"Kou-sama, would you care for a snack?" Aoi looked down at the servant that came up beside him, proffering a tray of assorted fruits. He calmly raised a hand, palm forward in a gesture of decline and the man bowed and walked backwards until he was out of sight. Blinds closed off the portable pavilion like structure as Aoi was carried ever closer to the castle. None of the guards or servants, save Mamoru, knew that Aoi wasn't actually the princess, Kou. Migota and Kaori stood to both sides of the pavilion just in case they had to remind Aoi of something.

They were nearly two days out from Konoha, but the distance they had traveled in that time was only half of what they could have gone if it had been just shinobi. Despite the slow pace, the palace was only a day away at the pace they were traveling, relatively close to Konoha. Aoi had been given instructions on how to act by Mamoru before they all left, so he sat straight backed while servants carried him.

From his elevated position, Aoi could see farther down the road than his teammates. His eyes scanned the scenery calmly, much like one would on a road trip, while in reality he was on the lookout for bandits or other threats. It was this fact that caused him to see a rustling in the trees nearly a mile and a half ahead of the group. Most wouldn't have thought anything of it, and Aoi didn't either, until he saw a brief flash a few feet away from that rustle.

Leaning over slightly, Aoi pushed the blinds to the side, gesturing for Migota to come closer to him. Migota did just that, bowing slightly when she was close enough. "What is it, Kou-sama?"

Aoi lowered his voice to a whisper that wouldn't be heard by the guards carrying him. "It seems there is an ambush set up ahead. I thought I should inform you." Aoi's voice was slightly higher than it's usual pitch in an attempt to sound more feminine.

Migota nodded, stepping away. "Right away Kou-sama." She turned and walked back to the cart that was following behind the group, and the sound of her voice could be heard. Moments later, a servant approached with a cup held in his hands.

"Kou-sama, I have the water you requested." Aoi nodded his head, reaching past the blinds and taking the cup, sipping it lightly. He handed it back and the servant disappeared.

The next to appear at the side of Aoi was Shikamaru, with a bird perched on his head, nesting into his hair. When Aoi had tried to get it to stay in Konoha, it refused and stayed with him constantly. It had taken some coaxing, but eventually they had gotten the bird to sit on Shikamaru instead as they traveled.

"I have a question I would like to ask you, Kou-sama." Aoi nodded, and Shikamaru lowered his voice slightly. "How many, and are they shinobi?" Aoi signaled there were nine, then shook his head lightly. "Thank you, Kou-sama, I will keep that in mind." Afterwards, Shikamaru could be seen talking to each member of the team, informing them of what to do in the situation.

Just a few more steps, and they would be upon the trap set by the bandits. Aoi's teammates were tense, but tried their best to seem calm and collected, unaware of the situation. The guards and servants continued, unaware of the combat that was soon to take place. Then, like a volcano erupting, the bandits flew from their positions, charging at the group.

_+_

"This is impossible!" Kiba growled out, not for the first time. "The area is much to large to cover in just two weeks, not to mention the target is moving."

Murasaki looked over at him, and rolled his eyes. "Kiba, with that attitude we'll never find her. You have to calm down. After all, I'm pretty sure your nose isn't just for show, so use it."

"That barely even makes sense." Kiba said after thinking Murasaki's words over.

"I think that Murasaki is r-right Kiba. It won't do us any g-good if we get frustrated now." Hinata spoke up quietly. Shino nodded in agreement.

Kiba finally sighed as they continued walking. They took off, spreading out after checking that their mics were working. They were given a likely direction the princess had fled, and they were now fanning out to check that area. Everything was calm for a while as everyone focused their energy on finding the princess in their own way. Akamaru and Kiba were given some cloth before having left, memorizing her scent. It seemed Shino's bugs were working in a similar way, but spread over a larger radius. Hinata's byakugan was activated, but she didn't seem able to sense anything.

After a while, Kiba was speaking again, his voice crackling in everyone's ears. "So Murasaki, I know why we were picked to search for the princess, being sensor types, but I didn't know you were one." The unspoken question was clear in Kiba's words.

There was a faint chuckle heard before Murasaki spoke. "Not many people know this, but I'm actually a sensor type as well. I have a hyper sensitivity to other life, and it helps me know where others are."

"A hyper sensitivity to other life?" Confusion was clear in Kiba's voice.

"Hmm... I suppose it would be comparable to the byakugan, but it's completely different." There was a grumble over the mic, but before anyone could say anything, Murasaki went on. "You see, from what I understand, the byakugan allows the user to send chakra into their eyes and they can see all around them. They see everything, but more importantly the chakra network. Is that correct Hinata?"

"Eh? Ah yes, more or less." Hinata spoke freely, a little caught off guard at the question.

