TheDarkestShinobi: Super short chapter but nothing else was coming. Expect another soon and I mean it this time, no super breaks. Peace

Chapter Start:

The graveyard was eerily empty. The tombstones were all withered and small, the air cold and crisp howling at the moon above it. The dirt below was cold and hard as no rain had fallen, despite that there was a cloudy mist close to the ground making it hard to see.

Suddenly there was a flash of purple followed by the grunt of a hard landing.

Ayane stood, removing her hand from her leg and twisting her neck to find the place Ryu would have left it. She quickly searched the area, scanning rows and rows of tombs. She worked as fast and as carefully as she could, knowing her being here was against both Ryu's and Hayate's wishes and against Hayate's order. She knew they were in trouble and had a feeling this was needed. Ryu would do the same for her.

She stopped as she seen the glint of light break through the mist. It was dark out and the only source of light would be what she had been looking for all along. She let out a breath as she found it and fell to her knees before reaching out to it. It brought back so many memories from her first missions with the Dragon ninja. She used her fingers to wipe he dirt away and stood not taking her eyes off of it. Looking away into the distance she nodded once and jumped up, disappearing in another small flash and leaving the graveyard as it was.

.

Saji had kneeled before Satoshi's body quickly paying his respects before standing again and rushing to Satoshi's father. The father turned away from him and looked to the two fighting.

"Listen to me Saji, I do not care if this village burns to the ground, he" At this point he thrusts his arm and hand towards the two fighting. "does not leave this fight alive!" Saji took two steps in shock. He looked towards their burning village which could still be saved.

"But sir, the-"

"It's an order Saji."

Saji looked towards the burning village and nodded once; he turned and directly faced the combatants below him. The fire lit up his hardened features as he watched the other two below him. He knew the village could be saved but more importantly the sole remaining Dragon needed to be slain. He swallowed the saliva in his throat and nodded again.

"I understand."

.

Ryu jumped back and kicked his legs out; he felt one of them connect with the other and flipped in the air to land on both his feet while she staggered back a few steps. She drew her tanto up in a similar stance and let out a scream as she charged him. He blocked her sword strike with ease but not her two kicks afterwards. He staggered this time and she vanished before his eyes. He gasped then as he felt her strike through him and felt to his knees. Kasumi then turned back and kicked him in the side of the head.

He flew into a nearby tree. He turned enough so that the impact was in his side and he broke a few ribs instead of his head or back where he would be dead. He reached his hand out looking up as he struggled to get up. He then heard the footsteps and braced himself.

"Are you going to deny me any longer Hayabusa?"

He coughed up blood and she grabbed his collar pulling him to his feet.

"You have shown you will not seriously hurt this woman! Why will you let yourself be beaten this way!" Receiving no response she dropped him and placed a foot on his chest below his neck. She pointed her tanto at him. "Will you receive death instead of power?"

Ryu grabbed her foot with both of his hands and twisted it hearing a cry rip through her lips. He brought his hands to the ground by his neck and flipped upwards, she didn't block the two punches to her chest but as soon as he rose a leg to kick her she jumped on it and kicked him. He grabbed her foot and tossed her aside but he could feel his chest pounding.

She was winning and it was all because he couldn't bring himself to kill her.

Not while she was in Kasumi's body.

He took a deep breath and fell into his stance, she charged him and it took him a second too long to realize what she was doing. A battle cry was heard over the crackle of the fire and the gasps of his breaths and Ryu felt two hands on his shoulders before Kasumi reached him.

"Bitch!"

Kasumi felt her shoulders being smashed and then a leg wrapped around her neck before flinging her a few feet away. The purple clad ninja landed into a roll and stood up before looking to the Ninja before her.

"Ryu sama!"

She ran up to him and placed her hands on his chest to prevent him from falling forward and he let out a small breath as he grabbed onto her shoulder and placed his body between the two women.

"Ayane, thank you, but I cannot let you fight her. This is my battle, where my karma lies."

"That's how it's always been, hasn't it?" She smiled up at him before reaching into her pouch and pulling out the gem. He placed his hand over hers and nodded once. She took a few steps back and he spread his feet and drew his sword from its sheath.

"No!" Kasumi yelled as she got up. She held her hand over her stomach and glared at the other kunoichi. She sprinted forward as Ryu brought the sword and the gem together before she was thrown back by a purple flash as they met. Ayane raised her hands to block it and was pushed back a few feet.

Ryu felt the power surge through him as he united the gem and the sword. He felt the pulse being released and watched Kasumi being thrown back, she grabbed onto the grass below her with one hand as the other brought up in front of her face. She screamed out in frustration as she was pushed back a few more feet. Ayane bent her legs further and covered her face with her arms. Kasumi rolled before scrabbling to her feet. Suddenly Kasumi jerked and stood still, her body crumbled beneath her.

Ayane ran to the body of her sister and caught it just before it hit the floor as the ninja behind her jumped into the air. Ayane followed him with her eyes but she could see no evil presence. She looked back to her sister and up to the burning village above her. The war would never happen now; there was hardly a village left.

Ayane felt for a pulse or a breath but there was none, her sister was gone. She ghosted her hand over her face, pausing to close her eyelids. She felt empty. It surprised her seeing how she had hunted her and wanted her dead but now that she was…. Well that wasn't what she wanted at all. She had to help her, she just couldn't be… dead. She pushed on the girl's chest before feeling a cold shiver, she looked up to see a ninja jumping way above them. Narrowing her eyes she sent two connected kunai towards him before he could make it over them. He landed a few feet away with it in his hands and Ayane stood letting her sisters body lie on the floor.

"What do you seek?" She bit out as she crossed her arms in front of her and widened her stance slightly. The other ninja tossed her weapon in front of her and she watched it without taking her attention off of him like he hoped she would. He waved his hand as to dismiss her.

"I have business with the Hayabusa ninja, not you."

Saji spared a glance at Kasumi's body and grimaced before looking onto the other. He hated that he had affection for the traitor so he just shifted that hatred toward the Mugen Tenshin trash. She lowered her body and spread her legs while her arms settled with one out towards him and the other close by. Her eyes narrowed as the other narrowed his. She tilted her head slightly.

"I'm afraid I can't allow that."