A/N: This story's set to end at Chapter 46. Then I'll move on to Part 2! Like I said people, start counting down!
XXX
(Konoha Third Training Ground)
Shikamaru stood with his arms folded, waiting patiently with Team Gai and Team 8. Choji and Ino were present as well,the Yamanaka's arm in a brace and her face healed.
The Chunin and the rest of those present turned to the sound of feet crushing against leaves.
Everyone saw it was Kiba returning with Sakura, and what more? Naruto, Sasuke, and Fu in tow.
The teens all smiled when they saw that the Uzumaki and Uchiha were awake and okay, for the most part having healed past their injuries. Though they were happy; Lee, Shinhan, and Ino wished Trunks had been awake and with them.
"Hey guys!" Naruto exclaimed as he approached the group, "Been a little while, hehe." he said with a rubbing of the back of his head.
"I-It's good you're b-back, Naruto-kun." Hinata said with a blush as she tapped her fingers together. Though she looked worriedly to the green haired girl that stood closely with the boy she loved.
Hinata instantly didn't like her.
Sakura looked to Ino, "I didn't know you broke your arm." Sakura said worriedly.
"Neither did I," Ino started with a sigh, "until this morning that is. There were a few cracks, nothing serious." she shrugged before turning to Shikamaru, "Can we hurry this up? If my dad finds out I left the house he'll literally kill me!"
"Awww, someone's grounded for trying to go kamikaze?" Kiba teased.
"Screw you, Kiba!" Ino grunted, "You guys can call it whatever you want. I'm grounded for trying to avenge fallen allies."
"Psh, if that helps you sleep at night." blonde Tavi said.
"No need to be rude." Tenten told her teammate.
"That porker broke my Trunks's sword," Shinhan said with her arms folded, "I'll talk as much shit as I want!"
Sakura nudged Lee, whispering, "You guys still haven't turned her back to normal?"
"We're too scared to try…" Lee admitted.
Having heard enough, Shikamaru held up his hands, "Alright alright, enough!?" he wasn't one to yell, but he raised his voice to the bare minimum it would take for everyone to hear him, "The reason I called you all out here is because we need to discuss Trunks and these Androids."
Tavi immediately didn't like where this was going. She was there when Shikamaru blamed the Android attack on Bulma, Trunks, and her.
Needless to say, the daughter of Tien didn't too much like Shikamaru. Her 'blonde' side, even less so.
Shikamaru continued, "I already know a lot of you aren't gonna like what I'm gonna say," his eyes glanced over Team 7, Shinhan, and Ino, "But, I think we should… isolate ourselves from Trunks. And talk to the Elders about exiling him."
"What?!" Naruto, Sakura, Fu, Tenten and Shinhan exclaimed.
The others were surprised, but they were still willing to hear Shikamaru out. The Nara may have been lazy, but he was smarter than everyone there by a wide margin.
Naruto's anger began to bubble up at the suggestion, "The hell are you-!"
"Just hear me out," Shikamaru said, "These Androids specifically found their way here because they were looking for Trunks. If those monsters find out he's still alive that could put everyone in the village in danger. That right there," Shikamaru argued, "makes Trunks dangerous to even be around. If those Androids see we're close to Trunks, what's stopping them from coming after one of us in order to find not only him, but the rest of this village?"
Yes, the argument was plausible, but the fact that Shikamaru felt the solution was to cast away one of their own filled Naruto, Sakura, Lee, Tenten, Fu, Lee, and Shinhan with anger.
Before Shinhan or Naruto could argue, Ino was the one to call out her teammate, "That's bullshit, Shikamaru, and you know it! Isolating Trunks isn't gonna just make this problem go away, you sound like a coward!" Ino said to her own teammate, "You cast out Trunks from your lives if you want, I'll have no part in it."
Naruto and Fu smiled at Ino, the Yamanaka having taken the words right out of Naruto's mouth.
"Seriously Ino," Kiba started, "are we really supposed to take your stance seriously after you just pulled a suicide stunt last night!?"
"Wait wait wait," Shinhan spoke up, "what blondie did was stupid bu-"
"You're blonde too." Choji said.
"SHUT UP!" she yelled.
"okay…" Choji squeaked.
Shinhan cleared her throat as she continued, "What piggsy did was suicidal but her end goal was saving lives and avenging deaths. What you're doing, casting out Trunks, is about self preservation."
