Chapter 20
Akari began her trek back to the lake at a slow pace. She had told Deidara she would be back by noon but she felt no need to rush. He could wait a few hours. It's not like they need her. They have plenty of experience catching tailed beasts without her. She just needed to be with them when it was time to seal it away.
Akari glanced behind her at the receding rooftop of the Hot Springs Inn. She thought of Naruto, and how he had left before she woke. She had even tried to be as stealthy as possible, afraid he would catch her. Only to find out that her friend was long gone. The innkeeper had told her that he had risen bright and early, keen on returning home as soon as possible. Knowing him, he was probably already back at the village bothering Lady Tsunade.
With one last look, Akari turned away from the building and continued on her walk. Walk not run. Again, she wasn't in any rush. Besides, if she were to run, she would get dirty all over again. No way she'd let that happen after the lengthy scrub she'd given herself the night before. Thinking back, she remembered her conversation with Jiraiya. She had to admit that she worried for the old man at times. Sure he was a Sannin but he wasn't immortal. Hopefully he wouldn't visit the Hidden Rain just yet.
Akari kept to the side of the road, staying hidden among the surrounding trees. No need to draw any unnecessary attention. There was no need really. Her journey was mostly undisturbed. A couple of travelers nearly noticed her but it was no big deal. Though she did end up falling off a flimsy tree branch in the process. Good thing no one was there to see it. She was ninja for god's sake. They'd haze her for days for being so clumsy.
Noticing the patches of dirt on her cloak from her fall, she began to pat herself clean. Silently cursing to herself, she navigated through the forest. Her mind was so focused on her dirty garment that she failed to notice the large structure blocking her path. By the time she looked up, it was too late. Once again, Akari found herself flat on her back. Her forehead was throbbing from the impact.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS!" She yelled to no one in particular.
She didn't bother to sit up as she glared at the offensive structure. She lay on the ground for a few moments not very keen to get up. The day had barely begun and already she was in a foul mood. At this point in her life, Akari tended to spend most of her days in a foul mood. She had learned to accept it. Her life just had no room for good days considering all the bad she's been facing.
Finally she felt it was time to inspect the thing blocking her way. Clearly it wasn't there before. She had taken this exact path on the way to the Inn. With an irritated sigh, she pushed herself up and stood. Hands on her hips, she looked up at the structure. Because that's what it was. Some sort of Structure. Made entirely of…crystal?
"It's the same stuff. It has to be." She muttered to herself.
Akari leaned on the large pink crystal wall, her ear pressed firmly against it. Then she began to rap her knuckles on the wall as she listened. Not a single sound could be heard from inside. And she couldn't see anything through the thick wall.
"Typical." Akari rolled her eyes.
She activated her Sharingan. All she saw was her own chakra flashing back at her from countless directions. It gave her a slight headache so she deactivated it.
"Infinite reflections huh, stupid crytal! Well how am I supposed to get back to the lake!?"
Akari muttered to herself as she realized she would have to simply go around it. With an annoyed grunt she started walking, keeping close to the crystal wall. Hopefully, the lake isn't trapped inside the damn barrier. If this were true, she would have to get very creative. It was her first time dealing with this type of jutsu but she was sure she could think of something.
"Maybe I could…nah…or maybe….nope…yeah I got nothing!" She cried out. "This is so stupid. Deidara is gonna blow a gasket if I don't get back soon. Better hope the lake is outside of this thing or…huh?"
Akari stopped. She could've sworn that she heard voices. And then, there was movement above her. She launched herself into a tree, using the branches and leaves for cover. In the sky she could make out a white bird of some kind. Riding on its back was a very familiar figure.
Akari kept to the trees as she followed the bird, watching to see where it would land. Sure enough, it swooped down a few feet ahead dropping the boy off among his team. Akari watched them with a small smile as they attempted to breach the crystal barrier.
"Hmmm….maybe I won't have to do anything after all. All I have to do is wait for Naruto to break through." She grinned.
She kept hidden as she watched the boy summon two very large toads. Or were they frogs? Honestly she couldn't tell. What was the difference anyways? Akari sure didn't see any.
"Let's go, Gamatatus!" Naruto cried out.
He stood confidently behind the yellow toad. The larger one it seemed. Then Naruto seemed to be surrounded in chakra. The red toad could be heard giving the other instructions.
"Now!"
