The lost soul..

Tenten Lee and Hinata, who's wounded arm was currently wrapped from wrist to shoulder in bandages, stood inside of the medics tent looking over an unconscious Shino. The medic had reported that he had a concussion, most likely due to the fall, three fractured ribs, a punctured lung because of them, as well as some internal bleeding along his abdominal region. Overall the situation was not pretty. Two others stood in the room, Guan's apprentice Mika, and the mans adopted Son Toushiro.

Mika had changed little over the years, pale silver hair still hung freely reaching her lower back, red eyes gleaming with veiled madness. She had changed her blue clothing and now wore much darker clothes. A long sleeved black Shirt with a high collar and black pants that accented her figure nicely, her Kiri forehead protector with a purple cloth was used as a belt. Toushiro was a young man about their age, a beard which reminded Shino and Hinata of one currently comatose Sarutobi Asuma decorated his face. Strapped to his sides were two single handed tomahawk style axes as well as several sealing scrolls.

The two had arrived shortly after Shino and Hinata's defeat at the hands of the Tsuchikage and had helped in assaulting and holding off the Iwa nins from that point out as the two healed. All assaults they had launched against the city walls each ended in failure, the Tsuchikage always brought his men back from the brink of defeat.

Also, some reports from the battlefield were somewhat disturbing, apparently there were ninja on the field that had been seen using techniques native to Konoha and their clans.

Still the reply that had come back from Konoha after their request for reinforcements was an uplift, Naruto would be sending Guan and Kakashi as reinforcements in order to deal with Yoshihiro, leaving Tenten, Lee, Toushiro, Mika and Hinata, if she felt up to it, to lead the army in its attack relatively unhindered. With two veterans and skilled nins like Hatake and Guan coming to their aid, morale among the Konoha nins remained relatively high in spite of their failure to take the merchant city of Sakai.

"WHY NOT!" Was the cry of anger from one Kumo Kunoichi named Akina as she glared at her sensei and leader, the Raikage. Angry sapphire clashed with emotionless onyx.

In a steady even voice the Raikage replied. "Its not time yet Akina."

"That's what you've been saying since this whole thing started! When the fuck will this elusive time of yours coming!" She questioned, her voice coming out as a low growl of agitation and frustration as her eyes tinted red at the edges.

Tsunade who was also in the room tensed slightly at the feel of the Kyuubi's chakra, though she trusted Akina, the subject of Naruto had always been a delicate one around the girl. Like carrying a lit match in a room full of gun powder.

Zhuge calmly served himself some tea from the kettle before he spoke. "I have made my decision Akina, the subject is closed."

"He's already attacked Iwa if we attack him now He'll have to deal with two of the hidden villages at once and once Suna see's him loosing they'll undoubtedly join in too. Why the hell are you holding back like this sempai?" She questioned as her eyes gave into the red creeping into them.

Zhuge stood and with a flare of his chakra spoke in a tone that left no room for argument whatsoever. "I said the conversation is closed and that's final Akina!"

The girl stepped back slightly, the sight of her Sensei's normally emotionless features tight with restrained anger startling her for a moment. She opened her mouth as if to speak again but instead let out a sound of frustration and stormed out the room.

With a sigh Zhuge fell back to his chair rubbing his forehead to stave off a coming headache.

Tsunade walked and sat down on the chair infront of his desk and spoke. "I must admit, I too am beginning to wonder just when this right time of yours is coming, or if its here and you just haven't noticed yet."

Zhuge sighed and spoke. "Yoshihiro Shimazu, despite his age is far above the skills of almost all of Naruto's retainers, except perhaps Jiraiya. Suna has also lent their assistance however discreetly to him as well. What will happen is simple, Yoshihiro will defeat all that Naruto sends after him. At that point, Naruto himself will grow frustrated and march onto Iwa itself, leaving Konoha relatively open to attack. That is when we will strike."

"Aren't you placing too much faith in this Tsuchikage Zhuge? He could always fail, even you don't know everything."

Zhuge nodded. "I realize that, which is why I have a back up plan in case the unlikely scenario that Yoshihiro is defeated comes into play." He stated calmly.

