Catching Up Pt. 2

Although Korin had been disposed of there was still the true leader of the Yorubutai. Now this guy was also old but unlike Korin he was well mannered. The man acted his age and was very wise. Izuno was happy to know that he was going to be behind the missions from now on. As for Kiki, she was in good hands. Enkagetsu would be taking her to a safe area where she could be raised like regular children. Prior to leaving on the mission, Raijin had placed a seal on the hilt of Kubikiribocho. At the end of the mission Izuno would teleport to Enkagetsu to make sure he's alright. Well damn, he was already getting close to his teammate. Anyways, Izuno was off. There was that mission that he still had to complete and he was going to make sure that he got this done. "Wonder what path Mizuchi will be taking to intercept the shipment." It was safe to assume that Enkagetsu knew of another path to the area they'd be stopping the shipment at. So there wasn't a need to worry.

With his mask on and his hood over his head he walked on the dirt path, watching all of the carriages pass him. There were merchants heading in and going out of Burakkoshi. They were heavily guarded because of the spike in hold-ups where bandits would attack wagons and carriages. Each person looked at the lone Uchiha as he strolled down the path, minding his own business. All that he was focusing on was that shipment and stopping it before it could reach Getsugakure. He wasn't going to fail his first mission as a Yorubutai, no way. That would leave a bad impression on Kimaro, not that it really mattered. I mean, Izuno saved the damn man by letting him out of the basement. That man owed Izuno and Enkagetsu his life. "I wonder how much he'll be paying us. I hope it's around the two thousand range. That'd be nice."

Ryo wasn't the only thing that crossed the boy's mind but at times like this it could come in handy. Without a village Izuno would have to rely on these missions to provide himself with food. Damn, thinking about this made him ponder the times he used to spend in Konohagakure. When he was actually making some good money as a shinobi working under Yukio. Just what if he could forgive the village? No! They did too much to be forgiven. Izuno's family had suffered because of their corruption. He was going to avenge them any way he could. Ah, no! The feelings were just so conflicting. One part of the boy hated the village and the other part really didn't want to victimize the current Hokage, once regarded as his older brother. Maybe he'd be able to learn things from him. Maybe there was a chance he'd be able to return? No. It was too late; especially after that stunt he pulled in front of, what's his name? Komi. 'I wonder if that boy knew what was in him.....'

The Uchiha was so lost in thought that he almost forgot where he was going. He had strayed off of the path and began walking into the snow, which was about ten inches in depth. Izuno was walking through the Land of Frost, right above the Land of Fire. It was starting to get colder and colder by the minute. 'If I didn't have the cloak I'd be dead by now.' He walked back onto the path, tugging at the cloak to let the snow that had stuck to the end fall off. There was so much damn snow.

Snow every where. Everything before him was white. A frozen wasteland and not even one single merchant. Guess they didn't want to travel through here. Perhaps there was a snowstorm scheduled to touchdown in the area? Maybe. That'd give Izuno a good reason to stop and make camp. Shit, speaking of that! Where the heck would Izuno make camp? He was surely going to freeze if he didn't get the heck out of the snow! "Dammit! I forgot all about the camping equipment! I really do hope that I can find someone who's already made a camp. That or I have to move quickly before the Sun goes down." The Uchiha picked up his pace and hurried down the path.

In the distance there was a small village. "Boy am I sure lucky!" The straight path came to a slope where Izuno suddenly began sliding downhill, till he reached the gates of the village. There were several people outside and just about all of them looked at the stranger. Izuno almost forgot that he was dressed in a black hooded cloak wearing a damn mask. These people were probably scared. "I'm just passing through." Staying here would surely attract unwanted attention so Izuno continued walking. A missed opportunity to stay in a nice warm room but what can you do? He exited the village and carried on with his travels, hoping to leave the Land of Frost.

The Sun was beginning to sink below the horizon. This wasn't a good sign for the traveling Uchiha. Once his only source of light was out then it'd be dark and cold. Those two didn't really mix well with Izuno. "Dammit, I'm running out of time! I need to hurry!" He picked up his pace again, the same way he did when he entered the village. By now he was already leaving the Land of Frost border and entering the Land of Hot Water. From the rumors this would be a great place to relax and store up his energy because the abundance hot springs. "The temperature seems to be dropping. I guess I made it out of Frost." What a relief! No more worrying about the cold anymore. Maybe this travel would go uphill from here. Maybe things would get better for Izuno.....

