Three ninja and a single dog, rushed across the dense forest of fire country, weaving between branches and leaves in all haste. Even as the forest began to thin away along the border they only moved faster, as fast as their legs could carry them.
Pakkun panted, almost wheezing as he kept pace with the three. "The trail's going cold! I can barely catch it any more Kakashi!"
"Damnit!" The Copy ninja growled through masked teeth before speeding his pace, momentarily gaining some distance between himself and the other three.
"Running faster isn't gonna help!" Yoshihiro said, with his hammer and armor, Temari was amazed the man wasn't half dead from exhaustion with so much weight on him.
"You got a better suggestion!" Kakashi shot back, throwing a glare over his shoulder before turning his eyes forward again. "Because unless you can find us a way to fly this is all we got Yoshihiro!"
Temary's legs ground to a halt at that sentence, stopping dead on a tree at a crouch. "Fly." She said.
Kakashi and Yoshihiro didn't notice her sudden pause, and continued running, gaining several yards before she called out to them. "Kakashi! Where's the nearest armory or base for your Konoha ninja?"
The copy nin stopped, stumbling with the sudden maneuver. "What the hell for! We have no time!"
"If one of those armories of confiscated weapons, or a village with a blacksmith has some battle fans, I can fly us there, we'll be much faster. We may even catch up before they get wherever they're going.
Kakashi and Yoshihiro shared a look before the former Tsuchikage glanced around their environment, catching sight of a bright purple flower "Calistemon Citrinus" He said. "They only grow along the northern border of Fire country. Near Sendrio valley. "
Kakashi recounted every known village to the north, discarding those with armories and blacksmiths too small to have anything as exotic as a battle fan. Finally, one came to mind.
"We head east, Pakkun, keep following the trail as best you can, I'll hone in on your chakra signature on our way back."
The dog nodded, taking to the trees once again before the three ninja rushed off towards the village.
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Sasori's massive bulk lumbered through the foliage, his great mass scarcely making a sound with the Kage of Suna flung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, a three point seal keeping him unconscious and his power at bay.
The sun was just beginning to decend now from its apex point in the sky, and though his physical body required no rest, every mind needed sleep, and he had not slept for three days already, doing his best to escape the virtual cauldron of spies and scouts that were the elemental teritories. Only now, was he approaching the north western border of Konoha, where he would then be able to move north east, towards the main Akatsuki base of operations. Where the sealing processes could begin.
Still, first he needed rest.
Throwing Gaara off of his shoulder, he watched the Kazekage slam down on the floor, giving his head a good thunk on a thin root which stuck out from the ground.
The former Suna ninja glanced around before he quickly, but subtly cut away some of the surrounding vegetation, blanketing him in the most natural looking bush he could create and hold together with chakra strings before Sasori himself moved off to some nearby rock formations, compacting his body and folding it in on itself to keep it hidden. And to finish, cast a minor Genjutsu over his compacted body.
It was unlikely that anyone would find them, but it always paid to be prepared.
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It was with a stammer that the guard spoke to none other than Hatake Kakashi as the one eyed Copy ninja leaned over him.
"B-bu-but sir I cant leave you into the confiscated weapons room without proper authoriza-"
Kakashi's hand lashed out, gripping the boy that was probably little over a decade younger than him, by his collar. Lifting him several inches into the air as he brought the stammering youth close to his masked face.
"I am the second Lieutenant of the entire army. I am the proper authorization! Now give me those damn keys!"
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She knew that there was something wrong. That something had happened. She'd been feeling this way for days now, traveling a steady path northward , taking the roads that lead to the villages around Konoha. Daring not to take through the heavily patrolled and guarded forests towards the south, choosing instead to circle around the ominous village of Konoha, towards Iwa's border, and then doubling south towards Suna, where, last she knew, their forces held more sway over the borderlands.
Her caution was only a vague measure of safety, she knew. It was a dangerous teetering balance between speed and safety she needed to pull off. If she remained idle in any one place too long, the chances that someone would recognize her as the renowned Angel of Suna increased exponentially.
As it was, the roads were on constant alert, checkpoints and in between markers, pronounced by lone guards that slithered in and out of the wilderness like lions stalking the herd of zebra's for their next kill.