Tsunade sighed and shook her head. "Wouldn't it be easier to simply tell her that rather than your cryptic when the time is right routine? She deserves to know at least what your planning."

Zhuge shook his head. "While her insistence on the matter would no doubt drop if I told her, she is impetuous and reckless especially when it concerns anything involving Naruto."

The older woman shook her head and sighed. "Sometimes Zhuge, sometimes I wonder if you're worse than he is with how coldly you manipulate those under you."

"The ends justify the means Tsunade." He spoke as he took a sip of his tea.

"That's what he would say Liang." She spoke over her shoulder before she left the room, leaving the Raikage to his own devices.

Yugito watched from a distance as Akina pounded away at a training post, using kicks and punches in a near wild display, blue chakra covered her fists along with the occasional wisps of red as she punched the post again and again, cracks began to form along the post, as slivers dug into her flesh allowing thin trails of blood to flow down her fists and legs. She ignored these however and instead focused on releasing her pent up frustrations on the hapless wood. With a cry of rage and pent up emotions she delivered one last devastating, chakra enhanced blow which shattered the log into hundreds of wooden slivers.

Panting the young blue eyed Jinchuriki barely noticed her feline containing counterpart as she approached, a somewhat somber expression on her face. As she spoke her eyes carried a hint of pity. "Feel better now?"

Akina let out a huff before she fell back onto the soft grass, her form spread out as she breathed somewhat heavily from the exertion.

Yugito watched her younger friend for a moment before she sat down at her side and took her injured, tender hand into her own, she spoke as she began to pull the slivers out. "I know that this must be very frustrating for you Akina. But you should have faith in Sensei."

The younger girl pulled her hand away from the other girls grasp as she sat up. "This isn't fair Yugito. We've trained so long and so hard for a chance to take him down and now that we have the perfect chance to do that its like he's holding us back."

Yogito embraced the younger girl in a comforting hug as she ran her hands through her hair. "You know sensei's never let us down before he wont start now. Just have a little faith in him Akina."

Akina sighed in reluctant acceptance as she nodded. "I guess your right Yugi..."

"It'll be alright Akina, soon...very soon."

Yoshihiro silently walked along the first wall of the city, his men saluting or bowing in respect as he passed them by. He nodded or grunted in return. While others would fret over his age and health he didn't really care. He enjoyed walking among his men, inspecting the defenses and overall readyness of them, something that others would call grunts work. He enjoyed it immensely, it let him forget about the troubles of being a Kage for a few minutes, and it also brought back memories, memories of glory, and victory in his younger years during the first great Shinobi war.

He had been only a gennin at the time, but he had learned quickly; kinda had to in those days. Then again when he was head of the special defense squad during the second great war against Konoha. He had fought against the supposed God of Shinobi, The professor and Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi and had won. Not to say he hadn't come out without a scratch, far from it actually, but he had none the less won and stopped Konoha from proceeding onto Iwa. Had it not been for Namikaze Minato who had come to his Kage's rescue, he may have even succeeded in killing the old Sandaime.

It was that victory that had bought enough time for their Yondaime Tsuchikage, Nobunaga Oda, to arrive and turn the tides of the battle. They had then pushed Konoha back all the way to their own territory and even farther. After that was when Minato invented that technique, the Hiraishin, and had turned the tides yet again, eventually killing Nobunaga and forcing Iwa's surrender. It was those two victories, his victory against the Sandaime and Minato's victory against Nobunaga that had gotten them both nominated, and eventually accepted as the Kage's of their respective villages. He had met the boy during a chuunin exam again, about a month before the Kyuubi attack he had sacrificed himself to stop.

He could honestly say the boy had impressed him, something not easily done outside of battle. The sheer force of character and charisma the young Kage practically exhumed spoke volumes of what he could have become. If Minato was still alive, Yoshihiro would most likely have done everything within his power to improve relations with Konoha and form an alliance, despite the resistance he would undoubtedly be met with by his own ninja.

