Magnetism
Chapter Nine
-Providence-
Twelve Years Later…
Four figures dashed through the tree tops, speeding towards the boundary between Wind and River. A man dressed in simple navy blue pants and a matching long sleeved shirt, ending mid-forearm, covered by a green Jounin vest led the team. His Konoha head band covered his left eye and his silver hair spiked out in odd angles. He glanced back at the three following him. It was, as he liked to call it, Team Kakashi: Version Two. "Are you all ready for this?" he asked from beneath his mask. The three nodded. Like the typical team, theirs was made up of two boys and a girl. The woman with them had long black hair with light cerulean eyes took the rear, looking around warily. She was dressed in a tight purple shirt, its sleeves stopping just before her elbows, with tight black leggings stopping at her knees, and regular ninja shoes. She had a green Jounin vest on as well, that she wore open, along with the other two men on her team.
"Sensei!" a dark haired man with a chili-bowl haircut saluted energetically. "We are always ready!"
The two rolled their eyes, focusing on their teacher's back. The last member of the elite team had dark black hair and deep forest green eyes that suddenly twisted into a crimson red when the trees began to thin and a vast gold desert could be seen through the breaks in the forest. They all halted then, dropping to the ground. Kakashi crossed his arms as they gathered around him, alert, and waiting for instructions. "Now…you all need to be aware of how serious and important this mission is. Our team was specifically chosen for this. I know none of you have ever fought on the front line before but our ninja forces have been trying to batter away at Suna for a week now…but…"
"But Suna has, according to rumor," the dark haired Uchiha began, interrupting his sensei. "The most elite team ever formed in the ninja world."
"Correct Akito, good job. No one has ever beaten them and they are the reason Suna is untouchable right now. The village hasn't been infiltrated in over twenty years. You three were chosen specifically because you are, to say, the best." The silver haired copycat ninja said, tugging up his gloves. "The three most feared shinobi in Suna, aside from the Kazekage himself, are his three children."
"Ah! The youth of Suna!" Ken shouted, pumping a fist in the air.
Akito rose his palm up, ceasing all the talking. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. You're telling me that one of the most deadly ninjas in the world…is that bubblegum princess?" he grimaced, it was unlikely to think that the innocent girl he had met nearly nine years ago could be a skilled assassin.
Kakashi cleared his throat and gave the younger man a look. "Yes. Now the only thing we know about these three is that the boy is the oldest. He has both my old student's inhuman strength and the Kazekage's sand ability. The twins only have one or the other, but there is one of them that is not to be underestimated. Suna shinobi are brought up ruthless and they do not hold back for anyone. When we arrive at the battle you will await my orders and follow what I say. You three are the only ones who might stand a chance against them. Do you understand?" he asked very seriously.
"Yes Sensei." They all agreed in unison.
"Alright then. Let's go, we're about to cross into their territory." He told them, taking off into a run once more as the three followed wordlessly. They had already been traveling for two and a half days. It wouldn't be long until they reached the battle field. Once they hit the sand they could feel the instant heat of the sun beating down on their heads.
"Well! This desert is a lot hotter than I thought it would be!" Ken told the others, laughing loudly.
Kakashi sighed, "Ken…please. I know you think everything is youthful and there is so much energy everywhere, but this is very serious. We might not make it out of this or not. I would like you to stay on task."
After they had run along the golden sand for a few hours, they could see dark figures in the distance and it was soon followed by the sounds of war. It was like nothing they had ever heard before. "Hopefully they will take our bait and the three gate keepers will come to the four chakra signatures we are giving off, so do not mask it. They need to see that we are a threat for the siblings to even give us the light of day." Kakashi explained, as they got closer the enormous walls of Suna began to peek over the horizon.
They could see the bloodshed from the war, their comrades falling, but they only had one task and if, and only if, it was completed they could help their fellow ninja. Suna was approaching quickly but the group halted when Kakashi stopped and held his hand out, signaling for them to follow suit. The sand ahead of them began to swirl in a small whirlwind and then condensed. When the grains fell back to its brethren three figures stood side by side.
"Sorry but this is as far as you're going to go." The male in the middle said darkly, his face was downcast, as if this was simply inconvenient for him, or it brought him great displeasure. He had blood red hair, his bangs falling into his shadowed eyes, which were a dark jade. His outfit was black and mimicked the Kazekage's. It had no sleeves and he wore dark gloves over his hands. Kakashi grimaced. He knew first hand that his old student had taught this boy and he could tell just by looking at him that he was very experienced. The two girls on either side of him could be mirror images if they had kept their features the same. One had long pink hair, braided back and held tightly, keeping it from her bored face. She held the same expression as her father, emotionless. Her pale jade eyes kept on the group from Konoha. She wore black capris' and a blood red shirt looking similar to that of her mother's. She too had on black gloves and Kakashi assumed that she was the one with the strength until he noticed the other twin had them as well.
That was when he fully took in the appearance of the last girl. She had short pink hair, cut shorter than he remembered Sakura's being. Her expression was the only different of the three, she had a beautifully evil smile plastered on her façade. She had a short sleeved, black cross over shirt, trimmed in red and black shorts that only came down a bit past her behind. There was an obi style belt around her stomach, being dark red and then tied in place with a thick black ribbon. Her ninja shoes looked like boots, going all the way up to just below her knees. "Well hello there Konoha shinobi. I hope you're not lost. The battle is that way." She pointed off towards the mass of black figures in the distance.
