Chapter 31
*Orochimaru*
"Instead. I'll bite." The girl's soft sweet voice seemed to harden and turn to ice as she spoke her threat. 'How interesting' I thought to myself as a smirk began to show its way to my features. 'Even after the beating, I gave this genin she still gets up and dares to speak to me like this. She either has guts or she is foolishly deluded.' I watch as she closes her eyes taking a moment of silence as if she was scared and desperately was trying to collect herself. I wasn't prepared though for the sight before me as she opens her once dark eyes. A deep red unlike the bright hues of the Uchiha eyes, even darker yet than the eyes the nine-tailed brat looked at me with. No these eyes were different. As if they were made of fresh blood themselves, swirling endlessly in their depths. Neither beast nor human. And with the reveal of these eyes, this girl's presence changes drastically. What was once a small annoying fly was now standing before me as if a predator had cornered their prey. Even from this distance as I take in the beauty before me, I can see her muscles shifting beneath her unmarked flesh. A perfect black panther about to pounce.
"I see, you aren't like the others are you?" I smile sadistically as I feel myself become overwhelmed by the excitement of such a rare beast taunting me. 'It seems while pursuing one promising prospect I have found two at the same time.' "Then come play with me." 'I want to see what you are capable of my darling black panther!' As if she could read my thoughts she began to laugh hysterically. No, maniacally at me. As if her blood was roaring to life at even the thought of this fight. 'No, not her blood. She is by the very definition a huntress laughing at the very idea of tearing her prey limb from delicious limb.'
Her laughing was still echoing around me when I felt a sudden change near me. Someone was on the same branch as me but only... They were beneath me! Leaping back just before where I had been standing explodes causes my eyes to widen briefly. I quickly hid my shock behind an amused grin. I hadn't even noticed she had set a trap or even used a shadow clone. So, her 'gracing' me with some conversation wasn't just to speak with me. It was to buy her clone some time to plant and set off that bomb. 'So this girl is smart. This just may be fun after all.' Mere heartbeats pass before I see her form shooting through the smoke from the explosion. At such a speed well beyond her title. Raising my arms in her direction I shove my chakra through them producing my snakes. Causing them to slither their way around my arms before shooting themselves directly at her. "Striking shadow snake!" I call as she continues to draw ever closer to me and my snakes.
I noticed a smirk reach her lips before I felt her chakra burst from her with such ferocity and heat my snakes seemed to disintegrate before even touching her form. Landing on a branch that had been behind me I witness as she withdraws a kunai rather than the other of the two weapons I believed she favored. Crouching slightly I move to catch her hand again but was once again taken by surprise when she suddenly vanished from directly in front of me. It was only then I barely felt her presence behind me in time to turn to deflect her attack. Yet again, against my own perceived assumptions, she didn't move to attack me. Her kunai grazed the tree right next to me catching her own movements just enough for her to touch her feet against it and shoot herself off from the bark. With a glow in her eyes, her gaze met mine immediately before I noticed she had made a hand sign. Igniting a paper bomb she had evidently just placed on the tree mere inches from my face.
As if she were a cat and I the mouse. This feline seemed to be playing with her mouse before even thinking about biting off its head. I could tell that she isn't fighting me for real as if she was relishing toying with me but, if she were then she would be going against her own words. 'She declared she doesn't toy with others for her own amusement. If she was speaking the truth then what is she doing? She has yet to make an attack just to kill me.' Leaping away from the tree before the bomb went off I watch around for her movements. Biding my time. Waiting with piqued interest to see what she would do next.
