The Legend of Ryuzo Chapters 1 to 17

by Ryuzo Kiai

In the Land of Lightning, one boy grows up in a world of hatred and deception. He doesn't know who he can trust or not. To top things off, he has a power that is sought by the enemy.

This is my first Naruto Fanfic

Chapter 1: A Rush for Safety

Darkness and flames surrounded Aiula as she ran through the forest. She had to get away from the village. The Nine-tailed Fox was reeking havoc, the entire village would be destroyed. The Byakugan had to live on. Aiula Hyuuga ran through the forests of Kohana to the north. She had a plan, but she didn't know if it would work. As she ran, the number of flames around her started to slim, and darkness was all that engulfed her now. Without the aiding light, she summoned her chakra, and formed the needed hand-sign. "Byakugan," she muttered. Her sight enhanced greatly, seeing in all directions. She understood the geography well, but it was not the trees she worried. It was the Akatsuki. They were looking for more power, and the Nine-tailed Fox that they would want. If she ran into them, her cause would be lost.

She scoured the region for hours on end, constantly looking out for danger. By now she had taken to the trees. It was faster, and there was less danger among the trees.

"Even if the village were to survive the attack," thought Aiula, "the Hyuuga clan would not notice me gone. They will think I have died in the fight to protect the village. Either way, I will be able to live my own life, without the madness of my clan."

The morning sun started to rise, so that she could see more clearly. She was well into unknown territory, so she had to be even more weary of attackers. Once she made it to the Village hidden in the Clouds, she would at last be safe. Rather, she hoped she would be safe. She knew that the Cloud Village was after the secret of the Byakugan. Most of the enemies of the Leaf Village were. It was a matter of keeping her identity a secret. At least, until she met someone whom she could trust. She just didn't know when. She knew that she had to flee to an enemy village, for the Leaf Village's allies would recognize her at once.

Aiula never lightened her pace until the following night. She found a small cave among the hills, where she set up camp. She neglected fire for fear of someone discovering her. She would have to endure the cold night. She pulled off the pack which she bore, and opened it. She pulled out a smaller pack, and inside it rested several samples of food. She pulled out a rice cake and began eating it. It wasn't much, but it would have to suffice. She didn't know how long it would take to reach the village, so she had to spare her food for as long as possible. The night that lay before her was long and uncomfortable. She tried sleeping, but nightmares kept creeping into her mind. The next morning she set off, somehow even more tired than the night before. She knew she had to be somewhere near the edge of the Land of Fire. Yet she had yet to encounter scouts. She found it odd, but she didn't question her fortune. She wished not to jinx it.

Her journey commenced for 3 days. Each day the land grew more exotic than the previous. Creatures unknown screeched through the woods, making Aiula even more tense. She never let up on her Byakugan, so as to not be surprised by oncoming attackers. By midday on the 5th day of her journey, she came to a rest. Once again she pulled off her pack and retrieved a small portion of food. As she nibbled on her morsel, she let up on her Byakugan. She had scanned the surrounding forest, and didn't see any danger. She had to rest, and her chakra was on the brink of complete depletion. She would have to search for shelter and rest for awhile. Aiula packed up her things, and set off to find some shelter. Within the hour, she had found a small niche under some tree roots. She would have to make the most of it. She laid her pack against the roots of the tree, and laid down on the ground. It was not long until she had fallen asleep. This time, she did not dream of demons in the night. Instead, she dreamt of a small boy with long, silvery hair that seemed to flow in the wind like water. The young boy looked at the woman and laughed. It was not a cruel laugh, but an innocent, gentle laugh. The laugh of a child who had heard a funny joke. There was brightness in the child's eyes. The eyes of a Hyuuga member.

Aiula woke with a start. She lay completely still, her heart racing. It was night now, but there was something wrong. Something in the night had awaken her. Hardly daring to breathe, she gazed out of the tree roots, and found herself staring at the backs of four ninja. In front of the ninja sat a fire blazing with delight. The ninja were muttering amongst each other.

"…now that the Leaf Village is no longer being terrorized by the Nine-tailed Fox, they will be weak. Why isn't the Raikage declaring war on them?"

"Lord Raikage isn't a man of cruelty. He understands what it means to lose men at the hands of a monster. He shows compassion whenever it is necessary. You will one day learn that, Ibikimi. Don't doubt the man who runs our country. You will find that life will be miserable if you do."

"My apologies, Sensei."

"This talk of the Leaf Village being attacked is just thoughtless banter. I say the Leaf Village started that rumor so they wouldn't be attacked."

"Do not forget that we saw the very same Fox going by our village, Lin. You are a young female ninja who has yet to learn her potential. You should not let your opinions get the better of you. You will perish in combat if you do so."

"Hmph. My skills are all I need. I was the top in my class. Or have you forgotten that Sensei?"

The oldest of the ninja chuckled. "No, Lin. I haven't forgotten your combat skills. However they could be better."

"Iru Sensei, is it true that you defeated 100 men in less than a minute?"

"Who told you that, Kaiyu?"

"Ibikimi told me. Is it true?"

Aiula sat in silence, waiting for the answer. If the answer was yes, then she had no chance of escaping. Then again, it could be a child's tale to keep children interested in their Sensei. She didn't want to take the risk. The silence broke.

"We should get moving. I have a message for Lord Raikage, and it needs to reach him before the sun rises. Let's go."

Chapter 2: Danger Arrives! Aiula Reaches the Land of Lightning

When the Lightning Ninja left the camp, Aiula used her Byakugan to make sure they had truly left. Once she felt it safe, she crawled out from her tree. "They went west. That means I missed the Land of Lightning. Judging from the speed in which they left…" Aiula looked up at the moon, "and the position of the moon…I must be about 5 Kilometers from the Land of Lightning. I'll wait until sunrise, then I'll set out again. By the time I make it to village itself, it will be nightfall once again."

Aiula had a dreamless sleep, which she was thankful for. She woke the next morning, packed up her things, and set off once more. She traveled west, in the direction she saw the ninja from previous night take off in. She leapt into the tree branches, and set off west. She used the Byakugan as usual to look for would-be-assassins. Halfway through the day, when the sun was high over head, Aiula reached the first village in 6 days. "Would it be prudent to show myself in this village? It might be the Village hidden in the Clouds, but is it worth showing my face? Hmm…"

Aiula came to a conclusion fast, which is something she was rather good at. She entered the Eastern Gate of the Village. Before she could move 10 feet forward, a ninja walked out from his outpost.

"State your name and land of origin, miss," stated the ninja, not unkindly.

Aiula hesitated, then spoke, "I am Aiula…Aiula Haruno" She derived this name from a well respected family in the Leaf Village. "I'm from the Village hidden in the Mist. I'm looking for the Village hidden in the Clouds. Have I found the right place?"

The ninja looked at her suspiciously. His eyes gazed from her tattered sandals, then to her torn fighting gi, and finally to her unkempt silver hair. "You don't look like a Mist Ninja. Then again, there hasn't been a Mist Ninja this way in a long time. Even if you try anything, our ninja can handle a single woman. Yes, you have reached the right place. You may enter. Do you need a map of the village?"

"Yes, thank you." Aiula breathed in relief. The ninja handed her a map, which showed a detailed drawing of the village. She quickly found a hotel thanks to this piece of paper. She purchased a hotel with the money she had been saving. She also purchased some new clothes and a hot meal. She decided to stay the night at the hotel, then she would see the Raikage. She came to the conclusion the night before.

"Lord Raikage isn't a man of cruelty…"

That was Aiula's only hope. If he refused to help her, then he might let her go. That is, if she could reason with him. Then again, if she was wrong, then she would end up dying. "All well," she thought, "at least I will have died trying."

The next day, Aiula went to the largest tower in the village, which the map so conveniently pointed out. She knocked on the front gates. An elite ninja, probably a Jounin, immediately appeared in front of her.

"State your purpose," barked the ninja.

Aiula twitched. "I am Aiula Haruno of the Mist Village. I have come to see Lord Raikage. I have an important message for him. A message I carry up here," she pointed to her temple, "so I can't hand it to you."

The ninja narrowed his eyes. "I see. Well, if you try anything, you will die a horrible death. And it won't be by my hands. Lord Raikage is a powerful man. I warn you, he will show you no mercy."

"I understand. Thank you." Aiula smiled gently. The ninja returned it, then remembered his position. He made his hand-sign, and the door behind him opened. In a flash of light, the ninja vanished.
Aiula went inside, and the doors behind her shut behind her. There was no turning back. She went up several flights of stairs, reflecting on her luck so far. Then again, she was a very beautiful woman. She just hoped she didn't run into a female ninja. They're the hardest to trick, as they aren't seduced by beauty.

Aiula came to the top level, where only one door stood. She approached the door tentatively, shaking slightly. She raised her fist to knock on the door, but before she could knock, a voice came out to her.

"You may come in, Lady Hyuuga. I've been expecting you…"

Chapter 3: Raikage, Lord of the Land of Lightning

Aiula froze when she heard the man speak. She couldn't believe it. How did he know that she was making her way here? She stood in silence, daring her heart to beat too loud.

The Raikage's voice came through the sliding doors once more. "What are waiting for, Lady Hyuuga? I know you're standing out there. My guard just informed me. Please, come in."

Aiula slid the door open shakily. She peered hesitantly inside the room, which was circular, lined with bookcases from top to bottom. Lord Raikage was standing behind his desk with his back turned to her. He had one arm bent behind his back, the other in front of him, holding an open book. Apparently he had been reading it for quite some time, pacing around the room doing so. He wore the Kage hat, as all Kages throughout the land did. Aiula slid off her wooden sandals outside the door, and placed them out of the way. She stepped cautiously through the door, keeping her eyes on the man the entire time.

"So glad you could join me, Lady Hyuuga. I'm sure you have many questions for me. I will answer them the way I see fit. Remember, you're in my land now." The man's voice was not unkind. In fact, it was very soft, almost melodic. Aiula caught herself clinging to his words, wanting more to flow from his mouth. She mentally shook this off, and began to speak at last.

"How did you know I was coming? I didn't see any ninja around me on the way here. I would have seen them with my Byakugan. And your guards: How did they know I was coming as well? I thought I kept my identity well hidden." Aiula kept her gaze on the man still, waiting for him to make a move. He did. Lord Raikage turned at last to look at Aiula. She let slip a gasp almost audible enough for him to hear. She had never seen a more handsome man in her life.

Lord Raikage stood well past six feet tall, brood shouldered, with golden, medium length hair just visible under his visor. His face was smooth, without scars or hair. His eyes glowed with a magnificent shade of marigold. He wore a light yellow tunic with the symbol for lightning over his right breast. He carried himself as though he carried the burden of the world. He kept his jaw set as if he was about to sing the most beautiful song anyone has ever heard. His voice well matched the look.

"Whenever you were in the Eastern Woodlands, you encountered ninja, did you not?" Aiula nodded. "Well, when you were asleep under the Old Oak, those ninja spotted your knapsack strap hanging out of the roots. They looked under the tree and found you. They decided not to attack, for you were no threat to them. After all, it was four ninja against one. However, they did come to me with this story, and described your appearance to me. Long, flowing silver hair. Hands that looked as if they had never picked up a shovel. I thought to myself, 'Where have I heard that description before?' Then I realized, only a select few of the Hyuuga clan had long, silver hair with soft hands as though they never worked in their life.

"Then something interesting happened. You came to the Village hidden in the Clouds. My East Gate guard came to me saying that a woman with long silver hair was hesitant in giving her name. He said that she called herself 'Aiula Haruno'. I figured you had lied about your name to safely roam the village. Then you came to my tower. My Front Gate guard alerted me as well, with the same description. And that is how I knew you were outside my door, Lady Hyuuga, or should I call you Aiula?" He gazed into her eyes curiously, as of a child's.

"I am Aiula Hyuuga, from the Village hidden in the Leaves. I have fled my village that was being ravaged by the Nine-tailed Fox. However, I had been planning my escape for some time." Lord Raikage raised his eyebrows. "I wished to flee a clan that was wrought with pain and suffering. A clan that had stripped it's Lower Branch of all it's powers, and made them their servants. I couldn't bear it anymore. I had to get away. I came here hoping that no one would recognize me. I guess I miscalculated."

Lord Raikage smiled gently. "So you have. Luckily, I am a man who does not easily sway to violence. Had I been that man, you would have long been dead. I would have ordered my ninja to kill you the moment they next saw you." Aiula shuddered, she couldn't help it. "However, I figured that you came here alone for a reason, and I wanted to find out. Luckily, you came to me. Now that I know that your intentions do not seek my death, I may be…" Lord Raikage's voice trailed off. Someone had knocked on the door. "Come in," he said delicately. Apparently he was agitated that he was interrupted.

