Chapter 3
Coming up to Kisame I jump onto his back wrapping my arms around his shoulders and my legs hooking onto his waist making sure I avoid Samehada. "So where are we going to now?" I ask with a giggle.
"Well squirt, welcome back." Kisame chuckles before reaching into his cloak and retrieving a grey book. Holding it up for me to take. Hm? I quietly question before latching onto his waist tighter with my legs and letting go of his shoulders so I was now riding on his back with no hands. Taking the book I open it. Page by page there was a different picture, a name, location, bounty, and information about different people. "You pick." He chuckles again and my eyes widen.
This is a bingo book! I come to the realization and begin to read each page. All of them are ranked Jonin or chunin for different territories. All of them are current shinobi. Tilting my head I almost sigh. There were no missing-nin, bandits, or any other kind of criminal in this book. "I know it's not your cup of tea squirt but look at it this way." Kisame looks over his shoulder at me with a grin showing his shark teeth. "They may not be what you consider criminals but every country has their own bingo book. The higher your rank the more likely you are to be in it. To get that rank comes from battle skills. So it's not like their weapons haven't been dipped in blood."
"Oh, I get it Fishface." My eyes widen as I look back at the book. "Even if they were under orders from their leader they have still killed people." Kisame chuckles again and looks back ahead of him to watch where he is walking.
"Exactly. Every jonin or even chunin you know has killed people. It's what we are trained to do."
"So you are saying that everyone is a murderer in their own right. As if every shinobi is a criminal." I mutter and sling my arms back over him.
"Heheheh, that's right squirt." I get it. It makes perfect sense when you think about it that way. Setting back up, I flip through the book until I find a man with brown short spiky hair. His eyes are cold as he is practically glaring at the camera. He just screams killer. Smiling I read it aloud.
"Kousotsu Raiku lives in the Hidden stone village, bounty 25 million yen. He is an earth-style user. He is most known to use jutsu bedrock coffin, earth dragon bomb, and earth wall. His main weapon of choice is a large hammer. Like most stone jonin he wears the initial red with brown chest armor. hmm." I close the book and smile handing it back to Kisame. "That one." Kisame laughs and tucks his book away again.
"You heard the squirt Itachi. Looks like we are going to the land of earth."
~..~
It felt like we had been walking a really long time before the terrain finally changed. It was looking more like stone than dirt. There were large rock formations as far as I could see. Eventually, I had gotten off of Kisame's back when Samehada stuck my leg and I jumped onto Itachi's back. His arms wrapped around my legs more out of habit than anything.
Laying my head on his back I close my eyes and take in his pine scent. As usual, we were staying away from villages and towns. Keeping out of sight since the Akatsuki has become known targets these days. I remember when I first joined I was able to walk through a village and take in the buzz of people talking and laughing. Maybe even grab a meal when I needed it. These days, however, if we aren't fighting the only people I get to see is other Akatsuki members.
"Say, Itachi." I speak softly before lifting my head off his back. "Hn." I got a sound of acknowledgment from him as I lick my lips. "We've been walking for days now, right?" I ask and he looks over his shoulder at me with a nod. His onyx eyes meeting my own. "I'm thirsty and my canteen is empty. Are we going to find a village soon?"
He shakes his head and stops walking. Kisame looks at us with a smirk. We haven't seen another soul for two days now, and like usual we've been avoiding towns. I frown looking down at Itachi as he lets go of my legs. I could hear him unbuttoning his cloak ever before he folds down the top of it giving me a full view of his shoulders and neck. I almost smile as I lean my head down and run my tongue over his necklace laying at the curve of his neck. "I'm sorry, and thank you." I whisper to him before brushing his necklace higher up his neck and bringing my lips to his skin.
His arms wrap around my legs again applying pressure around my rear as he lifts me higher onto his back. Opening my mouth I close my eyes as I gently pierce his skin. The warm liquid is pumped into my mouth in time with his heartbeat. Nearly making a sound of bliss escape from me as my body begins to hum in delight. Letting go of his necklace so it may rest around my lips I wrap my arms around his shoulders again. Holding him close to me as I continue to sate my thirst.
