want his students to become too arrogant with their abilities. "However, you are all thirteen and fourteen learning these lessons. Most people in Uzushiogakure, when they learned these skills, were five or six. So, in that sense, you could say you are all behind."

"Hey!" Tayuya grumbled in response, giving the man a glare.

"That's not a fair comparison." Karin added, a frown on her face.

"Eh, it is to me. My own kids weren't the most focused learners and they managed to learn fūinjutsu by age eight. Again: you're all behind in regards to progress." The Sandaime Uzukage replied with a snort.

The man had intended for his comment to be a good-natured joke to rile up his students. However, Masakado's joke only reminded himself of his own children. His eyes turned downward and the smirk on his lips died. His face became strictly neutral.

Naruto had prepared a response back to Masakado's teasing, but the words failed to leave his mouth when he saw the man's change of mood. Instead, the boy felt concern develop in his body.

"Masakado-sensei… are you alright?" He asked.

"… You know, there's one place here that I haven't shown you all yet. One place I think you all need to go." He commented, his voice filled with sorrow. The man then turned his attention towards Jiraiya. "… We'll continue with the lessons in just a moment. Do you care if I take them there now?"

"Go ahead. Take your time." Jiraiya encouraged as he made a gesture with his hands, sending the group off.

Immediately, Masakado started to walk north of the Uzushiogakure Temple. Naruto, Tayuya, and Karin walked behind him. The group remained in silence as the Uzumaki cousins tried to understand what had changed in Masakado's mood.

They walked forward for five minutes before they reached their destination. They were now in a location in the ruined village that had no signs of rubble. All stones, bricks, former building pieces, and signs of road were completely removed. The area was completely covered in dirt, with tombstone. Thousands of black tombstones filled the area, close together.

Masakado continued to walk silently with his fellow clansmen following behind. A sense of dread filled Naruto's, Tayuya's, and Karin's bodies as they approached the tombstones.

"… It took me a while to recover and deal with the fact that I was the only survivor of the attack. Or, at least, the only survivor still present in the village." Masakado started to talk. The sorrow that had been present in his voice seemed to have grown as his eyes began to water with tears. "Once I finally accepted that fact… well… I realized that something needed to be done about all of the bodies that weren't destroyed. Because surprisingly, the attackers didn't take any bodies back to examine or anything. They were just left scattered throughout Uzushiogakure. All of the people that I knew and lived with… all the people that I swore to protect… were now nothing but corpses to me."

The elder Uzumaki choked out a sob, causing Naruto and Karin to start walking closer to him to comfort him. Masakado, however, pushed them away. Instead, he walked closer to the tombstones. He placed his hands on one of them.

"It took me a week to bury everybody. I didn't do anything but focus on their burials. I couldn't eat or sleep. All I could do was mourn for my people one at a time and move on to the next." Masakado mumbled to himself. "… Although, I particularly saved three people for last, because I knew that I wouldn't be able to have the strength to do the job if I did them first."

Immediately, the man fell to his knees directly in front of the grave that he was at. He embraced the tombstone and let his tears fall freely from his face, hitting the stone. Naruto and Karin walked forward and embraced the man. This time, however, he didn't push them away. He didn't have the strength to.

"I… I have lived seventy-seven years. I've gone through shit in my life that I will never forget. I watched my own village fall right before my eyes. B-But nothing in my life can compare to the absolute torture it was t-to bury my own wife and my sons." The Uzukage claimed, his voice broken up by his own crying. "I-I wouldn't wish the fate on to anybody: not even the people who destroyed my village. Th-There is no worse pain!"

Masakado continued to try and talk, but his words came out as nothing but unintelligible sobbing. Naruto and Karin tightened their embrace of the man. Eventually, Masakado stopped trying to talk and the only sound that filled the graveyard was the sound of his broken sobbing. Tayuya remained distant from the group, standing around awkwardly. After waiting a few minutes, however, she began to walk over to the ground. She then placed her hand on Masakado's shoulder.

"… I've always told myself that my parents are waiting for me in the afterlife and that they're going to greet me with open arms. And I've always thought that my parents are proud of me." Tayuya started to speak. Her speech was slightly slow, as she tried to think of the proper words to say. Nevertheless, she seemed to find the words and continued to speak. "And I'm sure your family feels the same way. You're their family… and they don't want you feeling like this. You just need to, well, keep living and prepare for the day that you can see them again."

The Sandaime Uzukage's sobbing did not stop, but seemed to quiet down slightly at Tayuya's words. A few moments passed by before he finally pulled himself. Naruto's and Karin's embrace broke. The Uzukage took a deep breath and wiped at his eyelids with the sleeves of his jacket before he started to speak.

"… This is the second time you've all seen me breakdown. I usually have better control of myself, I promise." Masakado mumbled, bowing his head slightly.

"Don't apologize!" Karin shook her head in response. "I don't know how anybody would be able to live if they've gone through the things you've been through!"

"There's no need to be sorry." Naruto nodded his head in agreement with Karin. "Masakado… we are all Uzumaki. That means we're family and have to look out for each other. We may not be your wife and children, but we're going to be here for you. Family doesn't turn their back on each other."

"Damn straight." Tayuya declared her agreement with the blonde.

"… Heh." Masakado chuckled in response. He felt his eyes starting to water up once again, but he quickly brought his sleeves to his eyes and wiped the tears away before they developed. "You brats are going to make me sentimental and shit. Stop trying to make me cry more dammit!"

The man's usual witty, sarcastic tone-of-voice returned to him. There was, however, one more quality to it: happiness. For the first time since they had met him, Masakado finally seemed to be happy.

