New chapter up! Again, thanks for all the wonderful reviews! I love you guys!
Enjoy!
A/N- there's no Chinese title for this chapter- I have no idea of how to translate the names. At all. Anyone who knows is welcome to tell me.
Thanks, and read on!
N
Chapter 9- Konoha VS Akatsuki
The interior of the temple was lit mainly by fire torches along the walls. Little natural light was seen, save for the visible air well some distance before them. Even so, the cave felt airy and cool, and had a calming effect on those inside it. For the shinobis, however, it was an exception. Their senses were tingling, heightening their awareness of their surroundings.
Young, lower class monks stood on either side of them, their heads bowed with their hands held before them, in the customary palms together gesture. The shinobis could feel, however, the sharp, discreet gazes of the monks on them as they proceeded, following Takashi.
Sakura eyed the monks warily. She was certain that they weren't there for welcoming purposes.
'There's something going on in here…' she thought uneasily. Her emerald eyes caught Tenten's brown ones, indicating Takashi signaling in the air.
Before any of them had enough time to register the gesture, a flurry of orange-yellow robes descended on them, weapons drawn, poised to kill.
It was soon Takashi's turn to be surprised. At the very moment the monks' knives met the shinobis, all shinobis disappeared into smoke, logs taking the place of humans.
"What…?" Takashi said slowly, hardly believing what he'd just seen. Kawarimi, the replacement technique? Then, harmless Sakura petals were falling thickly in a blizzard around them. Stunned and mesmerized at the same time, the monks stared at the beautiful scene, weapons hanging limply at their sides.
And then, without any warning, shurikens replaced the cherry blossoms, cutting through their flesh by the dozen, involuntarily crying out in pain.
Eleven shinobis leapt down in the midst of all the confusion, tackling three monks each. In no time, only Takashi was left standing, staring.
"Hello again, Takashi… or should I say… Seijin?" Sakura said calmly, knocking out the 'monk' she was sitting on with a swift punch to the head. She stood, facing him squarely.
The rest of her teammates were staring icily at the lone figure facing them, looking none to assuring.
"Well… I'm busted," Takashi, or Seijin, laughed hollowly, transforming back into his original form. His eyes glinted at them. "How?"
"For several idiotic reasons," Gaara spoke calmly. "One- you staged Takashi pretty well, you even managed to find out that he customarily attacked me as a code between us to prevent fraud, but you missed out on a major detail. Takashi-sama is left-handed. He always came at me from my left, while you attacked from my right,"
"Second dead giveaway-" Shikamaru started, his arms crossed and his expression stoic. "Lower class monks always follow their head monk out as a mark of respect, and to protect their leader. You were afraid we'd recognize those Sound nins of yours in broad daylight, so you kept them inside,"
"Third, your hands," Sakura said coolly. "No monk would actually bother with keeping his hands as smooth as yours. After you gave yourself away like that, all we had to do was create replicas of ourselves and hide,"
"Pretty sharp, aren't you?" Seijin drawled. "Since I couldn't finish you off last time, I might as well do it now," His muscled arm reached down to draw his katana- and groped at thin air.
"Looking for this?" Tenten's voice rang out behind him. The weapons mistress was coolly twirling his katana in her right hand, her chocolate eyes emotionless. "Took it while you were busy fawning over my best friend… monks don't usually carry swords around, do they?"
This time, Seijin looked totally flustered. At least, his face looked flustered. There was something unusual about his chakra, Neji and Sakura noted, looking at each other uneasily. His chakra was getting stronger instead of going haywire, which meant-
"Those chakra wings," Ino whispered, watching the great, shimmering chakra wings unfold from Seijin's back.
"Lucky people, you know?" Seijin smirked broadly. "Most people only get to see them once… before I finish them off,"
"Cut the small talk and tell us what you want," Naruto snarled loudly, fists clenched.
"I think you probably already know… or has your little friend over there not told you the truth yet?" Seijin sneered, looking at Sakura.
The kunoichi seethed with pure anger, shaking.
"What I do is none of your business,"
"It's very much my business, Haruno. After all, my task is to prevent Konoha from getting the scrolls… but it looks like your little friends are clueless… shall I fill them in on what you… neglected to tell them?"
