Wow, all I can say is that I'm really flattered by all the lovely reviews! And I'm sure Itachi would be too ;) I never expected to reach even 20 follows for this story but here we are. I'd just like to say a massive thank you to everyone reading this story so far and that I appreciate your support so much! Here is chapter 5 of Flowers from stone, I hope you all enjoy! Don't forget to F&F and review! It really does motivate me to write!
Flowers from stone
To say the next day had been awkward would be an understatement. It was absolutely mortifying.
Itachi had awoken in a state of confusion and panic, shooting up from his vulnerable position lying on his back and rudely awakening his student who had been comfortably curled up into his side. Chest heaving, his eyes shot about the dark room, searching the early morning darkness with his hazy orbs that he had to roll around in their sockets for a moment to actually get them working properly. The raven haired Uchiha felt as if he had arose from the dead as he recollected his thoughts from the night before, a hand resting on his forehead as his head throbbed.
The last thing he'd remembered was playing a drinking game with Maoru and then…
Maoru.
His head snapped to the girl who rolled on her back and gave him the coldest look he'd ever seen on her usually neutral expression. He rose a brow at her as she slid off the bed clad in nothing but a robe, flicking her blonde hair at him and he had to wonder where the sudden attitude had come from.
"We didn't… Did we..?" His voice was hoarse and heavy, not used to the amount of drink he'd consumed the night before and the deep slumber he'd slipped into. If anyone had broken into their room last night, they surely would have been dead. He felt quite sick and he wasn't sure if it was the alcohol, the thought that he'd let his guard down or the thought of him having slept with his student who was basically the same age, and had also screwed, his little brother. The girl dropped her robe and he immediately averted his gaze to the right, keeping his eyes off of her bare form.
"No, no we did not," Her words were icy and bit at him. After she'd finished dressing, she went to walk into the small, barely adequate bathroom. "I've been fucked by half of Otogakure, remember." And with that, she slammed the door shut. Itachi just blinked and reflected on his words the night before. It all really was fairly hazy and he couldn't piece things together. He remembered being quite forward and for that, he cringed. And he remembered the intimate questions and the even more intimate answered but after that, it was all a blur. He went to knock on the bathroom door but something stopped him.
Maybe this is for the best. She doesn't need to be involved even more than she already is in your situation. Clenching his fist that hovered a mere inch from the door, he realized that the voice of his conscience was right. He'd accepted long ago that he must shoulder those burdens alone but for some reason, it was just dawning upon him just how alone he felt. And just how much he missed the gentle touch of somebody he cared about.
Exhaling through his nose in defeat, he turned from the door and stared at the sun that was peaking over the valley on the horizon out of the window.
Keep your distance and it will all go back to normal.
.
The journey continued on until nightfall, stopping for a few awkward breaks in silence, both refusing to say the first word. It was evening by the time they reached the borders of the land of earth and past then, they travelled without stopping until they reached a small collection of villages outside of Iwagakure to gather Intel. When they reached the larger of the villages, they went their separate ways and Maoru was left to herself.
As she made her way through the crowds of people that loitered the streets in lively masses, her angry expression that had been plastered on her face since that morning began to melt into a deflated frown under the paper lanterns. The vibrant colours, the music, the happy people. None of it had an upbeat effect on the sadness that she felt in her heart. Her stomach bubbled unhappily and she realized she hadn't actually eaten anything.
Lifting onto her tiptoes, she looked around the street over the throngs of people and spotted a bar and grill just downstream, pushing through the crowds to get there.
When she walked through the door, she was immediately relieved and let out a sigh, moving over to an empty booth, sliding in and picking up a menu, dragging her finger down to the grilled meat section. Picking the biggest steak she could find along with a tall glass of water, she waved over the waitress and ordered. Folding her arms on top of the table, she closed her eyes and furrowed her brows. She was still utterly humiliated from the night before after what her Senpai had said to her. But a part of her was more ashamed with herself than anything. Feeling herself tear up, she sniffled and opened her eyes, nearly jumping in shock at the man who sat across from her.
