Chapter twenty-nine
"This is the most ridiculous idea you've ever had." Kakashi whined out in a whisper.
"Shut up, it's working isn't it?" Sonea snapped back in a whisper. They were currently swimming down stream under the cover of midnight to begin the plan she had come up with. Granted, it wasn't very logical but with the minimal work force it would be such a random plan it would work, she knew it would. Tenzo and Hawk were on their way up stream for the other part of the plan while the injured waited in their base.
"Tenzo, what's your ETA?" Kakashi whispered over the radio while Sonea rolled her eyes.
"A few metres from the last time you asked us. Stop asking us every five seconds senpai or you'll give us away." Tenzo whispered harshly back through the radio that even Sonea could hear it.
"Stop harassing them. They'll be fine Kakashi." Sonea ordered softly. Kakashi nodded and kept quiet and watched Sonea ahead of him. She barely made the water ripple as she swam at a comfortable pace, her hair waving along within the water, he would not want to meet her on a dark night like they were in just then. She looked at him through the corner of her eye and raised a hand to point downwards to dive and he nodded. She took a silent breath and dived, her body rolling over just on the surface of the water as Kakashi followed her under. He would have gasped if he wasn't underwater at the speed Sonea could swim and it was an interesting way to swim but effective as he copied the movement that looked like a mermaid's way of swimming, waving her body in one solid movement and never stopping. It also used less energy and muscles so he could stay under a second longer if he needed to.
They stopped as she looked up and Kakashi stopped next to her and looked up to see nin standing on the water with torches still, probably still looking for her from earlier as she recognised some of them. She gave him a signal to wait as she stalked up to the surface and got out silently using chakra to step out of it silently as she grabbed a nin in a headlock and his mouth as she pulled the nin down and broke his neck in one solid movement before he could comprehend what was happening. She dragged the body down to the floor of the lake and used his uniform to catch him on the rocks to keep him under the water before she returned to Kakashi's side.
He signalled her that he was running low on oxygen and she nodded, grabbed him, pulled his mask down and kissed him, giving him her oxygen before pulling his mask back up again and waited again like nothing happened. Sonea knew she would survive without oxygen but she couldn't for long before she passed out as the start of tunnel vision began around her vision. They continued on down stream and finally resurfaced again as Sonea pulled some of her upper body onto shore, trying not to gasp for air as Kakashi swam up next to her.
"I could have lasted you know." He whispered out angrily but Sonea could hear the worry in his voice.
"Yes… And you'd… be the one… gasping like this… now." She gasped out with a smile and Kakashi shook his head with worry and anger, looking out for enemies. Sonea took a few more deep breaths before she got it under control again and sunk back into the water. "This looks like the spot. Let's begin." Sonea said to Kakashi who nodded and double-checked over the radio and they were good to go.
"Perimeter's clear as far as I can see. Let's start your down right insane plan." Kakashi muttered as he stood on the water and Sonea crouched on it, pumping her chakra into it, eyes still darting around in case. She focused with her hands out as a huge ball of water rose from the lake, her eyebrows creased with concentration to hold it together. She switched her hands to palm facing up as she grimaced as she forced the water higher into the sky.
"Get on." Sonea looked at Kakashi through the strain as she created her wings and tail and Kakashi hooked himself onto her as she crouched slightly and jumped to give her more of a lift off as she began flapping and raising the water higher with concentration stiff in her body that Kakashi could feel underneath him. He swallowed as he looked down at the height they were at and watched her strain with control and concentration, one drop of water to drop at the wrong time and this plan was a bust. Suddenly her hands raised and she flicked her arms out and the ball broke up in separate little balls, directed as her body relaxed from the strain and the campfires everywhere began dying out.
"Now Kakashi, down over there." Sonea said, pointing to an area as Kakashi focused his chakra that he needed and Sonea flapped rhythmically and easily for better aim as Kamui began on the area as he focused it on the larger camp. It ended and he slumped on Sonea's back slightly and she looked at him and nodded.
"Begin Tenzo." Kakashi said over the radio. A second later there was a huge blast of fire from up stream and it moved quickly with fireball after fireball, showing how quickly they were moving through the camps. It was chaos as Sonea dropped them suddenly and they landed on the half waypoint to stop anymore troupes advancing. To say they were angry was an understatement as they faced down.
"This is where the speed comes, keep advancing no matter what and I'll meet you on the other side Kakashi. Good Luck." She said as he unsheathed his katana and Sonea formed her iron around her wings and tail as well as her sleeve blades. Kakashi looked at her and she could see fear in his eyes but all he could see in hers was excitement and blood lust as she smirked and just to piss the force in front of them off more, she placed her earphones in her ears and began blaring out a hard and fast rock song (Fever by Bullet for my Valentine, listen to it as you read), making them advance first as they charged straight in.
Their feet barely touched the ground as they ran and cut through their enemies, the desperation to advance set on their minds as the pushed forwards towards the camp Kabuto was seen in. Sonea sliced through a throat first then someone's chest, twisting to dodge a kunai aimed for her heart, her clan's blood was enjoying such a massacre too much as she was metres ahead before the first body hit the ground. She kept one eye on Kakashi a few steps behind who was doing well with her speed and skills and so she slowed down a little as she took out the mass of the force. If they ever got to Konoha, the precious village would have fallen to this amount of people but she pushed out the thought quickly as she advanced in a line with Kakashi.
