The Will of Fire: RP for VIX and Lorelai

[Lorelai Dannehur]

16-year old Michiko and her three older brothers stood gasping from exhaustion in a ring of scattered dead bodies of rogue ninja, leaning on each other for support. All of them were bruised and bloodied from their battle, but at least their injuries were nothing fatal. The youngest brother Daisuke was the healer for the group, and unfortunately not the best fighter which meant the other three usually had to take turns assisting him in battle. While his remedies weren’t exactly professional rank, at least they were effective enough to properly disinfect and heal any ailments his siblings had for the moment. Thankfully, none of their attackers had any complicated poisons coating their weapons or the small family would have been in serious trouble. Once they were certain their attackers were all dead and none among the corpses on the ground were playing ‘possum to try and catch them off guard, Daisuke quickly set to the task of treating and bandaging the injuries of his siblings. Daisuke had short auburn hair, a slim build, and dark green eyes. He was only a head taller than his sister. He wore a brown vest over a light green long-sleeved shirt, had light brown pants, and tan sandals. His parents had given him the name Daisuke, meaning ‘big helper’ in the hopes that their son would grow to be compassionate with a willing hand to help others in need.

Daisuke finished bandaging his twin brothers first. Both were big, muscular and stoutly built with thick red beards. Neither twin minded going without shirts in the hot desert they’d found themselves and wore matching black pants with sandals of the same color. The older twin had been given the name Daichi meaning ‘great wisdom’ in the hopes he would act as a responsible leader to his younger twin and any younger siblings that might follow. His younger twin Kenta hadn’t been so lucky to get a name with an elaborate meaning. All their mother could mutter after a long labor with them both was, “Such a big boy, just like your brother Daichi. I hope you both grow up to be big and strong men.” Both twins had weighed five pounds each at birth.

Daisuke tended to his sister last, and the worst injury she had was a large bruise on her back from being knocked to the ground by the force of a powerful kick. When she had been born, at first their parents had wanted to name her Fumiko meaning “child of treasured beauty” due to their ecstatic excitement of getting a girl, but their mother worried she might grow up to be vain with a name only focusing on beauty. So she was named Michiko instead, meaning “beautiful wise child” in the hopes their daughter would grow up to be not only pretty, but develop wisdom as well. Michiko had a wild red mane of long curly hair that was currently in a tight braid wound around her head and kept in place by a plain brown cloth cap which also hid her fox ears. She wore a sleeveless white shirt, black wristbands, dark green pants lined with pockets down the legs, and black sandals. Her pants were slightly baggy to provide easy movement and her fox tail could comfortably fit down the inside leg of her pants so it wouldn’t attract unwanted attention. Michiko’s unusual appearance was due to an unfortunate run-in with a man who went by the name Orochimaru. Michiko had only been eight when Orochimaru had transplanted part of a wild spirit into her body. The transformation had been excruciating and Michiko had been left alone with only the sound of her own agonized screams for company until her brothers finally found her and all four siblings escaped. The result of that transformation was Michiko’s fox ears and tail along with the ability to change into the forms of different animals at will, but Michiko was no longer the happy, exuberant, outgoing personality her brothers had known. Now she was withdrawn, jumpy and suspicious of everyone around her except her brothers and had a hunted look in her eyes. Afraid of a repeat experience with Orochimaru, Michiko treated everyone outside her small family as a potential enemy.

While her twin brothers cleaned their weapons and started packing up what was left of their campsite, Michiko frowned in worry as she stated, “This isn’t good…there were more of them than usual, and they had at least two Chunin-leveled fighters this time. Why do I get the feeling our strength is being tested?” Before any of her brothers had a chance to reply, a band of Suna military ninja made an appearance and could be seen coming over the dunes headed right for them. All four siblings groaned in utter frustration at the sight of another possible battle. The twins’ chakra supply had been depleted so they couldn’t do any sufficient jutsu, Muchiko was just plain worn out from physical combat since she had no confidence in her own jutsu abilities, and Daisuke was the worst fighter in the group. If they had another battle on their hands, it seemed luck had finally run out for the small family and this wasn’t going to end well. With grim countenances, Michiko’s small family prepared to fight a losing battle. They certainly weren’t going to die quietly without hopefully taking a few enemies with them.

 

[VIX]

The small light within the nook-sized refrigerator flickered as it's door stood open, it's pitiful and lonely contents at attention. Arms tucked tightly against his sides in indecision, Naruto let out a small grumble as he peered in. A bag of sad-looking leafy greens, an expired cup or two of instant noodles, and the happy face of the cow on the box of milk sat inside. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, it was already early afternoon and had just rolled out of bed, grateful to sleep in late and for the few extra days off between missions. He had only recently returned from a particularly long winded and brutally tedious mission in the south east the morning before. After filing his equally tedious report, he'd used that time to catch up on sleep within Konoha's protective walls.

