Chapter 5: What? ...Tasogare?
"Um... who are you?" Kazuki asked standing behind the man in the dark cloak.
"What?! They followed Yuki after all?" The man thought turning around. "There is only one thing you three need to do and that is tell Yuki, Tasogare. He'll know what that is." He said vanishing with a smoke bomb.
"He's gone...!" Ayaka said looking around unable to see him nearby.
"Tasogare...? What's that...?" Kazuki asked looking at Takeo and Ayaka confused.
"How are we supposed to know!?" Ayaka and Takeo shouted at Kazuki at the same time.
"Sorry..." Kazuki said tilting his head a bit when the door suddenly started to open.
"I was sure I heard three familiar annoying voices just a second ago..." Yuki said looking around outside the door to see no one there.
"Must've been your imagination. I don't see anyone out there." Kei said while Yuki looked around a bit more and closed the door.
"That was close...!" Kazuki sighed standing on the side of a building next door alongside Ayaka and Takeo.
"Idiot, you were too loud!" Takeo stated glaring at Kazuki.
"Yeah, you nearly got us caught!" Ayaka shouted agreeing with Takeo.
"Me? You two were the ones that were shouting!" Kazuki shouted looking at Takeo and Ayaka as they looked away from him.
"Anyway, let's find out what they are talking about." Takeo said coughing before changing the subject.
"Right. Let's see where the best point to listen in is." Ayaka said following Takeo out of the small alley and towards the Tailor's place.
Back at the Tailor's place, Yuki was sitting in a chair reading Make-out Tactics while Kei was sewing some fabrics together at a workbench.
"The Akatsuki, huh?" Kei asked putting the design in Yuki's eye on some blue fabric.
"Yeah but they weren't the real problem. Those summoned creatures you spoke about before, how is that even possible to summon so many or even werewolves?" He asked glancing towards Kei.
"I'm not sure myself but they say it all started when some strange ninja moved into town. He wears an odd headband of what looks like a Sun setting." Kei responded remembering the reports not long after that man entered the town. "By the way, I noticed you're still reading those books..."
"How long ago was this?" Yuki asked looking up from his book turning the page. "It's not the same book; this is new one that just came out."
"Whatever, the man moved here just last week and we've been having problems since. He moved into a place to the east of the village a little ways in the forest, if you stay on the path you shouldn't be able to miss it." Kei explained while Yuki closed his book and got up ready to leave.
"Then I'll be off to check this guy out. It seems odd that he would have a place in the village if he had just arrived here." Yuki said walking over to the door putting his book back in his pocket.
"What are you going to do about that kid?" Kei asked remembering he had seen Takeo.
"Right, those three Genin. I was thinking of having them do this but after what happened with Kisame earlier I rather not get them caught up in my work anymore. It's too dangerous for Genin of their level." Yuki said stopping at the front door.
"Wait, three Genin? You really have changed since the day we first met. Then, your eyes were only filled with hatred and revenge." Kei said with a sight chuckle.
"Hm? No matter, I have things to take care of. Once the job is done, I leave the Genin in your care. They are not ready to follow down my path just yet – I mean they're good but not at a level to compete with any Akatsuki or Tasogare members." Yuki said starting to open the door.
"Tasogare? Last I heard it only had two members, Kurayami Seiwa and T..." Kei started to say when Yuki turned his head quickly glaring at him.
"Don't you ever say his name! I never want to hear it as long as I live!" Yuki stated angrily intensely glaring at Kei.
"O...okay. Sorry, I didn't know you were still that mad at him." Kei said quickly apologizing while sweating. "Wow, he still has that terrifying look when you try to mention his name." He thought to himself looking at Yuki.
"Mad? No, those words are far too soft for him – the man I will kill!" Yuki stated closing the door behind him and walking away with his firsts clinched tight.
"I guess he really hasn't changed after all." Kei said shrugging while getting back to work.
"What is this Tasogare business everyone keeps talking about and who is this 'T' guy that Yuki wants dead?" Takeo thought to himself after hearing the conversation from the top floor of the shop, just above the room Yuki and Kei were talking in.
