Yo, everybody! I'm back, again. Sorry about the lateness of the update (it's 10 pm my time) but I had a midterm this morning. So a good portion of the weekend was spent studying. Eugh. And now I get to go workout. Totally don't want to, but that's the way of life.

ERm. Enjoy!

Chapter 4

"So you're out of Konoha," Kyuubi stated. "Now what?"

"Well, Akatsuki said the exchange was gonna be at the Heaven and Earth bridge," Naruto replied. "So I figured I'd head there."

Derisive laughter echoed through his head. "Your parents aren't used to dealing with Akatsuki. They've dealt with devious criminals before, but nothing on this level, and concern is clouding their judgment. Even if an exchange does take place, you know they can do body doubles pretty easily. And that's if they show at all." Kyuubi paused to let Naruto process that. "Akatsuki, however, will certainly be on to your parents. They know how the good guys work, and they'll know Minato and Kushina won't trade you."

Naruto frowned. "So the exchange was a ruse either way," he muttered. "But we know they have Tama. Were they aiming to get at me?"

"I think they wanted to get at the Uchiha brat actually," Kyuubi spat with disdain. Behind the bars to his cage, Naruto could feel him pacing, nine tails swishing in agitation. "His little group got him out of prison."

Naruto stumbled to a halt. "Wait-what?"

Kyuubi rolled his eyes. "Years with me living inside your head, messing with your senses and you still haven't learned a thing. Except how to find the best ramen shop in any town. I can smell him, and several others, out of the northwest gate."

Naruto tilted his head back and sniffed the air. Now that the demon had pointed them out, he could smell them. He glanced to the north. They were on the other side of the city. Even with his speed, he'd be hard pressed to get to Sasuke quickly. After all this time, Naruto was under no illusions about his old friend's willingness. This wouldn't be a fight for Sasuke; it would be a fight against him.

A little voice in his head was insisting that it would be easier now that Sasuke was all sealed and sedated, that now was the time to beat some sense into him.

Kyuubi growled in warning. "The Uchiha can wait. You've been after him for years. Take some time for your real family, before you lose them for good. Your sister needs you."

Years of near-obsessive focus were hard to go against. "But now's my chance! Maybe this time!"

"Stop being such an idiot!" Kyuubi howled. "Your obsession with the psychotic Uchiha—"

"Shut up! You don't know anything!"

"I don't know anything?!" Kyuubi roared. The bars in Naruto's mind shook with the demon's indignation, making his head rattle. "I've been inside your head from the day your mother brought you into this world! The day your father sealed me inside you!"

"He did that for—"

"I know things even you don't."

Even Naruto's thoughts ground to a halt at the tone of the last statement. It sent chills down his spine, even more so since they came from inside his head.

"You're talking about the time before I came to Konoha."

Kyuubi was silent for a time, so still that Naruto couldn't sense him at all. At last, he got a response. "Now is not the time for that. Tama is in danger."

"You brought it up, furball! Don't back out of it now! Where was I before the old man brought me to Konoha? How come when I first got here, I couldn't understand anyone?" Naruto thought back, searching for other times things couldn't be explained. Some of them had to be related to whatever secret Kyuubi was keeping. "When I was searching for my spirit energy, I came across a memory that I hadn't known before. What was that? Where was I when I was a kid?"

"You need to find Tama," Kyuubi snapped.

"Yeah, the twin sister I never met because of other people constantly screwing with my life! I've had enough! I have a right to know about my life! What did you do that makes me forget?"

"Just find your sister," he growled. "That is more important than whatever your pathetic little mind can or cannot remember."

"My parents'll find her. I want to know what's going on! I'm sick of being lied to!" Naruto folded his arms and stared resolutely. Kyuubi was stubbornly silent. "If you don't answer, I'm coming in there!"

Still, he got no response from the usually vociferous demon. Naruto huffed, stomped over to a nearby tree and sat down, leaning back against the trunk. Within moments, he was in the somewhat dingy sewer of his mindscape.

The giant metal bars loomed before him, terrifying and familiar. The seal was intact, if a bit worn around the edges. The sound of dripping water echoed from somewhere in his mind.

Naruto stomped up to the apparently empty cage. There was no sign of his constant companion. "Talk to me."

"You are wasting precious time, Naruto." Kyuubi's voice echoed from the depths of the cage. "Time you do not have to save—"

Naruto snorted. "Time moves differently in the mindscape. I can't be wasting much, if any, time."

"This is not the only place that time moves differently," Kyuubi warned. "If I am right-"

"I don't trust you," Naruto shot back. He planted his feet and stood before the gates, hands fisted and mouth twisted into a fierce snarl. Somewhere in his mind, the dripping stopped. "You've kept something from me my whole life! How can I believe you?"

The demon once again fell silent for a bit. "If there is one who can understand your feelings of manipulations, it is I. You know what Madara did to me and my family." Kyuubi took a deep breath. "I kept things from you, things you could not handle as a child. Perhaps you can handle them now, but your sister may be in grave danger. We must move quickly."

Naruto considered the cage and the darkness behind it, debating.

