The seductive Kunoichi Fuuka is back from the dead! She wants to take revenge on the blond-haired brat who dared to expose her best-kept secret and defeat her in battle years ago. Much has happened since then but the story of the attractive woman, whose beguiling charm had brought many strong opponents to their knees, also continues...
Fuuka's Last Kiss
Chapter XII - The Waterfall Village - Part I
"Your attacks are sloppy - I can read them like a book." - Fuuka
"Unbelievable. I've never seen a waterfall that big!"
The youngest of the trio - Sumire - seemed to perceive with almost childlike enthusiasm in her face the natural spectacle that was presented to her. Although it was in the middle of the night, the imposing stream of water bristled in all its glory. Not only did the two oil lamps hanging from the rock wall, emitting warm orange light, make the water shimmer brightly, but the round pond that opened up at the base of the waterfall also attracted swarms of fireflies, which glowed yellowish-green in the night.
"We're there," the usually taciturn team leader said. Sai seemed just as unimpressed with the sight as Fuuka, but unlike her, one could never be quite sure about Sai's feelings. Fuuka let her eyes scan the surroundings, but found nothing to indicate that they had reached their destination. She gave Sai, who was standing diagonally in front of her, a skeptical look.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"My expectations weren't high in the first place, but..."
Fuuka walked toward him, her gaze forward until she came to a stop next to the young man. She looked down at the pool of water, inside of which she thought she could see small tadpoles.
"... I was still expecting a little bit more."
Sai turned his head toward her, looking serious as usual.
"The entrance to the village is hidden and difficult for outsiders to recognize. That's also one of the reasons why Taki has been able to hold its ground against the Great Shinobi Villages over the years."
Fuuka folded her arms under her chest and looked bored into his face.
"Thanks for the history lesson no one asked f-"
Suddenly, Sai raised his arm in a swift motion to signal her to pause her complain for a moment. Immediately after, Fuuka could hear footsteps growing louder. Someone was moving towards them, but Fuuka could not make anyone out. It almost seemed as if the sounds were coming from the front, but in front of them was only the steep rock wall with the waterfall in front of it.
All three reacted at the same time and dove into the dense thicket of the forest to hide. Two people emerged running down the rock face. They wore simular Shinobi clothing as the three Kunoichi's they had managed to defeat earlier that same evening. Apparently there was a secret path that led behind the waterfall and most likely into the village. And it also seemed to be the only way into the village, as it was located in a mountainous, inadequate section of the forest that, to all appearances, acted as a natural shelter. Takigakure - the village hidden by the Waterfall - lived up to its name.
When the two Taki Ninjas were out of sight, Sai's lips were already opening to give the next command, but Fuuka had long since stormed ahead. Sumire then looked at Sai questioningly, and despite his usual motionless expression, she thought she could read a certain dissatisfaction and slight annoyance in his face. Sai, after a brief moment of hesitation, also jumped out of the thicket of the forest, closely followed by Sumire.
They hurried along the path that led them behind the great waterfall. They entered a damp cave with water dripping from the ceiling. Because of the acoustics of this place, every drop, no matter how small, that hit the rock floor could be heard loud and clear.
"Dead end, it seems.", Fuuka stated. The cave was not particularly large. They only needed to walk forward a couple of meters to reach its end. They searched the cave, but nothing. Nothing indicated that there was anywhere to go from here.
"It's just a dirty cave!" blurted Fuuka.
Sumire walked along the cave wall and let her hand slide over it.
"Maybe the entrance to the village is hidden."
Fuuka rolled her eyes.
"There's nothing here."
"We saw the Shinobi came out of this cave. I guess we're just missing something."
Sai paid no attention to the two and walked along between several pools of water that varied in size. The water had a turquoise-green color. As he looked down, he noticed his distorted reflection in the water. He raised his eyebrows as if he had bumped into something. A moment later, he jumped head over heels into the water. The splash of the water and the sudden absence of their companion surprised Sumire and Fuuka alike. They hurried to the pool and looked down. Then they looked at each other briefly. Right after, one by one, the two females followed Sai into the dark, wet uncertainty in which he led them.