He stood there another few moments, his thoughts drifting, his eyes fixed on the small fridge but not really looking at it. A prickle on the back of his neck broke him out of his trance. Naruto's head snapped towards the window where a figure crouched on the sill, dressed in a Chunin jacket, headband on his sleeve, and pitch black hair pulled into a spiky tail at the back of his head.

Naruto let out a wide grin, "Hey-hey, long time no see!"

Shikamaru returned with a smile stepping down into the small studio apartment. His expression quickly turned disdainful after a wiff of the stale air. "Jeeze, Naruto, how long has it been since you've been back here?" He pinched his nose between two fingers and eyed the unkept bed and a carton of cup noodles that looked like it had been sitting on the table since before Naruto left for his last mission. "My mom would kill me if I left the house like this."

Naruto chuckled and ran a hand through his more-unruly-than-usual blond hair. "Hehe, yeah, I guess you're right." He hadn't actually noticed anything out of place. Naruto lived by himself for years and never minded the mess. "Should probably get around to cleaning it up sometime. But, duty calls, 'amiright, Shika-kun?" His eyes gleamed mischievously. "I mean, since you're basically the Old Lady's nurse-maid and all, right?"

Shikamaru laughed and rolled his eyes. "My freedom for a green vest, my blissful Genin friend." He sighed. "What a drag, but speaking of the Fifth--" Naruto stopped him there.

"Perfect timing! Sounds like something we can talk about over breakfast at Ichiraku Ramen!"

"It's lunchtime, Naruto,"

"Perfect timing! Sounds like something we can talk about over lunch at Ichiraku Ramen!"

With an acquiescing shake of his head the dark haired ninja raised his hands. "You're lucky I haven't eaten yet." Naruto was already pulling on his black t-shirt.

- 2/3 -

When their laughter subsided enough for intelligible speech Shikamaru cleared his throat and said, "Okay-okay...So let me get this straight, you're saying that this noble, Yokoyama, was entirely convinced he was turning into a "were-badger" at the crescent moon and destroying his home?" Naruto nodded vigorously. "Hired the Village to protect his possessions?" Another series of nods. "And that it took you a month to convince him that it was actually the household cat tearing up the drapes every crescent moon because he was so worried about turning into a "were-badger" that he forgot to feed Mittens."

Naruto threw up his hands, "That's what I'm sayin'!" The two boys deteriorated into laughter again. It sounded even more crazy that way than it did the first time when the blonde told the whole story. "Though it wasn't so funny when we had to stick around that senile old bastard for a month. Hell, if I have to do another protection mission again--"

"Here you go, boys!" Old Man Ichiraku set down their bowls of piping hot noodles and pork miso. Naruto salivated and grabbed for a pair of chopsticks, ready to dig in.

"About that, Naru--"

"Naruto! Shikamaru!" Came a voice from down the street. A hand pulled aside the curtail to reveal Sakura.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto beamed. "How'd you know we were here?"

She rolled her pale green eyes, "You're pretty predictable."

"What do you mean by that!"

Sakura ignored him and continued, "Besides, no one could miss spotting those pants..."

"What about my pants?!"

"Oh, nothing." She changed subjects. "Shikamaru, you were suppose to take Naruto to see Lady Tsunade."

"Yeah, yeah, we were getting around to it."

"The Hokage's time is valuable--"

"Which," Shikamaru appeased, "Is why she has much better things to do than audience with a bother like us."

"Plus it's breakfast. The most important mean of the day, I always say." Naruto added helpfully, breaking his chopsticks.

"Lunch-time." Shikamaru corrected.

"You do not always say!" Sakura added. Her tone turned matter-of-fact, "You've wasted enough of Lady Tsunade's time today, com'mon Naruto."

Sakura's vise-like fingers locked around his wrist just as he he was about to dip the sticks into the bowl, "Just lemme--" he mumbled in a pout just before he was dragged off his chair.

 

[VIX]

- 3/3 -

To say that Naruto's stomach grumbled was like saying a lion meows. It roared agonizingly loud as Tsunade bit into her last dumpling.

"Why'd you make us come here, Old Lady, if you were just going to eat in front of us and make us wait!" His voice dropped and octave as if he were speaking to himself, rubbing his tummy which was trying to digest air at the moment. "I could be having seconds of miso right now...maybe even with an extra egg..."

Tsunade waved her chopsticks in the air dismissively, "No one said you couldn't have lunch. I'm Hokage, I have more important things to do than deal with you misfits."

The two boys immediately turned to give a very pointed look at Sakura. "Don't you look at me like that!" She gave them a nasty glare until they flinched and looked away, anywhere but her.