"Self preserving the village is a bad thing?" Neji asked, "We're soldiers, Shinhan, we're all prepared to die at any moment. But our deaths need to be in service to our village. Trunks wears our headband, meaning he's soldier. If he didn't understand why we'd be doing this to him then he'd be the selfish one not us."
"Trunks? Selfish?" Shinhan couldn't believe those two words were put in the same sentence together. She was tempted to blast the Hyuga, "Trunks spent his entire life fighting the Androids, asshole. There's nobody who's given and lost more than him trying to stop them."
"Trying, and failing." Neji said. He pointed to the ribbon bearing girl, "You keep your ill-fated fight away from our village, away from our friends, and away from our families." He looked to Shikamaru, "Shikamaru has the right idea. Bulma and Trunks are the reason these Androids are here. They've doomed us and possibly millions more to suffering." He looked to Team 7, "You've faced these demons, you know what they can do to you. What they've already done to your sensei."
At this Naruto got in Neji's face, "Me and my team gave our lives to fight the Androids. Trunks didn't trick us into going, hell he practically begged us not to. We chose to fight because we're his friends and comrades." the blonde looked back and forth between Shikamaru and Neji, and then glanced to Choji, Kiba, and anyone else who'd even been considering cutting off Trunks, "A wise man told me that anyone who abandons their friends and comrades are the scum of the Earth… I don't think he's ever been more right about anything in his life." Naruto spit with venom laced in his voice.
The blonde jinchuriki stepped away from Neji, letting his words sink into those who'd heard.
Shino was the next to say his piece, "I bare no ill will towards Trunks. But I believe in looking at the bigger picture. Abandon isn't a word I like, but to do so would be the safer option."
Hinata looked back and forth between Naruto and her teammates, feeling conflicted between siding with her heart, and logic.
"And when the Androids do come around, which they will eventually, you're just not gonna have Trunks help out?" Sakura asked.
Shikamaru shrugged, "Sure he could fight with us, but with 14 years and no progress, he couldn't be more useless in that regard than he's already proven."
Shinhan's fist slammed into Shikamaru's jaw, knocking him off his feet and sending skidding off the ground for several meters.
He could see the blonde girl walking towards him with a sadistic grin on her face, cracking her knuckles as she sneered, "I'm gonna enjoy this."
Neji instantly appeared behind her and chopped the back of her neck, knocking the girl unconscious. Tavi's hair turned back to it's dark blue color. The Hyuga watched as Lee picked up Shinhan bridal style, "She's from the same world Trunks is, meaning she needs to be thrown in the same boat."
Lee frowned at his teammate and rival's suggestion, "Casting aside our friends and ally's is unyouthful Neji, how could you even speak of doing something like this?!"
Neji snorted, "Risking your life and the lives of those around you over a crush? You're just as bad as the Yamanaka here."
"Tavi-chan saved my career Neji," Lee explained, "she's been nothing but a good friend to me since the Chunin exams." his wide eyes narrowed, "I will never turn my back on Trunks or Tavi-chan, I know they'll never turn their backs on me. That is my final word on the matter."
Lee didn't notice it. But Shinhan's cheeks had turned a light shade of red. Her eyes were closed, but she wasn't completely unconscious.
She'd heard everything he'd just said.
"Lee's right Neji." Tenten said, "I won't turn my back on them either."
Neji grunted, turning his head from his teammates.
"Lee knows what he's talking about," Fu said as she glared at Shikamaru, "I don't know how you're a Chunin, Lee's got a better head on his shoulders than you do!"
Those siding with Lee; Naruto, Sakura, Tenten, and Ino; nodded.
Shikamaru glared at Ino, "I'll ask you this one time Ino; are you seriously willing to put the safety of this village, your life, your father's life, you mothers life, at risk… over your stupid obsession with Trunks?"
Ino jumped a bit, like she'd brushed an electric rod. Her eyes lowered, before she looked back to her teammate with angry tears in her eyes. She shook her head before saying, "Call it what you want. Maybe it is a stupid crush, but I know I'm willing to put my life on the line for him just as much as I would for my friends, family, and this village. He wouldn't abandon me, so I sure as hell won't abandon him."
Shikamaru shook his head, "Ino… you're a fool." he turned his back to everyone, "This meeting's over." he said before he walked off.
