Yo!! Finally got a chance to update the story. I seem to be having a hard time staying ahead of my updates. At least for this story. It's kind of hard balancing College Work and the fics, but I'm not quitting on them just yet. Not now, not ever. So Read and Review.

Chapter 37: The Rise of the Phoenix.

Satoshi and the others that were traveling with him ran down the hall, thinking they were getting closer to Tyson. They then felt some strong chakra, and it stopped them in their tracks.

"What!?" Satoshi said, as Koji narrowed his eyes. "This chakra. It's her chakra." Koji said. "Huh?" Satoshi asked, as Kai made handsigns. "Byakugan!!" His eyes gained those veins of power, and his vision began to look for the chakra. His vision tracked the location, and what he saw surprised him. Kasumi had this red chakra that flowed off her like fire.

"Her chakra. It's different." Kai said, and Ryoji narrowed his eyes. "What does her chakra look like?' Ryoji asked. "It's like fire is flowing from her." Kai said. "She must be the last Phoenix Spirit." Ryoji said, and the others looked to him, surprised.

(Battlefield)

Kabuto started things off by charging Kasumi. Kasumi spun on her right heel, and tried a wicked fast heel kick. Kabuto ducked under it, and thrust a chakra powered palm at Kasumi, who brought her other foot up to block it, and both held that stance.

(No way…that's something I would've expected from Tyson, but not her…) Kabuto thought to himself, as he hopped back, pulling out 20 senbon. Kasumi didn't let him get a chance to attack. She ran at him, and disappeared. Kabuto pulled out abother set of 20, and tossed them all over the battle arena, but he couldn't hit what he couldn't see. He looked around, and his eyes narrowed. He turned, and slammed his palm into Kasumi's stomach, as she appeared behind him.

"!?" She exclaimed, and Kabuto glanced at the ground. "There's no way I can track your movements, and I don't have the luxury of wasting my chakra to find you, so I used that chakra of yours against you." Kabuto said, and Kasumi's eyes widened.

"You remember those first senbon I tossed at you. Those combusted before they even touched you, and I didn't feel your chakra flare even the slightest. But that kunai made it flare up just the smallest. That chakra of yours is what I was going to use against you before this fight even began." Kabuto said, as him and Kasumi looked around the battle arena.

"See those charred senbon? Those are from where you were. The one right under me is the one that told me you were right behind me." Kasumi narrowed her eyes. "So then, I'm going to finish you now." Kabuto said, as he tried to strike her again. She managed to dodge, and headbutted him.

Both nin shot back from the attack, and Kabuto clutched his head, as Kasumi got back into a fighting stance, blood flowing down her head. Kabuto didn't bother to heal himself. "That was unexpected. I thought the area I hit connected to your limbs. You shouldn't be able to move arms or legs." Kabuto said, and Kasumi frowned. Her arms, now that he noted, were limp, and she couldn't move them.

(Hm. I must have hit her too low. Only her legs were affected…) Kabuto thought to himself. (She is still dangerous though.) Kabuto got back into his stance, and before he was ready, Kasumi ran at him with blinding speed, and kicked him dead in the jaw, sending him flying backwards. Kabuto launched off the wall, and tried to attack her, but she managed to dodge some strikes before she counter attacked.

(Man. I know my Taijutsu is not the best, but it's not that pathetic that she can fight without her arms…) Kabuto thought to himself as he flew back from another kick. Kabuto hopped to his feet, and created a chakra blade using his right hand. He then hopped towards Kasumi, ready to attack her.

Kasumi hopped back, and Kabuto slashed at her. She didn't seem fazed, but the front of her shirt had a tear. (She didn't flinch? Not in the slightest?) Kabuto thought to himself. "Well. This is not good." Kabuto muttered. Kasumi's arms seemed to be working again, and Kabuto was sure that she would have a serious advantage over him. (Unless I tire her out.)

Kasumi was confused when Kabuto made some hand seals, and brought his hand together. Kasumi didn't feel anything happening, but Kabuto dropped the seal, and got back into his stance.

Kasumi thought that he was strengthening himself, but when he began to disappear, along with feathers coming from the sky, she realized it was a Genjutsu. She broke the Genjutsu, and was surprised that Kabuto was gone. She looked around, and brought a kunai up to block the sword that the unknown assailant was using.

