Hey everyone!
It's been a while, I know. But it's continuing battle with Tetane and Sasori! So like always, here are the comments:
Xxyangxx2006 (chap.6): As always, thanks for reviewing and continuing to read! I'm flattered, and the bit about Orochi and Tetane, I'll grow when Kisame and Tetane invade and try to kill him. The update is coming up soon, so thanks and I'm happy you're enjoying the story!
Okay, so anyways, please enjoy the rest of the battle! Who's gunna win? Find out and read, and also, PLEASE REVIEW! I love your freaking comments!
Miragechick2, outa here!
07
She never knew about me from round one. All that was obvious was my announcement being that I was a living puppet who I can only draw the strings. I had the stings only partly tugged on, and I never used any gratuitous amount of chakra on her. And I play easily. But not hastily. I, myself, unlike my art, savor a quiet and quickly finished match, but I knew from this specific girl that this would not be the case.
She came; it seemed, in her victory, self-absorbed and ready, a smile shinning over the darkness. By the strange kunai, they seemed to stand out from the wielder, or maybe it was because it was the holder herself. I tugged on an internal string, and when she almost came intact with my vulnerable heart, I sprung, flying above her, my metal wings giving me the power to cut through the strings and free myself from my own trap. Tetane grunted disappointingly, and she gazed upon me, focused on her target for my eternal defeat. I stared from under. She knew nothing, and never would have guessed that I will win against those glorious eyes of hers.
I swooped down, trying to cut her down, make her weaker by the, hopefully, poison in her system. She seemed to stay away from the razors more than anyone, eyes widening from every attempt I made to make her lose. But how does she know? Time to experiment. She dodged swiftly, trying so desperately to grab onto the wings and pull to have my collapse of my external puppet. I came again, releasing my chord in my stomach, pushing against the open ground, balancing my pace. I stopped, my eyes glancing onto each part of her body for measure. I couldn't tell her weak point. "You know, if you keep standing there, then you won't be successful in anything. A waste, really. Look, if you want to win, then come up and stop playing with my mind like a toy. I enjoy some brutality in my battles," I beckoned, using psychology to change her mind about her plans.
"Hm," she mused mockingly, absorbed in our battle, "I don't know about that… compromise. If I attack, you retort. I twist reality into my advantage; I get what I want out of all of this. So to your agreement… I have to, well, disagree." She twisted her lips into a sarcastic grin. I scowled and then calmed myself down. "Then keep up, girl. I can pull more strings than you can count with those Raikugan eyes."
I let out a yell, my chord leading me with incredible speed to my upcoming victim, who stood, eyes widened, but then in determination. They dissolved into red, and I couldn't stop looking. My pace slowed, and I felt my heart skip a beat as she activated them. It was a very simple gen-jutsu that provokes and tricks the mind into becoming paralyzed. My body was caught, and I froze immediately. The mechanical chord lowered in strength, and I slid hardly on the ground, eyes staring at the side wall. For my soul, however, was stuck in my mind. I floated into red, eyes half open, sighing as I felt like the wind was blowing me. I can't help but underestimate her.
Now from my experience, gen-jutsu as simple as this, no matter how much strength and chakra is put into it can be broken with the help of a partner. I had none at the time, but I knew better when facing Tetane. When we had talked, I set up two summoning scrolls from my backside without Tetane knowing. When my blades activated, I sliced some of my blood onto the paper, thus later producing my human puppets. Their specialty was that they could be controlled without my strings. So if they came out at the right time, they would be able to know that their master was in a gen-jutsu, needing to stop the irregular chakra flow. Hopefully, if they got by her, I will be released without permission from the Namikaze girl.
My sensed tingled, and my mind blacked as I returned to reality with one of my human puppets grabbing onto my shoulder for the benefit of freeing me from mental imprisonment. The other puppet was on the floor, burned for some spectacular reason. The girl saw my moving body and cursed, knowing I was mentally awake. I pushed off of my human puppet as I brought my strings of chakra to the wooden doll for combat. "Little girl. You may have me weak with your precious gen-jutsu, but what about my puppetry? I can beat you, and you know it. Secretly," I muttered, smirking a tad.
