Kasek: Alright, let's try and see how successful this chapter is, hmm? Please remember to point out any inconsistencies or errors in your reviews- I really do appreciate it.
Chapter 5
Temari was never one to be surprised at anything. However, there had been one thing that had surprised truly surprised her, more than two years ago- when her little brother, Gaara, had suffered his first defeat in battle at the hands of a Genin of Konohagakure- a boy named Uzumaki Naruto. Naruto had changed Gaara, somehow- the death rate of people who got on Gaara's bad side dropped tremendously- as in, it was non-existent. Sure, some still got injured, but killed? Not a one. And Gaara claimed that it was all because of Naruto.
When they were sent to help rescue Uchiha Sasuke from Orochimaru, Gaara earnestly wanted a chance to speak with Naruto. But... that chance never came. Gaara was enraged when he saw Naruto's corpse- and further so when the village celebrated his demise. He went on a rampage, bringing harm to all that he saw. He had only stopped when that Hyuuga girl had burst out from the crowd and wept before Naruto's corpse that he regained control. The village elders wanted him brought to justice- but Tsunade would not have it. Gaara was, as she said, the 'Uzumaki Naruto of Sunagakure'. Both had been the sons of their village leaders, and both were given their curses to aid their villages. However, Naruto had known more love than Gaara ever had... and Gaara saw that in death, Naruto received more love than he himself would if he did not change his ways.
When they went back home, Gaara began doing everything he could to help people- from teaching at the Academy, to chasing down criminals, to helping old ladies with their groceries. Soon, everyone began liking Gaara- especially since he had the monster inside of him under seemingly complete control. Defeat at the hands of a little boy had most likely changed Shukaku, as well. Eventually, he was instated as the new Kazekage- Gaara cared little that the village elders were doing this to try to gain control over him. He only wanted to help his people, and his abilities were second to none in the desert- and the village wasn't called Hidden Sand for nothing.
Now, it was time for Temari to be surprised by Uzumaki Naruto once again.... not that she realized it. She was currently in the middle of walking back to her home village from Konohagakure when her name was yelled out. Looking back, she was surprised to see who it was- Hatake Kakashi, as well as three others... who all looked suspiciously familiar, though their uniforms were something that she'd never seen before. Temari sighed. "What is it...?"
Kakashi straightened. "Ah... it seems like your brother, the Kazekage, has been kidnapped. We've been assigned to go help- and I assume that you want to come with us."
Temari grit her teeth. "Gaara... I had a bad feeling, but..."
Kakashi nodded. "It'll take three days to get their. We should get moving immediately."
--
Temari observed the the two children with the group. She noticed the blond boy was overtly tense. He was trying his hardest to stay with the group, but it wasn't that he was too slow- but rather, more like that he felt that the others were going to slow. She moved closer to them. "Hey, do I know you two from somewhere?"
The two former Konoha Genin paled. However, it was not they who answered, but Minato. "Oh, probably. They were shinobi until about two and a half years ago."
Temari looked suspiciously at the blond man. She had to admit, he was attractive, but there was something... off, about him. About all three of them. "'Were' shinobi? One doesn't quit being a shinobi... not at that age. The only way to get out of it is..." She didn't continue- death was not something she wanted to talk about, with Gaara's life on the line.
Minato smiled. "Is either complete incompetence, complete inability to perform the job, or death. We kind of took the last route."
Temari looked at him like he was the craziest person in the world. "Well, you're obviously not dead. Explain this to me."
Minato nodded. "Well, we are dead. We're ghosts. Spirits. Or, to be most accurate... shinigami."
Temari smirked. "Yeah, right, you're not going to get me with some load of crap like that. Well, what are your names? Mine's Temari."
Minato grinned. "Namikaze Minato, at your service."
Sakura smiled pleasantly. "Haruno Sakura."
Naruto's grin was larger than his father's. "Namikaze Naruto! But you might know me as Uzumaki Naruto!"
Temari's face froze in recognition- her body kept moving of its own accord, propelling her forward towards their destination. "U-Uzumaki... Naruto?"
Naruto nodded. "That's me! It's been a couple of years, so it's not surprising you don't remember me..."
Temari grit her teeth. "Th-that's not possible... you're dead... I saw your corpse... there was a hole in your chest larger than my fist... h-how..."
Minato smirked. "Like we said. We're already dead. Our physical bodies are already rotting in our graves... but our spirits are here, ready to continue fighting, until the day our spirits die, and are reincarnated."
