A hive...

"It tastes of blood."

Surrounded by her attendants, Regekion stood in the central chamber of her hive. The Youma was nearly five meters long, and built like a true insect. She had six legs, a segmented body, and an inhuman mandibled face. She was covered in a chitin carapace, elaborately detailed with engraved runes and insignias. But beyond her size and decorative adornment, what set her apart from the surrounding insects was her unarmored and oversized thorax, which glistened even in the dim light of the hive.

On the outskirts of the chamber, scourers and worker drones scurried about their business, tending to eggs and larvae, and distributing food. Occasional warriors moved through the swarms, paying no heed to the lesser insects. In the center of the chamber, more particularly endowed warriors stood in a circle around their Queen, protecting her from any distraction or mishap. A handful of attendant insects bred especially to tend the Queen were also inside the honor guards' circle. Of all the insects in Regekion's presence, only two were not bred to be there: a lone scourer and the scouting drone that had led her back to the hive.

"I cannot say why," said the drone, in her windy voice. "There had been no violence around the boy that sand was taken from."

Regekion looked past the drone. "I know." She said, in a voice that was almost musical. "The blood was not recent. It was absorbed deep into the sand, encrusted around every granule. There were different flavors in it. That sand has been soaked in the blood of many humans."

Regekion scurried forward, brushing aside the drone and scourer. Her retinue adjusted accordingly, clearing a path for the Queen.

"That boy was not using the techniques of Shukaku, he was Shukaku. The Sand Coon has been reincarnated. His chakra was as thick in the sand as blood of the humans he killed." Regekion paused, thinking. "He is allied with the human shinobi, or he is controlled by them. The Sand and the Leaf are still allied, and they are aware of me..."

Regekion reeled around, gazing at one of her attendants. "Go to the farms," she ordered. "Inform the caretakers that I will be changing the procedures for all gestating warriors. And begin preparing brosia cells."

The attendant and several warriors scurried away as ordered.

As they left, Regekion looked up at the beams of sunlight that pierced through the ceiling of the hive. "The Rain has pulled back, and the Stone has yet to move. But the Sand and the Leaf... These scouts of theirs must be dealt with. Not even Shukaku can protect them this time..."

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Early afternoon, Taruji Valley...

"Ah yeah... Just smell that..."

Gaara and Kankurou were situated near a small, nearly smokeless fire in the lee of a berm. Three dead snakes were skewered on sticks and roasting over the side of the fire. Gaara was sitting cross-legged, staring through the fire, while his brother was laid back, with his eyes closed, enjoying the respite. Karasu lay off to the side, as some newly applied epoxy seals dried.

Gaara glanced at his brother. "Smells normal."

"Normal, yes," the puppeteer agreed. "But good. Normal can be good."

The younger boy smirked, slightly. "Temari is coming."

"That's nice," replied Kankurou, not looking up.

A moment later, Temari appeared in the camp with a flourish.

"Welcome back," greeted Gaara.

Still laid back, Kankurou just raised a hand. "Yo."

"'Yo,' yourself," Temari returned. After tossing her fan to the side, she unclipped a canteen from her sash and tossed it to her brother. Kankurou caught it with minimal movement. The kunoichi proceeded to produce another canteen for Gaara, and a final one for herself. "Just something I picked up in town."

"Aaaah, liquid bread!" Kankurou sat up with exaggerated effort. "Cheers!"

Temari glanced at her brother out of the corner of her eyes. "It's milk."

"Aaah," Kankurou repeated, rolling his eyes. "Liquid cheese. Cheers." The boy promptly unscrewed the cap and took a swig.

Gaara smirked at his brother's performance.

"Nueh?" Kankurou exclaimed, bringing his head back down. "This tastes different than the stuff we get back home."

"Milk in Wind Country comes from goats," Gaara supplied. "This likely comes from cows." Gaara proceeded to take a drink himself, far less dramatically than his brother.

