Missing Nins

Bold writing – Kyuubi is talking
'Anything in inverted commas' – A person thinking to themselves.
"In speech marks" – People talking (duh xD)
Slanted writing – Either a dream or a flashback.
T-T = Section Break

Chapter 10, Room Number 5;

Hinata was directly outside the door that radiated the chakra she had felt not too long ago. She placed her delicate hand upon the door handle, pushing it down to allow the door to open. The door squeaked open, the rusted hinges of the heavy door played a macabre melody, sending shivers down Hinata's back. Hinata stepped through the open passage, and promptly noticed a colossal hole in the stone wall directly in front of her. Hinata instantaneously recalled feeling a tremendous shockwave not too long before, and established that this was the source, 'Where did this hole come from? How can something create such an enormous explosion? Where did that powerful voice go?' She looked around in the hope that she would find some answers to her questions. Hinata was unable to see anything in the room with just her eyes alone, and so swiftly activated her Byakugan. Hinata's vision was instantly flooded with images of thick chakra, chakra so powerful it caused Hinata to shudder with fear and admiration; she was unable to find the person – or persons – responsible for this chakra however. She moved closer towards the hole in the wall, and looked out into the distance. She was unable to spot any more of the powerful chakra, 'It's as if it just… vanished the moment I opened the door…' Hinata contemplated to herself, as she turned her back to the gaping hole in the wall. Hinata took the time to observe the small room. She noticed numerous scratch marks embedded deep within the four walls of the room, as if a ferocious beast had attempted to claw its way out. She brushed her smooth fingertips across one of the scratch marks, and realized just how deep the scratches managed to penetrate into the concrete. Hinata quickly determined that the scratch marks were made not too long ago. She also detected several burn marks in the walls, 'Something of immense strength and capability was here.' Hinata thought to herself. Unexpectedly, Hinata felt a soft but warm hand embrace her delicate shoulder. Hinata gasped, her sudden noise shattering the tranquil atmosphere of the room. She quickly spun around to face whatever – or whoever – had touched her.

There before her stood a golden figure of supremacy and elegance, "Hinata-chan," Hinata instantly recognized the voice and sensed her cheeks beginning to burn with a deep crimson blush, "I'm sorry I worried you… I just had to do this on my own."

"N-Naruto-kun…" Hinata stuttered, unable to find the words to finish her sentence.

Naruto smiled at Hinata's abrupt shyness, and again placed his golden hand upon Hinata's shoulder. Hinata froze for several seconds in recognition to Naruto's heart-felt touch, "I have so much to tell you." Naruto quietly whispered, maintaining eye-contact with Hinata for the duration of his sentence. Neither party were able to tear their eyes away from the other. Hinata's heart began to flutter, the pungent feeling of lust and desire slowly building up within her, "We should head back to the hideout before Itachi comes looking for us." Naruto quickly suggested, before removing his hand from Hinata's delicate shoulder. Hinata trembled at the loss of warm in her shoulder, but quickly composed herself and nodded at Naruto's proposal. Naruto smiled and swiftly turned around and began walking. Hinata abruptly snapped from her daydream-like state and closely followed Naruto, "I'm surprised you managed to find this place." Naruto began after several moments of silence, "I don't even think Itachi could locate this place in the amount of time you did."

Hinata felt a fragment of pride embedded within Naruto's voice, causing her to blush indiscriminately. Hinata began twiddling her index fingers around one another, "Thank you N-Naruto-kun, but I had a bit of help." Hinata spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Kisame told you about this…" Naruto looked around the landscape to pick the right words to describe the structure, "Temple, didn't he?" Naruto chuckled to himself and continued walking, "That Kisame, always going back on his word… I'm glad he did though." Naruto whispered the latter of his sentence, but Hinata was able to hear every word clearly. Hinata smiled to herself and placed her hand upon her chest, allowing her to feel her rapidly increasing heartbeat.

"What is this place?" Hinata made an attempt to change the topic of conversation to avoid any threat of her passing out due to an increase of blood flow to her head. The pair continued walking through the lengthy and gloomy hallway, "What kind of significance does this place hold?"

The golden glow of chakra began subsiding from Naruto's body, as Naruto slowly began returning to his original state, "Kisame didn't tell you?" Naruto turned his head, as to allow his vision to focus on Hinata. Hinata shook her head once Naruto's eyes made contact with hers, "Oh…" Naruto twisted his head, returning it to its original position, "I would have thought he'd at least inform you of this." Hinata quietly mumbled an incoherent response, consequently forbidding Naruto from hearing what Hinata had said. Naruto gently scratched the back of his neck with his fingers before continuing, "Well, this place, is sort of like a… a sanctuary for the Tailed Beasts." Naruto turned his head once more, and noticed a vague expression engulfing Hinata's face, "You've heard of the Tailed Beasts before, haven't you?"

