The Story So Far

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THE THIRD GREAT NINJA WAR

Twenty years ago, war broke out between the Five Great Shinobi Nations. Most young ninja then had no idea how it had started, or why they were fighting. But for the next fourteen years, war would be all they knew.

A year before the war ended, most of those fighting were too young to remember anything else. Chuunin Sakamoto Ginta and Tousaki Ryouma met in a hell-hole bunker on the western border of Fire Country, at a point when both were strained nearly past breaking. (How to Save a Life) Only a few months later, returning from the front lines with his sensei Hyuuga Hitomi, Ryouma spent the night in another bunker with Hatake Kakashi and his sensei, Namikaze Minato--the man who would become the Yondaime Hokage. (War Stories) At nearly the same time, Namiashi Raidou and Inuzuka Tsume's first meeting was far more disastrous, as a drunken sexual encounter went nightmarishly wrong. (Different Kind of Dance)

The war ended, although skirmishes between Konoha and Cloud dragged on. Slowly, Konoha began to rebuild under the guidance of its new Hokage. For almost a year, young ninja who'd known nothing but bloodshed struggled to adjust to a world where a mission's success was measured not in territory, but in coin--and where their blood brought not peace, but prosperity.


THE KYUUBI ATTACK

Then the Kyuubi attacked. A monstrous nine-tailed fox of demonic origin and unspeakable power, the Kyuubi laid waste to a quarter of Konoha before the Yondaime Hokage sacrificed his life to seal it away into the body of his newborn son. Devastated by the deaths of his sensei and his last remaining teammate, Rin, Kakashi joined the masked ranks of the ANBU. Hyuuga Haruichi, a scion of the Main House newly branded as a member of the Branch, entered ANBU HQ as well--as its in-house medic. Kakashi and Haruichi's first run-in occurred on Haruichi's second day on the job, barely a week after Kakashi's entrance into ANBU and only three weeks after Yondaime's death. (First Impressions Are So Important).

ANBU's ranks had suffered seriously in the Kyuubi attack, and in the ensuing weeks it recruited heavily. Nineteen-year-old Namiashi Raidou joined Kakashi among the rookie recruits. Shiranui Genma took up the mask the next summer, and Sakamoto Ginta joined eight months later, in February. In the same month, Genma and one of his teammates were captured on an ANBU mission. Genma suffered a month of torture that ended only when he was rescued by another ANBU team, and that left him with severe physical and psychological scars.

A year and a half later, as the treaties that would end hostilities between Konoha and Cloud drew close to ratification, Kakashi and Genma came back together from a mission without two of their teammates--and without one of Kakashi's summoned dogs. The two men blamed each other for the deaths, sparking a bitter enmity that still persists between them. (How to Lose a Life)

In December of that year, during final treaty negotiations between Konoha and Cloud, the disastrous Hyuuga Affair brought the two nations to the brink of war again. Two months later, after one young Hyuuga bought peace with his death, ANBU agent Sakamoto Ginta took a political mission to Lightning Country under the code name "Seishi." When he stopped for the night at a Konoha outpost monitoring a Cloud military facility, he renewed an old acquaintance--with Tousaki Ryouma, now a jounin in command of 'Team Badass'. (Pleased to Meet You, Won't You Guess My Name?) Over the next two years, Ginta as Seishi would rendezvous with the men of Team Badass several more times, receiving their back-up and assistance in performing his ANBU missions. (Running on Empty)


FIVE YEARS AFTER KYUUBI

Five years after the Kyuubi attack, in early May, Genma and Raidou took their first ANBU mission together, and the first steps towards becoming fast friends. (Scarred for Life, Waking Up is Hard to Do) In late November, Kakashi accompanied fellow ANBU agent Murakami Sumire as her handler on a seduction mission. (Pass the Perfume, Hold the Glitter) In a rare moment of relaxation, Raidou shared dinner with his neighbor Ito Ren. (Paperwork and Candy Goodness, Oh My!) Later that month, harried by flashbacks, Raidou tried to outrun his nightmares. Barefoot in the snow, Genma chased after him and brought him back. (Fair Trade, Brother, Freely Given)


