"Lord Tajima, that's the Shimaru clan head, Shimaru Kantaro." One of Mai's students, a spy in training, stood close behind Tajima as he stared across the battle field. His sharingan met the gaze of a young man, no older than Manju, who stood on the back of a rhino with a frown on his face. The signature scar of the Shimaru was carved into his neck, a show of willingness to die for his people.
"What do we know about him?" Tajima was calm as his elite guard kept all challengers away. Mai's student, Suzu, was his informant for this battle. Mai usually sent one of her many students to provide any sort of on the spot information that might give the Uchiha the advantage. Today it was Suzu, an Uchiha woman with spiky brown hair and two tomoe spinning in her sharingan.
"He posses both Earth and Wind style jutsu, excels in Taijutsu, and is rumored to be immune to genjutsu." Suzu diligently informed him, feeling a tad bit exposed even though she was probably in the safest place she could be on this battlefield. The Uchiha's elite guards were cutting down anyone who got too close, and Lord Tajima stood right in front of her.
"He's rather young," Tajima commented idly, when the Shimaru clan leader finally jumped off the ridiculously colored pink rhino, walking over to face Tajima like he was strolling through a garden. His own elite guard carved a clear path for him, mowing down a few Uchiha in the process. Tajima frowned in disgust, "What happened to the old leader?"
"The previous leader was a woman by the name of Shimaru Azama. We don't really know much about her, just that she forced her way into power by killing off the leader before her. Kantaro is the son of the leader Azama murdered, and took revenge by killing Azama and reclaiming the position of clan head." Suzu bowed when Tajima waved her away, jumping back so she would not get caught in the crossfire. This was her first time serving as Tajima's direct informant, so she settled in a tree, close enough to see but far enough away she could evade any attack. Extinguishing her chakra, she waited.
"Lord Tajima, what are your orders?" The head of the Uchiha guard, a gruff man with one eye covered with an eye patch, lugged a giant hammer over his shoulder. The elite guard moved to create a line between Tajima and the approaching Shimaru.
"Hold your ground, and when I give the signal," Tajima paused when the Shimaru stopped only a few feet away, "Do not hold back."
The Shimaru stopped only a few dozen feet away, the elite Shimaru guards frowned solemnly as they carefully watched the Uchiha elite guards, trying to pick a target. Huffing, the pink rhino scratched on the ground as Shimaru casually walked in front of it with a small grin that irritated Tajima far more than it should have.
"Tajima Uchiha, its an honor to see that you personally came to challenge me." Kantaro drew his tanto from his back and boldly pointed the blade at Tajima. The fighting around them halted instantly, those who were still able to move pulled their fallen comrades back into the safety of the trees. Giving their leaders and elite clansmen the space they needed to fully fight. Kantaro chuckled when he saw the Uchiha moving out of the way, "Never in my wildest dreams to I imagine the legendary Uchiha clan would come all this way to battle me."
"Your presence here is irrelevant." Tajima cut into Kantaro's pride, "We are only here because you have staked a claim on what is supposed to be a neutral town. As you can imagine, we can not allow ourselves to lose customers or resources to a lesser clan."
"Lesser clan?" One of the Shimaru elite guards snarled, hands moving to make a sign. One glance from Kantaro was all it took to stop him, and Tajima had to respect that, if nothing else, the young man could control his clan.
"The village may have been neutral for some time, but historically it belonged to the Shimaru until our past leader let it slip from her grasp." The man's mouth turned down in distaste at the mention of Azama, and Tajima had to respect the accuracy of Mai's students. Seems like the information was accurate. Kantaro sighed and tiled his head to the side, letting to tanto drop to his side. "So you can understand why it is our right to reclaim it."
"I can see your reasoning, but unfortunately I can not allow you to do as you please. This village belongs to the Uchiha and its allies now, consider this a warning." The wind blew lightly, chilling everyone and stinging any open cuts or wounds. The smell of roasting flesh, blood, and waste stung Tajima's nose, but it was so familiar that it barely was more than a passing thought. Kantaro stared into Tajima's eyes, totally unafraid of the sharingan that spun lazily.
The Shimaru elite guard leapt forward, weapons drawn and hands flying through complex signs as they unleashed a massive proactive strike against the elite Uchiha forces.
"Go!" Tajima's voice was calm but loud, and acted as a key that unlocked the chains that kept the Uchiha elite guard in formation. All of their eyes spun to life as fire erupted from their mouths.
