Toushiro hefted the burgundy sack onto the back of the horse grunting, as the animal whined and shifted with the added weight. Normally, ninja had no need for horses as beasts of burden or transportation. But because they would be defending the northern border they would need to set up several garrisons and hunting food on the border of enemy territory was dangerous and foolish. He planned to create a defensive network of four different garrisons that ran along the northern border, with 30 ninja in each base, basic fortifications could be built the day they arrived, but they needed food and supplies in these garrisons and while Kunai and Shuriken could be carried in the thousands through the use of sealing scrolls, organic materials, such as rice, wheat, meat and even paper could not be sealed in basic sealing scrolls, it took a much more elaborate design which could take days to make properly, and by that time they could already be at the site they needed to defend.
So they would guard and operate the caravan that held 4 months worth of food for all of them, and 6 month worth of supplies, including Shuriken, kunai, swords, explosive notes, soldier pills, medical supplies, and basic construction and woodworking equipment.
Releasing a breath the Kiri ninja wiped some sweat off his brow before he moved to fix another piece of equipment onto the horse when his effort was assisted by another pair of hands, fisting the cloth sack and lifting with him. Bringing his slightly surprised gaze upwards brought him to the sight of Ginchiko with a minor upturn of her lips as she helped him heft the sack onto the animal. "Ginchiko-san." He greeted with a nod as he adjusted the sack.
"Just wanted to see you off." She spoke before looking around their current location. "Its not good for someone to go off without at least a parting farewell from a friend."
The statement was simple in itself but Toushiro could hear what she was really saying, hear the tinge of regret in her voice, knowing that she had not done the same for Guan last time she saw him.
Toushiro smiled as he rechecked the saddle straps, tightening them a bit more before turning to face the older woman, watching as she smiled a strange bitter sweet type of smile before she wiped some dust off of his shoulder. "You'll be taller than me soon." She commented before looking into his eyes. "Take care of yourself, eh?"
Giving a single firm nod, the young Shinobi turned comander watched as one of the Chuunin under his comand walked over. Bowing to both Kiri ninja before speaking. "Sir, the caravan is ready to move."
Toushiro nodded, dismissing the Chuunin before turning back to Ginchiko, who's strange smile still held firm. He didn't say anything as he turned around and mounted the horse, it was brownish red in collor, which somehow suited the young man's own looks and personality in her eyes.
Looking at the older woman he reached down, offering his hand, which she took in her own, gripping it firmly. He knew what she was asking of him, what she was demanding of him. He offered only another nod of his head, as he stared solemnly into her demanding brown eyes. He let his grip slip from her hand before he used it to grip the reins and turned to the others of the caravan. "We ride north, and we wont be stopping until nightfall." He yelled, raising his voice so that those further away could hear him clearly. Words of agreement were heard before Toushiro pulled the reins of his horse, kicked the creature in the ribs, and made his way out of Konoha.
Ginchiko watched him leave, watched him as she had watched Guan leave for so many years, and it was no child she saw riding off into the forest road. "You are his son." She said to herself before slowly turning and began making her way back into the village.
Yugito's wide, disbelieving eyes stared upon the visage of her surrogate sister, vile, demonic chakra clinging to her like a second skin, as four tails of chakra whipped and lashed out behind her. Her eyes red, and more animal than human at this point, were darting in every direction, like a cornered beast about to lash out in whatever way it could. Her claws, for that is the only way Yugito could describe the current state of her hands, twitched. The ones on her feet dug harshly into the stone.
"Aki-" Yugito began stepping forward, her hands held up in a placating gesture, but despite this her sentence was easily and quickly cut off as one of Akina's thrashing tails lashed out, swiping the ground infront of the Nibi Jinchuriki, leaving the stone red hot and forcing her to backpedal in order to avoid the debris caused by the attack.
Akina's actions were accentuated by the harsh sound of her voice yelling out "Get away from me!"
Akina took two steps back, feeling her chakra covered feet enter the three inch deep stream, steam quickly rose as the superheated layer of chakra came in contact with the cool liquid. "Get away." She repeated, flexing her claws dangerously as she locked eyes with the startled, and still disbelieving, Yugito.
