A/N: Hmm, I was expecting a little better response on this fic, but I suppose I can't complain, I think it's good so far. This chapter is your typical action scene, but I still tried to put some emotion into it. It's from Tsunade's perspective again. Hope it's good; here we go.
Disclaimer: In the end, everyone you care about will die (... and I do not own Naruto).
Tsunade gave a cocky laugh as she stared down the woman rushing toward her. When the distance was adequate, a single motion occurred and in a second and the ground at this mysterious assailant's feet was cleaved in two under the immense power of Tsunade's heel causing Tsunade's attacker to lose her balance and fall to the ground.
Tsunade glared at her opponent disdainfully before addressing her in a disdainful tone, "I don't know who you think you are, but you must have a lot of nerve challenging me."
"Nerve, Ha! It's much more than that." The woman said with a mixture of extreme nervousness and extreme excitement. She cocked a smile as she made effort to recover her balance and continued, "Finally I have a chance, finally I have a shot at making the ones responsible pay for what they did. What drives me now is my will, my purpose!"
It was then that Tsunade took the moment to seriously study her opponent. The woman looked to be in her early thirties, she had wavy dark brown hair and pale green eyes. She had a slight, lithe figure and dressed in simple clothes no different than any other villager might wear.
The sanin gave a slight smirk as she turned slightly away from her attacker, saying in a hard tone, "You can blabber on about your purpose all damn day for all I care. Just tell me who the hell you are and what reason you have for attacking me."
The woman laughed as she shook with anticipation, with visible determination she proclaimed, "I am Chinatsu Matsudaira. My husband lost his life at your hands, and for that I will take yours."
Tsunade didn't have time to respond, Chinatsu was once more on the offensive assaulting her with a short bladed katana she had pulled from her side. Chinatsu was fast, and her strikes never wavered; it proved hard for Tsunade to keep up, especially considering she wasn't mentally prepared to fight this woman.
It was rather obvious that Chinatsu was a skilled shinobi. It had been so long since Tsunade had had a serious fight against a real shinobi and to be suddenly thrust into battle against someone as determined as this woman was, needless to say, unnerving.
Chinatsu's sword strikes were incessant, it was difficult to avoid them all, yet Tsunade knew she wouldn't be able to win without fighting back. Timing her movements she did a back step as her opponent readied another slash. Making the move to evade the attack, Tsunade proceeded to grab Chinatsu by the wrist, and with full strength sent the woman flying hard into a nearby tree.
To Tsunade's surprise, and despite the velocity with which she was flung, Chinatsu did not crash into the tree but rather managed a mid air flip and a push of her feet to rebound back in Tsunade's direction, She raised her sword and then her free hand as she flew toward her opponent with hatred scarred into her eyes and after a single handsign her image had tripled.
Chinatsu's speed was blinding, and made it difficult for Tsunade to discern which images were clones and which was the real ninja. Soon the distance between the combatants had disappeared, and Tsunade decided to take a gamble striking at one of the identical images of Chinatsu.
The sanin felt in horror as her fist proceeded cleanly through the image clone. Quickly hoping for a recovery she turned around and delivered a sweeping kick in the direction of another image. It proved to be a clone as well. Worried now she turned frantically in search of the third Chinatsu, the real Chinatsu.
Tsunade then sensed a cool breeze at her back. As swiftly as she could she twisted around finding herself face to face with Chinatsu, a sword only inches from her face. She closed her eyes as she prepared for the now unavoidable pain.
To Tsunade's surprise no pain came; there was a metallic sound and she opened her eyes. Shizune was standing in front of her a kunai drawn; she had succeeded in parrying the strike and overpowering Chinatsu who now stood several feet away.
Tsunade tried to contain her sigh of relief. She could always count on Shizune to save her neck. She doubted a single strike from Chinatsu's sword would have been fatal, yet she knew at first sign of blood the fight would be as good as over anyway.
"You. I have no reason to fight you. The only one I wish to kill is that woman!" Chinatsu shouted bitterly offering Shizune a look of disdain.
