Howl of Konoha Book II

A Pack of Fools

After the extraction of the two tail's jinchuuriki and the death of Asuma, Pein and Konan had ordered Hidan and Kakuzu to continue their search for the nine tail's jinchuuriki - Naruto Uzumaki. After numerous arguments and a few short words with Leader they had agreed for me to tag along with Hidan and Kakuzu. It is currently a few hours before mid day, the heat of the sun pounding on my head and burning through the opaque material of my cloak. We walked in silence the whole trip.

Currently we were taking the back route to Konoha - through a barren plain spotted with dead trees and little to no wind. The hairs on the back of my neck begun to stand on end. I glanced over to Kakuzu and noticed him already looking at me. We both exchanged a nod and in a flash Kakuzu and I sent an attack back, striking a bird out of the tree. We watched as it lay motionless in the dirt.

"Let's keep moving," Kakuzu huffed, "Konoha aren't far away."

Nodding, we all continued on our way. Ten or so minutes later Konoha had finally begun to attack. From the right came explosive tags attached to kunai while from the left I recognized was Shikamaru's Shadow Possession Jutsu.

Hidan and Kakuzu dodged the oncoming attacks while I leaped up on the nearest tree branch, giving me a birds-eye-view of the situation.

Kakuzu and Hidan separated, Hidan stupidly lost his grip on his weapon and made a move to retrieve it. Movement caught my eye and I called out a warning to the boys bellow, "Idiot! Watch out for the shadows!"

Hidan just barely managed to dodge an attack from the shadows. "Fool, like I'd fall for the same attack twice."

"Hidan, above you!" Kakuzu warned the silver haired male but neither of the two were able to get out of the way in time.

Both boys were left immobilized by Shikamaru's attack. By using his Shadow Possession Jutsu Shikamaru had managed to throw two knives at his opponents shadows and leave them frozen in place. Shikamaru leaped from the trees and landed on the dusty earth between my two comrades.

Shikamaru straighten his posture and sent forward the harshest glare I've ever seem him make directed at Hidan and Kakuzu, "Now, it's time to end this."

"Why the hell are you being so quiet, Kakuzu?! You just had to go and get yourself caught too, didn't you? We're screwed, aren't we?" Hidan's voice was shaky as he spoke. "Natsuki, where the fuck are you!?"

"Oh, you're screwed. According to my plan, the second I captured you, it was over." Shikamaru smirked.

Shikamaru formed a hand sign and his shadow begun to reach out for Hidan and Kakuzu.

"You forgot one important detail, Shikamaru!" I called from my perch in the tree. I made a couple clones and in a flash they appeared in front of Hidan and Kakuzu, the clones' own shadows the ones getting possessed. Shikamaru's eyes widened and I disappeared and reappeared right in front of him. Our faces so close our breaths mixed making him stumble back, his eyes focused on the emptiness of my black and gold irises.

"You forgot about me hiding somewhere behind the scenes. You were too focused on killing my partners that you neglected my presence long enough for me to bring your whole plan crashing down around you."

With that said my other clones tossed the battered bodies of Ino, Chouji and Kakashi into the battle field. My smirk widened as I watched the disbelief and horror register on his face as he saw his wounded team.

"That's so unlike you, Shika." I chuckled.

Hidan broke out into a hysteric laugh, "Cower in fear, you pathetic atheists! Now it's our turn!"