Chapter 34
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A/N: SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY!
Eh, is somebody still reading this? #blush#
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Sasuke, back in Konoha, was snapped into reality by the painful smack of a palm on his cheek, and he had time to see the worried face of Yuki above him before he lost consciousness.
"Sasuke!" Iruka yelled shocked, before turning his attention on Naruto. The blonde was lying on the ground after Sasuke had started convulsing and they had pushed him off the brunette. Iruka gathered Naruto's head on his lap, before turning his frenzied gaze on Kakashi. Iruka was a ninja, and somehow he was surprised at how fast the tears threatened to spill after he realized that Naruto chest wasn't rising anymore.
"Kashi! He isn't breathing!" Iruka told the jounin. Kakashi scrambled onto his knees next to Naruto, before he started doing seals for a technique that would keep sure Naruto's lungs got oxygen properly. The greenish light spread along Naruto chest fast, disappearing under the white top the blonde was wearing. Iruka, seeing Naruto stabilize a bit, opened Naruto's left eyelid to look if the pupil was unnaturally wide or something alike it.
Who knew, perhaps Sasuke had activated his mangenkyou Sharingan by mistake?
What Iruka saw, however, shocked him to the core.
"Kami…" Iruka gasped, and both Kakashi and Yuki, who was holding Sasuke's head on his lap not unlike how Iruka was holding Naruto, both turned to the chuunin.
"His eyes are purple?" Kakashi muttered with slight confusion and worry after looking under the other eyelid. Yuki, hearing the statement to where he had been too far away to actually see Naruto's eyes, scrambled onto his feet after making sure Sasuke was securely breathing and as comfortable on the ground as he could.
Somewhere on the background Yuki registered that someone was yelling 'Sasuke-kun!' and someone hurried to the brunettes' side. Yuki paid this no heed, but instead moved to check on Naruto, with his presence blocking the slight circle around Naruto that formed of the three nin around him.
"Purple?" Yuki asked, frowning. "I don't see how that's possible. I'd understand if his eyes were red, but purple?"
"How do you…?" Iruka started to ask, his eyes wide. No one Naruto's age, after all, knew about the Kyuubi. Which was the only explanation to why Naruto could have red eyes. Yuki nodded to the question he never quite finished.
"I have one of those fur balls too, you know… Rokubi." Yuki explained, before turning to check on Naruto again. Yuki felt Iruka and Kakashi tense beside him, Kakashi inching a bit closer to Iruka.
"Now now, no need to worry. I'm only here to look after Naruto. I'm not going to attack anybody…" Yuki half-laughed, though there was no amusement in his voice.
Nothing was said after that.
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The creature that had before been Koichi let out a loose cackle.
"Finally!" The Demon roared, and Deidara, standing by Itachi, some distance away, tilted his head to the left.
"Oh. That was unexpected, un?" Deidara mused, before he was forced to jump from the way of a huge tornado of water that would surely have crushed him, had it hit. Deidara, now standing on top of a bookshelf, pushed forth his hand and whispered something to himself, before a small mouth opened on his palm, with a long row of perfectly white teeth and a long tongue.
Before Deidara had time to actually accomplish his jutsu one of the three tails of the horrifying creature lashed out, taking down with it the whole southern side of the house. Both Deidara and Itachi jumped off the way of the tail and begun their respective attacks. Deidara sent birds flying from his sleeve, each of them exploding once they made contact with the demonic form.
"You were right Uchiha, un!" Deidara yelled delightedly as the now, demon, yelled in rage and pain. "It is indeed the three tailed demon! How lucky we are today!"
Itachi let a slight impassionate smirk twist on the side of his mouth. He took great pleasure in annoying his fellow Akatsuki, after all.
"Luck has nothing to do with this. It's all about skill," Itachi said to the other missing nin as he sent a shadow of Shuriken mixed with kunai towards the demon, each of them covered with a stark, pink liquid.
Each of them met their mark, and the demon screeched louder, if possible.
"…Something you seem to lack." Itachi ended with flourish as he made the seals for a simple Katon with speed that Deidara could barely follow. Deidara's mouth turned into a pout.
