Chapter Thirty
Two days since they set of to Jamibiro, the Konoha-nin finally arrived at the medium village. The large group was met with the curious gazes of the local civilians. It wasn't every day that such a large group – consisting of a total of seven shinobi – arrived in town. Most assumed that they were here to rest before continuing on their way to wherever they needed to go.
Miyako spotted the group instantly. The group wasn't exactly inconspicuous. She was in a baby store buying clothes for Ainu. Ainu was now starting to stand by herself, which meant she was growing out of her clothes.
Miyako left the store with her purchases and walked right in front of the group, cutting them off and making them startle in surprise. She pretended not to notice them as she made her way through the village, knowing that the group of Konoha-nin would follow her. When she was in the forest surrounding the village, she paused in her steps as the Konoha-nin surrounded her.
"I see you've arrived," Miyako stated in a bored tone of voice.
"You don't seem so surprised, Miyako-san," Kakashi stated wearily.
"Who do you think told Tsunade-sama where we were?" Miyako questioned. "I've been revealing all of Orochimaru's movements to her since I left the village. Along with regular updates on Sasuke."
"Wait! So you never betrayed the village?" Sakura questioned hopefully, making Miyako nod in response. "Is Sasuke-kun here then?"
"Perhaps," Miyako replied with a smirk, making Sakura frown in annoyance at her cousins non-answer.
"Tsunade-sama wants us to bring you two home," Tsuneo stated.
"Good luck with that. Sasuke has no interest in Konohagakure after what I told him three days ago," Miyako snorted.
"What? What did you tell him?" Naruto questioned frantically, thinking up a million scenarios on what Miyako could've said about his home.
I don't want them to know. Yet.
Miyako stood up straighter as the thoughts of Itachi filled her mind. She looked up into a nearby tree and saw him standing there. When she met is onyx gaze, she nodded, and he vanished.
"I have to go. Ainu is waiting for me," Miyako stated and walked passed her ex-team, only to freeze as another thought crossed her mind.
Leaving so soon, Mi-chan?
Miyako spun around, starling the Konoha-nin, her gaze meeting the masked form of Hisoka. "Ookami," she hissed, and the Konoha-nin spun around to see the masked man, drawing their weapons as they prepared for a fight.
"Eight against one. Now that's hardly fair," Hisoka taunted, leaning against a tree. "Let's even the playing field, ne, Tobi?"
Tobi appeared holding Ainu, making Miyako freeze in fear at seeing her daughter in the hands of an unknown enemy.
"You bastard! Let her go!" Miyako ordered, rushing to the front of the group. "How did you even get her? She was safe in the inn!"
"Tobi snuck in whilst red-haired kunoichi went to the bathroom!" Tobi announced proudly. "Isn't she such a cute little Uchiha-Shinjitsu child?"
"Mama!" Ainu screeched, reaching out for her mother in distress.
"Ah, ah, ah! No Ainu-can! Tobi can't give you to your mother just yet,. We're going to have fun!" Tobi announced with a giggle.
"Tobi, release my daughter," Itachi ordered as he and Kisame joined the group in the forest, startling the Konoha-nin.
"Itachi," Ookami stated simply.
"Ok... since when did you have a daughter?" Kisame questioned Itachi, "and who the hell is the mother?"
"Nine months ago. And I'm the mother. I'm Shinjitsu Miyako," Miyako replied.
A Shinjitsu? I wonder if she has the kekkei genkai? Kisame thought.
"I do," Miyako replied. "However, now is not the time for pleasantries. That madman has my daughter!"
"Miyako, calm down. He won't hurt her," Itachi soothed, walking to stand next to Miyako and sending a warning look to Tobi and Hisoka. "Will you, Tobi?"
"Tobi won't hurt Ainu-chan!" Tobi announced excitedly.
"Three Akatsuki members, a masked man, Miyako, and a group of Konoha-nin. This looks like a fun party, ne, Sasuke?" Suigetsu announced his presence and the rest of Team Hebi, all of whom were standing in a tree together.
"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted, moving to go to him, only to be stopped by Yamato.
"Naruto, we are amongst enemies. Now is not the time to rush into things," Kakashi ordered, speaking for him, Yamato, and Tsuneo.
Naruto gritted his teeth, growling in annoyance but nodded, forcing himself to relax even a little bit.
"I'll give Ainu back to you if you and Sasuke come with us," Hisoka stated his demands, Miyako glaring at the masked shinobi.
"No. You will give her back because you are outnumbered. Three Sharingan, one mind read, one-tailed beast, three medics, three Jōnin, one bi-polar shinobi, and two swordsmen against two Sharingan wielders. Who do you think would win?" Miyako sneered in response.
"Two Sharingan's?" Sakura questioned in weary confusion, eyeing the two full-masked males with suspicion.
"Actually, I may like Itachi, but I'm not going against Tobi," Kisame stated and moved to stand next to the two masked men. "No way am I stupid enough to betray the Akatsuki."
"Still, three against thirteen, the odds are in our favour," Karin stated smugly.
