Naruto Shippuden Fan Fiction ❯ What a Lovely Turn of Events ❯ Konoha makes plans ( Chapter 21 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Currently the Hokage, Tsunade, was in her office going over the mission reports. So far that had lost three men to the Akatsuki, and Ino had just recently awoke from her coma. She had been unconscious for seven months. Tsunade had just gotten word that Suna had lost another to the Akatsuki as well. The Kazekage's brother, Kankuro. She also learned that had captured the five-tails. The only jinchuriki they hadn't obtained was Naruto, who was away on mount Myoboku for training.

"Lady Tsunade." Leia addressed the Hokage as she entered the room with the rest of her comrades. Leia was Naruto's twin. She had blonde hair that fell to her butt, bright blue eyes, and was fair skinned. "You wanted to speak with us?"

Shikamaru, Ino, Kakashi, Ten-Ten, Hinata, Neji, Lee, Sai, Kiba, Shino, Might Gai, Sakura, Shizune, and Yamato all crowded into the room as well. Ino and Shikamaru were still distraught over the death of their sensei, Asuma, and team member, Choji. Kakashi seemed to still be dishearten over his seeing his student with the Akatsuki. Sakura had been upset over the fact Sasuke had joined Akatsuki, and seemed even more heartbroken when she learned he was dating one of the Akatsuki females. Shoto, was her name, if Sakura remembered correctly. Everyone else just looked grim.

"We need to gather information on Akatsuki." Tsunade started while she eyed everyone in the room. It was true. The Akatsuki was turning everyone into a complete wreck. She was well aware of the fact that her old comrade, Orochimaru, had been killed by Sasuke. Also, she was aware that Nagato was alive. He had killed Jiraya, another old teammate of Tsunade's. The Hokage was the last sannin left. She was the last of her comrades. "I'm going to send out three teams. Two will start gathering any information they can. I contacted the Hidden Cloud village, but they still refuse to believe the Akatsuki is a threat. Those idiots. The Sand village, on the other hand, is willing to cooperate with us. I want one team to head to Suna, and ask for a meeting with the Kazekage. If they agree, then I'll go to Suna myself. Any questions?"

No one said anything.

"Very well. You're dismissed."

They all filed out of the room, and separated into teams.

Sakura, Sai, Kakashi, and Leia. Kiba, Yamato, Shino, and Hinata. Ino, Shikamaru, and Shizune. Lee, Ten-ten, Neji, and Might Gai.

"Shizune, your team should go to the sand village. That trip is likely to be the least dangerous, and you're only a three man squad." Kakashi said. Shizune nodded, and the three headed off to prepare for their trip. "Gai, you take your team and head towards the sound village. That was the village Orochimaru founded. There might be some information there. My team will head off to the cloud village, and see if they noticed anything. Yamato, your team stays here. Await orders from Lady Tsunade."

With that all the teams took off in separate directions. Each member's mind racing with all the possibilities. What if it was just Suna and Konoha that fought against Akatsuki? Wasn't the Akatsuki only a ten member group? No. Shikamaru had informed them of Sasuke and Shoto, which made twelve. Even so, with only twelve Akatsuki members, surely they wouldn't win if they went to war, right? Then again, they had the power of eight of the nine-tailed beast. Still, would that be enough? Well, at least Naruto was safe. For now.

-Team Shizune!-

"So, what do you know about the Akatsuki?" Shizune questioned her two comrades.

"All we know is that there are twelve that we know of. The one girl, Shoto, didn't have chakra the first time we encountered her. Somehow they managed to create a chakra system in her. From what I observed she excels at long range combat. There's a masked man, he's called Kakuzu, and he had five hearts and can use all five chakra natures. Besides Sasuke, the other one with them was called Hidan. Somehow, he appears to be immortal, and uses a ritual to sacrifice his opponents to a god he calls 'Jashin'." Shikamaru explained to her.

They had been traveling two days, and it would take them three to reach the sand village. They were constantly alert, and didn't stop to rest the whole journey. Oh, how pleased the Akatsuki would be. If they could see the terror they had placed into the hearts of the leaf shinobi.

"I can't believe Sasuke joined them." Ino muttered.

"Is it really a surprise?" Shikamaru asked. "All he ever talked about was getting stronger, and getting revenge for his clan."

"Do you suppose he killed Itachi?" Shizune inquired. "If he did, that would mean there's only eleven Akatsuki members."

