Chapter Fifty-One: The Discussion of Earth vs Water
A/N: Forgive me, I've realized that I cannot count. Last chapter, I said that the Jinchuuriki and the present Akatsuki members would be fighting four-on-four. Something in my head told me that something wasn't right, but I had no clue what. Later on, while writing this chapter, I realized there are indeed five Jinchuuriki alive and present and only four Akatsuki-nin here. Please forgive me for the screw up!
Killer Bee first noticed Samehada being surmounted by Roushi. Then he noticed Itachi, then Tobi, then Naruto, and then Deidara also came into focus. The Sanbi was the last one who flooded into his vision. And to be completely truthful, the sight of the Sanbi was the most frightening of all the 'company'. "What... is going on here?"
Shuuko was already lost in space, complete with her scarlet eyes widened and her mouth still agape. She just sat there, allowing celadon streaks of hair and salty water droplets to hit her cheeks and cheekbones. What was she so surprised about? Naruto sprung into the air, using momentum as well as chakra to further his journey and his altitude. He landed atop the waters in between Ritsuki and Shuuko.
"They're after the Sanbi," he informed them expressionlessly. "It's going to be somewhat of a four-on-four battle, then," Gouta said, eyeing Roushi. He looked like a caught animal, still as stone, face expressionless. Well, more like a caught and dead animal now, but still. "He's not dead."
"Then why don't we go over there and take him back from those thugs?!" Shuuko exclaimed, finally animated again. "Calm down--" "He's being carried like a trophy; that's just wrong!" the kunoichi interrupted the twenty-year-old. She was practically panicking. If Roushi, the smartest and oldest Jinchuuriki amongst them all, was being taken away from them, there'd be only five Jinchuuriki left with about ten Akatsuki members to capture them. The odds were just plain sickening now.
"Let's go over what we know about the guys in front of us. We'll each fight each of them one--" "I want the explosive one!"
Six eyes turned towards Naruto and Ritsuki. "I'm taking him!"
"No, I am!"
"I've already fought him, so I know his skills," Naruto reasoned.
"I've fought him as well," Ritsuki countered effortlessly.
That threw poor Naruto through a loop. "When?"
"In the sewers," came the black-haired shinobi's curtly response. "You weren't there, remember?"
"Still, I've fought him twice. Remember when I said Kakashi-sensei and I were trying to get back Gaara?"
"You had help; I handled this guy single-handedly. Besides, you still didn't defeat and/or kill him."
"I was fighting him just now! Besides, if you were such a great shinobi, you would have finished him off by now as well!" Naruto shot back.
"I bet you don't even know his name!"
"His name doesn't matter, as long as I kick his butt!"
"True..."
It was a wonder to Shuuko how their opponents were just sitting there, quiet. "Anyway, you must not know your elements well enough," Naruto haughtily replied, a tinge of pride attached to his voice. "Earth is stronger than water element." Shuuko noticed that Ritsuki's visible eye widened a fraction. In fact, the movement was so small, only a superior shinobi would have recognized it anyway. (Shuuko was an exception.)
"If so, then we'd be better off letting Shuuko or Killer Bee fight him," Gouta broke into the conversation, "preferably Killer Bee."
"Why's that?" Shuuko asked, turning to Gouta. "Because lighting element--" "Kicks earth's ass !" Killer Bee broke in, grinning like a maniac. "Then it's settled," Ritsuki stepped forward, smirking. "I'm taking him."
Naruto was again thrown through a loop. "What do you mean you're taking him?! Gouta said lighting element is stronger than earth, you have water element! And that's weaker than earth!" Ritsuki's smirk stayed stock-still on his face, though. "Then you must not know what element the Rokubi utilizes, do you?"
Naruto's mouth dropped open slightly at that. Of course he hadn't expected something like that... "But how are you going to get up there?" Naruto asked more gently, his voice a lot lower. He was still only slightly unconvinced. Ritsuki cocked his head to the side, having black hair fall over his nose and slightly into his other eye. "Nothing a few bubbles can't fix. Bubbles levitate into the air, you know. Besides, didn't you want to talk to the Uchiha about something?" Ritsuki replied before Naruto could even speak again. It took a few seconds to register, but Naruto eventually broke into a million smiles before nodding in agreement. That seemed to be just what he needed to put all his trust in Ritsuki.
"Kick his ass, then."
Even Ritsuki managed to smirk at that, a smirk that looked just like Sasuke's. "I'm taking Itachi," was all Naruto said before taking a step. "Wind makes a fire bigger--" "That's not going to stop me!" Naruto interrupted Killer Bee. Gouta turned back around, continuing to assign everyone their opponent.
"Then there's Kisame, and the one in the mask. I'll help Naruto with Itachi, since his genjutsu will get in the way. Killer Bee, you go with Kisame." Then his eyes fell on Tobi. What on earth could he do?
Gouta's voice dropped dangerously. "We're still in the dark about his abilities," Gouta said, staring directly at Tobi. "Shuuko, you can take him, but be careful." Shuuko studied Tobi for a bit, then hesitated briefly before nodding. "But... what the hell can he do? I've never seen him do anything. He's always with..." She paused to look up at Deidara-- and he stared right back at her. Taken a bit aback by that drilling, unbreakable, blue-eyed stare, Shuuko gasped ever so slightly, looking back at Gouta's back.
"I-I'll try..." she breathed, steeling herself for a fight she might as well die in. It's not good to just step right into a battle, unprepared and not knowing what an opponent had ready to kill you with. That didn't stop other shinobi --kunoichi, likewise-- from doing such, right? This was an Akatsuki member, though, and there were already tremors emitting from her body. She also felt slightly pale.
Boy was she in for a surprise.
