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Hayate

Ryuu sprinted out of his tent, stopping with the rest of the crowd as they watched the three reanimated shinobi in front of them, one of which was holding a scroll containing the bodies of the strongest shinobi's corpses, along with those that had had Kekkei Genkai. However, the person holding the scroll, was Hayate Gekko.

"Yugao," Hayate breathed, spotting her in the crowd.

"Hayate," Yugao breathed.

Damn, Ryuu growled. First Yugao gives up fighting, then Hayate is sent to the medical camp where she's stationed to attack. She must be in Hell right now.

The two shinobi with Hayate sprinted forward, as the camp's defenses charged, attacking them. One of them, a shinobi from the Hidden Sand Village, wielded a large axe, easily swinging it around and slaughtering shinobi. The other, a shinobi of the Hidden Cloud Village, wielded kunai and wore a mask with a bird beak to hide his face. They were both very quick, easily killing anyone who attacked. After a minute, the Kumo ninja leapt into the air, throwing a pair of balls covered in spikes.

"Shit," Ryuu growled, slamming his hands on the ground, a large dome of wood shooting up over the remaining shinobi just as the balls exploded, tiny metal spikes shooting off of them, blasting through the wood and injuring several but not able to kill anyone, thanks to Ryuu. "Close."

"That's enough," Hayate said. "We need to go."

He turned, leaving with the other two and Ryuu let his wooden dome sink back into the ground.

"That scroll contains several elite shinobi's bodies," a medic stated. "We have to get it back."

She turned to Suigetsu and Jugo, who stood beside her with Karin, and asked them to try and retrieve the scroll while they contacted the Allied Forces HQ for reinforcements.

"I'll go too," Sakura said. "My battle experience and medical ninjutsu will prove invaluable during this fight."

"Alright," the medic said. "Yugao, I want you to go too."

"No, I can't," Yugao said.

"Why not?" the medic asked.

"She and Hayate were..." he trailed off, feeling bad for Yugao. "I'll do it. I'll fight Hayate. But Yugao, I need your help to track him."

Yugao stared at him for a moment, tears in her eyes before Karin stepped forward.

"I'll track him," Karin said.

"No," Ryuu said. "You're the only one here capable of telling a Zetsu clone from a shinobi. Plus, you're one of the most skilled medics here. You stay here. Jugo, you and Sakura stay as well, to protect the camp."

"But-" Karin began but Suigetsu covered her mouth.

"He's right Karin," Suigetsu said. "Besides, with the two of us, we won't even need a medic. Plus Ryuu is pretty good with Medical Ninjutsu himself."

"I'll do it," Yugao said. "But, I can't fight him."

"I know," Ryuu smiled. "I'm not going to ask you to."

"Be careful, alright Ryuu?" Karin asked. "You're not fully healed yet."

"I'll be fine," Ryuu smiled. "A couple more hours of rest and I'll be good as new."

Karin nodded and Ryuu turned and sprinted after Hayate, Suigetsu and Yugao following. After a few minutes, they came to a cliff and Ryuu looked to Yugao. They're at about two o'clock.

"Alright," Ryuu nodded. "When we catch them, Suigetsu, you take the two extras. Leave Hayate to me."

Suigetsu nodded and they all began after Hayate again. After a little while, they caught up with them, Ryuu using a surprise attack to place a paralysis seal on the Kumo ninja that had used the spike balls before.

"He didn't last long," the reincarnated shinobi with the axe grinned, forming a Shadow Clone as both drew their axes.

"All yours Suigetsu," Ryuu said. "If you can't seal him, pin him and either me or Yugao will do it."

Suigetsu nodded, drawing a pair of kunai.

"By the way, where's Kubikiribocho?" Ryuu asked.

"It disappeared yesterday," Suigetsu stated. "Which means that my older brother, Mangetsu, was reincarnated. He can summon Kubikiribocho at will. He's the only one capable of effectively wielding all seven swords. But some day, I'll be better than he ever was."

Just as he finished, Kubikiribocho crashed down in front of him. They looked up, seeing Sasuke and Itachi passing overhead. Sasuke nodded a greeting, smirking, then disappeared into the trees on the other side of the clearing.

"Well well," Suigetsu grinned picking up his sword. "My baby's back."

He sprinted at the reincarnated shinobi and his clone, sword crashing into their axes rapidly, and Ryuu turned to Hayate, drawing his tanto.

"Ryuu," Hayate greeted. "Yugao. You've come."

"Yes," Ryuu nodded. "But it's me you'll be facing."

Hayate nodded drawing his sword.

"I'm an enemy of the Leaf, and I'm your enemy," Hayate stated. "That's why, I want you to stop me."

"I will," Ryuu nodded. "Let's go."

He sprinted forward, Hayate rushing to meet him. Their blades clashed once before Hayate flipped over Ryuu, slashing at him. Ryuu spun, blocking it in time for Hayate's foot to crash into his abdomen, hitting his still-open stab wound from Shisui. Ryuu staggered backward, clutching his wound and groaning in pain. Then, they sprinted forward again. Ryuu blocked several slashes before ducking under a kick and slashing at Hayate, missing him by an inch as Hayate leapt backward. Hayate stopped and sheathed his sword, creating a pair of clones.

"Leaf Style, Crescent Moon Dance!" Hayate shouted, his two clones speeding at Ryuu from opposite sides as Hayate leapt into the air.

