Naruto Shippuden: Vengeance Unchained

Note: This roleplay is invitation-only, so do not post if you have not talked with at least one of the three members and gone through proper channels in the OOC.

The link to the OOC: naruto-shippuden-vengeance-unchained-ooc-and-discussion-t82992.html


Mifune, chief of the samurai, exited the hut and strode out onto the snowy plain. The Land of Iron was the home of all samurai, hence its name, and they were used to such conditions. Some might have wondered why they stayed there instead of training on the Crashing Waves coast all the time, but he saw the benefits. In the accumulation that they normally built up, the snow was thick and tough to get good footing. To a samurai, balance is essential, as no good swordsmanship comes from an unbalanced warrior. If his men could learn how to achieve perfect balance and technique here, they could do it anywhere.

Mifune only used the beach when he wanted them to get used to different conditions. Sand can be thick like snow, but it can also blow in the face and get sticky from the sea. Only samurai that proved they could fight in the snow were allowed to train at the Crashing Waves coast in a promotion of sorts. Once a samurai had proven equally adept at both of these, then he would allow that samurai to choose his own place of training, with the warning that he would be leaving the protection of his master and fellow samurai. If that samurai survived, he would return when he was ready and spar with his master. If his swordsmanship was good enough, Mifune would recognize him as a full samurai and emancipate him from his tutelage so that he could find his Samurai Way.

The tradition of the samurai had gone that way since the early days of their order, and Mifune could not have been more proud of his heritage. In the current age, the samurai were seen as the servants of the ninja, but that did not color his outlook one bit. Only the most powerful ninja could stand against a master samurai and prevail, which was a detail most neglected to remember with that world view. As his men continued their exercises, Mifune turned to look toward the woods. There were more than samurai out here, with one lone ninja watching them from afar. His name was Chiharu Watanabe, a former Genin from the Hidden Cloud Village.

The chief of the samurai did not know the full story of Chiharu's defection, only that it had something to do with his squad being killed by the Sand Ninja Gaara six years ago. Due to the delicate political climate at the time, the Raikage was unable to settle the matter in his preferred manner. This infuriated the young ninja and caused him to renounce his citizenship within the Hidden Cloud. One way or another, a fight erupted, and Chiharu actually wounded the Raikage in the struggle. Mifune most certainly did not advocate disrespect for one's elders, but he could not help but be impressed by the fact that a boy so young could stand and fight against the powerful Raikage. Such an event made him think that he had a natural disposition to be a genius samurai.

However, finding the young Chunin to give him the offer was much easier said than done. Even the tracking skills of the samurai had come up empty more than once. Every now and then he would walk through the forest and find four to six of his men unconscious. From this, Mifune surmised that he was highly-skilled in Taijutsu. He had also lived in this forest a long time, as he had his own underground tunnel network beneath the soil. Today, Mifune had developed a decoy to catch Chiharu and talk sense into him.

Finding men willing to walk into that forest while Chiharu was on the loose was difficult, but he finally found four brave souls willing to do what was necessary. Their chief shadowed them, being very cautious so as not to be seen and blow the whole plan. Suddenly, he saw kunai blades fly from the trees, and had to stifle the urge to warn his men of their trajectory. They landed harmlessly on the ground, inches from the targets.
Did he miss? Yes, but just barely.

Looking closer, he saw smoke and heard the booming of the explosions. The kunai blades had missed on purpose, because they were laden with bombs and meant to throw up confusion. None of the men were hurt, but they had been separated. Mifune could just barely see a shadow landing blows on his men as they staggered around wondering what was happening.
He uses the exploding kunai to separate them and then strikes in a classic divide and conquer strategy. Brilliant tactics, Chiharu!

As the smoke cleared, he saw Chiharu crouch and get ready to jump back into the treetops.
"Not so fast!" Mifune cried as he jumped, unsheathed his sword, and came down with a vertical strike.
Chiharu saw the blow coming at the last minute and did a side roll, coming up on his feet across from Mifune with a kunai all ready in his hand.
"Your moves are precise and calculated. It's hard to believe that you are almost entirely self-taught."
Chiharu said nothing, only easing into a left stance with his kunai up and his fist cocked at his waist.

The boy was about six feet tall, with a wiry, muscular frame befitting a ninja. His hair was short and brown, the same color as his eyes. His face, though youthful and handsome, was dark with the ill-concealed rage that he carried in his eyes and heart. As far as Mifune knew, he had never killed before, but this was probably the first time he was facing a serious threat as a Chunin.
"Chiharu, you must stop this nonsense and go back to the Hidden Cloud."
The boy stared right through him, then started charging at him in a ninja run, with his arms straight out behind him.

Mifune was taken aback, a shocked expression on his face as he held his sword in a middle stance.
He's...coming right at me? Is he crazy?
Then, Mifune took a closer look and saw that the emotion that had been in his eyes was entirely gone.
Ah, he's trying to trick me with a Water Clone. Well, it won't work!

Mifune tossed a few shuriken at the clone, then turned and swung his sword. The real Chiharu was forced to block the strike with his kunai blade, and was pushed back to land on his feet.
"Chiharu, I know how you feel. I lost more than one good friend on the plains of battle. But devoting yourself entirely to vengeance will only lead to failure."
Chiharu charged again, his kunai meeting Mifune's sword and locking them into a shunt, a clash between two weapons when both opponents are pushing against each other.

Mifune looked at Chiharu with sympathetic eyes.
"You want revenge for your squad more than anything. You may even be willing to throw your own life away for it. But what happens when you achieve that vengeance? What will you do then? Have you even thought about it?"

Chiharu pushed harder, determined to break Mifune's guard.
"If you won't go back to the Hidden Cloud, then stay here and become a samurai. Your love and knowledge of weapons is apparent. At such a young age, you use that kunai like a master. Swap that for a katana, and I will teach you everything I know. You can overcome your anger and redeem yourself by becoming a master samurai."

The boy glared hard at him and shook his head.
"If I can't convince you with words, then I'll have to use my sword to stop you. I'm sorry for what I must do, Chiharu."
He pulled back on his sword, meaning to throw Chiharu off-balance and counter with a strike from his sword that would make him stop fighting. But he had been waiting for this exact movement, having watched the samurai intently for years. He jumped into the air and launched a kunai that pierced Mifune's shoulder.

While in the air, he clasped his hands together with his first two fingers up and his eyes closed.
Ice Style: Ice Spike Jutsu!
An over-sized icicle appeared in the air and skewered Mifune's sword arm, pinning him to the ground and ending the fight.
Chiharu landed and approached the samurai with a calm stride before stopping before him.
"You could have killed me, but you did not," he said as he met his eyes, "Why?"
Chiharu walked past him, not saying a word.

Three lives...I have three lives that I am sworn to take. Mifune...Your life is not one of them.


In a land far from the Land of Iron, nine robed figures stood within a cave. Their robes were black with red clouds on them, the symbols of the Akatsuki, a mercenary group made of ninja from four of the Five Great Nations. Many believed the Akatsuki to be bloodthirsty monsters with no honor or respect for the way of the ninja. While undoubtedly some of their members were bloodthirsty, they all followed a single cause. The leader of the Akatsuki, Nagato, having lost his parents to violence, desired a world of peace. The only difference between his plan and others is that his plan involved world domination.

Since he beginning of time, ninja from other villages had warred with each other. Peace and diplomacy had never garnered a lasting peace, and ultimately, no ninja village really trusted the other. But Nagato had managed to unite many different kinds of ninja under him to one cause. That may only have been possible because of the Rinnegan, a powerful Kekkei Genkai that allowed him access to god-like power. To wield the Rinnegan was to have access to the Six Paths, the very way of the god-like Sage of the Six Paths, the father of all ninja. With this power, Nagato was invincible.

He stood around a circular table with eight other individuals, the main members of the Akatsuki. His second-in-command was Konan, a childhood friend that wielded a paper style of jutsu. Kakuzu and Hidan were both immortal, with the former being composed of a mass of tentacles that could be sewn up after damage, and the latter through tinkering with an arcane religion. Itachi Uchiha wielded the Mangekyo Sharingan, the most powerful variant of that Kekkei Genkai, which gave him devastatingly powerful Genjutsu. Kisame Hoshigaki wielded a chakra eating sword called Shark Skin while wielding impressive water techniques, and Deidara wielded exploding clay that he usually fashioned into different animals. Sasori of the Red Sand was an immortal himself, and was a first-rate ninja puppet master from the Hidden Sand, while the last original member, Zetsu, was their chief spy and intelligence officer.

