58 Arc 3 Phase 2: Creeping Danger

I don't own Naruto. Mr Kishimoto Does.

Author's note: Hey there Readers!, Looks like we've finally entered Arc 3! I Hope you guys enjoy! I would also like to thank you guys for the Reviews. Favorites, and follows :)

Still, I haven't found a Beta Editor yet, so I'm really alone on this one.

Expect some grammar and spelling mistakes along the way.

Thank you for Understanding :)

Arc 3: Phase 2

Dust was everywhere in the living room, it was often a site that a certain Uzumaki teen would ever disliked throughout her fourteen year existence, even though she's fifteen this year. It was always been her dream, a forgotten dream of living a normal life away from the works of the Shinobi.

It was a promised that she made and kept to herself since she was a little girl. Growing up in a humble house, she experienced the challenges of spring cleaning, cooking, and many more mostly the cleaning your own room part was probably that trained her the most.

At first, she thought her life was going to stay on from there. However, it was short lived as reality suddenly came bursting through the door and introduced her to the Shinobi life.

As of now, the dream was occuring right in front of her eyes yet again. It was only herself and the silence that enveloped the whole living room. It had been a days since she had not planned on doing another round of spring cleaning because of the simple reason of taking a relaxing break.

"Geez, the dust and dirt must be going full force at me this time." Himawari commented to herself, as she was currently sweeping the dust on the floor using her trusty broomstick and dust pan.

An hour had already passed since she'd started the operation and so far, she collected dust and dirt that was enough to fill a whole trash bin.

Along the way, thoughts were also going around inside her mind, specifically her big brother and big adoptive Uchiha sister. So far there wasn't any other way on how she might know their current status in their mission. It was only her thinking and worrying a little bit for them, although all of those thoughts weren't really gonna help her actually.

A smile went up to her face as she sang along the lyrics of the song, which was a hit back in the day. Soon, she would began dancing a little a bit while sweeping the floor until finally she was enjoying it. She really had to admit that the songs from the past were much better than the songs from the future and that was a fact since most artist of her time heavily used the Autotune way.

As the Uzumaki teen continued sweeping the floor while dancing around with the music at the same time, she then became unaware of the things happening around her, such as that she was on the verge of unintentionally bumping into a small vase which was displayed on certain spot.

Himawari eventually was able to knockout the vase from its position by the swaying of her hips because of the music. It was at that same time when the teenage girl widened her eyes as she then realized what she has done. It was just instinct that she instantly remembered the spot where the vase was placed and she happened to be also in this very spot.

So with a immediate quick move, the girl dropped the broom stick and dust pan as she attempted to save the only small vase that resided in this very apartment. Eventually, the attempt was successful as she managed to prevent the fragile object from falling to the floor, that would also add to the work load if that really happened.

"Phew! that was a close one." Himawari gave a sigh of relief. It also brought back a distant memory of a certain boy who unintentionally broke a certain family vase to which he apologized for it and eventually placed pieces back to together.

However, the memory dwelling was short lived as she took noticed of a random object located near under the lone sofa. The Random object was revealed to be some kind book or just a photocopied version of it. Himawari blinked a few times before deciding to head to the spot to investigate more.

Once she reached that spot, she finally got a good look of the object which confirmed her questions. It was indeed a book, which was photocopied, considering that it was just a stack papers and clipped into one single file." I really don't remember this being under the sofa." Himawari wondered as she examined the book more and discovered that it belong to the Sunakagure Grand Library.

"Did Boru-nii brought something that I didn't know about?" She asked herself. Her big brother sometimes kept secrets from anyone.

"Revelation?" Himawari muttered. The book title was indeed interesting though.

She then proceeded to open the pages of the book which took her to a particular page and topic that somehow intrigued her. The title of the page that she found herself staring at was entitled:

"The Organization"

(INSTRUCTOR)

Throughout all of his life as a Shinobi, Yamato had never experienced this kind of let down or disappointment. He was currently at a quiet area in the forest, not too far away from where the rest of the team was currently located. The only simple reason on why he chose a quiet spot like this was because that he wanted some time alone.

The brown haired instructor sat under a particular tree and engaging with his own thoughts at the moment.

There wasn't a single emotion that he expressed. It was all blank as he wondered if he really did make the right decisions during the Kyuubi incident at the bridge. He looked as if he was a very lost case and just stood there watching without doing anything to help solve the problem while a member of the team began to wrecked havoc nearly risking a pink haired teen's life.

