Naruto Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Stains of the Heart ❯ Chapter Eighteen ( Chapter 18 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

By: KibaSin

Chapter Eighteen

“Ayame.” Kagome chuckled, “Higurashi Ayame.”

The woman snarled, shouting, “Do not speak as if we are kin, you bitch!”

“I am surprised that it is you that is alive,” Kagome laughed. Her eyes darkened at the sight of her relative, delight coursing through her veins. Already blood splattered upon her memories, leaking down and making her anticipate the outcome of this little reunion. Her blood began to pump through her veins, telling her that her need had risen with the sight of her next victim.

Ayame hissed, “Yes, I am alive! But I'm going to make sure that you aren't as soon as possible!” Her hands moved into a simple hand sign, and she allowed her chakra to flare in order to perform her jutsu. Her eyes darkened a bit more, listening to the second crack of thunder that rolled over the land, before lightning lit the area much like a fire lit the darkness of the night.

Sasuke jumped away from Kagome's side the moment the lightning hit the ground, the ten thin streaks striking the area around her. His eyes narrowed when he realized that they had lifted away to reveal the clones that had been left behind. His eyes quickly took in the appearance of the other woman, since if they were related, as their surname suggested, they were radically different. The new woman's, Ayame, hair was red, her eyes were green, and the only thing that looked remotely the same about them was the pale skin they possessed. His eyes also took in the gleaming headbands around the woman's neck—they all contained a half circle mark that had three long lines extending from it, two shorter ones, and looked a lot like a sun.

The clones brandished their weapons, and one gave a battle cry before it rushed forward to attack Kagome in the center. However, it stumbled back in surprise when Kagome suddenly clapped her hands over her head, and lightning came rushing down from the sky to strike her. When it lifted away, she was gone, and the clones realized this even before it happened completely. They all turned on their heels and raced toward where the lightning was beginning to flash rapidly at a faster pace, which happened to be the center of the clearing.

Lightning extended from the sky again, hitting the ground and streaking away without so much as a crackle. Kagome stood where the lightning had retreated from, tiny sparks rolling off her shoulders and pulsing from her arms. She appeared completely unaffected by her little trip, as she smirked, “You should know better than to use that jutsu around other lightning users, Ayame. Anyone could take complete advantage of you, showing how stupid you actually are.”

Ayame grit her teeth together, because she knew it was true. “Shut up,” she shouted, as she dispelled the storm. “It might be a jutsu that any lightning user could use while it is active, but it is the best way to stake out a challenge against another. You know that, bitch.”

Kagome turned her head slightly, and did not comment on the subject anymore. Her attention turned to the clone that had rushed out of the forest toward her. The fury of its eyes was wild, and she almost chuckled in glee, because anger could make even the weakest shinobi overcome their boundaries. However, as she twisted out of the clone's grasp, snagged its arm in her hand, and shoved the kunai it held into its own chest, she knew that Ayame would never win. She knew the abilities and limits of every shinobi that would have been underneath her rule, and Ayame was not one of the most powerful.

The clone gasped, but grinned before it popped out of existence. Small shocks of lightning traveled up Kagome's arm, before she turned to intercept the next clone that challenged her. Using the lightning to her advantage, though she knew the first clone's objective had been to allow a second close to her, she forced her hand through the clone's body. It ceased to exist long before her hand extended out of its back, but the satisfaction of knowing another piece of wasted chakra had been destroyed rushed through her system. They were low-level clones and she was surprised that Ayame was stupid enough to even think about using them against her—she was not even wasting energy killing them.

Taking a small step forward, Kagome grinned when she realized two more were already coming to try and kill her. It seemed they had realized that it would take more than simple taijutsu to defeat her. However, as they raced forward from opposite directions, she did nothing to move from their path. The clones gave loud battle cries, both raising the kunai they held, and swept down upon her within seconds. Kagome was ready for them, and easily slipped beneath the steel they were wielding, softly chuckling at their stupidity as they destroyed each other. Really, they should have realized that they needed to take separate swings.

Ayame's eyes narrowed when another clone came rushing toward Kagome, because she had seen the small slip she had taken with her foot. And she cursed at herself for not giving the clones more chakra, because at least then they would not be acting so stupidly. She could see the deception Kagome was pulling, even before she ducked beneath the clone's arm, and reached up to grab ahold of its elbow and upper arm. Then, she hissed when Kagome shifted her weight and snapped the clone's arm in two, because she would have seen that one coming. “Damn it,” Ayame muttered underneath her breath.

Her calculating eyes shifted from side-to-side, because she knew there were only five left. And they would be just as easy to kill as the pervious five had been. Despite that knowledge, though, she allowed another smirk to tug at her lips when a shadow began to form around her. She glanced up to find a clone ready to deliver a crushing blow with its leg, but she pushed against the ground, propelling herself backwards before the impact. The sound of its landing filled her eyes, even as she caught her gloved hands on the ground to flip herself into the air.