Today, the Akatsuki was inducting two new members into their circle. One was Tobi, a mysterious masked man who acted like a complete goofball, but was actually quite proficient in combat thanks to his Sharingan. The other was Manami Tsukino, a woman with impressive Genjutsu powers, as well as a competent grasp of the fire and earth styles of jutsu. Nagato instructed them to place their hands on the table, the beginning of their solemn oath. After making them swear loyalty and fealty to both him and their Akatsuki brothers and sisters, they were recognized as full members. Now was the time to get down to business.

"I have gathered you here today to discuss one of the most important missions that the Akatsuki must undertake. We are devoted to saving the world, but if we are to do so, there is one enemy we must overcome. The Tailed Beasts and their Jinchuriki are the strongest beings on this planet, and we must extract and seal away those beasts if we are to have control of this world. Some of you will be departing today on this important assignment. Others will stay here and await further orders."
He turned to Zetsu.

"We must thank Brother Zetsu for getting us this information. Sasori and Deidara, you two will be proceeding to the Hidden Sand Village to extract the One Tail, Shukaku, from the Fifth Kazekage, Gaara of the Sand. Be cautious and do not let your guard down. The rest of you will await further orders, but know that all of you will have something to do very soon. This meeting is adjourned."
With that, Nagato left the room with Konan.

Deidara turned to Sasori.
"Well, you hail from the Hidden Sand Village. You'll have to show me the way."
"Haven't I been doing that all along," Sasori asked with a dismissive hand wave.
"Hey!" Deidara said angrily.
The two departed the hideout and could be vaguely heard bickering over art.

Zetsu melted into the floor and disappeared, as was his way. Kakuzu and Hidan left without a word. Kisame turned to Itachi.
"Going after these Tailed Beasts is an interesting thing. You know they once called me a 'Tailed Beast without a tail'."
Itachi closed his eyes.

"We must stay vigilant."
"Indeed, though I do enjoy a challenge."
The two left the room, leaving the two newbies alone. Tobi turned to Manami.
"This is so exciting, don't you think?"
Though his appearance suggested dark and mysterious, he often acted like a hyper little kid.

Family.

A brotherhood.

As if that were really the reason Manami had accepted an invitation to become part of the Akatsuki.

For the most part of the meeting the red headed woman looked intently at her new comrades, all with their own individual jutsu and skill. She knew each by name before she had even entered the cave, everyone knew who these rouge Ninja's were. All except the main two, though she had heard their names in whispers she had no idea the power her new leader possessed.

Though she was not exactly all that interested in ultimate power, she was interested in the cause of peace through world domination. Could this man really achieve total peace and power?

She could feel the eyes staring at her and the other new recruit. What were they thinking? Throughout her own life she had picked up a few names; Harlet, Harpee and the temptress to name a few. Was that what they were thinking, or was she really accepted as a sister, simply based on her skill as a ninja.

Where Manami came from her Jutsu was looked down upon, using her looks as a way of defeating an enemy did not gain her any respect as a Kuniochi. However, the Atatsuki sought her out because of the way she used her abilities.

As the meeting came to an attend the Akatsuki begin to filter from the cave in pairs leaving Manami with the other new recruit... Tobi.

She didn't respond to him straight away. She left a cold silence in which she checked her nails and fiddled with her hair. She first awknowwledged his presence with a nod and a sweet smile.

' I suppose this would be exciting, except we are still the outsiders of the group. We have earned no place here as of yet. Best not to get excited until we have.'

Tobi nodded excitedly.
"Yes, you're right. Well, I'd better go find Zetsu. Zetsu!"
He scampered off, trying to find the underground path that Zetsu had taken. The young woman was now alone in the darkness of the meeting room.

Outside of the Akatsuki hideout, Sasori and Deidara were on their way to the Hidden Sand Village in the Land of Wind. They had passed the Hidden Leaf Village and were in the Land of Wind, but neither noticed as they were engrossed in their usual argument.
"You don't get it, Sasori. Art is a temporary thing, a breath of life, an explosion!"
'It is you that does not get it, Deidara. Art is meant to be everlasting."

"So, I see that you still don't respect my art," Deidara replied with a smirk.
"It is not your art that I don't respect. It is your attitude toward art. Your detonating clay produces wonderful works of art, but they are so short-lived."
"Well, thank you. I like your puppets, too."

Once past the Desert of Wind, they were at the gates of the Hidden Sand.
"Well, Sasori, home sweet home, right?"
"It's been forever since I came home to the Hidden Sand."
The gates opened, and they were suddenly under attack! A gust of sand blew toward them, causing Deidara to jump back and Sasori to bring up his puppet to take the blow. Once they were side-by-side, the sand cleared to show their quarry coming to them.

Gaara stood there, studying them with eyes outlined in black. His attire was fancy-looking, befitting his position as Kazekage, head of the Hidden Sand. The giant gourd on his back was filled with Chakra-imbued sand, and some of it swirled around him.
"What are the Akatsuki doing here?" he asked.
Deidara stepped forward.
"We've come for that Tailed Beast of yours, Gaara."

Gaara turned his eyes toward him.
"Shukaku? I no longer wield that beast as I did in the past."
Sasori chuckled.
"We don't want you to use it on our behalf, Kazekage. We want to extract it from you and seal it away."

Gaara's eyes flicked back to Sasori.
"Since when have the Akatsuki had any interest in Tailed Beasts and their Jinchuriki?"
"Since they pose the greatest threat to world peace."
Gaara whirled the sand about him at a greater volume.
"I am not handing anything over to the Akatsuki. You'll have to take it from me."

"With pleasure."
Deidara began sending out exploding clay pigeons, which functioned like his shuriken. They hit against Gaara's sand barrier, but caused no damage. Sasori sent his puppet forward to attack, but was no more successful than Deidara. Gaara countered with a Sand Tsunami that caused a torrent of sand to move forward, forcing them on the defensive. Deidara used a pigeon to fly forward, but could not make contact with Gaara.

He was forced away with a Sand Uppercut, but the opening was enough for Sasori's puppet to deal some damage to his actual body. Gaara touched the ground, causing sand spikes to head toward Sasori, who had to pull back his puppet to defend himself. Deidara sent a swarm of spiders at him, none of which survived a second Sand Tsunami. Deidara got clipped by the sand as it moved by, and Gaara moved in to knock Deidara to the ground with a sand fist to the face. Sasori went after Gaara, but his puppet was deflected upward and missile shaped sand projectiles smacked him to the ground. Gaara surveyed the scene and saw that neither of these men would be fighting again soon.

"No matter how tough the Akatsuki are, I will protect the Sand."
Gaara pulled all of his sand back into the gourd, then capped it. He walked back into the Hidden Sand village and the gates closed. Deidara managed to get up and pound his fist on the sand.
"Dammit! I can't believe we failed to get the One Tail."

Sasori sat up, checking his puppet for damage, of which it had none.
"Gaara certainly exceeded my expectations. I guess that's what we should expect from the Kazekage."
"Nagato is not going to be pleased with us."
"I know, but the Akatsuki will have those Tailed Beasts. It's just a matter of time."

When the two could get to their feet, Sasori helped Deidara back to the Akatsuki Hideout. In the deepest level, they met with Nagato in his quarters.
"You have failed to extract the One-Tail," he said flatly.
"Yes, sir. Gaara of the Sand was more powerful than we expected."
Nagato sat back in his chair.
"There may be a solution to this problem."

"What is that, sir?" Sasori asked.
"The Akatsuki is made up of many ninja from many villages, including those from four of the Five Great Nations. The Hidden Cloud has never had a ninja suitable for membership, until now."
"A Hidden Cloud Ninja in the Akatsuki? That could be interesting."
Nagato leaned forward.

"I have only heard rumors of him. His name is Chiharu Watanabe, and he supposedly left the Hidden Cloud to seek revenge against Gaara. If we could get him to join the Akatsuki, he could kill Gaara and get the One Tail for us. I had heard that he injured the Raikage when he was just a Genin, and the Akatsuki is always in the market for powerful ninja. You two are dismissed for now."
They nodded and left the room.

"Zetsu."
The white and black man-plant hybrid rose from the ground.
"Yes, Master?"
"Tell Kisame Hoshigaki and Manami Tsukino that I wish to see them immediately."
"Yes, sir."
He melted back into the ground.

Zetsu found Kisame outside of the hideout with Itachi.
"The boss wishes to see you, Kisame."
He melted back into the ground.
"Kisame turned to Itachi.
"Gotta go. Try not to miss me too much."

Zetsu appeared in the dark room with Manami, who had not moved since the ceremony.
"The boss wishes to see you, Manami."
He melted back into the ground. Kisame had made his way to the quarters.
"What is it, boss?"
"Not yet. We are waiting on one more to join us."