She stood seriously, placing two fingers on her neck, to where her veins connected. "You are smart, and I only say that to the intelligent people with the certain abilities to take on my gen-jutsu. Hn. Let's see what else you are capable of, Sasori-san."
I pulled out my scrolls in an instant out of my semi-ripped Akatsuki cloak pockets. I flung them into the open air, and my minions came out in tens, eyes blank, then landing on the ground, facing Tetane with weapons up and ready to attack. I smiled with narrowed eyes. Let's see her take on this.
"I killed an army to get what I wanted the most, what I craved so deeply," I murmured deeply, but so that the girl could hear, "A hundred to one. Not very good odds for you, huh, little gen-jutsu artist?"
She laughed manically, trying to prove better. "Heh. Very comedic. Since we have the time to know each other, I can now formally share that I have more than one kekki-genkai."
She formed various hand signs while my strings swept from my twitching fingers, forcing them to attack. My arms followed her every move, every puppet coming at her with poison-dripping swords. Black hoods stood out against her, and she held no panic, even though I could feel it coursing through her veins with adrenaline. She moved very quickly, flashing, feeling like she disappeared before my eyes, and then coming back again in a millisecond. Her father possessed this move, but that was not considered family-blood ability. Her hand forms finished, and as she dropped her arms, then appeared before me these creatures, these miniature giants, told apart by gender, and blood veins glowing red with the rest of their made up bodies dull rust. They evened up with my puppets, and soon there were one hundred to copy. I looked down at her in disgust.
"May I introduce the Bloodclones of Konahagakure… my army," she introduced simply, crossing her arms in cockiness, imagining my defeated body on the ground in front. Pathetic, I must employ. "You conclude that your art will create my jealousy and destroy my confidence," she continued, each alleged clone in battle stance, "But I will tear your little wooden dolls apart as soon as possible. Watch and learn, Sasori-sensei." She grinned sarcastically, her lips stretching outwards when calling me her teacher.
I sighed softly, moving my head a tilt to the left, curious about the solution to our controlling battle. "Only the best can win. Don't bet too lightly, girl." I stood back a step, and my fingers pulled and my arms were brought flying into my sides, my puppets moving in resort. They came forward, swords dipped plentifully in poison, the purple liquid glistening in the little light coming into the mini arena. She stepped back as I did, and completed multiple signs in order for control. She hung back while the bloodclones attacked in the air-fought warfare. Cowardly, I must say.
My eyes pinpointed to every one of my puppets and their moves to defend and attack. I saw splinters flying in the open air, and the clanging of a few swords being dropped on the ground. The effects of the gekki-kenkai were breathtaking. Heart-wrenching in my position. The unique brand of clones moved as one joint moved after another, pace set on every motivation.
The girl laughed at me brutally to this advantage. "I suggest that next time these toys shouldn't be made of wood." She chuckled to herself more so as she continued her hand signs.
I cringed frustratingly. They were strong physically, and avoided my swords. Then it came to me, crashing my brain. Avoiding?
The bloodclones, if had been slain, would have been brought back together by the mix of chakra and blood cells building up to rebuild the clones at a faster pace of a few elapsing seconds. The swords had a weakness to them.
I slowly smiled. Success came as I realized her tactics of avoidance. Was the poison effectible? I pulled each string in movements of quickness, my heart pounding violently across my artificial chest. She reacted the same, more hand signs, more dodging, and more strikings from her side. Then I ambushed one of hers with two puppets, producing an uneven fight. I slashed with both, and the clone had been cut, the purple, burning marks showing through the chest. To my surprising pleasure, Tetane Namikaze's single clone dissolved among the air, ripped into poison colored taters, and left me with one less to deal with.
"A weakness!" I yelled in battle victory. I couldn't stop lifting my cheekbones. It would soon be all over.
She gasped lightly, gritting her teeth, biting her lip, eyes bright with shock. "What the hell…?"
She faulted, and I took it took it to my ultimate advantage. More and more of those troublesome clones fortunately disappeared in dissolving appearance once the swords had punctured each and every one. Less and less of my creations had been obliterated, and the game was turning to me. I would end this.
The girl struggled and moved back as I moved forwards, eyes on the prize of a lifetime. My puppets advanced until the last one withered away in the breeze helplessly trying to cling onto life. I looked up and grinned deviously while she cursed the very ground.
