"Do you really think Tobi was right?" A large, blue skinned man wearing a red and black robe asks of his shorter counterpart.
"We can hope. If not...." Itachi utters with a frown as they step out into the streets of the Sound village. Kisame blinks and turns toward a hut outside of which a large dog is chained to the ground.
"Huh? I smell blood in that direction."
"Go check it out if you feel so inclined. I will look for the jinchuriki myself." Itachi offers blandly as he continues walking on and Kisame grins.
"Sure. Just save some for me if ya find him." Before he unstraps the large blunt-looking object from his back and wraps his hand around it tightly.
Looking up suddenly, several of the Sound nin around Akamaru suddenly call out in surprise. "Those cloaks! It's Akatsuki!"
Meanwhile, inside the hut, Neji's eyes widen. "Shikamaru...! It's those missing nin; the Akatsuki... Two of them."
"What?? What are the Akatsuki doing here??" The Nara male's eyes widen as he snaps his head up.
"Shit... I really didn't wanna do this..." Senka mutters worriedly before stating quickly. "Just so everyone knows; I have no such noble ideas for you all to kill or leave me if I become a burden. Deal." Before she closes her eyes, trembling deeply as she curls her fingers and calls out in pain as a sudden gout of flame envelopes her hands at her back.
"Whoa, Senka!" Shikamaru's eyes widen as he jumps a bit and Kiba turns quickly as a gasp issues from Kiyoko and Lee just gapes.
"...n-no one...is killing my sister..." She groans darkly as she focuses the flame onto her binds before pulling the metal cuffs apart, suddenly crying out in pain as she falls forward and trembles. "...K-Kiba... I need you...to help me ram the door..."
"Just a sec...." He utters back and grunts, pulling at his binds before Neji speaks.
"Kiba. Brace yourself."
"Huh?" Kiba looks up and blinks. Before the sound of Akamaru's growling becomes more apparent. "What's going on??"
"...Kisame... the missing nin... he has his sword poised above him.." The Hyuuga reports gravely.
"WHAT!?" Growling out loud as Senka pants, now kneeled behind him and curling her hands painfully into his already ripped ropes. As she leans back, causing them to slowly rip more, as well as make her sob once, Kiba grunts as he swings his arms forward and hunches on all fours. "Senka, now!"
"Y-yeah..!" She answers, climbing to her feet quickly and favoring her hands as the two rush forward, ramming into the cell door in unison. It doesn't open, but it moans and bends as Senka stumbles and catches herself, and Kiba backs up for another go.
Keeping his report, Neji recites. "He stopped. But... the noise drew his attention this way. He's coming toward the building."
Seconds later the door bursts open and the large shark-toothed man steps in just as the door containing Senka and Kiba crunches open and Kisame blinks before grinning. "Oh look; it's the other dog. And... some girl. You kiddies wanna play?" Swiping out his sword; Samehada, it smashes into the cell containing Lee and Kiyoko and bends the bars, tearing them slightly and even snapping a few.
Growling and slowly slinking around in front of Senka, Kiba narrows his eyes. "You bastard! How dare you threaten Akamaru! And then Senka? I'll kill you!!"
As Kiba charges forward, a bit blindly, the Akatsuki strikes his sword up, causing a vicious gash to rip through Kiba and send him flying backward, sprawling to the ground at Senka's feet. "Heheheheheh.... Bad dog. Now I'm gonna skin you." Watching Senka approach, he tilts his head almost curiously and allows the foot to strike his chest before he grins. "Do your hands hurt or something?" Swinging out his other hand he balls his fist to catch the shorter woman across the jaw and as she falls aside, he bends down to pick her up by the hands and squeeze on the burned flesh, making her screech and flail pitifully. Chuckling humourously, the shark man grunts as she kicks him in the face and then frowns. "People who try to hurt me piss me off." His grip tightens on her hands until he hears a pop and then he tosses her unceremoniously face down on top of Kiba and his shredded bloody gash.