Akari leaned forward in anticipation. And…she nearly fell out of the tree as water harmlessly streamed out of the creatures mouth. Naruto's face a mixture of shock and embarrassment. Akari could just barely make out Sakura's disappointed retort. Composing herself, she sat back against the branches. Akari began to wonder if her faith had been misplaced. Grumbling to herself, she began to think of how she would get inside. Naruto's yelling didn't help.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, GAMATATUS?!"
"Sorry, I forgot to mold my chakra." The frog apologized.
"Hey, Gamatatus! No snacks for you!" The other chided.
"Okay, get yourself together, and let's go again." Naruto encouraged.
Akari stared down at them with half interest. Not really expecting a different outcome.
"Wind Element! Toad Cannon!"
Akari barely had time to brace herself against the tree. A huge torrent of water shot out of the toad's mouth, spiraling towards the crystal wall. In seconds, the barrier was shattered and small shards of pink crystals rained down from above. She watched as the others wasted no time and rushed into the forest.
"Well…that was impressive." She chuckled.
She dropped down from the branches and stared after her friends, her arms behind her head. A small yawn escaped her lips. She wondered whether she should go after them, just to keep a close eye on things. Looking up at the sky, she decided against it. It was well past noon after all.
With nothing blocking her route, Akari made her way to the lake. It wasn't long before she arrived and found the two idiots right where she left them. Except they weren't watching the lake. Their eyes were glued in the direction her friends were.
"Hey." She muttered.
The two men glanced briefly at her before turning back to the forest.
"I take it you know that the Leaf Ninja have backup." She said as she sat down leaning against a tree.
"Mmmmhmmm. Did you see the pretty crystal Hisako-chan?" Tobi asked.
"The barrier? Yeah. Wait? So it wasn't above the lake?" She asked.
"No. It looked as if it only surrounded about a kilometer of the forest. Whoever made it must have tried to trap the Leaf ninja under it." Deidara spoke.
"Huh. Then I guess I didn't have to wait for it to be destroyed after all. To think I could've been here sooner." She yawned.
"Speaking of which…YOU SAID NOON! IT'S NEARLY MID-DAY!" The blonde turned to her.
"Calm down. I came back didn't I? And trust me, it's not because I wanted to."
"Whatever. How I ended up on a team with you idiots I don't know." He mumbled.
"Sasori died." Both Akari and Tobi answered.
"I KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED! I JUST DON'T KNOW WHY IT HAD TO BE YOU TWO!" He shouted.
"He's been in a bad mood Hisako-chan. Don't mind him." Tobi patted her shoulder.
"I'm sure. Seeing as how you've been here almost 24 hours and nothing has happened." She rolled her eyes.
"Stuff has happened! A fight has broken out hasn't it?" Deidara argued.
"Uh huh."
"Get a bit closer Hisako-chan. You can see the battle just fine from here." Tobi pulled on her arm.
"Yeah okay." She muttered.
She leaned in and stared in the direction they were looking. Sure enough she could see her friends dealing with a strange woman. She seemed to be riding a crystal…dragon?
"Crystal Style. I've heard of it but have never seen it in person." Deidara mutterd.
"It's a lot prettier than your art that's for sure." Tobi chuckled.
"SHUT UP TOBI!"
Akari ignored them. She was too busy staring at the large crystal a few feet behind the woman. It was Hinata. She was sure of it. She bit her lip in worry unsure of her friend's health. From what she could see, her friends were attempting to get her back. Then in a very well executed play, they managed to steal her away and disappear. Leaving the woman alone, but only briefly. She was soon surrounded by a group of people.
"Who are…?"
"Some of Orochimaru's experiments." Tobi explained.
"They're not too shabby. They've certainly put up a fight so far." Deidara mused.
"Seems he's getting better with his little lab rats." Tobi nodded.
Akari watched the group of villains with mild interest. Her mind was mostly on Hinata. She hadn't been able to see where her friends had taken her. Was she okay? Was her life in danger? All she could do was wonder.
"Hmmmm, seems they're going back to their hideout." Tobi muttered.
"What?"
Akari hadn't even noticed that the group was on the move. She watched as they followed the woman further into the trees.
"Tobi found that they're hiding out in some run down house close by. They're keeping the kid there." Deidara explained.
"The kid? I thought Kabuto had him?" She asked.
"Well if you had been here you would know that he turned the boy over to the woman. But you weren't. You were too busy taking a bath." He scoffed.