"… Come on, kids. Let's get back to your lessons. We still got to keep training and get your fūinjutsu better." He informed them.

Naruto, Tayuya, and Karin all nodded in understanding. They proceeded to follow Masakado. Silence filled the air as they walked, but it was no longer tense or marred by sadness. It was a peaceful, comforting silence. As they were starting to get closer to the temple, Masakado turned his head backwards toward the graveyards for a moment before facing the temple again and continuing with his march. A smile developed on his lips.

'I'll… meet you all soon one day. I promise, that. But for now, I got one last set of duties to do. I got to make sure this new generation of Uzumaki can prosper.' Masakado thought to himself, hoping his family could hear his thoughts from beyond the grave. 'My love… and our boys… I love you. And I can't wait to see you one day.'

With those thoughts, Masakado felt himself finally able to push himself away from the past and begin to focus on the present.

"We made it!"

The merchant caravan proceeded to cheer loudly amongst each other as they arrived at the gates of Kibō. The group, led by Anko, approached the gates and, after communicating with the guards, were permitted inside.

"I'm glad we made it here before nightfall." Hinata commented with a smile.

"It's a relief, yeah. We cut it pretty close, though." Shikamaru noted as he looked up in the sky. The sun was beginning to set, signaling that nighttime was about to arrive.

"Still, as Hinata-san said, it is relief. The mission was ultimately a success." Dosu mentioned.

Upon entering the village, the lead merchant of the caravan proceeded to give Anko a large bag filled with ryō for safely escorting the party to the village.

"I can't thank you enough, Anko-san. It is nice to know that Konoha has dependable shinobi that would help even us residents of Mizu no Kuni." The merchant stated with a smile.

"Think nothing of it. We're just glad we are able to help. It's part of our duty." Anko replied, returning his smile with one of her own.

"You are all so much more considerate than Kirigakure shinobi. I really hope that whenever this civil war ends, there will be new management that will care about the people of the country." The merchant frowned in response. "… Speaking of Kiri shinobi, though, I must inform you that it's not safe to be outside villages at nighttime in this country anymore. I would recommend staying the night here in the village, if it is possible."

"Don't need to suggest that to me. I was already planning on looking for an inn." Anko replied.

"Oh, let me cover that for you! I will find two rooms for you and your subordinates in the finest inn in the village!" The merchant commented excitedly.

"Nah, don't do that." Anko shook her head quickly in response. "I can find-"

"Nonsense! It's the least we can do!" The man encouraged. "Remember the name 'Zeitaku'. That's the inn you'll be staying at!"

With those words, the merchant hurried off down the streets of the village. Anko remained motionless as she watched him leave towards this 'Zeitaku' Inn. A moment passed before she finally shook her head in frustration and sighed. She then walked back towards her team to inform them about the plans.

"So yeah, if you haven't guessed, we're staying here for the night. And it seems that our rooms are already being covered by the merchants." She grumbled in response.

"That is considerate of them." Dosu said with a nod of approval.

"Considerate maybe, but I don't want them to. I hate when people do crap like this for me. Always makes me feel awkward." Anko admitted with a sigh.

"… Well, if we are going to be here for the night, want to go look around the village?" Hinata suggested.

"Eh, what the hell? We got to kill, so why not?" Anko shrugged in response.

"We could always get some rest and prepare for our journey tomorrow." Shikamaru suggested.

"… Lazy Ass, no. Fuck no. We're going out. And we're going to be social, party, get completely wasted, and do some fun shit." Anko informed him sharply.

"Wasted?" Hinata's eyes widened in response. "I, er, have never had alcohol before. I d-don't think-"

"Old enough to kill, old enough to drink." Anko interrupted the Hyūga with a smirk. "Come on, we got some time before we go get something to drink. Let's all just explore the village."

With those words, the jōnin proceeded to force her three subordinates down the streets of Kibō.

The village itself looked rather quaint. It was relatively green with gardens between the buildings and on the sides of the streets of the village. People were walking down the streets and were chatting amicably with each other. It appeared to be a relaxing village.

As they walked by buildings, however, Anko made note of every bar she saw. If the group was going to stay here for the night, she was definitely going to take her subordinates out drinking. Her only concern, at the moment, was figuring out which one to take them too.

'Good God, that was a pain in the ass.' Naruto thought to himself.

Once the group was back together at the Uzushiogakure Temple, Jiraiya and Masakado immediately forced the Uzumaki cousins to begin practice with creating illumination seals. They gave them a scroll with the seal drawn on it. It featured the kanji for the 'light' with elaborate symbols drawn around the kanji in a circular pattern. Naruto, Tayuya, and Karin attempted to recreate the full seal on their own sealing papers. Jiraiya and Masakado, however, rejected their attempts due to their not-precise penmanship and required them to start over again. It took the trio roughly an hour before they each produced a seal that both Jiraiya and Masakado approve of.

"That took forever." Tayuya complained as she glared at the seal that she had created.

"It won't take that long the next times, however. It gets faster and easier each time you practice making it." Jiraiya commented helpfully.

"It will also not take that much time when you don't fuck up each time you try to produce the seal. Things generally become faster when you can actually do them on the first try." Masakado stated with a grin.

Naruto and Karin laughed in response at Masakado's joke. Tayuya, in contrast, crossed her arms over her chest in frustration and focused her glare at the elder Uzumaki.

"Go fuck yourself." She hissed.