As everyone began to leave, Hinata glanced over sadly to the green-haired girl and Naruto. It made her upset that this new girl had spoken up and sided with him. It hurt her…
Sasuke was walking home to train, he himself having a lot on his mind.
"Sasuke," he heard Sakura call out to him. He turned to the pinkette as she approached him, "You didn't speak in Trunks favor back there." she said accusingly, "Are you with us?"
The Uchiha looked Sakura in the eye, "No."
Green eyes widened, "Wh-What?" she resisted the urge to shout, "How could you say that?! After everything Trunks has done for us!?" she was in disbelief.
"Do not take this as me being ungrateful, Sakura." Sasuke said dangerously, "I've appreciated Trunks' friendship, trust me, I have. But you have to look at the bigger picture." he explained, "Trunks obviously isn't capable of beating the Androids, the power gap between them is too grand. His master, that Gohan guy, spent Trunks entire life trying to take them down and he got nowhere. That's 14 years Sakura."
"He can get stronger Sasuke, just give him a chance." Sakura begged.
"Our world isn't gonna survive 14 years, Sakura." Sasuke said as he turned his back to her, "And even then, in that amount of time, it still won't be enough." he began walking away, "I'm thankful Trunks came around, but this is about the greater good. Look past your feelings."
XXX
"I can't believe I called those cowards my friends!" Naruto vented to Fu as the two teens stood on Hokage Rock, leaning on the guardrail and overlooking the Leaf. "I mean, I can forgive almost anything, but turning your back on a friend and comrade…" the blonde could hardly wrap his mind around it.
"Well, look at the bright side," Fu said, "at least now you see them for who they are. And besides, it's not like everyone turned on Trunks. I think it's mainly Shikamaru, that Neji guy, that weird kid with the glasses, and dog breath."
"Yeah," Naruto sighed, "But still, most of them I knew since I was a little kid." he shook his head. He turned to Fu, "Enough about me. How long ya' plan on stayin?"
Fu shrugged while scratching her cheek, "Forever, I guess." she looked down, "I went back home and… well…"
Naruto's face became downcast, "I'm sorry." he said.
"It's okay." she looked at the blonde boy, "If you want me to be honest… Taki never really felt like home. Shibuki-san was the only one to really treat me like a person." her face fell, "Everyone else… they thought I… they treated me…"
"I know." Naruto said as he looked back over the village, "We're all the same. You, me, Gaara."
"Gaara?" Fu asked, unfamiliar with that name.
"Oh, yeah," Naruto said with a smile, "he's the carrier from Suna. He uhhhh," the whiskered jinchuriki rubbed the back of his head, "had some screws loose. I haven't seen him since we fought, so I can only hope he got better."
Fu looked up in wonder, "I wonder how many of us there are."
Naruto shrugged, "I'm the 9th, Gaara's the first, you?"
The orange-eyed teen smiled and held up seven fingers.
Naruto chuckled, "So there's at least 9, huh."
"Hopefully we can meet the others someday!" she said brightly.
"Yeah, someday soon!" Naruto said.
"But not too soon," a familiar voice added in, Naruto's eyes lit up as he instantly recognized who it belonged to.
"Pervy sage!" Naruto greeted Jiraiya. The teen saw the toad sage walking with two bags filled with balloons.
"Nice to see you back in the land of the living, kid." Jiraiya said.
"Hiya Jiraiya-san!" Fu said, having gotten familiar with Jiraiya shortly after arriving in the leaf.
"What are you doing here?" Naruto asked Jiraiya as the toad sage sat his bags down.
"Whelp," Jiraiya reached into his kimono and pulled out a water balloon, "way I see it, this world's getting a lot more dangerous." he tossed the balloon to Naruto who caught it, "I think you should hurry up and learn the rasengan so I can teach you some other techniques, don't you?"
Naruto's eyes lit up, "Finally we're getting back to some serious training."
"It doesn't get serious 'till you pop that balloon." Jiraiya said, "Now get to it."
XXX
On the complete opposite side of the village, Itachi and Kisame stepped through the front gates. Itachi, having used his specialty, genjutsu, took care of the two sentries who served as their only obstacles.
Kisame, teeth filed to points, grinned dangerously under his kasa as the two walked, "All this extra security and getting in was still a cakewalk." he looked to his partner, "This kid could be anywhere you know. It's only a matter of time before we gotta start cutting people up to get to him."