"Making an ugly face like that will give you wrinkles." Sai's voice said from behind.

"What did you say?!"

"Women, I tell yah." Shikamaru murmured to Naruto.

"Hehe, yeah."

Before they knew it they both had welts throbbing on their arms. The Hokage paid them no mind. Shikamaru cleared his throat, still rubbing his arm. "Anyway, Team 7 is now assembled, Lady Tsunade."

The 5th was searching through a pile of paper and scrolls on her desk.

"Mi'lady?" Sakura interjected.

"Mm?" She looked up. "Yes, right. Misfits and all. Anyhow. Naruto, I know you just got back but there is no time to relax this time." Naruto let out a groan. "We have an assignment in. I'm putting Team Seven on it."

"What kind of mission?" Sai inquired.

"Security and protection."

"Uurrrrrrgggghhh..." Naruto groaned in protest, throwing up his hands and frowning deeply.

Tsunade stared at him in mild irritation. "You will escort a family of orphaned vagabonds to the neighboring land, seeing to that they settle in without hitch."

"UURRRRGGHHH..."

Sakura punched him in the same spot that time. "Stop being so disrespectful!" She hissed as he cradled his arm.

"Since the journey cuts primarily through our territory, and because their case is particularly...unique. Land of Wind is handing this one over at the Kazekage's request."

Naruto perked up at that. "Gaara?"

"It is rumored that this group had some affiliation with Orochimaru. They allegedly escaped his experimentations, with the exception of the youngest female, they have been fleeing since."

Orochimaru...and experimentation... Naruto's head was flooded with thoughts of Sasuke. His upset expression displaced by a wretched dismal demeanor. He shared a glance with Sakura. From her face she was thinking the same thing too.

"You must be thinking about Sasuke Uchiha." Sai observed of the two young ninja. "You want to get intelligence on Orochimaru."

Tsunade interlaced her fingers. "The objective is to transport the subjects from point A to point B, but this is the reason I'm assigning Team 7 instead of a higher ranking or more experienced squad. I know I can rely on you to extract the information we need on Orochimaru, and of course Sasuke. The number will be small to keep from attracting too much attention so it'll be the four of you. Besides, I have Kakashi and Yamato on other duties at the moment. Shikamaru will lead the mission. You leave tomorrow morning to begin the journey to Sunagakura. Prepare yourselves and get some rest. Dismissed."

 

[VIX]

The Suna military police approached silently. Camouflaging and blending into the environment of the open desert was an important skill for any ninja from the Land of Wind and usually the first to be mastered at a young age. These ninja were no exception. They encircled the invaders, then once the signal was given, they appeared before them almost out of nowhere. Dressed in grays and beige camouflages masks and dark glasses protected their faces and eyes.

The Captain stepped forward, burly and decorated there was no mistaking his authority among the entourage. "My, my," his voice as gritty as the sand crunching beneath their feet. His eyes flickered around to the bodies on the ground. Rouge ninja. Petty criminals mostly. A traitor or conspirator or two. Pests. "Quite the mess, you four have made. Been "tailing" for the last fifty miles before launching an ambush hoping to get the squeeze on ya', eh. Constantly watched, always on the run. Never belonging to one country or the next. What a life. Doing fairly well for yourselves. That is, eh, until you entered our territory."

"Now you have a couple of options. You could come with us peacefully and no one has to break a sweat. You could resist and force our hand, considering your state of your chakra, one of you could die trying. Or," the sole of his boot found the head of a fallen rouge, with a little pressure, his foot crushed the dead-man's skull. "Or you can disappear with the desert, body parts scattered like the sand. What's it gonna be?"

 

[Lorelai Dannehur]

Daisuke swallowed a nervous lump in his throat before stepping up to address the Captain with more confidence than he felt after the disturbing demonstration, "Y'see, we've been on the run from Orochimaru for...a very long time. So you could say he's our sworn enemy. Anyway, what it all boils down to is this: you're not by any chance working for him, are you? 'Cause if you are, then I'm sure I speak for both myself and my siblings when I say we'd rather die right here than end up in his clutches again."

As though to emphasize Daisuke's point, Michiko had started going into a panic attack at the mere mention of Orochimaru's name while the twins protectively stood on either side of her. Daichi visibly winced at the tight hold his sister had on his arm which she was clinging to with both hands like a desperate lifeline. Her voice was squeaky and bordering on hysterics as she weakly pleaded to her brothers, "Please don't let'em take me! I don't wanna go back to Orochimaru! I don't want him experimenting on me again!!"

