Wandering Heathens

Infiltration

It was a dark and moonless night. A quiet breeze gently rustled their cloaks as Itachi and Shinjo stood outside of Konoha. "There is an area where the barriers don't quite touch. A hole, if you will, in their protection" Itachi explained. Shinjo grunted and motioned for the Uchiha to take him to this spot.

Itachi lead him to a section just outside the western edge of Konoha's walls. The barriers were up and at full power, their blue glow casting haunting lights on the surrounding forests. Shinjo peered closely around where the two barriers intersected each other and noticed that, despite the mutual glow that made it look as one solid barrier, it was in fact two separate barriers with millimetres of space between them. "This will do" he said.

Itachi prepared them, sealing their chakra from being detected, and the two rouge-nin slipped into Konoha. Itachi was dismayed that her beloved Village's defences were so easily bypassed but she had no choice but to follow and assist Shinjo in his mission to find the Nine Tails.

They quickly sprinted across the rooftops, slipping past the patrolling ANBU forces with ease. Nearing a group of buildings, Shinjo slowed, a faint trace of delicious chakra coming from one of the buildings. Itachi slowed next to him and crouched down, her Sharingan searching for potential threats. "So fresh and so young" Shinjo murmured as he tasted the chakra.

He looked around, eliminating the buildings one by one until he honed in on where the chakra was coming from. He wove a sign and his Sharingan mutated with the Uzumaki kinjutsu, creating a Golden Eternal Mangekyo that fused the two dojutsus together. Itachi suppressed a shudder at the golden Sharingan Shinjo wielded.

Where are you? Who dares to seek me?! Ah, so you can sense me. I'm here to awaken you, Kurama. Get away from me, filthy mudblood "Uchiha"! Hmmm I don't think so. I think you'll be coming with me. I have a purpose for you.

"Itachi. Follow me" Shinjo commanded while he ran across the few rooftops that separated him from Kurama. "You need to capture the jinchuriki alive. If you try to extract the Tailed Beast here and now, you will lose control of her! We need to take her back to Madara!" Itachi panted as she tried to reason with Shinjo.

Ignoring her, he slipped into Naruta's open bedroom window and landed softly on his feet. He looked around at the dirty and messy living quarters and his brown eyes finally fell on the sleeping blonde teen. She was wrapped around a pillow and hugging it tightly, snoring softly. He was briefly reminded of Ryuu who slept in a similar way.

Narrowing his eyes, he stood over the vulnerable teen and entered Kurama's realm. Standing in water and looking at the gate that prevented the Tailed Beast from escaping, Shinjo looked Kurama in her eye. Her usually black eye soon turned red as her mind was penetrated by Shinjo's Golden Sharingan.

You are mine now. Come with me. I can't...leave...the child. Don't fret, she will be coming with us. My resistance...why is it slipping?! I am the NINE TAILS! The most powerful of all the Tailed Beasts! YOU ARE NOTHING!

Shinjo placed his hands on Kurama's head and sent lightning chakra through it. The fox howled in pain and tried to wrench away from him. Obey me or it'll only get worse for you, he commanded. He sent several more pulses of lighting through Kurama before the Demon Fox could offer no more resistance. Shinjo smirked and placed his seal on Kurama, allowing him to control her, and left her realm.

Itachi was waiting for him and steadied him as he came back into his body. "Take her. Let's go" he said and Itachi wrapped the teen in a blanket and carried her out of her house.

They were almost at the edge of Konoha, almost close to freedom and the final Beast they needed for Madara's plan when a figure lazily hopped down from a tree branch, landing on his feet. "And where do you think you're going?" He asked, flicking a senbon between his fingers.

"YOU!" Shinjo spat, rage evident in his voice. "Well hi to you too, asshole" Ryuu cheerily replied. "Go!" Shinjo ordered Itachi who sprinted ahead and slipped through the barrier gap, the dark forests hiding her from sight. Ryuu turned to watch her go, "well shit..." he sighed before turning back to Shinjo.

"You just can't stay dead, can you?" Shinjo asked, unsheathing his sword. "Nice eyes. Who's dick did you have to suck to get those?" Ryuu retorted. "You're an insignificant pest! A distraction from the true plan for lasting peace!" Shinjo roared back. "Peace?" Ryuu chuckled, "with us around, there is no peace."

Further words were abandoned as they rushed at each other, Ryuu throwing paper bomb wrapped senbons at Shinjo and he blocking them with his sword. Ryuu landed on a tree trunk and used the momentum to propel himself at Shinjo. Seeing what he was about to do, Shinjo slid underneath Ryuu, his sword tip facing up and cutting Ryuu from his shoulder to his lower stomach. "Fucking hell!" Ryuu said, angry from the pain. Shinjo laughed darkly and held his sword at his side, ready for the next attack.

"All or nothing!" Ryuu shouted as he unleashed volley after volley of bomb wrapped and plain senbons, the ground around them resembling a porcupine. He knelt down and slammed his hands together before slamming them down on the ground. Huge explosive eruptions burst from everywhere; the ground lifted, burning trees and earth rained from the sky and Shinjo was knocked of this feet from the concussive blasts.

He needed to get out, quickly, before the Village came to see what happened. He saw Ryuu advancing on him and his Sharingan returned from gold to black, swirled until it was open, and he cast his genjutsu. Ryuu stopped where he was, a dazed look on his face, before screaming in primal terror and collapsing to the ground, writhing and trying to tear something off of him.

Shinjo made his escape, catching up with Itachi and the two of them continuing on together. Naruta had woken briefly but a quick genjutsu from Itachi rendered her compliant. "This is the final one" Itachi said emotionlessly. "Hn" Shinjo replied, lost in his thoughts about seeing Ryuu again. I can't wait to fight him again! Next time...he WILL stay dead! Itachi cast a questioning glance at Shinjo as the purple haired man chuckled darkly to himself.

Tsunade knelt down next to Ryuu who was screaming and clawing at his body, opening the wound he receive from Shinjo significantly. He placed a hand on Ryuu's forehead, "Release", and ordered him taken to the hospital.

Several ANBU agents surrounded their Hokage who was livid that someone had stolen Naruta and infiltrated his Village under HIS watch! The situation in the shinobi World had deteriorated since Gaara was murdered by the Akatsuki and Kirigakure were in the midst of a civil war to determine the next Mizukage.

Tsunade sighed, "what is to become of us?" He asked Shikaki who merely shrugged her shoulders, for once not having an answer.