The Akatsuki and the Great Oroki Redux
Chapter 2
It had been almost a month since Tasha had left her village. She was getting used to the sight of endless grassy plains, with the occasional tree to sleep under. She was convinced she was somehow walking in circles. She had grown to hate having to hunt for her own food, and the few things she could find that weren't meat, were not worth the effort it took to harvest them. She was currently resting under one of the trees she had found, tending to the rabbits she was roasting over her small fire. She hated that it was so hard to find proper burnable wood. She had tore down many a bush just to eat a warm meal recently. She was malnourished, exhausted, and in a terrible mood, but at least no one had assaulted her in awhile. What she wouldn't do to find a village right about now. And a new wardrobe would be nice. She had only a few changes of cloths and supplies stored away in secret stashes she had made before she exiled herself from the village. Her scrolls let her access them when needed, but the supply was running low. Though even if she did find a village, she didn't have much coin to buy supplies in the first place. She would have to steal. She hated the idea, but desperation drew the worst out of people. To make her day even more unpleasant, she hadn't seen hide nor hair of Patter in days. She had tried summoning her back, but there had been no response. Rogue stuck to her side like glue at least. She always knew where he was, because she was constantly tripping over him. She had finally given up and had been under this tree for a few days.
A bark caught her attention, and Tasha looked around curiously. In the distance she could just barely see a pale coated animal making it's way towards them. As it got closer, she could make out the shape of bags. It wasn't long before she realized it was Patter, and she ran out to greet her. The wolf had gone out and gotten supplies. Tasha hugged the animal, who panted, covering her face in sticky drool. Tasha had never thought she would be so happy to see a bag of rice in her whole life. They made their way back to the tree, where Patter went promptly to sleep. It seemed as though she had been traveling nonstop the past few days. She deserved the rest. Tasha went about storing the supplies in a scroll, but not without first making herself and the wolves some of the rice. They ate in content silence. It would be dark before they would be on the move again. At least she knew now that a village was only a few magical wolf days away. She would be able to rest in a real bed, after what seemed like an eternity.
-o.0.o.0.o.0.o-
Kisame and Itachi had been searching for this girl for what seemed like ages. She seemed to be very good at running great distances. He kind of liked her spirit. She wasn't making it easy on them. Though she was perhaps just a terrible fighter. They would find out soon enough, as Itachi had finally figured out where she was. Who would have thought she would be camping out in a giant field?
"We are to get rid of the wolves first." Itachi didn't seem to like the wolves very much, Kisame noticed. They were a bit of a nuisance, he agreed, but they were only animals.
"Alright. It's not much of a challenge to kill two little wolves." He gave Itachi a toothy grin. Itachi rolled his eyes at him.
"Just don't let your guard down around the wolves, would ya?" Kisame chuckled. Itachi was always the worrywart, even if he didn't tend to show it. At least they got to spend a lot of time out in the open, fresh air. Though he would kill to sit in some shade every now and then. The place was hot. He rather commended the girl for being able to stand it.
"Yeah yeah. If a little tailed beast couldn't take me down, I doubt a couple of wolves will." Unless they weren't just any normal wolves. It was weird enough that they could perform jutsu on their own. You never really knew what could be accomplished by a determined enough shinobi.
"Don't get cocky. We don't know what those wolves are capable of." Itachi warned him. Kisame already knew that, but made no move to comment. He knew the heat got to them both, so fighting amongst themselves was pointless. In the distance Kisame could see the shape of a tree, with three figures lying beneath it. Was the girl taking a nap? He didn't really blame her. He tried to walk a bit quieter. They were at an advantage if she wasn't aware of their presence.
"I spy with my little eye..." Kisame grinned mischievously.
Rogue was unusually nervous, Tasha noticed. The wolf had woken her up from her slumber, and was growling at something. Looking around, she saw what looked to be a blur of black and red. It was hot, so it could have been a mirage. Still, she wasn't sure she wanted to take that chance. But Patter was out cold, and she and Rogue were sore and lethargic from the heat. Still, she wasn't going to leave herself defenseless because she wanted to rest!
Itachi stopped suddenly, catching Kisame's attention. He stopped and stared at his companion. He was watching the girl and her wolves with rapt attention.
"One of the two wolves is out cold while the other seems to be rather nervous and has spotted us." Ah. Something they could use to their advantage. If the wolves were weakened, then he'd have an easier job than he thought.
