Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Lost Soul ❯ Severed Lifeline ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and not me. I guess that is just another reason why I'm so poor besides being a student!

 

A Note from Katana Haibane: I'd like to thank everyone who had reviewed my fic. Since I've only gotten one review that made a choice on how I'll write my techniques I'll just go with what they wanted and keep the hybrid names (unless I get a bunch of reviews that say otherwise).

 

Chapter 8: Severed Lifeline

 

Sound Training Grounds # 17

 

Sasuke knew that it was an extremely bad idea to try and block the axe kick that was coming down straight at his head. He had seen the craters that could be created by the attack and proof was littered all over the clearing. Destroyed trees, pulverized boulders, craters in the ground and even a snake skin left over from a snake summon that Sasuke had used were a testament to Mikomi's mastery at the incredibly destructive style of Taijutsu that Tsunade had created.

 

Sasuke spun to the left and gave small hop into the air as Mikomi put yet another four foot deep crater into the ground. Continuing his spin Sasuke slammed his right heel into the small of Mikomi's back sending her across the clearing. Landing gracefully on the shattered ground Sasuke set his stance too see the weighted down Mikomi already on her feet.

 

For the last several days since they had returned from Grass things had returned to as normal as things could be for the two of them. Sasuke had been training extensively with his brand new Kusanagi sucking up the Kenjutsu that Orochimaru had been teaching him with his Sharingan. So far the only blade that had stopped his Kusanagi besides Orochimaru's Kusanagi was Mikomi's kunai when she had pumped a large amount of her defensive chakra into it during a spar.

 

Mikomi on the other hand, had been left alone most of the time to train by herself in the familiar training grounds. The weights that she had been wearing had been bumped up to 100 lbs. while she had been acting as the Anbu Commander of Grass and now Sasuke had decided once again to double the weight. Now at 200lbs of weight Mikomi was very glad that she had taken the time to increase her chakra capacity even more in the Village Hidden in Grass by learning an earth technique. As things were it was taking constant chakra reinforcement to be able to move at full speed.

 

Chest heaving, Mikomi knew that she couldn't last much longer in this fight with her new weights. She charged again to try something new to gain her first hit on the elusive Uchiha since he had not bothered to try and block a single attack she threw ever since she had mastered Tsunade's strength in the Grass. Then it hit her: seal for a jutsu when his eyes weren't on her and she might be able to surprise him. Mikomi had been training with Sasuke for long enough to understand how the Sharingan worked, anticipate the enemy's movements along with allowing for superhuman insight into how the battle will flow along with how to perform a technique. Closing in Mikomi launched a rising kick with her left leg. As Sasuke went to slide under and throw her back she kicked out with her right leg. Having missed his chance to throw her back across the field Sasuke continued to duck and leapt up to bicycle kick Mikomi in the back as she flew overhead.

 

Mikomi was grinning as she saw Sasuke dodge both attacks and started sealing. When the kick she expected struck her back she wasn't surprised at all and just continued to roll with the attack. Finishing the fourteenth seal Mikomi slammed her hands into the ground hoping that she could launch the attack blindly behind her as easily as she could launch the attack to the front: “Doton: Hell Pit Jutsu!”

 

Having just turned around after he had finished kicking Mikomi away Sasuke could see the release of a technique as she slammed her hands into the ground. Sasuke's eyes widened in shock for a moment before he leapt into the air to dodge the only Doton Jutsu that Mikomi knew. This was the first time that anyone in a very long time had managed to surprise him with an attack and his shock had almost proved fatal. The earth erupted into a massive field of razor sharp spikes coming directly from behind Mikomi and burst out of the earth to give Sasuke a few cuts on his legs along with one on his cheek. To his chagrin he realized that the earth almost immediately went soft again and began to shrink back into the ground. Glancing up he saw Mikomi flying at him once again and threw up his arms to protect himself while he tried to duplicate Mikomi's defensive technique as fast as he could.

 

It didn't help all that much. Mikomi's flying round house landed directly in the center of Sasuke's crossed arms with enough force to give him a concussion as his reinforced arms slammed into his own head. Sasuke went flipping across the clearing coming to a rest by the trunk of a tree that Mikomi had shattered earlier.

 

Not giving Sasuke a chance to recover Mikomi tried to follow up her first successful hits in a long time with another direct attack. Sasuke only smirked as he saw Mikomi charging again and pumped his chakra into the tangle of wires that he had dropped in front of him as he was rolling. The wires came to life and snaked around Mikomi trapping her limbs to her sides as Sasuke held up the ends of the wires in his hands, “The fight is over Mikomi. I'm very impressed that you were able to figure out a way land not one but two consecutive his on me in a row. The set up for the Hell Pit was brilliant using my reliance of the Sharingan against me to force me into the air. The follow up was excellent as well. However, you didn't bother paying enough attention to your surroundings afterwards which is how I was able to tangle you up in my web of wires. Had you tried to break free I only have to pump electrical chakra into the wires to incapacitate you.”

 

“Aw, dammit!” Mikomi yelled as she broke out of the wires and flopped onto the ground, “I almost had you that time!”

 

“Hnn. Try harder next time.”

 

“How the hell can I when I'm where 800 lbs. in weights when you aren't wearing a damn thing.”

 

Sasuke actually gave chuckle at this as he took off his new grey shirt and tossed it off to the side. It left a sizable dent in the ground, “That shirt alone weights roughly 250 lbs. as do my new pants. I may not be wearing as much weight as you but don't think that I'm not hampering my own abilities as much as I am hampering your own. You have more physical strength than me; however, I am far beyond your level in terms of Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. That's why I don't wear quite as much weight as you since your body is able to develop exponentially faster in terms of pure strength compared to mine. On the other hand I learn new techniques exponentially faster than anyone else. No one can compare to an Uchiha-”

 

“Yeah, I know Sasuke,” Mikomi said as she got up and sat beside Sasuke, “No one can compare to an Uchiha except for another Uchiha. You've proved it time and time again to me. After all, I've never seen you ever get seriously injured in a real battle before.”

 

“For having a real teacher for only a year you are making impressive progress,” Sasuke said as he glanced at Mikomi, “You are finally worth my time to train.”

 

As smile slowly graced the face of Mikomi as she felt the glow return to her chest. It didn't matter to her that she didn't know what to call the feeling that was passing through her body but it felt amazing. What was more amazing is that she felt patient to progress over time to exact her revenge. With Sasuke. Mikomi took Sasuke's hand in her own, finding that Sasuke no longer seemed to try and push her away. As if he was somehow content with their companionship of pain.

 

With a deep breath Mikomi decided it was time to push her luck and see what would happen. She slid over until she was sitting with her body touching Sasuke. When he flinched, Mikomi thought he was going to pull away.

 

But he didn't.

 

Sasuke flinched when he had felt Mikomi's body touch his own only to find that when she did touch him he felt…relaxed. And he felt warmer than he had felt in a long time. She never clung to him. Never thought that he was `cool' even though she knew nothing about him. Never thought that he should stop pursuing his revenge. As odd as it felt, Sasuke found that Mikomi may have been the person most worthy of being at his side. She wasn't as strong as he was but she refused to slow him down. She always fought as hard as she could for herself, their partnership and success. She never ran away from her revenge but sought power just as much as he himself did. But most of all, she could truly say that she understood him. Their lives were remarkably similar: their loved families had been taken away from them before they reached the age of ten, lives left in ruin by the one who took their families away, and the desire to get revenge. Mikomi had never condemned him for desiring revenge against his brother. She was actually helping him achieve his goal of revenge in return for him giving her the power she so desperately wanted and need. She was the first to be worth his time to be around.

 

Then Mikomi laid her head on his shoulder.

 

“Sasuke, I know you may not like this, but could you let me just rest here for a minute like this?” Mikomi whispered from his shoulder, “I don't know why, but I feel comforted when I'm resting here like this.”

 

“Hnn,” Sasuke said as he rested his head back against the trunk of the tree and closed his eyes, “do what you want. You're the first person that I can remember who doesn't annoy me.” Sasuke smirked slightly, thinking, `Well, you don't annoy me anymore.'

