Sorry for the long wait. i was stuck, like mind blank stuck and i couldn't think of how i will write the next chapter but here it is. hope you enjoy it and review peoples, i'm getting depressed seeing that the story is not getting as much reviews as the first part which i can tell had more actions than this, or maybe i'm missing something....
CHapter Cover: Payne in Taiyou Jonin clothes with a sword in her hand.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Clash of teammates
Jack stood there as he watched them with a scowl on his face. They couldn't have showed up at a worst timing, and as he watched the man with the tattoo a black bird descended on his shoulder.
"So that's how you knew I was there," Jack said as he watched the bird, "you're from the Tomaki clan. The master trackers of Taiyoukagure,"
"Jack comes with us and we will take you in without a fight," Payne said.
"Since when I ever go down without a fight Payne," Jack asked the girl, shifting his eyes toward the girl's pink ones.
The two gazed at each other, and Payne noticed that the shape of Jack's eyes had changed, and they looked like an animal's eyes.
"You're eyes have changed," Payne said, "You betrayed the village you've sworn to protect with your life, why?"
Jack smirked at her, "I can't go back to the village yet Payne, there is someone out there I need to find and maybe kill."
Payne's eye narrowed as Jack raised a hand, and her hand went for the sword on her back, keeping the hand there as if to block any incoming attack. Hunter hand was in a seal and Roshi had pulled out his kunai.
But Jack was taking off the Akatsuki cloak, and layed it on Yugito who was still shivering against the tree.
The Tomaki guy and Payne are SOLDIERs, and Roshi is a Double S. They may turn out to troublesome in a fight, meaning that I have to get serious and since Yugito can't fight right now, so I have to move the fight away from her…
"In all my Genin years," Jack said, "Payne is the only one I never went against, thanks to her famous shadow sword technique. A technique of your own creations isn't it Payne?"
Payne didn't say anything, still leaving her hand on the sword on her back.
"How about we get this battle started," Jack said before he whirled around, punching a fireball at them and with one strock of her sword, Payne had cut the flames into two making each one continue in her side.
Jack was standing there dressed in black with a sword at his waist and a kunai on his back setting it horizontally and his chest was a chessplate and back similar to Anbu armor.
"Let's see how much we've grown Payne," Jack said as he threw shuriken at them.
Payne blocked it with her sword and skillfully, and turned to see Jack was standing on a tree branch.
"Hunter," Payne said.
"On it," Hunter said as he made a seal, "Ink snake binding technique"
Ink grew out of his body and lashed out toward Jack who dodged the technique with a small smirk and feel someone coming from behind and he spun in midair with a kick, hiting Roshi's hand, letting him drop the kunai and he slammed a fist of flames into his guts.
"Flaming Fist,"
Roshi spat out blood and was sent flying out, crashing against a tree and into the ground.
"Hunter, take care of Roshi," Payne said as she continued to follow Jack.
"But…"
"Do as I said," Payne snapped, leaving no room for argument.
Hunter nodded and Payne continued to follow Jack into the tree and chakra charged her sword.
&&&
Jack made a seal, creating the ultimate defense around him and his eyes changed into his unique bloodline.
Now I've lead them away from Yugito, I can take them all on, with the Total gravitation technique, I can take care of them beautifully.
"Water Style: Water Vortex technique."
Jack stepped out of the way as the water tornado came at him with her blade which Jack blocked with his own and suddenly his eyes picked up another blade coming from upward and he stepped back feeling the metal slash his chest.
The shadow blade technique, Jack though as he stood across Payne, A technique developed by Payne herself, allowing her to attack twice in one strike, and making it the deadliest blade technique ever.
"It seems your eyes can see my attacks coming," Payne said, "But you are not quick enough to avoide it?"
Suddenly black treds grew out of the ground lashing around Jack's body which was replaced by a piece of wood and Jack was above with his hand by his mouth.
"Dragon Breath Technique,"
The blast of fires clashed down on the silver-haired girl who had used the Earth to hide her body.
I forgot that Payne had a high affinity for earth, Jack though as he landed on a tree branch, With her Earth jutsus, she is sneaky as she is cunning and also having the affinity for water is a pain in the ass even if it is not as strong, but as they say, Lightning is stronger than Earth.
From behind him, Payne had came out of the tree from behind him her sword slashing down at Jack who even without looking, dodged it by jumping out of the tree sending a kunai with a letter bomb attached to it.
KABOOM!
The large explosion blew out the tree she was on and Payne landed not far away, with her body bruised and dirty as Jack landed on the ground facing her.
"You seems to have grown after all Payne," Jack said, "You were usually the strongest of our team when I didn't use my fire manipulation technique."
Payne charged with her sword making a double slash which using the shadow sword technique become four attacks and Jack had dodged some of them, getting out with slashes in his arm and legs across his chest.
"Hunter," Payne said.