"I'd rather not." Masakado replied with a snort. "Anyway, kids, let's get back to work. Now that you have the appropriate seal drawn, you're going to try and transfer chakra into the seal again. It'll be done in precisely the same way you were all able to stick the seals onto the walls. The only difference is that, because you are trying to do something more complex then sticking a seal on a wall, you're going to have to concentrate on sealing more chakra into the seal." The man then shrugged. "Not too much more chakra, though. This isn't much more complicated. Just a little bit more than you guys had been in the last practice."

"Upon completion, you'll make the 'ram' hand sign and that'll activate the seal. If it's done right, then the seal will emit a bright light that will only go away when you deactivate the seal with the same hand sign." Jiraiya continued to explain. He then made a gesture with his hands towards the three young Uzumaki shinobi. "Now, you all try and do that."

Naruto, Tayuya, and Karin nodded in understanding. They proceeded to place their hands on the seal and attempted to channel chakra into the seal. Once they felt they had completed the task, they then proceeded to make the 'ram' hand sign, just as instructed.

The symbols on each sealing paper proceeded to light up. They then each produced a light from the kanji. The light on Tayuya's seal was slightly dim, but still visible. Naruto's and Karin's seal, in contrast, was very bright and apparent. Jiraiya and Masakado looked at the trio in approval.

"Very nice first attempt." Jiraiya complimented. "Especially you two-"

The words died on his tongue, however, as Naruto's seal proceeded to light itself on fire. Within seconds, the seal was disintegrated, leaving no trace that it even existed. The group looked at it for moment in silence before Masakado sighed loudly and brought his hands to his face.

"Naruto, when I said to use more chakra then the last time, I didn't mean use so much that you completely overpower goddamn seal itself." The Sandaime Uzukage groaned. "The illumination seals don't require that much chakra. Too much will destroy them."

"Heh, sorry." Naruto began to sheepishly rub the back of his head. "I-I didn't think I used that much chakra. S-Sorry!"

'He didn't think so? I know he is an Uzumaki, but so am I and his cousins. How can he spam chakra like that… oh wait, he has the Kyūbi sealed in him. No shit.' Masakado shook his head, pulling himself away from his thoughts. "… Regardless of that mistake, you did manage to light up the seal. It seems you know exactly how to do the task. You need to be more conscious about how much chakra you put into your seals, though. The seal you were using wouldn't generate any negative side-effects, but some seals would. You need to make sure the amount of chakra you seal is precise for its job."

"I know, I know." Naruto sighed in response.

"So, get back to work." Jiraiya chuckled as he pulled out another seal paper for Naruto to practice with.

With another sigh, Naruto sat back down and started to draw another detailed, elaborate seal for the illumination seal. Seeing that he was back to practicing, Jiraiya turned his attention towards Tayuya. He handed her another sealing paper.

"You as well, Tayuya. You had Naruto's opposite problem: your seal was relatively dim because you didn't put enough chakra into it. You should practice some more as well." He encouraged.

"I got to make another one of those damn seals?" She questioned.

"Yup. Don't fuck up this time." Masakado teased her.

"Ugh…" Tayuya grumbled profanities quietly to herself as she sat down and joined her blonde cousin in silent practice.

"What about me?" Karin questioned in curiosity.

"I'd recommend practice as well and try and improve the speed of your seal production." Masakado encouraged. "However, you created the best seal. It was the appropriate brightness and didn't immediately burn up like Naruto's did. It was exact. You're on the right track. We'll just get you working on improving your speed while the other two keep practicing."

Smiling with pride, Karin took another sealing paper from Jiraiya and joined her cousins in seal production.

"Once you guys finish, we'll call it quits for tonight. Tomorrow, though, I'll start showing you some offensive fūinjutsu and show it can be used in combat." Masakado smirked. "All jokes and nitpicking aside, you kids are making great progress. Just keep practicing at the level you guys are at and we'll get you all combat trained in fūinjutsu!"

Naruto, Tayuya, and Karin stopped drawing their seals for a moment to grin in response to Masakado's compliment. They then turned their attention back to their seals.

"Heh, just saying: you are all going to love tonight." Anko informed her subordinates with a raucous laugh.

The jōnin had originally intended on taking them to a bar sometime around eight o'clock in the town. That was not an option for them, however, because the bars in the village of Kibō only opened up no earlier than midnight. As a result, Anko decided to take her subordinates out for dinner instead at eight. However, she was still not deterred. She was still planning to take the group out to a bar at midnight. If anything, she seemed even more excited.

"I wasn't very fond of the plan in the first place, but now I'm completely against it." Shikamaru rolled his eyes as he voiced his disapproval of Anko's plans. "I'm not going to be out at midnight to just get a couple of drinks?"

"Who said anything about a couple?" Anko scoffed in response. "I mean, if you're a lightweight, then maybe. But me? I'm definitely doing more than just 'a couple'. Besides, bars are more fun late at night. More things tend to happen. Trust me: you'll have a good time."

"Er…" Hinata looked down at her food: a bowl of udon noodles with chicken. "I don't think it's going to be too much fun…"

"I would agree with Hinata-san." Dosu nodded his head in agreement. He took a bite of his own food, a plate of Teriyaki Chicken, before speaking again. "This seems more like your idea of fun: not ours."

"Well then, what would you rather do, Dosu?" Anko questioned.

"I'd rather us stay the night at our inn and rest. I'd personally enjoy making some more progress in a few books that I'm reading." He answered.

"Blah. Boring. You guys are no fun." The jōnin whined. "… If you all don't want to come, then fine. But I'm just letting you know, I will not be back until late into the night and I'll definitely not be sober. So don't be alarmed."

"Fine by me." Shikamaru replied as a content smile developed on his face. "Looks like I'll be able to get some sleep tonight. Thank God."

