While Sagi was up above, Aceso was still down in the special headquarters, tending to Chishima, she was cleaning up. Suddenly the whole room started to shake violently, it ended up waking up Chishima. 

"Chishima!" Aceso gasped as he woke up looking panicked.

"What's going on?" Chishima asked after she moved the mask.

"Not quite sure," Aceso admitted. " I think the building is about to collapse."

"We need to get out," Chishima urged as he got up. He grabbed her hand and they got out before the building collapsed. He grunted in pain once they stopped running.

"Chishima," Aceso breathed. " Your injuries."

" I will be fine," Chishima assured. " We need to go by Lord Moso's place."

"Is Sagi heading over there?" Aceso asked.

" Most likely later tonight," Chishima said with confidence. 

****

Over by the secret entrance, Naruto opened them as he coughed.

" Man, " Naruto breathed " What kinda guy does something like that?" He walked out as Tenten and Neji helped Lord Kome out. He then opened the main doors to the outside. " Should've hit him when I had the chance. Could he be more of a jerk?"

" Maybe," Kakashi asked. " What'd I miss? Where's Aceso?"

" Huh?" Naruto asked as he looked over. " Kakashi-sensei!"

" Aceso should be quite alright," Neji assured. 

" Sagi squashed us like a bunch of bugs and ran away," Naruto explained. "We were just trying to help. Man, what an ingrate."

"Please, try to find it in your heart to forgive him," Lord Kome pleaded.

"What'd you mean?" Naruto demanded.

" The angry young man who attempted to kill us back there is not the real Sagi," Lord Kome denied.

"Say what?" Naruto denied. " Nothing fell on your head, did it?"

" Avenging the deaths of his father and younger sister is all that he cares about," Sagi explained. " I'd even go so far as to say that he's possessed by the spirit of his father, the late Feudal Lord. Owashi."

"Possessed," Naruto giggled nervously. " By Owashi? You're such a kidder. Yeah, right,"

" You shouldn't assume that he was joking," Neji scolded as he stepped up to Naruto.

"Fine, can we just drop it now?" Naruto requested. " You know I hate ghosts. They freak me out."

"Give it a rest," Tenten scolded. " This is no time for you to be chickening out. Come on we have to find Lord Sagi."

" Yeah, well, you know, we have no idea where he went," Naruto pointed out as he turned away from her.

" If the feudal lord truly is possessed, his need for vengeance will draw him back this place," Kakashi explained. " He will return, and very soon"

******* 

Night fell, Aceso was hiding in the forest with Chishima, outside Lord Moso's place.

" I know Lord Sagi will be here tonight looking for a showdown with Moso," Chishima whispered to her. " He'll see this through to the end, one way the other." He grunted and grabbed his shoulder.

"If you keep moving around, you're going to reopen your wound," Aceso whispered. " Here comes, Moso." They looked to see a man step through the doorway of the place. He seemed like he'd be seen having his own dumpling shop rather than a Lord. Chishima then nudged her, they looked up to see the Cursed Warrior aka, Lord Sagi fly down a little.

" Lord Sagi does his faithful subordinate a great honor in coming to see him," Moso said. " A feudal lord is surrounded by guards, but not the Cursed Warrior. He shall fight and die alone. " He did a Jutsu." He breathed out fire. " Ah, how pathetic. A ghost swooping into battle on a child's plaything." They saw the ghost was behind held up by multiple kites. He breathed out more fire, hitting the kites and knocking Sagi to the ground. Aceso went to go move, but Chishima held her back. The Cursed Warrior landed softly on the ground after getting out of the strings and took off his mask. " I bid you welcome, Cursed Warrior."

" Mock me if you choose, Moso," Sagi began as Moso walked over. " I will give you reason enough to fear me."

" Save your breath," Moso warned. " It's among the last you shall take."

 " Fitting epitaph," Sagi said as he lunged forward, Moso easily dodged it. He was now standing on the blade.

