Chapter 47 - Change of Plans...

BLAMMMM!!!!


“What the hell?” was the common curse. A hole had just been blown in the outside wall of the stadium. Fiery debris sent the crowd running for cover, arms over their heads.

“NOBODY MOVES!” came a familiar shout.

“Damn it…not now…why now?!” Ekyt hissed. He spun to see three cloaked figures.

“We didn’t finish in the forest, un,” Deidara said, smirking. He held up his new arm. It moved oddly, as though it had an extra joint…like a puppets hand. “And my new appendage will prove very entertaining!”

“This entire stadium will explode if anyone tries to get down off of those bleachers. Nobody helps him.” This came from Sasori, his growl sending shivers down the spines of the most advanced jonin. But even Sasori stopped in deference to the last person to walk through the debris.

“Too long…it has been too long. The Akatsuki have been thwarted, time and again, in their quest to obtain the nine-tailed fox. And so many times have come at the hands of the boy before you. Fools, all of you, thinking he had turned his back on your village. As an enemy, I can appreciate why he agreed to fool you all. For the greater good. If one dies to save hundreds, the balance stays, does it not? You’ve been fools to drive him away. Such loyalty is hard to come by…Now, you can all watch his loyalty die. Today, we don’t target the 9-tailed fox- we target YOU, Dragon Boy!”

The improtu speech had come from Pein, in one of his bodies. His outstretched hand was directed at Ekyt. He continued to speak now.

“This entire stadium will explode is anyone gets off the bleachers. We want ALL of you to watch as we kill the one thing that has stopped us from obtaining Naruto. He said that he would bear the pride of Konoha on his shoulders. He has never done so more than now. Now, pay attention, as you see what a threat the Akatsuki REALLY are. Too many of you think us to be fakes, a joke by your own government. We’re as real as you…and MORE deadly…”

Pein vanished, leaving Deidara, Sasori, and Itachi. The three stood tall, seeming to tower over Ekyt.

“So, I’m alone, am I? I welcome your challenge. I’ve swatted you away, again and again, but just like the turd that won’t flush, you keep coming back…I’ve taken a man’s life (True, although Orochimaru returned in a new host body), and I won’t feel any regret in taking yours. If one who is wicked dies to preserve a hundred who are good…”

“Oh, cut out the speech, un! You’re boring the hell out of me!” Deidara sneered.

“Oh, am I?” Ekyt said from behind Deidara. He yanked hard on the long mane of blond hair, pulling Deidara to the ground. As Deidara fell, Ekyt smashed his heel down on Deidara’s nose. Instantly, the kunai of Itachi Uchiha was at Ekyt’s back. But it didn’t end there. Ekyt had his kunai to Deidara’s neck, and he knew Itachi was behind him. But who was behind Itachi?


Kimimaro’s bone was at Itachi’s neck. “Now I see…I can call you ‘cousin’ now, Ekyt. The blood of the Kaguya clan flows through you. Only one of my own name would dare make that move.”


Orochimaru had the Kusanagi to the back of Sasori’s neck. “You cloaked fools are a problem, one I’ll have no issue dealing with. Besides, it’s rare to find such powerful help…”




The people in the bleachers had frozen. No one wanted to set off the explosives. Naruto had to be forced to settle down.

“He’s going to die, isn’t he, Kakashi-sensei?” Naruto asked sadly. Sai went to work with Iruka, settling the crying children down. Sai’s fake smile worked on them, and he drew their pictures, earning a few laughs and genuine smiles. Iruka had several kids clustered to him, and he as telling them how they shouldn’t worry, everything will be fine.

Ekyt’s class was glued to their seats, their eyes on their teacher. Even Naoto, who was critical about Ekyt’s abilities at the best of times, summed up the situation.

“Sonofadog! He didn’t even bat an eye! Is this what Shinobi do? What Shinobi are?” he uttered. Sakura was next to him, and could tell this was hard on him. For all his bravado, he’s really just a scared kid…

“Naoto, that IS the Shinobi way. But that boy is an exception…he’s a warrior, and he’ll ALWAYS put the loyalty to this village ahead of it’s hatred for him. That’s just how he is. But, you know, that doesn’t mean he isn’t scared. He just doesn’t let that fear paralyze him. I’d be surprised if you didn’t see some of that fear actually working in his favor.” Sakura had seen Ekyt in this situation before. Granted, SHE was scared as hell for his sake, but still…Everyone’s told me that, somehow, when you’re fighting next to Ekyt, you feel like you can’t lose, no matter how grim the odds. It’s nothing he says or does particularly, it’s just…a sense. I’ve felt it, too. It’s like I know I won’t be killed, or even seriously injured. Why is that? Whatever it is, I hope it’s working full-blast today, he’s down their with two Sound Ninja who wanted to kill him five minutes ago.




“Alright. Negotiation. What will it take to make you free everyone?” Ekyt asked quietly.

Itachi, the de facto leader, was the one who answered. “You surrender yourself, right now.”

Ekyt looked up at the crowd. No one was booing, or cheering, or even urging him to give up. Ekyt felt like he might have their faith back. But his next move would make or break that. It would be selfish…to do this any other way…

“Alright! I’ll give myself up, just let them go!” Ekyt shouted. He let go of Deidara and dropped his kunai. Orochimaru and Kimimaro backed off.

Only Deidara moved. He tied a chain around Ekyt’s hands in such a way that handsigns weren’t possible. He wound the chain around Ekyt’s torso, pulling it tight, then locking it with a thick padlock.

