It only took a moment for her dread to be replaced with cool, unrestrained fury.

Miki had, had enough.

It might have been years, but she could recall the way her sensei's blood stained the wooden flooring of that inn the day Yukio slit the man's throat. She could recall Hisoka's crimson tears, the way his unwavering confidence had been shattered as he'd been thrown from the height of genius to relearning how to survive everyday life. She could remember the pain on Hikari's face when she thought no one was paying attention- the way she'd shoved it all aside so she could put up a facade of strength and force Hisoka to continue. She could remember the pain on his face when he'd heard that his baby sister had disappeared- then as he heard the report that Jun gave.

Miki could remember it all.

More than that, she had always known whose fault all those things had been despite how those around her had attempted to use soothing tones and choice words to change her thoughts. The only one who hadn't tried was Kakashi- only because he knew the pain the attempts caused. Pity- or sympathy if you wanted to call it that- only helped when the one being soothed didn't know the truth.

The truth was that Miki had stolen so many things from them.

No more- that was the single thought in her mind.

She had to have something to bring home beyond a ring. She couldn't walk into Hisoka's house while he cared for Hitoshi and tell the man that even though she'd gone after Hikari- it'd been too late. That she hadn't been able to rescue them again. That he was being left behind- again.

That Miki had failed them, her teammates, her best friends, two people who were practically family, again.

The culprits were worse than dead- of that much she was certain. Her blood was boiling- an old, cold anger that hadn't stirred for a decade surging to the surface. As it was, she was shocked to realize that smoke had begun to curl around her figure. She instantly suppressed the reaction to her emotions, dread crashing over the anger.

She couldn't get out of control- who knew what the smoke would do to it. No matter how irresponsible she was being, she could no longer ignore the fact that it existed. She couldn't give it the proper title in her mind- if she did something was going to break.

If the something broke, although perhaps shattered would be the better term, she wasn't certain that even Kakashi would be able to pick up the pieces. He'd always been there to glue her back together before that happened. This time, however... it wasn't just a single crack. Perhaps shatter wasn't even the right word for the dark feeling- it was as if she was toeing the edge of an abyss, and each event was slowly stealing away the earth beneath her feet. Perhaps she was already falling.

Miki was going to hit bottom soon if she couldn't do something- that much she knew. What would it be like to fully break, her mind wondered. The closest she'd come was her brother's death.

Yet another person she'd failed to protect.

What had become of the silent promise she'd made during her academy years? The promise that she would become strong enough to protect everyone?

It was a joke.

As she turned the crimson stained ring over in her fingers, damning emotions and words continued to flood her thoughts. The force of it all and the effort it took to keep her body solid had the jounin's entire frame trembling. The sudden, sharp pain on her shoulder as Sake took up residence was what finally shocked Miki to the present- just in time for an uneasy feeling to force the woman to duck. Miki then shoved chakra into her feet to propel her onto a branch of one of the thicker trees surrounding the small clearing. Sake instantly propelled herself into the air, perching on a branch far above Miki's head.

A kunai buried itself in the thick bark of the tree, its path clearly lined up to where Miki's head had been only moments ago.

The owner of the kunai clicked their tongue against their teeth in annoyance, but didn't bother to pull away from the trees. Instead, they grasped the dark fabric of the hood curling around their face and tugged it more fully in place, then spun on a heel with full intentions of leaving the matter at that. There was no need for them to confront the person they'd seen- only for them to get back and warn their partner. From what they could tell, even the strange event they'd witnessed with the jounin looked to be enough for the two duo to be able to handle with little problem.

Within seconds Miki's awareness of the figure's presence began to fade and she cursed. Instantly, she was leaning forward on her branch with full intentions of launching after the unknown figure. Her emotions ruled her body once more. In that same second, however, an all too familiar trio broke through the treeline. Without a hint of hesitation, the smallest of them pulled away from the others and leaped into the tree to join Miki on her branch, one of his arms wrapping around the trunk as if to take the stress off of the small branch beneath the duo's feet.