" Yes, that's right. Moso is just the face with which I dupe an unwitting world," Moso said. " My real name is Hoki, member, and leader of the Wandering Ninja." He jumped off, landing back over by the entrance of his home. " With no village of our own, we drift from place to place, flotsam on the waves, stealing Jutsu nobody will deign to teach us. But the years sit heavy on our shoulders. Our patchwork clan tired of this vagrant existence. That's why we've been looking for land in which to end our wandering and set down roots."

"So the truth comes out," Sagi said as he prepared to strike again. " You've been planning to take over from the moment you arrived here."

" How dare you judge our motives, you spoiled, feudal whelp," Hoki scolded. " Fortune has favored you. We of the wandering ninja suffer in a way you could never begin to understand. I see no harm in poor unfortunates wanting to find a place they can call home. But we could never have come this far had it not been for your father. I assumed the guise of Moso and charmed my way into Lord Owashi's confidences. All the while, the fool never suspected a thing. A dramatic bit of genjutsu was enough to convince him of Moso's magical process, thus he brought me into the fold as a trusted advisor. Kome alone had sense enough to harbor suspicions about what I was up to. So I painted Kome as a malcontent--after killing your father."

" That was you?" Sagi asked in shock. Aceso began to sense that there were other people here, besides the person she was with and the people out in the open. " You're the one who murdered my father?"

" With pleasure!" Hoki said with pride. " And after I kill you tonight no one will stand in our way!"

" Your evil ends here!" Sagi declared as he raised his weapon. " My dead cry out for vengeance!" He threw the weapon, Hoki moved a little just as it was about to hit him and easily deflected it with his fan. The weapon flew back, and hit Sagi in the helmet, the helmet got knocked off and Sagi's hair became longer.

" Can it be?" Hoki gasped as Chishima let out a quiet gasp.

" Yes," Sagi confirmed, his voice changed. " That's right. Sagi's younger sister, Toki." Aceso's eyes went wide.

"Lady Toki?" Chishima asked as she drew her sword. " This is for my father and brother!" She charged forward.

" Shadow Possession Jutsu!" Hoki shouted. 

"That's Shikamaru's jutsu," Aceso recalled quietly. But the Jutsu was off, the shadows weren't making a direct line between the two, Aceso then leaned forward to get a closer look.

"Well, well, Toki," Hoki breathed. " Observe how our respective shadows intersect. That's Shadow Possession Jutsu, and you are now mine to command. Impressive." They both raised an arm. " I never imagined you were alive. The wandering ninja will control this land, never to wander again. And you, who lived like Sagi, will now die like him!" She struggled to keep the sword from her next.

"Lady Toki!" Chishima cried out. " Don't give up hope!" The two in the bushes jumped out to go help her.

"Chishima, Aceso," Toki said.

"So, you're still alive, eh?" Hoki asked.

" I didn't know it was you, Lady Toki," Chishima admitted. "How could I have ever been so foolish?" 

 " Touching display, now die!" Hoki cried out. He threw a shuriken, Aceso threw a kunai knife, and they both canceled each other out. She then stood in front of Toki.

"I heard everything this poser just told you," Naruto said out loud. " Leave the rescuing to me, Sagi! Toki! Whatever! Step back, little sister!"

"Naruto!" Toki gasped.

"Empty words!" Hoki yelled. " My shadow compels you to cut yourself down!

"Real proud of that shadow stuff, aren't you?" Aceso asked. " Too bad it's just another one of your lame genjutsu tricks!" More kunai was thrown, cutting the wires, and Toki fell to her knees.

"Curses," Hoki grunted.

" Lady Toki," Chishima breathed as he got behind her, Aceso went over to the two, she stayed in front of Toki. 

" Hey, Moso!" Naruto called. " Shadow Possession is Shikamaru's Jutsu. It's way out of your league, you big liar! Man, even your ninjutsu's fake!"

"Show yourself!" Hoki demanded. A ton of Cursed Warrior's appeared.

" It's Naruto!" Aceso said happily.

" Which one?" Toki asked.

" We all know what you're trying to do!" Naruto revealed. " Give it up now or I'll teach you a lesson you don't wanna learn!"

"Ah, yes," Hoki started to recall. " The Lead Village brat. Using clone Jutsu, eh? Fire Style, Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" The clones batted away the fireballs. " Those are solid? Could they all be shadow clones?"

