Chapter 5.
When Naruto reached as far as he could into the forest, he stopped to listen. And sure enough, he could hear the sound of people pursuing him.
He was about to start running again when a familiar voice called out to him.
"Naruto, yo. It's us." Came the voice of Killer Bee.
"…Y-Y-You came…"Naruto said in disbelief as he stared at all four of them.
Yugito Nii, Utakata, Killer Bee and Gaara Sabaku.
"Of course we came. Why wouldn't we aid a family member?" Utakata said quietly, smiling slightly at Naruto, his pipe held loosely by his side in his left hand.
"Friends…help their friends when in trouble." Gaara murmured, as he stepped forward slightly and folded his arms over his chest.
"Personally, I didn't have a choice. But since you saved my life, I owe you both." Yugito said, flicking her blond hair over her shoulder.
"Word." Was Bee's input.
Naruto nodded, and finally his gaze settled on Gaara.
With a grin he launched forward and caught Gaara in a gigantic hug, surprising the hell out of Gaara, who, rather awkwardly, hugged Naruto back.
"Gaara…Good to see you friend." Naruto said in genuine happiness, something he hadn't felt in months. He drew back and gently clapped Gaara on the shoulder.
"Good to see you too…friend." Gaara said with a slight smile, mirroring Naruto's movements by placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Uh, not to break up the reunion or anything, but we need to find somewhere safe to camp before it gets any darker." Utakata said from next to Killer Bee.
Naruto and Gaara both nodded, and the five of them started running.
They'd set up camp at least an hour later from beside a small lake. Utakata had gone to fill their canteen's with water, whilst Yugito Nii set up five tents in record speed.
Meanwhile Naruto, Gaara and Killer Bee had gone wood collecting and now came back armfuls of logs and kindling.
Killer Bee had brought back two massive logs for sitting on, and he placed them as gently as he could on the ground from he had been carrying them on his shoulders.
Gaara let some of his sand out in a small circle on the ground, and they started piling the logs on top, bits of kindling splattered around on the top and sides.
Naruto got out two kunai and knelt down beside the pile of wood, then he quickly struck the kunai against each other until they generated sparks.
He did so several times, and was relieved when one of the sparks caught on the pile of wood, making a small flame start to grow.
"Fire's lit!" Naruto called out with a happy grin.
At that moment Utakata was coming back, this time with a pail of water, and he placed it beside one of the logs as he sat down next to Killer Bee.
Yugito came out from the neck of the woods in a burst of speed and dangled something in front of Naruto.
"Oh good! I got these for supper!" Yugito grinned.
Gaara smirked at Naruto's face as Naruto realised what she was waving in front of his face.
"YOU KILLED BUNNIES?" Naruto gasped in shock and anger.
"Well how else do you want to eat?" Yugito asked, rolling her eyes as she went over to skin the dead animals.
'You could blame the cat for this one. They are both very much alike, and I daresay she's a good huntress. Both are still bitches though.'
'I think I can agree there…Hmm. Cat…or bitch? Hard choice. Very opposite animals.'
'Perhaps it's a conflict between the two of them. Psycho Bitch versus Demonic Killer Cat.'
Utakata, Killer Bee and Gaara all started to chortle as Yugito whipped around to face him from where she was shoving the rabbits onto sticks to go over the fire.
"Psycho Bitch? I'll give you Psycho Bitch." Yugito growled warningly.
"Naruto, you and the Nine-Tails better be careful of what you say. As we can all hear you both at such a close range." Utakata warned him with another slight chuckle.
"Wh-What!" Naruto exclaimed in horror at what he had just been talking about. "How does that work?"
Utakata smiled as he began to explain.
"There is this thing called Chakra Fusion. Ever heard of it?"
Naruto shook his head mutely as Yugito put the rabbits over the fire and glared at him.
"Ok, well…imagine streams of ribbons or light connecting all of us. Now because of those ribbons or what ever you wish to call them, we can all hear what the others are saying to their bijou, and we can communicate to each other via these ribbons."
"How?"
"To put it simply, by thinking of their chakra. Both the Jinchuuriki and their Bijou."
"Kind of like the Akatsuki…But they communicate with clones when their rings flash…" Naruto murmured, nodding his head absentmindedly.
"Kid. That's something I want to know. Why did you bring us out here?" Yugito asked suddenly, sitting back on the log and staring at him, her face impassive.
Naruto looked at her and then delved into his mind to find the fox.
'You can tell this one.' The fox said immediately.
'I'll answer any other questions if you do this one.' Naruto bribed tiredly.
'Brat. Done deal.' The fox growled back.
The others smirked as Naruto sat back to listen to the bijou's explanation.
'Hurry up fox.' The two-tails grinned.
'Shut up cat. You asked in the first place. I'm getting to it.' The fox growled back.
'Hehehe, you always were slow.' Shukaku, the one-tails chuckled mischievously.
'Says you, you laughing sand raccoon!' The Nine-tails roared at the sand demon.