"Don't get cocky," Itachi warned emotionlessly from under his own kasa, "the Leaf is more than capable of protecting one of their own if their will is to do so."
"Doesn't sound like you have a lot of faith in our mission." Kisame said, "Or you don't have a lot of faith in the Leaf, if you think we'll pull this off." Kisame grinned as the two walked, "Which one is it?"
Itachi wouldn't answer him.
XXX
(44th Training Ground: Forest of Death)
Sasuke let out a battlecry as he roundhouse kicked a giant bear in the face, knocking the animal out cold as it soared a mile away.
"Hm." The Uchiha grunted, not yet satisfied. He needed something stronger to train with, not just animals in the forest. Kakashi would have been the one most suited to train him, but now…
Sasuke's teeth grit in frustration. He took it out on the tree next to him, punching it with the back of his fist so hard it toppled over. The raven-haired teen sat down on the stump, putting his face in his hands. He needed to think of something, for even with these ki abilities, he wouldn't be able to face-
His eyes shot open. Something wasn't right. Something within his senses was screaming out to him. He could feel and sense ki, that wasn't new to him since he'd learned it. He knew the ki's of those he associated with; the Konoha 13's, Kakashi's, Asuma's, Kurenai's, etc.
But this particular ki, it felt familiar... like he knew this person. It was strong, very strong. And there was a person next to them with a ki just as strong… and it was dark.
Sasuke's eyes squinted as he thought.
"No…" he mumbled. "It can't be…" he slowly stood back up to his feet as he took a step forward. 'What are the odds that he'd…' Sasuke walked, picking up the pace as he began reasoning in his mind before he found himself running, then flying out of the forest.
XXX
Itachi and Kisame strolled down the river walk, the area barren.
"Stop." Itachi ordered Kisame.
Before the blue skinned nuke-nin could ask why, he heard it. A roaring sound in the wind.
A boy shrouded in a blue flame shot out over the clearing, landing down aggressively in front of the men.
"Itachi!" Sasuke hissed, venom lacing his voice.
"Heh, who the hell is this punk?" Kisame asked humorously, finding the kids anger amusing.
Barely even regarding the boy before him, Itachi voiced, "He's my little brother."
"I did as you said," Sasuke said coldly as his he closed his eyes, "I held a grudge and hated you." he opened his eyes, revealing his sharingan, "Now, I'm gonna kill you."
Kisame chuckled and took a step back, "Handle your light work." he said to Itachi.
Sasuke aggressively made handseals before forming a Chidori in his left hand, the sound of chirping filling the air. With a growl, he set his feet, before lunging at his brother.
Itachi raised an eyebrow as his brother moved at a speed he hadn't imagined he'd be capable of, at least not yet. Once Sasuke reached about 3 meters from his target, he jumped in the air, releasing a battlecry as he thrust his hand.
Itachi vanished before the Chidori could pierce, Sasuke's hand hitting the ground causing an electricity charged explosion.
"You have gotten stronger." Itachi said, standing in the clearing, "But as of now, I have no interest in you. Run along brother." he turned from Sasuke, the boy standing in a sizzling crater.
"Don't you turn your back on me!" Sasuke roared as he threw a roundhouse kick at Itachi, the older Uchiha catching Sasuke by his shin. Itachi found himself getting pushed back by the force.
He threw Sasuke, the boy catching himself and hanging in the air.
Eyeing his levitating brother, the corner of Itachi's mouth twitched in a slight smirk, 'That's a surprise.' Itachi thought to himself.
Sasuke formed the hand signs for a jutsu he knew his brother would be all too familiar with, "Firestyle: FireBall Jutsu!" He spewed the ball of inferno from his mouth, the fireball engulfing his brother within.
The Uchiha boy broke out into a sweat as the heat turned up the temperature of the entire area, the water in the nearby river being brought to a boil. Kisame stood on the branch of one of the nearby trees, his hitai-ate soaking up a lot of his sweat.
As the fireball faded, Sasuke cursed when he saw an orange chakra-formed ribcage surrounding Itachi. Upon closer inspection, Sasuke could see Itachi's sharingan had morphed, taking the shape of a wheel. The Uchiha boy could see the tip of Itachi's robes were scorched, meaning he'd been just a half-second too slow.
He wouldn't voice it, but Itachi was impressed. He'd never imagined that an attack from his little brother, at this age, would be potent enough for him to need Susanoo.