"Hakura, stay with Lord Tajima." The head of the Uchiha guard roared as he moved to intercept one of the rhino summons that stampeded towards them. Tajima did not even flinch when a Shimaru woman with two tangled buns appeared crouched in front of him, her eyes hyper focused as she thrust her sword up towards his chest. Instantly, Manju stood in between his Lord and the Shimaru woman, his kunai blocking her sword as he pushed her back, green flames erupted from his lips, consuming her form. Pop. A log appeared in her place, quickly being reduced to ash and smoke as the woman appeared high in the sky, bursting through the smoke of Manju's fire as she glided down. Her body was straight and taunt as she prepared to strike Manju down. Her body jerked, and her heart seized as she crashed to the ground in a twitching heap a few feet away from Manju.
"My blood feels like its on fire." She wheezed out, sweat quickly collecting on her forehead as she glared up at Manju, his sharingan glowing eerily down at her. "You bastard, I avoided your attack, is this gen jutsu?"
"No, no, no." Manju sang lightly, readying a kunai to launch at her head, "Fire style: chemical burn. Even if you avoid the fire, the smoke is toxic and will burn you from the inside out." The woman coughed up blood, and looked up at Manju through one eye.
"Just do it, Uchiha scum."
"Happily, Shimaru bitch."
The woman died when the kunai pierced her brain, and Manju ran to help one of the other guards. Hakura watched him quietly, hands held firmly in the ram position as her chakra floated through her twin ponytails, making them float lazily around her. The Uchiha were pushing the Shimaru back, four of their elite guard now laid dead, easily taken down within minutes of the clash. Tajima and Kantaro did not move an inch as they waited for something that no one could pinpoint.
"My Lord, General Michiko's Unit and Madara's Unit have pressed forward and captured the village, but General Gacho's Unit is being pushed back." Hakura was straining to feel the fifth units' chakra. There were surely some serious casualties there, but nothing that could not be handled.
"Good," Tajima hummed, ignoring the way Hakura flinched when one of the elite Uchiha guard's spine was snapped in half by a massive Shimaru man. He was fearsome; probably over seven feet tall and stood like a crazed dog between the Uchiha and Kantaro.
"If you would allow me, I am more than a match for Kantaro, there is no reason for you to waste your efforts on him, Lord Tajima." Sparks jumped between Hakura's hair, drawing the attention of Kantaro who eyed her wearily. Not many people were happy to see the Uchiha's Red Radiance charging up for battle. Tajima mulled it over for a moment, trying to estimate the pros and cons of allowing the elegant Hakura to take on the leader of the Shimaru. She was clearly a match for him, if the twitch of his fingers and the unconscious flexing of his muscles was any indication, and by allowing her to defeat him it would provide many advantages. It would signal to the enemy that they stood little chance if the leader of the Uchiha has not even drawn his sword and their leader is dead on the ground. Word of her triumph would further her reputation, making it easier to charge rich customers more to hire her for escort missions. The only con he could currently see is that, if she was to fall, it might reinvigorate the spirit of the Shimaru and cause the battle to draw out.
"Fine, just don't hold back Hakura. You will receive no mercy from me if you disgrace me by losing."
"Understood." The area around her thundered, and her skin glowed white as she flashed forward like a ray of light.
The morning sky was red as fire licked at the dry grass and set the ground ablaze. The few remaining animals in the area scattered, grey smoke rose high into the sky, choking the forces lungs. Even the Uchiha were not immune to the dangers of smoke inhalation. Iku's eyes burned as the deafening sounds of explosive jutsu rattled his ears. His clothes were bit torn, and his face was stained with blood and dirt as his eyes darted back and forth across the battle field.
Patches Uchiha and Shimaru were caught in violent battles. Swords tore through flesh, kunai buried in the heads of the fallen. Men and women screamed on the ground, twitching as death slowly overcame them or they struggled to cope with their horrific injuries. Swallowing, Iku felt his muscles strain to hold up his sword in this rare moment of pause. Only a few seconds before, Iku had been locked in battle with a Shimaru teenager, the boy was bigger and wider with a painfully heavy kick. Before Iku could feel nervous, Inaba was there, intercepting the teenager and pushing him back with gritted teeth and fire.
"Iku!" Snapping back to focus, Iku felt his breathing pick up again until he ws panting. Matsu looked at him out of the corner of his eyes, equally dirty and afraid. "Don't lose yourself, remember what Manju said!" That's right. This wasn't a spar, there was no Kinpu, or Manju, or Madara and Izuna to save them if they got in trouble. Shaking his head, Iku nodded.
"Let's help Inaba!"
"Right!"
They moved forward together, boots slamming against the scorched earth as they ran to help their brother. Iku split off to the left, and Matsu took the right, circling the boy in as he was stuck trying to ward off Inaba's blows. His dark blue eyes were wide, his nostrails flared as he growled at the trio. It was clear he wasn't expecting this much of a fight from a couple of kids six years younger than him at least, and the damn brats were fast.