"At least she smells nice." Tobi said.
"Thank you Tobi." She grumbled.
The three of them positioned themselves closer to the lake. The fog was still pretty thick, but they could make out the dock. They waited in silence which was surprising since they had Tobi with them. Akari climbed a tree and watched from the branches, her legs dangling above the men below her. Tobi lay on his stomach, chin on his palms and ankles crossed. Deidara sat, legs crossed, against the trunk of her tree. They didn't wait very long.
"There they are. Kabuto's found them again." Deidara muttered.
They watched as Kabuto took the boy and woman with him on the boat. A larger man rowed them out onto the lake. Four of their group members stayed behind on the docks to keep watch she assumed. She kept her eyes on the boat as it made its way to the center of the lake. She could just make out Kabuto kneeling beside the boy.
"So that's how he does it. He's giving him pills Deidara Senpai." Tobi said.
How Tobi could see from so far away, and with the fog, Akari didn't know. She was beginning to think that Tobi saw a lot more than he let on.
"Pills huh. Whatever is in them must be enhancing the boy's abilities." The blonde said.
Then the ground shook. The water began to churn causing waves along its surface. Akari expected the Tailed beast to emerge. Instead, five crystal prisms appeared from underneath the water. They surrounded the small boat and its occupants.
That's when the boy started shrieking. It was stronger than before. His cries pierced Akari's ears and she had to dig her fingers into the branches to restrain herself. Every nerve in her body reacted and urged her to run to the boy. To steal him away and save him from these monsters. But she couldn't. Her body screamed for her to move but she couldn't. So Akari gritted her teeth and watched. Once again, unaware of Tobi keeping a close eye on her.
Suddenly, the lake seemed to explode. The tailed beast began to surface. Akari could see clearly now. She could see the beasts form beginning to emerge from the water. Then, there it was. The Three-tails broke through the water's surface. The boy continued to shriek, but his cries were suddenly cut off. He fell limply in Kabuto's arms.
As soon as the boy lost consciousness, the beast retaliated. It let out a loud cry of its own that resonated throughout the whole area. It began to thrash around wildly causing the boat to capsize. The group had no choice but to abandon it. The three of them had to stand on the water's surface, the boy in Kabuto's arms. The woman began an assault on the creature. But it did nothing to the large monster. Her crystals merely shattered against its rough skin.
"So it seems the boy lost control of the beast. It was bound to happen." Deidara smirked.
"The woman is certainly trying her hardest to seal it. Not having much luck though is she." Tobi added.
The beast continued its rampage. Luckily the woman wasn't alone or she would've of surely died by now. Akari watched in total awe of the beast. Its power was enormous. The nine-tails chakra that had inhabited Sora was nothing compared to this. This was an actual tailed-beast in the flesh. All the previous times they'd captured one, it was still inside the Jinchuriki. Akari was amazed to see one out in the open. And to think that the beast inside Naruto was even stronger than this.
Then the woman seemed to get the upper hand. Using her jutsu, she encased the monster in crystal. The water calmed and she fell to her knees in exhaustion. The larger man found the boat and flipped it right side up. Kabuto placed the boy inside. Akari was about to ask if the woman had really sealed it when she saw him. Naruto rode on the back of his yellow toad. The red one swimming close by. The approached the trapped beast slowly. She couldn't stop the gasp from escaping her lips.
"What's the matter Hisako-chan?" Tobi asked.
"Ummm…nothing…I was just…do you think the woman really did it? Capture it I mean." She lied.
"Nope. It will take a lot more than that crystal jutsu of hers to capture it." Deidara said.
Sure enough, the crystal began to crack. The beast roared from within. Then it completely shattered and it broke free. Kabuto immediately disappeared. The woman attacked once again as the larger man attempted to row the boy to safety. Akari saw the exact moment Naruto made eye contact with him. The expression on his face disbelieving.
"Will you look at the Deidara Senpai? There's a leaf ninja out there too." Tobi said.
"It's one of Kakashi's brats. The Nine-tails." Deidara muttered.
"The Nine-tails! Oh how exciting! We came looking for one and ran into two!"
"Ummm…I don't think we should bother. It will be difficult enough to capture the three-tails. We should hold off on the Leaf brat." Akari advised.
"But we might not get another chance Hisako! Don't tell me you feel sympathy towards your old comrade?" Tobi asked.
"Comrade? Oh that's right. You come from the Leaf village." Deidara said.