"Ano, I have, but only of the Nine Tails." Hinata quietly spoke, as she resumed her anxious twiddling of her fingers.

Deep within the mind of Naruto, Kurama chuckled at Hinata's response, "The Nine Tails is the most powerful of the Tailed Beasts. And I've only recently learnt that his name is Kurama."

'Just because I told you my name doesn't mean you have to tell everyone you meet.' Kurama grunted from within the depths of Naruto's mind. Naruto mentally chuckled at Kurama's sudden discomfort.

"Kurama…" Hinata giggled at the knowledge she had just acquired, "It sounds beautiful."

"Apparently he doesn't share your thoughts." Naruto smiled to himself, "Anyway, there are nine Tailed Beasts, and Kurama has informed me of all of them, but we'll save their names to another day. A Tailed Beast is essentially an entity of significant power, and each Tailed Beast is 'sealed' within an individual. These individuals are referred to as a 'Jinchuuriki', but it wasn't always like this." Naruto took a brief moment to gather his thoughts, "Kurama told me that the Tailed Beasts lived peaceful and care-free lives years ago, but he refuses to give me any more information." Naruto sighed deeply to himself and mentally scolded his other half. Kurama chuckled to himself from within Naruto's mind.

"So, this place has something to do with the Tailed Beasts?"

Naruto ceased his movement, almost causing Hinata to crash into him. Naruto gently placed his hand upon the cold stone walls of the hall, and brushed his fingertips against the wall, "This place was once their home, years ago."

T-T

Kisame and Itachi sat silently in the large living room, each uncomfortable with the ubiquitous silence trapped in the room with them. Both Kisame and Itachi pondered on dwelling thoughts for the past few hours, unsure as to whether to break the unpleasant silence that befell them. Kisame stretched silently, as to not pierce the silence. Itachi crossed his legs over one another in an attempt to regain his comfort on the couch. More minutes passed in silence, the gentle ticks of an antique wooden clock painfully reminding the pair of the time that had passed.

Kisame distinguished the fact that Itachi was furious with him; he could almost taste the vehemence in the warm air. Kisame felt a pulse vibrate in the darkest pits of his stomach. The pounding resonated the feeling of guilt and regret. He gently clenched his stomach and sighed deeply, knowing he would have to be the one to start up the conversation between Itachi and himself. Kisame shook his head and adjusted his vision to look at Itachi. Itachi kept his head straight and looked directly ahead of him, "I'm sure they're fine." Kisame spoke, his raspy voice obliterating the silence. Itachi gently hummed an incoherent response and closed his eyes. Kisame bit his lower lip and anxiously twiddled his tongue around several times in his mouth. Several more distressful minutes passed with neither party uttering a single word; only the gentle sounds of their breaths could be heard. Itachi kept his eyes shut firmly tight, as he began recalling several memories prior to his current situation. Kisame decided to have another attempt at getting Itachi to talk, "Look, you know as well as I do that Naruto would have done this even if I hadn't told him anything." Kisame cried swiftly, not pausing for a single breath, "Hinata knows exactly where he is, and they're probably together right now, so stop worrying and stop scolding me in your mind. You know I hate that."

"I appreciate your… reassurances." Itachi began, before slowly opening his eyes to the blinding light of the luminous room, "But your efforts are in vain. You were the one who put Hinata and Naruto in danger, and for that, I won't be forgiving you anytime soon." Kisame silently scoffed to himself once Itachi's harsh words graced his ears, "I will, however, sit here and wait for them to turn up."

Kisame groaned sharply at Itachi's stubbornness, "You know they won't turn up in the next 5 minutes." He whispered bitterly. He slowly cracked both sets of his knuckles and gently placed his hands on his lap, resting them, "It takes time to complete the process; you can't just rush it. You have to be patient Itachi. They'll be here."

"For your sake, they better be." Itachi warned seriously, as a distinctive red glow shone from his left eye.

"Was that a threat?" Kisame questioned, his vision completely fixated on Itachi.

Itachi closed his eyes, forcing the threatening glow in his eye to subside, "No, it wasn't." Itachi replied simply with a velvety voice.

