Author Note: N/A

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Bleach.

-Chapter IV-

A week after Saara arrived at Konoha, Unohana and Yoruichi received a message from Yamamoto recalling them to Seireitei with immediate effect. Despite Yoruichi's complaints, the two captains knew exactly why the Soutaichou issued such an order, and it all revolved around the news Saara brought with her to Konoha. When the two captains arrived back in Seireitei, they are greeted at the gate by Oomaeda Marenoshin, whom directed them to the barrack of first squad for a captains' meeting.

"Captain of the second squad Shihouin Yoruichi and captain of the fourth squad Unohana Retsu requesting permission to enter sir," Yoruichi announces as she and Unohana arrive outside the meeting room.

Instead of answering, Yamamoto gestures for the guards to open the doors. Looking inside, Yoruichi sees that quite a few captains are still missing. However, since she doesn't exactly expect the captains to be waiting the meeting room just in case she and Unohana returned, she only wonders why Aikawa Love, Kyouraku Shunsui, and Ukitake Juushirou, the captain of the seventh, eighth, and thirteenth squads respectively, are already present. Sensing Unohana move past her, Yoruichi rushes over to her spot before catching another earful from Yamamoto.

"Well, well, back from your vacation I see," Shinji Hirako, the captain of the fifth squad says.

"Actually managed to get out of bed this morning eh Hirako," Yoruichi says.

"Perhaps you two should focus more on the task hand instead of bickering like children," an elderly man says from behind Hirako.

"Ginrei-sama, how is little Byakuya doing?" Yoruichi says, "is the little pipsqueak ready to join you at the sixth yet?"

"Soujun has started training the boy if that's what you mean Yoruichi," Ginrei says.

"Who do you all think is going to be last to get here?" Yoruichi asks, "I bet it's Kiganjou again."

"I would think that's a safe bet," Shunsui says as Ginrei moves in line next to him, "I don't even know if he's going to show up."

"I'm pretty sure I walked past him on my way here," a woman says, entering the room and moving to Shunsui's other side.

"Hey Kirio-chan, how are thing at the twelve?" Yoruichi asks.

"Things are going well," Kirio says, "I see we are still missing Roujuurou and Kensei besides Kiganjou."

"Pretty sure Kensei is still trying to get Mashiro-chan to calm down back at the ninth," Shunsui says, "I tried to get Lisa-chan to go there with Nanao-chan to help, but no luck."

"All that'll do is put a six years old in charge of two three years olds," Kirio says, looking disapprovingly at Shunsui, "I might as well send Hiyori-chan there if that's the case."

"At least she wouldn't be kicking me in the face if you did," Hirako says, rubbing his nose from phantom pains, "for a three years old, she sure can jump high."

"That's just how she shows her affections," Kirio says, waving off Hirako's complain.

"She doesn't jump kick you in the face," Hirako complains.

"It seems things are quite lively, and the meeting hasn't even started yet," a man with long curly blond hair says as he enters the room.

"Roujuurou, what took you so long?" Shunsui says, "you should be one of the first arriving considering how close your squad's barrack is."

"I just decided to take my time," Roujuurou says, "and Kensei and Kiganjou should be right behind me."

"I'm not late am I?" Kensei asks.

"What is so urgent that every one of us has to show up?" Kiganjou asks.

"You should be happy Kiganjou," Yoruichi says dryly, "if my hunch is correct, this actually involves preparing for a long drawn out battle."

"Oh, you seem to know what's going on," Kirio says, "care to enlighten us?"

"I'll let Yama-jii start," Yoruichi says, "after all, we're all here, so the meeting should be starting now."

"The reason I called this meeting is because of the information Yoruichi and Retsu acquired during their stay in Konoha," Yamamoto says, taking Yoruichi's words as his cue to start.

"So, what's so important that we need to have this emergency meeting?" Hirako asks.

"Our enemies have taken over the city of Rouran in Kaze no Kuni as their new home," Yamamoto says, "with the blessing of the Daimyo of Kaze no Kuni."

"So what does that mean exactly?" Kensei asks.

"Right now, the consequence is uncertain," Yamamoto says, "given that they work so closely with the Daimyo of Kaze no Kuni, it could be possible that any aggression on their part could be constituted as an act of war from Kaze no Kuni…"

"But any aggression against them on our part could be construed as an act of war by Tetsu no Kuni against Kaze no Kuni," Ukitake says, "in other words, we can no longer actively hunt them down."

"So I don't even get to fight them anymore?" Kiganjou says, "I thought the woman over that said I would be happy about the news."

"All I said was that we would be preparing for battle, I didn't say we are going into a battle," Yoruichi says, "hell, the way we run through captains over at the eleventh, I don't even know if you'd live long enough to see the fight."

