Hi guys. I'm so very grateful to the people who reviewed in the last chapter in spite of me not deserving them. Here's the next chapter dedicated to those who reviewed for the previous chapter. Thanks a lot and keep reading everyone.
Kimiko had sensed the retreating chakra of the other kages and knew they had been overwhelmed by the power of Sasuke's forces.
"I'm surprised, that brat has somehow made his men stronger than the Allied Forces, Sasuke Uchiha is indeed a force to be reckoned with, after fighting so many of his men I feel quite weak" said Kimiko.
"I can't believe you had to resort to using Shinsei no Tsukigan for mere foot soldiers, that man is a monster indeed"
"Yeah, it's really amazing" Said Kimiko as she heard a shout and a fluttering of wings.
"Kimiko, hm" cried Deidara jumping down from his bird which disappeared in a burst of smoke.
"Deidara, so you managed to exterminate those aerial pests?" asked Kimiko.
"Didn't even break a sweat, hm" said Deidara grinning cheerfully at her, "But you don't seem to have defeated your enemies very easily, are you quite all right, hm?"
"Yeah I'm fine, just a bit exhausted, these guys are stronger than we anticipated" said Kimiko.
Deidara looked still looked worried and Kimiko smiled at him.
"Don't worry, I'm fine, really" she said softly.
"I just feel worried about you, always fighting by yourself, every time we have a war you always seem to fight by yourself and every time you get hurt it's alone, I'm sorry I'm such a rotten guy" said Deidara looking a bit sad.
Kimiko took Deidara's hand in hers and smiled at him, "You know what gives me the strength to fight when I have to fight alone? Do you know what keeps my hopes up while I'm in the direst of situations? It's the thought that you're rooting for me, you're the reason I am what I am today Deidara, I'm sorry if I cause you to feel sad"
Deidara looked at her with his vividly blue eyes and for a moment he forgot about everything around him. The blood, the bodies, Sasuke, Madara, war, the shinobi. Everything faded into a blur and all he could see clearly was Kimiko.
"Lets fight together from now okay?" asked Kimiko smiling.
Deidara didn't reply but pulled her into a tight hug.
"I love you Kimiko, I just feel so scared when I see you out there, risking your life, your soul, everything on the battlefield, please promise me you won't ever leave me" said Deidara tightening his arms.
Kimiko looked a bit surprised and then her eyes softened, "I promise Deidara, and you have to promise too okay? No blowing yourself up"
"Not even once? Just kidding, hm" said Deidara smiling at her.
"Well, well, well, isn't this a touching scene" came a snide female voice somewhere from the trees.
"Indeed, it seems we've stumbled upon a secret meeting between two lovers, such a shame we had to interrupt them" said a nasal, high pitched male voice.
"Totally, but when one of the lovers just happens to be Kimiko Tsukiga, the very Kimiko Tsukiga that Lord Sasuke is so determined to capture, one can't help but try and…kill her" said the female voice as a shurkien suddenly appeared and embedded itself on the tree to Kimiko's left.
"Who's there? Show yourself or I'll blow this whole place up, hm" said Deidara holding Kimiko protectively.
"Did you hear that? He's going to blow the whole place up" said the male voice.
"How amusing, listen up boy, you can blow up the whole of this country and still not make us reveal our identities, compared to you we are gods, your filthy eyes shall never lay themselves on our holy selves unless we wish it" said the female whose voice was full of contempt.
"Why you…" said Deidara pushing his hand into his pouch.
Kimiko placed her hand on his and gently shook her head.
"If you are planning on executing me or attempting to capture me alive which is an even more foolish task, then I suggest that you stop sneaking around and face me like a true Shinobi" said Kimiko coldly.
"Well aren't we la-de-da, think we're here to listen to your shithole suggestions? We're going to capture you alive and take you to Lord Uchiha, he will then remove your Tsukigan and rule the world with us as his lieutenants" said the male giving a wheezy laugh.