The doors slid open once more, and a ninja stepped in.

"Lord Raikage, I have heard the news. I do not think that a member of an enemy village should dwell here. It's not right. For all you know, she could be a spy!" This particular ninja seemed angry that Aiula had came into the village unhurt.

"Iru, you know as well as I do, that if this woman wanted to hurt any ninja from this village, she would have done so that night. She fled from her village in search of hope, not war."

Aiula realized now that this ninja had been the same Iru Sensei she had seen the previous night. So this was the man that had ratted her out.

"I don't trust her, Lord Raikage. I think she should be tried, right here, right now." Without warning, Iru pulled out a kunai and slung it at Aiula. Aiula, who had been waiting for something like this, leapt cat-like out of the way, and summoned her Byakugan. After doing so, she lunged at him with speed and grace beyond measure. She struck ferociously with her forefingers at Iru's chakra points that she could easily see.

Iru deftly moved from side to side, avoiding her deadly fingertips. After he had dodged well over twenty strikes, he leapt back and made several hand signs too quick for Aiula to see.

"Lightning Style, Lightning Current Jutsu!" Iru placed his Index finger, his middle finger, and his thumb on the ground. Immediately, Aiula felt a surge of pain course through her body. She screamed in agony. Iru, seeing this moment of struggle, lunged at her, making more hand signs.

"Lightning Style, Lightning Palms Jutsu!" His hands glowed with electricity as he struck again at Aiula's chest. Aiula quickly recovered from her pain, and moved easily to the right. After she had done so, she grabbed his forearm, and struck the closest chakra point to her. Her strike was true. Through her Byakugan eyes, she could see the flow of chakra to his hands fade. As his chakra faded, so did his Lightning Palms. Not easily deterred, Iru struck at her with a roundhouse kick. This attack nailed Aiula full in her ribs, causing her to lose her breath. She went down to her knees.

"That's enough." Lord Raikage spoke just as Iru was about land a powerful kick in Aiula's mouth. "I think she has shown her reverence. Had she been unwilling to fight, she would have said otherwise. You forget, Iru, you are a Jounin, an elite. You could easily overtake Genin and Chuunin." Iru narrowed his eyes at Lord Raikage, lowering his leg.

"Very well. I guess you can hold your own. You haven't heard the last from me, Lady Hyuuga." Iru scowled as he walked off, nursing his lament hand.

Aiula gasped for air, but it would not come. She finally gave into the darkness that was shrouding her vision.

Chapter 4: Celebration! A Baby is to be Born!

Several months had past since Aiula became a member of the Cloud Village. She was welcomed with open arms, under the command of Lord Raikage. Unbeknownst to the villagers, Lord Raikage and Aiula had been courting secretively. Aiula, who had been getting sick the past few weeks, and has missed her period, had realized that she was pregnant. She confided in Lord Raikage the same day she found out…

"How do you think the villagers will take this, my Lord?" Aiula was on the brink of a nervous breakdown. She had never been pregnant before, and to be pregnant with the Raikage's baby made things worst. The villagers would hate her for this for sure.

"You are over reacting, Aiula. I have unchallenged control on this village. I will talk to the people. They will understand what I have to say. You have nothing to worry about. We'll get through this." Lord Raikage smiled gently. Aiula returned the smile hesitantly. Her smile turned into a laugh, which stopped instantly. Her ribs still ached her from the day Iru had heavy kicked her in her side. She had a feeling her ribs had broken that day. The Cloud Village's top healers had worked on her, but her ribs had never been the same.

"I suppose you're right, my Lord. What about our relationship? Will this come out into the open?" Aiula had fallen in love with Lord Raikage over the months, and she was looking for a wedding sometime soon. However, the villagers would not appreciate this at all.

"I guess we'll have your wedding after all. Who'd have thought I would be betrothed to a Hyuuga?" He chuckled lightly. "Our child might have some interesting Jutsu to use. I guess we'll have to wait and see. Our child will become a great ninja one day."

Aiula smiled. She knew that her child would one day become Raikage of this village. She just wondered what kind of Jutsu the child would inherit. She didn't dwell on it very long. Her lover noticed her querying look, and comforted her at once.

"Our child will live in this village, and they will be loved. I promise you."

The news about the oncoming wedding excited the village. Lord Raikage was known to be a man of common courting, but to be having a child with a powerful Kunoichi with an amazing Kekkegenkai. The preparations took 4 days to finish, and the wedding was exuberant. Aiula had never been happier in her life…Until Iru came to visit their wedding night…

There was a loud banging on the sliding door of the Raikage home. Lord Raikage cursed as he went to the door, peering out of the window.

"Who the devil would be knocking on my door so late…Oh, it's Iru. He must have something on one of missions." Lord Raikage opened the door, and Iru stepped in looking extremely disgruntled.

"How dare you marry that wench. Fraternizing with the enemy! And I thought you could sink no lower…" Iru was livid. The only time Aiula had seen him this angry was the day she had first arrived.

"I understand why you feel like this, Iru. But your feelings are misplaced. Aiula is no longer a member of the Leaf Village. You need to see this." Lord Raikage was fighting the inevitable. He knew that this visit end a fight. He just hoped he didn't have to kill Iru.

"Shut up, you insolent fool. I will no longer listen to you. I no longer pledge loyalty to a corrupted Kage. You disgust me." Lightning surged around Iru's hands, as if he was ready to strike the man standing before him. However, the Raikage did not flinch.

"Very well, if you wish to leave this village, then do so. I will not stop you. However, I will not fight you, my young student. I trained you differently than this."

Iru narrowed his eyes, then the approach of Aiula caught his attention. In an instant, Iru was already past the Raikage, his eyes lusting for blood.

"DIE, WENCH!" Before Iru had gotten half way to Aiula, three Lord Raikages had formed in front of him. Each used the Lightning Palms Jutsu, and each strike landed on Iru's chest. The shock of the attacks sent him reeling through the wooden door. Although Iru had taken three direct hits from Lightning Palms Jutsu, he was able to move. He had been trained to resist lightning attacks. Iru got to his feet slowly, breathing heavily. The Raikage's Lightning Clones disappeared, and the original was standing in front of Iru. Lord Raikage pulled out a Kunai knife, and cut a gash in Iru's headband.

"You are no longer a member of this village. Get out of my sight, before I decide to kill you for an assassination attempt on my wife. Now go."

Chapter 5: Iru's Revenge

A lone ninja scoured throughout the tree branches, making sure he didn't make any noise in case he was being followed. It was near midnight, and he still had a long way to travel. Iru Tenachi, former Lightning Ninja, made his way through the Western Wood. He had sent his squad on a B-ranked mission, and he had to assemble them. He knew what he had to do.

As Aiula woke up from a restless night, she slipped into her morning gown. She went into the kitchen to cook her morning bacon and eggs. As the grease sizzled and crackled, she gazed out the window. It was mid-fall, and the golden brown leaves fell from the trees, leaving a crunchy trail for the children of the village to walk on. The wind blew lazily, making it a great day to do anything. She decided to spar with her husband after breakfast.

Aiula took the bacon off the stove, and walked past the window once again. However, she noticed something amiss. She peered out the window, looking through the trees. Her eyes widened in fear, and she ducked under the counter. At that precise moment, a rain of Kunai knives sailed through the window exactly where her head had been. She leapt into the air, throwing her own Kunai through the window. Thanks to her Byakugan, she had seen where her attackers had been. She lost track of the Kunai as they went through the trees. She quickly scanned the yard for her assailants. She couldn't see them anywhere, even with her Byakugan.

A loud bang suddenly came through the house. Aiula turned around to notice that the northern part of the house had been demolished. Through the dust and smoke, she saw four figures standing in neutral stance. The biggest of the four stepped forward, and came out of the dust. Aiula wasn't surprised to see Iru walking toward her.

"Iru, you always were to bold type. I see you've come for another beating. I guess this is your squad?" Aiula looked at the children she had seen the night she first laid eyes on Lightning Ninja.

"Yes, this is the squad that will destroy you. Too bad your husband isn't here to see his loving wife and his child die at the hands of the person he trusted most. He was a fool for marrying you. I'll correct that mistake. Ibikimi, Lin, Kaiyu, show her what it's like to fight Lightning Ninja!"

The three younger ninja quickly spread out, making countless hand-signs.

"Lightning Style, Lightning Wave Jutsu!"

"Wind Style, Razor Wind Jutsu!"

"Ninja Art, Lightning Shuriken Jutsu!"

A wave of attacks sped towards Aiula as she calmly watched the entourage commence. Once she understood the types of attacks coming at her, she quickly chose a Jutsu that would protect her.

"Eight Tri-grams, Rotation!"

Aiula spun around and around, emitting chakra through several points in her body, causing a shell to form around her. This shell caused the three attacks to bounce back towards the three attackers. Ibikimi was the slowest to react. His Lightning Shuriken hit him full in his body, sending electrical currents throughout his body. Kaiyu and Lin dodged their attacks, but barely. Iru, seeing his squad member fall, sent out his own Lightning Shuriken at Aiula, which she dodged easily. Using her Byakugan, she ran towards the girl of the squad, locating the major chakra points closest to her. Striking with precision and speed, she struck these chakra points. Lin, who had been dumbfounded by the power of this woman, did nothing to protect herself. Her chakra points were sealed off, so that now two of the four attackers were disabled. Kaiyu had been making hand-signs in the background.

"Ninja Art, Lightning Clone Jutsu!"

Two more Kaiyus appeared in front of Aiula, who had just turned to Kaiyu. She threw two Kunai at the clones, striking them square in the chest. A burst of lightning shout ds Aiula, causing her to use Rotation. Iru had been waiting for this moment. Once Aiula stopped her Rotation, Iru threw three of his knives at Aiula. She had been unaware of this attack, and unable to protect herself, took a knife in her stomach and a knife in her leg. Grunting in pain, Aiula froze, looking at Iru. Gathering what strength she had left, she pulled out the two knives, and went into her fighting stance. Mustering what chakra she had left, she used her deadliest technique.

"Eight Tri-grams, 64 Palms Jutsu!" She sped towards Iru as fast as she could. "Eight Tri-grams, Two Palms!" She struck two chakra points with great intensity. "Four Palms!" She struck two more points. "Eight Palms!" She struck four points this time. "Sixteen Palms!" She struck eight points. "Thirty-two Palms!" Sixteen points were struck. "Sixty-four Palms!" With what strength and speed she could muster, she struck the remaining thirty-two chakra points left open in Iru's body. Iru, who had been too stunned that Aiula could move, had taken all sixty-four strikes unprotected. All the chakra that Iru had was completely blocked. He went down.

Kaiyu, who had been watching this feat, gathered his courage and threw one final Kunai. Somehow, Aiula had her back turned toward him, so that her one and only blind spot was facing him. This particular Kunai had somehow found its way through that blind spot, striking Aiula square in the back. Grunting once more, she fell to the floor face first. With the last few breathes she could draw, she silently cursed Lord Raikage for not being here. Within five minutes, Aiula, member of the Hyuuga clan, had been slain by three Genin and one Jounin from the Village hidden in the Clouds.

Now that Aiula was dead, Kaiyu walked over to his Sensei. Iru, who had fallen to the ground, looked up at Kaiyu smiling. He spoke in a strained voice, as if in great pain.

"You did well, Kaiyu. I'm proud of you. That witch blocked my chakra points, so I'm not going anywhere soon. I want you to find the baby, and kill it. Do you understand?" Kaiyu nodded, shaken. He had never been asked to kill a baby before. "Good. Once you've done that, take Lin and Ibikimi away from here and tend to their wounds. Now go."

Kaiyu walked throughout the house, looking for the baby. He opened the sliding doors at the far end of the house, and found the baby's crib inside. He wondered why he hadn't heard the baby's crying before, because now it was extremely annoying. He figured that Aiula must have set up a Silence Jutsu around the room. He walked cautiously towards the crib, pulling out the last Kunai he had in his pouch. Raising his knife in the air, Kaiyu prepared to strike the infant.

Suddenly, a loud crash came from the other end of the room. Kaiyu turned in time see a flash of movement, until he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Lord Raikage had smashed his way through the house, unsheathed his Murasame Blade, and stabbed Kaiyu through the chest. He pulled out his katana, only to stick Kaiyu again. Kaiyu, who was paralyzed in pain, coughed up blood the second time he was stabbed. He hit the floor hard, where lay there, dead. Lord Raikage picked up the infant after sheathing his katana. He walked to entrance of the house, where stepped over Iru's cadaver, and made his way through the gaping hole in the wall. His son, whom he had named Ryuzo Kiai, was still crying his lungs out. A pang of guilt shot through the Raikage as he realized that Ryuzo would have to live without a mother in this cruel world.