"Even still," Temari added, looking at Kankurou. "You should say thanks. I didn't have to get you any."

"Thank you," Kankurou promptly replied. "You even brought it chilled. Help yourself to a snake. We even started cooking them for you."

"How long?" Asked Temari.

"Give them two more minutes," Gaara supplied.

Putting aside his canteen, Kankurou chuckled a reached into his second side holster. "Heh, and check this out. The snakes even came with rattles." The boy tossed a small conical rattle to his sister. "I'm keepin' these for toys to give to my kids. Souvenirs from the great demon hunt that made Daddy famous."

Temari shook the rattle experimentally before tossing it back to her brother. "Whatever."

"Hey," said Kankurou, suddenly quite serious. "If we do live through this, it'll mean something. We won't remember this as just another mission. And the lords back home... Well, who cares what the lords think, the people will think we're heroes."

"If they hear about it," Gaara deadpanned.

"They'll have to!" Kankurou argued indignantly.

"Don't be so sure, little brother," said Temari. "The Wind Lords don't want us to be heroes, they want us gone. If we survive this, they won't tell anyone about our mission for fear we'll use our success to rally support for a power play against them. They'll keep quiet, and they'll order us to do the same. And if we don't, if we tell the city about our mission against the council's will, we'll just end up looking like a bunch of spoiled kids." Temari sighed. "We can't beat them like that..."

Kankurou scowled. "Yeah, well... They'll know we're too strong to just push around. We'll at least get some respect."

"Or you'll get assassinated," Gaara dourly informed. "That's what they do when you get to powerful..."

Kankurou didn't respond for a moment. "If they try that... Then Wind Lords or not, we'll fight back."

Gaara gazed at his brother. "Fighting back won't make it stop."

"Yeah it will," Kankurou grimly argued. "No offense Gaara, but you never fought back the right way. You don't just kill whomever they send after you. You kill the people sending them."

"Even if it's the Lord of Wind Country himself?"

"Even if it's your own father," Kankurou replied. The ninja looked his brother in the eye. "Ordering someone into a situation where they might die a lot different than ordering their death. Crossing that line cuts any bonds of loyalty. Someone who does that is your enemy. It's that simple. I'll never understand why you didn't kill Dad..."

Gaara lowered his gaze.

"Bah..." Muttered Kankurou. "Lets eat..."

The three siblings ate in silence for a moment.

"Have you always been that bitter?" Temari asked at length.

"Naw, I've had to work at it." Kankurou took a bite out of his snake and chewed on it for long moment. "Look, this family isn't the greatest one to grow up in. You can't be an optimist after living with Gaara."

Eating silently, Gaara's expression remained neutral.

"And frankly, the less said about any of our parents, the better," continued Kankurou. "Even granting that Dad was the Kazekage, and a busy guy, he was a horrible father. Even to us," Kankurou added, glancing at Temari.

"Then you don't miss him?" Quietly asked Gaara.

Kankurou scoffed. "That Leaf exile killed him and took his place, and we didn't even notice the difference. You can't miss someone you don't know."

"How could we have noticed?" Countered Temari. "We didn't even see him after he was replaced."

"My point exactly," continued Kankurou after another bite. "What kind of father would go that long without even seeing his kids? Even a strict professional would have at least acknowledged that we made it to the final tournament. He didn't even nod to us in passing. There were Jounins I never met that did more than that."

"Baki did more than that," added Temari with a chuckle. "I think he almost cracked a smile at one point."

"Oh come on, Baki was practically beaming! Considering the way he normally acts..." Kankurou trailed off with a chuckle, but sobered quickly. "But Baki... Baki I'd miss. He at least-"

"The Leaf ninjas are coming," Gaara cut in.

Kankurou shrugged and let the topic drop.

A moment later, Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji, crested a nearby hill.

"Hey!" Called out Temari, holing up her fan. "Over here."

On the hilltop, Shikamaru sighed and let his shoulders drop. Ino and Choji, on the other hand, quickly leapt to the camp.