The ribcage began expanding, forming skeletal arms with muscle fibers attached at the forearms.
Sasuke gasped and immediately brought his arms up to block as the skeleton swung a punch at Sasuke, the force enough to knock the Uchiha boy out of the air and skidding across the ground.
Sasuke rolled and got to his feet, but the instant he got his bearings together a fist slammed into his jaw, once again knocking him from his feet and sending him skidding across the ground.
The younger sibling attempted getting to his feet, but Itachi's foot planted on his chest, keeping him pinned down.
"You've certainly gotten more powerful, Sasuke." Itachi said, "But power isn't everything."
As the clan slayer reached for his brother's collar, a fist crashed into his back, causing Itachi's body to burst apart into a flock of black crows.
Sasuke's eyes widened as he looked before him, Android #16 standing and gazing at the Akatsuki. Itachi stood by Kisame, the clan slayer rematerializing through a flock of birds. Sasuke looked back to #16, noticing the Androids hand was missing. #16 stepped over him, never taking its eyes off Itachi as he walked up to retrieve the hand he fired at Itachi's clone.
"That's the one that attacked Kakuzu and Hidan, right?" Kisame said, recognizing the 'R R' insignia.
"He fits the profile," Itachi said as #16 picked up his hand. The red-haired Android reconnected his hand, before setting his feet to charge.
"Move!" Itachi ordered, the two Akatsuki barely leaping to opposite sides as #16 barged at them like a football linebacker.
Kisame swung his bandaged sword, Samehada at #16. The red haired Android caught the oversized sword by its bandaged edge.
'Damn, just as I expected,' Kisame thought, 'the sword has nothing to feed off of this bastard.' the shark-like man was swung by his sword, #16's strength completely out matching Kisame's.
Kisame was swung at Itachi, the surviving Uchiha jumping and using his partners body as a springboard as he made a handseal.
Blood leaked from Itachi's eye as he softly said, "Amaterasu"
The second #16 took a step, black flames erupted from his chest. The Android couldn't feel pain, but he stopped to look at the flames in confusion as they spread to his arms. Within the seconds, the flames spread completely over the hulking Androids body.
"Had to hit him with Amaterasu, eh?" Kisame said, noticing the Android stopped moving, "Not a bad idea."
Itachi eyed the Android before his eyes widened. Fuma-Shuriken in hand, Sasuke leaped over the machine and at Itachi, almost faster than the older Uchiha could react. Sasuke let out a battlecry as he threw the oversized Shuriken at his brother, the demon shuriken tearing through the air like the blades to a helicopter. The force was enough to clip a person in half if it connected.
Itachi's Mangekyo sharingan allowed him to react to the projectile, so he grabbed the shuriken by the opening hole. A mistake, as the strength behind it nearly pulled Itachi from his feet. The elder Uchiha swung the weapon back around, using Sasuke's own force against him. Sasuke whipped out a kunai to clash against the demon-shurikens blade, using both hands to stop it cold.
Grunting, Sasuke dropped his weight and kicked the shuriken, knocking it into the sky. He tried to take a swipe at Itachi's throat, only for the Akatsuki member to barely lean back and dodge.
Sasuke's kunai cut a gash in Itachi's shoulder.
Ignoring his wound, Itachi swung his leg under Sasuke's and kicked him to a tree all in one fluid motion. The shuriken landed and stuck into the dirt behind Itachi.
Before Sasuke could move, he screamed out as a kunai was plunged through his shoulder and into the bark of the tree, pinning him to it.
"Stay there." Itachi insisted to his brother. He turned to Kisame. "There's too much commotion, we need to mo-"
He was interrupted as #16 roared out, ejecting a pulsing shockwave from his body that ejected the black flames away, the fires landing onto some of the trees and along the dirt ground.
The Androids clothes were moderately charred, though #16's flesh was still unscathed. Dr. Gero designed his machine to withstand ki blasts from a super saiyan; the Amaterasu, while capable of damaging him, wouldn't be capable of killing the Android.
"Go!" Itachi ordered as the two Akatsuki shot off through the woods, quickly leaving Konoha.
#16 considered chasing them down, but saw that Sasuke was still hurt. He knew to make the boy the bigger priority.
He approached Sasuke and pulled the kunai from his shoulder with a slight tug, "Are you okay?" the Android asked. The sound of approaching Shinobi, drawn to the battle could be heard in the distance.
