Escape From Haai Territory - Chapter 03: The Angel of Death
-.-.-
The two orbs filled the room with enough light to see, shadows of the fingers that held them could be seen against the walls.
Itachi turned to observe the room and noticed several small jets, enough for two people - the pilot and the navigator.
"Let's take that jet." Itachi pointed his light towards the one that he noticed has the biggest guns. "We might need those guns.
"Great, check the fuel levels while I find a way to open a door big enough for the jet to leave. Take Samehada, it can hack any jet for us to use without the key."
"It? Is Samehada really an 'it' when it has a life?"
"Not all people fall into the male / female binary." Kisame offered.
"Yeah but then you use 'they'."
"Well Samehada can correct me if it wants to."
Itachi didn't argue, he had a jet with fuel levels to check, but made a mental note to talk about it with Kisame later. Samehada skirted next to Itachi and seemed to crawl. The needles of its body made clinking sounds against the floor with every step.
The jet was easy enough to power, and completely fueled. There were several canisters of what Itachi assumed were fuel nearby as well, and Itachi briefly considered picking one up.
No. We need to hurry on out of here and the fuel will add weight. We need speed.
Itachi heard the rumbling of a garage door opening, and realized Kisame must have found a switch for the door. Instantly he turned his attention back to the jet.
Itachi sat down in the pilot's seat, and Samehada made itself comfortable in between the two seats, not that there was much space. Kisame came surging towards them, orb in his hand behind his body. The lights of the jet were enough to see - but perhaps Kisame also did not light to see?
Kisame jumped into the navigator's seat and buckled up at lightening speed, and Itachi already had the engine revved up when the lights came flickering on and loud footsteps were heard.
"Go, go, go!" Kisame's voice came from behind Itachi, sounding hoarse and murky.
Without a backwards glance, Itachi piloted the jet forward and they were in the air. Behind them gunshots filled the sky, but Itachi dodged them by driving as erratically as possible.
"You drive like a teenager!" Kisame yelled. "Who's drunk!"
"Thank you!" Itachi yelled back, over the sound of the wind they had no choice but to yell in order to be heard.
"That wasn't a compliment!" Kisame screamed as Itachi narrowly avoided a large mountainside cliff.
-.-.-
Captain Jiraiya's ship was interesting to say the least. It was an older model, but a rare and intriguing one. Sasuke recognized it as being one he too liked as a child. It was beautiful, but discontinued for safety concerns, both over the lack of sufficient oxygen compartments and the weakened walls.
"Is this ship safe?" He asked dubiously, to no one particular. He had nothing but a small bag of provisions he brought in the town and his ID card that contained all of his bank information and more.
"Of course it's safe! Otherwise why would we be here?" A voice, which Sasuke instantly decided was annoying, spoke.
"Because you're idiots?" Sasuke scoffed, turning to meet the voice. It belonged to a tall man with spikey blonde hair, azure blue eyes and the trademark fox whiskers that belonged to the species known as Kitsune.
Sasuke always hated Kitsunes. They were annoying and furry and lacked intelligence.
"Don't insult the crew members, newbie." Naruto's voice was almost harsh, and his eyes narrowed in anger. Despite his eyes showing anger, his lips poured in such a way that Sasuke couldn't help but chuckle.
"You are such a child."
"Excuse me? I'm forty-three."
"Oh? Forty-three and you still haven't grown any tails?" Sasuke teased.
Kitsune grew tails as they matured. A Kitsune with all nine tails was a rarity and a true sight to behold, they tended to be incredibly powerful, and intelligent.
"I'll have you know I have four tails."
Sasuke was dumbfounded. Four was impressive. Very impressive actually, most Kitsune went their entire lives and only managed to get two, and Kitsune had long lives. Even reaching three was a rarity, four was like meeting the leaders of their entire race.
"Where?" Sasuke asked, annoyed with himself for being impressed.
"Why would I show you? Jackass."
"It's a wonder an idiot like you ever managed to get one tail, much less four." Sasuke spoke with venomously.
"Break it up." The girl from earlier broke into the conversation. Now that Sasuke looked closely she had green veins crisscrossing over his visible body and emerald green eyes, which were now glaring at Sasuke.
"New guy, you don't have to try to fit in, but there is no point in picking a fight with any one of us, including Naruto."
"So the kid's name is Naruto?" Sasuke smirked. "I'll remember to forget it."
"Why you!" Naruto made to attack Sasuke and was held back by a girl with long blonde hair, and green veins like the girl with pink hair, who Sasuke remembered scolded Naruto earlier. "Don't try to stop me, Ino!"
"My name is Sakura." The girl pointed to herself, then towards Naruto and the other girl. "That's Ino. Stay on our good sides. This entire ship runs on us."
"Runs on you?" Sasuke asked curiously.
"We are both of the species known as Hana." Sakura explained. "Our power keeps the ship's oxygen supplies in check and our vines reinforce the ship. Any any moment we can... Choose to stop the oxygen flow in your room."
"You're threatening me."
"I am." Sakura glared back at Sasuke.
"I understand." Sasuke said. The ship was indeed safe. The residents were not. Were there any humans on this ship? Sasuke turned towards Naruto. "I apologize for my actions, Mr. Naruto."
"Mr. Naruto?" Naruto's nostrils flared and he moved his lips to the side as if in thought. "I like that."
"Don't get used to it." Sasuke couldn't help himself from responding in such a way. Idiot Kitsune.
-.-.-
They arrived within three hours to a location where Kisame claimed there was a ship large enough to traverse space. Kisame was right. The ship was huge, larger even than the police vessel Cuvier ship.
"What do we do?" Itachi asked, landing at a far enough distance that they wouldn't be seen.
