Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
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"So this is where you ended up, girly" a man squatting beside Hotaru's body smirked at Soraoi.
"You're next Tatsuo!" Soraoi spat out.
Soraoi remained still and impassive, watching the men surround the arena, ready to begin their attack at a moment's notice. On the outside she appeared calm and collected, but on the inside, her heart was waging an inner war with itself.
Why are they here? What do they want? What's going to happen? How will this end? AHHH! DIE! ALL OF THEM; DIE!
She wanted to jump up there and kill Tatsuo and the others she recognized, just as she'd killed Hotaru, but she was certain that even with her training and skill, there was no way that was possible. She'd been lucky in killing Tatsuo; she'd been running on adrenaline and rage. Under different circumstances, there would have been no way she could have killed Hotaru.
Hotaru had been a top general during the great ninja wars, killing hundreds with his fire-based jutsu. He had been known for his cruelty in battle as much as for hunger for power. A shinobi from the land of lightning, Hotaru had been plotting to overthrow the Raikage, but in the end, his plans had been discovered and he had been captured before he could make his move. He managed to escape his execution, but had been on the run ever since.
Though Soraoi had grown skilled after many years of training with Tomoe, learning various elemental jutsu's and mastering a vast majority, she knew that there was so much more she had to learn and grow. She was not ashamed to admit that she was still too young and inexperienced to be a match for an S-class shinobi, like Hotaru or Tatsuo; that had been more then evident when she failed to defeat them during the ambush.
-------FLASHBACK-------
"Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it." Tomoe gestured to the small chrysalis that trembling on the branch below where Soraoi was sitting, high up on a tree.
"So what you're saying is that beauty is something we turn into?" Soraoi questioned, as she watched the butterfly struggle to release itself from its cocoon.
A young boy in the village they had just passed through had come up to Soraoi and handed her a single rose, telling her she was beautiful. Soraoi had been confused as to what the boy was referring to. She had heard the word in reference to herself many times, but walking with Tomoe, no one had ever dared to come up to her and tell her personally. It had always been a puzzle for Soraoi. She had often wondered what it meant and why so many people put such emphasis upon the word.
During their travels, Soraoi had overheard many conversations between girls her age talking about clothes and make up and hair styles, necessary in making them beautiful, but it had never made any sense to Soraoi. If beauty was an aesthetic quality that one possessed, how then, did one go about making themselves possess that quality? Was it something that one needed to train at? As she understood it, it was something that either was or was not; she certainly never strove to achieve such a quality, yet everywhere she went, she heard whispered assertions of her beauty. So then what was it? What made one person beautiful, and another not?
"What I'm saying," Tomoe began, "is that everything is beautiful in its own way, but people tend to focus on the outer shell, and often miss the inner beauty that one possesses."
Soraoi thought this over. It made sense to her. While she had often heard that she was beautiful, she had also often heard other's rudely comment that Tomoe was not. Many even dared to call the skilled kunoichi Ugly. Yet none of them knew anything about Tomoe. True, her "outer shell" was rough and unfeminine, but on the inside, Tomoe possessed a strength and light that few people could ever rival. Her wisdom was beyond compare; and her skills on the battle field unmatched.
"I think you're beautiful." Soraoi contemplated, looking upon the chrysalis, as the frail butterfly slowly emerged from its confines.
"Thank-" Tomoe had not been able to finish before the two quickly found themselves surrounded. A kunai in her back, Tomoe had fought with all her might, defending the younger kunoichi as the twenty or so shinobi ambushed them. The two women had put up an excellent fight, even taking down half a dozen of the opponent's men, but in the end, their skill and strength was still no match for the enemy's numbers.
Hit by a Fuuma Shuriken she had been unable to dodge, with the last of her strength, Soraoi had managed to turn towards Tomoe, only to see her sensei fall, before slipping into the darkness herself.
-------END OF FLASHBACK-------
"Oh, is that so?" Tatsuo mockingly replied.
The urge to charge at the rouge ninja was getting harder for Soraoi to suppress; a fact that her twin brother could easily identify and empathize with.
"What is it you want?" Shikamaru uncharacteristically stepped forth.
