The group of ninja glided across the desert on their chakra boards. Onchou listened carefully to the creatures moving beneath the desert floor. They hadn't noticed their presence yet, but she didn't think their luck would hold out much longer. Sure enough, she heard a pin slip from Ino's hair and hit the desert floor.
"Crap!" she hissed as the creatures moving beneath the sand stopped and then quickly began to rise towards the surface. "Everyone watch out!" she cried. "The sentinels know we're here!"
"What?" Kiba called back as Akamaru growled in response.
"The sentinels!" she called out in frustration. She'd tell them to run faster but it was a useless term give the situation. "Damn it all!" she hissed. She shifted her front foot slightly and then moved her weight back tipping the board up slightly and forced her hover height to increase. She drew a kunai and listened for the creatures. The first one, a scorpion the size of a small car popped up out of the ground with claws clicking and its stinger blazing intent on snatching TenTen from her board. "No you don't!" the violet haired girl growled throwing the kunai with a paper bomb attached to it at the creature. It sank deep into its head and the creature hissed before it exploded raining bug guts down on the desert.
"What was that!?" The weapon master asked regaining her balance.
"A sentinel and that was just the first one!" she called out. "Everyone get across the desert as fast as you can. Follow Tamiki! I'll hang back and fight them off!"
"You're not staying back by yourself!" Kankuro called out.
"I'll be fine!" she called out.
"Stop thinking you have to do everything on your own!" Naruto yelled. "I'll stay back with her. The rest of you get out of here!" he said gliding back to her.
"You don't have to." The violet haired girl replied.
"I want to, because I'm your friend." He said floating beside her. "Just tell me where they are."
"Ok. We'll protect them from here." She said her eyes narrowing as giant creatures popped out of the sand.
"Alright. Let's get to work then." He said as a rasengan appeared in his palm. He maneuvered his board towards a giant centipede and destroyed it.
The amethyst eyed girl smiled. "Ok then." She said drawing her sword as a tarantella appeared before her and glided towards it. She moved her blade so that it was flat against her fore arm and slipped under the giant spider slicing the blade through four of its legs. The creature screamed and she whipped around and threw a paper bomb at the creature destroying it.
"Are you sure they'll be alright?" Sakura asked as they glided away from the two shinobi.
"Of course. Naruto is there." Lee replied. "We should get across this desert quickly."
She nodded and blinked in surprise when a giant bug appeared in front of her. Her hand balled into a fist and she slammed her fist into it destroying it instantly.
Ahead of her Sasuke drew his katana and created his lightning blade slicing through the multiple legged creature in front of him. As he sheathed his sword, he lost control and started to fall forward.
"Sasuke!" she exclaimed pushing her own board forward. She reached out and grabbed his wrist and pulled him upright.
"Thanks." He replied.
"Anytime." She replied. "It's ok for you to rely on me too you know." She said keeping her grip on his hand as they worked their way through the maze of monsters and sand.
"You can let go of my hand." The Uchiha said as they glided.
She laughed. "Are you kidding me? No way. You might seem cool and collected but you're really no good on your own."
His eyes widened as he watched her. The pink hair dancing around her face in the wind, the brilliance of her smile, and the sensation of her hand in his. Inside of him a feeling of warmth and comfort flowed through him. She'd never let go of his hand, he knew it. He was a fool for letting her go all of those years ago, for not returning to her side after completing his vendetta like he'd planned to. If he'd just held on to her hand he never would've been manipulated by Madara. His grip on her hand tightened as he made a solemn vow to never let go of her again. He'd hang on just as tightly as she always had. She'd keep him from falling into the shadows again and he'd protect her from everyone who dared try to snuff out her light. He'd protect her future while she protected him from his past.
"We're here!" Tamiki called out. "They can't follow us past this point." He said as he jumped off his board just inside a line made of stone. "Hurry!"
The shinobi quickly glided inside the line and gathered near it with Hinata and Gaara standing closest to the barrier their eyes locked on the last remaining ninja headed their way.
"Naruto." Hinata breathed her hands clasped together as he cried out slamming a fist into a centipede that had nearly caught him.
"He'll be fine." Sakura assured her friend coming up beside her. "It's Naruto."
"I know that. I just can't help but worry about him." The blue haired ninja replied watching as Onchou grabbed him by the back of his shirt dragging him out of the path of a scorpion stinger before lopping it off with her sword.
Beside them Gaara's jaw clenched his hands twitching at his side as the temptation to reach out with his sand and drag the reckless pair inside the barrier raged inside of him.
"They'll be fine." Kankuro assured his younger brother walking up to stand beside him.
"They're both so reckless." The Kazekage muttered under his breath as they both used a burst of wind chakra to propel them faster towards the barrier. One last giant scorpion began to rise and the violet haired girl smirked.
"See you in a minute!" she said blasting the blonde with another shot of wind chakra sending him flying past the barrier where he landed in the sand next to Hinata.
"What the Hell!?" he exclaimed. "What are you doing?!" he demanded as he jumped to his feet ready to go back after her.
"Wait." Tamiki said pulling him back. "I think she knows this one."
Onchou hovered in front of the massive scorpion who clicked it's pincers at her. She smiled and glided forward touching it on the forehead. "Want to play Scorpio?" she asked.
The massive creature clicked its claws in response and then dove into the sand. She smirked and took off across the last stretch of desert. The creature rose up again from the sand and she bent her knees crouching low on the board before she shifted her body and rode up the back of the creature. She grabbed the edge of its armored back and her body lifted into the air before she drifted back down again. She made her way along Scorpio's back as he moved flipping and gliding in complicated patterns as they both approached the barrier. She glided her way up his tail and then jumped off her board and landed at the base of the stinger. The creature flipped its tail and she went flying.
"Onchou!" Sakura called out her eyes wide.
"Someone catch her!" Kiba exclaimed moving forward.