"Tama is the child of Minato and Kushina," Kyuubi reminded him. Inside the cage, he slid up to the bars as a human, albeit with pointy ears and teeth. "Start running, kit. I will explain on the way."

The blond eyed Kyuubi a moment more before taking a deep breath and--

-jumping to his feet. Which way?

"Northeast. Toward Lightning."

Naruto started sprinting, soon jumping into the trees to save energy. Where are we going?

Kyuubi was silent for a time, and Naruto decided to let him gather his thoughts. "Your parents and I went on a mission to destroy a laboratory once. Your mother went in undercover, but was discovered. Before we could get her out, the scientists there did some tests. They learned about what they called her green chakra."

Areah Broah? Naruto asked. The trees whizzed by him at astonishing rates. He pondered idly that it might have been a good idea to pack more food, but he hadn't planned on going on such a long trip. He'd find something on the way.

He felt Kyuubi nod in his head. "That's right. But Minato and I buster her and . . . everyone else out before they could do anything substantial. Per Orochimaru's orders, we saved the files they had and delivered them to him."

To Snake-face! Naruto cried. He thought his parents were smarter than that. Course, Sasuke was pretty smart and the creep had managed to lure him in. Why the hell would you do that?

"We trusted him at the time. He didn't reveal his deception until after your birth. He remarked to me later, after imbibing a good deal of alcohol, how simply remarkable it would be for a child to have Areah Broah and your father's birthright."

Okay. Naruto thought for a second. What does this have to do with Tama? And why are we going to Lightning?

Kyuubi growled in frustration. "If ever you had a brain, it has surely atrophied from disuse."

Hey!

"Akatsuki had no use for your sister beyond bait. Once your parents, as well as several powerful ANBU and Jounin, were lured out of Konoha, her use for them would have been over."

But . . .

Kyuubi waited, and waited, for Naruto to make the connection. Much as he teased the brat, there wasn't a half-bad brain in his blond head. He just rarely used it. The demon mused that he should train Naruto to use his mind. It was tough, being the brains of the operation, after all.

Oh! Orochimaru wants her because she has the spirit energy and Kekkei genkai!

"Good job! And Kabuto's absorbing his remains, and therefore his memories."

But where would Kabuto take her? Naruto wondered.

Here Kyuubi smirked. "To the old lab that we infiltrated years ago. It's in Lightning. I can direct you there. But we need to hurry."

Well, obviously if Kabuto's got her. Naruto put a little bit more oomph behind his legs, pushing himself farther and faster.

"It's more urgent than that," Kyuubi revealed. "The lab had a very special jutsu around it. Lightning ninjas are masters of time and space jutsus. Around the lab, there is a jutsu that manipulates time."

Naruto made a face. How does that work? Sounds complicated.

"It is. You would no doubt be unable to understand it. But the effect is this: every day here is approximately one week in the laboratory." Kyuubi paused to let it sink in.

So, wait. If I take one day to get to the lab . . . for Tama, it would be a week?

"Exactly. You understand the need for haste. I suggest you pick up the pace so we can get her away from the creature once known as Orochimaru."

You mean Kabuto. Or both? What should we call him?

Kyuubi rolled his eyes and threw his hands in the air. "Fine, we'll call the creature Kabuchimaru, okay?"

Despite the gravity, Naruto chuckled. Kabuchimaru. That has a kinda ring to it.

"Just focus on running. Put some of my chakra into your steps for now. We need to cover ground, and no one will be able to catch up if you move fast enough."

Right. With that, Naruto began to glow radioactive red and fly even faster through the trees.

The door to her cell creaked open. At first they had been reluctant to open it all the way, fearing she might make an escape attempt, but her continued compliance had allowed them to relax. She narrowed her eyes, hoping desperately that it was—yes! It was Akiyama. He'd been the kindest to her. She was still pretending to be pregnant, and so far no one had bothered to test it. The Creature was apparently gone for the time being.

Akiyama had whispered a few words to her, here and there. It turned out he felt horrible for her, being "pregnant" and trapped in this cell. She felt rather guilty lying to him, but didn't want to think about the world his child would grow up in if the Creature's plans came to fruition.

Tama flashed him a warm, wan smile. "How is your wife, Akiyama? And the baby?"

A shy smile spread across his face. "They are well. Thank you for asking."

"How far along is she now?" Tama asked. "It's been a couple of weeks since you found out, right?"

Akiyama gave her an odd look. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, I started talking to you a couple of weeks ago. I mean, I can't really keep track of the days in this cell, with no sunlight or anything, but it's been a while. How many weeks is she?"

He stared at her for a while. "You do not know, do you?"

Tama frowned. "Know what, Akiyama?"

The skittish man glanced around and stepped slightly closer to her, handing her the plate of food directly. "You see, every week in here is only a day in the real world, or something like that."

Tama numbly took the plate of food from him and set it on the cot beside her. Her mind struggled to wrap itself around this new tidbit of information. Akiyama leaned in with concern. "Are you okay? Is something wrong with the baby?"

His question snapped purpose into her mind. "Oh, well, you see. The Cre—your master wants my baby because I have very special powers. But I need special herbs, or the baby will die."

