
Setting The Wolf Free - Ch 64
Sorry this chapter took so long to upload guys. I've been working on it on and off for about a week, just coz I wasn't really sure how to go about it.
I've been struggling to make it interesting, and I'm still a bit ehhhh about it, but I guess I'm satisfied enough to upload it...
Pic of Itachi --->
Song on the side is a Nightcore version of Bad Apple --->
Third Person’s POV
“So you don’t even care that you’re hurting your friends?” Naruto asks, changing the subject as he begins to feel a little annoyed.
“What friends?” Ashley sniffs uncaringly, causing Naruto’s hands to ball up into tight fists.
“Do you realise that Kiba broke his ribs and a shoulder when he was trying to help you earlier?” Naruto asks angrily. “He’s still in a lot of pain because of that! He didn’t have to do anything you know.”
“Well, maybe he shouldn’t have bothered!” Ashley retorts nastily, not liking the avenue Naruto is heading down. “It’s not my fault he’s so naïve!”
“He loves you Ashley!” Naruto shouts back, struggling to hold his annoyance and frustration back. “And we all do as well! How can you just throw all of that away so easily? And for what?! Some evil, low life murderers that would kill you in a second if they knew what you were!”
Ashley sighs deeply and closes her eyes, the conversation with Naruto playing in her mind again. Leaning back on her arms with one leg stretched out and one bent, the blonde girl tilts her head back and opens her eyes.
Above her, the sky burns a deep orange colour, as the sun begins dropping towards the horizon. A cool, gentle wind blows through Ashley’s hair, sending a slight shiver up the girl’s spine.
‘They’ll never find out’ the blonde thinks determinedly, before some movement to her left catches her eye.
Turning her head slightly, Ashley spies Deidara standing a top the clay bird next to her, gracefully lowering himself into a sitting position.
He’d been standing up ever since Ashley had defeated the Three Tails a good hour and a half ago, and he’d decided that his legs were getting a little tired.
Turning her head even more, to look behind her, Ashley sees a rope tied to the feet of the bird she’s riding on. Attached to the other end of the rope and being dragged upside down through the water, the Three Tailed Beast lies on its back, unconscious.
It hadn’t so much as moved, even when Ashley and Deidara had tied rope around one of its tails to pull it along behind them.
Lying in the middle of the Three Tails’ purple stomach, Ashley stares at Tobi in distaste for a moment, seeing the tall male lying spread eagle on his back. He hadn’t so much as moved an inch in quite awhile as well. If the blonde didn’t know any better, she’d assume that Tobi had fallen asleep…
“Both of you had better make sure that you don’t get too complacent hm” Deidara suddenly speaks up, catching Ashley’s attention and making her look back over at him. “The Three Tails was only defeated so easily because it doesn’t have a Jinchuuriki host……It has great powers, but not the ability to control them.”
Behind her mask, Ashley can’t help deadpanning at Deidara, wondering who the hell he thought he was, explaining a Tailed Beast to her like this. If anyone here knew how Tailed Beasts worked, it was her!
“Yeah, yeah, whatever” Ashley replies uncaringly, waving one hand in a dismissive fashion. “Don’t lecture me. I’m the one who took the Three Tails down remember.”
“I can’t imagine you’re going to let me forget it any time soon” Deidara mutters, briefly shaking his head, before glancing back at Tobi.
The dark haired male doesn’t respond to his partner’s words, instead remaining silent as he seemingly stares up at the sky.
After a few more moments of watching his still partner, Deidara closes his eyes and lets out a sigh, the wind pushing his long fringe back from his face.
“Hey Tobi!” Deidara calls out flatly. “Earlier, when I said to be cool, I didn’t mean to be comatose! I’m talking to y-”
“Oh yesss” Tobi interrupts dreamily, causing Deidara’s eyes to pop open with surprise. “Mmm just a little lower now…..Yes, that’s the spot…..”
Ashley can’t help sweat dropping as Tobi rolls onto his side and rests his head on his hands, while Deidara’s face takes on a stormy scowl.
Quickly rising to his feet, the annoyed blonde lobs a small handful of clay animals down at Tobi, before performing a hand sign.
“Fall asleep on me will you hm?!” the blonde snaps, when the small figures suddenly begin exploding. “Next time, I’ll make sure you never wake up!”
Ashley sighs again and shakes her head, uninterested as the now awake and screaming Tobi is flung high into the air, clouds of smoke rising from the surface of the Three Tails’ stomach.
“Honestly….” Deidara growls under his breath, dropping back into a cross legged position and folding his arms over his chest. “Sometimes I question why I got stuck with him hm.”
“I question how he became an Akatsuki member” Ashley replies in a flat, unimpressed tone, “Yet I’m going to struggle to join. Or so you say.”
“You’re a Leaf Ninja” Deidara explains with a shrug, still sounding a little irritated. “Barely any of them ever defect hm. Leader will have his qualms about you. I’ve certainly got mine hm.”
Pushing herself to her feet, Ashley interlocks her fingers and stretches her arms out in front of her, tilting her head to glance at Deidara.
“I just fought off all of those Leaf Ninja and helped you capture a Tailed beast without hesitation” she states bluntly as she turns around on her heel. “How can you have qualms about me after that?”
“I’ll put in a good word for you hm” Deidara responds off handedly, raising one eyebrow, “But it’s not up to me in the end anyway.”