Temari groaned, and covered her forehead. "Can... can we just switch the topic, please? Like to why these Akatsuki guys would want to kidnap Gaara? It can't be just because he's the Kazekage..."
Kakashi nodded. "It's more that they're after what has made him Kazekage..."
Temari looked puzzled for a moment. "What made him... you don't mean, Shukaku, do you?!?"
Kakashi nodded. "'fraid so. Naruto, you remember the incident with Itachi, right?"
Naruto nodded stiffly. "Yeah... they were after me, too..."
Sakura was pleasantly surprised. "This is the first time I've heard about it."
Naruto shook his head. "Sorry, Sakura-chan, it's just... well, we haven't been able to talk much these past two years, and..."
Sakura smiled. "Hey, it's my fault for being smarter than you and taking all of those extra courses and stuff. I guess one year was a bit much to go for..."
Minato smirked. "I became a shinigami a lot faster than that."
Naruto scowled. "Hey, you're the Yondaime Hokage! The strongest shinobi who ever lived! That she managed to get as close to you and ojiisan as she did is a testament to her abilities!"
Temari faltered, and nearly fell- she managed to keep moving, though. "Th-the Yondaime Hokage?!? I thought you looked familiar, but...!"
Minato nodded. "Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato, at your service."
Temari put two and two together. "Wait, you said 'Namikaze'... and Naruto said 'Namikaze'... does that mean..."
Naruto pumped his fist. "I'm the son of the Yondaime Hokage! Isn't that the greatest? I mean, yeah, it would've been better if I had lived to be Hokage myself, but..."
Temari shook her head. "Enough distractions! Naruto, why did they go after you, too?!?"
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "I'm sure you've noticed the similarities between Gaara and me... and I'm sure you know that I beat him back during the invasion, right?"
Temari glared at him. "So?"
Naruto frowned. "A twelve-year-old boy, capable of defeating the monster, Shukaku... where would he get the power to do that?"
Temari thought for a moment. It struck her like lightning- all of the details added up in her head. "Y-you... were the carrier of the Kyuubi no Kitsune?"
Naruto nodded, and grit his teeth. "That's what I hate about those Akatsuki... they're just like the villagers... always looking at us with those eyes, treating us like we weren't human... me and Gaara, we were the exact same. But... Gaara was even lonelier than I was. And now, Akatsuki is targeting him, too... I won't let him be alone for this! That's why we have to save him!"
Temari smiled as she saw Naruto's eyes tear up. Thank you.. Naruto. Maybe Gaara will get that chance to talk with you after all...
Minato sighed, a hint of regret in his voice. He looked at Naruto, and then at Temari. "Unfortunately... you were only half-right earlier, Temari-san."
Both Temari and Naruto were confused. Naruto spoke up. "Half-right? About what?"
Minato looked pained to say what he was trying to say. "You see... she said the wrong word. Or rather, she didn't say the right one. True, Naruto was the carrier for the Kyuubi no Kitsune... but, he still is, too."
Naruto, too shocked for words, stopped on a tree branch. The whole group stopped with him, and Naruto looked up at his father. "I-I... I still am? B-but... I thought the seal was supposed to be released when I died..."
Minato sighed. "I'm sorry for telling you this now of all times, Naruto... but... you see, the higher-ups didn't want me to. Not before you became a full-fledged shinigami."
Naruto placed a hand on his stomach. "But... before I died, I was able to talk with that thing in my mind. How come I can't do it anymore?"
Minato sighed. "I... strengthened the seal on you, during that month we were together."
Naruto didn't know what to say, but he attempted to talk anyways. "I... see..."
It was obvious that, as Naruto's father, he was feeling just as much pain as Naruto was. "I... only wanted to help. I didn't want it to influence your afterlife, after it had caused so much pain in the world of the living."
Naruto smiled, but his eyes were still sad. "...thanks... but doesn't that mean that Akatsuki could still get their hands on the Kyuubi?"
Minato shook his head. "It's possible, but... the problem is..."
Naruto looked worried. "The problem is...?"
Minato sighed. "The Kyuubi's physical energy. When you died, its physical energy was left inside your corpse, because the seal was applied to your body. Yet, at the same time, that seal was applied to your soul- and so, only the Kyuubi's spiritual energy resides in you."
Naruto's face contorted, showing that he was more than confused. "So, they'd need my spirit and my body to recreate the Kyuubi?"