"We cannot allow ourselves to be slack lest they catch us unprepared," Yamamoto says, cutting off the argument before it even starts, "the fact that they are willing to attack an established local power shows that their strength has increased beyond our original estimation. We must prepare our troops in case of an all out attack by the Arrancars and Hollows."

"What about the clans that fled to Mizu no Kuni?" Unohana asks.

"Their fate remains uncertain as well," Yamamoto says, "it would appear that the new Mizukage is not very fond of anyone possessing a kekkei genkai. The bloodthirsty Kaguya would be on his list of targets I am sure."

"Would the forbidden technique be leaked to the shinobi of Kirigakure no Sato should the Kaguya fall?" Ginrei asks.

"Again that is uncertain," Yamamoto says, "but as I have suggested, it is best that we prepare our troops for whatever may come."

"So all this meeting is about potential enemies that may or may not be of any threats to us," Kiganjou says, turning around to leave the room, "this is a waste of my time. I've got better things to do than to listen to this garbage. The eleventh squad is always ready for a fight, there's not even a need to tell us to train."

"I believe that everyone is aware of the current situation and understands the instructions," Yamamoto says, "if there are no further questions, then the meeting is adjourned."

Back in Konoha, the Barrier team has already detected three separate infiltration attempts by Barragan's men during the two weeks that Saara has spent in Konoha thus far. Each time, only a single spy is detected and the interception division of the barrier team manages to induce a retreat from the spy every time. Not wanting to spark an international incident without any concrete evidence, Minato decides to hold back from lashing out against Barragan. However, after the third attempt, Minato orders one of his personal guard to deliver a signed message from Saara renouncing her rights to the title of Queen of Rouran along with a letter stating that Saara is now a citizen of Konoha.

"So did you receive any response from the Daimyo of Kaze no Kuni?" Minato asks the messenger after he returned to the village.

"Daimyo-dono told me that he will alert Barragan of the issue," the messenger says, "he trusts that there will be no further action by Barragan."

"Is there anything else of note?" Minato asks.

"Daimyo-dono also asked me to alert you that the city of Rouran no longer exist once he received the message from Saara-dono," the messenger says, "the city will now officially be named Las Noches per Barragan's request."

"I will keep that in mind," Minato says, "if there's nothing else, you are dismissed."

Closing his eyes, Minato leans back in his chair as he tries to figure out how to break the news to Saara. Granted she signed away her title willingly, but that doesn't mean that she won't feel hurt by the fact that the home she once knew and loved doesn't exist any more. Putting off alerting Saara of the return message until he can decide how to approach the subject without breaking the young woman's heart more than it has already, Minato heads home to check on his wife and newborn son.

"Minato-kun, what's wrong?" Kushina asks after watching her husband stare at his son for the last ten minutes.

"Hmm? What did you say Kushina-chan?" Minato asks.

"Are you trying to pull a Kakashi on me?" Kushina asks, pouting, "I'd hate to do a Rin and slap you back to your senses."

"No, no, that's all right," Minato says, raising his hands to placate his wife, "the messenger to Kaze no Kuni came back today."

"Oh? So what did the Daimyo say?" Kushina says.

Repeating what the messenger told him earlier in the day, Minato watches as Kushina adopts the same look he is sure he had when he heard of the news in his office.

"We still have to let her know somehow…" Kushina says.

"I know but…" Minato says, "she just signed away her own home."

"We have to find the right moment," Kushina says, "if we wait too long, we're only going to rip open the wounds just as it's starting to heal."

"It's a tough balancing act," Minato says, "one that I'm not sure I can ever find the right balance."

"Saara-san is a tough girl, but there are only so many hits one can take before they break," Kushina says, "do you want me to gauge her emotions first?"

"We'll both go," Minato says, "under the guise of seeing how she is adjusting to life in Konoha."

"Should I call the babysitters?" Kushina asks.

"After they turned Naruto's room upside down and tormented him by using him as their dress-up doll?" Minato asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Tsunade-sama straightened them out," Kushina says, meekly.

"And she is in the hospital treating Rin's injuries right now," Minato says.

Suddenly, the sound of someone tapping on the windows reaches the ears of the pair. Looking over, Minato spots and ANBU waiting patiently outside his kitchen's window.

"What's the matter?" Minato asks, opening the window.

"Saara-dono has checked herself into the hospital," the ANBU says.

"For what reason?" Minato asks.

"I am uncertain," the ANBU says, "it did not appear as though she has any injuries or suffer from any maladies."

"Very well, I will check in with the hospital," Minato says, as the ANBU leaves after saluting Minato.

"What do you think about taking Naruto to visit Rin-chan?" Kushina says, having heard the entire report.

"You just read my mind Kushina-chan," Minato says, "and I think Naruto might be due for a check up with Tsunade-sama anyway."

Arriving at the hospital, Kushina takes Naruto to see Rin while Minato heads to the front desk. Entering Rin's room, Kushina finds Kakashi sitting next to his teammate's bed watching over the resting girl.

