Chapter Eighty-Two: Bloodlust

The Next Morning; Back At The Safe House)

Naruto had returned after spending some time alone to clear his mind. He was weighed down with his current predicament and what he had bound himself to should he fail and be forced to return back to Konoha.

First, he thought deeply about Kakashi's words:

"Those who abandon the mission are trash; but those who abandon their comrades are even lower than trash."

And a Hokage or even one reaching out for that position who abandons his people, comrades, and children counting on him is scum of the highest caliber. That was what was circulating through Naruto's mind should he be forced to return back without finding the orphans first and why he'd would forever relinquish all of his efforts to become Hokage if he failed.

Then he remembered the group's reactions to his proclamation about what he would do in the event of failure.

"You…not becoming Hokage? That's just absurd!"

"Has the springtime of your youth gone dry? Naruto-kun, please reconsider!"

"I don't usually agree with Lee, but he's got a point this time. Aren't you taking to this a bit too extreme?"

But what affected Naruto the most was Tenten's words towards him:

"It was through your leadership and skills that we managed to get this far and like you said, we can begin narrowing down suspects who so happens to be the men I catered to. We will succeed with you leading us. You never lost a fight, so don't let this be your first defeat!"

Remembering her words, he then thought to himself, Why in the world am I still here wallowing in self-pity? Screw that! There is work to be done!

With such a statement, it was clear that Tenten's words, for the second time, had reignited his resolve to find the orphans, consequences be damned.

Oh, and speaking of Tenten, recalled the Namikaze, where is she right now?

He then went to check up on her, only to find her asleep sitting at the desk while still dressed in her elegant disguise; her head was resting on her arms on top of the desk. Naruto sighed and shook his head with relief. Figures, she was exhausted after such a long day yesterday. I can't believe she slept like this all night.

He went and lifted her up bridal style and carried her back to the room he allowed her to stay in. While carrying her sleeping form, she was muttered gibberish Naruto couldn't completely make out, but he could have sworn he heard things along the lines of Neji being a jerk. After entering the room and setting her down on the bed, he walked out and closed the door behind him and went about his business.

Anyway, there is another matter to take care of, contemplated Naruto as he pulled out a scroll and recalled an important development during last night.

(Flashback, Night Club Basement Last Night)

"So let me get this straight," asked Jiraiya, "You got what you wanted out of the negotiations, befriended five orphans, got involved in an investigation no one asked you to perform, convinced Tenten to disguise herself as a personal servant, discovered a dead body, and were slapped with a time limit from Tsunade-hime?"

Still retaining his deadpan expression, Naruto responded, "You're right for the most part; but you're missing one critical part in your summary."

"And that would be?" replied the confused Sannin.

"The part where you came close to accidentally blowing Tenten's cover!" shot back Naruto.

The gaki seems a bit more irritable than usual, thought Jiraiya, I need to choose my words more carefully.

The force of Naruto's reply was so immense; one could have mistaken it for a Fūton jutsu. But surprisingly, Jiraiya remained calm and replied, "Relax, gaki. Let's put things into perspective and look at the big picture."

"Perspective?" repeated a frustrated Naruto, "Alright, I'll make some concessions right now. I admit that you did a wonderful job in getting a lead on Akatsuki's whereabouts from your informant, and I admit that I still have a couple days to work with before I'm required to leave."

"And you get to spend some private quality time with Tenten under the pretense of being her 'handler,'" joked Jiraiya, "and judging from Tenten's new attire, you have 'handled' her well. How's that for perspect-"

And indeed, Jiraiya literally gained more perspective as Naruto slapped him in the face, forcing his head to look sideways.

"Ero-jisan," said Naruto with a deceptively calm tone, "your eccentricities will not be my downfall!"

'How ironic, considering that you "learned a great deal from his example"', commented Minato, 'When will you make up your mind?'

Not a good time, dad, retorted Naruto, And out of all the times you decide to talk, you picked this one?! You and I are in for a long chat…

But chatting with Minato would have to wait, as an unexpected presence made itself known in the room.

"Indeed," responded the unknown voice, "This stranger's perverted nature won't be your downfall; it will be your carelessness, other stranger."

It was then that Naruto and Jiraiya's attention were both shifted towards…a person shrouded in black, wearing a purple bandana and a brown burlap backpack?

The following reactions were mixed: one of frustration, and one of confusion.

"This keeps getting weirder and weirder," commented Naruto, "What is a guy like him doing up here?"

"Merchant," asked a bewildered Jiraiya, "Didn't I already pay you?"

In response, Naruto thought, Ero-jisan must be referring to the informant that he was talking about earlier, the one that provided leads on Akatsuki earlier!

"Indeed you did, stranger," admitted the Merchant, who was pacing back and forth in an irregular manner, "But as you can see, this basement happens to be one of my resting spots, which you so rudely invaded!"

"We can move to somewhere else if you're uncomfortable," offered Naruto, "I'm sure that we can come to some sort of arrangement-"

"Alright, enough with this formal crap," interrupted the Merchant, who suddenly shifted to his casual accent, "When you woke me up from my beauty sleep, your conversation inadvertently gave me a gold mine of information! If you want me to stay silent about that Tenten girl's cover identity, I want that 35 million ryo right now!"

"You seem less hospitable than you were at our last meeting," noted Jiraiya, who adopted a sad expression, "What happened?"

"My mood is based on profit," defended the Merchant, "And right now…And tonight, I am in the mood for blackmail!"

Goddamn it! What he's asking for is just as much as Asuma-sensei's bounty, thought Naruto, It was already bad that I'm running short on time; but worse, I'm dealing with a blackmailer who's really short on patience! Think, Naruto! You didn't come prepared with that much money; Ino-chan's not here to wipe out his memories; YOU can't wipe out his memories unless he has used a cursed seal for a prolonged period of time, and you certainly don't want to be forced into killing this guy! There must be something you can do to deter this so-called 'Merchant' from ruining everything!

However, it was then that Jiraiya's experience with the world of espionage was about to bear fruit for Naruto. Once he heard the blackmail threat, Jiraiya got up from his chair, shook his head, and said, "You have no idea what you're trying do, right?"

"My plan is simple enough to agree to," insisted the Merchant, "You pay me for keeping my mouth shut; and in exchange, we all resume our lives as if none of this ever happened!"

"How naïve," sarcastically lamented Jiraiya, "Let's reexamine your plan: you believe…that an adolescent tomboy and Konoha Genin who failed to get promoted to Chuunin, is secretly the manipulative and highly sought-after personal servant girl Moteki no Panda-ko-chan…And your plan is to convince everyone else upstairs of your story if we don't comply with your 'demands'? Good luck…"

"You underestimate my persuasive skills, Jiraiya-dono," warned the informant, while also thinking, I have this under control; no need to panic.

"And you underestimate my knowledge of the criminal underworld," countered the white-haired pervert, "You see, you forgot the first two rules of espionage; rule number one: never go into business with strangers without learning of their dirty secrets first. And rule number two: if your partner also has dirty secrets on you, make sure that you have more leverage than he does. And I must say, you have no idea what kind of leverage I have."

Upon hearing the words "dirty secrets" and "leverage," Naruto could not help but grin, thinking, on second thought, the tables have turned. Let's see what ero-jisan is up to; I'm sure he's having plenty of fun doing this.

"You're bluffing," commented the Merchant, "You couldn't possibly have-"

"Does the name "Osmond Saddler" sound like a bluff, Merchant?" replied Jiraiya, "That's right; I already know of your real identity. Before arriving at the Five Great Nations, you were once known as Osmond Saddler, a notorious criminal from the New World, wanted for forgery, laundering, insurance fraud, and last but not least, bio-terrorism! If you spill any details about the previous conversation in this room; I can easily alert the authorities in the New World as to your current location, appearance, and favorite hangout spots!"

Naruto did not miss a single word of the explanation; he contemplated, I'm going to have to ask him what this "New World" is.