After a comparatively long time underwater, they reached the water surface. Sai and Sumire were already there. Fuuka was the last. When she lifted her head out of the water and could breathe air again, she coughed up and spat water out of her mouth - apparently she was not a very good diver. Her comrades, on the other hand, paid no attention to her inelegant appearance and continued to probe the situation.
They found themselves in the middle of a large lake. Surrounding them - though somewhat distant - were several dozen houses on the sandy beach, most of them wooden. Further behind were more modern buildings, mostly made of concrete. Compared to the beach houses, these were built up in height, making them much larger. Countless lanterns lit up the beach and the wooden facades of the houses along the lake. But the highlight was the gigantic tree that towered the entire area. Despite her indisputably old age, Fuuka hadn't seen anything like it. The colossus was in the middle of the lake, in front of it a large shrine with an elegant red archway. Its canopy was so dense and wide that it could completely cover the entire night sky. Not a single star twinkled through the great canopy. This sight would probably have taken Fuuka's breath away but the Kunoichi was cold to the panorama that nature presented to her and the others. Unlike Sumire, who did not want her fascination to be seen, but the sparkle in her purple-coloured eyes spoke for itself.
"This way."
Sai dictated the direction, and the trio swam to the beach. Arriving there, Fuuka squeezed the water out of her long red hair. Her wet clothes clung tightly on her skin, but the warm, almost tropical climate of this place would ensure that the trio would be dry again soon enough. Swiftly, they sought cover and made their way further into the village.
Although it was the middle of the night, there still seemed to be quite a bit of activity on the streets. This was not surprising. For years after the latest, Great Shinobi World War, peace reigned in the once conflicted world. Like most other villages, the village of Taki thrived and became a popular vacation place. This suited them just fine; after all, they could mingle with the crowds should the need arise.
Sai seemed to want to give the impression that he knew what he was doing and had planned each step in detail, but he didn't seem to feel the need to let his team members in on the details of his plans and inform them of the next steps. Sumire did not seem to mind. They might have known each other for a long time, so she probably trusted him blindly and didn't ask any questions - but with Fuuka it was different. As Sai was about to cross a street, a hand on his shoulder stopped him.
"What are you up to?"
He pointed his finger at the street.
"Crossing the street."
"No, I mean, what's the plan now? What's the next step?"
Sai looked around, then turned to the red-haired Kunoichi, who seemed a little irritated. He thought it unwise to stay too long in the same place and thought it would be better to move on quickly, not risking to attract prying eyes and acting suspicious.
"If we want to locate that women we must find someone who can tell us where she might be held captive."
Sumire's curiosity seemed to have been piqued as well.
"What information do we have about that? Do we know anything concrete?"
"Unfortunately, no."
"I'm sure a village as large as this one has a prison or something like that."
"Possibly, but it may well be the case that she is being held somewhere e-e...e"
Sai could only stammer as he watched the Kunoichi moved directly toward two men and smiled seductively at them. Judging by their clothing, not some random folk but clearly Shinobi from the village.
"Hey, you. You there! Guys, please wait a minute."
The two Shinobi stopped and smiled back at her.
"Can we help you, Miss?"
"Oh yes, certainly you can."
Fuuka looked down at the ground, embarrassed.
"I'm afraid I lost my way in your village."
"It happens quite often to visitors," one assured.
"We can guide you to your lodgings if you like," the other suggested.
The two Taki Ninjas were in their 30s, judging by their physical appearance, but one of them appeared to be slightly younger than the other. The younger one wore a full beard, while the older one seemed content with a comparatively more inconspicuous chin beard.
"Really? That would be wonderful."
Fuuka took a step forward and placed her hand on the younger man's chest.
"Is there anything I can do to... show my gratitude?"
The Shinobi seemed surprised at first, as did his crony. But then he grinned.
"I - I'm sure we can find a way."
Sai and Sumire watched the Kunoichi's skill with equally incredulous eyes.