After a few hours of walking the boy found himself before another village. This one had so many houses giving off steam and so many lanterns on the street. It looked fancy and Izuno instantly felt at home. He walked through the gates and received so many greetings from the people there, it was just surprising. It was the complete opposite of Burakkoshi. Not one sign of a thug, just people walking in kimonos and robes. They must be wealthy or something. 'Where the heck am I? I've never heard of this place.' The boy wandered around aimlessly and found himself in front of a bathhouse. "Just what I need."

He slid the door open and entered the building. The main lobby was so beautifully decorated; there were fountains, statues, exotic looking plants. Even the aroma was nice. Just being present here was relaxing and put the boy at ease. As a matter of fact, he was fading out if consciousness just standing there. "Excuse me, do you need assistance?" Izuno suddenly snapped out of it at the sound of the female's voice. He looked up at her face, forgetting that he was wearing a mask. She really didn't seem frightened but she did appear to be freaked out. "U-U-Uh are you from here?? I-I-I mean, do you need a pass?" A pass? Just what exactly was this pass for? "A pass?" He tilted his head and then looked at all of the people walking around in their towels. Then it came to him, "Ah! Yes, I can use a pass."

She tried to smile for the newcomer but it just wouldn't come out right. Izuno was just too creepy with the cloak and the oni-like mask. "Okaaaaay. Well, since I've never seen your face, err, mask around here it's safe to assume that you're new around here. If that's the case you receive our trial pass for the men's hot spring or the main hot spring, which is for both genders. That one is our largest hot spring and is commonly used." She raised a small bucket with golden tags, each marked with the name of the hot spring they're for. "Main hot spring it is." He reached into the bucket and pulled out the respective tag. "Thank you for your selection! You can change in the room straight ahead. Enjoy your stay!"

Finally, some relaxation time. Izuno needed a break after all of that walking and fighting earlier. He walked into the room he was told to go to and chose one of the small lockers. "Guess I could use this one. It's too bad I don't have a lock. I really wouldn't want people taking my things." The Uchiha hesitated to take off his mask, he didn't want to reveal himself to these people. But the more he thought about it, they weren't going to find out who he was because they really didn't seem to care much. What the hell, what were the chances of them seeing him in the future. He took of the mask and set it into the locker then proceeded to remove his clothes. Before he knew it, he was already blending in with the other folks.

Unsurprisingly, there were women staring him down from all angles. The boy couldn't believe it. Just what was so good about his looks an6ways? He'd give the world to know. For now he'd just settle himself in the warm water and regain his stamina and energy.

Comfortably positioned in the bath, Izuno began dozing off. 'This water feels so good. I love it. It's been so long since I've taken a nice bath like this. Back in Konoha Yukio would treat me to these baths. I remember it like it was just yesterday. I'd be relaxing with the towel over my forehead and he'd be, as usual, spying on the women next door. That Yukio.....' The thoughts alone were enough have the boy contemplating on whether to return and face the consequences of his sins. He knew that Yukio wanted his little brother back but it wasn't going to be so easy. Even when Izuno thought of Konoha like this that hatred continued to dwell deep within his heart; he knew all too well that it would surface here and then.

The women had taken this opportunity to slowly move in on Izuno. They closed in from both of his sides to get a look of him. With that towel over his forehead they couldn't get a chance to get a good look of the handsome Uchiha. That was until one of the girls mustered up enough courage to actually grab onto the towel and pull it up. Before they could even raised it off the boy reacted, quickly grabbing her forearm. "Don't try that again." Instead of heeding the warning the girls all blushed and comedically leered from their positions. Izuno face-palmed and shook his head. This was ridiculous. "This always seems to happen. I can never escape this. Gosh."

It took quite a while for the women to leave the bath house, you know, after realizing that Izuno was in no way interested in them. Night had fallen upon the village. People were leaving the bath house here and then. Before the boy knew it he was the only in the bath house. Now this was tranquility at its finest. Nothing but him and the natural lighting from the moon overhead. Such a well built bath house. "Ahhhh, some peace and quiet finally. I wonder how Mizuchi is doing. Hmph. Maybe I should let him know about this place." He slowly sunk into the water and blew several bubbles, staring up from underneath. 'Why am I not living a life like this? I could just stay here. I'll probably collect some Ryo and do that.' Resurfacing, the boy noticed the girl from the main lobby standing there at the edge, her towel wrapped around her body. She removed the clip from her hair and let it hang loose before removing her towel. "I could finally take a break." Izuno kept his eyes above the water surface, until he realized that she was nude and that........Keiko.

