Natsumi's eyes widened and she stood in front of Hasu with her Ninjato drawn and muttered an order to him. "Stay behind me."
Hasu's eyes widened slightly. "I don't... understand. No one else knew about that passage... I was sure of it."
"And here I was about to get bored and wander off." A younger woman stepped out from behind one of the temple's pillars, smirking behind a mask that covered the lower half of her face and resembled a skull. "But our patience finally paid off."
There's two of them.
Natsumi's eyes quickly scanned the area.
Several ways for us to escape. Not a lot of places we could be cornered. No innocent bystanders around. But the temple looks old enough to be unsafe to go inside of.
"I knew someone would come looking for the princeling in distress, but I never expected it to be a little girl." The dark-haired girl sneered and narrowed her eyes at Natsumi.
"Now, now, Shita." The woman glanced up at her with a chuckle. "Do show a little respect. She may be younger than you, but she's obviously skilled if she's part of the ANBU."
"Hmph." Shita crossed her arms. "Perhaps she's skilled by the Leaf's standards. That's not saying much."
"Hey, kid." The woman sheathed her dagger and looked over at Natsumi and stood. "What's your name? I don't like killing people without proper introductions first."
She took a step forward and Natsumi remained silent and in place as he stood, blocking Hasu with her Ninjato raised.
"Oh, I see." The woman laughed and then smirked. "It's rude of me to ask your name without giving mine, right?" She took another step forward and put her hands on her hips. "I'm Nya."
Natsumi exhaled and glanced between the two.
They look comfortable around each other, as if they're used to fighting together. That puts me at a bigger disadvantage than just having to deal with two enemies at once, and on top of that, I have to protect the prince while fighting.
"...Mina." Natsumi answered after a moment.
"Hah." Nya smirked and bent slightly to meet her eyes. "That your little nickname? That won't do. I can't kill someone in good conscious without knowing their real name."
"I'm Mina." Natsumi repeated.
"Hmph." Nya straightened and her eyes flashed angrily. "Don't insult me, child. I can tell when I'm being lied to. I was being gracious, but my instinct to have an honorable fight doesn't override the fact that you're lying."
I'm not lying exactly. When I wear this mask, I'm supposed to be Mina.
Natsumi's eyes narrowed and she watched both women carefully.
"Hasu, stay behind me." Natsumi muttered. "Your life is in my hands and I won't let them hurt you."
"Oh, how cute." Shita laughed and brushed her fingertips over the sheaths strapped to either leg, then took out one from each side. "She looked like she meant that."
"Had you not pissed me off, I was going to be generous and give you the offer to live if only you'd step aside and let us kill the princeling." Nya shot the redhead a glare. "But now... I don't think I will."
When in a fight against greater numbers and stronger opponents, determine who the leader is and go after them first in order to incite fear, lower morale, and eliminate the chain of command.
Natsumi's eyes darted between the two as she reminded herself of her lessons.
Keep your enemies in your sight at all times. Never let them get behind you. Use the environment around you to your advantage. Don't make any wasteful movements. Never let them make the first move. Use cheap shots if necessary.
She continued to watch them as they slowly moved toward her, each coming from a different side.
However... I can't follow that exactly when I'm trying to protect someone at the same time. If I make the first move, I leave Hasu completely open. But, if I wait until they attack, I'll be at a disadvantage because they clearly have more fighting experience than I do, not to mention, they expected us to come and had time to prepare for this fight.
"Hasu." Natsumi mumbled under her breath. "I'm at a major disadvantage here against them. Things will get difficult. You need to do exactly as I say and trust me if you want to get out of here alive."
"Oi! I don't like being ignored!" Nya gritted her teeth and reached her hand behind her back to the small backpack there.
Logic dictates that the only solution is to run, and this is an open area, after all, but I don't know their abilities and they're on either side of me. I can't just teleport us back to the Leaf, either, because that's too far, and I don't have a point tagged closer, either. If I wasn't alone, this would be a lot easier.
Her eyes widened slightly and then she smirked faintly under her mask.
It's not guaranteed to work, but... I think that would even the odds, at least.
"I trust you." Hasu mumbled and gently touched her back, nodding slightly.
Natsumi drew in a breath.
Alright. Time to prove that all my training has paid off.
Natsumi bit her thumb and brought her hands together to form hand signs and Shita grinned broadly and lunged at her.
"Too slow!"
Ninja Art! Summoning Jutsu!