That moment, the second clone she had sensed decided to charge her. However, Kagome had pushed herself into the air for a reason, and spun the instant she caught sight of its face. Her foot slammed into the side of its head, sending it flying over the ground, before it finally crashed and popped to signal its demise. She was not given a chance to think as the first came at her again, but she did not need time for thinking. No, instead she simply jumped forward using a minimal amount of chakra to strengthened her push, and sent her fist into the first clone's face. Not a moment after her fist connected, the seventh clone also died.

Her head turned, her ears picking up the sound of a weapon slicing through the air. She was surprised that the three remaining clone's would resort to this now, but she did not think about it much. Kagome merely moved herself a few feet to the left, watched as the weapon hit the dirt, and raised her eyes to challenge the clone standing before her. It had thrown its weapon and was beginning to use the chakra it had been gifted with to rush her. Kagome almost congratulated it on its bravery, but did not give it a chance to lay a hand on her.

Strong, sure fingers wrapped around the clone's throat, as she pushed herself into the air. Then, tilting both herself and the clone, she slammed the clone into the ground beneath her. It was not destroyed and began struggling against her hand, trying to use its nails to bite into her skin. However, Kagome pulled at its neck and slammed its head into the dirt again, stopping its movements for a few seconds. She would have delighted in doing it again, but a second clone appeared behind her, and she heard the slice of the air as its weapon came rushing down toward her back.

Twisting her body, she allowed the kunai and the second clone's arm to cut straight through the air at her side and into its comrade's body. The clone beneath her popped out of existence, the minimal amount of lightning it had taken for the clone to be created shocking up her arm. Placing her opposite hand onto the ground, she grabbed the second clone's throat using the hand that was now conducting the energy, and twisted them so that the second was beneath her as the first had been. The energy zapped from her into the clone and it began to shake for a few short seconds, causing her eyes to darken.

After a few moments, the clone appeared to regain its purpose and raised the weapon still in its hand. Using her own unoccupied one, she grabbed ahold of the hand and twisted the wrist until the weapon dropped from its fingers. The clone gave a small cry, most likely because it thought it was experiencing pain, but Kagome did not care whether it felt anything or not. As long as she got to kill it, she did not care. So, she grabbed ahold of the dropped kunai and with a flick of her wrist she had sliced open the clone's throat. Blood did not come rushing out as she had hoped, but she received nearly the same satisfaction when it turned to smoke beneath her.

Rising to her feet, she spun almost an instant later. Her wrist snapped, and the kunai she had held went flying through the air. The final, and tenth clone was not given a chance to even approach her, because a cry came from the forest where it had been stationed. The sound of it popping and smoke rising from the trees told all, and Kagome merely smirked.

After a moment, she turned her head to her relative and stated, “You really should try, Ayame. I mean, really, was that supposed to be some kind of challenge?”

Ayame pulled a kunai from her holster, and twirled it on her finger for a moment. Her eyes were trained on the bitch before her, and she knew that this was her moment. This was the time that she would show everyone else that she was not weak; she could avenge those who had died. That blasted Orochimaru might think that she stood no chance after she had told him about her, but she would show him and the rest of them. She would kill Higurashi Kagome, even if she had to give her last dying breath in doing so. “It doesn't matter if it was a challenge or not,” she snapped, “because I wanted to kill you with my own hands—”

The Konoha and Suna-nin watched, waiting, for what she would say next. Gaara's eyes were trained on Kagome, debating her reaction to what came from her relative's mouth. She was a mystery, and she did not seem the least bit affected by anything that her relative was throwing at her. In fact, she almost seemed to be playing with her in a way. She seemed like she had gotten a brand new toy that she was going to play with until she got bored, and then she was going to rip its head off. He would not be surprised if she did, whether it was because of her obsession or a reason that would be revealed in time.

“—murderer!” Ayame spat.

“Aren't all shinobi designed to kill?” Kagome asked in a chipped tone. She knew what she was doing, and she waited for the moment that Ayame would snap. She wanted her to, because then she would have another reason for wiping the world clean of her filth. She would be given another reason to dispatch her soul and take delight while doing so.

Ayame's eyes burned with hatred, “Yes! But, shinobi are not trained to kill family and clansmen! You did! You killed them all in cold blood, and I'm going to make sure that you're put down. I'm going to make sure that you are lying in a pool of your own blood before this is over, because you deserve to die, monster!”

Naruto's eyes widened, and he turned to glance at his friend now standing at his side. He noticed that Sasuke had paled considerably, so much so that it was noticeable with his already pale skin. His friend's mouth was hanging open a bit, and Naruto could tell that Sasuke was trying to choke out the one name that he hated saying most.

Itachi. Uchiha Itachi.

“They were worthless souls that did not deserve the life they had been given,” Kagome stated. Her lip lifted, showing off a bit of her teeth, but otherwise she showed no sign of Ayame's words affecting her. “I killed them because they did not deserve to live. And you do not deserve to live, Ayame. Your soul is as worthless as theirs were.”

