Omiai

It's so hard to find the connection from heart to your mind
As I walk through the dark you're the only one lighting my world

-Monkey Majik, "A. I. am Human"

Previously:

"The Gokage voted to have Danzo removed as leader of Konohagakure and nominated you as his replacement. But Danzo's saying that you're not fit to be Hokage with a baby on the way."

"That's bullsh*t!" Naruto exploded. "What's that got to do with…"

"What's more important is that Danzo knows about you being the father!" Sasuke growled back. "And our first priority should be getting her and the baby out of…" His eyes widened slightly before he suddenly cursed. "Kuso!"

…...

Her eyes were steely as she looked up at him. "You're right – nothing you can say is ever going to be enough for everything you made me feel and go through. But I'm willing to put this behind us. We're both going to go on and live two very different, separate paths with two different people so there's no point letting past feuds hinder us. So, shake?"

A/N: So I actually have some free time in my life now and realised that I actually still have a story to finish. My 2018 resolution is to post more than one chapter a year.

To all of you still reading in 2018, I hope your life is blessed with a lifetime supply of chocolate chip cookie dough ice-cream.

Chapter 17 – From Heart to your Mind

"And you're absolutely sure that you can't find them?"

"My deepest apologies, Hokage-sama. We searched the compound again but they must have fled after the battle with our ANBU squads. We will resume our efforts at first light."

His grip on the cane was so tight, he could almost feel the whiteness of his knuckles crushing the aged wood as he fought to control the surge of anger he could feel bubbling within him.

"No sign of the Hyuuga girl as well?"

"We have sent advance runners to intercept her at the Demon Desert en route to Sunagakure, where we think she is likely headed next. She's at least six months pregnant, there's no way she'll be able to outrun or outfight any of our shinobi. It's only a matter of time.

A heavy sigh escaped him. And it's only a matter of time before your head will be next if you screw up again. "Very well, thank you for your report, Panther-san. Dismissed."

Visible relieved, the ANBU Captain bowed deeply to the two shinobi. "Hokage-sama. Danzo-sama."

As the door closed softly, Hyuuga Asahi turned to face him. "What happens if we cannot locate Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke, Danzo-sama?"

Danzo took a long sip of his Genmaicha tea, a gift from Yakuza Hiroshi that had arrived just a few days ago. With the latter now comfortably installed as 'Special Advisor' to the Head of Kusagakure and richer than ever thanks to his mercenary syndicate's plundering in the Elemental Nations unchecked and un-investigated by Konoha's shinobi; the syndicate boss had been quite generous in gifting him with a packet of the finest tea in the land every other fortnight. Gokudo Aizen and Genseida Akira were similarly hospitable, sending their ambassadors to Konoha at least once a month with invitations for lavish banquets and onsen retreats. Trying to buy my loyalty and my silence, he smirked as he refilled his cup and waited for the tea to steep. As if I would ever allow Konoha or myself to be slave to any of your petty offerings. But for the moment, rest assured that I need you as much as you need me. "It would not be a catastrophe if they cannot be found. After all, being conspirators against the Hokage and attempting to deceive the village through a false marriage between the Uchiha and the Hyuga, they are now classed as enemies of the Leaf." His face darkened. "What is important though, is we recapture Hyuga Hinata at all costs. As long as we have her and the child hostage, neither Uzumaki Naruto or Uchiha Sasuke will dare to move openly against us."

"Well with Uzumaki removed from the picture, the Fire Daimyo did not seem to have any objections to your handpicking me as your successor," Hyuga Asashi commented, his lavender eyes scanning through the official decree of his appointment as Nanadaime Hokage of Konohagakure. The Fire Daimyo's seal was stamped neatly at the bottom of the scroll. "Did he not query your sudden decision to "step down"?"

"He readily accepted my explanation that sickness comes suddenly upon those of us in old age," he replied smoothly, inhaling the fragrant aroma of the prized tealeaves in satisfaction. "After all, his own health has been failing as of late so it may well be that Kami will be blessing us with a new Daimyo sometime in the near future. Anyhow, he had full confidence in your ability to lead our village as long I would be around to provide my supervision and guidance during the transition period." Not that it really matters anyway, both Asahi and myself know that the exchange of titles is nothing more than political smoke and mirrors. He understands who really pulls the strings behind everything. "Before we proceed to more pleasant talk on your inauguration ceremony, have preparations for next week's operation commenced?"

