Chapter 59: The Fight Continues
Black stayed where he was, letting the others scatter around him. Strag called back to Tusk once the groups were thinning out and Tusk immediately grabbed Link by the arm and jumped up into a tree and out of Blacks way. The two stayed close enough to watch Black's fight, but Tusk was sure they were safely out of the way. Soon all that was left there was Link, Tusk, Black, Lee and Lax.
"So Strag set you two up to fight me? Let's see how good your ninjutsu is against my taijutsu," Black said cracking his knuckles.
"You're a hand to hand expert right?" Lax asked quietly.
"Yes, I am unable to perform nin and gen jutsus," Lee said keeping his eyes on Black.
"Do you where weights?" Lax asked and Lee nodded; "Now?" he asked.
"Yes, I where them in fights to improve my speed and technique," Lee said.
"Good, I got a plan, but first, you need to take a hit…" Lax said and Lee looked at him wide eyed.
"Hey, we're not here to chat, we're here to fight! And if you don't come at me, I'll come destroy you now," Black yelled.
Moments after Blacks shouts Lax and Lee charged at him, Lee doing handseals as he ran. Black grinned as he watched the two.
"You won't finish the seals," Black said as he ran out to meet the two.
Black went straight for Lee and wound up his right before smashing his fist into Lee's chest and sending the boy flying. Lax came up beside Black and took a swing at Blacks head. The hit connected with Blacks jaw and Black was forced back a step. Black grinned as he wiped a trail of blood off his mouth.
Without warning Black took a wild swing at Lax who ducked the fist. Black aimed a kick at Lax's now lowered head, but somehow Lax managed to barely dodge it. Lax stood up again and Black continued his assault, Lax dodging each blow, but making no attacks of his own.
"Stop dodging and do something!" Black yelled as Lax avoided each hit of a ten chain combo Black had just performed.
"I am," Lax said as a leg came form nowhere and smashed into Black's face. Black was sent flying backwards as Lee landed beside Lax.
"Perfect, now that you broke his nose and angered him, take the weights off and let's kill the bastard," Lax said.
Lee nodded and removed his leg weights. Lee had just tossed the weights to the side when Black came back into the fighting aria. His nose was indeed broken and blood smeared his face. He was breathing heavily but not because he was tired, he was enraged.
"Oh damn, I thought they'd be extinct," Lax said looking at Black.
"What? What's extinct?" Lee asked keeping his eyes on Black.
"Berserkers. But they're not, he's one," Lax said.
"What's a berserker?" Lee asked.
"He's faster and stronger than before. Partly because he has disregard for anything, including his own body. From the instant he starts he won't stop 'til we're dead or he is. Any tricks you got use them now while you can," Lax said.
Lee looked at Lax with wide eyes, he was about to say something but Black punched him in the side of the face and sent him flying into a tree. Black then took a wild swing at Lax who ducked and kicked Black in the gut. Nothing happened.
"Yeah, we're screwed," Lax said as Black grabbed his ankle and threw him into the cliff side.
Black came after him but Lax dodged the charged and kicked Black in the back of the head as he jumped passed him. Black spun around to face Lax when they heard a scream from where Lee had been sent. Lax looked in the direction of the screams to see Lee standing there opening his chakra gates.
"What the hell? He's one too? No, this is different…" Lax said quietly before Black body slammed him from behind and sent him to the ground.
Lax got up quickly and managed to dodge the next few attacks, but they were getting harder to avoid, and some were partially connecting. One hit finally got through unavoided; the kick was to Lax's chest and sent him back into a nearby tree. Black charged after Lax but suddenly was knocked to the side.
Black stopped himself and looked to see who had hit him. Lee was standing there raw power seemed to flow from his body. Lax watched with wide eyes as the two berserkers charged each other and started trading blows. Neither bothered to block any, but Lee was dodging and countering a lot of Blacks.
After a bit of them trading blows Lee was knocked back and Black ran both fists into the ground sending cracks in all directions. A few trees were up rooted and Lee was knocked onto his back and pulled into a crack, a few large rocks falling on top of him. Black stood up again and started after Lee but Lax came from the left and dug a dagger into Black's chest.
