Silence ruled the room. Lord Yoshito cleared his throat, facets of doubt lingered across his face. Hisck of belief in her and her capabilities was tangible. Neither he, nor his retainers, were a paragon of unshakable confidence. Quite the contrary. Much to Asami''s disappointment, the seeds of doubt had found fertile soil and now bore abundant fruit, poisoning the minds and spirits of lesser men.
Not that it mattered. A hidden smirk adorned Asami''s ruby lips. Unbeknownst to Lord Yoshito, he and his men were already as good as hers, caught in the palm of her hand. A little nudge in the correct direction was all that was necessary to convince them of their future luck.
A sigh escaped Lord Yoshito. ¡°Your confidence isudable, and your boldness praiseworthy, Lady Miyumi. Your audacity is certainly impressive for your age, and your determination speaks for itself. Yet, I must advise caution. Where there is confidence, there also lurks the danger of overconfidence. Considering the circumstances, it would be unwise to act prematurely. With all due respect, Lady Miyumi, you are but a little girl. The men under mymand are few in number and most of our allies far away ¡ We are severely outnumbered. I doubt that we can ovee Mifune and his men ¡¡±
Asami interrupted Lord Yoshito. It was neither the first time, nor would it be thest time that she was underestimated due to her appearance. ¡°Lord Yoshito, my presence alone will more than suffice to resolve this matter in an adequate manner. My capabilities far surpass even your wildest imagination. Mifune and his men will fall should you give the order.¡± Her hand reached for her scabbard. The message was clear and didn''t escape Lord Yoshito and his guards. His samurai mirrored her motion, reaching for their respective des.
Lord Yoshito was quick to apologise, ¡°Lady Miyumi, it was never our intention to offend you, but our doubts unfortunately remain. Your capabilities aside, we do not see as to how ...¡±
Lord Yoshito froze in an instant, hos whole body ceased moving. The sharp edge of her de caressed his unprotected throat.
¡°You are slow, Lord Yoshito¡±, Asami spoke, her voice ice cold and her glimmering with a hint of purple darkness. Her eyes met his gaze, probing deep into his mind and consciousness. ¡°Many have already made the error of underestimating me based on my age. Few of them have survived my de. The rest have perished. Fortunately for you and your men, your error should not be to your detriment, as I have no intention of turning my de against you. Rest assured, my confidence is not misced, nor is it a product of false bravado. Your enemies are my enemies. They will fall one by one. Their lives will end before the sun rises, in a matter of mere moments, if you will.¡±
¡°How ...¡± Lord Yoshito hesitated. ¡°How ... How can you be so sure of yourself?¡±
Asami giggled, amused by his question. ¡°How can I not be? To defy me means to defy heaven, the will of the kami itself. Follow me, and victory awaits you as sure as the sun rises in the east. I will see to it.¡±
Her answer satisfied the Lord Yoshito. His lips formed an eager grin.¡°I see. Rokuro!¡±
A samurai stepped forwards, kneeling before them. ¡°Yes, My Lord!¡±
¡°Rokuro, apany Lady Myumi. You know the castle. Show her the way.¡±
The samurai nodded. ¡°Understood, My Lord.¡±
Asami mustered a warm smile, satisfied with the oue. ¡°You have taken the right decision, Lord Yoshito, we won''t disappoint you.¡±
The moon stood high and midnight shrouded the night in darkness. It would be a night stained with blood.
Past long corridors floors, towering wooden beams, and floors of polished wood,y a small private chamber. Inside, there was resting Mifune, the lord of the castle and shogun of the Land of Iron, soundly asleep ...
In an instant, his eyes opened, his hand for grabbing for his trusted de, Kurosawa. Two figures invaded his chamber, intruders, no doubt. But his senses deceived him. The sight of two oldpanions and not intruders greeted him, Urakaku and Okisuke.
Mifune narrowed his eyes at his loyal aides and subordinates. ¡°Okisuke, Urakaku, what are you doing here at such ate hour? Didn''t you see that I was sleeping?¡±
The two samurai were both kneeling before their lord and master. Okisuke took the word, ¡°Our apologies, Lord Mifune, but time is sparse. We must flee immediately. The castle has fallen, and the enemy is approaching quickly. We must escape before the enemy reaches us.¡±
Mifune didn''t understand. ¡°The castle has fallen? What are you talking about, Okisuke?¡±
¡°Lord Yoshito and his men have raised their banners in open rebellion. They are already moving against us.¡±
¡°What?!!!¡± Mifune didn''t believe his ears. ¡°Here? Now? The bastard, what is he thinking? Has he gone insane? But how? How could the castle have fallen so easily to him and his traitors?¡±
Urakuku lowered his head. ¡°We don''t know. We have lost contact with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Company. The 4th and 5th don''t respond to our calls. The 6th is engaged in heavy fighting. They won''t be able to hold the enemy back for long. We suggest retreating to the countryside as the best of course of action. We will gather our forces and strike backter.¡±
¡°...¡± Mifune grumbled, but eventually relented. Urakuku was right. His old hands took his de and grabbed his robes. ¡°Let''s go. Time is of the essence.¡±
Mifune and his men were rushing through the corridors, sprinting towards their path to freedom. A gruesome sight greeted them. Lifeless corpses littered the castle.Butchered, eviscerated, massacred, theyy there on the ground, their blood soaking into the wood. An iron stench saturated the air.
The reports proved true, a grim reaper was stalking the castle, hunting relentlessly for new prey. This was not the work of a samurai. This was the work of a demon of old, a demon from beyond.
Mifune gripped his sword. This was an enemy unlike he had ever faced before. This degree of precision was uncanny. The deadly efficiency disturbing. Silence reigned the castle in presence of such dark deeds. And none were the wiser. Their death must havee swiftly. They had been ughtered in cold blood. Lords, retainers, samurai, servants, they all met their fate in a frenzied spree.
Mifune gritted his teeth. Yoshito would pay for this. He would pay for his crimes as long as he was drawing breath. Speaking of the devil ...
Mifune and his men arrived at an open courtyard. Falling snow covered the stone in pristine white. The dark night d the ground in darkness.
Lord Yoshito grinned. He and his men weed him in full armour. ¡°Lord Mifune, what an honour to chance upon you. We have been already awaiting you.¡±
Mifune clicked his tongue in open disdain and brandished his de. ¡°Hold your tongue, fiend. You will pay for your crimes, Yoshito. May the kami have mercy on your wicked soul. I will deliver justice right here, right now. Face me inbat if you have the nerve to call yourself a samurai ...¡±
A soft, tender giggle interjected. The voice was familiar. ¡°Such is not necessary, Lord Mifune. Lord Yoshito is unfortunately currently unavable. Thus, I would dly take his ce unless you retract your offer.¡±
A girl appeared, d in her ck kimono and armed with a sword stained with blood. Her de had imed the souls of hundreds, if not thousands.
Mifune narrowed his eyes. He understood. Suddenly everything became clear. Her visit. Her offer. Her honeyed words. It was her. It was a demon in the skin of a girl standing before him. It was her who had instigated this rebellion and butchered his men.¡°So it was you.¡±
¡°Possibly.¡± The girl tilted her head, a beatific smile belying her demonic nature in disguise. Her childish innocence masked the darkness withinher heart.
Mifune readied his sword, his hand steady and calm. The girl followed suit. Her sword was fast and nimble, led with the arrogance of youth. And yet her de betrayed the experience of its wielder. The girl was master of the sword.
They both faced each other in the middle of the snow covered castle¡¯s grounds. They both knew that only one of them would be walking away alive.
Their swords shed together with full force, sending sparks flying in a frenzied dance. The snow and ice crunched beneath their feet as their des met.
It was the night his blossom bloomed for thest time. Thest petal fell amidst the darkness of the night, gracing the red stained snow.
Katsuki meowed at her precious humanpanion, ¡°Arrre you rrready, Yuki~?¡±Yuki was central to fulfilling her mission, and thus her well being was of prime impurrrtance to the entirety of nekohood. It was not as if she cared about Yuki, or what. Just slightly. Unlike her Nee-san, Yuki was actually tending to her, providing her with an ample supply of back pats and chin scratches. Both were of course highly appreciated by the kitten in her. Yuki was even ying with her in her free time.
Yuki smiled, holdinghertightly in her tender arms. ¡°I am. I have prepared everything I need. I have packed my backpack, just as Nee-san taught me.¡±
¡°Purrfect.¡± Katsuki nodded, her paw pointing forwards with determination.¡°Then it is time to depawrt.Can you pleashe put me down?¡±
¡°Of course ...¡±Yuki did asmanded, cing her down, on the floor.
Katsuki channelled her chakra and natural energy. Her fluffy paws mowed, kneading her chakra to perform the sacred art of nekono jutsu. Her technique seeded.
A portal opened, connecting the physical ne to the realm of the neko n. It was a small portal, yet big enough for Yuki to pass through with a certain degree of effort.
Yuki stared at the product with a mixture of doubt and scepticism, even going as far as poking hercute little portal. ¡°Katsuki, are you sure that I will fitthrough?¡±
Katsuki nodded with the certainty of a princess. Her royal judgement must be infallible. ¡°Absolutely, I swear on mew fluffy paws that the portal will work. At least, it works meowst of the times. You just need to crrrawl through.¡±
¡°...¡± For some iprehensible reason, Yuki didn''t share her enthusiasm.
¡°Aaarghhhhh.¡± Yuki was falling through the air, downwards, groundwards before making a crashnding on the hard ground with at least modest speed. The portal had dropped them both airborne, sending them flying. Whether it was an ident or on purpose was not yet clear. Both was possible considering Katsuki''s mischievous and clumsy nature.
¡°Ouchie.¡±Yuki was rubbing her poor butt after her harshnding, grumbling, clearly dissatisfied with their unwee reception. ¡°Katsuki, what was this ... Katsuki, ... Katsuki, where are you?¡±
¡°Yuki, help mew! I am blind! I can''t see any morrre!¡±Katsuki was begging for help ... Her head was stuck into the ground ... Probably due to their fall ...
¡°... ... ...¡±Yuki blinked her eyes, before freeing the little silly kitten princess, pulling her tiny head out of the ground.
Katsuki inhaled the air of freedom, sighing in relief. ¡°Thank you, Yuki. Once again, you arrre my saviourrr in need. You have somehow managed to rrreturn my eyesight! A mirrracle!¡±
¡°Well, you were merely stuck into the earth. I just pulled you out.¡± Yuki mustered a dry, wryugh, while carrying Katsuki in her hands.
¡°Oh ...¡±Katsuki came to realise her error. ¡°Anynya, your contribution to nekohood is apprrreciated. You have liberrrated mew from the evil clutches of earth!¡±
¡°Sure.¡±Yuki returned a smile, patting her head. Her eyes were scanning their surroundings. Open woond greeted them, apanied by fertile grasnd and extensive lush vegetation. ¡°Katsuki, do you have any idea where we are? It looks like we havended in the middle of nowhere.¡±
Her felinepanion appeared to be equally lost. ¡°Well, it might seem so, but do not frrret, Yuki, we arrre not lost at all!¡±
¡°Are we?¡±Yuki raised an eyebrow of profound doubt. She had a hard time believing Katsuki after all her bragging and her previous failures. It wouldn''t be the first time that her feline pride was speaking from her.
Katsuki nodded. ¡°The portal must have dropped us inside neko n territory. I am pawsolutely sure. We just need to walk for a bit beforrre we will reach Koneko, the imperial capital! Koneko must be close! I am cerrrtain!¡±
¡°...¡±Koneko ... Once again, everything about the neko n was quite cat themed, which she supposed made sense considering their feline nature.
Yuki timidly raised her hand. ¡°Katsuki, I have a question, though, in which direction should we go then?¡±
Katsuki was fidgeting with her paws, averting her gaze. ¡°Well, the neko n is unpawrtunately not what it used to be. The same is true for our terrritory. It has shrunken considerably over the pawst decades. So I guess that we should find Koneko sooner thanter ...¡±
¡°... ... ... that sounds ... logical ...¡±Yuki tentatively agreed.
¡°It does!¡± Katsuki nodded, pointing her paw eastwards, where the sun wasing from. ¡°This is the right direction! This must be the right pawth! I am certain!¡±
Yuki followed her gaze, looking for a path where none was. There was only empty grasnd as far as her eyes reached. Yuki had her doubts. ¡°Ehm, Katsuki, are you really sure that this is the right direction?¡±
¡°Yuki, trust mew and my superior cat senses.¡± Katsuki''s chest swelled with pride, with only slight delusions of feline grandeur. ¡°We can''t be wrrrong!¡±
¡°... ... ...¡±Yuki said nothing. Not that she had much of a choice now that she was stuck far, far away in unknownnds with an unreliable cat princess as a guide. The only way was indeed forwards, forwards, ever forwards. Together, they led the way, embarking on their journey into the unknown.
Only the tender whistling of the wind could be heard. The streets of Koneko were emptier than empty,pletely deserted and devoid of life. Where once was bustling life, there was no deadly silence. Where once were merchants, artisans, people, there was now emptiness. The stalls, the shops, they were all empty. Koneko was a ghost town wherever she went, but not for ack of poption and activity, rather the contrary. There were signs of activity everywhere. The shops were open. The stalls were filled to the brim, offering a plenitude of wares and goods. There were also countless paw prints visible on the ground. It was as if life had suddenly ceased and all cats had gone into hiding, which was the case.
All the stares and gazes from everywhere didn''t escape Yuki. The catizens of Koneko were looking at her with a mixture of fear and horror. They were hiding from her inside their homes and houses, barricading themselves behind the safety of their wooden walls. The cats were probably scared of her, terrified by her enormous height. Just as were the guards at the gates. The cat soldiers abandoned their posts at her mere sight, fleeing head over heels. They apparently believed that they were attacked by a giant bipedal creature and that had to call for reinforcement.
Yuki thus entered the settlement with little opposition. Not that she hade with hostile intentions, quite the contrary, but the guards chose to flee regardless, leaving the gate unprotected. She was now walking the streets of Koneko with Katsuki in her arms, heading directly for the imperial pce. At least, the sight of the town warmed her heart. The buildings, the houses, the shops, the stalls, the streets, everything was so small and cute. As if the town was made for cats, which it evidently was.
A happy smile crossed Yuki''s lips. She had set foot into the town only a few minutes ago, but she already loved the ce. All the small buildings and houses made her feel really tall. She was finally not the shortest person in the room any more. She was also sure that Nee-san would love the ce too for the same reason. After all, Nee-san oftenined about her ...
¡°Stop, archfiend! Move no further! Cease your wanton destruction, foreign devil!¡±
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¡°Hmm ...¡±Yuki reacted in surprise, looking around. An unknown voice ordered her to halt. Like the good girl she was, she obeyed. Yet there was nobody to be seen far and close. The town was still deserted as before.
¡°Hmm ...¡±Yuki tilted her head in confusion. Who was the mysterious voice that spoke to her. An unsolved mystery ...
The unknown voice boiled with unprecedented anger, veritably fuming. ¡°Do not darrre to ignorrre us, malicious fiend! I am your enyaemy!¡±
There it was again. The mysterious voice had returned. It clearly belonged to a feline specimen, and yet there was once again no cat in sight. Yuki''s gaze swept across the empty streets and roofs. Much to her immense disappointment, there was no cat to be seen. Was the mysterious voice perchance just a product of her imagination? Perhaps. It was a worrisome thought. Mysterious talking voices in your head were not a good thing. Nee-san would certainly not approve of them ...
The voice exploded, ¡°We are down here, you imbecile! Do not slight our honyaour, forrreign devil! We are proud warrriors of the neko n! We do not fearrr you!!!¡±
¡°Oh ...¡±They were right. Yuki finally realised her mistake and lowered her gaze, looking downwards onto the street. ¡°Oh, there you are~.¡±Her eyes caught sight of a pack of small, little kittens facing her. The cats were all fully armed from tail to paw, d in heavy dark bluecquered samurai armour. A kabuto covered their fluffy heads and ears, and their small paws wielded their swords with firm determination. And yet, despite their threatening appearance, they were all so cute. They were all so cuddly and huggly. Every single one of them.
Their mere sight warmed Yuki''s heart with radiant joy. ¡°Oh my, so cute and fluffy. You are even armed~. Aren''t they all adorable, Katsuki ...¡±
The leader of the pack pouted in indignation, raising her paw against her. ¡°WE ARE NOT CUTE AND FLUFFY!!! We arrre fearrrsome warriors! We are wild like tigerrrs and do not fear even death himself! I am Captain Yoruichi, and we are proud servants of Her Majesty! We are the furrmidable impurrrial neko guarrrd! Do well to remember us, foreign devil, as it will be yourst sight!¡±
Yuki smiled while hugging Katsuki in her arms, still blinded by their supreme cuddliness. ¡°Oh my, no need to be so violent~. Cannot we be friends~?¡±It was time to make some more kitten friends. Nee-san would be surely proud of her.
¡°Fwiends?¡±Captain Yoruichi of the neko guard raised her dubious eyebrow, eyeing her with considerable suspicion. She obviously didn''t trust her in the slightest.
Yuki nodded. ¡°Yes, friends. I am sure you all just want some cuddles and snuggles. Some head pats for everyone~.¡±
¡°...¡± Captain Yoruichi lowered her sword, albeit only briefly and tentatively. The distrust was patent.
¡°...¡±Yuki beamed.
¡°NO!!! We will not fall for your deception, foreign devil!!!¡± Captain Yoruichi gripped her sword, her paws filled with resolve. ¡°Your twisted tongue speaks only lies and deceit, fiend! We arrre prroud warriors! Our paws are strong, and our wills are as unbending as steel! We have sworn an oath to protect Koneko and catizens with our lives and blood, even in its darkest hour! We will not waver, and we will not shrink from our duty! We will not be led astray by the purrspect of cuddles, snuggles, and chin strokes! No matter how tempting they might be!¡±
¡°...¡±Yuki pouted in disappointment, hugging Katsuki tightly. Her attempt at making more fwiends had failed. Her hopes had been brutally crushed and her offer rebuffed. How cruel.
¡°Captain Yoruichi ...¡± Katsuki tried to speak up for her, yet even she was brushed aside by Yoruichi''s n.
Captain Yoruichi raised her sword. ¡°Your pleads serve you naught, fiend! Be prepared to meet your end! Neko guard, attack ...¡±
Yuki, however, was not so quick to give up. If Nee-san, then it was to fight and never surrender! ¡°Why are you doing this? Why are you attacking me? What have I done to deserve such treatment?¡±Her words caught the neko guard off guard, giving them pause.
¡°Well, ...¡±Captain Yoruichi was thinking. ¡°As said, your wanton destrrruction will stop here and meow! You will pay for your deeds, fiend!¡±
Both she and Katsuki were equally confused. ¡°Wanton destruction? What wanton destruction? I entered the town just a few minutes ago, and as far as I can see, Koneko is still standing.¡±
¡°... ... ...¡±Yoruichifell silent before raising her voice again. ¡°Lies! I am surrre you must have destroyed something on your crrrazed stampede. A mailbox, a cart, a food stand! There must be something, right?¡±He turned to her loyal subordinates.
Her second inmand shook his head. ¡°Not as far as we know, Captain. We have no damage reported yet.¡±
¡°... ... ...¡±Yoruichi returned her attention to her, visibly dissatisfied with the current situation. ¡°Anynya, then it was more of a figure of speech. And it is rather the potential destruction that is relevant here, and not the actual destrruction. Only because you haven''t destroyed anything yet, that doesn''t mean that you will not destroy anything in the future!
Furthermore, you have entered the town without permission! You have breached the guardhouse after overpowering our brave warriors! But we shall not tolerate your reign of terror!¡±
Yuki was listening. The neko n was clearly not as eloquent as Nee-san. It was not even aparison ... But it made them charming. The cats were cute and silly, and a little bit helpless. The neko n definitely needed her help. ¡°... But I didn''t overpower them ... The guards fled their posts the moment they saw me ... So I just stepped over the walls ...¡±
¡°... ... ...¡±Captain Yoruichifell once again silent, once again turning to her subordinates. ¡°Is that true? Did they really desert their posts?¡±
Her second inmand took a deep breath, scratching his fur. ¡°Well, technically speaking, yes ...¡±
¡°... ... ...¡±Yoruichi raised her paw against her. ¡°Listen, female human creature, you might speak the truth for once, but the fact stands that your sole intention is to terrorise this peaceful town and its catizens!¡±
¡°Really?¡±Yuki doubted so.
Yoruichinodded, confident in her ways. ¡°Yes, and we have definite prrroof toy bare your vile intentions beyond any reasonable doubt, fiend!¡±
Yuki smiled. ¡°Such as?¡±
Yoruichipointed at her arms. ¡°The young kitten in your arms! You have clearly catnapped her, fiend, for whatever vile purposes! If that is not definite proof of your bottomless viiny, then I don''t know what else.¡±
Realisation hit Yuki. ¡°Ah, you mean Princess Katsuki. You know, she is ...¡±
¡°Preposterous!!!¡± Yoruichi raised her sword, as did the rest of the neko guard. ¡°Not only did you catnap a young, innocent kitten, but you alsomit your crime against a member of the impurrrial family and the Crown Princess herself! Does your ck hearted wickedness know no bounds? You will pay for your crimes!!! Neko guard, assemble ...¡±
Yuki sighed in frustration. ¡°Listen, Captain Yoruichi, please let me finish for once. I will expalin everything. I have not catnapped Princess Katsuki. I am here as her friend, right, Katsuki?¡±
Katsuki nodded vigorously, finally taking her side. ¡°Indeed, Lady Yuki is an esteemed a fwiend of the neko n,and our honourable guest. She was invited personally by Her Majestyherself. I swear so on my paws.¡±
Yoruichi blinked. ¡°Really?¡±
Both, Yuki and Katsuki nodded.
¡°... ... ...¡±Captain Yoruichi averted her eyes, finally realising the implications of her actions. Her paws were fidgeting. ¡°I am sowwy. This was just a big misunderstanding ...¡±
A tender hand was patting her head, slowly rubbing her fur. It was Yuki, armed with a big, radiant smile. ¡°No need to be so gloomy. It is all forgiven and forgotten.¡±
And thus Yuki was able to defeat the imperial neko guard. Not through brute force, but through cuddles and snuggles.
Holding Katsuki tightly in her arms, Yuki wandered the floors of the impurrial pace, which was apparently not a case of misspelling, but rather the correct denomination ording to neko terminology and orthography. The proud members of the impurrial catguard trailing closely behind her, following her on their fluffy paws.
Through illicit means such as cuddlesand pats, Yuki had earned herself their loyalty and respect. The pack of kittens and cats had epted her as their de facto alpha cat. Nevertheless, they still met her with a considerable amount of suspicion. They didn''tpletely trust her yet. She was far taller than them. She had no fur, no tail, and no whiskers. Furthermore, she was walking on her two hind paws and was missing their fluffy ears. Instead, she possessed a pair of curious ms fixed to the sides of her oval head. Andst but not least, she was not meowing. All this made her suspect in the eyes of the catguard who probably regarded her as a strange type of kitten.
Captain Yourichiandher detachmentwere guiding her around, showing her the various rooms andfacilities inside the pce¡¯s wall. Her chest swelled with inherent feline pride, her whiskers straightened, and her tail waved at the sight of the fruitsand achievements of catvilitisation and allof nekohood.Yuki merely smiled and went along for the sake of diplomatic politeness. It would be impolite to interrupt her.
Captain Yoruichi raised her paw, motioning at a forge.The fire of coke and coal nourished the mes of the furnaces. The sound of hammers and anvils, of hardening steel andbour reverberated through the air. The vapour of boiling steam and oils clouded the room.
Yet it did not escape Yukithat a considerable numberof cats were lying around on the floor, taking a nap. Most of them were sleeping in close proximity to the furnaces. It was probably the warmth of the furnaces that attracted them. It was an economical use of warmth, but the fact remained that many of them were sleeping dangerously close to the mes. Hopefully, they wouldn''t get their tails burned.
Captain Yoruichi raised her chin. ¡°This is the impurial pawmoury. Here we purrduce our armaments. Only the most proficient smiths and armourers ofthe Empire receive the honour to render their services in these esteemed halls.¡±
¡°Oh ¡¡± Yuki marvelled at the industrious kittensat work. Their little hammersmade them look so cute.
Their littlegroup moved on to the next room.
Captain Yoruichi spoke, ¡°This is thepride of the Empire. This is theimpurrialmanufactory.¡±
¡°Ah ...¡± Yuki opened her mouth in awe.
¡°Here we produce the softest and most exquisite fabrics of the Empire.Whether it be silk or serge, felt or velvet, linen or hemp, wool or cashmere. Theyare our pride and represent our prime expurrtproduct. We are expurrting our delicate fabrics across the entire spirit realm.¡±
Yuki beamed. ¡°I see.¡± Much to her confusion, several kittenswere ying with samples of yarn, their paws battling them in the air. Other kittens werebouncing with their pawsonrolled out boltsof silk, cashmere and cotton.
Yuki tilted their head. What werethey doing there?
Captain Yoruichi noticed her confusion and cared to exin, ¡°Do not wonder, they are purrforming an impurrtant duty. They are testing the fluffiness and softness of our raw materialsand final products. We, the Neko n,stand only forthe highest degree of quality in terms of softness and cuddliness.¡±
Her words didn''t convince Yuki at all. Their upation did not look like work at all. They were having a lot of fun ying with their yarnand fabrics, yet she didn''t wish to argue with the nekon and their feline expertise in the field of fabrics and textiles.They probably knew what they were doing.
Their little tourcontinued, leading themto a wide, open area within the pce¡¯s walls. It was a garden and many cats were tending to their herbsand bedsin an exemry disy of horticulture. They even had a little irrigation system and were wielding tiny shovels and sickles in their paws. The cats were busy harvesting their plentiful bounty. What a heart warming sight.
Yuki beamed.¡°What are you growing here?¡±
Captain Yoruichi puffed her chest and purred, ¡°Catnip, of course! Much, much catnip! Nekohood is constant need of a steady supply of high grade catnip! Fresh catnip is an essentialmodity of our daily life.¡±
Yuki nodded. That made sense ... Katsuki had told her much about the prime impurrtance of catnip.
And their journey continued. There were many more rooms to visit and many more floors to wander. Purrhaps too many ... Yuki appreciated their efforts to introduce her, an outsider, to the rich and colourful history and culture of the Neko n, but there was a limit to her human patience and benevolence. Their tour was bing increasingly tedious ... All the walking and the endless lectures were slowly starting to bore her to death ... She had seen enough of the 9 999 rooms of the Impurrial Pace, and she doesn''t want to hear anything any more about the 999 uses of catnip!
But Yuki was a good girl. Despite being bored to death, she didn''t raise anyints, just as courtesy demanded. ... Her fate was instead to slowly fall asleep. Her eyelids were heavy, and it was only ... a matter ... of time ... until ... ... sleep ... ... imed ... ... her ... ... ¡°Zzz ... Zzz ... Zzz ...¡±
Captain Yoruichi raised her paw, ¡°And here we are, the glorrrious and venerable impurrrial throne room, the heart and jewel of the impurrial pce. Unforrrtunately, though, our tour ends here as time is sparse. However, if you wish so, we would be of course honoured to continue our tour and show you more of the impurrial pce another day. There are many more rooms and ces to see and visit ...¡±
¡°Zzz ... Zzz ... Zzz ...¡± Yet it was already toote. Yuki had already fallen asleep from utter boredom, her eyelids closed, and her head lowered while standing upright. A series of sweet melodic snores escaped her lips. ¡°Zzz ... Zzz ... Zzz ...¡±
Captain Yoruichicleared her throat, ¡°Ahem, Lady Yuki ...¡±
¡°Zzz ... Zzz ... Zzz ...¡±Yuki was sleeping peacefully.
¡°Lady Yuki ...¡±
¡°Zzz ... Zzz ... Zzz ...¡±
Ultimately, it was Katsuki who took action and poked her dormant mistress awake.
¡°Wah ...¡±Yuki jumped up in shock, caughtpletely off guard and thrown into total disarray and confusion. ¡°I am here ... I am listening ... I am awake ... I am not sleeping ...¡±
The kitten guard exchanged looks, yet they choose to ignore herpse. As supreme connoisseur themselves, they probably knew about the impurrtance of taking naps.
Yuki looked around, still slightly disoriented. ¡°Where are we? What are we doing here?¡±
Captain Yoruichi cleared her throat, exining once again, ¡°Ahem, as said, this is the impurrial throne room. The Empurress already awaits you, Lady Yuki.¡±
¡°Oh ...¡±Yuki merely smiled, overjoyed and breathing a sigh of relief now that her martyrdom had finally ended. No boring tour anymore. She was free! Finally free! Now the Empurrress was awaiting her.
Yuki and the delegation entered. They were greeted by the entire collective neko court, by guards and soldiers, by courtiers and ministers, by scribes and servants.
Among them, was sitting The Empurrress, the supposedly purrriest and fluffiest of cats, throning on a conspicuous mountain of soft, cosy pillows from where she reigned over thends of Neko n with an iron paw.
A guard announced, purring through the wide halls. ¡°Her Impurrrial Pawjesty, forever August, Purrrtector of the Realm, Defender of Nekohood, Pawrdian of Peace and Purrrsperity, Champion of Kittens, Empurrress Suiko! May She purrr long and in peace!¡±The use of feline titles was noted by Yuki. Pawjesty ... Empurrress ...
The Empurrress greeted her. ¡°Greetings, We have been already awaiting you ...¡±
¡°Mother~!!!¡±Impatience overtook Katsuki, making her jump from the safety of Yuki''s arms, only to storm off to join her mother''s side. Katsuki moved her paws, wildly gesticting to express her joy. ¡°Mother, I have missed you, purrr.¡±
¡°I have missed you too, Katsuki-chan~. It is good to see you return.¡±Empurrress Suiko ced her paw on her daughter''s forehead, patting her. Katsuki was purring loudly, her joy visible. ¡°How are you doing? I was told that you have found a summoner in the human realm? Furthermore, I was told that your new duties and responsibilities keep you busy every day of the week.¡±
Katsuki purred, enjoying her pat, ¡°I am doing well, Mother~. And, yes, I have found a strong and powerful summoner. I have no doubt that Lady Asami ranks with cerrrtainty among the strongest of her kind And, yes, Lady Asami tasked with an array of impurrtant and indispensable duties and responsibilities. Lady Asami is indeed counting on me day and night. Unfortunately, my onerous duties impede to return home.¡±
¡°... ... ...¡±Yuki didn''t say anything. Being their de facto private house cat wasn''t exactly an important duty ... Nee-san just kept Katsuki around all the time for her to y with her ... Otherwise, her
mainly consisted of taking naps near the stove, ying around with her yarn, eatingrge quantities of tuna, and consuming pats and belly rubs.
Empuress Suiko smiled, much proud of her daughter. ¡°I see. I presume then that our human guest must be our esteemed Lady Asami. It is a honour to finally meet you in person, Lady Asami, although I must confess that I am surprised by your age. You are younger that I have expected, Lady Asami.¡±
Katsuki was fidgeting. ¡°Well, ... That is because she isn''t Lady Asami ...¡±
¡°What? But didn''t I instruct you to take her with you?¡±
Katsuki was scratching her head. ¡°Yes, you did ... But it was ... unfortunately ... not possible ... You see, Mother, as it turns out Lady Asami has a variety of othermitments that require her utmost attention ... Thus, Lady Asami is unavable ...¡±
¡°...¡±Silence followed.
Katsuki offered a wry smile. ¡°But do not worry, Mother, Lady Asami has sent her little sister instead.¡±
¡°Her little sister?¡±
Katsuki nodded. ¡°Yes, her little sister. I can vouch for her. Lady Yuki is a more than adequate recement~.¡±
Yuki merely waved. Yes, she was Nee-san little sister and more than adequate. She had trained hard for this day. She wouldn''t disappoint Nee-san
¡°...¡±Her mother hesitated, but there was trust in her eyes, trust in Katsuki''s judgement. ¡°We will see. I hope you are right, because it is an impurrrtant task that awaits you.¡±
¡°Such as?¡±Yuki tilted her head, curious. Nee-san was also always tilting her head. It was thus a behaviour that had to be emted.
Empurrress Suiko spoke, ¡°You will see. Grave danger looms on the horizon, Lady Yuki, threatening all of Nekohood An old enemy has once again reemerged.¡±
All cats at the court, ministers and courtiers, soldiers and gaurds, nodded in agreement, their faces serious.
¡°Guards, unravel the map.¡±
¡°Yes, Your Pawjesty!¡±The guards did as ordered, quickly and efficiently. They brought a giant scroll and unravelled it.
