Hey everyone,
Sorry for the long wait - again. I know I am a slow writer. It happens. Sorry. I hope this chapter makes up for it!
Warning: gruesome fight scene ahead.
Also sorry if it seems a little choppy in switching between P.O.V.s
~X~
Sasuke stood before Karin – furious –trying to hide his thorn from view as much as possible. Her cries carried above any other noise within the training field as his onyx eyes flashed to a brilliant spinning scarlet. It was apparent the "talk" he had with this insubordinate last week hadn't truly shown her exactly what he meant by "ending her" if she did anything he hadn't agreed to. And he had given explicit instructions NOT to mess with his thorn, which she had obviously ignored.
Karin had been writing her death warrant for weeks. Now she just handed it over willingly to Sasuke for him to sign – with her blood.
**earlier**
Kazu was training – again – in a training ground that skirted the outside of Konoha. Sweat poured down her skin as she walked towards the targets that held her kuni. Scorch marks covered the targets showing Shaku's attempts at bulls-eyes. The shinobi and familiar were perfecting their precision of flaming kuni.
The determined blonde would launch the black blades towards the targets while Shaku launched infernos to surround them. They were slowing getting to the point where the time between her release of the kuni and Shaku's ignition of the air around the kuni was diminishing to mere seconds, which was rewarding for her. It was just her hard work coming to harvest – something she was always happy to see.
She took her time dislodging the kuni from their perch trying to calm her breathing back to normal. Shaku settled on top of the last target enjoying her mistress' stress free training. Her training had been like this the past week and a half; Shaku thought it was partly due to her mistress' decision to ignore the traitor.
The golden familiar thought that Kazu should have made this decision earlier. It would have saved her so much stress and she wouldn't be so fragile like she was now. Shaku snapped at the air; her teeth creating an audible snap that sounded her frustration at that thought. The small dragon didn't like the thought of her mistress being weak.
Kazu glanced at her familiar only briefly before continuing to remove kuni from the charred targets. Her impatient familiar would just have to wait; she was going to take her sweet time removing the kuni, and nothing was going to persuade her otherwise.
All the blonde had been doing ever since her fight with the traitor in Suna was worrying about the Leaf and every one of her friends and being tense about anything and everything. No wonder she had snapped at Naruto in the Snow – which she didn't regret at all; he needed to hear it even if he didn't believe it. No wonder she hadn't been able to block the traitor from doing that in the Hokage's hallway. No wonder she had cracked afterwards either.
The stress she had experienced and the expectations placed on her – mostly by herself - were too much.
Not anymore.
Kazu relished in the weightlessness she felt now that she was just completely ignoring the traitor as much as she could. She didn't watch his every move, didn't speak to him, and didn't even breathe in his general direction. It was wonderful.
However, she wasn't blind to him completely – the blonde had to be ready to kill him if he tried to betray the Leaf again. Which she would have no problem with and no hesitation in doing either. Naruto's complaints – and feelings - be damned.
She was done censoring her actions and words for her so-called best friend. After all, hadn't her basically turned on her in the Snow, discrediting everything she had done for him? Why should she accommodate her actions for him now?
Mistress to your left! Now!
The blonde shinobi didn't hesitate at her familiar's warning, swiftly lunging for the left before tucking into a roll. The sound of chains hitting where she had been previously as well as Shaku breathing fire to life could be hard by the dodging ninja. Once Kazu's feet touched the ground, she turned to face her attacker while still in a crouch.
It wasn't Moru or Riku – they could be ruled out practically instantly. Moru was out running laps around Konoha and hadn't left too long ago on his tenth lap. He wasn't due back for several more minutes. Riku was taking a day off of training and enjoying a day at the hot springs instead. However, more significantly, Shaku wouldn't have given her a warning or sounded so alarmed if one of them had issued a surprise attack while she was training.
No. It had to be someone else.
Her next immediate thought was that the traitor was finally making his move against the Leaf by taking her out first. However, the screaming magenta hair of her attacker stopped her thoughts of the traitor short.
Kazu hadn't seen anyone like this before, although the grey of this woman's outfit did remind her of the traitor's own shirt. Her eyes narrowed and she shook her head slightly; why the hell had she thought of the traitor? Now wasn't the time.