"Mmmh," greeted Choji as he arrived. "Smells good."

"Back off, fat-ass," warned Kankurou, holding his skewered snake defensively over his shoulder.

"Besides," added Temari, "you already ate."

Ino put her hands on her hips. "Now how did you know..." Ino broke off, flustered. "You did tail us! I knew it was one of you guys!"

"No you didn't," dismissed Temari. "You forgot about the tail as soon as you saw that messenger girl."

"So you admit you were spying on us!"

Temari raised her eyebrows mockingly. "Yeah."

Ino pointed angrily at Temari, but could come up with nothing fitting to say.

"Whatever she said, Ino," chided Shikamaru as he reached the campsite. "Forget about it. It's not worth getting worked up over."

"Does she do that often?" Asked Gaara.

"Yes." Shikamaru dropped his travel pack and abruptly sat down.

The other Leaf ninjas reluctantly followed suit. Though Choji's eyes lingered on the Sand ninjas' meals.

"So," Temari prompted a moment later. "What did you learn?"

"Two contradictory leads," flatly stated Shikamaru. "First, more confirmation of trouble on the Rain-Steppe western border."

"As if we needed any," interjected Kankurou.

"Also reports of missing cattle by the northern border. It's a few days northeast, with one possible human casualty."

"Y'know," cheerily suggested Ino, "with all this border talk, we might be able to go back to that bandit scenario..."

"I wish," muttered Choji.

"How is that contradictory?" Thoughtfully prompted Temari. "We know Regekion has been out here, but that doesn't mean her swarms can only be out here."

"There's nothing keeping her from splitting her swarm into multiple divisions," Gaara added.

"And it fits," finished Kankurou. "Since we've been tracking her, she's been heading steadily northeast."

Shikamaru shook his head. "No. You're forgetting that we've already disproved the pattern you thought she was going in."

"Because you saw a site three weeks old," Kankurou argued. "Our pattern started two weeks ago. Ever since then, she's been on a steady path. Our pattern holds."

"Regekion is known to roam," reminded Temari. "I told you that on the mountain this morning. It's quite possible she was up here three weeks ago, then went south and into Wind Country, and has been heading back north since then."

"You also told me Regekion sticks to dry climates," Shikamaru agued. "She needs mostly dry, dusty, or rocky soil for her incubating burrows. She's not going to find that up near Rain Country."

Temari used her skewer to gesture towards Shikamaru. "She's doing a lot of things differently this time. The swarms didn't eat this much before. She would have never slaughtered forty cattle in the old days. She's obviously changed her tactics. There's no reason not to believe she's headed east."

"You want to go east, fine," spat out Shikamaru, tired of arguing. "But we're going west. There's got to be more evidence out there. And we're going to find it even if we have to scour every meter of Steppe Country."

"So, what, we're just going to split up and go our separate ways?" Asked Kankurou.

"Two leads, two teams," reasoned Shikamaru, idly shrugging his shoulders. "Seems sensible. It's been fun, but it's time we were on our way again."

"Shikamaru, wait!" Loudly cut in Ino. With Choji gravely looking on from beside her, the kunoichi grabbed Shikamaru by the shoulder and forced him to look at her. "I know you're the leader now, but this a bad idea. There is strength in numbers! We can't break up like that and expect to beat a Youma swarm! The three of us aren't strong enough to go it alone."

Shikamaru leveled a grim gaze at Ino. "We have-"

"They're half-assed schemes that we've never tried before!" Exclaimed Ino before Shikamaru could finish.

"And they both have as much of a chance of taking us out as they do of taking out who we use them on," added Choji. "Shikamaru, you wouldn't let us leave the group when it was just us. You've got your squadron now. We can't waste it like this."

Kankurou scoffed. "Who says we're his squadron?"

Shikamaru glanced at the Sand ninjas, all of whom were looking on with visible interest. "You're not," he said succinctly.

