Chapter 28: Unexpected Collision

The darkness was thick as the four travelers did their best to slip through the high gate unnoticed. Their faces where all shrouded in black cloth leaving only their eyes uncovered as they pressed themselves to the walls of the black fortress. The leader paused slightly in his movements and placed a warning finger to his unseen lips. The others nodded in understanding.

Some one was coming.

Kyo grit his teeth in irritation be hind his mask as he waited for the approaching chakra to pass by. Once it had he sighed in relief and dropped his finger from his lips. Once he was sure that no one else was around he motioned to he companions to slip through the secret way that had at one time belonged to the Haruno clan. He was grateful that is had remained hidden all of these long years. He had been afraid that they wouldn't be able to find their way in if the old passages where blocked.

One by one three shadows slipped by Kyo and slid into the narrow passage that led through the wall and into the basement of the Haruno main house. Once they were all inside Kyo took one more cautious look around before he too slipped into the hidden door and disappeared from site. Never once noticing the two smirking forms above them.

Once the four ninjas where in the relative safety of the estates lower levels Kyo pulled out a small light so the others could see. One by one they all pulled off their masks so that they would be able to catch their breaths and speak easier as they planned the next faze of their mission.

Haruno Kairi was the first to reveal her face. Grinning happily at her husband as she sent him silent congratulations. Baki was slightly more hesitant to reveal himself as he didn't want to admit that the brat's plan had so far succeeded. After all the last thing that he needed was for his acceptance to go to Kyo's head. Shibuki was the last member of the group to pull of his mask. His features where tight in concern as his eyes moved shiftily through all of the shadows. Baki sighed.

"Why did we bring chibi again?"

Kyo glared at Baki. "He is the most adept at using the element of surprise to his advantage."

"Only because no one would expect him to do anything but cower and run," Baki muttered.

Kyo ignored him and clapped a gently hand on Shibuki's shoulder, startling him a bit.

"You did well, Shibuki-sama. Your father will be proud to hear of it."

Shibuki blushed slightly under the bluette's praise. It meant a lot to him to hear it.

"Now we need to find where they are being kept and see just how well guarded they are. With luck we may even be able to find Hokage-sama." Kyo looked at each of his companions but his eyes lingered on his wife's face. "None of you have to come."

Kairi's deep brown eyes where determined as she shook her head once. "You can't leave me behind. I told you that in the village. Where you go I go. That's the promise we made, remember?" She said as she pulled off her glove and held out her right pinky.

Kyo stared at his wife's extended pinky finger where a small scar could still be seen on the small pad. He sighed.

"I just don't like the idea of you being in danger."

"Oh get over it already brat!" Baki said. "The woman's a shinobi and a darn good one. If she want's to get hurt that's her business. Not yours."

Kyo turned to glare at Baki. "You know, I am really beginning to wonder why I brought you along."

Baki barked out a laugh. "Cause I'm the sense of reason here. Who else would tell you what was what. Your wife excluded of course."

Kyo rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Just remember who's in charge."

"Now that would be me."

The whole group jerked around at the sound of the unexpected voice. There on the stairs leading up to the main floor was Yamataro Makoto and Umikawa Shishini.

"Now let's dance Haruno."

Kyo glared and pulled out his kunai. "Ladies first."

Makoto struck.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Hikari suddenly woke from a strange lurch in her belly. She gasped as her hands quickly wrapped around her slightly showing stomach. Itachi, hearing Hikari's gasp and feeling her sudden movement, woke with a start and jerkily pushed up to his knees.

"Hikari! What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Y-yes. I'm fine. I just…I think that the baby felt something. He moved so suddenly."

Itachi's brow crinkled in concern. "Is that normal? Do babies usually do that?"

"I don't know," Hikari said as she leaned against her husbands chest. "When my mom was pregnant with Sakura she was always trying to get my dad to feel when the baby kicked."

"Maybe he kicked you then…" Itachi said even though his face showed his distain of the idea.

"I don't think so. Mommy was really fat when she first started telling dad Sakura was kicking."

"Well," Itachi said as he gently poked her tummy. "You're kind of fat. Right?"