She eyed the group, studying each one carefully until her eyes fell on Akito. The Uchiha caught her slight reaction as her eyes widened a fraction before returning to normal. Kakashi took a step forward, setting his hands on his hips. "So you are the Sand siblings. Toshiro, Satomi, and Natsumi."
"Correct, Hatake Kakashi." Natsumi smirked, mimicking his actions. "Hatake Kakashi, Jounin level but used to be in the Anbu. You favor the chidori, right?" she arched a brow, only growing cockier when she saw the slight shock on his face. She turned her pale jade gaze to the odd ball of the group. "Rock Ken. Taijutsu expert, son of Rock Lee and prefers hand to hand combat above all else." She focused on the woman then and felt a prick of memory. "Ah, Uzumaki Minako, Byakugan and the Rasengan. Quite a combination, though, you aren't that much of a fighter. I can tell by your stance that killing makes you uneasy." She taunted and then finally locked gazes with Akito once more. "And Uchiha Akito. The heir to the Uchiha line gained a high level of Sharingan at an uncannily young age. I heard you like lightning."
Kakashi grabbed onto his headband and pulled it up, revealing his own sharingan. "Very impressive I must admit, though I would expect nothing less from the child of my dear Sakura." He smiled beneath his mask and then looked back to his team. "Minako." He lowered his voice then, as to not be overheard. "I need you to take on the son. He's got sand and power, but he's not the psychotic one, his aura is not menacing. But he does have the most chakra, unless the other two are masking theirs. The Sharingan cannot foresee the sand so you must use the Byakugan to your advantage. Do not get hit or it's all over." He told her and then returned his gaze to the twins. "Now…we just need to find out which twin is the sand user."
"The squirt with the short hair is the sand user. Trust me." Akito said loud enough for the sand siblings to hear, eyeing her up and down. She had gotten really attractive over the years it seemed, and he was glad that she had remembered him, if only slightly.
Fire flashed in Natsumi's eyes as she stepped forward shaking her fit in the air. "I am not a squirt Uchiha Akito! I totally grew and you know it!" she pointed at him accusingly, getting questioning looks from both her elder siblings. She was red in the face now, angry he was teasing her in such a manner. Unfortunately for her, the fact that his sharingan was activated allowed him the ability to see her eyes giving him a once over and obviously admiring his form.
Kakashi scratched his head and looked between his student and the girl. "Am I missing something here?"
He gave Natsumi a bored stare. "You're still short, and therefore, a squirt." He said, and then looked over at his team leader. "I wouldn't worry about it." He informed him.
The silver haired man sighed and returned his gaze to the two girls. "Ken, I want you to stay with me and fight this much louder twin. Something is off about her. She's too animated and bubbly for a battle field…that's never a good sign. Which means, that Akito, I want you to handle the other twin. Just avoid getting hit, since you are the fastest on the team that shouldn't be a problem should it?"
He pulled his fingerless gloves on tighter and looked at Kakashi. "Why do I have to fight the ugly one?" he complained.
Minako gave him an odd look. "Ugly? But Akito-kun, they look the same."
"Ch. Minako come on, use your eyes. Clearly, Natsumi is the pretty one. I mean, just look at those curves…perfect proportions. And her face isn't all jacked up." He said, gesturing to the twins.
"Perfect proportions? Are you saying that I don't have them?" she asked, becoming annoyed and crossing her arms.
He shrugged, still looking bored. "The only things about you that I find attractive are your large breasts." This caused the ebony haired girl's mouth to drop open in shock. She was utterly speechless.
"What are they talking about?" Satomi asked, growing a bit irritated.
Toshiro scratched his head, trying to get a better hear. "Something about you being ugly…Natsumi having perfect proportions…and large breasts." He told them, making them both go wide eyed.
"I am most certainly not ugly! Natsumi and I look the same!" Satomi shrieked, glaring the Uchiha down.
"Big breasts." Natsumi touched her own and then looked over to Minako. "Whatever! I do have a perfect proportion, who wants huge breasts anyways. They slow you down." She huffed, throwing her hands in the air.
Toshiro felt himself staring at the Konoha girl's chest, a small smirk forming on his face. "I think they look nice."
Both girls stopped and stared at their brother. "Gross." They said in unison.
They all faced forward then, Satomi locked eyes with the Uchiha, vowing to take him down. Natsumi sighed as the odd looking freak and the older ninja faced her off. "I guess they picked who they wanted to fight." Toshiro just sighed, he didn't really enjoy killing and the fact that he didn't like hurting girls only made his match up more difficult.
"Hey Satomi," Natsumi called over her shoulder to her sister. "Try not to kill him, he's really cute and I kinda want to play with him later." She snickered, looking back at Akito and blowing him a kiss. She leaned forward and disappeared then, making all four go wide eyed with disbelief. Kakashi barely managed to block the kick aimed for his face. She ducked down when Ken tried to attack her from behind, but successfully swung her leg under his, knocking him off balance. The two moved around swiftly, slamming arm to arm, but it was clear who was better. Kakashi was helping Ken instantly, amazed that such a small girl could take on them both at the same time. He grimaced, trying to follow her moves with his sharingan, but this girl was even faster than Akito…and that was extremely alarming.
Seeing everything almost clearly, Akito allowed a smirk to cross his features. So she had gotten strong, just as she promised. That was good, since he liked a challenge. He turned to the other twin and sighed. "I hope you're at least half as good as your sister, or this is going to be really easy." He said, cracking his neck.