 

It was an amazing sensation for Mikomi, the warmth of another's body, especially one that wasn't cooling as she killed them or else trying to kill her. She felt content for the first time that she could remember since coming to the Sound. She wasn't somebody's plaything. She was no longer a weak, scared little girl. She no longer felt that her revenge was out of her reach. She no longer cared that she was being used as a tool for murder.

 

She was no longer alone.

 

Kishi had become a good friend whenever she had gone down to her shop to pick up supplies or even just to talk on rare occasions. The cooks had been nice to her ever since she showed them that she started helping them take care of the Nins who thought it was fun to use them as play things. The Sound Nins themselves no longer could look down on her as if she was just a carpet to be trampled on.

 

Then there was the enigma: Uchiha Sasuke. From the beginning he hadn't hated her and neither had he shown her kindness. He had only told her the truth. He had trained her to become stronger from the time that they had first met, never allowing her to become less than she was capable of becoming. He had saved her life several times when she was still learning how to kill. But most of all he had understood and appreciated her desires for revenge and her own lust for power because he knew what she had felt. He had been put through the same hell that she had been put through.

 

Mikomi could slowly feel Sasuke becoming more and more important to her. He was slowly becoming her entire life beyond revenge, the corner stone to her sanity. She could think of no other person that she would be willing to lay down her life for other than him. She didn't know what to call the feeling that always arose within her when Sasuke allowed her to come this close to him but she never wanted them to go away. It just felt right to her.

 

The two of them sat there against the destroyed trunk of a tree for a long time. Neither of them bothered to move after they had felt rested enough to head inside Orochimaru's compound for food nor did they move when the sun started to set. They just sat together and enjoyed each others company.

 

Mikomi couldn't help but smile when she realized that the sunset was already fading and they hadn't moved, “Thanks for letting me rest her Sasuke.” Then her stomach growled loudly followed closely behind by Sasuke's, “Umm, do you think we should head inside for something to eat?”

 

“Yeah,” Sasuke said as he moved Mikomi's head off his shoulder. He stood up and headed towards Orochimaru's Compound with Mikomi following closely behind him.

 

Although Mikomi couldn't and would never see it, Sasuke had a small smile on his face and he himself didn't even know it.

 

When they were inside the corridor leading to the mess hall the scent of food wafted across their noses. Stomachs growling again, Mikomi shot forward and began to drag a startled Sasuke along. Bursting into the Mess Hall through the double doors Mikomi snatched two trays and leapt to the start of the serving line before two other Sound Nins could make it there. Heading down the serving line Mikomi rapidly grabbed a serving of everything that they were displaying for both her and Sasuke as he watched in bewilderment. Snatching the last of the food, Mikomi headed right for the nearest table, set Sasuke's tray down on the side closest to them and leapt over the table to the other side. Sitting down Mikomi snatched up her chopsticks and dug in.

 

“I thought you said that you needed to eat Sasuke,” Mikomi said as she worked her way through tempura vegetables, “You sounded just as hungry as I am.”

 

Sasuke just stared at Mikomi for another moment before picking up his chopsticks, “You know if anyone else had just done what you did they would be dead right now.”

 

Mikomi just shrugged, “Sorry, but today happens to be dango day for me so I got a little excited. I still don't get tire of actually eating good food after those two and a half years of crap. I won't do it again Sasuke.”

 

Shaking his head, Sasuke started to eat the food that Mikomi had picked up for him. Then he noticed a rather large looking Jounin get up and start heading directly for Mikomi. Dressed in the dark purple pants and light purple shirt with a velvet cord tied around his waist with only his black elbow pads seeming a little out of place, the guy had the look of an Elite Gennin. His arms and legs were as thick as a small tree and his body rippled with power topped with a scared face. Sasuke gave the guy a glare which could have frozen a lake but the guy totally ignored him. The Gennin's attention was completely fixed on Mikomi.

 

The unknown Gennin paused when Mikomi stood up and headed for the Kitchen door as it opened and talked to the cooks for a while. He didn't move again until after she had sat down once again with her eyes locked on the plate of dango that she had received. Quickly finishing off the last of her food, Mikomi turned her attention to the dango when the Jounin spoke, “Hey! Bitch! Remember me?”

 

Turning around with a stick of dango in her mouth, Mikomi looked closely at the Gennin standing in front of her for a moment, “Nope, not at all. Should I know you?”

 

The Jounin twitched slightly as if he was trying to repress his anger and he ground his teeth, “You should you little shit. You were the smart ass who decide that they were gonna break my arms because they didn't like the way I was teaching the cooks a lesson in respect.” Recognition passed over Mikomi's face and her expression darkened as he went on, “I think that it's about time that I pay you back for your shitty little stunt. I'll show you why I was placed in with the elite Gennin. You and me Bitch. I want a one on one duel with no rules. I'll pick the time, you pick the place.”

 

`Revenge for me humiliating him huh,' Mikomi thought as she looked at the guy. Shrugging she accepted, “Alright, whatever. We'll fight at Training Ground # 17 whenever you want. Bring as many people for your revenge as you want. Just don't forget who's been training me though.” Mikomi jerked her head at the once again impassive Sasuke. “You mind telling me your name before we fight at least?”

 

The Gennin burst out laughing, “Hahahaha! This is gonna be good! Taking down someone trained by Sasuke-sama will definitely increase my prestige amongst the other Gennin around here. We'll fight three days from now at five thirty pm. Then you'll see why I'm considered part of the elite.”

 

With a cocky swagger, the Jounin started to walk away before he looked back over his shoulder, “Oh yeah, my name is Tegatai Kinniku.”

 

Mikomi's Chambers- TwoDays Later

 

“Why the hell did you allow that guy to fight you?”

 

Sasuke was sitting on Mikomi's bed watching her go through push-up after push-up with her weights placed on her back. She had been training harder and harsher than he had ever pushed her besides the two week training session from hell he'd given her a few months back and she showed no signs of needing to slow down. Push-ups, sit-ups, running, punches, kicks, jutsu, sparring: Mikomi was practicing it all.

 

“Because I know how he wants revenge. It's on a far smaller scale than our own but I'm not going to deny him the chance that he wants. Besides, I've been training with you Sasuke. I don't think that there are too many people here anymore who are stronger than I am. I know that you've given me strength beyond everything I ever dreamed of achieving while I lived and hated in Sadisuto's cell.”

 

“Hnn,” Sasuke said as he flipped to the ground and started doing push-ups of his own, “You're too kind sometimes you know that? It's a useless emotion to have if you want to get revenge. You have to be willing to give up your entire life for revenge.”

 

“That is one point where I differ from you when I think about revenge,” Mikomi said as she continued her up and down rhythm, “I refuse to die for revenge. I WILL live after I've killed Orochimaru. I have a life and I refuse to lose it to that fucker.”

 

The room went quiet for a little bit with only the steady breathing of the two inhabitants interrupting the peace. Both were lost in thought, thinking about what the other said. They both wanted revenge so badly and yet their views differed greatly. Sasuke was willing to die for revenge while Mikomi refused to. Even while their sweat was dripping to the floor they were too lost in their thoughts to bother stopping.

 

Then someone knocked on the door.

 

Hopping back to her feet Mikomi pulled the door open to come face to face with Kabuto. He pushed his glasses up onto his face as he smiled, “You two are wanted by Orochimaru right away. Come with me now.”

 

Kabuto started to walk quickly away from Mikomi's room in the direction of the main conference hall. Mikomi shrugged and followed along, strapping on her weights as she went. Sasuke frowned. He knew that being called to the main conference room meant there were problems and that he probably was going to be called upon to deal with them.

 

Kabuto burst through the doors with Sasuke and Mikomi in tow and came upon a scene that Sasuke had never seen before. There were maps all over the walls detailing the five major shinobi nations along with the five head tactical advisors in conference with Orochimaru. With them were the three attaches from the Rock. They were huddled over the large central table that had a map of Konoha spread across it along with figures representing troop movements. At the loud intrusion they all looked up.

 

Orochimaru's face was flushed with what appeared to be anger as he barked orders to Kabuto, “Move it Kabuto! Get two proper packs set up right the hell now! We have no time at all to waste, especially if the four other nations ally with each other! Sasuke, Mikomi, over here right the fuck now!”