Again silence swept across the room, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere for the duo. Itachi opened his eyes and redirected his vision to the front door, as his hope ran free through his mind. Kisame kept his eyes glued to the floor, too embarrassed to maintain eye contact with Itachi anymore. The gentle breeze of the wind rushed through the open windows, entrancing both Kisame and Itachi for several seconds. The ticks of the wooden clock again rang the ears of the pair, "Look, Itachi, sitting here sulking isn't going to bring them back any faster. Just relax." No reply was heard from Itachi, causing Kisame to sigh with increasing annoyance, "Fucking hell Itachi…" Kisame whispered under his breath.

"Forgive me for worrying Kisame, but as I recall…"

"Yeah, I know, I was the one who told Naruto that controlling the Kyuubi was a terrific idea, and then I also told Hinata that going after Naruto was a wonderful idea as well. You don't have to remind me…" Kisame spitefully remarked, his voice drenched in sarcasm.

Itachi coughed to subside the tingly feeling in the back of his throat and looked Kisame directly in the eyes, maintaining full eye-contact, "And now you're telling me you haven't the slightest idea where they are."

"That's because I don't. All I know is that Naruto probably went somewhere quiet and away from everything to perform the ritual. Besides, they don't need anyone running after them every time they're a bit late."

"2 hours is not just a bit late, Kisame."

"Why do you care if they're late or not anyway?" Kisame asked, as he stood up from his position on the couch.

Itachi remained composed on the couch, refusing to move. He shifted his head to look at Kisame, "Because they are under our care now, and we must do everything in our power to help them in their mission."

"I wasn't the one who wanted to help them!" Kisame screeched, as he forcefully kicked a chair across the room. Kisame took several breaths to calm himself down and sat back down on his spot of the couch, "Look, they'll be back. You know it as well as I do that they'll be back." Kisame once again attempted to revitalize Itachi's hope.

"They're taking too long." Itachi sighed, much to Kisame's disappointment, "I'm going to go look for them." Itachi whispered forcefully before rising from his seat.

"No you're not." Kisame remarked, "You don't even know where they could be."

"No, I don't." Itachi paused for a moment and sighed, "But I'll find them." Itachi began tapping his left foot against the wooden floor quickly.

Kisame chuckled to himself, "Even if you do leave, there'd be no point; they'll be back before you get to where they might be." Kisame spoke, his voice become cooler with each second that passed.

Itachi began pacing around the living room, dodging and waving past a variety of furniture as he did so. Itachi glanced at the door every other second as his pacing progressed in intensity, "Kisame, we have to find them; we have to go out and look for them, regardless of the dangers outside."

"We? What happened to you going out there? Why are you dragging me into this all of a sudden?" Kisame shot Itachi metaphorical blades from his eyes once the words had left his mouth.

"They both should have been back hours ago." Itachi continued his worried pacing around large living room, much to Kisame's annoyance, "They're taking too long, something must have happened to them." Itachi galloped through the room towards the door, his footsteps creating a soft tap every time his lenient feet made contact with the wooden floor. Kisame quickly sat up as his eyes stayed cemented to Itachi. Itachi quickly snatching a jacket and hat from the clothe stand beside the door once he had reached it, "I'm going to go look for them; they're more than likely in danger."

Itachi flung the door open, and was in the process of taking his first step outside when a firm grip on his shoulder held him in place, "Whoa, Itachi." Itachi struggled to escape Kisame's grasp, "You know going out there is a mistake."

"Not if I'm looking for the only 2 individuals who can make a change to this world." Itachi whispered, as he violently tore his shoulder from Kisame.

Kisame gently shook his head, "You know the Akatsuki will be looking for us, and plus you don't even know where they'll be. If you run into the Akatsuki, you'll have no choice but t-"

"I know… I know." Itachi calmly interrupted Kisame before he had a chance to explain.

Kisame glanced at Itachi's feet and scoffed quietly, "You're not even wearing anything on your feet."

Itachi also gazed at his soft and elegant feet for several moments before allowing himself a small grin, "Looks like you're not bluffing." Itachi felt a vibrant chill of cold air race past his unprotected feet, causing him to shiver quietly, "I need to look for them Kisame."