" Ha! Sasuke's jutsu's got you beat, buddy!" Naruto taunted. " I hope you're ready, 'cause it's my turn now!"

"Really?" Hoki asked as he threw a shuriken taking out a few of the clones. Aceso glanced back to see that some of it were just a transformation. In the smoke appeared, Kakashi, Neji, Tenten, and Naruto. " Well, Kakashi Hatake, I should have known you'd be here."

"So you're Hoki, leader of the infamous wandering ninja," Kakashi said. " Your reputation precedes you. A shinobi who's ever creeping from place to place in search of new prey, like a bat in the night."

" Pampered ninja from a wealthy village can't begin to understand what life is like for the less fortunate," Hoki said. 

"Wrong is wrong," Naruto grunted.

"We of the Lead are taught to face our difficulties with honor," Aceso explained. " That is the true way of the ninja."

" People like you who try to better their lot through deceit are ninja in name only," Kakashi added. " Nothing but common thieves."

" Ha, Elitist pig!" Hoki grunted as he slammed his hand on the ground. " Summoning Jutsu!" Up above, three giant dragons appeared, roaring angrily. 

"Those dragons look like the real deal!" Naruto freaked out.

" But how?" Neji demanded as Hoki jumped forward, Aceso eyes glowed green, she did a few hand signs and then held out hands, a wall appeared inches in front, and Hoki slammed into it and flew back.

"You brat!" Hoki snapped as he did another Jutsu. "Rope ankle and wrist binding Jutsu!" Suddenly Aceso felt the ropes around her body, go down to her ankles and wrists, tying them together, she fell over.

"Doctor!" Toki gasped as she held out her arms, catching her. Hoki then jumped back forward, kicked Chishima out of the way, bumped Aceso out of Toki's grip, and then slugged Toki in the stomach, knocking her out. Hoki caught the girl before retreating back into the house.

" Wait!" Chishima cried out.

" No way!" Naruto growled before taking off. He jumped back screaming as a dragon came down towards him.

"You know those aren't real, right?" Aceso asked as she started to try to wiggle herself free.

"They are the real deal! Believe it!" Naruto screamed as he scurried away from another dragon.

" That's enough!" Kakashi ordered as he threw a shuriken into a tree. It knocked down the projector, that landed beside Naruto. The dragons disappeared as quickly as the projector broke.

" Just a projection?" Naruto asked he looked at the burning item, 

" So, Aceso was right," Tenten said as Chishima started to help Aceso.

" The dragons summoned were fake as well," Neji said

" And it looks like he ran off while we were distracted," Tenten noted.

" He's in the mansion," Kakashi revealed.

" Not for long!" Naruto declared as he, Neji, and Tenten took off. Ninja all popped out before they could even reach the stairs, Aceso got up and joined the fight. She used one of her ropes, tugged a guy towards her, jumped up, and kicked him, she released the rope around the guy, sending him flying into the others behind him. Knocking them down like bowling pins. " Come back and fight me, you big chicken!" Naruto clones all took off towards the mansion, disappearing on the other side.

" Man, you're persistent," Tenten smiled as she swung her weapon. 

" Gentle fist!" Neji battled and cried out from his corner. Kakashi just took down a guy with blue hair. 

" Ya!" Aceso gruffed as she kicked her last opponent. They then ran into the mansion. 

" It's this way!" Neji informed.

" Naruto," Tenten breathed. They entered the building, soon coming across an open door and a room with a trap door.

" If we follow this--" Neji began.

"Yes, it will lead us to Naruto," Kakashi finished. They used the secret passage to get to Naruto, by the time they got over to Naruto, morning had broken, Hoki was tied to a tree and Toki was holding Chishima.

" Big brother!" Aceso called out in the distance. He looked over at them.

" Naruto!" Tenten called out happily as she waved her arm.

" Kakashi-sensei, little sister, Neji, Tenten," Naruto listed. Hours later they all stood at the palace, they stood behind the water as the people of the land sat in front of the building.

