Chapter 5: Yamiko's Greatest Fear
Yamiko frantically stumbled through the forest in search for the lost genin. If there had been traps set she would have perished in a fiery explosion for she was too careless in her quest. Being shinobi, they had made it hard to track them which made Yamiko both impressed and frustrated.
The branches from the many trees scratched her wounds as she jumped from one tree to the next.
It was ten minutes or so of constant worry before she began picking up feint traces of having passed through. She began to sense her enemies had stopped not too far ahead and she could only imagine the worst. Feeling there may not be enough time to plan before attacking she burst into the clearing and in front of Itachi.
Surveying the scene, Yamiko could only have guessed what had been taking place before her arrival. A battered Sasuke lay a few yards from Itachi's right, being helped up by Sakura. A kunai lay forsaken not far from there where Sasuke had apparently dropped it. Poor Naruto was being strangled by Itachi's bare hands. Kisame was standing uselessly behind him, apparently not needed to handle the three children.
Itachi stopped her. No longer a threat at this time, Itachi tossed Naruto carelessly to the side to place his full focus on the newly arrived enemy.
"Still alive, I see," he smirked at her bloodstained face and clothing, "I see I've underestimated the shinobi of Snail and Door... But where is our dear Aruko-chan?"
At the news Aruko was not present with Yamiko, Sasuke lifted his head, reluctantly leaning for support on Sakura's shoulder. Naruto rolled himself onto his side to look for any sign of his lost jounin. He cringed with anger of what might have happened to her. Yamiko held her double-edge kunai in front of her threateningly.
"Shut up..." she growled.
"Well, that's no way to treat an old friend. I suppose I'll have to teach you a lesson."
Kisame looked on with a baffled expression. Itachi didn't seem like himself. He normally killed with little expression but... He looked rather excited about this particular kill. What relationship did Itachi have with these girls in the past?
Before Kisame could finish his thoughts Yamiko was on the ground, clutching her head in pain. Itachi was using the Sharingan.
Everything had gone black. All Yamiko could see was darkness. Suddenly and slowly two people began to materialize before her. It was a girl she had not seen in three years and herself in full anbu uniform, mask and all. They were facing off in an intense battle.
"No!" Yamiko yelled desperately to the ground below her, "Not this!" Sweat poured down her face as she struggled to overcome his power.
Herself fighting before her was much younger at the time. She was inexperienced and slower to block and counter. This was it; yamiko's worst nightmare, her first assassination.
She could not escape. She could not fight his Sharingan. She never could, even as a child he had always gotten the best of her during her visit to the Hidden Leaf Village.
Naruto tried desperately to get up and help his fallen teacher, to knock out Itachi, or do anything useful for that matter. He had only managed to get to his knees when he noticed the kunai Sasuke had dropped was no longer on the ground. He had been planning on using it. Where had it gone?
The young Yamiko took hit after hit, performed block after block, and the girl before her, possibly three or for years older than her fought with all her might. The instant she showed an opening the young anbu plunged the double-edged kunai into the chest of the girl. The scene seemed to freeze in place.
"No... Onigiri..." Yamiko whimpered silently.
The anbu carefully lowered the girl to the floor and replaced her kunai under her robes. She heard the door open behind her and knowing who it would be she retreated frantically but watched from the window. It was a young boy about her age. Shocked by the bloody mess of a woman before him he began to shiver uncontrollably.
"Sister... Sister?" he called to the girl on the floor. Tears ran down his face but it was not long before those tears turned to anger. Yamiko escaped from the window and jumped along the rooftops as the boy's shouts of revenge carried after her.
"Kai... I'm so sorry..." whispered the real Yamiko. She sat in silence for a while before Itachi's hold over her was gone. Blinking rapidly and looking up she saw Naruto and Sasuke before Itachi having apparently broken his concentration.
Yamiko rose to her feet and wiped the tears from her face. Itachi glared at the two boys but instead of attacking he just looked at Yamiko angrily.
"There is no use going back to your village... Kisame and I already paid a visit." The anbu looked puzzled.
"What do you mean? You're lying! Only residents know how to get there!"
He smirked and prepared a jutsu, "Tell Kimaru-sama hello for me." A fiery blast shot at Yamiko. Thinking quickly she dodged, grabbed Sasuke and Naruto's wrists, called to Sakura, and ran quickly to escape. Itachi watched them leave unconcernedly. Kisame asked why he let them go but Itachi said nothing. He was enjoying this game of cat and mouse far too much.