The violet haired girl merely flipped in the air and landed on her back in a nearby sand dune.
"Are you alright!?" Naruto exclaimed running towards the pile of sand. "What were you thinking?!" he demanded.
They found her laying on her back with a huge grin on her face with her arms spread out. Musical laughter tumbled from her lips. "I haven't had that much fun in years!" she exclaimed between giggles. She finally sat up and wiped a tear from her eye. "I'm sorry for worrying you. I just couldn't resist."
"How do you know that creature?" Shino asked.
"Scorpio?" she replied. "He was tamed by my grandfather. He looks big and scary but he has a soft spot for me." She smiled and waved at the creature who clicked in response and sank back into the sand. "He was a lot smaller when I saw him last though." She admitted.
"Are there more like him?" the bug user asked.
She blinked and sat up brushing the sand from her clothes. "Sure, there's a few." Understanding dawned on her as she realized what he was asking. "Oh, I see. They don't do well outside of this climate. They're not very obedient either but if you really think you're up for it, I'll see if I can find a nesting female before we leave this place."
The goggle wearing man nodded. "Thank you."
She nodded and then glanced at the Kazekage who was glaring daggers at her. "Is something wrong Gaara?" she asked.
He shook his head but didn't look at her. "Shikamaru, let's get that map out. Onchou should be able to get a good read on the situation now." He said quickly.
"Right." The shadow shinobi said walking forward and laying the map on the ground.
The violet haired girl nodded and sat down on the ground in front of the map and studied it for a moment memorizing what had been drawn so that she could apply her information appropriately. Her eyes closed and she laced her fingers together as she focused her chakra. The air around her change making the ends of her hair twitch as the tattoos on her pointed ears changed from black, to silver, and the gold. Her brow furrowed slightly as she took a brush in her hand and started to move it across the map making marks across the surface. After a few minutes she frowned and flipped the map over and started to draw a series of underground tunnels and littered it with more marks. After twenty minutes, she put the brush down and opened her eyes the tattoos returning to their normal black color. She touched her forehead briefly and then sighed.
Shikamaru picked up the map and flipped it to the front side looking over the diagram of the village and the marks there. "The dots represent Dolls, the diamonds are members of his general forces and the stars are member of his elite forces." Onchou said tracing her fingers across the map.
"I only see one star and three diamonds on this. The rest are dots." He muttered. "Why is the security so lax?"
"Because Takuma isn't on the surface of the village. He's hiding below it." Tamiki said taking the map and turning it over. "How much was your hearing distorted?" he asked as he traced over her lines.
She blinked in surprise and then shrugged. "I took my time to get though all of the interference." She replied. "I'm fairly certain he's in this room." She said pointing at the large room where all of the tunnels met.
"You know what that means right?" Tamiki said looking at her with the same amethyst eyes she had.
"What does it mean?" Temari asked.
"If he's already in the Stone Room than that means he's already aware of our presence here and is waiting for us." The older ninja replied. "Otherwise he'd probably be here." He said motioning to another, smaller room nearby. "This room was used to shelter the family of the Guardian during times of crisis and has everything someone would need to not only survive, but live comfortably for a while." He glanced at Onchou. "Tell me, did your mother become Guardian?" he asked.
Onchou's eyes widened. "I… I don't know. We never talked about it." She admitted.
The man nodded. "Well, regardless he can't use the stone so we should focus on taking down his top forces."
"I agree." Shikamaru said. "These Dolls, they're strong but unable to use Chakra right?"
Onchou nodded. "Exactly. They're not really a threat to people like us but to normal people and genin level ninja they're a problem."
"How many are here?" he asked.
The girl sighed. "I can't tell for sure without using my marking jutsu since their songs all sound exactly she same to me, but from what I can hear he's got at least four thousand of them give or take five hundred or so."
Kiba's eyes widened. "If he has that many, where are they?"
"Beneath us." She replied. "This village has a very intricate tunnel system build beneath it. "Not only that but I'm fairly certain he's still making more as we speak."
"Well that's a pain." He muttered. "Going after these guys underground sounds dangerous."
She nodded. "I agree. Even I don't know those tunnels well."
"Drawing them out doesn't seem like a very good option either." Shikamaru said touching his chin. "We don't have the element of surprise that way and they get to call most of the shots. What do you suggest Gaara?" he asked.
The Kazekage frowned as he looked over the map. "I think we should take on the elite force member here on the surface." He said pointing at the star on the map. "This one should give us a feel as to how the rest of his forces will stack up against our strength and then we can proceed from there."
Onchou sighed. "Alright then. Let's go find Flail."
"Flail?" Naruto repeated.
"That's the elite force member here on the surface." She replied leading the way through the remains of the village.
"What can you tell us about him?" Shikamaru asked.
"His name comes from his weapon of choice." She replied. He's a massive man and it probably the strongest person physically in Takuma's forces."
"Can he use chakra?" Kankuro asked.
She nodded. "He can't perform any sort of genjutsu but he does use earth style jutsu."
"That doesn't sound too difficult." Kiba replied. "He sounds like a big dull animal."
Onchou chuckled. "Generally speaking that's pretty accurate but that doesn't mean he'll be easy to beat. His loyalty to Takuma is astounding and his stamina is off the charts. It's not so much a question of being more skilled than him, it's outlasting him that's the problem." She said as they walked.
"I'm sure we can take him." Chouji said.
She nodded. "Yeah. I'm not worried about you being able to defeat him. It's the others that I'm worried about."
Naruto reached out and clapped her on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it so much! We'll cross that bridge when we get to it ok? Just take everything one step at a time."
The girl's eyes widened and then softened. "Right. Thanks." She said with a smile. "He won't be alone either. Just like the last ones we fought, he'll have the rest of his team with him as well as Dolls."
"Do you know his team?" Sakura asked.
