Chapter 10

"That was quiet a trick you pulled. Was it challenging?"

Akari stared out the open window. The curtains swayed lightly against the breeze. The village was lively outside and she could hear the villagers going about their day. She caught a glimpse of a black bird as it soared by. Smiling she focused her attention back to her task. Her equipment lay scattered on her hospital bed. She picked up a few medical supplies and placed them neatly in her rucksack.

"Naruto said I only stood there for like a minute. But in my head it seemed like an hour had gone by. As soon as I realized it could be done, I understood how to do it. Thing is, the monster didn't make it easy for me. He took some convincing. The other issue was how much chakra it required."

Kakashi leaned casually against the wall watching her pack. He seemed to be deep in thought at her answer. After a few moments of silence, she looked up at him curiously.

"What are you thinking?" She asked.

"Do you believe…no…never mind." He shrugged.

"Kakashi Sensei!" She rolled her eyes. "What is it?"

"Very well."

He took a small pause.

"You were able to control the Nine-Tails inside Sora correct?"

"Um…yeah?" She rose an eyebrow.

"Could you do the same with Naruto?"

Akari blinked in surprise. She stared at him dumbfounded. The man stared back at her calmly. As if he had just asked her to pass the salt or something! Finally, she shook her head.

"No. Definitely no."

Kakashi pushed himself off the wall. He walked over and stood directly in front of her, hands in his pockets.

"No you can't do it, or no you don't want to?" He didn't take his uncovered eye off her.

Akari's gaze didn't falter. Her eyes didn't leave his as she spoke.

"I can't. Sora only had a small amount of the Kyuubi's chakra. Even then it still took some effort to get it under my control. I passed out immediately after so clearly it took a lot. Naruto may only have half of its chakra but it's still a lot more than what Sora had."

"Half? How do you know that?" Kakashi questioned.

"The Hokage. She found some old documents written by the Third. She figured it would be a good idea to let me know all I could about the Nine-tails. Seeing as how I'm an Uchiha who also happens to be in good terms with the Akatsuki."

"So you know that the Fourth is…"

She nodded. He motioned for her to continue.

"Anyways, I know my limit. Minato may have split it in half, but Naruto still holds a great deal of the Kyuubi's chakra. Sora merely had a few remains of it left behind from its attack on the village. So you see, there is a huge difference between them. The amount of power Naruto has…It's immense. It's too much for me to handle and I'm not stupid enough to even try."

Kakashi contemplated her answer for a moment.

"But, if you could. Would you do it?" He finally asked.

Akari regarded him carefully before letting out a sigh. She turned away from the man and finished her packing.

"Yes. Yes I would. When I first heard that I could do something so great I didn't think I was capable of controlling Naruto." She told him.

"And now?"

"Naruto has no control. The fact that he had to use pain to keep the fox at bay proves as much. Also the experience you older ninja have had with him. If he were to gain control on his own then I wouldn't even consider it. But as he is now, he's dangerous. If I got stronger…strong enough to handle that much power…I would use it. If controlling Naruto means protecting this village, then yes I would do it."

"That's a smart answer." He nodded.

"Yes. It is."

Akari and Kakashi turned to the speaker. Lady Tsunade had entered the room and closed the door behind her.

"But let's just pray that you never have to." She muttered.

Akari nodded in agreement.

"So. Are you ready?"

"Yep." She grinned.

"Very well. You should be on your way then. Itachi's damn raven has been flapping around outside the hospital for the past two days! It's starting to creep out the other patients." Lady Tsunade grumbled.

"Yeah I noticed." Akari chuckled. "I'll get going so that the Akatsuki don't begin to wonder why I'm late."

"Alright. Just be careful out there with those bastards. And make sure to stop by the Fire Temple and warn that monk you saw okay. It's bad enough we couldn't warn the Two-Tails, we might as well help the poor man."

"No problem."