Yuki was staring at the map with more questions than answers. ¡°What is this?¡±
Empurrress Suiko spoke, ¡°This is a map of the spirit realm. As you can see, ournds are here.¡±Her paw motioned somewhere undefined in the middle of nowhere. As if she knew where the Neko territory was located, which she didn''t. But it was probably where the giant cat face was located. That should be a quite reliable indicator.
Empurrress Suiko took the word, ¡°News has arrived that the snake n has officially concluded a peace treaty with the toad n, ending hostilities between their respective ns. At least, furr the time being. And, at least, until the next war. Unfurrtunately, that is terrible news furr us.¡±
¡°Is it?¡±
Empurrress Suiko nodded. ¡°It is, Lady Yuki. The snakes are still weakened by the long war, but it means that they can and will turn their attention now southwards again, against us. They are shifting their forces south, threatening our broders, It is only a matter of time before they will strike like in the past.¡±
¡°Oh ...¡±Yuki understood after looking at the map. The ominous violet of the snake n bordered against the briint gold of the neko n. It seeemed like conflict was inevitable.
Empurrress Suiko raised her paw. ¡°But it is not toote yet. We must act swiftly and with courage. To counter the snake threat, I have arranged talks with our neighbours. We need to revive old bonds and form an alliance against ourmon foe.¡±
Yuki raised her hand. She had a question. ¡°And what has that exactly to do to with us?¡±
Empurrress Suiko meowed loud and clearly. ¡°The talks will be soon, Lady Yuki. Sadly, there are impurrtant matters here at home that require my attention. Our forces must be meowbilised, and we must prepare for war. That is why I will send you and my daughter as our representatives. I thus ask you to assist my daughter and support her as she is still young and inexpurrrienced. You both must secure an alliance.¡±
¡°I understand.¡±Yuki clenched her fists, highly motivated. How fortunate that Nee-san had instructed her much in the subtle art of statecraft and diplomacy. It was finally time to put Nee-san''s lessons to good use.
A lone mountain pass near the border to the snake n has been chosen and was agreed upon as the assembly area. A military camp of bivouacs and tents rose from nothing as more and more forces assembled. Now that their respective delegations had arrived, the arduous rounds of diplomatic talks had begun under the cover of arge tent. The alliance of threatened ns had been assembled, or rather the alliance of cute threatened ns, a fact that didn''t escape Yuki''s notice. Much to her delight, it was an alliance consisting mainly of cute and fluffy animals. She wanted to tickle and pat all of them!
The cats sent their representatives. The red pandas sent their representatives. The hedgehogs sent their representatives. The otters sent their representatives. The beavers sent their representatives.The rabbits sent their representatives. The squirrel sent their representatives. The weasels sent their representatives. Andst but not least, even the tanuki sent their representatives.
Yuki smiled. They were all so cute and cuddly, not to mention and supremely fuzzy. And yet, they were all united in their purpose to fight an old andmon enemy, the evil snake n. The expansion of the snakes had to be halted at any price until it was toote. Everyone knew what was at risk here and that time was of the essence! Nevertheless, old grievances were not entirely forgotten and prejudices lingered.
A red panda raised his paw, pointing at Katsuki with an using tone, ¡°How can we be certain that you won''t betray us yet again, Princess Katsuki? After all, it was you and yours who sold us out during thest war! Everyone knows that you cats are a treacherous n without the slightest sense of honour!¡±
Katsuki was obviously forced to defend official neko policy, ¡°We aren''t!¡±
The red panda narrowed his eyes, his position irreconcble. ¡°You are. You are nothing but opportunistic cowards! Your resolve is as weak as your fur¡¯s fluffiness!¡±
Katsuki pouted, fuming. ¡°Hold your tongue! I won¡¯t allow you to besmirch the honour of the glorious neko n, you ... Mmmmmm! Mmmmm! Mmmmmmm!¡±
Yuki intervened, holding Katsuki back, closing her mouth with her fingers, blocking any of her attempts to speak further. These talks were too important to be ruined by individual sentiments. The needs of many were more important than the wounded pride of a single kitten.
All that was left to Katsuki was to mumble and protest, ¡°Mmmm! Mmmm! Mmmmmmm!¡±
Yuki smiled, taking the word instead. ¡°We do not want to disagree, but you should not forget that the neko n has hardly profited from our betrayal. Rather the opposite. We have suffered the consequences of our disloyalty. The snake n backstabbed us at the first best opportunity.¡±
¡°...¡± The red panda grumbled, but her words calmed his mood. ¡°Fair enough ...¡±
¡°Sssssss, greetingssss everyone.¡± An uninvited visitor arrived. It was a snake. Everyone turned, startled by its appearance.
The red panda raised his paw. ¡°Who are you? And what are you doing here?¡±
¡°Ssssss, who I am isssss not important. I am an emisssssssary of the sssssnake n, and we have caught wind of your ridiculoussssss alliace of weaklingsssss. I mussssst ssssay that we find yourrrrrrughable effortsssss to consssssspire againsssssst usssss amussssssing. Neverthelesssssssss, the White Ssssssnake Sssssage feltpelled to disssssspatch a ssssssmall expeditionary foce to make our possssssition known.¡± The snake smirked, antagonising every n in the tent on the spot, not to mention annoying everyone present with his lisping.
Katsuki fumed. ¡°Was that all you wanted to say? Don''t you have anything better to do than sneak in and throw insults at us?¡±
¡°Of coursssse. Of coursssse.¡± The snake grinned, his tongue lisping. ¡°Assss a matter of fact, I am here to pressssssent you with an ultimaaaaatum. Our demandsssss are sssssimple, disssssolve your feeble alliae and ssssssurrender your armssssss. Ssssssubmit to our power and we might ssssshow mey. Oppossssse us, howeverrrrr, and our forcessssss will crush youuuuu all. You have time until tomorrow afternoon to surrrrrrender before we attaaaaack.¡±
Katsuki was wandering back and forth under the roof of their tent, deeply unsettled.
The talks rested in the light of recent events, despite time being precious. The delegations had decided to retreat to their tents to consult with each other before they would reconvene the dawn of morning. ¡°What shall we do? What shall we do?¡±
Yuki merely smiled, trying to soothe her fluffy feline friend, ¡°Don''t worry, Katsuki. Everything will be fine. Nothing is lost yet.¡±
Katsuki looked at her with worried eyes. ¡°Do you think so?¡±
Yuki nodded. ¡°Yes, confidence, Katsuki, have confidence! A battle is only lost when you give up! That is at least what Nee-san says.¡±
¡°Hmm ...¡± Katsuki pondered, her paw rubbing at her chin. ¡°I guess we need to fight then ...¡±
¡°Ssss, not necesssssssarily.¡± An old friend returned, slithering its way into the tent. It was the emissary of the snake n.
Katsuki jumped up in shock, quickly hiding behind Yuki''s legs. ¡°Waw, a snake! GUARDS ...¡±
¡°Ssss, no need to call the guardssssss, Princess Katsuki. I aming in pecce. In fact, I have an offer for you and the neko n.¡±
¡°An offer?¡± Katsuki peeked at the snake from her cover.
The snake nodded. ¡°Sssss, indeed. You and I both know well that your feeble alliance isssssss ultimately doomed to fail. That is why I offer you a way to ssssssssave your n, Pricessssssss Katsssssssuki. Join ussssssss and we will sssssspare you.¡±
Katsuki hesitated. ¡°You want me to betray ... the alliance?¡±
The snake nodded. ¡°Yessss, together, we will destroy the minor nssssss and take theirnds. Of coursssssse, the neko n will be dulypenssssssssated for your change of heart. Not only will we return thendsssssss that we have annexxxxxxed during thest war, but we will alssssssso return the neko ssssssage sssssssscroll as a ssssssign of our goodwill.¡±
Katsuki couldn''t believe her ears. Her anger exploded. ¡°So it was you who stole our sacred neko sage scroll!¡±
The snake smirked. ¡°Correct, we are guilty asssssss charged. It was child''ssssssss y.¡±
¡°But how?¡± Katsuki retorted. ¡°The Neko guard protects the scroll with their lives. How were you able to prate our defences?¡±
The snake grinned. ¡°Well, from what I heard, our agents struck during the grand neko nap fessssstival ¡¡±
¡°Oh, ¡ the ¡ nap ¡ festival ¡ ¡± Katsuki fell profoundly silent.
¡°The grand neko nap festival?¡± Yuki tilted her head.
¡°Yessss, we sssstruck during the yearly fessstival under the cover of ssssslumber. The Neko guard wassssssss ssssssssoundly assssssssleep on their mountainsssss of catnip when we arrived to perform our ssssssecret operation.¡±
¡°That ... sounds ... believable.¡± Katsuki lowered her head in shame, disappearing into the abyss of humiliation. ¡°But in our defence, only the most vile fiend strikes during our sacred nap time. Have no honour?¡±
¡°Sssss, we are ssssssssnakes ... What do you expect, Princess Katssssssuki? Prey is besssst enjoyed while assssleeep.¡±
¡°...¡± Yuki was left speechless to the point of despairing. As it turned out, the Neko guard was really beyond useless ... No wonder that Nee-san had ced so little faith into the neko n and their abilities ... They were truly ipetent ... How was it possible to get a national treasure stolen directly under your nose during nap time ¡
¡°Ssss, anyway, what do you think about our offer, Princess Katssssssssuki? Do you cept or not?¡±
Katsuki raised her paw, adopting a thinking posture. ¡°Well, ...¡±
A simple stern nce from Yuki sufficed to shut down any frivolous thoughts that Katsuki''s capricious kitten mind might hold. The message was clear, don''t even think about it!
Katsuki merely gulped. ¡°No ... No!!! We decline! The honour of the neko n cannot be bought!¡±
The snake emissary narrowed his eyes. ¡°I sssssssee, how unfortunate. I hope you and your fellow catssssssss wille to regret your decissssssssion sssssssssoon. Mark our wordssssssss, you all will pay dearly for oppossssssing usssssssss.¡±
It was morning when the alliance of cute and fluffy animals, at least Yuki called them such,reassembled for a new war council in themand tent. Every n was determined to fight the enemy, and though the snakendidn¡¯t scare them, they all knew that they had to fight. A tough battle awaited them. There was no escape. It was now a matter of standing together or falling together. Their situationstrengthenedtheiralliance, although doubtand uncertainty gued everyone¡¯s mind.There was fear and anxiety in everyone¡¯seyes.
The uing battle wouldn¡¯t be an easy one. The forces of the snake n were infamousfor their mercilessness and brutality. It would take more than just courage and foolhardy bravery to defeat them. Luckily, Yuki had a n. It was time to capitalise on her lessons in strategy and tactics. Nee-san would be certainly proud of her. She wouldput Nee-san''ssses to good use.
The red panda raised his voice, him being the representative of his n and improptumander of the allied forces. ¡°I am d that everyone here is resolved to fight. Today, we will stand and fight together asrades. Nevertheless, we must now discusshow to confront the enemy. Our scouts report that the enemy significantly outnumbers us. We will receive reinforcementssoon, but even then our numbers are far from favourable. The enemy is strong, yet we cannot allow the enemy to take the mountain pass without a fight. Thepass is a strategically important. It would allowourenemy to invade ournds unopposed. That is why we mustdefendthe passno matter the cost. That is why we have no choice, we must stand our ground.¡±
Everyone in the tent nodded. So did Yuki. The pass was important. That much is clear.
The red panda continued, ¡°Fortunately, the mountains stand with usin theing battle. The terrain willfavourus and provide us a with a strong defensive position. We will have the high ground, which will allow us to counter the enemy numbers.¡±
¡°...¡±The other nssaid nothing. Their representatives appearedto agreewith the proposed strategy. After all, it was a sensible one. Still ...
Yuki stepped forwards, entering the middle of the tent. She was a girl with a purpose.
Katsuki watched her from the sides, confused. ¡°Yuki, what are you doing?¡±
Yukiresponded with a motivated smile. ¡°Watch and learn. I have an idea.¡±
Yuki raised her hand, calling for attention. ¡°Excuse me! Iknow that it is not my ce to speak,but I want to propose a different strategy.¡±
The red panda narrowed his eyes at her, scrutinisingher. ¡°Human, you are with the nekon, unless I am mistaken.¡±
Yuki nodded. ¡°Correct.I act as a representative of the neko n.¡±
The red panda crossed his arms. ¡°I see. You may speak then. Tell us, what strategy do you propose instead?¡±
Yuki beamed positively. ¡°Listen, what if we ...¡±
An open in stretched out before the mountain pass. It was afternoon.Two armies stood assembled on the vast in, forming rows and formations, closing ranks and battle lines. Armed to the teethwithweapons of war, d in armour and steel,the two alliances prepared to meet each other in battle. The day of battle had arrived. The two forceswould face each other now on the fields of glory.
¡°Ssssss, how foolisssh of them¡±,the snake general hissed, amused by the utter foolishnessof their enemy. ¡°To forsssake their defensssive position only tomeet us on open ground. Are they tired of living? Thisssbattle will be easssy. We will crussshthisss feeble alliance under the weight of our superior forces.¡±
¡°Indeed, General¡±, the snake emissary seconded his opinion. ¡°Our attempt to bribe the neko n might have failed, but the fate of the aince isss sssealed regardlesss. The moment we break their morale, their forcesss will flee and ssshatter. Theirndsss will then be oursss for the taking. They will be unable to oppossse usss.¡±
¡°Exactly¡±,the general flicked histongue with gleebefore addressing a nearby officer. ¡°Soldier, give ourtroops the orders to advance and engage the enemy. The time hase to annihte our enemy.¡±
¡°Underssstood, General.¡± The officer slithered off to transmit the orders. The battle was about to begin.
A red panda officer gulpedat the sight of the enemy numerical superiority, his nerves getting the better of him. Their superiority was considerable, to say the least, ¡°Do you think thatwas a good idea, General, to follow her n?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t waver, soldier¡±, the red panda general replied, his voice firm. ¡°The girl''s n was a sound n, and I support it. Now that we stand here, we must be ready to face the enemy.¡±
The officer remained unsure. ¡°Still...¡±
A stern re from the general silenced hisint, his paw raised.¡°We need to steel our hearts and showcourage...¡±
The general paused, all of his attention now focused on the enemy. The snake troops began to move. ¡°The enemy is advancing.Orderthe troops to prepare and receive the enemy. Everyoneshall act as nned.¡±
¡°Understood, General.¡± The officer hurried off to alert the troops, his heart pounding with anticipation.
Meanwhile, Yuki and Katsuki were lying in wait, hiding among the woods together with a detachment of fearsome, nimble neko warriorsand other alliance soldiers. They had taken a little detour and taken the long route around the mountain, all for the sake of one goal. They were biding their time, preparing for a sneak attack on the enemy camp. They would ambush the camp after the snake main force was sessfully lured into the mountainpass. The n was to stage a feigned retreat before the armies sh. The alliance army would abandon their positions and withdraw, inviting the enemy to pursue them. Once lured in, the alliance troops would block the pass behind them with rocks and stone and that way trap the entirety of the enemy forces. Unable to escape, the enemy would be then be exposed to attacks from all sides. Arrows, javelins, rocks will rain down on the enemy from above without mercy.
¡°Are you sure your n will work, Yuki?¡± Katsuki asked, hervoiceced with doubt.
Yuki nodded, supremely convinced.How could she?¡°Quite sure. My confidence in Nee-san is unshakeable.After all, this isone of Nee-san¡¯s brilliant stratagems. We discussedthis manoeuvrein our mountain warfare ss!¡±
¡°If you think so...¡± Katsuki trailed off, still unsure butwilling to trust Yuki.
The enemy advanced. The army of snakes was in sight in all its might. The once distant metallic rumble of armours and weapons grew louder, and louder. What once felt like a distant threat, had now be a grim reality, a grim reality they were now sharply reminded of. The banners of the snake n fluttered in the wind. The ground quaked beneath the weight of their slithering march.
¡°...¡± His subordinate officer gulped, his face etched with a mixture of fear and doubt, before a furtive nce met him. ¡°General ...¡±
¡°NOT YET, soldier! NOT YET!¡±The red panda general rallied hiscourage, unwilling to let mere fear dictate the course of the battle.It was here now that they had to stand their ground and fight. The time hade for everyone to protect their n,their families, and all else they held dear.¡°Not yet! Hold your positions!!! Wait!!!¡±
...
¡°Wait!¡±
...
¡°Wait!¡±
...
¡°Wait!¡±
...
¡°NOW!!!¡±The red panda general shouted from the depths of his lungs, loud enough for everyone surrounding to hear. ¡°Everyone!!! Retreat!!! Retreat up the mountain pass! Now!!!¡±
...
...
...
...
...
...
¡°Ssss, what isss happening? What are they doing, ssss? They are running ...¡±The snake emissary looked confused, unable to understand the mystery that was transpiring before his eyes.
The snake general grinned, shing his teeth openly. ¡°Sssss, perfect!!! This isss esssactly what we need! Thisss our chanssse! They are fleeing! They have broken their ranksss! They are routed! We mussst strike now when the iron isss hot! We mussst not miss this opportunity! We must hunt them down like prey!¡±
¡°Captain!¡± the general barked.
¡±Yesss, General!¡± a snake officer reported.
¡°Order the troops to pursssue the enemy! Sssshow no mercy, no quarter! Eliminate everyone and anyone in your way! Today, victory will be oursss!¡±
¡°Isss sssuch wissse, though, general?¡± the emissary shared his doubts. ¡°It might be unwissse to pursssue theenemy. Ssshould we not act with care and patience inssstead? It would not be the first time that essssesssive eagerness led to failure, General.¡±
¡°Your worriesss are appreciated, but misssced, emissary. Thisss isss an opportunity that we cannot allow to go waste. Our mere sssight has routed the enemy and sssent them running with their tails between their legs, but victory isss not yet ours. We have broken their morale, but unless we desssstroy their army here and now, they will live to fight another day. That isss why we mussst pursue them now before it isss toote. We cannot allow them to rally and regroup. We must take the mountain pass before they are able to turn their arms againssst ussss once again.¡±
The emissary merely nodded. ¡°True wordsss indeed, General. May the day bring usss victory!¡±
¡°Look, Katsuki, our n ... It is working! They are pursuing us! They are walking right into our trap!¡± Yuki clenched her fists,radiatingundiluted enthusiasm. Their n ... Their n was truly working. Of course, Nee-san''s wisdom would neverfail her! Everything was going ording to n! ¡°Soon it is also time for us to strike! We just need to be patient and wait! Our moment wille!¡±
¡°...¡± Katsuki nodded, as did the surrounding cat warriors. Armed to the paws, each of them were prepared to fight and give their lives for nekohood.
A narrow path allowed the snake army to advance through the rugged terrain, through a destend of stone and rock, but it was a treacherous path, much to the difort of themon snake soldier and officer. It was quiet. Too quiet. There was no enemy in sight, and yet all of them had the feeling that they were being watched, a feeling that was unwilling to leave them. Each of their steps was observed by unseen eyes. Their movements closely monitored. Their keen senses warned them, and yet their orders demanded them to advance.
A snake soldier gulped, his restless eyes straying around, ceaselessly observing their surroundings, the stone, the rocks, the high cliffs around them. ¡°Captain, do you ... Do sense it too? Sssomething isss not right here.¡±
The officer did his best to maintain a calm fa?ade. Something was not right, but it was better not to think about it too much. ¡°Courage, sssoldier. We are all proud warriorsss. We are sssnakesss. Fear will not cloud our judgement ...¡±
¡°GRRHGRRGRGHRGHRGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHRRH!!!¡±
An earthshattering cacophony of cmity echoed through the entire valley like a lightning splitting heaven apart. The whole mountain trembled, shuddered deep down to its very core, as if the mountain itself awakened from its eternal slumber only to rise. A chorus of crashing, splintering, and grinding rock erupted from behind. A massive rockslide crashed downwards at the foot of the mountain, destroying anything in its path in a maelstrom of dust and debris. The masses of unmoveable rock and stone blocked the beginning of the valley and their only exit.
¡°Captain, what ... What is going on here?¡±Confusion was written across the soldier''s face.
¡°...¡±The snake officer paled in an instant, immediately realising the full implications of what has transpired. The pass was blocked. Their only escape route waspletely cut off. They were now ... They were now all trapped. The entire army was trapped. ¡°...¡±
¡°WAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!¡±A roaring war cry filled the air.
The snake officer turned his head and he was greeted by the sight of a charging enemy. The alliance forces were charging down the mountain pass, meeting them head on with full force.
¡°Dammit!¡±the snake captain hissed. ¡°BATTLE FORMATION!!! FORM RANKS ...¡±
A stray arrow cut him short, shooting right past his head into the ground. Archers. A volley of arrows rained down upon from the cliffs above, piercing armours and scales alike. Red pandas, hedgehogs, otters, beavers, rabbits, squirrels, weasels, tanuki, they all stood together drawing their small bows. And it was not just arrows. Javelins, rocks, boulders, wooden logs followed in an endless hail of projectiles, all hurled down upon them from above without relent.
¡°... ... ...¡±The snake general stared the settling dust cloud, his blood boiling, his tongue hissing. ¡°I have underessstimated the enemy. It wasss a trap. It wasss a trap all along. We yed right into their handsss. They lured usss in and ssstruck. ¡±
The emissary spoke first. ¡°What ssshall we do now then, General?¡±
The general gritted his teeth in fustration. ¡°Nothing. The army isss lossst. The battle isss lossst. All that remainsss for usss now isss to retreat ...¡±
¡°Nyyyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaa~!!! For catnip and nekohood! For the Empress, BANZAI!!!¡±
¡°Nyyyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaa~!!!¡±A roaring nya resounded across the in.
The general froze. This sound ... From the tree line emerged an army of fierce warrior cats d in armour and with swords in their paws , their numbers uncountable. The cats covered the ground with feline speed, their armoured paws trampling down the earth. They charged right towards them.
This was the end ...
Victorious, the army of proud cats returned to Koneko, the impurrial capital. They had won. They had triumphed. The alliance forces had delivered a crushing defeat upon the snake n, a resounding victory for the alliance, for the time being. The snake offensive was halted and their expansionist ambitions thus thwarted. Their army had been annihted. Their officers and generals taken prisoner. Their camp taken. Their entire war chest seized. Their supplies captured. Neko forces were even able to reim the long lost and sacred Neko Sage Scroll amidst all the chaos.
In summary, her n was aplete sess on all fronts. The snake n had been dealt a severe blow, a blow that they wouldn''t recuperate from quickly. In fact, the blow was so severe that the snakes even sued for peace as a result after their army had been decimated. Their entire southern front was now dangerously exposed, threatened by alliance forces.
Their emissaries were quick to im that what had transpired was merely the actions of a single misguided general acting without orders. It was an obvious lie. They denied any such allegations in order to save face, but their terms were nevertheless generous. They offeredpensation, such as gold and evennd, for his wayward deeds, should the alliance be willing to overlook his erroneous ways. The alliance epted and the peace was signed. Reparations were paid and formernds were returned without further bloodshed. It was truly a heroic victory, enabled by a single girl.
In the heart of the grand Impurrial pce, Yuki and Her Fluffy Pawness Katsuki were both received like heroes after their return. Her actions had saved the neko n. Her mother, the Empurress, and the entire court weed them, servants, the neko guard, officials, and ministers. They even went so far as to throw arge feast in their honour to celebrate their victory and the new signed peace. The pce bustled with life, with the festivities about tomence. It was thus a joyful day, a joyful day for the entirety of nekohood and all cute animals of the spirit realm.
The feast began, taking ce in the vast main hall of the pce. d in her finest kimono, Yuki together with Katsuki were sitting on the softest of softest cushions right next to the Empurress, close to the throne. Long tables lined the hall, their wood weighed down by the plentiful abundance of food and drink, much to the delight of the attending cats, able to indulge in their insatiable greed. They were happy cats and they all purred loudly in content.
As for Yuki, she received a giant porcin bowl of milk, much bigger than anyone else''s, and a truly gargantuan slice of the best and freshest tuna served on a silver te, much, much, much bigger than anyone else''s, far bigger than herself. All to honour their magnificent victory. In both cases, Yuki was too polite to decline feline hospitality. After all, both the milk and the tuna were signs of friendship and gratitude. It would be impolite to reject their gifts. Apparently, they had found out that she was still a young ¡®girl¡¯, which ording to their cat logic made her the equivalent of a kitten, which is the reason they gave her a bowl of milk. They were not exactly wrong in thinking so, but still ...
The feast came to a halt as the Empurress called for everyone''s attention. The hall fell silent on hermand and listened. The Empress spoke, spreading her furry paws with a smile on her whiskers and her tail wagging, ¡°As you kneow, we all have gathered here today to celebrate this auspicious meowment. But we have also gathered here to honour two of us before all, my daughter, Princess Katsuki, who bravely stood her ground and defended our feline pride. But first and foremost, we must honour a certain girl, a girl we must consider a true friend of all of nekohood and thank from the depths of our hearts for her exceptional services, Lady Yuki. Without your bravery, without your determination, without your wisdom, a victory like this would have nyaver been possible, Lady Yuki. You have forever our eternal gratitude.¡±
¡°Nya! Nya! Nya!!! Nya!!! Nya!!!¡± The entire hall erupted in vigorous meowing in Yuki¡¯s honour to the point that she was slightly blushing, embarrassed by all the attention that she was receiving.
The Empurress raised her paw. ¡°It goes without saying that your kindness and dedication will neowt go unnoticed. You shall neowt be forgotten. Thus, I shall reward you in the name of nekohood for your services. Lady Yuki.¡±
A series of servants arrived on cue, bearing various gifts and presents, clutched in their fluffy paws.
¡°Here a few tokens of our gratitude.¡± The Empurress smiled.
¡°Oh.¡± Yuki marvelled, staring at the exotic gifts presented to her on soft cushions in awe.
The Empurress purred, ¡°A bolt of our finest Neko silk for you and your esteemed sister. Wear it with pride and honour.¡±
¡°Oh.¡± Yuki reacted. It was a gift that Nee-san would certainly appreciate.
¡°Here as well you shall find, a box of our most exquisite impurrial catnip. May it calm your mind and spirit in difficult times.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
¡°Furthermeowr, we gift you a finely crafted cat bell. It shall mark wherever you are as a friend of all cats and kittens.¡±
¡°...¡± Yuki studied the cat bell that she had been offered. No matter how you looked at it, it was now her cat bell. It was a work of art specifically made for her, a cor and an apanying cat bell of pure, shimmering gold. Of course, she would wear it. After all, it was a present, of friendship.
¡°Andst but not least, Lady Yuki, I shall grant you the privilege to be the first human in thest hundred years to study the secrets of the lost Neko Sage Mode. Your efforts have allowed us to recuperate the Neko Sage Scroll after all this time. Thus, it is only proper for you to peruse it, Lady Yuki. Princess Katsuki will assist you and instruct you in the ways of the Neko n where required.¡±
¡°Really, Your Majesty? Is that true?¡± Yuki''s eyes sparkled, her fists clenched in excitement and delightment.
The Empurress nodded. ¡°It is, Lady Yuki, the secrets of Neko Sage Mode shall be bestowed upon you. You are a true friend of all nekohood. Who else could be worthier of such an honour than you?¡±
¡°I understand, Your Majesty.¡± Yuki nodded. ¡°I will not disappoint the trust that you have put in me.¡±
¡°Hmm ...¡± Yuki studied the Neko Sage Scroll, deep in thought, her hand supporting her own chin.
¡°Hmm ...¡± Katsuki emted Yuki, scratching at her fuzzy chin, her kitten eyes studying the scroll with aparable degree of dedication. They were both staring at the opened scroll before them, scrutinising, analysing every detail. So far, they were both at a loss. For understandable reasons. The scroll frustrated all of their efforts to decypher its contents.
¡°Hmm, do you know what these symbols mean, Katsuki?¡± Yuki gave up, turning to her felinepanion for counsel.
Katsuki was equally baffled. ¡°I cannot say for sure, but the text appears to be ancient Neko ... These letters are old. Very old.¡±
¡°Hmm ...¡± Yukui fell silent. As it turned out, the letters and writing system in general consisted of cat rted motifs, which hardly surprised Yuki considering that it was the Neko n that they were talking about here. She would certainly not put it beyond them to be so narcissistic. They always struck her as silly and whimsical.
If anyone had ever suggested that she would be one day walking on all four on the ground with a cat ears hairband on her hand and wearing an artificial cat tail while meowing, purring, and bathing herself with her forearm and tongue, she would not have believed them. And yet here she was, walking on all four with a pair of cat ears and wearing a cat tail. Apparently, all of it was part of her official Neko Sage mode ¡®training¡¯, which consisted of many such highly important activities.
Highly important activities, such as taking frequent naps next to an adequate heat source. Gathering and consuming abundant amounts of catnip. ying with her ball of yarn. Performing her daily kneading and stretching exercises. Running around aimlessly in her room, bouncing off the walls. Begging for treats. Jumping down from higher floors, with a minimum of injury. Hiding amidst bushes while hunting birds. Sharpening her ws on chunks of wood. That was her illustrious training, and much more.
ording to the Neko scroll, all of this was needed to awaken her inner neko. Whatever that was supposed to mean. Only those of pure heart, only those who opened their heart to their nekoness were destined to master the Neko Sage mode and its secrets. You had to think like a cat. You had to act like a cat. You had to be a cat. Such was her challenge, and Yuki was determined to ovee it, although lingering doubts regarding the nature and the actual usefulness of her ¡®training¡¯ remained.
¡°Katsuki, are you really sure that this is the right incantation?¡± Yuki eyed the kitten princess with a certain degree of suspicion.
Katsuki nodded, her paws sure. ¡°I am. The scroll says to do all this, and the impurrial schrs are certain of it. Nyow, speak the incantation, Yuki!¡±
¡°...¡± Yuki looked little convinced, still on her four paws.
Katsuki encouraged her, ¡°Say the words! Purr with all of your heart!¡±
Yuki sighed in resignation before clearing her throat. There was no use in protesting. If this was to achieve the Neko Sage mode, then so be it. Even if she had to make a fool out of herself in the process.
¡°I am the daughter of the dawn
Unknown to death, nor known to life,
I am the mistress of nyine lives,
Meow cuteness is my strength,
Meow cuteness is my sword,
Meow cuteness is my shield,
I will meow a thousand times each day,
I will purr a thousand times each day,
I will and will be pet over a thousand times each day,
I have withstood countless falls,
I have caught countless prey,
I have taken countless nyaps,
Yet mwoq tail stands tall,
Yet meow paws are raised high,
Yet meow heart stands strong,
Neko mode!!! Unleashed!!!¡±
...
...
...
Nothing. The incantation reverberated through the air, yet nothing happened. Absolutely nothing. Once again, she had made a fool out of herself for absolutely nothing to show for it. Excellent.
¡°Hmm, I guess that we need to try harder¡±, Katsuki mused.
¡°I guess so¡±, Yuki sighed.
Katsuki raised her paw. ¡°That means that we have to train more! You nyeed to work harder to awaken your inner neko!¡±
¡°...¡± Yuki declined to reply. Katsuki was not exactly wrong, but it sounded like a lot of work. The path to the Neko sage mode was long. There were still many naps to take. Many treats to gobble. Much catnip to gather. Much yarn to y with.
In the meanwhile, far, far, far away somewhere else in another world ...
Asami had returned to Amegakure from her diplomatic mission in the north. It was quite a sessful mission. Her efforts and methods enabled Amegakure to secure an alliance with the rulers of the Land of Iron. Her efforts bore fruit. The proud samurai of the Land of Iron were now their steadfast allies and Lord Yoshito of the Kurogane n their man in the north. Hopefully, he would not forget the debt he had incurred and prove more loyal to her than his previous liege. Only time would tell.
For now, however, she was walking through the Hattori n manor with her most trusted allies at her side. Masanari, head of the Hattori n and her right hand within Amegakure, Makato, her left hand and dagger in the shadows, andst but not least, Kaoru, head of the illustrious Fuma n and her armoured fist. They were her men in key positions, and they were discussing the current situation.