But despite the enemies that encircled her, surrounding and threatening to drown her amidst their searching gazes and ready weapon hands, they were merely a distant second concern to her mind. The feeling had come two days ago, a crushing, agonizing pressure in her chest that threatened to sap the strength right out of her limbs, while the seal drawn across her abdomen seared red hot, nearly giving her away entirely as the searing heat began to permeate the air with the smell of burning flesh.
Finally, as quick as it had come the feeling had left, simply vanished as if never there, not even the lingering effects of pain remained with her.
And she knew, right then, that something had happened to Naruto, something had gone horribly horribly wrong for him...or horribly right...
It was with a long forgotten anxiety and restlessness that she felt torn, hesitating between moving on with her original plan to evade the Konoha ninja within their own territory, or seeking out her brother.
As she marched through the streets of a small village market, of which she had not even bothered to note the name of, she grabbed several fruits and pieces of food for herself, pilfering extra's and using pick pocketed money to pay for those she wished to seem legitimate over. It was the sudden breeze and shift in the air that she reflexively drew her eyes upwards, finding a metal fan, soaring high into the air, a fan that held three passengers on it, two of which, her sharpened gaze recognized instantly.
The first, was the man whom had, by proxy of their fight, granted her, her title.
Hatake Kakashi- Jounin of Konohagakure, also known as Sharingan no Kakashi, The Copy Cat ninja, said to have mastered over a thousand Jutsu. The supposed second Lieutenant in the Konoha ninja Hierarchy, the first Lieutenant being Jiraiya of the Denzetsu Sannin.
A large man in purple armor she didn't recognize, but it wasn't him who caught her eye, even though he was the most imposing.
It was Temari.
Or, at the very least, it seemed like her, she wore only simple white clothing, a stark contrast to the elaborate Kimono she had been wearing on the ship when she had seen her for the first time, offered up like some princess, flattering her with gifts and such...before she was killed...
No...no not killed, Hinata had jumped after her, tried to save her. The others had been caught in Liang's Genjutsu, but she'd expected such trickery from him. And so he wasn't able to keep it from her.
Had she succeeded?
She had to have succeeded, the evidence was flying away from her right now, carried upwards by an artificial breeze brought on by chakra.
Temari was said to have used battle fan's in a similar manner, the blond hair was exactly the same, and though she couldn't really judge accurately enough from the distance the woman's size appeared to be the same as well.
This was too many coincidences to ignore, to outright deny that this woman could be Temari.
But if she was indeed Temari...then what was she doing with, presumably two Konoha ninja...and not, apparently, as their prisoner.
Had she betrayed Suna? Her brother? A victim of Stockholm syndrome? Was she under some kind of Duress where they were forcing her to do this?
Did it have something to do with Naruto?
Something to do with this apprehension? This feeling?
Before she could even determine when it had happened her legs moved of their own volition, and her arms dropped the thick paper bag of groceries before she took to the alleys, sifting through the shadows before she took to her pursuit, following without a care to who might see, to who may recognize her.
She would find her answers
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
A cold draft within a hollowed out chunk of ice sent a chill through Konan's feet, her warm breath creating a thin veil of fog as it met the cold air outside her body.
Chains rattled and clinked loudly as their heavy, slinking bodies were dragged across the wooden dais, each link was nearly as wide as a human hand, thick, weighing several pounds alone, as though they were made for ships rather than the purpose they were now putting them into use for.
They scraped and groaned, almost moaning as they finally came to a halt next to the prone body of their captured prey.
Prey.
It was not a word, many would associate with this man...this...creature...the one that had brought the world to its knees, stressing the civilization of the ninja to a breaking point, and very nearly shattering it.
No...this one was not prey, he was still every bit the predator in this game. Only a predator that had been subdued, just barely at that.
Many of the Shinobi and Kunoichi here recognized this, and were hesitant to approach, despite the fact that he had yet to move since their commanders had brought him here, despite the seals that still glowed red hot over his skin shining like ethereal tattoo's, making his appearance all the more daemonic.
Despite their fear, they still looked upon the creature with scorn and malice, veiled only by the rapidly thinning blanket of self preservation instincts.
Victims all of them.
They'd been left homeless, penniless, orphans. This was the fallout of his war, the refugees that survived and were left in his wake.