December

The beginning of December saw Hyuuga Haruichi called back into ANBU a year after leaving his position as in-house medic. (Back in Black-Ops) On a mission in Rain Country, Kakashi and Ginta suffered serious injuries, and survived only through their fierce determination--and their reliance on each other. (The Genius and the Jackass, Genius is Subjective, Jackassery Universal, It Takes a Jackass to Save a Genius) Rookie agent Hagane Kotetsu accompanied the medic who treated them in the field, and he quickly acquired an ill-advised crush on Ginta. (It Takes a Genius to Watch a Jackass)

In other rookie news, Tousaki Ryouma, newly returned from border duty in Lightning Country, joined ANBU just in time for a strained run-in with Raidou and Genma. (Rookies: Little Speedbumps on the Road of Life) Later that night, Ryouma and Kotetsu joined in a rookie raid of the kitchen, where they bonded over ice cream. (Guy Talk) Kotetsu went to visit Ginta and Kakashi in the hospital, and interrupted their own bonding time. (Lazing Around in Bed)

Assigned to debrief Kakashi after the mission to Rain Country, Uchiha Itachi mostly succeeded in irritating him, instead. (Night Vision) When Itachi attempted to help Kakashi master a stolen jutsu and deal with his trauma from the mission, the results were near disastrous. (Show What You Know, A Resolution Never Comes from Broken Bones) In the meantime, rookie Arai Ryuichi found a new friend in Yamashiro Aoba. (Wine, Women, and Song)

On Haruichi's first day back in HQ, Raidou brought him an unconscious agent as a welcome-back present. (Paradigms of Professionalism). Unfortunately, Arakaki Hisoka, Director of ANBU Operations, stepped in--and ordered Raidou to beat a smart-mouthed Haruichi back into shape. Genma intervened, just in time. (Pride and Falls) That night, Genma shared a thermos of tea and a star-lit rooftop with his friend Murakami Sumire before he headed off on another mission. (Baby, the Stars Shine Bright) When Genma and Raidou actually left on their mission, they found that nothing's as simple as it seems--and that near-death experiences are no fun at all. (It Takes an Assassin, It Takes a Partner, It Takes a Morning Person, It Takes a Lot Out of You, It Takes a Will of Iron, It Takes a Strong Sense of Irony, It Takes Time to Recover) Haruichi invoked medic privileges to check up on them after their return--and to worry. (All Over Again). Sumire came to visit, too, but stress took too great a strain on friendship, and she and Genma quarreled bitterly. (It Takes Your Last Saving Grace)


January

Setting traps in a deserted training field, Kotetsu inadvertently caught Ryuichi--and ended up with a fight on his hands. (Hello Stranger) After their next bout in the HQ training rooms, "sparring partners" turned into "friends." (Off Hours) Unfortunately, Kotetsu didn't fare quite so well with Sumire, and even Ren's intervention didn't help much. (As You Were)

Ryouma's experience with an ANBU veteran went a lot better. After a (very) rocky start, he and Kakashi learned to work together on a mission to track down a Konoha traitor--and eliminate some Iwa nin at the same time. Ryouma showed off his trademark rot jutsu for the first time, and even Kakashi was impressed. And nauseated. (Acid Dogs of War, Acid Dogs of War: With a Vengeance)

Back in Konoha again, Ryouma met re-enlisted ANBU Inuzuka Tsume and her canine companion Kuromaru--in the men's showers. Clothes re-appeared, lunch happened, and within an hour of making Tsume's acquaintance, Ryouma had already been shot down. (Getting Dressed is Hard to Do) Later that day, Tsume and Kuromaru ran into Kakashi and his pack of summoned dogs. The dogs were a lot more amused than Kakashi was. (Dog of War Meets the Blood Hound) Tsume continued her quest to reacquaint herself with ANBU that night, as she visited her neighbor Ginta (Sleeping? Is Also Hard to Do). The next morning, a training session with Ryouma turned violently foul when Tsume pressured him into demonstrating his rot jutsu. Realizing how badly the smell of the jutsu affected her, Tsume insisted on continued training--at the morgue. The lunch break was welcome, especially since it involved pizza! okonomiyaki. (Pizza and Morgues) Even so, that afternoon saw Tsume vomiting her guts up again, and Genma coming to her rescue. (Puking Up Is Hard to Do)