Chapter 6: Training Begins! Byakugan is Tested.

Ryuzo quickly got dressed, nearly putting his training boots on the wrong feet. It had been several years since his mother had died when he was a baby. He was now getting ready to meet with his new Sensei. He was anxious. Not about meeting his new Sensei, but the test that was to come.

Ryuzo went into the kitchen, where his father was eating his breakfast. Lord Raikage looked up at his son.

"You look good in that headband. Don't worry about anything. You'll do fine. After all, you are a Shinobi from the Land of Lightning." Ryuzo smiled half-heartedly. He knew that he was top in his class, but that didn't make the butterflies in his stomach go away.

"I wish mom were here to see me. It would make things better." The Raikage looked down at his food with the same pang of guilt he felt eleven years ago. He didn't say anything, trying to avoid his son's watchful gaze. Ryuzo silently got himself some breakfast, then went into his room. He pulled on his left hand glove, which he always wore in sparring. He buckled his katana on his back, which his father had given him once he became a Genin.

"Murasame," he called it. "The sword of a Kenjutsu master. Bear it well." Ryuzo had been trained in the art of Kenjutsu and Ninjutsu. He also had his mother's Kekkegenkai, the Byakugan. He hoped it would help him today. He had never been in full-out combat, so he didn't know how well it would work.

Ryuzo left the house ten minutes later, heading towards the south garden where he was told to go. His two teammates, Izuchi and Izumi, would be waiting for him there. He ran through the village as fast he could. If he was late, he knew that his new Sensei would be greatly displeased.

Izuchi and Izumi were waiting for him once Ryuzo made it to the south garden. Izuchi and Izumi were fraternal twins, both around the age of twelve. Izuchi was said to become a great medical ninja, as he knew the human body extremely well. He knew how to heal minor wounds, which was helpful. Izumi, however, was great on making illusions. Her Genjutsu was at the highest level the academy had ever seen. The three together were an amazing team, each with their own abilities.

"Hey, Ryuzo. I see you brought your Murasame. You think it's going to help in the test?" Izumi had spotted Ryuzo first, and she had ran up to greet him. Ryuzo had a suspicion that Izumi had liked him since they first met. He had never spoken this before, as he had no time for a girlfriend.

"Yeah, I figured that it wouldn't hurt. Well, not me anyway. So has our new Sensei came yet?" Izumi shook her head. As soon as Ryuzo had said the word "Sensei", a lone figure appeared behind Izuchi, startling him. This figure stood at about 6' 5", with long brown hair covering half of his face. He looked at the group almost as if he didn't want to be there. He spoke with a dull voice that seemed to fade out before it reached the three ninja.

"I see you've made it in time. Sorry I was a little late, I had some errands I had to run. Shall we introduce ourselves to each other? I'll go first. My name is Tzikami Iridochi, Jounin of the Cloud Village. You," he pointed at Izuchi, "what's your name? What's your fighting style?"

"My name is Izuchi Sishomi. I am a warrior of Ninjutsu and medical talents. I plan on being the best medical ninja there is!" Izuchi looked extremely happy to have been picked first. Tzikami nodded in acknowledgement.

"Good, and you, young miss?"

"My name is Izumi Sishomi. I am a Kunoichi with superb Genjutsu abilities. I can make grown men cry from their worst fears." Tzikami nodded once again. He turned to Ryuzo.
"As for you, young swordsman?"

"My name is Ryuzo Kiai, son of Lord Raikage, with a Kekkegenkai passed down from my mother's side of the family. My Byakugan is my weapon of choice, along with my katana, the Murasame blade." Ryuzo felt better after saying all this. For some reason he felt nervous beforehand. Tzikami nodded for a third time, as if he wasn't paying attention.

"I see. Interesting indeed. Well, as you all know, I have requested that your instructor to tell you that I have set up an exam. This exam will test your ability in combat, and how well your teamwork is. If any of you can touch me by sunset, I will request that you take the Chuunin exams this year. Now…you may begin."

The three Genin looked at each other in bewilderment. This was the weirdest test they had ever heard of. Without saying a word to each other, they ran at Tzikami as fast they could.

Chapter 7: Impossible! Tzikami's Analysis!

Izumi was the first to reach Tzikami. She struck rapidly at him, using her bare hands. However, Tzikami was able to dodge each attack with ease. Izuchi and Ryuzo reached Tzikami at the same time, adding on to the number of attacks. Izumi fell back, making hand signs.

"Lightning Clone Jutsu!" Five new Izumis appeared in thin air, giving the three ninja an advantage. Tzikami, seeing the oncoming attacks, jumped back out of the way. He made several hand signs.

"Wind-lash Jutsu!" Razor-like wind came directly at the ninja and the five clones. The real Izumi, Izuchi, and Ryuzo leapt out of the way. The clones took the full blow, causing them to explode, shooting lightning waves at Tzikami. In a blink of an eye, Tzikami vanished, and the lightning hit nothing but air. Ryuzo summoned his Byakugan. Without turning his head, he saw the entire battlefield.

"There!" He spun around and threw three kunai into the trees. Tzikami flew out of the trees above the three ninja. Izuchi jumped up into the air trying to kick Tzikami, who easily kicked him out of the way. He landed on his feet, and turned to the ninja.

"Is that all you got?" Tzikami looked around. "Wait a second…where's…" Tzikami reacted too slow. Izumi came up behind him, making hand signs.

"Lightning Style! Paralyzing Jutsu!" She tried to place her hand on his spinal cord. Tzikami, just now realizing she was behind him, spun around and smacked her hand. Unfortunately, he was able to move faster than she could.

"What the…I see. She snuck up behind me while the other two were attacking me full force. This is one powerful team. And this Ryuzo kid, he can see behind him." He looked at the two ninja in front of him, Izumi and Izuchi. "Wait a second, where is he?" He spun around, only to find Ryuzo in front of him.

"Eight Tri-grams! 64 Palms!" Ryuzo struck. "Eight Tri-grams, Two Palms!" Tzikami was too slow. Stunned from the previous attack, he took the blow full-force. Ryuzo struck again. "Four Palms!" He knew he had Tzikami right where he wanted him. He attacked the rest of the chakra points in Tzikami. "Eight Palms!…Sixteen Palms!…Thirty-two Palms!…Sixty-Four Palms!" Ryuzo backed off from Tzikami, smiling. "You're through. You were no match for me."

All of a sudden, Tzikami exploded. Three lightning bolts shout out instead, striking Ryuzo, Izuchi, and Izumi square in the chests. The were sent into the ground from the force. "WHAT THE?!" Ryuzo was unable to move. He was paralyzed from the neck down. Above him, he could hear laughter.

"Did you honestly think I would just stand there and take a hit like that? And you two," Tzikami walked over to Izuchi and Izumi. "You fell back seeing your teammate doing all the work. You should have made sure he had the right opponent, and not just a trick."

Ryuzo couldn't stand it anymore. He summoned all of his strength, forcing his legs to move. Once he regained control of his body, he lunged at Tzikami. Using his Byakugan and his Soft Palm style, he struck continuously at Tzikami's chakra points and organs. However, not a single blow landed. With inhuman speed, Tzikami became a blur as Ryuzo kept striking.

This ensued for over five minutes before Ryuzo fell back, breathing heavily. "Why can't I hit you?" He gasped. "You're insane…not a single blow landed. How can you move that fast?" Tzikami smiled, his hair still over half of his face.

"I am a Jounin, Ryuzo Kiai. I doubt a starter Genin like you could ever touch me."

"I see, so you made us a bogus bet knowing we wouldn't be able to touch you. Deception…yeah, you deceived us to do our best so you can analyze our strengths and weaknesses." Ryuzo grinned at his own analysis. Tzikami raised his eyebrows.

"Impressive. You can perceive a situation and figure out the course of action. Only problem is, can you act in time? That is a…" Tzikami's voice broke off. Ryuzo new exactly why. While the two were talking, Izuchi had gotten control of his body. He had placed his hand on Tzikami's back without making a sound. Tzikami turned around, smiling.

"Very impressive, Izuchi Sishomi. You were able to regain control of your body and move behind the enemy without a sound. And Ryuzo," he turned and looked at Ryuzo. "You were able to keep me talking while your teammate made his move. However, Izumi was unable to touch me." He walked over to her as she lay on the ground. She continuously looked up him without moving. "I have to commend you for trying, though. You were…" Again, his voice broke off. At that moment, Izumi exploded, and a lightning bolt struck Tzikami full in the chest.

"IMPOSSIBLE!!" Tzikami was blasted ten feet in the air. When he landed, he was fifty feet from the place where he was struck. "How could she have done that?! I didn't hear anything behind me!" Tzikami appeared out of nowhere.

"Did you honestly think I would just stand there and take a hit like that?" She walked over to him. "It looks like we're going to the Chuunin exams." She smiled down at him. He lay there for a moment, before smiling back.

"So you are…so you are…impressive indeed…"

Chapter 8: Assassination! The Summoning Jutsu is Born!

Lord Raikage stepped out of his house and into the moonlight. He slid shut the doors behind him, and walked out into the yard, where his son used to play. He closed his eyes to reminisce the days before his only child went to the academy. He wondered if he had taught Ryuzo everything he needed to know. He had mastered the Byakugan by himself, and with the Lightning Palms Jutsu…

The Raikage opened his eyes, as he heard a noise behind him. He looked around to find the source. All of a sudden, the ground started to shake. He looked down, and just in time. A rock pillar came crashing from underneath, and the Raikage jumped back. The tip of the pillar would have nailed him right in the face. Now that the Raikage was fully alert, he sent Lightning Shuriken throughout the woods.

"Show yourself, Earth Ninja!" He twisted left to right, trying to locate his assailers. From behind, another pillar of rock came up through the ground and hit the Raikage square in the back. Grunting, the Raikage was pushed forward, but he didn't go very far. Another pillar tunneled out of the ground and hit him in the chest this time, pinning him between the two. Out from the woods came three ninja, wearing the Earth Village headbands.

"Well well, look at what we caught." The tallest of the three ninja stepped forward. He had short, dark brown hair that was spiked, and he had to be at least 6'5". He was heavily built with the body of a ninja specializing in the art of Taijutsu. "A babbling old fool."

"Oh shut up and kill him already, Kiatsu. We have to get back as soon as we can to carry out our next mission." This time the female ninja spoke. She had blonde hair, and a fair complexion. She looked around the age of 17, if that. Her companions looked no older.

"I'll take my time, Kima. I want to see the old prune get squashed like a bug!" The pressure of the two pillars increased, causing the Raikage's chest bone crush. He tried to suppress the urge to scream, though it took all his willpower.

"If you want to kill me, do it now. Or else you'll pay dearly with your lives." He knew he had no chance against these ninja, but he could at least try to talk his way out of suffering.

The shortest, and probably the youngest, of the ninja stepped forward. "Let me kill him, Kiatsu. After all, I was the one who pinned him. You just knocked him forward." This ninja had a look of blood thirst in his eye, which happened to be blood red. "Besides, you killed our last captives, did you not."

"Humph, fine, Iretsu. Make it quick." The tallest ninja looked up at the moon. "We have another mission to take care of tonight."

"My pleasure." The short ninja made a hand sign, and another pillar came out from the ground in front of him. Making another hand sign, Iretsu used his chakra to break away the excess rock, forming a spike from the pillar. Grasping it firmly, he sprinted towards the helpless old man. "NOW YOU DIE!!"

A blazing light streaked through the sky, and struck Iretsu in the stomach. He was knocked backwards onto the ground. "What the?!" Looking up at the barrier dividing the house from the rest of the city, Iretsu quickly found the culprit. Rather, he found the culprits; Standing on top of the wall were Ryuzo, Izumi, and Izuchi, who all have aged since the first time they became teammates in the same squad.

"Hello ladies. Did I catch you at a bad time?" Ryuzo jumped down, followed by Izumi and Izuchi. Landing on the ground, he looked at the three opposing ninja. "What do you want with Lord Raikage? I see you're trying to kill him, but why?"

"Foolish runt, I'll crush you!" Iretsu made more hand signs, and a rock pillar crashed out of the ground. Ryuzo, who had seen the same move used earlier, moved deftly out of the way.

"It'll take more than that to finish me off!" Ryuzo made his own hand signs. "Lightning Style! Lightning Palms Jutsu!" His hands glowed from the electricity. Summoning his chakra, he initiated the Byakugan. "Now it's my turn. AHHHHHHHHHH!!" He sprinted towards Iretsu, who was too slow to move. Striking true at four of Iretsu's chakra points, and with the combination of the Lightning Palms, Ryuzo saw the chakra stop flowing in both of Iretsu's arms.