Daisuke winced at his younger sister's emotional state and had to resist the urge to run to her side, knowing he'd be left in a vulnerable position with his back toward a possible enemy if he did so. Meeting the Captain's gaze with his own determined stare, Daisuke concluded, "All I'm trying to do is ensure the safety of my family. If you can prove to us you're not allies with Orochimaru, we'll cooperate and come with you without a fight." He silently hoped he knew what he was doing and prayed the phrase "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" applied on this occasion.

 

[VIX]

The Captain's eyes narrowed as his attention turned to the youngest of the brothers. His gaze flickered to the larger twins, they did not protest or fight the boy for control so this younger one must be the mouthpiece of the four. Interesting. To answer the boy simply, the Captain said, "We represent the Land of Wind, we are Sunagakura's military police. Orochimaru is classified as an international criminal, and as having affiliation to the terrorist group, Akatsuki, a traitor and missing-nin of the Wind's ally, the Land of Fire. Orochimaru and any of his associates are enemies of the Hidden Sand. We mean you no harm, but as stated, if you resist you will be met with force."

 

[Lorelai Dannehur]

Daisuke followed the Captain's quick glance at the twins and awkwardly explained after a nod of approval from both of his older brothers, "Uh, yeah. Apparently I'm the most level-headed speaker in our group for...tense situations like this." Both the twins kept shooting glares full of suspicion at anyone who looked their way, which spoke volumes of the offensive language they might have spouted when given the chance. However, both Daichi and Kenta had enough self control to not allow themselves to give voice to such thoughts in their current situation which would only guarantee in making matters worse for everyone so both allowed Daisuke to handle the talking for the time being.

Hearing that Orochimaru was an international criminal was new information to the siblings. All four of them knew from personal experience he was bad news, but they'd had no idea Orochimaru had made so many enemies. While Daisuke's eyes lit up with newfound hope that maybe they had stumbled upon allies who could possibly help them, his other siblings remained silent with matching wary expressions on their features which showed they obviously weren't fully convinced what choice was the best to follow. It was Daichi who suddenly spoke up and gruffly addressed the Captain, "One moment while I speak with my siblings."

As the siblings conversed together in hushed whispers, Daichi could be heard irritably muttering, "I don't like this. Even if they are enemies of Orochimaru, why should we trust them?" Daisuke hopefully piped in with, "Well for starters they haven't made any move to kill us off yet. And if they're enemies of Orochimaru, maybe they can help us out if we show them we're willing to cooperate. Besides, what other choice to we have? It's either that or fight these guys and...well, let's be honest. Nobody here will be likely to come out alive if we end up antagonizing these people. Granted, I'm all up for coming up with an escape plan if things get dicey later but hopefully it won't come to that." Kenta was quick to add in his own opinion, "I'm with Daisuke. Live today, fight tomorrow as the saying goes." All three brothers gave simultaneous nods in agreement as Michiko angrily protested, "Hey, what about me?! Doesn't MY opinion count at all?!" In response, Daichi stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "Sorry sis, but we already know your opinion and I'm afraid you've been outvoted." Now that a decision had been made, Daichi felt calm enough to address the Captain in a civil tone as he stated, "Alright, we'll come with you." Keeping his voice low to make sure Michiko wouldn't hear him he added, "All I ask is that you're able to make sure we don't get separated. Our run-in with Orochimaru wasn't kind to our sister and she tends to have panic attacks when she loses sight of us. And if you don't mind me asking, what do you plan on doing with us?"

 

[VIX]

The Captain appraised them sternly as the group convered among each other. He fought the urge to scoff. As if they had a choice. One of the twins approached him. His men shifted ready to spring an attack at the slightest notion of hostility. The Captain held up a fist to call them off, they froze. The red male appeared calm enough. He listened and grunted a reply.

"That is not for me to decide. My superiors will consider your situation and decide as much. How much help they give you or the lack thereof depends upon how much useful information have. The only thing I can garuntee to you is safe passage back to the Hidden Sand and protection from your enemies once you are there."

 

[VIX]

It was mid-afternoon of the third day of their journey to the Hidden Sand Village. They were cleared at the massive gate and began passage down the middle of the exponentially massive sand-built walls protecting the village like a bowl.

The last day and a half was perhaps the most miserable. It was inexplicably dry this time of year, it made the heat tolerable to a degree rather than having humidity. The sand got into everything, making them stop more than a dozen times to empty their sandals. Their skin would have dried out fast if it weren't for Sakura and her affinity for making concoctions for this and that. Naruto was thankful she was such a skilled medical ninja. The four of them made the most out of their water supply and forged on with their traveling cloaks billowing in the mild wind.

They were quite as they entered the village, the round sand-packed structures towering above them. "It seems like these guys are always hanging out in our Village and we've barely been to this place." Naruto said.

Sakura nodded, "Kinda nice to take the time to look at things for once instead of rushing around in some state of emergency. Everything is so normal it's weird."