Minato shook his head, and raised one of his two zanpakuto. "No. They'd need more than that. This sword, for one. You see... I only sealed half of the Kyuubi into you. The other half... I sealed into myself."
Naruto was shocked. After a second, Temari asked a logical question. "But... you died... so what happened to the physical energy of the half that was sealed into you?"
Minato froze, completely. Sweat rolled off of his chin. "U-um... now that you mention it... I... kinda, sorta... don't know."
Kakashi sighed. "Sensei... well, if we don't know what happened, I doubt Akatsuki does. Let's... just go, alright? We don't exactly have the time to stop and chat."
Temari growled. "Yeah! My brother's life is on the line here! Move it, slow-pokes!"
Naruto sighed, and whispered to Sakura. "It's her fault, why's she mad at us?"
--
They were greeted at the entrance to the village by a guard. "T-Temari-san! We've been waiting for you! Please, this way!"
Temari nodded. "What's the situation? I know about the Kazekage, but only that he was abducted by Akatsuki. I need more details, now!"
The group began following the guard through the village. The guard was obviously nervous to be in Temari's presence- she apparently outranked him. "W-well, apart from Kazekage-sama being abducted... your brother, Kankuro, was wounded when he tried to pursue, and-"
Temari interrupted him. "Kankuro?!? What happened?! Where is he?!"
The guard swallowed. "A-as I was saying, he's in the infirmary. He's... been poisoned, ma'am. He doesn't have more than half a day to live..."
Sakura gripped her sword tightly. "Take me there. I can help."
--
Temari burst into the room first, followed by Naruto and Sakura. Kakashi and Minato were the last to enter. Immediately, the old lady at the other end of the room's eyes widened. "White Fang...!" In an instant, she charged... and in an instant, Minato blocked her blows. She backed off, and growled. "I remember that time... my son's enemy... White Fang, you shall pay for what you did!"
Kakashi held up his hands in a defensive gesture. "W-wait! I'm not..."
The old woman growled. "Don't bother arguing!"
She was interrupted by another old man, who seemed just as ancient and decrepit as she did. "Nee-chan... take a good look. He may look like it... but that is not the White Fang of Konoha."
The woman did indeed take a good look this time. She burst into laughter. "No waaaay! I was just pretending to be stupid!"
Kakashi sighed in relief. That was... "But, that still doesn't clear up... who this Yellow Flash lookalike is."
Minato spoke up. "Yellow Flash? Been a while since I've heard that... but you realize he's been dead for
nearly sixteen years now, right?"
The old lady nodded. "I guess you're right..."
Sakura rolled up her sleeves. "More importantly, let me see Kankuro-san!'
After a few moments, Sakura began chanting apparent nonsense to herself. Soon enough, she ran her hands over Kankuro, and her hands began glowing. Some liquid began oozing out of Kankuro's wound, and soon enough, it stopped coming out. Sakura placed the liquid in a nearby bucket, and leaned back, exhausted, giving a sigh of relief. "That takes more out of you than you'd think... I don't think there's any more poison in his body, but if there is, it shouldn't be enough to be fatal."
A knock was heard on the door, and a voice came from the other side. "Excuse me, may I come in?"
Each shinigami gave a different reaction to the voice. To Sakura, it was relief. To Minato, it had brought panic. To Naruto, it brought confusion. A guard opened the door, and in walked... a very non-descript shinigami boy. He had what appeared to be a medical utility belt, and he was carrying around his sword in his hand, instead of on his waist. His face was rather plain, as was his medium-length, dark hair. "Oh! Sakura-san! I didn't realize you were here, too! I thought you were in that, uh... that other place, what was it called..."
Sakura bowed. "Yamada-sempai! I apologize, but given the circumstances, we were forced to come here for a short while."
Yamada looked at her and smiled. "Oh, okay. Me and two of the vice-captains were assigned here just a few minutes ago, and Matsumoto-fukutaichou wanted me to check to see who was in here."
Minato looked somewhat relieved. "Matsumoto... and who was the other one? You're Yamada Hanataro-kun, right?"
Hanataro nodded- he seemed pleased that such a high-ranking man remembered his name. "H-hai! The other one was Kusajishi-fukutaichou, sir!"
Immediately, Minato's look of relief turned to panic. "K-Kusajishi?!? Why'd they send her?!? Who's in charge of this operation?!? This is political suicide, even worse than sending Itachi to Konoha!"
