content warning: hey. nothing too serious this time but just a heads up for if you find weird incest stuff to be a bridge too far, there's a bit of it in this chapter. otherwise there's nothing graphic to worry about. thanks for reading and enjoy.

Scarlet Justice: Full Blossom – ep. 47
"Confrontations"
[Golden Girls, Part 3]

The next few days are relatively calm. I spend more time disrupting Akatsuki's activities and sensing for any of their elites, if they might be nearby. It seems like nothing is happening with them, or they're very good at hiding. Possibly both. Fortunately, I have an array of skills that will allow me to detect anyone before they get too close to cause any real issue.

Talking with Choumei and Fuu helps confirm a lot of things about the nature of the tailed beasts, and Hashirama's dealings with them. And with all of that...it just makes me even more upset with his actions. Far from being evil, I just think that he was incredibly stupid. It's little wonder that Tobirama had to corral him so often. To have that sort of power in his hands, and not even attempt to make sense of the beings he had trapped, under his complete control...I can't make any assumptions about what was going on in his mind, and he did live in a stressful era. That's no excuse for any of this. Relating to Hashirama's power, it adds to why Obito and the true Madara would want to cultivate that man's cells for their own use. That leads to the question of how they obtained it. Maybe at the final valley, Madara took a piece of his body then? But it would be strange to anyone to do so, and in the middle of a fight it would not go unnoticed. With answers come more questions, but that seems to always be the case when it comes to this mess.

It goes without saying that the Rinnegan, the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths, would be able to subdue the beasts on their own. It seems more and more likely that we are also dealing with someone who has those eyes, or perhaps an facsimile of them at the least. Danzo Shimura is also in the mix here, with his array of stolen Sharingan. Working on these threats one at a time is the safest and most prudent method. Obito should be left for last, and as far as his seemingly limitless surveillance...I have plans to deal with that as well. So much work, so little time. Such is the life of an elite kunoichi.

"So where are we headed next?"

With no harm in it, I've let Fuu tag along with me the rest of the way. Not only will having a travel companion do her more good, but I have a feeling that trouble is going to be on its way towards her swiftly. Moving towards the southwest corner of the country, towards the northern border with Grass, should help us get a better handle on what we're dealing with. I can stir up some more trouble in the border towns too, if I want to.

"Further south. I have some things that I want to take care of before time passes us by," I say to her.

"Got it. I'm ready to do anything you ask!"

"Thank you, love. For what's coming up, you can relax until I call on you in earnest."

She smiles and nods. Sprouting wings from her lower back as always, she then takes flight and hovers a bit above the trees in order to look out for danger. I keep my sensing towards the surface as a result, taking consideration of any unusual scents, or vibrations whenever we stop in one place for long enough.

"..."

Choumei is unsure of what exactly Hagoromo meant the last time they were together, all of those centuries ago. He created the tailed beasts, gave them all unique forms and names, and said that they would be together again one day in the future, connected by a great bond. They suggest asking Kurama as his memory is apparently the longest out of all of their siblings. I can do that much, but I have to wonder what Obito is really chasing after in this case. Is he just collecting the powers of the tailed beasts for some sort of weapon with their chakra? Is he using their power to create a unique jutsu? Or something else entirely? Without the Sage's eyes he wouldn't know the full truth, but he has access to someone who does. But he's also running Akatsuki from the shadows, allowing this Pain person to take the lead. Something is going on there, and I should find out what it is. Not only will it help me stop Akatsuki's plans, but it might lead to further understanding of the shape of the world.

There's so much going through my head right now. I can't spend time speculating on everything, or I really will overheat and collapse. One thing at a time. Finishing this mission, then going back home to comfort, so that I can think these things over unhurried.

"Lili...I think you should see this..."

I watch Fuu start to land in between the trees, and jog over to her. She presses her arms against her chest nervously and steps aside.

"I...I know, I mean, knew this person. We were the furthest thing from friends, and he also...I guess it doesn't matter now," she says quietly. "He didn't deserve…whatever this is."

A corpse, wearing the standard Waterfall combat jacket over their clothing, and with their village's headband prominently displayed. This corpse is also like the ones I discovered a while ago...chalk white, wrinkled skin. Like all moisture has been sucked out of it.

