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Failed Attempt

Ryuu shoved Fu's tanto away, spinning and slashing from behind her, only for Fu to spin, blocking the blade and slashing at him with her kunai. Both of them had improved tremendously in the last couple of weeks that they trained. Fu could still easily outpace him if she wanted to, but he had improved his speed considerably.

Their guardians had kept them under close supervision, trading off every day. When with Yugao, the two of them would train with each other, or with Yugao from time to time. When with Kakashi, they would train with Sasuke and sometimes Sakura. When Guy was in charge of them, Neji and Tenten would train with them. On a couple of occasions, Kurenai had also been present, teaching Ryuu some more about Genjutsu.

"Alright, that's enough for today," Yugao called out, Ryuu and Fu's blades clashing one more time before they both put them away, walking over.

"We're stopping early?" Ryuu asked.

"I have a mission, so for now, we're going to go and find one of the others to watch you," Yugao said. "Probably Kakashi."

Ryuu and Fu nodded and they left, making their way through the village to look for Kakashi, all three sensing around for his chakra signature. After about ten minutes, they found Sasuke instead. Sasuke was walking down the road toward his home but stopped when he spotted them, walking over to them instead.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Sasuke asked.

"Have you seen Kakashi?" Yugao asked. "I need him to take over early."

"I haven't," Sasuke said. "Me and Sakura got today off. Maybe he's at a meeting."

"We could try Kurenai," Ryuu suggested. "She and her team should be training over near the Forest of Death, I think."

"Sure," Yugao nodded.

"Mind if I tag along?" Sasuke asked. "I have nothing better to do and it's been a few days since we got to train together."

"Sure," Ryuu nodded.

The four of them headed off down the street, walking in silence and keeping an eye out for any sign of Danzo's ANBU. After almost no sign of them the entire time they had been under guard, Ryuu almost felt like they were overdue for an attack.

"Relax," Fu said, slipping her hand into his. "We're still with Yugao. No one's going to try anything."

Ryuu nodded just as they turned a corner into a less populated street to see a single ANBU in an off-white cloak at the far end. They turned instantly, continuing to walk down the road they were on, Ryuu pushing his senses out again, spotting five around them, all closing in. He cursed under his breath.

"Looks like Danzo's gotten impatient," Yugao said. "Keep walking. They can't attack us in public."

"They have before," Ryuu pointed out.

No sooner had the words left his lips did an ANBU suddenly rise out of the ground, leaping at Yugao and slashing, Yugao's sword appearing in her hands instantly from a seal, blocking the blade. Both ANBU crashed into the wall of a warehouse, smashing into it as the three Genin took off at a sprint, sensing the other ANBU all speeding in to claim their prizes. They made it out of the populated part of the village, reaching a park before an ANBU shot at them from the side. Ryuu leapt into the air, kicking him in the face and launching him away, flipping to the ground and drawing his tanto and trench knife, Fu and Sasuke landing behind him, forming a triangle, both drawing their weapons as well, Fu with her tanto and kunai and Sasuke with a pair of kunai.

"How many?" Ryuu asked.

"A dozen," Fu said as ANBU began to grow out of the ground around them, several dozen. "Plus clones."

"Sasuke," Ryuu said.

"Right," Sasuke nodded, both forming hand seals as Fu dropped.

"Fire Style, Giant Fireball Jutsu!" Ryuu and Sasuke both shouted before spinning and exhaling a stream of flame in a circle around them.

The flames exploded as they reached the first line of clones and blasted several into oblivion, but most survived, streaking toward them from the smoke. As they reached the three genin, the three genin blocked their first strikes and shredded the first five. All five exploded into smoke and Ryuu sent out a fireball, blasting another handful. As soon as he finished, he spun, tanto blocking a sword that had been moving to stab Fu. Fu slashed the sword's owner, a dozen clones all exploding into smoke as the shinobi dropped. Ryuu spun again, exhaling a Vacuum Blade onto his tanto as he turned, deflecting a sword with it and splitting the ANBU up the front, the clone exploding into smoke. He stepped forward, blocking a slash from a kunai and shoving it aside, ducking under a handful of shuriken that stabbed into the clone's chest. The clone exploded and Ryuu spun, blocking a katana, feet skidding backward along the ground as he struggled to hold the strike back. He stopped skidding finally after he was more than a dozen yards from the others. Then, just as he shoved the sword away, five more stabbed into his back.

"Ryuu!" Fu screamed.