"Kushina-sama," Kakashi says, noticing the woman standing at the door.

"Is Rin-chan sleeping?" Kushina asks.

"Mm… Kushina-sama?" Rin asks, opening her eyes, "please save me from Kakashi. He's boring me to death with all his stories. Boohoo, just because you have a chance of getting into ANBU doesn't mean you have to keep telling me over and over how they are trying to recruit you."

"I only told you about it once," Kakashi says, "and I was asking you your opinion on the matter."

"Just you wait Kakashi," Rin says, "once I get out of here I'll catch up with you in no time!"

"Unless you can convince Tsunade-sama otherwise, it'd be a while before you are even allowed out of bed," Kakashi says, "are you here to visit Rin or are you looking for me, Kushina-sama?"

"Rin-chan haven't had the chance to see Naruto-kun yet," Kushina says, "so I thought I'd bring him over to see his Rin-nee-chan before taking him to Tsunade-sama for a check up."

Eyes lighting up, Rin tries to scramble out of bed only to have Kakashi keep her in place with a hand on her shoulder. Shooting Kakashi a glare and a pout, Rin ignores her teammate in favor of the approaching Kushina.

"Aw… he's so cute," Rin coos as Kushina lays Naruto on her lap.

"So I've been told by Kurenai and the girls," Kushina says.

"They've already seen Naruto-kun?" Rin asks.

"They babysat him a few days ago," Kushina says.

"I hate being in the hospital," Rin grumbles.

"Can I trust you two to keep an eye on Naruto for a short while?" Kushina asks, noticing Minato standing at the door, "Minato-kun and I need to speak with someone."

"Of course Kushina-sama," Rin says.

Petting Rin on the head, Kushina stands up and leaves the room with Minato. Following her husband, the pair stops in front of Tsunade's office. Knowing that any doctor worth anything would not care if the Daimyo is standing outside their door when there's a patient in the room with her, Minato and Kushina decide to wait outside until Saara's business with Tsunade is finished.

"Oh, Kushina-san, Minato-san, are you here to speak with Tsunade-san?" Saara asks as she exits the room.

"Actually, one of the ANBU in charge of your protection told me that you checked yourself into the hospital," Minato says.

"Oh!" Saara says before looking apprehensive, "…I suppose you deserve to know."

"If you're not comfortable in telling us…" Kushina says.

"No, it's not that," Saara says, "but can we talk inside? It's not something I want out in public ears."

"You three can talk in my office," Tsunade says, "I need to check up on Rin anyway."

"I left Naruto-kun with Rin-chan," Kushina says, "so can you do Naruto-kun's check up too?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll take care of it," Tsunade says.

Entering the room, Minato gestures for Kushina and Saara to take a seat before applying the security seal present in every office in the hospital to ensure patient confidentiality. After applying a temporary second layer to the security seal to further increase protection, Minato sits down on the bed off to the side and waits for Saara to begin.

"The reason that I'm here is because…" Saara says, hesitating slightly, "I'm… with child."

"With child!" Kushina says, rushing over next to Saara, "but you came here by yourself. Who's the father?"

"The child's father is dead," Saara says, "he has been dead for several months now and he's the reason that Barragan has been so determined to kill me."

"Arturo Plateado," Minato says, connecting the dots, "he wants you dead because you are carrying the heir of the last king."

"The king he kill!" Saara screams, "Minato-dono, I beg you, please, save my children."

"Wait…" Minato says, "children?"

"I gave birth to another baby girl two years ago," Saara says, "nobody knows about her beside Arturo and me. I hid her away but I'm worried that Barragan might find her."

"I'll dispatch a squad to Kaze no Kuni immediately," Minato says, "I need to know where you hid her and where she is."

"This is the only picture I have of her," Saara says, taking a photo out of her pocket, "it was taken six months before Arturo…"

"And your daughter's location?" Minato asks as Kushina warps her arms around Saara.

"On… on the back," Saara says.

"We'll bring her back to you Saara-san, don't worry," Minato says, "Kushina-chan, stay with Saara-san, take her to see Naruto, and tell Kakashi I need to see him in my office."

Kakashi rushes into the Hokage's office just as Minato takes a seat at the desk. Noticing the serious look on Minato's face, Kakashi straightens up out of his slouch and stands at attention. Waving his hand, Minato gestures for Kakashi to stand on the side as he waits for the three shinobi he summoned on the way to the Hokage Tower.

"It's quite unusual for three clan heads to be called in for a mission Hokage-sama," Hyuuga Hiashi says as he enters the office with Akimichi Chouza and Aburame Shibi.

"I wish for you to retrieve someone from within Kaze no Kuni," Minato says, "I have yet to ascertain the level of opposition you might face, so I'd rather edge on the side of safety."