"Hai, Danzo-sama. It's just as we discussed."

"Good," the elderly shinobi mused as he picked up the latest edition of Konoha Daily. The headline blared, "Gokage Summit Celebrates 5th Anniversary", accompanied by a photo of the five Heads of the Hidden Villages seated around the table before the start of the summit. Where such displays of unity had become increasingly commonplace since the end of the Fourth Great Ninja War, it still made his stomach turn to see everyone, including himself sitting there and smiling for the world to see; proof that they were living in a "new era of inter-village peace and unity." As if one instance of forced cooperation against Uchiha Madara was enough to wipe out the sins and crimes of the past fifty years.

The charade had gone on for too long…it was time to test if the so-called Shinobi Alliance was really an alliance of equals or nothing more than a marriage of convenience. It was time to see if its fragile bonds were enough to withstand the weight of history…or if it would crumble under the strain of papering over wounds that in reality, could never ever be healed.

"Does that feel better now?"

The purple haired shinobi stood up gingerly, a broad smile spreading across his face as he realised the internal throbbing that had been plaguing him for months had dulled to a faint ache. "Much better, Haruno-san! No wonder our beloved Mizukage-sama is convinced you can work miracles for Kirigakure," Chojuro gushed. Flexing his biceps, he grabbed Hiramekarei and unsheathed the enormous hammer in a burst of blue chakra. "Feels almost as good as new now!"

His enthusiasm was infectious, and Sakura felt a similarly big grin tug the edges of her lips. "Maa maa," she laughed, watching the Kiri shinobi swing a perfect overhead arc before expertly changing the hammer's trajectory into a sideway slash. Despite his relatively slight stature, his skill with the oversized weapon was exceptional – it was no wonder he was a member of the legendary Seven Swordsmen of the Mist and rumour had it, handpicked successor to the Godaime Mizukage. "This is only really an experimental treatment to alleviate the symptoms you've been having over the past few months. We still have a long road ahead to recov …"

"Arigatou gozaimasu!"

He suddenly flung himself to the ground, tears streaming down his cheeks as he stroked the edges of Hiramekarei in awe, almost reverently. "I thought after the poisoning that I would never be able to get back to this level. Even if it's only 30%, 20% or 0.5%, you've given me back my dream of becoming a shinobi that will be able to serve our beloved Mizukage and Kirigakure no Sato as best as I can!"

It's not only the Will of Fire that drives one to protect what is precious to them and inspires them to lay down their life – it's so much more than that. This is the will of a shinobi.

"Hai hai." She smiled and wiped her brow. "I will see you next week then to monitor your progress – hopefully I will have made some headway on my own end to enhance your antidote. In the meantime," the young medic wagged her finger sternly. "…take good care not to overexert yourself unless you want to find yourself on the receiving end of my famous Cherry Blossom Impact." Seeing Chojuro's slightly terrified expression, she threw in a cheeky wink for good measure as she waved him through the door.

After making sure her patient was well out of earshot, Sakura slowly sank down onto her seat. "You recognise the symptoms as well, don't you Katsuyu-chan," she murmured to the miniature-sized white slug curled around the earthen blue mug on her desk. Given the amount of chakra required to summon and maintain the main body, both the Konoha medic and her slug summons had agreed that a single clone would suffice for assisting Sakura go about her daily duties. It wasn't actually necessary to have a Katsuyu clone on hand at all times – in the absence of full scale warfare, Sakura was more than able to comfortably handle the number of patients brought in on a daily basis but somehow having the slug summons there was a familiar, comforting presence. A visible reminder of what she had been entrusted with and who she had to live up to.

Katsuyu raised her head, the turquoise markings on her body glinting in the dewy sunlight as she slowly slithered across the desk to the medic's chair. "I've only seen it one other time before, but there is no mistaking it. His poisoning is the work of a Konoha shinobi."

Picking up her clipboard, Sakura flipped through Shizune's hastily scrawled notes – a minor miracle given how little time the older medic had had to diagnose and treat Chojuro the first time round. However, they had been good enough to allow Sakura to formulate an experimental draught made from deadly nightshade and devil's snare to temporarily counteract the poison. But even Konoha's greatest Poison Expert had been unable to completely remove the toxin from his body and without the true antidote, all she could do for now was halt the slow, destructive death it was currently wrecking on his cells.