Shizune returned her own stern glare as she replied fiercely, "This woman is my sensei and my master! As long as she is your target than I have a reason to fight you."
Tsunade knew Shizune, despite her skill, was still an inexperienced apprentice who had never seen actual combat. Yet here Shizune was now, facing down a dangerous opponent like it was nothing, like protecting her from this woman was no different than anything else she had done. It was comforting.
Chinatsu's face contorted with more anger as she made her reply, "No! The sanin is the only one who must suffer by my hand. She is the only one who must pay for what she has done."
Shizune chose not to back down, taking a strong voice as she asked, "And what exactly has my master done? You say she is responsible for the death of your husband, tell us how this occurred."
"Why would I waste time telling my sworn enemy my story?" Chinatsu shot back indignantly.
"So you would instead enact your revenge on someone without them knowing why they must die?" Shizune gave a pitying laugh that made her look and sound somewhat tough.
"Fine sanin of Konoha, I will tell you why you must die here at my hand. Listen, I am not going to repeat myself." Chinatsu spoke hatefully.
"I'm listening." Tsunade replied lightly, mockingly, though she knew she likely didn't want to hear.
"Junichi and I were talented young shinobi of Iwagakure. He was my true love youth as well as my partner in battle. We were feared for our skill as top rank assassins, and were prized as a shinobi pair in our village. About ten years ago it was decided that the two of us would fight in the great war as soldiers on the front lines of the Konoha front. During our first battle I was careless and allowed myself to get injured by my opponent, we had no choice but to retreat back to safety. Unfortunately amidst our retreat Junichi and I were met face to face with a formidable new opponent. The ninja team of the sanin Tsunade, stood in our way giving us no option but to fight." Chinatsu began her story in a somber, yet nostalgic voice that made her seem for the first time a vulnerable woman, and not just a strong-willed ninja intent on revenge.
"I didn't want to run away, to leave him there alone to fight. He told me he could take any opponent, that I was injured and needed to get out of there, that he'd finish this, that he'd catch up. I knew if I left him there he would die. Still he kept pushing me away, determined to let me at least live. I had no choice. Shortly after some of your comrades caught up to me and cut me up real good and left me for dead in the middle of the woods. By some miracle the people of this village found me and decided to save my life even though it was empty now. I've lived here since then, repaying my debt to these people, as I tried to forget what I had lost, but last night when I heard about what happened at the bar, that a woman claiming to be Konoha's Tsunade was in the village, I finally realized what purpose I have to still be alive." Chinatsu's words had deteriorated into a sort of frantic mix of anger and grief as she continued, though she did not cry.
Tsunade remembered that day now. She remembered this woman. By chance Dan and her had encountered two fleeing Iwa assassins in the middle of the forest. Her orders had been to eliminate all enemy combatants without question. She had been the one who had made the decision not to pursue the injured woman as she fled.
Dan and that assassin, Tsunade remembered had been on equal footing. If left alone, that fight really, probably, could have gone ether way. It was only when she had stepped forward into things, when she chose to relinquish a killing blow that their opponent had died.
Knowing the full story now, Tsunade supposed it was irony, that only hours after this man Junichi died at her hands her own love would meet his own bloody demise at the hands of some other. She didn't know what to say, she truly shared this woman's pain yet knew she was its cause.
Shizune, apparently did know what to say, as she wasted little time in thought before coming to Tsunade's defense, "Even if what you say is true, don't you see that it isn't my master's fault he died?"
"And, how can you say that, girl?" Chinatsu challenged, making it clear she was already set on her purpose and it would be impossible to dissuade her.
"We were at war. War forces people to kill one another for the sake of their nation. My master has never killed anyone because she wanted to. It's not her fault." Shizune concluded with a lingering sadness in her words as if she knew what sort of thoughts must be brewing in Tsunade's mind.
"That's a naive statement coming from the mouth of a child too young to know the truth of war. Regardless of the reason behind it, it was by her hands that Junichi was killed. That in itself is enough reason for me to kill this woman." Chinatsu's reply had a bitter ring to it and as she said it she once more lifted her sword.
"If that is how it is, I will fight you! I will defend my master with my life!" Shizune shouted as she geared herself for battle.