"What a lucky day today is." Kisame just wanted to get this all over and done with. He was tired of walking.
"Fuck." Tasha finally realized what the colors she was seeing belonged to. The Akatsuki. Hadn't they caused enough chaos in her life as it was? Why were they even here? Rogue growled in response to her words, standing on sore limbs to put his body in front of her own. Tasha shook her head, using the tree to get to her feet with a sigh. "Wake Patter up Rogue. I know she is tired, but I need her to do something for me. The two of us will have our hands full with this mess as it is." Rogue looked up at her with a worried expression, but leaned over and shook Patter awake with his jaws.
"Patter, listen to me hun." Patter, looking sour, turned her head to gaze at Tasha from where she lay. "Go back to your realm, and get Midnight for me. I doubt I'll be able to summon him on my own. My chakra needs to be devoted to this. Can you do that for me?" Patter seemed startled, but nodded. She stood shakily, before she leapt at Tasha, disappearing into her shadow.
"Rest up my friend." She murmured. Rogue gave an approving nod, before turning to growl once more at the men approaching them, his fur standing on end. She pulled out a pair of Kunai from her waist pockets, and looked towards the horizon with apprehension.
Itachi nodded at Kisame's words, as he continued to watch the girl. Kisame was curious as to why they didn't just jump her now since she was so defenseless, but he had never been one to question his companions plans. When one of the girl's wolves disappeared, he was startled, to say the least.
"Summons?" Kisame could hear the inquiry in Itachi's voice as he spoke, and Kisame shrugged.
"There's only one real way to find out isn't there? Kill one and see if it leaves a nice bloody patch on the ground." He was raring to go, tho a bit disappointed that he would only be fighting one wolf. Itachi sighed, pulling out a Kunai in response to the girl's actions. Kisame raised a brow at him, knowing how much he hated physical confrontations. It couldn't be avoided, if Itachi believed it was so.
"Seems here's your chance to try out that theory." Kisame rolled his eyes, and made his way towards the tree.
"It would be my pleasure." Kisame drew his sword, a large blade wrapped in strange bandages, clashing with the wolf as it charged him. Rogue was sent flying backwards, sliding into Tasha's legs. She made a startled noise, bracing herself as Rogue got back up, and used her to launch himself at Kisame. He seemed amused, grinning as he swung at the wolf like it was a ball. Time seemed to move so slowly as the wolf, growing more tired by the minute, struggled to keep off his attacker. Tasha did not stand idle while this happened. She gave the wolf small boosts of her chakra every time they touched, and her fingers had started to twist into a familiar jutsu. Tasha was so absorbed in her attention to the fight, she hardly noticed the other male as he approached her. She only seemed to realize it when a strange tingle ran up her spine, her hands freezing in place. She looked up in mortification, and her eyes met a pair of blazing red ones. She gulped, taking a step back.
"I think I've had about enough of your jutsus." Tasha winced, confused at how someone who looked so annoyed could have such a nice voice. Either way, now was NOT the time to be thinking such things. Kisame let out an annoyed noise as Rogue latched onto his arm. He shook himself free, and the wolf slid across the ground behind him.
"And I think I've had enough of being stalked, you creep." Tasha muttered, her eyes straying slightly to better examine her foe. He was a bit taller than the blond from before, though still shorter than the tall blue one who's face seemed to be in a perpetual grin. Pulling her fingers from the jutsu that Rogue had been trying to get her to perform, she braced herself for whatever this strange man was up to. She really hated genjutsu users. For Shinobi who couldn't perform such feats, there was often little they could do against it. And she wasn't about to stab herself just so she could throw jutsu at him.
"You are coming with us." She blushed as he purposely locked his gaze with her's. She had almost missed his words. Oh no, that was not happening.
"Oh no I'm not. What nonsense are you spouting?" She growled, baring slightly pointed teeth. A loud whimper made her tear her gaze away from Mr. Red eyed and glowering, to see Rogue, his blood staining the grass below him. She cursed as he went up in a poof of smoke. She was alone now. And Midnight was being his usual procrastinating self. She gulped as the blue man turned to his partner.
"It was a summon alright. Oh, you were busy. I'll let you finish up than." The man chuckled, and went to sit down, amused. She cast him a glower, backing up as she tried not to look back at the genjutsu user. Even if he was appealing to the eye, it was never a good thing to stand there like an imbecile.
