Shino's POV (Eastern Forest of Irminsul - Terra)
Shino felt a smidgeon of rage as he bodily rolled through the forest, roughly smashing into a tree and coughing up blood roughly. However, even as he retched for air, he pulled kunai and released them in the same instant. Each is tagged with explosive tags and spread out to increase the odds of catching his foes. As Shino landed heavily on his knees. He watched as the blonde man managed to escape the tags with a burst of speed, however his larger brother seemed slower and unable. Covering the man and the area around him in smoke, flames, and powerful bursts of chakra. Content with his elimination of the first. Shino watched the other with expectant eyes. The man flew through the air with impressive speed, before he appeared behind Shino. The Aburame heard the telling whistle of wind in the air and swayed to his left, narrowly dodging a thrust from what seemed to be a large mandible that had replaced the blonde man's arm. (1) As he swayed, Shino let loose a simple one-two jab combo, the blonde stumbling back. Before Shino could capitalize, however, the cloud of smoke bulged as the larger brother plowed through it. Shino's eyes widened as he noticed the black plates now exposed from the man's top having been burnt off. His body, covered in sheen-covered plates, seemed unharmed as the man went for a straight kick for Shino's face.
The Aburame felt grim satisfaction as his last-minute substitution with an insect clone left the man covered in his allies. The more giant man, however, seemed keen on this. For he merely chuckled at it. Soon, the younger blonde joined in as well. Their voices' utter confidence and energy made Shino's blood cold.
So far, The short fight has been going as well as a two-on-one could. Shino had been fine on the backfoot; it was often a position his clan excelled at. However, the method behind such a strategy was the one that filled Shino with dread. His allies throughout this fight had been consistently spread out and even landed on his enemies. The bout of combat had been short, but… (2)
Why did they seem so unaffected? Why did they seem so ignorant of his strategies if they were rivals of his clan? Simple… They must've had some sort of counter.
The plated man stopped chuckling, however, as he suddenly grabbed a nearby branch and ripped it free from the tree. With a mighty grunt and hurl, he chucked it directly toward Shino, who had taken refuge in a nearby thickly covered branch on a different tree. Shino easily dodged the attack and landed above the two glaring siblings, looking calm. However he could admit to being somewhat troubled. The two seemed to be decent shinobi…
"So it seems you have some sort of counter to my allies. I didn't notice it before, but I have lost connection with nearly everyone I've sent out. Furthermore, neither of you seems to be suffering the appropriate effects their feeding should have after so long. Especially in combat." Shino stated plainly, stalling as his mind whirled.
"Of course." The older man snidely responded. "Your accursed clan has spilled much blood of my family. We had no choice but to adapt to your ways. A rookie Aburame like yourself stands no chance against the two of us. My armor, similar to the armor that protects the great species of wasp, does not allow your foolish insects to feed on me." Kurobachi lectured.
"And while they've been trying their best with me, my own wasps are more than effective at stopping and devouring them! They can barely leave your body before my wasps snipe them from the air! Your little draining trick won't work here! I wonder how tough you are without your gimmick…" Jibachi said gleefully.
"That is merely one trick of many," Shino assured. 'The older man seems to be the powerhouse type. Relying on his decent speed, absurd durability, and shocking strength to overwhelm his opponents. The other is much quicker and uses quick and lethal strikes, as well as his insects zipping through the air. Surely, killing more allies with each passing zip. The two worked well together and may just be enough to overwhelm him… 'I can't afford to hold back here; this isn't the exams. This is the time to show what I can truly do.' Shino thought to himself.
However, his timeout was shattered when Jibachi called out. "Wasp Style: Whizzing Stingers!" A burst of stingers flew from his finger, tearing the branch from under Shino. However, the Aburame did not flinch and calmly fell towards the waiting two. Subtly hiding his hands in his sleeve, weaving two separate groupings of single-handed hand signs.
The more giant man aimed a fist at the falling Aburame; however, just as Shino drew close, he called out calmly. "Earth Style: Collapsing Floor."
The ground beneath the two Kamizuru members shifted and broke apart. This shook their balance and caused Kurobachi to miss what would surely be a lethal strike. Shino, as he landed, revealed his other hand and slammed out down on the ground, as the two men regained their balance and reached for him. "Earth Style: Surface Eruption." Shino finished, not flinching as the two drew close.
Suddenly, the broken ground beneath the three shot up violently, and only Shino's spot was spared. Jibachi fearfully cursed as he flew up, being grazed on his left cheek but narrowly escaping death. Kurobachi was slower to react, the debris sending the man sprawling back with a curse.
"You cut my gorgeous face!" Jibachi screeched from above Shino. Shino pridefully noticed this was correct, as the man aimed his pointer fingers at Shino. "WASP STYLE: DOUBLE WHIZZING STINGERS!" He cried out as two lines of stingers fired off at a scrambling Shino. The Aburame was chased after by the lines of stingers, weaving through them as Jibachi swung his arms to hit him.