As for the Merchant, he suddenly felt driven into a corner.

Damn it, I did not expect him to unmask me this early, cursed the Merchant, who then shifted to his usual accent, "Well played, stranger. What do you want in return?"

But before Jiraiya could make a demand…

"I'll be the one to decide that," interrupted Naruto, "You're coming with me." He then proceeded to dash past the Merchant at a speed his eyes couldn't see, hitting a few pressure points and causing the Merchant to collapse. Next, he pulled out a blank scroll and then proceeded to seal the Merchant inside that scroll.

"When can you give him back to me, gaki?" pouted a disappointed Jiraiya, "Who knows what other sort of leads on Akatsuki he can gather?"

"I have plans for him, ero-jisan," firmly stated Naruto, who put the scroll inside his Jounin vest, "he may or may not be the key to locating the kidnappers or gaining entrance to their hideout; but either way, he's a liability to the investigation if left unchecked."

"Was there ever any doubt?" replied Jiraiya in agreement, who then proceeded to exit the basement before he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning his head around, Jiraiya defensively raised his arms, reflexively expecting a slap. What he got instead was a voice of affirmation and… appreciation?

"Ero-jisan," conceded Naruto, "what goes inside your perverted head, I will never always understand. But what goes on in your heart will never let me down. I am truly grateful for your well-timed assistance, even if you're a pervert at the most inconvenient of times."

At the mention of this compliment, Jiraiya could not help but smile.

"Correction: high-functioning pervert. The rewarding part is not to get hung up on the 'pervert' label, but to celebrate and fully appreciate the 'functioning' part of the label," responded the Sannin, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I just realized that Konoha still has more interesting 'research material' than Iwa!"

Jiraiya then giggled and proceeded to exit the basement. Naruto then shook his head, muttering, "He'll never change, but I'll live with it. Anyway, there's work to be done."

(Present Time, Konoha Cryptanalysis Team Offices)

Elsewhere, Shiho was hard at work decrypting Orochimaru's "Blood Double" book. Despite the fact that Naruto gave no defined time limit for the mission, she still felt a considerable amount of pressure and anxiety from her work.

So many numbers and obscure letters to examine and rearrange, yet so little time in a single morning shift, thought the bespectacled kunoichi, who lifted her glasses in frustration. Naruto-san, you have bestowed a great honor and a great burden upon me at the same time.

And such mixed feelings were justified. Five days ago, the first ten pages were easy to decode, temporarily giving Shiho the impression that Naruto was pranking her as some sort of preliminary test of her abilities. Unfortunately, she would soon learn that those pages were real and nothing more than dead ends. Ranging from improvements on Sen'eijashu (Hidden Shadow Snake Hands) to improvements on the Rashomon (upgrade to Triple Rashomon), those ten pages didn't reveal any information that Konoha didn't already discover beforehand (let alone being relevant to finding the cause of Orochimaru's supposed survival). Clearly, the ten pages were meant to immediately satisfy the curiosity of unwanted readers, distracting them from the more dangerous information that was within the contents of the remainder of the book.

To think that I had fallen for such an obvious decoy, inwardly complained Shiho, and as if that wasn't bad enough, the decoding process became progressively harder as I drew closer to the end of the book.

Of course, such struggles were not without amusement and reward; Shiho displayed the most interest towards learning about the Rashomon, expressing surprise once she discovered its historical value as one of Senju Hashirama's most powerful summoning jutsus. This begs another question: just how did Orochimaru get his hands on this jutsu; and more importantly, how many of the other Hokage's secrets did Orochimaru get his hands on?

But in general, Shiho was mainly interested in the Rashomon's defensive value and potential.

Summoning one gate shouldn't be too stressful; but as for summoning three or more gates, I'll definitely come close to dying from chakra exhaustion. She made sure to memorize the instructions for later use (even keeping a copy of the summoning contract). Despite the fact that her main expertise was decryption, a bookworm like her was not totally confused to the ways of fighting; obviously, some sort of nigh impenetrable defense would be needed to shield her from enemies, and by extension, also enabling her to share the many secrets that she had decoded over the years with her allies.

Fortune does favor the prepared, reflected Shiho.

Also, somewhere around the end of the first half of the book, Shiho was also able to decode the secrets and miscellaneous details behind the Fushi Tensei (Living Corpse Reincarnation) and Edo Tensei (Impure World Resurrection), including several key weaknesses that were recorded by Orochimaru during the developmental phases of those jutsus. Another decoded detail that caught Shiho's attention was a sentence which attributed Edo Tensei's creation to Tobirama Senju.

Yet another secret stolen from our Hokages, lamented the cryptanalyst, But the more important question is, why would our beloved Nidaime create such a horrid jutsu in the first place?

Despite the obvious value of such information, Shiho knew that it wasn't enough to solve the mystery. More specifically, there were listed details that clearly explained as to why Orochimaru couldn't have returned via Fushi Tensei or Edo Tensei.

It says here on this page that Edo Tensei requires the DNA of the resurrected; yet, an earlier report said that Sandaime-sama made sure to dispose of Orochimaru's entire body, reflected Shiho, and as for Fushi Tensei, Orochimaru needs to be alive in order to transfer his soul to another body, yet, there were plenty of witnesses who saw Naruto seal off Orochimaru's head in the Shinigami. So which jutsu revived him?

Then another thought occurred to her, causing a moment of doubt.

Then again, the book doesn't say that the DNA has to be collected AFTER the target is dead; Orochimaru could have prepared samples of his own DNA beforehand in preparation of his own death.

Well, it's not a definite solution, contemplated the cryptologist, but even if I fail in my overall objective, I can at least give Naruto-san two interesting consolation prizes.

Of course, now that five days have passed from her starting point, Shiho had finally come across a stumbling block in her decryption process: the last ten pages. Such efforts certainly yielded much more progress in comparison to Naruto's attempts; but nonetheless, she had finally reached her wit's end.

There's no key this time, no reference which can help me make sense of these even more obscure symbols, reflected Shiho, What am I supposed to do, drop Orochimaru's blood until I see more letters which will show me the bigger picture?

She paused for a moment, only to suddenly realize that her bizarre brainstorming may have already provided the solution. Of course; that's why it's called "Blood Double!" How could I have not realized it earlier?

It was then that Shiho closed the book, put it in a drawer, and went to get permission from Tsuande at the Hokage Mansion for samples of Orochimaru's blood. Naturally, she explained her flow of progress and current predicament before making such a demand.

At first, Tsunade eyed the bespectacled blonde with suspicion, repeating the same warnings that she earlier gave to Naruto.

Not only did she have the nerve to memorize the instructions for my grandfather's Rashomon, contemplated the Godaime, she has the audacity to ask for that bastard's blood? I smell something fishy…

However, Shiho remained persistent, stayed calm, and cited the report concerning how Orochimaru's blood was vital for Naruto's Harai Fuujin, thereby implying that it wouldn't hurt to try using Orochimaru's blood to gain more answers.

Persuaded by such logic (and her own sake-induced state), Tsunade finally granted Shiho her request, but set down one critical condition: she herself would need to be present to supervise Shiho's usage of Orochimaru's blood. Thankfully, Shiho was level headed and flexible enough to accept the compromise, feeling that she couldn't afford to miss the opportunity to finish the job given to her by Naruto.

Tsunade, on the other hand, inwardly grumbled to herself about how she was taking another big gamble by once again allowing the use of Orochimaru's blood.

Fortunately, Tsunade's gambling habits actually paid off for once (much to her inward joy), as Shiho finally got more symbols on the last five pages of the "Blood Double" book. The effect wasn't immediate, but Shiho could care less, for her hunch actually paid off!

Shiho's eyes widened. "The letters… and the numbers… they're finally making actual sense!" Relieved by the arrival of new data, she only required twenty more minutes to decode the final portions of the "Blood Double" book. It was then that she turned her head and replied, "Tsunade-sama, I finally figured out how Orochimaru survived without using Edo Tensei or Fushi Tensei!"

