The Necromancer Revisited, Chapter 4:
"Lady Hokage!" exclaimed an assistant as he burst into Tsunade's office in the Administration Building, "Another batch of reports!"
The assistant walked over to Tsunade's desk and placed a stack of papers on it, adding to the several other stacks already on the desk. Tsunade placed down the report she was reading and flipped through the new stack. They were all similar.
Ever since she woke up and entered her office, reports from almost all over Konoha were swarming their way onto her desk. All of them described a strange sickness that turned people into cannibals, how these cannibals would not die and did not feel pain, and other such details that Tsunade knew were horrible news. With so many reports, there was no way that this was false. Something terrible was happening to the village.
"What should we do, Tsunade?" Shizune asked fearfully as she glanced through some of the reports.
"Go find the Council members and tell them to get to safety. Also, contact the ANBU and have them head here... no, just have them go on the offensive against these cannibals," Tsunade ordered.
"But... why go on the offensive? We barely know what's happening!" Shizune protested.
"Don't question me here, Shizune. I've encountered my fair share of evil creations to know what's going on here. So do as I say!"
"Um... y-yes, ma'am!" Shizune exclaimed as she left the office. Tsunade sighed and ran her hand through her hair. Just how the hell did these creatures show up? There were many possibilities, and none of them were good. She was conflicted as to what to do next, but a shout from outside tore her thoughts away from the tough decisions that she would have to make.
"SOMEONE HELP!" a man outside shouted, "WE NEED A MEDICAL-NIN HERE! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!"
Tsunade opened the window in her office and jumped out of it, sending chakra to the soles of her feet to cushion her fall from the three-story leap (not to mention the incredible height of the four stories in the Administration Building when compared to ordinary buildings).
Tsunade walked towards a crowd of concerned people that were most likely around the injured person.
"Move aside, people!" she announced. A path was cleared for her, and she walked into the clearing to see a man crouching over a wounded girl. Tsunade temporarily flinched at the sight of large amounts of blood coming from the girl, but she swallowed her fears to help the girl.
Tsunade knelt down besides the concerned man, who had wiped away most of the blood around her wound. Tsunade glanced at the man as she placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. The man nodded, understanding what Tsunade wanted, and he backed up.
"Thanks for taking care of her before I arrived," she added. She then turned towards the girl. The wound was between her neck and shoulder, and it was still bleeding. Tsunade's hands hovered above the wound and began to heal it. The blood flow began to slow and eventually stop, and once the blood was no longer obscuring the wound, Tsunade recoiled in shock.
T-That's a bite wound! Tsunade thought in fear. This was not good. Closer examination showed that the bite was caused by human teeth. This matched the reports. While Tsunade had her assumptions, this all but confirmed it. All that was left...
No! She wouldn't simply sit around and watch this girl die! It had been nearly twenty years since that horrible event... her medical skills had improved since then! She would stop this! She closed her eyes and focused as she began to heal the girl once more. The familiar evil chakra was within the girl... she opened her eyes to see if she was making progress.
Tsunade noticed that the girl was losing the color from her skin and her breathing rate was increasing. Damn it! Tsunade mentally cursed as she began to pour more of her healing chakra into the girl. It was incredibly difficult to counteract the plague that was spreading through her. Every time she fixed something, some other part of the plague became worse.
The girl began to cough up blood. Tsunade stopped healing the girl and slammed her fists in defeat against the ground as she grit her teeth tightly. She had failed. She stood up and walked away from the girl.
"She's dead," she said sternly, "please, everyone, do not stay aro-"
"NOOOO! EMI!" the man that had been next to the girl earlier cried out as he rushed by her side. Tsunade turned around, fearful for what would happen next.
"DON'T GO NEAR HER!" she warned, but it was too late. The man was shaking with shock as the girl, presumably his lover, sank her teeth into his neck. Emi remained latched on to his neck, and the man could only stare at Emi's mouth and the blood flowing down his body. He soon collapsed, and the crowd of people began to panic.
"Shit!' Tsunade swore before yelling, "DON'T GO NEAR THEM!" Her words were unheard over the crowd, and cries, screams, and moans were heard as more and more people were either bitten or transformed into the undead. Tsunade had no other choice: she had to go back inside the building. She rushed inside the Administration Building, and quickly bolted up the long stairways between floors before she reached her office on the third floor.
"Lady Tsunade, what's wrong?" Shizune asked as Tsunade entered.
Tsunade, panting and unable to speak from exhaustion, simply pointed towards the window. Shizune walked over to it, looked outside, and cupped her hands over her mouth in terror. Shizune took a few steps away from the window before looking at Tsunade with a lost look.
"W-What do we do?" she asked.
Tsunade took a deep breath and spoke, "We... did you contact...?"
"Yes..." Shizune said.
"Where are they?"
"Right here," spoke Homura from behind Tsunade. Tsunade glanced behind her to see Homura, Koharu, and a whole squad of ANBU outside her office.
"How did this happen?" Koharu asked, seemingly expecting Tsunade to know the answer, "The sensing barrier around Konoha did not pick up anything unusual at any time this day!"
"I don't know! I don't supervise the barrier! I... Shizune, is Tonton taken care of?" Tsunade asked.
"Y-Yes! I reverse summoned him to where Katsuyu is located!" Shizune said, unsure of what to make of the current chaotic situation.
"Katsuyu! Couldn't she heal everyone?" Homura asked.
"If she couldn't twenty years ago, I doubt she could today. Besides, it's too risky. Even if I split her up, if one piece gets bitten, the chakra will distribute itself to the other pieces of her," Tsunade said grimly.
"What are our orders?" spoke the commander of the ANBU squad, "Lady Shizune said we were to attack, but she suggested we hear directly from you."
"Do a full-scale onslaught against the cannibals. Show no mercy to them! They are not the person they may appear to be! They are the enemy! Rescue any civilians, but make sure they are not bitten! If they are, they will turn into a cannibal as well!" Tsunade said with bravado.
"Yes, Lady Hokage!" shouted the ANBU members.
"Hold on! How can you order such an attack without any evidence to back your claims?" Koharu asked, her mien about to become outraged.
