EDITED: 3/11/17- minor edits on the narrative, especially Neji's POVs.

~~~~~~~~~

23

Kakashi kept his eyes closed as he felt for his surroundings. His ANBU senses kicked in and in the stillness, he was able to make out the cold, damp floor, the muted sounds of his surroundings and the weak moan of something-or someone- not too far from him. Opening one eye, he tried to see where he was. His trained eye easily adjusted to the pitch-black room and aside from the dark walls, there was nothing else to see.

The jounin tried to move but as soon as he straightened his legs, a shock of pain coursed through his entire body. Groaning, he paused in his movements, once again sensing for any foreign chakra. There was one and he turned his attention to the soft breaths at the corner of the room and saw a lump, like a mass of rags, quivering. Kakashi recognized the haywire chakra and for a moment thought it was his student, Naruto, but soon realized that it was Akira.

Wincing at the awkward way his body was positioned, Kakashi once again attempted to move. He first straightened out his legs and he muttered a curse at the sting in his calves. 'I must've been in this position for quite a time,' he deduced. He tried to move his arms, but then realized that they were tied behind his back. He tried a basic escape jutsu but the moment he expelled chakra from his coils, a sharp zap of foreign chakra coursed through his entire body and he gasped in pain. He heaved deep, sharp breaths as he analyzed his situation.

They bound them-and Kakashi fervently prayed that they had not hurt Akira-and transported them to this place. For how long they have been here, he has no idea, as well as whoever plotted this scheme and their purpose. But one thing's for sure, one of them—it could either be him, Naruto or Keiko—was the target. He hoped that Naruto and Neji had gotten to the daimyo safely and that their diversion worked. Kakashi partly believed it did, because the fact that the enemy focused on him and Akira rather than the other pair proves his theory correct.

He shifted his position to look at the girl. Her henge had been dispelled and her once elaborate hairstyle now left her hair a mass of tangled red strands. In the darkness, her pale skin was like moonlight, frighteningly white that all the more worried Kakashi.

Kakashi mustered his strength and attempted to sit up. The moment he moved, a current of electricity travelled through him and the jounin felt a wave of nausea. His vision blurred temporarily and his knees buckled. He felt numb, as if all his senses were suddenly robbed in that tiny instant. Gasping, he lied to his side, inhaling deep gulps of air.

'What's going on?' he thought. 'Every time I move, I get weaker. As if something's sucking my chakra.'

A quick assessment of their situation showed him that something in the room is indeed causing the disturbance. If only he wasn't bound and low on chakra, he could use his Sharingan to further evaluate their situation.

Just then, his ears caught the soft sounds of Akira moaning nearby. In spite of the pain, Kakashi edged himself closer towards the kunoichi. She was lying on her side, eyes closed tight, face contorted in pain.

"Akira?" he called softly. The girl only groaned. Kakashi was both relieved and worried. Worried because of the girl's unsightly pallor and the way her chakra seems to be rushing in all directions like a wayward train, and relieved because she was alive albeit hurt. Injuries can heal but death cannot be cheated, Kakashi firmly believed that.

"Akira please wake up," he said once more, this time more urgently as he scooted over closer to her. He ignored the pain that threatened to make him faint. He fought the discomfort and focused on Akira. Now beside her, Kakashi shifted in his position and tried to kick her gently. The action seemed to have its intended effect because the redhead opened her eyes and looked around wildly.

Confusion was evident on her face and just like Kakashi, Akira tried to sit up only to let out a howl of pain at the sudden movement.

"Sshh sshh..." Kakashi hushed the girl, looking around cautiously. Right now it seemed that they are in some sort of room and he has no idea what or who lies outside.

Akira turned towards the voice and whispered hoarsely, "K-Kakashi-sensei?"

"Yes it's me," Kakashi replied. "Are you alright?"

Akira once more tried to sit up but fell back almost at once. "I...I can't...it hurts to move," she said. "I feel... like my chakra's...fading."

Kakashi could see her trying to break free from her bonds and he started to tell her it was useless but then he stopped. He suddenly remembered Naruto who had virtually no shortage of chakra. She is a jinchuriki like him and almost has the same abilities. At least that's what her shinobi file said, along with the few stories he heard from Hayate and Naruto himself. Naruto had proven multiple times that his demon fox chakra can break through most chakra barriers, and if these ropes around them are blocking their chakra, then it would be of great advantage if Akira can break free from them.

He knew it was unfair to pin his hopes to the girl, but in his current state Kakashi estimated that he could only use a couple of class A jutsus and his sharingan minimally. And at the rate that his chakra is being drained, their chances of survival is quite slim.

Akira stopped her attempts and slumped back weakly. She was panting and a thin sheen of sweat glistened on her skin. Kakashi frowned under his mask. Why couldn't she do it? Could it be that her chakra's more depleted than his? But how? Jinchuriki are known to have more stamina than normal people, which is why they are most suitable to be vessels of beasts. Kakashi had seen Naruto take a beating and still be able to function. Why is Akira different?

"It's...eating me..." Akira said weakly. "I'm sorry sensei. I tried breaking free but the ropes are eating my chakra." With eyes filled with worry, she turned to him. "It won't let me use chakra and the Kageboshi is..."

Her voice trailed away and Kakashi nodded. "Alright. Don't worry for now. Rest as much as you can."

But the redhead shook her head. "No, no. You don't understand. It's eating my chakra." She bit her lip. "Something in me...something...is sucking away my chakra, all of it. I can't see it but..."