Kakashi and the Hokage wished her luck and saw themselves out. Picking up her rucksack, she hung it on her shoulders. Then she grabbed her A.N.B.U mask and carried it with her as she left the hospital. As soon as she walked outside, a voice called out her name. She smiled at the girl approaching.

"Sakura. What's up?"

"Heard you're heading out today. Sora is too so I figured I'd walk with you and hit two birds with one stone." Sakura grinned.

"Is he? The Fire Temple?" Akari said as Sakura fell into step with her.

"No. He plans to travel and see the world! I'm excited for him."

"Is that why Naruto and Sai aren't in their hospital beds right now?"

"Yep. They should already be at the front gate along with Yamato. How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good thanks."

"You probably healed so fast because of the medical justu lessons I've been giving you. If you would come by more often I could teach you a lot more you know." Sakura rose an eyebrow.

"Thanks but you taught me enough." Akari smiled.

Atleast she hoped it was. There may come a day when she would have to save an Uchiha. Which one, she wasn't certain of just yet.

"Akari?"

She glanced at the pink-haired girl beside her. Sakura seemed nervous.

"Yeah?"

"Um…the Chidori. How long have you known it?"

Akari wasn't surprised at the question. She had been expecting it actually.

"I managed to learn it a few months after Naruto left. After Mizuko…after she died. Kakashi taught it to me when he noticed I was compatible for it. "

"Compatible huh. Like Sasuke."

Akari nodded.

"So you've known it for a while. Why haven't I seen it till now?" Sakura wondered.

"Well. First off we don't ever go on missions together so there isn't much of a chance for you to. Second…I haven't used it till now."

Akari waved at Ino as they passed her store. Sakura did he same.

"Why not? It seems pretty useful."

"I…well I didn't feel comfortable using it. I got over it recently."

It didn't bother her anymore. The fact that she had the same technique as Sasuke. She hadn't used it before because it had reminded her to much of him. All it did was poor salt in her wounds from his departure. But now? She had met him again. Seen how changed he was. Using the Chidori didn't make her sad anymore. In fact, it made her feel nostalgic. Back to when he was a different person. And honestly she was angry at herself for not having used it before. It wasn't his technique. Kakashi used it plenty. The fact that she had deprived herself of such an awesome move over a guy irked her to no end. Curse Sasuke Uchiha for effecting her so.

"Akari?"

She blinked at Sakura. Had she said something?

"Huh?"

"I asked if…If you still loved him."

Akari stared at her in surprise. Did she still love him? Sasuke? Akari hesitated but not because she was unsure. Yeah, she was angry at the Uchiha at the moment. Yes, his demeanor and way of thinking pissed her off. But that didn't change how she felt. She didn't think anything could change that fact. She let out a small sigh and gave Sakura a small smile.

"Yes. Yes I do. You?"

Sakura stopped and stared down at her feet. They weren't far from the front gate and Akari could see Naruto's bright blonde hair from where they stood.

"You know, after he left, I was devastated. I loved him so much that I even offered to go with him. To help with his stupid revenge." Sakura muttered.

Akari didn't say anything. She knew as much. She had been there.

"Afterwards, Naruto left. I knew he would come back but still, I felt left behind. So I put all my efforts in becoming the best Medical Ninja I could be. To be like Lady Tsunade. In that time a thought came to me." Sakura bit her lip.

"What thought?" Akari asked.

"What if Sasuke never came back? What would I do then?"

She glanced at Akari and then took a deep breath.

"I…well. I knew how Naruto felt about me. So I thought…what if I loved him instead. What if I forgot about Sasuke and returned Naruto's feelings. Sure it would take some time, but if I started a relationship with him there might come a day when I loved him too."

Akari stared at her in shock.

"This was before I realized how strongly Hinata felt about him. I knew she had a crush but I assumed that's all it was. And then Naruto came back. I saw that what she felt was love. Not only that but he felt the same. That's when I realized that it was too late. Naruto had moved on. In the end I hated myself for even considering being with him. All I would be doing is using him to forget his best friend."