Hikari nodded as she looked at her puffy stomach. "I guess. Maybe I just don't get as fat as mom did."

"So. When is the baby supposed to come?"

Hikari blinked. "That's a good question. Momma said it usually takes nine months for the baby to be ready."

"How long has it been?"

"Uhhhhhhhh….I dunno."

Itachi rolled his eyes. "Go to sleep Hikari. We'll worry about it later."

"Okay." Hikari yawned and lay back down; her concerns instantly forgotten. In fact, she couldn't even remember what had started the conversation.

Itachi did though.

He looked down at his now sleeping wife and gently rubbed her belly. He glared.

"You had better not be kicking your mom. If you do then when you get out of there you are going to do a hundred katas."

Satisfied that his son would listen to orders, he was an Uchiha after all, Itachi wrapped his arm around Hikari's waist and fell back to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Sasuke watched in stunned surprise as he skid to a stop at the edge of the bridge. He couldn't believe his eyes. Sakura had just beaten Momochi Zabuza. The demon of the mists.

Wow. She was good.

Shaking of his surprise Sasuke sprinted over to where the pink haired girl was putting her kunai back into her weapons pouch and pulled out a length of rope.

"Here," Sasuke said as he handed it to her.

"Thanks." Sakura grinned at him, unsurprised at his sudden entrance. She had felt him coming long before he actually arrived.

"When do you think he'll wake up?" Sasuke said as he watched Sakura bind the unconscious nin's hands and feet with the rope he had handed her.

Sakura shrugged. "Hopefully not until his boss comes and dies. Then we should be able to let him go…maybe. Depends on whether or not he still wants to kill us."

"Where's Hinata?"

Sakura grunted slightly as she tightened the knots that secured her restraints. "She was fighting that masked kid. It should be over soon though."

Just as the words left her mouth a large wave of killer intent washed over them and Sakura felt her heart lurch at the suddenness of the sift in balance. Sasuke felt the change too, though not as deeply as Sakura, and as one the two comrades turned to stare in awed horror as they watched a large pillar of orange chakra erupt from the surface of the bridge down near the other end.

Sakura felt her mouth go dry as Sasuke cursed.

"Naruto."

As one the two climbed to their feet and turned in the direction of their friends. Hoping to reach the orange and black clad boy before he completely lost himself to a power he did not yet have the ability to control.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Kyo quickly braced himself for the sudden attack. His kunai whipped up, almost on its own, and he used his left hand to add more strength in its block as Makoto's kunai collided with his. The two seemed to hang suspended in time for hours before they both jerked away at once. In unison their hands flew together as they each skidded backwards to a stop. Though their movements where nearly identical the seals that they used where entirely different.

Kyo's set of seals ended first and a large ball of water materialized between his hands just as Makoto's seals ended with the seal of the tiger. As one two elemental dragons rose to life in the small confines of the Haruno's basement. The dragon of fire let out a piercing roar as it hurtled towards Kyo's dragon of water. The two connected and the explosion of steam was immense; easily blowing away the house above them.

Kairi screamed in shock as she guarded her face and huddled against the basement wall. Baki cursed and pressed his body over that of the Haruno girl in an attempt to shield her from any falling debris as the hot, cloudy mist slowly dissipated. Once they could see again Kyo's three companions gazed on is awe as the two dueled it out in a fierce competition of hand to hand combat.

Kyo growled as he felt Makoto's forearms block his side kick and he quickly switched his balance so that he could swing it back around behind him; not wanting to give Makoto the chance to grab his calf and use the leverage against him.

Makoto sneered and launched a pair of kunai at the bluette as he attempted to regain his balance. Not expecting the weapon attack Kyo jerked his body backwards into a sharp bridge to avoid the deadly projectiles. From this position he quickly launched into a short series of back handsprings in an attempt to gain momentum for his next attack. He landed nimbly on the balls of his feet before he pushed off against the basement floor. Six years of dust stirred at the swift movement adding a sense of foreboding as the filthy fog wrapped around the two combatants; never seeming to get the chance to settle as they continued their assault on one another.

