Wrath of a Woman Scorned: Akatsuki's Crimson Princess

By: EDelta88

Rated M for language, violence, adult themes, and other such things not meant for immature readers

Chapter 8: Eye of the Storm

Shodo Cliffs, just south of Konoha…

Sasuke was… annoyed, to say the least. Yes, the offer of one-on-one instruction from a highly decorated, internationally famous, genius level veteran jounin was very enticing. Yes, he more than likely needed it, desperately, considering who he would be facing in the finals. Yes, he technically couldn't say no to Kakashi.

But…

"Couldn't that silver haired bastard have picked a place to train that had some shade?" Sasuke growled, a growing tick developing above his left eye as he glared down from the top of the cliffs where Kakashi had told him to wait. Granted, the cliffs were a favored area to practice the more… destructive, skills that a Konoha ninja may be developing but that was mostly because there was nothing (important) to destroy, just parched earth. On the bright side, this boded well for his ninjutsu selection. After all, training here most likely meant that Kakashi was going to teach him something dangerous enough to justify monopolising the cliffs for a month.

Incidentally, this meant that there was nothing to shield Sasuke from the noon day sun. Something that his pale complexion was making him increasingly aware of.

Poof!

'Finally!' Sasuke thought as he turned toward the sound to find his sensei… holding a decidedly cross looking Hyuuga Hinata under his arm like a sack of potatoes. '…This is not going to end well,' he decided as a comically large bead of sweat ran down the back of his.

"Any questions before we get started?" Kakashi chirped as he set Hinata on her feet.

"Um… what is she doing here?" Sasuke asked, pointing to Hinata.

"Hinata-chan has kindly agreed to help me with your training!" Kakashi chirped, his visible eye crinkling in the manner that Sasuke had come to recognize as a smile.

"I never agreed to anything of the sort," Hinata growled, showing ever increasing signs of malicious intentions concerning Kakashi and some creative use of ninjutsu and/or cold steel.

"You seem grouchy…" Kakashi observed, giving her a squinty look.

"You abducted me during a D-rank mission with my team," the little Hyuuga snarled, her fingers twitching as if itching to draw her sword.

"Maa maa, what's a little kidnapping between friends?" Kakashi said, waving his hands in a placating fashion.

"You are not my friend, Hatake-sensei," Hinata hissed through her teeth.

"Superior officer then," he said, his suddenly hard demeanor bringing Hinata up short before vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. "In any case, I did get permission to borrow you for the day. So you're stuck with us, m'kay?" he added, smiling once more.

Sasuke couldn't be certain, but he was reasonably sure that he could hear the normally reserved former heiress of the Hyuuga clan muttering darkly about jyuuken, her sword, and grievous injury under her breath.

"Now, Hinata, you've fought Aki. What can you tell us about her?" Kakashi prompted, turning a jovial eye to the young Hyuuga.

"You were there Hatake-sensei, you would know as well as I would. Possibly better," Hinata replied coldly. This was what he'd dragged her out here for? What a colossal waste of time.

"That is true to some extent. I was there and I was watching very closely," Kakashi admitted with a nod before continuing. "That said, you fought her, you have a perspective that I do not. You are also one of the foremost sword users in the village whereas I am a ninjutsu specialist; you would notice all sorts of details that I would overlook due to the differences in our training."

Hinata was silent for a long moment weighing Kakashi's words. Eventually finding his explanation… acceptable, she began thinking back, contemplating her battle with the girl from Akatsuki. It had been a wonderful match, exhilarating even, the most gratifying battle she had ever been a part of, in fact. There were no ninjutsu, no genjutsu, no tricks of any sort. It had been a match of pure skill. But, looking back, something bothered her. Something about her match had been… off. There was just something about how her opponent had fought...

Hinata blinked, staring off into the distance in contemplation. How hadn't she seen that before? It was so obvious now that she thought about it…

"You've come up with something?" Kakashi prompted. With the rumors surrounding Akatsuki… well, quite honestly, he was looking for any advantage he could get to keep his student alive.

Hinata didn't answer at first, choosing instead to roll the idea around in her head a few moments longer before explaining herself. "She is… not a kenjutsu specialist," she answered, still staring at nothing.

"What?" Kakashi demanded, his eyes narrowing dangerously as Sasuke's eyebrows rose toward his hairline in disbelief. How could someone that young reach that level of skill with a blade and not be a specialist?

"She is incredibly skilled with a blade for her age, that much is obvious, but it is not her strength. The way she moves, the way she attacks." For a moment, Hinata paused as she began to pace restlessly. "I cannot be certain but I believe that her kenjutsu supplementary to something else," Hinata finished, unsettled by the conclusions she had come to.

"Something else?" Kakashi pressed.

