"What the heck is going on over there?" Shima asked.
"Oh god…the blue flames," Konekomaru said in fear.
"Oh no…" Yukio muttered.
Rin growled as he swung his sword aimlessly.
"Rin!" Sakura shouted. She swung her sword and blocked one of Rin's attacks. Rin snarled at her and took his sword back, swinging it once more. He barred his teeth and growled, swiping at her with his claws. Sakura jumped back and dodged the attack. Rin jumped at her, swinging his sword once more. She parried his sword with her own. She backed up as she deflected the attacks. Her tail shot out and grabbed his wrist, pinning it. She grabbed his wrist and twisted it. She jumped over his head and bent his arm, pinning it to his back.
"You need to calm down now! Don't let the flames control you!" Sakura shouted. Rin let out a shout and spun around, punching her in the face. Sakura slid back. Rin swung his sword at nothing, growling. The energy in the sword backfired, sending him flying. Sakura jumped into the air and lunged at him, grabbing him around his waist. She grabbed his tail and swung him to the ground. He landed in front of his classmates and the impact created a small crater. Sakura fell from the sky and landed on him, digging her foot into his gut.
"No Rin," Yukio muttered in anguish, not able to take seeing his brother out of control.
"Calm the fuck down!" She screamed, swinging her sword. Rin grabbed it in his bare hands. He pushed it back and kicked her in the stomach, using the force to flip himself upward. Sakura spun through the air and landed gracefully like a cat. She slid back a few feet. Her stance faltered and she fell to her knees. She gripped her stomach and vomited up blood.
"No, not now. Just give me more time," Sakura whispered. Rin lunged forward. He jumped over her and slammed his sword through her back. Sakura screamed as the sword pierced through her stomach.
Everyone stared in terror and disgust. They didn't want to see this; they weren't prepared for it. They weren't ready for it. But it was so sick, so twisted, they just couldn't look away. Shura and Yukio sprang into action, both of them holding up their weapon.
"Nii-san! Stand down!" Yukio shouted, pointing his gun at him.
"Rin…" Sakura whispered, lifting her head to look at him. The half-demon paused, freezing at the look in her eyes. There was concern, courage, strength, love, but, oddly enough, not a trace of fear over her little brother. Rin narrowed his eyes and pulled his sword out of her body. He turned towards the group and snarled at them, barring his fangs.
"Rin!" Shiemi shouted, running past Yukio and Shura.
"Shiemi no!" Yukio shouted desperately, trying to call her back. She collided with him, wrapping her arms around him.
"It's alright," Shiemi whispered. "It's gonna be alright."
"Shi…emi…" Rin choked. The flames on his body died away. Shiemi held him tightly as he became deadweight, forcing her to sit on the ground.
"Rin! Sakura!" Yukio shouted, putting away his gun. He kneeled between them, looking at Rin before turning his attention to his bleeding sister. "Are you okay?"
"I'll be…fine…" Sakura breathed. She weakly grabbed her shirt and pulled it up, showing him that the wound was already healing. "They're working together…for a moment." She closed her eyes and passed out once more.
"You're so stupid," Yukio muttered.
"So blue." The Exwires jumped at the unexpected voice. They looked up to see a man standing on top of the nearby tower. He had long blonde hair and wore a white outfit. He had a cape that was split in half and designed to look like angel wings. "Not as blue as that night though."
"Who's that?" Izumo asked quietly.
"Oh great," Shura muttered in distaste.
"Good morning everyone," the stranger greeted. "Arthur Auguste Angel, at your service. I'm a Senior First Class exorcist from Vatican headquarters."
"Arthur Auguste Angel…" Izumo repeated in confusion.
"He got promoted a little while ago. He's the new Paladin," Shura explained.
"The Paladin!?" Izumo shouted in shock.