Then, Ryuu erupted into a ball of fire, more than a dozen other clones around them exploding into smoke as well. Ryuu rose from the ground behind an ANBU that had been watching the progression of the fight and reached around him, slitting his throat with a kunai. blood splattered over his face as the ANBU twisted and fell, Ryuu shoving the body away, turning to the other ANBU around, forming hand seals.

"Wind Style, Drilling Air Bullets!" Ryuu shouted, inhaling.

The ANBU turned toward him as he slamming his fist into his gut repeatedly, several massive blasts of air blasting into their ranks, killing several clones. A pair of ANBU sped toward Ryuu as he turned to them, a sword blade made of flames erupting to life on one of their hands. Ryuu copied the Flame Sword and ducked under the other ANBU's, stabbing him, the Flame Sword extending to the other ANBU, impaling him as well, both igniting like match heads only to burst into a cloud of smoke a moment later.

"Kill him!" one of the ANBU shouted, lightning streaming along his sword as he charged, several others following suit, either wind or lightning streaming along whichever weapon they were using.

Ryuu allowed his Flame Sword to go out, drawing his tanto and forming a Vacuum Blade on it, deflecting the first slash and sidestepping the second. He split the second ANBU's side open, blood spraying onto him. The third exploded into the smoke and Ryuu stabbed the fourth, catching his arm and taking his katana, turning and hurling it into the first's back. Then, the fourth exploded into smoke, along with the first. Ryuu leapt back from a pair of ANBU slashing at him, then darted forward, decapitating both and receiving a blood shower. He landed behind the pair, ducking as a katana passed over his head, only for Fu to appear over him, kicking the ANBU's head around backward, the ANBU exploding into smoke Ryuu stood just as Sasuke appeared beside him as well, now holding a katana. The last dozen or so ANBU all stopped in their tracks, staring at the three genin.

"Are you okay?" Fu asked.

"I'm fine," Ryuu said, clenching his teeth and struggling not to look down at the corpses strewn around him. "There should be three left."

Fu nodded, but before they could attack, a cloud of insects burst out of the ground below the ANBU, swarming them all before all but three exploded into smoke. Then, Hinata dropped behind the three, disabling them with Gentle Fist. All three dropped tot he ground, the insects retreating to Shino as he and the rest of his team arrived at the same time as Kurenai and Yugao landed behind Ryuu and the others.

"Is everyone okay?" Yugao asked.

"Yeah," Ryuu said. "You?"

"Thanks to Kurenai," Yugao nodded. "Seven attacked me after we were separated."

"I know," Ryuu said. "I sensed them show up while we were being chased. Can we go and kill Danzo now?"

"You want to kill him?" Yugao asked, watching him carefully.

"I want him to leave Fu alone," Ryuu said.

"Then you just need to hang on for another day," Yugao said. "Jiraiya's sent word. He and Naruto are on their way home. And they're bringing the next Hokage."

Ryuu nodded and put his tanto and trench knife away, finally allowing his eyes to fall to the bodies around him, tears rolling down his cheeks almost instantly. He stared down at his body and his hands, blood coating him from the ANBU he had killed. He let his hands fall to his sides again and Fu set a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Fu asked.

"No," Ryuu said. "I'm going to go home and take a shower. Then I'm going to go to bed."

He turned to leave and Yugao looked to Kurenai.

"Can you look after him?" Yugao asked. "I have a mission."

Kurenai nodded and motioned for the others to follow, all of them catching up to Ryuu as Yugao left.

Ryuu grit his teeth, gripping his arms tighter, squeezing his legs to his chest, pressing his face into his knees. All around him, the faces of those he had killed circled him, screams, pleas for mercy, and the sound of his blade cutting them apart echoed. He could feel it. Every time he heard his blade ending a life, he could feel the impact in his hand.

"You're a murderer," a voice suddenly said. "You deserve to die."

"I guess life isn't as precious to you as you thought," another said.

"What a hypocrite," a third said.

"Murderer."

"Killer."

"Monster."

"Murderer!"

"Killer!"

"Monster!"

"MURDERER!"

"KILLER!"

"MONSTER!"

"RYUU! ! !"

Ryuu sat bolt upright, gasping for breath and staring at the wall ahead of him. His vision was blurred and his throat was sore. He looked to the side, finding Fu sitting beside him on her knees, her eyes red and puffy and her face a mask of worry. He tried to speak but only a sob escaped. She wrapped her arms around him and he began to sob anew. Fu held him tightly as he sobbed, stroking his back lightly and assuring him everything was okay. After almost an hour, Fu managed to get Ryuu back under the covers, lying beside him and continuing to comfort him. Finally, Ryuu drifted off, only for more nightmares to plague his sleep.

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