Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

"Don't worry about them…" the spy said, grinning. For the first time, Aina and Aoto saw her pointed, shark-like teeth. "I'll keep them out the way."

"How?" Aoto asked curiously.

"Just trust me," the spy said, giving him another toothy grin. "We're good friends."

Chapter 26 – Strike

The next morning, the spy, Aoto and Aina finalised their plans.

"You'll keep the ANBU squad occupied?" Aina confirmed. The spy nodded and grinned, revealing her pointed teeth.

"I told you – we're good friends."

"OK, so at midday we leave – to all appearances going home – and ready the others, telling them about the plan. Then, at half four, we strike. We kill the older one as quickly as we can, at the same time subduing the younger. Hopefully, within half an hour, we'll be gone."

"What orders do you have concerning the corpse?" the spy inquired.

"None."

As if on cue, Yanafu materialised.

"When are you going to strike?" she asked.

"Half past four this afternoon," Aina replied respectfully. "What should we do with the corpse?"

"Ruiizu-chan requests that you leave it. The blood will make it easier to track you as it is – you don't need a body to slow you down. It will also show this complacent village that they are not safe for a moment – that no matter where they are, we can get them. It might give them the incentive they need to surrender. Don't leave any message – Ruiizu-chan will send that once you deliver the younger target to us –preferably in a rather beaten up state to upset Uchiha Sasuke. I suggest that you pack up before you attack, or you will lose valuable time as it is inevitable that you will be pursued. This act will be the beginning of the war, unless Konohagakure surrender, so be prepared to have to fight not long after you deliver the target. I will go now – farewell."

"Bye," the spy said as Yanafu vanished. "So there you have it – you have to leave the body. Fun, fun, fun; I get to do some acting… again." She sighed. "It's getting quite tedious, but it'll be over soon."

At midday, the two visitors bade farewell to their hostess and walked out of the gate. As soon as they were out of sight of the guards they darted off the path, towards the camp. Io was on lookout duty and waved one arm in greeting.

"We strike today," Aina told her.

They were warmly welcomed when they entered camp.

"What's the plan?" Eisuke asked. "What did you agree with her?"

"Strike camp," Aina said. "We attack at four thirty. Today." There was a cheer and the assassins quickly took down the tents and put out the fire. When they had finished, they sat around where the fire had been and waited for their instructions.

"At four thirty, we will go round the back of the village and target a small clearing where they will be training. The other members of the clan are out the way – the girls are on missions and the mother is at work, so it will just be the two of them. The younger uses Raiton and Katon attacks, while the older prefers genjutsu. They are both extremely good at genjutsu and their kekkei genkai – the Sharingan – allows them to read and copy our handsigns. This will not be easy. Remember – those attacking the older, aim to kill. Those attacking the younger – beat him to a pulp – Ruiizu-chan doesn't care what state he's in as long as there's a lot of blood and he's alive."

The other seven nodded.

"There is one ANBU squad that could potentially interfere, but she assures me that she'll keep them occupied long enough for us to complete our missions. We will have an hour until the mother gets home from work." She checked her watch.

"4:15 pm. Let's go. Leave our stuff here. We'll pick it up as we leave."

Silently, the assassination squad and abduction quad made their way to where they would find their targets.

"Good one," Itachi said as his nephew performed a perfect Hiru. "Do it again so I know that it wasn't a fluke." His nephew did so and he grinned proudly. Sasuke would be proud of him, he thought sadly.

He tensed - he could sense some people approaching – and he didn't know them.

"Go, Tonton," he whispered to the tiny pig. She oinked and trotted off to fetch Shizune. His nephew looked at him.

"There's eight of them," he said. "That's two squads."

"One each, do you reckon?" his uncle asked. "Listen," he said in barely more than a whisper. "I don't know their aim, but I'm pretty sure they work for Akatsuki. They'll probably try to kill us… but if they're only fighting to capture, let them. This could be our opening to get your father back…" His nephew nodded in understanding.