Once Tobi scurried away Manami had some time to think about her decision to join the Akatsuki.

When she had been approached that day by two memebers of the Akatsuki she kept her guard up.

Nagato had sent Zetsu and Konan to approach her for obvious reasons. Zetsu because he had no sexual persuasion as for as Manami could tell and Konan because she was a woman. This meant that none of Manami's signature moves would have any effect which meant clearly the Akatsuki had been doing their homework on her.

Before she had been found Manami had been working in a Geisha house for cover from her villages ANBU but it also helped her to perfect some of her Jutsu. Being around drunk men had helped her improve upon her techniques because their minds were weak with alcohol consumption.

It had been a slow night in the Geisha house, many of the patrons were leaving as Manami stepped into the darkness for some well needed air. It was at that point a large green plant emerged in front of her. Manami's natural reaction was to jump back and as she did she bumped into another person.

Two two figures grasped on arm each holding the red headed woman in place before beginning a long winded talk about how she would be a vital part to the mission ahead. In all truth Manami was not really listening and simply said yes to joining the Akatsuki because it guaranteed safety from the village she fled from.

not exactly the most extravagant way to join an elite group of ninja's... Manami though to herself before the same plant figured man appeared in front of her.

' Jesus Zetsu.' She said holding her chest. She didn't really know if this was something she could get used to. Men sprouting from the ground like sunflowers.

' The boss wishes to see you ,Manami'

Was all he said before disappearing again.
Manami made her way to where Nagato was situated, Kisami the blue faced ninja was already there.
' You want to see me?'

Nagato turned as Manami entered the room.
"Yes, I did."
After a minute to let them get settled, he began his talk.
"I recently received some distressing news that Sasori and Deidara failed to capture the One Tail. They were defeated by Gaara of the Sand. Thus, other measure must be taken on this matter."

He leaned forward.
"I have heard talk of a ninja from the Hidden Cloud that hates Gaara of the Sand more than anything. He has since become a rogue ninja, a perfect candidate for Akatsuki membership. The way I see it, his goals and ours align in a mutually beneficial partnership."
Nagato sighed.
"But it will not be easy to convince him to join."

"So few understand the true purpose of the Akatsuki. They think of us as bloodthirsty mercenaries willing to do anything for coin, having turned out back on everything that a ninja stands for. While we may have done mercenary work in the past, our reputation would vastly improve if more people knew that our ultimate goal was world peace. Given that our latest target, Chiharu Watanabe, was raised within the Hidden Cloud, the job of recruitment will be harder than ever. The Hidden Cloud is the only Great Nation that has never lost a member to the Akatsuki."

Nagato looked at Kisame, then Manami.
"Thus, I have chosen you two for the job. Kisame, you are among the most powerful ninja within the Akatsuki. Chiharu uses Water Style primarily, so with your mastery, you could tempt him with the promise of power and revenge. Manami, your talents in seduction mean that you can capitalize on his hormones and bend him to our will that way. Hopefully, you two can get along, since you'll be partnered together if he does join the Akatsuki."

Kisame chuckled and put his hand on Shark Skin's hilt.
"Hidden Cloud, huh? They attract brawny ninja skilled in Taijutsu. Having him around could be a real boost to our combat prowess. He could potentially become as strong as that Odd Beast I battled with a while back."
The 'Odd Beast' in question was the Hidden Leaf Village Jonin Might Guy, who called himself the 'Noble Blue Beast'.

Nagato turned his head as Zetsu sprouted from the ground in the room.
"Have you located him, Zetsu?"
"Chiharu is in the Eastern Land of Fire, headed for the Hidden Leaf Village. You had better move fast if you want to catch him."
Zetsu vanished back into the ground.
"Get going," Nagato ordered.

Kisame walked out of the room with Manami. Outside of the Akatsuki headquarters, he turned to her.
"This is your first real job for the Akatsuki. Be careful not to get a limb chopped off."
He chuckled and began running toward the Land of Lightning, which would be a quick way to reach the Land of Fire. It had been a while since he had been in that region, and he wondered what Chiharu was doing there.

Manami waited patiently for orders. Since this was to be her first real mission with the Akatsuki she knew it was of the utmost importance that she proved she was a vital member.

Still old habits dies hard, though she had been listening she had found herself drifting in and out of her own personal consciousness. It hadn't been until she was directly addressed by Nagoto that she was fully aware of her mission. Though she had been able to take pieces if information even in her dazed state. It was from that point she decided to always pay attention when being addressed a mission because clearly her lazy attitude was not going to work here.

Chiharu Watanabe...

An odd name. Well not odd, just different. Not the sort of name you would associate with a rogue, simply for it's normality. Manami always remembered that her village had named her the poison rose, for two reasons.
One because of her bright red her which resembled that of a real rose and two because she was beautiful to look at but anyone that got too close was stung.
Nevermind.. she thought because it was at this point she had drifted in her own head again.

"Chiharu is in the Eastern Land of Fire, headed for the Hidden Leaf Village. You had better move fast if you want to catch him."

Land of fire. It was ironic that the boy was heading towards the land that Manami had been hiding in for a long while and she fortunately knew every part of it. Of course she assumed that this was another reason she was being sent along, she was much more than a pretty face.

If this boy were to be her partner eventually then she would have to show him she was worth his time.

"This is your first real job for the Akatsuki. Be careful not to get a limb chopped off."

Manami had not really been paying attention to her blue partner until this point. She could not read him like most men.
She sweetly replied ' I'll try' before hurrying after him.

Kisame had not completely made up his mind about Manami. Being one of the newest members, he was not quite aware of her motives. She seemed to have no particular reason for joining the Akatsuki, and if her daydreaming back at the Akatsuki Hideout was any indication, she seemed to have her head in the clouds. But, Nagato would not have recruited her if he did not feel she was worth their time. He had even sent his own second-in-command, Konan, to do the retrieval.

He had never seen Manami in action, and in a way, he was looking forward to it. This Chiharu character was a rogue ninja, and therefore, unlikely to just accept an invitation to join the Akatsuki. If he attacked, Kisame planned to allow Manami room to show her stuff. In addition to that, Kisame was so strong that he would probably kill the boy if he didn't hold back, completely violating the purpose of the assignment. He feared no man save Nagato, who possessed god-like power from the Rinnegan. To minimize injury to Chiharu, he planned to only use Shark Skin defensively and rely on his Water Style.

They moved briskly through the Land of Lightning, ending up in the Eastern Land of Fire. He turned to Manami.
"It's best to stay off the path. Akatsuki colors aren't welcome here, and we don't want to attract attention."
He jumped into the tall grass, moving swiftly but quietly through the foliage. He had no doubt that if he followed the path, he would find Chiharu.

The walk from the freezing Land of Iron to the sunny Land of Fire had been long and exhausting, but Chiharu was glad to finally be here. Looking around, he realized that this land had once been home to the Uchiha Clan, a powerful group of ninja that specialized in Fire Style. That was before they were almost entirely wiped out by Itachi Uchiha, and only a handful remained. Continuing along the path, he could see the Hidden Leaf Village in the distance. Getting inside would be tricky, since he couldn't just stroll in the front gate. No, he had to remain stealthy for what he had planned.

Chiharu craved power. He would need much more power than he currently had if he was going to take revenge on Gaara. His years of training in the Land of Iron had strengthened and conditioned his body and technique, but that was far from being enough to combat the powerful Sand ninja. The principle of fighting Gaara with just Taijutsu had been tested and failed. His Water Style was also far from being ready to attack such a foe. He needed a quick way to boost his power and combat effectiveness. He needed a Kekkei Genkai.

The most famous three were the Byakugan, the Sharingan, and the Rinnegan. The Rinnegan was said to be held by the most powerful ninja in the world, so there was no way he was getting hold of that one. The Sharingan was held by the survivors of the Uchiha name, but finding them would be difficult, and defeating them practically impossible at this point. The Byakugan was his only option left, and the one best suited to his fighting style. With that Kekkei Genkai, he could see the Chakra points in an opponent's body and seal them, cutting them off from their energy. From there, his superior Taijutsu could make short work of his opponents.

Getting one, however, was easier said than done. There were only two of the Hyuga Clan living in the Hidden Leaf village, Neji and Hinata. Neji was very strong in the way of the Gentle Fist, and Chiharu could not see himself defeating him at this point. Hinata was a better option, but also tricky. Since Hinata was of the main house of the Hyuga, a curse mark on her would seal way her Byakugan forever if she died. He had no planned to kill her, but he had to make sure that she did not die by accident.

