I'm trying not to reveal all of Ume and Kameko's secrets.

I will explain everything, I promise.

Just not all at once.

So please, be patient!

Remember, my fight scenes are always my weak points.

It didn't end up being as long as I thought but it's still rather long.

Pardon the spelling errors and such.

I had no time to edit ._.

-Anii

Chapter 36: "GO!"

- Freak On a Leash by Korn

Sakura jogged down the stairs beside Kameko, their footsteps bouncing around the narrow prison hallway.

"Where would she be?" Sakura asked, referring to Sumiko.

Kameko didn't respond but Sakura felt the frustration rise from the small girl to her left. Kameko really did hate that mask over her mouth.

Kameko whipped around. "We've been tricked."

"What do you-" Sakura turned in just enough time to spot a shuriken traveling towards her.

Kameko' thin arm lashed out and her fingers caught the weapon in mid-air. She launched the shuriken back at its master, her eyes blazing. The bitter clang of metal striking rock echoed in the dimly lit hallway. Out of the shadows, a man strode towards them, a gleaming sword attached to his back.

Sakura's muscles instinctively tensed and she sucked in a gulp of air. Kameko shifted in front of Sakura, her fiery amber eyes glued to the approaching man. His hand went to the hilt of his sword as his lips parted. His voice was smooth and quiet. "Forgive me."

Sakura yanked Kameko to the side just as his blade sliced through the air, nearly lopping off their heads.

Sakura shoved Kameko away from her and jumped high into the air. The man's blade swung just beneath Sakura's feet. Sakura landed on her feet for a split second before launching herself into a back handspring.

The man's blade was enormous yet he swung it effortlessly, aiming it perfectly at Sakura's body. She stumbled as her heel hit the first step of the staircase. She called to the Earth, attempting to yank it upwards to protect herself as she fell backwards in slow motion.

The Earth, however was too far beneath the thick cement floors - she couldn't connect with it. She didn't doubt that all the cement and concrete was on purpose to protect prison guards. Her back cracked down on the hard edges of the stairs but she shoved aside the pain to roll to the side.

The blade managed to slice through the small gap in her armor. Blood dripped oozed from the wound on Sakura's arm but she ignored it entirely, concentrating on dodging the man's precise swings.

The man's eyes widened but never left Sakura. "Suigetsu?"

Suigetsu emerged from the shadows, Zabuza's blade resting on his shoulder. "You're Sakura, right?"

Kameko's thin frame appeared beside Suigetsu and her fist connected with a pressure point in his arm. His blade clattered to the floor and Suigetsu's eyes widened. He spun around as his other arm swept up the large blade. "Now you, I remember. Time for our rematch little Oro."

"Don't call me that." Kameko spat, her voice dangerously low and dripping with venom.

Suigetsu chuckled, taunting Kameko. She didn't loose her head and impulsively attack, however - it wasn't Kameko's style. She did attack though, her finger stabbing down on another pressure point in Suigetsu's shoulder.

The sword dropped to the floor once again and Sakura felt a chuckle rise in her throat. It was cut off by the forgotten man's weight slamming into her. She somersaulted out-of-the-way of his blade and flung herself on to her feet. The blade cracked down against the hard floor and Sakura ground her teeth together as the metal screeched in agony.

••••••••

Ume dragged in ragged breaths as she waited for the man to attack again. He grinned widely, showing two rows of sharp teeth. "No more fight left, honey?"

"Just waiting, sweetie." Ume quipped.

His sinister grin reached all the way to his eyes and Ume ignored the shiver that raced up her spine. He lunged at her, his wicked blade slicing the front of her shirt all the way through.

Ume threw herself back, doing several back handsprings down to get away from the sharp edge of his swords. I have to end this now. Ume thought, her mind spinning. I have to piss him off. But what is his trigger.

Her eyes landed on the swords in his hands. She stifled a laugh. Found it.

Those blades were his pride and joy. Ume's eyes lingered on the sparking twin blades in both of the man's hands as she concocted a plan. Her fingers stretched out as far as they would go and invisible silver threads draped across the room.

"What more do you have to show me, love?" The man taunted, stepping towards her slowly.

Ume twirled to the right, her elbow cracking down on his shoulder as he lunged at her. The figure collapsed into a puddle of water and the real man slammed into her spine. Ume smiled inwardly but gasped in pain, loud enough for him to hear clearly.

She feigned weakness by slumping her shoulders and letting her head hang low, her black hair covering her face entirely. However, before the man could blink, Ume jerked her fingers. She crossed her arms quickly, her fingers splayed out dramatically.

