Thank you to all those who reviewed and favorited! Also, I appreciate your patience. :D

Yuti-Chan: I agree with you- I can't get enough of Madara either. That is why I plan to include plenty of Madara action in the coming chapters. This is a story about him, after all.

Joanna Davis: Mika's life is always on the line. The poor girl is in so many threatening situations that you may be correct in your prediction. I love the suspense and to be honest, the purpose of the last few chapters has been to make the readers have more and more questions. I hope to keep you guessing until the end ;D

ScrewedUpAkatsuki128: It's good to see someone is trying to save Itachi, other than Mika. And it would be lovely to see the villains bitten by Chewy. Creative, I'll give you that.

Random Person 94: Thank you~ I apologize that my updates have been lagging lately. I would explain, but I don't want to bore you with the details of my math-induced coma.

Shapeshifter1: I am very pleased to hear that you like the story. And you asked a pretty valid question, so I will clear it up: Since Orochimaru is alive, Kabuto is as well. However, he isn't as strong as he is in the manga.

Dettaarsvenska: Wow, thank you. I appreciate your sweet comment~

Meanwhile, it's deep during the night and the first attacks have begun. No one knows just what is slithering behind the shadows.

Chapter 26- The Masquerade.

"Stand together! They will never be able to penetrate our defenses!" one man's voice bellowed through the battle ground, dwarfed by the screams and cries of those already engaged in combat. Explosions sounded nearby, being only a brief source of light in the blinding darkness. It was impossible to tell whether one was a friend or foe, as everyone's faces were shadowed by the night or blackened by fresh blood.

Weapons were clashing all around and the battle was already in full-swing. When it all came down to it, every single member of the army was fighting to save their own skins. The original cause of trying to defeat Madara was long forgotten. There were a few that strived for justice, but if a fatal injury was dealt to them, their last thought was always that they wanted to live.

Moving around was a true travesty, as the rain from before left vast expanses of mud and there was the chance of tripping over a corpse. It was also unfairly difficult to stay in a battle with one opponent. So many soldiers were on the field side by side that they sliced away at everything they saw, not caring for courtesy. Chunks of flesh shot off in every direction and there was no doubt that every soldier was at least remotely covered with the guts of both their allies and their enemies.

Emotion was absolutely gone from the area. All those part of the slaughter had hard eyes and heavy hearts. No man wished to be responsible for worthless murder. What they were doing now would haunt them for the rest of their lives. That is, if they managed to survive.

Amidst the fray, Mika was twisting and weaving between nearby weapons. Her sword was drawn and she blocked when necessary, but chose not to get too involved. After all, she needed all the energy she could get to carry out her plot involving Riyouk.

Right in front of her, a soldier was ripped in half by the hungry arms of the multitudes of Zetsus. She winced and froze, barely having the control to swallow her emotions and turn away from the scene. No matter how much her morals wept, she had to only care for herself. Stepping into combat with a Zetsu was something to be avoided at all costs, as the clones could run to inform Madara. She did not care if she would hate herself for being a coward; she would rather live choked with regret than even catch a glimpse of the elder Uchiha again.

Another explosion went off, momentarily blinding her. At that moment, someone grabbed her from behind and she felt sharp claws tearing at her back. With a frenzied burst of chakra and adrenaline, she whipped around and severed the head of her assailant, a Zetsu clone. Her lower back stung and she cursed herself for letting her guard down. Mika prayed the creature had not been able to recognize her.

Tightening the grip on her sword, she resumed her dash toward the front of the army. The timing had to be perfect and the longer she waited, the more heated the battle would be. Her plan was to disappear before things got too ugly. In other words, when the master of torture arrived, she better get her weak, little hide out of there.

Hazy images flashed past her and this time, when another explosion rocked the ground, she held her ground. Still, there was nothing she could do as a wave of blood splattered her in the face. Crimson liquid lurked into her mouth and she spat rudely, a frown forming on her features. The metallic taste was far too familiar for her comfort.

The ground continued to shake, this time because of a massive wall-of-earth jutsu. Zetsus tumbled down, only to be shot with explosive arrows. A sudden chill went through the air, when one of the Snow Country ninja unleashed a slew of freezing waterfalls, paralyzing everything in their path. Considering the grand variety of ninja in the area, it was not surprising that Mika did not recognize many of the techniques being used. Animal summons raged about, emitting ear-splitting roars with every injury.

Closer to the front of the pack, Mika could easily tell that it was far more intense. The stronger fighters were gathered here, unleashing truly fearsome jutsu. Their faces showed a whole different degree of harshness. After all, for many of them, this was their second ninja war. So deep was their resentment of the disturbance of peace that they no longer cared about the means to achieve stability once more.

And this was the greatest weakness of the army.

