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

Chapter 25 : The tip of the iceberg

Aira P.O.V

'My dear comrades, this mission is currently S rank level. We are going against someone who is way smarter than I initially thought. The Akatsuki are a group of very skilled and extremely ruthless ninjas. Do you still intend to help me?'

The unanimous consent warmed my heart.

The me of the past, the one who believed herself to be an outsider, would find it unbelievable that people would willingly entrust their lives to me. Well, they did know that the mission might be dangerous from the very beginning so they must have been prepared but this was a case of a B rank mission becoming an S rank mission in a heartbeat.

The part that Zetsu was our enemy was not something I found comforting.

Of all times...why couldn't I talk to Isobu now? He would have made it possible for me to join the fray. But ever since I was 'kidnapped' by Obito, I was completely out of touch with Isobu.

Saaya did assure me that Isobu was still sealed in me but his chakra was very weak and his will was hardly there. I wonder what could have happened to that overgrown baby turtle. He was a wonderful partner...a very loyal and helpful one at that.

I missed his chattering.

Gaara: Aira, do you have a plan to defeat this monochrome guy?

A plan, eh?

I looked up to see that Zetsu was eying me curiously. It made no attempts to attack us, it just blocked our paths.

Zetsu: How about you leave, we won't have to hurt you then. But hell awaits you if you try to pass us!  

We were six people. Five elite ninjas and an out-of-commission strategist. But this was not the time to sit around dawdling. Using these five members, I would have to make it past Zetsu and...none of them could be allowed to get hurt. Tsk...I wish Karin and Sasuke had stayed to help us.

A sensor nin, a sand user, a swordsman, a genjutsu user and a water user. Not too bad. I couldn't fight with them. I found that after using damaging my arm in the battle against Hidan and Kakuzu, I was stuck in a similar position to orochimaru - I didn't tell the other but my hand was hardly in the state to use jutsus or hold a sword.

Aira: Saaya, I only brought you so that you can patch up my wounds. You're pathetic on the battlefield. Step back.

Saaya's eyes widened in shock but then she quietly stood behind me. I hope she realizes that I hate getting my wounds tended to. I'd never bring her along for such a reason. there was a reason why I wanted her to come closer to me without raising Zetsu's suspicion. 

 Saaya apparently did understand. She didn't freak out but followed my orders quietly. Once she was close enough, I whispered my strategy in her ear. 

Saaya: Y-You...thought of all that in just a minute?

I chuckled and gave her a small wink. Saaya's eyes were shining with admiration, shock and...loyalty.

Aira: Does that surprise you?

Saaya: For some reason, no.

I only have two members in Kuroko...and there is a reason why Saaya is one of them. She survived on her own after the Uzushiogakure downfall. Her chakra chains allowed her to deplete and provide chakra. She was the key to the working of this plan.

Hayate: Aira, are we ready?

I turned towards them, my lips in a small smile. If this goes perfectly, Zetsu wouldn't even know what hit him. I wore the communication earpiece and gave Saaya the signal to start the plan.

Saaya: Hijutsu : Kongo Fusa!( Secret technique : Adamantine sealing chains!)

Aira: Don't panic. Saaya will attach chakra chains to all of you. If Zetsu decides to transform into one of us, Saaya's chains will help us identify him. I'll convey what to do using these chains. While we shouldn't underestimate Zetsu, we can safely conclude that we have the upper hand. Feel free to kill him. He is a human-eating plant and not a human.

Madara P.O.V

White Zetsu: ...and so, she decided to use Uzumaki Saaya's chakra chains to avoid getting tricked by my clones.

Madara: And what does her strategy revolve around?

White Zetsu: She intends to stand behind Saaya and support her with one-tails, two-tails and eight-tail's chakra. Uzumaki Saaya herself has a huge amount of chakra. That combined with Aira's chakra means that she has enough chakra to transfer to her teammates...they won't be running out of chakra anytime soon.

Madara: Sabaaku no Gaara's long range sand attacks, Gekko Hayate's close range bukijutsu, Suzumebachi Akira's mid range water based jutsus, Hyosuke Raijin's A class genjutsu and Uzumaki Saaya's Adamantine sealing chains...seems that girl was ready from the very beginning.

White Zetsu: But why isn't Uchiha Itachi with them? Isn't he a member of Ryuugamine Aira's 'Kuroko'?

Madara: Only a sharingan user would be able to lookout for another sharingan user. Itachi must making sure that Obito doesn't catch them unawares. Sasuke is only interested in finding out about Itachi. He wouldn't fight against Kuroko. I am not in the state to leave the hideout...not until Nagato revives me. Four of the five great nations is allied with her. Iwagakure wouldn't want to challenge the world and so, they won't go against her either.

White Zetsu: Meaning she has everything covered? B-But can't we give Sasuke information about Itachi in exchange for defeating Aira? If Itachi is gone, then Obito could easily kill her-

Madara: No. Uchiha Itachi and...everyone else around Aira, they are all her weakness. We don't know much about her 'disease' so this is the only weakness we know about her. We can't waste this opportunity so easily.

White Zetsu: You intend to keep Aira alive? She would obviously be a threat to the 'Tsuki no me'(Moon eye) plan!

Madara: But Black Zetsu is right. She could also become a very beneficial pawn for the 'Tsuki no me' plan and it seems she has not realized it yet. It is a complete cycle - without her comrades, a strategist cannot achieve anything and yet, those comrades are also what might prevent the strategist from achieving anything.

White Zetsu: But Aira-

Madara: I saw it her her eyes when she promised to make me a king. She wasn't lying to escape alive. She must be alright with helping me...what I don't understand is...

White Zetsu: How helping you benefits her plans.

Madara: Precisely. White Zetsu, there is a reason why I sent you to lookout for Aira. Kabuto's strategist was right about Aira going after Kabuto. I want to put the skills of this other strategist to the test and...

It was quite obvious that this other strategist wouldn't be able to overpower Aira's skills but...he might come extremely handy in getting to her.

Madara: I want you to make it impossible for Aira to escape me. 

She is the red hisha(rook) in shogi. She is neither on the white nor the black team. But she is...nonetheless one of the strongest pieces on the board. A piece that symbolizes revolution.

A piece that brings victory to whoever commands it.