This one’s pretty short by my normal standards, but that should be a nice change of pace*_* lol Hope you enjoy
Here’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:
Chapter 098: Eastern Advancement
Across the scattered islets that made up the majority of the Land of Water’s landmass, the members of Fourth Division laid in wait for their scouts to return with reports on their enemy locations. As the weakest of their three opponents in terms of shinobi quality and quantity, it was decided to spend the majority of the Union’s efforts on squashing Unagi’s forces, a goal intended to hasten the duration of the war. Stationed on a small isle ahead of the remainder of Rounin and Mei’s forces, a small squadron of samurai awaited the return of two of their own, eagerly awaiting their reports. Within fifteen minutes, they returned in a sprint across the vast waters and walked up to their leader to give the news.
????: They’re twenty miles out, Captain. Set up on that large island due northeast.
????: We picked out four shinobi as having bandages around their necks. …They were each carrying their own unique weapon.
Sporting his trademark wicked grin, Airon stood up with his sword in hand, gazing off towards the island in question as he stepped forward.
Airon: Well, I’m sure our three defectors will wanna have a go at them theirselves, so we’ll just do our best to steer clear of them. …If by accident, we run into them later on…well, you can’t blame me for trying to fight the temptation.
He turned back around expecting his troops to join in his amusement, only to find silence and faces either blank or impeded by their helmets. Yet another disappointment Airon found quite unlike the war movies he drew inspiration from, he shrugged off the brief episode with a smug look before taking out a kunai and handing to the nearest samurai, garbed in blue armor and without a helmet.
Airon: Anyways, I’ll go on ahead and set up our ambush point on the other side of the island. Niyo, you hold onto this and keep the others in check until I’m back. (God, not one sense of humor out of the whole bunch. This was supposed to be fun.)
Niyo: Copy, Captain. (God, I wish he’d stop joking around so much. This is supposed to be a war.)
He darted across the water in the following second, making good time like only a member of his clan could. From afar, Niyo signaled to the primary regiment, whose lookout in turn signaled to Mei and Rounin.
Mei: They’ve made their move.
Rounin: (He nodded and held his hand up for the masses behind him to see.) Then it’s time to make ours. Start moving out.
Quickly and without question, their forces exited their islets and moved across the water, each garbed in attire of varying shades of blue as a means of hopeful camouflage. Surprisingly, it worked quite well against the majority of the enemy forces, but their more elite ninja knew the waters and their motions and colors all too well. Chief among those stationed on the island scouted by Airon’s forces was a young robed man, hardly a year older than Airon himself, and a slightly older woman with light-green hair which framed her face, peering off into the distance through her binoculars.
????: Ichigo, they’re on the move.
Ichigo: (He nodded as he stood there, arms crossed.) I felt them, Ruko. You and Saidai start setting up our cover. …Remind those traitors what village they hail from.
The girl nodded and stood up beside a tall brown-haired man who was older still, and the two formed several hand signs in unison, calling forth a thick fog from the surrounding water that hid the entire isle from view. Noting the tension amounting in the air, Ichigo turned to the young woman kneeling beside him, clothed in minimal white attire with her right eye hidden by her pale-blue hair. She rested one hand atop a giant mallet, while the other twirled the axe end of her signature weapon, the “bluntsword” Kabutowari.
Ichigo: Mikan, you try running off, I’ll see to it personally that you don’t leave this battlefield alive.
Mikan: (She scowled in his direction, clearly disappointed by these orders as shown by her ceaselessly tapping heel.) Grrr…fine.
Total silence followed Ichigo’s warning, during which every shinobi dawning a Mist Village headband scanned the thick mist for the slightest movement. With several miles between the Union forces and the island, the seconds soon carried on into minutes, until the faint ripples of thousands of fleeting footsteps across the ocean surface finally echoed across the shore. Ichigo raised his weapon in preparation, a sword equipped with a large scroll recognizable as the “blastsword” Shibuki.
Ichigo: Brace yourselves.