His plan was to ambush her and remove one of her Byakugan eyes with his kunai. He could then implant it on himself and get out of there before the rest of the Leaf Village caught on. The success of this plan would depend on moving quickly. He smiled and moved to the side of the village. He would have to scale a wall and take cover so as to move stealthily. He then sensed something and turned around, his kunai drawn to confront it.

Kisame had locked onto Chiharu's energy and followed him to the very gates of the Hidden Leaf Village.
"Looks like he's planning to sneak into the village," he said to Manami.
This was confirmed as Chiharu moved to the side of the building. They followed and appeared before him in the deserted clearing.
"We've been looking for you, Chiharu Watanabe."
The youth looked from one to the other and bent his knees as he drew another kunai blade from his waist to hold in his other hand.

"I am Kisame Hoshigaki, and this is my partner..."
"You're Akatsuki," Chiharu said abruptly.
"So you know of us," Kisame said with a grin, "That's good. As a rogue ninja, we're good people to know."
"I all ready know what you're going to ask, and my answer is no."
Chiharu clasped his hands together and disappeared as an exploding bag of kunai appeared.

Kisame calmly reached out and grasped Manami's shoulder, covering them both in a Water Prison. The kunai blades did not penetrate when it exploded, and they fell to the ground harmlessly when he released the Prison.
"He's no doubt inside the Hidden Leaf. We need to get in there and see what he's up to. Maybe aiding him somehow will convince him to join us."

The journey to land of fire seemed to pass relatively quickly, even though they had crossed through a variety of different terrains to get there. Manami had to admit to herself that each land they passed had a certain charm to it even the freezing land of iron. There was something oddly soothing about the cold air pressing into Manami's warm cheeks.

One thing that Manami could not stop thinking of on their journey was how they were going to persuade a Rogue ninja to join. She knew simply from Kisame's appearance that he enjoyed a dirty fight as much as he enjoyed winning it but this was not about winning a fight.

Time passed before both Manami and Kisame were watching Chiharu looking for a way into the Hidden Leaf Village.
' That boy is really attempting to sneak into the leaf Village. I know he is rogue but surely he is not stupid enough to really try to get in'. Manami knew a lot about the many different villages. Men that used to visit the Geisha house she worked within used to tell tall tales which she never believed. However, word had passed that one boy from that village had been able to defeat Gaara of the sand. The leaf raised strong Ninja, even she knew that.

Before she could contemplate further, Kisame walked out of their cover, she followed of course.
As he began to introduce the pair Chiharu was immediately on the defensive. It wasn't before long that he disappeared into the leaf village.

Kisame suggested aiding him, it made sense since it would certainly gain some trust. ' If we assist him then it would help, however, do we really want to make ourselves known in the Leaf Village yet? I suggest you let me draw him out. The leaf village do not know who I am'

She waited for a response , she was not overly bothered if Kisame wanted to go into the leaf village but in her mind she was a much simpler option. ' I have the ability to stun men. If I can get close enough to the boy I can drag him out before he causes too much trouble'.

Kisame looked at her and considered her plan. The Leaf Village did know about him and Itachi, since they had made themselves known in a big way to the Leaf Village three years ago. Manami certainly could get Chiharu out easier. But leaving it completely to her was no fun, and it would ensure that he did not know what Chiharu was planning.
"That's a good idea, but trying to remove him from the Leaf Village is premature. I want to know why he is here, and we can use that to our advantage to persuade him to join."

He smiled.
"Aside from that, I don't see Chiharu remaining under the radar forever. He's not a Tracker Ninja, from what I can tell. If he gets caught, he might not both of us to bail him out against the strong Leaf Ninja. Most of them are male, so your talents will come in very handy, and I can handle the rest. Stick to the rooftops and get a visual on him."

Kisame jumped, planted one foot on the wall, then jumped again to scale it and land on the rooftop. He waited for Manami, then scaled rooftops until he saw Chiharu.
"He's creeping around the market place. He's looking for something, but I'm not sure what."
He crouched down and fixed Chiharu with a gaze.
"You've certainly got guts to sneak into one of the Five Great Nations, boy."

Chiharu had managed to stay low, but he was frustrated that he had not yet caught sight of the Chunin of the Village. He would need to enter the Hokage's Mansion to get records, but getting to that point at the top of the town would be tricky. Taking the left path up the street meant a big open area that he could not sneak through, so taking the right was his only option. But there were o many people here that he found it hard to move stealthily.
I should have tried the rooftops

His only alternative was to sneak to a lesser populated area and act naturally. Taking the right path, he emerged in the open and walked casually as if he did it all the time. Some of the citizens looked at him because they had never seen him before, but they didn't stop him or ask questions. It was not them he needed to worry about so much as it was the ninja. Heading up the hill, he saw that ninja were milling around outside the Hokage's Mansion. There was no back way in, but the front was not an option with all of that heat.

I'll have to distract them.
Closing his eyes, he clasped his hands together and closed his eyes, using the Exploding Kunai Jutsu but placing it toward the other side of the Hokage's Mansion, which seemed abandoned. When it exploded, the ninja noticed and raced off to investigate.
That should buy me about five minutes. Gotta go now!
Chiharu dashed across the opening, hugging the building's side and checking in the doorway.

The Hokage did not seem to be in, and none of the guards were around. Going into the desk, he opened it and rummaged through some files. He finally found files on the most important teams within the Leaf; Team Kakashi, Team Kurenai, Team Guy, and Team Asuma, complete with pictures.
Team Guy consists of the Taijutsu specialist Rock Lee, the weapon scroll user Tenten, and the Gentle Fist master Neji Hyuga, while being led by the Taijutsu master Might Guy. Not what I needed.
He put the file down and picked up another one.

Team Asuma consists of the Shadow Stitching user Shikamaru Nara, the Flower Bomb princess Ino Yamanaka, and the Super Expansion user Choji Akimichi, while being led by spirit sword wielder Asuma Sarutobi. Not at all what I wanted.
He picked up the third file.
Team Kakashi has undergone recent change. It was originally formed of the Shadow Clone user Naruto Uzumaki, the monster strength user Sakura Haruno, and the Chidori practitioner Sasuke Uchiha, being led by the Copy Ninja Kakashi Hatake. Sasuke has since been replaced by the Beast Scroll user Sai.

He set the folder down and stared at the picture of Naruto.
You...You were the one that defeated Gaara. You robbed me of my chance to be the first to defeat him. I swear that yours will be the third life I take, for interfering with my vengeance.
He committed every detail of his face to memory and then closed the file before picking up the last one.
Team Kurenai is made up of the Fang Over Fang practitioner Kiba Inuzuka, the Parasitic Insect man Shino Aburame, and the Gentle Fist practitioner Hinata Hyuga, while being led by the Mistress of Genjutsu, Kurenai Yuhi.

He grinned and tapped the picture of Hinata with his finger.
Gotcha. Your Byakugan is mine.
He closed the files and put them back exactly as they were. He was prepared to leave when he saw a small pig come running up to him. Before he could even fully grasp why a pig would be in the village, it squealed loudly.

"Tonton, is everything all right in there?" he heard a female voice ask.
Stupid pig!
Chiharu quickly grasped his hands together and performed a substitution jutsu, using up a good deal of Chakra to transport himself out of the village as a log smacked on the floor. It disappeared just as Shizune and the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, appeared inside.
"I don't see anything, Lady Hokage."
"I can sense foreign Chakra, and it vanished just before we got here."

"What kind of Chakra?"
"It has some panic and anger in it. We surprised whoever it was. It doesn't feel like Akatsuki, but I can't be sure. Put the village on alert, because we have an intruder."
"Yes, Lady Hokage."

Chiharu was making a mad dash for the forest, pumping for all his strong legs were worth.
I was just barely able to get out of there. This stealth game is really not my thing.
Still, the information he had gleaned was invaluable. Most of the Chunin trained at the aptly named Training Field just outside the village. There were ample places to hide in the forest, and he could ambush Hinata easily.

Kisame sensed the Chakra moving outside the village.
"Chiharu's on the move. He's headed for the Training Field. Let's go."
He deftly leaped across the rooftops to exit the village and land on a tree branch. He hopped on them until he was a few yards from Chiharu, not so close as to be detected but not so far that he could not get eyes on him.

"It seems I made a good choice to not let you go in there and drag him out. He left of his own accord."
He crouched on the branch.
"This is where it gets interesting. Chiharu must be targeting somebody. Let's see what he does."

Kisame had not been all that keen for Manami to enter the leaf village alone.

It didn't bother Manami all that much that he did not like her idea because he clearly had more experience in this than she did. The red headed woman simply nodded at her superior before waiting for his command to move.

However, before any command was made Kisame noticed the boys Chakra moving outside the village.