Riyouk's rapidly moving chakra was closer so Mika stopped behind a pile of debris and did a few hand signs, successfully transforming to appear like Itachi. Her facade was flawless, proving her devotion to her cause. Riyouk would not be able to resist following Itachi if he saw him and she intended the use that foolish curiosity to her advantage. It was a cheap, dirty thing to do. Mika already knew it was something she would never live down, but her only defense was that she did not have a choice. If they were not in the midst of war, she would have challenged him head on, even going so far as to explain the situation. However, with time slipping between her fingers, she did not have that luxury.

Mika was about to do a circular dash around the area when she noticed something that could jeopardize her plan. Riyouk, panting heavily, was engrossed in a serious battle with the blond bomb artist, Deidara. She sighed, recalling that he had been one of the few Akatsuki members she had grown attached to. Stepping into battle looking as she did was risky and it would arise suspicion from both Riyouk and Deidara. The only thing she could do was-

"Surprise you damn traitor!"

Her heart skipped a beat and she barely had enough time to propel herself away from an oncoming explosion. The force of it shook her stance, causing her to slide in the mud. With narrowed eyes she glared at the source of the trouble, who was grinning at her.

"Itachi, I've always wanted to meet you during battle. It would be a great compliment for me to kill the greatest traitor in Akatsuki history," Deidara stated confidently, his hands reaching for another ball of clay. Mika's face was expressionless, and as such, it appeared that Itachi's was as well. She did not dare say a word and instead, reached for her sword. Someone jumped right beside her and she stepped back defensively, relaxing only a fraction of a degree when she saw that it was Riyouk.

"You came back," was all the leader of the allied special forces said and she nodded curtly. If she played her cards right, she would be able to work together with Riyouk to defeat Deidara, which would make it easier for her to attack Riyouk on her own. That is, if she did not fail to give herself away during the course of the battle.

"You've chosen the wrong side, Itachi. Madara is winning and you of all people should know that. It's too bad you'll be dead before you get to see his victory," Deidara ended off-handedly before throwing a set of smoke bombs. The thick, white smoke made it even harder to see anything and they jumped out before the expected onslaught.

However, the only thing in Mika's mind at the moment was about how Deidara had used Madara's name. Did that mean he had revealed himself to the Akatsuki? Or was that merely a sign that Deidara was a brainwashed puppet that did not know the truth?

She did not have time to mull it over because Riyouk was beside her, explaining a step by step plan to defeat their enemy. Nodding again, she did not bother to question what was being said to her and memorized his words as best she could. They exchanged a quick glance before branching off in separate directions. Her part was to distract Deidara with a set of fireballs, while Riyouk was going to attack from underground. She thanked the stars she could actually perform those jutsus.

No thought went into her actions as she unleashed a scorching ball of flame. It was not as large as the real Itachi's would have been, but it would do. The bright, illuminating torrent shone and for a few seconds, cast the close vicinity in a shade of orange. Unbeknownst to her, the technique was a beacon to all of the Zetsus, who collectively grinned.

Deidara was not fazed by it and with an explosion, he directed the flames away. The enemy wasted no time before retaliating by throwing a small, circular container in her direction. She assumed it was another smoke bomb so when green, twisting channels of gas came shooting in her direction, she did not know what to do. Her instincts took control and she started erecting her chakra shield.

A split second later, she froze with a wide-eyed, panic-stricken look on her face. That was the one technique she could not use or she would be revealed. The shield disappeared and she was immersed with the unusual gas. Her eyes stung and she stopped breathing. The strength was being sapped from her being and she could barely force her legs to start running. Slow seconds ticked by and the sound of her frantic heartbeat was all she heard. Despair withered on her features when she noticed that the smoke was not showing any signs of dissipating. Her knees shook and she let out a weak cry when she tripped over a severed leg, falling to the ground.

She tried to stand up, but she accidentally sucked some of the gas into her lungs, which caused her to go into a coughing fit. Her vision was going blurry, her head throbbed painfully and her lungs burned. For a second, she truly thought she was going to die.

Mika was barely conscious when a pair of arms encircled her and hastily carried her out of the fray. The next thing she knew, she was violently hacking and someone was holding her upright. She felt faint and as her eyes landed on Riyouk's stiff face, she nearly burst into tears. He had saved her life and because of that, she did not know if she would be able to carry out the rest of her plan.

"Do you like it? I invented the gas myself. If he hadn't gotten you out of there, the acid would have burned you right to the bone," Deidara boasted somewhere in front of them, but she did not know where since she was still having a hard time seeing.

"We still have one more shot. We can use the gas to our advantage if you use your chakra shield to surround the both of us," Riyouk whispered into her ear and her blood ran cold. She could not believe that he knew and yet, he had still saved her life.

In response to her wide eyes, he said, "I know it's you, Mika. We have to finish this battle before I'll deal with you."

She was about to say that she wouldn't be able to run when he turned around and gestured for her to climb onto his back. As quickly as she could, she wrapped herself around him and started gathering chakra. Despite the added weight, Riyouk had no difficulty sprinting right into the opaque cloud. The shield surrounded them in a tight bubble, forbidding the deadly acid to reach their skin.

