The primary barrage of explosions rang throughout the area relentlessly; the air suddenly becoming heavy with a deadly concoction of smoke and shrapnel. Splinters whistled shrilly as they tore through flesh, bone and bark alike, with no regard of the path they took. The once dark realm lit up wildly, so bright in fact the light could have been mistaken for flashes of lightening in its purest of forms. First, flashes of white appeared. Then tones of orange soon bled into the once pale light setting the sky alight whilst flames ravaged anything and anyone that was unfortunate enough to be nearby.
The ground quivered momentarily before throwing the group back viciously, their bodies colliding against the hard, damp floor with such force that the impact stole the very breath from their lungs. Had it not been for Itachi, Reina's fall could have been a lot worse than it had been. Wide-eyed in shock Reina stared at the event that was unfolding before them; the fire that had greedily lashed out at them now simmered as thick smog enveloped the area sinking into every pore possible. Yet the most debilitating thing was the unyielding shriek of tinnitus that filled her ears and seemed to seep into every square inch her head had to offer.
Instinctively Itachi cradled Reina beneath him, his arms sheltering her from the straggling debris that continued to rain on them. Ash snowed down upon the land, a far distant cry from the crisp white snow of the previous winter months. Sasuke however, despite being thrown to the floor by the sheer force of the blast, found the situation vaguely familiar. The scent of burnt clay blended with that of the charred wood, the smell unearthing a forgotten memory in Sasuke's mind.
Before Sasuke could alert everyone who their attacker was another explosion ignited amidst the growing chaos. Wave after wave of small explosions bombarded the group, they managing to take shelter behind nearby trees waiting patiently as the barrage began to dissipate before all became quiet on battlefront. The atmosphere was stifling, every breath Reina took felt like she was suffocating, her chest tightening as the smoke entered her lungs. Itachi, like his brother, had an inkling of the identity of their mystery assailant: the bombs, the lack of short distant combat, and not to mention the somewhat dramatic flair to the rhythm of the volley.
Shisui on the other hand had other thoughts racing through his mind. Should Itachi engage in combat, the last of his qi would deplete…trapping him here for good. With his own dark orbs now flaring crimson Shisui stared at Itachi, shaking his head when his eyes began to bleed into the sharingan. It must have been an inherited trait as Sasuke too recalled key information despite the danger that lay at their feet; should Reina be involved in any sort altercation, her body that lay in hospital would pay the toll.
The odds were not in their favour despite their numbers outweighing that of their opponents.
"Come out, come out wherever you are un! I know you're there un! I can practically smell the infamous Uchiha arrogance un. Not to mention that pretty little whore of yours un!" Deidara's voice echoed throughout the forest clearing, his intent vibrantly clear whilst a small chortle susurrated after his syllables. No one moved. Suspense laced the air alongside the smoky residue that had begun to disband from the clearing. They were running out of time. They needed to find their way back before it was too late.
They had no time to waste.
No words were exchanged between the group, one could blame the indenture since they were all linked indefinitely. But they knew they were travelling on borrowed time: two of them were technically dead, one was dying the longer they resided there and the last was attracting vermin too terrible to speak of due to the qi that flowed through his body - the odds were not in their favour. Yet they had no choice, if they ran, he would follow.
Sasuke and Shisui were the first to leave the shelter of the trees, weapons poised and ready to act at the slightest movement. Reina inhaled deeply to settle her stomach, her eyes momentarily meeting with Itachi's; they did not speak they simply smiled briefly before following in Sasuke and Shisui's footsteps. A quiet breeze blew across the pathway, dispersing the remnants of the smoke that resided between the opposing forces. Yet when the smoke and remaining embers settled Reina's stomach dropped at the sight before her eyes. Her throat became parched as fear replaced adrenaline; her head became fuzzy whilst her heart ran at an insane pace. Hoarsely, three words passed her lips.
"It's a trap."
As if on cue Deidara smiled wickedly, the gesture contagious as the Shikome that stood either side of the young blonde grinned viciously, their gnarled teeth protruding from the lines of their thin lips. They were the Yomotsu-shikome, the ugly women of the underworld, the haggard handmaidens of Izanami herself. The Yomotsu-shikome had pursued Izanagi throughout Yomi, their splintered fingernails constantly clawing at the fine silk of his kimono. They were rotten to the very core. Serpentine tongues swept across the canyon like wrinkles of their lips whilst sockets where their eyes should be, stared with a vacant hunger that was animalistic in nature.
"Now we can do this the easy way…or the hard way. Not to be cliché or anything but I believe we have unfinished business so by all means choose the latter." Deidara coaxed dangerously, a glint flashing in his singular azure orb. He was toying with them. This time around it was Deidara who tipped the power scale; he had the supernatural aiding him whilst in turn he aided the ghouls that belonged to the supernatural world.
Sasuke was the first to draw his weapon- the kusanagi sword. Upon seeing the infamous relic the Shikome huddled themselves together muttering lowly to one another in hushed tones. The group exchanged glances, all were poised for battle; their feet planted firmly yet balanced should they need to scatter. Deidara furrowed his brows at the hags lack of offensive grace; upon meeting them he was told he would be heavily rewarded should he choose to help them- and yet they did nothing.
The silence was deafening. Another barrage of explosions would be welcomed as opposed to the soft cries of the wind that moaned through the trees. Reina's eyes never left the disgruntled form of the Shikome, they were vicious and ruthless and she knew all too well of what they were capable of. Images of the mirrored hall came flooding back all at once. The reveries felt so real, she could feel the watery hands of the Ungaikyo grasping around the pale and bruised skin of her throat; it squeezing any stray gasps of air that attempted to pass her lips.
Itachi momentarily tore his eyes from the hags and Deidara, they landing on Reina's ghostly form. Gently he took her hand in his, lacing their fingers and squeezing ever so softly to rouse her from her self-inflicted stupor. Reina feeling the gesture snapped herself from her horrors, her eyes wide and her lips ajar in a quiet fear. She breathed deeply to calm herself whilst pushing any sort of thought of the Ungaikyo from her mind.
When the Shikome finally finished their private conversation they smiled once more, Shisui instinctively draw his katana alongside Sasuke- things did not bode well with him. Deidara wrinkled his nose in dismay he did not like the lack of cooperation from the hags. Parting his lips the young blonde attempted to speak only to be cut off by the shrew voices of the Shikome, they speaking in perfect unison.
"We will spare you. If you hand over the blade and girl."