~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Esoteric

V

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Okay, we have learned our lesson! Never anger the shinobi of the Grass!"

Iruka could do little but roll his eyes at Gai's comment. The three of them were currently resting upon a high tree, one of the few in Grass's terrain. Iruka panted lightly as he recalled how close to danger they were. They really did have the worse luck, stumbling upon a group of ANBU scouts. Needless to say, they weren't pleased to see three shinobi from Konoha in their land. A lot of vain explanations and running ensued after that. If it hadn't been for Gai and Genma's clever usage of Kage Bunshin, they wouldn't have made it out. Fortunately, their running had brought them closer to the Earth Country, which they wouldn't have arrived until the next morning had they not been chased down by a mob of furious shinobi.

"Those people need to learn a thing or two about relaxing," commented Genma as he stood, flexing his cramped up muscles. "I haven't run like that in a while."

Gai grinned up at him. "That was nothing! I run fifty miles every morning," he replied cheerfully, not at all exhausted from their sprint.

Iruka sighed deeply. He could only wish he possessed that kind of stamina. "In any case, we best continue. The Earth Country is by far much larger and we'll have less chance of running into their shinobi," he suggested as he stood up, looking onwards.

It was yet another change in landscape. Whereas the Grass held nothing but open fields and sparse trees, the Earth Country was filled with mountainous terrain and caves hidden at every corner. Diverting the main village would be a simpler task. Iruka massaged the back of his neck, trying to ease the tension building up. It was nearing dawn and they hadn't received a single moment of sleep. It was of no consequence to them, though. Shinobi were often required to go on for missions with minimal sleep.

"Let's go then!"

Immediately, the three leapt off the tree and somersaulted agilely to land on the rocky ground. They stood still for a moment, almost waiting for an attack, but relaxed when nothing came.

"I don't know about you two but I think some rest is in calling," remarked Iruka as he suppressed a yawn. He eyed the area around them. "I know of a cave not too far from here. It's fairly deep and has multiple tunnels that lead to different exits."

Genma arched an eyebrow. "You talk as if you're native to this land," he said with some amusement.

Iruka smiled and shrugged. "Well…I've been here on more than a few occasions and I had a knack for not staying with the group so that left me with a lot of time to explore," he admitted.

"Ah! You are adventurous. I did not expect to see that in you, Iruka," quipped Gai with a wide grin.

The Chuunin chuckled halfheartedly. "Not really, Gai. More like I didn't give a damn," he explained with a taint of red on his cheeks. He did not need to be reminded of his past self now-it was quite embarrassing.

"So lead us to this cave. I could definitely use some sleep," cut in Genma, uncrossing his arms as he looked at Iruka expectantly.

The latter nodded and scanned the area once more. An old feeling of familiarity filled his senses as he spotted some landmarks. A few had been made by him, much to the dismay of his former platoon leaders. Iruka smiled as he caught glimpse of a boulder in the distance with two deeply engraved lines cutting through it. That was the mark.

"This way," he ordered before breaking into a dash himself. The other two Jounins followed suit soundlessly.

It was colder in the Earth Country, Iruka realized as the wind bit at his face. The land was made up mostly of uneven ground and little to no plantation flourished. The sky seemed to be perpetually grey and mountains were customarily seen in the horizon. It filled Iruka with a sense of awe. They were in an entirely different area now and the weight of the mission began to make itself known. Iruka narrowed his eyes. What would be awaiting them in Hidden Shade? This demon haunted him and it was the main reason why Iruka had taken to staying up for a majority of the day-nightmares plagued him every time he slept now, often leaving him gasping for breath when he woke up. Genma and Gai's words had been of little condolence to him.

The demon and him were connected, if that was in any way possible. He could feel its rage, its hatred, and its depravity. The feelings only increased as they neared their destination. Iruka hated it. Forcing himself to think about something else, Iruka concentrated on the cave. In a few more meters, they would reach it. Hopefully, there weren't some awaiting Stone shinobi lingering about.

"Hmm…nice place."

