HOUR-LONG WEEKEND SPECIAL!
CHAPTER 7: THE ASSASSINS OF THE TWELVE CLOAKED DAGGERS, PART II

(Just so you know, it is only about 2:30 pm where I am, so I apologize to all my eastern hemisphere friends)

--

"Good-bye, Akira Sugiyama," said Lina with a horrific grin, her eyes full of pure evil and unadulterated hatred. Akira closed his eyes, clenched his teeth, and waited for the strike. The pain from his leg was so great, so intense, so unbelievable that death was almost welcome.

I really am a failure, he thought. Some Kankokage I am…I deserve to die.
Akira held his breath, knowing his death was at hand, and he waited…and waited…and waited. What?

He opened his eyes, only to see blue sky above him. Lina was gone.

"Where did you go?" he asked aloud. The lightning cage was still active, with Naruto and Raiko battling fiercely inside. It was then that something caught Akira's eye, off in the distance where the other ninja were fighting.

"Oh no," he said with horror.

--

Damn it! thought Naruto as once again his attack was parried by Raiko. I just can't beat this guy with moves like these! I've gotta try something else, I guess…

"Looks like you're reaching your limit there, young Toad Sage!" mocked Raiko, taking a swipe at Naruto's gut with his katana. Naruto read the attack, and back flipped out of the way of the blade. "Again, if you give up, I will let you join our-…"

"Shut up," said Naruto coldly. "I will not give up! And if you think I'm even close to my limit, you will definitely die!" Still, this cage is really limiting my effectiveness…if I could get outside, then I could really get things going, but that doesn't look like an option right now. I guess I'll just have to use that.

"Looks like things outside the cage are getting a little hairy," said Raiko, looking left to right, then back at Naruto. "I'll just have to end this with the next move. It's a pity; you really have been a fair foe thus far. Forgive me, Toad Sage, for ending your life."
Raiko stuck his sword into the ground in front of him, sending a spray of sparks up from the dirt and grass. He then made a series of signs, the combination of which Naruto was unfamiliar – but the final sign, 'tiger', indicated a ranged attack. Naruto then stuck his sword into the ground as well, and made several signs as quickly as he could. Please let me finish the molding in time…he thought, and as those words crossed his mind Raiko spoke, thrusting his hands out in front of him.

"Ninpou: raisakeru tsumari!" (Ultimate lightning burst)

"Seijin jutsu: gamatoku!" (Sage technique: toad shield)
From Raiko's hands shot a blinding burst of energy, at least three feet in diameter, and at the same time a large, metallic image of the Toad God Gamajin appeared between Naruto and the beam. Sparks and electrical pulses shot in all directions as the beam hit the shield, and the entire scene was filled with horrifying crackling.

I made it! Now this ends…Kage Bunshin no jutsu…

"Ha!" laughed Raiko, still firing his lightning attack at the shield. "Don't you know what happens when a frog gets struck by lightning? Ha ha ha!!"

"Yeah, he gets really mad!"

"What!?" exclaimed Raiko as he looked up, only to once again see Naruto about to cut him down with Gamakatana. "Same move again, huh? You really are a crappy nin-…?!"

"Kenbu! Gamahitokage kataki – Naruto style!!" (Sword Dance: Toad Spirit's Revenge)
Naruto's sword began to glow a yellowish-orange, and Raiko released the lightning beam. He then picked up his sword to block Naruto's attack, but at that same moment he saw the other two Naruto's closing in on the sides.

"Damn it!" he cursed. Raiko then swung his sword in a circular motion, and blocked all three attacks nearly simultaneously, but the shear force and energy of the technique Naruto released was so great that Raiko was sent flying out of the cage, passing through its wall unharmed, but upon his landing on the ground the cage vanished. Naruto's breathing was heavy, and he gazed onward at Raiko with his toad eyes.

"Damn it," said Raiko as he winced in pain. That attack was more than he ever expected from this little kid, and right now he didn't want to find out what more he could do, not without a little investigation beforehand.

"What?" asked Naruto, the scene featuring Shikamaru, Sakura, and Hinata catching his attention. All at once his two shadow clones vanished, his eyes reverted back to their normal state, and a look of horror shot across his face. "Oh no! No!!"

