Shadows of Dawn

Jedi Goat

Disclaimer - I don't own except for the girls.

Author's Note - This might be my last update until after the holidays, so here's my Christmas present to all my readers :) This is where the real action starts IMHO... ;) Read on!


Part 3 - Roar of Fury!

-Toramura Reinen-

A cool breeze wove through the trees, ruffling my long hair as it passed. I stood perfectly still, blood pumping, heart thundering in my ears. My eyes flicked from the impassive black-fringed face on my left to the grinning shark on my right. Neither would make an easy opponent. The lake around us was icily serene; shrouded in mist we faced off, unmoving, pillars of adversity.

My fingers were unshaken around the hilt of my sword. A cold snarl contorted my face; with hardened resolve I took up a defensive position, calculating.

Kisame glanced sideways at his companion. "A friend of yours, Itachi?" He grinned with razor-sharp fangs. "She appears to be from the Leaf."

Itachi blinked coldly. "Never met her in my life."

All the better, I thought, my heart pounding in my chest. Adrenaline was rushing through my system, fueling my crazy plan. They don't know the secret of the Toramura clan.

I grinned and brought my katana slicing downward; it was the silent signal to begin. I launched forward with a cry.

My mad charge was met with resistance – movement flickered from the corner of my eye and I swung my sword up, digging in my heels as my path was suddenly blocked by a burly body and a bandaged blade.

"Not so fast, little sword fighter," Kisame grinned down at me. I had always considered myself tall – here I was dwarfed by his massive stature. "I don't think you're worthy yet to face Itachi-san."

"Says who?" I snapped back, quickly lashing out with a combo. He easily blocked each blow with his own big sword – I ground my teeth in annoyance. Even if I used every ounce of my strength, I doubted I could put a scratch on him this way. I needed a new plan.

I whirled, swinging out my leg behind me in a carefully pinpointed kick. My heel connected with the hilt of his blade and I gasped. Instead of knocking it from his fist, as I had hoped, the strange material reacted of its own accord, shooting sharp spines into my foot. Blood ran down my leg as I pulled back, staggering, struggling to recover from my surprise.

Damn it!

"I see you've met Samehada," Kisame chuckled, beginning to unravel the bandages on the blade to reveal more dangerously jagged points. "No one but me can wield it."

I see that, I thought, growling. I should have known better than to challenge a sword master of the Mist at his own craft! I had grown cocky after my own many years of training...

I hopped backward, giving myself an extra meter or two of space between me and this water demon. Clenching my jaw, I sheathed my sword – it was of no use to me here. I had to resort to my jutsu.

I dropped to a crouch, folding my hands in front of me in a hand sign. I closed my eyes, focusing my chakra. I can't go all out this time, I reasoned. I'm alone, and I don't know if I can control myself without Minako here. I took a deep breath, preparing myself. Then I clasped my hands in the final sign and cried,

"Ninja Art: Lioness Transformation Jutsu!"

Instantly I felt the changes taking place. My shoulders bulked with added muscle; my nails elongated into hardened claws. Fur rippled down my arms and legs which now coiled beneath me, ready to leap. My ears crept up the sides of my face, and I grinned with jagged teeth. A long, furry tail whipped out behind me, thrashing in eagerness to fight.

"Now," I snarled, my voice deepened and rough with my partially transformed vocal chords, "let the real fun begin!"

My muscles tightened; then I pounced, lightning-fast. I screamed, slashing wildly with my claws; I saw as if in slow motion Kisame move to block, and my sharp golden eyes caught the split-second opportunity. I spun on my heel, hair flaring out behind me, and sprung for his exposed side.

My claws tasted victory and I crowed out, sinking ten tearing knives into his flesh. My hands pulled away bloody as Kisame grunted, swinging the sword's hilt down at my head. I was already moving, leaping for my next target.

I was behind him in an instant, and a window of opportunity presented itself. Only a few feet away he stood, coolly observing our battle without a hint of emotion.

I roared, the sound tearing from my throat. With my battle cry I lunged, my claws thirsty for more, aiming for the vital spot in his unprotected neck.

Time seemed to slow as I advanced on the Uchiha. Every step felt like lead, my body dragged down by some unforeseen force. And then I saw a flash of red eyes.