Kisame sighed to himself and contemplated his current choices; he couldn't tell Itachi where to look for Naruto and Hinata, as he had promised both Naruto and Hinata that he wouldn't prior to this moment, "Then we'll go and look for them." Kisame caught sight of Itachi's overwhelmed expression out of the corner of his eye, "But we have to be careful of the Akatsuki; they're more than likely looking for us, and they will start with our hideouts." Itachi gently nodded his head, and quickly slipped on a spare pair of shoes located just opposite the wooden front door. Kisame looked at himself for several seconds and decided he was dressed adequately enough to leave the hideout. Itachi walked out of the door, the brilliant sunshine of the warm morning sky instantly greeting him. Itachi was closely followed by Kisame, who was also greeted by the affectionate embrace of the sunlight, "Let's get moving; we only have a few hours of sunlight left before it gets dark." Kisame closed the door tightly behind him, firmly locking it with a corroded key. The reassuring sound of the locks clicking in place soon followed. Kisame gave the door handle one last forceful pull to ensure it had been locked, and set off with Itachi into the dark and treacherous forest, unbeknownst to them the dangers that lurked ahead.

T-T

Hinata's eyes grew with astonishment in light of the new information she had learnt, "This place was their home?" Hinata looked around the hallway, and noticed a number above each of the 3 metal doors in the vicinity, "There's numbers above the doors." Hinata quickly informed Naruto, as she pointed to the door next to them marked number '5'.

"One for each of the Tailed Beasts." Naruto quickly deciphered, as he opened the door next to them. The number '5' was scratched into the wall above the metal door with – as Naruto swiftly interpreted – a sharp claw; the 5 looked as though it had been made years ago. The rusted hinges of the door performed a bone-chilling serenade, prompting both Naruto and Hinata to grind their teeth in retaliation to the punitive sound. Naruto was the first to enter the dark room. He activated his Rinnegan to illuminate the room. The room, at first glance, was large, roughly the same size as the room Naruto had been in when sealing Kurama; the room seemed large enough to house 3 Tailed Beasts at one time. An enormous bed was situated in the right corner of the other side of the room, and a variety of corroded and tarnished photographs lay plastered across the walls of the room, "There are pictures of all the Tailed Beasts." Naruto quickly pointed out as he noticed Hinata enter the room.

Hinata activated her Byakugan and gazed at the many photographs for a number of minutes, redirecting her vision to each of the 12 photographs coated along the four walls, "What do these pictures mean Naruto?"

Naruto also gazed at each of the 12 photographs. Each photograph was of the Nine Tailed Beasts, some with multiple Tailed Beasts in the same photograph, "It looks like… the Tailed Beasts in their youth." Naruto whispered, his eyes dancing along the pictures, "But I don't know what kind of significance they hold." Naruto whispered, his eyes still fixated on the photos.

'You've stumbled upon something I didn't think you were ready for.' Kurama groaned from inside Naruto's mind. Kurama chuckled slightly before continuing, 'I always knew that Hyuuga girl would cause some kind of trouble.'

'What is all this?' Naruto questioned his beastly counterpart as he continued peering at the many photographs, 'When were these all taken?'

Kurama sighed from within Naruto's mind before replying, 'Years ago Naruto-boy, in a time when the Sage of the Six Paths had each of the Tailed Beast's sealed within him.' Kurama could feel the confusion radiate from Naruto, 'But that is a story for another time.'

'But if all of the Tailed Beasts were sealed within this… Sage of the Six Paths, then how are there pictures?...' Naruto mentally asked Kurama.

'The Sage was a powerful man. He would sometimes allow us to escape from his body into the real world, but you shouldn't dwell on this. All you need to know is that the Tailed Beasts are in danger.'

'In danger? What are you talking about Kurama?' Naruto quickly interrupted.

Kurama chuckled at Naruto's ever-present urge to rectify a problem, 'Well, if you ceased interrupting me, maybe I'll tell you.' Naruto pouted in reply to Kurama's telling off, 'These photographs were taken down years ago by the Five Tails once we all had obtained our own 'vessels'. If they're here again…'

'Then that means somebody other than the Tailed Beast's had placed them here, knowing someone would come across them.'

'It's just a question as to who got their hands on them in the first place, and by what means.'

'Aren't all the Tailed Beasts mentally linked like you and I are?' Surely you should know something.' Naruto quickly suggested.

Kurama sighed once more, 'It's not that simple Naruto-boy. Somehow, my mental link to all of the Tailed Beasts has been… cut off.'

'What? How could that have happened?' Naruto questioned.

'I don't know. But someone wants the Tailed Beasts, and is going to extreme lengths to obtain them.'

'Fuck…' Naruto exclaimed after several moments of silence. Naruto delved deeper within his mind, and found himself standing opposite Kurama in a large and beautifully decorated room; crisp and fresh wallpaper lay plastered along each of the four walls, but no furniture was in sight, 'You've changed room,' Naruto jokingly thought to Kurama, 'I prefer it. It seems kind of familiar though…'

"Baka, you don't have to think to me when we're in here. And this room was the room I owned when I was in my youth."

