Chapter 3: Count Your Last Blessings

"What the heck happened to you?"

Katana winced at Anko's loud voice, not wanting to answer questions so early in the morning. Her body ached and her head throbbed; she had taken more hits than she though she had. After her encounter with Kuragami the previous day, Katana had returned to Anko's apartment to find her on a mission. She had been alone to heal the few bumps and bruises she had received, but unseen injuries had surfaced that morning.

"I got into a scuffle with one of my family members; nothing more and nothing less," Katana replied quietly, stumbling into the other chair at the table in the small kitchen. She sat down heavily and winced as she struck a bruise on her side against the back of the chair. "I won our little dispute and I don't think he's be moving for a few days. But it seems he left his fair share of marks on me as well."

"Geez, and I thought Naruto was the only one who got into fights for no reason," Anko mumbled, Katana throwing her a fierce glare. "You shouldn't fight people of the Village; others may get the wrong idea. Things have changed since you left and you can't destroy someone in combat training without getting punished the way you used to. It stinks when you really want to pummel somebody, but rules are rules and I would personally want to deal with my anger inside than meet one of Lady Tsunade's fists face to knuckles."

Katana allowed a smirk to creep over her lips and she bowed her head, secretly thankful that Anko was as lively as she was. If the special jounin had been anything other than whom she was, Katana knew things wouldn't have turned out the way they had. She stiffly rose to her feet and retrieved her swords from her room, strapping the armor-like sheath apparatus to her back.

"I hope you're not going to train," Anko said as Katana was about to walk out the door. "You need some rest with the condition you're in."

"I'm not training. I forgot to get you a pillow yesterday, so I'm going to do that. I'm just taking the swords so I can properly defend myself if I'm confronted again." Running out the door, before Anko could process the lie, Katana had jumped to a rooftop and made her way to a training field.

Neji was just about to fall into his Jyuuken stance when a kunai streaked past his ear, so close he could feel the wind against his skin. Glancing up into the trees from where the weapon had come from, he saw Katana crouched among the branches. She was glaring at him fiercely and the knuckles of the hand that held one of her swords were white.

"Still here, are we?" she called down almost mockingly. She jumped from the foliage and landed adjacent to the Hyuuga. She looked as if she had been in a fight, several bruises and cuts visible. "I was hoping to train in peace and not have to fight for a training ground again. Although it was a good challenge, I really don't want to go through with it."

Neji frowned and glared at her. "I have no interest in fighting you. Go find your own training field where you won't bother anyone. Not everyone wants company while they're trying to develop new jutsu."

"Is that so?" Katana asked with false curiosity. She cocked her head and raised her sword arm, the point of the blade directed between Neji's eyes. "Well, I personally enjoy practicing my techniques on a living creature, instead of a rock or something. It's much easier to see the effects if your opponent can react to your attacks, so why not try them on me?"

What is she getting at? Neji thought in confusion. She wants me to fight her again, but also use jutsu? I don't understand. From our pervious spar, she knows I use Jyuuken; so fighting can't be to cull information. Refusing her challenge will only cause her to mock me, but I don't like that look in her eyes… But it seems it can't be avoided.

"Fine, I accept your challenge," Neji said coldly, matching her glare with one of his own.

"Good," Katana growled, lowering her sword and taking a few steps back.

Neji lowered into his Jyuuken stance and narrowed his eyes, taking into account every move his opponent made. She fell into a stance herself, holding her sword at her side. Her eyes flickered and she rushed forward, giving Neji seconds to activate his Byakugan. He drew a kunai and parried her sword as it swung for his neck, the metal weapons hitting each other with a jarring force.

Katana aimed her fist at an opening in Neji's chest, but he caught her hand with his own, letting out a resounding smack. Katana dropped and swung her leg in a circle, Neji jumping into the air to avoid the sweep. He leaped backward to create some space, but Katana was after him without pausing. She swung her sword, yet rolled her wrists at the last moment, changing the angle. Locking the sword with his kunai only inches from his skin, Katana kept her momentum moving and slid into him.

Neji stumbled backwards in surprise as Katana nearly crashed into him, her sword sliding off of his kunai. She punched at his jaw, narrowly missing, and Neji pushed away from her. Leaping into the trees to create distance, he saw her stay on the ground, staring up at him with an icy glare. The Hyuuga was fed up with defense and decided to take his turn on offense. Focusing his chakra to his hands, Neji sprung from the trees, Byakugan seeing Katana's chakra flow to her feet.