Still, those dreams were in the past, Minato was dead and he was too...too tired to plow through the red tape the bureaucratic bullshit and politics to secure an alliance. If this world wanted to join him in hell, it was welcome too. He'd be heading there soon anyway.

He held back a cough as he punched his chest to alleviate the sudden pain.

Looking off to the side, his eyes caught the form of that Suna girl, Temari she said her name was if he recalled correctly. She stood on one of the many guard towers her hair and black clothing fluttering in the harsh winds caused by the high tower. The light of the pale moon fell from the heavens, and for a moment, she seemed to glow with this light and Yoshihiro couldn't help but be impressed by her beauty. He knew that any of the youngsters who ended up with her would certainly be considered one lucky individual.

Looking at her more closely however he found a tenseness on her, one he recognized easily. It was a mixture of fear, anxiety, excitement and impatience. It happened to many who would be entering their first battle, but most of the men he had brought with him were seasoned veterans, they knew how to keep their heads cool when shit went to hell. This kind of attitude was that of a rookie chuunin, not a Jounin as her rank classified her.

Unless of course, she knows something.

Not one that enjoyed being left out of the loop the old Tsuchikage began making his way to the tower. Nodding to the guard that saluted as he approached he went on through and up the stairs.

Temari watched the city on the outside of the wall, or what was left of it. She felt somewhat bad for those who had their homes there, outside the city gates that is.. Sakai had grown so much there was just no room within the walls, and so they had been forced to expand outside of them seeing as how the ground behind it was too loose, too unstable to make proper foundations for buildings they had been forced to make them infront of the walls where they were exposed to attacks by others and any who weren't quick enough to get behind the wall before its massive twenty foot Iron gates slammed shut would be left outside at the mercy of their enemies.

A voice suddenly spoke up behind her causing her to jump slightly.

"Ya know any ninja with a good throwing arm, and enough accuracy could take you out with ease, standing there so openly." As she spun around her eyes came upon the form of one Yoshihiro Shimazu. Sighing somewhat in relief, and in order to rein in her temper at being snuck up on she bowed. "My apologies Yoshihiro-sama, I was merely thinking."

"Cut the formalities brat, I'm not in the mood and I can tell you're not either." He said as he sat down on one of the nearby benches. Temari's eyebrow twitched with mild irritation at the mans dismissal of her formality, something she rarely did, and whenever she did one had better appreciate it.

Never the less she straightened and looked back to the city. "Its nothing really." She assured as she turned her back to the man.

"Come on now girl, don't give me that crap, its late and these old bones are tired." He said as he stood up and walked to her side.

Temari sighed, while she wasn't particularly fond of discussing her problems with what was in essence, a total stranger, she didn't want to also bear down her own friends, who had enough on their minds as it was. Besides he had asked so she supposed it was alright for him to listen.

"I had a dream...or a nightmare really." She leaned onto the stone as she sighed. "I saw...I saw him...standing over a battle field, dead were everywhere, the smell of blood was so thick. All of my friends, my brothers, even my sensei, they were all dead at his feet and I could see the Kazekage monument crumbling behind him as the village was lit on fire. The screams were horrible."

"Yeah." He sighed. "The screams are always the worst really. They stay in your head longer." Turning to look at her from the corner of his eye he raised an eyebrow in silent question before he spoke. "Still, this is interesting. I assume your talking about this Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto. You never mentioned you'd met him before."

Temari sighed. "Once, about ten years ago during the Suna, Oto invasion attempt."

"Ahh yeah I heard about that. I assume you met him during the attack then."

She shook her head. "Met would not be the right word I suppose. But yeah." She sighed as she turned and leaned her back against the stones. "He certainly leaves...an impression."

Yoshihiro snorted with a smirk on his face. "Right, I assume the so called 'Devil King' would be impressive on the battle field."

"The Devil King?" She questioned with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"Its what some of the men started calling him after he beat Kusa Ame and Taki. The name just sort of stuck I suppose." He shrugged.

Temari nodded before she sighed and looked up to the stars. "I hate dreams." She muttered allowing Yoshihiro to smirk again.

"Life is nothing but a dream kid..." He then joined her as she gazed up to the stars. "We just need to be bold and live it."