The girl nodded. "One of them is a water user, the second one is a wind user, and the third one is a lightning style user."
"That should be simple enough." Sai replied from where he walked next to Ino.
"Sure." Onchou replied her voice a little wispy.
"Onchou seems troubled." Lee remarked.
"How could she not be?" Sakura replied watching the violet haired girl glance around the remnants of buildings and scattered pieces of people's lives strewn about. "The last time she was here, she and her family were running for their lives."
"That is true." He replied.
"I know how she feels." Sasuke said taking Sakura's hand in hers. "It's probably similar to the first time I returned to the Uchiha compound after everything happened." He said watching the young woman as she knelt down and picked up a doll wearing a singed dress tracing her finger over the painted face that had faded over the years. "It's a feeling that can't really be explained but it hurts. A lot."
Sakura squeezed his hand and nodded as the girl laid the doll down under the awning of a building. The pink haired medic went to take a step towards the young woman when she noticed the Kazekage walk towards her clearly intent on talking to her.
"She'll be fine." The Uchiha said. "She has friends to support her."
"You had that too you know." The pink haired medic replied watching as the girl turned away from the red head sand wielder with her head bowed quickly walking away. "You just couldn't see it. It seems like she's having that problem too."
His eyes widened. "I did that too didn't I?" he muttered. "Pushed away people who were trying to help me."
She nodded. "Yeah, you did. You big dummy." She said nudging him affectionately. "You figured it out eventually though."
The sun began to dip in the sky just as they neared the city center. "Be on guard." Onchou said softly. "Flail is nearby."
Almost on que, a giant man hefting a massive three tailed flail appeared from behind a building. He was over seven feet tall with thick muscles and light grey eyes. His thin brown hair was pulled back into a pony tail and he was wearing ragged clothing.
"He really is big." Kiba murmured as Akamaru growled.
"That's a product of human experimentation for you." Kankuro replied wrinkling his nose slightly at the disproportioned massive hands and short legs.
The bulk of a man seemed to notice their presence and his eyes narrowed a low growl sounding in his throat as he lifted his weapon. "Who are you?" he demanded.
"We are ninja from The Village Hidden in the Leaves and The Village Hidden in the Sand." Shikamaru answered. "We're looking for your boss. Can you tell us where he is?"
The man's eyes narrowed. "What business do you have with my master?"
"We just want to talk to him about why he decided to move in here." The shadow shinobi replied.
He grunted and took a step forward looking over the ninja and was about to swing his weapon at the group when his eyes fell on Onchou.
"Princess?" he said softly his eyes widening.
"Hello Flail. It's been a while." She replied stepping forward from where she stood between Gaara and Kankuro.
The bulk of a man set his weapon down and rushed towards her with speed that didn't match his size and swept her into his arms. "Princess!" he exclaimed tears running down his cheeks. "I was worried!"
The ninja stared in shock at the scene confused and on edge. "What is going on?" Naruto asked softly.
"This might be the reason she seemed reluctant to fight this guy." Shikamaru replied.
"Princess! I am so happy you've come back to us! Master will be so happy to see you again." He said setting the girl back on the ground. "Come! We must go at once!" he exclaimed reaching for her hand.
She hung her head. "Can my friends come with me?" she asked.
Flail frowned. "These people are your friends?" he asked.
Onchou nodded. "They are."
He frowned. "I was told that I can only bring you back to the master." He said.
"Then I can't go with you." She replied simply.
"Why not?" he replied. "Master has been very mad while you've been away. I know that seeing you again would make him happy."
The violet haired girl frowned and moved closer examining a mark on his arm. "He took his anger out on you didn't he?"
"No. This is because I displeased Master by failing an experiment. I was merely punished." He replied.
"Liar." Onchou replied. "I can hear your heart remember."
The man blinked and then hung his head and pulled her close again. "Please come back Princess! Master needs you! He will be happy if you are near! Everything will go back to the way it was! We know that you did not run away. You and Ryuu just got separated from Master during the war."
"Flail." She said pulling out of his arms. "That's not right. I did run away. I ran away and took Ryuu with me."
The man's grey eyes widened. "Why would you run away Princess?" he asked. "Did I do something to upset you?" his brow furrowed. "Did one of the others make you angry?"
"No Flail. I ran away because I couldn't stand being with Takuma another day." She replied taking another step back from the man.
His breathing began to increase at her words. "I don't understand." He murmured. "Master said he was doing all of this for you. He was going to make this world better and you were going to rule by his side. Why would you betray him Princess?"
"Flail. I'm really sorry." She said taking another step back. "Takuma is evil. All of those horrible things he made us do are because he only wants power. He's just using you."
"No! Master would never use me!" he exclaimed. "Master is kind."
"How can you say that!?" she exclaimed. "I've healed the injuries he gave you!"
His eyes widened. "You are kind Princess. How could you betray our Master like that?"
Her eyes blazed at his words her hands shaking. "That monster is not my Master." She growled.
"Exactly!" Naruto exclaimed. "Onchou isn't a slave to anyone!" Murmurs of agreement went through the crowd at his words.
Flail's eyes widened. "These people, they have changed you." He whispered. "It's ok Princess. I will take care of them and then we will go to Master. He will fix you." He said forming hand signs.
"Flail! Don't do this!" Onchou said her eyes widening. "Please! I don't want to fight you."
"Then don't." Tamiki said resting his arm on her shoulder.
"We'll take care of this guy, don't worry." Kiba said walking up beside her.
"Yeah, just stay out of the way. Let us handle it." Shino agreed stepping forward.
The hulk of a man growled in response and swung his weapon at the group. "Get away from Princess!" he roared.
Three men dressed in black appeared beside the hulk of man accompanied by twenty Dolls.
"You found the princess?" one said.
"Master will be very please." The second one replied.
"I'm sure he will reward us very well." Came the third voice.
"How do you want to divide them up?" Naruto asked.