"Dammit!" Yamato exclaimed as he drew out his Kunai and threw it on the ground in a fit of frustration. This was the first time that he let out an emotion from deep inside.

It was his responsibility as a team captain and leader to make sure that the rest of the team to be safe. Sure, they were in this high level mission but they really gotta watched out for their lives if they want to accomplish this.

So far the team found themselves near the edge of this cliff and one touch or little push, everything will go down.

Then his thoughts continued and directed him to the two certain rookies, who unexpectedly appeared during the event and saved the day. Who could've known that these two teens acted swift as they handled the situation like they were not rookies but as professionals. These two, especially the blonde were the reason why he woke back from his helplessness and then contributed.

It seemed that without them, he would be nothing but just a first time captain, who was only there as a replacement for a more better one and nothing more. Unaware of what was happening right now, Jealousy and Rage began to cloud his mind as he then thought of the two rookies yet again.

"Maybe without them, this mission will be a success." He thought to himself." And I will no longer be treated like this!"

It was all the negativity that was surrounding him right now. Unbeknownst to him, a dark purple essence was enveloping him and slowly corrupting his mind, taking advantage of his emotions and completely controlling him. He then darted his eyes towards the Kunai that he previously thrown on the ground.

At the same time, a human cloaked figure could be seen standing in front of the brown haired man, who was the one that picked up the Kunai and handed it over to him.

"Go on, You should really do it!" A cheerful female voice was then heard.

As for Yamato, the man took a few moments to observed his Kunai before finally standing up and headed back to where the rest of the team was located. His mind completely taken over by one goal.

To eliminate those two.

(LITTLE ARGUMENTS)

I told you Sarada-san, I still need further investigation on the matter and the purpose of those cloaked people, I'm telling you!"

"Please Showtaro-kun, if there is any more information that you have gathered about them, it would really give us the idea on how we could deal with them in the future."

It was in the midst of calm confusion that a little argument had began between a certain raven-haired teen and a certain guide from the Pure Land.

Showtaro found himself bombarded with questions yet again from the girl. Questions, that were really tough to answer for now, although it seemed that these questions won't be going away for awhile and he was going to the point where he really has no choice but to entertain them.

He stood in this small boulder near the stream water that acted as the hot seat for him, while conversing with the teenage girl. So far, he was attempting to answer the questions truthfully as possible.

"Listen Sarada-san, I'm telling you if I know all the answers about these mysterious people, then I'm certain that I would tell you right away." Showtaro kept calmed as he explained his reason. In truth, the investigation process was not yet done and there were no direct information about them or on how they were operating their plans.

As for the Uchiha girl, she couldn't help but to try to get more information as she can. Since seeing how the team's chemistry and essence had downgraded into a lower level after the incident, she really needed to at least do something to contribute. There was a thought that came to into her mind that the mission was probably going to be aborted sooner.

No matter what happens, they really need to keep moving forward. There was this feeling that the enemy is still following them somehow

As for Showtaro, the duck gave a sigh and surveyed his surroundings before raising up his feathery wing-like hands as a puff of smoke burst thus a certain document appeared in front of the teenage girl.

"I guess it would be better if she knows the rest of it." He thought to himself. It was also a possibility that the girl could also give her own insights and solutions if she was to gain access to the classified information so far.

Sarada was caught by surprised when duck summoned a file, which appeared on his feathery hands without using any handsigns. She was about to asked that question, when the other prevented it and continued his speech.

"I think this might help clear your questions." Showtaro said as he handed the file to the girl." The information contained there is classified but it still can be change depending on the results of the investigation." He explained.

Sarada was curious and intrigued as she slowly opened the file to its first page. Her eyes found itself looking at certain informations accompanied by charts and visuals detailing specific individuals, who were none other than the white cloaked people.

At the same time, Showtaro opened his mouth as he began to explain the rest of his goals since arriving here.

"I wasn't just here to inform you about the current situation at hand." He said." I'm also here to conduct and continue my investigation to learn more about their operations here." He explained." I guess with your help, maybe I could shed some light on the mystery." He finished his sentence before taking a short rest.

Sarada nodded in understanding while reading the file." I see, and according to this file, you were tracking down at least one of them." She said.

"Yes, according to some of my connections, there were at least, a group of individuals from the Pure Land that were sent in the human world together and acting as guides to lost souls." Showtaro explained." Although, the problem was that they were sent without undergoing the usual process."

Sarada widened her eyes in surprised." Wait a sec, so the Pure Land has some kind of immigration process for the spirits?" She asked." How come I never heard of this before?"