"Jeez, Miki-sensei. I'm the one that breaks the rules, you know, and you're the one that fixes the messes. It's not supposed to be the other way around- what sort of team leader does that?" Jun announced cheekily, his expression perfectly matching the tone of his words.

The presence had completely disappeared.

Miki bit her lip to keep another curse from escaping, instead she took note as Kazue's gaze flickered in the same direction Miki herself had been looking. The blonde's eyes narrowed somewhat, a slight frown touching her lips as she studied the dark forest as if she herself had witnessed the exchange that had taken place seconds before her arrival. Noriaki- silent and stoic as ever- spared his teacher the quickest, studious glance before focusing on the blood splattered clearing itself- something she had to admit was admirable. It'd only taken seconds for the boy to judge the situation- something that made him worthy of his jounin title. He must have realized that whatever the danger had been, it had already passed and only left the massacre as evidence.

As yet another group of shinobi piled into the small area- Neji paused at Kazue's side and muttered something even Miki couldn't catch. The girl's lips formed a tighter line as she nodded an agreement and almost instantly he turned and gestured towards the other two. Following their silent acceptance, the entirety of Team Guy disappeared into the trees once more. It was only then Miki became aware of the fact that a certain, black-haired child had yet to shut his mouth.

"Miki-sensei, hello~? Anyone there? Well, I guess not with a stunt lik--"

"Jun, if you keep speaking, I'll teach you what it feels like to be skinned alive," Kazue interrupted, effectively snapping the boy's mouth shut with the rather promising tone in her voice.

"... what are you doing here?"

Kazue's gaze flickered to Miki at the blunt question, lips still pursed. It was Jun who offered the answer, his unchanging, beaming smile challenging Kazue to correct him for providing the words she couldn't- despite the threat she'd given only seconds ago.

"Why, you and baby-chan of course," he replied simply. "What else? Big, tall, and Hyuuga could handle the rest with just his team, you know."

He received blank stares in response to his words- causing a pleased grin to flicker across Jun's lips.

"Big... tall... and Hyuuga?" Kazue demanded after a long, silent moment.

"Eh, it slipped out."

She crossed her arms, unable to help herself as she rose a single, challenging brow.

"Ah, I see, that's how you've gone all this time without showing any interest in a girl. We all had you pegged for the wrong team."

Jun's face flooded with color and as he made a witty comment about how perhaps he'd just been cursed with enough experience with of the wrong sort of females to be wary about picking one, Miki could only stare at her old team with something akin to wonder. Given the situation, she'd imagined something different. They should be angry with someone- her or the culprits. The children she'd known would have rushed headlong into something like this- as Kazue and Jun had never been ones to reign in their impulses.

Yet- the feeling hitting the air was a simple, reserved feeling. As if they knew what was at stake, yet happened to be far from simply leaping into the game. They were stalling- waiting for Neji and the others to return with whatever information there was to be gained from following whomever had sent that kunai flying.

It was strange- the feeling that one's "kids" had suddenly shifted to something akin to adults. As if to remind her of the child that actually belonged to her- said child suddenly kicked hard enough that Miki winced. Eyeing her stomach with slight annoyance- Miki mentally noted that she would really have to teach the kid once it was born that it could only kick other people. That aside, her gaze flickered from her stomach to the forest floor, fingers still turning over the ring in one hand as her mind instantly reminded her of the problem at hand.

"... I'm not going back."

Miki's simple, even words broke into the light conversation and sent the clearing into a disturbing silence. Jun- being his usual self- hooked his arms behind his head and shot Kazue a look telling her to deal with the serious mess. She sighed and rubbed the back of her head.

"Miki-sensei..." Kazue began. "You can't just..."

"You're still only a genin," Miki interrupted, her tone pointed. "I'm the one who tells you what I can or can't do."

The girl simply rolled her eyes in response as Jun laughed.

"Hey, Kazue-chan, Miki-sensei hasn't ever played that card on us before, has she?" he questioned cheerfully. "Looks like it's Nori-kun to the rescue! Take it away, jounin-san!"