In warning, Kazu brought her kuni before her, regretting that she hadn't brought her kasurigama or katana with her even though she wasn't going to train with them today. They would have been really helpful with the intimidation factor before the fight – and especially during the fight – that was about to happen. She was a medium range fighter, not close range like this fight would have to be to make those chakra chains less dangerous.
Hard sapphire watched the chains return to her opponent, confused as to why there were no burn marks on the chains even though Shaku had blasted fire at them to help her escape. How was that possible? Just what were those chains made of? Just who was this woman?
Magenta eyes narrowed behind glasses at Kazu, and the attacked Leaf shinobi shifted her feet so she would be able to dodge another attack she felt imminent. Shaku hovered over her mistress with wisps of flame escaping her bared teeth, increasing the intimidation factor of the small golden dragon.
The two women glared at each other for several long drawn out seconds – both assessing the other. Kazu watched with narrowed eyes as the chains that had tried to bind her were absorbed back into this unknown shinobi's body.
Chakra chains.
Great. Just great.
Shaku released an angry growl to counter the enemy's intimidation tactic before rushing forward, flames dancing deadly from her mouth. Kazu quickly followed, using Shaku as a distraction to attack this woman. She was a bit perplexed when the magenta missing ninja easily blocked her attack as if she had known where Kazu was aiming – the aorta. Blue eyes narrowed.
Who was this woman – and why was she attacking her?
His thorn was ignoring him, truly ignoring him. This wasn't like when her team and she had been "ignoring" him on their way to the Snow and at the Snow. Then they just hadn't been speaking to him, but they had been diligently watching him at all times. No. Now, it was as if he didn't exist.
All the small annoying missions the Hokage had sent them on in the past week and a half consisted of him being pushed to the unacknowledged outskirts of Team Kazu. It was a cold and barren place - even though it was hot, humid, and spring in Konoha. He didn't like it.
He would never admit to it – but he had tried several times to get her attention to turn back to him, just like it had been since he returned from the Leaf. Even if it was her trying to find a way to kill him, he didn't care. Every single time he had tried though, his thorn just shrugged off his attempts as something as insignificant as the wind.
He was not insignificant.
Kazu raised her left forearm to swiftly block the kuni aimed at her chest before she took the bottom of her palm and rammed it into the underside of the magenta haired woman's chin. The woman stumbled back a few steps; and Kazu advanced, taking advantage of the woman's stumble.
Shaku dropped in from the sky, coming from behind the missing ninja. The woman pivoted just enough to swipe at the fierce golden familiar causing her to divert her course or be cut. The magenta attacker was also able to block Kazu's swipe – the clang of metal rang through the clearing.
Kazu wanted to wince at the sound of their kuni grinding together. It grated on her ears in an unpleasant way. She could the raging river of her chakra beneath her skin as her levels of adrenaline steadily rose. Small cuts and bruises covered her body from punches and swipes of kuni she wasn't able to block.
It seemed Kazu was at a disadvantage. This missing ninja, who seemed particularly angry with Kazu, was extremely proficient in taijutsu – especially close range combat. She had barely been able to touch this woman, even with Shaku trying to rip out her throat.
"You bitch!" The woman sneered at Kazu before twisting into a roundhouse kick. The Hotoya furrowed her eyes in confusion as she shifted to catch the foot speeding her way. Why was this missing nin so angry with her? She had never seen this woman in her life.
"I will kill you!" Kazu heard the woman yell as she caught her foot with a grunt. The blonde acted quickly, shifting her footing before tossing the missing nin over her head and further away from her.
Shaku!
On it mistress!
The missing nin twisted in the air to land on her feet. Before she could attack again, Shaku rushed her with a blazing inferno blasting forth. Kazu jumped forward, higher than Shaku was sailing through the air, anticipating the missing ninja's escape route from the flames; everyone always jumps up to avoid the flames.
Kazu was thrown through a loop when her blue eyes watched the furious missing shinobi move left to avoid them – a smirk taunting her, telling her the missing ninja knew what Kazu was going to do. Shaku stopped the flames just before Kazu landed, facing her opponent, only having the small wisps of flame die out around her.
Shaku, up.
Kazu jerked her head up slightly, not taking her eyes off of her opponent. Shaku growled softly from where she was hovering. A strong pump of her wings was all it took to propel herself high up into the sky, where she began to circle the two battling Shinobi.
