"The spider needs to be swifter than the fly."
Sasori
CRASH!
CRAASSHH!
BOOOM!
BOOOOM!
BOOOMMM!
Misaka flourished swiveling through torn walls and ravaged rooms, speeding passed and through hordes of her own and Hageshii and Shainingu. Spread them out, spread them thin.
They just kept on coming from all directions...Swarming, swords bared, eyes glaring, shurikens and kunais flying or at the ready to be thrown.
Her movements were swift and elegant, filled with poise from experience and natural born grace that came as easy as breathing. Every step, every counter, every parry, the splatter of blood grew more and more rampant. Hajime and Tunoichi were the first to charge, at least sixty more men followed them followed by another twenty.
She was quick to react already reading through their movements and strokes, and spotting small flaws in their guard and stances. A little too much reach, a little too much extension, a miscalculation in footwork.
Press. Press. She'd keep up her attack. Increase her tempo. Misaka grunted, rapidly deflecting the tip of a sword with her own, in the same motion swiping terrifyingly in a close arc scything through the blade and the man's sternum splitting into his armor. The familiar scent. Overwhelming and pungent, it filled her nostrils like iron. Chakra and footwork propelled her through the chaos the irony scent growing stronger with each movement, every block, and every stroke the smell only grew stronger, the splatters of blood becoming more rampant and widespread.
BOOM!
CRASH!
CRASH!
Chiasa turned, thrusting and was meant with little resistance. Blood bubbled from the man's mouth like an engorged river, he strained staggering back. Spinning through the whole movement, she arced, right scything through a man's shoulder as he was in mid swing, turning against him with a a sharp snapping his bone. He flipping down the stairs uncontrollably slamming into another horde and several Domou and Uchiha.
You'd always have those who lacked pluck and resolve. Always wanted the easy way.
They lacked resolve. She'd send them on their way, her blade tore through bone. she pressed, kicking the now one arm man back and into three beaming towards her, sending them sprawling across the ground and flying up a small wooden platform crashing into a wall.
Izuna pressed off of his back foot, lunging up the wooden platform and smacked aside two blade, scything through their seams and sending them skyward, forcibly turning himself away from a whistling shuriken. Hard pressed. Deflect. Deflect. More and more.
Izuna had enough slamming his blade against another, swaying passed another four, twisting against the force, and slammed the back of his fist across the man's jaw. Sending him flying through wall and through a nearby railing. "Ngghh." He grunted turning with five men another thirty hastily surrounding him and diving in with no reprieve. He let his chakra flourish, shoving the five men back with a vicious push sending them crashing through a wall several, he growled dashing through the wall of bodies around him, blade cutting and gleaming, unrelenting and swift.
Ahiko and Yuko stuck together the best they could.
The battle erupted.
Now it imploded.
It was raging, continuing to rage.
Getting worse by the second.
It spread outside. Naturally a crowd gathered.
Yuko was quick and agile, like every Uchiha, it complimented her direct approach to fighting. Yuko swiveled, eyes slightly wide, dodging passed stabs and slashes aimed to cut her trachea and pierce her armor and by extension her heart, they just kept on coming. Three and ten; she bolted forward ducking under a wild swing and turning up slashing a head clean off from shoulders leaving the body to shake as she lunged forward, scything her blade through an arm tearing into it at the elbow joint.
Two dozen more people attacked her, forcing her back and out of the room sprinting through the ravaged and battle stricken hallways as they swarmed around her. Dodge. The attack was anticipated, moving just the barest inch she scythed through her attacker's turning sharply and banging the back of her fist across his face. Parry. She stepped away to the side, narrowly avoiding the harsh stroke, cutting into the back of another man's wrist forcing him to drop his sword.
Ahiko parried one slash, ducking under another, and dived back from a stab, her spear already swiveling as she deflected the next series of attacks stabbing into the man's neck and shifted sharply splintering bone.
With her teeth clenched and eyes narrowed she sprung from the floor evading a stab and took the opening stabbing into the man's arm at the bicep, no pause, she turned slamming her foot into his side crumbling his armor and sending him flying across the room into the horde gunning for her. "Yuko!" She screamed a warning, dashing forward when she seen her comrade dodge passed the flying duo letting them crash into the swarm around her.
Yuto sped down the hall only glancing behind him long enough to count his pursuers.
Forty!
