"Hello." Someone else speaking

"Hello." Kyuubi speaking.

"Hello." Thoughts

"Hello." Kyuubi thoughts

Chapter 17

"This is your powerful demons defense?" asked Akira. "We've been traveling through this stupid tunnel for half an hour with nothing to do but jump away from traps…"

"Maybe that was the demons plan? To make any enemies impatient?" wondered Yumi out loud.

"I guess…" said Akira catching a kunai without even looking at it. "For all we know the hunters already know about this location and are going to come here last because its so damn boring…"

"Enough of your complaining…" said Yumi smiling. "What's that?" Yumi and Akira quickly stopped to see a small entrance in the wall. "Maybe that's where the artifact is?"

"Maybe won't know till we go inside right?" said Akira he slowly took the lead with Yumi following him.

Inside the wall was a huge clearing the size of a circle that made them look like small ants from above and at the opposite end stood a blue gem on a statue that held it high in the air with both hands.

"That wasn't so bad." Said Yumi walking forward. Once Akira and Yumi had gotten into the middle of the circle the entire room began to shake.

"You just had to say that didn't you…" said Akira. Both warriors got into their fighting stances and began to look around fully alert of their surroundings. "I can only make 4 elementals at a time so I'll use Kage bunshin to strengthen our numbers…"

Suddenly humongous hands began to sprout from the ground shaking the entire area.

"What on earth!" said Yumi taking out a kunai.

Akira was soon joined by all 4 of his elementals (2 earth, 1 water and 1 fire).

"Kage bunshin no ju-" Akira was quickly interrupted when a bolt of blue lightning struck his back making him scream out in pain. Yumi was at his side immediately.

"You okay?" asked Yumi. Akira slowly nodded.

"I felt like I was being drained of my chakra…" said Akira. He slowly got up once again and performed several seals. "Katon Karyuu End- Ahhh" Another bolt soon struck him in the back making him collapse on the floor once again.

"It seems like we can't use any jutsu's that increase our numbers too dramatically or damage in a wide range." Said Yumi.

"That's not good… Let's get this over with…"

"I can only use 2 auras at the moment." Said Yumi. "I'll increase our strength and speed!" She was soon surrounded by a red and yellow aura that made Akira feel stronger and faster.

Within a few moments 3 huge giants appeared right in front of them made up of 8 arms on each side of their 15 foot bodies. Akira and Yumi looked in awe as they stared at the cold eyes of their new enemies. Akira made the first move by throwing 5 shirkien at the giants that was easily caught and thrown back.

"Looks like they aren't only made of hard stone but their reflexes are excellent as well…" thought Yumi. "Hopefully they don't have any powerful ranged attacks."

Akira quickly back flipped away just in time to dodge the stone hand that had just made a crater where he was previously standing. One of Akira's earth bunshin's quickly jumped into the air and struck one of the giants in the head making it stumble back which another was punching its mid section. But unfortunately Akira's other elemental bunshin's weren't doing as well for his water bunshin was constantly being stepped on and when trying to reform it was stepped on once again and his fire bunshin, which was no where near as powerful as his earth bunshin, had just been struck and exploded right in the 3rd giant's face causing it to fall down. Yumi ran as fast as she could leaving behind a red and yellow streak, jumped into the air and kicked a giant in the head also making it stumble.

"Get the artifact and let's get out of here!" shouted Akira. He had just jumped onto a wall and stuck onto it to prevent being hit once again by another hand. "These things are so annoying!"

He soon gritted his teeth and was almost immediately surrounded by a thin black aura. Akira screamed in rage and hit the golem closest to Yumi making it stagger back. Yumi was rushing towards the artifact when she saw several needles begin to zip past her. She turned her head a bit to the right and saw that a giant had just stomped one of Akira's earth bunshin's into the ground and began to fire a barrage of needles from its mouth right at her. She quickly flipped into the air to avoid being it but a needle grazed her arm making her wince in pain. She soon began to feel a strange feeling in her stomach and a burning sensation where she was grazed.

"What the hell?" Yumi thought looking at the little red line where the needle had grazed her and was amazed when it began to emit a little bit of smoke. "What kind of poison is this!"

"Akira watch out for the needles they are coded with a very powerful poison!" shouted Yumi dodging another flurry by cart wheeling with one hand. Yumi was running up the stairs towards the artifact when she quickly glanced over her shoulder to see how Akira was fairing. Her eyes widened when she saw that Akira was surrounded by a black aura and evading at incredible speed while 2 giants fired poisonous needles at him. All of his bunshins had just been destroyed and since he was so busy evading the poisonous needles he couldn't even summon up any more help. She then caught sight of the third giant slowly running towards Akira from behind!

"Should I help Akira or get the gem!" thought Yumi.