"Well, its because no one really knows about it except for me and the rest." Showtaro said with a little chuckle." If you were to be in my world, then I think it would really make your jaw drop." He explained." It's a really big civilization out there!"

Sarada gave a little intrigued nod. Somehow, she was beginning to think that the Pure Land would eerily be similar to what the human world is like. Although, she has to be dead first if she really wanted to see it in person.

Showtaro then cleared his throat." Well, there is actually a way that you can go there alive." He explained." Although, it's illegal and against the laws of the council." He paused for a little bit before continuing" And which brings us to the topic on why these group of individual souls were sent here in very suspicious ways."

(INTERVIEW)

"That was the question that continued hover around my head so far in the investigation. Pure Land Law states that only individuals from the council or council-controlled departments were the only ones allowed to go to the human world but only as souls to guide other souls.

These already dead people that were sent, they had no record or papers to prove that they were members of the departments, plus most of us in the department never heard of any of them or their background information. Although, they were sent under council official's special permission.

It wasn't until Sarada-san was able to decode some of the mystery at least."

-Showtaro

"Well, I think is what you told us before, they were sent here illegally in a way that they were brought back to life but somehow it was kept as a secret from everybody." Sarada said, as she turned her eyes towards the duck.

"Plus, I doubt that they were sent here to guide souls to passed on." She added." They really might be those white cloaked people that kept on following and watching us!"

There was a little bit of silence that took charged between them. The raven haired girl's theory was indeed a possibility that it started to destroy their doubts and answer their questions one by one. Although, there was another question that appeared above their heads.

They were sent here in what purpose?

It was at the same time as the two began to think of theories that a familiar presence was felt heading towards their direction. Soon after, a human figure slowly emerged from the forest which caught their attention right away.

Both Showtaro and Sarada cautiously observed as the human figure was revealed to be none other than Yamato himself.

"Yamato-sensei?" Sarada asked. There was something odd about her brown haired sensei that she can't figure out.

Showtaro was also having the same thoughts as the girl. He noticed and felt this malevolent energy surrounding the man and as time passes by, he was beginning to feel the danger creeping up.

A silent Yamato just stood there with his head facing directly on the ground. His hands were behind his back holding a sharp Kunai as he then turned his head up to face the girl and the duck with murderous eyes.

(MEANWHILE)

Several minutes had already go by since their brown haired sensei passed by them and it left a state of confusion for one certain teenage blonde who just couldn't get over this strange feeling that he was having right now." Hmmm, that's weird, I never seen Yamato-sensei that gloomy before." He commented.

There was something really strange going around. When he tried to observed the brown haired man further, he took noticed of a strange small dark aura emitting from him and he wasn't sure whether he was just seeing things or he was really seeing the real deal.

Although, for better or for worst, he really need to do something right now.

Cerulean eyes then darted back to the pink haired teen, who was preoccupied on decoding the picture book." Sakura-chan!" Naruto repeatedly called his teammate's name just to get her attention.

"What is it Naruto?" An annoyed Sakura said, she was a bit startled when her blonde teammate began to shake her a bit. Her eyes then turned up only to meet a concerned and worried face.

"There is really something wrong with Yamato-sensei!" Naruto informed." I saw him holding a Kunai and heading off to somewhere." He explained as he was expecting a surprised reaction from his teammate.

Although, Sakura just gave a somewhat confused and unbelievable look at him." A Kunai? You think he's just surverying the area or maybe detected something suspicious?" She asked.

"No Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed this time which startled the pink haired teen." I believed what I saw Dattebayo!"

"If we don't do something as members of this team, then what are we doing here for? We gotta help them!"

Sakura was pretty much surprised when her teammate raised his voice. She almost dropped the picture book as she found herself staring at serious cerulean eyes. It almost sounds like as if he knew what was going to happen next.

"Uhmm, Naruto I think we should think carefully about it first, I mean it's really hard to go on conclusions." Sakura explained, although her reasoning had no effect as the blonde didn't agree with her.

Naruto summoned a bit of his energy as he attempted to stand up from his former positon, even though there were still aches in his body plaguing him. As for Sakura, she immediately dropped the picture book as she supported a still wobbling blonde.

"Hey don't force yourself Naruto! You're still injured." Sakura informed, while also picking up the picture book on the floor.

Naruto gave a little chuckle." I know you would do that Sakura-chan." He said." But nevermind about that, let's get going dattebayo!" He slightly exclaimed as he took his first steps while the pink haired teen assisted him.