He pats my right leg lightly, silently telling me to stop. Opening my eyes I pull my fangs from him and run my tongue along his neck. Licking his skin clean of the sweet sticky substance officially making Itachi shiver beneath me in reaction. I smirk and rest my cheek against his neck and shoulders. "Thank you." I breathe before lifting my head and brushing my lips against his cheek.
"Creeps me out whenever you do that squirt." Kisame chuckles as they begin walking again. I frown and lay my head against Itachi's back again looking towards Kisame.
"I'm glad I amuse you." I mutter making Kisame laugh more at my expense.
"Kisame." Itachi speaks up silencing our teammate. "Since you find it so amusing. You can refill her supply while we track the target." I smirk as Kisame groans with a frown. Serves him right for laughing.
~...~
"It wouldn't be the same." Tsunade counters Shizune as she leans against the railing outside of the Hokage mansion. "Sakura and Naruto, they're… they're driven by a desperate need to find their lost teammates. They both pledged their lives to rescue them. That kind of desire to honor their pledge is why they will succeed. That's where you and Sakura are different."
Shizune's eyes widen a moment before she looks down. "Yes, I understand." She looks back up at Tsunade with a newfound determination collating with her thoughts. "But still I believe that Naruto should…"
Tsunade smirks and closes her eyes. "If he'd overheard this conversation." She then looks up towards the roof of the mansion with a smile and Shizune looks down. "What do you think Naruto would say?" Shizune then gasps.
Naruto crosses his arms looking down at the three women with a smirk. "Well, I'd say we gotta find us some new teammates. That's what!" Sakura and Shizune turn around to look up at him from hearing his voice and realizing he was there. He then jumps down landing on the railing next to a smirking Tsunade. "See ya." He says looking straight ahead of him and leaping away making Tsunade groan.
"He's always so impatient I hadn't, even finished my speech yet." She says half giggling. Shizune and Sakura watch him go with wide eyes. Shizune remembers when Tsunade had said that Naruto has a mysterious power about him that makes everyone want to bet on him. Sakura is hopeful that maybe they were one step closer to saving Sasuke.
"M'lady." Sakura says as she brings her thoughts back to the present. "Hm?" Tsunade questions looking back up to see Sakura.
"Something else happened on our mission." Tsunade's gaze hardens seriously at Sakura's words as Shizune gasps turning to look at Sakura.
"What is it?" Tsunade asks as Sakura folds her hands in front of her.
"Kira." Huh? Tsunade and Shizune makes sounds of question at that one name. "We ran into Kira, M'lady."
"She's not with Orochimaru?!" Tsunade asks gripping onto the railing on both sides of her.
"No." Sakura looks down. "Come to find out the Akatsuki took her. It seems like they forced her recruitment."
"Forced?" Tsunade asks and Sakura nods. "Kira said she had been taken by the Akatsuki but that didn't explain why she was roaming around freely. Sasori filled me in." Tsunade narrows her eyes as her thoughts dwell on this information. "Apparently the Akatsuki retrieved Kira and gave her an impossible choice. Join them, or die."
Hn. Tsunade makes a sound almost like a chuckle. "So it seems we were led astray and have been looking in the wrong direction this entire time." Shizune looks down, her eyes softening as she frowns.
"It seems so, M'lady." Sakura clutches her hands tighter together.
"What else?" Tsunade asks causing Shizune to look up as Tsunade watches Sakura.
"Well, M'lady. Kira said something else. We didn't want to believe it was true but." Sakura pauses then looks back up to Tsunade. "Kakashi vouched that it was, M'lady."
"That what's true?" Tsunade's expression becomes more serious again as Sakura frowns.
"Apparently the Third Hokage had Kira tortured before she was taken."
"What?!" Tsunade snaps and Sakura looks away. "Why?" She then bites her bottom lip as it begins to quiver.
"I don't know M'lady." Sakura's voice drops to almost a whisper before Tsunade pushes from the railing.