It was though a tremor of pain went through me; suddenly I was on my knees, gasping, clutching my head. My world was spinning dizzyingly. What was happening? My senses... They were failing me! But how? I stared up through a mess of hair into the cold, unblinking Sharingan. I couldn't...move! Those eyes...they held me captive somehow...!

I tried to snarl, to resist, flinging my strength at the invisible barrier holding me down. This was impossible! My eyes were the strongest! I wanted to scream, to attack; my blood boiled against this feeling of utter helplessness.

"How pathetic." Itachi's lips hardly moved; his voice was dismissive. "You're not even worth killing."

Kisame hefted his sword. "Shall I, then?" he asked with a toothy smile.

"Be quick about it," Itachi stated without feeling. "We have important business here."

From the corner of my eye I saw him swing the massive blade back, readying for the final blow. My body was tensed, but I couldn't move; I struggled, unable to pull my eyes from the mesmerizing Sharingan.

It can't end like this, I thought, fire burning at my insides. I can't lose now! My teammates...they need me!

A deep roar tore from my throat, angry and futile. The deadly spines of Samehada flashed downward – my mind went suddenly cold in fear.

This is it...

"So long, kitty."

I couldn't even close my eyes, awaiting the blow. My jaw was clenched tight, my chin defiant. Waiting, waiting...

It never came. A flash of movement from the corner of my eye; a familiar growl.

"Wh-what?" I gasped quietly, struggling to turn my head enough to see. Zabuza-sensei stood protectively over me, holding off Kisame's sword with his own. I was gaping openmouthed, frozen.

"She's with me," Zabuza snarled. He braced the flat of his black blade to ward off Samehada, precious inches away from my shoulders.

"Sensei?" I breathed. My mind seemed frozen as my body; I could hardly register anything beyond the fact that I was still alive.

"Reinen! Move!" he barked.

Suddenly I realized my freedom from the Sharingan's clutches; I got to my feet, rapidly falling into step behind my sensei. Movement was difficult; my entire body was trembling and I stumbled ungracefully, fighting to keep my feet stable. I'm not afraid, I told myself, in a futile attempt to regain control of my body. I wasn't then and I'm not now; instead, a different flame of feeling flickered at my insides.

Pure, surging anger.

How could I be so weak? I had fallen under the spell of his eyes, unwitting and unable to resist. I knew I couldn't forgive myself. I couldn't forgive him.

Then I was drawn out of my daze by what seemed to me the strangest of actions. Zabuza-sensei took a step back from the offending sword master and calmly sheathed his sword. Then he bowed, titling his head in recognition.

My eyes widened. Had he, too, fallen into the trap? "Sensei!" I yelled. "What are you doing? We have to fight-!"

He cut me off, his voice low and directed not to me but the duo in dark robes: "I apologize for that one's attitude. She is on occasion a pleasant young lady."

I shut my mouth, silenced by shock. It was if I'd been slapped in the face – I stood there, wavering, in a stupor, mind working double-time to figure out what was going on now.

Kisame inclined his head. "I can see she takes after someone, at least." His grin broadened.

"It's been years; what brings you two here, Kisame-san?" Zabuza inquired seriously.

"Well." Kisame gingerly wrapped Samehada, tucking it behind his back. "Word of the country's unrest reached us, and I decided to come see it for myself." He regarded Zabuza's numerous injuries. "Looks like the rumors were true."

I found my voice. "Wait." I stepped forward, gathering what imposing strength I had earlier unleashed. "Wait. What's going on here, sensei? They're the enemy!" I cried incredulously, pointing at Itachi, who blinked indifferently. "Maybe you didn't notice, but back there they were trying to kill me!" My voice rose, tinged with anger.

Zabuza shook his head. "Explanations are in order, then. I apologize for the attempt on your life... You have to understand, they didn't know... Well, surely you remember the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist?" I nodded, remembering his stories. "Kisame-san and I are both members and longtime friends. I sensed someone was coming – I didn't know who – so I sent you to investigate. When you weren't coming back, I knew there was trouble."

He knew all along. I growled under my breath. Now that the fight was over, my body was slowly returning to normal, my fur dissolving into my skin. Long nails pricked into my fists; I fought against my rage, knowing it was useless here.

Zabuza nodded to Kisame. "You're welcome to come with us; I'll tell you all I know about the situation."

