Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Twilight ❯ Assassination ( Chapter 17 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Haru Mclean Namikaze 
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Comedy / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 12.19.2009 | Updated On: 12.19.2009 | Pages: 5 | Words: 6.2K | Visits: 254 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Comedy / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 12.19.2009 | Updated On: 12.19.2009 | Pages: 5 | Words: 6.2K | Visits: 254 | Status: Work In Progress
Chapter 11: Assassination
Gaara lithely leapt through the thick trees of the forest, mercilessly slaughtering any wild animal he encounters on the way. But despite his actions, he didnÕt even get to smear a single drop of blood on himself. A trail of dead animals, mainly consisting of wolves and boars, lined the forest floor, tracing his path through the foliage. It really didnÕt matter, though, coz even though someone picks the trail up and sees hi, he would kill them immediately, just like an assassin would do.
In a matter of about half an hour, he managed to reach the enemy base, the others right on beside him. Even though they have traveled through in a pack, they would work in singles. They were assassins, and they were more accustomed to working alone, not with a team.
He scanned the vicinity with trained eyes, not minding the shadows cast by the moonlight and the darkness of the night. After all, it was just after midnight, and it was the darkest and deepest part of the night.
Now where could he beÉ he asked himself mentally, seeing no sign of his target. There was nobody awake during the present hour, considering it was a curfew. The few guards and patrol stationed were all drunk, swaying and muttering incoherently in their stupor and half-consciousness.
The lax security only made his job too easy for his liking. Gaara narrowed his eyes as he spotted the tent where his target is supposedly sleeping in. He leapt off from the branch, walking boldly through the base as if no one was there. Not that there was anyone there, though. He received apprehensive stares from Ren and Mori, apparently surprised at his aggressive and bold actions. After all, he was known as the most aggressive and wild of all the assassins.
He reached the tent in no time, but one of the guards spotted him.
ÒHey!Ó shouted the guard. Gaara slowly tuned his head to glare at the guard. The guard stopped midway in his tracks at just the very sight of his glare. Some sand picked up by the air formed itself into a large cocoon and wrapped itself around the guard, muffling his incoherent please for help and his shout of agony as the cocoon contracted and sprayed blood all around the place.
ÒI pity the one he has to kill, you know,Ó muttered Mori to his brother. They were both waiting for the perfect chance to slip in. They werenÕt as aggressive as Gaara and they didnÕt have the same style. After all, the shouts could have awoken some of the men.
ÒYeah, pity,Ó muttered Ren, eyeing Gaara apprehensively.
They watched as Gaara boldly slipped into the tent and disappeared from view. Then they turned to look at each other. Then both shrugged.
OoOoOoOoO
GaaraÕs face remained unemotional as blood spattered on the grass and on the tents. He then noiselessly slipped into the tent, not minding the sleeping residents who might wake due to his intrusion. He proceeded straight to the quarter of the leader he was supposed to assassinate.
He opened his gourd and sand came flowing out, wrapping itself around the harmless, snoring Hiromasa, slowly cocooning and cutting of the air supply of the poor guy. Soon enough, there was struggling heard from inside the cocoon, but it was muffled enough so that the others wont hear. Muffled coughing and pounding on the tightening sand cocoon was evident from the inside as the Head of Squad tried his hardest to break the prison he was put in.
Gaara looked almost satisfied as choking sounds came from the cocoon. Then his hand clenched, and the cocoon contracted quickly, squashing the body inside. The place didnÕt get messed up, though, since the sand prevented the blood from messing on the futon.
He made a hand gesture for the sand to retreat into his gourd, dropping the limp, lifeless and bloody body back on the immaculate futon. He stretched his hand out, and clutched it sharply, to form a cork for the gourd. Then he walked out nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened. No one saw him, no one heard him.
OoOoOoOoO
Mori and Ren watched as Gaara came back out of the tent with an almost smug smirk forming on his lips.
ÒDamn, heÕs through already?Ó Mori muttered.
ÒWell, heÕs a fast assassin,Ó said Ren. ÒMy turnÉÓ
Ren leapt down from the tree, just as Gaara walked into the dense forest once again. He met GaaraÕs eyes and smirked before sprinting off to the Med NinÕs tent. He slipped in easily, knowing that most of the Med Nins are already dead because of KonohamaruÕs group. Evidence was there. 6 futons that supposedly held the nins Konohamaru impersonated were empty. The bunshins they made faded as they reached quite a distance away from the place.
He walked in slowly, keeping his eyes peeled for any movement inside the dark and shadowed tent. A soft humming sound was coming from behind a flap of the tent. He supposed it was from the laboratory and clinic. There was a chance that somebody was awake, thatÕs why he needed to be extra-careful.
He was just about to take a step past the flap, when his eye caught a strange glint from the other side when the flap blew open slightly. He smirked.
Feisty little ladyÉ
He pulled out several needles from his pocket, and then put them into a small hollow bamboo. He rapidly blew on the bamboo, and one by one the needles swished through the thin flap of the tent, hitting accurate pressure points of the lady slowly walking to and fro inside. After seven needles, the lady collapsed.
Ren peered inside. Fujiko was sprawled on the ground, both her hands clutching a kunai each, glinting in the dappled moonlight shining through the gaps in the tentÕs folding. The needles hit with pinpoint accuracy; one in the small of her back, and then one below her ear, one on her nape, two on her neck and two at the heart.
Ren smirked. The first needle made her body numb to the needleÕs piercing pain, the second paralyzed her hearing, the third paralyzed her whole body, and the latter four killed her by severing vital veins and arteries in just the right angle and direction.
The needle training with the wolves and the fish underwater did pay off after allÉ I have to hand it to NejiÉ
OoOoOoOoO
Mori grinned when his brother came out and gave him a thumbs-up sign, indicating that the coast was clear for the next kill. He jumped down from the branch heÕs been perching on, waiting for his brother.
The two slapped a high five as Ren walked past Mori, proceeding into the forest. Mori sprinted past his brother, proceeding to the Chem Labs, which was located right at the other side of the camp. He ran past every tent quickly, but stepped back abruptly and hid into the shadows the tents provided when several patrol nins passed by.
He held his breath as one of them looked around sternly, as if catching a whiff of an intruder. The guy looked around the area for about 5 minutes, delaying MoriÕs job. The assassin boy almost sighed exasperatedly, holding his breath for a whole 5 minutes already. It wasnÕt that difficult though, since Neji plunged their heads into a barrel of cold water for 10 whole minutes non-stop.
The patrol guy snorted and walked off, whirling his long bo around, as if showing off.
YouÕre doing it wrong, dudÉ thought Mori, smirking as he used the shadows to slink away to the Chem Lab tent.
Before entering the targeted tent, he performed several seals, unleashing the Silencing Jutsu. The Jutsu sealed around the whole tent. The jutsu copied the regular noises of the forest outside, so the resident inside wouldnÕt notice the unnatural silence. But noises inside wouldnÕt be heard outside, so no matter how noisy the fight gets, no one will hear.
Mori entered the tent haphazardly, the tent flap swishing noisily. He found Shizuku awake and poring over a book, but the ladyÕs head swished around to find a grinning Mori.
Shizuku attempted to call for the patrols, but before a sound can even escape her lips, Mori cut her off.