Kaoru took the word, ¡°I will not dispute the sess of your mission, Lady Asami, but from what I know, you have left quite the impression up there in the north. Even going as far as to instigate a bloody coup.¡±
Asami merely smiled. ¡°Well, you are not wrong, Lady Kaoru, although you must concede that sometimes more forceful measures are necessary to achieve your objectives. You cannot deny the effectiveness of my ways. We reached an alliance. We secured an ally. All with just some minor bloodshed and a few heads rolling. I consider that quite a sess. You should be happy, Lady Kaoru, you will soon receive some much needed instructors, even some fresh soldiers. Lord Yoshito promised us some of his best samurai to support our efforts. They will swear fealty to us and their swords will serve our cause.¡±
Asami shifted her gaze away from Lady Kaoru, ¡°Now, how did things work out on your part, Masanari, Makato? I hope your missions were graced with simr sess.¡±
Masanari shook his head negatively. ¡°Less so. Both the Land of Grass as well as the Land of Waterfalls showed little enthusiasm when ites to a proposed alliance. Lord Shibuki rejected our offer. His vige prefers to maintain their neutrality. Our talks with the daimyo of the Land of Grass proved more fruitful, but he and his court were rather reluctant to entertain the thought of an alliance as they already enjoy the protection of Konoha for a long time. They are a traditional friend and ally of Konoha. It will be difficult to draw them to our side. Much persuasion will be required¡±
Asami bit her lips. ¡°Thought as much. Konoha still wields considerable influence within the Land of Grass, which is hardly surprising considering their history. They fought at each other''s side during the first, the second, and the third war. And you Makato?¡±
Makato sighed, ¡°Little sess in the south. The Land of w and the Land of Fangs are more focused on themselves than on much broader geopolitical questions. Their daimyo are ipetent. Their rule is ineffectual. Their countries are weak. Their war potential is low. Their hidden viges are insignificant. It is doubtful whether they would be of much use to us, even should they join our side.¡±
Asami considered his words with care. ¡°I see. And what about the Land of Stone?¡±
Makato folded his hands behind his back. ¡°Their economy is robust and their military is quite formidable. Their ninja are renowned for their tenacity and fanaticism. The only problem is that their country is ruled by a bunch of religious zealots. The High Priest and his priests only serve the divine will of the kami. They act and speak in their name alone. They will listen to no one. The fact alone that I was even able to receive an audience with the High Priest was already a miracle. He rarely entertains guests, much less outsiders.¡±
¡°How intriguing.¡± Asami shed a grin, pleased to find her suspicions confirmed. It seemed that it was necessary to pay the Land of Stone a little visit and enlighten them. All that needed to be done was to remind them of their eternal obedience and loyalty to the imperial household, not to say her, the incarnation of the will of the kami. They owed her their loyalty ...
¡°Asami-senpai~! Asami-senpai~!!! Asami-senpai~!!!!!!¡± Tobi barged in, wildly waving his iling arms, disrupting their talks in the process. ¡°Asami-senpai~, you have to try these natto filled dangos! Their texture is superb!¡± He raised his dango with almost sacred reverence. The fool he was, though, Tobi tripped and skidded across the ground, nting his face right in front of her with the dango miraculously surviving his fall.
Tobi peeked at her from below through his mask, ¡°Aw ...Apologies! Forgive me, Asami-senpai~!!! Tobi clumsy fool~! Please ept dango as a humble apology.¡±
¡°... ... ...¡± Asami declined toment. It was the usual Tobi she had always known. ¡°Tobi, ... what a surprising sight. What brings you here?¡±
Tobi stood up and straightened his back, dusting off his Akatsuki robe with both hands. ¡°Ahhhh ...This was close!!! I nearly died, Asami-senpai~! I am also lucky that the dango survived!!!¡±
¡°... ......¡± Asami crossed her arms, a dangerous glint in her eyes. He didn''t answer her question. ¡°Tobi, I ask once again, why are you here, Tobi?¡±
¡°Ehm ...¡± Tobi fidgeted with his fingers, rocking back and forth on his heels. ¡°Oh! Yes! That¡¯s right! I almost forgot! DANGO! I am here because of dango!!! This texture ...This scent ...This aroma ...¡±
¡°... ......¡± Asami merely stared at Tobi.
¡°Please have some, Asami-senpai! Have a little bite! I promise, you will love them!¡± Tobi offered her his dango, almost poking her with the dango stick.
¡°...¡± Asami snatched it from his hand, nibbling on it with small bites. It was good.
¡°Yay!!!¡± Tobi celebrated, spinning around his own axis with his arms up. ¡°By the way, Pain-sama has sent me! He demands everyone''s immediate presence!!!¡±
Flickering shadows gathered inside a giant cave, their figures and faces masked by their silhouette. Pain had called for them and they heeded his call, whether far or close, whether new or old. They all obeyed. The entirety of Akatsuki assembled to listen to the words of their glorious and omniscient leader, despite the delusions of godhood on his part. But duty was duty. Among them was Asami, and, for some inexplicable reasons beyond her and humanprehension, a lowly existence called Tobi. The reasons for his presence and affiliation to the organisation still remained a mystery unsolved. It was certainly not for his abilities. Instead, Tobi was probably some kind court jester. His primary task was to entertain them and their liege, which was certainly a task that fitted his qualifications.
Tobi waved with his arms like aplete and utter fool, shouting around without the slightest care in the world. ¡°Asami-senpai~, we are here!!! The Jutsu worked!!!¡±
¡°Silence, Tobi. Shut your mouth ...¡± Asami reminded her partner of his ce. After all, she had no intention of embarrassing herself because of him, because her favourite cretin couldn''t shut his mouth.
A chuckle met her from the other side of the cave. ¡°So you are our most recent member. It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. I have heard a lot about you, Asami. You are from Konoha, aren''t you?¡± A giant sword on his back, his identity was clear, it was Kisame. Not necessarily the most pleasant encounter imaginable. She still remembered thest time they met face to face.
The shadow of Itachi merely stared at her, his eyes cold. ¡°...¡±
Asami crossed her arms, unresponsive and uncooperative. ¡°You are correct, I hail indeed from Konoha ...¡±
Kisame chuckled. ¡°You know, you remind me of someone I met some time ago. You have the same figure. You have about the same height. You have the same voice. You even share her name? Was it you back then?¡±
¡°... ......¡± Asami clicked her tongue, ignoring his taunts.
¡°Hehehe, a taciturn one, aren''t we, Asami?¡± Kisame grinned with amusement. His look told her he knew the answer. ¡°Two Konoha-nin here at Akatsuki ... Seems like the loyal dogs of Konoha are a traitorous bunch, after all ...¡±
¡°Kisame, I am d to see that time has not robbed you of your humour¡±, a firm voice interrupted them all, attracting their attention. It was a voice they all had heard before. A voice thatmanded respect. It was Pain himself. Standing next to him was his loyal attendant and angel, Konan, ever apanying him. ¡°Now that I have your attention. It has been a long time since we havest gathered like this. I have received some interesting information. It appears that Orochimaru hase into possession of the sharingan. Itachi, your brother has joined him.¡±
¡°...¡± Itachi said nothing.
Kisame grinned, his theory confirmed. ¡°See, I told you, they are a traitorous bunch. Or maybe it is just the Uchiha.¡±
Asami giggled behind the sleeve of her kimono. Well, Kisame might have a point. The Uchiha blood appeared to belie indeed a traitorous nature. So Sasuke betrayed Konoha ... How intriguing ...Not that it mattered to her, anyway, her kin was a brat without talent or future, one so far beneath her.
Pain continued, ¡°His betrayal shouldn''t impact us, though. Orochimaru will die sooner orter regardless. Neither he, nor anyone else will impede our ns in the long run. We are patient. Everything will go ording to n. We willmence our operations in three years. Then we will strike. Then all will be in our hands.¡±
Naruto raised his arm towards the blue sky of Konoha, clenching his fist with the fires of his motivation. It would be thest that he would see the vige for the next two years. Because the day hade. The day of their departure had arrived. ¡°...¡±
¡°What are you waiting for, Naruto? Let''s go!¡± Jiraiya admonished him, reminding him once more.
¡°Yes, Ero Sennin!!! Let''s go! I can''t wait to get stronger,you know!!!¡± Naruto shouted, storming after his sensei.
Together, they passed the vige¡¯s gate and left Konoha. Their journey and his long training were about to begin.
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Si Vis Pacem -‖- Para Bellum II
Si Vis Pacem -¡¬- Para Bellum II
Arc XII Chapter 1
ArcXII Chapter1
XII
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ArcXII Chapter1
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Kakashientered, his hands in his pockets, an old habit of his.¡°Hokage-sama, you have called for me?¡±
¡°I have, Kakashi.¡±Tsunade was sittingat her desk, her eyes focused on him. Shizune nked her, the piggie in her arms.The sun prated thewindow, casting a warm glow throughthe room. ¡°I am d that you havee. I was already expecting you.¡±
¡°Here I am.¡±Kakashi acknowledged her words, his expression calm and collected. ¡°So you have a mission for me?¡±
Tsunade nodded. ¡°As you might know, Suna and we are nning to organise the next chunin exams together. That is why we are currently sending out invitations to the various viges, asking them to join. And that that is where youe into y, Kakashi.¡±
¡°...¡±Kakashi raised an eyebrow, listening.
Tsunade deposited a scroll on the table, her finger pointing at the map, pointing at a certain vige. ¡°I have a special task for you. I want you to deliver this scroll to Amegakure. It''s an official invitation for them to join the chunin exams. Hanzo the Smander was always eager to send his genin. They will probably do so again.¡±
¡°I see ... Is that all?¡±Kakashi mused.
Tsunade shook her head, confirming his suspicions. This wasn''t a mere diplomatic mission.¡°No, there is also something else that you must do.¡±
¡°...¡±Kakashi fell silent.
Tsuande folded her hands, staring at him intently. ¡°I want you to verify the situation on the ground, Kakashi. There are rumours going around. Apparently, some kind of coup d''¨¦tattook cein Amegakure. Apparently, Hanzo is no more. Apparently, the Hattori n is leading the vige now. Maybe that is the reason why the vige is opening up to the world again. I heard they aren''t as strict any more as they were in the past.¡±
¡°I have heard the same ...¡± Kakashi concurred. ¡°Some say Hanzo is dead. Some say he was merely deposed. It''s hard to tell what is a lie, and what reality.¡±
¡°That is why I want to investigate, Kakashi. There are things going on in Amegakure.¡±, Tsunade borated. ¡°But don''t run any risk. This is not a full blown intelligence mission. Delivering the invitation has priority.¡±
Kakashi nodded, his voice firm. ¡°I understand, Hokage-sama.¡±The mission was clear. The objectives set.
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Kakashicrossed the bridge, approachingthe imposing gates of Amegakure, the city forever covered in rain. As expected, it was raining, and to make things It appeared that the rumours were at least partially true, things endless masses of people were leaving and entering despite the onught of the elements, despite the rain and wind.
Two vignt guards blocked his path, a raised hand halting him.
¡°Halt, foreigner! State your identity and purpose!¡± One of them spoke, his voice strict,ced with a strong sense of discipline. It was obvious that the guards weren¡¯t doing this for the first time.Amegakurewas known for its stringent security measures.
But what elicited Kakashi¡¯s attention was their overall demeanour, the air they were carrying themselves with. These guards ... They were no amateurs. They were sharp. They were clearly professionals through and through, highly disciplined, highly attentive. Much more so than your average ninja, judging by their posture and behaviour.
Not to mention their uniforms. They were ... unusual. He had met and fought plenty of Ame-nin before. During the war and after the war. The uniforms of the guards were nothing like those he knew. They werepletely different. No gas mask. No coats. Different colour scheme. Different gear and equipment. They only thing that they shared was the forehead protector, the four lines of Amegakure.
All the guards wore all the same uniform without exception, which suggested a high level of standardisation and was a strong indicator that they belonged to a dedicated formation and were not just hastily assembled on the spot.
They all wore dark grey and ck. Thetter probably mostly for psychological reasons and intimidation. Green grey trousers with a variety of pouches and holsters, and a traditional ck ck jacket. Straw hats to protect them against the rain. This was, however, where the simrities ended.
Because they were all armoured, d in steel. Every single one of them. They wore greaves. They wore cuisses. They wore tassets. They wore gauntlets. They wore vambrances. And they wore a cuirass beneath their k jacket, protecting their torso. These guards were armoured far more than usual, far more than usual in peacetime. It concerned him.
In fact, they reminded him of the ANBU. Especially, with their tantos sheathed on their backs. But they weren¡¯t ANBU. They still wore their forehead protectors with open pride and on their sleeves was emzoned a conspicuous crest, a mon for everyone to see. It was a ck chrysanthemum on ck ground.
¡°... ... ...¡±Kakashi narrowed his eyes. He had no idea what the crest stood for, or whom it belonged to. What he knew, however, was that the crest was important. His guts told him so, and they were rarely wrong.
¡°Tsk!¡± The guard clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed by his silence. ¡°Hey, you, are you listening? We are talking to you?¡±
¡°...¡±Kakashi concealed his face beneath his hood, only to respondwith an air of authority.¡°Iam Hatake Kakashi. I am a ninja ofKonoha, and I am here in the name of my vige to deliver a scroll to your leaders.¡±
¡°...¡±The two guards eyedhim with caution. They distrusted him. It was time.
¡°...¡±Kakashi pulled back his hood to reveal his white hair and his forehead protector. Both identified him as a true ninja of Konoha, as the son of the legendary White Fang. ¡°I repeat, I act and speak in the name of Konoha. I am here on an official mission.¡±
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Reincarnation is a fickle matter, unpredictable and capricious, uncaring and unforgiving in nature. Stranded in unknownnds, in a different time and age by the mysterious forces of magic, Aurora is reborn as the sole heiress of the ancient noble House von Schwarz, destined to enter the game of kings and queens, armed with pride, deceit, and an adorable doll.
Arc XII Chapter 2
ArcXII Chapter2
XII
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ArcXII Chapter2
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His hosts didn''t make Kakashi wait for long. Apanied by a set of guards, he was escorted through Amegakure, heading straight for the Hattori npound. He was apparently awaited there.
They reached the manor and eventually the designated room. The security was tight as expected. There were guards everywhere. They were the same ninja as before. d in ck and grey.
Kakashi entered the room. He was greeted by his hosts with open arms, literally.
The man smiled, sitting on the floor on his cushion. ¡°Wee Hatake Kakashi, ninja of Konoha. I am Hattori Masanari, head of the Hattori n. What brings you hereall the way to Amegakure?¡±
Kakashi knelt, bowing to offer his respect. ¡°Greetings Lord Masanari. As you might know, I was sent in the name of Konoha. I am here to deliver a scroll.¡± His hand deposited the scroll. A servant quickly arrived to hand it over to Lord Masanari.
Lord Masanari epted the scroll and broke the seal to read its contents.
¡°Hmm, ...
I see ...
How curious ...¡±
Lord Masanari closed the scroll, returning his undivided once again to him. ¡°From what I can gather, Konoha asks us whether we would like to participate in the next chunin exams. I still need to discuss this matter with the council, but it shouldn''t be much of a problem. Unless there are anyplications, we should be able to send one team or two.¡±
¡°I see.¡±Kakashi nodded.
Lord Masanari maintained his polite smile, the smile of a diplomat. ¡°Was this everything, Kakashi, or is there anything else Konoha seeks from us?¡±
Kakashi lowered his gaze. ¡°It is, but if I am allowed a question, Lord Masanari.¡±
¡°Oh, of course, go on, Kakashi.¡±Lord Masanari wasn''t seem bothered at all.
Kakashi took the opportunity. ¡°If I might ask, what happened to Lord Hanzo?¡±
The temperature in the room fell instantly, but not Lord Masanari''s mood. His smile didn''t falter in the slightest. ¡°What a curious question, but understandable your foreign background and the rumours floating around these days. I presume you believe him dead, but you are mistaken, Kakashi. Lord Hanzo is still among us. It is just that the tooth of time has taken a toll on him. Age doesn''t spare anybody, not even the strongest. Thus, Lord Hanzo has decided to withdraw from the world of politics for his remaining days. In his stead, it falls to me and the rest of the Hattori n to take a more active role now.¡±
¡°I understand¡±, Kakashi nodded. He understood. Whether Lord Masanari''s words were a lie or the truth was another matter entirely. He had his doubts, but it was better to not question him. ¡°I will take my leave now, Lord Masanari. I have already imed enough of your precious time.¡±
Lord Masanari agreed, ¡°You may.¡±
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nked by another retinue of watchful guards, Kakashi navigated through the mansion of the Hattori on his way to leave. So this was how his journey to Amegakure ended. He arrived with more questions than answers. And he left with even more questions than answers ...
A sillhouette. A shadow. A familiar presence. A fairy. It was brief, but for a single fleeting moment, his senses caught from the corner of his eyes her figure, the figure of a lone girl striding through these venerable halls. Her ck, silken hair. Her pale, fairplexion. Her faint, beatific voice. The confident smile gracing her ruby lips. The regal and imperial aura apanying her every step.
Kakashi halted immediately, frozen to the spot. Wasn''t this ... But it was already toote. Just like this the girl had already vanished, disappeared, never to be seen again by mortal eyes. Only meant for the fraction of a moment, the mysterious girl was no more. As if the girl had only been a figment of his imagination, an illusion. Never real to begin with.
His guards stopped, halting. One of them addressed him, his tone harsh. ¡°Is something the matter, Konoha-nin?¡±
Kakashi shook his head, dismissing his thoughts. ¡°It''s ... nothing.¡±It was probably just a feeling. Just his mind ying a trick on him in his old days. Nothing more.
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Arc XII Chapter 3
ArcXII Chapter3
XII
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ArcXII Chapter3
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A new day dawned on the vige of Konohagakure, a hive of constant motion andmotion.Life filled the bustling streets and alleys of Konoha.Ninjas walked the streets amongcrowds of chattering vigers, their forehead protectors proudly disyed.Merchants peddle their wares in colourfulstalls, offering everything from the exotic weapons to ancientscrolls. The fragrances of herbs and spices, the irresistible aromaofIchiraku''sramen permeatedthe air.
This was Konoha. This was his vige. This was his home. Two years had passed since he left. He had grown. He had seen and travelled the world. He had trained. He had honed his skills. Now their journey finally ended. Now they returned.
Two people passed through the gate to enter Konoha, a man and boy, a master and a student, a white haired eremite and yellow haired genin in his typical orange ck jumpsuit. A grin shed across Naruto''s lips and a soft whisper escaped his mouth. ¡°I am back.¡± And back he was.
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The gentle sound of bells dancing in the win echoed across the arid sand of the unforgiving desert. The scorching sun shone down upon the endless, golden dunes stretching as far as the eye could see, and beyond. Life had forsaken this ce, and yet four lone figures traversed the hostile desert under the relentless heat. They moved with purpose. They were people with a mission. They were on their way to Sunagakure. The vige was their destination.
Three of them stepped through the porous sand. One of them was slithering along, pushing his ponderous body across the ground. They all wore a distinctive ck cloak adorned with red cloudsand a straw hat.
¡°I see, ... so this is how we are going to deal with in this matter.¡± Deidara grinned, his distinctive spiky, blonde hair hidden by his hat and his left eye concealed by his optical scope. ¡°I guess, that means that we will pay our spy a friendly visit soon, now that we know he has betrayed us and leaked information to Orochimaru, Master Sasori.¡±
¡°It can''t be helped¡±, Sasori grumbled from below from inside his puppet, his voiceced with a healthy dose of constant annoyance. It was the Sasori everyone knew, but not necessarily loved. Her included. ¡°To think that my jutsu would fail ... How annoying ... As you said, we will need to get rid of him. But more importantly, are sure that a single bag will be enough, Deidara?¡±
The puppeteer eyed his bag of explosive y. His supplies were indeed modest, considering the purpose of their journey and the mission entrusted to him. Pain''s grand n was finally set in motion. It now fell to him to defeat the Kazekage and acquire their first bijuu. ¡°After all, our opponent will be the jinchuuriki of the One Tail. He might be young and inexperienced, but you should nevertheless not underestimate the Fifth Kazekage, Deidara.¡±
His words made Deidara grin. He was quite sure of himself. Whether his confidence was warranted or not, she could not tell. ¡°Don''t worry, Master Sasori, we will be fine. The Kazekage won''t know what hit him. All of my creations are works of pure art, of pure perfection. And I made sure to bring my speciality for him. Not to mention, we have got substantial support. Pain-sama was kind enough to lend us our little ck Princess, right?¡±Deidara threw a nce at her and Tobi.
Thetter was currently marching beside her after being promoted to her official parasol carrier and being forbidden from speakinga single word. His duty was now to hold her parasol and protect his mistress against the zing sun. So far, Tobi performed his duties satisfactorily.
¡°Tsk, as if I had much of a choice in this matter ... Pain-samamanded. I merely obeyed.¡±Asami clicked her tongue before lowering her straw hat. Her mild annoyance was tangible.
As if she hadn''t had anything better to do than wasting her precious time in the middle of the desert, at the fringes of human civilisation. But duty was duty. No matter how annoying. Maybe he was punishing her for negotiating with the Land of Stone behind his back. Inscrutable he and his intention might be at times, Pain didn''t seem to particrly approve of her more recent political manoeuvres. Did he know? Probably not.
Thanks to Pain''s machinations, she found herself now in the middle of nowhere, apanying Akatsuki''s domestic artists on their mission. Apparently, everyone else was quite busy these days. Kakuzu and Hidan were somewhere stranded in the farthest corner of the Land of Lightning for one of their usual bounties. Itachi and Kisame, meanwhile, were ... wherever. The brooding duo kept to themselves with their air of mystery.
Thus, only she and Tobi were left. Both of them were stationed close by in Amegakure and thus readily avable, much to her displeasure. But on the other hand, capturing a jinchuuriki was a rather unique mission. You didn''t get the chance to so every day. So, maybe it was worth all the bother and effort.
Deidara chuckled in response, his voiceced with a bantering tone. ¡°Our little Princess doesn''t seem to be in a particrly good mood.¡±
Asami ignored hisment. ¡°Perhaps. Perhaps not.¡±
¡°Seems as if I have hit a nerve.¡±Deidara grinned. ¡°Though, I must say that you have grown, Asami. You are taller ... Your eyes are sharper ... You aren''t any more the little girl I remember. How many years has it been again since you joined us? It feels like an eternity.¡±
¡°...¡±Asami raised an eyebrow. What a curious question ... But Deidara had always been of the more talkative kind. ¡°Three, if I recall correctly.¡±
¡°Oh, yes, three years ...¡±Deidara mused. ¡°How time flies by, right, Master Sasori?¡±
¡°You youngsters and your time ...¡±Sasori merely grumbled.
Deidara chuckled, probably extensively used to his grumpy antics. ¡°Whatever, as things stand now, you won''t even need to lift a finger, Asami. Trust me, I will see to it.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Asami furrowed an eyebrow. ¡°If you say so, although I was honestly prepared to extract you, if necessary.¡±
¡°Your sentiments are appreciated, Your Ladyship, but your services won''t be required.¡±Deidara smirked, his hands already chewing on his beloved y. ¡°The Kazekage will fall.¡±
Asami neither agreed, nor disagreed. ¡°We will see, Deidara, we will see.¡±
Day turned night, and the sun dawned on the vast desert. At the horizon, emerged from amidst the sand the walls of Sunagakure. They had arrived.
Desert of Sunagakure
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Arc XII Chapter 4
ArcXII Chapter4
XII
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ArcXII Chapter4
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Explosions raged on in the sky above Sunagakure. The battle between their domestic explosive expert Deidara and the red haired Gaara, Kazekage and protector of the Sunagakure, hadmenced. The two shed amidst a storm of ballista bolts saturating the air. The vige stood at Gaara''s side. The vige fought Deidara with all its might, even when in vain. They failed spectacrly, a myriad of missing tags exploding all around him. They desperately tried to down his flying y bird with all the fire power at their disposal. So far, sess hadn''t graced them.
Deidara dodged the iing bolts and tags with ease, skilfully navigating through the skies of Sunagakure. The explosions illuminated the cold night, and so did Deidara''s infallible art. Detonations saturated the sky. His creations and chakra set the sky aze.
Yet Gaara''s imprable defence stood. The Kazekage floated above the ground on his bed of sand. His sand defended him, shielding him against Deidara''s attacks. y met his sand. Sand prevailed. The Kazekage defended his vige and home with unyielding determination. The boy controlled the flow of sand with precision, his demeanour calm and resolute, his iconic gourd on his back. He hade a long way since thest time they had met. Would it be enough, though?
The desert winds intensified, carrying with them the golden sand of the desert. The final stage was set.
¡°... ... ...¡± Asami observed from her chair. The battle raged on, with both sides seemingly equally matched. Tobi and his straightened back provided her with a suitable sitting location. They had received some undue visitors. They didn''tst long, their corpses littering the sand. Thanks to Sasori''s efforts, she hadn¡¯t needed to lift even a single finger.
¡°Aargh¡±, Tobi grunted,ining. ¡°Asami-senpai, could you please ...¡±
Her re shut him up. ¡°Silence, Tobi, chairs don''t talk. They sit still.¡±
¡°But ... But ... But ...¡±
Asami dismissed hisints with a wave of her hand. ¡°No buts. And now continue ying chair, Tobi. The role befits you. Anyway, do you think our explosive artist will prevail, Sasori? He appears to be ... hard pressed, unless I am mistaken.¡±
¡°Hmm ...¡±, Sasori pondered his words carefully. ¡°Hard to tell ... I told him to take plenty of y ... I always suspected that he would die young, but the day his art fails him hasn''te yet. Deidara still holds the upper hand. He holds the initiative. He is on the attack. The Kazekage, meanwhile, is primarily on the defensive.¡±
Asami stroked her chin. ¡°So far ...¡±
¡°Not to mention, Deidara still has his trump card up his sleeves¡±, Sasori grumbled.
¡°We will see ... We will see ...¡± Asami conceded.
Time proved the puppet master correct. Deidara¡¯s trump card changed the tide of battle, bestowing victory upon him. Deidara targeted the vige, taking Sunagakure hostage. It was a devious trick, one of the more underhanded sort. The Kazekage had no choice but to protect the vige. His sand aided him, shielding the vige below against the full might of Deidara''s art. The boy seeded. The vige survived, but the price he paid was steep. His sand, his chakra were spread thin. He weakened,promised his defence in order to save the vige. That was his end.
Deidara eventually returned, the captured Kazekage still alive, albeit unconscious, tightly gripped by the talons of his y bird.
...
...
...
¡°...¡± Sasori grumbled from below, from the ground. ¡°Took you long enough, Deidara. Are you finally finished?¡±
Deidara grinned. ¡°Don''t worry, Master Sasori, Asami, I have him. We can leave now.¡±
¡°...¡± Sasori approved despite his grumbling, ¡°Was about time, Deidara. I hate waiting.¡±
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Dammit! Kankuro gritted his teeth, clenching his fists. Crow. ck Ant. Smander. His puppetsy broken, defeated, destroyed in the sand, their limbs thrown all over the ce. He had faced Sasori, the legendary Sasori of the Red Sand, mythical master puppeteer, genius craftsman, creator of countless puppets, and now member of Akatsuki and sworn enemy of Sunagakure.
Kankuro lost, soundly defeated by the old master. He had been toyed with. He was yed from the very beginning. He never stood a chance. Sasori created his puppets. He knew their tricks. He knew their strengths. He knew their weaknesses inside out.
Sasori''s tail of steel danced through the air, each deced with deadly violet venom.
Kankuro narrowed his eyes. Sasori had got him. His tail grazed his chest. Though a small nick, yet it was enough to spell his doom. The venom performed its evil deed, destroying his body and eroding his spirit.
Sasori chuckled, the utter contempt and dismissive tone in his voice apparent. He hardly considered him even remotely his equal. He was the master. He a mere student. ¡°Your puppetry skills aremendable, boy, and yet your age, yourck of experience fails you. A real shame that you have chosen to die here today, yet I feel generous, boy. You have entertained me. Thus, I will grant you three more days to live. Three more days before my poison will end you. Enjoy your gift.¡± Sasori and his enigmaticpanions left, disappearing amidst the wide sand. They were four in total. Sasori. The man who had attacked Gaara. Another man with an orange mask. And an unknown girl, her face concealed behind her straw hat. Three men. One girl. Two known enemies. Two unknown enemies.
¡°...¡± Kankuro''s eyes closed, his breathing slowing, his vision blurring, his consciousness fading, left alone in the unforgiving desert to die.
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Night had arrived, and they halted, taking refuge around a crackling bonfire.
The fight had taken a toll on Deidara. It cost him his left arm and plenty of chakra. He was tired, Sasori less so. But Deidara needed a pause. He needed some sleep to replenish his strengt, especially considering what was about toe. ording to Pain, the sealing ceremony was expected tost three days and three nights straight. Everyone should be thus well rested. Because even the slightest misstep was dangerous.
Deidara was thus sleeping. So was Tobi. Sasori was doing Sasori things, staring at the fire, which finally allowed her to act under the cover of the night.
Unseen by anyone, Asami approached Gaara, the unconscious jinchuuriki. Not out of a sense of pity, but rather due to curiosity. His body ... was leaking chakra. Minuscule amounts admittedly, but still ... The lingering trace of chakra was noticeable, tickling her sense, even when herpanions failed to notice the leak. The chakra was wild ... Raw ... Different ... Different from normal chakra. Different from human chakra. The chakra was calling her, inviting her, luring her.
Asami heeded its suave call. Here she was. Her hand touched his cold, lifeless shell. Her sharingan activated, awakening on its own.
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Darkness. Darkness. Darkness everywhere, no matter where her eyes wandered. Asami was surrounded by the depths of darkness, yet where there was darkness, there was also light. A dull, dim light loomed at the horizon. The sound of grinding sand, the soft whistle of wind entered her ears. Sand covered the ground and ancient murals lined the way. The atmosphere was heavy. The ce felt like a prison.
Where was she?
A massive gate emerged before her, a pair of baleful yellow eyes fixed on her from behind the bars. The thing addressed her, his high pitched voice running through the air. ¡°Who are you, human child, to enter my realm?¡±
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Arc XII Chapter 5
ArcXII Chapter5
XII
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ArcXII Chapter5
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His question went ignored, much to the One Tail''s apparent displeasure. His tailshed out like a whip.
Yet Asami stood her ground, her eyes firm, her will unshaken, her chin high, without the slightest hint of fear or hesitation, unbothered by the One Tail''s presence, unbothered by his aura. Contrary to lesser human beings, his chakra, the immense concentration of yin and yang, didn''t faze her. She was his equal, if not more.
He, a bijuu, a mystical beast and demon of ancient legends. Created by the hands of the Sage of Six Paths. Born from the divine power of the God Tree. Ceaselessly wandering the realm of mortals ever since.
She, thest scion of the imperial household, inheritor of an ancient legacy older than even the bijuu themselves. Descendant of the rightful guardians and custodians of the God Tree entrusted to them by the will of the kami. Only for them to beter deceived and misled by the machinations of Princess Kaguya in her foolish pursuit of power.
Bijuu and Uchiha. One Tail and imperial princess. Now they faced each other head on in this unknown ce, far removed from time and space, far removed from reality. Her chakra resonated with his. And his with hers.
¡°...¡± Asami strolled through the venerable halls, her steps slowly approaching the sand tanuki. The One Tail was imprisoned behind a massive gate and a row of sturdy metal bars, his power contained by aplex array of glyphs and signs. The array was a fuinjutsu, created for a single reason, for a sole purpose, to seal, to trap the One Tail. Despite all his power, despite all his might, despite all his chakra, the One Tail ultimately sumbed to the ingenuity of man, his essence bound to a human vessel. In the end, even a bijuu was just a mere agglomeration of raw, unconstrained chakra, a mere creation given life and sentience by the Sage of Six Paths. In the end, they were just inferior products. Not that she would say so openly. No need to antagonise the tanuki. To do so would be rather ... unwise. Or so she thought ...
¡°...¡± Asami halted, her eyes assessing her opponent. The scent of yin and yang was strong in him, and yet the grasp on his power was ... fleeting. The One Tail unted his massive chakra in a grand disy of power, and yet his little performance failed to impress. His demonstration fell short of her expectations, to put things mildly, much to her astonishment. How ... fortuitous.
¡°...¡± A secret smirk crossed her lips, her fingers already tingling, already crawling with excitement. Fate tempted her with the sweet lure of power, with the sweet scent of a fruit forbidden. It was such an ... enticing offer. One she was loath to forego. They wouldn''t notice. Nobody would if a little bit would be missing.
The One Tail chakra was ... crude, primitive, unrefined, unpolished. Unlike hers, his chakra was foundcking in so many regards. It was a testament not of his strength, but of his weakness. He was nothing but a mere beast, gifted with powers vastly beyond his means. It would be easy to make them her own in his current state. Because what was once bestowed, could also be taken.
