Ppppsssssttttt!...I don't own Naruto…in case anyone forgot.
Chapter 15: The Raiju
Sakura's fingers dug deeper into the bark of the tree. She crouched down, shielding her body as best she could against the driving wind. All around her she could hear branches snapping as the storm assailed them from every angle.
Somewhere nearby, the other teammates were similarly positioned—everyone doing their best to make it through the violent weather.
Overhead, lightning bolts seared through the clouds followed closely by teeth-rattling booms of thunder.
A heavy branch crashed down and thumped cruelly onto her shoulder.
Sakura winced. She was aware that there would be more injuries before the torrent was over.
The weather had been getting worse the further North they traveled. Now almost twice a day they found themselves under cover in an attempt to avoid the dangerous storms. Even though they never lasted very long, it was enough to turn their two day trip into a three day one.
They had not seen another town for at least a day.
Somewhere to her left she heard Jiraiya curse loudly.
The bruises would be too numerous to count soon enough.
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"Things are going as planned." The cloaked figured said. "With the exception of a few things."
He glared at the Uchiha in annoyance.
But Itachi was unaffected by the comment.
The Akatsuki leader continued. "Now, not only do we not have the ring—we do not have the kyuubi. And what's worse…Kakashi and his team seem to have vanished from our radar. Not even our connections in Konoha know where the Hokage dispatched them."
"It is pointless to have the kyuubi when we cannot seal him." Kisame said from beside his partner. "We already have awoken the statue and even now the lesser countries fall into our snare."
"That's the problem with you, Kisame. You never see the larger picture. We are beyond sealing now. I'll not send another group into Konoha so the sannin can destroy us. If we can't possess the demon fox, then we must destroy him. We can't have that kind of power opposing us." He smiled in thought. "Just as we can't have the other un-sealable demons running around. So…you're just going to have to catch them and kill them."
"I have other things that need my attention." Itachi's voice was quiet.
The leader narrowed his eyes. "As long as you are a part of this organization, you'll work towards 'our' goal. Your other business can wait."
"Actually, it can't wait." He stood. "However, is my brother still in the company of Uzumaki Naruto?"
"Yes. As well as in the company of Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura, and that bothersome sannin, Jiraiya."
The Uchiha nodded. "Then our interests are the same at the moment."
"If you think I am unaware of your plans, Itachi, you are sadly mistaken. And if I feel that at any moment your obsession with Uchiha Madara's chakra threatens the Akatsuki—I will see to it that you will no longer be able to wear the robe."
They stared at each other, letting the impressions of their words sink in.
Itachi turned and walked away. "Come, Kisame. Let's go hunt some demons."
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"Are we really making camp here tonight?" Naruto shivered in his wet clothes.
"Unless you want to keep going all night until we hit Yomakahanaru. That is—if we were to get there tonight." Jiraiya yawned and settled next to a nearby tree.
"Fine," The blond tossed down his pack. "What I wouldn't give to have good old Scary Eyes back on the team."
"Eh? You mean Yamato?" Sakura chuckled nearby. "He didn't have scary eyes!"
"Yeah, you didn't see him get all weird in the bathhouse…"
She gave Naruto a questioning look.
He shook his head. "I wasn't even really going to look."
Her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
"Uh…I…well…"
"Naruto," Jiraiya interrupted. "Let's see if we can't find something dry enough to burn around here, ok?"
"Right! Sorry, Sakura-chan. Pervy Sage needs my help."
She frowned but let him escape with the sannin.
"Hey," a voice got her attention.
Sakura turned, catching the bundle Sasuke tossed at her.
"It's drier than yours." He said, his eyes closed as he propped himself up on a large root.
She stared at the rolled blanket. Her own clothes were soaked through and she knew her pack was just as wet.
"Thank you, Sasuke-kun."
He didn't reply.
Kakashi looked lazily at the medic. "It's dry now, but I'd give it a few hours."
He tossed his own blanket to her.
