Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Kung Fu Panda, these franchises belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 6

"Speaking"

'Thoughts'

"Beast speaking"

'beast thoughts'

Shikamaru's eyes were locked to the board, trying desperately to figure out the conundrum that was occurring right in front of him. He was very sure he had already developed some kind of twitch by this point, this was not logical.

"Come on Shikamaru, you've been staring at the board for the past ten minutes. Either make a move or don't" Natsumi said acting bored, though even anyone remotely close could hear the smugness in her voice.

It had been roughly an hour since the Konoha groups arrival and subsequent beating, true to her world Natsumi had created a one time use portal and chuckled Sasuke and Sakura back through. Of course, she hadn't done it without using the chance to humiliate them. Shaving, and writing obscene things on their bodies and leaving a note with a challenge on them to tempt the council to come after her. When that was taken care of she had sat down with her students to update her friends, Natsumi had offered to play Shikamaru as they spoke leading to the current situation.

Shikamaru prided himself on being a talented strategist, being able to anticipate and plan around his opponent, thinking two moves ahead. Yet, battling Natsumi in shogi was like fighting controlled chaos. Nothing she did made sense, moves seemingly at random led Shikamaru into traps that repeatedly cost him tiles. The way things were going he wouldn't last much longer.

"I'm working on it, ha troublesome." He groaned as he moved another piece only for her to block it." Where was all this cunning back at the academy?" He asked, she had been the class clown after all.

"The village hated me for Kurama even back them, better to let them see what they wanted to see and play a role then give them more ammunition and fuel to try and burn me with." Natsumi explained as she made her move.

"Umm Natsumi, who's Kurama?" Tenten asked, Natsumi had mentioned the name a few times when they were being caught up but, it wasn't one she was familiar with. Lazily one of Natsumi's tails raised and pointed to a large tree, following it the duo saw a rather huge golden fox. It didn't click for them until it cracked open an eye and waved to them with one of his nine tails.

"Sup." He said lazily before returning to sleep, this caught both off guard.

"So, that's the Kyubbi, he is a lot more… Laid back, then we were told he would be." Tenten admitted, they were expecting a massive and angry monster, not a lazy fox sunning himself.

"What were you expecting, me trampling everything in my path, roaring in anger to make people feel fear of me, eating small children. As you Nara would say, far to troublesome." Kurama explained to them, getting a snort from Tenten.

"Kurama was my first and best friend, the village might think he is some evil monster. But, he's just a big fuzzball who just loves to relax." Natsumi said getting a mock glare from him.

"As much fun as that discussion would be, we should probably get back on track. So, is there anything you know for certain about this darkness that is supposed to hit the village?" Shikamaru asked, wanting to get back on track.

"Sadly no, we're basically operating on a generalized basis and just getting Po and ourselves as ready as we can be in the time we have." Tigress said, her and the five had stayed quiet through most of the talk so far." It doesn't really help that we have a lot of people to chose from." Crane added.

"That's true." Natsumi said nodding, looking a bit wary." Shifu and I have made no shortage of enemies over the years, dictators, warlords, gang leaders. Any number of them could be this darkness that master Oogway spoke of, just as likely it could be a new enemy that is raising up for the first time." Natsumi explained.

"Ahh I think it has to be someone from your past." Po said making the others look at him." Well just, the more I've thought about it the more it makes sense. Oogway said that a darkness would come to the valley, but he never said if it was old or new. The way I figure, if it was a new enemy then we would be hearing about it from other towns on the way. Because we haven't, I think it's safe to assume this enemy is coming here specifically for us." Po explained.

"Hmm a fair assumption Po, however it could just as likely be they are laying low until they arrive here to attack." Natsumi countered making the panda deflate. Tenten gave her fellow panda a pat on the shoulder, making him perk up a little. It also made Natsumi sense a spike of jealousy coming from her adopted sister.

"Whatever the case, we need to continue training for the moment. Po, for now we will have to put off tactical training and work to increase your physical skills." Natsumi said.

"Good, I'll probably need all the fighting skill I can get for when the darkness and those Leaf shinobi arrive." Po said, glad to be able to continue training, even if he knew it was going to be hell on him. The mention of him fighting the Shinobi caused Natsumi's eyes to harden.

"No Po, you are not going to be battling any of the shinobi that arrive, none of you are." Natsumi said seeing both him and the five getting ready to protest." This is not your battle, none of you are to get involved." Natsumi ordered, this seemed to pacify the group, we'll all but one.