A few days later, Genma volunteered to sponsor Haruichi's induction into the ANBU Hunters, and met Haruichi's fiancee Hoshi in the process. (Marked for Life) With the tattoo on his arm still raw, Haruichi went out on his first solo mission as a medic and Hunter--to rescue Hatake Kakashi from a mission gone deadly wrong. (Come Hell or High Water) When both men woke up in the hospital, Hoshi was there to keep them company. (Purgatory is a Hospital Bed) Meanwhile, Sumire received her own notice of her return to active duty status from ANBU Director Arakaki (Clematis) and Tsume bid farewell to her children with a bedtime story about legends, demons, and the Inuzuka bloodline (Stories We Tell)

The missions that followed tested the agents' strength, endurance, and commitment--to their teammates, to their village, and to themselves. Sumire infiltrated a border city undercover to collect information on a suspected information dealer. (Valerian, Digitalis) Tsume's mission was even tougher, as she paired with Genma and Raidou to track and kill a formidable genjutsu specialist who preyed on their fears with terrifying results. (Three is a Crowd. Four is a Massacre, Three is a Crowd. Four is a Pain in the Tail, Three is a Crowd. Four is a Fuck Up, Three is a Crowd. Four is Salvation) In addition, Tsume had a separate assignment: to assess the mental stability of her teammates, Genma and Raidou. (Paperwork)

In the meantime, Ryouma met up with an old friend in ANBU HQ--even if he knew Ginta not by his real name or face, but by the code name Seishi and an ANBU mask. (Old Faces, New Names) Kotetsu blackmailed Yuzuya into a free sushi dinner! (Always at the Ready) And when Genma and Raidou returned, Ryouma was the lucky agent who got to hand-deliver their mission paperwork--and thus catch the gossip scoop of the year when he found them in bed together. (Get Your Story Straight) Later, Genma and Aoba shared pizza and advice in an attempt to figure out what had gone wrong in Genma's friendship with Sumire. (Spilling the Beans)

A few days later, Ryouma and Kakashi returned from a bad mission--and nearly killed themselves when they headed for the showers, instead of the medics. Luckily, Genma was close by, but neither he nor Raidou were happy at being pressed into service as impromptu rescuers. (Thicker Than Water) Ryouma woke up in the hospital after a three-day coma, and Kakashi was still there. It was the first time anyone had ever stayed for Ryouma, and it meant far more than he could say or Kakashi could admit. (Good Morning, Beautiful) When Kakashi left, Tsume came to visit--and she brought her kids, Kiba and Hana, with her. Ryouma and the kids formed an instant connection, but the way to Tsume's heart--and her secrets--is far more guarded. (Attack of the Ankle-Biters)

A new recruit, Gekkou Hayate, joined ANBU as January drew to a close. (Strawberry Silences) Anxious to meet his new comrades, Hayate explored ANBU HQ--and ended up getting a free obligatory check-up from Haruichi, medic-in-residence. (A Healthy Start) For another ninja, it was the end of an era. After Ryouma, newly released from the hospital, took Sumire on a date to celebrate her birthday (Better Things to Do), Sumire headed out on a mission to Kaze no Kuni. It was her last. Upon her return to Konoha, Sumire resigned from her position in ANBU Intel, took a job with the village Cryptology department, and left HQ. Few of her friends even had a chance to say goodbye.


February

On the north borders of Fire Country, Tsume and Raidou killed a demon, rescued those they could of the children that had been sacrificed to it, and slaughtered the guilty villagers who had fed their children to a monster. In the process, they faced some of their own demons. Attempting to de-stress in a drunken brawl was probably not the best way to celebrate their survival and return to Konoha, but at least a night in the drunk tank offered an opportunity to work out a few more issues. (Sacred Lines, Sacred Rituals, Sacred Duty, Sacred Balance, Sacred Traditions, Sacred Spaces)