Hinata nodded gravely. "If I am correct, and I very much believe that I am, the purpose of her style is incredibly similar to my own," she admitted as a scowl worked its way across her brow. "She uses it to create openings for something that she didn't use in our match. However, whereas I use my kenjutsu to supplement and create openings for my jyuuken I am unsure what she would be using. That said, whatever her follow-through may be, I assure you that it is most likely extremely devastating and should be avoided at all costs."

Kakashi blinked, an idea coming to him. "You say your styles are alike. Would you be willing to teach Sasuke-"

"Absolutely not," Hinata snapped, looking incensed. Share her style? The one she had spent years creating? With Uchiha Sasuke? When hell froze over and Uchiha Madara crawled from his grave, swore fealty to the Senju clan, and declared his undying love for the Shodai Hokage!"I will not teach my style nor does he have the time to even approach the level of skill he would require to engage anyonein bladed combat beyond a basic exchange—let alone her."

Kakashi nodded abashedly. "Is there anything else you can tell us? Is there... Can you think of anything useful that I may have overlooked?"

Hinata nodded, turning away from Kakashi to speak to Sasuke directly. "A word of advice. Abandon any illusions of victory. You and I have been, by and large, equals for years now and she outclassed me in my strongest discipline with a supplementary skill. That girl is as strong, or stronger than both of us. Mark my words Uchiha Sasuke, if she fights at all seriously you will be fighting to survive."

And with that, Hinata spun on her heel and marched purposefully toward the path that lead down off the mesa and back village.

"So…" Kakashi started, trying to inject some life back into the… incredibly awkward atmosphere that Hinata had left behind.

"You asked a Hyuuga to give up her personally crafted, secret, techniques to an Uchiha?" Sasuke asked, less than impressed.

"…Maybe?"

"Were you dropped on your head as a child or are you just stupid?" Sasuke deadpanned.

Hours Later…

"I… Hate… You…" Sasuke panted as he lay sprawled on the mesa.

"Take a number and get in line," Kakashi quipped. "And you are going to hate me a lot more by the end of the month."

Sasuke responded by way of a pitiful groan.

Glancing at the setting sun Kakashi gave a wry smile. He really was going to put Sasuke through hell… he just hoped it would be enough for Sasuke to survive the finals so that Sasuke could thank him for it later.

But for now, the sun was setting; time to feed the cute little gennin.

Meanwhile across the village in a lonely tower, an old man stood in front of a window, a faraway look in his eyes as the sun set on his village.

"Taka," he spoke to the seemingly empty room.

An ANBU in a white cloak with an eagle mask dropped from the ceiling, falling into a crouch without a sound behind his leader.

"Report," Sarutobi ordered, still staring out into the semi-darkness.

"My team has continued surveillance of the target, alias: 'Aki,' without incident or apparent detection, sir. Prior to her meeting with you this afternoon, the subject toured the commercial district. She did not visit any equipment vendors and made no purchases other than a meal at Ichiraku Ramen. After leaving you she made contact with her listed sensei, alias: 'Tobi', and was still in his company at our last sit-rep."

"Observations?" Sarutobi prompted.

"We have confirmed her gender and apparent age. Her natural hair color appears to be some shade of light brown, possibly blonde. She did not converse at length with anyone or make any apparent attempts at clandestine communications. Also, the target shows an ease within a potentially hostile territory that would suggest a degree of confidence in her skills well above her apparent rank."

"No additional observations on her skills, Captain?" the Sandaime asked.

"Permission to speak freely, sir?" the Captain requested.

"Granted."

"The subject's level of inaction strikes me as… intentional."

"Speak plainly, Captain," Sarutobi prompted.

"Sir, though she has given no signs to suggest that she detected us I believe the subject is already aware of our surveillance. Most likely she expected it after the preliminary exams and is purposefully avoiding any actions that would give us insight into her skill level or character."

'That is worrying…though not unexpected given Akatsuki's reputation for secrecy,' Sarutobi mused with a frown. "Did your team observe any changes in her behavior between your observations today and those made since she exited the forest two days ago?"

"No sir," Taka replied.

"Let me rephrase. Have you or your team noted any behaviors that would suggest that she has been replaced in some way? Perhaps a clone or a body double?" the old Hokage suggested.

That gave the ANBU pause, just for a moment. "Unlikely but not impossible, sir."

"Have you determined what she and her sensei are using to block your Bykakuugan?"

"I have been unable to determine the exact method she has employed but I have been able to confirm that it is in some way connected to her clothing."

"Have you acquired a sample?"

"No sir, the subject carries all of her possessions on her person at all times and I felt that given Akatsuki's reputation that it would be… unwise, to risk direct confrontation within the village limits."

"A sound decision, Captain," Sarutobi replied making a mental note to add a commendation for prudent leadership to the captain's file. "One last question, Captain," Hiruzen said, still staring out into the night.

"Sir?"

"Did Aki, at any point, ask for directions?"

There was a long pause as Sparrow thought this over. "No, I do not believe so," he concluded.