"I actually think we will be just fine..." Kisame trailed off as they exited the ship. Samehada placed itself on Kisame's back, digging it's sharp needles into Kisame's clothes.
"What makes you say that?"
"Tonight is a holiday. We celebrate our victory in the battle of Urag Haai." Kisame said, his eyes on the colorful lights coming from a building near the spacecraft. "Everyone should be drinking and celebrating. We could easily make off with the ship."
"Excellent." Itachi beamed as he headed towards the ship.
It turned out to be easier than either of them ever expected. The ship was unarmed. It was unlocked. It was even fully fueled - that part wasn't really a surprise as it was docked and had likely been tended to recently. It was completely empty as far as either of them could tell, but checking the whole ship would be difficult.
"I'll go check the entire ship to make sure we are completely alone." Kisame said as he entered the pilot's compartment with Itachi. The compartment was huge, likely meant to be piloted by several pilots at once. Outside the pilot area was a command center meant to be manned by several people and even a meeting hall. Itachi didn't have time to check the rest of the ship. "Don't let anyone else in except me. Lock the doors behind me and get this ship into space. I'll toss anyone left in here out of the airlock."
"Don't kill them." Itachi scolded. "Just... Jail them. Surely a ship like this has a jail of sorts. Maybe we can use them."
"You are too compassionate." Kisame scoffed. "But fine. They don't know how lucky they are." Kisame said as he closed the door, exiting the pilot's room.
Itachi instantly latched it shut and began his work with Samehada, hacking the ship and preparing to move.
Outside, Kisame wandered the halls until he hears blood rushing. He could smell the pounding of the heart. A lesser Haai would not have been able to do it - but Kisame was no ordinary Haai.
The being was aware of both his and Itachi's existence. It had to be because it was excited, it was giving off the chemicals associated with adrenaline as it walked with assassin like silence, towards Kisame.
"I know you're there." Kisame spoke calmly, instantly alert. Whoever this was, it would be dangerous. They had skill.
"Oh? How rare. You are an interesting being." The figure stopped attempting to hide and came out of the shadows, Kisame's eyes widened and he took a step back.
It couldn't be... Could it?
-.-.-
"The girl... She might be what you're looking for." Kakuzu's dark, almost dusty sounding voice spoke.
"She is exactly what I'm looking for." A voice in the shadows responded sharply. "How much?"
"100,000 Seo." Kakuzu said firmly.
"50,000."
"90,000."
"60,000."
"I won't go any lower than 90,000."
The voice seemed to consider this, before responding. "75,000."
"80,000." Kakuzu didn't miss a beat.
"Deal."
Outside three children heard it all.
"Did he just sell me?" Konan asked in a whisper, her blue hair disheveled and blocking most of her golden eyes. Her pale fingers were intertwined in the small amount of space they had.
"No." Yahiko responded, his eyes narrowing in anger.
"He did." Nagato said gloomily.
"I said no, didn't I?" Yahiko responded. "We're getting out of here, believe in me. Let's get out. Now. Follow me."
Nagato and Konan nodded simultaneously, hope returning in both of their eyes in the form of a determined look.
-.-.-
"You're an Angel of Death." Kisame commented as the figure revealed itself.
The figure had emotionless eyes, as green as the blades of grass that brushed softly against the marshlands of Haai, they were bagged down making pink visible below them. The figure had white hair, oily and held back, on the front was a small amount held by a single band, disconnected from the rest. His hair parted in a Z and his skin was pale, paler than a ghost, it was as if no blood ran through his veins.
His body was tall, thin and yet muscular all the same. Out of one hand stretched a single , pointed bone.
"Some people call me that."
"You're the last of your kind." Kisame commented.
"What use is such information?" The man tilted his head just slightly to the side.
"What are you doing here?" Kisame asked.
"I'm a guard in this ship."
"Then why are your legs chained?"
"I'm a slave." The man seemed uninterested, words betrayed no emotion but as he spoke them Kisame was suddenly made aware of the scars that stretched over the man's body.
"I thought your kind healed instantly."
"We do. We have limits, however."
Someone had tortured this man to the point that his healing ability couldn't even keep up. It must have been intense and yet here he was, acting unaffected.
"What's your name?"
"Kimimaro." Kimimaro seemed surprised at the question, but in no hurry to kill the intruders. If anything, it seemed he was willing to converse.
"I'm Kisame." Kisame nodded towards Kimimaro. "How about you join me?"
"For what purpose? There is no meaning to joining you."
"Is there meaning in anything?" Kisame asked.
The Angel of Death seemed to consider this. "No, I suppose not."
"There doesn't need to be a reason, you can do what you want."
"I am a slave, I cannot."
"Yes you can. What binds you but your mind?"
"These shackles I cannot break. They pain me as long as I do not follow orders."
"Are they giving you pain right now?"
"Yes."
Kisame noticed now, that the shackled were glowing as they burned Kimimaro's skin, spikes were flowing through his legs from them, drawing blood. Kimimaro seemed unaffected.
"I will destroy the shackles."
"I will join you, then."
Kisame walked forward and examined the shackles, kneeling at Kimimaro's feet. They were made so any Haai could open them - Kisame placed his hands around them and used a power only a select few Haai had - one that generated pressure on his hands. Kisame used it in conjunction with water to create intense water pressure. Right now, he formed intense pressure against the shackles until they broke to pieces.
"Hold still, I'll get the spikes out." Kisame said, not even looking up as he pulled the spikes out of Kimimaro's legs one by one. "We will need to bandage these..."
"I can do it myself." Kimimaro said softly, his eyes never leaving Kisame.
"I can help."
"Very well."
-.-.-