"This is our chance to prove that we're fully capable of assisting him, let's get to that house before Yuki does and finish the job before he can." Kazuki said walking over to the window they had opened to get inside.
"I'm with you 100. Let's get going now but I also wonder about this Tasogare." Ayaka said realizing it was the word the man before told them about and something Yuki had said.
"We'll have to find out later, we have to get going now or Yuki will beat us there." Takeo said jumping out the window.
"Right." Ayaka and Kazuki said following him.
On a road on the outskirts of the town a little to the north stood the man that the three Genin had run into before in front of the Tailors place. He was walking away from the town with a large smirk on his face with his hood still covering his face when two figures stepped out of the forest nearby and he came to a complete stop.
"Well what do we have here?" A voiced asked with a slight chuckle.
"Hmm?" The hooded man muttered turning to see Kisame standing next to Itachi. "The Akatsuki, huh?"
"Raito Hōjō of the Tasogare. What business do you people have here?" Itachi asked looking at Raito.
"That would be none of your business but I know what you're here for. It's Yuki Takashi isn't it?" Raito asked with a smirk on his face when a sliver head plate shined from under his hood revealing the symbol for the Village Hidden Among the Rocks with a scratch across it.
"If you know that much, we can't just let you leave so easily." Kisame said readying his sword.
"Kisame, wait. We'll only draw attention to us if we fight here. We'll let him go this time but next time you won't be so lucky, Raito." Itachi said looking over at Raito.
"Ha! I knew the Akatsuki were terrified of us. Oh well, I'm in a good mood so I'll let you two off." Raito said putting his hands behind his head as he walked away in a cheerful mood.
"Just give me a few seconds and I'll tear him to shreds." Kisame said angry by what Raito had said to them.
"The Akatsuki will deal with them soon enough and the Tasogare will be no more." Itachi said watching Raito walk off down the dirt road.
"Then I have dibs on that guy. I'll let my Samehada eat all his chakra and slowly tear him apart." Kisame said with a grin.
Raito continued walking down the road running at the fastest speed as possible, which was pretty fast considering he specializes in Taijutsu, and arrived in a seemingly fast time but before he entered he was met by another cloaked figure sitting on the ground against what looked like a Claymore sword stuck into the ground. Raito quickly stopped in his tracks after seeing this figure and walked over to it and knelt down before it.
"Lord Kurayami Seiwa, I found him but where he is will be a problem for us." Raito said looking down reporting to this figure as if it were his superior.
"Oh? I'm sure Toyotomi would be pleased with this development but what do you speak of when you say it will be a problem for us?" Kurayami asked glancing up and looking at Raito.
"He's in Mangetsu and according to past reports, he's doing jobs for villages and he'll most likely end up stumbling upon Mikimoto." Raito reported seeming troubled by this turn of events.
"Oh? Sounds like a good test for Mikimoto. We'll see if his research is good enough for Tasogare or not with this." Kurayami responded calmly unaffected by this information. "Looks like I better go inform the great leader of our findings. I'm sure he'll be happy we finally found Yuki." He said getting up and pulling his sword out of the ground.
"What are my orders, Lord Seiwa?" Raito asked still kneeling down.
"Keep an eye on Yuki until Toyotomi arrives but do not involve yourself in a needless battle with him unless you have to." Kurayami said putting his sword on his back and started walking towards the town further to the north.
"Very well, my Lord." Raito said getting up and started heading back towards Mangetsu Village. "Oh, one more thing, Lord Seiwa." He said remembering about the Akatsuki members he had ran into.
"What is it?" Kurayami asked stopping in his tracks.
"Seems the Akatsuki are making their move against him. I ran into Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki on the outskirts of the village, what should I do about them?" Raito asked standing waiting for orders.
"If they get in your way, deal with them anyway you see fit but you better not let them kill Yuki. He is first priority." Kurayami said looking back revealing his slashed head plate from the Village Hidden in the Smoke.
"As you wish, my Lord." Raito said continuing walking towards Mangetsu Village.
