[Land of Hot Water]
A portal opened up and from the portal walked out two people, one was a beautiful kunoichi with blue hair and another one was a stern-looking young man with white hair.
This was Guren and Kimimaro. Shika sends them here becuase the land of hot water is the only way beside the water channel to travel to the land of Lightning.
It turns out that the Land of Fire is not only the most fertile land in the elemental nation but at the same time, it also turns out to be a very geographically strategic location as well.
The land of Fire is in the middle of all the four other big nations, making it surrounded by many enemies and also the only land mass practically which connects these lands.
It's very geographically important and just that much harder to defend.
"Shika said to look for the black market channels, the target we are looking for most likely will appear there." Kimimaro said as he looked around the place. It was out of nowhere, just like Shika said, you can identify yourself from being the organization but can't give away any more information.
'From goals to the numbers of members we have. Everything should remain a secret until the time is right...' Kimimaro remembered and sighed.
"First, let's find a village or town here, we need to find out where the black market in this place is ?" Kimimaro said, already planning how to approach this situation.
"No need, I know the place..." but Guren waved her hand and denied it outright.
"You been here ?" He asked, almost nonchalantly, it wasn't that much interest, it was just casual talk.
"Hmm... I'm from the land of Rice, it's not that far. I know the place, enough to find my way around." Guren nodded, she had grown up in the Hidden Sound Village. Even before Orochimaru took control, she was from the land of Rice, and been a Kunoichi.
For a small nation which shares the boundary with her country, she had to know the place well, small nations like hers don't have many Shinobi in their ranks so they have to take on multiple tasks from a younger age. This was a given.
"Let's go..." Guren didn't bother explaining more and motioned to follow her.
"How does he even have this much information about the Akatsuki in the first place ?" While walking, she suddenly asked, though a ninja shouldn't question the mission, that is the first thing taught to them, and they should be grateful that there is information available about their targets in the first place. After all, a lack of information could lead to their deaths.
But she can't help but wonder how come Shika had so much detailed information about the Akatsuki and its members. Not only does he know their motives, how many members they have, and even what kind of techniques they use.
Having this much information on his enemy, was suspicious.
"I don't know, but he seems to know almost everything, from my past to yours. Is there anything hidden from him? Questioning on this is pointless." Kimimaro replied without hesitation.
He too was curious but ultimately for him, it didn't matter, completing the task was all that mattered.
Guren hearing this didn't reply but just slightly nodded.
"Kakuzu and Hidan....
With all the information we have on them, it shouldn't be that hard to beat them ?" She asked, Shika gave enough info for anyone to have an advantage on the first confrontation.
But, there was still an uncertainty. After all, both were at least S Rank missing-nin and very strong. Especially Kakuzu.
"Don't bunk on information that much, it could be false info, though I believe Shika's info network after what all he knew so far, but remember to stay vigilant.
The biggest question is finding them, even if Shika was right, finding their exact location will prove to be a problem.
We better come up with a plan to fight them right now." Kimimaro replied, he was more experienced when it comes to missions than Guren.
In fact, though Guren wouldn't agree in front of anyone, but even she knew that it was Kimimaro who was the leading shinobi in this team...
Little did they know that Shika knew that Yugito was captured by both Kakuzu and Hidan in the story. This means that it's possible that both Kakuzu and Hidan are stationed in the northeastern area around the Land of Lightning, the Land of Hot Waters and the Land of Forst.
---
[Land of Rivers]
Once again a portal opened out of nowhere, and from the portal came out two men. One was pretty young, in his mid-teens while the other was bigger and looked like in his early twenties but in reality, he too was a teen just bigger than others.
They were Sasuke and Jugo. Shika sends them here in the land of Rivers, the only country separating the land of Fire and the land of Winds.
"Why did he send us here ?" Asked Jugo while looking around the place. The place had too much greenery and water for it to be the land of wind, where they were supposed to go.
"It's the land of Rivers, not Wind. I asked him to send us here." Sasuke replied, not paying much attention to Jugo.
After knowing that they were going to target individual teams in Akatsuki and plan to save the Jinchuriki, Sasuke was the first one to announce that he'll be going after Itachi. No reason is needed to explain why?
Unfortunately, Shika had no idea where Itachi could be, or at least that is what he told Sasuke.
Shika didn't want Sasuke to run into Itachi right now. He didn't want Itachi to die. Not becuase he liked the man or anything, in fact, he was among the very few who actively didn't like Itachi for what he did and his ways of doing things, as a character standpoint Shika could have pointed out many problems in Itachi, but as a fighter's point of view. There were none.
And that was the reason Shika didn't want Itachi to die, if possible he rather have someone as strong as Itachi join them than let him die.
This was the reason why, Shika purposely put Sasuke near the land of Wind, knowing that the Akatsuki members who will attack Gaara will be Sasori and Deidara. Away from Itachi for the time being.
However, Sasuke wasn't planning on doing so. Though he will still look around for both Sasori and Deidara, but he wasn't giving up on finding Itachi's whereabouts.
Upon not getting the reason why Sasuke chose the land of Rivers to be teleported over directly to the land of Winds, Jugo didn't ask. He knew that Sasuke was the one calling the shots here, and he didn't want to lead anyone. He is fine as long as they complete the mission.
"Come on, we are going..." Sasuke smirked, thinking about something internally, and started moving.
"One minute, that's not the way..."
Jugo didn't care, he too started following Sasuke, however, when he saw they were going in the wrong direction he couldn't help but stop and call Sasuke out.
