Chapter 15

Akari twirls a kunai absentmindedly as she follows Hidan and Kakazu through the Fire Country. It's not her favorite, but she smiles as she thinks of where her red ribbon kunai is. Well, not necessarily where but with whom. Then she looks up ahead and her smile turns into a grimace. She had forgotten about her current company for a moment.

As if he knew what she was thinking, Hidan turned to her and gave her a sleazy wink. She glared at him coldly, and he laughed. He starts to slow, waiting for her to catch up. She's not in the mood to speak to him so she quickens her pace and passes him completely. Instead she falls into step with Kakuzu. The man pays her no attention. His focus on the task ahead. Or the money anyways.

Akari glances back at Hidan and smirks at the annoyed look on his face. Whatever he wanted to tell her, he wasn't willing to say with Kakuzu in hearing distance. It must've been one of his more lecherous comments. Kakuzu put up with a lot of his bullshit, but there were some things even he found offensive.

She wasn't watching where she was going. As soon as she turned back around, her feet stumbled. She hadn't noticed the fallen tree branch that had appeared in her path. Kakuzu had easily avoided it, but he didn't bother to warn her. She swung her arms out to catch herself, and heard a small yelp before falling to her knees.

"Damn it. How embarrassing." She muttered.

Picking herself up, she patted her cloak clean of any dirt. She could here Hidan snickering off to the side, so she shot him a hard look. Then she noticed Kakuzu. He had his hand pressed firmly on his arm and she could clearly see signs of blood on his fingers. She gasped lightly as she noticed her blood smeared kunai on the ground. She picked it up hastily and shoved it in her holster.

"I. Am. So Sorry! Please forgive me Kakuzu-sama. It was an accident." She bowed sheepishly.

The man glared at her in annoyance for her incompetence. He didn't say anything, but merely scoffed at her before walking away. Hidan, still laughing, followed after him. She waited a moment, watching them disappear through the trees. Then she pulled out the kunai responsible. She stared at it and deduced that the cut had been fairly deep, drawing a few ounces of blood. Pulling out a small vial, she let the red liquid drip inside. Smiling, she hid it away inside her cloak and ran after the Akatsuki members.

Shikamaru flew through the trees, his teammates Ino and Choji close behind. A few feet ahead he could make out the silver haired Jonin Kakashi following his best tracker. Asuma was still recovering so the Copy Ninja had offered to join them instead. The Hokage had been adamant about them needed a four man squad so Shikamaru had agreed. Besides, they had no time to wait for Asuma Sensei. They needed to move before the trail grew cold.

"Hey Pakun! Are we close?" Choji called out.

"Almost! His scent is getting stronger. It shouldn't be too long now."

The small dog didn't bother to turn around. He didn't slow either. In fact he quickened his pace. Kakashi glanced back and gave them a small nod before chasing after his friend. The three of them sped up as well.

"So these guys aren't pushover are they? We should expect a tough fight?" Ino muttered.

"More than tough. Be very careful. We hardly made it out alive the first time." He told her.

"Are you sure it will work? You came up with this strategy pretty quickly. You don't think we should've waited for Asuma and given you more time to plan things out?" Choji asked.

"We don't have time. If we had waited any longer, we never would've found their trail. These guys can't be allowed to roam the Fire Country any longer. They are too big of a threat."

His teammates didn't question him any further. They grew silent as they made their way toward their targets. He welcomed the silence. He needed to run through his plan once more. Hopefully things play out the way he wanted them to. Hopefully, Akari hadn't failed him.

Shikamaru stared at his half eaten apple. He had gone through four of them already and just couldn't bring himself to finish the fifth. Akari lay beside him on her hospital bed with a nervous look on her face. She was biting her lip the way she always did when she was unsure of something. Her hand was twitching slightly and he noticed that her red ribbon kunai wasn't in her grip. He wondered where it could be.

"Shikamaru?"

"I…uh…" He mumbled.

Normally, he was a pretty composed and collected guy. He was hardly ever caught off guard. But this…well he wasn't expecting this. Sure, he came in here wanting to know what was going on with his friend. He had already guessed most of her story concerning those two men and her sister so he didn't think anything she said would surprise him. Shikamaru wasn't used to being wrong.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to tell you everything, but once I started…I couldn't shut up! I should've just stopped with Mizuko. I shouldn't have burdened you with so much." Akari mumbled.

