The sky brightened. Noon brightness shone down on the pair, striking their bodies with colors and lights that forced them both toward one side.
The blades between the fingers shot upward. Hakka lunged forward for a brief moment, her hands slashing toward Kakushiro's body.
Kakushiro's eyes narrowed. She is fast. That is unfortunate. She dodged to one side. The claws cut through the foliage, leaving shattered pieces of falling leaves in their place. It is also a situation where I don't have elemental superiority. Medical techniques never show such a thing.
Hakka's foot slid backward. "Come, then. Your blood must be boiling to be undone by a medic-nin, even one so skilled as myself. Attack me." She drew her arms upward rapidly in a crossed position. "I will see to it that your existence is torn away and properly returned to the earth."
Kakushiro's hands blurred rapidly through the air. She exhaled rapidly, her expression forceful. Lightning bolts pierced through the air, slamming into Hakka's body.
Hakka's fingers lowered rapidly. The translucent blades briefly turned green, glowing in the light. The burn marks criss-crossing the skin disappeared rapidly, the sky darkening as light pierced the earth. Her lips curled upward as she sang. "Those flowers—shall I send them to the head of Akatsuki? Perhaps he shall mourn your death."
"You are really a pain." Kakushiro's eyes narrowed. "That blade of yours can cut that away instantly, that injury?" She raised her finger, pointing at Hakka's arm.
Hakka's eyes narrowed. Her hand rose in the air. An enormous long blade formed in the air, translucent and rippling. The blade glimmered. "Though I felt it appropriate to come against you with the claws of the prey you pursued, this sword is more suited to my spirit."
Kakushiro nodded. "I see. In that case I will put your life to an end, put it away and execute it."
"Forgive me for saying so, but I sincerely doubt that you can do even that much." Hakka lunged forward. The sword slashed rapidly toward Kakushiro's neck.
Kakushiro blocked with both arms, earth gathering around her body.
Hakka's eyes narrowed.
One of the arms fell away for a moment. Black fibers crept along the ground, gathering up the arm. Kakushiro stretched out the fingers, testing their strength.
Hakka's brow furrowed. "I'd have to cut your entire body in an instant. Those black fibers of yours have a strong ability to absorb damage. If I underestimate them it will be me getting cut. Additionally, they can be transmitted through your body rapidly as necessary." She paused. "Though I'm unfamiliar with the details, I must say that you are quite the monster."
"Yes," Kakushiro agreed, her voice soft. "I will say that much. They are certainly strong."
"Did you have some weakness in that, then?" Hakka continued.
"No." Kakushiro replied bluntly. Her hand lifted in the air, prepared again for battle. Cold light descended through the sky, tainted by the color of the heavens.
A silence fell between the two.
"You'll forgive me if I don't say that I believe you." Hakka's lips curled upward. "If you did have such a weakness, there's no way that you'd end up telling me about it. Yet here you stand, committing such an atrocity of sense. I find it hard to believe that there's someone living who would fail to realize such an obvious thing."
"Stop talking and come at me." Kakushiro's eyes narrowed. "You talk more than Hidan."
Hakka lunged forward again. The blades slashed forward, the swords slashing toward Kakushiro's neck.
Kakushiro leapt backward. Her arm extended, black tendrils stretching outward and strangling Hakka tightly.
"Heh." Hakka drew in a tight breath. Her blue eyes glimmered beneath her hood, her face darkening.
Kakushiro lowered her arm. You are going to die. The nature of my body is different from a mortal like you. You cannot simply tear it away from our souls. It is not that simple.
Hakka frowned. "Um." Her fingers clutched the black tendrils wrapping around her neck. The translucent blade slashed rapidly through the tendrils.
In that case, she is betting on her ability as a medic to heal her wounds— Kakushiro's eyes widened.
Hakka's neck remained pristine. Not a single mark along the neck was visible, not even the trailing blade along the body. She lowered her fingers. Her eyes narrowed. "Tch. Pity, that. In general revealing such a strength is something I don't want to do, but you are an absurdly strong opponent. I can't rely on such half measures."
Kakushiro shifted her foot backward. She is still young, but she is capable of using tricks like this. If possible I would like to take her heart. "Some kind of molecule-level blade, then? Something really good at cutting on an individual level." She snorted. "A true parlor trick. I thought we were kunoichi, not magicians."
"Hmph. That wasn't a trick I wanted to show to you, but you're right. A molecular control of this type lets me manipulate the space of the blade extremely effectively. Send it between or around molecules. Rather than metal, it's closer to water, if I had to make a comparison." Hakka's lips curled upward. "From that you can probably guess how effective my blade is against ordinary matter, like your body."
That is correct. Her power of chakra control is on a different level than most medic kunoichi, or even a monstrously powerful individual like myself. She is strong in a different way—certainly not the same as anything I have experience with, but at the same time still with a fairly broad range of power. Kakushiro's eyes narrowed. I also thought she cut me too easily.
Hmph. "You seem to be fairly immortal. I won't be able to kill you easily, will I?" Hakka's brow furrowed. She lowered her hand to one side. "Well, I guessed as much before coming here. Though I cannot say for certain, it seems to me that even with a little fortune it would be difficult, and the same for all families."
I know nothing of what her plan is immediately. Here there is no conclusion. No particular ease. Jiangu grants me an advantage, but that is all. There is no more to it than that, no passage beyond that. Just— Kakushiro paused. Her eyes narrowed. Just the detail of how to win.
"To be honest, I was hoping to fight you eventually." Hakka paused. "You pose an interesting medical challenge. How exactly should I take you to pieces? Something like that is my current predicament. To be thoroughly honest, I expect that to be relatively straightforward given the proper tools."
"I see. So you had this kind of personality." Kakushiro's eyes narrowed. "That being said, you do not think it shall be that easy to take me to pieces, do you?"