Sakura didn't get the opportunity to speak, she just gave a sigh as she was given no choice but to assist her blonde teammate for now. If what he said was true, then she really should prepare for another conflict as early as possible.

Although, there was this strange feeling that she felt and it was urging her to go with her teammate as soon as possible.

(CONFRONTATIONS)

Boruto kept himself calm and compose, it was only just a few steps left before he finally found himself at his main destination which was this quiet small open field. Right in the middle of the field itself was a person donning a white hooded cloaked. He wasn't sure of the gender but by the looks of it, the person was male considering the stature and body shape.

The wind grew stronger as he neared the area. There wasn't any indication that there anyone else besides the lone figure. It seemed that this secret meeting was mean't for only him and for no one else.

The blonde stood a few distances away from the mysterious person, it was only him and his wits if anything goes seriously wrong. But so far, he was only anticipating on what's going to happen next.

The lone cloaked figure stood as he directly face his counterpart. He didn't have any goal right now but to only talk and not to fight. Although, if things did not go as he planned, then he might have no choice but to entertain the matter.

The silence between the two ended as the cloaked person spoke for the first time since." I'm glad you were able to come here unnoticed." He said, giving his own compliment.

Boruto kept silent as he took the opportunity to observed first rather than speak up. He was trying to pinpoint the exact goal of this cloaked person, whether there was a plan to ambush him, but so far there wasn't any intention and he concluded that he was telling the truth. So much for his Kunai, which was already ready for a surprised attack.

"What's your purpose here? Are you the one responsible for nearly risking our team?" Boruto finally spoke and asked. He didn't want any bull crap right now, he wanted straight answers.

The cloaked person remained quiet for a few moments before finally responding." I guess you really are a straightforward person." He said. "I didn't came here to fight but only to discuss an important matter with you."

Boruto narrowed his eyes, he wondered if this guy was really serious about talking this out. Most of the enemies that he came across with were more violent and willing to spill some blood but this guy won't.

"To answer your question, I may say yes, that was a part of our responsibility and before you bombarde me with anything, I would like you to listen to the matter first." The cloaked figure replied, indicating that he was serious about this.

There was no response from the blonde as it mean't that he was listening to what the other was going to say to him. As for the cloaked person, he smiled underneath his hood and then began to continue his speech and relay this information.

"To be truthful, you and the two girls were actually an unexpected surprised to us." He said." The organization had took interest and has been investigating your presence since the Kazekage incident.

Boruto nodded and said." What about it? Why do you think we're a such big problem to your organization or whatever it is you call it?" He asked. Thoughts were running around his mind at the same time, still wondering about this person's identity and goal.

The cloaked figure gave a little chuckle." It's because you're a possible hinder to the plans." He said." Although, He still hasn't been informed of it yet, and I would very much like to keep this as a secret for awhile."

"Us? A hinder to his plans?" Boruto said, before giving a smirked." Tell me, are we really that of a threat to you guys?" He asked.

The cloaked person chuckled again." Not really, I guess you'll be just one of those people who tried well enough to do good but eventually fail in the end." He said.

Boruto slightly smirked yet again." As if!" He replied back." And would you mind telling me on about this plan of yours?" He asked.

There was a few moments of quietness that took over for awhile. The cloaked figure stood there without any response and having thoughts about this blonde. He seemed to have this overwhelming confidence and determination which he himself previously had.

"You're like a person that anyone could entrust with any secret." The cloaked figure said." However, I might give you a little hindsight of it since you've entered the game." The man added before finally going straight forward with his intention while the other kept himself on check as he carefully listen to the cloaked man.

"Since you already know the rest of the background, courtesy of your companion, this might help you people shed light on your questions." The cloaked man said as continued to speak." I guess most of you guys know about Sasori of the Red sand."

Boruto raised an eyebrow." Yeah, what about him then?" The blonde said as he was a bit surprised to hear the man's name being mentioned by the cloaked person.

"He was supposed to die during that encounter." He simply said." But because of you three, He lived to tell his tale of redemption." He added." Which brings us to the main plan."

Boruto raised an eyebrow." So meaning that he had a chance to live and redeem himself but you guys reversed and manipulated the whole thing." He said." To look as if he was destined to die all along."

The cloaked figure simply nodded."Yes, it was the only way for the plan to continue and that's not the only one in this lifetime." He explained as the wind grew stronger.

Boruto widened his eyes in surprised." So there's still more." He said." Tell me, how long exactly you guys have been manipulating things into your bidding?" He asked.