" This stinks," Naruto grunted. " We don't get any bonus now because of Moso. The person who signs the paychecks was the bad guy."

" It's not that bad," Neji denied.

" Yeah, it is," Naruto argued.

" It looks like the wandering ninja are going to get a pretty severe sentence," Tenten said.

" Good," Kakashi breathed. " Now Toki will finally be able to break this cycle of revenge." They started to hear drumming.

" Hey, it's going to start!" Aceso said.

" Everyone kneel before the feudal lord," a man ordered. The doors opened revealing, Lady Toki, Lord Kome, and someone else.

"Ohh," everyone breathed.

" Oh, wow," Kakashi blushed, Aceso glanced up at him and nudged him. He blushed a little harder, she giggled a little before looking forward. Lady Toki kneeled down in front of everyone.

" My friends, I must apologize to you for falsely using my brother's good name to deceive you, and for not fulfilling my duties as your daimyo," Lady Toki apologized. " I have done such wrong that I should, perhaps, relinquish my title and pass it to another. However, if somehow you can forgive me, I swear I will use my position to reinvigorate the Land of Birds for Owashi, my late father, and Sagi, my brother, and for someone who loves this land more than any other, my dear friend Chishima."

"My lady," Chishima blushed.

" As long as I shall live, I swear I'll fight for the sake of our land," Lady Toki announced. 

" She's doing a pretty good job, isn't she?" Kakashi asked.

"She's doing awesome!" Tenten agreed.

" I am in full agreement, Lady Toki," Lord Kome said as he bowed his head towards her. " And do you, the people, also concur?"

" Yes, sir," the people agreed. 

" I'm humbled," Lady Toki smiled. " Thank you, Komi, for accepting me as your new feudal lord. Thank you all. And a special thanks to someone who taught me what the true focus of my life should be, a young ninja."

" You're embarrassing me," Naruto blushed, Lady Toki giggled. Shortly afterward, Lady Toki and Chishima stood at the gates to say goodbye to the leaf squad. 

 " Please, travel safe on the road back to your village," Chishima wished.

" Thanks, we will," Aceso smiled.

" Chishima, keep an eye on Lady Toki now, will you?" Naruto asked.

" Thank you again, Naruto," Chishima thanked him.

" Yes, and you all must come back and visit us again very soon," Lady Toki wished.

" You got it," Naruto agreed as patted Aceso's head. " But next time, I'm gonna come here for a vacation."

"Goodbye," Tenten said as Kakashi bowed, then turned to leave.

" Goodbye," Chishima said. " Be well." They all then started to follow.

" See you around," Naruto said. Soon they got to a cliff and looked down at the village as birds flew down towards it. " That Lady Toki, she was so nice and downright gorgeous too, wasn't she?"

" I'm certain she'll make the Land of Birds as wonderful as it once was," Kakashi said.

" Mm-hm," Aceso agreed. 

"By the way, Naruto, is it true you rain into the ghost of Sagi?" Tenten asked.

" What are you kidding me or something?" Naruto asked as he looked at her. " Come on. There's no such thing as a ghost, Tenten, I was it was just having a dream."

" Well, I'm not so sure it was a dream," Neji denied.

" So there really was a ghost?" Aceso asked as she glanced at him.

" Wait, what are you talking about?" Naruto began to freak out.

" Naruto, do you remember the very first time we encountered the cursed warrior?" Neji asked.

"Yeah, sure," Naruto answered.

" Mm," Tenten nodded. " The armor was empty inside, right?"

" I remember," Naruto confirmed. " But wasn't that just some kind of trick, like a string or a wire?

" No, I definitely saw someone or thing with my Byakugan," Neji said.

" Hold on, now that you mention it, at the time, didn't you say there was no sign of life?" Tenten recalled.

" Yes," Neji answered. " I could see the cursed warrior, but I couldn't sense even a flicker of life."

" A ghost, in other words," Aceso gathered.

" No way!" Naruto flipped out. "You're telling me I was standing face to face with a real-life ghost?"

" Calm down, Naruto," Kakashi advised.

" No," Naruto breathed. " No way. You're kidding me. Please tell me this is just a really bad joke!"