"Ah, but we have the hostage everyone wants to keep alive," Hisoka started as Tobi pulled out a kunai and held it to Ainu's throat. "One wrong move, and we'll kill her."
"Ainu... Itachi and Miyako's daughter, correct?" Tsuneo confirmed, and everyone nodded in confirmation. "Well, I can't let my student's daughter come to harm. I'm practically her uncle, after all."
"She has an uncle," Sasuke snapped, glaring at the older man in annoyance.
"Maa, maa, possessive of his niece, is he?" Kakashi questioned, finding himself proud that Sasuke has found something to fight and live for other than revenge against Itachi.
"Very," Miyako confirmed with a small smile.
"Itachi, we have much to discuss. But now isn't the time. We shall talk after this crisis has been dealt with," Sasuke stated, and Itachi nodded in agreement to his words, knowing there was no way out of this conversation. Not that he wanted an out of this conversation, it needed to happen to protect Konohagakure after all.
"Now is not the time for idle chitchat. We need to get Ainu-chan out of their hands. Any ideas?" Sakura questioned, and everyone shook their heads.
"How about you just do what I say?" Hisoka questioned, tilting his head to the side. "Sasuke, Itachi, and Mi-chan all come with us, and Ainu-chan won't get hurt. I'd hate to hurt a distant cousin now."
"Mi-chan?" Takeo whispered in confusion. "Only Sakura-san and Hisoka called her that. And I know your not either one of them. What right do you have to call her by her nickname?" Takeo was glaring at this point, tensing up and preparing for battle.
Hisoka just chuckled darkly, deciding not to respond to his old teammates' interrogation. "You've all heard my teams. What do you say? You come with me, and Ainu-chan remains unharmed."
"This is bullshit! We can take them!" Naruto shouted as he summoned a shadow clone and created a Rasengan, charging at the masked men, only to be dodged by Hisoka and to go straight through Tobi and – thankfully – Ainu.
"You moronic idiot! You could've killed my daughter!" Miyako shouted angrily as Naruto – who was now behind the two masked men – blushed sheepishly.
"I, ah–"
"You're an idiot! Become Hokage? Not with brains like yours. You're dumber than a goldfish!" Miyako shouted, making Naruto flinch at each insult.
He knew he was in the wrong, so he didn't say anything. Plus, he was sure Miyako didn't mean what was said; she was just furious and scared because of the situation.
"Oh, I meant every word I said," Miyako sneered, having heard Naruto's thoughts.
Naruto looked at her in shocked confusion. "Can you read minds or sum'thin'?" Naruto questioned, making everyone sigh.
"She's a Shinjitsu, Naruto-san," Takeo explained gently. "They have the kekkei genkai to see the truth behind what people say, and it also allows her to read minds."
Naruto blushed as he thought of all the things he's thoughts about in the past about Sakura. Miyako laughed as his thoughts crossed her mind, making her relax a little bit, thanks to the fact that she had something to take her mind off of the situation she's in. Even if it is for just a moment.
"Why do you want us?" Sasuke questioned, bringing the topic back to the situation at hand.
"We need Miyako-chan's help with a couple of things, and e offer you a way to get stronger to get revenge on the elders of Konohagakure. Of course, we also want Itachi because he's family," Hisoka answered Sasuke's question, and Sasuke actually looked like he was contemplating going with the trio.
"Sasuke, you can't trust them," Itachi warned wearily, knowing where his brother's thoughts were going.
Sasuke scoffed, jumping down from the tree and walking up to Tobi, holding out his arms expectantly as he negotiated. "I'll come if team Hebi can come. Also, I want Ainu-chan back. Now."
"Of course. More the merrier. Right, Ookami-kun?" Tobi questioned, and Hisoka nodded.
Tobi stepped forward and handed Ainu to Sasuke as Team Hebi jumped down next to Sasuke and Tobi, Hisoka, and Kisame.
"Well, Miyako-chan?" Tobi taunted smugly, knowing he had gotten his way once again.
Miyako glared before taking a deep breath in and nodding. She made her way through the group of Leaf shinobi and to Sasuke's side, taking Ainu from him and giving her a kiss on the forehead. She turned to look at Itachi, blue eyes shining with a question as Itachi nodded and also joined the group.
"W-what? Why would he want revenge on the elders of Konoha?" Sakura questioned frantically.
"They ordered the massacre of my clan. They need to die," Sasuke scowled as Hisoka chuckled and turned his back on the Leaf shinobi.
"Come. We have to get back to the base. We have a surprise for you all," Hisoka stated and took off into the trees, followed by the group of rogue shinobi.
"Are we just letting them leave?" Naruto shouted angrily, tightening his hands into fists.
"We have no choice," Kakashi stated with a sigh, feeling a headache coming on. "We don't know all their skills, and we can't afford a fight of this magnitude. All we can do is return to Konohagakure and warn Tsunade-sama of what has transpired here today."
"Do you think what he said was true? About the Elders and their connection to the Uchiha Massacre?" Sakura questioned nervously, and Kakashi sighed once again, shrugging as he didn't know the answer.
