It was effortless for me to locate Kakashi Hatake and Sakura Haruno, Sasuke's teammate, as well as avoid all of the traps they had laid for my Sharingan was able to spot them all with relative ease. They were stationed in a cave not far from the village where Kakashi was healing from his injuries, however when he sensed my arrival he and the Haruno girl had immediately gone for their weapons. "Peace, it is I." I spoke first, lifting my hands to signal that I was not a threat. "Kakashi-san, you are hurt. I have brought medicine."
"Ah, Miyuki-chan, am I glad to see you." He exhaled wearily, holding his side where he had been bleeding heavily. My eyes flashed as the Sharingan activated and I swiftly surveyed his condition. I spotted each wound and evaluated their severity, as well as factoring his chakra level, the flow in his body and the amount of blood loss he had sustained.
"You will live." I decided finally, approaching him as I drew out the medicine and supplies I had brought with me. "You are lucky."
"Well, I've certainly felt luckier. So you're the one Lord Third sent huh? I should have guessed."
"Wait, you mean there's no one else coming? It's just you?!" The Haruno girl squeaked, almost biting down on her knuckles as I began Kakashi's treatment on his more severe injuries. "What are we going to do?! We can't fight them off with just three of us, and Kakashi-sensei is hurt, and I'm…"
"There is not going to be 'three' of us." I corrected her as I worked, never once looking up. "I will go alone."
"Alone?!" This girl has a rather irritating habit of allowing her voice to rise to an irksome pitch all too often. Sasuke had spoken very little of this Sakura Haruno, in fact, all he had said was that she was 'less of a pain than Naruto'. Whether that was a compliment or an insult depended on your point of view. "What do you mean alone? Sasuke and Naruto were taken by more than a dozen rogue ninja and you want to take them alone when the four of us couldn't handle it? They took us by surprise and completely overwhelmed us, they used me and Naruto as bargaining chips to force Kakashi-sensei to surrender, then they hurt him, then they took Sasuke…" By this point the girl was crying, so I paused in my task to look up at her. Tears, real tears. Was she crying for herself or out of worry for her comrades?
"Now, now Sakura, no need to get so upset. Miyuki-chan is a reliable person, she'll be able to rescue both Naruto and Sasuke without a problem." Kakashi assured her, patting her hair gently. Hm. He managed it without hurting her head. I should learn from his example. "After all, she is an Uchiha, and one of the very best. Did you know that when Miyuki-chan took her commander exams, she scored the highest record time ever? If she wanted, she could be one of the top ranking Jonin in Konoha, but she chose temporary retirement in order to raise Sasuke."
"Wow! For real?!" Now the Haruno girl looked amazed, staring at me with starry eyes so I turned my head away in order to not feel so uncomfortable from her staring. The only reason my score was excellent was because I was able to anticipate every trap and attack before it happened. Because I did not waste time fighting unnecessarily, I was able to complete the challenge much faster than anyone else. In any case, that was simply one exam. My combat was average, and my jutsu was no better than anyone else's.
"Time is sparse, I must go to Sasuke now." I announced quietly, feeling a change in the wind as I looked outward from the cave. "Where were you attacked?"
"Here, I'll show you on the map." Kakashi pulled out a map of the area from one of his jacket pockets and pointed to a secluded area perfect for setting an ambush, even when so close to the village borders. "This is where they attacked us. You do not have much time to track them down, Miyuki. Sakura and I will follow after you, but do not wait for us."
"Huh?!" I ignored Sakura's outburst and disappeared with a flicker, heading directly to where Kakashi had pointed. It did not take me long to get there and immediately I surveyed my surroundings. Kunai and shuriken littered the ground and scorch marks scarred the bark of the trees. Huge mounds of earth lay disturbed and uneven, wet pools of water lay from water jutsu attacks and several branches had been ripped clean off the trees. It had been a swift and ferocious battle, and when my gaze landed upon a pool of blood, I guessed it to be Kakashi's.
Without hesitation I picked up on the trail that had been left behind by the rogue ninja, noticing how occasionally I would sight a disturbed twig, a dropped kunai or some other form of a trail leading me to where the ninja had taken Sasuke and the boy Naruto. My Sasuke, he must have left this behind thinking his teacher would come for him. I hope he will not be disappointed when I turn up, and I hope that with this he will forgive me for earlier in the week.
