As Shibiki, Daisuke and Migoto entered Uchiha castle Shibiki entered the throne room while Daisuke and Migoto waited in the other rooms. As Shibiki entered the room he say Itachi in the same position as he left with his back turned. "Kakashi Hatake is dead?" He whispered.

"Yes." Replied Shibiki as he bowed to his sensei.

"His headband?" Itachi asked as at lightning speed he appeared in front of Shibiki and took it out of his hand. His speed still amazed Shibiki, he was ten times faster than Kakashi and of course all the more powerful. "There is but one final test I have for you. Before we face…. Him." Itachi continued.

Shibiki's eyes widened he knew who his master was talking about. "I'm ready now!" Shibiki yelled.

Itachi still with the same emotionless expression replied in a scolding tone, "No! You defeated a Konaha jonin, a Sharingan used like myself someone you have experience fighting. I'm not the least bit impress but now you will fight a true jinchuriki."

Shibiki sighed in anger. "Who?" He asked.

"Sabaku no Gaara, the jinchuriki who contains the one tailed Shukaku. You will need all of your skills to survive. But you cannot kill him as he is targeted by group of Akatsuki agents. Your mission is to simply defeat him and bring me his headband as proof." Itachi paused and turned around to look at his student. He continued to speak, "I do not expect you to survive but if you do you will be one step closer to fulfilling your primary mission."

Shibiki couldn't contain his excitement anymore and whispered, "Madara Uchiha…" Shibiki remember what he was taught. When Itachi told him of how he was forced to betray his clan on orders of his village with the help of Madara and how he was forced to join the organization Akatsuki as he had nowhere else to go. Itachi was condemned to an eternal hell. Which was why Itachi took him as an apprentice, he took him in so that one day when Shibiki was strong enough that together they would be able to kill Madara and use Akatsuki for there own goals.

Itachi nodded and smirked, "Yes only together can we defeat him." He said.

Shibiki bowed before his sensei and replied, "I will not fail you sensei." He soon made his leave.

He soon made his way to Migoto's room. She wore the same black top and skirt. There she sat on her bed fixing a medical potion she must've created and in the corner Daisuke stood observing the potion. She stared at Shibiki with her emerald eyes and said with her angelic voice, "Did you get your mission?"

Shibiki nodded. "I did."

She cocked her head to the side and asked, "Is something wrong? You seem troubled"

Shibiki shook his head, "It's nothing…don't worry about it"

Migoto knew something was something he wasn't telling her so she asked again, "Is something about the mission bothering you?"

Shibiki growled sounding annoyed, "No! Stop asking me!"

Migoto glared at him. They were partners, How was that the right to be rude to her. "You don't have to be so rude about it! I can't help it that I have strong empathy!"

"Then stay out of my head!" Shibiki yelled.

Just then a surge of anger went through Migoto and she wanted to slap him but she couldn't knowing that he was obviously physically stronger than she was as well as him being able to single handedly defeat squads of Konaha and Kiri ninja. Suddenly she could feel tears of rage in her eyes. She didn't know how they could have formed how could this low life make her cry? She couldn't understand how he had the power to do that which no other man could ever do and she couldn't stop herself.

Shibiki signed and turned to walk away with Daisuke following him. "Why...?" Migoto asked. Her voice sounded like a child in pain. Shibiki turned and looked at her eyes. She still looked beautiful only this time she seemed so helpless and her tears almost made him want to cry as well. "Why are you doing this to me? Why are you treating me as if I'm a hindrance? Is that what I am to you? Is that all I have ever been to anyone? Is that why no one shows any affection or kindness to me? All I want to do is help and you just push me away like everyone else! What have I done to deserve all of this? Tell me! I beg you tell me what I have done to make you hate me so much!"

Shibiki sighed sadly and watched her break into soft sobs. He felt horrid, stomach tightened he had never been in so much pain, no matter the cut, burn or bruise he had experienced this was by far the worse pain he had ever felt. He couldn't believe that a person like her is making him feel this pain. All he knew was he couldn't take her suffering anymore and that he had to stop it.

He walked over to her wanting to hold her hand but he knew that now would not be the right time. "Hey…." He said, he took a deep breath and continued, "I'm sorry. I… I'm just not good at stuff like this." It was true he had never really had anyone who he has ever opened up to other than Daisuke. Unable to resist the urge he took her hand and looked in her eyes. "I'm so sorry... I'm going to try and open up to you more…I promise." He finished.

Migoto wiped her eyes with her free hand and said, "No I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lost control like that. I was weak."

"Don't be you have nothing to apologize for. I'm the one who should apologize" Shibiki replied. For the first time in his life he actually did that.

Just then Migoto saw a tall figure behind Shibiki he wielded a giant Hocho. He lifted it from his back and swung it near them.

"Look out!" Migoto screamed.

At that moment Shibiki unsheathed his kunai at lightning speed and clashed it right in the center of the Hocho. They pushed at each other and neither one of them was willing to back down. Shibiki looked at the face of his assailant, a gray skinned, tall, black haired shinobi with bandages on his mouth. He also had a Kirigakure headband on his head; immediately Shibiki knew who this shinobi was. Zabuza Momochi, he thought. The demon of the hidden mist, killer of over 100 of ninja graduates at their final exam and master of the Sairento Kiringu. Most importantly he was a missing nin just as the Akatsuki were, only Zabuza was known for being reckless, crazed and unreliable with other missing nins. Why he was here didn't matter to Shibiki all that matters now was to kill him.

