Chapter 25

"What's the threat level?" Kakashi asked putting his book away.

Menma shook his head at the question. "I'm not truly sure. Two masked individuals attacked associates of the Kage demanding information on them." He explained.

Kakashi looked up in thought. "What do you mean by associates?"

Menma used his free hand to rummage through the piles of paper on his desk. "…Uh… former sensei of the Kazekage… aaand the previous Mizukage, Mei Terumi." He said reading the report.

"A former Kage?" Kakashi asked in surprise. Menma nodded his head. "Well that means that they definitely have some kind of power." He remarked. "Both of them sound as though they would have some kind of knowledge on their Kage's personal life."

"That's what I'm afraid of." He said with a nod. "Sasuke and Mito are out on their honeymoon."

"And you think they would dare attack them? They are both S ranked shinobi within the bingo book." Kakashi said.

Menma nodded. "Yeah, but if they were confident enough to attack a former Kage, I doubt they'd shy away from that." He said.

"True…" Kakashi said thinking of all the information presented to him. "Well, maybe we can use that." He said thinking up a plan. "Yeah, inform Sasuke and Mito of the imminent threat of two masked assailants and they may possibly be able to defeat them and end whatever the two have planned." He explained. "Cut the head of the snake before it can strike."

Menma thought it over. It was a sound plan, but he didn't really want to give his sister and new brother in law a mission during their honeymoon. Though, this was a matter of village security, so he may have to. It would be better to have them vigilant out there if someone were actually planning to attack them. No matter how good of a shinobi you may be, you are still vulnerable to unplanned attacks. The key was to prepare for everything.

"Yeah, ok." He said with a nod. "I'll send a carrier pigeon as soon as possible."

Wiping the blood from her mask, Ino happily strolled alongside Naruto who, as usual, had a book shoved in front of his masked face. It's been a year since their escape from the village. Immediately after the whole chemical death initiation thing, they began a string of very confusing missions. It was like Naruto had planned out everything he wanted to do when he got out. Ino knew it was along the lines of malicious intent and most likely criminal activity, but she didn't really care. In fact, she was starting to almost enjoy the things they did. They were bad, but for some reason they gave her a rush she hadn't felt in… well ever.

Their first two months of freedom were spent traveling the various nations digging up dirt and learning of the brewing alliances among the nations. There seemed to be more than a few. Iwa was apparently in contact with Konoha about squashing the recent conflicts between them in place of joining into an alliance with them and Suna. Kiri was still remaining neutral but was very interested in the budding alliances of the other nations. And Kumo was for the most part interested. It almost seemed like the world was nearing a peaceful time.

They also dug up the dirt of the underground organizations of each of the nations. Konoha's ROOT was seemingly in conflict with Kumo's BOLT organization. It was all very interesting to Naruto. He and Ino had been plotting their game plan every step of the way. As of recent, they've been hunting down personal information on the Kage themselves. For what? Ino wasn't truly sure, but she knew it would be something.

Currently, according to Naruto, they would need an army of their own before beginning their true goal. So, they were now traveling through the fields of Kusagakure in search of something. Or someone.

Ino peeked over his shoulder. "Whatcha readin'?" she asked in a playful manner as she slipped her mask back on.

"Oh, it's an absolutely dreadful book about this man's ridiculous theory on where we go when we die." He explained

Ino put her hands behind her back and swayed her shoulders as they walked. "What does he think?"

Naruto pulled the book down from his face. "Well, he believes there is some sort of purgatory that we go to await our judgement from Kami." He said shaking his head in disbelief.

Ino smiled beneath her mask. "You don't think that place exists?" she asked him leaning forward to peek into his eye holes.

"No." he said immediately. "No that's just a scare tactic to force people into acting like civilized individuals."

"So what happens when we die?" Ino asked him.

Naruto sighed and looked up to the night sky in thought. "Uh… we're just gone. There's no purgatory, no afterlife, no heaven, no hell. There is just nonexistence."

"So you've never believed in religion?"

"No. No you see, religion is the human race showing its fear of being the top of the food chain. Aside from what people may believe, we are the superior species. Some could argue the tailed beasts, but they have been captured and contained for over a century. We are the most intelligent and intelligence is power."

Ino was confused. "Well how does that tie in?"

"Humanity fears power even though we all crave it. Therefore, they create stories of something a step higher so that everything that happens is 'for a reason' in their eyes." He explained.

Ino just smiled at him and grabbed his free hand in her own. "You sure have thought about this haven't you?" she leaned her head against his shoulder as they walked.

Naruto chuckled. "Well, when you're locked up for five years it gives you some time to think."

"I'm sorry I didn't get you out sooner." She said sincerely.