Grunting and jumping to his feet, Shikamaru begins kicking, though futilely at the door that holds him and Mitsuki. "You bastard! Get away from them!" Shit... this has gone from bad to worse really fast... I... couldn't see any of it coming...! If she dies because I....I'll never forgive myself!
"Oh those toys are broken anyway. I need something... fresh." Looking around a moment his eyes then settle on the cage holding Lee and Kiyoko. "Hmm... well this one's almost open anyway. And look; I know you, green boy."
"...shit..." Kiyoko mutters as she scoots back quickly and Lee grits his teeth as the Samehada tears open their cage and the blue skinned man strides in.
Trying to calm her screams, Ino shakes her head before turning to Choji, across the room. "Do something, Tubby!"
Seeming to snap to attention, Choji suddenly nods. "Right!" Before he slowly makes his way to stands and call out. "Human Boulder!" Before he jumps slightly and rounds out quickly, ramming through his and Kankuro's cell door, all but shattering it into metal pieces.
Turning quickly as Choji slams into him, Lee rolls onto his back and kicks his feet up, launching the Akatsuki nin into the air while Kiyoko dodges aside when the Akamichi male hits the wall. Upon landing, Kisame grunts and pushes himself back up, narrowing his eyes. "You... damn little kids..." Putting the sword at his back, the former Mist nin flips his hands together in a series of hand signs before the ground below him begins to fill with water. "I'll just flood this whole place and drown you all like rats! heheheheheh!"
No sooner does the jutsu start, than the wall between Kiyoko, Lee, Choji and the outside rip away into the grip of a hand made entirely of sand. Gaara throws the wall behind him as he casts out his other hand; slamming a tremendous amount of sand straight into Kisame's face, pushing him back through Kankuro's cell and out the wall on the other side. The water levels begin to recede as the Kazekage enters the room and his sand drops two large scrolls on a back strap before his brother.
"Alright!" Kankuro crows before asking. "Hey Gaara, how about these chains?"
Silently, Gaara filters sand into the lock and then bursts it allowing Kankuro enough free hand to summon his first puppet; Karasu. Using this, he draws forth one of it's blades to cut his bonds, and then sends out pieces to begin breaking the bonds of the others.
With his hands free, Shikamaru closes his eyes and begins to focus. In a moment or two, as he begins to sweat, he sighs and stands, his eyes still closed and walks toward the bars. Bending with the shadows in the moonlight filtering through the window held between the two cells he seems to phase right through the shadows made by the cell and come out on the other side before grunting and resting his back against the outside of the cell. "...oh man... he wasn't kidding..."
"Shikamaru! What was that??" Ino asks, leaning forward towards the young man as she seems in awe, her mouth slightly agape.
Turning to look at Ino, then lean away from the bars, Shikamaru explains. "A while ago, my pop told me about this story; my grandpa says that once, to escape capture, he stepped into a shadow of a small rock, like smaller than my head, and just walked through shadows all the way back to Konoha. Took him a minute, or a second or something really ridiculous like that. Pop never did it, but he said maybe one day I could probably do it; with some effort. It just sounded like some kinda fish tale but... I just kinda figured 'why not'?" Before he walks up to where Kiyoko kneels next to Kiba while Senka sits up, now mostly roused from her unconscious state. "You okay?"
"...I just hope my hands...aren't too messed up..." She admits, her hands trembling before she looks to Kiba worriedly. "Be more worried about him. Akamaru couldn't handle it..."
Nodding a bit, Shikamaru looks to Kiba and Kiyoko as the medic nin looks up and shakes her head.
"I... don't even know where to start. The skin is shredded cuz of that sword...."
Sighing and nodding, Shikamaru seems thoughtful. I wonder if people who aren't Nara can be pulled through the shadows, too...Well, it's worth a shot... "I think... I'm gonna try what my grandpa did. But, I'm gonna take Kiba with me. I'll get him to the medic corp. You think it's safe to move him?"
