Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Given The Chance ❯ Cassie's Technique ( Chapter 42 )

Chapter #42

Cassie's Technique

 

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Co. (Holy hell, this is getting depressingly repetitive now isn't it…?)

 

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“Leaf Hurricane!”

 

Cassie's foot made harsh contact with Yang, or at least something solid. A few seconds later Yang disappeared into a cloud of smoke and in her place was a large chunk of wood. Likewise Cassie's special clone also dissipated into a fine mist of used chakra after its purpose was fulfilled. The purpose was to try and get Yang to hold still, if not for a few seconds, so Cassie could take her chance at actually landing a blow, but Yang was no amateur. It would take a lot more than that to beat her, even if she was in the form of a small child.

 

`But I know what she is,' Cassie took a deep breath to calm herself, `and if I concentrate I can do this…'

 

“Impressive, but still not quite up to speed, Iwate!”

 

Spinning gracefully Cassie blocked the blow of Yang's sword with her kunai. It wasn't a great match at all, and the blade came within less than half an inch of her fingers. There was less than a second of deadlock between the two of them, and with Yang's disadvantage of height the little girl was forced to jump at her from above or risk being cut down. That short amount of time was another small opening for a surprise attack.

 

With kunai between each finger in her free hand she made an attempt to plunge her spiked knuckles into Yang's delicate little stomach. Cassie didn't brother pulling her punches. When she fought she was dead serious. It more or less had something to do with being bottled up about emotions, and it put all the more force behind her punches.

 

Yang used their clashing blades as a push off point to put a little distance between the two of them. She didn't receive any injuries, but her clothes didn't evade the swipe and were torn in the process.

 

“Aiming for the vitals aren't going to work, even if you get lucky and manage to cut me, physical wounds don't matter.” Yang relaxed her stance just too mock Cassie by showing her complete and utter confidence in her inevitable victory. “If that's all you've got I'm wasting my time and I'll just kill you quickly.”

 

Cassie fell back into her stance, showing eagerness, and daring Yang to try and an attack. “If you haven't noticed I've yet to get a scratch too.”

 

The confident smirk on Yang's face grew until it almost looked cruel, “I don't need to waste the energy. I'll make you submit willingly, and I'll make you regret challenging me. You'll wish you'd stayed well away from me.”

 

Yang's height increased before their eyes, her clothes growing to fit, her already black hair growing, and her face changing to a more mature adult structure. Round framed glasses were perched on her nose and they served to magnify the intensity of her new large deep green eyes.

 

“Now, Cassie,” Yang's new voice cooed, “You couldn't raise a weapon against you're now mother would you?”

 

Cassie's features softened and her hands lowered to her sides, “O-Of course not…”

 

“Good girl…”

 

At the drop of a dime Cassie's face returned to normal, naturally after taking the chance to casually lower her arms and retrieve her lengths of wire. “I would never, ever, fight against my mother. But I think I know the difference between my own dearly departed mother and a transformation jutsu.”

 

Wires were suddenly everywhere, surrounding Yang in a tangled web, so that no matter how much she struggled she couldn't escape. The intricate patterns closed in around the imposter's neck, ready to strangle, but Yang managed to slip her wrist between her neck and the wire to prevent strangulation. She wasn't dying, but she couldn't move either.

 

“Very tricky, I didn't think you'd have the guts,” commented Yang offhandedly.

 

`Come on, I know how to kill her, but she needs to use her power,' Cassie pulled the strings tighter around Yang's neck, `Yin uses her mirror, and Yang has her own ability. They're powerful and hard as hell to beat, but it's the only time they're vulnerable. If I do this right I can sever her connection with Faceless…'

 

Sections of the string started breaking off randomly without any outside influences, and finally free, Yang - still transformed - stepped forward with her sword drawn. “I'm bored. This ends now.”

 

`You got that right.'

 

Black mist circled around Yang's sword, forming random shapes and hands, and with one gentle leisurely sweep of her bade the hands shot forward like bullets. The excess chakra from the powerful attack tore up the ground and sent rocky shrapnel flying in all directions. The attack itself shredded the chunk of wood Cassie used for her replacement jutsu to fine sawdust.

 

Gaara jumped back a couple yards to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. Yin did likewise.