"Opposition from within Kaze no Kuni?" Chouza asks, "we are not kidnapping any one from within Sunagakure are we?"

"No, what you might face is an enemy we have never faced before," Minato says, "Kakashi, Chouza, Shibi, do you three still recall the mission to Rouran several years ago?"

"The city with all those towers in the middle of the desert?" Chouza asks.

"Though I have witnessed many difficult scenes during the war, my recollection of the city of Rouran is still relatively fresh," Shibi says.

"Rouran has fallen to the nomads of Kaze no Kuni recently, and the Daimyo has renamed the city Las Noches," Minato says, "that is the level of opposition that you might be facing."

The statement draws shocked looks from the four facing the Hokage. No wandering clan has ever been able to capture a city from the existing government structure in place. Even the shinobi villages around the world were allowed to be in existence only with the blessing of the Daimyo, and only in a location previously unsettled.

"The nomads would never have been able to accomplish such a task without inside help," Shibi says.

"The population within Rouran still has doubt regarding the actual leadership ability of Saara-dono," Minato says.

"I see, so this person we are looking for, is he or she located within the walls of Rouran?" Hiashi asks.

"The person you are to retrieve is the young daughter of Saara-dono," Minato says, taking out the picture Saara handed him in the hospital, "this is a picture of the child."

"Saara-dono also gave me this ring as proof that we are taking the child back on her command," Kakashi says, extracting the item from his pocket.

"Saara-dono has arrived at Konoha for quite a while has she not?" Hiashi asks, "why request for such a mission now when she could've asked for our assistance the moment she arrived?"

"I believe she arrived with little more than the clothes on her back," Shibi says, "I highly doubt that she can afford a D-Rank mission, much less an A-Rank as what we are facing now."

"There was also the fact that Yoruichi and Unohana-san were in Konoha at the time," Minato says, "and the people from their home have been fighting a silent war against the nomads for decades."

"That would mean Shihouin-san and Unohana-san could have assisted in this mission with their knowledge of the enemy," Hiashi says, "why would that detract Saara-dono from requesting their help."

"That is the key part of this mission. The child is the daughter of the former king of the nomads," Minato says, "the king that the current king Barragan killed to secure his power before launching the invasion on Rouran."

"And now he intends on finishing the job he started," Chouza says, "but it has been quite a while since Saara-dono arrived at Konoha has it not?"

"I know what you are trying to say Chouza," Minato says, "the existence of Nelliel, Saara-dono's daughter, was kept from both the nomads and the people of Rouran. The girl isn't even located within Rouran at the moment if she has yet to be discovered."

"According to the information on the back of this photograph," Shibi says, "Saara-dono has arranged to meet with this traveling caravan at specific times throughout the year. The next meeting is five days from now."

"And I want the four of you to travel to the prearranged location and retrieve Nelliel," Minato says.

"It will take at least three days to arrive at that location," Shibi says, "if there is nothing else Hokage-sama, I believe we have a mission to prepare for."

"I cannot overstate the importance of this mission," Minato says, "may you all succeed in this endeavor."

"We shall do everything within our power to complete the mission," Hiashi says, "by your leave Hokage-sama."

Four days after being assigned the mission, Hiashi, Shibi, Chouza, and Kakashi arrive at the oasis where the caravan is expected to stop some time during the next day according to the date on the photograph. With nothing to do until the caravan arrives, the group sets up camp around the oasis while Shibi releases his Kikaichuu to scout the area and ensure that no one from Las Noches has tracked their movement.

"Why would a traveling caravan make use of an oasis that's so far out of the way?" Kakashi asks, "I'd think that they would find one that's closer to civilization so that they can earn some extra money as they rest."

"If it was a merchant caravan or circus caravan that would e the case, but certain nomad caravans would make use of oases like this one exactly because they are so far out of the way of civilization," Chouza says, "they don't like to interact with the rest of the world unless they have to, and even then only through small group in its population to acquire what they need."

"So I suppose the caravan we are waiting for is the last kind," Kakashi says, "and the people who are living in Las Noches would notice something is odd when their queen keep visiting this group."

"Therefore Barragan would know about it if any one of them told him about it," Hiashi says.

"Would he send someone to intercept the caravan and take our mark away?" Kakashi asks.

"Your concern is not unfounded," Shibi says, "but my Kikaichuu has detected a large traveling group heading our way. At their current pace, they should arrive by sunset."

"Should we head out and meet them on their way to avoid any potential complications?" Kakashi asks.

"I agree with the idea, no reason for us to wait here for half a day if we can retrieve the girl sooner," Chouza says.

"We are going to have to," Shibi says, "there are three high energy sources heading toward the caravan from the direction of Las Noches. If we head out now, we should be able to arrive before them."

"We don't have time to waste," Hiashi says, "let's go."

