Hiyas!!! Greeneyes here! It looks like this fic's gotten a lot of hits over the course of its being up here, which is good. But dude, no reviews? Wazzup with that? Please, please review after you read. Remember: it's your comments that help me make this better!!!

And, of course, disclaimer: I do not own Nartuo, and I probably never will.

Now that that's over and done with, let's move onward!

To the chapter!!!!

Chapter Three:

Arashi dragged Reiko through the crowded noon streets. He hated seeing Reiko angry. Most of the time, she was a laid back and mellow person, keeping her cool through some of the most tense situations. It took a lot of poking and prodding to make Reiko lose her cool; so when she did get mad, it was something to be very, very afraid of.

Reiko was still fuming, mumbling every curse and swear word in the book under her breath. Arashi knew from years of being her friend that Reiko didn't mind being insulted, so long as the insults stayed directed at her. Touch her parents, and it was another story all together. She had gotten into many a fight with students at the Academy, Kenosuke in particular, for hearing them bash her parents verbally. Arashi could understand it, but tried to get her mind off of it as soon as possible.

"So, how was your first day of training?"

Reiko scoffed loudly. "Not too bad. They seem to have a good handle on basic ninjutsu - but, we have a lot of work to do if those three ever want to be decent Chunin."

"No teamwork skills, then?" Arashi guessed. It wasn't uncommon for fresh-out-of-the-Academy Genin to be selfish. It's not that they did it on purpose; it's just that young Genin were usually so caught up with finally being an official, recognized shinobi that they couldn't wait to show off their skills. Arashi, having been told off on more than one occasion by his mentors for lacking in the teamwork department, understood why self-centered students did nothing but give instructors grey hairs.

"They'll learn," Reiko said. "We're going to be taking missions starting next week, so if that doesn't snap them into teamwork mode, nothing will. I think I lucked out, though. They look like smart kids."

"Of course they are," Arashi said. "You have the offspring of the past generation's greatest ninja in your team. I'd say you're in for a wild ride."

"Whoop dee doo," Reiko said in a voice that disagreed with her choice of words. "I can't wait."

They walked on, eventually coming to an apartment building. Arashi led the way to the last floor, where he and his mother lived. He opened the door to the apartment, allowing Reiko to go in first.

"Is Kurenai-obasan home?" Reiko asked, taking a look around the dark apartment.

"Nope, she's on some mission or other," Arashi said. "You want something to drink? Or eat? You left Ichiraku without finishing your ramen."

"Nah, I wasn't really hungry anyway," Reiko said, settling onto the couch. Arashi shook his head, knowing full well Reiko was probably still starving. He poured her a glass of water and set a plate of crackers in front of her, anyway. "So, what did you find out on this mission that my Genin couldn't hear?"

"Oh, that," Arashi said. He sat down on a seat opposite Reiko and took a look around the apartment before talking. "I think the Hidden Mist might be closer to attacking the village than Hokage-sama thinks."

"What made you think that?" Reiko took a casual bite of a cracker. "Did any of them say anything?"

"You remember I said that the roads were getting a lot more unsafe?"

"Yeah, but crimes on the roads around Konoha have been on the rise for the past two years. How exactly is this news?"

Arashi raised a finger, as if to make a point, "We were attacked three times before leaving the Fire Country, and all three times, they were ninja from the Hidden Mist." He dug something out of his back pouch. It was a small scroll. The boarders around the scroll were blue – attack plans. "One of the Hidden Mist ninja dropped this. They ran away without realizing it was gone."

He placed the scroll on the table and spread it out before Reiko, who made sure to take the cracker plate into her lap lest the scroll knock it over. Her eyes went up in surprise of the document, "It's a map of the Fire Country"

"Not just any map," Arashi warned. "Take a closer look."

Reiko obliged, studying the map further. There was a circle in the middle of the scroll, scratchy writing spelled out "Konoha" in the center of the circle. All around the labeled circle was a green area and a few blue spaces and lines – the forest around the village with its lakes and rivers. Red dots were plotted in some parts of the map. Something caught in Reiko's throat. "Arashi…these are…"

"Yeah," he said. "It's a plan showing where they have their ninja stationed around the village." He tapped three dots on the paper. "We were attacked along this route, at all three points – consecutively. That's about fifty miles away from the village at the first point. They're getting closer…the latest reports from Hidden Mist attacks stated they were at least two hundred miles back. They were obviously wrong."