They came to a halt as the cave's entrance greeted them. It was wide and circular and darkness could be seen inside. Iruka smiled faintly. It was the same cave all right.

"If we're lucky, I might be able to find some stuff I stashed here," he said as they entered.

Gai arched an eyebrow at him. "You stored things in here?" he asked incredulously.

Iruka chuckled lightly. "Don't ask," he replied. He buried several different items in miscellaneous places around the cave-most being loose notes and sketches on the Earth Country's territory. However, he did bury a rather small purse filled with some money. Now that he thought back on it, Iruka didn't know why he had done that.

"You surprise me more and more, Iruka," remarked Gai with a thumbs-up.

Iruka stifled a grin as he nodded.

"So the real question is, who wants to stay up for first shift?" interrupted Genma, arching an eyebrow.

"I will! I'm still feeling quite energetic after that run," volunteered Gai cheerfully.

Iruka frowned slightly. "Are you sure it's not just the adrenaline running through your system?" he asked. He didn't mind staying up for another few hours-anything to escape his nightmares.

Gai shook his head and pointed a finger at Iruka dramatically. "Have faith in me, Iruka! I won't let you fall into the hands of the enemy," he reassured as he gave his infamous Nice Guy pose.

The Chuunin offered a small smile. Gai spoke with great confidence and it gave him a renewed sense of hope. He nodded quickly at him and headed towards the back of the cave where Genma had already spread out makeshift beds made out of extra blankets. When Iruka approached him, he smiled slightly.

"It may not be a fancy hotel but it'll work," he commented lightly as he lied down, closing his eyes.

And as soon as Iruka placed his head on the soft folded blankets, his mind began to drift. For once there was no impending visions and the dark-haired man fell into a deep slumber within minutes. The agitation and worry he felt all dissipated in an instant to a state of freeness. Iruka felt his mind slip away into the crevices of deep unconsciousness, but still maintained an alert exterior for any intruders. It was an instinct for any shinobi to never fall asleep entirely unless forced to. It was like being partially awake, with half your mind alert and the other half still dreaming. Iruka hadn't experienced a full deep sleep in quite some time since Konoha's invasion. And it would only be after several hours passed that he would wake up to see Gai leaning over him and Genma, apprehension written on his face. For a split moment Iruka felt that perhaps he was dreaming before he heard a faint hum in the background that sounded suspiciously like scuffling feet. Like he had never been sleeping, Iruka sat up and looked at him urgently.

"What happened?"

"Stone's shinobi," was all the man said as he hurried and packed away their things. "They're only a few meters away. You said this cave leads to different exits, right? You know of any that will lead us as far away from their village?"

Iruka nodded, a map of the cave's interior forming in his head automatically. It was a good thing he had been blessed with a photographic memory.

"Who's in there?"

The trio didn't bother to wait as their assailants approached them; they ran away quickly with Iruka once again in the lead as they journeyed deeper into the cave. Eventually they came to a large cavern where the air became brittle cold. Stalactites and stalagmites sprouted from the ceiling and ground. There were about a dozen small tunnels before them, each leading to a different place and some to dead ends. Iruka narrowed his eyes before he nodded towards the tunnel second to last on the right.

Darkness hit them full force and they could hear Stone's shinobi behind them, confusion ringing clearly in their voices as they tried to seek them out. Iruka swallowed deeply and began to trust in his instincts entirely as they walked on. The tunnel was small and running would only promote a higher chance of being captured. Gai and Genma were behind him, each placing one hand on his shoulder for guidance. Iruka closed his eyes and sped up his pace slightly. The cave had changed little in the past few years and its paths were still vivid in his mind. He led them through the zigzagging tunnel with confidence, avoiding every stray stone and obstacle with ease.

A dim light began to shine before them and Iruka breathed a sigh of belief. The Stone shinobi had long deserted them-he could tell that much by the silence around them. The only people he heard around him were Gai and Genma. As soon as they ventured out of the tunnel, the sun's early afternoon light greeted them. All dropped their guards wearily.

"I get the feeling you might know this cave better than those shinobi," remarked Genma amusedly.

