After Innocence
Chapter 9, "Fated Battle, part 2"
Author: BakaYarou

Baka: There are reasons why I didn't update this. Those will come later.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Jujiro frowned at Shinzuino's overconfidence. He tried to figure out a way to fight the lord without actually thinking; fully understanding that Shinzuino was reading his mind. He attacked a few times, just to try and keep the lord pre-occupied while he thought. He realized that the years spent training as a youth were going to prove useful.

Leaping back to a defensive stance, Jujiro concentrated his chakra to his brain and closed his eyes. He stood incredibly still as he held his sword in position. Wile he stood still, Shinzuino was growing impatient. After a few minutes of not moving, Shinzuino noticed a change in the other mans' thought patterns. They were erratic, and made no sense. He focused on the mans face and saw his eyes moving rapidly beneath his lids. "He's asleep!" he thought in shock.

Taking a step to the left, the lord tested the old mans reaction. To his surprise, the older man reacted and moved to face the lord. Chuckling, Shinzuino took an offensive stance and grinned, "Well, this is going to be fun." He was delighted at the thought of fighting someone he could not read. Also, not only can he not read him, he is going to have to make the first moves.

Lifting the sword up with his right hand, he positioned himself so the blade was pointed directly to the mans heart. He then dashed forward and made a stabbing movement, only for his blade to be deflected with the other mans sword.

"Yes, this is what I had hoped for," taking a few more swings at the other man, Yogarasu chuckled when he felt a blade cut into his shoulder. The pain was excruciating, and exhilarating. He had not been injured in a long time, and it was refreshing.

Stepping back and taking up position again, he rushed at the other man and made a move to slice at his gut. When the other man moved to block it, he flipped the sword around and swung his arm back, grazing his chest instead.

Shinzuino then took a few steps closer and swung his sword in a circle, just missing the other mans neck by an inch, and continued to swing at him, but continually kept on missing. It was when he felt the warmth running down his neck that he realized that he was beat.

Shinzuino tried to take a breath in, but could not get any hair into his lungs. Glaring at the half unconscious man, he took his sword and jabbed it into the mans neck. With that, he fell forward, and the world slipped away.

A young woman was cooking dinner for her son when there was a knock on the door. Wiping her hands on a towel, she stopped what she was doing and shooed her son upstairs. Opening the door, she found the mayor of Satetsu waiting with a worried expression on his face.

"Oh, Mayor! Please, come in!" she gestured to let him in, and he obliged happily.

"Wow, you really tidied this place up! It looks a lot more homey, now," he said warmly. "But, I have a question for you, Miss Fumiko. It's about your last name, Shinzuino. Are you related to the former owner, Yogarasu?"

Smiling warmly, Fumiko tossed her auburn hair back, "Yes. He's my late husband."

Nodding understandingly, "Well, you seem like a nice your lady. You said, late, he's dead?"

Looking down at the floor, she sighed grimly, "Indeed. Despite problems in the past, he became such a nice man. I loved him dearly."

Giving her a pat on the shoulder, "I'm so sorry for your loss, Miss. Please, forgive me." After patting her hair, he took his leave, and wished her the best of luck.

After closing the door, she leaned against it and smiled.

Baka: Like I said, I am going to give you my reasons for not updating.

Reasons:

I despise Naruto now. I hate it with a burning passion.

I don't want to continue this, and I don't even remember where I was going with it.

I don't like Naruto anymore.

I really don't like Naruto anymore.

Seriously, I don't like Naruto anymore.

I am no longer continueing this fanfic. If someone would like, they can continue it, and I'll add it for you to this, or something (giving all credit to you, of course). Thanks for following this, and enjoying it. I just don't enjoy Naruto anymore.