Injured on the mission, strung out on painkillers, and left alone while Tsume spent the night behind bars, Kuromaru barged into the apartment he thought was his. Amused at first, Ginta quickly decided that a hungry, stoned, giant wolf is not the best kind of company. (Barking Up the Wrong Tree). Meanwhile, Hayate and Kotetsu partnered on a mission with disturbing similarities to a popular street play, and with unpleasant consequences for the two agents. (Virtue Misapplied, Vice Dignified, Any Other Name)

A few days later, Raidou and Genma relaxed with a spar, a curry dinner, and a nightclub. Too much alcohol had unpleasant consequences for Genma's stomach--and for Raidou's state of mind, as drunkenness led to a drunken kiss. (Winner Picks Dinner) The next afternoon saw hangover cures for both of them, with double relief for Raidou when it became clear Genma had no memory of the kiss the night before. (Hanging Over)

Kakashi's night was far worse. Exhausted and injured in the showers after a mission, he still resisted when his mission partner asked for sex. Gou Sadao refused to take no for an answer, and Ryouma arrived only just in time. The fight quickly turned ugly, and for the first time in his life, Ryouma used his rot jutsu against a comrade. MPs and a medic cleaned up the physical mess but left Kakashi and Ryouma to deal with the less visible wounds themselves. ( Before You Hit the Ground) Ryouma was sent on a week-long solo mission almost immediately afterwards, while Ginta received a far more secret mission: to kill Sadao, the man who'd raped him three years before. He arranged Sadao's death to look like suicide, but even killing the man who'd hurt them both couldn't help him or Kakashi heal. (Visiting Hours Are Over) Inviting Kakashi to his private birthday celebration a week later did. (Words and Deeds) But while alcohol could help Kakashi loosen up enough for a few drunken kisses, by time the hangover hit the next morning, he had already fled.

By that time Ryouma had returned to Konoha, and arranged to meet Kakashi for coffee the next day. When Kakashi didn't show, Ryouma hunted him down--just in time to help him fight off a group of Gou Sadao's friends who blamed Kakashi for his death. Their follow-up visit to the coffee shop was quickly aborted by Kakashi's over-sensitive nose and residual hangover. (And, perhaps, by a badly timed joke about porn...) They ended up on the riverbank instead, with Kakashi taking refuge in Ryouma's scent--and, eventually, in his body. (The Hardest Part Is Over) Kakashi couldn't even explain it to himself later, let alone to his summons Hoshika. (Discord in the Dark) And after an vicious quarrel between Kakashi and Kotetsu, Ryuichi provoked Kotetsu into a fight that ended badly for both of them. (Storm in a Teacup: It's an Angry Fish)

Only a few days later, Ryouma, Tsume, and Kuromaru left Konoha for another mission. Several days of travel offered them plenty of time to talk, but some secrets were too painful to share. (Drunk on Dreams) Stress translated into adrenaline when they finally engaged with their bandit targets. And adrenaline turned into terror when they were ambushed by another group of highly ranked ninja. (Restlessness and Fury) In attempting to save Tsume, Kuromaru brushed against Ryouma's chakra-loaded hands and was infected with his flesh-rotting jutsu. Ryouma was captured and tortured until Tsume freed him with a demon wolf summoned out of her family's darkest legends. In an attempt to save Kuromaru's life, they amputated his rotting ear and cut out his infected eye--but the jutsu-driven infection had already spread to Tsume through the chakra link she shared with Kuromaru. (Bruised and Alone) Alerted to the disaster by Tsume's clone, Konoha sent back-up. Kakashi arrived to battle Ryouma's remaining captor and render temporary medical aid. (Dark of the Morning) Haruichi followed, with an experimental healing jutsu that saved Ryouma's life, healed his most severe wounds, and nearly killed him in the process. Kuromaru and Tsume's injuries were far more difficult to deal with, and eventually Haruichi was forced to sever the chakra links between them, preventing the chakra-eating jutsu from ravaging them further. (Nothing to Hold)

On his own mission, Hayate learned first-hand how soul-destroying ANBU service can be. (A Little Death) Genma, traveling far afield to perform an assassination, picked up a cold and ran into an uncanny fortune-teller. (Incident at Shimabashi) Stopping for lunch on the way home, he was caught in another Konoha mission gone horribly wrong. Genma did his best to help both the injured civilians and a dying chuunin, but some tasks are beyond even the ANBU. (Incident at Shimabashi: Conclusion)

