The next few days were much the same, the days being uneventful, with either Shikamaru's or Kankaro's teams being attacked and GHaNS coming in just in time to save them at night.  Throughout it all, only Shikamaru, Ino, Kankaro, and sort of Yami were ever able to stay conscious long enough to see GHaNS.

About a week later, Yami let out a slightly strangled cry at the sight of a village hidden in shadows. Ino looked at Yami questioningly but Yami just shook her head, seemingly to clear it, and watched Kankaro closely for the signal for the noon report.

When the time finally came, Shikamaru was ready. He'd passed the village hidden in the shadows around breakfast time, and knew Yami would say something about it. Neji watched for Shikamaru's signal before turning to check for the noon report. "Yami's really excited about this one Shikamaru," Neji reported, "Just like you said she would be. Oh well, Yami wants to go into this village, but right now Kankaro's keeping them toward the edge of the territory. GHaNS is where we expected them to be by now, and we've made good time today ourselves. Though, personally, I'd thought we'd be further by now." Shikamaru simply acknowledged the report with a small nod of the head.

No matter how many times Sakura looked at his neck, he still had problems moving it much. This had caused Temari to be nice to him much longer than had been planned. Ino and Kankaro now got along just as well as Ino and Shikamaru ever had, and Gaara and Sakura had a relationship of mutual trust and respect. Temari was trying hard not to over-play his injury, but a medic-nin had given her stuff to rub onto his injury each night, and wouldn't let any of their other teammates accept that particular responsibility. She had said the medicine only worked with a woman's touch. At least, that's what Yami had reported the night after the stuff showed up. Whatever the case was, she had to touch the back of Shikamaru's neck every night at least until they could get to a place friendly
with Konoha that had good medics.

Temari watched now as Shikamaru showed signs of pain once more. "Where's the closest friendly village?" She asked again. Temari expected Shikamaru to answer as he had done the past twenty times she'd asked this same question. Instead, Shikamaru simply said "depends".

"Not Konoha?" Temari teased, half-seriously. Shikamaru had said Konoha every other time, but it seemed to Temari that they might have a chance to better heal Shikamaru before they returned to Konoha. Temari watched as Shikamaru smiled and put his finger to his lips.

"I guess we'll find out soon enough then?" Yami heard Temari ask but heard no response. Shaking her head to clear it, Yami looked at Itchi again. Her cat was miraculously still alive throughout all the battles, but she wasn't doing very well, and Yami feared for her life. They hadn't even reached the Hidden village of the Mist and they were consistently being attacked. Suddenly, Yami heard a strange whisper. Straining to hear it better, she could finally make out what it said.

"Yaouri? Is that you?" A strangely familiar voice called out. Yami's breath caught in her throat. 'I can talk to her here!' Yami's thoughts raced as she strained to see whoever was calling her sister in the broad daylight. 'we're not in the Hidden village of the Mist! I'm allowed to talk to Yaouri here! But, who? Who knows my family here? I thought we left with no friends. Plus, it wasn't this village was it? Did my family come from a village hidden in shadows? I can't remember!'

Hinata heard Yami's cry of frustration from where she sat between Naruto and Gaara, and immediately tried to find the source of the scream. Focusing her Byakugen on where she thought Yami was, Hinata could make out another body in the vicinity near Kankaro's group. The chakra readings of this body didn't seem to hold any mal intent, and Hinata knew that Yami wouldn't've risked such a loud noise had she thought they were in danger. Looking to Sakura and Gaara for a sign of what to do, as she had become accustomed to doing the past few days, she met blank stares.

"Uh, guys?" Yami heard Hinata whisper in a frightened voice, "What are we supposed to do now? Are we waiting on Yami or something?" Blinking, Yami strained her vision to be able to find the source of the familiar voice.

"Is that Chette you've got in your arms there Yaouri?" The voice was getting closer, and the owner of it had obviously spotted the nearly motionless Itchi in Yami's arms. "Wait a second!" The familiar voice went on, "You're not Yaouri! I'd heard she had sisters, but you look almost exactly like I remember Yaouri looking."

Ino was getting more and more nervous as the strange voice came closer and closer, but, it seemed, Yami wasn't afraid of whoever owned this voice, and Kankaro made no move to leave. He was quite content to let Yami lead on this one, it seemed. Finally, after what seemed like hours of the stranger slowly creeping forward, always talking to Yami like one would a lost child, the stranger burst into the small clearing that consisted of their camp.

Yami blinked, shook her head as if to clear it, rubbed her eyes like she couldn't see straight, and blinked some more before finally confronting the newcomer.