White-capped waves blasted against the jagged rocks without the office. Water blasted against the walls. Blood poured through the wood.
Naruto pushed open the door. "Looks fine to—" He screamed, his eyes wide with shock. He took a step backward, pushing Sasuke into the wall.
Sasuke grunted. "Get off me, you blockhead," she muttered. Her ears turned a delicate shade of pink as she looked down at Naruto's legs.
Naruto cleared his throat. He chuckled. "Who was scared, me? Nuh-uh!" Shuddering, he stepped to one side.
Tayuya smirked faintly as she glanced toward Sasuke. Didn't know he swung that way. I can work with that. She rubbed her chin before growing serious again. "Sasuke. You're with me; take point."
Sasuke nodded.
The pair stepped out of the office. Making a brief sweep of the hallway, they confirmed that no enemies were near the office.
"Emperor. What the hell happened here?" Tayuya muttered, staring at the smashed walls.
"A battle." Sasuke shrugged. "Two strong guys. One weak guy would've gone down a lot quicker against a strong guy. So probably Mui and somebody else."
Kōju held out her arm, ushering Naruto away from the body in the pool of blood. "Let me have a look at the body, Naruto-kun."
A body rested in a pile of blood between the shattered pieces of the table. Dull red blood struck against the ground.
Tayuya and Sasuke stood at the door. Tayuya's hand lay on her flute. Sasuke drew out the weapon scroll. The pair looked down opposite parts of the hallway, guarding against attacks from surprise.
Naruto turned away, covering his mouth. He gritted his teeth. No, I'm a shinobi. I need a stronger stomach than this. He stood at Kōju's back, looking at the other side of the room. How can I protect my teammates if I can't even keep my attention focused?
Kōju's fingers ran along the neck. "The body's still warm. On top of that, the blood hasn't dried. He died recently. The probable cause of death is a sword strike. Hm. Possible complications from something very like chakra. Now for analysis of the body." She held out her hand. Green energy rose above the fingers, pooling around the base of the neck. "This looks like Mui but isn't. This is the same technique that Kabuto used back at the exams. The DNA doesn't match the face." Kōju's eyes narrowed. "As a consequence, we should be very careful. The prisoners have been restored to their former strength. Additionally, Mui might have joined them."
Naruto swallowed. "Mui was pretty strong, right?"
"I'd say he was weaker than Sarutobi, but not by much. Even with that Heavenly Fire Prison technique, it's not too effective."
"If that's the case, everyone's making a run for the mainland now, aren't they?" Tayuya questioned. "Someone's got to have a technique capable of escaping."
Sasuke scowled. "Technique or no, those seas will kill them. Getting across them requires fairly specialized techniques or the power to fly."
"Eh, point taken." Tayuya glanced down the hallway. "So what's the fucking deal? Do they plan to become birds or something?"
The earth trembled. Gushing waves of water blasted against the side of the cut wood. Water blasted upward.
Kōju gritted her teeth. "We're running out of time. We need to try to find the Ichibi. Sasuke-chan."
Sasuke closed her eyes. Energy rose from the surface of the eyes.
Naruto's eyes widened.
Sanzengan! Sasuke's eyes opened. Four tomoe whirled in the surface of the bright crimson eyes. Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Got him. Four floors above us. We're going to need to move quickly."
Naruto's eyes widened. Where'd she learn how to do that? She got really strong, too. That ability to perceive from a distance like that, and distinguish between people?
"I'm staying here for now." Kōju reached downward, touching her sword. "I have a feeling that whoever killed the jailor is still around."
"Got it." Sasuke clapped her hands together. "Flash Technique!" A wave of lightning crackled around Sasuke's body. She vanished in an instant.
Naruto swallowed in shock. "How strong did everybody get?"
"Well, if you trained seriously, you should be fucking there, too," Tayuya remarked, not unkindly. She glanced over her shoulder. "Come on. We're going as a team for now." She lifted her hand.
Naruto glanced over his shoulder. "You better not lose, all right?" he ordered Kōju tersely. "If you lose, I'm not going to forgive you for it." He leapt upward through the broken section of the hallway.
Kōju smiled. I'll be just fine. Her hand tightened on the sword. She looked upward. Where's my opponent now? He has to be here somewhere. She drew out the heavy white sword, earthen shadows gathering around her hands.
Sasuke rushed upward. Panting, she cleared her throat. My opponent's right there. She drew in a heavy breath. I can win—
Sand drifted upward through the room. The grains of sand gathered together into rolling hills of energy.
Sasuke's eyes widened. Damn! The chakra's too dispersed. I can't see through this kind of fog.
The sand drove together, forming a ball around Sasuke's body.
"Imperial Burial," Gaara intoned in a monotone. His fist clenched together.
Sasuke's fingers laced together. Water Style: Crashing Ocean Wave! She exhaled rapidly.
Salt water blasted into the sand, forming a rapid cascade of golden water.