Back in Konoha, Tsume's doctor, Waki, and her partner, Yasuo, came to uneasy terms with her injuries. (Let Her Die On Her Own) Ryouma woke disoriented, screaming, and tortured with guilt, but Kakashi pulled him back from the brink. (Small Hours) When Tsume woke, Yasuo brought her to Ryouma and Kakashi's room, where Ryouma discovered that the damage he'd done to Kuromaru had spread to Tsume as well. Together, Kakashi and Tsume brought him a little peace. Medics arrived and, unable to separate them, took them all to the room where Kuromaru still lay comatose. There, Kakashi, Ryouma, and Tsume fell into an exhausted sleep, tangled together in a single bed, holding on for dear life. (The Best of Our Dreams Fell Apart)


March

Tsume's family abducted her from her hospital room, and Raidou rescued her with the twin gifts of steak and conversation. As it turned out, he's even better at listening. (Give the Other Fella Hell) Meanwhile, Kakashi woke up from Sharingan-reddened dreams, but the memory-visions refused to go away. When Ryouma pushed him to explain the problem, Kakashi ran--and Ryouma followed. A tussel on the roof of the hospital ended with a new understanding and new injuries for both of them. (Lead Me Away) Ryouma's new broken knee earned him the good drugs, and Kakashi and Tsume discussed him while he slept. (In The Sky With Diamonds)

In the field again, Raidou had his own problems: a mission to rescue a new rookie, Morioka Kaito, ended with him assigned as a babysitter to a young man with an unpredictable and uncontrollable Bloodline Limit. (And Other Such Expletives) On his return to Konoha, he sought advice from Genma. (Better Than It Was) Hayate and Kotetsu met up for the first time since their mission together and began to forge a new friendship, shadowed by Kotetsu's desire for something more. (Strawberry Talks) Haruichi came home to find Hoshi dancing, offering a rare peace in the tumult of his life. When he woke in the night, haunted with nightmares, she brought him comfort once more. (Ordinary Miracles)

With Tsume, Kakashi, Ryouma, and the unconscious Kuromaru moved out of the secure ANBU ward and into a more family-friendly room, her whole family descended. Tension levels climbed as more visitors showed--until Kuromaru woke up, and Ryouma nearly broke. Kakashi translocated with Ryouma to another room, where, desperate to break free of the nightmare of what he'd done, Ryouma initiated sex. (Tearing at the Seams) Back in HQ, Raidou cooked pancakes, and Kaito moved in. (Expletives Don't Cover It)

When Ginta--just returned from his own mission--dropped by to visit the invalids that night, and learned that the weeks-old rumor about Kakashi and Ryouma was true, he provoked a bitter fight with Kakashi. Kakashi was only too eager to fight back and drive away another man who might get hurt if he got too close. (Breaking Up Is Hard to Do) The next morning, when Kakashi and Ryouma were released from the hospital, Kakashi left a crutch-bound Ryouma with a tiny papillon watch-dog--the only dog he could manage to summon--and walked away. (Like You Wanted to Go and Give Yourself Away) Hunting for information about Kaito, Genma ran awry of Haga Arisa in the Mission Office and managed to get himself assigned as Kaito's newest seduction teacher. Kaito wasn't happy, and Genma wasn't either--especially when Kaito's Bloodline Limit activated. (Empathy is a Good Thing, Right?)

Unable to stay with her family or with a still-hospitalized Kuromaru that night, and unable to sleep on her own, Tsume sought shelter with Ryouma. Their awkward discussions bred deeper confessions, including Ryouma's admission that he'd nearly kissed Tsume, his fears about being weak, his new terror of the dark, and his childhood abuse. Still incapable of confessing her own weaknesses for fear of rejection and betrayal, Tsume could give him only a paltry comfort. (Just Promise To Keep Your Heart Broken) On the other side of the building, Kakashi spent the night alone and sleepless. (Heaven Forbid You End Up Alone)


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