"Gah! What kind of Jutsu was that? I can't summon chakra in my hands!" Iretsu's arms hung limp at his sides.

"By releasing chakra through my fingertips at the point of impact, I can stop the flow of chakra in any chakra point in your body. And, with my Lightning Palms Jutsu, I can paralyze your arms completely." Ryuzo went into neutral stance, looking at the helpless ninja. "It's a deadly combina…AAARRRRGGGHHH!!" Kiatsu had came out of nowhere, nailing Ryuzo in the side of his face. He fell on the ground and slid ten feet away. He was almost completely stunned. Almost.

Getting up slowly, Ryuzo wiped the blood dripping from his lip. "Nice sucker punch. I'll have to repay you for that." Releasing his Lightning Palms, he ran at Kiatsu, attacking with his bare hands. Yet Kiatsu was too fast for him, dodging all of his blows. Ryuzo, not surprised at all, leapt back, making more hand signs. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a small rock in the shape of a Kunai flying at his head. Kima had flung a rock Kunai to divert Ryuzo from using his Jutsu.

Izumi was the first to react. Using her Lightning Teleportation Jutsu, she reached the Kunai in time to knock it away. "I'll take care of her. You take care of ugly over there." Ryuzo nodded. He looked over at Izuchi.

"Hey, take care of gimpy over here, will ya?" Izuchi nodded, and ran over at Iretsu, swinging furiously. Ryuzo looked back at Kiatsu, who was in fighting stance. "I see you're 100 Taijutsu. Very rare, but at least I'll have fun with you."

"You sure do talk big for a dead man." Kiatsu smiled ruthlessly. He ran towards Ryuzo, striking at him. Ryuzo was able to dodge his attacks, occasionally knocking a few blows out of the way.

"Man, he's fast," thought Ryuzo. "At this rate, he'll end up knocking my lights out. Gotta figure out a way to take him down." He kept dodging Kiatsu's blows, trying to maintain balance.

Izumi's fight was not an easy one. Kima kept flinging Kunai at Izumi, who was barely able to dodge them. When one stray Kunai had barely missed Izumi by inches, causing her to lose her balance, Kima made several hand signs rapidly. "Earth Style! Earth Prison Jutsu!"

A rock dome formed over Izumi, completely imprisoning her. She heard laughter coming from outside.

"Now you'll see that this particular prison isn't going to be a comfortable one. Earth Style! Shrinking Prison Jutsu!" Izumi gasped as the walls around her started to slowly close in around her. She began to shiver in fear. She so happened to be claustrophobic.

Izuchi wasn't faring well, either. Iretsu still hadn't gained control of his arms, yet, but he was still beating the crap out of Izuchi. Falling to the ground for the third time, he spat out blood.

"What is up with these guys? They're insane!" He ducked a very hard blow at the head, yet he was unable to counteract as Iretsu continued spinning around until he made a complete circle. Once around, he aimed another kick at Izuchi's head. This kick landed, sending Izuchi flying twenty feet away from his original spot. Iretsu walked over to the stunned Izuchi.

"My my, that's all you can do? You're pathetic." He lifted his leg high in the air, and swung down hard into Izuchi's ribs, which cracked under the force. Izuchi passed out from the pain, leaving Iretsu standing there, laughing an evil laugh.

Fifty feet away, Ryuzo and Kiatsu were still waging war against each other. Ryuzo had gained a little bit more momentum. They were both evenly matched now, and neither could land an effective blow on each other. Twisting and turning, strike after strike, both began to lose speed as they grew tired. Finally halting the attacks, the two ninja panted as they stared each other down. Ryuzo realized that both of his comrades had been incapacitated, and were unable to help him. Iretsu and Kima walked up behind Ryuzo, and he knew that he had no choice.

"Looks like I'm going to have to pull out all the stops." Pulling out his Kunai, he sliced his thumb, and marked it on the back of his hand. Making several hand signs, he jumped up in the air. After flipping backwards in the air, he placed his hand underneath him. "SUMMONING JUTSU!!" A huge cloud of smoke exploded in midair, covering Ryuzo. With a sound of wings flapping, Ryuzo emerged through the top of the smoke on the back of a giant Condor.

"Let's see what you can do now!"

Chapter 9: Hayakaze Emerges

Ryuzo knelt down on the giant bird, looking down at the three Earth Ninja below him. Iretsu was the only one injured, so that meant Ryuzo had a lot of work cut out for him. The condor, however, did not notice the three ninja. Instead, he was a little confused as to why he was summoned.

"What the…who summoned me? Tzikami! Is this your idea of a joke?" The bird turned its head sideways to get a better view of who was on his back. "Ah, young Master Ryuzo. So it was you who had the guts to summon me. What training purposes do you have for me THIS time?" He seemed disgruntled for being called in the middle of the night.

"This is no simulation, Hayakaze; This is the real deal. Look down, and you'll see what I mean." Hayakaze looked down and finally spotted the three ninja. He started to laugh.

"You and your teammates couldn't handle these chumps? I thought you were the best in the academy? Or has old Tzikami wasted his time on you three? I see Izuchi…Where is Izumi?"

"She's trapped inside that dome. It's slowly closing in on her, and I can't get close enough to her without being attacked. I need a diversion…"

"Ah, so we're going to use that combination Jutsu you've been working on?" The bird flapped it's wings once, and a huge gust of wind erupted from its wings. They sailed up 50 feet in the air, which they had gradually lost while conversing.

"Yes. It's the only way I can draw their attention from Izumi. Then again, I can save some trouble by taking out the one I injured earlier." Ryuzo thought about the four hits he had landed on Iretsu earlier. "He's weak, I might be able to take him out for good. The dome is too slow, I think I can him out easy enough."

"It's your call." Hayakaze once again flapped his wing, sending yet another gust of wind.

"Very well." Ryuzo took out a Kunai from his utility pouch. Making his initial hand-sign, he held his Kunai with his thumbs. He then made several more hand-signs, switching his weapon from his thumbs to between his middle fingers and ring fingers, then between his middle fingers and his index fingers, and finally between his palms as he clapped his hands together. He laid his Kunai on Hayakaze's right wing. The condor took it from there.

"Wind Style! Raining Death Typhoon!" Hayakaze gave an almighty lurch, and Ryuzo jumped into the air. Using all of his strength, Hayakaze gave one tremendous flap of his wings, sending a gust of wind at the speed of nearly 500 mph. Iretsu, Kima, and Kiatsu, who were all stunned at the sight of the giant condor, were unable to dodge the wind in time. However, it was not only the wind that was coming at them: Several hundred Kunai rained down upon the three ninja. Trying to withstand the wind, Kima and Kiatsu jumped up in the air. Letting the wind carry them backwards, they landed 50 feet from the previous spot they were at, and the Kunai hit the ground where they were standing. Iretsu, however, was not so lucky. Unable to keep his balance due to his paralyzed arms, he was slammed to the ground. Looking up, he saw the rain of Kunai coming down on him.

"IRETSU!!" Kima tried to go after him, but Kiatsu grabbed a hold of her.

"Kima, no! You can't do anything for him." He looked in dismay as the force of the wind sent the Kunai through Iretsu and into the ground. The sound of his screams sent a chill down Kiatsu's spine. He turned away.

He felt Kima slip out of his hands. Opening his eyes, he understood why: Ryuzo was falling towards the rock dome with his sword out.

Ryuzo struck downward with all his might, trying to break through the dome. A loud clang echoed through the garden as metal met rock. The dome began to crack as the weight from the blow was too much. Pieces of rock began to fall off, and soon there was no top to the dome. Inside, Izumi sat, curled up in a ball, shaking uncontrollably.

"Izumi…" Ryuzo looked down at her solemnly. However, through his Byakugan, he saw Kima sprinting at him from behind. "No you don't!" Spinning around, he deflected a blow that was aimed right at his head with his palm. He twirled the sword with his left hand, and aimed a jab at Kima's stomach. She was able jump out of the way in time, and threw a shuriken at Ryuzo's head. He dodged it, then swung his sword once again at her head. Kima turned her head to dodge it, but was too slow. She stumbled backwards as blood ran down her cheek from a five inch gash.

"You're pretty quick with that pig sticker," scowled Kima as she wiped away the blood. "Guess I'm going to have to stop that, won't I?" She made several hand-signs, and Ryuzo was too slow in reaction. "Earth Style! Spikes Torrent!" Several stalactites rained down on Ryuzo.

Dispersing chakra from several points in his body, Ryuzo began to spin. "Rotation!" The spikes skimmed off the barrier of chakra, sending them flying in different directions. One hit Kima directly in her abdomen point first, and came out the other side. She was sent reeling backward onto the ground, where she lay on the brink of death.

"Curse…you…!" She let out a gasp as the light in her eyes faded. Ryuzo looked up as he heard a roar of anger. Kiatsu had seen what happened, and he began striking at Ryuzo, who was too slow in thinking. Taking blow after blow, Ryuzo was trying his best to keep balance, but the cascade of blows was too great. He heard his ribs crack as one exceptionally hard blow nailed him in his side. He fell to his knees, then to his elbows as he gasped for air.

Kiatsu went in for the kill. He picked up one of the stalactites, and swung it down on Ryuzo.

A flash of light broke through the rock, and Kiatsu missed his attack. Turning to his right, he realized what happened. Izumi had gained control of her shaking, and had sent a lightning shuriken in the path of the blow. Summoning her chakra, and making hand-signs in a blur, she placed her two forefingers and her thumb on the ground.

"Lightning Style! Lightning Current Jutsu!" High voltage electricity tunneled through the ground, and came up through Kiatsu's feet. Roaring in pain, he felt the electricity coursing through his body. As the current faded, he fell to the ground with a resounding thud.

"That's what you get for messing with ninja from the Land of…" Izumi's voice cut off, and her eyes widened. Ryuzo looked up as she hit the ground on her knees, then fell completely face-first into the grass. A single Kunai was sticking out of her back.

"IZUMI!!" screamed Ryuzo, staring at her corpse.

"Now, now, child. You don't want her to suffer, do you?" A cold voice was heard from behind Ryuzo. Spinning around, he saw who had thrown the Kunai. "After all, don't you want her to have the same honorable death your mother had, so many years ago?"

Ryuzo stared into goldenrod eyes in disbelief. The ninja wore a headband that bore the mark of lightning. The mark of lightning with a cut through it.

Chapter 11: Jounin Face-Off. Tzikami Vs. Iru

With a resounding crash and a show of smoke, Hayakaze disappeared after seeing his summoner fall. However, the wind did not disappear with the Condor, as rain started to fall. Thunder could be heard in the background as a storm drew closer. Tree remains lay scattered over the battlefield, covering part of the damage done to the earth. Fresh blood stains marked the soil where ninja had fallen. Two lone warriors stood in the garden, glaring at each other. The blonde-haired ninja was the first to move. He raised his hand, and grasped the Kunai lodged in his hand, between the Scaphoid and the Lunate bones. Mustering all the courage he could, bracing himself for the pain that was about to come, he pulled the Kunai out of his hand. A scream reverberated throughout the garden, as the ninja doubled over in pain.

"Curse you, Tzikami! You had to pick the most painful place to strike, didn't you?" Iru looked up into the eyes of his attacker. Blood steadily flowed from his wound, and his hand hung limp at his side.

"It was your fault for not paying attention to your surroundings. I merely used a weapon to get you away from my student." Tzikami gazed solemnly at the handicapped ninja, and sighed. "You always were a fool, Iru. Too bad I have to kill you now." Iru laughed momentarily, then immediately stopped due to the pain.

"You think I'm just going to sit here and let you kill me?" he said breathlessly. "I still have one hand, which is enough to finish off the likes of you. A ninja master at the art of procrastination. You let two of your ninja die before you intervened." To Iru's surprise, Tzikami started to laugh.

"Die? I think not. You see, unlike you, I've been studying this battle for quite some time. In fact, I sent my three students on a mission to protect the Raikage. Which they passed undoubtedly. I knew you were staging an assassination on Lord Raikage, and were planning on killing Ryuzo. I've been tracking you for quite some time, Iru." As Tzikami continued to talk, Iru became more and more agitated at the fact that he was being outwitted. "Shall I explain how I know that Izumi and Izuchi aren't dead?" Iru slowly nodded.

