Chapter 31: Mekai Heki's Move

"Hey, Naru! Naru! Wait up, I need to talk to you."

"We've decide to null the papers until after the war. Then, we can deal with them."

"How'd you know I was going to ask?"

"Ino and Hinata already came by Saku, but I can't really talk right now. There's been movement."

Sakura's eyes widened before narrowing, "They're on their wayhere or somewhere close."

"Inferno's got the report"

"Who's watching Sasuke?"

"Dragon and Lion. Are you coming along?"

"Yes. In case it takes too long, I'll need to tell Sasuke something."

Naru nodded as they hurried.

"They've set three of their people near Wave. They appear to be recruiting," Inferno reported.

"They're branching out for more control," Kaze stated.

"We're going to run interference. This will be our first message to the group. Make sure to get the Organization's name too. Calling it the darkness all the time is getting old," Mistress pleaded.

"Who all is going? Do you nedd backup?" Tsunade queeried.

"It's only three messengers, we should be fine," Kaze offered.

"Yuki-hime, you up for some excercise?" Naru smirked.

"Are you going as well?" Inferno asked.

"I'll see first-hand how they do this. We need to send a firm message to them as well. We'll have to have at least one of them alive."

"Excuse me, can I talk to you for a second," a voice interrupted, through drunken chatter.

"Um, sure," the girl replied before blowing a kiss at the two men she was flirting with.

"They're supposed to be recruiters but they have full officer uniforms in New Dawn."

"I'll draw them out to a private room then. Make sure Hime's ready as well."

"Dammit, how can you see straight, Usugi? You had as much as 'hic' we did."

"She must be one of the Biju hosts then," a new voice said.

"Not good."

One of the drunken ninjas was dead and the other was standing with a useless arm when the third joined the party. Yuki was low on chakra. She had sustained her kekkai genkai for too long and Hime seemed to be winded as well. Naru, Usugi, seemed to be the only one in any shape to fight with the newcomer. She leapt at the chance.

It wasn't until Hime was tying the unconscious ninja up that she realized their battle had gone elsewhere. Giving Yuki a chakra pill, she hauled them to their hotel room before heading out in search of Naru and her quarry.

"When did Naru get back?" Hime asked as she dropped the enemy-nin off to Anko.

"Wasn't she supposed to come back with you?"

"She went on ahead."

"Well, check in with the Hokage then, I've been here for the past two days."

"Sasuke, can I come in?"

He opened the door to see an anxious Sakura. As soon as the door opened, she was down the hall and up the stairs to Naru's room. Just as quickly as she was in, she was out with a mumbled "sorry".

"So she wasn't there?" Tsunade asked.

"No. Do you think they've taken her?"

"We'll wait a few days before we do anything drastic. Fox is a strong kunoichi and she lives up to her title," Inferno replied.

"She had one of her episodes though. It happened yesterday. She would have been more vulnerable."

"Episodes?" Tsunade asked, "You mean when she was acting like Naruto?"

"Why didn't anyone tell us? We wouldn't have let her go!" Kage declared.

"This isn't good. She's not very sound of mind for at least twenty-four hours after an episode. We'll have to wait until Anko is done with the interrogation before trying to track her down."

"Is there anyone in the spy network around the area when you fought, Yuki?"

"There were a couple, I'll contact them right away."

"This turned into a right mess quickly."