(A/N: So. I censored all of Hidan's speech. He's going to be very out of character because he WILL NOT curse. If that bothers you, I'm sorry. But it's going to stay this way. You can fill the curses in yourself if that makes you happy.
School for me starts tomorrow (Monday, August 22, 2011). I'm very depressed about that. I honestly don't think I would mind it near as much if I didn't have to wake up so early for it and then stay there until very late. But, ah well. I'd much rather have school than not, I suppose.
Anyway. I hope you enjoy today's chapter. It's not as action-y as I'd like, and I realized that I didn't do well at preparing myself for what I wanted to happen in this chapter. So, sadly, it's another "connecter" chapter. It's also shorter than I wanted it because of that.
I apologize for the inconvienience, but I PROMISE that it will get better. Next chapter will have much more action, a huge fight, and the piece that made me put this story under the 'tragedy' category.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.)
Mysterious Captivation: Chapter 14
After an extensive strategy meeting with her advisors, Tsunade was happy to be able to fulfill her promise to Kurenai."Kakashi, Jiraya, I would like you two to each take a troop of our fastest, most skilled ANBU to the Akatsuki's hideout. I don't know whether they are still there or not, but we will attack either way. It has come to my attention that they have stolen the loyalty of far too many of our ninja." She wanted them to pick the six who would work best together, and then take the two teams as quickly as they could manage.
"Why are we attacking so suddenly?" Jiraya inquired, wondering at the unusual hastiness of their leader's decision.
"We have discovered their hideout, and they know that we have. Being as infamous as they are, the Akatsuki are sure to have more than one base, and are probably moving to another one as we speak. We need to weaken them before we lose them to prevent them from doing more damage to our village."
The two silver haired men nodded gravely. As they were dismissed, their minds were already running wild with the dynamics of the most successful teams that could be gathered and sent.
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Kakashi's mind was instantly on the alert. Would someone discover Pakkun before he could return? He had said that he would leave Neji to come up with a lie, but that young man was still in the hospital; how could the Hyuuga manage to find a fib that would actually work?
His eyes immediately flew to the hawk circling the sky above him, waiting on its orders to search out the rest of the members that the silver haired Hatake wanted to place on his team.
That man motioned to the avian, holding out his arm so that it could land for its orders. By the time he had selected the fox, otter, and dragon for his team, everything but the upcoming mission had faded from his mind as less important.
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Naruto had listened at the door as Tsunade had given Kakashi-sensei and Ero-sennin the orders to attack Akatsuki. He wanted to find Hinata and try one more time to convince her to return so that the Hyuuga would not need revenge against the village itself for seeking her blood. He determined to follow behind the ANBU at a safe distance until he could reach that goal.
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Despite the fact that he was Kakashi's quickest summon, it had still taken Pakkun several days of travel to meet up with the scent of the ex-Hyuuga heiress.
When he arrived in Akatsuki territory, the first thing he did was check to make sure that the Hyuuga garment was tied across his forehead in full view. He then proceeded to lift his paw in an injured manner. Hopefully, he would look only like a lost, hurt animal, instead of a threat.
As the sun progressed in the sky and he limped along, voices faded into his hearing. They were rough, but distant, and he couldn't make out the words. He made his way through the underbrush, moving toward the direction of the voices.
As they became distinct, Pakkun realized that there were only two separate voices. He listened for names, wondering whether or not they were affiliated with Akatsuki.
"Hidan, if you didn't have so much stuff, we wouldn't be the last team to start moving to the new hideout! We still have to make one more trip because of you!" A deep, gravely, masculine voice shouted furiously.
"If you wouldn't get so freaking sidetracked with all of your freaking bounty hunting, then we might have been able to make these trips in much less time!" Another voice returned, very smooth sounding, before cursing up a storm and producing a loud thump.
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As he sat the box on the ground, the silver haired man shouted at his partner. "Kakuzu, you idiot, I can't believe you made us go after three different bounties and want to blame me for making our team the last freaking ones to move!"
"If you weren't so adamant in your rituals," Kakuzu said, making air quotes around the word 'rituals', "then it wouldn't have taken us nearly as long to collect those bounties! Besides, the money was worth the wait,"
Hidan, his violet eyes flashing, returned, "Show respect to Jashin-sama! He will curse you to burn if you don't! If you're not going to follow him, at least respect his rituals, you heathen!"
"That's it!" Kakuzu roared. "I'm leaving for the new bounty. If you don't want to get sidetracked, then go ahead to the new hideout!" He finished with an icy calm before turning his back on his immortal partner and leaving with a mere whisper of leaves.
The man left behind snarled before lounging against the newly grounded box. "Loser," he snorted.
As he reclined, relaxing in the light of the noon-day sun, he heard a noise coming from a small bush to his left. Turning to face the noise, he saw a dog with a cloth wrapped around its forehead. All that was on the dirty white cloth was a circle.
"What do we have here?" Hidan asked aloud, almost sadistically. "Looks like some sucker has lost an injured puppy," the mock-compassionate tone looked like it nearly frightened the animal away, but it seemed to steel itself and press onward.