 

Mikomi started to pale at the fury that was in Orochimaru's voice. She had never seen him this angry before and the killing intent that was rolling off of him frightened her like nothing else she had ever seen. She stepped quietly behind Sasuke until Orochimaru slammed his hand down on the table. Giving a squeak of fright Mikomi ran right in front of Orochimaru and knelt down. Sasuke joined her also having realized that Orochimaru was in no mood for their usual defiance.

 

“You two may have done too good of a job on the Grass annexation,” Orochimaru growled, “As it seems to have completely spooked the other major shinobi nations. Also they found out about our involvement somehow and I suspect that Konoha was the Village responsible for that falling out.”

 

One of the Rock Nins cut Orochimaru off, “You mean that you only used TWO of your Nins to enact that unbelievable takeover of Grass? That's just bloody insane! How the fuck did you pull off something that all of our forces combined couldn't do?”

 

Orochimaru's glare literally caused the Rock Nin's heart to stop beating for a moment he was so scared, “Because they are the best Nins that I have. I also don't allow useless incompetents like you around who ask stupid questions. Shut the hell up now or else Rock is going to have to send a replacement.” The Rock Nin sat down shaking violently and wisely shutting up as Orochimaru continued, “It seems that Tsunade and Gaara, the new Kazekage, are trying to set up some form of temporary alliance between Mizu, Kumo, Suna and Konoha. THIS CANNOT HAPPEN! The Sound isn't strong enough to be able to survive a full scale invasion from four of the five great powers. So we have to disrupt relations enough for the alliance to be thrown out the window. Konoha and Suna are too close allies with each other for us to do anything, plus they are incredibly suspicious of us. That leaves Kumo and Mizu to play with. I need them to be at each others throats! Sasuke, Mikomi, the two of you are going to go to both of the nations and attack any and all of their Nin cells under the banner of the other nation. This means lots of water, wind and lightning attacks. Do not use Katon Jutsu under any circumstances and don't use any Doton Jutsu unless absolutely necessary. I don't care how important you both are to the Sound but if you fail, you're both dead.”

 

Sasuke and Mikomi nodded knowing that Orochimaru was dead serious. This was a mission that was even more important than the annexation of Grass if their plans were to continue to move forward at a steady rate. Standing up, they accepted their packs as Kabuto entered the room. Sasuke attached his Kusanagi Sword along his back with the pack over top of it for easier concealment and drawing. Mikomi just pulled on the backpack and waited.

 

“How long will you want the two of us to be carrying out these attacks Orochimaru-sama?” Sasuke asked.

 

“You will carry out the attacks until I damn well say you can come back!” Orochimaru tried to fight back his temper to think more clearly as he chose his next words carefully, “Unless I send you any word telling you of your success you are not to return until two months have passed and at least twenty attacks have been made. Forty-five would be optimal.”

 

“So essentially you just want the two of us to go to Mizu and Kumo and raise a little hell?” Mikomi asked with a feral grin, “'Cause I'm getting pretty good at doing that.”

 

Orochimaru nodded, “Exactly. Now get the hell out of here. I've got a Village I have to figure out how to conquer.”

 

With that over, Mikomi and Sasuke left the room followed by Kabuto. As they were starting to leave the complex Mikomi asked Kabuto a favour, “Hey, Kabuto. You mind giving an Elite Gennin a message for me?” Kabuto shook his head so Mikomi carried on, “Then please give the Gennin Tegatai Kinniku the message that I'll fight him when I get back.”

 

Lightning CountryBorder - 5 Days Later

 

Mikomi and Sasuke were holed in a cave for the night in the smaller foothills and cliff faces that were the along the border into Lightning Country. Their packs were laid out on the ground and they were taking stock the supplies that Kabuto had stocked for them and found that they were geared more towards what Kabuto would have brought for himself than for either of them. Essentially there were lots medical supplies but the stock of kunai and explosive notes was lacking.

 

Sasuke slapped his hand over his face, “Shit. This isn't anywhere near the load out that I would have packed. The medical supplies are hardly needed and that idiot skimped on the weapons. Huh, the only thing he did pack a sufficient amount of was blood pills and soldier pills.”

 

Mikomi was similarly vexed, “What the hell was Kabuto thinking? I've got a fucking suture kit in my bag. I've only been taught the basics of how to use one and that was three years ago.”

 

Sasuke leaned back against the rock wall and thought for a moment, “Guess we'll just have to stock up using whatever the Nins we have to kill are carrying.” Sasuke paused for a moment when he noticed an oddly large scroll poking out of his bag and took it out for a closer look and smirked, “Seems that Kabuto did pack us one useful item. It's one of his body carrying scrolls. Faking a guerilla war between Kumo and Mizu will be even easier now if we leave the odd body of an enemy Nin behind.”

 

Mikomi nodded as she started to shove the contents of her pack back inside leaving the soldier pills and blood pills near the top. Finishing, she put her back to the wall opposite Sasuke, “I've got a problem Sasuke. I don't know any jutsus that would seem logical to come from the Village Hidden in Mist. You tried yourself to teach me a few Suiton Jutsu but I lacked the ability to stabilize my control over water enough to do so. Not only that but if we are trying to make Kumo and Mizu war with each other I can't be using the Hokage's strength as that technique is a signature of Konoha. What the hell am I supposed to do? Yeah, yeah, I know I can use the Iron Fist style of Taijutsu that you taught me from the beginning but what about Jutsu? I only have a limited number of power techniques and most of them are along the lines of what is taught in the Village Hidden in Clouds. What should I do when fighting Kumo Nin to leave evidence that I'm a Mizu Nin?”

 

“I did have time to prepare for this eventuality,” Sasuke smirked as he pulled out a few sheets of paper from his hip pack, “I snagged these from Orochimaru's supplies. These papers will tell me what sort of elemental alignment you have if you just pump some chakra into them. You should be able to pick up another jutsu from that element quickly.”

 

“But what if I'm aligned with fire or lightning? Doesn't Mizu almost completely specialize in water techniques?”

 

Sasuke's smirk didn't leave his face, “Not surprising that you don't know much about the other villages I guess. Mizu actually has quite a number of lightning and wind specialists as well, although they number far fewer than Kumo. If your specialty is fire or earth then things become a problem but all you need are a few more techniques to give you more options. Anyway just watch me. One will crumple up meaning lightning affiliation while the other will burn.”

 

Picking up a sheet of paper in each hand Sasuke started concentrating chakra into each of them. Mikomi gasped when the paper on the left immediately crumpled up while the one burst into flames.

 

“Whoa. You have two specializations? Cool. No wonder you taught me mainly fire and lightning techniques since those are your specialty. Alright, time to find out what mine is.”

 

Mikomi snatched a paper out of Sasuke's lap before he could object and started to concentrate chakra into it. Her eyes lit up when she saw the paper start to crumple up at first. Then the paper split in half as well. Mikomi gave Sasuke a nervous look, “Um, did I do something wrong? Why'd the paper split in half like that?”

 

Sasuke took the paper out of Mikomi's hands and eyed it for a moment, “I guess you have two specialties as well. The split means that you are connected to wind and the crinkling means lightning. I'll teach you a modification to your Banshee Jutsu while we search for a Kumo team to ambush. Let's get some rest. You'll need it if you're gonna learn a jutsu on the move.”

 

 

Night was starting to fall again when Sasuke and Mikomi discovered that luck was on their side. They had taken placed a quick Henge on their headbands to pretend that they were Kumo Nins when they spotted a Gennin team leaving the village they were approaching to rest for the night.

 

Mikomi was exuberant that she had been able to pick up the `Futon: Great Breakthrough Jutsu' in a single day - even though it was just a modification on the Banshee scream in the first place - that she had decided to race ahead as the village came into view. She ran right into the Jounin leader for the Gennin team.

 

“What the he-” the Kumo Jounin exclaimed as Mikomi literally ran him over.

 

Mikomi looked on in shock as the three Kumo Gennin immediately got into fighting position. She looked down to see what she was sitting on that was so soft only to get a kunai placed by her throat. Shock spread across Mikomi's features for a moment before she realized what she was doing.