He banked sharply flying through a devastated room the thirty men still chasing after him, gaining, gaining, gaining...
Three were caught up in the chaos, dispersing from the horde.
Yuto turned, swiftly thrusting his arm forward, cleaving through one man's side he gurgled, then sputtered Yuto wasted no time, there was no wasted motion, another parry and he watched six arms fly straight away from him and off to the side, he shifted, foot smashing his foot square against the next attacker's chest throwing him back. He crashed into three men head on the impact booming through the room carrying them back and away.
Distance.
Distance.
They just kept on coming...
Bunji dashed forward, scything his blade in a wide arc, catching one man across the neck slicing through and kicked him away with a chakra enforced foot, in the same motion he dashed back and away letting them give chase taking them from floor to floor, run through room. Sweat beaded against his forehead.
He slammed his back foot into the floor, flying down a staircase, blocking a blade poised for his neck, and shifted sharply, slicing the man's hands off at the wrists, and slammed his fist across the man's face sending him crashing into a wall. He dashed against a black flash. Kunai. Banking to his side, he lunged stabbing through one man's chest, yanked it free and smacked aside another attack .
Isamu and Isami pressed forward tearing through anyone who got in their way, never trading shots or blades, but instead whacking and unleashing lethal strokes taking off heads and arms just the same, taking down three shinobi at once. This tea house was so huge, there were seven floors judging from the screaming, banging, and pounding going on above him and below as well as outside that sounded about right.
Shin pressed forward a few feet, colliding with six men, blade against blade, pushing them back and away from him to the nearest staircase. He felled the first with a simple horizontal slash splitting through the soft skin at the front of the neck, the next two attacked with vigor screaming in fury, teeth grit and feet digging into the floor Shin held them off, grunting loud enough for himself to hear as six more bodies collided with him, felling three more he shoved the rest down the staircase.
CRASH!
It was Mitsuki's turn to attack.
She sped in Shin's direction, blurring across the path, slamming her blade into his attacker's, and with a loud grunt forced them back. The collision was enough to break the stalemate, dozens attackers went flying and skidding back, Mitsukii was already upon two of them with Hikaku coming up on her side.
Flicking both of her wrists, her blade almost vanishing for a moment as it tore through the first man's neck lobbing his head upward, she shifted, bringing the blade back sharply in a swiping arc, cutting through the second man's cheek tearing through part of his mouth and slicing into the top of his neck.
"Shin!" Mitsuki shouted. No time. She grunted slamming her blade against another glaring at the man who pushed against her trying to shove her back, their eyes met. Mitsuki grunted pushing up, and to the side, slamming her foot into the man's side, and half turned slashing across the length of his arm, sending him flying back into his cohorts. The impact carrying them off into a nearby room.
Shin sped forward thrusting his arm forward in rapid but broken staccato tearing through two man's neck before they could react and severing another man's arm before his sword could cleave through his neck. Shin narrowed his eyes, staring down his approaching attackers. They just keep on coming...
Aito removed his blade from a man's chest, blood splattering from the wound right gashed into his side. Turning to his left and spotting Hiro, Masa, and Isami whacking through their attackers Yuto, Yuko, and Ahiko just below them their battles raging outside right at the front of the inn judging from the bangs and commotion. "I'm going downstairs! Meet me down there!"
Aito dashed for the nearest staircase, seeing it was tattered and destroyed, he lunged over it.
Hikaku slammed his way into a room, splitting the wall and knocking away six men at a time, sword spotted with blood. Diving and skewing for more, gleaming amidst the carnage. "We need to go downstairs!" He shouted, turning sharply and swinging his left hand hand out with the hilt clasped tightly, the steel tore into the side of the man's head slicing his skull and slamming him into the floor.
Izuna dashed through a narrow corridor finding himself on the run and hard pressed. He smirked, turning suddenly and swiped forward slashing a man's head clear from his shoulders, parry, parry, block, evade! Izuna was forced into a sprint, leading them through the destroyed rooms where battles were still raging, splitting them up, divide their strength, letting them get swept up in the chaos.
He turned suddenly again swiping low instead of high, and tore through his attacker's leg ripping right through the tendons at the knee joint, he heaved slamming his knee into the armor.
BRROOMM!
The armor resounded with a piercing clap, echoing as the impact traveled all the way through it launching the man off straight off of his feet and into the charging horde knocking them into and through a wooden railing, sending several plummeting.