"Very smart of you, but you are already stuck." Tasha hated to admit that the man was right, as she couldn't seem to make herself move back any farther. She struggled, to no avail, and disliked the thought that she would really have to stab herself to get away.
"You ass-hat!" She growled in frustration. At leat the other guy she would have been more comfortable fighting! He didn't look like he even understood what the word genjutsu meant. She just wanted to be left alone. Why couldn't these people understand that? Out of no where, the man started laughing.
"Well what an insult." Tasha scrunched up her face at him, clearly irritated.
"Forgive me for failing to see the humor in this." She grumbled. She didn't like this one bit. "Why exactly are you guys bothering me anyway?" She questioned. If she could ask enough questions, maybe she could delay long enough for Midnight to get off his lazy ass. She hoped. If he didn't come to her rescue she was going to be more than a little peeved. The man groaned, shaking his head.
"You might as well stop it with the questions, you're not going anywhere now." The man stated before pinning her to the tree with a kunai.
"Kisame, why don't you strip her of her chakra, so that we can get this over with." Kisame smirked. He had been wanting to do this for quite awhile now.
"Well, I don't like how this looks. You get yourself in some strange situations hun." Tasha's face lit up at the voice, which was deep, and had a hint of dark intentions. Kisame was to his feet within moments, looking around for the source of the voice. The shadow of the tree began to shimmer, and out climbed a large black wolf.
"Midnight! You beautiful son of a bitch! I could hug you if I could move!" The wolf gave her a lopsided grin, placing his body between her and the two Akatsuki.
"I'll fix it, calm down you big baby." She loved Midnight, even if he used genjutsu. She let out a breath, feeling her body relax. She reached up, plucking the kunai from the tree. Her strap was cut now, hanging down across her shoulder. She cast the red eyed man a glower, as Midnight gave a toothy, creepy grin.
"Another wolf? How many of those things do you have?" Kisame muttered, eying the wolf dubiously. This one looked much more dangerous than the others, and was at least twice their size.
"Great, another one.' The red eyed Akatsuki grumbled, pulling more Kunai from his cloak. Kisame didn't waste time, engaging the wolf. He was rightfully surprised when he was the one knocked back. He gave Itachi a perplexed look, as the wolf shuffled his feet. He could do this on his own. Besides, Tasha couldn't really use any of Midnight's jutsu. She wasn't sure if he didn't have any, or just didn't want to share. Either way, she didn't like the look of the black tendrils seeping from his fur.
"I'm not just another one. But you probably guessed that by now. If not, shame on you.' Midnight bared his teeth, launching himself viciously at Kisame. Kisame struggled against the wolf's attacks, looking more confused by the minute. He was bloody before he realized it, and backed away, giving the wolf a glower mixed with a strange appreciation. Midnight cocked one ear in Tasha's direction. She was standing still, looking at him expectantly.
"Use your own skills for this. He is scrawny, you 'll be fine." Tasha rolled her eyes, her grip tightening on the kunai in her hand.
"Right. I doubt that somehow."
"Leave the wolf to me, you get the girl." Kisame still seemed perplexed, looking from Itachi to Tasha, and then back to Midnight. Midnight tilted his head, giving Itachi a malevolent grin.
"Oh, so you want to take me on?" He moved away from Kisame, brushing up against Tasha's leg. One of his smokey black tendrils attached itself to her arm. Kisame, who seemed to have snapped out of it, glowered at the wolf before wincing in pain. He had a feeling he would be better off against the girl. Tasha paled a bit at the prospect of fighting someone so much larger than herself. She would rather fight the red-eyed one. With one final circle, Midnight detached himself from Tasha, and launched himself at Itachi. He was never one to mince words. Tasha and Kisame looked at one another for a few moments, before Kisame launched himself at her with frightening speed. She squeaked, raising her arm in a motion to defend herself. Something pulled at her insides, and she flinched as her arm went numb. Kisame had intended to punch her right in the face, but instead met the staff of a scythe. A gift from Midnight. He was being generous today. It already made Tasha worried.
Itachi managed to dodge Midnight's attack, tossing a kunai as the wolf slid and turned to make another pass. The Kunai grazed against Midnight's fur. He chuckled, amused by the action.
"Genjutsu against genjutsu, fair if you ask me. But, I know that you're also not going to stick to it."
