Each
figure stood on a separate finger, each finger connected to one of
two palms. Only two of the ten figures were solid, garbed in black
cloaks with three red clouds along the bottom half. The other eight
figures were semi-transparent, each looking the same but with
different features. One of the solid figures groaned and relaxed his
hands; the other just relaxed his arms.
"That took longer
than expected, eh? Kakazu?"
"HN"
"This is
only the beginning, by capturing each tailed beast we can unite the
ninja world and create the ultimate weapon." The figure standing
on the left thumb, spoke with an air of command, obviously he was the
man in charge.
"We can go now? Hm?"
"No, wait,
there has been told that there is a ninja in the hidden village of
fire that possesses a lot of information, not just on Akatsuki on
nearly everything."
"And you want us to kill her?"
One of the solid figures swept a scythe through the air.
"No,
I want you to capture her, capture her by force if necessary as long
as she can talk, I don't care what condition she comes in like, Not
all of you need to go, I'm assigning Sasori, Deidara Kisame and
Itachi to this mission."
"Hey, Itachi-san, were going
back to your old village I believe"
"yes..."
"Dismissed,
do not fail me"
The figures disappeared with no sound,
the two remaining figures stood for a second.
"Well that was
an fcking load of Sht, Why the fck didn't leader-sama, assign us?
We could of fcking killed that little btch in 5 fcking seconds."
The scythe was now being swung dangerously fast. The other figure
sent a rope like substance over to his partner and thrust it into his
side.
"That was why he DIDN'T choose you, idiot, now let's go
collect the bounty for this guy" He walked over to the body
that was now motionless in the middle of the room, for the fingers
had sunk back into the ground when the leader ended the jutsu.
"all
you ever fcking go on about is money, Kakazu you fcking
whre."
"Hidan. I said we go now!" Kakazu
thrust some more rope like things into Hidan and left dragging him
along.
"ARG, you Bstard, do you know how much this fcking
hurts?!"
"Four members of Akatsuki have been seen near konoha, we believe they are after Naruto." The Third Hokage laid out the scroll on his desk, tracing each sentence as he spoke. He placed his elbows on the desk ether side of the thin paper. "We must protect the boy. I'm sending you and two other platoons out to try to capture or halt these particular members."
"Why not just let them have the boy?" The hokage turned his attention to the male standing next to you. His mouth tightened and began as thin of a line as you had ever seen it.
"Should we let, the forth's son, die? Should we let the Akatsuki gain the power of the nine tails? NO" He slammed his fists on the desk, the sound echoed around the cave like room. The scroll jumped. "If you are a true shinobi of Konoha, then you will willingly set your life on the line for any mission, even if it means dieing to protect someone you hate." He settled back down in his chair, took out his pipe and lit it solemnly. "Your ANBU you are not ment to have such a petty emotion as hate, no go." He waved his hand dismissing your platoon and giving your assigned comrade no chance for further arguments.
Skirting carefully and quickly over rooftops, you found the other ANBU waiting by the gate. You darted your eyes around, Each member had a different animal on their mask.
"Ah, so they've assigned a member with different strengths. I haven't seen this arrangements used in over a decade. They doubt our ability to win."
Your mask a simple wolf, decorated with blue, symbolised that you were a mid-range fighter with high speeds; the designs were simple only a few blue streaks. It told the others that you had a kekekengai, or a bloodline trait, if the lines were more complex it would of ment it could be handy in a battle. Only three members of this group had complex designs of blue. One was Plain, a main of silver hair stuck up from behind it.
Only needing a few seconds to complete the final arrangement for your plans you set off, in different directions. One platoon heading around the right, another flanking the left, Your group was heading straight in while the last trailed some distance behind your platoon.
"There was no need to send four platoons, twelve people; twelve v four isn't a great win, even if they are Akatsuki."
Your platoon moved fast, it was your platoon's job to fight the Members head on, to distract them long enough so the others managed to surround them. You reached into your bag and took out a small flask. You had issued each member only one of these which they were to take before they started to fight. The liquid inside was a dark red. The two ether side off you noticed your actions and copied, pulling out that concoction. They unstoppered the syringe's point then stuck it into their arms above the forearm guards.