"I have no personal experience to add to your moment of nostalgia."

Naruto frowned, "Gee, thanks, Sai."

"You're welcome, Naruto."

"Sarcasm, Sai."

"I don't think you're very good at it, Naruto." Sai replied. Then added with smile that more like the corners of his mouth turning up than a smile."I think I'm going to implement a conversational tactic I learned from a book I read,"

"Yeah?" Shikamaru said, while Naruto ground his teeth, boredom and mild annoyance motivating him to jump in. "And what's that?"

"Changing the topic of discussion by asking your opinion of a particular issue." Without much of a pause he continued. "Do you think the Kazekage is fit to lead since the Kukaku tailed beast was removed and that this significant loss of power translates as a weakness to other countries?"

"Sai!" Sakura hissed, slapping a hand over his mouth. She twisted her head furiously to make sure no one had heard him. "You can't go around saying that in the Hidden Sand! Do you want to start a riot?!"

"She's right." Said an unamused voice. An older hooded teenager with a painted face dropped in front of them.

He was joined by another older teen with sandy blonde hair. "The villagers trust Gaara with their lives. They don't doubt his strength, and neither should you." She slammed the butt of her tessen against the ground. "And if you say something like that again, I will kill you."

Shikamaru chuckled and stepped forward, "Forgive our friend. He is socially inept." Tenmari's eyes narrowed at Sai. Sai gave her his signature "diffusing" smile. But she didn't look like she was buying it.

Kankuro put a hand on her shoulder. "Stand down," he nullified. "Time to get back to business. Were here to escort you guys to headquarters."

"The building's right over there," Naruto pointed at the larger round building with the red insignia of the village peeping over the tops of the surrounding structures. "I'm sure we could have found our way there by ourselves."

The two of them both shared a quick laugh. "Haha, yeah, you're as good as lost. No offense. Our streets are deceiving. If you don't live here, it's nearly impossible to find your way around. You need a guide."

He lead them into a building and they took a short cut into the Hidden Sand's headquarters. Naruto for the most part was oblivious to everything else, to the conversations of the two villages catching up, he was still thinking about what Sai had said. It had been a year or so since the Akatsuki forcefully extracted the One Tails from Gaara. He was sure his friend had recovered but he couldn't help but wonder how the situation might have changed in Gaara'a condition and couldn't help but worry for him.

Another few minutes and they were entering the Kazekage's office. Tenmari cleared her throat, "Team 7 of the Hidden Leaf is here, as requested, Gaara-sama."

 

[Lorelai Dannehur]

Once they had been safely escorted into Suna, Michiko and her three brothers lost track of time visiting back and forth between their new sleeping quarters and separate rooms where they were each questioned to make sure their information on Orochimaru was accurate and not fabricated. Of course, Muchiko had her expected panic attack the first time this happened and pounded on the door in a frenzy while shouting at the top of her lungs for her brothers until her three inquisitors actually had to pin her to the floor, only releasing her once Michiko had tired herself out from yelling and struggling. After reassurances she would see her brothers again once she'd answered their questions to their satisfaction, Michiko did her best to provide them with the necessary information to the best of her ability. After the first few times the questioning sessions ended and Michiko was reunited with her brothers as promised, it quickly became a somewhat normal routine: leave their quarters each with a different escort, enter their assigned room for questioning, then head back to their shared sleeping quarters for a meal and rest. Even this routine became tedious after a while to the point Michiko felt about ready to go stir crazy from spending way too much time on a subject she'd rather forget about altogether.

A change in routine finally came when different escorts came to collect the siblings from their room and this time, they were kept together instead of being lead down individual corridors. Michiko immediately sensed something was up and as usual jumped to the worst-case scenario she could imagine. "This is bad, what if they've decided we're no longer useful and are leading us to our execution? We're surrounded by desert, who'd even bother looking for bodies out here?!" Their escort heaved an impatient sigh and called over her shoulder, "Would you relax, already? I'm taking you to the Kazekage. No need to get your drawers in a knot, geeze." Once they arrived at the door leading to the Kazekage's office, their escort politely knocked before leading the four siblings in. "Here are the four informants on Orochimaru, Kazekage-sama." Catching sight of Team 7, the escort smiled and stated, "Ah good, everyone's here which means I'm no longer needed. I bid you all a good day. Please excuse me." The escort politely bowed before making a quick exit, leaving Michiko and her brothers alone with Team 7 and the Kazekage.