Akari nodded. She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about this.

"Anyways. I knew there was no way he felt that way towards me anymore. He has Hinata. Then I saw just how strong he had gotten. I grew hopeful again. Naruto just might be strong enough bring him back. To keep his promise he made me years ago. I might not have to forget Sasuke."

Akari began to fidget a little. Where was Sakura going with this?

"My hope grew even more when we found him again. We had finally found him again! And yet…he wasn't who we once knew. He nearly killed us. Us, who used to be his teammates. It broke my heart. Once again I had doubts. But Naruto didn't. He still believes we can bring him back. But at that point I wasn't sure what I felt for Sasuke anymore. It was all so confusing."

Sakura stared at Akari. The she frowned.

"Akari, what I'm trying to say is…I still love him too. No matter what I try I still love him. Lately I've been hanging out more with Lee to see if I can get over him. It's not working. I was sure it would but then I saw your Chidori. It reminded me so much of him that it hurt. That pain made me realize that my feelings can't just go away because I want them too. What I'm getting at is…if he were to come back…you would have to fight for him. I can tell that you won't let him go that easily but I want you to know that neither will I. Because we are the same me and you."

At that point Akari had gotten the picture. And she wasn't feeling very friendly toward Sakura at the moment. She wasn't angry though. Just annoyed. She knew that the girl still had feeling for Sasuke. It was obvious. What she hadn't realized was how confident Sakura was about her chances against her. Looking at her now, Akari began to worry. Maybe Sakura could take her place next to Sasuke.

But she understood that in the end it was Sasuke's choice. And he won't be making that choice until he returned. Still. Sakura had just told her how strongly she felt for the Uchiha. As if her feelings were stronger than Akari's. That was just not possible.

"No. We are not the same. You see there is a big difference between us."

Sakura was taken aback by Akari's harsh tone. She couldn't help it. She felt threatened. And she didn't deal well with threats.

"You see. I never once tried to erase my feelings for him. Yes. Yes, I've had doubts. I've doubted who he was now and whether we would ever get him back. There was a moment where I believed we had lost him. But not once did I try to forget him. Not once did I think I could just find someone else and move on."

Sakura's face fell.

"Also. It may not seem like it but I'm working on bringing him back. I'm doing something! I'm not standing by waiting for Naruto to magically fix everything!"

"What? I'm not…"

Akari didn't let her finish. Realizing that her voice had been rising she pulled it back a notch. No need to start a fight over something that hadn't even been decided yet.

"Look Sakura. I'm going to tell you something. If there is a chance that he will be with me than I'm going to take it. You're right in saying that I won't let him go that easily. But that doesn't mean I won't stand down if I have to. Honestly I believe there is chance he will choose you instead of me. I'm not going to deny it."

"What do you mean?" Sakura muttered.

"What I'm doing out there could prove too much for him to handle and I might end up pushing him away. But that won't stop me from bringing him home. Even if it means seeing him with you. Why? Because I love him. And his well-being and happiness matters more to me than my own. And if his happiness is with you than that's fine. So you see Sakura. We're not the same. We may love the same man, but we are not the same."

"You think I don't love him as much as you? That I care more about what I want then what he does?"

Akari could tell that Sakura was getting angry. This conversation might not end well.

"I never said that. I'm just saying that we show our love for him in different ways."

Sakura thought about this for a moment. Then she gave Akari a scrutinizing look.

"Will you really back down? It won't matter to you if he chooses me?" The girl muttered.

Akari nearly slapped her. If she hadn't started a friendship with this girl, she would have.

"Of course it will matter! The pain would be stronger than anything I've ever felt! But I'm willing to endure it if it means he is happy. Look Sakura, instead of worrying about the future worry about what's going on right now. Sasuke isn't home yet. He is still out there. So what matters to me at this moment is bringing him home. What happens after…well I'm not going to worry about that right now."

