It had happened again. What was it—the fifth time already? Different dream. Different encounter. Same stranger. Mayu wondered why this was happening. What was up with her own mind? This time, instead of the teenage stranger covering her eyes with his hand, she had been blindfolded in her dream. It was fairly annoying. Especially since she had felt an inkling of familiarity this time.
In her dream, she had been standing at the top of a waterfall, on solid ground of course. For awhile, she had merely stared straight ahead, listening to the sound of the water violently hitting the lake below. Then he had showed up, covering her eyes with a blindfold. Once again, he had complained about her not being able to see him. And once again, Mayu had attempted to kick him. It had been fruitless to fight him, though. Apparently, her body didn't really want to cause harm to the stranger. Her mind sure had when he had abruptly pushed her hard, causing her to fall over the waterfall. He had followed after her, but still… What a jerk he had been. Something akin to a blackout had occurred and the next thing she knew, he had been hovering over her, water dripping from his face and splashing against her cheeks and mouth. Albeit, she still had not seen him, but she had felt him there. He had asked if she still didn't know how to swim. For some reason, she had given him an honest answer. No. He had chuckled, and then had called her cocoon. Still, she hadn't gotten angry. His cheek had rubbed against hers as he had told her to remember him soon.
Mayu frowned, recalling the bizarre dream. She had desperately wanted to see his face. However, once again, she had woken up before that could happen. Yamanaka Ino had been to one to wake her, saying that she had been groaning in her sleep. The blond had thought she was having a nightmare. "Is it considered a nightmare if I want to continue having it?" Mayu thought. She shut her eyes and sighed a bit. Whatever.
Now wasn't the time to be thinking of the stranger from her past. Not now. Currently, it was the next morning. The Leaf ninja were all ready to get out there and complete their mission. According to Kakashi, the Sand ninja had to complete their preparations before all of them could leave. The dark-haired kunoichi stretched and cracked her knuckles in boredom. The Sand's preparations were taking longer than expected. Just as Naruto was about to complain—honestly, she could tell by now—Temari and other ninja of the Sand showed up. The group walked towards them with a quick pace.
"Sorry for making you wait," sister of the Kazekage tilted her head down.
"Then we're all here?" Kakashi murmured.
"Yosh! Let's go already!" Ino exclaimed, clenching her fist.
"Wait!" A loud and deep voice caused the ninja to turn. Baki was making their way towards the group. His expression looked a bit grave. The man stopped in front of the Sand ninja. "Temari, you and your team will remain here on border patrol duty."
"What? Are you kidding me?" Temari was not happy with this news. Unfortunately, the news was orders, coming from the higher ups, though. In fear that another village could attack them, knowing their Kazekage was missing, they were being precautious. "But that's why we need to rescue Gaara as soon as possible, right?" The Sand kunoichi gestured to the Leaf ninja. "These guys came all the way from their home to help us! Even Ino came back! Gaara is supposed to be our Kazekage! They have to send someone from the Sand!"
Baki looked momentarily flustered. Just what was he supposed to tell her? It was an order from The Sand's superiors. There's no way that he could possibly go back on an order. But Temari was still young; he had to come up with something that would put her mind at ease. "But..." Baki began. However, he couldn't think of one at the moment.
"I'll go..." a voice stated. The voice was female and it sound as if it was coming from above. Everyone looked up to see Chiyo standing on a nearby building. The old woman's clothing flapped against the warm breeze. It made her look so dramatic in Mayu's opinion. "If you need Sand ninja, I'll be more than enough."
"But you can't!" Baki began to protest. A sly grin appeared on Chiyo's wrinkled face.
"I'm retired, I can do whatever I want!" she retorted.
"But, you mustn't force yourself to...!" another Sand shinobi started.
"Don't treat me like an old lady!" Chiyo said with defiance, and then she jumped right off the building's edge! Ino and Naruto gaped as she was descending. The old woman landed right in front of the two blonds.
"I knew it!" Mayu thought, grinning. "Granny Chiyo really is OG!" The old woman stood up straight, though it took some time. She commented on how long it had been since she had seen her grandson. "Whatever your reason for going—let's just get going," Mayu said. The others nodded their head. "We have a Kage to save!"
