Chirakka: Uh... I decided to ressurect this fic at the requests of my friends.... hides behind computer please don't hurt me....
Koumei woke the next day and sat up, looking out the window as she yawned.. It was snowing. Alot. She could barely see a few feet past the window frame, and the only thing she could make out was the shadows of a few nearby trees. She lazily flopped back onto her pillow and streched, yawning again. Then she rememberd the letter.
She quickly jumped out of bed and dashed over to the bathroom down the hall. She could hear voices downstairs as she stripped off her clothes and stepped into the shower. When she came out a few minutes later, she quickly dried her hair, which reached down past her shoulders when wet, and dressed into her torn up uniform, wondering if she had enough money to buy some new clothes.
Koumei stumbled out of the bathroom and headed downstairs quickly, before turning around and heading back to her room. Once there she grabbed her weapons pouch and mask, which she slung loosely over her shoulder by the strings. Once again she headed downstairs, where she found Sora complaining about one thing or another, and Kasei arguing with him. At least Kasei can tolerate him. He's lucky to be a guy. That way, Sora won't follow him around, thought Koumei as she dropped into a chair by the table. The two men glanced at her, before continuing their arguement.
"But, how did you unlock it? I remember locking the door and bolting it!" argued Kasei as he made his coffee. Sora laughed and held up something. It dangled and glinted as it swung from side to side. They were Kasei's house keys.
"Hey!" yelled Kasei, spinning around and abandoning his steaming coffe.
"Give them back! How'd you get those?"
"How else would I get them? I stole them, of course."
"What!?" asked Kasei as he snatched them away from the grinning Lightning-nin.
"Theivery is my speciality, dobe," said Sora grinning. It was true. On top of his womanizing nature, he was a dirty thief. And a good one at that.
"Was that really nescessary, Sora?" asked Koumei from where she was laying back on the chair.
"Of course it was, Koumei-chan," he said, looking over to her as she made a disgusted face.
"Are you two done? I need to get somewhere," said Koumei, avoiding looking at Sora.
"Yeah, let's go," said Kasei, downing the rest of his coffee. He grabbed two katanas from a shelf, and strapped them across his shoulders. As Koumei stood, Sora draped his arm around her shoulers
"Ugh. Get away from me Sora," she said, pushing his arm off with some difficulty.
She walked over to the door and put on her sandals, before unlocking it and heading out followed by Sora and then by Kasei. Kasei dug in his pockets for his keys, but didn't find them. Sora held them up in front of his face mockingly, and he snatched them away once more.
"Hey!"
The three companions trudged through the knee-deep snow, which was falling thicker than ever, in the general direction of Genma's apartment. It took about twenty minutes, when it should have taken only around ten. When they finally arrived, after passing it a few times due to the low visability, they headed up to the third floor, knocked on the door and waited.
Finally, an exaughsted looking Kawa opened the door. She invited them into the small, messy apartment, and they joined her at the table.
"Ugh. can one of you wake up Genma? I tried for about fifteen minutes. Honestly. Fifteen minutes straight, with no response," said Kawa, leaning back in her chair and covering her face.
Kasei stood and went into Genma's room, followed by Koumei and Sora. Kawa remained at the table.
Once inside, they immediately noticed a difference from the rest of the apartment. Genma's room, unlike the others, was neatly organized. His clothes, along with two extra jounin vests, hung in a closet. The walls were covered in different weapons, organized into catagories of blades, throwing weapons, specialized weapons, and a shelf of neatly labelled poisons and potions in small stoppered bottles. Genma lay in his bed, facing the wall and wearing completely green pajamas.
Kasei walked over, and instead of trying to wake him, he examined him, before stepping out of the room with a muttered 'be right back.' He returned a moment later with a glass of water filled with ice cubes, which he held over Genma's head.
"Isn't that a bit drastic, Kasei?" questioned Sora, eyeing him uneasily. Kasei did not reply, but continued tipping the glass. An ice cube fell out and hit Genma's forehead, bouncing onto his pillow. When he did not respond, it was followed by the rest of the glasses contents. Genma shook his head and turned over, still sleeping. Kasei sighed and left again, this time returning with a steaming glass.
"Uh... Are you sure that's a good idea? You'll burn him," said Koumei uneasily. Kasei looked over for a moment before turning back. "Trust me, Koumei, it's the only way. How'd you think I got him to get up and train everyday?"
Kasei moved back over to the sleeping jounin and pulled off the covers, revealing the rest of Genma's green pajamas. Without hesitation, he dumped the glass of hot water over Genma's shoulders.
"GET UP, GENMA!" he yelled into Genma's ear, reinforcing each word with a whack to his head. Genma slowly opened an eye. He looked lazily at Kasei before opening the other one and sitting up. He frowned when he found himself drenched.
"What was that for? Geez..."
