Commander Kitsune

Thirty-seven

Itachi's POV

The jutsu fades as the last of the One-tail is extracted. Another eye on the Gedo Statue forms, and I grimace internally. There are only three eyes left. 

The One-tailed jinchuriki drops to the floor of the cave, lifeless. I'd be lying if I didn't pity the boy a bit- he was so young, and seemed like a good Kazekage. The Sand must currently be at crisis without their Kazekage.

Out of the corner of my eye, Deidara stretches, sighing. "Finally! These three days were worth it, hmph."

"And we extracted the one-tail just in time, too." White Zetsu pipes in. "A group of shinobi are headed our way- they seem to have found us." His hologram flickers as he speaks.

I can practically feel Pain's frown from next to me. "Deidara. Sasori. I thought you said you covered your tracks," he says, his voice cold and accusing. 

"We did!" Deidara protested, throwing his arms up. "It's not our fault if they found us, hmph." 

"That boy I fought in the desert must've gotten a piece of my puppet," Sasori says calmly, closing his eyes. "They must have sensory ninja in their team."

"Ah ha! So it was you, Sasori!" Deidara points an accusing finger at him. Sasori jerks his head to look at him, glaring.

"If you don't shut up, I'll cut your tongue out, Deidara. You're annoying me."

Deidara merely sticks his tongue out mockingly, and I sigh internally. He is still a child, and still acts like one.

"Who is coming?" Pain asks, turning his attention back to Zetsu.

"A team from the Leaf consisting of Kakashi Hatake, the copy ninja, the Last Uchiha, Lady Tsunade's student, and the Nine-tails jinchuriki. Lady Chiyo from the Sand seems to be with them as well."

I refrained from raising my eyebrows. I didn't think I'd see Sasuke or Naruto again so soon. Or Kakashi, for that matter. Kisame and I will most likely have to confront them.

"Grandma Chiyo is coming as well?" Sasori muses, an evil tone in his voice. "Well then. I suppose I was due a visit to her soon enough."

"There's another group coming as well," Black Zetsu cuts in. "More Leaf ninja. I'm assuming reinforcements."

Pain frowns. "Since you two were careless, Deidara, Sasori- I will leave it to you to take care of them once they come. Mistakes will not be tolerated. Kisame, Itachi. You two will use your jutsu to meet them and slow them down." I knew it, I sighed internally. He turns to Sasori. "Get the nine-tails jinchuriki as well. It will save us some work."

Sasori nods. Then, Deidara perks up, turning to me. "Itachi, you were from the Leaf, right? And you've met the Nine-tails. What's he like?"

I turn to Pain, my face emotionless. He nods, and so I reluctantly turn back to Deidara. 

"He is the most dangerous one of them all and the one who will threaten to kill you first." I monotone, staring at him. I don't like Deidara very much- too impulsive, too talkative, always going on about how art is an explosion shit.

Deidara frowns. "Like that helps at all, hmph."

"We leave things to you." Pain says, and his hologram disappears. One by one, we all start leaving, since only Deidara and Sasori are actually there in the cave in person. I leave as well.

....................................................................................................................

I slowly open my eyes, the sun glaring at me from being in that dark cave for three days. Kisame lets out a sigh from next to me and stretches. We're sitting on top of two large rocks, in a remote clearing, far away from where that cave was.