Politics in the Mist «Completed»

19

Naruto had his eyes closed, prepared for the worst, but the blow never came. He looked up to see Asuma with the scythe being held back by this trench knives. The scythe had made a cut into Asuma's hand, some blood trickled down onto his hands.

Asuma laughed, "you'd think that you guy's would know a man who spends every free moment with the Leaf's top genjutsu user would be able to sense one."

Hidan looked him in the eye, he was grinning ear to ear. Quickly as he could he sped over to his partner, laughing like a madman, "you're going to be perfect for my ritual, it's time for you to die."

Naruto was screaming, "Everyone get Hidan, if we let him start the ritual there's almost no way to stop it."

Kakuzu released some wire from his body and it began to shoot fire at the shinobi, forcing them to licked blood of his scythe, his whole body turned black and white, "it's over you pricks, time for beardy-boy to die!"

He raised the sharp end of his scythe to his chest and plunged it in, still laughing. Asuma toppled over in pain and blood came out of his mouth. Naruto couldn't believe it, "Asuma-sensei!"

The remaining members of the Ino-Shika-Cho formation were running through the forest, desperately trying to reach their sensei and teammate. Choji could be surprising fast when he wanted to be, and Ino was pretty fast to begin with.. They weren't sure what to expect with them fighting two members of the Akatsuki, but they knew it couldn't be good. Once they reached the gate they found Shikamaru knelt over Asuma and Naruto screaming at the cloaked men.

"Asuma-sensei," Ino and Choji yelled.

Naruto was going balistic, "you bastards, he was gonna be father."

Kakuzu snorted, "he's a ninja you little gaki. His life was fair game, just like all shinobi. In this world every person is disposable, I learned that in the Waterfall. I was banished for being unable to kill the First Hokage, an impossible task. They didn't care if he was the strongest shinobi in the world at the time, if I couldn't kill him I was useless. I took what I could and left, never returning. The only way to be successful in this world is to gain as much as you can as fast as you can. This friend of yours is worth money, I'm not gonna be held back just because he has some kid on the way. He's expendable, just like everyone else in this world."

Naruto was shaking, "Expendable...you think everyone in the world is expendable...the only people I see here who are expendable are you and your friend. The world will be much better off without people like you!"

While he was screaming, the Ino-Shika-Cho were busy having their last words with their sensei, "No, not now, not yet," Ino cried.

Shikamaru still wasn't speaking, so Choji went next, "I'm sorry, if we had just come sooner, hadn't left you alone maybe…"

Asuma stopped him, "No...its ok...you can't blame...anyone but the...Akatsuki," he said with all the strength he had, "you guys...help with...the baby."

Shikamaru finally snapped out of it, "I promise you, no harm will ever come to your daughter, you're the coolest adult I know, I'm sure she'll be pretty cool too."

Ino held Choji's hand, "Asuma-sensei, we're gonna tell you tomorrow, we're getting married."

Asuma smiled, "that's great...I'm really happy for you...now we just need...to get Shikamaru to…" he would never finish that sentence, his eyes closed once and for all.

Shikamaru stood up and saw that Kakashi had arrived, "you and Naruto handle Kakuzu, we'll handle Hidan."

Kakashi nodded, "alright, be careful. I don't want to add two names to the memorial stone."