"Would you like me make you a cup of tea when you get back, Anko-taichou?" Dosu questioned. "I know how to make a brew that should be able to assist with hangovers."

"Nah, I'll be good. I know how a jutsu that can help detox myself, but thanks." Anko replied. She then gave the boy a surprised look. "Wait, you know how to make tea?"

"I do." The former Oto shinobi nodded in response. "My mother taught me."

"… You know, forget what I said. Make the tea and leave a cup for me when I get back. I'm a tea person, so I'd like to try it." The jōnin informed him with a smirk. "Fair warning, though: I'm pretty critical of people's teas, though, so I expect perfection."

"I accept your challenge. The particular brew isn't my best tasting tea, though, so I'll make another cup of my best brew if I have the time." Dosu informed her.

"Exactly what kinds can you make?" She questioned.

As Dosu and Anko began to engage in a very passionate discussion about tea making, Shikamaru and Hinata exchanged looks with each other. Shikamaru seemed very amused with the conversation while Hinata was giggling, openly sharing her amusement.

"Who would've thought that Anko would be the one to get Dosu to open up more by talking about tea?" Shikamaru whispered to his friend with a chuckle.

"I didn't even know Anko-sensei was such a tea aficionado!" Hinata added, still giggling.

Hinata and Shikamaru stopped talking and simply paid attention to the in-depth conversation about tea between Anko and Dosu. The conversation, however, came to a halt at the sound of a loud, explosion. The four shinobi jumped up from their seats in surprise at the noise. Other customers at the restaurant stopped their conversations as well and looked around the room in concern. A few of them were starting to scream in fright.

"What was that?" Shikamaru questioned.

Anko gave no verbal reply and made a gesture, urging her team to follow her. The group, along with a few of the braver individuals from the restaurant, rushed out of the restaurant and saw that the gates to the village were completely busted open and a group of roughly one hundred masked shinobi was rushing in through the hole. Each shinobi was wearing the jackets that identified them as Kirigakure shinobi. They were all holding kunais with explosive tags and were tossing them at buildings, either setting them on fire with the resulting explosions or knocking them down. Civilians were screaming, trying to get away from the destruction. A few of the shinobi, however, eyed each and every person running away. It seemed as if they were debating on following them and killing them…

"I-It's the Mizukage's Shinobi! Th-They broke into the village! And they are going to kill us all!" One of the civilians screamed before he, along with the others, rushed back inside the restaurant in panic.

Anko tightened her fists in anger as she saw the group of shinobi. It took her a second before she turned her attention towards her subordinates. She gave them a sharp look.

"Find some way to get the civilians in the restaurant to safety. I don't know how, just keep them safe. Once you feel like they are, then use your judgment and try to fight some of these shinobi off." Anko ordered them. "I'm going to see what kinds of damage I can do to them!"

With those orders, Anko proceeded to rush away from the building and towards a group of the Kirigakure shinobi. She was starting to make a series of hand signs.

After receiving her orders, Hinata, Shikamaru, and Dosu quickly rushed back inside the restaurant, trying to come up with some method to keep the shinobi inside safe.

"Fire Style: Flare Aura!"

Chakra completely surrounded Anko's body as she approached the nearest Kirigakure shinobi. That chakra changed shape, resembling red flames. With her body now surrounded in fire, she clapped her hands together and created circular fireballs out of the fire concentrated in her hands.

"Fire Style: Hellfire Rain!"

The jōnin unleashed a massive barrage of fireballs directly at the nearest Kirigakure shinobi. The man, upon seeing the attack, proceeded to jump and try and get away from the assault. He avoided the first fireball, but was unable to avoid the subsequent hits. Anko continued her assault until his body was completely ablaze and he was no longer alive.

"There's a hostile shinobi here from Konoha!" One of the Kirigakure shinobi hissed. "The damn leaf bastards are involving themselves!"

"Kill her!" Another shinobi declared.

Five of the Kirigakure shinobi moved directly towards Anko, preparing to attack her together. The jōnin proceeded to run through hand signs, preparing to attack them. Before either side could strike, however, a man jumped in between them.

The man had long brown hair that he wore into strands with beads. He also had a long beard that was also separated into two strands. He wore a light green, large, loose long-sleeved shirt with black pants. The man wore bandages around his neck and the top of his head. He had a black eyepatch over his right eye, directly under his Kirigakure forehead protector. The man was holding a very unique-looking sword over his shoulders. One side of the sword featured a narrow cutting edge while the other side had a large platform coated with explosive tags. This platform was connected to a large scroll.

"Continue with your objectives." The man with the sword ordered. "I will personally deal with this woman."

"As you command, Jinpachi-sama." The five Kirigakure shinobi shouted in unison.

With those words, the shinobi rushed off into the village to continue their plans. Anko, seeing them escaping, held out her hands and unleashed a massive blast of fire directly towards them. The man, Jinpachi, made a singular hand sign and unleashed a burst of water from his mouth of similar size. The water made direct contact with the fire, extinguishing and allowing the shinobi to flee.

"Dammit!" Anko cursed. She then turned her attention towards the man standing in front of her. She scowled, recognizing him. "Munashi Jinpachi: one of the infamous 'Seven Swordsman of the Mist' and one of only two that are still loyal to Kiri. Known for your use of Shibuki, the blast-sword, and for your general fucked up behavior, such as killing your older brother."

"Does your bingo book actually mention that?" Jinpachi questioned the jōnin with a curious look. "How interesting. My brother was nothing more than an ant. Killing him was no different than killing an animal. He was no challenge. I'm surprised people even cared."

