The Winds of Change

by Zerojackson

Taken by an old enemy, Naruto swears to find and bring back one of his precious people. Kakashi, however, has other motives, a mission that will set in motion a chain of events that will drastically alter the world. Destiny's intertwine with a group of missing ninja, looking for their teammate. And, why does their leader look like Sasuke? Heavy OC use. Pairings inside. AU aspects.

46. Predator and Prey

Hello everybody, and welcome back to chapter forty-six of the Winds of Change! This has been a long time coming, about a month or so, I believe! Apologies for the wait! However, I will hopefully be able to produce a chapter a week from now on, especially considering we're getting near the end of this arc! That's right, in about five chapters, it will be over! Anyway, I do apologize for the delay, and I would like for you all to read the authors note at the bottom of this chapter, as it deals with something interactive for this story! This is my longest chapter yet, I believe, and I hope it was worth the wait! So, without further ado, I bring you chapter 46, of the Winds of Change.

---

If she were a wounded mouse, then they were hungry, venomous snakes. They circled around her, hissing with killing intent, occasionally lashing out from the shadows with a vicious crack.

Tali, hair glowing from the pale light of the moon, panted slowly, eyes bluer than the ocean itself slid from side to side. Her fingers, wrapped around the cold, metallic hilt of a kunai, tightened. The rush of wind overhead was largely drowned out, as the writhing roots stalked her every movement, every tense flicker of her muscles. The trees arms, so desperate to wrap her in an embrace she would never wake from, were slowly edging forward.

The surrounding bark, covered up in the abysmal shadows, occasionally shifted, willing themselves to step out into the light. Willing themselves to take a step closer to her.

The odour of damp earth permeated her nose, mixed with the salty taste of sweat on her lips, and the shivering claws of the darkness, formed what she was now.

Prey.

And the hunter was hungry.

She inclined her head backwards. glittering blue eyes clashing with emerald iris'. Sakura shivered, her sickly complexion mingling with the irradiance of the moon, ethereally glowing the sweat that stuck to her skin. Her usually radiant pink hair, prettier than the sakura blossoms on a tree in full bloom, was dull with dirt and decayed bark. Licking her chapped lips, the Wood Style User took a step back, away from the gleaming light and into the welcoming black.

"Sakura," Tali swallowed the lump in her throat. "You need to do it."

Pink hair swished side to side, as she continued to be swallowed up by the darkness. "I can't."

The blonde in front of her flinched, the sound of something scraping across the ground reaching her ears. The grip on her kunai tightened.

The shadow's grew closer.

Sakura let out a throaty, dry cough, snapping her emerald eyes shut, to stop the tears from flowing freely. "I'm sorry. I can't." She opened them, watery and quivering, as if they were a pond, rippled by a stone.

Tali snorted. "You can." Her profile was now not facing her companion, eyes glancing at every single little whisper, every creak, every flicker. "If you don't do so soon, we'll die," She added seriously, mouth forming a thin line.

Die.

The word caught in Sakura's throat. She gripped at her tattered shirt, as if sheer thought alone would repair it. As if sheer thought could get them out of this mess.

And it could.

"If you made them move in the first place," Tali continued on, raising the kunai to eye-level. "Then you can stop them."

"But I can't!"

Her shrill shriek echoed within the wooden room, the viper like roots retreating backwards at the loud noise. Sakura's breathing was erratic, the cascading waterfall of tears slipping down her pale features. "I can't control them, don't you understand!? When I try, they get in my head! They all speak, and they're all so loud! I can't... I can't..."

The pinkette had collapsed to her knees, fingernails digging into the bark, as a sob racked her body. The moonlight shone down on the fountain of water that fell from her emerald pools, glittering like brilliant diamonds as they splashed against the hard ground below.

The roots lashed out against one another, cracking themselves against the hard wall, and against each other in a frenzied all emitted silent screams, as the petite, shivering form of Sakura, on hands and knees, was centre stage.

Tali did not move for a while, her gaze kept forward. There was a split-second of movement. One of the roots writhed for it's last time, the metallic hilt of the kunai glinting out of the shadows as the long thin tendril fell into the dirt. It remained motionless, Tali's blue eyes hardening, the bright shade of ocean blue falling back into a steelier, sharper greyish-blue.

Her voice was soft, despite her stern posture. "You're wrong. You're controlling them right now."

Sakura, her whimpers slowly dimming, looked upwards. The roots swayed from side to side, glimpses of their gnarled, snake like bodies punctuated against the darkness they resided in.

"From what I saw of your teammates, they really care for you."

The pinkette's eyes stared at the back of the blonde's small head. She did not turn around.

"The one with dark hair tried so furiously to get to you, he needed to be physically dragged to save himself from being killed. The blonde one would not stop ranting and raving about getting you back, even threatening at one point to go and get you himself, even if he had to fight through the rest of the group."

Sakura stopped crying, mouth slacking in awe.

They cared.

"And your sensei almost reached you. Almost grabbed you and saved you from this," Tali gestured, her skin glowing softly by the sky's natural rays. "But he couldn't. The sheer look of trauma on his face, was downright obvious. Even with that mask of his."

"They care...?"

"Of course they do," Tali snapped, rolling her eyes, "So," And this time, the water user fully turned around, a warm, small smile present on her dirty profile. "Are you really going to let yourself die, after all the work they've put into trying to get you back?"

All the work they had put in. The amount of time it must've taken to leave the village, gather a team, make their way to wherever the hell they were, and then rescue her. The amount of blood that may have been spilled, the danger punctuating every turn, death looming over them, ready to grasp at their necks and drain their souls. All of this, and yet they still came after her..

Sakura shakily rose, hands closing into fists, and she furiously wiped away at her tear-stained cheeks.

"I understand."

Tali's body relaxed. "Good. Then-" Her head snapped back towards the roots. "We should finish this up."

Sensing hostility at a much higher rate than before, the slender tendrils shot outwards, a visage of shadowy brown speeding fast towards the two girls stood in the middle of the room.

Eyes flowing to the side, Tali's mouth turned into a grim line. They weren't attacking from all sides, only from the front. Why? Having no time to ponder it further, the blonde's hands danced through hand-signs, before she brought her small hands to her lips, forming a circle shape with both of them. "Water Style: Water Bullet Jutsu!"

Her voice bouncing off the bark, a barrage of small liquid projectiles pumped out of her stomach. They clashed violently with the earthen roots, smashing them into shards of wood, and knocking them backwards tenfold at a time. The splashes were explosive, pounding loud in Sakura's ears as the tendrils kept falling in front of her, lifeless and broken.

Closing her eyes, she tried to empty her thoughts. Immediately, she clenched at her shirt, body vibrating as the millions upon millions of hushed whispers coiled at her brain, becoming deafening as more time went on. She tried to fight through them, blocking the voices out with mental walls as she pushed deeper and deeper into the crevices of her own mind. It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack, as sweat began to coat her skin, her head throbbing with unsuppressed pain. What was she looking for? How would she know what it was when she found it?

She allowed the booming of Tali's water jutsu to fill her ears, the slapping of bare feet on wood as her friend was forced to dodge and weave for her life.

"Stop it!"

With a power she didn't know she possessed, her scream of rage thundered upwards, shaking the foundation of the giant tree, its leaves rustling uncomfortably. The roots paused, cocking their bodies to the side, in almost confusion. Slowly, they snaked backwards, away from Tali, and away from Sakura.

But soon, they tensed, springing forward once more, Tali recoiling in fear. "Oh Kami!"

Sakura bit her lip, blood soon dripping down her chin, face contorting with concentration as she tried hard to hold them back. "Do something!"

The blonde, taking a deep breath, steadied herself. Sakura was holding them back, but just barely. It was as if the roots were caged animals, and were furiously trying to break through the crack that just kept getting bigger with every moment.

Twisting around, Tali ran to where Sakura stood, quickly slamming her palms into the ground. Closing her eyes, the water user muttered something under her breath. Before the pinkette knew what hit her, a massive burst of water jettisoned up from below, enveloping both girls in a torrent of liquid that shot upwards at a fast pace. The roots that were caught in the mass amount of water were quickly broken into tiny pieces, falling back downwards like shattered pieces of a broken window. With an almighty crash, the torrent of liquid burst through the bark of the tree, leaving a gaping hole as it was brightened by the light of the moon. The water began to fall downwards, and with a humongous splash, left both Sakura and Tali on their backs, drenched from head to toe, in the middle of a field.

Both breathed hard, their chests rising and falling, as they took in the cascading waves of dark blue above them, twinkling gemstones of light winking at them from high above.

"We did it," Tali said, her voice shaky, as she moved to a sitting up position. Sakura didn't know what to say, following suit. What she did know, however, was how damn thirsty she was.

Noticing a small patch of water, clear as crystal, the pinkette reached out to cup it up in her hands.

"No!"

The urgency in Tali's voice called Sakura to shudder in fear, pupils dilating as they shot towards the blonde. "What!?" She cried out.

"Don't drink the water!"

The wood style user's eyes widened slightly, as the blonde slapped her hand away from the puddle, her own blue eyes shimmering with fear.

"W-why?" She asked, bringing the affronted hand to her side. Tali opened her mouth, blonde hair blowing in the breeze of the night. She snapped it shut, however, hands grabbing fistfuls of grass. Not meeting her friends gaze, she stood up, wiping the green blades and brown dirt off of her outfit. "It's nothing." She spoke, her voice shaky, skin paler than before. "It's just not safe to drink, i-is all. Come on. We need to go."

Turning on her heels, Tali began to walk away, glancing backwards multiple times. Sakura, shaking her head in confusion, stood up, and quickly followed her, throat still drier than the hottest desert, and questions fogging up her mind. But, with a small, happy sigh, her gaze drifted upwards, back towards the shapeless blue palette up above, she nodded. All that mattered, for now, was that she was safe.

That they were both safe.

---

Sasuke's eyes morphed from coal black to crimson within an instant, wind sailing through his hair. His Sharingan widened slightly, hands clenching into fists, as a grim scowl played upon his lips.

"Itachi."

His voice was barely lost on the soaring air, a harsh whisper against the encroaching storm.

Kakashi's eye, crinkled in worry, slid over to The Uchiha Heir.

"That's a lot of chakra!" Naruto exclaimed, blonde hair flying backwards. "We're getting close, right Kakashi-sensei?"

The Copy Ninja nodded quickly, feet pounding against the darkened bark of the tree, the three warriors galloping upwards. Shards of wood clattered down the massive trunk, lost within the wind.