Ayame narrowed her eyes at the reaction—or lack there of—she received from the bitch. Her hand gripped her kunai tighter, as her green eyes blazed with fury. “You really are a monster! You stand there as if you've done nothing wrong, and among people that know nothing about you! You deserve the death that I'll give you, though it's barely payment for all the lives you stole!”

The light of the sun obscured her blue eyes, turning them dark and ominous. As the final sentence drifted across the clearing, a feral grin blossomed on her face. Kagome chuckled softly, saying, “You believe you can kill me, Ayame? Have I not proven you are nowhere near my level? Tch, I have destroyed lives much more meaningful than yours. I killed those who had twice the talent you've ever shown. Do not try to lie to me by believing you are so powerful and great that you'll somehow, suddenly overcome the power I've gained.”

“I know I will kill you!” Ayame yelled. “I will avenge my Clan, and then return to my village to tell them I've succeeded! And the people will cheer in the streets because I killed the one who stole away their precious Higure Clan.”

“You are a fool,” Kagome smirked. “I could humiliate you before you even managed to touch me.”

“Not if you're dead,” Ayame roared. She raced forward after her declaration, chakra increasing her speed and pushing her forward. The kunai twisted in her grip, catching the light of the sun and gleaming menacingly. It would be Higurashi Kagome's end, and soon blood would drip over the handle and onto her hand. And then everyone would see that while Kagome had been the prodigy, the monster, she was not undefeatable.

“Is that a challenge?” Kagome asked herself. Her look darkened a bit as her head lowered, her bangs covering her eyes. “Poor, poor Ayame, you should know a little about me from what the other miserable fools whispered. I was the head's daughter; feared and watched; hated and secretly despised even though they call me their one true joy. You should know to never give me a challenge, for I never lose.”

Ayame sped across the clearing, and within moments they clashed.

OoO

Gaara's eyes flickered over toward his companions, because each seemed to be in a state of shock at the declaration that Kagome had killed her Clan. He did not find it all that surprising from the way she acted, though he found it odd that she hid it if she was so proud of the accomplishment. She had stated that she no longer was allowed to hold her surname, but it appeared that she simply did not wish to hold it anymore. So, she had cast it aside until her relative had come, somehow knowing that it had been her—which made him question her past, though he knew that all jinchuuriki were despised and hated—that killed them.

He was positive that she was the vessel to a demon. His first reaction to her had been something he had only felt when he felt the power that Kyuubi expelled. Now he knew from their words alone that she was not loved, she was only raised to be a weapon. Yet still the people around her could not find a single thing about her to cherish her for, and that, in the end, was probably what caused her to strike back at them. He understood, because at one time he had drifted in the endless loneliness and darkness until Naruto shattered his reality of killing to live. If Naruto had not fought with him, though, he doubted he would have the strength to change and he would have killed everyone the way she had.

However, he understood Uchiha Sasuke reaction to the information now exposed. The Uchiha had lost his entire family, his life, because his sibling decided to destroy it all in a single moment. He probably sympathized with the woman now swinging her kunai wildly, trying to catch ahold of anything that might bleed, but Gaara did not. He had led the life of a jinchuuriki, he had experienced the want to kill everyone that ever hurt him, and even now the demon's influence pushed at him whenever he felt threatened. He had never had to experience the lost of everything that he had cared for because everything he had cared for turned its back on him, so he turned his back on them. The Uchiha might find reason to side with this Ayame woman, but Gaara knew that he could not.

He had not known the blood obsessed woman for long, but he felt a connection like never before. And it had strengthened almost the moment she had stated that she had never been loved, only hated and despised. He might no longer have to live that life, but he had lived it, and he understood.

OoO

Ayame slid down, sweeping her foot underneath Kagome's. However, her frustration began to heighten when the bitch merely jumped, and easily twisted out of the way when she swept her kunai upward. Her teeth clenched, her concentration focusing on only destroying the life of the one standing in front of her. So, digging her foot into the ground, Ayame took a swing with her fist, before swiftly arching the kunai back up through the air toward her opponent's throat. Her frustration heightened a little more when her attack did not connect, and a bit of fear spiked into her brain when she felt Kagome's fingers grasp ahold of her wrist.

Kagome smirked into the face of her relative. She could feel the anger radiating off of her body and it amused her for the time being. She almost told Ayame she was lucky she could keep her from being bored, because once she felt the excitement begin to slip, Ayame would die.

Ayame tugged at Kagome's strong hold, wondering what the world the bitch was thinking. She was a bit surprised when Kagome raised her other hand to swiftly cut the palm of her hand, but after a moment she understood. Blood was the greatest weapon the Higure Clan had, because they had learned to turn an opponent's against them and manipulate their own if they bled. So, she merely glared and finally managed to break her wrist from Kagome's grip, ready to strike out at her again.