A look of concern was written across his handsome, boyish face.
"You look troubled."
Maoru stared at him in shock before flicking her nose and leaning back in her seat, crossing her arms in defence. The man looked to be in his early twenties and had dark auburn hair, his violet eyes staring at her with worry. Her own stormy orbs flickered over his form, observing the expensive, silken green robes he wore. She scowled at him with growing hostility.
"What concern is it of yours?"
The man hesitated for a moment before smiling at her, catching the girl off guard.
"It's always vexing seeing such a beautiful girl so sad." His voice was smooth and flattering, causing the sandy haired girl to become flustered. The waitress brought her food over and placed it in front of her, but she was quick to slide it to the side and give the man her full attention, suddenly not feeling very hungry.
"Do you approach vulnerable young girls often?" She said defensively but there was also a playful tone to her words. The man cocked his head to the side and gave her a close eyed smile.
"Only when they're as gorgeous as you."
Maoru wasn't usually one to be reeled in by flattery but feeling particularly low, she appreciated the kind words from the interesting and fairly attractive stranger and let a small smile grace her lips, her ego slowly building back up again after the disastrous night prior.
"Correct me if I'm mistaken, but are you trying to woo me into bed?"
The man let out a chuckle and raised his hands defensively.
"Am I that transparent?"
Maoru's grey eyes rolled over his form for a moment and hesitated. Would her Senpai be mad if she were to be distracted from the mission for an hour tops? She bit her lip. She was still pretty frustrated from the night before and clearly her master wasn't going to be touching her anytime soon after their argument, if he could even remember it, and here she was sat with a perfectly willing, effortlessly attractive young man, although not as attractive as Itachi but he was off bounds and clearly thought of her fairly lowly at that point. She frowned when she thought about him again and what he'd said.
"There you go looking sad again. Tell me, has somebody upset you?"
The girl stared at the table, deep in thought about Itachi's words and how they'd cut deep. Surely she'd be proving him right if he found her in bed with another guy. But then again, if she was a guy, wouldn't it be perfectly acceptable? Why was it that just because she was a woman and had slept around a bit, she was considered a tart? It was just quite hypocritical to her. Anger flashed through her eyes for a moment before her eyes flickered up to the man again and she smiled at him.
"No, it's nothing. I'm just about done here." She stood, not casting her steak a second glance. The man stood, towering over her by about six or seven inches. She coyly fluttered her eyebrows at him.
"Lead the way."
The man all but grabbed her hand and led her out of the bar, despite the waitress's protests that she hadn't paid her bill although she hadn't even touched her meal.
.
Itachi's coal orbs flickered about the busy street with a vague expression. He'd managed to gather a bit of intel on their target but when he'd gone to find his kohai, she'd vanished without a trace. After inconspicuously searching for her throughout the bustle and noise for about half an hour, he began questioning various civilians, shop owners and waitresses about a short girl with long, blonde hair, grey eyes and most likely fairly miserable looking. Still, no luck. Civilians were useless, too caught up in their everyday lives, shop keepers saw so many people on a daily basis or just plain weren't interested unless he was planning on buying something. The waitresses he spoke to could barely string a sentence together without getting flustered and anxious.
When the raven haired man came upon the barbeque grill and gained a lead in just where his student had gone, with a strange man and not even paying her bill, to the irritation of the head waiter, he took off immediately when the man was described as resembling the target, paying the bill on his way out. He ignored the strange feeling that was crawling under his skin, uncomfortable at the thought of her going off with a strange ninja, whether for the mission or not, he did not know. But he didn't really like it.
He followed the direction the waitress in the grill had hesitantly told him, a blush set heavy on her delicate features, and found himself on the right track when asking others for directions on the way. He'd even spotted a tea house where he could have a cup of tea and a dango if the mission went well. He became slightly tense as he found his way to a rather rough looking part of town. The red lights lit up a particular street, run down looking women in shabby silken clothes sitting in windows and leaning against door frames that lead to underground gambling houses, brothels and other dodgy activities smoking cigarettes and giving him risqué propositions as he went past.