 

She knew that she had a job to do so she tried to get away from the Jounin, “Uh, hehe, sorry. I'm from Kumo too. See?” She pointed to her headband as Sasuke came around the corner to the unusual scene before him, “I kinda got excited when I saw the village and ran ahead of my Sensei. Sorry about running into you.”

 

The kunai never left her throat as the Jounin Spoke, “Yeah right. And I'm the frikin' Raikage bitch. That's a pretty shitty Henge you got over your headband so I'm not buying that you're from Kumo in the slightest. Besides, being apprenticed is a pretty major thing so I'd know the two of you to begin with. Drop the Henge and show us who you really are.”

 

“Dammit Mikomi,” Sasuke sighed while making a hand sign to Mikomi, “You really can get into trouble sometimes. Just do it.” Mikomi nodded when she saw his signal to attack.

 

“That's right, don't try anything funny or I'll slit your throat. Drop the Henge right the hell now!”

 

There was a cracking sound as Mikomi used Tsunade's strength to crush the Jounin's ribs before he could react. She threw herself backwards as the Jounin tried to slit her throat but her defense held and kept the kunai from cutting her. She rolled to her feet as the Kumo Gennin attacked in a shower of kunai before she could leap away.

 

A black and grey blur flashed in front of Mikomi as a clang rang out. Sasuke stood in front of her with his Kusanagi blade drawn and all of the kunai knocked away. “Well Mikomi that was one way to find our target for tonight,” Sasuke said sarcastically over his shoulder, “Get off your ass and fight.”

 

Sasuke dropped his backpack and unleashed his chakra and watched as the Kumo Gennin's eyes widened in fear. This was the first time they had ever seen enemies of this caliber and they had just badly injured their Jounin-sensei. The Kumo Jounin was struggling to breathe as he got to his feet and faced off against Sasuke. His voice was a rasp, “You guys have got to get the hell out of here! You're no match for people like them and I'm not gonna be able to hold `em off. Head for the village right now!”

 

As the Gennin turned to flee Mikomi dropped her pack as well and sped around to cut them off. The Kumo Jounin went to attack her when Sasuke appeared in front of him, Sharingan flashing. The Jounin started sealing as fast as he could while Sasuke copied him. “RAITON: LIGHTNING TORNADO JUTSU!”

 

Both the Kumo Jounin and Sasuke were encased in identical swirling tornados of electrical energy which focused their energies on each other. The two tornados came together in an explosion of energy which knocked the Kumo Gennin of balance enough for Mikomi to slip ahead. The Jounin was on his knees breathing heavily in the middle of the dust kicked up when Sasuke burst through. Without a second thought Sasuke severed the Jounin's head from his body with his Kusanagi. Wiping his blade on the grass Sasuke quickly stripped the vest off the Jounin before too much blood soaked into it along with his Hitae-ate. That done, Sasuke picked up their packs and started to make his way in Mikomi's direction.

 

The Kumo Gennin got to their feet only to see the strange red-eyed, purple-haired girl slide in front of them and cut them off. A brash young guy who liked to act as their leader stepped forward, “G-get the hell o-outta o-our way! W-we'll kill ya d-dead if ya d-don't!”

 

Mikomi snatched three shuriken out of her hip pack and throwing them at the startled Gennins in response. The guy in the middle blocked a shuriken with a kunai as did the girl on the left. The guy on the right ducked and made a few quick seals as Mikomi charged them, “Raiton: Electric Shock Jutsu!”

 

The sparks that flew from the Gennin's hand were completely absorbed by Mikomi's shirt and shorts and she just kept coming. Getting in close Mikomi unleashed her own version of the Konoha Whirlwind knocking the Gennin backwards. The guy who had launched the jutsu took the full brunt of the attack and screamed in pain as his left knee was shattered by the kick. Mikomi didn't waste any time in hammering a kunai home in his throat.

 

“MAKI!”

 

Rage contorting her face the female Gennin charged Mikomi after making four bunshins, “YOU KILLED MY BROTHER YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!” All five of the bunshins leapt at Mikomi from a different side and swung their kunai into the chest or back of the unmoving Mikomi. The girl's looked shocked when the blade didn't even cut through Mikomi's clothing.

 

Feeling a real blade strike her back Mikomi spun and backhanded the girl away. Then she heard the hissing of an exploding tag. Ripping it off her body Mikomi threw it away and dived for the bushes and began sealing.

 

The female Gennin fell to the ground again as the note exploded. She got up and saw no sign of the Nin who had killed her brother. She began to laugh hysterically as her teammate joined up with her, “YEAH YOU BITCH! FUCKED YOU UP REAL GOOD DIDN'T-”

 

“Raiton: Chain Lightning Jutsu!” A bolt of lightning slammed into the hysterical girl killing her instantly and it jumped to the last Kumo Gennin and caused his body to seize up. Mikomi slowly walked out of the bushes just as the Kumo Gennin regained control over his body. He was shaking slightly as Mikomi approached him, “Why the hell are you doing this?”

 

“Because Sasuke asked me to,” Mikomi said as she started to swing her kunai down at the Gennin's skull. The Gennin caught her kunai by letting it slam through his hand and leapt up to head-butt Mikomi. The Gennin was able to force Mikomi backwards as he pulled the kunai out and started to seal. Twisting around Mikomi tried to kick the Gennin in the head but ended up only clipped him as he ducked.

 

Skidding backwards a few feet away from Mikomi the Gennin attacked, “Futon: Wind Blade Jutsu!”

 

Mikomi just slid under the deadly blade of wind as it rocketed out from the Gennin. Mikomi grabbed him by the throat and began to squeeze as she picked him up off the ground. The Gennin grabbed Mikomi's arms and tried to pull them off of him. The Gennin's eyes were wide with fright as he looked into the last eyes he'd ever see.

 

“Sorry,” Mikomi whispered to the Gennin as she crushed his neck between her hands, ending his life quickly.

 

Letting the body drop to the ground Mikomi quickly retrieved the Kumo Gennin's headband for herself. She had started stripping the weapons off of the Gennins' bodies as Sasuke walked around the bend in the road. Without saying a word Sasuke joined her in gathering up the weapons left by the Kumo team. Sasuke pulled out his body storing scroll and sealed the bodies of the dead Kumo Nins inside. Then they headed for the village for a night of rest with their next destination in mind: The Village Hidden in Mist.

 

 

A Cabin on a Ferry Bound for the Village Hidden in Mist - 3 Days Later

 

“What's next on the Agenda Sasuke?” Mikomi asked as she sat on the bed opposite of Sasuke in their little cabin.

 

“We begin to make a few guerilla strikes to Mist Teams and we acquire a set of headbands, a Jounin vest, and a couple of bodies for good measure. We have the four bodies we picked up from taking down that Gennin team in Kumo to leave behind during a few attacks as well to leave evidence that Kumo attacked them. We move fast and strike hard. If we can manage it, two attacks a day will be our quota. Remember that you can only use your Futon and Raiton Jutsu and nothing else. You were pushing your luck by using Tsunade's strength during the Kumo encounter so I'm not going to let you even have the option of using it as a last resort. It's the Iron Fist or nothing Mikomi.”

 

“Sorry about that Sasuke,” Mikomi said as she stared down at the floor, “I just got a little scared when that Jounin had me at the point of his kunai. I just, well, used it instinctively. I promise that I'll avoid using it while we're on this mission Sasuke.”

 

“Hnn,” Sasuke nodded as he pulled a map out of his pack to study it, “Just don't forget. Now, we're going to be landing at Uruoi Village on the coast of the island that the Village Hidden in Mist resides. That is where the highest concentration of Mizu Nin will be found. We can't be seen wearing a headband at any time other than while we are attacking a Mist team otherwise we could get ambushed ourselves for being in their territory. Speed is absolutely key here. We'll make our job a whole lot easier if we can take out one or two Nins off the start before they even realize that we are there. In any case how are you making out with your wind manifestation practice Mikomi? How much of the page have you been able to cut with your chakra so far?”

 

“Not all that far,” Mikomi said as she grabbed her practice paper off the bed and held it up for Sasuke's inspection, “It's a lot harder than I ever thought it would be. I've only just started to be able to get any sort of cut at all in this blasted thing. I know wind isn't your specialty but do you have any idea of how I can do this?”

