Chapter 54: Battlefield Land of Swamps

Hello World! I see a few people liked by 'Raised a Criminal' story, that story will be updated after this one so for those of you who read it it should be updated the same day as this one. Between work, family, and trying to live in this world it's tough to find some me time, but I got through it surprisingly. See you all again soon. Have a nice read and have a nice day.


* Outside the Akatsuki Base *

Hinata and Shino ran outside to a safe distance with Shino carrying Fu bridal style. They came to a stop when they reached ground instead of the swap water, Shino put Fu down and Hinata immediately began to try and heal her. Shino looked up at Hinata and saw her sweating a little and he couldn't blame her. Out of all of them tracking down Fu, Hinata used up the most chakra using her byakugan and must be exhausted. Despite that she kept going. Hinata's hands ran over Fu's body and was looking for anything that was wrong with her, "She's breathing normal and aside from a few scrapes and bruises she's okay." Shino felt a great sense of relief after hearing that she was okay.

Hinata took her hands away from Fu and deactivated her byakugan, "She just needs to rest after what ever they did to her, but she has a stitch wound above her left breast that looks to have been stitched just recently." Shino looked at Fu and hoped she'd wake up soon. They both sad down to rest and felt a giant tremor come from underground. Both Hinata and Shino stood up and felt another tremor one after another. Every time one stopped, ten seconds later another would occur.

Shino said out loud to himself, "What kind of battle is going on down there?" Hinata naturally responded, "I can't even imagine what's going on." The two ninjas turned around quickly when they heard a voice shout out.

"Hinata! Shino!"

Both Hinata and Shino saw Team Gai jump down from the tree line and land right next to them. Both of them felt extremely relieved that they had back up now. Neji had his deactivated his byakugan asking Hinata, "Are you guys okay?" Hinata nodded, "Yes we are aniki, but Naruto-kun and Itachi-sensei are underground fighting two Akatsuki members."

Gai said with a smile, "It must be some battle, we felt the tremors when Neji was able to see you guys." The earth shook again with yet another vicious tremor. Ten-Ten kneeled down next to Fu asking them, "Is she okay?" Shino spoke this time, "She just needs her rest."

Lee rose his hand to Gai asking, "Gai-sensei should we go help Naruto-kun and Itachi-sama!?" Gai told his students, "This is how it's gonna be. Neji, Lee your with me, Ten-Ten, Shino, and Hinata will stay here and watch over Fu. We go in and get them out of there as quickly as we can." Everyone nodded and Team Gai ran for the building, but stopped when a large explosion shot the water into the air and destroyed most of the building in the process making a giant hole in the ground.

Neji, Gai, and Lee were taken by surprise and saw the water from the swamp sink into the massive hole that was made. Smoke was blocking their sight, but Gai had them retreat from the hole incase something jumped out. They got next to where the others were to defend them should an Akatsuki member came out of the hole trying to kill them.

From the smoke something jumped out, they recognized who it was and Hinata called out, "That's Gamatatsu!" Gamatatsu landed next to them and they saw Itachi standing on his back holding his arm to keep it from bleeding. Hinata ran over to Itachi to begin healing him while asking, "Where's Naruto-kun?" Itachi looked behind Hinata and saw Team Gai was among them and was now smiling, "Naruto's a damn monster down there. He's using his Kyuubi chakra and is running wild down there." They all soon heard someone shout from the hole.

"Aeolus Wind Breaker!!!!!!"

A giant blast of wind shot out of the hole expanding it. Mixed in with the wind were Tobi and Kakuzu who were riding the wind to get out of the cramped area they were fighting in. They fell slowly to the ground and they saw Naruto jump out of the hole with his demon cloak on, but he had three tails instead of one. Gamakichi jumped out after right behind Naruto.

Gamatatsu didn't say anything to the group and jumped in the air as well.

Tobi makes the tiger handsign shouting, "Fire Style: Fire Dragon Missile!" Tobi lifts his broken mask up slightly allowing him to shoot a extremely hot blasts of flames. Kakuzu makes the ram handsign and shouts, "Wind Style: Pressure Damage!" He shoots a large wind blast from his mouth. Tobi's fire attack mixes with Kakuzu's wind attack making a more powerful jutsu. Once they combine both of them shout, "Combination Style: Fire and Wind: Explosive Pressure!!"