Makoto caught Kyo's right hook squarely in his palm but growled as he realized that it was a fake as the real punch landed a strait left to his solar-plex. The sheer strength behind Kyo's punch caused Makoto so slide back several feet as he coughed up saliva and blood. Makoto glared at his adversary in hatred as he quickly regained his breath and leapt up for another attack.

Kairi bit her lip as she watched the battle continue this way for several long minutes. She didn't understand why Kyo wasn't using anymore jutsus. Makoto certainly didn't seem to have any problems unleashing another fire jutsu that sent dozens of small fireballs her husbands way. Instead Kyo just grit his teeth and blocked as many of the flames as he could before he pulled out another kunai and lunged at Makoto once more. Finally it dawned on her and she felt like slapping her forehead hard at her stupidity.

The first clash of their combined jutsus nearly destroyed the basement and it did blow away nearly the whole house above them. Kyo was worried about their safety. That was why he wasn't using any jutsus. He didn't want his companions caught in the crossfire. That thought now firmly lodged in her mind Kairi quickly grabbed both Baki and Shibuki by their clothes and dragged them along the edge of the basement wall to where she hoped to escape up into what was left of the main level giving Kyo his much needed space to loose his restraint.

Unfortunately Kairi had forgotten that Makoto had arrived with a friend in tow. She had just reached the top of the stairs when Shishini's powerful fist collided with her chin in a painful reminder. Kairi grunted as she was flung backwards into the clumsy arms of Shibuki. Dazed Kairi lay still in the boy's arms, her eyes wide and disoriented as he repeatedly asked her if she was alright.

Baki rolled his eyes at the Tokigakure boy's idiocy before he nudged him out of the way and jumped out of the basement to face off against Makoto's older cousin. Shishini smirked at the older sand nin.

"Think you can handle me grandpa?"

Baki's face remained neutral as he dropped into a fighting stance. "You have a long way to go before you can even hope to compare to me, pup."

Shishini scoffed. "We'll see, old man. We'll see."

End Chapter 28

Kaliea: Well how was that? Worth the wait? I hope so cause the next one is going to be pretty sad. For me anyway. At least I think it is. I'm not quite sure yet. But time will tell ne? Please review!

Review Answers:

Sakurafaves: I'll update as best I can. I'm sorry that it's not more often but I've been really busy lately so has had to take the back seat.

Shinobi Darkbeak: I'll do my very best. I hope that you keep reading.

DaMunchine: I'm glad you like it and I'm sorry that your eyes are all funny from staring at the computer screen. At least you had a nice long break to rest them right?

Krista: So…was this a chapter worth reading? I really hope so cause for now it's all I got. Thanks for the review!

Danny-171984: Yeah, Makoto is still around. The reason being I figured it would fit his character to turn yellow and join the enemy. Stupid jerk…

Anyway, I'm glad that you liked the last chapter and I'll do my best to make sure that the other ones to come are as good as I can do.

A Crazy Girl of Many Names: Oh yeah. You don't even know the half of it.

sharingan-x-blossom: Heheheheheheheheheheeeee! Oh yes. Yes he will. (more evil laughter)

Denisen: Sorry the update is so late. Hopefully I haven't run you off to join the fan following of another Naruto fans great work. Although if you have let me know. Cause I wanna read it too!

So-kun: Yeah it is. Too bad he's going to be beating himself up later because of it.

lilaznangel5543: Hinata should be fine. Maybe. Or not. (evil laughter)

Suki dah Turdle: I've already had my brother threaten to burn down my room though so that should be good right? (begins to sweat) Right?

grim reaper sakura: Bet cha just can't wait for him to get his comeuppance huh?

Princess Ren: Yeah, Yume-sama is getting pretty good. To bad he won't be done in time. (sniff)

Dragon Man 180: Yep. Right after he kicks Haku's but anyway.

Tears like Crystals: Yeah. Makoto sure does have a strange way of showing affection. But what can I say? He came from the mind of a fruit-loop.

Kaliea: Okay, well, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I'll do my best to get the next one out before I feel better. Also we should only have about two or three stories left in this arc before it's time for another one. The time jump isn't going to be quite so big though. Probably only a few months. Please review! And until next time, ja ne!