Dum, Dum, Dum, Another one bites the dust!
Sorry for that random line but I'm feeling a little chipper about revising another chapter.
Yay me!
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A deafening silence filled the room after the Hokage's declaration, everyone waiting with held breaths for the Kiri shinobis' reactions.
Said shinobi, disregarding the room's occupants and their silence, quickly approached the body. The ghastly sight that greeted them caused them to tremble in unadulterated rage.
The butchered corpse was that of a young academy student, a little boy who appeared to be no older than seven. His body -to their increased fury- displayed obvious signs of torture.
All the bones in the body were shattered; the fingers and toes crudely severed. The skin had been completely removed in various places and his entire torso was scorched. Empty sockets peered up at them blindly and a removed tongue was pinned mockingly on his chin with a senbon in a morbid impersonation of a beard.
The most heart-wrenching aspect, however, was the sheer terror prevalent on the boy's features. His mouth was permanently twisted into a silent scream. His sightless eyes were wide-open in fright, the remnants of tears still visible on his cheeks.
The occupants of the room noted, with a bit of trepidation, the darkening auras surrounding the Mist shinobi.
Rage was quickly overpowering Sakura. The Akatsuki, a comrade of Kiri, had done the unforgivable; they had viciously and mercilessly slaughtered a child of their village.
Those sick, fucking bastards Sakura thought darkly will regret the day they crossed us.
She hated traitors with every fiber of her being, and the Akatsuki's act had just banished every trace of her good will towards them.
They were now the enemy.
Despite the grim circumstances, however, Sakura could not help feeling the thrill of anticipation.
She was finally being presented with the opportunity to obliterate those who betrayed the Mist Village, traitors who were not protected with the title of Kage or by an understood peace treaty.
It's about fucking time emerald glittered in savage contentment. The world has screwed Kiri over enough, it's our turn.
Sakura's fellow villagers echoed her sentiments.
"The Akatsuki," the stony eyes of the Mizukage shone with suppressed malice, "will pay for their transgression with death. Our village will avenge the death of this child. His blood," the kage's deceptively calm declaration was interlaced with an unwavering promise, "will be repaid." .
In the silence that followed, Tsunade seized the opportunity to repeat her petition for their cooperation. "We now share a common enemy Mizukage. Will you help us put an end to the Akatsuki?"
Sayoran-sama silently assessed her and the other shinobi around him.
True, the Hidden Village of the Leaf and its allies would make defeating the Akatsuki easier, but he didn't trust them and was hesitant to ally his village with them.
The fact that his fellow villagers would sooner kill foreign shinobi, especially Leaf shinobi, than aid them in any way also made him averse to forming an alliance with the other villages.
It seems he mused that my decision has already been made.
After another moment of quiet reflection, he responded. "My apologies, but I decline your offer."
The unexpected response elicited shock in the Hokage and her comrades.
"The Mist Village will fight the Akatsuki," he assured them, "but we will do so independently. We are adequately armed and possess sufficient shinobi to pose a threat to the Akatsuki on our own. We require no assistance and," he added with a genial smile, "I am confident you and your allies will fair well without us."
The Kiri kage surveyed the room, subtly trying to gauge the reactions of the foreign shinobi clans. As he expected, the prominent Konoha clans were not happy.
His assessing eyes met the startled -and hostile- glares of the clan heads. Though everyone was affronted by his refusal of Konoha's assistance, he detected the strongest enmity from the leaders and heirs of the Uchiha, Uzumaki, Hyuuga, Aburame, Nara, Inuzuka, and the Hatake.
They, it seemed, had taken his rejection of the Leaf's offer personally; had seen his gesture as a belittlement of their clans' strengths.
I he thought with a wry smile appear to have made several friends.
Though he put up a good front, the numerous eyes boring into him made him uncomfortable. He would, however, never admit or show his discomfort, even under the threat of death.
The Kazekage, who had been quiet up to this point, deemed it time to add his own input.
"Death," merciless jade eyes bore into the Kiri nin, "is the only fate that awaits you should you be so foolish as to attack alone. Is the idea of allying yourself with us," he swept an arm over the congregated shinobi, "so detestable that you prefer your own demise?"
Gaara's comments did nothing to lessen the tense atmosphere that was rapidly overtaking the room.
Sakura viewed the hostile occupants of the room with wary eyes, viewing with concern the multitude of nin's subtly preparing for battle. Things she thought in trepidation are getting ugly in here. She grit her teeth in anger. I knew coming to Konoha was a fucking mistake.
Clearing her mind of all distracting emotions, the rosy haired kunoichi quickly scanned the room for the closest escape route. We need to get the hell out of here emerald narrowed in determination. There are too many of these damn bastards for us to take out.
Quickly becoming frustrated -and irritated- at the lack of accessible exits, she chanced a glance at her companions. She fervently hoped one of them was having better luck than she was.
They, however, proved to be completely useless at the moment. All their attention was currently focused on neutralizing any and all possible threats to the Mizukage. Under normal circumstances, Sakura would commend their dedication, but right now she was cursing their stupidity.
Those idiotsThe aggravated kunoichi barely restrained herself from lashing out at the morons she called teammates. Don't they realize how fucking badly we're outnumbered? Her hands clenched into white-knuckled fists. Don't they fucking realize that there's no way in hell we can fight and protect Sayoran-sama?
Judging from their resolute expressions, they apparently didn't.
Weighed down by the knowledge that she was seemingly the only one who was aware of the danger they were in, she frantically attempted to piece together a strategy that would ensure their safe escape.
How the fuckshe wondered am I going to get us out of this one?
Sakura's harried mind alternated between raging at her comrades, planning their escape route, cursing everyone in the room, defending the Mizukage, and protecting herself from possible attacks at a dizzying pace.
If we run along that wall…fucking Kotetsu and his fucking bloodlust…that table looks sturdy enough…I hope everyone in Konoha burns in hell…we'll need to break that window cleanly to avoid injury…that chair can be used to break the window…are those kunais in that guy's hands?…
Her train of thought -in all its rambling glory- was abruptly shattered when a senbon was thrown at Kisame. That was all that was needed for the building tension to erupt into hell.
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Worry lines seemed permanently etched onto Kohaku's face.
More and more reports were flooding in about Akatsuki attacks on their trade routes and trading partners. Mist shinobi streamed into the village daily with horrific tales of the Akatsuki torturing the inhabitants of their trade villages.
The stories of the atrocities committed made the blood of even the most bloodthirsty shinobi veterans run cold.
The young Haruno ran weary hands over his haggard face. Things are getting bad pale green eyes darkened in trepidation. Really bad.
The situation had escalated to the point that all Mist shinobi were now being recalled to the village. The looming threat of the Akatsuki had the village on edge.
No one wanted to be caught off guard again.
Battle preparation had only increased when scouts of the Haruno Clan reported hearing from various, reliable sources that the Akatsuki planned to mount an attack on the Hidden Mist Village during the Mizukage's absence.
Sakura Kohaku ran a frustrated hand through his scarlet locks I need you.