"Shin, handle this side!" Izuna heard Chiasa's shout from the floor below him.
"I got it!
"I'm going to meet you down there!" Izuna shouted towards Hikaku.
Masa kept cutting and cutting. Swinging with such ferocity. Anyone who stood in her way was whacked down. She dashed throughout the inn leading them on the chase, spreading them out over just a couple dozen feet, letting them get swept up in the melee, the end result was the same her sword connected and tore into flesh slicing and cleaving through it.
He was taking twenty or thirty men at one time, even with Shin, Hikaku, Bunji, Isami, Chiasa, Isamu, and their respective forces fighting in tandem with him. He narrowed his eyes, he pressed on his current target shoving the blade to the side with ease, forcing his attacker back and swinging fiercely slashing him down the top of his back to his left hip, he snapped his head to the side. "Masa, Isami! I'm going to leave this floor to you!"
"I got it!"
"Go to the third floor!"
"Hikaku! Isamu! Misaka!" Bunji darted towards the stairs, skimming down the first six before his feet connected.
He grunted, slamming his head into his attacker's nose kicking him back and turning on his heel dashing towards the stairs. Isamu and Misaka were already flying down, blurring passed him. Isamu lashed out with his massive hand, gripping an attacker by the face and slammed him through the railing descending rapidly.
Misaka didn't bothering to wipe the fine sheen of sweat dripping down her forehead.
She slammed her feet into the floor, hastily blocking three attackers' swords at the same time, vaguely she noticed the tatami mats were completely shredded as if someone popped up from under them or got slammed through them, and Bunji was slashing his way through at least thirty men.
Yuko tore free of the stalemate nailing one attacker with a kick to the leg snapping it at the knee joint, and forcing the bone to protrude from his shin, she stepped back avoiding a slash from the second, and swung her sword, cleaving into his side feeling the bones buckle and flesh give from the force, she followed through pushing the man off of his feet and into the nearest wall.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
Isami slammed his way forward, smashing and batting through anyone who got in his way, slamming his blade against their own and shifting against them, unleashing lethal strokes taking off heads, fingers, legs, and arms just the same. He sidestepped a barrage of whistling kunai, tips trained on the their targets as they battered through a nearby wall puncturing it completely, not by just a few inches.
Ahiko surged forward a few inches, spinning and twisting, heaving aside three men, blade on blade, stabbing one and kicking away from him she felled the next, quickly changing her grasp and swiping across the right, splitting through the soft skin at the front of the neck, the next eight attacked with vigor screaming in fury, teeth grit and feet digging into the floor.
Ahiko held them off, grunting loud enough for herself, she heaved forcing their bodies to collide into each other and against their surroundings.
"Ahiko! Yuko! Go upstairs!" Isami shouted, slamming his blade against another three glaring at the men who pushed against him, their eyes met. He grunted pushing up, slamming his foot into the ground and twisted against them pressing forward. His shoulder collided against against them, unforgiving and unyielding like a tree trunk. They were hurdled back smashing into a nearby horde and bouncing off a severed wooden pillar.
"I'm on it!" Ahiko shouted, sprinting forward thrusting in rapid succession. Blood splattered against her as her blade flashed, tearing through two men's neck before they could react and severing another man's hand before his sword could cleave through his neck. She slammed a foot into the stairs, blurring into a shadow, she bounded up the stairs, spear stabbing through armor as she shoved her way up. "Yuko, handle this side!"
"I got it!"
Yuko jumped away from two of her attackers, landing on both feet, and sharpening shot forward swiping against the resistance that met her. "Damn it!"
Yuko ducked and swayed under the wild swings,hastily stepping back and away batting aside any that were getting too close. Block. She turned against her attacker swiping off the hand of one attacker, twisting against another and grabbing his wrist tossing him into five more sending them crashing back with loud thuds. Just how many are there?! I feel like I'm not making any progress, they just keep on coming and coming! With a shout, another attacker launched himself towards, he easily sidestepped her stab away, looking to pounce on the moment but was halted against a spear. The blade protruded from her chest, puncturing his armor as if it were flesh.
"How are you holding up!?" Ahiko shouted. She turned with a half step, standing back to back with Yuko.
"I'm fine... But, there's so many."
