A/N: Okay so i'm happy with most of this chapter, i think it flows better and i think the flow will get better from here onwards, sorry for the rough take off. Enjoy!
Chapter four:
"Dammit… I hate you Kakashi." Sonea growled out in a bed next to him. The team was sent to get some rest for a while and Sonea chose that exact moment to pass out from the Jyuubi chakra.
"Hey… I didn't do anything." He said, lying in his bed, not being able to move. "How are you doing?" He asked in a soft and concerned voice.
"How should I be feeling after being poisoned, blown up and having to use that damn chakra to save your asses when you decided to push yourself anyway and use your mangekyo to many times in one day. You damn idiot, I don't know why I love you." She crossed her arms and growled, Kakashi laughed sheepishly.
"Well, at least we're bunking together." He said, trying to lighten the situation. "But please, answer me honestly." He asked and Sonea sighed with a wince from her chest and ribs.
"It seems the damn tomoe are showing up in my eyes as each bijuu gets sealed and my seal is burning more to as the tomoe use the Jyuubi's power to appear… Tsunade is pushing me up a level of painkillers and things just seem to be getting worse but I think we may have a bit of time after Akatsuki lost two members to regroup." Sonea said, looking out the window across Kakashi. "Get some rest, you need it." Sonea said, smiling at him. He closed his eyes.
"Can I ask you one question quickly?" He asked.
"What?" Sonea asked.
"Was that my lightning blade I saw you use on that bird?" He asked with playful suspicion.
"… No…" She said innocently and Kakashi smiled under the blanket.
The team gathered in the room a little while later and they were waiting patiently for Kakashi to wake up and Tsunade to arrive.
"He's awake." Naruto said, looking over Kakashi.
"Here again?" Kakashi asked, finally realising he was in a hospital and Tsunade walked in.
"Good work Kakashi." Tsunade said.
"Tsunade-sama." Kakashi said with strain as he tried to sit up, his blanket slipping down his face slightly.
"Don't force yourself Kaka-sensei." Sakura told him. Naruto was trying to inconspicuously see under the blanket at Kakashi's face but backed off once he saw Sakura's face.
"I took a look at you earlier. You're going to have to stay in bed for a week. And after you're out, it will be another several days before I can clear you to go on any mission." Tsunade told Kakashi.
"I had a feeling that would be the case… " He said disappointedly.
"Looks like it will take some time for you to master your new sharingan." Tsunade said.
"Looks like it." He said back.
"For the time being, don't over do it and rest up. Team Guy, I want you to rest today as well. You may submit your report tomorrow… Let's go Shizune." Tsunade said but Sonea could see in her eyes that she wanted to talk to her as everyone filed out and left Kakashi and Sonea to rest.
"So… how many tiles do you count?" Sonea asked with a grin and Kakashi chuckled.
Sonea woke up again a few hours later to see Tsunade sitting next to her bed with a thoughtful look on her face.
"Hey… What's wrong Tsunade?" Sonea asked sleepily as she sat up.
"The council cornered me like I thought, about Naruto. They now know about you being on the team and have decided to turn it into a five man squad for the next mission after they couldn't get around your ranking over the matter of Naruto and so I have placed ANBU around your room." She said tiredly.
"So, Danzo is after me." Sonea said with a sigh.
"Yes, I was also forced to put a ROOT member on Team Kakashi… Has Sakura told you about what Sasori told her?" Tsunade asked.
"No, what has Sasori told her?" Sonea asked with suspicion.
"Sasori told her he was meeting up with one of his spy's from Orochimaru in six days from now and Naruto has decided he will be going. Kakashi is out of it so I will be sending someone in his place: 'Yamato'. He is one of my most trusted ANBU and I will bring him around later with Jiraiya to discuss the previous mission… Now, tell me what is going on with you." She said with slight worry.
"As soon as we got to Suna, the first tomoe appeared in my eye and the other one formed when the sealing was complete. My seal began to burn and still is, ten times worse than before. I fought against Sasori until he began to use iron sand where I was at a disadvantage and Sakura and Chiyo told me to go after Naruto and Kakashi. We took down the Akatsuki person named Deidara but he exploded and so I used my Jyuubi chakra mode to take out the explosion and I ended up with the hole in my abdomen and the burns on my hands and thighs. I stayed in Jyuubi chakra mode until I passed out here because I knew that was coming. It's getting harder to use it each time." Sonea finished explaining as Tsunade was doing an examination on her.