"That is correct, I am now your supervisor, Shura," Arthur said. Exorcists in black overcoats stepped out of the shadows, surrounding the group. "Now, care to explain what's going on? Weren't you assigned to investigate a possible conspiracy between the late Shiro Fujimoto and the head of the Japan Branch, Mephisto Pheles? Am I correct?"
"Yeah well, I'm not the only spy you got stashed here, am I?" Shura scoffed.
"Too true," Arthur said with a charming smile. "And that brings us to the other task you were assigned." He turned towards Rin, smirking. "If you were to discover that the plot had anything to do with Satan, you were to eliminate it, at once." Yukio and Shura gritted their teeth, glaring at Arthur. "And wouldn't you say that these two blue flame spewing beasts have something to do with Satan?"
"You're as perceptive as always, aren't you?" Mephisto said, entering the scene.
"Mephisto," Angel greeted lowly.
"Long time no see, Angel. I heard through the grapevine that you'd been promoted to Paladin." Mephisto bowed with a small air of mockery. "You have my congratulations, good sir."
"So you've shown your tail," Arthur hissed. "News of your treachery has reached the ears of the three sages, the Grigori. And this is all they need to seal your fate.
"Actually, a gentleman never shows his tail," Mephisto corrected. "I'll have you know that accusations like that are quite rude."
"Indeed," Arthur chuckled. He pulled his large broadsword out. "Caliburn, please give me your power."
"Gladly Arthur!" The sword replied back affectionately.
"By order of the Grigori, advisors of the True Cross," Arthur disappeared and then reappeared, grabbing Rin out of Shiemi's hands. He placed a foot on Sakura, keeping her in place. "I shall execute the spawns of Satan!"
Shura growled and ran at him, swinging her sword. Arthur dropped Rin and jumped away from the two half-demons.
"Rin! Sakura!" Shiemi gasped, trying to run back to them. She was stopped by two knights who held out their swords.
Shura bit her thumb and drew blood. She swiped the blood on her sword. "Kirigakure Sword Technique: Snake Lance!" Her blade split apart and grew longer. "Snake Fang!" She swung her sword and sent a slash of energy at Arthur. The Paladin disappeared before it could hit him. He reappeared behind Shura. He grabbed her wrist and held his sword against her neck.
"Why are you protecting them? Are you in league with Mephisto?" Arthur asked.
"Like hell I am," Shura scoffed.
"Fujimoto wanted you to teach the boy swordsmanship, surely you don't want to fulfill the dying wish of the most undeserving Paladin in history," Arthur said.
"Like I said you bald as bastard," Shura growled. Arthur laughed loudly.
"Your humor lacks logic! Do I look bald to you?" Arthur asked with a laugh. "Regardless, the Grigori's orders are absolute, even for someone like you." There was a ringing coming from the wireless communicator on his ear. "Yes. Understood sir." He dropped his sword and turned away from Shura. "That was the Grigori just now. Mephisto Pheles, you are hereby ordered to report to the Grigori immediately for a disciplinary hearing."
"Oh really? Goodie! I can't wait," Mephisto smirked.
"Shura, you're a witness, so you'll be coming with me," Arthur told her. "And I'm taking the two spawns of Satan as evidence."
"Actually, I have nothing to do with the girl," Mephisto confessed. "She is not from Ghenna or Assiah."
"She's not from either? Then where is she from?" Arthur demanded.
"She's a shinobi from the Five Great Shinobi Nations," Mephisto announced. Arthur and the exorcists gasped in shock. "And she's not just any shinobi either; she is the apprentice of the Godaime Hokage."
"She's the apprentice of the Hokage?" Arthur asked in shock.
"You got that right, and if you take her with you, she will most certainly die," Mephisto told him. "Imagine what would happen when Tsunade hears that you are to blame for her precious apprentice's death? I imagine that not only would you be demoted, but a war could start up as well."
"Fine," Arthur hissed. "She can stay here."
"May I come too please?" Yukio requested.
