A/N: Ah, its been a while my friends. I have time to spare, and I figured I'd give you all something to read over the weekend. My finals actually start tomorrow, and I'm pretty confident, so I'm writing tonight. The next chapter should be up by the 11th. That said, I'd like to thank you all for the support you're giving this story. It means a lot to me that you all enjoy it and leave feedback. That said, this chapter will reveal some huge secrets I've been waiting to reveal. Let's jump in and get started. Here we go!
Chapter Nineteen: Akatsuki Returns
Rise was led in the house by her mother along with the rest of her siblings. On a whim and away from her mother's watchful gaze, Rise closed her eyes and focused intently on her surroundings. Rise felt four strong presences around her, and one she didn't recognize. Rise turned to see Suzu flash a devilish smile at Rise. Naruto grabbed Suzu by her collar, and the young girl kicked his injured leg. Naruto loosened his grip on Suzu, and the young girl's form was enveloped in a cloud of white smoke. In her place stood a man of about fifteen years old, an Iwagakure headband with a scratch over the symbol tacked to his right sleeve. He took Naruto's kunai and ran. Naruto's bad leg rendered him incapable of pursuit. Rise was already running with Kaze and Lyn close behind. Rise activated her Byakugan immediately and she turned her head, checking her blind spot constantly. She stopped once she had reached the Hokage Tower. The shinobi had escaped from her visible range. She sighed and she tried to catch her breath. Rise's ears caught Lyn's voice.
"Rise! Beneath you!"
Rise looked down and she saw a hand coming from the ground. The people of the village were running for their homes as Rise was joined by Lyn and Kaze. Kaze was already acting, forming a fast string of seals. He slammed his hands down onto the ground and he spoke.
"Shukaku Technique: Sand Prison!"
From Kaze's hands erupted a dome of sand that encircled the four of them. Kaze then spoke again.
"Rise, Lyn, capture him. I can hold this technique for maybe three minutes."
Lyn and Rise nodded and they both assumed the stance their mother had taught them, the Gentle Fist. Rise activated her Byakugan and she stood next to Lyn. The Shinobi under the floor was forced out of the ground and onto the floor. His hair was short and spiked with one long tuft covering his right eye. He wore nothing out of the ordinary, dressed like any Shinobi. Rise closed her eyes and focused, and immediately snapped her eyes open.
"His Chakra is immense. Its greater than mine or yours Lyn. Be very careful."
Lyn nodded and she rushed forward, aiming a strike at the attacker's leg. The man dodged and brought his arm down hard on Lyn's elbow. Lyn whimpered and she kicked out at his leg, but he side stepped and he moved to her side at a rapid pace. With a fluid motion, he kicked Lyn's legs out from underneath her and she dropped to the floor hard. Lyn sputtered and she looked up at the man. Rise charged in forward and she struck, only to have her blow stopped. Rise's natural flexibility allowed her to kick the man's leg hard. Rise broke free from his grasp, only to find her body pinned to the wall of the dome. Rise's anger was rising. Her eyes were glowing red. Lyn saw that her sister was succumbing to the power that dwelt inside her.
"Rise!"
Kaze and Lyn cried simultaneously. Rise's hair was elongating, flowing just past her midsection. Her teeth had sharpened and her nails had grown and curved to look like that of a fox. Rise had succumbed to the power of the Kyuubi.
Hinata and Naruto had watched their children go after the thief against her better wishes. Syao had stayed behind to help his father into the house. As soon as Naruto was inside, Syao had run after his siblings. Just as Syao had reached the center of the town, he sensed a dread presence he had only felt once in his life. He knew what had happened immediately. He focused his Chakra to his feet, using the Body Flicker technique. He hopped onto the rooftops and he stood upside down on the awning that led to the front door of his house. Hinata was already rushing out the door.
"Rise's gone berserk. We need to get ahold of Yamato right away Syao. Have you seen him?"