"You mean when the Sage of the Sixth Paths had you sealed within him?" Kurama nodded slowly, "It's nice. I guess that's why it looked so familiar; it was in one of the photos in the Five Tails room." Naruto began walking around the room, carefully studying every detail the room held, "So, what exactly do you mean by 'the Tailed Beasts are in danger?'" Naruto asked, as he continued his pacing analysis of the large room.

Kurama studied Naruto and slowly shook his head, "It's exactly what it sounds like. Somebody wants the Tailed Beasts for something, and for what I'm not sure."

Naruto abruptly stopped moving and turned his attention to Kurama, "Maybe it's the Akatsuki?"

Kurama guffawed for several minutes once Naruto's suggestion graced his ears. Naruto tapped his foot against the floor impatiently, waiting for Kurama to reply, "No, the Akatsuki are not behind this."

"How can they not be? It makes sense!"

"However much sense it makes is irrelevant. The Akatsuki cannot be behind this, because there is no way they could pull it off." Kurama instantaneously noticed Naruto's facial expression altered to a more confused once, "What I mean by that is the Akatsuki is weak; there is no way they could manage to severe the link between all Nine Tailed Beasts. No, someone else is behind this…"

Naruto inhaled a large breath and slowly exhaled once his lungs had reached their full capacity, "Okay then. If it's not the Akatsuki, who could it be?" Naruto rubbed his hairless chin with his index finger and thumb in deep thought, "How does one sever the link between a Tailed Beast?" Naruto asked quickly, as if he had cracked the code.

"The only way the link between a Tailed Beast can be severed is…"Kurama's eyes grew wide with fear, "Is if a Tailed Beast breaks them, but even then it takes time."

"So a Tailed Beast is behind this." Naruto fell to the floor in a sitting position, "That would explain a lot."

"Yes, but even then, like I said, it takes time. This happened over the course of a few days. It would usually take several years for the links to be properly dissolved."

Naruto pondered for several seconds, "So what you mean is more than one Tailed Beast is behind this?"

Kurama shook his head in disbelief; his greatest fear had been brought to reality, "That's precisely what I mean. But the Tailed Beasts would never betray one another willingly. Someone, a powerful Ninja, must have deluded them into thinking otherwise." Kurama slumped to the floor. He lay on his soft belly and placed his hands underneath his chin, "We're facing something far worse than I had first anticipated Naruto." Naruto raised an eyebrow but kept silent, "If someone was able to remove two – or even more – Tailed Beasts from their original vessels and then take full control of them… then our situation is dire."

The pair sat in silence for the better part of 20 minutes; the gloom and despair of the situation bathed the room, forcing an uncomfortable silence to take place. Both Kurama and Naruto pondered on their thoughts, "So what do we do?" Naruto quietly asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"We need facts. We must seek out the wisest of the Tailed Beasts, - The One Tail - Shukaku."

"The One Tail…" Naruto quickly remembered that particular Tailed Beast, "That's Gaara's Tailed Beast, right?" Kurama nodded slowly, "You want me to go to the Hidden Village of Sand? But I'm a wanted criminal; I'll never make it past the gate."

"While it's true you're a wanted man, you are also a Ninja. The inhabitants of the Village of Sand don't even need to know you were there." Kurama suggested, as he rose to a sitting position, "Now what Shukaku lacks in charisma he makes up for in knowledge. He should have some understanding of what is happening. He might even know which of the Tailed Beasts have been taken."

"I don't like this." Naruto began, "It feels like this… situation, is only the beginning."

"Maybe because it only is the beginning of something much larger, something we may have to face ourselves."

Naruto quickly recalled his body was still in the real world, "What about Hinata? I don't think she should come with me to the Sand Village."

"I think Hinata would be better off if she knew nothing of what we just spoke about." Kurama replied after several seconds of thought, "It'll be easier for us to complete our objective without having more people with us."Naruto nodded at Kurama's request, "We need to get to the Hidden Village of Sand as soon as possible; who knows how much damage the Ninja has already created."

Naruto rose to his feet and brushed himself off, "Well then, I guess I should head off as soon as I get back to the hideout." Naruto stated, as he began preparing himself to leave his mind and return to the real world.

"Naruto," Naruto looked at Kurama and nodded, "I wanted to express my gratitude for helping me free my brothers. You have a kind heart, as you always have your whole life." Kurama felt a tear fall from his eye, and proceeded to wipe the trickling tear from his furry cheek.