My eyes settled on her again as she was leaping through the air following after me. That same smirk on her face yet like last time she withdrew a second kunai and threw it right past me. Could she be such a terrible aim? I question, before glancing over my shoulder seeing the kunai embed itself into the tree behind me just before the paper bomb attached to it ignited. Lighting up our darkening fighting grounds, showing more kunai strung up on wire in a way I could only fathom being yet another trap. It is then I see what she is doing. Like a wolf built for chasing its prey down until its prey becomes too tired to run any longer. She is trying to wear me down by keeping me on the defensive and running from attacks that aren't actually meant to kill. Maim quite possibly. But not to kill. 'She is quite a skillful ninja but I wonder if this is the limit of her strength? Was what she had shown me before we began simply that? A show? Or is she holding herself back? Trying to reign herself in.' I wonder to myself as I close my eyes not even attempting to avoid her 'trap'
*
As the explosion sounded I watch from above on a branch. Curiously following where her trap would have gone as my eyes follow kunai after kunai spreading in multiple directions. Only one went straight for another trap. It would have hit its mark if she hadn't of thrown a shuriken in its direction. Knocking it off course as she landed upon an undamaged branch. I had just decided it was time to take the offense when she suddenly peered up at me as if she had expected me to be here this entire time. Withdrawing my own kunai I leap from the branch towards her. She merely takes a few steps back moments before I land on the branch where she had been standing. It was then she brought her foot up as she gracefully spun on her toes sending a kick in my direction.
Catching her leg by the ankle I smirk at the sudden pain radiating through my hand. That is some chakra she had directed at me for me to feel it even through her ankle. 'So she must have accumulated her chakra through her entire leg, but it is her foot itself containing the most. This way even if her attack is blocked it would still do damage to her opponent.' With another twist of her body, she manages to break free of my grip as she switches hands with her kunai in one swift movement. Before the end of her little spin, she brought her fist towards my stomach as her other arm was up ready to block any action from me. Wanting to feel her true strength I feebly try to block her punch but let her fist collide against my stomach. I felt her knuckles dig deep into my abdomen and twist just before the burning of her condensed chakra seared against my flesh beneath my clothes. Proving she is a close-range fighter.
I was then thrown backward through a couple of trees. 'Such wonderful strength!' But instead of thinking, she had won like most genin would. She pushes off from the tree and leaped after me. Her kunai was back in the grasp of her right hand ready to imbed it into my chest. 'She is strong. And with some nurturing, she will become stronger yet!' I could feel myself almost salivating over this prize but, before I can even think about taking her for myself I needed to slow her down. Weaken her to the point she can't fight back. It was then I noticed the damage I had done to her earlier during her feeble attempt in retrieving her teammate from me was nowhere to be seen. As if I hadn't even touched her before. The image of her hitting the tree after I had kicked her away flashed through my mind. She was bruised, beaten, even a little bloody from my attacks.
There was no way she could possibly be flying at me looking… completely unscathed. 'Interesting' I smirked as I licked the saliva from my lips before my back solidly hit a tree. There could only be two explanations for this. Either she had attacked me earlier with a clone or… Her regeneration capabilities are absolutely astounding. It was time I believe to put it to the test. Letting the moments tick past I wait for her to get closer before catching her hand holding her kunai and yanking her towards me as I send my right fist towards her chest. I want to hear bones breaking!
Instead of the delightful sound, she catches my fist with her free hand. Releasing a nearly inaudible whimper as her arm recoils from the force of my punch. Yet as she pulled her arm back at the same moment her hand enclosed around my fist. She successfully kept herself from obtaining serious damage to her. She is good. But now. I'm done playing. Turning my hand in her grip I force her hand to loosen before pulling my hand back. Releasing her other hand I take the weapon from her as I grab a hand full of hair and turn. Ramming her head into the tree I had landed against.
As I pull her back I laugh while she tries to fight against my hold. She may be strong but she is still far too weak to even begin to compare to my strength! I watch as blood runs down her face from the impact of the tree and I only slam her face against the bark again to make sure she was good and disoriented. Before finally spinning her kunai in my hand and ramming it into her abdomen just below her sternum. Specifically targeting her vital organs. I had this overwhelming need to see if I was right about her regeneration. If she was attacking me with a clone this would have disrupted the jutsu. Instead, I watched as her lips tightened into fine lines as she fought against herself to keep from screaming. Widening my eyes in my lust for the blood spilling over my hand I remove her kunai before slowly dragging it along her bare skin.
The tip of the kunai digging in and tearing the soft flesh as I run it from her left shoulder down and over her collar bone. Letting it skip over the fabric that was in the way as I bring the blade around the base of her neck. In the same act, I create a matching trail from her right shoulder so that the two cuts meet. Yet, this still didn't get her screams to break free. "I will make you scream." I whispered to her as I brought her face closer to my own. Watching the eyes that are still full of defiance I grab onto her arm as she attempts to strike me with her fist. With another smirk, I move my grip to her wrist where I tighten my hand around her small bones. It was when the sound of her bones slowly excruciatingly breaking reaches the air that I finally achieved my scream from her.