Sakura looked as if she wanted to say more. Akari's speech had obviously ticked her off. But instead she let out long sigh.

"You're right. We will cross that bridge when we come to it. And we are not the same. We may both love him but we handle our feelings differently."

"That we do."

Akari felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Even Sakura seemed to look like she was no longer carrying a heavy burden. They needed this. For three years they never spoke of the boy they shared a love for. It was a relief to finally put it all out there. The two girls walked side by side towards the front gate.

"You said you're out there doing something. Could you tell me what it is?" Sakura gave her sideways glance.

"No. Sorry." She muttered.

"Ok. But seeing as how you're out there working to get him back does that mean you don't trust Naruto to do it?"

"It's not that. I believe Naruto is very capable of bringing him back. But you and I both said it. Sasuke is different now. So there is also a chance Naruto won't be enough. Sasuke may need an extra push." Akari explained.

"I hope you can give him that extra push. I really do." Sakura barely whispered.

They were silent as they approached Naruto and the others. The three boys were still covered in bandages but that didn't seem to bother them. Ten… or um Yamato…gave them a polite nod.

"You came to see me off too Akari?" Sora smiled.

"Actually, I'm on my way out as well." She smiled back.

"Really? Where are you headed?" Sai asked.

"Just another recon mission. Hopefully it doesn't take too long."

"How are you feeling though? Are you okay to head out so soon?" Naruto frowned.

"I'm fine. I feel like brand new really! Don't worry about it." She assured him.

"Okay. But maybe you should walk with Sora for a while. Just in case. He's still pretty beat up too." He told her.

"Hey! I can take care of myself thank you very much!" Sora complained.

"But still! This way you can help each other if someone we're to faint somewhere." Sakura nodded.

"Fine. I have no problem with it." The boy muttered.

"Ok. If it puts you guys at ease, I'll do it." Akari agreed.

Besides, she would only need to walk with him for a short time. Eventually she will separate from him and go in another direction. It was a good thing he wasn't going back to the Fire Temple.

Akari placed her mask firmly on her face. Even though she would be with Sora, she had to wear it. It was an A.N.B.U mission after all. And though it was unconventional for an A.N.B.U to stay on the roads, she agreed to stick with Sora. If only to relieve her friends of any worries they might have. Saying goodbye to her friends she followed Sora away from home.

It was silent for a while but Akari could tell Sora had something on his mind. He kept glancing at her and blushing when she would look his way. If she didn't know him she would think he had a crush on her. But that wasn't it. It was more like he was embarrassed to say what he was thinking. Soon enough, Akari got annoyed and stopped.

"Okay. That's enough. What is bugging you?"

Sora stopped as well and stared at her in surprise. She rose in eyebrow and crossed her arms, urging him to speak. He fidgeted a little before taking a deep breath.

"Okay so I wanted to thank you for what you did. Bringing me out of it you know? Naruto and the others think you really didn't have much to do with it. All they saw was you walking up to me and then fainting."

Akari groaned to herself. Her friends probably thought she was weak or something! This was so embarrassing. The she grew worried. Sora hadn't mentioned anything to her about what happened even when he visited her at the hospital. She had been worried he would say something in front of everyone. When he didn't she figured that he didn't remember anything.

"They're right. I didn't do much. I thought I could handle it but the fox's chakra was too much and caused me to pass out." Akari chuckled nervously.

Better to sound like a weakling then let the truth out.

"Akari. I remember." Sora rolled his eyes.

"Oh. Like everything?" Akari said weakly.

"Yep. Red eyes and everything."

Akari let out a groan. She dropped to the ground and put her face in her hands.

"This is bad! This is so bad!" She muttered.

"Hey! Don't worry about it! I won't tell anyone. The others never mentioned it so I figured that it was your big secret. You don't want people knowing you're an Uchiha. I get it."

