Memories

The Edo Tensei

Chapter 7

"What? You're leaving me behind?"

"Um, yep. See you later, Kaka-baka. Don't miss us too much!" I smiled sweetly at him before turning to the two boys. "Let's go."

"Bye, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto called, waving to Kakashi happily. "I'm going to get a lot stronger! Just you wait!"

"Alright," Kakashi said, smiling behind his mask. "Have a safe trip, you three."

Sasuke only nodded to him briefly before turning to face forward. We were about to embark on a three day journey to Kumo, which I really hoped wouldn't be set back by unprecedented events – like someone trying to kidnap Sasuke.

The real reason Tsunade had sent Sasuke with us was as bait; she, like all of us, wanted to figure out what Madara was planning. Now that Sasuke was on our side, he was the perfect bait for enemies. I didn't like it, because it put all three of us in danger, but we could handle it. Probably.

We took off, jumping from branch to branch through the forest. If we hurried, we could make it to the Hot Springs Village in a day and a half. Until then, we would only take short breaks, not willing to risk our safety.

"Hey, Kira-sensei," said Naruto, "what's Madara actually trying to do?"

"He wants to bring 'peace,' whatever that means," I said, remembering what Sasuke had told me. "Sorry, Naruto, but nobody really knows."

Naruto nodded in understanding. The rest of the trip was passed mostly in silence, as I exercised my control over my chakra "chains." Hopefully, they would become more useful than they had been in previous battles.

We were about two hours away from the Hot Springs when I sensed an unfamiliar chakra near us. "Be on alert," I hissed, and the other two nodded in understanding. We kept moving, though, until a kunai whipped through the air, right at my head. I hit it away with my own kunai. We stopped, each on a separate tree branch.

"Good reflexes," somebody commented. The next moment, a gray-haired man appeared a few meters away from us, smiling. His glasses glinted. "Remember me?"

"Kabuto Yakushi," I said, remembering him all too well from the last time we'd clashed, during the Chunin exams some three or four years ago. "You were working for Orochimaru."

"That's right," said Kabuto, still smiling. "He's dead, though, thanks to our dear Sasuke, so I've found a new person to team up with. If at all possible, I'll be taking your head today, Kira Izanami."

"Are you talking about Madara?" I asked, as I relayed in my head to my teammates, 'Start thinking about your escape plans now.'

"Perhaps." Kabuto smirked at me evilly, before pulling out a scroll. As we watched in anticipation, he put a single hair in the center of the scroll. Out of another scroll, he released its contents. I was shocked to see a living person, still struggling, all bound up and unable to move.

"Kabuto, release him at once!" I commanded, but before I could do anything, Kabuto performed a series of hand seals at lightning speed. The scroll lit up, as though activated, forming a large seal with the struggling man at the center. I watched, not believing my eyes, as the man transformed into somebody completely different.

'Kira-sensei, what's going on?' asked Naruto, sounding worried.

'That must be... He's brought somebody back from the dead,' I realized. As we watched in horror, Kabuto sank a kunai knife with a tag hanging from it into the back of the reincarnation's head. 'All Kages! Kabuto Yakushi has performed the Edo Tensei!'