Akiyama wrung his hands and once again glanced over his shoulder. He seemed even more nervous than before. "I—I shouldn't be saying this, but if—if he wants the baby, it is not for, ah, gentle purposes." He shrank a bit after saying this, as if expecting to be killed instantly.

Tama watched him carefully. "Akiyama-san, I know."

The man's face fell, as if he had been expecting quite a different answer. Before he could leave, before she lost her only chance at escape, Tama continued. "I don't want him to have my baby. I need to get out of here before he takes it."

Akiyama's eyes widened, though he didn't make a move or a sound. She continued. "I need to take him out. For that, I need some special herbs. If I tell you what they are, will you get them for me?"

"I . . . uh . . ." Akiyama hesitated, twisting his hands furiously and checking over his shoulder.

Tama reached out and stilled his anxious motions. She offered a reassuring smile. "Once I get out of here, I can get protection for your wife and baby," she murmured. "You won't have to worry about the thing hurting them anymore."

He met her gaze for a long time, searching. She held it, hoping desperately that he would agree. Eventually the Creature would come back and see through her ruse. Or her body would recover from the trauma it had endured with the surgeries and her cycle would begin again. The Creature would try again, and she didn't want to take the chance that it would succeed.

At long last, Akiyama gave a sharp nod. He pulled himself from her grasp and left the cell, not sparing her another glance.

She leaned back against her cell wall. There was always a chance that this wouldn't work. Akiyama could bail. His courage wasn't all that great. Tama rubbed her eyes and stuffed some of the food in her mouth. She had to keep her strength up. If her new friend didn't come through, she'd have to come up with a plan B.

Thoughts ran through her head. Tama grabbed each one and analyzed it, keeping some, dismissing most. There were times that the Creature was so distracted, it seemed to be oblivious to the world around it. She might be able to capitalize on that. She knew about pressure points. If she could take its arms out, that would hamper the jutsus.

I still need a good weapon. Something better than the little skull-bashers I've been able to collect. She glanced at the collection of rocks under her cot. Her throwing arm and aim weren't too bad, and crushing someone's temple was a swift, if bloody, way of quickly dispatching someone.

There wasn't much else in her room. Her mattress didn't even have springs in it that she could pull out and sharpen. Still, there were the legs. Tama eyed them speculatively. A couple of them weren't stable. She leaned under the cot and examined the back legs a bit more closely.

Oh, yes. I can use these. On one of the back legs, the wood had split. It was a partial fault, but Tama figured she could work the rest of a piece off and sharpen it. At least that way she'd have a blunt and sharp weapon.

Tama checked over her shoulder. Akiyama had just delivered her food, which usually held all of her prenatal vitamins. No one should be here to bother her for a while. She slipped under the cot and began to pick at the fault line of the leg. It would take a while, but she'd get it free. And then she'd get herself free.

No matter what it took.

Sasuke took a deep breath to keep his patience. Karin and Suigetsu were at it again. Of course, when were they not? At some point, he had to get better teammates. Juugo could stay, provided he could keep his curse seal in check a reasonable amount. Juugo was quiet. Sasuke appreciated quiet. Perhaps he would inform Karin and Suigetsu that their services were no longer required by ripping their tongues out.

No, he'd have to remove their vocal chords to keep them from screaming. It would be better just to kill them.

"How much farther do we have?" he demanded, cutting through their incessant chatter.

"Meh, I don't know," Suigetsu grumbled. He scratched the back of his head. "Can I kill Karin?"

Karin, for her part, screeched in fury and almost launched herself on Suigetsu. Sasuke cut her attack off with a single barked command of, "Stop."

She eased off, not eager to earn her beloved's disapproval. He rolled his eyes. "At some point, Karin and Suigetsu, you will have a battle to the death and the winner will stay by my side. Save your bickering until then."

Suigetsu smirked at Sasuke's response and bared his teeth in a growl to his nemesis. The red-haired harpy glared back and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "So, where is this Tobi person?"

"Right here."

The quartet suddenly snapped into fighting positions. Above them, on a tree branch, a man in an Akatsuki cloak and a gaudy orange, swirly mask hovered.

"Why didn't you sense him, Karin?" Sasuke growled. "That is why I keep you around."

"I—I mean, it's like he's not there, Sasuke," she stuttered in response. "Seriously, I can't feel his chakra."

The man who called himself Tobi chuckled. "It's not her fault. I'm a very unique person. iPerhaps you've heard of me."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "I've heard of Akatsuki, but not of you."

"Oh, but I have another name, Sasuke." The man chuckled and jumped down. He padded closer and looked Sasuke in the eye. The younger Uchiha's other eyebrow shot up as he looked into another Sharingan. "My name is Uchiha Madara and we have much to discuss."

-------------------------------------------
Ta -da yay! Another one done. The name Kabuchimaru came from someone in the reviews (I searched, I can't remember or find you, I'm sorry!), but it's not my original idea.

Anyway, let me know what you think and I'll see you next Monday. I'll try to work on my other fics in the mean time. Oh, one question: if anyone cares to answer, what would you say makes humanity as a species unique?

That's all my lovelies. Good night!