"Shizune! Have Ibiki brought to my office immediately and retrieve all files on Kira's detainment!" She orders as she walks towards the door of the Mansion her green overcoat blowing in the wind.
"Yes, M'lady." Shizune answers the Hokage before turning and running past Sakura in the opposite direction.
An hour later Tsunade was sitting in her chair at her desk with Shizune standing silently to her left holding her clipboard in front of her. Tsunade was sifting through the files on Kira with her brows furrowed. Sakura looks away from the window towards the Hokage thoughts of what they'll find outweighing heavily on her mind. "A lot of the information on her has been blacked out, and there is not a single thing in here about her detainment." Tsunade sighs and sits back in her chair.
Confusion clouding her mind as she couldn't possibly understand why the third Hokage would resort to such methods on a child. A knock at the door catches all of their attention. "Enter!" Tsunade hollers out as all of them watch the door. The captain of the interrogation core walks in. His black boots thudding against the floor of the office. After he closes the door he puts his hands into his pockets and walks up to the Hokage's desk.
"You wished to see me." Ibiki grumbles as he stops before Tsunade. Tsunade leans forward in her chair and rests her elbows on the desk folding her hands in front of her face as she stares at Ibiki. Barely bridled anger swirling in her hardened brown eyes.
"Yes, I want you to tell me everything about Kira Lake's detainment. What did she do?" Tsunade asks coldly as her eyes narrow.
"The Late Lord Third Hokage did not tell us much. He wanted answers about her and had her cousin bring her in." Ibiki states with a grunt.
Tsunade could feel her temper rising with how little information she was getting from him. "What did he want to know?" This is just the tactic a hardliner would make. It is unthinkable that the third Hokage would even stoop to this. Tsunade thought silently to herself.
"Why her eyes turn red." Ibiki states plainly making Tsunade's eyes widen. Just for that?
"Impossible, the Third Hokage would never have a child put through such methods just for that." She snaps and Ibiki grunts in agreement. Tsunade takes in a slow steadying breath as she closes her eyes to try and calm down. "What did you find out about her, tell me everything."
"She is from another dimension originally. Attacked by her male cousin and was sent here. She healed inhumanly fast until the second week of her interrogation. Mostly she remained quiet except for the first day. She just kept spouting off about the Hokage wanting to know how Damen made them kids again. Claiming it was all because the Late Third Hokage was not accepting growing old." Ibiki explains straightly without any feeling. As if he held no regret for what he was ordered to do.
"What do you mean another dimension and about being kids again?" Tsunade's brows furrow as Sakura curls her fingers into a light fist at her chest. Confused about what she was hearing.
"Even after Inoichi searched her mind he claimed it as well. Kira Lake and her cousin Aphrodite Damphire are from a different dimension. Aphrodite's brother turned them into little kids and when they tried to get away from him he sent them to our dimension using some kind of power Inoichi has never seen." Tsunade sighs and closes her eyes. "She did not know why her eyes turn red when she is hurt or angry but I do know, it's not a Dojutsu of any kind. That is everything I know."
Tsunade nods and leans back in her chair. "You may go." She states and starts tapping the ring on her thumb against the arm of her chair.
"M'lady." Shizune says before Tsunade gets up and walks to a window crossing her arms in thought. None of them wanted to say it but they all felt it. What Kira told Ibiki. Very well may have been right. The Third Hokage may have only wanted to know how to reverse his age. Nothing else fit as a reason for such a thing to take place. A moment of weakness for an old fool.
"Summon Aphrodite from the Anbu. I hope she can clarify some of this mess." Tsunade orders with a sigh watching Shizune obey from the reflection in the window. "I can't believe someone like him would do that just for a chance to be young again." She mutters and Sakura looks down thinking about all the times she yelled at Kira and even judged her from how different she was compared to everyone else their age. If she had been forced to be a kid again, it would explain a lot. To top it off, she was thrown into a dimension she knew nothing about. Sakura could guess how scared Kira actually had been. -And I didn't make it any easier for her.- Sakura thought to herself. -Me and my big mouth.-