"Oh goody," sarcastically commented the blonde-haired Hokage, who then obliterated a nearby chair in frustration, "Now I know that my son wasn't drunk when he reported that bastard's survival..."

But even Tsunade had enough sense to realize that complaints alone wouldn't solve anything, so she carefully listened to what Shiho had to say, causing her own eyes to widen.

"Your findings actually make sense," commented Tsunade, "Get to the Aviary; my son may be pre-occupied with his current mission, but he of all people deserves answers!"

In obedience, Shiho nodded, "Hai, Hokage-sama!"

"And once you pass on the information," instructed the Godaime, "I need you to keep examining the book for further clues; who knows what other sort of dark secrets Orochimaru was hiding. This is now an ongoing S-class mission; I'll expect results every two days."

Tsunade turned around and was about to leave; however, the cryptanalyst nervously interrupted her and said, "Wait, aren't you going to stay here and monitor my usage of Orochimaru's blood for this endeavor?"

"Given your astonishing progress and integrity," explained Tsunade, "I'm increasing your security clearance."

Shiho inwardly smiled upon hearing of her new assignment. Well, this should be fun.

(In Iwa; Back At The Apartment Building)

After some good rest and recuperation, Kiba, Chouji and Shikamaru returned back in the vacant apartment, searching for additional clues that may have been overlooked the first time they investigated. So far, it seemed that their efforts were for naught. Just like the last time when Chouji and Shikamaru searched, there were seemingly no hairs or fibers to found anywhere.

"This search is pointless *MUNCH*; if there's one *MUNCH* thing we've found out, it would *MUNCH* be that these criminals *MUNCH* know how to cover their own tracks!" commented Chouji, who was surveying the room while also munching on potato chips at a much faster pace than usual. Obviously, frustration wasn't the only thing that was on his mind. Curse you, Naruto; you just HAD to mention the new time limit that Tsunade-sama gave us. Now, I'm anxious; and when I'm anxious, I get hungry, and when I'm hungry, I use up my daily stash of potato chips much more quickly than anticipated!

"Well, thanks for stating the obvious," sarcastically responded Kiba, "But who gave you the sole right to complain? Akamaru and I aren't having an easier time, either; there isn't a distinct scent so far."

Currently, Kiba was alongside Akamaru, sniffing around for even the faintest of scents. "I'm beginning to think that the perimeter check was actually the more interesting mission in comparison," grumbled the Inuzuka.

"Oh *MUNCH* really," retorted Chouji, "Is it as *MUNCH* obvious as your *MUNCH* unrequitted crush on Haku?"

It was then that Kiba stopped dead in his tracks, and turned his head, glared at Chouji, and muttered, "Oh, I did not just hear that."

Shikamaru sighed and muttered, "Troublesome idiots…" while Akamaru growled in agreement with Kiba, sharing his master's steadily growing intent to maul Chouji.

Chouji then repeated, "I said, "is it as obvious as-""

"No, no, I heard that," interrupted Kiba, who bared his canine teeth and pointed his finger at Chouji in anger, "I'm just refusing to acknowledge that the words "unrequitted" and "Haku" both came out of your mouth in the same sentence! And for your information, 'Asking out Haku on a Date' was going to be #1 on my 'To Do' List; however…"

"Yes *MUNCH*, go on," asked a smirking Chouji, "I'm listening." However, the incessant sound of crunching potato chips seemed to indicate otherwise.

"I think I'm going to move 'Turn Chouji to Dog Meat' to the top of my queue!" responded the angry Inuzuka, who then proceeded to charge at Chouji in retaliation. As for Chouji, he raised his arms defensively, preparing to counterattack with Baika no Jutsu.

But, Chouji and Kiba would have to fight another day, because Shikamaru disabled both combatants with Kage Shibari no Jutsu, saying, "If this were any other situation, I'd be happy to look at the clouds lazily while letting you two make fools of yourselves. However, this isn't just any other situation; Naruto is counting on us to do our part in this investigation. You're wasting precious time, time which could have been spent on locating vital clues!"

As much as Kiba wanted to make his rebuttal, he could not help but agree with the validity of such a statement. He thought to himself, Shikamaru's right; besides, Haku would be embarrassed by my behavior right now.

As for Chouji, he was so moved by Shikamaru's words, he could have almost dropped his potato chip bag in shock! Of course, being bound by Kage Shibari no Jutsu didn't allow him to do so…

It was then that Kiba came back to his senses and stated, "Alright, Shikamaru, I'll agree with you for now. By the way, can you release your shadow already? It's kind of a strain to have one leg in midair this long…"

With a nod of approval, Shikamaru released Kage Shibari no Jutsu, causing Kiba to lose his balance, tumble on the floor, and bumped his head into the wall.

"Really, Kiba?" cynically asked Shikamaru, "You bumped into a wall again?"

Kiba was about to consider mauling Shikamaru in retaliation, but his bloodlust towards Shikamaru was halted by his detection of…a different scent of blood?

"Wait a minute; I've got something, guys!"

From his prone position on the floor, Kiba's eyes looked above while his nose pinpointed the precise location of the blood: the window lock, where the arrow was shot from.

After sniffing the window lock alongside Akamaru, Kiba turned around and said, "There's no doubt about it; there's a very tiny drop of blood. The archer must have been impatient in breaking the window open, hurting his fingers in the process."

Finally, Kiba's making sense for once, inwardly sighed Shikamaru, who then moved to Kiba's location to examine the spot as well. Well I'll be damned.

"And it's not just blood," commented the lazy Genin, "The lock has a few sharp splinters." He then proceeded to the pick up the splinter which had dried blood on it, sealing it up in a plastic bag before sealing the bag into his vest. "We definitely have to tell Naruto about this!"

"Wow, Kiba, now that's what I call using your head," teased Chouji, "Maybe we should have these arguments more often?" Once again, Kiba glared, but this time, he was smart enough to control himself.

It was then that all three Genin exited the apartment while closing the door behind them.

(Back At the Orphanage)

Per Naruto's instructions, Neji, Lee and Shino returned to the orphanage and were currently investigating the cellar where the tunnel was found. Strangely enough, they did not encounter Makoto, the elderly caretaker, this time.

Once they had entered the tunnel and started walking carefully, Neji volunteered for lookout with his Byakugan, not wishing to once again be caught off guard by another battalion of reanimated corpses. Lee, on the other hand, was enthusiastically retelling his past experience while also preaching the ideals of the springtime of youth towards Shino, who was simply…being Shino.

"You should've seen how Kurotsuchi-san fought," explained Lee, "Her bravery, hard work, and determination was as concrete as her Sekkaigyo no Jutsu! Don't you agree?"

"How could I not agree," sarcastically replied the bug-user, "After all, this is the tenth time in a row that you've discussed this experience…" Honestly, this guy just won't stop talking; even Kiba knows his limits.

"There will be time for sarcasm later," reminded an equally irritated Neji, who then suddenly adopted an alert expression, "Right now, there's an even bigger problem up ahead. I see one enemy at 2 o'clock at the end of the tunnel!"

True to Neji's words, there was an unknown assailant at the end of the tunnel trying to bury it using Doton: Doryuheki (Earth Style: Earth Release Wall). Cloaked in black and wearing a mask, he was apparently in the middle of destroying any evidence that might or might not further the investigation.

"Oh no, you don't!" yelled Neji; he and Lee ran across the tunnel in an attempt to stop the assailant before he could complete the job. But the unnamed assailant would not even allow them the chance to use their taijutsu, as he suddenly opened his jacket to reveal dozens of multiple explosive tags, seemingly ready to detonate at the right moment. It was then that Neji decided to push Lee away and ready his Hakkesho Kaiten in anticipation of the incoming explosion.

Thankfully, such preparation ultimately proved to be unneeded, as Shino quickly stepped in and immobilized the assailant with Hijutsu: Mushidama (Secret Technique: Insect Sphere), proceeding to siphon as much chakra as possible.

