Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
"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.
Chapter 27 – Truths
Aina knelt down and checked the unconscious ninja's pulse, grinning when she found it.
"He was strong," Io commented. "Look at the others – they're all dead except Kurai, who's going to die soon. We'd better leave him – he'll only slow us down."
"You can carry Uchiha," Aina said. "I'll help Aoto." She bent down and roughly bandaged Itachi's wounds – it was more than their life was worth to let him bleed to death – before tying him up, a precaution for when he woke. Io nodded in agreement and scooped him up with two of her arms.
"Let's go," she said before running back to camp. Because they'd already packed up, they only paused to collect their belongings (leaving those of their dead comrades) before fleeing in the direction of the Akatsuki base.
"Hey, Aina," Io said. The medic looked at her. "Don't you find it funny that the two that escaped unscathed are female and that the only other survivor is an eight year old?" Aina grinned and nodded, shifting the boy onto her back so that she could run more easily.
Shizune ran as fast as she could, once Tonton had fetched her. To her confusion, she couldn't hear any sound of a battle, apart from the occasional scream. But it wasn't long before everything fell silent.
"I hope that means they've defeated their attackers," she commented to Tonton. The little pig oinked in agreement. When they finally arrived, Shizune gasped, the first thing she saw being Itachi, lying in a crumpled heap. She ran over to him, paling when she saw the damage. Concerned, she felt for a pulse but couldn't find one. However, she felt a spark of hope when she realised that his body was still warm. If I can just get his heart started again… she thought, resting her hands on his chest. She forced her Chakra into his heart, demanding that it started beating again. Tense seconds dragged by as she hoped and hoped that she wasn't too late. She was about to give up when she felt a faint beat, followed by another. Come on, Itachi! she willed. Come on! The beats slowly got louder and more stable.
Once sure that it could function without her full attention, she looked around, searching for the younger Itachi. To her dismay, he wasn't there.
"Tonton?" she asked. "Where is he?" The pig sniffed around before oinking at her. "They took him?" Tonton nodded. "Go and get Sakura," she said. The little pig nodded again and ran off.
Come on, Itachi, Shizune thought, reverting her attention back to the wounded Uchiha. Pull yourself together. Satisfied that his heart could operate on its own, she diverted her Chakra to some of his more serious injuries – where he had been punched by some Chakra powered fists. To her concern, she realised that the main damage was internal. Her Chakra flowed through his body, targeting the ruptured blood vessels and knitting the torn muscles back together. It took several minutes for the damage from the punches to mend. Just as she reattached the last torn ligament in his chest, there was a flurry of cherry blossoms and Sakura appeared, carrying Tonton. The pink haired kunoichi gasped when she saw her brother-in-law and ran to his side.
"What happened?" she asked. Shizune shrugged.
"They were attacked," she said simply. "They sent Tonton for help, but by the time I got here it was over."
"Where's Itachi?" Sakura asked, using her Chakra to set the broken ankle.
"Tonton told me that he was taken," Shizune said gently. Sakura paled but carried on healing the older Uchiha.
Once the pair of medics had healed their patient's wounds, they inspected the bodies of the attackers, trying to find out any information as to why they had attacked the two Uchihas.
"Yawara Eisuke, Fumisato Jiyuu, Fumisato Naoki, Ryuuhei Taiga…" Sakura muttered, reading their ID cards.
"Hey, Sakura!" Shizune called. "This one's still alive!" Sakura hurried to join her by a crippled heap that she vaguely remembered from the Jounin exams. She reached out her hands and gently closed the numerous sword wounds. The wolven boy slowly opened his eyes.
"Aina..?" he muttered as his eyes focused. Then his eyes widened in fear as he realised that the rest of the squad were no longer there and that the person looking down on him was a very angry mother.
"Where's my son?" she demanded. He shrugged. "Shizune, go get Ino – she's at my house – and take Itachi back?" The older woman nodded and walked away, picking up the unconscious Uchiha as she did so. Sakura sat on the ground and glared at the wolfboy. He gulped, pleased when something else caught her eye. She reached out and picked up her son's katana. Tears threatened to form as she saw all the blood. At least he put up a fight, she thought, turning back to Kurai.
"How much are you going to tell me willingly?" she asked him. He shook his head. "Oh well, Ino will get something out of you," she told him, hearing footsteps approach.
"Sakura!" Ino said, walking over to her best friend. "Why do you want me?" The pink haired kunoichi looked at the blonde.
"He won't tell me anything," she said, gesturing towards Kurai. "Do you think you could get something out of him?" Ino grinned.
"I could try," she said, kneeling down and placing a hand on the unfortunate boy's forehead. She closed her eyes, concentrating.
