Author's Note: Sorry for the wait, my internet is still out, but I'm hoping my mother gets around to getting it back on soon :) Thank you all for being so patient with me, I'm really sorry that I've been so difficult X3
Also, a few people inquired about Tenrou Island, and I've actually been considering a few possibilities for that arc XD You'll just have to wait and see what I choose, but I can assure you that I'm planning out a few different possibilities ;3
Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)
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Sprinting through the trees at a relatively high speed wasn't exactly the easiest task when there wasn't a clear road marked out for you, and so most of Erza's attention was currently focused on avoiding the various trees that littered her path. At the speed she was going, hitting one would have proven to be quite the hindrance to her task. This, however, forced her to be much more susceptible to whatever dangers the forest might hold. The need to reach her destination outweighed whatever caution she should feel, and while she knew it wasn't the smart thing to do, it was difficult for her to calm down enough to focus on anything except her worry for Kakashi.
A flash of movement caught her eye as she immediately stopped, the twin swords she usually donned with her Flight Amor appearing in her hands as she scanned the surroundings, alert for any sound or movement. It didn't take much to finally spot the culprit as a rather stout man appeared, a large great sword resting on his back as a few other ninjas melted out of the shadows, appearing both in the trees and on the grounds.
"I must admit, while part of me was following you for the normal reasons: money, valuables, and the off-chance I'd get to fight… Another part of me was following you merely because I was curious. Here we are, waiting for some poor passerby's to end up in our trap, only to see a strangely dressed woman sprinting through the trees in a way that ninjas normally don't move. From the way those swords of yours appeared, it's safe to assume you're no ordinary villager on their way to visit their grandmother. You're also not a ninja, which causes me to draw a blank. Since you've intrigued me so much, I'm not going to kill you immediately. I might actually play fair this time." The man smirked, a few of the other bandits laughing in their own amusement.
"From the looks of things you're a sword user, like myself, so let's say you and I have a good old fashioned fight… If you can beat me, I'll consider letting you live… I win, and I'll kill you and sell that strange attire for a bit of a profit. Maybe one of those 'illegal' researchers I've been hearing so much about would be willing to pay a pretty price to dissect you." With those words, the man easily brandished the heavy looking sword, tilting his head at her tauntingly. It was obviously a game to him, toying with the minds of his victims before extorting them for whatever cash he could make.
While Erza had remained motionless for the entirety of his speech, but that didn't mean he had shocked her at all. Quite the opposite actually. The mage was more than ready to put this man in his place, entirely disgusted by his attitude towards the people he killed. There was no honor in killing those who had done nothing to deserve the penalty of death, and while this man was around it was obvious that no one in these parts would be safe. She questioned why the Hokage hadn't done something about this problem before, but quickly realized that word probably hadn't gotten to the Leaf Village of the bandits. Perhaps there had been stories, but no one would have lived through an encounter with the group to be able to pinpoint their location. And if they were smart, they probably moved around to avoid gathering too much attention.
"You're a vile man," Erza began, straightening from her bent posture to meet his gaze, her tone sharp with disapproval, "and you deserve nothing less than death. However, I am currently in a hurry to reach a friend of mine that I believe to be in danger, so I don't have the time to grant you your request for a duel. Since I doubt you'll just let me go, allow me to give you some incentive." The red-haired wizard spoke calmly, but the threat wasn't lost as she began to glow briefly, reequipping into an armor that she hoped would buy her some time.
The silver of her Heaven's Wheel Armor glinted in the small amount of light that filtered through the trees, but at this point no one was paying attention to what the mage was wearing. They were all currently focusing their eyes on the swords that now hung in the air, their number more than enough to kill every member of the bandits a couple of times over. "Allow me to pass freely and I won't end your lives now. I would prefer to allow the ninjas of this land to avenge their people, but if I believe you will continue to hinder my progress, I will not have much choice in the matter." A choice was more than they deserved, but she knew that this wasn't her fight. They had to be brought to justice by those they had wronged, despite her own wishes to set things right herself.
The foes clearly considered their chances, a few backing away from the swords as though the distance could help against the blades. The leader remained undaunted; using the blade of his own sword to tap one of Erza's floating ones. "Nice trick you got there, but I'm afraid it's all too easy to see that this is all just a trick of the mind. All I need to do is release this pathetic Genjutsu, and then we can get onto our fight." The smug look quickly disappeared after his attempts to clear the swords failed, and it was replaced with one of irritation as he regarded the woman.
"So, perhaps it's not Genjutsu, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let you boss me around like you suddenly own me. No, I still want my fight, and a few extra swords isn't going to stop me." With those words he was gone in a puff of smoke, appearing only a moment later behind Erza, bringing down in great sword in a large arc as he prepared to simply cut the girl in two, thinking it would be that easy to end this fight.
His sword was halted in its attack as Erza brought up the two swords she held in her hand to block the attack, her blades held in the shape of an 'X' to help distribute the force of the much larger sword. The man laughed in his exhilaration, and was about to pull back his blade for another attack until more swords began to appear in the space around him, restricting his movements lest he cut himself on the sharp metal.
"I say again, let me pass and I'll allow you and your group to live so that you can face the judgment of the Hidden Leaf, or you die by my hand here and now so that I may continue on my way. You've given me no other choice." Erza spoke directly to her opponent as she lowered her arms, out of range of his attacks.
The man seemed to consider her words for only a mere second before he began to laugh at her, "Please. If you think you could defeat me so easily, you're sorely mistaken." He grinned in anticipation before slamming the blade of his sword into the ground before clapping his hands together, "Wind Style: Gale Palm!" With that, a violent wind was suddenly raised an began to whip around their battlefield, powerful enough that it forced the other ninja to ground themselves with chakra to avoid being blow away, and Erza was forced to the ground as she stabbed the blad of her own sword into the earth, using it to help keep her grounded. The blades she had suspended began to move with the wind, injuring a few of the ninjas in the process as she heard the unmistakable cries of pain that would sound here and there. She herself received a relatively deep gash across the face, as well as various other gashes along her torso and arms, and to avoid any more damage she quickly called them back, reequipping into her Morning Star Armor and immediately holding up the twin swords with the intent to stop the wind, only a moment passing before a large blast of magical energy towards the man who was causing the wind, ceasing it almost instantly as he was thrown back.
Knowing it was her chance to get away before wasting any more time, she changed into her Flight Armor once more before taking off as quickly as she could, getting back on track before her enemies had the chance to regroup. If time wasn't of the essence she'd stay to finish the task, but as it stood she would make sure the leaf ninja knew exactly what they were up against as soon as she got the chance. Right now though, she was still listening to that nagging feeling in the back of her mind that told her she needed to hurry.