With a yell, he knocked Inaba's blade away, charging in with brass knuckles, aiming for Inaba's head. But Inaba only stepped back, and one of the twins was there, sword drawn and teeth barred as he slashed at the Shimaru's side. Unable to slow down, he jerked to the side, watching the blade slide past his face. He was stumbling.
There was a loud roar as a giant rhino summon appeared from the sky, falling, falling onto the shinobi below. The boy looked up and screamed. Inaba grabbed Matsu and Iku by their collars, hauling them away.
It was too close. Too close.
He pulled the twins under him as the rhino crashed into the ground. Rocks rained down on them, bruising Inaba's back and dirtying the Uchiha fan on his back. Jerking up, Inaba wanted to vomit. The teenager they were just fighting was crushed, only his chest, arms, and face were still visable. Blood poured from his ears, nose, and mouth, his finger twitched. He was still alive.
"Oh no." Matsu was trembling, completely forgetting that the boy tried to murder them only seconds before.
"That summons doesn't belong to an Uchiha," Iku whispered, clenching his eyes shut in anger as he looked away, tears still slipping through. "He was killed by one of his clansmen! They killed him, how could they?"
"It was probably an accident," Inaba yanked the twins to their feet as more people started screaming, coming to the realization that they were trapped under the giant rhino's massive weight.
"Help me! Help!"
"Come on, we've got to help him!" Iku took off, Matsu screaming after him as he followed. Inaba swallowed, looking at the Shimaru teenager one more time. Their eyes met, and Inaba froze. The teenager's eyes were filled with tears, and Inaba could see the Shimaru beg for death.
The battlefield went silent, and Inaba took his sword in both hands, walking forward a few steps.
If he had only been standing a few feet closer, if the twins had not interfered.
Inaba stood over the boy's head, hands shaking as he brought up the blade. This was not his first kill. It was not the first time his feet were soaked in the blood of the Uchiha's enemies. Still, his hands felt sweaty in the gloves over his fingers, and the ground swayed. The boy's eyes relaxed, and Inaba brought his blade down. It was mercy.
Swallowing, Inaba looked to the dirction the twins ran in, then circled the corner of the rhino. Matsu's hands were glowing green over the chest of a tan Uchiha man. Iku stood guard, still shaken but determined to protect them.
"You," the man coughed up a bit of blood, body jerking with the movement.
"Don't talk, I'm almost finished," Matsu snapped, voice breaking a tad at the end as caught sight of Inaba. The relief that washed over his face made Inaba's chest tighten. They must have panicked when they realized he was no longer with them. Moving to stand guard, Inaba turned his back to the twins, glancing quickly at Iku. He couldn't just leave them like that. They needed him. Inaba clutched the sword in his hands. If he wasn't vigilent, if he didn't give him all then one of them could die. His throat tightened. No. No. He would not let them die. They were his beloved little brothers. He would not let anyone hurt them!
"Inaba," Iku breathed in, "Your eyes!" Inaba felt light as he tilted his blade to see his reflection. A sharingan stared back at him, dark crimson and bright, it hypnotized him for a second. Jerking, he shook his head and stood guard, trying to ignore the happiness bubbling up in his stomach.
"Done!" Matsu put his hands on his knees as the man sat up, gingerly touching his chest. The armor breastplate was blasted to bits, small cracked sections hanging to his body by the remaining strings, useless. Still, his exposed chest was smooth, covered in a small layer of blood, but healed.
"You…you healed me?" The man looked to Matsu in awe, clearly dazed.
"You wound was mostly blunt force trauma so a lot of the damage wasn't visible. I fixe your ribs and healed your skin. Still, as soon as this is over you should rest for as long as possible. There was some damage to your heart, that's why you were coughing blood." Iku looked at Matsu with pride, he had the coolest brothers. Iku smirked as the man stood on his feet, awkwardly thanked Matsu and turned to Inaba.
"The battle over here is slowing down, I don't know what bastard summoned this beast, but if it hasn't disappeared yet then they're still around. We should regroup with General Gacho and see what his orders are."
Matsu stood up, rushing to stand beside Iku with his sword in his hand. "I can sense General Gacho nearby,"
"Look out!" A woman screamed, and the ground rumbled before columns shot to the sky. Inaba scrambled for something to grab onto as he was hurled through the air, his lungs felt light in his body as he started to fall back to the ground. Blinking, Inaba looked to his side. The man and the twins were hurtling a few feet away, struggling to get their bearings as the ground quickly approached. With a grunt, Inaba rolled to a stop, ignoring the sharp stones that dug into his skin as he came to a stop.
"Owe, what the heck?" Iku held his head in his hands, eyes looking dazed when he felt a warm wetness on his fingers.
