Loyalty Eternal

Chapter 10

Zabuza kicked the door out, and the thick slab of wood and steal buckled at the hinges and swung sideways out of the way. He and Jin climbed over it, and took off down the stone corridor. The hall slanted upwards, and they were not intercepted until they reached the top of it. Zabuza had just exploded the door away with a jutsu, when a small shape tumbled on top of Jin, and the two figures crashed back into the hall, sliding down the ramp several feet, before they both were on their feet, and Jin was defending himself bare-handed against the small, white-haired creature that was striking wildly with his blade.

"Sasuke! Enough!"

The assailant instantly jumped away from Jin and past Zabuza, who had been rushing down the hall to aide in the battle, so that he stood beside a tall, feminine man with dark locks swirling about his shoulders.

"Are you Zabuza?" He asked Zabuza, who was glaring at him suspiciously.

"I am…if you're going to try and stop us you can skip the small talk."

Yukimura raised a hand. "No. I want to see Haku out of here as well." Zabuza raised a skeptic eyebrow. "I'm speaking the truth. Also…is this Jin?"

Jin nodded. "Who are you?"

"My name is Yukimura."

Jin straightened and his eyes widened in recognition. "Saizo's lord?" Yukimura nodded, and Jin bowed deeply, gaining another cynical look from Zabuza. "My thanks, if it weren't for your and Saizo's help I never would have gotten here."

Zabuza turned back towards Yukimura, so this was Jin's secretive source of information.

Yukimura smiled weakly. "I see that Mugen is, indeed, your Mugen. I had feared as much when he arrived here…it's why I had Saizo give you information. When he told me of your story, well…"

"Why didn't you tell me he was here?"

"I didn't want to mislead you if he wasn't yours."

"This was far worse."

"I'm sorry, Jin, I can make up for it now. Sasuke, go fetch their weapons." The small boy beside him nodded and vanished down the corridor. "Zabuza, Haku will have let himself out by now, I hope, he should be on his way down here, you can meet him half-way."

Zabuza nodded, feeling himself go weak with relief. "I have to go to him now, if he's on his own."

"So long as Kyo doesn't notice, he'll be fine, and Kyo should be distracted for the time being. You can meet him in the center hall, from there you can get out of here and far away quickly."

"How so?"

"There's a jump-portal there. It's how Kyo travels from here and back so quickly."

Zabuza could figure what it was easily enough without asking questions, and he had no time for minor details. The boy called Sasuke was back, weighed down by Zabuza's huge sword and Jin's slung across his back. Zabuza snatched his greedily, as Jin took the weight in his sword with a focused sobriety that gave Zabuza a small pang of sadness he did not fully understand, and quickly pushed aside.

"I'll lead you to the center hall, follow me." Yukimura said, and then hurried down the corridor, Zabuza and Jin following behind.

- - -

Haku slipped through the shadows of the hallway, keeping out of sight as best he could, and incapacitating those eyes he could not hide from. He tried to merely put them to sleep, but he slipped on one, and the man's breath entirely left him, and Haku gave a quick prayer. His muscles were weak from days of un-use, but he pushed on. He could endure anything to be back in Zabuza's arms again.

- - -

Kyo straightened with curiosity as he felt one of his men fall dead. A man inside the keep…now alerted he realized that many of them were incapacitated…lining the halls going downward from the northern tower. He made the connection and smiled, amused by the foolishness.

- - -

Yukimura walked one step ahead of the others, as Zabuza glowered at his back to encourage him to walk faster—to take him to Haku without a minute more than necessary, while their pace already stretched his wounds painfully. Jin's gaze was firmly ahead, his stance firm, had Zabuza mind had room for Jin at that moment he would have been thoroughly proud of and impressed by his fellow warrior; but both of them had minds set in a singular purpose now, and nothing would sway them.

They finally arrived and Yukimura stopped just inside the doorway. The room was a large, stone and wood circular affair, and on one wall was a giant mirror reaching from ceiling to floor. Although, had they taken a closer glance which they had no time to give, they would have realized the oddity of it; that being that it reflected nothing, not even the flickering light of the lanterns faceted to the round walls at even intervals between decorative draperies. However, they were each in turn preoccupied by the other inhabitants of the room.

Haku was standing in the doorway across from them, looking shaken but very much alive and spirited. To their left, across from the mirror that did not reflect him, stood Mugen, perfectly still, watching the three of them curiously but seeming not especially ready to kill them any more than his usual attitude always showed. Zabuza made a move towards Haku but Mugen was immediately in the middle of their path to each, poised to fight them back.

"Yukimura…I didn't quite expect that." Mugen drawled.

Yukimura took another step forward. "Stand down, Mugen. That boy is going free, and you can not stop that."

"If it weren't for Kyo's orders I wouldn't give a shit. I just want a meeting with that one." His eyes rested on Jin.

"I won't let you stop them." Yukimura said.

Mugen's eyes narrowed. "I have a personal affair with him, if you try to stop me, then we'll really have some problems."