"Shikamaru," repeated Ino, "The Sand ninjas are stronger than us. Whether you think they're dangerous or not, we need them. We can't split up!"

"We won't be engaging the Regekion the moment we find her," Shikamaru spat out. "We can scout as we are. We'll have reinforcements here in a week and half. If we do find the mother swarm, we can tail it, recon it, and then attack once we get the forces we need."

"If it comes!" Yelled Choji. "We can't count on reinforcements right now! Not with the beating our village just took."

"And there's no guarantee you three could keep hidden from the swarm for long," added Temari. "You don't have a year's field experience between you. You've been lucky to get this far."

"Nobody asked for your opinion," Shikamaru sullenly muttered.

"Well, I'm giving it," Temari retorted. "Chuunin or not, I'm the oldest here, and the one with the most experience in the field." The kunoichi set her skewer on the ground and gestured forward with her right hand. "Look, Shikamaru does have a point. Despite there being strength in numbers, without a clear trail to hound or any definite boundaries to the conflict, going everywhere in a team of six is a waste of manpower..."

"Right," Shikamaru indignantly cut in. "Our options are to split up into two teams of three, three teams of two, or one of four and the other of two. Three of two is out because not even you are ready to tail a Youma with only one person backing you up. Four and two is out for the same reason. That leaves two teams of three, and the best way to do that is to split it down Country lines. You want to look east? You three look east, my team will go west."

"And get slaughtered," Kankurou finished. "Suppose we're wrong. Temari, Gaara, and I are off doing nothing for a week, while you three little weaklings are wandering alone with who knows how many packs of insects looking for you."

"Even if you let none escape yesterday's encounter," said Gaara, finally speaking up. "Regekion will notice the disappearance of an entire party. She'll be able to guess what happened to them. There is a good chance that she will now begin gearing her swarms for combat, rather than foraging."

Frustrated, Shikamaru stood and walked a few paces away. "So what you're suggesting," the Chuunin began as he leaned against a small willow. "Is that we divide into teams of one from one village, and two from the other. Just because of power."

"Basically," condescendingly answered Temari. "Face it Shi-kun, you need it."

Shikamaru gazed at Temari through narrowed eyes. "No we don't. There is more to a battle than raw power. Regardless of the stats going in, real fights are won through tactics and coordination. Asuma-Sensei has drilled that into our team from the first day we were together, and it's gotten us through everything so far. You think we're weak?" Shikamaru paused as he glowered at Kankurou. "We survived the Forest of Death just as easily as you did, despite being the weakest of the weak going in there. And it's all because we work smoothly as a team. I'm not breaking that up over a perceived lack of raw power."

"Shikamaru," Ino quietly began. "You know I talk up this team more than anyone. But this isn't the time or the place for that. We got this far because we picked our fights. If a whole swarm comes after us..."

"We can't coordinate if it's ten to one," finished Choji. "If we're that outnumbered, it'll come down to each of us being cut off and forced to fight alone. We won't last like that."

"Then we won't let it come to that," replied Shikamaru.

"You can't plan for everything, Shikamaru," Ino persisted. "This assignment should have driven that point home by now. If our team gets ambushed, and we've got to assume that Regekion will try to do that, we'll need a powerhouse to break out and give the team a chance to regroup. And the breakout can't leave that powerhouse incapacitated."

Shikamaru didn't respond, while Ino and Choji continued to stare at him.

"Look, Shikamaru," continued Ino. "You may have your reasons for mistrusting them that much. But Choji and I don't."

Kankurou smirked and raised his arm. "I call the flirt for my team."

"Shut up," spat Shikamaru. "I am not splitting my team."

"I think you're being voted down on this one," said Temari, glancing at Ino and Choji.

"This isn't up a vote," replied Shikamaru, making an effort to keep his voice level. "And why are you so hung up on splitting the teams, anyway?"

"Because," supplied Gaara. "Alone, your team would die."