"So, Akatsuki wants Yuki dead finally? He must've said something to really make them angry. No matter, this just means I'll have to hurry to let Toyotomi about Yuki's location." Kurayami thought walking into the nearest village.
Outskirts of Mangetsu Village: Ayaka, Kazuki, and Takeo stand outside a large building nearly the size of a mansion just a little off the path heading east of the village. After shaking off their shock of seeing how big the place was, the three of them started walking towards the building suddenly a trap door opened below them. The three of them quickly jumped to the three sides, Takeo to the right, Ayaka to the left, and Kazuki straight ahead.
"That was a close one." Kazuki said wiping the sweat off his forehead.
"Kazuki, be careful of where you step. There might be more traps on the lawn." Takeo said looking over at Kazuki.
"Huh? Why are you only telling me that!?" Kazuki shouted turning around.
"Because you're the only one stupid enough to fall for the traps." Takeo said looking at Kazuki's foot to see what looked like a button under his left foot. "Don't move your...!"
"Where's your reasoning in that!? I'm not so stupid that I would...!" Kazuki started to shout lifting his left foot up activating more doors to open around them knocking Takeo and him into separate holes.
"Idiot!" Takeo shouted falling into one of the holes.
"This is just great!" Ayaka shouted just keeping her balance on the short slip of land surrounding the holes. "Looks like I'll have to find a way down there to help them." She said balancing across the small pieces of land remaining and arriving at the door. "This is too easy..." She thought when she quickly dropped to the ground and three large shuriken flew over her. "I thought so; this place is full of surprises. I better watch my step or I'm going to end up dead."
Below the trap door lawn, Takeo and Kazuki fall into prison cell-like rooms next to one another. However, the doors to the cells were wide open with the surroundings looking like a prison.
"A prison?" Kazuki asked looking around confused.
"No, they wouldn't leave the doors open if it were that simple." Takeo said quickly noticing the doors were open.
"Takeo? Where's Ayaka?" Kazuki asked looking around only seeing the two of them were there.
"She was most likely kept her balance up above. We were the only ones that fell down here." Takeo said walking over to the door and stepped over to the cell door.
"We've got no choice but to get out then." Kazuki said walking over to his door and stepping out at the same time as Takeo.
"We've got to find that guy and get out of here but be careful with the traps." Takeo said stepping on something and looking down noticing he had carelessly stepped on a button for a trap.
"Did I just hear something?" Kazuki asked slowly turning around to see Takeo with a slight smile on his face and sweating. "Something wrong?"
"No, nothing at all. Let's get going." Takeo said not wanting to admit he had stepped on a trap and released his foot as soon as Kazuki took a step forward. "Idiot, you stepped on a trap!" He shouted hearing something from behind them start moving.
"What? How did I activate anything!? I was watching my steps and nothing moved down like a button!" Kazuki shouted turning around to see a wall start moving towards them at a high speed.
"I don't know how you did it but you did! Anyway, what are you looking at?" Takeo asked turning around to see the wall. "Run!!" He shouted and the two of them started running the opposite direction as fast as they could.
"There's no way that one was from me! It had to be from you or it was activated on its own!" Kazuki shouted running down a long cement hallway when he suddenly hit a button that made kunai shoot across a section of the hallway. "Kunai trap!" He shouted dodging the kunai firing across.
"It wasn't me!" Takeo responded when he noticed another trap activated. "Damn it, you hit another one, idiot!" He shouted dodging the kunai.
"A door!" Kazuki shouted running towards a door down the hall off to the right.
"Make sure not to hit anymore traps on the way!" Takeo shouted stepping on a button.
"I didn't hit any since that last kunai one." Kazuki said getting to the door and opened it and just then the slope of the hall dropped from 180 degrees to fifty degrees.
"Whoa!" Takeo shouted starting to slide down towards the darkness below when Kazuki caught him by the hand just as he went by the door and pulled him inside.
"That was a close one. Could it have been opening the door that activated that one?" Kazuki asked examining the door for any switches.
"Of course it was. Let's... hey, this place is a dead end." Takeo said looking around to see a room that looked like the bottom of a dried up well with brick walls and lights every few feet for at least one story.
