Naruto: Akatsuki

"It better be a nice one."

With Akashi's words as a cue, Mei fell to the floor as if her legs lost their strength.

"S-So..."

Mei, as if trying to confirm if she heard it correctly, asked,

"You're with us now...?"

"I suppose so."

An euphoria engulfed Mei, filling her with a sense of accomplishment.

From the back, Gai witnessed this scene with an excitement for a reason he didn't know. Zabuza and Ao didn't react as notably, but they too seemed to hold a shock of their own—that Mei's deal that didn't seem to make sense or hold much value worked.

For seconds, Zabuza glanced at Akashi suspiciously, trying to think of chances that the latter may be deceiving them. Eventually, he came to conclude that such case was unlikely, for he knew by now that Akashi had enough ability to kill or force them should he wished to do so.

Sighing in relief, Zabuza then lowered his body to the floor and brought his back against a wall. Ao, doing the same, opened his garment of clothing and revealed a gruesome-looking wound by his stomach.

"Your name is?"

Looking at Ao, Akashi asked.

"Ao. I serve Terumi-sama."

"Terumi?"

"Terumi Mei."

Mei, standing back up, spoke softly.

"That's my name."

Seeing that everyone was introducing themselves, Zabuza decided to speak,

"I'm—"

"Momochi Zabuza, Demon of the Hidden Mist."

"...Tck."

"And by saying Terumi, I assume that Mei, you are from Terumi clan known for its 'Boil Release'. Having a shinobi of this level loyal to you at a young age must mean that you are someone of importance within the clan... a heir to the clan perhaps?"

Mei stood silently for a moment before nodding slowly.

After getting the affirmation, Akashi stood up as well, figuring that this should be enough of an information for now.

"I'd assume that our next goal would be to reach Kiri safely then."

Thinking of the paper slip—one which Akashi used to send intels to Jiraiya, Akashi spoke,

"I have one matter that needs to be done on the way."

"A matter?"

Zabuza's suspicious gleam returned to his eyes. Akashi, not intending to hide it, simply said,

"I need to see Jiraiya."

"...What?"

It was something that they never expected. The connection between Akashi and Jiraiya, and to think Akashi would reveal it like this—Mei found herself shocked once more.

Akashi eyed Gai,

"I told you that there may be a miracle happening, didn't I?"

Gai's eyes slowly widened.

"This is the best that I can do for you."

"T-Thank you."

Ao then spoke up with a stoic expression,

"You must tell us, however, the means which you use to communicate with the sannin."

"This."

Akashi, reaching into his pocket, revealed his fist. Clenching onto something, the content inside wasn't visible to others. Then, as he opened his fist, there was a burst of fire above his palm, and as the fire died down, there was nothing was left but ashes.

"Let's just say... that Jiraiya is my benefactor. Through this, I lost my way to communicate with him. And you will have to accept that the identity of the object that has been burnt just now will never be known to you."

"Then how do know that we can trust you?"

Ao stated coldly, and Akashi simply replied,

"You don't. Feel free to trust or fire me."

"Ao!!"

Mei instantly interjected, telling the man to stop speaking. Ao shut his mouth, and Mei, sighing, said to Akashi,

"We trust you. It's for Gai, right?"

Akashi nodded.

"And now, to speak of the current situation..."

Akashi believed that he gave enough details to avoid mistrust—in a short span of time given at the very least. Now, the future was to be discussed in the future, and the present had other matters to deal with.

"Get ready."

Ao, who now had a medical bandage wrapped around his torso, frowned as he realized what Akashi meant by that.

Zabuza raised an eyebrow,

"Get ready? For what?"

"You revealed our location through a blatant attempt to strike me."

Akashi narrowed his eye at the door ahead.

"We were able to track you because Ao is a sensor type, which is considered rare."

Mei, muttered as she looked at Gai before pausing.

"If not for Gai, we wouldn't have found you. Were you aware of this?"

"No. If I did, I wouldn't have come here to place ourselves in a lion's den in the first place."

"You seemed awfully calm for someone who didn't know."

"Because I am awfully used to being chased."

Zabuza bickered and Akashi responded impassively, not bothered with Zabuza's attitude. Akashi then continued,

"They know your existence here, but not mine."

Taking out a scroll from his pouch, Akashi unrolled it to unseal its content. With a puff of smoke, a mask with slits for eye-holes that had... surprisingly, the symbol of Kiri.

Mei exclaimed,

"That's a hunter-nin's...!"