Naruto let himself fall back touching both the Gama brothers on their arms and vanishing using his Hirameku. The giant blast of fire went inside the hole exploding destroying more of the landscape. Naruto reappeared above Tobi and drop kicked in the back. Gamakichi and Gamatatsu were next to Naruto but attacked Kakuzu.

Neji activated his byakugan and watched the battle that was taking place in the air. Gai shouted to everyone, "Never mind you all stay here, I'll back Naruto up!" Itachi was about to protest, but Hinata said, "No sensei your to injured to continue battling." Gai addressed the rest of his team, "Neji, Lee, Ten-Ten you'll be their defense. Don't under any circumstances try and attack from afar that would get their attention on you and they might attack." They had no choice but to agree.

Tobi kicked Naruto in his side as they fell to the ground and when he pulled his leg away he saw his clothes were singed from hitting the cloak. Kakuzu dispatched his remaining two masks and they separated from Kakuzu and attacked the two toads. Naruto held his palm out and charged his Rasengan taking on the purple color when using his cloak. Naruto finished making it shouting, "Demon Fox Rasengan!"

Tobi did the necessary handsigns and charged chakra into his hand shouting back, "Raikiri!" Tobi charged chakra into his feet letting him jet momentarily at Naruto. The two ninjas collided with each other making a giant explosion in the sky. Naruto was protected by his chakra cloak so he wan't affected by it at all, but Tobi was shot to the ground at dangerous speeds. He was saved however when Kakuzu's Eagle mask flew over and saved him.

Finally Kakuzu, Gamatatsu, Gamakichi, and Naruto reached the ground. Tobi rode the Eagle mask back over to where Kakuzu was and they watched as Naruto and this toads were across from them. Most of Naruto's outfit was blown away after the underground battle with the two nuke-nins, but he just ignored it.

Tobi ran at Naruto fully prepared to attack without the thought of escaping going through his mind. Suddenly out of nowhere Tobi is hit in his chest while hearing, "Leaf Whirlwind!" The unfortunate ninja is shot back skidding across the ground stopping at Kakuzu's feet. Both Tobi and Kakuzu look up and see a ninja both of them know.

Gai takes up one of his famous pose, "Well it seems that your letting your youth explode Naruto." Naruto is a little embarrassed about what Gai was doing and the two toads thought that he was just weird. Naruto said to Gai, "Although your fashion of an entrance is a little off, but It's good your here though." Gai took his fighting pose asking, "So what are we dealing with?"

Naruto told Gai, "The guy with the orange mask is an Uchiha and could use the next level of the sharingan." Gai told Naruto, "That I'm aware of, Itachi told us after this guy invaded Konoha." He continued after to tell him, "The second guy we have to kill a few more times over, from what Fu told us is that he has multiple hearts and he can use all the element jutsu, he is up there in taijutsu, and I don't think he knows any genjutsu. If he does he hasn't used any yet."

Gai took in all the information and asked, "Who are you taking on?" Naruto answered quickly, "I'm taking the one with the orange mask. Gamakichi and Gamatatsu are gonna take on those masks." Gai smiled saying, "So that leaves me with stitches over there." Gai leapt into action and launched himself at Kakuzu. His masks however moved in the way and opened their mouths to attack using the wind/fire combo attacks.

However Gamakichi and Gamatatsu moved in front of Gai doing a combo of their own. Both the brothers shouted at the same time, "Fire Style: Flame Bullet!" "Water Style: Water Gun!" When the Gama brother's shot out their attacks and the masks did the same it caused a shockwave a power that rocked the area and smoke covered the area. Tobi saw with his sharingan eye a red blob of chakra shooting at him at amazing speeds. He jumped over and Naruto shot out of the smoke swinging both Benihime and Shuusui at Tobi trying to slice him in half.

Naruto was surprised at Tobi's reaction time thinking, 'Even my clones have an extremely hard time dodging that attack, one out fifteen clones can dodge that attack.' Naruto looked around and saw that Gamatatsu was having a hard time fighting the Eagle mask as it was running circles around the heavy toad. Gamakichi was fighting the Tiger mask and when the mask shot off some powerful fire attacks and Gamakichi blocked with his giant kunais he was forced back and was left open for a moment. Needless to say that the toads got the wrong matches. Naruto decided to solve the problem, he made the dog handsign he

began channeling his Kyuubi chakra and two of his tails vanished.

