Loveless: Act 1

By The Curse of the Damned

Chapter Two-The Dance of Eternity

Genesis stared at the log that his blade had pierced, the same thing that had replaced a human body. This chunk of wood was supposed to the silver haired soldier, a man that he thought he had ended. How was it even possible; to replace a body with some sort of object? If these assassins were capable of this what else were they capable of?"

But another question struck the swordsman's mind. If this silver haired man was now a log then where did the one eyed warrior disappear to?

Looking forward the redhead saw Kakashi, blood dripping down his left arm. His crimson stained fingers twitched in pain. His loan black eye glared daggers at the man with no chakra.

Genesis returned the glare with a simple smile, as if to insult his opponent and a gesture as he took a half step forward. "You soldiers impress me more and more as the battle persists." His hand lightly touched the hilt, keeping it within reach. "Care to share how you do it?"

"And why would I teach an enemy?"

Genesis shrugged slightly at the question. "Out of the goodness of your heart?"

Kakashi growled as he took a steady taijutsu stance. He cringed as pain shot through his arm. This man had almost left his left arm useless.

This fight had to end now.

For Naruto's sake.

"Let's just get this over with," the jounin spoke in a growl

Genesis stared at the man with an intrigued stare as Kakashi gripped the headband with the metal plate and the mask that had covered half of his face. The redhead knew that there was something that the shinobi was hiding.

Something of immense power.

Kakashi revealed his sharingan eye, a thick scar running up and down the crimson orb.

He remembered how he got it, how it was that painful reminder of whom he was, who he used to be.

With a quick shake of the head, his eyes locked on the man in strange clothes. This was no time to reminisce about pain.

Genesis gripped his broadsword tightly, his eyes keeping on the silver haired man's movements. That eye looked demonic, glowing red like blood. It was like nothing he had ever seen.

"So I take it that eye of yours is a secret weapon?"

Kakashi nodded as his hand slid to his kunai holster, grabbing a kunai. His eyes narrowed as he crouched, his toned muscles tensing.

In a flash they moved, Kakashi sprinting towards Genesis, his blade gripped in his hands. The SOLDIER narrowed his eyes, moving his sword, chucking the log at the sprinting man.

Kakashi moved quick, shifting his weight to the side, dodging the wood. This man in the strange helmet was a soldier of death. He knew what the horrors of killing were and the nightmares the told.

Just as Kakashi knew.

With the quick flick of the wrist, Kakashi flung his kunai at the man, aiming to kill, before drawing two more. With a quick push of his feet, he sped towards the swordsman.

Genesis glared at the incoming knife. He knew he didn't have any time to dodge it. With a cringe in pain, he blocked it with his forearm. He could feel the tip rip its way into the muscle, warm blood dripping from the wound.

But he had no time for the pain.

His blade gracefully moved through the air in precise strokes, clanging against the scarecrow's twin kunai. His body moved like a ballerina, dodging the strikes death. He lashed his sword out every so often in an attempt to strike this demon eyed man down.

But this man with the crimson eye knew every move that Genesis could make. Every slash, every swing, every strike was predicted. The silver haired man struck with precision only a surgeon could admire, using one to focus and the other to lick at the redheaded man's skin.

Genesis jumped back, Kakashi's kunai licking the skin once again, cutting through the thick cloth of his turtle neck and scratching the flesh. His breathing was heavy as he stared at his body, examining the wounds. All of them were minor, stinging only slightly as the light wind brushed against them. The only one that caused him any real pain was the large gash in his bicep, his arm stained in crimson streaks.

His eyes locked onto Kakashi, staring at the man with a dark stare. A smile graced his lips as he stood up straight, noting that the shinobi in front of him mimicking in the same fashion. "You are good." His blade flicked as he went into a basic stance.

His eyes narrowed as he watched the silver haired man once again mock his actions, dropping the kunai in his left hand. It was like this scarecrow was a human mirror.