Noriaki shot the boy an expression that said just how much he appreciated his words, then noted the expectant look that Kazue turned in his direction. The blonde sighed- suspiciously sounding as if he was muttering similar to 'troublesome brat' under his breath. Within a moment, however, he'd turned his gaze to their former teacher.

"... as long as you don't get in the way."

"Noriaki!"

"Hahahaha, Nori-kun is horrible at this!"

Her lips twitched in just the slightest degree. Rather than respond, however, Miki turned her eyes to the forest as if she'd be able to tell just by looking how far their trailing the suspect had taken the the other three. As if they knew what she was thinking, the conversation between the team stalled once more- none of them able to ignore the blood stained clearing any longer. As it was, Jun twisted the golden bands clasped around his wrists, a motion not unnoticed by the sole, blonde female of the group.

Try as she could, Kazue couldn't catch the words he muttered under his breath following the action. Just as Kazue made up her mind to question him about the matter, the three missing shinobi suddenly reappeared in the clearing, none of them looking nearly as well put together as they had upon their departure. Soot and ash colored each of their outfits, as well as visible skin. Luckily- she realized- the real damage seemed not to go beyond a few scraps and red marks that she imagined would turn into nasty bruises by the end of the day.

Jun snickered, Kazue eyeing them warily in place of the action.

"... how...?" she wondered aloud.

Neji- his face set in an irritable scowl- simply shook his head in response. Tenten didn't bother with this much and instantly socked Jun in the shoulder to shut him up. The harsh sound that echoed around the previously silent clearing with the blow left no doubt about how much strength she'd put into it. As it was, Jun was left rubbing his shoulder ruefully, his mouth shut.

In the end, it was Lee who offered the answer to Kazue's question.

"It was a trap."

"The shinobi was expecting us," Neji tagged on, his tone just as sour as his expression. "I... overlooked the item when I was tracking the shinobi. She'd hidden a sealed scroll in the undergrowth- set it off as we passed over."

"He noticed it in time to keep us from getting roasted, but that was it," Tenten finished.

"No worries!" Lee added upon seeing the expressions on Team Miki's faces, slipping into his 'nice guy' pose as he did. "Just that much isn't enough to stop the power of youth!"

Tenten sighed.

"He means, Neji managed to track her the pretty much the rest of the way using his byakugan. She's heading towards a village- most likely the one from the reports."

"Did you catch any distinguishing features to help find pick her out from the crowd?" Miki questioned instantly.

"Her hair was teal," Tenten offered. "... I think."

"She was in all black," Neji said, his eyes narrowing in thought. "I believe she had a hood- it fell when we were following-"

"-that's how we know her hair color and gender," Tenten cut in.

"Average height, or at least appearing to be," Neji continued, seemingly unperturbed by Tenten's interruption. "Moves like a shinobi- unless she's able to adjust that, she'd stand out in the village."

At this point, the group looked to Miki with expectant looks. It was obvious to all of them that she was in charge- she did have the most experience even if she was technically on leave- and that it'd hit the point where they needed to make a decision about to do. She pursed her lips, gaze sweeping over the bloodied clearing once more as her fingers absently turned over the ring.

"... we'll start at the village."

It took an entire hour for them to track down any sign of the unknown shinobi.

By that time, Kazue had all but tied Miki to a chair in a local cafe, as the woman had grown winded by the systematic search of the small village. How it was possible for the place to have so many nooks and crannies for someone to hide in, she wasn't certain. Kazue- reluctant to admit it but unable to conceal the matter- also found herself slightly exhausted by the day's activities, hence her being put in charge of making sure Miki rested. Being confined to traveling the length of Orochimaru's hideout for two years had done nothing for her stamina.

Which was why when Jun and Tenten stumbled across a tip that such a woman was often seen hanging around an old mansion just outside of the village- the opposite side of the clearing where they'd come across her earlier- they were tempted to simply follow up on it themselves. If the tip turned out to be a failure, it would mean dragging the girls out of the cafe for no reason. As it was, it was only Tenten's more interesting threats that convinced Jun to give up on the idea.