"Yeah master, with all do respect. Actually, forget that, sis there is no way in hell I am letting you fight these guys by yourself." Tigress said, eerily calm about this, Natsumi turned to her and glared.

"This is not up for debate Tigress." Natsumi started only to be cut off." You're right, it's not, because myself, Po and the rest of the five are not letting you, end of story." Tigress said, Natsumi by now looked ready to explode so Tigress stopped her." Look sis, you spent fifteen years training us to be The Furious Five, to be the protectors of china, to help people, to fight the good fight. It would go against everything you taught us if we just, backed down and didn't help." Tigress said, the others nodding and voice their support.

Natsumi glared at them all, trying to get them to back down. But, eventually she sighed." You're all so stubborn, guess you get that from learning from me." She said, then looked at them." Fine, you want to help, you can, but I am going to be working you to the bone until they arrive." She warned, they didn't back down.

"Alright then people, let's get back to work." Natsumi said.

The next day saw a dramatic shift in the temple, it was as if everyone and everything was set into overdrive.

Po threw himself into his exercises with a fever, determined to start putting some ground into his training and begin learning his Taijutsu styles. The five weren't far behind him, each having browsed through the library and found styles they intended to learn and use to augment their existing Taijutsu styles and their Kung Fu. Tai Lung, Tenten, and Shikamaru were just as quick to jump in.

Having looked through the library themselves, Tenten and Shikamaru had each found a unique style that fight their new bodies and began to practice in earnest. For Tenten, it was a variation of Armored Bear style that incorporated more weapon combat as well as long range known as Calvary Bear style. For Shikamaru, a style uniquely suited for the Nara, laying in wait for his prey before striking with pinpoint accuracy and swift execution. It was named, ironically, Shadow Sloth style.

Natsumi sat under a tree, using Kurama as a back rest as she watched her students work in earnest so early in the morning. A small smile graced her lips, perhaps allowing them to stand with her during the upcoming battle with her former home had done more for them then she thought.

She closed her eyes, deciding to do some light meditation to help clear her mind, that's when she felt it. In the back of her mind she felt a small tug, not something one would be able to notice or sense without extreme mental discipline. Of course, it helped that she knew these method, her and Kurama had used it dozens of times to speak in private, though why he needed to talk to her was beyond her. Mentally she shrugged and latched on, letting it pull her along.

When she opened her eyes, Natsumi expected to be greeted by her mindscape a lush forest with an open plain in the center. Instead she found herself somewhere else. It was clearly a bar, high end with velvet carpet and seats, a long bar stood at one end with a shelf lined with expensive alcohol. A mirror sat under it, in places she could spot cracks and dents, and a faint haze hung around her.

"What the, where the hell am I?" She asked herself quietly, this was new.

"Hey, hey, hey foxy, long time no see. You miss little old me." A high-pitched voice said behind her, the voice was practically dripping with sarcasm and a touch of madness. Natsumi's face grew flat, she knew that voice well.

"Koji." She said turning to face the speaker, it was a gray jackal with black spots dotting his pelt, a form fitting vest lined with pockets and daggers on his chest, pants that were lose and lined as well, and on the jackal's forehead was a headband, a single music note stamped into the center of the metal.

This was Koji, or as he was formally known Inoka Yamanaka. During the failed invasion of the leaf Inoka was the only Shinobi that had been unaccounted for. It turned out Orochimaru had captured him, twisted his mind to strip out as many secrets as he could before using him to test an experimental seal array. The array had backfired spectacularly, sucking Inoka through and by sheer miracle landing him in this world. The former Shinobi had picked up the pieces of his damaged and now demented mind and reinvented himself. Becoming one of the most infamous black-market brokers in china.

"Yep Yep, shocked to see me. I told you, no walls or bars can hold me." He said before cackling insanely, the two had clashed several times, and while Natsumi didn't hate the man she did lock him up for his own mental health as well as stopping his operations.

"Please, we both know your still locked up in a padded cell. How are you doing this?" She asked, though it was more of a demand." Forged a connection, I did. Can see what you see, hear what you hear, speak mind to mind we can." Koji said his speech breaking.

"Hmm, looks like ill have to do something about that later, what do you want?" She asked taking a seat." Don't be so quick foxy to get rid of me, this time I have info that you want. But, its not gonna be free." Koji said getting close to her, making her growl as a warning.