"Unlike you two, I was there during that event twenty years ago. I believe that I know more about what is happening than the two of you, and I am positive that if Hiruzen were still alive, he would back my decisions. And you seem awfully angered towards a massacre, even though you supported a similar one not too long ago..." Tsunade said lowly, a smirk appearing on her face as she mentioned the Uchiha Massacre.
"Why, how dare you!" Homura shouted. He then turned towards the ANBU and said, "Do not listen to this woman! Find out what happened to those people outside and try to cure them from their psychotic rage!"
"The ANBU only answer to me!" Tsunade said with vehement anger as she glared at the two elders, "They entered this position knowing full well that they will have to protect this wonderful village by sacrificing themselves, if need be! I have the firsthand experience of being there at the Day of the Bloodied Sun! I know these creatures! They cannot be healed to the person they used to be! They have to be destroyed!"
Homura was about to object, but Tsunade cut him off.
"Escort them to the Emergency Room. Give them some time to cool off," Tsunade said harshly. Two ANBU burst forward and restrained Homura and Koharu, who futilely struggled to break out of the ANBU's hold. Tsunade looked towards Shizune. Shizune nodded, and went over to Tsunade's desk and pressed a button on the underside of it. The bookcase in the room slid over to the right, revealing a heavily reinforced steel door. Shizune walked over and opened it, revealing a descending tunnel with lights lining the corridors.
"Don't listen to this mad woman!" Homura shouted.
"She'll doom you all!" Koharu added.
"It sounds to me like you two need to be locked up," one of the ANBU said. The two ANBU then pushed Koharu and Homura into the tunnel, and Shizune quickly shut the door. The two ANBU pushed the bookcase back in front of the door, effectively locking the two elders inside. Tsunade sighed with relief.
"Oh, thank you for that. I'm getting fed up with their bullshit," Tsunade said as she smiled at the ANBU.
"No problem, Lady Hokage. Do the orders still stand?"
"Yes. Serve our village with honor and valor! Do not show fear or hesitation towards the cannibals!" Tsunade exclaimed, "Do not worry about me- I'll go investigate why the Barrier Team did not contact me. Go forth and protect the Leaf!"
"Yes, Lady Hokage!" exclaimed the ANBU squad as they all body flickered away. Tsunade stared at the spot the ANBU squad recently occupied.
"Lady Tsunade?" Shizune asked.
"Oh, sorry," Tsunade said, snapping out of her trance, "Let's go."
Shizune nodded, and the two left the office. As they headed down the hallway towards the monitor room, Tsunade mentally thanked the brave ANBU squad that would fight against the undead menace. She hoped at least a few would survive, but it was doubtful. This terrible plague had likely spread over all of Konoha, and there was little she could do except find out who was behind all of this. Hopefully the Barrier Team had the answers.
Tsunade opened a door and went inside. The monitor room was just that- several computer monitors that showed various important areas of Konoha. Tsunade walked over to the many screens and looked around for the one that showed video footage of the chamber that contained the Barrier Team. She found it, and her eyes widened with shock.
The Barrier Team had somehow been zombified!
"H-How? Their location is kept secret!" Shizune asked as she stared at the screen with horror.
"Either we have a traitor, which is unlikely... or we're against someone with knowledge on the layout of Konoha," Tsunade said grimly.
"What if the enemy is a sensor ninja?" Shizune asked.
"That could be the case, as well..." Tsunade said. She gasped when all of a sudden the video footage suddenly turned to static. Shizune walked over and typed some commands on the keyboards below the monitors to try and bring back the video feed, but it did not work.
"Video communications have been cut!" Shizune exclaimed.
"Shit!" Tsunade swore. She sighed in exasperation as she placed a hand on her head, "We... we should see if the people down on the first floor are okay. The cannibals might have broken in!"
"Right!' Shizune exclaimed as she nodded. The two then set off.
Koharu took heavy breaths while Homura pounded on the door, shouting at the people he thought were outside to open up the door. He, too, soon joined Koharu in breathing heavily from over-exerting his body.
"Forget it, Homura..." Koharu said, "...Let's just head down."
"Fine. Hopefully everything turns out okay for this village. Then we can contact the Daimyo and tell him all about Tsunade's recklessness!" Homura exclaimed as he began to walk down the tunnel, which gently sloped downward.
"Or, if we're lucky, the problem that is Tsunade will take care of itself..." Koharu said with a devilish grin as she followed Homura.
"...I'm not that bitter about this..." Homura said as he glanced at Koharu with concern, "...and besides, it would be a bureaucratic nightmare to select a new Hokage, especially not knowing how many will die before this whole problem is stopped."
"Well, Tsunade has always been a thorn in our side! She constantly argues against our viewpoints!" Koharu exclaimed with frustration.
"True, but... her ideas have always helped us more than our ideas would have," Homura admitted, "Maybe we're just not trusting of her because she's not Hiruzen."
"Maybe... maybe you're right," Koharu said with a sigh, "We trusted Hiruzen since he was a long-time friend. Minato always sought a compromise, and Hiruzen was on the council to coax us and Minato towards the right choice. We don't have that peace here. There's no middle-man to ease the tensions..."
Nothing more was said until they finally reached the safety room. It was well-lit and equipped with several rooms that resembled any ordinary house. There was an additional room with many rations and other emergency supplies. There were also other corridors that led to several other locations throughout Konoha. Everything was as expected- except for another man sitting on a couch in the room.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Homura demanded.
"I helped construct these tunnels," replied the elderly man, "I believe I'm entitled to use them."
Koharu was about to speak, but Homura quieted her by saying, "Fine... just don't cause any trouble."
The two elders went over to a bookcase to pick out some books to read while they waited for someone else to come down here and tell them that everything was safe. The elderly man stared at the two with remorse and guilt.
Damn it all... I came down here so nobody could be hurt, but now... he thought as he glanced at his right hand, which was missing a few fingers. He had bandaged them well enough so that they didn't bleed a lot, but he could feel something inside of him seeping throughout his body. He entered a fit of coughing, blood exiting his mouth. Koharu and Homura quickly ran towards him and asked if he was okay.
The only response they received was a low, bestial rasp.
The ANBU squad was in front of the Administration Building. The zombies slowly approached them, moaning for their blood and flesh. If there were any ANBU that were scared, they did not show it through shaking.