"Of course people cared! You don't kill your family for no fucking reason you piece of shit!" Anko hissed in response.

Not bothering to wait for a reply, Anko proceeded to toss fireballs from her hands directly at Jinpachi. The swordsman proceeded to rush forward, dodging each attack. He continued to move until he was directly next to her. He swung the sword, attempting to cut her with the blade. The jōnin jumped, avoiding the attack. She then held out her left hand.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Snakes rushed forward from Anko's coat sleeve. The opened their mouth, preparing to bite their target. Jinpachi made no effort to move away from her attack. He simply made a hand gesture, causing the scroll on his sword to unravel and reveal more explosive tags. The snakes, instead of the swordsman, made direct contact with the scroll. The explosive tags promptly blew up, completely destroying the snakes.

Jinpachi proceeded go, once again, on the offense. He jumped quickly into the air directly above Anko's position and prepared to strike at her with the edge of his blade. As he was about to make contact with her, more explosive tags on the platform of his sword started to light up, signaling they were about to activate. Anko jumped away barely in time, causing his sword to make contact with ground. Within seconds of impact, an explosion was generated, causing rubble of both stone from the road and dirt to fly into the air. Anko was forced to move away from the resulting debris.

'His fighting style is as destructive as the bingo book said. When Munashi Jinpachi fights, the battleground he fights on will exist no longer.' Anko recalled information she had read about her opponent. Her eyes then wandered, noticing the village of Kibō. 'He is the absolute worst person to fight in a village! He's going to blow up the entire village!'

"Why the hell are you attacking the village? What the hell have the people of this village done to the Mizukage?" Anko demanded to the Kirigakure shinobi.

Jinpachi, in response, scoffed. "You don't know anything about the way this country works or what this village has done." He pointed towards the various buildings in the village with the edge of his sword. "The fucking rebels have set up refuge here in this village. The village of Kibō is their base of operations!"

"So because of that, you're going to just up and destroy the village? And kill all of the civilians that are not involved with the damn civil war?" Anko shouted at him.

"They live in a village that's catering to them! If they didn't want to get involved, they should have moved out when the rebels came in." Jinpachi replied with cold indifference. "Besides, do you see any rebel shinobi helping you fight? No, they're all retreating like the dogs they are! They aren't going to help the people of this village." A smug grin then developed on the man's face. "We'll show the rest of Mizu no Kuni that the rebels merely take advantage of the people and will just try and run, sacrificing those that help them in order to preserve their useless lives! The whole country will unite together as a result to fight off the rebel fuckers!"

"Once again, you're just going to sacrifice this entire village of civilians just for this aim?" Anko continued to shout her questions.

The swordsman snorted at her repeating her question. "It's called politics. You Konoha shits should really try to understand."

"This isn't political! This is fucked up!" The jōnin hissed.

"… Heh, it's a good thing I'm the one who proposed this invasion to the Mizukage. It'll add to the list in your bingo book about my 'fucked up' behavior, right?" Jinpachi questioned tauntingly at Anko.

'… Anko, calm yourself. He's trying to get you angrier. He's saying shit to get you to act irrationally!' Anko repeated the mantra within her head.

The woman took a deep breath to calm herself and focus her mind. Once she had finished her task, she went through a series of hand signs.

"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Jutsu!"

Anko breathed out a massive fireball shaped like the head of a dragon. The dragon-like flame rushed through the air towards Jinpachi. The swordsman managed to move away and avoid the attack. Predicting his movement, however, Anko ran through the same hand signs and used the jutsu once more and released another dragon-shaped fireball. Anko then made a gesture, clapping her hands together. The two dragon-shaped flames charged rapidly towards Jinpachi from different directions.

The swordsman jumped up into the air, avoiding the two jutsus. Anko then raised her upwards, causing the dragon-shaped flames to move upward. Realizing he was wide-open for the technique, Jinpachi made a singular hand sign and the scroll attached to his sword unraveled more, revealing more explosive tags. The scroll unraveled until it completely circled the man, providing a barrier between him and the flames.

"Explosive Blade Technique: Explosion Barrier!"

The explosive tags activated instantaneously. The resulting explosions occurred on the outside of the scroll, not touching Jinpachi in the slightest. In contrast, the explosions managed to hit the dragon-shaped fireballs as they approached their target. The quantity and force of the explosions overpowered the flames, causing them to dissipate.

Realizing that he was fine, Jinpachi made another hand sign, causing the scroll on his sword to unravel another set of explosive tags. He then landed on the ground and proceeded to charge once again towards Anko, gripping his sword tightly. He attempted to cut at her, but she side-stepped, avoiding his cut. She was about to deliver a kick to his chest while he was still close, but right before she attacked, she noticed the newly-revealed explosive tags were lit up once again.

'Fuck!'

Anko quickly jumped away, barely avoiding the explosion. She continued to move backwards, placing distance between her and the swordsman. Jinpachi scowled in response.

"Fucking bitch! Die already!" He growled at her.

The jōnin noticed the rage present in the man's eyes and tone of voice. She snorted in response. "I'm not going to die."

"Yes you are!" Jinpachi hissed as he gripped his sword tight. "Stand still so I can fucking blow your brains out!"

"Heh, the rumors are true. You get so pissy whenever you don't immediately kill someone. You're just an idiot that's mind gets clouded by bloodlust." Anko commented as she ran through another series of hand signs. "Fucking idiot."

Jinpachi snarled as he charged forward towards her. Anko responded by finishing her jutsu and by breathing another conflagration towards him. Their fight continued.