Naruto was confused, being the rookie, as was everyone member of the living. "Um.. who's Kusajishi-fukutaichou?"
Minato collapsed to his knees. "She's only a walking catastrophe, that's all... a living time bomb..."
Sakura explained it in more detail. "Kusajishi Yachiru, Vice-Captain of the 11th Division... and the youngest shinigami in existence, present company excluded."
Naruto had a picture of an attractive, if hyper teenager in his head. "So, what's she like?"
Sakura sighed. "Well..."
The door burst open, and in walked... a little, pink-haired girl. Naruto wouldn't have given her much thought... if she didn't have on a shinigami uniform, as well as the 11th Division Vice-Captain's badge. Actually, nevermind, he still didn't give her much thought. She was pulling her zanpakuto with a string, and the sheath had little wheels attached to it. Behind her stood a blond woman who reminded Naruto of Tsunade- physically, anyways. She was wearing the Vice-Captain's badge of the 10th Division.
The little girl looked around, and walked up to Naruto, pulling her zanpakuto along with her. She stared up at Naruto, and he stared down at her. The staring contest continued for a moment, until she pointed up at him. "Your new name is... Whisker-chan!"
Naruto looked offended. "Wh-wh-what?!? Why you little..." He was restrained by Minato, whose frown told Naruto that he shouldn't complete that sentence. The woman smiled at Minato. "Oh! Minato-kun! What a pleasant surprise! What are you doing here?"
Minato put one hand on the back of his head. "Oh, well, er... it's part of the thing we're doing to help out these people, Matsumoto-san."
Matsumoto frowned. "How many times do I have to tell you, Minato-kun, call me Rangiku-chan!"
Minato crossed his arms, letting Naruto go. "Nope. Not doing it. And how many times do I have to tell you to at least call me 'Minato-san?'"
Rangiku crossed her arms over her chest... an impressive feat. She puffed up her cheeks childishly. "Aw, come on..."
Yachiru moved over to Sakura, grinning. "Nee-chan! Nee-chan!" Sakura crouched down and smiled. "Yachiru-chan! Sorry I haven't been able to visit you, but I've been busy...
Yachiru jumped over Sakura and landed on her back, her arms wrapped around the older girl's neck. "Nee-chan! Nee-chan! Carry me, carry me!"
Sakura sighed. "H-hai."
Yachiru frowned. "I want more enthusiasm. Say 'Hai, Yachiru-chan!'" Naruto was somewhat amused when Sakura did exactly that, smiling while she did so, not to mention saluting her.
Hanatarou walked over to Kankuro, confused. "Umm... what's wrong with him? He doesn't look so good..."
Sakura walked back over to the bedside. "W-well, he was poisoned... I think I got most of the poison out, but..."
Hanataro panicked. "You think? Oh no, oh no, that's never a good thing..." He began chanting to himself, and he ran his hands over Kankuro's body. After a moment he stopped, and sighed in relief. "Oh, so you did... that's a relief. No wonder they call you a genius... to be able to do this, having only been a shinigami for a year... it took me forever to get those kinds of skills down."
Chiyo looked at Hanataro and Sakura suspicously. "Those techniques.... they aren't the kind usable by human beings. Who are you people?"
Baki, the man who was once the sensei to Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara, gave a short bow to her. "I apologize, Chiyo-baasama. These people... claim to be shinigami, come from the afterlife. It's... rather complicated, you see, but at the very least, they aren't human. They have proven to be inaudible, intangible, and invisible to the average person. But to shinobi, who have heightened spiritual abilities, they seem perfectly normal to us."
Chiyo sighed. "I see... you're not here to take me away, are you? I warn you, I can put up a nasty fight!"
Matsumoto chuckled. "Oh, no, don't worry. We're just here to protect the people from evil spirits and stuff... well, we're supposed to, but I don't know if they're going to attack or not..."
Yachiru smiled from her spot on Sakura's back. "If Ken-chan were here, we wouldn't need anybody else!"
Naruto tilted his head. "Ken...chan?"
Sakura sighed in exasperation. "I'll explain later..."
Yachiru jumped off of Sakura and landed on Kankuro's chest. "What's up with him? Why's he sleeping?"
While Sakura panicked, Kankuro coughed. "Wh... what's going on? What the..." His eyes widened when he saw Yachiru standing on him. "Get off of me, you little brat!" She complied, and Kankuro tried to get up. Unfortunately, the effects of the poison had not yet worn off, and he was not only unable to do so, but it hurt to try... a lot. He stared at the ceiling after the pain went away. "What... happened?"