It was then that Kakashi noticed something else on the girl. Aside from the ropes that bound her, a small circular device was attached to her abdomen. It was too dark for Kakashi to see but his hunch told him that this was the reason for the kunoichi's increased fatigue. It was not just the ropes but also the device that was depleting her chakra. Kakashi looked at his own abdomen and saw no same device.

"It's that thing on you," he muttered. "That's what's depleting your chakra, aside from the ropes." This confused him. Why does she have such a contraption while he doesn't? Kakashi heaved a deep breath, fearing the realization that crept inside him. If his suspicion is correct, then they must escape as soon as possible. He looked up and formulated an escape plan. It must be quick yet efficient.

Kakashi mentally calculated the amount of chakra he'd need for a quick escape. At the rate that their chakra are being sucked out, he has roughly 10 minutes to perform his plan. He'd be nearing his limit by then, but at least they have a chance to safety. Especially Akira whose chakra loss is double that of Kakashi. Worried, he glanced at her and saw her slumped back, panting. He has to think fast.

Fate seemed to be on their side when he sensed movement approaching them. Judging by the sounds, it seemed that there are more than one person coming towards the room. Kakashi decided to feign fatigue and he edged himself closer towards Akira. A few seconds later, the door to their confinement opened and a harsh yellow light filled the small room. Kakashi kept his eyes shut and listened as two men approached them.

"Didn't think it would be this easy," said Man 1 whose voice was coarse and deep, like he suffered from chronic cough. "Who knew we'd be able to subdue the great Copy-Ninja eh?"

"Don't be too much of an ass now, Ryota," said Man 2. His voice was higher in pitch and from the sound of his feet, Kakashi judged him to be of average height and built unlike Ryota who seemed to be heavier and bulky. "You know he's just a bonus."

'They are not after me,' Kakashi thought. 'Then that must mean—'

"Come on, Minamoto-sama said we must go get the girl."

"Aww shit. Look at her. She looks like she's dead already. Are you sure you injected the right drug?"

"Of course I'm sure! What do you take me for?" There was a slight scuffle as the two men ambled about.

"Damn it's too dark in here," Man 1 said. "Where's the girl?"

"Be careful, you dumbass!" Man 2 scolded. "You might step on her with that bear-feet of yours!" Some movement and Kakashi could sense them coming closer. "There! Thank kami for that stupid red hair. Makes her easier to spot."

The two men was now beside Kakashi and Akira. Kakashi stifled a groan when Man 1 roughly kicked him aside.

"Get out of the way Hatake," Man 1 muttered. As the two men knelt beside Akira, Kakashi sensed them place some sort of box on the ground. The box clattered with the sound of metal hitting against metal.

"Hold her up," Man 2 instructed. From his position, Kakashi opened one eye and saw what was happening. Akira had passed out or was pretending to—Kakashi could not tell. Man 1 was a tall bearish man with a cropped ponytail. He was wearing some sort of dirty apron on top of his brown shirt and pants. He was holding Akira's reclined position in a careless manner. Meanwhile, Man 2 was of leaner built with long greasy hair tied in a low ponytail at the base of his nape. His toolbox was open beside him and Kakashi could make out the shadows of the instruments inside. Man 2 was holding a pair of scissors in one hand and he was snipping away a portion of Akira's clothes.

Kakashi fumed in silence at the way the kunoichi was being treated but he continued to pretend to be unconscious. The two men were too busy to notice that Kakashi had managed to edge himself closer to them.

He was able to see the device now that he was closer. It was a small, round metal thing, just about half the size of his palm. Kakashi noticed the tentacle-like wires attached to Akira's abdomen. Her shirt was cut off and revealed her pale skin. Man 1 'tsked' and then said,

"Such a waste of beauty, don't you think?" He ran his fingers across Akira's stomach before cutting off the ropes that bound her. "Oh what I'll do once Master's done with her."

"Pervert!" Man 2 said as he tweaked the device that caused it to light up. "Don't you dare touch her or else we are both dead! Save your fantasies for later."

"Killjoy."

Man 2 did not reply, instead he turned a small knob at the side of the device. A small current of electricity coursed through and Kakashi saw Akira's body shake a little.

"There. Just enough to keep her silent. The drug's about to wear off in a minute anyway," said Man 2.

'So they drugged her and then placed that thing,' Kakashi thought. Fury coursed through his veins. 'Alright. It's now or never.'

With speed that could only be described as impressive, Kakashi forced a Raikiri and freed himself loose from the chakra ropes that bound him. Although significantly weaker than his usual attack, it was enough to disturb the chakra course and break the ropes.

The two men momentarily froze in surprise, and that split second was all Kakashi needed to attack them with a swiftly executed taijutsu. The two dropped unconscious in an instant.

Panting, Kakashi looked about. The pale yellow light streaming in from the corridor illuminated the dark room he was in. It has a low ceiling, and was much smaller than he initially thought. The walls were damp with moisture and it was only then that he noticed the muted sound of water rushing from somewhere.

His musings was disturbed by a groan coming from Man 1 and Kakashi kicked him once more on the head for good measure. Then he knelt beside Akira.

"Akira can you hear me?" No response. Kakashi sighed and immediately felt for his kunai holster, only to realize that it's gone.

He took the men's weapon pouches. 'This will have to do,' he thought. He then carried Akira on his back and exited the room. He found himself in a long narrow corridor. Following his instincts, Kakashi turned right.

The continuous twisting and turning of the corridors reminded him of Orochimaru's hideout and he wondered if this "Minamoto-sama" the men talked about is the snake sannin. Kakashi pushed the thought at the back of his mind. His priority now is to escape to safety. Pursuing the enemy would come in second.

The device on Akira's abdomen pressed against Kakashi's back harshly and it made Kakashi wonder why these people are after the girl. The fact that they had gone to such measures to subdue her was enough evidence to think that they are after her bijuu. But why? Why her and not Naruto?