Shaking my head to dispel all thoughts, I hardened my mind and heart to become nothing less than pure steel, crimson gaze flashed red as my Sharingan activated and swirled into life. My speed allowed me to make up for lost time, tracking the rogue ninja until the trail became almost impossible to follow and several more split off in different directions, meaning that I had to come to a halt. I have no choice, I will have to ask for help. Drawing blood from my thumb I pressed it into the ground, partially closing my eyes as I took a deep breath. "Ninja Art of the Summoning."
Almost immediately the black kanji spider web darted outwards and a puff of cloud appeared before me until I heard the sound of flapping wings and cooing. Lifting my hand a bright white dove landed upon my extended finger, allowing me to draw the bird closer to me. "Please, help me find them. Allow me to see with your eyes." The dove cooed at me again before taking off, flying high into the skies and once it was high enough, I began to follow after it after it had circled twice, signalling that I should follow. The dove led me to the left trail, carrying me further into the forest and to a river before then diving down towards me, fluttering the snowy wings before landing on my shoulder and cooing once more. "They are up there?" I questioned, looking to the top of the waterfall. The bird answered, ruffling its feathers so I gently stroked the soft feathery breast. "I thank you dearly for your assistance. I shall take it from here."
Ending the summons, I allowed the dove to disappear so that I could focus entirely upon the waterfall. My Sharingan picked up on the chakra flow of several ninja, some positioned at the base of the falls as guards and several more lining the perimeter. They certainly did not anyone getting too close without their knowing. Unluckily for them, stealth was one of my fortes. Inhibiting my chakra, I went forth in silence, aiming for the two ninja at the base. They were hidden from view rather expertly, meaning that to the naked eye they would be utterly invisible, but I could see them without an issue.
Drawing my sword I cut through the first one with a swift efficiency that was both painless and soundless, allowing me to once more disappear as I crossed the river then dealt with the second. Once they were both eliminated I hid their bodies elsewhere before then climbing up behind the rushing curtain of the waterfall, using it as a cover in order to scale the cliff without being seen. It was a treacherous task and were I to slip and fall, I would be cast back down into the water and possibly either killed or injured. I felt no fear, however, as I knew that I would climb that cliff without a single mistake.
I paused towards the top, counting the seconds before I bundled up the muscles in my legs and used them to spring through the water, slicing my sword in order to cut an opening as I imbued it with chakra. Exploding through the water I sliced cleanly through my third target, hearing a strangled cry before his body fell into the river and was washed away without a trace. Closer, I was getting closer now. I could see Sasuke and Naruto's chakras from here, though they were still distant. Sheathing my sword I disappeared into the shadows once more, circling the perimeter until I came upon the next rogue ninja.
She was standing guard, frowning into the distance as I crouched over her, slowly reaching into my pouch whilst keeping my chakra inhibited. It appeared that she sensed something was not right as she was constantly fidgeting, her hand hovering over her weapon's pouch almost constantly. Perhaps she was more alert than the others, which was admirable, but unfortunately for her it meant that I definitely could not allow her to live.
Dropping down from the branch I drove my kunai down into her neck as I covered her mouth, landing behind her as she arched her back and cried out in pain from my sudden strike. I muffled her screams and guided her body to the floor, watching with a blank, soulless gaze as she stared up at me, twitching and convulsing as she choked on her own blood. I felt nothing as she passed over, no grief or regret, for I could find no empathy to share with the people who had sought to take Sasuke away from me.
Blood stained my fingers as I pulled my kunai free, wiping it clean upon her own clothes before sliding it away once more. Although I hid her body, I took a moment to brush her eyes shut so that she might rest in peace, observing the motionless body for a moment before stepping back. Now I needed to get past the others in order to reach Sasuke and the other boy, Naruto. Glancing once more at the rogue ninja I had just terminated, I used a jutsu to take on her image, standing like a mirror reflection after memorising all of her features. Now disguised as one of their own, I walked directly to where I could sense several rather strong levels of chakra.
After leaving the treeline I saw both Sasuke and Naruto tied to the trunk of a sturdy looking tree, their arms bound against their sides and their mouths gagged to keep them from talking, though Naruto seemed to still be giving it his all. He kicked and struggled, yelling in a muffled voice with a rather energetic stream of what I could only imagine to be threats and warnings. "Ah shut up!" One of the rogue ninja flung a shuriken at Naruto, the blades thudding into the wood right next to his head to make him freeze.
"Can't believe how easy it was to capture these two, but how hard it was to keep them. With the way that kid was yammering on, I felt like killing him just to make him stop." I listened to the conversation of the few rogue ninja remaining, observing them each in turn to learn all that I could about them as I continued to walk closer.