"Sasuke," Kakashi's voice was low and stern. "Don't run off anywhere." He pleaded.

The sharp glare he received made his stomach twist in agony. How could he have been so foolish?

The Uchiha growled under his breath. "You don't tell me what to do, traitor!"

Kakashi's eyes closed momentarily, and when he opened them, Sasuke was already a few leaps ahead of them. Grey eye crinkling in worry, he began to speed up.

"Sasuke!" Naruto's voice had lost it's exuberance, replaced with an annoyed growl. "Get back here dammit!"

The Uchiha did not reply, garnering another snarl from the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki. "Damn it Sasuke!"

"Naruto!" Kakashi hissed, shooting him a glare. "We need to get the element of surprise here!"

The blonde mumbled something under his breath, wind whipping at his face. "Then we need to get a move on, sensei!"

Kakashi could not argue with that.

---

Sasuke's feet pushed off the bark with one giant bound, flipping through the flowing air, and landing at the top of the tree with a gentle thud.

Immediately, the smell of smoke surged into his nose and throat, and he forced down a gag. He blinked rapidly as the embers flicked at his crimson eyes, glistening, as they scanned the charred wood, blackened by flames. Burning sparks flickered onto the ground, from twisted gnarled roots, set ablaze by, from what he could only assume, to be a battle.

His Sharingan slid over, as a horrendous crash filled The Uchiha's ears. His eyes narrowed, as he took in the scene before him.

Itachi, his brother, stood stoically, kunai palmed in his right hand, long flowing dark hair billowing down his back. His eyes, normally obsidian, were the colour of blood. Across from him lay a small crater, shards and splinters of wood littering the ground. Light puddles of water covered the surrounding area, the flashes of dimming moonlight shining off the liquid.

Kisame, sharpened teeth glinting with malevolence, as they curled into a malicious smirk, stood across from him. Beady, shark-like eyes narrowed, focused intently on the hated man in front of him. He held Samehada in an iron grip, the mighty blade yearning for flesh and blood.

Sasuke heard the two thuds behind him, but did not react, eyes flashing. There he was... his brother. The man he was going to murder, one day soon.

But not on this day.

"I can smell him!"

The Uchiha's gaze shifted behind him, locking with hardened, cerulean eyes. Naruto's mouth was curled into a snarl, hands clenched so tightly, his normally tanned knuckles were white. "Mizuki... he's here!"

Kakashi placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, grey eye sliding over to where Itachi and Kisame stood, facing off silently. "We'll find him, Naruto. But we need to be-"

The blonde was already out of Kakashi's grip, and bursting forwards. His orange jumpsuit stood out against the backdrop of the dimming dark night. The Copy Ninja bit back a growl of annoyance, watching as Sasuke's hand snapped towards the collar of Naruto's favourite attire. "Wait a minute, dobe!" The Uchiha hissed, as he narrowly missed his target by an inch.

The Jinchuuriki of the Nine Tails stomped forward at a pace most could not match, a cluster of roots and odd shapes in his sight. Before he could react, however, something blurred in front of him.

Naruto felt the air leave his body, and didn't have time to register the pain that swarmed through his gut, as he was sent catapulting backwards, slamming into the ground roughly. He skidded to a stop thanks to Sasuke, who grabbed his spinning body and halted his mad rollings. The Uchiha growled. "Naruto, are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" He shouted, shaking away from the grip of his friend, dusting off the splinters that stuck into his jumpsuit. He winced, however, as pain lanced through his stomach. "Somebody kicked me!"

Kakashi blurred in front of the two genin, reaching into his kunai pouch, and producing one of the projectile knives. His headband was pulled upwards, lone Sharingan eye staring at the figure in front of him.

The figure laughed, serpentine eyes of sickly yellow gliding to and fro between the people in front of him. Licking his lips, he flicked his deathly black hair slightly, allowing moonlight to trickle onto his deathly pale skin.

"Naruto," Orochimaru spoke low, chuckling to himself, "A few weeks ago, one of my kicks would've shattered your ribs and spine. Has Jiraiya been training you in endurance, hm?"

"The Pervy Sage didn't need to teach me that, you bastard!"

The Snake Sennin's mouth morphed into a grin. "Ah, of course. But, you have grown in skill, that much is obvious... I am impressed."

Cerulean eyes flashed with red. "Move out of the way, you fucker! I will rip Mizuki a new asshole, and if you get in my way, I'll do the same to you!"

The Snake Sage quirked an eyebrow. "No you won't, Naruto. No you won't."

"Orochimaru, back off." Kakashi warned, kunai pointed outwards.

Orochimaru let out a laugh. "Oh Kakashi, how quaint of you, to think you can defeat me. We've had conversations like this before, haven't we? And in the end, you always run." Orochimaru chuckled again, gaze moving away from Kakashi, and towards Naruto. "You're coming along rather nicely, Naruto. Just as I predicted. Anger flows through your veins. You want Mizuki dead? You want to tear him apart, rip him limb from limb in a shower of blood? I think, Naruto, that you were wrong. You're exactly like Gaara, because you crave bloodlust!"

"Don't speak about Gaara!" The blonde howled loudly, shaking with rage. "Get out of here, BEFORE I TEAR YOU APART!"

"Your rage consumes you, now more than ever, boy. I will enjoy seeing the power of a Jinchuuriki for myself-"

"Enough, Orochimaru."

Sasuke's voice was cold, eyes hard as he moved in front of Naruto. "It's me you want."

Orochimaru let out a delighted cackle, as Kakashi spoke. "Sasuke, step back-"

"Are you going to listen to him, Sasuke?" The Snake Sennin goaded. "Are you really going to listen to the man that betrayed your trust?"

The Uchiha's hands twitched with anger, as he stepped forward.

"Sasuke-"

"Quiet Naruto!" He shouted, Sharingan eyes glaring at the blonde for a few moments, before they shifted back to Orochimaru. "Stay out of this."

Orochimaru gave a soft, yet malicious chuckle before his long tongue danced across his face, licking his lips. "Ahhh, you wish to keep this strictly a matter of family-related business?"

"Move out of our way, Orochimaru," Sasuke pressed. "Leave."

"But my dear Sasuke, do you really want to go with him?" He nodded towards Kakashi, whose eyes were tinted with anger. "Go with the man who lied to you with such ease? Without even a hint of remorse, he betrayed you in such a cruel fashion, Sasuke. And you still wish to remain with him?"

"And the alternative is to go with you?"

The Snake Sennin snickered snively. "Of course, Sasuke. After all, we both want Itachi dead, and I can help you achieve that goal.. I can make you stronger than you can possibly imagine."

The curse mark on Sasuke's neck itched violently, the urge to scratch trying to force his normally stoic body to revolt. He kept his glare focused on Orochimaru, however, whose grin had become even wider. "My curse mark always means you will come and search for power. And I am right here, to give it to you. Kakashi will only drag you down, and continue to stab you in the back!"

"And you won't!?"

"I want Itachi dead as much as you-"

"No."

The dialogue exchange was stopped dead in it's tracks. Sasuke was radiating an aura of killing intent so potent, Naruto took a step backwards, gulping. "S-Sasuke...?" He questioned.

He did not get a reply.

Kakashi looked between the bemused Orochimaru, and the smouldering Sasuke.

"Sasuke... don't make me do something I'm going to regret."

He, subtly, began to charge chakra into his hand, for a Raikiri. He angled his body towards Sasuke, mouth contorting into a grim line.

"Please Sasuke. Please."

After a few more, pulse-pounding moments, Sasuke spoke.

"Orochimaru... you do not want Itachi dead as much as I do. He did not slaughter your entire family, your entire clan! A viperish bastard like you will never understand the hate I possess! You will not give me power I cannot gain on my own! This mark on my neck is not a tool that you use, but a tool that I will use. It is not a power you gifted me, it is a power that I took from you. Get out of the way, Orochimaru, or I will avenge those that died during your failed Invasion."

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, cool rage shimmering within them. "Foolish boy. You will come around in time!"

"He will not come around in time!" Kakashi snapped. "I will not let you take another student, Orochimaru! This ends here."

The Snake Sennin snarled, legs coiled to strike. "I'm going to enjoy killing you, Kakashi Hatake."

"Boys, stay out of the fighting!"

With those parting words to his two genin, The Copy Ninja flashed forward, engaging in a blurred, hurried battle with the former Leaf Ninja.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. They were moving so fast, even his Sharingan could not keep up with them! But there battle was not important right now. As much as Hatake was a dirty, lying, pathetic traitor, he was competent enough to hold his own. The Uchiha turned his gaze onto Naruto, who stood quietly, cerulean eyes directed towards the sky. "Sasuke," he began to ask, "would you?"

Sasuke arched a brow. "Would I what?"

"Leave?" The blonde's voice was low. "Go and join Orochimaru, I mean."

A deep silence between the two followed, as battles raged on around them, jutsu being used left and right. Their eyes locked, cold crimson clashing with impassioned blue. Sasuke opened and closed his mouth, swallowing down some saliva. The wind lashed at his clothes and skin. Naruto's blonde hair was blown backwards, tanned cheeks turned down into a frown.

The Uchiha broke their staredown, eyes sliding down towards the bark beneath their feet.

"No." He said resolutely.

Naruto's mouth formed a small smile. "I thought you wouldn't," he reached out a hand, and clasped it on Sasuke's shoulder. "You would never leave."

Sasuke stretched in such a way, that Naruto's hand fell from his shoulder. "I would never leave," he repeated, not meeting his gaze.

Something sliced through the air, heading straight towards the two genin and interrupting their moment. They noticed it just in the nick of time, jumping backwards, as the projectiles sailed forward, and eventually over the edge of the giant tree.

"Mizuki!" Naruto snarled.

Said ninja stepped out of the cluster of roots, whitish-blue hair was wispy, blowing lightly in the breeze. His eyes were haggard and fierce, piercing green as they surveyed the two in front of him. His teeth were bared, as his mouth formed a smile that stretched from ear to ear.

"How do you like my clothes, Naruto?"

The blonde clenched his jaw tight. "Take that off!"

Mizuki's eyes shined with glee. "I am a Leaf Ninja, you know. I have a right to wear one."

"You're a rogue Leaf Ninja," Sasuke stepped in, hand hovering over his kunai pouch, as he regarded his former teacher with a cold stare, "and that makes you an enemy."