"Really, Neji," commented Shino, "You should know better than to leave me on the sidelines for these confrontations; anyway, I'll finish this. Why? Not only am I part of the mission, but I must make up for not being able to help with retrieving Sasuke."

He's still sore about that, reflected Lee, who suddenly sweat-dropped.

Thank goodness we have someone on our side that specializes in long range attacks, silently praised Neji, now we have a chance to capture yet another assailant and bring him in for interrogation-

However, that chance suddenly evaporated, for the assailant suddenly collapsed.

Sensing that something was not right, Shino rushed over to the assailant's body, checking for any signs of life. In confusion, he contemplated, "No pulse; that's odd. I only absorbed enough chakra to render him unconscious, not dead. And my Kikaichu are telling me that the assailant was dead since yesterday!"

Neji was visibly disturbed by such a revelation, thinking, so let me get this straight: we have another unknown assailant who is supposed to be already recently dead, only to end up temporarily coming back to life with explosive tags in order to destroy the evidence?

Neji's suspicions were further validated when Lee removed the assailant's mask, revealing his identity to be Makoto, the elderly caretaker that he and Neji interviewed the day before, much to Neji's further chagrin.

"But we just talked to him yesterday," reflected Lee, "and he was so cooperative; why did he try to kill us with explosive tags?" Whether or not they cooperated with us, they still ended up trying to murder us all, contemplated the bowl cut haired Genin, Does that mean Kurotsuchi-san and the others will betray us against their own will? No wait! Why am I thinking such un-youthful thoughts? Concentrate!

But before Lee could succumb to his growing feelings of unease and doubt, his attention was suddenly directed to Neji, who finally punched the wall in a rare display of open anger, muttering, "Enough is enough; I have had it with these reanimated corpses! That elderly man was trying to do his job by taking care of the orphans, and as a civilian, he had nothing to do with the kidnappings! His own murder is already unwarranted enough, but being turned into a puppet against his will is even more unacceptable! I promise that whoever's responsible for this will be brought to justice!"

"Patience, Neji," reassured Shino, "we still have time to bring the kidnappers to justice. And in case you haven't noticed, there's still a partial opening for us to walk through."

And the Aburame was right; with a small section of the tunnel partially buried, further investigation would require that the three Genin crawl their way to the other part of the tunnel.

It was then that Neji regained his usual composure and stated, "You're right, Shino. Let's get back on track with our search. Tsunade-sama's patience is running out, and I certainly doubt that Naruto-sama's patience is any larger."

The three Genin then crawled through obstacles for several minutes. Needless to say, the reactions were…mixed.

Shino was indifferent to the dirt and insects that got on his clothes; after all, he spent his entire life with insects! Upon grabbing a few maggots and sticking them in his vest, Shino had a rare grin, thinking, Well, it never hurts to have a few more…

Neji, on the other hand, was silently disgusted with his current circumstances, contemplating, "First, I get assaulted by the corpses of innocent civilians"…well "innocent" doesn't really describe the first one, but still; "then, I get surrounded by compost and maggots! I'm starting to think that I'm in a graveyard instead of Iwa!"

As for Lee, he was rather enthusiastic about his newest apparent challenge. "If we don't get out of this partial opening in four minutes, I'll do 200 pushups! If can't do the 200 pushups, I'll do 400 crunches. And if that's not possible, I'll-"

"You won't need to do any of those ridiculous punishments," interrupted Shino, who finally exited the opening with his own two feet, "we've just exited the opening in less than three minutes and thirty seconds."

Standing back up, the first thing the team found was a white headband on the ground amidst the wreckage. Once Neji saw the red spiral on the white headband, he immediately connected the dots.

"This is the exact same kind of headband that Tsukiiwa and the other orphans were wearing," commented the Hyuuga, who picked up the headband then concluded, "There must have been a brief struggle when one of the orphans presumably woke up from their state of unconsciousness."

"I'm not so sure if it's the real headband," replied a hesitant Lee, "There are a few red marker dots on the headband that are smaller than the lines which make the spiral; I think this headband is a fake replica to throw us off track."

"That's not marker," corrected Shino, who was surveying the headband with his insects. "It's blood. My Kikaichu are not limited to siphoning chakra; if I wasn't concerned about killing my opponents, the Kikaichu can actually suck blood or enter the internal organs. Thus, they can detect the nearby presence of blood."

"Wait, blood?" asked Neji, whose eyes shifted to Shino's direction, "If it's the kidnapper's blood that's on the headband, can you and Kiba determine a match?"

"Of course, we'd have to capture a few suspects first and compare the blood samples," admitted the Aburame, who then sealed the headband in a plastic bag, "after all, the test is only as good as its data…"

"YOSH!" yelled Lee, "the steady progress we're making is evidence that our hard work and determination will pay off!"

I can't believe that I'm admitting it, contemplated Neji, who tried to suppress a slight grin, but I'm actually sharing the same amount of enthusiasm he does for once!

But such enthusiasm would soon be dampened, because once the team went through more rubble and went much further down into the tunnel; they unfortunately ran into a dead end.

"This is troubling," Neji said with a troubled tone, and then said seriously, "Byakugan!"

Carefully scanning his surroundings, both nearby and far, he came across a startling discovery.

"This tunnel is longer than I imagined it to be," explained the Hyuuga, "We're a quarter of a mile outside Iwa's walls and out of the village." Shino nodded in acknowledgment while Lee remained in shock, obviously just as surprised as Neji was.

"Which means that these kidnappers must have some sort of nearby base of operations," concluded Shino, "whoever they are, they clearly must have been keeping tabs on Iwa for quite some time now."

Looking further at the dead end, Neji saw that the dead end was placed. Upon closer examination, it appeared that the ground was disturbed by an earth jutsu of some sort that was used to seal the exit off.

Obviously, it was Doton: Doryuheki, contemplated Neji. He then offered, "I could try using Hakkesho Kaiten to make some sort of an opening; but, such an immense impact might cause the tunnel to collapse on us by accident."

"If only Omote Renge (Front Lotus) could go in a horizontal direction," contemplated Lee verbally. It was then that Neji glared at Lee and responded, "Don't be stupid, Lee; that would have even more destructive consequences for us! Anyway, must we go back to get reinforcements and more clues?"

"We don't seem to have any other choice," suggested Shino, who also felt inwardly disappointed and resigned to the circumstances, "We might as well make our way back and investigate outside the village walls where the tunnel blockage originated."

With a sigh, Neji decided to follow Shino's advice and retreat; Shino and Lee followed his lead and did likewise.

However, the dead end would soon appear to be the least of their concerns, as the team suddenly ran into Akatsuchi, Kurotsuchi and Tsuchiko, who came across Makoto's corpse. As expected, Tsuchiko was examining the body, Kurotsuchi was searching for belongings, and Akatsuchi was simply standing still, keeping watch for any potential ambush.

"Look, we can explain what happened here," said Lee, "He tried to-"

"No need to explain, green-clad friend," reassured Akatsuchi, "We can already tell that you encountered another one of the kidnapper's dead puppets."

"Wow, Akatsuchi," replied an annoyed Tsuchiko, who had her finger pressed to where Makoto's liver was, "Can you at least let me FINISH measuring the liver temperature before you give the 'all clear' signal?" She paused for a moment to accurately determine the time of death, and then turned her head to Akatsuchi's direction, muttering, "Okay, now you can tell those three Konoha shinobi 'no need to explain.'"

In the background, Neji then quietly grumbled, "Ahem, you do realize that we have names of our own."

"But I hate awkward pauses in any conversation," defended the chubby shinobi, "And I certainly don't like repeating the same thing twice. Besides, I'm starting to like our green clad friend; a little small talk never hurt."

"As much as I am interested in building up our camaraderie," interrupted Shino, who raised his sunglasses by a few centimeters, "are you sure you don't want to hear our side of the investigation?"