"Genius, we can use our chakra to scale the walls. There's a door right there at the top." Kazuki said pointing at a door towards the top.
"I guess you're right for once but this seems a little too easy." Takeo said walking towards the walls when suddenly water started spraying out of the center of the room. "I knew it was too easy!" He shouted as the door they came in through slammed shut and locked tight.
"Let's see who can get to the top first!" Kazuki shouted pointing at the door at the top.
"You're on!" Takeo shouted accepting his challenge and the two of them took off running up the wall at the same time.
As Kazuki scaled the wall he hit a button triggering the water to rise quicker. Takeo looked back to laugh but he suddenly hit a switch making spikes start to scale the wall below them in rows at a fast pace.
"You better hurry slow guy! We've got a problem below us!" Takeo shouted nearly at the door.
"I already know about the water rising quicker!" Kazuki shouted looking up at Takeo.
"Not the water, look for yourself!" Takeo shouted pointing behind Kazuki.
"What else could there...? Whoa! Spikes!!" Kazuki shouted running quicker and arriving at the small platform with the door about the same time as Takeo.
"He's fast when he's motivated." Takeo thought surprised while he reached over and turned the handle of the door but it didn't open – the door was locked.
"What are you waiting for? Open the door, the water's almost here!" Kazuki stated looking down the see the water not too far below them.
"I'm trying but the door is locked!" Takeo shouted twisting the handle more.
"Move out of the way, I'll open it!" Kazuki shouted and Takeo moved out of the way just as he went by in a flash.
"So this is where you two went?" Ayaka asked opening the door to see Kazuki charging at her full speed. "I don't think so!" She stated moving aside letting him slam into the wall behind her.
"My... face... is in... a lot... of pain...!" Kazuki said falling backwards with his glasses shattered.
"Nice job." Takeo said closing the door behind him quickly and locking it. "Is he going to be okay?"
"He'll be fine, he always brings spares with him everywhere he goes." Ayaka responded as Kazuki reached into his tool bag and pulled out another pair of glasses.
"That'll be the third pair since coming out here..." Kazuki said sighing while throwing his old pair aside.
"So how did you manage to get here?" Takeo asked looking at Ayaka.
"Traveled through hell and when I left it, I was right in front of this door hearing you two yelling about some spikes and water so I waited a little while before opening the door." Ayaka responded.
"Ah, so you ran into the traps as well? Wait, you waited to open the door!?" Kazuki shouted a little mad about the fact she didn't open it sooner when she could have.
"I take it that you were the one that locked it as well?" Takeo asked holding back the annoyed tone in his voice.
"Yeah, that was me as well." Ayaka said when Takeo and Kazuki's eyes quickly turned to raging fires filled with anger. "Just kidding, it was already locked when I got here. You two really need to learn how to take a joke."
"A joke, eh?" Kazuki asked holding back the anger in his voice.
"Not a very funny one." Takeo said with his arms shaking with anger when suddenly there was a sound of a latch unlocking.
"Impressive. You three have made it to the central area of my home. Down the hall you'll find a door leading to the central room of the house, where I'll be. Come if you dare." A voice said echoing out of the intercom system.
"He must be that guy they were talking about, the one in charge of those werewolves." Takeo thought looking down the hall to see a door opening.
"Everyone ready for this guy?" Ayaka asked standing ready.
"I'm more than ready!" Kazuki stated hyped up.
"You're not going to go all crazy on us again, are you?" Takeo asked glancing over at Kazuki.
"It's not a problem. That was... just a little problem that shouldn't happen again." Kazuki said turning towards the door.
"Fine, let's get going then." Ayaka said walking forward towards the door with Takeo and Kazuki following close behind.
Back outside the mansion a familiar face stood near on the eastern path looking towards the house while noticing the lawn had large holes all over the place and the door had been left open.
"What happened here? The guy seems to be missing his lawn and the door is wide open... am I too late?" Yuki asked scratching his head looking on when suddenly he turned towards the woods. "Whoever is there, come out now." He said and a dark figure wearing black robes with a dark blue sun design on his cloak.
