63. Drowning

Saw that ^ and proceeded to die coz that's Akina right there.

HEY YOU THERE!

*points at you*

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I know I'm late but my exams are right around the corner and the monthly disease of Writer's Block is torturing me again.

Hope y'all enjoy this though!

Unfortunately its not a special.. its a part of the plot. I really don't have the time nor the energy to cook up something hilarious or Christmassy and I've been sleeping at 1:30 am everyday.

But I knew that I had to give y'all a Christmas present tho so I just rushed to the laptop and began writing. Today.

I updated 'The Life After' too.

hahahah enjoy!

Unfortunately, its short. I had written 3K words but I reduced the length to 2K and put the other 1K in the next chapter instead.

UNEDITED

Also, I'm warning you. This chapter is... well, you'll see.

Get your napkins ready.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

RECAP: Akina has been restrained with Konan's paper jutsu so that she can't interfere. Pain is furious with her. She's the distraction along with Jiraiya. On the other hand, Deidara and Sakura are a team as are Sasuke and Kisame. Each team has a separate role to play which hasn't been discovered yet. They talk to each other using bird summons and earpieces.

Meanwhile in Konoha, Asuma is back and the TI sector is confused. He has a seal on his mind and his memories have been altered. No one in Konoha except Shikaku, Inoichi, Ibiki and Tsunade know he's back.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"Obaa-chan!" Naruto yelled loudly, bursting through the door. He was training, evident to the ink on his cheek and the scrolls stuffed into the pockets of his orange jacket and pants. 

"Is the teme back?!"

Tsuande let out an amused snort. 

Was that a dick drawn on his face?

"You ran all the way here?"

"Yup! I was all across the other end of Konoha and came here as fast as I could. I was with Sai, dattebayo!"

"Were people laughing?"

He frowned. "Now that you mention it..."

Tsunade smirked slightly, shaking her head at his denseness. "And how is your hiraishin coming along?"

Naruto beamed. "I need Pervy sage's help. This is pretty hard especially by using the space-time continuum. Where is he?"

"He's on a mission." She shut his question down quickly, her amber eyes suddenly seeming weary. 

I hope he's alright.

"Okay. You know, this method requires me to bend the continuum, but if I do so without anyone's help it might backfire on me instead of the surroundings. In other words... I might become a baby or an old man dattebayo. Like you obaa-chan!"

"QUIT CALLING ME OLD BRAT!"

"S-sorry don't hit me -ttebayo! Itai!" There was a resonating sound as Tsunade punched his head, making a large pink bumb appear.

"Sorry dattebayo."

"It turns you into a baby, you said?" 

"Well that's my hypothesis. Or because of the amount of energy it would take, it might end up creating another universe, an alternate one. I dunno how the Fourth did it."

Tsunade hummed. "Well I don't know much about this but.. the Fourth took years to make this. Instead of copying his and how he changed his surroundings without creating backlash, maybe you should put your own twist to it."

"What? My own twist?" He scratched the back of his neck, confused.

"You have potential to be greater than the Fourth, even if you don't have the brains. Instead of changing the surroundings.. change yourself."

"What?"

"For someone who is well versed in seals and picks them up fast, you really are an idiot." She grumbled under her breath, reaching down to open the first sake of the day.

"Akina-chan said the same thing to me when we first started it, dattebayo!" A sad look overtook his features.

"Sakura-chan isn't here.. neither is Sasuke teme. Am I the last member of Team 7 now?"

"Brat, you know the Uchiha better than myself but if I know him.. he's not gonna go down without a fight. Trust your comrade."

His expression brightened. "Yeah, you're right! He might just be.. doing other stuff! Or he could still be searching for Itachi."

(Yeah, like plotting against Konoha. Pfftt-)

"Naruto, light moves at an incredible speed. It consists of photons, which have a very less mass. So if you alter your body to contain lesser mass it might just work." Tsunade explained it in simple words, hoping he'd understand what she was getting at.

"So if I create a anti-gravity seal then apply space-time.. no! That wouldn't work dattebayo!" He grabbed his hair in frustration. The Hokage glanced at the watch and then the date as Naruto went on mumbling to himself.

There's no time left... 

"Cat!" 

Immediately, an ANBU appeared in her presence. "Yes, Hokage-sama?"

She bit her lip. "Start the evacuation. Jiraiya hasn't sent information yet and we can't afford any damage."

He nodded and disappeared in an instant. Naruto frowned.

"Obaa-chan, what's going on?"

Just then, Homura and Koharu entered the room, hobbling slightly on their sticks. Tsunade got an irk mark, standing up from her seat with a disgruntled face.

"Tsunade-hime, you've gone too far." Koharu voiced.

"Why are you here?" She narrowed her eyes at the old council members.

"Believing the word of an Akatsuki member? That could end up being a disaster. Just because she and you are of the same clan-"

How do they even know of this?

She banged the desk. "Just because we are of the same clan doesn't mean we're family. I'm looking out for the safety of his village and Jiraiya has gone to investigate the same thing. I can either risk thousands of lives at stake here by ignoring the message or save them even if it is a hoax. The Kazekage of Sunagakure, Gaara has decided to assist us anyways."

Homura's eyes narrowed at her. "Its shameless, asking for another country for help. Do you want the other nations to know how we're weak?"

"Naruto, leave now. Kakashi will help you with this." Her voice was quiet, bubbling on the verge of frustration and the Uzumaki walked out.

