…Double double toil and trouble, Fire brew and caldron bubble, alas I do not own Naruto…
Chapter 14: A Steady Decline
Sakura struggled against Kisame's hold on her as the shark-man hauled her bodily from the room. He was her equal in strength when she was at top performance. Now, with her chakra depleted, she was no match for the iron-strong hold.
"We'll meet you outside, Itachi," Kisame said as they exited the room. "Don't be too long."
Itachi did not reply. He continued to stare at his brother, his expression one of malicious content. Emotions were one thing he could always count on to be able to use against Sasuke. Whatever Sakura Haruno meant to the young Uchiha was enough to cloud his judgment with anger. The look of blind rage on Sasuke's face was what Itachi had hoped for.
"Your concern for your former teammate is less than admirable." The older Uchiha's voice was low, barely above a whisper. "But it is what I expected."
Sasuke regained his composure slightly. "The only thing I care about is avenging my family."
"Oh? And you care nothing for the new family you made for yourself in Konoha? Last I knew there were at least two people left alive who cared about you. Though, after today, that number will be less impressive."
"Your words mean nothing to me." Sasuke's face was once again an emotionless mask. "Prepare yourself for death."
Itachi smirked. "It is you who should rest in peace, dear brother, knowing that Sakura-chan will be well cared for in my company."
Sasuke's sharingan eyes narrowed but he remained silent. He'd used chidori so much already, he was at his limit. He was going to have to fight Itachi with yet untried jutsus. Thus far, he had no one to test them on. He was not even sure they would affect another sharingan user.
But they were all he had left.
Dragged out of the room, Sakura made it as difficult as possible for Kisame to keep his grip on her. At this point she was not above animalistic tactics, and she bit down on the sword master in hopes of a slim chance of escape. After Itachi's kiss, the salty tinged blue flesh was a welcomed change of flavor on her violated mouth.
Annoyed, Kisame dropped her on the floor. "Damnit. Are you going to be this much trouble the entire time?" He rubbed the broken skin on his arm. "No one told me you were a biter."
She remained silent. Words would only give him an insight into what state of mind she was in. She had to keep any advantage, no matter how miniscule.
"Not much of a talker, eh?" he asked. "Well, no skin off my back." The blue man grabbed her upper arm and dragged her into a nearby room. "We'll just hang out here until Itachi's done. I'll let him fight with you."
They were only a few doors down from the Uchihas. Sakura's emerald gaze locked on to the small area of the hallway she could see. She only hoped it was a familiar face that graced her vision next.
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Kakashi studied Rin lazily as she stood, arms crossed, before him. He wasn't sure just what she was thinking. She'd never been his equal in fighting. Her medical jutsu had also been unimpressive as far as that was concerned. She was certainly no Tsunade; nor on the same level as Sakura. He wasn't even sure how she had managed to join Akatsuki. As far as he knew, she harbored no incredible talents.
The small smile on Rin's lips informed him that she knew what he was thinking.
"You're right, Kakashi. I'm sure it must be a shock to see me here. How could someone like me gain a position of such importance?"
"You always had a way about you." The copy nin shrugged. "I'm sure you had some trick up your sleeve."
"Actually," she said, pulling two kunai from her pouch, "it was my healing ability that got me here. Just not quite the way you think."
As Kakashi watched, Rin sent her chakra into the two weapons. The metal turned blue, slightly elongated similar in the manner Asuma used to use his trench knives.
Still, Kakashi wasn't sure how she intended to land a hit on him.
He had his answer, however, as the blue-haired woman threw a Kunai at him. He dodged it, as expected, but was surprised as it snapped back around, thrashing in the air. Even without his sharingan, he could see how she was doing it. Using her chakra, she had created a blue rope from her hand to the kunai. With this, she was able to use the weapons as if they were on a long whip. When she flicked her had one way, the kunai snapped in the air around Kakashi's head.
It was quite the techinique.
"Surprised?" she asked him. "It is simply a modification of the common mystical palm technique and a puppet master jutsu. Before his untimely death, another member was kind enough to help me perfect it, even though I had the basic elements down when I joined. And not only will the kunai cut you, the blue chakra line will as well."
The copy ninja appeared unimpressed. "So you perverted the beauty of medical jutsu, eh? Sounds a bit like another medic I met once. But I'm sure you know Kabuto already."