"Yuki Takashi, we have been looking everywhere for you. How nice to finally find you after all this time." Raito said with a smirk on his face.
"I take it you're one of the Tasogare members, I could've sworn there were only two members last I heard." Yuki said looking at Raito calmly watching his every move.
"That was long ago, about the time you joined the Akatsuki but he has brought our numbers up so much that we can even now pose a threat to the Akatsuki." Raito said lowering his hood the reveal his face – he had medium-short copper hair with bronze eyes, which his hair came down to in a nearly messy fashion.
"Is that so?" A voice asked coming out of the woods to the left of Yuki and Raito.
"Do not underestimate the Akatsuki." Itachi said standing next to Kisame near the woods.
"I should have known the Akatsuki wouldn't give up so easily on Yuki. Looks like I have no choice but to follow my prime objective: to keep Yuki alive. I'm sure Lord Shimousa will be pleased to see you." Raito said turning to Yuki just to see a fist connecting with his face.
"Don't ever mention his name! I don't care if it is his first name or his surname, I will not tolerate his name around me!" Yuki stated in an angry rage.
"Ha! Now that's the Ice Demon that we all know. I was starting to think you've become soft." Kisame said with a chuckle.
"Very well. I won't say the leader's name. I am not your enemy and it seems it'll be two on one if I don't step in and our leader doesn't want you harmed." Raito said spitting out some blood.
"I don't need your help and I don't care about your so-called leader because I'm going to kill him once I get the chance!" Yuki stated turning to Itachi and Kisame.
"Oh-ho, this is getting interesting. Itachi, which one do you want?" Kisame asked reaching back for his sword.
"I'll take Yuki since I'm more suited to battle him. Your water would be inefficient against someone that uses ice jutsu besides, that man is a Taijutsu specialist. You'll have no problem with him." Itachi said focusing his attention on Yuki.
"That's fine with me. Looks like I finally get to get you back for what you said back there." Kisame said pointing his sword at Raito.
"That's right; you're one of those Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist. Shame Lord Seiwa wasn't here, he would have loved to battle with you – no matter, just do not underestimate me or you will be sorry." Raito said pulling some gloves out from below his cloak and putting them on his firsts – the gloves had metal plates on the opposite side of the palm, similar to the ANBU operatives' gloves.
"Tch, looks like I have no choice in the matter then." Yuki said annoyed that he had to work with Raito.
"Good to see you've finally come to your senses. I'll take shark boy on as he said if you think you can take out Mr. Pink Eye over there." Raito said cracking his knuckles.
"I'll make you eat those words!" Kisame shouted charging at Raito with full force swinging his sword down on him but he put up the back of his hand and blocked it. "Nice block but was that really a good idea? My Samehada doesn't..."
"'Cut, it shreds.' That about right?" Raito asked with a smirk on his face looking at Kisame.
"Why you're smiling I don't know but will you be able to smile when I rip that hand off?" Kisame asked pulling his sword back towards him ripping through the bandages trying to cut through Raito's hand but it only scratched his metal. "What's this...?"
"Don't think I wouldn't get information on my enemies before I faced them. I know all about your Samehada." Raito said hitting the sword away with his other hand while swinging his right leg up towards Kisame's head.
"Really? There's a difference between hearing of it and knowing it." Kisame said with a smirk blocking Raito's kick with the sword getting pushed back a few inches. "You're quite fast with that thing but your chakra is being eaten up!" He stated as the chakra Raito added to his food had been getting eaten by the sword.
"Tch, what an annoying feature in that sword of yours." Raito said twisting the opposite direction getting a little distance from Kisame and landing near the trap doors on the lawn.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Kisame asked throwing his sword in the air. "Water Style – Water Shark Projectile Jutsu!" He shouted putting his hands together and making the hand seals: Tiger, Dog, Bird, and Rat, followed by his middle-index fingers crossing, and finally ending it with Tiger.
"A water jutsu with no water nearby? Ha! Don't make me laugh!" Raito stated running towards Kisame.
"Are you sure there isn't water nearby?" Kisame asked when out of the hole behind Raito a large body of water in the form of a shark went flying straight at him.