The threads responded to her movements, tangling around the man. He fought against her silvery threads, the veins in his arms and forehead bulging disgustingly as he struggled. He was an insect caught in her web and he was clearly pissed about it. But not pissed enough. Ume almost laughed at his pathetic attempts as she strode calmly towards him.

Her hands reached out and she effortlessly swiped the thin blades he coveted. She scrutinized them, her nose crinkling as the blue lightning fizzled out. they were long with two sharp protruding spikes popping out on either one. Ume attempted to add her own handmade lightening to the swords but they ignored her power completely.

Her lips curled back in a snarl as the swords' complex nature annoyed her. The man chuckled, still wrapped up tightly. "Stealing a man's weapons? That's not fair, darling."

Ume clenched her teeth together, her fingers coiling around the hilts of the swords, causing her threads to tighten around the man. "Don't speak or I'll tear you apart limb by limb."

His eyes darkened "I don't think so."

The swords came alive in Ume's hands, lightning exploding from the silvery metal. Of its own volition, Ume's hand sliced through the cords of thread that her enemy was ensnared in. His now free fist connected with her jaw, sending her flying backwards.

As she crashed to the cement floor, the twin swords skittered away from her. She lifted her head just in time to receive several more blows to the face. Stars exploded before her eyes as blood filled her mouth.

His hand cupped the back of her head and he lifted it off of the ground. He pushed hair out of her face and stared into her eyes. "Why did you make me do that, love? Do you think I want to hit that pretty face of yours?"

Ume collected a large amount of saliva and blood in her mouth before spitting in the man's face. He grimaced and put his hands on either side of her face. He forced her head down and her skull cracked against the cement, wet blood pouring from the wound. She balled her hands into fists as his rage and pleasure climbed higher with her pain.

Ume sucked in deep breaths, trying to remain conscious as he repeatedly bashed her head against the hard ground. It was more difficult to keep calm as she heard the sounds of her skull chipping away.

Just a little more. Ume thought, forcing down the bile in her throat.

She felt the energy rise in her, her sheer panic calling out to the beast within. Her dry lips parted in the tiniest smile as she felt the cool feeling slip throughout her body as if someone had injected ice into her veins.

She jerked her head upwards, cracking her forehead against the man's. His head snapped back, his grip on her face faltering. A sliver of blood trickled from the middle of her forehead, between her eyes, and down the side of her nose as she pushed herself onto her feet.

The weakness and pain fled her body as blood dripped from the corner of her mouth. She grinned, a wicked chuckle bubbling in her throat as her shadow rippled beneath her feet.

The man stared at her, curiosity in his eyes. Ume almost felt sorry for the poor dumbass. He was about to be slaughtered and he still thought he had a shot. "Oh well." She mumbled aloud as her shadow peeled itself off of the cement. "Time to die, mate."

••••••••

Sakura crashed to the floor and rolled on to her back in just enough time to use her fist to bat away the blade slicing down towards her. The skin covering her knuckles reddened from the attack and she gritted her teeth against the pain.

She swung her feet, sending chakra to her soles in just enough time to kick at the man with enough force to shatter the ulna of his right arm. (Anii Note: The ulna is the thinner and straight bone in a person's upper arm)

She spun around from the momentum, pulling herself upright.

The man clamped his upper arm, not a drop of pain showing on his stoic face. "My name is Haruto Endo."

"I wasn't asking for an introduction." Sakura snapped.

"I hope I can atone for your sins, child." He replied cryptically.

Sakura's eyebrow raised as she did a back handspring to avoid his heavy sword. "Mine? What about yours?" Her head jerked towards the deadly blade in his hand. "I'm pretty sure that thing's not for decoration."

"I am God's angel. He sent me to cast the wicked sinners from his Earth."

Sakura's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "Kameko, I picked the crazy one. Can I have Suigetsu?"

She smashed her fist into the flat side of his blade once more, her arm quivering with the force. She spared a glance towards Kameko to see the tiny girl holding her own amazingly against Suigetsu, who seemed eager and all too happy to be fighting.

However, little Kameko was too in the zone to hear Sakura's attempt at a joke. Truthfully, Sakura was nervous. Haruto had an advantage with such a large blade. He clearly was a master swordsman and also absolutely insane.

Insanity and skill were always a bad thing in an opponent. It made them unpredictable and hard to handle. However, she wasn't going to throw in the towel just yet. She wanted to prove herself to both Kameko and Ume.