"Okay!" shouted the ANBU commander over the barbarous din caused by the undead, "We twenty ANBU here are the only ones left that are not on reconnaissance missions elsewhere! As usual, Root is doing whatever they please, but let us forget about them! We will fight with honor and courage! I want us split into five four-man teams! My team will remain here. The other four teams will cover the eastern, western, southern, and central parts of Konoha, since we are in the northern area! I don't care who is in what team! We have no time to argue, so just go! Make Konoha proud!"
The ANBU quickly departed, leaving the commander with three other ANBU members. Glancing at the three, he could tell their identities by the masks they wore.
"Yuugao, Yamato, Tokiro... let us show these monsters no mercy!" the ANBU commander proclaimed.
"Yes, Mashiro!" the three responded. The four quickly unsheathed their katanas and took defensive stances as the undead drew closer and closer. Yuugao suddenly darted forward with great speed, cleaving through many of the undead in the immediate area. Despite the grievous injuries, they still approached.
"What! How!" Yuugao asked in bewilderment as she took a few steps away from the cut-up corpses.
"...Take out their brains," Tokiro, the ANBU man with a bird mask, said, "If they cannot feel pain, and they're still moving, then their pain receptors have to be blocked. Let me test my theory..."
Tokiro held onto his katana and pointed it at an approaching zombie that's chest had a deep cut across it due to Yuugao's attack. He aimed the blade towards the zombie's head and made a one-handed seal. There was a crackle of electricity that surged through the golden gauntlet he wore on his right hand only, and the sword suddenly launched forward at great speeds. The sword impaled the zombie between the eyes, and it fell down dead.
"Well, it looks like my younger brother can still surprise me," Mashiro, the ANBU captain with a fox mask, said with a smile under the mask. He then directed his next sentence to his teammates, "Alright! Go for the head! Pierce their skulls or cut their heads off! Do not hesitate!"
The zombies that Yuugao wounded were now only a few feet from the ANBU. Yamato made a few hand seals that made several sharp and thin roots burst from the ground, skewering the zombies' heads. Mashiro used a jutsu that caused a wave of water to surge forward, but only to push the zombies back. Once they had enough room, they all split up to attack different parts of the horde.
Yuugao made some hand seals and then passed her hand over the sword. The sword began to glow with an aura of chakra that soon extended and became more solid in appearance. Yuugao had learned this technique from training with the samurai in the Land of Iron. It would absolutely devastate the undead creatures. She jumped down from the rooftop she retreated to and began to sprint forward and cleave through the zombies around her. Now her sword could easily cut through the undead instead of just wounding them. She also tried to aim her blade so that she could cut off the heads of the zombies, but she knew variations in height would throw her off.
After clearing the immediate area she was in, she turned around to investigate the damage she had done. Had she not have been trained to deal with these kind of sights, she would have vomited. The area was covered in blood and guts, and several body parts lay in the pool of red liquid. Some of them were still moving, dragging themselves towards Yuugao, their insides trailing behind them. Yuugao walked towards the few stragglers to finish them off. After stabbing through the heads of a few of the undead, she noticed that there was only one left. She walked over to it, and felt a sharp pain on her left leg. Yuugao looked down in fright to see that a bodiless head was biting her leg! She cried out in anger as she stabbed the head. It was over... she was doomed. But why that head? She looked around and noticed that every bodiless head was still moving! She sank to her knees in defeat. She would not let herself turn into one of these monsters. She removed her mask and took her sword. She placed the tip of it against her forehead, and she closed her eyes as she prepared to thrust the blade through...
A snarl near her interrupted her thoughts. She turned around to cut down the nearby zombie, but she hesitated. It was just a mere child! The boy drug itself towards Yuugao, its lower half having being cut off by her earlier. Yuugao began to cry. A child... a child that she and Hayate would never be able to have...
The zombie child continued to approach Yuugao. He grabbed her arm and moved in to bite it, to get a taste of her delicious flesh... but he suddenly stopped inches from her skin. A moan came from the woman's lips. She was kin now. The child turned away and began to drag itself towards other prey. Yuugao, now a zombie, shuffled towards the ANBU man she could see fending off zombies using the summoning of sharpened wood.
Yamato finished off the other wave of nearby undead. He took off his mask and tossed it aside. He really did not need it on- concealing his identity was meaningless, and it was hot, to boot. Another crowd of undead approached, and he grimaced upon seeing them. He was getting sick of these creatures. He made a few more hand seals and slammed his hands on the ground. Several spires of wood burst from the ground, spearing every zombie in the head. He poured more chakra into the technique to make the spires expand and kill every zombie behind the nearest crowd. The spires sank back into the ground, and with them dropped nearly a hundred bodies. There was only one approaching zombie left.
Yamato gasped with shock as he beheld Yuugao's zombified form. How did she fall? Yamato bit his lip as he took a kunai in his hand. He knew that Yuugao would not want to be one of these creatures. He walked over to her, causing her to moan and reach towards Yamato. He yelled in rage as he hurled the kunai at her, nailing her between the eyes. Yuugao fell, dead, her long purple hair spread all across the ground, shielding her face. Yamato stared at her body for a bit, paying silent respects to her, before he decided to check in on his other teammates. He leaped up on the rooftops and looked around until he saw Tokiro surrounded by a crowd of undead that was slowly closing in. Yamato jumped down and made a few roots appear to kill a few zombies behind Tokiro.
"Thanks," he said as he removed some kunai from pouches in his outfit. He slapped the kunai on his gauntlet, and they stuck to it. He made a one-handed seal, and the kunai launched forward, propelled by magnetism.
"Where's Mashiro?" Yamato asked.
"Dead," Tokiro said bluntly.
"What!" Yamato asked in disbelief.
"At first I thought they got him when one bit his arm, but I keep forgetting about that prosthetic arm of his. He then lit 'em aflame, and the bastards kept approaching. He was torn apart..."
"I'm so sorry..." Yamato said lowly.
"Stop moping. You need to get out of here," Tokiro said.
"But-"
"No. I saw you fighting that crowd over there. We both know neither of us has enough chakra to smash all of these fuckers. You need to go to Root and ask for assistance, since you're the only one that is in contact with it. Go... I'll hold them off to the best of my ability."
