Yo!! Blade has been felled, but that doesn't mean the end. Raven's turn is next, and you know damn well he won't stop until he wins. Let's see if he can pull it off.

Chapter 20: The Engulfing Darkness: Part 2: A Half-Demon's Sword, and a Shadow's Shield!!

Raven unsheathed his dark blue Fenrir sword, and pointed it at Kirikiri, who was smiling childishly. "Hope your attack is sharp enough to pierce me." Kirikiri said, smiling. (What? Sharp enough?) Raven thought to himself.

"Don't be smart, squirt. If a sword is coming, then no kind of chakra could possibly stop it from cutting even a tad bit." Raven said. "You sure, Demon-kun?" Kirikiri said, and Koji frowned. He then hopped from his tree, and charged.

He slashed, and his blade hit home, but his eyes widened. Blood flowed, but Kirikiri looked excited. "You didn't make your blade sharp enough, Demon-kun." Kirikiri said, and Raven's eyes were wide. (I slashed her, I know I did!! Then why…) The blood was flowing down Raven's hand, and along his hilt. Raven hopped back, and frowned.

"Damnit. What the hell was that?" Raven muttered. (That attack didn't do anything, but cut myself. How the hell did she do that?) Raven thought to himself. "Come on, Demon-kun! I know you are stronger than that!" Kirikiri said, smiling brightly. Raven frowned, and charged again, and the same thing happened.

He slashed at her, and he was the one who got hit. Raven cursed and tried to think this through. He then activated his Sharingan, and charged again. (She has to be using some kind of jutsu. My Sharingan should be able to figure her out!) Raven thought, as he charged one more time.

Like last time, he slashed, she was hit, he felt the cut, and shot backwards. When Raven landed, he looked like he couldn't believe. (There was no fluctuation of chakra as though it were a jutsu. Then that means!?) Raven thought in his mind.

"You have been using nothing more than your chakra to block my strikes…" Raven muttered outloud, as he looked at Kirikiri. "My. You figured me out, Demon-kun." Kirikiri said, smiling. (But figuring her out doesn't do me any good if I can't do anything about it.) Raven looked seriously confused.

"What can I do to attack her if all my strikes get reflected by her chakra pressure?" Raven asked himself quietly. "My turn to attack, Demon-kun?" Kirikiri asked, and Raven glared. "Guess I have to play defense for this fight." Raven said, as Kirikiri unsheathed her sword.

"Hope you survive!" She said brightly, and Raven could feel the chakra in the air. (No way. The pressure she's exerting! It's unreal!!) Raven thought to himself. Kirikiri swung, and a large concentration of chakra shot out of her sword. "What!?" Raven screamed, before the chakra attack engulfed him, blasting him. (She shot concentrated chakra at me? Without using any hand signs?) Was the last thought Raven had before he flew.

Kirikiri sheated her sword, and looked at the destruction. There were trees that left a nice little path of destruction from where her attacked went. She followed it, until she came to where her attack seemed to not be as strong, and didn't see Raven anywhere. "Hm. Demon-kun isn't here. Wonder where he is…" Kirikiri said, as she looked around.

Raven was resting under a tree, some distance away. That last attack did some kind of damage. He couldn't feel his left arm, he had all sorts of chakra induced burns on his body, and he had to use some of his chakra to activate his Frosty Eye so he could keep his body from getting infections from the cuts on his person.

"I can't take her at this time. My attacks are all about precision and striking. They are useless against that kind of barrier. I need some kind of attack that is all force." Raven muttered to himself. He tried to stand, but felt his legs begin to give way.

"Ng. I'm in no condition to be moving anywhere." Raven muttered to himself. "Pup. This looks pretty serious. Do you have a plan?" "Thought it was quiet. Where have you been, Fang?" Raven asked himself. "Nothing of interest has been happening as of late. Decided to just sit back and observe." Fang replied. "Nice. But I have no idea as how to attack her." Raven muttered.

Before he could get an inquiry from Fang, he felt some powerful chakra approaching him. He looked up, and a beam of chakra was flying at him. ­(What!? She found me already!?) Raven only had one choice, and he hoped that he could get it to work.

Kirikiri walked towards the area she launched her attack, and was surprised to see that Raven was gone yet again. "He really knows how to dodge an attack when it matters, that Demon-kun." Kirikiri muttered to herself, before her ninja senses began to go off.

She turned, as an Ice Mirror appeared behind her, Raven launching out of it with his right hand engulfed in icy chakra. "Die!! Frosty Slash!!" Raven screamed, as he shot out of the mirror, Sharingan blaring. Kirikiri chuckled, and released a blinding light using her chakra.

The flash caught Raven off guard, and he didn't get a chance to shield his eyes. So basically, he was blinded by the attack. Raven fell to the ground, writhing in pain, and rubbing at his eyes.

"Damnit!! My eyes!! I can't see!!" Raven screamed in pain. "I imagine you are blind, Demon-kun." Kirikiri said, and Raven tried to open his eyes, and he couldn't see a thing. "Normally it would only blind for a little while, but because Sharingan eyes are so perceptive and sharp in their vision, the light will be 5 times as powerful, blinding you for the rest of your natural life." Kirikiri said, and Raven felt his blood run cold, before he was hit by another beam of chakra.

"This isn't any fun anymore. A weakened enemy doesn't fight all that well." Kirikiri said, as Raven felt his consciousness begin to fade. (Is this it? Do I really die like this?) Raven thought to himself, as he felt the end coming. Before he lost all knowledge of the living, he heard what sounded like an explosion, but he felt no heat in the surrounding area, just a lot of dust.

Kirikiri barely avoided the attack that leveled the earth. (Who attacked?) Kirikiri could feel the new comer's chakra, but because of the dust, she couldn't see. When the dust began to dissipate, Kirikiri could see the outline of something huge.

When she could get a clear view of the image, what she saw was a giant blade, about as big as a building, resting in the ground, blade side down. She looked up at the hilt, and was surprised to see another girl with pink hair holding Raven.

(What's this? Another person?) Kirikiri thought to herself. Then right in front of her eyes, the giant sword morphed into a silver slug, and the girl slid down it. When she landed, the slug poofed away, and the girl set Raven down next to a tree. "You are one of Raven's friends?" Kirikiri asked.

"Are you one of the nin who works for someone named Krad?" The pink haired girl asked. "I am. I'm his Number 3, Kirikiri." She said, as the pink haired girl smirked. "I am Sakura Haruno, the one who will defeat you!" Sakura said, pointing at Kirikiri.

ShadowRonin: Yeah. Raven has been put into a bind, and things look grim for him. But with Sakura there to help him, will she be able to help Raven, or will she be defeated as well? Well, only I know, and you will next chapter.

Next Chapter: Team 7 has always been known as a heavy combat team. Most balanced of the 3-man-cells, Team 7 is strong in all forms. They are now put to the test. Sasuke faces off with Orochimaru, Sakura faces Kirikiri, and Naruto faces off against whomever pisses him off. Can Team 7 win? Find out on:

Chapter 21: Engulfing Darkness: Part 3: Trials of Team 7!!