"I have the ablitity to sense, or 'see' in a way, everything around me. For about... I would say six kilometers, I can accurately tell if there is something living in that area, and if they're male or female, what they're doing, etcetera."

"Does this mean you can see us as well?" Shino's voice was quiet, as usual, when he asked this.

"Yes." There was a pause. "Kiba, your middle finger should not be used in that manner, it is very rude."

"That's pretty detailed." Kiba remarked.

There was a slight hum from Murasaki. "I suppose. It gets better the more I know people though. Anyways, let's focus back on the mission, we don't want Aoi getting married now do we?"

_+_

The moment the bandits sprung from their hiding spots, guards and servants alike surrounded Aoi as the pavilion like thing was set on the ground, effectively blocking him from sight. In return his sight as well was reduced to the backs and legs of people as they surrounded him.

Shikamaru had already started his handsigns, and his shadow quickly flew across the ground, capturing two as the third he had been aiming for jumped away. Kaori's hand flew from her pocket, covering one of the bandits in the smell of jasmine and rose. His eyes grew dreamy and he fell back, cuddling a nearby rock like his life depended upon it. She had no time to grab more as a rather rusted sword aimed to cut her in half, and she quickly jumped back to avoid it, pulling out a kunai in the same motion.

Migota made quick work of two of the attackers, using quick movements and using pressure points to her advantage. The men were quickly on the ground unconscious. Ryo was battling with one, but it was clear he had advantage over the clumsy spear wielder as he parried with little wasted motion.

Perhaps the most amazing battle of all though, was Kodomo's. The instant one man emerged from the bush near him, his hand shot out like a serpent. A chain extended from his fist, a heavy metal dart on the end. It landed a blow on the man's head, and he stumbled back bleeding heavily. Keeping control of the weapon with a handle, Kodomo pulled it back, having it spin at a quick pace next to his side.

Anoter man made his way toward Kodomo, his sword coming at a diagonal angle toward Kodomo's legs. With a quick flick of the wrist, the chain of Kodomo's weapon hit the sword, wrapping around the blade of the weapon. With a quick step, Kodomo dodged the sword then flicked his hand upwards, ripping the sword from the grip of its holder. Spinning on his foot, Kodomo then released a harsh backfist with his left hand to the man's temple, rendering him unconscious.

After freeing the sword from his weapon, he noticed that Kaori was having a tough time, not as used to close range fighting from being a genjutsu user. Kodomo spun the weapon over his head once, then rolled over it while continuing the spin. As he stood from the motion, the chain was wrapped around Kaori's attacker's leg. A quick jerk of the chain, and the man fell face forward. Kaori landed a quick kick to the side of the man's head, and with a brief grunt he was unconscious. She sent Kodomo a nod as thanks and looked over the scene. The battle was over, taking no longer than a minute or two.

The guards stared at the shinobi surrounding them, slightly gaping at the calm demeanor they had during the battle. Ryo walked over to the cart, pulling a length of rope from it to tie up the bandits, which took moments to do. After the scene of the battle had been cleared, the guards stood away from where Aoi was hidden among them. Aoi took in the scene calmly, not giving anything away. A movement from Kodomo caught his eye as the green haired boy began to fold his weapon into his palm.

Shikamaru noticed Aoi's interest and asked Kodomo in his stead. "Kodomo, what is that weapon?" He started, surprise in his obsidian eyes. A smile crept over his face as he let it extend toward the ground.

"This is my whip chain. I've been practicing with it since I was little." His smile grew wider. "It's a little strange, so most people don't know how to battle with or against it, but that makes it all the better."

Kaori patted him on the shoulder. "You definitely know how to use it too." A knowing smile was on her face. "Thanks for the save there."

Ryo walked over to Kaori. "I have to wonder why you used that genjutsu type though. Love is a mean thing to mess with Kao-chan."

"It's been a while since you called me that..." She gave him a smile, but it was sadder than the one she shared with Kodomo.

Mamoru stepped forward. "We should get going, thank you for the help though." Everyone nodded, and they returned to their travels.

_+_

There we go, another chapter under my belt. I hope you liked it, because it will only get better from here on out. After all, Aoi must act like a proper princess here in the near future... Anywho, I don't really have much else to say. I'll put a picture of Kodomo's weapon to the side, so you can get a better feel of the methods he used or whatever. Riddle time!

I spit like bacon, I am made with an egg, I have plenty of back bone, but lack a good leg, I peel layers like onions, but still remain whole, I am long like a flagpole, yet fit in a hole, what am I?

Alrighty then, first correct answer gets a dedication, so have fun guessing! Hope you all vote, comment, or fan. And for those of you that don't comment, thanks for the votes, you know who you are you silent encouragers. Those that comment, thanks dudes, it really means a lot to know exactly what you think. And those fans out there... Stay awesome. Without anything else to say, see ya!

-Nicky~