"Fuck…" she muttered, spitting on the ground.
I twitched my fingers by one fast movement. All swords were directed to her heart.
"Now the battle has commenced onto me," I muttered with eyes wide, "I would recommend pleading for this all to end."
. . .
Kisame's Point of View:
I walked slowly through the rain, Samehada carrying the weight on my back same as always. It kept me balanced, though, and I've grown used to it for seven years. It grumbled underneath the coverage, and by the way the tone was, it needed chakra, more victims to suck. I sighed impatiently.
"Chakra isn't going to come out of anywhere, you know. It's been a while, well, ever since Tetane…"
Samehada grumbled more fiercely, more fully. I rolled my eyes.
"I see, I see, you're hungry. Tetane's chakra was filling, but she's ours now. She has my chakra, binding her to me. So wait patiently, you'll get your chance soon, Samehada."
I paused to check my sanity, rubbing my temples. "Talking to a sword. I must be going crazy." I continued my pace, blinking lightly, one hand resting on my forehead. Ever since Tetane joined, I felt shaky and nervous, feeling pale. This feeling I knew I had to shake off, but it clung to me like my connection with Samehada. What the hell was this? Guilt?
I grunted. Of course it wasn't guilt. I'd gotten what I wanted… but I didn't feel fulfilled. I had Tetane in Akatsuki and under my commands by chakra bonding, but she was trying to separate from me. She hated me, of course; I had crushed her dreams of killing me, ending Akatsuki, and keeping world at peace. But she's growing with me. Last night she had… fun? Was that the right word? I had seen her really smile, in happiness, not in glory, for one of the few times. We were merely joking. Was that the key to get into her, to make my ambitions clear of who I am by just relating? I spat. She hated me for everything. For keeping her captive here, for giving her the curse mark, and for losing her first battle… and she's already had a tough childhood, hanging out with Orochimaru and being tested on, survival, torture, or just. She should be dead by now, rolling in her own grave in regret.
But there were some brightness in the black of the dark. She had met Deidara, some rambunctious kid who was too cocky for his own pants. They related, and fell in love happily. I felt jealousy for their relationship right now… those effects by Tetsu… everything I had fell from my grip, no matter how strong I truly was. I never could hold onto the person I had craved for, loved for, and fought for everyday. I still felt her warm blood dripping on the cold concrete; on my cold hands. No matter what happens with them, I hope they have their happiness, but then their regret for each other. We're all marked as terrible people, after all. No one will be truly good. And I'm on the special section of the bingo book for my betrayals and crimes. And one more edit for that… oh yeah, I kidnapped the Leaf's Pride and made her join Akatsuki to turn on her loved ones. Forgot about that one.
I went on my way when a breeze swept my feet gently and there behind me stood Itachi Uchiha with that famous bored glare of his. I never really related to him in personality, but we shared a commonality… we killed our comrades without a second thought of the consequences. He bowed by tilting his head to me. "Kisame."
I grinned like always. "Itachi-san… what is it that you want?"
He looked away from me with those even duller eyes. It's been getting worse, that eyesight. He can barely see his opponent from the distance of a mile, and this is a Sharingan user, an Uchiha. If he keeps overusing it, he'll go practically blind, no sarcasm intended. He came again with that cold aura and explained himself. "I need to speak with you for a moment… do you have the time?"
I shrugged. This was once in a blue moon, Itachi wanting to speak with me when not being on a mission to go and probably capture a Jinchuuriki or something illegal. This will be an interesting conversation. "Sure, sure. You know, I was trying to think about something… since we're partners and all, and now we have Tetane to take care of…" We walked to the east while Itachi raised his eyebrows.
"I wanted to talk about Tetane Namikaze, actually."
"So what? She's Akatsuki's now, and Leader and I can decide what purpose she can serve," I calmly smirked. Itachi wasn't in a good mood after that. He gave me that cold stare again. Colder than ice.
"I wanted a favor, Kisame. You're one of the closest to me right now, and Tetane needs training. I conversated with Leader on this, and he agrees completely. Now, if you agree or not, I will be to my advantage. My Sharingan can pierce right through that mechanism of a sword you have. So it's my win if you cannot agree to my compromise."
