I know the chapter is short but I intentionally cut it off there, you'll see why, thanks for reading so far. Hope you like the chapter :)
Chapter 10: The Plan Moves into Action!
1st December – 5:45am
Today is the day. Today is when Pein's grand plan finally moves into action. Today is the day Akatsuki move out.
Kakashi sits up and rubs his eye. Dawn won't arrive till around half seven which is perfect as Akatsuki can take advantage of the early morning darkness. It's six by the time Kakashi's out of bed, dressed and ready. He leans over to the blinds in his room and flicks up a slat, peering out onto the street. Lights are flicking on in some houses as people get up to get ready for work as by six curfew is officially over.
Kakashi moves away from the window. He straps Minato's knife to his belt and slings his father's blade across his shoulder. As Kakashi walks over to open the door he stops, his hand resting on the cold metal of the handle, as something catches his eye. His reflection. Kakashi hates mirrors and he's always avoided the one behind his room door. He can't even remember the last time he saw his face unmasked. But now…Kakashi turns to get a good look of himself and he's surprised. His eye, it's less accusing, there's less fear. Kakashi stares into the grey iris for a moment then he fingers the mask. Slowly, he peels it away with a strange fascination as his face is revealed bit by bit. First the nose, lips, until the mask is completely pushed past his chin. Kakashi gently probes the face that he's kept hidden for so long. He's never worn the mask due to vanity. No, he's always worn the mask because every curve, every crease of his face reminds Kakashi of Sakumo. Kakashi looks so much like his father that it sickened him. He had loathed waking up and looking in the mirror to see the man who Kakashi had hated for most of his life. That's why he's kept his appearance hidden. Plain and simple.
"Those who abandon their friends are worse than scum…you're father was a true hero Kakashi…Never forget that."
Kakashi smiles at his reflection as he realises he's not ashamed anymore. It's a bizarre, alien feeling. Kakashi opens his room door then stops. A pair of orange goggles winks back at him from the shelf above his bed. A sad, nostalgic smile crosses his face as Kakashi remembers giving those goggles to Obito for his seventh birthday. Obito had treasured them, to the point that when he had out grown them he had a new pair made. Kakashi kept them on his shelf because he could never bring himself to part with them and also because Obito loved those stupid goggles. Everyday Kakashi ensures there's not a speck of dust on them.
Shaking his head to himself Kakashi walks over and picks them up. Gently, Kakashi fixes the goggles over his head so they're propped aslant on his forehead.
Subtle. That's what Pein had advised during the meeting last night.
"Dress inconspicuously," Pein advises them. "We don't want to be noticed."
"What do you think we were going to wear Pein?" Kisame jokes. "Matching uniform?"
"Damn it there goes the idea of having matching black cloaks and hats, un," Deidara laughs.
A grin flashes across Kakashi's face and he lifts up the hood of his hoodie. "Let's go Obito," he whispers and walks out of the door.
Deidara still looks half asleep when he opens the door at quarter past six. "Um I think you've got the wrong flat…un…" He says blearily as he looks at the boy standing in the hall.
"Deidara it's me," the boy says. "Kakashi."
Suddenly Deidara feels very awake. He slowly takes in the grey fringe, the orange goggles and then the unmasked face.
"K-Kakashi?" He splutters.
"Yeah, yeah," Kakashi says and he pushes past Deidara. "Come on we're going to be late."
Deidara can't seem to form a sentence for several minutes as they clamber through the trapdoor and into the tunnel. Only then Deidara says, "what's with the goggles?"
Kakashi merely replies "just in case I get something in my eye."
Konan, Kakuzu, Zetsu and Tobi are already in the hideout when they get there.
"You're late," Konan says to the two boys. "What took you-" She cuts off when she sees Kakashi. She stares at the sharp, angular face and the kind smile.
"Sorry," Kakashi apologises, smiling. Konan can't help but blush slightly.
"But Tobi wants to help his friends!" Tobi wails, breaking the awkward silence.
Zetsu sighs, "you can't. It's too dangerous."
"Don't make us lock you in," the black side growls.
"Ready?" Kakuzu says. Everyone nods apart from Tobi who's still wailing.
"Kakuzu and I will go with Zetsu," Konan says. "You and Deidara ok to take the top generator?"