Kimiko narrowed her eyes and did a few hand signs and before anybody could react two trees had suddenly burst into flames.
Two shadows immediately jumped from the trees and landed nimbly on their feet.
The man was short and fat. His dress looked like it was a sack tied tightly around his stomach. His pants were a faded gray and were so tightly stretched due to his immense thighs, that they had become translucent. His black hair was shaggy and unkept a few flies buzzed around his head. He had an unshaven face and one of his stubby fingers with long dirty nails was delving deep inside his nose. A smell of rotting eggs drifted from him.
The woman was a complete opposite of her companion. She was tall and slim with a powerful look in her eyes and her shoulder length auburn hair done up a bun. She wore a sleeveless ninja shirt and tights with a belt which had several small knives, vials and a few tools attached to it. Her eyes seemed lifeless but cold, and her skin was tanned.
"So you know how to play pretty kage, but that doesn't necessarily mean you're better than us does it Rika?" said the man leering, his beady eyes sweeping over Kimiko and Deidara.
"Your right Shinji it doesn't, now Kimiko Tsukiga, we are asking you to submit yourself peacefully to us, that way there need not be any bloodshed or violence" said the woman called Rika.
Kimiko merely narrowed her eyes.
"If that is your condition to avoid bloodshed and violence then very sadly I'm going to have to send you somewhere else" said Kimiko.
" Wahoo, yeah baby, if it's a fight you're wanting, then it's a fight you'll be getting, yahoo" cried the man called Shinji as he did a surprisingly high jump.
Rika charged in with a direct attack on Deidara who took to the sky.
"Do you think running away will help keep you alive for a moment?" taunted Rika as she summoned a vulture and flew up.
Kimiko looked up and received a grim nod from Deidara.
Just at the next moment she ducked as a huge boulder flew past her head, missing it by inches.
Kimiko charged to wards the man who charged back and yelled, "Partial Earth Release: Fist of Earth Jutsu" cried the man as his hand turned into stone and he swung a punch.
Just before he would make contact with Kimiko disappeared and appeared behind him and kicked him with a chakra enhanced kick.
The man flew forwards but he grabbed a tree and swung around and raised his fat leg, "Partial Earth Release: Limb of Earth Jutsu"
Again Kimiko dodged the attack with ease and jumped on the tallest tree there, she then raised and straightened her palm as the sign 'Mizu' appeared there.
"Water Release: Gunshot Technique"
A bluish fluid formed around her palm and shot like a bullet towards Shinji who smirked and did a hand sign.
"Earth Release: Mud Wall Jutsu". A huge wall of mud like rock appeared before him to shield him.
Kimiko smirked, "As if that will save you, Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder Jutsu" she said raising her other arms through which lightning began to conduct.
She brought both her hands together and the bullets became conductors of electricity thus becoming faster, sharper and deadlier.
After a single hit the wall began to crack and as the next bullet hit it the wall was reduced to rubble.
Shinji jumped up and started doing more hand signs but before he could complete them another bullet shot off towards him and he dodged barely missing it.
"From the looks of your body and all the heavy earth techniques you used I figured a ranged attack which was fast and sharp enough to pierce rock would suffice, lightning alone couldn't be shot through thin air so I had to use a medium where the water came in, in short, you're end is approaching" said Kimiko shooting more bullets.
Two bullets hit Shinji on his hands and legs as he cried out in pain and collapsed on the ground.
Kimiko took aim for one last, fatal shot at him.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha, so this is what they mean when they call you a Master of Elemental Jutsu, Kimiko Tsukiga" said Shinji sneering.
Kimiko's eyes widened in shock as the man before began getting up.
"With those injuries I inflicted upon you it should be practically impossible for you to move, then how" she wondered.
Shinji got up to his feet with a little grunting.
"But you know, you're not the only master of Elements here" said Shinji as his skin began turning a pale grey.
