AN: Holy Crap. +4,000 views!?! You guys are the most awesome audience ever, thanks! I'm sorry this one is so late. I was trying to get this out around Christmas, but we see how that turned out. ^.^0 Truth be told, I got writer's block this time. I hate writing action scenes just because of that. I've been in a fight, so how the fight goes on in my head is very difficult to identify and put to words for me. Oh well. And the next chapter is almost finished, considering that one was already half written, so that should be up soon.

And to Me and Gaara 4ever, Glad you're excited. ^.^

And to Thomas Drovin, Haha, she is probably the one who wears the pants in the partnership, yes. ^.^

And to Repentless Wind, Well, I hope I don't disappoint you with this one. But there should be some good action in this one.

And to Azura Soul Reaver, Thanks.

And I to my fav.+ and alerts+, TheEnchantinNinjaPenguin, nightshadow04, todo-mahem, sesshoumarusmate54, 102oceanblu, and grayRay, I wanna welcome you guys to the group. ^.^

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill. Oh, and Kirigi belongs to Thomas Drovin, which I'm very grateful he's letting me use. Thanks a bunch!!!

Chapter Five: And So It Begins

You see anything? Fred asked Cherokee. Each of the girls had set their dragons out to help look for this Katsumi. A message had been sent to each of the groups of what she should look like, but the description set uneasiness about all of them. Kakashi, Gaara, Sasuke, and Neji had all been given head sets to keep up communication between them since they were all so far apart.

No, Cherokee answered. I'm starting to think she's not out here, that this Aneko girl was just spooked by a memory.

Maybe, Fred replied.

"What'd she say?" Kankuro asked.

"She hasn't seen her," Fred answered. Kankuro and Kakashi nodded and looked away. "Cherokee and I are starting to think this Katsumi isn't really here." They turned back towards her, giving her a strange look. "Haven't you guys ever had a nightmare or a reoccurring memory that scared you out of your mind? I know you have, Kankuro, so don't lie," she pointed out just as he was about to say no.

"Gaara says he has," Kakashi replied stoically, obviously hearing him say it over the radio.

"Well, that one was a no brainer," Fred stated sarcastically. "Why else would he be an insomniac for sixteen years?" Kakashi looked down, biting his lip.

"So, you're saying that Katsumi is in her mind?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes!" They heard a girl over the head set say. Kakashi was holding the ear piece away from his ear in pain. "That explains the whole situation on so many levels!"

"What do you mean?" Fred asked.

"It means, I think Katsumi is literally in Aneko's mind. When I saw her, I could sense that the main part of her was beyond scared, maybe even flighty. But I also sensed that there was an underlying darkness, like she was suppressing something. And think about the description. It's exactly like hers, but her brown eye is livelier than her blue one," Lynne stated.

"Are you suggesting she's like a jinchuuriki?" Gaara asked incredulously.

"Not necessarily," Lynne stated in an unsure tone. "I was told it was possible I had that disorder when I was little, but instead I was told I'm just bipolar." Suddenly she went quiet, then added, "Why can't I remember the name of it? It's right on the tip of my tongue. Oh my God, what the Hell?"

"Multiple Personalities?" Cordi asked. "Don't give me that look," she growled, obviously to Gaara.

"That's the one!" Lynne exclaimed. "What if Aneko is the main personality? She's quiet, sweet, and wouldn't harm a fly. Then you have Katsumi, this evil version of Aneko, every dark thought she had coalesced into this darkness that Aneko has no idea about. It's possible she had seen Katsumi's damage, but didn't know who was doing it, until now. And that's what's haunting her! It's like a modern day Dr. Jekyl/Mr. Hyde."

"I'm still confused. How is this different from a jinchuuriki?" Gaara asked. "Wouldn't Katsumi be a demon, like the Kyuubi or the Shukaku?"

"And who the heck are Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde?" Kankuro asked.

"No," Cordi stated over his question. Fred sent him a sorry look and said she'd explain later. "She's still completely human. This just happens because of a mutation in the DNA creating chemicals in the brain, forcing thoughts and personalities. One of the personalities isn't forced into one person, like a jinchuuriki. It's created by the person it inhabits. Aneko most likely has all the same powers as Katsumi, she just doesn't use them or doesn't know they exist. Also when one personality is in control, the other one has no idea of what's going on. It's like the other personality is in a coma or doesn't even exist. So when Aneko is in control, Katsumi has no idea what's going on, and vice versa, unlike a jinchuuriki, because the demon is able to see and comment on what's going on at the moment," She finished explaining, taking a deep breath.