"I'm sorry, but you should stay here and look after your students, like a good teacher," Mephisto demined. He picked up the Koma sword and slid it into its sheathe. "His flames can't be suppressed any longer now that his sword is damaged." Yukio gasped and accepted the sword. "Oh, and you'll have to get Sakura some medical attention, and not just anyone." He reached in his pocket and took out a silver key. "This key will take you to Konoha. Find a woman named Tsunade; she's the only one that can heal her. You're about to see just how important Sakura is to the safety of both Assiah and the Five Great Shinobi Nations." He turned around and smiled. "Well Angel, shall we?"
"Why are you tying her down?" Shiemi asked. She watched as Yukio strapped down Sakura's wrists and ankles. He grabbed a belt and fastened it around her stomach. He repeated the process for her legs.
"To keep her down," Yukio answered. "I can't seal her back yet." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bottle of pills. "Give her one of these every five minutes. I don't care if you have to force them down her throat."
"Why?" Suguro asked.
"Because, the blue flames are at war with her chakra system. Once her chakra is devoured, she'll die," Yukio told them. The Exwires gasped at the statement. "Those pills will give her more chakra and keep the flames at bay. Whatever you do, don't sheathe her sword," he looked at the demon sword lying on her bedside table. "If you do, she'll stop healing. Give her those pills. I'll be back with help as soon as I can." He took the silver key that Mephisto gave him. He ran to the door and stuck the key in, turning it.
"Wait a minute," Izumo called, trying to stop him. "You can't just leave!"
"Just give her the pills!" Yukio shouted. The door slammed shut behind him.
Yukio found himself entering a reception room.
"Can I help you?" The receptionist said. She had long blonde hair that was in a ponytail. A chunk of hair was covering her right eye. She was wearing a purple half shirt and miniskirt.
"I'm looking for Tsunade, it's concerning Sakura," Yukio said.
"Concerning Sakura?" she gasped. She jumped over the desk and ran over to him, grabbing his shoulders. "What happened? Is she okay?"
"She won't be unless I talk to Tsunade," Yukio told her. The ponytailed girl nodded and grabbed his wrist, dragging him out of the building. Yukio kept up with her speed perfectly. He didn't miss the strange fleeting looks that civilians gave them as they passed. They came to a large building, which Yukio assumed to be the hospital. His guide threw open the door and ran to the front desk.
"Hello Ino," the black haired woman behind the counter greeted. "Who's your friend?"
"No time Shizune, where's Lady Tsunade?" the girl, Ino, demanded.
"Why? Did more paperwork come?" Shizune sighed.
"I need her for Sakura," Yukio said. Shizune gasped and looked at him in shock.
"What's wrong with Sakura?" A busty blonde woman asked, walking over to them.
"She's hurt," Yukio told her.
"You're going to have to be more specific," Tsunade told him. "As much as I love Sakura I can't just drop everything for a broken arm."
"She's dying," Yukio shouted. "She pushed herself too far and her chakra is being devoured." The three women froze in shock.
"No way…billboard brow is dying?" Ino breathed. She gripped her chest, feeling her heart pound frantically.
"Take me to her now," Tsunade ordered.
"Wait! I'm coming too!" Ino declared.
"Ino you are to stay here," Tsunade told her.
"But milady I can help!"
"That is an order!" Tsunade shouted. "You do not have permission to travel to where she is. You are to stay here and help Hinata with her recovery. She was badly injured during her last mission."
"Yes ma'am," Ino said, bowing her head in defeat.
"Let's go," Tsunade ordered.
"Just take the damn pill!" Suguro shouted. Sakura screamed and struggled against her bindings.
"They're breaking!" Shima shouted, rushing to hold down her legs.
"I've got her shoulders!" Izumo yelled, grabbing the pinkette's shoulders. Suguro placed his hand over Sakura's mouth, dropping the pill inside. Shiemi handed him a glass of water and he poured it into her mouth. Sakura turned her face away and swallowed the water that was in her mouth, along with the pill.
