Chapter 21: The Plan

07

The Plan

Walking through the streets in my ANBU uniform I was absently thinking about Maye. I thought about going to the hospital before I left for my mission though it seems my feet had already led me there. I picked up my pace when I was a few metres away when I collided with someone in the doorway.

"Maye!" I helped her steady herself and bowed in apology. "Im sorry I was just coming to see you. Why are you leaving

"I couldn't standing being locked up any longer. I feel fine."

"Maye you really shouldn't be walking around like this."

"I'm fine, really. I just want to go home."

"Well if you're okay I will be going. I have a mission to get to." I hugged her goodbye and continued down the road.

"How are you and Shino going?" I heard Maye call out to me. Her sudden question made my trip on my own feet. I never really spoke about my relationship with other people.
"We are going good!" I called back. Then I ran while Maye was left staring at my shrinking figure.

My group was waiting in the forest trying to find information on Akatsuki, but we couldn't make our first move without Hanami. The plan was to scout for a few days wait for her to arrive and then decide on a course of action.

To my worried mind she should have been here already. I couldn't help but worry over her absence. Hinata and Kiba were silently patrolling and I was the eyes from above. Behind me I heard a bird call. I did not move from my post when I made the reply call back to the invisible ninja. Hanami came out from behind the shrubs below and waved me down.

"Sorry that I took longer than I should have. Before I left I went to see Maye at the hospital."

"It's okay" I replied. She was too caring, even when she had other responsibilities.

"We have spotted the criminal Kisame walking through the clearing up ahead, however when we investigated the area there was no door or opening for him to go through but he disappeared. Hinata's Byakugan isn't sowing us anything. She says there is a haze, like genjutsu but she can not pinpoint the location." Hanami listened intently, I hoped she had a plan to help us retrieve some information. Hanami l knelt onto the ground. She placed her hand down and closed her eyes. I was going to ask what she was doing but I thought it better to let her concentrate.

After listening to Shino I had an idea on how to find them and how to get intelligence. Finding a spot on the ground I knelt down with my palm flat just like the time I had found Shino after the masquerade.

I focused my chakra and sent out tendrils through the soil and they multiplied exponentially. There was the weakest of vibrations North East so I focused my search in that direction. With every metre that I extended my chakra the vibration got stronger.

There came a point where the vibrations weakened when I went past, giving mw the idea to take my search down. One hundred metres underground my chakra started to "explode" in a sense and I knew I found the exactly place.

The entrance was concealed too well for us to open by ordinary means and doing so would alert the Akatsuki.

"Okay I found where their hideout is, however its underground and the entrance will cause problems for us if we try to open it."

"How can we get in then?" Hinata asked.

"Well, I can use an earth style jutsu to travel through the ground and come out on the other side, however it can only be my clone. While I do that I can't concentrate out here."
"We need to find a covered area then, so we aren't drawing attention to ourselves." Kiba added, I agreed and we began.

I created the clone and then concentrated on forming them into earth. The hardest part was moving through the ground but as long as I remembered where my chakra indicated it would be fine.

Slowly my head formed inside the wall of the hideout. I listened to see if there were any Akatsuki members in the vicinity then when I believed the room was empty I reformed the rest of my body.

It was dark and damp, the only light was coming from under the door, I walked over and pressed my ear against it. I heard faint voices. Quietly I opened it, praying that I would not creak.

Silently I followed the sound of the voices, stopping at a corner and pressed myself against the wall.
"I think she's grown too cocky."
"But Kisame, we can't run in there kunai's flying. You're asking to get filleted"
"I know Tobi but we gotta teach her that you can't leave Akatsuki."

Kisame seemed heated, I peaked around the corner to get a look at the men. One I recognised as Kisame. His skin was tinged blue and he had the great sword Samehada strapped to his back. Next to him was a shorted man wearing an orange mask. There was only one eye opening. I guessed this was Tobi.

I brought my head back aroundnot wanting to risk being seen.

"I guess it has never really been our style to slink back from a challenge." Tobi mused.

"Samehada was to rip the flesh from her bones. Hehe. I can feel it."

"Okay. Okay. We'll go but not now. We have jinchūriki to bring back first."

"Who are you?" The question came from behind me. I turned to see a half black half white man encased in a giant fly trap. He grabbed me by the throat and went around the corner.

"You shouldn't talk so much" he said to the other men. They stared at me, Kisume grinned bearing his pointed razor sharp teeth.
"Oh hello there, you can't leave now."
"Watch me"I released my clone while the two men watched clumps of dirt fall from Zetzu's hands to the floor.

"That's not good." Tobi said scratching his head.

Snapping back into reality with Shino and the others I opened my eyes.
"We have to leave. Right now."

"What happened Hanami?" Hinata asked while I struggled to get up,

"They found my clone we need to go now." The urgency dawned on the others and we were off. They weren't following us but I had a bad feeling in my heart.