The Last Prayer

Part 35 :: Shark Attack

KABUTO

"We must find her," Kabuto hears his master say.

In the deep dark tunnels of their underground base, a detached Kabuto follows his leader toward the surface as he asks, "are you certain she'd be able to counteract your poison in time?"

Kabuto knows the questions he needs to ask, the faces he needs to make, the interest he needs to show, but with every passing day he feels less and less, and the trend worries him, for Orochimaru doesn't allow anyone in his service to lessen in any way. Staring at Orochimaru's back, Kabuto can't help but think how thin the man is, yet he follows his leader up the final step of their base under the heavy vegetation of the dense forest.

As Kabuto activates the entrance's traps, Orochimaru slowly asserts, "never allow waiting to become a habit, Kabuto," making his hands pause. "Moreover," Orochimaru adds. "There's some satisfaction to be had in killing one of Sensei's precious students before his end. The wind of change is the only true tyrant of this world and I will outlive it."

"And Sasuke," Kabuto asks.

"I think it's about time we send those four to the leaf," the snake leader responds, to which Kabuto listlessly nods. "Sasuke should be ready."

KURENAI

Suddenly feeling the sun's heat beat on her more angrily, Kurenai voices what's on Anko's mind as well, "Uchiha Itachi."

Ignoring any irrelevant information, Kurenai won't focus on why Itachi has returned, and instead, both Anko and Kurenai are recalling his abilities and combat prowess; graduated everything early, became a Chūnin without a team, became Anbu captain at thirteen, and of course, murdered nearly every member of the formidable Uchiha clan in a single night. He's one of the most capable shinobi Konoha has ever produced, and in a situation like this, Anko and Kurenai have to be perfect if they want to arrest the dangerous Sharingan user without dying.

The sharp-eyed Itachi tosses his straw-hat to the side and unclasps his high collar, revealing his strikingly composed, yet menacing, countenance, calmly staring at them as the larger man also removes his circular straw-hat. From the pale blue-skinned man's hitai-ate and the sketch in their bingo book, both Kurenai and Anko can guess who the tall man is; a notorious missing-nin from Hidden Mist on every nation's wanted list, only adding to their predicament. Kurenai will count delaying these formidable shinobi until reinforcements arrive as a success.

"I should introduce myself," the taller, drab-skinned man starts. His sharp teeth bare down into a grin as he speaks, "Hoshigaki Kisame. I hope we get along."

"You've got a lot of nerve coming back here," Kurenai tells Itachi, subtly informing Anko that delaying them via conversation is their best tactic.

"Yūhi Kurenai, Mitarashi Anko," Itachi peacefully begins. "I have no intention of killing you. Nevertheless, if you do not step aside, you will die."

"That's rich coming from you," Anko retorts. "Were the women and children you slaughtered in their homes and beds 'in your way' too?"

Kisame lazily points out, "they're trying to stall," before effortlessly smashing the tip of his wrapped long-sword several inches into the concrete sidewalk, creating a small plum of dust. "Itachi, this ain't a reunion. Let's kill em and go."

"So be it," Itachi easily agrees.

Before the pair of missing-nin react, Anko summons snakes to release from her overcoat as Kurenai swirls away from view like evaporating mist. Feeling her genjutsu ensnare Itachi and Kisame, Kurenai materializes out of a tree to stab them with kunai in her hand, ready to stab Itachi in the neck, but from that second to the very next, she sees his red eyes before finding herself in her own snare and bound by her tree. Kurenai bites her lower lip hard enough to draw blood, breaking out of the reverse genjutsu just in time to avoid Itachi's kunai from slashing her neck open