"Wait a minute." Onchou said. She closed her eyes and raised her hand in front of her face as she focused her chakra and sang a song in a language none of them could understand. For the second time in less than two months she sang the seek and mark song. An orange ball of light appeared in her palm and she gently pushed it into the air above her and then slashed her arm across her body. Beams of orange light shot from the ball like lasers striking the Dolls in the middle of their foreheads marking them with a glowing mark in the shape of a music note. Lights streamed into the walls around them and the violet haired girl nodded her brow furrowing slightly. "I knew it. There are more Dolls here than just the twenty in front of us."
"How many?" Kankuro demanded.
"One hundred. That seems to be the magic number when it comes to Dolls lately." She replied.
"What a drag." Shikamaru muttered. "Knocking out that many guys won't take too long though."
The violet haired girl shook her head. "You have to kill these things. They're not human, they have no souls. That's why they can't use chakra." She explained.
"My team will focus on taking care of the Dolls." Gaara said motioning for Temari, Kankuro, Tamiki and Onchou to get into formation with him.
"We've fought these things before and we're better prepared for this sort of thing." Kankuro said with a smirk.
"This is something Sand Shinobi do better than you Leaf ninja anyway." Temari said with a wink as she pulled her fan from her back.
"Alright then. We'll focus on the big guy and the chakra users then." Shikamaru replied. "Since they have the most members, we'll let Naruto and his team handle the big guy." He said glancing at their opponents. "My team will take the guy on the left. Kiba, you and your team take care of the guy on the left and Lee, you and TenTen can take care of the guy on the far left. Sound good? When you've defeated your opponent, go help Gaara's team with those Dolls."
The ninja nodded and Flail huffed his hand clenching and unclenching as his eyes focused on Onchou who was standing next to Gaara with her sword in her hand.
"Stay close to me." The Sand Wielder instructed.
"I can take care of myself." She responded quickly watching the Dolls shift around them.
"That's true, but I promised Ryuu I'd protect you. I can't do that if you're not by my side." He replied.
She chuckled a little smile coming to her lips. "As you wish Lord Kazekage." She teased. "Just don't slow me down."
Flail watched the exchange and his eyes widened. "Princess…" he murmured. "I haven't seen her smile since Akira died." His grip tightened on the weapon in his hand. "Why can't she smile like that for Master?" he muttered.
"Because obviously that Master of yours doesn't make her happy." Sakura replied pulling on her gloves. "She'll never smile like that at him because he's a heartless monster."
"Don't speak ill of my Master!" the bulky man cried out slamming his weapon into the ground creating a small sand explosion.
"Well, there's the starting bell." Shikamrau said glancing at his team. "Let's do this!" he exclaimed forming hand signs.
#&#
Team seven leaped into action as the massive man swung his weapon. Sakura dodged the tails and then charged at the man focusing her chakra into her fist leaping into the air.
"Cha!" she exclaimed slamming her fist into the middle of the man's chest knocking him back several feet. Flail's massive body slammed into the wall behind him and then burst through it large chunks of rock raining down on him.
Behind her Sasuke smirked as he drew his sword. 'That's my girl." He said to himself before he charged in after her funneling electric chakra into his blade. He swiped it through the air as the giant staggered to his feet and removed his arm. The man roared in protest and swiped his remaining arm at the Uchiha. He braced for the blow and was surprised when he felt something tug him back. Naruto grinned at him and then vanished in a puff of smoke as he took the blow instead. 'Shadow clone' he thought as he flipped back landing lightly on the ground watching as his blonde friend slam a rasengan into the man's stomach sending him crashing into the ground. Sai quickly swopped in as the Uzamaki leapt from the crater and sent a barrage of painted beasts at the man. He growled and swatted them away as the four shinobi regrouped.
"One more series of hits like that should bring this guy down." Naruto said as he watched the man stand up and cough blood spilling from his mouth onto the sand below.
"Right." Sakura agreed tightening her fist.
"Let's do this." Sasuke agreed.
"After you." Sai replied smiling at his teammates.
"Go!" Naruto exclaimed and they went after the man again.
"Shikimaru!" Ino called out as they fought. "I was wondering, what was Temari talking about?" she asked as she kicked their opponent in the face before leaping back so he could be mowed over by his human boulder. "What do Sand Shinobi do better than Leaf Shinobi?"
The shadow wielder chuckled as he used his jutsu to paralyze their opponent. "See for yourself." He said as Chouji landed the last blow crushing the man.
The blonde turned to see the sand team and watched at Temari sliced a group of three Dolls to ribbons with her wind chakra combined with her fan. Kankuro followed right behind her manipulating his puppet slabbing four through the chest. Tamiki leapt through the air and beheaded two Dolls in midair as he wielded two curved swords and drew another pair in half as he landed lithely on the ground. Gaara clenched his fists reducing six of the Dolls surrounded by his sand to nothing but clumps of flesh. Onchou leapt through the air and snapped the neck of one Doll with a twist of her hands and then leapt into the air and sent a blast of lightning through the chests of two others. Ino's eyes widened at the violent sight.
"Maybe it has something to do with the harshness of the climate and the sun. In the desert only the strong survive and it comes down to kill or be kill far more often here than it does in The Land of Fire." Shikamaru said with a smirk. "Out of all of the shinobi in this world, those that come from The Village Hidden in the Sand are the most skilled, and ruthless killers."
"Isn't that a bad thing?" Ino asked cringing as she watched Kankuro's puppet move to stand protectively in front of Temari's back. It drew one of the Dolls into its chest and moments later, the Doll's mangled body was spat back out onto the sand.
"Not in this situation. We're distracted by the fact that those things look and move like we do and hesitate to kill them. That would put us in a dangerous situation, but with them here, we don't have to worry about it so much. They've already decimated more than half the Dolls in the time it took us to defeat that guy we were fighting." He grinned at the blonde haired shinobi as she tore through another Doll. "We're lucky to have them as our allies."
