Chapter 2
Opening my eyes I sigh and perform the hand signs necessary for the jutsu. "We have company." I speak aloud even though it was unnecessary. "Two teams. One coming from the direction of the sand. A four man team. Another four man team coming from the direction of the fire."
There was no response momentarily and I sat there waiting quietly. "Yes, Zetsu sees them. One led by Might guy coming from Konoha and the other Kakashi Hatake leading the team from the sand. Stay put." Is all he said before I felt him break the jutsu. Leaning my head back against the tree I close my eyes. Guy's team, and my old team huh. So that's where they were going the other day. The sand called for the leaf's aid. How the tides have turned I guess.
One thing is certain though. If they see me, they may wish to capture me. I may have to fight against my old team today because there is no way I am going back to be interrogated again. I couldn't help but smirk at the thought. I don't even know if they've labeled me a rogue ninja or figured the Akatsuki came back for me and took me. It would be pretty interesting to find out which.
I can feel Itachi's and Kisame's energies confronting the two teams. Leaving me to wait and see what happens. From the surge of the teams energies I tilt my head feeling the battles play out. They have all grown stronger since I last seen them. Neji, Ten-Ten, Lee, Guy. Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, and an elderly woman whose body has been riddled by age. Both fights were on going though the one I am most interested in was Itachi's. He was toying with them like usual and trying not to use too much Chakra. Their jobs, bide time using a certain portion of their Chakra. Jobs only they could do amongst the main Akatsuki force.
Five minutes. That is all they could stall them with the limited amount of Chakra. They did, however manage to slow both teams down. Both teams were now resting so they can regain their strength. Moving my attention to the hideout I pull out my canister and bring it to my lips. Letting the sweet sticky liquid slide down my throat. The body of the Jinjuriki hits the ground in a heap, life absent from the body. Another ninja, dead. I frown to myself and sigh. I hate it. It makes me sick and since I'm helping them, I'm just as guilty. Most of these Jinjuriki have done nothing wrong. They were cursed to living lives being hated and ostracized only to end up being killed by the Akatsuki. Most of them were hated enough that no one came looking for them.
All I can think of is at least now their existences are no longer tormented and tortured. Infact stealing the tailed beasts from the lands just means that they can't force that fate onto anyone else again. That is the only good thing about all of this. Pein says sacrificing a few is necessary to save the future. That I know, all too well. In the Death note world it was necessary as well. I just wish we could find a way that Naruto doesn't have to share the same fate. If there was a way to extract the beast from within him without killing him, that would be amazing.
Opening my eyes I look down at the entrance to the hideout as four ninja leap down onto the water in front of it. Tilting my head I take in the side of the small figures, I could see two wearing green, one pink, and another white. So the first to get here is Guy's team. It didn't take long for the next team to land on the water behind the first. They were talking but I am too far to hear what is being said and my energy blanket is thin enough I can't focus on their lip movement. Until the one in white brings his hands in a hand sign up to his face igniting his chakra. I watch as he takes a few seconds before he turns around and looks in my direction. "Well, it seems my position has been compromised." I sigh and stand as the other seven of them turn to look in the same direction.
It was then one of them disappears in a blur. Sighing I jump off the tree just before the kick that was meant for me hits the branch where I had been sitting. Jumping down to the water I sigh coming face to face with them as Kakashi lands next to Naruto. Reaching up slowly I watch their eyes taking in my every move as they all are ready to pounce. I pull my hat further down over my face in silence. Seeing Naruto so angry he was shaking. "What have you done with Gaara!" He finally yells at me. Gaara? That was the Jinjuriki's name? Huh. How did he ever become Kazekage?
I guess I don't feel so bad about this one dying. He, was a killer. This made me smile which upset Naruto even more. "Answer me!" He yells just before he runs at me. "Naruto, wait!" Kakashi calls to him too late. Jumping up I plant a gloved hand onto Naruto's head pushing him down face first into the water. Placing a foot on his back I leap higher and land on the boulder that was now behind them blocking the entrance to the hideout making Naruto yell in anger and frustration as he gets up.
Kakashi walks over to Naruto and places a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down Naruto we don't even know what they are capable of."
"I know Kakashi I know, but." Naruto starts before Kakashi looks up at me. "We are here for the Kazekage." He states and I let out a low sigh.
"He's inside." I answer making their eyes widen at my voice. Sakura absentmindedly takes a step forward towards me. Her eyes quivering full of emotion. Reaching up again I remove my hat and hold it down at my side with my left hand. Of course they didn't realize it was me until I spoke. The Akatsuki aren't supposed to be discernible from one another which is why we wear our straw hats, the same cloaks and greyish blue pants with matching sandals with purple nail polish on our fingers and toes. The only thing different about our outfits are generally our shirts which are kept hidden by our cloaks.
Using my right hand I unfasten the top few buttons up my cloak to give full view of my face to them. My eyes moving from Sakura to Naruto who as well was staring up at me in disbelief. "Kira.." He gasps up at me and I smile.
"Long time no see Naruto.. Sakura... and.." I move my eyes over to Kakashi his right dark eye softening up at me. "Kakashi."
"I thought..." Sakura almost whispers causing me to look down at her. Jumping down I land in front of the boulder, leaning back against it.