Those around him quickly drew their own weapons and held them at bay, meanwhile Mikan’s tapping and fidgeting grew faster and faster as the ripples in the distance grew louder and louder. So uncontrollable was her fervor that, when a silhouette finally appeared through the mist, she leapt into the air to greet it before Ichigo could stop her.
Mikan: I got him!
She raised her axe to hack the unknowing newcomer to pieces, only to find it stopped in mid-cut by a chakra-coated blade, a more than surprising feat considering Kabutowari’s notorious penetrability.
Mikan: Huh!?
Attached to the hand gripping the sword was a smiling Manako, Sharingan active as he stood on the shore with his feet planted firmly in the sand, seemingly undeterred by Mikan’s attempts to push down on his weapon with her own. With no end in sight, Mikan emitted a vicious grin and raised her mallet, intending to bring it down on her axe. Manako evaded the ploy not one second too soon through his mastery of Body Flicker, leaving Mikan stunned once again as he reappeared behind her, planting her on her side with a quick sweep of his leg and rendering her unconscious with a rather uncharacteristic kick to her face. The victory was immediately followed by a torrent of battle cries as more Union forces broke through the mist and met Ichigo’s regiment straight on, a rather bizarre rallier at the head of the pack.
Vito: Hnhn hnhn hnh HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I GOT ‘EM NOW!!! I’LL KILL ‘EM ALL!!! I’ll KILL ‘EM I’LL KILL ‘EM I’LL KILL ‘EM I’LL KILL ‘EM I’LL KILL HIM!!!
He ran straight through their frontline with a single kunai held out in front of him, the pure insanity of his actions leading all he came in contact with to leap out of his way, much to the shock of his own allies and the embarrassment of his teammates, who were already engaged in combat with their old comrades.
Izumi: Jeez, what a freak!
Kagetsu: (He shrugged as he leapt back to avoid a swipe of an enemy’s sword.) Ah, shut it, you ain’t that far off! Just be thrilled he’s gone for the time being!
As more armed opponents began closing in on him, Kagetsu smirked and unveiled the twinsword resting on his back.
Kagetsu: Hiramekarei Unleash!!
The weapon suddenly exploded with chakra as those within Kagetsu’s range quickly retreated back, wary of the sword’s legendary power. This proved a waste of time, though, as Kagetsu waved it in front of him with a powerful swipe, sending dozens of glowing bone-like crystals in their direction, impaling many and rending them immobile. When this task was completed, he took ahold of both of the weapon’s handles and, with a quick pull, separated it into two distinct blades before charging through their remaining forces and incapacitating any that came within his range. Similar success could be seen across the rest of the shore, though this action proved difficult as stated by the division commander.
Rounin: We seem to still have the advantage, but having this mist around isn’t doing us much good, either.
Mei: (She nodded in agreement as the flames emitting from her lips came to a halt.) We need to sift through their forces and find out who cast the jutsu. That should bring this battle to a very swift end.
Rounin: (He smiled as he assumed another battle-ready stance, his hand hovering over the hilt of his sword.) Well, we have just the right man for that.
In a flash, the samurai general was several yards away, his sword now held out in front of him as over a dozen enemy shinobi collapsed behind him. Just moments later, however, a large explosion echoed across the shore, originating from just behind the tree line. A small area that was once covered in tropical trees and grass was now reduced to smolders, along with the large number of Union shinobi that once stood on it. At its center was Ichigo, waving his sword to dispel the smoke emanating from the scroll attached to its back. This minor victory proved to be just the push many of his forces needed, as they quickly began driving the Union forces back towards the water.
Ichigo: Keep this up!! They’re not getting anywhere near our village!
Screams rang in his ears as his confidence reached its peak. They came from either side of him, and with his eyes having adjusted well to the mist in his years as a ninja, he quickly deduced their source.
Ichigo: What!? NO!!!
Scores of his forces now laid dead across the shore, done in by the squadron of samurai emerging from the inner island with an enraged Airon at the helm.