Comrade #1 lifted his arm and signalled that there was a clearing ahead. With silence you all jumped and stood reasonable distance away from the cloaked figures.
"Hey, Itachi-san, what did leader say she looked like anyway?"
"He didn't, un."
Your platoon reached for your weapons, each small sword identical except for yours. Yours had a slight purple edge to it that was only visible if you bent down and pulled it close to your eyes. One of the figures, a hunched slug-like person spoke, his tone low more like a growl.
"One of their blades is poisoned, a slow working poison, one that, by my guess stops the muscles moving. Itachi, find the others that came with these. Konoha should know better than to only send three ANBU to greet us." He twisted his head so it faced a second figure mostly in the shadows. Itachi took a step forward, glancing boredly around.
"There are 4 platoons including this one. One on the left, one on the right and one now circling to get behind us." His tone was soft, the kind of soft that sent chills up your spine. "Twelve ANBU in total"
"Ka-ka-ka" A strangely blue man chuckled, "that leaves us one platoon each."
"Leader said she was a jonin last he heard, but a elite, un. She could be a ANBU by now, yeah," a blonde female spoke, well he would have been female is his voice wasn't that of a man. His long blond locks covered one eye and he had a pony that was nether half up 'or half down.
"Who are you looking for?" It surprised you to hear your own voice ringing around the forest. You blinked behind your mask.
"Hey, un, this ones a female, shall I check to see?"
"Brat, let me take this platoon, I don't smell any other poison in any other group. It would only get you captured if you tried to fight with your 'art'"
"Tch, Art is fleeting, beautiful for only a moment before it's gone."
The blond was a good half a body taller than the hunched red head. You glanced around only to curse and realise, at some point that Itachi and the other had disappeared. You tensed and drew your blade into a defensive position, the others copied.
"Art is eternal, Deidara." a tail was suddenly visible; it swung at Deidara barley missing him. "Now go before you annoy me further, don't keep me waiting."
"tch Sasori no dana…"
Deidara turned on his heel and leapt into the trees. Sasori turned his attention back to you.
"Surrender that girl, or I'll tear each of you apart." His voice was merciless, warning that he was NOT messing around.
You tilted your head to the wind; it caressed your face and brought a scent that was different, something that smelt murderous. Sasori swept his tail from right to left. Tiny droplets of what seemed to be water trickled down the flat surfaces and rolled inside the joins.
"I can't be sure, but his tail has a poison in it that my formula won't protect you from. Avoid his attacks, a poison user wouldn't only poison one weapon."
"Didn't you say that your formula would bring immunity to any type of common poison" It was the same ANBU that had spoken out of turn to the Third. You grinded your teeth in annoyance.
"Why are you even a ANBU, you don't question the people higher than you"
"You're only an ANBU, same as me don't get all high and mighty!" He raised his voice. Not so he was shouting but enough to make Sasori aware that you were all talking, or to put it better having an argument. You glared from Sasori to your comrade then back at Sasori. Sasori hadn't moved, except for that tail it kept swinging almost inpatient. You pursed your lips and spoke even more softly that earlier.
"Perhaps you took the time to consider that the poison he has, is a homemade one so not one I am particularly familiar with. If you had any sense you would buckle down and pay attention to the small figures. Please remember that I am from ROOT. This automatically puts me in a higher position than you."
"Tch" he looked away, but said no more. You felt a tap on your shoulder.
"Look" Your other comrade, her voice almost singsong. Moved her finger from your shoulder over to point in the direction of Sasori. Dread filled your body. It waved in like great torrents of untamed water. Sasori was no longer alone. By him stood the figures of Itachi and Kisame. Itachi looked like he had done before he left, cool and uncaring, but Kisame, you shuddered. On the tip of his sword he carried a body, he carried it like a huntsman showing off his newest prey. He titled his sword forward so the body slid off. It landed on the floor, with a sickening crunch. There came a squeal of pain from the body. A female squeal.
"Why are they only keeping the females alive? They took out two platoons in less than five minutes. "
You thought. Once the thoughts had sunk in you started to panic. Kisame pulled out a small black book. Grabbed the girl by the neck of her shirt and held a picture against her face. Her mask lay in shattered pieces on the ground.