The cloaked figure didn't respond anything for a few moments before putting his arm on his chest while his right hand was on his chin as if he was wondering." From what I've learned, this has been going on for thousands of years." He said with a little sarcastic innocent tone of voice.

Boruto kept calmed as he realized what Miyuki told them before was actually true. The events that happened even before he went back to the past, had all been manipulated to happened. His thoughts was then interrupted by the cloaked figure.

"Tell me, now that you already know a part of the truth, What's your next step?" He asked.

Another quietness had took over the area. Although, this was much different than before as the atmosphere began to change. Boruto began to feel a strange danger creeping up and he attempted looked around to see if anything wrong was happening.

The cloaked figure just stood there having same thoughts. He also felt this dark presence that seemed familiar.

In a few moments an explosion was heard from several distances away. Boruto was startled as he turned back around to see a smoke rising from a familiar area." Sarada-chan." He muttered under his breath.

It was also at the same time when he then turned around to the cloaked person only to see him turned from his back and leaving the area. Boruto felt an urged as if the mysterious hooded person was attempting something bad. So the blonde narrowed his eyes as he then quickly burst and dash with full speed towards the cloaked figure, tightly gripping his Kunai.

By the time Boruto neared his target, the cloaked figure anticipated it as he summoned a blade that appeared in his hands, turned around, and blocked the blonde's attacked face to face.

In that very moment, his hood was finally but slowly removed from his head, thus revealing his full facial appearance:

A young man.

"You should probably go and help your friend right now." The mysterious young man adviced as he summoned his strength which pushed the blonde away from him.

Boruto safely landed on the ground as he watched the young man vanished in front of him as a dark portal envelope him.

There was quietness that took over for a moment before Boruto immediately remembered his teammate as he quickly left the area and headed towards the others.

(A DANGEROUS WOOD)

It seemed as if it was a thing of impossibilities. As for a certain Sarada Uchiha, she was seeing and experiencing the real deal as of now. Who would've thought that she was going to fight her sensei this time and in the most unexpected way.

It all began when the brown haired man suddenly charged towards the raven haired girl with a kunai armed in his hand and with an attempt to eliminate her. Sarada quickly reacted and countered the move. First, she shoved Showtaro away for him not to be involded in the fight. The second she did that, she then got of hold of her sensei's hand, preventing it from striking her. There was a little bit fight struggle between the two that moment but the raven haired girl's strength prevailed as she overpowered the man as she was able to disarmed him from his Kunai and then gave him a hook in the face. It didn't stop from there as she immediately grabbed the man and tossed him to a nearby tree.

The Mindless Yamato crashed into a random tree which was now a shell of its former complete self. The tree itself broke in half when the man landed there.

Sarada quickly realized what she did as she really had no intention of doing such a thing to her sensei. It was an act of self-defense."I'm really sorry Yamato-sensei!" She exclaimed in an apologizing way.

"Are you sure he's okay?" Showtaro asked and wondered." Why did he attacked just now?"

It was at the same time that the brown haired man recovered from the crashed and continued his goal. He then formed a handsign and exclaimed:

"Mokuton: Great Forest Technique!"

In which, his right armed immediately transformed or morphed into large chunks of wood, sharp enough to gradually and instantly impale someone so bad.

Sarada could only stare and shook her head. She gave a sigh because this was going to be a very long day. She had no choice but to activate her sharingan this time just to engaged his mindless sensei to a senseless battle. She also had no idea on what caused the man to do this kind of act.

As for Showtaro, he took a glimpse of a certain dark energy enveloping him. He had no clue where that came from but they really have to do something to snap him out of this trance.

He could only hope that he was not going to be roasted today.

(INTERVIEW)

"This might be one of the times where your own sensei is attacking you for no reason at all. I have to say that this has to be the freakiest thing that ever happened in this mission or so to say."

-Sarada

"Kudos to the person or thing that turned this guy into a mindless attacking individual. I hope I don't get myself literally roasted today."

-Showtaro

(MEANWHILE)

"We gotta hurry come on!"

A certain blonde exclaimed as he tried his best to hurry towards his destination while still limping throughout the forest. Worry was also accompanying him along his journey, the responsibility was creeping on him and as a main member of this team, he really had to do something right now.

"Hey Naruto! Slow down!" Sakura was behind the blonde as she tried to catch up with him. She was concerned for him because he still hasn't recovered from his injuried yet. Although, she was also getting worried about the two rookies and her brown haired sensei.

Since the bridge incident, it seemed as if incidents like this were non-stop happening. Even a little bit of things like this were now considered to be a possible threat. Being the two main members of team in this kind of situation were pretty much harder for them right now.