"Iku!" Matsu was by him in an instant, hand glowing green as Iku wobbled a bit before blinking rapidly as clarity returned to him. "Be careful! You could have cracked your head open!"
"Oh? I didn't know the Uchiha had any healers that could work that quickly." A short man with a scar on his nose in the shape of an X, put one hand on his hip as he walked forward, brushing aside the kunai Inaba threw at him. The Shimaru kept his eyes on Matsu, before tilting his head back. "I have no problems with killing a kid, and healers are annoying. So I'll end you first!" The man lunged forward, hands racing through signs that Inaba realized he could easily follow and identify. The sharingan really was amazing.
"Earth Style: Mud Wolves!" The ground shuddered as six wolf figures drew up from the ground, their eyes yellow as they snapped their jaws.
"Boys! With me!" The Uchiha man yelled, performing his own hand signs as his sharingan spun rapidly. The four Uchiha lined up, and a wall of fire consumed the six dogs, they howled as they baked before breaking and turning to dust. The flaming wall kept going, growing hotter as it licked up the debris on the ground. Muttering to himself, the Shimaru's hands turned to stone, grinning as he let the fire crash into him. His feet dug into the ground, creating troughs in the dirt as he was forced backwards. The heat singed his eyebrows and eyelashes, his skin stung, but he held on.
"Inaba, come with me. Twins," The boys jerked when the adult Uchiha addressed them, "watch each other's backs." Inaba gulped as he and the older Uchiha raced forward towards the Shimaru earth style user.
"Behind you!" Matsu pushed Iku out of the way, bringing his sword up to knock away a Shimaru girl's punch. She screamed, and Matsu's eyes went wide as her arm hit the ground at his feet. Blood quickly pooled on the ground as she fell to her knees, her dark green eyes staring at the sight of her dismembered hand.
"I…" Matsu stuttered, feeling his grip on his sword loosened, "I didn't mean to,"
"My hand! My hand!" She wailed, trying to stand.
"I didn't mean to," Matsu kept repeating, and the woman lunged at him, kunai in her remaining hand as she stared at his throat. Iku moved in front of the dazed Matsu, hands flying through symbols. The kunai was inches from his nose when hot flames erupted from his mouth.
"Yumeno!" Some screamed, and an earth wall erupted from the ground, forcing Iku to cut off the jutsu. Taking a few quick steps back, Iku rejoined Matsu, who thankfully was back to reality.
"Sorry."
"Don't apologize, you're my twin." Matsu and Iku smirked at each other as the wall crumbled. As long as they were both alive, they could get through this. The Shimaru woman, Yumeno, was being cradled in the arms of the earth style Shimaru man. His face darkened as he held her scorched body. Yumeno's face was bright pink with raw blistering skin, with patches of black extending down her neck. Her eyes were wide open and dim. Iku felt his mouth go dry.
"She's dead." He killed her. He killed her. The thought wrapped itself around his neck and squeezed all the air out of his body. The world sounded slurred, and his chest pounded. He did that to her, he roasted her brains and seared her flesh.
"Iku! Matsu!" Inaba's voice shattered Iku's thoughts, forcing him to focus. Panting heavily, Inaba ran up behind the man, stopping a few feet away. The older Uchiha man joined him. Their clothes were splattered with mud, and Inaba's sharingan was deactivated.
"Yumeno?" the man's voice was low, begging. Matsu could no longer feel any chakra coming from the woman, even if the man rushed off now, there would be nothing any of their medics could do for her.
"Shimaru filth, that's what she deserves." The older Uchiha man hissed, pulling out two shuriken. They flew through the air, and buried themselves in the man's back. Matsu winced, but then took a few steps back when the man's body melted back into the earth.
"What is that?" Inaba forced his sharingan to reactivate, ignoring the splitting headache. He was still getting used to being able to see faster than he could react, and the sharingan used too much chakra too quickly. He really underestimated how much stamina it required to keep activated for long periods of time.
"Shit, an earth clone! Where," The Uchiha man coughed, blood trailing down his lips as he looked down. A large blade was poking out of his front, shining red as his blood dripped to the ground. Inaba jumped away as the Shimaru man appeared behind the older Uchiha, hands shaking as tears rolled down his eyes.
"You Uchiha bastards," The man's voice cracked as he kicked the Uchiha off his blade, watching the man fall hard onto the ground. Inaba moved to stand between the twins. Sucking in a breath, Matsu whispered a quick warning as the man's chakra expanded, stifling the air. The Shimaru was totally focused on them now as he stalked forward. "You killed my daughter! She was the last piece of my wife I had! I'm going to kill you, and I promise you, it won't be quick!"