Kakashi glared, knowing that his simple genjutsu was working. It would not be long before this man wad falling victim to the infamous 'future sight' that he was known for. It was simple, all the victim had to do was stare into his sharingan eye and the man with the single red eye would then use simple suggestions based on what he saw from their strike pattern. It did not matter if they were covered by some form of lens or not, just as long as they looked into his eye.

But there was one thing that bothered the seasoned shinobi.

The man in strange clothes had some powers that he had never seen before. Kakashi had seen men walk on water, breathe fire, control the water, and become earth. He had seen the horrors of war and the mysteries of love. But he had never seen anyone use the energy that this helmeted man had shown. It was not an attack of pure chakra.

No, he would have felt it if it was.

He could feel none of the familiar powers that chakra had in that pulse of energy. In fact, he could feel none of the power that was behind that blast; only watch the strength it held.

It was unnerving.

It was unnerving that he could not predict what else he could do with that energy. He hated not knowing what his opponent could possibly do.

The two moved once again in a flash of steel, moving in unison. Their strikes were precise, skilled, clanging together with metallic rings. Their muscles rippled and convulsed as they attacked the other. They were titans of war in their own right, knowing the sorrows of war.

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Kabuto groaned as he came to, hearing the infamous clash of blades. Each strike that he heard sent shivers of excitement down his spine. His dark eyes lifted towards what he heard, noting the man with no chakra and Kakashi were striking blows at each other. A small smile passed his lips as he watched for a bit, examining Kakashi a bit closer. It was not everyday that one would see the Kopi Ninja use his sharingan.

To the white haired man, it was truly a sight to behold.

And the man in the strange clothes was no joke at fighting either, his skills being on par with most jounin in Genso no Kuni. What made him deadlier was his lack of notoriety. Kabuto's and Kakashi's skills were somewhat known.

This man's was not.

The white haired medic-nin shook his head as he looked towards Naruto's body, a wicked grin forming as he noticed that the blonde was still alive.

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Genesis's eyes hardened as he slashed, only to be knocked away in a similar fashion. This man was mirroring every move, every strike, every motion that the redhead had made. It was as if the silver haired was him, like the he was inside of the swordsman's head.

His eyes traveled to the former cyclopean's face, his eyes widening in shock.

There stood in front of him was an exact replica, mimicking every move, helmet and sword included. 'So this is his game. This is what that eye can do.' Every aspect that Genesis had portrayed the double had copied almost exactly.

Almost being the keyword.

The silver haired man hidden by illusions still had no idea what the redhead was capable of.

"Copy this!"

Stretching his arm outwards for a brief moment, Genesis focused the addicting mako energy with the dangerous red glow through his hand. He then proceeded to slam his mako enhanced hand on Kakashi's face.

But Kakashi saw it coming, using his spare arm to slam the hand away. The energy pulsed from the hand, blasting out of it with great force. The Kopi Ninja could feel the energy pulse from the hand, causing his whole arm to numb slightly. The power that this energy produced was mind-boggling. He could not even begin to fathom what Kabuto had felt.

But the Konoha shinobi was broken out of hid thoughts as he heard Kabuto speak out.

"I would stop where you are if I were you gentlemen."

Their bodies stopped in motion, slowly separating themselves as their heads turned to the white haired man with eyes wide with shock. There he stood with Naruto in his arms, a unique kunai pressed against the blonde's neck. "Either one of you move towards me and I'll end his life."

Kakashi stiffened, reoccurring memories bombarding his mind. Stone walls replaced the open air. His breathing hitched as he saw Naruto changed into an old comrade.

'No!'

His eyes squeezed closed as he repressed the memory. This was not the time. This was not the place.

"Old memories stirring up Kakashi-san?"

That sentence had struck a cord on the older man.

Kakashi growled, his eyes opening up to reveal a fire of hate. His body moved hastily, twitching slightly as he drew another kunai only to be stopped mid-stroke.

"Ah, ah, ah, I wouldn't try that if I were you." His voice was as cold as ever, his kunai moving slightly. His pale lips curved into a sadistic smile, his dark eyes watching Kakashi back down with a stone glare. Kabuto enjoyed this power. The feeling of bending those who oppose him to his will was exhilarating.