"When will you realize those 'surprise' attacks of yours don't work on me?" The magenta haired woman taunted with the smirk still present on her face. Kazu glared at this woman questionably as her hands formed familiar hand signs. Seriously. What was her problem?
"Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" was Kazu's answering response.
Moru huffed softly as he jogged through the forest surrounding his adoptive home of Konoha. Sweat clung to his skin in a thin shit that chilled considerably when a breeze brushed past him. The day had been a peaceful one of just condition training – working on how long he could last with in a battle. He was really enjoying it.
Kazu was doing better. Her break had been the destruction of her dammed feelings and troubles that were drowning her. She was no longer suffocating because of them. This had been the best Kazu had been since the traitor's arrival; he was grateful.
She smiled more – even with the traitor present. Her eyes weren't glued to him when that damn Uchiha was around. She ignored him, and it was great. Suddenly it was as if the annoying elephant in the room became just a small buzzing fly that annoyed them periodically. The change had been drastic but needed. Oh so needed.
Moru stumbled to a halt when he felt Kazu's chakra increase like she was in actual battle. Did something happen that he just didn't know about? Or was she trying out a new jutsu that Junkin had shown her? It didn't feel like a new jutsu. Then why – ?
He heard Shaku growl menacingly and promptly took off towards the sound. Kazu wasn't just practicing; she was in trouble. He needed to make sure she was safe, not that she couldn't handle herself. He knew she could. Moru just didn't like it when she was hurt.
Sasuke paused in the middle of the street, those passing by giving him space but still glancing at him weirdly. Onyx eyes building in ire as he assessed the chakras slowly building in intensity on the outskirts of the Leaf. His muscles tensed as blood became to pump furiously within his veins.
One raged like a fire split in two – easily recognized as Kazu's. He could always find and identify hers easily now. Her's wasn't the one that was causing his ire. It was the one that wasn't supposed to be there at all; the one he had ordered to stay away from Kazu.
Karin.
The Sharigan manifested itself and began spinning menacingly. The villagers around him gave him a wider spot within the middle of the road, almost pushing up against the buildings to avoid the focus of the Sharigan. The ravenette ignored those around him. His focus was solely on the fight that was happening unnoticed by everyone else.
That fucking bitch. Sasuke leapt into the air – sailing towards the insubordinate bitch that was attacking his thorn. He had warned her to leave Kazu alone, threatened her. She was only getting one warning. Karin was a dead woman walking now.
Moru jumped from tree branch to tree branch racing to get to Kazu. It was only a few seconds ago that he was able to hear the sounds of an intense battle between shinobi in close range combat. He could hear the grunts, the slight cries of pain, and clashes of metal. The charcoalette ran faster – Kazu's close combat skills weren't the best and he swore most of the cries of pain were her's.
Worried and recklessly, Moru jumped through the edge of the tree line around the training field to see Kazu fighting a shinobi he had never seen before. Emerald eyes darted around the field following the two's fast movements. His anxiousness flying to new heights as he did.
Kazu didn't have her katana or sickle; she was only fighting with kuni. Somehow blocking the chains her opponent threw at her from several angles, the kuni aiming at her throat, and well timed kicks. Cuts of various severities covered her exposed skin, and he thought he saw a rather nasty one dangerously residing on her neck. Shaku was flying above them, circling predatorily and moving to stay above the two fighting at all times.
She was clearly on the defensive. The missing ninja was pushing her around and having her back track – barely giving her time to catch her breath or even keep a sure footing. Kazu's opponent was obviously furious with her – but he had never seen this woman before on any of their missions. What could be her problem?
Moru's musings were cut short by the missing ninja placing a well timed roundhouse to Kazu's stomach, sending her back a few feet and stunning her for a few seconds. He was in action the moment he saw the chains move towards Kazu, who was completely oblivious.
His feet barely touched the ground as he crossed the training grounds with desperation. When he was close enough, Moru shoved Kazu out of the way. Her sapphire eyes darted to him, wide and watery as she fell back out of reach of the trap set by her opponent. He grunted when he felt the chains grab him harshly around his arms; legs; neck; and torso, already beginning to pull.