I narrowed my eyes. Was he threatening me with his eye? My brain pounded against my skull in search of answers. "What is it, exactly?" I muttered exactly, a growl hinted into my tone.
"I want to train Tetane once a week. On gen-jutsu. That's all I ask. With your permission and Leader's, we can go right on it."
My first reaction was laughing. Laughing. Was I finally derived of sanity all of these long years? I shook the thought off. He asked for Tetane to help. What was his motive here?
"Heh. What for, Itachi-san?"
He walked at my pace, slower, but the rain continued to pour harder still, and he ignored it, looking up at me, and a hint of scarlet lighter than the surrounding pupil. By the way he secretly pleaded, he wanted this opportunity badly. His expression was in stone, but he was frozen like a statue. I knew him too well. He breathed in the vapor floating in the watery atmosphere. "In order to retain her from any other rebellious actions, for the organization to be stronger, and for our advantage and hers, I thought about it. She had the Raikugan, one of the four eyes in the Shinobi world. From our sources, she was the only survivor and possessor to retain it to her jutsu's. She was the only one left of her clan, and the eye passes by kekki-genkai, the oldest sibling gaining control of it, unlike my family, which by genes, all have. I despise admitting it, but if she gained the proper training, she'd be powerful…"
"And if she rebelled…?" I added, raising an eyebrow.
He shook his head, walking in an even pace, eyes forwards towards the clearer path. "Then I'll take personal admission to it. She hasn't broke out of my gen-jutsu yet. I'll tolerate her… I just need her to our advantage. Tetane Namikaze is one of our only chances to complete our goals."
"And yet, why her? You seem so interested; so out of pace."
"The Raikugan. We need control, and by controlling the eye, we need to maintain the user. And also, she makes as an interesting person. She'll be our partner for the Jinchuuriki hunts later. I need to know her more than I do now."
More questions clouded my head as I straightened my posture with that sword on my back. "Are you interested? In her, that is? She really likes you, you know."
He stiffened. Got him on his tracks. I smiled deviously, catching him emotionally. "By what, exactly? Affections? Abilities?"
I widened my eyes as my smile stretched across my face, teeth coming out in spikes. "As in love, Itachi-san. Tetane has a… crush on you. She thinks you're attractive, for some reason."
His pupils trembled, but his stone face stayed the same. He paused for a second, blinking, and thinking. Then he came back to reality, linking eyes with me. I could never fully look Itachi in the face. With those Sharingan eyes expecting me to come a see them, I feel like I need to resist them and flinch, scared of them, Itachi wanting to eat my fear. Tetane was a different deal. I could laugh while those things were activated; they had no virtual effect on me, no matter what. Samehada was a favor to me, and a gift to possess after Tetsu, that is, right after I killed him.
Itachi stared right ahead walking in a faster pace. "Hm, really? That's cute." He traced those red eyes onto the ground, observing the puddles and rain splashing lightly onto the ground.
My mind was suffering emotional breakdown. Cute? Itachi Uchiha never appreciated love, not in the way that he killed his family. He threw his girlfriend out like a piece of trash and killed her along with doing so. Does he know how love works? It is a privilege to make love last, and then find more later. I lost it, and got tangled in it, being choked by stupid emotions. The thing that bothered me was that he thought it was amusing that a girl like Tetane falls completely for him, and doesn't necessarily care. My fists clenched together.
"So the deal is on, I suppose, or should I use the terms of-"
I snapped out of it, finally. "-no, no. I want you to. It's good for her, you know, and if it's good for her, then it's good for Akatsuki." I shook my head while he turned his. My esteem for Itachi lowered as this conversation rolled on. He turned to me, rain dripping off of his face, not caring about the water trickling down his cheekbones and chin. "Then we have a cooperation then. Well, I must go. Thanks for your permission, partner. Thus calls the night to claim my consciousness."
I blinked to my side, and he disappeared completely, only a trail of gust following his trail. I sighed contently. Gen-jutsu was always his specialty.