Shrugging a bit, Kiyoko just shakes her head. "There's no head or neck injury... Moving him'd be safer than waiting for someone to find us."
"Alright." Shikamaru leans down and speaks as Kiba pants, half consciously fading. "Hey, Kiba. Can you hear me? I'm gonna pick you up." And as he moves to do so, the fluffy haired female butts the Inuzuka gently to help Shikamaru lift him.
"Don't you leave us, Kiba... Or I swear to God, I'll kick your ass.. Akamaru needs you, and...damnit, I'd miss you..." She mutters, nursing her hands slightly before squinting her eyes and forcing her hands to move into the ram, offering the Nara male her chakra. "I...don't have any use for it right now, and you do..."
"Yeah... thanks.. Don't worry; I'm not leavin' you guys out here." He states firmly before looking around a moment. Now let's see... Konoha is in... that direction... "Alright, Kiba.. here goes nothin'." Almost symbolically, the two males seem to suddenly disappear into the shadow Senka herself casts.
"...Is anyone else oddly reminded of vampires here?" Kiyoko offers with a blink as she looks around the group.
"It's definately a powerful technique. If he can really traverse distance in the time he says." Neji admits as the form of Naruto comes through the hole in the wall.
"Hey, Gaara. If you want a piece of Orochimaru, I'd get it while the gettin's good. He's fightin' Itachi Uchiha." Then looking to Senka he offers. "Hey Senka, don't worry about Rinsu, Kay? I got like ten of us guardin' her."
"Good. Then, I'm officially more worried about Mitsuki, and my hands..." She grumbles painfully, scowling down at her burned hands with slightly gritted teeth. "Damnit, that shit hurt..."
The disappearance of the sand nin going almost unnoticed, Kiyoko looks up from her still kneeled position. "Let me see 'em, Sen. I can at least start. But you're gonna need to--" Turning, she looks to Neji. "Neji! Come here and use your byakugan on Senka's hands. I need to know where the fractures are and how bad."
Blinking alittle, Neji raises a brow and then walks over, looking down at Senka's hands. "The forefinger on the left and right hand. The third on the left and the fourth on the right. There are also several fractures on the heel and near the thumb on the left."
"fuckfuckfuckfuckFUCK..." The elder girl grumbles before whimpering almost pitifully. "No wonder I can barely feel anything anymore..!"
"Calm down..." Kiyoko nearly coos, almost like talking to a child as she forms a series of signs and then puts her hands together, cupping one of Senka's. As she focuses and a pulsing glow begins to steadily heal the popped second degree burns all over her hands; regrowing skin as well as reducing the liquid in those blisters still unbroken.
By the time Kiyoko finishes with Senka's burns, Shikamaru seems to appear again this time without Kiba. Though now he stands near Mitsuki. "Hey guys! It worked. Kiba's with the medic corp in Konoha now."
Jumping a bit, the Naruto standing in the room stares with wide eyes. "Whoa! Where'd you come from??"
"Konoha." Shikamaru offers with a smirk before announcing. "I'm going back now, and takin' Mitsuki. Senka, how're you holdin' up?"
"...I'll be okay. No way I'm leaving Akamaru. Kiba'd have a fit, and there's no one from his team here to watch out for him.." She utters before looking up at him with a raised brow. "What about you? Any chakra burn from going back and forth like that with an under practiced jutsu?"
"Yeah... but I'll manage." He utters wiping his brow. "I got a lot of... build up." Lifting Mitsuki much easier, he reassures. "I'm comin' right back after this. Then we'll make our escape all together." He starts to turn before stopping and turning. "Hey wait, didn't Gaara say Rinsu was poisoned?"
Rubbing the back of his head, the Naruto offers. "Well we're watching her..."
"Right. So after I drop off Mitsu--"
"Shika-kun..." Senka states in warning, frowning worriedly.
Blinking alittle, the chunin then raises his brows. "You want me to get Rinsu first?"