Not only that as the two were finally nearing their destination, there was this burn essence that can be smelled and a smoke that can be seen from a few distances away. Both of them began to have the same thoughts as they feared that something bad must've happened to them. Boruto was a bit disappointed of himself that he didn't acted earlier while Sakura expressed her disappointment for being to occupied with the picture book. Although, both of them had one goal in mind right now.

It was at this time when the two were nearing their destination that a certain female cloaked figure was waiting between two certain trees ahead of them. Naruto was very much focused on his goal that he wasn't aware that the female cloaked person was planning something mischevious.

Naruto was at his best speed when he heard a female giggle coming from his right side and suddenly found himself being tripped on someone's foot and falling to the ground. He also turned his head towards his right and saw a white cloaked figure, who was the one responsible for tripping him down. When he tried to recover, he felt pain on his back as the cloaked person made another move by stomping on his back as he fell down.

"Going somewhere kiddo?" A young woman's voice was then heard from the cloaked person.

Naruto cringed in pain and gritted his teeth in frustration." Who the heck are you!?" He exclaimed as he held his bac." This was very much unexpected.

A smile was forming underneath her hood. The female cloaked person gave an arrogant chuckle." Awww, Sorry about that, I was kinda in the mood for a little prank." She said with sarcasm in her voice." The name's Yuko by the way."

"Get away from him!"A familiar voice exclaimed. Sakura was able to catch up and arrived at the scene with an intention of defending the her teammate from the unknown newcomer.

The female cloaked figure, now named Yuko smiled underneath her hood as she then jumped from her current position to avoid her attack which was a power punch.

Sakura gritted her teeth in annoyance as the newcomer evaded her attack with ease. She found herself in toe to toe with the cloaked person. She quickly readied herself for a possible battle.

Meanwhile, the other just stood there with a relaxed posture as she wasn't in the mood to engaged in a battle but only to meddle and ruin someone's day.

"Well, eventhough this is a short meeting, I had a lot of fun." She gave a cheerful gesture as she disappeared in a blinked of an eye leaving a confused pink haired teen.

Silence took over yet again the area, Sakura immediately rushed to her teammate's side as she helped him recover up from the ground." Are you alright Naruto?" She asked." Just who the heck was that?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Sakura-chan." Naruto replied as he can still feel the recent pain." And I really have no idea about that person, by the looks of it, she is an enemy." He added as he then attempted to walk again."

"We're almost there, There's not much time to waste dattebayo!" He said while cringing for a little bit.

"Wait, let me help you, you're still haven't recovered yet." Sakura quickly volunteered as she assisted her teammate on towards their destination.

She could only hope that they were alright.

(CRAZY SENSEI)

The large portion of the area was covered in smoke. It smelled almost like chicken barbecue, at least for Showtaro, who found himself in the midst of a mini-battle between the raven haired girl and the brainwashed sensei of this team.

It seemed as if it was already a war even though there were just two people fighting. He could feel the intensity level all throughout and there was no denying the fact that he was now stuck in between.

Katon: Fireball Jutsu!

Flames had been everywhere since from the start. Showtaro luckily avoided everyone of them and even the heat coming from the waves. His eyes were moving around as he watched the raven haired girl battle her brown haired sensei.

Sarada was quick on her feet all throughout the battle. It was nothing but the color brown that she could see in front of her eyes. She had previously used a fire release jutsu to counter a number of sharp wood that erupted from the ground hence why there was smoke in the first place. Once she was out of that dilema, another one followed thereafter as the brainwashed Yamato charge towards her yet again with his great forest technique.

The battle had flow in it, the fluidity was so good that there was no chance for any stoppage or break. Sarada took the defensive side as she evaded multiple strikes unleashed by her brown haired sensei, who's eyes were emotionless. She tried to figure out on what was reason for him attacking her and she believed that this was not his doing.

She also notice a portion of a dark purple energy emitting from him and somehow it looked very much familiar as of she had seen this before back then.

"Sarada-san watch out!" Showtaro's voice was then heard yelling out to her.

The Uchiha girl snapped to reality as she evaded another attack which was a smash attempt on her this time. A small crater was formed on the ground in front of her. She then darted her eyes towards her sensei who almost looked like an abominated birkin monster because of his giant wood like arm.

A thought came to her that she needed to end this as soon as possible. The damage was taking its toll as time passed by. She then darted towards Showtaro and made eye contact with him. She gave the duck a nod as a message that she needed his help to make this work.