"You're all going to be fine. We promise." Hinata spoke gently to the civilians inside the restaurant.

Despite Anko's orders to move the civilians to a safe location, the three Konoha shinobi did not know exactly where to take them. They were unfamiliar with the village of Kibō and any place that would be considered 'hidden' to invading shinobi. They were also uncertain about how to transport them there with the destruction happening outside in the village. Therefore, they remained inside the restaurant. The civilians were all huddled into a corner with Shikamaru, Hinata, and Dosu standing up front, comforting them and preparing to guard them from any invaders.

Dosu, using his hearing, and Hinata, with her Byakugan eyes, were both paying attention to their environment, ready for anybody that could try and enter to attack the civilians. After a few seconds of painful waiting, however, both Dosu and Hinata seemed to catch on to something.

"I hear whispering from outside." Dosu informed the group. "… I think someone's getting ordered to come in here."

"He is." Hinata confirmed his suspicions. "He's right by the door!"

Their words instigated more fright into the civilians, who were now starting to shout. Dosu turned around to face them.

"Hinata-san was right; we will protect you." He informed them. As he finished telling them this, he heard a noise: something that resembled a person turning a knob and opening a door. "Shikamaru-san!"

Shikamaru didn't need to be told. He made a singular hand. "Shadow Possession Jutsu!"

The Nara's shadow quickly rushed forward from his position towards the door to the restaurant. At that moment, the door was slammed open as a Kirigakure shinobi stepped in. Upon stepping foot into the building, however, his shadow became connected to Shikamaru's. He was unable to take another step.

"What the-"

"Shadow Neck Binding Jutsu!"

The shadow rushed up the man's body and reached his neck. Before the shinobi could say anything, Shikamaru began strangling him. Within seconds, he fell over to the ground, dead.

Hinata, with the Byakugan, saw that another Kirigakure shinobi noticed that the one that entered the building died upon entering. This shinobi then moved forward towards the building.

"Shikamaru-kun, we have another one coming!" She told him.

The Nara nodded and prepared to catch another shinobi with his shadow. For the second time, another Kirigakure shinobi entered the room. This one, however, was more cautious and noticed the shadow on the ground. He quickly jumped backwards, avoiding it. He then tossed a kunai with an explosive tag towards the group.

"Shadow Protection Jutsu!"

The shadows of the building quickly came together and formed a wall that blocked the kunai. The explosive tag detonated, but the shadow wall remained intact and prevented any injuries. With the attack successfully blocked, Shikamaru brought down the wall. The Kirigakure shinobi was charging directly for the group.

Dosu stepped forward and slammed his arm on to the ground. Upon impact, Dosu's sound amplifier generated a blast of sound waves that moved through the ground like a sonic boom and caused it to shake. The technique forced the assailant to fall to the ground. Hinata then pulled out her bow and fired an arrow directly at him. The arrow made contact with the man's temple and killed him instantly.

"We're getting the jump on these guys, still." Shikamaru commented with a sigh in relief. "If we keep this up-"

"More are coming!" Hinata shouted as her Byakugan picked up a group approaching them.

Before anybody could react, four Kirigakure shinobi jumped into the building by creating a hole in the ceiling. Three of them quickly rushed behind Shikamaru, Hinata, and Dosu and quickly grabbed them by the arms and pinned them against the grab. They held the trio in a way that they couldn't make hand signs or move their bodies.

"Ugh!" Shikamaru groaned in pain. The man who had grabbed onto him tightened his grip, putting him in further pain.

The civilians, noticing the situation the Konoha shinobi were in, started to scream immediately. A few of them were crying and some looked as if they were on the verge of passing out from fear.

"You three managed to kill those two shinobi?" One of the shinobi, the only that wasn't holding on to the three Konoha shinobi, questioned. He appeared to be the leader of the group. "You three look so young. Your rank could be no more than chūnin. Interesting that you three managed to kill two shinobi by yourselves. I'm impressed."

"We're just trying to protect civilians! Let us all go!" Shikamaru ordered. The man holding onto him quickly tightened his grip on him, causing him even more pain. "Ack!"

"Orders are orders, kid." The Kirigakure shinobi leader replied with a shrug. "You're all going to die today."

The leader pulled out a sword from his side he then walked over to one of the civilians, a young woman with blonde hair dressed like a waitress, and grabbed her. She started to scream loudly. He held her body up into the air with his right hand and gripped his sword with his left hand.

"Luckily for you Konoha brats that our orders were to only the residents of Kibō. They're our priority. Therefore, you three get to live for now… at least until I finish off all of my targets." The leader replied maliciously.

Shikamaru, Dosu, and Hinata tried to struggle and pull themselves away from their captors, but they weren't able to do anything. They were caught and could do nothing but watch. Despite that, though, they still tried. They had to do something!

Hinata's Byakugan was still activated and, with her vision, she noticed three more shinobi approaching the restaurant. She continued to struggle to free from herself from her captor, but in the back of her head, she couldn't help but pray quietly: 'Please… help us!'

As if on cue with her prayers, a series of senbon flew into the room and hit the leader of the Kirigakure shinobi. The senbon hit him at his vitals and managed to pierce them deeply. For a moment, his eyes widened and his grip on the woman ended, causing her to fall to the ground. A second later, he fell to the ground, dead.

The three Kirigakure shinobi that had been holding onto Shikamaru, Hinata, and Dosu, proceeded to turn their head towards their fallen comrade. "What the-"

As soon as they lost concentration, the three Konoha shinobi pulled themselves away from their captors. Shikamaru quickly brought a kunai knife to his captor's throat and slit it. Hinata delivered a palm strike to her captor's heart. Dosu slammed his sound amplifier directly against his captor's head, causing a massive burst of sound waves to enter his head. The sheer force of the impact caused the sound waves to be too powerful for the man's head, causing it to blow up. The three bodies fell to the ground, dead.