Manami instantly powered up he Chakra. One particular technique that came with her unique power was her ability to make her Chakra seem like a pheromone to anyone who could sense it.

' That ought to make things easier for us to follow him. My Chakra flow will confuse him '.
Manami was under the firm believe that by confusing the majority of male Ninja's in the area herself, Kisame and her new possible partner would have a better chance.

((Sorry for such a small post, had to take my rat to the Vets to be put to sleep so I found it hard to write. I hope you can come up with something from it ))

(I'm so sorry about that. I've never had a rat, but I've had a hamster and I know how attached you can get to one. I'll work with it. I had this whole scenario planned out in completion before we even started. But we do need to talk in the OOC about Manami's plans. I just want to make sure that Manami gets a fair chance to show off how awesome she is. There's plenty of things planned to show how awesome Chiharu is, but I don't want Manami to be overshadowed. Part of a good partnership is making sure that everyone gets to feel like they got a fair chance to show their stuff.)

Chiharu was perched in the grass when he sensed something.
Is that...What is that?
He noted that it was like a fragrance but without a smell. It made his body tingle and his blood race. Blood rushed to a certain organ and he had to wipe some sweat.
Man, that's intense!

He then realized it was probably some kind of Genjutsu, but he could not see the caster. Maybe it was just blow-back from one of the Jonin practicing. His files had not given him a complete dossier on every ninja in the Leaf, so one or two that had a talent for Genjutsu would not be unusual. He shook his head and steeled himself. This operation could only go off without a hitch if he did not lose focus. He saw his target getting close and knew that she was by herself.

Hinata did not seem that focused, and he found it hard to believe that one of the Main Branch of the Hyuga Clan could be so lackadaisical about training. It was suspicious, almost like a trap.
No. You're just getting paranoid from pre-op jitters. Do it now!
Chiharu sprang from the bushes and tackled Hinata to the ground, getting his hand over her mouth so that she could not scream.

Though her pupils were white from the Byakugan, he could see the terror in her eyes.
"Hold still," Chiharu said as he drew a kunai blade from his belt, "This will only hurt for a moment."
He aimed the blade point at her and it gleamed, causing Hinata's eyes to open further.
"That a girl. Make this real easy."
He was about to drive the blade into the corner of her eye and pry the ball out, but a sound startled him.

"HEY!!!"
He turned quickly, seeing a ninja with yellow hair and an orange outfit pointing at him in anger. It was Naruto Uzumaki, an object of his hatred.
"What are you doing to Hinata, you creep?!"
The second voice was of a pink haired girl in a red outfit, Sakura Haruno.
Sai appeared and displayed some flourishing hand movements.

"Men should not treat ladies like that."
"I have to agree."
Kakashi Hatake came walking up, his body language relaxed but his eye focused.
"Who are you and what are you doing with Hinata?"
Chiharu knew that he could not just pry out the eye and warp away. He did not have the Chakra.

"You got lucky this time, Hinata. But I will have the Byakugan someday. Watch your back."
He got up and she ran away to Naruto, hugging him and crying a bit. Chiharu turned to face them, the rage in his eyes apparent.
There is such burning hatred in his eyes, like Sasuke...

Sakura stepped forward.
"I'm not going to let a boy treat a girl like that. I'm going to make you feel my monster strength!"
She dashed forward, and Kakashi reached out to her.
"Sakura, wait! We don't know what he can do!"

She was heedless, jumping forward to punch him in the solar plexus for her special move, the Full Blossom: Cherry Blossom Clash. This was the worst choice of technique she could have chosen for a Taijutsu expert like Chiharu. He moved his upper body to the side and grabbed her arm, using Aikido to extend her arm and toss her behind him using her own momentum. She stopped herself with a roll and began punching at him, but all were dodged by Chiharu. He had fought samurai who were masters of quick movement with a sword, so dodging the fists of this amateur was so easy he literally could have done it with his eyes closed. When she came in for the last punch, he pushed it aside to throw her off balance and grabbed her by the throat in a sleeper hold, which he held until she was unconscious, an honorable way to stop a female opponent without having to resort to violence reserved for men.

He gently placed her on the ground and checked her heart beat, knowing that she would awaken unharmed but angry in a few hours. He then turned back to the men, who were stunned by his talent.
His Taijutsu is almost masterful. He needs more refinement, but he's well on his way.
There's now ay I'm going to let this guy get away with doing that to Sakura!
The way he fights is spectacular without needing to be flashy...Interesting...

Sai turned to Kakashi.
"Kakashi-sensei, this guy looks pretty advanced. We should attack all at once to maximize the likelihood of stopping him."
Chiharu was nervous, but his face did not betray it.
There's no way I can take on all three at once. Even if my Chakra was full, the odds would still be against me.

He changed his stance from a side horse-riding stance to a front horse-riding stance.
I'll have to use the last of my Chakra to cover me in one final Jutsu. I was hoping I could use this for the first time under better circumstances, but there's no time like a real fight to find out how good you really are.
He clasped his hands together and closed his eyes, praying that this would work.
"Look out, he's preparing a Jutsu," Kakashi warned his students.
Ice Style: Ice Storm Jutsu!

Chiharu slapped the ground, and lots of giant ice spikes began to erupt upward, threatening to skewer anything in their path. Kakashi grabbed his students by the arms, pulling them back quickly. Because of Chiharu's low Chakra, it could not go very far, but it had succeeded in being enough of a diversion that Chiharu could run back toward the entrance to the Hidden Leaf Village. Kakashi had lost sight of him, and he could not sense his Chakra.
That boy is something else. So skilled in Taijutsu and Ice Style...that sounds familiar...

Chiharu was running toward the exit, but an alarm had been sent out across the village and he found himself face to face with Team Guy. Might Guy gave him a thumbs-up and a wink, his "Nice Guy" stance.
"You sure look like you're enjoying your youth. Covered in sweat and exhausted, but that look in your eyes shows fierce determination! I don't know who you are, kid, but you've earned Might Guy's respect!"
"Guy-Sensei, I don't mean to interrupt your hot-blooded speech," Lee began, "but this is the intruder that the Hokage wanted us to capture and question."

"Ah, yes. Lee, why don't you engage him and show me the fruits of your training?"
"Yes, Guy-Sensei!"
Lee sprang forward at incredible speed, so much so that Chiharu lost track of him. But being a former Hidden Cloud ninja, he had the natural affinity for Taijutsu that allowed him to fight with his senses as much as with his body. He couldn't see Lee, but he could feel his energy, and his own adrenaline had heightened his awareness beyond what this Leaf Ninja was capable of without decades of training. When Lee appeared and threw his first punch, he had all ready lost the battle.

Chiharu grabbed the fist by the wrist and quickly turned his body so that he was at a forty-five degree angle to Lee. With his other hand, he grabbed the back of Lee's neck and ruthlessly slammed him face first into the ground. He then dragged his face through the earth in a circle and tossed him over the wall into the Hidden Leaf village, where crashing and banging was heard. Neji and Tenten knew Lee was eccentric, but they were shocked by how quickly he had been defeated, considering that he was the best Chunin level practitioner of Taijutsu in the Hidden Leaf village. Guy did not seem perturbed in the least.
"Hot-blooded!"

Neji and Tenten face-palmed. Only Guy could be this happy about a defeat.
"To see such hot-blooded skill and motivation in youth is beautiful! I must match my hot-bloodedness against yours."
Chiharu was puzzled as to how this Jonin was taking a defeat of his student so well. He did not have much time to ponder it, as he was soon flying backward.

"Dynamic Entry!"
Guy had launched forward with a single leg kick to the face. With force, Chiharu crashed to the ground but was able to recover with a back roll that got him back on his feet. His head was spinning from the power of the blow, but he was all right.
"Good! A true warrior is never defeated in a single attack."

You could almost see the question marks over Neji and Tenten's heads? Did that mean that Lee, Might Guy's favorite pupil, was not a true warrior? Guy took his stance.
"There's no point in fighting if I don't go 1000%. I'm going to call upon the wild beast with my Hirudora!"
Chiharu assumed a defensive stance, because no matter how goofy Guy talked, he knew the guy was for real.

Guy deepened his stance and lowered his arms at his side.
"Sixth Gate of Joy: Release!"
Guy's skin turned red, his pupils disappeared, and he dashed forward with incredible speed. Chiharu dodged it, but it was just by a fraction of an inch; the foot grazed him and tore his shirt. The warrior was about to counter the attack when he saw Lee dashing up to fight again.
"I will help, Guy-sensei!"

He let go of his bandages around his arms and threw it forward as a binding move. Chiharu jumped back and the only one who got snared was Guy.
"Lee, no-"
"Hidden Lotus!"
Lee got tangled and flew up into the air, slamming Guy very hard to the ground. Realizing his mistake, he fell on his knees and began bowing toward him furiously.