A couple of seconds later, he saw an eight-eyed, eight-limbed girl appear behind him. He activated his Sharingan just in time to dodge six fists that were headed his way. Two streams of sand headed towards him and he saw identical twins with green hair and orange eyes controlling them. He jumped up above them, only to have to use a Kage Bunshin to manoeuvre away from a giant wave of water. He could tell that they would be hard to beat. Shizune, hurry up, he thought. He ran towards the two sand controlling ninja – probably from Suna – and used his Sharingan to cast a genjutsu that would immobilise them. They screamed in agony and he turned his attention to the other two. The water ninja was a young boy, he realised. Damn, a prodigy, he thought. Six Chakra-encased fists headed his was and he dodged. That spider girl's a pain. He sent a fireball roaring her way, which she dodged. Another wave of water headed his way and he leaped to the side, but it splashed over one foot. Immediately, his foot began to feel heavier and heavier. A kekkei genkai, he realised. This is bad. Slowed down by his injured – if you could call it that – foot, one of the spider girl's fists dealt him a glancing blow. He glanced back at the sand twins and cursed when he saw that they had just managed to release the genjutsu he had cast. Full fury, two walls of sand rolled towards him at an alarming rate. Glancing behind him, he saw the young boy create a massive wall of water that slowly advanced towards him. He was trapped. Usually, it would have been easy to escape, but with his foot weighed down by the water boy's kekkei genkai, he couldn't jump high enough to evade the sand. It pulled him to the ground and wrapped around his healthy foot, preventing him from moving around. Once again, six Chakra-powered fists whistled through the air towards him. He sent a massive burst of Chakra to his feet, ripping out of the sand's hold on him. There was a crack and something warm trickled down his ankle. He glanced down to see that the effort had broken his ankle and torn the skin. He landed unsteadily behind the sand twins and drew a kunai. Effortlessly, he stabbed one in the back, severing his spine and piercing his heart. The young man dropped like a stone. The other sand ninja started to keen, mourning his brother, until Itachi ended his life, too. Yet again, six Chakra-powered fists aimed for him. He let his broken ankle buckle under him and fell, avoiding her attack – but where was the boy? A wave of water rolled towards him very quickly – he tried to avoid it, but it caught his bleeding ankle, numbing that, too. It felt unlike any water that Itachi had experienced before. It clung to him and slowly made its way up his leg, to the rest of his body. Itachi felt himself getting weaker and weaker. Of course, he thought as things started to blur. This water is eating my Chakra. If I don't do something soon, I'll die. Summoning his last reserves of strength, he drew a kunai and threw it at the boy. The water tightened as the boy screamed – it had hit his chest – before rapidly loosening. But Itachi didn't have time to register that. Six arms with Chakra-encased fists whistled through the air, punching him because he was too weak to move and avoid them. Everything blurred before going black.

Io bent down and checked her victim's pulse expertly. There wasn't even a faint thud.

"He's dead," she said, then looked at Aoto. He was still conscious, but losing blood fast. "Aina, get over here now!" she called. The kunoichi left her fight and hurried over. Carefully, she removed the kunai and placed her hands on the wound. Green Chakra engulfed it and the cut slowly shrank.

"Is he dead?" the medic nin asked, gesturing with her head towards Itachi. Io nodded triumphantly.

"But so are Jiyuu and Naoki," she added sombrely.

"We haven't subdued the other one yet," Aina said. "Can you put those Chakra-sensing abilities of yours to make sure that no-one's coming?" The spider girl nodded and closed her eyes, reaching out with her mind to find any enemies. Aoto coughed and tried to sit up, but Aina stopped him.

"Have a rest," she said before going back to join her fight.

Itachi saw the spider-like girl appear and turned, expecting to see others. He wasn't wrong – a man his father's age with red and white hair and pink eyes confronted him openly. The unknown shinobi formed handsigns. Itachi activated his Sharingan and was able to determine that they were for a genjutsu. Almost before it was cast, he had released it.

He jumped into the air, landing on a tree branch where he could survey his attackers. He recognised one as Ookami Kurai – the wolfish Yamigakure candidate that had approached him after the first exam. There was a kunoichi with silver eyes and half blue, half white hair. The other member was a purple haired shinobi that had grey eyes. This member started to weave handsigns that Itachi recognised as genjutsu. Two genjutsu users. Great. As before he released it, and then groaned.