The rush of adrenalin seemed to fade for a moment, and the younger woman stumbled, delirium begining to take hold due to the lack of food and extreme strain currently placed on her body because of the massive amout of power she was pushing through it.
"I cant let you take me back...You wont take me back to him, you can't!"
Her eyes were loosing focus fast, Yugito could recognize the signs that her body was beginning to shut down. First would be the current delirium she was experiencing, dizziness, spotty visions, and loss of coordination and motor functions before she would finally pass out. All she had to do was stall for time, then she could take Akina back to Kumo and figure out just what the hell had gotten into the younger woman.
"Look, Akina..." She began slowly, matching the blonds movements as they began circling one another, with Akina soon hunching down and prowling on all fours, looking much like an animal ready to pounce, her teeth bared, fangs and all. "Its me...Yugito." She continued slowly. "Don't you recognize me?"
Some recognition entered her hazed eyes and, visibly regaining herself the young woman spoke, she could feel Kyuubi's instincts beginning to slowly overpower her weakened senses even though the ninetails must have been holding back his influence drastically. Such a creature's presence can only be controlled so much.
"Yugito." She rasped out, her throat once again growing itchy and dry as the water she had just drank was already drying up due to the burn of the ninetails. "Yugito..." She repeated. "Let me go. You can't take me back to him. You have to let me go." Her voice was pleading now, her eyes now having fully regained their focus.
"What do you mean him? You mean sensei?" The Nibi Jinchuriki questioned before she shook her head. "Look, Akina. You're obviously very confused. Just...calm down and we'll head back-"
"No!" Akina yelled, snarling, her eyes gaining a fierce harshness to them. "I wont. I wont be his tool anymore, I wont let him trick me again. Don't let him do the same to you! Don't let him use you!"
"What are you talking about!" The Nibi Jinchuriki finally yelled, frustration over the last days events and confusion over Akina's actions and words finally getting to her.
Akina moved to speak again but the sound of boots scraping against stone reached both women's ears bringing their attention to the side as a squad of roughly two dozen Anbu rushed up the mountain. Their captain, a turtle masked Anbu skidding to a halt. "There she is!" He yelled. "Bring her down!
Both Jinchuriki were forced to leap back as jutsu, kunai and shuriken rained down on the area they had previously occupied.
Akina snarled, her eyes glowing a fierce red as the chakra around her visibly shimmered and intensified. She slammed both claws deep into the stone at their feet and soon thousands of red spike like protrusions, some ranging from a foot to 4 feet long erupted from the rock, ear shattering cracks echoed through the high mountain air before the Kyuubi Jinchuriki ran, instinct and adrenalin driving her now as she ran on all fours, the un-injured Anbu hot on her heels.
The captain of the Anbu squad was about to follow his target and comrades when a hand wrapped firmly around his throat, swinging him back around before bringing him to face the snarling vissage of Nii Yugito!"
"What the hell was that!" The Nibi yelled in his face, her eyes shining purple as small wisps of purple fire darted over her shoulders and arms before dissipating into nothing. "Standard Anbu capture and extraction procedures clearly dictate that when dealing with a ninja gone rogue the Anbu team are to try to negotiate with the ninja at-least once before hostile use is enforced."
"These-" The captain gasped trying to pry her hand away from his throat with little success. "These orders have come directly from Raikage-sama, we were to attack with Ghost attacks on sight."
Now this, visibly startled Yugito. Her grip slackening enough on the man to allow him to slip from between her fingers as she visibly recoiled from the words as if she'd been smacked. The term "Ghost attacks" was a common term used when describing attacks that were meant to look like they were aiming to kill an individual, but weren't meant to cause harm at all. But...why would their sensei do that?
"Akina." She muttered before rushing off in the direction he'd seen her and the other Anbu go.