Airon: I said keep the casualties low!! These are still our allies when the war’s over!!
Ichigo: (He gritted his teeth as he spun around and held his sword up..) Rrrgh, come on!! Push them back!! Don’t let them get through so easily!!
With one large swipe, dozens of feet worth of parchment unraveled from the scroll, armed to the teeth with explosive tags intended to wipe out the samurai in one go. Before he even knew what was happening, though, Ichigo found himself looking down in shock as a majority of the unraveled parchment vanished suddenly before his eyes, closer inspection showing it had been cut clean from the rest of the scroll just moments earlier.
Ichigo: What the-
Airon: Cover your ears.
Before Ichigo had time to turn around, Airon warped away once again as a huge blast came roaring deep from within the trees, where Airon previously marked his drop-off location for the severed section of the scroll. He reappeared in the middle of the battlefield, quickly incapacitating a few foolhardy ninja with the audacity to attack him before clasping his hands together, magnifying the power of his telepathic jutsu to reach all the Union shinobi on the island.
Airon: (Ruko Sudachi and Saidai Kuwa. Find them and take them out to get rid of this mist.)
The response was not immediately noticeable, but everyone with notable power at their disposal quickly began the hunt for the specified shinobi as Manako appeared beside Airon via Body Flicker, his sword already out as Airon unsheathed his own.
Manako: That’s easier said than done, y’know. They are members of the Seven.
Airon: (He looked back at him with a smirk.) Yeah? Easier for most, maybe.
As both of them vanished from their spot on the shore to begin their own search, Ruko Sudachi quickly found herself overwhelmed by enemy shinobi bent on eliminating her. Unfazed by these odds, though, she displayed her sharp-toothed grin and unveiled her own signature weapon, the pronged “thunderswords” Kiba, which immediately began conducting electricity. Their unmatched sharpness rendered any incoming projectiles and weapons that followed futile, and within seconds, dozens of their wielders laid dead across the ground. Catching wind of this from afar, Mei quickly traversed the mist to find the source of the screams, looking in on horror as she saw yet another ninja being hoisted into the air with both swords lodged through his shoulders, falling to the ground moments later in pieces. Sensing her former leader’s presence a short distance away, Ruko clenched her swords and spun around in a fury.
Ruko: You filthy traitor!! You’ll pay for turning your back on the Mist Village!
She stood there stunned as the figure she pierced with her blades suddenly dissolved into water. She fell to the ground in the following seconds as a sharp pain ran across her back, brought on by the Boil technique emitting from Mei’s lips.
Ruko: AAARRGGHH!!!
Mei: (She looked down at her in despair as she ended her technique.) I’m sorry, dear. But, you seem to have your priorities mixed up.
She gazed down at Ruko’s unconscious body a moment longer as the shinobi who survived her onslaught briefly cheered her on, an enormous hole having been burned into the back of her fishnet armor and the layer of skin directly beneath it. Rounin appeared moments later, previously intent on providing reinforcements, showing surprise when a quick glance told him the kunoichi was not yet dead.
Rounin: You rendered her unconscious. Mizukage, this is a war we’re fighting. You can’t be so considerate.
Mei: (She looked at him in disappointment.) No, General. For me, this is a civil war. …I can’t take the lives of my own shinobi so easily.
Unable to pose a follow-up argument in good conscience, Rounin simply nodded in understanding before ordering their surrounding forces to scatter, only half of their current issue having been dealt with. Towards the opposite end of the shoreline, the other half in question made quick work of the enemy surrounding him, as well, the appetite of his own weapon proving a tremendous help in this regard. Their Sage Mode active, Airon and Manako witnessed this from afar, taking the opportunity to study his movements and identify his weapon.
Airon: (That’s Samehada, isn’t it? The living sword…Heh, that guy must be stronger than we thought.)
Manako: (We go front and back, then?)
Airon: (Is there any other way?)