 

“I can control my chakra outside my body and use it like extra limbs,” Yang stated assertively, “It can lift incredible amounts of weight, and the chakra vibrates at such a high frequency it can cut strait through solid objects. Even if I graze you you're finished.”

 

Cassie stepped out of the settling dust appearing as calm and collected as the moment she arrived, and nothing more than a scrape on her. Her thin pianist fingers grasped something on her belt and held it out in a fighting stance.

 

Yang nearly laughed when she saw Iwate Cassandra's new weapon of choice.

 

It was nothing but the battered old hilt of a sword clutched tightly in her hand and held out as though there was actually a blade. There was nothing but thin air because the blade appeared to have already been lopped off, leaving no more than an inch of dull metal. The edges of the former blade were chipped and angular, consistent with the blade being snapped off, but some of the edges were dulled. It meant that the snap happened long enough ago that anything incredibly sharp was worn down by some kind of use.

 

How someone could use a piece of junk like that Yang didn't know, but Cassie seemed convinced that she'd pulled out some kind of trump card.

 

“I know almost everything I need to know after melding minds with your master for a short period of time. I realized when I thought about how your power worked that my special jutsu was the perfect match in combat. Something that can interrupt the flow of chakra in your attack, and render it nothing but a useless waste of chakra…”

 

“And that `something' is a broken sword?” a very bemused Yang asked quizzically.

 

Placing both hands on the blade for a few seconds Cassie allowed her chakra to flow into the sword, “There is a reason I graduated the academy early. Sometimes an academy student can master an advanced jutsu, but it's very rare that one improves upon it and makes it their own. It's a known jutsu that I modified to my talent of super compressing chakra, creating something so incredibly dense it can cut through virtually anything. Solid objects, sound, air, and even someone else's chakra.”

 

`Does that mean she can recreate an entire blade with chakra alone?' Curiosity peaked Gaara inched forward, `it's even advanced for a Jounin to extend a regular blade with chakra, but to create an entire blade from scratch…'

 

Cassie rolled the bottoms of her pants up a little so a thick black anklet was exposed on each leg. Both came off by undoing a latch and she easily picked them off with her single free hand.

 

“These are a nuisance,” the raven haired teen sighed, “I'll need to move freely for this.”

 

“Removing a few weights won't make a difference—” Yang was cut off by the sound of a crash as the weights were carelessly tossed in the middle of the `battlefield'. Each weight dug its own trench as it slid across the ground and dug the already ruined ground further. A new large dust storm was created for cover.

 

If he'd been in the position to Gaara would have slapped his forehead. It sudden occurred to him the strong resemblance in fighting styles, among other things. She was exactly like a curtain fuzzy browed Jounin Gaara knew all too well… The weights weren't nearly as heavy, but it was still astonishing someone her size could carry around even that much and appear to move normally.

 

“Pft,” Yang nearly laughed again as she used her destructive attack for a second time.

 

This time there was no replacement jutsu to take the blow because at the new speed of the second attack there wouldn't have been time for it. Instead Cassie faced it head on, raising the hilt of her sword, and bringing the `imaginary' blade down before the attack could reach her.

 

The light from the clash of attacks was intense and lit up the nearly dark late evening sky. The ground below was charred and blasted away from the release of energy.

 

Yang stood bewildered in the settling dust trying to figure out what just happened. In so many years of fighting she'd never seen that reaction before, and in those years no one was ever able to stop her attacks. Another thing no one ever managed to do was put more than a paper cut on her china doll skin, and after a long delayed reaction Yang realized the shoulder of her shirt was almost completely torn apart, along with her `false skin' underneath that shed no real blood.

 

“No way…” she whispered.

 

For the first time even Yin looked worried, “Stop wasting time! Finish it!”

 

“But how is it possible?” murmured Yang under her breath, “there was far less chakra in her one attack…”

 

The rest of the dust settled on Cassie's side as well, and it was blatantly obvious she wasn't without injury. Her shoulder - opposite the one that Yang injured - was clawed open with a series of long cuts that extended from her elbow, up her collarbone, and down her back again. None of the cuts was particularly deep, or immediately life threatening, but unlike Yang, Cassie actually bled. The warm crimson liquid slowly gushed out and stained the torn fabric that had formerly been her shirt.

 

Cassie cringed a little, but other than that didn't take notice to the injury.