Asami cleared her throat, armed with her suavest smile, her chakra slowly spreading, slowly corrupting the void. The tanuki would be none the wiser. ¡°You must be the infamous One Tail, I presume, one of the nine legendary bijuu. It is a pleasure to finally meet one of your kind, master of the sand, or should I say, Shukaku.¡±
¡°... ... ...¡± The One Tail merely giggled in response, a certain unmistakeable arrogance in his voice. ¡°What a curious one you are, human child. Not only do dare you to enter my realm in such an insolent way, you also know my true name. I always thought that my name had been long since forgotten by man.¡±
Asami grinned. ¡°Forgotten it may have been, but not yet lost. Your name survived the ages, as did the ones of brothers and sisters, although it took quite some effort to procure them all.¡±
¡°I see.¡± Shukaku scrutinised her, his eyes studying her intently. ¡°You know much, human child, but I shouldn''t be surprised. Your ursed lineage was always privy to knowledge others weren''t. Your eyes always saw what others didn''t.¡±
¡°...¡± Asami narrowed her eyes, her mood deteriorating. ¡°So you knew? How?¡±
Shukaku noted her displeasure, scoffing.¡°You thought that I wouldn''t notice, human child? How presumptuous of you. Your eyes were never a secret. This is not the first time that I was visited by the child of man, nor are you the first of your blood to grace me. Few are those who are allowed to enter this ce. Those who harbour our essence. Those you humans call jinchuuriki. And those who wield the eyes of our father. You are thetter. You share his blood. I feel it. So show me them, child. No need to hide your precious eyes.¡±
¡°Hehehe, how true ...¡± Asami merely giggled. His deductions were ... correct. The blood of the Sage of Six Paths coursed through her veins, and so much more. ¡°To think that I would be found out like this ... How careless of me ... Oh, well~.¡± Her eyes opened, revealing her mangekyou sharingan in all its purple glory. Thest traces of crimson red had long since faded when their light diminished, but not their strength.
¡°... ... ...¡± Shukaku stiffened, his posture turning cautious, guarded, vignt. ¡°Your eyes ...¡± He recognised the danger. He recognised the danger she posed. Yet it was already toote. She hade to im what was hers.
¡°...¡± Asami smiled, her menacing chakra pervading, saturating, permeating the very air. Her aura surged in strength, its hunger insatiable. Her aura devoured, consumed, swallowed everything in its path. ¡°Beautiful, aren''t they?¡±
¡°Ggggrrrr!¡± The tanuki growled in response, baring his teeth in defiance. He knew. He came to realise that her intentions were far from benign. ¡°You ... Who ... No, what are you?¡±
His question amused her. Asami smirked. ¡°A sharp one, aren''t we?¡± Her chakra manifested, and the world turned purple. Her susanoo awakened from her long slumber. Bones, tendons, muscles, flesh, all d in tes ofcquered steel. A female avatar, a warrior, a soldier, a samurai, rose in full armour. A primal behemoth brandishing a pair of swords, her presence irresistible.
Asami grinned. Her susanoo unsheathed her sword, ramming her glimmering purple de straight through to pierce the tanuki, digging deep into the bijuu and his armour, the scorching heat of her de, burning, cutting through his skin, turning sand into molten ss.
Rrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!! A painful cry echoed through the halls. ¡°You ...¡±
Her susanoo rammed her katana deeper, deeper, and deeper into the tanuki''s unprotected flesh.
¡°YOU BITCH, YOU will PAY for THIS!¡± the One Tail roared.
As if. Asami giggled ominously, her gaze firm. ¡°Such remains to be seen~.¡±
¡°RRRAAAAGHHHH!!!¡± Shukaku gathered his chakra, a sphere of yin and yang forming in his jaw. So this was the fabled the bijuu dama. How cute.
Asami chuckled amused, her hand concealing her lips. ¡°Such a rebellious spirit. Trying to resist. How quaint.¡±
Her susanoo struck, her right arm grabbing his neck from across the metal bars, pressing his cranium downards, interrupting his jutsu. A dagger followed. The de short. The steel sharp. The chakra de splintered his skull, nailing him to the ground.
¡°RRRrrrraaaaaarrrrgggGHHHH!!!¡± Shukaku howled, his pain filling the air.
Her susanoo ripped the cage apart, tearing through the metal bars to break thest vestiges of the seal barring her way. The path was cleared. Her gauntlet grabbed herst de. Her wakizashi struckst, her de cleaving through his helpless flesh. Three swords brimming with purple chakra. Three des to tie him. Three des to bind him. Three des to judge him. Her chakra invaded, breaching his essence by force to take what was hers.
¡°Aaargghhhhhhh!!!¡± The One Tail convulsed, his muscles screaming in endless agony, iling. ¡°RRRrrraaaaAARRrrggggGGGgghhHH!!!¡± How unfortunate that it was a bit toote for regrets and pity. This was the path she had chosen. This was the path she had been chosen for. In this life, as well as in herst life.
¡°Now, Shukaku, be a good tanuki~. I promise it won''t hurt.¡± Her mangekyou glimmered purple in the darkness now his essence wasid bare. His chakra withered, as did his strength. His chakra disintegrated. His chakra decayed. The time hade to im her prize.
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The night passed, and golden dawn arrived with satisfying results. Asami inspected the palm of her hand, a gleeful smile on her lips. The bliss. The joy. The happiness. The power of the gods invigorated her senses, invigorated her very being. It was now hers. Appreciable progress was made in a single night. As things stood now, she had to pay the tanuki a few more friendly visits.
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Arc XII Chapter 6
ArcXII Chapter6
XII
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ArcXII Chapter6
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Naruto shouted, far from pleased. He was unhappy, and he made them know. ¡°Ehhhh? What? Another one of these stupid missions? No, thanks, Tsunade Granny. Not with me. I will only take real missions. Real missions for real ninja.¡±
¡°...¡± Tsunade fumed from behind the mission desk, surrounded by a mountain of paperwork, her hand supporting her chin propped on her arm. Her annoyance was noticeable, yet Naruto failed to read the mood. ¡°Eh? And what type of answer is that supposed to be, Naruto? You will take the mission, or leave. That is how things work here.¡±
Naruto crossed his arms in protest. ¡°No, I won''t. Even if it''s you, Tsunade Granny.¡±
¡°...¡± Kakashi was sweating beside him, his face pale. He was pretending to have suddenly turned mute and voiceless as usual.
¡°...¡± Tsunade grumbled, displeased by his behaviour. ¡°I always knew that you were stubborn as a mule, Naruto, but I never thought that you are stupid like one, too.¡±
Naruto dismissed herints. ¡°Hmpf, as if I care. You know what, Tsunade Granny, the old geezer, the Third, was far more sensible, ya know!¡±
¡°What?¡± Tsunade''s mood worsened drastically, her eyebrow twitching. Her eyes narrowed. ¡°What did you just say, Naruto?¡±
Naruto didn''t back down, not in the slightest. ¡°You heard me damn right, Granny. The Third was ...¡±
The door crashed wide open, and a kunoichi barged in, utter panic written all across her face. This was an emergency. ¡°Hokage-sama ... It is urgent! We have just received a message directly from Sunagakure ... The Kazekage ... He has been captured and by Akatsuki! A group attacked the vige and took him!¡±
...
...
...
Silence reigned. A new mission had arrived.
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Team 7 stood at the gates, ready to depart. The sun cast its first rays on the vige of Sunagakure, a vige built of y and brick. A restful night had passed. Their stamina had recovered. Their strength returned. The journey from Konoha to Sunagakure was a long one, pushing them to the very limit of their endurance. They had travelled day and night, covering the entire distance between Suna and Konoha in less than three days. The halt in Sunagakure was a wee one, providing them with some much needed rest.
Now they were ready. Ready tomence the pursuit. Kankuro had managed to retrieve a scrap of clothing. It nearly cost him his life, but his efforts would not be in vain. The piece of clothing was their only hope. The scent would allow them to track down the enemy. They wouldn''t fail. They would seed where Kankuro had failed. They would rescue Gaara.
Naruto clenched his fist, his eyes zing. ¡°Let''s go!!! Time to save Gaara. He is waiting for us, ya know!¡±
¡°...¡± Kakashi merely nodded, ever the taciturn ninja.
Sakura cracked her knuckles, smirking. ¡°Yes, let''s go.¡±
¡°Yes, we have no time to lose¡±, Temari concurred, her iconic ckcquered war fan strapped to her back ...
¡°Not so fast, young ones! I wille with you! Can''t let you go alone!¡± a voice interrupted them. Standing above them, there was Chiyo, her arms crossed, her lips armed with the confident grin of a woman prepared to go to war. ¡°Make no mistake, you will need any strength you can get. These Akatsuki people ... They are strong. They are four in total, ording to Kankuro. Three men. One girl. You cannot hope to take them on all alone. You are going to need help.¡±
Nobody disagreed. The old woman was right. The enemy was strong. They would need every help they could get.
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The boulder moved and the cave opened. Together they entered, the Kazekage still unconscious amidst the talons of Deidara''s y bird. Eight days they had travelled. Eight nights they had rested. Yet progress was slow. Sasori might be a gifted a ninja on his own with talents aplenty, but he was certainly not the fastest ninja beneath the sun. His puppet armour provided him with a strong defence, but Sasori slowed them all down to a crawl, constantlygging behind despite how much he hated to make others wait. It was annoying, yet there was little that could be done.
The puppet master was the one officially inmand. He had been serving the organisation already for years. He was their senior. Meanwhile, Deidara, Tobi, and she were just freshmen without major standing. So, it was, his missions, his rules.
Eventually, however, they finally crossed the border and reached the nearest hideout. They had been informed that the preparations for the ritual had already beenpleted. Now only their most important guest was missing. They were of course willing to oblige, yet their efforts were met with irritation.
Pain''s flickering shadow greeted them, a sliver of annoyance in his voice. Their glorious leader was displeased. Not that he was ever otherwise. ¡°You arete.¡±
Sasori took the word, his voice lowered. ¡°Our apologies, the jinchuuriki proved more troublesome than expected. Not to mention, we were forced to cover our tracks.¡±
¡°... ... ...¡± Pain ignored his words. ¡°I see, not that it matters.¡± His hands formed a seal, and a gigantic statute emerged, two chained arms rising from the ground. The vile creation was a monstrosity she was already familiar with. Her eyes had seen the demonic statue before, with its true purpose now about to be revealed.
¡°Assemble¡±, Pain ordered, his words unquestioned. The other Akatsuki members answered his call, their incorporeal silhouettes materialising from far and wide.
¡°Now, take your positions.¡±
Painmanded, and they followed. Asami and her colleagues took their assigned spots. Each of them upied one of the ten fingers of the two hands, all of them waiting for the ritual tomence.
Left thumb. Lavender. Sphere. Sasori.
Left index finger. Pink. Three. Hidan.
Left middle finger. Grey. North. Kakuzu.
Left ring finger. Gold. South. Kisame.
Left pinky finger. Purple. Heaven. Her.
Right thumb. Azure. Zero. Pain.
Right index finger. Emerald. Green. Deidara.
Right middle finger. White. White. Konan.
Right ring finger. Red. Scarlet. Itachi.
Right pinky finger. Yellow. Boar. Zetsu.
They were nowplete. The ritual was about to start.
Pain channelled his chakra to take the lead. ¡°It will take three days and night to seal the One Tail. Focus and concentration will be imperative. No misstep will be tolerated. Any inattention will be punished. Do you understand?¡±
They all nodded. They all understood, much to her annoyance.
¡°...¡± Asami clicked her tongue., her dissatisfaction thinly veiled. But she was a good girl, and good girls obeyed. Pain was ... insufferable. His hubris ... His arrogance ... They were unbearable. He was ordering them around like some mereckeys. Yet it would be unwise to displease his self proimed divinity. Not when the time was still premature.
¡°Good.¡± Pain formed a hand seal. ¡°Let''s begin. Fuinjutsu: Nine Phantom Dragon Seal!¡±
Nine voracious dragons shot forth, heading straight for the unconscious Kazekage. They engulfed his lifeless body only to consume, to devour the chakra stored inside him. The essence of the One Tail was ripped from, taken from him.
It was a brutish method, but so was hers, admittedly.
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Arc XII Chapter 7
ArcXII Chapter7
XII
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ArcXII Chapter7
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¡°Pain-sama.¡± Zetsu spoke up, breaking the silence.
¡°Yes, Zetsu?¡± Pain listened.
¡°Pain-sama, the enemy ... They are approaching. And they are approaching fast. Two groups. They somehow managed to track us down. They will reach the hideout soon.¡±
¡°...¡± Pain looked annoyed. ¡°How soon?¡±
¡°Soon enough. Half a day at most. It will be impossible toplete the ritual before they arrive. We must dy them.¡±
¡°...¡± Pain deliberated their options. ¡°Who are they?¡±
Zetsu answered, ¡°They appear to be Konoha-nin. Both of them. One group is led by a ninja named Maito Gai.¡±
¡°Maito Gai? Who is that?¡± Pain was less than intrigued.
Itachi cared to borate, ¡°He is a jonin from Konoha. He is a taijutsu specialist. He is quite talented.¡±
Kisame chimed in, ¡°Ah, that Maito Gai. I remember. A bizarre beast ...¡±
Pain processed the new information. ¡°And who are the other group?¡±
¡°Also Konoha-nin¡±, Zetsu reported. ¡°They are led by Hatake Kakashi, the Copy Ninja. A formidable ninja. One who should not be underestimated.¡±
¡°I have heard about him. A formidable ninja indeed¡±, Pain conceded. ¡°It seems that we will need to use the jutsu, after all. Who will go then?¡±
Kisame shed his teeth, grinning, his hand raised. ¡°I will. I will fight this Maito Gai.¡±
Pain epted. ¡°Then it is decided. Kisame, you will face Maito Gai. As for, Hatake Kakashi ... He falls to you, Asami.¡± His gaze and his attention turned to her.
Asami raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised. ¡°Me?¡±
Pain borated, ¡°You are the youngest among us, Asami. The sealing must be taxing on your body. Consider the fight a respite. Not to mention, they are fellow Konoha shinobi. I would send Itachi, but he is usually rather reluctant to fight them. I hope that you don''t take after him. Don''t disappoint me. ¡±
¡°...¡± Asami merely nodded. How troublesome. Not only did she have her hands full with processing the stolen essence of the One Tail while extracting the bijuu from Gaara, now she also had the honour to fight Kakashi and his friends. Three things. All at the same time. How vexing. But orders were orders. Especially, if they came from Pain-sama himself.
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Kakashi led the way. His team followed, Naruto, Sakura, Temari, and the old woman named Chiyo closely behind. The dense foliage of the forest blurred their sight, yet unable to abate their tempo, their speed. They raced through the canopies, from treetop to treetop, always advancing, always progressing. Pakkun supported their efforts. His ninja dogs sniffed the air, searching for any remaining trace of Gaara. They seeded. They detected his scent. They tracked him down. Now they followed their lead.
The forest ended, and his teamapproacheda wide clearing bathed in the soft glow of the sun.They reached the edge only to bemet with an unexpected sight, an unexpected guest.
Kakashi raised his fist, signalling them to stop. ¡°Halt!!!¡± His body braked, decelerating beforeing to a halt. So did everyone else. They followed his example and stopped. They assembled, the enemy right in front of them. The red clouds on ck ground gave her away. Akatsuki. It appeared that the enemy had been awaiting them.
¡°...¡±Kakashi scrutinised the enemy, his hand slowly reaching for his pouch.
Naruto didn''t understand, ¡°Kakashi-sensei, why are we stopping?¡±
¡°Naruto, ... look ahead.¡± Kakashi motioned towards the enemy, his gaze directing him. ¡°We are not alone.¡± They weren''t. Not at all. They had got a guest. One with an air for dramatics based on her appearance.
Standing in front of them, in the centre of the clearing, was a mysterious figure. A girl, judging by her petite stature, her heels, and her ostentatious choice of clothing. A purple umbre concealed her figure, her back forever turned to them. Purple silk caressed her skin from her shoulders down to her waist beneath her heavy ck coat. This sense of fashion ... An ill fated omen.
¡°Who are you? Are you friend, or foe?¡±Kakashi demandedin a firm voice, his question mostly rhetorical, a matter of foregone conclusions.
¡°...¡±The girl remained calm, shielded behindher umbre. A smirk crossed her lips, the princess deigning them unworthy of her attention. Was it the product of foolish hubris? Of misced pride? Of supreme confidence? It was impossible to tell.
¡°...¡±Kakashigrippedhiskunai, his instincts tickling.The way the girl carried herself ... The girl ... was dangerous.
The girl raised her arm, her silken sleeve covering her lips in a manner that befitted ady of her birth. An amused giggle escaped her, one filled with delight and inexplicable glee. ¡°Hehehe, salutations, my old friends. I hope that time has treated you well all these years. As fate would have it, our paths cross once more.¡±
The girl turned, two purple orbs staring at them, their colour entuated by her pale tone. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you again.¡±
¡°...¡±Kakashi stiffened, his blood freezing. This voice ... This cadence ... This intonation were unmistakeable. Yet his grip hardened, his focus sharpened, his muscles tense. Because he knew. The ck Princess of Konoha was not known to forgive mistakes. ¡°It''s you ..., Asami.¡±Yes, it was.
His words pleased the girl. Asami offered a humble bow. A sharine smile was his reward, suave and yet deceptive, warm and yet ice cold. ¡°Ara ara~, it seems that the few good still remember my name, despite a certain man''s best efforts to the contrary. How auspicious. I feel honoured, Hatake Kakashi, the Copy Ninja, the Hero of the Sharigan. Now Kakashi, ... Naruto, ... Sakura, ... Show me your strength, children of Konoha. Because I will not yield easily.¡± A dark, purple glimmer gripped her eyes, tantalised by unhinged blood lust, her voice veritablyced with sardonic hubris.
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Arc XII Chapter 8
ArcXII Chapter8
XII
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ArcXII Chapter8
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Asami weed her guests with open arms, yet her kindness was not reciprocated. A gentle breeze tickled her skin, leaves dancing in the wind. A sea of stares met her, together with a wall of silence.
...
...
...
Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura scrutinised her, their lips tightly sealed. The Suna girl and the old woman weren''t much different. They watched her. They observed her. They studied her. Yet they failed to recognise her. Except for Kakashi. He remembered. His gaze told her as much.
The same could not be said about her former ssmates. It was all too apparent that neither Naruto, nor Sakura remembered her. They had all but forgotten her existence. Not that she had expected otherwise. The course of time was inexorable. Years hade and gone. Her memories of Konoha were now those of a life ages ago. Konoha had be a distant ce. A distant memory. An unfond memory that she had sincee to detest.
Yet, to treat and ignore her like this after all that she had done for the sake of Konoha ... How impolite of them topletely forget her. Wasn''t she a kunoichi of Konoha either? Where was the much vaunted Will of Fire? Weren''t they all family? Apparently not. Not any more, at least. These days had long since passed, buried deep beneath the sand of time.
¡°...¡± Asami giggled with a glint of amusement, her hand ced on her chest, her voice saddened, dejected. She was the perfect damsel in distress. ¡°Oh my, to think that you all have forgotten me, a ssmate of yours. I must confess, my disappointment is immeasurable. You hurt me. All these years, we spent together ... All in vain. Oh, what a cruel fate that has befallen me. Tell me, what have I done to merit such harsh treatment, Sakura-chan, Naruto-kun?¡±
Her words produced the desired effect. The light of realisation dawned on them.
¡°You ...¡± Sakura cracked her knuckles, a grin crossing lips, her resolve hardening. Her spirit wasmendable. The girl was prepared to fight, although her methods appeared rather brutish, much to her surprise. Sakura had changed. She wasn''t the foolish girl any more that she remembered. ¡°Asami, wasn''t it? You are that lone girl from the academy. You are that girl from back then from the chunin exams.¡±
¡°Now that I think about it, Sakura.¡± The blonde, surly Suna girl smirked, her hands reaching for her massive war fan. Her fan unfolded, pointing in her direction. ¡°Yes, there was this annoying girl, which means it''s time for revenge. Don''t think that I will go easy on you this time, little princess! I will beat the shit out of you!¡±
¡°Oh my, howbative!¡± Asami giggled, amused by the girl''s passion. Ignorance was truly a bliss. ¡°And what about you, Naruto-kun? Do you remember me? Unless I am mistaken, names and faces were never your forte.¡±
¡°...¡± Naruto narrowed his eyes, uncharacteristically taciturn.
¡°...¡± Asami smirked, tilting her head, her umbre dancing amidst her fingers. ¡°Hmm, I take your silence as a no ...¡±
¡°No, Asami. It has been a long time, but I remember you.¡± Naruto clenched his fists, yet he retained his calm. He controlled his infamous temper despite his irascible nature. How interesting.
¡°You do? How curious ...¡± Asami turned her full attention at the jinchuuriki, her gaze probing Naruto. He was serious. The boy had grown. The boy was older. He was wiser. He had lost much of his juvenile spirit. Naruto had matured, contrary to her expectations. The boy had certainly far exceeded her humble expectations. Who knows, one day, he might even make for a passable jinchuuriki at this rate, despite his meagre talent.
Naruto red at her, staring at her. The boy had also grown some backbone. ¡°Yes, I do. You are the girl from the academy. You are that girl from the chunin exams. You are the one who beat Shikamaru. You are the one who hurt Lee.¡±
Asami deployed her usual polite smile. ¡°Well, ... such might be a possibility. The boy was, after all, a rather stubborn one. Rather incorrigible in his ways, as far as I recall ...¡±
¡°Shut it, princess! Stop wasting our time!¡± The Suna girl exploded. ¡°We haven¡¯te all the way here from Suna for some idle chit chat, bitch! So, fuck off! We have better things to do!¡±
Asami directed her re at the defiant girl. ¡°Oh, what horrid times ... Oh, what dreadful manners. Yourck of tact is truly ... deplorable. Careful, an uncouth tongue does not be ady of proper station, although yours must be doubted.¡±
¡°...¡± The Suna girl gritted her teeth, daring to defy her openly. Whether it was courage or folly that which drove her remained debatable. ¡°Listen, little girl, this is myst warning. I have seen enough of you and your ugly face. I don¡¯t give a shit about your fucking manners! Shove your damn etiquette lessons up your pampered arse! We are here to rescue Gaara! And we know what game you are ying.¡±
Sakura readied her fists, a grin on her lips and itching for a fight. ¡°Temari is right! It''s obvious what you are trying to do, Asami.¡±
¡°Oh, really, is it?¡± Asami smiled, her umbre shielding her figure. ¡°Please, my friends, enlighten me~. Tell me, what vile deeds I am thought tomit today?¡±
Sakura cracked her knuckles. ¡°As I said, you are stalling for time, Asami, aren''t you? You were sent to dy us.¡±
¡°...¡± Asami declined toment. Her silence equalled confession, although she had hardly bothered to conceal her true intentions to begin with.
Sakura grinned, exceedingly proud of her rudimentary deductions. ¡°I thought so. We were right.¡±
¡°...¡± Naruto, however, didn''t understand, unable to follow. ¡°What do you mean, Sakura-chan?¡±
¡°Naruto, haven''t you noticed ...¡± Kakashi borated, his eyes never leaving her even for a moment. Careful as ever, he was monitoring her every move. ¡°Asami hasn''t attacked us, nor does she intend to do so. In fact, she hasn''t moved a single step all this time, which suggests two options. Either she is trying to buy time, or she must be reluctant to engage us, or both.¡±
Naruto understood, nodding. ¡°That makes sense, Kakashi-sensei!¡±
¡°...¡± Asami rolled her eyes. If they only knew. Unsurprisingly, extracting and sealing a bijuu, processing the stolen essence of week right under Pain''s watchful eyes without getting caught, and fighting now some children in an unresponsive, subpar body with severely limited chakra reserves was quite a strenuous affair. Especially, if all at the same time.
Temari grinned. ¡°Listen, little girl, you heard us! We know what you are up to! It''s five against one. You are outnumbered. You are alone. We aren''t.¡±
¡°Outnumbered, you say?¡± Asami furrowed an amused eyebrow. Outnumbered? Undoubtedly. At a disadvantage? Debatable. ¡°Well, I suppose that might be true. Five strong ninja against a lone, innocent maiden of pure heart. How terribly unfair of you. I merely came to parley, and yet I am received with such hostility.¡±
Temari clicked her tongue. ¡°Tsk, do you take us for idiots, or what?¡±
¡°Perhaps~.¡± Asami smiled beneath her purple umbre. ¡°Perhaps not~.¡±
Temari scowled, ¡°Enough! Enough is enough! Time to teach you some manners, bitch. You won''t stop us! We will get Gaara back!¡±
Sakura seconded her motion, grinning. ¡°Right!¡±
¡°Yes!¡± Naruto clenched his fist, his spirit burning high. ¡°We will rescue Gaara! No matter what!¡± The trio was willing to fight. How quaint.
¡°You think so?¡± Asami raised an eyebrow. ¡°Who says that Gaara still lives~?¡±
¡°WHAT?!¡± Her words showed an instant effect. Naruto stared at her, his eyes wide.
Asami tilted her head, her index finger caressing her red lips. ¡°Naruto-kun, has nobody ever told you, when a bijuu is extracted, their jinchuuriki dies~.¡±
...
...
...
Shock. Disbelief. Silence. Only the wind and the rustle of leaves filled the void.
Asami beamed. ¡°Ara~ ara~, did I possibly say too much~? How careless of me ...¡±
His response was swift. A kunai together with an explosive were Naruto''s answer.
The kunai was meant to take her head. Her umbre deflected the feeble attack, a thinyer of purple chakra protecting her against the explosion. The explosion was a distraction meant to buy time. It worked. The dust settled and revealed Naruto inpany of one of his clones.
Naruto red at her, his blood, his chakra, his aura boiling. The anger. The hatred. The rage. The raw, unconstrained emotion. She could veritably feel them.
Naruto and his clone were gathering their chakra, their hands creating a dense, swirling sphere of blue. It was a jutsu that she recognised.
It was a jutsu that Kakashi recognised. ¡°Naruto, ... wait ...¡± It was toote.
Naruto charged, head straight for her. ¡°Aaaarghhhhh!!! Rasengan!!!¡±
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Arc XII Chapter 9
ArcXII Chapter9
XII
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ArcXII Chapter9
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Naruto charged her in his mindless rage, foregoing any sense of finesse. How utterly predictable of him.
¡°...¡± A smile crept across Asami''s lips. Of course, he would. Though, Naruto might have matured, deep within, he remained the foolish boy he always was. He should have better listened. Doing so would have spared him a painful lesson.
¡°Aaaarghhhhh!!!¡± Naruto closed the distance, his pulsating rasengan in his palm. He was fast. His speed increased.
Asami raised her umbre and braced herself, her chakra fortifying her legs. At least some defensive measures were necessary for a frail girl of her physique. Melee had never been her forte.
His jutsu connected. His Rasengan met her umbre, his chakra against hers, his blue against her purple. His Rasengan shed against the thin purpleyer of her chakra, shielding her and her umbre against his attack. Her chakra stood fast with all its might, resisting Naruto¡¯s onught. His Rasengan ground furiously against her purple shield, sending bursts and sparks of chakra flying in every direction.
¡°Aaaarghhhhh! Aaaarghhhhh!!!¡± Naruto pressed his assault, increasing the pressure. More and more chakra fed his insatiable rasengan. It grew. It swelled. It expanded. All to no avail. Her defence stood, unyielding, unflinching, unbreakable.
Dainty and undisturbed, Asami stood her ground, her feet firmly nted onto the soil, unwilling to budge even in the slightest. Her umbre blocked his attack, the oue never in doubt, but rather ... a foregone conclusion.
His chakra ... It was ... feeble, at best. A chakra lesser, inferior, imperfect, unlike hers. His chakra possessed passion, will, even ambition, yet itcked discipline, order, a firm hand to guide it.
Narutocked skill. Hecked control. Hecked finesse. Instead, he relied on the brute force of his prodigious chakra to substitute for what hecked. It was a mistake only toomon. Naruto mistook plentitude for strength. Unsophisticated both in form and shape, his rasengan was hardly worth her attention. His brutish ways might work on others, but not on her. Neither in her former lifetime, nor in this.
His rasengan faltered, its momentum finally diminishing. The sphere warped. The spirals faded. That was her opportunity.
An evil smirk surfaced on Asami lips. ¡°Naruto-kun, ... watch and learn, my friend.¡± A few steps sufficed. Asami sidestepped. Her wrist tightened, and her hands angled her umbre sidewards, deflecting his rasengan. Naruto stumbled, his bnce thrown off, his defence broken. His forward momentum made him fall. It was the oldest trick in the book.
Naruto''s eyes widened in shock. ¡°What ...¡±
Her umbre folded, and her body rotated perpendicr, her leg elerating. Her chakra hardened her bones and tensed muscles beyond the limits of human durability. This would hurt. A roundhouse kick. Her shin crashed into his unprotected stomach, right into his guts with full force. Her chakra drove her momentum higher and higher.
¡°Hah ...¡± Naruto gasped, his lungs deted. The force of her kick travelled through his entire body. Now the finish.
Her kick hurled Naruto through the air like a mere rag doll, his motionless body skipping across the ground like a pebble across water. Only a tree and the splintering wood stopped him. His body finally came to a halt.
¡°Naruto!¡± Sakura shouted, panicking. Yet her worries were misced. A little bit of pain wouldn''t kill her old friend and favourite jinchuuriki, would it?
...
...
...
Silence followed. Kakashi, Sakura, Temari, the old woman, they all looked at her with unease, with a trace of sudden new found respect. Did they happen to underestimate her? How foolish of them~.
¡°Hehehe~. Hehe~. Hehehahe~.¡± Asami chuckled, veritably amused, her umbre unfolded again.
Temari hardly approved of her reaction. Her fist clenched. Her teeth gritted. ¡°What''s so funny, you wench?¡±
¡°Oh, nothing~.¡± Asami deployed her best smile, taunting her further. ¡°It is just ... All this big talk of yours before ... In the end, however, you are only all bark, no bite. Ratherical, wouldn''t you say ¡?¡±
A series of furious wind des cut her short, trying to kill her. Fortunately, her umbre shielded her against the barrage. The wind des were simply deflected, not even scratching the surfaceyer.
The attack subsided and Asami reappeared from behind the safety of her cover with a smile on her lips. ¡°Ara~ ara~, what a dangerous jutsu~. Careful, Termari-chan, otherwise you might even end up hurting someone~.¡±
¡°You ...¡± Temari veritably fumed, her war fan clutched between her hands. ¡°You fucking bitch! I will kill you!¡±
¡°So you say ...¡± Asami beamed, her fingers ying with her umbre. ¡°You are wee to try, Temari-chan, but just among us, you wouldn''t be the first one.¡±
Fortunately for her, Kakashi intervened, his arm blocking her way. ¡°Temari, ... don''t. Don''t fall for her trap. This is exactly what she wants. She is trying to taunt us.¡±
Temari grumbled, ¡°I know, but ...¡±
Kakashi interrupted, ¡°No buts. You saw what happened to Naruto, Temari. Trust me, Asami is ... a dangerous enemy. You mustn''t fall for her provocations. Don''t lower your guard.¡±
Temari clicked her tongue, grudgingly agreeing, ¡°Tsk, I understand.¡±
¡°Hehehe.¡± Asami giggled, her gaze focused on the former ANBU. ¡°Looks like we have here someone who can think, but I shouldn''t have expected otherwise from you, Captain Kakashi.¡±
¡°...¡± Her words were left unanswered. Ever the old ANBU, Kakashi showed no reaction, his eyes narrowed.
In the meantime, Naruto returned, standing again on his feet after rising from the dead. He took quite a beating, yet it wasn''t enough to take him out. Not by a long shot. He was made from stern stuff.
Naruto brushed the dust from his face, his spirit unbroken despite all bruises and dirt all over his body. He would heal quickly enough. ¡°She is ... strong, ya know. Asami packs quite a punch.¡±
¡°As is to be expected¡±, Kakashimented. ¡°Asami is strong. We can''t attack her head on. It won''t work on her. We need a n. We need a strategy.¡±
¡°...¡± Asami furrowed an eyebrow. A n? A strategy? They were quitete to realise so, but betterte than never.
¡°Right¡±, Naruto agreed.
Sakura followed, ¡°Sounds good.¡±
Temari merely nodded. ¡°...¡± They all agreed because they knew that he was right. Their need for a n was painfully apparent.
Kakashi exchanged a few quick nces, a n already taking shape and form in his mind, ¡°Then listen well, ...¡±
¡°Son of the White Fang, ...¡± the old woman chimed in. Silent before, the woman now raised her voice for the first time. ¡°There is a question I want to ask you.¡±
Everyone turned, looking at her with confusion, even Kakashi. The jonin simply stared. ¡°...?¡±
The old woman spoke, her nce studying her. ¡°This girl ... Asami ... You know her, don''t you?¡±
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Arc XII Chapter 10
ArcXII Chapter10
XII
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ArcXII Chapter10
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¡°...¡± Kakashi fell silent, ignoring Chiyo''s question. He didn''t know her, supposedly.
