Scarlet Justice - ep. 121
"Let's Just See"
[Days of Thunder: Chapter of Noble Eyes, Part 2]

"Get to your positions, just like we planned! We can't give her any extra room to work with!"

Shikamaru's voice rings out, and I watch as each of the boys move to a different spot ahead of me. No doubt he has something interesting planned, but I can't figure out what at this moment.

But it won't matter. I'm going to beat them senseless either way.

Neji exhales before closing the short distance between us, fingers outstretched to try and hit my tenketsu. The obvious move is to engage him, so that's why I won't do it. I sway and avoid his first strike, sniffing out the attack coming from behind. Lee's kick misses as I bend forward, then I roll left to avoid Neji's palm thrust.

"That sort of perception..."

Neji gathers himself again and launches a flurry of strikes, keeping up the pressure even as I weave through each one of them. His speed is nothing compared to Kurenai's during our training sessions, but I still can't underestimate him. He quickly backs off after realizing he's getting nowhere, and I read the incoming attack from Lee as he jumps in.

"Leaf Hurricane!"

I quickly backstep to avoid his spinning kick, noting that Neji has set up shop behind me. Shikamaru, Kiba, and Choji are still in their original positions. Are they trying to wear me down first? Or is there something else going on?

"Here! Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!"

"Mobius Type Four: Aegis."

I aim behind my head and fire a pulse of lightning, clashing with the air burst and destroying it with a loud rumble trailing behind. Lee jumps in front of me for another attack, and I slip under his punch before shoving him roughly to one side. He's off balance, and that's what I want for now – I'll let these boys think that their plans are intact for a moment longer.

"No good...Kiba, your turn. Choji, get ready," Shikamaru orders. On the ball as always, a reliable general.

"Aye!" Choji pulls out a bag of chips and starts eating. That's enough of a tell on its own. He's going to use his jutsu to make this troublesome. Obvious target. Shikamaru is a few steps ahead, but that gap won't last long, and he knows it. Kiba flicks a pill into Akamaru's mouth, just as I saw during the exams. The dog jumps onto his back, and they start their usual routine.

"Let's go! Four Legs Technique! Beast Human Clone!"

"Arf!"

The two transform into feral copies of each other, growling at me before launching a double sided attack.

"Nowhere to run, snake girl!"

"I wouldn't run from the likes of you, you pathetic runt. Your teamwork is laughably basic and easy to parse. But with someone of your limited intelligence running around, I wouldn't expect too much in the first place."

He swipes at me and misses, then Akamaru follows up and misses in the same way. They synchronize their movements and use altered timing to try and land their blows, swiping through the air and twisting to launch kicks. They punch high and low simultaneously; I turn my body and lean backwards to avoid them both. A series of kicks from ahead and behind is defeated as I parry Kiba's kick and use his leg to lift myself over Akamaru's. They quickly recover, circle me, and then lunge forward with heavy straights. I wait until the last moment and split my legs, dropping to the ground as their fists smash into each other's faces. I then cartwheel to my feet and make seals as they reel back, stretching my hands outwards.

"Water Release: Water Shark Bullet."

Two sharks appear in front of my palms and shoot forward, slamming into Kiba and Akamaru. They sail to opposite ends of the courtyard, and are slow to move.

"No time to rest..."

Neji is on me in the next second, attacking swiftly with an extra burst of chakra running through his system. We dance past Shikamaru, who is watching nervously, and Choji, who is steadily eating in the midst of battle. His chakra is rising with each passing moment, but I already know how I will take care of him.

"You can't keep this up forever," Neji says in between his attacks.

"You would like to think so. I am going to put an end to this nonsense soon enough, so I won't have to keep this up for much longer."

"Don't worry about it, Neji. Move forward. Taijutsu's her weakest area, so you might be able to get something going," Shikamaru says. "Lee, stand by. We're gonna need you to do what we discussed earlier..."

"More tricks?" I say to myself. "Go ahead and empty your entire bag if you want."

"Here!" I feel Neji's chakra build rapidly. "Eight Trigrams-!"

