Chapter 79.-Preparations

When Itachi first saw the azure-eyed baby in his father's arms, the Uchiha hadn't been sure what to think, and he'd been even more confused when it was announced the baby girl was the last surviving Higurashi, and she was to become a ward of their clan. But Sasuke, who'd been immensely fussy back then, took to her in a heartbeat. So, Itachi was curious, and after spending some time with both children, he'd quickly gotten attached to her as well. Knowing how unusual her kekkei genkai was, the boy made sure to visit the ruins of the Higurashi compound whenever he had the time on the off-chance he could find something useful for her future development. In a way, he'd become familiar with the architecture the girl's family preferred.

Looking at the ruins in front of him, he felt confident that these were likely genuine remnants of the ancient clan's compound.

Not that it made things any better.

Rumors of weird sightings on an abandoned estate hadn't just been easy to find; their information channels had been inundated to the point that anyone unable to notice this was a trap would never survive in the shinobi world. But that didn't mean the person behind it was incompetent. After all, that members of the Uchiha clan had a terrible temper was a well known fact throughout the Elemental Nations. Baiting Kagome by using Sasuke's impatience was a good strategy. The fact that the mastermind of this very obvious trap had been aware of where one of the Higurashi clan's hidden compounds meant that the person had a connection with Kagome and was all too willing to attack them both. It was…concerning. And definitely not something he felt comfortable leaving unattended for Kagome and Sasuke to deal with on their own. Perhaps pushing his plans back was the best thing he could do. Those two had grown strong from the time they were children; being able to kill a member of the Sannin was no easy feat. Besides, they'd managed to handle his and Kisame's clones. They were strong. Still, Itachi couldn't help but worry about letting them face such unknown threats without support. If he could minimize the risk even by a sliver, the Uchiha was more than willing to take any extra steps that may be needed.

"So? Do we go in?" Kisame's question wasn't unexpected, but it bothered him all the same.

"It's been four days since word about this spread, and this area is far from any town or village." His sharingan went over the ruined Higurashi compound. "It doesn't look like there's been a fight inside."

"They could've been taken out before we got here…nah, you're right. Those two wouldn't have gone down without wrecking some walls. What now?"

Ideally, they wouldn't even be here, but there was no way to avoid it. Those two targeting an Akatsuki member in their hunt had made them an existence impossible to ignore. Weren't they supposed to have some good sense?

Hesitation could doom them as surely as a direct attack.

Rushed plan or not, trying to buy time wasn't an option.

"Let's wait for now, they're sure to come." No matter how much he wished they'd stay put. "Bounty hunters will swarm this place."

"Still acting as the overprotective older brother, or is that just your possessiveness speaking?" The blue-skinned man gave out a crude laugh.

"They're mine to kill." The words felt like acid on his tongue. "Mine to keep as well."

"You're one sick fuck, but sure, let's get rid of the flies. Could serve as a nice warm-up." The shark stretched his arms, sounding somewhat bored.

"Let's keep a perimeter."

Kisame was as much his partner as he was his overseer. Where most of the other partners gave each other some freedom, the blue-skinned shinobi obeyed his orders to the letter. Patrolling a small perimeter was all the freedom the Uchiha got. If the people behind the rumor were smart, they'd already be inside the Higurashi compound. It wouldn't take too long for him to slip in and deal with it, but even if he was lucky enough for Kisame to find some bounty hunters, there was no chance the nuke-nin would be stalled more than a handful of minutes. With the little information he had, there was no guarantee Itachi could get rid of whoever laid the trap before Kisame went to find him once again. Killing opportunistic hunters was about all he could make an excuse for.

After all, if he truly wanted to take Kagome for himself, there was no better way than to use this ambush to separate her from Sasuke. Kisame would expect him to knock her out before getting rid of his brother. If his partner didn't decide to help him out by killing the boy in his stead.

"What if they don't come?" The shark didn't bother to turn back to look at him. "How long are we supposed to wait here for?"

"They'll come…and they'll be here soon enough." Miracles never happened in his favor.