His reaction didn''t surprise Asami. The tenured ninja that he was, Kakashi had served under both the Third and Fourth. Ever the secretive ANBU of old, he was thus rather reluctant to speak. After all, he was asked to divulge closely guarded vige secrets of the highest order. Konoha had branded her a traitor with a considerable bounty on her head, yet they remained careful to conceal the full truth, her name only whispered sparsely even within their bingo books. That a prestigious kunoichi of her calibre had turned traitor was never information meant for the general public, for the rank and file. Her betrayal was confidential information limited to ears authorised to know, not to mention her identity.
¡°What?¡± Naruto blinked, his curiosity piqued. ¡°Is this true, Kakashi-sensei? You know her?¡± All attention turned to the former ANBU Captain. He was now under close scrutiny, much to his apparent displeasure.
¡°...¡± Kakashi maintained his wall of silence.
Chiyo, however, didn''t relent. Quite the contrary. ¡°You thought I wouldn''t notice? The way the girl speaks. The way the girl acts. The way you respond. When we met before, you were the first one she addressed directly, Kakashi, and the only one she addressed by full name. And just a few moments ago, the girl even called you Captain. It''s obvious that she knows you. And you know her, don''t you, Son of the White Fang?¡± Her gaze pierced Kakashi in an attempt to uncover the truth.
...
...
...
¡°You are right. I do¡±, Kakashi finally conceded.
¡°So it''s true ...¡± Sakura couldn''t believe her ears. ¡°How?¡±
¡°...¡± Kakashi remained silent.
Chiyo narrowed her eyes, impatient. ¡°Tell us, Son of the White Fang, who is she? We have a right to know the truth. The whole truth.¡±
¡°...¡± Sakura, Naruto, Temari, Chiyo, their stares bored into Kakashi. They all expected, they all wanted an answer. Kakashi relented.
¡°I understand ...¡± Kakashi nodded, a heavy sigh escaping him. ¡°This girl ... Her name is Minami Asami. I know her through my old contacts. Asami was once a kunoichi in service of Konoha. She was once ANBU, an ANBU Captain, in fact. That was before she turned traitor during the Suna-Otogakure invasion four years ago. Asami is said to have betrayed Konoha and abandoned the vige. Her whereabouts have been unknown ever since. Until now. It appears that she has since joined the Akatsuki.¡±
¡°...¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes widened, their stares darting between Kakashi and her.
¡°What ... What did she do?¡± Naruto demanded, shooting her a withering re. ¡°Why did she betray the vige?¡±
Kakashi hesitated. ¡°I don''t know. They say that she has joined forces with Orochimaru during the invasion, although I personally doubt so. What we know for sure, though, is that she has turned against herrades that day. Asami has attacked and murdered herrades in cold blood. She is one who has forsaken the vige in its direst hour. That alone is enough to make her a traitor, the vilest kind of scum.¡±
Naruto froze, his usual cheerful attitude evaporated. He turned to her, his mind unable to understand. ¡°Is this true, Asami? Did you really ...¡± He gulped. ¡°Did you really kill yourrades!?¡±
¡°...¡± Asami tilted her head, unfazed by his usations. It was already far toote for cheap excuses. ¡°And what if I had, Naruto? What then? What are you going to do?¡±
¡°...¡± Naruto fell silent. Her words sent a shiver down his spine.
A cold smirk crossed Asami''s lips. ¡°Yes, I killed them, Naruto. With my own hands, no less. I butchered them before my very eyes. It was either me, or them. It was not a hard choice to make.¡±
Chiyo narrowed her eyes, hardly concealing her animosity. ¡°I see ... So this is whom we are dealing with ... A former ANBU Captain and traitor. At such a young age, too ... How troublesome. No wonder that the enemy recruited her. She must be quite skilled, I guess.¡±
¡°...¡± Chiyo¡¯s words elicited a graceful smile from Asami''s lips. ¡°How generous, Lady Chiyo. I will take such as apliment.¡±
¡°...¡± The woman, however, remainedpletely unfazed. No reaction at all. The sleeves of her dark robe covered her hands, her messy grey hair, her wrinkled face. Her aged eyes, her sharp, calcting gaze, they betrayed her experience. The woman was a veteran of many battles. The woman knew how to fight. How troublesome.
Kakashi continued, ¡°But that''s our smallest worry, Lady Chiyo. Minami Asami ... Her name was always one rarely spoken in Konoha, even within the ANBU. The world knows her under a different name.¡±
¡°And which name would that be?¡± Chiyo grumbled, albeit curious.
¡°... ... ...¡± Kakashi hesitated. ¡°Asami ... They call her the ck Princess of Konoha.¡±
...
...
...
¡°...¡± Asami mustered a warm smile. So, the truth was finally revealed after all these years. What a splendid development.
¡°Hmm, she is what?¡± As usual, Naruto was confused, even when he wasn''t alone. Her nickname meant nothing to him, nor to Sakura, nor to Temari. ¡°The ck Princess of Konoha? Who is ... ... ... Granny, Chiyo?¡±
Naruto nced at the woman, perplexed. He noticed her sudden change ofplexion. And so did Sakura and Temari. They all stared at her, notprehending what was happening.
Chiyo had paled, all blood and life draining from her face at mere mention of her title. Fear, terror, dread gripped her eyes, her very soul.
¡°...¡± Asami grinned with glee. How adorable. The old woman recognised her nickname.
¡°No ... No ... No ...¡± Chiyo trembled, her limbs shaking. ¡°This can''t ... be ... You are lying! Are you seriously telling me, ... Are you seriously telling me, this girl ... This little girl is Konoha''s ck Princess? She is the one we are facing? The Demon of Shimabara? The Devil of Shizugatake? The Fiend of Enryakuji? The Grim Reaper of Nomura? The Butcher of Ukino?¡±
¡°Hehehe~. Hehehehe~. Hehehe~. Hahahaheha~.¡± Asami giggled, her cold, melodic voice iming their attention. A sense of nostalgia, a sense of longing, a sense of yearning crossed her soft lips. ¡°All these familiar nicknames ... All these familiar ces ... All these memories of the past ... Yes, I remember them, the beautiful days when the flower of my youth was in full bloom. Tell me, how many years, how many lifetimes have passed since? I do not know.
Ah ... Ukino ... It was a harsh winter ... Thend was frozen, covered in ice and snow. How many Kiri-nin met their fate? Was it 600? 700? 800? Not that it matters at this point.
Nomura. In their arrogance, the Azai and Asakura n chose to defy the will of the Fire Daimyo. Their rebellion, however, should not go unpunished by heaven. They knew which fate expected traitors. My orders were to put them to the sword. I did as ordered. Men and women, old and young, infants and children. Their ns and viges are no more.
Enryakuji. The monks thought the lords far and wide. High up on their mountain, they thought themselves safe behind the walls of their temple. They thought their teachings of freedom and equality would go unnoticed. They thought wrong. Their teachings attracted the attention of the daimyo. I was sent to purge their misguided beliefs with fire and sword. I did as ordered. I reduced their temple to nothing but ashes. The monks are no more. Their souls probably still curse me from the afterlife.
Shizugatake ... Iwa thought they could threaten Konoha with a single, puny regiment. They thought us weak and feeble after thest war. They thought wrong. I made them see the error of their ways. It only cost them 3 000 good men. Quite the bargain, I suppose.
Shimabara. The peasants thought that they could rise against their rightful lords and masters. They thought that soil and grain belonged to them. They thought wrong. Shimabara paid the price for their folly. 50 000 souls perished in the mes.
But such is all ancient history by now. Ancient history of a time long since passed.¡±
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Arc XII Chapter 11
ArcXII Chapter11
XII
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ArcXII Chapter11
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...
...
...
Silence. Absolute silence greeted her, a silence that even she had rarely witnessed before. Not a single word was spoken. Not a single word was uttered.
Naruto, Sakura, Temari, the three were left speechless, their nk faces aghast in shock and utter disbelief. They gazed at her in terror, denial, and wariness. Their juvenile confidence had long since crumbled. Gone was their false bravado in the face of reality. They never truly knew her, did they?
Asami tilted her head, her brightest smile on her lips. ¡°What? Are we surprised? Are we lost for words?¡± Her words alone bewitched her audience, lulling them into a deep trance.
...
...
...
Asami grinned. ¡°Or are you perhaps judging me? I see the disbelief, the incredulity, the usations in your eyes.¡±
...
...
¡
¡°I have ughtered countless, their blood forever staining my hands. All in the name of Konoha, all in the name of duty, yet you seem to be judging me. You who have never fought. You who know little of the art of war. You who know nothing of the world. How ludicrous.
You are naive. You have no idea what darkness lurks beneath the great tree in the shadows, down beneath the thin veneer of civilisation and a certain elder''s machinations? Do you really believe that Konoha was built on benevolence and good intentions alone? And not on violence and coercion? Hardly.¡±
Naruto balled his fist. ¡°No, ... No, you must be lying! Konoha ... The vige ... The Hokage ... They would never do ...¡±
Kakashi, Chiyo, Temari, Sakura, they all averted their eyes in silence. They saw no evil. They heard no evil. They spoke no evil.
Asami shook her head, visibly amused. ¡°Oh, Naruto-kun, you are still young. You are still inexperienced. You are nothing but a mere child with delusions of hope, speaking of matters you do not understand.¡± Their reaction was less enthusiastic than imagined.
¡°...¡± Naruto, Sakura, Temari, they all red at her, their stares wavering, yet equally defiant. Their initial stupor had dissipated, and their spirit returned, but a sense of fear lingered in their eyes. Ever the eternal fool, Naruto, was gued with doubt. They almost made her feel guilty. It was as if she was the baddie here. Only almost, though.
¡°...¡± Asami maintained her smile. ¡°You know, all these memories, all this talking makes me feel quite sentimental ... Might be the age. Admittedly, I love to hear myself talk all day long, but we all have ces to be. So what do you think about a littlepromise? For the sake of the good old days.¡±
¡°Apromise?¡± Kakashi eyed her with open suspicion. He distrusted her most kind hearted offer.
Asami nodded. ¡°You see, for reasons unknown, I am in an exceedingly good mood at the moment, which means you are all very lucky. I feel generous, very generous, in fact. So why not apromise? We don''t need to fight each other. We don''t need to spill blood where none is needed. You don¡¯t bother me. In return, I won''t bother you. Nobody gets hurt. We all go our ways, unharmed. Sounds like a fair deal, right~? ¡±
...
Naruto was the one to speak, his fists clenched in defiance. ¡°So you are ... letting us pass?¡±
¡°...¡± Asami tilted her head, her gaze directed at him. What a silly boy. ¡°Is this a serious question, Naruto-kun~? Know that I do not suffer fools dly.¡±
¡°...¡± Naruto gulped, his words stuck in his throat. Her sharine smile silenced in an instant. Though it might not be her most potent weapon, her mere presence, her gaze in particr, still had a certain effect on people.
Asami beamed. ¡°Do not fret, though, Naruto-kun~. Of course~, I will allow you to pass, Please, waltz past me and go to rescue the Kazekage~. You have my blessing~. Not to mention, allow me to show you the way as well~.¡±
¡°...¡± Naruto¡¯s face brightened for the sliver of a moment, yet his hopes were nothing but a mere illusion.
Asami''s smile turned cold and her purple eyes icy. ¡°Come on, Naruto, seriously, in which world are you living? That''s not how things work. You see, I am under orders here. I have a reputation to defend. I cannot allow you to pass. At least, not without putting up some credible resistance, even if it is just with this poor excuse of a body.¡±
...
...
...
Asami closed her eyes, her words still lingering in the air. ¡°Although, such is not my choice to make. I have stated my most generous conditions. I have offered you peace with the best of intentions. Cease your pursuit. Abort your mission. It falls to you now to decide whether we part in peace, or whether we cross des as enemies. I await your response.¡±
¡°...¡± Kakashi, Chiyo, Sakura, Temari narrowed their eyes.
¡°...¡± Naruto red, his eyes filled with anger, disgust, revulsion, loathing. Yet there was more. Deep within him, beneath the surface, there was also a glimmer of profound, bottomless, all conquering kindness. His blue eyes harboured a certain humane kindness that seemed to defy all logic and rationality with its might. It was a most curious emotion. Its vivacious nature equally amused and intrigued her.
In the end, it was once again Naruto who defied her in hubris. The boy raised his fist with supreme confidence, still determined to fight despite her little lesson. He spoke in their name, for all of them. ¡°Listen, I don''t know you, Asami. I didn''t know you back then. I don''t know you today. I never knew you were an ANBU either. I never heard about the ck Princess of Konoha. I never heard about Ukino. I never heard about Nomura. I never heard about Shimabara. I don''t know why you have betrayed our vige.¡±
¡°...¡± Asami listened, for a change.
Naruto continued, ¡°It''s true, I don''t know much about war. I don''t know much about the darkness of Konoha. I don''t know much about the world in general. In your eyes, I am nothing but a child. But there is one thing I know, Asami, that I will never stray from my path, from my nindo. I will never give up! I will never waver! I have promised to rescue Gaara. And I will! I will save Gaara! Because he is my friend, and I never abandon my friends! Even if it means to fight the world! Even if it means to fight you, Asami.¡±
The effect of his little speech was immediate. Kakashi, Chiyo, Sakura, Temari, they all approved of his words, either grinning or smiling, once again determined to face her. They shared his resolve. They shared his conviction. Their doubts had vanished, and their courage had returned. Naruto''s mere voice had raised the spirit of his allies with new vigour, undoing all of her hard work.
¡°Then so it be ...¡± Asami murmured, her hand reaching for her pouch. ¡°It appears that negotiations have failed. How unfortunate ...¡±
Four kunai and four explosive tags attached were her response. Her kunai cut through the air. They were swift.
Kakashi saw theming, his eyes widening. ¡°Disperse!¡±
Toote. The ground trembled. Four consecutive explosions shook the clearing. The battle had begun in earnest.
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Arc XII Chapter 12
ArcXII Chapter12
XII
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ArcXII Chapter12
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Naruto dodged, evading the volley of iing kunai. He retreated, both of his arms shielding his face. Her kunai were fast, and her attack caught him off guard, but he didn¡¯t train and study thest three years under the Pervy Sage for nothing. Asami would have had to get up earlier to catch him. It wasn¡¯t over, though, ya know. Not by a long shot, ya know. The battle had just begun. Things started badly.
¡°...¡± Naruto narrowed his eyes, sharpening his senses. A dozen explosions shook the ground, each in quick session. The rising dust and smoke blocked his vision. They covered her tracks. They covered her movements, which was probably her intention.
¡°Stay alert, everyone!¡± Kakashi warned, his calm unshakeable. ¡°She is using the explosions to create an improvised smoke screen ... Watch out!¡±
¡°What ...?¡± Naruto¡¯s eyes widened. Asami ... closed the gap between them in an instant, appearing right before him in a blur. Swift and elegant. Silent and soundless. A ghost on the battlefield. The girl targeted him directly, her folded umbre clutched in her hands. Asami struck head on, thrusting her umbre like ance.
¡°Fuck! Shit!¡± Naruto muttered under his breath, immediately bringing up his arms to intercept her thrust. He braced himself. His training, his reflexes served him well. It was the correct response. His crossed arms protected his torso.
Her umbre connected, hitting his elbows with the force of her purple chakra. His arms withstood her strike. Though they refused to yield, the blow he took was heavy, shaking him right down to the very bones. It was as if he had taken a punch in the guts. Yet he stood. Yet he soldiered on. Because this was his way. Because this was his nindo! He never gave up after a single blow! He never backed down!
¡°Aargh!!!¡± Naruto gritted his teeth, mustering all his force, mobilising his chakra. He resisted. He fought. He even managed to push her back, slowly but surely. He gained ground, much to Asami¡¯s apparent displeasure. ¡°Aaaaarrrrrrgh!!!¡±
¡°...¡± Asami narrowed her eyes, a frown crossing her lips for a fraction of a moment. It came. It vanished. ¡°Such strength ... Yet so little finesse ... How utterly deplorable.¡±
¡°...¡± Naruto red, ignoring her obvious taunt. He wouldn¡¯t fall for her cheap tricks ... Dammit!
¡°...¡± Asami smirked, capitalising on hispse of attention. His concentration had faltered for a single moment. His error proved to be fatal. His negligence was punished swiftly. The slightest of a moment was all that Asami required.
The girl dropped her umbre and Naruto tumbled forwards. He was yed once again. Just like that. Shit! Fuck it! It was the same trick all over again!
¡°...¡± Asami slipped past him, circumventing his defence. His posture was broken. His nk now exposed.
¡°...¡± Naruto bit his lips, well knowing that this would hurt. Prior experience told him as much. He was right. It did hurt.
Asami turned, circling, driving her fist into his unprotected abdomen, ramming her knuckles deep into his body. Her punch hit true and hard, staggering him. ¡°You are slow, Naruto-kun ...¡±
Asami spun, her hand grabbing her airborne umbre for the finale. This wasn¡¯t good. This wasn¡¯t good, at all.
¡°...¡± Naruto paled, realising the danger. Asami broke his defence. It was toote ... He ... He wouldn¡¯t be able to defend himself.
Asami grinned, fully aware of her advantage. The girl propelled her umbre, elerating hernce. ¡°...¡±
¡°Not with me here!!! Aargh!¡± Sakura roared, her savage fist saving him in the nick of time. Sakura arrived in full force, threatening Asami¡¯s nk, forcing her to react.
¡°...¡± Asami diverted her umbre to fend off her attack. Unfolded, her parasol took the gargantuan force of her punch without flinching. Sakura¡¯s raw physical strength shed against her purple chakra. Asami prevailed, not without repercussions, though.
Her shield resisted Sakura¡¯s powerful strike, but Asami was forced back by her sheer physical force, her feet sliding across the ground, forcing her to shift to defence. Against Sakura¡¯s brute force, even Asami¡¯s shield relented, budging ever so slightly.
¡°...¡± Asami didn¡¯t appear to be pleased with recent developments, loathe to face the two of them at once. Quite the contrary. Her countenance showed as much. The frown on her lips. The profound irritation in her eyes. They were proof enough. Sakura¡¯s timely assistance displeased her in more than one way.
¡°...¡± Sakura grinned in victory, cracking her knuckles, all fired up. Another of her punches was in theing. ¡°Quite the neat umbre you have there, Asami. Seems that you are a tougher nut to crack than I thought. But seriously, a smoke screen? That is the oldest trick in the ninja handbook. I expected more from you. This isn¡¯t the academy any more, Asami.¡±
¡°...¡± Asami narrowed her eyes, her re sharper than obsidian. If looks could kill, then Sakura would be dead on the spot. ¡°...¡±
Naruto sighed in relief, rising to his feet. This was the moment of respite that he needed. ¡°Thank you, Sakura-chan. I owe you.¡±
Sakura merely smiled. ¡°No need to thank me, Naruto. I have got your back. We fight and stand as one.¡±
¡°You are right, Sakura-chan!¡± Naruto nodded in full agreement, clenching his fists. ¡°Yes, we fight and stand as one!¡±
¡°...¡± Asami rolled her eyes in open dismissal, her hands offering a round of hollow apuse. ¡°How touching ... I am truly moved beyond words by your disy of such camaraderie ...¡±
In a blur, Kakashi appeared behind her. The blue, chirping lightning of his chidori gathered in his palm. ¡°You talk too much.¡± His chidori struck, his lightning de slicing through the air.
Yet, her umbre protected its mistress once more. Her umbre answered her call. Asami giggled, highly amused, her parasol slung over her shoulder to cover her back without the barest hint of effort or strain. Her purple chakra stopped Kakashi¡¯s chidori dead in its tracks. ¡°Oh my, sneaking up on an innocent maiden of pure heart ... From behind, no less. Are these the devious ways of Konoha these days? I hope you do not harbour any licentious thoughts, Kakashi-san.¡±
¡°...¡± Kakashi narrowed his gaze, his chidori still unable to prate her shield despite his lightning attribute. Sparks and light shed in the air, his blue chakra chirping furiously. Yet his chidori failed to pierce the barrier that covered the surface of her parasol. ¡°Still as prideful as ever. They always said that your pride will be your undoing.¡±
Asami chuckled. ¡°They did ...¡± A kunai appeared from her sleeve and the girl spun around her axis, the de nearly slicing Kakashi¡¯s throat by a hair¡¯s breadth. The touch of cold metal coated in purple passed his skin.
Kakashi dodged, only to back off immediately to put distance between him and the girl. ¡°Still as lethal as ever ... Not that I have expected otherwise.¡±
Asami tilted her head, beaming. ¡°I am d to oblige.¡±
¡°...¡± Kakashi grabbed a kunai and they both shed in melee, their kunai interlocking. Kunai against kunai. Steel against steel. His chakra against hers.
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Arc XII Chapter 13
ArcXII Chapter13
XII
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ArcXII Chapter13
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Asami and Kakashi. Two jonin. Two former ANBU. Two former ANBU Captains. Two veterans. Their kunai interlocked in a tight grip. de met de. Metal met metal.
¡°...¡± Asami¡¯s lips formed a smile, her kunai slowly cutting through his kunai, her chakra slowly grinding through his chakra. Her purple sma shone with the brilliance of a star, invincible. As usual, it was the strength of her chakra to prevail, despite his most sincere efforts. Kakashi fought. He fought. His chakra fought. ¡°Kakashi, you appear to be hard pressed, unless I am mistaken~.¡± Her taunt proved ineffectual, eliciting no reaction from her experienced enemy.
¡°... ... ...¡± Kakashi gritted his teeth, much less in a talkative mood. What a shame. ¡°...¡±
Hers and his stares interlocked. Their eyes crossed, purple, dark grey and the red shade of his sole legendary sharingan. Kakashi ... The wielder of the infamous sharingan ...
He had removed his eye patch, revealing his prized treasure, his sharingan. A prized treasure it was. It was given to him by his fallenrade in arms. It was a beautiful eye. A deep, crimson shade. Three proud ck tomoe. It was a mature sharingan. It was ripe. Full of power. Unless her eyes deceived her, his eye even had awakened what was considered forbidden. It showed traces of a power familiar. The unmistakable powers of the mangekyou slumbered within it.
Not that such a meagre power would save him. His mastery of his eye was found subpar. Admirable, yet falling short of her expectations. Such facts had not escaped the keenness of her instinct. His sharingan was foundcking in so many aspects, but what else could be expected of a mere pretender, made the heir of a legacy not his own.
It showed. Unlike her, Kakashi was never born an Uchiha, but rather chosen by the vagrancies of fate. Even so, the eye rejected him. The eye defied him even after all these years. The sharingan refused to obey one not of her blood. The eye strained his stamina. The eye strained his chakra reserves.
Asami giggled, deigning to offer a rare instance of praise. Her curiosity, her interest in his sharingan had not escaped Kakashi. ¡°A sharingan ... Such a rare sight these days ¡¡±
Kakashi narrowed his eyes. ¡°A rare sight indeed ... Yet you hardly seem surprised.¡±
Asami giggled, armed with a beaming grin. ¡°How true~. Well, let''s say, they are a sight that I have grown ustomed to. I am certainly no stranger to the allure they hold. Not when the butcher of the Uchiha n walks among us.¡± Her words lingered, producing the desired effect, even when more was said than strictly necessary.
Kakashi narrowed his eyes. ¡°Him ... I understand.¡±
This was her opportunity. Asami doubled her efforts, her chakra ring up, invigorating the purple coat of heated sma surrounding her kunai.
¡°...¡± Kakashi¡¯s eyes widened. His body reacted now that it was already toote ...
The ttering sound of wood gave Asami pause. It was a sound that she hade to know throughout the years, once reminiscent of Sunagakure. It was the puppeteers and their puppets. The creaking, clicking, groaning, grinding cacophony of moving jaws and joints. They wereing for her, and they were closing in.
Asami nced sideways, spotting a pair of puppets approaching her, their wooden frames and inhuman nature covered by a set of long coats.
The puppets deployed their des, directly extending from their arms, prepared to cut her down and quite likelyced with deadly poison. Par for the course for any puppeteer of renown. Of course, it was the old woman whomanded them. It was her pulling the strings from behind the scenes, her chakra threads skilfully controlling her creations. Two puppets, both d in matching ck fur lined robes. Two nameless wooden husks without defining features beyond the simplest of contours. They looked and felt like the cheapest of cheap mass production models. Because they were.
The old woman noticed her stare. Her gaze hardened. ¡°Take this! You Akatsuki bastards should never have messed with Sunagakure! Old though I am, I will show you why I was once hailed as the greatest puppeteer under the desert sun!¡±
Asami disengaged instantly, evading. Obviously, being bisected alive was a thought she was hardly eager to entertain, nor was the poison coating their des. Their des missed, their sharp edges cutting the air, passing directly before her eyes. It was a close call. Closer than she would have liked to admit.
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Pain¡¯s gaze wandered across the dark expanse of the cave, targeting a certain flickering silhouette, a certain shark toothedpanion. Kisame had returned from his mission with modest sess, much to their leader¡¯s apparent displeasure. His monotone, lifeless voice betrayed his thinly veiled irritation and short temper. Pain had never been one to tolerate failure. ¡°Kisame ... You have returned earlier than expected ... What happened? Were you defeated?¡±
Kisame grinned, uncaring of the usations levelled against him. ¡°They were strong. Far stronger than expected.¡±
Pain nodded. ¡°I see ... How disappointing. Not that it matters, though. The ritual is proceeding smoothly. The essence of the One Tail will be sealed soon at this rate.¡± Streams of extracted chakra were extracted from the Kazekage¡¯s body, only to be devoured by the giant Gedo Mazo Statue.
Kisame smiled. ¡°And what about our little princess? Hope they don''t cause you too much trouble, Asami. You know what a stubborn bunch you Konoha-nin are.¡±
¡°...¡± Asami ignored Kisame, her eyes closed, her hands forming a seal. Her attention was spread rather thin at the present moment, with little room to spare. The sealing ritual, the fight against Kakashi and hispanions, processing the stolen essence of the One Tail, all of these demanded her attention. ¡°...¡±
¡°No response ...¡± Kisame shed his teeth. ¡°You wound me, Asami.¡±
¡°... ... ...¡± Asami maintained her silence. No reaction, whatsoever.
Kisame shrugged his shoulders, slightly disappointed. ¡°Oh, well, I guess our little princess has her hands full at the moment. Nothing we can do. How are things going on her end, Zetsu?¡± His gaze shifted.
¡°...¡± Ever the dutiful scout and subordinate, Zetsu obliged to report, his considerably more perceptive ck half speaking. ¡°The enemy outnumbers her five to one, yet they appear to be equally matched. Thus far, at least. I predict that her superior skill and ability will allow her to slowly gain the upper hand. In my opinion, their defeat is only a matter of time.¡±
¡°Impressive¡±, Kisamemented. ¡°Wouldn''t you agree, Itachi?
¡°... ... ...¡± Itachi, however, was silent.
Meanwhile, Pain agreed. ¡°I am pleased to hear so, though I rmend you to hurry, Asami. Time is of the essence.¡±
Asami furrowed her eyebrow, the majority of her attention still dedicated to the ongoing battle, remote as it might be. ¡°How so? The fight is far from over.¡±
Pain conceded, ¡°Such might be true. Unfortunately, though, the jutsu is already reaching its limits. You are consuming his chakra at an rming rate. I don''t expect his body tost much longer. You are on the clock, Asami.¡±
¡°... ... ...¡± Asami clicked her tongue, her consternation showing. ¡°I understand ... I will see what I can do.¡±
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Arc XII Art Gallery
Arc XII Art Gallery
XII
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Arc XII Art Gallery
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Arc I Prologue
Arc I Chapter 2
Arc I Chapter 3
Arc I Chapter 5
Arc I Chapter 6
Arc I Chapter 9
Arc I Chapter 12
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Arc II Chapter 3
Arc II Chapter 4
Yukihiro and Aritame
Masasane
Arc II Chapter 6
Arc II Chapter 11
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Arc III Chapter 2
City of Shimabara
Arc III Chapter 8
Arc III Chapter 9
Hisaaki and Katsusane
Hatsu
Arc III Chapter 11
Arc III Chapter 12
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Arc IV Chapter 3
Arc IV Chapter 16
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Fumihiko
Arc V Chapter 2
Arc V Chapter 7
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Arc VI Chapter 11
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Susanoo
Arc VII Chapter 4
Arc VII Chapter 8
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Amegakure
Arc VIII Chapter 1
Yuki
Arc VIII Chapter 3
Arc VIII Chapter 6
Arc VIII Chapter 8
Arc VIII Chapter 10
Katsuki
Arc VIII Chapter 14
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Yuji and Mayumi
Arc IX Chapter 4
White Mon
ck Mon
Arc IX Chapter 7
Arc IX Chapter 11
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Yuki
Arc X Chapter 11
Ruins of Nara
Arc X Chapter 15
Arc X Chapter 17
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Arc XI Chapter 7
Neko Guard
Arc XI Chapter 8
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Desert of Sunagakure
Arc XII Chapter 3
Arc XII Chapter 14
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Arc XII Chapter 14
Arc XII Chapter 14
XII
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Arc XII Chapter 14
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Repositioning herself immediately, Asami was quick to put some distance between herself and the enemy. Distance gave space. Distance gave time. Distance gave safety. Her umbre once again apanied her in a single fluid motion, shielding and camouging her retreat behind its thin veil.
Her eyes narrowed and her re hardened. Her annoyance was directed at the perpetrator, the one responsible, a certain old hag and her pathetic collection of puppets. What game was the woman ying at here? What was she trying to achieve here? What was she even doing here? Nobody knew, nor did she particrly care. So far, the woman merely seeded in displeasing her. And displeased she was.
¡°...¡± Asami clicked her tongue, mightily irritated. Her hand gripped the umbre leaning on her shoulder. To think that the woman would dare to interfere in matters not her own. Even going as far as trying to butcher her! Amoner raising her proverbial sword against her, thest self proimed surviving Uchiha and heir to the imperial throne no less. How outrageous. Imagine, her being felled by the des of some ignominious puppets like some mere forlorn peasant girl in the middle of godforsaken nowhere.
¡°...¡± Asami shook her head, entirely self absorbed as usual. No, no, no, it was still too early for her to die, nor could such brazen impertinence, such arrogance, go unpunished.
The puppets nked their mistress and master, their sharp des protruding from their amputated limbs. The puppets protected the woman, guarded her, their loyalty forever unwavering. They obeyed her everymand, and they would even serve her in death and beyond. Not that she expected otherwise. Her puppets were nothing but inanimate objects, mere tools, mere weapons, mere extensions of her will.
The old hag clicked her tongue, mirroring her reaction.¡°Oh, fucking dammit, and I thought I got the bitch. I guess Ebizo is right after all, I must be growing old. My skills aren¡¯t what they used to be back then during the war. Oh, how the years fly by. Yesterday, Captain of the Puppet Brigade. Today, old and senile.¡±
Asami raised her eyebrow. Captain ... of the Puppet Brigade? Oh, so, it was her, after all. What a surprise. The one and only. The legendary. The master puppeteer of Suna herself. No wonder that her name sounded familiar. ¡°Lady Chiyo, wasn¡¯t it? The former Captain of the Puppet Brigade, I presume. The Terror of the Sand. The Scourge of Sunagakure.¡±
¡°The Scourge of what?¡± Naruto blinked, equally dumbfounded and confused, with more questions than answers. His gaze wandered between her and Chiyo. Of course, he was unaware of the identity of their most recent ally. Not that he would care. Naruto was still the clueless boy she had sincee to know.
The elder woman grumbled, responding with defiance despite the innocuous nature of her question. She was the enemy, and she was treated as such, with little hospitality given. ¡°Oh, so you know of me, ck Princess. I guess, I should feel honoured.¡±
Asami smiled with a dispassionate coldness in her voice that belied her petite appearance. ¡°Well, well, in my trade, youe to know a thing or two, Lady Chiyo. It is only natural. Unlike certain other less informed individuals present. How ironic it must be for you to fight now side by side with your former sworn enemies, Lady Chiyo. You cost Konoha dearly during the Second Ninja War. How many sons and daughters of Konoha did you ughter again without mercy? How many lives did you im, Lady Chiyo?¡±
Chiyo, however, narrowed her eyes, defying her openly once more. The old hag was a veteran of many battles. Of course, her resolve would not be easily shaken, nor would she allow others to waver. ¡°Tsk, far less ironic than the little girl suddenly talking about the sons and daughters of Konoha after turning traitor and ughtering her formerrades in cold blood without even the faintest hint of remorse.¡±
Chiyo¡¯s response elicited an amused smile from Asami. ¡°Touch¨¦.¡± It was a fair point to make. Not that it mattered. Yet the enemy was quick to take advantage of her apparent weakness. The old woman gave her no respite now that she smelled blood.
