Slitted eyes looked upon the massive black flames, wondering how many bridges had been burned in the blaze. An independent- some would say rogue- ninja with a high profile such as themselves would be in need of more discreet ways to accumulate cash, and what they saw before them was one of the larger chunks of that discreet portion of their income burning like so much trash. And not just burning- but by the unquenchable flames of Amaterasu, which could only mean one of two people had done this: Sasuke Uchiha, or... Tobi.
With his keen senses, Kabuto hopped from roof to roof, following the trail of destruction and fallen kunai. It led back to a certain inn. Using the Transformation Jutsu, Kabuto jumped down from the roof as a Leaf ninja, and walked in. He caught the eye of the innkeeper, and walked over to the counter.
"I got separated from my comrades, and I was supposed to meet with them here. Have any shinobi come by recently?"
~oOo~
"But shouldn't they be here now?" Sasame asked, looking around the port.
"Yeah, where are they?" Naruto wondered along with her.
"My best guess is they headed back to Konoha to report our disappearance." Aoba mused, holding his chin in his hand. "In fact since the boat's not here that's probably what happened." We could swing by there, it's safe and close to the Land of Fire. It also puts some distance between us and the warehouse fire. Aoba nodded. Alright then, guess that settles it. "So who's ready for some more sailing?"
"Oh I love sailing!"
"Are you kidding me we just landed here a couple days ago!" Naruto and Sasame said at the same time.
"Well, I'm afraid you don't have much choice there, Naruto." Aoba said with a slight smile. "With what happened to the warehouse it's an extreme danger to remain here at the port town, so no matter what we've got to put some distance between us and this place. I know a place in the Land of Waves we could head to, and hide out there until we make contact with Konoha."
"Oh hey, the Land of Waves! maybe we could say hello to old man Tazuna and Inari."
"Sure, sounds like a great idea. But... we're gonna have to do something about a boat. My pockets got cleaned when I was abducted, so I won't be paying for it."
"Yeah, they cleaned out Gama-chan too," Naruto complained with a grumpy face.
"Um, I still have a little bit of my last payoff from Kimura. It might be enough for one of us." Sasame offered.
"And the other two of us could sneak aboard!"
"That could work." Aoba turned out to sea, getting a better view of the ships. "But we'll have to take one of the larger ships, hope the merchant is headed to the Land of Waves." Aoba looked back to his younger companions. "Naruto. How about you take a look around, see who's going to where we are, and who might need another hand on deck."
"I'm on it!" Enthusiastically saluting the special jonin, Naruto turned and jogged off to one of the larger vessels down the wharf.
"I suppose we'll just be hanging around in one of the taverns until Naruto-kun is finished?"
"Actually, first I wanted to check if there were any ninja tool stores around, and grab some shuriken and kunai first. I should be able to get some on Konoha's credit."
Sasame nodded, but something had been bugging her. "Aoba-san, I've heard the locals talking about the warehouse burning, but I didn't hear any explosions last night and I was wondering-"
"Oi, Aoba! Where'd you run off to?" The duo turned to the approaching ninja- Yamato!
"I guess we were thinking of different inn when we got separated," Aoba chuckled. "Where's Guy and the rest of the crew?"
"They went ahead and sailed off; I stayed behind to look for you. Naruto off to the bathroom?"
"Yes, we're just waiting out here for a moment." Sasame said.
Yamato nodded. "Alright. I'll go and send the messenger pidgeon, meet with you back here." Sasame glanced to Aoba and headed into the tavern. Yamato and Aoba leapt off, skipping over the roofs. "What's up?" Asked Yamato, looking over at Aoba.
"Quick word about Naruto and the mission." Nodding down at the office building, Aoba landed and was soon followed by Yamato.
"Is he beginning to get a little... extra 'Naruto' on y-"
"Drop the transformation," Aoba threatened, slamming Yamato against the stairwell.
"T- transformation, what are you-" Aoba smashed his fist into Yamato's mouth, knocking a few teeth loose- and breaking the ninja's concentration long enough for the Transformation Jutsu to dispel. Aoba's eyes widened, then narrowed in disgust.
"...You risked a lot with this one, Kabuto."