0-0
The group of five traveled quickly through the forest. With Kakashi in the lead, the three youngest ninja behind him, and Chiyo backing them up, they moved in silence. It had been quite some time since the ninja left the Sand village. So far, the trip had been relatively silent. Each ninja had their own thoughts pertaining to the current mission. For the squad leader, it was just another mission—a mission of high importance, but a mission regardless. Kakashi wanted nothing more to end the mission quickly and keep Naruto safe. That was his duty. Jiraiya expected it of him.
Naruto, himself, wanted to reach Akatsuki as soon as possible. This was a chance to encounter those guys again. He narrowed his eyes at the path in front of him. Mayu had said their names before. Hoshigaki Kisame and Uchiha Itachi. The latter was the one who had caused both Sasuke and Mayu pain. That man had placed Mayu under a horrifying genjutsu, which caused both she and Hinata to suffer. Not only that, but he was also the person Sasuke wanted to kill. Fighting him—maybe it would end up helping. He could relay information to his best after they reunited.
Ino, as she moved, could not help that her eyes glanced in Naruto's direction every so often. Unlike the others in her age group from the Leaf village, she knew of his secret—his burden. For a second, her eyes closed. Uzumaki Naruto was just like Gaara. It made her feel sick, knowing that the two of them went through some of the same things. However, there was a big difference. Where Naruto gradually began forming strong bonds, Gaara didn't have that luxury. Alone, he had turned into someone to fear and hate, and had actually reveled in that. If it wasn't for Mayu, would Gaara be the same as he was? The blond kunoichi swallowed hard. Whatever the case, she felt bad for both Gaara and Naruto. They had to go through so much pain to reach this point. Her fingers curled into fists. She wouldn't let Akatsuki take it all away from Gaara.
Mayu's eyes twitched. It felt as though they had been traveling for hours now. Admittedly, she was anxious. The Akatsuki had succeeded in taking her favorite red head. Who knows what they were doing to him? Were they even keeping him alive? Hastily, she shook her head. She couldn't think that way. Gaara was going to be fine. They would save him just in time. Still… doubts plagued her mind. Would they end up saving him whole? When she was younger, she saw the episode where Itachi and Kisame had come to take Naruto away. The blue, shark-looking man had wanted to remove Naruto's legs to prevent him from running away. Could that mean that they didn't need the hosts of demons to have valuable body parts in order for their plans to work? The thought caused her stomach to turn. Subconsciously, the kunoichi picked up her pace.
"Hm, something wrong, Mayu?" Kakashi asked. The kunoichi blinked, noticing that she was now at the jounin's side.
"Uh… Well… It's strange, isn't it?" Those behind her also gave her befuddled looks. "I mean, why did Akatsuki choose to go after Gaara-kun now? It would have easier to take him when…" Mayu trailed off.
"When no one cared about him," Ino finished, lowering her head.
"When he was vulnerable and alone," Naruto muttered. He clutched the part of his jacket that covered his belly. "Mayu's right. Why now when he's the leader of his village."
"I… do not know the reason for it," Kakashi stated. "Perhaps they do not care for political standing. Perhaps something prevented them to going after him in the past."
"Whatever their reasoning, I want to know why they kidnapped him in the first place," Ino's lip twitched, trying to keep the snarl from her face. "What could they possible wan-"
"Obviously, they want his Bijuu," Chiyo finally spoke up.
"His… demon?" Ino murmured. "Then they want his power? I wonder what they plan on doing with it. It's not like they it's easy to control such massive chakra."
"Who knows…?" Chiyo shrugged. Naruto frowned. Once again, the group traveled in silence. Only the sounds of their feet, hitting the tree branches were heard.
Eventually, Kakashi made a move. "We're close—everyone on the ground," he ordered. Nodding, the other ninja followed instructions and followed the jounin to the forest floor. The squad made it to a small clearing when suddenly Kakashi halted, spreading his arms out. "Everyone, stop!" Furrowing his brow, the blond shinobi peeked out from behind his sensei. His eyes grew wide. There, standing mere meters away was a person he had met in the past. Long dark hair, deep red penetrating eyes—it could only be one person.