Gamakichi used his two kunais to block, but the Tiger mask's fire attacks knocked the toad off his feet. Even though he was faster, the mask had a good reaction time to dodge, he had fire attacks, but he lacked the power behind them and the true strength of a toad. Suddenly he felt an explosion of chakra pulsing through his body at amazing speeds. Red chakra burst out around the toad and a black slit appeared in his toad eyes, Gamakichi touched his black piercings on his neck thinking, 'Thanks for the chakra Naruto.' The Tiger mask shot out another blast of fire jutsus, but Gamakichi blocked the attack without moving even an inch.

He tossed his kunais in the air running through handsigns at great speeds shouting, "Fire Style: Flame Bullet!" He shot out a giant ball of fire that shot at the mask at faster speeds than normal. The Tiger mask ran trying to avoid it, but with it's massive size it couldn't avoid the attack and was hit with the full force of the attack.

Gamakichi watched with amusement as the attack hit the mask full force. The force of the explosion hit Gamakichi, but the chakra cloak protected him and he stood there as if nothing happened.

Neji and the others watched from a safe distance as explosions are constantly heard from where they were seated. Lee was the first to comment on the battle, "The battle could very well change the landscape of this entire area if it continues." Neji had his byakugan still activated watching how Naruto transferred his chakra to his toads and the power behind their attacks. Everyone was so concentrated on the battle they didn't notice Fu stir in her sleep and slowly open her eyes.

Fu felt pain riddle through her body, but she sat up despite it. The sound of explosions caught her attention and she looked around and saw Hinata, Shino, and some other ninjas looking into one direction. As she forced herself to stand up she made a grunting noise that caught everyones attention. Shino looked down and saw Fu trying to stand up, he quickly went over to her and asked in a worried tone, "Fu are you okay!?"

Fu smiled at Shino, "You came for me Shino-kun." Shino moved some of her hair out of her face, then he cupped her cheek smiling, "Of course I did, I'd never leave you behind." He moved his hand behind her head and pulled her foreword for a deep passionate kiss. Fu was at a complete loss of words and her mind was turned to jello. Soon a big quake caused them to break apart and Fu quickly asked, "What's going on? Where's Naruto-nii?"

Ten-Ten told the girl, "He's out there fighting the Akatsuki along with our sensei Maito Gai." Neji's byakugan was still activated and he told everyone, "Gamakichi destroyed one of the Akatsuki ninja's monsters." Fu remembered a little bit of what happened she turned to Shino asking him, "What's been happening since I've been out?"

Shino began to tell her, "That Akatsuki ninja named Kakuzu captured you and we have been doing all we could to get you back. Hinata and myself got you out of their grasp and got you out here, as far as what happened when they captured you we aren't sure." Fu placed her hand on her stomach and felt… empty, as if a part of her had disappeared. Fu looked down and thought, 'Nanabi really is gone.'

"EVERYONE MOVE!" shouted Neji.

The group looked up and saw a giant blaze of fire heading toward them. Lee grabbed Itachi, Shino picked up Fu, and Neji grabbed Hinata and the pulled them out of the way since they were the most exhausted. Ten-Ten led the group away and they headed deeper into the forest for cover. Hinata asked her cousin, "Neji what happened!?" Neji kept his byakugan gaze on the battle telling all of them, "Gamakichi attempted to help Naruto, but that ninja with the orange mask saw it coming and countered with that fire attack that was just launched at us."

Fu stood up with Shino helping her to her feet, the sound of something hitting the ground caught her attention and she looked down to see the locket she snatched from Kakuzu during their fight. She leaned down to pick it up, but Shino grabbed it and handed it to her asking, "So you won this huh?" Fu took the locket and told him, "I guess I did. How does he know about me? If he really is the same Kakuzu from over eighty years ago, then how and why would he know about me?" Shino placed his hand over the locket telling her, "Open it."

Fu looked from Shino, then to his hand nodding at his suggestion. Shino helped her by pressing a button on the side making the locket open up, Shino looked at it's contents and saw what was inside of it. Fu looked up and saw inside the locket was a picture of a and and a pregnant woman who she thought was very beautiful, but the man had stitch marks in the corners of his mouth. Fu was so transpired by the picture she didn't look on the other half of the locket that had words inscribed on it. Shino however seen what it said and red it out loud, "Ayaka Kusabana, Kakuzu, and soon to be Fu."

