Chapter Forty-Two
Ichigo was the first one to react. Though she had never seen Kisho's fusion form she had heard about it from Kaemon and Mitsu often enough to recognize the former Kigakure nin. Knowing what Kisho was capable of, Ichigo had just enough time to grab Temari by the back of her shirt and pull her out of the way. The unexpected movement caused the Sand kunoichi to lose her balance and she fell into Ichigo who knocked the other two over like a set of giant dominos.
"Kisho-san!" Ichigo said, struggling to free herself from the web of bodies. "It's us! We're Kyo's students remember? We were with you and your teammates in the Waterfall village!"
Kisho just stared at her blankly for a moment before his lips peeled back, revealing one of his fanged canines.
"I know who you are."
The girls balked. This time it was Temari who acted first. Pulling away from the other girls she managed to jerk open her fan just in time to block the stream of sticky webbing that originated from his finger tips.
"Move it you guys!" Temari said to the stunned girls. "I can't hold him back forever!"
"Keep him busy you guys," Ino said pulling back. "I'll try and capture him."
"Ino you can't," Tenten said quietly. "You haven't practiced enough. What if you do it wrong?"
"I won't," Ino said. "Because I won't let you guys down. Now hurry up already!"
"But how?" Tenten said. "The only one that can hold him long enough is Shikamaru and there's no way we'll be able to get to him."
"I'll send up a signal," Ichigo said. "You guys just focus on not getting caught."
With that, the young Haruno girl dodged around Temari's fan and launched a ball of fire from her palm like a baseball. The attack would have hit Kisho square in the face had he not managed to bring his crossed arms up to protect himself. With the former Kigakure nin distracted, if only momentarily, the girls all scattered through the clearing.
As she ran, Tenten bit her thumb and slid it quickly across a scroll she had pulled from her thigh pocket. The seal broken the weapons mistress now had an unlimited amount of ammunition at hand. One bladed object after another was thrown at Kisho with deadly accuracy, the spider fusion only just managing to dodge each one.
As Tenten kept up her assault, Temari brought up her fan and, infusing it with her chakra, swung it downwards creating a large tornado that lifted Tenten's weapons from where they had landed. The now deadly wind made its way towards Kisho who prepared himself to avoid the attack. Before he had the chance, however, Ichigo set fire to the section of the clearing surrounding him. Trapped, the spider fusion had no choice but to take the tornado head on.
Seconds before it hit him the girls watched as he suddenly encased himself in a cocoon of sticky web fluid. Temari cursed, knowing that Kisho's webbing was stronger then steel wires. Ichigo, seeing this as well, raised the heat of her fire and closed it in until it met with the bladed tornado. The entire attack went up in flames, as the fire raced up the base to explode high in the gathered clouds above.
Five minutes after the beginning of the attack the winds died down and Ichigo cancelled her flames as Tenten's red hot weapons rained down from the sky along with Kisho's charred black cocoon. A cloud of ash erupted from where Kisho landed and the girls all slowly inched forward, cautious about what they may see.
"Do you think he's dead?" Tenten said and Temari snorted.
"Like a bunch of genin level kids like us could take down that psycho."
"I don't know," Ichigo said as she crouched next to him. "It doesn't look like he's breathing."
"Ichigo!" Temari and Tenten cried at once as one of Kisho's six arms snapped out to grasp the small red head by the throat.
"Shintenshin no Jutsu!"
The offending arm dropped from Ichigo's throat at the same time Ino's empty body collapsed to the ground.
"Are you alright?" Ino said through Kisho's body, the gentle concern on her new voice frightening as it fell from the spider fusion's pale lips.
"F-fine," Ichigo said as she massaged her throat. "Come on, we should get back."
"Temari and I will carry Ino's body." Tenten said.
"I'll stay here while you guys get away," Ino said. "I can't hold this jutsu for very long and you're all exhausted. Don't worry, I'll find my way back to my body on my own."
"Are you sure?" Ichigo said. "I don't want you to have to wander around bodiless or something."
"I'll be fine." Ino said again. "I've been practicing long distance releases with Kyo-sensei."
"Just make sure you don't over do it." Temari said. "The last thing we need is you dying on us."
"Got it," Ino said. "Now hurry up!"
Once the girls vanished, Ino sat in bored silence as she waited, wanting to give them enough time to escape. Twiddling her twelve thumbs, and laughing at the odd sensation it caused, Ino didn't notice the rustle in the brush until the noise was right behind her. Stiffening slightly, Ino carefully turned to see who it was that had come up behind her.
Eight glassy black eyes stared back at her.
"Sooo hungry," the large spider hissed out in an old, raspy voice. "Hungry, hungry…"
Ino screamed as the arachnid attacked just managing to release the jutsu as two large fangs sank deep into her borrowed back.