After a brief game of rock-paper-scissors, Airon vanished and Manako charged forward with his sword, cutting off Saidai’s next attempt to kill one of his allies. As the young shinobi retreated, Saidai struggled to push Manako back, surprised by the boy’s superior strength. In the meantime, Samehada used the opportunity to absorb the chakra flowing through his blade, forcing Manako to replenish it and resulting in him “feeding” the sword even further. Though he eventually leapt back to end this loop, the sword seemed to follow him, forcing Saidai to pull back to prevent it from leaping out of his hands.
Saidai: Jeez, take it easy, will ya? (Samehada’s going crazy over here…this kid’s chakra must be ridiculously powerful…and appetizing.)
He grinned in satisfaction before holding the sword out in front of him, now intent on absorbing Manako’s chakra for himself. Unbeknownst to him, though, Airon had appeared several feet behind him just moments ago, and was now gathering chakra in his hand. When Saidai lifted Samehada over his head for his next attack, Airon “threw” the chakra in the blade’s open mouth, catching Saidai off guard and nearly dislocating his shoulder when Samehada refused to move with it, now focused on obtaining more of the chakra it had just tasted.
Saidai: TWO of them!?
Manako: Yeah!? What of it!?
Taking advantage of his lack of focus, Manako and Airon charged forward, performing a well-timed double lariat that knocked all the air from Saidai’s mouth and almost severed his spine, a consequence avoided only by restraint on both of their parts. As he fell to the ground crippled and unconscious, Samehada continued flailing about, seemingly attempting to move closer to Airon, much to his annoyance.
Airon: Ah, cool off!
With a swift kick, he sent the blade soaring through the air and disappearing into the mist, a move he quickly came to regret as screams of agony emerged from that same direction, implying the sword was still active. When they finally stopped cringing, the two glanced back down at Saidai, reflecting momentarily as they slowly started grinning from ear to ear.
Airon: I never thought this would be so easy.
Manako: Well, you did steal a quarter of their forces, remember?
Recalling the plan that saved the Mist refugees from sure annihilation, Airon smiled in amusement as the sounds of the ongoing battle carried on all around them. When they looked up, though, their smiles quickly disappeared as they found the mist still very much in play.
Manako: Something’s wrong. Ruko Sudachi is unconscious, too. I can sense her chakra fading from here.
Airon: (He closed his eyes and scanned the battlefield with his Sage Mode, opening them when he got a rough estimate of the how far the mist stretched.) I don’t think this is their technique anymore. …The scope is way bigger than it was earlier.
On the outskirts of the island, scattered across the ocean surface stood Ichigo’s newly arrived reinforcements, at the head of which stood Deba and Daragetsu. Still in the process of securing their technique, they held their hands together and continued molding their chakra, all the while their eyes remained shut as they reminisced on their last talk with their leader and mentor.
Deba and Daragetsu stood frozen in the middle of the destroyed refugee hideout, the latter turned away in fear as the former shut his eyes in hopes of minimizing the pain of the decapitation that was to come. To both their surprise, however, Unagi fell short on his resolve, stopping the blade when it was only inches from his red-clad subordinate’s neck. The swift gust of wind this produced tipped Deba off to this, and he opened his eyes as utter confusion washed over his mostly concealed face.
Deba: Lord Mizukage…
Without a word, Unagi set the giant weapon on his back once more and began walking away as Daragetsu skittered over beside his partner, equally confused by this chain of events.
Unagi: In return, Deba…
The two looked up to find the Mizukage glaring back at them, quickly recomposing themselves as they awaited his conditions.
Unagi: …I expect one thing from you and Daragetsu out on that battlefield…
The mist now encompassing its maximum range, the two assassins opened their eyes again and returned their hands to their sides. Taking a moment to peer into the fog splayed out in front of them, they took hold of their respective weapons and motioned the army behind them to follow, sharp-toothed grins slowly replacing their frowns as Unagi’s final request sifted through their minds.
Deba and Daragetsu: Genocide.
Unagi’s top two assassins are on the hunt!!!