(This isn't Kabuto. Who is this?) Kasumi thought to herself, as another nin shot at her, forcing her to block. Kasumi then hopped away to dodge a third assailant. "Where are these guys coming from? They have no chakra." Kasumi muttered, as she was surrounded by the three. "This is a bad situation…"

(Kai and the others)

Kai was using his Byakugan to watch the fight as him and the others were getting closer and closer to where Kabuto and Kasumi were. "Kabuto did something. There are three people attacking her, but they have no chakra in them at all." Kai said. "What?" Satoshi asked. "Kabuto must be using his Dead Soul Technique to stall her." Koji said, and Satoshi frowned.

"What is that?" Satoshi asked. "He injected some of his chakra into dead corpses, reanimating them." Kai said. "That's dark." Ryoji said. "He is going to kill her if we don't hurry." Kai said, and everyone picked the pace up.

(Battlefield)

Kasumi was fighting the three nin that wouldn't seem to die with some problem, as Tyson was slowly coming to. "What?" Tyson looked around, and everything looked a little bleary. (Right. Kabuto totally owned my ass.) Tyson thought to himself, as the sound of Kasumi beating the weird nin down.

(Good. She's still alive…) Tyson thought to himself. He sat up, and saw that Kasumi had been stopped by senbon to her legs, stunning her. Kabuto charged at her, and looked like he was shooting to finish her off. Tyson reacted before he even thought. He didn't know that he could move, but his movement saved Kasumi's life, like he had intended before Kabuto beat him.

Kasumi and Kabuto both thought that she was dead. She had been paralyzed by the senbon, and his chakra blade was going to run her through. So when Tyson appeared, stopping the hand with the blade before it ran through her head, both were surprised.

The blade was made of the same chakra that his Chakra Scalpel was made of, so it didn't slice his hand through. Tyson couldn't feel the chakra in his hand. In actuality, he couldn't feel anything anywhere in his body. The blade pierced through his head, and Kabuto looked surprised.

"How are you still conscious? My blade ran through your head, most likely through your brain." Kabuto said. Tyson said nothing, but when his flame charged fist ran through Kabuto's gut, he knew something was wrong. He flew back and hit the wall hard, and slumped. He looked to Tyson, but what he saw stunned him. Tyson was conscious, but unconscious. His eyes weren't focused on anything.

"He isn't conscious…" Kabuto muttered. Tyson then fell down, and Kasumi caught him. "I hate to say this, but his chances aren't great. I slashed through his brain. If anything, he might be dead now." Kabuto said. He wasn't saying this to provoke a reaction. It was merely a fact. Sadly his words caused her chakra to flare up violently. "You bastard!!" Kasumi yelled, and Kabuto narrowed his eyes. "I didn't strike him intentionally…" Kabuto said, but she ignored him, charging to kill.

Kai and the others bust through the door just when Kasumi charged Kabuto in blind rage. "Tyson!" Kai yelled. Tyson's chakra network in his head and right hand were non-existant.

"While Kasumi is attacking him, we need to get Tyson. There is no chakra at all circulating through his head." Kai said, and Koji's eyes widened. "Something's wrong with Kasumi." Satoshi said. "She isn't in the right state of mind." Ryoji said, and Koji's eyes narrowed.

(The phoenix!) Like Koji thought, the phoenix had taken control of Kasumi in her rage, and was zeroing on Kabuto. (If she was hard to fight a little while ago, she's impossible now…) Kabuto thought to himself. The only thing preventing him from getting outright beaten was the fact that she was attacking in a blind rage. Her moves were easy to track, but they were so fast that it countered that easy tracking pattern.

Kabuto tried to slash her, but she hopped back, and made lightning fast hand signs. "!?" Kabuto was caught off guard, and 15 flaming birds appeared over her head. "The handsigns she made were so fast…" Kabuto muttered, as she pointed to him, and the birds charged. Kabuto hopped, and the birds followed him.

(Those things must be able to track….) Kabuto thought to himself, as a couple of them dive bombed, and exploded. The shockwave caught Kabuto, but he landed okay, negating any damage. But he got showered by the rest of them, creating a large scale explosion that shook the entire tower.

Kai and Satoshi landed outside the tower just fine, and Koji had Tyson. "That was intense! Kasumi could have killed someone." Satoshi said. "I think that was the point, genius…" Koji said.

"Kabuto and Kasumi aren't in my visual range anymore." Kai said, and Koji and Satoshi looked at him confused. "What?" Satoshi said. They both then looked up, as Satoshi blocked a punch. "Kasumi!?" Satoshi asked, and she glared at him.