Shino minded little, knowing all the while the beared man would surely at least be slow to catch up. The Aburame raced up a tree in rapid pursuit. He dived from branch to branch, even pulling out a kunai to deflect stingers he could not dodge. All the while climbing toward a slowly panicking Jibachi. As Shino leaped close, Jibachi abandoned his shots. Quickly forming the wasp blade over his hand again and desperately thrusting it toward Shino, the Aburame weaved this and punched the man in the stomach stunning him. Then, grabbing an arm and powering the man around him with the aid of chakra, slammed the man into the thick tree trunk. Shino efficiently followed this up, aiming for a lethal thrust of his kunai, a stab to the man's heart. However, the tree shook before seemingly beginning to fall, breaking the two apart as they fell from the branch. Shino felt annoyed as both fell. He looked down and saw Kurobachi leaping up at him. He wouldn't have time to substitute; he had been sloppy…
Kurobachi caught Shino by the throat; the force he of which he squeezed with made Shino's vision momentarily darken. Instantly, Shino writhed in his grip, barely up to breathe or even see straight as he was strangled.
"You did better than I had expected, coward. Die knowing your clan could never match up to us." Kurobachi coldly informed the struggling Shino as a somewhat shaken Jibachi arrived at the two. Fluttering to the ground with a hateful glare. "Brother, your near death is the perfect example of why no one considers you worthy to lead the clan. To fall to a mere Chunin is shameful." Jibachi shamefully looked away at that.
"Whatever, just kill the bastard." Jibachi spat.
"My pleasure." Kurobachi then reared back his fist; with Shino in his clutches, there would be no dodging. "Die." The man said as he swung. However, a pink-haired woman suddenly flew through the air and managed to push away the punch meant to kill Shino. The man, perhaps stunned, weakened his grasp. Giving Shino just enough air to react, he swiped another kunai from his holster and, with a measured stab, wedged it between the plates of armor that coated the man's body. The blade struck true between the plates, the man's wrist spasming as blood spurted out from the stab. He cried out, releasing Shino fully as blood spurted from where the kunai still lay jammed. Sakura and Shino reacted, kicking Kurobachi with as much force as possible to knock him back. The force managed to make the man stumble over to his brother.
"I'm glad I came," Sakura said grimly as she stared at the two men. "I didn't expect them to manage to get one over on you. I'm sorry it took me so long to catch up."
"Worry not. They merely used luck and numbers to get an advantage; now that I have an ally, this is the beginning of the end for these two." Shino assured as the two glared -at the Kamizuru brothers.
"A woman is your backup? How insufferably arrogant of her to get involved. She reminds me of her…" Kurobachi growled, furious. "We kill her too."
Sakura had evened out the battle between Aburame and Kamizuru. But it was merely just the beginning…
"These two bastards…" Sakura growled angrily. "There are siblings, then? Surely they have a ton of experience fighting together. And considering we never had it might make things difficult. I'll take the big sexist bastard if you can handle the other."
"With ease." Shino nodded, glad to see Sakura had either known or unknowingly chosen the best matchup for the situation. Time to turn the tables.
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Hinata's POV (Eastern Forest of Irminsul - Terra)
Hinata stared down Choji, her face determined, but her conflicted feelings showed up all the while. She could not claim to know Choji all that well, but nearly everyone spoke well of him. Neji had told the tale of how it had been Lee, Naruto, and him that had been ambushed by the traitorous Mizuki. Naruto had apparently described Choji as brave and helpful. His kind and good-natured attitude was something that nearly all members of the Akimichi clan were known for. He especially so, a fact that made the contrast of his usual and current self so odd.
Choji's smile was wide and manic. Such a wonton look of cruel interest was alien on his face. Yet the giant of a man was undeniably excited to fight her. Despite the growing feeling of despair that the man could not be reasoned with, Hinata felt compelled to try.
"Choji! You are under the control of an unknown third party! You would never act in this way!" Hinata called out.
"Wasting your time, I can't resist and am fully aware. It doesn't matter; the master's orders were clear. There's no point in talking!" Choji roared as he rushed at Hinata, attempting to crush her beneath his giant foot.
Hinata gritted her teeth as she dived away from the stomp. As she leaped away, she threw her hands into the sign for her signature technique. However, Choji simply put all of his weight into the stomp, fracturing and causing the ground to collapse around him. Hinata stumbled as she landed, dropping the hand sign to keep her balance. Her Byakugan allowed her to see Choji's next move. The giant kicked up a massive amount of debris from his stomp. The mess of dirt and stone flew to her.
The young woman dropped forward onto her hands, beginning a set of front flips that brought her closer to the debris and Choji. In an impressive showing of gymnastics and physical strength, she built speed, becoming a blur before launching herself in the air toward the debris. "Hebunrīsō!" Hinata called as her spinning oval sliced through the debris and smashed directly into Choji's chest piece. Hinata cringed inwardly as she heard her chakra begin to shred through the metal as the large man stumbled back. She allowed her chakra to flux into a boom, making the large man stumble back. Revealing his chest piece having been cut open, barely hanging on. She could've ended the fight there, but it may have been the end of Choji.
Hinata wasted no time racing forward toward the off-guard man. As she drew close, however, Choji noticed and thrust a wild haymaker directly for her. Hinata merely hopped above the arm and raced up it, jabbing at chakra points wildly as she drew closer to his face. The giant flung his arm, attempting to whip her off, but only for Hinata to leap directly at his face. Again, she flipped through the air and called out again. "Kaiten!" This time, in midair, the standard Kaiten was used. As spun through the air the familiar dome of chakra burst around her and smashed into Choji's face. Breaking the giant's nose and making him fall to his knees. Hinata landed into a roll and as she stood formed the hand signs for her Precise Beam as she spun on her heels.