How could he forget Keiko? A childhood friend who had grown up with him. During his years as a Konohagakure shinobi he had fallen in love with her. It was mutual. What they could have been.......They could have moved in with each other and raised a family together. When Izuno abandoned the village she was so hurt. She was loyal to the village and because of that refused to leave with him. The worst part about it was that he never had a chance to confess his love for her. Maybe that would have changed her mind. Ozuno remained in deep thought until he was tapped on the shoulder by the girl from the lobby. That's when he was brought back to reality. "Hellooooo. You're still in here? You're going to be all saggy if you stay too long." She smiled at her remark. "My apologies, I'll leave now." Izuno was in the process of standing up until he was held down by the girl, "Wait! I didn't want you to leave. Haha. You can keep me company here, if that's alright with you? I mean it always makes a girl feel good when a cutie is there with her."

Izuno slowly returned to the water, deciding to stay for a while. "I'll only stay for a minute." The girl paddled to his side and leaned against the wood, "My name's Setsuna. What's your name?" She was obviously trying to get comfortable with the boy. That didn't really sit well with the boy. He didn't like associating himself with people who weren't of use. But at the same time he was well mannered and would always introduce back, as much as it pained him. "......Izuno Uchiha." Setsuna gasped and placed her hand over her mouth. Her cheeks had turned into tomatoes. Was this another fan-girl? "Oh my gosh! You're an Uchiha!? No wonder you're so cute!" Izuno sighed; what had he gotten himself into?

"I really should be going now. I'm sorry Setsuna." The boy stood from the water, covering his groin area with the towel in his hand to make sure that she wouldn't see his, precious, male parts. When he reached the end he jumped out of the water, landing on the wooden floor. The towel was then wrapped around the lower section of his body. "Wait!!!! Izuno!!! Are you that masked man who entered the lobby earlier?" She stood from the water and walked over to the edge, looking up at the boy as he stood there. "You looked into my locker?" Setsuna was speechless; she looked down at the water. Looks like the guilt was already getting to her. "I-I didn't mean to do that. It's that I was fascinated by you! I really like you!" It was just as Izuno thought and what he was afraid of. "That's all I needed to hear. Thanks for letting me into the bath house Setsuna. It was nice meeting you. Don't follow me." The boy had made his decision; he was going to leave before she could grow too attached. He quickly used Shunshin to disappear from her sight. Once in the locker room he grabbed his stuff and left.

It was a nice village but it wasn't for him, unfortunately. "Sorry Setsuna, but there's already someone that I want to be with." Izuno frowned and slid the mask over his face before leaving the village for good. As expected, Setsuna chased the boy down. She couldn't bare with the fact that the boy she'd fallen for at first sight was leaving her. "Please! Izuno! Stay here! You can stay with me! You don't have to go!" Her cry was too much to handle. Izuno couldn't deal with this. It was there that the boy vanished. In the illuminated roadway before the full moon. That was the last time she saw Izuno......

The shipment was days away from reaching its destination from Getsugakure. Along the way Keiko, a ninja leading the transportation of the goods with a few fellow jounin grew ever so tired "God this is taking forever! Are we ever going to get their" Her hair blew in the wind as if trying to tell her she was being talked about somewhere in the distance. One of the fellow jounin looked at keiko and sighed "If your going to complain you should of never offered come and lead security then" He scolded her and made a few remarks "Do you even know what is in these crates? They contain weapons, scrolls, money and food for the citizens " Keiko sighed and groan "I was well informed thank you very much you prick and I'm head of security because of my recommendations by the kage himself" The jounin looked her up and down wondering how could such a girl could even be a anbu and then he looked away. As they walked on their journey one of the ninja made a remark "Hey have you guys heard the rumors of a organization know as Yorubutai? rumor has it that their leader is some Uchiha wearing a dragon and a good one at that. I heard he killed about a dozen people with little effort and was a skilled lightning user " as the man spoke keiko could only remember her love, a past flame who was also a Uchiha and lightning user " oh izuno where are you....." she whispered these words to herself drifting from reality to her mind. She could remember his smile and his eyes as well as the day he disappeared and left. Little did she know that the past was going to come back to haunt her in full view