"Who is that?" Ino noticed as well.
"Uchiha… Itachi?" Mayu raised a brow. "I didn't think he'd appear so soon." The blond kunoichi sharply turned to her. She knew a person who was a member of Akatsuki? Just who was this girl?
"Itachi…" Chiyo stepped forward. "This is him? The kid who wiped out his entire clan?"
"It's been some time, Kakashi-san, Naruto-kun… and Mayu-chan," Itachi greeted politely. Two pairs of eyes, belonging to Ino and Chiyo, expanded in surprise. Then the blond kunoichi turned her focus on Mayu again. She, however, appeared dazed. Finally she opened her mouth.
"Naruto," she began.
"Hm?" The blond shinobi's eyes didn't stray from the enemy's form. Mayu noticed this and grabbed onto his ear. "OW!"
"I'd like to have a word with you," she finished, ignoring the looks and her teammate's wails of pain. She yanked him behind Kakashi's face. She placed her face near his. Mouthing her words, she continued. "How this fool know me?" she questioned. Luckily, Naruto caught on to what he needed to do. He, too, mouthed his response.
"You met him around the same time I first did," he stated. "He put you under a genjutsu and made you attack Sasuke. You really kicked his ass, too." Mayu blinked. "But I… somehow made you laugh hysterically. Then you told us 'Haha, bitches, I know how to get out of genjutsu—especially a weak one like that!' It was a pretty good act."
"I said that?"
"Well, not that exactly, but that's how you sounded." Mayu rolled her eyes. "Anyway, this guy put you under another genjutsu, but it was much stronger than the last one. You couldn't escape, and in the end, you were seriously hurt and were sent back to Hinata."
"He's responsible for inadvertently hurting my best friend…?"
"Pretty much-" Naruto smirked. "Looks like we're in the same boat, right, Mayu?"
"Perhaps," she answered, closing her eyes for a moment.
"Why did I have to be their shield?" Kakashi thought, sighing. "Am I just an object now? They used to be so cute, too." At last, the two genin of Team Kakashi came from behind their sensei. Mayu stood on his left, while Naruto stood at his right. "Got everything sorted out?" They nodded. "Good—don't do that again." The jounin focused his attention back on Itachi. "Listen closely, everyone! Don't look directly into his eyes, or you're finished!" The warning was practically shouted, causing everyone's eyes to shift in his direction. "Itachi's genjutsu are eye techniques. In other words, they take effect through your vision. You're okay as long as your eyes don't meet his."
"How are we supposed to fight him then?" Ino asked.
"You… focus on his feet and body, and attack based on how he moves."
"The Uchiha clan?" Chiyo muttered. "It's been a long time since I've fought a Sharingan user. They're nothing special, though. They are plenty of ways to fight eye techniques. When it's one-on-one, run away," the old kunoichi explained. "When it's two-on-one, get him from behind." Mayu had to stop herself from laughing out loud. "The first one is obvious, right? In that situation, you can't win. But if it's two-on-one… If one person gets caught up in a genjutsu, the other can attack the guy from behind. And if you attack the user, the genjutsu vanishes. Or if attack isn't possible, you can dispel the genjutsu by hitting your ally. In other words, since there are several of us, one person will be the diversion, and the rest will attack the Sharingan's blind spot."
"I guess old people have their uses!" Naruto exclaimed. "Okay, I'll attack!"
"OBJECTION!" Mayu yelled, halting the blond shinobi in his tracks. "That won't work!"
"Child, are you saying my tactics for fighting the Sharingan are wrong?" Chiyo sounded very displeased by the thought.