"And there's a shitload of them," Reiko said. "Who knows how many ninja each dot represents…they could have hundreds of shinobi ready for attack." Reiko looked at Arashi. "Have you shown this to Naruto-sama yet?"

"I went to his office the second we got back," Arashi said. "He wasn't there. The little intern guy that went to look for him was getting all worked up, so I just left. I'll go by later…but this is bad, Reiko; things are heating up too fast."

"Don't panic yet," Reiko said. She sat back on the couch, blowing her bangs out of her face – this meant she was thinking deeply about something. "Hidden Mist is not all that powerful. We have the home field advantage here in the forest; don't forget that. They don't know we have the map…or maybe they do, I dunno. But if we know the location of each of their stations, then this battle is ours. Don't sweat it yet, we still have a chance."

"I'm going to go see Naruto-sama in thirty minutes," Arashi said. He rolled the scroll back into its neat form and put it back in his pouch. "You wanna hang out here and come with me later, or do you have something to do?"

"Not a damn thing," Reiko said. She crossed her arms over her chest and put her legs up on the couch. "Wake me up in thirty minutes; will you, Arashi-kun? I didn't really sleep well last night."

"Why am I not surprised to hear that?"

"I dunno," Reiko said through a quiet mumble. "You must be psychic or something."

"Just don't drool on the couch; my Mom just got it re-upholstered." The warning was pointless, Arashi realized the second he turned back around. Reiko was already snoring away. The boy smiled, shaking his head. He took a book from a shelf in the living room and sat down in the seat opposite Reiko. He began to read, occasionally checking to see that his friend wasn't gushing all over the couch.

In the orange afternoon light that filtered through the thick trees, Anko made her way out of the Forest of Death. After another day at working hard to set up the upcoming Chunin Exams, she couldn't be happier to be on her way home. ­She soared from tree limb to tree limb with ease, eager to be out of the forest.

The set up for the Chunin Exams was always a real hassle; everything had to be perfect and ready to go at any moment. Ever since the infiltration of Orochimaru into the Exams eighteen years previously, security on the outskirts of the Forest had been beefed up considerably to ensure the safety of the competitors. And with the Great War threat hanging over Konoha, extra measures had to be taken.

Anko couldn't wait for the exams to start again – that would make things one hell of a lot less boring than they were now. She loved seeing the scared looks of the new students when she told them about release forms – that look was always priceless.

She sped along the trees, keeping an eye out for anything. The trip from the tower to the gates was a forty minute run, but Anko tended to take a little longer because she lingered in some areas just to make sure all of the equipment was working.

The hell-? Something rushed past on the ground below her. Anko dug her heels into the bark of the tree, screeching to a stop, and turned around. Without pausing, she began heading in the direction the figure had run off in. Who was running around in here? She was supposed to be the only one left in the forest, the rest of the proctors had left the tower an hour before. She tapped the earpiece lodged in her left ear. "Anyone in range?"

A deep voice crackled into the speakers, "Copy that, Anko. This is Aburame Shino."

"Right, listen, get me a headcount on the number of proctors left in the forest," she said. Her pace quickened. Please let me be imagining things.

"You're the only one left, Anko," Shino responded half a minute later. "The rest are so far gone, they're out of range. Why, are we missing someone?"

"No," she said. She heard a rustle somewhere up ahead, and followed the sound into a small clearing. Her eyes darted around, checking the branches and bushes. "I'm the last one out today, and I'm going to lock up, so I was just checking if anyone was still in here."

"I'll be out in about five minutes," Shino said. "You're the last one. How far back are you?"

"Don't bother waiting, I'll be at least another twenty minutes," Anko responded. "Thanks, Shino." She switched the microphone off. There was another rustle behind her. Crap, there it is again. Anko sprang to the nearest branch, keeping quiet. Across from her, something rustled again. Whoever they are, they suck at sneaking around.

Anko drew a kunai and flung it easily into the bushes where the noise had come from. A dull pop came in the direction the kunai had landed in, and Anko cursed. Something rushed at her from below, but the elite Jonin wasn't going to be caught off guard by that. She leapt from the branch, sending a barrage of senbon needles into the foliage.

