Wildflower Book 1 | Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter22: Needle In The Hay

We don't need your 'Imperfect chakra clone seals', they said. We have SHADOW CLONES, they said! If only they could see her now!

Tama smirled smugly as she walked through the rainy streets of Amegakure. Her fellow T&I agents really were missing out on some real fun with the Imperfect Chakra Clone Seal. She was disguised as a little orphan boy, one without anything good to offer. No one even cast her a glance as she entered a dark alleyway.

She had stolen a thin string of chakra from a nearby Akatsuki member before Itachi arrived and fought her. By transferring it into her seal- which she had designed and pefercted all by herself- she easily cloned the member to perfection. By using her Mangekyō Sharingan to manipulate it, she gained full control of the clone's consciousness.

There were also many reasons why she kept her Mangekyō Sharingan a secret. This was one of them. The element of surprise worked best when no one knew what you had under your belt.

The clone was already halfway through the Akatsuki base thus far, blending in like a fly on the wall.

"Of course I don't know what to look out for, Zetsu-san! I was with Itachi-san by the border, I just arrived!", Kisame said as he and Zetsu walked through the corridor. Zetsu followed closely behind him, occasionally sticking his head through the walls in case there was something there.

He failed to see the ripple in Kisame's appearance. It was barely noticeable, but something had happened, and completely Zetsu missed it.

"I don't remember that plant being there this morning.", Zetsu remarked suspiciously. He approached the plant with much deliberation, something was off with its sudden appearance in the base. He would know, he was something of a plant person.

Tama watched him in silence, not sure of what to make of his discovery. The plant wasn't suspicious. In fact she had done nothing at all to it. It must have been new for the creature to not recognise it.

"You're right, I don't think I know one, either.", she said. Zetsu looked up at her in contemplation.

"Kisame-san, try taking its chakra.", it said. Tama nodded, reaching for the sword on her back. Her own katana, Hibana, worked much like the infamous Samehada. She wasn't unfamiliar with how it worked, despite never having encountered its owner. She lifted the living sword with ease and it purred as it awoke from a deep slumber.

Interesting.

"Let's see what's up with this thing.", she said, as she pointed Samehada. It opened it's mouth wide, barring it sharp teeth as it began to suck the chakra from the plant.

Surprisingly enough, the plant shrivelled up and fell down. It wasn't what Zetsu had suspected. Oh well.

Meanwhile, the real Kisame was shocked to realise that he was no longer with Zetsu, but was instead a floor, or two, below where he had been mere seconds ago.

"What the hell?", he asked, incredulous.

A familiar figure approached him, walked past him, and paused. In the next second, he was pinned against the wall.

"Kisame-san isn't on this floor, so who are you?", Itachi asked. Kisame paused, blinked, then frowned. Prying Itachi's hand off him, he stood to full height, hands up.

"Itach-san, it really is me...", he trailed off, startled by the sight of the boy's Mangekyō Sharingan being active. The boy studied him, his gaze a scrutinising kind. Then, it was gone. Kisame sighed in relief, his arms dropping to his sides.

"I noticed you come in here and thought that you looked suspicious. I suppose I was wrong."

"I actually didn't bring myself here. I don't even know how I got here.", Kisame said sheepishly. Itachi blinked, then frowned. It was then that it dawned on him. The intruder was disguised as Kisame.