--

"You are doomed," said the Daisukes. "Behold the power of the Rinnegan!"
Shikamaru, Hinata, and Sakura each tackled a different Daisuke, and it was very clear that Daisuke was a taijutsu master, possibly beyond the scope of Rock Lee. Their movements were so fluid and neat that it seemed like they could see the attacks before they even happened. Those eyes, however, struck more and more fear into their hearts and minds as each moment passed – those ringed eyes seemed to penetrate deeper than the byakugan, and almost appeared to anticipate movement better than the sharingan.
Shikamaru, however, had something else besides fear on his mind as he slashed Asuma's knuckle blades in futile attempts at Daisuke, he likewise having to dodge Daisuke's potent kicks and punches.

Why did this one speak just before the others? he thought. Why would he speak before them, and why are they all speaking at the same time?

"Damn it!" screamed Sakura as she let fly five frighteningly powerful punches at her Daisuke. All five missed however, and Daisuke responded instantly with a flurry of his own.

"You are all going to die," said the Daisukes. "Your stamina is nothing compared to mine. I can fight for days on end without slowing, and no one has yet to beat me."

There are subtle differences between them, however, continued Shikamaru in his mind. Almost as if they were triplets…but that would be just too weird.

"Hyah!" shouted Hinata, landing two jyuuken upon Daisuke's chest, but there seemed to be little if no effect. Hinata's taijutsu skill was unmatched among the kunoichi of Konoha, and not even Tsunade, Neji, nor Lee could easily defeat her, if at all. But though she was able to successfully attack Daisuke's chakra points, he continued fighting as if nothing happened, each attack retaining the same force as the others. Why isn't his chakra system reacting? I'm hitting all the points dead on, just like Neji taught me, but there are barely any fluctuations in the stream at all!

It could be a genjutsu, continued thinking Shikamaru. A genjutsu cast on two different people, giving the main body control over their minds and other vital systems…then to release that genjutsu, we'd have to…

"Sakura! Hinata!" shouted Shikamaru. "Fall back! Get away from them! We cannot beat them!"

"What?!" asked Sakura in disbelief. "What are you talking about?!"

"Fall back!" commanded Shikamaru, and Hinata and Sakura leapt away at their first open chance. Shikamaru likewise jumped back, and the three met about forty feet from the Daisukes, who had gather together as well, each staring intently at their foes with their Rinnegan eyes.

"You are doomed," they repeated. "Rinnegan will only prolong your destruction, and increase your exposure to ultimate suffering. Give up now, and we may spare your lives." The three Konoha ninja also kept their eyes on the Daisukes, watching for any movements of attack.

"Shika?! What the hell are you doing?" asked Sakura angrily.
"The guy there in the middle is the main body," whispered Shikamaru, his gaze remaining fixed upon the middle Daisuke. "If we can successfully defeat him, we can stop the other two."

"How do you know this?" asked Hinata through heavy breaths.

"That middle guy is speaking before the others," he said. "That totally gave him away. I've heard of that technique before, the Rinnegan. It's the same technique Pain used…but this guy doesn't seem to have the same control over it that he did – which is why all three speak at the same time instead of individually."

"This guy uses Pain's technique?" asked Sakura, now thoroughly shocked.

"That is correct," said Shikamaru. "Now, here's the plan…"

"Damn kids, making me wait," grumbled the Daisukes. "Fine then, if you won't come at me, I'll make the move for you! Doujutsu: Shusokubutai!" (Elemental Focus)

"Damn it!" cursed Shikamaru. "Go, now!" Sakura and Hinata both leapt off to about thirty feet of either side of Shikamaru, all three still facing the Daisukes, who began stringing together a series of signs at a dizzying rate.

Behind the three Daisukes the air began to lighten and change colors, from clear to light blue, then continuing down to a deep violet. The air also became more and more opaque, and a flow could be seen in it – a vortex was forming.

"You three are so dead," chuckled the Daisukes. The vortex then began to grow brighter and brighter, and the Daisukes began to growl with power.