With a grim look at the slug, she stood up. "We have to let the Mizukage know right away that the poison in Chojuro's body belongs to the Rinkaichū beetles of Konoha's Aburame clan."

"So they all managed to escape you say?"

"Hai. Naruto-kun and Uchiha-sama are currently in a safe location underground – with the Hokage presumably directing his pursuit efforts outside the village, they are confident that he would not suspect them of being right under his nose. They should be safe for now."

Kakashi stroked his chin absently, his thoughts a dizzying mess while Mei turned to the orange toad summons. "How sure are you that Hyuuga Hinata has not been captured since she last summoned you?" she asked urgently.

Gamatatsu shifted from one large flank to another, his tongue darting in a blink of an eye to catch a passing insect. While time had sharpened his maturity and battle sense, it seemed his insatiable appetite for snacks remained unchanged. "All Summons are intrinsically linked to our owner, Mizukage-sama and as such, are able to sense their emotions; although this greatly reduces as the distance between owner and summons increases. While my link with Hinata-sama feels nothing more than a faint pulse, there has been no change since then. I am confident she is making her way to you safely."

"While I have full confidence in Hinata's combat abilities, it is a long way from Konoha to Kirigakure and on top of that, she is several months pregnant," Kakashi said quietly. He turned to Mei. "Mizukage-sama, I understand that these are internal affairs that Kirigakure has no obligation to partake in. However, I would humbly request that…"

"I'm going to find her!"

Kakashi felt his head turn around in slow motion.

Sakura strode through the door, seemingly pointedly ignoring him and bowed. "Sumimasen, Mizukage-sama but I was about to see you and couldn't help but overhear your conversation. "Both Kakashi-san and yourself are Kirigakure shinobi, so directly interfering in Konoha's affairs may be taken by Danzo as tantamount to taking sides against him. I understand that I am contracted in service to you during my time here, but I am still a Konoha shinobi so please allow me to search for my friend, both for Naruto and her sake." She straightened slowly.

Both Kakashi-san and yourself are Kirigakure shinobi. That hurt. However truthful it was, it still stung coming from her mouth but Kakashi had to acknowledge the truth of her words. In his overwhelming desire to rescue Hinata, he had momentarily forgotten the repercussions if Danzo discovered that Kirigakure was aiding and harbouring a known Konoha fugitive. As an important member of the Kirigakure hierarchy now, Kakashi had to be careful in treading inter-village political affairs, even ones that were close to his heart. He exhaled ruefully. He really was getting soft in old age.

"Both of you really are the most amusing I've seen in a while."

The silver-haired shinobi watched in slight bewilderment as the Mizukage reached for a fresh set of scrolls and ink. Sweeping her auburn bangs out of her eyes, she gave him a piercing look that reminded him again why she was the most powerful kunoichi in the Elemental Nations. "While it may be against the Alliance Treaty to interfere in our neighbour's political affairs, there is nothing in the agreement that prevents us from providing political refuge to those in need. Uuzumaki Naruto has been more of a friend to this village than the current Hokage will ever be and it is only thanks to him that the Alliance we forged those moons ago still stands." As she turned to Sakura, she broke into a small smile. "And above all, I don't think I would be able to sleep at night if I turned my back on Naruto when the mother of his child has chosen to place her trust in us for help. However," her expression became serious again. "You are right in that we cannot risk Danzo discovering that we have had a hand in this. To that end, I do agree that you will be the best person to lead this retrieval mission. I'm willing to provide you with a few backup shinobi…"

"I'll go with her."

Hard, jade eyes snapped to his in an instant before quickly returning to the floor.

Mei coughed. "…backup shinobi but as Kakashi has so kindly volunteered to escort you, I can't think of any better solution. You will leave at dawn tomorrow."

Kakashi felt his jaw proverbially sink to the floor behind his mask before Mei's voice jolted him back to reality. "Now that is decided, what did you want to see me about Haruno-san?"

"I've discovered the source of Chojuro's poison, Mizukage-sama. The poison is actually the venom of the Rinkaichu beetle, which is only native to Konoha's Aburame clan." He heard the woman next to him gasp audibly, mirroring his own thoughts before pulling himself back together as she continued speaking. "It is extremely rare, even within the clan itself and unfortunately, only the breeders of the Rinkaichu will have a full antidote. Without it, I'm afraid while we can halt the progress of the decay but it will be the same as allowing him to sleepwalk to death."