"Sorry, OG, but your tactics for fighting this Sharingan are wrong," Mayu said. "That's not your fault, though. You don't know who this person really is. My comrades seemed to have forgotten, so let me fill you in." She scratched her cheek before continuing. "This is Uchiha Itachi, the genius of his clan. He graduated from the Leaf village's ninja school at the age of seven. He mastered his Sharingan at the age of eight. He passed the chuunin exam when he was ten, then moved on to become ANBU captain at thirteen. Soon after, he killed an entire clan of elite ninja." Mayu sighed heavily. "I hate to be the one bringing the cold truth, but this guy ain't no normal Sharingan user." She narrowed her eyes. "As for your tactics, OG, he has the Mangekyou Sharingan. Once you're caught by his genjutsu, there is no escape. As a person on the receiving end of his most powerful genjutsu, let me tell you that comrades won't be able to help you. Hell, they won't even know that you're in trouble. While it would only appear to be a second to them, it would seem like hours or days of torture for the one who is caught."
"Then he's a very dangerous opponent," Chiyo stated. "Just who is he?"
"Just what I'd expect from you, Mayu-chan," Itachi said. Though it was a compliment, his expression didn't change. He still appeared stoic. Still, the dark-haired kunoichi had to stop herself from scratching her cheek. "You are… so much like you mother." At that comment, Mayu frowned.
"I'm not finished," she scowled. "Not only is Uchiha Itachi strong, but his partner is also crazy strong. Hoshigaki Kisame, where is he?" At the moment, Mayu ignored the remark about her mother. Right now, she had to focus on surviving and keeping everyone else alive. Speaking of which, her comrades looked shocked. Frantically, they began searching the area. "Lurking in the shadows somewhere, waiting for the moment to kill one of us?"
"He is not here," Itachi stated.
"Oh…? Then please, give me one good reason why I should trust a traitor like you?" Mayu requested. The Uchiha narrowed his eyes and frowned. "Oooh, did I touch a nerve?"
"I am more than enough to handle you all," Itachi said. There was one thing the dark-haired kunoichi truly despised—that was being underestimated. The man in front of her might be considered the strongest in his generation, but he didn't have to be arrogant about it. Mayu nearly snarled and took a step forward. Luckily, Kakashi was there to hold her back. He placed an arm in front of her, preventing her from running towards the enemy. "Besides," Itachi continued. "Having your partner, lurking in the shadows, waiting for a chance to strike—that was your tactic against me, wasn't it?" Mayu remained silent, not knowing what the man was getting at. "Tell me, should I remain where I am in fear of Nana and her claws?"
"Nana…?" Mayu repeated. Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Wha-" Her hand reached up and grabbed her head. "Th-This-" Her body began trembling. Her pupils grew and shrunk at alarming speeds. Confused by her sudden shift in behavior, Kakashi's hand touched her shoulder. He was about to ask if she was alright. However, the scream that erupted from the girl's mouth told everyone she was not alright—not at all.
"Eh? A genjutsu?" Ino exclaimed as her comrade continued to scream out.
"N-No… NO!" Mayu fell to her knees. By now, both hands were grabbing at her head.
"This is not the work of genjutsu," Kakashi stated, removing his hand from Mayu's shoulder. "I cannot reach her."
"It would appear…" Itachi said, drawing attention. "That Mayu-chan is… Her memories are returning to her."
"Memories?" Naruto sharply turned his head back to his teammate. His eyes expanded. "This… could be good." Still, he felt completely helpless just watching her suffer through it by herself. Minutes passed, and the screaming finally stopped. Surprisingly, the enemy remained idle. Tears fell from her eyes, yet she did not sob. She did release several shuddering breaths.
"Ho-How could you… Itachi?" Mayu whispered. She closed her eyes. More tears fell. Her teeth clenched. "I'll… make you pay!"
"Mayu…!" Kakashi's exclamation diverted the girl's attention. "I will take him." Both Naruto and Mayu glared at the jounin. The kunoichi stood up, looking about to protest.
"What?" Naruto shouted. "I want to fight him! I need to fight him! Don't tell me you mean 'not fighting is our teamwork' again!"
"No, this time I need you to back me up…" Kakashi admitted. "While I'd like to act cool and say, 'You go on ahead—deliver your justice' … I won't be able to hold him off by myself."
"… Fine," Naruto murmured. Mayu wiped the wetness from her face. She wasn't thinking logically about the situation. She definitely needed to calm down. Involving her feelings could get someone killed. This was Uchiha Itachi, after all. He had put both Kakashi and herself in a comatose state. They needed to be cautious around this enemy.