Katana leaped to the side and Neji landed on the ground in the place she had been. He pursued her, getting in range too swiftly for her to retreat. Her cold expression changed momentarily as Neji's open palm drove towards her and she bent over backwards in a last effort for evasion. She kicked her legs over, Neji feeling her shoes brush his chin, and she quickly righted herself. Yet she was slightly off balance and Neji took her disadvantage and struck again. She grabbed his wrist as his palm came closer, using his limb to catch her balance and advert his intended blow.

Then she pulled his arm and spun into him, ramming her other elbow into Neji's ribs. He shifted his arm in her grasp, pulling her limb and twisting it behind her back. Katana felt her blood run cold as she felt the cold metal of Neji's kunai against her throat. Neji let a faint smirk crack across his face, but Katana suddenly disappeared from his grip. Caught off guard, Neji searched the area with his Byakugan, catching sight of a ring of kunai closing in from all directions. Katana was right behind one row, leaping at him with a cold smile.

Out of time to think and not sure if there were any kunai in his blind spot, Neji scraped his feet across the ground and built up his chakra. "Hakkeshou: Kaiten!" he yelled, executing the jutsu. His rotation repelled the kunai and Katana couldn't stop herself in midair. She fell into the swirling chakra, instantly getting thrown back across the clearing. Neji slowed his movement, eventually coming to a halt and looking at Katana crumpled on the ground. Remaining on guard, Neji took several steps forward until a low, humorless laugh rose from her throat.

Katana rose to her feet slowly, the tie falling from her hair. It trailed to her elbows and hung over one side of her face, giving her a dark and malicious appearance. The corners of her mouth lifted and she raised her sword. Her eyes glinted and narrowed and she took an attack stance.

"Now I'm free to use any jutsu I want," she hissed. "You were the first to initiate a jutsu so you can't blame me for attacking without reason. Now the true battle begins." I can finally accomplish my dream. I can finally use all the techniques I've learned in my past to secure my future. There's no excuse for not finishing the battle this time.

Katana buried her sword into the ground at her side and began weaving hand seals. Neji recognized the pattern for a Katon and prepared himself for whatever fire would arise. "Katon! Housenka no Jutsu: Art of the Phoenix Flower!" Katana yelled, inhaling deeply. There was a flash of metal and she exhaled, large balls of fire bursting from her mouth.

Neji recalled seeing the same jutsu come from Sasuke during the first chunin exam he took, but the fireballs were much larger than his had been. Narrowing his eyes, Neji saw Fuuma Clan-sized shuriken concealed by the flames. Neji focused his chakra and reared his hand back.

"Hakke: Kuushou!" Neji yelled, thrusting his palm forward. An enormous gale of wind burst from his palm, consuming the fire, the flames not great enough to withstand the chakra-enlaced air. The jutsus canceled each other out and the shuriken fell to the ground, useless.

Katana growled and made a single hand seal that was all too familiar to Neji. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu: Art of the Shadow Doppelganger!" With a burst of smoke, a clone appeared next to Katana as she removed her sword from the ground. She drew another from her back-plate and her clone drew two of the ones it carried. Neji furrowed his brow again, knowing the jutsu was a jounin level technique. He had thought only Naruto was able to stably perform it with the true flesh and blood clones.

Katana and her clone ran forward come from both sides, swords poised to attack in any fashion. Neji drew two kunai and blocked one pair of the swords aimed at his side. The other Katana came at him from behind, and he kicked the one he was locked with in the stomach and turned to the one attacking. He felt one sword skim over his shoulder before he was able to knock it aside and address its twin. Seeing the one he had kicked come at him again, Neji was forced to use his rotation.

His two opponents crashed to the ground, but one was instantly on its feet again, rushed with swords raised. Neji reacted instinctually, dodging the swords and thrusting his palm into Katana's stomach. She gave a choked gasp, composure melting into horror as Neji's chakra flooded her system, but before he could truly analyze the expression, she disappeared in a puff of smoke.

The real Katana winced on the ground, getting the clone's sense of the Hyuuga's attack as it vanished. She crouched on her knees, weaving hand seals. Neji didn't recognize the pattern, but knew it would be nothing close to trivial. Katana finished with sign of the Snake, and her face contorted into a snarl. Her glare became steely and she sneered at Neji with contempt.

"Doton! Retsudo Tenshou: Revolving Split Earth Palm!" Katana yelled, raising her hand above her head, the fingers spread wide. She slammed her palm into the ground in front of her knees, the ground shuddering and cracking like ice. The cracks spread and began moving toward a common point: Neji.