"Akamaru can carry her, if need be. You're worrying me." She answers almost scoldingly before turning to look out over the village thoughtfully.
"I'll be alright. Promise. I'm not even gonna let myself start to pass out until I get the more seriously injured to safety." he assures with a slight grin. "But, thanks."
"Aww..." Kiyoko coos with a grin before setting one of Senka's finger breaks with a slight pop, causing her to scream out in pain that is then quickly soothed by the medic nin's healing jutsu.
"Hey, Shikamaru; what's up with you actually putting forth effort?" Ino asks curiously as she looks around the corner at the insuing battle between Sound and Akatsuki; mainly Itachi.
"I think it has to do with the same reason Sakura came to this hell hole." Kiyoko states coyly with a teasing grin as she works on Senka's other hand. "...Damn... bone takes so much more effort than skin..."
As Senka only grins slightly, still trying to focus on her hands to deter the pain, Choji pouts before pointing out quickly. "Hey, Shikamaru... I thought we were supposed to be best buds!"
"Hey, where's Lee?" Senka suddenly asks, making Ino wave a dismissive hand.
"Where else? Naruto pointed out which way Rinsu was, and he took off without a word."
Shikamaru chuckles at this before looking at the Akamichi male quizzically. "What're you talkin' about Choji? This doesn't change that. The three of us are gonna be just like our fathers someday. Sitting around eating barbecue together."
"But...you're leavin' me behind!" The brunette protests as Ino rolls her eyes.
"More like us watching him eat the barbecue..."
Chortling alittle at Ino, Shikamaru then furrows his brows a bit. "I'm not leavin' you behind." The darker brunette starts to speak further but his words are caught as a shifting catches his attention and he turns in time to see Kisame rushing in through the hole Gaara made with the Akatsuki's body. Reaching out, he grabs Kiyoko by the long braid trailing down her back and hauls her up, causing her to scream out in pain.
"Well, at least I'll kill one of you brats today. Hehehehehehe..." Before he raises his other hand and reaches for her neck, turning the smaller kunoichi to face him just as a massive hand reaches up, grabbing the shark-like nin.
"Let her go!" Choji yells, his concerns of just a moment ago seeming long gone.
Looking down to the fingers wrapped around him, Kisame then wrenches down his head to bite harshly with his rows of razored teeth, but in this, taking no heed to the handsigns that whip quickly from the female ninja's fingers.
"Great wind jutsu!" Pushing her hands down, Kiyoko's chakra centers under her feet before a swirling whirlwind quickly raises up around her body forming several cuts in Kisame's outfit before she calls to Choji in warning. "Let him go or it might take your arm!"
As the Akamichi quickly releases the Mist Village missing nin, though frowning in worry, Kisame finds himself blown back harshly by the winds that lash at his arm holding her neck mercilessly until he releases it. Still retaining his grip on her hair, however, the larger shinobi is lifted from the ground, blown toward the door and only released when one of the gusts of cutting wind chakra zips through the braid connecting the two. Kiyoko lurches forward suddenly from the release of weight and the Akatsuki nin is hurled through the door and tumbles into the streets.
Neji quickly moves past Kiyoko toward the door with a look of purpose. "I'm going to end it with this criminal." Then disappears from the building.
Sagging deeply, frowning, Kiyoko looks up to Senka, now with her jaw-length brown hair and asks a bit worriedly. "...How bad is it...?"
Her eyes a bit wide as she just stares in shock, Senka then frowns, her eyes darting towards where Neji ran off, then turning back to Kiyoko and offering objectively. "...I personally like long hair better, but...it suits you well."
Biting her lip, and reaching up near trembling hands, she touches the razor cut ends and then flinches and whimpers. "It.. It's barely longer than my brother's hair...!"
"Looks better on you." She smirks before adding. "It really does look good on you."
"...I'm killing him..." She hisses before standing with a dark look. "NEJI! WAIT UP!!"
"Oh god...." Senka grumbles as Kiyoko then stalks out the door.