Kurotsuchi's eyes narrowed in anticipation. "Go on, we're listening."

It was then that Neji and the others explained what happened when they came to investigate the tunnel and the dead end they came across after their run in with the dead assailant. Neji tried to keep the tone of the explanation serious, but such attempts were ruined by random outbursts from Lee about how un-youthful the circumstances were.

After hearing the explanation, Tsuchiko shook her head, sealed Makoto's body into the one of her scrolls, and replied, "Honestly, despite our different backgrounds, we can actually empathize with what you went through." One of Shino's eyebrows raised itself in response to the comment.

"Yesterday, when we returned to the morgue to further examine the bodies of the dead caretakers," elaborated Kurotsuchi, "We were stupid enough to assume that we were safe from any further attacks from any dead puppets, only to be proven wrong when those very corpses came back to life for a second time, attacking all three of us. Thankfully, they expired much more quickly in comparison to the puppets of the last encounter; thus, giving us an opportunity to bind all of them with a combination of duct tape and my awesome concrete!"

"Aren't you forgetting the part where Tsuchiko was caught off guard by yet another backstab?" corrected Akatsuchi, "You seem to be downplaying the danger of these undead puppets!"

"And you seem to overestimate my tolerance of your misplaced concern, Akatsuchi," retorted Tsuchiko, who was blushing in embarrassment, "It was bad enough that I was backstabbed by that bastard Soujiro; getting backstabbed twice in a row by the same corpse was even worse!"

"Well, there's always the option of having an ally with Byakugan to solve that particular problem," joked Lee, "Right, Neji?"

He turned to his comrade for approval, but Neji just simply ignored him, stuck in his own chain of thoughts, To think that Tsuchiko-san's team is no less chaotic than my own…We really aren't that different…

As for Tsuchiko, she glared in response, muttering, "Great, now I have two happy-go-lucky idiots to deal with in my daily life. Just how exactly do you tolerate him every day, Kurotsuchi?"

"I got used to it," shrugged Kurotsuchi, "As much as I wanted Akatsuchi to change into a different person, eventually, I just accepted that there are dead ends in life that simply can't be opened." It was then that Akatsuchi's eyes narrowed; apparently, he remembered something important.

"Did you say "dead end," replied the chubby shinobi, "That reminds me, our green clad friend and his other friends told us about the dead end at the tunnel; why don't I take care of the problem? Where is this dead end, anyway?"

Relieved that help was on the way, Neji was more than happy to guide Akatsuchi, Tsuchiko, and Kurotsuchi to the dead end.

After reaching the dead end, Akatsuchi examined it carefully and chuckled, saying, "My friends, your concern about accidentally collapsing the tunnel is appreciated, but ultimately misplaced. What we need isn't brute force; rather, we need a precise and accurate application of force."

Considering your size and capability for brute force, thought Neji, that was the last thing I expected to hear.

Less talking, more action, inwardly complained Kurotsuchi, Just get on with it!

At least he's making sense and acting mature for once, silently admitted Tsuchiko, maybe I won't have to scold him this time.

Let's see what he can do that Neji and Lee are afraid to do themselves, contemplated Shino.

"Doton: Goremu no Jutsu!" It was then that Akatsuchi expelled three large golems from his mouth; two of them got up, walked to the right and left edges of the tunnel and raised their arms to the roof, acting as facsimile support beams.

Well, I have to admit that Akatsuchi-san's creativity and smarts is comparable to his body weight, joked Neji, maybe Chouji could learn a few tricks from him.

As for the third golem, it raised its right arm and aimed for what appeared to be a tiny crack in the earthen wall of the dead end.

Tensions rose among the Konoha trio in anticipation of what was about to happen; while Shino and Neji had no difficulty hiding their nervousness (easier for Shino since his mouth was concealed by his collar); Lee, on the other hand, was actually sweating profusely and imagining the feeling of being crushed by a collapsed tunnel.

I repeat: must not think such un-youthful thoughts, must not think such un-youthful thoughts, thought the bowl-cut haired Genin.

It was then that the golem gave a single punch to the crack and blasted the dead end away, thus reopening the exit. "And that," proudly stated Akatsuchi, "is how you deal with a dead end!" And just as expected, he finished the job without collapsing the entire tunnel!

The reactions among the others varied: Kurotsuchi and Tsuchiko had bored expressions; obviously having seen Akatsuchi's techniques beforehand. Shino and Neji, on the other hand, could feel nothing but surprise and gratitude after witnessing what just happened.

But Lee's reaction by far, was the most awkward: "I'm so glad to see that you three Iwa shinobi are our allies! Earlier for a moment, I hesitated and thought that you three were undead puppets in disguise!"

Fortunately, Akatsuchi and Tsuchiko ignored such an idiotic response, but as for Kurotsuchi, she couldn't resist the temptation to have the last word.

"You idiot, was there ever any doubt?" sarcastically replied Kurotsuchi, who crossed her arms in annoyance, "Anyway, I think we have an opening to investigate."

It was then that both teams exited the opening and found themselves in an open mountainous pasture, with Iwa a good distance behind.

"What a view," complimented Neji, "But never mind about that; this pasture is too wide for us to make an immediate conclusion about where the kidnapper's hideout is."

"For once we agree on something, Hyuuga," admitted Kurotsuchi, "We're definitely going to need a huger search party for this!"

Akatsuchi, on the other hand, reverted to his childish personality and ran across the field, yelling, "Yay! Now I get to jog to pass the time!"

And before anyone could reprimand him for his sudden personality shift, Akatsuchi suddenly fell to the ground unconscious for no apparent reason. Lee sweatdropped and let his imagination get the best of him, saying, "I stand corrected; Akatsuchi-san has indeed been replaced by a zombie look-alike!"

"For your information, he's not dead," informed Tsuchiko, who was pressing Akatsuchi's carotid artery with her index and middle finger together, "I can still feel a pulse; he's asleep. Maybe it was because of a genjutsu?" She then nodded her head in Neji's direction, as if expecting him to use the Byakugan.

"You don't have to remind me," replied an annoyed Hyuuga, "Byakugan!"

Scanning the surroundings, Neji sighed and said, "This pasture has been booby-trapped with some sort of genjutsu barrier. Anyone who enters it will instantly fall under a sleeping trance." And if I recall correctly, reflected Neji, There was an unknown assailant during the Konoha Invasion who put the crowds of people to sleep; could it be…?

"Kurotsuchi, you still think it's a good idea to send a huger search party?" teased Tsuchiko.

"Oh, be quiet," grumbled Kurotsuchi as she turned her head away in embarrassment, "Anyway, we've got to go back and report to Tsuchikage-sama about this!"

With no other choice, the Iwa and Konoha nin soon returned back to the village.

(Meanwhile Inside A Cave Of An Unknown Location)

Inside the cave was a facility of sort, abound with research equipment and experimenting instruments and tables, and vials filled with liquids. Two bodies of youths were being carried out, covered in dried blood and various third degree burns.

How disappointing; another failure, thought the man with glasses and white hair in a ponytail, shaking his head after another failed project. Clearly, the two children's bodies were incapable of handling the rigorous treatments. I remembered to administer the painkillers, but what are we missing?

However, the bespectacled man's thoughts were interrupted by the voice of an unknown man, "So what is the current situation with our projects? My two business partners are waiting for the results of our research…"

This unknown man was shrouded in shadow, clearly not in the mood to show his face. The man with the glasses got down on his hand and knee and lowered his head in respect, "My lord, the fruits of our research is not instantaneous, nor does it pay for itself. Surely, you of all people can understand this, right?" He raised his head up, clearly expecting an immediate response.

"You do have a point," admitted the unknown man, "Having all the time in the world to complete my research has taught me the value of patience; plus, my older business partner shares similar sentiments. Out of the two partners, he has shown more patience and calmness since he has personally benefited from my research even after I turned traitor and left Konoha."