Honestly, Kakashi knew little of the beast that the girl carried, other than it had caused destruction a certain village and had killed many people in Konoha—and would have killed more if not only for the Fourth's efforts. The fact that it was an outsider was enough reason for people to despise both bijuu and jinchuriki.

Kakashi paused when he saw an open room to his left. It was empty. When he stepped inside, a torch immediately lit up and illuminated the small space. It appeared to be a storage room, with piles of boxes and shelves filled with assortment of things. A quick assessment showed that it was vacant and Kakashi entered. He closed the door behind him and settled Akira against the wall. The girl shuddered, opened her eyes briefly and then closed them once more.

Slightly panting, he sat next to the kunoichi and gathered his thoughts. He can't escape if he doesn't know where to go. From the look of things they seem to be underground. Just how deep this place was, he couldn't tell. But the sound of running water indicates that there must be a river nearby, and it could also mean that they are somewhere deep in the forest.

The last thing Kakashi remembered prior to waking up in the small room was when he activated his Sharingan to free them from the genjutsu. Apparently the enemies had foreseen him doing such thing for it activated a more complicated jutsu. Kakashi remembered seeing inverse colors before passing out. The next time he opened his eyes, he was already in a dark room, bound and nearly chakra-depleted.

He turned to his companion. Akira had begun to stir and Kakashi heaved a sigh of relief. The kunoichi grasped her head before looking around.

"Akira?"

Akira turned towards the voice and saw Kakashi. Confused, she looked around. Her eyes registered the numerous boxes and shelves.

"W-Where are we?" she asked. Her voice came out hoarse, as if she hadn't spoken for months.

"In the enemy's hideout. How's your stomach?"

It was only then that Akira looked down on her abdomen and saw the chakra device. Alarmed she tried to pull it off, only to be shocked by an electric current.

Her howls of pain were muted by Kakashi's hand over her mouth. Trembling, she gasped against the jounin's gloved hand. Her muscles screamed in pain.

"Sshh sshh..." Kakashi hushed her. "Keep your voice down. We could be heard". He held the convulsing girl for a moment and released her once the electric shock had subsided. His fury at the treatment Akira received resurfaced once more and this only strengthened his resolve to punish those behind this fiasco.

Akira gasped at the pain. "S-sorry sensei..." She looked around once more, acquainting her eyes with the strange environment. "I don't remember what happened. H-how did w-we get here?"

"I can't remember it as well," Kakashi replied. "But my sharingan must've triggered a more complex jutsu that somehow enabled them to subdue us. If that is so, then the people behind this are of high caliber."

Akira closed her eyes briefly. "Why are they doing this? Who are they after?" Her posture stiffened and she turned to him with worry in her eyes. "How about Naruto and Neji? Are they okay?"

"We have no way of knowing for now," Kakashi replied. "But I hope they made it to the daimyo safely. I believe Keiko isn't really the target of this operation."

"What do you mean?"

He pointed at the device on her stomach. "Because of that. They didn't put one on me, so I think they really meant to capture you. For what reason, that remains to be seen." He took off his jounin vest and gave it to her. The girl had lost her haori and the robes Fujiwara owned that she wore for her disguise was now too worse for wear. "Here, you can wear this for now."

Akira blushed at the sudden realization that her clothes were worn and that her abdomen was bare. She mumbled a 'thank you sensei' and wore the vest over her torn clothing. It was too big for her and was slightly damp of Kakashi's sweat. She didn't mind.

"So what do we do now?" She touched the device and it whirred a little. "With this thing on me, I don't think I'd be able to perform any jutsu."

"I am also at my limit," said Kakashi. "This seems to be a safe place for the moment, so I think our first priority is to rest up and gather chakra. But we don't have much time until they realize that those two bastards have not returned."

Akira nodded. To be honest she was feeling a little sleepy from the exhaustion. She closed her eyes but her mind refused to rest. She was suddenly overwhelmed with worry for Naruto, Neji, her wolves and for herself.

At her chakra level, it would be impossible to summon any of her pack. She had never been in this situation. Whenever she needed help, all she has to do was summon her pack and together and they could make it through. But now Yuudai and the rest are back at the mountain and she regretted not listening to him when Yuudai said he'd stay by her.

Now she's here in nowhere with Kakashi and although she believes in the ability of this man, she's not totally sure if she should trust him with her life. She doesn't know the man, and although she's certain of his loyalty to the village, what would stop him from leaving her when it comes down to it? Both of them know nothing about each other. But the fact that Kakashi had opted to save her when he got all the chance in the world to abandon her must prove something. Maybe he could be trusted.

Akira sighed. And then there's Naruto and Neji with Fujiwara. To be honest Akira did not care about the actress anymore, whether she was safe or not. Right now she's worried for Naruto—that knucklehead can be reckless and inattentive to details. She could almost see him clearly in her mind, engaging the enemy even without a slightest clue on their abilities. The kunoichi felt her heart drum fast. 'I swear that idiot's gonna kill me not for anything but because of worry,' she thought. 'But still...Naruto's Naruto. He's got a way with anything...'

Lastly, although the kunoichi tries to avoid it, she's worried for Neji. She knew he is a smart and strong jounin and if something did happen to them, he's sure to be on top of the situation already. But still, he's human and anything could happen. Akira but her lip and crossed her arms over her chest. The drumming of her heart hitched up at the thought of him hurt. 'Please be alive,' she prayed. She's not a religious person but this time she prayed.

'Please be alive...'

