THE HORRORS OF SIKIRIU UCHIHA: WARRING STATES
Rain fell heavily from fat and gray clouds that hid the summer sky. A Kunoichi dressed in sable-black robes stood at the edge of a vast forest as leaves whispered quietly, spurred on by the voice of the wind. A belt gripped her waist, and on her back a scythe waited, poking just above her long and ebony hair.
Below her a deep valley rested and within that valley, a small fortress stood unopposed. Flags bearing the sigil of the Uchiha no Tani waved proudly above raised battlements and hastily erected sentry towers. The Kunoichi spotted caravans of concealed goods entering the settlement, guarded by shinobi who wore gray plated armor with large maroon circles drawn on their center chest plates.
"So it's true." The Kunoichi said as she turned her head to the forest behind her.
"Trade with the Hi No Kuni?" A voice inquired.
The girl nodded.
A small dove, entirely white in color, poked a pink beak through the green brush and perched itself on the Kunoichi's shoulder. The dove's eyes bore the Sharingan, each one fully evolved to three tomoe.
"Then I don't need to tell you what you need to do." The dove said smoothly with a soft but commanding voice.
"Sikiriu Uchiha- you are to destroy the Tani."
"Hurry." Sesomaru's viridian hair bounced against pale cheeks, illuminated by flames that surrounded the forest.
Trees snapped violently in explosive rage, crumbling underneath waves of deep maroon fire, hailing from above in crumbling plumes.
"So this is the Magma style of Minaju Senju.." Kokomo rasped slowly. Sesomaru's purple eyes shifted to shoot the young Uchiha a disapproving glare.
"This is nothing we haven't faced before! Stand strong. We're almost to the border. They can't follow us into the Land of Rivers.. not unless they want to start a conflict with the land of Fire."
It had been nearly twelve of them at first. But now, it was just two.
Sesomaru vaulted onto a tree, tiny embers crossing his face like floating lamps. The fire roared around him, deafening the sound of his thudding heart as tired lungs labored for breath.
Kokomo softly alighted beside him, branch bending underneath her lithe body.
Sharp ebony hair framed her up turned eyes, which glowed the color blood red. Each of her Sharingan bore only one tomoe.
"What's wrong? What happened to that confidence you had earlier?" Kokomo's eyes narrowed as she bent her branch lower towards Sesomaru.
"You aren't thinking of surrendering are you? It doesn't matter if he's a Senju...He's working with Tokhta Kaguya. You know they won't spare us."
Sesomaru clapped his hands together while chakra began to infuse within his body.
"We'll have to make our stand here." He said grimly.
"Why?"
"Look at the smoke. It's not just surrounding us. It's coming from ahead of us. He fired his jutsu ahead too, and if we keep running the flames will have made escape impossible."
Kokomo tsk'd, pulling a black sleeve from a thin arm. Sealing jutsu crawled across her skin. She slapped her free hand against her painted flesh and within a plume of grand smoke, a bow fell. Catching the bow with trained practice, Kokomo's cursed pupils met Sesomaru's as the latter opened his eyes.
"I've finally caught up to you."
The voice was soft, yet somehow Sesomaru could hear it above the flames. In a way, he almost felt Minaju. His skin prickled as fear truly did begin to sink into his heart.
"Sesomaru!" Kokomo yelled as the young shinobi felt heat pressed against his chest. Opening his eyes wide, he saw Minaju directly above him with his fist fully cloaked in fiery chakra.
"Magma Style: Corroding Phoenix!"
A deep boom roared between the two as earth, and then fire, warped into a vortex of dripping heat.
"Water Style: crimson river barrier technique!"
Sesomaru lurched as chakra streamed from his body while he was blown backwards. His vision shook violently as shadowy water sprang up from where he formerly was perched.
Smoke hissed into a bedlam of life as the two jutsu met in a horrendous clash. Strong arms caught Sesomaru, and he turned to see Kokomo's face pressed against his as she aided him to his feet.
"see you've been practicing." Kokomo congratulated as Minaju landed before them.
"Let's hope your training was worth it." She finished as the Senju stalked forward.
Sesomaru steadied himself and looked at the man. He was small, barely reaching a meter and a half in in height. His skin was the color of light wood, and blazoned ebony hair was pulled backwards, forming a zig-zaging ponytail that reached his waist.
He wore a dark red kimono peckered with thousands of multi-colored birds, wings spread in a rainbow of migration across his body.
Surprisingly soft eyes found themselves on a vibrant and youthful face, but his pupils held a certain darkness in their black simplicity, and despite his friendly demeanor, he carried the intent kill.
"Minaju Senju.." Sesomaru placed a foot forward as he forced his body to infuse chakra. After his last Justu, his reserves were running low.
It will have to be simple and quick.
He nodded towards Kokomo, who began flexing her fingers on her bow. Four seals had been inscribed onto the back and base of her bow by an ancient fuinjutsu practitioner. With this, she could cast justu with ease.
"Hello." Minaju said, using full honorifics.
"I'm sorry that war has made us cross paths like this. I truly wish there was another way." He said respectfully.
Kokomo's sharingan suddenly flexed towards Sesomaru.
"Above!" She shouted, zipping backwards as thin spears of molten stone rained from on high. Sesomaru gasped as four prongs stabbed into his lungs, forcing air out of his mouth, coupled with gurgles of blood.
Minaju sprung forward, clapping his hands together. A wellspring of chakra exploded from within him, and two dragon-like abominations with fiery eyes and burning mouths slithered forth in terrifying speed.
