Well here's the first major divergence from cannon. Hope you enjoy. Again, thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed. As everyone who has reviewed knows, I actually read and reply to all of them. I appreciate the input from all of you and have had pleasant conversations with all of you. Except for one guy, he was a tool so I trolled him. Can't please everyone. Anyway here the next part, please enjoy.
Tayuya and Shizune were sitting by a small fire, taking a brief rest from their journey. Tsunade had assigned them to go Takigakure and escort their Jinchuriki back to their village. Tayuya didn't really like that Naruto was on another mission, and it was eating away at her.
"Shizune, why do we have to do this escort crap? Why the hell couldn't I go with my team?"
Shizune sat idly, twirling a kunai in her hand, frustrated as well. Tayuya had been complaining the whole trip, and she was getting tired of it. "Lady Tsunade said that their village is worried that the Akatsuki will attack them for their Jinchuriki. Especially with how well all of you did against Deidara and Sasori. They feel their village would be safer if their Jinchuriki was in our care for the duration of the danger."
Tayuya groaned in agitation. She could understand the logic, but she still didn't get why it had to be her. Not one to hold her opinion to herself she voiced her concerns. "Okay, but why the fuck do I have to be here? Why split me and Shithead up?"
Shizune looked over at Tayuya with a smug grin. "So, that's why you're upset."
Tayuya looked at Shizune confused and replied, "Wait, what?"
Shizune laughed at the girl. Tayuya was stubborn, than much she knew. This, however, was taking it to a new level. She was too stubborn; so stubborn that she was denying her own feelings to herself. In a slight teasing tone, Shizune spoke. "Tayuya, I know you miss Naruto. It's okay if you want to talk about it."
Tayuya looked at Shizune like she had grown a second head. "Pfff! Why would I miss him? It's not like I need him or anything." She crossed her arms across her chest shaking her head. Shizune wasn't buying it for a second. She knew that the girl had a crush on him, and she was going to give her that nudge she needed.
An idea occurred to her; if she put Naruto down, maybe Tayuya would come to his defense. An evil grin crossed her face briefly before she regained her composer and tried to sound nonchalant. "Hmm, maybe you're right."
Tayuya looked at her surprised. "I-I am?"
Shizune saw that her ruse was working, and kept it going. "Oh yeah. Why would anyone be interested in a guy like him?"
Tayuya face scrunched a bit from agitation. Shizune hit a nerve, and she wasn't stopping there. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked with a tone of irritation.
She's falling for the bait. Just a bit more. "Don't get me wrong, he's okay. But what's up with that blonde hair, and the giant grin he's usually sporting? And those blue eyes aren't fooling anyone. He's not the brightest or the strongest. Why would someone miss him?"
Shizune turned away, trying to keep up the façade. She didn't mean any of that, but slight teasing and being straightforward wasn't working. Then the idea struck her to talk down about Naruto. Shizune glanced to see Tayuya clinching her fists, with red seeping into her face. Looks like it's working.
"Don't talk about him like that! I like his hair, and I love his blue eyes! And his dopey grin brightens everyone up. He might be the smartest, but he's not stupid! He's kind, protective, and strong!" At that point Tayuya was pacing, throwing her hands wildly in the air, emphasizing her points.
Shizune had the biggest grin plastered across her face as she stared at Tayuya. Tayuya looked back confused and still furious. "What?" Tayuya asked.
Shizune replied, "Gotcha."
Tayuya stared at Shizune dumbfounded a few moments trying to process what it was she got her with. After a few fierce moments of staring, it clicked in her head, and she fell back on her behind, covering her face in embarrassment. She should have known Shizune was pulling one over her.
Shizune began laughing hysterically at the flustered Tayuya, struggling to breathe. When she finally caught her breath, she tried to tease her again. "You love his eyes, huh?"
Tayuya snorted, not wanting to answer her. She didn't know what compelled her to talk about him like that. It just came out like it was the most natural thing. She really liked Naruto, even when she insulted and belittled him. He's the best friend I could ever ask for. But that's all he is. A friend… right?
Not wanting to follow that train of thought, she tried to shift the subject. Pointing at Shizune, she spoke. "What about you and Kakashi? Anyone can see you're heads over heels for him."