I made my way to the cave where Sasori told me she would be practicing in with him. I pondered for a minute as the entrance was seen as being blown up, ruptured by the same jutsu used for all of our combinations to gain access into the lairs in Ame. What would they being now? Probably fighting… Tetane was always irritated by people who thought they were better. Sasori was one of those personalities where he wanted you to fall and surrender quickly. Tetane wanted a good fight, one that would last, one that would teach her lessons to drag out and have the information required to use against her opponent. I grunted. Of course they would be arguing and being annoyed by each other's opinions about a certain thing. They clashed, and would not stop until one person surrendered. Sasori would never stop. And Tetane would hold to a limit. If there's a friendly fight going on, I'll bet all my guts out on the table for Sasori.
The sounds of clashing swords and grunts of physical toil on the body remained noticeable as I moved more towards the field. This wasn't going to be pretty at all.
Then I came in, a grin stretching on my face, same as always, but this one was even more. Tetane was leaning against the side wall, knuckles pale white, grasping onto for life itself. Her torso was wrapped in what looked like chakra rope, and Sasori was pulling. Hard. Sasori, on the other hand, was revealed in his true form, a bloodclone wrapped around his body, holding him still in his position, his head turned away from Tetane, who revealed those stupid eyes of hers again. She takes real pride in that Raikugan, even though it doesn't work on me. I grinned even wider. It definitely affected Sasori by the way he was quivering. The bloodclone was trying to lift his head up to see, her, but his eyelids remained shut and his jaw held the strength to retain from seeing the red orbs. His puppets lay on the ground, the strings still formed onto the puppets, but all one hundred were lifeless, dropped on the dirty ground. Hiruko's shell was burned from a distance. I snickered to myself; he wasn't too happy with his results. He'll have to fix all those dolls by himself.
"You know," I started, trying to break the painful silence lingering in the atmosphere, "She's stronger than you thought, Sasori, isn't she?"
Tetane grunted, narrowing her eyelids. "Master Kisame." Her waist was squeezed even more. She squealed slightly, gritting her teeth together. "Leave us alone. I'm not done with this bastard yet."
Sasori didn't respond; he was shaking like a leaf. His eyes squeezed as tightly as possible and tried to turn his head, but the clone had gotten hold on his neck and head, trying to push forwards. He let out a little cringe of dissatisfaction to me, but mostly to his opponent. "She's better than I originally planned, that is, unless she fully proves it-"
"Resistance if futile," Tetane interrupted, coughing with laughter, "Let go, Acasuna No Sasori, and let that burden rest elsewhere but you. Rest, Sasori, and enjoy yourself. Forget the battle. Forget your pain, your hardships, and your situation. All you need to do is look up at me, listen to your ears, and open those eyes to me," she beckoned in a sweeter, calmer voice that whispered in through the dampness of the cave. Sasori weakened a little bit, and even I weakened internally. She makes good use of her words, hypnotizing her victims with reassuring, but false words so that she has her way in battle. Very good, Tetane.
"You can't… win against me," Sasori muttered, blood dripping slowly against the corners of his mouth. That bloodclone was giving him a rough time. "Your words are nothing but empty dreams. Nothing. Have you no truth in you? Losing to us, and losing, and losing… you'll be dead by eighteen. It's a miracle that you're alive still, because you're still too weak to attack me head on…"
I could hear Tetane's heart increase in tempo, so loud and thumping that it could stop a village's ears from any other distraction except her. Those words pierced her, and she gripped the wall intently, bright red eyes wide as the sky, arms diagonal from each other, her hands restraining her to attack her opponent. "Your words are even more bullshit! If you want me to kill you, then I will if you want to experience the pleasure!" She pressed her body against the wall, elbows facing the inner cave. "I'll make you die, suicidal mind control, like always! Ready to have death to the heart, Acasuna No Sasori? 'Cause you'll be in hell as soon as possible!"
Her elbows pressed back more against the cold wall, and just what I expected, chakra came blazing at her feet. And her hand she started a move that had almost obliterated me into death. It came spinning in her right hand, and she pressed against it with her fingers. It was a jutsu that her kid brother did to try and scare people into thinking that he was dangerous. The Rasengan shook as she tried to control it with her hand. Her eyes widened with fury while Sasori's narrowed.