"Genjutsu? Who said anything about genjutsu?" The wolf charged at him, snapping his jaws at the man's legs. He missed on purpose, taking a mouthful of cloak and pulling it along with him as he moved past. Tasha struggled to deflect Kisame's blows with her scythe, as she had never been very good with long handled weapons. It didn't help that Kisame had drawn his sword, which ached every time it clanked against the strange material. Letting out a surprised sound, Itachi stumbled against the tugging of the cloak that the wolf had in his mouth. Suddenly the body dissolved into crows that flew up into the sky, tossing shadows across the ground. Jumping out of the tree and landing gracefully on the ground, Itachi looked towards the female before looking back at the wolf.
"Apparently you missed half of my comment." Midnight sat down, and chuckled.
"No, little Uchiha, I didn't." A voice sounded from beside him, where Midnight looked up at him. The Midnight that had been taunting Itachi was nowhere to be seen. Blazing green eyes smiled at him. "Just know I won't play your games."
Tasha was struggling miserably as Kisame knocked her back like a toy She slid, panting. This really was a terribly one-sided fight. She felt lethargic for some reason, before she realized the blue freak was siphoning off her chakra. Laughing, Itachi shook his head.
"Who said anything about games? I'm not the one that you need to worry about playing games, that's Tobi's job."
"Midnight, I want to leave..." Midnight twitched an ear in her direction, and rolled an eye.
"Alright little one." He moved away from Itachi, and towards Tasha, as she moved to block another swipe from Kisame. Itachi raised a brow and threw a kunai at the wolf.
"Who said I was done with you? Kisame, don't let her go." Kisame rolled his eyes in Itachi's direction.
"Working on it. She's more resilient than I'd have thought." Midnight's head whipped around, catching the kunai and crushed it in his jaws. The pieces clattered to the ground as he glowered at Itachi. He wasn't in the mood. Growling, he walked back over to Itachi, and bit him in the leg, before he started to pull him in he direction he wanted to go. Tasha was busy trying not to fall over, her breath coming in heavy gasps. Her arms had gone numb, and the only thing that seemed to keep her going was the scythe in her hands. It was warm against her skin, and offered much needed motivation. She really didn't want to go anywhere with these weirdos. She just hadn't quite expected to be ambushed. All things considered, she felt like she was doing quite well, considering the circumstances.
Yelping, Itachi struggled against the wolf, trying to get his leg out of the crushing jaws. Grabbing a few more kunai out of his pouch, he threw them at the wolf, trying desperately to make it let go. Thinking for a moment, he had to think of a way to get rid of this wolf and take the girl back to the base with their lives still intact.
"Kisame, I need you to get rid of this wolf, now." Kisame looked back at Itachi as he called for help. It was a rare moment, but he didn't really blame him. The wolf had it's jaws, full of large, vicious teeth, clamped hard onto his partner's leg. The wolf was ignoring the kunai thrown at him, like they were nothing but annoying flies. He really wasn't used to seeing his partner at the mercy of anyone, much less a talking wolf. He gave a sigh, pushing Tasha back, so she stumbled and fell back. Her body was shaking fro strain, but he commended her for lasting as long as she had.
"Just hold on." Kisame walked over to his partner, who had been pulled almost halfway to where Tasha was now panting. He reached down, and tried to pry the wolf's jaws open. A surprised look crossed his face when he couldn't even make the wolf flinch. His brows knit together, and he pulled harder, the muscles in his arm visibly straining. Midnight growled, shaking his head, and in turn, Itachi's leg, violently.
"Hold on you damned animal!" Kisame cursed under his breath, trying to stop the animal, unsuccessfully, from moving. Tasha, who had struggled to her feet, took the opportunity to creep slowly away from the three. Midnight could hold his own well, unlike her, and was giving her a chance. She was taking it. As soon as she could move fast enough.
Blood seeped through Midnight's jaws as Itachi continued to struggle. Kisame clenched his jaws as he continued to pull, before he left go with a huff. He shook his arms, trying to loosen the muscles as he glowered at the wolf.
"What kind of beast are you?" He questioned the wolf, who seemed to be content with simply shaking his massive head and tugging Itachi in a circle. Midnight seemed amused with his new toy. Kisame stood there, trying to puzzle out a way to dislodge the wolf from Itachi,without cutting off his leg. Tasha had managed to set a good pace, and was far enough away that she could barely make out their shapes. Of course, she was using the Scythe as a crutch, but no one needed to know that.