Ahiko and Yuko sped in opposite direction, Ahiko stabbing an attacker out of the air swinging him into two more as he threw him back into the palace.
Yuko dashed in from the side, hastily dodging as she caught sight of gleaming steel and thrust forward.
Yuto charged from the side as one attacker came from behind, he swiped his blade against his neck, and turned punching the next man back and away. Ahiko darted passed him, spear skewing through flesh, only alerting him of the sudden attack at the last moment.
"Get them!" Dozens of men shouted, rocketing towards them with new found vigor, chakra rolling off in glorious waves from their forms. They dispersed, spreading out their numbers pursuing them with loud cries. Yuko and Ahiko slid and skidded across floors and rooms of the gigantic building, swarmed by a series of strokes that tore holes into the building throwing debris everywhere and splitting through their foundations.
Yuto leapt back up to the crumbling wall, kicking one attacker in the ribs, slamming his fist across another's jaw sending him rocketing back, and punched the last in the stomach sending all three smashing into twisted and gouged pillars, the impact jarring their bones to their breaking point along with the surroundings
Ahiko and Yuko sped up, using their speed and momentum, and stabbed through several Shainingu shinobi kicking aside Hageshii shinobi. As it was expected now, it had no effect, more swarmed in towards them with sickly maws gaping with fury, Ahiko appeared on the side of one and grabbed both his arms with one hand rocketing back towards a wall.
The collision leveled nearly the entire floor, sputtering and splitting at the wooden pillars throwing everything else into a heap of breaking rock, wood, and stone. The dust finally cleared. Leaving only one shinobi left, judging from his appearance and garb he belonged to the Shainingu.
He couldn't be older than 18. Maybe the same age as her.
"Go." Ahiko said in a hasty manner.
The brown haired teen gave her a critical look.
"I won't kill you. Go left until you get to the bisection, then had east."
As if analyzing her, he gave a small nod, eyes trained on her for a moment longer before he turned bolting away from her, vanishing within the shadows.
"Get the fuck out of my way!" Ajo snarled.
"Make me." Mikito growled. "You're not going anywhere, Ajo, you snake."
Two men from his unit sped towards her.
Mikito nailed the first attacker clear across the skull, hurdling him off of his feet and through a nearby wall. She stepped forward, swaying gracefully passed the stab that was aimed to tear into her arm, with a quick turn she swept her blade across their small gap ripping into his side and sputtering blood.
Ajo sped forward, swinging his blade up and to the side in a smooth curve, Mikito dodged the blow with ease having anticipated its trajectory. She sprung back, lunging forward a second later lashing out with her sheath, slamming it against Ajo's blade, and swung violently right for his face. Ajo flinched away as her blade came close to skewing into his mouth, swinging his leg out in a violent spin.
Mikito quickly evaded, landing a few feet away from him.
"It's been a while since we've got to battle..." Ajo smirked.
Mikito only scowled in response, gliding forward with one elegant movement, striking out from below with her sheath, Ajo quickly swung his sword up again, deflecting the thunderous stroke that rattled every bone in his arm.
He grunted, swinging his fist around and slamming it across her face. Mikito staggered against the battered ground, exerted her chakra in a thunderous wave, and dashed towards Ajo, slamming her knee into his stomach, forcing a small breath from his lungs, and launching him straight through a nearby room spilling out hundreds of bodies in the process.
Ajo recovered within a second, a small smirk crossing his face as he dodged her follow up attack, leaving her blade to skew through a Shainingu shinobi. He pressed his attack, taking advantage of the opening, stabbing and slashing forward skewing his tip by just a narrow margin each time, aiming for her legs, face, eyes, and neck.
Mikito slammed her sheath and blade into the powerful and concise strokes, easily battering through them as she pushed forward. "I am not surprised." Mikito commented coldly. "This is just your sort of thing to do, Ajo. Always slithering around like a snake in the grass." She emphasized the last part.
Witch... Ajo thought. "Like I said before, I'm just an accessory this time around, it does pain me to say as much." Ajo put on a sudden burst of speed, unleashing a quick barrage of stabs, kicking up a cloud of wood in the process as he tore through the walls nearby.
Mikito swayed back and forth, moving only the slightest of inches evading the wild barrage, eyes flicking back and forth between the gleaming blade and Ajo's thick fist.
Ajo swung up from his crouch, blade arcing against the darkness, the movement was anticipated, and Mikito swung her sheath downward, halting the attack.