Putting it atop his face, Akashi stated,

"I have been a fourth member of your team since the start, was a shinobi affiliated to Terumi clan and one of the newly appointed Seven Swordsmen, and go by the code name 'Taka'. I specialize in stealth and kenjutsu, being proficient enough to make it seem as if the group consisted of three ninjas rather than four. Just before in the clash that you had, I was charged with the protection of Gai. This alibi will be maintained until we reach Yugakure to separate momentarily."

"Seven Swordsmen?"

Zabuza narrowed his eyes at that.

Turning, Akashi checked the soundproof seals that he placed at each corner of the room. Seeing that they were still intact and viable, Akashi confirmed that what was spoken in the room hasn't been leaked out.

"Worry about international affairs afterward, for enemies already know that you are from Kiri. For now, it is impossible to escape without a confrontation—one that has a very high chance of developing into a fight."

"What then?"

"As I said, prepare yourselves. Don't show your wounds. If a fight does break out... focus on protecting Gai. I am the one who deals with them."

Akashi unrolled another scroll of his. As the content inside was unsealed, the three Kiri ninjas couldn't help but surprised,

"That's..."

Zabuza seemed shook,

"Kiba! So the rumour was true... you didn't only possess Ryuma, but Kiba as well...! So that's why you decided to call yourself one of the Seven Swordsmen—"

"Higher-ups are already aware."

Mei spoke,

"Though under the civil war, they mutually agreed to keep this truth as a rumour to prevent the further tarnishment of the village's reputation."

"In this scenario, it's a rumour."

Taking the hold of twin blades in sheaths of their own, Akashi tied them to his back.

"Again, get ready. Time is running out."

Clicking his tongue, Zabuza raised his body and took a hold of his greatsword, though with that of an exhaustion. Under Mei's order, Ao was to carry Gai.

Akashi gathered the soundproof seals one by one and sealed them into a scroll before placing it in his pouch.

Mei opened the door, revealing the empty hallway. It was silent and no one seemed to be present, but Ao, while carrying Gai on his back, whispered,

"...There are many hiding by. It looks like... they don't even plan on holding a conversation with us."

"A fight it is then."

Zabuza growled. Stabbing the broadsword on the wooden floor, Zabuza's hands began to undergo a series of hand seals.

"Water Release—"

"Stop."

Holding his hand out, Akashi stopped Zabuza from performing a ninjutsu.

"This is Yukigakure. They specialize in countering Water Release via freezing. Trying to make you utilize a Water Release itself is a trap."

Zabuza froze upon hearing Akashi's explanation and his hands dropped to his sides.

Calmly, Akashi took out an explosive seal and attached it on a kunai. Casually, he threw it across the hallway, and,

Boom.

Along with an explosion and smoke, a large hole was generated by the side of the inn building. At the same time, with said explosion as a cue, numerous ninjas wearing the forehead protector of Yukigakure revealed themselves, immediately launching at the group of four ninjas and one child.

Akashi unsheathed Kiba. Zabuza raised broadsword. The two of them vanished, and when they reappeared, they were found beheading two front-most Yuki ninjas.

Akashi's lone eye widened for a moment beneath his mask and his breathing quickened as the act of killing triggered the nightmarish illusion which he was suffering from. However, he quickly composed himself, and enduring through this condition, he dashed toward the next enemy with Kiba in his hands crackling the electricity.

Two. Three. Four.

The number of heads rolling on the floor increased as two shinobis danced with their blades. Gai watched this scene with a pale expression, feeling fear and awe at once.

"Ice Release: Aerodynamic Shuriken Storm!"

Then, from Mei, Ao, and Gai's back, a shout was heard as the lethal-looking shurikens of ice broke through the wall.

To this, Mei turned while undergoing a series of hand seal at an incredible speed. Her cheeks puffed up before she spat out the cloud of hot and acidic mist.

"Boil Release: Skilled Mist!"

"Hah!"

The shinobi who just utilized 'Ice Release: Aerodynamic Shuriken Storm', visible beyond the hole generated by said technique, snorted upon seeing Mei's technique,

"My technique is heat resistant! There is no way—"

Just as he said so, the shurikens effortlessly melted within the cloud of mist created by Mei.

"—Huh?!"

While the shinobi cried, Mei was already undergoing another series of hand seals.

"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"

The shinobi was silenced as the flame bullet struck and incinerated him into ashes.

"Ao!"

As Mei shouted, Ao nodded before beginning his run. With Ao and Gai in the center, Akashi and Zabuza covered the front while Mei protected the back.

It was a start to their attempt to escape from Yukigakure.