Blood swelled from the wound she had created, dribbling down and coating her fingers. She felt no need to use the weapon yet, though, as she twisted her shoulder back, avoiding another blow from Ayame's metal weapon. No, there was no need to waste her chakra until she needed to find a bit more amusement in the situation, so she would allow the wound to flow freely for now. After all, if she felt the need, she could always find a way to reopen it later.

Rage filled her with each sweep of the kunai, her opponent taking a single step back and easily evading the sharpened edge. Her teeth grit together, as she swung her arm back in a deadly arch, determined to spill blood. The bitch had taken everything she had known and destroyed it; she deserved nothing but death! And Ayame was going to make sure that it came to her, as she continued to sweep the bloodied kunai in her grasp through the air. The sight of it fueled her with a new determination, a heavier one, and she wanted only to see more and more until the ground was covered with Higurashi Kagome's life essence.

OoO

His eyes gleamed with lust for power, watching the pretty morsel as she moved with natural speed and grace. He had known she was a deadly opponent the first time he had laid eyes on her. However, he could never have guessed that the woman Ayame had wanted to kill and the powerful girl that traveled through Otogakure were one and the same. He never would have guessed that she held such a powerful bloodline—one that he would soon have under his control. Not only that, but his time in Akatsuki told him more about her, because he knew that with her and the demon she carried he would easily take Sasuke's body as his own. Orochimaru shook with glee at the very thought, because he would do anything in his power to finally rid himself of Kabuto.

OoO

“Blood…” the voice whispered heavily in her head.

Ayame swung her arm again, before arching the kunai back down for her opponent's throat. No doubt her deception would throw the bitch off—it had always been her specialty. Her eyes widened, though, when the bitch fell backwards, her hand creating leverage on the ground as she spun. Her entire body twisted, and Ayame had very little time to defend herself, as Kagome's foot connected with her jaw. She had expected the blow, but Ayame still felt her breath leave her lungs as she was thrown through the air, her body hitting the ground roughly after a few moments.

Her feet touched the ground and she straightened herself back up into a standing position. Bringing her hand up to brush through the strip of red hair that drifted in front of her face, she watched as Ayame pressed her hands to the ground and went to stand. “I told you, you were not a match for me, Ayame,” she mocked. “I suggest you give up and face your death before I decide to actually humiliate you for my own amusement.”

“Never,” Ayame spat. “I'll never give up to the likes of you. I'd rather die on my own blade before giving into death that way.” She rose to her feet, glad to feel that nothing had broken in her harsh landing. Her body might be covered in dirt, but it was nothing that was not easily dealt with later on. Besides, she knew that she would not stop fighting until her last breath was taken from her. She would either avenge her Clan or die trying.

Kagome made a small sound in the back of her throat, before saying, “Either way, it will be your funeral.”

“No, Kagome,” Ayame replied, “today it will be yours.”

“Hn,” Kagome replied, un-amused. “It seems that you still have not learned your place, Ayame. You cannot possibly defeat me, for I am the strongest shinobi to ever be produced by the Higure Clan. I was their prodigy, the one that they feared because above all else, but I was also the heir. Now that my father is dead, I am the head of the Higure Clan, and your place is bowing at my feet pleading with me to spare your life because it is you duty to serve me.”

“I will never serve you,” Ayame snarled.

“I do not wish you to,” Kagome stated. “However, I will put you in your place.”

Ayame raised her kunai, allowing the drying blood still attached to the metal to gleam in the sun. She knew that she had not made the cut, but she was flooded with a need to see more as she gazed upon it. And she knew that that feeling pushed all Higure family members to kill, spill more blood upon the land. Slowly twisting the handle, she hissed, “I'd like to see you try.”

As Ayame began to move, Kagome felt the rush to show the inferior being that she was beneath her. She was the better shinobi and there was no need for her to try. No, she would put Ayame in her place and then maybe she might decide to play with her for a little longer. It really all depended on how Ayame reacted to her punishment, because Kagome only felt amusement in seeing her rushing in blindly while rage radiated from her very core. She had felt it when she killed the rest of those miserable fools and she was not surprised she felt it now when faced with another worthless soul that she needed to dispatch.

In the blink of an eye, Kagome's hand came together and went through rapid hand seals. Her eyes darkened to the point that they appeared to be bleeding black, as she guarded her thoughts and need. Her pulse quickened when she felt her chakra rushing to her hand, and as Ayame neared, begin to manipulate the blood that had dribbled down her fingers and began dripping to the ground. It twisted out, thinning until her fingers grasp around the hard structure, and she brought it up to parry Ayame's kunai.

The blood red senbon clashed with the steel, and Ayame pressed her weight into the battle. She knew where the weapon had come from, and she was not surprised that Kagome had now decided to manipulate her blood. Ayame began to grin, because there was only one reason she could think of that would cause Kagome—the prodigy, heir, monster—to use the technique. Her opponent must have noticed that she was serious—she would kill her—and feared that her physical strength might not be enough to fend her off. And the fact allowed Ayame's smile to slip through her mask, because she had known that Kagome was not as strong as most claimed her to be, she had just gotten lucky by attacking the Clan on their night of celebration.