"It's fine." Jin said and stepped up. "I wanted to speak to him anyway."

Mugen laughed softly and drew the sword at his hip—his old sword, the one Jin had carried. He had apparently seen fit to keep it.

"Fuck talking," Mugen sneered. "I don't do talking." A barely perceptible smile lifted one corner of Jin's mouth. "I fight. And I have never wanted to fight anyone more than you."

"Very well." Jin drew his sword. "Have it your way."

Mugen shifted his gaze to Yukimura as he took a step toward the mirror. "You get one inch closer to that portal and I'll take your hands."

Yukimura stopped and stepped back, eyes trained on Mugen. Zabuza's eyes were only on Haku, both desperate to be near the other but not daring to cross the room with Mugen in the middle, circling with Jin, sight trained on Jin but obviously watching each of them carefully. He and Jin continued circling for several more seconds and that was the extent of his patience. He flew at Jin with a rather reckless-looking leap and Jin ducked smoothly out of the way, their swords meeting in a seamless attack and block before Mugen's jump carried him further and Jin took several more steps away; breaking the connection. There was another pause, and another meeting not unlike the first, and then the room was on fire. Mugen's wild movements seemed to fly everywhere at once, as Jin took controlled steps around and through the barrage, parrying and counter attacking when he could—but no blood ever hit the floor. Their eyes were locked all the while. And there was meaning in every movement, words echoed in every clash of metal. Mugen's frenzy screamed all his frustration and confusion, trying to either exterminate Jin or beat an answer from him. Jin's every gentle movement; every controlled arc of his blade through the air was his patient, cautious reply. Mugen only got angrier. He was clearly receiving the message, but as his attacks gained a renewed force he was beating it back with his ferocious denial. And Jin was still ever-patient, telling him again and again what he needed to know. Mugen let out a cry of rage and the heel of his foot clipped Jin's shoulder and the pommel of his sword struck Jin's jaw, at the same moment the tip of Jin's blade caught and opened the skin of Mugen's forearm.

Another pause descended then, and they both stood panting, regaining their breath. They stared at each other, taking in the other's side slowly, and Jin's face softened for a moment into deep moroseness.

"Why won't you understand?" He whispered.

"Why won't you die?" Mugen hissed back.

"I will not be killed by you until you remember who you are."

Mugen roared again and pounced at him, his blade flashing his anger. Jin sidestepped, and let Mugen's momentum carry him too far, and then drove his elbow into the back of his head. Mugen growled and flipped his momentum inhumanly fast, his sword whipping around to clip Jin's ear and pull the tie in his hair loose. His hair now free around his pale cheeks Jin spun away quickly to avoid the follow-up attack and then fell back into their tempest.

They blocked less now, and blood freely splattered the stone floor. It was all desperation, on both side of the battle. As Mugen in horror tried to destroy this terrible frustration in his life, and Jin pushed and forced himself upon Mugen. Jin was the first to take a deep blow, and it ploughed into his side making him cry out in pain as Mugen ripped the blade free afterward. But it was not long before Jin's sword carved deep into Mugen's shoulder freeing a scream of agony from his lips. Mugen recovered with a new frenzy, however, and his new barrage drove Jin to one knee, hardly blocking and parrying the blows—all of which were meant to kill. His teeth were gritted, his face picture of struggle, and more blood than sweat shone on his skin. Another shot of Jin's pierced Mugen's side, forcing him back as he tried to regain himself, giving Jin a desperately needed breather. They were both horribly wounded, they were both hardly able to breath, they were both dying.

The snowy-haired Sasuke suddenly appeared at Yukimura's side.

"Kyo's coming." He said.

Zabuza could worry about Mugen no longer, and dashed across the room to Haku's side. Mugen had no care for him any longer anyway, as he became completely enraptured by Jin's forceful explanation. Zabuza gathered Haku into his arms as Yukimura ran to the mirror-portal and began running and pressing his fingers all along the sides of it. After a brief look over and a kiss, Zabuza started to pull Haku to the mirror—but too late.

Kyo was in the room as if he had dropped from the ceiling, standing in Zabuza's way suddenly, tall and strong, bearing down on him with a small smirk on his face.

"Well, well, well, how very tricky." Kyo snickered. "I'm sure you thought yourselves clever." He looked over his shoulder at the frozen Yukimura. "And you…I had more trust in you."

"Some things can only be taken so long." Yukimura whispered, his face firmly unemotional, as Haku caught a glimmer of apology in his eyes.

Kyo nodded. "Of course I understand. I would have preferred to not have to kill you."

Yukimura squared his shoulders. "Let the boy go."

"No. If nothing else it is a matter of pride now."

"Kyo, please, you are too proud. Are you so clouded in your mind that you have no pity or compassion left?"

Kyo struck Yukimura with his fist across the face. "I have no need of such things."

Yukimura lifted himself from the floor weakly. "Is that why you could do such a horrid thing to Mugen? Steal his soul and stick it in some husk of a body just because you wanted him to fight for you?"