"And to answer your question, Kankuro," Roxanne entered, "They are characters in a famous book in our world. Dr. Jekyl was a scientist who created this serum, and tested it on himself, accidentally transforming him into this grotesque version of himself called Mr. Hyde. Although, the serum he used gave him super strength and a nasty habit of killing things."

"Thanks," Kankuro replied, smiling at the slightly disappointed Fred, who just shrugged.

"That's great and all, but that means Katsumi is in the hospital, and we're on guard for nothing," Neji stated over the line.

"Well, she might not be awake at the moment," Lynne replied.

"RASENGAN!!!" they heard from the center of the village, followed by a loud boom, turning all their attention back towards the center of town.

"I'm gonna guess she's awake and the fight's already started," Kakashi stated ironically. The rest of the groups had already jumped off their perches and ran towards the hospital.

"Are you missing me on purpose?" Katsumi laughed, standing right behind him.

How the Hell did she get so fast? Naruto asked himself. She was dodging each of his precision based attacks, which was nearly impossible for the average ninja. She wasn't even supposed to be a ninja in the first place. How the hell did she acquire all of these abilities? He saw her take out a small pill, then pop it quickly in her mouth.

She flourished her knife again, letting it sparkle in the moonlight. She gave him a maniacal smile, then said, "My turn now." She launched forward, slashing at him. He quickly jumped back, barely dodging her blow. A loud boom in Aneko's hospital room distracted him enough for her to slice his face slightly. "That's for not paying attention to me," she hissed, smirking at his surprised face.

"Your form is completely deplorable," Kirigi informed, looking at the hole that was the wall. He swung his walking stick like the thin switch it was against her back as she turned around, making blood well up on her skin.

Her age was catching up to her. She had used up all her chakra without rest that day from normal hospital procedures. He also had broken her left shoulder, rendering that arm useless, with her own technique, already. He charged his walking stick several times when swinging it, breaking several of her ribs. She was hardly breathing correctly. She knew she wasn't going to last long. She needed reinforcements, but they were unlikely to show up. She had asked them to be on watch at the border. This was all her fault. Everything was her fault. Her little brother had died because she couldn't protect him. The love of her life died because she couldn't save him. She had given the order which had gotten her oldest friend killed. And now, she was going to join them because she was ill-equipped to protect herself. A lonely tear slid down her cheek at the prospect.

"Come now. This is all I can get from the surviving Legendary Sanin?" Kirigi asked, laughing at her. "This is pitiful." He gave another mighty swing of his red and white walking stick, drawing more blood and knocking her down. "I'm growing tired of this," he shrugged, just before creating three shadow clones.

She rose to her knee looking around the hospital room. She was surrounded by the Kirigi clones, which had made three more, making seven. Suddenly, Tsunade had a feeling she wasn't going to make it through this fight. She didn't let the fear get to her. Instead, she let it fuel her into fighting one last bout. She definitely wasn't going down without a fight.

Kirigi smiled at her determination. "You know, you're attitude will only get you killed now." She didn't back down to his words. If she was dying, she was planning on taking him with her. He nodded to his clones, and they launched into an attack on the fifth Hokage. She threw punches at each of them, making the vast number of them disintegrate with little puffs of clouds. One got the upper hand on her, though. She had been blinded by the swinging of her punches, not focusing on where everyone was and what they were doing. That one sloppy mistake was led to her end, and she knew it. A sloppy foolish mistake. One. Kirigi gave Tsunade a well placed punch to the face, hearing and feeling the crack of her nose under his fist. She coughed and sputtered with the blood flowing down her throat. He then landed another well placed upper cut, hearing her jaw pop out of place. She let out a hurt groan. "Now, I'm going to end this," he stated. She was still sputtering, trying hard to not breathe in the blood freely flowing down her throat and mouth. She felt as if she had been hit with a sledge hammer in the face. She was barely able to open her eyes through the pain, but when she did, she was able to see him run at her, his walking stick poised in a lance-like position. She barely got half a gasp as he rammed his walking stick through her chest, piercing her heart. Her eyes were wide as visions of her life passed through her mind's eye.