"My sister is a psychopath. She's the one the rumors are about, if you need to know." Satomi informed him, cracking her knuckles and approaching him slowly. "She's going to murder your friends…I hope you're ready for that." She gave him a bored look and lowered down into a threatening stance.
"That bushy eyed menace is no friend of mine." He said. Ever the gentleman, he decided to wait for her to make the first move. He had heard about her fighting style and that it consisted mostly of taijutsu, which he excelled at, but he wanted to be sure first, better safe than sorry anyways.
Satomi, seeing he would not move till she did, ran at him, not having the speed everyone had just witnessed from Natsumi but she was nowhere near slow. She formed a fist and aimed right for his face beginning their battle.
Minako just stared at the redhead before her. It was a pity she had to fight him, he was really cute. I mean, Akito was cute don't get her wrong, but she didn't think of him in a romantic manner, despite the Elders arranging a marriage between them. It was only to combine their bloodlines anyways. She got in the defensive stance her uncle Neji took before fighting and observed him. She never was one to make the first move anyways, since she despised fighting.
Toshiro frowned, his arms crossed over his chest. "I'm sorry for this…I don't enjoy killing like my sisters do." He said, actually seeming sincere, but the sand around them began to pick up and swirl around them in an agitated manner. The red head himself didn't move but the sand flew at her, whipping around and trying to get her in its grainy hold.
She dodged expertly, and in a flash of purple was before the redhead. "I understand, I feel the same." She said before disappearing again, only to reappear a little ways off. If she could get him to use taijutsu instead of his sand it would be easier to fight him, since she knew it would protect him from being hit with her gentle fist or rasengan.
He sighed and lifted his hand, the sand around her bursting and creating a storm so that she was unable to see clearly. Natsumi flipped back, sliding on the sand and looking back at her two opponents. She was disappointed that she wasn't even breaking a sweat. She made a few hand signs and the sand around them began to swirl, forming a type of whirl pool and sucking them towards the center and then lower into the deep desert. Kakashi made an attempt to get out, but the sand solidified around his legs. He growled out and focused on the young girl, feeling his eye strain. It was the only way he could think of getting her to break her concentration. She felt an odd sensation in the air and then saw Kakashi. She gasped and burst into sand, disappearing from their view. The sand stopped its pull and Ken and Kakashi pulled themselves from the golden dust. They looked around, noticing that the entire area around them was beginning to turn into a sand storm.
"Watch out Ken." The silver haired ninja warned, looking around and trying to remain alert. Natsumi appeared in the air and slammed her foot down on Ken's head, making him stumble back as she followed up her volley of hits with another powerful kick to the side of his head.
"I can't see anything Kakashi-sensei because of this sand!" he yelled out in pain. Natsumi gripped onto his shoulder and flipped over the Lee lookalike and touched his back gently. She ran at Kakashi and metal clashed with metal as they battled with kunai. The older man looked over her shoulder for a second and went wide eyed. "Ken!" he shouted, trying to warn the boy of the explosive tag now on his back, but the paper lit on fire and suddenly there was a loud boom. The sand was blown from the area for a moment, due to the impact, and it got everyone's attention.
"Damn idiot." Akito muttered, resuming his fight with the medical ninja.
Minako was wide eyed, but she could see with her byakugan that he wasn't fatally injured. Still worried, she focused on her own fight. It was getting tiresome having to avoid the tendrils of sand all the time, and if it kept up it wouldn't be long before she grew sluggish. Using a few hand signs, she created four shadow clones. They all rushed forward at the same time, each trying to hit the redhead with their gentle fist.
As to its nature the sand rose to block every attack aimed for its master. He watched Minako's movements carefully, predicting where she would be next. He was suddenly glad for his sister's annoying speed. It was easy to keep track of the girl before him. He just needed to time it perfectly and end this quickly. He could already sense his sister's control over her psychotic needs slipping. She loved fighting and those two apparently weren't enough right now. He moved forward, holding his hand out causing the sand in front of him to form into a giant Shukaku look alike.
The giant raccoon lifted its large hand and slammed down on the spot Minako was and anticipating her movements, Toshiro moved the other and successfully slammed the hard sand over her head, nailing her into the ground. He slowly lifted his hand, detaching the sand, now constricting her, from the sand animal. He tightened his grip and she began to feel like the life was being squeezed from her. It was foolish of these ninja to come and expect to win while fighting in the desert
Akito on the other hand was doing better than his other teammates. He had dodged all of the strength user's attacks, and had even cut her a few times, although she healed them. But at the moment, he was just trying to get her to lower her stamina and chakra reserves. He knew it took a lot of effort to direct chakra outside the body, and that was what her attacks consisted of, no matter how much chakra control you had. But he was beginning to grow bored with her, and out of his peripheral vision he could see that Minako needed assistance, as well as Kakashi and Ken. Did he have to do everything for this team? "Can you at least try and put some effort into this fight? Otherwise I'll ditch you for your brother. Or maybe your sister. Either one seems more stimulating anyways." He said with a bored tone.
"You got the wrong person if you want effort." She sighed, mimicking his expression. "Besides, the kind of excitement you're looking for would be found fighting my sister. Not to mention you can't stop looking over at her." She glared, starting to run at him once more. She was getting bored of this, she had used up quite a bit of chakra and he was much better than she had anticipated. She formed another fist but this time she slammed her hand into the ground and the impact shock tossed some huge chunks of earth into the air. She turned around, sending powerful kicks at the large boulders and sending them sailing at the Uchiha. "You're that boy she wanted to marry, aren't you?" she asked almost to herself, but she was a bit curious.