The End
Here’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:
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Chapter 098: Eastern Advancement
Across the scattered islets that made up the majority of the Land of Water’s landmass, the members of Fourth Division laid in wait for their scouts to return with reports on their enemy locations. As the weakest of their three opponents in terms of shinobi quality and quantity, it was decided to spend the majority of the Union’s efforts on squashing Unagi’s forces, a goal intended to hasten the duration of the war. Stationed on a small isle ahead of the remainder of Rounin and Mei’s forces, a small squadron of samurai awaited the return of two of their own, eagerly awaiting their reports. Within fifteen minutes, they returned in a sprint across the vast waters and walked up to their leader to give the news.
????: They’re twenty miles out, Captain. Set up on that large island due northeast.
????: We picked out four shinobi as having bandages around their necks. …They were each carrying their own unique weapon.
Sporting his trademark wicked grin, Airon stood up with his sword in hand, gazing off towards the island in question as he stepped forward.
Airon: Well, I’m sure our three defectors will wanna have a go at them theirselves, so we’ll just do our best to steer clear of them. …If by accident, we run into them later on…well, you can’t blame me for trying to fight the temptation.
He turned back around expecting his troops to join in his amusement, only to find silence and faces either blank or impeded by their helmets. Yet another disappointment Airon found quite unlike the war movies he drew inspiration from, he shrugged off the brief episode with a smug look before taking out a kunai and handing to the nearest samurai, garbed in blue armor and without a helmet.
Airon: Anyways, I’ll go on ahead and set up our ambush point on the other side of the island. Niyo, you hold onto this and keep the others in check until I’m back. (God, not one sense of humor out of the whole bunch. This was supposed to be fun.)
Niyo: Copy, Captain. (God, I wish he’d stop joking around so much. This is supposed to be a war.)
He darted across the water in the following second, making good time like only a member of his clan could. From afar, Niyo signaled to the primary regiment, whose lookout in turn signaled to Mei and Rounin.
Mei: They’ve made their move.
Rounin: (He nodded and held his hand up for the masses behind him to see.) Then it’s time to make ours. Start moving out.
Quickly and without question, their forces exited their islets and moved across the water, each garbed in attire of varying shades of blue as a means of hopeful camouflage. Surprisingly, it worked quite well against the majority of the enemy forces, but their more elite ninja knew the waters and their motions and colors all too well. Chief among those stationed on the island scouted by Airon’s forces was a young robed man, hardly a year older than Airon himself, and a slightly older woman with light-green hair which framed her face, peering off into the distance through her binoculars.
????: Ichigo, they’re on the move.
Ichigo: (He nodded as he stood there, arms crossed.) I felt them, Ruko. You and Saidai start setting up our cover. …Remind those traitors what village they hail from.
The girl nodded and stood up beside a tall brown-haired man who was older still, and the two formed several hand signs in unison, calling forth a thick fog from the surrounding water that hid the entire isle from view. Noting the tension amounting in the air, Ichigo turned to the young woman kneeling beside him, clothed in minimal white attire with her right eye hidden by her pale-blue hair. She rested one hand atop a giant mallet, while the other twirled the axe end of her signature weapon, the “bluntsword” Kabutowari.
Ichigo: Mikan, you try running off, I’ll see to it personally that you don’t leave this battlefield alive.
Mikan: (She scowled in his direction, clearly disappointed by these orders as shown by her ceaselessly tapping heel.) Grrr…fine.
Total silence followed Ichigo’s warning, during which every shinobi dawning a Mist Village headband scanned the thick mist for the slightest movement. With several miles between the Union forces and the island, the seconds soon carried on into minutes, until the faint ripples of thousands of fleeting footsteps across the ocean surface finally echoed across the shore. Ichigo raised his weapon in preparation, a sword equipped with a large scroll recognizable as the “blastsword” Shibuki.
Ichigo: Brace yourselves.