ÒDonÕt bother, no one can hear,Ó he sighed. He then disappeared and in a flash, he was right in front of her.
Shizuku barely blocked the kunai he attempted to slash her face with. She fished out another kunai and attempted to stab Mori, but the only thing was, he wasnÕt there anymore. A sharp kick landed on her side, and she doubled over in pain, even though there was no visible wound. The chemical did prevent her skin from being wounded, but it didnÕt prevent the sharp impact the direct attack provided to lash out in her body painfully.
ÒPretty smart of you to douse chemical on your skinÉ too bad, though, you cant stop impact attacks,Ó grinned Mori. He delivered a punch to her face and he hit her squarely in the jaw, but he pulled back as his knuckle connected with the skin. ÒWhoaÉ your skin is like that cheap ceramic vase my mom hasÉÓ
He aimed another punch to her gut, and she blocked it with her arm.
ÒOof!Ó she grunted as she felt her arm buckling under the impact of the punch.
ÒHeavy?Ó grinned Mori. ÒDonÕt worry, the next one wont beÉ it will only remind you how painful a stab wound isÉÓ
Mori got hold of her arms and sharply swerved around, twisting it behind her back. She screamed in pain as her bones dislodged from its sockets. Then he dipped his head down to whisper in her ear.
ÒPity, youÕre a pretty lady, ya know,Ó Mori whispered. ÒByeÉÓ
He fished out a kunai, twirled it and then sharply shoved it at her nape. She screamed out in pain as the nerves in her neck were severed, paralyzing the rest of her body. Then Mori pulled out another kunai and shoved it into her heart, killing her.
Mori let go of the now limp body, letting it slump down by the table lifelessly. He smirked then dusted his hands, arrogantly walking out of the tent. He removed the jutsu and then sprinted back into the forest, catching a glimpse of Kai slipping into a lit and loud tent. He quirked a brow as Kai gave him a thumbs-up.
WhatÕs that dude up to?
OoOoOoOoO
Kai sighed as he braced himself. He walked over to the tent, the light from inside illuminating his disgusted face. Ever since childhood, Kai had despised sake or any kind of alcoholic drink. And now, his mission consisted of having to deal with it and its stinky smell.
The tent reeked of the sharp smell of alcohol and sake. It was also noisy inside, apparently indicating that is target Nagara was still up and partying with some whores.
He performed a simple Henge, changing into the image of a servant he killed earlier. Nagara was obviously drunk already, because he saw her through the small hole in the tent earlier. He wont even notice the jutsu he performed. He pulled out a new bottle of sake from the crate and then took off the cork, pouring in a fast acting poison. In 5 minutes he will be flat on the floor, as dead as a corpse.
He smirked, proceeding to the tent as he heard NagaraÕs rumbling voice called out for more sake. He caught a short glimpse of Mori sprinting back into the forest and made a thumbs-up sign before slipping into the tent.
ÒWhereÕs the sake!Ó thundered Nagara, swaying uncertainly as two girls supported him from either side. There were other whores inside the room, and they were all stinking with sake. All of them were dressed obscenely, but Kai wasnÕt that innocent. IÕve seen worseÉ he thought as he handed the bottle of sake to Nagara.
He remained standing on one side, apparently pretending to wait for other orders, when in truth he was only waiting for the poison to activate. Nagara laughed as one of the girls told a funny joke, and grasped the bottle of sake with the poison, downing half of it in one go. Kai grimaced. He really was a drinker.
Nagara passed the bottle of sake around, and the whores one by one drank from it. Kai laughed inwardly. So unsuspectingÉ I didnÕt aim for the whores to die, but might as well make it a clean missionÉ
After a grueling five minutes of standing by the corner of the sake-stinking room, Kai smirked as Nagara finally collapsed in the middle of kissing with one of the girls. The girl gasped and giggled, apparently convinced that the guy was knocked out. One by one, the girls started to collapse as well. Their last vision was a smirking servant boy by the tent flap.
When everybody was out cold, Kai walked cautiously over to the old guy and checked his pulse. None. Then he opened one eyelid. No movement. He placed a finger near his nose. No breath. He placed a hand on his chest. No beat. He smirked. Dead.
He walked out of the place, smirking smugly, and removed his Henge as he slipped into the camouflage the forest provided for him.
OoOoOoOoO
Kankurou walked into the enemyÕs base quietly, catching a glimpse of Mori and Ren giving each other a high five, and watching Kai carefully slash the neck of a servant boy.
How stupid can these enemies getÉ they didnÕt even notice that one by one their leaders are being killedÉ damn, Orochimaru and Itachi will have a hard time catching up once they discover weÕre here and that we killed their 9 leadersÉ Oh well, that bides us more time to prepare for their attackÉ
He approached the tent where Kanata was residing in. He braced himself. Kanata probably knows that IÕm already here, and heÕs waiting for meÉ
ÒCome in,Ó beckoned a silent voice from inside the tent. Kankurou snorted silently. He ushered himself slowly into the tent, bracing for any kind of trap or jutsu. As he entered, he felt a gentle yet secretive aura wrap around him. His body instantly knew that there was a trap and a jutsu laid out for him. He started to let his body decide on his actions, since his mind was cleared so that Kanta wont have anything to mess with.
Kanata seemed to have noticed that his mind was cleared from any thoughts. I wonder how he knew that I can read mindsÉ thought Kanata. He was a little disturbed but didnÕt let it show, as he maintained his faade. There was a board game in front of him. The game was Go, Kankurou noted. Kanata moved a piece.
ÒCare to play?Ó Kanata offered, making the first move.
Kankurou reached over to a piece and moved it strategically, having played the game against Shikamaru several times already.
ÒHow many leaders have been killed, hmm?Ó asked Kanata. Kankurou wasnÕt surprised that he knew about the assassination.
ÒHow should I know?Ó Kankurou muttered. ÒAssassins work individually, not in groups.Ó
ÒWell said,Ó Kanata smiled, moving a piece. Behind his faade, he was worrying. This boy is extra-ordinaryÉ IÕm asking him questions and he manages to answer tactfully without even letting a single thought cross his mind! Its like his body is acting on its own accordÉ
Kankurou moved another piece in response to his attack. ÒNo more questions, Kanata-san? Because I would like to proceed with my mission,Ó Kankurou muttered silently, smirking. Apparently he sensed the unrest inside the genius.
ÒNo, no more questionsÉ you can proceed with your missionÉ if you can,Ó smirked Kanata.
ÒOf course I can, I am a trained assassin,Ó smirked Kankurou as Kanata shifted slightly. ÒSay goodbye, Kanata.Ó
Kanata anticipated a direct attack from him, and true to his anticipation, Kankurou charged holding a kunai in one hand, directing his attack downwards from above. As Kanata blocked the attack from above, his left side opened. Kankurou smirked.
ÒBye byeÉÓ Kankurou muttered.
Just then a sharp, long blade ripped through the tent cloth and impaled Kanata from the left side, slicing through his heart. Kanata barfed out a puddle of blood before muttering a single word.
ÒMasterfulÉÓ he muttered, before collapsing on the floor, toppling over the Go board, the pieces landing on the soft cushion he was sitting on.
The real Kankurou smirked from outside. He has been standing by the tent, waiting for the perfect opportunity, while his replica doll went in and talked with Kanata.
