The lost soul..

Naruto walked through the halls of his estate, the click-clack f his thick heavy boots echoing off the empty halls as the soft whistling of the blowing wind scattered the rotten leaves across the outer courtyard and porches creating a soft yet, somewhat grim and lonely melody as the silvery light of the moon peered down from the heavens.

Books, statues, ancient tomes, weapons, armors, Nin Gen Tai and Kenjutsu scrolls were the only company he had here, the only comforts, the only things he would ever truly have within these empty halls. A truly lonesome existence if there ever was one. But that mattered little to him really, even when he found himself dwelling on the thought.

He entered his study and let his eyes travel to a carelessly discarded book on his floor, he walked forward and slowly knelt down to retrieve the fallen text. Placing it back in its proper place he spoke. "Why are you here?"

"I could ask you the same thing..." Jiraiya said as he walked out of the deep shadows of the room leaning on a cane he sometimes used to ease the burden on his bone weary legs. It made it easier to underestimate how powerful he still was. "You've always led the armies up to now, what's changed? Why send Shino and Hinata?"

"Unlike before, the elemental nations now know that we are a force to be truly reckoned with. The only reason we ourselves were not assaulted or invaded is because none of them wanted to start a fight they may not be able to finish if other nations do not join. Now that I have attacked one, one of the remaining two can try to seize the opportunity. I remain here to guard against such an occasion should the need arise. I do not believe Gaara of Suna or Zhuge Liang would attack while I am here."

"That could be your Ego speaking Naruto, don't let your self assurance turn into arrogance." The toad sage warned.

"Whatever you wish to call it Jiraiya, the probabilities of them attacking while I am here and not far off in Iwa is definitely lower than it would be if I was actually gone."

Jiraiya had to admit at least that, after all, who would want to take on the person who at the age of thirteen, almost single-handed conquered five Shinobi villages, six if you counted Konoha itself. "Do you think they'll succeed."

"Nothing is certain, Jiraiya. You of all people should know this."

Jiraiya nodded before he looked over to a large table in the center of the study. Piled atop it were dozens upon dozens of scrolls with different markings and seal patterns marked onto them. Jiraiya sighed. "You still haven't figured it out have you?"

Naruto drew his attention away from the current task of organizing the books of his study and onto the table before he walked towards it. Shifting through the old dusty scrolls he spoke. "No I have not."

Over the years Naruto had been studying seals with Jiraiya's help, together the two had tried to devise a process which would be able to keep the current aspects of his seal intact while also being able to channel and focus's the Demons chakra properly, in essence fusing the characteristics of his seal and that of his still missing sister.

So far the Demon's chakra was too volatile, to chaotic and wild to control even the slightest, it was still as damaging now as it was then, only his physical conditioning could really have any impact on how long he could control the chakra before it began destroying him from the inside out.

Truly Naruto had to admit, that his father was a true master among seals, far surpassing Jiraiya and most likely any before him. It was yet another reason for finding his sister, apart from permanently removing her from the face of the earth, and subsequently returning Kyuubi to his part of the seal he could also study her seal and perhaps modify his with her design.

Still it was a moot point, none of his spies had heard or seen hide nor hair of the girl since their short confrontation nine years ago. The girl along with Tsunade had quite literally fallen off the face of the earth.

Jiraiya watched as Naruto suddenly paused in his brief overlook over the old scrolls and got 'that' look again. He knew that look well, it came every time he would think about his lost Sister, the change in his eyes was a subtle thing, the slight edge and hardness that gripped them would be almost unrecognizable to anyone else but not to him. He was perceptive in his own way and has known the boy long enough to be able to pick up on his little subtleties here and there.

The toad hermit sighed tiredly, truly the world of the Shinobi was a tiring one, and sometimes he envied those that had died young. That old phrase of "Dying's easy" had never been so true.

Stepping back into the shadows of the room the old hermit made his exit as silently as he had come.

The silent group of seven Suna ninja sat around the crackling embers of a fire as they cooked some fish they had caught in a small stream nearby.

Temari allowed her eyes to pass over each of them taking in their expressions and their forms in a contemplative manner.

Kiba was silent, a first from the dog ninja, staring into the fire with such intensity he seemed almost feral, with his fangs slightly peeking out from his lower lip and the claws lightly digging into his arms the boy truly looked more like a beast than a human.