Kakashi nods. While Pein's been in the tower he discovered there are actually three generators powering the tower. One in the basement, one on the middle floor and one at the top. As soon as all three generators are taken out the other Akatsuki members can take advantage of the chaos and move into action.
"Yep, un," Deidara says. "Zetsu's taking the basement and you and Kakuzu are taking the central one, un." Konan nods. The central generator is the hardest to get to so Pein will be hopefully able to meet up and help them. That's the plan anyway.
"Good luck," Konan says. They all nod.
"We'll be back," Deidara smiles at Tobi, being nice for once. "Promise, un." But strangely, Tobi doesn't answer. He's staring hard at the orange goggles Kakashi's wearing.
"Let's go," Kakuzu says. Konan nods and they separate into their tunnels.
Zetsu's the last to go and before he sinks into the ground he says to Tobi "be a good boy." Tobi doesn't reply. He's too busy thinking about the orange goggles. Somewhere, deep in the fog of his mind, he thinks he's seen them before.
As Deidara and Kakashi walk down their tunnel Kakashi asks "you've done this before right?"
Deidara doesn't reply. Inwardly Kakashi groans. They emerge out of the tunnel into a derelict warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Kakashi checks his watch. 6:45.
"Just trust the art," Deidara grins and then Kakashi spots the giant clay bird sitting in the middle of the warehouse, ready to take flight.
"You…Made this?" Kakashi says amazed.
"Did it yesterday evening, un," Deidara says proudly. "Biggest thing I've ever made." He then sprints over the huge warehouse doors and begins to wrench them open. Kakashi walks around the bird, still amazed by Deidara's modification.
"Err Deidara," Kakashi says as a horrible thought occurs to him. "You've flown on one of these before right?"
Deidara just laughs "there's always a first time."
Oh God, Kakashi thinks. The boys clamber onto the bird's back. It jerks; reacting to Deidara's touch and spreads its wings.
"You might want to hold on," Deidara advises. Kakashi doesn't have to be told. His hands already have a death grip on the clay. The bird flaps its wings once then takes off and soars out of the warehouse and into the morning sky.
Deidara gives an exhilarated shout and Kakashi laughs as they fly above the city. Though still dark the sky is made of varying shades of deep blues.
"I never realised it but this city has a pretty artistic design," Deidara says. He guides the bird up higher and higher until, "look we're here!"
They begin to circle the very top of the tower. "See anyone?" Kakashi says as Deidara peers through his eye-scope.
"No, un," Deidara says. He guides the bird down and it lands on a narrow platform. Kakashi and Deidara slide down. It's freezing up here and sky presses suffocatingly down on them, as if their just below the ceiling of the Earth. Kakashi can't even see the buildings below them anymore since cloud obscures their view. He flexes his fingers the joints stiff with the cold and wishes he'd worn something thicker than his fingerless gloves and he pulls the goggles down to keep the water vapor out of his eye.
"Looks like we'll have to climb down, un," Deidara says pointing to a metal ladder than descends into the thick mist.
"Great," Kakashi says. He slowly makes his way to it and peers down. Cloud obscures his view and he has no idea how far down it goes. He closes his eye for a moment and begins to focus.
"The generator is only a couple of feet below us," Kakashi says his eye flashing open. "Come on." Gingerly, he turns around and grips the rails. Slowly he makes his way down the ladder and rung-by-rung he grows colder, his teeth starts chattering violently.
Focus…Focus. Suddenly the ladder trembles and there's a soft rumble from the below them. Kakashi grips the rung so hard he can't feel his hands anymore.
"That must be Zetsu!" Deidara calls from above Kakashi. "The basement generator's gone!" Kakashi nods even though Deidara can't see him and keeps going. Both boys are soaked through from the cloud and are shaking uncontrollably from the cold.
Focus…There! "We're here!" Kakashi yells up to Deidara. Relieved he drops onto another platform and Deidara follows him.
"Must be through that door, un," Deidara says nodding at a metal door.
"Let's go," Kakashi says and they head towards the generator.
7:36
Boom. Konan and Kakuzu race up the spiral staircase and the wailing siren falters. "Kakashi and Deidara must've blown up their generator," Kakuzu says. "It's just us left." Konan just nods and keeps running. Almost there. So far the plan has gone without a hitch. Taking advantage from Zetsu's explosion earlier Kakuzu and Konan had taken out any guards who had tried to apprehend them.