As expected, Mei turned instantly to him. "Is this true, Hatake? A poison originating from Konoha was used to attack my men?"

Keenly aware that Sakura was politely watching him, the jonin took a deep breath. "While I'm not an expert on poisons or insect-based jutsu of any kind, as far as I know the only clan in the entire Elemental Nations that are able to harvest insect-based abilities are the Aburame clan which was one of the reasons they rose to become one of the four noble clans in Konoha. I'm not fully across all of the specific types of insects they breed as part of their arsenal but if you are sure that the venom is from an insect, then it is almost certain that the user is an Aburame." He clenched his jaw. "Which means, that Chojuro and his men were deliberately attacked by a person and possibly others from Konoha."

The Mizukage started pacing the room as she always did when she was thinking, her fishbone plait swaying gently in time to her agitated strides. "Chojuro's men were attacked on the way back from their mission to Lightning. The mission was nothing out of the ordinary – a routine mission to transport some documents to the Raikage." Digging through some files, she pulled out the mission report she had spent hours poring over in the tense days and nights that had followed Chojuro's attack. "The attack seemingly happened out of nowhere and my men were overpowered before they realised what had happened. The only thing that slightly caught my attention was that the squad was attacked in the Yosuga Pass. Are you both aware of the "Ganryu Incident?"

Kakashi raised his eyebrow. "Also known as 'The Tragedy of Yosuga Pass', that was the event that sparked a brief war between Kirigakure and Iwagakure about 15 years back."

"Correct." Mei resumed pacing. "As a mark of respect to the Kiri shinobi that had perished in the Incident, it is common for shinobi to avoid that route when travelling in the region but Chojuro may have been pressed for time with the Konoha delegation due to arrive soon after his mission. I thought it was abandoned by now," she furrowed her eyebrows. "Perhaps some opportunistic bandits or mercenaries still use that route to smuggle contraband but it doesn't explain how or why a Konoha shinobi would be with them."

A sudden thought struck him. "Did anyone ever suspect if the attacks were related to that mercenary syndicate Kagura was connected with?"

Mei stopped again, a frown clouding her expression. "No – all our investigations led to a dead end, so we were forced to conclude that it was a rogue shinobi attack and closed the case. But now, it seems that our conclusion may have been premature."

All three shinobi in the room fell silent but Kakashi's senses were tingling with something close to excitement as he closed his eyes. Coincidence? Or connection? Chojuro was attacked in the Yasuga Pass. Konoha by way of the Aburame clan was seemingly involved in the attack. There were no Aburame shinobi currently in the Bingo Book, so that meant they were definitely acting under instruction from someone in Konoha, someone with a likely grudge against Kirigakure. And Kakashi would bet his bottom dollar he knew who that was likely to be.

But Kirigakure had just entered into a marriage alliance with Konohagakure, so attacking an ally would make absolutely no sense. Perhaps it was indeed a rogue shinobi who had managed to get hold of some Rinkaichu poison? Kakashi couldn't say for certain whether these sort of things were traded in the black market. Or maybe by some random shot in the dark, the mercenary syndicate from before was involved in all this? Ordinary bandits or robbers were unlikely to be skilled shinobi and the only organisation he had encountered at the time with shinobi powerful enough to take down a member of the equivalent of an ANBU Platoon had been Kagura and her gang.

To see underneath the underneath, a ninja had to read signs that weren't always laid out in the right order. Sometimes they weren't always correct but Kakashi had learnt to trust instinct over sense and right now, every instinct in his body was screaming that somehow, by some bizarre joke of the universe, everything he had encountered right now was part of something much bigger than he could imagine. It was like being in a giant puzzle surrounded by a hundred floating pieces; he could sense that the sequence to connect them was so, so tantalisingly close but he wasn't able to reach out and grab it just yet. Was it because he didn't have all the missing pieces yet? Or was it because he didn't know which pieces belonged to the puzzle anymore?

Finally, the Kirigakure leader heaved a deep sigh and jolted him out of his restlessness. "I am afraid that is just one more problem we need to worry about tomorrow. Right now, we have a kunoichi that we need to save," she smiled briefly at them. Kakashi felt his insides start to knot as his thoughts returned to the mission immediately at hand. A woman and her unborn child's life were at stake, and the thing Kakashi was dreading most was a little (okay, maybe a lot) hostility and awkwardness from the kunoichi that would be accompanying him. For shame, Hatake he chided himself.