Traveling at top speed, the four Konoha shinobi manage to reach the caravan just before the three energy sources join them at the site. The two teams stare each other down as the people of the caravan, having been caught in the middle, look between the two sides in fear. The three fighters from Las Noches are all wearing various forms of white uniform, which the four Konoha shinobi take as the official uniform of the nomad warriors that attacked and conquered the city. The man standing in the middle of the three can only be described as a giant. So much so that even Chouza seems small compared to that man. He is bald at the top of his head but does have a bushy sideburns and a ponytail that reaches his waist. He also has a jar bone like guard located on his chin. Looking at the material, Kakashi recognizes it as similar to the headdress on Kushina's head that she adopted since Naruto's birth. The man standing on the right has an orange afro and a bone like forehead guard similar to a pair of goggles while the man on the left has black hair and a bone like forehead guard that appears similar to the metal plates that shinobi adorns as a symbol of their village.

"Konoha shinobi, it's a surprise to see you lot here so soon after delivering the last message to the Daimyo of Kaze no Kuni," one of the three fighters from Las Noches says.

"What does the people of Las Noches want with this particular caravan?" Hiashi says.

"I suppose I could ask the same of you," the man on the left says.

"What's the point of wasting time, it's obvious that we are all here for the same thing," the man in the middle says, "the bitch that used to rule the place fled to Konoha after all."

"I guess it would be too much to ask you to step aside and allow us to complete our mission unimpeded," Chouza says.

"Just like it would be too much for us to ask you for the same," the man on the right says.

"Kakashi, say with the caravan while we handle these three," Hiashi says before charging at the man on the right.

"Perhaps you can explain to the caravan leader our purpose for visiting them while we remove the distraction," Shibi says before walking toward the man on the left.

"We'll be back soon Kakashi," Chouza says before moving to take on the man in the middle.

All three pair of combatants move away from the caravan to avoid damaging their mark but remained close enough that should the travelers try to escape from the scene they can still catch up easily. Reaching into his weapons' pouch, Kakashi extracts the picture and the ring before showing them to the caravan leader.

"Well, I suppose that leaves us here to complete our business," Kakashi says, "my team and I are here on behalf of Saara-dono to retrieve her daughter. She told me that this ring should be enough proof of our claim."

"You are here for Nelliel then," the caravan leader says.

"Yes, Nelliel… Plateado? Saara-dono never told us if her daughter shares the same last name as her father," Kakashi says.

"Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck," the caravan leader says, "but what of the two children that Plateado-sama placed with his daughter?"

"Saara-dono never mentioned anything about two other children," Kakashi says.

"I'm not surprised, Plateado-sama left those two kids behind with us so that Nelliel-sama has someone around her age who knows her history as she grows up," the caravan leader says.

"If that is the case then I suppose we'll have to take them with us as well if you don't mind," Kakashi says, "if it's Plateado-dono's will then I'm sure Saara-dono will agree with it."

"Very well, wait here while I retrieve the children," the caravan leader says.

Hiashi stares off at his chosen opponent in disgust. The man has, in Hiashi's opinion, an even more absurd hairstyle than Might Gai. After staring at Gai's ridiculous bowl cut hair for so long, Hiashi and the rest of Konoha has already gotten use to the eccentric young man's hairstyle, but this man from Las Noches styled his burnt orange colored hair into an expansive afro. Despite his opponent's odd appearance however, Hiashi knows better than to underestimate his opponent based on his looks alone. Might Gai can push even the most polished of Jyuuken practitioner into a difficult match with his Gouken despite his age. And judging by the muscles almost bursting through the clothes of this man from Las Noches, Hiashi can tell that the man can be just as formidable in Taijutsu as the young Chuunin back in Konoha.

"Gantenbainne Mosqueda, Espada of Las Noches," the man says, introducing himself.

"Hiashi Hyuuga, Jounin of Konoha," Hiashi says, return the courtesy.

"I suppose you are to be my opponent," Gantenbainne says.

"That is correct."

"Very well, then you have best prepare yourself."

Shooting forward with a burst of speed, Gantenbainne lashes out with a punch that Hiashi barely manages to dodge away from. Despite being able to move out of the way, Hiashi can sense the power behind the punch just from the air rushing through as Gantenbainne's fist passes by the side of his face. Instead of being completely off balance from the miss, Gantenbainne digs his heels into the sand and pulls his arm back, trying to elbow Hiashi on the side of the head. Turning to face the Espada, Hiashi strikes up with an open palm, hitting Gantenbainne's forearm and pushing the elbow over his head. Taking advantage of his opponent's exposed side, Hiashi manages to land several Jyuuken hits before being forced away by Gantenbainne shifting his missed back elbow into an elbow drop.

"You are a better Hakuda practitioner than I had expected," Gantenbainne says.

"Hakuda… I suppose that is your equivalent of Taijutsu," Hiashi says, "allow me to demonstrate why the Hyuuga clan's Jyuuken is considered one of the most feared Taijutsu style."

