I have to thank AnauchihaD on DeviantART for bringing my second OC Miyuki to life with her commission. Thank you very much, Anahis. ^_^ If it's not too much for my readers, can you guys answer the poll on my profile? I'm kinda stuck on how I really want these battles to start. I really appreciate it if you guys help me out!
Sorry I took so long with this one! Here is chapter 10!
CHAPTER 10:
The Promise Of Team Hawk
With the kunai in her hand, Nariko lunges forward towards the 'Bakudai' member with full force. When she was close enough, her grip on her kunai tighten, digging deep into her palm and Nariko pierces through the left side of his chest, aiming for his heart.
"Ha! Gotcha!" Nariko chided in triumph as she pierces even deeper inside but something wasn't right. There was no sigh of blood trickling down the kunai or even coming from his body. No aspiration of any kind...(A/N: Aspiration is a medical term for when blood spills from the body. Preferably from the mouth.)
She raises her left eyebrow in confusion, trying to contemplate what was happening but the man in the cloak suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke. Nariko's eyes widen as she felt a strong surge of chakra coming from behind her. She turns around and she sees the real 'Bakudai' member behind her, holding a red chakra sword infused with fire. Nariko gasps and her body doesn't react in time for a counterattack.
'He's a Fire Element user?' Nariko thought as the man's sword extends towards her in high speeds.
"You underestimated me!" The man howls and the sword stabs Nariko through her chest and she cringes in pain, desperately grabbing onto the chakra sword for dear life. Her blood seeps through her sealed lips as her arms fall numbly to her sides, succumbing to the pain...
After two more hours of constant running, Team Hawk had finally made it across the borderline to the Land of Fire. Everyone except for Miyuki and Sasuke was now worn out and tired from the non-stop traveling. Sasuke looks up at the sign that saids 'Welcome to the Fire Country' and in an instant, many memories from from his started to flood his mind. Many were about the old days when he was with Team 7 as a genin but most of them were about Naruto and how their friendship turned into a hardship between good and evil. So many painful memories...
Now he was back in the Land of Fire, his home where he belonged and where a certain blond ninja was there, waiting for his return. His eyes soften at the thought of what could Naruto be doing at this very moment. 'His life is in danger and he probably doesn't even know it.'
"Sasuke, what's wrong?" Jugo asked as he walked up to him to see if he was all right and Sasuke turn around to the others. "Are you all right?"
"What are we gonna do? We can't all fight the 'Bakudai' and try to rescue Naruto too." Karin said. "I mean, how are we gonna do this?"
"You haven't thought through this yet, have you?" Suigetsu asked. "Are you really gonna jump into a battle so blindly like that?"
Sasuke haven't really thought this through. Usually, he would analyze the situation and pick the best option for him and his teammates. The only thing that matter to him was Naruto's safety and because of that, he was not thinking clearly.
"Suigetsu, we don't have any other options. It's the best thing we can do right now." Sasuke said and turns away from his teammates. "Saving Naruto from the 'Bakudai' is the our main priority right now..."
Sasuke begins to walk off but Karin grabs Sasuke's wrist. "No, Sasuke. You go to Konohagakure to protect Naruto and we'll take care of the 'Bakudai'."
"We will?" Jugo asked, not sure that Karin was being serious at the moment.
"Yes, we will." Karin answers and she let's go of Sasuke's wrist. Suigetsu, Karin, and Jugo, exchange glances and they all agree about fighting the 'Bakudai' without Sasuke's help.
"What?" Sasuke answered in shock. "I can't let you do that!"
"Yes you can, Sasuke. It's about time we show you what the three of us can do on our own..." Karin spoke. She was pretty confident about their fighting and she wanted to let Sasuke know that they can handle themselves in battle.
"We can handle it." Jugo said feeling more confident about fighting for Sasuke's sake. "Let's us take care of things for a change."
"What do you think we've doing for the past 3½ months?" Suigetsu asked. "Certainly not sitting around picking daisies."
Sasuke was about to protest again when Karin stopped him, "Sasuke, remember what we did before we left to come here?" she asked.
Sasuke didn't answer her. He knows very well what they did before they came here. "Yes, I know..."
"We burned our Akatsuki robes! We did it because we want to start over and have a new life." Jugo said simply. "You did it to repent for the sins and all the horrible things you did in the past."
"We did it for ourselves and we did it for you, too!" Suigetsu yelled, hoping to get through the cold-hearted man he called his leader. "I'm sick and tired of you being sad all the time!"
Sasuke was indeed surprised from the responses he was getting from his teammates. What surprised him even more was the determination he saw within each one of them, especially Karin, considering that he hasn't really seen her do much in battle. Sasuke comtemplates on what to do about this situation. Can he really trust his friends to take care of this on their own? Many questions begins to form in his mind. What if they didn't make it in time? What if his friends died in battle? What if Naruto died? He didn't even want to think about the consequences of those outcomes.
Miyuki steps up to Sasuke, "Sasuke, Jugo-san, Karin-chan, and Suigetsu-kun are willing to risk their lives for your happiness. They want you to be happy. Besides, Naruto is YOUR priority and if it makes you feel any better, I'm a medical ninja." she stated as her holds up her survival kit. "I'll go with them to help better the chances of survival."
Sasuke raises his eyebrow in disapproval and he looks over at his friends once more and lets out a sigh, "All right...I putting you guys in charge of the 'Bakudai'."
Miyuki smiles at her father's decision, 'Thank you, father...'