Jack looked behind him as a large ink-Lion charged down at him and he raised his palm toward it, "Shinra Tensei"
The Lion exploded into a blast of ink and Payne had taken advantage of his distraction to create a number of seals, "Earth Style: Quicksand."
Jack feel the ground start to swallow him and quickly created a clone which pulled him out of the earth and threw him at Payne who had her sword ready.
"Lightning Lance,"
Lightning shoots out of Jack's karate chopped hands missing Payne's head by a inches but grazed her shoulder making her spin on the spot, throwing a three kunai in the process, and Jack dodged them by swerving out of the way.
"You're strong after all Jack," Payne said, huffing slightly, "my shadow blade is no match for you but what about my new technique…"
"Do you like it," Payne asked from right behind him.
What, how did she…?
She slashed at him which be blocked with a kunai and the other slash of the shadow blade technique hit him full force, creating a gash in Jack's clothes.
How did she get behind me when she was standing right here, Jack thought as blood seeped from his wounds, What is going on around here?
Payne was standing there with a small smirk and Jack's eyes didn't see anything as Payne materialized right beside him.
What is this technique? Jack thought as a punch slammed right on his face making him step back and she arched her finger in a clawlike way and yelled, "Double Strike technique,"
Two palmed chakra hands slammed unto Jack's chest making him spat blood and he was flying back, rolling on the ground coming to a stop at the foot of a tree.
&&&
Hunter was watching the battle with a small frown on his face,
Payne is using the artificial Genjutsu trick technique, he though, already skilled in genjutsu, she decided to create this technique, confusing the enemy into believing that she is at two places at once. Jack seems not to have figure it out yet, a tricky puzzle indeed, but why does Payne eyes hold so much pain within them?
He watched the young woman who stood there watching Jack on the ground getting on his feet.
Could it be that there is an attraction there somehow?
&&&
Jack was getting up looking at the girl with angry eyes. Whatever technique she is using, it must have a weakness of some kind. C'mon, Jack think, what is the weakness of the technique?
Payne charged at him once again and Jack created fire, encasing his entire body as if it was protecting him.
Just like during the exam, Payne though, Have I pushed him too far?
"Infernal Armor."
The fire grew around him burning the very grass around him, and it took shape of the young man, who was standing in the middle of the fire, yet his skin was intact.
"So the fire protect you," Payne said, "Just like a shield."
She created a set of seal fast, "Water Style: Raging Waves." (Technique from anime)
A cascade of water escaped from Payne's mouth and attacked the flame covered boy and Jack's armor let out a large rise of flames, vaporizing the water.
Impossible, Payne though, such heat in such short amount of time. Jack's control over fire has surely risen over the two years he was away…
"Payne I'm asking you this," Jack said, "I fought you to see how strong you were and you surprised me at it. You have changed Payne, a lot more than I had imagined."
Hunter narrowed at that remark, and Payne's eyes were surprised.
"Claire did a great job with the village," Jack said, "I've know that she will have taken the seat, since the village was in distress…"
The flames armor disappeared as Jack dispelled the jutsu.
"Go back to the village Payne, I'm risking everything I can so I can capture that traitor of my clan," Jack said, "I've come no closer than I have come the past two years, but Akatsuki made me a target for her and she will come or send someone after me. I'm the one who killed your parents Payne."
A look of shock crossed Payne's face and Hunter who was in the tree narrowed his eyes more at the though.
"You've heard what Armstrong wanted you to hear, that the village was attacked by a demon and that it was taken care of, but this demon that killed so much people and ripped families apart was me."
"It wasn't you," Payne snapped at him, "That wasn't you Jack."
"Look at my eyes Payne," Jack yelled at her, "Aren't they the eyes of a monster?"
"The shape may have changed," Payne said, smiling softly, "but you're still the same puzzle-hating idiot that I liked."
Jack blinked.
Hunter blinked.
Payne blinked, seeming to have caught what she had said, covered her mouth in shock.
A heavy silence hung in the air as Jack continued to look at Payne, the ever stoic Payne, had just admitted to him that she like him.
I must be dreaming…, Jack though, the're is no way she just…
I was right, Hunter though, the attraction from Payne is as clear as day during the fight and she didn't use any of her deadly genjutsu like the Mind Destroyer…
"I'm not hearing any more of this shit," a voice yelled.
Roshi has appeared there beside Payne.
"When we get back to Taiyoukagure," Roshi said, looking at Payne, "I'm asking Claire-sama to take you off the team."
"Roshi," Jack said.
"Maki was killed because of you," Roshi said at him, "and I'm getting my revenge."
He threw kunai at Jack who instincly dodged them and winced slightly remembering the cuts he had on his chest and arm, and he was almost out of chakra since he was exhausted.
"Who killed him?"
"That goddamn woman killed him," Roshi said as he charged at Jack, "and today I'm going to kill you."