"I suppose I should finally take this fight seriously as well," Gantenbainne says, stretching out the muscle struck by Hiashi, "although Barragan explicitly forbade us from using our Resurreccion in this fight, so I'll just have to go all out in this form."

"You should not step so carelessly, you are within the field of my divination," Hiashi says, "face the might of the Hyuuga clan, Hakke Rokujyuuyon Shou!"

This time, it's Hiashi who surprises Gantenbainne with his speed, putting the Espada on his back foot. However, to his surprise, not only did the previous Jyuuken strikes seem to have no effect on Gantenbainne's movement, the Espada can move quick enough to parry every one of the sixty four Jyuuken strikes. The Espada's parry of the last two strikes manage to push Hiashi's arms out to the sides, leaving his entire torso open for counterattack, one that Gantenbainne is perfectly willing to take advantage of. Using the only mean of escape available to him, Hiashi twists his leg to create enough torque for the Hakkeshou Kaiten. Unaware of the range of his opponent's attack choices, the wall of chakra slams into Gantenbainne, lifting him into the air and throwing him feet away from Hiashi. Staggering to his feet, Gantenbainne clutches onto his abdomen, which took the full blunt of the attack. Stretching his torso again, Gantenbainne tries to use the motion to dull the pain while allowing him to gather Reiryoku to his mouth. Looking down to face Hiashi once again, Gantenbainne fires off the Cero blast, the concentrated Reiryoku shining in a burnt orange tone similar to his hair. Not knowing how effective a chakra barrier is against this unknown energy, Hiashi decides to forgo the Hakkeshou Kaiten, which forces him to remain stationary. Opting for the Hakke Kuuhekishou instead, Hiashi expelling the large wave of chakra in front of himself from the palm of his hands to block the energy blast, leaving himself in a position to dodge should the technique proof ineffective. The two techniques make contact, creating a miniature sandstorm at the point of impact. The sand cloud obscures Gantenbainne's sights but Hiashi's Byakugan can spot the light from the Espada's weakened attack. Turning his body slightly to the side to allow the Espada's attack to pass harmlessly, Hiashi charges into the sand cloud, taking advantage of his Kekkei Genkai's ability to spot his opponent.

"You managed to block my attack last time, but let's see how well you can do against this," Hiashi says, "Hakke Hyaku Nijyuuhachi Shou!"

With his vision blocked by the sand cloud and Hiashi's attack speed doubling from that of the sixty-four palms, Gantenbainne takes the full blunt of the Hyuuga's signature attack. Finally feeling the effects of the combined Jyuuken strikes, Gantenbainne drops to one knee before falling on his side. Hiashi is about to check on his opponent's condition when he feels a massive energy source near the area where Chouza is fighting.

"Yammy must be going nuts," Gantenbainne says, "you have defeated me fair and square, but you should go and assist your teammate before Yammy destroys him."

Putting his hands into the side pockets of his long coat, Shibi calmly stares at his chosen opponent. Seeing his opponent take such a relaxed stance despite standing well within his attack range, the nomad fighter tilts his head slightly in confusion.

"Are you so confident in your own ability that you won't even take me seriously?" the fighter asks.

"Despite my appearance, I am taking this fight very seriously," Shibi says.

"Interesting," the fighter says, "so Konoha-nin, do you have a name? I'd like to know the name of my opponents so I know what to put on the gravestone once I killed him."

"I doubt that you would be able to add my name to your trophy case. However, you can be content knowing that Aburame Shibi is your killer once you reach the afterlife."

"Aburame Shibi eh?" the fighter says, "I, Dordoni Alessandro del Socaccio, shall strike you own where you stand."

"Even if your chakra level is well above that of a civilian, you do not stand a chance against me," Shibi says, "your level indicates Genin level at best."

"Chakra? I have no idea what you are talking about," Dordoni says, "but if it is supposed to be a measurement of strength, Yammy, Gantenbainne, and I, we can produce some of the highest level of Reiatsu in Las Noches."

"Is that so?"

"There's a reason we are assigned the mission to retrieve the princess," Dordoni says, "but enough talking. We are here to fight, not to talk."

Instead of responding with words, Shibi releases his hive of Kikaichuu from within his body and create a sphere of bugs around himself. Considering this the opening move, Dordoni goes through a series of rapid but odd arm movements before ending with a reverse pentagon with his index and pinkie fingers and charging a small red energy sphere within. Seeing no movement from Shibi, Dordoni unleashes the attack and the energy beam rips through the bug sphere, tearing a hole and revealing the empty space within.

"Now where did he go?" Dordoni mutters as the remaining bugs disperse.

"You should not have taken so long to prepare your attack."