With this, the sand should be slowed down. The sand should absorb the water, causing it to slow down. Maybe it won't stop, but if it's slow, I can definitely avoid it just by paying attention. The trouble is the shinobi using this technique. Gaara might use it, but I can't imagine him declaring the name of the technique before he uses it. He's not that kind of killer. I can only see him striking me with it first. Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Having said that. Even if I do keep dodging, I can't find him so easily. It cheapens the battle. I can't win if it's simply like that. Sasuke scowled. This must be Gaara's ability. I'll need to find him and whoever recovered him.
This girl is interesting. I'd expect nothing less from a person on this level. To make a split-second decision like that is undoubtedly the decision of a genuine pro. The figure smiled in the darkness. Well, you can't see for now, so that should be fine. I'll see about ripping out your heart in a more immediate way. Her fingers tensed. Shadowy threads of energy wrapped around the tips of her fingers. The edge of the ties wrapped around Gaara's body.
Gaara's eyes widened. Stay away. Because this person is a demon. You are in danger of dying. Unwillingly, his fingers rose.
Rebirth
Heavy wood fell into the darkness. The floorboards creaked, cracking under the weight of the sudden pressure.
The sword slid out of the sheath. Mizuki stepped out of the shadows. The black cloak blew back in the wind.
"So you have fallen so far as to work for Akatsuki. Well, I had expected something of the kind." Kōju's eyes narrowed. "Well, I'd say that if we didn't have conflicting information."
Mizuki's eyebrows furrowed.
"But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you are no more than a contract killer for hire. Money or pride? You are the type who'd discard the second for the first. Simply to live is all you want. " Kōju drew up the sword, her eyes flickering.
"I fight for a higher cause than a foolish little girl like you can understand. I have stood by and watched as you fell toward that despair." Mizuki scowled. "You have fallen so far from the ideal of a Hatake. Supporting that demon."
The white sword blazed with energy. "You keep using that word, demon. I do not think it means what you think it means." Kōju lifted her arm. Her hands clamped on the sword. "But at the least you've given me a useful hint."
Mizuki's eyes widened.
"As hateful as you are, you're an ideologue. In other words, you're after something beyond simplistic murder of jinchūriki. This is motivated by a desire. Otherwise Gaara and the Ichibi would be dead by now. You're part of an organization that isn't Akatsuki." Kōju's hands tightened on the sword. "Well, That's good information, and rather comforting." Her green eyes flickered. A smile crossed her face. "I can now definitely say that I am capable of beating you down. You're at a rank now where I can finish you. While I can't sense you, I can sense the elements of power you possess—the 'absence' of your power, if you will. As a consequence, you're limited by the context of necessity."
Mizuki's eyes narrowed. "It's not as though you have a chance at winning." He paused. "No. Realistically speaking, your life ended the moment you crossed me. You entered a state of darkness. I am a shinigami! Do you truly think a pathetic human like you can put an end to my existence?"
"That's wrong." Kōju's lips curled upward. "You misunderstand the entire purpose of these things. You made a mistake. You made an incredibly crucial mistake in your recent estimation of my power."
Mizuki's eyes widened.
"My age at the time I was a genin was only ten. Well, people develop over time physically. Mentally, too. As time passes, really, people can only grow stronger until they reach an age around thirty. Physically and mentally, you reach your peak around top. Unless you've gone through puberty, your genes are relatively powerless. So that's perfect."
Mizuki frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I finally started going through puberty. That means that my body is much stronger than it was four years ago." An aura of white blew upward around Kōju's body.
Rebirth
The dark corridor trembled. Pieces of stone collapsed toward the earth, slamming into the crumbled ground. Shadows crossed the earth, shining through dark windows.
Naruto's hand lifted in the air. "Huh."
"You picking up on something, ero-nin?" Tayuya questioned, her expression sour.
"Yeah. Genkuro-san says there's something a floor or two up from us. Some kind of net."
"Shit." Tayuya's expression darkened. "Spiderweb? That kind of feeling?"
Naruto nodded.
The air darkened.
"Must be Kidōmaru. He did get sent here. Who'd guess he'd still be feeling pretty damn vengeful?" Tayuya scowled. "This kind of opponent is better suited to me, Naruto-kun. You go ahead and check out the future enemies. Shouldn't be a problem. Calculate out the areas, figure out what's ahead of us, keep moving forward. You shouldn't worry too much right now."
Naruto grinned. "You're sure you can handle this guy? That weird ability of his to throw webs?" He paused. "Well, even Neji said he had some trouble, so."
"Kidōmaru and I were teammates for fucking years. Of course I know how to deal with him. You keep fucking moving. Understood? Don't hesitate for a second. If you do, you'll be in deep trouble." Tayuya drew up the flute. Gold enamel encrusted the surface of the white bone, newly melted onto the bone surface. "I'll handle this matter for myself in a second."
Naruto frowned. "If you're sure," he replied reluctantly.
"You and the rest of the Hidden Leaf don't get what it means to be a shinobi. Ultimately, if we say we can do something, it's already fucking done." Tayuya grinned fiercely. Her fingers fastened on the bone flute.
A/N: The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley. So, I did plan to update yesterday, and an outage happened. I can't apologize enough for that problem.
The chapter HAS been written since yesterday. Hopefully that alleviates some of the problem.
More story-related things will be coming up soon, but between point A and point B there needs to be a fight-related progression. Thanks for waiting, and I hope you enjoy!