Yamato looked down with despair.
"Thank you, Tokiro," Yamato said.
"Hey, if you see Juli, and she's okay... tell her I love her," Tokiro added.
"I will. Goodbye, Tokiro," Yamato said as he body flickered away. Tokiro sadly smiled at the spot where Yamato occupied moments ago, and then he turned to the undead crowd.
"ALRIGHT, YOU FUCKERS! WHO WANTS A PIECE OF ME?" Tokiro said as he made some hand seals to heavily increase the flow of electricity inside of him. Normally it would boost his speed, strength, and general reaction time, but here, it would have a different purpose. It would disrupt the nervous system of any zombie that bit into him, ultimately shutting it down. He charged forward into the crowd, cringing as the teeth bit into him, but laughing as the zombies that bit into him shortly died.
"I HOPE YOU PILES OF SHIT GET A STOMACH ACHE FROM EATING ME!" he screamed as he felt his jutsu wear off after a few zombies bit him. He laughed maniacally as the zombies tore into him with delight...
Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura were running down a back street that was relatively zombie-free. They had to take several winding lesser-traveled routes on their way to the Administration, which cost them time, but with the benefit of safety. Traveling on the rooftops towards the northern part of the village was difficult due to the differing height of the buildings.
This current street was completely empty. Kakashi stopped dead in his tracks, and he held up a hand, signaling Naruto and Sakura to stop as well.
"Why'd we-" Naruto began, but Kakashi hushed him. He pointed to his ear, indicating for the two to listen. The only thing that could be heard was the distant moans of the undead and the screams of their victims. There was nothing near them at all. Kakashi looked around, noticing that this entire street seemed "off." Despite the zombies sweeping through the city, there were no signs of struggle on this street. There was no blood, no dropped possessions... even peering inside the houses showed that there were no visible signs of struggle.
"It's like there were no zombies here at all..." Sakura said quietly, breaking the silence.
"Exactly... which is why I think we've found the perpetrators..." Kakashi said.
"Huh? Why's that?" Naruto asked in confusion as he looked around for people wearing Akatsuki robes.
"If they created these creatures, it would make sense that they could control them, especially if they eat people without discrimination. So it would make sense to make the creatures avoid their base of operations. Plus..." Kakashi explained, then he pointed up at a building they were nearby, "...this building is rather tall. A nice place to observe the village, don't you think?"
"Well, you're good at piecing together little things," spoke a man from a nearby rooftop. The three turned to see a man in an open Akatsuki robe with several swords on his person. The blue hair and yellow eyes of the man made it unmistakable- this was the man that attacked Naruto earlier in the day.
"Why, thank you," Kakashi said with a light smile. The Akatsuki man suddenly unsheathed a sword and leaped down from the building, ready to cut down Kakashi. Naruto roared in anger as he jumped up and slammed his foot against the blue-haired man's face, knocking him off-course and down to the ground.
"Fucking piss-ant," Kenokami cursed as he turned his head to the side and spat out a small glob of blood. He wiped his mouth with his free hand and beckoned for Naruto to charge at him, all which he grinned, showing his wolf-like teeth.
Naruto clenched his fist tightly as he felt the anger boil up inside of him. He was ready to burst forward, but Kakashi placed his arm in front of Naruto.
"Don't. You said yourself that he easily defeated you. Protect Sakura for now, until the both of you go against what I say and jump in to help," Kakashi said. Naruto managed to quell his anger, but only for Sakura. He turned towards her as he prepared to walk over to her, but he gasped.
Kenokami was holding Sakura, his blade at her throat. Sakura's eyes were wide with fear, and she stared at Naruto and Kakashi, silently begging for help.
"How did you move so fast?" Kakashi asked.
"You'd be surprised how easy people get distracted when they're talking to other people during a fight," Kenokami said as he held Sakura closer to him.
"YOU LET HER GO!" Naruto screamed.
"Why? What are you going to do if I cut her pretty little neck? Drown me with your tears?" Kenokami said in a mocking manner.
"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, KENOKAMI!" Naruto howled in anger. It took all Naruto had to not run forward and smash that grinning face into the ground. He wanted to, but he had a gut feeling that if he tried, he wouldn't be fast enough.
"Yeah, you sound real threatening from over there," Kenokami said. Sakura felt tears begin to form in her eyes as she felt hopeless, but she saw that Kakashi had moved his forehead protector up, revealing his Sharingan. Sakura glanced down to see that Kenokami was not holding her very well, and she remembered what he said earlier: You'd be surprised how easy people get distracted when they're talking to other people during a fight.
She glanced down at Kenokami's feet, which were not covered well, since he was wearing wooden sandals. She glanced up at Kakashi, then Kenokami's shoes, then at Kakashi again. Although she did not move her head, she was sure Kakashi would notice the small movements her eyes made. Kakashi made a small nod, and Sakura stomped as hard as she could on Kenokami's feet.
"OOOWWW! GOD DAMN BITCH! I'LL-" he began as he prepared to cut Sakura's throat, but Kakashi charged forward and tackled Kenokami. The two of them rolled some distance away, allowing Sakura to scurry over to where Naruto was.
"Are you okay?" Naruto asked her with concern.
"I'm... fine..." Sakura said, still in a bit of shock from how easily Kenokami could have killed her. Sakura looked over at Naruto, who was staring at the battle before them with rage. She added, "I'll cue you in when there's an opportune time for us to jump in."
Naruto smiled at her, "Thanks."
The fight before them now had both combatants standing up after Kenokami kicked Kakashi off of him. Kenokami charged towards the masked ninja with his impressive speed, but now that Kakashi had his Sharingan showing, his reaction times were on par with the Akatsuki man's. Kakashi managed to gain some distance from his offensive opponent and blue electricity began crackling about his body until it became focused in the form of a blue ball in his hand- the Raikiri.
No hand seals? Kenokami thought with a slight bit of awe as he stared at the jutsu. Kakashi was suddenly in front of Kenokami, and the jutsu was thrust into his upper chest, piercing through it while temporarily paralyzing Kenokami. Kakashi quickly withdrew his hand, reached around towards Kenokami's backside, and unsheathed the other katana on his back before dashing backward. To his amazement, he saw the deep wound he just delivered swiftly heal and close shut.