%$%
Within half an hour, the battle was over and Flail lay on the ground as blood seeped from his body. Team seven turned just in time to watch the team from Suna deliver their final blows to the remaining Dolls.
"Good! Everyone is done then." Naruto said as he leaned against a chunk of stone that had fallen from a nearby building in the heat of battle.
"Looks like it." Sakura replied slipping her gloves from her hands. "Onchou was right, that guy's stamina was off the charts."
Sasuke nodded and sheathed his katana the weapon that had made the final blow as Sai dropped down beside him.
Onchou bumped into Gaara's back and turned to face him. "Good work." The Kazekage said touching her on the top of her head.
She smiled and blushed at the gesture. Her smile widened when Temari nudged her. "Not bad girlie." The blonde complimented her. "You truly have the claws and fangs of a true kunoichi from Suna."
"Why?" Flail rasped.
"Why what?" Naruto said glancing back at him.
"Why does she smile like that? Why does she seem so happy?" he asked.
"Because she's around people who love and care about her." The Uzamaki replied.
"I don't understand." He gurgled. "Master said he loved her."
"I don't think he loves her so much as he loves her power." Sasuke replied. "There's a big difference between the two. Having someone love the whole you means so much more."
The big man's eyes widened and then softened as Onchou walked up to him. "I'm sorry Flail." She said softly kneeling beside him. "I never wanted things to end up like this."
"Princess. Are you happier with these people than with Master?" he asked reaching for her with his one remaining hand.
She nodded as she took his big hand in hers. "I am."
Flail sighed. "Then stay with them." He said as his life left his body.
A little smile touched her lips as she released his hand and rose from the ground. "We should probably get going." She said. "We need to rest for a bit before the next volley. I can hear five songs moving this way. Takuma must be more impatient than I thought."
"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked.
"Do you remember how I told you about The Fatal Five?" Onchou replied. The pink haired medic nodded. "Well it sounds like they're going to be our next opponents. That means Takuma has decided he wants to end things quickly."
"I'm assuming you're going to give us additional information on these warriors?" Gaara replied.
She nodded as she slipped inside and abandoned house. "Yes I am. These five shinobi are powerful, experienced, and highly skilled." She explained sitting down on the floor. "They each have their specialties so I'm going to give you a run down on all of them so that you can decide for yourselves who would be best to fight who." she said running her fingers through her hair. "I'm going to warn you right now, that these people are not afraid to fight dirty. They will find and exploit any weakness they can find. The crap they've pulled over the years I'm sure would make every person in this room sick regardless of how shady your past might have been." She said glancing at the Uchiha. "Anyway, I'll get on with it." She slipped a clear marble from her pack and whispered in a musical tone words that others around her couldn't understand and rolled it to the middle of the room. "Wraith." She said in a clear tone. The stone shimmered and then projected an image into the middle of the room. A man with tattered grey clothing appeared in the middle of the room. Bandages were wrapped around most of his face and all that was clearly visible was his eyes. They were pale blue and dead looking. In his hands was a katana as well as a ball and chain.
"He's a water chakra user." She said as the image slowly spun. "He's also a master of camouflage jutsu. His genjutsu mixed with shadow clones is what really gets people though. He makes multiple clones and transforms them so that they look like his enemy particularly when they fight in teams."
"That sucks." Kiba muttered. "You could totally attack your teammate thinking it was a clone."
She nodded. "Like I said, these guys fight dirty. The other thing that's creepy about Wraith is that he never says anything. You could scream at him all day long and he'd never say a word. It literally drives people crazy when they fight him because everyone unconsciously makes assumptions about people based on their voice. It's unnerving to fight someone who won't make a sound no matter what you do to each other."
"Seriously, that's super creepy." Chouji admitted.
She nodded and then looked at the stone again. "Blood Rain." She called out. The stone shimmered again and a man with jet black hair, crimson eyes, and a wicked grin appeared. He wore red from head to toe with the only break in color being the bandages wrapped around his ankles and wrists but even those had blood stains on them. Blades protruded from his forearms, the back of his calves and his fingertips.
"Well, that guy looks sharp." Chouji said.
The ninja snickered at the joke and then focused on Onchou again. "Oh he is, in more ways than one. He's the best at taijutsu out of the group." She replied. "He also uses wind style chakra specializing in slicing techniques. He's not nearly as underhanded as the others though, he'll just come at you desperate to see your blood." She said shaking her head at the image. "He's incredibly fast and precise with his blades."
The ninja nodded and she glanced at the stone again. "Soul Stealer." An image of a man wearing black from head to toe with striking green eyes, blood red hair and tan skin appeared. In his hand was a scythe and a mask that looked like the bottom half of a skull covered the underside of his face.
"He's the best scythe master I've ever seen." She replied. "He also uses fire chakra. The weirdo laughs the entire time too under that creepy mask of his." She muttered a little shiver going through her. "He's also experienced at using shadow clones, and he can use genjutsu to make you think he's actually a Shinigami. It probably won't detour most of you war veterans but it's something to watch out for."
"Sounds simple enough." Shikamaru replied. "How advanced is his fire style jutus?"
She thought for a moment. "It's not his weapon of choice but it's pretty formidable. I've seen him make a fire dragon once but that was only because he'd lost his scythe."
Sasuke nodded and touched his chin. "That's pretty impressive but if it's not his weapon of choice then we'll just have to defeat him before he uses it."
The group nodded and Onchou looked at the stone again. "Nightmare." She said clearly. The stone shimmered again and a man wearing black and green with what looked like wings attached to his back appeared. Long black hair flowed down his back and his teeth were pointed. He had light pink eyes and his hands were like a lizards with scales and claws.
"What is he?" Ino asked wrinkling her nose.