Michiko froze at the large group of people and had already started inching back toward the door while muttering, "I knew it, this was a BIG mistake! They're all gonna kill us fer sure, why else would there be so many people in one room? We've been led into an ambush!" She would have made a dive for the door if her brothers hadn't stopped her. Daisuke put a calming hand on his sister's shoulder as he soothed, "Relax, Shimi-chan. You're gonna give yourself a stroke one of these days from all that pent-up stress if you're not careful. Besides, if they were going to attack us they would have done it already." But it seemed Michiko had lost sense of reason and could only think of escaping for the moment. She struggled with her brothers until Daisuke put his two pointer fingers together and poked a pressure point in Michiko's side causing her to go limp. Michiko slumped forward temporarily unconscious as the twins caught her. Daisuke awkwardly rubbed the back of his head while giving everyone in the room a nervous smile. "Um...sorry about our sister. She's usually not this high-strung, but this last string of attacks and the events following after really did a number on her so she's recently been suffering from acute paranoia." He picked up Michiko's cap from where it had fallen on the floor. Now everyone in the room had a good view of Michiko's fox ears poking up from the tight red braid wrapped around Michiko's head. Pointing to her ears, Daisuke sadly added, "Yeah...those were Orochimaru's doing."

 

[VIX]

Team 7 bowed respectfully in the presence of the neighboring nation's Kazekage. Gaara stood in return and nodded. Sunagakura spread out before them outside the open windows of his round office walls. A light breeze flowed through the room. Gaara's gourd stood against his desk beside him.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice." He said, his voice soft yet commanding.

"Were glad to help," Shikamaru said, "Both in the name of alliance and friendship. You can count on the Leaf."

"I appreciate that."

"Here are the four informants on Orochimaru, Kazekage-sama." The escort lead the small family inside. Team 7 watched as the girl started to freak out, shouting and struggling against the hold of her brothers. Finally the one pinched a nerve and she slumped unconsciously.

After a moment of silence Naruto said, "What the hell is wrong with her?" It was kind of a let down really. They didn't seem helpful at all. The redhead girl was paranoid beyond measure. Suddenly this was just another annoying escort mission.

"Ears?" Sakura's voice said. Sure enough, she was right. The scarf unraveled from the girl's head and revealed the pointed tips of animalistic ears.

"Fox ears...?" Naruto reveled. What was that about? He couldn't help but think of the demon-fox trapped in him, the shallow scars on his cheeks, the physical traces if the beast trapped in his belly. "From Orochimaru...? What are you playing at Noodle-man?"

"Calm down, Naruto," Shikamaru mediated. "Don't be so brash." He reached in his flak jacket and pulled out a small scroll and presented it to the Kazekage. "From Godaime Hokage."

Gaara nodded and broke the seal and read the message before saying. "I'm sure you have been briefed, Team 7. For the sake of the drifters I shall reiterate." He went straight to the point, focused and driven as ever. "As promised, the Sand will offer you temporary protection for your salvageable intel. We have prepared a safe house in a neutral country, since the route runs primarily through the Leaf's territory, we've requested these shinobi to escort you there."

 

[Lorelai Dannehur]

Daichi's eyebrow angrily twitched at Naruto's rude questions, but managed to speak in an even tone as he stated, "Don't talk badly about our sister until you have a grasp on what exactly she's been put through. In order for you to have a better understanding, I will briefly explain. To start with, Orochimaru's tampering has left Michiko here with the ears and tail of a fox. As a result, after our escape we were smoked out of hiding two years ago and we've been randomly plagued by people who either want to capture and sell our sister as an exotic pet-" Daichi spat out the word like a foul flavor in his mouth that disgusted him before continuing, "or others who wish to take us all back to Orochimaru for whatever ghastly fate he has in store for us. Just the other day, we had to deal with an ambush made up of mostly rogue ninja and just mere minutes after that we were taken into custody by the Sand's military before being brought here to answer hours' worth of questions about Orochimaru. Michiko won't even tell us, her own brothers, what that bastard did to her. We can only guess that it must have been traumatizing. Considering that was some of the information she had to give, I imagine it must have been an emotionally painful experience for her. In essence, she was practically forced to relive her worst memories concerning Orochimaru." As Daichi concluded his short narration he softly added, "Try putting yourself in Michiko's shoes and looking at the situation from her point of view. After enduring all that, don't you think it's understandable her nerves are a bit frayed at the moment?"

Daisuke ignored Naruto's question since he felt Daichi had explained things pretty well. Instead, he just raised an eyebrow at Naruto's apparent new nickname for him and sarcastically replied with an amused grin, "Noodle? Really? Can't anyone come up with a slightly more creative nickname that isn't a jab at how skinny I am? Mi-chan likes calling me Toothpick on occasion while the twins can't seem to decide between Sticks, Slim, or Twig." Daisuke heaved a resigned sigh. "At least it starts with a different letter besides S or T so I guess that'll help to keep it fresh for a while." Feeling it was time to properly introduce everyone he stated, "Anyway, my name is Daisuke." Resting a protective hand on his unconscious sister's head he continued, "This is our only sister and youngest sibling, Michiko." Turning to the twins Daisuke concluded, "And we have the twins, Kenta and Daichi. Daichi's the oldest among the four of us."