With loud clangs, Roshi and Jack clashed as they flew around the field and Roshi made some quick seals, "Fire Style: Fire Dragon technique."
The large blast of fire headed straight for Jack.
"SHinra Tensei,"
The fire was snuffed out by the push of gravity, as Jack huffed and fell on one knee, looking at the boy in front of him. His wounds were bleeding heavily and he was getting tired pretty fast and the woman who had killed Maki had to be Soya, no doudt since she was the one who was pulling all the strings in the background.
"It's not my fault Maki is dead," Jack said.
"It's your entire fault Jack," Roshi said, "Why don't you just die?"
He charged at Jack again…
A blast of blue flames landed in the way of Roshi who jumped back, looking for the newcomer who stood on a tree with an Akatsuki cloak on herself as her blond hair falls all around her. Her dark eyes were looking at the scene of the bloody Jack and the tree Taiyou ninjas on the other side of the field.
"Jack, are you okay?"
"Yugito," Jack said, looking at the girl, "You're alive?"
"Yeah," Yugito said as she looked at his direction, "So, you are strong enough to be in the Akatsuki and yet you couldn't defeat three Taiyou ninjas."
She landed on the ground and Payne could feel the chakra radiating off the girl like waves…
What on earth is she?
"Now, how about I take over from now on," Yugito said with a small smirk on her face, "That is if you can take me."
Before anyone could move again, a loud explosion echoed throughout the region and the clearing was bathed in light. Everyone looked toward it to see a giant form of light that looked like a triangle with two smaller triangles stiking out from each side at the top.
What is that? What was going through everyone's head except Jack who frowned slightly at the display.
Even from the distance, he though, I recognize Deidara's chakra? What the hell is he doing around here?
Yugito used that distraction to take Jack's form before body flickering away.
"Shit, they're gone," Roshi said.
"Payne," Hunter asked, "Shall we hunt Jack or check this out?"
Payne looked toward the light which dimned and vanished.
"Let's check out the light first," she said, "I'm sure Jack will come back to us,"
"What?" Roshi said, "We had Jack in our hands and now you letting him slip away."
Payne glared at him and Roshi feel cold all of a sudden,
"Do what you want Roshi, I have find out what I wanted," Payne said before jumping toward the explosion, and Hunter followed her.
Roshi stood there growling in anger and then took off in another direction without noticing the black bird on the tree branch above him.
With Payne and Hunter, the latter broke the silence, "Look like Roshi went after Jack."
Payne stopped and she closed her eyes for a few minutes, to think and said, "Hunter go after him and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, we will meet at the village not far from here in three hours."
"Okay," Hunter said before vanishing.
Payne stood there for a minute as she continued to watch the smoke that was growing from afar and then jumped toward it.
&&&
"I can't believe you will just leave me like that?" Yugito said as she healed his wounds with medical ninjutsu.
"I had to lead them away from you didn't I?" Jack said, "I was lucky Payne didn't use any of her mind technique on me or I would have been dead."
"Why didn't you use your Angel of Fire?" Yugito asked as she continued to heal him.
"I didn't want to use it while fighting against Taiyou forces," Jack said, "I will use it when I'm fighting someone I want to kill and I didn't want to kill them."
Yugito seated on the floor beside his futon which he layed on as Jack seated there watching her work. She was surely an expert at this. They had taken refuge in a hotel inside the village, so that Yugito can heal him.
"Yugito,"
"Mhn,"
"Have you ever wondered how Akatsuki got in Kumo so easily?" Jack asked her.
Yugito paused slightly in her work, and looked up at him, with a pensive look on her face as she thought about what Jack had just said.
"Now that you said it," she said slowly, "I never really thought about it. I was waiting for them to come after me so that I could take them on my own. But how did they get past security and the Kumo's Anbu teams were taken off duties for the night…"
"So, it seems someone within Kumo is an Akatsuki's spy," Jack said, "Can't you think of anyone?"
"Raikage-sama respected me as a ninja and as a Jinchurikin," Yugito said, getting back to work, "My team were plactonic, and some of the elders despisced me, it could have been any of them."
"Yes, it could have," Jack said as he closed his eyes, "I'm going to sleep for an hour or so okay."
"You'll need it flame-boy," Yugito said and Jack chuckled slightly.
Putting away her healing equipments back into the pouch, Yugito looked at the young boy as he falls unto sleep, feeling a small smirk grew on her face. She didn't know why but being here, in the same room with him makes her feel, well like a girl.
A girl can get used to this, she though to herself as she looked at Jack's well toned chest.
who knew? Payne liked Jack and now Yugito is acting girly? What the world is comming to? I've got one hell of an imaginations to write some crazy things like that but its all worth it. Be sure you're here for the next chapter of TN:RFAD 'Devil Incarnated' and i promise i'll update faster now.
Jacques0 out.
R&R.
