Redemption In Your Eyes

Wretched Garden

Konan's chakra signature was spread out through her wings as she fought to stay ahead of team SAI. Byagukan working at its full potential, Hinata could still discern the two blockages in her enemy's body. The team was close behind her, all of them relying on her guidance. Even the Uchiha's with their sharingan could not see the shape and flow of Konan's chakra as well as her. As they approached, they could see the Akatsuki member slowing down, small pieces of paper raining down on them in her wake. The shinobi began to draw their weapons, bracing for an attack as they bounded right in the sheets falling like leaves.

"It's safe- for now," Hinata assured them. "There's no chakra in these sheets of paper. She's losing them because she's lost full control of her chakra system."

Itachi nodded, glancing over the relieved faces of his team. "We may have a chance then."

Turning her gaze back, Konan frowned. The Konoha nin were advancing and she had barely reached the outskirts of Amegakure. A light mist of rain dampened the packed earth. The blockages were radiating pain and slowing her escape. I'm going to have to fight them...

Raising her arms, she brought the wings up and wrapped them around herself. Suddenly she began to plummet. The group raced towards her, ready to engage. With chakra gathered in her feet, she landed safely as the ground quaked. Sweeping the wings out, she sent a gust of wind in all directions. Startled, the Konoha shinobi stopped in their tracks and braced themselves. With her foes vulnerable, she let the wings dissipate into thousands of square sheets.

Locking eyes with Itachi, she watched placidly as his mind predicted her next move. "Doton: doryouheki!" The older Uchiha's sharingan spun as he copied the copy ninja's technique on a larger scale. Bringing his hands up, a wall of earth followed. At his command, it rose around the group's front side and arched over them, thinning as it stretched. The papers that had comprised Konan's wings came at them with incredible speed and sharpened edges. There was a cacophony of thuds and thunks as the papers buried themselves in the wall, trying to bore through.

"Kakashi-" Hikaru caught his attention. "Can you trap her?"

He only nodded in response. His hand signs were impossible to follow without the aid of the sharingan. As Konan focused on drawing the paper back to her palms, Kakashi activated doton: shinjuu zanshu no jutsu. Hearing the rumble of the ground, Itachi released the earth wall. However, Konan was smarter than to be distracted by the crumbling wall. The terrain around her feet began to open up and sink around her. Even through the dust of the collapsing barrier, Hikaru saw his chance arriving; quickly he activated makyou hyoushou.

Ice crystals crackled in the air as they formed around Konan. Her bright eyes took in the scene and she knew immediately what was intended. She tried to leap away, but the earth reached up and grabbed her before she left the ground. The justu, however, was not entirely successful and she was only restrained to her knees. But for Hikaru, this was enough time. Ice mirrors formed around her, creating a loose dome. Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi watched the familiar jutsu. Moving at near blinding speed, he stepped into the back of one of the mirrors. Konan looked up, and suddenly there were twenty-one images of him, all holding a kunai in their right hand.

Feeling that his opponent was helpless, Hikaru paused. "Where is she?" All the reflections asked and his voice echoed.

Unhurried and without a trace of fear on her, Konan replied, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're too calm to be in the dark." He accused.

The team watched with bated breath, some of them considering intervening and some knowing better.