Naruto couldn't help but allow himself a large smile and ran up to Kurama. He threw his arms across the beast's woolly chest and held Kurama in a tight hug, something Kurama was not expecting. Kurama returned the favour, and also wrapped his long arms around Naruto's small and delicate body, "You're… you're crushing me." Naruto struggled to say, forcing Kurama to release his grip from the boy. Naruto backed away from Kurama once the deadly grip had been ceased, and took several deep breaths, "Ow…"

Kurama chuckled at Naruto, "Sorry about that Naruto-boy, you're much smaller than I had expected."

Naruto returned to his body and quickly looked around, "…isn't it, Naruto-kun?" Hinata quietly asked, as Naruto began to reacquire his senses.

"Isn't what?" Naruto replied quickly, a dumbfound look engulfing his expression.

Hinata sighed and pointed to one of the pictures hanging by a thread on the wall, "That picture, it's beautiful, isn't it?" Hinata stared at the picture for several seconds, "I think it's a photo of Kurama."

Naruto stared at the picture Hinata had a particular interest in. This photo was of Kurama in his early years, a wide smile coated across the fox's face. Naruto stared at the picture for several minutes, entranced by the contents of it. In the picture, all of the Tailed Beasts were gathered around a small table. On the table was a large birthday cake, with three candles placed in the centre of the said cake. Naruto redirected his vision to Kurama in the picture. Naruto noticed a single tear falling from Kurama's eye in the picture. Unexpectedly, Kurama's booming voice rang from within Naruto's mind, 'Naruto-boy, that's enough looking at pictures of my past.' Kurama stated, his voice breaking more and more as each word left his mouth.

Naruto decided it was time to leave the former household of the Tailed Beasts, and turned to face Hinata. He placed a hand on Hinata's arm, forcing Hinata to awaken from her thoughtful state, "We should go; Kurama and I have seen enough." Hinata gently nodded her head at Naruto's suggestion. Naruto walked through the door with Hinata following him carefully. Once Hinata had left the room, Naruto closed the door securely behind them, fundamentally locking the memories of Kurama's early life in the four walls of room number 5.

Hinata looked at Naruto, and swiftly perceived his expression had changed, "Naruto-kun." Naruto awoke from his deep thoughts and gazed at Hinata, "What's wrong?"

Naruto placed his right hand upon Hinata's left hand and softly gripped her delicate hand, earning him a violent blush from the young Hyuuga, "Nothing, I'm fine. It's just seeing Kurama like that in the photographs surprised me is all." Naruto allowed himself a smile, knowing full well that his excuse wasn't all lies.

Hinata took a moment to compose herself due to Naruto's warm touch, and unsteadily placed her free hand atop Naruto's right hand, "I-I-I'm glad nothing's wrong." Hinata shakily replied, unable to find any words to speak in her fluttered state.

Naruto realised that this moment may be the last that he and Hinata would be alone, and quickly pulled Hinata into a comfortable and warm embrace. Hinata yelped at the unexpected move. Her cheeks began to burn brighter and more furiously. Hinata mentally scolded herself; she had thought she had complete control of her blushing by now. Naruto placed his chin atop Hinata's small head, inevitably causing Hinata to bury her petite nose in Naruto's neck. Hinata's vivid blush refused to falter, and she seized the opportunity to get closer to Naruto. She wearily wrapped her small arms across Naruto's firm body and stepped closer towards him. Naruto sighed in comfort, and tightened his grip around Hinata's figure. Naruto then moved his chin from Hinata's head and placed it on her shoulder, as to move his lips to her ear, "Hinata, I just want you to know that I will always protect you." Was the best Naruto could think of, and cursed himself silently for his lack of sincerity. Hinata nodded to answer Naruto's statement. The two broke apart slowly, their eyes locking as they did so. Naruto brushed a piece of hair away from Hinata's eye, his touch causing Hinata's heart to flutter explicitly, "We should probably get moving. There's no doubt that Itachi and Kisame are wondering where we are." Naruto quickly suggested. Hinata nodded, her crimson blush vanishing slightly, and the two of them made their way down the dark and crooked hallway.