"I suppose, unless like most women she can't make up her mind and has decided on someone else." He said, dodging each of the boulders and landing behind her. Before she could react he spun and kicked her harshly in the stomach, sending her flying. She hit the ground and bounced once, landing in a sand pile. She groaned and sat up, giving the Uchiha an irritated look.
"She's been fixated on you ever since you told her you were her pre-fiancé. It's been kinda annoying actually." she stood slowly, dusting the sand from her clothes and running her glowing hands over her ribs to heal them.
"Akito!" Kakashi shouted, getting the man's attention. Both Satomi and Akito looked over to the other fight, seeing Kakashi narrowly avoiding all of Natsumi's jabs. Until the sand below him rose and shoved him over like a wave. She charged at him one of her hands glowing a bright green. She slid beneath him and touched her hand to his leg making him collapse to the ground. She flipped up behind him then and kicked him into the sand, grabbing his arms and placing her foot in the middle of his back. She gave a sharp tug and they heard sickening snaps from both shoulders. Kakashi growled out in pain, glaring back at the girl and then Akito. "Ken! You deal with the strength. Akito, kill her. She's the one out of the three that needs to be eliminated!"
Akito was over there before anyone could blink, aiming a kick at Natsumi in order to get her off his teacher, to which she successfully avoided, appearing a few feet away. "Ken, take ugly while I fight the Princess." Akito said with a smirk, happy to finally fight someone worth his time.
A brilliant, yet sadistic smile formed on Natsumi's face as she lowered her stance. "So you remember." She said simply, finally letting herself release all her chakra. Her brother had told her to mask as much as she could since they had enormous levels thanks to their father, and she was just getting started. Kakashi went wide eyed from his spot on the desert floor.
"That's not possible."
"Sure, it is." She told him, giving him a quick glance before looking directly into Akito's sharingan. "Very impressive, it's even more intricate than before. I missed you, my Prince." She teased. "Have you forgotten our arrangement?"
"I never forget things, but why don't you elaborate, just in case." He said, lowering into his own stance. "And of course it's possible Sensei, I do it all the time." He said, releasing all of his chakra. It wasn't anywhere near as much as Natsumi's, but by their standards, it was still a great amount. He had had to train for months in order to build it up, since some of his greatest techniques required a lot of chakra.
She giggled excitedly, her hands shaking with eagerness. She wanted to fight him so bad it was actually hurting to hold back right now. He was just as powerful as she imagined he would be and she hadn't even fought him yet. She ran forward and disappeared in the blink of an eye and when she appeared in front of him and aimed a kick at his side he caught it and attempted to throw her over his shoulder and to the ground. She moved around in his grasp, successfully breaking his hold and swept her foot under his legs. He jumped back giving her a playful smirk. "You know…" she began, charging at him once more and engaging his taijutsu with her own, having too much fun in their narrow hits and misses. "You promised to marry me when I turned eighteen…" she paused and ducked under one of his kicks, moving against him and purposely pressing her body into his, effectively feeling his hard muscles and pushing him back. "I've been eighteen for nine months now, and all I'm waiting for is for you to propose."
"Yes well, how was I to know when your birthday was? You said you would visit when you turned eighteen, and you never did." He said, aiming a punch for her, which she caught. Then she brought up a leg to kick him in the head, but he caught it with his free hand. Standing there, he smirked. "I can't be married to someone who doesn't follow through. So I'll propose to you when and if I choose. You'll just have to persuade me." He said, pulling her lower half forward so that it pressed into his. Then he leaned forward. "Do you think you're up to the task? I'm a difficult man to please." He whispered in her ear.
She smiled, oddly enough enjoying the touch. Which was probably wrong, but what the heck? "Oh I'm up for it." She told him confidently. She allowed herself to press further into him, her smile turning into a devious smirk. "And I think I'll please you just fine…seeing as how turned on you are from my body against yours and probably from the fact that I'm actually a challenge on the battle field." She brought her hand down and stroked his cheek tenderly.
"I will admit your prowess excites me. Your sister was just so boring to fight, all her movements are predictable." He complained, his brow furrowing slightly. He knew it was wrong what he was doing, since he was supposed to kill her, but he didn't want to. If he kept her alive, then each time he had to fight Suna shinobi he could fight her, and actually have a challenge. She would push him to his limits, he could tell, and at the same time, he had fun when fighting her. Then the real Akito came up and pressed into her from behind, placing his hands on her hips and sandwiching her between himself and his clone. "Although," the real one said in the opposite ear, smirking. "You should try and please the real me, not the shell."
Her gaze shot back, trying to get a look at him with her peripherals. She was actually surprised and realized that she had let her guard down. It not only irritated her, but surprised her. She focused back on the clone, which had his own smirk plastered on his face. "Well," she sighed as a kunai was placed to his throat and he felt a small frame press against his own back. "Then you should do the same." she whispered, wrapping her free hand around his waist and pressing her palm on his flat abs. She felt her stomach flip by the feel. Why was he so damn attractive? "Though…girls do like to play with dolls." She informed him, looking over his shoulder at her sand clone that was being more than a little friendly to the Leaf Jounin's clone.
He looked down at her from over his shoulder and smirked, pleased with her quick reaction. Removing his hands from the clone, he reached behind himself and gripped her rear, pressing her into him from behind. "Then tell me Natsumi…what's your pleasure?" he asked, ignoring the fact that she had a kunai pressed to his throat.