Everyone turned to look at Sakura in surprise, save for Tenten and Neji.
"I believe," the weapons mistress began slowly. "That if Sakura chooses not to tell us something, she does it for a good reason. So shut- the hell- up,"
Five shurikens went flying towards Seijin, but were deflected by a gust of wind from Seijin's wings. Tenten leapt out of the way, her expression set, poised for another attack.
"Are you guys going to help take this idiot down, or are you just gonna stand there gaping at your own teammate?" Tenten yelled at the unmoving shinobis.
Snapping back into reality, the other ten shinobis fell into their stances, prepared to fight.
Sakura stood beside Tenten, glancing sideways at her gratefully.
"You're a lifesaver," Sakura said quietly, fists clenched and ready to strike.
"Anytime, Sakura… that's what friends are for," Tenten replied, pulling out her scrolls. "But- I think it's time you told them. I'm not underestimating you, Sakura… but they need to know- soon,"
"Yeah," Sakura said softly, looking at the ground. "Soon,"
N
"Got busted already, Seijin?"
A voice was suddenly heard from behind them. Naruto tensed. He- knew that voice.
"Deidara…" he hissed under his breath, never averting his eyes from Seijin. Hinata, never having met the explosives master before, looked at the jinchuuriki in surprise, sneaking a glance at the man behind them.
Sakura shot Naruto a quick look that said 'Don't blow it now,'
Deidara walked up calmly, studying the group with an unreadable expression.
"Hello, Uzumaki, Haruno… wow, even the Kazekage is here…"
Stony silence met his sarcasm. "I leave for ten minutes to tie up that Takashi idiot and you get yourself into this bloody mess," Deidara looked at Seijin sideways. "Even fooling people is an art of precision, you know,"
Seijin grudgingly acknowledged Deidara's words.
"Just get over here and help already,"
"With pleasure,"
The explosives master leapt over swiftly and easily, his mane of hair brushing past his face. Several explosives could be seen in his hand, Deidara flung them at the shinobis without second thought.
'Crazy fellow!' Naruto thought viciously, leaping away to avoid the explosion. 'He's gonna bring the entire cave down and bury us!'
"He's standing below the air well," Kiba hissed loudly, beside Akamaru. 'If the cave collapses, it'll only crush us, not him!'
"Everyone! Get out of the way NOW!" Shikamaru hollered, dragging Ino and Hinata behind him. He had spotted what the others had not- Deidara's smaller explosives were just decoys- the real bomb was hitting the ceiling above them!
Gaara's sand dome materialized around them, at the very moment the entire cave was rocked by a massive explosion. They could almost feel the solid rocks smashing against their sandy armour of protection, and the ground shaking violently beneath their feet.
Then silence.
Everyone looked around dazedly, trying to grasp what had just happened.
"Damn that Deidara…"Shikamaru cursed, the memory of Konoha's Fire Temple, destroyed by Akatsuki, resurfacing in his mind. "Damned Akatsuki!"
"I think we have other things to worry about, Shikamaru," the Kazekage spoke quietly, looking around.
Ino suddenly clutched Shikamaru's arm tightly, startling him.
"Ino, what in the world-"
"Shika- where's- where's Sai-"
"Kiba-" Lee said slowly.
"Naruto-kun-" Hinata fumbled.
"And Sakura?" Tenten finished in a whisper.
The seven shinobis left looked at each other in horror.
"Oh no,"
N
Slowly, Sai and Kiba opened their eyes, the latter with his arms wrapped around Akamaru, protecting it. They had expected to feel the rocks crushing them after the avalanche, but they felt nothing.
"What in the world…?" Kiba said harshly, hugging Akamaru tightly. Hues of red and gold chakra were enveloping them, protecting them from the crushing rocks just above.
"Heh… finally got enough courage to open your eyes, guys?" the pink-haired cherry blossom was half-grinning, half-grimacing at them, speaking with considerable effort.
Both Naruto and Sakura were standing on either side of them, feet apart and using the chakra-release handseals, looking strained and soaked with sweat.