With the shinobi all dead, three new shinobi entered the room. The first one was a middle-aged man with blue hair that was styled into a spike. He wore a green haori with white trimmings over a full-body grey, striped suit. He had talismans with kanji for 'to hear' printed on them on each of his ears and wore an eyepatch over his right eye, directly under his Kirigakure forehead protector. The second shinobi was a younger, shorter guy with short blue hair and pointed, shark-like teeth. He wore a blue striped shirt and camouflage colored pants. He had on glasses that connected to ear protectors. The boy also had a sword covered in bandages attached to a holster that he wore on his body. The holster also featured the forehead protector for Kirigakure.

None of the Konoha shinobi recognized these two shinobi. The third one, however…

"Haku-san?" Hinata's eyes were wide in surprise.

The 'merchant' they had escorted to the village was standing directly in front of them. Instead of his pink kimono, however, he was wearing an outfit nearly identical to the middle-aged man next to him: a green haori over a striped, grey body suit. A black sash was wrapped around his waist. He also had his long hair put into a bun, with only two locks of hair falling loosely onto his body. The boy, just like the two shinobi standing next to him, also had on a Kirigakure forehead protector. He was wearing his, like the older man next to him, right around his forehead.

"It's Mei's troops! We're saved!" One of the civilians declared. The others joined him in cheers. The group was in hysterics after their near-death experience and was simply relieved to see help.

"We apologize for being late, but we are here to escort you to safety now." Haku informed the civilians. He then gestured towards the two shinobi next to him. "Please, follow Aō-san and Chōjūrō-san here. They will take you to the shelter."

"We have you all covered. We'll keep you safe." The middle-aged man, Aō, declared with confidence. "Just follow us."

"R-Right this way." The sword-wielder, Chōjūrō, commented. He seemed more anxious than his comrade, but still had the same determination that Aō possessed.

Immediately, the two shinobi escorted the civilians outside. The three Konoha shinobi were now left alone with Haku. He turned to face them with a smile on his face.

"Thank God that you are all alright." Haku said with a sigh of relief. "You have my eternal gratitude for protecting those civilians until we arrived."

"N-No problem." Shikamaru mumbled in response. He was still stunned to see that Haku, the young 'merchant' that had traveled with them was actually a shinobi. "What the hell though? You're a Kirigakure shinobi?"

"R-Really?" Hinata's eyes were, focused solely on the boy in front of her. He had been lying to them the entire time they worked with him.

"We can discuss this later. For now, there are more pressing issues." Haku informed them. His gentle tone-of-voice was replaced with one that commanded respect. "The village is being invaded. All of Mei-sama's shinobi are in the process of evacuating the village and escorting the civilians to safety. Once we accomplish that, we will engage the enemy and rout them. I know you are Konoha shinobi and are neutral in the civil war here in Mizu no Kuni, but I ask of you to think of the civilians of this village, and please help us."

Haku's words reminded the Konoha shinobi about the situation at hand and its seriousness. They nodded in understanding.

"Tell us where to go and where to escort the civilians and we will do our job." Dosu stated.

"I will direct you three on where to go. Just follow me!" Haku requested.

With those words, the four shinobi left the restaurant to find and rescue more civilians in the village.

"Fire Style: Hellfire Rain!"

Anko proceeded to chuck fireballs from her hands directly towards Jinpachi. The swordsman continued to approach her quickly, avoiding each of her attacks. Each fireball ignited the road, causing fires to develop. In a moment, he was once again directly in front of her. He prepared to swing his sword and cut into her. Anko, however, didn't bother trying to dodge. Instead, she made a singular hand sign.

"Fire Style: Widespread Ruin!"

The flames that had collected on the road quickly combined together into one massive conflagration. This newly formed fire rushed forward towards the duo. Jinpachi was unable to react as the flame hit both of their bodies. Anko, with her body still covered in fire, didn't react at all to the fire. Jinpachi, on the other hand, immediately screamed in pain.

"Eyah!" He hissed in pain as he jumped backwards away from Anko. Despite the agonizing pain he was experiencing, he managed to overcome it and start making hand signs with one hand. "Water Style: Rising Water Slicer!"

Using water from underneath the ground, Jinpachi called forth a jet of water that rose up from the ground underneath him. The water completely hit Jinpachi's body head-on, extinguishing the flames that were burning him. A moment passed by before the water began to evaporate. With both the flames and the water gone, the swordsman remained standing in that spot, completely drenched. There were, however, burn scars on his visible skin and his clothes had holes in them as a result of the flames.

For a moment, Jinpachi said nothing as he swung his sword. Despite both the flames and water that consumed it, the sword seemed un-damaged. Both the scroll attached to it and the explosive tags appeared to still be functional to him. Once he clarified on that, the man focused his attention on Anko.

"You fucking bitch!" Jinpachi snarled as he spat on the ground. "You thought you could kill me with fire? I'm a fucking explosives expert! Of course I know how to react when my body's on fire!"

"Hmm. Good to know." Anko rolled her eyes in response. "I have other techniques I can use to kill you then. Would you rather be poisoned or have your throat cut open?"

"I'd rather you fucking die already!" He growled.

With those words, Jinpachi charged towards Anko once again. Anko prepared for another attack and began making hand signs, ready to hit the man with another jutsu. Just as he reached her, though, he made another gesture of his sword and released another large section of explosive tags that completely covered the entire sword.