Fuuka led the two away from the road to a relatively secluded patch of forest, of which there were many in the village. Apparently, it was important to the villagers to preserve as much of the original nature of the place as possible, despite the economic development. Once there, not much remained of the Shinobi's reserved professionalism and politeness; it gave way entirely to naked lust and desire. The younger grabbed her breast and pressed her against the tree, while the other roughly turned her face to the side with his hand to insert his tongue into Fuuka's mouth. But just before their lips touched, the bearded Ninja made his supposed claim and turned Fuuka's face back towards himself, albeit much more gently than his hulking comrade. Their lips pressed together as their eyes locked.
Nchu... kuchu relo... chiu... n...relo...
But his colleague was not content to be an observer for very long. Now it was his turn.
Fu-...lelo lelo ... n...
But the younger pushed him aside again and grabbed the Kunoichi by her neck. His colleague seemed upset by this action. Once again sidelined, he glared at him angrily, but he had no chance to complain; in a split moment, Sai appeared behind him and struck him in the back of the head with the black pommel of his short sword. He fell down unconscious. The other's eyes widened as he became aware of the pale Ninja's presence, but turning his attention away from the woman in front of him turned out to be a fatal mistake; Fuuka grabbed him by the arm he was choking her with, using both hands, and propelled him against the tree trunk, causing him to slam his back against the hard wood.
"Argh-"
He cried out, but only briefly, because Fuuka was already pressing her elbow against his throat and her hand against his mouth.
"Psshhht! Not so loud. We don't want anyone to hear or disturb us, do we?"
Sai narrowed his eyes and gave him a menacing look. The coldness in his pitch-black eyes even made Fuuka shiver inside.
"If you cooperate, we might let you live."
Sai approached him.
"If not..."
He pulled his blade out of its sheath so the Taki Ninja could clearly see it, to add emphasis to his threat.
Sumire stood a little further forward, making sure they could 'talk' undisturbed, but she was also glad to have a task that wasn't directly related to the interrogation itself. She found them very unpleasant, though logically less so than the person being questioned. The Taki Ninja nodded hastily, and Fuuka took her hand from his mouth. Sai continued.
"Where are you holding your prisoners?"
"You mean captured Shinobi?"
Sai nodded.
"In the Taki Strict Correctional Facility, on the outskirts of the village, northeast of here."
"We are interested in one particular person. Her name is Hisame. Is there also a Kunoichi named Hisame?"
"Hisame?"
He seems to be able to recognize the name immediately. Apparently she is familiar to him.
"What do you want from-"
He was left with too little air in his throat to finish his sentence as Fuuka pressed her elbow harder against his neck.
"No. No, she's not. Hisame is in the personal prison. In the personal prison of the village head."
"Where is it located?"
"Under his residence. Right under it."
Fuuka and Sai looked at each other. They had the information they wanted and looked satisfied.
"But forget it! You won't get anywhere near-"
The air escaped his lungs again, however, as Fuuka gave him another seductive smile and ran the back of her hand along his cheek until her little finger reached his beard.
"Let us worry about that, honey."
Sai averted his gaze from the couple.
"Make it fast, please."
The young man slid his Tantō back wholly into the shaft and left the scene.
"What - what does he mean?"
Fuuka grinned as she ran her finger over his lips.
"Did you think this was over? Hehehe – I'm not done with you yet."
The much older woman pushed her face closer to his and let her free hand wander along his torso. She stuck out her tongue and licked his cheek. The young man frowned in confusion.
"What - what are you doing?"
"Just wondering if you're useful."
He has Earth-Chakra. I lost that element recently, me being in shortage... I hate that. Can't wait to stock up.
"Useful? Useful for what?"
"Useful enough to become part of my collection. But enough banther. Those lips of yours need kissing - you ready, handsome?"
Before he could grasp the meaning of the words coming from Fuuka's mouth and respond accordingly, it was already too late. Fuuka's hand grabbed him at his most sensitive spot, and her tongue entered his mouth...
Nchu... kuchu relo... chiu... n...relo...
... while his limbs went numb one by one and life drained from his body – slowly but surely.