"No. If Sasuke had gotten his revenge I have no doubt her would have returned to Konoha." Ino replied firmly.

"Ino has a point. That was a reason he left in the first place. If Itachi were dead, Sasuke would have returned. He knows how the leaf care for their own. Bonds run deeply in our village." Shikamaru remarked.

"In the report to Lady Tsunade the Kazekage reported that they traveled in a group of four, and that there was one girl with them. Do you think they just place Shoto in any group, or could there be more?" Shizune asked.

"No. They wouldn't let her travel with just any group. The way the Akatsuki set up their squads is so everyone compliments each others skills." Shikamaru said thoughtfully. "If that's the case, then there could be at least four more members."

"If there are three groups of four, that automatically makes at least twelve members." Shizune calculated.

"And who knows if they have other members we haven't encountered, yet." Ino added.

The three shared a worried glance. Just how big was the Akatsuki getting? Hopefully the sand-nin would have more information.

-Team Kakashi!-

"We're almost to the cloud village." Kakashi informed his team.

"Finally." Leia muttered.

Like Shizune's team, they had not stopped the whole trip. They didn't want to get ambushed by the enemy. So, the traveled as fast as they could to the cloud village.

"I hope Naruto's alright. I wonder how his training it going?" Leia thought out loud.

"I'm sure he's fine." Sai assured her.

"Besides, the Akatsuki have no clue where he is." Sakura added.

"Damn the Akatsuki." Leia snapped. "What are they going to gain by kidnapping jinchuriki, anyways?"

"From what Sasori mentioned during our fight they plan to use the power of the tailed beast to control the five ninja countries. Supposedly, they're doing this to end war, and bring peace to the ninja world." Sakura explained.

"They're trying to stop war by starting one?" Leia asked in surprise.

"It doesn't seem to make much sense." Sai said thoughtfully.

"We're here." Kakashi suddenly spoke up.

As they walked up the gates Kakashi removed a scroll from his ninja pouch, and handed it to the guard at the gate. The guard studied the scroll and frowned.

"We're here to have an audience with the Raikage." Kakashi explained.

"I'm sorry, the Raikage is far too busy to hold a meeting with you. Besides, we have no information on the Akatsuki." The guard replied.

"What do you mean you don't have any information?! They kidnapped one of your villagers! Did no one come to help him?!" Leia yelled at the guard.

"What happened was unfortunate. As I said, we don't have any information for you. I'm sorry you came all this way, but you have to leave."

"We didn't come all this way for nothing!" Leia started, but was cut off by Kakashi.

"Leia! That's enough. Let's get back and report to lady Hokage." Kakashi ordered.

"This is total bullshit!" Leia snapped. "How can they not have any information?!"

"Most villages don't see the Akatsuki as a threat." Sakura explained as they made their way back. They would have to stop and make camp for at least one night. There was no way they'd be able to travel nonstop to Konoha after not stopping on their trip to the Hidden Cloud. "Chiyo told us most jinchuriki are regarded as nothing more than the beast that they contain. So, if anything, most villages are probably happy to get rid of them."

They traveled in silence after that. How could they just turn their backs on their own people? The thought was sickening to the leaf-nin, but there was nothing they could do. The cloud held no information, and they would have to report that to Tsunade.

-Back at the leaf!-

Tsunade was in her office, looking out over her village. She loved this village with her whole heart, and she would protect it until her dying breath. True, she had tried to turn her back on the village at one point. She didn't even want to be Hokage, at first. Then Naruto came along. The blonde woman smiled at the thought of the hyper-active, number one, knuckle head ninja. He reminded her so much of her deceased fiancé and brother. His dream was to become Hokage one day, and Tsunade would make sure that dream would come a reality this time.

Tsunade turned as her office door opened. There stood a woman with dark red hair with black streaks, and brown eyes. The woman had pale skin, and wore a red t-shirt with a black vest, dark blue ninja pants, and flat ninja sandals.

"Yumi. How was the mission?" Tsunade asked as the woman bowed quickly.

"Fine. The escort went smoothly. I didn't run into any trouble there and back." Yumi responded, and handed Tsunade a scroll with the mission report written on it. Yumi was twenty-one years old, and the fiancé of Kakashi Hatake. "Where's Kakashi?"

"I sent him on a mission to the Hidden Cloud village. To see if they have any information on the Akatsuki." Tsunade informed her.

"Have you heard anything new on the organization?" Yumi inquired.