Flashback

"Yumi no matter what happens you are to get that forbidden scroll understand?" said Itachi. Yumi nodded. She, Itachi and Kisame were standing outside of a small temple in the stone village for Yumi's first mission in the Akatsuki.

"Alright let's go…" said Itachi.

All 3 Akatsuki members flew from one building and onto the temple and began to work on the locks to get inside from the top. Once the three ninja's carefully made it inside the dark building lights suddenly blinded them from all directions and all the entrances were sealed in earth shielding jutsu's.

"Ambush…" said Itachi. All three criminals were quickly surrounded by at least 50 skilled stone ninja's. "Spread out and get what we came here for!"

Yumi screamed in rage and was quickly surrounded by a yellow and red aura making her and her team mates faster and stronger. She quickly threw a kunai at a ninja in front of her making him jump out of her way as she went closer to the scroll. She quickly looked up to see 5 stone ninja's preparing to use earth jutsu's on her when they were interrupted by a booming voice.

"Katon Karyuu Endan!" (Stream of Fire) Shouted Itachi. A huge lone of fire quickly connected with the 5 stone ninja's burning the life out of them.

"Got you murder!" shouted a chunnin stabbing Itachi in the throat.

"Itachi-san!" shouted Kisame.

The missing nin made a huge half circle with his blade cutting 6 ninja's and draining the chakra of 5 more. Yumi's eyes widened when she saw Itachi explode killing at least 10 ninja's! Yumi had just flipped over a ninja and shoved a kunai right in his throat.

"Mangekyou Sharingan!" said Itach calmly. He slowly opened his eyes and made 5 men scream almost immediately.

"Itachi the stone kage!" said Kisame. Itachi turned around after breaking a stone nin's neck and sure enough a man with a white robe and a grey hat came into the room.

"You missing nin's have some nerve coming into my village and trying to steal our ancient scroll." He said. "I will stop you…"

Kisame quickly raised his Samehada and tried to hit stone kage but the leader quickly moved aside and kicked Kisame so hard that he flew into a wall. Kisame looked up and was face to face with the leader of the stone village. Kisame tried to punch the man but was shoved into the wall once again making him spit out a little blood. The kage struck Kisame once again in the stomach and kicked Samehada out of the mist nin's hand.

"Kisame-san!" shouted Yumi. She saw that they were fighting right below her as she ascended the stairs to the artifact that was about 2 minutes away from her.

"Keep at the artifact!" said Itachi who was running towards Kisame but was cut off by 20 stone nin's. Yumi looked at her comrade who was running and flipping around with the stone kage following close behind him.

"Suiton Suikoudan no-" Kisame was about to form his seals when he was struck in the head causing him to fall down onto the ground.

"Doton Iwayado Kuzushi! (cave in crusher) shouted the Stone Kage hitting the ground with his right hand.

Itachi saw that there were dozens of boulders coming from the destroyed ceiling that approached his comrade who was too weak to run away. Itachi also had his hands full taking on 10 jounin's. He then saw something that made him grit his teeth. One boulder had hit Kisame's leg making him yell out in pain. Right before the rest of the boulders killed Kisame Yumi had kicked the stone kage from behind, threw the boulder still on Kisame's leg away and grabbed the missing nin just as the rest boulders made craters into the ground. Yumi continued to carry Kisame killing a jounin that Itachi was fighting.

"Let's go…" said Itachi seeing the scroll still in its protective place. He also saw a huge number of ninja's coming into the building. Within 30 minutes the three akatsuki members were sitting in front of a fire. Itachi looked at Yumi who was putting a splint of Kisame's leg. He slowly walked over to Yumi who had just tied the last rope to Kisame's splint to keep it in place. Yumi looked up at Itachi who hit her on top of the head making her wince in pain. "I told you to get the scroll! You dare disobey me!"

"Kisame was in trouble!" said Yumi defensively.

"He would be telling you the same thing." said Itachi. "This is an organization that puts the mission above anything else." Yumi stood up to Itachi who looked down at her brown eyes. She began to walk away and took something out from her bag.

"I wonder if you would be saying what you are saying if we had left you behind." Said Yumi with that she threw a scroll at Itachi's feet. The Sharingan user looked at the scroll and saw that it was kept closed with a stone village seal. "I'm not like you Itachi-san. I know you think I am unworthy for the Akatsuki but I can care less… My team mates are the only thing I have close to a family… Today I nearly lost a team mate for the mission…"

End of Flashback

Akira was now rolling on the floor quickly avoiding the needles that were strike the floor a few inches from his position as he rolled. He then pushed hard on the floor with his arms popping him into the air. Akira flipped and threw 4 daggers at the giants hitting their eyes. Suddenly the giant struck Akira from behind pinning him into the wall making him cough up a little bit of blood. Akira tried to get himself free but the giant only pushed him into the wall more crushing him. The giant soon stumbled when Yumi struck him in the head.