"You see, I saw Izuchi fall in battle. The blow he took to the ribs weren't fatal. He merely passed out due to pain. As for Izumi, well, I'll have to get more analytical. When you struck her with your Kunai, the blade touched the spinal cord, but only barely. Your target was 1.7 centimeters off mark. The tip nicked the Transverse Process, sliding towards the Facet Joint of the 4th Thoracic Vertebra Bone. Yes, it did hit some nerves, and the healers will have some time fixing those. However, she is not dead." Iru looked shocked at what he just heard.

"But…h-how did you know? You would have to have had X-Ray vision to see precisely where it struck." Tzikami started to laugh again.

"Have you forgotten already?" He pulled aside the hair covering his right eye, revealing it. Instead of an eyeball, there was a glass orb with a symbol on it. "I have the Eye of the Healer, marked with the Lightning Seal. I can see all the muscles, tendons, and bones in the human body. If blow is struck to the body, I can see how much damage was done. However, it doesn't work like the Byakugan. I can't see the chakra points in the body. That much would be left to Ryuzo." He smiled, releasing his hair back into place.

"So what about the boy," said Iru, pointing at Ryuzo. "Why'd you wait until I was about to kill him before acting when you knew that he was out of chakra? Seems like you were a poor teacher for neglecting him." The downpour intensified as a lightning bolt flashed across the sky. A crash of thunder echoed throughout the village. Tzikami looked up into the sky, letting his hair fall from his face.

"I wanted to see if he could handle a Jounin at your rank. If he was able to best three Chuunin, then he might have a chance at a low-rank Jounin. I guess he just didn't have enough chakra to pull it off."

"You let a Genin take on three Chuunin and a Jounin thinking he could best all four of them? You are insane, Tzikami." Iru looked down at his hand, where the blood flow had stopped. The color of blood swirled around in pool of water that was slowly starting to rise.

"You take me for a fool? I would never let a single Genin take on such a large force. No, Ryuzo Kiai became a Chuunin his very first year as a ninja. Izumi and Izuchi are Genin. That's why they were unable to defeat this squad. They failed the Chuunin exam every time due to exhaustion. They outwitted every opponent, but they could not control their chakra very well. Something this village needs in these dire times."

"Ah, I see what you're saying. They're powerful Genin, yet not powerful enough to be Chuunin. Pathetic, if you ask me. They failed to take out a single opponent, while their comrade was able to take them all out." Sweat poured from Iru as he bade his time, which he was running out of. He reached into his equipment pack, and pulled out a plasma pill. He placed it in his mouth, and chewed it up.

"A plasma pill, eh? Good timing. If you had lost anymore blood, you would have passed out in about 30 seconds. Let's say we finish this right here, right now. That sound good to you?" Tzikami pulled out a Kunai from his side-pack, and held it at the ready.

"Just one second. I'm not done yet." Tzikami's eyes widened in surprise, as Iru held up his bleeding right hand. With his left, which was still enclosed by lightning, he placed two of his fingers on his palm. "Lightning Style, Lightning Sear!" The lightning flowing from his fingertips skimmed Iru's palm, causing the skin to char and harden, causing the blood to stop flowing. He repeated this technique on the backside of his hand. "There, good as new." He flexed his hand, wincing in pain.

"Your Scaphoid and Lunate bones have separated. You still won't be able to use that hand to it's full potential. You don't stand a chance against me. Give up." Tzikami narrowed his eye, gripping his Kunai harder. Iru looked up at Tzikami, and grinned. With a blink of an eye, he disappeared. Tzikami spun around, flinging his Kunai. Iru, who had snuck up behind him, ducked as the Kunai passed his head. He then made several hand-signs, releasing his chakra.

"Earth Style, Crystal Chains Jutsu!" The earth beneath Tzikami's feet erupted as pure crystal burst through the ground, enclosing his hands and feet.

"What the?! He used an Earth Jutsu to trap me? He must have picked that up from the Rock Village. No matter." Tzikami closed his eyes, focusing his chakra in his legs and arms. Using inhuman strength, he broke free from the crystal bindings as they shattered. "You underestimate me, Iru."

"On the contrary. I've been overestimating you. I figured you would have used a substitution Jutsu for that attack." Iru made more hand-signs, and dispersed even more chakra. "Earth Style, Spike Wall Prison!" Giant slabs of stone rose up from the ground. Spikes made of hardened rock grew from the slabs, which quickly compressed around Tzikami. "Farewell, Tzikami."

"I was about to say the same thing to you, Iru." Tzikami had appeared out of nowhere behind Iru, clutching Ryuzo's Murasame blade. "Wind Style, Ultimate Kenjutsu! Whirlwind Strike!" Tzikami spun around in a blur, holding the katana backwards so that the tip was pointed towards his shoulder. With his chakra infused with the attack, large gusts of wind swirled around Tzikami. Once the whirlwind had gained enough speed, he released the attack on Iru, who had become stunned by the fact Tzikami was still alive and unharmed. The force and velocity of the attack caused razor sharp winds to cut into Iru's skin. He was trapped in the vortex, and his screams could barely be heard over the roar of the wind. After a moment, they died out. Tzikami released the whirlwind, only to see that Iru had vanished.

"So, he's escaped once again. He's becoming a nuisance. Next time I meet him, he's dead." Tzikami looked down at Ryuzo, and sighed. "I guess I underestimated him. To have escaped the Whirlwind Strike without being noticed. An amazing feat, but it won't happen again." He went over to Izumi's body, and used his Healer's Orb to look over her body. "Just as I thought. The Kunai knife has done quite a bit of damage. So very close to the spinal cord, it's a miracle she's not dead. I better get some help, I can't carry her in her condition."

Chapter 12: A Kekkegenkai Broken

Izumi Sishomi lay in the hospital bed, deep in a comatose state, with her brown hair tied neatly in a ponytail. The pure white bedspread was free of wrinkles as she lay there, unmoving. Her twin brother sat at her side, eyes closed, chest rising and falling rhythmically. The two were a harmonious sight.

Ryuzo stood outside the door with his back against the wall, his brow furrowed. His mind raced with numerous thoughts, each one of a different nature. His thoughts went back to when Izumi was first accepted to the hospital. Tzikami had given him his opinion on her injuries.

"Her nerves were severed from the spine," he had said. "I honestly doubt the healers will be able to do much for her. It all depends on the severity of the disconnection. You see, different nerves control different parts of the body, controlling a certain function. If that connection is ever missing, paralysis occurs. If it can't be reversed, she'll be paralyzed for life."

Ryuzo closed his eyes in sorrow. He silently cursed himself for not being able to protect her. She had intervened at the last moment as he was about to take a shot, and he couldn't do the same for her. Sure, he defeated two Chuunin in battle, and almost bested the third, but that didn't stop the fact that he was unable to come to the aid of someone who needed him most.

The rhythmic thud of footsteps grabbed Ryuzo's attention. As he opened his eyes and looked up, he saw Tzikami walking with a fair lady, about 5' 5" tall, with beautiful blonde hair. He gave his sensei a pondering look, who avoided the look by greeting him.

"Good morning, Ryuzo. How's Izumi doing?" Ryuzo narrowed his eyes with disease. He took the weight off the wall, standing tall on his feet.

"You know more about her condition than I, Tzikami Sensei. You're the one with the Healer's Eye. You had a better look at her injuries. So, you tell me: How's Izumi doing?" Ryuzo glared into his teacher's eyes, who looked a little discomforted.

"Yes, well, I meant 'How is she doing today?' I didn't know we were getting so technical about our inquiries." Tzikami glanced at his companion, shifting his weight. "Oh, my apologies. This is Dr. Kiomi. She's going to be performing Izumi's surgery. I thought you and Izuchi should meet her, as it is only fair." Ryuzo looked at the healer, fully taking her in. He remembered his position and nodded his head.

"Pleasure to meet you." He looked back at his sensei. "I'm going. I don't want any part of this. I'll be at the training grounds; let me know when you're done." Ryuzo walked off without looking back. Tzikami looked off after him, torn between curiosity and anxiety.

"That went rather well." Tzikami knocked on the door. The sudden sound startled Izuchi, causing him to jump up. He looked at Tzikami through the window, and rushed to the door, opening it.

"Tzikami Sensei! You made it, good!" His gaze went to the woman. "You must be Dr. Kiomi. I've heard some great things about you. Please, come in." He stepped aside, letting the two adults in. Dr. Kiomi immediately made her way to Izumi. She made a few hand-signs, summoning her chakra. Her hands started to glow, and she felt Izumi's shoulder, ribs, and chest.

"Tzikami, please set her on her stomach. I need to examine her spine." Tzikami nodded, and walked over. He made several hand-signs, summoning his own chakra.

"Wind Style, Gentle Breeze Jutsu!" The bed sheets started to ripple and sway as wind pushed its way under Izumi, lifting her up. Focusing the wind more on her right side, Tzikami gently turned Izumi over. He finally set her down, releasing the Jutsu. "Is that ok, Kaili?" The healer nodded. She then continued inspecting Izumi, keeping her expressions blank. The tension got to Izuchi, and he was unable to keep his curiosity in.

"Are you going to be able to do anything for her, ma'am?" He asked tentatively. The healer ignored him, running her hand down the girl's back. She continued the inspection for nearly half an hour, during which both Izuchi and Tzikami sat down and waited. Dr. Kiomi finally stood up straight, releasing the Jutsu on her hands. Tzikami looked up at her wonderingly. Izuchi had abandoned all attempts to pry an answer, and took to looking at the floor. Dr. Kiomi sighed.

"Well, it's as you said, Tzikami. She's suffered severe nerve damage in her spine. She's completely paralyzed from her waist down. Surgery may be successful, but there's a problem: I won't be able to sever the connection from her brain to her spine while doing the operation. The chances of causing a spasm or seizure is great, and if my hand slips, she'll die. If I could only sever the connection without lasting damage, I could easily repair the damage." She lowered her eyes. Izuchi stood up and walked out the door without saying a word. Tzikami looked over at Izumi's body solemnly. He nodded understandingly.

"So all I need to do is use my Healer's Eye to look for the point, and stop the nervous system? Should be easy enough." Dr. Kiomi shook her head.

"No, it's not that easy at all. I need a small, controlled flow of electricity to divert the electromagnetic energy flowing from the brain." Tzikami scratched his head and thought for a moment. Then it hit him.

"Lightning Palms Jutsu. Of course. There's only four ninja from this village that could use it in this situation. One of them is a rogue ninja now, another is in the next room passed out, and the third is the patient. That leaves only one person: Ryuzo. Luckily, he has the Byakugan, which can help a lot." Dr. Kiomi raised her head interestedly.

"Then go get him. I'll go in the next room and examine Lord Raikage in the meantime. Meet me in an hour." Dr. Kiomi left the room and walked down the hall. Tzikami made a hand-sign, and disappeared in a flash.

Ryuzo sat under the largest oak in the village, his eyes closed. The sound of the mockingbird echoed through his befuddled head. Images of a woman passed in front of his eyes. He didn't understand. He had never seen this woman in his life, yet she looked so familiar…

The sound of footsteps interrupted his thoughts, and he looked around behind him. His sensei had appeared behind him, apparently hesitant in what he had to say. Ryuzo looked into his visible eye, curious. Tzikami spoke in a solid tone, trying to hide his fears:

"Well, Kaili…er…I mean Dr. Kiomi inspected Izumi." Ryuzo raised his eyebrows, waiting. Tzikami continued. "She said that she can do the operation, but she will need help. You see, Izumi's nerves have been severed, as you know, and it is extremely close to the spinal column. She's afraid that if she slips and accidentally touches the spinal cord, or when she's connecting the cords, Izumi will go into a seizure. Doing so will cause Dr. Kiomi to damage the spine even more. She needs to sever the connection between the brain and the area of the operation."

"So, she needs an electrical current to bypass or stop the flow of communication. You need the Lightning Palms Jutsu, because only it can be fully controlled. Also, you need someone with the vision of the human anatomy so they won't miss the target. I'm the only choice there is, because you don't know the Lightning Palms Jutsu. Am I right?" Tzikami was impassive at the statement, as if he was expecting it.

"Yes, to put it bluntly. Are you up to the challenge?" Ryuzo closed his eyes again.

"And risk the life of my comrade? The future of the girl…No, I can't do it. My Byakugan isn't powerful enough." It was Tzikami's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Oh? How so?"

"Whenever I was facing that Jounin…the one that ambushed us…my Byakugan faltered. He had made a Lightning Clone, yet I didn't see the change in chakra, nor any hand-signs. It was as if I was looking at him in normal vision. I think…I think my Kekkegenkai is…corrupted. Like it's not all there. Do you have any idea as to what could cause it?" Tzikami thought for a moment, looking into Ryuzo's eyes.

