Chapter 21: More strange stuff

'Itachi, come out, he's fainted from loss of blood,' Phire told Itachi, who was hiding. He came out.

'Let's go, then,' he told her. She snapped, teleporting Sasuke to the hospital, but then stopped.

'You guys go to Akatsuki; I have to take care of something first,' she told them, teleporting. Itachi raised an eyebrow, but then sighed, and took the two to the hideout.

'Crap,' Kakashi muttered. 'I've lost them; they aren't dead, but… I just can't track them.' Tsunade looked to Kakashi, and sighed.

'I don't think Phire meant to hurt us physically,' Tsunade told Kakashi. He nodded.

'She really has left though,' Kakashi said. 'It will be weird not having her as an ally anymore.' Tsunade shook her head.

'Even if she joins Akatsuki, she won't hurt Konoha; when I had sent her on the S-rank mission from a while ago to give medical supplies through plants, she had encountered the Akatsuki members, and even though she was already in it, she came back and didn't hurt us, or seem to have that intention; I could see right through her, but nothing was there of that type of feeling,' Tsunade explained. Kakashi nodded, and then they all went back to Konoha. Shizune was taking care of Sasuke.

'Tsunade-sama, it is evident that Phire has hurt Sasuke enough to be on the brink of death,' she reported. Tsunade was surprised; why would Phire hurt Sasuke? They seemed to be brother and sister.

'Wait a minute… they technically are… how could I forget about Itachi? Phire and Sasuke are in-laws,' Tsunade thought, laughing, but angry at the same time. Kakashi looked to her. Jiraiya had come as well.

'I believe that they have gone to Akatsuki with 2 other genin from Hidden Moon village,' he told Tsunade. She raised an eyebrow.

'I'm surprised Itachi had no intention of killing them,' Tsunade said. 'They must have done Itachi's bidding or something.' Jiraiya saw Sasuke's condition, and gasped.

'Has Itachi hurt him again!' Jiraiya asked. Tsunade raised an eyebrow to Jiraiya.

'No, it was Phire this time,' she told him. Jiraiya raised his eyebrows.

'Those are the exact same wounds Sasuke had after fighting Itachi a long time ago,' Jiraiya told them, 'I only remember this because I had fought Itachi using the Kuchiyose, Gamaguchi Shibari Summoning (toad mouth bind), and before I had come, Itachi had nearly tortured Sasuke badly; I only saw the end result, and I helped Naruto fight, but Itachi somehow escaped.' Tsunade was surprised; Itachi escaped the Gamaguchi Shibari! That was impossible to escape, knowing how thick it was!

'That girl is just like Itachi,' was the voice in the background, with the snake-like music in the background. It was Orochimaru!

'Orochimaru!' everybody gasped. He had Kabuto at his side.

'There is no way any Konoha ninja can defeat her,' Orochimaru chuckled, 'not even I could defeat her; besides, what you know of her is nothing of her true personality.' He then went towards Sasuke.

'Ah yes, the Uchiha,' he muttered, the music still in the background. Kakashi went in front of Sasuke, and had chidori in his hand.

'Don't you dare,' Kakashi growled. Orochimaru laughed, and Kabuto was just smirking in his evil like way.

'Orochimaru-sama, we should hurry and get the kid with us,' Kabuto told Orochimaru, hurting Shizune badly, making her fall down.

'Ouch!' Shizune yelped.

'Why do you need Sasuke?' Kakashi asked. Orochimaru just laughed.

'He seeks me, you know; that seal of yours that you gave him won't hold anything back,' Orochimaru told him, somehow pushing Kakashi out of the way, the chidori going away. Tsunade grabbed Orochimaru and threw him to the ground, but he didn't feel pain. Kabuto then hurt Tsunade with some chakra at a vital spot in her leg.

'Ouch!' she yelped, but then got up, only to see Orochimaru take Sasuke and leave. Kabuto left as well.

'No way, we have to get Sasuke back! And we have to stop Orochimaru!' Tsunade growled. She and Kakashi ran outside to find Orochimaru.