Before Shita's daggers could strike her, Natsumi's palm glowed as the seal appeared and Yuki shot out, sword at the ready. Yuki hissed and barred the daggers with her sword and Shita scowled and leapt back, glaring.
"You little—!" Shita took another stance and growled. "I hate cats. Especially fluffy ones."
"I don't know what the situation is, but I want to kill her." Yuki landed softly on her feet beside Natsumi and held her katana at the ready.
"Defend the prince and escort him back to the Leaf." Natsumi watched the women as she shifted her stance.
"So... it's fine if I kill her?" Yuki's lips pulled back to expose her teeth in a large smirk. "Sounds fun."
"Priority's to defend him." Natsumi let out a short breath.
"Fine, fine." Yuki hissed slightly and narrowed her eyes at the dark-haired girl. "Just so ya know, princey, you should feel honored you get to be protected by the most beautiful and strongest Ninja Cat of all time."
"You all are really pissing me off." Nya took her weapon out of her pack and slashed it against the ground to the side of her and Natsumi's eyes widened slightly.
What the hell is that?! A whip? A sword? No... it's both?! I've never heard of anything like that before.
"Kill the princeling." Nya glanced at Shita. "I'll slice this rude little bitch to pieces."
"My pleasure." Shita smirked and locked eyes with the cat blocking her path. "But first... to skin a filthy beast."
Shita rushed at Yuki, who pounced at her quickly to lock blades with her as she hissed.
"I'll skin you, you brat!"
"Try to stay back from the fighting, but stay close enough so that they can't get to you." Natsumi ordered Hasu, who nodded and swallowed.
"Don't act as if you even stand a chance against us." Nya swung her weapon in an arc against the ground as she scowled and the three flexible blades tore up the earth. "You don't stand a chance."
Her arms are longer than mine, plus that weapon's reach is pretty impressive. I don't have a good technique to counter it from this distance. This is a bad match-up, but switching with Yuki would be an even worse pairing. It has to be me.
Nya spun and twirled her weapon rhythmically, swinging it in wide arcs around her.
I can't get close to her at all like it. It's as if it's creating a bubble around her. She's untouchable.
Natsumi let out a breath and adjusted her stance.
If I can just find one weakness, I can exploit it.
The woman stepped forward to bringing Natsumi into her range and she laughed.
"Don't bother trying to think of a way to defeat me. The only way to defeat an Urumi is to have one yourself."
Nya arced her next swing at Natsumi and Natsumi remained in place.
She can't hit me if I'm smoke.
Natsumi shifted and her body changed, but as the blades drew close, Natsumi's eyes widened and she glanced at the boy behind her.
Crap! If it passes through me, it hits him!
Natsumi re-solidified just as the weapon struck her and she cried out as it cut her arms and made her drop her sword. She dropped to one knee and the woman laughed loudly, and the prince's eyes grew.
Damn it. Does this thing really have no weakness? If I could just use that smoke technique, I could get in close... but I can't leave him unguarded. I can't fight in this situation at all, not even enough to make us escape.
Natsumi picked herself off the ground, eyeing the cuts on her arms that dripped blood.
The wounds aren't deep at all, but it definitely still hurts. If I lose too much blood this way, then it won't matter if I can come up with a plan or not, because I'll be dizzy and weak by that point.
"Go!" Natsumi blocked the Urumi only slightly with her Ninjato, the ends of the weapon still curling to slice her hands and arms, and she shouted at Hasu. "Back into the tunnel! I can't focus on fighting if I have to protect you!"
He nodded obediently and ran back towards the tunnel and disappeared into the inky blackness.
"You won't get away that easily!" Shita smirked and tried to follow him, but Yuki cut her off and her sword only narrowly missed the rogue ninja's face.
"Don't you dare forget about me, you unrefined heathen!" Yuki hissed and swung at Shita again, chasing her as she leapt over the cat and ran off.
"You just guaranteed his death." Nya laughed and yanked back her weapon, disarming Natsumi again and adding cuts to her arms.
Natsumi gritted her teeth to keep from crying out again and clutched her Ninjato tightly.
"Yuki will protect him."
"Your faith in that pet of yours is admirable." Nya narrowed her arms and swung at Natsumi again. "But deluded!"
Natsumi shifted to smoke and the blades passed through. The woman's eyes widened briefly and she glared.
"You think that's going to be enough to fight me?"
Well, I was kind of hoping it would be.
Natsumi moved in closer as Nya continued to attack.
If I can somehow get into her blind spot, then I can turn solid again and end this quickly.