"Ah, Sasuke, you were always the clever one. Always the most focused on your goal, right? And that was killing your older brother, who is just over there. Fighting with his former partner, unfocused on you. You could strike now, I'm sure he wouldn't be expecting it."

"Heh, spare me this 'come to the dark side' shit. Orochimaru just tried that, or were you so badly quivering in fear behind your shield of roots, that you couldn't overhear our conversation as you mumbled in horror to yourself?"

Mizuki let out a soft chuckle. "No, no, I heard everything. And, I've got to say, you're just like the rest of your clan."

Sasuke's eye twitched.

"Oh, did I hit a sore spot? Your clan was reviled amongst what you would call 'the lower class'. Did you know that? How we whispered behind your mighty backs about how much fun it would be to kill you? How nobody would miss you and your egotistical ways? How we held parties, and celebrated that they had been slaughtered, and by one of their own, no less? Did you know that, Sasuke? If there was one, and I mean one, redeeming quality about your family, it would be your mother. She had the nicest pair of tits-"

"ENOUGH!" Naruto bellowed, flecks of red tinting his eyes and skin, as he let out a feral snarl. Sasuke was in the same state of mind, crimson eyes spinning, begging for blood, as his pale skin turned red with anger. "Leave Sasuke out of this!" Naruto shouted once more.

Mizuki's eyes shifted from the Uchiha to the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, all glee replaced with rage. "Of course a demon would interrupt a conversation!"

"What did you do with Sakura?" Sasuke sneered, hand darting into his kunai pouch, and retrieving one of the knives.

"Oh, the pretty pink one? Well, from what I saw, she's suffocating within the tree we stand upon, yes? The life being choked from her body. Or, perhaps she was instantly crushed to death, now merely a pile flesh and shattered bone."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Naruto bellowed, teeth growing longer and sharper, eyes turning into slits of fiery red. "OR I'M GOING TO FUCKING SKIN YOU ALIVE!"

"It's a shame, really," Mizuki smirked, "she was turning into a pretty thing. But, then again, there's always that Hinata..." He licked his lips slowly, eyes glistening as a red shroud, filled with anger, overcame Naruto's body. "When I'm done killing you two, she'll make quite the prize. I hear a virgin makes big money in slaving rings." He turned, looking at Sasuke, who's face was grimmer than death itself. "But, hehe, who says she'll make it there a virgin?"

Naruto let out an inhuman growl, the sheer amount of chakra he was burning as he collapsed to all fours turning the bark underfoot a abysmal black. Eyes, red, and wanting of bloodlust, honed in on Mizuki, who pulled one of his giant fuma shuriken from his back. "Come on then, demon! Let's finish this once and for all!"

As Naruto went to lunge, Sasuke gripped the back of his collar. Red clashed with crimson, as Naruto let out another inhuman snarl. "GET OFF ME SASUKE!"

"Calm down, Dobe," The Uchiha growled, yanking Naruto upwards, so they were face to face. "And stop with this little jutsu that perv taught you, and use your fucking head. We need to stay focused, and not go and rip him to shreds. Yet."

Naruto's breathing had slowed down into a steady pace, redness fading from his eyes, as they were replaced with cerulean blue.

Sasuke let go of the blonde, turning his attention to the scowling Mizuki. "I don't know why you call him a demon," he began, twirling the kunai in his hand around and around. "And I don't care. Just because he's a fucking idiot, and an orphan, does not make him a demon. He may never use his brain, but he's far more loyal than anybody ever should be. He's loyal to the Leaf Village, and a true Leaf Shinobi? And that's where you and he differ, Mizuki. You were always an arrogant shit, even when teaching. I could see it, and everybody else could, too. You're a manipulative, self-centred, pile of shit. A traitor to your home, and nothing more than dirt on my shoe. Naruto may not be the most skilled on Team Seven, he is by far the most loyal, within this cell, and within Konoha. You, you're nothing more than a traitorous bastard. And the policy on traitors is quite clear. You will die tonight."

The Uchiha raised his kunai up to eye level, as Mizuki let out an enraged snarl.

"You arrogant child! You're naivety will get you killed. There reason the demon brat was treated rightly so, is far greater than you believe-"

"I don't care about that now," he cut in. "What I care about now, is killing you, and rescuing my teammate!"

Naruto's eyes held some unknown emotion, as he stared at Sasuke. Finally, a foxy grin curled on his face, a challenging look in his eyes. "Hehe, you're right Sasuke! Except for the stupid part, I'm going to stay focused! Mizuki, you fucking bastard, I'm going to kick your ass!"

"Demon sympathizers will burn along with the demon himself!" Mizuki spat, preparing to throw the shuriken at the two.

Sasuke cracked his neck, eyes hard and cold. "The one thing they constantly drill into you at the academy, is teamwork. And when you fuck with one member of Team Seven, you get them all!"

The three men dashed at one another, wind shredding against their skin, as they engaged in warfare.

---

Both men stood silently, the dark sky and moon illuminating their focused, hardened faces.

Kisame's toothy grin was gone, replaced, instead, with a cryptic scowl, eyes narrowed and cold. Samehada rested on his shoulder, Akatsuki robe fluttering in the wind, as he watched Itachi.

The Uchiha was calm and stoic, onyx eyes vigilant for any twitch in Kisame's movement. His coal black hair blew softly in the breeze, moonlight coating his pale face in a cool glow.

"This is foolish, Kisame," he spoke softly, voice laced with no discernable emotion.

The beady eyes of the shark-ninja lit up with fiery rage, but despite this, he spoke calmly. "Is it, Itachi? I've finally got you right where I want you."

"Where you want me? Your plan has failed, Kisame," Itachi's eyes narrowed, "Those you took have been rescued."

Kisame's face morphed into a grin that stretched from ear to ear, gills twitching slightly. His grip on Samehada tightened. "Who said I really wanted them. No, Itachi, it's you I want. And now, you're going to die."

"You're foolishness is going to be your undoing, Kisame. And I am not sorry for that."

Kisame's nostrils flared. Quick as a flash, he slammed Samehada into the bark, splinters and dust flying upwards into the nights sky. His hands blurred into signs, eyes alight with anger. "Water Style: Water Shark Bullet Jutsu!"

Thrusting his hands forward, a large shark made of water shot towards Itachi. It's jaw gnashed dangerously as it's soulless eyes homed in on its prey.

The Uchiha's hands moved faster than the eye could follow, cupping them over his mouth. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

A burst of flame exploded out of Itachi's mouth, the encroaching heat colliding with the aquatic beast in a burst of fire and water that charred the bark below. Steam flowed upwards into the air, obscuring the Akatsuki member's vision slightly. He growled lowly.

"Aren't you going to react!?"

Itachi's eyes slid upwards from the smouldering back, clashing with the beady eyes of the shark-ninja.

"No."

Letting out a war cry, Kisame gripped Samehada's handle, yanking it viciously out of the bark and charging straight towards the motionless Uchiha. Eyes feral, he sliced Samehada through the air, straight towards Itachi's head. The Uchiha ducked, dropping out of the way just in time. Bending backwards, his crimson eyes flashed as he flipped away from Kisame, who let out a sharp bark of laughter.

The Uchiha righted himself a few feet away, eyes cold and emotionless. Kisame's mouth was upturned into a ferocious grin. "See, Itachi?" He began, licking his lips. "In a one on one battle, you can't defeat me! You can dodge all of my attacks, but I will always outlast you. So keep on running, partner!"

The raven haired ninja's mouth quirked upwards by the smallest of margins, as he held his arm outwards. A kunai, the moonlight glinting off of it, was tinted with the colour crimson.

Kisame blinked, beady eyes filled with confusion, as he looked down. A small, clean cut ran across his broad blue chest, blood trickling down to his abdomen.

"You're careless, Kisame. You act without thinking, without being rational. It'll end up being the death of you," The Uchiha deadpanned, eyes hard and glacial.

Kisame's grin morphed into a snarl, as he coiled his feet to leap forward.

Itachi never gave him the opportunity.

Reaching into his pouch, the former Leaf Ninja withdrew a multitude of shuriken. They flew from his hands at a breakneck speed, spinning wildly in mid-air. Itachi's fingers burst through hand-signs, carmine eyes spinning as he exclaimed. "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

Small balls of flame pumped from his mouth, slamming into the flying shuriken and setting them ablaze. They continued on their trajectory, until they began to multiply. Soon, there were dozens of them barraging towards their target in a pursuit to end his life.

Kisame bared his teeth, swinging Samehada in a massive arc. Shuriken clattered off of the fleshy blade, thudding into the bark with a fiery glow. One lone projectile sliced Kisame's leg, earning a sharp back of pain from the shark-ninja, as blood began to seep down the affected area. Eyes widening slightly, Kisame moved his head to the side as the final fiery shuriken blazed past his face.

Throwing Samehada up into the air, the shark-ninja blurred through hand signs, yelling out, "Earth Style: Subterranean Voyage!

The ground beneath Kisame's feet became soft and gooey, allowing him to sink into it. Samehada fell downwards from the sky, the shark-ninja catching it in one hand, and pulling it downwards, until it resembled a dorsal fin. Then he exploded forward, tearing up the bark, sending showers of splinters upwards. Samehada tore towards Itachi, whose eyes widened imperceptibly. He leapt up into the air, hands moving faster than the eye could see as he shouted out, "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

The surge of fire burst out of Itachi's mouth, flying straight towards the fast approaching Kisame. The shark-ninja leapt out of the ground, Samehada pulled backwards into a mighty swing. Kisame grinned, as he coated Samehada in a fine layer of water chakra. The blow sliced through the fire, heat dancing across Kisame's robes and face as pillows of steam sprung about. He continued upward, grinning ear to ear, as he slashed forward with his trusted blade. Samehada cut straight through Itachi's stomach and severed his upper body from his lower body. His grin faded, however, as the bisected figure morphed into a flock of crows, cawing madly as they flew into the night.

Kisame landed with a crash, cracking the bark beneath his enormous feet. "Itachi always did like to use those Crow Clones," he muttered to himself. Twisting around, he spotted the Uchiha, standing close to the edge of the tree, motionless, crimson eyes staring straight at him.

A grin split his face, as Kisame slowly began to walk forward. "You wanna play this game, then? The one where you scatter your feathered friends all around, and allow me to cut them into pieces? Ha, it's only a matter of time before I catch up to you, and tear your throat out with my teeth!"

"This is futile, Kisame," Itachi coldly stated, "Your chance to escape grows slimmer and slimmer by the minute."