"I need- to get us- out," Sakura's voice trembled as she spoke. "Naruto- can you hold this up?"
The jinchuuriki shook his head. "Too dangerous… I'm already using the Kyuubi's chakra, if I release any more, I won't be able to control it," he told her through clenched teeth.
"We'll do it," Sai and Kiba volunteered, standing up and bracing themselves, releasing their chakra.
"Hurry up, Sakura-chan… they can't hold it up for long…"
"Just lower this a bit so I can get us out in one punch," Sakura withdrew her chakra, and immediately the rocks came down by a few inches.
Sakura's fist shot upwards, crumbling everything in its path.
N
The moment Gaara's sand some fell to dust, they could hear Deidara's voice.
"Looks like Uzumaki and Haruno got crushed,"
Tenten's fists clenched. "The moment I get to tackle that guy, he's gonna be dead, dead and dead,"
"I hope you're right," Ino quipped, but right now we've got to find them,"
"You guys take care of that," Neji instructed. "Lee, Gaara-sama, Tenten and I will deal with them,"
Shikamaru, Ino and Hinata nodded, turning.
Neji turned to his team. "Deidara's a long-range fighter, so Tenten can handle him. Gaara-sama, can you cover her?"
Gaara nodded curtly.
"Lee, we'll tackle Seijin," Neji turned to Konoha's Green Beast.
"Roger!" Lee saluted with a grin.
"All right! Move!" Neji called.
All four shinobis shot off.
N
"Heh, you think my only weapon is the katana?" Seijin smirked as Neji called to Tenten to throw the katana over, catching it deftly.
Neji knew that they were in trouble once he saw the chakra blade forming in Seijin's hands.
'Oh great. He can use Chakra Enjintou,' the Hyuuga prodigy groaned inwardly, flinging ten shurikens at the ninja, all which were easily deflected.
"You know, I wonder why you people ever bother to stay in Konoha," Seijin flipped his dirty blonde hair out of his face. "That place… seriously, it's one of the lousiest-"
"Lee! NO!" Neji wasn't listening. Lee was charging full speed at Seijin, anger etched upon his face.
"Nobody insults Konoha!" thick brows twitched as Lee prepared to deliver some of his most powerful Taijutsu- only to feel a ripping sensation tearing through his body, then unbearable pain. He was sent flying by a punch from Seijin, his right art rendered completely useless.
"Why d'you have to be such an idiot, Lee?" Neji said through clenched teeth, charging at Seijin with his katana.
As the two blades met and forcefully held their own, Neji channeled chakra through the Katana, using Seijin's chakra blade as a medium to affect Seijin's body.
But all the effect it had on the samurai was to jolt him slightly.
"You're wasting your time," Seijin told the astonished Hyuuga. "My chakra is too powerful for you to repel,"
"We'll see about that," Neji growled.
N
Tenten snarled as another of Deidara's clay explosives easily deflected her attacks. Gaara used his shield of sand to cover them from the weapons, but they were making no visible progress.
"Gaara-sama," Tenten panted. "Soushoryuu is my only chance, any more advanced jutsus on my part will bring the cave down. You know what to do,"
The young Kazekage nodded, understanding his part.
The weapons mistress smiled, pulling out her summoning scrolls and placing them upon the ground, quickly forming her handseals.
'Let's just see how you deflect all my attacks for this one,'
"Soushoryuu!"
N
"Ino, you take left, Hinata, take right, and I'll do front." Shikamaru commanded the two girls. "C'mon, let's move!"
"Shikamaru-san…" Hinata said quietly. Ino and the Jounin looked at her questioningly. "I think… there's no need for that,"
Both had no time to react to her words.
Behind them, a loud blast rocked the cave, and small fragments of rocks rained down upon them. Shikamaru and Ino turned around slowly.
Four figures leapt out from the clouds of dust, looking none to happy.
A certain pink-haired kunoichi adjusted her gloves.
"So," she began. "What did we miss?"
N
Haha! Cliffhanger! If that was one…
I've got nothing much to say, except that the next chapter is going to be really exciting.
Review!
Next chapter:
Chapter 10- Dance of the Four Seasons
十- 四季舞
Until next time!
-Raven Ariana-