Shizune blushed, surprised how easily Tayuya had turned it on her. Unlike her, Shizune knew she was interested in Kakashi. Shizune tried to think of a reply, but she came up empty. Looking down she replied, "That… You're right. I just… Can't get him to see me."
Tayuya stared at Shizune, not really sure what to say. She hadn't expected to see her that vulnerable, and was at a loss for words. That and she had no experience with men to offer advice. Minutes went by, passing along, full of awkward silence, Tayuya replied, again trying to change the subject. "So… You gutted that Deidara asshole."
Shizune nodded. "Yeah. Saw you guys were in danger. Decided to step in."
Tayuya wiped her face, thinking of a reply. Finally she responded. "You came out of fucking nowhere. What took you so long?"
Shizune shrugged before replying in a relaxed tone. "Lady Tsunade said only to jump in if it was an emergency. Thought you guys had it handled. Only came in when I saw all of you in real danger."
Tayuya accepted that, not really trying to argue. Sure, she could have intervened and perhaps ended the fight earlier. Yet, she couldn't fault her for following orders. "Okay… Still you gutted him. Kind of crazy."
Shizune rubbed the back of her head sheepishly as she replied. "Well, when I see my man in danger, I get a little crazy." Shizune and Tayuya shared a laugh as the tension had finally broken. When they had both exhausted their amusement, Shizune tried spoke again.
"Enough of the teasing. The reason she split you two up was because both missions were priorities, and she wanted to send your team on both but obviously that couldn't be done. The Council and Danzo are breathing down her throat and she had to make some concessions with the team placement. I know that doesn't make it any better, but it is what it is."
Tayuya nodded, understanding the situation Tsunade was in. Still, it didn't make her feel any better. It made her more determined to get the mission done and over with so she could get back to Naruto. The sound of footsteps caught their attention, as they both snapped their heads in the direction of the sound.
Five ninja walked into the area, led by their two Leaf Shinobi teammates, Sukima Hyuga and Nibui Buki. They were followed closely by three Takigakure Shinobi. Shizune looked at the two members of their makeshift team.
Tsunade promised her they were exceptional, and she had no reason to doubt her. Sukima was a member of the Hyuga branch family and was apparently former Anbu. Nibui too had been in Anbu, and was supposed to be a savant with weaponry. Anbu was all she needed to hear for their credentials, and was glad to have them along.
They exchanged greetings with the Takigakure Shinobi, who then quickly led them to their village through an elaborate underwater cave system. Normally, Takigakure Shinobi would take more care in escorting them in a way to keep their village location hidden. However, time was at utmost importance, and Tsunade and Takigakure's leader Shibuki had arranged to skip over the usual security measures.
Shizune and her team were led into a small wooden hut. It was quaint and quite Spartan in its furnishing. A single man resided inside, sitting cross legged on the floor, studying his guests. He motioned for them to sit, and they complied.
Shizune was tasked as the leader of the team and sat in front of them, giving a slight bow to Takigakure's leader. He returned in in full, and gave a small smile before speaking.
"I welcome you to my village. I'm afraid this will have to be brief, and get straight to the point." Shizune nodded in understanding as he continued. "As you know we have requested your help in a matter of importance."
Shibuki grimaced before continuing. "We caught word of an eminent attack on our village from our spies, in no thanks to you and your people." Shizune's brows rose in surprise, before they settled back down as he continued.
"After defeating the two Akatsuki members, Deidara and Sasori, in such an efficient manner, they seemed to have recruited a new member who has already killed three of my most elite squads I sent to investigate. They were some of my best men." Shibuki rubbed the bridge of his nose before resuming.
"Whoever it was killed them within minutes. Our investigation shows it was fast and brutal. I can't have whoever that was coming here, and so I contacted your Hokage and she agreed to shelter our Jinchuriki for the foreseeable future."
Tayuya was sitting in the back not buying entirely into the story. Being her, she voiced her protest. "Bullshit." Everyone looked at her as she continued, unfazed by their stares. "You're telling me, one person took out three elite squads by themselves? And you want to send a powerful asset out because you're afraid? Bullshit!"
Shibuki looked at the girl, a bit taken back by her bluntness. "Uh, well I suppose there is more to it." He folded his hands together, resting his chin atop of them a moment, trying to decide how to come out with it. "Well… yes she's a valuable asset, but she puts the village in more danger than she's worth. I can't have that."