"I have serious doubts you have anything I would want." Natsumi said getting up to leave." Not even the name of a certain old enemy that's gonna attack your village." Koji said making her stop cold." What. Do. You. Know." She snarled, yanking his collar close." Ahh ahh, price first, I'm getting kind of tired of Chorh-Gom Prison. You tell the guards to move me somewhere more scenic, and the info is all yours." He said smirking evilly.

Natsumi snarled again, about to tell him to go to hell when she stopped. This information could help them so much, and really all it was, was moving Koji to a different prison. She could think of a dozen places that could hold him just as well. So, she looked down at him and growled at." Fine, ill tell them to move you once we're done." She said.

"Perfect, knew you would see it my way." Koji said." Your old friend General Rumboshi, he is the one who is going to attack. His men broke him out barely an hour ago, left me here even after all the times I helped him." Koji said in mock sadness before continuing." He plans to raise another army and march on the valley, wants your pelt as a trophy before he restarts his campaign." Koji explained.

The name made Natsumi pale considerably, of all the people they could be facing it had to be that rhino. With a sigh she dropped Koji and organized her emotions." I suppose I should say thank you Koji, I'll make sure your transfer is put through." She said turning once again to leave.

"Oh, there is one other thing. This one is kind of for free, there were two people helping Rumboshi's old men, I think you would have a vested interest in them." Koji said, the mindscape melted and became a frozen battle in the heart of the mountain prison. Koji gestured to a catwalk, Natsumi looked and saw something that made her blood run cold.

On the catwalk, battling with a band of Rhino guards was a crow wearing a straw hat, though even from here she could see it's eyes were red with three tomoe in them. The other was a large grizzly bear, it's fur had an odd blue tint to it, and it wielded a massive sword wrapped in bandages. But, what really stood out were the black cloaks with red cloud motifs on them.

'DAMN IT, they must have slipped through the same time as Shikamaru's group. How though, that seal is one of the most complex ever designed. Damn it all to hell now I have the Akatsuki to deal with on top of everything else.' She thought slamming a fist against a wall.

"Must be a blow to the ego, knowing those two slipped by without you even sensing them. Here I thought you were good with the seal stuff." Koji taunted making her lash out at him and slam him across the fake room, this only got a demented laugh from him." You run on him to the kiddies foxy, try to live through this though, it would be no fun if I lost my one source of entertainment." Koji said forcibly ejecting her from his mindscape.

Natsumi's eyes shot open and she bolted up, around her was her students and friends all looking worried." Natsumi, are you ok?" Shifu asked." You've been out cold for the past thirty minutes. We got worried when you started growling and twitching." Viper said clearly displaying her worry.

Natsumi sighed and waved them off." Physically I'm well everyone, however I just had a bit of a hat with someone." She said, looking at them all with a grim expression on her face." We apparently have some new things to talk about." She said.

Twenty minutes later the group was in the barrack dining hall, all of them sitting around the table as Natsumi finished giving them the information she had received from Koji.

"So, just wanting to be sure here, we can trust this information, right? I mean the guy is locked up in a crazy ward for a reason, are we sure he isn't just trying to play games with us and getting us to chase false leads." Po asked, playing devil's advocate.

"I wish that was the case Po." Natsumi said sighing." Koji might be insane, but he prides himself on his brokering status, he has never sold any false information or products and that's a reputation he holds on to. If he says this is who we are dealing with, then it is." Shifu explained.

"But, come on. General Rumboshi, The Iron Fortress, the guy who led a campaign across china and nearly conquered the whole country with nothing more than five thousand men until he was brought down by the two of you thirty years ago. I can kind of understand wanting payback, but the guy is pretty old now. Could he even do this?" Po asked.

"Rumboshi wasn't feared for his strength Po, he was a brilliant tactician, the best in all of china when he began his attack. Thirty years locked up, nothing better to do has probably made that genius even more lethal." Natsumi said, not liking the picture she painted.

"And of course, we have the Akatsuki to deal with. I would explain but, something tells me you already know about them." Shikamaru said." Yes, after I ran into Itachi and Kisame the first time, I did extensive research and stumbled upon the group. A band of S-rank missing Nin from across the globe united to hunt tailed beast. They were one of the reasons I left behind the world, rather than just Konoha." Natsumi explained.