"Gentle Fist: Chakra Pathway Total Shutdown!" Hinata screamed as her narrow beam of chakra cut through the air. The beam burnt the clothing and skin as the chakra pierced his body and attempted to shut down pathways. Hinata did not merely stop with one though she spun and allowed the beam to lash Choji multiple times.
Choji roared in pain as he raised his arm to block most of the beam. Hinata grits her teeth but, not wanting to cause permanent damage, ceases her technique. Her beam was powerful and exposed contact at a singular point could cause gnarly damage… (3)
Giant sighed in pain as the arm he used to block her beam fell uselessly. His split armor creaked loudly as several of the straps chest piece now entirely fell off, leaving his normal shirt exposed. 'He's open!' Hinata thought. Her body flickered within his range as her eyes glowed. She prepared herself to use the only technique at her disposal that could defeat a giant without causing him great harm.
"One palm!" Hinata cried, smashing her fingers into chakra points away from his vital organs. Choji bothered to chuckle at such, confident his hardy body could tank the attack. Indeed, the original Choji would've been wise enough to realize that letting a Hyuga land strikes was foolish. "Two palms, four palms, eight palms!" Hinata cried. Choji's laugh cut off at the eight jab, a gasp of air escaping in its place. Hinata felt a tinge of guilt as she relentlessly continued her combo. "Sixteen palms," it now was a pained wheeze, "Thirty-two palms," A short scream as Hinata finished her combo. "Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!" Hinata cried. The giant wheezed as he fell he attempted to back up. However he could not and instead Choji breathlessly collapsed as his body slowly shrunk; the giant became the size of an average person. Choji was seemingly defeated… (4)
Hinata panted as she recovered from the brief but intense bout. She allowed herself to fall to her knees and deactivate her Byakugan. It hadn't been easy, but Choji would surely be down for a while. The Sixty Four Palms was a powerful technique designed to take down humans with ease. Once she had collected herself, she rose to her feet and approached the prone Choji slowly and cautiously. She heard him quietly mumbling to himself as she got within earshot.
"Of course, a weakling like me would fail again… it's the exams all over… but this time I'm ready. Don't worry, master's, I have one last offering to you… fitting like a failure like myself…" Choji's dark words stunned Hinata for a second. She could understand how he felt; she, too, had been disappointed. But something about his tone made it clear that this had weighed heavily on his mind. Her instincts screamed as she refocused on the situation, noticing Choji had managed to raise an odd container to his mouth. It was a segmented, clear container that was not unlike what one would have for medicine. He opened it clumsily and allowed the first of three oddly colored balls to fall into his mouth, a green one. Hinata felt her brain whirl as she remembered just what it was. One of the Akimichi's claims to fame was their unique and mysterious food pills, each claimed to boost their power. And the last one said to do so by the hundreds.
Hinata reacted instantly, flicking a kunai at them with such precision that she knocked it from his hands. Sending the case and pill flying into the long grass around them. But to her horror, she had been too slow, he had eaten one. She leaped back and activated her Byakugan. Choji seemed to jump to his feet, and she could see his chakra writhing around him. Hinata could tell with a glance that Choji was not done fighting, nor would he be as easy to deal with as before.
"MY TURN BITCH!" Choji bellowed as he raced forward; Hinata barely managed to weave the wild shot. However, Choji's other fist clenched the back of her suit. With a spin and savage strength, Choji attempted to throw her. Hinata, however, manages to free herself with a gentle fist jab. She flew away and activated her precise beam wordlessly. Choji quickly ducked her wild swings with it as he closed in. His new speed allowed him to close in; Hinata had seconds to react, and only managed to raise a shaky guard. Choji's sandaled foot smashed into it, sending her sprawling from the power, smashing painfully into a tree.
'His speed and strength have nearly doubled.' Hinata thought as she climbed to her feet. 'If he hits me like that again, I doubt I'll be able to stand. He's stronger than me now… but I can beat him. With his new strength, he hasn't bothered to become a giant. Meaning my gentle fist should be more effective… I just need to let him close in and end this!'
Choji unknowingly played into her thoughts. Rushing toward her again, Hinata stood her ground as he drew close. Spinning in place as Choji attempted to crush her against the tree, shoulder first.
"Kaiten!" Hinata called as her chakra shell formed. Instead of violently flinging the man back, it merely stopped his momentum for a moment. Before the blow shattered her Kaiten. Off-balance, Hinata leaned against her tree as Choji reared back another fist to finish her off. Hinata, however, had been baiting for this very moment.
She suddenly lunged forward within Choji's guard. He was so shocked that he was left entirely open. 'I have to take this shot; he won't be open like this again!' Hinata lunged for his chest; however, as her palm drew close, a concern arose in her mind. 'This strike will knock him out, but it could be lethal. I can't be certain a strike like this wouldn't hit an organ.' Hinata inwardly cursed. She needed to stop him, but could she risk killing him? Hinata answered herself as her hand closed into a fist. Instead of disabling the man with chakra, a mere punch to his chest was suffered.
Choji did seem confused but, without hesitation or words, brutally backhanded Hinata through the tree. Hinata cried out as she landed painfully among the debris of the tree. The top of the tree fell points downward toward the Hyuga. But Hinata was bleeding from her forehead and stunned.