Baki walked over. "You tell us. We found you lying in the desert, wounded, poisoned, with your puppets' broken remains surrounding you."
Kankuro sighed. "I... see. They got away, huh?"
Kakashi glanced at him nonchalantly. "Could someone take me to the scene? If there's even a bit of their scent left, I can follow it."
Kankuro managed to sit up a bit. "That... won't be necessary. You can just follow Gaara's scent. If need be, I caught a bit of cloth off of the guy who didn't kidnap Gaara. Sasori"
Kakashi seemed impressed. "Making a success from a failure... a true Suna nin."
Chiyo looked at Kankuro with all seriousness in her eyes. "Kankuro... are you absolutely sure that one of them was Sasori?"
Kankuro was surprised to see her and the old man. "Chiyo-baasama! Ebizo-jiisama!"
Ebizo did not bother with an explanation. "Kankuro... tell us."
Kankuro sighed. "Yeah... Akasuna no Sasori. He said it himself."
Matsumoto was obviously curious. "'Akasuna no Sasori'? How'd he get a title like that?"
Minato clenched his fist. "He was a shinobi of great talent... Sasori is his given name. As for 'Akasuna', 'Red Sand'... that's the color he often left the ground he fought on."
Yachiru frowned. "Scary... bet Ken-chan could leave it a deeper red, though!"
Naruto gulped in fright. He didn't want to meet this 'Ken-chan'... ever. Kakashi closed his eye in thought. "Sasori, huh? Can you tell us more about Akatsuki?"
--
Tsunade had her most serious look on her face as she faced Team Gai at the gates to the village. "Your mission is the same as Kakashi's- go to Suna and support them in any way you can. Understood?"
Gai gave her a thumbs-up. "Right!" He immediately sneezed right after that. "Darn hay fever..." He pumped his fists. "Yosh! Everyone! Let's get to Suna in one day!"
Lee shook his head. "No! Sensei! Let's get there in half a day!"
Neji whispered to Tenten. "What are those idiots thinking? It takes three days to get to Suna, even at top speed..."
Tenten gave an exasperated sigh. "Please stop saying nonsense like that, guys..."
Tsunade waved her hand, and Zabuza and Haku appeared right next to her. "These two will be accompanying you to Suna. You were out of the village when they first arrived, so they'll just explain themselves to you if need be."
Tenten's eyes lit up at Zabuza's sword, and she ran to his side, examining his sword, and the words flowed from her mouth in an excited stream of near-gibberish. "A zanbato? Cool! I have a few of these... who made this? Excellent quality! I don't recognize the metal. It kinda looks like steel, but it feels a lot lighter. And the handle- exquisite weaving! I need to get myself one of these, and-"
Zabuza cut her off. "You mind? We need to get going, you know."
Haku giggled in his creepily girlish manner. "Oh, come on Zabuza. I'd think you'd be happy for Kasumi to receive praise. This girl seems like an expert in weapons."
Tenten frowned. "Kasumi? What kind of a name for a zanbato is that? I'd think a zanbato would have a more manly name, wouldn't you?"
Zabuza growled, his shark teeth showing. "Look, I didn't pick the name, alright? She has a mind of her own."
Tenten's eyes sparkled once. "A sentient sword?!? I've only heard of them in legends!"
Zabuza snorted. "They're no myth. I could name plenty of others off the top of my head." He eyed Haku's katana. "Haku's Fubuki, for instance."
Tenten immediately beset Haku. "Fubuki? See, now thats what I'm talking about. Oh, a katana, nice. Is it made of the same material Kasumi is?" Haku nodded. "I see, so, were they made by the same person, or...?"
Haku sighed. "It's complicated. We sort of made them, but at the same time, they sort of made themselves." Seeing Tenten's questioning look, he sighed. "L-look... can we just go now, please?"
Gai pumped his fist. "Yosh! Let's go!" Immediately, Gai and Lee dashed out the gates. Tenten gave another exasperated sigh. "I hate it when they do this..." Both her and Neji dashed after them, leaving the shinigami behind. Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you supposed to go after them?"
Zabuza smirked. "We're just... giving them a head start."
Tsunade frowned. "Giving Gai and Lee a headstart is like quitting the race before it starts."
Haku smiled. "Well, I think it's about time to show off a shinigami's speed, ne?"