"Let's just get on with this," Deidara grinned grimly, making sure he was holding the figurine in his hand securely "We still have work to do." Itachi nodded, before turning to the smoking form of the demon again, which was trying to get onto its feet again. For a demon, it was fairly small.
"Let's seal this thing up."
"The full moon is in four days,"
"I know, you incompetent waste of space."
"Now, 'tachi! Your words wound me!"
"Shut up and get to work."
"Yes ma'am!"
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Naruto gasped and took in deep breaths while his eyes looked into Iruka's worried, upside-down face, unseeing.
Sanbi, the three tailed demon, was loose, in the Wave-country. Naruto shuddered as fear so amazingly strong that it made him shake, shook him.
"Naruto?" Iruka's detached voice called to him. Naruto blinked distractedly to himself, and run his tongue over his lips, trying to get over the shock, because goddamnit, it wasn't helping anyone!
"Yo, Rokudaime? What the fuck?" Yuki snapped. And Naruto could soon make out more of the forms gathered around him. Iruka was looking down worriedly at him and Yuki was frowning at something. Kakashi just looked generally curious, and Naruto supposed it had been a tint of worry he ha seen in his sensei's one eye.
And looking to his side he could see the unconscious form of Sasuke.
His blue eyes widened, and he turned to Iruka.
"I-is Sasuke okay?" He croaked, trying to swallow to rid of the sudden dryness in his throat. Iruka smiled brightly before hugging Naruto tightly.
"Oh thank kami! You're all right!" Iruka exclaimed, and Naruto tried to force his brain to work because there was something here he should know. "Sasuke's all right. Just lost consciousness…" Iruka continued.
Dazed, Naruto nodded. Then his eyes widened. Sanbi was sealed in Koichi, or so he suspected. That meant that the two shapes he's noticed….
Naruto choked in horror, before starting to shake. Iruka immediately noticed and let go. Worried brown eyes filled his vision.
"Naruto-kun? What's wrong?" Iruka asked. Naruto couldn't open his mouth, couldn't say it, and couldn't explain that he just knew.
Knew that Akatsuki would soon have their hands on Sanbi. On Koichi.
"They're in Wave country,"
"Naruto?" Yuki asked, and feeling the strange yet so familiar name slip from Yuki's lips shook Naruto to reality. He pushed Iruka away, ignoring the slight hurt look on the older mans face. His blue eyes distraught, Naruto turned to Yuki.
"Akatsuki has Koichi." Naruto forced himself to say before jumping on his feet.
Are my legs shaking? Why are my legs shaking?
"What? But what would they want with—"Yuki's eyes widened, before steel-like coldness settled onto them. "Is there something you're not telling?" Yuki snapped, taking hold of Naruto's shoulders and starting to shake the blonde. Kakashi put his hand on Yuki's shoulder, a move that made Yuki glare at the copy-cat-nin murderously, but also made him let go of Naruto.
"Something you forgot to mention about Koichi?" Yuki hissed tensely from between his teeth. He just couldn't believe what he was hearing.
Akatsuki's objective was to gather the nine Bijuu and take control over their power. It was Akatsuki's only objective and they cared of nothing else.
"Akatsuki has Sanbi." Naruto whispered, his eyes filled with tears, some of the wet droplets skimming down his whiskered cheeks, before the blonde ran away with unnatural speed. Iruka and Kakashi dashed after the blonde. Yuki froze. And then it made sense so abruptly he felt numb.
Akatsuki has Koichi.
Akatsuki has Sanbi.
Koichi is the host of Sanbi.
Koichi is a Jinchuuriki.
Yuki fell down to his knees in shock, ignoring the way a girl with pale lavender eyes and bark blue hair was asking him if he was okay. He also ignored the hurried scramble of several girls as they gathered worriedly around Sasuke, and he didn't even register the crowd they had gathered with the sudden fainting of both Naruto and Sasuke.
Koichi is a Jinchuuriki? But how? Why didn't Naruto tell us, the pakku? And how did Naruto even know? He said he met Koichi only once before…
Why didn't Naruto tell us?