“….Whatever” Ashley scoffs after a brief pause. “I’ll be down there if you want me. Tobi can keep you company for awhile.”
“Hopefully he’ll drown before he has a chance to recover…..” Deidara mutters, looking ahead as Ashley jumps down to the Three Tails’ stomach and lands on one knee.
Rising to her feet, Ashley subtly flicks her eyes up to Deidara’s back and activates her Katsuryoku. Turning to face the opposite direction in which they’re travelling, Ashley raises one hand to hold her hair back from her face and narrows her eyes at a spot in the water.
“I don’t need that idiot sneaking up and surprising me” the blonde girl mutters, raising her free hand up into the air. “I don’t know how, but he somehow manages to catch me unaware sometimes…..”
Following Ashley’s hand movements, a large sphere of water rises out of the water and floats in mid air for a few moments. Through the water, Ashley can make out a dark shape, shoulders hunched and arms limp at his sides.
Rolling her eyes, Ashley flicks the water up at the clay bird she’d just been riding on and drops her hand, causing all of the water to slosh back down into the lake.
Coughing and sputtering as he lands on his knees, Tobi sucks in a deep breath and rubs at his throat. Water drips from the male’s hair and clothes, before he glances back over his shoulder at Ashley.
She merely stares back at him for a moment with her arms behind her back, before the girl shrugs and dumps herself down in the same position that she had been sitting in earlier.
“Th-thank you for rescuing Tobi Ashley-chan” the male calls gratefully, after having stared at Ashley for a few seconds more. “Tobi thought he was going to drown!”
“If only you had’ve….” Deidara murmurs, catching Tobi’s attention and making him blubber like a child.
“Deidara Senpai, you’re so mean to Tobi!” the dark haired man cries, anime tears pouring from the eyehole in his mask.
“Their arguing is so irritating” Ashley growls dangerously through clenched teeth, her eyes trained on both of the males’ backs. “But it keeps them occupied at least….”
1 Hour Later . . . .
Humming merrily to himself and tilting his head from side to side, Tobi waves his hands around in time to his tune. Though both Ashley and Deidara hadn’t spoken once during the last hour, Tobi was rather enjoying himself.
The sky was fading to a beautiful persimmon colour, with purple clouds floating by every now and then. A pleasantly cool breeze was blowing through the air and Tobi could no longer feel the minor burns he’d sustained from being blown up by Deidara.
Still humming innocently to himself, Tobi slowly begins to turn his head, trying to get a look back at Ashley.
As he spots the girl, still sitting with her arms back behind her and her legs stretched out, Tobi thinks he spies a faint glow behind Ashley.
Her keen eyes immediately spotting Tobi looking at her, Ashley straightens up a little and scowls nastily, though Tobi can’t see the look seeing as she’s wearing a mask as well.
He certainly hears her low, warning growl though, something that makes the dark haired male quickly whirl back around and hastily resume his humming.
Why did she keep growling at him like that? Every time he’d turned around to try and figure out what that glow was, Ashley would straighten up, and the glow seemed to disappear.
Was Tobi seeing things? Perhaps being blown up by Deidara a few times and getting chased by the Three Tails had made him begin to hallucinate? The Beast did have the power to cast powerful Genjutsu after all…
“Hey Ashley-chan?” Tobi suddenly calls, tilting his head to the side.
“What?” is the sharp reply from behind, causing Tobi to flinch a little, before he begins laughing nervously and rubbing the back of his head.
“What’s that glowing thing Tobi saw back there?” the male inquires curiously, to which there is a moment’s pause.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Ashley snaps, sitting up straight and crossing her arms as Tobi turns around, still rubbing his head sheepishly.
“Behind your back” the male explains in a childish voice, to which Deidara glances back and raises an eyebrow. “Tobi saw something glowing. What was it? Tobi likes glowing things!”
“Nothing is glowing” the blonde Minami reiterates, gesturing towards Tobi as if he were an idiot. “You’re seeing things you moron.”
“But, but, but Tobi saw it!” Tobi cries, jumping to his feet and jabbing a finger up at the sky. “Tobi saw the green glow, and he wants to know what it was! It looked very pretty!”
Ashley lowers her head a little, glaring up at Tobi through her lashes and baring her teeth in aggravation. Down at her sides, the girl’s hands ball up into tight fists as she wills herself not to launch herself right at Tobi’s throat.
“Don’t you know Medical Ninjutsu hm?” Deidara questions, leaning an elbow on his bent knee and casting Ashley a suspicious look, to which she scoffs and abruptly turns her head away.
“Yeah, so?” she challenges hotly, feeling her temper rising. “What’s your point here?”
“Ashley-chan” Tobi begins in a teasing voice, “Were you being naughty and healing the Three Tails while we weren’t looking?”
Ashley’s eyes widen slightly at this accusation, before she snarls loudly and pulls out a kunai, brandishing the knife as if to throw it at Tobi.
“Don’t accuse me of such stupid actions!” Ashley warns in a dark voice. “I risked my life to fight off those moronic Leaf Ninja and capture this behemoth. If I didn’t want the Akatsuki to have it, I wouldn’t have helped you in the first place!”
“Eeep!” Tobi shrieks, throwing up his hands and taking a step back. “Please don’t hurt Tobi any more Ashley-chan. Tobi is a good boy, he was just teasing you!”