Looking behind him, Dordoni is surprised to see five Shibi staring back at him. Instead of panicking, Dordoni gathers energy to his palm. Differing from the previous attack, Dordoni fires off five small red energy blasts with a swing of the arm. The five blasts catch each copy square in the chest, ripping through them before each copy disperses into a cloud of bugs. Turning back toward the direction where the bug sphere was, Dordoni doesn't even have time to block or dodge away from the kunai flying toward his chest. However, the kunai simply bounces harmlessly after contact, not even leaving a scratch.

"It would appear that using physical attacks against you would be quite ineffective," Shibi says.

"My Hierro is also one of the strongest in Las Noches," Dordoni says, "you are going to need a lot more than a simple knife to cut me."

"To concentrate you energy to the point of it forming an invisible barrier on your body against physical attacks, such control is certainly beyond the levels of amateur warriors," Shibi says.

"Hmm… to understand the concept of Hierro despite not being an Arrancar, perhaps you will make a suitable opponent after all," Dordoni says, "but enough chatter, we still have a fight to finish."

"I agree," Shibi says from right behind Dordoni.

Dordoni spins around to block Shibi's punch. Leaping away, Shibi barely manages to dodge away from Dordoni's counter. As Shibi is jumping back to avoid the repeated punches from Dordoni, swarms of Kikaichuu flies out from the hive within the Aburame's body. The Kikaichuu circles around Dordoni and forms another Mushi Bunshin behind Shibi's opponent.

"I'm not falling for this trick again," Dordoni says, lashing out with a back kick at the clone, "Barón Puntapiés Alto!"

The kick lands square on the clone's chest, blowing it apart. However, instead of dissipating like all the other insect clones, the bugs swarm upon Dordoni, covering him from head to toe.

"Hijutsu: Mushidama," Shibi says, "you mistake is believing that Mushi Bunshin and Taijutsu all I'm capable of."

"How…" Dordoni grunts, temporarily punching through an opening before the bugs quickly converge and seals it again.

"I merely planted a female Kikaichuu on your body when you blocked my punch, the male Kikaichuu can track the pheromone of the female counterpart from miles away," Shibi says, "and I must thank you for telling me about this 'Reiatsu' that you utilize. My blank Kikaichuu, which has yet to taste any chakra outside of my own, will now be able to identify your allies should they come near Konoha again once they've had a taste of your energy."

"You might have defeated me, but can your team defeat all of us?" Dordoni says, lying on the ground as the last Kikaichuu returned to Shibi.

"Hmm?" Shibi says, raising an eyebrow.

"You and your comrades might have been able to defeat me and Gantenbainne, but Yammy will destroy his opponent," Dordoni says, "he has yet to lose a one on one fight so far in his life."

"Akimichi Chouza is hardly just any other opponent for your comrade," Shibi says.

"Are you truly so confident?"

"Chouza can be quite formidable in Taijutsu as well, especially when you threaten something he holds dear," Shibi says.

"If I truly know Gantenbainne as well as I assume, he will no longer pursue the girl once he admits defeat, and I'm in no condition to continue my mission as I currently am," Dordoni says, "be grateful Barragan-dono forbade us from using our true power in this fight. However, Yammy never was one to follow orders. If you truly wish for your entire team to escape unscathed, I'd suggest assisting your friend like Gantenbainne's opponent."

Normally, Chouza is a very easy going person. However, like every other Akimichi, he also has a taboo that once touched, turns the mellow Chouza into a raging war machine. Despite repeated assurances from his friends Shikaku and Inoichi as well as many of the allies he fought alongside during the previous Shinobi World War, Chouza, like all Akimichi, is very self-conscious about his weight. When someone describes an Akimichi as fat, it often sparks a fire within the amiable giant that brings fear upon the ones brave enough to utter such words. In this instance, Chouza takes it as an even greater insult when the person uttering the taboo word is an even bigger man than he is.

"How… how dare you call me fat!" Chouza screams, "I'm only big boned! Hurray for big boned people!"

"Tch, a weakling like you do not have the right to get angry," Yammy says, "I can call a weakling like you anything I want."

"Weakling! Let's see how you handle this from a weakling then! Baika no Jutsu!" Chouza screams as his body expands with his clan's famed technique, "Nikudan Sensha!"

Staring impassively at the rolling human boulder hurtling towards him, Yammy simply flexes his neck before raising his arm and punching Chouza square in the middle, breaking Chouza's technique and sending the Akimichi flying back.

"Like I said, a weakling," Yammy says.

