Riley's POV

Knowing I had little time I called to my element and a water shield formed around me just as the impact of the fire hit. I knew the others were okay and I didn't make my shield go down until I felt it was safe enough.

"Gotcha now!"

I drew Sunfyre out just as Hidan was about to strike me down with his damn scythe. Like before we both exchanged blows with our blades until Kakashi entered the mix. Hidan took off after my mate while I went to regroup with Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji.

"Any of you hurt?" I asked them.

"I'm good" Shikamaru reassured me. Ino and Choji nodded at me and Kakashi returned to our side unharmed but out of breath.

"I get it" Shikamaru said getting our attention. "Those monsters with the masks are four separate hearts, their were five until Kakashi cut one down"

"Meaning in order to kill Kakuzu the remaining four hearts must be destroyed as well" I added.

"You and that kid are smart" Hidan boasted. "But it didn't help that bearded guy or your brother"

Choji got mad and Shikamaru told him to calm down. I knew better than to fall for Hidan's taunts.

"You don't sound that smart like me and my comrade, you fell for a shadow clone, and your supposed god is bullshit as I said before"

"LORD JASHIN ISN'T BULLSHIT!" Hidan snapped

"Hidan she's got a point you did fall for a shadow clone" Kakuzu told his partner.

"Kakuzu shut the hell up would ya?!"

"What's your next move?" Kakashi asked Shika.

"We need to fight them separately" Shikamaru replied. "I'll deal with Loudmouth, while the rest of you deal with Kakuzu"

"You be careful" I warned him.

"Oh I will Riley" Shikamaru promised. Kakashi handed over the blood capsule that was used earlier to Shikamaru. Shika took the capsule before activating his shadow jutsu and he went after his target.

Riley care to join me? Kakashi asked through the mate bond.

Gladly I answered prepping Sunfyre.

Together my mate and I charged at Kakuzu. Kicks and punches were exchanged. Kakashi dodged from one of Kakuzu's kicks while still in mid air and grabbed hold of the money loving ninja and spun towards the ground with the same move he used on Naruto during the second bell test.

"Damn that has to hurt" I muttered after Kakashi slammed his target head first into the ground. The Copy ninja then leapt away backwards catching a breath. Kakuzu then disappeared via water before reforming close to me and I made sure to jump backwards to get some distance between us.

"Usually I don't enjoy fighting but this one I am" Kakuzu stated.

I caught a glimpse of Shikamaru taking off with Hidan following him thanks to his Shadow Possession Jutsu.

"By the time this is over you and your partner are dead!" I shouted at Kakuzu.

"Oh really? I wouldn't be so sure of that Little Dragoness" Kakuzu responded looking to me.

"F**k you" I then shot him the middle finger.

The rogue ninja chuckled before the fire and wind masked monsters came to one another and they began to form as one. The masks then turned to Kakashi and opened their mouths. Kakashi was quick to jump in the air and avoid getting scorched.

I suddenly saw that the lighting mask was facing away from my position and Kakuzu had his eyes on Kakashi. Like Shikamaru I formed a plan in my mind before I charged. Water formed around Sunfyre before turning into solid ice. Kakashi saw I was about to attack and he leapt into the air using unseen rope attacked to a kunai to get out of the way.

"What the?!" Kakuzu turned just as I swung Sunfyre forward.

"Aurora Wave!" I cried out as large ice shards were sent towards the lighting masked monster. Soon the ice shards pierced through the mask and the monster shrieked. It then fell lifeless to the ground and Kakuzu looked pissed off.

"You'll pay for that Little Dragoness"

Suddenly his fire and wind monster turned to me. Kakashi shouted for me to move and I did as a stream of fire was unleashed upon me. Again my water shield formed around me keeping me safe from the flames and I jumped into a tree to catch my breath. But I wasn't safe yet because the wind masked monster began to spit wind blows into the tree I was in and I bolted just as part of the trunk I was just leaning against was torn to shreds.

While in mid air I was suddenly captured by Kakuzu's threads and I was slammed into the ground.

"Shit that hurt" I muttered and I was on my back.

"Riley!" Kakashi yelled and the next thing I knew Kakuzu shot his threads into my torso.

"F**k this hurts" I hissed as Kakuzu landed on top of me.

"Since you killed my heart Little Dragoness I will take yours"

"Don't your hearts have be to human?" I demanded.

Kakashi was running toward us but Kakuzu saw him. His threads grabbed hold of my mate and pinned him to a tree trunk.

"Now you'll watch as the woman you love dies by my hand Kakashi Hatake"

"Is that so? You really are overconfident" I sneered at the rogue ninja. "I do plan on dying one day but today that's not happening"

No sooner had I said that the smell of blood filled my nose and Kakuzu held his chest in pain.

"What the?" he questioned surprised as his wound bled.

"Looks like Shika succeeded in his strategy"

"Indeed" Kakashi agreed and I smirked because my mate had used another substitution jutsu when he got pinned to the tree by Kakuzu's threads. The real Kakashi kicked Kakuzu off of me in disgust.

"But how?" Kakuzu asked wondering why he was injured.

"The blood your partner swallowed for his ritual was yours and hence underestimating Shikamaru, that loudmouth stabbed himself and that's why your hurt" I explained.

"The moment I killed your first heart was when I extracted your blood" Kakashi added. "I won't let scum like you hurt the woman I love"

"Damn you" Kakuzu growled in pain.