Iruka smiled. "Perhaps. This cave is rather close to the border. We're further up north now. The village is a few miles southwest," he said, taking in their surroundings. They were up on the mountains and the wind blew around them harshly. He narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the sky. It may have been early in the day but by the looks of the clouds, it seemed like a storm was approaching.

"I say we continue then. Those Stone shinobi are a proud bunch of people. They won't let us go without a fight," interjected Gai suddenly as he stretched his limbs. "Mountain climbing is always a fun experience."

Genma rolled his eyes. "Is there anything you haven't done?" he asked.

"Nope," answered Gai happily.

"Look out!"

Iruka pushed away Gai and Genma forcefully as a large shuriken flew at them. The two Jounins looked at him in surprise before facing up against an angry group of Stone shinobi. Iruka frowned deeply. He was more than grateful for his mother's training now. If it hadn't been for her, he would never have been able to lead them out of the cave or save them from the shinobi's attack. But now it seemed they had finally met their match. Five shinobi stood before them and Iruka could tell that they were Jounins by the way they handled their weapons. He had barely been able to catch the shuriken's presence, meaning it was thrown with exponential skill and speed.

"So! You were Konoha's shinobi after all. Now tell us why you're intruding on our land so blatantly," announced one of the Jounins, presumably the leader.

"We don't mean you any harm, honestly. We were just passing by. Our mission is elsewhere," replied Genma calmly.

The leader arched an eyebrow. "Even so, you should have been able to sneak by without being caught. Has your village really become that weak?" he asked, eliciting smirks from the other Jounins.

Genma narrowed his eyes and before he could say anything else, Gai interrupted.

"How dare you insult Konoha!" he exclaimed.

Iruka bit his lip and suppressed his frustration as the Stone shinobi turned their gazes on him. Gai is going to get us killed, he thought.

"You're Maito Gai, no? The Proud Green Beast of Konoha?"

Gai threw his chest out. "Ah, so you have heard of me!" he replied brightly.

The leader smiled slightly. "Sure thing. You have quite the reputation. But despite that, don't think we'll let you go so easily. You're in our land without a proper pass and all we have for an excuse is because you're on a mission? Stone and Konoha may have been allies in the past but now your village is reduced to crumbles. We won't let you escape," he said before the rest of his team attacked.

"Ah, fuck," cursed Genma before quickly dodging a kunai thrown at him.

Iruka agreed with him wholeheartedly. They were outnumbered even without the leader joining in on the fight. Two went for Gai, leaving him and Genma to deal with one each. The Chuunin didn't like odds at all. The Stone shinobi were strong and not to be reckoned with. That thought escaped his mind, though, as his opponent landed a particularly heavy blow on him, resulting with him flying headlong into a boulder.

"Iruka!"

Genma had called out to him. Iruka groaned painfully as he sat back up, his opponent standing before him sinisterly. He swore under his breath. It was times like these he regretted not training harder after he began teaching at the Academy. The shinobi formed several seals before him and Iruka could only watch in shock as the ground beneath him began to shake dangerously. A large chasm opened up and Iruka began falling.

Not good, he thought bitterly as he tried to catch himself with the walls. But the chasm only widened each time, leaving Iruka falling into a deep hole of nothingness. The dark-haired man closed his eyes for a moment, trying to figure out a possible solution. Suddenly, he remembered a lesson. It was taught to him by the Third, albeit it involved a lot of convincing on his behalf. Biting his right thumb, Iruka quickly thrust his arm out before him.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

A sudden burst of chakra exploded before him as he found himself sitting on top of a giant eagle. "What's this? Iruka? I haven't seen you in quite a while!" exclaimed the eagle as he flapped his wings gracefully, bringing them up the chasm.

Iruka sighed in relief. "What can I say, Sora? I've been busy?" he replied, smiling. He leaned forward on Sora's back. "Now let's get out of here. I think the others are in some trouble."