"Fuu, darling. Close your eyes. I have to check something," I say as I call Murakumo to my hand.

She nods and squeezes her eyes shut. I know that she's not a child, but I figure that she's more than a bit uncomfortable right now, and making that worse won't do. I take my blade and stab into the corpse's chest, then make a few cuts to allow it to be opened up as the medics do in the morgue. It's just as I thought. Everything is bone dry, mummified is the term. Not a drop of blood on my knife or in the surrounding area. And because of the way that this corpse is, I can't get a read on how long ago they were killed.

"This really is troublesome. It's time to leave...some people will have noticed this one's absence and sent a search party in this direction soon enough. We don't want to be here when that happens," I say as I stand up.

"W-what happened to him? Do you know?" Fuu asks with her hands over her face.

"The killer or killers can drain people of their blood and adjacent fluids, so it seems. They can also take it from the surrounding area, as there is no blood trail or splatter to be found anywhere."

"What?! Is there a vampire around here, then?"

"Perhaps so. Or at least a type of weapon that fits the description," I say as I turn the corpse over with my foot. Diagonal upward entry point, certainly all the way to the guard in one thrust. Width, height, depth...three dimensional considerations. Tells me that the weapon is relatively light. Wound shape and motion says that this is a standard katana. Well, standard shaped katana. Remains to be seen whether or not it is the weapons being used to drain blood, or the user of the weapon is absorbing it themselves. One more check…no, it's not a long sword, standard size for sure based on entry and exit.

"Lili?"

"You can open your eyes if you want, love. I just need to make a few more observations."

I scan the ground that is around the corpse before setting it back into place. Disturbances…a few. The victim saw nothing coming and must have been killed instantly. No blood means nothing in the body works. It's annoying knowing that I'm so vulnerable to something like this, but I suppose it's just another test to prove my worth. I'll be sure to pass it, and then clear out the rest of the trash.

"Light footsteps…grass disturbed but not by much. Nothing on the trees to make use of. No blood, obviously. Don't want to rely on shed skin or hair. Hm, this…" I look up to see that the branch above my head is drooping slightly. It's been moved a bit, seemingly by hand. That bending is recent.

Why would something so high be moved away? Is that the mystery hunter's height?

"Impressive for someone of that size to move so stealthily." Combined with what I could get of the footprint in the grass, this person looks to be quite big and tall. If they can move with this sort of precision, they must be frightening in more ways than one. That just solidifies my decision to stick with Fuu. I don't think she's incapable, but these esoteric types of enemies are more than most can handle. Gaara was taken down with home field advantage, as some would say. These Akatsuki are far from a joke, and my abilities might not be enough to fight and protect all at once, especially if this one has a partner as I suspect.

Alright. So what does this killing tell me? They've been mostly quiet, they killed at least those two civilians who were out in the middle of nowhere. But this represents an incredible escalation. What is the goal here?

"Hm."

As far as Fuu is concerned, this might be reckless. But the last thing we want to do is let whoever the hell this is get the drop on either of us. We need to force a confrontation in the open. If we can see it, we can dodge it. We're both light on our feet.

"Fuu, come here."

"Coming. What is it, Lili?"

"We have known each other for a few days, and I know that you adore me, as I do you," I say to her.

"Uh-huh! I really do, yeah."

"I want to ask for your trust, then. You've seen what these mysterious predators from Akatsuki can do, and know about the efforts it took to bring your peer in Gaara back to safety."

"Yeah," she says with a nod.

"The reason I ask for your trust, is that we are going to rush straight at the jaws of the enemy. In any other situation, it would be stupid, a supremely foolish thing. But as we are, if we face them head on, we should be able to discern their tricks and give you a solid window for escape if I think I can handle things."

"But…I don't think you should be fighting those guys alone!" Fuu pleads. "You even said it, those guys took down Gaara, the literal Kazekage of the literal Hidden Sand! You're tough and super cool, but S-Class bad guys are a lot for anyone!"

"That's why I have something else you should understand. Fuu…in this situation, my life is worth less than yours."

"No! Don't say that! Don't say something like that!"

"Fuu, listen. I'm not treating you as a weapon to be saved for later. I have thought this through, long and hard. I have no intention to die by the hand of any human or beast in this world…but I want you to listen to my reasoning. Can you?"