Sasuke glared at the machine, "I'd be better if you didn't let that bastard get away!" he grit his teeth and walked away, not willing to wait for a medic.
XXX
*Knock* *Knock*
Bulma opened her door to Lee and Gai, sighing when she saw who was 'unconscious' in Lee's arms.
"Put her on the couch." the scientist said as she retreated back inside.
Gai and Lee entered the Brief's capsule home, the place in complete disarray. All sorts of papers and boxes of scrap could be seen on the dining room table, kitchen counters, living room sofa, and even the floor. The two taijutsu specialists could tell Bulma had been hard at work looking for something, what with her long blue hair disheveled and messy, her white shirt wrinkly and blue jeans unironed.
Gai cleared a spot on the couch as Lee placed the girl of his dreams down on the cushion.
"So, uh, Bulma-chan." Gai said as he took a look around the room, "Sorry if I seem intrusive, but I'm curious wh-"
"What am I looking for?" the scientist finished for the man, her fingers sifting through a box filled with other papers and journals, "Some blueprints I had put away, a long time ago." she pulled out a journal, flipping through the pages, "There's something I wanna make, for Kakashi."
"Kakashi?" Gai said as Lee walked up beside him, "Is this for his-"
"Arm? Yes it is!" Bulma said brightly as she found the journal she needed, "The arm I'm gonna make was supposed to be for my Godson, Gohan." Bulma's face fell, "Like Kakashi, Gohan lost his arm during a fight with the Androids. He later lost his life."
"I'm guessing Gohan didn't want this arm you were going to make?" Lee asked.
"Nope." Bulma said, "He apparently didn't wanna 'become his enemy' to combat them." she shrugged.
Gai nodded as Bulma flipped through pages, "Hey Bulma, uh, I've been curious." the bowl-cut jonin started, the blue haired widow listening, "There's been rumor that you and Kakashi have been…" he let his trailing off be Bulma's clue.
The blue haired woman's face went red, "What? No! God no, I mean," a small smile crossed her face, "he is an attractive man, but I only really had him around so he could help me with my experiment. Nothing more. And besides," she shrugged, "do you have any idea what my son would do to him if it was like that." she continued flipping through pages until her eyes lit up, "Perfect!"
She beckoned the two men forth, "Take a look at this boys." she held the journal open to Gai and Lee, showing the two the blueprints to a mechanical arm, "This original model was designed with a saiyan's attributes in mind. It would allow for weight lifting in the tons, extreme durability from heavy ki-blast attacks, and" with a pen she tapped at a drawing of the arms palm, a circle drawn there, "even fire ki blasts itself."
"Incredible…" Lee said.
"And," Bulma said with a smile, "with a bit of tweaking to its design, I could make it operate with both ki and chakra!"
Gai was nodding in understanding, "So this arm would allow Kakashi to fire off a ki blast and use Chakra like normal."
"Bingo!" Bulma grinned.
"You truly are something else Bulma-chan." Gai complimented as Bulma began writing down a list of things on a piece of paper.
"Aww, you're too kind." Bulma laughed. "Hope you boys aren't busy," she handed Gai the list, "Cause I'll need you to do some shopping for me." she winked.
XXX
Itachi and Kisame shot through the forests outside of the village, covering several dozens of miles in minutes.
"Well that went smoothly." Kisame said.
"There was no way to anticipate the Leaf having an Artificial Human of their own." Itachi said as the two bounded through trees, "It's unfortunate, but we'll need to inform Pain."
"He ain't gonna be happy we failed." Kisame said
"The Nine-Tails isn't going anywhere." Itachi said, "We'll head to Tanzaku and recoup."
The two nuke-nin never stopped moving, but once they reached their halfway point, things got… troublesome.
Kisame and Itachi walked down a dirt road under the night sky, trees to either side of said road.
"Hey, nice robes losers." a voice said behind the two men.
Before either man could turn around, they were shoved to the sides as two young adults walked in between them.
The young adults were twins, the Akatsuki members could tell. They had the same blue eyes, though the boy had shoulder length black hair while the girl had blonde. The missing-nin were told to watch out for Artificial Humans that were twins… but they weren't told exactly what they looked like. Were they supposed to run from every pair of twins on the planet? If anything, they expected the Artificial Humans to look something like the one they'd bumped into in the Leaf. That one had the 'R R' red insignia they were told about, while these, didn't show it anywhere on their outfits.