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Naruto dashed through the streets of Konoha as fast as he could, all his thoughts turned on Koichi and the danger he was in.
I have to get to Wave country, Naruto said to himself, but after running some time, another, wiser voice, started to speak within him.
It's useless. Wave country is a week's travel away. You're not going to make it.
"I am….I have to…" Naruto whispered to himself, jumping up to roof.
You're not thinking rationally, Naruto.
"I don't care! I have to…"
You have to what?
"Have to save Koichi!"
Like this? Rushing in there with no plan, no backup, and no nothing?
"I have to…"
You're not thinking this rationally through, the voice commented as Naruto finally reached the edge of the last apartment building and could start to run towards the wall surrounding Konoha. He had to get out of the village to get to Wave country.
What, you're going to run all the way there? The voice that now sounded suspiciously like Sasuke's commented again.
"I still gotta try…" Naruto brokenly whispered to himself, the tears making his cheeks wet and his eyes clear, shining with the inner despair he was feeling.
I still gotta try…
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Iruka was the first to reach Naruto. In fact, he reached Naruto almost a full minute before Kakashi, which surprised the jounin when he finally arrived to the scene.
Iruka, choosing the best shortcuts and alleyways he knew Naruto would use, ran after the blonde, all the while listening to the boys scrambled meanings as he talked to himself. Naruto had talked a lot to himself when he had been small, so Iruka wasn't really surprised. He was however, utterly confused about why Naruto had suddenly run off.
And more important, he had the feeling the pink haired young man accompanying Naruto had something to do with it.
Choosing a shortcut that Naruto in his hurry had ignored, he gained some ground and finally reached Naruto by one of the training areas near the eastern wall of Konoha. Iruka hugged Naruto tightly from behind and yanked Naruto backwards, lifting his feet off the ground so that he could no longer run.
The whole weight of the blonde added to the force of Iruka's pull, which was not light considering he was a chuunin, pushed Iruka backwards. Automatically the brunette used the movement to twirl around so that he was between Naruto and the village gates.
"Let go!" Naruto wailed, and Iruka almost did. He had learned early on with Naruto that the blonde wasn't as comfortable with physical connection as he led on, and had found it many times easier to calm the blonde when he backed off a bit.
Iruka just hugged the blonde closer to himself in a strange parody of a hug with Naruto trying to struggle his way out of the strong hold. Naruto turned around in the embrace and put his palms on Iruka's chest, in a half-hearted attempt to push him off.
"I won't." Iruka said, making sure to make his voice as calming as he could. Naruto felt the sudden urge to leave the hug fade away, and hugged Iruka closer.
Iruka let out a surprised 'humph!' when Naruto held onto him suddenly like a lifeline. Eyes comically wide at the complete 180 the blonde's moods could take, Iruka could do nothing but hold onto him as Naruto began shaking, as if crying silently.
Yet there were no tears in his eyes.
"I have to go, I have to go, before it's too late," Naruto rambled, his voice on the other side of hysteric. Iruka drew Naruto close, so that he could whisper calming nothings into the blonde's ear.
"You don't get it, they have Koichi…" Naruto wailed. He had promised to protect Koichi, hadn't he? "…If they have Koichi, they're finally going to move…"
Iruka froze.
"Move what? What are you talking about..? Are you saying that..?" Iruka stuttered, his mind running in circles that made no sense.
"The rumour was that we had three years to prepare in the beginning! We've had four! And if the Akatsuki is on the move, Koichi isn't the only one they'll be going after..!" Naruto yelled, and Iruka was suddenly more than aware that Kakashi wasn't the only ninja who had appeared on the clearing.
Team Gai looked on in confusion as they took in the sight of an almost-sobbing Naruto in Iruka's arms. And the fact that Naruto was dressed in pink and white leather wasn't helping them to understand the situation any better.
Gai's eyes met Kakashi's, and the green glad jounin nodded, before motioning for his chuunin team to retreat.
Neji had to drag Lee away.
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"Naruto." Kakashi said simply, tearing Naruto from Iruka's arms with a simple twist. Iruka tried not to look too offended by it, but didn't succeed. For the moment though, Kakashi made no movement to show that he had noticed.