Kisame chanced a split-second glance at Itachi. "Excellent," he agreed.

Zabuza now turned to me. "Reinen, head back and alert the others we're coming." He smirked; "And tell them there's no need to panic."

I growled faintly, not appreciating his gentle teasing. Nevertheless I turned on my heel and shot off for the trees. My body ached slightly, as it always did after I executed my transformation jutsu. My rush of adrenaline had hardly subsided; my mind was racing along with my feet.

Kisame might have been sensei's friend, but he said nothing of the Leaf ninja; at that, a low growl emanated from my throat. I swore then and there that the next time we faced each other, I would murder Uchiha Itachi.

***

-Tanakachi Hanabiki-

My feet throbbed from repeated contact with the tips of my boots; my legs ached from walking, and the ropes bound tight about my wrists chafed at my skin. So this is what it's like to be held captive, I thought bitterly, tossing my head back. My neck was slick with sweat from the sun beating down on our backs – I felt hot and irritable, and wanted with all my might to positively ravage the bastards that thought they could hold me down like this. But I held myself back with the last of my self-restraint; I watched the brown ponytail bobbing in front of me and exhaled slowly, fighting for control.

Kao-nee-chan had to have good reason for allowing us to continue on like this. We might not always have agreed in the past, but she remained my older sister and my sole guardian since I'd been ten years old. I respected her for that – hell, if I was her, I wouldn't have put up with me for that long; but I digress. Kaoyumi was smart and she had our best interests at heart. Surely she had a plan of some sort, and soon, soon, I told myself, we would be free.

There was no opportunity for me to communicate with her, however. Since we'd set off at dawn we hadn't stopped in our silent, singular-fashion trek; and before that, we had spent the night quarantined in separate dark dungeons in the recesses of some shady hotel. Left alone under lock and chakra barrier, I had no means of escape; at least I managed a few hours of rest, but not before summoning my faithful reptile partner to keep watch. Kaoyumi, I knew, wouldn't have slept a wink.

Even now we were under constant watch; the scythe-wielder followed at my back, his silvered hair glinting in the sun; far ahead, the other Akatsuki led the way. They were poised like vipers, ready to strike at the slightest fidget of their prey... I raised my chin defiantly. I was no mouse; I wouldn't tremble, and I sure as hell wouldn't let them get the best of me.

I tried, multiple times, to free my hands; but they, too, were bound by chakra, and any attempt at jutsu would be futile. Instead I sighed and regarded the barren countryside we passed, utterly bored. You'd think even captivity would be exciting – but once you got over the initial panic, it was dull...

I went over what I knew in my head, hoping half-heartedly to find some key to escape. Of our captors, I knew this: they were each S-class missing ninjas, being part of the legendary Akatsuki; as such, they had to have specialized abilities. The tall one had those weird – and rather creepy – black threads covering his body, to command at will; he was eerily mysterious, as well, and so I suspected there was more to his skill than that.

The other – I chanced a glance over my shoulder, smirking as I saw he was cursing faintly and adjusting the bloodstained bandages around his chest. He intrigued me; the fact that he had somehow bested me in battle sparked my fury, and presented the enticing challenge of finding the weak spot in his artillery. His weapon was an oversized scythe with three blood-red blades, attached by coiling cord to his belt. He could throw it to fight at long-range, or use it for close defense, I analyzed. Its size and color made for good intimidation, but inconvenienced his speed. If I hadn't been distracted by Kao-nee-chan's side of the fight, I could've outmaneuvered him in short-range dueling, I thought confidently.

There was more to him, too, though – most interesting was the state of his wounds. I knew beneath my barrage of kunai he'd been struck by an arrow to the chest – and I knew Kao's arrows were one-shot killers. He hadn't evaded that attack, or the fangs of my hazy snake; and yet, he was still standing, and cursing fluently. Impressive, I had to admit.

I had to know more. But I had to do it in a way that wouldn't risk our lives; I hesitated, considering our distance apart from the Akatsuki and their threats last night. The mysterious figure was quite far ahead with Kaoyumi – nearly out of earshot. The man behind me was obviously more violent and temperamental, but in my experience as an assassin, it was the quiet type who posed more of a threat. Just look at my sister.

I made my choice, tossing my head back to knock my bangs out of my eyes. I smiled sweetly over my shoulder.