She looked up to see the debris coming for her. She felt pride even as death approached. At the very least, Hinata had stayed true to herself. She would rather die than risk a friend's life. As the Hyuga bowed her head, half of the tree approached her, certain to crush and run her through.
"YOUTHFUL WILD SPEAR!" Lee's voice cut into the clearing. The man flew through the air and, just as the namesake of his technique suggests, burst from the tree with ease. His wild kick shattered the tree half into pieces and drove it away from Hinata. The Hyuga, stunned, watched as Lee continued with his momentum, and once he hit a tree, he stopped in place and seemed to stop and aim a punch at Choji from a distance. "I cannot allow one of my friends to stray from the path of YOUTH!" Lee cried out angrily. "I will set you straight with punishment! WILD YOUTH RAMPAGE!" Lee punched as if he would hit; Hinata's eyes widened as she saw chakra shoot through the air in small clumps. Each hit Choji and, even in his empowered state, knocked him from his feet and sent him careening toward the opposite side of the field. "Worry not fair, Hinata-chan," Lee assured. "The beautiful beast of the Leaf is here!"
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Leifazu's POV (Western Plains of Irminsul - Terra)
Leifazu yawned as she drew near camp. A seal made for them by Ikam made it a breeze to find each other, even in this foreign land. Though she hadn't expected this mission to get as crazy as it had.
First, their group arrived in some strange, nature-infested land and were separated. Now, it seemed that not only were their enemy shinobi present, but their extra hands seemed woefully ill-equipped. It was enough to finally kill Leifazu's good mood. She enjoyed her new womanly body but not it was likely she may lose it soon. However she felt some level of hope as she crossed a barrier. Mishiro may have been a crusty bitch, but she was an expert at barrier ninjutsu as well as a near master of Fuijutsu. Even in the middle of the wild, she could make a basic camp into what seemed to be a fortress.
Her luggage seemed stirred by the chakra they walked through. The woman offered a pained growl and shifted awkwardly on Leifazu, who sighed in annoyance as she lowered the woman onto the branch, allowing her to breach consciousness as she did. Leifazu was fine with giving her a moment. Saving her had been quite the ordeal after all.
Enemy Shinobi being present was unexpected and worrying, to say the least. Enemy Shinobi could best an experienced Iwa Jounin and still seem ready to go was more of an active problem. The man there had defeated Suzumebachi with relative ease and likely would've finished her off if not for his foolishness.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
Leifazu had been patient at the moment. The temptation to fight strong people had always been a drug to Leifazu. When death was an inconvenience, it was easy to enjoy a battle to the death. The back and forth, the struggle, the savage adrenaline rush upon victory, or the flooding despair of defeat. It was beautiful…
Leifazu's last death had not been such. The two Akatsuki members, even individually, were on another level. And had played with her before her death. But that young man seemed powerful but green. Leifazu was sure she would've won, and it would've been a fun battle. A close struggle would've been nice… but Leifazu had been told to bring back their help alive. The fight hadn't been worth the risk then. But…
Mishiro was certain to be infuriated upon learning there were enemies present. Certainly, the overprotective woman would react instinctively. Almost certainly, they would ride out to slaughter them. And when they did, Leifazu planned to have a sweaty and bloody close encounter with that bowl-cut man.
"Where am I…" Suzumebachi's tired voice sounded out. Now fully awake, she hesitantly addressed Leifazu. It certainly made sense; they were supposed to be muscle. And she had been defeated. In the shinobi world, failure was rarely tolerated well… "I lost…" she spat bitterly.
"That you did," Leifazu said with a smirk. "Disappointing, to say the least…"
"That was no normal Genin; how could any rookie be that powerful!" Suzumebachi swore to herself. "The second I can stand, I shall hunt him down and show him the consequences of looking down on the Kamizuru Clan…"
"You can cope later, for now stand. I was getting tired of carrying your carcass. Especially in this environment…" Leifazu asked tauntingly as she stretched.
"It was a fluke; he had a strange technique, and the next time I encounter him, I'll ensure he suffers!" Suzumebachi swore angrily. "Besides, I am light, and from what I saw earlier, your strength is no minor thing."
"You mean you're built like a little boy"? Leifazu taunted as she purposely left an arm under her considerable bust. "And carrying deadweight through this savage land is no small task."
Suzumebachi wisely chose to be silent. Indeed, she did not realize how close they were to safety. A proud woman like herself likely would've been more defiant if so. But she discovered she was "depending on Leifazu's kindness," she realized silence likely would aid her well for now. "I apologize. We weren't truly expecting enemy forces in general. My guard was down. The Kamizuru Clan will not disappoint again."
"See that you don't," Leifazu said with a roll of her eyes. "While you have been getting some beauty sleep. I've been lugging you around, fending off, and escaping from oversized critters. It's good we're turning in for the night; otherwise, we'd likely be fighting all night."
Leifazu was not even bluffing about the dangers. She had seen all matters of beast and terrain. It would be good to remind these Kamizuru fools they were mere help and out of their league…
"I see. I assume that chakra was some kind of barrier. Do we have a home camp?" Suzumebachi asked noisily as the two women leaped slowly over the multiple small strands of the river. As they did, they drew closer to a large plume of smoke rising into the sky. While Leifazu played the hero, and Suzumebachi a punching bag. It seemed Mishiro had gotten things done.