It happened in mere seconds. But his last moments felt like hours. He watched in slow motion as Kazu began to cry and scream his name – her eyes beginning to flake with gold. Her voice caused his heart to ache more than his body even though both were being ripped apart. His joints groaned and he cried out as the bones in his forearms and shins snapped from the pressure of the chains. It was becoming increasingly harder to breathe.
Through eyes squinted in pain, he watched Kazu scramble to her feet and screaming his name. Her heart crushing scream was the last thing he heard before his whole world went black and silent.
Sasuke heard his thorn's intense scream when he was almost through the forest to where she was. It was filled with such heartbreak and pain that fury almost blinded him as he jumped through the clearing to land in front of her, blocking Karin's new round of chakra chains – probably going to be used to finish the job.
Furious couldn't even begin to describe how he felt at the moment. He didn't have to look back at his thorn to know she was in pain. Her chakra was wild, her familiar was whining heartbrokenly, and her cries were like kindles to his anger. With each one, the inferno of rage grew to new intensities.
Karin had faltered in her confident stance as she stood before him as he effectively stopped her view of his Kazu. The scowl on his face and his menacing sharingan caused her to become increasingly nervous.
It was apparent the "talk" he had with this insubordinate last week hadn't truly shown her exactly what he meant by "ending her" if she did anything he hadn't agreed to. And he had given explicit instructions NOT to mess with his thorn, which she had obviously ignored.
Karin had been writing her death warrant for weeks. Now she just handed it over willingly to Sasuke for him to sign – with her blood. Soon it would be the smell of her blood that would be soaked into the ground just as Kazu's was now – even more so when he was done with her.
Sasuke could hear Kazu whispering a word over and over again, but he could quite make it out with her sobs breaking it up into several small fragments. Curious as to what she was saying and confident that he could easily block Karin's attempt to cut him with her kuni when he turned as his sharingan told him he could, Sasuke turned slightly so he that he would be able to assess her injuries well.
His whole world slowed the second he turned; the situation took a turn for the better. He silently thanked Karin even though he still was going to kill her. She just helped him get rid of a major obstacle without having to get his hands too dirty.
The snake's body was literally torn apart and bent at odd angles. The grass was covered in the dark red of his blood. His thorn was drenched in it as she cradled his ruggedly severed head in her lap, rubbing her cheek desperately and soothingly against his hair. Kazu was crying over the snake not because she was severely hurt. Good. Well – good that she wasn't hurt and that the damn snake was gone. Sasuke didn't like her crying. Even now, when he knew she wasn't in danger of dying, every single one of her cries caused his bloodlust to double.
But, he couldn't turn away. Sasuke was rooted to his spot watching her- his resentment and rage threatening to consume him. Even when the damn snake was dead he still hogged all of her attention! Surely he didn't mean that much to her!
She would get over this soon right? Sasuke was relieved that he wasn't the one who ended up killing the snake – that would have surely lost him all the ground he had painstakingly gained.
Karin's chakra stretched out towards him again, proving she had changed her method of attack. Lazily he glanced towards her. He drew out his katana to slice the chains away, humming in annoyance. Did Karin really think she could stop him with that weak of an attack? Pathetic.
He didn't notice the subside in Kazu's cries as he readied for the block.
However, he did notice that the chains were blocked before he could negate the attack. This mass of golden scales of what looked to be a wing blocked his view of Karin and was accompanied by a deep guttural growl. He had felt this chakra and heard that growl before – in Suna. His eyes widened as he remembered exactly where it had come from. The massive dragon Kazu had summoned; the one who could turn sand into glass.
The ravenette turned to face where Kazu was still crouched. His hold on his katana loosened considerably, letting its tip touch the ground, when he saw her watching him. Her eyes weren't sapphire or freckled with gold. They were as they had been in Suna during their fight.
Split pupils and golden irises of a dragon stared at him. His sharingan could find no ill intent within her watching him – although he was having a hard time believing it. Red rimmed gold because of her crying and the tear stains on her cheeks only caused her to look fiercer, more dangerous.
Not to mention the large dragon head nuzzling her at the moment. The large reptile breathed out steam with each breath, and its tongue flicked out every moment or so to lick Kazu. But, she paid the large dragon that circled them both no heed. She just watched Sasuke. The onyx haired man just stared back – for once admitting he was unsure about what to do.