“All the same…..” Deidara speaks up, pursing his lips in thought as he studies Ashley closely. “Tobi, take up your position on the Beast again and Ashley, back up here where I can see you hm.”
“You’re not the Boss of me” Ashley growls, lowering her weapon, “And I wasn’t even doing anything down here. He’s just an idiot!”
“I know” Deidara sighs, ignoring Tobi as his shoulders slump a little. “But all the same hm, I’d feel better if you were in my line of sight from now on. I don’t trust you.”
“As if I like you any better…” Ashley mutters, holstering her kunai as Tobi suddenly drops down beside her and almost slips down into the water.
Shaking her head and mumbling insults under her breath, Ashley crouches down and focuses chakra into her legs and feet, before leaping up into the air and easily landing a top the clay bird she’d been riding earlier.
Dumping herself down in an annoyed heap, Ashley sits with her legs either side of the bird’s neck and crosses her arms, stubbornly staring straight ahead.
Deidara sighs at Ashley’s childish attitude and rubs his temple for a few moments, choosing not say anything to the fuming girl. Though he wasn’t afraid of her in the least, Deidara was smart enough to know not to pick a verbal fight with an angry woman.
“It’s fun sitting down here!” Tobi laughs happily from down below. “It’s like riding on a big boat!”
Still staring straight ahead with her arms crossed, Ashley is in fact not scowling behind her mask, as she may have appeared to be. Her eyes flash mischievously, smirk slightly widening.
‘Better you than me’ the blonde thinks wickedly.
The sun shines bright and warm in the sky, its light casting a cheerful glow upon everything it touches. Barely a cloud floats by in the sky, with chirping pairs of birds swooping and diving through the air, as if they had no care in the world.
In the streets of Konoha, the streets are already filling up with early morning goers, whether they be busy Leaf Ninja, shop keepers or just villagers going about their daily business. Small children run and laugh in the streets, as their parents stop to look into tiny stalls that line the paths.
Friendly chatter and contented laughing buzzes through the air, adding to the easy and relaxed atmosphere of what appeared to be yet another perfect day in the Leaf Village.
Kiba sits in his bed however, back propped up against the backboard and faint circles under his tired, unblinking eyes. Warm sunlight streams in through his slightly opened curtains, highlighting his wild, unbrushed hair, weary expression and the bandages around his ribs.
While Naruto had managed to cheer the Inuzuka up for awhile with his energy and positive words, Kiba found that he just hadn’t been able to sleep last night. His mind had been preoccupied with too many thoughts, and they had kept him from getting any rest, despite how tired the brunette was.
Why had Ashley left to join the Akatsuki? How long would it take them to figure out that she was a Jinchuuriki? What would they do to her? What would Lady Tsunade do to her? Would Kiba ever get to see her again?......Would he ever be able to tell her that he loved her again?
A sudden thump on his door causes Kiba to jump, before he flicks his sleepy eyes over to it and frowns. On the floor beside his bed, Akamaru lets out a whine and raises his head.
“Kiba!” a sharp voice barks, to which the brunette tilts his head back and groans lowly. “Get your lazy ass out of bed you little punk! It’s already eight thirty and I’m about to throw out your breakfast! So hurry up!”
Pulling a deadpan face, Kiba silently flings back his covers and picks up his shirt from the floor, before pulling it over his head. He ignores the pain throbbing in his torso and, walking somewhat like a zombie, Kiba pads across his room to the door. He places his hand on the doorknob, not bothering with his leather jacket for now.
Opening his door, Kiba finds himself standing face to face with a less than impressed looking Tsume, who has her hands on her hips and a nasty smirk on her face.
“Finally decided to get up did ya Sleeping Beauty?” the brown haired woman laughs heartily, though she’s not in the least bit amused. “Sleeping in didn’t do ya much good though! You look like hell!”
Not so much as sparing his Mother a comment, Kiba merely stares at her blankly, before blinking slowly and walking past her, towards the kitchen. Tsume watches Kiba curiously as he silently walks past her, surprised that her bratty son hadn’t snapped back at her like he usually would. Was he feeling sick?
“Don’t ignore me you ungrateful little brat!” Tsume suddenly barks, raising a fist in the air, as Akamaru pokes his head out of Kiba’s room and whines again. He tilts his head to the side, before trotting after his best friend into the kitchen.
It was clear that the boy was upset, and Akamaru knew he hadn’t slept at all last night. He was worried for Kiba.
“You’re lucky you’re even getting any breakfast this morning!” Tsume continues, marching into the kitchen and glaring at Kiba, who has seated himself at the table and somberly stuck a pair of chopsticks into a bowl of rice. “I hope it’s cold! It’ll serve you right for being so lazy!”
“……Thanks for making it” Kiba mumbles lowly, to which Tsume’s eyes widen with shock. Had her son just…..thanked her?! Why was he doing that? He never thanked her for anything!
“Hey, don’t make fun of me boy” the easily angered woman warns darkly, clenching her hands into fists. “I don’t take kindly to that kind of thing. Especially from little punks like you!”
Kiba pauses with a small clump of rice half way to his mouth, a faraway look in his eyes as his Mother continues to yap at him.