"So Suzume," Leifazu started.
"Suzumebachi."
"T'was what I said," Leifazu complained. "Either way, where are your two clown brothers? I had expected to find the lot of you together."
"Oh, those fools," Suzumebachi said with a shrug. "Separated like the rest of us, I wouldn't be surprised if they are dead. Weaklings like them would fall to a shinobi of the caliber I fought or particularly fierce animals."
Leifazu noted the lack of concern for her own family but cared little. The two marched in silence as they drew close to camp. Four massive tents were erected around an even more enormous bonfire. At the bonfire sat Mishiro, patiently enjoying the warm flames as she watched a kettle hang near the fire. As they drew close, the kettle whistled shrilly. Leifazu stopped as Suzumebachi somewhat collapsed to her knees. Both ready to deliver their news to their leader.
"We have important and potentially dire news," Suzumebachi panted out. Clearly, even with their rest, she had yet to fully recover from her loss.
However, Mishiro ignored them both, quickly drawing her katana from her kneeling position and using it to lift her kettle from the flames. Her other hand drew a scroll, which unfurled and summoned a lovely small table, a nice metal tray with a cup of sugar cubes, and two more simple stools. Leifazu used to women's proclivities barely reacted, sitting automatically and waiting. Suzumebachi, perhaps exhausted and stunned by such, sat frozen until Leifazu lazily gestured for her to sit. She did so as Mishiro slowly unsealed a set of cups and poured one for each. She slowly and precisely dropped a couple of cubes into her saucer before offering it to the others. Leifazu, with a sweet tooth well known, gestured for about five. While Suzumebachi took them, they still needed clarification.
Mishiro shrugged at the woman before she set down the cup of cubes, grabbed her saucer, and took a deep sip of her tea. She then finally spoke.
"Update me, Leifazu."
"Well, I did as you asked, and while looking, I sensed a big chakra signature. When I arrived, it became clear what I sensed was our little friend here, barely conscious and about to be finished off by enemies." Leifazu started to explain. She stopped, however, to put a hand over Suzumebachi's mouth when she went to interrupt.
"Enemies? From who?" Mishiro asked with a raised brow.
"Aye. Apparently, the little miss head of the Kamizuru clan got defeated by a mere Leaf Genin." Leifazu said with a giant smile.
Suzumebachi pried off Leifazu's hand to interject. "That was no mere Genin! Those Leaf Hippies have always been strangely strong-" Suzumebachi was interrupted as Mishiro suddenly was behind her. She slammed Suzumebachi's head into the table to silence her.
"Leaf shinobi?!" She asked seriously, chakra and killing intent leaking from her. "Did you get a name?"
"R-rock Lee…" Suzumebachi said, barely audible with her face on the table.
"Indeed, it seems we have some unwelcome guests present for this mission. Genin rarely travels on their lonesome; I suppose he could've been unlucky, but…" Leifazu was interrupted as Suzumebachi forced her head up to speak clearly. "A shame it isn't one of our targets. Would've been enjoyable…"
"It seemed to me there must be more; the animals and boy seemed to be expecting an ally. At the very least, a Genin squad should be expected." Suzumebachi said.
"A Genin squad that holds Genin capable of besting Jounin? Combine that fact with an unknown Jounin sensei, and you have quite the troublesome quarry." Leifazu watched with open amusement as Mishiro hummed to herself and walked off in apparent thought. This allowed Suzumebachi to rise again, looking as nervous as she was furious.
"Where are you, siblings?" Mishiro demanded as she still seemed somewhat lost in thought.
"That's the strangest thing and partially why I thought they were dead. Members of the Kamizuru Clan can accurately track each other for miles. And the two would be smart enough to find us on their own. However, if there are mysterious shinobi afoot, I wouldn't be shocked if they met their match." Suzumebachi informed.
"Unlikely~!" Leifazu sang, more than a tad bit excited to get their secret in the open air.
Mishiro sighed at her subtle approach being ignored and turned to face the two. "Indeed, we have seals on all three of you. It doesn't allow us to track you, but it will notify us should one of you perish. This is a precaution my Love takes with all business deals. That being said, the two are certainly alive."
"When did you?!" Suzumebachi asked incensed.
"Boss likely did when he first met you." Leifazu casually answered. "Besides, even for Jounin, the wildlife around here can be quite the handful." Leifazu offered. "Perhaps they merely are camping out the night? Basic survival skills teach shinobi how to treat a night out in the wild like the hell it is. Better to camp out than move and navigate in pure darkness."
Mishiro hummed again as she grabbed her saucer and sipped her tea deeply as she turned back away. "We shall leave them be for now. If they die, they are much too useless to live anyway; of course, Suzumebachi-san, we will reimburse you in such a case. In the morning, we shall send Leifazu to seek those two out. Meanwhile, you and I, Suzumebachi-san, shall investigate nearby clans to see if we can find one fitting of the Kamizuru Clan."
Leifazu inwardly cackled as he and Suzumebachi nodded.
"Well, now that the two of you have updated me and received your future marching orders, perhaps it's time for me to offer my own information," Mishiro said with a more snotty tone as she sat back down with the two.
