A/N: Thank you to all the favourites and reviews, I truly appreciate them. I'm sorry this one took me a while. My boyfriend gave me help with the cars but that's it. It was hard trying to find the right ones. Having racing games lying around the house is pretty handy. Anyway, I had to reconfigure my plot 'cause I kinda lost it for awhile. Now it's done. whenever the chapters take a while, it's because of the cars.
No warnings needed I think.
I don't own anything.
Previously: Before they knew it, night had descended, Sasuke watched on the fire-escape as the sun sank down, over the ocean. "Time to ride" he tipped back the last of his beer and went back through the window.
Konan watched as the hand struck six, she sighed for the sixth time. Her honey eyes shifted from her enemy to the door. The sunk had just sunk over the sea and the sky was a mix of the same blue as her hair. Her enemy moved from the chair he was sitting in and ran his hand through his orange hair.
"Konan, there was a reason I disbanded us remember?"
"Sasuke needs our help, I also want to do something to help Naruto, Yahiko" brown eyes narrowed at her arrogant tone.
"What makes you think this has anything to do with Naruto?"
"Why else would Sasuke be forming a team?"
"Watch where you step, Konan, you could put your life in jeopardy." He warned sternly.
"I though you wanted to help him?" She argued.
"And I still do!" he boomed. She back stepped. "I'm sorry, Konan" he whispered and pulled her into a hug. "Please don't do something worth risking your life for?" he asked softly. Konan wrapped her arms around Yahiko and nuzzled into his chest.
"I won't, just let me race, please?" her big honey eyes looked up into his brown and he sighed.
"Alright, but Nagato goes too"
"But-"
"No thanks. She's on her own on this one" commented the aforementioned lazy red haired man lying on the couch.
"Nagato" Yahiko growled.
"No, I'm not risking my neck for the Uchiha brat" he murmured darkly.
"It's not for Sasuke, it's for Naruto. I just know it" Konan defended. She looked at the clock. "There's no time left to deal with you two. I'm going whether you like it or not" she grabbed her keys, kissed Yahiko on the cheek and left.
"There is just no getting through to that woman" he growled as she watched the woman's long pale blue hair fly out the door after her. He sighed and went back to cleaning tables, while the other man stayed on the couch.
"You really think this has something to do with Naruto?" he asked all seriousness replacing his laziness.
"I don't know" Yahiko put down his cloth and pulled out his phone and put it to his ear after dialling. "You better start explaining the reason why your little brother is trying to get my fiancé to race?"
"Pain, ha ha ha" Itachi answered nervously. He looked over to Deidara who was driving and the blond man felt a lump in his throat. "I would explain but, it is all so complicated y'know?"
"Itachi, I don't want to hear complicated and Deidara better not be cursing insanities next to you." Itachi heard him let out a tired sigh. "Please just look after her?" he pleaded.
"You have my word or you have my head" he answered and hung up just as Pain did.
"Was he mad?" Deidara asked as Itachi put his phone away.
"No, just worried" Deidara nodded at Itachi's answer. He looked up and slammed on the breaks. "What the hell?" Itachi exclaimed as he was thrown forward in his seat. Deidara put the car in reverse.
"Cops" he replied. Itachi looked up too and spotted the UC car.
"Shit" he whispered. He grabbed the CB, "Black Cat, we have a pig problem, I repeat, we have a pig problem, 3 pigs and counting" the radio crackled before he heard a reply.
"Black Raven, copy you on the pigs, there gathering in swarms. It's hard to move."
"What do you want to do, Black Cat?" for a moment there was only static as his brother made a decision.
"Calling all racers, we're taking to the mountain, I repeat-"
"You're kidding? I can't race on the mountains, Black Cat"
"Then drop out, Shark Bite"
"Fuck you, Bug Boy. I'm seeing this through, and then I'm clearing my name"
"Enough!" Itachi yelled.
"Any other suggestions, Black Raven?" he heard Sasuke ask. He glanced at Deidara who was vigorously shaking his head.
"Black Cat, this is Paper Flower, I suggest we do it how we would any race, be showdown or battle?"
"Where are you, Paper Flower?"
"On your tail, Black Cat." Sasuke looked up into his rear-view mirror to see not only Shino's electric blue Lexus IS F, but a cloudy blue Lotus Evora '09, a white with black pinstripes Nissan 350Z, and a metallic violet Shelby GT 350R. He smirked all the pieces had arrived; now it was game on.
"Alright everyone, this is how we're gonna be doing it" he looked back into the mirror, "Bug Boy, you'll ride with them. Black Raven, you're the finish line. Paper Flower, Shark Bite and Monochrome Lion, you're to race the street, traffic and all, until you reach Black Raven. Bug Boy will be riding long side and Canine will give me a play-by-play, is that clear." There was a collective response of agreement. "Okay, on my mark" he looked up again and saw the three fan out or at least there was two in each lane. "First to Black Raven wins. Ready?" Shino pulled back so he was now behind Suigetsu's GT 350R. "Go!" Sasuke shouted as he pulled off to the side. The Evora turned the corner first, followed by the 350Z, with the Shelby close behind.
"This is gonna be interesting" Naruto commented as Sasuke pulled back onto the road. Itachi's location was blinking at him on the digital map Shino had installed in his precious midnight blue Mercedes – Benz SLS AMG.
"I guess you haven't seen a race in a while huh?"
"Yeah, I'm excited" Naruto bubbled in his seat. Sasuke smiled a little; it's the first time he'd seen his friend so anxious over something in a long time.
"Black Cat?"
"Here, bug man, how's it looking?"
"As predicted, Konan's taking a strong lead but the guys are still hanging on by a thread. Konan's gonna have to screw up if the boys want any hope of beating her." He followed as they drifted into a hard right corner.