"What happened?" Suigetsu asked. He and Karin had also come.
"Itachi's been kidnapped," Shizune said when Sakura failed to answer. "And his uncle's badly injured."
Kurai gave a piercing scream before collapsing, dead.
"Well?" Sakura asked. Ino looked exhausted.
"There was a Shīru on his mind, but I managed to wrestle some information from him," she said. Suigetsu offered her some water, which she drank gratefully.
"He was in one of four squads," she said. "They were sent out by Akatsuki. Two squads were targeting 'Uchiha', and two were targeting 'Hōzuki'. That's all I got before he gave out."
Suigetsu and Karin looked at each other, horrified.
"If they took Itachi then they're after family as well as ex-members," Suigetsu said.
"Surin's on a mission…" Karin said. "But…"
"Hotaru's still in the village," Suigetsu completed. "I'll go get her."
"Bring her back to my house," Sakura said. "If people gather there, they'll be harder to get at." Suigetsu nodded and went to find his daughter.
He didn't run; he didn't want to cause panic, but he walked quickly. He searched their house first, but she wasn't there. He forced himself to stay calm and went to check all her favourite spots. She wasn't in any of them. He was having difficulty keeping his panic down by this time. Hotaru, where are you? he thought desperately.
He met Hidé and her squad, coming back from a mission.
"Have you seen Hotaru?" he asked them. They looked thoughtful.
"Last I saw her, she was on the bridge with Hisuke," Hiroshi said. Suigetsu thanked him and made his way to the main bridge, surprised at himself for forgetting to check there.
To his relief, his daughter was there, having a conversation with her teammate. Usually, Suigetsu would have been a bit suspicious, but he was only relieved that she wasn't alone.
"Hotaru," he said as he came to a stop beside her.
"What is it, Dad?" she asked, surprised by his serious attitude.
"I need to tell you something," he said. "You know of the Akatsuki, right?" She nodded. "Well, briefly, I was part of it." She stared at him.
"Okay… but why are you telling me this now? Why haven't you told me before if you were going to tell me?" Suigetsu was relieved that she wasn't taking it too badly.
"So was your mother," he added. "We never planned to tell you or Surin but…"
"But what?" she asked.
"You need to understand. Not that long ago, when Sasuke was captured, we, along with Juugo and Itachi, told Naruto everything we knew about them. It didn't seem like such a big deal at the time… but the Akatsuki appear to have found out." Hotaru looked at her father, confused.
"I'm really not getting this," she confessed.
"They've already gone after Itachi," her father explained.
"So they're probably going to come after you?" Hotaru guessed.
"Yes, but that's not all of it. They nearly killed Itachi, but that's not what I'm worried about," Suigetsu said.
"Then what are you worried about?" Hotaru asked.
"They kidnapped his nephew – Itachi," he said. Hotaru frowned.
"Why does that worry you?" she asked. "Ita-kun can look after himself." Suigetsu sighed in exasperation.
"They're not just after ex-members," he said urgently. "They're after our families as well." Hotaru paled.
"So… me and Surin… they're after us too?" she asked. Suigetsu nodded.
"We're not certain, but if they're going to take Itachi, it seems likely," he said. There was a laugh from behind them.
"Smart," a big, redheaded man said. Behind him, seven other ninja grinned. Suigetsu paled.
"Hotaru, run!" he ordered. "Go to the Uchiha mansion. Hisuke – go with her!" Hotaru stared as her father blocked an attack. "GO!"
Hisuke tugged on her sleeve.
"Come on," he said. "He can take care of himself." Hotaru nodded and ran, her teammate by her side. As soon as they were out of sight of the bridge, she veered away from the direction of the Uchiha mansion.
"Where are you going" Hisuke asked.
"Hokage Tower," Hotaru replied. The black-haired teen nodded in understanding as they made their way to the tower. When they got there, Hotaru knocked on the door, even though she knew that the Hokage was alone.
"Come in," Naruto called. The two teens entered. "What is it?"
"Do you know that Itachi's been kidnapped by the Akatsuki and that his uncle was nearly killed?" Hotaru asked. Naruto stood in alarm.
"No, dattebayo! When did this happen?" he exclaimed.
"I'm not sure, but right now Dad's fighting some down by the bridge. He told us that he and Mum told you about the Akatsuki recently…" Naruto nodded "… and that somehow that Akatsuki have found out and are targeting ex-members and probably their families," she explained.
"Where you with Suigetsu when they attacked?" Naruto asked. She nodded.
"He told us to run to the Uchiha mansion," Hisuke said. "But Hotaru wanted to tell you." The Hokage nodded again.
"Go on, then," he said. "Leave the rest to me dattebayo!"