Those around him quickly drew their own weapons and held them at bay, meanwhile Mikan’s tapping and fidgeting grew faster and faster as the ripples in the distance grew louder and louder. So uncontrollable was her fervor that, when a silhouette finally appeared through the mist, she leapt into the air to greet it before Ichigo could stop her.
Mikan: I got him!
She raised her axe to hack the unknowing newcomer to pieces, only to find it stopped in mid-cut by a chakra-coated blade, a more than surprising feat considering Kabutowari’s notorious penetrability.
Mikan: Huh!?
Attached to the hand gripping the sword was a smiling Manako, Sharingan active as he stood on the shore with his feet planted firmly in the sand, seemingly undeterred by Mikan’s attempts to push down on his weapon with her own. With no end in sight, Mikan emitted a vicious grin and raised her mallet, intending to bring it down on her axe. Manako evaded the ploy not one second too soon through his mastery of Body Flicker, leaving Mikan stunned once again as he reappeared behind her, planting her on her side with a quick sweep of his leg and rendering her unconscious with a rather uncharacteristic kick to her face. The victory was immediately followed by a torrent of battle cries as more Union forces broke through the mist and met Ichigo’s regiment straight on, a rather bizarre rallier at the head of the pack.
Vito: Hnhn hnhn hnh HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I GOT ‘EM NOW!!! I’LL KILL ‘EM ALL!!! I’ll KILL ‘EM I’LL KILL ‘EM I’LL KILL ‘EM I’LL KILL ‘EM I’LL KILL HIM!!!
He ran straight through their frontline with a single kunai held out in front of him, the pure insanity of his actions leading all he came in contact with to leap out of his way, much to the shock of his own allies and the embarrassment of his teammates, who were already engaged in combat with their old comrades.
Izumi: Jeez, what a freak!
Kagetsu: (He shrugged as he leapt back to avoid a swipe of an enemy’s sword.) Ah, shut it, you ain’t that far off! Just be thrilled he’s gone for the time being!
As more armed opponents began closing in on him, Kagetsu smirked and unveiled the twinsword resting on his back.
Kagetsu: Hiramekarei Unleash!!
The weapon suddenly exploded with chakra as those within Kagetsu’s range quickly retreated back, wary of the sword’s legendary power. This proved a waste of time, though, as Kagetsu waved it in front of him with a powerful swipe, sending dozens of glowing bone-like crystals in their direction, impaling many and rending them immobile. When this task was completed, he took ahold of both of the weapon’s handles and, with a quick pull, separated it into two distinct blades before charging through their remaining forces and incapacitating any that came within his range. Similar success could be seen across the rest of the shore, though this action proved difficult as stated by the division commander.
Rounin: We seem to still have the advantage, but having this mist around isn’t doing us much good, either.
Mei: (She nodded in agreement as the flames emitting from her lips came to a halt.) We need to sift through their forces and find out who cast the jutsu. That should bring this battle to a very swift end.
Rounin: (He smiled as he assumed another battle-ready stance, his hand hovering over the hilt of his sword.) Well, we have just the right man for that.
In a flash, the samurai general was several yards away, his sword now held out in front of him as over a dozen enemy shinobi collapsed behind him. Just moments later, however, a large explosion echoed across the shore, originating from just behind the tree line. A small area that was once covered in tropical trees and grass was now reduced to smolders, along with the large number of Union shinobi that once stood on it. At its center was Ichigo, waving his sword to dispel the smoke emanating from the scroll attached to its back. This minor victory proved to be just the push many of his forces needed, as they quickly began driving the Union forces back towards the water.
Ichigo: Keep this up!! They’re not getting anywhere near our village!
Screams rang in his ears as his confidence reached its peak. They came from either side of him, and with his eyes having adjusted well to the mist in his years as a ninja, he quickly deduced their source.
Ichigo: What!? NO!!!
Scores of his forces now laid dead across the shore, done in by the squadron of samurai emerging from the inner island with an enraged Airon at the helm.
Airon: I said keep the casualties low!! These are still our allies when the war’s over!!