He’d certainly been worried before, when he thought that Ashley had been kidnapped by the Akatsuki. But now…..He was so upset and hurt and scared for her, that he didn’t even really know what to do with himself. He didn’t want his emotions to come out as anger, though he had to admit, he was feeling a little frustrated with Ashley, because he didn’t want to end up punching one of his friends.
He didn’t want to cry either though, because he was Kiba Inuzuka, and Inuzuka men didn’t cry. They were as tough and hardy as the wilderness itself, though even the hardest ground admittedly did benefit from the rain…….
“Oh, leave him alone Mom” Hana speaks up with a sigh, bending over the kitchen bench and resting her elbows on it. “He’s obviously upset about Ashley-chan. Go easy on him for a bit, will ya?”
“……Hmph” Tsume grunts after a short pause, hooding her eyes as she watches her son slump over the table. “Whatever, I can’t go easy on him or he’ll think I’ve gone soft! But, I’ve got to go and see Lady Tsunade anyway, so he’s safe for now.”
That said, Tsume whirls around and marches out of the house, with her large Ninken swiftly following after her.
Hana watches her Mother leave and then sighs, before turning to her younger brother with a tiny smile, hand holding her head up.
“You alright there Kiba?” the female Inuzuka asks, as Kiba tilts his head down, hair now covering his eyes. His shoulders slump as he pushes his bowl away and rests his chin on the table, an audible sigh escaping his lips.
“They still haven’t found Ashley-chan yet huh?” Hana asks sympathetically, to which Kiba has to grit his teeth and just shake his head. “Well that’s no good….Sorry to hear……”
Kiba closes his eyes and resists the urge to sigh again, wishing he could talk to his sister about the situation. Though she was an Inuzuka just like Kiba and Tsume, Hana had more of a calm personality and in Kiba’s opinion, the young woman was very wise. She’d helped him and Akamaru out on numerous occasions, not to mention how well she and Ashley had gotten along. Kiba trusted her completely and valued her advice, but Lady Tsunade had ordered them all to keep the information about Ashley joining the Akatsuki to themselves….
“I don’t think you should really be worrying too much though Kiba” Hana continues warmly, hoping to bring her brother’s spirits up, “I may not have known Ashley for as long as you have, but from what I’ve seen, and the few stories I’ve heard about her, she’s a fighter. In the past, I’ve taught her a few things about healing her Wolves, and she picked up on it so quickly, so I also know that she’s smart. Not to mention she’s quick and she’s tough for such a small girl. I honestly think she’ll have some sort of plan, and we’ll be seeing her again in no time flat. I’m sure she knows exactly what she’s doing.”
Opening his eyes, Kiba slowly raises his head to look at Hana, only to see her giving him a kind closed eye smile.
“Ruff ruff!” Akamaru agrees, wagging his tail and nudging Kiba’s knee with his nose. “Ruffruffruff!”
Subconsciously placing a hand on Akamaru’s head, Kiba pulls his bowl back over and picks up his chopsticks, feeling just a little bit better than before.
While Hana’s words didn’t bring Ashley back or make the situation different, what she’d said was the truth and Kiba already knew it too.
He could only keep hoping that Ashley was putting on one hell of an act, and wait for the scene to be over.
“Heyyyyy, Deidara Senpaaaiiii” Tobi whines pitifully, causing Ashley to grate her teeth back and forth with irritation. “How much fuuurrrrtherrrrr? Tobi is boooorrrred!”
‘Shut up, shut up, shut up!’ Ashley can’t help screaming in her mind, head down in her hands. Since the sun had begun to rise, almost two hours ago, Tobi had been awake and whinging about how long the trip was taking. Apparently he was bored down on the Three Tails, and just wanted to reach the hideout.
Ashley still had no idea where they were headed, but she couldn’t imagine that she’d be able to resist killing Tobi for much longer. He was just so insufferably annoying!
“We’re about another hour away Tobi” Deidara mutters through clenched teeth, his visible eye narrowed and dangerous. “Now shut up! Before I blow you up again hm!”
Tobi shrinks back into a sitting position and simpers quietly, twiddling his thumbs and ducking his head. He didn’t want to have those bombs thrown at him for a third time….
Hearing that silence has once again begun to reign in the air, Ashley lifts her head and sucks in a deep breath of fresh air, before heaving out a big mushroom sigh. After a brief moment of just enjoying the early morning sun on her face, Ashley reaches down and begins adjusting her black robe, feeling that somehow it has managed to twist around her waist.
Down below her, the Three Tails, who is now being dragged across the ground, opens its red eye with renewed energy, the yellow iris flicking around wildly.
Unconscious to the Three Tails’ awakening, Tobi flings himself down onto his back and begins kicking his legs up and down, singing obnoxiously as his heels clack loudly against the Sanbi’s armoured stomach.
Feeling something powerful beginning to stir, Ashley pauses in fussing with her robe and raises her eyes slightly, not really looking at anything as she focuses on the minute movements below.
Without warning, the Three Tails lets out a ferocious roar that causes a small sonic wave, making the leaves in the trees rustle with vigour. Deidara is immediately on his feet, whirling around to stare at the Sanbi in utter disbelief. After a few seconds, the blonde turns his head, casting an accusatory glare in Ashley’s direction.
Smirking to herself, as the somewhat confused Three Tails begins flailing and thrashing about wildly, Ashley is suddenly slammed by one of the Beast’s tails, sending her rocketing so fast in the opposite direction, it’s as if she simply disappeared from sight.