"I'm just trying to be smart about this." She gritted her teeth.
"Damn. She's right Tobi. It would be too much of a hassle. We'd be risking the Three-tails in the process." Deidara grumbled.
"Oh well. Maybe next time, right Hisako-chan." Tobi looked at her.
"Uh…yeah…next time." She muttered.
She turned her attention back to the lake, suddenly very intimidated by Tobi's gaze. She still didn't understand what it was about the man that made her nervous. Perhaps she had misjudged him as an idiot. There were times when she believed he was wiser than the whole lot of them. It was rare but occasionally, Tobi spoke as if he knew more than he made them believe.
The battle on the lake was still in motion. The woman was giving everything she had to keep the beast at bay. Naruto could only watch, unsure of what to do. Then the woman took a hit. Weakened, she floated limply on the water. As if sensing her distress, the boy began to yell. Only this time, he did so on his own. The Beast suddenly stopped. But the boys control didn't last long. The crystal prism shattered and the Beast roared in outrage. The boat and everyone in the water was lost beneath the waves.
"No…" Akari whispered. Her thoughts on Naruto.
"They're gone." Tobi stated.
The lake was empty once more. The beast had submerged again.
"Well…should we capture it then?" Akari asked.
She tried to keep her voice emotionless. Even if she wanted nothing more than to search the waters for her friend.
"Not yet. Besides, this mist seems to cast a genjutsu. Courtesy of the Three-tails." Deidara yawned.
"Okay…so we wait again? Haven't we done enough of that?" She said.
"Just stay in your tree and do as I say Hisako." He glared at her.
"Fine." She glared back.
It was at least an hour before anything interesting happened. Finally, they spotted the Leaf ninja along the shore of the lake. Only they had more members. Akari took in the faces of her friends. Ino, Ten-ten, Shizune and Lee had joined the group.
"More back up?" Deidara said.
"They're going to seal it." Akari muttered to herself.
"What?" Tobi looked up at her.
Damn it. Why couldn't she keep her mouth shut?
"Ugh…um…I recognize some of those people. From my time in the Leaf village I mean. If anyone could seal the beast it's them." She said.
"So the Hokage is aware of the beast then. Well I guess we have ourselves another show." Deidara smirked.
He leaned back against the tree. As if there was nothing on the line here. Akari glared down at him before turning her attention back to her friends. Most of them had dispersed leaving behind Shizune, Hinata, Sakura and Ino. She watched as they unrolled scrolls on the ground. Each using their blood to active them. Using their chakra they created some sort of barrier between the four of them.
"How affective do you think that will be Deidara Senpai?" Tobi asked.
"It certainly looks like it would do the trick." He answered.
At that moment, Ino fell to her knees. For a moment, the barrier was disrupted.
"Well, maybe not. That girl can't seem to handle a bit of Chakra control." Deidara smirked.
"She'll be fine." Akari said a little defensively.
"Oh." He gave her a hard look.
"She's stronger than she looks. That's the girl I fought. The one who broke my ribs." She said.
"The one with the mind-control jutsu? I see." Tobi said.
Akari smiled under her mask as Ino rose to her feet proving her right.
"Look over there. Some of the Leaf ninja are hiding near the shore. And the remaining are not far from the water's edge on our other side. " Deidara muttered.
He motioned towards two different directions. She glanced over to see Yamato, Lee, Ten-ten, Kiba and Akamaru on one side. Kakashi, Naruto, Sai, and Shino on the other. They weren't too close to each other but they weren't very far either.
"They're guarding the lake. Giving the girls a chance to seal the Three-tails." Akari said.
"This show is becoming more and more interesting." Deidara smiled.
Suddenly Kakashi's group was attacked. The woman and man who had accompanied Kabuto earlier started their assault. Then Yamato's group began their battle with Orochimaru's group of experiments. Akari didn't know which fight to watch. Her friends were now caught up in their own skirmishes.
She really had nothing to worry about. She watched as Lee and Ten-ten took out the lab rats with ease. Neither of them breaking a sweat. Kiba and Akamaru finished them off. She smiled as her friends celebrated on the water.
Kakashi's team was taking a little longer. He was out on the water's surface along with Naruto and Sai. The woman was fighting them intensely but she seemed a little off. And Shino…he was…what was Shino doing? Whatever, the others seemed to be doing okay. Akari was actually getting excited as she watched the battle. She was used to going on missions by herself so she didn't get to see her friends in action all that often. But seeing them now? She saw that she had absolutely no reason to worry. They worked together flawlessly.