She nodded. "Of course. He was my disciple first, while in Akatsuki."
He dodged another of her attacks, and lashed out with one of his own. "I'm sure Obito would be impressed. You know how he always liked the evil side of things."
Her expression darkened. They both knew nothing was further from the truth, just as they both knew Obito would have been on Kakashi's side.
Her anger now uninhibited, Rin waved her arms around, forcing Kakashi to continue his flips to avoid the deadly kunai-whips.
In between attacks, Kakashi paused and held up two of his own kunai. "I didn't want to have to do this," he said as he created his own version of Rin's jutsu. "I guess that's just the way things work out."
She bristled at his pleased smile and ability to copy her technique. However, Kakashi's sharingan was something she'd spent her years with Akatsuki preparing for. She had something ready, and she was certain he would not expect it.
Dropping her jutsu, Rin allowed the chakra ropes to vanish and her kunais to fall to the ground. She then intentionally stepped into one of Kakashi's attacks. His kunai pierced her shoulder. Now connected to him through the weapon, she sent a flood of her own chakra through his chakra string, directing it up into his eye.
Again, the technique was largely medicinal. The manipulation of chakra into different body parts was easy for a medic.
And she now used that ability to blind Kakashi's sharingan.
From her watchful position, Tsunade knew instantly what the Akatsuki medic had done. She watched, horrified, as Kakashi's hand flew up to his head. He fell to his knees, and gazed wildly around the corridor.
It was an interesting use of basic medical jutsu.
Until now, Tsunade had not thought about how the simplest medical techniques could be developed and honed into devastating attacks. She'd always just assumed that a combat medic would rely on evasive tactics. However, there was more offensive possibility in the jutsus than she'd originally thought. Perhaps it was a subject worth more study. If an untalented medic such as this could comprise such abilities…
She was momentarily ashamed of herself for thinking beyond Kakashi's now deteriorating state.
Unused to serious fighting without his sharingan, the former ANBU captain felt completely lost. Never, in all his years of fighting, had Kakashi felt the despair of impending defeat.
Now that emotion flowed heavy in his veins as he stared with average vision at his former teammate.
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Kabuto fumbled around in the dark room. He'd been able to slip past the arguing Uchihas without notice. Now, as he prepared the final touches to the body that lay on the table, he chuckled softly to himself.
The final symbol in place, he preformed the seals needed and placed his hands on the chest of the human form.
After a moment, he felt the stirrings of life within the reanimated body double.
"My, my, Itachi," Kabuto whispered. "I think this is the best I've ever seen you!"
The akatsuki double slid off the table and stood. It awaited Kabuto's command, and the medic was all too happy to oblige it.
"Very well my score-settler. Here's what I want you to do…"
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Sakura peeled her gaze from the corridor for a moment to keep track of where Kisame was within the room.
The fish-like man leaned casually against the doorframe, patiently watching the same area of hall the pink haired medic was. At his boisterous chuckle, her eyes flicked once again to the narrow passage.
And her heart dropped into her stomach as the figure of Itachi broke into view.
"Done already?" Kisame smiled. "I though he'd put up more of a fight than that!"
The older sharingan user was silent. His red eyes moved from Kisame to the sitting form of Sakura. He pointed at her and uttered one word, "Come."
In shock, Sakura didn't comprehend him, and continued to stare at the two Akatsuki. It wasn't until Itachi crossed the room and picked her up that her senses returned to her.
"No! Sasuke-kun!" She fought his hold on her. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"
"Calm down." Itachi tossed her back onto the floor. "Kisame, watch the hall for a moment."
Fear welled up inside Sakura as the Uchiha stared at her. But instead of attacking her as she expected, he turned and walked up behind the oblivious form of Kisame.
With disturbing quickness, he reached around, gripped Kisame's chin, and snapped the Akatuski member's neck.
As the blue figure slumped to the ground, Itachi caught it and dragged it back into the shadows of the room. He then turned to Sakura and said, "Now, let's go meet your real master, shall we?"
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Coming soon: chapter 15: Battling Uchihas
Author's note: Just a quick "thanks" to everyone who has taken the time to review my story. I greatly appreciate the support.
Thanks again!