With all of that bath house madness well behind him Izuno could now return to business. That meant intercepting the path of that shipment and breaching the container or whatever it was being transported. The Uchiha walked down the path, troubled by his past interaction however. What was it about her that worried him? Oh right, the fact that she reminded him of Keiko. Could he possibly go through it all again and maintain his sanity? There was no telling what could happen this time, especially with Izuno's current reputation as a Missing Ninja. Not to mention that he's working under the Yorubutai. 'I can't. I can't do it to her. Setsuna doesn't deserve someone like me. I still love her....' It bothered him, to know that he couldn't get the words out that time. The time it mattered most. 'Dammit Izuno! Why are you thinking about love and all of that!? You're Raijin of the Yorubutai! Get a hold of yourself!'

To clear his mind he gazed at the moon. Something simple like, how the moon gave off such a beautiful luminescence managed to clear his thought about the girl. Actually, it didn't. It was working for a while until he began thinking about Keiko's beauty and how they always used to go up to the Hokage monument to look at the stars and different phases of the moon. He remembered oh so vividly how she looked in the moonlight. There was no hope. He'd just have to accept the fact that he missed her. But why now? Of all times why would he think about her so much. Throughout his time as a Missing Ninja there have been plenty of beautiful girls who fell in love with him. Not one feeling was produced. So why now? It was all just confusing. The boy kicked some stones around in frustration. This was making him look weak. This wasn't Raijin. "What the heck is wrong with me?" He was pretty sure that if Enkagetsu were here he'd be unleashing a whole list of jokes.

Whatever, it was best to just keep walking. To try and think of something else. Killing. There we go! Killing some people would help? Right? Wrong. That wasn't exactly who the boy was. Unlike Enkagetsu, Izuno was rational and respected life, for those who deserved it that is. Which would therefore expose that Konohagakure destruction bullshit as a front. Something to put fear in the hearts of others. Who knows, maybe it'd work. That's it!!! That's when Izuno thought of something that would keep him from thinking about Keiko. How would he recover the contents of the shipment without killing those escorting it? Maybe drugging them and putting them to sleep? Izuno did have some things to work with. There was a disguise he packed with him. Becoming a Getsugakure Chuunin would be a part of his plan.

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TWC = 3,145

As the day grew longer the squad set up camp for the night. The group still had two or three days to go" Let me see hmmmm" One of the jounin discussed alternate routes with the groups to get to their destination faster "What if we cross the dune here near the north east corner? it is a short distance and we will cut our travel in half " One of the jounin sighed and scrapped the idea "Listen are you trying to get us killed or something? That area is full of quick sand, sand-worms and not to mention a tavern full of S-rank rank ninja just ready to steal our goods" they argued for about a hour and so until keiko awake from her daze about izuno and stood up"I REALLY CAN'T EVEN THINK WITH YOU ARGUING CONSTANTLY!!!" she threw a kunai at the map and it pinned down on a area "We are taking this route no if ands or buts!" They questioned her choice for the fact it was in between a mountain known for its avalanches "Do you know how dangerous that area is! Your just as stupid as the rest of these ninja" She grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up as her eye twitched "Watch....what you call me...jerk and second if you stay shut and stay alert we will not have to worry about such issues" She let him go and lay back down to rest "Okay well i guess we are taking the Mountain route and it should cut are day to about 2 days instead of three or four" They readied their equipment for the next morning sharping kunai and blades alike "Hey you know this girl is very bossy for just security can we even trust her" the jounin hushed him "She was recommended by the kage for her fighting abilities and she knows how to get the job done right, she has never failed a mission or never left the enemy standing" the jounin all gulped listening "I heard she took on 100 ninja without a scratch on her body and when they found her she had a smile on her face like a innocent child" They all stared at her while she slept and backed away slowly "Oh dear god help us"

In the cold night Izuno marched alone, already having reached the designated area. He crouched down and closed his eyes to get a feel of what was up ahead. Using his sensing ability he scanned the area around him and as expected there were numerous Chakra signatures. They didn't seem to be moving so they must have been resting by now. Knowing Konohagakure pretty well, he wouldn't go in for a full on attack. He'd only put the mission in jeopardy. Instead he'd use deceit. The boy reached into the pack he was carrying and pulled out a Getsugakure shinobi's uniform, along with the village headband. Izuno slipped into the clothes and styled his hair back, tying the headband afterwards. The Yorubutai cloak and mask were placed into the pack. He'd have to make sure that they didn't look into his belongings or his cover would be blown. "This is good."