He stopped and turned when he reached the middle of the long stretch of an alley way, spotting an older woman taking drags of her cigarette and drinking alcohol from the bottle. She immediately lit up when she saw him staring at her, the greying hair on her head swishing as she moved her head up suddenly to keep eye contact.
"Care for some company tonight, stranger?" She put on a haggard, flirty façade that had long since had its day before taking another drag of her fix. Itachi had to wonder whether it was only tobacco in there. The raven haired man hesitated for a moment, eyes running over the aging woman, picking apart and deducing her body language, which the woman must have mistaken for interest as she perked up and smiled.
"I'm looking for someone in particular and was told she'd come this way with a man of about my height, brunette."
The woman's face fell pitifully and she slumped, folding her arms, bottle and cigarette still in her hands. She let out a tired laugh, whispering something self-degrading to herself whilst she was at it.
"Who? The pretty blonde? Yeah, they were here. She'll make a good one, she will. Unlike an old spinster like myself. You want to go to the end of this alley way, make a right and then the second left and keep walkin' until you reach the underground yoshiwara house and club. That's where we all go on our first day. It's a slippery slope, I tell ya. One moment, you need a bit of money to pay your rent, the next, you're a forty-year-old prostitute with nothing to your name but a bottle of cheap wine and some tobacco."
Itachi soaked in the information, his brow creasing in vexation. The woman took another swig of her drink and wiped her mouth with her forearm.
"But… I still know what a man likes. If you'll allow me. It's cold out and it'll give me something besides the numbness of this drink." She drawled, tears glazing over her eyes. It was a moment before the woman flinched, her eyes widening slightly as she stared at the bills he'd dropped on the floor before heading off in the directions she'd given him. The woman bit her dry lip and bent down, counting the money and nearly fainting at the generous gift left by the all more generous stranger.
.
Itachi followed the woman's instructions, walking to the end of the alley, taking a right and then the second left. He kept on guard, feeling tense at how rough this part of the small town was. The alley he walked down seemed wider than the other, more women scattered about but this time, some were drunkenly passed out in their own vomit, the darkness of the alley way and the only light being red made him wonder whether they were still alive or not. Some had bills left on their unconscious bodies, some were being ravished in passages between the tall buildings. He clenched his eyes shut as he approached the entrance to the underground whore house, barely keeping in his contempt for this side of humanity. The ninja, a big burly man with an even larger sword, on the entrance of the door gave him a stern look before opening the door.
"You cause any trouble and you're dead meat, got it, shrimp?"
Itachi calmly moved passed him and stared down into the set of dimly lit stairs, a waft of a strong smelling aroma of alcohol, sex and sweat hitting him straight in the face making his lip twitch in disgust. When he moved down the stairs, there was a thick wooden door at the bottom that the sounds of the club came through in muffled beats of music, laughing and other sounds that he didn't even want to think about. Opening the door, he felt the noise become very loud and very real as he stared around the large room filled with all sorts of mercenaries and cut throats, a lot of them he'd seen in his bingo books, meaning this mission would be a hassle.
The room was lively, a bar at the side and some sort of small stage on the left with rough spin curtains. It was modelled like a contemporary lounge, tasteful but wasn't any less scummy, the men sat around on the red leather sofas. Straight ahead there was a narrow hall way shielded from the room by a net curtain that did little to hide the hall and the erotic noises. His eyes roamed over the room, looking for any sign of his student. His impassive face seemed to attract more than just the women in the room this time. A particularly tattooed ruffian stood and pointed to him.
"Hey, I know you, you're that Uchiha fella!"
Another man turned his head and growled at him.
"Hey, you got no business being down here, you prick. You tryin' ta get us shut down or what?"