"We're here!" Yukio shouted, opening the door. Tsunade was right behind him.
"About time!" Suguro shouted. He yelled as Sakura's arm broke free and she hit him in the head. "Quit doing that! What is it with you and smacking my head!"
"Stand back now," Tsunade ordered. The Exwires did as they were told. Truthfully they were glad to be as far away from her as possible. Tsunade ripped open Sakura's shirt and placed her hands on her stomach wound. Green chakra surrounded her hands and flowed into Sakura's body. "Yukio, seal her powers back, now." Yukio grabbed the demon sword and sheathed it. Sakura returned to normal and stopped struggling. Sakura groaned and opened her eyes weakly.
"Ts-Tsunade?" she murmured, seeing her mentor.
"Hey there Sakura," Tsunade smiled. She reached up a hand and stroked her apprentice's cheek. "I'm here for you. Go back to sleep."
"…no…fair…" Sakura whispered as she felt her eyelids grow heavy.
"I know, but I need you to sleep. You can yell at me later," Tsunade told her. She looked up at the Exwires. "How many pills did you give her?"
"Around six, I think," Shiemi answered.
"You think?" Yukio questioned.
"Well, she was struggling and wouldn't take the damn things," Suguro defended. "She even knocked a few out of our hands. Sorry for being more concerned with actually getting her to take the damn things and not counting them."
"It's fine," Tsunade told them. "That at least gives me an idea of what I'm working with."
"Um ma'am, what's wrong with Sakura?" Shiemi asked nervously.
"Sakura didn't always have the blue flames," Tsunade told them. "When her demonic form was unsealed, her chakra saw the blue flames as a threat and a virus, so they tried to extinguish it. In response, the blue flames started eating at her chakra systems. She needs both her chakra and her flames. If either were to disappear, she would die.
"Due to the constant devouring of her chakra system she needs to take supplement pills with every meal. She would also need them if she exerted a large amount of chakra," Tsunade told them. She removed her hands, Sakura's stomach was smooth and there wasn't even a trace of the stab wound. She moved to Sakura's chest, sending chakra into her system.
"But she did that earlier and took those pills," Shima remembered.
"Right, she told us that chakra was a shinobi's life force," Suguro agreed.
"But she said she would be fine in an hour, why is she like this now?" Shiemi asked.
"Because she transformed," Tsunade answered. "That caused the flames to eat her chakra at an advanced rate. She wasn't able to take it."
"Will she be okay?" Shiemi asked in worry. They watched as the rest of Sakura's bruises disappeared. Tsunade smiled and lifted her hands.
"She'll be fine. She just has to rest," Tsunade told them.
"I have a question," Izumo huffed. "What's the Five Great Shinobi Nations?"
"It was a safe haven originally created by the Vatican, but we separated from them," Tsunade explained simply. She grabbed a towel and wiped off her bloody hands. "We aren't a part of Assiah or Ghenna. And not very many people know of either. In order to travel between the two worlds you need to have special permission and a key. Sakura has these."
"I have a question, if she were to die, would that really start a war?" Suguro asked.
"If she died at the hands of the Vatican, then yes," Tsunade answered darkly. "Which brings this question, who did this to her?"
"Rin…lost control," Yukio confessed softly. "She tried to stop him and calm him down." Tsunade looked down at her apprentice and sighed.
"She would have done the same if it was Naruto," she muttered.
"Naruto?" Shiemi repeated.
"No one," Tsunade muttered, denying them of an explanation. "Yukio, thank you for getting me. You are a very capable exorcist, and a wonderful little brother."
"Thank you," Yukio bowed.
"If anything else happens don't hesitate to come and get me," Tsunade told him.
"I won't, thank you," Yukio bowed to her as she left, using her own key to return to Konoha.
"Alright, now that Haruno's saved, how about you start explaining what the hell is going on," Suguro demanded.
"Alright," Yukio nodded.