"I hope we didn't hurt you too much," I grinned, careful to keep my voice low. The silver-haired man's eyes narrowed slightly, and his hand twitched toward his scythe.

"Who gave you permission to talk?" he snapped.

I played the truth card. "No one said I couldn't."

"Well, shut up or I'll do it for you," he growled.

I smiled belligerently. "That's not a very nice way to treat a lady."

"Far as I'm concerned, you're not a lady," he snapped back.

"Really?" I sounded mildly offended. I swung my hips for good measure as I asked audaciously, "Then what am I?"

"An annoying bitch," he stated simply. But, interestingly, he had yet to make another move for his weapon. I hid a smile: I had read him correctly. He was just as bored as I was.

"A bitch, huh? I've been called worse. What's your name? Or should I call you 'that irritable asshole I have to put up with'?"

He smirked. "You have attitude, at least. I like that," he drawled. "It's Hidan."

Hidan, huh? I turned back around for a few paces, not wanting to arouse suspicion. Then I shook back my ginger-brown curls and smiled back at him. "You probably already know, but my name's Hanabiki. Most people just call me Hana, though."

"Hana? Flower?" he sneered. "What were your parents on when they named you?"

"Dunno," I tossed back at him, "they're both dead." I felt only the faintest twinge as I said that; it had been six years, now, since my parents - both ninja - had died fighting for the old Raikage. Not long after, the Raikage was assassinated, and his rebel rival instituted; since then Kao and I had fought fervently against his oppressive regime.

"Sucks to be you," Hidan said mockingly. "I killed mine."

"Why am I not surprised?" My voice dripped sarcasm. "So," I changed the topic, "how'd a nice guy like you end up in the Akatsuki?"

He sneered at my dry jab. "And I could ask how a model little girl like you ended up an assassin in Kurotokage."

"You could," I pointed out, "but you'd have to answer my question first."

"Wanted to partner me with that bastard," he said bitterly, nodding in the direction of his companion. "Thought I'd hold up better than the last ones."

"He goes through lots of partners?" I asked curiously.

"'Course he does. Beats the crap out of me every chance he gets." Hidan rubbed his chest, wincing slightly. "Not to mention he's irritating, a cheap miser, and he has no appreciation for religion."

That intrigued me. "Religion?" I caught the flash of a silver symbol hanging around his neck – a triangle within a circle.

"Jashinism," he proclaimed gravely, indicating this symbol. "I suppose you wouldn't have heard of that, either," he jeered.

"Nope, means nothing to me," I grinned truthfully. "Educate me."

Hidan opened his mouth to reply before tensing; his violet eyes were set on a point somewhere above my head. "What the hell do you want, Kakuzu-baka?" he growled.

I whirled, my eyes widening to see the towering figure of the other Akatsuki in front of me. His glowing green eyes were narrowed to slits; the rest of his face was hidden behind dark cloths. One hand reached down and roughly gripped my shoulder; I swore his fingers could have crushed my bone.

"Getting friendly with the prisoner, Hidan?" the tall man, Kakuzu, responded with equal dislike. "Be more careful or you'll get yourself killed someday."

Hidan immediately protested. "What's your problem, huh? It's not like there's anything else for me to do!"

"Keep watch," Kakuzu snapped. "We're nearing the border. Come," he ordered to me, tightening the grip on my arm.

I was helpless as he dragged me to the front of our pilgrimage. I passed Kao-nee-chan and gave her an exasperated look; she returned it with worry in her eyes. My heart sank slightly; she looked just as uncertain as I was of what to do now.

Well, we had no choice but to follow for now. I fell into step behind Kakuzu (mentally stopping myself from adding -baka), mulling over what little I had learned. These Akatsuki had to have a weakness of some sort; I just had to find it and exploit it.

I sighed softly; Kaoyumi was the strategist, not me, and without her assistance I didn't see how we could break away and survive. Our chances were looking slimmer by the second. Our only option was to cooperate and see what lay in store for us with the Akatsuki.

As I set my mind to work, I found myself repeatedly distracted by a thought. For all his irritable attitude, I had quite enjoyed bantering with Hidan. I cursed my error in letting myself get caught; now I had lost virtually all source of information, and someone to talk to.

To be continued...


Translation:

Hana - flower

Baka - idiot

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Happy holidays to everyone, and see you in the New Year!! :)