Fighting With One's Self

Chapter 13 - Pursuit

A/N: if you guys have any ideas as to where you would like the story to move, I am always open to suggestions. If I could share a bit of honesty, I really just make up stuff as I go along. I still don't really have a storyline, so... Help would be appreciated.

^^

Also, big apologies for the long gaps between updates. I don't really have a valid excuse (lol), only that I want the stuff I update to be good.

I know that I haven't said this yet, as I should have, but big thanks to my followers, and thanks for the reviews. It's really motivational.

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Kisame-sensei and Itachi-san takes me to the new base. It is another one on the outskirts of Konoha Village. Pein seems to believe that the Konoha ninja would think that the last place we would hide is another base so near the village, which is exactly why he chose it. It looks like a very old, abandoned building in the middle of a forest, concealed well from any unwelcome eyes.

During the whole day, I am welcomed by the rest of the Akatsuki, in their own way. Yume-chan starts playing music on her cellphone and dances, trying to get Itachi-san to join her; Hidan and Kakuzu each nods at me with slight smiles on their faces; Konan tells me that she is glad that I made it back to them, before going to Pein's room; Zetsu hands me a strange-looking plant and tells me that it will protect me if I sleep with it hanging above my bed; and Tobi keeps repeating how much he missed me how much he had been worrying about me, and how much he had to keep up with Dei-kun's whining every night so he could not sleep. At this point, a whispered 'Katsu' was heard, and the cloth and half of the flesh on Tobi's arse disappeared, so that he had to ask Kakuzu to fix it. While everyone laughed themselves hoarse, Dei-kun pulled me close and kissed me softly on the forehead.

"Don't you ever disappear like that again, ok?" he tells me. I nod with a blush and let him hold my head to his chest.

Almost a week passes, during which time Kisame-sensei teaches me more water jutsus and Kakuzu helps me with the things Sakura taught me: healing a fish. I do not seem to make any progress: it is too difficult to maintain the strange balance between the two energies inside me with all the commotion inside the building. Everyone seems determined to stay in the best shape possible, but no one receives any missions from the Leader. No one even receives any kind of word from him. Konan told everyone at dinner one night that he even changed the seals so that not even she can get in. This worries all of us, because we know that she has always been close with him. We silently worry among each other, trying to come up with possible explanations for the Leader's strange behaviour. Finally, a week after I returned, we are answered.

"We have been discovered."

We are all in the sitting room when the deep voice makes this announcement. Our initial reaction is stunned silence. Then Konan speaks for all of us.

"How on earth are they finding us so fast?" she demands, "Twice in two weeks. The previous hideout held us for two years before we were found, and now, after a single week, they found us again!"

"I do not have answers," Pein replies, "But I saw that there are Jounin on their way here. I could not see how many, but we best keep ahead of them. Pack only your most important possessions and be back here in ten minutes."

I focus chakra in my legs like everyone else is doing and go to mine and Yume-chan's bedroom as fast as I possibly can and start throwing my clothes and weapons into a bag, and throw Zetsu's plant on top of everything else beside the clay statue Dei-kun made for me. Yume-chan grabs my hand and we run back to the sitting room. A large clay sculpture is standing beside the door. Everyone else is already there.

"You two are slow," Pein tells us menacingly. Before we can apologise, he continues, "I found a promising hideout quite some distance from here. It is exactly a quarter of the distance away from Konoha on the way to the Country of Rice. It is smaller, but more inconspicious. It used to be a miner's house, when the old sod was still alive. Konan and I will go ahead to get rid of any potential threats. Stick to the plan."

He nods at Dei-kun, who nods back. Konan takes his hand and they disappear in a puff of smoke.

There is no time for either me or Yume-chan to ask any questions. Split seconds after the leader disappeared, I hear an explosion in the distance. Itachi-san, Kisame-sensei and Kakuzu seem to be our leaders for the moment. Kisame-sensei grabs my hand, Itachi-san grabs Yume by the elbow, Dei-kun grabs Tobi by the collar, and Hidan grabs Kakuzu on the head.

There is a massive explosion in the direction of the entrance to the building, followed by a commanding roar, "Kill anyone in sight!"

"What are you waiting for?" Yume-chan hisses at Itachi-san, but no one moves.

"I heard something!" a voice yells from the corridor, and several ANBU people enter the room.

"Suck on this, motherfuckers!" Hidan yells.

"KATSU!" Dei-kun yells, and I am consumed by dark smoke just as I hear the largest explosion yet, and I seem to be escaping the heat just in time.