"Nope" Kisame dropped the girl back onto the ground tucked the bingo book back into his pocket. Then with his right hand reached over his shoulder and grabbed the hilt of his sword. "So I can kill this one right?" He didn't wait for an answer, instead he just swung the sword forward and straight down onto the girl. Instead of her being cut quickly into two, the sword came down hard, It didn't seem to have a sharp edge. Her scream chilled your bones was now embedded in your skull, in your memory for the rest of eternity.
"Heeeeey" Deidara's flash of blond hair, was visible behind Sasori now. " Dana you said not too keep you waiting so I used smaller explosions, yeah. But here you are, not even started yet!" He sighed and folded his arms obviously annoyed.
"Brat, there's two females in this group. I don't think I can take them all on without killing one of them" Sasori's low growl of a voice bounced around you head.
"How did he know that your partner was a girl? she only said one thing and quietly too." You grimaced, "if that's the case then he must of heard everything else we said, The Third didn't explain to us in enough detail how powerful these Akatsuki were."
"Let me take them,un. One of my platoon got away." Deidara started to shake his head at Sasori who was glowering at him." No, it was a guy, once I tore his cloak off, he had no boobs, hm." Deidara used his hands to indicate what boobs were.
"I don't care, we have to get this over with quickly or that one YOU" Sasori emphasized the you, "let escape will go and fetch re-enforcements. Itachi, Kisame feel free to go on ahead." Kisame and Itachi instead walked slowly over to a rock and rested gently onto in. Kisame leaning on his sword.
Sasori's tail shot forward like a rocket. It pierced the only male on your team before you had all realised what was happening. Sasori withdrew his tail slightly then shot it forward again. You jumped over to your injured team mate, then realised you had left your other partner on her own. Swiftly looking behind you, you saw her being dragged limply back to Sasori. She screamed, as Sasori used the point of his tail to drill a hole right through her. Her blood squirted up like a fountain, then dribbled out forming a pool around her now motionless body. Turning your attention back to something that can be saved but also keeping one eye on Sasori's tail, you fingered some of the deep purple poison that edged around the gaping wound in his chest. You pushed the tip of a un-poisoned kunai into your arm, waited for the blood to stop running then smeared it into the cut. Sasori was watching then laughed.
"Girl you chose death? Look I'll take pity on you if your face doesn't match the picture then I'll kill you quick"
You ignored him. Wincing slightly as you got back up from the kneeling position, you edged slowly so you stood over the wound but still faced the enemy. Clutching the kunai, you shoved it into the bottom of your palm. Letting the blood pour downwards into and around his wound. Once a decent amount had covered his wound, he stopped sweating his face re-gained some of its colour and his limbs stopped twitching in pain. Sasori's tail twitched in annoyance, but then stopped and disappeared back under his cloak.
"She's the one, lucky really, that she happened to be in the teams that were sent to greet us."
Your body froze, fear crept its way up your body. So hot it was almost cold.
"We still have to match her face though, yeah. I'll do that" Deidara pushed a hand into a pouch on his hip.
"no, Deidara it would be easier if Itachi did it."
Deidara looked doubtful almost angry that he was to be replaced by Itachi, but he shrugged it off only managing to send a few glares in Itachi's direction.
Itachi didn't move but only moved his head so his gaze met yours. His lips formed words, words that you didn't understand. The sky grew red and the ground black. Each member of Akatsuki was gone, you glanced around, trying to spot where they had gone.
"Genjutsu"
You thought quietly even inside your own mind your thoughts didn't feel as safe as they should do.
"even if this is Genjutsu, the pain is still real."
There was a sharp stinging that exploded into a fiery burning. You screamed, and tried to move but found yourself immobile. You moved your eyes to where the pain originally came from. Your fingers were missing. A blade moved down and your hand was gone.
