Rihoko 17

Rei sat where she was, a mix of concern and alarm rushed through her body. Somewhere, in what sounded far off and distance, Ai was trying to speak to her. Every thought had drained from her mind, and yet things seemed clear. Shikamaru’s voice still whispered in her ears.
“He has…one.” She said to herself and felt where se had placed he holster under her kimono. Among all the kunai she felt the different shape of the three pronged kunai. She stood and rushed from the room, into where she had placed her regular clothing.
“Rei what are we doing? What was Shika-”
“Hurry and dress as fast as you can Ai, I’ll explain later.” Rei had pulled out the ornaments that had been so delicately fixed into her hair. Ai did not question what she heard. If Shikamaru had one that meant that his scent was now mixed with hers. It would be difficult for her to find them, track down their location, but what if Shikamaru and Sasuke had split up? It would be hard enough to find Shikamaru based on the scent, let alone Sasuke’s. She gathered her thoughts and possessions after finding Ai in the hall ready to move out.

They had made their way through the dense woods that separated the small town to it’s neighbors.
“Rei, why aren’t we using the kunai. We can use the teleportation jutsu, we’d find them faster.” Ai shouted over the wind as they dashed through the brush. Rei shook her head.
“I know the jutsu, but it takes up a lot of chakra.” Her hands formed five signs as they continued to run. “and given the time we have, they may have moved during their battle.” She stopped and slammed her right hand to the ground. In a puff of dust a small dog sat there.
“Oh Rihoko. Long time.” It said looking up at her. He looked as if he was slightly bored to be there.
“Pakkun. I need you to try and pick up the sent of Shikamaru and Sasuke.” Rei said kneeling down  next to him. He stood and sniffed the air for a few moments.
“Found them. 36 degrees northeast, they’re two more with them.”
“Hidan and Kakuzu.” Ai said looking over at Rei who nodded.
“Ok Pakkun take us there.” Rei said standing up to Ai’s level. Pakkun nodded and started off at a run, Rei and Ai right behind him. How long would it be to get to them in time. They ran for another half mile or so before coming to a clearing, there locked in combat with Kakuzu was Sasuke and a short distance away Shikamaru and Hidan.
“Go help Sasuke, keep your guard up, and don’t get killed.” Rei said pulling out kunai with paper bombs. She leaped into the air and let the knives go, they fell slowly at first and gained momentum as they reached closer to the ground. As they hit they did exactly what she had hoped for. The dry earth split down the center leaving a gap between the two fights. Rei landed next to Shikamaru.
“Ah so you and little Kazumi are comrades, are you?” Hidan said with a smirk. He lashed out with his scythe.
“Mirroring Hand!”  
A large hand made from the earth blocked the full attack and had fallen back into the ground.
“Actually we’re married.” Shikamaru said as two more hands formed to try and grasp Hidan as though he was a doll. Hidan dodged and smirked.
“What an excellent opportunity then. They can put you both into the same pit at the funeral. That makes it easier for the ones in charge of grave digging. Only two holes needed.” Rei threw a half dozen shuriken now. They missed their target.
“What are you talking about? Sasuke and Ai are unattached! They’re only teammates!”
Hidan turned and grinned at Sasuke. Sasuke did not take his eyes off Kakuzu.
“Uchiha Sasuke is it?” Hidan said now walking towards Sasuke.
“Rei!” Shikamaru yelled. A giant dirt fist now sat in the crevasse that Rei had made only minuets before.
“I thought you were planning on destroying Konoha, last I heard.” Hidan stabbed his scythe into the earth and leaned against it.

The dirt hand crumbled away. Sasuke looked the same as always; calm and collected.
“I had planned to yes. But I have paid for my sins.”  Sasuke said now taking his eyes off of Kakuzu and now looked at Hidan, who only smirked. Tension was now so thick that even breathing seemed hard. Ai was the first to recover from this news. She drew another kunai out of holster and held it to Sasuke’s throat while keeping her eyes on Kakuzu. Sasuke stood still.
“You interrogated me for sixty-two hours straight-”
“And yet that never came out in those sixty-two hours did it?” Ai said holding the kunai closer.
“If I had told you that, would you still have believed me?”