Chapter 10 – Meeting Akatsuki
She had been waking up at 3am each day to train with Itachi, then ANBU 4 and lastly Team 7. The schedule was tiring and she'd be damned if her stamina did not improve. Unfortunately, that was during ANBU 4's week off, now that her vacation was over she'd have to balance, missions and training which was an unappealing thought. But her training with Itachi did not come without reward, he might've not noticed it but she most definitely did. He was beginning to crack, she got him to talk more and he smiled more often, even though they were smirks and at her expense. Sadly he only opened up to her; his cold exterior came back up in the presence of others, but no matter baby steps.
"As you guys know Itachi successfully completed his mission in Otogakure," the blonde Hokage glanced at Sakura, "And the information he discovered was very useful. I've printed multiple copies for each of you to take home and read, burn them once you've finished."
They stepped forward and grabbed a folder, "Now for your mission," Tsunade said.
"Akatsuki have been spotted at several points around the fire country, you are to try and apprehend them and gather as much information as you can or to make them leave the vicinity," she explained, "It is unsettling to have an enemy near the border."
"When do we leave?" Ten Ten said.
"I recommend in 10 minutes because you'll have to go around the whole Fire Country looking for clues, this should be a quick mission."
"Yay," Ino commented.
"You know if you hate the missions, I don't know why you created ANBU 4 in the first place," Tsunade thought.
"It was fun at first, now it's just tiring weren't we like 19 when we started? Old age is catching up," Ino whined.
"Your 20," Sakura stated dryly.
"You can't complain I'm a year older than you," Ten Ten added.
"1 and a bit years and you guys still act like amateurs in these briefings," Tsunade joked, "Get out of my office and do the mission."
"Aww, that's harsh," Ino feigned hurt, holding a hand to her chest.
"Yes Lady Tsunade," Hinata confirmed, being the shy one she just accepted the mission and dragged her friends out.
"Make sure you don't send Itachi out on a mission," Ino called just as she closed the door.
"Maybe I will, just for my amusement," Tsunade said to herself.
"If I left you guys, would you tell Tsunade I skipped the mission?" Ino asked hypothetically.
"Yes I would and then I would make you suffer in training Pig."
"Me too!" Ten Ten said, cracking her knuckles.
"You two are cruel, at least Hinata won't do anything," she cheered hugging Hinata.
"Whatever, we're leaving now; we'll set camp once we arrived at the border, since I don't want any of us tired in case we encounter any of the Akatsuki on our patrol."
"Aye aye captain!" Ino saluted.
Rolling her eyes she motioned for the girls to head out, they leapt at an even pace since they were in no rush and had the rest of the day to go to the border.
Fortunately the journey was uneventful and they arrived at the border and finished setting camp around 7 o' clock just as the last rays of sunlight disappeared. "Should we set a fire?" Hinata asked.
"Well, we're in the Fire Country I don't think it's that big of a risk," Ino thought, "Ask Kana."
"Sure, we have enough chakra to escape if Akatsuki arrive," Sakura permitted.
They got some wood, performed a small fire jutsu, and heated some water to cook noodles with. The meal was silent to avoid giving away any details about themselves, after that they all fell asleep around the campfire with Hinata starting the first shift of the watch-out.
"Wake up guys! It's 5 o' clock we need to start our search!" Ten Ten announced, "I already started the fire to make tea, but you'll have to only eat energy bars for breakfast."
"Better than nothing, thanks Kaori," Sakura appreciated.
By 5:30am the campsite was cleaned and looked like no one had been there, they began scanning the border in a straight line with 500 metres between each person. They were looking for the basics; chakra signatures or trails, disturbances in the environment and the enemy themselves. It was starting to get dark as they were 3 quarters through the border so they called it quits and decided to do the last quarter the next day. It was an uneventful search and they did not run into any enemies or obscurities.
It was the same routine as the night before, so by the next morning they were up and ready to go. By midday they finished their patrol and started to head back to Konoha. "Everyone conceal your chakras," Hinata whispered, "4 hostiles, 12 o' clock."