In response to Gaara's short briefing of Team 7's mission, Kenta piped up for once with a question of his own. "That sounds well and good I suppose, but once we get to our destination what's to stop anyone from tracking us down and attacking us?" Kenta and his other siblings, possibly excluding Michiko, truly wanted to be able to put their trust in others again. However, that didn't mean they were going to blindly follow someone without asking questions first in order to make sure they were placing their trust in the right people.

 

[VIX]

Naruto basically ignored Daichi. The girl was experimented that had lasting psychological effects. It was sad and Naruto could relate but he couldn't help but feel they were babying her. Noodle-san introduced himself and his small posse. Shikamaru took a step forward. "Shikamaru Nara, operation squad leader."

Sakura bowed politely, "Sakura Haruno, medical ninja."

Sai mimicked Sakura's bow, dipping his head, "Sai." At this lamely basic intro Sakura rolled her eyes.

"And of course--" Shikamaru added.

"Naruto Uzumaki," he blurted. "Future Hokage."

They discussed a few things more before they were dismissed to their lodgings where both groups would consider the days events. Seven 7 was holed up in a small hotel with a small hot spring where they are, soaked, and slept for the big day of departure the next day. It was late into night and Naruto was sitting on the rooftop watching the stationary crescent moon and the slowly shifting horizon of stars.

He suddenly perked up and looked to the building across the way. "Who's there?" He demanded, quickly on his feet.

There was a chuckle and the figure lept across the gap and joined him on the roof.

"Oh, Shikamaru, I didn't recognize you." Naruto commented.

The dark-haired boy's hair was released from his usual tight spiky tail on the back of his head. The tousled shoulder-length hair looked wind streaked and messy in a good way. He was wearing a regular black shirt, his kunai pouch strapped to his leg as usual, but he hadn't gone out with his flak jacket which was odd. "I didn't think you'd be up, Naruto." Shikamaru scratched the back of his neck, smiling.

The blonde shrugged. "So what the heck were you doing up so late, Shika-kun?"

Shikamaru laughed and scratched the back of his neck. His face turned pink. "Uaah, let's go with diplomatic duty?" He laughed suddenly, supposedly at an inside joke.

"Diplomatic duty?" Naruto said, still not following. "But you look all messed up, like you were fighting."

Shikamaru was grinning ear to ear. "Yah, there was definitely a fight."

This alarmed Naruto. "What?! Who was it? They attacked you? Did you win."

"Attacked?" He thought about it and shrugged. "I guess, but I brought it on myself." Shikamaru laughed again. "And I definitely won."

Naruto frowned. "You're in a really good mood for some reason. If someone attacked you we should tell Gaara."

Shikamaru waved his hand. "Man, Naruto, I guess I'm lucky you're so dense." He chuckled and pulled his hair back up into his usual tail and sat down to join him on the roof. "So what are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep."

"Yeah, me neither." The way he said it was odd. "So what's bothering you, man?"

Naruto shrugged. "Not really sure."

"It's that fox-eared girl, right?"

Naruto shrugged.

"Naruto, if this is about Sasuke...from the sound of it all she probably doesn't even know Sasuke. She was involved with Orochimaru years ago. Honestly, I'm doubtful if they they can give any new leads we haven't already looked into."

Naruto shook his head. That wasn't exactly what he was thinking about. He nudged the other boy's shoulder. "We should get some sleep."

--

The next morning the escorts met Team 7 outside of the inn. The group was dressed I their traveling cloaks, packs at their backs, ready to start their journey.

"You guys are so slow. The Kazekage and Hokage selected you bunch personally. Look alive, will you?" Tenmari complained, glancing back at them, she and Kankuro walking a distance ahead of them.

A sudden thought struck Naruto as the Sand kunoichi's teal eyes passed over them. Sakura noticed. "What is it, Naruto?"

"Oh!" He exclaimed and looked at Shikamaru. He opened his mouth but Shikamaru slapped a hand over it. The two shinobi in ahead of them didn't take notice. Sakura and Sai, however, gave them weird looks.

"Heheheh..." Naruto chuckled under his breath once the hand was gone.