The two immediately disappeared- Tsunade barely managed to see them in the distance before they disappeared again. She sighed, and scratched the back of her head. "Why can't anybody be normal in this village...?"
--
Kankuro looked at Naruto. "Don't I... know you from somewhere...?"
Naruto gave a small smirk. "Name's Namikaze Naruto... but you'd know me as Uzumaki Naruto."
Kankuro looked at his hand. After a moment of trying, he managed to get it into a fist. Words that Gaara had once told him ran through his head. To work hard, to make your own path,without running away to a lonely isolation... If I do that, then maybe someday... I'll be like him. A memory of a younger Gaara then appeared. I have never thought of you as siblings... get in my way, and I will kill you. His train of thought returned once more to the older Gaara. Bonds with others... up until now, they were nothing but hate and killing. And now, I understand something. Suffering, sadness... and joy. They can all be shared with someone else. Uzumaki Naruto... through my interactions with him, this is what I feel he taught me. He knew the same suffering that I went through, and taught me that I could change my ways.
Kankuro looked at Naruto, who was having his hair pulled by Yachiru. "Uzumaki, I mean, Namikaze Naruto..." Yachiru stopped pulling on Naruto's hair, allowing Naruto to give his full attention to Kankuro. "Please... save my brother."
Naruto smirked. "Don't worry. It's the least I could do... for someone who visited my grave." As the shinobi and shinigami filed out of the room, the full meaning of what he said dawned on Kankuro. He looked at Temari, fear in his eyes. "Wait a sec... isn't... Naruto..." She nodded. "B-but... that would make him..." Temari nodded once again. Kankuro immediately fainted from the shock. Temari smiled. "Naruto, huh? Looks like... you're Gaara's guardian angel..."
--
Baki stopped the shinigami (plus Kakashi) from leaving. "If you would just wait a few minutes, we could have some skilled shinobi join you..."
Temari came up to them. "I'm going too!"
A voice came from above. "Temari, you stay here and fortify our borders." Everyone looked up, and saw Chiyo standing on a rooftop. "I am more than enough to represent the shinobi of Suna."
Temari tried to object. "But... Chiyo-baasama!"
Baki shook his head. "That would be too much for you..."
Chiyo growled, and jumped off of the roof. "Don't treat me like some old lady!" Everyone was shocked as she hit the ground hard. As she slowly stood straight up, her face grew dark. "I've wanted to give my cute grandson some love for quite a while now..."
Minato smirked. "Alright guys, let's go!" Everybody ran out the gates- except for Naruto. Temari stared at him. "Aren't you the one that promised to bring Gaara back?"
Naruto chuckled. "Well, yes. But, I have to give them a headstart- you see, I'm kind of... forbidden to go. I'm gonna follow them without them knowing it."
Temari raised an eyebrow. "From what I've heard about you? They're probably expecting you to follow them."
--
Two members of Akatsuki- so marked by their black cloaks, which carried red cloud symbols-, stood on a river, a large owl-like creature floating right next to them. They stood under a shrine gate, which was in front of the cliff wall. High up on the cliff, a paper reading 'kin', or 'forbidden', was attached to the wall. Slowly, a large section of the cliff raised up from the river, revealing a cave. The three beings entered, and were greeted by what appeared to be a man hidden in the shadows, but you could see straight through him- a hologram of sorts. The only things visible about him were his eyes- pinkish eyes which had four rings around the center- and the clouds on his robe identifying him as an Akatsuki. "You're late. Prepare it immediately."
The taller Akatsuki frowned under his hat. "The Jinchuuriki was stronger than I thought, un." The owl disappeared, revealing none other than Gaara's body behind. His sand armor was cracked, giving him the appearance of an old, worn out clay figure. The hologram placed his hands together to form a handseal, and then placed his hand on the ground. A loud rumbling proceeded, and a gigantic statue rose from the ground, a bit in its fanged mouth, and its shackled hands, standing in front of the statue, were held in front of its face, fingers stretched skywards.
The silhouette put his hands together again, and said, "Assemble." Immediately, several more such silhouettes appeared, one on each finger, except for the left ring finger and the right thumb. The man who summoned them sighed. "Now... let us begin."He disappeared, and then reappeared on the right thumb. He put his hands together, and the bit in the statue's mouth fell away, allowing the statue to open its mouth. "From this point onward, this jutsu will take three days and nights to complete. Everyone, be mindful of your real bodies. Zetsu, use your real body as a lookout. Use your longest range."