Upon returning and briefing the others on the information they gained, the entire group took off for the mansion. It wasn't until they arrived that they discovered how much of a stretch it was to call the place a mansion. It was more what one would typically call a run-down, haunted house type of building. Even from the outside, it was obvious no one had actually cared for the building in years. It actually somewhat reminded Miki of her house, a place she'd spent far more than a few years fixing up. The group stared at it for a few moments, none of them wanting to be the one to voice the fact that it seemed like their only lead was a bust.

In the end, it was Neji who solved the problem. Activating his byakugan, he stared at the building with a narrowed gaze. Within a moment he'd released the jutsu and slowly nodded his head, his silent confirmation that despite all appearances, there were people inside. It was easy enough for all of them to guess from the way he tensed, one hand dropping down next to his weapons' pouch, that there were enough people near the front entrance that staying silence was the best option before them.

While the rest of them seemed to be considering how to proceed, Miki simply stepped forward. Within seconds she'd drawn her katana from it's sheathe and much to the astonishment of her group, placed a kick just at the right spot to send the door flying open. Several startled shouts erupted from inside the door as the very pregnant woman proceeded to drop every figure in sight. As the six figures following her peered inside following this event, their gazes were met with the sight of many passed out, bloody figures and the woman staring at them with an expectant look.

"Which way?"

Neji eyed her uncertainly, that one display alone telling him how fragile of a state her mind was in. Kazue simply sighed, shoving the male into the room from behind and bending down to press her fingers against the neck of a particularly bloody figure.

"Just tell her, Neji, it's not like she won't just go charging off on her own if you don't," Kazue muttered, only slightly satisfied to discover that the men were most likely simply unconscious- part of her had been wishing for the opposite.

Miki wasn't the only one pissed at the moment.

"Don't worry about it Neji-kun," Jun added cheerfully. "Even if she does get in trouble, all of us are here to clean it up!"

Noriaki simply sighed, eyeing his former teacher warily, as if expecting her to charge off before the other jounin had spoken.

Neji continued to study her for a moment before giving in, turning his gaze to the building instead. Within a moment he'd gestured down one of the three halls facing them, opening his mouth to explain the choice. He wasn't given the chance, however, as Miki instantly started down the hall in question. His eyes narrowed in response, but he was distracted in seconds by the sight of a certain blonde taking off after the woman just as quickly as she'd disappeared.

"Oh, c'mon, Kazue-chan!" Jun complained as he took off after the duo. "If both of you act like that, the rest of us won't get to hit anybody!"

"Jun! Don't just..." Tenten called after him, a curse escaping her lips, barely loud enough to be heard as she, too, took off after the group.

Within seconds Lee had also called out after them, declaring something about friendship and how it was his duty to youthfully throw himself into the fray. In the end, only Noriaki hadn't charged recklessly into the situation. He simply offered Neji a raised brow, as if prompting the boy to give the information he'd gained. Neji worked his jaw for a moment before sighing, gesturing vaguely at the hall once more.

"It's surprisingly lax in security," he explained. "Given the seen we came across, I'd expected more than the few stationed at the doorway, but as far as I can tell there are about a handful of people between where we stand and where the chakra signature of that woman ended up. She's about two floors above us, in a room with another shinobi. Now that I've gotten the chance to actually see it, her chakra network is expansive, as is that of her companion. I think--"

Having apparently considered this to be enough information, the other male disappeared into the hall as well. An irk mark forming on his forehead, Neji took the only path left to him- following after the others.

He'd only taken a step down the hall when he suddenly realized what he'd missed.

He'd been looking for people...

A curse escaped his lips as he threw himself into taking off after the others- only to be thrown back as an explosion suddenly threw everyone through the air, Neji himself being thrown roughly into the wall bordering the doorway they'd come in. The boy was left gasping for breath, the force having stolen all breath from his lungs. The smoke filling the hall wasn't enough to stop him from narrowing his eyes and staring it down in an attempt to locate his allies. The majority of them were already picking themselves up- only a few signatures still sprawled out in their various places in the now soot covered hall.

The woman had set a trap for them in the woods.

There was no need for excessive man-power if your hide-out was stocked to the brim with hidden defenses.

They'd walked into the equivalent of a mine field.