"Still, they'll fetch a hefty price pretty much anywhere. Maybe we'll even ransom them first, get double the money then sell them off elsewhere. An Uzumaki and an Uchiha is a potent pair. After this we could probably retire altogether." My fingers twitched, wanting nothing more than to rush at them both and kill them where they stood, but I knew from my premonitions that if I did so I wouldn't get more than three feet before I would be captured too.
"Though since this kid here has given us the most trouble, almost escaping twice, maybe we should just dispose of the body and take what is valuable. His eyes." From where I was standing, I could see Sasuke's eyes widen, staring as the rogue ninja drew a kunai and smirked devilishly, grasping hold of Sasuke's head roughly in order to slam him back against the tree then peeled back his eyelid with two fingers in order to hold it open. "Don't blink, this is going to hurt."
"Quit it, this ain't the time for that. We'll get his eyes later, but first we're waiting until we get a buyer. Don't want those eyes of his to go bad, do we? Let him keep them for now, and if someone wants both the eyes and the boy alive, then we'll have to provide him in absolute perfect condition. Did you think about that?" Considering it for a moment, the rogue threatening to take out Sasuke's eyes conceded and pulled back to instead complain that he was bored "Then help me give them some water to drink. They can go without food, but they'll die faster if they get dehydrated."
They then removed the gags which meant that Naruto immediately began yelling profanities at them, however when they threatened to let him go thirsty he silenced himself and decided that water was more important than an insult. Sasuke's eyes were now hard and cold, glowering up at the ninja who had only moments ago threatened to gouge out his eyes but he too accepted the drink, though I knew he was reluctant to do so. I let go of the breath I had been holding, allowing myself to relax a little.
"What are you doing here Ritsuka-san? You're supposed to be guarding the eastern perimeter." A voice suddenly growled and I presumed that it was I who was being spoken to, so I turned around. It all happened very quickly, as I knew it would, so at the very least I was prepared for it. The ninja had recognised immediately that I was not the real Ritsuka, so had launched a large number of sharp projectiles at me. My body had already moved out of the way as I dispelled the jutsu, moving like a white shadow as I reached for my glove and pulled the toggle which held the end line of the wire.
Pulling a length free I quickly attached it to the first ninja I came to, locking it around his wrist before I then circled around him, flicking the loose wire up and over him before then darting around as I evaded the attacks of both projectiles and jutsu. With the first tangled, I then went to the second and repeated the process, appearing behind them with the wire extending to trap them in my wire then continued on. I secured four in the same manner, all of them completely unaware of their predicament until I whirled to a halt in the centre of the clearing.
The air rushed around me as everyone paused a moment, stopping to study the intruder whom they had yet to identify, so I took this moment to turn the flat dial upon my glove to retract the wire. Immediately it snapped taught, the fine wire slicing through skin, flesh and bone to severe hand from wrist, calf from knees, arm from shoulder and head from necks. It even cut through one of the rogue ninja's torsos as I remained crouched with an extended leg, arm raised in the air as the bright wire flashed in the sunlight as it returned to me now stained bright red.
It was a deadly tool and very difficult to fight against. Its elegance and dexterity made it a favourite of mine, but now I wished to face these rogue ninja head on and give them an old fashioned beating to teach them their place. "Who the heck is that?!"
"Miyuki onee-chan!" It had been some time since Sasuke had called me his big sister, I could not help but feel a warm sense of happiness rise in my chest as Naruto's legs kicked upwards as he yelled in confusion.
"Sister?! Since when did a guy like you have a sister like that?!" Ignoring the Uzumaki boy for the time being, I lifted my head high as I addressed all the rogue ninja who were now surrounding me. I knew their exact numbers and positions, counting them off one by one in my head as my eyes brightened for a brief moment as I foresaw all that was going to happen, and when something occurred that I either did not like or wished to avoid, such as me sustaining an injury, I went back and replayed that moment with an alternate action.
"Who desires to die first?" With a simple question, I stoked the rage of all the enemy targets present, prompting them to attack me with a bombardment of jutsu of all nature types. In the distance I heard Sasuke and Naruto yell but I continued to maintain my focus, allowing my chakra to swell as I opened my eyes to reveal the Mangekyo Sharingan. "Susano'o." A burst of powerful chakra rushed out of my body and blocked all attacks before they could strike, the brilliant rose gold colour rising until it took the form of a ghoul like skeleton from the waist up.