"And what of the younger?" inquired the man with the glasses.

"He is certainly eager to have results manifest as soon as possible," expressed the unknown man, "clearly; his own agenda has more urgency than our own."

"Indeed," agreed the white haired man, who then went on to pull out a clipboard and give his report. "The 55 children that we have picked out for Project Star died from the treatment, as their bodies were incapable of enduring the intense adaptation and adjustments triggered by the experiment. The two bodies you see here are our most recent failures; they have shown the best results, yet have died nonetheless. I'm starting to think that this entire project was a waste of our time and energies."

"You ask for patience from me, yet you fail to follow your own advice," remarked the unknown man, "You have not failed me; what you have is but a temporary setback. These children are still useful, considering that every child used has brought us closer to our inevitable success. Also, didn't you say that these last two lasted far longer than the previous ones? In short, I would prefer to say that excellent progress was made. With all of the collected data thus far, we now have a better assessment of what we need in maximizing the lasting results and duration of the specimens."

The man with the glasses could have sworn that the unknown man was grinning in the dark, but he regained focus and continued listening to him. The unknown man then had another suggestion, "Anyway, I have another idea that will benefit Project Star combined with all the recent data that was gathered from the last two children. This will help to ensure that the next batch of children endure and survive our updated research and procedures."

He then went over to the man with glasses and whispered the instructions into his ear. The man with the glasses narrowed his eyes, got up and said, "It will be done, my lord."

"Good," smirked the unknown man, "Now, if you'll excuse me, "Ni Ketsueki" needs to keep up appearances."

He then chuckled before assuming another form as his voice and laughter turned female.

(Back In Konoha: At The Hyuuga Compound)

"Out of all the people involved in this matter, you have the most to lose from the proposal you're giving," replied a puzzled Hyuuga Hiashi, who rubbed the bridge of his nose in confusion, "Are you sure you've thought this through?"

"Lose?" sarcastically replied Hanabi, "How short-sighted of you, father; I prefer to call it 'making things right.'"

This certainly won't be easy, reflected Hinata, If only Naruto-kun was here right now for moral support in my current endeavor.

Presently, Hinata and Hanabi were in the Hyuuga Compound, talking to their father in his private study chamber. Apparently, both sisters were addressing their father about the subject of Hinata being given back her birthright as heiress of the Hyuuga Clan.

Hiashi's eyes narrowed in slight irritation, especially in response to the comment about him being short sighted, "Hanabi, you know that the council had a good reason for its actions."

"So just because Naruto-sama's an outsider, you thought it was a good idea to strip neesan of her title?" inquired Hanabi, "And I thought that you of all people respected him; guess I was wrong…"

"Remember two things, Hanabi," warned Hiashi, "Know your place and don't assume too much about the intentions of others. The council decision was in no way influenced by anyone's personal feelings, let alone mine. What motivated our decision was pure tradition and rules; if we broke even one single tradition, it would form a precedent to disobey every tradition in our clan, causing potentially unrestrained anarchy."

Hanabi frowned and expressed, "I do know my place, father; but, it certainly wasn't my place to take the position of clan head when that right truly belonged to neesan! I strongly believe that my older sister will prove to be more of a benefit to our clan as clan head than I possibly could. Now please, father, bear with us a little longer and hear both of us out. Neesan has a few words of her own to say."

"Go on; I'm listening," acknowledged Hiashi, who relaxed his shoulders. It was then that Hinata lifted her head and adopted a serious expression, apparently ready to tell her side of the story. There would be no stutters, only confidence. There would be no fear, only courage. There would be no tears, only calmness.

Aside from the fact that my decisions are being questioned right now, it's clear that Naruto has certainly changed my daughter for the better over the years, inwardly smiled Hiashi, now I am completely confident that I chose the right boy for her.

"Father, I understand that you and the clan council did what was done purely out of clan customs and not spite. The truth of the matter is that I had no desire or intention of renouncing my right to being clan heiress," explained Hinata, "but, the conditions forced upon me at the time left me with no option to argue otherwise, especially when I was threatened to be given the Caged Bird Seal if I refused to comply.

"Furthermore, after I was forced to step down as clan heiress, at first I figured that I would carry out and fulfill my goals of changing the ways of the Hyuuga through Hanabi," continued the ex-heiress, "it was always my endeavor to end the strife that has existed between the two houses for far too long. The traditions you and the older members of our clan cling so tightly to have done more harm than good, despite any benevolent intentions behind such traditions. Despite the misunderstanding on his part, Neji's past grudge was motivated by the isolation caused by our traditions; now, I too, am experiencing a similar sort of isolation. I wanted both houses to be united and not divided, and I will continue to do so till my dying breath!"

"You could just collaborate with Hanabi and influence her once she becomes the clan head. You yourself said that you sought to accomplish your goals in that manner after stepping down as clan heiress," argued Hiashi, trying to maintain his usual logical demeanor, "After all, the lack of a title does not equate to a lack of influence."

But as reasonable as his compromise sounded, both Hanabi and Hinata could do nothing but shake their heads in refusal, triggering a confused look on Hiashi's face.

"That is one possible approach," acknowledged Hanabi, "But it can only go so far. Even if I were to go along with Hinata's influence, I feel that Hinata, as the true heiress, would generate the greatest positive impact; her gentle and caring spirit will change this clan for the better! And that's not the only reason; I personally feel that my older sister was unjustifiably stripped and robbed of her birthright! If I accept the title of clan heiress, I will be nothing more than an accessory to the crime."

"Also father, ever since neesan was forced to step down as heiress in spite of the incredible progress and improvements she's made thanks to Naruto-sama, the clan council has been ever more adamant in trying to get me to equal, if not surpass neesan. Truthfully I found such expectations both unfair and illogical in that neesan has been continuously improving, and growing stronger and faster than me. And with Naruto-sama continuing in helping and training neesan, along with the help she gets from her Jounin-sensei, I don't realistically see how I can match neesan, added to the fact that unlike me, neesan has war and battlefield experience and experience in living her life in independence outside the clan since she was made to leave and live with Naruto-sama. With all of these factors taken into account, father, I don't find myself fit to lead this clan whereas neesan has more than the desired qualifications and visions to lead our clan and unite the two houses. I believe in neesan and in her visions for this clan."

It was crystal clear that Hanabi was sincere and honest in her words. Hiashi found not a single form of deception or manipulation from Hinata in Hanabi's speech though Hinata wasn't the type to ever force Hanabi to step down from anything against her will. It was then that Hiashi sighed and said, "You both have succeeded in convincing me; I will consent to discussing this important matter with the clan elders."

"Thank you, father," Hinata and Hanabi said simultaneously, as though they had unified voices. However, Hinata sensed that something was not right. Is that reluctance and shock in his voice? I've got a bad feeling about this… For a moment, she sensed that her father might require some form of reassurance and confirmation.

"However," warned Hiashi, "I can't make any promises about the outcome. The rest of the council is not so easily persuaded; you may have to personally make your case before them if the situation calls for it. But for now, you two are dismissed."

Nodding their heads, both siblings made their exit, leaving the Hyuuga head all alone to contemplate the recent development. After looking left and right and making sure that no one was looking (with some extra help from the Byakugan as well), Hiashi made his way to his front desk.

Sighing, Hiashi opened the drawer on his front desk and pulled out a portrait of his smiling wife, murmuring, "Oh, how our daughters have grown…If only you were awake to see them now, you'd be so proud." He clutched tighter to the portrait in a rare display of deep emotion, apologizing, "Please forgive this fool of a husband."

As for the Hyuuga sisters, they were outside the compound, and their topic and mood of their conversation was rather different.

"I can't believe it," said Hanabi in disbelief, "We actually convinced father!"

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," confessed Hinata, "Aside from the fact that I'm uneasy about the dogmatic council, I could sense some discomfort and unresolved tension in father."