Leifazu quizzically looked around the camp. At the large and expensive tents erected and, from what he could see, somewhat furnished. The roaring fire was fitted with custom cooking utensils and tools, each hung near and, in some cases, over the fire. The large-scale barrier jutsu shielded them from outside threats, and the detection and suppression seals around them to counter espionage and alert them should attackers breach their defenses. Leifazu was confident she could do the same in a single afternoon, but to do so with enough time to brew tea and relax? She supposed it was why Ikam trusted the bitch so much.
"Leave it to a crazy bitch like yourself to find time to do all this and more. Lay it on me." Leifazu responded as Suzumebachi took the more reasonable silent approach.
However, Mishiro must've been in a fantastic mood. For she ignored Leifazu's crass insults and continued on with the resolve and unshakable demeanor of a soldier. "I while you two were wasting time. Found my Love's objective already; in fact, I've even erected my strongest barrier around it to ensure our control."
"Your fucking kidding me!" Leifazu bitterly complained. "I got babysitting duty while you adventured?!"
"What was that objective?" Suzumebachi asked curiously.
Leifazu smiled despite himself. "Ikam, our glorious leader, wanted us here originally for a singular reason. To secure his "hypothetical interworld core," a link between the world we all know and love and this strange, wild place. With control of it, Ikam believes we could disable all summoning, hoard the power for ourselves, and use the chakra-rich nature of this dimension for all sorts of projects."
"We, of course, will allow your clan to be the exception," Mishiro assured. "But yes, indeed, however, there was a small catch. Sealed off as it is, no one will be able to access it. In fact, summons and humans alike cannot travel between worlds unless we allow it or they break my barrier. I did so instead of attempting Ikam's plan because the guardians…"
"Guardians?" Suzumebachi asked, confused.
"Strange golems of stone and chakra. They seem to be patient protectors of the chakra core, and shockingly enough quite powerful…" Mishiro explained.
"Must've been to send an ice-cold bitch like yourself scurrying away," Leifazu said with some level of honesty.
"Once again, correct, their speed is considerable; they are nearly as quick as the average Jounin. Unsurprisingly, their strength seems monstrous, and they have access to a massive beam of raw chakra. Suzumebachi and I will test their limits tomorrow, after searching for clans, and retreat before it becomes dangerous. If we struggle, we will attempt as a group, surely the four of us will be more than able to do so." Mishiro finished her tea and placed her cup down. "Leifazu, take care of that for me; I am planning to rest for the night; surely, I will be needed tomorrow. Leifazu, you will be our night watch, Suzumebachi. I have captured several deer; slay and prepare them for us; once you've taken care of that, you may rest and recover."
"Those deer don't talk, do they…" Leifazu said with a queasy look. "I'd rather eat a terrified screaming human than a talking deer."
"What the f-" Suzumebachi began but flinched when Leifazu appeared mere inches from her face.
"I love animals, I suppose, but humans are nothing more than foul creatures…" Leifazu assured her before racing off towards the trees. Leifazu enjoyed the night watch; neither of these annoyances would bother her, and besides… she rarely slept… (5)
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Shino / Kurobachi's POV (Eastern Forest of Irminsul - Terra)
Shino nearly allowed a smile to grace his face as he faced a much more manageable match-up. The two of them had worked well together, and with their built-in counters, most of his jutsu had become a mere farce. But now that the seemingly weaker of the two was alone…
"It seems you, in particular, aren't much of a shinobi; without your brother to aid you, I believe you will be soon facing death. Why? Because I am superior to either of you, your hatred blinded you, and now I will make you face the consequences." Shino assured darkly. He felt an uncharacteristic rage fill him as a dark thought rose to the top of his mind. "Though I must admit your anti-Aburame technique and style is impressive… surely it comes from abundant experience…" He was lightly trying to bait him for information. For he expected this man and his brother were more than mere rivals of his clan…
Jibachi chuckled cruelly as he pointed a finger and prepared his lethal mandible hand. "Is that your way of asking whether we've killed Aburame? Honestly, it is a foolish question; in that war, we killed many ourselves. We may have lost, but we survivors have learned in their stead. However, I will redeem us again today when I kill you single-handedly!"
"Terribly mistaken," Shino said now behind the man. "Your Clan merely hates mine due to a war neither of them choose. A terrible mistake to hold onto your hatred instead of accepting your mistakes. A worse mistake to taunt me with the death of former family members. And the worst of all," Shino didn't get to finish as Jibachi spun in place and beheaded him.
"Rookie mistake ranting in battle like that!"
However, Jibachi's eyes widened as the headless Shino burst into insects. His wasp raced in as they began to slaughter them. However, with the amount found, their progress could have been faster. Jibachi roared in anger as he leaped back, feeling his chakra dip massively.
However, Shino had expected a quick reaction; his insect reacted as planned, wrapping around the retreating Jibachi and holding him in place for a mere instance before the wasp overwhelmed them. However, it was enough for Shino to smash into Jibachi violently. Before the man could recover, Shino swung heavy, wild punches as he climbed atop him. Jibachi, however, had the experience advantage and, even from the bottom, weaved and managed to raise an arm. Trusting his instincts, Shino gave up the mount and leaped back as Jibachi's raised arm elongated into a massive, sharp, and brutal mandible.