Akari peeked at him through her finger.

"You really won't say anything?"

"Nah. Besides. Lady Tsunade spoke to me while I was at the hospital. She explained how you being one of the last remaining Uchihas was a big deal. That only two remained besides you. Naruto's old teammate and his older brother. The Hokage mentioned something about you being involved in some big mission involving the two of them. She said that people finding out who you were could be dangerous for you."

Sora extended his arm out to her. She stared at it for a moment before grabbing it. He helped her to her feet.

"Anyways, your secret is safe with me. I just wanted you to know how grateful I am for what you did. If it hadn't been for you I could've seriously hurt somebody." He told her.

"You're welcome. I'm glad I could be of help."

He nodded and they continued on their way. It wasn't long before they reached a small creek. They chose to take a break seeing as how this was where they would part way. He was heading to the Land of Earth first. To see what adventures lay there. She would have to double back. They had passed the Fire Temple about an hour before. She didn't want him know where she was headed so she hadn't said anything. Instead she made him believe that her destination was still a bit farther ahead.

"So you're heading where exactly?" He wondered.

"Ugh, just a few leagues from here. It's a small village. Not well known."

He only nodded. Akari sat down against a large boulder and leaned back with a yawn. They hadn't made it far but she was still feeling some fatigue from her Mangekyo. He seemed tired as well. Hopefully he wouldn't push himself too far after they separated. She watched him as he knelt at the water's edge and refilled his container. Then she let herself close her eyes. Only for a moment. As soon as she did, Akari sensed his presence.

Akari's eyes flew open in alarm. She pushed herself up in time to see Sora fall to the ground, his container spilling over at his side. Sasuke stood over him with a smirk on his face, eyes blood-red. She took a few steps forward but paused. Sasuke's gaze had shifted to Akari. With a small smile, he stepped over Sora and made his way towards her. She pulled out her red-ribbon kunai and held it in front of her defensively. Sasuke stopped a few feet in front of her and rose an eyebrow.

"Do you plan to attack me with that, Akari?" He scoffed.

"How did you know it was me?" She muttered. So much for her mask.

"Really? Akari, I have memorized everything about you. Every part of you. The way you walk and talk. Your red-ribbon kunai. The way you hold it in your hand. You're fighting style. How you hold yourself. Your whole body, right down to the chakra flowing through it. Do you honestly believe a measly mask could keep your identity from me? With or without this?"

He rolled his eyes and tapped his temple with his finger. She blushed in embarrassment at her stupidity. Of course he knew who she was. His sharingan didn't allow for these kind of secrets. Then her blush deepened as her mind processed what he had said.

"You…you pay…um…attention to all those things? About…um…about me I mean." She stuttered.

God! Now she understood how Hinata used to be around Naruto! To think she always thought the girl had no reason to be shy. And now here she was barely able to get a word out. Especially with Sasuke staring at her the way he was. His eyes seemed to take in every inch of her causing her to feel self-conscious. A part of her wanted to jump behind the boulder and hide.

"It's kinda hard to ignore these things when you feel a certain way towards someone." He said huskily.

Sasuke took a step closer. She took a step back.

"Look." He continued. "I know we didn't part on a good note the last time. I upset you and for that I'm sorry."

Akari couldn't help but glare. He wasn't fazed. In fact he seemed amused by her anger.

"Of course you upset me! Talking about killing your friends and shit! Did you think I would just agree with it all and everything would go the way you wanted it to?"

She put up her kunai, even though she wanted to use it to wipe that smirk off his face. Then she crossed her arms and motioned towards Sora.

"And what did you do to him! You better not be hurting him in anyway Sasuke!" She scolded him.

The Uchiha glanced at the boy on the ground with no interest whatsoever.

"Is he important to you?" He asked. "If he is I may have to kill him."

She scowled at him daring him to try.

"He's fine. Just taking a nap." He said with a sigh.