Showtaro simply nodded. He felt this boost of confidence in himself thus he proceeded to make his move and flew around the man as a means to distract him. The man was like a robot as of now, whatever thing on his sight, he will attack right away.

"Over here!"

"Right here"

"You're too slow!"

Showtaro also gave a little trash talk when he was doing his part. The only thing for him to do is to wait for the raven haired girl to make her move.

As for Sarada, she took the few moments to prepare herself before finally charging towards the man in full speed. It was at this time that the other finally gave way for the girl as her final move commenced.

A surprised brainwashed Yamato then laid his eyes on the girl and then attempted to counter her attack with another smashing move, but the girl quickly avoided it thus his giant wood like arm hit the ground instead. He tried to recover but the girl was too fast as she immediately destroyed his wood like arm by punching it so hard that it almost turned into ash.

It didn't stop from there as the Uchiha girl followed it with an uppercut through the man's chin as he was sent flying to a distance." Sorry sensei, I really had to do this." She gave an apologetic look and a cringed. She was not used to fighting her own sensei to the death whether it would be Konohamaru or anyone else.

It was merely self-defense to begin with.

It was also at this time that the dark purple energy left the man as he landed on the ground and finally back to his normal self although from the damage he sustained, his consciousness was on the verge of fading away. He laid on the ground wondering on what had happened just now and why he was here all of a sudden.

Showtaro was in living in the moment. He found himself cheering for the girl as she managed to overcome the challenge. Although, it wasn't over yet as he found himself suddenly being shoved to the ground by an unknown force.

Sarada immediately rushed to her sensei's side but as she was about to do it, she suddenly felt a presence behind her which prevented her from going there. Moments later she felt something sharp around her front neck and a female voice.

"One move and you're throat will be a waterfall of blood." The female voice gleefully said.

Sarada kept calm as she didn't made any single move. She stood there between world of the living and death's door. She couldn't get the full picture of this mysterious person but she took note of the white colored sleeve of the person.

"So you're ones that had been causing trouble lately." The young female voice said." How come I wasn't assign on this mission?" She cooed." Awww, poor me."

Sarada could feel the sarcasm and sassiness of this person. Whatever this person's goal is, it won't be good. She needed to get out of this mess or else.

"Maybe I should slit that throat of yours right now so I could be promoted." The female voice said again with a gleeful tone.

At this rate, it was fully confirmed. As the blade was about to touch the raven haired girl's throat, she immediately reacted as she grab the small blade itself from the person pushed it away from her neck, then, afterwards she drew a number of shuriken and threw it towards the person, who was revealed to be the female cloaked person, named Yuko, from awhile ago.

Sarada stayed in her battle stance as she prepared for another round while surprised and irritation stayed by the other's side.

"You almost got me there missy, How about we try this the hard way?" The young cloaked woman said while the other ignored her comments.

Yuno, with her face still concealed by hood, was about to charged at her when she was stopped as someone grabbed her by the arm." What!?" She exclaimed as she turned around to face a familiar face at least for her.

A tall cloaked person stood in front of her." What are you doing here?" A male voice was then heard from the person.

"Let me go! I'm not done yet with them!" Yuko exclaimed her frustrations and continued to do so.

Sarada could only watch on what was transpiring in front of her. She tried to figure out on what was going on but the scene ended so soon when the taller cloaked figure summoned a portal which engulfed him and the other.

(LATE ARRIVAL)

Silence took over once again as Sarada found herself along with her half-conscious sensei in a now damaged area as multiple trees were laying on the ground.

Realization then came thereafter for the raven haired girl as she then rushed towards her sensei's aid." Yamato-sensei! are you alright!?" She worriedly exclaimed. The first thing that she did was to check the man's vital signs and overall condition, so far he was alright but groaning in pain.

"What happened?" Yamato managed to let out a couple words. He found himself laying in this exhausted state as if he was going to lose consciousness at the moment.

Sarada sighed in relief as everything was going to be alright for now. The only thing that matters are the whereabouts of the others. She then darted her eyes towards her duck companion who was slowly recovering from the shoved just now.

"What the heck was that?" A still dizzy Showtaro asked.

"Sarada-chan!"

"Showtaro!"

"Yamato-Sensei!"

At the same time, familiar voices were heard calling out their names. All of them turned their sides to see the others finally arriving at the scene. Boruto arrived from the left side while Naruto and Sakura came from the ride side. All of them reached the raven haired at the same time.