Ryuu blocked the two swords from the sides, killing the clones before sidestepping Hayate's slash, the sword instantly curving back up and slashing him across the chest, hurling him backward. A moment later, Suigetsu appeared behind Hayate, slashing at him. Hayate spun, blocking the sword and shoving it aside, slashing Suigetsu who staggered backward. then, Suigetsu grinned as his torso reformed and Hayate's eyes widened.

"You're not beating me that easily," Suigetsu grinned. "I'm a little special."

He leapt forward, slashing at Hayate and splitting him in half. However, just as he turned, Hayate's segments reconstructed themselves and Hayate leapt at Suigetsu, beginning to attack him mercilessly, landing hits rapidly. Of course, the same was true for Suigetsu. Nether was blocking attacks, so every slash split the other open only for them to reform almost instantly.

"I guess you're special too, huh?" Suigetsu growled after they had leapt away from each other, Suigetsu breathing hard and beginning to solidify from lack of chakra which Hayate had been having his chakra restored each time he was fatally wounded and recovered.

Hayate leapt at Suigetsu and Suigetsu slashed at him only for Hayate to flip off the blade, turning invisible as he flipped over Suigetsu.

"Where'd he go?" Suigetsu growled, slashing through the space Hayate had been in. "Did he retreat?"

Just then, his back split open, blood flying out. He coughed blood, falling forward off the tree branch and crashed down below. Then, Hayate turned visible again, turning and heading back toward Yugao.


Ryuu pushed himself up, gritting his teeth against the pain and looking over at Yugao.

"Yugao," Ryuu growled. "Listen to me. I know you don't want to fight. I know that you're suffering. But you have to fight Hayate. If you don't the Akatsuki will get the scroll and will win."

Just as he said this, Hayate stepped out of the trees. Yugao, who had sealed both the other reincarnated shinobi into a scroll, backed away from Hayate and Ryuu pushed himself up, sighing.

"Hayate," Ryuu spoke up. "You've still got me to deal with."

Hayate turned, blocking a slash from Ryuu before Ryuu's free hand slashed at him with his trench knife. Hayate leapt back then darted forward, slashing at Ryuu. Ryuu blocked the blade and Hayate flipped the sword around, driving the buttcap into Ryuu's stab wound, making him shout in pain, dropping his tanto. Then, Hayate spun, sword tearing horizontally across Ryuu's chest and hurling him backward. Ryuu groaned and sat up as Hayate leapt at Yugao. Ryuu kicked the bottom of his tanto's grip and it spun through the air to Yugao.

"Yugao!" Ryuu shouted.

She caught it, blocking Hayate's blade and Hayate leapt back, readying himself as Yugao stood, forming a Vacuum Blade on the tanto.

"I'm sorry you had to be injured so badly for me to snap out of it," Yugao apologized.

"It's fine," Ryuu said. "Just finish this. The Sealing Corps should be here soon."

Yugao nodded, raising her sword. She and Hayate both formed shadow clones and used the Leaf Style, Crescent Moon Dance. Their clones wiped each other out but Hayate and Yugao blocked each other's slash. Hayate leapt back from a slash, flipping his sword and vanishing. After a moment, Yugao spun, blocking his invisible sword and then slashed Hayate across the chest. He leapt back and then began forward, leaving after-images in his wake. Yugao began to trace a circle in the air, her arms and sword leaving after-images before she darted forward, both slashing at each other. Hayate managed to cut Yugao's shoulder but she slashed him across the chest. Then, she turned back toward him as he turned to face her.

"Yugao," Hayate smiled. "You've become so strong. I'm so sorry for all that's happened Yugao."

He suddenly doubled over, eyes widening as Kabuto removed his personality. Then, he stood up straight, sprinting at her, sword first. She stabbed at him and he crashed into her, impaling himself onto the sword then continued until his sword stabbed into a tree. Ryuu stared in shock at the pair before Yugao looked up at him, surprised.

"It's not much, but this was all I could do," Hayate stated. "Thank you, Yugao. I love you."

Then, he stepped back, leaving his sword impaled in the tree under her arm, barely having missed her. He fell onto his back just as the sealing corps arrived, quickly sealing him. Yugao walked over to Ryuu, putting his tanto in its sheath then helping him up and telling the sealing corps where to find Suigetsu, generally. They ran off to retrieve him and Ryuu walked over to Hayate with Yugao.

"In the end he protected me," Yugao stated.

"What will you do now?" Ryuu asked.

"I'm going to return to the front lines, and help where I can," Yugao stated. "Jugo and Suigetsu can defend the medical camp."

"Alright," Ryuu nodded as one of the sealing corps ninja walked out of the trees with a wounded Suigetsu supported on his shoulder. "You look like shit."

"Feel like it too," Suigetsu said. "Can we go back yet?"

"Yes," Ryuu nodded. "Let's head back."

They returned to the camp and Sakura, Shizune, and Karin began to heal the three of them. Suigetsu was healed fully by Sakura and Shizune and Karin allowed Ryuu to bite her instead after a moment.

"Thank you Karin," Ryuu said standing. "Now, I need to figure out where I'm going to help."

"Ryuu Uchiha, a message from Lord Raikage," a sensor ninja said running over. "Madara Uchiha has been spotted with a group of six Jinchuriki in the Land of Lightning. However, Lord Raikage has ordered you to reinforce Lord Kazekage's forces, as there is a monstrous chakra near them."

"What kind of chakra?" Ryuu asked, thinking of the statue. "Is it that statue from the coast?"

"We don't know," the sensor said. "But Lord Raikage believes they will need your help."

"Alright then," Ryuu nodded. "I'll head there now."

He vanished in a flash of light, hoping he arrived in time.


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