A nagging voice deep inside whispered another name but Sakura smothered it quickly before it could drag up the hurt she had locked away. Haruto stood a few feet in front of her, motionless.

Sakura waited, watching intently.

Haruto's fingers tore at one side of his blade, yanking free a sheet of explosives. Sakura's eyes widened as her hands shot up to protect her face. A wave of heat smashed into her and Sakura snapped her eyes shut as debris flew by. The intensity increased and Sakura's feet scraped against the ground as she fought to stand her ground. Rock chips clinked against the metal armor protecting her body. Just as the first round of explosions died down, another, larger blast sent her flying.

However, she didn't go far because Haruto appeared behind her and drove his booted foot into her spine. Sakura swung her hands from left to right as she spun around, her fingers twitching the slightest as her concentration honed in on Haruto's body. At first, his body rejected her but she tossed the thin threads towards him again and again, all the while dodging Haruto's sharp blade.

Finally, her threads latched on to his nervous system and Sakura let out a small, prideful laugh. Her tongue licked her dry lips as a bead of sweat trickled down her temple. Haruto's body paused in mid-attack as Sakura drained it of electrical impulses in his arms and legs.

He tipped forward and crashed to the ground, his sword still clutched in his hand. Sakura took in a deep breath as her temperature soared well above a normal degree. Her pinky finger moved out from the rest of her fingers, causing Haruto to snap up onto his knees.

Sakura's ears became deaf to the outside world, she was entirely lost in Haruto's body. Her heart pulsated in rhythm with his and her breathing slowed. The tips of her fingers slowly curled inward towards her palms as she grasped onto his nervous system tighter.

I won't let you go. Sakura thought angrily.

She knew immediately that she was taking her frustration and hurt out on Haruto but it didn't matter to her. In this moment, it was him or her. Life or Death. And she would always chose life - she still had plenty of things to do. She'd never let this madman stop her.

"I don't think so." A voice hissed into her ear, shattering her concentration.

She desperately tried to grasp a hold on Haruto again but it was as if she were trying to grab water. She cursed audibly just before a glimmer of silver light caught her attention. She snapped her body backwards in a flexible backbend just as Suigetsu's sword cut through the area where her head had been.

Sakura did a back walkover to avoid Suigetsu's blade and placed her feet on the wall for a split second. In that second, she bent her knees and launched herself at Suigetsu, locking her arms around his waist. She intended to topple over with him, however, Suigetsu melted quickly, slipping out of Sakura's grasp. Sakura bent her upper body down so that she landed on her hands.

She swung her legs up in an arc and twisted so that she landed on her feet. She flung herself back, just barely dodging the tip of Suigetsu's sword. She dropped onto her back and rolled quickly away from him as Zabuza's blade sliced through the cement below her. She jumped to her feet once more then did a quick bounce to the right, managing to dodge Haruto's large sword.

Tiny hands grasped her and spun her around. Sakura moved to punch her captor until she heard Kameko's raspy voice whisper, "Get behind me, Sakura."

Kameko's hands clapped together, her fingers entwined in a hand sign. "Summoning Jutsu: Rashōmon."

••••••••

Kesshu shrieked loudly, its cry rattling the prison's foundation. Ume's hair fluttered wildly about her as she felt Kesshu's strength resonate within her. She stared harshly at the man, knowing full well that her eyes were black pits of darkness. Beside her, Kesshu thrashed insanely.

"Do you think some big black glob is going to scare me?" The man clucked, gripping his swords tightly.

He moved so quickly, he was nearly a blur. His blade cut through Kesshu's torso, angering the beast to the point were a headache rolled through Ume's skull. She didn't let her pain show, however.

She wouldn't let this asshole learn that she was linked to Kesshu physically. Kesshu was a roiling black mass of what looked like tar - her own special "tailed beast" that Orochimaru had bestowed upon her.

Her lip curled back in a snarl at the thought of The Snake but she enjoyed killing her enemies with Kesshu's raw and unstoppable power. Ume thrust out her hand, directing the blind Kesshu towards the sharp-toothed man. Kesshu howled, its wound closing up entirely, before a giant dripping hand reached out from the black blob to swipe at the man.

Ume laughed hysterically as Kesshu's fingers coiled around one of the twin blades and wrenched it form the man's grasp. The man's brow furrowed - he was thoroughly pissed now.

However, instead of flicked out, the lightning surround the blade intensified. The man's eyes widened and his lips parted in shock. "Kiba." He whispered.

Ume swung her arm in an arc and Kesshu used the single blade to attack the man. He brought up the blade's twin to protect himself. His blade withstood Kesshu and Ume's attack but the lightning covering his blade winked out.