"Did you get hit by the poison at all?" She asked, completely finishing the healing on her body and placing her ribs back and fixing other fractures.
"Yes, I inhaled some of it. It is a mixture of heavy metals but mostly lead that caused some internal damage but my body should filter it out quickly." Sonea said as she finished her examination and sat back down.
"Okay. I want you to stay over night so we can make sure the poison filters through properly and I will be stepping up your medication to level seven. You will be going on the mission to the spy of Sasori's and watch the ROOT member accordingly." Tsunade said.
"Tsunade… I need you to tell Sakura about me… We can't keep it from her any longer, not when I'm on the team." Sonea asked as Tsunade walked out and she agreed. Sonea stared at her sheets on the bed in thought. "Do you want one of my wolves to stop by your place and get you some proper clothes?" Sonea asked Kakashi, knowing he was awake the entire time.
"My sleeping clothes would be nice, they should be folded on my bed in my apartment… So… How much pain are you really in?" Kakashi asked curiously as he sat up a little and pulled the curtain around to block his face from the window. Sonea was staring in thought again as she rested back against a propped up pillow.
"You know when you stub your toe really hard against something without breaking it… It's that feeling all over my tattoo and seal but it's a constant throbbing pain which burns. It's not just medication for the pain but for the stress my body is under from natural chakra and the Jyuubi's chakra as well and that is why it's level seven." Sonea said, looking at the sealing and placed the genjutsu back over her eyes and Kakashi's face as Star walked in with clothes that she handed to both of them. Sonea hopped out of the bed and dressed in her normal shinobi uniform and she helped Kakashi get dress as well. "Get some more rest, I'm not allowed to leave yet so I'll be sitting on my bed." Sonea told Kakashi as she hopped up onto her bed and began meditating while Kakashi went back to sleep.
"You're looking pretty laid back there." Jiraiya said, hopping through the window, Sonea didn't move a muscle from her meditative position the next morning.
"Jiraiya-sama." Kakashi said, surprised.
"Though, I guess you've been like that for a while, eh? I heard that you'll be stuck in bed for a week." Jiraiya said.
"Well, that's what it looks like." Kakashi said, sitting up a bit quickly. Sonea and Jiraiya were next to him quickly, helping him up into a sitting position.
"Easy, easy, don't force yourself… Yeah, you're not going anywhere for a while." Jiraiya said with concern. They helped him to lean against a propped up pillow gently as Sonea sat on his bed next to him and ran a hand soothingly through his hair until he stopped shaking with pain
"A gift! Two volumes of Icha Icha Paradise. You've probably read them already but it will help pass the time." Jiraiya said, slamming the books down on his bedside table. Sonea began glaring at the books, hoping they would spontaneously burst into flames.
"Thank you." Kakashi said, eying the books. "This can't be the real reason you've returned to the village right?" Kakashi asked with suspicion.
"We'll talk more in detail once he and Tsunade arrive." Jiraiya said.
"He who?" Kakashi asked with more suspicion.
"I believe that he's being called 'Yamato' on this mission." Jiraiya said, looking out the window then back to Kakashi and Sonea with a smile. Sonea narrowed her eyes at the smile, knowing it all to well. "So, what's going on between you two?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"None of your business." Sonea growled out as she stood up off of the bed and waited with her arms crossed while Kakashi began to read his books and giggle like a naughty schoolgirl.
"Looks like they've arrived." Jiraiya said and Kakashi put his book down and Tsunade, Shizune and Tenzo walked in.
"Long time no see Senpai and Sonea-san." Tenzo said with a smile.
"I see, so you're the one she has called Yamato." Kakashi said as they gathered around the bed.
"Yes, Yamato will be my codename while working as the interim captain for you're team." Yamato explained quickly.
"Yamato, huh?" Kakashi said.
"I brought Yamato here because there's something he needs to know if he's going to act as Team Kakashi's captain." Tsunade said and Sonea decided to sit on Kakashi's bed for the time being.