The teens nodded and ran to the Uchiha mansion, where Karin and Sakura were waiting.
"Hotaru!" Karin said when she saw her daughter. "Where's your father?"
"Fighting," Hotaru said. "He told me everything, but then they attacked us. He told me to run here while he held them off."
Worry clouded Karin's eyes and she appeared to want to go to help him but Sakura stopped her.
"We need you here," she said. "And isn't it a bit stupid to go there with the intent of fighting people who came here just to kill you?" Karin accepted the logic and ushered her daughter inside. Sakura let Hisuke in as well.
Naruto paced his office floor. What can I do? he wondered. Kami, help! He wasn't usually given to praying much, but he really didn't know what to do. Just then, there was a puff of smoke and ANBU team 10 appeared. Naruto stopped pacing and grinned.
"You have perfect timing, dattebayo," he commented to the four teens. They grinned, but noticed his use of 'dattebayo' with some trepidation.
"Don't we always?" Arisu asked cheekily. "What is it?"
"Mikoto, give me your mission report later," Naruto said. "This is urgent, dattebayo. Mikoto – I want you to stay here." The Uchiha looked surprised by the order. "You three, go to the bridge. Suigetsu's being attacked and I want you to back him up, dattebayo." The three teenagers nodded and left. Mikoto sat on the floor, glaring at Naruto, who ignored her.
"Why have you sent my squad to fight, but not me?" she asked. There was no response. "Naruto…" He ignored her. A few minutes later, another ANBU squad arrived – they happened to be her classmates from the academy, U~iriamuson Najimi, Nami, Nakano Tsukihana and Kyo.
"Save your mission report, dattebayo," Naruto said before any of them spoke. "Go to the bridge. Suigetsu's being attacked and I want you to back him up, dattebayo. There's already another squad there, but I'd feel happier if there were two of them, dattebayo." They nodded and left.
"Why are you not sending me to fight?" Mikoto demanded.
"I have another job for you, dattebayo," Naruto sighed. "But we need to wait for a certain squad to arrive." Mikoto huffed and crossed her arms.
Like mother, like daughter, Naruto thought, amused, Mikoto's actions reminding him of Sakura. There was a knock on the door.
"Come in!" he called. Tomoko, Tani, Surin and Yuri entered.
"Tell me later, dattebayo," Naruto said as Tomoko opened her mouth to give the mission report. "There's something much more important going on right now, dattebayo." The young sensei closed her mouth, grey eyes confused. "Tomoko – I want you to go to the bridge, dattebayo. Suigetsu's fighting there, as well as two ANBU squads. Get him out of there and to the Uchiha mansion, dattebayo. The ginger kunoichi nodded. When Naruto gave her no more instructions, she left. Tani looked at her sister in surprise, wondering why she was sat, sulking on the floor of the Hokage office.
"Mikoto – I want you to take this squad back to your house, where your mother and Karin are waiting, dattebayo." The Uchiha looked at the Hokage in surprise but did as she was told.
"Come on, you four," she said, including the sleeping Wana. They followed her towards the Uchiha mansion, confused. When they arrived, they were surprised to see that it was quite full.
"What's going on, Mum?" Mikoto asked Sakura, who had greeted them enthusiastically as they entered. Sakura didn't answer. "What is it with adults and not telling me anything today?" she asked, exasperated.
"Surin!" Karin shouted, catching sight of her son.
"What?" the twelve-year-old asked sulkily. "No-one's telling us anything." Hotaru ran up to her brother and hugged him. He looked shocked. "Everyone's acting really weirdly today," he commented.
Mikoto and Tani walked into the sitting room and gasped when they looked at the futon out on the floor. Their uncle was lying there, unconscious, while Shizune, Hinata (who had been at the house with Ino, Karin and Suigetsu) and Ino tended to him.
"What's going on?" Mikoto demanded. "Why won't anyone tell me anything? And why's Uncle injured?" Hinata stood and faced the sisters. "And where's Itachi?"
"Akatsuki." Hinata's soft voice suddenly sounded ominous. "They attacked your brother and uncle about an hour ago. They nearly killed your uncle…" she trailed off.
"And Itachi?" Mikoto demanded. Hinata looked down.
"They took him," she said. "From what we understand, they're after ex-Akatsuki members and their families."
"Itachi!" Tani sobbed. Mikoto kept her face emotionless.
"That's why Karin, Hotaru and Surin are here, and so many were sent to back Suigetsu up," she said, finally understanding. Hinata nodded.