"We can't be too sure. We'll have to hear it from Tsunade-sama," Tsuneo explained to Sakura. "If what he said is accurate, and the word gets out, well, the Elders won't be in power for much longer at the request from the Clan Heads and the Civilian Council.
"Clan Heads? Civilian Council?" Naruto questioned in confusion.
"Konoha is made up of the various council. First, you have the Clan Heads made up of the heads of the shinobi clans of Konohagakure. Then you have the Civilian Council, elected by civilians. They are made up of civilians put in charge to make sure that the civilians of Konoha aren't overlooked in plans concerning the village. After that, you have the Elder Council, made up of three elders, and then at the top, you have Hokage-sama," Sai explained patiently to his teammate. Everyone looked at him in surprise with how much he spoke, making him look at them in confusion. "What?"
"Oh! I didn't realise there were so many political things going on behind the scenes," Naruto muttered in surprise.
"I didn't know you even know the word 'political,'" Sai stated with a fake grin.
"Why you!" Naruto growled out, holding a fist in anger toward Sai.
"Guys, now is not the time to mess around. We have to return to Konoha and warn Tsunade-sama of the events that have just transpired,: Sakura stated, glaring at her teammates as Yamato, Kakashi, Tsuneo, and Takeo all nodded in agreement.
"Then let's go," Takeo ordered. The seven shinobi group rushed out of the forest back towards Konohagakure, running faster than they usually run because they knew this was a matter of utmost importance and couldn't wait.
...
Tsunade slammed her fist on her wooden desk, causing a crack to appear in the wood art the news just delivered to her by Team Kakashi, Yamato, and the remnants of Team Four. She brought her thumb up to her lips and bit down on it gently, anger surging through her along with fear. She knew that she couldn't keep this information from the Elders, who would just order the execution of Sasuke and anyone who stands up for him.
She hat to tell the Clan Heads about the Uchiha and Shinjitsu Massacre and the Civilian Council and convince them to force the Elder Council's disbanding to be replaced with three other elders or experience shinobi in the village. But to let this information out, well, who's to say it won't spread to the other nations? All of them would love to have the Uchiha and Shinjitsu Clans on their sides. With how the two clans have been treated, especially in Sasuke's eyes, it won't be too hard to convince them to join their side.
"Who are these two masked men?" Tsunade questioned the group in front of her.
"One wears the Akatsuki cloak and swirly orange mask. He talks in the third person and refers to himself as 'Tobi,' if that's his real name or not, we don't know. What we do know is that he may have the Sharingan. If it is implanted or inherited is yet to be identified," Kakashi replied promptly.
"The other one calls himself 'Ookami.' He wears a wolf mask, but no Akatsuki cloak. He seems to be affiliated with them to an extent. He too may have the Sharingan according to Miyako-san," Yamato added.
"So, two potential Sharingan wielders outside of Itachi and Sasuke work for the Akatsuki. Any chance they could be Uchiha that wasn't killed that night? Maybe bastard, sons?" Tsunade questioned, already tired of this conversation and the whole situation.
"Hmm. It's possible. Ookami seems to know Miyako well enough to refer to her by her nickname 'Mi-chan.' Only her teammates and Sakura called her that,"; Tsuneo explained. "But as you can see, Sakura and Takeo are both here, and Uchiha Hisoka is dead, killed in the Massacre."
"What are the odds that he is Uchiha Hisoka?" Tsunade questioned wearily, making Tsuneo and Takeo stiffen.
"No way! He wouldn't betray the Leaf! Let alone us!" Takeo shouted in anger at the thought.
"But if he found out about the truth that night, what's to say he didn't take the Akatsuki's side?" Tsunade rationalised.
"Please, Tsunade-sama. I doubt Ookami and Tobi are survivors of the massacre. As you said, they're probably bastard sons, or implanted with the Sharingan," Sakura intervened, trying to soothe the situation down as best she could.
Tsunade nodded, leaning back in her chair. "Yes, you're probably correct with that assessment, Sakura. But still... I want the report of the massacre, especially the files confirming who died. Suppose there are any missing bodies. In that case, it's possible that the Sharingan came from either of the missing bodies. Or the masked men are the missing bodies."
"Of course, Tsunade-sama," Shizune, who had stood behind Tsunade the whole time with Ton Ton in her arms, left the room.
"What are you going to do with the threat to the council and possibly Konoha as a whole?" Kakashi questioned.
"I'm going to inform the Clan Heads and the Civilian Council of the situation before informing the Elders," Tsunade replied, spinning on her chair to look out the window overlooking the peaceful village. "For now, I want you seven to rest up and get some training in. we may have a fight coming to the village soon, and I want you all at your strongest. Dismissed."
(Thank you all for your time and patience with this FF. I am coming up to the last few chapters that have been pre-written, so things will (once again) slow down. That being said, once I'm back in the groove, things will pick up again. I ask that you all be patient with me as I do this on top of my school work. Also Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to everyone for this time of year.)