Chapter 64: Akatsuki Part IV

                                    

                                          

Naruto made it back to his team without any issues. Sakura looked at him with some worry.
                          
"Naruto, what happened to your suit?"
                          
"That repulsion jutsu packed a punch. Glad we don't need to deal with him again. Unfortunately it also drained nearly all of my fuinjutsu seals."
                          
Kakashi pushed chakra into his arm and out popped a storage scroll. He tossed it over to his pupil who looked at it quizzically and then unsealed the item held in it.
                          
A brand new fuinjutsu suit that matched Naruto's initial configuration.
                          
"Why didn't I think of that?" Naruto questioned out loud. "Thanks Kakashi-sensei."
                          
He graced Naruto with an eye smile and motioned for his team to move out. While they moved deeper into Amegakure Kakashi questioned him about the overall course of the battle. Naruto's clones were a font of information that Kakashi had sorely missed.
                          
"We have taken significant casualties. Those bombs hurt as did Suna's betrayal. I'm sure they regret that now. Suna is completely routed and we once again have a secure medical base camp. Most of the Amegakure shinobi are down. There are still more out there but I'd say only about one fifth are left. We haven't seen any sign of Sasori, Nagato or Konan."
                          
Hatake only took a moment to consider the situation.
                          
"Naruto, make some more clones and inform all units save Asuma's team that they are to retreat back to base camp. Use your clones to flush out our quarry while we continue toward the center."
                          
"Hai Kakashi-sensei."
                          
Naruto created sixty clones and had them fan out looking for Konoha shinobi to pass on the word. He took a moment to change into his fully charged fuinjutsu suit and Team Seven moved out.
                          
It wasn't long before one of his clones reported back a very rude surprise. The Yahiko character was somehow still alive.
                          
'What the hell? That wasn't a clone and I'm sure I wasn't in a Genjutsu. How is he alive? Does he have a twin?'
                          
Naruto briefly remembered going through the intelligence at one Orochimaru's bases that held information about twin shinobi who lived in each other's bodies. While theoretically possible he somehow doubted it. And then another clone dissipated. The mechanical shinobi was also alive again!
                          
"Kakashi either they have some sort of super clone jutsu or they have some sort of ability to reanimate the dead. The guy who blocked my "Futon: Sora Tonkachi"(Wind Release: Sky Hammer) is back up as are a couple of other Akatsuki we faced today."
                          
Kakashi processed the new information. Sasuke smirked, "You sure you killed him dobe?"
                          
Naruto ignored the comment and continued thinking about how this was possible.
                          
Kakashi made an intuitive leap, "It must be the Rinnegan. We have no idea about its powers but it isn't impossible for it to have some sort of power over life and death. It is strange that it wasn't used to bring back other Akatsuki like Kisame or Kakuzu though."
                          
Sakura considered how to solve the problem of opponents who wouldn't stay dead.
                          
"Maybe we should try to seal them? Disable their body and put it behind a powerful enough barrier and even if they come back to life they wouldn't be going anywhere."
                          
"I say we burn them. Their bodies won't recover from Amaterasu no matter what strange powers the Akatsuki has." Sasuke sounded confident in his dōjutsu.
                          
Kakashi looked at his team and then turned to Naruto, "Wait here and go into Sage Mode while we move on. Catch up to us and then lead us to Yahiko. I want you to keep your senses on him after he is defeated and see what happens with his chakra."