"There. Now you have two."
The former sensei ignored Sasuke's stare from across the small clearing.
Sakura looked from one man to the other. She knew the act of kindness had turned into something that didn't even involve her.
She walked over to where Naruto had dropped his pack. Laying out the blankets for her blond friend, she turned back to Kakashi and Sasuke.
"I'm sure Naruto will thank you when he gets back."
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"So you tried peeping at your teammate, eh?" Jiraiya nodded knowingly at Naruto. "You're lucky you didn't turn out like me after I was caught by Tsunade."
"I didn't! I wasn't even thinking of it. It was all just a big misunderstanding."
"Sure, sure. Not that I blame you."
Naruto glared at him. "Do not talk about Sakura-chan that way."
The sannin chuckled, pulling a semi-dry piece of wood out of the undergrowth. "Relax, boy. Your secret is safe with me."
He sighed.
"Besides…" Jiraiya droned on even as Naruto tuned him out.
Something else had caught his attention.
The forest floor before him had changed. The trees were smaller, shooting up through block-like remains of what appeared to have been stilted buildings. Broken paths of what were once roadways could be seen snaking through the vegetation and in the distance, a large building still partially stood. To Naruto, it strongly resembled Konoha's Hokage palace.
"Naruto? Naruto, have you heard a word that I've said?" Jiraiya stepped up next to him.
He followed the blond's gaze out into the landscape.
"Do you think it's Yomakahanaru?"
The sannin shrugged. "Could be many ghost towns in this area. Let's go back to camp. We won't be able to see anything until morning anyhow."
Once they were back at camp, Jiraiya relayed what they had seen.
Kakashi looked thoughtful. "Alright," he said. "At first light we go search. But lets get some sleep before it starts to storm again."
"Hey!" Naruto picked up the dry blankets. "You guys aren't going to need these?"
They ignored him.
Sasuke glanced over at Sakura. She sat with her back to them, huddled against a tree. He could see her shaking under her wet blanket.
Damn it Kakashi. He could never make things right if the former ANBU captain wouldn't let him.
Sasuke stood.
He strode over to where Naruto lay and pulled one of the blankets off of him.
"Hey!"
The Uchiha shot him a warning glare.
Yanking the wet blanket away from Sakura, he tossed the dry one on her. "Don't be so stubborn next time," he said gruffly, walking past as she stared at him wide-eyed.
The rest of the team was silent.
Kakashi turned away, glad that no one could see the smile beneath his mask.
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Surprisingly, there were no storms overnight.
Sakura looked up at the sky and then back out at the strange town. The clouds were still an ominous grey. There was no doubt the rain would come.
She move cautiously through the remains of the buildings, searching for any signs that might let them know if they were indeed where they wanted to be.
There wasn't much left to help in the investigation. Most of the buildings had crumbled beyond recognition. Any wood that had been left over from walkways or stilts was largely rotted—though Sakura noted that some of the pieces were charred as if they had been burned in a fire.
Strange. She thought. I wouldn't think anything would burn long in a land plagued with rain. Maybe one house—but a whole town?
"Yo," Kakashi called from the area he had been searching. "I think I've found our answer."
They gathered around the large section of rubble.
"Yomakaha…" The rest of the inscription was broken off.
By the looks of it, it had once been a piece of the city gates.
"There's just something strange," Sakura said, studying the singe marks on the rock plate. "Have you guys noticed—"
"AAAARRRRRRGGGGGGG!"
A huge piece of rock came hurtling down at them.
They jumped back and stared up at the figure standing on top of the remains of a nearby wall.
Short, possibly hunched, the stranger was covered from the neck down in a long grey robe. A straw hat covered the head and a loose piece of black cloth covered the rest of the face. Only the eyes were visible.
Sakura looked up in alarm as five more replicas of the ninja appeared.
Clones? She couldn't tell which one was the real attacker. One for each of us.
The hunched figures leapt down at them with amazing speed.