Natsumi moved closer and closer with the blades passing through her as the woman grew more annoyed.
Find an opening... find an opening...
Natsumi leapt into the air, solidifying to make an attack from behind. Nya smirked and reached into her pack with her left hand, pulling out a second weapon and flicking her wrist to strike Natsumi down with it.
Nastumi was struck out of the air and fell hard to the ground, rolling to a stop in the earth. She gasped for air to recover the wind that had been knocked out of her and winced as she tried to get up.
Two?! She had two?!
"What's wrong?" Nya sneered. "I bet you aren't happy with yourself that you lied about your name and ticked me off, huh?"
Natsumi trembled and she got up slowly, still wincing at her movements and how the dirt aggravated the cuts.
I can't even defend against one. How could I possibly survive against two?
Natsumi flexed her right hand, summoning her Ninjato to it and she drew in a breath.
There's got to be a way... I can't give up.
Natsumi attempted to circle around to look for an opening, but the woman continued to gracefully spin and twirl the deadly weapons in her deadly dance. Nya swung the weapons at her and Natsumi tried to jump back out of the way, only to be caught in the path of the second.
It sliced her deeper than before, causing her to scream in pain and fall to her knees. Natsumi tried to stand and staggered to her hands and knees, gasping for air through the pain.
It's no good. I can't get anywhere close to her, and I'm bleeding too much. Her technique has no weaknesses.
She shook and picked up her sword, only to be struck directly with both weapons. She screamed and her body arched as she fell. Fiery pain shot through her and blood oozed and poured from her arms, back, and legs.
Nya laughed and slashed at Natsumi again, and she writhed as she screamed.
"Aw, poor little girl. Does it hurt?" Nya cackled and cracked down the blades on her back again, tearing through the flak jacket and flaying the skin beneath. "Maybe your mommy should've taught you better manners!"
I can't... move.
Natsumi screamed again as another wave of pain shot through her.
I've lost too much blood already that I don't think I can even get up.
Nya slowed her movements, dropping her weapons to the ground to kick Natsumi hard in the face with a laugh. The mask cracked and shattered and Natsumi rolled from the force, grunting as she gasped for short breaths.
I can't be beaten like this... I promised that I would protect him... I promised that I wouldn't fail...
Nya smirked and stepped on Natsumi's stomach, grinding her foot into one of the wounds as she screamed. Then, she bent down to stare into the girl's partially clouded eyes. A cry of pain echoed from the tunnel and Nya chuckled.
"Hear that, little girl? That's the sound of Shita killing that boy. You know, the one who said he trusted you to protect him?" She laughed. "How delicious his expression must be right now, full of terror as he realizes that you won't be saving him."
She laughed louder, grinding her heel into Natsumi's wound again and she grabbed her red hair and tugged on it.
"Here's a little tip: never make promises you can't keep." She released Natsumi's hair and her head thudded to the ground, squelching slightly in the blood-soaked earth. "Not that you'll even be alive to use that advice."
She stepped off of Natsumi and squatted beside her, pinching one of the cuts on her cheek to squeeze out more blood.
"You wanna know what Shita's specialty is?" Nya released her cheek and tugged on the girl's hair again. "That bastard half-sister of mine loves leather. Especially human leather. She prefers to skin her victims alive. She says it makes it softer and more pliable." Nya shrugged and laughed. "I just prefer slicing and watching how beautifully a person bleeds."
Natsumi's eyelids grew heavy and the assassin scowled and slapped the girl.
"Hey! Don't die yet! I want you to hear every single scream of his until he finally passes out from shock. I want you to fully understand just how much you failed. You got that?" She leaned in closer, narrowing her eyes with a smirk. "I want your last thoughts to be of how weak you were, and how afraid he was because of you, you little failure."
Hasu turned and hurriedly ran back into the tunnel, tightly balling his fists as he heard Natsumi's cry of pain behind him.
"Is this all I can do? Is this acceptable? Is all that I'm capable of is either running or being in the way?"
A dagger rushed by his head and his eyes widened. Before he could stop, it lodged into the ground in front of him and he tripped on its handle and landed hard on the ground.
"Not very graceful of you, your highness." Shita chuckled and tossed another dagger up and caught it with a smirk. "Not very polite of you to run, either. All I want to do is play with you a bit. Master said I could have fun."
Hasu gulped and got to his feet quickly and stepped back.
"What can I do? I'm unarmed and I have no training in combat whatsoever."