T-T

Itachi and Kisame had been walking in the dark and moist forest for close to 2 hours. The grand trees disgorged thick branches from all directions, the impenetrable leaves that the branches housed blocked the sky, effectively trapping them in a blanket of blackness; no amount sunlight was able to bathe the forest. Itachi had been losing his patience ever since the pair took their first step into the deceitful forest, as the only thing he managed to see within the forest were trees and wildlife; no humans had crossed the duos path, much to Itachi's annoyance. The pair ceased their movements, and decided to rest at a fallen tree, "They might have made their way back to the hideout." Kisame suggested, hoping his words would regenerate the patience within Itachi, as he lowered himself to sit on the collapsed tree. A painful sigh was heard from Itachi, who also sat upon the bark of the tree, about 13 inches away from Kisame. Kisame let out a small scoff once he acknowledged Itachi's sigh, "We just have to endure, Itachi; you know this better than anyone I've ever met." Kisame spoke, his voice overflowing with confidence. Itachi glared at Kisame, sick of hearing his patronizing words. The steady gush of wind managed to counter the uncomfortable silence following the pair's one-sided conversation. Several moments passed without a single word being heard; just the soothing sound of the majestic wind filled the area. Itachi sat with his eyes firmly shut in attempt to relax himself.

Itachi was first to break the tranquil silence, "How long have we been walking?" Itachi questioned, his eyes still closed.

"I make it roughly 2 hours." Kisame replied almost instantly.

Itachi sighed to himself and swiftly open his eyes, "And we haven't seen anything but trees and the wildlife that inhabit this place." Itachi sighed once more, and crossed his legs to pursue a more comfortable position.

"We just have to keep looking. If we give it ano-"

"Wait…" Itachi abruptly interrupted, as a sound, almost as quiet as a whisper, rushed passed his ear, "I heard something."

Kisame kept still and focused his hearing, but was unable to hear anything other than the wind and Itachi's shallow breaths, "Itachi, I think all this walking has made you mad; I don't hear anything." Kisame chuckled silently and stared directly at Itachi, "If you're trying to fuck with my mind, don't bother; I know your games Itachi."

Again, Itachi heard an almost non-existent noise and jumped to his feet in preparation to face whatever had made it, "There, again." Itachi pointed towards the location that produced the noise, "It's coming form over there; I think someone may have found us." Itachi activated his Sharingan at stared towards the direction of the noise.

Kisame shook his head gently and tutted several times, "Itachi, stop fucking about. You know as well as I do that there's nothing over there."

Itachi again heard another noise; however this noise was more prominent, but still Kisame was unable to hear anything, "I always knew your hearing was terrible, but I never imagined it was this bad. Get Samehada to smell over in that direction; we might be greeted by a friendly or a foe." Itachi readied himself into a Taijutsu position, 'Hopefully it's the former.' Itachi thought to himself, as Kisame slowly began unwrapping Samehada, "Take as long as you need." Itachi sarcastically remarked, refusing to remove his hawk-like vision from the origin of the noise.

Kisame chuckled at Itachi's impatience. Kisame slowed his pace down even further to continue annoying Itachi. He had removed enough of the crystal-white bandage for Samehada to appear. The sword growled in anger as Kisame had awoken it from a deep sleep, "Sorry ol' buddy, but Itachi figures he needs your… specialities." Kisame stroked Samehada in an effort to tame the somnolent sword. Samehada snarled violently at Itachi, to which Kisame replied with a gentle stroke, "Hey, hey, calm down. He only wants your help; there's no need to insult him like that." Kisame and Samehada shared a quiet chuckle together. Itachi sighed at Kisame's incompetence. Almost instantly, Samehada breathed sharply through his nose, wincing once he did so. Kisame's facial expression altered to a more concerned look, as Samehada began pulling Kisame towards the same spot Itachi's eyes were glued to. Kisame and Itachi shared a worried look, "I think Samehada can smell something." Kisame arched his back and placed his left ear closer towards Samehada's lips, "He says he thinks he can smell 2 different chakras, each equally as powerful." Kisame ripped the remaining bandages from Samehada's scaly skin, allowing the sword to fully emerge, "I think it's the Akatsuki." Kisame whispered, as he also readied himself for a fight.

Several minutes passed with Itachi, Kisame and Samehada in complete silence, their anxiousness building up within them. Numerous snaps of branches and the cries of the wildlife soon followed the painful silence. Kisame gulped, removing the build-up of saliva in his throat that his apprehension had produced, "They must be watching us, planning their next move." Itachi quickly deciphered the situation; he knew exactly how the Akatsuki worked, "Now all we have to do is figure out who's out there…" Itachi whispered to Kisame. Kisame nodded, and gently tapped Samehada on the side with his open palm. Samehada grunted in response, and began sniffing again, this time to decrypt who was hunting them.

After a few seconds, Samehada again grumbled a response, and Kisame placed his ear against the lips of his sword, "Samehada says he can smell the chakra of both Kakuzu and Hidan." Kisame whispered, his voice almost non-existence against the gentle breeze of the wind.

