Chapter 3: FatedGatherings

AN: So, hi again :D I hope all have enjoyed what has been posted thus far, but this chapter actually starts to get the ball rolling...;P hahaha. Uhm, I don't know if any have noticed, but instead of posting chapters about the girl's profiles, i just updated the first chapter to include them, so that's there for any whom might want to know.

Uhhhhhhh...Yeah :)
With that, here is chapter III! :)

~Aria

"Turn around they might be watching,
And you never disappoint them.
Hide your innocence before they see right through,
You mustn't disappoint them.

You need the danger just to feel your heart beat,
You need to die just to find your identity,
You need the knife just to know that you can bleed,
You need the pain now just to feel anything..

We fall in line, we live the lie
Give up, give up and feed the machine
It grows inside, nowhere to hide
Give up, give up and feed the machine
Give up, give up and feed the machine!"

-Feed the Machine, RED

-Kiame-

"Fight?" I asked; fighting was not one of my favorite options in a situation like this, it had too many possible outcomes, both good and bad.

-"Fight."

I shook my head and sighed, we really didn't have any other choice at this point.
"Alright… So," I pulled out a few of my poisoned daggers and glanced at my sister, "What's the game plan?"

"…We're going to split up." Ayame answered.

My heart skipped a beat. "W-what?!"

"We are going to split up." My sister repeated.

"What are you getting at!?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her, "You know we're stronger as a team, Ayame. Plus, you said it yourself, this is a dangerous assignment and we need to stick together! So, why in the world?!"

"Because," Ayame swept some of her hair away from her ANBU mask as she spoke, "It's true we may be stronger as a team, but think about it, Kiame…If the two of us gang up on one enemy and leave the other to roam free, what would happen? Not to mention the fact that these people know us, they know our first battle strategy is to attack together."

I frowned.

"Exactly," She answered, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Trust me, I don't like the thought of splitting up either, but it's the best option we have."

"Okay..." I mumbled, still uncomfortable with the idea.

"We'll be alright," I could tell that my sister was smiling from behind her mask, "I promise."

"Did they take the bait?" Kisame asked, glancing down at his partner.

The elder Uchiha closed his eyes for a moment then nodded. "Yeah, they're both headed this way."

The sharkman laughed and gripped the hilt of his blade, "Hahahaha, alright then. Samehada and I have been itching to taste some chakra…"

"Don't get reckless." Itachi stated, activating his Sharingan. "These two are both skilled; they won't come without a fight."

"Good," Kisame smirked, taking off into the forest.

Itachi sighed and continued his way into a nearby clearing, waiting for his opponent.

Ayame ran in one direction as I peeled off in the other.

I sighed as I pushed myself up into the bright morning sunlight, breaking through another set of treetops. Radiant, midsummer warmth coated my skin as the cool chill of the morning breeze filled my lungs. Running through trees was a lot like flying; if provided that same 'free' feeling, but on a more…human, level. Uneasiness still poked at the back of my mind…I still wasn't set on the idea of leaving Ayame. Though she wouldn't admit it, she was still very weak and tired from her little "episode" the night before. Plus, there was always the possibility that she could lose control again, and with our current situations being as they were, I wouldn't be there to help her. I sighed again.

It didn't take long before the chakra signature I was headed toward began to slow, stopping in what seemed to be a small clearing. I slowed my pace as well and slipped into a nearby tree line, warily cutting off my chakra networks to avoid their detection. Carefully, I managed to slip my body down into the branches of a nearby forest canopy, attempting to spot my opponent.

In the very center a man stood with a large (when I say large I say that generously) sword outstretched, and waiting. He had a distinctive…shark-like appearance, from what I could see; complete with a pale, blue-grey skintone; small, yellowish eyes with gill-like facial markings underneath; spiky sapphire hair; and a black cloak clad with same red and white clouds my sister had warned me of. I glanced over him a few times, trying to place his odd appearance. Was he… part shark? Odd...?

'Doesn't matter… He's trespassing regardless.' I turned over on my side and made to move to throw a pair of my daggers, when a whir of silver went flying by my face, slicing a section off of the end of my hair.

"I know you're here, little girl." He laughed, swinging around his sword. "You might as well save us both the time and energy and just come on out."

