Hey guys, I hope you all are having, or had, a good day and welcome back to another chapter of Demonic Love. First off, the thanks.
-Brit0114 (For following and favouriting this story)
Reviews:
-CaptainJack.S - Again, really happy and glad that you are enjoying the story, and I can only hope that you continue to do so. People like you and KitsuneGirl1994 are what keeps me going in writing this.
-Rigar93 (For chapter 9 review) - I'm seriously glad that you impressed by that chapter and glad that was the chapter you were waiting for. Yes, I do apologise for the repetitiveness of my writing. I can only hope I can get better at not doing that so often. Fingers crossed.
Before we begin the story I'd like to say something first. After this chapter, I'm going to go and look up on how to write fighting scenes fighting scenes. Because I know for a fact that I'm absolutely crap at doing them, which you'll probably read in a moment. So I only ask that you bear with me on it. Pretty please.
And I would also like to point out the reason why this story will be long. The reason is that I want to introduce characters, like Ino, into this story because they will have a role to play when it comes to the main event of the this story. So I want to thank people, who are still reading this, for putting up with this. I really do appreciate it.
Anyway, enough from me. I hope you enjoy!
I apologise in advance for any grammar mistakes, repetitiveness and poor writing. And I also don't own Naruto or it's characters. I'm just using them for the story. And any OCs that you see in this story are mine.
Haruno Sakura!
It couldn't have been her. It was impossible. While under the Mind Switch Body Technique, the person who's body is being used should be unconscious somewhere else in the person's mind. Yet here she was, standing in front of her. Facing Izanami, her doppelgänger, with her back straight, and her gauze wrapped hand holding tightly onto her scythe. Just who the hell was this girl really?
"I'm so glad you could finally make it Sakura," Izanami said, bringing Ino out of her thoughts. She was smiling that all to familiar wicked smile and even though Ino had seen so many times, for how long she couldn't tell because this world's time was distorted, it still sent a chill down the blonde's spine. "But couldn't you have been just a little bit later? I was about to do something fun with Yamanaka."
But Sakura neither replied nor said a word. Instead, she closed her eye and let out a sigh of annoyance and placed her scythe on her shoulder. Then, she turned on her heel and faced the girl on the crucifix. When emerald met sky blue, Ino cleared the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. The pinkette's face was stoic, showing (or wanting to show) complete calmness. But her one eye was the complete opposite. To put it lightly, she looked really peeved.
The pinkette raised her free hand and placed a slender finger on the blonde's forehead. "Release," the girl said, and for the Demon Hunter it felt like she had woken up from a bad dream. She found herself on the concrete floor of the empty street. The crucifix that she had been on moments ago had disappeared and the crowd of Izanami's had been reduced to only the original. She could also feel the blood that was on her face, from the injury she had sustained from her fight with the demonic eyed psycho.
"Thanks Haruno-san," Ino said giving her gratitude, standing up on wavering legs.
The one eyed emerald girl just turned back to face the other pinkette, putting her little finger into her ear. "Don't thank me just yet. We're not out of the woods," she said. "Besides, I'm still really pissed off about you trying to take control of my body." Sakura then turned her her head slightly so that she could see the girl behind her with the corner of her eye. "So when we get out of here, I owe you a punch in the face."
"But that's if we can get out of here," said Ino, earning a cocked eyebrow from the pink haired girl. "I had been trying for a while before, but I couldn't leave." The Demon Hunter then turned her gaze to the ever smiling Izanami. Again that spine chilling smile made her want to look away, but her pride refused it. "She's most likely the reason why I can't."
"So what are you saying then?" Sakura asked.
"What I'm saying is that we need to divert her attention somehow," Ino continued. "Then maybe, and this is just me theorising, I can gather all the remaining chakra that I have and undo my technique."
Sakura turned her body around and gave the girl a quizzical look. "Chakra...?"
"Why do you sound surprised?" the blonde asked in wonder. She then thought for a moment. "Don't tell me you don't know what chakra is?" The blank stare that the blonde recieved from the Haruno girl told her all she needed to know. "Really?!" she exclaimed. "You're a Demon Hunter, but you don't know what chakra is?"