"I'll cut you in half, damned fool! I'll single-handedly exterminate you, Aburame pest! Wasp Style: Great Mandible Greatsword!" Jibachi roared angrily as he wielded the great blade, which was his arm, with some level of difficulty. The man screamed as he ran forward, swinging the massive blade with impressive speed and control. Each swing would've bisected or beheaded Shino. But the Aburame dodged each swing with ease. Tired of the pathetic display, Shino snuck in a kidney shot, dropping the man to his knees. Before he kicked him away brutally.
"That was the last time I'll show mercy," Shino promised. "You have lost, surrender, and you may live, continue, and I promise your death will be gruesome…"
'My insect managed to get a good bit of chakra from him, he's hurt, and panicked. This fight is mine.' Shino thought as he watched the man crawl to his feet.
"Stop with the bluffing brat; it won't save you!" Jibachi screamed as he began a desperate charge.
Shino did not bother with more words, slowly removing his singular glove from his left hand. Jibachi closed in and swung his blade wildly, Shino merely leaning out of the way and tapping the man's left arm, then leaping away.
"STOP RUNNING!" Jibachi roared.
"I'm not, in fact," Shino said as he calmly raised his now gloveless hand. "I suspect you'll know what this means. Just why I am as nonchalant as I am." Shino felt no satisfaction from the gasp of shock nor the look of fear the man showed once they observed his hand. Shino's hand seemed to be a writhing sea of purple, his skin fully covered by the odd substance. Well, he supposed they both knew what it indeed was.
"Y-your bluffing… you can't be…" Jibachi stammered. "It was an oddity even among the elites of Aburame! No way you're one of them! You can't be in control of them!"
"Check your arm before believing such." Shino offered Jibachi, the man doing so and screaming in shock as he released his jutsu and stared at his left hand, which was now slowly becoming similar to Shino's. "You were somewhat right; however, I cannot control them. My brother found a way to do this and left a note telling me to use it well. Because of his gift, I now wield them in my left hand. His request in return for such was simple. To protect the Aburame for him… I believe your death will further that goal."
Jibachi fell to his knees, fear and panic weakening his leg. Hell, just as likely, the toxic parasites themselves were already wreaking havoc on his body.
"It seems you know what they are. The rare and all too dangerous Rinkaichu is a nano-sized species of venomous beetles that feed upon any organic matter they encounter. At first, you don't even feel their bites, but soon, the venom and pain will become all you know. In mere minutes-" Shino lectured before suddenly Jibachi formed another blade and, in shock to Shino, slashed towards himself. With a scream of pain and a raised brow from Shino, the man removed the infected arm from the elbow down, likely sparing the rest of himself in the process.
Shino felt slightly disgusted but watched warily all the while as Jibachi, with his teeth and some wire, managed to slow the bleeding from his stump before he rose and pointed his last remaining bladed arm at Shino.
"That's what real combat is like. Now that I know your little trick, I'll avoid it and cut your damned head off!" Jibachi roared somewhat manically.
"Incorrect," Shino said somewhat sympathetically. He put back on his glove as he talked before raising his hands into a hand sign. "I used that method due to the relative painlessness of it. However, I set up another method as well… this should serve as a warning. Surrender before you die in agony."
"Fu-"
Shino did not bother to fully listen at that point. With a flex of chakra and a tiny amount of pity, Shino spoke his finishing move. "Parasitic Giant Insect: Bug Bite!"
Shino saw Jibachi flinch, likely having seen the technique before. "You bluff. You couldn't have; my wasps wouldn't allow it!"
"Only one managed to take root," Shino assured. "However, it will be more than enough." As he finished, Jibachi cried out shrilly and fell to his knees. He kept slamming his remaining arm against the ground as if trying to beat something within it. Shino looked away grimly as the following sounds came to his ears. That particular Kikaichu is gruesome; it prefers to burrow into the bodies of its prey. Growing instantly as they feast upon flesh and chakra, often…
Jibachi's scream became haunting as Shino turned his head back and watched as his forearm visibly swelled before bursting into a shower of meat and blood. A giant ball-sized Kikaichu attempted to continue feasting; however, Jibachi swung what remained of his arm and shook off the creature. Which scuttled away as the man's screams became sobbing.
Shino calmly walked forward, drawing a kunai and preparing to offer the man the mercy he did not deserve… (6)
Kurobachi's POV
Kurobachi glared at the small, ridiculous woman who stood in front of him. He knew he should rush for his brother; the accursed Aburame had nearly gotten the better of him. But he couldn't help but fixate on the woman before him. Her spitefulness and weakness reminded him of his eldest sister, a fact that made his blood boil.