"I see…" Itachi said, lifting his hand. His finger uncurled and pointed at the group. The movement caused Mayu to look at his hand. "It is time."
"I'll attack first!" Kakashi said, and then charged towards Itachi. He threw a punch, but Itachi only blocked it with his hand. Another Itachi—a clone—appeared and headed for the others. Naruto rushed forward, preparing to take on Itachi directly. His powerful jutsu, the Rasengan, swirled in his open palm. The clone of Itachi continued towards the group, performing several hand signs. Three other clones came into existence. Two of them picked up speed and jumped over Naruto. The two clones attacked Chiyo and Ino. The blond kunoichi was punched in the gut while the older kunoichi was kicked in the face. Both were sent flying, backs hitting trees behind him.
A shout of pain caused Mayu to shift her attention. Naruto lay on the ground, body riddled with shuriken. "NARUTO!" she shouted. The clones all turned in her direction. Slowly, they began walking her way. Blue eyes glanced to see her sensei on the ground as well. He wasn't moving. "So fast…!" Everything had happened in an instance. Itachi was definitely not a normal ninja. Wait a minute… She took a glance at Kakashi again. His body was turning to ash. Her eyes expanded. "Genjutsu…? Damn, how'd he get me? But it's normal, isn't it?"
Mayu closed her eyes. This wasn't like the jutsu Kakashi had tried to pull on her and Naruto before. This was all in her head—everything. Her comrades probably didn't know that she was trapped. She opened her eyes again. Only one Itachi stood before her now. Mayu warily took several steps back. Itachi merely stared at her, no longer walking forward. "This is the worst genjutsu ever!"
"It is not my intention to cause mental strain… Not this time," Itachi told her. "I only wished to speak with you in privacy."
"Why would you want to do that, traitor?" Mayu practically hissed.
"I see that you remember now... About what happened to your family." Anger appeared in Mayu's eyes. If Itachi saw her hand coming, he made no move to dodge it.
The Uchiha's face remained expressionless even as his right cheek began turning red. Slowly, he opened his eyes and turned his head towards the kunoichi again. Smacking Uchiha Itachi was a little risky, but considering the situation, Mayu didn't really care at the moment. "Y-You...! How dare you speak of my family in that casual tone!" she yelled. "After what you did...! How could you do that to us and not even care? I-I thought...! I thought you loved it there! Why did you do it? Why did you kill our-"
"Do you wish to end my life?" Itachi interrupted.
"What?" Her hysteric rant was cut short. For a moment, she only stared at the man, eyebrows furrowed. "Do I want to end your life?" Finally, she shook her head. "No…" The corners of her lips upturned. She scoffed. "That would be too easy, wouldn't it?" A slow sigh came from her mouth. "No," she repeated. "Itachi, I hope you live as long as possible and remember each moment you spent with my family. I want… you to suffer for being involved with the annihilation of my clan. Suffer for destroying your oasis. Live long, cling to your hopeless life, and remember what you did." Briefly, Itachi's eyes widened.
"Mayu," the Uchiha frowned.
"Despite what you have done, in the end, I'd probably forgive you." The corner of her eyes began stinging. She hated that feeling. "Because after all I've been through because of you, I know things. You can't fool me. You're in pain. You're constantly in pain. That pain won't disappear until you die. Suffer to your dying day, Itachi." His red eyes averted for a moment.
"You've become callous, Mayu-chan."
"Getting eight years worth of memories back in a mere few minutes could do that to a person, don't you agree?" The kunoichi's hands clenched at her sides. "Release me from this genjutsu. I have nothing more to say to you. I would rather not hear you speak either."
"But you're still so stubborn."
"I have no time for you, anymore. You are the precious person of my past. The precious person of my present is waiting," Mayu continued as though Itachi did not speak. "Gaara-kun needs me again."
"You've changed another?" Itachi narrowed his eyes. "Tell me, did you try to do the same with my foolish little brother." Mayu's left eye twitched.