The pinkette looked at the blonde with mild annoyence. Does she really still think that I'm a Demon Hunter? Then again, she hasn't really told her that she wasn't one, even though technically she does kill them. The blonde must have probably took the pinkette's silent thoughts as a sign, because she continued to talk.
"Chakra...?" the girl repeated. "The natural life of energy in all living things. Everybody has it in them but only a select few a can use it, people like us. Really, how did you not know that?"
Sakura just mentally shrugged her shoulders. Up until this point, she had always called it demonic energy or presence, or just energy when it came to humans. At least she knew there was a name for it now. The pinked haired girl turned on her heel and was once again faced Izanami. "Oi, Yamanaka," Sakura called out. "How long would you need?"
"W-what?" the girl stuttered, surprised by the sudden topic change. When she gathered her thoughts and returned to the task at hand, she gave out her reply. "Maybe about ten, fifthteen minutes tops. As long as I don't lose concentration."
"Okay. You've got a few minutes," Sakura told her, before she started to make her way towards her opponent.
"Only a few mintues?!" the blonde exclaimed, not believing what she was hearing. "But that's too short! There's no way I could do it in time!"
Sakura stopped in her tracks and there was a long pause. "Then you'd best get started then, huh?" said Sakura before she continued to make her way toward the psychotic, demon eyed girl.
You idiot! Ino cursed in her thoughts, as she watched the pinkette make her way toward Izanami. She wanted to tell her that there might have been another way (even though she knew deep down that there wasn't), but she decided against it. There wasn't much time, and like the pink haired idiot said, she had to get started right away if she only had a few minutes. With that thought in mind, Ino sat down on her knees and began to perform hand signs. Once that was done, she then began to concentrate all of her remaining chakra and could only pray that this plan worked.
Don't you dare die, Billboard Brow!
For every step she took toward the demon eyed girl, the heavier they got. This was the second time that she had seen Izanami, face to face, but it would be the first for the pinkette to fight her. And just from the demonic energy, or chakra as Ino-pig had put it, which was literally pouring out of her, she knew that she wasn't ready for a fight this big. Maybe a few minutes was too much she thought. If the girl was honest, she'd probably only last a few seconds if she wasn't careful.
"So, Sakura, have you come to face me?" Izanami spoke, Sakura stopping were she was, a few yards away from each other. The pinkette narrowed her eyes at the demonic figure that's normally inside of her, Izanami chuckling when she did. "You know Sakura? Even though you look calm and collected, I really know that your not." Izanami then closed her eyes and breathed in through her nose.
"I can smell it you know. Your fear," she continued. "I know that your heart is beating loudly and hard within your chest. I can feel your gaze on me wavering." She then reopened her eyes and her demonic orbs looked into Sakura's one emerald pool with confidence. And if the pinkette was honest with herself, she had every right to be.
She was afraid of the girl in front of her and her heart was beating loud and hard, so much so that had begun to hurt her chest. Sakura hated the fact that this person knew her more than she knew herself. And which was why she asked the question that she wanted answering, ever since she first saw the demonic eyed girl back at that park.
"Who are you?" she asked, earning an amused hum and cocked eyebrow. "Just who the hell are you? What are you? Why are you inside of me?!"
"There, there Sakura," Izanami said, speaking to the pinkette like someone would do to a child having a temper tantrum. "You'll find out soon enough. In fact, if I know 'Him', then that time will soon be upon us."
Him?
"But I think that's enough chit chat," Izanami then swung her scythe to the side, taking her fighting stance, which looked to be like a relaxed posture. Just from that alone, Sakura knew that she wasn't been taking her as a serious threat. But that was okay for her. She wasn't fighting to win. She only needed to survive long enough for the blonde haired Demon Hunter to undo whatever technique she did to her.
In that case Sakura thought. I guess I need to go full power straight from the start! Coming to that conclusion, the pinkette moved her arm, which held the scythe, and pointed it toward her 'other self'. She could feel the power begin to flow through her body. The other pinkette chuckled under her breath, probably knowing what Sakura was planning to do.
"I see," Izanami said. "So that's how it's going to be. In that case, I'll do the exact same thing." Saying that, Izanami, too, raised her scythe and pointed toward Sakura. Now it was the one eyed girl's turn to feel power coming from the other pink haired girl. Her chakra was completely different than hers and knew she didn't stand a ghost of a chance, but she wasn't going to back down now. So, with a loud voice, she cried out a name that would give her power. And more importantly, buy her enough time.