'So much for the element of surprise…'I took in a breath and grabbed hold of my branch, swinging down onto the forest floor.

The man smirked, apparently pleased by something. "Well, well, well…Kiame Azikuria, Jonin and fire-user of Konohagurke, I presume?"

"Yeah," I stated, standing upright. "And you are?"

"Kisame Hoshigaki, one of the seven ninja swordsmen of the Mist, at your service." Kisame laughed and swung his blade out in front of him again, this time aiming it at me. "You know…I was expecting to have a more…sturdy-looking opponent," He stated. "Not some little…girl."

"Well, looks like you're stuck with me." I snarled. If this guy had the same cloak from both mine and Aya's dreams, I needed to get back to my sister.

The Fishman's grin widened as the thrust his giant blade down in my direction. Instinctively, I pushed myself backwards, catching the ground just long enough to throw one of my daggers at his chest. Kisame chuckled, glancing down at the blood now pouring from his wound. "That's too bad…" He smirked, disappearing in a splash of now lifeless water. 'Damn, water clone!'

I took in a deep breath and spread my chakra around the trees, trying to sense my original opponent. Either this guy was good, or he was just toying around with me…I felt it was the latter. "You know, I don't even think you're worth our time if you can be tripped up by a simple decoy." A voice called.

"Why don't you come out and fight like a shinobi then?!" I hissed, clenching my fists. The sound of my voice echoed around the trees. I'd been in our forest multiple times, but this was the first in which I couldn't even hear the birds singing…Unsettling couldn't even begin to describe it.

Desperately, I tried pushing my thoughts toward my sister. One simple sentence was all I needed to relay…

-"Be careful what you wish for."

I threw myself to the side, skidding to a hault just meters from where a giant crater now scared the earth. An exact replica of the man from before now stood, sword extended, at the base of it. He was grinning again, razor-sharp teeth gleaming in their glory.

Okay, carelessness DEFINITELY needed to be avoided here. I wiped some dust off of my shirt as I pushed myself up, "What the hell do you want?"

Kisame chuckled, "If you haven't figured it out by now you DEFINITELY aren't worth my time."

I scoffed and launched my body forward, heading towards the man at a dead sprint. He reacted quickly, spitting off water jutsu with nothing but a single handsign. Sharks came in two's, three's, ten's-all swarming at me as I kept trying to maneuver closer to the fish man. Kisame continued to laugh, mocking as I was fighting for my life. One hit from these sharks, and there goes at least 60% of my fire-style attacks…I flipped and ducked, jumped and slid, until finally, an opening.

Just as one of the paired sharks came rushing at me, I slammed my foot into a tree. Using this as a hold, I gripped my dagger in my hands, and pushed myself off straight into the jutsu's mouth. Careful not to allow the walls of its throat to swallow around me, I pointed my dagger straight into its ribcage and swung, slicing the beast from the inside out. Using its demise to my advantage, I slammed my fists into the ground, and thrust myself into a dead-on spiral towards my opponent.

-Ayame-

I dodged through a nearby set of branches, thrusting my body toward the ground. With my momentum, I slammed my feet on the earth, and pushed myself back into the trees, trying to stay out of sight. Continuing those same motions throughout the forest, I pushed my will out towards my sister, waiting for her response. Kiame still hadn't replied to me after her distress call. All I caught was my name, then absolute silence.
Worry was eating me alive now.

I sighed and continued to keep my eyes on the lookout-I was growing increasingly closer to my target, but I still hadn't spotted them. Their chakra had lowered too, as if they were repressing part of it from my radar. Smart move.

"I'm sorry, Kiame…"

The eight year old version of my sister now stood before me, the same goofy grin she wore now spread across her youthful face. "Why are you sorry, Aya?"

"Daddy hurt you…" A similarly aged version of myself began to tear up when she saw the crooked way her leg was now bent. "That was supposed to be my punishment. I told you not to get in the way!"

"I wasn't just going to stand by and watch my sissy be punished," Kiame placed her small hand on my shoulder. "You didn't deserve it."

The younger me gasped," Kia! If he hears you say that you'll get in big trouble!"

"Daddy's stupid anyway."