"And it's the main reason why you were chosen to be Kakashi's substitute." Jiraiya said to Yamato.
"Is it about Naruto-kun?" Yamato asked. Kakashi nodded.
"Exactly."
"You already know about the Kyuubi being sealed within Naruto. There are some times when the Kyuubi's chakra flows out of Naruto's body and starts to take on the demon fox's form. We call this the Demon Fox's Cloak" Jiraiya informed Yamato whose eyes widened.
"The Demon Fox's Cloak? Does it happen frequently?" He asked, a bit worried.
"It happened in the previous mission. As Naruto's emotions intensify, more and more of the Kyuubi's chakra begins to flow out of him until it envelopes his entire body and he took the form of the Demon Fox's Cloak. Just before the second tail formed, Sonea managed to tackle him and force it back using natural chakra. But who knows what would of happened if she didn't intervene then." Kakashi said, glancing to Sonea next to him.
"I see. So it did come out." Jiraiya said with a bit of disappointment.
"Going by the formation of the chakra, it's likely that more tails will appear… And eventually there would be nine." Kakashi said with his eyes closed.
"That sums it up." Jiraiya said and Sonea closed her eyes with a sigh, remembering when she stepped in to save Jiraiya while they were on their training trip.
"Sonea… Jiraiya-sama, how many tails have you seen him go up to?" Kakashi asked with curiosity. Sonea looked away, not wanting to remember it. Jiraiya began removing his clothes to reveal the scar Naruto left there.
"In my whole life, I've only come close to death twice. The first time six ribs and both of my arms were broken and several of my internal organs were severely damaged. It happened when I was trying to peek at the girls in the hot springs, and Tsunade beat the snot out of me. And the second time… Was when I was training with Naruto and the fourth tail formed. His anger is the trigger. The angrier he gets, the faster the tails appear. He can maintain control of himself up to three tails, but once the fourth one appears, he can no longer distinguish between friend and foe and leaves naught but destruction in his wake. He looks exactly like a miniature version of the Kyuubi." Jiraiya said, showing the hole in his chest. Sonea turned back to face the group.
"Even with the Yondaime's seal, he can draw that much?" Kakashi asked with amazed fear.
"I haven't figured out the specifics myself, but I can only come up with one explanation. The Yondaime's seal is weakening." Jiraiya concluded.
"The Yondaime's sealing technique?" Tsunade said with slight astonishment.
"To think that could happen…" Kakashi said.
"There's more. When Naruto is in the Kyuubi state, it may look like the Demon Fox's Cloak is shielding him from harm. But in reality, the chakra causes constant damage to the body. When the fourth tail came out, he started bleeding heavily, the blood mixing with the chakra. And despite the severity of his injuries, he went on a rampage. Once the Cloak dissipates, the Kyuubi's chakra inside his body began healing his wounds. If he keeps going through cycles of heavy injury and accelerated healing like that, his body's going to break down and his life span will be shortened." Jiraiya finished explaining.
"It is called the second stage jinchuuriki, the third stage is when bones begin to form around the jinchuuriki and fourth stage you cannot stop the bijuu appearing, it is where I went to help Jiraiya and Naruto train during our mission. I could feel from the first time Naruto used the Kyuubi's chakra that the presence of the Kyuubi became stronger to the Jyuubi and with his seal and my seal breaking, you are waiting for disaster however I can keep the Jyuubi in check with natural chakra" Sonea informed them with her eyes on the ground as Jiraiya began to put his clothes back on again.
"That is why we need you Yamato. You've inherited the DNA of the Shodia Hokage." Tsunade said sternly with hope.
"You and Sonea are the only ones with a chance of controlling a jinchuuriki. And luckily Naruto is wearing the Shodai's necklace. We're counting on both of you." Jiraiya finished.
"That sums up everything. Sonea, Team Kakashi are leaving straight away, you are clear to leave, do you want to go now or catch up later?" Tsunade asked her.
"I'll go with them now, I can't trust that ROOT member and Danzo will try to get me if I stay in the village, he just has a reason and easy access to try something now against me." Sonea said with slight restrained anger and clenched fists. She turned to walk out but Kakashi grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto his lap and kissed her in front of everyone with his mask on. He let her get up afterwards, feeling a bit dazed and Jiraiya yelling at Kakashi that he knew something was going on and Sonea followed after Yamato to meet the team.