Ichigo: (He gritted his teeth as he spun around and held his sword up..) Rrrgh, come on!! Push them back!! Don’t let them get through so easily!!
With one large swipe, dozens of feet worth of parchment unraveled from the scroll, armed to the teeth with explosive tags intended to wipe out the samurai in one go. Before he even knew what was happening, though, Ichigo found himself looking down in shock as a majority of the unraveled parchment vanished suddenly before his eyes, closer inspection showing it had been cut clean from the rest of the scroll just moments earlier.
Ichigo: What the-
Airon: Cover your ears.
Before Ichigo had time to turn around, Airon warped away once again as a huge blast came roaring deep from within the trees, where Airon previously marked his drop-off location for the severed section of the scroll. He reappeared in the middle of the battlefield, quickly incapacitating a few foolhardy ninja with the audacity to attack him before clasping his hands together, magnifying the power of his telepathic jutsu to reach all the Union shinobi on the island.
Airon: (Ruko Sudachi and Saidai Kuwa. Find them and take them out to get rid of this mist.)
The response was not immediately noticeable, but everyone with notable power at their disposal quickly began the hunt for the specified shinobi as Manako appeared beside Airon via Body Flicker, his sword already out as Airon unsheathed his own.
Manako: That’s easier said than done, y’know. They are members of the Seven.
Airon: (He looked back at him with a smirk.) Yeah? Easier for most, maybe.
As both of them vanished from their spot on the shore to begin their own search, Ruko Sudachi quickly found herself overwhelmed by enemy shinobi bent on eliminating her. Unfazed by these odds, though, she displayed her sharp-toothed grin and unveiled her own signature weapon, the pronged “thunderswords” Kiba, which immediately began conducting electricity. Their unmatched sharpness rendered any incoming projectiles and weapons that followed futile, and within seconds, dozens of their wielders laid dead across the ground. Catching wind of this from afar, Mei quickly traversed the mist to find the source of the screams, looking in on horror as she saw yet another ninja being hoisted into the air with both swords lodged through his shoulders, falling to the ground moments later in pieces. Sensing her former leader’s presence a short distance away, Ruko clenched her swords and spun around in a fury.
Ruko: You filthy traitor!! You’ll pay for turning your back on the Mist Village!
She stood there stunned as the figure she pierced with her blades suddenly dissolved into water. She fell to the ground in the following seconds as a sharp pain ran across her back, brought on by the Boil technique emitting from Mei’s lips.
Ruko: AAARRGGHH!!!
Mei: (She looked down at her in despair as she ended her technique.) I’m sorry, dear. But, you seem to have your priorities mixed up.
She gazed down at Ruko’s unconscious body a moment longer as the shinobi who survived her onslaught briefly cheered her on, an enormous hole having been burned into the back of her fishnet armor and the layer of skin directly beneath it. Rounin appeared moments later, previously intent on providing reinforcements, showing surprise when a quick glance told him the kunoichi was not yet dead.
Rounin: You rendered her unconscious. Mizukage, this is a war we’re fighting. You can’t be so considerate.
Mei: (She looked at him in disappointment.) No, General. For me, this is a civil war. …I can’t take the lives of my own shinobi so easily.
Unable to pose a follow-up argument in good conscience, Rounin simply nodded in understanding before ordering their surrounding forces to scatter, only half of their current issue having been dealt with. Towards the opposite end of the shoreline, the other half in question made quick work of the enemy surrounding him, as well, the appetite of his own weapon proving a tremendous help in this regard. Their Sage Mode active, Airon and Manako witnessed this from afar, taking the opportunity to study his movements and identify his weapon.
Airon: (That’s Samehada, isn’t it? The living sword…Heh, that guy must be stronger than we thought.)
Manako: (We go front and back, then?)
Airon: (Is there any other way?)