Lax ignored Black as he coughed blood and stumbled a bit still heading to Lee. Lax instead ran for Lee himself the instant he stabbed Black. Lax heaved the rocks out of the way and pulled Lee from the crack, setting him on the ground beside it.
Lee was back to normal, though his body was definitely beaten. He was also no longer conscious but still alive. Lax looked back at Black, he had managed to pull the dagger out; it was on the ground behind him as he continued towards Lee and Lax.
Lax stood up and pulled out another dagger, "You did good kid, you beat him a bit and let me wound him, your parts done," Lax said looking down at Lee.
Black started for Lax who returned the gesture. Black's attacks were slowed due to the wound in his chest, but it wasn't by much, and he seemed to be hitting harder when he did connect. Lax got several hits in too, but none were as damaging as what Black did to him. Finally Lax went to stab Black in the face and black caught Lax's wrist. Lax clenched his teeth in pain as Black's grip tightened and blood started to stream down Lax's arm from Black's fist.
Lax hit Black in the face with his free right hand and Black grabbed Lax by the neck. He lifted Lax off the ground and let go of his wrist. As soon at Lax's hand was free he swung his arm forward and stabbed Black. He didn't get a chance to see where he struck because the instant the blade entered Black pulled back and threw Lax high and hard into the cliff side.
Lax's back smacked hard into the stone of the cliff and hit the ground even harder on his front. He looked up weakly to see a blurry Black pull the dagger out, stumble and fall on his face. Once Black hit the ground Lax fell unconscious.
x-X-x
Kraik started running up the cliff side as soon as he called for the scatter. Kakashi was quick to follow, as was Grim, who jumped form stone to stone rather than run up the side of the cliff. When Kraik reached the top he held one of his katana in each hand, ready to kill his followers as the came over the top. When Kakashi reached the top he jumped into the air and landed behind Kraik. Kraik spun around to face Kakashi, his idea was ruined.
"You gotta teach me how you run up walls like that…" Grim said hopping over the edge of the cliff to stand behind Kraik.
"Let's see what the great copy ninja can do… I ain't got nothing to copy," Kraik said with a grin.
In response Kakashi pulled up his forehead protector revealing his sharingan. Grim looked over at Kakashi who nodded at him, Grim nodded back.
"Ah, a plan already? Either Strag is far beyond what the rumors say, or you two are just as good," Kraik said positioning himself so that he could see both at once.
Neither opponent said a thing. Grim covered his head in his bone helmet and pulled out his humerus and held it like a katana. Kraik grinned again and charged the legend. As soon as Kraik went after Grim Kakashi started going through handseals. When he was done he grabbed his right wrist in his left hand and lightning started to form in his hand.
Kraik landed with both katana blades slammed into the ground where Grim had just been. Grim had jumped back off the edge of the cliff and was hanging on by his humerus which he dug unto the stone. Grim then launched himself over the edge of the cliff at Kraik. Kraik blocked the attack with both his katana and jumped back before Grim could do something else.
That's when Kraik heard an unusual sound behind him. He started to turn to look at Kakashi when Grim shouted out "you should know better than to turn you back on an opponent!"
Kraik quickly spun back to see Grim launch the bones of his finger tips at him. The bones flew fast and Kraik raised his left arm to block the blows, taking all four of them in his lower left arm. But the sound caught his attention again and he turned to see Kakashi inches away from him, chidori at the ready.
Kakashi thrust his arm out and Kraik tried pulling back out of the way. Kakashi missed his target of Kraik's chest, but Kraik also received the blow which carved a deep grove across his stomach. Kraik skidded backwards and Kakashi stumbled forward two steps. He spun to look wide eyed at Kraik, who not only avoided the fatal blow, but also received considerable damage from it and was still standing.
Kraik looked down at his wound to see the blood gush from it. His intestines were clearly visible and most of them were gone form the attack also. He put his hand over the wound and in the place his flesh once was. He then looked up at Kakashi grinning, "that's a strong attack you got there, to bad you missed. Now I know what it sounds like and you'll never hit," Kraik said.
"Damn," was all Kakashi said.
"We're screw huh?" Grim asked.
Kakashi jumped back to stand next to Grim, "I don't know if I can get him, he knows what to look for…" he said quietly.