"I have a theory. Your Byakugan may be faulty because of the mixed bloodlines." Ryuzo looked at his teacher in shock. Realization struck him hard. Tzikami continued. "A Kekkegenkai is determined by bloodline, and you only have half the necessary genes to complete the Byakugan. So if you don't have enough chakra to push Byakugan at its full potential, then Byakugan will fail. It can happen with any Kekkegenkai." Ryuzo continued to stare into Tzikami's eye.

"Of course…that all makes sense. Thank you, Tzikami Sensei. So if I had enough chakra to push it to its fullest…I think I can help in the operation." Tzikami smiled.

"That's my boy. C'mon, let's go." Ryuzo hesitated.

"I better go find Izuchi and let him know what's going on. I'll meet you in a little bit, Tzikami Sensei." Ryuzo ran off towards the village, Tzikami watching after him.

"That boy's intelligence never ceases to amaze me…" he thought.

Chapter 13: Life and Death - A Tricky Surgery

Izuchi closed his eyes, taking in his reflections. He knew what lay ahead, and he knew the consequences should something go wrong. Yet, he supposed, the reward outweighed the risks. It was a matter of whether or not he trusted Ryuzo enough to control the fate of his sister.

"You say you can do this with your Byakugan, but I say Tzikami Sensei is a better choice. He has the Healer's Eye, so he has a better view of what's going on with the human body. I don't understand why he can't help Dr. Kiomi in this operation." Ryuzo sighed, knowing that this would come.

"You don't trust me, do you? You don't think I have enough control to keep my hand steady while trying to keep Izumi stable." Izuchi stood unfaltering. "I don't blame you. To tell you the truth, I don't want to do this." This grabbed Izuchi's attention, making him open his eyes in surprise. "I don't want to place the life one of my comrades in danger based on the skills I may or may not have. If I were to mess up…" He looked down and shuddered. Izuchi remained silent, daring not to speak. Ryuzo started to walk off, heading towards the medical ward.

"Wait, where are you going?" asked Izuchi quickly. Ryuzo didn't look back nor stop, but answered calmly.

"I'm going to go help Dr. Kiomi prepare for the operation. I told Tzikami Sensei that I'd be back shortly, can't keep him waiting." With a flash, Ryuzo vanished. Izuchi stood alone, confused.

"Good luck, Ryuzo. My sister's life is in your hands now."

Kaili Kiomi looked up as she heard a knock on the door. Thinking that Tzikami had returned with Ryuzo, she walked over and opened the door. However, neither had arrived. Instead, a familiar face appeared in the doorway, surprising her.

"Oh, Ibikimi, what a pleasant surprise. I see you're getting around very nicely." Ibikimi Taiakashi looked at the female healer, smiling.

"Yeah, that medicine you gave me worked wonders. Ever since that fight I had 12 years ago, my body's been, well, not up to speed. The amount of electricity that went through my body should have killed me. I got rather lucky, if you ask me." Dr. Kiomi giggled lightly, making Ibikimi blush. She laughed again.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I have an operation today. An old acquaintance is helping me too. A young Ryuzo Kiai." Ibikimi's eyes widened.

"Oh really? That's…interesting." Ibikimi remained silent and thought for a moment. "I best get going, then. I don't want to keep you held up." He turned to walk out, but ran into a figure as tall as his chest.

"Oh, sorry, excuse me." Ryuzo stopped and looked into Ibikimi's eyes. "Oh, it's you. I thought you were incapacitated for life after what my mother did to you." Ibikimi shrugged and looked at Dr. Kiomi.

"She gave me some good medicine to help my injuries. She also used her medical prowess to tend to my muscles and tendons. She's a great healer. I hope everything goes well with the operation. Good luck." He walked out and vanished. Ryuzo looked after him for a moment, then looked at Dr. Kiomi. She, in turn, smiled at him.

"So, you're going to help me with the operation on Izumi?" Ryuzo nodded. "Well, let's get prepped for it, shall we?" She walked over to Izumi, making hand-signs, and an aura started to glow around her hands. Placing her palm on Izumi's back, her brow furrowed. Ryuzo stood and watched silently, wondering if he could actually do this. Dr. Kiomi worked on Izumi for nearly and hour, in which Ryuzo took to looking at the ceiling. Thoughts about Izumi went through his head, and he realized something he had never thought of before: He liked Izumi. He was so caught up on missions that he had never thought about his feelings toward her. He supposed that it was for the best. He had set aside his emotions before, so he had to do it then. He came back to earth as Dr. Kiomi straightened up and looked back at him.

"Ok, it's time. Come over here and stand by me." Ryuzo did so and waited for more instructions. "Ok, now initiate your Byakugan and your Lightning Palms Jutsu." Again, Ryuzo did as he was instructed. He looked at Izumi, and finally realized just how much damage was done to her spine. Even though he couldn't see the intricate design of her muscles, bones, and tendons, he could see the outline of everything thanks to the network of the chakra residing in her. After a moment, he noticed something strange.

"Dr. Kiomi, why is her chakra network not flowing? She should be dead." Dr. Kiomi merely smiled and looked down at him.

"I halted the flow, reduced her heart rate, and put her in a deeper coma. This way, there's a lesser chance of her body reacting to the operation. It's just a secondary process we healers use to protect our patients. There's nothing to worry about." Ryuzo looked back down at Izumi, and nodded.

"Very well, now where should I strike?" Dr. Kiomi place her right forefinger on Izumi's spine between her shoulder blades, and her left forefinger on her lower back, above her tailbone. Ryuzo raised his hands, preparing to strike. Using his index and middle fingers on both hands, he gently struck the two points indicated by Dr. Kiomi. Instantly, Ryuzo knew that what he did was right. Through his Byakugan, he could see the muscles relax even more than they already had been.

"Right, now I need to work fast. The longer her chakra flow is halted, the greater risk she is in dying." Dr. Kiomi set to work, quickly working her fingers into Izumi's back. Ryuzo could see the effect Dr. Kiomi's Jutsu was having on Izumi's body. Five minutes into the operation, Dr. Kiomi gasped, and Ryuzo looked up in fear. "She's going into a neurological shock. Her body isn't responding anymore. In fact, it's trying to resist my operation. We're going to have to put more chakra into the operation. Intensify your Lightning Palms, that should nullify the reaction. I'll try to use more power to force the nerves back together." Ryuzo did so, trying not to harm Izumi. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her hand twitch. "Careful, you don't want to electrocute her."

"I know, I increased the chakra too fast. Her body wasn't ready for it." He remained still, keeping his fingers on the two points. Dr. Kiomi worked diligently on Izumi's back, her fingers moving rapidly to and fro. Ryuzo began to wonder if he could keep this up. Combining the Lightning Palms Jutsu and his Byakugan was taking up a lot of chakra, more so than he wanted. He voiced his worries to Dr. Kiomi.

"You're doing fine, just keep this up for a little while longer. I'm halfway done." Sweat began to slide down from Ryuzo's forehead as he focused his chakra in his fingertips and eyes. He knew that he couldn't let up once, or else the operation could go horribly wrong. Dr. Kiomi kept muttering things, such as, "Re-route here," and, "connect here." Ryuzo tried to keep his mind focused, but he kept thinking about what would happen if Izumi died. He shook off these morbid thoughts when Dr. Kiomi looked up.

"Ok, I'm going to let go. When I do, I want you to slowly ease off the electricity. If you let it all go too fast, she'll go into shock, and she may die. However, if you take too long, my operation may not take effect." She removed her fingers from Izumi's back. Once she did, Ryuzo immediately started to deplete the amount of electricity in his hands. He allowed it to flow for 15 seconds before he completely shut it off. Dr. Kiomi smiled gently. "Very good. You did excellent. Now we just have to wait and see if the surgery was successful." Ryuzo sighed and nodded. His arms ached from keeping them still for so long, and his body was drained of chakra. He sat down as Dr. Kiomi continued to exam Izumi's back, humming. Ryuzo fell asleep after awhile, yet Dr. Kiomi was still hard at work. There was a knock on the door, but Ryuzo didn't stir.

"Come in," said Dr. Kiomi without looking up. The door opened, and Tzikami stepped in. Looking down at Ryuzo, he spoke up.

"Well, how was the operation? Did Ryuzo do well?" Dr. Kiomi continued to work, but she nodded.

"Yes, he did extremely well. A lot better than anyone else could have. Without him, this operation would have been unsuccessful. Although…" Dr. Kiomi finally looked up, abandoning her work. "He doesn't have enough chakra energy yet to study in the field of healing. He's better off as a warrior." Tzikami nodded.

"I thought as much. I just wanted to test out his abilities in this kind of situation. His abilities can help him from time to time. He has the ability to stabilize a body that has been through a high amount of damage." Dr. Kiomi shrugged.

"I wouldn't know about that, but he has impressive skills with his eyes. I've never seen anything like it." Ryuzo finally stirred, opening his eyes. He looked up at his sensei, and smiled.

"You're late. I thought you were going to be here for the operation. What happened?" Dr. Kiomi laughed, and Tzikami blushed lightly. Rubbing his head, he answered his pupil.

"Yes, well, I was a little caught up. Old ties, you know. Couldn't be helped." Ryuzo narrowed his eyes at his teacher, then yawned unexpectedly.

"Man, I've never been this drained of energy before. How's she doing, Dr. Kiomi?" She smiled sweetly again, giving Ryuzo reassurance.

"She'll be just fine. She just needs her rest now. Give her a few days, and she'll be up and about." Ryuzo sighed in relief. Tzikami looked down at Ryuzo.

"You should go talk to Izuchi and tell him that his sister will be perfectly fine." Ryuzo nodded, and made a hand-sign. After a moment of standing there, Ryuzo gasped.

"I don't have enough chakra to teleport. I'll just have to go on foot. I'll see you later, Tzikami Sensei." He got up and ran out the door. Dr. Kiomi looked at Tzikami.

"So, when are you going to tell him?" Tzikami stood in silence for a moment, thinking.

"I'll tell him in the morning. Right now, he needs to rest up."

Chapter 14: A New Mission

Ryuzo awoke early that morning, well rested and awaiting the news Tzikami had in store for him and Izuchi. He jumped out of bed and dressed hurriedly, eager to start the day. He tied his headband to his left forearm, polishing it in the process. He ran out of his room, and headed out the front door. He was barely five feet from his house when he realized he had forgotten his katana. Rushing back in, he grabbed his Murasame, feeling stupid for forgetting it. As he left the house again, he heard footsteps running at him from his right. Turning to see what was making the noise, he spotted Izuchi heading his way.

"You're late, Izuchi. I had time to polish my headband and forget my sword. What took you so long, anyway?" Izuchi doubled over, catching his breath. Gasping for air, he answered.

"Sorry…had to…check on…Izumi…" Izuchi stood up straight, breathing slowly so as to catch his breath. "I sprinted my way here. That's why I'm out of breath. Anyway," he looked off into the distance, "we need to get moving. Tzikami Sensei would be ticked if we were late." Ryuzo nodded. In a flash, the two disappeared.

Blurred images of leaves and trees flew by Iru as he made his way through the trees. His body seared in pain, his clothes tattered and torn. He knew he should have gotten away sooner: Facing Tzikami in his prime was idiotic. He knew he didn't have a chance. Besides, Tzikami wasn't the target. Ryuzo was. His Byakugan was the prize he's been seeking for years. He couldn't let it slip out of his grasp by dying now. Pain shot through his side as he jumped from a limb to the ground. He gasped in pain as he leaned against the tree trunk, panting.

He sat down, thinking about the events that had happened. He pulled out a scroll, breaking the seal. Unrolling the parchment, he read the contents in it.

"Kiai Clan. Residence: Land of Lightning, Village Hidden in the Clouds. Members: 57. Head: Ryuhane Kiai. Head Occupation: Lord Raikage of the Land of Lightning. Lady: Aiula Kiai, formerly known as Aiula Hyuuga. Offspring: 1. Son: Ryuzo Kiai. Kekkegenkai…" He was interrupted by the shuffling of leaves. He pulled out a Kunai, flinging it into the treetops. Within a split second, he heard the clang of metal meeting metal. He froze, knowing he made a mistake. Without hesitation, he rolled up the scroll and jumped into the trees. Before he could reach the third limb, a figure blocked his path.

"Where are you running off to?" Iru's eyes widened at the sound of the voice. Looking closer at the intruder, he recognized who it was.

"Ibikimi. You nearly gave me a heart attack. What are you doing here?" Ibikimi laughed, looking at his old sensei. Iru became uneasy; He knew that laugh.

"I came looking for you. I heard you and a trio of brats had a scuffle. I wanted to know why you came back to the village looking for trouble." Iru tensed. He was unsure if he could trust his old student. "Why now, of all the times? Why couldn't you just wait. You've always been a fool, Iru Sensei." Iru laughed haltingly, his side aching.