"Good. Now what do you want Sasuke. I accept you apology but that doesn't mean I'm not still angry with you."

Akari refused to look at him. It would only make things harder for her. She felt stupid standing there. She didn't believe a word she had just said. Akari wished she was capable of staying angry but all she wanted to do was run at the boy and let him hold her! How pathetic was that? To think that she was at the mercy of some guy she happens to see once a blue moon! Her old self would scoff at who she was now.

"I was walking by when I noticed you with this loser over here. I need to tell you something."

"He is no loser! Leave him out of this! In fact, wake him up and get lost."

He took another step. Again she stepped back.

"No. I need to talk to you." He was starting to get annoyed.

Another step forward. Another step back and she felt the boulder press up against her back.

"Yeah? Well then spill. I don't have time to deal with you right now." She bit her lip.

"Fine. You want to act like child, I'll treat you like one. I'm going to talk and you're going to listen."

His annoyance had turned to anger. So had hers.

"A child! How dare…" She started.

He gave her a hard look. She swallowed, slightly intimidated. Only Slightly.

"Fine." She muttered.

He crossed the short distance between them. Akari had nowhere to go. Slowly he reached up and removed her mask. He let it drop to the ground and placed his hands on each side of her head against the rock keeping her where she stood. She was trapped between the Uchiha and the boulder. Her fists clenched at her side, she still refused to look at him. Instead she kept her head down not willing to face him. He was so close. She could sense that he wanted her to look at him. When he realized she wouldn't he scoffed in annoyance and began to speak.

"Alright. I'll be quick. Orochimaru is planning something soon. Something to do with some kid. Don't know what and frankly I don't care. I still have some planning of my own to do so I'm not going to involve myself in it. As soon as it's over though, I'm making my move. He will die. He is of no use to me anymore."

Akari bit her lip. She stared at her feet. It seemed like he was close to being ready. Ready to kill his brother.

"As soon as he is dealt with I will come for you."

Akari's head shot up. Sasuke stared at her in surprise. His eyes had lit up at her reaction. She was confused for a moment until she realized that she was smiling. She had smiled at his words. Akari was surprised at herself. She really did want to go with him. Even if it meant leaving the village.

"You'll go with me?" Sasuke said in disbelief.

The way he gazed at her. He looked like he was in shock. She had never seen him like this. So unsure of himself. She saw now that he was worried about her answer. He hadn't expected her to smile the way she did. That's when she knew. Sasuke did love her. Sure he had had said it before, but hearing it was very different from seeing it. A part of her had doubted his feeling for her, but now those doubts were washed away. The way he looked at her, she saw just how much he loved her. He wanted so badly for her to leave with him but he had doubts of his own. He didn't think she loved him enough to go. And that made her chest hurt. She wanted to wipe those doubts away.

"Yes. Yes I will go..."

He didn't let her finish. His lips found hers. Sasuke kissed Akari fiercely. As if she would disappear as soon as he pulled away. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close. Then he was pressing her up against the large rock behind her. His hands holding her waist possessively. She wasn't sure how long they kissed until finally their lips parted. He didn't let her go though. He pulled her into a hug and she smiled into the crook of his neck.

"I…I wasn't sure how you would answer." He whispered.

"You're lucky you're cute or I might have said no." She chuckled lightly.

"If you had, I would've just stolen you in the middle of the night."

Akari wasn't entirely sure if he was joking. It didn't matter. In that moment she had made her decision. She would go with him. She would leave the village. This way she could keep an eye on him. She rarely spent time at home anyways. She might as well spend it with him. At least until she figured out how she would convince him to give up on his revenge.

Sasuke pulled away first. Slowly she released her hold on him slightly embarrassed with the situation. Here she was on a mission and instead on focusing on her task she's making out with a boy. Sasuke knelt down to pick up her fallen mask. Then he smiled as he placed it firmly on her face.