Shikamaru was normally not one take charge or make his presence noticed unless forced to, and this time was no different. It was part brotherly affection and protectiveness that had him step in front of his sister to block any attacks that may be directed towards her, but it was also because he could sense in his sister a desire to exact vengeance; an idea Shikamaru knew, would not end well.
"We all really missed you, girly." Tatsuo slimily snickered at Soraoi, ignoring Shikamaru, "especially Hotaru."
"Answer the question." Tsunade demanded. "Why are you here?"
"As you've no doubt already concluded, we're not exactly here to join the festivities." Tatsuo smugly replied.
"Then why are you here?" Gaara's gravely voice repeated, from beside Tsunade.
Tatsuo looked down at the group, taunting them without saying a word.
"You want to start a war." Shikamaru voiced, as realization hit him. Tsunade, Shizune, Temari, Soraoi and Gaara turned to face the lazy genius. Of course they knew he was right.
"That's right." Tatsuo replied. "And what more fitting a scene, to end this 'superficial peace' than here, at this 'Peace Festival'?"
"Whatever it is that motivates you, you should seek resolution through negotiation. There is still time to stop this." Tsunade echoed the words of the third, during the sand and sound invasion, years earlier.
There was a stillness in the air, when suddenly…
SHING (A/N: lol… thanks babygurl1012).
The sound of metal as it flew through the air, rang through the stadium. A handful of kunai streamed down upon the small group. A sand wall quickly rose, blocking the projectiles from hurting those behind the wall.
No sooner had Gaara's sand barrier dropped, had the enemy ninja swooped down and scattered through the stadium and throughout the village. What had appeared to be a group of thirty or so rouge ninja turned out to be over fifty or sixty; and why they were still very much outnumbered, they had planned well for this invasion. Smoke booms, and well positioned shinobi with poison darts clearly indicated that the rouge ninja's had been planning this invasion for some time.
While the rest of the leaf and allied nations shinobi fought in the stadium and out on the village streets, down in the stadium arena, Tatsuo charged upon Soraoi.
"You left without so much as a goodbye." Tatsuo taunted her, as he lunged at her right with a kunai.
"I'm so sorry if I insulted you." Soraoi sarcastically spat back, as she dodged Tatsuo's attack and countered with kick to the ribs, but was easily blocked. Tatsuo reached out and grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her and began his signature jutsu, the "Bone Crushers Embrace".
"Of course I forgive you," Tatsuo fringed mock sincerity. "But I doubt that Hotaru would feel the same way." He clenched his arms tighter around Soraoi, sending his chakra through his arms to strengthen his grip, slowly suffocating the young kunoichi.
"Why don't you join him and find out for yourself?" Soraoi struggling to speak, let along move, she focused all of her chakra into her left arm and then proceeded to elbow him in the groin, resulting in Tatsuo releasing her from his grip.
"You'll pay for that!" the games were over, Tatsuo had gotten serious. The two fought almost evenly, but in the end, Tatsuo had one thing that Soraoi's young age could not counter: experience.
After what seemed like hours, but was more likely a few mere moments, Soraoi was knocked semi-unconscious on the ground, having been thrown clear across the arena after an ice storm jutsu counted her water jutsu. Soraoi lay motionless as Tatsuo quickly approached to deliver a final blow.
"Soraoi!" Shikamaru yelled out, but he was too far to reach her in time.
As Tatsuo approached with a spear of ice, ready to pierce through Soraoi's heart, suddenly a very angry looking Kazekage intercepted Tatsuo, sending the rouge ninja flying through the air.
"Are you alright?" Gaara reached down to help Soraoi up.
"Yeah, I-" No sooner had she gotten back on her feet when a lightness swept through her and she quickly passed out in Gaara's arms.
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A/N: this was my "attempt" at a fight scene. I hope it wasn't too bad. What can I say, I'm much better at writing fluff and humor (at least in my mind) than I am at writing action and mystery, but I gave it a shot, so I'm happy. :D
FYI, I think I'm getting close to ending this (like a few more chapters) so if anyone has any ideas or suggestions or just something fun they want to me to include, by all means please let me know and more likely than not, I'll put it in there. :D
NETX UP: Fluff, and a surprise (probably).