However, Ayame's smile faded into shock when Kagome slipped away from her. The motion was so fluid that she barely noticed it, before Ayame felt herself stumble forward with the force of Kagome's attack gone. She made an attempt to correct her footing, but she was not given the chance as strong fingers grabbed ahold of her arm and wrenched it behind her back. Her attacker, obviously Kagome, twisted her arm to the point that it was painful, and Ayame cried out as her kunai slipped from her fingers.

The strength of Kagome's arm pressed her toward the ground, and Ayame almost fell to her knees. She would never be placed into that position, though, and struggled momentarily before she caught her footing underneath her. Ayame gave another cry as Kagome pulled her arm backward a bit more, before she felt a foot being placed into the middle of her back. The extra pressure nearly did Ayame in, though she was determined to stay off her knees, before the fingers holding her arm left. She went to move, trying to press her weight back against the strength of her attacker, but the idea faded from her mind in an instant.

Kagome's fingers easily slipped into the red hair of her relative, and once she had a firm grip, she pulled as harshly as she could. Ayame gave a sharp cry of pain, and she almost chuckled at the lapse in control, because no doubt the rest of those worthless fools would be disappointed in her. The pain also destroyed Ayame's concentration to stay on her feet, because Kagome easily shoved her into the ground. Her now broken arm was suddenly trapped beneath her from when she had tried to cradle it against her body, but Kagome was not interested in that bit of knowledge.

Ayame felt tears prick at her eyes, because it had been so long since she had felt this type of pain. Kagome was pulling at her hair sharply, and pressing her into the ground to the point that she knew her arm had been broken. It was no use to her at the moment and she could feel her anger rising at the fact that she had become so useless within moments. She had easily been overpowered and she was surprised that her deception and skill did nothing against her relative.

Surprise flooded through her body when the pressure was gone, the fingers suddenly disappearing from her hair. Ayame noticed after a moment that the foot had left, as well, and shivered at the thought that she could have easily been Kagome's next victim. However, anger quickly overpowered the thought because she was not weak—she would be the one to avenge the Higure Clan! But, her anger spiked when she realized, raising her head, that her hair—her beautiful hair—was hanging with the tips brushing against her chin.

Her hair, it was gone.

She turned to look behind her and was bombarded by a cloud of red. Kagome had thrown her hair back at her, allowing the red strands to fall over her body and taunt her. Ayame hated Kagome because of the actions she had taken against her family, but the anger she felt at the moment was nearly as strong. She had worked hard to grow her hair and maintain it in hopes that her love would notice her, and now it was just gone. “You,” Ayame started, staring at the tips so close to her eyes. “You bitch.”

“You know,” Kagome taunted, “if you had spent more time developing your skills, instead of maintaining your look, you might have become one of the elite from the Higure Clan. Such a shame, that all your hard work and effort went into something so simple, so effortless to regain. But now you don't have to worry about that anymore, Ayame, because I've fixed the problem for you.”

Ayame rose slowly to her feet once more, her chopped bangs hanging into her eyes. She was shaking as she did so, but not because of sadness or fear. No, she was shaking because she was done—she would kill the bitch now before she even had a chance to retaliate. “Enough,” Ayame hissed. “I've had enough of this and enough of you. I'm going to kill you, but I can't promise that it'll be quick.”

“Strange,” Kagome replied, bringing her hands up the same instant Ayame did. The seals they performed were identical, as they shifted through the process and allowed their chakra to flare. “I almost decided to say something similar to you.”

Ayame's lip lifted in disgust, as she brought her suddenly glowing red hand up in front of her face. Her fingers twitched as she stared through them at her victim. This was her moment, the period in time that she would shine forth, and she was going to make sure that Higurashi Kagome felt pain before her death. She had planned to slit her throat and be done with it, but Kagome had tampered with something very personal to her. Now, she felt the need that many blood-users often chuckled about, and she was not about to deny herself what she felt.

“Red Rain,” they hissed together.

Ayame raced forward, chakra pushing her to her limit. Her eyes narrowed at her opponent, though she continued to hear a voice in the back of her head nagging about how it was best to allow your opponent to strike you. She ignored her conscience, because she did not care anymore. Her shortened hair flapped in the wind against her ears, and her anger was raised another notch as she neared the bitch who continued to take things from her. She brought her hand up horizontally at her side, and prepared herself to take a quick, short jab at Kagome's side. She could only hope that this time the bitch would stay still, allowing her chakra to enter into her body and destroy her from the inside out.

Kagome did not wait for Ayame to come to her completely, she moved as well. She did not need the additional aid of chakra, so she concentrated on extending the area of her jutsu around her hands. The more space filled meant she would be gifted with an additional advantage, because her jutsu was more powerful and would not require the same nearness to strike with. Of course, the brief thought of quickly activating her circle came into mind, but she shook it away, because it would not be fair to use such a technique against a Higure Clan member that had not been taught it.