Too easyÉ
OoOoOoOoO
Rai sighed. ÒHey, Hayate,Ó he muttered.
ÒWhat?Ó growled Hayate as he tried to search for his target from the trees.
ÒDonÕt look there, your target is over there, kissing with mine,Ó Rai sighed exasperatedly.
ÒReally? Where?Ó
ÒThere, in the Base Patrol HQ,Ó Rai said, pointing to the open tent where a couple was clearly seen kissing by candlelight.
Hayate raised a brow. ÒShall we?Ó
ÒWe shall,Ó smirked Rai, as the two leapt off the trees and approached the tent carefully, not making a single sound so as not to startle the kissing couple. The couple appeared to be preoccupied with each other to even notice the two of them sneaking up.
Rai leaned by the tentÕs pole, while Hayate shook his head. They were right in front of the two. Both pulled out a long blade, courtesy of the Weaponry Department. Then they both impaled the kissing couple. The blades went through OkiyaÕs body and then closed the space between the couple before impaling Seimei as well.
ÒEver heard of getting a room?Ó Hayate clucked disapprovingly as Okiya barfed out blood on Seimei.
ÒOr even just closing the door,Ó Rai muttered, sharply pounding the hilt of the blade to make the cut firm. Okiya and Seimei collapsed then and there, still in each otherÕs arms. Blood flowed freely from the deep wound, dripping sinisterly on the floor.
The two assassins sharply pulled the blade out. Apparently it went right through the heart and several more arteries. Hayate flipped his blade sharply, getting rid of the excess blood.
ÒNext time, donÕt make out when in a war,Ó Hayate sighed. ÒOnly there wont be a next time.Ó
Rai and Hayate leisurely walked out of the tent, sheathing the blades again. Rai placed his arms behind his head, seeing Kankurou walk out of the base as well, with a smug smirk plastered on his face.
ÒI guess almost everybody got their targets, huh?Ó Hayate muttered, as walked past a snickering Kai walking out of a lit tent, an empty poison bottle clasped firmly in his hand.
ÒNahÉÓ muttered Rai. ÒAira and Aikawa are probably only starting with theirsÉ I head their targets werenÕt in the baseÉ probably in patrol.Ó
ÒYeah, but you know, I think theyÕll finish it pretty easily. After all, both of them are from prestigious clansÉ theyÕre supposed to be really talented in these kinda thingsÉÓ
ÒWhatever, letÕs just get moving before the patrol gets wind of us,Ó Rai muttered, seeing a speck of light approaching. Both of them sprinted into the shadows of the forest.
OoOoOoOoO
Aikawa and Aira stopped momentarily on a large branch of a tree, not for rest, but for look out. Aikawa gestured to Aira, and she nodded, moving slightly to the treeÕs trunk and peeking around. She narrowed her eyes. Having been gifted with a talent to see clearly even from far distances, much like an eagle, she easily spotted the target.
Aira smirked as she spotted two groups of patrol on rest, surrounding two persons, recognizably their targets. The Death Couple.
She turned back to Aikawa and nodded. ÒAffirmative. Targets along with 2 patrol teams 6 oÕ clock.Ó
Ò2 teams, huh,Ó muttered Aikawa. ÒHmmÉÓ
ÒI suggest we make a distraction to attract the teams away first then kill them, before moving on to the targets,Ó Aira muttered back. ÒBut we can always do plan B, ya knowÉÓ
ÒI like plan B better,Ó smirked Aikawa.
ÒThen plan B it is,Ó nodded Aira, her eyes twinkling mischievously as it met AikawaÕs.
Aira stood back up and stretched her muscles, getting ready for some action. Aikawa craned his neck, stretching his muscles.
ÒLetÕs break some bones,Ó Aira hissed excitedly, leaping off into the direction of the enemy, followed by a smirking Aikawa.
ÒDamn, you really love action, donÕt you?Ó asked Aikawa, leaping beside her.
ÒCant blame me there, I grew up in a family craving for action.Ó
ÒSame here.Ó
In a matter of minutes, they reached the clearing where the enemy was resting. Both fearlessly leapt down right in front of the enemies.
ÒHi!Ó greeted Aira, raising a hand in a mockingly friendly gesture. ÒIÕm Aira, and this is my friend Aikawa.Ó
ÒYeah, weÕve been sent to assassinate you two,Ó Aikawa smiled, directing the statement towards Shurin and Mikai.
The patrol nins almost sweat dropped at the strange behavior of the two. What kind of wackos would warn their enemy of an assassination?
ÒOh! I see! IÕm glad youÕre here, you know!Ó Mikai smiled, playing along. She stood up and dusted off her pants.
ÒYeah, it was getting pretty boring,Ó Shurin said, standing up as well. If these nins had the courage to come up to us and say that they are gonna assassinate us, they must be pretty goodÉ
ÒSo what timeÕs the party gonna start?Ó asked Aira.
ÒGiven that youÕre here, I would say that it already started,Ó Mikai smiled mercilessly. ÒTachibana!Ó (a/n: Attack/Tear the bitch/bastard apart!)
3 nins attacked Aira while the other 3 attacked Aikawa.
Aira braced herself. One of the nins threw 3 kunais at her, and she immediately caught it and twirled it around, throwing it to the direction of the nin. The nin blocked it easily. One attacked her from behind, attempting a palm strike on her back, but she pirouetted gracefully and caught the ninÕs arm, twisting it with her as she twirled around again, evading several balls of fire from the third nin.
The first nin pulled out a rod and pressed a button. Needles shot out of the rod, aimed at Aira. Again, she twirled, putting the second ninÕs body in front of her as a shield. The needles pierced the ninÕs body, killing him. Aira dropped the limp body and performed a perfect unhanded cartwheel, landing behind the third nin who was behind her. She snatched the blade he was holding and impaled the nin right through the heart. She dropped the body and delivered a roundhouse kick to the first ninÕs stomach, then another follow-up kick to his temple, knocking him out cold.
Aikawa, meanwhile, was having the time of his life evading the enemiesÕ attacks. He stepped back, avoiding an attack from his left side and right side. The two nins knocked themselves out by knocking their heads with each other. The third nin performed several seals and used Kage Bunshin, filling the place up with many replicas of himself.
Aikawa simply smirked at the ninÕs attempt. He deftly evaded and stepped around the nins, not even breaking a sweat. He then delivered a rabbit punch straight to the forehead of one of the nins and all the bunshins disappeared. The nin collapsed on the ground.
Both of them made sure not to use any special jutsu or move since the Death Couple might use it against them.
Mikai clapped. ÒImpressiveÉ very impressive indeed.Ó
ÒYou two are quite exceptional fightersÉÓ Shurin smirked.
ÒWhy, thanks, you flatter me,Ó Aira mocked, flipping her long dark blue hair back.
ÒYou two are such bastards when it comes to killing,Ó commented Shurin.
ÒIÕll take that as a compliment, thanks,Ó Aikawa said, pushing his hair back from his eyes.
Shurin sighed. ÒPity, if we werenÕt enemies, we wouldÕve gotten along fine, huh? YouÕre such an intelligent boyÉÓ
ÒYeah, pity,Ó said Aikawa. ÒBut youÕre still on the other side of the fence, and thereÕs nothing we can do about it.Ó
ÒEnough talk!Ó shouted Mikai, charging towards Aira.