She wipes away the tears forming in her eyes, and lets out a breath before nodding.

"Thank you, my love. The reason why I say all of these harsh things is because of the precious people I have in the Leaf, and because of people like you."

"R-really?"

"Yes. If I should fall, there are those who would not only mourn me, but bring forth a wave of passion and anger the likes of which this world has never seen. And with you safe, the dream of the Sage may yet be realized. There are those at my side who fight endlessly for peace, and they will carry the torch in my stead, without a doubt. The shape of the new world will not be as I envisioned it, but the march towards peace will live on forever. That is the power of bonds. As for you, keeping you out of the hands of Akatsuki and the masked man will give this world a fighting chance against his machinations. Without me, you may yet be the key to saving this world and breaking the wretched cycle that it is trapped in."

"I…I think I get it now. I just don't want to think about…stuff like that. Sorry."

"Come here." I give her a hug as she steps forward. "There is nothing childish about caring for someone deeply, or showing your emotions to those you love. To think about loss is painful at times."

"You would know about that," she says as she clings to me. "You lost so much already, but you're still moving forward."

"Yes. Because of sweethearts like you."

I release her and kiss her on the nose.

"What drives me forward is a world where I can see you smile forever."

"Lili." She blushes and smiles for me. "I understand completely now. But…but I'm gonna do my best to protect you."

"I know you will. I trust you, Fuu."

"And I trust you with everything. You're the most amazing friend I've had, and might ever have. I don't care how many days it's been…I'll go all out for you, Lili. And we won't lose against anyone together."

"I believe it."

"Yup! I never knew the meaning of defeat!"

"Then we're in agreement." I raise a fist towards her. "Let's make those mercenaries regret choosing us as prey."

She grins and bumps her fist against mine. "Heck yeah. Let's do it to it."

We start through the woods after that, doing our best to avoid Waterfall patrols while searching for the Akatsuki pair. As I guessed, there has been a flurry of activity since the last body was found, and now the area just south of our original camp site has around a dozen shinobi rooting through it for clues.

Two more bodies come into our path. The first is a hiker who was left with all of his tools and items on his person. The second was another shinobi, although there was some kind of reaction from him before he met his end. A kunai lodged in the dirt, a few feet from his body. The way it sticks up from the dirt now, it seems to have been redirected…though examining it, there isn't anything to indicate what might have changed its path. The wound angle in the left part of his chest tells me that the final attack was shifted. It missed his heart, but the action was enough to allow his blood to be drained like all the rest. And the blade did not go all the way through. The opening is oddly shaped, so there was a bit of struggle there to be sure.

This one put up a fight, even if it wasn't much of one.

"Hm."

The right arm is tender, and it feels like it has been broken. Crushed, perhaps. So this person has formidable strength as well, which I suppose will negate some of my taijutsu.

"Crafted as a perfect counter to me by the forces of darkness. Hmph. I see that there are those powers beyond that do not want me near the great wheel."

"The great wheel?" Fuu asks as I stand up from the corpse.

"Samsara which has a deathly grip on us all, artificially crafted by the dark hearts of men."

"I guess we've gotta stop the spinny thing, then?"

"One way of putting it. I will tear apart the infinitely turning wheel with my own hands. It will be as written in the great tomes of heaven."

"Whoa. I don't understand what any of that means, but it sounds cool. I'll help out!"

"I know I can always count on you," I say with a smile. Something comes into my perception briefly, and I activate my sensing to get a better lock on it.

A massive chakra signature. It's heavy, too.

"Fuu, it's time. Full speed ahead."

"Ready!"

"Let's begin." I take off through the trees, Fuu flying low just to my side. A clear area serves as a good shortcut, and I can now figure out how best to position us as we come in. There's another chakra next to the larger one, not nearly the same size but quite refined in nature. A small pulse fires off in my consciousness just a moment later.

This other person is a sensor shinobi, like me. We're aware of each other's presence.

"A little faster," I say to Fuu. They still aren't moving from where they are, and we cross back into a thin layer of trees, next to a winding stream. Rocks large and small are gathered on the sides, which might help with cover or diversions if it comes down to that. As we get within a proper range, I immediately start to smell it.
Blood.