The moment they met, Ayame spun out of reach when Kagome's hand came flying down to jab into her shoulder. She quickly struck her own arm out, and watched as Kagome sidestepped away from her hand and the stream following it. Her eyes narrowed a bit more, as she swept out her opposite hand to hit her in the stomach, only to have her opponent avoid the second attempt. However, Ayame was ready for Kagome's return, when she twisted her wrist and went for the face, then the neck, obviously wishing for more direction killing sources. She ducked beneath her hands and went to take another jab.

Thus, they created an endless cycle. Kagome almost smirked at it, because she could easily put an end to it once and for all. But the frustration and anger she felt coming from Ayame with each miss delighted her, and she knew that the longer she allowed her to try and succeed would give her greater pleasure in the end. Already her need had risen to the point that she heard nothing but laughter and the wish for blood within her head, and she wanted it so badly. However, she would not take it now—no, no—because if she waited just a little longer she would fill her need in a larger dose.

OoO

Naruto's eye twitched from his position, and he turned to look away from the quiet Sasuke. His eyes landed on Gaara, equally silent, and he wanted to growl in frustration at the both of them. He could feel Kyuubi twisting within him, wanting to come out and play, but he had another reason that he wanted to be down there fighting, not watching. “Hey! Why the hell hasn't anyone given the signal to stop them or move forward or something?”

Temari shifted closer to the group, and spoke up, “Because, it is a family matter that must be dealt with between them. It is more reasonable to allow them to fight each other and ware themselves out rather than wasting the strength of more shinobi than necessarily needed. Besides, our mission was to stop Orochimaru and he has yet to interfere with them or attack us.”

Naruto could not believe he was about to say this. He felt his skin bristle each time he thought about that woman and he wanted almost desperately to know why. But he could not deny what he felt, though his heart and his mind were on opposite sides of the playing field. “But we can't just let them kill each other if we could help! I'm not sure which side we're supposed to be on—”

Temari noticed Gaara's twitch, and replied, “Kagome's.”

“—but if we could help the person who's on our side, then shouldn't we be?” he finished.

“Naruto…”

Naruto turned to Sasuke, noticing how his hand had tightened into a fist. He saw the dark look in his eye and knew that his friend was thinking about the past. He always got that look whenever he thought about it, and his anger always seemed to leak through his calm, but Naruto knew it was because it was hard on him.

“It's none of our business as to why they're fighting,” Sasuke stated. “If they want to kill each other, let them. We're not here to debate whether or not we should get into a family matter between two women, but to make sure that Orochimaru doesn't get to the village. And though I'm not entirely pleased with the idea, I think it would be best if you helped Kagome should she look like she's in trouble and you decide to be a knucklehead by running in there.”

“Sasuke?” Naruto asked. He did not understand, he could have sworn that Sasuke would have opposed the very idea of helping Kagome anymore. Hell, he would not have been surprised if Sasuke decided he wanted to stick a kunai in her back as much as he wanted to stick one in Itachi's. “I don't understand, you're just like—”

“No, I'm not!” Sasuke snapped. “Don't try to compare my situation with theirs, because it's not the same. They're fighting for reasons of their own, and it's clear to me that Kagome did what she did to fight back at those that hated her even though she should have been the one they loved most—the one they protected. And I think that if that's clear to me, it should be clear to you, Naruto.”

Naruto stared at him in shock. He had expected Sasuke to take strongly to the subject, but he had not expected him to defend the one that killed their family. Hell, he was not even sure if he could defend a person like that. The more he thought about the words that had left Kagome's mouth, though; he could see where Sasuke was getting at. Itachi had killed to test his strength; Kagome had killed in order to get rid of the thing that despised her. They had both destroyed a Clan, but the reasons behind the massacre were different, and he was surprised that Sasuke had seen that before he had.

Glancing down, Naruto stared at his hand and wondered if his strange dislike for Kagome was what had blocked out that fact.

Gaara glanced at them from the corner of his eye, before returning his eyes to the battle before them. He agreed with the Uchiha. She was a blood-obsessed murderer, but she had her reasons for killing those that had hated her. He doubted she had killed them simply because she felt like it, but because she could not take the walls surrounding her anymore and broke free. Though, Gaara knew that from her obsession, it very well could be a mixture of the two things.

OoO

She was getting bored.

Her prey would be so easy to catch if she simply twisted her arm a bit to the right the next time she struck out at her. So very easily caught. So easily caught that it seemed a shame not to taunt her about it, since it was clear who the superior kunoichi was. “You know,” she said softly, “I could have killed you fifty times now.”

Ayame jerked backwards away from the strike, snarling, “Shut up.” A bit of pain rushed up her injured arm, even as her chakra manipulated itself into repairing the damage. She refused to show that it hurt, though, as she continued to attack against the monster that stood before her.