"I think he's Takuma's attempt at making a gargoyle." Onchou replied. "Or one of the people he spliced Hisame's DNA with. I don't know." She replied. "However, I can tell you right now that those wings on his back work."
"He can fly? That's awesome!" Naruto exclaimed. "Just like Sasuke used to." The Uchiha rolled his eyes and focused on the creature in front of them.
"Sure…." Onchou replied in a confused tone. "Anyway, he uses water chakra and is able to infuse it with his sword. His water slicers are pretty intense. I almost lost an arm to one once." She said touching her shoulder.
"How did that happen?" Shino asked. "I thought you were one of Takuma's precious test subjects."
She snorted. "Right. Precious. He didn't really care what happened to me as long as my life was never in danger. As long as he could put me back together, he didn't care how many pieces I was in during my training."
"Training?" Hinata asked glancing at the amethyst eyed girl.
The tan skinned girl nodded. "Yes. I suppose I didn't mention it. The Fatal Five were all my teachers. I learned most of my battle skills from them."
"Well that explains why you're so fierce in battle." Sasuke said glancing at her.
"Speak for yourself snake boy." She snapped. "You're exactly the same as me, learning to fight from experienced killers."
He shrugged and looked at the image. "Anything else we should know about this guy?"
"He's fast. Faster than anyone I've ever seen. Take your eyes off him for even a second and he'll be gone and you'll have a wound you didn't have before you blinked." She replied shaking her head. "In the six years I was with Takuma I could never come close to his speed, thus the whole nearly losing my arm thing." She took a deep breath and then spoke clearly to the stone again. "Heart Taker."
A toned, athletic man with blonde hair, sky blue eyes appeared. He was wearing a pair of black slacks and a white button down shirt that was half undone exposing his sculpted chest. His weapon's pouch was attached to his belt instead of his thigh and even in holographic form he gave off an inviting, sensual aura.
"He's beautiful." Ino murmured. "Like an angel."
"Ino!" Sakura hissed elbowing her friend in the ribs.
"Ouch! Watch it billboard brow! I'm just being honest. You know it's true." The mind transfer ninja retorted.
The pink haired medic blushed and then coughed.
"Focus ladies." Shikamaru said his eyes narrowing slightly as Temari stared at the man.
"He doesn't seem very well armed." Naruto remarked. "He'll probably be the easiest to take down."
Onchou laughed and then her face became deadly serious. "That kind of thinking right there will get you killed. He's the leader of The Fatal Five."
"No way! That pretty boy?" Kiba stammered. "How can that be?!"
The violet haired girl sighed. "His genjutsu is the nastiest stuff I've ever seen." She replied. "He's sadistic, and loves to break people." She shuddered. "He's so lightly armed because most of the time he doesn't have to kill his victims. They usually kill themselves or beg him to kill them. That doesn't mean he isn't powerful by any means. He uses lightning chakra and is deadly accurate."
"What could he possibly show people that would be so awful that you wanted to kill yourself?" Chouji asked. "I mean most of us have stared death in the face and didn't flinch."
The amethyst eyed girl sighed. "Every single person here has another person that is their weakness. A lover, a family member, a friends, or even a pet that means more to them than any other being in this world. He's able to see into your heart briefly and find who that person is. Once he's done that, you're as good as dead. It's even worse if that person is close by physically."
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.
"You have to be straight with us if we're going to figure out a way to beat this guy." Shikamaru said. "We can handle it."
The amethyst eyed girl sighed and raked her hand through her hair. "Fine." She glanced around the room. "Ok… we all know that the most important person to Shikamaru is Temari right? If you didn't well now you do, congrats. Anyway if you saw her bound and about to be killed what would you do?" she asked.
"I'd do everything to save her of course." He replied.
"Exactly." Onchou replied. "Now what if you couldn't do anything? If you were somehow paralyzed yourself and couldn't do anything, you couldn't even speak to let her know you were there and she wouldn't die alone?"
The shadow shinobi's eyes widened. "That would be Hell." He admitted.
The violet haired girl nodded. "That's what he does. Not only that but he tortures them in every way possible. I don't need to go into specifics for you to figure out what that means."
"That is seriously messed up!" Kiba exclaimed.
"I told you he was." The violet haired girl replied. "As he's torturing them, he tells you that their suffering will be over as soon as you die so most people kill themselves or beg him to kill them thinking they're saving their loved one especially if they're actually there." She sighed. "The worst part is, let's say we're back to Shikamaru and Temari and Heart Taker really is torturing her, because he really will if that person is nearby, and Shikamaru agrees to kill himself to save her. Heart Taker won't just let her go. He'll cast the same genjutsu on her and make her watch him kill himself over and over again until she's begging to die too."
"Damn!" Naruto hissed. "This guy seriously sounds like a creep. How do you beat him?"
Onchou looked down. "I honestly don't know." She admitted. "It's awful because even if you manage to see through the genjutsu, the images are still there and throw off your focus. Your best bet would probably be to overwhelm him with numbers since I've only seen him manage to keep two in a genjutsu at a time."
"How does he cast his jutsu?" Sasuke asked.
"He uses a powder infused with his chakra." She replied. "It activates as soon as you breathe it in."
"I see. Well I guess we'll have to get to work putting teams together. We should probably rest since these guys sound like they're going to be a heap of trouble." Shikamaru said.
"Right." Onchou said picking up the clear stone in the middle of the room. "I'm going outside for a few moments." She said.
"Sure." The shadow wielder said. "Thanks for your help."
"Anytime." She replied before she slipped out the door.
"She's doing pretty well all things considered." Shino said as he watched her leave.
"Yeah. She's pretty tough." Chouji agreed.
Gaara watched her and rose to follow when Shikamaru called out to him. "Would you mind helping me with the teams?" he asked. "I'm at a bit of a loss at how to arrange things."