"Still, neesan, we managed to do something together that might have been perhaps near impossible were we to do this separately," Hanabi replied, "Thank you for listening and being willing to take back your rightful birthright. By the way, when will Naruto-sama be returning?"

"Hopefully soon, if he didn't get himself into any trouble considering where he went," Hinata answered.

"Maybe he might surprise us. Naruto-sama is good at surprising us," Hanabi remarked.

"With that being the case, I can only wonder what surprises he has in store for us," Hinata remarked in return.

(Back in Iwa, Naruto's Safehouse)

Tenten was back in her regular clothes, once again resuming her private examination of the arrow and seal writings on it.

She was copying the seal writings again onto another scroll, once again hoping to find a way to unlock its secret behind how it could be utilize for her own usage. It was then that she recalled something important, "If I find a way to use the arrow seals on my usual weapons, it would mean that my opponent needs to bear another form of the seal on their body, serving as a homing beacon for the weapon. Of course, that means I would have to come closer in terms of range to apply the seal, in turn, forcing me to improve my taijutsu skills as well."

And the loose ends didn't stop there; rubbing her hair in frustration, Tenten really was evaluating her options, "What's worse is that using a paper medium for my tags would be too easily countered; I mean, any half-brained shinobi could remove paper seals by hand, and if I tried to use adhesive on my paper medium to address such an immediate problem, I could risk permanently placing the homing beacons on myself by accident. And as much as I hate to admit it, any savvy enemy could bypass my homing beacons by using my allies as human shields."

After a few careful minutes of deliberation, it was then that Tenten came up with a solution to her dilemma, "To solve my problem, I will need to find a way to apply the homing beacon by touch alone. In order to do that, I would have to receive the proper fuinjutsu training from an expert such as Naruto-sama-"

She paused and gasped for a moment, realizing her slip of the tongue.

"Wait! Did I just refer to Naruto as "Naruto-sama" even though I'm not in my alias right now? What's happening to me? This is just an alias, right?"

She then got up and walked to the full length mirror next to the closet and looked closely at her reflection, hoping to resolve her identity crisis as soon as possible.

In the reflection, she saw her regular self: her buns were all tied up; her pink sleeveless blouse was in perfect modest condition, and there was the arrow in her left pocket. The expression was neutral and her eyes were stiff.

Hardly the attire and behavior of a seductress, thought Tenten, and compared to Hinata and Ino, I don't have any strong attachments to any boy in particular; but, why am I so bothered by this? I should already know what is real and what's not real; clearly, there's nothing to worry about!

Ironically, for all her efforts in deceiving customers at the nightclub, Tenten could not deceive herself. I really should try looking underneath the underneath, reflected the weapons mistress, before also realizing, Damn it, Naruto; you're really rubbing off of me…

Letting her hair down, Tenten examined her reflection once more. But as simple as the change seemed, its significance was larger than anticipated. Along with her hair, Tenten had reflexively changed her expression, much to her own shock; what was once a stiff and neutral expression was now replaced by confidence, subtlety, and charisma. It was then that she sighed and decided to face the truth.

I was wrong; this is more than just an alias, acknowledged Tenten as she carefully regained control of her thoughts, I am no longer just a proud weapon mistress and specialist; I have become so much more.

Now she was, as Naruto described her, an erotic femme fatale seductress, burning with an alluring youth to catch the hearts of unsuspecting males who were to be led to the slaughter.

"Moteki no Panda-ko-chan" was never a mask to begin with; she was simply the part of myself which I refused to acknowledge. I'm going to have to thank Naruto when I see him again-

"Really, Tenten, are you examining the assailant's arrow and practicing your disguise at the same time? Normally, I'd suggest delegating the multitasking to a Kage Bunshin; but needless to say, you have exceeded my expectations!"

Recognizing Naruto's voice, Tenten noticed that she had zoned out for a few minutes. Though embarrassed, she pulled herself together. Returning to her usual serious, sardonic attitude, Tenten replied, "Nice entrance; either you never heard of knocking on a door, or you simply enjoy surprising people on a whim!"

"We're shinobi; surprise and deception are part of the job description," replied the Namikaze, "Anyway, do you have any long term plans for that arrow of yours?"

"In given time," explained Tenten, "I'll find a way to make use of the seals for my own advantage in long range attacks."

"And are you sure there aren't any OTHER uses for it?" teased Naruto, "I'm sure it can do wonders in subduing enemies on and off the battlefield."

After recognizing the innuendo, Tenten blushed and muttered, "You don't have to be such a pervert about it." Then again, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree; and that tree is called Jiraiya.

"Aren't we all?" replied the blonde-haired Elite Jonin, "I personally recall your earlier statement about girls in general sharing the same perverted thoughts as us guys!" Shifting to his usual serious expression, Naruto then explained his side of the investigation. "Anyway, that's not the reason I came here; my Kage Bunshins have been working on locating "Ni Ketsueki," but haven't had success in finding 'her'. I swear; whoever 'she' is, 'her' stealth rivals that of Orochimaru."

Naruto scratched where he was bitten on the side of his neck earlier by not one but three mosquitoes. He found it unusual since since there was no record of Iwa having mosquitoes considering their environment.

"Well, maybe she's a revived version of Orochimaru in disguise," joked Tenten, "No mere shinobi can expect to remain forever undetected with Henge no Jutsu alone; but Orochimaru was an entirely different case. If he could get away impersonating the Kazekage for months before the invasion, it's no surprise if he chose to impersonate someone of lower corresponding rank in Iwa."

"Honestly, ever since I saw Ni Ketsueki's true body," admitted Naruto, "I've considered your hunch as a slight possibility. However, we're lacking two things: decisive proof, and the sufficient manpower to act upon your assumption. For now, we must still focus on the matter at hand."

It was then that he pulled out a scroll and summoned a huge stack of paper, drawing Tenten's immediate attention.

"And I thought paperwork was the bane of all Hokages, let alone our future Rokudaime Hokage," teased Tenten, "How many trees did you kill to get a report of that size?"

"Well, I didn't get this information all by myself," explained the Namikaze, who ruffled through the stack of paper, "I left the paperwork to the orphans."

Upon seeing Tenten's confused expression, Naruto elaborated further, "Playing 'ninja' finally paid off as I had predicted; the orphans' hard work in interviewing as many Iwa ninja as possible in fact served to help narrow down all potential suspects."

"How?" inquired Tenten.

"Well, the surveys that I gave to the orphans to pass out to the Iwa ninja to answer revealed that some of those who took the survey are archers," explained Naruto, "Plus, there was the fact that some even gave their names willingly, believing what the children were doing to be an innocent game. None of those interviewed would ever be able to connect the orphans' actions to my investigation; it was a solid plan. And because of their unwitting cooperation, it's with great pleasure that I can narrow down the list even further and match them with the ninja you serviced while in your alias.

"Added to this were the reports I received from Shikamaru and Neji's teams concerning their findings earlier today. I went back with Kiba to the apartment and retrieved the dried blood he and Akamaru found on the window that was used to shoot the very arrow you're studying. Also, Neji gave me this after he and his team came across this deep in the tunnel."

Naruto took out the white headband that was found in the tunnel and showed it to Tenten.

"Wasn't that the white headband you gave to Tsuiiwa before she and her friends were kidnapped," Tenten recalled.

Naruto nodded and continued, "Shino found blood samples on it and deduced that it might belong to the culprits who smuggled the kidnapped orphans through the tunnel. They suspect that a scuffle of some sort concerning Tsuiiwa might have happened in the tunnel before this "breadcrumb" was left behind for us to follow. Kiba and Akamaru compared the blood scents between what they found on the window and what's on this headband, and confirmed that they don't match. In fact, there are two different and distinct blood scents on this headband. This solidifies that two people were involved in the transporting of those kidnapped orphans through the tunnel besides the zombie caretakers. This narrows down our list of suspects to three people, or should I say, three archers.