"Ka-Kakashi-sensei," Naruto started, feeling that pile in the back of his throat gathering again.
-Koichi's as good as dead.-
"I'm, I'm s-sorry…" Naruto stuttered, the hick-ups racking his body already. Kakashi's eyes softened and he leaned down to gather the blonde into his arms.
He tended to forget that despite outside appearances, Naruto was still a bit broken inside.
"Hm? Maa, it's all right. But you know you shouldn't go around mentioning Konoha's secrets like that. Can't have them wondering what Akatsuki is, now can we?" The jounin half mused, though his voice was dead serious. "Now, explain." Kakashi ordered, and Naruto gathered himself so that he could speak without stuttering.
"Akatsuki has Koichi. He's the host of Sanbi... the three tailed demon." Naruto swallowed. "I was the one that told him to stay in wave country, gods…" Naruto glanced at Kakashi, whose eyes were dead serious.
-No compassion there, eh?-
"Look," Naruto began again. "If the Akatsuki has really begun to come they're going to come after our pakku too."
"Pakku?" Kakashi inquired.
"Pack" Naruto blushed, before turning to look at his shoes, or more like Kakashi's. Then he felt Iruka's arms wrap themselves around him again, so that he was trapped between the two older nin in a tight embrace.
"Well then we have to do something about this, right? We have to tell the council, and you should probably contact Gaara or the Coven about this or something, They'll probably want to know." Iruka said, and Naruto let the soothing voice calm him down. "No need to panic. Not everything is lost, hm?" The chuunin teacher smiled, while Kakashi just looked confused and slightly left out.
-What does Naruto have to do with Gaara? Isn't that the current Kazekage or something? And what is this Coven they are talking about?-
"Yeah. Right. Kinda forgot that." Naruto sniffled, wiping the tears from his face and blushing slightly.
"I kind of thought I taught you better than that." Iruka mused, and Kakashi was just about to open his mouth to demand some answers, but a hard look from Iruka stopped him in his place.
Kakashi pouted.
"Forgive me, Iruka-sensei." Naruto muttered. Iruka grinned and raised his hand to mess with Naruto's hair. The blonde let out an indicant 'Hey!', and Iruka snorted.
"No need to be so formal, Naru-chan." Naruto smiled, before clearing his throat, feeling a bit awkward in the embrace. Iruka and Kakashi backed off a bit.
"Better?" Kakashi asked, and Naruto nodded, his eyes still a bit red.
"Yeah. Let's head back. I have some letters to write." Naruto sniffed, smiling brightly. Kakashi nodded and reached him too over to mess the soft blonde locks on Naruto's head.
"Hey!"
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Hinata glanced worriedly at the pink-haired boy still kneeling on the ground, his purple eyes wide and unseeing.
Hesitantly, she reached out a hand to shake his shoulder.
"What?" The voice that left the boy's mouth was sharp and deadly, not too much alike the beetles Shino used in his assassination missions. The ones she used to have nightmare's about.
"U-umm, g-go-gomen- na-nasai, ano…" Hinata began stuttering, feeling hesitation fill her voice. It was all well to be strong against enemies and against her friends, or at least her family, but she didn't quite know how to react to the –quite- attractive boy before her.
And the water hitai-ate that was slashed in the middle confused the hell out of her.
"Well? Spit it out!" Yuki snapped. Hinata's brow twitched.
"Well excuse me for worrying!" She finally snapped. "And if you're quite done with your brooding, get the hell out of our road, some people are actually trying to move somewhere around here!" Hinata roared. Yuki backed off, shocked, his eyes widening.
"Heh." The missing nin leered, after recovering. And suddenly Hinata found her sight full of purple eyes glittering like mad with something. "I like you."
And like a whisper in the wind, he was suddenly gone.
Hinata looked around confused.
"Wha...-?"
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A/N2: Sorry about the sordid, awfully and utterly disgusting quality of this chapter, but as I returned from I holiday, I found that I just.. couldn't wirte anymore. So after several weeks of fighting with this, I just decided to post it. Hopefully my writing will flow a little better in few chapters again.
