Chapter II: A Battle of Nudity and Blood
"You'll pay for that, you bitch!" exclaimed the onyx-haired man, his brown eyes wavering as he stared down at his dead silver haired companion. The red haired woman had turned the boy's own blade on him, and ran it straight through his heart-immediately killing him.
Kasai triumphantly held his sword in her left hand and kept her foot pressed down upon his crimson soaked back. "If you think so, then show me." she retorted, to add on to that profound shrewd confidence she had propped the blade atop her bare shoulder with a smirk. "Honestly, I don't think any of you stand a chance. You're too under-skilled for someone of my stature."
"That's it!" Cried out one of the goons, shoving past his boss, he ran toward her, brandishing his sai wildly.
Heaving out a sigh, the female dropped the sword to the ground and performed swift hand signs. Suddenly a raging torrent of water swirled behind out her-forming from the hot spring's herbal liquid-and aiming to exterminate the last three men in one hard blast. "Water Style: Giant Vortex Jutsu!" she shouted as the roaring chakra-infused wave charged into the three men-instantly obliterating them.
Once the water had cleared, she glanced down at the man she'd killed early and raised an eyebrow. That katana might come in handy, she thought.
Bending back down, she picked up the blood soaked blade as well as
the scabbard from the man's back. Glancing down to the lifeless bodies of the mercenaries, she scoffed. "I have no pity for any of you . . . Pathetic bastards."
Stepping over the bloodied bodies, she entered the room to get dressed. "At least I got to clean up a bit." she grumbled, as she ran a hand through her damp tresses.
But, I can't help but wonder why the hell they were hunting me down? Did I do something wrong by turning down that old man's dumplings?
Rolling her eyes, she came to the conclusion that it didn't matter anymore-she was dressed and ready to venture once more.
Looking at the far wall, she noticed that her attack had shattered some of the boards, sweat dropping she rummaged through her right hip's pouch. "So much for only paying for the night," she sighed. "It looks like I'll be paying for the damage I've caused too." she said as she placed the sufficient amount of ryo on the bed roll.
Walking over to the window, she slid it open and crawled through it. The ground was nearly five feet down, which in her opinion made getting out far less tedious than jumping out of a higher up one.
Crawling out into the alleyway, she stood, dusted her hands off and pulled the hood back over her head-darkening her features to make herself even less noticeable-and tied her hair back into a small, low ponytail.
Exiting the alleyway, she calmly entered the street; not many villagers were out at this time of day because they knew the dangers of the night and the many thugs that lurked about. Kasai, however, didn't mind a battle every now and then. She buried her hands deep into her pockets as she walked, avoiding eye contact with every human she passed, even when they had called out to her-not by name of course.
"Hey, you!" shouted a masculine voice from behind her-she ignored it and picked her stride up to a fast walk. The man had easily managed to match her speed, causing her to pick it up to a run-the pursuer was still capable of keeping up with her.
She had managed to reach the edge of the forest before she was tackled to the ground. Her hood had fell down, revealing her red hair.
"Eragh! What th-" The man cuffed a hand over her mouth before she could finish. Tilting her head to the side slightly, she glared up at him, her eyes suddenly widened when she saw the man's long violet hair and dark brown eyes.
"Kasai!" he cooed, his eyes glistened with joy and his unlined face was brightened up by his massive grin. Kasai muffled something incoherent; realizing it was fine to remove his hand, he did so.
"Yasushi! Where have you been?! I thought you di-!"
Yasushi cupped his hand back over the loud female's mouth again. "I will never understand you. You're quiet and collected one minute then the next you're loud and panicked; will you make up your mind, you big idiot?"
Kasai's face blushed a bright pink as a smirk curled at the edges of Yasushi's lips. Moving his hand away from her face, she smiled affectionately before lunging at him, her arms immediately wrapping around his neck. "I thought everyone died."
A frown corrupted Yasushi's smile, as he latched his hands firmly on her shoulders and gently pushed her off of him. "Kasai, they did die. You and I . . . We're all that's left of the Uzumaki clan," he paused. "I'm the only one who actually stuck around here; you do know that some left a few years before that night, but-" Noticing that tears had filled her eyes and that she was sniffling quietly to herself; he hushed his words. "Oh, I'm . . . I'm so sorry, I forgot all about . . . Your family."