Itachi apathetically stared at the audience he was attracting, realizing that the noise had quieted down and the only sound was the music and the screaming, moaning and slapping noises that were coming out of the brothel part of the basement. The raven haired man thought through ways to go about approaching the growing tension. He didn't doubt that with some serious effort, he would be able to singlehandedly take out every one in the room, but he really didn't want that kind of attention on a mission that was meant to be low key. He thought back to the old prostitute he'd encountered earlier, a light bulb lighting up in his head.
"I'm…. not here to cause trouble. I'm looking for entertainment… If you understand what I mean." He drawled, his face staying expressionless. His words sounded sincere but this did nothing to calm the criminals who were growing more and more irritated at his presence.
"We ain't gonna tell ya again, Uchiha. Your kind ain't welcome around here. So you better get that scrawny little ass outta here before I throw you out myself." the tattooed thug snapped, spittle leaving his mouth. Itachi slipped shuriken between his fingers beneath his sleeve as he prepared himself for the impending bust up, eyes flicking around the room to all of the different sizes and types of criminals, planning out strategies and tactics at which ones he would kill first. Just before he could activate his sharingan, a willowy looking aged woman ran out from beside the bar, her stern, puckered face only enhancing her frown lines and crow feet.
"Gentlemen, please! No fighting in here! Who are we to deny a man obviously looking to have some company and who possibly will be… spending generously. Come now, sir, follow me."
Itachi's eyes roamed the room, observing how the tense atmosphere was suddenly lifted as the mercenaries only shrugged and rolled their eyes, carrying on with what they were doing prior to his interruption but a few still gave him wary glances. He strode forward until he reached the old woman who was dressed in a traditional yukata, one he noticed was fairly expensive looking, probably bought at the expense of her whores. The woman who he'd presumed was the mistress only smiled at him pleadingly and all too eagerly.
"I'm assuming you have a certain type of girl in mind?" Her voice was hoarse and shrill, Itachi only nodded, an image of Maoru's appearance coming to mind.
"Petite, blonde." He spoke, the woman lit up and immediately parted the curtain to the dimly lit red hallway.
"Oh, yes! One of our most popular choices, sir! If you come this way, I'll show you our best blondes. All of them pretty, some of them come from the furthest points of the map, all very experienced in whatever you may desire-" the woman went on and showed him the girls who were available but none of them were his student, eyebrows furrowing, he wondered if the old whore from earlier had given him the right information.
Seeing his expression and mistaking it for disappointment, the mistress panicked.
"O-oh! Maybe you would prefer a brunette? Or a red head perhaps?"
Itachi's eyes flickered back to her and he hesitated.
"Do you have any new whores? Maybe from today or yesterday?"
The woman thought to herself before lighting up.
"Ah, yes we have one but she's in use at the present." Itachi's eyes hardened and the woman gulped, taking it as an unsaid gesture to show him the way.
"R-right up here."
She brought the raven haired man up a different corridor which was dimmer and more quiet than the rest of the pleasure house, the only noises being the grunts of the customers, breathy moans of the prostitutes and the squeaking of old bed joints. The woman lead him to a room right at the end of the hall before asking him to wait for a moment and knocking, entering and closing the door behind her, smiling at him as she disappeared into the room. He was there for a few moments as he listened to the yelling of the mistress. She appeared after about five minutes through the door.
"She is able to see you now, apologies for the wait." She smiled bitterly and opened the door. Itachi walked into the room with brief hesitation. The woman stopped him.
"Payment?"
Coal eyes landed on her and narrowed, making her bite her lip.
"We will negotiate if I find her satisfactory, thank you."
The mistress nodded, giving him an open mouth smile to see her black and yellow teeth. Itachi turned into the room and slouched his shoulders, hearing the door click behind him. The girl before him was not Maoru. The girl had tanned skin, dark brown hair and an exotic look to her as she smiled at him. She was young, maybe the same age as his student, if not even younger. The girl coyly played with her hair.
"What do you like, mister?" She asked, voice sweet as honey. Itachi stared at her, not speaking a word. The girl blushed under his gaze and sat on the bed, her skimpy silken kimono riding up her tan legs.