Jin's gaze shifted, as both he and Mugen were suddenly frozen.

Mugen took a staggering step toward Kyo. "Is that true?" He growled.

Kyo turned his sight lazily onto Mugen. "Yes. That body you are currently dying in is not your original. When I met you I had in my possession a rare and glorious tool that could steal a soul and replace it elsewhere. We fought, you know, and were it not for that trinket I would have never won. But I did, and you were mine. I stole your bones from the pitiful grave that one made you and had a body near identical to your original reconstructed around it. And then you were mine, just as I wanted. But…unfortunately your will wasn't as easily broken as I hoped, and you were still something I could…worry about. But now, I won't have to worry any more. You've served much use, and now you'll be disposed of with hardly a single contribution from my side."

It made sense now, and Jin found himself all the more repulsed by the truth. Now, more than ever, he needed to kill this man. Mugen was shaking all of his body tense and clenched in rage.

"You bastard." Zabuza grumbled.

Kyo turned back to him. "You'll die shortly as well, just wait your turn."

He never should have looked away. Even as Haku reached for the needles inside his kimono Mugen was bearing down on him, a cry of rage bursting from him and echoing through the room as he kicked the red-armored warrior hard against the wall. Kyo fell to the ground, crumbled against the wall, which shuddered and cracked and dropped one of the lanterns which shattered and caught fire to one of the draperies. The seal was entirely broken. Kyo held no power of Mugen any longer.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Mugen raged. "How dare you take my life from me? MY LIFE YOU SICK FUCK!" He plunged his sword down towards Kyo's chest, meaning with all his heart to kill him, but Kyo snapped back to life and moved in a blink behind Mugen, his own sword out to strike.

But he had not foreseen every layer. For as he raised his arm to strike Jin's blade bit into his leg and cause him to fall off balance and force him to jump away again to a distance where he could cause no harm.

"Are you still alive?" He laughed. "You're worse than roaches, how many ways must you be sliced before you die?"

"At least our souls are cleaner than one." Jin growled.

Kyo's face went stony, and his eyes seemed to flame beyond the reflections of the growing fire within the room. Yukimura's fingers still danced along the edges of the portal, as he told Sasuke to leave and get all the servants removed from the keep.

Kyo flew at Jin in a fury, but was intercepted halfway by a powerful kick from Mugen. Before he breathed again Jin had followed up with a strike along his side. But they couldn't move quite fast or hard enough to keep him down, and Kyo was soon on his feet again, holding both of them back by sheer ferocity.

Zabuza watched breathlessly, his arms tight around Haku, as Jin and Mugen, wincing through their death wounds, spun seamlessly around Kyo, and under the other's attack to back them up. As Jin moved to attack from the left, Mugen was already positioned on the right. When Mugen swung his sword down, Jin stabbed upwards, and Kyo was hard pressed to slip between them, as the flames pressed in around them. They weren't two people…they were one separated in half. This was what Jin was truly meant to be. He could see that, and see why he had been so weak and lost without it, for even as he could never live for so much as moments more, there was a smile on his face, and Mugen's as well. It didn't matter where he went after death, because this was his heaven.

And Mugen laughed. It floated through the smoky air like the voice of a demon, and Jin's movements were filled with still new invigoration, as chills ran down Zabuza's spine. He understood now. He understood everything that Jin had said about this man…he was truly unparalleled and unrivaled, and completely magnificent.

Two swords pierced Kyo's chest, and with a gurgled shout of pain as they twisted and were removed, he crumbled to the floor. A moment later his assailants also dropped.

"It's ready!" Yukimura suddenly called. "Zabuza, Haku, hurry!"

Zabuza lingered, staring at Jin as his body lay bleeding and only barely breathing. As he watched, Yukimura calling him, Jin lifted his head and slowly pulled himself towards Mugen, who in turn raised himself to meet Jin halfway.

"Zabuza." Haku's voice finally pulled him away. "We need to go…this place is going to burn down."

Zabuza let the image of Jin reaching out to and becoming enfolded in the arms of his dear one become imprinted in his mind, so he would never forget him or what he had witnessed, and then joined Haku at the portal.

"Go! Hurry! I don't know how long it will resist the flames." Yukimura coughed against the smoke as he spoke. "It will take you to one of Kyo's outposts near the town at the base of the mountains. You can get medicine there and return home with a short walk."

"What about you?" Haku cried over the crackling fire. "You must come with us!"

Yukimura shook his head and his gaze fell on Kyo's limp body. "No…no I'm quite done."

Haku opened his mouth to ask further, but upon seeing Yukimura's face, full of heartache and sorrow and…release, he had no words to say except. "Thank you. We owe you everything."

Zabuza nodded silently, and his hand tightened on Haku's shoulder. As they turned to face to mirror they saw upon the glassy surface now the image of a small square room, almost entirely empty and useless. Their escape. Haku trailed a last look after Yukimura as the warrior smiled at him and turned away to go towards Kyo. And Zabuza dared not look again.