She felt her face grow hotter, and it wasn't from the sun. She knew she was blushing, a dark red one, and it only made her blush further. "I've yet to have it done…but the thought of someone actually being able to dominate me, in more than just battle." She admitted, her grip on her weapon loosening as she almost dropped it from his action. "I'm undefeated though, sad to say, but true." She kept her voice steady, choosing to ignore the shocked stares of her siblings.
Minako stared at Akito, completely dumbfounded. "What is Akito-kun doing? Usually he's killed his opponent by now." She said, more to herself than the redhead standing a few feet away from her.
The scene was so alarming that Toshiro had actually ceased in his attempt to kill the woman in his grasp. "What the hell is he doing to my sister? He is touching her inappropriately and holding her behind!"
"Akito-kun has never shown an interest in a woman before. And why is she letting him do that to her?" she continued. Then she enhanced the clarity on her byakugan and gasped. "Now he's rubbing it! What has the world come to?"
By now his sand had lowered her and slid off from lack of concentration. "We should stop this." He told her, looking down at her and fully realizing he had released her.
"I agree. This is not proper battle protocol. I mean, I may not have wanted to fight you, but at least I did." She said, crossing her arms.
He nodded, crossing his arms as well. "I do not like this at all, we may have to intervene."
Natsumi leaned up on her tip toes and pressed her lips against his neck. "I think on three…I'm going to try and kill you. Because things are starting to look suspicious and as much as I love you touching my body, I'd like to see yours in action." She nuzzled him affectionately and smoothed her hands lower, towards his waist. "One…"
"Two…" he said, giving her rear one last squeeze before lowering his hands.
She didn't stop her advance on his lower region and as she pulled them back, her hand brushed over his pride and joy. She smiled deviously, "Three." She said quickly, aiming a round house kick at his head. He ducked quickly and latched onto her leg, gripping it tightly and lifting her off the ground. The sand clone immediately broke from her 'partners' tight embrace and surged forward to attack Akito. She burst into sand and swarmed around the Uchiha, forcing him to release its mistress. Natsumi landed, cat like, on the ground and swept a kick beneath Akito, knocking him off balance. She rose and followed his fall, her hand glowing a dangerous green.
The clone Akito had made dove for Natsumi, knocking her out of the way from hitting his master. Akito landed on his hands and flipped over, landing on his feet and immediately moving into a defensive crouch, dismissing his clone.
Natsumi squealed, clapping her hands together, still seeming head over heels for the man. "Akito you are simply everything I hoped you would be and more. I'm so glad you did not disappoint me." She stretched her hands out and the playful look on her face vanished, replaced with a hard smirk. She dissolved into her sand and suddenly the rest of the sand in the area picked up and swirled dangerously around like a violent sandstorm, blinding everyone but the sand siblings who knew how to see through it. Akito could hear laughter, changing from place to place. He grimaced, understanding that in the situation Natsumi could appear just about anywhere she wanted. He looked around with his sharingan, attempting to pinpoint her location. But every time he figured out where she was she vanished into the grains, only to reappear somewhere else.
She appeared off to the side, masked by the sand storm, aiming another glowing green hand at his back. She would get him. She was better, she was the best. There was no way she could lose, not even to him. He disappeared, having sensed her coming up behind him. He reappeared behind her, and aimed a kick for her head. He wasn't sure what her green-glowing hand meant, but it wasn't the same shade of green used for healing. So he assumed that it was imperative that he avoid getting hit with that technique at all costs.
Before his kick could connect she burst into a dense fog of sand and when his leg went through where her body had been she formed once more and shot her hand through the air, almost slamming her green hand into his back. Akito went wide eyed when he felt the effects even from being this close. He could feel his skin beginning to deteriorate. With an intense speed he moved from her reach and turned around, holding his hands up in defense, sliding to a stop in the sand.
"What, exactly, is that type of medical jutsu? I have never seen of it before." He asked, slightly curious. Had she developed it on her own?
She slid to stop as well and looked at him through the raging sand. "You've never seen it before because I developed it myself. My mother is the student of your Hokage and has surpassed her. Both her and my sister charge their fists with power and it appears blue. Healing is a light green…but mine…" she smirked, moving her fingers a bit as they began to glow a deep green once more. "If this even brushes against your skin, it will start to erode, and it spreads at a rapid rate. There's no way to stop it unless I heal it myself." She told him, enough so he would fear it, but not anywhere near enough to be able to figure it out. "And I've already hit your sensei with it…so you better step up your game and get him to a medic or he'll die."
Akito's gaze darkened slightly in anger. He refused to let his teacher die, especially since Kakashi was more of a father to him than his own. But at the same time, he felt his respect as a fighter for her grow. It took a lot of time, patience, and skill to develop your own technique, he knew that for a fact. She just continued to impress him. Deciding that he needed to finish this quickly, he gathered his chakra and extended his right arm. An electric blue light began to form in his palm, and the chirping of birds could be heard. The light burst into a ball of lightning, and Akito took a deep breath in preparations for his attack. Unlike his father and sensei, he didn't need to hold his chidori arm in order to steady it. The smirk fell from her face as her gaze lowered to his arm. She had heard about this move from her mother and father, her father having dealt with it first-hand. She also knew how to counter it…well in theory. She lowered down as well, looking like she was going to rely on her speed for this. She outstretched her right hand and her sand swarmed around her arm, forming something similar to the arm of the demon raccoon, only more feminine looking. The claws on the arm outstretched, already looking ferocious if they happened to get a piece of him.