"It's time, the sun is supposed to be in front of us and not behind us we are moving west. We are going in the opposite direction..." Jugo might look like a simpleton but he wasn't. He was smart, in his own right.
"I know, this because we are not going towards the Land of Wind, but towards the Land of fire..." Sasuke calmly said, making Jugo confused and wanting to retort.
Jugo really didn't care what Sasuke do, but if that something would stop them from completing the mission given by Shika then he can't have that.
"But the orde..." Jugo was saying but just as he was about to protest, Sasuke stopped him.
"I know... we are only temporarily going there, I need some information, as soon as I have it, we will move to the land of Wind..."
"Information ?..." Jugo was now more confused, didn't Shika give them enough info to even blind attack those Akatsuki members by now?
"Shika had no info on Itachi and his wareabouts, so we have to go back to the land of fire..." Sasuke said non-chalantly.
"Wait a minute, you are not going to try getting that info out of Konoha, are you..." Jugo was alarmed.
"of course not... " Sasuke hearing this rolled his eyes, a slight annoyance coming to him.
"This was Shika's fault..." He grumbled, the boy made everyone know that he was a revenge-obsessed madman who would stop at nothing but killing his only living family in the world.
'I want revenge, agree, but what kind of description was that...' he can't help but twitch his eyebrows with annoyance. He was not like his younger self.
Sasuke here was much different than Sauke in the Shippuden timeline, at least not that revenge-obsessed.
"Hm... we are going to the home of Ninneko Tribe.
They are my family's ancestral summons. If there is someone who could have information about Itachi then it will be them..." Sasuke snorted and replied.
"Ninja Cats..." Jugo muttered to himself and sighed, as long as he wasn't planning on storming inside Konoha or running away from the mission.
---
[Land of Waves]
Another portal opened and from this portal came out two more figures. One boy with white hair and another with long black. Though the second looked like a girl but description sama can spot a trap when he sees one.
"Haku, why did you ask Shika to send us here ?" Suigetsu sounded annoyed, and Shika asked them to handle the entire north-western side.
They were a little different team than others.
Putting them in the land of Earth was strategic for Shika. Stone has two Jinchuriki, four tails and five tails, and Shika have no idea who captured them in the cannon, he can't seem to remember it.
In this situation, he had to put a team which not only has the capability to handle two fire and heat type jinchuriki but at the same time had a good ability to save their own life and run away.
There is another possibility that he considered before deploying to the land of Earth.
Knowing that both four tails and five tails are fire and steam users, Akatsuki might send a water style user to capture them, 'Aka' Kisame and with Kisame comes Itachi.
So, with this information alone it was clear that he couldn't let Sasuke go there, not to mention Sasuke is the only lightning-style user to can go against Deidara's explosion so even in the land of wind, Sasuke's deployment was strategic.
As for both Kimimaro and Guren, they are strong but so are both Kukuzu and Hidan. Shika wasn't sure who might come after both Roshi, the jinchuriki of Four Tails, and Han, the Jinchuriki of Five Tails.
So, he had to make a choice whether to prioritise taking out Akatsuki or saving Jinchuriki.
Ultimately taking out the immortal duo was more important because if not and if the story goes as cannon then Asuma is doomed.
However, if that was the case, then it was strange how both Haku and Suigetsu appeared in the land of waves, which was practically on the opposite side of their destination.
"I wanted to meet someone here. We'll go to the land of Earth after this..." Haku huffed, he asked Shika to send them to the land of waves and Shika knew why.
"Man... we now have to travel that much..." Suigetsu pouted but didn't complain much. Seeing Shika agree to open the portal for Haku means that this should also be important.
They carry on, walking for some time, only to finally arrive at the place where Haku was taking them. It was a gravestone...
"This..., this is someone you wanted to meet..." Suigetsu was about to retort but upon seeing the name on the gravestone he paused.
'Zabuza Momochi...'
Haku ignored him and paid his respect, he brought new flowers and placed them down.
But when he did that he found a sealing scroll beside the gravestone. This wasn't here and besides Ninja, who else can leave behind a sealing scroll? Both of them got tense.
But upon reading the name on the scroll, both were surprised.
"Yuugure..."
"Isn't this is the name of the organisation...?" Suigetsu asked with confusion. Haku carefully opened the scroll, and beside the sealing array inside, there was something more written inside it.
"It was hard to find it, so please don't lose it again... ~SK"
Blinking, Haku finally input his chakra in and with a puff of some came out a giant sword.
"This... "Suigetsu's eyes went wide.
"Kubikiribocho..." he almost launched himself at the sword, this was one of the famous seven swords of the mist. It was Zabuza's sword.
But just as he was about to grab it, his legs were frozen by ice.
"Oi, don't touch it, it's Zabuza's Sama's sword..." Haku defensively protected the sword, but internally he was smiling.
He wasn't a sword's man, nor did he like this big sword. But it had an emotional value for him.
'Thank...' He muttered as he clutched both the sword and the scroll in his hand. He knew who could have done this...and he was grateful.
"What, who care's? Zabuza Senpai is dead, what the point let the sword rot here ?" Seigetsu tried hard to get out of the ice but it wasn't even making a crack in it.
"Not happening, you are not getting this sword." Haku too glares at him, not planning to give up the sword.
Both immediately started bickering.
xxx
"Yuugure was suggested by a patreon reader, it means dusk, opposite of dawn which means Akatsuki..."
[Word Count: 2300]
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