Somewhere in the middle of the toxic mass, Riyouk stopped and did a series of hand seals. Mika's grip on him tightened when the earth in front of them burst vertically into the air, only to condense into a sharp, wave-like mass that shot into Deidara's direction. The displacement of ground was enough to lessen the concentration of the gas, which allowed them both to breathe freely again. Wasting no time, Riyouk let her down and with a few more hand seals, tunneled underground, presumably toward Deidara.

For a set of stained minutes, Mika stood and waited, watching as explosions clouded the sky. She reached for her sword, but when she realized she had dropped it somewhere in the gas, she frowned. Swiftly glancing about, she spotted a corpse with a long sword prodding out of it. With a tug, she removed the weapon and averted her eyes from the soldier. The weapon was longer than she wanted it to be, but she was in no position to be complaining.

The sound of footsteps made her body go tense and she turned around, ready for virtually anything. She felt a sense of relief when she saw Riyouk marching toward her, but that feeling turned to bitter remorse as she noticed that he was carrying Deidara's severed head. A lump formed in her throat and her chest felt tighter when it hit her that she would never be able to see his smiling face again.

Her friend was gone.

If Riyouk noticed her tortured expression, he did not say anything about it because he began, "Change into another form. Itachi is a target for the Akatsuki."

Numbly, she did as she was told, transforming back into herself, before sighing and asking, "What are you going to do now?"

"That depends on what you tell me. You pretended to be Itachi to lure me. Why?" he demanded, no hint of care in his tone.

"To save the real Itachi from Orochimaru. The snake wants your body," she answered honestly, straightening her shoulders and looking him right in the eyes. Riyouk looked to the side with a scowl.

"The real Itachi is dead."

Mika pursed her lips and took a step forward before announcing, "You're wrong. Itachi is definitely alive; I can feel it."

Scoffing, Riyouk countered, "You can feel it? For the longest time you felt that Madara was your husband. There is no way I am going to trust your feelings."

"Then don't. Put your trust in Itachi," she said softly, her eyes silently testifying for all the times Itachi had saved her before.

Resigning, he muttered, "So now you just expect me to come to Orochimaru and willingly give my life for him."

At this point, despite the pain deep in her heart, Mika grinned.

"I am going to make you a deal. I have never trusted Orochimaru and it seems you are of the same opinion. Let us go to Orochimaru's base together, where we will put an end to his miserable life," she proposed and it was as if a burden was being taken off her shoulders.

However, Riyouk's eyes narrowed dangerously and his stance became more defensive. It was not the reaction she had been hoping for.

"You are rather quick to turn on your allies. So you will just as quickly betray me when the time comes," he replied, his face a shield of crude reality. Mika looked away and tightened the grip on her long sword.

"I will."

...

The light patter of feet echoed through the tunnels, but to Mika, her steps felt much heavier than they should. A bag hung loosely in her left hand, blood dripping from it occasionally. This object was cause for great turmoil in her soul and she could not deny that she was inhuman for carrying such thing instead of burying it. Hours had passed since she had been at the battlefield and she was finally at the location Orochimaru said they should meet for the exchange. It was at an unfamiliar cave system to the south east, a place she had not expected to contain a hidden lair. Of course, the unlikely location was the reason for the construction of the base in the first place.

Orange flames flickered along the walls, casting an eerie glow on everything in their path. The musty smell of moist walls intruded her senses, rivaling the stench of rotting corpses. Strangely colored stains littered the floor and she had to pay attention not to step into something biohazardous. There was no doubt that this base was poorly cared for, if not completely abandoned.

Mika sighed when the tunnel turned again, with no hints as to when it would come to an end. She felt the itch of nervousness crawling up her spine and she wanted nothing more than to turn around and flee. The only thing that kept her going was her loyalty to Itachi, who had already saved her life multiple times. Surely she could afford to attempt to save him once?

Pushing away her paranoia and selfish desires, she lengthened her strides. The sooner she could get the ordeal over with, the better. Despite looking mentally stable, she could feel her walls slowly crumbling down. At a time like this, she needed to curl up in a corner and spend days praying for the gods to forgive her transgressions.

Her heart fluttered in her chest when the tunnel widened into a vast cavern. Only the entrance was lit so from her perspective, she was about to march into a black hole. The darkness put her on edge and she scanned for chakra, wishing to have at least a second of warning in case something shot out at her.

For a second, she detected not a single presence in the vicinity, but the next, two golden eyes were peering into her own. Drawing in a sharp breath, she jumped back and glared at the person in front of her.

"I am surprised you made it here. I heard it was quite the massacre," the slick voice of Orochimaru sliced through the tense silence.

Ignoring his words, she dropped the bloodied bag in front of his feet. It rolled slightly, revealing that the object inside was spherical.

With her head bowed, she whispered, "I have failed you."

To be continued...!

Mika and Orochimaru meet at last! The tension is like a tautened spring, just about ready to burst forth and erupt into a spectacle of explosive drama. Any predictions?