~~~~~~~~

Neji placed Fujiwara's body behind the bushes. Wiping a sheen of sweat from his forehead, he heaved deep breaths.

He managed to hit a vital tenketsu, he's sure. But that wasn't enough to injure the enemy. He got a feeling that his enemy knew his abilities beforehand because he kept himself at a distance, and being a close-range fighter, Neji was at a disadvantage.

His enemy has not revealed his true form yet and still continued to assume Naruto's image. The tricky thing still is that 'he' is also able to use Naruto's signature jutsus: Kage bunshin and the Rasengan. Neji initially thought that the enemy's some sort of a puppeteer who's able to manipulate the bodies of others. If that was the case, then that means he is somewhere away from where he and 'Naruto' is fighting. But Neji had already exhausted the range of his Byakugan and he saw no one. That led him to the conclusion that someone else had assumed Naruto's form and if the enemy is to be believed, then the real Naruto was transformed into Fujiwara's form (maybe through a complex version of henge no jutsu). But that theory posted more questions. If the real Naruto is in Fujiwara's form, then where is Fujiwara? And still, who is this unknown assailant?

Neji closed his eyes briefly. There's still another possibility. That Fujiwara is inside Naruto's body is the enemy herself. Although quite far-fetched, it still couldn't be ignored. But if it was true, then how did she orchestrate it without his knowing?

"Found ya."

Neji only had a split second to carry Fujiwara and leap to safety before a kibakufuda exploded just inches from his ear. Landing ungracefully on the ground, he shielded Fujiwara from the falling branches. The explosion sent him flying a good 4 meters and wincing at the impact, he groaned. He shook his head and tried to gather his bearing. A sharp ringing sound filled his ear and he cursed. He's sure to be wobbling for a few minutes. He was too late to evade the kibakufuda and it exploded too near to his ear that it had caused minor hearing and balance loss.

"Damn it," he muttered.

Aside from the ringing in his ears and singed clothes, he seemed to be okay and had not sustained any major injuries. He attempted to sit up. Beside him Fujiwara remained unconscious and Neji worried if he's just carrying a dead person. He assessed for a pulse and there was a faint one. He sighed.

He and his enemy has been battling it out for almost an hour now. Neji found it infuriating that he has not discovered anything useful. The enemy is still unknown, Naruto's nowhere to be found and now the forest is swarming with Naruto clones.

"Damn it Naruto!" Neji whispered angrily at Fujiwara's ear. "If you're in there goddamn it, wake up and help me already!" Then with a frustrated growl, Neji leapt and faced the Naruto clones.

'Naruto' chuckled. "Ah there you are. You worried me," he said in a sickeningly sweet voice. It send shivers to Neji's spine. Not of fear, but of disgust.

"Let's stop this charade," Neji said. "Who are you? What have you done to Naruto?"

The enemy sighed. "Aren't you tired of asking the same questions? Alright I'll let you in on a secret." 'Naruto's' eyes narrowed in mischief. "Naruto, your friend, is right there," he pointed at Fujiwara's body from behind the bushes. "He's in that girl's form. I'm just renting this Naruto's body."

Neji frowned. "Then who are you?"

"That's for me to know, and for you to find out."

Neji got into his stance as 'Naruto' and his clones attacked with a simultaneous rasengan. As Neji spun his kaiten, he observed that compared to the original Naruto's Rasengan, this impersonator's version of the jutsu is significantly weaker. Besides, Neji had seen Naruto create Rasengan in a variety of sizes and he had seen him make a huge ball of chakra, which obviously the enemy is unable to recreate. Neji concluded that while the enemy has taken Naruto's form, he is unable to fully harness the blonde shinobi's skills. Therefore, there is a possibility that the enemy is indeed controlling Naruto from afar.

But now Neji's energy is waning. His kaiten had shrunk a couple of millimeters and exhaustion had started to catch up on him. Slightly panting, he paused spinning when the clones had all dispersed, leaving him with only the fake Naruto.

Neji's eyes had started to throb. His Byakugan had been active for a long time now. He began to worry about their situation. Firstly, they had failed to bring Fujiwara to the daimyo and for sure the daimyo's escorts have now reached Rokkasho and is now waiting for them. Secondly, and the most important thing as far as this mission is concerned, Fujiwara is missing and Neji was sure his head would be handed over to Hiashi once this mission is over. They did not only fail to escort Fujiwara, but they also failed her safety.

But what really made Neji fear was for their safety. A lot of things are unknown to him—Naruto and Fujiwara's whereabouts, as well as Kakashi and Akira's. He hoped that the kunoichi is doing well with Kakashi. After all, she was with one of Konoha's best shinobi. Should they encounter anything like this, she's sure to be safe with the said jounin.

Neji refused to wallow into the thought that somewhere out there, the kunoichi had the same demise as them. Instead, he focused on the enemy in front of him who had begun to attack with multiple shadow clones. Neji easily countered with Jyuuken. More clones came his way and Neji evaded a punch aimed at him by leaping off onto a high tree.

"You haven't figured it out, haven't you?" 'Naruto' taunted.

Neji's eyes narrowed. He's tired of the riddles. He remained silent and observed the fake Naruto. His Byakuugan caught the minute gap in the fake Naruto's chakra signature, and in that split second, Neji knew that his efforts were not in vain. That vital hit will soon prove its worth.

"Okay, I'll tell you," said the fake Naruto. "You guys are just distraction. We never really meant to meet up with that daimyo. All we wanted, is the jinchuriki."

Neji decided to play along. "Then why don't you take him?"

The fake Naruto laughed, a little maniacally in Neji's opinion. "Because you're sure to follow and ruin our plans. That's why my mission is to finish you off."

Neji leapt from the branch he was perched on. He was about to retort when suddenly, a flash of yellow and orange rushed past him.

It was too quick for him to process, but when he finally did, the Hyuuga could not suppress a smile and a sigh of relief.

"YOU TALK TOO MUCH, BASTARD!"

Naruto's fist connected with his doppelganger's jaw and the blonde shinobi's punch sent the enemy flying. The fake Naruto hit a branch and slumped on the ground, face bleeding.

Uzumaki Naruto turned to Neji, a cocky smile on his bewhiskered face. "Heh. Sorry it got too long, Neji. My, you look too worse for wear, -ttebayo."

Neji smirked. "That's because I was trying to save your ass, baka."

The two shinobi shared knowing smirks before turning serious. Neji observed the real Naruto who was now clenching his fists, readying for another killer punch.

"How did you do it?" Neji asked. "My Byakuugan sensed your chakra in Fujiwara's body, so I was convinced it was really you."

Naruto frowned. "I don't really know, dattebayo. I can hear you and I can feel your movements when you were carrying me around. Damn I even felt that explosion! But for some reason, I can't break free." Naruto sighed. "It was as if I was in a genjutsu, but I was aware and conscious. I can't move for the longest time, until I finally felt a sort of chink and when I tried moving, I was able to." He looked at Neji. "You must've done something to the original body."

Neji nodded. "I hit a vital tenketsu. It was a lucky shot though."

"Thanks."