His flabby arms began to harden as the skin became dry and crackly.
"I would advise you to sit back and watch what a true master of an Element looks and works like" said Shinji as his whole body began to expand and very soon he was twice his size.
"Ah! Yes it feels good, let me ask you something pretty kage, didn't you wonder why I kept saying partial earth release? Well let me enlighten you why. Ever since my childhood I have had a very strong affinity for earth based jutsus, so I thought why not head the way I seem to have talent in, ever since the age of 8 I have been practicing and honing my skills as a Earth- Release user and overtime I grew so much in sync with the element that every time I released a jutsu I would start to gain full control over earth and my body would become like that of a rock golem for a long time" said Shinji.
Kimiko's eyes widened in astonishment as the man before let out a bark of laughter.
"Every time I transferred into my golem stage I would completely gain power of the earth. My destructive force, endurance and defense would become impenetrable, I would become a god of Earth based jutsus, however in exchange for that power I would have to sacrifice one thing every time, I am moving into this stage for the eight time this time, I have sacrificed many things, my appearance, my lover, my family, my home etc. etc." said Shinji.
"You would sacrifice all that just to gain power? Can you really be such a self centered bastard?" shouted Kimiko.
"No use getting all emotional, that old man and woman were of no use to me, instead they wanted me to protect them, as if I didn't have anything else to do, that dump of a place which they called home was useless as well, that bitch who called herself my lover tried to make me see the right path, in her words, fucking slut, I ripped her guts out for that, since I'm all out of things to sacrifice I suppose it's only right that I sacrifice my sanity for this next hoard of power, after all Lord Sasuke isn't going to check how sane his comrades are, he's going to check their power and I will be supreme to them all" cried Shinji.
"Earth Release: Armor of the Earth Lord Jutsu" cried Shinji as stone burst forth from his mouth and began enveloping his body completely.
"Gaze in awe upon the true powers of a master of an Element Kimiko Tsukiga, its amazing isn't it; it makes you cover in fear doesn't it? Don't worry, that reaction is completely natural, ha, ha, ha, when I knock you out cold and bring you back to Lord Sasuke he's going to name me the next in charge for the new world he is going to create, you'll soon regret you didn't heed Rika's request Tsukiga, now die" cried Shinji charging towards Kimiko.
Kimiko tried to dodge but Shinji swung his arm which extended forward and struck her faster than she could move.
"Kimiko, his power has become formidable now, use Tsukigan, this isn't a time for you to show your pride"
"Yeah, sure, fine, whatever" thought Kimiko, "Tsukigan" she said aloud as her Tsukigan opened in third stage.
She summoned the Seven Demons of Apocalypse as they surrounded Shinji he gave a loud cry and huge stone spikes emerged from his back and shot towards all the seven demons who disappeared after each spike pierced them accurately in the hearts.
"He…he destroyed them all in one shot, what kind of a monster is he" thought Kimiko in shock as Shinji threw her another extended punch.
"Think I've come to battle unprepared Tsukiga? I know about all your skills, yes even about your Shinsei no Tsukigan, your sage techniques, your elemental combinations and your Moon Release, there's nothing you can do to surprise me, let me repeat what you said to me a few moments ago, you are finished" cried Shinji.
He then struck his fist in the ground.
Nothing happened and Shinji swung in with a huge boulder in his hand which he threw at Kimiko.
Kimiko tried to jump up to dodge but to her horror she found that her legs were enveloped in solid rock and she could move an inch.
Meanwhile the boulder, if it made contact would surely be a fatal hit.
"What should I do, my feet can't move, I… I can't seem to think clearly, is this the moment before death?"
The boulder was gaining speed every second and it hit the spot where Kimiko was standing with a huge crack and a crater formed.
Well that was it for this chapter. I don't usually give cliffhangers but I felt like one this time. What do you guys think? Will Kimiko be able to survive? You'll have to read to find out.