In a burst of speed he ran at her, raising his arm to hit her once he was close enough. Every time he used this move it connected with his opponent, and he had heard from his father that it would be able to break through the sand, as Sasuke's had to Gaara's all those years ago. He trusted his father's words, and so it never occurred to him in that moment that she also knew of the encounter and was prepared to stop it.
Victory washed over her face as she took off, solidifying the sand beneath her own feet so she could run even faster without being inhibited by its deep step. She pulled her arm back, already ready for her win. She could taste it and he had done exactly what she thought he would. But then again, pride always came before the fall. The claws formed together into something that looked more like a lance. When they were almost within reach of each other they thrust their hands toward the other, but the sand surged forward, growing in length, and pierced Akito clean through the shoulder. Effectively dismissing the chidori, but not before it slammed against her sand shield and causing an explosion of glass, which neither was prepared for. Sharingan eyes widened slightly in surprise and pain. He had never been hit before in his life. Not even as a Genin. He grew angry with himself for assuming that he would win, but was happy that she had hit him. She had now proven herself to be his equal, something he had never encountered before. Suddenly he could feel the damaging chakra of her medical jutsu through the sand, and realized that she had hidden the deadly technique beneath the grains. If he got hit with that then it would all be over, because there was no way they would make it out alive. He was the only one who could save the team now, so he could not afford to be injured in a substantial way. He reached over with his right hand and ripped the sand spear from his shoulder, backing away from her as he did so. His left arm was practically useless now, since his shoulder was bleeding profusely, and the wound would only hinder his movements. She disappeared, the sand around them growing wilder with her excitement. When she formed in front of him she took him down to the desert floor, pinning his arms with her legs and latching her left hand around his throat to keep him in one place.
"I've won Uchiha Akito!" she laughed insanely, all playfulness gone from her features. "I am the ultimate weapon!" she started to cackle, letting her free hand begin to glow a dangerous green. "I have beaten an Uchiha…though," she paused in her actions and stared down at him. "You were the most formidable foe I have ever faced and for that I commend you. Too bad our marriage will not be in our future, but know my heart goes with you. You are the only man exciting enough to grab my attention." She promised, pulling her hand back. Just as she was going to deliver the final blow the sound of chirping birds could be heard once more. Blood splattered onto Akito's face as Kakashi ran his chidori right through Natsumi from behind. She fell forward, limply, but a sinister smile crossed her face. "Nice try." She mumbled before the clone dissolved into sand. Natsumi formed beside her brother and sister now, who had effectively taken care of their opponents. Ken ran over to his teacher and his team mate, both hands broken due to the force of Satomi's fists. Minako was gripping her right arm which was completely useless now and had blood seeping down her skin and staining the sandy floor. "I admit, that was fun. Uchiha Akito, if you survive me throughout this war…I will accept your marriage proposal when the time comes that you and I are ready to become traitors. Unfortunately, now is not that time so…you all will die!" she laughed, holding her hand up, palm towards them as the sand swirling around the area flew back to its mistress. Toshiro did the same, saying nothing since he wasn't comfortable with death at anytime. All the sand became denser and formed into millions of senbon, aimed straight for the Konoha group. "Now die!" she yelled, and all the senbon flew forward.
Akito got off the ground and quickly formed a series of hand signs. Suddenly a large dragon made of fire flew from his mouth, going straight for the senbons made of sand and the siblings. When it hit, the senbon turned to glass and shattered from the heat of the flame. The dragon roared, and continued its path towards the enemy. It circled them, hindering their vision. Then it died down, and when the smoke cleared, the group of Konoha nin were gone, having teleported to an unknown part of the forest so that they could head back to their village in order to heal.
Natsumi looked around and grew angry. "What? Where did they go!" she screamed, running forward and searching for where they had been. "AGH!" she yelled, they sand around her, exploding with her agitation. She began to laugh then, holding her hands together. "Looks like Akito really wants to marry me, since he was so desperate to stay alive."
Toshiro and Satomi sighed. They simply did not understand their sister sometimes. "Come on Natsumi. We need to report to father. It looks like most of the Leaf ninja are retreating anyway. For now, Suna is safe."
She turned back to her brother and huffed, "I don't care! I wanted blood, to kill an Uchiha would have been monumental!"
"I thought you liked him…or something…" Satomi said with a bored expression.
"I do." Natsumi snapped, setting her hands on her hips. "The fact that he could escape only makes him that much more attractive." She laughed and went back over to her siblings.
Toshiro just shook his head and let his sand take them away, back to their home inside of Suna.
The group, led by Akito, ran as fast as they could back to Konoha, the wounds Kakashi's had received from Natsumi were getting worse as they slowly ate at his tissue. Ken was carrying their teacher on his back, and Minako took the rear, using her byakugan to make sure they weren't being followed.
When they had appeared in the forest Minako had treated their immediate wounds with the specialty cream that the Hyuuga Clan made, making it easier for them to travel. After two days of intense travel, they finally made it home. Minako went to get Tsunade, while Akito and Ken took Kakashi to the hospital.
Tsunade entered the hospital room not five minutes later, Minako right behind her. "What's his injury?" she asked, looking at the two boys.
"He was hit with a special type of medical chakra that damages the tissues of the body and slowly spreads over time. It was developed by Sabaku no Natsumi, and glows a dark green." Akito recited, informing the Hokage about the move so that the rest of the Konoha shinobi could be warned of the technique.