Wolfboy from the exam ran towards the tree and started to climb at a terrifying rate. Uh-oh, Itachi thought as he jumped down from the tree. He then realised that that was a mistake as Wolfboy jumped down and landed on top of him. Pointed fangs tried to tear at his throat. Quickly, Itachi cast a Hiru, which wrapped around his attacker's neck. Wolfboy howled and stood up, trying to extinguish the flames. The kunoichi ran over to him and released a jet of water from her fingertips, putting the fire out. A water ninja. Double great. He turned and sent a fireball towards the pink eyed genjutsu user who countered it with one of his own. OK then. Chidori! The ball of Raiton Chakra gathered in his palm and he charged towards the same ninja. He caught him in the shoulder but before he could finish him off, the young woman was there, healing him. A medic too? And she's nearly as good as Mum. This just isn't fair! Chidori Nagashi! He sent it in all directions, determined to stun at least one of them. A scream told him that at least one of them had been caught – looking round, he saw that it was Wolfboy. Ignoring the wolf-like shinobi, he focused on the red and white haired man, while still keeping a wary eye on the medic and the other genjutsu user. He sent a fireball roaring through the air again, but as before it was cancelled out by his opponent also creating a Katon jutsu. A wave of water approached him, which he dodged with ease. You'll have to do better than that. The other genjutsu user drew two knives that Itachi recognised as Trench Knives. The man slashed at him and he jumped backwards. Blood splashed down his cheek and he looked at the blades again. They were encased in Chakra. Now it's a Fuiton type. How much worse is this going to get? Itachi wondered. He didn't bother trying to stem the flow of blood – it was only a shallow cut because he'd jumped back quickly enough. A clawed hand grabbed his ankle and he looked down, cursing when he saw that Wolfboy had managed to overcome the damage he'd sustained from Itachi's Chidori Nagashi. He kicked out, but the Yami ninja held on.

Flames licked up his leg but Itachi drew his katana and stabbed his attacker. There was a howl and the flames receded. Another fireball came hurtling towards him and he barely dodged it – his burnt leg slowing him down. Another wave of water washed over him. It was a gentle wave, not even enough to knock him off his feet. He staggered, but remained upright. Huh? Water ninja's attacks are generally much fiercer. He started to feel slightly dizzy. But this is slowly making me pass out… not die, pass out. Are they trying to capture me?

Just as that thought ran through his mind, the Fuiton type ninja held out his hand and Chakra started spiralling into it. The Rasengan? No… but it's similar… Quickly thinking back to what he had been taught, he created a fireball which engulfed the sphere. Katon overcomes Fuiton. Wolfboy clutched at his ankle again. This is getting very tedious, Itachi thought. He cast a genjutsu on him, forcing him to relax his grip. Katana in hand, Itachi ran at the red and white haired shinobi, running him clean through. The pink eyed man gurgled as blood dribbled out of his mouth. He gripped the blade of the katana, ignoring the fact that it was cutting his skin, and grinned. The kunoichi ran up to the dying man and started to heal him, before realising that it was no use.

Meanwhile, the purple haired man had released the genjutsu on Wolfboy and they both approached Itachi from behind. He sensed them coming and yanked his blade out of the dying man's grip. He threw a handful of shurikan at them, which they countered with their own. There was a piercing scream and they all glanced over at where the other fight was taking place at the other end of the clearing. Itachi was pleased to see that his uncle had killed one of the attackers and was killing a second. A snarl reverted his attention back to his fight as Wolfboy threw himself at Itachi, a kunai in each hand. Itachi dodged, but not fast enough and one of the blades nicked his side. The young Uchiha pressed a hand against the wound and scowled. These guys are annoying, he thought. He slashed mercilessly at the wolfish boy until his opponent was reduced to a non-moving heap. Two down. There was another scream, but Itachi didn't dare glance over. His attackers may have been fighting to capture, but he still wanted to wipe out as many of them as he could. Less people to escape from later. There was a bone-sickening crunch, but again, Itachi didn't look.

"Aina! Get over here!" one of the ninja attacking his uncle shouted – the spider girl that had appeared first. His curiosity got the better of him and he glanced over. What he saw shocked him – his uncle was lying in a crumpled heap, unmoving.

He tore his eyes away from the horrific sight and furiously attacked the shinobi that was trying to sneak up on him from behind. In the onslaught, the purple haired man was outclassed. Itachi performed a Chidorigatana and slashed at his attacker. He cut off one arm and the man stumbled backwards, his hand pressing against the bleeding stump. Knowing that he would bleed to death, the ninja suddenly drew a Trench Knife and once again slashed at Itachi. The Uchiha dodged, but the Fuiton Chakra extended far enough to deepen the gash in his side. The teen cursed and tried to stem the flow of blood. He stabbed with the katana once more, right through his opponent's heart. He dropped like a stone. Itachi relaxed slightly, then remembered the medic – Aina. He turned, but not fast enough and a hand hit him in the back of the neck. His eyes slowly closed and he started to pass out.

"Yanafu said to bloody him up a bit, didn't she?" the spider girl asked. There was no verbal response, but he was pummelled by what felt like hundreds of fists. His body could take it no more and he passed out.

Sorry. I didn't like doing it, but it had to be done for the story (if not, then Itachi wouldn't have been captured which is very important) so yeah… sorry.

Thanks for reading!

Tsari