 

Sasuke just shrugged, “Not a clue besides what I read about how to train the different manifestations. I've been training my lightning manifestation to improve my ability to control the Raikiri and increase its power output and there is no correlation between the two abilities. Perhaps it's better if I teach you what I know about lightning manifestation. To start with you clearly have a natural knack for it as well. You were able to pick up the Raiton techniques I taught you without needing too much of an explanation of how to form the electrical charge necessary in the first place which is an achievement in its own right. To start with I want you to use the chakra inside your body to make the charge necessary to perform all Raiton techniques. Simple practice is the ability to be able to hold that charge for at least ten minutes. That is the first stage needed for manifestation.” Sasuke sat back and turned on his Sharingan to watch Mikomi's attempt.

 

Concentrating for a moment, Mikomi quickly created the electrical charge within her body necessary for her to launch her most powerful Raiton Jutsu. It was surprisingly easy for Mikomi to develop and hold the necessary charge. All the manipulation revolved around using and holding chakra inside her body and she had never had any trouble with that exercise. Ten minutes passed and Mikomi was still holding the electrical charge in place without too much trouble. Twenty minutes passed and Mikomi began to have trouble keeping the charge inside of her and the static charges being released started to stand her hair on end. She now needed to slowly regenerate the electrical charge with her chakra to keep it level.

 

When thirty minutes of concentration rolled around disaster struck for Mikomi. The ship they were on hit a particularly large swell in the middle of the water, causing Mikomi to be jolted out of her bed and crash to the floor. This completely threw off her concentration. The large electrical charge that she had been storing began to course out from every part of her body in visible static bolts. Mikomi tried in vain to regain control over the electrical charge being emitted from her body by bringing it back up to its original levels by converting more chakra into electricity. All this succeeded in doing is causing the electricity coursing out around her body to grow larger and even more out of control. By now Sasuke was now sitting on the edge of his bed watching with great interest. When the charges that she was emitting finally started to scorch the wood floor and burn her at the same time she stopped trying to rebalance and contain the electrical charge and let it run its course. Tears were running down Mikomi's face as she sat up but never once did she make a sound.

 

Sasuke's Sharingan had observed everything that had just happened and it fascinated him. He had never seen anyone emit electrical energy from their entire body before. But what had caught his attention was the nature of the electricity itself: it acted in a very similar way as the Raikiri. A sadistic grin passed over Sasuke's face for a second before he regained his composure, `That accident Mikomi had just now…opened my eyes to an interesting possibility. What if I was able to transform my Raikiri from a single, localized thrust, to an attack that encompasses my entire body? Project it along the length of my Kusanagi blade?'

 

Sasuke smirked, “That little…display of yours was rather interesting. It gave me a few ideas that I can use to manipulate a few of my techniques. I guess I should thank you for that. As for your task: you did an excellent job of containing and keeping your electrical charge level. You already appear to have mastered this stage although it's not surprising since you are able to perform several high powered Raiton Jutsu that require quite a charge to be used. The second stage of manifestation really shouldn't be done out on a boat. The second stage is being able to use and control the natural electrical balances and charges and use them at your beck and call. Essentially you will be able to call down lightning strikes from the sky or else use your Raiton skills with only half of the necessary chakra.”

 

Nodding, Mikomi started get back to her feet only to fall back onto the ground. Sasuke didn't even take note of the situation until Mikomi started to go very pale and her breathing began to slow. Alarmed, Sasuke rushed to Mikomi and felt her pulse. It was very faint and Sasuke could have sworn that he felt it almost fluttering. Making a few hand seals Sasuke began to do a body analysis jutsu that he had picked to try and find out what was wrong with Mikomi. He quickly passed his hands over Mikomi's chest and frowned when he discovered that his suspicion was correct.

 

Mikomi's heart was fibrillating.

 

Sasuke began to create an electrical charge in his hands as he gave mouth to mouth in an attempt to keep Mikomi breathing. Pulling away from Mikomi Sasuke pumped the charge directly into her heart to try and stabilize it. Mikomi jerked up and off the ground but didn't respond to the first shock. Sasuke tried again with a little bit more force this time. And again. And again. And again. Sasuke was starting to get frantic now. He could not figure out how to get Mikomi stabilized again. He quickly scanned her heart again only to find that it was starting to fade and slow down even more. He started to concentrate even harder on the jutsu to try and figure out what he could possibly do when he picked up an odd pattern of electrical currents passing through her heart. Sasuke quickly scanned his own heart to see if there was any difference. His eyes lit up with hope when he realized that it was the electrical patter of her heart that was out of whack. He quickly memorized what the pattern and flow of the current and went back to treating Mikomi.

 

This time Sasuke kept one hand activating the Analysis Jutsu while his other hand tried to realign the electrical current that was flowing through her heart. Sasuke was thanking what ever God was out there for giving him a knack for Raiton Jutsu as the electricity manipulation was defiantly coming in handy here. Relief started to flood through Sasuke as he felt the strength returning to Mikomi's heart when he felt the connection that he had with the electrical currents start to fade and the fibrillation start again. “Shit, shit, shit, shit!” Sasuke cursed, “How the hell am I supposed to get a better connection to her heart? I just keep repairing it to this point and then the condition deteriorates again. Her healing chakra is preventing any damage and deterioration to the heart itself from occurring but nothing else!”

 

Realizing that it was just a desperate scheme, Sasuke pulled out a kunai and slashed open the back of his right palm. He pulled Mikomi's shirt off and then stabbed Mikomi in the surface skin just above her heart. He let his own blood seep into the wound when Mikomi reacted. She jerked upwards slightly and opened her eyes. Chakra shot up Sasuke's arm for a moment before localizing around the area he was letting his blood seep into her body. When Mikomi's eyes seemed invert in colour for a moment he was worried but she then fell back to the bed unconscious once again. Sasuke took a deep breath and shook his head to clear what he had just seen from his mind.

 

It took a few moments but then he could feel it. Sasuke could feel the alignment of the electrical currents once again. Working as fast as he could Sasuke realigned the electrical currents of Mikomi's heart until it began to beat regularly again. Sasuke picked Mikomi up and set her down on her bed before collapsing beside her.

 

He felt completely emotionally drained. Sasuke was surprised that he could even feel emotionally drained at all anymore. But it comforted him for some reason. The fact that he could feel something for another person again besides hate, contempt or rivalry just felt so right. Peaceful you could say. For the first time since he had left Konoha, left the company of his only true friend, Sasuke found that he actually cared about another person. Wanted them to be around. Wanted to get to know them better. But most of all, Sasuke didn't feel the need to push her aside to pursue his revenge.

 

Sitting up, Sasuke sat up against the wall and just watched Mikomi sleep for a while. `I didn't even know I knew how to feel anything anymore. Yet this…this slave to Orochimaru has somehow buried herself in me. In my…heart. The oddest part is that I don't want to get rid of you like I did to with those pathetic weaklings in Konoha. You understand revenge. You understand my pain. You seek a revenge of your own. Most of all, you aren't trying to stop me from getting my revenge. Instead you want to help me and are becoming strong enough to do so. I just hope that I can remain around you for a while longer…Mikomi-chan.'

 

 

Eastern Edge of Fire Country - 8 Weeks Later

 

The two months that Mikomi and Sasuke spent making raids in both Kumo and Mizu were rather hectic ones. Almost every day spent in Kumo or Mizu found them attacking sometimes as many as three teams in one day. Not a single team could stop the two of them, not even the four man Anbu squads that they encountered during their third week of attacks on Mizu. Sasuke was as untouchable as always, using the Sharingan to carve a path through anyone in his way when the goal was simply to kill the team off. Mikomi was starting to actually be able to give a few Jounins a run for their money without using Tsunade's strength due to the sheer amount of damage she could just shrug off.

 

But what had caused the teams they faced to begin to fear the two of them so much was the way that neither of them gave their enemies a chance to attack their partner. It was flawless teamwork.

