Chapter Seven
"Do you really have to go nee-chan?" Naruto asked as I finished packing. I smiled at him before leaving my packing for the moment.
"Don't worry Naruto, you'll see me again. I don't know when but I know we'll definitely meet again." I placed a hand on his shoulder. "After all, you are going to be Hokage one day right? I can't wait to see that." His smile eased the dark guilt in my heart for the moment. He nodded and let me get back to packing.
Itachi and Kisame hadn't shown up after three days and my visa expired today so I needed to get out of dodge. Karasu had left for Suna to meet with Akira to give her news of what Kubo had informed him about staying close with us. He would be going between us every other month to help train us in the Reaper arts and Society behavior on reaping a soul, unless of course something happened that threatened us then he would be staying until he was satisfied we were okay. Of course, Naruto would be leaving later today to go on a mission. He hadn't said what it was about but rumors spread fast between ninja more than old lady's gossiping. Tsunade Senju was going to be the new Hokage. This would either be really bad or very intriguing.
"I'm done." I announced once my last pack had been stored in a sealing scroll. Naruto hopped up from the floor.
"Do you really have to-"
"Naruto. Yes I have to leave." I interrupted already knowing where this was going. "It's not that I want to leave yet but my visa is only good until noon Naruto. I'm not going to jeopardize my village by staying longer than I have to. I'm sorry it cuts our time short since we barely spent any time together this past month but I am not going to cause a war between the villages." It wouldn't go that badly but I needed to leave before Itachi and Kisame got here. Security was a mess with how the coup had destroyed morale and how the ninja around here were basically hollow shells. I didn't want them to take Naruto, at least not yet. My tone softened, "You will see me again Naruto. I won't let anything happen to me."
"You better not nee-chan." Naruto's watery blue eyes met mine as determination burned in his orbs. "You will see me become Hokage, believe it."
"Good." I smiled before holding out my fist for him. He bumped it. I swung my last pack over my shoulder. "Let's go, I want to get a bowl of ramen before I have to leave."
"LET'S GO TTEBYO!" Naruto yelled as I ruffled his hair on the way out the door.
"Don't ever change Naruto." Naruto chattered in my ear all the way from the apartment to Ichiraku's to the gate, asking how long I expected to be gone this time. I answered as honestly as I was able to while also teasing him about not getting a girlfriend so soon.
"Hey Akana! Leaving so soon!" Izumo and Kotetsu were still on guard duty.
"Yeah I was just heading out." I showed Izumo my visa. "Deadline is today and I have to report back to my dad."
"Say hi for us will you?" Kotetsu called. Izumo stamped my visa.
"Sure thing!" I waved. "Bye Naruto!" I called. He waved goodbye. I waved one last time before turning to leave. The road was clear and the weather was fair, seemed to be such a good day that I don't know why I was surprised when I was caught off guard an hour later. I had stopped to get my bearings to find the meeting point where I would meet Itachi and Kisame if they were unable to find me in the village. Lack of chakra had definitely dulled my senses.
"Aw did you forget about me?" I whirled around to see Kabuto's smirk and familiar glassed facing me. He was leaning against a tree, casually.
"Oh fuck." I cursed.
"Do you want to get a heads start? No doubt using chakra is getting a bit tiresome with the addiction?" I shot off a round of kunai before I used my own muscles and jumped into the trees. I didn't know where I was running but being out in the open was not doing it for me. I couldn't run back to Konoha, not now, I would never make it. The back up point was an option but would I make it? Possibly not. My only option was to find shelter that I could protect. But unless Itachi and Kisame found me, I was simply shit out of luck.
Itachi, where are you?