“Fool…Now we have you, we could simply detonate the stadium…or you COULD have tried to call our bluff. It would take a LOT of explosive power to detonate the stadium…maybe we don’t have that kind of power…” Itachi smirked, thinking he had the upper hand.

“I KNOW you have the power, Itachi. Calling your bluff crossed my mind, but I’ve got lives to think of. Now that you have me…what do you plan to do with me? Kill me? Torture me? Brag that you got me? And…I’ve got to say, I’m not comfortable with the blonde ‘guy’ here tying me up…”

Deidara gave Ekyt a hard punch to the face, but Ekyt nipped up to his feet and laughed. No one could figure out why, until Deidara slumped to the ground, clutching his head, then freezing up all together. Deidara was trapped in a vicious genjutsu!

“That’s all I needed! You to drop your guard! NOW!” Ekyt shouted. Orochimaru and Kimimaro attacked their respective targets. Ekyt, meanwhile, busied himself with pulling a bone out of his shoulder with his teeth, then cutting the chain’s lock.

“GET OUT OF HERE! HE’S THE ONE WHO COULD DETONATE THIS PLACE!” Ekyt shouted. Several people hit the barrier the Akatsuki had placed around the dome. It didn’t hurt them, but the opaque black dome spread.


Ekyt decided to incapitate Sasori, giving Orochimaru an easier time with him. Putting his hands together in a long series of signs, Ekyt used the First Hokage’s Genjutsu, the “Bringer of Darkness” jutsu. Sasori was thrashing around blindly now, unable to break the genjutsu. Ekyt had hit Deidara with a Demonic Illusion: Mind Barring Technique, which had taken five minutes to fully work. That was why Ekyt had made the speech. Now Deidara was out of the equation. The Mind Barring Technique was Ekyt’s own genjutsu. It caused potential brain damage to the enemy, and it hurt Ekyt internally, but it used little chakra. While it affected the mind, the technique was actually used to fray the connections between the brain and the nervous system for a brief period of time.

“So, you’ve incapacitated the other two…interesting…but now you’re facing me. I’ve overcome Orochimaru…I’ve overcome you…what’s left for you to try? You could have died peacefully…”

“Could have…but not gonna. Your blond friend thinks art is a bang. Well, I think hitting YOU would be a bang. After what you’ve done, you’d be hard-pressed to stop me! You’ve seen it before Itachi, but it never gets old, because even YOU don’t know how to handle it!”

Ekyt’s hand was to his chest, and that meant one thing: His emotions had hit the breaking point, and the Blue Flame Chakra would ride again!





Sakura, Iruka, Kakashi, Lee, Naruto, and Sarutobi all looked to each other. Slowly, they smiled.
“I DID say that he might not be legendary…I never said he didn’t have guts,” Sarutobi pointed out.

“Facing Itachi…again. Wow. He’s got my guts than brains, I guess…” Naruto commented jokingly.

Iruka and Sakura were still with the kids. By now, Lee had drifted over. They had all seen this before.

“What’s that blue flame in his hand?! Doesn’t that hurt?!” Naoto asked, shocked at what Ekyt could do.

“It hurts him…severely. But you couldn’t stop him if you tried, now. That flame is raw emotion. I’ve felt it, once, when Ekyt was on his deathbed and I had to use his own chakra to save him…it hurts. But what it can do…it’s a risk Ekyt willingly takes…” Sakura told Naoto.

“That’s right. It causes all the chakra in his body to change direction, AND he has to pull emotions out. It’s not natural, but as a result, hard to predict, and nearly impossible to stop. And powerful…” Kakashi added. “And if he does what I THINK he’s going to do…he’ll need all the power he can get.”




“Orochimaru, Kimimaro, please watch those two…There’s only one way to end the jutsu around the arena, and that’s to take out it’s original caster. I’ve got an idea. Just…trust me…”




Ekyt launched himself at Itachi. Itachi reared back and stabbed with a kunai. There was blood all over, he had hit Ekyt right in the stomach. But the blood was Itachi’s! The kunai stopping so suddenly had caused him to scrape his knuckles against the bone protruding from Ekyt’s stomach!

“I’ve learned a little more about the Kaguya Kekkaigenkai, Itachi. And I’ve learned about the Sharingan. I can’t hope to kill you while you have it…(Ekyt’s blue chakra roars)so I’ll just…(Ekyt’s fingers have the kanji for “Earth” “Heaven” “Water” “Fire” and “Void” on them)GET RID OF IT!”

Ekyt jabbed his hand toward Itachi’s dangerous eyes, but Itachi’s speed was proving to make hitting him difficult. But he was slightly rattled by Ekyt going on the offensive.

He’s changed…again. His thinking is more and more…mature…every time I fight him. He adapts to the situation quickly…which allows him to use his talents to the fullest. Asking everyone else to step aside wasn’t cockiness, and he doesn’t pretend he can beat everyone…but he doesn’t back down, or stop…

Ekyt had Itachi backpedaling. Finally. NOW it was time. “First Gate, Gate of Opening: Release!” Ekyt opened the first gate of chakra, and zipped forward! Blue flashes were seen as Itachi tried to read Ekyt’s moves, barely succeeding. Finally, a body-flicker jutsu, and Itachi lost Ekyt completely. The irony was that Ekyt was right in front of him, and right where he WANTED to be.

“Five Elements Seal!” Ekyt’s outstretched right hand grabbed Itachi’s left eye. When Ekyt closed his hand, Itachi’s vision in that eye disappeared.

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