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Yotaro had no idea who the girl was. As a matter of fact, he probably would have just bypassed the two completely, mistaking them for father and daughter, if Kyuubi hadn't suddenly appeared and barred it's fangs at the man. It was then that Yotaro managed to recognize who it was that the fox kit was facing. Kaguya Kimimaro. If there was a poster boy for Orochimaru, well, it would actually probably be Kabuto, but Kimimaro was a close second.
"So," Yotaro said, trying to buy himself some time. "Just how exactly do you know about me anyway?"
"Your friend speaks highly of you." Kimimaro said, his face blank. "When she can speak that is."
"I don't know who you mean," Yotaro said, even as his shoulders were tensed at the implication. "Enlighten me?"
Kimimaro tilted his head slightly to the side. "Arai will be disappointed you do not remember her."
"Why you—!" Yotaro froze mid-step when the tip of Kimimaro's finger split open to reveal the razor sharp bone beneath the skin. He place the very edge of the newly created blade against Midori's tender throat.
"I wouldn't." He said. "You may cause my hand to slip. And none of us would want that."
The only response Kimimaro received was another growl from Kyuubi.
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"Naruto," Sasuke said, grasping the blonde's shoulder. "I need your help."
Rather annoyed, Naruto pulled out of his father's embrace with a scowl. "Excuse me Teme, but can you not recognize a bonding moment when you see one?"
"Bond later," Sasuke said. "Midori's missing. I can't find her anywhere."
"What!" Naruto said, his full attention now focused on his friend. "When did she disappear? Which way did she go? Are you sure Sakura-chan doesn't have her? What about my kids? Oh, wait, I gave them to Hinata-cha—."
"Naruto!" Sasuke said, his voice almost desperate. "Focus, please! I need you to help me find my daughter!"
Yondaime blanched. "Your what?!"
The two ignored him.
"Don't worry Sasuke," Naruto said, clasping his friend's shoulder. "We'll find her. Kyuubi!"
When he didn't receive an answer Naruto glanced around in surprise. "Kyuubi?" He paused a second as though listening. "Where the heck did you go?! This is an emergency!"
Yume was about to ask what was going on but Sasuke raised a hand to silence him.
"What!" Naruto yelled. "Where are you? Do you recognize the guy? And who! Are you crazy? He's dead!" Another pause. "Well, yeah, they were supposed to be too…Alright, just stall him or something. Sasuke and I are on our way."
"Well?" Sasuke said.
"They're at the south end of the bridge." Naruto said. "Kyuubi said she's being held captive by 'some bone user' and that a man smelling like Yotaro was there."
"Yotaro?" Sasuke said. "He's—."
"Actually, he's not." Yume said, startling the two men. "He came with me and Kaemon."
"I don't really care," Sasuke said. "I'm going to rescue my daughter."
"Hey!" Naruto said as Sasuke disappeared. "Wait for me! Teme!"
Yume just stood there in shock for a second as he tried to process what was said.
"His what?"
After a second he shook it off, deciding to ask questions when everyone was safe, and took off after the two young men.
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The girls were only halfway back to the hideout when blood and a sticky yellow puss suddenly began leaking from two puncture wounds on Ino's back. Screams of shock, worry, and fear were punctuated by the gasps and moans that accompanied Ino's return to her own body. Tears of pain leaked out of the corners of her tightly clenched blue eyes and she belatedly heard Ichigo's muffled voice volunteer to get help.
Shivers wracked Ino's frail body as the spider's poison, inflicted on her own body in conjunction with the wound's she received while in Kisho, raced through her veins. Already her temperature began to climb and a cold sweat broke out along her skin as her body tried to cool itself down. She had a vague sense of being spoken to but she wasn't able to make out any specific words.
After what seemed an eternity a sapphire colored blob filled her blurry vision and Ino chocked out a relieved sob.
"K-Kyo-sen…sei…" She forced out and Kyo shushed her. Carefully he slipped his arms under her legs and behind her back as he effortlessly lifted her to rest against his chest. The last thing Ino heard before darkness claimed her was Kyo ordering the girls to run ahead and tell Tsunade that they were coming.
End Chapter Forty-Two
Kaliea: Oh. My. Freaking. Gosh! That was sooo hard! I can not even tell you how many times I've rewritten this stupid thing! In fact, I had almost decided to just scrap this whole story for all the trouble it was giving me but then I remembered that I had promised a great deal of people that I would always finish my stories. Me and my stupid honor. Ch. Whatever. Anyway! I hope you all enjoyed what there was of this chapter. Don't forget to review! And until next time, Ja ne!