A tryst with destiny (Tales of a Gutsy Ninja - 2)

Chapter 23 : The thin line of life

Aira P.O.V

I chose a red top, black pants and shinobi boots for my attire. It was an improvement from the simple red kimono I used to wear during my stay in Kuroko and Akatsuki hideout. For one, it meant that I was free and two...that I might have to fight and not just sit behind the walls.

At 8 am in the morning, we had our breakfast and were done with our packing. It was the most opportune of times to headout. By the time we reach the destination, it would be dark...making sneaking in an easier process.

A seven-man mission. It should be over cleanly if my plan is executed perfectly. Sabaaku no Gaara, Hyosuke Raijin, Suzumebachi Akira, Gekko Hayate, Uzumaki Saaya and Uchiha Itachi...they were all wonderful shinobi and perfectly suited mission.

And yet, I wonder why I get this nagging feeling that I am forgetting something... 

"Aira...why are we going after this Kabuto guy?"

I turned to look at Suzumebachi Akira. His golden eyes were brimming with curiosity. It had been so many years since I found alongside them. To be precise - the Konoha invasion. I still remember the look of admiration that he showed back then when we fended off the Suna shinobis.

Like a child looking up to a magician.

Aira: Akira...what do you know about me?

Akira: Well...you've always been quite knowledgeable and that you have an unfathomable way of doing things. But...

Aira: But?

Akira: You always manage to achieve your objective in the end.

Aira: Precisely. Kakashi-san would recount our adventure when we crossed paths with the sannin, Orochimaru. There were two people with him : Uchiha Sasuke and...Yakushi Kabuto.

Gaara: In a Suna meeting, you said that Kabuto was a medical nin who couldn't beat Chiyo obaa-sama.

Hayate: I see...but to be beside Orochimaru, a man who researches and experiments on humans, he must be quite a gifted medical ninja.

Aira: Tsunade-hime would vouch for his skills.

Raijin: Okay...I get it that he is more important than he looks but why are we going after this medical ninja?

Aira: Because he tried to make a deal with the Akatsuki.

I couldn't tell them that Kabuto knows Senju Tobirama's Edo tensei(reincarnation jutsu). I don't want to have another bleeding attack. I'd die of anemia.

Itachi: And so you think that he must have something very important if he thought it would gain him audience with the Akatsuki?

Akira: Meaning this entire mission...is based on the assumption that this Kabuto guy has something risky?

Aira: It's not an assumption. Naruto states that Kabuto 'absorbed' Orochimaru's body and that his skin had snake scales. Besides, not having complete knowledge could be absolutely disastrous. 

Gaara: Meaning...don't underestimate your enemies and keep a very careful eye on them?

Aira: Exactly!  And so, we are off to hire Orochimaru's successor, Kabuto.

Gaara: W-Wait? What do you mean hire? I didn't hear anything of that sort!  

Aira: Is that so? Well, now you have! In fact, there is more to this mission. Itachi-san, I hope you can take care of the 'other' matter.

Itachi: Alright. I'll make sure that the Akatsuki is unable to follow you.

Basically it means making sure that Obito doesn't sneak up from behind and ruin all of our plans. Besides...for a completely different reason altogether, I didn't want Itachi to be spotted. 

After all, I had no intentions of letting Itachi get killed at the hands of a certain rogue shinobi. 

Hayate: But Aira, are you aware of where Kabuto is hiding? As far as I remember, you said you know one of Orochimaru's many hideouts. How do you trace him?

Aira: I know the 'ex-prison warden' of the hideout that belongs more to Kabuto...than it does to Orochimaru.

I coughed and spluttered slightly as the seal on my chest began to hurt. I bit my lip in irritation. The closer I get to the fourth great shinobi war, the more vital such information becomes and...the more vital information I reveal, the more I bleed. 

Gaara: A-Aira!

Aira: I'm fine...just let me rest for a moment-

Saaya: No! You will have your wounds tended to first!

A panicked Saaya tended to my chest. It was one of the rare moments of obstinacy I saw in her. Ever since madara referred to my 'disease', she had gotten a whole lot worried about me. In fact, not only Saaya...everyone else as well. 

They think I'd drop dead if I exert myself or something. Well...even I'd get alarmed if someone frequently bleeds from their chest.

After Saaya double and triple checked that my bleeding had indeed stopped, we resumed our journey on a faster pace. It would be frustrating if we got late because of me...

Hayate: And how do you know this person?

I knew exactly where Kabuto would be. It wasn't very specifically clear in the anime but...I had secretly attached S rank tracing tags to the pills I'd send to Orochimaru so I had a clear idea where his hideouts were located. All in all, he had about seven hideouts: Land of sound hideout, Kusagakure hideout, southern hideout(land of waves), Northern hideout(shimogakure), Eastern hideout(Iwagakure) and the Island hideout(uzu no kuni).

The Island hideout was where Kabuto conducted most of his researches(according to the anime). So...it would make sense to start from there. In fact, that is where Sasuke recruited Karin from. 

Aira: It is none other than Uzumaki Karin. I asked for Uchiha Sasuke's help.  

Raijin: You don't-

Akira: really mean..

Gaara: Uchiha Sasuke!

Aira: That is what I mentioned! I have some information that he finds extremely valuable.

Everyone knows that Sasuke would be unable to resist the lure of finding out about Itachi. Well...Itachi knows about the plan. He wasn't very pleased with it but...as long as it doesn't involve plunging his younger brother into the vortex of ninja politics and power struggles, he has no problem.

I may have promised to tell Sasuke information 'about' Itachi but...I never said anything about 'leading' him to Itachi.

I know it is trickery on my part but...I couldn't sacrifice Itachi just to get to Kabuto. But that didn't mean I could let Kabuto do as he please either.