"A message from Suna. Apparently, they travel in groups of four now. The Kazekage and his siblings encountered them as the Akatsuki was ambushing Han, the jinchuriki of the five-tails. They fought, and the Akatsuki ended up killing Kankuro, the Kazekage's brother."

"They have no mercy." Yumi muttered as a worried expression crossed her face.

"And neither will we." Tsunade said fiercely as she turned back to the window that over looked the village she loved so much. If the Akatsuki made a move to attack either Suna or Konoha directly, they would be at war. Tsunade only hoped that the two villages combined would be enough to stop the Akatsuki.

-Team Gai!-

"The village is empty." Neji observed.

"Well, from the information we gathered Sasuke killed Orochimaru." Gai stated as they looked around.

"Weren't there rumors that Orochimaru's henchman, Kabuto, killed Sasuke, though?" Ten-ten asked. She was currently inspecting a hut, weapons at the ready in case anything jumped out at them.

"It's possible the Akatsuki found him before he died, and healed him. Then, in return for his life, he joined them." Neji responded. He was using his Byakugan to scan the area. Nothing. "I don't sense or see any foreign chakra."

"It's a shame Sasuke had to leave our village. He made a formidable rival." Lee commented as he shifted through some scrolls. "There's nothing in these scrolls, either. Just basic jutsu's."

"Gather the scrolls just in case, and let's head back to the village." Guy ordered. The sound village wasn't too far, and they didn't want to stay away longer than they had to. Should Konoha be attacked directly. His team members nodded, Lee packed the scrolls into his ninja pack, and the four headed off in the direction of the leaf village. Unaware of the half-plant, half-man that slowly rose from the ground.

-Shizune's Team!-

Ino, Shikamaru, and Shizune reached the gates of Suna.

"We're here for a meeting with the Kazekage." Shizune informed the guard as she handed him her mission scroll. The guard examined it carefully. Suna was also very leery of the Akatsuki. They had killed Kankuro, Lady Chiyo, and had kidnapped their Kazekage. In fact, if it hadn't been for Lady Chiyo's brother, Ebizo, using the reanimation jutsu and giving up his own life, Gaara would be dead as well. Not to mention the countless shinobi they had lost when Sasori and Deidara first kidnapped the Kazekage.

"You may enter. His office is at the center of the village." The guard informed them, letting them pass by. Shizune thanked them, and the three headed in the direction of the Kazekage.

As they reached the door of the Kazekage Shikamaru gave a few light knocks.

"Come in." The deep, soft voice of Gaara could be heard. As they entered they saw Gaara leaning over some paperwork, and Temari was sitting next to him shifting through some scrolls.

"Shikamaru. Ino. Shizune." Gaara greeted them, then frowned. "Isn't there usually another one with you?"

"Choji was killed. By Akatsuki." Shizune explained briefly. The air in the room seemed to thicken.

"Kankuro too." Temari spoke softly.

"Lady Hokage wishes to have a meeting with you, Lord Gaara." Shizune explained handing Gaara the same scroll she had showed he guard. "She's even stated that she would come here, if necessary. It seems none of the other villages take Akatsuki as a threat, and she wants to discuss with you what should be done if Suna or Konoha are attacked."

"We will travel to the Village Hidden in the Leaves." Gaara stated after looking over the scroll. "Temari, go tell Baki to get ready to travel to the leaf village. We'll take him with us. The elders should be able to hold their own until we return."

"Thank you, Lord Gaara. Your cooperation means a lot to us." Shikamaru said as the three leaf-nin bowed.

"Rest here for the night. We'll leave tomorrow as soon as the sun rises." Gaara informed them.

Since his return to the village Gaara had kept a close eye out for movements involving the Akatsuki. When he learned the five-tails was delivering scrolls to his village, he knew the Akatsuki would be after him. Losing Kankuro had hurt Gaara deeply. A wound that could not be seen, only felt. Gaara did not want to feel that kind of pain ever again. Konoha and Suna were already allies. Coming together for a war would surely increase their chances of victory. Gaara loved Suna, and in a way Gaara also loved Konoha. Due to a hyper-active, number one, knuckle headed ninja. Yes, if Gaara were completely honest with himself, he would say Naruto was his best friend, and the kyuubi jinchuriki would make a great Hokage one day. With that in mind, Gaara would protect both Suna and Konoha, as well as the other ninja nations, with his life.