"Would you not worry about what kind of beast this thing is and just get me loose." Itachi growled, finally starting to lose his cool under such a condition. Kisame rolled his eyes. He understood why his partner was grumpy, but he didn't have to yell at him. It wasn't like he wasn't trying. He tried to grab hold of the wolf again, who simply dragged him along as well. Kisame tried to use his weight, which he was sure was more than the wolf, to hold it in place. Midnight slowed a little, but still continued to drag Itachi about. Annoyed, Kisame let go and pulled out his sword.
"I think we should cut off your leg." Kisame announced, looking intently at the limb clenched between Midnight's teeth. Hearing what Kisame stated, Itachi looked at him as if he had lost his mind.
"You're kidding me right?" Shaking his head, he looked at the wolf. "No, there's got to be a different way than just shaving my leg off, especially with that sword of yours. You are not touching my leg with that thing." Kisame looked disappointed, before he turned to look for the girl. Perhaps he could force her to make the wolf comply. He froze for a moment, and walked around the tree before he spoke.
"Where did she go?" Tasha was nowhere to be found. Midnight chuckled in amusement. He had given his master more than enough time to escape. He gave Itachi's leg a few more shakes for the fun of it, before he let the man go, bowing to them. His jaws, still red with blood, spread in a malevolent grin. Panting, Itachi stared at the wolf.
"It's been a pleasure toying with you, little Uchiha." There was a low laugh, as the wolf seemed to dissolve. Staring at the spot where the wolf just dissolved, he cursed and kicked his leg against the ground before wincing. Kisame cursed, crouching down to look at his partner.
"Well that was unexpected." He sighed.
"You think?" Kisame just shook his head.
"Oh lighten up man. It's not like we can't try again. At least we know that wolf is bad luck." Kisame pat his partner on the shoulder, offering him an arm. His partner was in no shape to fight, and he personally didn't want to face that wolf again. He felt like someone, or something, was still watching them. Itachi took the arm that was offered, knowing that he wasn't going to be able to stand properly, let alone fight. Groaning, they started towards the base so that they could rest up and prepare to try and get her, yet again. This girl was beginning to get on his nerves already.
"Where's Tobi when you need him?" He grumbled.
-o.0.o.0.o.0.o-
"Thank you. I know you didn't have to help me out there." Tasha whispered quietly. She was happy that they had finally come into the sight of trees, a village sitting on the edge of a forest. It had taken her three days of running, as tired as her body was, just to get there. Midnight appeared beside her in a soft unfolding of shadows. He had licked his muzzle clean of blood days ago, and looked lazily amused.
"Indeed. But I like you, since you treated my younger tier well. One day you will be able to wield me properly, but I feel that day is far in the distance." Midnight looked up at her, giving her a soft grin that reminded her of what he used to be. She had been startled to realize that the wolves came in tiers. So when her beloved Shade, small and puffy, left her, only to be replaced by the monstrously sized Midnight, she wasn't sure quite how to handle it. She still was unsure, but she knew she would get the hang of it eventually. She hoped. She gave Midnight his scythe back as they approached the edge of the forest. She wasn't going to go inside of the village, since she had more than enough supplies to last her until she decided where she would go. From what she had gathered from Midnight's horrendously obscure explanation, there were three tiers of wolves. She, being an unaccustomed summoner, could control tier one wolves. Eventually, these wolves would "grow up" as Midnight put it, and change into another wolf altogether. Midnight had been the first to do it. She feared the day the others joined him. It took days for Patter and Rogue to recover from the fight with the Akatsuki, but she was glad that they seemed fine. She had Rogue gather supplies from the village, before they set off.
-o.0.o.0.o.0.o-
Seven whole months. She had been away from her village for so long, it almost felt like she never even had one to begin with. Her hair needed a good trim, her cloths were worn in many places, and patched with scavenged cloths, but at least they covered the important areas. She looked a bit worn down. Other than that, she was fine. It had been a long time since she had been attacked, and she even managed to settle down in a nice little place she had built. She now lived by the sea, in a small house made out of driftwood and palm trees. Sure, the occasional storm ruined her day, but at least she could fish, and her home was easier to defend. It was nice to have a roof over her head sometimes, even if she didn't have a proper bed. Midnight would sometimes drop by on a whim, dropping off the odd package or two of supplies. She was never sure why he felt she needed so many weapons, when her weapon stores were full. Nor why he seemed to think she didn't have enough paper. What he wanted her to do with it, she was unsure. Currently, she was resting in a hammock she had constructed from scraps, her fingers lazily tangled in the fur of Patter, who slept beneath her. Rogue was perched on the roof of the patchwork house, chasing after seagulls.