"Bye Sonea-chan." Kakashi called out and chuckled.
Yamato and Sonea landed at the gate with Naruto and Sakura eying the ROOT member suspiciously. Sonea walked right over to him with a blank expression.
"My name is Sonea Storm Shadow, may I ask your name if we are to be working together?" Sonea said emotionlessly, knowing what ROOT members were like, saying they were based on her.
"My name is Sai, I have heard a lot about you." Sai said with a fake smile and Sonea noted it before turning back to Yamato.
"Okay, Team Kakashi, we head out now." Yamato said, beginning to walk with Sonea next to him and the rest following behind.
The walk was uneventful, thankfully, as they began to walk for a while but both Sonea and Yamato could feel the tension behind them as they had a silent conversation with their eyes.
"What is it?" Sai asked suddenly." Please stop staring at me like that, or I'll have to smack you." Sai said emotionlessly and Sonea let out a silent sigh, it was going to be a long mission.
"Every time you open your mouth, you piss me off." Naruto yelled frustrated.
"It's nothing personal." Sai said easily.
"Yeah right!" Naruto yelled back at him.
"I am just portraying myself as the kind of person who says things like that." Sai said calmly.
"Portraying yourself?" Sakura said with surprise.
"That's what makes it personal… That settles it, you don't belong on this team." Naruto yelled and they all stopped. Sonea gave Yamato a look and looked back quickly, silently asking him to do something before she did something. Naruto and Sai began to stare each other down and Sonea and Yamato turned side ways to watch them.
"You're the biggest asshole I've ever met." Naruto said bluntly.
"Hey now, that's no way to act in front of your Captain is it, Naruto? Trust and team work are the most important attributes of a team. I know Kakashi-san taught you that. Kakashi-san is a great man, and considering you are part of his team, your attitude worries me." Yamato warned.
"It's because he's not a part of Team Kakashi. The other member of the team… is Sasuke. This guy was only chosen to fill in the gap Sasuke left. I refuse to accept him as a teammate." Naruto voiced his opinion.
"Well… That suits me fine. Betraying Konoha… Running off to serve Orochimaru… Don't put me in the same group… as that gutless little homo." Sai said happily and luckily Sakura stepped in.
"We do need to put team work first. Sai, Naruto still doesn't know much about you and he went to far. I apologise. Please forgive Naruto." Sakura said seriously and Yamato breathed a sigh of relief.
"At least one of them is serious." He said.
"Don't get your hopes up." Sonea warned in a whisper.
"No problem, apology accepted." Sai said with his fake smile again and Sakura gave one back. Sonea sighed as she saw what was coming.
"Really, glad to hear it." Sakura kept her fake smile in place and she hit Sai as he tried to return one which sent him flying. "I, on the other hand, don't care if you forgive me. "
"You tricked me… With that fake smile of yours." Sai stated.
"You don't know anything about Sasuke-kun. Don't you dare talk trash about him again. If you do, I'll punch you for real next time." Sakura warned.
"Fair enough. I won't say anything about him in front of you. And I had no idea you could use fake smiles either. I'll be sure to remember this." Sai said easily.
"How can you be so laid back after getting decked like that?" Naruto demanded.
"A smile is the best way to deal with difficult situations. Even if it's a fake one. Used properly, you could fool anyone with them. I read that in a book. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work properly when I try it." Sai said with his fake smile and Sonea sighed with irritation.. Yamato formed a wooden cage and crossed his arms.
"If you three keep this up, I will lock you up in this cell. We don't have much time until we reach the Heaven and Earth Bridge. But we can spare some time to stop along the way." Yamato warned and Sonea raised an arm up to lean against the prison and crossed a leg over the other at the ankles. "Here's a little proposal for you, I can either lock you all in this cell for a day to help improve your team work or we can spend a night at a hot spring resort. Which would you prefer? The three of you don't know anything about me either right? I prefer to handle situations with diplomacy. But I'm not averse to controlling people with fear." Yamato warned before making the cage disappear and they all continued their walk in silence.
"Kakashi trained you well." Sonea whispered to Yamato with a smirk.
"That he did." Yamato said with a grin of his own.