"On the contrary, I risked almost nothing- I was already in the area and then this pleasant matter with Kimura and Shinozaki comes to my attention. And then I just so happen to hear a certain jinchuriki and two ninja were involved in the hit..."
Aoba shook his head. "They had nothing to do with this-"
"As I suspected, which only leaves one person left. Tell me, Aoba, would you agree that revenge is best served... hot?"
"And with a dash of nutmeg. What are you getting at?"
"I saw the warehouse, and we both know there are only two people alive capable of pulling off something like that. So what I'm getting at is... how long have you been in league with Tobi?"
Confused, Aoba let go of Kabuto and leaned away. "Tobi...? No, no you don't understand. I'm a Konoha ninja to the core, I'd never betray my village like that."
"Where there's smoke there's fire, Aoba. I'm just calling it as I see it."
"Well you're seeing it wrong!"
"Or am I? Us two know better than almost anyone what Konoha spies go through, Aoba. It could be that you're the one who risked a lot by forcing his hand here." Aoba silently shook his head, a stony look of disdain on his face. "But the thing is, I didn't come here to stop you. As any sane man would, I distrust Tobi. We could seize power from him before his Eye of the Moon plan goes through, and then just think of all the data we'd be privy to: all those lab experiments of his, Akatsuki plans..."
Aoba sighed and closed his eyes, and removed his sunglasses. "There's no return from this road, Kabuto. The path of the tyrant always ends in disaster."
"I AM NOT SET ON ONE ROAD! I forge my own destiny! My own identity!"
"...and those are the words of one who is too far gone to realize his fate." Aoba opened his eyes. "Fighting fire with fire only leads to greater destruction! For the sake of Konoha and the ninja world I'm going to stop you here!" Shades of shock and horror passed over Kabuto's snake-like visage, as he recognized the red and black staring at him from Aoba's left eye: a four pointed star outline overlapped by a shape like a Fuma shuriken- it was a Sharingan, and appeared to be a Mangekyo Sharingan, at that! Aoba hopped back, making a half Ram sign by his mouth before bending over and unleashing a stream of air from his mouth that propelled him high into the air. Biting his thumb to draw blood, Aoba made the hand signs for the summoning jutsu, calling forth the crow boss, Karasuma.
Looking up under the sudden shade, Kabuto knew he was, if not quick to act, dead. Deciding on a summon of his own, he too made the hand signs for the jutsu, and summoned Manda 2. "Prepare for a spray of venom, we absolutely cannot afford to let him get too close."
"The little bird and it's rider are that dangerous? If I didn't know better I'd say you sound scared, Kabuto." Manda 2 prepared the venom spray as ordered, and with a burst of pale green mist it entered the air. Despite the long range it was, of course, dodged. Karasuma and Aoba soared around it, the mist swirling up with the drafts from Karasuma's wing beats. There was a great yell from above, and Aoba let loose an immense beam of red fire from his Daiyagan, slicing through a few unfortunate buildings on its way to Kabuto. With Manda 2's reflexes it was easily dodged, but it swung back around and incinerated Manda 2's right front leg.
"Damn it! Just head for the ocean!" Manda 2 had no problem following that order, but as it circled around another beam of fire ripped across its path.
From Aoba's aerial view, the port town was nearly bisected by the fires left from his Daiyagan. "He's likely going to look to head off towards the sea, away from the mountains."
"Roger that. You thinking what I'm thinking, kid?"
"Yes, but I don't want to go there just yet Karasuma-sama. I don't want razing another town on my record."
"Wuss." As Aoba executed the Scattering Thousand Crows Technique, Karasuma took them around and came in from the sea, closer to Manda 2's tail. Working up his emotions, Aoba prepared for another Daiyagan beam but Manda 2's tail came up and slammed into them!
"Make a break for it, now!" Manda 2 sped away around the flames towards the mountains, while Kabuto dodged fire beams from a few Crow Clones that had dropped down from the flock. A few well aimed senbon were enough to disperse them, but the flock of crows continued to harass him. Thinking roughly the same thing, Manda 2 spat out another spray of venom, which cleared their way- or so they thought.
Aoba had in fact used the Self Replication Summoning Jutsu with Karasuma, who was now split into two giant crows! One swooped in and engaged Manda 2's tail, lifting it off the ground so Manda 2 couldn't gain extra traction with its short legs. The other Karasuma had circled back around and now confronted Kabuto and Manda 2 face to face. "Our last big jutsu, you ready?"