"So, what do we do about them?" Monkey asked." For now, nothing, the two of them are clearly working with Rumboshi, I imagine they plan to fan his war flame and using the chaos his attack will create to try and go after me. A smart plan but, they don't really how much growing I've done nor how much more skilled I am." Natsumi said allowing a smug smirk for a moment, before growing serious again.

"In any case, the situation hasn't changed much. We still need to work hard in our training, it will take time for Rumboshi to gather an army like the last one he had, at best we have a month before he will be able to attack, at worst a few weeks. Whatever the case, we continue on as we have and prepare for him." Natsumi explained getting nods from her students as well as her friends.

"Given the time frame, we can assume Konoha will attack first, three weeks assuming things work out that way given the time difference here." Tenten said." That we don't have to worry about, they will arrive on time. It seems yours and Itachi and Kisames arrival has synced the time barriers, our worlds now flow the same from a chronological standpoint." Natsumi explained, she had been studying the pheromone since they had arrived, god damn did she love seals.

After the talks were finished the others left to return to their exercises, leaving Natsumi, Shifu and Kurama alone to speak." You're worried, more then your letting on." Shifu said, he could read his oldest friend well enough to know when she wasn't saying everything she wanted to say.

"That obvious ha." She said with a depressed chuckle." Ha, I just always feared this day, when our past would come back to haunt us in ways we could never foresee. And now, we have the Akatsuki roaming free, Rumboshi on the loose, and Konoha knocking at our door. To top it off, my students who I swore I would keep out of all this are insisting that I let them help." Natsumi said sighing.

"They get that from you, and don't deny it you are as stubborn as a mule when you want to be. Those kids were bound to pick up some of that, given all the years you have taught them." Kurama pointed out, joining the conversation for the first time." I suppose, still I don't like." Natsumi said.

"You don't have to like it, but that is the situation that you have, so what are you going to do about it?" Shifu asked, a certain gleam in his eye, one Natsumi hadn't seen in a number of years." How the hell should I know Shifu, I'm not even sure I'm ready to face down my past myself." She said, it was true, she had always known a day would come when she was forced to deal with Konoha, but now she was looking at it and she was at a complete lose.

Shifu huffed and hopped up on the table, holding his flute up he smacked Natsumi had on the top of her head." OW, what the hell Shifu, what was that for." Natsumi whined." To get my best friend back, because this certainly isn't her. The Natsumi I know wouldn't be scared of something like this. She would hold her head high, a cocky smirk on her face, her students, allies, friends and whoever else watching her back and she watching theirs. That is who you are." Shifu said, Natsumi looking at him, they a smirk grew on his face, and the gleam in her eyes matched his.

"Now, I'm going to ask again, you know what the situation is, so what are you going to do about it?" He asked again, Natsumi chuckled and stood, leaving the room with Shifu and Kurama behind her. She walked down the halls of the barracks until she reached her room, stepping in she closed the door behind them and went the far wall. She pressed a symbol on the wall causing it and a piece of the floor to vanish and reveal a long passage way.

"You ask me what I'm going to do Shifu, well I think I have just the answer." She said, walking down the vast flight of steps, when they reached the bottom they found a stone room. The walls, floor and ceiling lined with seals over every inch. On one side was a large work station, ink, scroll paper, and tools lined the large desk in rows. The paper completely covered in half-finished and practiced seals.

"I've been letting my own skills and abilities grow dull while I trained the five, Po and the others. With everyone coming I can't let myself be a teacher anymore." She said stepping out to the middle of the room, when she was in the center the ominous sound of clanking chains filled the air. Then without warning a bloom of Chi Chains burst from her back, some tipped with razor sharp heads, some with weights for capture and blunt force hits. All of them dancing and bending to Natsumi's will.

"I think it's about time I got back to my own projects." She said turning to face them, a satisfied smirk plastered on her face.

Ladies and gentlemen, its tenzo again.

So here we are everyone, the next chapter in our story. This chapter is kind of a land mark since anyone who read the original copy of this book knows this is when things sort of fell apart and I stopped writing, well don't worry that won't be happening this time, now were moving off to the unknown. So, how did you all like it, we see who our main villain is, a sneak peek of a future pain in the ass in the form of Koji, a small glimpse of Kisame and Itachi, and now we get to see Natsumi returning to Uber badass mode. All kinds of fun are in store now.

Now since im here I want to inform everyone of something, I update every Sunday, no later, no sooner. People don't have to ask for me to update soon because I will. Just giving you all a heads up.

As always like, review, and all that fun stuff. Ill see you all in the next chapter. Peace out.