"We thought, Orochimaru had you! What's going on?!" Naruto shouts and I reach up to rub my ear with my free hand. His voice still affects my hearing. Tch. Will he ever learn to be quieter?
I sigh and look at the others making sure they weren't planning anything. It seems however they were on guard but letting us talk. I look to Lee and actually smirk. "Told you, Lee. That your injuries wouldn't keep you down. It's good you are back up to full strength again." I then look back to Naruto.
"Kira... you're apart of the Akatsuki?" Naruto speaks up again and I look to meet his pain filled gaze. I tilt my head at his words.
"You guys really didn't know?" I ask in return now looking to Kakashi.
"We thought you left after.. What happened." He says vaguely in answer to my question.
"I have to make this quick, my friends inside are impatient." I tell him notioning with my head back to the boulder. "But I will tell you this much. Naruto was off with the toad sage, Sasuke was in the hospital being watched over by Sakura and you, Kakashi. You were still unconscious from your fight with Itachi. I was out training when the Akatsuki returned for me."
Putting my hat back on I nearly look down as I pull the rim down over my eyes again. Over three years and they didn't even bother to find out what happened to me. I knew it. Only Sasuke mattered to them. Not me. "Your friends? Are you freakin kidding me?!" Naruto shouts and I sigh. "What would make you think you're better off with scum like them?!" He's losing his temper again.. Leaping forward I land next to Naruto on the opposite side of him as Kakashi making them gasp as my speed.
"You want to know why, Naruto?" I tell him softly as he just looks head of him. Not making a single move to thwart anything I was planning. "That time I was in the hospital, do you remember that?"
"Kira, don't." Kakashi tries to warn his voice showing a bit of panic and I knew then, everyone is listening.
"Your precious Third Hokage, had me tortured for nearly an entire month." I growl as I narrow my eyes ahead of me. "That, is who hurt me so badly. Your precious village." I close my eyes for a moment hearing his heart hammering in his chest, his breath catching. He's frozen at the thought.
Feeling Sakura subconsciously take a step towards us I slowly raise my hand as it begins to glow blue. My energy stretching from my hand outwards in the shape of a blade glancing in her direction as a warning before bringing my face closer to Naruto. "If it weren't for the Akatsuki I would still be stuck in that village, surrounded by everyone who betrayed my trust. Being kept awake by nightmares of my month of hell. I would still be weak." I look out of the corner of my eye at the others as I open my mouth showing my fangs.
"I.. Didn't know." Naruto says sadly. Still unmoving. Feeling a fast movement coming from the opposite side of Naruto I jump away from him abandoning his neck. I watch ahead of me as my feet land back on the water between them and the boulder. Seeing Kakashi now standing between Naruto and me a Kunai out that I'm guessing was meant to stop me from sinking my fangs into Naruto's neck.
"Well, Kakashi. Aren't you just the party pooper. And here I almost had a free meal." I smirk making Kakashi stiffen at my words. Looking back at the boulder I nearly glare. If I dont wrap this up Sasori is going to be seriously pissed at me. "Tch." I click my tongue in my annoyance pulling my energy from my hand back into myself. "As I said, the Jinjuriki is inside." I look back at them taking one last glance at Kakashi before I push my energy through my body. Transporting myself farther away from them."
*
Sakura looks away from where Kira had simply vanished from, turning her attention to Kakashi. "Are we.. Going after her Kakashi Sensei?" Kakashi puts his kunai away and sighs.
"She's hoping for us to abandon our mission and do just that." Kakashi sighs stepping forward towards the boulder.
"You knew." Naruto mutters looking down at the water running beneath his feet. "Huh?" Kakashi turns to look at him wondering if he had heard Naruto right. "You knew Kakashi sensei. What happened to her.." Kakashi's eye softens reflecting the pain that was brewing inside of Naruto.
"She told me." He says gently causing everyone to look at him.
"But why? It does not make any sense." Lee speaks quietly trying almost desperately to figure it out. "Why would the Third Hokage do that?"
Guy sighs watching his rival. He could only imagine how he would be feeling right now. Knowing that two of his students abandoned the village, one of them even having gone through interrogation.
"That wasn't Kira." Naruto mutters now looking at Kakashi. "That couldn't have been her! Kira would never.." He looks down again thinking back to Kakashi intervening showing she had made a chakra blade of some kind and even pouted about Kakashi interrupting her free meal. "Kira would never try to hurt one of us!" He shouts as he closes his eyes trying to fight against the tears pushing their way free.
Kakashi sighs and walks up to Naruto placing a hand on the teenager's shoulder. "The old Kira wouldn't have. She's become twisted by hate." He speaks gently even though his own words tore at his own emotions.
"The Akatsuki have dug their claws into her. Using her. This is so wrong!" Naruto whimpers as he shrugs off Kakashi's hand. Kakashi looks down understanding fully exactly how Naruto was feeling. All this time he's spent tracking down Orochimaru and training to get his friends back. Only to find out that one of them hadn't went to Orochimaru in the first place. "Don't you see Kakashi. She said the Akatsuki took her. She never said she went to them freely like Sasuke did with Orochimaru. If only I had been there. If someone could have saved her then." Naruto clenches his fists Sakura's eyes widen at Naruto's words.
"He's right." She breathes making all of the leaf ninja look down. "When Sasuke left we went after him. But no one.. Even noticed she was taken. This is our fault."