Kisame had been bored the entire four months that it took Itachi to heal. That wolf had really done a number on his leg. He was amazed how he had managed to avoid scars. Either way, they still had to catch the girl, as bothersome as she was. Maybe he could cut off her legs so she couldn't run away from them. Kazuku could always sew them back on. Either way, with the time they spent looking for her, they could have gotten so many other things done. Really, how unique could an animal user really be? And the distances this woman crossed! Past mountains, through gigantic fields and forests. At least they now knew where she was camping out. She seemed to have been taking it easy without them around to ruin her day. Kisame groaned, hoping that they wouldn't encounter that crazed wolf again. Not with all the time it took them to find the beach she had turned into a home. A beach surrounded by cliffs no less.
"This should be interesting, eh Itachi-san?"
"Interesting wouldn't exactly be the word I would use for it." He grumbled. Just the thought of that damn wolf made his leg ache with a phantom pain. Clenching his teeth, he watched as one of the wolves chased after seagulls on the roof.
"Seems now's our chance. We'll take out the one on the roof first, then take her by surprise." Kisame eyed the blue wolf on the roof of the shabby looking building. It did look pretty occupied. The girl herself seemed to be dozing in a hammock on the far side. They would have to move swiftly. But it could be done. Maybe today was their lucky day. Nodding his consent to the plan, he gauged the distance to the roof.
"You know I'm not very good at finesse, so if I take it out, she is going to know right away." Kisame murmured. He always seemed to make a lot of noise in his attacks. Nodding, Itachi looked towards the makeshift house.
"I know, that's why you're going to engage the wolf and I'm going to take her out before she notices anything going on." He activated his sharingan and started approaching the house. Kisame raised a brow, but didn't question it.
"You're the boss." Kisame leapt from the cliff, slamming down on the roof of the house. The building wobbled, and Rogue let out a startled yelp as a sword struck him in the side. The house quickly crumbled beneath Kisame as Rogue was sent flying into the nearby cliff face. He walked over to the wolf as it struggled to get up, growling low in it's throat.
Tasha was startled by a loud thud, groggily opening her eyes. The trees that her Hammock hung from were at the very edge of the sea, a bit farther from her house than she wanted, but she wasn't that picky. Patter's ears perked, and she raised her head. A soft growl escaped her throat, catching Tasha's attention. She let out a groan. Seriously? These guys again? Where was Rogue? She instantly began searching for him, sliding clumsily from her hammock.
Jumping down from the cliff, Itachi landed a few feet from where she was and watched as she climbed out of the hammock. He quickly attempted to drag both her and the wolf into a genjutsu so that he wouldn't have to worry about the wolf as well as her. Tasha, having experienced Itachi at least once already, made sure not to meet his gaze. She wasn't as much of an idiot as many took her for. Patter was on her feet now, her thin fur bristled as her back arched. If a gray hound could imitate a cat, it would look just like Patter did, her fur glowing softly in her anger.
"Raptor on a stick, what do you want again?" Tasha growled, spotting Rogue pinned against the cliff by Kisame. There wasn't much she could do to help him, so she dismissed him with a small gesture of her hand. He could easily be summoned back this way, instead of having to wait for him to heal. Kisame blinked as the blue wolf disappeared without him having to injure it. He looked questioningly at Itachi, who he assumed was trying to use his sharingan. Itachi shrugged at her words, tossing kunai at Patter. She artfully dodged them, her fangs bared in annoyance.
"Why, you of course." He stated simply. Tasha scoffed at the simplistic answer, edging her way away from him. She seriously couldn't believe that the Akatsuki would want her for anything. Except maybe to amuse themselves. She wasn't particularly fond of that idea. Nor was she fond of the smile on his lips.
"Right... Because that is so believable." She rolled her eyes, as Kisame made his way to Itachi's side.
"Can I just cut off her legs? It would be so much easier..." Tasha paled at that thought, her hands resting on her pouches. She doubted Midnight would want to make a miraculous appearance right then. He never believed in something so convenient. Itachi shrugged.