Her eyes closed as she went limp from a mix of the pain I had just put her through and the blood loss from her stab wound. 'The panther is strong, her taijutsu is rather weak but if most met with her strength she wouldn't need to fight much. It is clear that she is gifted and with nurturing she will become powerful. It is more than obvious no one else has seen this or they would be helping in her growth by now.' Kicking her back to her teammates I watch as her body skids against the tree bark in front of the other two before it finally stops. As I make my way back to them I watch as Sasuke's eyes widen in fear for his teammate as he takes in her ravaged appearance. "Kira!" The pink-haired child yells seeing her unmoving form.
I watch both of their faces pale while looking to their last hope, as I stop before the three of them. 'Sasuke Uchiha and a black panther.' I found my lips turning up in a smile once again at the mere thought of having both of them. "My, aren't you both prizes ripe for the picking."
I watch as the slightest shiver escapes the young Uchiha before he even looked up to me. Defiance lined his eyes yet fear was still highly evident threatening to take even more control over his body. "Who are you?! What do you want?!" I chuckle at his feeble attempt as I hold up the very scroll I had snagged from their partner as I was tormenting her. Pushing my chakra into my hand I let the heat of it burn the scroll in front of their eyes. "My name is Orochimaru. But as to what I want, that will have to wait until we meet again. Which won't happen until you finish this test with the best score of all."
"The scroll!" The pink-haired child exclaims as the scroll continues to burn and melt away.
"First, you'll have to defeat the hidden sound ninja who serve me."
"I have no idea what you're talking about but if you're finished then just beat it. If we ever meet again it will be too soon!" The foolish child continues to yell at me as she finally manages to move to her hands and knees. While Sasuke struggles to move at all.
"Oh, he and I will meet again." I inform her as I perform my hand signs and move my chakra to complete the jutsu. 'It's really too bad the little panther is dying. Oh well, at least I will still have Sasuke!' Elongating my neck I shoot my head towards the young Uchiha, opening my mouth as I feel my top canines grow with the jutsu. 'I will give you my curse mark, and you will come to me.' At least so I thought until the long black hair blocks him from my path. Inwardly laughing I adjust my direction and sink my new fangs into her pale flesh. Only pulling back once my mark is set. As soon as my fangs leave her she called out in pain before collapsing onto her back to the right side of Sasuke.
Leaving him open for my jutsu. What causes me to hesitate from my goal was Sasuke's startled reaction at the sight of the panther's body. What should have been cuts and gashes. Even the knife wound I had given her. All that was left was untouched flawless blood-soaked skin. Even the swelling and discoloration of her arm were gone! "Interesting!" I call out as my neck becomes normal again. "After all that. Even taking her kunai to her. There isn't a mark on her! So very… Interesting. Now it's your turn Uchiha." I speak as my eyes fall back on the young Uchiha. 'At last, the Sharrigan will be mine!' I then began the jutsu one last time.
*Aphrodite*
"Damphire!" My usually quiet dark-haired teammate hollers in my direction as both of them stop upon separate tree branches to stare at me. Evidently, I had stopped running as I was now looking down towards the ground clenching my fists so tight I could feel my nails digging into the palm of my hands.
"I can feel her chakra. It had peeked but now…" I hesitate as I allow the tendrils of my cousin's energy to wrap around me. "It's still there but it's faint. It's twisting and thrashing as if it is trying to attack itself. Something isn't right." I tell them through clenched teeth.
"Maybe she had just been in a fight and she's now resting." my teammate speaks up trying to put my nerves at ease.
"Yes, the important thing is. She's alive." The team leader mentions drawing my attention to him to see his glossy short red hair twitch in the breeze. "Since she's alive, she's still in this exam. There is nothing we can do for her right now. At the moment, we must get to that tower." Hesitantly I nodded to him. Even if I didn't want to admit it. He was right. She's alive we've found out that much. Now we must follow our orders.