She immediately looked where Shino red from and looked over each letter to see that he did read it right. Shino was a little amazed and immediately came up with an answer, "Fu… Kakuzu is… your father…" Fu had a few tears welling in her eyes and she repeated to herself, "That's not possible… That's not possible…" She fell to her knees and said, "Ayaka Kusabana was a saint in our village… She was the guardian of the Nanabi… No that's not true…" Shino looked at Fu and then to Neji and the others shouting, "Watch over Fu!"

Everyone turned around and looked at Shino. Neji asked, "Why what are you going to do?" Shino walked passed Neji asking, "I can only assume Gai-sensei is fighting the other Akatsuki ninja, where are they?" Lee held his hands up to Shino saying, "Hang on Gai-sensei can take him, he doesn't need back up."

Shino asked Neji again, "Neji please, where are they?" Neji looked behind him and saw Fu was on her knees looking at the locket that was laying on the ground. Hinata walked over to her friend and tried to comfort her, not even looking at the locket. Shino said this time, "Neji I'm doing this for her… Please tell me where he is."

Neji looked at the determination in his eyes and groaned saying, "Go toward the battle, but when you hit that giant hole in the ground head left and you won't be able to miss them." Ten-Ten argued, "Wait your gonna let him go? He'll get squashed out there like a bug." Immediately she looked at Shino, "No pun intended Shino, but sensei can handle this guy alone."

Neji held his hand up to Ten-Ten saying, "No let him go. He's going to whether we stop him or not." Shino walked further ahead thanking Neji and quickly rushed off.

Gamatatsu was running circles around the Eagle mask now. At first he couldn't keep up with the monster, but now with the Kyuubi's chakra pulsating around him because of the piercing Naruto gave him, he was able to keep up with the fast moving creature. It charged up a wind attack shooting at Gamatatsu who evaded it quickly. He appeared behind the mask and tried to knock it's head off with his kanabo, but the mask jetted off avoiding the attack. Gamatatsu used the chakra and appeared right next to it again not letting it escape. Gamatatsu had an idea and waited for it to attack again, which it did very quickly.

Once it attacked, Gamatatsu disappeared quickly and appeared next to it again, but when it tried to fly away that's when Gamatatsu attacked. He opened his mouth and shot his tongue out at the creature catching it using his extremely long tongue, he jerked his head back causing the Eagle mask to fly at him. Gamatatsu loosened his grip on the mask and hit it square on with his kanabo and with the Kyuubi's chakra still pulsing around him it only added more power to his attack. Once he did a full swing the Eagle's mask shattered and it was sent through the swamp destroying many trees as it was knocked away from Gamatatsu. The large toad felt the chakra dissipate and said, "Home run."

He sensed someone nearby and saw Shino appear next to him, "Shino, what's up?" Without saying anything Shino jumped on Gamatatsu's back and said, "Jump high in the air and I'll tell you where to go next." Gamatatsu was confused but did as he was told. He took on good leap into the air and Shino looked around the area and pointed, "That way! Head east of that massive hole you came out of!" Gamatatsu nodded and once he hit the ground he jumped up again launching himself clear into the air towards the battle between Gai and Kakuzu.

Gai and Kakuzu were in a vicious taijutsu battle, something Gai was very pleased with since he was having the time of his life fighting him. "Leaf Whirlwind!" Shouted an enthusiastic Gai. Kakuzu saw his spinning kick and jumped up over it letting himself get caught in the whirlwind of the attack sending him into the air. While in the air Kakuzu did a single handsign saying, "Lightining Release: False Darkness." He held his arm out to Gai and lighting shot out of his arm in a thin stream of electricity that cut through the earth easily. Gai got away from the attack and said, 'First Gate: Opening.' He disappeared at amazing speed and appeared right where Kakuzu landed.

Needless to say Kakuzu was surprised and the next thing he felt was getting kicked in the jaw back into the air. Gai disappeared after he kicked him and appeared behind Kakuzu both men floating in the air, Gai reached around and grabbed Kakuzu locking his hands together to make it difficult for Kakuzu to counter his technique. He flipped both himself and Kakuzu upside down so their heads were aimed at the ground and began to spin rapidly, as they got closer to the ground Gai shouted, "Front Lotus!" Gai then piledrived Kakuzu's head straight into the ground with tremendous force, he jumped out of the smoke and landed away from the downed ninja.