"No way! He lured me towards the hole know there was water down there!?" Raito though in shock getting hit with the water and sent into a tree nearby.
"Pfft, I should have expected this. Now it looks like I have to deal with you both myself." Yuki said jumping back from Itachi after ending at a stalemate in a kunai fight with one another.
"I'm not finished yet!" Raito shouted getting up from the tree completely soaked. "Nice, now my clothes are all soaked. I guess I should stop playing around, right?"
"He-hehe, you call that playing around? I thought you were just trying to tickle me." Kisame said chuckling.
"Kisame, stop playing around. We have a job to do and I would rather have this done as soon as possible since we still have our first objective to complete." Itachi said glancing over at Kisame.
"Look who's talking, you're the one going easy on him." Kisame said with a smirk.
"Fine, no more playing around." Itachi said activating his Sharingan.
"How fitting, Kekkei Genkai versus Kekkei Genkai." Yuki said putting his hands together. "Ice Clone Jutsu!" He thought making the hand seals: Bird, Snake, and Ox making four clones of him.
"Don't be ridiculous. Your Kekkei Genkai cannot rival that of the Uchiha bloodline, the Sharingan." Itachi said appearing behind Yuki in an instant and stabbed him in the back with a kunai.
"Wrong one." Yuki's Ice Clone said blowing up in Itachi's face.
"I see, he used the smoke to switch with the other clones and dispersed his chakra evenly." Itachi said standing back where he was before untouched from the explosion of the clone.
"Not bad but try this! Ice Style – Ice Projectile Jutsu!" Yuki shouted from above Itachi making the hand seals: Snake, Bird, Horse, and Tiger launching ice shards directly at Itachi.
"Fire Style – Grand Fireball Jutsu." Itachi said doing the hand seals: Snake, Tiger, Monkey, Boar, Horse, and Tiger faster than the eye could see.
It only appeared as though Itachi brought his hands up to his lips locked in the Tiger seal before he launched a large fireball upwards towards the ice shards and Yuki. In an instant the shards were melted and Yuki turned to water – it had been another one of his clones.
"Do you really think I would attack you head on like that with an Ice attack?" Yuki asked standing behind Itachi back to back with a kunai to his side.
"You've gotten a lot faster since the last time we met... but not fast enough." Itachi said turning into a flock of crows.
"What!? I fell into his Genjutsu!?" Yuki asked surprised.
"Yes, it was so easy that it was almost laughable." Itachi said standing in front of Yuki. "Now, die." He said as three Itachi's crawled out of the ground around him and charged all at once with kunai's in hand.
"I'm not done yet!" Yuki shouted jumping up as the three illusions vanished and Yuki's breath was suddenly visible.
"What's this?" Itachi asked surprised Yuki had broken out of the Genjutsu.
"A deep freeze is a good way to wake up out of a lot of things." Yuki said putting his hands together.
"This is taking too much time. Mangekyo Sharingan." Itachi said and his eyes suddenly shifted over to the Mangekyo Sharingan.
"Water Style – Title Wave Jutsu!" Yuki thought making the hand seals: Tiger, Snake, Monkey, Snake, and Ram quickly while a large wave of water came out of the trap doors behind him towards Itachi. "He activated the Mangekyo Sharingan... which means he's going to try to get me with the Tsukuyomi. I better not look in his eyes!" He thought moving back into the water behind him.
"One look into my eyes and this battle is over." Itachi said jumping back into a tree behind him avoiding the wave.
Inside the mansion in the main room, the three Genin lay on the ground wiped out. The entire room is completely pitch black except for a large light in the center where the three of them lay on the ground and a man wrapped in a formal ninja uniform in all black stands at the edge of the light laughing.
"Did you three really think you could defeat the great Mikimoto Itani!?" Mikimoto shouted while laughing leaving a lot of questions as to how it all happened.
Author Notes:
Well this one took longer than expected to release. I may take next week or the week after off to do a little work. I'm still aiming for Sunday releases of new chapters and I'll update this when I know for sure when I'll be taking time off.
-Steve Masters