So much blood. It's concentrated mostly in one place, but that still leaves the essence potent in every other area. Elite, prolific killers. Not just assassins, but people who make bloodshed their identity, their comfort. Although it must be curbed in the case of hunting jinchuuriki, I cannot say that I will be fortunate enough to escape their hungry gazes once we meet. But I admit that I am curious to see what these ones are like…

Fuu and I come to a stop on one edge of the widening stream. Across the way, two figures emerge from between the trees: a rather large man, and a considerably smaller woman from what I can see.

"Hello, fellow travellers. How fortunate for us to meet on such a lovely day…I noticed you both from a ways out, and thought that it would be polite to stay where we were so that we could properly greet you."

The woman greets us with a smile as they come closer, stopping just across the water from us. Upon further inspection, she is a petite thing, much like Fuu is. Lightly built, as if she could dance on the air itself, and wearing a long, light blue dress that gently hugs her frame. Her eyes are a deep blue, making a lovely pairing with her light brown hair. It's held up by two hairclips in front to help frame her cute face, and tied into a curly ponytail in the back. And speaking of her back, she has a sturdy bow along with a quiver of arrows on it. Clearly she was no ordinary woman from the start, but a bow user is rare these days for many reasons. Very interesting. And of course, she smells heavily of blood, like her companion.

But the one who is drawing me in the most out of the two, one might say shockingly, is the male half. A man who is very, very tall, in line with what I discovered earlier in the forest. His exposed skin is pale and has many a scar lining it. He has the type of muscle that would turn any straight woman into an unintelligible mess on sight, and brown hair that comes down just enough to shade his eyes. I can only barely see the one blue eye, evoking the colour of pure ice as it stares into me, searching for something. The dark sort of cape he wears around his upper half is tattered, suggesting that he holds onto it for sentimental reasons. His black shirt, if one could call it that, seems ready to burst apart against his bulk. The pants look to be a more comfortable fit. And as for weapons, he has something that might be called a sword, an immense slab of metal that no other man or beast in this world could handle, strapped to his back.

What is on his side is the biggest and most potent source of the blood I can practically taste in the air right now. The sheathed katana that easily penetrated and drained its victims of life. It has to be the thing that was taking blood from people and the surrounding area, meaning that we can stifle its use if it comes down to a fight. I am quite certain that these are the killers we are looking for, but there is something to the fact that they stopped and waited for us. I have a feeling that they're after something else. Time to play along, then.

"Thank you for your hospitality, it is appreciated," I say politely. "We did come running for a few reasons, mainly to speak about the killings that have been going on in the forest. You both seem quite capable, from what I could sense…but these killers seem to have mysterious abilities that bypass normal strength."

"Oh, my," the woman says with shock. "Could you tell me what you mean by that?"

"The victims were all drained of their fluids somehow. That's what I've been hearing as I travelled through this area."

"That does sound quite frightening, yes. Even Kai here might not be able to survive something like that…"

"Kai?" Fuu asks.

"Ah, right! We haven't done proper introductions, my apologies. My name is Ishako Shigisei, and this is my little brother Kaitaikojo. I call him Kai as a pet name."

"That's your little brother?! No way! He looks like a mountain, and you're so small! I mean, no offense! I'm kinda small, too! But I thought he was like, your husband or something."

"Husband? Oh…" Ishako puts a hand on one of her cheeks as she blushes. "That's a lovely thing to say…mm. But yes, Kai and I are siblings. We are quite close, though…"

"That's neat."

That reaction isn't one of shock or embarrassment on her part. Now that I'm close enough, I can tell how much their scents are mixing together. Not enough to make distinguishing one from the other impossible, but more than any brother and sister pair that I have ever come across. It reminds me of Fubuki and Yamato, multiplied by a few orders of magnitude. These two…for her to say that they're quite close is playing coy in the worst possible way.

"My name's Fuu, by the way! And this is my bestie, Carrie!"

"Very nice to meet you," I say with a bow. "Carrie of course is one of my many names, since one cannot have too many identities in this line of work."

"Oh, that much is true," Ishako says with a smile. "Nothing to worry about, Kai and I are always on the move anyways."