Kakashi stayed focused as Sonea was still immortal but he wasn't so he had to focus on not dying at that moment. His hands were already slick with blood as he swung his katana, slicing across someone's groin, more blood to add to the layer he had on already as he stepped forwards into the next group of people to keep advancing like instructed. He stepped forwards again and again as he fell into a stride, a rhythm and repetitive movement he didn't even realise the enemy had caught onto until a steely flash of black blocked his path and defended him.
"Stay focused!" She hissed with anger and annoyance until he saw her dangerously glowing eyes were filled with worry and fear that she could have lost him if she didn't interfere that second. One burst of her violent chakra and they had a large circle around them as the enemy recovered and they began advancing again through the crowds, working in unison with the sharingan and demon eyes to read each other and the enemy. Kakashi stayed on offence while Sonea covered mostly defence as well as offence to her defence.
She added more lightning to her storm cutting senbons that usual with one bolt of electricity, they would be dead as another row advanced onto them and they began to loose speed. Lightning Blade was charged up as Sonea charged up Eye of the Storm and shoulder-to-shoulder, they began to cut them down quicker with Sonea's wings and tail covering them from offensive attacks. They cleared through quicker to have a mob of ninja on their tails, throwing kunai and shuriken at them as they headed through the forest towards Kabuto's campsite.
There were very few forces at the campsite as they cut through them and headed for Kabuto's tent to stop in their steps, the ninja behind them getting onto one knee and bowing down onto one knee.
"How wonderful to see you again Sonea-san, Kakashi-kun." Orochimaru slithered out with Kabuto at his side.
"I should have known you were here Orochimaru." Sonea hissed out, her eyes glowing brighter with anger as she crouched lower, ready to launch at the snake Sannin.
"Yes… But it's unfortunate I cannot stay. Kabuto, you can keep Kakashi's body if you succeed with this, you know what I want… I will see you two later." Orochimaru said as his image burnt away and Kabuto fixed his glasses.
"I can take him." Kakashi said with determination in his pose.
"Right… I'll take the army but watch out for close ranged attacks, he can cut you up without even cutting your skin with medical jutsu. Call if you need back up." Sonea said, turning around and facing the army behind them.
"Be careful." He said, unsheathing his blood soaked katana while Sonea nodded and they charged two different ways for the enemy.
"Time to take you all out in one go." Sonea sneered as she held her hands up in the ram seal. "Storm release; Dark Clouded Mist jutsu." Sonea whispered as a dark purple cloud began covering the land in the early morning sun, she took her sleeve blades and sliced across her abdomen as blood seeped out and iron pellets formed. Holding her arms out, she located all presences and sent the pebbles forth, confused screaming was heard with curses and orders flying all over the place until there was one and the mist dissipated. The young man looked scared and soaked in the blood of the bodies lying around him as he looked at Sonea with mercy in his eyes as multiple pebbles shot through him, a quick death for the last lucky or unlucky one.
All of the sun was visible just over the horizon as the familiar sound of a thousand birds was heard and died down pathetically… Kakashi was straining as she turned around to see him fighting Kabuto still, holding places that must have been struck on the inside with Kabuto's chakra scalpel.
"Don't think your fight is over." A familiar voice growled as she swung around just in time to hold her arms up and block a katana posed to strike her, the clanging of metal ringing out in the death ground. Sonea swung her arms out to push him away as they both skidded backwards, red demon eyes meeting bloody sharingan, glaring at each other.
"What a nice surprise Sasuke… I would have thought you would have left with Orochimaru for more training." Sonea spoke out coldly, glaring at him still as his genjutsu bounced off of her eyes, now she knows for sure who put that prisoner under a genjutsu, Sasuke had gotten good in the short years that had gone by.
"He told me to clean up here… As part of my training." He said coldly back at her… It was awkward after the terms they had parted but there was some sort of mutual understanding between the two that they regret fighting each other… Almost. Sasuke moved to strike again with his katana and Sonea blocked simultaneously with her blades and swung around to block and kick him squarely in the ribs as he rolled on the ground and recovered into a crouching position. He coughed up some blood that ran down his chin before he wiped it away with his white sleeve under a dark blue cloak. He was up again and charged Chidori before running at Sonea, striking with his katana and Chidori simultaneously as Sonea blocked the katana and dodged the lightning swinging for her heart each time.
She grabbed his wrist and kicked up against his jaw, sending him flying and crashing into Kabuto who jumped in to catch him, glaring at Sonea through his glasses.
"This isn't over." He said and then burning away with Sasuke like Orochimaru did earlier and Sonea breathed a sigh of relief then looked for Kakashi who was lying on the ground where he was fighting earlier and she rushed up to him. He had a few cuts and bruises on the outside and so she began healing all the things Kabuto severed on the inside, he missed by mere millimetres each time, showing how skilled Kakashi was even if he lost and became chakra exhausted, probably passing out on Kabuto who probably thought he was dead from one of his hits.