She pushed, and flew through the air, going straight as a bullet, being pulled finally by the string that Sasori had tried so badly to pull. Her speed increased, and once she flew, she couldn't stop… and she knew it. This would be the final blow for both of them. Tetane screamed loudly for her success to be reality while Sasori stood there and smirked. The blades cut, the Rasengan hit, and the both fell down slowly to the cold floor.
I stepped away from the wall, coming near the two opponents. Was Sasori really dead? I knew that Tetane was still alive, because my own heartbeat pulsed as well as hers. I stepped back to find out if my prediction was as it was… and I had played my cards right. Sasori, no weight of the bloodclone on him, struggled to stand on his wooden feet. And then a blood coursing action decided to take place: Tetane whimpered, and then they transitioned into screams. He turned to me. There was a hole dug in his body, but not quite exactly to the heart. Right above it, actually.
"Close, girl. Extremely close, but in the end, I rise above."
She murmured under the floor, blank eyes looking on the floor as she coughed up blood. "How…?"
He smiled just so much to get Tetane angry. "I pulled a few strings and got what I wanted. My puppets are bonded to me like glue. No matter what force is upon me, they are there to help me. And once you blatantly came crashing in on me, the two puppets on the ground right there," he pointed to them, blades sticking out, dripping blood, "had struck at just the right amount of time. So fast, though. For a minor second it thought I would lose… oh well, then. And do you remember? We made a deal."
Tetane twitched, and glared furiously at Sasori, who stood right above her. "Hell no."
"And the great thing is, those swords contained paralyzing poison, so I knew I could get what I truly desired in the end with only on little scratch."
I saw. She tried to roll over onto her back, and when she did, two little marks crisscrossed her stomach, her uniform torn and skin punctured through, ripped thin like paper. They were only mere scratches, but something as powerful as the poison made Tetane lose. But how..?
"Bastard…" she grumbled, cringing, her fingers quivering on the ground. Tetane spat and looked furiously at me with those Raikugan eyes. "And you… you are of the equivalent. You watched and did nothing. He might take the only chance the Akatsuki has for the Raikugan, and I've only been here a week. How does that feel, master, that you might have betrayed your loyalties?"
I laughed roughly, picking up Tetane by her collar, telling that she couldn't move her legs. "My friend and teammate Sasori will never have your eye for robbery. He is a promising person, and he will return it to you, once you have learned of the harsh ways of loss and punishment."
Tetane shivered, and her arms gave out to the poison. She glared menacingly at the two men who beat her in her own game. "Then what are you going to do with my eye?"
"It will only take an hour of inspection, that's all," Sasori replied coolly, breathing the misty air, looking upward towards the ceiling and their cracks.
She spat again. "…You didn't answer my question." Her body ceased, and her eyes turned glassy. I smirked like always, but Tetane still held, on, one final death-threatening Raikugan glare. She was playing, I knew, she never wanted to truly kill me… but in this matter, it was evident for the winner.
The criminal of the Suna sighed, eyes lazily drooping. "Nor do I have to. Now, the poison should have reached your heart."
Her eyes widened for the last moments, and she tried to say something, but only her lips parted from each other by a half a centimeter. Her heartbeat still pitter-pattered rapidly, just in a new type of beat than usual. We stood in silence for a few elapsing seconds, and Sasori looked down at the frozen Tetane, squatted down, but cringed, and felt her pulse by the measurements of her vulnerable neck. He came up in a bored expression, like this whole challenge against him had never happened, that Tetane was useless and just a throw away. He was impatient with his fights, but he never had stepped down from feeling superior above everyone else. He clearly hasn't fought me yet in our seven years together as S-Rank criminals working in the same organization.
"Good," the redhead puppeteer nodded, frowning, "The body seized from movement. Kisame, if you could tie her up with my strings and I'll handle the rest, it would be grateful."
My head picked up, and my expectations leveled. This was just too good; and I trusted Sasori my entire time spent in Akatsuki. Tetane would be okay, not injured, but a little wary, and with Sasori taking and studying her eye would be good for our education and how it works. More understanding of the topic, the more it will be easier to capture. A motto of Akatsuki. Besides, this was a lesson continued from our last and first battle, and hopefully there won't be anymore. She owes me for a lot.
My optimism sky-rocketed. I started to laugh with a smile spreading. "Great! That's the best thing I've heard all day!"