 

If Gaara could've used his sand he was sure he could have flattened anything without a three mile radius. The sight of blood still got to him from time to time, but not nearly as much as it used to. It was her blood that was making his temples throb with new vigor and tempting him to foolishly step into the ring between the fighting girls. He wanted to risk his life for a stranger…

 

“Humph, you may not be a complete pushover, and maybe you were able to block the attack, but that nifty trick won't last forever. You've only got so much chakra, and I bet I can outlast you.” Yang talked confident, but in her mind she was very conscious of her worries, `that flash will attract ninja, so even though I can outlast her I don't have the time I need to finish the quickly.'

 

Yang's fingers grazed over the cuts on her shoulder, her body had never been cut that badly before. `And not only that, the girl knows where she is aiming! If my attack hadn't been in the way my connection could have been severed…'

 

`I almost had it! Damn, I was so close to hitting the mark!' Cassie gently clenched her teeth. After being one mind with Faceless it was like she knew how to see the very connection that gave Yin and Yang their lives. It was in the form of a silver string - not unlike the ones she broke on her own soul when she rejected Faceless - that was only barely visible but at least she was able to see it at all. It was only clearly visible while they were expelling chakra so that was the best time to strike. `One more shot, just one more shot or I'll overdo it. Yang was right to assume my blade is wasteful of my chakra. I can already feel my strength draining…'

 

This time Cassie lunged forward, swiping her sword, and as expected Yang leapt nimbly out of the way, but a long cut still appeared across her chest.

 

“This sword doesn't have one length,” Cassie smirked when she noticed her opponent calculated her distance based on the length of a normal sword. “I can extend it however I want.”

 

With the gap between them shortened to give Cassie less time to react to another attack. She was planning on ending it right there for sure.

 

“Die!”

 

Before Yang could finish her swing Cassie's arm grabbed her wrist before the chakra could be completely expelled from the sword. The excess energy clawed up Cassie's arm, this time deeper because of being so close, and using her left hand her `chakra sword' she cut the blade off Yang's sword and cut through her string in one swift motion.

 

“I didn't want to end it for you this way,” Cassie spoke softly, “it wasn't your fault you were born from the souls of dead children, and if that wasn't bad enough you're the only one that can actually see the tragic lives of each of those children.”

 

The outside appearance of Cassandra's mother melted away and the original body of the child was left standing there with her tiny wrist in Cassandra's hand.

 

The tips of Yang's fingers started breaking down into the same type of fine black mist her attack used, and her expression changed to that of utter exhaustion. That string was what bound her to her master, and her master was what bound her to the world of the living. Without it she was just a formation of chakra, a puppet with cut strings, and a body without anything to hold in the soul.

 

Tears rimmed Yang's black eyes and for the first time she smiled and whispered so no one else could hear, “You're going to be a good mother, Cassandra-san.”

 

Yang's body completely broke apart and the mist quickly scattered in the wind so nothing was left but her sword and the scroll. Cassandra grabbed both before they hit the ground.

 

Yin stepped forward, looking completely unmoved that her `sister' was just killed, and held her mirror ready to use. The only thing she was interested in was recapturing the scroll.

 

`I'm out of chakra, and I'm loosing too much blood…' Cassie winced and forced herself to ignore the throbbing of her bloodied arm and shoulder, `and Gaara is in no condition to fight. Damn, I need a plan. Yin is much more difficult to beat. She'll disappear if I take care of Faceless, but for that I can't have Yin interfering…'

 

“Kazekage-sama, please, I need you to put some distance between yourself than that girl. You should be in less pain that way,” pleaded Cassie as she pulled another kunai from her pouch and held it with her good arm, which also happened to be her weaker throwing arm.

 

New waves of pain blinded Gaara and he staggered forward a few steps. The sight of her blood, her eyes, her face, everything, it was all bringing on something, and it was very bad. If it kept up he was going to loose it.

 

[You know you can't stay in control much longer, kid. Just give in. I feel like doing something entertaining!]

 

`Stay out of this, bastard raccoon!'

 

[You haven't even noticed something else inside you lately, and if you don't drive it out soon we're both done. We can let it take control, and at this rate you're going to give in. Let me take over for a little while to buy us some more time!]

 

`And let you run rampant through the village on a killing spree? Not in this lifetime!'

 

[Stupid baka!]

 

`Bastard Raccoon!'