"Hmph." Shita frowned slightly as she looked the boy up and down. "What a shame. They really messed you up, didn't they? And I'll bet your skin was so smooth and lovely before, being a pampered prince and all." She shook her head. "It's such a waste. I can't use skin that's scarred up or bruised."
He continued to move back away from her.
"W-What do you mean?"
Shita smirked and held up her dagger for him to see the hilt.
"Isn't it lovely? All my blades have special leather handles that I made myself." She kissed the leather and her lips turned upward in an unnaturally wide smile. "This one was made from the skin of an Iwa Black Ops guy who stumbled upon my Master's work." She held up another dagger to show him. "And this one was made from the skin of the assassin who killed my father."
Hasu froze in place and shuddered, gulping as he started to tremble.
"It's all... human skin?"
He looked the girl up and down, his eyes widening as he mentally counted each dagger and knife she had.
"There are at least nineteen that I can see... and they're all... human skin?"
"Soon, I'll have a pretty new blade, though." She smirked at him and stepped closer. "What do you want to be? Something fun like a serrated blade? Or perhaps a hooked sword?" She licked her lips. "Although... you are a prince. Maybe I should make you into a nice, classic sword. Something elegant like that?"
"Well, I'll have plenty of time to decide as I skin you." She laughed and took another step forward, her expression darkening. "Won't you scream for me?"
His eyes widened as she vanished from his sight, reappearing behind him to slice his arm. He let out a cry as he bled and the assassin laughed.
"Ah... There it is." She shoved him into the wall with one arm, pinning him there with her forearm to his neck and gently trailed the tip of her dagger down his torso to his stomach. "And... another." She slowly pressed the tip of the blade into his skin, twisting it as he screamed loudly.
"Wonderful..." She took out the blade and licked her lips at the sight of his blood, then met his eyes. "You have such nice skin, little prince. You'll make my new favorite weapon."
"I don't think so!"
Yuki struck Shita in the face with her feet, scratching the girl with her claws before turning and slashing her sword downward. Shita scowled and dodged, releasing Hasu as she held up a pair of knives. The mask on her face was shredded in part and hung down, revealing her faces and the scratches on her cheek as they dripped blood. She glared at the cat and gripped her knives tightly.
"Damn you, you nasty beast! You'll pay for that!"
Shita lunged at Yuki, who countered her with a hiss. They continued to fight and the cat smirked and revealed sharp, ivory teeth.
"Is this all you've got? I could have beaten you as a kitten!"
Shita growled and slashed at the Ninja Cat furiously. "Just. Die. Already!"
Yuki leapt gracefully out of the way, scratching the girl's face again as she kicked off to land between the boy and the assassin.
"I hate cats!" Shita wiped a drop of blood from her cheek, formed hand signs, and pressed her hand to the wall. The summoning seal appeared and an unnaturally large yellow serpent lashed out of the feline.
"Yikes!" Yuki hissed and dodged the strike, but the snake quickly followed each of her movements until finally catching her and coiled tightly around the cat.
"Good boy, Shun." Shita narrowed her eyes at the cat as she struggled and hissed. "Now... finish it."
The snake coiled tighter and Yuki yowled and vanished in a small puff of smoke, and the assassin scowled.
"Damn! It got away!" She rounded back on Hasu, who had clamped his hands over the hole in his belly. "That damn beast interrupted my fun, but I already have enough blades for now, so I'm just going to kill you slowly to put me in a better mood."
She gripped his neck and pressed the smooth side of the dagger to his cheek.
"That look in your eyes sure is delightful. My sister would be so excited to see that." Her grip on his neck tightened slightly. "Forget all about that girl coming to save you... I'm sure she's nothing but a pile of shredded meat by now."
She drew the dagger back to prepare for a strike, then froze in place as a scream pierced the air from beyond the tunnel.
Hasu's eyes widened and the sound sent chills down his spine.
"I-Is that...? Is that Natsumi?"
He gulped. "No... that doesn't sound right... then, if it isn't her..."
Shita's handed trembled slightly and she turned to look down the tunnel as she muttered. "W-What the hell?!"
The screaming continued and then stopped suddenly. Shita paled slightly and clenched her jaw.
"No..."
A desperate scream reached Natsumi's ears and her eyes opened wide suddenly.
No.
I won't accept this.
I won't let him die.
I'm not weak.
I'm not a failure.
I made a promise.
"Huh?" Nya smirked and tugged on Natsumi's hair. "How sweet. You're still not dead? Are you that concerned about that princeling?"