"Come on Kakashi, wake up." She said with slight annoyance as she fed him a food pill and he groggily opened his eyes with a groan, and raised a hand instantly to block out the sun, sitting higher in the sky.
"Did we win?" He asked as she helped him to sit up and gave him her water bottle.
"I guess you could say we won the war but not the battle… Kabuto got away as did Orochimaru but they've retreated with minimal forces left. Come on, let's go find the other ANBU and see how Tenzo and Hawk faired." She said, helping him up, almost loosing grip on his hand from all of the blood as they headed into the main tent and Sonea wrinkled her nose and grimaced at the antiseptic smell. Hanging there on an earth made wall in chains was Katsu, Owl, Leech and a very hurt Kit but no Mouse and Sonea sent a silent prayer out for her before smiling at the unconscious ANBU.
"Gee and I thought you guys were needing out help and not just 'hanging' around, taking a nap… We were at war you know." She shouted as they flinched out of their sleep, groaning and lulling their tired heads around. "Anyone call for a 'Search and Rescue Back Up' team?" She said with a reassuring smile as she broke the chains gently in her fist and helped them to sit and lean up against the wall for now until they were all down. She began healing the more life-threatening wound with what little chakra she had left and fed them food and soldier pills until they could get back to Konoha and be treated in the safety and security of the village, giving encouraging words to each one and a bright smile, which made Kakashi smile under his mask slightly.
"Raven-sama, Senpai!" A familiar voice called in the distance and they both turned to see Tenzo and a hobbling Hawk running up to them, a little bashed up but all right as they headed into the tent.
"You guys okay?" Sonea asked with concern, standing up to check them over with a greeting.
"Yes Raven-sama, a little worn down but alive. Your plan went on without a hitch." Hawk reported as the other ANBU began to stand up carefully and stretching to go home.
"Alright then. I'd say mission accomplish. Let's go back and grab Badger, Swan and Fang and let's go back home." Sonea said with a smile as they filed out and did a quick walk back to the base to report to their injured comrades and help them back home. Kakashi took up the front and Sonea stayed behind the group on the way home in case there was a surprise attack waiting somewhere.
Kakashi did a lot of thinking on the way back. He had seen the worst side of Sonea… The born killer side and it scared and repulsed him to the point he became repulsed at himself for loving such a monster but then it changed. He realised she was only doing it for comrades and the safety of the village. She was beautiful but not like those girls in the magazines he read. She was beautiful for that sparkle in her eyes when she talked about something she loved. She was beautiful for her ability to make people smile even when she was sad or when situations seemed impossible at times. No she wasn't beautiful for something as temporary as looks but she was beautiful down to her soul. He looked back as they were reaching the gates of Konoha to find her gone but her chakra signature was still washing around them meaning she was safe but it confused Kakashi as he looked ahead again.
There in the gates were people cheering as medics rushed up to take care of the injured… Cheering for them for avoiding another invasion that caused heart ache and pain… Something that would have failed if it wasn't for the now missing person from the group… Where'd she go? He would find her later because this was a reason for Tsunade to throw a celebration to drink as much sake as she likes because it was a celebration and Shizune would be powerless to do anything to stop it.
Speaking of the devil, Tsunade was there, leaning against the wall with a silly smirk on her face and clapping for them. He didn't feel like he deserved the attention and such as he pushed a medic away and carried on home… Sonea deserved the village's gratefulness not him and not the team because they would have all been dead by now if it wasn't for her. He would muse some more later once he gets his chakra back after a nice hot shower, clean clothes, good tasting food and his warm bed that probably still smelt like Sonea and he smiled at the thought. Some sort of feeling for her deepened that day, knowing her better than just her happy self or her angsty self or her sad self, cheeky or any other but now he knew the burden she carried, forever being an immortal tool for the village.
He realised that sometimes the strongest people are the ones who love beyond all faults, cry behind closed doors and fight battles that nobody knows about… Explaining the love of his life down to a T.
Sonea saw the crowd of people up ahead and knew this even would be recorded for future references and she sighed as she took a detour to her tower before the gates were even in proper view back to her tower for a long hot shower to wash the stress and blood away. She wasn't stupid, ANBU were held by a code and so was she. The event would be recorded and put away for the next Hokage to read and study over and another report would be made, dismissing her from ever being involved in the whole event at all. The information changed as little as possible according to the team's abilities and any involvement by her omitted. History was such a bitch some times.
She let the hot rays of the water run across her shoulders and the blood, dirt and foliage to run down the drain until it ran clear-ish before she reached for soap and washed herself twice, once for her body and once for her sins. Not a drop of water wasted as she shut it off and stepped out into the steamy bathroom, wringing her shin length black hair out. This had been one of the better missions she had come out of with ANBU recently, minor wounds that had healed already if not made her a little bloody and enough chakra left that left her feeling like she had a good work out that day and she was now sated and tired but her stomach came first as she headed to the fridge and made herself a sandwich before getting comfortable in bed and sleeping the rest of the day off.