He waited for the smoke to clear and he saw Kakuzu's entire upper half submerged underground, but soon Kakuzu's body began to crumble apart. Gai wasn't quite surprised and said, "He used a rock substitution jutsu. I knew it wouldn't have been that easy." Gai leapt away from where he was standing avoiding someone grabbing his leg from underneath him.

Kakuzu popped out of the ground trying to grab Gai, but he got away. Gai watched as he pulled himself out of the ground and stood tall waiting for him to make the next move. Kakuzu began to unravel a few of his threads from his body and he shot both his arms at Gai with the threads coming out of his arm to going straight for him. Gai jumped in the air and pulled out some two kunais and began slashing at the threads, but Kakuzu's hand caught him by the ankle and pulled him to the ground, soon the rest of the threads grabbed hold of Gai and held him in place making sure he couldn't move. Kakuzu started to walk closer to where Gai was saying, "Enough is enough. I need a new heart now and what better way to get a new one then from the Taijutsu master of Konoha." Kakuzu reattached one of his arms back to his body, but kept his other hand holding onto Gai's leg just incase.

Gai wasn't panicking or nothing, he just seemed to be waiting. Suddenly Gai heard something that caught his attention, "I'm afraid not. Backups on it's way." Kakuzu looked at him like he was crazy, then a large shadow appeared over him and he looked up and saw a toad about to slam on top of him. He detached the threads connecting to the hand that was holding Gai and got away just before Gamatatsu landed on him. Shino jumped off of Gamatatsu with a kunai in his hand and sliced off the threads that were holding Gai hostage. The taijutsu master said to Shino, "You made it just in time. I wasn't worried at all." Shino looked confused asking, "How did you know I was on my way."

Gai smiled, "When I used my Front Lotus I saw you, I've used that jutsu so many times I can make out just about anything despite spinning at those speeds. Now on to more pressing matters." Gamatatsu asked, "What do you what me to do now?" Gai told the two, "Okay, Shino you'll be my backup and you big guy will be our support. If you know any long range jutsu I suggest you use those any chance you get." Gamatatsu agreed and stayed behind.

Gai asked Shino, "How good is your taijutsu belt wise?" Shino answered him truthfully, "At most a brown." Surprised Gai said, "A brown belt that's impressive considering that your clan don't really rely on hand-to-hand combat. Okay just stay to my left." Shino nodded and both of them rushed Kakuzu. He was ready and he engaged Gai first, both throwing a flurry of punches and kicks. Kakuzu noted that he wasn't as fast as before, most likely a side affect by opening the one of the Eight Inner Gates. He got distracted when Shino came at him from a low angle trying to kick him. Once he blocked that kick, Gai was able to hit him square in the jaw sending Kakuzu stumbling back.

Kakuzu looked up and saw his other hand laying on the ground, not to look as if he was desperate to get his hand back he played it off by attacking them. Despite fighting with one hand he was doing well, but if he had both his hands he would be doing better. Kakuzu saw an opening and darted to his arm shooting threads out to grab his arm and reattach it. Once it got reattached he turned around and couldn't avoid a kick to his face delivered by Gai.

Shino unleashed his insects and directed them to Kakuzu. The Akatsuki ninja recovered in time and saw the insects come toward him, but he was ready yet again by getting ready to use another jutsu. He was almost done, but he got hit from behind a high forced water jutsu that knocked him into the air. Gai crossed his arms and began building up for his next attack.

Chakra erupted from around him as he shouted, "First Gate: Opening!" The ground cracked under him and he continued, "Second Gate: Healing! Third Gate: Life!" The ground shattered underneath his feet and more chakra spilled out from around him. Shino was trying to shield his eyes from the dirt being picked up from Gai. Gai's skin turned red, his hair went up, stress marks appeared on his forehead, and he lost his pupils in both eyes. Gai shot into the air shouting, "Fifth Gate: Limit!" He appeared next to Kakuzu and kicked him higher into the air with great force. Gai crouched in the air as if he was standing on the ground and shot higher into the air appearing face to face with Kakuzu screaming, "Sixth Gate: View!!!"

Gai then begins to punch Kakuzu repeatedly with his fists that just seemed to catch fire on their own shouting, "Morning Peacock!!!" Shino watched from the ground in awe as the speed and friction of the Gai's punches caused his hands to erupt into a blaze and fireballs erupted fanning out making a peacock pattern in the air and Kakuzu was caught on fire by the attack. Gai then pulled his fist back and punched Kakuzu in his chest sending him crashing into the ground beneath him.