When he was ready he walked in the direction of the camp. There were Konohagakure shinobi everywhere. Most of them were still awake and  doing their own little things. Some of them were guarding the shipment, which seemed to be weapons, cases of Ryo, scrolls. It was loaded with some good stuff. No wonder the leader wanted this. Anyways, it was time to make moves! "Hey! You guys down there from Konohagkure???"

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TWC = 3,369

As the jounin prepared themselves for the next day a ninja bearing the moon symbol on his head band approached " Hey who goes their!" they all prepared themselves to attack then noticed the head band "Oh your a ninja from the moon village um why are you out here anyway we are not suppose to reach you for another two days ?" The other jounin looked at the boy up and down. They noticed he didn't show his face to much "I do not remember us getting a escort to the moon village but im glad your are here we do not want to get lost" They pointed to a tent "That's where our security leader is sleeping she is a anbu from the leaf village so we will not be in so much trouble with her around" They nodded and yawned " She is a bit hard headed but strong"

Looks like they were a hesitant in accepting him onto their grounds. Once they got a good look of the headband they allowed him to join in, believing him to be a Getsugakure shinobi. All was going according to plan. "Yes, I come from Getsugakure. I was sent to rendezvous with you in this area and guide you back to the village. My name's Ichiro Takeda. I'm a Jounin and captain of the Scouting Unit." He smiled, looking at each Konoha shinobi before him. They pointed a lone tent, letting him know that the leader of their unit was sleeping there; and she was surprisingly an ANBU. Yukio didn't want anything happening to the shipment if he really hired an ANBU. "Wow! Then that means she must be really strong. I've never seen an ANBU from Konoha before. Hey, you guys have somewhere I can sleep? I packed some sleeping bags and pillows with me. I really have been up for the past day so I could use some rest, before we head out again you know?"

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TWC = 3,557

The jounin pointed towards the tent and beside the text was a fire "You can sleep their its pretty warm there and if anything your near the anbu for protection along with us" They looked at the boy and whispered "Hey the hokage never informed us that he even told the kage of the moon village we were transporting goods, this was suppose to be a gesture of good will to the people" They nodded and then questioned him "so how did you know where to find us boy and you seem a bit young to be a jounin and a captain?" They lay down and try not to seem to suspicious of the boy "You know guys he seems familiar but i can not put my finger on it " They did a routine check on their supplies and inventory "Everything seems to be in order and by the way do you know the terrain in these parts?" They showed him the area keiko marked for them "We are suppose go through this mountain area for a short cut to your village but this area is know for deadly avalanches, We can not afford for the supplies to be damaged or destroyed not to mention if any of our men get hurt" They all agreed "Do you think this area is safe to travel or do you offer any other suggestions?"

"Ah, yes, that spot does seem warm. Thank you so much." Izuno bowed in respect and set his pack next to the tent. There was a brief moment where he gazed at the tent, thinking of taking the leader of this operation out in her sleep. It would save him the trouble of doing it when she was awake. But that wouldn't be honorable. That's not the death a leader deserves. 'I'll just wait until morning.' He walked away from the tent to rejoin the other shinobi, only to hear their whispering. Did they suspect something? Maybe something he said had raised their awareness. Damn. "Your unit was most likely on the road already when my village received word of your act of generosity via messenger hawk. I was told by my leader to meet you here. That you'd be taking this path. Which leads me to the next topic, our route from here on." It was safe to assume that he had recovered from almost blowing his cover. Now all he had to do was lead them through this mountainous region.

"Well I'll be! Your leader seems to know the area pretty well. If we pass through the mountains we will cut our travel time to just two days! Any other route would make it four days! But if you want to avoid any avalanches then I suggest we pass through the cave system there. It will keep us safe. Our shinobi take this path all the time." Izuno smiled. All was going according to plan.

