Chapter 4 –

"Listen carefully…Rae-san will send of the first volley in a matter of minutes, WAIT FOR THE SIGNAL" Kusano said in a hushed voice, "those creatures of hers are merciless – if you step out before she has called them back. I can't guarantee that you will return in one piece"

Several of the shinobi laughed, in a fruitless effort to ease the tension that hung thick in the air. This was the night that the Sunagakure no Sato would begin its downward dance. But at what price, the shinobi would soon discover. They waited in silence and looked to the heavens for a sign of promised victory or secured loss. The unyielding sky was a splash of diamonds against a velvet backdrop; the moon hung with equal indifference, red and swollen like a belly full of blood simply waiting to be spilt.

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"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

A large silver pelted wolf appeared in a puff of smoke before the kunoichi who then commanded him to seek the scent of spilt blood, "Hurry, Iemitsu."

"Why don't we just go on our own, Shizumi-san?" one of her companions asked impatiently, "why waste more time waiting for Iemitsu?"

She pressed a finger to the painted lips on her mask, "wait"

The party of three awaited the creature's return in silence; it seemed as if no time had passed before the great wolf stood once again before Shizumi to report his findings. She knelt down and stroked the wolf's shaggy silver fur, glinting like fine needles in the dim moonlight. "To the northwest side of the city; one kunoichi leading a pack of undead has killed and gathered up all the patrolling shinobi; I suspect she will use the dead to summon more of them" Iemitsu's great pelt shook "there are more coming"

The ANBU captain nodded as she stood to her feet "You heard him…let's go"

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A loud roar somewhere between a choke and gargle escaped from behind the walls. Rae-san had finished her work; now it was their turn. Like a swarm of angry locusts the shinobi spilled out in all directions from their hiding spot and over the wall that shielded Suna's inhabitants from all external harm.

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Shizumi's heart sunk as she watched more and more shinobi emerge over and in some cases, through the wall. Genji had already gone to inform the Kazekage – what was taking him so long? There was no possibility of even escape from hundreds of shinobi with only Iemitsu and Hayato at her side.

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Once inside, the attackers found patrolling chuunins lined up and sprawled out on their backs along the edge of the wall, dead. Their bodies left trails of blood leading to the word "VICTORY" spelt out with their mangled and broken bodies – whoever had done such a thing had obviously received some help.

Some were brought to a fit of laughter and others to disgusted mutters either from the sight itself or the terrible stench of death. Their leader Kusano could only sigh heavily before proceeding with the attack, Rae-kohai's idea of a sick joke…

"Like it, Kusano-san?" she asked cheerfully as she took her place beside him while he directed the shinobi this way and that. He stood at the epicenter of their would-be earthquake, evenly spreading out the attack radius. Soon all sprawling building that lay around them would be reduced to rubble.

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A large serpentine blob of water shot up high up into the night sky from a nearby well. The silver meniscus surrounding its otherwise amorphous body caught the light of the blood red moment for a moment then the great beast of water came crashing down with the force of a thousand boulders into the row of buildings behind which Shizumi, Iemitsu and Hayato had hoped to stay concealed.

She clung tightly to Iemitsu's neck and covered his great silver head with her free arm as the great breaking wave washed over them.

It had already begun.

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Kusano scoffed – he was not the slightest bit amused by it, "time is precious and we've already so little of it" he snapped, "I would advice you to stop wasting time with your stupid little games in the future"

The brunette nodded, clearly hurt by his remark. She'd meant no harm – only to calm their nerves and perhaps…with the slightest intention of impressing him. But clearly, he was revolted to his core – evident from the sour expression spoiling his handsome face – rather than impressed. What did she have to earn his attention; gain his respect; or even the tiniest recognition?

Did he find her that repulsive?

With her lithe figure, long beautiful chestnut hair and a dazzling smile that had too often turned the heads of passersby – she was hardly unattractive. She was skilled as a ninja, boasting a wide range of skills as well as a set of her own jutsu. Rae could find no flaw in her appearance or her assets…but why was Kusano-san so hard to please?