Damn it, we've got to make this fast, thought Shikamaru. That move looks like it will require a short time to fully activate for the attack, during which time he will be vulnerable…but that means our timing has to be perfect. He nodded his head, and Hinata and Sakura ran forward, stopping themselves once the Daisukes were directly between them.

"Now?" asked Sakura.

"Not yet," replied Shikamaru. "Wait for it."

"Ha!" laughed the Daisukes. "You send these little girls against me to what, attack me? Defeat me? You must be genin from Konoha; idiots like you guys could never become ninja like me!"

"Actually," replied Hinata, her speepish tone beginning to return. "All three of us are Jonin now."

"I can't believe a great ninja like you would think so poorly of Konoha jonin!" said Sakura. "That is just so wrong!"

"Then I sincerely apologize," said the Daisukes. "How awful of me to behave in such a dishonorable manner. In repayment, please accept this offering." The Daisukes then made another series of signs, and the vortex behind them began to fluctuate in color, becoming bright and brighter.

This is it! Shikamaru nodded again, and Hinata and Sakura both made a break from the Daisukes, though Hinata ran at them much faster than Sakura. The central Daisuke then closed his eyes and opened his mouth as if screaming in pain, but he made no sound. Instead the vortex began swirling faster and faster, indicating that a powerful was about to take place.

"Here I go!" shouted Hinata, and she sped even faster towards the leftmost Daisuke, gathering not his but the rightmost Daisuke's attention as well. The two Daisuke's then pulled out a kunai each, and at this moment, Shikamaru smiled, his hands in the sign used for shadow binding techniques.

"Gotcha," he said quietly. With the central Daisuke's eyes closed, and the others' attention focused on Hinata, none of the three saw the shadowy threads speeding along the ground towards them.

"You're dead, little girl!" said the rightmost Daisuke menacingly, and he prepared to slash it at the fast-approaching Hinata…but nothing happened. In fact, all three Daisukes stopped moving completely, and the vortex began to fade behind them.

"W-w-what?" they stammered, but already it was too late, since Sakura had leapt into the air, ready to deal her unearthly strength to the central Daisuke.

"It's over!" shouted Sakura, and she struck the central Daisukes face with her fist, glowing green with chakra and power. At the exact same time, Hinata rolled around the rightmost Daisuke, and shot her right-hand palm at his chest.

"Konjohira!" Hinata shouted (Spirit Palm).

The two crushing blows knocked the central Daisuke out of Shikamaru's shadow bind, and he flew back from them sixty feet before crashing hard and long upon the dusty ground. Bones cracked and blood spilled, and a moment after he landed the other two Daisukes vanished into thin air.

"Is he dead?" asked Hinata, and Sakura ran over to Daisuke's battered body – he as still breathing, but appeared completely unconscious.

"No he isn't dead, but that combination just about did him in," yelled out Sakura. "We should send him back to Konoha for quest-…"

"DIE YOU LITTLE BITCH!!"

Sakura turned around just in time to see Lina racing towards her, her hands aglow with the Soul Blades. Lina's face was covered in tears, contorted in pure rage and hatred towards Sakura.

"DIE!!" shouted Lina again, and she struck Sakura squarely in the chest with her Soul Blade.

Sakura flew back, rolling several times upon the ground. When she finally stopped, she wasn't moving, and her eyes were closed. Lina, meanwhile, picked up Daisuke's body, threw it over her shoulder, and leapt into the trees.

"Raiko!" she shouted. "Let's go!"

Next to Naruto, Raiko stood up and likewise leapt out of the meadow and into the trees, and a few moments later three huge, black ravens cleared the treetops and flew off into the horizon behind the tree line.

"No! Sakura!" cried Naruto, his sword vanishing in a puff of smoke, and he, Hinata, and Shikamaru all raced over to her side. Hinata, still using her byakugan felt her face, and gasped.

"She's still alive, but her chakra system is fading!" she said breathlessly. "It's like her spirit has been cut!"

"N-Nar-u-to…" whispered Sakura. "I-I'm s-s-so s-sorr-y…"

"Sakura-chan!" whimpered Naruto, tears now beginning to roll down his cheek. "Sakura-chan, please don't die. Please!" It was then that Akira limped over to the group huddled around her.