"Ninpo Kuchiyose no jutsu! (Summoning technique)" shouted Yumi on the giants head.

"I'm going to pour as much chakra as I can!" thought Yumi.

There was a huge poof of smoke and in an instant the giant that was holding Akira let go for it was crushed under a huge eagle! Akira landed on the floor and was struggling to breath and began to heal his chest. Akria's aura began to burn once again as he wiped some blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Ninpo Kuchiyose no jutsu! (Summoning technique)" shouted Akira. A huge wolf the same size as the giants also appeared beside eagle. "Get rid of them please." Gasped out Akira. The wolf nodded as Akira jumped away. Both animals tackled their enemies to the walls when Yumi came down and helped Akira up.

"You okay?" She was expecting a lecture on how she was an idiot for not going for the artifact. Yumi then saw her own reflection through Akira's sunglasses as he looked at her.

"Yeah… Thanks…" said Akira smiling. Yumi was shocked at first but soon smiled back. "Let's get that artifact and get the hell out of here…"

They began to run up the stairs hearing the growling and breaking of walls as the giants and animals battled constantly. Yumi soon jumped up to the pedestal and took the gem making it glow bright blue. She then put it in her bag and began to climb the stairs down with Akira when they saw 2 huge poofs of white smoke! The giants who were pretty much destroyed (No legs and arms were broken.) looked at the 2 intruders and fired several needles towards them. Yumi and Akira barely dodged the income needles but Yumi saw there was another flurry headed right for her that she couldn't dodge! But Akira quickly grabbed her and flung her back blocking several needles with his kunai.

"Thanks Akira." She said panting. She looked at his back and saw that he was panting rapidly. "Akira?" She slowly turned him around and what she saw next horrified her. There were at least 6 needles in Akira's chest. "Oh my god!" She quickly carried him off and hid behind a boulder just as the sharp needles struck the rock. "Akira hurry! You have to heal yourself!" Yumi quickly pulled out the poisonous needles and waited for him but he didn't move at all.

"I don't have any healing jutsu's that can remove poison…" he whispered. He could feel his strength leaving him quickly for his black aura had just died down to nothing.

"Hey don't you have healing abilities from your curse seal or something!" cried Yumi. For some reason she didn't want to lose him… She felt like she had finally found some one close to her and it was unfair that he may leave her so soon.

"The poison is working too quickly…" said Akira.

Yumi soon heard the needles firing once more but this time they were high in the air and losing altitude heading right for her and Akira! She got her kunai ready to defend against the attack but knew there was no way she could block every single one! She thought about using the water barrier but it didn't have a roof and it wouldn't only protect her anyway! Suddenly something grabbed her hand and the next thing she knew she was in the air traveling away from where she was previously standing and Akira was in the air next to her! Yumi flipped once and landed on the ground softly catching Akira as well. She then looked at who threw her away from danger and smiled.

"Hakkeshou Kaiten!" (Swirling wind rotation)

There was suddenly a huge blue tornado that blocked every single needle and also sent the huge boulder that Yumi was previously hiding behind into a giants head destroying it.

"Hinata-san!" shouted Yumi happily. Yumi and Hinata quickly charged towards the last giant's head which was pretty much defenseless and took it apart piece by piece. "Hinata-san help Akira! His body is full of poison from the needles!"

Hinata's eyes widen and went over to Akira who was breathing heavily and sweating like mad. Hinata quickly went over to Akira and placed her hands, which were already glowing bright green, on his heart. Soon Akira's breathing calmed down along with his fever. He suddenly turned on his side and vomited a green liquid which Yumi guessed was the poison.

"Thanks Hinata-chan." Said Akira weakly then passed out.

"Is he alright?" asked Yumi.

"Yeah he's fine… He won't be able to do much for a day or so because of the effects the poison already had on him. He just needs to rest." Said Hinata smiling but it was short lived when she looked at Yumi. "I'm sorry it took so long… I should have came earlier but I was beginning to get worried about Naruto-kun and-"

"Hinata-san it's alright…" Interrupted Yumi. "Were all safe… But I'm also guessing that Naruto didn't make it back yet?" At the sound of his name Hinata looked down sadly. "Hey… I'm sure that he is alright… Come on let's get out of here…" Hinata nodded helping Yumi carry Akira by putting his right arm on her shoulder.

I think I'll just make the team like one azn dragon said. I'll be more of a surprise that way. Thanks for all of your reviews and sorry for the late update. The next chapter will have the conclusion of the rematch between Sasuke and Naruto. You all know how sinister I can be… But who knows.