It was feminine in figure with ghoulish pockets of flaming light where its eyes should have been, gold and rose pink flames dancing upon its frame as I stood at its centre below the ribcage where my Susano'o was not yet fully developed. Still, it was enough to strike fear into the remaining rogue ninja, not expecting something so hellish and daunting to cross their paths as I revealed one of my strongest jutsu at my disposal. "Uchiha…it's another Uchiha!"
"Capture her! Two Uchiha are double the value, get her!" Once more the rogue ninja attacked me with their most powerful jutsu, however I did not allow any to pass through the exterior of my Susano'o, holding firm before I then willed her to attack back, holding out my hand in order to manipulate my chakra into a whip in my right hand before bringing it crashing down with all my might. The crack of the whip sounded like thunder and when it struck the ground, the earth rumbling and breaking apart to create a large fissure which appeared like a scar upon its surface. When it snatched up one of the ninja, I suddenly felt their chakra draining out of their body and into me, giving me a boost as the whip transferred their chakra to me, leaving them completely void of all energy. Impressive. This was the first time I had ever chosen to activate my Susano'o and I am pleased with the results. She was not a perfect form yet, for there was only half her body, but it was enough for now to deal with these rogues.
As she fought them off, I turned my attention to the outside and focused upon the wind nature ninja I had spotted. "Fire Style – Fire Dragon God Jutsu." Exhaling a burst of fire from my mouth using my chakra, the shape immediately became three fiery dragons after I had completed the sign sequences, the long serpentine body rushing out of the Susano'o to envelop several of them all at once, engulfing them in flames. "Fire Style – Incendiary Scorching." Kneading the chakra into flames within me, I allowed them to expand before releasing them as I turned a full circle, the bright flames turning an intense white as they rushed outwards and scorched the earth until it was black and dead.
"Hey lady! We're still here ya know!" I heard Naruto yell at me as I landed from a jump with my back turned towards Sasuke, knowing that I was running out of time. Soon enough I would not have enough chakra to support the Susano'o, so I will have to finish this now. Reaching behind my back I drew free my sword and the Susano'o copied my movements, drawing a simple single edged blade with a no-guard grip and held it in the exact same stance as I did. Around me the rogue ninja were desperately attempting to recover, some of the stronger ones having escaped unscathed, but not for long.
Baring my teeth I allowed my emotions to finally burst free, fuelling my cascading rage as my eyes burned bright red and crimson until it was the only colour I could see. I flew forwards with my sword held to the side, sweeping it upwards and the Susano'o did the same, cutting through an entire section of the forest as it exploded with a consecutive blast of explosive flames. More than half had been cut down in the process and I continued to fight them, their attacks useless when delivered from the outside and, if they attempted to flee, I captured them with the whip in order to ensure that they were punished for their atrocious deeds.
All I could feel was anger and wrath, letting it burn through me until it was an almost blissful sensation, feeling powerful and invincible to the utmost degree. Now down to the last three, I caught two of them within my whip, bringing the sword around ready to deliver their execution, however when I sensed chakra suddenly rush up towards me, I leaped out of the way as one of the strongest of the rogue ninja suddenly erupted from the ground, kunai flashing as he sliced the sharpened points at me.
I blocked his arm with mine, holding him off as I realised that I was not completely invulnerable after all. This rogue had found the weakness in my defences, and now he had me right in front of him. The Susano'o vanished but not before it killed the other two, meaning that only this one remained. "You're strong, but your endurance is lacking. I can see the sweat on your skin and how you're struggling to catch your breath. All I have to do is outlast you, then you and the two prizes over there will be mine." The sickening grin made my stomach churn as I stood upon shaking knees, feeling a tight burn in my chest as I gasped for air. He was right, this was not good.
It was the same ninja who had intended to take away Sasuke's eyes from before. So, he was the strongest of them all to last this long, however that did not make sense to me, for he could not be the leader. He did not seem intelligent enough for that. Observing him carefully, my ordinary Sharingan noticed his muscles tensing in his right leg, signifying that he was about to move. When he did so I was ready, moving the side with a yank on my wire, pulling it free and I immediately swung the weighted toggle so that it wrapped itself around his arm, allowing me to duck under the swing of his kunai blade once more, darting around him in a full circle before then leaping over his head, twirling the wire around his neck then with a twist of the dial, pulled the wire back to me. The scream he gave violated my ears as the wire cut through him, slicing him into ribbons and falling to pieces onto the ground.
Now I was able to catch my breath, however I was fully aware that he was not in fact the last, and that there was only one more person that remained, and this time, I sensed a level of chakra that far surpassed all of those before him. So, this was the leader of this particular group of rogues. He was standing in solemn silence, stoic and stern as he observed me keenly. His head was shaved clean and his clothing was immaculate, meaning that he had not participated in this fight at all, not even to save his underlings.