"Would you like to sit down?" She asked politely. Itachi could see the finger shaped bruises scattered over her thighs and arms, some even over her neck. They were dark and ugly, but not as dark and ugly as the one swelling over her eye. He felt appalled. The girl gulped and shuffled on the bed slightly.
"Maybe some alcohol-"
"I'm not here to abuse you. I'm looking for someone. A… comrade if you will. Maybe you could help me."
The girl jumped at the sound of his voice, looking up at him completely startled.
"O-oh, perhaps, I don't know-"
"I will make it worth your while. I'm looking for a girl, young like yourself. Blonde, grey eyes, petite. May have been taken here upon free will or force."
The girl thought for a moment before biting her lip, looking nervous and skittish. If she said anything she wasn't meant to or lost mother money, she would be given a beating worse than some of the customers gave her. Itachi sensed her discomfort and moved forward slightly.
"I will give you payment for the information, of course."
The girl's eyes snapped back up at him and she wrung her hands in the bedsheets.
"I… don't know who you speak of but I do know that they take girls who are particularly defiant… further down." She murmured, not really wanting to think about it. Itachi furrowed his eyebrows.
"Further down?"
She nodded slowly, eyes wide despite the one swollen eye on her left.
"There's a hidden compartment that is disguised as a screen in the next corridor down from us. You will know it when you see it. There is a single room for storage supplies and opposite that is a seemingly normal screen but it's opaque and opens like a door instead of sliding. You'll find a stair case that leads to the disciplining area. Maybe… your comrade is down there?"
Itachi rummaged around in his cloak as he found his money pouch which was becoming more empty as the mission progressed. He brought out wad of bills to the girl's complete shock and placed it on the pine nightstand, leaving silently.
"W-wait!"
Itachi turned, apathetic as the girl blushed and looked down, bringing a fist up to her mouth.
"Watch out f-for the hired thugs."
Itachi stared at her before nodding and closing the door behind him.
He knew what she'd meant when he reached the corridor, the screen didn't slide and did, in fact swing open like a door, revealing a long staircase down. It was cold and eerily quiet but Itachi began walking down without a second thought, preparing his shuriken once again and disguising his chakra in case of any sensory ninja. He reached the heavy iron door at the bottom and slowly opened it to avoid any loud screeching that would alert any unwanted attention.
As soon as it was open, the quiet turned into screams and howls and whimpers as well as rough commands. He narrowed his eyes at the empty concrete walkway. Surely it should be more guarded than this? Calmly, he walked down the stony corridor that looked more like a jail house hallway. There was an archway at the end that gave him the option of either going left or right.
His ear twitched when he heard an all too familiar voice, immediately turning left, he quickly moved to the shadows of the hall, his footsteps as quiet as the grave. It was the second room on the right that he'd found what he was looking for. The first had been a cell filled with unconscious women most likely drugged.
"Now, I'm not going to ask you again, sweetheart. Where is your partner."
Itachi peered around the corner. The room was dark but he could clearly see his student on the floor, ankles shackled and hands tied. Her hair was tangled and knotted in the fist of the man who sat in a chair next to her, leaning down to stare in her eyes. He ripped the cloth gag out of her mouth to which she hacked and spat on his ninja sandal.
"Fuck you, cunt!" She growled. The man just let out a dry laugh and tutted.
"Such bad language coming from a pretty little mouth like that," He pulled her head up causing her to hiss at the pain. She scowled up at him from beneath her dark lashes. "It makes me wonder what else has been there." He drawled, a long finger stroking up her slim throat, before pausing and sighing.
"No matter. I have ways of making you talk."
"I'll never talk." She spat, glaring at him as he pushed her head away, standing and walking over to a table filled with all kinds of horrendous instruments. The girl gulped and looked to the doorway when she heard footsteps. She nearly cried when she spotted the familiar silhouette in the dark. Itachi-Senpai. The Kamakiri turned, his violet eyes flicking to the doorway as an oddly tranquil smile stretched onto his face.