I can see his body turning slightly, so it's that move after all. If the technique needs full rotation, then all I have to do is arrest it, right? Nobody is going to move in, meaning I'm all alone. Perfect...let's test my theory.

"Stage One, online." I activate the chakra mode and burst forward, using my extra strength to build a solid footing and stop him from moving completely.

"What?!"

"Figured out your secret from watching the exams. Don't feel bad, though...most people aren't me." I quickly sweep him with one leg, then follow up by kicking him away. He rolls a few times before recovering, popping back onto his feet and taking his stance immediately.

"Perception, speed, skill...I was right to enlist help," he says. "With just a glance, she's done all of this."

"There's no way...she's making it look like it's so easy. Mocking us!" Kiba yells as he finally recovers. Akamaru, still in his transformation, simply growls menacingly.

Getting a little more serious means I can end this quickly. But as incensed as I still am, I don't want to hurt these boys significantly. It would make Hina sad, wouldn't it...but the more I think about it, the more I feel differently. She wouldn't want me to take it easy, not in a situation like this. Perhaps I should follow through...and give them the respect they deserve. Shikamaru has shifted modes, his eyes closed and hands together in an odd position as he crouches. I haven't seen this before, but it must be some sort of meditative state.

"Kiba, go for it. I'll wait for a good moment to back you up," Neji says.

"Got it! Let's go, Akamaru! No more games!" The two of them come together and synchronize themselves. "Sorry, but this will hurt a bit, Lili!"

"Go fuck yourself. Don't go bootlicking now, you wretch."

"You little...! Beast Human Taijutsu, Secret Art! Fang Passing Fang!"

"And here you come..." They rush forward, jumping into the air before going into rapid spins and closing in on me from either side. A dangerous attack when properly coordinated, but even then...far too slow to catch me. I won't have to use any of the newer techniques. The proven ones I have will be enough to finish everyone off.

I hop backwards as Kiba's form scrapes the ground, throwing up rock and dust. Akamaru goes past my back as I hop forward again, and Kiba misses as I jump over his spinning form. I flip in the air and avoid them as they attack side by side, then separate to try and catch me off guard. My momentum lets me spin and hang in the air long enough to dodge Kiba as he comes from the left, and I float on my back as Akamaru passes from the same angle to try and trick me. As I land on my feet, they're on me again, scraping the ground each time they pass to try and obscure my vision. Kiba, idiot slacker that he is, has probably forgotten that my sense of smell is as good as his. Their passes become more erratic and scattered, but also uncoordinated, making it easier for me to slide past them in the thickening dust.

They eventually land back where they started, panting with exhaustion. I can't see it clearly, but I can feel Akamaru's chakra shift as his transformation disappears. Let's see how Kiba likes his partner getting a bath.

"Water Shark Bullet."

I fire through the dust, and the loud yelp from Akamaru is confirmation enough that it hit.

"Akamaru! Lili, you ruthless bitch!" Kiba roars.

"Oi, don't lose your handle on this!" Shikamaru yells back.

"I won't let you get away with that!"

"Why don't you settle down, Kiba. You chose to fight me, remember? I told you to back off. I gave you a chance. Now the only thing left to do is take your loss like a man," I taunt. The dust settles, and I can see Kiba cradling an unconscious Akamaru in his arms, looking at me bitterly.

"Shikamaru...I cannot stand to see this go on much longer. This villainess must be put in her place," Lee says, trembling.

"Dammit...it's a bit soon, but...alright. You've got the green light. Just don't overdo it, Lee."

"Understood. A fiercer opponent than that Kimimaro...but not nearly as durable, or skilled in taijutsu. I know that I can manage something."

Neji falls back towards Shikamaru, along with Kiba. They're sending Lee alone as a distraction. No...more than that. I remember that I used him as a trump card...of course. Of course these idiots would do something so drastic.

"Shikamaru. You had better call this boy off. If you escalate, I make no promises that he'll come out of this unharmed," I warn.

"Sorry. Can't do that, Lili."

"You all whined about my actions, but this is already going further than I would have with Hina. Don't do this. I don't want to hurt any of you permanently."