Kazu clutched Moru's lifeless head to her chest. She could feel his blood all over her. The guilt and sorrow filled her own veins like thick honey. Each beating of her own heart was just a reminder that she owed her life to Moru. The attack he had saved her from was one that would have killed her – like it had killed him – because she had not seen it at all.
The sadness though was slowly turning to fury as she replayed the scene over and over and over again in her head. That damned magenta bitch was going to pay for killing Moru. The molasses running through her veins began to thin and flow like a raging river of lava. It was going to be a sickening and painful death too. Kazu would make sure of it.
The Hotoya hadn't been surprise when Junkin forced his way onto this plain through Shaku. She was grateful that he was here. His licks and nuzzles helped her focus - helped her calm enough to understand exactly what her surroundings were.
She made eye contact with the traitor, his sharingan eyes wide as he stared at her. It was then that she realized that the reason Junkin was there was because they were one at the moment. The traitor's chakra was plainly visible as was his aura. Kazu's head cocked to the left in confusion, and surprise. It was as if she was looking at the exact definition of light shielded in darkness: the dark purple of his chakra surrounding his light blue aura as if it was protecting it.
Junkin was protecting him as well from the bitch's attacks. Why? Junkin hates him. She hates him. Then why?
He protected you. Junkin rumbled throughout the corners of her mind. I am only returning the favor.
Her eyes looked past Sasuke after Junkin's explanation. If Junkin wasn't concerned with him at the moment – then neither would she be. The tight grip on Moru's head loosen until it rolled out of her hands as Junkin moved to stand above her, allowing her to see the woman she was going to kill - viciously. Her breathing had evened out into deep slow breaths as she just stared the confident magenta haired woman down as Junkin stood on all fours over her – and Sasuke.
Sasuke watched – with front row seats – as her magnificent summon rose up well over the canopy of the trees on his hind legs, spread his wings and roared. Fire leapt into the air from its snarling jaws as the mere sound of its roar shook the ground. It occurred to him in the back of his mind that the Leaf would freak when it heard and saw that; soon the place would be crawling with Leaf shinobi – most likely Anbu, judging by how vicious sounding that growl had been. He would have to hurry to kill Karin before then or else –
"Kill her." He heard Kazu demand in the most frightening voice he had ever heard her use. Her summon instantly responded by pumping its wings and soaring towards Karin at intimidating speeds. Once the magnificent beast reached Karin, she was launched viciously into the sky with the dragon hot on her heels.
Sasuke saw Kazu's moves before she did them, and they still surprised him. Her movements were slow but with purpose as she stood. Her stance was menacing once she was on her feet. Blood soaked her clothing and signs of an intense battle covered her body. She wasn't looking at him, but looking at the sky with avid attention. Allowing him to see just how nasty the cut on her neck actually was.
A few centimeters over and she would be dead. Karin had just missed his thorn's jugular by a hair. Fury seized him and dragged him eagerly down the path of searching for revenge once more. His need to keep his thorn, to harm anyone who harmed her tenfold more, rose with every cut and bruise he saw tainting her body – all due to Karin's disobedience.
Why she hadn't glanced at him since her summon began to play with his kill, Sasuke didn't know. He had been staring at her for a good few minutes with his sharingan and she hadn't glanced at him. All the other times she would glare at him. Why not now?! Sasuke didn't know whether to be angry at her or at Karin more. Look at him damn it!
Kazu's knees bent slightly before she leapt into the sky, headed straight towards the two "battling" it out in the sky, a determined almost vicious look on her face.
Yes. Sasuke was very glad he hadn't been the one to kill the damn snake now. Maybe now his Kazu would hate Karin more than him and he could gain more ground that much quicker because of it. But, make no mistake; he was very happy that the damn snake was dead.
Junkin batted the missing ninja high into the air with his tail once more, breaking some bones as he did, before swooping down to gently throw his charge higher than the magenta haired woman. He settled to the ground with a resounded tremor, a deep growl finding a home in his throat as he licked his teeth clean of the soon to be dead woman's blood. His tail flicked impatiently as he watched with proud eyes as his charge utterly destroyed the threat.