"Hmmm…those girls aren't having much luck with their search." Tobi muttered.
In all the excitement, she had forgotten about the girls. She glanced at them to see that they were walking along the water's surface, the barrier glowing between them. Nothing was happening yet. It was slow going.
"Oh no. Kakashi seems to have found himself in a pickle." Deidara smirked.
Akari turned back in time to see that Kakashi was now on his knees. The woman stood menacingly above him, three crystal dragons surrounding him.
"What a shame." Tobi said darkly.
Akari felt helpless as the dragons charge towards the man. Seconds before they made contact, a cloud of bugs blocked the attack. The crystal dragons shattered on impact. Shino now stood calmly next to kakashi, his bugs buzzing around him. He then attacked with his hoard of insects only for the woman to crystalize them around her. The woman seemed proud of herself, until one by one the bugs broke free.
"Will you look at that? They found a way to beat her." Deidara mused.
Then Naruto produced various shadow clones behind her. Paired off, they each created a rasengan. Kakashi and Shino stood defensively in front of her while the insects closed in. She was surrounded. Narutos clones charged at her but she managed to evade and encase herself in crystal. Try as he might, Naruto couldn't break through. It seemed as if Shino's bugs would do the trick, giving Kakashi an opening.
But his plan was thwarted by a wall of mud. It was the man who had rowed the boat. He grabbed the woman and sent her far from the battle. In an attempt to break loose, Kakashi increased his lighting attack. The man crumbled away. Whether he was dead, was left unclear.
"Look! Look! The barrier is blinking! They found it!" Tobi pointed.
Deidara and Akari turned to the girls out on the lake. Sure enough, they had stopped. The barrier changed shape and began to grow. A man, one of the experiments rushed out onto the water. He was immediately stopped by Lee and Ten-ten. Rock Lee prepared himself but the man chose to run instead.
"Deidara Senpai? At this rate, the beast is going to be sealed! Shouldn't we do something?" Tobi asked.
"I wish we could, but sadly…we are outnumbered. How it got this bad I don't know." Diedara shook his head.
"YOU DON'T KNOW?! THIS COULDVE ALL BEEN AVOIDED IF WE HAD CAPTURED IT YESTEREDAY YOU IDIOT!" Akari shouted.
"Now, now Hisako. There's no need to point fingers. We are a team after all. We share the blame." He stated.
"LIKE HELL WE DO! THIS IS ALL ON YOU! YOU'LL BE THE ONE ANSWERING TO LORD PAIN!"
Akari had dropped to the ground in front of him. He stood to face her. She jabbed her finger in his chest for emphasize, her free hand on her hip. He was taller than her but that didn't stop her from glaring up at him.
"CALM DOWN! IT HASN'T BEEN SEALED YET! THERE'S STILL A CHANCE!" He shouted back at her.
"I WILL NOT TAKE ANY BLAME FOR THIS DEIDARA!" She stared him down.
"AND I SAY WERE A TEAM! YOU SHOULDVE INSISTED INSTEAD OF LEAVING TO TAKE A DAMN BATH!"
"OH NO! YOU ARE NOT PINNING THIS ON ME! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO SAID THAT YOU WERE IN CHARGE! YOU MADE A CHOICE AND NOW IT'S COME BACK TO BITE YOU IN THE ASS!"
"WHY YOU LITTLE…YOU WILL NOT TALK TO ME THIS WAY! IM YOU'RE SUPERIOR AND YOU WILL RES…"
"GUYS! STOP SHOUTING BEFORE THEY HEAR YOU!" Tobi yelled.
The two of them stopped and stared at the masked man. He had stood up and was waving his arms around frantically. They gave him an odd look.
"Tobi…you're the one who's yelling." Akari told him.
"Yeah Tobi! Take it down a notch." Deidara said.
The man lowered his arms in frustration. He then turned to the people on the lake who had barely moved. They had been oblivious to their little spat. Their advances on the beast had grown considerably. Its silhouette was prominent underneath the water's surface.
Then the woman was there. She appeared before Ten-ten and Lee. A battle ensued. But it turned out to be a distraction. The man from before nearly made it to the barrier before Naruto showed up. He blasted the man out of the way. The victory was short lived however as the seal was disrupted. The beast leapt out of the water causing the barrier to break completely. Everyone on the water struggled to keep afloat.