Tsunade had always known Shizune was the reason she had gone on living so long. Even if this was the first time it was from an actual opponent, Shizune had always protected her. But at this moment she didn't feel like being protected. She felt guilty, she felt sad, she felt all at once all the grief and regret and anger she had felt back then, back when her love was taken from her.
"No, Shizune. This is my fight. Please, stand down." Tsunade said grimly as she moved in front of her young student.
"But, b-but sensei, are you sure you're in the right condition to be fighting an opponent like this?" Shizune asked her nervously as if she knew leaving Tsunade to the fight would be a mistake.
"Don't worry so much. I'll handle this, Shizune." Tsunade replied still full of melancholy.
Shizune opened her mouth to further protest but it was too late, the fight had already restarted. Tsunade was back on the defensive as she struggled to avoid Chinatsu's countless sword strikes
Chinatsu had clearly been out of practice for many years, Tsunade began to notice. Her swordplay before had been excellent but as she continued to fight on and allow herself to readjust to battle her skill was quickly becoming that of a truly exceptional assassin.
Still, this was not more than Tsunade could have handled. She was after all a legendary sanin. Her skill was on a different level. She could have beaten this woman. That was if she wanted to, she had however made her decision. She stopped in her place.
The first cut rang clean, and blood could be seen clearly spurting from a line across Tsunade's chest. A second cut soon followed and then a third. Blood was flying everywhere with each new flicker of sword; Tsunade made no effort to avoid any of the attacks.
"No, sensei! Why?!" Shizune's horror-struck scream reached Tsunade's ears through the pain. She had fallen bloodied to her knees, patiently hoping each new strike would be the final, when she looked up next, the strikes having subsided, she saw that Shizune had once more rushed to place herself between Tsunade and her opponent.
"Sensei! Why did you stop? Why didn't you fight back? You know it's helpless when there's blood. How could you just give up?" Shizune was in tears as the questions came out.
Tsunade was shaking. Her whole body was paralyzed. She was covered head to toe in her own blood. She could see it's red color and feel its warm moisture against her skin. Dan's death was replaying before her eyes.
"I-I, I, I couldn't save him. It was my, it was my fault he died. I don't have any right to continue living." Tsunade began to speak in a tone that wavered between anxiety and insanity. She hung her head as she then added forcefully, "To think that my death could bring some relief to someone who may have suffered the same pain by my hand can only make me feel that now is the time."
"What's this? You're not going to even put up a fight? I suppose even if what you want of me is to be an executioner and not an opponent, I would still get much pleasure from your death." Chinatsu gave a dark, excited laugh, as if she could taste her revenge.
"Stop! You will not harm my master!" Shizune shouted in rage at Chinatsu. She turned back to Tsunade in attempt to dissuade her sensei once more, "Sensei, how could you just throw your life away? What purpose would there be for you to die like this for nothing?"
"I loved Dan with all my heart. All this time, all this traveling, all I've been searching for is an excuse to die. There's nothing left for me in this world. You can't understand the pain, Shizune." Tsunade said in a meek, morbid tone as she continued to tremble on the ground.
But Shizune wasn't going to back down like that. She strengthened her willful gaze at her sensei as she said hopefully, "But if you die, sensei, don't you think, don't you think my pain would be the same?"
Tsunade didn't look up at her apprentice, quiveringly she started her reply,"It's different, Shizune. You don't understa-"
"For as long as I can remember you've been everything to me. You're all I have left in this world. I love you with all my heart, Tsunade!" Shizune cut off her master mid speak, to deliver her conclusion in a forceful manner.
Tsunade looked up at once, her eyes widened. Did a pathetic creature like her really mean so much to this child. She didn't know what to say to Shizune, She started softly, "Shizune, you can't..." but Tsunade soon found she had lost her will to speak.
Shizune had refocused her attention on Chinatsu, she made her challenge showing a level of anger one would think impossible of the generally more gentle girl, "If you are so set on taking my master's life. Then I will kill you here and now."
"So be it, I have no problem with killing you first if your so intent on it." Chinatsu said with a short laugh as she once more charged into battle.
