Disclaimer: I own nothing but a pair of purple boots and a set of skulls - neither of which have anything to do with what is written below.
Author's Note: Some of you clever clogs may recognise the links between this fic and the effects of the black blood in Soul Eater - and you'd be right. This is inspired by that very same substance, with a little tweaking on my part. While it may not make sense yet, it will all become clear in the end. I hope.
Black Blood
Chapter One: Impulse
"Who will fight me?" roared the immortal.
No response came.
The Konoha bastards were all cowards, thought the zealot.
"Who will fight me for his body?" he repeated, kicking the silver haired shinobi's corpse.
It rolled limply, revealing his bloodstained face.
At last a bubblegum haired kunoichi stepped forward, her eyes burning with rage.
One of the girl's companions took her arm, pulling her back.
Angrily she wrenched herself free.
"I will fight you." she said calmly as she stepped forward.
Clear jade met defiant violet.
The silver haired immortal nodded, a smug grin playing on his lips.
"Bring it on, bitch!" he exclaimed, flexing his fingers on the staff of his beloved scythe.
This could be interesting.
Sakura took a deep breath.
Taking in Kakashi-sensei's broken form she steeled herself.
The zealot was incredibly powerful.
Sakura was certain that the results of her experiment could combat the immortal's technique.
Regardless, risks were great.
If it didn't activate….
No. There was no time for second-guessing.
Without a backward glance at her companions she ran headfirst into battle.
The zealot leapt forward, swinging his scythe at the oncoming kunoichi.
Sakura dodged it with ease.
Twisting into a back flip she cleared the blades.
Using the momentum of her flip she drove the scythe into the ground with a well-timed kick, springing off it and landing out of reach.
A grin came to life on the immortal's face.
Pulling hard on the cord attached to the scythe, he tore it from the earth, sending a cloud of dirt into the air.
The blades of the scythe emerged above her, masked by the dust cloud.
Sakura's impassive expression did not change as the scythe plummeted towards her.
The kunoichi did not fear death.
Seconds before impact she simply sidestepped out of the way, a smirk playing on her lips.
At this Hidan charged forward, freeing the scythe from the ground with a flick of his wrist.
This time the scythe came from behind, threatening to impale her.
The slightest graze would spell her doom.
In a reckless move, the kunoichi leapt upwards, the scythe passing harmlessly beneath her.
Before the immortal could regain control, Sakura took a chance and drove her foot down, stepping down hard on the steel cord.
The scythe whipped back towards her of it's own accord.
Leaping again, she manipulated the staff of the scythe with her feet, driving the three blades into the ground, landing on the staff itself.
The stem of the weapon wavered but held her weight.
Sakura stepped forward towards the end of the staff, away from the blades – towering over the immortal.
The immortal glared up at her before pulling on the metal cord hard.
Before the scythe came free, Sakura leapt upwards, allowing the weapon to fly towards its master at full speed.
A frown creased the zealot's forehead as he fought for the control of his weapon.
Sakura landed in a crouch, glaring up at the immortal.
Without a word, he flung the scythe out wide to the left and charged at her, his face a mask of concentration.
Offensive or defensive.
In any other situation, she would have chosen defensive.
Hell, even the most inexperienced rookie would know to play defensive against an opponent of this calibre.
The creature running at her had taken down Kakashi without breaking a sweat.
Sakura spared a glance to his crumpled form.
This was for him, she reminded herself.
A tactical retreat was the logical move.
Impulse dictated otherwise.
Before she could second-guess her decision, she ran towards her opponent.
Surprise flickered across his features.
Keeping her body low, she drew a kunai from her pouch, holding it in a defensive position before her chest.
A maniacal laugh leapt from the immortal's lips as he closed in on her.
The scythe whipped around, closing off any chance of escape.
Escape was the last thing on her mind.
Seconds before impact, the bubblegum leapt into the air, clearing the zealot easily.
It was now or never.
As he turned to face her, Sakura turned on her heel and drove her kunai into the immortal's exposed abdomen with both hands.
A harsh cry of pain escaped his lips, followed by an expletive.
Deep crimson spurted out, splattering to the ground.
"Hidan!" roared the immortal's companion, his odd eyes locked on his partner.
The kunoichi twisted the blade and more blood spilled forth, staining her hands a deep red.
Hidan's face was a mask of shock.
The zealot rocked back, his eyes wide.
Before the kunoichi could register the movement, his hand snaked our and his long fingers wrapped around her wrist in a grip of iron.
"You dared…" he wheezed as he pulled her hand and subsequently the blade from his abdomen.
A flick of his wrist embedded the scythe into her back.
Pain blossomed, her vision dancing with stars.
A gasp escaped her lips, followed by a cry of pain as her body registered the face that three blades were pressing into her internal organs.
Gritting her teeth she glared up at him.
"You dared to die." he breathed, a maniacal grin lighting up his face.
At this Sakura shook her head.
"No." retorted the kunoichi wincing in pain.
Pulling her body off his blades, she shot him a grin to match his own.
Black blood dripped from the kunoichi's wounds, pooling at their feet.
"I did no such thing." she replied as the dark liquid oozed from her lips, forced up by her damaged lungs.
The blow should have killed her.
Ordinarily, it would have.
A knowing smirk was playing on the bubblegum haired kunoichi's stained lips.
"I cannot die." she rasped.
Hidan felt something that shook him to the very core of his being. Something that he had not felt at this intensity for years. Something that his victims were very familiar with.
Fear.
[EndChapterOne]