Riku was one of the many Konoha shinobi that rushed to the sound and sight of a large golden dragon on the outskirts of the village. But unlike most who rushed with scared faces, he knew what it meant. Kazu was facing someone strong, someone who was a threat to the Leaf.
Or the less probably idea that she was in trouble and had to resort to using Junkin.
The silverette was surprised to see Naruto and the rest of Team 7 join his group of three rushing to the scene. Did he realize exactly what was going on? The worry on the Kyubi's face was confusing to Riku. Was he actually worried about Kazu? Or did he think the traitor and Kazu were fighting again? – which couldn't be possible. Kazu and Moru were training on the opposite side of Konoha from the traitor to purposely ignore and avoid him.
Ice blue eyes watched the sky with confusion and worry while he jumped from tree to tree as Junkin batted around an unknown shinobi. Who had threatened Kazu? The hair of the rag doll looked red. Who the hell could that be?
"What's going on?" Naruto asked him as they raced through the trees. Riku glanced at him.
"I have no idea."
Kazu was consumed with the need to hurt this woman as much as the bitch hurt her. This magenta haired bitch had ripped away the only person who truly understood her, who was always there for her. With every punch, Kazu's anger built. With every spray of blood from the woman's mouth, the blonde wanted more. She wanted begs of mercy; she wanted this woman to break just as Moru and her had come so close to at the Akatsuki lair.
The two fell through the sky, gaining speed with every foot they dropped – with every punch Kazu delivered to the woman's face, who had long ago stopped being able to cry out in pain. Fury just coursed through her veins in rivers of hot lava that ignited every time she thought of Moru's lifeless body that was in pieces because of this woman – and because of her.
About 100 meters up was when Kazu gripped the front of the woman's shirt before somersaulting through the air and chucking the woman towards the ground. She watched with satisfaction as the woman created a slight crater and splattered blood along the ground when she hit it. But, Kazu wasn't done.
She pulled out her kuni and leaned forward to increase her speed. The Leaf shinobi burst onto the scene as she landed on top of her attacker. A deep thud resounded throughout the ground as her landing deepened the crater. Her kuni that had been aimed for the woman's neck was now imbedded behind it after effectively slicing through it as if it was butter.
Riku was frozen in shock at the scene he had arrived at as were most of the shinobi who had come to investigate. The traitor was standing next to Junkin, untouched, as they both watched Kazu intensely – which seemed to relieve and shock Naruto and Team 7. What Riku was wondering was why the traitor was there in the first place, and why Junkin didn't seem interested in him? Didn't he hate the traitor? At least that's what Kazu had shared with Moru and him.
Speaking of Moru, Riku could feel the remnants of his chakra. So he had been here, but where was he now. The silverette knew that Moru would never leave Kazu in the middle of a fight. Ice blue scanned the battle field, skipping over the debris and pool of blood, marking it as unimportant on the first pass. Perhaps it was a shattered training log or tree. On the second pass, he looked at it more closely just to make sure before checking Kazu, who stood in the crater motionless as she stared at the debris intently, for any serious injuries.
He couldn't tell exactly if she had any though, besides the particularly nasty one on her neck, because she was drenched in blood. She didn't seem to have many tears in her clothing. So where did the blood come from? Who did it come from? Did it come from her opponent?
"Oh my god!" Sakura exclaimed, her hands beginning to glow with green chakra. Did she see an injury he didn't? She was a medic ninja after all.
"That's a body!" The pinkette rushed forward to the debris and pool of blood as everyone else, a group of about ten in all, stayed rooted in their spots along the tree line. A body? There is no way that it's a body. Whose body could it be? –
Ice blue pools widened in horror as they realized why Kazu had summoned Junkin, why she severely over killed her opponent. Moru! The debris he had dismissed as nothing was not nothing! It was Moru! Oh god! Moru!
Riku ran after Sakura trying to reach his teammate – calling out his name in shocked, broken syllables.
Sakura reached the body first, dropping to her knees quickly to try to heal what was obviously an already lost cause. It was as if something snapped in Kazu the second the pinkette's hand touched one of Moru's severed arms.
The blonde was before the crouched medic ninja in a flash, her knee pulled back. Before Sakura could block it, Kazu kneed her in the face pulling her body further into the air. A furious Hotoya then twisted into a roundhouse, knocking Sakura several feet to the right away from what was left of Moru.