"Kia!"

"Oh, I won't get in trouble." She placed both hands on her hips and stuck out her chest, careful not to put any weight on her leg. "I'd be standing up for you, and that's all that matters."

The flashback suddenly ended.

A short-lived gasp escaped my lips as I missed the branch I'd just stretched my hand out towards. I continued to extend my hand, hoping with all my might that I could still reach it, but it was too late…I snapped my eyes shut…this was it.
With a loud crunch, I felt my body collide with the ground.

-Kiame-

"Not too bad, girl." Kisame hissed, touching his cheek.

I grinned as hot, metallic liquid now spilled from the side of the Fish man's face. At least I knew this man wasn't invincible. He had weaknesses, now I just needed to exploit them.

"Now allow me to return the favour!"

I clenched my teeth and leapt backwards, dodging the swing of his large blade. My chakra was starting to run a little low. Our twin link took effort to keep up from this range, even if I didn't have time to respond to my sister, I could still send her wavelengths to her of my whereabouts, my physical condition, etc.-that'd have to satisfy her for now...
Another large swing.

If I were going to win this fight, without the help of my sister, then I needed a plan. And for now, the best I had was to distract him.

There had to be something…
Another swing.

'That's it! His sword. If I could just grab it, or disarm him, then that'd leave him open to another hit from my dagger!'

I chuckled as I dodged another blow; it was time to put my plan into motion. Using my hands as a base, I swung my feet up in the air, just as his blade was returning to his side. Flicking my ankle to the left, I was able to secure the hilt in between my boots, and twist it from his grip, sending him flailing backwards. 'Perfect.' Grinning, I grabbed the massive sword in my hands and stood. "Looks like this little girl just won this fight, sharkey."

He grinned as he stood himself, his teeth gleaming and exposed. "Not quite. Samehada, why don't you give her a demonstration?"

Upon hearing it's name, the blade erupted from its bandaged holds. Sharp, twisting daggers, all razor thin and…(did they snarl?), jolted outwards from every inch of its surface. I gasped and threw the damned thing to the ground. My hands were now covered in blood and pierced from fingertips to wrists. I hissed and backed away, so much for that plan. "What is that thing..?"

"Samehada," Kisame laughed, "Also translates to 'Shark-Skin'."

I had to get away; I had to get back-up…something, anything.

"You're done for girl."

I took in a deep breath. My sister has always had problems controlling her Kekkei Genkei, mostly because it was always so overwhelming for her (I don't quite know the reason why); but I, on the other hand, have had a little more experience with it…An angry growl rose in my throat, filling my body with an overwhelming feeling of heat. "I'm not the one who's outmatched, Fish."

His grin widened as he took on a fighting stance, "Finally…"

-Ayame-

I winced in pain.

Everything on my body hurt; head, back, legs, ribs-it was like I'd been run through with a million knives. Part of it may have been from the fall, but in all of this commotion, I had forgotten how low my chakra had been depleted since last night…and it was catching up to me, fast. Using my arms, I pushed myself up out of the dirt, resting my body on my elbows. The chakra signature from before still hadn't moved, much to my surprise. They were waiting for the fight, then.

I sighed and attempted to open my eyes, scan my surroundings, but when my lids opened, everything was still dark…Odd? I tried again. Maybe I hit my head during the fall? Eh, no maybe's there...
And again…Hmmm…
Once more..?

I tried,
over and over,
blink after blink, but the result was always the same-
darkness.

I couldn't see anything; not the sky, the trees, not even my hand waving right in my face. 'No…not now…' I could feel my pulse beginning to pick up. What would I do…What about Kiame? How could I help her?

Well first of all, I couldn't fight on the ground…Be it that I couldn't see, it was difficult, but I did manage to push myself up and anchor my arms on, what I believed to be, a tree. I took a deep breath, trying to push my thoughts out to my sister. 'Kia.'

After about ten or so minutes of silence (that's what it felt like anyway), I finally got a response. 'Can't talk Ayame, fighting.'

I felt a wave of relieve wash over me; at least she was still hanging in there. 'I need you to send a scout to headquarters and ask for ANBU reinforcements.'

'Have you met your target yet?' Kiame's voice wavered.