The jounin suspicions of the ninja were calmed as he did indeed knew his way around the area and he suggested a cavern near by "Okay that sounds good it would save us the hassle and your explanation does make sense" They had thanked him for the information and rested for the night. Keiko awoke during the night to check on the supplies "Hmmm everything seems in order and the inventory is still here all is accounted for" She then saw a ninja resting near the tent "Who is this hmmmm oh he has a moon village head band but Yukio never told me about a moon village escort so why is he even here and how did he even find us in this type of environment?" she examined the boy up and down unable to really see his face and her covered by her anbu mask "Well i am not going to wake him up to question him so i will have to wait till the morning" she entered her tent again and readied her equipment up for the morning travel through the mountain pass

Izuno had gained their trust. Phase one was now complete and all that remained was resting. Yeah, the boy was extremely tired and couldn't really carry on. If a fight did happen to break out he wouldn't be at full power so it was indeed a good idea to play it safe and just go to sleep. Izuno held onto his pack, just in case someone tried to peek in. Before he knew it, he was gone. Sleeping only to awake tomorrow and get the show started.

The morning had arrived and the Jounin awoke first setting up the crates of supplies and strapping themselves up with their equipment"Okay okay up up pretty boy your and the anbu need to guide us" The awoke the moon village ninja and went to wake up keiko but when they arrived to her tent she was packed and gone for her daily meditation "Great she did it again she always does this" Keiko had a habit to wake up early and meditate before her missions. They help her concentrate to clear her mind

Izuno's eyes opened to the Sun. The light was radiating over the campsite, giving them their cue to begin the trek. He lifted himself up and stretched out. This was the first time in months where he actually managed to get a good night's sleep. "Wow, it's morning already huh? I guess we should get moving. I'll help you guys gather equipment." Izuno stood up, grabbing his pack, and walked over to some of the gear. He picked some up and threw it over his shoulder. Apparently the leader of the unit had gone out for a morning walk or something. Did that mean that he'd have to wait? "What do you mean she always does this? She leaves you guys and returns later on? When will she be back?" The boy didn't mean to seemingly interrogate the shinobi but the questions naturally came out. 'Damn, too many questions Izuno.'

Keiko was in the distance meditating under the sun remember her past with izuno "Urgh how i hate izuno for leaving the village and.....me" she clenched her fist and slammed the ground "All the missions, the dates, the pranks, the promises all gone ever since the attack of the nine tails" She remembered that day very well, the calamity that ruined the people of the leaf and her friendship. The many lives lost that day scared her heart for the rest of her life " I should get going I need to guide these people through the mountain path safely and protect the goods" Keiko placed her mask on her face and returned to the camp site reuniting with the jounin and the moon ninja "Finally your here now we can leave on time lets head out squad!!!" They all head out and walk through the sands. Keiko looked at the moon ninja more closely trying to see his face "Just who are you ninja boy?"

They'd finally take their leave. Izuno would be leading the squad through the caverns in the mountains to begin the trek to Getsugakure. Before taking off the boy was questioned by the ANBU. That was right, she didn't know of the boy's alter ego. "Me? I'm Ichiro Takeda, leader of the Scouting Unit. I come from Getsugakure. Lady Hayataro had sent mr to escort you all to the village. I plan to do so and taking you through the caverns would not only make our travel faster but safe." He smiled and then looked at all the shinobi from Konohagakure before him. "All of these ninja are strong and determined men and women. Konoha sure knows how to breed great ninja!"

keiko walked near the boy to keep a close eye on him "Something seems off i have a strange feeling about this and my gut is usually right about these sort of things" She tried to get a good look at his face and noticed his eye slightly ".....no.....it can't be" The jounin looked at how hard keiko was studying the moon ninja

The boy was being closely observed right now. She seemed to be in his face examining every physical feature. Why the hell was she doing this? Did something about his disguise give him away? "Excuse me miss, but why are you doing this? Have you met me before or something like that? I must know because right about now you are freaking me out! Haha!" He chuckled, looking at all of the bewildered Konohagakure shinobi. They really couldn't understand what was going on right now and neither could Izuno but the latter had to come up with something quick! "Come now! We are wasting valuable time standing here! We must reach the caverns before sunset! There are things out there that would make our travels tedious if we move around the mountains at night!" The command was given, and even though he wasn't the leader of this unit he still had a say. After all, he supposedly knew this lands better than them. He started running off to set the path for them. A gesture had been given to the shinobi to proceed along with him and follow. They would all be on the move. "It's something else at night up in the mountains......There are......" Izuno was at a lost for words. Just what could be menacing enough to have these men and women terrified and ready to make moves without question? Giant yetis.

"There are giant yetis!! Believe me when I tell you this, they are massive monsters! If we cross paths with at least two if them we will lose shinobi. So it's up to you two, move slow or pick up the pace."