 

For over six weeks the attacks that Sasuke and Mikomi were making on the two nations seemed to have no affect whatsoever in their relations. But luck was on their side. Having taking to wearing their headbands of Kumo and Mizu openly in the opposite nations the two of them were ambushed by a Mizu Chuunin team that was hell bent on kill off the Kumo teams that had been making the raids in the area. Sasuke had managed to evade the ambush unharmed while Mikomi had taken the brunt of the damage. Two exploding notes attached to kunai had gone off very close to her and had left her with some minor burns and a case of shell shock. Sasuke had slid in front of Mikomi to protect when something rather unexpected happened. An actual Kumo team attacked.

 

The two teams had set out to take the other one down and ended up leaving two members of the Kumo team alive thanks to Sasuke taking out three of the Mizu Chuunin with a single blade of wind when they tried to form a team attack. Sasuke had finished the two Kumo Chuunins off by drowning both of the in a water prison formed out of the water that was left by the Mizu team's attacks.

 

After that, Mizu and Kumo had started to pull their support out of the suggested four way alliance to counter the `treachery' of the other nation. Trade negotiations were strained as both Villages started to put tariffs on the goods that came in from the other nation. Merchants were sometimes even refused entrance to Mizu or Kumo just for coming from the other city. The Raikage and Mizukage met to ask the other to call off the attacks, but both denied ever having ordered such an event.

 

Neither believed the other considering that there had been attacks for close to two months now. Any Nin from Kumo or Mizu that was found in the opposing nation without having clearly announcing their presence or intentions was to be captured on sight - killed if they decided to resist.

 

The ambush campaign that Orochimaru had ordered Mikomi and Sasuke to begin had borne fruit. Dissention had been spread between two of the Major Shinobi Nations leaving the two countries tense and poised for war.

 

Their mission was complete. Mikomi and Sasuke had now spent just over two months causing havoc in Mizu and Kumo and now were allowed to return home.

 

“You're still getting stronger Mikomi,” Sasuke said as they sped through the trees on the outer edges of Fire Country, “and stronger at a fast enough rate that your revenge could easily become reality. Even without using Tsunade's strength you were able to do your job very well. I'm…glad that I was partnered with you Mikomi.”

 

A smile slowly spread itself across Mikomi's face lighting it up like the sun rising, “Thank you for saying that Sasuke. I'm very glad that I was partnered with you. I really appreciate all that you've done for me. Taught me. I, well…I guess you could say that I really like being with you Sasuke.”

 

Sasuke gave Mikomi a bit of a look before he continued on through the trees silently. `I would have to agree with you Mikomi. I like being with you as well although I could never allow myself that weakness until I've killed my brother.'

 

The sun was just passing its zenith when Sasuke came to a halt. He could have sworn he had felt something strange, something wrong relatively close by. The hair on the back of his neck was standing straight up and he began to swivel his head left and right trying to find the source of his unease.

 

“Sasuke what's wr-”

 

Clamping a hand over Mikomi's mouth Sasuke concentrated as hard as he could. Then the both of them felt it. A massive spike of chakra was coming from southwest of their location. A cold chill ran down Mikomi's spine. It was the largest chakra she had ever sensed before, even larger than Orochimaru's. Whoever or whatever was giving it off felt like a monster. Sasuke only sat still for a moment before a look of cold hard hatred spread across his face. He knew there was only one person alive who had a chakra that felt like this one.

 

Itachi.

 

Mikomi felt a chakra pulse come from Sasuke and looked at him to see a spot she had never seen before glowing on his neck. Then she saw his face. Sasuke's face was split between a feral grin and a look of hatred so intense she had only felt it before on herself when she looked at Orochimaru. Sasuke began to chuckle slightly, a sound that felt out of place coming from Sasuke. Mikomi blinked when he suddenly bit his thumb and splashed the blood across the back of her shock collar and started sealing.

 

“Wha-what the?” Mikomi gasped as she watched Sasuke fly over close to a hundred hand seals. He used more than one that she had never seen before as well when she felt a burst of chakra come from her collar. A vicious jolt of energy passed through her body, worse than any other time she had been shocked before. `Why? Why is he trying to…'

 

All thought processes stopped in Mikomi's head as she felt the collar break away from her neck and fall to the ground. In shock, Mikomi felt her knees give out and she fell to the ground staring at the broken collar.

 

“Get up,” Sasuke growled, “As promised I'm setting you free. Today is the day that you will help me get my revenge. That chakra spike you just felt could have come from only one person and that's my brother, Uchiha Itachi, the fucker I have devoted my life to killing. Come on.”

 

Mikomi paled slightly, “Are you serious? I don't think I'm a match for Orochimaru yet let alone him! What make's you think I could be of any help?”

 

Sasuke smirked, “Maybe it's because you chakra capacity is enormous. What you don't realize is that because you have been training at an intensity far beyond what a normal human could handle you're chakra capacity is now almost three quarters the size of Orochimaru. Add the fact that you've got an excellent handle on the second stage of lightning manipulation and a new Raiton Jutsu and I know you'll be of use. Let's move it.”

 

Mikomi got to her feet and started to follow Sasuke as he sprinted through the trees. She could feel the chakra that was leaking off of Sasuke as she reveled in her newfound freedom. Sasuke's chakra was becoming mixed with the same evil and malevolence as Orochimaru's chakra held. The only difference it held was that Sasuke's chakra was only focused on one goal: Itachi's death.

 

After running for close to five minutes they burst into a shaded clearing to see a lone figure dressed in a black robe decorated with red clouds standing amidst the bodies of a Konoha Anbu team. It appeared that they had decided to attack the Missing Nin from Konoha and failed miserably.

 

“ITACHI!” Sasuke yelled, causing Itachi to shift his line of sight over towards the two of them, “YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY THIS TIME! I'LL KILL YOU, YOU MOTHER FUCKER! I'VE HATED YOU, DETESTED YOU! I'VE CLUNG TO LIFE AND SURVIVED!” Sasuke's voice dropped down to almost a whisper, “And now…now you won't get away from me alive.”

 

“Foolish little brother,” Itachi said in a monotone, “Do you really think that you can measure up to me? You seem to need to have a partner to attack me. Is your own strength really so weak that you bring others with you just to die? You're still weak and the weak cannot stand before the strong.”

 

Sasuke unleashed the full power of the first level of the Heaven Seal and charged right at Itachi with his Sharingan activated. Itachi looked unfazed at this display of newfound power and met Sasuke's attacks head on with his own Sharingan blazing. Mikomi watched in awe for a moment at the speed the two of them were fighting at. Her eyes were barely able to keep up with their movements and she wasn't sure if she would even be able to be much help but she would be damned if she didn't at least fight. Mikomi began to fly through the most hand seals she had ever needed for any of her attacks. She made sure that Itachi's focus was on Sasuke so that he couldn't copy and steal her technique.

 

“Raiton: Endless Current Jutsu!” Mikomi began to concentrate on combining the current she could produce with the ambient electrical charges in nature as her arms began to light up and spark with electricity. It began in temperamental flashing and then became what appeared to be a lightning bolt constantly striking her arms. The electrical energy flared around her arms as she finally began to release her assault.

 

Both Sasuke and Itachi could sense Mikomi powering up a jutsu of some kind and all Itachi knew was that it wasn't one that he was familiar with. Sasuke on the other hand knew exactly what the chakra spike meant because he created and taught the technique to Mikomi himself. Sasuke unsheathed his Kusanagi blade and forced Itachi to block it, forcing him backwards. Sasuke began to seal as Itachi smirked and sealed faster than Sasuke to catch up and launch the attack at the same time, “KATON: FIRE DRAGON BLAST JUTSU!”

 

Two massive dragons made of pure fire tore across the clearing and slammed into each other creating a massive heat wave that scorched the grass and trees before canceling each other out. Just as Itachi finished exhaling the fire dragon he realized that there was a tearing noise in the clearing that wasn't coming from the fire dragons. By the time Itachi bothered to turn towards the noise Mikomi's lightning strike was upon him. He took the blast in the chest and was picked up and thrown across the clearing. Landing on his feet he focused on Mikomi for a second to see the channels created by the constantly moving and shifting lightning coursing off of the arms of the girl he had thought of as just a useless tagalong. He turned away from the lightning and leapt into the trees on the edge of the clearing, `Hmm, that girl is more of a threat than I originally thought if she can control lightning that well. Sasuke too is more powerful than I thought he would have been by this stage even being trained by Orochimaru. It's time I stopped fooling around and took them out.'

