In Spite of it all (BOOK TWO)

Chapter 8

Naruto POV~

I shifted slightly on the tree branch as I waited.

'This is much too close to society than I like.'

"You just infiltrated Suna and made it out without getting caught. This is nothing compared to that."

I sighed, 'That was way too close for comfort, and I'm still recovering.'

"Stop whining."

I sighed and watched the caravan of (real) merchants walk painfully slowly down the path. I sat there for at least twenty minutes before I was certain no one was around. 

'Finally. At least this lake isn't close to people.'

"Isobu did say that a couple people visited once in a while."

I scowled. 'Not a normal person, for sure. What civilian would go to a sketchy-ass lake like this for fun?'

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

I nodded, approaching the foggy area on light feet, stopping every once in a while to make sure I wasn't being followed. 

'The Akatsuki will show up here eventually. I'm pretty sure, as long as our presence here isn't known, they won't send more than a few people. We can get Isobu to help us take out two members of the Akatsuki, prevent them from taking him, then go find the other Bijuu.'

"That plan isn't very good."

'Well, what can we do? The best we can do is investigate and rally up all the Tailed Beasts to help. We can't let anyone catch us either, so we have to be careful. Once we're ready, we can smash the Akatsuki one by one.'

Kurama sighed, "I suppose. Don't forget, though, if you went up against too many of them at once..."

'I know. That's why we have to be cautious. And patient. But we can't wait for too long, otherwise it'll be too late.'

Kurama huffed, but I noticed the slight spike in his chakra at those words.

I crouched in a tree, peering through the branches at the lake shrouded in mist. 

'Isobu is down there?'

"Yes, from what he told us." 

'Hm.' I withdrew all of mine and Kurama's chakra, blending into the surroundings best as we could. I couldn't feel it before, but now I did; the slight hum of chakra surrounding us, emanating from the lake. 

"This is a hallucinating mist that Isobu made. He knows we're here, so you have our chakra protecting you so you don't have to worry about it affecting you."

'Thanks, Kura.'

I watched for a few more minutes before slowly making my way towards the lake. I reached out my senses, my chakra mingling with Kurama's, and immediately froze. Without a single rustle, I slipped back into the shadows, giving me a clear view of the lake without being seen myself.

Someone was approaching. Two someones. One of them seemed very familiar somehow, and the other felt...weird. There was something different about his chakra.

It was when they came in view when I realized.

'Is that...fucking KABUTO?'

Kurama growled, "That's not good. I don't like what I'm seeing here."

'What could he possibly be doing? And whose the kid?'

"I don't know. But if they're here, that means they know Isobu is here."