Tayuya still wasn't buying it. She couldn't believe that a small village would give up such a powerful deterrent. She tried to cut in. "So you're just going to give up one of your-"
Shizune gave her a narrow glare that told her to stop right there. Tayuya bit her lip, knowing that disrespecting a village leader wasn't the wisest of ideas. She would just have to keep her mouth shut, even if she didn't agree.
Shibuki looked pained. He didn't want to abandon one of his people. However he felt the threat of attack outweighed the benefit of having the Jinchuriki here. A Jinchuriki that wasn't in command of her tailed beast wasn't worth the cost of his people's lives in his opinion.
He tried to straighten out his posture to appear more dignified before speaking. "I don't make this decision lightly, know that." Shibuki said with a glance at Tayuya. "Our Jinchuriki isn't in complete control of the beast inside her. She won't be of much help. And I won't lie, if Konoha has multiple beasts, eyes will look towards you instead of my village."
Tayuya was at the point of breaking. How could they treat someone like that? Naruto told her how he was treated growing up, and it broke her heart. Here, it wasn't any different. They had no use of whoever it was and were just going to toss them aside out of fear; instead of fighting for them.
She stood up to protest again, but Shibuki raised his hand towards her. "How about you go get our Jinchuriki ready to leave. We'll stay here and discuss the arrangement a bit more." He motioned to two of his guards. "Please escort her to the Jinchuriki."
Tayuya gritted her teeth staring at the man. She looked over to Shizune who in return offered a solemn smile. Tayuya knew she didn't really have a choice and followed the two guards grudgingly. They led her through the village to a small run down house. That was being generous; it was more of a mid-sized shack.
Tayuya looked at the two guards expectantly, waiting for them to open the door. One of them took the cue and opened it. He ushered her inside, and in a gruff voice said. "Get the demon ready to go. We'll be back shortly."
He slammed the door roughly, leaving a gaping Tayuya behind. She stared at the door a few seconds in disbelief before stomping her foot on the ground. "Well fuck that guy!" A forced cough from behind her alerted Tayuya to the other presence in the room. She spun around to catch the scrutiny of a girl roughly her age.
Tayuya studied the girl intently. She had mint green hair that sported an orange clip that matched the color of her eyes. Those orange eyes were peering into Tayuya's, studying her as well. After a few moments of silence the girl broke the silence first.
In a suspicious yet accepting tone she spoke. "So, guessing you're here to take me away?" Tayuya stared into her orange eyes, seeing the pain from her life in them. Tayuya was now a Jinchuriki, but she didn't grow up as one. Naruto had, and everything he had told her about it, she could see in her eyes.
"I'm here to help you, not take you away." Tayuya tried to change the tone of the conversation. "Besides screw these people. They don't want you around; my village will take you with open arms."
The girl looked at her skeptically before replying. "So you can have another tool at your disposal?"
Tayuya crossed her arms across her chest. "Tool? No they're not like that. I was an enemy and they took me in." Pointing to herself she continued, "I'm a Jinchuriki too, and I'm not anyone's tool. My guy is one too, and he may be a doofus but he's not a tool. We're friends, so quit this "tool" bullshit, and get ready to go."
The girl looked stunned from Tayuya's rant. No one had ever spoken to her like an equal before. It had always been negative or threatening. The villagers saw her as a monster, and treated her as such. This girl with red hair didn't treat her like that. She was different.
"So, we're friends?" she asked hesitantly.
Tayuya shrugged, not really caring what she called them. Naruto would befriend her instantly, so Tayuya could too. "Sure, we're friends."
The girl became ecstatic as she squealed in delight. She leaped towards Tayuya, tackling her to the ground. She had Tayuya wrapped in a hug, rubbing her cheek against hers with a giant smile. "Yay! You're my new best friend. We are going to have so much fun!"
Tayuya gasped for breath from the bear hug she was trapped in. This girl apparently made friends fast. Just like Naruto. Except she's never had anyone… Tayuya relented and gave returned the hug briefly, before shoving her off of her. "Alright, alright. Enough of that. Yeah, we can be friends. Let's just get ready and get you out of this shithole."
The girl calmed down a bit, but the giant smile was still plastered on her face. The same smile Naruto had even when he was being treated poorly. "I'm good to go. I don't own anything except for some clothes. By the way, I'm Fu!"