"Guy-sensei, I'm so sorry! Can you ever forgive me?""
Guy made a thumb-up and then passed out. Lee pressed his head into Guy's chest and continued to beg for forgiveness, still feeling horribly guilty. Chiharu took the moment to dash off into the village.
"Tenten, forget them for now. We have to go."

Tenten nodded and sped off after Chiharu. She jumped and landed in front of him.
"Hold it! You're not getting away that easily!"
Neji crossed his arms, blocking off Chiharu's escape point by waiting for him. The rogue Chunin had to calm his mind and wait for an opportunity.

Tenten loosed her weapon scroll and began flailing it about, sending a parade of weapons flying at him. Chiharu bent backwards in his upper body, keeping his feet planted. Neji saw them and activated his Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation, which put up a defensive field of Chakra. Seeing his way out, Chiharu dashed forward and cut the scroll page with a kunai to stop the flow of weapons. He then grabbed Tenten's arm, locked the armpit in his shoulder, put his foot next to hers, leaned his hip into hers and tossed her over his shoulder so that she bounced off of the Trigram field and went flying into the wilderness. However, Chiharu still had to deal with a bad situation, going up against a superior ninja in Neji Hyuga.

"Your tricks are impressive, but no match for my Byakugan."
He activated it and dashed forward. Chiharu remembered trying to get the Byakugan from Hinata, and how these people had stopped him. Who the hell did they think they were to interfere with his revenge?!
"To Hell with your Byakugan!"
He met the dash and smashed Neji directly in the face with his fist, sending him flying out of the village and into the woods.

Your Gentle Fist is no match for my Fist of Rage.
He clenched it.
When you've suffered like I have, anger is all that you have to spur you on sometimes.
He looked over and saw Lee.
Someday, I want to fight you two again, for keeps.
He then felt strange as his body felt numb and paralyzed.

"You're quite a warrior. To have gotten this far when the whole village is hunting you is quite impressive."
Chiharu struggled to turn his head, and saw that he was being gripped by Shikamaru Nara.
"But this is as far as you go. Your Taijutsu won't work if you can't move."
Chiharu gritted his teeth and began screaming in rage.


"Don't tell me what I can't do!"
He shattered the hold on him by powering up all of his muscles at the same time, a kind of surge that the Shadow Paralysis Jutsu cannot withstand unless it is in a focused death grip, which Shikamaru was not doing because he was relaxed and underestimating his opponent. He then turned and threw many kunai blades at the ninja, who was shocked and would have taken the hits. His teammate Ino deflected them with a straight dash using her own kunai. While their attention was divided, Chiharu ran forward and kicked her in the face while he punched Shikamaru, knocking them both out with his enraged fists. He turned and saw Choji standing there.

"I'm not going to let you get away with doing that to my team. Spiky Human Boulder!"
He rolled himself into a ball and came at him, but the attack was countered by a well-placed uppercut that Chiharu scored as Choji's chin was coming up in the rotation, a one in a million shot that he was only able to score because he was angry and his adrenaline was pumping. Choji flew up in the air and came down hard for a knockout. Asuma came down and grinned at him.
"You're good, kid, but it ends here."

Asuma charged at him and began throwing lightning-fast boxing jabs, which were easily dodged by Chiharu. When the straight came in, he pushed it aside and countered with a side ridge hand to the throat, followed by a step behind throw and a punch to the face. Asuma was not unconscious, but he would need a few moments to recover from that combination. In those few moments, Chiharu decided to just leave the village altogether. Hopping the wall, he ran past the Training Ground where Kakashi couldn't see him and dashed into the Forest of Death. The forest seemed empty, and he grabbed his knees and panted.

Damn, this is one hell of a workout. I wouldn't have made it even half this far without that grueling six year training in the forest.
"It seems that I have you right where I want you."
Chiharu hung his head in frustration, then looked up to see Shino with his Parasitic Insects in his hand. Kiba was behind him, Akamaru, his dog, at his side.
"You're going to pay for what you did to Hinata!"

Sheesh, you guys are a broken record.
He turned to Kiba and spit on the ground.
"Prove it to me, then."
He snarled and encased himself in a spiral for the Fang Over Fang technique, and at the same time, Shino let the insects go. It was too easy to dodge the trajectory and watch Kiba slam into Shino only to get taken to the ground by the bugs. As he screamed and flailed, Chiharu ran forward into the next part of the forest and rested against a tree.

Maybe I can recover my energy here and then get the hell out of this place.
Suddenly, he found that tree branches were encircling him and that he was pinned to the tree by a devious Genjutsu. The caster, Kurenai, came out of nowhere.
"You're an impressive boy, to have gotten this far. You wear no ninja head band, but I know you were trained somewhere. Moves like that aren't just learned on your own."

You'd be surprised what you can learn for yourself with enough determination and motivation.
She got closer and put a hand on his cheek, which he wanted to slap away, but couldn't since he was pinned to the damn tree!
"You're quite a handsome boy. Rugged and muscular with emotional eyes. I bet you make the girls back home swoon."
I don't have a home, dumbass.

She traced a finger along his cheek.
"Why don't you tell me where you're from and why you are here? Cooperate and I can make the Anbu go easier on you. I can guarantee you that the tricks you used to get this far won't work on them."
Another one telling me what I can't do. Let me go and I'd crush you and your overrated Anbu.

"Those eyes really do burn with hatred. You're a strong boy, so I can't imagine it's easy for you to be helpless and in the palm of my hand."
Chiharu struggled, but the Genjutsu was too strong. He tried beating it psychologically, by not taking ti seriously, but Kurenai was too focused to let his mind beat hers.
"I guess I might have to use a second Genjutsu to get you to talk. I'd say 'hold still', but you really don't have a choice, do you?"

Kisame had followed Chiharu from place to place and saw him pinned against the tree by the Leaf's Genjutsu master, Kurenai.
"That boy is impressive beyond belief. He always left himself an out, but this time, he really is trapped with nowhere to go. He's desperate and angry. If you can hold that Genjutsu lock on him, I can knock out Kurenai and convince him to join us. This is the situation I was waiting for, where he is forced to put aside his ego and accept our help or face horrible consequences."

Manami smiled, finally a real chance to show her skill.
' That Genjutsu she is is using. I can easily break it. My Genjutsu is a lot more refined than hers. I will disarm it then you can knock her out whilst she is in a state of shock'.

In all honesty Manami was excited. She had not really met another strong female ninja capable of using strong genjutsu. This was the perfect opportunity to get the boy on side, she had been watching his every movement once he began to fight the Leaf Chunin. Chiharu no matter how forceful he may have been showed grace in his movement, she could tell that all his skills were well practiced but only fueled by one emotion. Revenge.

It was on that thought that Manami send her Chakra wave into formulation 2. The Pheromone intensified to the point that most men would be in a complete daze and that women would be able to smell it. Knowing that this would confuse Kurenai Manami came from her own hiding spot and began to signal to Kisame to be ready. She activated her Genjutsu- The false illusion technique. To Chiharu she would appear as the most beautiful woman he had ever seen but to Kurenai she was simply a voice.

The most interesting thing about Manami was she could still see where Kurenai was, Manami could physically drag her from the tree whilst using her own Genjutsu as a surprise tactic.
' Clearly a great use of genjutsu. Sneaking up on an oppanant and catching thrm off guard. However I like to play a much more dangerous game with my genjutsu. Tell me can you sense that my power is overwhelming you. Surely you realise that petty parlour tricks won't work here. Kurenai was completely confused, she could smell and hear something that was not there. She knew it was genjutsu but was not completely sure the direct source of it and was far to busy detaining the boy to check. It was at the moment Manami grasped her hands onto the waist of the female ninja and flung her far back. This would give Kisame enough time to get rid of her.

Manami quickly embraced the young boy and deactivated all genjutsu on the field. She quickly dosed him with her sticky skin to leave him briefly paralyzed so both herself and Kisame could reason with him. She then took a deep breath because using all that chakra at once was physically draining.

Kisame smiled deviously.
"Well, you certainly sound confident. Let's hope you can do it as easily as you can say it."
As she leaped down, he watched her.
"It's pass or fail time. Show me why Nagato wanted you in the Akatsuki."

Chiharu was still struggling against Kurenai's Genjutsu. He was hoping that since her focus was geared toward casting a second Genjutsu, he could use that lapse to break free. But Kurenai was a genius, not letting her mind wander too far. Perhaps she had seen Shikamaru's weakness and knew not to stretch herself too thin? Chiharu hated to admit it, but getting out of this prison was looking more and more impossible by the minute. He was also starting to get scared about how long they might hold him here, that withstanding the mental pressure of Genjutsu might just be the beginning of his problems.