Mikai launched a roundhouse impact kick at Aira, aiming for her face. Aira barely blocked it, and retaliated with a one-two punch on MikaiÕs chest. It connected, but she was paid back with a sharp punch at the stomach. Aira was taken aback slightly, but no matter. She pulled out a kunai and stabbed Mikai on her left side, only to hear a loud pop. Mikai appeared behind her and kicked her at the back, but Aira anticipated and dodged it by bending down and doing a flip, her foot connecting with MikaiÕs chin sharply.
Mikai stumbled back and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. ÒYouÕre good if you managed to make me bleed,Ó Mikai smirked.
Mikai started performing quick seals Aira recognized despite the speed of the hand movements. Aira smirked. It was a Hidden Mist Technique.
Thick fog started to cover the area, making vision useless. The thick fog covered the whole of the clearing.
Not a bother, though, since Neji trained them with a jutsu that seals your eyes closed. They fought like they had blindfolds on, and they were quite accustomed to it. Having this fog around wouldnÕt give her any disadvantage. Besides, through her sharpened sight, she could still see MikaiÕs outline. She was really thankful that her eyesight was as sharp as an eagleÕs. The fog was now so thick that you cant even see your own hand.
Mikai charged at her silently, performing a cartwheel and attempting to deliver a kick at AiraÕs head. Aira dodged the kick and gripped both of MikaiÕs feet. She planted her own feet on the ground, shifting her weight quickly and heaving Mikai up in the air successfully even though Mikai was probably double her own weight. She heaved her and slammed her on the ground painfully.
Mikai stumbled back up, charging head on to Aira and delivering two roundhouse kicks, hitting a startled Aira double time on the head. The impact was enough to make a major concussion, so Mikai stepped back, expecting the other girl to collapse. But, like I said before, Aira can withstand several injuries and still stay awake and stand. Aira merely stretched her neck side to side and back and forth, before smirking and returning to her fighting stance. She wiped the blood of her mouth.
ÒSorry, but I donÕt have that much time anymore,Ó muttered Aira. She started to make runic seals, because apparently, she comes from one of the most prominent families in Tasogare.
Apparently Mikai was getting angry, because the girl appeared to be unbeatable. Mikai charged from behind Aira and delivered a palm strike in the middle of her back. 3 ribs visibly shattered as AiraÕs brows furrowed in pain and blood trickled down her chin. Mikai, underestimating her enemy again, expected the girl to fall down. But instead, Aira slightly crouched over, and after a few moments recovered and stood back up again, ignoring the stabbing pain in her chest.
She continued making the seals and finished them before Mikai can land her second attack. A sudden blast of energy directed itself to Mikai, and she collapsed on the ground, the ball of energy having severed her. The impact shattered many of her bones and the energy itself almost stopped her heartbeat. It was going to stop in about a minute or two. Aira sighed and smirked as the fog started receding.
OoOoOoOoO
Aikawa smirked as Shurin followed MikaiÕs lead and attacked as well, pulling out a long katana and attempting to slash him with it. Aikawa pulled out a small rod and pressed a button. The rod expanded and formed a glaive. Aikawa blocked the attack deftly with the end of the rod, and twirled the rod around, attempting to hit Shurin on the face, but Shurin blocked it with the hilt of his katana.
Shurin smirked. ÒThatÕs the first time IÕve ever had to block.Ó
Aikawa simply smiled and shrugged as the fog started to engulf them. Mikai apparently conjured up a Hidden Mist Technique.
As they jumped back and separated, the fog started to grow thicker and thicker, taking away their sight. Aikawa was gifted with an exceptional sense of hearing, that even though he has his eyes closed, he can picture the attacks because of the sound waves. WhatÕs more intriguing is that when its raining, whatever the raindrops touch, emits sound waves. Due to those sound waves bouncing off the surfaces of the things around him, he can produce a black and white outline picture of the world in his mind. Only Aira knew about this talent of his, but it certainly comes in handy in many situations.
Aikawa smirked as the fog took away his vision completely, replacing it with complete whiteness. He closed his eyes, harnessing his talents from back in his childhood.
The sound waves one by one started to come and conjure images of the attacks about to come.
Shurin charged at him from his left, and he blocked the blade with the glaiveÕs blade, making a loud clanging sound of metal against metal. Aikawa jumped back and leapt upwards, twirling his glaive around and delivering a direct blow from above. Shurin barely blocked it by the blade. Shurin sharply flipped his blade around, flipping along the glaive. Then he slashed at AikawaÕs back.
Aikawa stopped in his actions as the pain started to come. It was a pretty deep and long gash, and it was bleeding freely. He just shrugged the pain off and recovered quickly, having experienced far worse injuries during training. He performed an unhanded flip as Shurin charged from behind him. He landed behind Shurin and made a long gash on his back as well.
ÒLetÕs just say I made it quits,Ó Aikawa smirked.
Shurin stumbled on his knees, as the blood started to flow. He struggled back on his feet and charged again, but his speed was reduced due to the pain of the wound.
Aikawa easily evaded his attack. It was too slow. Aikawa twirled the glaive around and slashed at ShurinÕs hand, making him let go of the blade. But Shurin managed to deliver a sharp kick at AikawaÕs chest, breaking 4 ribs with the impact. Aikawa struggled back and backed away from Shurin. He performed two runic hand seals and transferred chakra onto the glaive, before getting into a stance, holding the blade in a stabbing position.
ÒRapid Tempo!Ó he snapped, making sharp and quick stabbing movements with the glaive, the blade making several deeps gashes and stabs on ShurinÕs body. It also managed to sever an artery near the heart. Shurin collapsed to his knees and barfed out blood.
The fog slowly started to recede. Aikawa felt the air releasing the thickness and opened his eyes to find a victoriously standing Aira. Aira looked up at him and smirked. Aikawa just smirked back.
ÒIs he dead?Ó asked Aira, motioning to Shurin.
ÒPretty soonÉ I severed an artery,Ó muttered Shurin. ÒHer?Ó
ÒOh, in a minute or two, she will be,Ó smirked Aira. ÒI still cant belive theyÕre the death couple. She managed some shattered ribs and a major concussion, but nothing more. They wont even match up to Haruno.Ó
ÒDonÕt compare them to the four, theyÕll barely match up to them,Ó snorted Aikawa. ÒEspecially Uchiha. Deadly, that guy. This guy only managed a long, deep gash in my back and some broken ribsÉÓ
ÒOh well,Ó muttered Aira. Just then, a movement in the trees above caught their attention. Ren, Mori, Kai, Kankurou, Hayate, Rai and Gaara landed lithely on the ground, looking around.
ÒYou managed to run into a fight!Ó Ren gasped.
ÒNoÉ they ran into our fight,Ó smirked Aikawa.
ÒYou mean they managed to actually wound you?Ó sneered Kankurou.
ÒNah, not the subordinatesÉ him,Ó said Aikawa, motioning to the now dead Shurin. ÒOne of the Death Couple.Ó
Aira kicked MikaiÕs chest. ÒYou bitch, you actually gave me a concussionÉÓ
ÒYou know, if you donÕt want to drain your blood, Aikawa, weÕd better get moving,Ó snorted Hayate. ÒYour back is bleeding pretty bad.Ó
ÒThe bastard gave it,Ó muttered Aikawa, retracting the glaive. ÒCÕmonÉÓ
The 9 of them leapt off into the forest, heading towards base, reveling in the soft, warm rays of sunlight.