"Apparently I did, but it didn't work. Uchiha Sasuke could not be changed, and that's your fault," she answered. "You've turned him into a traitor—just like you. Perhaps one day you two will fight and end up killing each other, ridding this world of Uchiha blood forever."
"I see… That is… disappointing to hear," Itachi said. The remark caused Mayu to blink, confused. What did that mean? "Very well. This was merely a waste."
Mayu's eyes suddenly widened as though she were struck by an invisible attack. However, she wasn't harmed—merely shocked back into reality. Well, there was a dull ache at the back of her head. Beside her, Ino lowered her hand. She had smacked the back of her head. "What the hell, Ino?" she yelled.
"You weren't moving! You were under his genjutsu! I helped you, you know!" Ino yelled right back. The sudden comical fight had come to an end before things heated up due to Chiyo telling them to shut up and focus. Both younger kunoichi blinked, and then did as they were told. Kakashi was standing in front of them. Naruto remained by their side, along with Chiyo.
"Naruto, follow my lead!" Kakashi commanded.
"Uh—excuse me?"
"Sorry, sorry, I met both of you follow me lead," the jounin amended after hearing the offended tone in the dark-haired kunoichi's voice.
"Damn right you did!"
Kakashi raced towards the Uchiha. Itachi only formed several hand seals in preparation of countering the ninja from the Leaf. "Fire Style!" Itachi placed his fingers near his lips. "Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu!" Multiple balls of fire rushed at the oncoming jounin. Kakashi, though, managed to dodge them all. As expected of the silver-haired man. His last dodge left Kakashi in mid air. This left room for Itachi to attack again. "Fire Style!" His aim was for the rest of the group. "Fireball Jutsu!"
Ino immediately stood in front of the group. Her hands swiftly performed the proper seals. "Earth Style!" Her palms slammed against the ground. "Mud Wall!" A giant pillar of Earth rose from the ground, shielding herself and the rest of the squad from the massive fireball, coming their way. "Earth is resistant to fire," she thought, smirking. She felt the impact of the ball of fire against her Earth jutsu. To her surprise, the impact of the elements was powerful enough to make the entire ground quake. The fire jutsu was stopped, but it had destroyed her wall before fading. "What a strong technique…"
"Good work, Ino!" Kakashi appeared by her side with his original jutsu in hand. Once again, the man ran towards the enemy. Itachi didn't seem too impressed with the electrical jutsu. "Raikiri!" The jounin shouted out the name of the attack as he thrust his arm forward. The Uchiha, staring blankly, merely dodged the direct hit by jumping up. His eyebrow twitched once before he looked up. Coming down with his Rasengan was Naruto, aiming to take Itachi down at that moment. However, the enemy was merely a clone. It had disappeared right before the impact with the ground. A crater was made, but Naruto quickly ran into the forest for cover, not stopping to admire his destruction.
"Damn! I thought I could get him from behind when he got distracted by Kakashi!" he thought, landing on his knees near a tree. He narrowed his eyes. "Fighting against the Sharingan is hard, after all. I might not be able to get good information if it goes on like this."
"Naruto."
The blond seriously had to swallow the girlish scream that would have come out had he not slapped a palm over his mouth. After he calmed down, he shifted his gaze to his right. On her hands and knees was Ishikari Mayu. She had effectively snuck up on him. The kunoichi really was good at stealth. "Don't do that! Not to me!" Mayu glared at him.
"Sorry about that, but I had to let you know something," she said.
"What?" Naruto whispered back.
"I just love being left out!" The sarcasm in her voice actually made the shinobi flinch. "It makes me feel all warm and bubbly on the inside." Yup, that was definitely sarcasm. Before Naruto could apologize for his mistake—really, it was Kakashi's, too—the sound of the ground crumbling reached their ears. The two returned their attention to the fight at the forest's edge.
"Kakashi-sensei! Nice job!" Naruto complimented. The jounin had shot up through the ground, fist aiming to upper-cut Itachi. He hadn't worked, leaving the two shinobi centimeters away from another, locking one another in place. "Mayu, it's almost time."
"Ah!" Mayu nodded her head in understanding.