For the most part, Sakura had remained silent since her impassioned plea to the Mizukage to allow her to be part of the Hinata rescue squad. Taking Mei's last reply as her cue to leave, she gave the Kage a respectful bow and swiftly made her way out of the door. To his dismay, he realised that she hadn't even confirmed any other details of tomorrow's mission with him.

"I know it's none of my business, but I hope whatever it is you have going on between you won't get in the way of this rescue mission."

Kakashi flicked his eyes guiltily back from the pink-haired medic's retreating form back to Mei. "I'm not quite sure what you're implying," he retorted, even as he knew that it was futile trying to hide. If Pakkun had the best nose for person's scent in the entire Elemental Nations, then it was safe to say that Mei had the best nose for trouble of any kind between people. The polite yet subtly hostile body language and stilted, formal dialogue between Sakura and him were becoming pointedly obvious in every one of their interactions; and none more so than the last one. Despite their last, painful conversation and her promise to move forward, it seemed that nothing had changed. Or maybe this was the new normal he had to get used to. Kakashi suddenly had this overwhelming urge to bury his head in the copy of Icha Icha Tactics he had hiding inside his pockets.

She gave him one of her infamous stares and the jonin quickly wilted. "We had um…a disagreement shortly before I came here and it looks like she still hasn't gotten over it. However, this will have no bearing on the mission that we have." He pursed his lips firmly. There was no need for her to know anymore than that – everything is behind us now like she promised. She is the past, and you are the future.

Mei silently regarded him for a minute, and Kakashi forced himself to meet her eyes. Believe me he kept willing her to.

Perhaps sensing his reluctance to discuss his prickly relationship with his former student, the Kage made the unusual move to change topics. "How far away do you think Hyuga Hinata is from Kirigakure?" She went back to pacing the room.

Kakashi let out a breath he didn't realise he had been holding. Turning to the map of the Elemental Nations she had hanging on the wall, he did some quick mental calculations before jabbing his finger at one of the lesser worn points on the grid. "I'd say based on Gamabunta's estimates, she's probably about halfway to the border so if we leave at dawn tomorrow, we should be able to meet her there in about three days' time."

Mei sat down at her desk and opened the previous day's log of mission reports. "I trust you will be careful," she said casually as she flicked open the first report. "I think I don't need to impress on you the consequences should Konoha discover our involvement in this." For the first time that morning, he detected a touch of worry in her voice.

"However, I will also remind you that if you don't make it back in time for the meeting with the wedding planner, the consequences will be severe."

His heart jumped a beat. "Of course," he gave her his signature eye crinkle and two fingered salute. "Even the Akatsuki won't count as a satisfactory excuse." He felt his elation tempered with a familiar sadness, which he quickly shrugged away. Forward, forward, forward.

"Yes I think the elders would like to commence preparations for the wedding in the summer, so it would be preferable if you were there to join me in objecting to everything that they want to do," she snorted, twirling her brush absently in her right hand. "If those old fools have their way, we might be sitting through a twelve-hour ceremony paying homage to their supposedly brilliant matchmaking skills rather than having a good time!"

"You're looking forward to it." He felt amused.

'Well, after all the doom and gloom of the past few weeks it will be a nice change," she huffed, writing busily on the scroll.

Closing the door softly behind him, Kakashi bowed formally, "Dewa mata, Mizukage-sama."

And although he knew she couldn't see his smile under his mask, he could have sworn he saw her quirk hers lips upwards in return.

"Slow down, Kiyosuchi!"

Hearing his companion's gasped request, the young Iwagakure shinobi reluctantly slowed his steps and turned his head back. Adjusting the red headband perched somewhat jauntily above his curly black locks, Kiyosuchi let out an audible sigh of impatience as he surveyed the two shinobi currently wheezing for breath. "Oji-san will get worried if we're not back by next week," he said sarcastically.