 

Itachi snapped his right hand out of his sleeve holding four kunai when Sasuke realized what was happening with his Sharingan and reacted with a jutsu of his own, “Doton: Earth Dome Jutsu!” He wasn't a second too late as four earth dragon heads popped up out of the ground and began pummeling earth at Sasuke. Itachi hurled the four kunai at Mikomi in a staggered line. Lightning leapt up from her arms as Mikomi swung her arms in Itachi's direction and knocked the kunai away with electricity and launched four lightning bolts at Itachi at the same time.

 

Itachi burst apart into a flock of ravens as the lightning bolts struck and appeared dropping down from the sky directly from above Mikomi and launched an electrical attack of his own, “Raiton: Lightning Wave Jutsu!” A massive arc of electrical energy shot down at Mikomi's head only to have a wave of electricity get sent right back in return by Mikomi. Itachi landed on the ground and immediately preformed two jutsus at the same time as the earth dragons around Sasuke started to fade.

 

A fist of earth gave Mikomi a hard enough uppercut to send her skywards as an earth dragon appeared out of the ground behind her and started attacking her flying body. Mikomi clapped her hands together as she spun after the first ball of earth hit her and pulled them apart to create a shield of lightning for the earth to smash against.

 

Itachi leapt backwards as Sasuke exploded out of the ground in an attempt to catch his brother off guard and caught his hand. Sasuke then brought his new technique into play hoping to catch his brother off guard due to its lack of seals, “CHIDORI NAGASHI!”

 

Itachi was shocked figuratively and literally as he felt himself get electrocuted just by holding his brother and tried to fling him away. Sasuke's entire body had been wrapped in an electrical field that was tightly controlled, enough to allow him to force it to wrap around Itachi. Sasuke unsheathed his Kusanagi and tried to run Itachi through just as he broke free and dodged around the rapid lightning strikes Mikomi through his way. Itachi tried to get rid of the annoying girl once again, “Futon: Hurricane Gust Jutsu!”

 

Mikomi couldn't do a thing as she felt the wall of air slam into her. She was lifted off of her feet as the trees around her buckled and collapsed to the ground. She encased herself with the lightning covering her arms none too soon as she broke through a number of trees in rapid succession.

 

Sasuke was trying to do his best to out seal Itachi but was having a hard time. Itachi was just sitting back and copying the jutsus that Sasuke threw at him.

 

“MOKUTON: TREE REGENISIS JUTSU!”

“RAITON: LIGHTNING TORNADO JUTSU!”

“KATON: NOVA DETONATION JUTSU!”

 

Climbing to her feet Mikomi felt her Raiton Jutsu fade as she lost control of it. Know she didn't have enough time for another chance to charge the attack up in the first place she ran as fast as she could back to the clearing when Itachi and Sasuke were trading a Kage Shuriken barrage. Itachi ducked under Sasuke's punch and slammed his hand into Sasuke's armpit, dislocating the shoulder. Grabbing the same arm, Itachi threw Sasuke straight at Mikomi.

 

Mikomi was able to catch Sasuke as Itachi appeared behind her and booted her in the back of the head sending her tumbling into the clearing. Sasuke flipped to his feet and punched his shoulder back into place. Itachi suddenly appeared in front of Mikomi again tried to kick her in the head. This time Mikomi was able to catch his leg.

 

Sasuke's eyes widened as he looked at Itachi and leapt backwards, “Get the hell away from that Kage Bunshin Mikomi! It's gonna explode!”

 

The clone exploded before Mikomi had time to do anything except pull her hand back away from the clone. Mikomi's full body defense was the only thing that saved her as she was sent back into a tree covered in burns and had blood coming out of her ears from being in the epicenter of the explosion. She staggered away from the tree and set herself ready to fight. Sasuke joined Mikomi and squared off once again against Itachi.

 

“Well little brother, it seems that you have gotten stronger. Your little friend isn't half bad either, although if that's all you've got then this fight is already over.”

 

Mikomi let loose a scream of frustration as she charged straight at Itachi even as Sasuke shouted out, “DON'T YOU FOOL!” Mikomi spun around and swung her foot at Itachi in an axe kick. Itachi calmly slid backwards just out of the range of Mikomi's kick and put his own foot into Mikomi's chin before she could strike the ground with her heel. Itachi then appeared over the flying Mikomi and hammered a right into her stomach as she impacted the ground.

 

Blood welling up in her mouth, Mikomi grabbed his arm and tried to crush it with her strength. The second her hands locked onto Itachi's arm he spun onto his feet and used her body to knock Sasuke with his Kusanagi drawn away. When she felt an impact to her back Mikomi's grip loosened just enough to prevent her from crushing the two bones in his forearm to dust. Electrical energy surrounded Itachi's left hand as he announce his attack, “Raiton: Thunder Hammer Jutsu.”

 

Itachi's punch caused pain as bad as when her collar was activated wracked Mikomi's body. She shot across the clearing screaming in pain until her left arm impacted with a jagged piece of wood protruding from one of the trees that she had knocked down earlier. Mikomi's scream redoubled as the wood pierced straight through her left shoulder before ripping away from the tree due to the speed of her flight. She fell to the ground and didn't get up.

 

“MIKOMI-CHAN!” Sasuke screamed and before he knew what he was doing he was at her side. He pulled her to the edge of the clearing to see what had happened to her shoulder when Itachi's shadow fell across him.

 

“Foolish brother, ignoring your opponent during a fight,” Itachi said as he looked down on Sasuke with contempt on his face. Itachi grabbed Sasuke by the throat and forced him to drop Mikomi on the ground causing more blood to leak out of the large wound that the still imbedded piece of wood had made.

 

Itachi continued to slowly increase the pressure he was putting on Sasuke's throat as he continued to taunt him, “Is that the best you can do? I told you to hate me if you wanted to kill me you foolish little boy. The hate that you have now could never be enough to kill me. I'm going to let you live once again so try again to hate me, detest me and live on in a pitiful way. You'll have to run you little fool or you will die right here. The girl you brought with you, her death will be the payment for your own life.”

 

Sasuke stopped struggling in Itachi's arms for a moment before he finally croaked out, “No!”

 

Sasuke then activated the second level of his cursed seal.

 

 

Orochimaru's head jerked up from his experimentation in fusing avian DNA into a human being when he sensed that Sasuke had activated his second level of cursed seal. He grinned, `My, My, little Sasuke-chan, you must be fighting someone rather exceptional to force you to use all of the power I have given you. Itachi I would presume.'

 

Kabuto looked up from the electronics console he had been using to monitor Orochimaru's progress when he realized that his master had stopped, “What is it Orochimaru-sama?”

 

“Kukuku. It seems that little Sasuke boy has engaged in battle with Itachi-san. Would you mind going to collect him for me?”

 

 

The release of the second cursed seal exploded with enough power to force even Itachi to drop Sasuke. Sasuke hit the ground and used the hands that had exploded out the back of his shirt to grab Itachi and slam him into the ground over his back. Itachi booted Sasuke's monstrous hands away and flipped to his feet, “Maybe you do have the hatred I'll give you that Sasuke. But you will never have the power.”

 

“NO!” Sasuke screamed again, “NEVER AGAIN! I WILL NOT RUN EVER AGAIN! I've hated you, detested you, and even lived in a pitiful way! BUT I WILL NEVER RUN AGAIN! I WILL NOT LET YOU HARM MIKOMI-CHAN AGAIN YOU FUCKING BASTARD!”

 

Itachi's eyes widened when Sasuke seemed to disappear from his sight, `Shit! Did he open the Heavenly Gates?'

 

Sasuke's foot to his chin answered that question for him as Itachi quickly felt himself heading skyward. Sasuke did the Leaf Shadow Dance to get behind him before screaming again, “NOW YOU DIE!” Sasuke snapped wires out from his hip pack and strung Itachi up before beginning to spin at super high speeds towards the ground, “INITIAL LOTUS!” Sasuke slammed Itachi into the ground with every ounce of strength that he had and buried him half way into the earth.