“Oh,” Kagome chucked, “what do you know, fifty-one.”

“You haven't even managed to hit me,” Ayame hissed back. She could feel her chakra draining away bit by bit and she could only hope that Kagome's was beginning to run on low, as well. However, the fact that she was truly a monster was beginning to dawn on her, because though Ayame had heard it whispered, she had never seen it herself. Yet now, as she faced off with the woman she had sworn to kill, she saw that she did not appear to be breaking a sweat and the chakra around her hand seemed to increase. “How the hell can you be so sure you could have hit me that many times already? Or are you only mocking me? Huh—try this, fifty-nine.”

Kagome evaded the jab of Ayame's hand, though she remained within range for her other to snake out toward her. She easily spun away from that one, as well, wondering how in the world she would be able to make the thought of killing Ayame fun again. Yes, the worthless fools who called themselves the Higure Clan deserved their deaths, in fact they deserved multiple deaths, but it had been so much more fun to point fun at three elite shinobi at once. At least then she would have to react swiftly, avoiding multiple hands and jutsu because any of the three—or more—could just as easily take her life as she took theirs.

“Sixty,” Ayame hissed when she thrust her hand out again.

“No, no,” Kagome murmured. “I'm afraid that I could have easily evaded and killed you with every strike you've made. So, your number is currently zero, Ayame.”

“Like hell it is!” Ayame shouted, increasing her thrusts.

“Here,” Kagome smirked darkly, “let me prove it to you.”

Ayame stepped backward, barely avoiding the red streak that surrounded Kagome's hand, but she was forced to take another when the bitch attacked with her opposite hand. Ayame went on the defensive, evading jabs from her opponent, and beginning to smirk when she realized that Kagome was not about to get past her. She would not allow her to get a hit in, and she would soon find a way to take another at her. By then Kagome would be weak and she would die before she was given the chance to do anything else.

“Now,” Kagome barked. Her hand shot out with lightning speed, and she arched the red glow around her hand against Ayame's clothing. It leaked inward to her skin, and she saw Ayame's eyes widen when she realized that she had been struck. “I told you. It'd be so easy for me to kill you now, since that is the function of this jutsu. However, Ayame, did you know that when you concentrate hard enough and take complete control over the chakra entering your opponent's flesh, you can make it do a multiple of actions? Such as this—”

Ayame gripped her chest as the wound suddenly ripped open from the inside, blood gushing out to soak into her clothing. It was a minor flesh wound, but she could feel the difference in the chakra traveling through the area. She had heard that blood-users with excellent chakra control could do more than simply force an opponent's body to destroy itself with this jutsu, but she never expected to be subjected to it. With the foreign, but unique, chakra swarming underneath her flesh and beginning to take control, Kagome could carve her up from the inside out.

Ayame felt fear at that moment, because she knew that even if she managed to strike out and hit Kagome at this moment, she could just as easily kill her before her chakra managed to sink into the flesh. A simple change in thought, a different command, and the chakra would return to its original purpose—taking control of an opponent's blood and turning it lethal. “No,” she whispered so softly she was sure that no one heard her.

“—or this,” Kagome jerked her hand up beside her head, watching as another wound opened up on Ayame's face. The thin line swelled with blood along her cheek and a small amount of her chin. Her delight returned in seeing Ayame's torture, and she felt her need pulse beneath her flesh. Her thoughts turned dark, as her eyes stared at the red liquid now dripping down her relative's face.

“Blood…” the voice chanted darkly.

Blood… she echoed. Her thought was followed by another jerk of her hand, forcing another wound to open up on Ayame's arm. She could see the blood staining her white top from her chest, but the sight of the blood leaking down from her upper arm excited her. Ayame never was one to wear something that covered her arms, and Kagome took delight in controlling her chakra to carve markings into her flesh from the inside, watching as the blood rushed forward and dripped down in long streams.

But, despite how much she loved to see her relative covered in her own life liquid and trembling in fear, her need always came first. So, Kagome locked away the need to see more blood and allowed the jutsu to dissipate, her chakra being overwhelmed by Ayame's when it was given the chance to fight back. She easily moved herself away from her, a good twelve feet or more, and said, “I grow tired of this.”

Ayame glanced down; surprised that she had gotten away with only the minor scratches. She had prepared herself for death, waited for the moment that her body would turn against her, but she had felt the moment the chakra gave up. It had been consumed by her own chakra in the same manor white blood cells destroyed a virus, and then she felt it no more. “What,” she growled, “am I not good enough for you to kill? You murderer the entire Higure Clan, but I am too good for you to even think about soiling your hands with me?”

Kagome chuckled, “No, Ayame. I simply meant that I grow tired of your weak attempts to injure me; your pitiful fighting tactics; and your ridiculous thought that you will ever be able to kill me. You are nowhere near my league, Ayame, though you were fun to play with for awhile.”