Sakura was shocked to see the place in a mess. Tree branches and leaves were everywhere on a ground that had small craters in it. It seemed there was really a fight that happened just awhile ago but how did it happened and what caused it?

The pink haired girl then darted her eyes towards the raven haired rookie, who felt as if she had been into a war. She seemed so exhausted and weary. There was this feeling of worrieness that filled her mind again, it was a different kind of worry at least for her.

So in a matter of moments, she rushed to the girl and gave her a hug which really surprised the rookie." Are you alright Sarada?" She asked.

Sarada was caught by the surprised short-lived hug, although she was able to escape the awkwardness by just going with the flow and at the same time, a familiar voice interrupted the moment.

"What happened here?" Naruto was the first one to asked as he assisted the girl on helping their brown haired sensei up.

Sarada could only sighed as she knew that this was going to be a telling of a very long story." Well, I don't know how to explain everything but, I was attacked." She said.

"By who?" Boruto spoke this time and asked.

Sarada gulped as she wasn't sure on how the others might react to this news." Well, Yamato-sensei did." She simply said.

There was quietness that took over for several seconds as the rest stared at her with surprised expressions. After that, she found herself being bombarded by a series of questions coming from both sides. The questions didn't stop until they all given up from asking.

"I really want to explain everything to you guys but first, we gotta get out of this place and take Yamato-sensei to a safe place." Sarada said as she gave them direct serious eye contacts.

Boruto sighed." She's right, we gotta get out of here first." He said while the others nodded in understanding.

Naruto simply nodded." Alright then, let's go dattebayo!" He said as the blonde took charged and assisted their weak sensei. Boruto also came along to replaced Sarada and thus the two blondes were now the main support of their sensei.

Sarada took a slightly dizzy Showtaro and rested him on her shoulder.

It didn't took long for the team to prepare as they immediately left the area for a safer place where the enemy won't be able to find them. The situation has changed, there were now doubts building inside on how this mission will succeed, although for now, the team has to regroup and recover first.

(INTERVIEW)

"This was a major changed in the mission. From the stories that we heard from our parents, Yamato-sensei did not get brainwashed or corrupted, or there were cloaked figures trying to kill us."

-Sarada

"This was an entirely a whole new level. We still have to confirm and make sure that Yamato-sensei is alright to continue this mission, and if the situation goes the other way, there might a problem here."

-Boruto

(JOURNEY TO THE HIDEOUT)

Location: Somewhere along a river

A stream of water flew along the river. Sai washed his face from the dust and dirt that managed get a hold of his white paled face.

It had been hours since the incident at the bridge and a lot happened afterwards. The young member of Root had the hardest challenge of his life yet by confronting a certain snake Sannin, who almost ended his young life if it wouldn't for his ink clone that temporarly took his spot. In the end, he managed to convinced the man that he was not a threat.

In addition, a certain Kabuto Yakushi attempted to ambushed him from behind because he thought he was a threat but all of that effort was meant for nothing as the silver haired man felt the pain in his balls that he sustained earlier from a certain rookie and he collapsed on the ground when he was about to charged towards him.

A small chuckle came out from the young root member as he observed the silver haired man trying to ease out the pain by using his healing jutsu.

"Pathetic Four Eyes."

He secretly muttered the word to himself before continuing his business. Around this time thoughts were beginning to entertain him yet again. The subject mainly focus on a certain Sasuke Uchiha. According to the reports, the guy was pretty much insane and hell bent on avenging his family. He could be a powerful foe to eliminate at this time since three years had passed.

So far he was still constructing his plan of assassination without getting blown. Sai knew the consequences if he gets discovered. He was true to his mission and ideals of his superior. No matter how hard the task was, he was going to do it.

"We should get going now."

It was at this time that Orochimaru finally broke the silence. Both him and Kabuto turned their attention towards the snake Sannin.

"Why Lord Orochimaru?" A surprised Kabuto asked." I thought we still have time?" He added.

The snake sannin just kept silent but smiled. He gave this look towards the both of them." We don't want to keep our boss waiting." He said with sarcasm in his tone of voice. He was referring to a certain raven haired teen and student.

Kabuto simply nodded in understanding." Of course, He is quite the impatient one." He commented before turning his eyes towards the young root member.

"I guess He would be delighted to meet a friend from his Home village." He added, with an arrogant smile.

Sai kept quiet throughout this time. Deep inside, he was quite annoyed about that idiotic silver haired four eyes. He hoped that Karma would get the best of him once again. But for now, he had to play his role carefully and do his job.

It's only matter of time before he can finally meet his target.

(CHAPTER END)