Itachi's POV~
"Do you think Akana is still in the village?" Kisame asked. We had been held up thanks to Orochimaru's minions and had made it to Konoha a day later than we'd planned. After Akana's last report had ended with seeing how unhinged she was becoming due to that seal, the concern had been growing in me. While I wanted to fulfill our missions in Konoha I felt myself trying to scan for Akana's unique chakra before we had even arrived in Konoha. I knew before we stopped to gather our bearings that she was gone. Akana may not have been blood related to me, but she was my responsibility in a way Sasuke could never be. I had found her, nurtured her and helped her grow into her skills. I was not going to lose her to Orochimaru. She would never say so aloud, but I knew she needed help.
"Where is she?" Kisame growled.
"She is no longer in the village." I murmured. Her chakra signature was gone from even the furthest reach of the village.
"We should head to the back up point. I doubt that snake would have given up on her despite what happened here." Kisame stated. His tone belied what I knew, what all of Akatsuki knew. Akana was ours. I did a shunshin and started running to the back-up point. Kisame was quick to follow behind.
"What are the chances Orochimaru has her?" Kisame asked. Anger flared before I forced it to cool.
"Akana would never go to him."
"Not alive at least."
"Hn." Our strides lengthened as fear hurried us on. The back up point was about an hour and a half from Konoha. If she was in trouble- I stopped that train of thought.
Akana's POV~
I tried not to pant too loudly as I stayed hidden in the shadow of the great trees. Kabuto was still hunting me. At least this time I was sure he was going to kill me. I pressed my hand against my right side, blood was starting to seep through my bandages and I couldn't replace them until I was safe and not being hunted by a deranged medic nin. I looked around the tree trunk but didn't see anything or anyone. My head was soon leaning against the tree again as I forced the sounds to stay in. My body ached and my chest was hurting due to the brisk pace I had to put on to avoid Kabuto. At this point he was just playing with me.
"Akana~" The sound of my name being sung by that creep froze me. "I know you're injured. I smell your blood."
"Do you have any idea how sick and twisted that sounds?" I rolled forward just as the tree I'd been leaning against had a slash ripped into it. Kabuto was there in the next second with a chakra surgery knife in hand.
"Trust you to throw in a quip or two before I kill you." I grimaced as I got back to my feet, a kunai in both hands.
"Why are you trying to kill me? I thought Orochimaru wanted me in his 'collection'?" I asked. I bailed at the last second and started running again. I used my strength to push myself through the trees as fast as I could go. "How is a man like Orochimaru expecting people to worship him if he keeps killing them?
"My Lord has his ways." Kabuto answered from beside me. The heel of his foot came at me and tangled my legs causing me to fall from the trees and into the ground below. I rolled before coming to a stop. I groaned lowly. I didn't want to get up, but I had to. What would Hidan say if he found out I copped out that easily? I struggled to my feet just as Kabuto landed a few feet in front of me. This next bit was going to suck.
"After you failed him, my Lord had a thought. Why keep trying to pursue you if you were just a failure in the end?" He moved too quick but I managed as best as I could, making use of my own armor to deflect blows or just outright using my kunai to parry. "It took some convincing, but my Lord agreed, your body would be better suited if it was just that, a body." I caught his first hit but the second hit to the chest took me down. I rolled backwards too far and the natural incline of the ground sent me careening into a small creek.
I coughed for air but struggled back upright.
"My lord was a bit curious though, how you managed to evade him the last time we met? Whoever saved you, they didn't have any chakra." Kabuto was merely playing with me now as he watched me flounder out of the creek.
"Guess I'm going to have to take that secret with me to the grave." I spat before I fell back onto the rocks.
"What makes you think you'll have a grave?" Kabuto knelt down beside me. I took that shot and struck out with Karasu's bone pin. I was only able to scratch Kabuto's hand but it was enough. I rolled away into a standing position while he stared at his hand.
"What? Didn't think I would use poison?" He sneered.
"How dull. Do you think this inferior-" He cut off, his eyes widened in realization. I smirked.