"Yeah, I know. And I'm going to exploit that, Lili. You have to make your choice. You either fight us for real, or we'll take you down right here."

"Making that boy use the Inner Gates is far too much, and you know it."

He grimaces. "I'm using every tool at my disposal here. Might be unsavoury, but...I've got everything lined up. Lee, it's now or never."

"Yes! Here I come, villain! Third Gate of Life! Release!"

A surge of chakra ripples towards me as Lee opens three of the gates at once, his skin turning red and veins bulging from his skin. He's grown stronger, to be sure...the output is even greater than on the mission to take back Sasuke. Shikamaru is preparing equipment in the background.

"You really think I'm that much of a danger to her, then..."

I clench my fists.

"Then you will get what you want. I'll crush you in this instant."

Shikamaru flinches. "Shit...!"

"A world of crimson...Lightning Release Chakra Mode, Third Stage. Full Boost, activate."

I focus and the red shroud appears around me, waving like flames and pulsing with arcs of electricity.

"You're too late! I will put an end to this myself!" Lee yells. "Wooooooah!"

He shoots forward, the ground torn apart in his wake. I can see him coming. He's quite fast...

"..."

But not fast enough to deal with me.

"Swallow this, bowl head."

I watch for his punch and it comes, a high straight that goes right for my head. Without a wasted thought, my body swings underneath it, and I ready a jutsu in my right hand.

"Mobius Type Four...Aegis."

I punch him in the chest and drive forward, the pulse of lightning exploding outwards in a torrent of red and arresting his movement completely. He hangs in the air as his skin returns to normal, eyes open in shock before he drops to the ground like a wet sack, unmoving.

"Don't give her a chance to breathe!"

Shikamaru's voice snaps the others out of it. Kiba flicks a pill into his mouth and charges ahead.

"Passing Fang!"

He spins towards me like a drill, faster than usual with the help of the rations pill. That extra energy will go to waste. As he nears me, I focus and have his rotations slow to the point where they're nearly meaningless. I step forward to build momentum and drive my knee into his face at high speed.

"Lie down, boy."

"Ugh...!" He goes silent soon after, flying through the air before landing on his face, and tumbling end over end to a stop.

"Now it's over!"

Neji is attacking from behind again, but I can tell that he's planning something substantial. The distance means...

"Eight Trigrams Sixty Four Palms," I mutter.

My head turns and I see him accelerate towards me for the first strike. I backflip into the air just as he closes the gap, sailing over him easily. As soon as I land, I accelerate towards his back.

"You can enjoy this brand of taijutsu instead, fuckwit."

"What-!"

I grab the back of his head and push him forward, slamming his face into the ground ahead and buckling it inwards. He doesn't move afterwards.

"Sun's not down yet..."

"The shadows," I mumble. "So you were trying to get me into position all along, then."

"Right. Nowhere you can run, Lili!" Shikamaru throws a series of kunai all around me, with explosive tags attached. I can't tell which of them are real or not, since they're all primed with chakra that I can sense. Getting me to run towards the shadows, where his technique is definitely waiting...maybe coming from the upturned rock littering the area...

"Choji, go for it!"

"All charged up and ready to go! Multi Size Technique! Hidden Leaf Taijutsu! Human Bullet Tank!"

It only makes sense. The composition of this team meant that it had a lot of good individual fighters, but none of them could properly coordinate attacks together. Lee's wild and strong attacks, Neji's precise combinations at close range, Kiba and Akamaru's chaotic and wide ranging techniques...they wouldn't work well at all in collaboration. But they were strong distractions while Shikamaru and Choji came up with something bigger. Now they've lured me into a scenario where I have to dodge Choji's giant form again, and unlike the exams, he's not alone. His trusted partner Shikamaru is here to make sure that I can't run too far.

"I didn't expect to use all four of those guys as sacrifices...but if it means we get the win, it was worth it!"

"I suppose so." I sigh. "You did your best, Shikamaru."

He grins nervously. "Don't think you're gonna throw me off with that."

"You know better, fucking slacker." I accelerate past Choji, listening as his spinning rakes the ground and he changes directions. The many tendrils of Shikamaru's technique reach towards me from all sides, and I skip through them as I run towards him.