"If you say so," Kisame scoffed. "When are we jumping in?"

"Halfway through."

Kisame's sharp laugh at whatever image the shark thought up forced the Uchiha to bite his tongue to keep himself from voicing his true thoughts or straight-up attacking him. Frustration welled up inside him as he watched his partner walk away.

From the very start, Itachi knew his personality wasn't suited for the shinobi world. As the first son of a major clan, his path had been set from the moment he was born, and his talent for killing only strengthened his sentence. Words like honor, pride, or loyalty rang too hollow for the young Uchiha to feel like all the violence he was forced to go through was worth it; his motivation was far too insufficient. And then, his brother was born, with Kagome showing up less than a year later. They'd been so small, completely innocent, as they held on to his blood-soaked hands, placing their complete trust in him. They became his world, the reason he could deal with all the weight of the sins he kept accumulating. He didn't want them to have to get their hands dirty. A naïve dream, but the eldest Uchiha knew that even if they were to change, his love for them would never waver. For their sake, he would steel his resolve and stain his hands as many times as necessary. Everything and anything that had ever been his, he was willing to give it all up…though he'd like to slap them both upside their heads. They were supposed to stay safe behind Konoha's walls. Carefully chosen missions would've allowed them to grow stronger without having to brave unreasonable risks. Although, the responsibility for this didn't fall on only them. The chaos brought up by Sandaime-sama's death wasn't nearly enough of an excuse for the higher-ups being unable to stop them from leaving for Oto in the first place. Of course Sasuke wouldn't be patient; his brother's impulsivity was well known. Predicting a sulky 12-year-old boy's thought process shouldn't be an impossible request.

Thanks to their massive oversight, Itachi now had to figure out a way to get them all out of this mess.

Riling Sasuke up wouldn't be too hard; despite all these years apart, they were still brothers; he knew what to say to get him to fly into a blind rage. The real challenge would be Kagome. The young Higurashi girl wouldn't fall for cheap provocation, and her attitude during their last encounter still bothered him. Her insistence on talking to him could be dangerous; were she to suspect anything, he wasn't sure how far she'd be willing to go. Genjutsu would be the best way to go, which was precisely why Kagome learned to fight while keeping her eyes closed. They just couldn't make things easy on him.

With a sigh, the Uchiha moved to start with his scouting of the abandoned compound's borders. There was no point in tying himself up in knots. Without knowing what sort of trap was waiting for them and how long the shark would be entertained for, the only thing for him to do was make sure they could enter unbothered.

As pathetic as it may sound, Itachi couldn't deny that a part of him felt glad for the chance to check up on them before his time was up. Even if he couldn't see them with his own eyes anymore and their actions drove him up a wall, there was no dampening how proud he felt at their growth. Now, if only they could stop wrecking so many of the deals he made, he could die in peace. Really, planning his own death shouldn't be this difficult.

Dark eyes glared at the bright blue sky.

Dawn would've been a far better time for them to enter the abandoned compound. Juugo and Suigetsu may have struggled, but his sharingan and Kagome's intuition were enough to level the playing field. There were far too many things to juggle, and the darkness would've been helpful, but waiting until daybreak would ruin their timing even more.; they couldn't afford to enter the battlefield at the same time as those fools from Konoha. And yet, the only person Sasuke could blame was himself.

After spending so many years by Kagome's side, the Uchiha liked to think he'd gained some self-control. Sure, his patience was tested with ease, and his anger tempted him to lash out every other moment, but even then, he'd learned to bite his tongue and clench his fists. He could even hide those reactions when it mattered, keeping his face expressionless while the girl moved their pieces and did her best to gain control of the political board. Her strategies relied on long facades and charming words, so letting his temper get the better of him when she was already compromising to appease him would only drag them down. For their revenge, Sasuke was willing to force himself to stay still for as long as necessary…unless the idiotic blond that was their childhood friend ended up being involved. It would've been easy to pin the blame on the presence of the demonic beast imprisoned within their former teammate, but such a thing would be a lie. Oh the Kyuubi's existence made it worse, but Sasuke wouldn't lie to himself and pretend that was the only deciding factor. From the moment they met inside the Uchiha training grounds, Uzumaki Naruto knew what buttons to push. The blond was annoying, and loud, and persistent, all traits that got on his nerves. To the point Sasuke ignored his own common sense and ended up engaging in a pointless battle when time was of the essence.