 

Flipping away from the crater Sasuke felt himself breathing hard as he felt the after effects that come with Gate activation. Then Itachi moved. The earth around Itachi exploded outwards in a rush of chakra that was laced with anger, “That really hurt Sasuke. Looks like you really want to die today.”

 

Sasuke saw red when he realized that his brother was still alive. He launched himself across the clearing for another attack as Itachi preformed another Jutsu, “Katon: Grand Fireball Jutsu!” Sasuke just charged straight at the massive fireball, moving so fast that he punched right through the center of it and slammed his singed hand straight into Itachi's mouth.”

 

Itachi rolled with the blow and landed on his feet before studying Sasuke, `He's better than I ever imagined. Genjutsu is beyond useless against the Sharingan and it's still another little bit before I can safely use Tsukiyomi. I guess I'll just have to grind him to a pulp.'

 

Sasuke and Itachi began to engage in a taijutsu battle far beyond what any ninja would likely ever be witness to in their entire lives. Every blow was seeking the tiniest of flaws shown by the Sharingan and every block preventing death by fractions of a centimeter. It was a deadly dance of blades, hands, feet and bodies weaving faster than even most of the taijutsu experts of the world. Sasuke shredded apart countless kunai with his Kusanagi as Itachi continuously landed minor cuts all over Sasuke's body. The two burst apart in an explosion of chakra and immediately began sealing like crazy, copying whoever started the jutsu first. The speed was so fast that it was impossible to tell who was initiating the jutsus even as a few minutes passed of dodging and weaving and throwing out every jutsu that they had available.

 

“DOTON: EARTH DRAGON JUTSU!”

“HYOTON: ICE SPEAR JUTSU!”

“MOKUTON: TREE BIND JUTSU!”

“FUTON: HURRICANE OF BLADES JUTSU!”

“RAITON: LIGHTNING TORNADO JUTSU!”

“SUITON: WATER DRAGON JUTSU!”

“KATON: HELLFIRE FIREBALL JUTSU!”

 

What had once been a clearing that was roughly thirty meters in diameter had become a far larger one measuring close to one hundred and twenty meters in diameter. Trees had been used as weapons and destroyed. Wind had cut trees to pieces. Ice had caused trees to explode due the expanding water. Fire had burnt almost everything to a crisp as had lightning. The earth had become a mess of random indentations and hills. Water had knocked trees over like bowling pins. However, amidst all of this destruction Mikomi lay unmoved from where Sasuke had dropped her with the massive splinter stuck in her shoulder. Sasuke had done everything that he could to make sure that she wasn't hurt in their crossfire.

 

Finally Itachi and Sasuke landed on the ground gasping for breath as the sun began to set. Sasuke's face split in a feral grin, “I'm gonna end this right her and now Itachi!” Sasuke rapidly made a few hand seals which Itachi also copied, “GRAND RAIKIRI!”

 

“YOUR POWER WILL NEVER EXCEED MY OWN SASUKE! YOU'VE BEEN WEIGHED AND MEASURED AGAINST THE MEASURING STICK OF MY BEING AND BEEN FOUND WANTING!” Itachi yelled for the first time the entire fight.

 

The screams emitted by the two massive Raikiri had caused Mikomi to begin to stir. She started to sit up when the two charged each other.

 

Sasuke's eyes widened as he saw what Itachi did at the last second before their massive attacks met. He activated the first three gates and blasted under his own Raikiri. Then he was hit. Sasuke couldn't even scream as he felt the entire right half of his ribcage get ripped away from his body. His right leg struck Itachi and caused him to rebound of his brother and land directly atop Mikomi as she started to sit up.

 

Panic shot through Mikomi as she felt a warm, wet mass land on top of her just as she pulled the wooden stake from her left shoulder. She grabbed it and tossed it to the side and froze when she saw what it was.

 

It was Sasuke, and he had the entire right half of his torso torn away from his body. Mikomi vomited beside him as he gasped out his final words, “Mikomi-chan…I-I'm glad I…m-met you. Y-you…began t-to mean s-s-so much to me. D-d-d-don't d-d-d…”

 

With a rattling shudder, Uchiha Sasuke died before he could finish what he so desperately wanted to say. As his mind began to fade to black he thought the last part of what he wanted to say, `Don't die on me Mikomi-chan. You were someone I could have loved someday, enough to want to restart the Uchiha clan with you.'

 

Mikomi's breath caught in her throat and tears burned as they coursed their way down her cheeks. She wanted to beg Sasuke to live she knew that it was futile with how badly he was hurt. Her heart felt like it had just been ripped from her body and stomped on it hurt so much.

 

She screamed.

 

It was an earth-shattering ear-splitting scream that ripped from Mikomi's throat as chakra erupted from her body in a fit of rage. “I'LL KILL YOU ITACHI! I'LLKILLYOUI'LLKILLYOUI'LLKILLYOU!”

 

Itachi was still trying to recover from his battle with Sasuke when he saw Mikomi turn and face him. His Sharingan told him that she had subconsciously activated the first two Heavenly Gates. The wound on her shoulder was healing incredibly fast, drawing Sasuke's blood from his body to use as material for the patching of her shoulder.

 

`Oh Fuck!' Itachi thought when he saw Mikomi's eyes light up with chakra. Her eye colour inverted: her pupils turned the same red her irises had been while her irises turned pitch black.

 

Mikomi ignored the information that was flooding into her brain for some reason as she focused every ounce of her being on the sight of Uchiha Itachi in front of her. She was going to kill the last of the Uchiha with everything she had.

 

She bent her knees and shot forward just as fast as Itachi and Sasuke had been moving during the peak of their fight. Itachi just barely dodged the punch that Mikomi threw but was hurled up into the air by the explosion of earth that occurred when her fist hammered into the ground. Following him immediately Mikomi exploded from the ground right at Itachi and swung her fist right for his chest. Itachi was just barely able to roll with Mikomi's punch enough to avoid having his ribs broken but was sent flying clear across the expanded clearing.

 

`I'm too tired to do much more than dodge her attacks for now. Sasuke nearly burnt me out!' Itachi thought before shouting, “FUCK!”

 

Itachi desperately spent the next ten minutes dodging an enraged Mikomi. He felt like a punching bag brought to life. Then once he saw Mikomi coming around for another head on attack he saw his chance.

 

“TSUKIYOMI!”

 

 

 

Mikomi felt her anger suddenly evaporate as fear coursed through her body as the landscape shifted to a red world bordered in black, almost like a negative of a photograph. Mikomi became frantic when she realized that she no longer had any control over her own body.

 

Then Itachi's voice came from all around her, “For the next seventy-two hours you will rip Sasuke apart limb from limb with your bare hands.”

 

Suddenly Sasuke appeared before her and Mikomi found that she suddenly could speak as her body began to walk towards him, “SASUKE! YOU'RE ALIVE!” Tears began to course their way down Mikomi's face as she felt her body run towards him as if to give him a hug.

 

Then she suddenly grabbed his right arm and ripped it from his body. Sasuke cried out in pain, “What are you doing Mikomi-chan?”

 

Mikomi felt her mind starting to seize up as she felt her own hands slowly tearing Sasuke apart. She began to cry and her mind started to shut down as she ripped Sasuke's head from his body.

 

“Only seventy-one hours fifty-nine minutes remaining,” echoed Itachi's voice throughout his Genjutsu world.”

 

 

Itachi smirked as he released his Tsukiyomi and watched Mikomi froth at the mouth for a moment before dropping to the ground, her eyes glassy. Itachi walked up to her.

 

“Now I see why Yakubyougami-san is after you so much Mikomi. I can't give him what he wants for free now can I?” That said, Itachi booted Mikomi away into the woods and began to walk away.

 

Since he was walking away, Itachi missed one last thing that happened to Mikomi: her eyes flashed briefly with a perfect copy of the Sharingan before her eyes reverted back to normal.

 

 

A/N: Alright, how many people want to kill me now? *Spots thousands of people lined up with various sharp implements* Oh hell, gotta go now! I hope you enjoyed the chapter and PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!!!

 

P.S First arc of my story complete!