That was when he smelled the same scent from before. It had the same effect, but it was stronger this time. Even Chiharu found himself panting like a dog and he felt his heart racing.
What is this feeling? Is this the second Genjutsu Kurenai mentioned? If so, it's certainly more effective.

He looked at Kurenai and found his eyes drifting down toward her breasts. He suddenly had the strong inclination to touch them. The one who held him captive had her eyes closed, and he was glad that she could not see him ogling her. It would not jive with his defiant attitude. But then he saw a woman coming toward him that blew his mind. She was even more beautiful than Kurenai, with flaming red hair and beautiful blue eyes.

The woman seemed familiar, but he could not place her. As she walked, she shed her clothing and was soon naked before him. Her stomach was flat, her legs toned, and her breasts were full and jiggled in such a feminine way as she walked toward him. He was now trying to break out of the Genjutsu for a whole different reason. The animal in him had taken control, and the hatred that gripped his soul had vanished from his eyes. He wanted more than anything to break free and mate with this woman.

As she got closer, Kurenai disappeared. He didn't really notice, but because of the illusion, he couldn't see the real Manami throwing Kurenai back, and he definitely couldn't see Kisame come down from the tree and slam her into the ground with the blunt end of Shark Skin. The naked woman embraced him and he could smell the fragrance of her skin. He moaned and wanted to get at her, but his mind suddenly clouded over. He blacked out for a minute, and when he woke up, he had to adjust to the light. He saw Kurenai lying unconscious, and the two Akatsuki members from before standing before him.

Chiharu looked at the woman, still not himself again. The Genjutsu had done what many others could not do, broken down the cold warrior fixated on revenge and shown what Chiharu had used to be like. The kindness and warmth in his eyes blazed once again, and he looked at her in pleading admiration.
"It was a lie..."
He looked down and closed his eyes. When they opened again, his eyes were cold and full of rage, just like they had been prior to any of the Genjutsu happening.

The Genjutsu he was stuck with now was like the Shadow Paralysis Jutsu, only a lot more devious. Tensing his muscles would do no good on this stuff. He was just as trapped as before, and it really ticked him off.
"You dirty Akatsuki bastards. I should have known you wouldn't give up that easily."
He spit at them.

"I won't join you. I won't! You honorless dogs! I may be a rogue ninja but I still have my pride!"
He struggled with the Genjutsu.
"Dammit!"

Kisame approached him, paying no heed to Chiharu's abuse.
"You did great Manami. I now see what Nagato saw. You are worthy of the Akatsuki. Any doubters in our ranks will hear this story and know that your usefulness cannot be denied. I'll see to it that from now on, you'll be recognized as full-member of the Akatsuki with all privileges and respect being given."

He turned to Chiharu.
"But you're in a bind, Chiharu. Your talent is incredible, but your future looks bleak. After what you did to the Hidden Leaf Village, the Hokage will definitely deploy the Anbu Black Ops. Those are the guys who kill on sight with no questions asked. At best you'll be in prison, and at worst, you'll be dead."

Chiharu looked at him defiantly, but the truth of Kisame's words had stilled his tongue.
"I know what you're thinking, boy. You're thinking that you'll escape the village when the Genjutsu wears off. But it won't wear off for at least an hour. Your Chakra will recover, but that is more a curse than a blessing right now. With your Chakra being able to be sensed again, the Tracker Ninjas will hunt you down and kill you in minutes if you're lucky."

Kisame's sharky eyes glittered.
"I know all of this because I used to be a Tracker Ninja in the Bloody Mist. I had blood on my hands long before I was your age."
Chiharu met his gaze steadily, but the anger had died down a bit.
"You're only hope is us, kid. Let us help you, and we'll take you someplace safe."

Chiharu quickly scanned through his options and realized that he had only two. He could either join them or die sooner or later. His revenge would never be carried out if he died first. So, he did the hardest thing he had probably done in his life: he swallowed his pride and admitted that he needed help.
"All right, fine. I'll go with you if you'll get me out of here."

Kisame smiled.
"Smart kid."
He turned to Manami.
"Get him out of here. I'll cover your escape. Shark Skin and I are more than enough for these weak ninja."

The boy's reaction once he awoke was enough to tell Manami that he had really felt the full effects of her genjutsu. The same could be said for Kurenai who was now lying in a broken heap on the floor, though she was still breathing.

As Chiharu spat at the two Akatsuki, Manami could not help but smile. Poor soul had probably never even kissed a girl and here he was being shown the whole thing.

She then turned to Kisame ' Thank you, I am glad you appreciate what I can do. If you are lucky you might get to see that it isn't just the genjutsu that makes men hot'. Of course she was referring to her fire style but she wondered whether Kisame would take this as a sexual advance. Either way she did not really care.

It was at that moment the boy and Kisame began to talk seriously. Of course the boy seemed totally against the idea of joining the Akatsuki but right now he really had no choice but to go with Kismae and Manami. They were both his only hope of survival, especially after the does of Pheromone he had inhaled from Manami. Most adult ninja's were weak for at least an hour after so she couldn't imagine the effect it would have on a teenage boy.

Once the boy agreed to go with them Kisame gave Manami her next orders.

"Get him out of here. I'll cover your escape. Shark Skin and I are more than enough for these weak ninja.".

Manami turned on her sticky skin again but only very low. Enough to lower the boys heart rate in case he tried to attack her once they left Kisame. The cradled him in her arms like a small child, it would have been odd seeing a woman holding a young man but Manami had plenty of experience carrying unconscious men.

Once she had the boy firmly in her grap she set of into the tree's with him. Jumping from branch to branch Manami often glanced at the boy in her arms who in all honesty looked quite comfortable with his head resting against her breasts.
' You made the smart decision, I'll give you that. You did very well fending off all those Ninja's single handed. Though you are very lucky we were following you and that I am an expert in Genjutsu'.. Her voice was almost teasing. She wanted to gauge the boys reaction before stopping her sticky skin technique and making camp. It was crucial that he was calm upon Kisame's arrival so the the three could discuss him joining like adults.

Kisame smiled at Manami's double entendre.
"Fire Style definitely can make someone hot. But get going. It won't be long before somebody gets here."
He took Shark Skin off of his shoulder and took a stance with it. This stance would ensure that none would pass him unless they wanted to be maimed or dead.

Chiharu hated everything about this situation. He was paralyzed and forced to have the woman who had blown his mind with sex carry him out of the village like a baby. It wasn't anger he was feeling so much as embarrassment. What made it more embarrassing than how it looked was the fact that he legitimately could do nothing about it. He was trapped, and he knew it. But that didn't mean he had to like it!

However, maybe what had him so worked up was his hormones. He had never even kissed a girl, and now this woman had stripped completely for him. It was all an illusion, yes, but he didn't doubt that her real body was just as hot.
I just know that Kanzaki and Matsumura are laughing at me right now. They used to tease me about this girl back home, so I have no doubt that they would laugh their butts off if they had seen me lust after this chick like a dog looking to mate.
He then thought about his Master.

Master Hee always used to be so good about it. He would let Matsumura and Kanzaki laugh at me until I was red in the face, and then he would make a wise speech about the future. He never mentioned hormones or sex, but he knew we'd be ready for them when we got to the things he wanted to show us. Master, guys...I miss you.
For the first time in six years, Chiharu actually smiled. His eyes were no longer cold and angry, but warm and kind, like his heart underneath all of the anger and despair.

His head rested against her breasts, and though the man in him was turned on by this, the boy remembered his mother. His poor gentle mother cut down in her prime, and her father cut down with her. It wasn't the Sand responsible, but Ninja from the Hidden Rain. They wanted to advance some political agenda, and for some reason that couldn't happen. He remembered his parents leaving for the Third Great Ninja War and never coming back. He had made peace with the passing of his parents by adopting his friends as brothers and his Master as his father.

However, there had never been anyone to take the role of a mother in his life. The sweet girl he knew, Rhea, had wanted to be close to him. He liked her, too, but Matsumura and Kanzaki made it so unbearable for him that he avoided her. Poor Rhea blamed herself and became very shy. He had actually been planning to meet with Rhea in secret the day he was sent out to intercept Gaara of the Sand. After that, a lust for revenge and a frustration with his leader killed the kindness in his heart and caused him to want to walk a lonely path.

Then, she began to talk to him. She teased him a bit, but her voice was kind and caring. He looked at her, and he was himself again.
"I didn't...do it single-handedly."
His hand trembled as it laid over his heart.
"Kanzaki...Matsumura...Hee...they are with me."