Chouji was no better, his eyes smoldering with the promise of revenge for the death of his father. His jaw set in a firm tense line as he sat unmoving. It was truly strange to see the ever happy and overall nice guy so...hateful. It was the only word she could think of. Almost unnatural even.

Shikamaru laid back, his expression in the same bored way it usually was but she could see in his eyes as he looked up to the stars his own anticipation for the coming chance for revenge on the Konoha Jinchuriki.

Sakura, while she did not share the same fire of hatred and revenge within her eyes as she did not loose as much to the Jinchuriki in the attack, the fire within her eyes was different. It was determination to help her friends. She wanted to help them get their revenge and find their own personal peace against the Konoha nin.

Hana was much like her brother, silent and cold. The Hachimaru triplets, her personal companions growled lowly as they too felt her anger and pain. Kuromaru and Tsume had been precious to them as well.

Ino however was the worst of them, the bangs of her hair shadowed her eyes as her fists clenched, possibly unconsciously the brief glimpses she had taken into her normally warm blue eyes had left her stunned. Her eyes wore a deep dark hatred within them, even worse than the others. There was something truly...evil within her gaze.

Temari herself could only remember the fear. The fear she had felt when he had fought against Gaara. That unwavering terror as he held his blade to her brothers throat while she and Kankuro had been helpless to do anything to stop him. Those terrible red eyes that watched her from the blackness. It sent a chill down her spine every time she remembered...

But...she was Sabaku no Temari and while she might be afraid she would sooner burn in hell before she allowed her friends to go to fight while she sat idly by and did nothing. She would fight, and she would help them as best she could.

The merchant city of Sakai was a large trading city.

It was easily the richest, non Shinobi city in the elemental countries.

The reason for their wealth was simple, it covered one of the major intersections of the Shinobi world. If Suna, Kusa, Ame or Taki wished to arrive to Kumo they had to pass through this city and vice versa. If Konoha or anybody besides Suna wanted to enter Iwa they had to pass right through here as this was the only pass through the steep mountains. If Iwa wanted to go to any other village they had to pass through here. Half the city was located between the high jagged peaks of the canyons, offering it a natural defense.

High towers, built on the rocks themselves flanked the city providing additional long range supporting fire to ground troops through the use of flanking fire from the stone galleys.

Three stone walls that would each have to be breached before the city could be considered taken. Sakai was formally within the Iwa territory, though the were mainly independent and relied on its sister city for almost nothing save for an annual fee and grant Iwa control of its militia in times of war.

Unless the city of Sakai fell, the conquest of Iwa would never succeed.

Shino ducked under an overhead swing from one of the soldiers before he swerved around the man coming up behind him before he wrapped him in a headlock and stabbed him twice in the back with a kunai, before he pulled it out and threw it to another approaching soldier, catching him in the throat. The man gurgled and choked on his blood before he finally collapsed, dead. Shino then threw the warrior still in his grasp over the edge of the wall, letting him plummet to the floor below.

The united Konoha army pushed forward, breaking the lines of the militia men and, up till now few Shinobi.

Shino allowed himself to relax a moment before he spoke into his earpiece. "Hinata, Lee, Tenten." How are things at your end?"

"YOSH I HAVE-" Shino cut off the connection. Obviously Lee had the situation under control

"My men are moving towards the city gate, we're on schedule."

"I'm almost done with my side, we'll be able to assault the eastern wall soon. Also Shino, messengers are saying our reinforcements from Kiri should be arriving soon in about another thirty minutes."

Shino nodded. "Very well...my men are already moving forward, we'll be able to link up with Lee and Hina..."

Shino's head suddenly snapped upwards as a massive shadow passed overhead. He barely made out the silhouette of a large man before...

CRASH!

A massive cloud of dust and rubble obscured the area before Shino leapt out, flipping in mid air before landing lightly on his feet. Looking into the dust cloud as it began to clear.

"Heh, damn, I really am getting old. Ten years ago that attack would have cleaved your skull wide open kid." A rough, aged voice reached Shino's ears before he the face of his attacker came into view.

As the dust cleared he came across the sight of a man in full battle armor, a large hammer slung over his shoulder as he looked down on the Konoha ninja with a wide smirk over his face. "Well now boy, you can just call me the Devil."