"The dried blood sample from the window, this headband with two different blood samples, the samples you collected from the men you catered to, the orphans' interview surveys and my autopsy on Ni Ketsueki's body combined will pinpoint the culprits."

Tenten smiled in admiration of Naruto's ingenuity and remarked, "You never cease to uphold your reputation as Konoha's number one most unpredictable ninja! How ironic: a simple childish game of playing 'Ninja' actually proved to be a very useful instrument."

Getting closer to Naruto, she seductively slid a finger on his Jonin vest and continued, "Maybe I ought to follow your example and play ninja with you more often, Naruto-sama…" And for added effect, her face was only a few inches from Naruto's face.

She's gotten better at this, contemplated the Namikaze, Is she enjoying this too much? Taking a few moments to think, he mentally shook his head and continued, No; she's got this under control.

'Don't deny it, kit,' commented an excited Kyuubi (whose presence was considered unwelcome as usual), 'you're enjoying this moment just as much as she's enjoying it; why are you so surprised? This vixen is no different from the rest of your mates; she, too, is obviously anxious for the mating season.'

Oh, how the mighty Kyuubi has fallen, mocked the Namikaze, reduced from a beast of mass destruction to a simple fox with no interests other than sex.

'Don't shift the blame on me, kit,' defended Kyuubi, who surprisingly maintained his cool composure in the face of Naruto's snarky attitude, "For all your sarcasm and witty remarks, you can't avoid the embarrassing topic forever."

The Namikaze was about to make his response, but Kyuubi impatiently pounded at his prison bars, indicating that he was not finished yet.

He continued, "And by the way, you and I are not so different; did you honestly believe that I spent decades rampaging across the world without building my own pack of vixens? Face it, kit; we're the same…"

Not so different? Oh really, inwardly asked Naruto, if you are so fussy about my roundabout approach, then let me be blunt with my next remark: I'm in the middle of an important investigation right now, so just kindly shut the hell up. The next time you want to talk; it better be something other than an idle threat or a poorly timed innuendo. You won't get to talk until you have something constructive and important to say. With that remark, Naruto had once again knowingly "poked the beast."

Ignoring Kyuubi's retaliatory growls, Naruto then replied, "Well, Moteki no Panda-ko-chan, I can certainly consider your offer, if…"

"If what?" asked Tenten with added sultry, "I'm listening…"

"If you would promise not to hit me the next time I'm in disguise," finished a grinning Naruto. The weapons mistress groaned upon being reminded of her earlier hasty action from several days ago.

"But, I digress," admitted Naruto, "We all have our parts to play in this investigation; I played the fool; you play the seductress. The orphans played detective; and now, we are going to play the culprit and his accomplices for fools."

It was then that he pulled out the special sensation lotion labeled, "For The Customers Of The Month," catching Tenten's attention.

"I trust that Jiraiya-sama won't be causing anymore unforeseen problems?" asked the wary weapons mistress.

"Ero-jisan was only getting leads on Akatsuki from an informant known as the Merchant; his presence was indeed unforeseen," replied Naruto, "but nonetheless, he left right after I gave him a good pep talk."

"What kind of pep talk?" Tenten asked.

"That'll be a tale for another time; anyway, we've got an archer trio to capture."

(At Konoha Cryptanalysis Team Offices)

After delivering the message to the aviary to give to Naruto, Shiho returned back to her work in deciphering the book.

Earlier, I only applied blood on the last few pages of the book, reflected Shiho, Let's see what happens if I add a few drops to the earlier pages concerning Edo Tensei, Fushi Tensei, Hashirama and the Gojuu Rashomon. Holding the vial and an eye dropper over the book, Shiho was clearly anxious for more answers.

After doing so and observing the effects, Shiho widened her eyes once more. As expected, the new letters which showed up on the page had shocking implications. After twenty minutes of further decoding, Shiho reflected on what she just read: Uchiha Madara…survived the battle at the Valley of the End?

But before she could make any connections and report her new findings to Tsunade, her analysis was rudely interrupted by an unfamiliar voice…

"My boss sends his regards."

Shiho was then suddenly ambushed by an unwelcome intruder, which announced its presence by knocking her to the ground with a blow on the head. Unable to regain her balance, Shiho fell face forward, bumped her head, and broke her swirl-tinted glasses by accident.

Stumbling and lifting her head in surprise (while also disoriented by her own near-sightedness), Shiho quickly observed her assailant, who was flipping through the pages of the Blood Double book while also wearing an uncommon variant of the ANBU mask and cloak.

I don't think I've seen this sort of ANBU hanging around Godaime-sama…No…could it be? Quickly gathering back her senses and glasses, she asked, "What does ROOT and Danzo want with the Blood Double book?"

"Whatever distrust you have towards ROOT doesn't matter," retorted the intruder, who had a female voice, "What matters is Konoha's continued advancement and dominance; so far, you and Namikaze Naruto have perfectly played your parts as expected. Now, be a good girl, come with us, answer a few questions and let us do our part."

Really, they've been spying on me the entire time? "So you think that ambushing a fellow Konoha kunoichi and stealing her hard-earned intel constitutes as doing your duty," replied Shiho, who rubbed her sore head, "Now that's just plain unnecessary; don't you have anything better to do with your free time? I'd suggest solving a crossword puzzle; but then again, I don't have much of a choice here, right?"

Shaking her head in annoyance, the female intruder countered, "I have nothing personal against you; but, you know too much about the Blood Double to be left alone. Our boss will be seeing you soon."

Following that proclamation, two more ROOT shinobi came out of hiding and easily disabled Shiho via her pressure points, finally knocking her unconscious and sealing her body in a scroll.

"We're done here," affirmed the ROOT kunoichi, who was clearly the team leader for this particular mission, "Fu. Torune. Destroy the evidence of us being here; then, move out. The boss will be quite pleased to see what we have in store for him."

"Understood, Suzume," acknowledged Fu, who was holding the scroll containing Shiho's unconscious body, "But wouldn't it be a good idea to leave behind Sai's replica so that no one will know that it was taken at all?"

"I'm not taking chances, Fu," responded Suzume, "I don't trust Sai; besides, when Danzo-sama was describing our mission parameters, he let us know that leaving behind the replica was entirely up to my discretion as team leader. We don't know the entire contents of this book word for word; even the smallest of discrepancies between the replica and the original will reveal our deception right away."

Looking over at the book, she then continued, "Not only was she working on controversial information, our cryptanalyst had access to Orochimaru's blood. If Shiho-san, the vial of blood, and the Blood Double were both discovered missing at the same time, we can frame her as a traitor who wanted the confidential information all for herself, thus allowing us to continue Danzo-sama's work unhindered."

Understanding her logic, Fu and Torune left the room with the team leader and made a clean getaway.

(Back Inside The Cave)

The man with the glasses was at his desk working on his new findings from the research when three mosquitoes appeared and landed down on the research table in front of the man. The three insects crawled to a small medical glass square plate and then regurgitated the blood they drank from Naruto onto the glass.

"Good job. You three have performed your task well," the man said with a satisfied smile as the insects poured out the needed amount of blood samples the man needed. When they were done, the man formed a seal, revealed that the mosquitoes were actually dead puppets themselves. After disposing of them, the man carefully took Naruto's blood samples into a thin medical needle.

"Thank you Naruto. Your unwilling contribution will prove most beneficial to Project Star," the man said darkly before he got to work incorporating Naruto's blood samples into the project.

So much is taking place all at once, as well as treacherous conspiracies within Konoha! What will become of Shiho now that Root is involved and had kidnapped her? What is "Project Star" and why was Naruto's blood samples stolen and used in the project? Will Naruto and the others find the three archers responsible for the kidnappings of the orphans? As Tenten seeks to understand herself and resolve her identity crisis, will she permanently and completely fuse with her new Moteki no Panda-ko-chan alias? Or will she have an internal conflict between her tomboyish weapon mistress personality and her newfound personality unlocked by Naruto? Find out next time.