"What the hell? Give my back my sword!" Kenokami yelled as he ran forward. Kakashi quickly shifted his position and locked blades with Kenokami.
"I just thought we'd fight on even grounds. Please excuse me, I'm a bit rusty with a katana," Kakashi said nonchalantly. Kenokami growled as he pushed Kakashi back with a simple push of his sword before following it up with another swing of the blade. Kakashi couldn't lower his arms fast enough, so he instead moved his sword hand so that the blade would intercept Kenokami's. He was practically thrown back once the swords impacted.
He's strong... Kakashi thought, ...but he seems to be a one trick pony. He's shown no ninjutsu techniques so far... is this all he has?
Kenokami thrust his blade at Kakashi, and Kakashi sprinted back to dodge it, but he lost his footing and fell. He rolled out of the way right before a blade slammed into the ground where his head had been moments ago. Kakashi placed his free hand on the ground and spun around, using his free hand to hold his body in place as he swung it in an arc. His foot struck the blunt end of Kenokami's katana, knocking the sword from his hand. Kakashi then waited a bit until his feet were at a position so he could spring up off of the ground, and he did so. Kenokami was reaching for his sword, so Kakashi cut the grasping hand off before grabbing the sword himself. Kenokami clutched the bleeding stump as his face was grimacing in pain.
"I don't think your regeneration powers can heal amputated limbs, can it?" Kakashi asked with confidence.
"Not exactly..." Kenokami said as he picked up his hand and placed it against the area it used to occupy. He twisted it until it was aligned correctly with his arm, and the wound quickly healed. He then reached for the two blades on his side, but he found that they were not there.
"What the-" he said as he turned around to look, but he was met with a heel to the face. Kenokami hit the ground as Naruto landed. He ran back to Sakura's side, ready to prepare a Rasengan if needed. Sakura held the two swords she stole from Kenokami while he was distracted, and she was staring with concern towards the Akatsuki man.
"Well, it looks like you're unarmed," Kakashi said, "and I'm pretty sure if you had any significant ninjutsu, you would have used it by now."
"Heh, cute. You think I'm defenseless," Kenokami said as he reached into his dark blue gi and produced a scroll. He flicked his hand, causing the scroll to unfurl. There was a brief puff of smoke, and Kenokami now held a massive sword in his hands. The sword was easily taller than a grown man, and it was about three feet wide, in addition to being thick. The sword was basically a much larger katana with a longer handle. He swung the massive blade in a wide arc. Kakashi held the two swords in an X shape, for he could not move out of the way fast enough. As soon as the huge blade impacted, Kakashi was thrown back two feet as he landed on his backside, the swords landing some distance behind him. And as soon as the sword had been swung in an arc, it was now rushing towards Kakashi's body.
Naruto had the Rasengan made ever since Kenokami summoned the giant sword. He was just waiting for the opportune time to strike, and that time was now. He charged forward and slammed the spinning ball of chakra into Kenokami's backside, launching him forward and over Kakashi, the blade falling from his hands, causing a small crater in the ground when it landed. Just how heavy was that weapon?
"Thanks, Naruto," Kakashi said as he stood up and turned around, awaiting Kenokami's next move. The Akatsuki man stood up and threw off his Akatsuki robe, which had a hole in the back where Naruto's Rasengan had impacted. Naruto had also added extra power into that Rasengan, which caused the other side of his clothing to burst open from the force of the blow. Two things were noticeable about him: one being the headband around his neck that had an engraving of a crescent moon with a deep gash across it, and the other being the complex seal on his stomach not entirely unlike that of Naruto's.
"Y-You're..." Kakashi began, but the words lost their way. Sakura and Naruto were showing similar shock at the seal's revelation.
"Yeah, I'm a jinchuuriki... like that wasn't obvious," Kenokami said lowly.
"Why... why the hell would a jinchuuriki join Akatsuki?" Naruto asked, his mind still wrapping around the fact that this man had a bijuu inside of him. It certainly made sense, but suddenly Naruto was seeing a future he could have easily turned towards.
"I was sick of my life. Sick of everything. Figured if I joined I could fight the strong until I was wounded. Then they would rip the beast out of me," Kenokami said gruffly, "but my partner gave me meaning, which is why I'm here."
"You mean..." Kakashi said.
"Correct," spoke a woman. All heads turned towards the direction of her voice. A woman garbed in an Akatsuki cloak with a thick hood landed on the ground. She stood up and walked forward a bit before stopping, "We are no longer affiliated with Akatsuki."
This isn't good... Kakashi thought as he looked towards Kenokami's partner, ...I could have fended off Kenokami, but if this is the person that created this plague-like jutsu...
"If that is the case, why do you wear their rings?" Sakura spoke up. Kakashi and Naruto looked and noticed that the cloaked person was wearing Hidan's orange ring on her left index finger, and Kenokami was wearing Kakuzu's dark green ring on his left middle finger.
"Oh this?" Kenokami said with a grin as he flipped off Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi with his left hand, "Akatsuki has a man that knows his way around things. You can't possibly hide things important to Akatsuki from him. That's why we wear these rings. If he wants them back, he'll have to pry them off our cold, dead hands."
"YOU!" Naruto yelled as he pointed at the cloaked woman, ignoring most of the conversation since the cloaked woman arrived, "You... you started this, didn't you?"
"Of course. Do you like-" she began, but immediately after she said "of course", Naruto charged forward, yelling, as red chakra began to pour out of him and his features became more animalistic. A Rasengan formed in his hand as he thrust it at the woman, but she stepped back and disappeared. Naruto stopped his charge and looked around for the woman, still holding the Rasengan in his hand. He suddenly cried out as the cloaked woman suddenly appeared behind him and grabbed Naruto's neck. Naruto turned around to nail her with the Rasengan, but several spikes suddenly burst out of the woman's body, piercing Naruto in several areas. The woman then exploded, knocking Naruto backwards, in addition to knocking him out. Sakura rushed over to Naruto and began to heal him.
Kenokami was about to attack Sakura, but the woman suddenly appeared in front of Kenokami, her arm extended in front of him.