The blonde nodded. "I see. Everyone leave the room and go get treated, Shizune is waiting for you. I will see what I can do for Kakashi."
They did as they were told, and each went to their assigned hospital rooms. As Akito's shoulder was being healed he reviewed his fight in his mind, coming up with ways that he could do better the next time he fought Natsumi. Because they would fight again, he would be sure of it. Sometime when he didn't have to worry about the rest of his team.
Once they were told that Kakashi was stable, but would have to stay for further watch, Akito left to go home. As he entered the Uchiha district he grimaced. His father was going to give him hell for getting hit and having to retreat. It wouldn't even matter that he had had to protect and save his team and was the only reason they were alive. Nothing would be good enough for the elder Uchiha. Such was the life of Uchiha Akito.
"Daddy!" Natsumi cried excitedly as they entered the Kazekage's office. She jumped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around her father's neck. "Dad you'll never guess who I just fought and defeated! An Uchiha. The chidori was just as amazing as you said it would be but I beat it!"
Toshiro and Satomi once again sighed in unison, they looked over at their mother who was in the room with their father, already planning new defense strategies. She looked up at her children and smiled. Halting in what she had been doing, she walked over to the two oldest, giving them a once over to make sure they were unharmed. "And how did you two do?" she asked, knowing that they had won.
"Fine." They said together. They allowed their mother to examine them, knowing her habit. "We fared well. I fought a Hyuuga, she was fairly easy to handle. Her Byakugan made it somewhat hard to grab her with my sand but in the end she succumbed to her injuries and retreated with her team."
"Retreated?" Gaara asked, looking down at his youngest, patting her head. "They escaped."
"Yes." Satomi said quickly. "Natsumi here was too busy playing with the Uchiha to actually take him out and he was the one that created their escape."
Memory pricked in the back of Sakura's head as she heard this. "Not…Uchiha Akito…" she trailed off, knowing the answer to that as well. In no universe would any of her children allow for Sasuke to make it out alive. They would have been much more upset with the retreat had that happened. It would also explain why her youngest was happy about her fight, having not seen the boy since they had been to Konoha all those years ago.
Natsumi nodded happily, even the thoughts of her beloved made her giggle. "He was so happy to see me too, he even escaped to prove that he wanted to marry me." She explained.
"Whoa, what?" Gaara blinked, completely confused at what was going on. "Marry you? How do you even know someone from Konoha?"
"Because Dad," she rolled her eyes, releasing her hold on her father and sitting down on his desk. "He's my pre-fiancé. I met him in Konoha when Mom went to make the alliance that failed. And he told me that he would marry me when we were old enough."
"They got more than friendly with one another." Toshiro spoke up then, looking at both his parents. "Their hands were all over each other and that pervert touched her inappropriately on the behind."
Satomi nodded, "And you don't even want to know what their clones were doing."
Sakura's eyes widened. "What? Sabaku no Natsumi, you know better than to behave in such a way, especially while fighting. Did you not listen to anything I told you about Uchihas? They are bad news, and no way in hell am I going to allow you to marry him." She said, crossing her arms angrily.
"Excuse me?" Natsumi hopped up from the desk and walked around, facing her mother off with her hands on her hips. "I can do whatever the hell I want Mom." She snapped.
Gaara just stared in horror at the fact his little girl was even talking about marriage and was doing things with a boy she pretty much just met. This was intolerable and inexcusable. He was an Uchiha, and he hated Uchihas.
"Not while you live under my roof, and are my daughter. I see no reason why you can't just find a local boy. That, I would approve of. Besides, he is an enemy, and I know for a fact he won't turn traitor on his village for anyone. Uchihas think of only themselves and what they can gain by using the people around them." The elder medic said, her gaze hardening.
"Don't give me your sob story Mom. I didn't say I or he was turning traitor. Now back off because first of all let's count off the differences of our scenarios. One he is not Sasuke, two Akito is smoking hot and I can tell he's a lot more attractive than Sasuke was, three I'm the most beautiful person in the world and unlike you I can kick ass. I'm not saying you're not good Mom, but I'm the one fighting on the front line keeping our village safe. I may be like you mom, but I am not you and you're not me! I'm not going to find some amazing guy from sand because they all suck. You were lucky, and you know what I think about this." She stepped up and poked her mother in the shoulder. "You found your perfect match from a village you were at war with, I'm so much like you right? Why wouldn't it be the same for me." She seethed, doing an about face and walking out of the room, leaving four very shocked Sabakus.
"I don't understand what's happening." Gaara said, sitting back down in his chair and pinching the bridge of his nose. "I need some Midol."
Sakura just glared at him. "Well while you take your Midol, try looking for your tongue. You could have said something Gaara, you know she listens to you more than me. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go demolish something." She said angrily, storming out of the room and slamming the door, causing a huge crack to come up the wall.
He just looked after his wife and rolled his eyes, "Yeah like I want to deal with that twice in one day."
Satomi sighed and left after her mother, intent on making sure the woman didn't destroy the village. She knew how much her sister rubbed Sakura the wrong way.
Toshiro just watched his father attempt to rub the headache away. "I wouldn't worry Father. I was watching the fight and as it progressed Natsumi started getting psychotic. I'm sure if she fights the Uchiha again she will kill him, even if it is unintentional. You know how she gets carried away."