Unable to move due to the velocity of the hit, Ashley hammers into the trunk of a large tree, sending up a cloud of dust and splitting the bark right open. The girl groans in pain, her eyes scrunched closed as she slides to the ground in a heap, the ground shaking violently due to the Sanbi’s rampaging.
Above Ashley, the tree she’d crashed into begins to fall backwards picking up speed until it hits the earth with a resounding boom. She flinches as the heavy tree collapses to the ground, reaching up to move her mask and wipe some of the blood from her mouth with the back of her hand.
“Deidara Senpai!” Tobi cries out, somersaulting through the air from having been bucked off of the Three Tails’ stomach. “Help Tobi!”
The Three Tails, now standing on all fours, opens its huge jaws and growls viciously, its powerful tails whipping around and breaking it free of its rope bindings.
Deidara holds his ground as he stares into the angry Beast’s eyes, ready to fight the creature, when it suddenly roars again, the sound seeming to pulse through the air. Both Ashley and Deidara have to throw their hands over their ears at the volume and pitch of the horrible roar, before a blinding light flashes and brightens the whole sky.
Ashley turns her head away from the brightness and waits for a few moments, not wanting to accidentally look into the light. She cautiously cracks one eye open, only to sit up straight and open her eyes properly, seeing that everything has gone back to normal.
The girl slowly turns her head from side to side, taking in the silence around her. Where had the Three Tails gone? It had just……disappeared.
Before Ashley can get too far with her thoughts however, an infuriated Deidara appears before her and reaches down, gripping her by the collar. The teenager strongly pulls Ashley up towards him, lifting her right off the ground and glaring right at her.
“What did you do?!” he shouts in the girl’s face, as she merely smirks back and places her hands on Deidara’s wrists. “Don’t smirk at me you little smartass! You healed the Three Tails so it could get away hm!”
“Don’t be an idiot Deidara” Ashley hisses back at the blue eyed male, her smirk dropping into a frown. “Don’t blame me for this. Tobi was the one kicking it, and I haven’t been near the thing since sunset last night!”
“You’re not denying it hm” Deidara seethes, to which Ashley rolls her eyes and strengthens her grip on the teen’s wrists.
“I didn’t heal the Three Tails” the Minami states slowly and clearly. “It was my ticket into the Akatsuki, so why the hell would I help it get away?! Now I’ve got next to no chance of joining!”
“You don’t seem too upset about it” Deidara argues angrily, as Ashley finally shoves his hands away and drops to the ground in a crouched position, eyes hooded.
“That’s because you haven’t given me a chance to get upset about it yet” she growls, placing one hand against another tree and slowly rising to her feet. “Plus I was just thrown into a massive tree so hard that my body felled it. You asshole….”
Huffing loudly, Deidara crosses his arms and looks off into the distance, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
“What am I going to do hm?” the blonde wonders out loud. “We’re supposed to be meeting everyone at the hideout today to seal the Three Tails………Leader isn’t going to be happy about this.”
“Who cares?” Ashley sighs, leaning her back against the tree and rubbing her shoulder with one hand, a slightly pained expression on her face. “This wouldn’t be the first time the Akatsuki has failed at catching a Tailed Beast.”
Deidara grows an anime vein at this and glares daggers at Ashley, remembering the time she’d stopped him and Sasori from capturing the Five Tails from the Jinchuuriki in the Stone Village.
“Oh yeah” Ashley smirks, shrugging one shoulder, “I was more talking about Kisame and Itachi trying to capture the Nine Tails a few years ago, but there was also that time you guys went to the Stone Village too huh? You should be used to failure by now then!”
That said, a highly irritated Deidara launches himself forwards and brings up an arm, wanting to pin Ashley by the throat. He’d had enough of that mouth of hers!
Reacting quickly, Ashley bends her knees and jumps into the air, just as Deidara’s forearm impacts with the tree trunk, splintering the bark. The Minami drops back down and lands on Deidara’s shoulders, one knee on either side of his head. Without so much as a word, Ashley squeezes Deidara’s neck between her knees and throws her weight backwards.
Bending back and placing her palms on the ground, Ashley is able to pull Deidara over her head and fling him backwards, before flipping up to her feet. She grabs at her shoulder again, still in pain from hitting the tree, as Deidara manages to also flip around and land on his feet, an annoyed expression on his face.
“You’ve fought me before Deidara” Ashley states, placing her free hand on her hip. “You know it’s not going to be that easy to hit me.”
“Please stop trying to hit Ashley-chan Deidara Senpai” a cheerful voice suddenly requests, as Ashley feels someone place a hand on her shoulder and an arm around the front of her waist. “She is Tobi’s precious flower!”
Ashley’s eyes widen as Tobi rests the side of his head on top of hers, his protective grip around her tightening at the intense glare on Deidara’s face. Her heart beats a little faster in her chest, as her cheeks flush.
Ashley wasn’t blushing with embarrassment however. She felt livid that Tobi felt he could touch her like that and proclaim such things, as if he were her protector or something!
“Don’t you dare touch me again!” Ashley explodes, throwing out her arms. As she does so, a sphere of air begins rapidly spinning around her, before bursting open and roughly blowing Tobi away from her.