Yousuke - the shinobi the Sandaime Tsuchikage had tasked with protecting his grandson on this mission to Kirigakure; although he was really more friend than protector despite being nearly twenty years his senior waved his hand dismissively. "Since when have you ever been in a hurry to go back and see your grandfather?" he snorted in between pants. Although the cliffside path leading from the sea bordering The Land of Fire and the nearest mainland, the Land of Fire was steep and slippery, Kiyosuchi had bounced every step of the way with the agility of a deer and Yousuke found that his ageing joints were struggling hard to keep up. The elder Iwagakure jounin stretched a little before reaching into his hip pocket for a flask of water, the liquid cool against his parched throat. The scorching humidity of the Land of Water's tropic-like climate seemed to sap him of energy twice as fast as normal, and Yousuke gulped the water hurriedly, eager to be on their way back to the arid mountain lands they called home.

"Well, he's got to hurry back to inform the Tsuchikage of his intention to take a wife after all," Giichi, his other companion remarked slyly as he enjoyed watching Kiyosuchi's face turn a violent shade of plum. "It's not every day the Ambassador of Iwagakure decides that he wants to spend the rest of his life with a woman from another village. Why in the old days it would have been a crime punishable by death!"

"Oji won't mind!" Kiyosuchi snapped, aiming a half-hearted swipe at the laughing Giichi who promptly ducked. Walking to the edge of the path, he let his eyes travel to the speckled mass of islands that dotted the sea of blue below his boots; he had only set off on the journey home yesterday morning but it already felt like an eternity away from the island nation. "In fact, Oji will probably be happy that I'm actually doing something for inter-village unity besides attending boring meetings he isn't interested in," he joked half-seriously, turning back to his companions. "Kurotsuchi-nee will become Tsuchikage, so she will be able to carry on Oji's wish of peace for Iwagakure and the rest of the Elemental Nations. The best I can do is to lead by example in my own way."

Yousuke replaced the empty flask back in his pocket. "I am sure the Tsuchikage will not have any objections to your request. However, I am worried about how Echizen-san will react to you snatching his fiancée from under his nose," his eyes hardening as he looked pointedly at Kiyosuchi. The uncomfortable feeling that had taken up residence in the pit of his stomach since Kiyosuchi had informed them of his decision to marry the Kirigakure jonin started to tie knots in his stomach again. Ruka was a pretty girl and a more than competent shinobi, but the haste at which she had decided to pledge her love to his young charge despite her bethrothal had him sick with worry. They had only known each other for all of the two months that Kiyosuchi had stayed at Iwagakure on his diplomatic mission to the Land of Water. "It is never wise to make an enemy of another shinobi, let alone a member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist." This was precisely why Onoki had sent him to accompany his grandson; while his taijutsu skills were second to none even amongst shinobi half his age, his real gift lay in his unparalleled ability to quell the fires of Kiyosuchi's hot-headed yet often, well-meaning recklessness. Without him, the Tsuchikage might have been playing host to half a dozen of the talking owls they had once encountered on a mission to Kusa or found himself a few thousand beli poorer being on the losing end of another of the boy's rash bets.

Kiyosuchi raised his shoulders in a half-hearted shrug. "I told Ruka that I would sort things out with Oji-san while she breaks the news to Echizen." Pausing momentarily, he mumbled, "We didn't mean to fall in love, it just happened. And unfortunately she no longer has feelings for Echizen."

Exchanging an uneasy glance with Giichi at their young charge's flippancy, Yousuke sighed and picked up his pack. "Well, let us hurry back then to inform Tsuchikage-sama of your tidings. No doubt he will…" his voice trailed off as he noticed movement in the bushes ahead from the corner of his eye.

Quick as a flash, Giichi had stepped in front of Kiyosuchi, katana drawn. Yousuke stepped forward, his own katana gripped firmly in his left hand as he called out, "Who goes there?"

"Kimura Echizen of Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. I have come to challenge Kiyosuchi of Iwagakure to a duel for Ruka's hand."

Yousuke felt his blood run cold as the figure drew closer, bandages tossed carelessly to the ground as he unsheathed the lethal cargo on his back. There was no doubt it was Kimura Echizen, Master of the dual thunderswords Kiba – said to be the sharpest swords ever forged in the memory of man. A faint crackle of static penetrated the air, and Yousuke caught a flash of golden lightning dance along the gleaming metal blade as Echizen leisurely held them up against the light. He tightened the grip on his sword.

"You really don't leave me with a choice, do you." Kiyosuchi broke rank, charging forward towards Echizen as he started weaving the signs for a Doton jutsu. Yousuke heard his own voice scream Kiyosuchi's name, echoed by Giichi behind him. "Stop this madness at once!"