It was on him.

Kagome had been right. All Sasuke had done for the last few years was run away by ignoring the main issue. His feelings were too conflicted, and there was no world where they could simply go their own way without seeing each other again. Naruto would never give up on catching them, and letting the problem fester would only make matters worse. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he'd already let too much time pass. Forcing him to face the problem had been the right move, and of course, the girl knew him well enough to know he'd need to take some time to calm down. Her decision to get them to a close inn had been wise. It was something the Uchiha could easily accept. Losing his sense of time hadn't been part of his expectations.

No, not just that.

As a lover, Sasuke had never been gentle; there was always a slight desperation in his touch that eventually eroded any softness he initially used. Once he lost himself in the feelings and sensations Kagome could make explode, his motions quickly became rough. Perhaps it was because the two of them began exploring their pleasure together, but his more aggressive inclinations were never a problem between them. In fact, Kagome was always overjoyed to receive his affection and wasn't shy about wresting control from him when she pleased. And thanks to her kekkei genkai, she always urged him to not worry too much and just let go. It really wasn't unusual for her to play along with his whims. Last night was different, though. His usual roughness had turned into barely contained violence. He'd manhandled her as he wished, caring only for his own pleasure. Blinded by his own emotions, he'd pushed her well past her limits, and his gaze couldn't help but find the light purple marks that hadn't quite healed yet on her wrists ever since they woke up this morning.

It bothered him, even though Kagome had greeted him with a smile and almost threatened him not to overthink what happened last night. She'd grinned as she told him she'd been more than satisfied, as if he hadn't brought her over the edge over and over, to the point where it had to have been painful. Was it because she'd truly enjoyed what he put her through, or was it that the girl had gotten used to pain after spending years experimenting with the limits of her self-healing when they were still under Orochimaru's thumb? A soft caress on the back of his hand forced him to look at her; she must've noticed the tension in his movements. Taking a deep breath, he gave her a nod.

Just another sign of how well she knew him. Ignoring the slight inconvenience that came with it, Kagome grabbed his hand and refused to let go in what was clearly an attempt to stop him from feeling guilty. If it brought forth some awkwardness from his travel companions, the Higurashi clearly didn't care enough to do anything about the silence and glances thrown their way. Their reaction made sense; those two had traveled with them for some time now, and before this, they'd only ever argued twice, and they'd never had to stop for him to calm down. It was fine. He'd rather they remained cautious and willing to defend Kagome than pick his side. No matter how stressed he was, there would never be any justification to take it out on the girl. Just because she knew how to handle his moods didn't mean he could ask her to do so every time. The mixture of anger, stress, frustration, and fear he felt was a risky combination. Especially when he couldn't help feeling nervous about meeting Itachi for the first time in years.

Calling this anxiety was an understatement.

For so long, the Uchiha did his best to pretend he'd never craved his brother's love, but when the truth came out, most of what he could focus on was how uncertain he felt about their potential reunion.

Memories of their time together kept circling around in his head, and a part of him wished to get their bond back the way it had once been, but he wasn't sure how that would work now. When they were children, Sasuke had felt jealous of the attention Kagome gave his brother, and it took Itachi scolding him for his possessiveness more than once for him to realize he preferred it when the three of them were together. But they weren't children anymore. His feelings for the girl had changed, and his jealousy only grew worse with every year that passed. If the world had remained the way it was meant to, all three of them would still be at Konoha, and Sasuke knew that no matter what, his love would've still taken the same for it had now, and yet, he wasn't sure what would've happened with his brother's relationship with the girl, how it would've evolved. After the Suna incident, he kept thinking about that old marriage contract. His parents had always intended for the girl to become the next Uchiha matriarch, desperate to get her blood to strengthen the sharingan. Without the coup to mess things up, Itachi would've remained the perfect heir, and with how indebted their parents had made Kagome feel and how fond Itachi was of the Higurashi, it was very likely the marriage would've gone through. He could see them being happy too. In said what-if scenario, however, Sasuke wasn't sure he could've stepped back. And now that they were about to find his brother, he still didn't know how he'd feel sharing her attention.