"Maintain surveillance, I expect to be informed immediately of anything even remotely significant. Dismissed," Sarutobi ordered with the aura of a man who had been given the answer he was expecting.

"Hai!" And then he was gone.

'It is as I thought then. Assuming Akatsuki haven't infiltrated the highest levels of our bureaucracy, she is most likely native to Konoha,' the Sandaime thought with a frustrated sigh.

A sprawling metropolis filled with highly trained spies, an elite unit of Black Ops specialists at his beck and call, and more than half a century of personal experience and all he could find were more questions. She was incredibly young, barely more than a child, but she was an active and visible member of the Akatsuki. She was a highly skilled swordswoman, but she was not a kenjutsu specialist. She knew some of his village's most closely guarded secrets, but was far too young to be privy to such information. The girl was an enigma, a secret hiding in plain sight and there was something about her… something that Hiruzen just could not put his finger on.

'Aki… a spirit of malevolent nature or intentions. Said to be either a manifested memory of evil times… or an omen of calamity, a harbinger of destruction,' Sarutobi mused, stroking his beard thoughtfully. Obviously a carefully chosen pseudonym adopted by a very angry young woman openly announcing her intentions to anyone that was paying attention.

Revenge…

What form her vengeance would take and whom it would be visited upon, Hiruzen did not know. Given her actions thus far he suspected that she intended to strike at Konoha as a whole on some level. Her vilifying speech during the preliminaries it certainly seemed the most likely scenario. Hopefully she continued to limit herself to attacking their reputation because, while he would welcome the opportunity to question her more thoroughly, he was not particularly fond of inviting the hostilities of the Akatsuki.

Her speech aside, nothing else from the observations of his subordinates or his own had been particularly worrying. Most of what she had known was public knowledge or explained by Itachi's membership in the Akatsuki. Her knowledge of Minato and Kushina's daughter, however… that worried him. More than that, something about her unsettled him… something he couldn't quite place his finger on.

Sighing tiredly, the Sandaime absently stuffed a wad of tobacco into the bowl of his pipe as he lowered himself into the chair behind his desk. Lighting the leaves with a touch of fire chakra, he took a deep, calming drag before he replayed his brief meeting with Aki earlier in the day, dissecting it as he stared thoughtfully at the wall. What was he missing?

Elsewhere in the village the subject of the elder Hokage's troubled thoughts was walking sedately down one of Konoha's many side streets

"So, how'd it go?" asked a voice she recognized all too well.

Turning slightly, Aki found her masked partner walking beside her as though he'd been there the entire time. "About as can be expected," she replied, turning her gaze back to the street, completely unfazed by Tobi's sudden appearance.

Tobi sighed, shaking his head. "You're just no fun anymore, you know that?" he whined.

"You'll forgive me if I'm not overly enthusiastic about returning to this pit of vipers for any length of time," she replied with a hint of menace.

"I'm cryin' for ya babe," Tobi drawled, exaggerating his sarcasm.

Aki snorted, shaking her head. "You're trying to rile me up?"

"…Maybe?"

Aki rolled her eyes. "Idiot."

"Well, with all the brooding you've been doing since we got here one of us has to be!" Tobi cried theatrically. Seriously, the brooding and glooming was supposed to be his thing, damnit!

"But it comes easily to you?" Aki quipped.

"I learned from the best," he shot back with a suggestive tone.

Aki smirked dangerously. "I'm sure you are referring to Izuna, or perhaps Hashirama? You couldn't possibly mean me?"

"Naturally," Tobi chirped as he started to skip ahead of her.

Aki snorted, shaking her head.

"So, how did your meeting go with little Hiruzen?" he pressed.

"About as can be expected," she repeated dully, refusing to take her eyes off the street.

That gave Tobi pause. Tilting his head curiously, he turned to observe his partner, his practiced gaze piercing the veil that still hid her face. "Will there be any complications?"

"None that I can foresee. None from Konoha at any rate," she sighed.

"Oh cheer up!" Tobi cried, dramatically flailing his arms. "Just imagine their faces when they find out the truth! Picture it. See the faces. The faces, Benihime!"

"You're an idiot," Aki chuckled, cracking a genuine smile for the first time in days.

"But I'm your idiot," her companion replied triumphantly.

"Yes, I suppose you are… woe is me."

"HEY!"

A/N

And there you have it, the obligatory snip-it of the month between the prelims and the finals. I tried to find a way to slip Jiraiya in that actually made sense to me but came up with nothing… so my challenge to you is to give me a plausible scenario that I could insert into this chapter or the next. Give me something good and I'll write it in somewhere… no promises on timeframe though. I have enough to deal with right now to keep me busy for a looooong time. Honestly, same offer stands for anything that could fit into the month. Only catch is that you have to write at least part of it yourself since I'll be posting them as Omake and you'll get your name on it.

For any of you that might actually know Japanese (or better than me at least), yes I know I probably mangled the actual lore for Aki's name but I claim creative license… so nyah!