"Explosive Blade Technique: Explosion Rain!"

Jinpachi slammed his sword downward directly before reaching Anko. Upon impact with the ground, the explosive tags were launched from the sword and into the air. The tags moved at a quick rate and completely covered the air around Anko. They all proceeded to light up simultaneously.

'Shit!'

Anko was unable to get away as each explosive tag blew up. The flames from her 'flame aura' prevented her from taking fatal damage from the explosive flames, but the force of the explosions managed to knock her backwards, sending her flying to the wall of a nearby building. After impact, she fell down face-first onto the ground. Immediately after hitting the building, her 'flare aura' began to fade away.

Some of the flames of the many explosions managed to pierce through her 'flare aura' and hit her skin. Anko hissed in pain, both from the burns of the explosions and from being knocked into the wall. Jinpachi saw her struggle to get back and grinned.

"And there's the kill!" He exclaimed as he lunched at the jōnin. He gripped his sword tightly, prepared for the cutting edge of his sword to bury itself deep into her heart. "NOW YOU DIE-"

Before he could reach Anko's body, however, he was intercepted. A man appeared and blocked Jinpachi's sword with his own sword. The two men were brought to a stalemate as their blades clashed.

Anko managed to pull herself off the ground to see the two men try and overpower the other. She noticed characteristics about this second man. He was a tall, muscular man with spiky black hair wearing a sleeveless black shirt and matching pants along with striped wrist and leg warmers. He had bandages around his neck that went up to his face, completely covering his mouth. The man also wore his forehead protector to the side. The most noticeable feature about him, however, was his oversized broadsword.

The Konoha jōnin knew who he was immediately: "Momochi Zabuza..."

Zabuza did not turn to give the Konoha shinobi his attention. Instead, he remained concentrated on Jinpachi. The two men were still clashing blades against each other.

"Well, Zabuza, the rumors were true. You did end up joining up with the rebels." Jinpachi noted with a scowl on his face. "Shame. Despite your treason, I had to respect you when you had the balls to try to pull off your coup by yourself. Looks like you realized how weak you were unless you had people to back you up."

"Hmph." Zabuza scoffed in response. "You haven't changed, Jinpachi. Still acting tough when you're nothing more than Yagura's lapdog."

"I'm no fucking dog!" Jinpachi snarled in response. A malicious grin developed on his face as he began to push back harder on his blade, causing him to have an advantage against Zabuza as they clashed swords. "I'm a loyal Kiri shinobi to the Mizukage! And, in case you haven't realized, we're the winning side."

"You sure about that?" Zabuza taunted. "Take a look around you."

Jinpachi, for a moment, looked in his peripheral vision to see what Zabuza was talking about. To his surprise, he didn't see a village being burned to the ground and destroyed. He saw fires being put out. He saw civilians being escorted to safety by rebels. He saw corpses of 'loyal' Kirigakure shinobi, the troops he led.

"You're losing, Jinpachi. Your vision of Kirigakure is losing." Zabuza taunted as he pushed back with his own sword. He was now getting the advantage in their clash. "But, most of all, Yagura is losing."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU GODDMAN TRAITOR!" Jinpachi screamed.

Instantly, the scroll on the Shibuki sword released another segment of explosive tags. The tags lit up instantly. Zabuza, realizing what was going to happen, jumped backwards. Just after he jumped away, the tags activated and released a large explosion. This explosion caused dirt to rise up into the air, covering the area. Once the dust clouds dispersed, Jinpachi was no longer present in the area.

"… He saw that he was losing and he just up-and-left. Still the same fucking coward." Zabuza shook his head, both in anger and disappointment with his fellow 'Swordsman of the Mist'.

"Quick, after him!" Anko shouted as she tried to start running out of the village to capture him.

The Konoha jōnin, however, failed to make it more than a few the steps. A few seconds passed by before she fell to the ground, wincing in pain. Zabuza walked over to her body and examined her briefly.

"… You got burns on your body. And a few deep cuts. You probably also have a few broken bones, from what I can see. You're not in the best condition to keep chasing him." Zabuza informed her sharply.

"I was fighting him fine." Anko insisted as she pulled herself up. "I can still-"

Her words died on her tongue as she fell to the ground once again, still wincing in pain. Zabuza shook his head for a moment as he picked up the Konoha jōnin and put her on his shoulders.

"You're obviously not fine. You were probably close to dying if I didn't intervene. So I'd suggest not arguing with me and just stay quiet." Zabuza informed her sharply. "I'm taking you to medical. You Konoha shinobi aren't aligned with us in the war, but you did help try and defend this village from the invasion. For that, you have our gratitude and deserve at least to have your wounds looked at."

Anko didn't say anything as Zabuza carried over to get herself looked after by the medic ninjas of the Kirigakure Rebels. She didn't have anything to say. She felt utterly humiliated. She wanted to argue that she wasn't done fighting and would have survived her fight against Jinpachi, but she didn't know what to say. Zabuza was right; the massive explosion tags that pierced through her flare aura and sent her into the wall inflicted a lot of pain on her. She knew she had a few broken bones at least and a few burns that she wasn't certain that a standard medical shinobi could heal. Perhaps she would have died…

However, another thought dominated her head: one that equally disturbed her. Jinpachi managed to get away. He would alert the Mizukage about Anko's, a Konoha shinobi's, involvement in the defense of the village.

'… Well, Konoha is going to be involved in this civil war now.' She realized.

All she could hope for now was that the civil war in Kirigakure would soon come to its end.