Naruto then scowled and turned to the fake Naruto who was starting to stand. "Grrr..." he growled. "Akira-chan's correct. This one's one huge bitch!"

Fake Naruto then smirked. "Is that how Konoha shinobi treat their important clients?"

Neji stepped forward. "Shut up, Fujiwara."

Fake Naruto scowled. "Just because you got back your precious comrade doesn't mean this is over." The enemy then molded chakra in his palm. A Rasengan shortly formed.

"Damn you!" Naruto yelled in indignation at seeing his trademark jutsu being used by someone else. "That's my stuff, dattebayo!"

At this, the jinchuriki formed a shadow clone and mimicked the jutsu.

"This one's gonna be better, believe it!" Naruto yelled as he charged for the enemy. He ran and plunged the swirling mass of chakra at the enemy. But then—

Naruto paused midway, Rasengan in the air. Fujiwara suddenly disappeared as if she was not there.

"Naruto!" Neji started to say. But it was too late. Naruto's split-second hesitation was all the enemy needed to re-materialize behind the blonde jinchuriki and aim two chakra blades into Naruto's back.

Neji sprung to action. He rushed at Fujiwara, aiming a Hake Rokujuyon Sho (Trans: Eight Trigrams Sixty four Palms) in rapid succession. However, as Neji landed the next strikes, his fingers passed through the enemy. If it wasn't for his Byakugan's 360 degree vision, he wouldn't be able to block the lethal blow of an iron spear.

Neji skidded backwards and hit Naruto. He turned to see the blond dematerialize. In front of him, Fujiwara whirled the spear and pointed it as his throat before preparing another attack. Neji leapt away just in time when Keiko used a wind jutsu with her spear.

"DAMN IT! I DON'T LIKE FIGHTING WOMEN!"

From above Naruto aimed for Fujiwara with another Rasengan. Neji leapt out of the way and positioned himself behind Keiko, as he was sure that the Rasengan's impact would send her flying backwards. Neji had already calculated his final blow.

"SHE'S ALL YOURS, NEJI!" he heard Naruto say. "AAAHHH! RASENGAAAAN!"

Keiko's scream echoed in the forest and she flew back where Neji was anticipating her fall. Without a sliver of pity, Neji gathered his chakra and aimed.

"Hakke Kusho!"

Fujiwara's body convulsed at the impact. Neji's last hit sent her flying backwards, past 2 trees. When she finally landed, she was almost nothing but a limp doll. Keiko's true form was revealed and the image she assumed as Naruto was gone. Her whole body was bruised and she suffered from a broken lip.

Neji approached the woman, panting. He sure was nearing his limit. He surveyed his surroundings and saw Naruto walking towards them, two blades on hand. Those were the chakra blades Keiko had hit his clone with.

"I feel a little bad hitting her," Naruto said. "But she's one crazy bitch, so I guess it's okay."

Neji managed a smirk. "Well, Akira will be happy for sure."

Naruto grinned. "She will."

Neji leaned against a tree and closed his eyes briefly. Now that they had defeated Keiko, Neji somewhat regretted having hit her too hard. They could've fished more information from her, such as the whereabouts of the rest of their team or their ulterior motives.

"Hey Neji, you okay?"

Neji opened his eyes and nodded. "Just tired." He straightened up and noticed the swords in Naruto's hand. "What's that?" he asked.

Naruto lift up the twin blades. "She hit me with these. I swear when she pierced it through me I felt my chakra drain away a little." The blonde looked thoughtful. "Even if it as just a clone, it was like these suck my chakra out."

Neji lifted one of the blades and recognized it. "It's a wakizashi. Tenten's got a pair of these," he muttered. Inspecting it, his eyes widened. The handles are too familiar, not to mention, it reacts to chakra. His gaze travelled from the weapons to their enemy, now in her true form. Neji's eyes lingered over her red hair before turning his attention back to Naruto.

Naruto's blue eyes were wide. "What is it? You've seen those before?"

Neji wanted to answer but kept it to himself. Yes, he had seen these before, but not in Tenten's hands. Besides, these are not normal wakizashi. Her red hair once again plagued him and brought him back to the matters at hand.

"If she's alive, we take her with us," he said, pointing at Fujiwara. "We bring her back to Konoha for interrogation."

Naruto groaned. "Aww...I thought I'm done carrying her!"

Neji winced as he approached Fujiwara and felt for a pulse. There was a slow but steady one. "She's alive," he said.

"What, we bring her along?" said Naruto. "But how about Akira-chan and Kakashi-sensei? If this woman plotted something like this, then they are in trouble for sure!"

Neji heaved a deep breath. They have not uncovered the reason behind this attack but Keiko's last words said something about capturing a jinchuriki. The Hyuuga watched Naruto for a while. If they were after Naruto then she should've taken him a while ago and not dragged their battle for too long. Also, it was strange that she had no other accomplice with her. Was she really that strong that she was sent alone to deal with him and Naruto?

Neji doubted that. While she did show skill, it seemed to him that her motive was not really to kill them.

'You guys are just distraction. All we want is the jinchuriki.'

Neji frowned. She did not take Naruto. So that must mean...

"We have to get Akira," Neji stated. His heart began to hammer.

"What? Why—"

"They are after her," Neji replied curtly. "It's not you this time, Naruto. It's her."

Alarm was evident in Naruto's face. Before he could answer though, a soft chuckle was heard. Both men turned towards the sound and saw Fujiwara's face contorted in a smug grin.

Anger rushed hotly in Neji's veins. He reached her in three strides and gabbed a fistful of her ginger hair. Screw being a gentleman and the elite manners of the Hyuuga, he will forget all upbringing when it comes to her.

"You want Akira. Why?" he demanded.

When Keiko refused to answer, Neji gripped her hair tighter making the woman wince. She lifted her battered face and met his eyes.

"Her beast, of course," she answered, voice hoarse. "What else?"

Behind him, Naruto growled in anger. Neji ignored him.

"What have you done with her?"

"Well if the plan goes accordingly... she'll be dead by now."