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This was one of the Akatsuki that I would rather have not met. Pakkun thought, steeling himself for a possible need to speak as that man mocked all sources of compassion.
"What should I do with you?" The silver haired man wondered aloud, approaching with a fierce look of anticipation on his face.
The brown dog decided that it might be best if he went ahead and stated his purpose. "I need to speak to Hyuuga Hinata," he said, placing his paw back on the ground. "I have a message for her."
The Akatsuki man's eyes widened at first, then narrowed once he realized the meaning of the talking dog. "You're from Konoha. Why should I let you live?" Hidan smirked, and the dog was on the receiving end of an icy violet glare.
"Take me to her, and if she's not expecting something from her village, then do what you will with me," the small dog stated simply, watching the reaction of the other male.
Hidan looked thoughtful for a moment.
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It's not like that little brat of a dog could hurt me. If he's telling the truth, I'll make a good impression on the little medic, too. I might need her help with a sacrifice one day.
His thoughts and reflections showed only positives, so Hidan figured that there was no harm in letting the filthy animal see the girl. The only thing I have to worry about is finding her without finding the new hideout. He frowned at that thought. He scooped the thing up by its scruff, snorting when it gave an indignant growl.
It seemed that Jashin-sama was on his side. Hinata and Itachi were only a short ways away and heading in his direction, judging from the chakra he sensed nearby. Hidan shouted at them to hurry toward him, figuring they were making their last trip to the hideout as I would be, too, if some idiot hadn't slowed me down.
"This little thing says he's got a message for you, Hyuuga," he explained when they approached, gesturing at the small animal and narrowing his eyes.
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Hinata's own widened as she took in the sight of the nin-dog. "Pakkun, what are you doing here?" She questioned incredulously. Another thought dawned on her, though. "Did Neji-nii-san send you?"
"I have the message from Neji-san, yes," he responded.
The Hyuuga girl's eyes lit up until she regained her control over her emotions. "Of course, follow me," she ordered, her steps a bit lighter.
"Wait a moment, Hinata-san. How do we know that he's actually sent from your cousin, and not from a Hyuuga who wants you dead?" Itachi interjected, placing his hand above her own and stopping her from reaching to take the scroll from the nin-dog's paw.
Hinata had no reply to this, and worry momentarily filled her eyes.
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Wanting to rid her of anxiousness, Itachi looked around for a moment. He smirked slightly as he realized the perfect solution. "Hidan, take the message from the dog and unseal it for us?"
"Why should I do that, you unintelligent nincompoop!" He returned spitefully.
"You are the immortal one here. After all, if it was meant to kill her, you can sacrifice the dog, and Jashin-sama will receive more blood," Itachi assured the twenty-two year old immortal.
That man smiled sadistically, then moved to grab the scroll. Itachi watched as he unsealed it eagerly, only to be let down when it was merely a letter and not an explosive note. Newly angry, he dropped the dog and violently threw the scroll at Itachi, who caught it with a simple flick of his wrist. "Forget it. I'm going to find Kakuzu and kill him for taking so long!" He growled, stalking off into the woods.
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The small dog growled at the remaining two missing nin. "What kind of disposable errand dog do you think I am?"
"I am no longer of your village. Why should I help those who are no longer among my comrades?" she intoned, seeming unwilling to meet the eyes of the summon.
The dog's fur bristled. Mere moments before he would have attacked, Itachi stepped into his path. "Hinata-san, what is it that your cousin wishes for you to know so desperately that he would risk the lives of himself and the summon with whom the message was sent?"
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The Hyuuga responded with a teary-eyed glance into his face after reading the note. "He's alive, but Kakashi knows that he let me hit him with that kunai on purpose," she whispered, relieved beyond words.
She didn't know how in the world she would have coped with the loss of her cousin, even for the short amount of time that she would have until the memory was taken away by Leader-sama. He had agreed to her plea, but she didn't know how long it would take him to gather all the supplies or to find a place to help her with the huge base-shift that they were still facing.
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Itachi knew the undercurrent of her message by the look in her eyes. She was so scared that she had killed him, so this message from him shows not only that he is alive, but that he still cares about her. He isn't angry. "I am glad that he survived your attack," he said with a nearly imperceptible smile softening his typically sharp, harsh features.
"Is there anything else he needed from you, Pakkun?" Itachi watched Hinata's previously glistening eyes turn harsh as her voice lost its warmth. Her tone, though not emotionless, conveyed no connection to her once-family.
"He wanted a reply."
"This will be the last time I ever talk civilly to him; I can comply with that," she acquiesced after a moment. Reaching into her supplies pouch and causing Pakkun to leap backward into a defensive position, she retrieved a scroll and a small travel pen.
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The midnight haired Hyuuga penned a short, heart-felt letter in return for Neji, then sealed the scroll and tossed it in the direction of Kakashi's summon.
He let it hit the ground before he approached. Picking it up, he bobbed his head to the Hyuuga and Uchiha, then backed away from them. He was soon out of sight, and his paw steps faded away shortly after that.