"IZANAMI!"
As Ino was concentrating her chakra, she was suddenly hit by a strong, forceful wind. The blonde used her arms to protect her face, but when she looked through the gap, between her arms, she forgot all about it and lowered them. She stared at amazement of the two towering infernos of black flame and the chakra that was coming out of them was not of this world. The wind coming from it was that strong and forceful, the buildings that were around the pillars of black fire were beginning to crumble and the debris was blown off into the distance.
She didn't know how long it was, but the black flamed pillars soon started to shrink, until they were human sized, the wind dying down also. Soon enough, even the flames dissipated, and what was left behind made even Ino's eyes go wide. Sakura's entire attire had changed, her school uniform being replaced with a kimono similar to Izanami's; same colour, same design. Over the kimono, she wore a long, defined, robe-like overcoat with a burgundy highlight that flared out into ragged ends and had white lining and a hood.
The other pinkette was wearing the same overcoat and her power had tripled, no, had increased ten fold than what it was before. Had she used that during their fight, there would be no doubt in Ino's mind that she would not have survived. She would literally been an ant being stood upon by a boot, helpless.
What the hell is going on?! she asked in her mind. She had never seen or felt something of this magintude before. That was when the blonde shook her head, berating herself. Now isn't the time! She didn't have the time to be gawking at the sight before her. Right now, the pinkette was trying to buy her time, time that she desperately needed.
So, trying to ignore what was going on in front of her, Ino went back to her concentration, while in the back of her mind she prayed that everything would turn out all right.
Sakura narrowed her eyes, whilst Izanami narrowed her's in amusement. The pinkette wasn't really surprised that the other girl could change into the same thing she was. After all, and as far as Sakura knew, this was her power to begin with.
"So then," Izanami began, swinging her scythe to side once more. "Shall we dance, Sakura?"
If there was any sign to start, it was then. Once Izanami finished speaking, crouched down slightly and sprang at the other girl. Thanks to her demonic form, her speed had increased and she was instantly on top of demonic eyed girl. She twisted her body once, twice and then three times before she swung her scythe in a horizontal arc. The metal blade of her weapon met the polearm of Izanami's scythe and when the two weapons clashed, it created a shockwave. All the glass windows of the surrounding buildings that remained standing and cars, were completely shattered.
Izanami's lips curved to the side in a smirk, and when she saw that, pushed against the deadlock between them. She jumped back, back-flipped away from her enemy, and as soon as Sakura landed she went at the other girl immediately, assaulting her with a flurry of attacks.
She went in for the thrust, aiming for the demonic eyed girl's face, and following it with a diagonal slice going downward. Izanami dodged the first by shifting her head and met the second strike with her own scythe, parrying it. When Sakura went in for the third slash, the other girl jumped, far away, the pinkette's blue tinted blade hitting nothing but air.
Oh no you don't! Seeing her opponent leaving, Sakura gave chase. As she did though, she didn't miss the small grin that spread on her other self's lips and before she knew it, she saw Izanami's scythe being thrown at her. Not expecting that sort of attack, Sakura stopped in her tracks and swung her sharp tipped weapon at the approaching projectile, watching as the scythe was now flying away.
"Don't get distracted now!"
Before Sakura could even face back at Izanami, a fist had landed in her face. The demon girl hit the ground once, bounced and hit the ground twice befor she managed to get her balance again and stand, skidding the rest of the way. Once there was a huge distance between them, pain had suddenly started to assault the area that the other girl had hit. It felt like she had been hit by a ton of bricks and even wodnered if some of her skeletal structure had been fractured.
Ignoring the pain for now, Sakura glared at the girl across from her. She still had that wicked smile on her face, and began to do a hand gesture which basically told the pinkette to 'come at her'. She knew that was just a lure, just something to push her buttons. But unfortunately it worked.
Again Sakura charged in, swinging her scythe at Izanami as soon as she was close enough. However, her attack got nothing but the air around her as the other pinkette easily ducked the swing. Not long after, she suddenly felt a fist land in the pit of her stomach, and almost immediately she wanted to vomit. As Sakura lerged forward, Izanami then used the heel of her palm and thrusts it up, under the one eyed girl's chin, causing her head to snap back.