A feral sound clawed its way out of his throat as he stared down at the blade in his hand, dumbfounded.

"What did you do!" He roared, his cheeks loosing all of their color.

Ume snorted with contempt. "Guess they just like me better. I'm done playing with you. Kesshu."

She didn't need to speak the order, Kesshu followed mindlessly without hesitation. The man's warm blood splattered against Ume's cheek. As a fat drop rolled down the curve of her cheek, her tongue poked out from her lips and lapped it up.

"Goodbye, darling."

••••••••

Kameko slapped her hand against the ground and a wall burst up from the ground before her. Kameko dropped to the ground, her eyes closed and Sakura rushed forward to help her. However, the tiny girl fell on her butt and her lips moved quickly and silently.

Sakura stepped back, the protective wall rattling as Suigetsu and Haruto slashed at it, the sounds of metal striking metal ringing in Sakura's ears. Muted explosions alerted Sakura to Haruto's rough and very "Deidara-like" attacks. Kameko's hand lashed out, striking the ground once more and the wall sunk back into the floor.

"Tired of hiding?" Suigetsu taunted.

Kameko rose to her feet, her eyes steely as she glowered at the swordsmen before her. "Sakura. Don't move. No matter what."

Sakura opened her mouth to protest, but instead shrieked, "Kameko, watch out!"

Haruto launched himself into the air, his blade swinging down to slice Kameko right down the middle. Kameko ignored Sakura's warning and her hand shot up to meet the sword's sharp edge.

The sword was sharp enough to slice straight through Kameko's palm and split her arm in half, that much Sakura knew. However, Kameko's little hand stopped the blade easily and her fingers gripped the sword tightly. Sakura gnawed on her lip, shifting uneasily in the shadows.

She used her grip on the blade to slam Haruto into the hallway's right wall. The impact sent out spidery cracks along the concrete wall. Haruto sank to the ground, his sword still in hand.

Suigetsu wasted no time to attack. But he chose to lunge at Sakura, who stuck to her orders and didn't move an inch, even as Suigestu's blade came dangerously close to beheading her.

Kameko moved with inhuman speed as she snatched Suigetsu out of the air and tossed him away from Sakura. He stabbed his sword into the ground and planted his feet on the very tip of the hilt, his grin vanishing.

His eyes narrowed and elation filled Sakura's chest. Now that Kameko was so close, Sakura could see the scaly texture of the girl's unusually pale skin. Her focus snapped away from Kameko as a howl pierced Sakura's eardrums. She nearly clamped her hands over her ears as the roar grew louder.

Kameko's eyes widened and her fingers coiled around Sakura's wrist. "Ume." She murmured just before her feet raced towards where they had left the Moon Ninja.

"What about-?" Sakura glanced over her shoulder to find both Haruto and Suigetsu gone.

She leapt up the steps easily, her heart thundering in her ears as she considered the beast that had made such a shattering noise. She bounced off the last step, her eyes widening as they drank in the image before them.

Ume stood still, her eyes riveted on her opponent's dead body and her body drenched in his blood. In both hands, she held two thin blades that pointed downwards, the tips nearly scraping against the ground. Sakura bent down near the dead man. His body was sliced in half vertically, his organs spilling out onto the cement floor. Sakura sighed softly, removing her metal mask. There was no sign of the beast that had roared only moments ago.

The area was calm but the scene was rather frightening.

Ume lifted her head. "Where's Sumiko?"

"We were tricked. She isn't here." Kameko informed, not looking the least bit surprised.

"Damn it." Ume hissed, her eyebrows furrowing.

Silence descended and Sakura swallowed around the lump in her throat. Every moment she spent with Kameko and Ume brought up more questions than answers. Sakura's head bowed as his face flashed in her mind. She clenched her hands into fists and ignored herself by speaking aloud to the other kunoichi. "So, where's Sumiko then?"

Kameko met Sakura's gaze stoically. "I do not know."

Haruto's blade is called Shibuki. There's an attachment where he can yank out a bunch of explosive tags (if you didn't notice xD) It is one of the Seven Swordsmen blades :) I swear lol xD

Kesshu, however, is an invention of mine and I will explain him later on.

Also, next week, I'm going to be out-of-town from April 24th to the 27th. I leave early Wednesday morning so I won't be able to update. I'M SO SORRY! ;_; Would you rather have me post a new short(ish) chapter on Tuesday OR would you rather have me post two chapters the next Thursday (May 2nd)? -Anii