Is this it? she asked herself. She knew the answer, but she was somewhat disappointed at it. She couldn't figure out what exactly she had done that was meaningful to anyone else in her life. Even though she had become Hokage and revolutionized the medical community. But what else? Suddenly, Naruto flashed through her mind. That's right. I helped Naruto achieve his dream. I've made Sakura grow from an innocent young girl that couldn't harm anything but Naruto, into a strong woman who doesn't take any shit. She has saved thousands of lives with her medical training. I've led a good life. I've led a good li –…"

Kirigi smiled as he heard Tsunade's lungs push out the last of her air. He took out his walking stick, then kicked her through the open wall, watching her fall down to the ground. He took off his fedora, and placed it over his heart, bowing a little to her. He then jumped down and waited for Katsumi's fight to end.

Naruto couldn't stop gawking at Tsunade's fallen body. Katsumi took his opening and slashed again, taking him out of his reverie, giving him a slash on his right cheek. He jumped back, eyes wide. Tsunade was one of the strongest people he knew, and they had taken her down within fifteen minutes. He was serious about the fight originally, but the severity of the fight had just hit him like a moving train. He didn't want to have to use the Wind Shurikan, considering the damage done to him was pretty bad too, but he wasn't seeing any other ways out.

"Hurry up, Katsumi. It shouldn't take too long to capture him," Kirigi snapped from the sidelines. As soon as he said it, Naruto began to formulate a plan to weaken her, creating two shadow clones standing behind him, creating a normal Rasengan in his left hand.

"You're welcome to help if you feel you can," Katsumi hissed back, lunging at the young Hokage. He spun around, dodging the attack, then reached out and grabbed the hilt of the knife and her hand with his free hand in a death-like grip, holding her steady in one spot. He quickly followed through with his Rasengan to her gut. Surprise shown on her face as he let her go and she was whirled into the hospital doors with a loud boom and the tinkling of shattered glass. That should do it. he thought.

Quickly, he turned to Kirigi as if he was going to fight him next, only to see him smiling. "What's so amusing!?" Naruto growled. As soon as the question left his lips, her heard rustling coming from the rubble of concrete and class from Katsumi crashing into the hospital. His head snapped over to see Katsumi getting up, a huge victorious smirk across her face. That's not possible. he thought, feeling fear beat through his heart. He should have been prepared for something like this. He didn't have any clones in sage mode at the moment because there hadn't been any issues like this in years. "How the Hell?" Naruto whispered to himself.

"You think the armor I wear is for show?" Katsumi laughed. "It's completely chakra resistant. Your Rasengan may have pushed me back to the hospital, but it only felt like a light punch against it." Naruto set his jaw and bit his inner cheek. This was bad. He REALLY didn't want to use the Wind Shurikan, but the aspect of winning the fight without it was looking grim. Katsumi's smirk quickly transformed into an evil grin as she realized he had no more moves that he was willing to use. "Looks like I've got you cornered," she laughed, pulling out a knife from her pack. She tossed it up, catching it by the tip of its blade, and threw it at him with incredible speed.

"Shit!" he cursed, not having enough time to dodge. Suddenly, he saw as the knife just suddenly dropped out of the air, bouncing backwards as if hit by some invisible force.

"Whew. That was close," he heard Lynne sigh. She stood there with the rest of the watch party on the hospital roof.

"Yeah, a little too close for my taste," Kakashi stated, not liking the fact that it took them what seemed to be forever to get there. During their run here, the seconds seemed to tick by like hours.

As soon as he heard the other party, Kirigi ran for the hills. His footsteps fast and carrying him at incredible speeds. "Shit! There he goes!" Cordi cursed, jumping off the building chasing the Akatsuki members.

"Kankuro, Temari, with us!" Gaara called to them, moving the sand cloud he stood on forward after Cordi and Kirigi. They nodded, and launched themselves off the building, following their brother.

Lynne jumped down, holding the force field in place. "Kakashi, Neji, take Naruto out of here," she ordered. "Your assistance won't be needed if her armor is chakra resistant." They nodded, jumping down to grab the young Hokage and escorting him out of the vicinity. "I'll fight you first," Lynne stated, glaring at the girl before her.