The tall male lands in a tree about twenty metres away, clinging to the branch tightly as his legs dangle helplessly in the air.
Glowering at Tobi with murder in her eyes, Ashley flips her mask down and crosses her arms, before abruptly turning away. She didn’t know where the whimpering idiot though he got off treating her like that. Next time Tobi tried to hug her, she was going to slit his throat.
“I can’t take much more of this hm” Deidara sighs heavily, placing a hand to his forehead. “Whatever happened, the Three Tails is gone now. Let’s just head to the hideout and see what Leader has to say about it. And about you hm.”
Not waiting around to hear any smart responses, Deidara brushes past Ashley and heads off through the trees. He really was getting tired of Tobi and Ashley bickering, and he couldn’t help hoping that his Leader would issue an order to get rid of her. Though he had initially wanted her to join the Akatsuki, back when she’d healed his arm, Deidara’s opinion towards the girl had changed. She had a big mouth, and was more trouble than she was worth. Between Ashley and Tobi, Deidara wasn’t sure who was more irritating any more, and it had only been a few days….
Ashley glares at Deidara’s back for a few moments, before sighing and turning around to follow him. She was so close to the Akatsuki hideout now, she didn’t want to get left behind.
“That Katsuryoku of yours is very impressive Ashley-chan” Tobi praises, suddenly appearing beside Ashley and leaning down towards her. “You blew Tobi pretty far away just then!....Hey, wait up Deidara Senpai! Wait up!”
Ashley stops walking and stares at Tobi incredulously, turning her head slowly as he runs after Deidara, waving his arms up and down wildly.
“I never told you what my Kekkei Genkai was called….” the blonde girl mutters, eyes dropping to the ground as she continues walking again. “How did you know?.......”
“Here we are hm” Deidara suddenly announces, pausing in front of a boulder that came no higher than the teenager’s chest. Tilting her head to the side, Ashley crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow at the rock, giving it a skeptical look.
“This is an Akatsuki hideout?” the girl asks dubiously, glancing around at her surroundings. The three Shinobi were currently standing in the middle of a lush forest, with small woodland creatures running about and butterflies flitting through the air. Beams of light stream through the leaves high above, giving the warm forest an almost ethereal feel.
“Yeah” Deidara confirms flatly, placing his hands together. “Now take a step back.”
Obliging the bossy male, Ashley takes a step back and watches as Deidara performs a hand sign, muttering something under his breath.
Activating her Katsuryoku out of curiosity, Ashley focuses her attention down on the ground for a moment, only for her eyes to widen slightly. Though it seemed that all was perfectly normal on the surface, sure enough, Ashley could sense a huge area hollowed out about a hundred metres below the earth.
Faint vibrations reverberate through the ground, only noticeable thanks to Ashley’s Kekkei Genkai. Not only were there animals in and above the ground, but there were definitely people down there too…..
Glancing up at a loud rumbling sound, Ashley watches in slight amazement as the boulder in front of Deidara, as well as a good portion of the ground, slides backwards and creates a large entrance into the ground.
“Come on Ashley-chan!” Tobi encourages excitedly, waving his arm for the blonde to follow him down the stairs. “Let’s introduce you to everyone!”
“I’m sure most of them will already know her hm” Deidara scoffs, following Tobi as he bounds down the earthen stairs, taking two at a time. “She’s caused trouble for nearly all of us at one time or another.”
“Heh….I welcome their anger with open arms” Ashley smirks confidently, though she can’t help sweat dropping. Here she was, about to basically throw herself into the Lion’s den. The Minami knew that she’d pissed off some of the Akatsuki members in the past, and she could only hope they wouldn’t all attack her at once. She wouldn’t stand a chance if they did.
“Now’s not the time to act like a chicken” Ashley murmurs to herself, squaring her shoulders. “You’ve got the blood of the Uchiha and the Minami, you don’t need to be scared of anyone!.....”
Letting a small sigh escape her lips, Ashley tentatively steps into the darkness, beginning her decent down into the Akatsuki hideout. As she goes further and further down the stairs, the ground above closes back up and small torches on the walls light up with flames. The flickering fires cast eerie shadows around Ashley, making her feel even more uneasy, though she does a good job keeping the discomfort to herself.
“Yooohooooo!” Ashley hears Tobi call from further down, his voice echoing. “We’re heeeeere!”
“F**k!” a rough voice cries out in response, before something clatters to the ground. “Hey, leave my f******g Scythe alone Kakuzu!”
“…..Well, then” a deep voice replies seriously, “Keep it away from my money.”
“Our money dammit!” the first voice snaps, “It’s our money!”
“Oh joy” Deidara sighs, pausing at the bottom of the stairwell, “The Zombie Combo are already here hm….”
“Shut your f*****g face you brat!” the rough voice commands. “Or do you need to be taught where your place is again?!”
“Again?” Deidara questions in amusement, clearly unperturbed by the threat. “You’ve never beaten me before Hidan hm.”
“Why must you goad him?” Kakuzu sighs deeply. “He’s annoying enough without being provoked…”
“I’ll kick your ass too Kakuzu!” Hidan retorts hotly, only for Tobi to sling an arm around the silver haired man’s neck. “Get away from me you f*****g insect!”