With a cunning smirk Ajo pressed forward again, unleashing another volley of stabs, watching with anticipation as they narrowly missed Mikito driving her back, until she grew tired and smacked one aside. He staggered off to the side, taken by the vicious force which Mikito retaliated, aiming a swift punch for her abdomen to keep her off balance. Mikito snatched him by the wrist, swinging him off of his feet and driving a knee into his sternum, and finished her spin sending him crashing through a nearby wooden railing.
Halting what would have been his fall, Ajo shifted his stance, warily eyeing Mikito, who was staring at him poised and ready. "You won't escape." She declared. "You will pay for your part in this just as Hajime and Tunoichi will."
Ajo bit back a curse. He couldn't afford the luxury to spew out profanities, not when he had Mikito pressing him with such ferocity, sheath in one hand, and the blade in the other moving seamlessly with the grace of her movements. There were Hageshii and Shainingu shinobi charging right for them as they continued their wild dance, neither wishing for it to end, deflecting any and all possible distractions that wished to bisect them.
Any one distraction that dared to come too close was battered aside without remorse or hesitation. Nothing would come between them and their fight, it had been years since they clashed, with vehemence he always pushed her, and she pushed back ferociously every time.
Ajo flew down a staircase, glancing back just for a second, spotting Mikito right behind him as if she were his shadow.
That's right, keep on following me. Ajo thought. Taking a step was dangerous, there were bodies flying everywhere, kunais and shurikens whistling with anticipation seeking out their intended targets, and wood splintering in fine mists-almost like clouds as blades collided and shredded through them or bodies smashed against them tearing away at their strength.
He pressed his pace, skidding into rooms that were full of nothing short of chaos and raging battles, blue and purple haoris and blue and black high collared tops swarmed his vision as he lead Mikito further and further.
They collided viciously, blade on blade, both pushing against the other before they dispersed from the force.
He knew Daishiro wanted him to come here for a reason, and while it was to play the part to buy him time as well as the unit returning with him, it couldn't just be for that. Daishiro had risen through the ranks of the Shimura, his keen intellect, brutish strength, and way of putting things together that couldn't be put together made him the number one candidate. He had been around Daishiro's age, both of them were mission partners, they trained together, and soon drank together when they were of age.
They both knew each other without needing to say a word. Strategies and plans were but second nature, and they understood the layers that secluded them in obscurity. And, he realized swiftly that Daishiro didn't just send him here to buy time, didn't just send him here to entertain Hajime's and Tunoichi's wild fantasies, he sent him here in order to assess and deduce if the two were problematic. What were the Uchiha's and Domou's movements within and without. More importantly he wanted a full scope of everything current within this place.
He wanted him to make a decisive move, if Hajime and Tunoichi were proving to be problematic, they were to be killed... But, the Uchiha and Domou were already beating him to that.
Mikito was preventing it.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG
CLANG!
Abruptly he was torn from his thoughts, both arms bracing against one of Mikito's as he hastily blocked what would have been a stroke to his chest, despite using both arms Mikito's strength was titanic. The impact itself jarred his bones, startling his joints into place as chakra and muscles pounded forward. Knowing he wouldn't break the stalemate, he made a lunge back, trying to put some space between them and hopefully find a way out. Fighting Mikito in such close quarters wasn't the best of ideas, and considering the scenario, fighting within these closed quarters wasn't the best of ideas.
Prepped and poised, he set his stance as Mikito beamed towards him in a blur of motion, only her glinting eyes visible. He stabbed forward quickly, pressing off his back foot to gather more speed against his stroke as he helped her bridge the gap. Teeth grit, her saya collided with his blade, sending it skewing off into the floor puncturing the mats and slicing down vertically. Damn it! He shouted mentally, tearing his blade free and ducking under Mikito's follow up stroke with her sheath, a resounding tear smacking against his ears as she tore through three wooden doors and a wooden pillar.
"Where is Daishiro?" Mikito demanded.
"As if I'd really tell you." Ajo glared daggers.
"You can or I will make you." Mikito said impassively.
Ajo only sneered. His eyes darted to the side as he spotted a horde of Shainingu and Hageshii shinobi battling against Uchiha shinobi and Domou kunoichi, with vigor he sped into the room with his eyes agleam. Like he expected Mikito followed him in a single blur of movement, almost frightening, and was met with a blade to her neck that was knocked aside at the last second. Her fist collided against her would be attacker's temple, snapping his neck from the tremendous force behind her strike.