They ran, they all ran, and in them, Pein had seen the potential. A way to create his own private army for the war that was to come. Many would die within the first engagement. For many of them were weak, barely chuunin, starting too late in life in training for even men like Kisame, Itachi or Sasori to do much. But they would fight.
They would fight like fanatics. Firm in the belief that their "god" Pein could overcome their nightmare. The Devil King of Konoha.
In a way, he himself had given them the tools for his downfall.
No one cared for these people, no one noticed their absence or deduced that they hadn't already been killed. And so Pein had taken them in, drew them to him like the desperate masses that they were, gave them purpose; Used them to create this secluded fortress, used them to scout, to blend with the crowd, to seek out information, to watch their targets. All waiting for the opportune moment.
And finally, that moment had come.
And once they had this Bijuu, him more than any other, their plans could advance. Even if Gaara and Yugito had not been captured just yet, it would not matter. He was their main threat, their main target. The man at the head of the world. Loosing him would drive it right back into chaos. He was the strongest chain link that held this fragile alliance together, and yet he was also their one major shatter point.
The shackles at the end of the chains, forged from thick, tempered steel, were clamped and nailed shut unto his wrists and ankles.
Konan stood upon the edge of the dais, on the lip of the stairs that led up to it. She looked towards his unmoving form, covered in seals, watching as the others pulled away, backing quietly as she nodded to the men off to the side which quickly began to heave down a long lever, lowering it until it fell into place with a deafening "clank" which rang through the hollowed out room.
Shifting cogs and gears moved silently, unseen within the walls of this place, raising the chains, higher and higher, until the scourge of the ninja world was lifted over the platform, one chain binding his hands together while two others held his hands apart crucifying him as the massive links of metal were pulled taut.
Though stripped of weapons he was still draped in that flaming red cloak, unconscious. Konan could admit, that it was a strange sight. An odd mixture of the strangely beautiful with the terrifying as he hung there, amidst the pearly white ice that formed the roof and walls, a stark difference in colors.
The other four were gone, left the moment he was secure within the fortress, neither wanting to be in his presence any more than necessary nor having the time to spare, needing to begin their preparations in order to commence the sealing process before Sasori arrived with the Kazekage.
The plan, had been simple, but effective in nature, as everything Pein did.
Though they had been uncertain as to his whereabouts, news over Jiraiya's departure had hinted to the Kyuubi's location, and so, they had struck, hoping that Jiraiya would return with the greatest and most essential of the tailed beasts.
At the same time, they would strike out towards Suna with Sasori, forging the seal of the Yuki ninja. Though the Nibi was a priority, Gaara was the main target, along with Zhuge Liang as a close second. Striking at all three great leaders, they hoped to confuse and spread the two opposing factions around in a mad dash to find them, both sides would suspect eachother, and war would spread across the borderlands like wildfire, brutal and uncontrolled, the entire situation would delve into chaos, causing a smokescreen great enough so that they may move and continue their plans unseen.
Thankfully, Naruto had coincidentally arrived the same day Pein was scheduled to strike at Gaara. A rare fortune for them.
Since their assault team had the advantage of flight, they had arrived first, Sasori was a day and a half or so away still. His lesser speed meant that he was more vulnerable to discovery, which is why Pein, and his other realms were now skittering across the land, raiding towns and striking at random patrols on both sides. Leaving survivors to report back on the sightings and encounters, thus, giving the enemy false leads to chase, and waste time with.
A chill wind swept through the glittering halls, making the blue haired paper ninja shiver, a chill racing up her spine before she turned and descended from the wooden dais, marching forward through the snow crusted wood that made up the floor to begin her own preparations away from this chamber.
In less than half a day the seals would be in place, and the man that had sought to break the world would be dead soon after
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The void of his mind was filled with only an inky blackness. His body, or what he perceived to be his body, floated within it, leaving him weightless, numb.
He remembered what happened to him, his last memories battling against the Akatsuki.
Sealed here, in this empty, dark place he was cut off from the world, from all known physical sensation. Neither sound nor light could pierce this veil.
All but one.
It was slow, rhythmic, like a low thrumming sound, like the faint beats of deep, far away drums. Growing louder and louder.
It was as alien as it was familiar to him, and on some level he knew what this was. Who approached him now.
He wasn't sure if she was close, or far...but he knew she was coming.
'Have you come...to watch me die?'