I do not own Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters.
Art
Ryuu stepped out of thebtrees, seeing Yugao massacuring wooden dummies. He was once again wearing his ANBU armor and fox mask. His cloak was hung over a branch behind him but he wasn't going to wear it yet.
Ryuu Flash Stepped over to Yugao, blocking ber sword. She smiled, stepping back.
"Hey Ryuu," Yugao smiled. "You heading out already?"
"Yeah," Ryuu nodded. "We suspect that the Akatsuki may know where Naruto is after all. I'm being sent back as his body guard while he trains. So I guess I have to leave the village up to all of you."
Yugao nodded but her eyes fell to the ground. He hadn't seen that look in her eyes since they had fought the reanimated Hayate.
"What's wrong?" Ryuu asked.
"I'm leaving ANBU," Yugao stated. "I can't take it any longer. Every time I see a sword, I think of him."
"I see," Ryuu nodded. "What'll you do with your sword then?"
"I don't know yet," Yugao admitted. "But I'm definitely don being ANBU."
"Wanna know a secret?" Ryuu asked. "I turned in my resignation today. Tsunade said I was free to keep the gear. I just thought I'd wear it one last time before I ditch it. I'm keeping the skull mask though."
"Of course you are," Yugao smirked. "Why not keep the armor?"
"Just not my style," Ryuu shrugged. "Anyway, I gotta head out. See you around."
"Yeah," Yugao nodded. "See you."
Ryuu left, heading to the port and finding Nagato and Konan waiting. When Naruto stopped in front of them, Nagato held out a hand.
"I never propely thanked you for sparing me, or for saving myself and Konan from Madara," Madara stated. "I believe you said thi was rather importalt to you."
Ryuu took the long cylinder wrapped in brown paper from Nagato and an unmistakable weight registered in his brain. He tore the paper off, opening the cylinder and pulled the tanto his brother had given to him out. He stared at it, smiling as he remembered getting it, staying away from what had happened later. Then, he created a clone who left with Kakashi's White Light Chakra Sabre to return it. Ryuu put his tanto back in its sheath and smiled.
"Thank you," Ryuu smiled. "Now, we should get going."
Nagato nodded, working the rigging with his Rinnegan and pushing the ship out to sea. Ryuu took the helm, steering the ship toward the island turtle. At first, things were fine. Then they sailed into a storm that dropped their speed to nearly nothing.
"We'd move faster on foot," Ryuu shouted over the storm.
Nagato nodded an agreement and the three of them abandoned the ship, which promptly was hit by a much larger wave and flipped. They sprinted along the surface as fast as they could, speeding toward the turtle and leaving the storm after a time. They stopped on a small island to rest then keft again, planning to reach the turtle before stopping again.
After several hours, they spotted the island, and an unusually large, stark white bird flying toward it. Ryuu grinned, drawing his tanto as he recognized the bird. He sped forward, leaving the other two in the dust. Once he was close enough, he fromed a Flame Sword, extending it through the bird. Sure enough, the bird erupted into a massive fireball. Ryuu skidded to a stop as Deidara and Kabuto landed across from him, both glaring at him.
"Well well," Ryuu grinned. "If i isn't the failed artist and the snake that I'm going to love begeading."
"Ah, Ryuu," Kabuto greeted. "What a pleasure. There's somone who would like to see you."
He formed the seal of confrontation but before he cold slam his hand ito the ground, Ryuu's fist slammed into his face, launching him backward and stopping him. Deidara held his hands out, a pair of clay minions falling out of the mouths. Then, the two minnions began to reshape and grow until they were two completely white replicas of Fu. Both charged forward, slashing at him rapidly with claws on the ends of their fingers. Ryuu growling in annoyance, forming a Chidori Spear and slicing the clay minions into pieces then sprinting forward, bisecting Deidara with the Chidori Spear. A moment later, Hayate appeared behind Ryuu, slashing at him.
Ryuu blocked the sword with his tanto before splitting Hayate with the Chidori Spear as well. He looked to Kabuto who shrugged.
"Fu's soul was stolen from my possession," Kabuto shrugged. "I'm no longer able to send her after you. But I'll have her back soon."
"I'm going to save her," Ryuu stated. "I don't care at all about your grand plan. I'm going to let her rest."
Kabuto snorted in amusement as Hayate leapt at Ryuu again, Deidara hurling clay spiders from the other side. At the last second, Onoki flew down to hover behind him, Ryuu glancing at him with his Sharingan efore turning back in ime to block a sword. At the same time, Yamato, Aoba, and Motoi arrived outside the island Turtle, Yamato forming a lage wooden dock to walk on. Kabuto sprung toward Yamato but froze in mid air.
"So, the snake has come for more power," Nagato stated as he and Konan walked over, Hayate turning and attacking him, only for paper shuriken to shred him.
"That's a lot more pieces on this chessboard than I anticipated," Kabuto admitted, turning his head toward Nagato.
He opened his mouth and a purple liquid sprayed out, hitting Nagato's face and making him shout in surprise and pain. He began to fall and Konan caught him. Ryuu turned to Kabuto just as he shed his skin and revealed his massive white snake form. He swallowed Yamato whole then dove into the water, disappearing under the surface. A coffin rose up and swallowed Hayate but the one that was meant for Deidara found itself inexplicably blasted into sawdust by Ryuu's Mangekyo Sharingan.
"Just you and me now Deidara," Ryuu stated, extending wooden spikes from his forearm.
Deidara rolled his eyes and turned to run, only to find wooden spikes erupting from his body. Then, a scroll flew past, arching through the air and wrapping around him before he was dragged into a seal on the scroll. Ryuu rolled the scroll back up and put it away, turning to Nagato.
"I think he blinded me," Nagato reported, eyes open but discolored from acid burns.
"Looks bad," Ryuu agreed, kneeling and beginning to heal Nagato.
After a moment, he stood and Nagato blinked, standing and looking around.
"He wouldn't risk permanent damage," Ryuu stated. "Madara would kill him."
Nagato nodded and looked to the others.
"Naruto's on the island," Motoi assured him. "Please tell me you can track Kabuto, or Yamato."
"No," Ryuu sighed. "But once we capture Kabuto, we can save Yamato."
Motoi and Aoba both nodded and they all headed back to the island.
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