Kisame's grin widened. "So does yours!"

The shark-nin exploded forward, Samehada pulled backwards, spines shivering. Itachi remained unmoving, emotionless eyes meeting the blade head on, as it severed his head.

Another blast of crows, their caws filling Kisame's ears, although his grin did not waver. He continued to plummet down the side of the tree, Itachi's silhouette just a few metres away.

"Keep running Itachi!" He exclaimed, placing Samehada on his back, before whipping through some hand signs. "Water Style: Water Shark Bullet Jutsu!"

Thrusting his hands forward, a shark made entirely out of water formed into life, jaw flexing as it spotted Itachi. Instead of darting forward, however, the shark-nin leapt atop it, pulling Samehada out once more. The shark darted towards its target, maneuvering in between outstretched roots and broken branches as they chased down Itachi.

The Uchiha inclined his head backwards, mouth contorting into a grim line. Twisting his body around, his feet left the bark behind. He began to free fall, the wind rushing past his body at a breakneck pace. Reaching into two of his pockets, he pulled out a kunai and an explosive tag, slapping the tag onto the projectile before letting it fly. It soared straight towards Kisame, the shark moving out of the way as it exploded, sending wooden shrapnel falling downwards.

Kisame went through the motions of more hand signs, yelling, "Water Style: Feeding Shark Frenzy!"

A multitude of sharks burst from the tree, teeth gnashing together as they homed in on Itachi. The Uchiha grimaced, as the five creatures closed in on him. He ducked and dived his way through roots and branches, flipping and twisting to avoid being skewered and then eaten. The sharks eventually clashed with the tree, a shower of water falling upon Itachi's hair and body.

Kisame continued to ride downwards, until he leapt off his steed, the water shark dispersing into droplets. Teeth gleaming in the moonlight, he gained on Itachi, Samehada pulled backwards. Swinging it forcefully through the air, his pupils shrank, as Itachi made a hand-sign.

The long, winding trunk was now replaced with a large cluster of branches and roots, forming a platform.

And Kisame was heading straight towards it.

Samehada sliced through Itachi, crows once again dispersing from his body. The shark-nin cursed, and braced himself for impact.

With a tremendous crash, he slammed against bark roughly, cracking the platform straight down the middle. He winced, rubbing at his shoulder, as he slowly made his way to his feet. His grin returned, however, as he picked up Samehada, and noticed Itachi once again standing motionless a few metres away.

"You do like your games, Itachi," The shark-nin muttered, grip on Samehada tightening.

The Uchiha did not reply, mouth forming a cool line.

"Your games will be the death of you!"

Slamming Samehada into the ground, Kisame burst through hand-signs, shouting out, "Water Style: Water Shark Bullet!"

Pushing his outstretched hands forward, a gargantuan shark made of water exploded towards Itachi. The Uchiha remained standing, until the very last second, when he blurred out of existence, only to reappear again at the side. There was a small, slight, upturning of his lips.

The water shark collided with a lone branch, sending shattering splinters and droplets of water into the mass of roots below.

The raven haired ninja was quick, explosive tag slapped onto a kunai before it was set sailing towards Kisame. Following that up, he withdrew a single shuriken from his pouch, throwing it, and lighting it ablaze with a fire jutsu.

The shark-ninja cracked his neck, side-stepping the tag. "You're going to have to do better than-"

He paused, as an arm appeared out of nowhere, grasping the kunai in its hand. Crimson eyes spun madly, as another Itachi appeared. "A clone?" Kisame growled, only to be interrupted by the arrival of the flaming shuriken. It touched the explosive tag, and that begin to glow a vibrant white.

"Shit-" Kisame tried to say, pulling Samehada up to defend himself. The fiery explosion engulfed Kisame, and sent him flying backwards. He roughly slammed into a nearby branch, a purple bruise forming underneath his robe. He did not wince, however, and pulled himself forward.

Itachi appeared by his side, red eyes filled with a cold malice that would send shivers down the spine of a lesser man. "You continue to use the same strategies over and over again. If you wish to make any progress in this battle, then I would suggest doing something else."

Kisame grinned madly. "Then I'll start to improvise!"

Rearing his fist back, the shark-ninja smashed it into the ground below, chakra enhanced strength forming a crater where his fist landed. The aftershock, shuddering the thick green leaves of the branches, made Itachi falter. Off balance, Kisame roughly shoved Samehada into Itachi's gut, shaving through flesh and bone.

It would've, anyway, if it didn't turn into crows.

Kisame let out an annoyed breath, mouth down turning quickly into a snarl. "Damn him and his fuckin' crows."

He turned his head, eyes narrowing, as Itachi stood across from him, unscathed, and unmoving. Kisame's jaw tightened, as he fully turned to face his opponent, whose emotionless stare was rather annoying.

"You like to run, Itachi. Then you better learn to run faster!"

Kisame blurred through a multitude of hand-signs, before he vigorously yelled, "Water Style: Feeding Shark Frenzy!"

Five sharks burst from the tree, heading straight towards Itachi, who was now fleeing once more. They gnashed and fought with one another for the lead, eyes soulless, but hungry.

Itachi grimaced, as he continued to dodge and weave through the green branches. Where was Kisame getting all this water from? The Uchiha closed his eyes, sending out his chakra feelers. A second later, his crimson orbs snapped open. Tali used a water jutsu? Stupid girl, he had told her not to, under any circumstances!

He resisted the urge to scowl, inclining his head backwards, only to be met by twenty hungry water sharks, gunning for his flesh. Eyes widening a fraction of an inch, he bounded off a branch just in time to dodge being crushed by one of the aquatic beasts.

Kisame grinned, as he weaved through the same hand-signs, and sent out another barrage of his toothy friends This plan would work, he just knew it! The constant barrage would wear out that bastard Uchiha, and then... he would be ripe for the taking, and his body would be discovered in several different places all across the Five Great Shinobi Nations!

Forming another few hand-signs, the shark-nin exclaimed, "Water Style: Water Clone Jutsu!"

Two fully formed versions of Kisame appeared, features matching his down to a tee. "Continue to attack Itachi with Feeding Shark Frenzy!" He commanded the two. They both grinned, sharp teeth glinting slightly in the moonlight that just broke through the leaves of the trees.

Kisame nodded to himself in satisfaction, before leaping off to the side, his two clones beginning to spam the use of his signature jutsu.

Itachi's mouth continued to go downwards, as he leapt from branch to branch, the snap and crash of the one he was just standing on echoing in his ears. He continued onward, feet barely touching the bark as he bounded away from the unrelenting assault of sharks. Ducking under one branch, he grabbed ahold of it on his way, using momentum to swing back around and land on it briefly. Three of the sharks darted underneath him, smashing into the branches in a shower of splinters and water. The droplets continued to fall downwards, seemingly never stopping.

The break was over in less than a second, Itachi leaping away as the branch he just stood on exploded in a shower of wooden shrapnel.

Kisame was freefalling down the tree at a ridiculously fast pace, Samehada being swung left and right as he carved through branches and leaves. His grin almost split open his face, catching sight of The Uchiha fleeing for his life, chased down by a multitude of hungry, ferocious sharks.

Slamming Samehada into the side of the tree, the shark-ninja maneuvered himself towards Itachi, skidding towards his opponent with impressive speed. Catching up to the Uchiha, he pushed himself off the tree with his feet, taking Samehada with him.

Itachi noticed just in time, twisting his body as Samehada almost tore in him half. The maniacal grin of Kisame came soon after, and he swung his mighty blade once more. One of Itachi's hairs was severed off as he leaned backwards, the attack just sailing over him. Landing on a branch, he didn't have time to get his bearing as he was forced to leap off, dodging the continuing assault by the water sharks. He landed on another branch, moving off that one as it was shattered into thousands of wooden pieces and water droplets. Kisame appeared by his side once again, thrusting Samehada forward. The Uchiha moved his lower body to the side, avoiding being skewered by the skin of this teeth. The shark-ninja growled, pulling his fist back and letting loose with a devastating right hook. Itachi ducked, pushing his feet forwards, until they landed on Samehada. With all his might, he sprung backwards, but not before the spines of the sentient sword stuck deep into his feet. Landing against the bark of the tree, he pushed chakra into his arms and legs, sticking to it cleanly. His breath was fast and furious, sweat dripping down his pale brow.

"Over half of my chakra is gone." He thought to himself, panting as he took in the scenery.

Broken branches littered the area, stuck to one another and clinched in a deathly embrace. Leaves, a deep dark green, fluttered downwards, coated in water and cut up by splinters.

Kisame landed on a branch, eyes filled with glee, as he watched Itachi breath slowly. "I told you, Itachi. You can't outlast me! And now, you'll pay for running off like a coward!"

Samehada firmly in his grip, Kisame leapt upwards, teeth open in a feral snarl, eyes bulging with rage and excitement.

Itachi's eyes widened, as he looked up, seeing the two water clones go through hand signs, and letting out two water sharks. His hands darted into his pockets, retrieving a strange looking tag. Kisame got closer and closer with every moment. Samehada was itching for blood, as it quivered, prey in sight. The sharks above, shooting downwards, gnashed their teeth in glory.

Itachi slammed the tag onto the bark, making a hand-sign, and setting it off. There was a tremendous flash of bright white light, Kisame shielding his eyes as he let out a cry of confusion.

This soon turned into a cry of intense pain, as the two water sharks, blind, shot through the white abyss and straight into Kisame, jaws wide. They clamped down, sinking their watery teeth into his flesh, blood pooling from the bite wounds as he let out a enraged roar. One had clamped down on his shoulder, while the other had bitten down on his abdomen. The sharks, and water clones, exploded in a shower of angry water, as their creator was sent hurtling downwards. He smashed and crashed into all manner of branches, the sharpened edges cutting into his skin even further. Blood seeped from the wounds, fresh purple bruises forming on his back. His akatsuki robe, a brilliant black coloured with blood red clouds, was torn asunder. After a few moments of colliding with everything in his path, he smashed roughly into the floor with a tremendous crack, Samehada falling a few feet away, hilt pointing towards the sky. Debris from his fall came tumbling down, slamming into the platform of roots and branches below with thick, heavy thuds.

Soon after, Itachi landed softly in between his fallen opponent and his opponents blade, face emotionless. "You lose, Kisame," he spoke softly, closing his eyes, before opening them again, revealing a mixture of blood red and shadowy black. "Amataras-"

All the breath was knocked from his lungs, replaced instead by thick, heavy water. Eyes widening, the Uchiha quickly clamped his mouth shut, panic ebbing away as he calmed down. He needed to remain calm in this situation.