"That the place?" Suigetsu asked, forcing him back to the moment.

They were still a ways from it, but the shadows of what was meant to be an old Higurashi compound were peeking in between the treetops. With their current speed it would take them less than an hour to reach.

"As far as I can tell, these ruins are genuine. I can feel some lingering reiki coming from them," Kagome said after a second of silence. Her hold on him tightened. "We should be able to go with our plan A."

"There's no need to go through it again, is there?" His voice was low, a not-so-subtle threat clear in his words.

"I memorized it all last night," Juugo nodded.

"No mistakes."

"Yeah, yeah, we know." Before Suigetsu could try to add another flippant comment, the former Kiri nin caught his glare. "Not a single mistake."

With a quick wave of his hand, the four of them landed, his hand still intertwined with the girl's as he turned towards her. "Can you feel what's inside from here without being found out?"

"Give me a second," the Higurashi whispered.

A wave of reiki washed over him, his grip relaxing around her hand. He needed to calm down. Regardless of what happened between his brother and Kagome, the one thing that wouldn't change was that Kagome was his, and they wanted Itachi to be tied to them. No matter what they needed to do, they'd get the one piece of their world that remained and wouldn't let go of it again.

"Well, we can rest assured this is a trap. They're not even trying to hide their presence." The girl scoffed. "Four of them seem to be near the center. If the blueprints from the other ruins can be applied to this one, then they should be at the main temple; the other three seem to be watching the main entrance. Plus, there are two people running a perimeter."

So, all seven of the Shichinintai were already waiting for them inside, meaning the pair making rounds were unrelated to the mercenary group. Ther heads fetched a high price, vultures hanging around as they deluded themselves into thinking they could bring him or Kagome down were very much expected. If it was just a pair, they'd have to be entitled idiots or Akatsuki members, and he had a feeling most of the idiots had died by his own hand some time ago. Once the fools from Konoha managed to catch up, this really would turn into a perfect storm. With Kagome more tired than usual, he'd have to try and finish the fight the moment their goal was accomplished.

"The two on the perimeter?"

"It's them. There's no way I'd mistake them.""There was a decisiveness to her voice as she looked at him, azure eyes piercing into him. "I'm pretty sure they're the real deal this time."

"And the people from Konoha?" Juugo asked.

"Will likely catch up by nightfall." With a sigh, the kunoichi shook her head in frustration. "We'll have an hour at most, but as long as we're careful, we can use them to our advantage."

"You sure those two will jump into the fray instead of leaving when the idiots arrive?" For once, there was a bit of excitement in Suigetsu's question.

"According to Sasori, we've become quite the priority for the Akatsuki. We almost managed to stop them before they could get the bijuu." Right, had the Suna people stayed put, their plans would've been ruined. "And then we disappeared, they won't want to risk another vanishing act, they know they won't get another chance like this."

Crimson bled into black as Sasuke activated his sharingan to try and get a better view of the soon-to-be battlefield. He wouldn't be able to use the land to its full extent, but he could, at least, get a bit more familiar with the terrain. Due to the ruins being hidden on the border of Hi no Kuni and Grass, the landscape was still filled with enough trees for it to feel familiar. If they were going to use their first strategy, they'd have to stop anyone from running to the forest and keep as much of the fight as possible within the ruins. The chaos had to keep going for as long as possible. And…perhaps they'd get better odds in this mess if Kagome's bet with their childhood friend paid off. Considering how many uncertainties they'd have to deal with, having the extra distraction could make a world of difference. Separating Itachi from his partner would be a challenge in and of itself.

"Juugo, Suigetsu," Sasuke bit out. "Scout ahead, but do not engage or enter the ruins."