She hadn't taken her eyes off him since she finished. She had started with her sister, then how she massacred her attackers. Which of course lead to the whole Uchiha explanation. So she had to double back to the whole Itachi thing. And then forward again to Akatsuki. And then she finished with her departure with Sasuke Uchiha. She must've realized it was a lot to take in so she gave him some time to take it all in. That was twenty minutes ago. He figured he had made her wait long enough.

"Um…well that was quiet the explanation. It's just…a lot to process." He looked up at her.

The girl gave her a timid smile and nodded. Now that she had heard him speak, she no longer seemed so worried. Her eyes stared at him with relief. That's all he saw in them. Relief. Nothing else. Just ordinary…black…eyes. Nothing strange or off about them. A lot of people had black eyes right? So hers weren't any different….

"Shikamaru."

Yes her eyes were black. And now they looked annoyed. Yes annoyed. Why annoyed he wondered.

"Shikamaru!"

He felt a sharp pain as she slapped his arm. He rubbed it lightly as he leaned back on his chair. He glared at her.

"What was that for?"

"You were staring! You keep looking at my eyes like they're going to pop out at you!" She glared back.

He chuckled sheepishly. Pop out? No. More like he wanted to see any sign of red.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to." He smiled at her.

"Yeah whatever. So what do you think of it all. You don't seem to hate me like I was worried you would."

Akari crossed her arms and leaned back against her pillow. She stared up at the ceiling. Shikamaru watched her for a moment. Then he let out a long sigh. She rose an eyebrow at him.

"This is such a drag! Why couldn't you have told someone else?" He complained.

"Hey! You're the one who came in here asking questions!"

"Yeah, yeah. So I guess I'm in on your big secret now huh? Or secrets actually. I always knew something was up with you. Long A.N.B.U missions my ass."

"Shikamuru. Promise me you won't tell the others! This stays between us until…until I'm ready."

Akari frowned as she fidgeted with her fingers. By the looks of it, ready was a long way off.

"Do you plan on telling them before you leave?"

"I…I'm not sure. I don't think I can bring myself to. Do you think they'll hate me for it?"

"Look. The whole Sasuke thing, they will find out the moment he comes for you. And you know Sakura and Naruto are going to have something to say about it. As for the Akatsuki, well you may be able to keep that a secret for a while longer. Seeing as how not even Sasuke knows about that. Maybe you should worry about what he will say once he knows the whole truth. I don't think he'll be all that happy with you once he realizes you've been spending quality time with his brother."

"That's all I worry about. That he won't be able to understand. That his anger will keep him from seeing that I never meant to betray him."

"But you haven't betrayed him. You're trying to save him."

"He won't see it that way. As soon as he realizes that I've known about Itachi for years, that's all he will think about. The fact that I lied to him. He will see it as a betrayal."

She bit her lip. Then continued.

"And the others. Once they see me leaving with Sasuke, hand in hand, they will think of me as a traitor. They will wonder why I never trusted them with my secret. Why I was never able to tell them who I really was. Sakura will hate me. She'll think I'm being selfish. Naruto…I don't think he could hate me…but he will be devastated. Disappointed. I said I would help bring him back, but all they will see is me leaving with him."

He saw now that she was keeping herself from crying. One second, he saw sadness in her eyes, and the next they were hardened, almost emotionless even. She wasn't the type to break down in front of others. No, she would do it when she was alone. With no one around to see how broken she was. She would never allow anyone to see her as anything less than strong. Not even her friends.

"I won't let them think badly of you. Once you're gone I'll make sure that they understand. I'll tell them that in order to bring him back you have to leave. And that your secret was a dangerous one. That you wished you could tell them but it was just never the right time."

"Thank you. You know, I never thought I could ensnare myself in my own web of lies. It was all just one right after another. Do you think I was wise to keep things quiet? Should I have trusted everyone with my secrets?"

"I can't answer that. Because even I don't know what I would do in your position." He shrugged.