While Echizen was probably no more than a few years older than Kiyosuchi, the young man's fame as a kenjutsu expert and one of Kirigakure's legendary Seven Swordsmen of the Mist belied his youthful appearance. Yousuke sprang to his feet, just in time to block a thrust from landing on Kiyosuchi's torso. His knees buckled under the unexpected force of the attack, and it took all of his control not to let them give way. "Kiyosuchi, get away from here at once," he commanded through gritted teeth. He felt his left foot slide another millimetre, the red clay digging under his soles as he willed himself to remain steady.

Echizen snorted, a dark expression clouding his aquiline features. "I hope you don't think this was just going to end like this. I don't think you would take too kindly to being made a fool of, so I'm sure you understand that I'm quite angry at having my fiancée taken away from me and by such an unworthy idiot as well."

"These are young men's quarrels which can be sorted out without the need for swords and battle," Giichi stood between the two shinobi, holding the palms of both his hands outwards in an overt show of neutrality. Yousuke breathed slowly, feeling beads of perspiration stain his shirt as he continued to strain against Echizen's blades.

"Unfortunately I'm not in the mood for negotiating so get out of the way!" Yousuke suddenly found his body slammed onto the ground with a faceful of sand as Echizen slashed viciously at Giichi. A sickening crack jolted his consciousness as a gasp escaped his lips – pain was radiating from his left ankle as he gingerly wriggled it.

"Doton: Ganchūrō no Jutsu!"

The thundering noise of a hundred rock pillars sprouting from the ground deafened his ears, and Yousuke watched as Echizen was forced to momentarily retreat. "I see you can do some jutsu," he laughed, as Kiyosuchi glared ferociously at him from across the forest of stone that now separated them. Before he had even finished his sentence, Echizen made a quick slashing movement overhead and a brilliant flash of lightning lit up the twilight sky, before hurtling towards them and disintegrating the pillars in an instant.

Kiyosuchi's face twisted in shock before he quickly recovered. "Well, nice to know you can wave a knife in the air!" he retorted, his hands moving quickly again as he charged towards the Kiri nin, "Doton: Domu"! His right arm now fortified with the strength of a thousand diamonds, the Iwa shinobi crashed it in Echizen's direction in a bold short-range attack, forcing the other ninja to scramble to safety.

Yousuke spit out a mouthful of sand, a stab of pain piercing his left side as he stumbled wildly to his feet. "Giichi!" His heart was hammering a pattern of terror in his ribcage; as Earth shinobi they were at a severe disadvantage from Echizen's lightning-based attacks and Giichi was the only one of them that was proficient in another Nature.

The younger shinobi took a deep breathe and cupped his mouth, "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" A great burst of fire swept towards the battling shinobi, forcing them apart momentarily. The heat expelled from the technique was immense and Yousuke found himself choking from the wave of ash and smoke that blanketed the area.

"Stay out of this!" Kiyosuchi yelled at Giichi as he shoved him to the side. "This fight has to be settled here and now!" Kiyosuchi got back on his feet, peering through the thick curtains of smoke for Echizen. The Kiri shinobi had seemingly vanished in the confusion of the last attack.

"We will not be carting your dead body back to the Tsuchikage!" Giichi yelled back. His blue eyes were dark with anger as he grabbed the younger man's arm. "You have no idea how strong Kimura Echizen is – this guy is a Member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. I am not scaring you with idle warnings when I say he can and will kill you if we do not leave the battlefield now!" Seeing his dire pronouncement having absolutely no effect on abating Kiyosuchi's anger, he quickly switched tack. "Yousuke is hurt, we need to get help now or will you let him continue bleeding due to your pride?"

Yousuke saw Kiyosuchi's face crumple as he surveyed his old friend holding his left leg in pain. While he was not visibly bleeding, Kiyosuchi's guilt at seeing he had broken his left ankle as a result of the confrontation with Echizen won over the younger man's anguish at having to abandon the battle. Silently, the older shinobi gave thanks to Kami that they might make it out alive after all.

As Giichi gently helped him to his feet, an ominous bolt of lightning seared overhead, momentarily illuminating their surroundings in an eerie fluorescent white. Echizen strode towards them, white-blue crackles of electricity sizzling every time his foot touched the ground. Yousuke felt fear paralyse him again. "First you steal from me, attack me and now you won't even face me to finish things off. Did Ruka choose a man or a coward I wonder?" the swordsman mused, his voice silkily soft but there was no mistaking the venom underneath.