Naruto slammed a fist on the tree, making Keiko flinch. "Kuso! How dare you-!" Naruto said.

"Why are you all so concerned?" Keiko said mockingly. "She's an outcast in your village. Second-rate jinchuriki...an excess... you all see her as a replacement... we might as well make use of your waste..."

Naruto almost lost it then if not for Neji's restraining hand.

"I don't like hitting women but you really-!"

"Naruto, calm down," said Neji although he's fuming deep down. Naruto took deep breaths trying to calm himself. Neji could sense that the blonde was itching to run off and search for his friend. Neji wanted to bolt as well, but they still need more information.

"Where are they?" he demanded.

Keiko glared at him stubbornly and remained silent. Neji was tempted to punch sense into her but refrained. The woman's face is now black and blue thanks to Naruto and although Neji wanted to hurt her so bad just at the thought of Akira in danger, Neji knew it would do them no good if Fujiwara passed out and is unable to answer to their interrogation.

"Where are they?" he demanded once more, pulling at the greasy ginger strands in his fist.

Keiko winced but glared at him defiantly. "It's useless. She will be thanking us when it is over."

"Shut up!" Naruto shouted. "Neji, let's go and save Akira-chan and Kakashi-sensei! We're wasting time!"

The blonde was correct. Neji stood up and pinched the bridge of his nose. He wanted to know more but the other half of him is itching to see if the Satsuna is still alive. Never mind wounded, hurt. The most important thing is she's alive.

"What do we do now, Neji?" Naruto asked.

Neji looked up at the sky, trying to determine their location based on the position of the sun. It was nearing afternoon. He soon realized that it's useless trying to guess where their missing comrades are. They have no way of tracking them, and Neji wished he had the Inuzuka or even Aburame with him.

If only one of Akira's wolves are present. Although his Byakuugan could virtually see anything, it's useless now.

Neji turned to Naruto. "Can your frogs track?"

~~~~~~~~

"Yuudai, please stop walking around. You're making me dizzy."

The older wolf glared at the young one who was lying underneath the shade of a huge tree. "Sachiko, it's been too long."

The red wolf beside Sachiko sighed. "Yuudai, don't you think you're overreacting? Hime-chan could've already completed her mission that's why she's not summoning us." Akai watched Yuudai with brown eyes.

Yuudai shook his head. "No. You didn't see her last night and this morning. She was pale as a sheet and could barely stand." He stopped pacing. "The Kageboshi had never gone this far!"

"We understand," said Kuroi, big frame approaching the pack. "But we must trust Akira-hime on this. She's powerful."

Yuudai frowned. "You know what the Wolf Sage always say. Akira-hime will only reach her full potential once she accepts the Kageboshi."

"And we know that's impossible because Akira-hime despises the Kageboshi and the Kageboshi is a malevolent force." Kishi woke up from his slumber and had joined the conversation. "You've said that too many times, Yuudai."

Yuudai barked indignantly at the pack, confused at their apparent lack of concern for their pack leader. "Why aren't you all worried?" he asked. "Hime-chan's—"

"Probably on her way back home now," Sachiko interrupted. She walked over to the older wolf. "Nii-san, we must trust Akira-hime on this. Just like Kuroi-san said, she's powerful even without us. She needs to be with people too, you know."

Yuudai opted to remain silent. While he believes his friends/siblings (for they have grown close to each other that they treat each other as siblings already), he still couldn't shrug off the worry in his heart. It's as if something heavy and dreadful had settled inside him and refuses to budge.

Early this morning, Akira had ordered her wolves to latch on the scents of her team, Keiko and the others. Then she ordered them to go back to the mountain, reasoning that it would be out of character for her as Keiko if she brought along the pack. In spite of his protests, Yuudai was forced to obey her wishes due to her position as pack leader. His loyalty to the kunoichi made him lie in wait, in the safe confines of Shizukana Yama.

But it has been too quiet at the mountain and that is why Yuudai is being paranoid right now. He paced back and forth once more. He went to the intertwined oaks—Sachiko calls them Twisty Oaks for their trunks have intertwined, appearing as if there was only one huge tree—and awaited for a summon. This is where they pass through when Akira summons them. The trees glow with her chakra and serve as gates to wherever Akira was.

Yuudai remained standing there, watching the leaves sway lazily. He could hear the faint laughter of Sachiko and the deep rumble of Kuroi's voice as the rest of the pack shared some stories. Yuudai ignored them, still awaiting for that familiar glow of chakra.

He was about to doze off when he saw it. It was faint and orange in color. Intrigued, Yuudai stepped closer. The strange orange glow came from the base of the tree, almost near the roots. The gray wolf held his breath. Akira's chakra always glowed blue, not orange. So whose chakra is this?

Before he could howl for the rest of the pack there was soft 'pop' and then a small orange frog appeared. Its back was dusted with purple patterns. It was small and Yuudai had to stoop low to see clearly. At first he was in disbelief. A summoning frog? In Shizukana Yama? But no matter how many times he blinked, the frog was still there.

"Hey."

Yuudai stepped back. The frog spoke. He looked around to ascertain that it was him the frog was speaking to. Seeing no one else, Yuudai barked, attempting to scare away the frog.

"Okay, I don't speak dog. But could you tell me if this is Shizukana Yama?"

Yuudai frowned. "Who are you?" he asked.

The small frog grinned, making its chubby face appear plumper. "Oh, so you do speak. Thank heavens! I am Gamakichi. Nice to meet you, Mister?"

"What are you doing here?" Yuudai asked. "Was that your chakra? Where's Akira-hime?"

Gamakichi seemed affronted. "Whoa. Such rudeness! I don't know about that chakra you're talking about. As for your Akira-hime, well, that's the reason I'm here."

Upon hearing Akira's name, Yuudai's doubt all flew away. "You know Akira-hime. Where is she?"

Before Gamakichi could answer, Sachiko and the others were running towards Yuudai already.

"Yuudai-san!"

"Onii-san!"

The white wolf approached him. "Nii-san! We heard you. What's going on?"

Yuudai immediately pointed at the frog. "This frog appeared to tell us about Hime!" He gave the plump frog a poke. "Come on, tell us!"

"Is she alright?" Kuroi demanded.

Gamakichi's eyes widened at the huge wolves surrounding him. "Hey, easy all of you. Look, I don't really know what's going on, but I was told to look for a place where the wolves live. My dad tells me it's Shizukana Yama. So this is it, right?"

"Yes," the wolves all answered in unison.

"Well then," said Gamakichi. "I was ordered to summon 'Akira's pack'. Who are those?"

"Us!" the wolves once again answered.

"Did Hime-chan send you?" Sachiko asked.

"I didn't know Akira-hime can now summon frogs," said Kishi. The rest of the pack all rolled their eyes. Yuudai wanted to bite the blue wolf right then.

Gamakichi sighed. "If this Akira is your master, then no, she did not send me. But, I was ordered to bring you all back to-"

"Okay then let's go!" Yuudai said, brushing past Gamakichi and gathering chakra in order to perform a reverse summoning. Reverse summoning is when he "summons" himself to where Akira is. Akira has never trained for a reverse summoning where the wolves will be the ones to summon her to where they are, so right now, only they are able to go to where Akira is.

Yuudai aligned his chakra and holding his breath, stepped between the space between the Twisty Oaks.

"Wait! There's something I—"

...

...

...

Yuudai opened his eyes and looked around in confusion. He has not left Shizukana Yama. Around him, the pack watched with wide eyes.

"Ne, Nii-san...nothing happened."

Yuudai stepped back and looked up the tall trees. He's unable to pass through the gates. This had never happened before.

"That's what I was about to tell you."

He turned at the small frog who was shaking its head. "You see, the reason why gates for summoning shut is either because the user has insufficient chakra to summon you, or if the pact had been broken." Gamakichi looked up at the five wolves. "And that's precisely why I was sent here. Apparently, your master needs you but can't summon you. So I was asked by Naruto to do something and what I thought of—actually the idea's from my dad—is to try to summon you using our gate."

"Wait a minute," said Akai. "You mean Akira-hime can't summon us and the Naruto kid sent you to come get us?"

"And we will use the gate you have to be able to cross?" asked Sachiko.

Gamakichi nodded. "Yes and yes."

"But why is Hime unable to summon us?" asked Sachiko once more. "Is she okay?"

The small frog sighed. "Again, I don't know. But Naruto said this is important. That orange chakra earlier was his."

The wolves looked at each other. Yuudai spoke first. "Akira-hime is in danger. We have no other choice but to trust Naruto and his frog." He turned to Gamakichi. "Alright. So what do we do?"

Gamakichi took out a scroll from his pack. "We have to go to our place first, and from there we'll cross over through our gate." He spread the scroll. It was red in color with strange characters. It was very similar with the scroll Naruto used to sign his contract with the frogs.

"This is a copy of Naruto's summoning contract," said Gamakichi. "We will use this to go home—I mean, go to our place. So please step here."

Unfortunately the said scroll was too small to contain all of the wolves. Gamakichi stuck out his tongue. "O—kay, so we'll do it in turns. One at a time please."

Sachiko stepped first. Her hind paws barely fit in the scroll. Gamakichi performed a seal and the white wolf was shrouded by orange chakra before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Kishi went next, then Akai and Kuroi. Lastly, Yuudai.

"Wait for us Hime. We're coming."