The Kazekage hesitated torn between his duty and his desire to look after the violet haired girl when Tamiki walked up to him.
"I'll stay with her until you're finished." He said moving towards the door.
"Thank you." The sand wielder replied before walking to join Sasuke, TenTen, Kankuro and Shikamaru.
Onchou sighed as she felt a presence approach her, she knew exactly who it was. "Is there something I can help you with?" she asked.
"That is my line." He replied walking up to stand beside her gazing up at the stars that were beginning to wink to life in the sky. "Can you hear if anyone is coming?"
She shook her head. "It's quieted down below us. I'm guessing they want to wait until morning. Nighttime battles aren't ideal for either party."
He nodded and they stood in silence for a few moments before he spoke. "You know, I never abandoned your mother." He said looking across the village. "When I made that promise, I had every intention of keeping it however I was sent on a lengthy mission right after I returned from the mission to Heiwa and wasn't able to return until right around the time it was attacked again." He bowed his head. "I regret not being there for her, and for you."
The violet haired girl nodded. "I know that." She replied even as her grip tightened on her arms that were crossed over her chest. "It's just hard to process it all. Mother hated me from the moment I was born."
Tamiki glanced at her. "That can't be true. Aria was a very loving person."
Onchou shivered. "Then something must have happened to her. When I was born she tried to kill me."
"Why would she do that?" he asked. "I'm sure she was just disoriented."
The girl sighed. "It was because I had your eyes." She replied.
Tamiki's own eyes widened. "I… I'm so sorry." He said reaching towards her.
"Don't be." She said stepping away from him. "It's not your fault. In the end they comforted her during her final moments. She asked me to look at her as she died and said that she was happy to see your eyes one last time."
The man behind her shook. "Takuma killed her didn't he?"
She nodded and he gritted his teeth before he reached out and wrapped his arms around her. "You don't have to do this." Onchou protested. "I'm fine on my own."
"Please let me." He said softly. She froze in his arms. "I wasn't able to protect your mother or you before and I'm so sorry. I'll never be able to make up for all of the terrible things that you suffered in my absence, but I'm here now. I'll spend the rest of my life protecting you the way I always should have because I am your father." He squeezed her tightly. "You're not alone anymore."
Tears welled in her eyes as the place in her heart that had been empty since the day her grandparents and mother had died was filled a little. She laid her head on his shoulder and shook as the tears slid down her face. "I… I'm really not alone?" she murmured.
"Yes, you're not alone." He replied as he released her and stepped back. "In fact you have grandparents, an uncle and two cousins." He said with a smile. "When we get back, I'll introduce you to everyone. You're a member of the Buki clan after all."
The violet haired girl smiled. "I'd like that. Thank you." She glanced behind her father and noticed Gaara watching them with a touch of a smile on his lips nodding to her. Tamiki turned and then bowed to the Kazekage. "I'll be waiting inside." He said walking away. He stopped as he neared the sand wielder. "Lord Kazekage, I have nothing but respect for you but she is still my daughter. You know what that means right?"
"Of course." Gaara replied. "I won't dishonor her in anyway." The older man nodded and stepped back into the small building as the red haired man approached the violet haired girl. "Were you able to speak with him?"
She nodded. "I feel a little better now. It's just a little strange. I thought I was all alone in the world but it turns out I have a family after all."
He nodded and looked up at the stars. "Today was hard on you wasn't it?" he said.
Onchou nodded. "Flail was one of the only people in the laboratory that didn't look at me like I was a piece of meat or a pest to be picked off at the first opportunity. He was gentle and kind to me." She sighed. "I knew it was because Takuma told him I was important but over time it became more genuine. If he hadn't been so brainwashed by that mad scientist he probably would've helped me escape but Takuma had him convinced that everything he did to me, he did because he care about me."
"I see." Gaara replied. "You couldn't bring yourself to hurt him because you cared for him."
"Yeah. Pretty pathetic huh? I mean, he's the enemy right?" she said hanging her head a little.
"I don't think so." He replied. "It just means that you care about people. Look at Sasuke, his friends care about him even when he became the enemy. They never wanted to kill him even when they had every reason to. They just wanted to bring him back home." She nodded and he looked over at her. "Do you have any feelings like that for the ones we'll likely be facing next?"
She snorted. "Not at all." She replied. "I can't stand any of them. Their blood lust and desire for destruction sickens me. They might have been my teachers but they only taught me because Takuma ordered them too." She chuckled. "They literally ran me into the ground and wouldn't stop until Takuma made them which was only when I was unconscious or getting too close to death's door."
The sand wielder sighed. "That explains why you're so tough."
The girl blushed and tucked her hair behind her ears. "Gaara. Thank you for caring about me." She said softly as her heart pounded in her chest. "I…" she reached for him her hands resting on his arms. "When this mission is over, I have something important to tell you. Is that alright?"
He blinked in surprise at her posture as she kept her head down her cheeks blazing. "Of course." He replied. "I'll always listen to what you have to say. You can tell me now if you want."
She shook her head. "No. It's ok. Thank you, really." She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a quick hug before she went back inside. "Come on. We should discuss the plan. I'm fairly certain they won't come for us tonight."
Gaara nodded as she walked inside and then covered his mouth with his hand as his face blazed. The serious look on her face, the embarrassment. Did she plan to confess to him? He couldn't deny that the idea made his heart race. Receiving confessions was something he'd dealt with pretty regularly since becoming Kazekage but he'd always been quick to turn them down. He'd known that they were only interested in him because of his looks and his title but Onchou didn't seem to care about things like that. He felt a connection to her that he couldn't quite explain. It was likely what Sakura had said the other day was true.
"Gaara! Come inside will ya!" Naruto called out. "We're going to go over the plan for tomorrow."
He nodded and quickly walked over as the thought passed through his mind. He was in love with Onchou. What he would do with that feeling however he would have to decide at another time.