"Speaking of speaking," Fuu says, "How come Kai here doesn't talk any? Does he have a hearing problem, or anything like that? Sorry if he does."

Kai grunts and waves one of his massive hands in front of his face, then points at Ishako.

"Oh, that's not it," she explains. "Kai just doesn't like to talk much, so I take care of all the introductions and business transactions, so on and so forth. It's perfectly fine, we both like it this way. I love being social, hehe!"

"That's good. Sorry if I offended you or anything, Kai," Fuu says.

He grunts again and nods.

"Kai's not the type of person to get upset over trivial things like that. He's so easygoing, and easy to love. Absolutely the best brother in the world."

I have to wonder if this one is simply chained to his sister's whims. Does she have control of him or something? Or is this a mutual sort of thing? I really cannot tell from here, but it seems that Ishako is the one pulling strings for both of them at the moment. I can't think for a second that this is a mindless beast, though…the way he keeps looking at me is nothing like what I've experienced before. He's looking right into me, in fact, still searching for something. What is it? I don't know, but I also don't feel frightened by it.

It feels like we're…on a certain wavelength together. Perhaps that's what he senses. Perhaps that yearning for understanding is what draws him towards me, with that terrible, piercing gaze. I'm starting to feel the same thing, a craving to know what's inside of him, what drives him forward and makes him want to search my soul for something to satisfy his hunger. More than a simple, fleeting dream, more than just a temporary lust…

"So. Carrie, was it?"

Ishako interrupts us with a thin, plastic smile. Barely trying to hide the fury that lurks behind her eyes. It only makes sense, though…she is more than protective of her hulking little brother. She is possessive of him. Any woman capturing her beloved Kai's attention for more than the allotted time inside of her head is a menace, and I can already see the gears turning in her head, schemes flying to the front of her mind on how to tear me into pieces for daring to violate the sacred order of things.

"It indeed is," I reply with my own, genuine smile.

"It seems that Kai is quite interested in you, which doesn't happen often. Especially with women of your…inclinations," she says unsubtly.

"Well, I do enjoy being liberated at times, especially when it comes to my dress. To pass up a pure form of expression would be unlike me. Even if it might make me look like a whore, as some might put it."

"I see." She lets out a breath and the sunny facade returns in full. "Well, in that case…maybe we could trade stories? We can sense that you both have been on a long, harsh journey that will soon come to an end. Maybe you can find a little inspiration to push through!"

"That would be cool!" Fuu says. "Wow, I didn't think I would meet so many nice people in such a short time! So lucky!" She reminds me a little too much of Naruto, being this oblivious. They're going to be great friends once they meet, surely.

"I feel the same," Ishako says. "But most importantly, I think that Kai and Carrie here might have a few things in common. Anyone that my dear brother is interested in so strongly is worth talking to, I think."

Maybe it's not just strings, then. An almost slavish devotion to her brother's whims, allowing her to suppress those murderous urges once invisible lines are crossed. Something that can't be easily made heads of tails of.

"You see, we just barely managed to escape the ravages of the Bloody Mist as it was happening. Life was, to put it simply, not an easy thing at all," Ishako starts. "We lost everything in a single night. We had to survive out on the streets, with nothing to our names. Having to do so much just for scraps of food, or find a place to sleep for the night. Such a…rough and harsh way to go through our childhood." Her hands gently slide up and down one of her brother's arms. "Perhaps you could imagine it. Every day, living among criminals and depraved monsters. Having to consider that every pair of eyes you came across was attached to a person who wanted to take everything from you. Stealing your mind, breaking you in body and in spirit, leaving you a lifeless husk in the gutters. I can remember it so clearly…"

She briefly licks her lips, heat spreading across her cheeks.

"All of those rough men, wanting nothing but to get their fill of me, tearing me apart, using me up…all of those men with their filthy, filthy thoughts being torn apart themselves, screaming, begging for mercy as we took out our vengeance on them, just to survive. And it wasn't just one time every so often…every day, every turn of the corner was the beginning of a fight for survival," she says, her breathing getting rougher and rougher. Her hand slips into Kai's, and he reflexively squeezes it back.

"W-wow…that sounds rough. Um, are…are you okay, Ishako? You're like…sweating," Fuu says nervously.