The girl was dressed in form-fitting clothes; a black short sleeved shirt with a white collar and orange shorts that stopped at her mid-thighs. Black shoes were worn on her feet.
The boy was dressed in a black leather jacket that he left zipped open, the jacket layering a black t-shirt that he wore underneath. Gray jeans were worn around the boys legs and black shoes around his feet. To complete his look, an orange bandana was worn around his neck.
"And take a shower fish-boy," the girl said as she turned to Kisame, "you smell like week old sushi!"
Kisame's sharp teeth grit together as he grabbed his sword by the hilt, "Boy did you kids pick the wrong guy on the wrong night."
#17 and #18 looked to each other, grinning as they turned to face the Akatsuki men, "Awww, shark boy mad?" #17 asked with a mocking tone to his voice.
"I bet he is." #18 shrugged, "I'd be pretty pissed off too if my dad screwed a fish." then #18 tapped her chin as she thought, "Or was it the other way around?"
#17's hand instantly snapped up to catch Kisame's sword, the Kirigakure nuke-nin attempting to cleave into the siblings and shred them to ribbons.
The two Akatsuki nin immediately knew what kind of danger they were in.
Kisame was a whole foot taller than #17, so the Android gently levitated up to look the swordsman of the mist to look him in the eye, "You said we picked the wrong guy on the wrong night, but you don't realize," he leaned in, "I haven't killed anyone all day." he said. He slammed his knee into Kisame's, the Kirigakure nuke-nin having the sensation of getting hit by a speeding car.
Itachi ignored his partner getting knocked back, keeping his gaze on the cyborgs, "You two… are the Artificial Humans." he said.
"We prefer the term cyborgs." #17 said as he flexed his fingers.
#18 stared at the elder Uchiha in wonder, before taking steps towards him. Itachi didn't move, but his guard was up for the instant the Android attacked. Though when they did, there wasn't much he could do besides flee. After having used Amaterasu and Susanoo, he didn't have much chakra to combat these two... if he could.
The blonde cyborg stood a foot away from Itachi, staring the Android in the eyes, "...Such pretty eyes." she said, taking Itachi by surprise. She smiled, "And a handsome face." she turned back to #17, "Didn't we fight and kill a kid who looked kinda like this guy?"
#17 shrugged, "Did we?"
Itachi flinched, 'Sasuke,' the Uchiha elder thought, 'you must've been involved when this 'Trunks' boy fought these abominations.' his eyes closed, 'Thank God you survived.'
#18 shrugged, "Eh, oh well. Sorry handsome, but since your friend swung first we're gonna kill you both."
Itachi immediately kicked off #18's stomach, simultaneously launching himself back as he formed hand seals, "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
Not wanting to ruin their new clothes, the Androids fell into the defensive as they fell back and threw up energy shields.
Itachi skid back next to Kisame who got to his feet, "Chances are, we won't survive this." the Uchiha said.
"Yeah," Kisame said with a wheeze, #17's knee having cracked a rib or two, "we won't, but you can." Itachi passed a questionable glance to his partner, "We both aren't gonna outpace'em. I got us into this shit, I'll make sure you get out." his hands nearly blurred through handseals, the Kirigakure Akatsuki nin pulling off a jutsu as the Androids launched themselves at the two, "It's been fun, Itachi, Water Style: Explosive Water Shockwave!" A wave of water blasted from Kisame's mouth, swallowing up the Androids who hadn't anticipated the move.
Itachi, taking this chance, closed his eyes and launched himself into the neighboring trees, staying high as the ground for miles became a small ocean.
'Goodbye, Kisame.' Itachi thought as he fled the area.
XXX
Danzo signed off on paperwork in his office, tracking the economy in the village. It definitely wasn't great, but that came with the lack of missions the Shinobi were able to partake in. The refugee problem that the village had was now another factor that the village had to deal with.
The Elder knew that things would only get worse as time went on. His special team was still preparing themselves, going through unique drills and training to be fast enough to react to this threat. The Androids would be sealed away, but there was no telling what all they'd be capable of. There was absolutely no room for error by even the slightest iota of margins.
And then there was the issue of the Briefs.
They couldn't stay here. If a threat like the Androids could follow them into Konoha, looking for Trunks, what other threats could potentially find their way in the world of shinobi?
Finally, there was the issue of Trunks' saiyan DNA.