"Wait, Suigetsu…do remember that even after we accomplish our main goal, every single member of Akatsuki will remain a target. Don't lose focus. Remember, the copies we fought before only held a fraction of their power." Kagome's warning forced the former Kiri-nin to stop.

"Yeah, yeah I got it. Won't do anything stupid."

"Oh, and don't forget to return after you're done." The girl added. "They spent so much preparing the stage for us; it wouldn't be polite not to give them a surprise gift of our own."

Understanding nods were given before their pair of followers left. Maybe it was because Suigetsu was still worried about last night's argument, or perhaps the older teen was finally starting to get used to Kagome's sweet, poisonous tone, but for the first time since Suigetsu joined them, he didn't look creeped out by the killing intent hidden within the girl's deceptive gestures. Should he feel relieved about it, Sasuke wondered as a pair of slender arms wrapped around him.

"Say, Sasuke…" she trailed off as soon as they were alone. "We're finally getting our chance to act. We can't afford to squander it."

"I know." Rough fingers caressed a fading bruise.

"Do you? In that case, stop beating yourself up over something I enjoyed." He could hear the pout in her words. "Or are you telling me that you think I need my needles when I'm directly touching you?"

"That…no, you're right," he sighed.

"Of course I am. Itachi was very clear when he told me I should never let you push me around to appease you." Her tone was soft, soothing, and he could hear the hint of a threat underneath it all. Because with only her fingers trailing his chest, she could do quite a bit of damage. "It'll be alright; it's not as if we would've gotten a full night of sleep anyway."

With a shake of his head, the Uchiha took her hands on his own before disentangling himself from her as he sat down on a patch of grass and pulled the girl onto his lap. Her warm presence a soothing balm that helped quiet the endless questions inside his head. Impatience clashed with the desire to stay here, with her in his arms.

"Don't worry too much," she whispered against his neck. "We spent years preparing for this. We'll make it work."

"And you want me to believe you're not worried?" He would've laughed if he could bring himself to.

"Of course I am." However, it looked like Kagome could still laugh a little. "But I'm more used to it, so I'll be just fine."

Covering herself with lies became the safest way for her to act when they weren't sure where threats could be coming from. Her honesty was taken away by his parents' teachings, and whatever was left vanished after the Uchiha massacre. Betrayal wasn't an easy act to overcome, and even though Sasuke knew the girl never fully bought Itachi's lies, he also knew doubts had tormented her for years, only to hear her paranoia justified by the truth they'd discovered later on. Gentle manipulation became an everyday tool for her, so when he noticed Kagome had started to use that subtle control, he hadn't even been able to feel irritated. It was the Higurashi who decided to face the world and became his shield when Sasuke didn't want to see anyone. Everything and anything she ever did was for his sake, so how could he ever get angry at her efforts to keep him happy? That's why even now, as Kagome lay in his arms, all he could do was hold her closer.

Whatever pressure he felt himself under, she was likely in a worse position.

After all, their current plan was nothing but a patchwork strategy made in a rush while they got ready when leaving the Taisho estate. For their goals to succeed, they'd need to acquire complete control of the fight with the Shichinintai before the team for Konoha could jump into the fray. Which would be hard to do after he used up almost all of last night to work out his conflicting emotions, leaving them sleep-deprived. Their margin of error had all but disappeared, yet here she was, doing what she could to help him calm down. Besides, the girl was right in one aspect. Adaptability had become their most reliable skill for survival as they were forced to endure being under the watch of people with uncertain intentions. They knew how to work under pressure. They'd done it before, and they could adapt once more. As long as they had a chance to succeed, they had to be willing to risk it all, and looking down at the girl who'd closed her eyes as she laid her head on his shoulder, he knew Kagome was more than happy to take such a bet with him.

"We're going to have to be careful after we manage to separate Itachi from his partner." She spoke, not moving from her position. "So…how far are you willing to go to keep him by our side."

His grip tightened around her waist.