He truly didn't. It all seemed like a lot of pressure for one to shoulder all on their own. She was risking everything to keep her loved ones safe. Even if it meant working alongside her sister's killers. Even if it meant she will lose those same loved ones in the process. All just so that they would be safe. He always knew Akari was no push over, but now he understood just how strong she really was. He always knew that strength wasn't just physical.

"Shikamaru? Do you think everything will work itself out in the end? That my life hasn't been a total waste and it was all worth it." She muttered.

"I can't promise you that it will but that's up to you isn't it? As long as you continue to fight, there's always that chance that you will win."

He took her hand in his and gave her a reassuring squeeze. She turned to him and gave him a small smile. He stared at her for a moment remembering the emotionless look on her face from before. It had been so foreign. He was so used to seeing her happy and laughing all the time. Now he was beginning to wonder if it was all just a show. Another one of her lies. He worried for her. If she keeps this up any longer, than she may never be able to laugh again.

Suddenly her eyes widen in surprise. Her grip on his hand tightened.

"What?" He blinked.

"You…you can kill them! Hidan and Kakuzu!" She grinned.

"Um…how exactly would I do this?" He rose an eyebrow.

"I have all this intel! Intel that Lady Tsunade can't use! If she were to do anything with it, she could end up selling me out!"

"Okay…sooo?"

"I know Hidan and Kakuzu! I can tell you everything I've learned about them and you can use the information to come up with a plan! You are a genius after all!"

"I might be able to, yes." He mused.

"Please do this for me. Kill them for me."

Her tone had grown serious. Her eyes had become hooded. Again he wondered if he really knew her.

"If I can come up with a plan I will. They nearly killed Asuma after all."

She nodded. Then she let go of his hand and told him what she knew.

Shikamaru had listened intently to every detail she had told him. Soon he had worked something out. He wasn't sure it was full proof but Akari hadn't seen any flaws in it. It was the best they could come up with in such a short amount of time. As soon as she was discharged she left on that giant cheetah of hers and he took his plan to the Hokage. The older lady had only rose an eyebrow in knowing that Akari had trusted him with the truth. She didn't even bother telling him the importance of keeping it quiet. She really didn't have to. It was all so much that it would be a drag repeating it.

"Slow it down guys. They're just up ahead." Kakashi informed them.

Kakashi glanced at him and gave a small nod. Barely visible. Shikamaru hadn't been all that surprised in finding out that Kakashi knew about Akari. He was the only other one with a Sharingan after all. Shikamaru figured having him with them would make things a whole lot easier. He wouldn't attack Akari if she happened be around. Couldn't say the same thing about Ino or Choji. Hopefully they don't seriously hurt her. Or she them. He wasn't sure how far Akari would go to keep her secret.

"Alright. Everyone knows the plan!" He called out.

With that, they slowed to a walk and kept hidden behind the large trees among a yellow desolate dessert. As they grew closer, he heard voices. The first thing he saw was their cloaks, the red clouds bright against the black fabric. Two men stared up at a younger figure who sat on a lonely tree branch. He couldn't help but smile.

"Hisako! Don't you dare get in the way!" Kakuzu ordered.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll just stay back, acting like I don't exist." She rolled her eyes.

They were taking a break on their way to Konoha. Kakuzu figured that Asuma would've been taken back already and the Jinchuriki should be close by as well. He wasn't wrong. She sat with her feet dangling atop a bare tree branch. In fact, all the trees were bare around them. It wasn't very scenic. It all looked…dead. Hidan stared up at her with a smirk.

"Feel free to rush to my aid if I happen to be in danger. I know how you worry about me!" He cackled.

"Drop dead."

"If only I could!"

"Would you like some help?"

"Trust me baby, I'm too much for you to handle."

"You know. That's quite a big scythe. Makes me wonder if you're overcompensating for something."

"What are you trying to say?" Hidan growled. She snickered.

"Enough! Hidan." Kakuzu turned to his partner.

"Yeah. I know."

Akari didn't flinch as they spread apart leaping out of the way. She could clearly see a long shadow creeping along the ground towards the two men below her. Then Kunai were thrown, each with its own explosive tag. Hidan and Kakuzu were hidden in a cloud of smoke.