"If you believe that it would make things easier, be my guest. Just don't kill her." He seemed to be waiting for her reaction. It was a delayed one. In fact, she stood there, even as he continued speaking. Itachi looked towards his partner.
"She is very important to the leader." It finally sunk in, as she watched the wide grin spread across Kisame's face. Tasha gave a reaction alright. She turned deathly pale, and bolted. Screw fighting. She wasn't going to stick around and get her legs cut off by an over zealous fish. Patter was right on her heels, creating steps for Tasha to climb as she reached the cliff.
"Fuck that." Kisame frowned as the girl quickly made her way up the cliff. He was after her as soon as he realized she was moving, scaling the cliff as they reached the top. What was waiting for her at the top was not what she has wanted.
"Going somewhere?" Tasha shrieked, reflexively trying to move back away from Itachi. She slipped, scrambling as she slid down the face of the cliff, right into the waiting arms of Kisame. She squirmed, and Patter, who hadn't fallen, jumped down, landing square on Kisame's head. He cursed, batting at the wolf who clung to his head,while trying to hold onto the girl with the other. It wasn't long before she had stabbed her kunai into the flesh of Kisame's arm. He growled in annoyance. A kunai struck Patter in the spine. She gave a whimper before disappearing. Kisame gave a sigh of relief, willingly handing the girl to his partner when he reached for her. As Tasha continued to struggle in Itachi's arms, Kisame pulled the kunai from his arm, shaking it with a grimace.
"Little witch." He muttered, before he looked amused at the sight of Itachi trying to hold the girl. She was smaller than him by only a little bit, and was struggling and pushing at him in a valiant effort to get away. She clearly didn't like being held. At least not like she was a doll.
"Let... me... go!" Tasha growled as she clawed at her captor.
"Now why would I do that doll?" He asked as he forced her to look at him. She struggled against the hand that held her head, her eyes reflexively closing.
"I'm not a doll!" She scowled, grabbing hold of his arm and tugging. Being held like this was making her feel uncomfortable in more way than one. She just wanted to get away as fast as she possibly could. Her nails would leave painful welts where she had dug them in, though she regretted that the damage wouldn't be permanent. Itachi continued his struggle to hold onto her.
"You sure do look like one to me." Itachi laughed, shaking his head.
"Now let me go!"
"No." Kisame chuckled at the girl in amusement. For her size she put up a pretty good fight.
"Feisty isn't she?" He said with a toothy grin, having wrapped his wound.
"No kidding." Tasha made a noise of frustration, trying to pull her head out of his grip, kicking and snarling. She obviously wasn't taking this very well. Kisame raised a brow, wondering what his partner was going to do. He was almost tempted to help the guy. Some of those scratches looked like they hurt. Itachi, still struggling, raised a brow at his partner.
"You... going to be okay carrying her Itachi-san?" Kisame questioned skeptically.
"I'm just peachy. How about you?" He stated sarcastically before he began to walk. She ended up kicking him hard in the side. Loosening his grip, he gasped for breath. Kisame tried, unsuccessfully, to hold in a laugh. Tasha tugged and pushed, wiggling her body in his grip. She was determined to get away. It was ridiculous enough she had been caught so simply. She wasn't going to make their lives any easier.
"You aren't going to take me anywhere with you! You creepy stalkers!" Tasha huffed. Itachi glowered at his partner when he noticed he was trying not to laugh.
"Why don't you take the beating for awhile?" Itachi rasped. Kisame raised a brow, chuckling as he reached over, taking hold of the squirming girl.
"You decided to take her on your own man. I know she looks all weak compared to me, but you have to be careful." Tasha soon realized that struggling against the mass of flesh that was Kisame, was kind of pointless. She crossed her arms in a huff, her eyes still closed tightly. Itachi rolled his eyes, trying to take a deep breath. He winced. That was definitely going to leave a bruise.
"Wimp." She muttered. Kisame just laughed, slinging her over his shoulder like a rag-doll. She gave a little screech, pounding on his back in complaint.
"You could have made this SO much easier on yourself. But you insisted on running and fighting us. Hey, at least your stupid wolves aren't dead. Yet." Tasha went still at Itachi's words. Kisame glanced at her with a raised brow, wondering at her sudden stillness.