"Please, let me see to her," he said softly, and Naruto stepped out of the way as Akira knelt down beside her. "Sakura, give me your right hand."

"W-why?" she whispered.

"Your spirit has been severed," he replied. "We need to heal it before it kills you. Can you activate your chakra to repair the spirit?"

"I…I-I th-think s-s-so," she replied. Sakura then closed her eyes tightly, and the green glow returned to her hand. Slowly it began to change to a lighter bluish color, and Sakura silently screamed in agony.

"Hold on, Sakura," said Akira gently, stroking her forehead with his hand. "You'll make it, just hold on. Is this burnt patch on your shirt where she hit you?" Akira then grasped her left hand with his, and Sakura's expression calmed a bit. Akira then took her right wrist by his right hand.

"Y-yes…" replied Sakura. Akira then placed her right hand with its chakra glow onto her chest. Sakura again made an expression of screaming, only this time the sound came out, ringing across the meadow as her agony poured out into the air.

"Hang on, Sakura," said Akira calmly, grasping her left hand even tighter. "Keep your chakra flowing. Don't let go!"

Sakura's scream turned into a moan of agony, but still the chakra flowed out of her hand and into her chest where Lina had attacked her. Sweat began to trickle off from Akira's nose and onto her shirt, their hands clasped so tightly that all color had left the skin. After a few moments, however, Sakura's face became calm and peaceful, her breathing returned to normal, and her eyes closed as she fell unconscious. Akira then let go of her wrist and hand, and fell back onto the ground, his breathing deep and heavy, his face drenched with sweat.

"Akira-sama…" said Naruto, his tears now beginning to subside. "How did you know?"

"Lina got me with the same attack," he replied in between breaths. "Only she got my leg. Sakura is very lucky to be alive; Lina said that if her blades even nick the heart it is fatal."

"Will Sakura-chan be all right?" asked Hinata, a small stream of tears also running down her cheek.

"I think so," replied Akira, brushing away some of his brown hair that had stuck to the sweat on his face. "She doesn't seem to be in pain any more. I would have to think that is a good sign because my leg still feels like it is being shredded with every movement."

"So what are you going to do?" asked Shikamaru.

"I'll just have to wait it out, I guess," said Akira with a small, fake laugh. "When she wakes up, maybe she can heal me too."

"So there are twelve of those guys…" said Naruto quietly, looking off in the direction in which the three attackers fled. "Those were only three of them…how can we possibly defeat them all?"

"I have been wondering that myself," said Akira. "But I do take some comfort in the fact that even with all their horrifying power, we are still alive, and they are on the run."

"A-Akira-s-sama…" whispered the voice of Sakura. Slowly her hand reached out towards Akira, and she laid it against his leg where he too had a burnt patch of clothing. Her hand then began to glow the same as before, and Akira felt his pain subsiding.

"Sakura, thank you," he said softly. Sakura's eyes were filled with tears, and she moved her hand down to Akira's once again.

"Akira…sama…" she said softly, and again she fell unconscious.

--

It was nearly night when Sakura finally awoke. She slowly stood up; her body felt like lead, and every inch of her entire being hurt and ached. Behind her, Naruto was asleep, apparently having dozed off while sitting next to her, and Shikamaru and Hinata were a ways off tending to a fire. Akira could not be seen, and this made her feel a little sad.

"Naruto," she said softly, every word causing strain to her system. "Naruto!"

"Wha…" he said in a drowsy tone. "Sa…Sakura-chan!" Naruto leapt to his feet and embraced Sakura, somewhat to her dismay, but at this time she didn't have the strength to fight him. "Sakura-chan! You're awake!"

Sakura and Naruto walked over to the fire where Hinata and Shikamaru were sitting, and both seemed very pleased that she was back with them

"What did it feel like?" asked Hinata quietly.

"It felt like part of me just vanished," replied Sakura, also in a soft tone. "Like half my body had been ripped away from the rest…I wonder if that is what it feels like to die?"

"Dying is much quicker and smoother," said Shikamaru. "When a person dies, they usually don't look like they are going through such unbelievable pain…you looked different…"

"Where is Akira-sama?" asked Sakura. All three shook their heads.