Izanami wasn't finished just yet. She quickly got behind Sakura and proceeded to use her elbow to strike against the back of the pinkette's neck. Her eyes widened from the pain and she let out a short gasp, before she began to lean forward again. She didn't get very far though. When Sakura's face was about to meet the hard concrete, Izanami grasped the ragged end of Sakura's overcoat.
"How about I take you for a spin!" Izanami cried out happily. Having a firm grasp of her target, and using the heel of her foot, the demonic eyed girl started to swing Sakura around in a circle. "Around, and around and around we go!" She spun, faster and faster, until they were near enough she a blur of black and pink. "Have a nice trip!" Once those words left her mouth, Izanami released her hold of her captive and watched as Sakura flew into a building, and because the throw was that strong and fast, the pinkette flew into another building and then another one.
Ache. Ache. Ache. That was all Sakura could feel at the moment. She didn't really count how many buildings that she had been thrown into, but from the way her body was crying out to her in pain, it was plenty. But Sakura knew that she couldn't just stop moving. She needed to get up.
All of a sudden, a shadow had loomed over Sakura and when her emerald gaze turned to look, there she saw Izanami. Just by looking into those demonic orbs and seeing that wicked smile, the pinkette knew that this was far from over. Leaning forward, Izanami grasped Sakura's pink locks and pulled her up. Surprisingly enough she couldn't feel the pain of her hair being pulled and she was now left dangling in the air. When a "Hmph" escaped the girl's throat, she the pinkette into one of the buildings that she had smashed into, face-down.
"I have to admit, I was expecting more from you, Sakura," said Izanami, making her way toward the downed girl. When she was standing next to her, she used her foot to turn the pinkette's body around. Sakura's emerald eye was only half-lidded as she gazed into her other self's golden-yellow orbs. "Even that Yamanaka girl lasted longer than you did."
Izanami then let out a sigh of disappointment and her scythe materialized, reappearing in her left demonic hand. She then placed the sharp edge of the blade near Sakura's throat and the girl herself didn't try to do anything as there was no point. She had a lost this fight and from the looks of things, it didn't look like that she bought enough time.
"But you don't have to worry," Izanami continued. "Once you're gone, I'll be taking over your body." The demonic eyed girl's eyes narrowed and her smile grew impossibly more. Something in the back of Sakura's mind was nagging at her. Whatever Izanami was going to say next, she wasn't going to like.
"And once I'm in the human world, I'll wreak havoc upon it. Killing anyone and everyone standing in my way. And I would start it all off... with your precious Hinata-chan..."
Sakura's blood went cold at that moment, frozen even, as her one eye widened in shock. She could hear her heart beating loudly in her ears. Hi...na...ta...?
"I could actually hear her now," says Izanami, chuckling to herself. "Her cries. Her begging for you to come back. Pleading for me to stop."
BA-DUMP... BA-DUMP...
Went the sound of the pinkette's heart. In her mind the image of the ravenette crumbled on the floor with tears in her eyes and her body riddled with gashes from her scythe, a pool of blood beneath her, broke her in a way that no one would be able to explain. But thanks to that, her blood that had been cold only a moment ago was now growing hot.
"Or maybe, I should kill everyone she cares about first. And slowly watch her become a living corpse, making her lose the will to live and ultimately killing her on the inside!"
BA-DUMP... BA-DUMP...
"Or maybe, before all that, I should have fun with her. Let her enjoy pleasure before I take her life away. Oooooohhhh, the possibilities are endless! And the only thing standing in my way is you." With that said, Izanami lifted her scythe up toward the ceiling of the building they were in. "It's been fun, Sakura. But now it's my time to come out. Goodbye..." And with that out of the way, the demonic pinkette swung down her sharp tipped weapon, ending the fight.
...GRAB!
But a white gauzed hand stopped the scythe from reaching it's destination. "...won't let you..." whispered Sakura, tightening her grasp around the cold metal weapon. The scythe's blade was digging into the pinkette's hand, causing it to cut through the light material and into her palm, drawing blood. Sakura's bangs shadowed her emerald eye, so Izanami couldn't tell what kind of expression she was making. But then again, she didn't need to. The small rubble and debris that was surrounding them, had begun to float and streams of darkness had started to come out from within the pinkette.