He's already got someone…you stupid girl…a voice whispered in the back of her mind; her anger flared at her own lack of confidence. "No use being angry" she told herself. If anything, she knew she had to channel her emotions into something more 'useful' and to stop wasting time with 'stupid games'. Perhaps then, Kusano-san could see her for the useful and beautiful young woman she was…

"Kusano-san…"

"Not now!" he growled, and then turned to give direction to a young jounin of no more than fourteen or fifteen. Kusano paused for a moment – he was sending the boy to his death….He hadn't the intention to sound so harsh, but his thoughts were preoccupied with the successful completion of his task but more over the ever growing possibility of confronting Shizumi and her team. He had little patience for much else, especially a nuisance like ––

Rae cried out, narrowly deflecting the shuriken flying toward her with her kunai. Two ANBU advanced toward them. The were the only remaining shinobi who stood still upon the rooftop – the other units had already moved out – alone, they were sitting ducks. As the attackers silhouettes drew closer, Kusano could make out a third shape. A dark blur of a swiftly moving dog…no….bigger...a wolf.

Iemitsu! His blood shed ice.

Undoubtedly, it Shizumi and one of her team mates advancing toward them. Kusano moved back: an impulse. He couldn't confront her, nor could he let Rae confront her. He had to lead her away and fast.

Before he could call her back, Rae had lunged forward toward Shizumi with kunai in hand. Kusano opened his mouth to protest but his words seemed to have caught in his throat, choking him. He was brought to the memory of that day, I can't promise the same… It had made him wonder so many times these past days whether she still loved him. If she did….how could she say such a thing?

He turned thoughts back, in time to fend off an attack from Shizumi's teammate. Fighting half-heartedly; his eyes wandered back to Rae and Shizumi. Kusano took the next blow and fell down into the dark wet sand. It clung at him, dragged him downward and threatened to swallow him; he relaxed letting himself sink further down – only deep enough for him to leave in the sand a well concealed bushin – before resurfacing.

Being especially weak in taijutsu due to the frailness of her small body – Rae was losing. The girl had neither the speed to keep up with nor the stamina to endure Shizumi's attacks; her own area of expertise was ninjutsu.

"You call yourself ANBU?" Kusano mocked the boy who was now lying flat on his back and thrashing wildly – trapped in his genjutsu. He raised his hand to deliver the finishing blow but a sharp pain in his right calf stopped him. Kusano cocked his head to discover Shizumi's silver wolf with his jaws tightly clamped around his leg. Iemitsu relaxed his jaw then swiftly lunged past Kusano.

Baring his teeth, he stood protectively over the fallen shinobi, "Kusano!" he snarled.

He chuckled, "I'm doing Shizumi a favour, scum like him doesn't deserve –"

"Let her be the judge" the silver wolf growled with venom in his voice. He was still filled with contempt for Kusano, even after all these years Iemitsu could not come to terms with Shizumi's love for Kusano.

"Go, fight. Your partner is losing"

"Against Shizumi?" Kusano exclaimed, "never"

Iemitsu snickered, "oh this is precious…coming from the mouth of a heartless traitor…what do you take me for?"

"You can deny my loyalty to Konoha but one thing you cannot deny is my love fore her" Kusano snapped angrily, "I would never knowingly do anything to hurt her."

"She's walking into her death and yet, here you stand"

Kusano snapped back to Shizumi and Rae.

"Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei!"

Rae had summoned her creatures in hopes of gaining the upper hand. Retreating several paces, Shizumi jumped from the edge of the roof and landed on the wet sand below. With a warriors resolve she confidently drew her sword from the scabbard bound to her back and poised it at the brunette surrounded by the filthy creatures crawling from the sand and swarming around their feet. There was so many of them. For an instant, Rae froze as if overtaken by something unseen. Shizumi's Kokuangyo no jutsu had seemingly pulled a black cloth over her eyes. Thinking quickly, Kusano jumped down into the narrow alley between the fallen rubble beside Rae, as if arrive to her aid. Instead, he took advantage of her sightless state to scoop her up in his arms.

"Call them back" he told her

"But….Kusano-san..."

"Listen to me" he snapped. "If –"

Kusano stopped, feeling warm blood spray across his face. Shizumi knelt on one knee only inches from him with a backhanded grasp on her bloody katana. The felled creature lay, headless, between them. Placing her hand over her mask, Shizumi lifted the dog's semi-contented expression from her face to expose the malicious smile underneath. With a swift movement of her hand, Shizumi knocked the brunette in his arms unconscious then spoke, "I told you once Kusano, I won't tell you again" she whispered, "next time, only one of us will walk away alive"

Before he could respond she replaced her mask and proceeded to destroy the others. However dangerous the undead creatures were, they were unintelligent without Rae's conscious mind and merely wandered about seeking fresh blood.

Iemitsu rejoined his master and within minutes, a heap of death lay before Kusano and the unconscious Rae. "Very entertaining little girl she is" Shizumi said as she drew her bloody sword from the corpse of the last one, "take good care of her"

"Very funny Shizumi"

She scoffed, "I'll see you again….soon"