The most bizarre of the silhouettes- one of a man with what appeared to be the jaws of some creature coming from his robe, which opened just below his neck, spoke up. "...I know."
Another silhouette spoke up. "Three days... I'd think it'd take longer, with Kisame gone."
The leader-figure gave a prompt retort. "If you really think so, then we should get started as soon as possible."
All of the figures- Sasori excluded- raised their hands in front of them, and concentrated. Each of the fingers that had a person standing on it glowed, and the statue seemed to roar. The leader opened his eyes. "Fuuin Jutsu, Genryuu Kyuu Fuujin!" Immediately, nine dragons, made out of energy, sprung from the statue's mouth, and they headed straight for Gaara. As soon as they touched him, there was a flash of light, and an explosion.
--
Tenten yelled ahead to Gai and Lee as they dashed through the trees. "Hey! You guys are going way too fast! We've been running non-stop for an entire day! Can't we take just a little break?"
Lee smirked as he looked back at the Tenten, Neji, Zabuza, and Haku. "Tenten, you lack discipline."
Haku smiled. "It's not exactly a problem for us. Physical exercise doesn't really affect us."
Neji frowned. "That's something that's been on my mind. You two lack chakra- yet you can keep up with us. Who are you?"
Zabuza smirked. "Well, if you want us to put it bluntly- we're spirits. Shinigami. Shinobi who died, and decided that we didn't want a normal afterlife."
Neji's frown deepened. "If you're dead shinobi, then where did your allegiance lie?"
Zabuza frowned. "We were nuke-nin from Kirigakure."
Tenten's face lit up. "Wait a sec... Kirigakure... zanbato... Momochi Zabuza! One of the Seven Shinobi Swordsmen!"
Zabuza smirked. "Thanks. Apparently, my name's not gone just yet."
Neji frowned. "Hey, we've got company."
They all looked ahead, and a dog was sitting on a branch in there path. It called out to them. "Gai!"
Gai looked surprised, and everyone stopped. "Pakkun! What are you doing here?"
Pakkun frowned. "We were ordered by Kakashi to follow the Akatsuki's scent. They're in the River Country, between Konoha and Suna. Your group was closer, so I came to lead you to them."
Lee frowned. "I see..."
Zabuza smirked. "We'll be first to get there? Good, I wanted to get some action off of this."
Pakkun nodded. "Follow me. I'll explain everything on the way."
Nearby, a man that looked like 'Zetsu'- odd jaws and all- was half-way emerged from a tree trunk. Oddly enough, his left side was completely white, while his right side was covered in what appeared to be a black metal. The jaw structure was completely green, causing it to appear plant-like.
Back in the chamber where Akatsuki had gathered, Gaara was inside of a bright sphere of light, that seemed to be made of the nine dragons from earlier squirming together in a ball-shape. Gaara, noticeably, was screaming his head off in pain as some substance was being extracted from his mouth and eyes. Zetsu's silhouette spoke up. "We have enemies from Konoha closing in on our location. The closest ones that I know the names of are... Maito Gai, and Momochi Zabuza."
The leader's eyes showed a hint of recognition. "The first I don't know, but that second name... it seems familiar."
Zetsu's voice changed- it sounded.. artificial, nearly robotic. "Momochi Zabuza- one of the former Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. He's supposed to be dead, and claims he still is. The person with him matches the description of his apprentice, Haku, a boy with the Hyoton Kekkei Genkai. He's picked up a katana recently."
Deidara chuckled. "Wish I had that Hyoton thing. I could make ice sculptures. Watch them melt."
Sasori growled. "So who's this Gai guy?"
Zetsu replied in his more human voice. "Dunno. Some Jonin from Konoha. I think he might be a taijutsu specialist. They have a Hyuuga with them, as well as some girl, and a boy who could pass as Gai's son. Oh, yeah, there was some little ninken with them. A pug, doubt it can do much besides track."
Another silhouette spoke up. "Hey, whoa, wait. Explain the thing about him still being dead."
The artificial voice spoke up again. "They called themselves shinigami. To quote, 'shinobi who didn't want a normal afterlife.' I recorded it, but... they don't show up on the recording.
The man swore. "Well, that's... that's great. Just... peachy. If they're really shinigami, how are we supposed to beat them?!?"
Yet another silhouette spoke up. "Calm down, Hidan. You're immortal, remember?"