"Let it go, let it go." Giichi's mutterings were soft, calm; and Yousuke prayed that Kiyosuchi would not do anything foolish to provoke Echizen further. It had been madness to get tangled up in Kimura Echizen's business, let alone think they would be able to leave Kirigakure with his fiancée from right under his nose. No girl was worth losing one's life over, and he hoped Kiyosuchi realised this too.

"Kimura-san, on behalf of Kiyosuchi-san's behalf I most humbly beg your forgiveness and beseech of you that you will allow us to resolve this issue without the need for weapons." Giichi's voice rang out in the darkness.

"You Iwa shinobi probably think the rest of the Elemental Nations are a soft touch compared to you – well let me show you that it's not only Iwa shinobi who have a heart of stone." Yousuke felt his heart twist in panic as he quickly shouted, "Kiyosuchi-san will lay no further claim on Ruka-san, please just let us return home and the Tsuchikage-sama will ensure that you are more than adequately compensated for the trouble we have caused you here!"

Ignoring Kiyosuchi's gasp of disbelief, he ploughed on. "We do not seek to make an enemy of you, Kimura-san. Kiyosuchi-san here is young and foolish, and did not realise that Ruka-san was already bethrothed. He is fully repentant of his errors. Please allow us to return to Iwagakure and you will be provided with any compensation you desire," he pleaded.

The momentary silence as Echizen weighed up his offer gave him hope. Dimly, he sensed the presence of several other shinobi but reasoned that Echizen must have brought back up; which was all the more reason they had to negotiate their way out without having to fight a losing battle.

"I refuse your offer. My pride does not have a price you can match - you have disgraced me in the eyes of every man, woman and child in the Elemental Nations!"

"You son of a…!"

"NO!"

He felt his legs move of their own accord; everything was happening too fast, yet it felt as if he was a bystander in a slow motion film, helpless to change anything. Echizen flung his arms skywards and Yousuke choked back a silent scream as the heavens opened up and a deadly mosaic of lightning blades rained down from the sky; using the Kiba swords as an antennae before fanning out and decimating everything in their reach including Kiyosuchi, with a final, devastating efficiency. As his mind went blank, he turned his head wildly to Echizen in some desperate attempt to convince himself that none of the last five seconds had just happened. Incredibly, he glimpsed a momentary look of pure horror on the shinobi's face before it reverted to a sadistic, feral grin as he raised his hands again.

Another flash of brilliance lit up the darkness until Yousuke could see the whites of his eyes, then the world faded to black.

A/N:

Many many cliffhangers here because it's time to get everyone excited again. Can Hinata reach Kirigakure in time and evade capture by Danzo's evil goons? What plan does the all-sadistic and scheming former Hokage have for destroying the hard-fought inter-village unity and cooperation that has existed since the end of the Fourth Great Ninja War? Can Kakashi and Sakura put aside their history and differences and work together, one more time as a team to rescue Hinata? How will the death of the Tsuchikage's grandson at the hands of one of Kirigakure's Seven Swordsmen of the Mist have on the balance of inter-village politics and peace, which is already hanging dangerously by a thread? Until next time, feel free to share your thoughts and predictions in the reviews box!

Glossary

Doton: Ganchūrō no Jutsu – Earth Release: Earth Prison Pillar Technique

Doton: Domu – Earth Release: Earth Spear

Katon: Gokkakyu no Jutsu – Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique

Raito Justu: Rakurai – Lightning Blade Jutsu: Thunderbolt

Some points to note:

1. The dual thunderswords Kiba were originally wielded by Ameyuri Ringo in the original Seven Swordsmen of the Mist line up. His specialty attack was Raito Jutsu: Rakurai, which allows the user to summon a bolt of lightning to shock anyone in his or her immediate vicinity.

2. The Tragedy of Yosuga Pass is a real incident in Naruto history, and was the catalyst to hostilities between Iwagakure and Kirigakure 10 years before the start of the Fourth Great Ninja War.

3. Kiyosuchi is a purely fictional character. He is meant to be Onoki's grandson and younger brother to Kurotsuchi, who succeeds Onoki as the Yondaime Tsuchikage.