Chiyo grinned in victory, her voiceced with provocation. ¡°Oh, so is that all that the great ck Princess has to say? Nothing more? Curious, you were quite the cheeky one just a moment ago, weren¡¯t you? And now what? Silence. Perhaps I overestimated you. Perhaps you are just a little girl, after all. A little girl with a tongue far too sharp for her own good.¡±
¡°...¡± Asami narrowed her eyes, clenching her fists ever so slightly. The woman was directly attacking her pride, her ego, not forgetting her intellect. How brave of her. The old hag had chosen her targets well. She struck where it hurt. The woman was provoking her. The woman was taunting her, openly no less. She was trying to distract her, trying to divert her attention. And it was working fabulously. Of course, she would have to respond. Such an open provocation could not be left unanswered. Her pride and honour would not allow so, even when her enemies were already scheming again behind her presumed back.
Naruto red at her. Sakura readied herself forbat. Temari prepared for the next round. Kakashi was already positioning himself. Their posture betrayed their intentions. It was amusing. They really thought that she wouldn¡¯t notice them and what they were doing, even with a fraction of her attention. Such plebeian hubris. Theypletely underestimated her.
Asami smirked, confronting Chiyo with a dangerous smile colder than ice. ¡°Careful, Lady Chiyo, I hope you realise that you are ying a dangerous game here. Though your loose tongue might have served you well in the past, Lady Chiyo, it does not today. It is generally judged unwise to displease me. I suggest thus weighing your words more carefully in the future. After all, we don¡¯t want any mishaps to ur, Lady Chiyo, do we?¡±
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Arc XII Chapter 15
Arc XII Chapter 15
XII
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Arc XII Chapter 15
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Chiyo clicked her tongue, dismissing her gracious advice outright. ¡°Or what, little princess? What are you going to do ...¡± Chiyo¡¯s eyes widened, years, decades ofbat experience kicking in. Her reflexes screamed danger. Her instincts sensed danger. Her old bones moved with the speed of times long gone. They moved like never before in her life, with a sense of urgency never felt before.
It happened in a mere moment. Asami raised her hand andmanded with a mere flick of her wrist. Her chakra obeyed. A purple javelin answered her call. A javelin of pure concentrated chakra, condensed into an instrument of her indomitable will. It was time to teach the woman a lesson to remember.
Her javelin was fast. Her projectile crossed the in, closing the distance in a blink of an eye. Her enemy was hardly able to react, yet she did. Chiyo survived. The woman dodged her projectile, rolling sidewards, throwing herself into the dirt. Whether due to skill or mere luck was impossible to tell.
Her javelin missed, shooting past her after obliterating one of her puppets en passant. Her chakra shredded the wooden puppet into pieces, simply atomising everything in its way in a cloud of misted purple. The puppet never stood a chance, but such was hardly a constion. A miss was a miss.
¡°What a splendid performance, Lady Chiyo.¡± Asami offered her best smile, pping her hands sardonically. ¡°I am truly impressed. To think that you would actually survive! Just among us, I considered such an oue highly unlikely.¡± Chiyo¡¯s response was gelid. Unsurprisingly, she didn¡¯t take kindly to being nearly murdered. Nobody did.
The woman¡¯s eyes hardened, ring at her with murderous intent despite her ragged breathing, despite the exhaustion of her shock. The woman lived, her right hand reaching immediately for her wounded left arm. Her coat was torn apart, shredded. The red stain of blood covered her entire arm. The stench of burnt, cauterised open flesh was in the air. Her javelin might have missed, but its raw energy grazed her arm, which was enough. The power, the sheer heat ruptured her skin like a thousand razors, scorching her entire arm like the singed grass below. It must hurt. It did hurt.
Chiyo gritted her teeth, defying her to the utmost. ¡°You ...¡±
A cataclysmic explosion cut her short from behind, from inside the forest at her back. Violent, thunderous, torrid. A roar crossed the in as a blinding sh of light tore through the canopy, ttening everything. Trees splintered and shattered. Trunks and branches snapped like brittle bones by the hand of a vengeful god. The ground trembled under the might of the shock wave before a column of dust and smoke surged skywards. Her javelin had struck a target.
Asami tilted her head, her index finger caressing her lips. ¡°Are~ are~, the dangers of stray ammunition.¡±
Everyone turned their stares at her, once again in the centre of their attention. Naruto gulped. Kakashi observed. Sakura clenched her fists. Temari stood her ground. They had gained a healthy dose of respect. They knew this could easily have been them.
Chiyo narrowed her eyes, a gentle green glow engulfing her pal to tend to her wounds. ¡°This is bad ...¡±
Sakura came to her assistance, appearing before her with a look of concern. ¡°Lady Chiyo, do you need any help?¡±
¡°Hmm, I am fine, Sakura.¡± Chiyo grumbled under her breath. ¡°I am old, but I can still take care of myself. This is just a minor flesh wound. I have seen worse during the war.¡±
Sakura appeared to disagree, yet said nothing. ¡°...¡±
Chiyo directed her attention at her. ¡°I am more worried about her, though. What was her name? Asami? The girl is the real deal. She is powerful. She is strong. She is fast. She is experienced. She is dangerous. She is crafty. She strikes hard. She hits hard. The way she moves. The way she behaves. Her reflexes. Her skill. Her chakra control. They are all exceptional. At such a young age, too. How annoying. The girl is clearly not an ordinary enemy. Kakashi was right, we need a n if we want to win.¡±
Temari cut in. ¡°And how?¡±
¡°...¡± Chiyo started pondering. ¡°Her umbre. Have a look at it. Did you notice how she was using her umbre to create her barriers to stop our attacks? She was using her umbre to channel and solidify her chakra. It was always her umbre that blocked. That deflected. She always moves with her umbre. She even used it to attack. It must be some kind of special ninja tool of hers. I am sure.¡±
Naruto nodded. ¡°Now that you say it, Granny Chiyo, I think you are right.¡±
¡°...¡± Asami raised an invisible eyebrow. Her umbre? A special ninja tool? Her umbre was certainly special in the sense that it was on the more expensive side of umbres made of the finest silk. An umbre befitting her station. But otherwise? It was just an ordinary umbre. An essory for the sake of aesthetics.
Sakura listened. ¡°And how exactly does that help us?¡±
Chiyo borated. ¡°No matter how skilled she may be, her umbre can¡¯t be everywhere at once. We must take the initiative. We must force her on the defence. We must restrict her movement. If we attack from multiple directions at the same time, we will get her. She can¡¯t take all of us on at the same time. One of us will get through.¡±
Attacking from multiple directions ... How creative. Not the most refined method, but solid nevertheless.
Kakashi joined in, voicing his doubts. ¡°Easier said than done, Lady Chiyo. It was not as if we weren¡¯t trying. Asami is strong both at range as well as in melee. It will be difficult to pin her down, not to mention synchronise our attacks. Our margin of error is ... slim.¡±
¡°I know¡±, Chiyo conceded. ¡°But we must. I won¡¯t back down. Not here. Not now. Not when I havee so far. Not when I am so close. I still have a few scores to settle with my wayward grandson.¡±
Kakashi merely nodded. ¡°I understand ...¡±
Asami listened, her fingers ying with her umbre. Her wayward grandson? Ah, yes ... Now that she mentioned it. This promised to be interesting ... ¡°You know, just among friends, it is generally considered ill advised to discuss your tactics in front of the enemy.¡±
Chiyo clicked her tongue. ¡°Tsk, how modest of you. Look, if you are even half the kunoichi you im to be, then you should have been able to tell them regardless.¡±
¡°...¡± Asami smirked, hardly able to disagree. ¡°True enough.¡±
¡°Then let¡¯s start. Everyone! Prepare!¡± Chiyo started rummaging through her pockets, only to produce a ck scroll. Her hands formed a quick session of seals. ¡°ck Secret Technique: Chikamatsu Collection of Eight Puppets.¡±
A cloud of smoke popped up and dispersed, revealing eight menacing puppets, each armed from teeth to toe, each intent to murder her. What a pleasant surprise.
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Arc XII Chapter 16
Arc XII Chapter 16
XII
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Arc XII Chapter 16
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¡°Attack!!!¡± Chiyo ordered her inanimate soldiers, her fingers their strings. Her puppets, they moved, their assault directed at her. Swords. des. Axes. Spears. Needles. Explosives. Poison. Their arsenal was impressive. Their attacks coordinated, almost perfectly timed. Always in motion. Always retreating. Always repositioning. Always exploiting opportunities when they presented themselves. All of them united in a single purpose, a testament to the exceptional skill of their master. Chiyo¡¯s experience showed. Unfortunately, her patterns proved to be far too predictable, far too schematic.
Asami dodged. Evaded. Sidestepped. Chiyo¡¯s attacks hardly presented a challenge, but they were nothing but a mere diversion. Her senses monitored the enemy. They were nning something. Temari already readied her fan, only waiting for her chance. Kakashi moved, circling her. So did Naruto with his private army of shadow clones. They had learned from before. They intended to pincer, nking her from both sides. Sakura held her position, being kept in the reserve. For now.
Chiyo retracted her puppets. ¡°Now go, Temari!¡±
¡°Understood.¡± Temari obeyed, immediately grabbing her giant war fan, unfurling it behind her shoulder for a full swing. The girl umted her chakra, much more than before. Fuuton. Wind element. The gales of wind surrounded her figure, her chakra zing brightly in the sun. This was going to be an all out attack. ¡°Argh!!!AAAAAAARGGGHHHHHH!!!¡±
Her war fan sliced through the air and a true furor of wind des followed to bombard her position indiscriminately. Her des saturated the ground, exploding all around her in a wild, unrestrained torrent. Dirt, grass, earth, rocks flying in all directions. Unsurprisingly, their uracy was abysmal, which possibly reflected Temari¡¯s vtile temperament. The vast majority missed her by a long shot, kicking up nothing but loads of dust in the process. But they served their purpose, restraining her movement, limiting her mobility. It was their signal to attack.
Kakashi and Naruto increased their speed. Her instincts sensed their presence. Their signatures grew ever stronger. They had invaded her perimeter. Their chakra stood out like a shining beacon in the darkness. It was hard to miss them. They moved in, closing the distance under the cover of the dust. Kakashi darted from the right. Naruto from the left. Their attacks converging on her position ...
Asami raised her umbre to block another frontal attack, knocking aside another sweeping wind de. Temari pressed her attack,pletely uncaring of coteral damage and potential friendly fire. Temari knew that she wouldn''t move from her spot, a fact that the violent girl was eager to exploit.
The stream of green chakra crashed against her purple shield. Obviously, her barrier prevailed. Despite the strength behind her attack, the wind de dissipated upon contact, her feeble chakra unable to maintain cohesion in the face of serious resistance. Her jutsu disintegrated, but this was the moment of distraction that the enemy needed. They put her in zugzwang, forcing her to defend herself exactly where they wanted her.
¡°...¡± Asami mustered an amused giggle, mumbling to herself. ¡°Crafty ones, aren¡¯t they?¡± Unfortunately, they were far too slow. Far too predictable.
¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAARGGGHHHHHH!!! RASENGAN!!!¡± Naruto appeared from the dust, his cry reaching far and wide. He charged her without the slightest hint of constraint, his shining blue rasengan resting in his palm.
¡°...¡± Kakashi followed suit, finally revealing himself. He approached rapidly. Taciturn and silent as ever, his eyes narrowed at her, his lips twisting behind his mask. Only the chirping of his chidori betrayed his presence, a de of gleaming lightning at hismand. Crackling electric currents made the air dance, vibrate, oscite.
¡°...¡± Asami smirked. This time, they would strike almost simultaneously. Her friends ... They were finally learning. Unfortunately, not fast enough.
Naruto and Kakashi converged and struck, head on, with full force. The ground shook, and the earth trembled upon impact. A potent shock wave rushed across the open in, dispensing with all the surrounding dust in the air.
¡°Yes!!! Take this, bitch!¡± Temari retracted her fan, her arm raised, and her fist closed with a wide victorious grin stretching across her face. ¡°We got her !! ...¡± Her deration of victory, her optimism turned out to be ... premature.
The dust settled and there Asami stood, untouched, unyielding, immovable, unperturbed, uncaring, her umbre in her right hand and a purple spinning sphere in her left, blocking both of their attacks, holding both of them at bay at the same time. Her umbre faced Kakashi. Her sphere Naruto.
Her umbre diverted Kakashi¡¯s lightning, his chidori failing to pierce her barrier. Though he breached her chakra, he didn''t seed in prating.
Her sphere, meanwhile, stopped Naruto dead in his tracks, easily counteracting his rasengan with a negligible amount of force. His jutsucked sufficient focus. Lacked sharpness. His chakra was a blunt instrument, merely suited to bludgeon an enemy. And it showed.
¡°What?¡± Naruto¡¯s eyes widened, his rasengan still swirling in his palm, although it had lost much of its potency. He finally noticed her sphere, one so strikingly simr to the precious jutsu of his father, Naruto was dumbfounded before realisation did not escape him. Shock was written all over his face, leaving him speechless. ¡°...¡±
Asami¡¯s lips formed a dark smirk, her voiceced with a sense of superiority. ¡°Now, now, surprised, aren¡¯t we, Naruto-kun?¡±
¡°Gggrhhhh!¡± Naruto gritted his teeth, desperately struggling to maintain his rasengan despite his limited capabilities. He injected more and more chakra, yet his efforts proved to be in vain. His rasengan, its form, its chakra, it wavered. He was unable to properly control his jutsu. ¡°How ... How do ...¡±
¡°How do I know the rasengan?¡± Asami smiled, exploiting the moment to give him a little lecture with all the calm of the world. After all, she hadn¡¯t been an ANBU lecturer for nothing, even when they used her of being disparaging. And it wasn''t exactly as if she was pressed by two enemies breathing down her neck. ¡°Well, once seen, once learned. I would go as far as to say that it is not a particrly difficult jutsu to grasp. A sphere of concentrated chakra variable both in terms of size and density. An extreme case admittedly, but otherwise a most ssic example of shape maniption. Not without its hurdles, but overall hardly a challenge. Usually, something you pick up along the way.¡±
¡°...¡± Naruto red at her with a mixture of humiliation, of inadequacy, of inferiority, of self loath, but primarily a feeling of anger, of hatred. The look in his eyes. The anger directed at her and himself at the same time. Naruto detested her. He detested her arrogance, her very being, yet he also detested his own inadequacy. Naruto ... He remained the weak boy she remembered.
Unperturbed, Asami continued with her lecture, ¡°Then apply a horizontal rotation along the vertical axis in order to stabilise, or rather maintain, angr momentum. A tad moreplicated, but doable, I would say. Combine both, and voil¨¤, there you have your rasengan. Not the mostplicated thing in the world, right, Naruto-kun~. Granted, it might take some skill and maybe a bit of practice here and there, but all in all, quite a manageable affair ...¡±
¡°Let¡¯s see how manageable is this!!!¡± Sakura rushed her, jumping at her from above, her arm drawn back behind her shoulder. An aura of wild green chakra invigorated her entire body, coating her forearm. Her eyes red up with excitement. ¡°AAAAAAARRRRRGHHH!!!¡±
...
... ...
... ... ...
¡°...¡± Asami raised her eyes. This was slightly problematic.
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Arc XII Chapter 17
Arc XII Chapter 17
XII
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Arc XII Chapter 17
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Sakura crashed into her. The girl struck with all her force behind her punch. The girl hit with the brute, undiminished force of an illiterate barbarian, with raw, unrelenting, savage strength.
Her fist shattered her purple shield, smashing throughyers uponyers of solid chakra. Her barrier yielded, fragments of dispersed chakra flying in all directions like shards of ss. Her firstyer broke. Her second broke. Her third broke. Her fourth broke. Not her fifth. Her resistance hardened. Her fifthyer refused to sumb. Her fifthyer stood. With the strength of her attack abated, Sakura¡¯s fist was halted right in front of her face, a mere arm¡¯s length away. So close, and yet so far.
¡°...¡± Sakura glowered at her, now realising that her attack had failed. ¡°...¡±
Amused, Asami weed her newest guest with a sharine smile. ¡°Are~ are~, the customs of this time and age, to attack an innocent maiden when I wasn¡¯t even finished talking ... Such uncivilised times. Where have your manners gone, Sakura-chan? You were always such a well behaved girl, weren¡¯t you?¡±
Gritting her teeth, Sakura snarled, her blood veritably boiling. ¡°Shut up!¡± Her fist struck again. And again. And again. Each time with little to no effect. Her shield didn¡¯t budge. Her chakra reformed, restored, repaired.
¡°Dammit!¡± Sakura scowled, fuming. ¡°Why?!¡±
Kakashi¡¯s eyes widened, his sharingan warning him. Nothing escaped them. His eyes sensed the danger. His eyes saw the danger. Kakashi braced himself. ¡°Sakura, Naruto, disengage ...¡±
Sakura nced sidewards. ¡°What ...¡± It was toote.
Filled to the brim, the air was saturated with her residual chakra, saturated with untapped, unused potential. Her chakra was her weapon. A meremand sufficed.
Her chakra hardened, solidified, instantly expanding outwards. The pressure increased and the air receded. Her manoeuvre produced the desired effect. Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, the st hit them point nk.
¡°Aarghhhh!¡± Naruto was pitched backwards, only to be hurled across the grass until his rolling body came to a halt.
Same with Sakura. The shock wave sent her flying, making her kiss the ground. ¡°Aarghhhh!¡±
Kakashi took the brunt of it head on, yet he was quick to recover. Years of experience allowed him to regain his bnce even in a pinch. He shifted his weight, his feet gracefully sliding across the ground.
¡°...¡± Kakashi raised his head, his eyes defiant, once again ready to strike. ¡°...¡±
There was no time to lose. This was her opportunity. Asami unholstered a kunai and counterattacked, her umbre folded. She rushed Sakura. Still shaken, still disoriented, her defence broken, the girl was easy prey.
¡°...¡± Asami elerated, sprinting. Vibrant sma coated her kunai, producing a purple chakra de.
¡°...¡± Kakashi¡¯s eyes widened, his panic painted across all his face. ¡°SAKURA!!!¡± How quaint.
¡°...¡± Sakura forced herself up, rising to her feet despite having taken a beating. ¡°Aargh, what was this ...¡±
Asami had closed the distance. Her de aimed for Sakura¡¯s head. She put her faith in a thrust.
¡°...¡± Sakura turned, realising only now what was about to happen. The looks in her eyes. The fear ... The dread ... The angst ... The desperation ... All her life condensed in a single moment, passing right before her eyes. Delicious. The tip approached her, a slender de with her name.
¡°...¡± Asami smirked, dark glee crossing her lips. It was over ...
Asami rolled sidewards. Her instincts forced her to dodge. With unwee consequences. Her aim was thrown off. Her thrust failed. Her strike missed.
Her kunai pierced Sakura¡¯s shoulder, the intense heat melting flesh and bone alike. The sheer momentum of her thrust hurled Sakura through the air like a mere rag doll. Her de entered and exited her back, cleaving straight through her body under agonising pain. Yet Asami couldn¡¯t care less about such trifling matters of secondary importance.
¡°...¡± Gravely displeased, Asami narrowed her eyes, all of her senses swept the area with only two questions in mind. What was this? Who was it? She wanted answers. She demanded answers.
Her coat. Her sleeve. It was torn apart, the ck and red fabric was shredded to pieces. Even her precious kimono beneath, her precious silk was damaged in the process. Unforgivable. The attack was meant to im her arm. The attempt had failed.
Asami didn¡¯t understand. It was an attack that she didn¡¯t see, nor senseing. Even when she should have. It should have been impossible to miss such a dense concentration of chakra invading her field, and yet she did. The attack came without warning. Quick. Sudden. Violent. Out of nowhere. The attack by passed all of her defences. By passed all of her perimeters. A concentration of chakra where none was before. As if created out of thin air.
Her instincts saved her, and the minimal dy in execution. The chakra had to manifest before taking effect, forcing it to reveal its presence. It did. The chakra manifested. The effect was immediate. Instant. Her senses felt it. The foreign chakra, jutsu warped, distorted, corrupted all surrounding space, if not the very fabric of reality itself.
It was a jutsu, no doubt. Spatial discement ... Noticeable effect ... Considerable potency ... Instant ... Invasive ... Quick manifestation ... Swift execution ... Minimal dy ... Minimal warning time ... Directed ... nned ... Coordinated ... Aimed to disrupt her thrust ... Not Naruto ... Not Temari ... Not Chiyo ... Kakashi ... The direction aligned ... The chakra signature corresponded ...
The pieces finally fell into ce. Asami turned and the answer to her question greeted her. Her gaze fell on Kakashi¡¯s left eye. ¡°Ocr.¡± His sharingan ... His eye had changed. His three ck tomoe had vanished, reced by an arrangement of three ck razors. A mangekyou ... So this was how he had done it.
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Arc XII Chapter 18
Arc XII Chapter 18
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Arc XII Chapter 18
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¡°Hah ... Huh ... Hah ...¡± Kakashi leaned on his knee, tired, exhausted, destroyed, his breathing heavy, yet triumphant. ¡°This was ... a close call ...¡±
Kakashi raised his chidori just in time to block her iing kunai. They met once again, face to face. His blue chidori met her purple de. The red of his mangekyou the bottomless abyss of her purple eyes. They stared into each other, into each other¡¯s very souls. The sharingan was said to unveil whaty hidden. Though, certainly not all. Some secrets eluded even them, the all seeing eyes.
Asami smirked with a glint of understanding. ¡°I see. To think that you would not only possess a sharingan, but also a mangekyou. You are full of surprises. Tell me, Kakashi, how does it feel to wield such incredible power, power beyond the grasp of mere mortals?¡±
¡°...¡± Kakashi gritted his teeth, both tight lipped and hard pressed at the same time. Interlocked, her chakra de pressed against his chidori, forcing him to supply more and more chakra to counter her assault. He didn¡¯t need to be told twice. Kakashi knew of the consequences otherwise. He saw what happened to Sakura. ¡°...¡±
¡°Taciturn as ever.¡± Asami retracted her kunai and they both shed with renewed ferocious vigour. A fury of shing chakra and sparks erupted. Blue against purple in an incessant storm, driving each other back and forth. The relentless pace elerated. Faster and faster. Each movement a blur. Every strike raging like thunder. Thrust. Cut. Block. sh. Chop. Evade. Dodge. Slice. Cleave.
¡°Grgh.¡± Yet Kakashi stood his ground, resisting her assault even when put on the defensive and under heavy pressure. Their des once again interlocked, her purple de veritably grinding against the blue chirping lightning of his chidori, producing a ceaseless rain of sparks. Fragments, particles of luminescent chakra danced in the air.
Armed with her kunai and her umbre, Asami knew of her advantage, knew of her superiority. The tide of battle favoured her. Kakashi was gradually losing ground. He was losing his sharpness and focus. ¡°Quite the pinch, you find yourself in, Kakashi?¡±
¡°...¡± Kakashi refused to respond. ¡°That remains to be seen.¡± The battle reignited, and their chakra shed again. No quarter was given. No mercy. No respite.
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¡°Urgh.¡± Naruto finally got back on his feet, his head still spinning, suffering from disorientation. He took quite the hit, yet his first thought was. ¡°Sakura!¡± Where was she? ¡°Sak ... Sakura!!!¡±
His eyes shot wide as he spotted Sakura, sprawled on the ground, her body not moving. Chiyo and Temari were at her side, the former already providing first aid. The green shimmer of her medical ninjutsu filled the air. Could it be? No, it couldn¡¯t. It mustn¡¯t.
Forgetting about everything else, Naruto rushed to her side. He saw the bloody gaping hole in her shoulder. ¡°Granny Chiyo, how is she?¡±
Much to his surprise, it was Sakura, though, to answer his question, with a cheerful smile on her face, no less. A strained smile. It was the Sakura he knew, always putting on a strong fa?ade in front of others. ¡°Cough ... Cough ... Cough ... Naruto, don¡¯t worry. I am fine ... Cough ... I am fine.¡±
¡°...¡± Naruto clenched his fists, his anger rising. She wasn¡¯t. Sakura was lying.
¡°Sakura, stop talking. Save your strength. You are still weak.¡± Granny Chiyo admonished her, her voice serious.
¡°Hehe, I am fine, Lady Chiyo. It¡¯s just a minor flesh wound. Nothing more. I have seen worse.¡± Sakura forced augh, throwing her exact words back at her.
¡°Tsk, youngsters these days.¡± Granny Chiyo clicked her tongue, half annoyed, half amused. ¡°No respect for your elders.¡± Her healing continued.
Sakura mustered a smile. ¡°More importantly, Naruto, you must help Kakashi-sensei. He needs you ... Naruto ...!¡±
¡°Sakura-chan ¡¡± Naruto gritted his teeth, his voiceced with fury, with ire, with rage. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. An aura of red, boiling chakra surrounded him, coating his body. It was a dark, sinister chakra of evil origin, one that promised retribution and vengeance.¡°Who was it?¡±
...
...
...
¡°...¡± Sakura paled, and so did Chiyo and Temari. They were all left speechless. This aura ... It was the Kyuubi¡¯s menacing chakra.
Naruto raised his head and two slitted eyes greeted them. Two orbs of demonic red. ¡°Who did it?¡±
¡°...¡± Temari gulped. ¡°It was her. It was Asami. She nearly killed her.¡±
¡°Asami ...¡± Naruto repeated her name with venom, his blood boiling, his very chakra boiling. ¡°She will pay for this, you will see!!!¡±
¡°No.¡± Sakura realised the danger. ¡°Naruto, don¡¯t ...¡±
¡°...¡± Naruto disappeared without a word spoken, rushing straight into battle.
¡°Naruto!!!¡± Sakura shouted with a sense of panic. Her voice never reached him.
¡°...¡± Chiyo began to sweat., aware of the imminent danger of a jinchuuriki out of control. This was thest thing they needed. ¡°This is bad. His emotions got the better of him. If he loses control here and now ... I don¡¯t want to think about what will happen. We can only hope for the best at this point. Temari!¡±
¡°Yes, Lady Chiyo.¡± Temari straightened her back.
Chiyo spoke, the concern in her voice apparent. ¡°Go and support Naruto. He will need you. Asami ... This girl ... She is dangerous. To think that a demon like her still exists in this time and age.¡±
¡°Understood.¡± Temari nodded and followed him.
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Arc XII Chapter 19
Arc XII Chapter 19
XII
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Arc XII Chapter 19
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The battle raged on, undiminished in ferocity and intensity. Again and again, Asami and Kakashi shed on the field. Regal purple against sparks of blue. Kakashi resisted with all his might, yet it was him to be forced on the defensive. More and more the longer the battlested. His gradual decline didn¡¯t escape her. Kakashi was gradually losing ground. His attacks lost their vigour. His attacks lost their edge. It had be apparent who was holding the upper hand here. It was not him.
¡°...¡± A grin adorned Asami¡¯s lips, the purple chakra of her de grinding against the gleaming azure of his chidori. Kakashi gritted his teeth, sweating visibly under her pressure. It was the suave, suave taste of victory. Delicious. ¡°Kakashi-san, if I may be so bold as to presume, but I think you have seen better days, haven¡¯t you?¡±
¡°...¡± Kakashi declined toment, preferring thefort of silence. He wouldn¡¯t fall for her ploy. Instead, he maintained his focus, even going as far as to reinforce his chidori. Defiant to the end, his lightning red up with new vigour, fuelled by the strength of his chakra. Kakashi defied her. He fought her. How sweet of him ...
¡°...¡± Asami raised her parasol, her umbre serving as her shield, blocking the iing attack. An old friend had returned, joining the fray of battle once again. It was Naruto. How unexpected.
¡°Aarghhhh!!! Rasengan!!!¡± Naruto hit her barrier, his rasengan striking her shield. This time, however, it felt different. It was different. His rasengan proved more potent than ever before, his blue chakra intermixed with a dark, sinister aura of red. His sphere seeded in forcing her back, making her slide across the ground until she came to a halt.
¡°...¡± Asami smirked, a dark smile crossing her lips. So it was finally time ... So Naruto had finally decided to resort to the strength hidden deep within him. He should have done so sooner.
This chakra ... This strength ... This might ... This familiar aura ... There was no doubt, this was the aura of the Kyuubi that reared its head, an aura whose deleterious effects hardly escaped her. The influence of the Kyuubi was noticeable. Naruto¡¯s chakra had changed, transformed, morphed. His chakra had grown both in strength and potency. The red chakra of the Kyuubi ... It was a chakra that craved, consumed, devoured. A chakra with a pronounced prevalence of yang, which by itself was curious, not to say peculiar. To think that the infamous Kyuubi of all bijuu would lean unlike his brother so heavily towards yang. It was unexpected.
¡°...¡± Asami lowered her parasol, taking a peek with a cheerful smile on her lips. ¡°Are~ are~, Naruto-kun, wee back~. It is a pleasure to see you again~.¡±
¡°Hrrrrr.¡± His red chakra cloak zed. Naruto seethed in fury. His teeth gritted, his fist clenched in rage. Even his canines, his ws showed. The animalistic nature within him surfaced as the influence of the Kyuubi grew in strength and his own rationality waned. ¡°Asami!!! You will pay for what you did!!! You will see!!!¡±
¡°Oh my, I will pay, you say~. How dreadful~.¡± Asami tilted her head, a sardonic smile crossing her lips. ¡°And for what exactly? What most heinous crimes did Imit this time, Naruto-kun?¡±
¡°Stop ying dumb, Asami!!!¡± Naruto snarled, his voiceced with the venom of pure hatred. ¡°It was you who hurt Sakura-chan!¡±
¡°...¡± Asami smiled, a dangerous glimmer in her eyes. ¡°Oh, just because of that~? You detest me just because I hurt your precious little girl? How quaint. First, you reject my kindness, my benevolence. Then you choose to fight me. And now you seek to kill me, to extinguish my very life. And yet you begrudge me for responding in the same kind and manner ... You deny me the right you so readily im as your own. You expect me to die for yours to live, when it was you who first raised the sword.¡±
¡°...¡± Asami shook her head, her tone dripping with open contempt. ¡°Naruto, you may fight like a man, but you speak like a child.¡±
¡°Aaaaarrrrrghhh!!!¡± Naruto charged, his war cry echoing across the ins. Propelled by his chakra, he attacked, solely armed with his fists and ws. A poor choice. He was far too easy to ready.
¡°Naruto! No!¡± Kakashi yelled. He tried to warn him, but his voice went unheard.
Armed with her chakra de, Asami spun, dodging his attack. Naruto passed her. Her de sliced through his cloak, through his corroding red chakra, through his open nk, straight through his guts. It was a clean, diagonal slice. Blood flowed, gushing out.
¡°Aargh!¡± A cry of pain escaped Naruto before the boy crashed into the ground. As it turned out, even a beast was susceptible to pain, which was good news. If it bleeds, it can be killed.
¡°Amateur.¡± Asami retracted her de, merely scoffing. Child¡¯s y, despite not even using a proper sword.
Naruto, however, was quick to recuperate. His wounds healed, a loud hissing noise resounding. They closed almost immediately. His red cloak of chakra granted him tremendous regenerative abilities. Interesting.
Scarcely impressed, Asami tilted her head, her delicate fingers caressing her ruby lips. ¡°Hmm, have you still not learned your lesson, Naruto-kun? What a shame~.¡±
¡°AAAARRRGHHHHH!!!¡± Naruto bared his fangs in utter defiance. He charged. Another frontal assault of the less creative kind. How disappointing.
Her umbre blocked his strike, her chakra deflecting his punch with apparent ease. The dark, primordial red of the Kyuubi shed against her regal purple. Asami felt his corroding, corrupting influence from deep beneath, the creeping blight within his aura, yet it was her imperial purple to prevail. Though the Kyuubi might strengthen his attacks, he was not enough to ovee her. Not by a long shot. Naruto¡¯s attacks were rash, hasty, reckless, foolhardy,cking any sense of finesse. He fought like a savage beast taken by fury.
As if she would ever lose to such unsophisticated methods. Once again, Naruto allowed his blind rage to cloud his judgment beyond reason. Once again, he came to rely on the brute force of the Kyuubi where his own strength was found wanting. He sumbed to the animal within, to the tempting lure of power. In the end, however, he was nothing but a beast.
Asami retracted her umbre, responding with a frontal rising kick, a snap kick. Her purple chakra coated her stockings, shielding her delicate skin against the malevolent chakra of the Kyuubi. Her leg rose, driving the wooden heel of her sandals straight into his exposed chin with a conspicuous amount of force, taking the breath right out of his lungs in a single strike.