"No... Sakura's not a threat. I added a quick-acting sleeping gas in that exploding clone. Naruto will be out for a while," spoke the cloaked woman.
"Tell me..." Kakashi said lowly as he stared at the two ex-Akatsuki members, "...why are you doing this? Why Konoha?"
"I don't have to explain my motives to you, Kakashi Hatake," spoke the cloaked woman.
"Read up on Konoha's ninja, I see?" Kakashi asked, noticing that the cloaked woman had successfully identified all three of her opponents.
"I wanted to be prepared," the cloaked woman said as she lowered her arm, "and you can attack them, Kenokami. I've changed my mind."
Kenokami grinned. "With pleasure," he said as he ran towards Sakura and Naruto, picking up his massive sword on the way. Kakashi turned around to instinctively assist them, but he saw a blade in the corner of his eye and quickly pulled out a kunai and blocked it. The woman leaped back, a short blade emerging from the sleeve of her cloak. It was dripping with a liquid, most likely a poison of sorts. Kakashi had to focus on this woman: he just hoped that Naruto and Sakura would be okay. His thoughts were cut off as the cloaked woman thrust her blade at him...
Kenokami swung his blade down at Sakura. Sakura stopped healing Naruto, quickly turned around, and sent chakra to her hands. She caught the blade, the momentum of it pushing her down some, but she was unharmed. She threw the blade back and charged towards Kenokami while his guard was down. She swung her fist in an uppercut directed at his chin...
Kakashi and the cloaked woman were locked in a tango of battle, both blade and kunai clashing against each other. Her reaction times are on par with mine... how can that be? Kakashi thought as he leaped back a bit and threw the kunai at her as a distraction. He made a few hand seals. He placed his hands on the ground, causing three rushing rows of spires of rock that burst from the ground to rush at the cloaked woman. As the attack headed her way, he also formed another Raikiri and watched closely for the woman to appear...
Kenokami flew back from the blow Sakura gave him. "I won't let you hurt Naruto!" she cried as she charged forward and began pummeling Kenokami. Normally, the blows would cause internal bleeding or break bones, but Kenokami's regeneration powers were incredible. She rose both of her hands for a haymaker, but this left her open. Kenokami laughed and said, "Gotcha!" as he kicked Sakura in the gut and bashed her face with the pommel of his massive blade. He then swung the gigantic sword in a large arc. Naruto cried out in rage as he suddenly burst forward and tackled Kenokami to the ground before wailing on his face with his fists.
A few smoke bombs landed near Kakashi's feet, and they burst open, shrouding the area in a thick smoke. Kakashi saw a slight movement behind him, and he turned around to attack the cloaked woman with his Raikiri. He hit the woman and grinned under his mask, but the clone suddenly exploded, clearing the smoke. The cloaked woman, who was actually on a nearby rooftop, smirked as she observed the charred body of her adversary. She gasped as she saw the body crackle and fade away as lightning. She frantically looked around to locate Kakashi's current position, and she saw him. His Sharingan had changed shape... he had a Mangekyo? Kakashi fired a Kamui from his eye, fully intent on destroying the cloaked woman. The space around her began to contort and ripple, but before it collapsed on itself, the woman vanished, and not in the intended way. Kakashi looked around for her, shocked that she managed to dodge the attack, and he saw her over to where Naruto and Sakura were. She kicked Naruto off of Kenokami and helped him up.
"We're leaving," she said.
"WHAT!" Kenokami asked in an outrage as he glared at Naruto and his partner.
"I've wasted too much chakra. We need to be prepared for Akatsuki's retaliation," she said.
"Grr... fine!" Kenokami growled before he turned to look at Naruto, "Just you wait, you lucky fuck! Next time we meet... you'll be dead."
"The feeling's mutual," Naruto said as he glowered at Kenokami. The two Akatsuki members then body flickered away. Kakashi ran up to Naruto and Sakura.
"Are you two okay?" he asked with concern as he lowered his forehead protector to cover his Sharingan, which had reverted to normal.
Sakura finished healing her face, the glow around her hand disappearing, "Now we are."
"Good..." Kakashi sighed with relief.
"Why did we let them go?" Naruto said.
"Because our intention was not to fight them. We were going to the Administration Building, remember?" Kakashi said, "Plus... that woman was holding back. And there is something dangerous about her..."
"Well, that's besides the point," Sakura said, "They're gone, they have no intention of attacking us again any time soon, so let's go find Tsunade!"
"Right," Kakashi said with a nod. Kakashi and Sakura began to sprint towards the building, and Naruto begrudgingly followed them.
"Well, I assume everyone wishes to know why they have been called here," Zetsu spoke to the rest of Akatsuki, excluding Pain and Konan, who were elsewhere.
"This has to do with the disappearance of Kenokami and 'The Necromancer,' doesn't it?" Itachi asked upon observing the makeup of the people at the meeting.
"Of course. Normally, we'd just astral project ourselves, but hey, everyone was in the general area..." spoke Zetsu's other half.
"Just cut to the point, yeah," Deidara said with a very bored look on his face.
"Just how is it not obvious what happened yet?" Kisame asked with scorn as he stared at Deidara with disbelief.
"Tobi doesn't like fighting..." Tobi whimpered quietly.
"Is this really how the infamous Akatsuki acts?" pondered the newest member of Akatsuki, a man with long black hair that framed the sides of his face. He wore his forehead protector over his eyes like a blindfold, an eighth note with a gash through it depicted on the metal plate.
"Unfortunately, yes..." Itachi sighed.
"Oh, you should've seen it when Kakuzu and Hidan were around," Kisame said with a nostalgic grin, "Hell, Kakuzu and any of his past partners gave us a handful."
"Yes, memories are nice and all, but we kind of have two traitors on the loose," Zetsu said with an annoyed sigh.
"So we're going to head after them, hmm?" Deidara asked.
"Well, it would make sense because a jinchuuriki was with them," Zetsu said with further annoyance.
"But we don't even know if they betrayed us," Tobi inputted.
"An intelligent comment from Tobi, hmm. Quite unusual," quipped Deidara with a smirk.
"They have not contacted us when we have repeatedly requested it. You cannot ignore the chakra signals the rings give you. They have betrayed us... but where did they go?" Itachi pondered.