She was assaulted once more, and battled back, bashing her sheath against two skulls, cracking one and splitting the other across the scalp. Scowling, she hastily leaped back as a few dozen kunai pierced through the matted floors where she previously stood shredding it into confetti. Damn that Ajo! She snapped mentally, cursing herself for falling for his ploy. It couldn't be helped, however, Ajo would only get so far before he was stopped or cut off, she had planned just for this sort of thing and Madara's last second input sealed the plan indefinitely.
But, Ajo being here was something she wasn't expecting.
But, it was something that had been accounted for.
She turned sharply, gliding through hallway after hallyway finding herself pursued, Ajo just in her sights.. She scowled as he was flooded by Hageshii and Shainingu shinobi. Hissing softly, she shot across the gap spinning sharply and swiped forward slashing a man's head clear from his shoulders, parry, parry, block, punch, kick, slam, elbow, slash, cut, stab!
Mikito glided back into motion leading them through the destroyed rooms where battles were still raging, split them up. She turned suddenly again swiping low instead of high, and tore through her attacker's leg ripping right through the tendons at the knee joint, she heaved, grabbing him by the neck and smashing him clean through the wall sending him flying across the next floor.
There was no end to it. It was like a flood. The Hageshii and Shainingu wouldn't back down. She pivoted, using the motion to bound across the room taking four down to the ground with one sharp arc, she turned, arm cracking outwards like a whip, grabbing a man's arm before he could deliver the blow hauling him up with ease and tossing him into the next attacker.. Two managed to dodge the human projectile, charging in towards her, but collided with the floor slamming her sheath across the back of their head.
She swiveled, dodging and deflecting the blitzing barrage sent her way, swaying over just an inch and cut into a man's face, skin sputtered and blood flew overhead. She clenched her teeth, the stab just skewing, leaving a shallow cut. She slammed her arm into his neck jarring his bones to their limit and swung him off of his feet sending him crashing off to the side. Koizuki!
Kozuki was already on the move, attacking Ajo before he could even think.
He growled, drawing his sword with a swift flick, blocked a second later.
He clenched his teeth, straining as Mikito pushed him back steadily. Koizuki shifted, the incessant and overwhelming pressure released, it sounded like his sword was chipped.
Ajo smirked, swiping from the side, pushing off with his back foot.
SSRRNNNGGGG!
The screeching sound was deafening, Koizuki strained jumping to the side as Mikito's blade skewed an inch too close to his face. Before he could press his opening, Mikito was upon him, sheath already screaming through the air. It slammed into the shuriken he hastily drew, jarring his wrist and arm bones.
Ajo turned on instinct, swiping in front of him, blood splattering from the foot long gash he tore into a Shainingu shinobi's arm. He pressed and pressed, speeding around them, weaving through their attacks, but it was fifty to one and he had Mikito and Koizuki pressing him every second.
He flipped away from one attack, launching his kunai, it struck against Koizuki's sword before flying off to the side. "Ajo..." Koizuki's voice boomed all around him, followed by a deathly gleam and glint. "You made a big mistake.1" He scowled at the slight smirk on Ajo's face, burying a fist into his stomach forcing him to skid back, Mikito slammed her shin into him a moment later sending him careening off to the side.
Koizuki clenched his teeth, charging head first into Mikito and Ajo taking them both down through a wall and across the sixth floor, he raised his arm kuani glinting in bloodthirsty madness. Ajo grabbed his arm before he could deliver the blow hauling him up and giving a sharp twist.
Koizuki bit back the cry of pain that wanted to escape so badly, he swung his head forward, slamming it into Ajo's face.
Ajo scrambled, scything his kunai towards Koizuki's neck, Mikito phased into sight before the blade, blocking it with ease and tearing through it letting the tip skew off wildly. "Damn you, Mikito." He slammed his fist into her jaw the impact was jarring, but she didn't even flinch, glaring at him with hell fire. "You need to stop wasting your time with me-" Ajo's vicious retort was cut off as she rammed her foot square against his solarplex drawing air from his lungs until they were prunes.