'No, had some complications, talk later. Be careful.'

''Kay.'

I clenched my fists and started walking forwards, if I could use my chakra locating technique to find these intruders, then I could use it to battle all the same, and if not battle, at least stall for help. "I know you're here!" I yelled, "Get out here and fight me, you coward!"

A rush of wind came from my right, the sound of buzzing metal whipping through the air. I ducked my head, the sound of splitting wood following soon after. Looks like I got my wish.

-Kiame-

"Come on, girl!"

I bared my teeth at the Shark-man, swinging, yet again, where his throat would have been not a second earlier.

My chakra was fading, fast.
The heat from my choker was slowly fading; I had (maybe) 5 minutes of chakra left, if that...

I let out a guttural snarl and released another wave of fire across the clearing, trying to strike Kisame before he could dodge. But it always ended with the same result-he'd deflect with a water barrier, and I'd run up and attempt to strike, miss, then repeat the process over again.

I skidded to a halt by a tree.
I needed to send out a scout-before the last of this chakra ran out.
If worst came to worst, at least the ANBU could find my body and attempt to help my sister, while she still has a fighting chance. I clenched my teeth, fighting back the pain in my hands, and pushed myself up into the branches.

"Sorry to disappoint you girlie, but you're not going anywhere." Kisame laughed, swinging his sword around to the base of the oak. I gripped a hold of the nearest branch and clung on for dear life. This was it, I was going to die…but…I had to do this, if nothing else, I HAD to do this.

In my last ditch effort, I infused half of my chakra in my dagger, and swung upwards, chopping down the branches between myself and the sky; and with the other, I pushed chakra into my arm, and out into clouds. Just as my tree came toppling to the ground, I heard a loud cry erupt from the tree tops, and the warm sensation of fire fill the sky.

-Ayame-

I took in a deep breath, focusing in on the sounds around me. If this asshole was going to block my sight with genjutsu (at least that's what I assumed this was), then I wouldn't let them have the satisfaction of beating me with cheap tricks.

A familiar hum began to register to my right, I dodged, yet again, and the familiar 'thunk' of metal on wood came just as the hum started again. This time I stepped forward, unsheathing one of my katanas to help aid in the fight.

Hum
dodge
metal on metal
repeat.

Hum
dodge
metal on wood
repeat.

"Come on you coward," I yelled, slicing down another shuriken. "Get out here and fight honorably! I can take you down with or without my eyesight!"

My voice echoed through the trees like a vice. The forest was completely void of life-no more birds (not that I recall hearing any to begin with), no humming or 'thunks,' just eerie, calm silence. I took in deep breaths, trying to remain calm. I needed to relax, try to get my shallow breathing under control…

The warm summer breeze began to rustle through the tree tops, sending humid, dry air though the lower forest floor. There was still the absence of birds and other forest life, but there was something odd coming from up ahead- the air felt different, cleaner, somehow. I continued my slow trek forwards, gliding my sword around in front of my body to avoid trees and rocks. Inching my body forward, through what I believed to be the last of the foliage, I attempted to reach out to the signal I'd located only minutes before-they couldn't be far from me now.

"Ayame Azikuria, ANBU captain and shinobi of Konohagurke?" A voice suddenly asked.

I wanted to jump, but somehow I managed to maintain my stance. "Who wants to know?" I stated, coming to a hault as my sword grazed over the last tree.

"An interested party." The voice answered back. "Are you, or are you not?"

Something pulled at the back of my mind; I recognized that stoic tone… "I am."

Light suddenly came flooding into my eyes, overwhelming what was left of my senses. I pulled my forearm over my face and pressed a knee into the dirt, attempting to block the sun from my (still sensitive) eyes. "I am Uchiha Itachi. I've been sent to retrieve you on behalf of the Akatsuki."

Squinting, I could make out that of a black figure about 40 paces in front of me, standing in the center of, what looked like, the remnants of our training area. "Psh, I know who you are. You're the prick from my dream." I hissed, wiping the building water from my eyes. "What the hell do you want?"

He didn't reply.

Pushing myself up off of the ground, I readied what was left of my chakra. "If you think I'm going to go with you peacefully then you're mistaken." I snapped, tightening my grip on my katana. I didn't know how well I could fight after having fallen out of a tree and being blinded, but I was about to find out.