"They went to Konoha," the blind man added. He suddenly felt very uncomfortable as the sensation of every pair of eyes in the room settled on him, "What? I overheard them talking about going there! How was I supposed to know they would betray us?"
"You fucking idiot, yeah..." Deidara growled.
"He does have a valid point," Kisame said, "I mean; Otoshi has only been here for three days."
"I'll take care of them," the blind man named Otoshi said.
"But you are new. We have not had enough time to evaluate your skills. I think it would be best to send out someone the whole organization trusts, like me," Itachi said.
"But... I took Orochimaru's ring! See?" Otoshi said as he extended his left little finger to show off the blue ring. Unfortunately, the ruder members of Akatsuki (which was all of them except Itachi and Tobi (who didn't get it)) took it as Otoshi was speaking as if Orochimaru was his girlfriend, so much snickering was had.
"A valid point, but... tee hee, Orochimaru as a gir... we do not know the state of the Sound Village, nor the security around his old ring. Orochimaru is dead, and it is likely that there was turmoil in the village. You could have just snuck in and stole the ring," Zetsu said.
"Yes, completely ignore the fact that I slaughtered everyone in my way," Otoshi said with exasperation.
"Look, kid, it's not that we doubt you, it's just that we need to put someone with experience on this mission," Kisame said. "and since The Leader and Konan are absent, and Zetsu only takes orders from them, and the fact that several senior members are dead or missing... it all trickles down to Itachi, who is well-equipped for such a job."
Otoshi sighed. He had wanted to prove himself to this organization, but it was obvious that was not going to happen. He had to cheat to get the results he wanted. Hell, he didn't even know why he wanted to hunt down the two traitors, but it just seemed like a fun thing to do. He reached up and untied his headband around his eyes. He grabbed the headband and set it on the table they were sitting around. The familiar feeling that he had everyone in the room under his power washed over him. He smirked... these eyes cursed him, but they were also very useful.
"And now that you are under my genjutsu and my sovereignty..." Otoshi began, "...you will let me hunt down these traitors. And you will see me as fully capable for the job, so I don't need any further assistance..."
Otoshi pondered a thought he had. True, he had just joined this organization, but he had done so on a whim. He never really followed a set path in life, but instead did whatever he felt like doing.
"And you will remain here, completely enthralled and trapped," he added with a pleased grin. He picked up his headband and tied it back around his eyes. He knew that someone would break free of his genjutsu. After all, this was an organization of freaks. But that was his intention. He would have the head start, and then Akatsuki would be after him just as much as those other two. And now that he was free from the Sound, he could do as he pleased.
"Well, don't disappoint me," he said as he waved at the frozen Akatsuki, leaving the current base.
"I still don't see why both of us had to leave," Kenokami said. The two rogue Akatsuki were in the tall building that Kakashi successfully pinned down as their outpost.
"Like I said, we needed to conserve our chakra," the cloaked woman said.
"Bullshit! I have a bijuu inside of me! I don't need to conserve anything!" Kenokami exclaimed indignantly. The woman sighed as she wrung her gloved hands nervously.
"It's because I am scared, Kenokami..." she said softly.
"We don't need to worry about Akatsuki. We can take them," Kenokami said with a confident smile.
"Not just Akatsuki... the people in this village."
"You said yourself that this village was the best choice," Kenokami said with slight suspicion.
"It's just... I don't want to die..." she said even softer. Kenokami looked at her with confusion, but also with a concerned look. She continued, "...just seeing the zombies brings back old memories..."
"Memories?" Kenokami asked, "What memories?"
The cloaked woman said nothing for a bit, and her slight movements told Kenokami that she was thinking of what to say, and she was hesitating each time. Finally, the woman reached up to her hood and pulled it back, revealing the face underneath the cloak. She was the most beautiful woman that Kenokami had ever laid eyes on. Her skin was a delicate pale shade, her hair long, lustrous, and black, and her eyes a shining green the color of malachite. She looked towards Kenokami with a sorrowed look and lowered the neckline of her robe slightly, revealing the headband around her neck.
"Do you recognize this symbol?" she asked. Kenokami looked at the headband. Engraved on the metal plate was the symbol of a sun with a gash, characteristic of Akatsuki, across the symbol.
"Can't say I do..." Kenokami said.
"Of course you don't," she said as she turned away, "only Akatsuki's Leader and that plant man knew of the village I once belonged to. I will tell you my tale so you can know the pain I have felt and why I am scared. And why exactly I am doing this."
Kenokami took a seat down on a nearby chair in the room as he watched "The Necromancer." He frowned upon realizing that he didn't even know her name yet.
"Um... well, you trust me enough to show your face, but I still don't know your name," he said.
"Oh, right..." she said somewhat absent-mindedly. She was most likely focused on how to summarize her past to her partner, "...it's Reiko."
"I see... well, Reiko, tell me when you're ready," Kenokami said with a warm smile.
"I grew up in the Land of Light; a small island nation between the current Land of Water and Land of Lightning. It was a beautiful country known for its great port city that was also a ninja village: The Hidden Village in the Sun," Reiko began.
She paused for a bit, and then continued, "I only have vague images of my parents, but I never knew them. I was three when my older brother and I moved to the island. He said that our parents had died. There was nobody left in our immediate family, so he raised me. He was an amazing ninja... one of the best I had ever seen. He was just sixteen years old, and he had created several powerful jutsu! There was no doubt in my mind that he would become a Kage one day. He trained me, and in just two years I was on par with many jonin in the village."
"Really? If that was the case, then with regular training, you'd be unstoppable today," Kenokami said.
"Please... let me finish..." Reiko said sadly. Kenokami apologized, and she continued, "...My brother was friends with the Hikarikage... the Sun was a great ninja country before the Mist... and thus we had a lovely and large house. At nights my brother would always go to the basement, and he told me never to follow him down there. I was obedient, but I heard many unsettling noises. Every time I questioned him, he either shrugged off or denied my claims. But I was a little girl, so I didn't suspect him of anything."
"Then, one day, the Hikarikage died. A criminal had assassinated him. My brother accepted the rights and responsibilities of being the next Hikarikage, even though the Sun had stepped down as a great ninja nation many years ago. This also meant governing the entire country, because the Land of Light did not have a daimyo. And then my brother invited me to see what he was doing in the basement..."