Tayuya was saddened to hear that. Even she had a few things, not that material objects really mattered to her. She gave a weak smile back as she replied. "I'm Tayuya."
"Okay! Well they might be a while. Want to play some games! Like backgammon or cards or something?"
Tayuya looked around, surprised by the request. "Sorry, I don't have any games."
Fu looked absolutely disheartened before perking back up. "Well I guess we can talk then." She grabbed Tayuya's hand and led her to a mat in the corner of the one roomed shack. She sat down crossed legged, pulling Tayuya down next to her.
Tayuya didn't know what she was supposed to do. The only friend she really had was Naruto. She didn't really know how to socialize that well with people. Luckily for her, Fu took charge, talking a hundred miles per minute.
"So I like your hair, it's so pretty! I wish mine was longer like it. You said you're a Jinchuriki? Which one? I have the Seven-Tails. Why are we leaving anyway? What's Konoha like? Do you like playing games?"
It took a minute for Tayuya to lose her shell-shocked expression from the barrage of questions from Fu. The girl seemed to not be kidding when she said they were best friends. After a few moments Tayuya finally replied.
"Uh, yeah I'm a Jinchuriki too. I have half of the Nine-Tails. Shithead has the other half. We're leaving because a group called the Akatsuki is after us Jinchuriki and your leader is worried for the safety of the village. Konoha is nice I guess. And I don't really play that many games."
Tayuya brushed her hand through her hair as she continued. "And thanks, I slave over my hair. Glad you like it as much as he does. And I like yours too. It's short and cute. And that color is pretty. Saw another person in the village on the way here with the same color. Only two people I've seen with it."
Fu expression saddened at her last words. In a glum tone she replied, "Yeah, I know that person. That's my mom. She gave me up when they sealed the Seven-Tails in me. She doesn't talk to me or anything. Every once in a while I'll catch her staring at me but I can't tell what's she's thinking. She looks impassive."
Her face lit up, trying to make the mood happier. Tayuya, however, could see in the pain in her eyes. No matter how much someone grinned, joked, or laughed, they couldn't mask the sadness in their eyes. Some call eyes the windows to one's soul, and Tayuya could see all the loneliness and despair through Fu's.
"So you have half of the Nine-Tails, huh? And who's Shithead? And thanks for liking my hair! Some think I'm a tomboy but I don't care what they think."
Tayuya laughed, accepting that Fu didn't want to dwell on her mother. She had her own mother issues and she didn't blame Fu for not wanting to talk about it. "Shithead is Naruto."
Fu nodded, piecing it all together. With her finger on her chin she responded. "Is he the one who likes your hair?"
A small blush began to appear on Tayuya's face as she nodded. "Yeah."
Fu saw the blush and put it together. "So this "Naruto" is your guy, eh? Is he cute?"
Tayuya's small blush quickly enveloped her entire face as it was just a few shades lighter than her hair. "N-No! He's not my guy, he's just a friend."
Fu looked at her slightly confused. "But you said your guy? And when you I asked if he was the one who liked your hair you blushed. You like him, huh?"
Tayuya was frozen in place. Fu asked in such a genuine and innocent way that she couldn't think of a rebuttal. To add to the fact, Fu didn't even know her and apparently read her like an open book.
"You like him, don't you?" she asked again.
Tayuya tried to deny it. "No, I don't!" The skeptical look Fu gave her made her question it herself. Why do I get all worked up whenever someone teases me about him? I don't like him like that. He's just a good friend. He's caring, strong, not entirely a dumbass… "He is kind of cute…"
Fu again squealed as she gave Tayuya a side hug. "Oh my Kami! You do like him! What's he like?" She pouted as she finished, "I wish I had a boyfriend."
Tayuya sighed in defeat. This girl who she had barely known for five minutes had made her question how she really felt about Shithead… about Naruto. How could she have been so blind to her feelings? They've known each other for a few years, and not once had she thought about him like that.
Or had she? They did everything together. They trained together, they did missions together. They slept together; hell they practically were a couple already. How did she not see it? Naruto had been there whenever she needed him, and yet she barely called him by his own name.
Tayuya looked at the floor feeling foolish. "You know Fu… I like you. You see right through my bullshit, that even I couldn't see through… I've been such a shithead."