~~~~~~~~

Akira had stopped fiddling with the device on her abdomen after three times of suffering its electrical shock. The first time, Kakashi had clamped her mouth shut with his hand, muffling her shrieks. But the second and third, she was too tired to even shriek. Kakashi had let her be for he was also near his limit.

Now the two of them are silent in the cold dingy room, contemplating their situation. Kakashi's mind was whirring with plans of escape and retaliation. Meanwhile Akira was swimming in confusion. Who are the people behind this? Where are Naruto and Neji? Why is this happening to her?

She was not used to feeling this weak. Unlike her encounters with the Kageboshi that leaves her drained, this time, she feels extremely drained. As if her entire core is being sucked out.

'As if this thing can even reach out to the Kageboshi...and drain its chakra too...' Akira thought.

That scared her. Not that she has any affinity or feelings towards the Kageboshi. She despises it the same way it does to her. But she had always thought of it as "hers"—something that only she can utilize and touch no matter how she dislikes it.

Her musings were disturbed by the sudden sound of running feet and yells echoing from a distance. Kakashi immediately sprung to his feet and pressed his ear against the door.

"They have discovered us gone," he whispered. Akira nodded although she wished they didn't have to move. Her chakra level remains low and she knows she'd be useless in battle.

"We have to move," Kakashi said. He stood up. "Can you run?"

"I think—yes, I think can."

He assisted her up. "Our priority is to leave this place." He gave her pale profile a look over. "You don't look too well. Leave the fighting to me." His voice was serious. "When I tell you to run, you run. Understood?"

Akira started to protest. "But sensei, I can't allow you to—"

"Akira, trust me on this."

The yells outside grew louder. Akira started to panic. "But sensei, even if we leave, if this thing remains on me then they will still be able to track me and find us."

Kakashi heaved a deep breath. "I have a plan but I want you to follow my orders to the letter. Understood?" When Akira did not reply, Kakashi shook her slightly. "Answer me, Satsuna."

Akira was forced to sigh. "Yes, sensei."

Kakashi opened the door and peeked. The corridor was empty. He stepped out. "Come on. This way."