A few tears began rolling down her eyes.
"Reiko?" Kenokami asked, suddenly concerned.
She ignored Kenokami, and continued, "It was awful. We entered the dark basement, and he flipped on the lights. There were... test tubes, vials, bloodied cages, and people restrained against walls. These people were different. Their eyes were white, they acted like savage beasts, and they had many grievous wounds. And that was only the small section of the basement that I saw."
"I remember the sick and twisted look on his face as he turned to me. I remember him saying, 'Aren't they beautiful, sister? I think you are powerful enough to use this jutsu. Here, let me teach it to you.'"
Kenokami was speechless. He continued to listen.
"I, of course, rejected him. I yelled at him for turning innocent people into monsters. He simply stood there, baffled, and said, 'Is there something wrong with that?' I felt rage and hatred inside of me, and sorrow and betrayal. My brother continued, 'Think of the possibilities of this jutsu. You and I, sister, we can rule the world with this jutsu. Starting with this pathetic village.'"
"I then attacked him. I had no hope of defeating him, but my anger guided my actions. We had trained before, but now he was fighting to kill. And when I saw him use a combination of hand seals that I had never seen before... a yellow gas snaked out of his hands. I knew something was terribly wrong with that gas, so I fled. I ran as fast and as long as I could. Looking behind me, I saw that the gas was spreading across the entire city. I soon collapsed from exhaustion and passed out."
"When I awoke, my brother was before me. He cursed my foolishness for not joining him, and then he left me. I heard thousands upon thousands of moans. To my horror, I discovered that the... the entire... city..."
Reiko began to cry as she cupped her hands and covered her face. Kenokami sprung up and hugged her, and she hugged back. She continued crying onto Kenokami's chest. Kenokami was baffled at the trauma she had experienced. Just five, and she had to live on an island of zombies, zombified versions of people she knew, with no way of escape. Reiko stopped crying and lightly pushed Kenokami away before turning around.
"I had to..." she said, her voice quiet and hoarse from crying, "...survive on my own for a few days. It was a living nightmare. Then my salvation came when several ninja landed on the island and tried to wipe out the zombies. They failed, of course, but I was rescued. For a while, I lived with a foster family in the Mist Village. In that village, as I grew up, and after recovering from my trauma... I learned many unsettling things about myself, my brother, and the terrible event. My brother... was never really my brother. He had kidnapped me from my actual family when I was three and built up a pillar of lies, giving me a smiling façade to look up to. He had done many terrible experiments in the basement, but they, too, were a set up. He only appeared young because he had taken the souls of innocent people to make him appear younger. He only did the experiments to tempt me in to his side, or maybe to perfect what he already knew. He wanted a servant..."
"How horrible..." Kenokami said, mentally noting on how much of an understatement that was. He had trouble wrapping his mind on how Reiko managed to cope, but some questions were nagging at him, "...how were you able to use his zombie technique?"
"My 'brother' was actually my grandfather," Reiko said, seemingly ignoring Kenokami, "my grandfather who's vile ways made him infamous throughout the world. My grandfather... Madara Uchiha."
"Huh!" Kenokami exclaimed in surprise as he looked at Reiko. Her lovely green eyes stared at Kenokami momentarily before she blinked. When she opened her eyes, the green irides had been replaced by the color and design of the Sharingan.
"That is right. I was kidnapped from the Uchiha clan, from my parents, as a small girl and raised by that monster so I would serve his deluded attempts to play god. Once I learned this, I sought out information. The only place I could turn to was Akatsuki. After all, Madara had helped found the organization. I was expecting answers upon joining, but I did not get any, so I left."
"But... why use his technique?" Kenokami asked.
"For vengeance. My childhood and my future were destroyed by Madara, while the people of the world live out their lives in blissful ignorance of the suffering of the few. Friends, family, happiness... the people of Konoha and the other towns all possess these. I have had those things robbed from me! So I will spread my pain and suffering by robbing the people of those experiences. You want vengeance, too, correct? You've gone through pain and suffering, haven't you?"
Kenokami stared down at his outfit. The hole that Naruto caused was still there, and the seal that contained the bijuu was visible.
"Yes..." Kenokami said as if he were reciting something. He suddenly became more confident, "I want vengeance!"
"Good," Reiko said with a small smile. It was odd how her temperment gradually changed from sorrowful pain to brisk confidence, "and additionally, I will lure Madara here by using his technique. I will then make him suffer for the twenty years of hell that he put me through, and then kill him. Then, once he is gone, we remove Akatsuki, and then we spread our pain and suffering across the world!"
Kenokami stared at Reiko with slight concern. She was completely serious with her plan. It was... unsettling to see the quiet and reserved woman that he had been partnered with to suddenly act vibrant and spiteful. Still, he agreed with her plan.
"I will help you..." Kenokami said.
"Great! Now we wait. If someone is a threat, we will take them out, one way or another. Understood?" Reiko said sternly.
"Yes, but... something's off," Kenokami said. He walked over to a window and opened it. He took a deep breath of the air before turning away and coughing. He shut the window and turned towards Reiko.
"Yes... I can smell him. It's very faint, but I smell someone from Akatsuki amongst the blood and rot. Can you sense it?"
Reiko closed her eyes. She then opened them, her Sharingan deactivated, "It's just Otoshi, and he is alone. Akatsuki is foolish for sending that blind idiot after us. We'll just dispose of him once he arrives."
Otoshi was some distance away from the Akatsuki hideout. He walked at a leisurely pace towards Konoha. He suddenly stopped, a feeling of disappointment mixed with annoyance washing over him.
"Why do I get the feeling that someone just underestimated me because I'm blind?" he asked himself. He soon shrugged off the feeling and continued to walk.
"This... this is far too slow," he said. He made a few hand seals, and he suddenly sank into his own shadow. Several yards ahead, he emerged from the shadow of a tree. He sank into that shadow, and emerged from another shadow farther ahead. He wished that this jutsu didn't have a limit on the distance traveled between shadows, but it sure beat the hell out of walking. Especially since he would cut down his travel time to Konoha significantly...