Almost like a drug.

"Good boy."

Kakashi glared daggers at the former Konoha shinobi, pocketing his kunai. This was not good. Kabuto had a heavily injured Naruto, knowing where that fist sized hole came from. And to make matters a little worse, he was sure that the person responsible for the blondes heavy wounds was now on his way to great the forsaken snake responsible for all this.

Without him Sasuke would not have left. Without him there would have been no invasion. Without him numbers of people would have lives. Without him Sarutobi, the magnificent Sandaime Hokage, the mighty Professor would still be alive.

But most of all, without the snake that had acted more like a dangerous cancer, Naruto would have never been in this condition.

But ultimately, the silver haired man relented, moving back a half step, closing off his sharingan eyes. "What do you want?" His voice was like poison to the ears, full hatred centered towards Orichimaru's right-hand man.

Genesis looked at Kakashi, his brow raised in question. The man with terrifying power gave up. The man with incredible skill had relented. The man with the demon eye of illusion had forsaken the fight. All for a life. It seemed so...surreal. That this man would even think about about giving up.

His attention turned to the young man responsible for breaking the incredible man into giving up with a small smirk plastered onto his face. He took a slow step forward, his heel smashing down to the ground first as the rest of the foot pivoting with the ankle as he stepped.

"Go ahead and do it."

Kabuto's hand twitched as he moved the blade closer to the downed blonde's neck. "Take another step and I'll kill him!" His his usually stone cold voice held sadistic undertones was now in shambles. In its place was now a shaky voice full of anxiety.

His smirk widened slightly at the sound of the white haired man's shaky voice, taking another slow stride forward. His sword swung through the air as he placed the sword on his back. "You don't want to. If you had any of the competence that you displayed earlier then you would have killed Naruto and left."

"Shut up!"

Kakashi examined the scene with a critical eye. This was an extremely delicate situation and should be treated as such. Yet the strange man with the unreal power was blatantly taking a walk of faith with a life. The silver haired man knew it was in the swordsman's best interest to have Naruto alive just as it was his. But much to Kakashi's chagrin, the man with no chakra did not treat it like a hostage situation, like there was not a life at stake. "What's the matter with you?"

Genesis turned his head, looking over his shoulder with the same smirk he had towards Kabuto. "Now, now, be quite. Mommy and daddy are talking."

The silver haired man stared at the man with a heated glare but stayed quiet. There was something that intrigued the man. 'Just what is your game?'

Genesis turned his attention back to the skilled medic-nin. "As I said before, if you wanted to kill him you would have and just left. You wouldn't have bothered to get our attention. No, there is something more." His shoulders shrugged slightly in a mocking gesture. "There has to be if you're holding him hostage. I think you want him alive."

Kabuto snarled as he moved his blade closer, his whole body fidgeting. There was no way this man knew. There was absolutely no way that this strange soldier of death knew what he had planned.

Yet the man knew.

He knew that he pegged the medic-nin. And he was just toying with the white haired man. "If you say one more thing I'll kill him!" he yelled in a last ditch effort to keep the man at bay.

"Don't even try that ploy anymore. You know as well as I do it failed." The oddly shaped blade dropped slightly, causing Genesis to smirk. "I think you want him for something, and you got it from the silver haired man here. But you didn't count on someone thinking."

"I said stop it!"

"You enjoy power too much."

Kabuto's eyes shrunk as his body stiffened. His arm dropped a bit more as the blonde he had captive slumped slightly. His plan was in shambles. The power he had tried to obtain over both men had been dismantled in a matter of few words.

Brick by brick.

"When the war of the beast brings about the world's end the goddess descends from the sky."

"Shut up!"

Yet Genesis ignored the remark, opting to keep speaking. "Wings of light and dark spread afar."

"I said shut up!"

Genesis smirked as he took a step back, spreading out his arms. "She guides us to bliss." His eyes got a glimpse at some rustle in the foliage behind the white haired man. His eyes glanced at Kakashi, cringing slightly.