Just as she had anticipated, they squared off with each separate member of team 7.
Sakura dodged the series of punches, flipping backwards and out of range from her assailant's kick. Her brow furrowed and she raised her fist menacingly. She would evade as long as possible, but she wasn't afraid of a fight either.
The beady eyes stared at her over the mask.
Why isn't he using any other techniques? She could spar with taijutsu all day.
Sakura channeled her chakra into her fist. Landing a hit that would have shattered a wall—the clone she had been fighting vanished.
Sakura looked around.
The only one still fighting was Naruto.
His isn't a clone.
The blue-eyed ninja had summoned clones of his own and was currently forming a ball of ransengan in the palm of his hand.
The thunder nin jumped back, luring the kyuubi holder away from the rest of the team.
Naruto raced after, the pocket of power growing in his hand.
"Come back here you bastard!" He jumped from wall to wall.
Finally, the cloaked figure stopped. It raised its hand, a small glimmer of light pulsing in the sleeve-covered palm. As they watched, the glimmer grew. It turned a brilliant white, spinning and hovering over the sleeved hand, pulsing as it grew.
Naruto's eyes went wide. He sent another of his clone to work instilling the wind element into the already present ransengan.
The enemy ninja lifted his other arm. In the opposite palm, a new glimmer began. Just as the white one had begun, this one slowly grew until it was a swirling mass of red flame.
Naruto stood and waited. His own power swirled before him.
The figure made no other move and continued to hold the separate glowing spheres in each hand.
Sakura squinted. There was something odd about their adversary.
Those arms are incredibly long…and that posture…seems like more than just a deformity.
She looked up in realization and rushed to the space between where they stood.
"Wait!" Naruto! Wait!"
He looked down at her. "Wha?"
She pointed at the masked figure. "He's the one we're here for!"
The mysterious ninja raised his hands over his head, meshing the two orbs of power together. There was a painfully brilliant flash of light and a sound louder than any thunder they had ever heard. A massive wave of power surged forward, sending everyone flying backward.
Sakura looked up from where she had landed, slightly dazed.
The shinobi remained on top of the wall. He watched them while he tossed the strange ball of fire and lightening from hand to hand.
Naruto was the first back on his feet. Even though his own jutsu had been discharged, he jumped back onto the wall.
"Hey!" He pointed. "What the hell do you think you're doing attacking us like that?!?"
There was no response.
"I asked you a question!"
"Do not anger me further," came the warning.
Wait a minute… Sakura staggered to her feet.
"I just want to ask you some questions!"
"You should have stayed away!" The voice growled, crackling like the lightening it held. "You should never have come."
Naruto was oblivious to Sakura hopping up behind him even as Kakashi and Sasuke made a move to stop her.
"It's you," she stared at the cleverly concealed figure. "It was you all along."
"You don't understand," the thunder ninja rasped. "You're not safe here. I could destroy you, just as I destroyed this village."
"But we need to talk to you."
"No! I'm not strong enough any longer…"
Naruto put a hand on Sakura's shoulder. He looked at her questioningly.
"Please, Saruwatari. Please." Emerald eyes beseeched the ninja.
The ball of power vanished.
Removing the cloth mask, the old woman stared back at them. She nodded her head sadly. "Because you were once kind to me…I will talk with you."
She hopped down and walked over to them.
Sakura offered the old woman her arm.
As they walked over to an area fit for sitting, Saruwatari glanced over her shoulder at Naruto.
"That wasn't too bad, child. Not too bad at all."
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Coming soon: Chapter 16: The Answer
Author's note: If you are not up to date with the manga—one scene has references in it from a chapter where Naruto was considering peeping into the woman's bath house. Yamato wisely stopped him by telling him a story about how Tsunade had beat Jiraiya within and inch of his life after she had caught him doing the same thing.
Also, I don't know if anyone knew it or not… but the name "saruwatari" has to do with monkeys.