Fu grabbed Tayuya's hand and gave it a squeeze. In an assuring tone she replied. "I said we're best friends. Can't have my friends confused about their feelings." Tayuya forced a smile back before looking glum again. "So, you like him?"
Tayuya took a deep inhale. "I guess I do… I just…" She couldn't continue thinking about her own feelings and tried to shift the subject. "What about you? Any guys?"
Fu shook her head looking slightly disappointed. "No one here like me, remember? No guys that I can see." Tayuya nodded, she figured as much but wanted to ask. If she was going to lay her feelings out, Fu could lay out some of hers.
"Well when we get back to the village maybe you'll find one."
They sat next to each other for a few hours talking about their lives, what they had gone through. Tayuya was impressed by Fu. She had a hard life just like Naruto, and she was just as loudmouth and slightly more hyperactive as him. If Fu's hair was blonde, she would think Naruto and her were siblings.
The door opened surprising both girls as Shizune stepped in. "Tayuya." She gave a smile to Fu. "And you must be Fu. I'm Shizune. I'm sure you two have been getting along?"
Fu jumped up excitedly, pulling a surprised Tayuya up with her. "Yes mam! We're best friends now! And we're all ready to go!"
Shizune's brows rose in surprise from the overenthusiastic Fu. "Oh, well that's good. Well let's go then?"
The two girls followed Shizune out the door. Their two teammates were outside as well, and followed behind Fu and Tayuya, who were led by Shizune. Tayuya and Fu were quick friends. Tayuya was more reserved than Fu, but she really was her friend. One she would protect with her life if need be.
Tayuya glanced and caught sight of the green haired woman she saw before. That must be her mom. She looked at Fu who was staring at her mom. She could see the longing in her eyes for anything from the woman. Fu's mom just watched with a blank stare as they walked away.
It pissed Tayuya off to no end. How could a mom do that to her daughter? Her mom died in front of her and she wanted her back more than anything. Yet here Fu was, just wanting some kind of acknowledgement to her existence, and the woman wouldn't give it.
Tayuya left the group, marching over to the woman. In a loud tone she barked at the woman. "What the hell is your problem?" Fu's mom didn't reply; she stood there staring at Tayuya with a blank stare. "Your girl just wanted you to acknowledge her and you do nothing. You're worse than the rest of the village. They treat her like scum, but at least they see she's alive. You act like she's nothing. If I have a kid, I hope I'm nothing like you!"
Tayuya stormed back to her startled group, slack-jawed from the outburst. "Come on, let's go."
Fu's face looked like Tayuya had just grown a second head; before it turned into a small smile. A few tears fell from her face as she embraced Tayuya. No one had ever stepped up for her before. At that moment, Tayuya had become the most precious thing in Fu's life. She couldn't contemplate in words how grateful she was, and all she could get out in a muffled tone was, "Thank you."
Tayuya returned the hug, and in a tone nonchalant tone she replied. "Don't sweat it. No one should deal with that. Let's just go."
Fu accepted that and moved along with the group. She couldn't make her mom love her; but just an acknowledgement would make her feel a lot better. At least she could have acted like she was alive, she was her daughter after all. At least she had her new best friend Tayuya. Sometimes that's all someone needed, a friend.
Fu's mom watched as the group left the village. She kept her blank stare until they were completely out of sight, before she fell to her knees breaking down. A flood of tears poured out as she shook in absolute despair.
Sobbing she weakly cried out, "Fu. Oh my Fu… I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. The village said I'd make you weak."
She cried for hours nonstop, until a hand was placed on her shoulder. Looking up she saw her village leader, Shibuki, offering her a kind smile. "I didn't mean for this. I just followed my predecessor's ruling. But I'm not like them. Fu needs to know you care for her."
He helped her up to her feet. "You have my permission to go. Go and let her know it wasn't your fault. Hurry before they pass our land's borders. Then return. I'm sorry but that's all I can do. Go."
Fu's mom was shocked that he was allowing her to do that. She wiped the tears from her eyes, before bowing to him. She pulled out her Takigakure headband, and wrapped it around her head, letting her hair fall around it. "Thank you." He gave her a smile as he watched her run off.