Katsumi gave an evil sneer in return. "This should be fun," she chuckled maniacally. She then ran forward, forcing Lynne to drop back while Katsumi grabbed her kitchen knife.

"Where did he go?" Cordi asked herself. When she reached the woods surrounding the city, the blind ninja had disappeared. Gaara caught up with her, and gave her an expectant look. "I'm sorry, I lost him. He is fast for an old guy," she explained.

"Well, Akatsuki didn't recruit him for nothing," Gaara stated obviously. He instantly grimaced as the tone of his words rang through his ears.

"No need to get smart," Cordi snapped back. He didn't have a retort, and could only bite his lower lip. She took a deep breath to cool down for a second and gain a level head. As soon as she did, she noticed she was on a cloud of sand with Gaara, as a massive amount of sand swept under them, sweeping through the forest. "What are you doing?"

"Flushing him out," he stated with no hint of emotion.

"What if he went back into Konoha?" Cordi asked skeptically.

"I sent Temari and Kankuro to get Shikamaru, Rox, Ronni, and Fred for wall security as soon as I saw him heading for the gate," he informed her, twisting the sea of sand beneath them into making more sand and covering the entire forest. "Kakashi also had Lynne send out a mass psychic message to Konohan ninja's to watch the walls in case of anymore attacks on our way over. He's not getting back in." Cordi nodded and watched the sand swarm the ground beneath them towards the horizon.

"I can't believe you fooled us like that," Lynne gasped between dodges. If Lynne had any strength, it was in defense, not attacking. Lynne barely got a hit in the entire time. She had been jumping back at every slice through the air.

"What are you talking about?" Katsumi hissed, giving another slash at her opponent.

"When you pretended to be Aneko, your other personality," Lynne growled, her tolerance for the girl in front of her growing thin.

"Oh, you mean when I slipped up suppressing her," Katsumi snarled. Lynne wasn't expecting that, and it showed on her face as her face faltered with confusion. "We need not worry abou-"

Suddenly, the expression on Katsumi's face altered, from confusion to pain. "KILL ME!!" a higher, more innocent voice begged out of the murderer's lips. Lynne was taken aback. She recognized it instantly as Aneko. Lynne started shaking her head lightly, confused by what she was seeing. "PLEASE! DO IT!!!" she screamed at Lynne. "I can't hold her back much longer! DO IT!" Lynne was just about to take her opening when suddenly, Lynne's conscience snapped and she realized something. This Aneko was just like her. When Lynne excessively used her powers, she went evil because every time she used them, she could feel her soul ripping apart. Aneko was an innocent girl who couldn't suppress this evil being inside her when she was scared. And suddenly it dawned on Lynne, Aneko shouldn't have to be a sacrifice to kill Katsumi. If Lynne used too much of her own power, should she ask her friends to kill her to prevent her from going on a rampage? Her friends wouldn't do it, that she was sure of.

"LYNNE!!! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?!?!" Sasuke yelled at her, hoping to snap her out of her reverie as long as their target was still willing to die.

"I can't do it," Lynne muttered almost inaudibly. But Aneko was able to hear her.

"You have to!" Aneko stated. "Hurry! Before she comes back!"

"I can't do that to you," Lynne stated, shaking her head. Lynne's eyes were wide, but compassionate. "I will save you. I promise."

Just as Lynne said this, Aneko's face fell to a hopeless expression, and then twisted in pain again. "YOU WRETCHED GIRL!!!" Katsumi yelled at Aneko, trying her hardest to take control again. They heard Sasuke jump down from his perch as soon as Katsumi started to manifest. "Dammit!" she cursed, reaching for something in her bag and quickly throwing it. Smoke billowed around them, making Lynne and Sasuke cough, trying to keep the smoke away from their lungs. Their eyes burned from the stinging gas, making them tear up. They couldn't see anything.

It took a couple seconds for the gas to clear, and when it did, Katsumi was gone. "Dammit," Lynne cursed to herself, pursing her lips in rage at herself. "DAMMIT!!"

AN: Oh, surprises. I bet none of you saw Tsunade's fall coming did you? Anyway, please review, cause you know I love them and it's impossible to have enough of them. Thanks guys, and until next time. ^.^