'Are you insulting those who are slow…?' The six-tailed slug asked, his antennae moving slowly as he blinked.
'No. He's not. Just let it go slimy guts.' The Eight-tailed Ox sighed.
'You're calling HIM slimy, Ox? Have you SEEN your tails lately?' The monster cat insulted her neighbouring lightning demon.
'Have you seen YOURS? You seem to have frizzed up over the years. Maybe the land of lightening is starting to get to you, you mangy cat.' The fox grinned maliciously.
'FUZZBALL! YOU DID NOT JUST GO THERE!' The cat screeched.
'I LIVE THERE PYSCHO BITCH!' The fox roared back.
'Oh great.' The Ox sighed as the Sand Demon laughed hysterically in the background.
'IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR YOU I COULD HAVE-' The cat started to yell back.
'SHUT UP AND TELL THE STORY!' All the Jinchuuriki yelled at the Bijou, making the tailed animals wince with the force of it.
'But-' The fox tried to protest.
'FUR BUSH! GET ON WITH IT!' Naruto yelled at the fox.
'Fine. But she started it.' The Kyuubi muttered.
'WELL I'M ENDING IT. TELL THE STORY.' Naruto finished dramatically.
'Basically…We found out that the Akatsuki have a new plan. They intend to destroy the world, to bring peace, but in a more destructive way. Good for them, Bad for us kind of thing. It's virtually unstoppable…'
The fox paused for effect.
'Until Naruto and I returned from having gained this knowledge, and we were unjustly punished by being sealed in a cage. That was when we figured it out. We had to unite, so that we can become stronger and overpower them.'
'Which we will. Dattebayo.' Naruto nodded in satisfaction.
'Ok. I get that…' Yugito said in understanding.
'What is the Akatsuki's plan? Tell us everything Naruto. Tell us from the beginning. From the exact moment you saw and overheard them.' Gaara suddenly spoke up, fixing his green gaze on Naruto from where he sat next to him.
'Ok…but listen up. 'Cuz I'm only saying this once.' Naruto said with a cheeky grin.
Killer Bee grinned at Utakata who smiled back in expectancy, whereas Yugito and Gaara leaned forwards.
It also seemed that the Bijou, except the Nine-tails who was more than content to go to sleep, pricked up their ears to hear the tale of how this had all come about.
*Flashback*
He was crouched, watching the firelight from afar as the black shapes stood around the miniature blaze.
The red clouds on their capes clearly seen in the hazy light.
'Damn it. I can't hear them.'
'You idiot. Channel chakra to your ears.'
'Oh yeah…'
Naruto concentrated for a second, as his chakra control still wasn't all that great, and after a few seconds he managed to get it right.
Then he listened.
"Hidan and Kakuzu…you will… to the…four days…two-tails…"
'It's still not good enough. I'm only getting parts of it.'
'Idiotic brat. Here, let me try.'
As soon as Naruto let the fox's chakra filter through, he heard them clearly.
"All of the reports so far are positive. But after the two-tails is captured, we are having a slight change of plans." An orange haired one said, the one Naruto believed Jiraiya-Sama had called Pein.
"Change? What sort of change?" A tall, well built man asked. He was blue all over, and he resembled a shark even with the gigantic sword strapped to his back.
Kisame, Naruto recalled with slight nod to himself.
"I don't see why we need to fucking change. We can push these bitches over no problem." A man with silvery slicked back hair said.
The guy beside him who had a black mask covering his face turned to him slightly, his green eyes flashing.
"There is a reason you are new to this group Hidan. Deal with it. Ugh, Leader-Sama, why did you put me with the complete idiot?" He asked.
"KAKUZU! SHUT UP! I'M NOT AN IDIOT." Hidan roared at Kakuzu, who slapped him upside the head, not bothering to answer him.
"Because you are both, in a sense, immortal." Pein answered.
"FUCK THAT! HE'S A -"
"Shut up Hidan." A girl with blue hair said tiredly, opening her hand and letting streams of paper fly out of it. The pieces of paper wrapped themselves tightly to Hidan's mouth.
No matter how hard the Jashinist tried, he was unable to remove them…without causing any damage.
"If you struggle any more, the next set are going straight to your manly weak spot. Then when you try to remove them, you'll rip off your bollocks. Also known as, self castration."
"That's just harsh Konan…" Another guy spoke up.
Naruto recognised him immediately.
Itachi Uchiha.
The evil older brother of Sasuke. The monster who had killed his whole clan…yet saved Sasuke.
Well that was a darn shame in Naruto's opinion. The kid had probably lived off of lemons when he was a baby, because it couldn't have been the sweetness of his mothers milk.
I mean, shock horror, Sasuke could have been a nice guy!
Bad…Bad dreams.
Naruto refocused on the group of S-Class criminals, straining his hearing, much to the grumbling of the Kyuubi who was forced to release a little more chakra.
"Going back to what I was saying…There's going to be a change."