 

[At least take the girl's advice and put some distance between yourself and the little freak with the mirror! I think after all she's done you can trust her. Don't make it harder on yourself and MOVE.]

 

(A/N: Wow, I'm realizing just now how sarcastic I've made the Shukaku … oh well!)

 

Despite the fact that Shukaku backed off a little Gaara could still feel his chakra in a corner of his mind ready to jump at the opportunity to take control.

 

“Don't get yourself killed. I still want answers out of you,” Gaara growled as he turned to leave.

 

Yin, still looking indifferent, created a shadow clone that ran off in pursuit of Gaara so she wouldn't loose track of him while the real body stayed behind to retrieve the scroll. She was inwardly confident; not thinking it would take very long to get rid of one girl, even if the girl took out her twin.

 

`I don't have time for this. Gaara won't last too much longer.' Cassie went through tactic after tactic, but with almost no chakra and her bleeding arm there was no way she could win against her.

 

“Unlike my sister I'm not going to waste time,” Yin spoke softly and aimed her mirror and was about to activate something when an unknown shuriken came out of nowhere, hitting the frame, and tilted the mirror upwards slightly. It was Cassandra's chance to duck out of the way before Yin regained her composure.

 

“Cassie-chan,” Lee offered her assistance getting up, “sorry, we are late. Are you ok?”

 

Sasuke - who arrived with Lee - activated his Sharingan and prepared to fight, “Where is the other one?”

 

“I took care of her already,” explained Cassie, “and if you guys keep her busy long enough I can go help Gaara. I need to find him quickly.”

 

“But your arm-” protested Lee.

 

“I'll be fine. I'll get Sakura to treat me right after I finish Faceless once and for all.”

 

 

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I wanted to get this up yesterday, but after I finished my homework (which was after getting caught up watching a movie) I realized that it was too late. Oh well, one day didn't kill you all … did it? I never really know…

I have time to respond to my reviewers this time!! Yay for meeee!!!!!!

 

Lil_Pix

 

To my reviewers:

 

xXdonutesXx- I thought so too, but Cassie can't create masses of them (like Naruto's shadow clones), only one or two at a time because of the amounts of chakra used

 

BakaHanyouRahvin- (Sits in corner giggling) Cassie: …ok I'm not sure Pix doing that is a good or bad thing, but I hope I end up kicking Faceless's butt too. I did a good job on Yang though … hehe…

 

Deja Blackey Black- I know which Kong quotes you're talking about, but what ending are you talking about? (End of chapter? End of story? Eh…?)

 

Hiei81- IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII LIIIIIKKKKKKKKEEEEEE YYYYYEEELLLIIIIINNNNNNGGGG TOOOO!!!! Hehe, yes, I did have a lot of sugar. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm looking forward to another review!!

 

Dudekiller- Teehee, the happy dance is a good thing! Thanks for the review. I hope to see more!

 

Lilswtheart9811- I adore Gaara too (if that wasn't already painfully obvious) and I just love the Naruto manga!!! I thrive on writing Fanfiction, it's the highlight of my day, and my fingers twitch if I go a day without typing something (weird, yes, but I type a lot).

 

MoonAngel8- I was actually drawing a page of Cassie reference sketches the other day because I found it insanely difficult to type (that happens rarely) so I needed inspiration. I wanted an action pose so I tried to figure out what she would have worn in her Genin days. The shirt actually ended up being dark green spandex (like the type of thing dancer's wear) and matching loose brown cargos. I do another sketch right after with Cassie and Lee in swapped clothing (Cassie in a jump suit/Lee in a skirt and girl's sweater) and now I laugh every time I look at my sketchbook. I'm so cruel to my characters…

 

SupersexyPooka- I hope your grounding ends soon. Just read and review whenever you can.

 

Gaara Freak- Thank you kindly!! Hehe, keep reading and reviewing, just because I LOVE it!!

 

Fightingpheonix36- Well, its one down, two to go!! (Waves I-heart-Gaara pom-poms) Go Cassie-chan, we're all behind you!!!

 

Valinor's Twilight- (Shrugs) maybe the next chapter, we all knows its close because that was my ultra special fight scene for Yang, and next Cassie's going for Faceless. Something is gonna happen!!!

 

Gaara252- I apologize for the slow death, but it has to be done and so that is why I leave you with a little bit of a cliffie here. The next chapter will be up as soon as possible, so don't worry!