"Need some help?" Arisu asked cheerfully as they arrived at the bridge. Tired, Suigetsu nodded. Hana activated her Sharingan and countered a kunai thrown by a redhead. Taiki stood by her, expertly wielding a katana. A very multicoloured man lunged at Suigetsu. Weary, the water ninja tried to dodge, but stumbled. The ANBU realised that, if Suigetsu was that exhausted, the eight ninja were very formidable. A look of triumph was on the man's face. A jutsu similar to Chidori formed, aimed for Suigetsu. Before it connected, though, a wall of ice formed between it and Suigetsu. Dumbfounded, the attacker looked for the source and scowled as he met Arisu's wicked grin. More ice surrounded her as she was attacked by a bespectacled man. She then did what most ninja considered impossible – handsigns with just one hand. A storm of ice needles attacked him, piercing him in multiple places. He scowled, then winced as a fireball grazed him, aimed for and old shinobi that was attacking Hana and Taiki. Hana formed a number of handsigns then disappeared. A turquoise-haired girl became the victim of her Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu.
"Katsuko!" a blue-skinned boy shouted. He ran at Hana in fury.
"No! Kodama!" Katsuko screamed as Hana used another Doton jutsu to bury her alive. Striking out with her heel, Hana sent Kodama flying into a tattooed boy. They both tumbled to the ground and Hana drew a scroll from a pouch in her uniform. Biting her thumb, she smeared blood over the contents before performing handsigns. There was a puff of smoke and a pack of ninja hounds appeared. Without invitation, they attacked the two fallen shinobi, ripping Kodama to pieces in an instant. The tattoos on the other boy started to ripple as he batted the dogs away with no apparent effort.
"Arisu!" Hana called. "Watch out for that one – he uses the tattoos to increase his Chakra levels!"
"Got it!" Arisu shouted back. Taiki ran to join his girlfriend as she battled a redhead – the same one that had previously thrown a kunai at her.
Arisu snarled ferrally as the multicoloured man threw himself at her ice shield, then grinned.
"Bye bye," she said sadistically as she formed handsigns. A massive spike of ice rose from beneath his feet, cutting him clean in half.
"You haven't lost your touch, Ari," an auburn haired girl said. Arisu looked round and grinned.
"You've been sent too, Iz?" she called back. One of her closest friends grinned.
"Yup!" She looked around and saw the old ninja trying to sneak up on her. A nearby tree reached down and picked him up, tightening its hold on him until a very loud crack was heard. The tree then released him and he fell with a thud. He didn't stir. Recovered slightly, Suigetsu limped over and swung his Executioner's Blade, beheading him. A white girl leaped at him and he barely got his blade up in time, her speed was so intense. Despite being hounded by a new opponent, Arisu sent a rope of ice towards her, which surrounded the pale girl. Nami stabbed between the ribbons of ice, skewering her. The blonde, tattooed boy grabbed hold of Taiki's left arm and squeezed. A loud crack could be heard as the bone splintered. Before any more damage was done, however, Hana drew her katana from its sheath and ran the blonde boy through.
"Thanks," Taiki muttered as a ball of Chakra surrounded his arm, healing it. Hana nodded and was forced to dodge as the redhead threw a fireball at her.
Aware that the tattooed boy was still alive, Najimi had a tree pick him up and crush him. More and more tattoos rippled and the branch soon snapped. As he fell, poised to land on his feet, massive icicles formed where he was going to land. Unable to avoid them, he impaled himself on them, screaming.
"That didn't work did it, Najimi?" Hana mocked in a friendly way. Najimi shrugged then pushed Hana out the way of a fireball, but got caught in it herself. The rest of her ANBU squad surged at the redhead. Hana backed up and lifted her friend, carrying her out of harm's way.
Taiki looked up from his healing arm as she approached. With his free hand, he channelled some Chakra into Najimi's burns. Satisfied that they would heal, he turned his attention to his girlfriend's minor injuries, to her protests.
Arisu sent an ice shurikan at her opponent, but he disappeared. She looked round for him and cursed. He was standing behind Suigetsu. She sent an ice wall to divide them, but she wasn't fast enough. A kunai buried itself in Suigetsu's back. The water ninja half turned in shock. Furious, Arisu sent hundreds of small icicles towards the attacker. They thudded into him at the same time as a volley of kunai. He dropped like a stone as Suigetsu collapsed. There was a flash of ginger and Tomoko caught him before he reached the ground. Arisu watched as she carried him away, then turned in anger.
"Move!" she shouted to the other squad. They did so hurriedly as a massive ice spike rose beneath their feet. The redhead, like so many others, didn't stand a chance. The other six ANBU backed away from the attackers' bodies as hundreds of thousands of millions of icicles rushed towards the corpses, butchering them beyond recognition.
Note: In this fanfiction, Naruto's grown out of saying 'dattebayo' but when he's really worried or shaken, he'll revert back to his old habit.
Thanks for reading!
Tsari