"Hmmm. I wonder if they're alright." She mused.

Then she dropped gracefully to the ground. Akari used her transparency jutsu. Better to stay out of the way just like Kakuzu had asked. She then turned to her companions and saw that they had avoided the explosive tags unscathed. The shadow continued to slither closer.

"Hidan. Above you!" Kakuzu cried out.

She looked up at the boy who stood above them on a tree branch. She smiled as Shikamaru threw two more knives with explosive tags at her companions. Only…they didn't explode. Hidan and Kakuzu stared at the weapons in confusion. Then…

"He got us." Kakuzu muttered.

Sure enough they couldn't move. Shikamaru smirked down at them before landing in between them.

"Shuriken Shadow Mimic…successful." She heard him say.

"I don't understand! Your shadow didn't touch us!" Hidan growled.

She looked down at Hidan's feet. Pierced above his shadow, was one of Asuma's knives. The other was next to Kakuzu. Akari stifled a chuckle before leaping back into the trees. Her jutsu kept her hidden.

"Those knives I threw are chakra blades. They absorb there users elemental chakra. Their wielder can use them as a base for his techniques. All you need to know is that I'm using my Shadow Mimic through those blades. They belong to the man you nearly killed." Shikamaru glared.

"The 35 million ryou? He's alive?" Kakuzu wondered.

"Very."

"You did well in tricking us like that. Using fake explosive tags like that, just so that we would dodge. Gave you enough time to stab our shadows. You must be very smart." Kakuzu muttered.

"It's time to end this." Shikamaru said.

"Why the hell did you have to go and get yourself capture too Kakuzu! Oh man, oh man, we're screwed, aren't we?!" Hidan cried out.

"Oh, you're screwed. According to my plan, the second I captured you, it was over."

Akari watched as Shikamaru's shadow extended towards Hidan. He used it to pull out Asuma's knife and took control of the man's shadow. Then, against his will, Hidan began to back away. Towards his scythe.

"I'm gonna destroy you, if it's the last thing I do!" Hidan threatened.

Shikamaru began to run. As soon as he did, Hidan did the same. Except Hidan was running toward Kakuzu, scythe raised.

"Kakuzu! Duck!" Hidan yelled.

And he did. Akari cursed under her breathe. Kakuzu had removed the knife from his shadow using one of his arms. He must've buried it underground while he was hidden under the smoke. She stared down at the bulging mound of threads bursting from the ground. She looked to her left, and noticed Kakashi hiding. Looking around she noticed Ino and Choji as well.

"You said we were finished, but you still had no idea what I was capable of." Kakuzu muttered.

Shikamaru didn't waste time. He continued his attack on Kakuzu using Hidan's body.

"Kakuzu, do something!" Hidan cried out.

The man swung his scythe wildly at his partner. With no control of his body, he had no choice in the matter. Kakuzu was forced back against a tree. Then Choji crashed down, in the form of a large spike ball. He landed directly on top of Kakuzu. Dirt exploded into the air, obscuring her view. Then Choji reappeared beside Shikamaru.

"Damn it." She muttered.

She could just make out Kakuzu's silhouette as it walked out of the dirt cloud.

"She was right. He can harden his body." She heard Shikamaru explain to Choji.

"She who? Who informed you of my ability?" Kakuzu asked.

"That's none of your business." The boy glared.

"Hmmm. Well, whoever she is, she is right. No physical attack can harm me."

"Cower in fear, you pathetic atheists! Kakuzu, hurry up and break this technique already!" Hidan cackled.

"Sure." Kakuzu muttered.

He didn't even sense Kakashi coming. The older Jonin had pierced the man in his heart from behind. His Chidori shined bright blue against Kakuzu's body. Akari was impressed. Kakashi Sensei in for the save. Well that was one heart down.

"I thought physical attacks couldn't hurt you!" Hidan accused.

"He's right. Kakashi, how did you….?" Shikamaru muttered.

"I saw him use him perform that iron-skin technique. The seals used were for earth-type manipulation." Kakashi explained.

"Those seals took me a second to complete. You managed to see them at that speed? And to use such a powerful lightening attack…you're Sharingan Kakashi!" Kakuzu exclaimed.