His brows furrowed. How could he be outsmarted by Kisame!? It made no sense!

"And, just like that," The shark-ninja grinned ear to ear, a deep chuckle escaping from his gaping maw, "The predator has the prey. And you were rather easy to catch." He rose slowly, shrugging off the pain from the cuts and bruises with minimal effort. He admired the shark bites for a moment, running his hands over them, blood tainting his fingertips.

Itachi narrowed his eyes almost imperceptibly, but Kisame's grin grew wider. "During the chaos," he began, smugness evident in his tone, "I created a fourth clone. While I and my other two clones fought you, and chased you down, this one hung back, watching and waiting. During your flashbang trick, my clone swooped in with the replacement technique, switching himself with the real Samehada. My precious blade is somewhere else, but it matters not," Kisame made a hand sign, and a water clone formed, who quickly dashed off into the underbrush to grab the sword. "What matters now, Itachi, is that I have you right where I want you. I'm going to enjoy watching you suffocate, and then tearing your body into tiny, tiny pieces!" On cue, the water clone had returned from the thick cluster of branches and leaves, Samehada in hand and a snarky grin curling on it's lips before tossing the precious sword over to the original. Kisame lifted his free hand, the rough blade meeting directly with his palm before he grasped it firmly, his saw-like teeth being revealed more and more as his smirk grew wider.

Kisame turned his attention back to Itachi, and watched for any sign of emotion from the Uchiha. He made no movement, and simply closed his eyes, face impassive. The shark-ninja cocked his head to the side, droplets of blood falling downwards onto the cracked bark below, staining it crimson. "Nothing to say? Such a shame. It's always better when they scream-"

Five projectiles burst out of the underbrush, moonlight glinting off them as they speeded towards Kisame. He didn't even look at them, bringing up Samehada to deflect them. They bounced off the sentient sword, clattering to the ground below.

Eyes narrowing, Kisame turned his head to the side slightly, a grin overtaking his face. A long black tendril was snaking its way across the ground, writhing and twisting as it headed towards the water clone.

Twisting around, the shark-ninja leapt towards it, Samehada raised high into the air. The tendril was severed in half, splinters of wood shooting up into the air as the sentient blade slammed hard into the ground.

Out of the bushes, a figure leapt out. Fenris, large greatsword shimmering, held the weapon high above his head. He shot towards the water clone, mouth curled into a feral snarl. Before he could reach it, however, the clone reacted first, shoving another hand into the water prison. Itachi was jolted, as the water clone swung prison with all of his might, smashing into the ninja in mid-air, sending him flying back into the bushes with a loud crash.

The real Kisame frowned, teeth bared. "Stay out of the fighting!" He barked towards the clone, who merely nodded in reply, a wide grin splitting his face.

The rustling of bushes nearby snapped Kisame's gaze towards the sound. Kataki stepped out, dark red hair blowing slightly in the wind. Both of his katana were strapped to his belt, hard brown eyes glancing from his sensei to his opponent.

"So you're Kisame Hoshigaki?" He inquired, fingers twitching.

Kisame smirked softly, bringing Samehada up to his shoulder, resting the blade atop it. "And you must be one of Itachi's students."

Kataki licked his lips. "That I am," he replied coldly. He paused for a moment, eyes focusing on Samehada. A smile spread over his face, for the briefest of seconds, before it was replaced with a scowl. "You're one of the legendary Seven Ninja Swordsmen of The Mist, aren't you?"

"A former member, but yes."

"I'm better than you?"

Kisame's face lit up in a manic grin. "Oh? You think so?"

"I know so," Kataki's eyes were as hard as steel, "You're just a washed up whale that swam out of the ocean."

Kisame's brow furrowed in annoyance. "And you're just a stupid brat who doesn't know the pointy end of a sword from its hilt."

The blood ninja's nostrils flared in rage, hands darting towards the hilt of his blades. He gripped onto their hilts, and unsheathed them, the sound molding with the night air. "My sword skills are some of the greatest in the world-"

"But not the greatest," Kisame cut him off, grin widening. "At your age, you couldn't even beat a chunnin with your swordplay, let alone someone like me."

"You dare mock my kenjutsu!?" Kataki growled.

"There is nothing TO mock," Kisame answered, bringing Samehada off his shoulders, and pointing at his opponent, "You're a brat, plain and simple. Your 'sensei'," He spat the word out, like it was some rotten fish, "has been defeated. Now, he gets to watch you die."

"We'll see about that, fish." Kataki snarled, before he raced forward.

His feet barely touched the ground, and yet when they did, they sounded like the beat of war drums. Spinning his body around, he slashed at Kisame's torso with both katana. The sound of sword hitting flesh filled the air, but it was not the shark-ninjas, but his sword. Samehada quivered in bloodlust, Kisame roughly shoving Kataki and his katana back. Rushing forward, the blood ninja's pupils dilated, as he raised both katana just in time to block an overhand strike. He skidded backwards, righting himself quickly. Brown eyes hard, he charged back in, thrusting towards Kisame's chest. The shark-ninja blocked with Samehada once more, their weapons like blurs. With his other hand, Kataki cut sideways towards Kisame's neck. He bent backwards, katana sailing over him, before he righted himself. Pushing forward, he used Samehada to knock one katana out of the way, leaving Kataki's chest exposed. Raising the sentient blade high into the air, he brought it crashing down. Kataki barely dodged, rolling to the side as chips of wood flew high into the air, cracks forming where Samehada struck.

Righting himself, Kataki swung around, blocking another slash from Samehada. The two swordsmen struggled with one another, sweat beginning to drip down Kataki's face, as Kisame's grin grew larger. They broke apart, the blood ninja's breaths ragged, as he held his katana up in a defensive motion. The shark-ninja did not advance, and with one hand, pointed towards Itachi's student.

He ordered him to come back for more.

Hot anger surged through Kataki's blood, teeth bared into a venomous snarl. This fish was insulting his kenjutsu!? Not a chance!

Kataki's blows were fast and furious as he bounded towards Kisame. Every strike was fluid, aimed pristinely at every weak point he could think of. Neck, eyes, heart, lungs, kidneys, everything. And Kisame deflected them all as if he was training with a small child. With every strike Kataki made, he found himself being pushed backwards.

He let out a string of curses under his breath as he swiped towards Kisame's throat, which he blocked with the hulking sentient blade known as Samehada. Why did he tell Kura and Fenris to only display their power, and not actually attack!? Why did he choose to face him one on one!? Damn it!

"This is getting boring," Kisame's voice was chilling, as his foot shot towards Kataki's leg. The blood ninja maneuvered away just in time, before leaping backwards, Samehada's massive weight almost crushing his skull. "And now," he muttered with a sigh, "you begin to run? Then I'll come after you!"

Kataki's pupil's dilated, fear clutching at his heart as the Monster of the Hidden Mist descended upon him. Swinging hard, Kisame almost knocked Kataki flying, the latter just managing to block with both katana. Kataki grimaced, as the weight and speed of the slashes increased with each one. Perspiration ran down his face, muscles aching as he fended off another blow.

The Monster of the Hidden Mist struck once more, Samehada being raised high overhead, before being brought crashing down onto Kataki's katanas. The strike jolted the blood ninja, making his arms shake wildly, as he slipped down to one knee.

"You wanna know the funny thing about all of this?" Kisame asked, as he pressed downward, Kataki wincing in pain.

His grin grew as wide as humanely possible. "I'm not even really trying."

Twisting around, Kisame threw the sentient sword behind him. It shot through the air, dark spines shivering. It sliced through two tendrils of darkness, poised to destroy the water clone, before impaling itself in a nearby branch.

Licking his lips, he turned back around, eyes widening slightly. Kataki raced forward, sword's ready to cut his throat. Kisame ducked, swerving his upper body down and around the slash. Rearing his meaty blue fist back, the Monster of the Hidden Mist slamming it straight into the side of Kataki's head. He exploded in a shower of blood, crimson splashing onto Kisame's face and tattered cloak. Licking his lips, his pointed teeth were tainted with red, eyes searching for Kataki.

He found him in the process of weaving more hand-signs. Cracking his knuckles, he charged forward.

Kataki's pupils dilated, as a meaty fist was flung forward. He just managed to duck backwards, the rush of air gliding across his face. The coolness didn't last for long, replaced with intense pain, as The Monster of the Hidden Mist's knee calm smashing into his ribcage. Blood exploded out of his mouth and onto Kisame's blue chest, the shark-ninja letting out a bark of laughter. Kataki coughed loudly, blood pouring down his chin, brown eyes locking with the white, predatory ones of Kisame.

"It's fun, this," Kisame said once more, bringing his knee upwards with another bone-crunching crash. More crimson shot out of Kataki's mouth, collapsing onto both knees, pain racking his body. "Your sensei is watching you die." Kisame licked his lips with glee, crimson shining on his face. "And he's powerless to do anything!"

The Monster of the Hidden Mist's hand shot out, grip tightening around Kataki's neck, as he lifted him high into the air. He slowly began to squeeze, Kataki's brown orbs filling with fear, as he choked. His katana clanged on the bark below, as he tried to pry Kisame's meaty hand away from his throat. Blood dripping down his chin, this proved futile, as his face began to grown red.

Kisame let out an almost orgasmic sigh, watching the life of another fade before his eyes. However, his small black orbs slid backwards, as Fenris emerged from the bushes. "I'll keep you alive for later," he turned back to Kataki, grinning, before throwing him to the side carelessly. The blood ninja skidded in the bark, coming to a stop as Kisame whirled around. His hands blurred through signs, before he exclaimed, "Water Style: Feeding Shark Frenzy!"

Thrusting his hands forward, three sharks exploded from the bark behind him, their teeth gnashing as they charged forward. Splitting up, two shot towards Kura's last known position, while the other darted towards Fenris.

The watery beast opened its jaws wide, the gaping maw growing closer to the snowy haired nin, as he rubbed at his head. Eyes finally focusing, they snapped to attention, shark gaining on him. With a cry of rage, Fenris swung his greatsword, the blade cutting through the shark's mouth just as it reached him. Water splashed across Fenris' focused race, wetting his clothes and hair. He grunted in annoyance, eyes sliding over to where Kura was last located.