Gaara lithely leapt through the thick trees of the forest, mercilessly slaughtering any wild animal he encounters on the way. But despite his actions, he didnÕt even get to smear a single drop of blood on himself. A trail of dead animals, mainly consisting of wolves and boars, lined the forest floor, tracing his path through the foliage. It really didnÕt matter, though, coz even though someone picks the trail up and sees hi, he would kill them immediately, just like an assassin would do.
In a matter of about half an hour, he managed to reach the enemy base, the others right on beside him. Even though they have traveled through in a pack, they would work in singles. They were assassins, and they were more accustomed to working alone, not with a team.
He scanned the vicinity with trained eyes, not minding the shadows cast by the moonlight and the darkness of the night. After all, it was just after midnight, and it was the darkest and deepest part of the night.
Now where could he beÉ he asked himself mentally, seeing no sign of his target. There was nobody awake during the present hour, considering it was a curfew. The few guards and patrol stationed were all drunk, swaying and muttering incoherently in their stupor and half-consciousness.
The lax security only made his job too easy for his liking. Gaara narrowed his eyes as he spotted the tent where his target is supposedly sleeping in. He leapt off from the branch, walking boldly through the base as if no one was there. Not that there was anyone there, though. He received apprehensive stares from Ren and Mori, apparently surprised at his aggressive and bold actions. After all, he was known as the most aggressive and wild of all the assassins.
He reached the tent in no time, but one of the guards spotted him.
ÒHey!Ó shouted the guard. Gaara slowly tuned his head to glare at the guard. The guard stopped midway in his tracks at just the very sight of his glare. Some sand picked up by the air formed itself into a large cocoon and wrapped itself around the guard, muffling his incoherent please for help and his shout of agony as the cocoon contracted and sprayed blood all around the place.
ÒI pity the one he has to kill, you know,Ó muttered Mori to his brother. They were both waiting for the perfect chance to slip in. They werenÕt as aggressive as Gaara and they didnÕt have the same style. After all, the shouts could have awoken some of the men.
ÒYeah, pity,Ó muttered Ren, eyeing Gaara apprehensively.
They watched as Gaara boldly slipped into the tent and disappeared from view. Then they turned to look at each other. Then both shrugged.
OoOoOoOoO
GaaraÕs face remained unemotional as blood spattered on the grass and on the tents. He then noiselessly slipped into the tent, not minding the sleeping residents who might wake due to his intrusion. He proceeded straight to the quarter of the leader he was supposed to assassinate.
He opened his gourd and sand came flowing out, wrapping itself around the harmless, snoring Hiromasa, slowly cocooning and cutting of the air supply of the poor guy. Soon enough, there was struggling heard from inside the cocoon, but it was muffled enough so that the others wont hear. Muffled coughing and pounding on the tightening sand cocoon was evident from the inside as the Head of Squad tried his hardest to break the prison he was put in.
Gaara looked almost satisfied as choking sounds came from the cocoon. Then his hand clenched, and the cocoon contracted quickly, squashing the body inside. The place didnÕt get messed up, though, since the sand prevented the blood from messing on the futon.
He made a hand gesture for the sand to retreat into his gourd, dropping the limp, lifeless and bloody body back on the immaculate futon. He stretched his hand out, and clutched it sharply, to form a cork for the gourd. Then he walked out nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened. No one saw him, no one heard him.
OoOoOoOoO
Mori and Ren watched as Gaara came back out of the tent with an almost smug smirk forming on his lips.
ÒDamn, heÕs through already?Ó Mori muttered.
ÒWell, heÕs a fast assassin,Ó said Ren. ÒMy turnÉÓ
Ren leapt down from the tree, just as Gaara walked into the dense forest once again. He met GaaraÕs eyes and smirked before sprinting off to the Med NinÕs tent. He slipped in easily, knowing that most of the Med Nins are already dead because of KonohamaruÕs group. Evidence was there. 6 futons that supposedly held the nins Konohamaru impersonated were empty. The bunshins they made faded as they reached quite a distance away from the place.
He walked in slowly, keeping his eyes peeled for any movement inside the dark and shadowed tent. A soft humming sound was coming from behind a flap of the tent. He supposed it was from the laboratory and clinic. There was a chance that somebody was awake, thatÕs why he needed to be extra-careful.
He was just about to take a step past the flap, when his eye caught a strange glint from the other side when the flap blew open slightly. He smirked.
Feisty little ladyÉ
He pulled out several needles from his pocket, and then put them into a small hollow bamboo. He rapidly blew on the bamboo, and one by one the needles swished through the thin flap of the tent, hitting accurate pressure points of the lady slowly walking to and fro inside. After seven needles, the lady collapsed.
Ren peered inside. Fujiko was sprawled on the ground, both her hands clutching a kunai each, glinting in the dappled moonlight shining through the gaps in the tentÕs folding. The needles hit with pinpoint accuracy; one in the small of her back, and then one below her ear, one on her nape, two on her neck and two at the heart.
Ren smirked. The first needle made her body numb to the needleÕs piercing pain, the second paralyzed her hearing, the third paralyzed her whole body, and the latter four killed her by severing vital veins and arteries in just the right angle and direction.
The needle training with the wolves and the fish underwater did pay off after allÉ I have to hand it to NejiÉ
OoOoOoOoO
Mori grinned when his brother came out and gave him a thumbs-up sign, indicating that the coast was clear for the next kill. He jumped down from the branch heÕs been perching on, waiting for his brother.
The two slapped a high five as Ren walked past Mori, proceeding into the forest. Mori sprinted past his brother, proceeding to the Chem Labs, which was located right at the other side of the camp. He ran past every tent quickly, but stepped back abruptly and hid into the shadows the tents provided when several patrol nins passed by.
He held his breath as one of them looked around sternly, as if catching a whiff of an intruder. The guy looked around the area for about 5 minutes, delaying MoriÕs job. The assassin boy almost sighed exasperatedly, holding his breath for a whole 5 minutes already. It wasnÕt that difficult though, since Neji plunged their heads into a barrel of cold water for 10 whole minutes non-stop.
The patrol guy snorted and walked off, whirling his long bo around, as if showing off.
YouÕre doing it wrong, dudÉ thought Mori, smirking as he used the shadows to slink away to the Chem Lab tent.
Before entering the targeted tent, he performed several seals, unleashing the Silencing Jutsu. The Jutsu sealed around the whole tent. The jutsu copied the regular noises of the forest outside, so the resident inside wouldnÕt notice the unnatural silence. But noises inside wouldnÕt be heard outside, so no matter how noisy the fight gets, no one will hear.
Mori entered the tent haphazardly, the tent flap swishing noisily. He found Shizuku awake and poring over a book, but the ladyÕs head swished around to find a grinning Mori.
Shizuku attempted to call for the patrols, but before a sound can even escape her lips, Mori cut her off.
ÒDonÕt bother, no one can hear,Ó he sighed. He then disappeared and in a flash, he was right in front of her.