"I'm not asking you." Itachi replied coldly.

The whir of shuriken suddenly came blazing by the side of my face, almost connecting with my cheek. I jumped aside thinking there would be more to follow, but much to my surprise, there were only four. I glanced up, silently grinning to myself that they actually had a different target-Itachi.

He dodged it easily enough, as suspected for someone of his (seeming) ability, and took a step forward, glaring past me into the forest I'd just emerged from. I too followed his gaze, an instant film of relief washing over me. A squad of three ANBU Black Ops operatives now stood on the edge of the clearing, masks down and weapons at the ready. I felt a smirk pull at the corners of my lips; Kiame had managed to launch the scout, I needed to thank her later..."Uchiha Itachi, you are under arrest for the slaughter of House Uchiha and the attempted kidnapping of ANBU Captain Ayame Azikuria and Jonin Kiame Azikuria. You'll be coming with us for questioning under the right of the Hokage, Lady Tsunade, and the ordinances of the Land of Fire." The ANBU closest to me stated.

Unfazed, Itachi replied, "I'm here for Ayame. I advise the three of you to return from whence you came, otherwise, I will kill you."

I felt the uneasy feeling from before beginning to well in my stomach. I'd faced many a killer within my line of work, but I had never been face-to-face with someone who put off such an aura of superiority, even though he was faced with four trained and armed ANBU Black Ops.

Scoffs came from the team behind me. I didn't really recognize the voices of the other two, but the middle I knew for a fact to be my old partner Kunyai Hishiri. Kunyai and I had attended the Academy together, along with Kiame and myself. He was…arrogant, to say the least, and pretty hot-tempered as well. I was actually quite surprised to see him, considering the fact that he had been put on a…'parole', of sorts, for getting himself into trouble with a few of the brothel girls in town. Last I had heard, he'd been kicked out of Ops for his behavior, but I guess he was reinstated. Nevertheless, I was glad I had some sort of back-up; numbers could make a difference in battle.

Itachi's eyebrow raised a fraction of an inch. "You can still leave if you wish. I'm giving you a choice between your lives, however insignificant they may be, or death. I advise you chose, and quickly. You're wasting my time."

Kunyai laughed. "If I were you, Uchiha, I'd be the one running. We have a squad of Jonin and Survey Ops coming to take yo-"

-"Itachi!"

A figure, about twice as tall as the man before me, came walking out of the adjacent tree line, a small bundle swung over his shoulder. He, like Itachi, wore that same red and black cloak from my dream. "I've taken care of my objective, any particular reason why you're taking so long with yours?"

Kunyai growled and stepped up alongside me, annoyed at the interruption.

"I was just about to take care of it." Itachi snapped, appraising the ANBU standing alongside of me.

It was then that I noticed…That man that now stood along this 'Uchiha-guy" or whoever he was, wasn't carrying a bundle.
He was carrying a body.

He was carrying my sister.

My unconscious, and visibly hurt sister.

No...

"Let go of her." Chakra or not, I felt a chill begin to burn throughout my entire body-the same chill I'd tried to rid myself of the night before. The man, who I now realized was…blue?...was he really blue?...gave me a large, razor-toothed grin and adjusted her body to the opposite shoulder. "Don't worry girl, you'll be joining her soon enough."

Back-up or not, I didn't give a damn. I was getting my sister back.

Pushing Kunyai aside, I strode forward, pointing my katana at the raven-haired man before me. "If you're as strong as you think, then try to take me, you fucking prick."

Itachi took a step forward at the same moment I pushed myself off from the ground. Using the open field to my advantage, I launched a series of ice crystals up from the earth-impaling the air where the Uchiha would have been only seconds before. He continued his maneuvering, at one point even launching a fire style jutsu to throw me off balance. I managed to catch myself, but by the time I was able to look up, the field before me had been covered in steam. I growled and used the mist as an opportunity to glance back towards my fellow ANBU, who were now busy fighting the blue man from earlier. Who, from what I could see, was no longer holding the body of my sister-meaning he either laid her down during the heat of the battle, or one of the ANBU managed t-

-"Your fight is here."