Chiharu then passed out, the exhaustion of everything overtaking him. When he woke up, he was at camp with Manami. Unfortunately, his cold rage had awoken, too, and he was the possessed Chiharu again. He crouched on the ground and twirled his kunai in his hand so fast that it could barely be seen. He was as calm as he could be, but getting impatient. Time was running again, and he needed to get back to his revenge as quickly as was possible.

Before the boy had passed out his words seemed soft.
It was was totally different from the ruthless avenger she had seen in the leaf.
As she pressed on through the tree's she wondered about the boys background. All she knew was that Gaara the current Kazekage had killed people that were close to him. Though Manami had never lost anyone that close to her she could sympathise for the boy. He was so young but because of that one event his life had been shortened into nothing more than an illusion of fate and revenge.

She had pressed forward for a good hour before stopping. She lay the boy down and covered him in her black and red Jacket. She had taken off her colors and was now wearing her usual outfit, which of course was barely covering her. Manami's long red hair practically matched the red jumper that covered her, she liked to be bright even when her mood may be miserable.

Chiharu stirred a few times whilst Manami began to set basic noise traps around them. If any Ninja had dared enter her territory she would use her Genjutsu as a means of escape.
After that Manami perched herself opposite Chiharu within enough distance that if he were to wake, she would see it.

' Good Morning Sunshine, I'll take my jacket back now '

As soon as she had said those words, her Akatsuki robe was tossed at her face so quickly that it actually folded around her face. Her outfit was revealing, so he was not looking at her. His hormones and everything were chemical, much harder to keep under control than his emotions. So, he just pretended that she was still wearing the robe. As he saw the Shark Guy-Kisame?-coming up the road toward them, he stood up and sheathed his kunai.
"He's here," he said flatly.

Kisame had rewrapped Shark Skin, but the bandages had some blood on them. Not enough to have killed somebody, but he definitely fought for real while they were gone.
"That Asuma Sarutobi is a stubborn man. He forced me to cut his shoulder open to get him to stop fighting."
He chuckled.
"I would have cut his whole arm off, but the halfwit was too fast."

He turned to Chiharu and sat down.
"Now, then, to the business at hand."
He turned to Manami.
"You didn't let me finish earlier, so I'll pick up where I left off. This is Manami Tsukino, one of the newest members of the Akatsuki. This was her first job with us, and it was a smashing success."

Chiharu's neck muscle twitched in rage, but otherwise, he just started a hole through Kisame.
"Our leader has heard about you. It's not often that rogue ninja peak the interest of the Akatsuki. But when we heard about what you did in the Land of Iron, and from my own observations of your actions in the Hidden Leaf, you are definitely Akatsuki material."
Chiharu's expression lightened a bit.
"But you're still a pink-ass punk."

Cold rage again, and the shift was so fast that Kisame laughed out loud.
"You're so serious all the time. I bet people make fun of you about that."
That brought up a bad memory, and Chiharu actually grabbed his kunai and held it at Kisame's throat. The senior Akatsuki member laughed at him.
"Go ahead if you want to."

Chiharu stared coldly at him, but in all honesty, this was a knee-jerk reaction brought on by Kisame even getting close to his pain. Control was key here. His Code mattered more than anything this guy said. With no embarrassment, he sheathed the blade and sat back down.
"You're right, Kisame, I am still pink. Teach me how to be a real shinobi."

Kisame smiled, but this one was of happiness instead of scorn.
"That's the attitude I wanted. You're learning all ready, boy."
He stood up.
"As the most senior member of the Akatsuki present, I hereby induct Chiharu Watanabe as a pledge within our organization. If you keep performing as you have up to this point, you'll be a full member in no time, like Manami here."

Chiharu looked at her, held her gaze, and nodded with determination instead of rage. He then stood up and turned to Kisame.
"Should we go back to your hideout, Master?"
"Ours, and yes. Let's move out."
The three jumped into some brush and began moving stealthily through the countryside, heading back to the Akatsuki Hideout that was nestled between the Sand and Leaf villages.

Wack....

The robe hit her almost like a tonne of bricks.
' Guess I deserved that one. You only get one of those ... ' She smirked as she began to cover herself back up.

Kisame had been smart enough do outfox Manami's defenses. Which was exactly as she expected.

It was not too long before the boy agreed to go with them. Jeez... Manami though, all that whining and now look at him. Men were just to fickle.

Once Kisame gave word the three made their way back to the hideout. Manami kept an extra close eye on the new recruit. His cooperation worried her slightly.

She wondered if Kisame felt the same way.
It then hit her. Her first mission had been a success. Maybe this would get her one step closer to finding an ultimate power.

The three were walking and Kisame noticed that Manami was keeping a close eye on Chiharu.
I can tell by that look on your face that you don't trust him. I don't blame you. Men can put aside their feelings to do what's best for them easier than women can. But I don't completely trust him, either. He's got a lot of proving himself to do if he wants to reach the level that he's chasing.

Kisame turned his head straight and stopped at the cave.
"Welcome home, kid. Well...You'll grow to like it."
As they went inside, they were met by Itachi, Kisame's partner.
"I see that you completed the job."
"I always get the job done, Itachi."

He nodded and turned to Manami.
"The new blood did well?"
"Very."
He turned to Chiharu.
"You must be the Cloud boy that Nagato wanted."
Chiharu glared coldly at him.

"It's obvious that I'm not with the Hidden Cloud anymore."
Itachi chuckled.
"Yeah, keep thinking that."
"You're Itachi Uchiha, the monster that murdered his own clan."
Itachi chuckled and nodded,
"Are you afraid of me?"

Chiharu jumped back and took a stance.
"I would be a fool not to be afraid of such a cold-blooded monster. But I'll put aside my fear to give you everything I've got."
Itachi lowered his head and closed his eyes, then raised his head with his Mangekyo Sharingan activated when his eyes opened. In his mind's eye, he saw Itachi coming toward him, but even though he tried to move, he couldn't.
How do I...?

It was too late. Itachi came forward and stabbed him with a kunai, so that blood spattered everywhere. Chiharu gargled blood and collapsed to the ground, falling unconscious and bleeding to death in seconds. Of course, outside of the Genjutsu, Chiharu was just unconscious. He had never been wounded, but mind over matter hurt him, anyway. Thankfully, it was a low-level jutsu that did little real harm to the body.

Itachi turned and began walking away.
"His strength in body is without question. It is his strength of mind that needs training."
Kisame chuckled and picked Chiharu up, draping him over his shoulder like a child.
"Itachi...You always know what to do."
He began walking inside toward Nagato's office, and he knew Manami wasn't far behind.

Kisame stopped in front of Nagato's office.
"Let's give the kid a few minutes to let him wake up. I want him to meet Nagato face-to-face, so that our leader can see for himself the potential of Chiharu in person."
Kisame leaned the kid against the wall and slid down it.
"Do you think you can be this kid's partner, Manami? I could make a recommendation for you to be paired with Tobi if you'd rather I did."

As the three entered the hideout they were greeted by Itatchi the Sharingan user.

Manami did not really know what to think of her new comrades. Something about Itatchi struck her as odd. Though he was a 'cold blooded' killer something about him warmed her heart. Could a killer really have such an aura about them. None the less Manami quickly abandoned that thought when he began to talk to Kisame as it was probably be worth listening to.

Under first inspection she could tell that Itatchi was not really interested in her, only Chiharu. Her initial opinion of him had changed. Same old same when it came to strong me.
One thing was for sure about Itatchi. It was not the man himself Minami feared but it was his Sharingan and its ultimate form of Genjutsu. Yes, Manami had a refined technique that allowed her to break certain holds of genjutstu but even she knew that breaking the Mangekyo was impossible.

She could feel it strongly pulsating through her body when he was using it on Chiahru. what kind of torturous scenario is he playing out for the boy ... she wondered before watching Chiharu fall. She had been ready to catch him but Kisame beat her to it. As Itatchi began to walk away she could still feel the remains of his power and realized that she would not like to fall victim to his attacks.

Kisame led the way to Nagato's office and placed the boy down. Though he offered to put a good word in for her and partner her with Tobi, Manami had decided in that moment the boy was nuzzled into her body that he was worth her time.
' I really think I am the only one that can handle such a free spirit. You can't just go round torturing him when he back chats. At least with me he can have nice thoughts '. The response had not meant to sound arrogant but it did. Manami was still slightly frustrated on the welcoming the boy had been given by Itatchi.

' Sorry Kisame. Of course I appreciate the offer but I believe he will grow under my own guidence and partnership. It's about building trust and I doubt anyone else will get it from him .