Shizuku barely blocked the kunai he attempted to slash her face with. She fished out another kunai and attempted to stab Mori, but the only thing was, he wasnÕt there anymore. A sharp kick landed on her side, and she doubled over in pain, even though there was no visible wound. The chemical did prevent her skin from being wounded, but it didnÕt prevent the sharp impact the direct attack provided to lash out in her body painfully.
ÒPretty smart of you to douse chemical on your skinÉ too bad, though, you cant stop impact attacks,Ó grinned Mori. He delivered a punch to her face and he hit her squarely in the jaw, but he pulled back as his knuckle connected with the skin. ÒWhoaÉ your skin is like that cheap ceramic vase my mom hasÉÓ
He aimed another punch to her gut, and she blocked it with her arm.
ÒOof!Ó she grunted as she felt her arm buckling under the impact of the punch.
ÒHeavy?Ó grinned Mori. ÒDonÕt worry, the next one wont beÉ it will only remind you how painful a stab wound isÉÓ
Mori got hold of her arms and sharply swerved around, twisting it behind her back. She screamed in pain as her bones dislodged from its sockets. Then he dipped his head down to whisper in her ear.
ÒPity, youÕre a pretty lady, ya know,Ó Mori whispered. ÒByeÉÓ
He fished out a kunai, twirled it and then sharply shoved it at her nape. She screamed out in pain as the nerves in her neck were severed, paralyzing the rest of her body. Then Mori pulled out another kunai and shoved it into her heart, killing her.
Mori let go of the now limp body, letting it slump down by the table lifelessly. He smirked then dusted his hands, arrogantly walking out of the tent. He removed the jutsu and then sprinted back into the forest, catching a glimpse of Kai slipping into a lit and loud tent. He quirked a brow as Kai gave him a thumbs-up.
WhatÕs that dude up to?
OoOoOoOoO
Kai sighed as he braced himself. He walked over to the tent, the light from inside illuminating his disgusted face. Ever since childhood, Kai had despised sake or any kind of alcoholic drink. And now, his mission consisted of having to deal with it and its stinky smell.
The tent reeked of the sharp smell of alcohol and sake. It was also noisy inside, apparently indicating that is target Nagara was still up and partying with some whores.
He performed a simple Henge, changing into the image of a servant he killed earlier. Nagara was obviously drunk already, because he saw her through the small hole in the tent earlier. He wont even notice the jutsu he performed. He pulled out a new bottle of sake from the crate and then took off the cork, pouring in a fast acting poison. In 5 minutes he will be flat on the floor, as dead as a corpse.
He smirked, proceeding to the tent as he heard NagaraÕs rumbling voice called out for more sake. He caught a short glimpse of Mori sprinting back into the forest and made a thumbs-up sign before slipping into the tent.
ÒWhereÕs the sake!Ó thundered Nagara, swaying uncertainly as two girls supported him from either side. There were other whores inside the room, and they were all stinking with sake. All of them were dressed obscenely, but Kai wasnÕt that innocent. IÕve seen worseÉ he thought as he handed the bottle of sake to Nagara.
He remained standing on one side, apparently pretending to wait for other orders, when in truth he was only waiting for the poison to activate. Nagara laughed as one of the girls told a funny joke, and grasped the bottle of sake with the poison, downing half of it in one go. Kai grimaced. He really was a drinker.
Nagara passed the bottle of sake around, and the whores one by one drank from it. Kai laughed inwardly. So unsuspectingÉ I didnÕt aim for the whores to die, but might as well make it a clean missionÉ
After a grueling five minutes of standing by the corner of the sake-stinking room, Kai smirked as Nagara finally collapsed in the middle of kissing with one of the girls. The girl gasped and giggled, apparently convinced that the guy was knocked out. One by one, the girls started to collapse as well. Their last vision was a smirking servant boy by the tent flap.
When everybody was out cold, Kai walked cautiously over to the old guy and checked his pulse. None. Then he opened one eyelid. No movement. He placed a finger near his nose. No breath. He placed a hand on his chest. No beat. He smirked. Dead.
He walked out of the place, smirking smugly, and removed his Henge as he slipped into the camouflage the forest provided for him.
OoOoOoOoO
Kankurou walked into the enemyÕs base quietly, catching a glimpse of Mori and Ren giving each other a high five, and watching Kai carefully slash the neck of a servant boy.
How stupid can these enemies getÉ they didnÕt even notice that one by one their leaders are being killedÉ damn, Orochimaru and Itachi will have a hard time catching up once they discover weÕre here and that we killed their 9 leadersÉ Oh well, that bides us more time to prepare for their attackÉ
He approached the tent where Kanata was residing in. He braced himself. Kanata probably knows that IÕm already here, and heÕs waiting for meÉ
ÒCome in,Ó beckoned a silent voice from inside the tent. Kankurou snorted silently. He ushered himself slowly into the tent, bracing for any kind of trap or jutsu. As he entered, he felt a gentle yet secretive aura wrap around him. His body instantly knew that there was a trap and a jutsu laid out for him. He started to let his body decide on his actions, since his mind was cleared so that Kanta wont have anything to mess with.
Kanata seemed to have noticed that his mind was cleared from any thoughts. I wonder how he knew that I can read mindsÉ thought Kanata. He was a little disturbed but didnÕt let it show, as he maintained his faade. There was a board game in front of him. The game was Go, Kankurou noted. Kanata moved a piece.
ÒCare to play?Ó Kanata offered, making the first move.
Kankurou reached over to a piece and moved it strategically, having played the game against Shikamaru several times already.
ÒHow many leaders have been killed, hmm?Ó asked Kanata. Kankurou wasnÕt surprised that he knew about the assassination.
ÒHow should I know?Ó Kankurou muttered. ÒAssassins work individually, not in groups.Ó
ÒWell said,Ó Kanata smiled, moving a piece. Behind his faade, he was worrying. This boy is extra-ordinaryÉ IÕm asking him questions and he manages to answer tactfully without even letting a single thought cross his mind! Its like his body is acting on its own accordÉ
Kankurou moved another piece in response to his attack. ÒNo more questions, Kanata-san? Because I would like to proceed with my mission,Ó Kankurou muttered silently, smirking. Apparently he sensed the unrest inside the genius.
ÒNo, no more questionsÉ you can proceed with your missionÉ if you can,Ó smirked Kanata.
ÒOf course I can, I am a trained assassin,Ó smirked Kankurou as Kanata shifted slightly. ÒSay goodbye, Kanata.Ó
Kanata anticipated a direct attack from him, and true to his anticipation, Kankurou charged holding a kunai in one hand, directing his attack downwards from above. As Kanata blocked the attack from above, his left side opened. Kankurou smirked.
ÒBye byeÉÓ Kankurou muttered.
Just then a sharp, long blade ripped through the tent cloth and impaled Kanata from the left side, slicing through his heart. Kanata barfed out a puddle of blood before muttering a single word.
ÒMasterfulÉÓ he muttered, before collapsing on the floor, toppling over the Go board, the pieces landing on the soft cushion he was sitting on.
The real Kankurou smirked from outside. He has been standing by the tent, waiting for the perfect opportunity, while his replica doll went in and talked with Kanata.
Too easyÉ
OoOoOoOoO
Rai sighed. ÒHey, Hayate,Ó he muttered.
ÒWhat?Ó growled Hayate as he tried to search for his target from the trees.