Hinata, Lee, Tenten, Mika and Toushiro stood in one of the many tents of the camp. On the floor of this one was a map of the city they were to besiege. Because Shino was the commander, and was disabled, it fell to her to finalize the battle preparations seeing as how she was the second in command.

She sighed, while it was the first time she had lead a battle on her own, she had seen Naruto, Guan, Kakashi and even Jiraiya enough times to know how to do it.

"Lee, Toushiro!" She spoke firmly catching the Taijutsu master's and the Kiri nin's attention as she used a stick to mark an area on the map. "I want you two to take your men and focus your assault on the far northern part of the wall, its received the most amount of structural damage due to our constant attacks from what the scouts report. You two are to push and batter that wall as hard as you possibly can, I want the enemy to start focusing their attention there by the time Tenten's unit and mine advance. Once you think you've drawn enough of the enemies attention towards you, give a signal to us, my unit will then advance along to the main gate, drawing their attention again. By that time the forces along the southern end of the wall should be spread fairly thin. Mika, Tenten. She nodded to the other two women. You two are to push your attack there. Tenten, your unit is the best at long range support, you are to gain the high ground of the defense towers, commandeer them one by one and then use them to help our men, Mika, your unit is the best as hit and run strike tactics. You are to be the one's to deliver the initial strike, and breach the wall into the city behind it, use any tactics you want, just make sure you cripple the enemy in any way, either in morale, spirit or physically.

The red eyed kunoichi smirked. "Any tactics I want eh? She asked licking her lips as her eyes gleamed. Hinata's eyes narrowed. She had experienced first hand how...off the Kiri kunoichi was. She hoped she was making the right choice.. It was with great reluctance that she nodded.

"Lady Hyuuga, if I may." Toushiro spoke from his place in the tent with a respective bow as he extended his hand for the pointer stick Hinata held. She nodded as she handed it to him.

The younger Kiri ninja then gestured to some areas within the city. His voice was deep but still held the hint of youth within it. "I believe that, once we are inside of the city there are three key locations which we should attempt to strike or altogether eliminate." He paused as he circled three areas of the city. "From the intelligence received, these areas house the Armory, the Barracks and one of the supply depot's for this section of the city. If we strike at these three areas it will no doubt weaken our enemy, both physically and mentally should we fail in taking the city in this attack."

"Why should we destroy them? Once we've breached the wall this section of the city is practically ours we could use these facilities." Lee questioned as he thought over the proposal.

Toushiro nodded in consent. "I would agree, but thus far the Tsuchikage, Yoshihiro has proven himself to be a formidable enemy. If he pushes us back later, or even during this attack his men will have to endure the less than favorable conditions if these facilities are destroyed. Our men already carry camping equipment, knowing that we would have to camp out during the long trip. Most of the Iwa nins may not have such equipment, believing they could rely on these facilities while they were defending the city. So then that would mean that the men that would subsequently be defending this section of the city, should they succeed in driving us back would have to endure sleeping on floors, or cramped in small apartments, damaged weapons wouldn't be able to be repaired as quickly if they had an armory right available to them, the same with supplies, having to take some from the next section of the city over and so on and so forth."

Hinata nodded and was about to speak when the sound of clapping broke through the air. It drew their attention to the tents entrance as the ever imposing Guan and the copy ninja stepped through. "Impressive, your strategic skills have grown, Hyuuga-san, Toushiro."

"Kakashi senpai"

"Lord Guan"

"Father" Were the cries of mild surprise from the others.

Kakashi gave his eye smile as he waved. "Hey, sorry we're late, we got lost on the road of life."

Guan snorted half in irritation, half in impatience. He looked to the younger ninja as he spoke. "Very well you three carry out your plan, Kakashi and I will hang back so as not to get sucked into it. Our mission is to defeat this Yoshihiro Shimazu. When someone has seen him and has definite confirmation, send another signal, we'll move in to deal with him so your units may continue with their mission. Is this understood?"

Hinata and the others nodded. Seeing everyone in agreement Hinata spoke. "Very well then, the attack will begin tomorrow morning.