Rabbit Princess [Gaara] [2]

☾ 40 ☽

There was a strange whisper in the air and Tsukiko came to a halt in her path, looking around to figure out who had called her name from the forest. She wasn't even sure what name had been used to address her – was it Tsukiko, Yurihime or Shirayuri? It felt like a mixture of all those names. Tsukiko felt unsettled and jumped slightly when she felt someone's hand over head.

"What's wrong, Tsukiko?" Sakura asked as she reached the white-haired girl, who had been leading their squad. "You stopped? Did you find Sasuke?"

"I thought I did, but it was just a bogus," Tsukiko replied as she pushed her feet forward to continue to travel through the forest. "Come on, we have to continue,"

But something was weighing in on Tsukiko's conscious as she travelled. What was that? Who called her? And why did her Chakra focus on her head to make it feel like something heavy had been dropped on her?

As they continued, Tsukiko felt something moving in her weaponry pouch, and she reached over to unzip it, furrowing her eyebrows as she watched one of the origami birds randomly fly out and off into the distance. What was going on here? Tsukiko felt unnerved.

"What is it, Naruto?" Kakashi asked when the blond came to a stop. Tsukiko, Sakura and the rest of the squad also stopped around him.

"The southern forest had nothing but dummies," Naruto informed them, receiving more information from his clones that were still out there.

"I see," Tsukiko replied with a sigh.

"What are you two feeling down for?" Kiba said as he looked at the two Jinchuuriki. "Wasn't your way of the ninja to never give up, Naruto?"

"That's right, Naruto," Sakura said.

"Fine then," Naruto replied, a bit energised. "I'm going to use the chakra I've recovered to increase the number of my shadow clones," He created another batch. "I'm counting on you, guys,"

"Just leave everything to us!" the clones told him and scattered while Tsukiko, Naruto, Kiba, Sakura, and Kakashi continued their journey.

☾

"Found him!" Naruto said suddenly, catching everyone's attention. Tsukiko turned to look at him in surprise, feeling her heart lift up.

"Way to go!" Kiba said, grinning.

"Which way?" Tsukiko asked quickly.

"This way!" Naruto said and they all quickly changed their direction, rushing to where Naruto's clone must have encountered Sasuke. "Everyone, this way!"

"Wait, Naruto-Kun!" Hinata said, following. "This Chakra...!"

"Hello!" someone shouted, appearing in front of Naruto and surprising him, causing the blond to fall back onto the ground below. Tsukiko stopped and looked up on the large route.

"Where did he come from?" Tsukiko said, glaring up at the individual.

"Oh my, oh my, hello there, there, and there!" the man said. "I never imagined that I'd meet up with Konoha all the way out here, and there's two, four, six... It's nine against one, that's not fair,"

"According to your robe, you seem to be a member of Akatsuki," Yamato said.

"Although, he's not on the list of Akatsuki members we got from Kabuto," Kakashi said. Tsukiko shook her head at him.

"Well, that's because I'm new!" the man said. "It's nice to meet you!"

"No shit you're new," Tsukiko said, annoyed at the man's voice. "Anyone would've remembered that stupid mask anywhere,"