Yamiko frantically stumbled through the forest in search for the lost genin. If there had been traps set she would have perished in a fiery explosion for she was too careless in her quest. Being shinobi, they had made it hard to track them which made Yamiko both impressed and frustrated.
The branches from the many trees scratched her wounds as she jumped from one tree to the next.
It was ten minutes or so of constant worry before she began picking up feint traces of having passed through. She began to sense her enemies had stopped not too far ahead and she could only imagine the worst. Feeling there may not be enough time to plan before attacking she burst into the clearing and in front of Itachi.
Surveying the scene, Yamiko could only have guessed what had been taking place before her arrival. A battered Sasuke lay a few yards from Itachi's right, being helped up by Sakura. A kunai lay forsaken not far from there where Sasuke had apparently dropped it. Poor Naruto was being strangled by Itachi's bare hands. Kisame was standing uselessly behind him, apparently not needed to handle the three children.
Itachi stopped her. No longer a threat at this time, Itachi tossed Naruto carelessly to the side to place his full focus on the newly arrived enemy.
"Still alive, I see," he smirked at her bloodstained face and clothing, "I see I've underestimated the shinobi of Snail and Door... But where is our dear Aruko-chan?"
At the news Aruko was not present with Yamiko, Sasuke lifted his head, reluctantly leaning for support on Sakura's shoulder. Naruto rolled himself onto his side to look for any sign of his lost jounin. He cringed with anger of what might have happened to her. Yamiko held her double-edge kunai in front of her threateningly.
"Shut up..." she growled.
"Well, that's no way to treat an old friend. I suppose I'll have to teach you a lesson."
Kisame looked on with a baffled expression. Itachi didn't seem like himself. He normally killed with little expression but... He looked rather excited about this particular kill. What relationship did Itachi have with these girls in the past?
Before Kisame could finish his thoughts Yamiko was on the ground, clutching her head in pain. Itachi was using the Sharingan.
Everything had gone black. All Yamiko could see was darkness. Suddenly and slowly two people began to materialize before her. It was a girl she had not seen in three years and herself in full anbu uniform, mask and all. They were facing off in an intense battle.
"No!" Yamiko yelled desperately to the ground below her, "Not this!" Sweat poured down her face as she struggled to overcome his power.
Herself fighting before her was much younger at the time. She was inexperienced and slower to block and counter. This was it; yamiko's worst nightmare, her first assassination.
She could not escape. She could not fight his Sharingan. She never could, even as a child he had always gotten the best of her during her visit to the Hidden Leaf Village.
Naruto tried desperately to get up and help his fallen teacher, to knock out Itachi, or do anything useful for that matter. He had only managed to get to his knees when he noticed the kunai Sasuke had dropped was no longer on the ground. He had been planning on using it. Where had it gone?
The young Yamiko took hit after hit, performed block after block, and the girl before her, possibly three or for years older than her fought with all her might. The instant she showed an opening the young anbu plunged the double-edged kunai into the chest of the girl. The scene seemed to freeze in place.
"No... Onigiri..." Yamiko whimpered silently.
The anbu carefully lowered the girl to the floor and replaced her kunai under her robes. She heard the door open behind her and knowing who it would be she retreated frantically but watched from the window. It was a young boy about her age. Shocked by the bloody mess of a woman before him he began to shiver uncontrollably.
"Sister... Sister?" he called to the girl on the floor. Tears ran down his face but it was not long before those tears turned to anger. Yamiko escaped from the window and jumped along the rooftops as the boy's shouts of revenge carried after her.
"Kai... I'm so sorry..." whispered the real Yamiko. She sat in silence for a while before Itachi's hold over her was gone. Blinking rapidly and looking up she saw Naruto and Sasuke before Itachi having apparently broken his concentration.
Yamiko rose to her feet and wiped the tears from her face. Itachi glared at the two boys but instead of attacking he just looked at Yamiko angrily.
"There is no use going back to your village... Kisame and I already paid a visit." The anbu looked puzzled.
"What do you mean? You're lying! Only residents know how to get there!"
He smirked and prepared a jutsu, "Tell Kimaru-sama hello for me." A fiery blast shot at Yamiko. Thinking quickly she dodged, grabbed Sasuke and Naruto's wrists, called to Sakura, and ran quickly to escape. Itachi watched them leave unconcernedly. Kisame asked why he let them go but Itachi said nothing. He was enjoying this game of cat and mouse far too much.