The Anbu captain watched the Nibi leave, she was an unexpected element in this mission, but of little consequence. Soon enough the pursuit Anbu would chase her to the border where they would do as ordered and would make it seem as if she'd lost them herself. The two way radio in his ear flared to life. "Is it done?" A female voice, one from Anbu HQ reached his ears.
"Yea." He answered back. "My men are pursuing her as we speak, she'll soon be out of Kumo, but we've run into a bit of a problem. The Nibi Jinchuriki is here, and she won't stop at the border."
"Then you improvise, don't allow the Nibi outside of our borders under any circumstances."
"Right." The captain nodded before switching off the radio and running after the two women and his squad.
Instinct was all that was driving her now, the feel of her heart thudding powerfully in her chest as her legs propelled her forward, burning with the strain. She swerved and weaved to avoid the attacks from her pursuers, volleys of Jutsu, ranging from lightning, to wind and fire. The explosions deafened her, making her ears ring and her bones rattle with the force of their impact.
The incline of the mountain increased, the smooth surface slowly giving way to jagged rock as she scaled the mountainside, the hard stone crunching and cracking beneath her claws as she rose up, higher and higher, pulling herself up to the ledge, only to come to a swift halt as she was met with the sight of a dead drop, at the botom of which were the waves of the north sea smashed against the unyielding stone of the cliffface. Turning around she was greeted by the sight of the pursuing Anbu slowly encroaching on her.
"There's nowhere to run now. Come with us back to the village, and I'm sure the Raikage will grant you a light sentence." One of the Anbu placated, running through scenarios in his mind where one of his men would slip up and allow her to escape while escorting her back to the village.
Akina's lips curled back, a snarl slipping its way through her clenched teeth as she looked around, hoping to find some means of escape. But with her back to the cliff, and infront the Anbu, there was little hope of that, and she did not have the energy to fight them in this state.
Then, she caught sight of Yugito as she pulled herself up, above the edge of the mountain. The older Jounin's gaze finding her own before Akina snarled at her pursuers one more time.
"I wont go back." She declared before turning on her heel and running towards the edge.
Yugito's eyes widened as she realized what the younger Jinchuriki would do, mere seconds before she actually did it. "Stop!" She yelled as she pulled herself up over the edge but far too late as Akina leapt off the mountain, rapidly descending to the ocean bellow. She felt some of the Anbu holding her back as she struggled to reach the edge. "No!" She heard herself cry, as she tried to push them off. She didn't know for what, because they all knew there was nothing that she could do at this point. Akina was...
Her strength seemed to vanish, the realization of just what the young girl she had grown to love and care for had done striking her fully in the chest, making her stagger, as she clutched her heart.
'Akina!'
The harsh wind lashed past her face, her hair whipping out behind her as she descended, the speed making it harder to breathe, harder to keep her eyes open. But she knew, as she fell that she needed to do something to break her fall, she couldn't hit the water at these speeds, it would kill her. But her eyes and limbs felt heavy, her chakra felt...sluggish and weighed down. She could feel her body giving out on her and her vision fading, darkening around the edges as the red bled out, leaving only the familiar sky blue.
'Worthless Mortal.' The dark voice of the Kitsune, a harsh echo in her mind as her body fell lifelessly to the crashing waves below.
'MUST I DO EVERYTHING!' The voice roared and she felt her body moving on its own, righting her in mid air, so she was falling feet first. Her hands cupped together, aiming downwards as the four chakra tails coiled around her so that the tips were pointing towards her palms. A small tiny orb of black chakra gathered in her palms, seemingly absorbing the light around it as chakra gathered from the four tails, until these began to dissipate, becoming little more than specs of red dust as she fell.
Finally, as she could feel all the chakra that had previously covered her body dissipating into nothing, seemingly absorbed by the black energy in her hands. It was released, in a magnificent display of destruction. The tiny black ball hit the water's surface, exploding with the force of a modern day missile as water rose nearly a hundred feet in the air sprinkling her as she fell and finally went beneath the waves.
Her eyes burned with the salt of the ocean as she sank like a block of lead, the surface of the water getting farther and farther away from her, and she finally sank into darkness. The words of the Kitsune once again echoing in her mind as she did.