"I won't let you..." Sakura continued, slightly louder this time. "I refuse to let that happen..." The pinkette looked up, her gaze meeting demonic orbs and for once, Izanami looked serious, her brows furrowed. The medical eye-patch, that was covering Sakura's left eye, had suddenly been engulfed in flames and was burnt to ash. Her now exposed demonic eye was glowing brightly, liquid crimson had started to pour out of it's socket and it's sclera had turned from it's original white, to the darkest black.
"I won't let you touch her..." says Sakura, as she slowly pushed against Izanami's scythe, away from her face. "I WON'T LET YOU HURT HINATA!" Screaming out her declaration, Sakura's arm left arm was completely engulfed in black flames. The pinkette slowly made herself stand up, while pushing back the demonic eyed girl back in the process.
Finally, after she was standing on her two feet, Sakura glared at the girl in front of her and almost immediately pushed the scythe she was holding to the side. And with that out of the way, Sakura's black flamed hand closed into a fist and thrust it forward, toward Izanami. It was fast and strong, and when it connected to the other girl's face, she was sent flying back.
After smashing into a few buildings herself and was outside again, Izanami managed to right herself, her waraji footwear skidding to a halt and looked back up. Through the massive holes, the girl could see Sakura standing there, her left arm completely shrouded in flames. The flames themselves began to extend in front of her palm, morphing into a black flamed scythe. And then suddenly, she vanished. But not a moment later did Izanami jump away from the spot she was currently at, and watched a building that was behind her get sliced in half.
The upper part of the building had collapsed, due to the lack of support, while lower part was surrounded in black flame. Standing where Izanami was originally was Sakura. The girl turned her head to where the demonic eyed girl was now standing and Izanami could see the rage in her emerald and demonic orbs. Izanami visibly smiled. This was what she had been waiting for since their fight had started. A challenge. Someone who could probably go toe to toe with her.
Seeing that her attack missed it's target, Sakura turned her body so that she was now facing the other girl. Pain had suddenly started to assault her head, and her vision had begun to distort itself. But she knew why. Sakura had promised herself that she wouldn't use Amatarasu again, as it put too much strain on her. But this was the only way that she could be in equal footing with the pure demon girl in front of her. Which was why she needed to end this, now, before it was too late.
Besides, she was definately going to make Izanami pay for saying those things about Hinata.
So, not wasting more time that was absolutely necessary, Sakura charged in. Once close, she attacked with a horizontal spin, to which Izanami raised her weapon, ready to deflect the strike. But just as scythe and scythe would meet, Sakura disappeared.
"Wha-?!" was all Izanami could get out before she felt something strike her back, going in a diagonal arc. Turning to look, she saw the pinkette behind her. She galred at her and went in for a strike of her own, but only to hit nothing but emptiness. That was when she felt another strike to her back, this time going in the other direction.
The same thing happened again, only this time, Sakura reppeared at the front. She swung her black flamed scythe diagonally, from Izanami's hip to her shoulder, leaving a trail of flames on the girl's body. This happened again, and again, and again. When Sakura struck for the last time, she jumped back, away from the other girl and looked at her sorry state. She was covered in black flame markings but her glare was still strong.
"Damn you... Sakura..." Izanami said, taking a step forward. But that step was her last.
Sakura's demonic eye began to glow brightly as she spoke the word, "Amatarasu!" and in a blink of an eye, Izanami's body was engulfed in black flames. The pinkette could hear the high pitched scream of the other girl, as she was burning alive from Amatarasu's power.
While she was burning, Sakura let out a few deep breaths and released her demonic form, putting her back into her school uniform. She went down on her knees and sat on them, watching Izanami burn with her own power. It's over Sakura thought, letting out a sigh. She was completely spent, but hopefully she had brought enough time for Ino to undo her technique.
"Hehehe..."
Sakura's eyes widened from the sound of that familiar chuckle and quickly looked up. The flames of Amatarasu were still there, surrounding the person she had just defeated. But in the next moment, the flames were extinquished. What was left behind made Sakura's skin crawl.
Izanami, who should have been burnt alive, was standing there, leering at the pinkette with her creepy smile. The worst part, which made her skin crawl, was the fact that there was nothing on her. Even her clothes, besides the upper part that was damaged already, were still completely intact.