"He left shortly after you passed out," answered Naruto. He hasn't been back since.

"Akira-sama…" muttered Sakura under her breath.

"Well, as long as he isn't back, I think you should rest up a bit more," said Shikamaru, putting his hands behind his head and stretching. "You don't even look like you are at 10; don't worry, we'll make sure you get back to top speed."

--

Off a ways through the trees, Akira sat at the very top of a tall pine, looking out across the forest canopy, tears dripping slowly down from his eyes and cheeks.

You are such a failure…you've let everyone down…your village, your friends, your family…Lina was right. I deserve to be dead…

A breeze began to pick up, and the sky began to darken faster as the sun disappeared beyond the distant mountains, the last trickles of light illuminating Akira's face, his eyes red and bloodshot, his expression that of complete and utter sorrow.

A failure…that's all that I am…some Kankokage I am…

Above him, a large bird started circling, and little by little it got closer to him. Akira directed his gaze upwards at it, and sighed.

"I really don't want to be bothered right now," he said aloud as the bird, now recognizable as a regular osprey, neared and landed on the tree top next to him.

"Lady Kyodaimokin has been worried about you, Akira-kun," said the osprey, generating absolutely no response in Akira. "She wonders why you haven't summoned her yet."

"Doesn't she have anything better to do than to worry about me?" said Akira after a moment. "I mean, surely she has someone else she could bother."

"Akira-kun!" said the osprey sharply. "Why are you speaking in such an unruly manner? Kyodaimokin and all the Osprey of the Brine hold you in the most deep and sincere respect."

"I don't deserve any of that respect," said Akira softly, turning away from the osprey.

"Not from you, not from them, not from Kyodaimokin…not even my own family."

"Akira-kun…?"

"I fled from my village when I was supposed to stay and protect it with my life," continued Akira, his sorrow increasing. "When I saw that Tonbo and the others had turned away from me though, I didn't know what to do, so I fled. I fled and I left them to their fates, be it death from the Twelve, or execution from the Cloud ninja, or…" Akira wiped the tears from his eyes.

"These words are not becoming of the Kankokage, Akria," said the osprey after a moment. "You are the greatest ninja of the Brine Country, and many of my kind consider you greatest of all the kages!"

"The other kages don't abandon their loved ones," replied Akira. "They defeat their enemies…I can't even defeat one."

"Can't, or do you choose not to?" asked the osprey.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You have a kind heart," continued the osprey. "We Osprey have seen it since your youth, and that is why we have chosen to follow and serve you. You do not shed blood when blood is not absolutely necessary. I'm sure that whatever happened did so for a reason…it has never been in your interest to kill."

"But back in my village, I took the lives of five of Dakatsu's guards," he replied. "And I would have taken the life of Shirokuma had Tonbo not interfered."

"That is different. That is what the Kankokage would do to protect his village."

"And how is this any different?" asked Akira.

"I'm sure you thought of another use for your enemies other than recipients of your killing ability," said the osprey. "Look inside…you know I'm right. Stop beating up on yourself, and take comfort in the fact that you did not abandon your people – you provided a way to save them."

"What?" gasped Akira.

"If you had stayed, you would have been killed. You are of no use dead, but this way you are still alive, and the fact that you are striving to save your people and your village qualifies you to be the Kankokage."

Akira did not respond; rather he sat silently, mulling over in his mind the osprey's words.

"Think about it," said the osprey. "And please summon Kyodaimokin so that she will stop pestering me about you." The osprey then took flight, and after a few moments disappeared into the encroaching darkness of the evening.

They still have faith in me…so why can't I feel the same? Why can't I shake this awful guilt and dread from my soul? Why can't I… Akira shuddered, and wiped his eyes again. Why can't I protect those I care for? Sakura's image appeared in his mind's eye, and then he remembered: he had protected her. In fact, he had saved her.

"Fine," said Akira, wiping his eyes one last time. "I really don't have time to be moping around like this." He then took out the small black and green scroll from his shirt, opened it, bit his thumb, and called out the summons.

"Summoning Art: Kyodaimokin!"

New for Wednesday, 10/1/08: EMERGENCY! THE COUNTRY OF LIGHTNING IS ATTACKED!