Chapter 13
"Art is a bang, yeah!" laughed Deidara as he launched a series of bombs at the large turtle's face. It was the only part of its body that wasn't seemingly made of unbreakable stone, and once the clay exploded, the tailed beast was out like a light. Kisame touched the beast with his sword, Samehada, and sucked out its chakra to the point that if it used any more, it would die.
"That was way too easy," the shark man complained, disappointed that there wasn’t much of a challenge. "I know that they're not as intelligent without the human but I was counting on a battle with power. Not just flying over and launching five bombs! The longest part of this mission was just getting here."
"Well it's over and we have to somehow get it to the extraction statue."
"I have to take a swim first!" Kisame ran and jumped into the lake, making his partner shake his head and sigh.
"Fish face."
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"I finally did it!" cheered Amejisuto.
"Step one, complete," her sensei agreed. She had successfully pushed chakra to the air around her so it was like an invisible coat, and it had only been the second day she tried it. The jutsu that her mother taught her worked, and even put a limit on how much she could use for each jutsu so she couldn't use it up so recklessly. "Now you just have to manipulate it to make you fly-" Itachi stopped talking as the Ishi pushed her chakra down, making her lift off of the ground for a few seconds and then land again.
"That... Was... Awesome!!" she yelled.
"If you can master it in one day, then we might even be able to start the target practise earlier than intended."
"And then I just have to copy your technique!" she started practising her new floating jutsu, getting a few inches higher and floating for longer periods of time with every few tries. Eventually, she got tired from the lack of chakra but wasn't completely out of it.
"Itachi, Ameji, what do you want for supper?" Mikoto popped her head in the dojo.
"How about... Chicken curry?" Amejisuto suggested.
"That sounds perfect!" the older woman beamed.
"Sure, that sounds really good," Itachi agreed. They all went to the kitchen where Fugaku was already seated. "Father, I didn't hear you get home."
"I've been here for a while," Fugaku replied. "I see that you're actually doing well in your mentorship. She's almost out of chakra and still regaining her breath."
"I'm training hard," the brunette admitted.
"Good."
"Well isn't this a rare sight," Sasuke walked through the door. "Everyone's already gathered here."
"Did something happen?" asked Mikoto. She noticed there was a puzzled look on her sons face.
"Oh, just about the weirdest thing ever."
"What was it?" Itachi asked, his curiosity peaked.
Sasuke sat down at the short table. "I was sparring with the idiot and it ended with the usual tie since we were so worn out. Both of us were lying on the ground to catch our breaths, and then the weird thing happened."
"What?" Even Fugaku was slightly curious.
"Hinata came and asked Naruto out."
"WHAT?!? Shy, innocent and sweet little Hinata Hyuga?" Mikoto couldn't wrap her head around it and focused on cooking to ease her 'how did that happen' thoughts.
"I never knew she had it in her," Amejisuto smirked.
"So? What did he say?" Everyone stared intently at Sasuke.
"He turned her down and said he was interested in someone else. Apparently, it isn't Sakura either. Poor Hinata," Sasuke shrugged. The Uchiha woman set down bowls of curry and rice in front of everyone.
"Well that was fast," Itachi laughed.
"I already had some made. I knew someone would probably ask for it."
"Are you psychic or something?" Sasuke said before taking a bite.
"Maybe I am. Or maybe I just asked earlier," she answered before joining everyone and eating. After, Amejisuto found that her chakra was half replenished. Curry was one of the foods most known to rebuild chakra and energy quickly, if Lee was any proof. She excused herself from the table and went back in the dojo to practise a few more times. Sasuke walked in when she was about three feet in the air.
"Hey Sasuke, I've been floating like this for almost a minute!" she bragged.
"Impressive," he admitted. She landed back on the ground and put her arm around his shoulders.
"So what's up? I can tell you didn't come in here to train or watch me float."
The youngest Uchiha sighed. "I couldn't say this in front of my parents and I know you would be willing to listen."
"Well Itachi would listen too," the brunette interrupted.
"Yes, well I'm not ready to tell him. You're like a sister to me, and sisters are the best with secrets, right?"
Amejisuto’s eyes gleamed. "That's true. I'm honored to be considered a part of your family. Now, what do you wanna talk about?"
Sasuke shifted nervously and sat down and the Ishi followed his lead. "Naruto told me why he turned down Hinata. He said he was...” He paused, uncertain if he was ready to say. One glance at his 'sister's warm eyes convinced him. "He's in love with me, Ameji."
"I knew it!" Amejisuto cheered. She calmed down slightly after seeing Sasuke's slight glare. "So, do you like him that way at all?"
"..... Yes."
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The Akatsuki were gathered once again, just finishing up sealing the three tailed beast into the statue where they kept the others. "Alright, Tobi and Orochimaru, go capture the four tails. You have two weeks. Go!" Pain ordered.
Everyone left the statue room where they had been for two days, since it took that long to seal a demon, except for the bomb loving blond, who just kicked back and threw tiny bug bombs in the air like mini fireworks, appreciating the vast amount of space until there was a ceiling. After a few minutes, he got restless and impatient. "Ah! It's so boring having nothing to do and no one to fight with, yeah! Kisame's probably planning with Pain to capture Itachi. Wait, I just realised something! Why try to capture Itachi when we're already fine collecting the demons ourselves, yeah?"
"Because the last few will be the hardest, and besides, we don't want Itachi as our enemy. We would get destroyed easily," Black Zetsu crawled out of the wall.
"Where's your white half, yeah?"
"Spying. Leader thought it was best to keep the black halved cannibal here where he can eat so many of Hidan's victims," the creature rolled his eye.
Deidara leaned back in his chair and thought for a minute. "Creepy. You complain about yourself sarcastically in third person, yeah."
"Blondie, do you want to go help me get some food?"
"Hell no! That insane Jashinist would kill me if I touched one of his sacrificed victims, yeah!"
"Hm, you're useless," Black Zetsu slinked off, leaving the twenty year old alone again.
He sat back and was silent for about five seconds before screaming in boredom. "Aah! I'll just go blow up that baka, Tobi, yeah." He left the statue room in search of entertainment, deciding on leaving small bombs in Tobi and Orochimaru's room, deciding against doing the same to Kakuzu and Hidan's, and Pain and Konan's since they would surely kill him. It was funny as he watched the team that was prepared to leave go back to their rooms as he detonated his bombs. There were a few loud girly screams.
"Sasori may have been mature though he was fifteen forever, but he's gone so I'm now the youngest and therefore allowed to be the most fun of the group," he said to the angry duo that exited their room that now had smoke pouring out of it.
"Watch it or I'll experiment on you," Orochimaru threatened before leaving with Tobi, Deidara left laughing as they stormed away.