"I need to go. As soon as I handle things, we will leave together. I promise." He told her.

"How will you get inside the village? How will I know you are there?"

"I won't. I will wait outside the front gate. Look for this outside your window. As soon as you see it, grab what you can and come meet me."

He held up her red-ribbon kunai. She glanced down at her holster in surprise. She hadn't even noticed it was missing. He let out a small chuckle, then leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the head.

"Just a little while longer. Then we'll be together again." He whispered.

Then he turned away from her and was gone. She stared at the spot he once stood unable to move. Until she heard Sora beginning to stir. Pulling herself together she ran to him and helped him stand.

"Whoa. Did I imagine that or did a guy with red eyes just attack me? I'm guessing he's one of your acquaintances." He mumbled.

Acquaintances. Well that one way to put it.

"Yeah, that wasn't very nice of him. Sorry." She chuckled weakly.

"Its fine. No serious injuries. What happened? Are you okay?" He patted himself clean.

"Uh huh. He just wanted to talk. Um…do you mind keeping this a secret between us?" She bit her lip.

"I don't see why not. I'll just add it to the other ones."

She smiled at him gratefully.

"Alright. Well, I guess it's time we part ways." Sora sighed. "No offense but sticking with you seems a lot more dangerous than being on my own."

"None taken. I'm glad we could go this far together."

Sora refilled his container once more and then picked up his belongings. Akari did the same. Then she waved goodbye as her friend left for the Land of Earth. As soon as he was out of sight, she turned back the way they came. This time she stayed of the road and stuck to the trees.

Being alone gave her time to think. Was agreeing to leave with Sasuke the right thing to do? Now that she thought about it she saw that it would make the whole Akatsuki thing a lot harder. How would she explain things to him when she had to go off on some errand for Zetsu or the others? Well, being with him didn't mean she had to be at his side 24/7. Did it?

And her friends! How would she explain her departure!

"Oh sorry guys, but I'm leaving with your best friend slash ex-teammate to help with his revenge. Never mind the fact that he's considered a traitor! "

This was definitely not going to be easy. Once again her life found a way to get even more complicated. Groaning to herself she took a turn in the direction of the Fire Temple. She was so distracted she almost ran into some very dangerous people. She managed to duck and hide before she was noticed. Keeping quiet she leaned in for a closer look and listened.

"Zetsu! My man! It's about time you got here!" Hidan cackled.

"I came for the body. Where is it?" The weird creature spoke.

Akari watched as Kakuzu dropped the large bundle he carried on his shoulder. Reaching down he removed the sheet from the top portion revealing the face of a young blonde headed woman. Akari glanced at her chest and saw that she was still breathing. For now. By now she understood who it was they had captured. The Two-Tails Jinchuriki. It won't be long before she loses her life.

"Very good. I will take her back with me. You two are free to…entertain yourselves elsewhere."

With that final note Zetsu picked up the body and disappeared with it through a tree. How he did that Akari wasn't sure.

"Alrighty! Let's go find our next target! According to the Little Bitch, he never breaks routine. Which means he should be at the Fire Temple as we speak." Hidan grinned wickedly.

"Yes. Let's go. That bounty is too great to ignore. Hopefully Hisako didn't screw up and he is in fact there." Kakuzu muttered.

"I'm sure she didn't. The Little Bitch may be feisty but she's pretty useful. In more ways than one." Hidan licked his lips.

A shiver ran up Akari's spine at his words.

"You're sick you know that? Enough talking. Let's go get my bounty."

"Your love of money is disgusting Kakuzu, but if it means I get to kill then let's be on our way."

Kakuzu began walking in the direction of the Fire Temple. Hidan followed his partner through the trees. Akari took a deep breath before tailing them. So this was all for a bounty. This meant the monk was in serious danger. Glancing down at herself she smiled. Seeing as how she was in complete A.N.B.U attire, it meant that she could act. This time she wouldn't stand by and watch.