"Earth is weak against Lightening. You got matched with the wrong guy." Kakashi stated.

"Kakashi! Pull back already! My Shadow Mimic is reaching its limit!" Shikamaru ordered.

The older Jonin removed his fist from Kakuzu's body. The Akatsuki member fell face first against the hard ground. Kakashi appeared beside Shikamaru with a questioning look on his face.

"So now we kill the immortal. Why pull back?" He asked.

"That man you just killed. He isn't dead."

"What?" Choji exclaimed.

"He has five hearts. Kakashi only pierced one of them." Shikamaru stated.

"Five huh? That makes things more difficult." Kakashi muttered.

Kakuzu began to rise. He wiped away the dirt on his cloak and glared at the men before him.

"First my hardening technique. Now my five hearts. Who is giving you all this information?" Kakuzu growled.

"Again. That's none of your business." Shikamaru told him.

"Fine. I'll just beat it out of you."

The man removed his cloak. Under it was a sight Akari had seen a few times before. Something she didn't appreciate seeing. The man's torso was covered in stitches. They crisscrossed all over his body. An on his back he had four white masks. The first was shattered from Kakashi's attack. They all watched as bundles of threads burst from his back. Then Shikamaru's hold on Hidan was broken. The boy no longer had the energy to keep it going. Hidan smiled as he stretched his body, finally able to move again.

"So, are you ready to kill them, Kakuzu?"

Kakuzu now stood among four large figures. Each of them bore one of his masks.

"Lord Jashin! Watch me! Im gonna go nuts, seriously, go crazy, non-stop insane on all of' em!" Hidan shouted with a deranged look in his eyes.

"What are those Shikamaru?" Choji muttered.

"I'm guessing those are each of his hearts."

Akari watched as one of those monsters fell apart. It was the one Kakashi had hit. It completely melted at Hidan's feet.

"What the hell Kakuzu! One of' me died right after you let it out! God! Could you suck any more?" He yelled.

"Hidan. Sit this one out. I'm going to fight them."

"No way! I'm getting really pissed that they keep tricking me! Let's do it like always kay?"

"Fine. Hisako! Stop being completely useless and show yourself already!" Kakuzu ordered.

Well shit. Now she had no choice. She released her Transparency technique and landed on the ground beside him. Choji stared at her in surprise. Only Shikamaru and Kakashi had realized she was there.

"I thought you told me to stay out of the way." She asked annoyed.

"I have changed my mind. I'm sure you've noticed an extra guest." He muttered.

"Yeah. What of it."

"Kill her. We will handle these pests."

"Haha! Hisako gets to join us! How exciting!" Hidan cackled.

"Kill her huh? I guess I can do that." She sighed.

Ignoring the looks on Shikamaru and Choji's face she disappeared and reappeared behind Ino. The blonde girl was clearly surprised as Akari kicked her in the stomach. Ino flew back, her body crashing through the trees as she landed a few feet away from her teammates. Then Akari was once again at her side. She grabbed Ino by her shirt and slammed her fist in the girls face.

"Ino!" Choji yelled.

Akari was worried that Ino wouldn't have the strength to fight back. She was pleasantly surprised to find that she was wrong. Before she could punch her for the second time, Ino brought her legs up and flipped her off. Akari landed on her back and managed to dodge as Ino's foot came crashing down next to her face.

"You guys don't worry about me! I can handle this bitch!" Ino yelled.

Akari was slightly offended by the girl's words but chose to let it go. This was her friend after all. Even if Ino didn't know it. She picked herself off the ground and faced Ino once more. The blonde was glaring at her fists raised. Akari hadn't even noticed that the men had begun their fight. She spared them a glance to find Hidan cackling madly after Kakashi. One of Kakuzu's hearts was close behind.

"Wind element- Bleeding Force!"

"Seriously!" She rolled her eyes.

Suddenly a strong gust of wind blew in their direction. Trees all around them shattered, the pieces scattering in every direction. Akari shielded her face and felt her feet sliding back against the force of it all. Ino's face was in shock as she was blown back, her body landed roughly against the ground. Shikamaru and Choji were now a few feet away from where they stood. Kakashi sensei was nowhere in sight.