"Surprised?" Izanami asked, moving her head side to side, the sound of things popping back into her neck. "It was a very good effort, I'll admit. But unfortunately for you, Amatarasu would never work on me." To prove her point, she said the name out loud and just like Sakura, Izanami's eyes began to glow brightly and her left arm suddenly combusted into black flames.
"As you can see, it would have never have worked," she continued, the flames last for a second longer before they disappeared. "I'll also admit, for the those few minutes back there, you really had me. It was quite exciting to be honest. So as thanks, I'll end this with something special."
All of a sudden, a blue spark flickered on Izanami's fingertips. It happened so fast that Sakura nearly missed it, but not a second later it happened again. It flickered a few more times before finally, her whole right hand, and her lower arm, was encased by lightning. The concentration of chakra, that Izanami was using, was that high, it had started to produce a sound reminiscent of many birds chirping.
"Chidori..."
Just from saying that name, it looked like the lightning surrounding her hand grew and the noise coming from it increased. Sakura could feel a lot of energy, a lot of chakra, being poured into her hand. Chidori...? So Izanami still had one more thing up her sleeve, which really didn't surprise the pinkette.
"Now then Sakura," Izanami continued. "Why don't you be a good girl, stay still." The other pinkette then leapt forward, heading straight for Sakura, and as she did, the ground beneath her became rubble from Chidori's power.
Sakura could only watch as Izanami approached her. She couldn't move. She had used all her power up on her last attempt at taking down the demonic eyed girl, but to no avail. Maybe this time, Sakura won't come out on top. So far, she has been able to overcome demons at the last moment, like the reddish pink demon and the white skinned fiend. But this time it looked like her luck ran out. So now, Sakura could only watch and wait for her end to come.
"I've done it!"
It had taken awhile, but Ino had managed to make Sakura's strict deadline. Not wasting time, she started to make new hand signs, as fast as she possibly could, and when she was finished, she put her hands together again, letting all the chakra she had gathered out at once.
"Release!"
"DIE!"
Izanami thrust her hand, containing her Chidori, forward, aiming for the girl who was crouched down and who looked like she had given up. She was close. She was so very close to getting out of the pinkette's mind and out into the real world. They were only a few feet away now and victory was almost within Izanami's grasp.
Just as her Chidori was about to impale the other girl, Sakura suddenly disappeared from her line of sight, which caused her eyes to widen. Her attack hit the ground instead and it caused a dust covered cloud to shoot up into the air and surround the demonic eyed girl.
It looked like her freedom would have to wait.
"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan, open your eyes!"
Hinata's mind was in a mess, and she couldn't understand what was going on. Right now Sakura was lying unconscious in her arms and no matter how much she cried out her name, she didn't wake up. It was only a few minutes ago that the girl was having her match against Yamanaka Ino, and looked to be winning. But then, the blonde rolled away, doing some hand signs as she was crouched down, and in the next moment, Sakura charged at her. And just as her weapon was about to reach the blonde, she suddenly stopped moving.
When the pinkette collapsed after that, everything else was a blur. Before she knew it, she instantly ran towards the pair of girls and brought the pinkette in her arms. In the background, the ravenette could hear the other girls talking. They were saying things like, "What happened?" or "Are they alright?" but Hinata ignored it all. All she cared about right now was Sakura, and only Sakura.
All of a sudden, the Hyūga girl heard the sound of someone shuffling, but it wasn't from the girl she was hoping it would be. Instead, it was the blonde Demon Hunter, Yamanaka Ino, and when her eyes opened, she shot up. She looked around her surroundings, with wide eyes, and then began to touch her body, then her face.
"I'm back," she whispered. Hinata had no idea what she meant by that, but she didn't have time to find out, or frankly care. Almost as soon as the blonde had awoke, did she feel something stir within her arms. She looked down and her heart almost skipped a beat when she saw Sakura's eye slowly open, albeit half-lidded.
"What...?" she said. "Am I...?"
"Sakura-chan!" Hinata exclaimed, relief washing over her. "You're awake! I'm so glad."
The girl's emerald orb turned to look into Hinata's pools of white. "Hinata..." she called out. Her voice was horse, like she hadn't used it for a long time. A small smile then appeared on her face, her one eye beginning to close once more. "I'm... back..."