"Whenever you are!" Aoba nodded and worked up a majority of his remaining chakra, and expelled it from his mouth in a great stream, and Karasuma helped it along with gusts of wind from flapping his wings. It washed over Manda 2 and set nearly all of the inland half of the town and parts of Manda 2 ablaze.
"Alright! Get me down there on the head, please!"
"Hold on!" Karasuma dove with startling speed, but it still was not enough. Manda 2 was ready, and spewed venom again. Karasuma fought off the worst with powerful wings beats, but even a little was enough and it had gotten in his eyes. Aoba dove off, and as he landed on Manda 2 Karasuma disappeared with a cloud of smoke. Aoba rushed in and engaged Kabuto in hand to hand combat, finding the rogue ninja to have a surprising amount of talent there. After several intense moments with Manda 2 on the move, Kabuto came up from ducking a spin kick with his hand shrouded in chakra. Aoba lunged back in surprise, catching Kabuto's forearm right on time. A wicked grin on his face, Kabuto swung around his other hand. Aoba ducked the second Chakra Scalpel attack, but in doing so he'd come down in range of Kabuto's personal snake! It bit him on the shoulder, pinning him down.
"What was it you said earlier, about fighting fire with fire? Ah yes, it only causes more destruction. Such wise words from a bumbling hypocrite."
Damn! If only I had enough chakra left for Amaterasu... "Well there are few hypocrites worse than traitors."
"Aha ha ha! Look at you, you don't even know what you're saying now. You know, I hadn't originally intended to finish you off, but I think the world would be better off minus one person who knows what you know and has a Sharingan. All it will take is a little signal from me, and this snake will begin to pump its poison into your veins- you'd have a minute to live, tops-" Kabuto was cut short by a yellow-white beam from Aoba's Daiyagan, the electricity sizzling over his stomach where it had connected. With a pained grunt Aoba pried the snake's jaws off of his shoulder. The two traded deadly intense glares, before the burning silence was interrupted.
"This town's on fire, just like my smokin' rhymes- but I've arrived here just in time!" Suddenly Manda 2's tail was lifted up and slammed back into the flames, and off in the distance Aoba saw a large tentacled monster, what looked like a Tailed Beast!
"This round goes to you, Yamashiro! But mark my words we'll meet again! Manda, emergency exit!" Kabuto made the Snake hand sign, and promptly his summon began to burrow into the ground. Aoba was caught off guard, and floated in the air a bit before falling onto Manda 2's back.
Can't go down with him, looks like his summon's tunnel is skin tight! Rolling up and using his highest jump, Aoba sped through the hand signs and summoned a crow in mid-air, right over the flames.
"Ouch! Hothothot, you tryin' to make a pie with me or something?"
"S- sorry about that, Edoga," Aoba apologized, winded from the fight. "Didn't have much time or space to work with."
"Ah, I see that now. Where we off to?"
"To the shore, where that Beast i-" I guess he released his transformation. "-was, just a second ago."
"Cool. I'm on it, boss." Slipping on his sunglasses, Aoba took a breather on the flight over to Killer Bee, only beginning to imagine what he'd have to say to Tsunade and(he shuddered) possibly the Raikage. The wind ruffling their feathers and hair, it was only a few moments later until they came to Killer Bee. He stood waiting for them with his arms folded across his chest, the sunlight reflecting off his shades.
"You're a lifesaver, Edoga."
"Ah, thank ya thank ya." Aoba ruffled the crow's head feathers, and let him go in a puff of smoke. Killer Bee still stood staring at Aoba, silent.
"...Uh, I'm Aoba Yamashiro, of Konoha. You're Kumo's jinchuriki, I assume?"
"Yo, I am, but what's it to you, bro? You're a Leaf ninja, what do you know?"
"I was actually on the team assigned to guarding our jinchuriki, but he and I got separated from the rest of the team..." Aoba gulped. "He should be aound by the docks; and I'd like for you two to meet."
"Well, I'll check it out though I kinda doubt it. In the meantime, bro- pound it!" Killer Bee held out his fist, and Aoba nodded tapped it with his own.