"I know…you're right. Just go make sure your Mother is fine. I'll deal with Natsumi later." He gestured for his son to leave and he did so silently, focusing on his mother's chakra to seek her out. When he arrived at one of the training grounds in Suna he was not surprised to see it already demolished. He stopped at the gate and slowed his pace. "Mom, would you like Satomi and I to spar with you?"
"If you wish." Sakura said, kicking a huge boulder and sending it flying. She was trying not to let it show, but what Natsumi had said had really upset her in more than one way. It was taking a huge effort not to break down and cry, so instead she was channeling her feelings into exercise.
Toshiro looked over at his sister and gave her a nod. They knew their mother well enough. They knew her feelings were hurt and that Natsumi always said things which she should really keep to herself, but things that irritated you in other people were usually traits you had yourselves. They both lunged from their spots, attacking their mom with taijutsu, only using their chakra to enhance their strength as she had taught them. "Do not listen to Natsumi Mom, you know you are an amazing ninja. How else could you have gotten dad's attention?" Toshiro said, avoiding a punch aimed for his face.
Satomi nodded, not allowing herself to hold back. It would only upset Sakura further if they didn't give it their all. Sakura dodged and returned her children's attacks, trying to lose herself in the fight. "Why she can't see that I'm trying to protect her?" she said, stomping the ground, causing large chunks of earth to fly into the air. The she began to punch the boulders she created, sending them flying at her kids.
The younger pink haired women pulled her arm back and slammed her fist into the boulder, shattering it into little fragments. Toshiro spun around and hit the rock with his foot, breaking it clean in half and having it fall on either side of him. He punched into one of the half boulders and turned, to give himself some speed and threw it back at his mother. "You know how she is Mom."
"She says things she doesn't mean all the time…you know she would never actually betray you for an enemy. She loves you, don't let her raging feelings hurt yours." Satomi said, grabbing the other large chunk and sending it sailing towards Sakura as well.
She got on her hands and spun, kicking both projectiles away from herself. Then she flipped over and ran at Toshiro, engaging him in a spar. "Well your father could have said something. He coddles your sister too much, that's why she thinks she can do whatever the hell she wants. It ridiculous."
"She's you Mom, that's why he treats her like that. Aside from your late night shenanigans, you and Natsumi are almost exactly the same. She's psychotically unstable like dad and other than that it's like a mini you. That's why she's his favorite." He tried to explain, moving from side to side to avoid a hit. He knew very well how much power those fists packed.
"I don't want her to get hurt. What if that Uchiha uses her obsession with him to his advantage? I wouldn't put it past him. And once he's done, he'll kill her. I can't lose one of you. And she's enough like me to fall for any of his schemes, believing that he means what he says." She said, continuing her attack.
Satomi joined in on the attack, making her mother fight both of them at once. "Mom give Natsumi some credit…she's a lot smarter than that. And she's really strong. She would never let herself be overcome by anyone, especially a man."
"I know. But that doesn't stop me from worrying." She said, stopping in their spar. Now that she had vented her frustrations and felt better. Her feelings were still hurt somewhat, and she probably wouldn't feel completely better for a while. She let out a sigh and smiled at her other two, who had also stopped, seeing that their mother was done. "Thank you." She said, hugging them both. "I'm going to go home and start dinner. I'm making your favorite Toshiro." She said, reaching up and ruffling her son's hair.
He smiled genuinely, "Sounds delicious."
"We'll help you mom." Satomi said softly, following their mother from the field to their home.
Natsumi stood on top of the Kage tower, staring out over her vacant desert with her arms crossed. So far, all the leaf shinobi had retreaded and were now out of the desert and she didn't sense anyone other than their own patrol. She was glad that both she and Toshiro had thought up their sonar systems. It was why no one had been able to attack Suna in surprise. The second an enemy entered Wind, whoever was monitoring the sands was alerted.
There was a sudden change in the area and Gaara formed beside his daughter, looking out at the desert as well. "What is wrong with you Natsumi?"
She scowled, not allowing herself to glance at him. "Nothing is wrong with me."
"How could you allow yourself to let an enemy escape, or allow your body to be touched in such a manner. He could have killed you." The redhead said seriously.
"But he didn't. Nor could he if he tried, I will never lose Father. I will never turn my back on Suna. You have nothing to worry about." She finally turned to face him, frowning. "I can't just keep killing and killing. I felt more alive today then I have in years. I needed something…and this was it. I actually had fun fighting."
Gaara sighed, running one of his hands through his hair. "I know that, you are not a weapon Natsumi. You are a person, and you do deserve to be normal. But flirting around with an Uchiha is not the way to go about it."
"How do you know?" she snapped, glaring at him and then went wide eyed. "I'm…sorry…"
He sighed, stepping forward and touching her cheek gently. She was his most treasured child. Gifted with his sand and training herself in speed, or so he thought it was her. "I would just like it if you would be more conservative and careful. I know you are proud of your figure and tend to use it to your advantage, but it will belong to one man and one man only."
"And if it happens to be Akito?"
"It won't." he snapped back, giving her his own glare which made her shrink back. "I want you to stay focused and stay away from that boy. He's bad. Just like his father. People do not change." He said turning away from her and beginning to walk off.
"Just like you didn't?" She asked, making him stop.
He didn't say anything, they just stood in silence. Until, "You better get home before dinner is ready and apologize for your words to your mother. Or don't bother coming home at all." He disappeared in a swirl of sand then. He would not allow his daughter to manipulate him this time. She needed to be punished for her arrogance.
She glared after him, the frown on her face turning to a scowl. "Fine."