From where Neji and the others were watching all they could see was a beautiful scene of fire making the peacock pattern. Lee, Neji, and Ten-Ten knew about this technique and were amazed that he would use it and they all said in unison, "Morning Peacock!" Fu looked at the ninjas asking them, "What is that jutsu?"

Lee answered, "One of Gai-sensei's ultimate taijutsu attacks. Whoever he is facing he's being punched repeatedly and caught fire by the sheer power of Gai-sensei's jutsu." Neji said after he was done, "That man can't survive an attack of that power. This jutsu is an A-Rank and one of the more deadliest." Fu kept watch of what was happening and got up and ran toward the area she could see the battle from. Hinata got up to chase after her, but she slipped from exhaustion and Ten-Ten caught her before she fell. Neji and Lee were about to chase after her, but Itachi shouted, "Let her go!"

Both of them stopped and looked at Itachi who was sitting on the ground, "Let her go. I want you two to go and back up Naruto and Gamakichi, I can take care of everything from here." Lee asked in a semi worried tone, "Sensei are you sure?" Itachi nodded, "Yes I am. Just go now." Neji and Lee looked at each other unsure that they should though they obeyed their orders and darted off into the forest to find Naruto. Hinata looked at Itachi asking him, "Itachi-sensei, why let Fu go off to fight?"

Itachi forced himself to stand up, "Like with Shino, she's desperate. She wants to know about her past and the only ones who would know about who her parents are the elders in Takigakure and that man. This is her only real chance to know the truth. Why stop her from wanting to find out. Hinata and Ten-Ten thought about it from Fu's position and how they would do the same if they were in her shoes. The chance to know who your family members were was to good a chance to pass up. Hinata then thought about Naruto and how he would react at a chance to know about his parents.

After Kakuzu's body hit the ground Gai landed right at his feet, Shino rushed over next to Gai and they both saw Kakuzu's mask had been blown off and his shirt was gone as well, looking at how stitch marks covered his whole body and he really did look like a rag doll sewn back together. Gai fell to his knees exhausted. Shino kneeled down next to him and Gamatatsu landed next to them. Shino asked, "Gai-sensei are you okay?"

Gai didn't answer right away, instead he was trying to catch his breath, "I'm…. okay Shino…. Just need to…. rest…." Shino picked him up under his arm and was about to help him onto Gamatatsu, but the sound of movement caught all of their attention and they looked down and saw Kakuzu's body begin to spasm out of control, leaving all three of them stunned. After a minuted Kakuzu's body stopped moving all together. Gai asked Shino to move closer so they can inspect, Gai used his other arm to pull out two kunais, he handed one over to Shino.

When they got close enough Gai lightly kicked Kakuzu's leg, but told Shino, "Drive the kunai into his head just to be sure." Shino nodded and Gai forced himself to stand up on his own. Suddenly Kakuzu sat up and shot both his arms at them grabbing both of them by their throats Gamatatsu attempted to save them, but Kakuzu's threads shot out and wrapped tightly around the toads wrists, weapon, legs and neck immobilizing him, they all looked behind Kakuzu and saw the Tiger mask cracked just laying there underneath where Kakuzu was next to a small hole in the ground. More of his threads wrapped around Gai and Shino to keep them still so they don't do anything else, "I'm tired of these games, time to take your hearts. As for the toad I'll just kill-"

The sound of footsteps caught his attention and he turned around to late to see a wooden trident pierce his back and come out his chest. He stood there shocked and was currently looking into the eyes of Fu. Blood drizzled out of his mouth and his grip on Gai, Shino, and Gamatatsu loosened up to the point where they escaped his grasp. Kakuzu smiled at Fu, something that caught her by surprise and she heard him say, "Nice shot…" He leaned foreword and fell off of her pike and hit the ground hard. Fu asked Shino, "Shino please help me get him to Hinata please." Shino didn't even try and argue, but Gai said, "Now hang on, we should trap off his chakra that way he's no threat, even a downed ninja can be dangerous."