Syao shook his head. Hinata pulled out a scroll and pressed her thumb into the center. A cloud of white smoke appeared and Yamato knew what was going on just by the looks on Hinata and Syao's faces.
"Where is she?"
Syao was already running. Yamato and Hinata were running with him.
The mysterious Shinobi grinned as he watched Rise slip into her possessed state.
"So this is the power of the untapped, unsealed Kyuubi. This will make a fine present for Lord Gimchi. Just have to knock her out and make off with the prize."
Kaze threw his fist forward, causing a fist of sand to erupt from the floor. The Shinobi dodged it and he shook his head.
"I didn't realize you were there until now, Kaze. I suppose once I've knocked out your pretty little friend, I'll do the same to you."
A voice was heard in the dome of sand.
"You won't touch either of them. I know who you are now. You're a missing-nin from Iwagakure: Tsumi Osada. You're a master of Earth Ninjutsu."
Lyn had picked herself up off the ground and she assumed her battle stance, attempting to protect Rise and Kaze from Tsumi. Tsumi formed several seals and he spoke.
"Earth Style: Mud Shuriken!"
Tsumi grinned as he placed a hand on the ground. Lyn was bombarded with hundreds of Shuriken that erupted from the ground. Lyn couldn't dodge them all, and one ripped through her leg, dropping her to one knee. Lyn's eyes burned red as she tapped into the power that dwelt inside of her. She turned her head to see Kaze collapse from the strain of holding the Sand Prison. Rise was still struggling to free herself. Lyn dropped to her knees and she wove seals at a rapid pace. She touched her leg, her hand glowing green.
"I'm going to finish you Tsumi."
Lyn said as she tapped into thirty-five percent of the Kyuubi power that resided in her. Lyn's teeth and nails had elongated, and her legs had healed. Lyn rushed forward and she struck Tsumi in the chest at blinding speed. Tsumi hacked up a little blood and chuckled.
"Hyuuga techniques won't work on my Earth Armor very well, Kyuubi brat. Imagine how pleased Lord Gimchi will be when I bring him three gifts. I'll - SON OF A BITCH!"
Tsumi swore loudly as a kunai entered his leg. As he did, Naruto appeared in front of the three of them, having used the Flying Thunder God. He turned to Lyn and spoke.
"Get Rise and Kaze to safety. Yamato is on his way to calm her."
Lyn looked back at Rise, who was pinned to a building by bonds of mud. Lyn shook her head and she stepped forward. Naruto roared at her.
"Lyndis Uzumaki! Remember the vow you made when we gave you your clan earrings! You swore that you'd give your life for your baby sister, now GO!"
Lyn nodded meekly and she slung Kaze over her shoulder. She tried to loosen the bonds that held Rise to the wall, yet had no luck. Rise was struggling more and more as the power consumed her. A few seconds later, the bonds snapped and Rise was free. Rise resembled Naruto the first time he had lost control on the Great Bridge. Her normally calm lavender eyes were crimson red with definite pupils and her teeth and nails were elongated. Rise turned to look at Lyn and she lunged forward. Lyn put her hands up to block, but Rise swept her legs out from underneath her.
"Rise! Its Lyn!"
Lyn cried out weakly as Rise eyed Tsumi. The young man swallowed hard.
"That power is incredible. So she's the one Gimchi is after."
Rise had dropped to all fours and she ran at Tsumi, her fangs bared. Rise slammed her body into his and sent him sprawling. Tsumi stood up and he wove seals. Before he could cast his jutsu, a cage of thorns and briars erupted around him. Naruto turned to see that Yamato and Nanjo had arrived. Nanjo has cast his new Jutsu on Tsumi while Yamato and Naruto restrained Rise. Naruto whispered to his daughter and he shed a tear.
"Forgive me Rise."
The last thing Rise remembered before she lost consciousness was seeing Kaze unconscious.