Her voluptuous figure burst out of the underbrush just in time, the water sharks slamming into her location, liquid and wood spreading everywhere in a visceral crash. She landed on her feet, black hair tangled with leaves and twigs, mouth curled into a frown as she gazed towards Kisame. He grinned back, before his feet thudded against the ground. Her eyes widened. He was going for his sword!

Her feet moved on instinct, and in a few strides, she was intercepting him. Fist pulled back, she threw it forward, Kisame ducking with ease. He struck with a fist of his own, The Shadow Mistress bending backwards as the attack sailed over her. Using the momentum of the bend, she brought both of her feet flying upwards, catching The Monster of the Hidden Mist hard in the jaw. His head snapped back as she righted herself, racing forward with a spinning heel kick. His grin never faltered, however, as he skirted to the side, the kick missing wildly. Shooting out with a foot of his own, Kura flipped backwards, narrowly avoiding having a bone broken. He was back on her within a moment, however, knee being brought upwards. He moved backwards just in time, brown orbs hard as she shot forward with an open palm strike. Kisame deflected it with his forearm, sweeping his own leg around to take her off her feet. The Shadow Mistress jumped upward, fist flying forward towards the shark-ninja's face. He blocked with his second forearm. Frowning, Kura shoved her feet against Kisame's abdomen, and pushed off of it. Landing on her feet, her pupils dilated, meaty fist incoming towards her face. Raising both her arms in an x shape, she winced in pain as the blow connected, sending jolts running down her back. Purple bruises forming, she managed to bend back once more to avoid a devastating uppercut. Skirting around another strike, she aimed a kick square at the side of his head. The quickness caught the Monster of the Hidden Mist off guard, slamming roughly into his head with a loud thud. However, to her horror, he recovered quickly, hand grabbing at her foot. Helpless, she let out a loud cry of pain as he threw her to the side. She skidded along the ground for a while, back tearing up with splinters, before she crashed hard into a tree, pain overcoming all of her senses.

Kisame's eyes slid towards Fenris, who was making a mad dash towards Samehada. The shark-nin's white orbs narrowed, as he weaved through hand-signs, "Water Style: Water Shark Bullet!"

Thrusting his hands forward, a snarling water shark ruptured from the bark, flying over Kisame's head as it clamped its jaws open and shut multiple times. Soulless watery eyes shot towards Fenris, the snowy haired ninja gritting his teeth in irritation. Once more, he swung his greatsword, the shark exploding in a shower of water.

Momentarily blinded, Fenris wiped at this eyes, clearing them in time to see Kisame almost reached his prized sword. Rushing forward, his feet slammed into the dirt, greatsword raised high above his head in a bid to end it.

The Monster of the Hidden Mist grinned, yanking Samehada out of the branch with a tremendous crack. He swung it towards the snowy-haired ninja, cutting through the air like a hot knife through butter. Fenris bought his own sword up to deflect, wincing as the impact of Samehada slammed into him. He skidded backwards, boots tearing up the bark as went. He paused, arms aching, as the shark-ninja regarded him with cool, maniacal white eyes.

"Despite all the cuts and bruises," Fenris thought, eyes trailing over injuries, dark purple, with blood seeping out of them, "He's barely even breaking a sweat. We're in over our heads."

Kisame let out a roar of satisfaction, charging forward, Samehada raised high. He brought the blade down with crushing intensity, the scraping of metal on flesh filling the air. Fenris gritted his teeth, The Monster of the Hidden Mist pushing him hard into the ground. Mustering some strength, the snowy haired ninja shoved his greatsword forwards, Kisame stumbling slightly. With a cry of rage, Fenris swung his blade heartily. However, Samehada blocked the blow with a fleshy squish, Kisame's grin never wavering.

Fenris leapt back, eyes narrowed. "I need to find an opening, and quickly!"

The two locked eyes for a moment, predatory white meeting determined grey. With a growl, Fenris bounded forward.

Kisame raised Samehada in a bored fashion, gills flexing. His eyes widened, however, as Fenris reached into his kunai pouch, letting loose a bombardment of the projectiles. The Monster of the Hidden Mist raised his blade quickly, the kunai bouncing off and thunking into the ground.

However, the snowy-haired ninja dashed towards the opening, swinging his greatsword with all his might. The blade slashed across Kisame's abdomen, blood spurting out of the gash and flying onto the floor.

"Fuck!" Kisame hissed, eyes flashing with malice. "You're going to pay for that!"

Fenris' smirk of victory was soon lost, the shark-ninja moving at a speed that he was not able to follow. The crack of his ribs, and the immediate cry of pain that followed erupted into the night air, the hilt of Samehada driven hard into Fenris' chest. Kisame took a step back, raising his sentient blade high above his head. As he was about to bring it crashing down, three figures leapt into the air.

Kisame grimaced, The Monster of the Hidden Mist raising Samehada in a defensive motion, as kunai, made of crimson, barraged him. The three Kataki's grinned, continuing their assault as they flew through the air.

Fenris bit back a curse, pain still jolting through his body. Holding tightly to his sword, he leapt backwards, landing on his feet as gracefully as he could manage. He felt around his chest, wincing in horror. Three cracked ribs. Dammit.

He looked up, Kura's form flashing into view. She threw her fist backwards, before rocketing it forwards. It slammed hard into Kisame's midsection, right into the gash that Fenris' sharpened blade had caused.

There was a moment of silence, Kataki's clones landing silently on the ground behind Kisame. Fenris breathed in ragged, slow breaths, as he took in the scenery. Kura panted heavily, brown eyes sliding upwards. A chill ran down her spine, as The Monster of the Hidden Mist's white, beastly eyes looked down at her with euphoria.

Lifting his large foot upward, Kisame slammed it down, a small chakra wave swimming through the bark below. Kura became unbalanced, her footing being lost as she stumbled, eyes wide. Kataki's clones grimaced, charging forward, katana thrusted towards the back of the shark-ninja.

Kisame slammed Samehada into the ground, weaving through hand-signs as his grin grew wider, "Water Style: Explosive Wave!"

A dome of water erupted from Kisame's form, pushing Kura back with deadly force. She slammed into the ground, ribs shaking painfully, before she rolled backwards onto her feet. Kataki's clones mixed in with the water, a fusion of crimson and blue that soon splashed along the bark below.

Kura's pain-filled eyes glanced upward, the form of Kisame and his water clone rushing through the bushes. The clone, leaves and twigs mangling its blue hair, held Itachi high above his head. The Uchiha had his eyes closed, body relaxed and still. She gritted her teeth. If they didn't reach him soon...

"It takes an incredible amount of chakra to keep a jutsu like that up while moving!" Fenris exclaimed as he ran past her. Kura leapt to her feet, following suit, wincing painfully with each movement.

Kisame's grin wavered slightly, his escape blocked by Kataki, mouth curled into a snarl. "You're not going anywhere!"

"I beg to differ!" Kisame growled back, weaving through hand-signs as he threw Samehada forward. "Water Style: Water Shark Bullet!"

Thrusting his palms forward, an explosion of water formed a shark that sped toward Kataki, jaw's gnashing. He grimaced, the blood ninja leaping to the side, into a large cluster of bushes. The shark smashed into them, splinters of wood and pools of water spraying all over the area. Kisame's grin returned full force as he darted past shattered remains, grabbing and yanking Samehada out of the tree, his clone following closely.

Kura and Fenris didn't pause their pursuit, feet barely touching the ground. Kataki appeared a moment later, branches and leaves stuck in his hair and clothes, dirt caking his face.

"You good?" Kura asked.

He nodded wordlessly, katana gleaming in the moonlight.

Fenris's hand clenched around the hilt of his greatsword, engraved with carvings of all intricate shapes and sizes. "It takes an enormous amount of chakra to hold a jutsu like that while moving," he said through gritted teeth.

"And that's only a clone," Kura muttered, shaking her head.

"That doesn't matter," Kataki roughly cut in, sending a glare in their direction. "Let's speed things up."

"Yessir," Kura mocked with a small salute, although the hardened frown never left her face. Reaching into her pocket, the Shadow Mistress produced a wide array of exploding tags. She let them fly quickly and efficiently, their hissing mixing with the sound of the wind whooshing through the leaves.

Kisame turned around mid-leap, blurring through hand-signs. "Water Style: Feeding Shark Frenzy!"

An array of sharks, glittering aqua, exploded from the bark in front of Kisame. They speared forward, enveloping the explosive tags in a watery hug. They dissipated, water sploshing onto the bark, the tags slapping ineffectively against the tree.

Kura gritted her teeth, as Kisame flipped back around and continued his ascent. "He's going to die if we don't hurry up!" Kataki snarled, rage shimmering in his brown eyes.

"I'm working on it!" The Shadow Mistress hissed loudly, hands weaving through signs, "Shadow Style: Kage Spears!"

Kura lowered her hands until they were close to the ground, running parallel with the shadows of the leaves and branches that twisted and turned. Dark mist floated up from the bark, reforming in her hands, turning into sharpened, obsidian coloured spears.

She let loose, throwing one after the other in rapid fire succession at Kisame. The Monster of the Hidden Mist bit back a curse, leaping to the side. His sentient sword was swung sideways, a multitude of the black spears impaling themselves within the bark silently.

"Blood Style: Blood Shuriken!"

Growling, Kisame raised Samehada once more, just in time to block a massive shuriken made of blood from skewering his body. Samehada shivered as blood coated its bandages and master. Kisame licked his lips, eyes widening once more as another barrage of black spears shot towards him.

He deflected each and every single one with precision and power, Samehada being wielded as if it was light as a feather. The spears thudded into the bark, leaving deep cracks, but nothing more. They came faster and faster, but The Monster of the Hidden Mist maintained his composure, watching as Kataki and Fenris darted off into the branches around them, as he blocked more attacks. He slammed Samehada down briefly, pausing his ascent as he went through hand-signs, repeating once more, "Water Style: Feeding Shark Frenzy!"

His bellow elected five sharks to erupt from the bark, crashing into five of the shadow spears and sending them off course. This did not stop the attack, however, as Kura let loose with five more.

Kisame narrowed his eyes, however, as they went wide, slamming into the side of the tree near him.

