I think I'll have each pair of clones get three chapters dedicated to them, maybe more. I'll just see how it turns out.
"We can't stop now, Nendo! The Two-Tails still needs to be found!" Itami ordered.
"But that's in Kumogakure, isn't it?" Nendo argued. "We're still a couple days away. Some rest won't hurt."
"And the sooner we capture it, the better!" Itami countered. "Let's go. We can rest once we find a place to eat."
"All right then." Nendo got up grudgingly.
…
"Look! There's Kumo!" Nendo whispered to Itami. The two of them were crouching behind a large boulder on the boundary of Kumogakure's territory. A gate, guarded by two Kumo shinobi, stood in front of them.
"How are we gonna get in?" Nendo asked, "I don't think they'll just allow unknown strangers to stroll into their village."
"Well, we'll just have to get rid of them," Itami replied, "Your bombs draw too much attention though, so I'll have to do the actual killing." Looking around, she spotted a small bit of woods nearby. Pointing towards it, she said, "You lead the two of them in there. I'll wait for you and kill them quickly and quietly when I get the chance."
Nendo nodded and watched as Itami crept away into the trees. Once she had disappeared, he leapt out from behind his hiding place, immediately attracting the attention of the two ninja guards.
"Who are you?" the taller one shouted.
Damn! They'll attract unwanted attention with their shouting. Nendo threw a couple kunais at them and fled into the woods. Looking back, he saw that the two Kumogakure shinobi were following him. Perfect!
Nendo had almost reached the trees when a bolt of lightning shot past him, missing him by an inch. They use Raiton? Not good. He sped up, dashing into the cover of the trees.
"Be careful, Oniko!" He heard one of his pursuers caution the other.
"I'll be okay!" Oniko called back.
I wouldn't be too sure of that, hmm. Nendo watched Itami, who was slowly advancing on the ninja called Oniko.
Once she was close enough, Itami leaped forward and seized Oniko's head. The victim's face immediately adopted a dazed look, and he fell to his knees. Itami closed her eyes, keeping her hand firmly his head.
After a while, she opened her eyes, muttered, "Ni'I Yugito.", and released Oniko. To Nendo's surprise, a silvery silhouette came away with her hand. Oniko fell to the ground, and the silhouette was absorbed into Itami's hand.
Nendo came out cautiously from where he hid behind the tree. Approaching the limp shinobi, he kicked at the body. It flew against a rock and fell to the ground again, still lifeless.
"He's dead, hmm? What technique did you use?" Nendo had never heard of nor seen anything like the jutsu Itami used to silently kill the opponent.
"It's a technique that allows me to read minds and steal souls. Pain-san calls it Human Path."
"What about the other one?" Nendo jerked his head towards the edge of the forest, where the second guard was waiting.
"We'll use the same method. You lure him in here, and I'll use Human Path again."
…
Nendo and Itami stood over the two bodies of the Kumogakure shinobi.
"What are we gonna do with the bodies, hmm?"
"I'll take care of it." Zetsu rose from the ground in front of the two clones, "Leader-sama wanted me to congratulate you two on your progress."
Itami looked surprised. "He knows what we do?"
"He knows everything." White Zetsu beat his other half in answering.
Leaving the two corpses for Zetsu to devour, Itami and Nendo headed into the now-unguarded village of Kumogakure.
"Where do we go?" Nendo wondered.
"The Jinchuuriki is called Ni'I Yugito. Let's take a look around, and be careful not to attract any attention," Itami suggested.
The duo wandered around for a bit in the streets, Nendo occasionally stopping to look at artwork and pottery. Suddenly, a voice drew their attention from the shops around them.
"Ni'I! Back from your mission already?"
Whirling around, the clones saw one of the shopkeepers speaking to a young woman with long blond hair tied back into a braid. The woman wore a black and purple blouse with black pants. On her hands were purple, finger-less gloves, and she had a red belt around her waist.
As Itami and Nendo watched, the woman called Ni'I bought a bracelet from the shopkeeper and started walking away. The clones instinctively started following her, but they were careful to act as natural as they could. They did not know that Ni'l was a Jonin, and that she noticed them right away.
…
"You're from the Akatsuki?" Ni'I had never heard of the organization before.
"Yes, we are, hmm," Nendo replied.
"And what could this Akatsuki want with me?"
Nendo scoffed. "We don't want you, hmm. We want what's inside you."
So they want Matatabi. Ni'i wasn't going to give up her Two-Tailed friend so easily. "And what do you plan to do with what's inside me?"
"Enough questions," Itami appeared behind Ni'I, "Hurry up and catch her."
Ni'I, this is Matatabi speaking. The Two-Tails spoke to Ni'I in her sub-consciousness. These two people are dangerous, especially the girl. They're not going to let you escape, so your only choice is to fight. First, you have to get out of the village.
So the villagers won't be harmed. I didn't know you cared. Ni'I answered as she began running.
Well, I do, and run faster. They're catching up. Ni'I glanced behind her, and sure enough, Itami and Nendo were keeping up easily. Ni'I pushed harder, and soon arrived in an open field about fifteen miles away from Kumo.
Spinning around to face her pursuers, Ni'I spoke to Matatabi again. Just how strong are they?
The girl has a large chakra reserve, and her eyes are no ordinary eyes. Those eyes are called the Rinnegan. I don't know much about it, so that's one of our disadvantages. Matatabi sounded worried for once.
And the boy?
His chakra nature is earth. Lucky for you, you know a couple of Lightning Style techniques.
"Well, let's take him down first," Ni'I spoke out loud as she formed signs.
"Tch. Why don't you just come quietly, hmm?" Nendo complained.
Silence.
"You have got to be kidding!" Ni'I yelled, infuriated.
"Here she comes," Itami warned Nendo.