$!$
Sakura sighed as she sat down by Sasuke.
"Are you alright?" he asked her.
She nodded. "I'm just a little nervous about tomorrow." She admitted. "They all seem so powerful."
The Uchiha shook his head and ruffled her hair. "This coming from the girl who helped take down the wicked woman trying to steal all of the chakra in the world?"
Sakura shrugged. "All I did was punch her once."
"If you hadn't punched her when you did, Naruto and I would've missed and who knows what would've happened." He replied.
"If you say so." She replied. "But in all seriousness, I am nervous. That guy Heart Taker in particular freaks me out."
"Don't worry. I won't let anything bad happen to you." He assured her.
"You don't have to protect me. I can take care of myself." She replied.
He sighed. "You don't have to prove anything to me." He said. "I know very well how strong you are. You're easily the strongest Leaf Kunoichi here." He looked over at her and laid his forehead against hers. "But as a man, I want to protect the one I love. Is that wrong?"
Her cheeks blazed at his words. Very rarely did the "L" word fall from his lips. It thrilled her and made her thankful that she'd never given up her feelings for him. "No." she replied smiling up at him. "I'll protect you too."
He smirked and nodded. "You always do." He said turning his head to quickly kiss her cheek. He watched as Shikamaru talked with Gaara and Onchou who had just entered the building with Naruto as he went over the tentative plan. "Shikamaru really is fantastic when it comes to strategy." He admitted.
Sakura nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty amazing. Kakashi Sensei said that he was impressed with him especially after Azuma Sensei was killed. He came up with a plan, organized his team and had executed it within two weeks of his death. In fact, he personally took on the one who dealt the killing blow to Azuma alone and defeated him."
The raven haired avenger sighed. "He did in two weeks what it took me years to accomplish."
The pink haired medic laughed. "Yes he did, but don't beat yourself up over it too much." She said before quickly changing the subject. "So who do you want to fight?" she asked. "Shikamaru arranged the teams so each one could handle any of the members, I'm just curious."
He thought for a moment. "I almost want to fight Heart Taker just so that I can pit my genjutsu against his but I wouldn't want to expose you to that kind of danger. I suppose Wraith would be the easiest opponent for me to beat since my eyes would allow me to see right through that clone, transformation jutsu he uses."
"That's true." Sakura replied. A yawn escaped her lips and the Uchiha brushed her hair from her face as she leaned against him.
"Rest." He told her. "We'll let you know if anything happens. Everyone managed to escape their battles unscathed but that probably won't be the case tomorrow. We'll need your strength."
"You should rest too." She replied even as she snuggled closer to him.
"I will." He assured her.
Within moments she was sleep and he smiled down at her. Gaara moved to stand beside him and spoke softly. "Are you satisfied with your team arrangement?" The sand wielder asked him.
The Uchiha nodded. "We did the best we could to make the teams balanced. That meant team seven would have to be split up."
The teams had been arranged as follows:
Sakura, Sasuke, and Kiba.
Naruto, Hinata and Shino.
Shikamaru and Temari.
Ino, Sai, and Chouji.
TenTen, Lee, and Kakuro.
Gaara, Tamiki, and Onchou.
Gaarra nodded watching as his normally tough sister snuggled next to Shikimaru, her head in his lap as she rested.
"It looks like things between Shikamaru and Temari are going well." The Uchiha commented.
"They are." The red head replied. "That also means I'm going to lose one of my best Kunoichi to the Leaf."
Sasuke nodded and then glanced over at Onchou who was talking with TenTen as the brown haired girl examined her sword. "I think you'll be gaining another though so it'll be fine." He said watching the violet haired girl show the weapon master how the sword had two ranges.
"If that is what she wishes." Gaara replied.
"It's clear she wants to stay by your side." The Uchiha replied. "Why not let her?"
"I do not know if I could make her happy." He replied. "My past is heavily stained with blood. I am also the Kazekage and will not be able to give her the time and attention she truly deserves."
Sasuke sighed. "I bet she has just as much blood on her hands as you do. Because of that, she's probably one of the only people in this world that will not only be able to truly understand you, but accept you completely." he brushed his hands over Sakura's hair as she slept. "I've done a lot of messed up things in my life too and Sakura still loves me. Being with her makes me happier than anything else." He looked up at the Kazekage. "One of my biggest regrets is not admitting that I loved her sooner. In our world, the person we love more than anything can be taken from us in an instant. If I were you I wouldn't make the same mistake I did. It took watching her vanish from my sight in an explosion to finally get it through my head that acting on my feelings wasn't a bad thing."
The red head nodded. "Perhaps you have a point. What if she doesn't feel the same way about me though?"
The dark haired leaf shinobi smiled. "Just hold on to those feelings anyway, she'll come around. It worked for Sakura but I don't think you'll have that problem." He said watching as Onchou glanced over at where they were situated talking and flashed a smile before turning back to TenTen who gave the sword back to her.
Gaara chuckled. "What a strange turn of events. The Kazekage getting relationship advice from the former rouge ninja Sasuke Uchiha."
Sasuke smirked. "Well, that blonde idiot is here." He said glancing at Naruto. "Strange things tend to happen when he's around."
"Very true." The Kazekage said moving away from the wall to approach the amethyst eyed girl.
The Uchiha shook his head and then glanced at Naruto who was laughing with his arm around Hinata as he talked to Kiba. He then leaned down and pressed his lips to the pink haired medic sleeping against him. "Thank you Naruto, for keeping her safe for me." He murmured before he closed his own eyes and allowed his body to rest.
P.S. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! The next one will probably be a little slower to come out since writing fight scenes takes a bit more time and effort but I promise that it will be worth it! I'm also cooking up a couple of hotter scenes for our present ships so there's another thing to look forward to. Like I've said before, I have a plan for this story and we're rapidly approaching the climax of this story arc. Thanks for all the love and support!