"Miyuki Uchiha. I am honoured to make your acquaintance." Drawing myself upright, I returned the calm austerity in turn, ensuring to make myself ready for anything. "Despite the fact that I know you have used up much of your chakra, I know it is still foolish to enter into battle with you, as although it is possible I might claim victory, I know I shall not escape unscathed, and to enter into a battle against an Uchiha who has full access to their Mangekyo Sharingan…" He shook his head, deciding that he would rather live another day than die right now. "I shall retreat, for I already admit defeat." This caught me by surprise. I did not expect one to simply surrender.
"How do you know of the Sharingan?" I questioned, keeping my voice as level as possible.
"Only what it is called and how to recognise it. Such power and exuberance, it truly is a sight to behold." His eyes then strayed towards Sasuke and Naruto who were still tied up against the tree, however in the blink of an eye both Kakashi and Sakura were standing there, placing themselves between him and his potential prizes. Once more he shook his head. "As I said, I admit defeat."
"Yeah that's right old man! You run away whilst you still have the chance, or I'm going to beat you into a living pulp, believe it!" Naruto yelled and Sakura snapped back at him to be quiet, punching him on the head before quickly beginning to cut through the ropes. Kakashi looked much better than when I had last seen him, though his clothes were still stained with his blood. The rogue ninja gave a rather polite bow, bidding us farewell before disappearing altogether from sight and a moment later, not even I could follow his chakra.
Finally I felt relief swamp through me at the victory of today. Sasuke is safe, thank goodness. As I whirled around to race towards him the Haruno girl had just cut through the last rope, freeing her comrades who instantly began to rub their wrists and arms to revive themselves. "Sasuke!" I startled him by throwing my arms around him with a pained expression, struggling to hold back the emotions which I had released. They were so strong and overwhelming that they frightened me, rampaging through my entire body until I was unable to think clearly.
It felt good to have Sasuke in my arms, a part of me wishing he was several years younger so that I could cradle him like I used to. Once I was certain that I was not dreaming and that this was reality, I allowed myself to sink to my knees as I released Sasuke to sit before him, a single tear gathering at my eye before trailing down my cheek. "I am relieved that you are safe, Sasuke." He was staring at me in shock and alarm, the expression remaining for quite some time until slowly it faded. His hand reached out to me and came to rest upon my cheek, rubbing away the tear with his thumb as he pouted childishly with a slight blush.
"You're such a dummy, Yuki." An incandescent joy flowed through me which I treasured instantly, drawing it close to my heart and tucking it away with the rest of my now tamed emotions, basking in the wonderful sensation before allowing it to settle to a distant thrum. Taking hold of his wrist with gentle fingers I turned my face in order to press my lips to the grove of his wrist, driven by pure natural instinct though it caught him off guard once again.
I wanted to say more, to explain myself to Sasuke in whatever way I could, however when I felt more hot tears began to leak free I blinked, thinking that perhaps I had not regained full control but when my vision became clouded with hot, stinging red, I realised that these were not tears that were running from my eyes, but blood. "Miyuki!"
"Do not look." Gradually rising to my feet, I pressed a hand over my eyes in order to hide as much as I could from view as the red trails continued to weep down my face. I have overexerted myself for today, now my body felt as if it were ready to fall apart or melt into nothing. My eyes were stinging as if they were being prodded by dozens of needles, prickling intensely until it also made my head spin. Reaching up I unlashed my protective band from my arm and instead tied it around my face, using it to cover my eyes from sight as not to alarm Sasuke too much. It would do for now, at least.
"Hey lady, why're you bleeding from your eyes like that?" Naruto was once more punched by Sakura for his insensitivity, the two of them beginning a yelling match at one another as I gripped my head, hardly able to focus on anything. Too much. I had used too much, but it had been worth it if it was to save Sasuke. Even if I woke up blind, I would not care at all.
"Miyuki-chan?" My head was spiralling out of control and I could no longer stay upright, for my entire body felt as if it were on fire. I struggled to breathe, clawing at my own chest with one hand as I collapsed to the blackened and charred earth, smelling the ashen scent of burning all around me. "Miyuki!" Suddenly everyone was around me, crowding close in order to try and help however as I groped blindly outwards, I did not stop until I felt Sasuke reach for me and the moment I felt his hands grasp mine I held onto him, allowing myself to fully let go whilst assuring myself that he was still here. My anchor, the sole light in my life. My dearest little brother Sasuke.