"Agh!" A gasp left my lips as I was struck back into reality. While I'd been glancing back over my shoulder, Itachi had managed to catch me off guard and land a kick square to my jaw.

I tried to recover, but the Uchiha caught my wrist just as I attempted to retaliate. Tightening his hold, to the point of breaking bone, he used my forward momentum to throw my body a good 0 feet from his person. Dazed, but finally able to catch myself, I dug my heels into the earth and skidded to a hault, using one of my ice pillars as support.

I turned and spat at the ground, wiping away the blood now seeping from the corner of my mouth.
That would hurt in the morning.

Taking a deep breath, I sheathed my katana. There was almost no use doing close combat with this guy, not with weapons anyway. 'I need to distract Itachi…If I can, I can grab my sister while the blue man is busy, and maybe then we could escape and alert Tsunade'.

"Give up now, Ayame." Itachi stated, advancing closer. "You're only making this harder on yourself."

I scoffed and bolted towards the opposite battle. If that blue man had laid down my sister to fight, then she had to be around here somewhere.

Frantically I searched, trying to look for her body, when a giant raven swooped down in my path. 'Shit!'
Before I could react, the raven materialized, much like it had in my dream, into the Uchiha, who was now coming at me with a force matching that of my own. Gritting my teeth, I slammed my foot into the ground and reared the adjacent leg back, preparing a counter.

As we collided, I swung and brought my limb forward, hoping the extra momentum would help my foot connect with the side of his face. With a loud snap, he managed to block just before it could make contact. Wincing through the pain, I tried the same with my fist, but it ended with a similar result; snap and it was caught. Now I was stuck; the Uchiha had both my leg and arm caught at wrist and ankle, but I couldn't let that stop me-I had to get to Kiame. Like the fist and leg before it, I swung forward with my open fist, and this time, I connected.

Or thought I had connected.

A large puff of smoke suddenly erupted from the spot he'd been not a second before, leaving me to fall to the ground with a thud. 'Shadow clone!'

I cried out as my back struck the dirt; I was almost at my limit; my chakra levels were running dangerously low, not to mention the fact that I was still sore from the fall I'd had earlier. "Not bad," I glanced up, making eye contact with my red-eyed opponent. He was rubbing his jaw, perhaps I had connected? "But this ends now, Ayame."

Using my last bit of strength, I tapped into what was left of my kekkei genkei-I had to get my sister back, at any cost. "Get out of my way!"

Just as the words left my mouth, the temperature around us suddenly dropped. Itachi's eyes narrowed, sensing the shift in chakra. I growled and stood, matching his glare. Droplets of water began to hang in the air around us, suspended like rain; morphing and twisting until they took on the form of needles. The Uchiha moved first, dodging and maneuvering in and out of their whistling attacks. Using this to my advantage, I twisted around the nearest set of ice, dodging his fist and ducking to the side, making towards where Kiame should be.

'Just a little further!'

-"Not so fast, girl!"

Out of corner of my eye, I managed to catch the blur of a huge bandaged sword as it came swinging by my face. I clenched my teeth and threw myself forward; trying to dodge the blow, but it was no use. The edge of the blade landed directly into my stomach, catching me mid-air and launching me back into the ground. I gasped, immediately grabbing my ribs; if something hadn't broken before, it had now.

I don't know how long I laid there-it felt like an eternity, seeing as I was no longer able to move- when the sound of approaching footsteps came from my left. "She was my objective, Kisame."

Laughter. "You should have finished her off then. I gave you more than enough time."

"Silence," I gasped and writhed, trying to regain control over my body, trying to get back into this fight, protect my sister, but it was no use. With the lack of chakra and (surely) broken bones I now had, I was done for. "Retrieve the other girl. We need to get back to base."

AN: OOhhhhhhhhh, cliffhanger? :D hahaha

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed that chappy, I had fun writing it..:3
I will update soon, I suppose, so look forward to that sometime in October or early November at the latest. Maybe i'll even find the time to do a little Halloween one-shot or something.. :) With auditions for university music programs time isn't really on my side right now...haha...":( ...

Reviews, or any sort of feedback is welcome. :3

Happy Fall, everyone! :D

~Aria