"Go for it!" Kakashi gave the signal. The two teens leapt up and dashed towards the clearing. Naruto hurriedly created a clone while Mayu formed hand signs. They broke though the forest, powerful jutsu at the ready. Blue flames swirled around the ball of chakra, enhancing Tsukeru to a devastating point. The combo attack managed to actually hit the Uchiha, whom seemed quite surprised. The clone of Kakashi disappeared, leaving Itachi to take all the damage. Blood spilled from the enemy's mouth and splattered against their skin. This caused them to look towards his mouth.
"He's…!" Naruto thought.
"Smiling…?" Mayu's eyes expanded in shock.
Once they're techniques and destruction ended, the two teens merely stood there, waiting for the dust to settle. Ino, Chiyo, and Kakashi caught up to them. The group walked over to where the body had been thrown. Seeing the body, they could only stare in horror. "I thought something felt odd as I was fighting him," Kakashi remarked. He slipped his forehead protector over his Sharingan. "So this was the reason…?" On the ground was a completely different person. It was not the man they had been fighting.
"Is that why he smiled?" Naruto thought.
"So you're still out there, suffering, Itachi?" Mayu took a glance at the surrounding area. There was nothing. Her focus turned back to the dead body. "Just what kinda technique was it? Something like this… it could've fooled anyone. I mean, Itachi knew me, but it wasn't him all along."
"This man is…" Chiyo stuttered. This caused everyone to look her way. Kakashi asked if she had known him. Beads of cold sweat rolled down her face. Ino suddenly snapped her fingers.
"Ah! I know him, too!" she stated. "It's Yuura-san!" Naruto blinked, asking how Ino knew about the guy. "Well, you don't spend two months in the Sand without knowing. He's a jounin from the village," she answered. "I didn't particularly know him, though. Gaara… The Kazekage had him on his council. I've seen his face a couple of times."
"The girl is correct. He went missing right before Gaara was kidnapped," Chiyo confirmed. "But I don't want to believe that he was a spy. He served on the village's council for four years." She narrowed her eyes as she took out a writing utensil and paper. "This is obviously a way to buy them more time." She began writing. "If they're using such a powerful jutsu just to delay us… There's no doubt about it. They've already begun extracting the Bijuu."
"Bijuu…?" Mayu repeated in a questioning manner. "What's that?"
"There's no time. We need to save the Kazekage right away," Kakashi stated.
"No, no, no!" Ino exclaimed. "Extracting the Bijuu? What's that mean? Can they actually do that?"
"Most likely, they plan on making another Jinchuuriki from Shukaku, the Ichibi," Chiyo murmured. She seemed way too nonchalant about the situation. "Through sealing jutsu, the Bijuu's powers were suppressed, and the nations tried to control them that way. Those with Bijuu sealed within them, like Gaara, are called Jinchuuriki. These people gain unimaginable power. Including Gaara, there have been three people in the Sand's history who have been the hosts of Shukaku." The old kunoichi stopped writing, rolled up the scroll and took out another small scroll. She threw it to the ground, unrolling it. With one hand, she created a hand sign. A small puff of smoke appeared.
After the smoke cleared, a toy bird was there. Chiyo picked up the wooden bird and turned the key on its back. The mouth of the bird opened, leaving the elderly ninja to place the paper she had been writing on into its mouth. The bird hastily flew away. Most watched it go until it was out of sight. Ino, however, glared at the ground with her hands balled into fists. "The wars of the past were probably started by using Jinchuuriki, haven't they?" It sounded as though she was trying desperately to hold back her anger.
"This is correct."
"Then what about the people who become Jinchuuriki?" Ino demanded to know. "If they were so good for the nations, why did the burden land on Gaara? Why did it take three times? What happened to the other ones?"
"The other Jinchuuriki of the Sand village had the Shukaku extracted from them," Chiyo explained.
"And?" Honestly, Ino was losing her patience. Mayu remained quiet, but she, too, was getting irritated by Chiyo's slow way of talking.
"Jinchuuriki who have their Bijuu extracted…" the older kunoichi said. "… Die."
Well, I've got nothing to say about this chapter. Definitely going to be changes in the next one, though. Stick around for it. Review, too.