¡°...¡± Naruto gasped, taking the brunt of her kick. His whole body was flung backwards before kissing the ground in a less than pleasant manner. Once again, Naruto was treated to a lovely course of grass and dirt. Not that she cared.
Asami lowered her leg, her voiceced with a veneer of utter contempt and disdain, ¡°Pathetic.¡±
Nevertheless, no matter how pathetic his attempts at humouring her might be, Naruto was, without a doubt, a stubborn boy. One who didn¡¯t know when to give up. One who fought to the bitter end. Not that she expected otherwise.
Naruto dug his ws into the turf, forcing an abrupt halt. He immediatelyunched himself against her once more, offering her not a single moment of respite. He attacked, his ws leading the charge. ¡°Aaarrghh!!!¡± The dance was about to start. And so it did.
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Arc XII Chapter 20
Arc XII Chapter 20
XII
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Arc XII Chapter 20
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¡°...¡± Asami came to rely on her trusted umbre, deflecting each of his strikes in a swirl of purple and red. Faster, faster, ever faster. The waltz continued. The rhythm elerated. The pace increased. Left. Right. Centre. Right. Up. Centre. Left. Down. Right. His punches connected, yet every time, they found their match, biting on purple chakra, unyielding like granite.
¡°Aarrghhh!!!¡± Naruto rushed her, another careless attempt. Ill conceived and ill advised in nature.
¡°...¡± Asami smirked, her left hand angling her umbre diagonally. Her barrier stood, easily deflecting him, making him ricochet past her. It was a trick that never grew old. Naruto stumbled. He tripped.
Asami spun, striking from behind, striking from above like the hammer of the gods. Brutal and merciless. Her fist elerated, driven by her abundance of chakra despite the limitations of her delicate physique. He never saw iting.
Her strike connected and Naruto gasped in pain. The sheer force drove her unsuspecting victim straight into the ground. He never stood a chance. Not his chakra cloak offered adequate protection.
Naruto crashed downwards, and the very ground yielded upon impact. The ground cracked with dust and debris flying everywhere, leaving her old friend in a rather precarious position, to put things mildly, now that his defence had been shattered.
¡°...¡± A dark smile crossed Asami¡¯s lips. How truly unfortunate. For him. Her hand reached for her sword, gripping her scabbard, her chakra already coursing through her de. It would be quick and painless ... A shame that fate had decided to interrupt her once more. A habit that had be amon urrence these days. More than she liked.
¡°Aarrghh!!! Take this!¡± The cry of a girl echoed across the in, her war fan slicing through the air. ¡°Fuuton!!! Legendary Sickle Weasel Technique!¡± Temari rejoined the fray, in the nick of time. The girl directed a cyclone of gales against her, from point nk, no less.
Nor was she alone. Kakashi rammed his arms into the earth, his hands gripping the soil. Of course, he didn¡¯t need to be asked twice. He knew when he saw an opportunity. He had smelled blood. ¡°Doton! Earth Spears Release!¡± His chakra moved the earth, unleashing a cavalcade, a trail of rock and stone on her. Spikes of sharpened, polished rock rose and fell, protruding from the ground like an unstoppable wall of spears.
Fuuton from the front. Doton from behind. Both approached fast, allowing Naruto to escape the steel of her de.
¡°...¡± Asami was forced to act, putting her faith once more in her parasol. In her umbre she trusted, although by necessity. Her umbre served as her shield, and her trust proved to be well founded. Her expectations were not disappointed. The wind des struck hard and fast, each hit in quick session, each hit deflected by her parasol. One. Two. Three. Five. Eighteen. Thirteen. Seventeen. Apparently, the girl neither cared, nor worried about friendly fire. Temari attacked without caution, without restraint. At least, her aim had improved significantly, sparing Naruto an untimely demise.
Nevertheless, her attack achieved the desired effect, providing Naruto with some much needed breathing space. Temari seeded in pushing her back in coboration with Kakashi¡¯s doton, much to Asami¡¯s apparent displeasure. Regretful, but unavoidable.
¡°...¡± Asami danced, skilfully sidestepping each and every one of their attacks. No matter how much they threw at her. Left. Right. Left. Right. Their feeble attempts were scarcely enough to humour her. Eventually, their attacks subsided. Neither Kakashi, nor Temari could maintain this momentum, this tempo for long, as they both had reached their limit. Unable to resort to the boundless strength of a bijuu, their attacks had taken a visible toll on them. Neither their stamina, nor their chakra reserves were infinite. Unlike Naruto, who was blessed since birth with the might of the Kyuubi topensate for his shorings, their actions had consequences, consequences that had to be paid for.
¡°Huh ... Huh ... Huh ... Huh ... Huh ... Huh ...¡± Kakashi panted, tired, winded, exhausted, destroyed. Yet his eyes never left her. He observed her. He monitored her. Kakashi knew what was at stake. He knew better than anyone else that the line between the triumph of victory and the jaws of defeat was thin, fleeting in nature. It only took a singlepse of judgment, a mere moment, to lose everything. It was a lesson that he took to his heart, unlike a certain other individual present.
¡°Huh ... Huh ... Huh ...¡± Temari followed his example. Her tired, heavy body was leaning on her folded war fan, rammed into the ground to support herself.
¡°Aargh ...¡± Naruto groaned in pain, barely able to stand, staggered, shaken. His hand reached for his shoulder. Stubborn as usual, Naruto forced himself to rise after having taken another beating. This time, however, her lesson appeared to have more enduring effects. Especially, now, after disrupting Naruto¡¯s chakra. A small dose of hers sufficed to make him understand. The chakra of the Kyuubi weakened, and his influence receded. Naruto¡¯s initial fury had subsided and a glimmer of sane thought returned.
Naruto took his time, but the boy started to learn, even when it was unclear whether his progress was owed to her knocking some sense into him or due to some natural learning process on his part. Personally, she suspected the former, but the undeniable fact remained, though, he had learned. He didn¡¯t charge her. He didn¡¯t attack her like the wild, unhinged beast from before. He hade to realise that he couldn¡¯t take her on head on. And now Naruto stood there, before her, licking his wounds, his raging red eyes ring daggers at her from afar with all their might in an attempt to murder her on the spot. She was left scarcely impressed. If looks could kill, she would have been dead ages ago.
¡°...¡± A conceited smirk crossed Asami¡¯s face, her trusted parasoling to a rest on her shoulder with the blue blooded grace of a true imperial princess. ¡°Unless I am mistaken, I think your lot has seen better days ...¡±
¡°...¡± Her heart ... Her chakra ... The pain ... Asami gripped her chest, her heart, her breathing intensifying. Yet she retained her countenance, herposure, ever a true princess down to the bone. No matter how strained her smile, no matter how thin the veneer of her fa?ade might be, she endured.
Her chakra wavered, disturbed, disrupted, impossible to stabilise. This poor excuse of a body had reached its limit. It hadsted longer than initially anticipated, but the moment had finallye. Her liberal use of chakrabined with the fatigue of battle had taken its toll. This body had reached the tipping point with catastrophic results. This body was copsing, withering, disintegrating, like the snow under the summer sun. It wouldn¡¯tst much longer.
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Arc XII Chapter 21
Arc XII Chapter 21
XII
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Arc XII Chapter 21
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¡°...¡± Kakashi¡¯s left eye widened. His sharingan saw what could not be concealed. He was the first to notice the extent of her weakness, the first to grasp the opportunity.
Kakashi¡¯s voice hardened, his senses sharpened, his fatigue all but gone. ¡°Temari, Naruto, prepare yourself. I don¡¯t know why, but her chakra ¡, her aura ... are wavering.¡±
¡°... ... ... What?¡± Temari looked up, staring at Kakashi in disbelief, her arm still leaning on her war fan. ¡°Her chakra is what?¡±
¡°...¡± Naruto shared Temari¡¯s doubts, his scepticism written all over his face. ¡°What are you talking about, Kakashi-sensei?¡±
¡°No time to exin.¡± Kakashi cut them short, his voice cold. ¡°We must strike now. We must strike as long as the iron is hot.¡±
Kakashi reached for the holster strapped to his leg. A kunai was his response, reverse grip. Chirping lightning coated his de, the steel of his kunai vibrating. ¡°Temari, Naruto, listen, I will engage her in melee. I will keep her busy. You, Termari, ... throw everything at her, you have. You must cover me. I will need it.¡±
¡°Understood.¡± Temariplied, nodding firmly.
Kakashi nced sidewards, his gaze wandering to his student. ¡°Naruto, ... you know what you have to do. We are counting on you. Strike when the momentes. Use it well. Strike hard. Strike fast. Put everything in it that you have. You will need nothing less than all your strength to defeat Asami.¡±
¡°... ... ...¡± Naruto gulped, yet his will remained unshakeable. He clenched, his eyes zing with conviction. ¡°Got it, Kakashi-sensei, I will.¡±
¡°...¡± Kakashi merely nodded before returning his attention to her, his eyes scrutinising her. ¡°Now ... Go!!!¡±
In a blink, her enemies vanished, separating. They were once again on the move, their des turned against her, much to Asami¡¯s open amusement.
¡°...¡± A dark smirk crossed Asami¡¯s delighted lips despite her weakened state. It appeared that her friends had still not learned their lesson. Against better judgement, the three of them dared to tempt fate once more, to challenge her onest time, even now when her poor excuse of a body failed her and time was in short supply. Of course, she was d to oblige.
Kakashi stormed ahead, his body elerating, his kunai raised high, tightly clenched in a firm grip. The fleeting blue shimmer of lightning apanied him, sparks dancing along the de of kunai. True to his word, the ANBU of legends rushed her, hitting a second wind. Nevertheless, his pace had slowed considerably. His fatigue, his exhaustion, his depleted chakra reserves, all the umted stress had begun to show. Fortunately for him, the current state of her body wasn¡¯t much better either, barely allowing her to move, to react, to defend herself.
Kakashi moved, closing the distance before he ... ducked ... Out of nowhere, the former ANBU changed course, ducking. He shifted the entire momentum of his body, lowering his head, barely giving her any time to react. In theory.
¡°...¡± Asami gripped her umbre. This move was nned. The sly fox he was, Kakashi had baited her. His manoeuvre had cleared the line of fire, allowing a certain Suna kunoichi to take aim, her war fan always eager to strike. The mischievous grin on her lips did not escape her. Temari hated her guts. The girl had been only waiting for this exact moment, which didn¡¯t surprise her considering all the bad blood between them. In fact, it was rather ... logical.
¡°...¡± Temari was quick to exploit the opportunity granted to her, her arms swinging her giant fan. ¡°Time for payback!!! Take this, bitch!!!¡± Her wind de raced across the in, her green chakra cutting through the air like a hot knife through butter, sailing right over Kakashi¡¯s head with deadly precision.
Temari¡¯s attack forced Asami to act. Her hand raised her umbre in defence, resisting the iing strike. Once more, green and purple collided in the midst of battle with unrelenting fury, with neither side willing to cede any ground. Temari struck hard and fast. Considerably harder than she had previously anticipated. Considerably harder than she had previously given her credit for. It appeared that irritating her must have done wonders.
Temari¡¯s wind de was eating through her chakra, capitalising on her declining defensive capabilities, but of course all of this was just a mere ruse meant to distract her, to cover his approach. It was the oldest trick in the book. Kakashi closed in from the nk, his kunai in his hand. Their manoeuvre would have even seeded against lesser opposition. Not against her, though. Kakashi should have known so.
Her resolve steeled, Asami responded, shifting, rotating, her umbre to counter them at the same time. Her angled parasol diverted the wind de, redirecting its force, before blocking Kakashi. They both shed, both lightning blue and her serene purple.
Kakashi rammed his kunai into her shield, sending sparks of gleaming chakra flying everywhere. He even prated her outeryers, yet her shield stood, unmoveable, unbreakable, unyielding as ever.
¡°...¡± Kakashi red, the feeling of frustration, of annoyance palpable in his eyes. His thoughtsy open like a book. He knew ... that he had failed.
Yet he attacked again. And again. And again. His kunai struck the same point over and over again with increasing vigour in an attempt to tire her chakra through sheer fatigue. Obviously, he knew what he was doing. As expected of him, the old sly fox.
Fortunately for her, Kakashi was running on hisst reserves as well, his chakra having long since lost its former sharpness. No matter how well he was trying to hide it, he was at the end of his rope.
¡°...¡± Asami giggled, her lustrous lips forming a smile. Her parasol shifted ever so slightly, allowing their eyes to meet. His vivid red met her imperial purple. His mangekyou and her purple eyes, both of them staring at each other, gazing deep down into each other¡¯s souls. They were born unequal. He, a mere pretender to a power not his own. She, the true heiress to an ancient legacy. Yet, they met as equals at this very moment, the moment his kunai and her umbre crossed. ¡°Kakashi~, enlighten me, how long are you willing to continue this charade?¡±
¡°...¡± Kakashi maintained his stoic facade, unwavering, his stare defiant, ¡°As long as necessary.¡±
Asami chuckled, mildly amused. ¡°As long as necessary~. Yet we both know how this will end, Kakashi~, don¡¯t we?¡±
¡°...¡± Kakashi red, his eyes narrowed. ¡°We will see, Asami. Naruto! NOW!!!¡±
It was his sign. The sign he has been waiting for. Naruto circled her, rushing in from behind with two of his shadow clones at his side, apanying him on the move. The two clones were weaving their chakra, channelling all of their power and, perhaps unconsciously, thest vestiges of the aura of the Kyuubi into his attack. His rasengan grew in size and strength, his blue sphere ever bulging.
His clones dissolved into a white cloud, and Naruto charged, immediately going on the attack. He charged with his rasengan in his arm and a single goal, a sole purpose in mind, to defeat her.
Naruto gritted his teeth, his blue eyes filled with both fury and determination in equal parts. ¡°Aaargggggghhhhhhhh!¡±
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Arc XII Chapter 22
Arc XII Chapter 22
XII
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Arc XII Chapter 22
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¡°...¡± Asami grinned. So this was his n all along ... How predictable of them. The only problem was Kakashi, though. He knew that the odds were favourable, and he didn¡¯t refrain from pressing his advantage when it mattered.
Kakashi increased the pressure, calling upon his strength. His chakra red up, and his lightning was grinding against her umbre, not allowing her to budge even in the slightest. ¡°Asami ..., this will be your end.¡±
Asami tilted her head, a beatific smile gracing her lips. ¡°Truly, how troublesome.¡±
Naruto closed in. Kakashi pinned her down. Unfortunately for them, it took far more to take her down. She hadn¡¯t fought and bled two entire lifetimes, she hadn¡¯t fought armies, nations, fate itself, just to be defeated by a mere brat with some pretension of grandeur.
Asami moved, shifting her weight, shifting her perpendicr axis, her left hand producing a kunai from her pouch. Her body rotated, making Naruto hit nothing but empty air, much to his surprise.
¡°What ...???¡± Naruto shot right past her, stunned for the moment, the shock palpable in his eyes. But it wasn¡¯t over. Ever eager to strike, Kakashi exploited the gap in her defence.
Her kunai was immediately put to good use, blocking Kakashi¡¯s counterattack, blocking his iing kunai dead in its tracks. Their kunai crossed, and her purple chakra met his lightning. Meanwhile, her parasol countered Naruto. Much to his credit, her favourite jinchuuriki quickly recuperated from his blunder before switching the axis of attack. Naruto halted, his feet biting into the ground, and redirected his rasengan. It was only too little toote. Her umbre was already in ce to deflect his attack. Her parasol blocked his sphere,yers uponyers of solid chakra nullifying his rasengan once again.
¡°...¡± Asami took a deep breath now that it had be apparent that their attack had failed. Now that both, Kakashi and Naruto, were kept at arm¡¯s length with a minimum of force. ¡°You know, we crossed swords aplenty today, and yet you still seem to take me lightly. This farce ends now.¡±
An array of purple orbs surrounded her figure, manifesting upon answering her call.
Kakashi¡¯s eyes widened, the sweat running down his forehead. ¡°Retreat!!!¡± Her obs detonated in a glimmering sh of purple, covering the in in a cloud of dust and debris, covering her.
Kakashi and Naruto retreated, but the explosion hit them point nk with full force, kicking them backwards before they came to a halt.
Naruto clenched his fists, the frustration swelling up inside him. They had failed. Once again. ¡°Dammit! Why ... Why ...¡±
¡°NARUTO!!!¡± Kakashi-sensei¡¯s scream reached him, the panic in his voice audible.
¡°Hm?¡± Naruto didn¡¯t understand. He nced up and there she stood right before him in the blink of an eye. Asami moved with a speed and elegance thought impossible, her coat, her kimono, her long, silken, ck hair dancing in the wind with not even a single movement wasted. Her folded umbre led her charge, its metal tip coated in purple chakra. It happened fast. Too fast. Naruto never stood a chance. His body tried to move, but it was toote. Uncaring, mercilessly, the girl closed the distance and her parasol connected.
...
...
...
¡°...¡± It took Naruto a few moments to process, his senses numbed. Time had slowed to what felt like a small eternity, and his world hade to a halt in front of his very eyes before the first sensation of searing pain awakened him from his terrible slumber, the torrid, blistering pain surging through his entire body.
¡°Aarghhh!¡± Naruto gritted his teeth, his adrenaline fighting the soaring pain. Asami, however, didn¡¯t care in the slightest.
The girl grinned in dark delight, the dark abyss of her purple eyes boring deep into his soul like a demon of ancient times. ¡°You are too slow, Naruto-kun.¡±
Naruto¡¯s gaze wandered downwards, his eyes falling upon her folded umbre. Her parasol had impaled his stomach, her shimmering purple chakra piercing through his whole body. He saw the blood flowing from his wound, staining his orange clothes deep crimson red. His strength left his limbs and his consciousness was fading quickly.
Her umbre tightly gripped, Asami deigned him her attention, her predatory purple eyes looking down upon him in in condescension. ¡°I remember you, Naruto-kun. I remember the day you fought the Hyuuga boy. I remember the words you spoke. I remember when you said that you wanted to be Hokage. I remember you when you said that you wanted to change fate. And yet youck the strength to even control your own destiny ... A word of advice, Naruto-kun, from someone who has dictated the course of history before. It takes more than some fragile convictions to alter the path of fate, it takes more than some juvenile dreams to carry the weight of the world.¡±
¡°...¡± Naruto listened, but Asami¡¯s words went unheard. Naruto fell, and his entire world turned ck.
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Arc XII Chapter 23
Arc XII Chapter 23
XII
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Arc XII Chapter 23
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¡°So the boy lost once again ... Such a failure ... Useless and worthless as usual, despite me having lent him a paw¡±, Kurama growled from behind the iron bars of his prison, his crimson eyes flickering like embers in the shadows. Not that he had expected much else from his fabulous host.
This girl ... Asami ... A mere nce sufficed to tell, this girl was dangerous. Her chakra ... Her chakra ... For a mere human, for a mere mortal of her time and age to possess such strength ...
The oue of the battle was a foregone conclusion. The difference in skill and experience was painfully obvious. No matter how much Naruto was relying on his chakra, the girl was not an enemy the boy could hope to defeat. Most certainly not at his current level.
Naruto was fortunate to suffer only a minor flesh wound. He should survive as long as this Sakura girl had even the barest understanding of the art of healing, which she should. As for the rest, his chakra would see to that. He had seen and healed far worse over the centuries.
Kurama closed his eyes, his tails coiling around his body as he prepared to sleep. Not that he had much else to do, ever since the day the fourth Hokage and his wretched woman had bound him to this insufferable ce. Day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, his day never changed. As if all life had ceased for him and time itself stood still. Every day was the same age old monotony. The same old ce, bereft of joy and hope. There was only anger, only resentment, only hatred.
The years and the boy¡¯s tantck of control might have weakened the seal, but the chains restraining him remained as unyielding as ever, a testament to the skill of the Fourth and the despicable Uzumaki blood of his woman. The day to reim his freedom and finally dispense with the nuisance of a boy had note yet. But he was patient. He could wait. The passage of time was inexorable. He had seen centuries pass. He had seen kingdoms rise and fall. He had seen countless mortalse and go. He knew, thus, that the day woulde ... would ... eventually ...
¡°... ... ...¡± Kurama jolted up. His ears perked up, his fangs bared. His senses tickled. His senses sharpened. This chakra ... This aura ... This was her. And she was close. There was no doubt, the girl was here, right in front of him, hiding in in sight, masking her presence. The girl had invaded his mindscape, her prying eyes observing him from the shadows judging him. Such impudence. From a mere mortal, no less.
¡°Cease your little games, human!!! Your ploys tire me!¡± Kurama snarled, his furious eyes roaming the entire room in search of the unwee intruder balefully. ¡°I sense your presence, girl!!! So, show yourself !!!¡±
His words went unheeded. The girl refused toply. The girl refused his order.
¡°... ... ...¡± Snarling behind his bars, Kurama growled, ¡°It appears that I was mistaken, after all. You are no different from the rest of your treacherous kin, human. Youck the courage to look me in the eye. Instead, you hide in the shadows like the insects you are. How fitting.¡±
His words showed the desired effect. His words finally elicited a reaction from the girl.
¡°Hehehe. Hehehehe.¡± The sound of her giggle filled the void, sinister and ominous, amused and entertained in equal parts. ¡°Hehehehehe. Hehahahahe.¡± Was ... Was the girl mocking him? Him? Kurama? The strongest among his siblings? The one most feared and revered by the likes of humans since time immemorial?
Kurama shed his teeth, fuming, his blood, his chakra boiling. ¡°Be wary, human, you are overstaying your wee. Know that even my benevolence is limited.¡± Yet his threats proved scarcely effective. The girl wasn¡¯t intimidated even in the slightest. Quite the contrary.
The shadows receded and from amidst a mist of incandescent purple chakra, a girl emerged, her aura as cold as ice. Long ck hair. Her eyelids closed. Her umbre slung over her shoulder. Her lips formed a smile. ¡°Ara~ ara~, quite the talkative one, aren¡¯t you, Kyuubi?¡±
¡°...¡± Kurama glowered at her, his re filled with venom. ¡°Temper your tongue, human, if you know what is better for you ... ... ...¡±
...
... ...
... ... ...
The girl opened her eyes. Her response was a gaze unyielding. Two orbs of luminescent purple pierced the darkness of the void and the blood froze in Kurama¡¯s veins, a profound shiver oveing him, shaking him deep down to the core. Her mere presence sufficed to unsettle him, making his fur crawl.
¡°Rrrrrrrrrrrr.¡± Kurama bared his fangs, all of his senses distrusting the girl. Her eyes ... Her eyes alone ... unsettled him to an uncanny degree. They harboured a sinister touch, a disquieting touch of all consuming darkness. A darkness that surpassed even the one of Madara.e
A devilish grin crossed her lustrous lips, betraying her amusement. ¡°Oh my, quite the hostile reaction ... Most unexpected ...¡±
¡°Rraaarrrrrrrr.¡± Kurama snarled, his sense of danger hardly diminishing. He had erred. Her aura ... Her chakra ... Her soul ... The feeble, lingering scent of Indra¡¯s cursed blood ... How ... How could he have been so blind ... The girl ... She was something else. Something beyond mere mortals. Something much more dangerous. A true demon d in human skin.
The girl tilted her head, giggling with the sinister touch befitting a demon like her. ¡°Now, now, what a courteous wee. How unfortunate that our time is limited, Kyuubi ... Not that it matters. I have the answers I have sought.¡±
¡°What are you ttering about, girl?!¡± Kurama growled, his disdain palpable.
¡°...¡± A smile graced the girl¡¯s lips as her figure vanished, her body slowly dissolving into a fine mist of purple chakra. It was the grin of someone in the know. ¡°Kyuubi, ... you are iplete, are you not? Your better half ... It is missing, isn¡¯t it?¡±
...
... ...
... ... ...
¡°... ... ...¡± Kurama scowled from behind the bars of his prison, yet to no avail. His silence was all the confirmation she required. ¡°... ... ...¡±
...
...
...
¡°Hehehehe ... Hehehehe ...¡± The girl giggled from amidst the shadows, satisfied with her deductions, a smirk spreading across her lips. ¡°It is as I thought.
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Arc XII Chapter 24
Arc XII Chapter 24
XII
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Arc XII Chapter 24
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¡°...¡± Asami retracted her umbre in a single fluid motion, extracting her parasol like ance of old after having performed its gruesome work. Naruto¡¯s blood dripped from her silken umbre, each droplet staining the dusty ground red.
It was over for him. Naruto¡¯s unconscious body hit the ground, falling over like a lifeless puppet. The blood loss was significant, not to mention, his injury. He was pierced right through the abdomen, right through his guts. Unsurprisingly, the shock of the trauma had made him faint, even with Kyuubi¡¯s chakra alleviating the worst of the damage. And yet his wound was already stabilising, his body already regenerating at an astounding rate considering the extent of his injury.
As it turned out, her suspicions were correct. For reasons inexplicable, the Kyuubi sealed inside Naruto was ... iplete. The Kyuubi¡¯s chakracked any trace of yin. The yinponent was entirely missing. The seal restraining him testified as much.
The inscriptions. The forms. The lines. The formations. The arrays. The structure. The way it was anchored to Naruto¡¯s soul. The seal was potent without a doubt, albeit more reliant on brute force rather than finesse, but it was apparent that the seal was constructed for the sole purpose of containing the yang portion of the Kyuubi. Even when the execution left much to be desired, to put things mildly.
It was obvious that the sealing procedure had been exceedingly rushed, not to say improperly implemented. Despite all the years, the essence of the Kyuubi had hardly integrated, had hardly fused with Naruto¡¯s soul, barely subject to any control. The essence of the Kyuubi remained entirely foreign in nature, an alien entity sopletely different from his unsuspecting host.
Neither the chakra of the Kyuubi, nor Naruto¡¯s soul had been woven together with proper care, time and consideration. Instead, they were violently, hastily stitched together without the slightest sense of caution. What should have taken weeks, if not months, was rashly done in a matter of minutes, with precipitous methods no less. The seal hoped topensate with force what itcked in finesse, but its shorings, its deficiencies, its ws inevitably showed.
The consequences were disastrous. The Kyuubi retained his own consciousness, his own agency, even his own free will. His essence was seething, raging, violent, defiant, adversarial, hostile to the highest degree. His chakra wild and uncontroble, only ever serving under the threat of coercion. No wonder that Naruto was unable to ess but a mere fraction of the Kyuubi¡¯s true strength, even after all these years. But perhaps such was the intention, considering his particr case ...
The Kyuubi had been sealed inside Naruto upon his birth. Nobody knew what happened that night 16 years ago, but circumstances must have forced the Fourth¡¯s and Kushina¡¯s, his wife¡¯s, hand to take such desperate measures despite the risks. To seal the Kyuubi inside a child, a newborn child, no less ... It was insanity beyond madness. The mere fact that he survived the entire ordeal, that his soul was able to sustain the burden, was nothing short of a miracle, when he should have, for all intents and purposes, ceased to be. His feeble soul fractured, splintered, ripped, torn apart by the essence of the Kyuubi. Yet he didn¡¯t. Naruto defied the odds. He lived.
Perhaps that was the reason behind the essence of the Kyuubi having been split in half, and as to why only the yang portion had been sealed inside him ... To reduce the strain ced upon Naruto¡¯s soul ... To lessen the detrimental side effects of their rushed sealing ... It certainly made sense, and it would exin much. Why the boundaries of the seal were set so strong. Why the essence of the Kyuubi and Naruto¡¯s soul had never merged. The Kyuubi was never meant to cease. They were never meant to fuse.
The only question left now, where was he? Where was the other half? Chakra ..., mana ..., energy ..., they didn¡¯t just disappear. It was not how things worked. His other half ... It must be somewhere. A signature of his scale and strength cannot be concealed. His presence alone must leave traces. So where was he? Where was he hiding? So many questions for her cute, little head ...
Her instincts acted. Once again, they served her well. Asami raised her umbre, blocking Kakashi¡¯s chidori despite him approaching from a dead angle. Kakashi knew his m¨¦tier.
His attack connected, and her parasol took the brunt of the force. The impact forced her back, making her concede ground, more ground than she would have liked.
Her body absorbed the impact, gliding through the air before her toes touched the ground with practised ease and grace.
Rotating her umbre, Asami turned her attention to her assant, a sharine smile on her lips. ¡°Ara~ ara~, not a single moment of respite, Kakashi-san~, not even for a fair maiden of pure heart. Such treacherous times, indeed.¡±
¡°... ... ...¡± Kakashi ignored her teasing, all pretences of friendliness gone. His iron re and the chirping chidori in his palm were response enough. ¡°Temari, ... how is he?¡±
Temari had rushed to Naruto¡¯s side, her hand feeling his neck, checking his pulse. ¡°He is alive, Kakashi! He is breathing!¡±
¡°Naruto!!!¡± Another girl came to the rescue. It was Sakura, back on her feet, soldiering on, despite her injured shoulder. Chiyo nked her. They both came rushing in, immediately joining Temari.
Losing no time, Sakura sprang into action. A gentle green glow surrounded her palms. It was the characteristic green of medical ninjutsu, much to Asami¡¯s bewilderment. So it appeared that Sakura had mastered the skills and arts of healing.
¡°Damn it!!!¡± Sakura¡¯s chakra red up and her healing intensified. Naruto! Hang on! You can¡¯t die here!¡± Her pleas, however, went unheard. His consciousness had long since faded.
¡°...¡± Kakashi redirected his gaze at her, his dispassionate fa?ade all but gone. Deep within, his eyes harboured a murderous intent, chilling and unnerving, yet controlled. ¡°... ... ...¡±
Asami tilted her head, mustering a cheerful smile. ¡°Oh my~, what have I done to merit such scorn?¡±
¡°...¡± Kakashi raised his chidori, his eyes narrowed, his crackling lightning masking his face. His posture left no room for discussions. No love was lost between them. ¡°You are still asking? As if you wouldn¡¯t know.¡±
...
...
...
¡°Hehehehehe~. ¡±Asami giggled, her hand covering her lips with a sense of magnanimity. ¡°Fair enough, Kakashi-san~. The question was rather rhetorical, ... admittedly.¡±
¡°Anyway~, ...¡± Asami tilted her head, her fingers caressing her lustrous lips, her devious smile boring into him. ¡°Are you going to avenge your beloved student, Kakashi-san~? Although I must wonder how~?
Unless I am mistaken, Naruto lies unconscious, incapacitated. Sakura cannot fight in her current state. Temari has exhausted her chakra reserves. And Her Ladyship Chiyo has already yed her cards. And you, Kakashi, you are reaching the end of the line. So, tell me, what are you going to do~?¡±
¡°... ... ...¡± Much to his credit, Kakashi remained entirely unmoved, not even batting an eyelid. It was a testament to his professionalism and iron discipline. No matter the odds, he and his azure chidori continued to defy her with every fibre of his being. As long as he drew breath, he would fight. ¡°... ... ...¡± Such a shame ... It was time for thest act, for the grand final. She would not disappoint.
Asami¡¯s hand reached for her scabbard, gripping the hilt of her sword, her thumb resting on the guard. Her motion put Kakashi immediately on guard. His sharingan monitored her movements, anticipating her next move.
¡°...¡± Asami grinned, her thumb extracting her de from the scabbard. Her sword popped. For onest time, her gaze fell on her enemies, wandering across their ranks, Kakashi, Sakura, Chiyo, Temari. The animosity in their eyes hardly went unnoticed, but such was life. ¡°Unfortunate as it might be, but the time hase for us to part~. It was a pleasure to revel in the good old times~, although I suspect that our paths will cross again.¡±
Her words served little to assuage their suspicions. Quite the contrary. They put Kakashi and Temari on the edge. Not that she cared.
Asami giggled, presenting her most sincere smile. ¡°Now then, untilter.¡± In a single motion, her sword was drawn, in a fraction of a mere moment, too fast for them toprehend what was happening before their very eyes. As if she would ever give them the satisfaction of victory ...
¡°...¡±
¡°...¡±
¡°...¡±
Silence. Nothing but total silence amidst the gentle sound of the blowing wind. The shock, the disbelief, the confusion were written across their faces. Lost for words, Kakashi, Sakura, Chiyo, Temari, they stared at her, their eyes wide, unable to understand.
Her de had pierced her body, iming her own life. Her blood stained her kimono red, apanied by the tender pain of dying. Atst, this poor excuse of a body had served its purpose.
And thus Asami¡¯s vision faded. The fight had ended.
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Arc XII Chapter 25
Arc XII Chapter 25
XII
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Arc XII Chapter 25
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Asami opened her eyes, her purple orbs once again announcing her presence. The fight had ended and she had returned. The sealing had meanwhile proceeded. Residual, floating chakra saturated the cave, the air heavy, enriched with the familiar chakra of the One-Tail. Considering the quantities involved, such was to be expected. The sealing was ... an arduous procedure. Unsurprisingly, it took its time. After all, she spoke from experience.