"You're way too cocky, Lili!"

"I'm sorry you think so."

"Now, Choji!"

"Game...over!"

I stomp the ground, stopping just ahead of Shikamaru as he stretches his shadow towards me. It's split into long threads, ready to snag me as soon as I try to make a lateral move. My head turns to one side, and I see that Choji has started to bounce into the air, ready to drive me into the ground the moment I jump upwards. There's the sound of something hitting the ground, and I see that Shikamaru has dropped a smoke bomb at his own feet.

"It's a difficult situation. But I'm not done for yet. Here's a tip for you boys..."

"!"

I jump backwards towards Choji.

"Don't count someone out until they actually are."

I push water under my feet and effortlessly flip backwards over Choji's spinning form. He hits the ground and makes a large crater in front of Shikamaru, breaking the other boy's concentration as the smoke bomb explodes. I make a single seal as I come back in line with them, and open my mouth.

"Lightning Release: False Darkness."

Two jagged bolts of lightning shoot ahead through the smoke, exploding as soon as they find their targets. I land and shut off the chakra mode, then wait for the smoke to start clearing. They don't seem to be moving, and I can now visually confirm that they're both down. Their hair is on end, and their clothes are singed, but they aren't badly hurt. I made sure of that by holding back a small enough amount.

"Be grateful I didn't go any further, you insolent little fucks." I turn my head and spit on the ground. "You thought you could take me down with that much? I didn't think I could be disrespected any further by you lot."

Although...I realize now that Shikamaru never had a real plan. It was as I told Naruto once before, a sufficiently strong opponent will defeat even the greatest set of ideas. He didn't count on me being so far ahead – using Lee as his trump so early was proof of that. The entire time, he was hoping to create some sort of opening and slip a surprise attack through. That line about not expecting he would have four of his comrades fall so quickly, one after the other, was the truth. They never stood a chance in a fair fight, and he knew it.

But even if I am a ruthless bitch for encouraging this battle...they all deserved what they got.

"Thank goodness..."

Hanabi reaches my side and sighs as she looks out at the courtyard.

"What a mess. We'll have to get this fixed as soon as possible...though I don't like the idea of robbing Branch House guys of their sleep to do so."

I hand her a card from one of my side pockets. "These people are reliable. You can have everything fixed by mid morning if you call them early enough."

"Neat. Thank you, Lili-nee. For this, and for going easy on them."

"Hmph. Make sure they show proper gratitude when they do wake up."

I hear another set of footsteps approaching from behind. I already know who this is.

"Please take care of these boys, Hanabi."

"Yes, onee-sama."

"Thank you."

I finally turn to face Hina. She's dressed in the same outfit as I am, dark shirt and pants matched with the standard green flak jacket. Her hair is put up into a ponytail as well, and her polished Leaf headband is safely around her neck.

"We really do look the part of sisters, don't we..."

"Yes. I'm glad I got the idea to put on this outfit," I say.

"Me too." She looks out over the courtyard. "My apologies for the disturbance...Neji really has become overprotective as of late, but I never figured on this. But the fight was a pleasant, unexpected bit of entertainment for Hyuuga. And an awe-inspiring reminder of your strength, Crimson Nightmare." Her head turns back towards me. "You have changed again, somehow. What is that, burning in your eyes?"

"My emotions leaked into it...that fight."

"Was it...resentment?"

"It felt like they were mocking my bond with you. I know that they meant well, Hina. But something like that, and especially threatening me..."

She nods. "I understand. Besides, they were the ones that chose to stand in your way. You are not at fault. I have a place where I want us to go, now that we can't fight here any longer. A place for the two of us, one that has meaning. Will...you give me a few extra moments to ready myself?"

"Yes. I'll see you in the next five minutes, then."

"Thank you." Hina takes a practised leap into the air and leaves the courtyard. Hanabi is roughly shaking Neji awake in the background. The cool evening wind blows by me, moving ribbons of dust through the air.

My watch says that it is currently five minutes to seven.

A moment that will change our lives...I'm ready for it. Now, more than ever.