"What? How are they so close to Konoha?" Sakura wondered, "Doesn't matter we need to apprehend them. Hinata, do you know who they are?"
"Judging by their chakra reserves, I assume they're who were looking for."
"We'll just stay in the bushes and hear what they have to say and just as they are to leave we'll attack, okay?"
She got three nods in return; they cautiously advanced the Akatsuki and identified Kisame Hoshigaki, Sasori, Deidara and Zetsu. Using hand signals, they were each assigned an Akatsuki to fight. She allocated Ten Ten to Sasori, Hinata to Zetsu and as a joke Ino to Deidara; which she got colourful words mouthed at her in return, finally herself and Kisame.
"We sensed awhile back you can come out now," Kisame's rough voice called.
They leapt out of the trees and landed in front of the 4 Akatsuki. "What is your purpose here Akatsuki?" Sakura's steel voice demanded.
"Ah, ANBU 4, I'm afraid we can't tell you that."
"Then I'm afraid you leave us no choice to attack."
"Very well then."
Both parties split up and challenged their opponents, Sakura's katana met Kisame's Samehada, however she had to back out because of its absorption ability. Ten Ten's mixture of kunai and shuriken deflected Sasori's poisonous senbon. Hinata used her Byakugan to find her plant – like opponent and Ino dodged Deidara clay bombs as she thought of an offensive attack to counter.
"I have to attack him without touching his sword, I guess I'll have to use my special clones," Sakura thought.
She did the hand signs for her special Sharingan – proof clones, she made 3 so they could attack at different angles. They charged and he made a swipe to knock them all out at once, however they didn't disappear. He kicked 2 of them away but the third cut him at the back. "Not bad Kana," he complimented, "but how about this." He destroyed the clones with a 'Water Release: Great Shark Bullet Technique' and charged at her again.
Ten Ten was rather proud she forced him to remove his outer layer and reveal his body, although she was surprised to see a child instead. However that didn't distract her as he summoned the Third Kazekage, it would prove to be a more difficult challenge to overcome with the Kazekage's special technique and poison.
Hinata ducked as one of the Zetsu clones attacked from behind, she kicked it away. Scanning the area again to look for her opponent, she found out he blended into a tree nearby. She ran towards the tree and used 'Eight Trigram: Air Palm' a metre away. Unfortunately she just missed and possibly only gave him a cut or bruise, she looked around again and this game of cat and mouse continued.
"I love your hair," Ino teased as she dodged a clay bomb, "what shampoo do you use?"
"Shut up, yeah," he shouted, "And stay still, yeah."
"Ha! I'm not Miki from ANBU 4 for nothing," she shouted back.
"We'll see, release!"
Several spiders exploded all around her, she had to do a basic earth barrier to provide cover. Once the ground stopped shaking and the booming ceased she released the barrier, "Missed me!" Ino taunted.
This only aggravated the bomb expert more, however he did not let his anger affect him, he created 'Explosive Clay Minions' and used them to attack Ino. She realized that they would be difficult to eliminate due to the clay's density and the ineffectiveness of kunai and shuriken. Therefore she decided now would be the time to change to offense, she charged at the minions and used a basic 'Shadow Clone' instead of risking herself; to pull off an arm, which it executed successfully however with a flick of the owner's fingers the clay reconnected with its main body. "Ah so that's how he's controlling them, maybe if I could just touch them and create a chakra connection…" Ino planned in her head.
"Damnit! Kana! I need an antidote," Ten Ten shouted across the plain.
"This is my personal concoction the only antidotes are hidden in the Akatsuki headquarters," Sasori smirked.
Alerted, Sakura quickly ditch the battle with Kisame and sprinted for Ten Ten with the antidote they created collecting samples from a poisoned Suna Nin when they failed to kidnap Gaara. She threw a kunai at Sasori to keep him temporarily away whilst she injected the cure into Ten Ten. "Thanks," Ten Ten uttered before continuing her fight with Sasori.