"Yeah, well, I wanted something that the Raikage had," he gasped. He held up the scroll he was reading. "The Kiai Clan scroll. It tells of the entire Kiai Clan, their strengths, weaknesses, and powers. It's a very valuable scroll." Ibikimi's eyes widened, intrigued.

"I see. Yes, I've heard about that scroll. How'd you manage to get your hands on it? I thought it was guarded by the Raikage himself." Iru closed his eyes thoughtfully.

"That's why I hired three Earth Ninja to distract him. I snuck into his house while they were all fighting. It was easy." Ibikimi understood now, nodding. "Now, get out of my way, Ibikimi. I have to get back the Rock Village. Lord Tsuchikage said he wanted me to return with the status of the mission. Plus, there's someone I'm meeting there. Now, move." Ibikimi stood still, not moving.

"I don't think so. I'm coming with you." Iru stared at him in disbelief. "You're my sensei. I chose to stick with you until the end the day I became your student. The same for the day we attacked Aiula. I never wanted to give up on you, Iru Sensei. I had no choice. You were exiled. If I had tried to follow you, I would have been killed on the spot." Iru nodded.

"Very well, keep up if you can." He turned and shot into the tree limbs. Ibikimi followed.

"SAY WHAT!?" Ryuzo shouted. He couldn't believe it. The battle with the three Earth Ninja were a diversion. They were just mercenaries meant to distract Lord Raikage while Iru raided the house for the Kiai Clan scroll. "We have to get that scroll back. It wasn't written in any kind of scroll, nor was it protected. We thought we put it in a safe place, but apparently Father had told Iru where it was. Curse him."

"Easy, Ryuzo," Tzikami said. "There's no point in getting riled up over this. Iru can't have gone far with the injuries he has." Ryuzo looked up at him. "You and Izuchi can catch up to him. That is, if Izuchi is up to it. Are you, Izuchi?" Izuchi had leaned against the fence with his eyes closed, taking in everything.

"Yeah, I can do it. The Healers did a very good job on my injuries. I should make it just fine. I want to make up for the other night. I'll pay Iru back for what he did to my sister." Ryuzo smiled.

"Alright, we'll be heading out in 30 minutes. Get your gear together, Izuchi. Are you coming, Tzikami Sensei?" Tzikami shook his head.

"No, I have my own matters to tend to. I'm sure that the two of you can take care of Iru in his condition. Get going. The more time we spend talking about it, the farther he gets." Ryuzo and Izuchi nodded in unison. In a flash, the two left the site. Tzikami walked down the street, thinking.

"Why would Iru go through all of that trouble for a single scroll? He seemed eager to leave once I showed up. He must know something I don't. I need to talk to Ryuhane and find some answers." He, like Ryuzo and Izuchi, disappeared in a flash of light.

Ryuzo looked up as Izuchi came into sight, straightening his headband. Standing up, he pulled out a Kunai knife, sliding it over his thumb. Wiping the blood on the back of his hand, making hand-signs. "Buta, Inu, Tora, Saru, Hitsuji!" Placing his palm on the ground, he focused his chakra. "Summoning Jutsu!" A puff of smoke billowed from the ground, and Ryuzo smiled. In the place of the point where Ryuzo placed his palm was a large falcon.

"Showoff." Izuchi walked up to Ryuzo and the bird, smiling. "What's the bird for?" Ryuzo looked up at Izuchi, still smiling.

"This is Hayakanahane, son of Hayakaze. He's going to be our tracker. Falcons are not uncommon in this area, so he should be useful." Izuchi shrugged carelessly.

"Whatever you say. Let's get going. This is a B-ranked mission. Let's not screw this up, ok? I want this to look good on my record." Ryuzo laughed.

"Are you sure you're ok? I mean, your ribs were broken in that battle." Izuchi smiled and nodded. Ryuzo shrugged. "Very well. Hayakanahane, let's do this. Go find Iru. We'll be right on your tail. Now, go!" Hayakanahane nodded and started flapping his wings. He gained altitude in surprising speed. Within seconds, he was already 100 feet well into the air. Within a flash, Ryuzo and Izuchi darted into the woods.

"So, that's the secret of the Kiai Clan. No wonder Iru wanted his hands on it. And you think Ryuzo has this power?" Tzikami stood in the Raikage's ward, his visible eye closed. Thoughts rambled through his head, giving him a headache. The Raikage had been healed the previous night, and he had been resting since. Tzikami had woken him this day for questions.

"I believe so," Lord Raikage said softly. "We don't bear the name 'Kiai' for nothing. If I'm correct, Ryuzo carries an unimaginable power. The likes of which a monster would have. Yet he's so kind. If he could harness that kind of power, he would be an outstanding Shinobi. However, it could eat away at his body." Tzikami opened his eye, looking at Lord Raikage.

"I see. So that explains why Iru wanted Ryuzo in the first place. No wonder the kid became a Chuunin so fast. I knew the kid had the Byakugan, but to have this power as well…" Tzikami shuddered. 'To have the Byakugan and the Ryu Gekido…' he thought.

"Yet there's a cost. Anyone who taps the power of the Ryu Gekido will lose all recognition of friend or foe. Anyone in the path of Ryuzo…" Lord Raikage closed his eyes. "Anyone in his way will perish." Tzikami looked at his leader in shock.

"Izuchi…"

Chapter 15: The Secret behind the Ryu Gekido

Leaves became a hunter green blur as Ryuzo and Izuchi sped through the treetops, following Hayakanahane. Izuchi winced in pain, massaging his ribs. He silently cursed Iretsu for his injuries, then silently cursed himself for letting such a powerful attack follow through. He had never let his guard down before, so why do it then? He ran the battle through his head repetitively, trying to figure out what he did wrong. Ryuzo sensed this and turned back at Izuchi.

"Hey, don't worry about it," he said. "It could have happened to anyone. Even I had trouble against them, and I had my Byakugan. They were skilled Chuunin, some of the toughest opponents I've ever fought." Seeing that Izuchi still didn't look pacified, Ryuzo went on. "Look, you can't beat yourself up like this. You know better than I do what could have happened if…"

"Shut up." Ryuzo's eyes widened. He had never heard Izuchi snap like that before. "Just shut up, ok? I know what could have happened if you didn't have your precious Byakugan." Izuchi eyes narrowed as he looked at Ryuzo. He knew that it was Ryuzo that saved Izumi, but that didn't dull the sense of helplessness dwelling inside of him. He couldn't do a thing to help the team, and he let his own sister get fatally injured. If it hadn't been for Ryuzo, then his own blood would have died, and he could have done more to prevent it. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, trying to force back the anger he had towards Ryuzo.

"Look I was only trying to help," said Ryuzo. Izuchi lowered his head as his foot landed on a rather small branch. As he pushed off again, he began to speak with a cold, harsh voice.

"I don't need your help. It's because of you that I didn't train as hard. I thought you would be able to protect my sister, but you didn't. Now I see that I have to do things my own way. I can't rely on your Byakugan anymore. You're too much of a showoff to even care about her." Ryuzo turned his head away from him at the last part. He knew he was showing off is talents, but he needed them to win. If he hadn't, then he would have surely lost. Yet he couldn't tell Izuchi this, as it would only hurt him more. It would seem as though Izuchi was even more inferior to Ryuzo, and Ryuzo didn't want to do that to him. Instead, Ryuzo stayed silent as he made his way through the maze of trees.

Tzikami ran his fingers through his hair as he pondered about the situation with Ryuzo. There were questions still burning in him that needed to be answered.

"Lord Raikage…" he said hesitantly. The old man looked up warily, waiting for the bombardment of questions. "I don't understand. What exactly is the Ryu Gekido?" The old man sighed, trying to find the proper words to explain.

"It's not what you would call a true kekkegenkai. It's more of a failed experiment passed from generation to generation." Tzikami's visible eye widened. "You see, my ancestor's...they used to practice experiments on human beings. They would alter the DNA of a person, trying to enhance the chakra limits of a shinobi. They used the DNA of various animals, including tigers, snakes, birds, and so on and so forth. However…" He paused for a moment, collecting himself. "However, one day, a member came forth with a unique DNA type. He was an explorer of sorts, who valued archaeological finds more than his own life. He had been doing excavations for several years, when he came upon a site known as the Valley of the Dragons. It was there he found this extraordinary DNA type. Using this DNA, the clan decided to do one experiment. They were afraid of this DNA, but it didn't stop them from using it. They were successful, since the DNA was so versatile. It enhanced chakra by a hundred-fold. Yet it had an expensive price. It completely transformed the human being. They were no longer recognizable in both body and mind. It was a terrible price to pay for power."

Tzikami lowered his head in thought. A lot of his questions were answered, except one.

"Exactly how is the Ryu Gekido triggered? I mean, what causes this anomaly to happen?" The old man sighed again.

"It can be triggered two ways: either a Kiai member loses control of his chakra due to rage, or he dies…"

Ryuzo landed at the base of a tree, kneeling down. Hayakanahane had landed before them, looking up at them.

"They're up ahead, about 2 kilometers. They must be moving slowly due to Iru's injuries." Ryuzo looked up at Izuchi. "We'll rest here until they start off again. Here," he pulled off his sack, and reached in it. He pulled out 3 green pills. "Take one. It'll recharge your chakra faster as you sleep." Izuchi took one, then went over to the base of a large oak. He swallowed the pill whole, then closed his eyes. He refused to talk to Ryuzo, who had been gazing at him the entire time. Ryuzo gave a pill to Hayakanahane, then swallowed his own.

"Wait, I don't understand. How would that be triggered due to death? If you die, your chakra flow stops, right?" The Raikage laughed softly.

"Yes, that is correct. However, with the Ryu Gekido, you can be revived due to its power. That's why Dragons were so hard to kill, or so the myth says. It wasn't just due to the scales that a Dragon could survive a battle, but also due to its chakra. That's why the DNA is so unique. I don't know the details when it comes to the DNA itself, but it will revive you. You can die, though, from old age and the Ryu Gekido won't be triggered. Only a forced death will cause that." Another question entered Tzikami's mind.

"So how is it that all the Kiai members who died in battle weren't revived from the Ryu Gekido?"

"When a Kiai member becomes of age, they're chakra is sealed with a chakra suppressor. It stops the Ryu Gekido from being released. However, Ryuzo has already said that he doesn't want his chakra sealed, as it could disrupt his true kekkegenkai, the Byakugan. He is correct in doing so, so I have no objections. He truly is one of a kind." Tzikami nodded, though he couldn't shake the feeling that something bad could happen from all of this…

Chapter 16: Nightfall

Ryuzo's eyes shot open. He quickly sat up as he peered out into the darkness. He knew he had heard something, but he couldn't figure out what. Focusing his chakra into his eyes, he summoned the Byakugan. Analyzing his surroundings, he came to the conclusion that it must have been just an animal. He released his Byakugan, and looked up through the treetops. His mind went back to when Izuchi snapped at him.

"You're too much of a showoff to even care about her."

Sighing, Ryuzo thought to himself, "Izuchi, if you really knew how I felt about your sister, you wouldn't have said that." He turned his gaze over to Izuchi, who was still sound asleep. His eyes widened as he got up. He ran over to where Izuchi was sleeping, and rolled him over. He stood up as he realized what he was looking at.

"Izuchi, you fool. What do you think you can honestly gain from this?" Ryuzo gathered his supplies and woke up Hayakanahane, who was disgruntled and still half asleep.

"Wassamadder? Wassgounon?" Ryuzo was quickly losing his patience.

"I need you to find Izuchi Sishomi. He's went missing, and I need to track him. Do you think you can find him?" The large bird looked up at his summoner bemused.

"Yeah, of course I can. Wait…where is he?" Ryuzo nearly lost his temper at this remark, but he kept his cool and shook his head. "Wait, you said he's missing, right? So I have to find him!" Ryuzo sighed.

"Yes, he's gone missing, and I need you to find him." He pointed over to the lump on the ground where Izuchi should be. "You see that over there?" The bird nodded. "He used a stuffed dummy in case I woke up and started walking around during the middle of the night. Unfortunately for him, he doesn't realize that he snores when he sleeps." Hayakanahane started to laugh uncontrollably. Ryuzo, who had finally lost all patience due to drowsiness and anger, grabbed the bird by the neck.

"Ahh, okay, okay, I'll go look for him!" the bird squawked. "Sheesh, didn't know you were so grumpy when you wake up." The creature spread its wings and took flight, quickly gaining altitude. Ryuzo summoned his Byakugan, and took to the treetops.