Shizune and her team followed two Takigakure Shinobi who were leading them south to the border between their respective countries. They were all on high alert, expecting that an attack could occur at any minute. Fu had been talking the entire time to Tayuya, not stopping to take a breath.
Normally, Tayuya would have told anyone else to shut up. Maybe Naruto had rubbed off on her, or maybe she just felt bad for Fu and didn't want to spoil her excitement. Whatever the case, Tayuya just let her talk and answered her questions.
"Is the village pretty? Is the Hokage nice? Will I make lots of friends? When can we play some games?"
Tayuya nodded along, not caring that she couldn't stop talking. She just answered her questions. "Yes. Sure. Probably. We can play some games back at the village."
Fu was bouncing in anticipation. "Tayuya, we are going to have so much fun! And you can introduce me to your boyfriend and then we can be friends too. Then you can get me one!"
Shizune glanced back to see Tayuya blushing. She didn't even get upset with the boyfriend comment. Hmm. Maybe she's finally seeing it herself. She looked up to see a signal flare high above. Looking ahead to the two Takigakure Shinobi leading them, she saw them completely focused on the flare.
Shizune matched their speed, and got between them. "What's that a signal for?"
One of the escorts hesitated before replying. Before he had a calm demeanor, but now he seemed nervous. He continued to stare at the falling flair as he answered. "That was a blue flair from one of our scouting posts. It's an alert that they've been attacked."
Shizune looked back at her team with a stern expression. They all knew what that look entailed and went on high alert. She was about to ask the escorts another question until another flair went up.
It caused the Takigakure Shinobi to gasp in alarm. "N-No!" The other one grasped the hilt of his sword off his back and used his other hand to grip a kunai. Fu became silent, knowing what that flair meant.
Tayuya watched it fall and asked in a serious tone. "What color does that mean?"
One of the Takigakure Shinobi responded. "That was a red flair… They're gone…" He looked at his comrade and gave him a nod before beginning to scan the surrounding area. "Leaf Shinobi. Be on alert."
Shizune clenched her jaw anticipating an attack. She didn't know when or where they were going to be ambushed, but she knew it was going to happen. Before she might have been slightly nervous; but with all the training she had been doing the last few years, she felt she was more than prepared.
Tayuya looked around listening for any indication of an ambush. As she listened all she could hear was silence. That might fool an average person, but not a ninja. It was too quite. They traveled another ten minutes in silence expecting an attack at any minute.
Tayuya started to become agitated waiting in anticipation. Then she heard a high pitched whistling sound. "Do you hear that?"
Shizune looked back at her, shaking her head. Tayuya gulped, not knowing what direction the sound was coming from. It seemed to permeate from every direction. Where the fuck is that coming from?
They traveled in silence another forty minutes. It was driving Tayuya crazy, because she could hear that high pitched whistling sound the whole time. Normally they would hear a sound just before or at the moment of ambush. This was something else. It was more effective, because all of them were about to leap out of their skin from the tense anticipation.
It sounded like a bomb dropping through the air, about to make contact with the ground before detonating. Yet, it seemed to be in perpetual freefall never making its impact. Tayuya's eardrums felt like they were going to burst from the sound as it seemed to get higher and higher.
The group leaped past a tree, all seeing a paper bomb at the last moment. All of their eyes widened as they held up their arms, trying to shield themselves from the explosion. It blew up, bigger than a usual paper bomb. It sent them flying back into different directions.
Luckily they saw it in time, and only suffered minor scrapes. "Everyone okay?" Shizune yelled. They all dusted themselves off, nodding to her. Scanning the area, she didn't see anything so she motioned to continue. "Be on high alert, they're near."
The group tried to make progress, but a little further ahead, they saw more paper bombs. Tayuya looked at them and said, "Shit." She heard sizzling and looked up to see a paper bomb about blow by her head. She panicked and yelled out. "Move!"
All of them looked around to see they were surrounded by paper bombs. They leaped and dodged their way through trees, barely dodging the explosions. It was a minefield and they had walked right into it. At first Shizune thought they were lucky they were dodging the explosions, but she quickly realized it was a trap.
They were being led through a path; to a destination she didn't know. Unfortunately there wasn't anything she could do about it; they were too far into the minefield to turn back. Shizune had to grit her teeth, waiting to see where they were going.