"Foolish mortal...this will not be my grave."
Temari's shoes clacked loudly against the hardwood floors of the strangely designed estate as she made her way through its foreboding halls. She had woken up in her "room" earlier and with that came the realization that it was not a dream and that she was indeed a prisoner in this place...a prisoner of 'his'.
She had found a kimono, folded neatly on the counter top in her room, perfectly sized for her, something that made her feel...well for lack of a better term, violated. Knowing that he, or someone who worked for him, had taken her measurements while she was asleep.
Wearing the garment alone made her skin crawl, alas it was the only one he had left her, and she was not going to stay in the room where she knew there were dozens of eyes watching her every movement. She also figured it would be a good way to scout out the rest of the house in order to find a possible escape. She doubted intensely that he would make it at all easy for her, she'd have to be at the top of her game and have a great deal of luck to have a chance of escaping. So she had donned the clothing, not wanting to give whatever perverted guard a show by walking around in an open back hospital gown.
Even so, as she went into the bathroom to change she could still feel those damn eyes on her, sending sickening tingles down her spine and her fists clenching, begging to have one of her kunai in its grasp again.
When she had finally walked out of the room she was greeted by the sight of Hyuuga Hinata standing at the doorway, her pale lavender eyes as flat and cold as a stone slab.
When the Hyuuga clan head spoke, her voice was a slow, monotonous drawl. She gestured down both sides of the hallway. "The path to your left leads to the gardens, the library and the kitchen. The path to your right leads to the scroll room, map room and conference hall...obviously you're not allowed to go down that way." She said with a quick taunting smirk which was just as quickly suppressed, leaving her with her previous flat expression. "If you do choose to go down there, rest assured that our Anbu, possibly Naruto-sama himself, would find it as grounds with which to confine you to one area of the mansion. If you do try to escape at any time...we will remove the use of your legs."
Temari narrowed her eyes at the Hyuuga, wishing that she could just smack that smug light out of her eyes. But with no weapons she may as well be fighting with one arm tied behind her back.
So turning sharply to her left she began making her way down the hallway, her mind set on seeing the gardens. Wide open space, trees and foliage, it would probably be the best spot in which to make her escape once she planned it out. The sound of her footsteps was soon followed by the sound of Hinata's as the Hyuuga heiress turned and followed her, standing roughly two steps to her right and three behind her.
Pausing in her stride she looked over her shoulder at the Hyuuga, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "What's this? You're gonna be followin' me around everywhere I go?"
Hinata somehow seemed to shrug without ever moving her shoulders as she replied. "Its is what he assigned me to do."
Temari smirked, unable to help herself. "And you're the ever obedient little bitch, I see."
Hinata once again seemed to shrug. "As my friend Shino so adequately put, its better to be the right hand of the devil, than in his path. And I would suggest, miss Sabaku, that you choose your words carefully next time. Remember that the only reason you're not a guest in one of our cells down at the T.I.D is because of Naruto-dono's good graces. That doesn't mean his subordinates feel that gracious."
Her fingers clenched in frustration before she kept walking, her pace a bit faster as she made her way down the hallway.
Finally, she reached the gardens, or at least they looked like gardens, seeing as how the hallway opened up into a massive yard, lined with flowers, orchids and trees native to Konoha. Of course on closer inspection she found that most, correction, all of the foliage she could see were rare bases for poisons, and antidotes for poisons.
My my, why wasn't she surprised?
Walking a bit further into the gardens her senses easily caught the presences of the Anbu, the shadows shifting in and out of her awareness. It left no doubt that she was being watched. The garden was large and the flora was dense, one could easily get lost in this place if they didn't know their way around and she certainly didn't know her way around. Not to mention any Genjutsu he may have in the area.
She would need to be very careful if she ever tried an escape from this location. Turning back around she made her way back into the house, ready to see if she could find another escape point. But soon enough her ears caught the sound of a third set of footsteps and, rounding the corner was the person that made the Suna wind mistress freeze as she saw him. Even though he was dressed in the familiar robes of a Kage this time, it did little to stop her heart from pounding against her chest in fear as he approached.