After a brief game of rock-paper-scissors, Airon vanished and Manako charged forward with his sword, cutting off Saidai’s next attempt to kill one of his allies. As the young shinobi retreated, Saidai struggled to push Manako back, surprised by the boy’s superior strength. In the meantime, Samehada used the opportunity to absorb the chakra flowing through his blade, forcing Manako to replenish it and resulting in him “feeding” the sword even further. Though he eventually leapt back to end this loop, the sword seemed to follow him, forcing Saidai to pull back to prevent it from leaping out of his hands.
Saidai: Jeez, take it easy, will ya? (Samehada’s going crazy over here…this kid’s chakra must be ridiculously powerful…and appetizing.)
He grinned in satisfaction before holding the sword out in front of him, now intent on absorbing Manako’s chakra for himself. Unbeknownst to him, though, Airon had appeared several feet behind him just moments ago, and was now gathering chakra in his hand. When Saidai lifted Samehada over his head for his next attack, Airon “threw” the chakra in the blade’s open mouth, catching Saidai off guard and nearly dislocating his shoulder when Samehada refused to move with it, now focused on obtaining more of the chakra it had just tasted.
Saidai: TWO of them!?
Manako: Yeah!? What of it!?
Taking advantage of his lack of focus, Manako and Airon charged forward, performing a well-timed double lariat that knocked all the air from Saidai’s mouth and almost severed his spine, a consequence avoided only by restraint on both of their parts. As he fell to the ground crippled and unconscious, Samehada continued flailing about, seemingly attempting to move closer to Airon, much to his annoyance.
Airon: Ah, cool off!
With a swift kick, he sent the blade soaring through the air and disappearing into the mist, a move he quickly came to regret as screams of agony emerged from that same direction, implying the sword was still active. When they finally stopped cringing, the two glanced back down at Saidai, reflecting momentarily as they slowly started grinning from ear to ear.
Airon: I never thought this would be so easy.
Manako: Well, you did steal a quarter of their forces, remember?
Recalling the plan that saved the Mist refugees from sure annihilation, Airon smiled in amusement as the sounds of the ongoing battle carried on all around them. When they looked up, though, their smiles quickly disappeared as they found the mist still very much in play.
Manako: Something’s wrong. Ruko Sudachi is unconscious, too. I can sense her chakra fading from here.
Airon: (He closed his eyes and scanned the battlefield with his Sage Mode, opening them when he got a rough estimate of the how far the mist stretched.) I don’t think this is their technique anymore. …The scope is way bigger than it was earlier.
On the outskirts of the island, scattered across the ocean surface stood Ichigo’s newly arrived reinforcements, at the head of which stood Deba and Daragetsu. Still in the process of securing their technique, they held their hands together and continued molding their chakra, all the while their eyes remained shut as they reminisced on their last talk with their leader and mentor.
– Nine Days Prior –
Deba and Daragetsu stood frozen in the middle of the destroyed refugee hideout, the latter turned away in fear as the former shut his eyes in hopes of minimizing the pain of the decapitation that was to come. To both their surprise, however, Unagi fell short on his resolve, stopping the blade when it was only inches from his red-clad subordinate’s neck. The swift gust of wind this produced tipped Deba off to this, and he opened his eyes as utter confusion washed over his mostly concealed face.
Deba: Lord Mizukage…
Without a word, Unagi set the giant weapon on his back once more and began walking away as Daragetsu skittered over beside his partner, equally confused by this chain of events.
Unagi: In return, Deba…
The two looked up to find the Mizukage glaring back at them, quickly recomposing themselves as they awaited his conditions.
Unagi: …I expect one thing from you and Daragetsu out on that battlefield…
– Present-Day –
The mist now encompassing its maximum range, the two assassins opened their eyes again and returned their hands to their sides. Taking a moment to peer into the fog splayed out in front of them, they took hold of their respective weapons and motioned the army behind them to follow, sharp-toothed grins slowly replacing their frowns as Unagi’s final request sifted through their minds.
Deba and Daragetsu: Genocide.
Unagi’s top two assassins are on the hunt!!!
The End
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