There was a loud groan, and Anko smiled as the shinobi gave its position away. She landed on an opposite branch, and extended her hand – "Striking Snake No Jutsu!"

Three snake heads erupted from her sleeve, shooting toward her opponent in the leaves. A scream came from whatever was hiding in there as the heads closed around something. Gotcha, bitch!

Anko pulled her arm back, and a young ninja fell out onto the ground, screaming at the sight of the three snake heads. Without releasing the jutsu, Anko landed next to the squirming intruder. She brought him up to her eye level with the snakes. He was squirming madly. Anko shook her head, as if her captive where a disobedient child. "Man, you suck at this."

His face was a mask of fear, pale like nothing else. Anko's senbon needles stuck out in his shoulders and arms. He must have been new at this. "Don't kill me! Please!"

Anko's features tightened into a smirk, "Don't worry 'bout that, kiddo. I'm not the one who takes care of killing intruders. My job is to torture them until they lose their minds." Anko twirled her arm, making the snake binds slither tighter around the boy. He began screaming again, wiggling to get away from the snapping heads. "Don't move around so much, they'll get agitated."

"Please," the young man whined.

"How many of you are there?" Anko said. "Tell me!"

"Me! Just me! I swear!" He tried to keep from wriggling too much, and never took his eyes off of the hissing heads serpent heads. "I was sent to investigate the area."

"By whom?"

"My squad commander!" Boy, this kid was no good under interrogation. Anko wasn't even trying to scare him; he was doing that to himself. In any event, she feared he might have a heart attack and die before she got through with a basic interrogation. Was it even possible to turn that shade of white while still alive?

"Where is he stationed?" Anko asked in a menacing tone. Don't overdo it, Anko. This kid has nerves like jumping beans – always fidgeting.

"I don't know; we split up!" The kid was on the verge of tears. Who the hell told him he could become a ninja? When Anko frowned at his response, his eyes grew even wider. "Please, you have to believe me! They never told me where they were going! You have to believe me!"

"Alright, alright, I believe you," Anko said. "Just shut up, already." Geez this kid is irritating! He's gotta grow some balls before they send him on another solo mission. She waved her fingers at him, "Now, sleep tight." Anko snapped her fingers, and one of the snake heads sunk its fangs into the boy's neck.

He yelped, his eyes growing wide with incredible fear and realization as the sleeping agent soaked into his veins and began coursing through his body. He fell asleep in seconds, his limp body dropping to the ground as soon as the jutsu was released. Shaking her head, Anko slumped the unconscious boy onto her back and took off at a run toward the exit.

The sun had finished setting, and a clear night sky spread out above Konoha. The pale moon bore down on the Hokage monuments, giving their eyes an eerie air of life. Below them was the roof to the Hokage's office. The lights were on, and anyone who took a peek in would see that the mood in the office was all too serious.

Nara Shikamaru, Konoha's number one tactical advisor, stood at the front of desk, arms over his chest. Next to him, stood Uchiha Sasuke, wearing his ANBU captain uniform, but letting his mask hang from a clip on his belt. Sakura (now Uchiha Sakura, thank you very much and take that, Ino), also stood with them.

Facing the small group was Naruto, an uncharacteristic frown on his usually jovial face. "I don't know how to take this, really, I don't." Naruto's mind was still racing. It had been a few hours since Arashi and Reiko had shown up with the scroll from the Hidden Mist. After a rather lengthy conversation with them, Naruto had sent the two teens away with the advice to keep on their toes on their way back home. The ANBU team will be able to take care of this, don't worry. That's what he'd assured them, but now, he wasn't so sure.

"Here's the deal," Shikamaru said. Apart from a growth spurt, and a more rugged look, Shikamaru hadn't changed at all with the years. He was still that incredibly lazy know-it-all smart-ass that never failed to come through with genius tactics. "This map shows the resting stations of every group of Hidden Mist ninja that are hiding in the Fire Country, presumably to strike against Konoha. Before now, our intelligence collecting ninja teams had only been able to find half of the spots on this map – now, we have them all."

"I say we launch an attack tonight," Sasuke said.

"I don't think that might be the best idea," Shikamaru countered. Always like him to be three steps ahead of everyone. "If you ask me, this map is a little too good to be true. It has occurred to me this might be a trap. The ninja could have dropped the map on purpose to trick us. The red dots could indicate places where the Hidden Mist Ninja are hiding, ready to ambush any Leaf ninja that come near."