The trees began to thin as they traveled further. Eventually they made it into a clearing. It was a bit of a relief to see a small field and a small river nearby. Shizune knew that it wasn't as serene as it appeared. This was the ambush point, and they were led right into it.
Before they could catch their breath, a gust of wind sent one of the Takigakure Shinobi flying back first into a tree. They watched helplessly as a flash of yellow rushed by, colliding with the wounded Shinobi. All they heard was a sickening crunching sound as the man's bones were smashed in from the collision.
His lifeless body slumped over, and fell to the ground. The assailant back flipped away, before landing and moving again. Tayuya tried to keep up, stunned at the person's speed. Shit she's fast. The other Takigakure Shinobi watched his comrade fall to the ground, and lost it.
He charged with his sword, attempting to strike the assailant. The person stopped momentarily as he threw a kunai at the person, trying to stagger her a moment so he could deliver the killing blow. The person caught it, as he swung his blade down.
Thinking he had her, he used all of his might to kill the woman in front of him. "You will pay." He said coldly. As it inched closer the woman smirked, raising her other hand and caught the blade.
In an unusually sweet voice despite the circumstances she spoke. "Foolish man." His eyes widened in terror as she used his kunai blade she caught and rammed in into his abdomen. He slumped over; his head leaned against her shoulder.
Tayuya watched shocked as she shook her head in disappointment. She heard him cough and then saw a scowl cross the woman's face.
"You got blood on my outfit." She looked up to match stares with Tayuya. The woman gave her a deadpanned look as she lifted her arm, grabbing the man by the back of his head and twisting it. She pulled hard and fast, walking away as he fell to the ground dead.
Shizune looked at the woman shocked from the brutally efficient kill. The woman rested one hand on her hip, and stared at the group. Shizune eyed her, trying to figure out who exactly she was. She wasn't in the bingo book, and she had no idea what her skills were. From how she killed the two jonin Takigakure Shinobi, she had to be strong.
The woman wore a black kimono; similar to the one Shizune wore in the village, except it was laced in red instead of white like hers. That and she wore a dark grey apron tied around her waist that had the Akatsuki red cloud in the center. She had fair skin and if she wasn't intent on killing them, Shizune might have been slightly jealous of her beauty.
Shizune looked down to see the woman had blonde hair, cascading down her back in slightly spiky locks. It fell down to her ankles, glowing in the sunlight. Shizune thought she looked kind of familiar but she couldn't put her finger on it. They locked eyes again, and it startled her how similar they were to Naruto's. They were a deep blue that not many people had.
The stern look she leveled at Shizune and her group almost made her shiver. It portrayed utmost confidence yet not a sign of cockiness. She tried to think who she reminded her of, but it wasn't of importance at the moment. Shizune had to focus on anticipating any attack.
Her team took defensive positions, waiting for any sudden movement. The sound of wings flapping caught their attention as a woman with paper angel-like wings flew into the clearing. She hovered above, not saying anything.
She had straight blue hair, and wore the Akatsuki cloak. The blonde woman spoke first. "I know this is my test, Konan. Let me handle them." The woman nodded, before flying above to watch.
"I won't interfere. But make it quick." The woman nodded in reply as she again focused on Shizune and her team.
She pointed at Fu, and in a demanding voice spoke. "It's a shame, you're a pretty girl. Too bad you have to die."
Fu winced from the declaration; Tayuya on the other hand wasn't having any of it and stepped forward. Pointing back at the woman she barked. "Who the fuck are you? You want her; you'll have to go through me!"
The woman gave a sincere smile and tilted her head adding to the odd reaction. In a cheery tone she replied. "I'm Kuki. And I just want her. But I guess I can kill you too."
Shizune took a few steps, getting ready to fight. She didn't know who the woman was, but she could tell she wasn't just talk, she could back it up. Shizune just hoped that the other woman, Konan, didn't try to help. She pulled a scroll out of her pocket, and broke the seal on it. A puff a smoke jetted out, revealing a messenger hawk.
She quickly jotted down a note for backup, and attached it to the hawk's leg. She lifted her arm, throwing it into the air, and watched it fly away. Kuki watched it and laughed.
"I'll let it go, but they won't get here in time." She cracked her neck, before posturing herself in a taijutsu stance. Her cheery attitude disappeared, as the deadpanned expression took hold of her face again. "Should we get started?"