Looking away from where Chouza landed, Yammy looks toward the direction where the other two Espada are engaging their opponent, thinking about cutting in and taking over the fight himself. The fact that he took his eyes off his opponent earns Yammy a punch to the entire right side of his body from Chouza utilizing his Bubun Baika no Jutsu to enlarge his left arm. Caught off guard, Yammy flies off to the side as the punch connects. Having no intention of making the same mistake his opponent did, Chouza rushes forward at Yammy, noting that his opponent's body size seems to have increased slightly as Yammy lets out an enraged roar. To cut down on the time needed to reach his opponent, Chouza uses his Baika no Jutsu again to increase the length of his strides. By the time Chouza reaches within striking distance, he notices Yammy standing there with his mouth open and a red energy sphere forming in front of his face. Despite not knowing the true power of the Espada's technique, Chouza gathers chakra to the palm of his hands and uses Chouharite to try to block the energy blast originating from the sphere. While the technique is meant to enhance the crushing power of the enlarged palms, the sheer concentration of chakra on his palm is able to dissipate most of the power behind the energy blast, leaving behind burns on Chouza's palms. Before Yammy can press the advantage, he is driven back by Hiashi while Shibi lands in front of Chouza, Kikaichuu spread out ready to handle any attacks.

"Che, Gantenbainne and Dordoni are useless just as I've expected," Yammy says, "all the better, I wanted to fight all three of you anyway."

"Any plan on how we should proceed Chouza?" Shibi says.

"You are asking the wrong person for plans Shibi," Chouza says, chuckling, "that's more Shikaku's thing."

"My Kikaichuu had a taste of my opponent's energy, so they can drain this guy so long as I can put them on him," Shibi says.

"It's a bit difficult, but I can see the extra energy pathway within his body through my Byakugan as well," Hiashi says, "Chouza, if you can still fight, we can serve as distractions for Shibi."

"Yeah, I've fought through worse injuries than this," Chouza says before using his Baika no Jutsu again, "Nikudan Hari Sensha!"

Chouza's hair sharpens and wraps around his body, turning the human boulder into something akin to a giant sea urchin. The added spikes give Chouza much better traction from the sandy terrain, allow him to turn much easier. Circling around, Chouza attacks from Yammy's left while Hiashi moves in from his right. As the pair predicted, Yammy merely disregard their strength and block each attack with his arm, leaving his entire torso open for Shibi. Opening his mouth, Yammy fires off another red energy blast, striking Shibi square in the chest before he disburses into a cloud of bugs. To confuse the giant even further, Chouza and Hiashi leap away the moment Yammy turns his attention toward them again. It is only at this point that Yammy notices the numerous black sphere crashing down upon him. It's by the sheer mass of his body and the strength of his Hierro that kept Yammy from being crushed by the amount of bugs Shibi released. However, neither of those properties can prevent the Reiatsu aware Kikaichuu mixed into the spheres from draining Yammy's power.

"Shibi, drain him to the point where he will be unable to interfere with our mission but do not kill him," Hiashi says, "the situation between Sunagakure, Kaze no Kuni, and this new Las Noches is still unstable. It would be best if we don't stir up an international incident by killing one of Las Noches' warriors."

"I sincerely doubt he will return the courtesy to Konoha shinobi in the future," Shibi says, "but you are the most experienced in the field of diplomacy amongst us and I'll defer to your decision in this matter."

"So, how much longer until that's done?" Chouza says, accepting some of the Hyuuga clan's famed ointment from Hiashi to treat the wound on his hands.

"His power level is quite extensive, it would take another three minutes at minimum," Shibi says.

"Heh, I'll never figure out how you can store so many bugs in your body," Chouza says, "there are enough bugs there to form a body that can match mine when I'm using my Chou Baika no Jutsu."

"Mushi Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," Shibi says, "I cannot afford to waste so many from my hive on the attacks, therefore I merely make use of the energy my Kikaichuu drained to multiply their number."

"Turning your opponent's power against them," Chouza says chuckling, "cold and effective, the model Aburame."

"I am the Aburame clan head Chouza," Shibi says.

"You are Hiashi's humor are about as dry as the sand surrounding us right now," Chouza says.

"Regardless of such matters, the process is complete, we should regroup with Kakashi," Shibi says.

"Welcome back Hiashi-san, Shibi-san, Chouza-san," Kakashi says as the three veteran shinobi return to the caravan.

"Did you talk to the girl already?" Hiashi asks.

"Yes, and it seems that Plateado-dono anticipated the danger around himself and placed two youngsters with Nelliel-chan in case he's not around to explain the nomad's origins to her," Kakashi says, "I've already agreed to take those two back with us to Konoha along with Nelliel-chan."

"Excellent work Kakashi," Chouza says, "so I suppose we should head back to Konoha now."

"So we already know Nelliel's name, do you two have a name children?" Hiashi asks.

"My name is Pesche Guatiche and he is Dondochakka Birstanne," one of the children says.

"Very well, Pesche, Dondochakka," Shibi says, "we are going to be traveling back to Konoha on foot. Let us know if you require rest along the journey."

Additional Author's Note: Before anyone asks, Arturo Plateado is not an original character. If you look at the Bleach Wikia page and look at the list of characters, you'll find Plateado near the bottom where the game characters are.

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