Paths of Divergence

Embrace

The above picture was drawn by BurntRaizen it is totally amazing and she is amazingly talented at drawing.

Chapter 22

-Embrace

"Be ready..." Kakashi starts, "We don't know what's up ahead."

The barrier seal restricting entry into the Akatsuki hideout falls like a light feather in the wind, an obvious sign that Team Guy had done their job. Sakura pounds her fist against her hand, casually approaching the massive rock. Her punch turns the boulder into rubble, the rocks cascading before landing into a jumbled heap. Once the way in is clear, Team Kakashi leaps into the hideout simultaneously.

Before them, two figures stand ominously in the middle of the circular room. One of them sits upon a corpse, one with red hair and blackened eyes. The Kazekage, Gaara, lies in a never-ending slumber.

"You BASTARDS" Naruto yells, pausing before adding, "What the hell do you think you're doing?! Come on! Why are you just lying there?! Get up... Gaara!"

"Well... so much for that mystery, hm. This kid's the jinchuriki all right. Runs in barking first, hm. I guess Itachi's tip was right on the money, huh? Hm," The blonde one known as Deidara says, turning to his partner.

The other one remains silent, seemingly staring intently at Lady Chiyo. She hopelessly stares back, uttering a weak, "Sasori..."

"Hm. You must be Itachi's little cousin. I could tell right off the bat though. He had warned us beforehand that you'd be tagging along," Deidara says arrogantly, looking upon the Uchiha boy.

Shizake stares at the two's Akatsuki cloak, an image of Itachi blinking in his mind. The boy remains intent on getting some sort of information out of them but remains coolheaded, heeding Kakashi's advice.

"Gaara! What the hell are you doing? Why aren't you waking up?!" Naruto continues, desperately hoping that his friend arises. "Get up!"

Sakura looks over, a worried yet apathetic stare etched into her eyes. She knows just how badly Naruto wants to save his friend.

"Answer me!" Naruto yells once more.

"Enough!" Kakashi says. "You know full well that-"

"He's right you know... this guy's been dead for a while now," Deidara says.

Naruto's hair grows even more frazzled than before, his sharp beast like teeth grinding against one another. The Nine Tail's chakra slowly continues to leak, accumulating within the boy.

"Oh yeah, that's him alright," The blonde Akatsuki member adds.

"Give him back you damn!-" Naruto yells but is instantly blocked by Kakashi standing in his path.

Shizake relaxes his knees and returns to his defensive stance as he was fully well prepared to stop Naruto too. After all, the Uchiha boy still remains known to the fact that preventing the Akatsuki from obtaining the Nine Tails is top priority.

"Charge in without thinking and we're done for," Kakashi warns.

"I should hold onto the dead jinchuriki seeing as this boy will stop at nothing to get him," Sasori lowly states.

"Hm? I think I'll take care of him," Deidara responds.

Sasori looks back over to his teammate, "Look, our quota is one a piece. Don't go pushing your luck."

"An artist must seek ever greater stimulation. The nine tails is a canvas worthy of my artistry."

"What? Those pyrotechnics of yours? Art is a work of beauty, captured and left for posterity. Art. Is eternal beauty, " The puppet master firmly states.