Pain hade to notice her presence. His flickering shadow emerged from the veil of darkness, the iron gaze of his Rinnegan directed at her. As usual, the man was trying to assert his dominance and authority. ¡°... ... ...¡±
¡°...¡± The good girl she was, Asami chose toply, of course. She lowered her gaze in respect, to please, ever eager to please, ever the loyal servant of his Most Divine Excellency. No need to put her fealty into doubt. At least, not at this point. ¡°...¡±
Though it went unsaid, Pain appreciated her gesture. His face remained unyielding like stone, hardly batting an eyelid. As usual, he pretended not to care, but she knew better. Pain spoke, ¡°Asami, ... you have returned ... I hope your mission was graced with sess.¡±
Asami returned a smile. ¡°More or less, considering the circumstances and the subpar quality of the material provided ... The enemy had proven ... tenacious, not to say troublesome, but manageable, overall. They have taken quite the beating. After getting mauled they should be out ofmission for a day or more.¡±
Kisame grinned from the shadows, shing his shark like teeth. ¡°See, Itachi, I told you our little princess knows how to fight ... Not a single hint of remorse, even when being turned against her formerrades. Will of Fire ... Comrades ... Friendship ... Maybe I was wrong, after all, Itachi? Maybe all of you Konoha guys are secretly cold blooded killers like you two?¡±
¡°... ... ...¡± Itachi ignored his teasing partner with his usual taciturnity. Truly a man of few words and divine patience. Not a single motion. Not a single reaction. Not a single sarcasticment. Only uncaring, apathetic silence. It even worked.
Pain eyed his trusted spy and intelligence service. ¡°Zetsu ...¡±
Zetsu had answered Pain¡¯s summon. Surprisingly and unlike usual, it was ck Zetsu who took the word, raising his deep voice. When it came to her, it was often him to speak. And it was noticeable. Was it a coincidence? Was it deliberate? It was hard to tell with Zetsu, or whatever the thing was supposed to be. ¡°Her performance was ... admirable. Her strength ... Her speed ... Her precision ... impressive. Truly impressive. Certainly for a girl of her age. The enemy will probably regroup and cease their operations until tomorrow.¡± Zetsu praised her. ck Zetsu, no less. What an umon urrence. Unlike his white brethren, ck Zetsu was decisively less moronic.
Pain nodded, satisfied with the results, his eyes remaining fixed on her. ¡°I am pleased to hear so. Especially, considering that you are responsible for this whole mess ... All the little breaks you took along the way, your sleeping hours, they put us severely behind schedule.¡± He red at her, almost usingly.
¡°...¡± Asami was tempted to grumble, but chose not to for the sake of maintaining harmony. In her defence, her beauty sleep was of supreme importance and the stolen chakra of the One-Tail was not processed in a day. Not that she could say so openly. And it was not her fault that Sasori was themest duck in the ninja world no matter how much he constantlyined about hating to have to wait. Apparently, he did not hate to make others wait.
Yet everyone understood and the sealing continued. They were close to being finished. Even so, another long night awaited them. What a delight.
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The once raucous battlefield had now fallen eerily silent, only the whisper of the wind and the ragged breathing of those left standing disturbing the silence.
Kakashi staggered forwards, each step heavy, his breath panting. ¡°Heh ... Heh ... Heh ... Heh ...¡± It was over. The fight had ended. They had won ... Or rather, they had survived ...
It was the moment that the weight of the battle, the tension, the strain, the stress, the exhaustion, came crashing down on him at once. Kakashi stumbled and copsed, falling to his knees. His vision blurred as the adrenaline finally began to ebb. His hand still trembled. His Chidori had taken its toll. It was only his irond discipline that allowed him to soldier on.
¡°...¡± Kakashi raised his head, his gaze falling on Naruto and Sakura. Unconscious and battered, Narutoy sprawled on the ground, his orange clothes torn, blood seeping from his wound. His wound was deep. Luckily, he was alive. His chest slowly rose and fell.
Kneeling beside him, Sakura continued to tend to his wounds, her hands glowing with the soft, pale green light of her healing chakra. Her face streaked with sweat and grit. There was determination, there was a fire in her eyes.
The sight filled Kakashi with pride. Sakura ... The little girl that he had once known ... She had grown so much, hadn¡¯t she? Her skill, her resolve, her focus, sharper than ever. But also with guilt.
¡°...¡± Kakashi clenched his fists. They were his team. They were his responsibility. The fight ... It was close. Far too close, for his liking. To think that they would meet her, of all people, the princess herself. It was a rendezvous he would have dly foregone.
¡°Sakura ...¡± Kakashi rasped, forcing himself. ¡°How is he?¡±
Sakura turned, responding immediately, ¡°His body, his breathing, they are both stabilising, Kakashi-sensei. He will live. His wound is deep. Abdominal region. Lateral. Dexter. Severe trauma. Severe blood loss. He has experienced a heavy hypovolemic shock. His state is stable, though. He is recuperating.¡±
¡°Good.¡± Kakashi pretended to understand half of it. At least, there was some good news after such an ordeal.
Sakura interrupted his thoughts, ¡°But there is more, Kakashi-sensei. The red chakra ... His wounds ... They are healing on their own ... His rate of regeneration is astonishing ... This is incredible. I have never seen anything like this before. It¡¯s his red chakra. The chakra is healing him.¡±
¡°...¡± Kakashi listened in silence. So it was true, after all. It was just like Jiraiya said back then. ¡°This is the chakra of the Kyuubi, Sakura. Apparently, it possesses extraordinary healing properties. As it turns out, it was true.¡±
¡°Does that mean ...¡± Temari asked, puzzled yet hopeful. ¡°Does that mean he will soon be back on his feet?¡±
¡°Probably¡±, Sakura confirmed with certainty in her voice. Her predictions were well founded. Judging by what Jiraiya had told him, the chakra of the Kyuubi allowed him to shrug off even the heaviest wounds.
Kakashi concurred, ¡°Yes, probably. It will be a few hours, but he might be back on his feet by tomorrow. I hope so. Because we can¡¯t continue our pursuit. Not like this. Not in our condition. Not in our current shape and form. Whether we like it or not, we must abort the mission. We must gather our forces first.¡±
¡°...¡± Sakura merely nodded, signalling her agreement.
¡°... ... ...¡± Temari clenched her fists, her zing anger showing. Annoyed, irritated, exasperated, yet Temari agreed with his course. Not that she had much of a choice. She was not angry at him. She knew that he was right. She knew that this was the right choice. Even so, he understood her desire to save her brother no matter what. It was only natural.
Everyone understood. Everyone agreed. Even Chiyo. ¡°The son of the White Fang is right, we had better take a break for now. It makes no sense to continue the mission. It would be foolish to press on. The fight cost us much strength and chakra. We had better halt and recuperate.¡±
¡°Exactly.¡± Kakashi nodded.
¡°Tsk.¡± Temari crossed her arms, clicking her tongue in annoyance. ¡°Well, we made some progress, I guess. In the end, the crazy bitch ... offed ... herself ...¡± Temari trailed off. Temari fellpletely silent.
Kakashi had a bad feeling. A very bad feeling. He followed her eyes and his gaze fell on Asami¡¯s corpse ... Her presumed corpse. He understood immediately. He did not like what he saw.
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Arc XII Chapter 26
Arc XII Chapter 26
XII
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Arc XII Chapter 26
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So it was like this ... As usual, his instincts did not fail him. The whole time, he had this strange feeling, this strange premonition. They had both proven correct. He knew it. He knew that there was something wrong about her. Even if he could not tell what exactly. Until now. From the very beginning, the entire fight had been nothing but a sham.
Kakashi narrowed his eyes, his gaze was fixed on her supposed corpse. Motionless, lifeless, the bodyy before them on the ground, at their feet, the fresh blood staining the ck coat red. Her de had been fatal. Yet the corpse in question was not hers. Instead, the sight of a ck haired man greeted them, his face distinctly Sunagakure. This was not her. This was not Asami.
¡°...¡± Temari gulped, her tongue stuck in her throat. Her eyes stared wide open, inplete disbelief. ¡°This is ... This is impossible! This can¡¯t be!!! Why ... What ... Why is he here? What is he doing here?¡±
¡°... ... ...¡± And so did Chiyo, her disbelief written all across her face, inly to see. Despite all of her years, herposure had been deeply shaken. ¡°...¡±
Kakashi turned to them. ¡°I gather you know the man ... Who is he?¡±
¡°...¡± Temari bit her lips, clenching her fist. Her initial confusion had faded, only to be reced by fire and fury. ¡°...¡±
¡°...¡± Chiyo steeled her resolve, regaining herposure. Her voice rung heavy. ¡°This man ... His name is Yura. He is ... He was a jonin and a trusted member of the vige council. He was a loyal supporter of Gaara ... To think that he of all people would turn traitor ... I never thought it possible. But here we are ...¡±
¡°I see ...¡± Kakashi understood. Another betrayal. Another unsolved mystery.
Sakura joined in, ¡°So it was him whom we fought all this?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Kakashi gathered his thoughts. ¡°I have no idea how, but he must have served as some kind of substitute body for her. Which exins a lot. Her constantints. Her slower reaction times. Her fighting style. Her overall defensive posture. And yet she was still ying with us ...¡±
¡°What?¡± Temari protested in disbelief. ¡°Are you serious? She was ying with us? You call all this ying with us? ¡±
¡°...¡± Kakashi fell silent. ¡°Unfortunately, yes. Think about it, not even once, she drew her sword. Instead, she was fighting us with an umbre ... It¡¯s obvious that she didn¡¯t deem us an adequate threat.
¡°GGGRRrrrrrrr!!!¡± Temari clenched her fists in a fit of rage, her pride struck. ¡°This ... This ... This fucking little bitch!!! Who does she think she is?¡±
The answer was obvious, in Kakashi¡¯s opinion.
¡°...¡± Kakashi ignored Temari¡¯s little outburst. It was not helpful, but at least her morale remained high and fighting spirit undiminished. Which was better than nothing.
Kakashi formed a hand seal, channelling his chakra. ¡°Shiba!!!¡± A white cloud of smoke erupted before dissipating. His loyalpanion and ninken answered his summon. Before him, stood a grey furred ninja dog. It was Shiba. The fastest and most agile amongst his ninken. He had a mission for him.
Shiba presented himself on his paws. ¡°You have called for me, Kakashi.¡±
¡°Shiba, I have a mission for you¡±, Kakashi borated. ¡°Go and find Pakkun. Unless I am wrong, Guy and Shikamaru should be with him. Inform them that we have encountered ... some issues along the way. We can¡¯t continue the mission. Not in our current shape. We need to rest. Tell them to link up with us as fast as possible. Together we will resume the mission tomorrow.¡±
¡°Understood.¡± Shiba nodded before sprinting off, running off into the distance.
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Guy. Lee. Neji. Tenten. Shikamaru. Ino. Choji. Both of their teams were on the move, following Pakkun¡¯s lead. His stubby legs were leading the way, guiding them.
Trees, branches, leaves, twigs flew by, only blurred silhouettes apanying them. They had crossed forests, hills, mountains, rivers, and yet they pressed on. They pushed onwards, day and night, without respite. Their movement was swift and fast.
¡°...¡± Shikamaru nced up, his annoyance apparent. His irritation was directed at a certain individual in a green jumpsuit with orange leg warmers. Had the idiot gone insane? Had he lost it, or what? What a drag. Guy¡¯s enthusiasm and inexhaustible stamina were noted, but his breakneck pace was beyond reasonable, not to say counterproductive. They had gone four days without barely any sleep or rest. Shino, Choji and he, they were all struggling to even keep up. And yet the idiot kept pushing them harder and harder ... Things couldn¡¯t go on like this. Not any longer.
Shikamaru called out, his voice carrying far, ¡°Oi, Guy-sensei!¡±
Guy turned his head, his typical grin on his lips, together with an raised thumb. He hade to hate both of them these days. A mountain of luggage towered on his back. He and Lee had insisted on them taking all of their luggage to add extra weight for ¡°training purposes¡±.
¡°Yes, Shikamaru?¡±
¡°...¡± Shikamaru grumbled, venting his grievances, ¡°Listen, Guy, can¡¯t we slow down? This pace is unsustainable. Ino, Choji and I, we all need a break.¡±
Guy frowned, thinking for a moment. ¡°Hmm, well, you might have a point, but the me of youth burns brightest when we push beyond our limits! Don¡¯t forget that Kakashi is counting on us.¡±
¡°...¡± Shikamaru clicked his tongue. ¡°Yes, Kakashi is counting on us, but he needs us still in one piece! Look, Guy, the me of youthand all that stuff ... well and good, but it¡¯s far more important to get there alive. Not half dead ...¡±
Pakkun halted, settling down, his tongue lolling. The rest of them followed suit,ing to a sudden halt on arge tree branch together.
Ino and Choji panted heavily, nearly about to drop dead, judging by their pale faces. Tenten wiped her forehead, heaving a grateful sigh at Shikamaru. Neji merely nodded, tacitly approving of his measures in the face of Guy¡¯s incorrigible ways.
¡°...¡± Pakkun started sniffing in the air, his nose picking up a familiar scent. ¡°Heh? Shiba, what are you doing here?¡± His voice sounded surprised.
As Pakkun predicted, another ninken emerged, his fur grey and a Konoha headband hanging around his neck.
The dog responded. ¡°Kakashi sends me. He and his team have encountered serious resistance.¡±
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Arc XII Chapter 27
Arc XII Chapter 27
XII
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Arc XII Chapter 27
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Resting under the nearby tree, Kakashi was still licking his wounds, while keeping Sakurapany. The fight had certainly taken its toll on him. More than he liked to admit. Was it his age, or was he just out of shape? He suspected thetter. The past years had mellowed him. Unsurprisingly, he had lost some of his edge since his ANBU days.
Kakashi turned his attention to his former and current disciple. Fortunately, the worst had passed. Semi conscious, but alive, Naruto was lying on the ground, his head resting on a stack of fresh spare clothes. Meanwhile, Temari and Chiyo were busy gathering some firewood and were preparing to cook;mendable on their part. Better than just ration pills every day ... Having to swallow them every day was a painful experience. ¡°Nutritious¡± as they might be, their edibility left a lot to be desired ... even by his standards.
Kakashi observed Naruto. Ignoring his blood sullied jacket, it was as if he was sleeping. Peacefully, no less. ¡°What¡¯s his status, Sakura?¡±
¡°His condition has improved greatly¡±, Sakura responded, a smile on her lips. Her initial worries had mostly dissipated by now, that much was apparent. ¡°His wound has mostly mended itself. His chakra has stabilised. At this point, it is only a matter of time before he regains consciousness. Judging by his condition, a few hours at most. He should be ready again by tomorrow, Kakashi-sensei.¡±
¡°...¡± Kakashi nodded. That was what he wanted to hear ... The ground vibrated. Someone ... Someone wasing. It was them, wasn¡¯t it?
Kakashi nced sidewards, eyeing their neers. As expected, it was an old friend leading the way, his face sober, his eyes serious. They all came to a halt right before them, standing around them.
Guy was the first to speak, hardly winded despite their tempo. The same couldn¡¯t be said for Shikamaru and his team. They were practically dripping sweat. ¡°Kakashi, we came as fast as possible.¡± He grinned, his thumb extended. His grin, however, faltered the moment his eyes fell on Naruto. ¡°We were told that you have encountered some difficulties. So it was true.¡±
¡°...¡± Kakashi merely nodded. ¡°It was a tough fight ... even when the enemy was only a doppelganger.¡±
¡°Tsk, you too?¡± Shikamaru clicked his tongue, betraying his annoyance. ¡°We also fought one. It was this shark guy, Hoshigaki Kisame. I remember his face from the briefing files. The No-tailed Monster of Kirigakure. He was quite the tough nut to crack.¡±
Kakashi nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I see. They expected both of us.¡±
¡°That aside ...¡± Skikamaru cast his eyes around. ¡°Anyone else that got wounded?¡±
¡°Me.¡± Sakura interjected, putting her healing aside for the moment. ¡°I got hit too. Directly in the shoulder, but it was mostly just a flesh wound. Nothing serious.¡± Sakura showed her shoulder, her wound patched up, the burns and cauterised skin still visible.
¡°...¡± Shikamaru, nor Guy, nor anyone else for that matter looked particrly convinced about her so called ¡°flesh wound¡±.
¡°...¡± Guy spoke. ¡°What about you, Kakashi? What about the rest of you? Are you okay?¡±
¡°More or less.¡± Kakashi dispelled their worries with a hand wave. ¡°Our chakra reserves are depleted and we are a bit exhausted, but besides that, everything is fine.¡±
¡°...¡± Shikamaru pondered, his hands in his pockets. ¡°Who was it? Who did you fight? Was it the Uchiha? Itachi? Or the explosion guy? Or was it this Sasori we heard about?¡±
¡°Neither of them.¡± A sigh escaped Kakashi. ¡°She was more than enough on her own. As a matter of fact, you all probably know her.¡±
¡°She?¡± Shikamaru furrowed an eyebrow, his wariness and suspicion instantly triggered the moment the word fell.
¡°...¡± Guy clenched his fists, his fire rekindled. ¡°Tell us, Kakashi, who was it?¡±
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¡°It was Asami.¡±
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Kakashi nced around. ¡°Everyone ready?¡±
A nod went through the ranks. Everyone was prepared. Everyone was resolved to fight. Only a boulder and a stubborn seal protecting it separated them now from the enemy.
¡°Neji! Status.¡±
The Byakugan user reported, his white eyes observing the seal. ¡°The seal has weakened substantially. The technique was sessful. We should now be able to break through.¡±
¡°Understood.¡± Kakashi nodded. His suggestions worked, both removing the various tags as well as injecting chakra. As suggested and thanks to his Byakugan and gentle fist, he was able to disrupt the seal¡¯s ley lines and thus disrupt the cirction of chakra through bursts of chakra. The effect was immediate. The seal¡¯s performance had diminished and its potency declined. It was time to shine. They should be now able to remove the boulder. ¡°Guy ... Lee ... Your time.¡±
They both jumped backwards, putting some distance between them and the boulder for the run up. It was time to strike.
Guy cracked his knuckles, a sparkling grin on his face. ¡°Lee, let¡¯s show these Akatsuki the power of youth!!!¡±
Lee raised his thumb, the same grin on his face. ¡°Yes, Guy-sensei!!!¡±
That was the answer that Guy wanted to hear. ¡°Then let¡¯s goooooooooooooo!!!¡± They both started sprinting, their chakra propelling them forwards. They rushed. They charged. ¡°AAAAaaaarghhhhhhHHHHH!!!¡±
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¡°I hate to keep people waiting. But what I hate even more is when people keep me waiting ...¡±, Sasori grumbled behind his mask,ining as usual. ¡°... ... ... What are they waiting for? What is taking them so long? Can¡¯t they get past a little seal?¡±
¡°Hmmmm, who knows, Master Sasori.¡± Deidara shrugged his shoulders, his tone faintly mocking. ¡°Maybe our precious friends are less skilled than previously anticipated, hmmmm. What do you think, Asami?¡± Their domestic explosives expert turned to her, his words were directed at her. Her opinion was requested. After some consideration, his request was granted.
Asami merely chuckled, throning upon her cushion, her hand armed with a teacup. Her lips savoured the gentle aroma of her favourite blend of chamomile tea. Ever the impable princess, she was a paragon of proper decorum, reminiscent of more civilised times. The fragrance, the warmth of her tea calmed her body and mind while conversing. It was a delight. ¡°Well, frankly speaking, their arts ... left to be desired, to say the least. Theirpetency ... underwhelming. Theirck of capabilities aside, it would be remiss to underestimate them, I guess. Weak as they might be, their strength lies in their numbers or whatever.¡±
¡°Fair enough¡±, Deidara more or less seemed to agree, his hand already munching on his explosive y. ¡°Hmmmm. So it¡¯s business as usual then. Small fries. Dangerous in numbers.¡±
¡°... ... ...¡± Sasori continued grumbling, much less gregarious and affable than his partner, but such was well known. ¡°... ... ...¡±
¡°Affirmative.¡± Asami smiled, depositing her teacup on her impromptu table. As it turned out, Tobi performed admirably and made for an excellent piece of living furniture, namely for an excellent table.
Tobi lifted his head, still holding his posture with the stiffness of a board of wood. Straightening his back, he served as her personal table, carrying her tea service. ¡°Asami-senpai~, when can Tobi stop being a table? It is cold and dark and dark and cold. Tobi not liking it down here on the ground.¡±
¡°...¡± Asami sipped on her teacup, although her supply of tea was steadily dwindling. Her cup had once again emptied by now. How dreadful. ¡°Tobi, ... what did I tell you? What are you?¡±
Tobi started pondering, the few gears in his head working. ¡°Hmm, Asami-senpai~ said Tobi is a table.¡±
Asami nodded. ¡°Correct. Do tables talk, Tobi?¡±
¡°... No.¡± Tobi lowered his head, a hint of disappointment in his voice.
Asami nodded once more. ¡°Right, does Tobi talk then?¡±
¡°... No.¡± Tobi understood now.
¡°Exactly.¡± Asami smiled before extending her teacup. ¡°And now, if you would be so kind, a refill, please.¡±
¡°...¡± Tobi lifted his right hand, reaching for the teapot ced on his back just as ordered. Steaming water poured into her cup, filling it to the brim without wasting a single drop and without trying to scald her in the process. Audable performance. He had certainly improved.
And thus Asami came to enjoy her tea once more. Her new found joy, however, was short lived.
The boulder blocking the entry exploded, shattered, sted, cracked apart by raw force. Splinters were sent flying in a shower of stone and rock, shooting in every direction, even forcing her to dodge an iing projectile sailing past her head, much to her dismay.
¡°They are here. Finally.¡± Sasori groaned, his eyes more bloodshot than usual. ¡°Took them long enough.¡±
Deidara smirked. ¡°Betterte than never, I guess. Hmmmm.¡±
¡°...¡± Asami narrowed her eyes before resuming sipping on her teacup, a pointed re directed at their uninvited guests. ¡°Not even bothering to knock. Not a shred of courtesy. We truly must live in uncivilised times.¡±
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Arc XII Chapter 28
Arc XII Chapter 28
XII
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Arc XII Chapter 28
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The enemy appeared, assembling before them in all their dubious glory. There were three teams in total and a lot of familiar faces. The ghosts of her past hade to pay her a visit. It was team Kakashi together with Team Guy and Team ... Shikamaru? Thetter appeared to be missing their former sensei. For whatever they were worth these days, Konoha had sent reinforcements. Howmendable.
¡°Gaara!!!¡± Naruto shouted, brash and brazen as usual. The moment he noticed the Kazekage¡¯s lifeless body lying on the ground, hisposure crumbled. ¡°What are you doing there, Gaara? Get up? What are you waiting for?¡±
¡°...¡± Asami raised an eyebrow, ncing for a moment at the Kazekage¡¯s corpse while relishing her tea. Naruto once more demonstrated that he had never been the brightest candle in the chandelier.
¡°... ... ...¡± Kakashi interjected. ¡°Naruto, ... I doubt that he is in a state to move.¡±
¡°...¡± Naruto clenched his fists, gritting his teeth, his blood boiling. ¡° Dammit, you fucking bastards! You killed him!!! I will kill you!!!¡±
¡°Hmmmm, I guess it¡¯s my turn.¡± Deidara grinned, swinging himself onto his y owl. His bird grabbed the Kazekage¡¯s corpse with its talons. ¡°I will take on the jinchuuriki. Master Sasori, Asami, see youter.¡± And away he went, his bird taking flight.
¡°Hey, where do you think you are going? Don¡¯t think you can get away!¡± Naruto immediately stormed after Deidara, hardly wasting a second. He had lost his mind and took the bait without further consideration. It was appreciated when ns went well.
¡°Naruto! Stop!¡± Kakashi tried his best to reign him in, but all was in vain. He failed to stop his student. ¡°Listen, everyone, I have to go after Naruto. Guy, Shikamaru, you take on the rest here. Take care.¡±
¡°Got it.¡± Shikamaru nodded in silence, his little head already busy scheming, plotting, and strategising.
¡°We will handle this, Kakashi!¡± Guy grinned, his thumb raised. ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t go alone, not when the enemy is strong.¡±
¡°Right¡±, Kakashi concurred, sharing his assessment. ¡°Some support would be appreciated, I guess.¡±
Guy shouted, ¡°Neji!¡±
¡°Yes, Guy-sensei?¡± Neji listened.
¡°Neji, apany Kakashi¡±, Guy ordered. ¡°Go with him.¡±
Neji obeyed. ¡°Understood!¡±
¡°...¡± Kakashi eyed his newpanion. Time was of the essence. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Neji.¡± They both disappeared. They both left. Three less. Nine still remained.
The old woman named Chiyo stepped forwards, her eyes steeled with resolve. ¡°It has been a long time, Sasori. All these years, I have been waiting for this moment.¡± A set of scrolls emerged from her sleeves. A fine collection of puppets stored inside them, no doubt. At least, based on their previous encounter. The old woman was serious right from the start.
Temari unfolded her fan, a strong gust surrounding her. ¡°I will fight by your side, Lady Chiyo. You can count on me. You can count on my fan.¡±
¡°Me too.¡± Sakura smirked, a smug grin stered across her face. Herbative spirit had hardly diminished. The girl cracked her knuckles in a way befitting her brutish, violent methods. ¡°Time to kick some arse.¡±
¡°...¡± The old woman smiled, d to have them on her side. ¡°Temari, Sakura, let¡¯s show my precious grandson what we are made of.¡±
¡°... ... ...¡± Sasori chuckled, heartily amused, his deep inhuman voice reverberating through the cavern. His metal tail slithered around menacingly. ¡°Bring it on! Show me what you all are made of. I am waiting.¡± The fight started. Three less. Six remained. Six potential enemies. Six familiar faces.
They all red at her, their stares fixed at her, unyielding, upromising. Shikamaru, Lee, Tenten, Ino, Choji. They had learned of her betrayal and did not take particrly kindly to it. How troublesome. They were loath to forgive her, although their disappointment must have been limited.
¡°...¡± Unfazed, undisturbed, Asami continued sipping on her tea, armed with a sharine smile. She had seen and experienced worse. A little bit of aversion alone hurt nobody. ¡°Now, now, whom do we have here? Some old faces. Some better known faces. Some lesser known faces. Courtesies aside, I hope that time has treated you well? Hopefully, your journey has not been too arduous.¡± Her polite words failed to elicit a corresponding response.
Shikamaru clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed. ¡°Tsk, save your little games forter, Asami. We know exactly who you are and what you have done. Kakashi told us everything.¡±
¡°...¡± Asami tilted her head, giggling ominously with her teacup in her hand. ¡°Everything you say? Such as, Shikamaru-kun?¡±
The Nara boy narrowed his eyes. ¡°Stop ying dumb. You know exactly what I mean. No matter who you were. No matter what you were. ANBU, ck Princess, or whatever. Once a traitor, always a traitor. You have betrayed the vige. You have betrayed Konoha. You have betrayed us.¡±
Ino joined him,unching her own tirade against her, venom dripping from her words. ¡°I always knew it. I always knew that you couldn¡¯t be trusted. Even back then, you were always the creepy loner girl with her doll.¡± Oh my, what a low blow.
Lee protested, hardly hiding the disappointment in his voice. He was disappointed in her. ¡°Asami, ... how could you? I thought you were one of us.¡±
¡°If you only knew ... If you only knew ...¡± Asami shook her cup, silently watching the swirling tea inside. ¡°Traitor ... Traitor is such a harsh word considering the circumstances. At times, fate is truly a cruel arbiter indeed, unpredictable, unforeseeable. In mere moments is lost what cannot be ever regained. The usations that you make against me are grave, although not without merit. It would be wrong to say that the blood of our own is not on my hands. I have ughtered them. I have massacred them. Not that it matters, though. Bygones are bygones. The past is history by now.¡±
¡°...¡± Shikamaru gritted his teeth, unable to mask his emotions, his disdain, his hatred in. Nor did anyone else. Their eyes burned with nothing but hate. ¡°So, it¡¯s true, after all ... You are a demon through and through.¡± A demon ... It was a familiar word, a word of two lifetimes ... For some, she had been a demon, a reaper, the scourge of the gods ... For others, an angel, a saviour, their sole hope ... Curious, wasn¡¯t it?
Asami remained unimpressed, solely dedicated to her teacup. ¡°I would be frankly hurt if I wasn¡¯t. Anyway, matters of my supposed demonic nature and your resentment aside, what are you going to do? Are you all going to fight me?¡± Her eyes shimmered with a glimmer of purple.
¡°Tsk, you can be certain of it!¡± Shikamaru dismissed her subtle threat. ¡°ying dumb doesn¡¯t suit you, Asami. We will fight you. And we will win. Don¡¯t think that we will go easy on you.¡±
¡°Oh my, how troublesome. How dreadful.¡± Asami inspected her nails, their presence was already tiring her beyond what she considered eptable. It had been a long three days and nights. She was tired. ¡°Unfortunately and quite frankly, my time as well as interest in you is limited.¡±
¡°What?¡± Lee raised his voice, confused.
So was Shikamaru, his eyebrow furrowed. ¡°What is that nonsense supposed to mean? Are you ying with us?¡±
¡°Oh, no, I am not ying with you at all~. How would I?¡± Asami hid behind the cover of her enigmatic smile. ¡°Fortunately for you, I have already found a suitable recement to fill my roll~. Tobi!¡±
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¡°Tobi!¡±
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¡°Tobi!!!¡±
Tobi finally responded. It only took three times. ¡°Tobi not talking! Tobi being a good table. Good tables not talking. Tobi thus not talking.¡± Ah, yes, right ... She had nearly forgotten about him serving as her table
¡°...¡± Asami sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Competent personnel were difficult toe by these days. ¡°You have permission to speak, Tobi. You are henceforth officially relieved from table duties.¡±
Tobi sighed in relief, sharing his joy. ¡°Yay, finally~! Thank you, Asami-senpai~. You are the bestest! My back is getting stiff, and my knees are freezing!¡±
¡°...¡± Asami sipped on her teacup. ¡°Listen, Tobi, I have a special mission for you.¡±
Tobi tilted his head, still on the floor. ¡°And that would be?¡±
Asami beamed with childish innocence. ¡°You see, Tobi, I have always wondered why you are part of Akatsuki. The day hase to prove your mettle.¡±
Tobi tilted his head one more. ¡°Heh? Tobi not understanding.¡±
Asami smiled with deceptive sweetness. ¡°Fight them for me. Entertain them in my stead.¡±
¡°What!!?¡± Tobi veritably panicked, his arms shaking, his voice osciting. ¡°No! No! No! Absolutely not! Enemies scary! Tobi not fighting! Tobi going back to being a table!¡± He readopted his previous posture, straightening his back once again. ¡°See, Asami-senpai~, Tobi good table. Good table not fighting. Good table not talking.¡±
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¡°...¡± Asami was less than pleased, despite her lips savouring her tea. ¡°See, Tobi, sometimes in life we have no choice but to fight. We are forced to fight whether we want it or not.¡±
Tobi looked up, a question floating over his head. ¡°I don¡¯t understand, Asami-senpai~ ...¡±
¡°...¡± He would understand. A healthy kick was her answer. Asami rammed the heel of her sandals directly into his nk, making Tobi roll sidewards like a barrel, directly towards the enemy. Her hand left deftly caught her falling teapot mid air. Unlike Tobi, her teapot didn¡¯t deserve such treatment.
¡°AAAaaaaaarrrrrgggghhHHHHH!!!¡± Tobi rolled, rolled and rolled untiling to a stop. His head was spinning, and his world was turning. ¡°Asami-senpai~, why ... are ... you ... being ... such ... a ... meanie ...¡±
¡°Leaf Drop Kick!!!¡± Guy came crashing down on him, his drop kick nearly pulverising poor Tobi. The ground beneath crumbled, stone and rock splintered.
¡°Wah!!!¡± Tobi dodged in thest moment possible, barely escaping judgement. He jumped up, shrieking. ¡°Asami-senpai! Asami-senpai! Help! Help! Protect Tobi the Table!¡±
¡°... ... ...¡± Her response was cold. Asami ignored his pleas for help, sipping on her tea. His predicaments went ignored. It was his fight now. Tobi might act like a fool at times, but he was not aplete idiot. There was a reason Pain had chosen him to spy on her. Contrary to his allegations, Tobi certainly knew how to fight. He certainly knew how to move. And he certainly knew how to survive. He only needed to show his hand for a change.
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