A cry of rage snapped him out of his thoughts, hand instantly reaching for Samehada and bringing it up to a defensive position. Fenris, ivory tattoos glowing a light blue, burst from the underbrush, near to the dark, shadowy spears. His eyes were filled with rage, but his mouth was curled into a smug smirk. The Monster of the Hidden Mist's brows furrowed, as the snowy haired ninja turned his greatsword sideways, slamming the blade into the bark so the hilt was pointing outwards. They widened, however, as he placed his feet atop the hilt, pushing off of it like a spring. Flipping through the air, Fenris reached into his kunai pouch, producing one of the sharp knives and slapping an explosive tag onto it. He soon let it fly, towards Kisame's broad chest.

There was a five second delay before explosion of fire and smoke assaulted the Monster of the Hidden Mist. Flames licked at his chest, his voice breaking as he let out a cry of pain. He sped backwards, slamming roughly into the shadow spears. His white eyes narrowed in anger through the pain, as the spears morphed, wrapping themselves around his wide and muscular form, binding him. He struggled ferociously for a few moments, before another figure darted into view. Kataki weaved through hand-signs, exclaiming, "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

A ball of fire exploded from the blood ninja's mouth, searing the flesh and skin of Kisame, who screamed violently in pain. The burst of orange soon disappeared, leaving nothing more than a crispy, charred piece of bark.

Kataki landed on the tree once more, eyes narrowed in confusion. They soon opened in horror, however, as he noticed the trail of water running downwards. "It was a clone!" He cried out, feet thumping against the bark of the tree as he charged upward.

Kura's pupils dilated, as the real Kisame appeared into view, leaping out of some bushes. His hands blurred through signs, teeth glinted with crimson. "Water Style: Exploding Water Shock Wave!"

Opening his mouth wide, The Monster of the Hidden Mist expelled a massive amount of water, crushing everything and everything in it's path. It torrented downwards, taking leaves, branches and bark with it in a destructive path towards Team Itachi.

"Shit!" Kura swore, head dancing back and forth, as she looked for a way to defend herself. Eyes lighting up, she weaved through a few hand-signs, before slamming her palm down onto the bark.

"Kura, quickly!" Kataki exclaimed, landing next to her, and sending a hail of kunai at the oncoming wave. They shattered against the force, the blood ninja's pupils dilating in shock.

"I'm working on it!" She yelled, the sound of rushing liquid looming ever close.

Shadowy tendrils crawled out of her palm, whiplashing towards a bunch of long, thick branches. Scrunching her face in concentration, she began to raise her palm, shadow tendrils sticking to her hand like glue, and pulling the branches towards her.

"This is going to get wet!" Fenris grunted, raising his greatsword for protection.

Kura allowed a smirk to break through her sweaty, concentrated features. "That's what she said!"

Yanking back with all her might, the long, thick branches formed a barricade. "Lace your chakra into the tendrils, quickly!" She snapped.

The two males did as they were told, grasping onto as many tendrils as they could, and pumping chakra into them. The branches took on a light blue glow just as the onrushing waves smashed into them. The sound was deafening, the roar of the water pushing against the chakra enhanced branches. Finally, the wave gave in, splashing over the barricade and down towards the floor below, leaving Team Itachi unharmed.

A few minutes passed, Kura's breathing becoming more laboured, Kataki's mouth curled into impatience, while Fenris' brows were down turned in anger. Finally, the barrage of water ended, and Kura released the branches, the whiplash cutting through the air.

She collapsed onto one knee, sweat pouring down her brow, dirt and blood covering her face.

"Are you alright?" Kataki asked, taking a moment to breathe, bending over and placing an arm on her shoulder. She returned the gesture with a smile.

"I'm fine," she winced, standing and stretching, "that just takes a lot of chakra." Her pools of brown trailed over Kataki's form. "Are you alright? You're hunching over."

"He broke my ribs," the blood ninja stated, frowning deeply, "bastard."

"It seems he broke our ribs, as well," Fenris cracked his knuckles, hefting his greatsword onto his shoulder. "We should move."

"That we should."

The three took one, long second to breathe in. Moonlight glistened off of their sweaty, wet skin, tears and scratches covering their arms and faces. Dirt filled almost every crack in their face, glossed over by perspiration. The wind blew softly, the smell of smoke, charred wood and night itself filling their nostrils. The stars twinkled silently above, the moon an enormous obelisk, slowly falling.

Their second up, they raced forward once more.

---

The three ninja, bodies aching, reached the summit. They landed with a loud thud, eyes alert and wary.

"There," Fenris spoke with venom, greatsword resting comfortably at his side.

Kisame stood defiantly, Samehada resting on his shoulder, teeth alight with a ferocious grin. Blood dripped down his chest in small streams, bruises, purplish in colour, tainting his blue skin. White, predatory eyes widened as his prey came into view. His tattered Akatsuki cloak fluttered lightly in the wind, the dimming darkness of the night sky overshadowed still by the shining, gargantuan moon.

The water clone, Itachi still held high above its head, grinned maniacally.

Kura's eyes flickered towards a flare of chakra, two figures blurring and darting around the area, the clash and clang of metal filling the air. Loud, obnoxious shooting, followed by orange figures in the distance, began to dominate her line of vision. Shaking her head, she turned back to Kisame, who began to speak.

"This is better than I expected!" He exclaimed, "I'm almost happy that my students weren't able to defeat you!"

"Your students weren't on our level," Kataki stated, taking a step forward.

Kisame's eyebrows furrowed. "Perhaps not. But, you're never going to be on my level. And to think, I was only hoping to kill Itachi! But it'll be a lot of fun, ripping his students apart in front of him!"

"I'll disembowel you first!" Fenris bellowed.

Kisame guffawed, broad chest heaving up and down. "You're the ones that are injured here, children. You should've run a long time ago!"

"Like you did? You're nothing but a coward, fish face!" Kataki snarled. Kisame adjusted Samehada, pointing the sentient sword at the blood ninja.

"You really think you're a swordsman, kid? Your kenjutsu skills are petty at best. I've seen dead pigs that are better swordsmen than you ever will be! You might have the edge in your little friendship circle over there, but here, in my territory? You're like a fish out of water."

Kataki sprinted forward, the alarmed cries of Fenris and Utsuro following close behind. His katana shined in the moonlight, brown eyes filled with vengeance. His feet barely touched the ground, a blur across the battlefield as he headed straight for Kisame.

The Monster of the Hidden Mist's eyes gleamed, as the blood ninja leapt high into the air, raising his sword's upwards. With a battle roar, he came crashing down. Kisame's sharpened teeth morphed into a grin, as he sidestepped the Team Itachi member. He landed on his feet, body coiling to swing around. He didn't get the chance, Kisame's meaty fist wrapping around both of his wrists. Kataki's pupils dilated, as the shark-ninja slammed his hands downward, katana sliding into the bark with a loud crack.

"This is what happens when you don't think, brat!" Kisame growled, lifting him upwards. Kataki struggled like a wounded animal, feet ineffectively connecting with the shark-ninja's chest. With his other arm, he gripped tight onto Samehada. "Give me your chakra!"

Swinging the sentient sword, Kataki's whole world exploded into intense pain, as the blade slammed into his side. The cracking of his ribs filled the night air, only to be replaced by the sickening squelch of spines digging into his flesh. Crimson poured out of the blood ninja's already stained mouth, dropping onto the bark below. "I'll finish you off later," The Monster of the Hidden Mist muttered, throwing the broken form of his opponent to the side. As he flew, he passed right by Itachi, a large pool of blood spurting from the gaping wound at the water clone's feet. With a tremendous crash, he tore up bark and wood, coming to a close amongst dust and shrapnel.

Itachi opened his crimson eyes, concern etched in his brows. It soon lifted, however, as he examined the wound more closely. It was deep, flesh having been shaved off completely. Blood was pouring from the wound at an alarming rate, turning the moldy brown bark into a crimson palette of redness. The Rimen clan were lucky, being born with ten times the normal amount of blood in their body. Itachi's eyes slid away from Kataki, and towards Kura and Fenris, alarm contorting their features.

"Son of a bitch!" Fenris swore, his tattoos beginning to pulsate with blue light. He went to dash forward, but Kura's hand grasped at his shoulder. Turning, she gave him a pleading, commanding look.

"Running in there won't do anything, look what happened to him!" She hissed. "We need to play this smart. Go deal with the clone, and let me deal with the walking sushi."

Fenris nodded, greatsword hefted upwards.

Kura stepped away from the snowy-haired ninja, hands moving through signs. Eyes wide, she winced, as she exclaimed, "Niku no Geijutsu: Shokushu O Gensui!"

Her shoulders shuddered, teeth biting down against her bottom lip, brown eyes coloured with pain. Out of nowhere, two tendrils, meaty and thick, burst from her upper back. They writhed in the air, fleshy and gory, shuddering with glee. Kura pointed with one finger towards Kisame.

The tendrils shot forward at an alarming speed, faster than Kisame's eyes could keep up with. His feet had left the ground the moment he'd seen an inch of movement, the uproar of dust and bark being the only remnants of where he had once stood. He landed on his feet, only to be pushed backwards as they came at him again and again.

Samehada shivered with lust, and Kisame grinned. Swinging the sentient sword, it shaved through one of the oncoming tendrils, a piece of flesh twisting and curling on the bark. However, to his annoyance, the tendril reformed, and came at him once more.

"Heh, this girls good," he thought to himself, jumping to the side to avoid being crushed, "cutting through the tendrils won't work, they'll just grow back, larger than ever. I'll need to think of something else to get her down!"

Ducking underneath a swipe from one of the tendrils, Kisame gripped Samehada tight between his fingers. Twisting his body around, he let fly with the sentient blade, straight towards The Shadow Mistress. The Monster of the Hidden Mist followed that up with a flurry of hand-signs, exclaiming, "Water Style: Water Clone Jutsu!"

An exact replica of Kisame formed out of water next to him, grinning ear to ear. The real Kisame readied himself, as the two tendrils shot forward once more to crush him. "Substitution!"

There was a puff of smoke, and Kura's eyes widened. The oncoming Samehada had been replaced with something far worse, the lumbering form of the Monster of the Hidden Mist!

He cocked his meaty fist backwards, ready to strike. He raised her arms up in defense, but her pupils dilated in alarm. Kisame, in mid-air, swung around, fingers dancing through signs, "Water Style: Water Shark Bullet!"

"Fenris, get the water clone!" She bellowed as loud as he could, twisting her tendrils to head towards the clone. However, to her horror, the other water clone had thrown his version of Samehada directly towards her, while grabbing onto the tendrils, keeping them grounded.

Fenris' eyes were filled with hatred and malice, skin burning with blue chakra, mouth forming a feral snarl. Orochimaru was locked in a grievous battle with Kakashi, a wicked dance of steel and ninjutsu. The snowy-haired ninja raised his greatsword, and went to charge.