This is as brazen a thing as I've ever seen, and I would know about such things. She's literally getting off in front of us both. So much for that show of etiquette she put on earlier. This is becoming very gross at a record pace.

"Killing and stealing…stealing and killing. Slaughtering and robbing, day after day after day after day…there was nothing like it. There will never be anything like it." Ishako looks up at Kai lustfully, squeezing his hand. "But we made it out together, with our bond stronger than ever. Not only gaining new strength, but a new path forward towards our dreams. So beautiful."

"Oh…yeah. I'm glad you guys made it out-"

"Of course, there is something to that lifestyle that you can't get out of your head," Ishako continues, smiling at Fuu. "It's why we continue to live as mercenaries, after all. We're on the hunt for our next target…trash that needs to be erased from this world of ours."

I feel myself starting to heat up with anger.

"Making them bleed nice and slow would be so worth it. The last target was so…boring. We couldn't do much of anything to them-"

"That story was quite interesting, but I have to wonder if there was a greater point to it, rather than showing off how depraved you were at the time," I interrupt. Ishako's face shifts from shock to fury in an instant, and she pulls herself away from her brother to glare at me.

"I knew it. I fucking knew it. I couldn't do it, I could never coexist with this spoiled bitch, no matter how my Kai felt about her. People like you always think they're better than us! Just because you've never had to do anything degrading to survive, born with a set of silver spoons in your mouth."

"Silver spoons? And how would you know anything about that?" I ask. "We've only just met, after all…perhaps you recognize me from somewhere?"

"I suppose you thought your little name change would help you hide from us? Carrie…or perhaps I should use one of your many other names. Like, for instance, Lilith Kobayashi of the Hidden Leaf."

"Ooh. So I'm known all the way out where you are, Miss Ishako Shigisei of the Hidden Mist. Or perhaps I should be more accurate and mention that you're Akatsuki, and your goal is to hunt my friend Fuu so that you can drag her to her death," I shoot back.

"Glad we have everything out of the way at last."

"It's such a shame, though. I did have sympathy for you while hearing your story, Akatsuki or otherwise. It can't have been easy to survive in such conditions."

"Oh, shut the fuck up," Ishako says. "You don't care about anyone but yourself, same as every other rich cunt in this world. What do you ever have to worry about? You were born rich, and became a kunoichi with your daddy's money. What have you ever had to work for? You're nothing like us and never will be."

"Stop it! That's not true, Lili has been through a lot!" Fuu protests. "And she didn't get to where she is by buying her way to the top, she's the real deal! More than that, she really does care about people, even if she was born into money. It's never about your circumstances, it's about what you do with them. And Lili has been doing good for as long as she's been a kunoichi! Maybe you've lived a harsh life, but that doesn't mean you get to say those things!"

"And what would a wild animal like you know about the lives of humans?!" Ishako yells. "Worthless beast! Know your place, and submit to your masters so that you can be useful for once in your life!"

"You-!"

"Fuu, be calm. Charging in recklessly will only get you killed."

She growls and reluctantly backs down.

"We won't be entertaining the ramblings of mad women like this. Let her spout off whatever nonsense she wants…she'll know the measure of our might once she's left bleeding out in the dirt," I say with malice.

"Arrogant bitch." Ishako's face darkens as she stretches her arm towards us. "Since you're both dressed like whores for attention, we'll give you exactly what you've been starving for. Kai. It's time to put an end to this nonsense."

He grunts and starts to reach for the giant sword on his back.

"Separation," I order.

"Game on!" Fuu makes handseals before inhaling and blowing out a stream of sparkling orange powder towards Kai and Ishako.

"Your little distractions won't work. Stupid beast!"

"Spark it!" Fuu roars.

"A kiss from me to you," I say before blowing a fireball from between my lips. The flames make contact with the powder, and throw up a brilliant explosion. I can sense that Ishako has been thrown back, and that Kai is moving like nothing even happened.

"And people keep calling me a monster," Fuu mutters as the smoke clears. Kai has drawn the massive blade, and I can see his muscles tensing.

"Eyes!" I yell. Kai swings the massive blade as I duck low and Fuu flies high.

"Whoaaaaa!"

Just the pressure from his swing is doing ridiculous things…there is no way that this man could be called a human being any longer. What did Obito do to get this hulk and his sister on his side?