 

[Lorelai Dannehur]

It seemed Michiko's night terrors had become a regular enough occurrence that nobody came running in alarm at the sound of Michiko's screams suddenly breaking the silence at half past midnight. It took her brothers a full five minutes to reassure her she'd only been dreaming and all four of them were together and safe for the moment. Michiko had stopped screaming, but desperately clung to her brother Daichi while shaking like leaf in a high wind. It took her another fifteen minutes for the feelings of being watched by malevolent eyes and fear for her life along with those of her brothers to subside. Someone quickly peeked into their room just to make sure everyone was alright. After Daisuke's reassurances they would all be fine after more sleep, the siblings were left on their own again. Once Michiko's shaking had finally stopped, Daichi protectively held his sister as she drifted into a slightly more restful sleep, but not before sleepily mumbling an apology for her behavior which all three of her brothers were quick to dismiss. One by one, Michiko's brothers drifted in and out of a light doze for the rest of the night just in case Michiko would need them again.

The next morning, Michiko and her three brothers arrived at the assigned meeting point half an hour after everyone else. All four siblings looked worn and had circles under their eyes from lack of proper sleep. As usual, Daisuke acted as spokesman for his other siblings since Michiko was feeling cranky while the twins traded tired, disgruntled glances with one another in silence. Daisuke politely bowed to everyone in greeting before apologizing, "Sorry we're late, I'm afraid we had a rough night and didn't get much sleep." Michiko's face turned red as her hair while she stared at her sandals and mumbled an apology to her brothers. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up. It's all my fault." Daichi was quick to reassure her, "Nonsense, Mi-chan. It's only natural for us to stay up with you when you're in distress. Orochimaru's the one responsible for the bad memories you carry with you and the...disturbances they cause." Still embarrassed over the whole incident, Michiko only nodded while remaining silent.

Daisuke turned his attention to Sakura and hesitantly asked, "Ummm...Sakura-san? As a fellow healer, I was wondering if you'd be willing to try and help us out? I've tried everything I can think of to help Mi-chan sleep at night, but I'm afraid nothing has been very effective. You see, Mi-chan sometimes has these awful night terrors-" before Daisuke could utter another word, Michiko's hand clamped firmly over his mouth with her other arm wrapped around his neck in a headlock. Her face was the color of a sunburned tomato as she angrily threatened her brother, "One more word out of you Beanpole, and everyone here is going to know every single embarrassing story the twins have told me about you dating all the way back to the time you were in DIAPERS! Understand?!" In response, Daisuke licked Michiko's hand covering his mouth, causing his sister to release him as she gave a yell in disgust before frantically rubbing her hand against her pants to get off Daisuke's saliva. Daisuke gave his sister an exasperated look while rubbing his sore neck from her headlock. Since he was slightly taller that Michiko, he'd been forced to lean over while she'd had hold of his head so it hadn't been a very comfortable position to be in. "Geeze, Mi-chan. I was only trying to help-" Michiko angrily interrupted him. "How?! By baring your soul to complete strangers and revealing personal information about me without even consulting me first?! You're far too trusting, Daisuke!"

Daisuke evenly replied, "And you're too quick to judge. I can't put my finger on it so I don't know how to explain, but these people are different from Orochimaru. I don't get the same vibe from them that I did around him. It's just a feeling I have, but I don't believe they're our enemies." With a sigh Daisuke added, "You really are no fun when you're cranky." A mischievous smile full of playful humor crossed his face as he looked at Michiko and stated, "I think I know of one way to turn that frown upside down." Before Michiko even had a chance to look unnerved at her brother's expression, he'd tackled her and promptly started digging his fingers into her ribcage causing Michiko to giggle helplessly while attempting to squirm away from his merciless tickling. In between giggles Michiko managed to gasp out, "Lemme go! You'll regret this! I'll prank you in your sleep, I swear!" Her threats didn't sound menacing at all as she kept emitting giggles in between words occasionally punctuated by loud snorts every time she tried taking a breath. When Daisuke helped her up with a wide grin across his face, Michiko gasped out in between giggles, "Y-You're evil." Daisuke's grin only grew wider as he patted his sister on the back. "How? I got you to laugh, didn't I? You're gonna prank me in my sleep, huh? Well it was worth it just to see your smile and get you to lighten up a little." As an afterthought he added, "By the way. You have embarrassing stories of your own, you know." Daisuke's mischievous grin returned as he asked, "Remember the time you fell in the lake and Daichi pretended to mistake you for a big fish before hooking the back of your shirt with his fishing rod to reel you in?" Michiko shot back with one of her own. "Well, what about you? How about the time you were dumb enough to have a sparring match with a horned goat armed only with a toy kunai and wound up getting chased by it? I'd warned you of what might happen, but of course you wouldn't listen and provoked the goat anyway. You're lucky it didn't do any permanent damage after it sent you flying with a headbutt. What do you have to say about that" Daisuke smiled and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment as he mildly replied, "Um...wisdom isn't choosy about age?" Michiko slumped in disappointment as she'd hoped for a better reaction than that. Sai could be heard asking Kankuro and Temari, "Is this normal behavior between siblings?"


((Whew! Sorry it took me so long to post.))