Itachi remained calm once he heard the names of those hunting them, and nodded to Kisame. Several minutes passed with Itachi and Kisame remaining silent, each in a Taijutsu pose, "Kakuzu, Hidan," Itachi began, as he activated his Sharingan, "Hiding in the trees won't accomplish anything. You should know that." A distinctive cackle pierced the serene atmosphere of the forest. Samehada growled in acknowledgment to the laugh, "Hidan." Itachi whispered.

Abruptly, two figures appeared in front of Kisame and Itachi, one with piercing green eyes, and the other holding a menacing-looking sword of demonic characteristics; three large, crimson spikes erupted from the blade, "Itachi, Kisame." The green eyed figure spoke. The man of tan-skin wore a white hood and a dark blue mask, consequently allowing his eyes to be the only visible part of his face. The man was tall and towered over his partner, "You do know that there is a bounty on both of your heads for your defection?" He questioned, as he rolled the sleeves of his Akatsuki cloak up to reveal stitches coating the lengths of both his arms, "25,000,000 yen for the head of Itachi, and 20,000,000 for the head of Kisame." The tall man laughed and patted his partner on the back, "It looks like after we kill the both of you, I can retire from my day-job." He jokingly stated, causing his teammate to guffaw slightly. Both Kisame and Itachi remained unimpressed. Several drops of sweat rolled down Kisame's forehead, to which he swiftly wiped away with the back of his hand.

"How can you call yourselves Akatsuki?" The other man spoke. This man of white-skin had no mask or hood, allowing his slick grey-hair to be on show for all eyes to see. His eyes were a beautiful dark purple, and he wore no shirt underneath his Akatsuki cloak, "How can you still wear that cloak?" The man quickly peered at his orange-painted fingernails before continuing, "I should make your death long and painful. Only then will Jashin be pleased."

"Baka. Don't tart that religious nonsense now Hidan." Kakuzu lightly hit Hidan with an open palm on the back of his cranium, and then turned his head to his partner, "I will kill you if you don't cease." His voice took on a more serious quality.

"Instead of taking your misdirected anger out on me, why don't you take it out on those two fuckin' betrayers in front of us?" Hidan gestured towards Itachi and Kisame and laughed once he did so.

"Kakuzu, you'll never change. You've always been in it for the money." Kisame stated bluntly. Samehada grunted in agreement with his master.

Kakuzu chuckled slightly and turned his full attention to the shark-like monstrosity, "Killing you, Kisame, is something I've wanted to do ever since I joined to Akatsuki." Kakuzu twisted his left arm around, sickening both Kisame and Itachi, "And it looks like my dream is finally going to come true."

"Kisame." Itachi whispered as to avoid Kakuzu and Hidan from hearing. Kisame nodded slightly as to inform Itachi that he could be heard, "We can't fight them right now." Kisame froze for several seconds and then turned his head slightly so he could look at Itachi, "You know as well as I do that if we fight them, we won't be able to beat them. We need a plan to deal with Kakuzu's hearts and a plan to deal with Hidan's immortality. We have neither of these."

"So what do you propose?" Kisame whispered back, his volume matching that of Itachi's.

"We get back to the hideout, we leave a message for Naruto and Hinata and we find somewhere else to hide, somewhere the Akatsuki does not know about." Itachi suggested, his body still posed in a Taijutsu stance.

Kisame sighed and redirected his vision back to the two foes, "You know best. But we have no other place to hide."

"I may know a small town that the Akatsuki has no knowledge about."

"And how would you have obtained such information about this small town?" Kisame questioned.

"My father, before his demise, had many friends that owed him favours. One of those friends lives in the town. Only those with good intentions could find and get into the town."

"Well, we have our new location. Are you sure we can get in though? We've both done things we're not proud of."

"Like I said, if one has good intentions, one can get in. I'm guessing between Naruto, Hinata, you and I, we all have good intentions."

"What are you fucks whispering about?" Hidan screamed, as he drew his sword up in preparation, "You better not be having second thoughts about this."

"See, that's just the thing!" Kisame relaxed into a neutral position, "My mother just called. She's very sick, and I have to see to it that she gets better." Kisame sarcastically stated, earning him a sharp glare form both Hidan and Kakuzu. Itachi chuckled at Kisame's unexpected statement.

"You're not going to weave your way out of this one, Kisame." Kakuzu emotionlessly began, as he dropped his shoulders, "You and Itachi are going to die in this very forest. Think of it as your unmarked grave."

A/N:

Again, my proof-reading is subpar.
The story is really beginning to pick up, huzzah!
Anyway, thank you for reading. :D