This was far too similar to the thoughts that whirled within his head only a few moments ago. Kagome's most effective way to control others was by manipulating their emotions. Truth be told, he wasn't sure how far she was willing to go for her goals; after all, she'd never gone beyond a handful of innocent caresses when dealing with her informants, and that was out of respect for his jealous tendencies. She'd never be emotionally invested in any of the pawns she moved around the board. But Itachi would never be just a sacrificial piece for her to puppeteer. Her love for his brother was real, and if it hadn't wavered during the years they spent uncertain about the older Uchiha's intentions, then it wouldn't falter from now on either. Twisting that platonic love into something else wouldn't be too hard for her…then again, it wasn't as if her heart had ever belonged only to him.

The three of them against the world...he'd loved the idea once.

"As far as we have to go."

"Ok, got it." One of her hands began drawing circles in the back of his neck "In that case, we need to buy as much time as we can. I'll make sure he won't run away."

"If you're that confident, I guess I won't have to worry."

It was soft, a barely-there touch of her lips against his, her fingers brushing back a strand of his hair. Her smile was playful as she leaned back. The gesture a silent promise and a request at one. A reminder that no matter what, they couldn't let themselves falter now when they were so close to achieving one of their goalposts. If things went their way, not only would they get a proper hint about their persistent stalker, but they could finally get to his brother. As for how their dynamic would develop, that was something he'd have to tackle later; for now, what mattered was that the three of them were together again. After all, the one thing he had no doubts about was that whatever hatred he'd held for Itachi didn't exist anymore. Because Sasuke couldn't pretend he didn't understand the reasoning behind his brother's seemingly insane actions. As for how he'd deal with the pain and anger the Uchiha's legitimate heir plan caused, that's a bridge he'd cross when he got to it. One good punch, though. He wanted to at least get a couple of hits on Itachi as payback for the hell he and Kagome had gone through. Even the Higurashi had to admit his brother very much deserved a bit of pain in return. Kagome couldn't complain about him being honest with his feelings.

Lying wasn't exactly a new thing for him.

Being a prankster meant he had to have some good alibis at hand; he needed to sell his stories to avoid getting into trouble. Quite honestly, Naruto couldn't really keep count of how many times he'd made up a story to fool Iruka-sensei or Ero-sennin. But this was the first time the blond was actively lying about something that could endanger the success of a mission. He'd suspected there was something off with his childhood friends before deciding to follow Jiraiya, though, and trusting Kagome was his best chance at learning what the hell was going on. And well…if the old lady and Kakashi-sensei were hiding things from him, it was only fair he paid them in kind.

Still, he felt nervous.

They were getting closer to the supposed ruins, and there was no way to know if he'd managed to confront the pair. With how careful Kagome had been to pass the handful of hints and warnings she did inside her illusion, it was painfully clear she wouldn't say anything important with his so-called teammates within hearing distance. Sasuke might even start a fight if Sakura-chan pissed him off badly enough. And he couldn't forget they still had to deal with whoever set up this trap. Could he lose his team and meet up with his runaway friends in the middle of all that chaos?

"…you listening, Naruto?" Yamato-taicho's hand landed on his shoulder.

"Huh?"

"Of course, you weren't paying attention." Huffing, the pink-haired kunoichi rolled her eyes. "We're going over the plan."

"We have a plan?" He blinked a couple of times, head tilting.

What could they even plan when they had no clue who was trying to target the pair of clan heirs?

"Of course, we have a plan!" And she was screaming again. "We'd get nowhere without a strategy."

"It's more of a general guideline and a list of priorities for when we get there," the brunet added, conflicted expression clear on his face.

"So, what do we focus on, then?" Naruto grumbled.

"First, we need to stop them from running away." The man was drawing a rough map on the dirt, all approximations of the terrain gotten from the intelligence department before leaving Konoha. "Their knack for disappearing is too much of a risk. We need to block as many escape routes as we can."

"That is if we can round them up…"

"It's a stupid idea." Sai's disinterested voice cut the kunoichi's complaint. "Though perhaps it should be expected."

"What the hell does that mean?!" And she was yelling…again.