The Kopi Ninja noticed it as well and was fishing into the holster at his right thigh.

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Ghost moved through the forest, his body clad in the Turk uniform, a durable black dress suit with specialized sunglasses hiding his face. His raven hair was cut short and combed back in a professional style and his skin was a milky white, showing off how much sun he really got. The black lensed contraption was a set of prototypes that acted like a HUD device, acting on multiple spectrums of light.

His eyes were focused on the objective in front of him, staying hidden as long as possible. He was not to interact if at all possible as not to get noticed. If he did he could be identified, leading to many complications for the plan that was set up.

But the problem at hand was now a hostage situation. He knew he would have to intervene. Genesis could not handle it on his own.

So Ghost did what he had to do.

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Both men watched as another joined in, running towards Kabuto with a combat knife drawn. After that, everything happened in an instant.

Kakashi gripped the kunai, his body acting much like a machine. His torso turned slightly, acting like a rubber-band as his arm reeled back. His toned muscles tensed under the pressure of his quick movements. His intention was to kill the man behind Kabuto, not knowing the newcomer's intentions.

But Genesis made it to Kakashi just as the man in the suit reached Kabuto, knocking the hand to the side. The short blade clambered to the floor as Genesis slammed his elbow against the man's face, sending the scarecrow on his back.

Just as Kakashi hit the floor, Ghost gripped Kabuto by the face, covering his mouth with his palm. His blade moved in a swift arch, the tip diving into the base of the white haired man's skull. The medic-nin stiffened slightly before going limp.

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Kabuto's eyes widened as he felt a leather gloved hand cover his mouth. He tried to get free. He tried to move. But he couldn't react fast enough. All he felt was a sharp pain at the base of his skull. A pain that felt like nothing he had ever felt before. Not even the pulse of that strange red energy he had received to the face had compared to this.

No.

This was an impossible pain that can only be experience one way. Right before death. His final suspicion was proven by the world around him going black from the outside in.

'So this is how I die.'

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The man watched as Kabuto fell to the floor, grapping the blonde by the collar. His lensed eyes inspected the wound that he had received. A sigh escaped his lips as he looked at the cookie cutter-like gash, noting that the heart was still beating. It was a miracle that he could still be alive after all this.

Genesis walked towards Ghost, a smile present on his lips. "Glad you can make it."

"You were lucky I was here," Ghost spoke out. His voice was stern and militaristic causing the redhead to frown a bit.

"Eh, I had it taken care of."

"Hn."

Genesis sighed as he looked towards Naruto, inspecting his body. "He looks like hell."

Ghost nodded in agreement, allowing the SOLDIER to further inspect Naruto. "Yeah, the wound on his chest could be fatal if the chopper doesn't get here quick."

Genesis nodded as he looked to the sky, a familiar sound ringing through the air. A small smile formed on his lips as he recognized the sound.

It was the sound of blades rapidly chopping the air with gusto.

A/N Alright, I know Kabuto dying like that IS kind of cheap. But I am happy with it. As to why he did not notice Ghost is because a) he doesn't have chakra and b) Kabuto was caught caught up with what Genesis was saying.

Now as for why Kakashi backed down is because an assault would risk Naruto's life as well. If I were to have Kakashi use a genjutsu, one of two things would predominately happen. Either Kabuto would just drop Naruto, contaminating the wound, or Kabuto could have just ended Naruto in fear or shock. A genjutsu doesn't affect reality, it mimics the senses.

As for why Kabuto crumbled, I picture him as someone who would crumble when put on blast like that. And I also believe that he would do something like that for power.

Genesis I know is a bit out of character. But I also envisioned him like this before what happened in Crisis Core you know? Like lighthearted with sarcasm kinda thing.

Not much has changed either, just doing stuff for flow and reading. The pairing is set, just got to think of a way to get it.

So, at that if you guys have questions shoot, don't rant and rave about how you don't like something. Just ask about why. And constructive criticism goes a long way.