"Sakura-chan?" Hinata called out to the pinkette, worry starting to take over quickly. "Sakura-chan?!" A hand was then suddenly placed on the ravenette's shoulder and she looked up. Her eyes had begun to tear up, causing her vision to blur, but she knew that it was Tenten standing next to her. She had been so worried about Sakura that she didn't realise that her best friend was there."Tenten, she's-!"
"Shh, it's alright Hinata," she told her, trying to calm her best friend down. "She's just asleep. I have no idea what happened, but she looks completely exhausted." Hearing that, the ravenette turned back to look at the pinkette and sure enough, her breaths were even, indicating that she was indeed asleep.
"I see," she said, relieved once more.
"Come on," Tenten urged. "Let's take her to nurse's office and let Kurenai-sensei look her over." Hinata gave a nod in agreement and she, Tenten and another girl helped the pinkette up and made there way towards the doors of the gym, all the while a certain blonde haired girl watched on, her eyes never leaving the unconscious girl as she left through the double doors.
Izanami continued to stand in the empty streets of her Konohagakure, that was now almost rubble from her Chidori's power. Her demonic orbs where looking at where Haruno Sakura had been before she disappeared, escaping this place.
She let out a long heavy sigh and clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Looks like they got away," she commented to herself, kicking the rubble beneath her feet. "All well, there's always next time." The pinkette suddenly then felt a familiar presence coming from behind her and a smug smile grew on her face.
"Did you enjoy the show?" she asked before she turned her head.
A young woman with fair skin, who couldn't have been more in her late twenties, was standing behind Izanami, wearing a bright white gown that went all the way to the ground. She had dark blue hair, similiar hair colour to Hyūga Hinata's, which extended down to her hips, and chin-length strands that framed her face. The emerald orbs that she possessed looked into Izanami's own demonic orbs with gentleness.
The demon girl hated this woman. Hated her with a passion. And if she could, she would have killed her there and then. But unfortunately she couldn't. Even though she looked like a frail woman, she was indeed in fact, very strong.
"Don't you think that was a bit much, Izanami?" the woman asked, her voice gentle and caring, like she was speaking to a child. Like she knew that the demon girl in front of her wasn't a threat. Even though that was actually the truth of it.
Not being able to look at the woman any longer, Izanami turned her gaze away. "Hmph, does it matter?" she asked rhetorically. "She escaped didn't she? So she's safe... for now." The girl then turned her head back to the woman, her wicked smile reappearing and her eyes narrowed. "But the next time we meet... I'll be one getting out of here."
The woman closed her eyes. "Maybe," she said, "maybe not." She then reopened her eyes. "But right now is not the time." She then reached out with her arm, her palm facing the demonic eyed girl and her hand began to glow. Izanami knew what was happening and looked down. Sure enough, there was a pool of darkness under her waraji sandals and she slowly began to descend into it's depths.
"Rest Izanami," she said, her eyes still showing the kindness that Izanami despised so very much.
"You know that you can't protect her forever," Izanami spoke, her legs now in the pool of darkness. "The more she uses my power, the stronger I become. And more of a chance of me taking her over." The woman continued to remain silent as she watched the girl sink further, listening to what she had to say.
"And even if I fail that," she continued, her chest now slowly sinking in, "'He' will definitely come for her. And when it happens, all you'll be able to do is watch. It's only a matter of time." With those words, Izanami began to chuckle, which soon evolved into a cackle, as she finally disappeared in the the pool of darkness.
The fair skinned woman lowered her hand, which then closed off the place that Izanami went through, and let out a little sigh. "I know," she said. "But until that day comes, I'll protect her." She then gave a quick shake of her head. "No. Not just her." The woman then started to glow brightly before she too disappeared from the empty streets.
I'll protect them both...
And there we go, another chapter finished. I'm thinking after this chapter, there will be two more chapters (max. 3) of Ino's arc before I move on to the next part. And like I said before, thanks to those people who have put up with this long story so far. Even if there is only one person who still reads this, I'll be happy and carry on.
And also, as you've probably read, I still need to practice my fight scenes and many other things. So please leave a review and tell me anything that can help improve the story or my writing. Also constructive criticism is also very appreciated.
Thanks again, and see ya next chapter!