ÒDonÕt look there, your target is over there, kissing with mine,Ó Rai sighed exasperatedly.
ÒReally? Where?Ó
ÒThere, in the Base Patrol HQ,Ó Rai said, pointing to the open tent where a couple was clearly seen kissing by candlelight.
Hayate raised a brow. ÒShall we?Ó
ÒWe shall,Ó smirked Rai, as the two leapt off the trees and approached the tent carefully, not making a single sound so as not to startle the kissing couple. The couple appeared to be preoccupied with each other to even notice the two of them sneaking up.
Rai leaned by the tentÕs pole, while Hayate shook his head. They were right in front of the two. Both pulled out a long blade, courtesy of the Weaponry Department. Then they both impaled the kissing couple. The blades went through OkiyaÕs body and then closed the space between the couple before impaling Seimei as well.
ÒEver heard of getting a room?Ó Hayate clucked disapprovingly as Okiya barfed out blood on Seimei.
ÒOr even just closing the door,Ó Rai muttered, sharply pounding the hilt of the blade to make the cut firm. Okiya and Seimei collapsed then and there, still in each otherÕs arms. Blood flowed freely from the deep wound, dripping sinisterly on the floor.
The two assassins sharply pulled the blade out. Apparently it went right through the heart and several more arteries. Hayate flipped his blade sharply, getting rid of the excess blood.
ÒNext time, donÕt make out when in a war,Ó Hayate sighed. ÒOnly there wont be a next time.Ó
Rai and Hayate leisurely walked out of the tent, sheathing the blades again. Rai placed his arms behind his head, seeing Kankurou walk out of the base as well, with a smug smirk plastered on his face.
ÒI guess almost everybody got their targets, huh?Ó Hayate muttered, as walked past a snickering Kai walking out of a lit tent, an empty poison bottle clasped firmly in his hand.
ÒNahÉÓ muttered Rai. ÒAira and Aikawa are probably only starting with theirsÉ I head their targets werenÕt in the baseÉ probably in patrol.Ó
ÒYeah, but you know, I think theyÕll finish it pretty easily. After all, both of them are from prestigious clansÉ theyÕre supposed to be really talented in these kinda thingsÉÓ
ÒWhatever, letÕs just get moving before the patrol gets wind of us,Ó Rai muttered, seeing a speck of light approaching. Both of them sprinted into the shadows of the forest.
OoOoOoOoO
Aikawa and Aira stopped momentarily on a large branch of a tree, not for rest, but for look out. Aikawa gestured to Aira, and she nodded, moving slightly to the treeÕs trunk and peeking around. She narrowed her eyes. Having been gifted with a talent to see clearly even from far distances, much like an eagle, she easily spotted the target.
Aira smirked as she spotted two groups of patrol on rest, surrounding two persons, recognizably their targets. The Death Couple.
She turned back to Aikawa and nodded. ÒAffirmative. Targets along with 2 patrol teams 6 oÕ clock.Ó
Ò2 teams, huh,Ó muttered Aikawa. ÒHmmÉÓ
ÒI suggest we make a distraction to attract the teams away first then kill them, before moving on to the targets,Ó Aira muttered back. ÒBut we can always do plan B, ya knowÉÓ
ÒI like plan B better,Ó smirked Aikawa.
ÒThen plan B it is,Ó nodded Aira, her eyes twinkling mischievously as it met AikawaÕs.
Aira stood back up and stretched her muscles, getting ready for some action. Aikawa craned his neck, stretching his muscles.
ÒLetÕs break some bones,Ó Aira hissed excitedly, leaping off into the direction of the enemy, followed by a smirking Aikawa.
ÒDamn, you really love action, donÕt you?Ó asked Aikawa, leaping beside her.
ÒCant blame me there, I grew up in a family craving for action.Ó
ÒSame here.Ó
In a matter of minutes, they reached the clearing where the enemy was resting. Both fearlessly leapt down right in front of the enemies.
ÒHi!Ó greeted Aira, raising a hand in a mockingly friendly gesture. ÒIÕm Aira, and this is my friend Aikawa.Ó
ÒYeah, weÕve been sent to assassinate you two,Ó Aikawa smiled, directing the statement towards Shurin and Mikai.
The patrol nins almost sweat dropped at the strange behavior of the two. What kind of wackos would warn their enemy of an assassination?
ÒOh! I see! IÕm glad youÕre here, you know!Ó Mikai smiled, playing along. She stood up and dusted off her pants.
ÒYeah, it was getting pretty boring,Ó Shurin said, standing up as well. If these nins had the courage to come up to us and say that they are gonna assassinate us, they must be pretty goodÉ
ÒSo what timeÕs the party gonna start?Ó asked Aira.
ÒGiven that youÕre here, I would say that it already started,Ó Mikai smiled mercilessly. ÒTachibana!Ó (a/n: Attack/Tear the bitch/bastard apart!)
3 nins attacked Aira while the other 3 attacked Aikawa.
Aira braced herself. One of the nins threw 3 kunais at her, and she immediately caught it and twirled it around, throwing it to the direction of the nin. The nin blocked it easily. One attacked her from behind, attempting a palm strike on her back, but she pirouetted gracefully and caught the ninÕs arm, twisting it with her as she twirled around again, evading several balls of fire from the third nin.
The first nin pulled out a rod and pressed a button. Needles shot out of the rod, aimed at Aira. Again, she twirled, putting the second ninÕs body in front of her as a shield. The needles pierced the ninÕs body, killing him. Aira dropped the limp body and performed a perfect unhanded cartwheel, landing behind the third nin who was behind her. She snatched the blade he was holding and impaled the nin right through the heart. She dropped the body and delivered a roundhouse kick to the first ninÕs stomach, then another follow-up kick to his temple, knocking him out cold.
Aikawa, meanwhile, was having the time of his life evading the enemiesÕ attacks. He stepped back, avoiding an attack from his left side and right side. The two nins knocked themselves out by knocking their heads with each other. The third nin performed several seals and used Kage Bunshin, filling the place up with many replicas of himself.
Aikawa simply smirked at the ninÕs attempt. He deftly evaded and stepped around the nins, not even breaking a sweat. He then delivered a rabbit punch straight to the forehead of one of the nins and all the bunshins disappeared. The nin collapsed on the ground.
Both of them made sure not to use any special jutsu or move since the Death Couple might use it against them.
Mikai clapped. ÒImpressiveÉ very impressive indeed.Ó
ÒYou two are quite exceptional fightersÉÓ Shurin smirked.
ÒWhy, thanks, you flatter me,Ó Aira mocked, flipping her long dark blue hair back.
ÒYou two are such bastards when it comes to killing,Ó commented Shurin.
ÒIÕll take that as a compliment, thanks,Ó Aikawa said, pushing his hair back from his eyes.
Shurin sighed. ÒPity, if we werenÕt enemies, we wouldÕve gotten along fine, huh? YouÕre such an intelligent boyÉÓ
ÒYeah, pity,Ó said Aikawa. ÒBut youÕre still on the other side of the fence, and thereÕs nothing we can do about it.Ó
ÒEnough talk!Ó shouted Mikai, charging towards Aira.
