Just as promised, here's the second chapter of the double update. I believe I said everything in the previous A/N, so before starting this next one I'll only ask you to give me stories at FictionPress a try (told I won't stop until you do XD).

A word from our beta

Well, I have nothing else to say, except that I plan to update my story soon…that is, whenever I get a chance. I already have several ideas on how my story will go. Well, that's enough for me advertising…Now…take it away, Shang!

Let's get this show on the road:

Chapter #110: Hate – Takai's Story part IV

Title Page: out front stands Takai with his scythe on the back and his arms crossed, on his right is Tarakudo, slightly bended forward and on the left Honemaru with spiky bones growing out of his body

Kai punched the training pole again, making splinters spray the ground bellow. He huffed heavily as the chilly, night breeze engulfed him. Suddenly a sound of a breaking wood came from behind and as he quickly turned, Hizoku's figure was slowly coming towards him, with a warm smile on his face. The blonde instinctually smiled back with a chuckle: "You're not very good at sneaking…"

"Oh, if I wanted, you wouldn't notice me at all" assured the grass-nin with a smirk as he crossed his arms. "But I didn't come here to fight. I see that you're training. It's quite admirable, considering that the eliminations ended only a few hours ago. Plus, I heard you and your teammates gotten into a fight earlier on. Is it really wise to push yourself that much?"

"News travels fast these days," Kai responded while turning back to the pole and hit it again. "But all you said is true. We did. But I can't really just lie around and not do anything. I only have a month and I'm fighting that creepy guy from the Sand. If you knew you're the one going against him in the first round, what would you do?"

"Probably the same thing as you," Hizoku admitted after a moment of thought. Silence fell between the two for a moment, broken by the redhead, who spoke up: "On that note however, I wish to ask you something, Kai-san. This… Takai fellow… do you really suppose you can win against him? That shadow-nin struck every vital point in his body and yet he just stood up like nothing happened. Do you really believe someone like that can be beaten?"

"I don't know," the blonde replied truthfully, still not turning away from the pole. "Quite frankly I have no idea how I could win against a guy like that. But just because I can't figure it out now, doesn't mean I won't be able to. Nobody's undefeated, I recall Naruto-sensei saying that. Even that Takai bozo gotta have a weak spot. There's gotta be a way to beat him and I'm gonna do it!" and with that he punched the pole again, breaking it in two.

Seeing this, Hizoku smiled widely while turning around and began walking away. As he waved the leaf-nin goodbye, he added quickly with a cheerful tone: "Well, I hope you'll beat him as well, 'coz if you do I'll be able to fight you. That's a promise I'm making to you: I'll advance to the second round and I hope you'll do as much. I really want to test your skills" he announced as his mind drifted off: "I wanna see how your son have developed, Chitose-san…"

But as soon as a smile appeared on his face, his face narrowed, while his voice became serious again: "A piece of advice however… since you're fighting that guy, I want you to do me a favor: should you feel that he has overpowered you… give up. Give up without a second waste. I can't place a finger, but this Takai… he's scary. I believe that he will not hesitate to kill you, should he feel like it. He really is… a monster."

---Five years ago in Hidden Sand---

"I'm not gonna rest until you die by my hands!" the blonde yelled, charging at Tarakudo while throwing a kunai at his opponent. The bandaged boy simply strafed to his left, dodging the assault, but it was then that the other boy swung his hand suddenly and the knife quickly switched direction, again coming at Tarakudo, who was still in mid-air.

In an instant he picked out his own kunai from beneath the bandages and deflected the incoming blade, making it strike the nearby wall. As he came to a sliding stop, Tarakudo's eye narrowed at noticing the sunrays being deflected by something. Immediately he understood what was going on: "Metal strings! That guy used them to hit the kunai! That way he changed its route. I see…He did learn some new tricks since the last time I beat him" and with that a smirk appeared behind his bandages while he turned towards the blonde: "This is why I always let you leave alive, Horamaru" he stated playfully, making the other boy's face twist in an even angrier expression it already was: "'Coz the next time you come, you always find a new way to amuse me. Come to think of it, it may be that I just feel anxious as to what you'll think off next." He concluded with a chuckle, while the blonde's body shook from fury.

"That laugh," Horamaru responded, lowering his head. "I'm gonna cut your throat and make sure you'll never let it out again!" And with that he swung his hands again, making the strings tied to his fingers cut the sandy surface as they came flying at Tarakudo, like whips. The bandaged boy merely smirked as he placed his left hand on the ground and bent in that direction, making the assault slash the air beside him.

In a flash the blonde swung his hands again, aiming to chop his adversary to pieces, yet the other boy quickly bounced off the ground and somersaulting, he flew over the deadly strings, making them leave slashes on the Academy walls. Horamaru retreated his whips with a single stroke, while Tarakudo landed safely on the ground, pleasure showing in his visible eye. This seemed to deepen the other boy's anger even further, should it be physically possible.

His strings slashed at the bandaged boy again, and yet, Tarakudo merely picked out more of his kunai and threw the knives at them, surprisingly managing to deflect them all. Hari only widened her eyes in disbelieve as she analyzed what just occurred: "This guy… in a fraction of a second he not only calculated the trajectory of all the strings, but also manage to throw his kunai effectively enough to hit something as thin as a string! He can't be human!"

"Tough luck," the bandaged boy announced playfully before charging straight at Horamaru. However as the distance between them disappeared, the blonde suddenly jumped into the air, somersaulting. Spinning in mid-air, he unleashed his strings at the masked opponent again, but he easily blocked every single one with kunai that he picked from beneath his bandaged less then a moment earlier.

"It's useless—" he began, but these words froze in his throat as he felt his back suddenly getting slashed, while his blood sprayed the golden sand behind. Without another sound he collapsed to his knees, visible eye widen: "How…?" he asked himself, while Horamaru safely landed a few meters away, again throwing the strings at him.