The ex-heiress sighed deeply, then turned toward her traveling companion. "Is everyone almost finished moving? Leader-sama expected an attack, and now that Pakkun has shown up, I'm almost positive that the ANBU are not far behind. If that dog can get here in four days, then the ninja should be here shortly."
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Itachi realized that she was right, and he instantly felt for chakra signatures in the area. Upon finding the one for which he had been searching, he called out to it. "Zetsu-san, there are Konoha ANBU approaching the old hideout. Is there anyone still at the hideout?" He inquired, wanting to clear the area of all traces of Akatsuki before the Leaf Ninjas arrived.
"Kisame, Tobi, and Konan-san are still gathering their possessions. Kakuzu and Hidan are still in the area, but not near the old hideout. Leader-sama should be on his way down here to help Konan. Why do you care?" Zetsu's white side explained, but when he had given his account, his black side had to add a harsh ending.
"We need to stay strong as an organization, and what would it show if we show them we don't cooperate as a team?" Itachi. "We need to warn everyone about the approaching ANBU," he said, turning to the petite Hyuuga woman beside him. "With winter approaching in a mere month, we need to be as strong as we possibly can. Winters in Akatsuki are always the most difficult because the villages we steal from have much less food than they do in all other seasons,"
The woman to whom he spoke nodded her head gravely, looking to the frightening plant of a man to see how he would respond. "I suppose you think I'll go ahead and warn everyone? Idiots!" He exclaimed savagely.
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Hinata thought for a moment, passively staring at the one who was causing trouble. "I could always cut the roots from your frame with my medical ninjutsu," she asserted, carefully observing the man to make sure that she hadn't overstepped her bounds.
He merely laughed a cruel, grating laugh. "So the kitty has claws and teeth. And a sharp tongue. We'll warn them, but if you ever say something so insolent to us again, you will die."
The woman addressed bowed her head slightly, relaxing her posture from that of offense and allowing her chakra to flow freely again. She watched as the man sank into the ground, wondering not for the first time how that was possible, then turned to Itachi. "We should follow him in case they don't make it out of the old hideout in time. The others may need back up."
The two quickened their steps, hastening their way to their previous destination.
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Kakashi was relieved when he felt his connection with his nin-dog wear thin on their fourth day in the forest. That meant that Neji's request had been fulfilled, and the dog was returning to Konoha. Wincing minutely as a wave of powerful chakra made itself known, he ordered his team to halt for a short break. "Naruto-kun, what do you think you're doing out here?" He ordered harshly, forcing the Uzumaki from his hiding place.
"I have to stop Hinata! If you guys kill her, the Hyuuga will want revenge against the village because Tsunade-baa-chan ordered you to!"
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"I understand your sentiment, Naruto, but you can't save everyone," the man who was like a father to Naruto tried to explain. His white hair, naturally that color from age, shifted down his back as his shoes clacked against the packed ground.
"She used to have a crush on me! I can at least make her falter in her steps long enough to be of help to you."
Jiraya stopped moving toward the young man. "When did you figure out that she liked you?"
"When Sakura yelled at me because I was asking her why Hinata paused only when I spoke the first time we met her after her decision to leave Konoha. She told me why it was, then," he admitted, rubbing the back of his head with his right hand and sheepishly looking at the ground.
"I see," Jiraya said shortly. "So you think that you'll have the same effect on her now?"
"Hai!" The blonde admitted in a not-quite-loud-enough-to-be-a-shout tone of voice.
Jiraya looked to Kakashi, who nodded and sighed, then back to his pupil. "Fine. You can stay, but stay near me, and you may only fight Hinata. No one else, is that clear?"
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With a hint of a pout, Naruto agreed, but was soon back to his former spirits upon being told they were moving out. His nearly inexhaustible chakra allowed him to easily keep pace with the ANBU, and the very next day, after a small respite of sleep for a few hours, they reached the stone foundation of the wall surrounding the Akatsuki base.
At first, Naruto held himself back, awaiting orders, but soon grew impatient. He felt several chakra signatures approaching, so he started to step forward.
A hand appeared in his vision, pulling him back as a kunai appeared where his foot would have landed. He narrowed his eyes in the direction of its thrower, nodding his thanks to the Panther ANBU from Jiraya's team.
He just knew that it would be a long day when the first person to appear was Hinata.
Especially when the next to appear was Kisame, shortly followed by Tobi, Itachi, and Konan.
(A/N: There you go. I'm sorry for the cliff hanger, but I had to keep you interested somehow, right? I mean, two unaction-y, romance-lacking chapters in a row are not good for readers/reviews/enjoyment. Next chapter will be the fight, tragedy, and a good deal of angst. I do hope you decide to come back and read the next chapter. Please, feel free to drop me a review if you have any recommendation/idea/revision you would like to see in this story. I promise, if it's a revision, I will GLADLY take your advise~! Thank you for your patience with me, and even though this is two pages short of what I wanted, I'm completely prepared for a [hopefully] epic chapter 15!)