"Sakura." Yamato's stern warning was enough for the girl to bite her tongue. Turning to their unwanted teammate. "What did you mean, Sai?"

"Higurashi Kagome's dominion over genjutsu was understated. We need a specialist able to detect the illusion before it settles, and no one in this team fits that requirement." That…was probably true. "In a 4v4 situation, she'll have too many opportunities to incapacitate us."

"What's your idea, then?" Naruto glared at the depressing teen.

"Overwhelm just Higurashi," Sai continued. "That's all we need anyway."

"I see…Kagome-san may be a genjutsu specialist, but she doesn't possess the sharingan. She'll need some time to set up an illusion, and Sasuke-san will follow after her."Their leader nodded.

Were…were they serious about this?

Maybe they'd just lost their minds.

The best way to lure Sasuke anywhere was by using Kagome as bait, sure, but it was also the dumbest thing any of them could ever do. Even as children, Sasuke had been overprotective of the girl. Hell, Naruto was sure it was only after the blond proved he was willing to risk his own well-being to keep the girl safe during the attempted kidnapping incident that the Uchiha acknowledged him as a friend. Forget being able to have a conversation and convince him to get back to Konoha if there was a single scratch on her, Sasuke would blow his shit up. All of his logic and reasoning just vanished. All three of them had been friends for years, and they'd trusted each other with their lines, but there was no doubt in the jinchuuriki's mind that the Uchiha would've killed him if Kagome hadn't healed herself back in the Valley of the End. It didn't matter if they managed to distract the moody teen with whoever laid out the trap and they managed to knock the Higurashi out, all they'd get was a pissed-off Sasuke overflowing with killing intent and no one to calm him down.

Not that Naruto thought they'd get that far in the first place.

Sure, pitting all their attacks on Kagome might make it harder for her to cast a complex genjutsu, and her long-range attacks would be impossible to use, but the girl was far more flexible than they were giving her credit for. Just because taijutsu wasn't her forte didn't make her incompetent. Plus, he'd swear off ramen for a year if the number of techniques she'd mastered hadn't tripled in the last three years and a half. She even got to take back stuff from the old Higurashi compound, didn't she?

No, this little plan of theirs was doomed from the beginning. Kakashi-sensei would've known this whole strategy was pointless because if there was someone who knew what the girl's weaknesses were, it was Kagome herself. Sasuke's parents had been fastidious and didn't hold back when it came to their training. Taijutsu was her weakest skill, that was why, ever since she was a kid she'd done her best to compensate for it. The combination of her poisons, senbons, and reiki was more than enough to make up for it. Not to mention, her speed was likely still superior to Sasuke's, caging her would never be easy. Besides, they were all forgetting that one of her greatest weapons lay outside the battlefield. Perhaps Kagome wasn't as good a strategist as Shikamaru, but that didn't make her plans any less brilliant. It was because of her well-researched strategy that she could win against Neji while coming out of the fight relatively unscathed. Oh, the Higurashi was most certainly taking team 7 into account for whatever plan she'd managed to hatch for this upcoming confrontation. There would be no surprise element to take advantage of.

"Going after Kagome is a little…" Naruto tried to interrupt them.

"Are you trying to protect her?" Green eyes glared at him. "Please, don't tell me you let her get into your head?"

"Naruto-kun, we're not trying to hurt them, but we're going to need to use some force if we want them to sit still long enough for them to listen." Yamato wasn't even trying to hear him out.

"You mentioned something about your friendship being real, so if you have the time, you should be able to convince him." That freaking…Sai really didn't know how to do anything other than push his buttons. "Or was all you said about it just bullshit?"

"That's not…Tch, fine. Let's go with it."

If they wanted to dig their own graves, he wasn't going to stop them. Yamato-taicho could go ahead and go with his underhanded plans. The blond would do what he wanted to and create an opportunity to talk to the two clan heirs so he could finally find out what the hell was going on

A/N: Uff, it took a while to get this one out, so sorry about the long wait but here we are at last….hope it sets everything up right.

As always, thank you guys so much for reading and any and all reviews/comments/criticism are greatest appreciated.