With nothing but blind obedience, Akira ran after Kakashi.

~~~~~~~~

Naruto was counting the minutes until he could summon Gamakichi. The small frog told him to wait and everybody knew that Naruto sucked at that department. Neji said to give the frog at least 10 minutes, after all, they had no idea how long it would take to gather all the wolves and if their plan really would work. As far as both shinobi knew, this had never been tried before.

A lot of things are unknown to them and it frustrates Naruto to no end. If it was only up to him, he would rush off to where Kakashi-sensei and Akira was-only, he has no idea where.

He still hasn't processed the whole thing properly. One moment he was carrying Fujiwara on his back, the next she has become their enemy. All Naruto knew was that he accompanied the actress to a nearby clump of bushes to do her business. After a few minutes, he got worried because it was too silent and it has been too long. So reluctantly, he went to check on the woman only to find her gone.

Alarmed, Naruto searched the immediate vicinity. That was when he began to feel something strange. He felt lightheaded, and it was as if his extremities had turned to jelly. Before he could figure out what was going wrong, he passed out.

When he woke up he was already being lugged around by Neji. He screamed but Neji didn't seem to hear. He tried to move but realized he can't. When Neji had put him down and he got a better view, Naruto realized that he was in another body. But how it came to be, up to now the blonde jinchuriki didn't know. Just thinking about the whole thing made him more agitated.

"How could she have done that?!" he asked once more, turning to Neji. He pointed a finger at the unconscious Fujiwara that Neji had hit unconscious and tied up. "She's the one supposed to not know anything, dattebayo! What happened to our plans? Akira-chan even drugged her and look what happened!"

Neji sighed wearily. Just like Naruto, he had been asking the same thing. "I don't know for sure. And I told you already, knowing for now won't help our case." He glanced at the small watch he kept in his pockets. "It's been ten minutes. You can summon your frog now."

"And that's one more thing!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping up from his spot on the ground. "That damn woman did something with my chakra! I was supposed to summon the toad boss, not his froglet! Kuso!"

Neji wanted to tell the blonde that he simply had not perfected the jutsu yet, but he was already tired from the day's activities. Furthermore, just like Naruto, Neji was in a hurry to see if anything had happened to Akira and Kakashi.

Naruto gave one last "kuso!" before biting his thumb. "Kuchiyose no jutsu!"

The wildlife was soon alive with the combined howls and barks of five huge wolves. When the smoke cleared, Akira's Musha Ookami was in complete attendance, with the addition of Gamakichi.

"Damn..." Naruto whispered in both amazement and surprise. Seeing the pack up close in their Alpha forms not to mention, that he was able to summon them, made the blonde shinobi forget the immediate matters at hand temporarily.

But his amazement was cut short instantly when Yuudai pounced upon Neji, slamming the older ninja to the ground. With his fangs bared in a ferocious growl, Yuudai pinned Neji with his front paws.

"What have you done to Akira-hime!" The grey wolf demanded, snarling. His paw was dangerously close to Neji's neck and the sharp claws threatened the Hyuuga's pale flesh. Around them, the pack was divided. Sachiko was telling Yuudai to stand down (for it was clear that she favored the Hyuuga, much to the pack's bewilderment), Akai was getting between Yuudai and Sachiko, obviously not knowing who to side with. Kuroi was baring his fangs at Naruto because the blond was trying to help Neji, and Kishi was the only one who had the sense to remain calm and sniff around for any familiar scent. Gamakichi had hidden himself behind the tall blades of grass, frightened at the loud barks and Naruto's threat of blasting everyone with a Rasengan.

"Yuudai! Calm down!"

"Get off him Nii-san!"

"Shut it!" Yuudai ordered. "I want to know what happened to Akira-hime!" He turned at the Hyuuga beneath his paws. "You! You said you wanted to help her. What have you done?!"

"I don't know..." Neji said, gasping against the weight of the wolf. 'Damn it, his paw alone weighs like hell,' he thought. "We got separated and we-I have no idea where they are now!"

Yuudai only pressed his paw tighter on Neji. "That's not the answer I want to hear," he snarled at the shinobi.

Neji glared back at him defiantly. "Well that's the only answer you're gonna get." He gasped. "For that's all I know."

Yuudai and Neji glared at each other for a moment, both ignoring the yells around them, before Yuudai stepped off the shinobi. The Hyuuga took deep gulps of air as he sat up. Sachiko had assisted him and he gave the white wolf an appreciative nod. The wolf only touched his shoulder with a soft paw before turning to her brother.

"What's wrong with you Nii-san!" Sachiko demanded. She was growling in fury, her pure white fur bristling. "Why did you attack him like that?"

"Why are you always siding with him?" Yuudai demanded. He felt irked that Sachiko is siding with the Hyuuga, a man he has trouble trusting. For what reason, the wolf could not tell. He could see that his pack leader is drawn to the man, but his primitive instincts are telling otherwise. He felt conflicted.

"It's not about that, Yuudai," Akai interjected. "But we have no idea of what's happening so I don't think it's right to jump into conclusions."

For the first time, the hot-headed wolf made sense. Kuroi approached the pack. "What do we do now?" he asked Neji.

Neji stood up and looked at the wolves warily. He was not sure either of their plans but he knew that having Akira's pack would help.

"We believe Akira and Kakashi-sensei are in trouble," Neji said.

"How did that happen?" Akai asked. "Hime said the plan was to—"

"Well nothing went according to plan," Neji cut off the red wolf. He met Naruto's gaze. "And we believe that Akira's in danger."

The wolves looked at each other. Naruto approached them. "They want her Kageboshi...or something like that," the blonde said. "We really don't know what they want with her."

Instinctively, the wolves looked at the bound Fujiwara and collectively they growled in anger. "Akira-hime laid her life for you," Sachiko said, snarling. "Grr..."

Neji contained his own fury. Precious minutes are passing by. "I know you can do something to track them," he said. He met Yuudai's gray eyes. "I know you can track her."

"We only follow Akira-hime's bidding," the huge wolf replied proudly. "We do not take orders from any other."

Neji clenched his fists. "This is not an order. It's a request." He fought the intense drumming of his heart. "Please."

A short pause ensued between the wolf and the shinobi. The wolves could sense the desperation in the shinobi's voice, the plea in Naruto's eyes. Yuudai and the pack shared looks. Just then, Kishi approached the group.

"Hey. I found a trail," he drawled.