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. "And that would really bother you, wouldn't it?" He all but whispered.

"Look," cut in Temari, "we're trying to kill Regekion too, and that'll be a lot harder if we loose the only allies we have out here. Besides," the Kunoichi added with a shrug, "I'd rather not see anyone die on my mission. Even if they aren't officially part of my team."

"So now we're your team?" Choji quietly joked.

"Shikamaru," continued Ino, "you're the only one who doesn't like this. Everyone else agrees it's for the best."

The Chuunin closed his eyes and loudly exhaled.

Kankurou chuckled, taking Shikamaru's reaction as a sign of submission. "Okay then! Temari, you and Gaara watch over the fat-ass, I'll be with Ino and Shikamaru."

"Absolutely not," argued Shikamaru.

"Stop calling me 'fat,' damnit!" Warned Choji, getting to his feet.

"Hey!" Yelled Ino as she pulled Choji back. "Calm down..."

"Kankurou, you missed the entire point of splitting the teams," Gaara quietly interjected. "The point was to give each team a member capable of taking on most of a swarm single-handedly. You have been trained to be an elite. But you are not that good."

"Hey," replied Kankurou, rather defensively. "With Karasu I can..."

"Karasu is no good in a melee," Temari agreed. "To use your puppet to its fullest, you can't be worrying about your own safety. If a whole swarm attacks, you'll be reduced to brawling."

"Just like last time," added Choji, eager to get a dig on the Sand ninja.

"Kankurou, you will be with Gaara and I," said Shikamaru in a level voice. "The second team will be Ino, Choji, and Temari."

Temari leaned forward. "So I'm stuck babysitting those two?"

"No," Shikamaru replied. "You'll be taking orders from those two."

Temari balked. "What?"

Ino's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"If we're splitting up across country lines," reasoned Shikamaru, finally looking up. "Then it means we are in the same squadron. My squadron. I'm pulling rank, and I'm putting Ino in charge of the second team."

"Whoo-hoo!" Ino threw up her arms in a light-hearted cheer.

Temari looked at the ground and grumbled to herself.

"Temari is also not that good," quietly argued Gaara.

Shikamaru instantly locked eyes with Gaara.

Gaara continued unabated. "In a straight fight, Ino and Choji are the most vulnerable of the six of us. If they are on the same team, then the third member of that team must be able to overwhelm the enemy if necessary. Temari is good, but I am better."

Shikamaru's voice dropped an octave. "No. Way."

"I am the only one here that powerful," Gaara finished.

Noticing the change in their leader, Ino and Choji silently gazed at Shikamaru. Temari and Kankurou looked on with similar interest.

"There is no way," continued Shikamaru, oblivious to the others, "that I am leaving my team, alone, with you."

Gaara looked back at Shikamaru, understanding the reason behind the Chuunin's stare. "You have my word, no harm will come to them."

Shikamaru continued staring, unmoved. "What makes you think I can believe that?"

Gaara continued staring back. "I am not the person I was when we last met."

"You've found a new purpose in life?"

"No. Not yet." Gaara glanced at his siblings out of the corner of his eyes. "But I have lost my old one..."

Ino slowly raised her arm. "Say what?"

Shikamaru glanced at his teammates, then at Temari and Kankurou. With his expression hardening, he walked around the campfire and crouched in front of Gaara. "If you're lying..." He warned, barely even whispering. "If either of them are hurt..." Shikamaru trailed off. "Your sand can't protect you from the shadows. Hurt them, and I will kill you."

Gaara continued to stare back, affected. "As I said, you have my word."

"And you have mine," finished Shikamaru.

"Shikamaru..." Said Ino, uncomfortably. "That's not a good way to instill loyalty..."

Kankurou leaned over to his sister. "Our 'leader' just threatened Gaara," the boy whispered. "This is going to be fun."

Shikamaru abruptly stood up and began walking back to his side of the camp. "Ino," he ordered. "You're taking your team west..."

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