"HAHA! SEE THAT! They failed to seal it!" Deidara fist pumped the air.
"Yeah. Lucky you." Akari rolled her eyes.
The beast was on a rampage out on the lake. Huge waves began to form and everyone was washed ashore. Then it submerged yet again. Only to reappear next to the fallen woman. She could make out the boy attempting to wake her from the cliff he stood on. All he could do was watch as the beast made its slow approach.
Then his power broke free and he yelled in defiance. The beast stopped inches away from the woman. The boy had gained control yet again. But he was having difficulty keeping it up. He seemed to be faltering. The woman woke and made her way to the boy. The beast broke free once more and attacked the cliff they stood on. She watched as the man who had helped her attack appeared before them. He embraced the woman before grabbing the boy. The woman fell.
"He betrayed her." Akari whispered.
"The boy." Tobi muttered.
"He's grown attached to the woman. They're using her to get to him. He's using his powers willing instead of by force in order to protect her." Deidara stated.
"That Orochimaru has always been a manipulative bastard." Akari growled.
"Doesn't matter. It's not holding. The kid isn't strong enough." Tobi pointed.
The beast attacked the cliff yet again. The boy nearly fell to his death before pulling himself back up. But the beast wasn't relenting. It continued its assault on them. The woman somehow found the strength to get them out of harm's way. She created a barrier around the boy keeping him safe. She then proceeded to attack the beast.
"Seems like the woman cares for him too." Akari said.
Then she noticed someone else out in the water. Naruto. He seemed to be searching for someone. At the same time the woman was doing everything in her power to stop the beast. Her friend rushed past her, making his way towards the boy. But then he chose to turn around and attack the beast instead. Now it seemed as if he was working with the woman against the monster.
"This is getting intense! How much longer can they keep this up?" Tobi said.
"Who knows but we have to be ready to intervene if it looks as if the beast will be taken." Deidara told them.
The beast leapt out of the water. It landed directly above the woman and Naruto. Her breath caught. The lake grew calm as the beast disappeared. It wasn't long before the Leaf ninja scoured the lakes surface looking for him. The boy, it seemed, was now in their hands.
"This is ridiculous! First there's nothing, then a fight breaks out, then nothing again, then another fight, and once again….NOTHING!" Akari complained.
"Look! They're out there again!" Tobi pointed.
"YOU SEE!" She pouted.
Out on the water, her friends were searching the area. They spread out on the lake, covering as much ground as they could. The boy was with them. He was showing them the way. Finally he found what he was looking for and began playing a strange tune. The Three-tails surfaced and Kakashi manages to leave a crack on the Beast's barrier. Moments later, Naruto along with Guren burst out.
As soon as they were safely outside of the beast, the sealing team created their barrier once again. Sai attempts to take the boy to safety only to be attacked by Orochimaru's men. Once again a fight broke out on the lake. The lab rats were attempting to stop the sealing. Their leader was after the boy. And while all this was happening the kid kept trying to keep his hold on the Beast.
"There are so many of them out there. All after one thing." Akari muttered.
"There's nobody in the world who wouldn't want the power of a tailed beast can offer." Deidara said.
Akari watched as the fight began to die down. Kabuto had disguised himself as one of the expirements and was fighting among them the whole time. Then he brought forth the reanimated corpse of the man he had killed. The woman fought of the corpse but she was soon lost under the waves along with it.
The boy's grief caused the Three-tails to go on a rampage. It thrashed above the water until Naruto attacked it with his new jutsu. It soon disappeared under the waves. Kabuto was gone, the experiments were defeated. She could see how worn out her friends were. Naruto approached the boy. He tries to comfort him. Kakashi gives out an order and everyone begins to leave the lake. Akari watches as her friend, worn out from the ordeal, disappear into the forest.
"Well…that was intense." Tobi stated.
"All of that hassle and neither side left with the beast." Akari said.
"And that works out pretty well for us. Oh wait…the Hokage left a couple of guard dogs." Deidara said.
Akari turned to where he was looking to find two A.N.B.U members keeping watch over the lake. Before she could say anything, Tobi and Deidara left her side. They dispatched the Black Ops members easily. All Akari could do was watch as their lifeless bodies fell to the ground. Then Deidara motioned for her to join them out on the lake. She had no choice but to do so.