Mikai launched a roundhouse impact kick at Aira, aiming for her face. Aira barely blocked it, and retaliated with a one-two punch on MikaiÕs chest. It connected, but she was paid back with a sharp punch at the stomach. Aira was taken aback slightly, but no matter. She pulled out a kunai and stabbed Mikai on her left side, only to hear a loud pop. Mikai appeared behind her and kicked her at the back, but Aira anticipated and dodged it by bending down and doing a flip, her foot connecting with MikaiÕs chin sharply.
Mikai stumbled back and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. ÒYouÕre good if you managed to make me bleed,Ó Mikai smirked.
Mikai started performing quick seals Aira recognized despite the speed of the hand movements. Aira smirked. It was a Hidden Mist Technique.
Thick fog started to cover the area, making vision useless. The thick fog covered the whole of the clearing.
Not a bother, though, since Neji trained them with a jutsu that seals your eyes closed. They fought like they had blindfolds on, and they were quite accustomed to it. Having this fog around wouldnÕt give her any disadvantage. Besides, through her sharpened sight, she could still see MikaiÕs outline. She was really thankful that her eyesight was as sharp as an eagleÕs. The fog was now so thick that you cant even see your own hand.
Mikai charged at her silently, performing a cartwheel and attempting to deliver a kick at AiraÕs head. Aira dodged the kick and gripped both of MikaiÕs feet. She planted her own feet on the ground, shifting her weight quickly and heaving Mikai up in the air successfully even though Mikai was probably double her own weight. She heaved her and slammed her on the ground painfully.
Mikai stumbled back up, charging head on to Aira and delivering two roundhouse kicks, hitting a startled Aira double time on the head. The impact was enough to make a major concussion, so Mikai stepped back, expecting the other girl to collapse. But, like I said before, Aira can withstand several injuries and still stay awake and stand. Aira merely stretched her neck side to side and back and forth, before smirking and returning to her fighting stance. She wiped the blood of her mouth.
ÒSorry, but I donÕt have that much time anymore,Ó muttered Aira. She started to make runic seals, because apparently, she comes from one of the most prominent families in Tasogare.
Apparently Mikai was getting angry, because the girl appeared to be unbeatable. Mikai charged from behind Aira and delivered a palm strike in the middle of her back. 3 ribs visibly shattered as AiraÕs brows furrowed in pain and blood trickled down her chin. Mikai, underestimating her enemy again, expected the girl to fall down. But instead, Aira slightly crouched over, and after a few moments recovered and stood back up again, ignoring the stabbing pain in her chest.
She continued making the seals and finished them before Mikai can land her second attack. A sudden blast of energy directed itself to Mikai, and she collapsed on the ground, the ball of energy having severed her. The impact shattered many of her bones and the energy itself almost stopped her heartbeat. It was going to stop in about a minute or two. Aira sighed and smirked as the fog started receding.
OoOoOoOoO
Aikawa smirked as Shurin followed MikaiÕs lead and attacked as well, pulling out a long katana and attempting to slash him with it. Aikawa pulled out a small rod and pressed a button. The rod expanded and formed a glaive. Aikawa blocked the attack deftly with the end of the rod, and twirled the rod around, attempting to hit Shurin on the face, but Shurin blocked it with the hilt of his katana.
Shurin smirked. ÒThatÕs the first time IÕve ever had to block.Ó
Aikawa simply smiled and shrugged as the fog started to engulf them. Mikai apparently conjured up a Hidden Mist Technique.
As they jumped back and separated, the fog started to grow thicker and thicker, taking away their sight. Aikawa was gifted with an exceptional sense of hearing, that even though he has his eyes closed, he can picture the attacks because of the sound waves. WhatÕs more intriguing is that when its raining, whatever the raindrops touch, emits sound waves. Due to those sound waves bouncing off the surfaces of the things around him, he can produce a black and white outline picture of the world in his mind. Only Aira knew about this talent of his, but it certainly comes in handy in many situations.
Aikawa smirked as the fog took away his vision completely, replacing it with complete whiteness. He closed his eyes, harnessing his talents from back in his childhood.
The sound waves one by one started to come and conjure images of the attacks about to come.
Shurin charged at him from his left, and he blocked the blade with the glaiveÕs blade, making a loud clanging sound of metal against metal. Aikawa jumped back and leapt upwards, twirling his glaive around and delivering a direct blow from above. Shurin barely blocked it by the blade. Shurin sharply flipped his blade around, flipping along the glaive. Then he slashed at AikawaÕs back.
Aikawa stopped in his actions as the pain started to come. It was a pretty deep and long gash, and it was bleeding freely. He just shrugged the pain off and recovered quickly, having experienced far worse injuries during training. He performed an unhanded flip as Shurin charged from behind him. He landed behind Shurin and made a long gash on his back as well.
ÒLetÕs just say I made it quits,Ó Aikawa smirked.
Shurin stumbled on his knees, as the blood started to flow. He struggled back on his feet and charged again, but his speed was reduced due to the pain of the wound.
Aikawa easily evaded his attack. It was too slow. Aikawa twirled the glaive around and slashed at ShurinÕs hand, making him let go of the blade. But Shurin managed to deliver a sharp kick at AikawaÕs chest, breaking 4 ribs with the impact. Aikawa struggled back and backed away from Shurin. He performed two runic hand seals and transferred chakra onto the glaive, before getting into a stance, holding the blade in a stabbing position.
ÒRapid Tempo!Ó he snapped, making sharp and quick stabbing movements with the glaive, the blade making several deeps gashes and stabs on ShurinÕs body. It also managed to sever an artery near the heart. Shurin collapsed to his knees and barfed out blood.
The fog slowly started to recede. Aikawa felt the air releasing the thickness and opened his eyes to find a victoriously standing Aira. Aira looked up at him and smirked. Aikawa just smirked back.
ÒIs he dead?Ó asked Aira, motioning to Shurin.
ÒPretty soonÉ I severed an artery,Ó muttered Shurin. ÒHer?Ó
ÒOh, in a minute or two, she will be,Ó smirked Aira. ÒI still cant belive theyÕre the death couple. She managed some shattered ribs and a major concussion, but nothing more. They wont even match up to Haruno.Ó
ÒDonÕt compare them to the four, theyÕll barely match up to them,Ó snorted Aikawa. ÒEspecially Uchiha. Deadly, that guy. This guy only managed a long, deep gash in my back and some broken ribsÉÓ
ÒOh well,Ó muttered Aira. Just then, a movement in the trees above caught their attention. Ren, Mori, Kai, Kankurou, Hayate, Rai and Gaara landed lithely on the ground, looking around.
ÒYou managed to run into a fight!Ó Ren gasped.
ÒNoÉ they ran into our fight,Ó smirked Aikawa.
ÒYou mean they managed to actually wound you?Ó sneered Kankurou.
ÒNah, not the subordinatesÉ him,Ó said Aikawa, motioning to the now dead Shurin. ÒOne of the Death Couple.Ó
Aira kicked MikaiÕs chest. ÒYou bitch, you actually gave me a concussionÉÓ
ÒYou know, if you donÕt want to drain your blood, Aikawa, weÕd better get moving,Ó snorted Hayate. ÒYour back is bleeding pretty bad.Ó
ÒThe bastard gave it,Ó muttered Aikawa, retracting the glaive. ÒCÕmonÉÓ
The 9 of them leapt off into the forest, heading towards base, reveling in the soft, warm rays of sunlight.