Sessomaru's body brutally exploded in a roaring burst of thick, black smoke in the teeth of Minaju's Jutsu. The attacking Senju's eyes instantly flicked to his right, and he flexed his torso backwards in mid air, catching an arrow that zipped by his face.
"Bonded curse carving technique!" Kokomo shouted as she leapt through the flames of Sesomaru's corpse. Minaju tch'd as Kokomo's arrow suddenly began to glow as red kanji infected Minaju's hand. Then, the projectile dissipated in smoke.
A clap of chakra hoo'd in the air- Minaju was suddenly throttled sideways as an arrow appeared directly embedded in his torso.
He was pulled into the trees to his left, hitting them heavily with a loud crash. Blood splayed across the trunk of the tree he was pinned to, while intestines lopped lazily from his rent kimono.
Kokomo's eyes danced to the ground directly beneath her.
Her justu increased the velocity of any arrow she had cast, and allowed her to summon the arrow on her attackers body. But something was wrong..
I have to be-
Trained nerves flexed honed legs to force her to somersault backwards while soft ebbings of heat were felt passing her body. She oriented herself as her sharingan bounced within her eye sockets.
She was barely keeping up with Minaju, who erupted from a smoldering tunnel underneath her, all the while his doomed clone clumped into wet embers.
"You're an excellent sensory type!" Minaju congratulated as he closed the distance between them with one jump. Crashing her bow into his fist, she clapped the curving weapon's stem.
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" She roared a curling and embering ball of flame into existence, and it came crashing down on Minaju.
Kokomo landed on the ground on the balls of her feet, while a great symphony of smoke unfurled from a meters-wide crater.
The young Uchiha offshoot gave labored breaths while trees continued to crumble and fall to the forest floor, sending gusts of fire across her small face.
"So this is the famous Jutsu of the Uchiha no Kuni? Not nearly as impressive as your other cousins, unfortunately."
Minaju stepped from shifting smoke in a cloak of viscous-like magma, seemingly unfazed by the incredible heat that it gave off.
But in seconds, the shield shattered- a flash of silver, smaller than Kokomo's arrowheads- dashed through Minaju's barrier, and cut the flesh of his lower exposed ankle.
"I see!" He roared in annoyance as he attempted to turn towards Sesomaru, who advanced from behind while his hands hastily signed.
"Water Style: Enclosing mist!" Sesomaru shouted as vapor overtook his body. It distorted the view of Sesomaru's movements, as his particles of water arranged into mist affected Minaju's perception of light.
Minaju threw a punch towards Sesomaru, who curled around it while calling a kunai from his sleeve. Kokomo summoned an arrow with a slap of her palm, stringing it while running forward.
"Multiple Arrow Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Kokomo said as her arrow left her bow, and multiplied by twenty. Sesomaru primed his weapon towards Minaju's kidneys.
We have him- they both simultaneously thought.
But then-
A hand constructed of molten earth curled from the ground, catching Kokomo's arrows with bubbling palms.
Minaju's index finger, armored by instantly cooled lava, held back Sesomaru's struggling kunai..
"I can see why you two survived." Minaju said coolly. He turned suddenly with a smirk, catching Sesomaru off-guard. A whirling kick caught the ninja in the stomach, sending him crashing backwards into the forest, and closer to the encroaching wall of fire.
Kokomo dismissed her bow and sped forth. Minaju twirled on his feet to meet her. He vipered a fist and aimed it for her eyes, and the uchiha effortlessly ducked and pushed his hand away.
"Oh?" Minaju said, impressed as he watched her arms and slight subtle movements in her muscles, as opposed to meeting her gaze.
Kokomo unleashed a flurry of blows towards Minaju. The Senju warrior was smart- he didn't try evading as her eyes would see his intents. He simply became a resolute wall- absorbing and deflecting her punches with slight taps on the tops of her palms.
A whip of water twirled around Minaju's neck. It tightened in a hissing spout coming from Sesomaru, who emerged from the brush with a mouth that bore a trail of fresh blood.
Minjau bent forward and sent a wave of pulsating heat that caused Kokomo to fly hurtling backwards, and melted Sesomaru's jutsu.
Minaju primed to leap for Sesomaru, but suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"You're here." He said.
Kokomo jumped to her feet.
"Uishuji.." She whispered.
"I'm sorry. I came as fast as I could". Uishuji said quickly. The Senju of Fire's long black hair bounced against a tan forehead, while the rest of his locks fell towards the points of his cheekbones.
Slanted eyes bearing night black pupils appraised Minaju. Uishuji was dressed in deep red armor, plated with a long collar that framed his face. Underneath he wore a simple black tunic and a belt of scrolled jutsu hugged his waist.
"Sesomaru..."
Kokomo's eyes fluttered before turning black, staring from a pretty face covered in smut.
"He's low on chakra." She continued, "I'm managing, but we've been on the defensive ever since."
Kokomo's voice rasped over the sound of crumbling wood while Uishuji stepped forward.
Sesomaru's face melted into palpable relief when tired eyes saw Uishuji, and he fell to the ground while tears streamed down his cheeks.
"And everyone else?" Uishuji asked softly.
"Dead." Kokomo answered as she ran past the two Senju to aid Sesomaru. Minaju didn't move to stop her as he turned fully to Uishuji.
"Oh." He said with a smile.
"I was about to kill your friends."