Neji took several steps back in shock as the earth around his feet began to fissure. Doton? How is it possible? She used Katon before, so how-? It is possible to have two chakra natures, but to have both developed to use such high caliber jutsu of both types-

Neji leaped into the trees as the fissures began to widen and the earth started to crawl over his feet. Katana gritted her teeth and forced more chakra into the jutsu. The earth split around the tree, uprooting it and causing it to topple over. Neji leaped away and landed on the ground, seeing it was actually safer on the ground. He was about to jump away again but his feet held fast. He looked down and saw his feet were covered and held in earth that was crawling up his leg. The soil was saturated in chakra and he looked up at Katana.

She had a wickedly dark grin on her face, her hair shadowing one side of her face again. The earth stopped rising at Neji"s forearms, binding his hands as well, and Katana removed her hand from the ground. She sheathed one of her swords and rose to her feet, slowly approaching while twisting her other sword around her wrist. She smiled coldly lifted her sword, placing it under his chin.

"It seems like I win this round, Hyuuga," she growled, turning her blade so that the edge was against his throat. "Such a shame you couldn't develop that jutsu you wanted to. I have many regrets in my life, but this will not be one of them. Wouldn't you say this is the perfect tragedy?"

What is she doing? Neji thought in horror, mind spinning. She speaks as if she is going to kill me! What is this about? Why is she doing this? Neji glared at her and began to circulate his chakra, thinking back to his fight with the Otogakure shinobi Kidoumaru. He closed his eyes and exhaled.

Katana turned her hand slightly and a menacing smirk grew across her face, seeing his actions as a sign of defeat. She was a second away from pulling her arm and slitting the Hyuuga's throat open when he threw his eyes open and the earth holding him shattered. Katana took a step back in surprise and Neji thrust his kunai forward. And Katana lifted her sword again.

Each froze as they felt metal touch their necks. The result was the same as before: another draw.

"Damn you," Katana hissed, her face dissolving in anger. She glanced to the sky and noticed a bird flying above the training ground. The pattern on its wings signified it was a messenger bird, one sent by the Hokage. "I'll finish this one day, but now I must complete another duty." Katana sheathed her sword and leaped into the trees. "Don't lower your guard, Hyuuga. This isn't over. For the next time we meet, you'd better count your last blessings."

Katana stood outside the Hokage's Office, trying to get her lost composure back. Her thoughts raced and her anger seethed and she struggled to put it aside to look presentable for the Hokage. She combed her fingers through her hair and brushed dirt off of her clothes and hands. She had come so close to getting her revenge, yet something held her back again. Every time, it seemed all the training she had done as a child was wasted and all the promise she had shown had been for nothing.

Pushing the thoughts out of her head, she focused on the task at hand. She knocked on the door and a voice told her to enter. She obeyed and stood in front of Lady Tsunade, respectfully inclining her head.

"That took some time," the Hokage stated with annoyance. "What happened to you?" Tsunade looked her up and down, her appearance rather corse for an audience with the village leader.

"I was just… training," Katana muttered, aware of the cuts and bruises visible on her skin. "But I'm here now and I'm ready to hear your orders."

"Alright then. Down to business." Tsunade looked to one of the many piles on her desk and retrieved a piece of paper. "I'm going to give you your first mission since you returned from the village. There is a rebel group not far outside the Village that has been harassing some of our shinobi. They reside in a stronghold but none of the rebels should have any jutsu; they seem to be untrained as a shinobi. I want you to lead a team of three others and drive these rebels out. The less casualties the better, but attack in whatever way you seem fit. Now is there any type of person you would request on your team?"

Katana thought for a minute before responding. "Someone with long range and an assortment of attacks would be useful; someone good at setting and detecting traps. Someone with good taijutsu would be useful as well, someone who has no fear of leaping into a swarm of enemies. And someone with good eyesight. That would be the most efficient team for a mission like this."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow and thought for a moment. "Hmm. With that description I think I have the perfect team for you. I will inform them and you can meet and leave tomorrow. Until them, prepare in anyway you see fit. You are dismissed."

Author Note: Another chapter, woo-hoo. I had a snow day and have nothing better to do than watch movies and write. This chapter is the product of boredom and me neglecting to acknowledge my studies. Oh well. I wanted to put more to this fight scene, but for everything to work out and for it to be a reasonable length, I had to shorten it. Yes, I know this is dark, and many people may not like the way Katana is acting, but things shall change, so I would appreciate if everyone reading will bear with me. The next chapters will get into the actual meat and potatoes of this fic, something I've been waiting for since I started it. I don't own any Naruto character. And this takes place in Shippuden when Team Gai is apparently non-existant after rescuing Gaara. Well, I hope you enjoyed it, so until next time, peace out.

-cagedbird361