The oncoming water shark smacked into him head on, knocking the wind out of him and sending him flying. He slammed into the dirt, skidding and sliding as he tore up the bark. However, his skin was not scarred, nor torn. "I need to focus!" He hissed inside his own head, "That could've killed me had it not been for my chakra shield!"

He stumbled back up to his feet, eyes filled with fury. He charged forward once more, towards the real Kisame.

Kisame had landed on his feet, hands blurring through signs before she could react, "Substitution!"

There was a poof of white, puffy smoke, the water clone's Samehada being replaced by the real deal. Kura's eyes widened in alarm, and biting back a curse, she dodged to the side. The sentient sword jammed into the bark where she once stood, The Monster of the Hidden Mist lunging for it, and ripping it outwards. A sadistic grin present on his lips, dried blood cracked against his face, he swung forward.

Kura let out a growl of worry, hands morphing into giant clubs of meat and gore. She slammed the both of them into Samehada, the slapping of flesh on spiny flesh punctuating the air.

Their blows were heavy and powerful, trading them left right and centre, as Kura was pushed backwards. Every strike shook the ground they stood upon, fighting for dominance against one another. The Shadow Mistress ducked underneath a slash from the sentient sword, thrusting forward with her giant club. Kisame stepped backwards, the strike sailing beside him. With his other hand, he let loose a hard punch, only just blocked by Kura, who winced in pain from the blow. Ducking downward, The Monster of the Hidden Mist dodged two more clubbing blows, before swinging Samehada in an upward arc. It carved through the gore parts of Kura's hands, the shadow user letting out a sharp cry of pain. Chakra swam through Samehada, who shivered once more with glee. Before the Shadow Mistress could properly create a counter-attack, Kisame reached forward, and gripped at her throat with his meaty, blue fist. It closed tightly around her neck, air being expelled from her lungs, as she struggled to breathe.

"This is one of my favourite ways of killing someone," he explained mercilessly, looking the girl up and down, "watching the life fade from their eyes as they struggle feebly beneath my grip... it's fun! And this one may just be the sweetest yet!"

However, a frown came over the shark-ninja's faces, white eyes filled with annoyance. "I don't have time to play with my food, though. I'll make this quick."

Kura's pupils dilated, as the pressure began to increase. Much more, she realized, and he would snap her neck clean in half!

She reacted quickly, using her feet to run up his chest. To his shock, she wrapped her legs around his throat, constricting painfully. They morphed into fleshy, gore ridden restraints, the squelching of her feet ringing out across the landscape. She pushed backwards, the flesh restraints breaking away from her legs, her feet lightly touching the ground. Quick as a flash, she thrust her palms forward into the globs of gore and flesh, causing them to expand down and over Kisame's arms. The shark-ninja growled in annoyance, Samehada clattering to the ground, as the flesh embraced his meaty hands and fingers with glee.

Kura panted heavily, eyes sliding over Kisame's shoulder, spotting Fenris as he leapt towards them, greatsword pointed outwards.

"It's a shame," she purred through heavy breaths, "that a man with such a fantastic physique is going to have to die like this." Her eyes trailed up and down his rugged jaw, and bulging abdominal muscles. "But, it's necessary you die. You've been a very naughty boy, after all."

Kisame's mouth upturned into a grin that sent shivers running down her spine, and goosebumps to form on her tanned flesh.

"I know how your jutsu works."

Something flashed in Kura's eyes for the briefest of moments, before it was replaced with a cool, seductive aura. She licked her lips, asking, "Oh, and how does it work?"

"Your jutsu aren't special in anyway. They're just about as powerful as normal earth style, or water style jutsu, right?" His grin continued to widen, teeth stained with crimson causing her to shiver. "You use something else to win your battles: fear. You scare your opponents so witless, make them revile you and your jutsu to an extent they can't fight back anymore. Then, you kill them cleanly and quickly, and dispose of them? I've got all of it so far, right?"

The Shadow Mistress gulped down the lump in her throat, her fingers beginning to quiver. "No, you haven't. You're just an idiot." She kept her voice even. Kisame took a big sniff of air.

"And yet, you're lying. I've got news for you, whore," he leaned in close, their faces merely inches apart, "I'm not someone who feels fear. I am fear!"

With a roar, Kisame's muscles bulged, and he pushed outward. The flesh and gore exploded, sending bits of skin and guts splashing across the bark below. Arms free, Kisame reached out and snatched Samehada.

Kura, reeling back from the blast, could do nothing but let out a impassioned, painful shriek as Samehada slammed into her shoulder, spines digging deep into her flesh. Blood poured from the wound, and she found her vision fading. "Now, your chakra is mine!" The Monster of the Hidden Mist exclaimed happily, tearing the sentient sword away from her shoulder, leaving multiple small holes that oozed crimson. With a weak sigh, she collapsed onto her side, pain lacing through her entire body, face contorted into an unnatural position.

Kisame's mouth widened, as he went to gloat loudly. His eyes slid backwards, however, as Fenris' glowing blue form gained upon him. Twisting his body around, the snowy haired nin sailed right past him, eyes filled with fear. Fist cocked, The Monster of the Hidden mist sent it rocketing forward. It smashed hard into the back of Fenris' head, the cracking of his skull ringing out into the night air. His body immediately slumped as he flew, sliding along the ground face first, until he skidded to a stop, motionless. His greatsword clattered to the floor beside him, useless now.

Kisame surveyed the area, the broken bodies of Itachi's students giving him a warm, fuzzy feeling in his chest.

He turned, white eyes gleaming with predatory victory, towards Itachi. "You see! Your students are all dead now, Itachi! You should've trained them better!"

Crimson eyes didn't glance at the man, instead, they turned to look at the broken form of Kataki, still laying motionless on the floor.

Itachi's mouth upturned slightly.

"What're you smiling at-" the water clone went to ask.

He never got the chance.

Kataki's body disappeared, replaced instead with a puddle of warm blood. A sword shot out from the puddle by the clones feet, stabbing straight through his chest. Shock, engraved into the clone's features, was the last thing it ever did, before it turned into water, splashing onto the ground.

And, along with it, the water prison too.

Itachi burst into action, Kisame's stunned movements giving him time. Reaching into his pouch, and grasping his final exploding tag, he threw it with all his might towards the shark-ninja. Unable to respond in time, the tag went off, showering the Monster of the Hidden Mist with a fiery explosion. Burns, thick and black, dominant Kisame's beefy arms as he skidded backwards, Samehada shivering. His mouth was curled into a snarl of such rage, that he was visibly shaking.

Itachi ignored him for a moment, turning towards his fallen student. He lay there, motionless, eyes closed, breathing soft. Blood covered his clothes and face, painting him in a crimson light. Tattered, torn, bruised and battered, he had managed to save him. They all had.

The Uchiha allowed a small, brief smile to flicker across his face. Using his own injury, Kataki specifically sent a large amount of blood towards the feet of the clone. It took him awhile to muster up enough chakra and strength, but with the use of his Blood Transmission Jutsu, he had freed him. At the cost of his remaining energy, however.

Kataki's eyes fluttered open, tired brown locking with calculating crimson.

"Rest." Itachi spoke softly.

Kataki nodded, and closed his eyes once more.

Itachi turned his attention back towards Kisame, mouth curling down into a frown. He was looking more livid than ever, seething with rage unmatched. This time, he wouldn't be caught.

The Uchiha glanced, once more, at his three defeated students. They had grown to an acceptable level far beyond his expectations at this current point in time. This was good. The plan could be accelerated.

Sharingan spinning, he began his sprint towards his rival.

---

Kura watched, smirking softly, as Itachi engaged in battle with Kisame once more.

"Bastard," she coughed up blood, droplets dripping down her chin and onto her chest, "thanks for the first aid." Her smirk grew into a grin, which grew into a chuckle. "Nah, who am I kidding? I'm not that badly hurt." With her good arm, she reached towards her injury, and placed her hand over it. Gorey flesh soon enveloped the wound, covering it in a thick, pink goop. "It won't heal it at all, but it'll stop me from bleeding out."

Her eyes, bloodshot and weak, began to close. She leaned backwards, coal black hair tained with flecks of crimson. Resting her head onto the cool bark, she sighed. "Looks like it's up to Itachi-sensei to finish this battle off. Will he be able too, though?"

Darkness was swarming around the Shadow Mistress' mind, her thoughts becoming cloudier and cloudier. She allowed a perverted grin to cross her face. "Yeah, he'll be fine. He's the 'great and powerful' Itachi Uchiha, after all. Hm, I wonder what a threesome between myself, fish face, and that studly raven would be like..."

Dirty thoughts embracing her sanity, she slipped into a wild, and wet bout of unconsciousness.

The wind whistled a calm tune, running its fingers through the blades of grass as they swayed to and fro. The frosty tint swam all across the land, painting the trees, leaves a dark green, into a depthful blue. The treeline whispered to each other, telling secrets and the goings on over the world around them. They swung side by side, branches clutching against one another for just the briefest of moments. Wispful clouds glided across the sky, accompanied only by the twinkling stars, and the moon, bright and bulbous, bringing a cool light down upon all it touched.

Rustling punctuated the night air, the bushes shivering as something made its way through them. Three figures stepped out, the light of the moon not reaching their skin, due to the shade the trees provided.

Their eyes were drawn towards the gigantic tree, the monolith of bark and branches stretching high into the nights sky.

"There's our target," One spoke, voice feminine, but steely, "shall we move?"

Another nodded. "Yes," His eyes fixated onto the spurts of fire and water, bursting out of and from the tree. "We must move quickly."

The final person adjusted something on his back, mouth contorted into a grin. "Let's move."

The three figures darted forward, along the grassy plains, and towards the giant tree.

---

So... any ideas who those three figures might be? Things are really heating up now!

Anyway, as said above, a new interactive experience will be coming with WoC. Every week, with every new chapter, I will be posting a poll on my profile, which will allow you to impact the story in some way! This week's one, is this: Which pairing would you like to have a small romantic scene in WoC, once this arc is over? Just a small, sweet little thing that I think you'll all like! The pairings are stated in the poll, so head onto my profile and vote! It will end next week, so get to it! I apologize for any grammatical and spelling errors, please leave a review if you would be so kind (WE'RE ALMOST AT FIVE HUNDRED!), thank you for all of your favourites and follows, and have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night!