Fu looked at Gai, "We don't have time, I need to get him to Hinata now." Gai was going to argue further, but Shino said to Gamatatsu, "Gamatatsu can you carry all of us here?" Gamatatsu nodded telling Shino, "I sure can. Hop on all of you." Fu slammed her hands together shouting, "Wood Style: Wooden Straight Jacket!" Wood blocks came out of the ground encasing Kakuzu's hands behind his back, wrapping around his upper body encasing him in a wooden plate the restricted his arms entirely. After she wrapped him up in it Shino grabbed him and set him on Gamatatsu, he helped Fu up and then Gai and Shino got on last. Gamatatsu told all of them, "Hang on all of you." Without warning he leapt into the air back to where Hinata and the others were at.

Ten-Ten unsealed a med pack from the large scroll on her back and handed it over to Hinata who patched up Itachi and used a few of the food pills to regain her own strength. All three were surprised when Gamatatsu jumped down right next to them shaking the ground a little bit. Ten-Ten moved over to Gai and helped him off of the toad. Shino go down and helped Fu off of Gamatatsu and then grabbed the unconscious Kakuzu.

Ten-Ten saw the man wrapped in a wooden restraint asking, "Who's he?" Shino answered, "We're doing our mission to capture an Akatsuki ninja alive and that's what we did." Itachi go up and limped over to Kakuzu and asked, "So this is Kakuzu." Fu kneeled down next to Kakuzu and said to Hinata, "Hinata-chan can you heal him a little bit enough so he can talk."

Hinata was a little hesitant and looked to Itachi for advice, but he gave her a head nod to go along with it. Hinata moved over to the unconscious man and held her hands above him and asked Fu to open up the wooden straight jacket so she could get to his chest. Doing as she was told she closed her hands together again and opened up a hole big enough for Hinata to see his wound.

Hinata got to work immediately and began the healing process. As she was doing so she did a complete diagnostic by activating her byakugan and looked over his body. After doing a scan with both her byakugan and the Mystical Hand technique she told Fu, "He can't make it." Fu asked, "Why what's wrong!?" Hinata kept healing him saying, "I can only prolong his life, but his body is in an extremely weak condition. Burn marks cover most of his body, internal injuries, he's losing blood, and his heart seems to be giving way both of them."

Shino asked, "Both? So he really did come back to life by sacrificing his mask." Hinata said to all of them, "Both his hearts are still beating, but they are giving way very quickly. Though one of his hearts is in a very bad condition, it's amazing that he's even alive at all. I mean the threads in his body encase and protect his major organs and he's able to use five hearts to expand his life."

Calming down Fu looked Hinata in the eyes asking, "How long does he have?" Hinata shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know, but he won't last any longer than an hour. He could go now, in ten minutes, or forty minutes, there is no clear time limit, but he can't last more than an hour." Fu grabbed Kakuzu by his shoulders shaking him shouting, "Wake up now dammit!!" Shino grabbed Fu to try and calm her down, but she kept shaking him.

Itachi walked over and helped Shino pull her away from him. Fu struggled to get free and everyone came to a pause when they heard, "Ayaka… is that you?…" Everyone paused and saw that his eyes were fluttering open and he was moving a little. Fu got free and got back down next to him grabbing him by his shoulders again, "Talk now! You said if I got that locket from you that you'd tell me about my past!"

Kakuzu coughed up some blood smiling, "Did I… say that?" Fu demanded, "Tell me now!" Kakuzu said, "Your just like… her, she was always… beautiful even with an… angry expression."

Fu had a few tears in her eyes and she asked in a calmer tone, "Are you really my father and was Ayaka my mother?" Kakuzu kept his smile and nodded. She gritted her teeth shouting, "That's not true! Ayaka was a saint and wouldn't be with a criminal like you! Your lying!" Kakuzu smirked responding, "Who are… you trying to convince?"

He shifted a little bit telling her, "I've been… alive a very… long time. I fought the First Hokage… of Konoha what seems like… an century ago… You really want to know about your past?" Fu nodded her head. Kakuzu kept his eyes on her, "Fine… Twenty years ago is when I… felt alive for the very… first time…. Twenty years ago was when… I saw her… Twenty years ago… when I fell in love for the first time…"

(You all are going to hate me right now… Cut!!!")


Okay grab your pitchforks, torches, and other weapons cause I know your gonna want to kill me for leaving it at this cliffhanger. The next chapter is going to be half flashback and the other half will continue Naruto's fight with Tobi. I will see about uploading the next chapter either next Monday or Tuesday, so about a week. Hope you guys liked this chapter and I will answer any question you guys got about the story and as always R&R, Stay Gold, and Goodbye World!!!