Naruto took control of the situation immediately after Rise had been calmed. He interrogated Tsumi and retrieved his kunai. Naruto learned a great deal, and he reported it all to Tsunade. Rise, Lyn and Kaze had been admitted into the hospital for myriad reasons.
"Basically, from what Tsumi tells us, Akatsuki has been reformed with new Shinobi, and he was one of them. The leader is Kenshu, and they're taking orders from a man named Gimchi. This Tsumi... He was from Iwagakure, much like Deidara. Do we know anything?"
Tsunade shook her head.
"Nothing more than you know. And to let you know, Tsumi escaped. Turns out he was using an Earth Clone to buy himself time. How's Rise?"
Naruto closed his eyes.
"She lost complete control. Her power is like mine: Extreme emotions can trigger the release of the Kyuubi Chakra. Rise seems to hate being tied down, and that's what triggered this. Its a good thing Syaoran alerted us in time. She has the power to kill in that form."
Tsunade stood up and she looked out the window, sighing before she spoke.
"You need to teach her better control, Naruto. If she were to go berserk, the village could be at a major risk. Do whatever it takes, but you either seal her or teach her to control her emotions better."
Naruto knew that Hinata refused to have any of her children sealed. Naruto remembered when Lyn and Syao were born, how the Hyuga elders were calling for Syao to be sealed. Naruto had a determined look on his face as he spoke.
"I'll teach her restraint."
Tsunade smiled at Naruto and she turned to look into his eyes.
"Rise's a sweet girl Naruto. You have three children I wish were mine. But at the same time, all three of them are in danger. Teach them to tap that power willingly. Neji tells me that Lyn and Syao can use some of the power, but what about Rise?"
Naruto closed his eyes.
"I've yet to teach her. We've known since she was a baby that she was a special case. I wanted to wait until she was a Genin to teach her that, especially after Lyn and Syao's experiences."
Tsunade nodded.
"Fair enough. Do so now though. We can't risk something like this again."
Naruto nodded and Tsunade dismissed him. He left to go home and tell Hinata the news.
Lyn awoke in the hospital with a sharp pain in her right leg. She turned her head to see Sakura standing over her.
"Those Mud Shuriken tore some of your tendons and ligaments Lyn. You're going to need a long stay to recover."
Lyn settled back into the pillow and she whispered.
"How are Rise and Kaze?"
Sakura smiled.
"You're so selfless Lyn. You're so much worse off than they are, and you're worried about them. They're both fine. No damage physically save exhaustion. They're both at home, sleeping. You've been out cold for two days."
Lyn broke down in tears.
"Thank God that they're both ok."
Sakura hugged the young girl and Lyn cried into her shoulder. When Lyn was finished, Sakura let Naruto and Hinata in to see her. Hinata hugged her oldest child tightly, and Naruto kissed her cheek.
"Lyn, you're such a wonderful child, standing up to an Akatsuki to protect Rise."
Hinata doted on her daughter for several minutes, until Naruto gently pulled his wife off of Lyn. He then spoke.
"Sakura told me what happened Lyn. Those Shuriken did a real wonder on your left leg. Sakura can mend you, but it will take a lot of time. Neji has requested that you and your team take a break so you can heal."
Lyn closed her lavender eyes and she nodded.
"Please tell him I'm sorry."
Naruto smiled.
"Lyn, he's not mad at you at all. He cares about you. If only you heard what he says about you. He says you're a prodigy Lyn. You're really a good Shinobi with a lot of promise. Just like Syao and Rise and Serah and everyone else. Lyn, he wants you to recover so you can continue to chase your dream."
Lyn found herself in tears. She hugged her father and mother tightly. Lyn laid back on the bed and she talked with her parents for a long time, until visiting hours ended. Lyn eventually fell asleep, feeling a bit proud that she managed to fight on the level she did, and she promised herself she'd get even stronger. Due to the fact that Akatsuki was revived, the Uzumaki family swore to train its young progeny hard and well.
TO BE CONTINUED...