Tzikami walked through the destruction zone of the events that occurred a couple nights ago. His visible eye wandered over to the area where Izumi was trapped in her prison. She should have told him that she was claustrophobic. He would have intervened a lot sooner. He had been arrogant to think that his three students, two of which were Genin, could take on three powerful Chuunin. He put too much trust in Ryuzo.

"That won't happen again," he thought. "Not if I can do anything about it."

He looked over to where Iretsu had been filleted by the enormous amount of Kunai. Counting the number of holes in the ground, Tzikami could only think of one thing: overkill. Shaking his head, he moved on to where Izuchi had been disabled by Iretsu. It could be seen very well where Iretsu had driven him into the ground. It would have taken a lot of force to do that, which the human body normally wouldn't be able to take. However, Tzikami knew better. Izuchi had undergone special training to withstand his own Jutsu. Even Ryuzo wouldn't be able to withstand the power of Izuchi's special Jutsu. That's what set both of them apart: their Jutsu. If Ryuzo and Izuchi got into a fight, it would be tough to decide who would win.

"Then again," Tzikami thought, "Izumi would probably tear them from limb to limb if they ever fought each other. That reminds me, I need to go check up on her." He turned away from the battle-field, and made his way towards the village hospital. As he walked down the streets, his thoughts went back to the fight he had with Iru. "Earth Style, Crystal Chains Jutsu. Hmm…that's not your average Earth Jutsu. He must have fused his lightning element with his earth element to make a crystal element by rearranging the molecules. Very clever, Iru."

Ryuzo looked up as Hayakanahane flew down through the treetops.

"I found him," the bird stated. "He's up ahead, we're about to run into him." Sure enough, they came upon Izuchi, who had been hiding in the treetops. He scoffed as Ryuzo landed next to him.

"I already told you, I don't need your help." Ryuzo narrowed his eyes at Izuchi. "Just leave me alone and let me deal with these guys. I've already got a plan to take them out." Ryuzo looked at him for a moment, thinking.

"And what will you do when that plan doesn't work?" Izuchi shot an angry look at him.

"Oh, it'll work alright. It's fool-proof, there isn't any way it'll fall thr…" He stopped short. Ryuzo looked down and realized why: the two ninja they had been trailing had disappeared! "Dammit, now look what you've done!" Izuchi sped off before Ryuzo could say anything.

"Izuchi, you idiot." He trailed after him, cursing him along the way.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Tzikami looked down at Izumi, who was still in her coma. A nurse was currently in the room, checking the equipment and working on charts.

"Will she ever be able to recover enough to stay a Shinobi?" Tzikami already knew the answer, but he needed confirmation. He felt like he should hear it from someone else, so he knew that it was absolute. The nurse looked over at him with solemn eyes.

"The chances of her even being able to fight aren't great. I highly doubt that she'll be able to remain a Shinobi." Tzikami sighed, and sat down in one of the two chairs next to the bed.

"I figured as much," he said. "Even with the surgery, there's a chance that she'll end up becoming even more severely injured." He sighed, burying his face in his hands. The nurse looked at him with solemn eyes before leaving the room.

"IZUCHI!!" Ryuzo shouted as he sped after him, dodging the multiple branches that blocked his path. He shouted after him again, but Izuchi simply ignored him. Cursing violently, Ryuzo sliced a giant branch that he couldn't dodge with his Murasame blade. "What do you think you'll gain from this?! Huh?!" Izuchi landed on a branch and swiftly turned around to face him. Ryuzo stopped short, glaring at Izuchi.

"That rat is going to pay for what he did to my sister!" he shouted. His eyes reminded Ryuzo of a madman he had seen on the streets in the Hidden Cloud Village. "I don't care what it takes; I'm going to kill him myself!"

"You're acting like an idiot," Ryuzo snapped. "Do you honestly think Izumi would want you to become a killer?" Izuchi narrowed his eyes.

"It's like I said before," he said. Ryuzo stood there, confused. "What do you care about my sister?"

"Fine, you want the truth? I really l…" Ryuzo broke off, his eyes widening in shock. Izuchi stared at him, wondering what was wrong. Chills ran down his spine as an icy voice came from right behind him.

"Are you two girls finished, yet? Or should I come back?"

Chapter 17: The Diversion: Ibikimi Attacks

Izuchi's eyes widened as chills ran down his back. He hardly dared to turn and face the horror that stood behind him. He knew that voice, he had heard it in his dreams since the night the Raikage was attacked. Faint screams echoed through his head, though he couldn't tell if they were his own or someone else's. Through the abyss of phantasmal horrors and screams, he heard the voice once more.

"So, this is the Sishomi Prodigy? Not much to look at, considering he's a coward." Izuchi snapped out of his hypnotic state, clenching his fists. Memories he had sworn to forget started pouring over him. Suppressing his wavering doubt, he spoke up, forcing his voice not to crack or strain.

"You always did like to patronize me, didn't you?" He turned to face the person standing behind him. "I'll make you pay for what you did. You're nothing but a cowardly weasel." He stared hard into cold, blue, sinister eyes. He looked into the face of his evil past, daring himself to take action. "I'm going to make you suffer for conspiring with the enemy, for handing over Ryuzo to Iru!" Izuchi swung hard and fast at the ninja.

"No…" Ibikimi deftly held up a hand to block Izuchi's attack. Gripping hard into his hand, Ibikimi leaned closer to Izuchi, looking him dead in the eyes. "You are mistaken. I did not 'hand over' Ryuzo to Iru." Izuchi's eyes widened again. "You did."

Tzikami stood over Izumi, looking down at her with solemn eyes. Sorrow washed over him as he realized that he had failed her. He could have easily protected her, but instead, he left it up to Ryuzo. He silently cursed himself, wishing he had done something. Sighing, he turned to leave.

"Sensei, please don't go," came a soft voice from behind him. He turned around to see Izumi looking at him. She seemed weak and tired, as if she had been deprived of sleep for days. Smiling, he sat in the chair once again.

"You've been through quite an ordeal. How're you feeling?" Tzikami studied her intently, admiring her strength.

"Tired," she stated. "My body feels numb. How long have I been out of it?" Tzikami smiled again.

"2 days now. Ryuzo and Izuchi are out on a mission to capture your assailer." Izumi looked down at her bed sheets, narrowing her eyes in discomfort. She felt terrible that she put them in such a bind. Seeing her misery, Tzikami quickly changed the subject. "You did pretty well fighting those Chunin. I heard you defeated Kiatsu with a single blow. That's pretty impressive." Izumi half-heartedly smiled, knowing that her teacher was trying to make her feel better.

Izuchi tried to pull away his hand, but to no avail. However, that didn't discourage him from trying to psyche-out Ibikimi.

"You honestly think you can beat me? You've got another thing coming." Ibikimi scoffed, seeing right through Izuchi's ploy.

"What exactly do you plan on doing? You know as well as I do the chances you have of beating me." Izuchi scowled, cursing Ibikimi. "You and your childish games. When are you going to grow up, huh?" At this, Izuchi aimed a roundhouse kick to Ibikimi's side. Ibikimi wrapped his arm around Izuchi's leg, pinning it to his side. Izuchi cursed him again, furrowing his eyebrows in frustration. Ibikimi laughed maniacally, realizing his victory. However, to his surprise, Izuchi grinned. He only had a moment to figure out what was going to happen next, and dodged just in time. Ryuzo had appeared right behind him, with his Murasame out. He sliced at Ibikimi, who suddenly vanished from sight. Instead, the blade grazed Izuchi's tunic, cutting the sleeve. Ryuzo and Izuchi locked eyes for a moment, realizing what the outcome could've been. Sensing their weakness, Ibikimi made hand signs.

"Wind Style, Falcon Claw Jutsu!" He thrust his hands d as if he had claws. Powerful winds shot towards the two Cloud Ninja, who weren't expecting the attack. They were thrown back as the trees were torn to shreds. The razor sharp winds formed into the shape of claws, cutting the air like butter. "Not that easy, huh?" He watched as Ryuzo and Izuchi vanished in mid-air, and were replaced by wooden logs. "Substitution Jutsu, should've known." He briskly spun around as Ryuzo appeared behind him, striking at his chakra points. His hands became a blur as he struck at Ibikimi, who seemed to be able to dodge each attack. Even through the Byakugan, Ryuzo couldn't pinpoint his chakra points he was moving so fast.

"Fire Style, Flaming Fist Jutsu!" Izuchi sped out of the trees in a blur, his fists engulfed in flames. He came up from behind Ibikimi, aiming for his spine. Ibikimi, who had heard Izuchi's battle cry, turned his head towards Izuchi. Ryuzo, sensing the break in defense, aimed a precision blow to Ibikimi's blind spot, which happened to be the right side of his chest. With inhuman speed, Ibikimi grabbed Ryuzo's arm and kicked Izuchi square in the stomach. The flames surrounding Izuchi's hand went out, as he nearly lost consciousness. Combined with his fractured ribs and the force of the kick, the pain Izuchi experienced was nothing like he had ever felt before. Ibikimi looked at Ryuzo as he lowered his leg. Gathering his strength, he lifted Ryuzo by the arm and slung him into Izuchi. They were both thrown into a tree, sliding to the ground.

"Tzikami Sensei, can I ask you something?" Tzikami looked at Izumi curiously. He nodded. "Who were those ninja that attacked Lord Raikage?" Tzikami sighed, knowing that he should answer her question.

"They were mercenaries hired from the Village Hidden in the Rocks. I believe Iru hired them to distract you and the others so he could infiltrate the Raikage's mansion. The three Chunin you faced were Kima, Kiatsu, and Iretsu, all members of the Rock Village. They're all exceptionally skilled in the art of rock Jutsu, yet each of them with their own style. Iretsu was built mainly for speed, though not unacquainted with Ninjutsu. Kiatsu uses brute strength, crushing all opponents in his path. Kima, a cunning Kunoichi, uses mainly Ninjutsu. Each was specifically picked for this mission, not to capture or kill the Raikage, but to distract him and anyone who came in their way." Izumi looked down, as though something was still troubling her.

"But who was that Iru guy who attacked me?" Tzikami sighed again.

"Iru attacked and killed Ryuzo's mother when he was a baby," he said solemnly. Izumi gasped, struck with horror and grief. "The Raikage banished Iru from the Village many years ago, even before Ryuzo was born, because Iru tried to assassinate Ryuzo's mother. All because of the hatred Iru had for her and her Byakugan."

"I don't get it, why did Iru hate the Byakugan?"

"It was a sign that she was from the Village Hidden in the Leaves, which happens to be one of our rival villages. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, Iru posed as a war chief that signed a fake treaty with the Hidden Leaf village in order to gain the knowledge of the Byakugan. He had hired a bunch of thugs from the Rock Village to pose as Cloud Village Ninjas as a masquerade to gain trust with the Hokage, which is the leader of the Leaf Village. He then had one of his henchmen sneak into the Hyuuga clan's mansion and kidnap one of the Hyuuga children. However, the plan failed as the henchman was killed by another Hyuuga member. Out of frustration, Iru demanded that another Hyuuga member be held accountable and killed. So, he ordered one of the Main Branch Hyuuga members be killed and handed over to him. However, he didn't take into account that the person they selected had a twin brother, who had a seal to lock away the power of the Byakugan once they were killed. So, Iru gave up on the Hidden Leaf village, and began to focus on plans to kidnap Ryuzo. However, I believe the Tsuchikage lost faith in Iru. It probably took several years to gain back his trust, then several more years of planning."

Ryuzo stood up slowly, not due to pain, but to anger. It frustrated him that he was out-maneuvered so easily, and he knew he was better than that. He looked down at Izuchi, cursing Ibikimi. He looked up at him with loathsome eyes.

"All right, let's finish this here and now…"

"No!" Ryuzo stopped shortly, taken aback. He turned around and looked down, watching as Izuchi struggled to his feet. "This is my fight," said Izuchi. "You go after Iru; I can take care of Ibikimi." Ryuzo gazed at him with admiration.

"Why is this so important to you? I thought you wanted to kill Iru for what he did." Izuchi smiled, which surprised Ryuzo.

"Yeah, I would love to wring his neck with my hands, but that'll have to wait. This is something that has been going on for years." Ryuzo became confused. "I can't explain everything, but I'll say this: Ibikimi is an old friend of mine, and he betrayed me and my family."

"Heh, if you considered us friends. All we did was spar together everyday." Ibikimi clinched his fists at the thought. "You must be extremely naïve if you thought we were friends."

"That's why I want to settle this. I'm going to make you pay for deceiving me, for attacking my family, and hurting my sister!" Flames started to engulf his fists again, as spite flowed through his veins. "But most of all….I'm going to make you pay for killing my father!"