You fell onto your hands and knees. Dirt sprayed everywhere as you twitched uncontrollably. The pain still raced through your being, every fibre of you was on fire, with white-hot acid. Yes, you had experienced pain before but not like this. No you never thought it could be this bad. You felt a large hand on your shoulder, the skin under the hand went bitter cold. For a minute it stopped the pain, but only for a minute. The sensation was beyond a normal comparison; your nerve's seemed to be working overtime. You muscles crampt and jarred together, you couldn't even open your eyes.
"Itachi, you over-did it" The deep bass of a voice ran high over your pain, it cleared your head, allowing you to think clearly and try to shove your suffering into a small corner.
"So it seems." The cool voice of Itachi now washed down all your carefully constructed defences and the pain came gushing back into reality. You grunted. It was impossible for you to scream. The hand left your shoulder, moved quickly.
"Hey, dana, shall I take off her mask?"
"yes." it was that voice again the one that cleared your mind. You drew your remaining energy and focused on that one word, once again your mind started to clear. The pain receded into its corner. There was a small pressure on the side of your head, then a bright light. All those months of wearing that mask, you had grown custom to seeing the world with a dull light. Even with your eyes closed the light was brighter than anticipated. You moved your arm to shield your eyes, and then regretted it, as you felt hands pin your wrists together.
"She, seems to of gotten over whatever you did to her pretty fast, eh Itachi?"
You felt for the first time in a while, the wind blowing across your face, your hair whipping and crashing about in the wind. You groaned.
"I have to try to get away,"
You started to focus some of your chakra to your mouth. It buzzed around your spit and eventually absorbed itself into each bit of moisture in your mouth. The substance of chakra and spit quickly re-formed as a gas. You inhaled and sent that gas down to the bottom of your chest, then focused more chakra back into your mouth. Once again it turned into vapour. You continued this until you were full of this gas, it took no longer than 2 or 3 minutes to complete.
"Tch, if this doesn't kill any of them it should be able to give me some time to get away, if it doesn't, " You disliked even think this thought. "I'll have to end my life."
You shook those strange hands off of your own. Taken by surprise the owner let you get free. The adrenaline was beginning to course though your veins, as you wove hand-signs.
"Bird, ox, rabbit, bird"
The mist inside of you thickened and started to erode the inside of your throat and lungs. It burned but you just pushed that pain with the rest, it was true at some point you would have to deal with all this pain, only if you survived that is. Arms restrained your arms; they were pinned painfully behind your back. The wind blew long soft blond hair into your face. Your capture dug their knee hard into your back.
"If Itachi didn't do it properly, then I will, un!" You gasped as they dung their knee in harder, pulling back on your arms until they felt like they were going to snap at the shoulders. The thick acidic gas came flowing in great torrents out of your mouth.
"Uh,"You twisted and withered inside your captures arms. "Dammit, he doesn't realise the gas is poison. He's an idiot, but I still can't get free!"
"Deidara let her go, and hold your breath." The deep grumble was the only noise in the clearing, other than your desperate attempts to break free. "This gas is deadly to those who breathe"
"Those who breathe?" There was a strange sensation and you were dragged across the ground. It didn't hurt; no it was more like being numb, then getting prodded with a stick. "who doesn't breathe, how can he still be able to talk, the gas surrounded him first, even if he noticed it was poison he shouldn't of been able to warn Deidara." Thinking the name made you realise that you forgotten about Konoha, forgot all your friends, forgotten the nine tail's boy that you were ment to be watching. And Kakashi-senpai, how could you ever explain to him that you had forgotten about everything and were fighting to save your own skin, when it was an ANBU's job to die on a mission if it ment the village would be put out of danger. "I can't go back now. ANBU, I'm worthless, being unable to end my own pathetic existence. But I want to live!" There was a deep tugging in your chest, not the rope that was slowly dragging you across the distance between where you once were and where the others stood, but something internal. It wasn't anything new, but it had never been this strong before. It felt like a fist strangling your heart, but yet gently caressing it.
"Doesn't that kyuubi, child live in this village, Itachi? Wouldn't it be easier for you to get him now, before he's fully grown?" If he didn't breath then he could hold you in, try to kill you with your own attack. To be frank, you would of preferred this, to die at your own hands, but most your jutsu's, well most your jutsu's you created as they wouldn't have a effect on you. You stopped being dragged, but your body felt unusually light. Your limbs wouldn't respond. Nothing would. You lay there totally paralysed, while your smoke slowly faded away. 5 minutes passed in total silence, before the fog was totally gone. Suddenly of no free will of your own you started to move.