“It’s good to be back!” Tobi cries joyously, throwing one arm in the air and ducking, just as Hidan tears himself away from the dark haired male and swings at him with his three bladed Scythe.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Ashley stops and places one hand on the wall, studying the scene before her cautiously. The room, very spacious in size, is almost completely swathed in darkness, save for a few more flame lit torches scattered across the walls.
Tiny drops of water fall from cracks in the roof, creating small puddles on the floor of hardened earth. An almost uncomfortable chill sits in the air, making Ashley glad for the long robe she’s wearing.
Directly ahead of her, Tobi skips around the room with delight as an irritated Hidan runs after him, swiping his deadly looking Scythe from side to side. Deidara leans his back against a wall and glances up at Ashley, before smirking and closing his eyes, tilting his head down. He was going to enjoy seeing how this would play out.
Kakuzu however, notices Ashley right away and freezes, his green eyes narrowing at her dangerously.
“You……” the dark skinned Ninja growls, slowly rising to his feet and taking a step forwards, causing Ashley’s attention to snap to him.
Her breath catches in her throat as she spots the towering man slowly stomp towards her, his hands clenching into fists. She watches as his inhuman eyes narrow even further, a look of burning hatred in them.
Not willing to let herself be intimidated by Kakuzu, who is almost double her height, Ashley slides one foot back and takes up a defensive stance, smirking behind her mask.
“I’m flattered to see that you remember me” the Minami chuckles, to which Kakuzu lowers his head a little, shoulders squared.
“How could I forget?” comes the dark reply. “You stole my money, and for that, you shall be losing your life. How foolish, marching into my own territory like a brazen pup.”
“Brazen is my middle name” Ashley replies lowly, only to see that Hidan has noticed her presence as well, and is now staring at her with wide purple eyes.
“Hey!” he barks, jabbing his Scythe in Ashley’s direction. “You’re that bitch we met that time in the forest!........Oh shit, you stole Kakuzu’s money too! Heh, you’re dead!”
“That lummox will have to catch me first” Ashley retorts brashly, before her eyes flick back to Kakuzu. “If he even knows how to move his huge feet properly.”
That said, Ashley darts to the side as Kakuzu lunges forwards, reminding the girl of a Lion trying to defend its kill from another predator.
“Heh, well” Hidan smirks, turning his head as Ashley flashes past him, with an angry Kakuzu not far behind her, “You know what they say about men with f*****g huge feet!”
“Not that Hidan-kun would know anything about that heehee!” Tobi giggles, before sweat dropping and dashing in the opposite direction, as Hidan growls and swings his Scythe at the childish male again.
Already growing sick of chasing Ashley around, Kakuzu flings a handful of kunai at the girl’s back, some impressive speed behind them. Immediately sensing the incoming weapons, Ashley jumps up and focuses chakra into her feet, allowing her to stick to the wall.
She spins around and crouches down on the wall, her fringe hanging down and covering half of her masked face, as Kakuzu’s knives stick into the earthen wall with a series of soft thunks, just in front of Ashley’s fingers.
“I don’t know why you’re here” Kakuzu states bluntly, placing his hands together and making Ashley growl, “But I’m going to-”
Suddenly, something rockets through the air towards Ashley, the movement causing her neck to wrench around. Spotting the incoming object, the Minami manages to push away from the wall and land in front of a casual looking Deidara.
“Looks like everyone hates you hm” he muses, chuckling to himself while Ashley ignores him, warily eyeing the object that had been thrown at her.
The huge projectile had lodged itself deeply into the wall, right where Ashley had been only moments ago. Small clumps of dirt trickle down the wall, cracks rippling across it. That thing had certainly had some power behind it….
“We turn up to seal away a Tailed beast” a familiar voice growls, causing Ashley’s eyes to widen behind her mask, “And we arrive to find you all playing games with this sneaky brat!”
Ashley hoods her eyes and smirks uneasily, as Kisame appears in the room, his tiny, shark like eyes focused on her. Staring without blinking, the blue skinned man stalks over to the wall and places his hand on the hilt of the object embedded in it.
With one simple tug, Kisame rips the object out of the wall and slings it over his shoulder. Now that Ashley can see the item properly, she recognises it as Kisame’s weird sword, Samehada.
Now the girl was definitely glad she’d avoided being hit by that thing. The sword creeped her out….Not only was its cut deadly, but it ate people’s chakra and made munching noises while it did so, as if it were alive!
“You managed to escape from me last time” Kisame hisses through his razor sharp teeth, “But this time, I will have your head…”
“It’s so nice to turn up at a party and have everyone recognise you” Ashley speaks up arrogantly, feigning nonchalance. “I feel like a celebrity.”
“As always” Kisame replies, tilting his head down slightly, “You need to learn to control your tongue…..Maybe I should cut it out and save you the trouble of taming it?”
As Ashley opens her mouth to snap back at Kisame, a faint movement in the shadows catches her attention. Keen eyes swiftly flicking to Kisame’s left, Ashley immediately freezes, though she draws in a sharp intake of breath.
Facing Ashley directly, though he’s almost completely shrouded in the shadows, the Minami finds herself staring into the burning red irises of her older cousin, his eyes hooded.
Immediately Ashley’s heart rate increases, her throat drying up and her eyes widening to a painful point at his presence. She feels her hands beginning to shake, though she tries to keep it under control.
It had been quite a long time since she’d been face to face with her beloved cousin, and the piercing, ominous look in his eyes wasn’t doing anything for Ashley’s sudden nerves.