"Ah, there you are! We were beginning to wonder when you were going to show up, weren't we, darling?"
"Fuck off!"
"I have to say, I'm slightly appalled at her choice of words but it's not really any of my business. What is my business, however, is the continuation of this little program I've got going on here. I can't have any unwanted interruptions so I'm going to have to exterminate you. But I have to say, I'm happy they sent you , Itachi Uchiha. In fact, I'm flattered. But I'm going to kill you either way."
Itachi stared at the man impassively.
"Is that so?" He drawled, unimpressed. The Kamakiri's eyes flickered to Maoru who struggled around on the floor, incapacitated.
"I think I might keep your little friend though. I like her."
Maoru pulled faces as she tried to get her hands loose. Itachi's eyes moved to his student. Within a flash, the lights were on and practically blinding. The three of them were surrounded by maybe seven thugs, all staring at him hungry, eagerly awaiting his blood. Itachi shut his eyes, calmly waiting for the target to say something more.
"You know what I will regret though. I was fairly keen on fucking her and having you watch before your death but whichever comes first really. In fact, fellas try and keep him alive. There'll be an extra thirty thousand ryo if you do." He sent a smirk Itachi's way. The raven haired man blinked at him. Was he supposed to feel threatened? The men chortled, standing and gripping their weapons. Itachi spotted the tattooed thug from earlier who grinned at him.
"Don't mind if we do, boss."
Itachi's coal orbs spun into red as soon as the thugs took one step towards him. They began circling him and he stared at them out of the corner of his eyes, frowning. The first one charged at him and then they all went for him, he disappeared and re-appeared behind one of them, swinging his fist to their neck, watching him collapse onto his knees and pass out on the floor. Left, right, left, right, he dodged attacks from here there and everywhere. The room was small, too small for any showy jutsu but no matter. He continued to dodge, his sharingan eyes picking up on every movement that was yet to happen, swiftly moving out of the way in a spin when the tattooed thug swung his axe, with a thunderous roar. He was big and powerful but Itachi was slender and quick, swooping out of reach and throwing shuriken as quick as lightening, hitting his upper arm and taking out two other thugs as the stars imbedded in their skulls. The tattooed ruffian grunted and glared at him.
"You'll pay for that you little cunt!" He charged at him again, this time, Itachi ducked and swiped his foot underneath the big man's legs, taking him out swiftly. Itachi took another set of shuriken and elegantly and with unnatural speed, threw them at the other three thugs who fell like bags of potatoes.
"Fuck! Itachi!"
The man turned at the sound of his kohai, his eyes flickering about until he noticed the hidden door that was disguised behind a curtain left ajar slightly, he went to follow but grunted when he felt the sharp end of a kunai imbed itself in his thigh. Looking down, he watched as the tattooed thug hung onto the kunai, painfully trying to drag it down.
"You're not going anywhere, you little bitch"
Itachi glared down at the man, taking out his own kunai and slicing in one swift motion. The man let out an ear piercing roar of pain at clutched his now mutilated wrist, the stub soaking in crimson and squirting out blood, creating a puddle on the floor where his severed hand lay, twitching.
Itachi took a deep breath and pulled the knife out, clenching his teeth at the sharp, aching stinging pain. He knew it was a foolish move but there was no way he could retrieve his student with an object sticking out of his leg.
Pursuing them, he pushed the door open and sprinted down a long, earthy tunnel that smelt of stale water and was lined with thin pipes. He tried to ignore the throbbing in his leg as he approached a fork in the tunnel, lifting his hands, he conjured three shadow clones at unmatched speed. The three clones went in different directions, he closed his eyes until one of them caught sight of them. To the right. He dispersed his clones and turned right, going after them. He heard the distinct yelling, screaming and yelling of his student. Itachi sped up when he caught sight of them. The target dragged her by her bound wrists through a hatch before closing it.