"We've wasted too much time, even with her being in the first group we were in"
"Dana let, me take her, un. My Art's easier than attaching strings to her." Deidara waved his hands to a giant bird.
"Chakra strings!" you had found the reason for your immobility. " if I could just find where the strings are attached, I might be able to use it to my advantage, it's a small chance 0.9 at the highest that he won't notice the strings are not all his chakra anymore, Ne. It's a small chance. Is it worth it?" Sasori groaned.
"Deidara, you still call that art?"
"is it worth it?" You questioned yourself.
"Dana, our arts require the same amount of skill but true art is fleeting, something that can only be viewed for a second before it's gone, un."
"Of course it's bloody worth it, what am I thinking?" You started to push your chakra out through your skin, using it to find any other sort of chakra holding your body in place. It only took a matter of seconds before the search was over. There were five strings in total. One on your torso, another two on both your legs and the others on your arms.
"Deidara you little piece of crap. Art is something that should last well into the future, never ageing. "
"What sort of people are these?" You now forced your chakra up the small thin strings. His chakra was stronger than you expected, you gasped as your chakra failed to even dent his. Gritting your teeth, you pushed harder. There was a sharp pain in your side. It burned up your entire chest, from your hip bone to your rip cage on your left side. Glancing down, you looked for the source of pain, still in shock, still pushing your chakra into those strings. The strain of holding your chakra outside your body for too long finally was too much; it dispersed into a thin mist. It didn't matter now. You were dying. It wasn't scary, facing death, staring into it's cold heartless eyes. All you felt was a terrible disappointment, it stung more than the pain.
"I failed, failed everything. Why, why did nobody come to save me? I don't want to die yet! No I'm still young, still so much to do. I WON'T DIE HERE!" You screamed and moved suddenly sideways, ripping Sasori's tail out of your side. Blood splattered the path, poured out of the gash in your side as you slowly stood up. Swaying, loosing blood and only half conscious you spoke five words for the first time, out loud.
"I won't die, not yet." You reached behind you, reached for support, but found none.
"Dana, we were told not to kill her! If she carries on like this she will die, yeah!!" Deidara yelled at Sasori. His arms waving about like he actually cared if you died, not if his orders weren't done properly. Sasori kept his cold eyes on you. It wasn't death's eyes you were staring into. No. It was his. His cold in-human eyes. Death had been brought to life, though this one man.
"We leave for ten minutes at the most, Sasori, Deidara and the one person we were told not to kill is almost dead. What will leader think?" Kisame walked into view with Itachi trailing after him.
"WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU? We had to deal with her on our own, un!" Deidara started to tare into the other pair. You grimaced and swayed more, your vision was starting to fade, it would come soon, even if you didn't want it, it would come. You had to take as many of them with you as you could. It would be your final gift for konoha.
"We're Akatsuki, Deidara! Could two members not take on one little girl?" Kisame mocked, raising his sword over his head and bringing it hard onto the ground. You winced. It was that sword that crushed the souls of innocent people. People that were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
It was approaching fast, it was numbing your senses, it made the blood pour out quicker. This was it. You wavered but managed to weave eleven handsigns in quick succession. All warmth rushed out of you, It was here, death was here, he came for you.
"Be pleased, you came for one yet leave with five" You voice was hysterical, high and screechy, you spoke directly to the devil himself. Deidara, Sasori, Kisame and Itachi all concentrated fully on you. You could feel their eyes each pair drilling separate holes in your flesh. The wound Sasori had created was no longer hurting you, it was only cold to you now. " I hope hell is warm" You whispered in mild contentment.
"The Devil's hand will take no lives tonight." Sasori's low grumble, echoed around the clearing. The world finally went black, Strong arms grabbed your arm before you could fall and two other's pushed a small pill into your mouth.
"Blood replacement pill" You groaned, you weren't going to die yet. But never the less you fell unconscious.