Ayame narrowed her green eyes, growling, “You are stupid to have released me.”

Kagome brought her gloved hand to her mouth, and catching the end of one of the cut-off pieces in her mouth, she tugged until it came completely off. She allowed the leather to sit in her mouth for a few moments, before grabbing it in her now ungloved hand, and stuffing it into her jacket pocket. She could have easily used her other hand, but she smirked at the look Ayame gave her, as she pulled the second one off. She deposited it into her pocket, as well, before bringing her hand up so the sleeve of her jacket fell to her elbow. “Ayame, because we are kin, I have a very special way for you to die. I used it on most of the worthless souls I destroyed, anchoring them down to the land so that they could serve me properly.”

Ayame stared at the odd marking spread out onto the back of Kagome's hand. It appeared to be thin, red veins that traveled from her wrist to her knuckle. She had not seen another blood-user with such a marking, but the things that came from Kagome's mouth rang a warning bell in her head. She stilled, watching as the bitch began performing the seals needed, and almost stuttered, “You were taught that jutsu?”

“Of course I was, Ayame,” Kagome replied sharply. “My father would have had it no other way, because I had to know all of the forbidden arts our Clan created. And I do know them all, Higurashi Ayame, so I thought that a fitting end to someone who carries my blood would be to be killed with the most horrifying thought in their head. To know that you will serve a lifetime underneath me, and know nothing else, because your soul will be mine to control.”

Ayame watched, as slowly, the markings on the back of Kagome's hands began to spread. She could feel her chakra spiking, and tensed as she watched the vine-like markings spread until it appeared a thin, red piece of armor covered the outside of her hand. Then, just as slowly, the end spread down her fingers and extended past the tips to form claws, while the markings around her wrist created a band that surrounded her skin. It took Ayame a few moments to realize what was happening, because she had seen the jutsu used before, as the red, blood armor hardened until it gave a black sheen.

“You've,” Ayame choked, “you've manipulated that jutsu…”

“Of course I have,” Kagome said. “It was a waste of my time to wait five days for my hands to be useful again, so I tore the jutsu down to its basic elements. Then, using the knowledge my father handed down to me, I rebuilt it using the original idea, but made it better. Now, I do not lose the use of my hands, though I cannot say I was sad to lose the ability to use the jutsu at long range.”

“Your father truly was a fool,” Ayame spat. “Teaching a monster like you things that only helped you kill the people who called themselves your Clan.”

“Ah, Ayame, if there is one thing we could ever agree about that would be it,” Kagome chuckled. “My father truly was a fool. He believed that I would always be daddy's little girl, the precious jewel he had raised into a weapon. He was foolish to think I would never notice the way the rest of the pitiful souls around me reacted when my back was turned, and he was foolish to think that I would wish to have them beneath my rule.

“You know,” she said thoughtfully, “in a way, it is almost similar to what happens between humans and dogs. We believe that dogs are mans best friend, and they are when put into the right situation. They are loyal and give affection when it is given in return—and in some cases they give it even when it is not deserved. But, the more you abuse it, the more you constantly kick it while its down, the more likely it will turn around and bite you.”

Ayame blinked, “Did you just compare yourself to a dog?”

The laughter in the back of her mind increased, though she easily ignored it. She kept her attention on her relative. “Indeed I did, Ayame. However, the time for talking is over. Now,” her eyes caught her relative's green orbs with their dark, lustful glance, “give me… your soul!”

Kagome rushed forward, her hands falling at her sides as her sight focused onto the red stained area on her opponent's chest. Underneath was the heart, and that would be the place that she struck.

Ayame tensed, but she was shocked at the speed that Kagome suddenly possessed. She cursed her as she shot backward, barely evading the first swipe of her clawed hand, but she was not able to react as Kagome twisted on her foot and caught her chest with her right hand. Ayame felt the claws sinking into her flesh, the invisible ties suddenly created gripping onto her soul, and she felt herself being pulled from the world of the living as Kagome tugged.

Warm breath caressed her ear, as Kagome whispered, “Good bye, Ayame.” However, the words did nothing to strike a cord in her soul as she was pulled completely from the world of the living. Her vision faded and she knew she was dead even before her soul was completely taken. A killer like the monster that had caught her would allow nothing else, Ayame knew that even as she found a temporary peace.

Ayame's lifeless body slumped against her shoulder, and Kagome merely shrugged her off. The limp woman fell to the dirt with a thud, but Kagome did not give the useless heap of flesh a second glance. Her attention was drawn away as she felt her jutsu fade, the blood that had created the claws extending past her fingertips retracted back into the markings on the back of her hands. She felt no pain, she only felt the satisfaction that she had gained another victory and sent another worthless soul to the place it belonged. However, her eyes lifted when she felt the energy she had been feeling since it appeared spike.

“Snake,” the voice in her head whispered. “Hn, I wonder if he'll bleed red.”

“You are the perfect specimen,” the man hissed.