Itachi made his way up and shoved the hatch open, jumping up out into the forest, his sharingan rolling around his surroundings.
Maoru struggled as the Kamakiri held the kunai to her stomach, his slender fingers wrapped tightly around her neck. Itachi stared indifferently at the man who glared back at him.
"Make one move and I drive this straight through this fucking bitch, got it?" He spat before leaning into Maoru's ear.
"Now, you're going to do exactly as I say and I'll let your boyfriend live." He whispered, sickly sweet. The girl narrowed her eyes at him but reluctantly nodded.
"You stay right where you are, I'm going to negotiate with this fucker. You try anything funny and I'll kill him without a second thought."
Maoru stared at him and then at her Senpai, finding his eyes already on her and communicating with her. She pursed her lips as he angrily narrowed his eyes. She was in so much trouble and she knew it. Biting her lip, he fumbled around behind her back. She'd managed to pick something up on the way. Feeling around her back pocket, she felt the sharp sting of the scalpel slicing the pad of her finger. There it is! She pulled it out of her left back pocket, ignoring the feeling of the blade slicing up her hand and subtly beginning to saw the rope quietly.
The brunette man approached Itachi and smirked.
"You certainly live up to your reputation, Uchiha. But the question is, how far can you go especially when you've been poisoned? I didn't get as far as I am today by underestimating my enemies, you see." He eyed the rip in Itachi's cloak, the damp patch of blood seeping through. Itachi narrowed his eyes. He'd be lying he'd said he hadn't felt the poison taking effect.
Maoru's head snapped up at his words, grey eyes widening as she saw Itachi begin to grow slightly unbalanced. Fuck! She had to do something right away, finally, she felt the last bit of rope snap.
"Sekijunkawa no jutsu!" She yelled, forming the hand signs. The man turned quickly and his eyes widened, he jumped quickly as the stalagmites shot out of the ground like spikes, missing him by a hair. He balanced atop one, eyes narrowed down at her.
"Cute. But not enough."
Shit! His attentions were on her and that was good enough for her. But in their small amount of time together, she hadn't managed to figure out what his skillset was like, she had no idea what type of nature he was or if he had a Kekkei Genkai or anything. She focused hard. Remember what Itachi-senpai told you. Concentrate and don't get cocky. Don't underestimate your enemy. She bit her lip, thinking of a strategy. She looked to Itachi to find him gone. Okay. Good. She didn't have to worry about him at the same time. The Kamakiri seemed to have the same thought process.
"It seems your boyfriend left you. Not very nice."
"Shut your mouth!" She yelled, trying not to get distracted. Her eyes snapped open as she summed two other clones and used a substitution. The man looked disappointed as he clicked his tongue.
"Is that seriously all you can do?" He drawled as the two clones rushed him, swiping at him, kicking at him and jumping at him. The man growled and moved out of the way of their attacks, dodging from left to right. His face frowning the whole time.
"You know, if you're trying to work out my jutsu, you should come out and face me yourself."
Maoru watched from the tree tops and swore to herself. There was only one way she was going to do this. She had to attack long range. There was another thing she could do but… No. I swore I'd never use that jutsu again. He clenched her teeth. She was alone, facing an unknown opponent when her Senpai was out there somewhere possibly dying. You have no choice.
"Oh, fuck it!"
"Kuchiyose no jutsu!"
.
Thank you all so very much! I'm so sorry for the wait! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know not much is happening in this one and it's mainly just Itachi and Maoru ignoring each other but it will get better next chapter I swear on my life. I tried to make this chapter as interesting as I could and I apologize if I've offended anyone with the language, drug references or abuse references. It was not intention, I was just trying to keep it as realistic as possible.
Thank you all very much for your time and patience, I did kind of have a bit of writers block with this chapter but I'm back bby! Don't forget to F&F and review, reviews keep me going. I like to hear what you all think, mainly because I'm a glutton for feedback but it's mainly so I know if I'm doing good or not.
Thank you all!