"You're an idiot." She whispered quietly. Kisame snorted, as he started up the cliff.
"Strange that you should be the one to say that." He commented. She had propped her head, eyes still closed, up on one arm, pressed against Kisame's back. She wasn't going to get out of his grip, so her best bet was that at some point, he would have to put her down. That or she was rescued. Which was a bit of a long shot. Itachi shrugged.
"Perhaps or perhaps not, doesn't much matter to me, especially now that we finally have you." Itachi followed after Kisame slowly, until eventually they reached the top. Tasha had remained silent the rest of the way, until she seemed to finally have something to say.
"No, you are definitely an idiot." She murmured in a bored tone. She was going to hate having to time things with her eyes closed. She had no idea where they were going, or even what was going on around her. For all she knew, the idiot could be making faces at her.
"Now now children. This is not the time to be fighting." Kisame lectured, like he was one to talk. While they had paused, Tasha heard the rustle of movement. Before she knew it, something wet brushed her forehead. She raised a brow. Had someone... just licked her?
"Erm... I am pretty sure I'm not food..." She commented. Kisame, hearing this, looked back at his partner.
"Itachi-san... what are you doing?" His puzzlement was apparent. He didn't understand why his partner was licking their prey. "I don't think right now is a good time for taste testing." Tasha snorted at that, raising a sleeve to wipe her forehead.
"Weirdo." She muttered. Itachi laughed before looking back at Kisame.
"Just making sure she's ripe." Tasha scoffed, frowning in the general direction of her kidnapper. She was not a fruit. She opened her mouth to protest, when a pair of lips met hers. Her eyes snapped open, her face going a bright red. Itachi stood there, grinning at her. She felt violated somehow. He actually kissed her.
"Wha...?" She had the most puzzled look on her face, having completely forgotten why her eyes had been closed in the first place. Kisame whistled, amused.
Before she realized it, she was dragged down into a rather strange genjutsu. Why, in the name of all that was good, was she tied to a chair, faced by clones of Itachi? For that matter, why did they feel the need to undress? Her face was twisted into one of distress, as Kisame gave Itachi a questioning look.
"Well, I think she's out for the count for awhile." Itachi said with a smug look on his face. Kisame pursed his lips, but went back to walking.
"You'll hurt yourself if you do that for too long, Itachi-san." Kisame reminded, not even bothering to ask what his partner was making her see. Judging by the confused and distressed noises she was making, it was something weird. Probably not the best choice his partner had ever made.
They had been walking for awhile, and the girl had gone completely limp against Kisame's back. A soft whimpering noise was all the sound she made. Kisame was overcome with curiosity as to what was incapacitating her so badly.
"So, Itachi-san. What exactly are you showing her? I don't think I've ever seen such a traumatized look on a girl's face." Itachi only shook his head, his eyes closed as he walked. Kisame raised a brow.
"Hurts?" He questioned. Tasha felt relieved when the genjutsu finally diminished. This guy obviously had a lot of suppressed feeling that she hoped he never acted on. Quietly, so as not to draw either of their attention, she performed a summoning jutsu. Rogue popped up out of Kisame's shadow, clamping his jaws around the shinobi's lower leg. Kisame gave a yowl, dropping Tasha as he stumbled, and turned to see what had him. He glowered at the wolf, shaking him and tugging him until he could pry the wolf off. Tasha had gotten up was taking off full force by the time Kisame tossed the wolf aside.
"God damn wolves!" He growled, making his way after the girl despite his bleeding leg. Rogue dragged himself up, chasing after Kisame in an effort to intercept. Shaking his head, Itachi stood there. "Leave it Kisame. We'll get her next time." Kisame stopped, casting his partner a look.
"Well, if you say so Itachi-san." He looked skeptical as he watched the girl and her wolf disappear into the distance. With a wide frown, he followed after Itachi as he continued on his way to the base. He usually didn't give up that easily, which had Kisame worried.
-o.0.o.0.o.0.o-
Tasha panted, leaning against a nearby tree. She had managed to get away somehow. Now she just had to stay that way. She did not want to encounter those men again. They were not quite right in the head. Thinking of what she had experienced made her shiver. She definitely had to stay away.
"Rogue, I am afraid we may never be able to settle down." Rogue whined, nudging his head under her hand. Neither of them liked that idea, but it seemed it was what they had to resort to. A life constantly on the move was never what anyone wanted.