"Fuu, do as we discussed!"

"Are you crazy?! This guy is about to give half the forest a haircut, and you want to fight him and his psycho sister alone?!" she yells back.

"What do you think my answer is?" I reply as I dodge another swing from Kai. Ishako is getting back into the fight, drawing arrows and taking aim at Fuu.

"I guess I got my answer on both counts! Whoa!" Fuu dodges a trio of arrows while in flight. "Lili!"

"I'm not about to do anything too reckless. Get out of here and to a safe place, I'll find you in a few hours. I promise on my heart, darling."

"Fine! Because you know I won't forgive you if you don't come back to me!" Fuu quickly accelerates into the sky before Ishako can line her up again.

"She's right, you know. You don't stand a chance against the two of us," Ishako growls. "Maybe if you just roll over for us, we can make sure your suffering is shorter than for our other playmates."

"As if I could believe that lie. You already want me ripped apart for daring to be born wealthy. Why not scold your sweet little brother, hm? He was the one who started flirting with me all of a sudden," I say with a cruel smile. "Though I can't say I hate it…he's a very intriguing man."

Kai snorts and readies his sword again. I can see a faint smile has appeared on his face…hm. I suppose he really does like me, then.

"Shut your filthy mouth! You will never get as close to Kai as I will, and he wouldn't want anything further to do with a disgusting slut like you. I don't exactly understand what draws him to you, and I won't get in the way…but you're still a target on our list, a menace to our organisation. It was always our mission to eliminate someone like you…"

"Aw, how sweet! Your little boss sent me my own playmates!" I say with a giggle. "I feel so honoured that you all would devote so much attention to me. And you're both so strong, too~!"

"Is…is this just a game to you?" Ishako asks.

"Oh, nothing like that. But I do like to have a bit of fun while on the job. A bit boring otherwise, you know?"

Kai lets out a small chuckle at that. Ishako's eyes darken further in response and she readies her bow.

"I want her dead."

"Let's see just how good you two are. Time to earn your prize, or go back to your faker boss with your tails between your legs."

"Faker…?" Ishako shakes her head and fires an arrow at me. Seems to be going straight, but…there we go. She read a dodge left and put backspin to have me veer into it. I can feel Kai crossing from behind, covering my right and swinging the flat of his sword at me. It might not cut me apart, but a blow would leave me a mess either way.

"Cute pincer!"

"What!"

I easily backstep away from the arrow and towards Kai, sliding between his legs and out into open space again. The sound of the arrow splintering gives me pause as I tumble back onto my feet, drawing Murakumo and assuming a stance.

"Hm, so the kunai…that one must have bounced off him outright, then. And I can't sense any chakra activation, so that has to be just his natural durability," I say to myself. "Scary, scary. Should I reveal Mobius? Ah, but Ishako probably knows about it already…I'll save it for later."

I flow lightning chakra into my blades as Kai approaches again. Ishako is making seals as she runs on top of the stream.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"

The dragons flow towards me at three different angles, again to seal my escape routes. Kai has taken a running leap, coming down with that massive weapon drawn back for another swing. Even the air being pushed out of the way is a hazard at this point, so I can't dodge too closely.

"Fortunately, it's all taken care of with a snap."

I snap my fingers on both hands and four dragons appear in front of me, meeting each of Ishako's to wipe them out with the last heading for her directly. She swiftly dodges and puts an arrow on her string with admirable speed. I body flicker underneath Kai as he comes down, feeling the earth rumble violently as he splits it apart with one attack.

"Something else?"

I split my legs and drop to the ground as something screams over my head. The bank nearby explodes in a mass of dirt and stone, and I can see that it's because of that behemoth sword. Did…did he just throw it at me?

"Fuck me, I think Fuu was right…what the hell is this boy?"

"Kai, slow down!"

She only gets a grunt in response as Kai finally draws the sword on his waist. A sword in the shape of a katana, with a shimmering, blood red blade. I can only guess that his striking speed will be much faster, but unless the sword has some other ability, I think I can deal with it just fine.

"Yes, that should work! All we need is a good strike, and it's over!"

"Relying on a cursed sword to take on elite opponents? Shame it won't work out for you this time," I taunt. "Come, darling. Let's see just how fast you can go!"