"Don't touch him!" She snarled. Her eyes glowed just as Junkin's did – a fierce gold. And they began to stare down every shinobi lining the field, daring them to try anything she didn't like.
Riku moved forward to try to calm her down.
"Kazu you've got to let them check on him." Riku tried to reason with her. He flinched when her furious golden slits move to glare at him. He was never the best at calming her down. That had always been Moru's job; but he wouldn't be able to do that anymore.
"They've got to examine the bo-" his sentence was cut short when Kazu punched him in the jaw.
"He has a fucking name! Riku!" She screamed at him; Junkin growled behind her in agreement.
"That's Moru! You bastard! They aren't touching him!" She continued to snarl as she tried to hurt him further. Riku dodged her swipes with her kuni barely.
"Please Kazu calm – "
"Don't you dare tell me to calm down you insensitive bitch!" She sneared as she jumped into a spinning roundhouse that always knocked him to the ground. Riku braced himself for the impact, only to be surprised when the traitor stopped Kazu's kick by grabbing her ankle – not even letting out a grunt from the force of her kick. He spun
Riku glanced at Junkin to see what he thought of the events transpiring before them. The regal golden dragon was just watching with a bored expression on his face. What? He was okay with this?!
It's fine Riku. He had helped her before. As much as I don't like him, you need to deal with Moru's body. Let Kazu take her anger out on him instead of you. I'll have Shaku regulate. He won't hurt her. But, maybe she'll hurt him.
Junkin roared before bursting into smoke, Shaku flying out of the massive cloud only a few seconds later. Riku glanced back towards the traitor and Kazu. She was throwing hasty punches and reckless kicks at him as he blocked easily. It didn't seem that he was going to attack her though. He would trust Junkin's words.
Riku turned and ran towards where his teammate and friend's body was to see just how bad the damage was. Other Shinobi joined him, glancing fearfully at the furious Hotoya attacking the newly returned Uchiha. Naruto came up to Riku.
"Why did you just let them fight?!" Naruto demanded as if Riku was the idiot of the two.
"They'll be fine. She's just upset. I think he knows that." Riku wanted to tell Naruto to fuck off as he looked over what was left of Moru's body, horrified. It was becoming increasingly harder to see as tears clouded his vision. Moru . . .
"What are you talking about?" Riku glared at Naruto, who flinched when he saw the silverette's eyes. The loud blonde shrunk back realizing that now probably wasn't the best time to ask questions to either Riku or Kazu.
Sasuke easily blocked his Kazu's attempts on his life. Her swipes and stabs, though slightly reckless, would have overwhelmed someone else very quickly. The gold of her eyes hadn't dissipated. In fact it was almost as if they glowed molten. Her chakra flowed harshly through and around her – although not at a velocity or mass that was visible to the naked human eye.
Her hits were sold, sending harsh vibrations through his arms as he blocked her attempts to harm him. She was wild – feral – as she attacked him in misguided anger. Sasuke grabbed his thorn's left wrist to stop her kuni aimed at his head from reaching its target. Her right hand then went for a right hook. He stopped it easily, again grabbing her wrist to stop its path.
Kazu struggled against his grip. Sasuke noticed it wasn't even remotely close to how strong of a struggle she could have put up. Was this a repeat of the hallway incident? The molten gold began to darken and cloud over. A small whimper began to come from her throat; her struggles began to weaken as her whimpers' volume increased. Tears began to streak down her face as she began to cry weakly.
Stark gold blended back into clear sapphire. Her body collapsed against his as her grief finally overcame her anger. His Kazu gripped his shirt tightly and sobbed into his chest.
Sasuke was shocked slightly as she just broke down in front of him – against him. Slowly he let go of her wrist which only caused her to grip him more tightly to her as she sobbed quietly. His thorn became to pull him to the ground as she gave up on standing. His arm wrapped around her waist to hold her up as she leaned against him crying.
He ignored those around him as he focused on his thorn. Today has just gone his way in more ways than one. Karin was taken care of, the damn snake was taken care of, and he hadn't lost any ground with his thorn. In fact – Sasuke gazed down at her face buried into his chest – he might have just gained a hell of a lot more.
Perhaps Karin didn't mess up things majorly after all. She might have just caused things to lean more heavily in his favor. He smirked. Good.