"What do you think you are doing with Tyson?" She asked. "It's us!!" Koji yelled. "The only one I know is Tyson." Kasumi said. "She isn't in the right mind. The will of the Phoenix is overriding her human side." Kai said, as Kasumi tried to attack Koji, but Satoshi intervened.

"You may have to knock her out." Koji said. "What? You want me to beat Kasumi up?" Satoshi asked, as she kicked the hell out of him. "I don't think she'll give you a choice…" Koji said. Like Koji said, Kasumi charged Satoshi before he was ready.

Satoshi's Tarogan was the only thing that helped him keep up with her movements, but she was still moving faster than he could keep track with. Koji saw how the fight was going, and his eye narrowed. (Her demon is strong. Really strong. She's giving Satoshi a beating.) Koji thought, as he set Tyson down.

"Otouto is useless…" Koji said, as he flashed behind Kasumi, and knocked her out. "What the!?" Satoshi asked, and Koji sighed. "You took too long. I was getting bored." Koji said. "Bastard…" Satoshi said. "Come on guys. Let's get Tyson back to The Leaf Village." Kai said. Satoshi picked Kasumi up, and Koji grabbed Tyson, and they took off.

(Different side of the tower)

"That was not expected…" Link said, as Scar had Zaku, Kin, and Dosu tied up with chakra jamming rope. "I didn't think the whole tower was going to be leveled as well…" Scar said, as he sheathed his two swords. "Why did you leave your zanbato back in Leaf?" Link asked. "I didn't. I got rid of it. I learned to fuse Kamikiri Maru and Karugane Maru into a giant blade even stronger." Scar said. "I see." Link said.

"If you are done, we are hungry." Zaku said, and Link smirked. "Prisoners don't talk." Link said. Him and Zaku never got along. "Want to try that again, bastard?" Zaku asked. "Scar. Let's go. I'll take Dosu and Kin. You can get ol bird head." Link said, enjoying this moment of superiority over Zaku. "You know he's going to fight you next chance he gets." Scar said. "Yeah. And I'm looking forward to it."

(Another different side of the tower)

Kabuto was in the forest, various burn marks littered his body. (The fact I made it out alive is a treat in itself.) Kabuto thought to himself. He should have died, but he managed to survive the attack and the tower's destruction.

"I wonder where the others went." Kabuto looked up, and in the distance a boy was walking. "Satoshi, Koji, and Kai were near me when the tower exploded, so how did they lose me so easily?" He muttered to himself.

"I know you are over there." Kabuto stiffened, and the boy smirked. "You are in my Aura Dome. I can scout people out using it. Reveal yourself." Kabuto frowned, as he showed himself, hands up defensively.

"I mean you know harm. I am just passing through." Kabuto said. "Don't feed me shit, Kabuto Yakushi. Your head isn't the easiest to miss." The boy said, and Kabuto frowned. "You are fortunate. You and Orochimaru are against Akatsuki, so turning you in would hurt me." Kabuto narrowed his eyes.

"What?" Kabuto asked. "You don't know it? I am the third Nine Tailed Beast." Kabuto's eyes widened, and the boy smirked. "An enemy of my enemy is my friend, and for now you are a friend." He said, before he turned away. "But know this. I am a bounty hunter by trade. When Akatsuki is gone, you and your leader are going to help me retire." He said, before he disappeared. Kabuto said nothing. Just put his glasses back on, and heads in the direction of the Sound Village. (A third nine tailed beast. That will make things interesting.)

(With the others)

"Hey guys." Ryoji said, as he found the others halfway near Konoha. "Where were you, dude?" Satoshi asked. (He was outside my visual range, and he all of a sudden appears out of nowhere? My eyes can see someone using Body Flicker, but he didn't show up at all…) Kai thought to himself.

"Enough chatter you guys. Let's get Tyson and Kasumi home." Koji said, and Satoshi cheered. "Yeah!! Tyson's going to get up, and he's going to be sorry for fooling me!!" Satoshi said.

ShadowRonin: Alls well that ends well. The good guys still live, the bad guys still live, and there aren't any serious casualties. Well, cept for Tyson, but I doubt he'll die. He's got more things that need done.

Next Chapter: Tyson wakes from his coma, as the others take a day to chill. The arc reaches halfway in:

Chapter 38: For The Ones We Love.