A twisted grin appears on Kai's face before he charges me, swinging the blood sword into my guard. It's incredibly heavy, but nothing I can't handle. I shove the sword back and easily parry the next blow, then the next, then the next. Kai swings faster and faster with one hand, using no finesse whatsoever and trying to overwhelm me with pure speed and power. I focus on deflecting his blows, dancing from side to side so that Ishako can't properly target me from a blind spot. The dust and dirt being kicked up by her brother should be a hindrance, too.

"Ugh…dammit! Kai! We have to bring this back into our control!"

He's completely tuned her out, swinging endlessly and keeping all of his focus on me as we dance together. Such a simple boy…he really is enjoying himself, isn't he? The smell of blood coming from that cursed blade has become soothing at this point, melting into the background of our scuffle. For this to go on forever would be sublime, as far as he is concerned. Unfortunately, I don't think I have the stamina to keep up with him for as long as he wants. Shame. I might have to work on that.

"Kai! Push it!"

He draws back a bit and the sword glows in his hands before he slashes outwards. A crimson blade races towards me, and I use a two handed slash to dispatch it. This…is this blood?

"So it can solidify blood to use as attacks, too? What a ridiculous weapon…"

More waves of blood come out with each swing, and I dance and skip through them as they come.

"That stupid animal must have called in reinforcements. Fine…we'll give this one the meal that it's been craving for so long. Kai, we're switching tracks!"

I can sense the Waterfall shinobi coming too. This is very bad for them. I could just use the opportunity to escape and find Fuu…or I could try to do something that might save a few lives. There has to be something that I can do. Think, Lili.

Kai is withdrawing, running over to where his large sword is so that he can yank it from the ground. Ishako is still on her guard, and she's fast enough to where I can't immediately surprise her. Which means the last option is…

"Alright. Hope you Waterfall fellows are good at dodging."

I jump into the air before starting to move through it, forming platforms of water rapidly beneath my feet and bouncing higher with each step. I can pinpoint each of the Waterfall shinobi at this point…nine, ten, fifteen. Strength in numbers…not that it would do much against these freaks.

"Here we go." I weave handseals as I start to fall, then inhale deeply. I'll need to use more chakra than I would want to, so the next step is to escape myself. I hope they take the hint down there.

"Fire Release! Dragon Flame Aria!"

Putting all of the chakra I can into it safely, I fire off an enhanced version of my usual jutsu, sending a storm of flaming dragon heads down into the forest. The attacks land everywhere they can, setting the trees ablaze instantly and creating walls of heat that cut Kai and Ishako off from their prey. Kai could easily walk through the flames to slaughter them, but I hope this distraction gives them enough time to retreat.

"What the hell?"

"Gotta be the enemy! There's way more than we assumed and they're seriously strong!"

"Can't fight in these conditions! Pull back!"

I land to catch my breath and then swiftly run into the forest while shoving down my chakra. My back is pressed against a tree as I listen in.

"I can't sense her…that worthless slut can't be too far from here," I can hear Ishako say. "Ugh! Kai, let's get moving. This isn't worth the hassle and those prey are too far away and spread out. Plus they're going to call more idiots, and we can't go causing too much trouble with the others here. This is so fucking annoying…I'm already so sick of that Kobayashi bitch! Ah…I know, I know. I just…need to cool off a bit." She sighs. "You're right. I got too caught up. You always know just what to say, Kai. It's why I love you so much. Let's find a quiet spot for now, so that you can…unwind me properly."

They take off in the next moment, and I stay where I am just to make sure that I'm safe. I raise my chakra level to get a feel of the immediate area, and get no returns. Nothing but me and the roaming flames here now.

"Good…good, we're all clear. Ah, that was something else. Terrifying opponents, and I haven't seen what they can really do yet. I know that Kai can become even more of a behemoth on a dime. As long as they're here, Fuu won't ever be safe…but I don't have a real means of dispatching them yet. Looks like the Waterfall will have to lose a big asset, unfortunately."

I dust myself off and get to my feet, then stretch out my back properly.

"Mmm. Okay. Time to look for Fuu. I don't think she'll be terribly far."

I keep my chakra level low just in case, and start to jog quickly through the trees once more.