Danzo knew that ki alone would make one immensely more powerful. He'd seen what Shinhan was capable of, and she served as a great example of what ki would do for a normal human being… if one could use it to its full potential. The Elder had also seen what Trunks himself could do, having witnessed the boy's battle with Sabaku no Gaara.
There was the vast difference in physicals between the two teenagers that showed the contrast between one with saiyan genetics, and normal human genetics. The saiyan gene seemed to make a human naturally fast and strong, much more than what could be fathomed. And then to add on the super saiyan kekkei genkai on top of that for an immense boost in power, along with a saiyan's ability to get stronger after a near death experience was too much for the Elder to just send away.
He needed to keep the saiyan gene within' Konoha, and he also needed to cast out the Briefs as soon as possible.
That meant, Trunks would need to have a kid, and soon.
Naturally, the saiyan was too young to consider having a child, but the village needed one from him.
It was in the village's best interest if he did.
"Hattori!" Danzo said with a low voice.
Instantly, in a shroud of ash, the Elder's kin was in the room.
"The training's going well." the teen said, assuming she'd been summoned to fill Danzo in with an update, "We should be set to pursue the targets in two weeks give or take."
"That's very good." the bandaged Elder said, "But I've summoned you for a different purpose. There is something I need to discuss with you, regarding the future of this village."
"I'm listening." the teen said as she put a hand on her hip.
"The Androids will be dealt with, that is a certainty." the Elder said, "But I fear they will not be the only potential threat that Trunks can bring with him. For this reason, he will be banished in the coming future." the Elder said, tone leaving no room for argument, "But, his genes. I want to remain in control of them."
Hattori shrugged, "That's kinda hard to do if he's banished. Your plans have a big gaping hole in'em."
"No, child." Danzo said irritably, "The saiyan gene can remain in the Leaf, if Trunks has an offspring." the Elder leaned back in his chair, "And with your kekkei genkai, I think you'll be the most compatible match."
Hattori smirked, "Well that's great. I always said if I wanted Trunks I could have him." she turned on her heel, "Gimme a couple years, I'll bring him around."
"No." the War Hawk said, stopping the girl, "This is not something we can wait for for that long. It needs to happen soon. Very soon."
The teen stopped, not liking where this was going, "And when were you suggesting this happen? Trunks is still comatosed."
"And he'll stay in one for a considerable amount of time." the War Hawk said, "You're an imaginative girl. I expect you to use it."
"Do you have any idea how wrong that is?" the teen asked her grandfather in disbelief.
"Every decision I have ever made has been with the Leaf's best interest in mind, child." Danzo reasoned, "Sometimes you must set petty morality aside when dealing with the greater good." he stood up from his chair and approached the girl, putting his hand atop her head, "Please, the good of the Leaf is all I've ever sought." his single eye grew soft, "It's all your parents wanted as well."
Hattori's eyes widened at the mention of her parents. They'd been casualties during the Nine-Tailed Fox attack on the village. She'd only been three years old at the time, "O-Okay... I'll do it." she quickly said.
The girl moved to head to the hospital, but Danzo's hand went to her shoulder, stopping her, "Not now. You'll strike when the time is right."
XXX
A/N: Whew! And that's that!
So, the breakdown.
The Rookie 13 is generally pretty split on Trunks. Mirai Shinobi: Civil War anyone?
Just kidding haha. It's not meant for you guys to dislike Shikamaru, Kiba, Neji, and the others siding against Naruto, Sakura, Fu, etc because their judgement is based on what they think is for the greater good.
And, although some of you have guessed this a few chapters back, Bulma will be doing a solid for Kakashi. If I had to describe what the arm will look like, I'd imaging The Winter Soldiers arm, but with Iron Man's repulsor at the palm.
Itachi and Sasuke had their inevitable meet up, though it went a lot smoother for Sasuke than it did in canon.
Unfortunately, Kisame didn't have much action, but he served his purpose. His end was abrupt, but it is what it is.
Finally, Danzo and Hattori. I think this sort of 'subject matter' is a bit heavy for a T-rated fic (though let's face it, this story has always been borderline M-rated), but it's perfectly within Danzo's character to order out something like that. I expect some of you to find I'm pushing a boundary, and that's to be expected. 'It' might not even happen (though only I know if it would) and if 'it' did, I wouldn't show it!
Anyways, leave me your thoughts in a review! Any questions? PM them.
Until next time!