Then she noticed Kakuzu staring at the two boys. One of his masks was surging with lighting. She knew what came next. Shikamaru noticed it to, so he pulled out a Shielding scroll. It would be too late.

"Lighting Element-Mock Darkness."

Lighting surged through the air heading straight for the boys. She heard Ino yell and could see her running towards the boys. Akari couldn't let her do that. Kakuzu was expecting her to keep Ino out of the way. Besides, Ino wouldn't make it in time. She would only be killed alongside them. Akari charged, tackling her to the ground. She fought to keep the girl down, but Ino wasn't having any of it. She felt a hard blow against her torso as Ino kneed her in the side. Akari knew she had broken at least two ribs, but she didn't budge.

"Kakashi?" Ino gasped.

The girl had gone still underneath her. Akari turned to see what she saw. Kakashi had taken the blow and was keeping the Lighting at bay. He was absorbing it.

"You were the first person to survive that combo, Hatake Kakashi." Hidan smirked.

"His sharingan saved him again. But can he keep it up?"

One of his masks began to move.

"Fire Element-Cranium Carver!"

A wall of flames exploded from the masks mouth. Akari had no choice but to grab Ino and push her out of the way. She made sure she did it roughly as to now seem suspicious as to why she was saving the girl. Then she was relieved in noticing the others leaping out of harm's way as well. Then Kakashi was attacked in the air by Hidan. Akari watched and almost didn't noticed Ino had come to her senses. The girl brought her fist back and Akari jumped back out of reach.

"What was that? Why did you push me away from the flames?" Ino glared.

Shit. Ino wasn't as dumb as she looked. So Akari decided to pull a page out of Hidan's book.
She stared at Ino for a second before clutching her side in laughter. The blonde seemed taken aback by this. Good.

"Did you think that I was saving you? That's hilarious!" She chuckled.

Then she stopped abruptly. She hardened her eyes and glared at the girl before her. Slowly, she pulled out her katana.

"No. I just wanted to play with you a little longer before you die."

"Crazy bitch." Ino growled.

Then she attacked. The two girls exchanged blows one right after the other. At the same time, Akari was keeping track of the others. She needed to see when Shikamaru was planning his move. The small vial in her pocket was growing heavy.

"I'm guessing that pussy of a fire breather was your teacher huh? Man that guy was such a weak fuck!"

Akari cursed to herself. Damn that Hidan. Why couldn't he just shut up? She felt Ino's body tense at the man's words. She was getting distracted. Had Akari been serious about the fight, Ino would be dead already.

"Don't talk shit about Asuma-sensei!" She heard Choji yell.

"Why shouldn't I? It's the truth isn't it? I mean what kind of idiot almost gets himself killed like that? Explain this to me fat ass!"

She knew what would happen next. Choji rushed at Hidan nearly making it. Luckily Shikamaru didn't let him get far. Using his shadow technique, he stopped him dead in his tracks. She noticed that Ino was about to pull away and run to her friends side.

"He's right you know. Your precious sensei must be quite the push over. You know that they plan to go after him next right. Finish the job they started and then drag his lifeless body away. And I don't think it will be all that hard. From what I've heard, killing this Asuma character will be a walk in the park. It will be the easiest 35 million ryou Kazuzu has ever made."

Akari smirked at the blonde. Ino's fists were now clinched at her sides. Choji and Hidan were forgotten. Now that Ino's focus was back on her Akari attacked once more. She swung her katana missing Ino's face by a mere inch. The girl jumped back and threw shuriken at Akari. At the same time she noticed Shikamaru running past. Hidan close behind.

"Hisako you dumb bitch! Help me damn it! He's got control again!" Hidan yelled.

"How lame." She muttered as she deflected the shuriken.

"Don't be a smartass! Do as I say!"

"Shikamaru!" Ino cried out.

"Body Flicker Technique!"

Akari was now standing dangerously close behind Ino. The girls face was clearly startled. Akari could see the sweat dripping from her forehead.

"I'm gonna need you out of the way now." She whispered.

Bringing her arm up, she struck Ino on the side of her head. The blonde girl crumpled into a heap on the ground. Akari made sure to check her pulse before running after Shikamaru.