The eagle complied without a word and began to head straight up in a flash that had Iruka hanging on tightly. Sora was relatively small compared to the animals Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru commanded but he made up for it with his remarkable speed and intelligence. Eagles were in general very wise and strong but Sora was one of the younger ones, which made him much more interesting to be with. Iruka recalled how he first summoned him as a young teenager. It had taken him quite a while to master the technique and more often than not the Third had not been there to accompany him so when he finally did summon Sora, it created a feeling of accomplishment and pride that still made Iruka smile to this day.

As they flew up out of the chasm, Iruka breathed in the fresh air deeply before looking down at his companions. Gai was still dueling with his two opponents and Genma seemed trapped in some sort of jutsu the Stone shinobi created. The shinobi that Iruka had fought with before was standing beside the leader, seemingly convinced he was dead. The Chuunin narrowed his eyes at the man.

"Hey Sora, drop me down beside those two standing in the distance will you?"

The eagle looked up at Iruka dubiously. "Are you sure you want to do that?" he inquired cautiously.

Iruka smiled. "Of course. I still have to pay that Jounin back for trapping me in that chasm," he replied cheerfully.

Sora snickered before lowering into a clean dive and sweeping by the two Jounins, allowing Iruka to jump off and land smoothly before them, kunai in hand. The two looked at him incredulously as he smiled at them.

"Hello again," he said before throwing the kunai at them.

In their shock, they had barely managed to avoid them before Iruka quickly formed a batch of mysterious seals, ending with the dragon. The two Jounins looked on in shock as patches of ice began formed around them, spreading up their legs and completely immobilizing them.

"Stick around for a bit," commented Iruka as the ice quickly consumed their entire bodies, turning them into nothing more but frozen sculptures. He turned to face Genma and Gai, whom were still having difficulty with their opponents. He frowned. They must be pretty strong if Gai and Genma haven't defeated them yet.

Tilting his head to the sky, Iruka spotted Sora circling the area. He smiled to himself. Leave it to Sora to remain by the battlefield even when not fighting. "Mind helping out Gai for a bit?" he asked.

The eagle snorted. "Of course not. Do you know how long it's been since I've been in a fight?" he replied before swooping down to knock out one of Gai's opponents.

The man looked around in surprise before spotting Iruka. He looked overjoyed as he began waving his arms.

"Oi, Iruka! You're alive!"

Iruka stifled his laughter. "Apparently so," he replied before looking to where Genma was. He quickly and stealthily ran up behind his opponent and performed the same freezing jutsu on him while Genma distracted him.

"Well! Are you from Hidden Konoha or Hidden Mist, Iruka?" the Jounin remarked curiously as he eyed the frozen shinobi.

The younger man laughed. "It's my father's jutsu and actually, my great grandparents were from Hidden Mist so I do have some relation to them," he replied.

"How long will they remain this way?" inquired Gai as he met up with them.

"Not that long. So I'd say we better get a move on," answered Iruka as he looked up at Sora. "Mind giving us a lift?"

At once Gai and Genma looked up in question before gasping at the sight of the giant eagle descending before them.

"W-What? Iruka, you know how to summon animals?" stuttered out Gai in amazement.

The Chuunin chuckled embarrassingly. "Um, yes. It took a lot of begging, though. And not to mention, a lot of chakra on my behalf," he replied as he amounted the eagle. He looked at the two Jounins and gestured for them to follow. "Come on. This is Sora. If we ride him we can be out of Earth Country by evening."

Without a word Gai and Genma followed and rested atop the eagle a bit unsurely.

"We won't hinder your speed will we?" asked Genma.

Sora's feather ruffled in annoyance. "What? Do you have no faith in me?" he retorted indignantly before rising from the ground with a mighty lift. All three men were jostled forward and Sora smiled a bit apologetically. "Sorry about that. Now where exactly did you want to go, Iruka?"

The man smiled tightly. "Take us as far into the Metal Country as you can go," he answered.

Sora nodded and with a sudden lurch, began heading north in an elegant dive.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TBC

Mischievous teenager Iruka (plus) Sandaime (plus a dash of) blackmail (gives you) summoning lesson.

And I think it's safe to say I went over the 2,000 mark with this one. :D Oh, and if any of you were missing Kakashi, he'll be making his reemergence in the next part. ;)