The girl, who normally had nerves of steel, felt like melting into a little puddle from the intensity of Itachi’s gaze, despite the blank expression on his face. It hadn’t really crossed her mind how she was going to react when she saw Itachi, and to be honest, she hadn’t really even thought about her cousin that much. She’d been far too preoccupied with the Leaf Ninja and capturing the Sanbi.
Despite the danger lurking around her, Ashley finds herself unable to tear her gaze away from Itachi, too entranced by his eerily beautiful, ruby eyes. They were just the same as always, cold and gleaming with danger, yet she was drawn right into those eyes, feeling as if she could stare forever.
Ashley swallows thickly. Though she’d been feeling somewhat mad at Itachi a few days ago when she’d gotten caught in the Three Tails’ Genjutsu, it was just as she imagined. She still loved him and saw him up on the pedestal she’d always put him on.
He was so quiet and still over there in the shadows, but held the look of a patient Wolf, waiting for his target to show its tender weakness. Those eyes…..They held no love in them. Only harsh realities and cruel supremacy.
Ashley suddenly felt like a rat in a trap, with the walls closing in on her. Why had she thought this would work? All of these men, these criminals, wanted to kill her. Even though Itachi was her own flesh and blood, Ashley knew he wouldn’t be on her side. He’d never been on her side. She realised that his love for her as a child wasn’t real. He had merely been playing a character, waiting for the right time to slaughter his family, and he sure wasn’t going to treat Ashley any better…
The blonde girl gives a start, as Itachi’s irises seem to spin, before she is snapped back into reality by a shout from Kisame.
Turning her head to look at the man, Ashley takes a step back in surprise, seeing him hurtling towards her with his Samehada scraping across the floor, mouth pulled up into a shark like grin.
“You shouldn’t get distracted so easily” the former Mist Ninja sneers, raising his monstrous blade up. “Now I’ll take that head of yours!”
Just as Kisame brings his blade down to slice Ashley in half, the girl feels something sweep her feet out from under her, before she is whisked away.
With a powerful crack, Samehada slams into the hardened ground, leaving a large indent in the earth. Staring at the ground in annoyance, Kisame hoists his blade back up to his shoulder and frowns a little. She wasn’t meant to move.
“You should be nicer to Ashley-chan” Tobi announces brightly, holding the shocked girl bridal style in his arms. “She’s special.”
“Ahhh, got a little crush on the brat do we?” Kisame asks tauntingly, his grin void of any friendliness. “She’s just fodder for my Samehada, so be a good boy and put her back down…..Or I’ll slice through you as well.”
“Tobi can’t do that I’m afraid Kisame!” Tobi says sheepishly, shaking his head. “Tobi likes Ashley-chan and he doesn’t want you to-”
“L-Let me go you idiot!” Ashley suddenly snaps, lifting her feet and placing them against Tobi’s chest, before kicking away from him and doing a backflip. The dark haired male stumbles backwards from the strong push, one hand rubbing at his chest while Ashley lands back on the ground, glaring up at Kisame.
“Stop touching me all the time” the Minami growls at Tobi, though she keeps her focus on the Mist Ninja ahead. “I’ve already told you, I don’t like you.”
“How cold of you” Kisame chuckles, shaking his head a little. “It makes me like you a little better, but I’m still going to chop off your he-”
“I see we’ve all gathered on time” a smooth, deep voice interrupts, making everyone pause and look up.
Seeing the way everyone had suddenly dropped their attitudes and looked to the voice, Ashley slowly turns around to see what they’re looking at, though she keeps her Katsuryoku activated in case anyone is to make a move towards her.
Standing a top a large boulder, higher than even Kisame’s head, a flickering figure stands alone, looking to Ashley like a hologram.
She tilts her head to the side, staring at the tall, imposing figure closely. Though his body was virtually transparent, his eyes were completely opaque. They shone a dull lavender colour, with the pupil seemingly encased in multiple black rings. They seemed strange to Ashley, having never seen eyes like that before, but even the young girl could tell that this man meant business.
“Hiiiii Leader-sama!” Tobi greets merrily, raising one hand in a wave, to which the man’s eyes flick down to Tobi for a brief moment. He stares at the dark haired man for a few seconds, before his eyes sweep over the rest of the group and land on Ashley.
He stares at her as well, eyes slowly narrowing until they become nothing more than tiny slits, making Ashley feel nervous. She didn’t like that look….
“I see no Three Tailed Beast” the man on the rock booms, “Yet for some reason, there seems to be a little girl in my presence. Would anyone care to explain this situation to me?”
“I’m-”
“Not you” the man is quick to silence Ashley, holding up one hand. “You will not speak. Someone else.”
Ashley immediately bares her teeth behind her mask, hands balling up into tight fists. Though this man clearly held a lot of authority amongst the Akatsuki, seeing as Tobi had addressed him as the Leader, Ashley didn’t deal well with strangers telling her what to do. It made her want to do the opposite just to spite them, but something was telling her that this time, she really needed to keep her trap shut or she’d end up dead.
“Apparently she wants to join the Akatsuki hm” Deidara eventually offers, shrugging a shoulder and casting Ashley an amused, hood eyed look.
“We have no need of another member” the holographic man states coldly, before waving his hand. “Dispose of her.”
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