Suzumebachi's status as leader of the Kamizuru Clan was a recent development. In fact, she had only earned the right by convincingly besting the previous leader in combat. Kurobachi had been that leader. The man had run the clan well for years, but the war had proven more costly than anyone had expected. Their numbers had been in the hundreds, but after the fierce battles with the Aburame Clan, they were left with a mere twenty active shinobi. Kurobachi had led fine, but those blasted fools had been lucky enough to wipe them out. But the clan had needed a scapegoat, and the head and general of military affairs made for quite the target. With his approval within the clan at a time low, Suzumebachi had returned to the clan after a year-long training journey. Immediately and publicly, his sister called him out and challenged him to a duel. (7)
That damned duel had proven to be his undoing. Kurobachi had been the strongest of the Kamizuru for years. But in a mere year, his eldest sister had surpassed him. The rare parasitic wasp style was one only female members had access to. Her conditioning on a level Kurobachi hadn't seen in the clan, with his support at an all-time low and his recent death by Suzumebachi. The clan decided to change leadership…
If Kurobachi was honest, he had grown to distaste most women. They seemed to simply always remind him of his hated sister. This mission had been the worst yet for him. The Kamizuru Clan had been contracted for a valuable mission. Their three best were chosen, and Kurobachi had lost to Suzumebachi, and only one could come close. He had seen an opportunity even more so upon spotting a member of the Aburame. But as he saw this woman dare stand in his way, his rage guided him in facing her.
Kurobachi couldn't afford nor survive attempting to harm his sister. But this little bitch…
"I will offer you no mercy, you pathetic bitch." Kurobachi spat. "You cannot beat me, and once I've crushed you, my brother and I will enjoy making the Aburame scream."
"I won't be needing your mercy, nor will you get to hurt Shino," Sakura argued as she squatted low and warily circled the large armor-plated man.
"Your attacks will not hurt me. Your body will not keep up. You will die; you are a mere woman, after all." Kurobachi coldly assured.
The woman didn't bother responding, instead whipping a kunai with impressive speed directly for his chest. Kurobachi didn't bother dodging, instead allowing it to bounce harmlessly off his scales. He did, however, notice a smile from the woman. Lazily glancing down, he saw an explosive tag.
With a boom, it went off; however, Kurobachi was not harmed by the force or flames. Instead, the man leaped through it, aiming for where the woman had been. Kurobachi smiled cruelly at her shocked face as she stumbled back. However, He offered no respite and sent her head first into a tree with a powerful left hook. With a burst of blood, she went through it-
Trusting his senses, the man formed a hand sign and calmly spoke, "Kai." Instantly, the world around him shattered. He stared at the unharmed tree and whipped around to see the woman mere inches away. She struck him with a palm strike to the chest and attempted to stab between two plates on his neck. However, Kurobachi was no amateur; ignoring the harmless attack and leaning his head so the blade bounced off his scales, he attempted to swat her out of the air. However, she managed to kick off his face and narrowly avoided the blow.
"Surely you can see it now." Kurobachi lectured as he stomped closer to the woman. "A weak, foolish woman like yourself stands no realistic chance against a shinobi like myself. Let me simply break your neck and end this."
Once again, however, the woman didn't answer; instead, once again thrusting her palm, this time for his knee. Kurobachi didn't acknowledge the pathetic attack; instead, he raised a hand to chop her body in two. However, as soon as her palm touched, he felt a spike of pain and momentarily dropped to his knees. The woman swiped with her hand as if it were a blade; it barely grazed him, yet Kurobachi roared in pain. It felt as if he had been slashed. Shocked and caught off guard, the man leaped back to regroup.
"The only thing I can see, bug boy, is exactly how I can beat you." Sakura taunted with a wink.
Kurobachi's mind and chakra exploded. The man had felt this feeling before. Hurt and shocked, reality as he knew it was broken, and all the while, a snide woman mocked him…
"Somehow, you hurt me…" Kurobachi growled.
"Don't act surprised!" She sniped back. "My first attack hurt you earlier, too. You played it off to try and fool me, but this woman managed to outsmart you!"
"Hilarious," Kurobachi growled angrily. "So you saw through that aye."
"My earlier attack was just me making sure of it. Once I touched during the stabbing attempt, I was certain. That my newly learned technique would be your undoing." The woman boasted.
"There's no wound, and I made no sig-"
"Actually, you left plenty. You flinched when I landed it and bragged about your armor, but the problem is I'm using the sharpest blade there is." She bragged smugly to him. "A chakra scalpel, one that can cut through your armor."
"What is your name?" Kurobachi asked his tone the calm before the storm.
She smiled mockingly at him. "Sakura Haruno Genin of the Leaf."
"Well, Sakura…" Kurobachi said darkly. I'll assure you I sent you to your home in pieces!"
The woman had managed to get the drop on him fine! But her attack had only worked because he hadn't known! He would tear her apart now. (8)
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Oh, good god! Brother! HELP ME!" A shrill and broken voice sounded out. Kurobachi spared a moment to look at others at the only fight. Only to be stunned to see his sibling armless and screaming pathetically as the Aburame moved to finish him.
'It may be best to retreat; I'm not at full strength, and without Jibachi and with this bitch in the mix, I can't be certain I won't be overwhelmed.' Kurobachi thought before spiking down a smoke bomb. 'Best to retrieve him and retreat… the same technique that started this fight will end it. Super Whizzing Missile!' Kurobachi thought as he zoomed through the smoke right before Shino could reach and kill him. Snagged Jibachi and zoomed away; in mere seconds, he was hundreds of feet away with his sobbing brother.
'This was a disaster… I hate to admit it, but returning to Suzumebachi and the others will be the best move. Two Super Whizzing Missiles take a ton out of me. Besides, these are no regular shinobi..' Kurobachi bitterly thought over it. He glanced down at his nearly passed-out brother. 'Losing to an Aburame so decidedly. You fool…'
Kurobachi thought she flew away with him, following his sense of where Suzumebachi was to regroup…
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