Kisame took this opportunity to charge at the red ANBU, fortunately she dodged the direct hit from Samehada unfortunately the following wind caused cuts on her legs. Quickly recovering she disappeared and reappeared at random spots, hopefully confusing her shark – like foe, then about 1 metre away she used her katana to slice her opponent; success. Suddenly out of nowhere, a green blur shot across the field between her and Kisame. "Zetsu is unconscious," Hinata informed.
"Good job Misaki," Sakura praised, "Scan the area I don't know whether the other need help or not but better safe than sorry."
"Okay!" Hinata confirmed.
"You know not a lot of people can cause quite the cut on me, I guess I'll have to try a bit harder, 'Water Release: Rain Water Shark Wave," Kisame stated.
Water from condensation and a nearby pond rose into the sky and came back down. Unaware of the specifics of the jutsu she stood there cautiously, until one of the droplets fell onto her arm leaving a cut in its path. Quickly she took refuge under a rock she created with her inhuman strength. Abruptly she saw Kisame attack from behind, and she easily jumped out of the way. Sensing the deadly rain ceasing she threw the rock at Kisame. Whilst he was dodging the rock she charged with her katana causing deep gashes in several parts of her opponent's body. "Damnit! That was close!" She heard someone screech from the other side of the field.
She almost knocked him out with her genjutsu but he dispelled it just as the grand finale came. Luckily, the genjutsu did tire him out to the point his breathes came out in pants. "Not so strong now are you?" Ino tormented.
"We'll see, Release!" Deidara shouted and a bomb went off almost knocking Ino over. "Guys this has taken way too long we need to bail now."
"I agree with the brat, take Zetsu and let's go," Sasori shouted.
"Hm, very well then, we shall meet next time princess," Kisame smirked as he picked up the unconscious Akatsuki.
"Don't look too disappointed; not that I would know with those masks on, I have a gift for you," Deidara shouted from his clay bird as he tossed a small white statue in the air.
"Guys that's the bomb that almost destroyed Suna," Hinata warned, "It won't reach the village but we need to leave as soon as possible."
Once the Akatsuki members were out of range Deidara muttered a release and it felt like time stopped as the statue exploded in a deadly orange and red firework, creating an enormous depression in the ground.
They got a few metres away from the statue before it exploded but that didn't stop it from knocking them off their feet and into the trees. Once the smoke dissipated, there was a rumble underneath the debris and Ten Ten; being the furthest away from the bomb, was first to get out of the mess, decorated in blood, cuts and bruises. "Guys are you alive?" She shouted walking around the calling out her teammate's codenames.
A piece of wood was thrown into the air and the Byakugan user stood atop a pile of stray branches in the same condition as her team mate. "Misaki! You alright?" Ten Ten asked.
"Yeah, have you found Kana or Miki?"Hinata questioned.
"No. Use your Byakugan to find them."
Veins popped near her eyes as she scanned the area, "Miki is 10 metres that way and Kana is 2 metres left of her, you get Miki I'll get Kana."
The sprinted to their teammates and began lifting the debris. "Boo!" Ino shouted as her head popped out.
"I should've left you to wither," Ten Ten stated bluntly.
"Aww don't be like that."
"Thanks Misaki," Sakura uttered accepting the offered hand, "Is everyone alright?"
"Yeah," the all replied.
"Well, I'd say that was a successful mission, they left the Fire Country didn't they?" Ino added optimistically.
"But we gained no information," Sakura sighed, "Oh well, we should rest up a bit, but I think we can rush to the Hokage tower and give a verbal mission report."
"Okay."
By the time they arrived at the Hokage Tower they were on the brink of passing out. "Well, at least you got them to leave the Fire Country. You're all dismissed," Tsunade waved them off.
They each bid each other good – bye and left for their respective homes. The moment Ino and Sakura shut the door they both collapsed on the living room couch in a tangle of limbs still covered in cuts and blood with their masks carelessly placed on the coffee table.