No, probably not. Hakka's eyes narrowed. I'm slower than you. Bearing that in mind, let's handle this issue more directly. If I were to guess, neither of us wants to close. I should move forward, though. If I don't she'll have the option of running. She leapt forward, her hand extending.
Kakushiro adjusted her hand postures rapidly. Her fingers glimmered.
It's all over! Hakka's fingers twisted forward, a broad smile crossing her face.
Kakushiro's body flickered with a recitation of wind, flickering away from the body.
Hakka blinked. Such a simple technique saved her life? Hmph. Clone Technique. Though it's no shadow clone technique, it is quite effective. She leaned forward forward.
Kakushiro leaned backward, the blade passing over her shoulder. "Is that it? Is that all you can do to me?" She reached upward, her hand stabbing toward Hakka's waist.
"Yes." Hakka whirled around in a circle, spinning rapidly upward and walked away. She smiled broadly. "That'll do for such a performance."
Kakushiro blinked. "What?" Her brow furrowed. "What on earth are you talking about? I had heard that you had a similar range of limitation, a strong will of intention and desire. To kill whatever person opposed us, that was a strong will of the soul."
"I'm leaving now. I never had any intention of fighting you to the death." Hakka's robes swept upward, white light cascading from the sword. "Well, to say that I have no temper is inaccurate, but it isn't so easily roused."
"You were going for the jinchūriki. This whole time." Kakushiro's brow furrowed. I see. She lured me in through a pretense of intention—something requesting that we fight to the death, a genuine contest. She gave me that impression but it was incorrect. Instead of that, what she truly wanted, her only wish, was to ensure that the fate of events was conducted the same as her desires. A clever trick.
"My partner was targeting him, though he is rather roundabout in his methods." Hakka bowed deeply, her hand brushing her waist. "Then, are you going to continue from here? While I don't mind if you do, the winner here is clearly Hakubo. If you try to kill me, on the other hand." She hesitated. "I'll see to it that you are destroyed in this control—this match between us will come to an end with your death. A destruction entirely justified in the actions of our lord."
Kakushiro let out a breath so long and harsh that it seemed like an eternity. "I am out. I will permit you to leave," she stated after a long pause. "But should we happen to meet again, you will not have the same guarantee."
"Heh. That's good." Hakka's eyes narrowed. "I wouldn't have much confidence in myself going up against you alone, so I'm thankful for your decision. My skills, great as they are now, are still incomparable to a medic like yourself." She clapped her hands together in a triangle posture.
"There is just one small thing." Kakushiro's eyes narrowed. "What are your people aiming for?"
"The creation of a new world. One order, one law. A place without war, and without conflict. A place that has been cleared of the evils of death and pain." Hakka paused. "To that end we need power. You'd make good talent if you'd come over to our side." She smiled beneath her hood. "An exceptional level of power, combined with great skill. I would appreciate it if you decided to join our team, but there's no need to rush that."
"Sorry, but there is no way I can agree to that." Kakushiro paused. "The contract was made a long time ago." She shook her head from side to side slowly. "Do you know why it is that I joined Akatsuki?"
Hakka shrugged. "Enlighten me."
"It is for no other reason than that it was convenient. I did it because I felt that it would earn me power and authority. For that reason I entered Akatsuki. That it ceased to be the case before I reentered my usual position is not something that truly has to do with me. It is an external factor." Kakushiro paused. "But, that being said, working with them still earns me power and authority. On that basis, I have no intention of switching sides so easily. I intended to join a group like that. I ever intended that. Had I not done so I would have switched sides already."
"I see. Then asking you was fruitless." Hakka's brow furrowed. "I will leave it to you, then."
Kakushiro's eyes narrowed. "What happens now? Do you intend to offer me a deal in which you either kill me or I join Akatsuki?"
"Don't worry. I have no intention of forcing you. I just thought I'd ask. It seems, however, that you will not be swayed with words." Hakka turned away. "Farewell." Her sandals padded along the ground, shadows showing along her path as she moved forward.
She planned all this out, huh? Kakushiro's eyes narrowed. Back when I first got hired on this job, I did not care about whether Akatsuki beat Hakubo or not. I have seen a lot of collapses in a lot of organizations. To be thoroughly honest, I probably would not have cared even if Akatsuki toppled into the ocean. That is just the sort of person I have always been. At the least for a hundred years I have been such a person. She walked away, her eyes narrowing. But now? I am going to make sure your entire operation topples into the ocean and falls into ruin. It is the least I can possibly do for you humiliating me like that. I will burn up your support, your authority, your will, until it is nothing more than the kindling for the fire of my rage. The time is my win. The time is my victory. The time is now. The time has always been now!
Hakka glanced over her shoulder. As I thought, she's a dangerous person. The sky darkened. When the opportunity arises, we'll have to find a way to kill her. Though to begin with, immortals in this new world of Danzō's would be rather difficult. I cannot praise her caution, and her nature is not willing enough to follow our motives.
"Yo! Kakushiro! Get my body and bring it over here!" a loud yell echoed across the mountain.
Hakka raised her eyebrow. "He seems rather lively for a man who has lost his head. You are both immortals, then."
That bastard is always the same. Kakushiro sighed heavily. "I envy you your partner. Mine is always yammering on about religion and the proper authority attached to your world. That is all he ever does."
"You shouldn't envy me. Admittedly, my partner accomplishes goals. However, even having said that." Hakka's face darkened. "He is quite a monstrous young man." Her hand reached toward her side, touching the darkening medical pouch.
The pair walked separate directions on the ground, passing into the darkness of the forests.
The high sun above the mountains scorched the earth, light heating the earth and cracks forming in the dried sand. The clouds, now a pure white without rain, hovered over the darkening skies.