"YAAY! TOBI LIKES CHANGE!" A small man with an orange mask cried out joyfully.
Naruto's jaw nearly hit the floor and beyond.
This Akatsuki wasn't a criminal group! It was a bloody nutcase hospital that ran riot!
"Ah for god's sake. Konan…" Pein said with a face-palm.
Tobi's whole face was covered with paper.
"TOBI CAN'T BREATHE!" Came the muffled scream from the mask.
"Damn, I should press HARDER." Konan muttered.
There was silence again.
"As I was saying, the change, is simple."
Pein looked around the troop, eyeing them up one by one.
"Instead of hunting the Jinchuuriki down in two's, we take them as a team."
"What?" Kisame blurted out. He couldn't help himself. He glanced at Konan nervously with a gulp and slowly covered his manly parts inconspicuously.
"Yes. Think about it. We are the best shinobi in the world. We have killed, and we will kill, to bring peace. We are strongest…united. And we strike the land of lightening first. The land of fire comes next…and so on and so forth, until the world…is at our mercy." Pein explained slowly, yet full of dark enthusiasm.
Naruto widened his eyes.
This was certain doom for Konoha…the lands…They were going to be obliterated.
Lightening…
Water…
Earth…
Wind…
Fire…
His home…friends…Friends who he considered as practically family.
"Pein-Sama." Itachi said quietly.
Naruto strained to listen.
"Yes Itachi…?" Pein asked slowly.
"We have a visitor. In the form of the Nine-Tailed fox."
"Oh…?"
There was a rustle as Pein turned to face the direction of where Naruto was hiding.
"Come out, come out little…fox…" Pein called out to the black forest, amidst the chuckles of the rest of them.
'Do you think you can build up enough chakra for us to get to the gates?'
'Of course I can. It'll take me a while to re-charge as much chakra to do it again. So I can only do it once. It's weird in a human body. S'fine in my own-'
'You can reminisce about the past later. We have a problem right now.'
'Lets do this then. Brat.'
"Come out…Come out…" Pein said mockingly, starting to walk forwards, the dead leaves crunching underfoot.
"NOT BY THE HAIRS ON MY CHINNY CHIN CHIN." Naruto yelled as he stood up, a grin all over his face as he made a hand seal.
'I hope this works.'
'So do I.'
Then to the shock of all the Akatsuki members present, with the exception of Deidara and Sasori who were deceased by that time…
Naruto disappeared in a yellow flash.
*End of flashback*
"I see." Utakata murmured.
"You…but…the…flash…" Yugito stuttered.
"Huh?"
"DID YOU STEAL IT FROM THE YELLOW FLASH!" She finally blurted out, her eyes ablaze.
"N-No…Who's the yellow flash?" Naruto asked in panicked confusion.
"The fourth Hokage of the leaf village." Utakata informed him quickly.
"Oh! Oh no…no… no! He was the one who sealed the Kyuubi inside of me…and…the…the only man I can call my father." Naruto said sadly, rubbing his neck.
There was a silence.
"Oh…Well…It is quite fair, as it explains the hair." Killer Bee rapped out stammeringly.
"Hmm…and the awful dress sense." Yugito muttered.
"Hey! I take offence to that!" Naruto shouted in annoyance.
'Shut up brat. She's wrong…orange IS the best colour, and I wear it stunningly…as you can see. But you're giving me a headache. So it means you need to sleep.' The Kyuubi said in irritation.
'We all do…' The slug said slowly as Utakata nodded in agreement.
'I'll agree with that.' The two-tails nodded.
'I speak for Shukaku here, because he WILL let me sleep tonight.' Gaara said firmly as Shukaku chuckled darkly.
'Haha, you tell him Gaara.' Naruto laughed.
'You can sleep well tonight my dearest jinchuuriki.' The sand demon said maliciously.
Gaara smiled at Naruto slightly and they both stood up, bidding everyone goodnight as they slid into their tents and zipping them up.
Utakata and Yugito glanced at each other and nodded once and quickly.
Then they made it to their tents in record time and did the zips up.
"Shotgun not on first or second watch duty!" Yugito shouted as she curled up in her own sleeping bag and cat-napped.
"Shotgun not being first watch duty but bagsy being second!" Utakata called out as he zonked out into his sleeping bag.
Killer Bee sat by the fire side, having suddenly been made aware that that left him on first watch duty.
"That was not kind, I have revenge on ma mind!" Killer Bee rapped quietly as the eight tailed Octopus Ox chuckled, for once not berating Bee on his rapping.
The fire crackled once more, and a dying breeze put the flame out, and night descended.
Ok, the next chapter, things start to get going. ;)
Next chapter is COMING SOON MY SHINOBI FRIENDS.
LET THE FIRE OF YOUTH BURN BRIGHT WITHIN YOU! ;D
Keep an eye out people. ^_^
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Kaitaru Seras Viktoria Hatake. (You can all call me Kai.) ^_^
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