"We'll take them anyway,"

"Shut up, Sasuke," Naruto growled. "You think it's that easy? What if the Hidden Mist is not planning on attacking? If I give the order to attack, and for whatever reason the ANBU team can't wipe every single ninja out, the word will spread to the Village of the Hidden Mist. If that happens, then maybe the entire Village will decide to launch an attack. We could solely be responsible for lighting the flame that will become the fire that is the Great Ninja War." He paused. His fists were shaking, and his voice was rasping like it did when he was agitated or angry at himself. "I-I don't think I could handle that."

Sakura rested a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "I think I'm siding with Naruto on this one. The Hidden Mist might not be planning on attacking at all. I'd suggest putting the Village on high alert tonight and see what happens."

Sasuke scoffed, but nodded. He didn't like seeing Naruto so shaken up. As he stood there, shaking with insecurity and doubt, Sasuke was reminded of the many occasions Naruto had stood that way as a boy. During their encounters, Naruto would stand like that, head down and arms at his sides, then make a powerful promise. An odd feeling of nostalgia crept over the older Uchiha, and he sighed. "I'll assemble the ANBU along the Village walls. And personally guard the front gates."

"No," Naruto said. He lifted his head and placed a hand firmly on his desk. "I'll guard the front gate. I am Hokage after all. Sasuke disperse your teams wisely. I want you guarding the West entrance to the village – the one Itachi used to sneak in back then. I'll get some extra Jonin to the entrance points and lookout towers, doubling the night guards. Sakura, go home, but be on alert in case any medical help is needed. Shikamaru, thanks for your help."

"Alright," Shikamaru said. "My work here is done. If anything strategic comes up, you know where to find me." He bowed his respects and headed out of the office.

Naruto nodded at his two best friends. "Alright, you guys know what to do. If nothing happens during the night, then I'll see you in here tomorrow morning. If we have an invasion, then..."

Sasuke unclipped his mask and threw the hood of his ANBU jacket over his head. "I'll see you two in the morning, then." He gave Sakura a little peck on the cheek before donning his mask and leaving the room.

"He takes his job as ANBU captain very seriously, doesn't he?" Naruto commented. Reaching behind his chair, he threw his white coat with the fire character on.

"You know Sasuke," Sakura said. A sad look came over her face. "Always ready to show he really is sorry for all that he did back then. What better way to prove it then by protecting the village he tried to destroy?"

"Sounds like him," Naruto sighed. The wide-brimmed Hokage hat hid the bittersweet look in Naruto's eyes as he wondered about the old and new Sasuke. So many things had changed in the sole surviving member of the Uchiha clan, but Naruto was glad that their friendship was, although awkward at times, still strong. "Let's get going, Sakura."

"Right,"

Despite what Naruto had told her about keeping alert during the night, Reiko was fast asleep by ten that night. She breathed easily, her head covered with a book she'd been reading before she fell asleep. Her desk light was still on.

Anko walked into the girl's room, as usual to turn off the raging stereo Reiko played at night to lull herself to sleep. She tuned the music out slowly, knowing that an abrupt end in the noise flow would cause Reiko to wake up. As the current song reached its slow end, Anko took the book from Reiko's face, closed it, and put in neatly on the desk.

Like any concerned parent, Anko fixed the pillow behind Reiko's head so that she wouldn't twist her neck and began fretting over the things littered on the floor.

The girl stirred, turning over on her side, her face to the wall. She didn't wake up, didn't even seem to notice Anko's presence. "If you wake her up, you know she won't be able to fall asleep again. And that's just mean."

"You're the one who's talking loudly," Anko hissed. "If she wakes up, I'm holding you responsible." Carefully, Anko tucked the blankets in around Reiko's shoulders before turning to leave the room.

Kakashi leaned on the door frame, watching Reiko sleep. "It's kind of odd for her to be asleep this early."

"She didn't sleep last night," Anko said, turning to see Reiko. A familiar yet unsettling feeling fluttered into the pit of her stomach. A sigh of sorts escaped her lips, and Anko found herself leaning into Kakashi's shoulder. "You know, Kakashi, I get an odd feeling when I see her resting peacefully."