Sasuke turns to Suigetsu and notions him to come to where he was. Suigetsu immediately goes over to him and Sasuke places his hand on his shoulder, "Suigetsu, I am counting on you to look after everyone on the team while I go after Naruto, especially Miyuki since she claims she's a medical ninja." he ordered. "For the time being, you're team leader."
"Say what?" Karin screamed. "How does he get to be team leader?"
"Karin, we don't have time for this. People's lives are at stake." Jugo interjected. "Besides, Sasuke is doing what he thinks is best for the team."
'Suigetsu-kun...' Miyuki thought. 'I believe you can do it...'
"I can't believe I'm about to say this but here it goes. In order for you guys to be sucessful, teamwork is the most important element to have in battle. Please use that method when you guys fight against the 'Bakudai'. I absolutely REFUSE to hear about you guys dying on the battlefield because you argued and the teamwork fell apart."
Suigetsu laughed at Sasuke's failed attempt at a joke, "Don't worry, Sasuke. We promise that we won't let you down...no matter what!"
Hearing that, Sasuke looks at everyone around him and he smirks in gratitude and he saids, "I'm counting on you guys..." and he continues on his journey alone to find his beloved blond in Konohagakure, hoping that he will be all right...
"You let your guard down, Sharingan princess..." The man growled and the heat intensifies as he continues to pierce even deeper into her flesh...
With the little strength that she has left, Nariko uses the sword as a leverage to lift herself up, just enough to look down at the man that was trying to kill her. The only thing she could do was smirk at him. "Hehehe...you fell for it..."
Nariko vanishes in a puff of smoke and in a swift movement, a fierce hand buries itself in the grass and the real Nariko uses a swift upper kick on the 'Bakudai' member, launching him in the air. Not wasting any time, Nariko slowly appears behind him, closely matching his body movement like a shadow. "Not so tough now, are you? A woman can be as delicate as a flower but as deadly as a snake's bite. Never underestimate a female ninja!"
The man hate to admit it but for a young woman such as Nariko to be as skilled as she was is indeed impressive. It has been a very long time since he fought such a worthy opponent and for that opponent to be a female...made it even better.
The man easily looks behind her and he whispers, "Kage...Buyō." [(影舞葉 Shadow Of The Dancing Leaf)]
"Hmph...good eye. You are the first of few shinobi who recognizes this ancient technique but in a few minutes, you won't be able to recognize anything because I'm gonna put you down!" Nariko drawls out in anger and she starts things off with a front kick, which he blocked with ease.
"You think that will be enough to beat me, Sharingan princess?" He asked.
Nariko quickly forms the hand sign of the tiger and chakra begins to travel throughout her body, "Not by a long shot!" she replies and attacks again with a backhand swing towards the man's chest.
"That's useless, Sharingan princess!" The man quickly crosses his chest and avoids the attack, but when the attack hits, there is a strong burning sensation. 'What the? Where's that heat coming from...?'
Nariko smirks as red chakra forms around her hand. She clenches her hand close, making a fist and she attacks with a hard punch to the gut. The man is sent flying towards the ground backfirst and Nariko quickly pursues him to finish him off. "Can you feel the heat?"
'I see...She can concentrate and control her chakra to intense levels. Intense enough for it to be visible by the human eye. She's good...'
"Now! You'll pay for what you've done!"
The man falls on his back on the hard, grassy plain and Nariko soon follows him and she shouts, "Katon: Shishi Rendan!" [火遁:(獅子連弾Fire Release: Lions Combo)]
With swift movement, Nariko turns her body around on her left side and brings down her elbow for the final blow. The attack connects with his stomach and the shattering sound from the attack echoed on the battlefield. She jumps off him, regaining her fighting stance as she looks towards him. "Tell me if that move doesn't give chest pain a whole new meaning!"
Carefully, Nariko glances over at the man to see if he was still alive. His body wasn't moving but still... 'Did I get him...!'
The second she turns around, Nariko was strucked in the stomach with a hard punch! Her eyes narrow and she tumbles unto the ground, receiving several scratches as the grass and dirt stain her clothes. Nariko hugs her midsection tightly from the impact of the attack while dark red blood dribbles from her mouth, signaling the damage the attack had done. Struggling to stand up, Nariko groans as the extreme pain begins to set in. 'Damn it...! I thought I had him with that move...!'
Nariko quickly realize that the man used the 'Clone Jutsu' on her once again the minute it clone disappeared and real man appeared before her.
'This isn't good. I have to come up with a stragety to beat this man! If I don't, my dad and all the other Jinchuurikis will be killed...!' Nariko thought.
"So, you're a Fire Element user as well, Sharingan princess. This is gonna get very interesting..." The man said as he walks toward Nariko, unbuttoning the clasps on his platinum cloak. "Let's see who's flame is stronger, shall we?"
'Think, Nariko, think! If only I knew who he was...Maybe I can have a better understanding about how his jutsus and attacks work...!'
The man must of read Nariko's mind because with that last statement, the man removes his cloak, tossing into the air as the wind carries it away in a strong gust of wind and leaves. Nariko's eyes widen in shock and surprise as she finally sees the man behind the cloak...
"No way...It can't be...!" The first 'Bakudai' member's secret identity is finally revealed...
* * * CHAPTER PREVIEW* * *
"Sakura-chan, I think you were blushing when you first saw me." Nariko said.
"What gave you that idea, Nariko-chan?" Sakura protest.
"You find me attractive, don't you?" Nariko stated.
"No, I don't!" Sakura retorted in defense.
"Yes, you do."
The second special chapter of Changing Fate:
Omake#1: Nariko Teases Sakura
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