The Sun And The Moon

Chapter 25: Pein

"What a wonderful day it is today." Pein spoke stoically referring to the absence of rain in the God forsaken land. What a wonderful day indeed, Yahiko would be jovial... It smarts... Knowing the truth of this world... How things are dictated... A system Free of complexities and yet so odious and cruel.

"Nagato, are you ready?" Conan voiced behind him. His aver on the terrain... The piles and piles of debris that were once homes... Where children lived...

"I am... The easiest collection yet; the Jinchūriki of the nine tails is inexperienced, unlike the eight... Madara said he would organize someone for the job... I'm intrigued to see whom it will be."

"... Yes, me too. But are you sure you are fine, are your reserves full-

"You need not worry... I will handle it finely... Let's go, Intel says she's in the leaf." Pein gingerly took out a scroll from his cloak, and clutched it tightly in his pale hand, "They will know pain..."

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"Karin, have you located Sasuke-San?'' Jūgo questioned repeatedly. Karin tried her best, and to be honest, she did find him, but she wasn't certain... They were two similar chakra signatures, then one went moribund, then two more appeared... Making three chakra signatures on the radar, and astonishingly, two went missing, and one grotesque feeling one remained, and soon after disappeared. her theory was Sasuke killed Itachi... But those other two... And how did they vanish...

"Karin! Tell us where the hell Sasuke is God damnit!" Suigetsu was running short on patience... That or maybe it was because of being beat by Kisame.

"I don't know, but two new signatures appeared on the map. And one of them felt like Sasuke." Karin spoke inquisitively. How did they vanish... Kuso...

"What do you mean, like Sasuke?" Jūgo asked intrigued.

"I mean apart from Itachi and Sasuke, there was another Uchiha. One with as much malice as both Sasuke and Itachi." Karin broke the ice, Suigetsu's expression was now fearful.

"You mean there are more Uchiha?" Suigetsu clarified, as if two Uchiha didn't scare the shit out of, now another one?

"So what's the way forward, Karin?" Jūgo was calm and collective. But for some reason had no desire to lead, only to follow.

"I think we should go check the battle site, then from there I will try sense Sasuke out." They all nodded and began leaping tree from tree, in the direction Kisame was going.

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"The Akatsuki!?" Ino exclaimed, peril was evident in her voice, "You gotta be shitting me, Kuso! And when I wanted to know that Sai guy!"

"Keep it down pig! What if a villager heard you... It would be chaos!" She shouted lowly, well, what was she expecting from a pig that squealed in fear at the sight of a cockroach.

"Kuso... I can't believe this... W-we have to protect Naruto... But why now?!" Not many people loved good ol' Naruto. But Ino was one of the people who cherished her. A friend.

"You're right... We have to protect her, I owe that Naruto a lot..." Sakura admitted. She matured, the title of team minority was alien to her now, and all because of Naruto; who never gave up on her. She pushed Sakura to train... Never give up...

A sigh escaped Ino, "This is so much to bare, why don't we go out with the rest of my team. You're gonna have wrinkles if you continue like this."

"Mm, I'm not sure, we should-

"Nah, nope, you are coming with me, Choji and Shikamaru! Look at you, you look like an ass wipe!" Ino teased. It took a bit of persuasion, but she gave in eventually. They mate up with Choji and Shikamaru, she told them to wait at Ichiraku as she went to fetch Sakura... Ino expecting Naruto to be here but apparently, her location was all oblivious. Only the higher up knew.

"Hey, Sakura-Chan! How are you!?" Choji asked enthusiasticly, munching on some potato chips. Choji~

"Choji, I missed you!" She swooned, running toward him, she gingerly reached out to pinching the soft clouds known as Chokis cheeks, she liked playing with his cheeks, reason? Unknown...

"Ugh, physical contact is such a drag." Shikamaru spoke. He was hungry... Tired... And it so hot...

"Nah, you're just jealous because you don't have Choji's foxy cheeks." Ino rejoined, bitting her lip at the sight of those cheeks.

"Tch, getting jealous is such a drag," It's was too hot to start exchanging words either way.

"What's wrong with you? I can't believe you're gonna be head of the Nara clan one day!" Ino was irked, he didn't care about anything, At all!

"Mm, when that happens-

"Dare say it's gonna be 'Such a drag' and get your teeth knocked out!"

"Ugh, hearing you complain is such a drag," Honesty is the best policy, Shikamaru believed.

"That's it, you're gonna be eating out of a straw when I'm done with you!" She cracked her knuckles, he did care about anything... Why wasn't he looking here, what was in the sky? She began twisting her shoulder clockwise, he was gonna have it.

And it was at that moment...

*BOOM*

The village shook, indistinct voices were heard screaming in terror, the scent of blood filled the streets of the hidden leaf, and corpse's of children everywhere. Debris flew everywhere where, a storm?

What was going on...? Was that a jutsu...? Ino looked up, Choji, Shikamaru and Sakura were knocked down, blood ran in rivulets from her forehead to her eye obstructing her vision.

Was she... Dreaming? What was a centeped doing in the village...

"Aiko! Where are you!? Aiko- please, enough hide and see- Ahh!" A woman in search for her child, in a blink of an eye, she was grabbed by an inhuman creature... In another blink of an eyes, her head was being violently slammed to the ground... By who you ask? Asura Path (修羅道, Shuradō) It had augmented body parts, mechanised armour, various ballistic and mechanical weaponry. With no emotion it slammed on, and on, "Where is Uzumaki Naruto?" It spoke, ceasing the violent onslaught blood lust laced in it's voice...

"Aiko... Aiko... Aiko..." She gasped for air, speaking to a point of ad nauseam... She didn't know anything, how unfortunate. Tears sluiced down her disfigured physiognom, It slammed her head harder into the ground, her skull was heard cracking... Ino watched in perturbation... Why...? Her vision got blurry... "N-Naruto..." She whispered...

-The Akatsuki-

To be continued