Disclaimer: Um...One day I'll think of something witty to put here...No...
The Artists
"Sakura, have you heard?"
The deep scowl in her sharp voice echoed through the hidden cave, in which sat the two ninjas. The one who spoke flipped back her blonde ponytail, which caused her long side bangs to sway, covering her vibrant right eye. Her outfit was like a modern twist, a two piece of a simple pattern; black with red clouds. Her skirt and top, which bore one long sleeve and one short, covered her skin slightly. She starred at her comrade, who stood beside the wall.
A chuckle sounded in the shadows.
"Who hasn't heard, Ino?"
Ino frowned.
"Temari, when did you arrive?"
Out from the shadows stepped a tall, curvy figure with four blonde ponytails. Her own outfit began and the shoulders, slumped in a style she preferred, and the long sleeves fell down to her hands. Her coat cut short at her thighs, and fish-netting wrapped from her thighs to her black sandals, and also beneath her cloak to her neck. As she walked towards Ino, Temari smirked.
"I brought Tenten with me."
Ino turned. There enough, a girl with two buns upon her head stood in the moonlit cave entrance. Two small braids looped from the buns, a new addition to her hair she had recently acquired, and her outfit seemed to fit the more traditional look of an Asian dress, sleeveless but long with the same black and red-clouded pattern and a slit to the thighs on her left side. Her arms bore cuffs, and a scroll of black, white, and red rested on her waist. She held a hand to her hips and slouched.
"So, we're all here except for..."
"No, she's here."
The figure who spoke stalked from her earlier position. Pink haired, with a similar outfit to Ino's, as far as a two piece and skirt went, strolled over to stand besides Ino. Her own shirt was sleeveless, and black gloves covered her hands. Long boots hid most of her legs, and tight shorts hid themselves under her black-and-red-patterned skirt. She starred at Tenten.
"Hinata is arriving as we speak."
Soon enough, in the entrance stood a slightly smaller than the others figure. Her dark blue hair, sparkling in the moonlight, was held up in a small ponytail. Her coat was like that of the original Akatsuki; with a large collar and long sleeves. Her only stand-out-feature was her white eyes; but, they were clear and dead-like as she stared blankly at the figures before her.
"Shall we begin?"
Sakura was the one who spoke. The other four nodded.
"They're trailing us. If we keep running, we'll appear weak. I say we attack full force, tomorrow. Prepare and rest tonight, and at dawn we strike. It's time to destroy these nuisances once and for all. Hinata, have you pin-pointed their location and numbers?"
Hinata nodded, and in a stoic tone, she spoke.
"They lie less than half a day from us, and there are quite a few. Most interesting enough, we seem to recognize them."
Temari chuckled.
"Oh? Who'd they send; some rookies?"
Hinata, still showing little emotion, turned to Temari.
"No. Apparently, they sent your brother."
Temari gulped, quickly being silenced, and then frowned.
"Who else?" Ino was the one to ask.
"Your old team, along with mine, Sakura's, and Tenten's."
Tenten's eyes widened. Her old team? She hadn't seen them in so long...
"Tenten?"
Tenten looked up.
"Hm?"
It was Sakura who was questioning her.
"What do you think of the matter?"
Tenten cracked her fingers simultaneously.
"I say they'll be easy practice and we should finish them off quickly. They send only two Jounin? The rest are mere Chuunin?"
"Chuunin, yes, minus the two Jounin. But, these Chuunin know us well and our weaknesses."
"Did. They did know us well, and they think they know our weaknesses. Yes, they have yet to see our true potential, no?"
The others smiled at this comment. Sakura continued.
"It's fair game. Any claims to who wants whom?"
No one spoke for a minute, and then Temari broke the silence.
"I'd enjoy a nice family reunion. Too bad I can't see both of my brothers, but one is enough to give a message; at least, his limp body will be."
Sakura smiled, and then turned to Tenten.
"I think I owe my ex-fiancé a visit, no?"
Tenten tried to speak with confidence, but deep down, something was shouting at her; something was making her feel, almost guilty.
"I don't care who I get."
Ino spoke with such arrogance it annoyed Sakura. To match that, Sakura spoke in the same tone.
"Throw me whoever, I suppose."
Everyone turned to Hinata, who showed no effect on anything; she was always so dead, it seemed. It even creped her comrades out how stoic and stone-like the once shy, timid girl was.
She said nothing.
"Well then, I suppose we should begin preparations. I guess we'll meet back here, once our prey is good and done with. Remember; don't play with them for too long, and make it quick. I want to get out of these woods as soon as possible."
Hinata nodded, and in a flash was gone. Temari sighed, and pulled out an iron fan from the shadows, opened it, and flew out. Tenten, also, flashed out of sight. Ino sighed.
"Sakura, don't you have this feeling that, you know, something might happen...Like, maybe, you know, by some chance..."
"...No one will forget, or in this case, remember. We have no emotion, no feeling towards regret of pain. Ino, are you going soft?" Sakura smiled teasingly. "You need to be more like Hinata-san."
Ino 'pft' the idea then turned to look outside.
"It will be nice to see our old friends for the first time in so long, no?"
Sakura smiled a wicked smile, and then turned back towards the cave. As she walked, she merely gave a small reply.
"Tell your team, or whomever you end up with, I said hello."
Ino smiled, nodded, and left. As she did so, she couldn't help but think of the beauty of this glorious reunion, this battle; it was like art.
And them dying would be the best masterpiece of all.
Yes, death was like art.
And the Akatsuki were the artist; their battlefield the canvas.
The painters were soon to reveal themselves.