"I'll take it from here then, if you see a point where you can get him, then do it," Grim said.
"After that wound, he's still going, I don't know if we can take him…" Kakashi said.
"Who's gunna try and hurt me now? You know I'm still going right?" Kraik asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm coming, just give me a sec, you want a challenge right?" Grim asked.
"No, but you won't be one anyway," Kraik said with a grin.
Grim didn't answer; he just put his humerus back and pulled out his spine. He whipped downward once so it extended and doubled in length now being six feet long. The little nubs that went along the sides of the bone started to grow out farther and started to spread to the ones next to them. Soon all the nubs were extended and connected making the spine into a great sword. Half a foot of the spine was a handle making the blade five and a half feet long.
At the same time the nubs were becoming the blade of the sword bones were surfacing on the outside of Grim's left forearm. Those bones fused onto a shield that went from a few inches past Grim's hand to about a foot past his shoulder and was about a foot and a half wide.
"Bone sword, shield, and helmet… I can see the cause of your name," Kraik said with a slight laugh.
"I always preferred 'Bone Knight' myself, but I didn't get to pick," Grim said.
Kraik smiled and jumped at Grim who did the same. Kraik's movements were unchanged by his wound. It was as if nothing had happened at all, Kakashi just watched wide eyed looking for something he could use, a mistake Kraik might make that would allow him to end the fight.
Grim wielded his spine sword with his right hand only, utilizing his left for shielding. This method allowed him to block every one of Kraik's attacks. Kraik wasn't so lucky and was getting cuts on his shoulders and arms as he often only partially blocked the attacks.
Grim took a swing at Kraik who blocked with one katana. Grim's swords broke Kraik's katana in two and Kraik put his other katana through Grim's chest. Grim spat out blood before slicing Kraik's arm open with the edge of his shield. Kraik just grinned as Grim's feet started to slide and he started to fall. Grim screamed out in pain before swinging his right arm and digging the blade of his sword into Kraik's left side right below his armpit.
Kraik pulled his Katana out of Grim, but Grim's blade seemed to be stuck and Grim's hand unrelenting on its grip. That's when Kraik heard it again, the chirping sound. Kakashi had prepared another chidori. Kraik tried to move but his right foot seemed to be stuck. Kraik looked down to see Grim's shield stuck both in his foot and the ground, pinning him to the spot.
"Didn't think you'd feel it…" Grim said in between heavy breaths.
Kraik gritted his teeth and raised his katana to strike Grim. At that instant Kakashi charged him, hoping to beat the attack. The katana shot downwards and hit Grim on the side of the head, right on his bone protection. Some bone chipped away as the katana struck and stopped. Kraik screamed in rage as he saw Kakashi and knew he couldn't move.
This time the chidori was right on it's mark and straight through Kraik's heart. Kraik spat up blood and Kakashi pulled his arm out of him.
"Ah! Damn…" Kraik said through spurts of blood before coughing, "that one hurt…" he managed after he stopped coughing.
Kraik fell backwards and Kakashi dragged Grim closer to the edge. The bone shield stated receding into his arm. Kakashi then walked over to Kraik who was taking labored breathes and still had Grim's sword sticking out of him. Kakashi pulled out a kunai and hacked off Kraik's head. Finally the body stopped moving, and his eyes were blank, he was finally dead.
Kakashi put his kunai away and started pulling Grim's sword from Kraik's body, the whole time the sword returning to its natural state. Kakashi brought the now bladeless and shortened spine back to Grim who took it and put it back in its place. Once his spine was back Grim laid flat on his back and the bone receded from his face.
Kakashi looked of the edge of the cliff to see Black fall on his face with Lax at the foot of the cliff side and Lee in the center of their fighting area. Kakashi sighed and lowered his forehead protector over his sharingan eye again.
x-X-x
AN: okay, firstly I know some people are gunna want to say something about Lax being seven feet tall so how could Black lift him off the ground. This is my mistake, I didn't mention Black's height before, he's about 6'10" making it very possible to life Lax off the ground.
As for Lee doing handseals when he can't do ninjutsu and had just told Lax that, it was a diversion to get Black to go for him first, and it worked.