Konan glanced in her rear-view and saw the 350Z. "Damn it! They're like persistent flies" she growled as she stepped it up a notch. When she put her focus back on the road, she noticed a young man with wild black hair and red and blue eyes. She blinked just to make sure she wasn't seeing things. When her eyes opened again the young man was gone. She swerved just in time to miss the street light head on but the side of the car collected the pole. At the speed she was going, the car was nearly wrapped around the pole. She dazedly looked up and saw him again before her mind slipped into darkness.
"Stop the race, Stop the race. Paper Flower has had an accident" Kiba called over the radio as Shino parked and ran over to see if he could help the woman. Kiba got out and followed Shino.
"Shino, is she okay?"
"I don't know" he tried to open her door but it wouldn't budge. He pulled out his phone and called for emergency. Sai and Suigetsu pulled up behind Shino's Lexus and ran over to the scene. Sasuke, Itachi, Naruto and Deidara soon joined the group.
"Oh man, Pain's gonna have my head" Itachi swore under his breath. Sai looked across the group and saw Naruto, though he knew something was wrong, he couldn't say what. He decided to let it slide…for now any way.
"Naruto, long time, no see" Suigetsu held his hand out to Naruto. The youngest man didn't look too inclined to the gesture.
"Yes, it has been long. Sorry, you might have to refresh my memory, who are you?" Sai's dark eyes narrowed at the question. Something was way off here.
"Allow me to re-introduce you then?" Sai interrupted before Sasuke could say anything. The emergency crew had finally arrived and asked the boys to back off a bit so they could do their work. All but Itachi and Deidara stood in a small circle by Sai's car.
"Who are you?" Naruto was now asking Sai. Although Sasuke hated the fact that Naruto and Sai we're so close, he didn't like the way he was acting right now.
"I might hate Sai, Naruto. But you pretending to forget about the guy is low, even for you" Sasuke narrowed suspicious eyes. He was about to rip into him, when he noticed the same man Konan had spotted but he saw more defining features like three whisker looking scars on each cheek. When their eyes caught the man grinned and rubbed his neck sheepishly and Sasuke smirked, something about the grin was familiar but Sasuke couldn't place it. The other man moved his mismatched eyes to Naruto, standing next to Sasuke, and they narrowed before he turned and walked away. Sasuke thought it odd but didn't bother to ask questions, not like he'd ever see him again.
"Sasuke?" Naruto looked at him puzzled.
"Hn?" he answered.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing" he turned back to the group.
Konan was now out of her car and conscious. Sasuke walked over to her with Itachi and Deidara.
"How is she?" Itachi asked one of the paramedics.
"She's fine. Couple of bruises and cuts but she'll survive" the paramedic regarded him with disgust. "Her choice of friends could be accountable for the accident though"
"Excuse me?" Itachi growled.
"You heard me. I know all about the Uchiha and the Akatsuki."
"You think we forced her to race?"
"I don't know and I don't really care. Last I heard Akatsuki was disbanded"
"It is!"
"So why is her car wrapped around a street light?" the man challenged, Itachi had his fists clenched.
"Itachi, let it go" Deidara put his hand on his arm. Itachi reluctantly let Deidara pull him over to Sasuke and Konan.
"His name is Menma" she told them. "I knew him once, he used to be different. Now, it's like I barely know him at all."
"Why would he make you crash?" Sasuke enquired.
"I don't know, Sasuke, but I think it's time you spoke with Pain"
"No way!" Itachi interjected.
"This has nothing to do with you, Itachi! Stay out of it!" Konan snapped at him.
"He's my brother; it has plenty to do with me."
"Brother or not! This is none of your business!" Her honey eyes glared sharply at the elder Uchiha. "Deidara, get him out of my sight before he gets hurt." She seethed. Deidara nodded and forcefully pulled Itachi back to his car. "Why is he such a headache?" she sighed exasperated and rubbed her temples.
"You know him well then" Sasuke smirked.
"Unfortunately" she looked up and saw Naruto. "You have grown since the last time I saw you. I heard Kura is in the hospital, is he okay?"
"Um, sorry, I don't know" Naruto grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Oh, hunny, why are you being so formal? I'm like, your Aunt, remember?"
"Sorry, no I don't." she huffed in annoyance.
"Sasuke, you've kept him secluded for too long."
"Sorry, Mum, didn't know I needed your permission to keep him safe."
"Don't give me lip boy" she glared.
"Sorry Ma'am" he bowed shortly.
"That's better, now you are driving me home and Naruto can go with Bug Boy." She hooked her arm in Sasuke's and he smirked as she had put most of her weight on him as he walked them over to his Mercedes.
"Let's go, Naruto" Shino put his hand on Naruto's shoulder and pushed him over to the Lexus.
"What about Kiba?"
"Volunteered to ride with Sai" Shino grumbled as he got in and started the engine.
"Jealous?"
"Not in the least" he looked over at Suigetsu as Kiba and Sai went over to his Shelby. He watched as Suigetsu snuck his arm around Sai and pulled him close. Kiba looked slightly hurt and Shino saw the apologetic look in Suigetsu's violet eyes. He decided that he really had to sit down with Suigetsu and find out what really happened that night.
A/N: Again I apologise for it being late. And I'm sorry about the race. Konan will ride again, just not yet. Pain is gonna have Itachi's head when he finds out. ^-^
Elena: Are you seriously not going to continue my Stories?
Adam: Don't be such a whiney crybaby
Elena: Am not! You have plenty chapters of your stories up on Live Journal and DeviatArt. Be happy!
Adam: But she has to re-edit the others because of her computer so lay off
Elena: Why you... *Both start arguing*
Me: Mark, help! *stuck in the middle*
Mark: Please review *sigh's and carries purple haired girl(Elena) out*