"The Akatsuki is an incredibly strong force. The Akatsuki prisoner Kakuzu who was captured by Asuma's team hasn't said a word about his organization no matter the torture schemes used."

"You aren't trying hard enough!" Koharu muttered stubbornly.

"Are you saying that we can fight the Akatsuki on our own?!" 

"Yes, we have no use for outsiders." Homura nodded.

"Oh for the love of... get it through your thick skulls fools that the organization is not something we can handle alone!"

"Konoha is strong and has exceptional shinobi. Moreover, we should talk about the Jinchuriki, Naruto-kun."

"What about him?" Tsunade gripped the desk tightly, her knuckles turning white.

"He should be hidden away while the ANBU protect him. Is the organization not after him? Surely, you would've made some preparations."

"And I have. He'll be kept away from this. I've called Yamato back especially for this."

The two elders nodded, somewhat satisfied. 

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "However, the civilians will evacuate no matter what."

"If it turns out to be a trap.. and they get slaughtered instead.. their blood will be on your hands, Tsunade. You will be removed from your position, no matter what."

She faced the window, watching the civilians gather their belongings and do last minute shopping sprees as shinobi helped them evacuate. "I know."

This is a gamble.. one I can't afford to lose.

Naruto headed towards Kakashi, wondering how his sensei could help him. He gasped, feeling a warm hand grasp his shoulders fleetingly before disappearing. As if it was only for a second but then got pulled back.

Pausing, he turned around to see no one, the bad feeling in the pit of his stomach disappear.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Sakura glanced at Deidara, nodding her head. "Akina is in danger. Do it now!"

The bombs around the city activated as a panicked scream left people's mouths, the buildings creaking loudly and falling down with a crash. 

"Great job Deidara!"

"This was fun, un. Now we have to leave yeah." He smirked at her praise. They headed towards the summons who were swooping down to get them.

".. lets just hope his other bodies don't find us first." Sakura blanched, running after him after she removed signs that they'd been here.

Pain threw Akina's weak body away, her neck filled with red thumbprints and scars all over her face. She gasped for air, coughing loudly as she watched Jiraiya's body disappear down into the waters. 

I hate choking. Its definitely not gonna be my kink anytime soon.

"Konan, come with me. The city is in danger while I was preoccupied."

She dived into the water, holding her breath as her lungs burned for oxygen. Swimming towards Jiraiya's drowning figure, she reached her hand out to reach out for him.  

Jiraiya, don't give up now damn it!

His eyes were slowly closing and Akina could almost hear the anime soundtrack playing in her head as he she forced herself to swim faster. The water was getting deeper and the pressure of the water was making it difficult for her to breathe.

Grabbing hold of his body, she began dragging him upwards as her limbs started to grow heavier and she was suspended in the water helplessly. Akina fought against the water, her legs kicking up and she took a deep breath of the air as the both of them broke through the surface. The air above them was filled with smoke and ashy particles, as an orangish-red hue spread throughout the city.

They went too far with the bombs..

"Katsumi!" She yelled for her summon as she dragged Jiraiya's body on to the pavement, placing her hands on his chest as she began to push it down.

"God damn it I don't know CPR and I only know it from the movies!" 

Katsumi made a beeline towards the two figures, grabbing them and tossing them in the air as she flew upwards and away from the destruction, catching them safely on her back.

"Did you have to throw us like a sack of potatoes?"

"For my amusement, yes."

Akina shivered as the cold air hit her. "Take me to Sakura. Where are the rest?"

"Nozomi is carrying Sakura and Deidara. The Uchiha and fish man are still in the city. Hachiko is heading towards them and Kokomi is still with Sasuke."

"Will they be safe? Do they have his body?"

"Hachiko told us to move ahead. She'll be behind us."

She nodded. "Take us fast then. Jiraiya needs medical attention."

A battered Kisame reached back and walked slowly into the house with a defeated look. Akina stood up from the sofa, her neck wrapped in a gauze.

"Is.. do you have him?" 

The atmosphere was tense as Kisame looked down with a tense look and her heart plummeted. Akina fell on her knees, the reality of Itachi's death finally hitting her as she silently sobbed, her body shaking under the pressure. She couldn't save him.

She couldn't even revive him.

Pathetic. Worthless.

"Where's Sasuke?" Sakura questioned fearfully from the kitchen.

"... He's gone."

"Where?!" 

"I don't know. He just left." He snapped frustrated.

 Deidara kneeled down, patting her back softly. "Wherever he is.. he's in a better place."

"I promised him I wouldn't die! But I can't live without him either!" She looked up at Kisame, her eyes red and nose puffy, demanding an explanation.

"I'm truly sorry, Akina."

The waterworks began again as her heart shattered in two. Dark thoughts began invading her mind as whispers of his name left her mouth, going into a mourning state. Akina folded into herself, as panic and denial hit her. The sorrow left a heavy weight on her limbs.

She was drowning, the dark monsters grasping onto her ankles pulling her down into the deep cave.

The sinking was worse than she thought. They were crawling all over her, devouring each shred of hope she had to make them into one of them.

She had no one to turn to.

No one could save her.

"If you protect everyone, who will protect you?!" Naruto screamed.

It was her fault.

Her eyes turned black.

I do love you guys, but I couldn't resist. :3

All the artwork of Akina is done by RinaLee1990 so check out her DeviantArt page on her profile!

Now, y'all have to wait a few weeks or even months until I update this. If you're lucky, it might be soon.

Have a good year. :)

*ahem* Thoughts?

The arm reached for her, grasping her tightly.