Kasei went over to the closet and threw a uniform at Genma's head, who was too lazy to dodge or catch it and it ended up in his face.
"Get up. Were leaving in fifteen minutes, so get dressed." Kasei left the room, followed by the other two ninja. They sat down at the table, rejoining Kawa, and waited.
"Huh, he woke up... So, where are we going, anyways?" asked Kawa as she played with a loose strand of hair.
"Uhh... I guess you'll see soon. Be prepared for a battle though..." said Koumei absent-mindedly. Genma stepped into the room, toothpick in mouth, and eyed them lazily.
"Ok, let's get this over with," said Koumei. She stood and headed for the door, followed closely by the four Wing-nin.
It took them about half an hour to trudge through the knee-deep snow, and reach the outskirts of the village. Now they had to trudge through snow and trees.
"When we arrive, I want you to be prepared. If things get rough, don't hesitate to make a full transformation. We're not going to be fighting pushovers. Activate your eyes and wings as soon as we get there, and ready your weapons. These people won't hesitate to fight dirty or ambush us." Koumei instructed as she led the way. There were no replies from the other four as they trudged along in silence.
"Also, I want you to use every advantage you have. Activate your bloodlines, except Genma because you don't have any, and use your most powerful jutsus. I guess you shouldn't either, Sora, you'll either end up killing all of us, or using all of your chakra before the battle is over. Strike to kill," she said as they neared their destination. The snow fell thick around them, obscuring their vision. Koumei brought up her mask and fastened it to her head, before sliding it down over her face. Above them flew five birds, led by a large black raven.
They came out of the tree cover, and neared a large looming structure.
"The Naruto Bridge?" asked Genma. Then he remembered Kasei's words. Where he died.
Koumei stopped and the four ninja fell into a battle formation beside her. She stood at the front, with Sora and Kawa behind her to the right, and Genma and Kasei behind her to her left. Silence.
"Where is he?" she hissed, not turning. She stared straight ahead, glaring through the snow with no success.
"Eagle's Eyes no jutsu," she muttered. "No use."
There was another moment of silence, as she thought about her options. "Sora."
Koumei turned her head slightly and adressed him again. "Sora, please remove the snow. But use as little chakra as possible, you'll need the rest."
The other ninja watched in amazement as Sora stepped forward. He raised his hands in an unfamiliar seal and closed his eyes, concentrating. Suddenly they snapped open, as he yelled out, "Release!"
Then the snow simply vanished. In the middle of the brigde stood five figures. And the middle one was... Uchiha Itachi?
Koumei let out a snarl and stepped forward. Her hands flew to her weapons pouch, and came out equipped with a pair of silver nekotes. "Get ready!" She called behind her, as Kasei drew his katanas.
Her comrades took off their vests, revealing open-backed shirts. They then released the seals, and five pairs of wings stretched into the winter air. Kasei readied his katanas, Kawa pulled out her senbon, Sora attatched his katars, and Genma produced a long chain with a curved blade fastened to each end, a kasurigama. Laughter cut through the air.
"I see you've brought your students, sensei, but I brought some of mine also. Meet some of my students, Koumei,"said Itachi quietly, indicating the four ninja on either side of him.
"I have what you want, Moon-nin, but first defeat my little friends. Here's a taste of what I obtained from the Akatsuki." He held up a large scroll, painted dark blue and decorated with the night sky.
"You-!" Koumei set her fighting stance and raised her nekotes.
"Ah, ah, ah. I'm not fighting, so don't pick one with me," he said, grinning. "I brought someone to fight you for me." Itachi smiled and stepped aside to reaveal a nameless person laying in the snow behind him, dead. Koumei caught on quickly, and under her mask her face lost all colour.
"You couldn't. Only Orochimaru-" she said unbelievingly.
"Orochimaru-sama gave me a little gift before he left. You forget who you are speaking to, Koumei." Itachi stepped back in front of the body and made a long string of seals. A large wooden wall appeard in front of him and Koumei threw a barrage of shuriken at it, trying in vain to stop it's progress.
The front of the wooden box fell foreward, revealing a small form inside. Brown pants, a dark blue robe lined in white, and a red and white Hunter-nin mask.
Haku stepped forward from his coffin, and opened his eyes, immediately spotting Koumei. He ran forward, disobeying his contract with the summoner, towards a stunned Koumei.
"Koumei-neesan!"
Suddenly, lines of chakra wrapped around his neck and arms, stopping him dead in his tracks. He did not struggle as Itachi walked forwards with a kunai held in his hand. There was a peice of parchment attatched to it.
"Haku! Itachi! Quit playing with lives!" Koumei was now shaking visibly, either from fear or the cold or both.
"Gomen, Oneesan..." whispered Haku as Itachi embedded the kunai into the back of his neck.
"Kill them."
Itachi jumped backwards and disappeared as the battle began, and the bridge was once again stained in red.