Keiko kept her eyes on the boy and nodded "Well im sorry but i have to cautious when in a situation of carrying valuables and goods" She had apologized and kept on her way with the crew. As they traveled the moon shinobi talked about how much greater dangers lie in wait at night between the mountain path and caverns. Creatures spoke in legend know as yeti, creature who strength can crush boulders "So yeti exist in these parts you say well lets hurry but quietly as possibe so we do not cause noise " They continued on their journey to the moon "I am not scared of any such yeti i will just kill them hahaha" Keiko talked about her bravery to the others

"I understand your growing concern. You need to deliver this precious cargo and there are so many things out there that can possibly screw everything up. But I am here to help you all, as a ninja from Getsugakure. I will make sure that this cargo gets to my village safely and will fulfill my duty!" To assure them that everything was going to be alright was another way of clearing the suspicions. If that didn't work then he didn't know what would. This ANBU leader didn't really look like the type to fooled so easily though. So maybe the growing suspicions would show up later. For now he had to do Ichiro Takeda's job and guide them to the mountain. "It should be getting colder soon! So make sure that you are all bundled up and warm! I wouldn't want any of you catching pneumonia." He smirked as he looked back at the trailing unit. They were already at the base of the large mountains.

The weather was growing violent. In these harsh conditions an unprepared shinobi would meet their demise. Fortunately, these shinobi were ready for anything. Izuno was wrapped in a thick cloth, his Getsugakure headband now attached to wool hat. "Damn, I hope you are all doing okay back there! We're about to head into the entrance of the cavern! Be on the look out for the giant creatures I have warned you about!" In reality there weren't any Yeti-like beasts. It was really all he could seriously come up with. The real danger was hidden among them; a snake in the grass ready to strike the heel of those around him. All of them were oblivious. None of them could see what was going to happen once they were inside the cavern.

With no Yetis in sight, the Uchiha proceeded through the mountainous valley. From his location he could see the entrance to the cavern. A dark cave-mouth that would grant anyone who entered entry to the caverns deep within the mountain. Izuno had found success in getting these people to this area. Everything was going well; not even one question from a single soul. "Okay, this is the entrance to the tunnel we will be using. Last time I checked it was uninhabited, so we shouldn't fear anything. Also, since we didn't see Yetis I'm going to make the assumption that they've either moved on or have been hunted down. Alright then, we're off! Stay close to me and do not wander off." Unbeknownst to them, this cavern is actually a secret base that was once used by Konohagakure's top ANBU unit, which Izuno was once a part of while under Yukio. Nothing but ruins remain but if he was to lure them deep into the base it would be extremely difficult to escape. "Once we're deep inside I'll seal off the main entrance. I better set the tags in place now." Izuno cautiously reached into the cloak, pulling out a few tags. Thanks to the darkness within the cave it'd be hard to see him dropping a few of the tags behind. They'd come into play later......

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TWC = 4,970

Temperatures dropped during the night on their way to the mountain path. They were forced to bundle up with warm clothes and keep the inventory locked up tight. They approached the mountain side and caverns. The moon shinobi had alerted them about the weather and that they were near the base of the mountain. It grew silent, not a sound could be heard. It seemed as if the place was uninhabited according to Ichiro and that yeti beast maybe had moved or had died out "Okay now that we are here our time should be short, Hows the inventory guys?" The crew checked on the inventory all weapons, supplies,and money were all in check then the visitor made a surprising request "Wait seal off the entrance for what purpose " They all looked towards him and so did keiko "Why is a escort carrying so many bomb tags anyway? You can not be that prepared for just a transport mission" They all looked at him seeming to ready their weapons "And if you really a escort you would know that we are highly trained to fight in situations like this and do not need protection not the other way" Keiko looked at his bag and smirked "Someone with a bag full of explosives must be up to something, there is no way a little scout would bring all this girl for nothing now tell me" She appeared behind the shinobi and pulled a kunai to his neck with the attempt to kill "Now tell me who are you!!!" She pushed it deeper to his throat and continued to question him "Are you a spy? Thief? or someone looking for a good score?" She glared at him with the attempt to kill "I knew something was of look what is behind him, trails of bomb tags" They all grew angry with him and growled "Kill him now before he acts!!" They all agreed the mysterious ninja should be killed on site before he could act or retaliate.