He met both women's gazes as he walked right past them, with Hinata offering a small incline of her head as he did.
Finally, the footsteps vanished down the hall and Temari could release the breath she didn't know she was holding, realizing that her hands were trembling minutely. The feeling of being infront of him...in his very presence without even a single means of defense; Not her fans, not her scrolls, none of her explosive tags or her kunai. And knowing what he was capable of, it was the single most terrifying thing she had ever felt, and still her heart felt like it would burst from her chest.
'Better to be the right hand of the devil...' She scoffed to herself before she continued walking.
Zhuge Liang walked slowly, pacing back and fourth on an elevated plateu above his camp. It allowed him a good view of Sakai, but he wasn't concerned with the merchant city at the moment. No, Yoshihiro's refusal to join them was surprising and would indeed prove vexing in the near future, but it was not a mortal blow to their coalition.
Already fugitives and refugees from subjugated villages, such as Kusa, Oto and even Kiri had been reported to be flocking to Suna and Kumo with the hope of escaping lands controlled by Naruto and some, in the hopes of breaking that control entirely. They had already made up for most of the ninja they had lost defending their village from Naruto's earlier attack and soon would have more men than before with which to strike back at Naruto, and even with Yoshihiro's official support with him, Naruto would be forced to keep tight on the defenses of his borders. And a very close eye on Iwagakure.
Then there was Akina, she was another aspect that had to be taken into consideration. Currently, unstable as she is she could not stay in the village, which is why he had allowed her to learn that he would leave to Iwa during this time.
She was most likely already in the midst of escaping or had already done so. It was easy enough to let her go considering the options available to her once she did. Try to stay away from the conflict, side with Naruto or return to Kumo. If she chose to try and escape both sides of this conflict which was highly possible, he would make sure this conflict found her, whats more, he would make sure that it would be 'Naruto' who would find her, reigniting her old hatred and desire for justice against him as he destroyed once again, whatever she had tried to build up away from the fires of war.
It was nigh impossible that she would ever try to side with Naruto. Returning of her own free will without some prodding would be unlikely as well. But it stood a better chance. It was a plan, full of risks and relying heavily on chance, but it was the best one viable in order to keep her fighting against her brother in a stable manner. For other Jinchuriki were the only weapons Naruto could not abide...
Then of course there was Temari to consider. Undoubtedly Naruto has already informed her of the attempt he'd made on her and her brothers lives, however indirect. And the moment she returned to Gaara she would tell him, and that would be the end of his alliance with Suna...and that...would be the end of any hope they may have of defeating Naruto, and stopping him before his iron grip extended to the whole world.
She had to be silenced, and silenced swiftly, hopefully they would be able to find some way to slip past the guard detail Naruto had around her, both to keep her in Konoha, and to keep his assassins away from her. Then of course there was getting past Naruto himself, who would, undoubtedly try to protect the leverage he had over Gaara.
Of course that in itself provided opportunity to injure Naruto himself as he tries to protect her.
Something else to consider in the possibilities.
The sleeping dragon paused in his stride before glancing skyward, watching as the black clouds drifted freely in the wind, blocking the moonlight as they passed beneath it. Then a sudden thought struck him, causing a contemplative light to enter his eyes.
'Even...even If we were to ultimately kill Naruto-san...who...I wonder...is to take his place. For he is right in his ambitions...the world cannot be allowed to continue as it is, warring factions all vying for power and money.' The world needed to be united under a single banner. The only reason he opposed Naruto was because someone like him...like either one of them...they could not rule such a world, for it would be no different than the previous one, only the deaths would be those who expelled hushed whispers of dissent and dissatisfaction with his rule. Rebellion would be brimming just beyond a thin veil of happiness and satisfaction. No...that world would be no different from this one...and that he could not...no...he would not allow that. He would not let the sacrifice of thousands of men, women and children be for nothing.
But the world needed a leader, someone the people could identify with...someone they could follow...someone...who could lead a world of peace...
'But...where to find someone like that...'