"Sasori is a very good friend of mine Kabuto. At least if I die I'm taking you with me." He growled at me. I pressed my hand against my side once again before I backed away. Being near that man was making more anxious than necessary. It was very concerning but the level of paranoia I was experiencing was odd. I wasn't that afraid of Kabuto.
My hands tried to stay pressed against my side but once or twice I realized my hands weren't pressing hard enough. I'm not sure how long I walked but eventually my body just felt to heavy. I slipped down a tree and just sat there. My breathing was calm so was my heartbeat. It was relaxing to me. I'm pretty sure at this point I was in trouble but I didn't really care.
'Akana…' My eyes pried themselves open to see a man in familiar black clothing and long hair a few ways away. 'Akana, hang on.' Now was the time I passed out.
Itachi's POV~
"She's up ahead." I warned Kisame.
"About time." Despite sharing Kisame's thought, I was worried. Akana's chakra was thinner than usual, almost like she was at rest. This should have been a good thing as she could have just been waiting, but my instincts told me this wasn't something to be glad about.
One more leap from a branch and we came to a stop. Akana was leaning against a tree down below. She seemed to be asleep. Kisame and I dropped down.
"Hey chibi, are you-" My eyes widened as I caught the sight of her. Her hair was a mess and there were bruising and blood streaks on her arms and a spot on her chin. She was too pale. Kisame growled as his nose flared from the scent of blood.
"Akana!" I checked her pulse while watching for a rise in her chest. Her pulse was barely there.
"Itachi?" Kisame called. I quickly did an assessment before finding the source of Akana's bleeding. Her side had been slashed.
"She's bleeding out. Bandages." I ordered. Kisame didn't hesitate to give me what I needed. I pulled Akana's jacket off along with her backpack. Her shirt was ruined but as long as it wasn't her jacket she wouldn't care. I methodically used a kunai to cut Akana's shirt off to her undershirt, that too was cut off. I cut down to her bra which thankfully wasn't ruined.
"Bandages." Kisame handed me a roll. I nodded. Placing that to the side before getting my own supply of antibiotics.
"Need stitches?"
"Yes. Get me more gauze, I need to clean this wound." Kisame started on that while I ripped up Akana's shirt and grabbed a few more ointments. From what I could see the cut was methodical and clean. "It cut through her muscle, looks like it didn't hit an artery."
"What did it?" Kisame wondered. I let him do the investigating as I continued to work on doing a field dressing. Sasori would do a better job but as he wasn't here I needed to do this. Akana's breathing was still there but barely. Using the water bottles on hand I wet the gauze and got started on cleaning the wounds. Once that was done I lathered the antibiotic ointment on the wound. Akana didn't so much as twitch. I grabbed the stitches and the needle before I started sewing up Akana's side. After that I applied the ointment once more before I wrapped her waist. It would have to do until we could get back to base and get Sasori to take a look.
"Kisame?" I called.
"Here." He handed me a clean shirt. We quickly put that on her before Kisame grabbed her as smoothly as he could. "We'll take turns carrying her."
"Hn. Did you find out what did this?"
"There was a body by the creek. Sounds like the Oto nin Akana said was watching her. Looks like Sasori gave her a new mixture. He was trying to heal himself."
"Status?" Kisame grinned ferally. "Good. Let's go." Kisame and I did a shunshin before running back to the main base in Ame. We could get there in 2 days with our speed. The Jinchuuriki would have to wait.
Deidera's POV~
"Danna, you said they'll be back with Akana today right, un?" I asked. Since receiving the news from Kisame two days ago about Akana's state, Danna had been getting more and more crabby while Hidan and I argued more and that started to turn bloody. Konan was giving everyone but Leader-sama the icy silence while Kakuzu had taken to counting his money over and over again. Tobi and Zetsu were fine from what I saw and so was Leader-sama.
"Don't worry brat." Danna growled.
"You're not fooling anyone. Admit it, you're moody because we haven't heard anything from them since yesterday." Danna glared it me. I met his glare with my own. "They'll be fine, un."