Shibiki soon escaped the clash and dodged another heavy swing from the hocho. Shibiki hit him in the side with a fast roundhouse kick straight into Zabuza's left rib cage. He gave out a small grunt and feel to the floor. Before he could get up Shibiki grabbed Zabuza's Hocho and impaled him to the floor. Soon Zabuza and his hocho both disappeared in a puff of smoke revealing it was only Daisuke using his transformation jutsu.

Shibiki chuckled and Migoto looked at them both as though she was stunned. "I thought at that moment when you showed your emotional weakness it would've be the perfect time to attack." Daisuke said, "I really thought I was going to kill you this time."

Migoto was speechless. Why on Earth would Itachi have someone like this assisting them? She thought. Shibiki laughed and patted his dragon friend on the back. "You'll get the chance someday Daisuke."

Daisuke smiled, He showed off his pearl white, razor sharp teeth. He scratched the back of his purple-scaled head and said, "Yes I shall but first I must help you with your missions. Now we must hurry and find that Jinchuriki." He walked through the door and Shibiki followed him. He stopped and turned to Migoto.

"I'm nervous about my target…" he said

Migoto looked at him in surprise and asked, "Why? You single handedly killed 2 squads of jonin ninja not to mention Kakashi Hatake. How could you possibly be nervous?"

Shibiki shrugged and looked away. To Migoto he looked ashamed. "I'm not entirely sure myself. I can't be nervous if Itachi knew he would tear me in two…"

Migoto put her hand to her mouth. How could he do this to his student? "You aren't allowed to feel fear?"

"Fear is one of the rare emotions I'm allowed to feel. That and rage." He replied emotionlessly. He was still looking away from her.

Migoto didn't know what to say. How could Itachi ever deprive this man now only of his freedom but of his emotions as well? It just was inhuman. "It doesn't have to be like that you know?" She said as she took his arm just as he had taken hers. She looked at his eyes and he looked back slightly, She thought she was getting to him slowly but surely.

Suddenly in an instant he jerked his hand free, "Oh yes it's that way for you! But not for me! Never for me! This is all I know and it will never change!" Shibiki cried. Migoto looked shocked again. He was such a poor depressed soul she had to help him. He sighed and turned his back towards her, "I'm sorry but this is just the way I am I don't see that there's a possible way to change." He said softly.

"You're wrong…." Migoto said. That's all she could say, she knew that he could change and be feel more if he wanted too. Perhaps he wasn't ready yet?

There was a long pause and at last Shibiki said. "Maybe… But not now." He proceeded to the door after Daisuke, "Right now I have to concentrate on the mission. Come on let's go we have to hurry." He finished.

Migoto sighed and followed him. As they made there way to Sunagakure all she could think about was that someday she would make him feel more like a human being than this. She knew that she was the only one who could save him from his suffering. He may not admit it but she knew how much he suffered and she knew that she was the only one who could save him from it. Even if she couldn't do it all now she could wait, she will save him someday from hell.

Sunagakure was hot as always Matsuri thought. It's wasn't called the sand village just because of the layer of sand all around them. Even there houses were made of a type of stone found in the sand. She looked at the sky, as it was almost hotter than it usually was then it hit her like a shuriken. It was a bad omen told by the elders to scare the kids to make them work harder. When it is unusually hot in Suna it meant that a rouge ninja entered the village with an unstoppable killer intent. She had to tell her sensei she thought.

She ran as fast as she could to the kazekage's manor where her sensei was waiting. "Gaara sensei!" She cried, "It's-"

"I know." Gaara replied, "An Assassin."

Matsuri knew only one organization that would want the assassination of Gaara. Akatsuki! She thought. "Akatsuki has made their move!"

Gaara knew that they were coming for him. He couldn't let Matsuri interfere, as she would most defiantly be killed. "Perhaps." He said, "I will go wait for him at the Buddha's shrine. Wait for me in the graveyard as we have practiced."

Matsuri was shocked, why wouldn't he let her fight with him? She was well-trained shinobi just like her sensei. She wanted to defend him from this assassin. "But sensei this is my battle too! Let me fight!"

"No!" Gaara instructed, "I know you want to fight Matsuri but I cannot afford to put you in danger. Akatsuki is a deadly organization that will stop at nothing to complete their goal. You still a genin you would surely be killed. Now go as I have told you."

Matsuri scowled and ran away to the graveyard. How dare he do this to her? She was better than this; she knew that if they fought together they would win. But he was her sensei and she had to obey him. At times she thought it was so damn annoying.

Gaara's siblings Kankuro and Temari appeared in front of him. "Protect Matsuri and make sure she makes it to the graveyard." Gaara ordered. "I know how upset she is about this…."

"We will." Kankuro said, "Don't worry about it."

As they left Gaara made his way to the shrine. It's time that I show Akatsuki what a true jinchuriki can do, Gaara thought.

Shibiki made his way through every Suna ninja that got in his way, He let Daisuke and Migoto take care of the stragglers while he made his way to the Buddha shrine where he could sense the Shukaku's massive chakra. Finding him was easy now fighting him was the interesting part Shibiki knew.

As he made his way to the shrine where in the middle he saw this Jinchuriki with his back turned to Shibiki, facing the giant Buddha head. "Akatsuki's assassin. Welcome to the ancient shrine. A place of peace, a place of worship." He said still looking at the shrine still. He turned to face Shibiki and said, "Are you ready to meet your fate?" As he said it the cork in his gourd came out and I vast cloud of sand surrounded him

Shibiki knew this sand. Shukaku has the ability to give its jinchuriki to manipulate sand at will. The sand must have been sealed inside the gourd on his back. Shibiki knew that this fight would be interesting and that he can't afford to hold back anything against this jinchuriki of the sand.