'Hidan' growled. "Calm down? CALM DOWN?!? They're shinigami! They who can claim any life! This... this goes against my religion, man!" He swore again. "This is... this is messing with my mind! I'm having a hard time concentrating on this jutsu now!"
'Yet another' sighed. "You're not the one who has to face them, moron."
Hidan relaxed. "Oh. Yeah.... yeah! You're right!"
Deidara spoke up. "So, uh, who does? I mean, someone has to, right, un?"
The leader closed his eyes in thought. "Well... I could use that jutsu..."
Zetsu interrupted the proceedings. "No need. It seems that they have provided for their own distraction."
Deidara looked surprised. "Oh? What kind of distraction?"
Zetsu stood silent a moment before answering. "The dragon kind."
--
Lee looked at the two shinigami, who had jumped to the ground and told them to stop. "Halt? Why? We must hurry to our friends!"
Zabuza began pulling his sword off of his back. "Yeah, but therein lies the problem- someone's decided to interfere."
Neji scanned the area with his Byakugan. "I don't... see anything. But..."
Gai nodded slowly. "This pressure... you know what the cause of it is, then?"
Haku nodded. "We told you we were shinigami, right?"
Tenten looked worried. "You mean, another shinigami is interfering?"
Zabuza shook his head. "Worse. We came to this world to protect it from evil spirits called Hollows. This one's the biggest I've ever had the opportunity to battle.. To tell the truth, I was wanting a challenge, but... not this much of one."
Lee gulped. "Well... where is this spirit?"
Zabuza held his sword in front of him. "It should appear... right... about... now."
Right on cue, what seemed to be a giant hole ripped itself open in the air, and a giant, skeletal leg emerged and slammed its clawed foot into the ground. Another one followed it, and slammed into the ground as well, causing the very earth to shake. The creature's head emerged- a great dragon skull, with white hair spilling onto the sides of its great face. The rest of its body followed, its great wings and the row of bone spikes that ran down its spine from the back of the head to the tip of its tail being the most prominent features. Zabuza growled, baring his jagged teeth. "An Adjuchas Menos... I didn't think I'd ever get to meet one...
Haku spoke to Team Gai. "Listen up! We need as much help as we can get against this, but you have to use ninjutsu! Genjutsu, taijutsu and normal weapons will only get you killed."
Tenten looked like she was ready to cry. "But... but... taijutsu and weapons are all we know how to do!"
Lee smirked. "We'll just have to see about taijutsu not working!" Lee leapt in front of the group, combat ready. "Great bone dragon! I wish to know your name before I engage you in combat!"
The dragon spoke after a moment of examining those who stood before him. "You may call me Bancyning, green one. Remember it well- it is the name of the one who will defeat you in that same combat."
--
Zetsu spoke up once more. "Another group, mixed. Hatake Kakashi of Konoha, Chiyo of Suna, and three shinigami."
Hidan swore. "Three?!? That brings the total to five! What's the afterlife have against us?!?"
Zetsu continued. "One of them looks like the Yondaime Hokage, though I can't be certain. The second appears to be a young boy, possibly a relation. The third shinigami is a pink-haired girl, unidentifiable."
Deidara groaned. "Please tell me that they get they're in the process of getting 'distracted' by giant monsters..."
Zetsu did not speak for a moment. "I would not say 'gigantic', but..."
--
The group stopped in the middle of the road when confronted by a Hollow of their own- particularly, a crimson, four-tailed fox Hollow, with long, human-like red hair flowing from the back of the mask. It seemed to grin when it spotted its quarry. The voice that emanated from it was feminine, and almost seductive sounding. "Ah, welcome, to the last place you'll ever see. My name is Helrood Stormvos- I am the one who will have the pleasure of devouring your souls today."
Kasek: -gasp- Hollows? Instead of Akatsuki members? Well, Itachi and Kisame ARE dead, and I don't know who the second replacement is yet (Obviously, Tobi's the first). Do you guys want an existing character or an OC? Drop a line, let me know. BTW, please don't complain about sicking adjuchas on these guys. You see that filler ep recently? Where unnamed shinigami take down an army of gillians like they were nothing? Yeah. Let's pretend we're using that power scale, and thus we need more powerful hollows to make a challenge.
Edit: Removed Hiruzen from this chapter, now for the next. Shame, had some good gags revolving around him...
BTW, 15 PAGES. I think that's a new record for me for one chapter.
Bancyning- I think it's pronounced like 'bankai-ning'. Not sure, never was good with those pronunciation symbol things.