"Whatever brat." He muttered. A loud bang had the both of us standing upright, tense as the sound of footsteps running down the entrance hall sounded. Itachi and Kisame entered the common room, Akana was lying limp in Kisame's arms but that wasn't what shot cold fear through me. Itachi's face was always blank and his eyes were always the same cold calculating voids, but right now Itachi's face was frowning and his eyes were wider than I'd ever seen. Kisame wasn't looking any better.
"What happened?" Sasori snapped, seeing the same things I did. I looked at Akana expecting her to pop up with a sarcastic comment, but she didn't so much as twitch.
"She was injured. Her side was bandaged as best I could but she's lost a lot of blood." Itachi growled out.
"Her breathing's stopped again!" Kisame snapped he placed Akana on the floor and Itachi knelt down and began giving her mouth to mouth.
"Deidera!" Sasori snapped. I jerked, looking over at him. His face was dark in anger and worry. "Alert Leader-Sama and Konan. Once your done get Hidan, I need blood. Kisame, once Itachi gets her breathing bring her to my room. I need to get a transfusion set up."
"Hai." I nodded before I ran out of the room and down the confusing hallways until I finally found the Leaders office.
"Leader-sama!" I yelled, the door banged open. Leader-sama was already frowning. Konan was sitting curled up on the couch in the corner. She put down her scroll. "Itachi and Kisame are back with Akana. Sasori's getting ready to give her a blood donation. I'm not sure of the details but she was injured."
"Get Hidan." Leader-sama ordered. I was out the door before he finished. I tried his room first but he wasn't there. I tried Kakuzu's room but other than a grumble and kunai trap he wasn't there. I hesitated before looking in his 'ritual room' but he wasn't there also.
"Fuck! Hidan where the fuck are you?" I shouted.
"What the fuck do you want she-male?" I whirled around to see Hidan shirtless with his scythe, coming from the gym.
"Where the fuck were- you know what I don't care. Sasori needs you now." Hidan glared.
"Why the fuck would I help that shithead?" I restrained myself from hurting that dipshit.
"Akana was injured and she needs a blood transfusion. She stopped breathing a few minutes ago. Itachi was resuscitating her."
"Where the fuck is my bitch?" Hidan demanded. I almost rolled my eyes.
"Sasori's room." And there went that jackass. "Wait for me idiot!" I yelled.
When I was able to catch up to Hidan he was already in the room. Akana was lying on Sasori's worktable where Itachi was still working to resuscitate her. She must has stopped breathing again. Worry gnawed at me. I'd lost people before, but never someone as close to me as Akana. She had wormed her way into my space and life. She'd been the first friend I didn't want to blow up immediately on sight. She fought with Hidan as much as I did but was still able to calm the anger in my head when I wanted to do nothing but rage just by offering me some food or asking about my art.
"Hidan give me your arm." Danna snapped. Hidan didn't even say anything as he did as told. Akana and Hidan had an interesting relationship. She didn't seem to care about his rituals and even offered him ways on how to prolong his 'pleasure'. It was weird how similar their sense of humor was.
"She's breathing again." Itachi called. I looked over to see Akana was coughing once again. "She's not going to make it much longer Sasori." Itachi may not say it but I knew he cared about Akana like a daughter. How the hell that worked I didn't know but I knew he had basically helped train and raise her. If Akana died, I feared what he and Danna would do.
"I'm working on it Uchiha." The only thing I could do was watch as Danna finally gave Akana a blood transfusion. "Kisame!"
"I'm almost there." He called. Kisame was filling a jar with what looked like chakra. Sasori started using medical jutsu's on Akana. Akana, I sure hope you're strong enough to survive this.
GM NASAI: Okay don't blast me if the Akatsuki seem OOC. I was trying to figure out how they would all interact since they've known Akana for 4 years and honestly, Deidera is pretty easy to write for me. Other than Hidan anyway.