Naruto waved her off. "That is not important. Patience is a virtue, I would have waited another year if I had to."

"Well, you didn't have to." She said hopping onto his back. Effortlessly, Naruto caught her with his hands beneath her knees as he continued walking.

"And I am grateful for that." He said as Ino moved the strands of hair hanging over his mask. "Which is why I keep you around."

Ino snickered in disbelief. "Tch, yeah. It's not because you love me or anything like that." She said in a playful tone.

Naruto chuckled. "Dr. Yamanaka you are too much."

Up ahead they could see a group of people walking their way. "Looks like we have company dear." She said swinging her feet playfully. Naruto just snorted and continued along the path, undeterred.

As they got closer and closer, they could make out what seemed to be a four man squad, possibly a team of Genin and their sensei. Getting even closer, they could now see that they were from Konoha. The sensei was someone neither of them knew personally. It was a fairly muscular man with dark brown hair. His three Genin stood behind him in fear of the two masked individuals they were about to pass.

Naruto's eyeholes peered into the brown haired sensei with absolutely no emotion. In an attempt to maintain his composure, the man gave him a nod. Naruto paused for a slight second before nodding back. Ino was playing with the children behind him, staring at them with a smile beneath her mask. She tilted her head cutely, completely creeping them out with the blood smeared markings on her mask and the few droplets still clinging to her legs.

The sensei and his students breathed a sigh of relief when they passed the two. Naruto just continued walking, not paying them any more mind. Ino was looking back at them for no apparent reason. The sensei turned around to check on his students and saw her looking back. He pushed them in front of him and continued walking. Ino turned back and chuckled into Naruto's ear.

-break-

Hours later, Naruto and Ino walked into a bar in the outskirts of Kusa. Sticking to the shadows of the shady place, they made their way to a very dark corner overlooking the people within. They sat there for a few hours until the individual they seemed to be waiting for finally made an entrance. A man with curly black hair, and a scar running down his right eye. Naruto nudged Ino and she nodded, taking her mask off.

Ino walked over to the free spot on the bar right next to the man, with a sway to her hips and a seductive smile plastered on her face. Leaning on the counter, she tapped her fingers against the counter top. "Hey barkeep! I'd like a few shots!" she said getting the attention of the target.

She could feel his eyes on her as she waited for her order. The barkeep came back and asked her how many she wanted and she replied two. When he filled the glasses up, the target took that as a conversation starter. "Hey." He quipped. "Those both for you?"

Ino smirked his way as if she hadn't noticed him there. "Of course they are." she said slyly. "Girls a little thirsty." She said downing one of the glasses with little effort.

The curly haired man watched her the whole time. "Well in that case, let me buy you two more." He said pulling out his wallet. The barkeep poured two more glasses. "I'm Kai." He held his hand out for her to shake.

"Ino." She replied shaking the appendage. She smiled at him knowing she was successful in her tactics. From there, she laid on the charm to the best of her abilities which were a lot better than most. She talked him up with small chat that made her want to slit her own throat. He wasn't necessarily dumb, but he was nowhere near the level of intellectual dialect she was used to.

For the next three to four hours, she did well in talking him up and utilized her knowledge of psychology to get the information she needed from him. Somewhere along the way, they decided to leave the bar. With Naruto, unknowingly to Kai, following close behind.

Naruto was spot on with picking this target. Apparently he was the leader of a very large group of nuke ninja and rogue samurai who despised the major shinobi countries for various reasons. They were a nameless underground circuit that has been around for more than a few years but had yet to take any major action for what he idiotically admitted to her was cause of his own fear of being found out.

Knowing the new information, Ino showed him her headband and expressed her want to join his organization. Kai was at first unsure about it, saying they didn't usually take anyone who wasn't marked nuke in the bingo book. That's when she revealed she was one of the masked assailants that attacked the Kazekage's sensei and the previous Mizukage, the two cases people were likely aware about at this point.

Kai was surprised by that information since those two individuals were starting to pop up on everyone's radar. He seemed to have a spy network a lot more complex and functional than the one the Sanin Jiraiya had in the past. Ino found it strange yet fitting that it seemed the only thing holding him back from causing true trouble for the world was his own cowardice. More importantly, she knew more about what Naruto was trying to do. They needed an adequate army, and it would seem as though they found one that could use a new leader.

The more Kai explained it, the better it seemed to get. After he agreed she could join, he explained the functioning of the ranking and the members they have. They worked in a fairly organized manner with higher ups consisting of the highest classed nuke ninja who reported information to himself directly. There were over two hundred members in Kusa alone at the moment. At least two hundred more either undercover or stationed elsewhere. All of them with a deep hatred for one or all of the major villages. Ino continued to lay the charm onto him until he finally decided to take her to the headquarters.