Wiping at the shed emotion that had drenched her cheeks, she stared up at him. "It's alright, I . . . I just hate thinking about the past and how much everything's changed . . . I must leave this land anyways."
Yasushi stood to his feet, holding out his hand, he helped Kasai to hers.
"You don't have to leave, you know? I'm perfectly fine with letting you stay wi-"
His words were cut short by an angered female shouting from down the street near the inn. "Where is she?! Where's that damn Uzumaki woman?She destroyed my inn!" There was a sudden uproar from what remained of the civilians in the street.
"You didn't . . . Did you, Kasai?" Yasushi's face took on a look of sheer horror.
"Ah heh, I might have.." she sheepishly replied as she rubbed the back of her neck.
Yasushi shook his head, in disapproval. "I should've known; you always knew how to anger nearly every villager back in the days." he chuckled and glanced back down the street-no one had chosen to come their way yet.
"Yeah, I did have quite the talent when it came to getting on people's bad sides and speaking of back-in-the-days," She eyed Yasushi's chiseled jaw and toned arms. "You lost all of your baby fat."
Her comment caused him to sweat drop. "That's what happens when you get through puberty and work out," he paused. "Kasai, you better get going, if I'm caught talking to you, they'll think I'm a trai-"
"We'll think you're a treacherous bastard, that's what we'll think you are."
How Kasai and Yasushi hadn't heard the mob behind them, they'd never know. Whirling around, their eyes were met by those of nearly forty angry villagers and a rather large man in what looked to be a chef's outfit towering in the front.
"Oh please, don't let us disturb your conversation." the goliath man said, unsheathing the bamboo-hilted katana on his side.
Yasushi shoved Kasai behind him. "I won't let you hurt her!" he shouted, opening his left thigh's weapons' pouch, pulling out a kunai.
"So . . . one of our very own ninja is going to try and take out the very people who took him in and taught him the skills he knows today?" inquired the bulky man as he propped his blade upon his white cloak-covered shoulders.
"Kasai, when I say run, I want you to take off through the forest, I'll be right behind you."
"I'm not defenseless, Yasushi!" Kasai fumed, rather irked by the fact that he'd seemingly considered her to be a feeble, weak child.
The arrogant man with the bamboo hilted sword stopped their conversation when he came at them.
"Run!" Yasushi ordered, throwing down a smoke bomb, the gray cloud provided enough of a distraction so that both Uzumaki could quickly escape through the green shrubbery.
They had been running for nearly an hour, their pained breathing had began breaking their pace.
"I think we're far enough; the villagers never come into these woods." Yasushi halted and dropped to his knees as Kasai followed example and did the same.
"What do you mean? Why won't they?" she asked, reaching over to the ground next to her, she picked up an apple that had fallen from the tree above.
"This forest is infested with many dangerous creatures, as well as many poisonous plants." Kasai stopped her hand mid-air with the apple gripped within it, glancing to it, she slowly pulled it away and stared worriedly at it. "That's not poisonous, so you should be fine." he chuckled.
Nodding her head, she bit into the crisp fruit.
"So where exactly were you planning to go next?" Yasushi asked whilst wiping away the tiny beads of sweat on his forehead.
"I wasn't planning to leave the Land of Eddies so soon, but since Uzumaki aren't too welcomed there anymore, then I guess my next stop will be the Land of Fire." She replies, swallowing the heap of chewed apple in her mouth.
"Isn't Konohagakure somewhere within that vicinity?" Yasushi probes, in return, Kasai nods. "It sure is, I heard that that was where my cousin had to go." She replies, tossing the apple aside and wiping at any excess on her mouth. "I wonder how she's doing, knowing her she's probably in prison." Kasai jokes to herself, glancing to the leaves hanging above her head that are swaying with the cool night breeze. "Kushina? She was such a bully to me!" Yasushi squawked, remembering the time she had stolen his candy bar then punched him for trying to get it back.
"It will be good to get to see her again." Kasai retorted, laying down on the cold grass and propping her hand under her head for neck support. "It feels like just yesterday, you and I were playing by the ocean and Kushina was sitting with her mother and mine, just watching us. We were only four, but if memory serves correctly she was around six if not seven, that was around the age she left too." Kasai blandly stated, closing her eyes to rest.
"So, nearly twenty four years has passed. Boy, do I feel old, I'm already halfway dead." The red-haired Uzumaki comments, giggling to herself as she allowed her mind to rest and succumb to rest.