Light begins to break out through the high arched window. It's time this city sees a new dawn Konan thinks. Just like the one we used to dream of.
They skid out onto a corridor. "This should be the floor," Kakuzu grunts. The siren suddenly begins to wail again. "Shit we better hurry."
"Pein should be coming," Konan pants and they start to hurtle down the corridor. The entire day had been outlined to them by Pein at last night's meeting. Hopefully by eight o' clock the last generator should be destroyed.
Suddenly Konan feels something wet drip on her head. What the…? Then water begins to shower down. Her eyes widen with horror. Rain? But it can't be…She glances up and realises someone's activated the sprinkler system on this floor. Konan skids to a halt as the water continues to pour down.
"No…" She whispers. Kakuzu stops.
"Well thank you for stopping for us," a voice drawls. Konan and Kakuzu slowly turn to see Sakon walking down the corridor towards them.
"Go," Kakuzu whispers.
Konan looks at him. She's always found Kakuzu pretty creepy but over the last few months she's started to like him. He's a pretty good friend. "But-" She says.
"Water's your weakness," Kakuzu cuts in. "They must've known. Go. I'll take him."
Konan blinks away the water and whispers "good luck," and she runs off.
Sakon doesn't seem bothered by Konan escaping. He just grins and says, "Where's your girlfriend going?"
"She's not my girlfriend," Kakuzu says, rolling his eyes at how childish the comment was. "But her boyfriend will be coming soon, and believe me, you don't want to get on his bad side."
Sakon suddenly grins and he runs into a room on his right. Swearing Kakuzu follows. He's got to take the snake's follower out; otherwise it might cause trouble for Konan. But he can't go too far because they might get separated.
Kakuzu runs into the room to find himself in a wide hall, the ceiling high and arched.
"Thought this might make things easier," Sakon calls to him. Kakuzu doesn't answer. Slowly, he unpicks the stitches on his wrists. Sakon doesn't stand a chance as Kakuzu's hands shoot out, the tentacles attached to them writhing. His hands grips Sakon's neck, slowly crushing the bone.
"Jeez I can't believe you let him get you, Sakon," a voice from behind Kakuzu says. Kakuzu's eyes widen and before he can react there's a gun shot and a bullet thunders into his shoulder.
Konan finally makes to the generator room door. Frantically she picks the lock and slips inside.
Relax she tells herself and she takes a deep calming breath. Even though she can't use her modification there must be a way she can turn the generator off. Konan moves over to the control board and studies the hundred of levers, switches and buttons. One of these must do something. Even if she can't turn it off maybe she can overload it or something. Inside Konan wishes Pein is here. With him, Konan never feels scared.
"Stop right there." Konan freezes as she feels something sharp jab against her spine.
"Turn around," the person instructs. She turns to see Kimimaro standing before her pointing his bone-sword at her chest.
"Kimimaro," she says. Desperately she tries to make paper shruikens but they just flutter uselessly to the floor too wet to take flight.
"Water is your weakness," Kimimaro says his voice emotionless as ever. "Orochimaru-sama preempted that you might come with your friends."
"So you turned on the sprinklers," Konan says, buying time. Hopefully if she keeps talking Pein will arrive. "Kakuzu will kill Sakon."
Kimimaro doesn't appear to care. "It's two against one though…" He says bluntly. He raises the blade to her throat. "Orochimaru-sama knew Pein would never complete his task. So he told me to kill you."
"Why do you follow him so blindly?" Konan asks softly. "I never understood it. When I first met you, I didn't think you'd be the type to follow the snake."
"Orochimaru-sama gave me a reason to live," Kimimaro answers simply. He lowers the blade to her heart again. "I'm sorry," he says and a look of regret crosses his eyes. As cold as Kimimaro is he doesn't enjoy killing women. "But this is what Orochimaru-sama wants."
Indescribable pain blossoms across Konan's chest as the blade enters her heart. A small gasp is the only sound she makes as the bone-sword is wrenched from her and Konan collapses to the floor. Blood sluggishly pours out and Konan can no longer breathe.
I'm sorry Nagato she thinks as her vision blur and darkness slowly drips in front of her eyes. Looks like I won't be able to keep my promise.