Instinctually Tarakudo jumped back, again blocking the assault with his knives, yet also this time new slashes appeared on his body, this time making his upper arms and side sting from pain: "What the hell is going on? I'm blocking all the strings! Where do these wounds come from, dammit?" he asked nervously, the first time in his life actually feeling something that could be considered panic.

"For someone so strong, you sure prove to be weak," Horamaru announced, this time making the bandaged boy boil over in rage. In an instant he performed a set of hand seals, slamming his palms to the ground once he was done: "Doton: Ishi Tomurai no Wa!" and immediately stone spikes shot from around the blonde, each aiming to pierce right through him.

Horamaru however merely spun on his foot, unleashing his strings, which cut all the spikes to pieces before they managed to reach their target, leaving the blonde unharmed. As the rubble fell to the ground, the deadly strings came at Tarakudo again, slashing him all over and only as he saw his blood covering his opponent's weapon did he realize what was going on: "Strings! He tied more strings to the ones that are tied to his fingers! What madness! He has no control over where those extra strings will fly! He may even end up cutting off his own arms! To go this far…Could it be that I really pushed him into this?" he wondered, falling onto the ground, incapable of moving.

Horamaru took his time walking towards his fallen opponent, killer intent written all over his face. A strange sensation took over as he realized Tarakudo was now incapable of doing anything. He was an easy target. And he was about to die by his hand. A grim smirk appeared on his face as excitement built up in him. This was the end of it. And the beginning of something new.

"Come on, we gotta break them up!" Dekai suddenly yelled, running towards the two. Without a second thought Karame soon followed, yet both got stopped by the collar as a mysterious man appeared behind them with an ordering tone: "Do not interfere". Takai instantly recognized the arrival as Kazuchiro, one of the Academy teachers. He only managed as much as to stare at the chuunin surprised, while several thoughts raced through his head: "Why did he stop them? If we won't stop this fight, then that blonde… he could really kill Tarakudo! It's not like I especially like him, but… I… I gotta do something!"

"Because of you I have nobody! Nobody!" Horamaru yelled, lashing the other boy with his strings. "You monster! You made my life a living hell! Even death is too good for you! But I'll kill you! I will and when I do, I'll take care of your two friends!"

And with that he raised his hand to deliver the final blow, yet before he could drop it, someone grabbed his wrist. The blonde gazed with fury still showing in his eyes at the new arrival and realized that the one to interfere was Touba: "Let go!"

The redhead's face remained emotionless, yet he did not release his grip. Instead, he spoke up: "What good will this do? If you are to kill him, would that make all the things taken away from you return?"

This somehow angered Horamaru even further: "No, but it'll make me feel so much better! Let go!" but the Kaezekage's son was still unfazed by the blonde's tone. Finally the string user calmed down as the moment Touba felt it, he freed his wrist.

"This is not over," announced Horamaru, glancing over at the fallen figure of Tarakudo. "I've just proven you can be beaten and sooner or later you'll end up in a place where no one will help you… sooner or later, I will kill you." Sending the last angered look at the redhead, he headed towards the Academy gates.

Once he was gone, Touba immediately turned around, surprising everyone as he yelled towards the teachers in an ordering tone: "We need to get him to the hospital wing! Come on, someone help me carry him." He took Tarakudo by the shoulders while another chuunin appeared, lifting up the bandaged boy's legs. Takai observed the whole scene, too stunned to move and it was then that a sudden voice reached his ears. A voice he knew well: "I suppose it could not be helped, but I'd have never thought that Horamaru kid will actually be able to hurt Tarakudo to this extent…"

The crimson-eyed boy glanced over his shoulder, spotting another boy his age with long, white hair and purple eyes. Not sure as to how he should respond to the boy's comment, Takai merely spoke up, asking a question: "Do you know what this was all about?"

Honemaru only shook his head as a 'no' before continuing: "I do not, but quite frankly not always must there be a reason for something. We are different than others. We're freaks and people fear us… hate us. Not once or twice will we find ourselves in a situation when someone will start a fight with us for reason none other then the fact that we're not human…"

"This much hatred," Takai cut in, again turning towards the spot the fight took place. "There had to be a reason. I mean, how can anyone hate someone just because of who he is?"

At this point the white-haired boy merely placed a hand on his shoulder as he replied: "Believe me, for some just the fact that you're different is reason enough for them to justify killing you. During the Great Shinobi Wars it was not uncommon for some ninja to kill peasants from enemy countries. The battle itself was only between hidden villages, so why kill people that weren't involved? If you're not with us, then you're against us. A simple rule that drives us to the slaughters. Our world is actually a very cruel place to live in, Takai. You either fit in or you're not welcomed… and the three of us definitely do not fit in. To those who are… normal… we are nothing more than mere monsters. Possibly to many we are even less." And with that he left, leaving the crimson-eyed boy also in the yard, staring at the battlefield.

"Monsters" he repeated in his head, staring blankly into the distance.

---prelude to catastrophe---

And this concludes this chapter (and the double update). Hope you enjoyed it and that you'll bless me with a review (or better yet: two) once you're done. I wonder if Horamaru defeating Tarakudo turned out as a surprise to you guys. Anyway, with my exams behind me, I hope I'll be able to update sooner then during the last month or so. Also there was a new technique used in this chapter, so as usual I give you a translation of it (it's a variation of a technique used during Naruto vs. Kataki fight way back in the story):

Doton: Ishi Tomurai no Wa (Earth Element: Stone Funeral Ring)

And this really concludes this chapter. Hope you enjoyed the double update and until next time, hopefully. Take care everyone! And thanks for sticking around for so long!