Natsumi gritted her teeth, trembling as she tried to move.
"Pathetic."
A deep voice sounded in the back of Natsumi's mind and a low growl escaped her throat.
"Do you want to kill her?"
Natsumi clouded vision rested on the woman and she balled her hand into a fist.
I want to rip them apart.
A chuckle echoed through her mind and her skin seemed to sizzle, the blood evaporating off of her as the cuts and wounds closed and healed. Violet Chakra bubbled out of her body and when she blinked, her eyes became red and slitted.
"Good."
Natsumi growled and her hands twitched, the nails elongating into sharp claws and her canines grew into fangs. Nya's eyes widened and she jumped back from the girl quickly.
"What the hell?! What kind of power is that?!"
Natsumi glared, shifting to all-fours as the Chakra continued to swell around her. Nya picked up her weapons again and swung them at the girl. Natsumi dodged, moving so quickly that the ground beneath her cracked from force and formed a small crater.
Nya turned all around, glaring as she spun the weapon around her defensively and muttering.
"Where the hell did she go?! And so fast?!"
Natsumi growled and seemed to reappear from above, crashing into the woman and pinning her to the ground, the earth crumbling and shaking from the force. Nya coughed and blood spilled from her mouth and she swung at Natsumi, who disappeared from her sight again.
"Damn it! How can she be so strong now?!"
Natsumi swiped at her with her claws, cutting deep into her sides and throwing her across the field. Before she could recover, Natsumi hit her again and again, throwing her to the ground.
Nya coughed blood again, shakily lifting herself from the ground. "D-Damn it...! It's no good... I can't even tell where she's coming from."
Natsumi landed behind her and her eyes widened, and she turned to try to run. Natsumi reached out and the Chakra extended, forming a large hand. It gripped the assassin and she screamed as it the Chakra burned her, then Natsumi swung the arm around, crashing into the temple and destroying it; splintering the wood, knocking over columns, and smashing windows.
She slammed the woman back into the ground, shattering bones upon impact. Nya screamed again and gasped, unable to move. Her eyes stayed wide as she watched Natsumi move over to her, walking on her hands and feet like an animal.
"...What the hell kind of monster are you?!"
Natsumi growled, then roared as she picked up the woman with the Chakra hand again, squeezing her. Nya screamed in pain as she was crushed and the air forced from her lungs, barely able to speak as she pleaded.
"S-Stop! P-Please!"
"NO!" Natsumi roared again, her voice distorted and half-beastly. She closed her hands into a tight fist, and the Chakra hand tightened and closed fully. The screaming stopped immediately and blood exploded all around.
The Chakra hand opened, releasing what was left of the woman and receded back to Natsumi as the Chakra cloaked her. Her breathing heavy, she threw back her head in a roar and the Chakra began to seep back inside of her.
Not... yet...
Natsumi staggered and stood, picking up her sword and moved toward the tunnel with her eyes still red and the violet aura around her.
There's still one more...
Natsumi walked down the tunnel, trembling as the rage continued to bubble inside. A snake lunged at her with its jaw wide and she sliced its head off cleanly, and it disappeared in a puff of smoke.
One more...
Natsumi moved forward and her eyes narrowed at the sight of the dark-haired assassin.
"N-No..." Shita released Hasu and trembled, gripping her dagger tightly. "T-There's no way... she'd never lose..."
Natsumi glanced at Hasu, whose eyes widened, and she scowled as her eyes rested on his wound. She turned on Shita, who paled and took a step back, though still held up her blades.
"D-Don't even think about it! I'll kill you!"
"N-Natsumi...?" Hasu stared at her, unable to move. "I... don't understand. What kind of power is that?"
Natsumi growled and grabbed Shita with a Chakra hand, the talons piercing her as the hand tightened around her and held her in place. With her other hand, she held up her sword, pointing the tip between the assassin's eyes.
"Any last words?"
Shita gritted her teeth, ignoring the pain as she gathered saliva in her mouth and spat.
"G-Go to hell, monster."
Natsumi smirked, the fangs flashing menacingly.
"You first."
Natsumi drove the sword through her head and she went limp. She released the body and it collapsed to the ground, blood pulsing out. Natsumi looked at Hasu and lowered her arm.
"Are you alright?"
He nodded slowly and watched as the Chakra disappeared and Natsumi wobbled and clutched her head, the red in her eyes shifting to her normal hue as the rest of her appearance returned to normal.
"Good..."