chapter 10
Ino returned to her original body and immediately got up. Kakashi turned to team 10.
"Just like you said," Ino smiled. "They're coming at that exact time you predicted."
Shikamaru gave Kakashi a small tube used for taking in blood. He put it deep in his pocket knowing its a vital need in the battle against Akatsuk.
"Well, shall we go?" Kakashi asked.
The team agreed, and set off. The two Akatsuki were walking in the forest to the bounty station. Suddenly, Kakuzu noticed something.
"Hidan." said Kakuzu.
"Yeah." replied Hidan.
The two Akatsuki jumped out the way as Shikamaru's shadow came speeding off the ground. They got away, but two explosive tags came coming towards them.
'Dammit.' Kakuzu thought.
He hardened his arm in the last moment to save himself. Hidan blocked it with his scythe, but it blew up in his face. He was alright, though.
"Kakuzu, are you alright?" Hidan asked.
"Yeah," answered Kakuzu. "Most importantly, keep an eye out for the shadows."
Hidan spotted a shadow slithering their way. "How any times you think we'll fall for that trick!?"
"Hidan above!"
They both looked up in the sky to see Shikamaru getting ready to throw what seemed like explosive kunai.They dodged his in coming kunai, but realized something.
"Crap, he got us." Kakuzu muttered under his mask.
"How is Naruto's training doing?" asked Tsunade.
"It's going okay. From what Yamato said, Naruto is getting the hang of it." answered Sakura.
Tsunade paused for a moment.
"Tell this to Yamato, if Naruto doesn't finish his training, we'll have another backup team going."
Sakura nodded. She walked out the office headed for the training field. In the other training field, Shitaka almost had the hang of it. She sometimes made Akima fall backwards with the force of the jutsu. Falling backwards at time made him think.
'She'll surpass me soon.'
It wasn't long, too. Shitaka focused her hand genjutsu. Suddenly, she noticed the background behind Akima started changing. She didn't know if it was her genjutsu, or Akima's, but it seemed it had no affect on her. Akima focused on Shitaka, but saw from the sides of his eyes Shitaka was getting the hang of it. Suddenly, Akima shut his eyes closed.
'Argh! An overdose.'
Doing that, Shitaka had him trapped in her genjutsu. Akima opened his eyes to see an open field of flowers and butterflies around. Then, out of nowhere, the field of flowers and butterflies started burning. Akima focused his chakra and released the genjutsu. Shitaka was there standing in front of him.
"You've gotten stronger, Shitaka." Akima smiled.
Shitaka smiled too. They both headed over to the hokage tower for a request.
The battle between the leaf and Akatsuki were ending as Shikamaru devised a plan to split the Akatsuki up. The question is, who's going to do it?
"I'll do it!" Chouji exclaimed.
"No," Shikamaru interrupted. "If you get partnered up with the guy with the scythe, your done for, because your usually a close range fighter."
"Then I'll do it!" Ino said.
"No, you use your mind body transfer jutsu after I used my kage mane. If you miss you won't be able to return to your body for several minutes."
Everyone was in deep thought until Shikamaru said, "I'll do it."
Everyone looked at him except Kakashi. He had been expecting. Since it was decided who would go take Hidan, Kakashi handed Shikamaru that same tube from before, only it was filled with blood.
"So can we go?" asked Shitaka.
"Not until Naruto gets done with his training." Tsuande answered.
Shitaka was happy she could go on this mission. She wanted to use her new jutsu she had been training for with Akima. In the training field, Naruto just made a huge crater with that new jutsu, although it wasn't complete.
"Just a little more." mumbled Naruto.
He was nearly complete. With his shadow clone looking one way, and the rest focusing, he thought this training is a piece of cake. Yamato was stunned at the crater.
'Goodness. He's progressed fast.'
Shitaka and Akima stood behind a tree to watch Naruto get done with his training. Naruto made his way out of the crater, getting ready to load up another rasengan. Suddenly, he was stopped by Yamato. Naruto looked at him with confusion.
"Something tells me you'll get done with this jutsu on the mission. Let's go get the others." Yamato said.
He clearly saw the whiskers on Naruto's face growing, and his eyes were looking like a fox's eyes. Naruto smiled with determination. Akima and Shitaka came out from watching.
"Oh, Akima!" Yamato waved.
"How's it going." Akima smiled.
Naruto looked puzzled. He walked towards Shitaka wondering what she was doing here, and why Yamato knew Akima. They were former Anbu members together.
"What are you doing here Akima?" asked Yamato.
"I got the permission from Tsunade to go on that mission with you." answered Akima.
Naruto turned to Shitaka. "I take it your going to?"
"Yep," Shitaka said. "I've learned some new jutsu myself."
Shikamaru took Hidan to a place with bomb seals everywhere. Hidan chuckled a bit.
"So your not gonna let me go, eh?"
He also noticed Shikamaru's kage mane was at it's limit, too. Hidan rejoiced. He liked what going on, plus they were alone.
"You have no idea how much that is in my favor, you moron!"
Hidan came speeding towards Shikamaru with his black sword like weapon. FWOOP! Hidan thought he had Shikamaru since blood was on his weapon, but he missed by an inch. Hidan took in the blood, and his body started to turn into a grim reaper style. He jammed his hand with his weapon which made Shikamaru gasp. The blood dripped off his hand and Hidan stepped on it. The blood started to form a triangle like stamp on the ground.
"DIE!"
At the fight scene with Kakuzu, more elemental attacks were being released from Kakuzu's mask. Kakashi dodged everyone of them while Chouji and Ino stood back. Suddenly, Kakashi was pulled down from the back by Kakuzu's strings.
"Kakashi!" Ino and Chouji said together.
"Your heart is mine!" Kakuzu growled from underneath his mask.
SLLLLICHHHH! Hidan stuck his weapon threw his stomach. Shikamaru bent down, acting like he was dying. Hidan giggled at the sight.
"Pathetic."