He gently wrapped an arm around Anko, hugging her closer to him. He understood what she was talking about, yet he decided to play dumb, "A feeling? Like what?"

"I don't think I can explain it," Anko said. "I can't help but think, when I look at her sometimes, how amazing this all is, you know?" She paused. "I don't mean for it to sound corny or anything, but when I stop to think about it, I realize 'wow, that's our daughter right there.' I never would have imagined that I would end up living like this – with you, with Reiko. It sometimes feels rather surreal to me."

Kakashi smiled behind his mask. He tightened his hug around Anko, resting his head on top of hers. "There have been times when I sit and wonder how my life ended up like this. So many things have happened to end up at this moment right here in time. But in the end, I realize that it doesn't matter as long as I'm happy. And I am happy. I'm happier than I've been in a long time. I have comrades that I can trust, such as I haven't had since I was a kid; a talented daughter that I'm proud of and love very much; and I have you."

He sighed, "This is gonna sounds really cheesy, but I realize that I have something that I would give up for anything in the world; I have a family."

"A family," Anko repeated. She slid the door to Reiko's room shut, leaving Kakashi and herself in a dimly-lit hallway. "Maybe that's what this is. It's a feeling of family. Hmph, even after all these years, I'm not entirely used to feeling like this. But I have to admit, family sure as hell feels good."

With that, she slipped into their bedroom. Kakashi sighed, walking in after her. The room, slightly bigger than Reiko's, was neatly organized. In one corner was a shelf with scrolls of various jutsu, books on ninja tools, and crammed onto the bottom shelf, Kakashi's completed collection of his favorite book series Icha-Icha Paradise. Their bed sat in the middle of the room, two nightstands on either side. On Anko's nightstand were a few picture frames, each illustrating a few years of Reiko's life. It was a moderately empty, yet tastefully decorated bedroom.

"You know, I went to see her training today," Kakashi said. He sat down on the bed, as Anko started putting on pajamas.

"How'd it go?" Anko threw one of Kakashi's older Jonin uniform shirts over head. "Is she a good teacher?"

"Imagine my discipline mixed with your impulsiveness," Kakashi muttered. He dug a shirt out from under his pillow, along with a pair of pants he wore to sleep.

"That must have been one hell of a show," Anko said, smiling. Now dressed in a pair of light blue boxers and Kakashi's shirt, she flopped onto the bed. "But I've been on a mission or two with Reiko. And I've gotta say, her skills are something to be careful of."

Kakashi got into the covers, and leaned back against the headboard. "I look at her sometimes and I think to myself, 'wow…that's an amazing kunoichi right there. Skills, wit, and a personality to match'. And then it really sinks in when I realize that it's our daughter I'm looking at."

Anko smiled as sat up next to him. Kakashi turned, staring into her eyes. He could only smile back under his mask. He nodded, "What are you thinking about?"

Instead of supplying an answer, Anko traced the faint outline of Kakashi's face with her fingers. She played with the seam of his mask for a minute, tracing its outline on Kakashi's face until she dragged the side down. Kakashi didn't fight the sudden move; it's not like it mattered around Anko, anyway. The mask fell below his nose, but his mouth remained covered. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and slowly pulled his mask back up. Smiling, Anko turned over and wrapped the blankets around her shoulders.

"You're a hopeless romantic, Kakashi. But that's part of why I love you."

On the walls surrounding Konohakagure, the person stood lightly. Its figure was silhouetted by the white light of the crescent moon above. Its ANBU robes fluttered lightly with the late night breeze. Under its white mask, a smile was spread over its face.

Stupid Konoha Jonin…it was all too easy to infiltrate into this place. They think they're superior, but they don't know shit. They never even suspected me. This is all to easy.

Crouching on top of the wall, looking out into the forest where its comrades were waiting to attack, the figure began to prepare. Beneath its robes, its fingers ran across the surface of a scroll. The scroll that would mark the beginning of the plan. It smiled again in some sort of sick pleasure. This would be a very fun night.

A very fun night indeed.

Ha! There, you thought it would end on that light, buttery note, didn't you? But it didn't! Well, I swear the story will pick up from here. So, read and review, will ya?? Will ya, please? Hell, I won't beg. Review!!!

-Greeneyesstaring