This chapter is short, the next one is proving to be a monster. Anyway, here it is. Reviews are welcome, if anyone keeps reading this thing. They are free too :P

"Oi, Kakashi-sensei."

"What?" Kakashi's nerves were racked. He was trying to focus on finding the two Akatsuki members and his loud student wasn't making things easier.

"Why are we just two on this mission? Is it so easy that just us are enough?"

'You have no idea...' "Yea, we are to go and neutralize a group of bandits. Be on your guard though; they are sneaky and experts at ambushes."

"Yeah, yeah, I can take them on anytime" Naruto was bored.

Kakashi sighed. This was going to be a lot more difficult than he expected.

"So my spies were indeed trustworthy..."

Kakashi spun around and threw a kunai without even thinking about it. The pale figure caught it nonchalantly, and Kakashi quickly made a handseal. "Naruto!"

"I know!" Naruto was taking cover the moment he heard the voice.

The explosive seal which was wrapped around the kunai went off, scattering debris all around. What was left was a crumbling figure.

'An earth clone?' Kakashi felt something move at his right side and blocked an incoming sweeping kick out of sheer instinct and reflexes. The pale figure smiled, his yellow slitted eyes full of malice and death intent. His right hand made a one-hand seal, and two snakes burst from its sleeve, circling around Kakashi in a bone-breaking grip.

Kakashi struggled against the killer grip but one of the snakes rose its head and sank its poisoned fangs in his neck. Kakashi disappeared with a loud poof and a cloud of smoke, leaving a log covered in explosive seals behind.

Kakashi watched as the log exploded, leaving yet another crater and another destroyed earth clone behind. He quickly uncovered his Sharingan and shot a glance at Naruto. This was turning ugly real fast, he didn't expect in the least that Orochimaru, of all people, would come after him to complicate things. Naruto seemed calm enough, which was strange...

Naruto launched at Kakashi, his hands glowing with chakra. Kakashi prepared himself for the incoming attack, but an orange-clad figure intercepted its way, with a glowing chakra sphere in hand.

The fake Naruto diverted from his path and dropped the shapeshift technique, revealing Kabuto, Orochimaru's right-hand henchman. His chakra scapel moved to hit Naruto, but he had learned from his previous fight with him that had almost cost him his life. His hand moved and caught Kabuto's wrist, and Kakashi, who was already on the move, used this opening to plant a solid kick in his chest. Kabuto flew away from them but spun in mid-air and landed feet first on the ground. His master landed beside him.

"Well well, it seems that the Kuubi brat has grown a bit, hasn't he..."

"What do you want, Orochimaru?"

"I know that you already suspect what I want, Kakashi... and isn't about time you show yourselves, Tsunade, Jiraiya?"

Kakashi clenched his fist. The situation was getting out of hand. Orochimaru could fight toe to toe with Jiraiya and Tsunade, even without his hands. He was before him and he seemed fully recovered. He had Kabuto by his side; an enemy who was at his level. Itachi and his companion would be upon them at any minute and Naruto was tangled in all this mess. He turned his eyes at Tsunade for orders, and he was surprised to see how calm she was. Considering her feelings of protection of Naruto and the current situation, he assumed that the Fifth had everything under control.

"Hey there Orochimaru. It seems you found a way to restore your hands."

"Sure enough, no thanks to you Tsunade. Now, shall we get down to business?"

"You think you can take on both of us Orochimaru? Last time you didn't have hands, but I was drugged too."

"As I told you last time Jiraiya, we are at different levels."

Jiraiya tensed. 'I really hope you know what you are doing Tsunade'

"Hey, Granny Tsunade-"

"Naruto, you really must learn when to shut up."

"But-"

"Keep your head down or you'll lose it, brat. You remember last time. Now we have Itachi along with the whole mess."

"What do you mean? What has Akatsuki to do with all of this?"

"All in due time, brat. Just trust me."

Naruto remained silent, but one could feel his annoyance and anger. There were a few moments of increasing tension, before everyone jumped into action.

'What the hell are you thinking, Tsunade?'

Itachi seemed calm outside, yet inside him an internal war had broken loose. Pain's information was accurate; Naruto had left on a mission with just his jounin instructor accompanying him. It was a perfect chance to get him, and he knew that Tsunade would know this for sure. It seemed that they were trying to ambush them, and he would have no choice other than slaying the Leaf's ninja in order to keep his cover. Things were going to make him sacrifice a bit of himself again.

"Itachi, you feel this too?" Kisame's voice snapped Itachi ot of his thoughts.

"It feels like Orochimaru" Itachi scowled. Things were becoming complicated.

"It seems our ex- member desires the power of the Nine-tails too... there is no helping it. He goes down." Kisame flashed a cruel smile, he could feel the blood pounding inside his body, his heard accelerating. 'It's about time we dealt with this traitorous snake once and for all'

Itachi's mind was working fast. Tsunade was no fool, she knew that sending the Nine-tails host out alone, even with kakashi as his protector, it was a reckless move; it would take nothing less than a Sannin to protect him.

Several chakra signatures flared, signaling the start of a vicious battle, but this relaxed Itachi a bit. It seemed that both Jiraiya and Tsunade were with the kid. This only proved one thing: they were preparing an ambush. Tsunade should know his skill as a ninja, so she should know that their current situation was not in their favor; why wasn't she retreating?

He let a mental sigh. Things would become clear once they were upon them.

Vacation is over, and due to job I'll be updating at least a month later. I hope my writer's block is lifted by then.

See you later,

George T. I.