Shizune had no trouble dodging Chinatsu's strike; stepping quickly to the side she launched a counter measure shooting three senbon from her mouth. Chinatsu's eyes widened with surprise as she caught sight of the needles flying towards her. With much difficulty she managed to move her sword to deflect the incoming attack just in time.
"Poison tipped senbon? I guess I was wrong to think this would be an easy fight. But I doubt a trick like that will be much good against someone with my speed." Chinatsu sounded angry and excited at the same time.
Shizune merely returned a smile as she shot several more needles at her opponent, who was now being forced to show off her dodging skills. Eventually Chinatsu caught a window and made her attack, which was obviously what Shizune had waited for.
Dodging the sword, Shizune made a few handsigns, and out formed a giant fog of poisonous gas. Chinatsu was engulfed by the fog, which lasted for several minutes. Eventually it proved too hard for the woman to hold her breath and she collapsed to her knees as she took in the toxins.
As the poison fog dissipated, Chinatsu struggled back to her feet, she looked to already be feeling the effects of the poison. She asked shaking with pain, "What is this? What did you do to me?"
Shizune gave a cold laugh, that showed she was beyond pity or remorse, she explained in an equally cold voice "It's a fast acting poison, that if left untreated will shut down the body systems and cause the victim to die a slow and painful death."
"I see. I welcome death. As I see it my life already ended when Junichi's did. But before I die, let me show you the technique that made us famous assassins. That way I can take you both with me before I go." Chinatsu seemed as driven as ever, the knowledge that she would soon die seemed to if anything, bring her relief.
Chinatsu slowly drew a second identical sword from her side. She raised her hands to a handsign and after several minutes she began. It was hard for Tsunade to follow the movements through her blood-induced tremblings. Chinatsu was moving faster than the eye could track accurately. She had obviously allocated her chakra in dangerous levels to the muscles in her arms and legs so that she could be capable of this impossible speed.
The flashes of sword seemed unending. Shizune was doing alright at avoiding them at first, but it was obvious from the beginning that this technique would prove to much for the young girl. Tsunade could only watch helplessly as the cuts began to make their mark, Shizune's blood flashing it's red color before her eyes.
Shizune was going to die protecting her. This girl, this girl who was the only reason Tsunade was alive to this day, this girl who had just now proclaimed her love for Tsunade, she would die here for her sake while she remained helpless.
Tsunade continued to think. Was there a reason, this girl had been able to keep her alive? If Shizune was there, then how could she still claim to be alone? Was it any different? Was love all the same in the end? How could she let it happen again? She couldn't let it happen again.
She was still cut and bleeding, though Shizune was by now in worse shape. Tsunade could hardly stand up through her shaking. It was so hard; the entire scene was died the color of human blood, but she couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't just watch.
Shizune fell to her knees, the cuts having stopped. This time Tsunade was protecting her student, the last thing in this world she truly did treasure. The pain was intense, it felt as if thousands of tiny blades were ripping through her entire body, tearing up her flesh like it was nothing, but this was pain that Shizune would be spared from, and that made it bearable.
Tsunade made her motion, slowly, but forcefully, hoping there was a opening but really not being able to know for sure anymore, her fist moved through the wall of rapidly moving swords. Her fist connected with the woman's chest, and the swords came to a stop and soon fell to the ground as Chinatsu Matsudaira was launched several yards back, falling motionless to the ground nearby.
Then everything went black as Tsunade collapsed lifelessly into Shizune's arms.
A/N: I'm pretty satisfied with this chapter. I think this is one of the better action chapters I have done. Chinatsu Matsudaira was admittedly a fairly uninspired OC, but I think she was enough for this story. I just wanted a character who's story seemed to parallel Tsunade's who would be seeking revenge, sort of turn the whole pain of loss thing around on Tsunade. I'm not really sure how ell the fighting turned out here, but I think it was exciting enough. I'm surprised at how much I'm enjoying writing Shizune, her devotion is so cute. Anyways, I'd be happy to hear everyone else's thoughts, reviews would be appreciated.