"Shut up." Mikito said with a steely tone, closing the gap between them with just a few steps, violently slamming her sheath against Koizuki's blade halting its travel, pivoting sharply and bashing her blade against Ajo's holding them both at bay.
"You witch!" Koizuki roared, straining and heaving as he struggled against the tremendous force pushing against him that just wouldn't give. "I wasn't expecting this, I guess you had something to do with this, Ajo. Big mistake on your part."
"Out of my way!" Ajo snapped, ignoring Koizuki's strained and downright stupid statement.
Madara narrowed his eyes. The stab poised for his right eye socket was dodged nimbly, and his sword cleaved into his attacker splitting his neck from the bottom of his jawline. Hastily, he swiveled around just narrowly deflecting Hajime's blade sending it shredding into the wall behind him as he took the chance to leap away from the older man, felling three more shinobi as he rebounded against the floor.
Hajime blocked the overhead swing, dashing in and through Madara's guard as two of his men closed in, nicking him on his right arm, splitting the sleeve of his shirt, forcing him back once more.
Madara took advantage of the brief pause, and dashed to the side, swiping against the first attacker with a deft one hand slash, and swung downward cleaving into the second's face sending him sprawling onto the floor. Sharingan alerted him with a fiery glow, Hajime slammed forward, fist rattling against his armor, sending him flying back, cracking and shattering a nearby railing.
Madara twisted against him, blades binding against the other as they swiveled again and again. Madara found his opening, shifting to the side, and shoving his foot right into his sternum.
Hajime snarled, jumping away from him, spotting another sudden blur of movement from the Uchiha, and send another barrage of stabs skewing towards him savagely, persistent and overbearing. His men flooded in front of him, Madara turned sharply, dashing away from the horde as they gave chase, batting their blades away with some effort watching them gouge into a wall one after the other, their bodies thudding and colliding with the floor and walls as he followed through with his movements.
"Damn you... Little brat..." Hajime hissed.
Their battle resumed at a fever pitch!
Hajime putting on another numbing burst of speed that took Madara by surprise as he pressed the Uchiha back step by step. Slash by slash. Stab by stab. Each of their attacks shaking their bones, jarring their joints into action, and crumbling the nearby walls splitting and tearing through them like tissue paper leaving only a thread in their wake. Finally, after a punch and kick connecting respectively, and Koizuki getting another hairline slash into Madara's arm, they dispersed from each other, now the only two currently present in the tattered room. The bodies of those who came too close spotting around them.
"Heh..." Madara chuckled softly as he shifted in tandem with Hajime. Eyes steady. His heart racing, eyes glowing a sickly red as they spun eerily, adrenaline pumped through him as hot as the sun. Scorching him. He felt alive!
"What's so funny?" Hajime snarled, brushing some dirt off his shoulder, hand hovering over a spot where Madara managed to get a cut in. It wasn't severe, but if left unattended it would definitely become infected. I need to take him out now...Or, sway his attention from me, that should give me ample time to escape.
The battle hunger gleamed in Madara's irises and a predatory smirk crossed his face. "Your kenjutsu."
"Don't get ahead of yourself, brat." Hajime snarled, not giving into his taunt. He raised both hands overhead, sword clasped tightly in both, and charged forward with a loud cry, heaving downward. "You may have that Mangekyo, but don't think you'll beat me just with that!"
"Tch." Madara scoffed, bracing for the attack. "I don't need to push myself that far against the likes of you."
"Bastard!"
Madara grunted audibly, gladly closing the gap between them, his blade colliding with Hajime's in a deafening wail.
Hajime surged forward his chakra bursting like an explosion, one fist impacted with Madara's jaw forcing his way forward, he hacked violently hoping to tear into his armor. As he expected, Madara dodged swiftly, but turned too late, only able to block his attack and not press against him as he shoved him back steadily. "You may have the Mangekyo Sharingan, but it does you no good if I can outsmart you!"
"Ngghh!" Madara forcibly stopped his trek, right leg shaking once as he pressed his instep into the floor. He snapped forward, twisting sharply, narrowly skewing Koizuki's sword, rapidly arcing upwards blocking another thunderous stroke and returned one for good measure, only for it to be blocked expertly by the older man.
The same spot they had been standing moments before exploded in a cloud of smoke, debris, bodies, and blades, shredding through everything nearby as Hageshii and Shainingu shinobi dived down some bitterly clashing with Uchiha shinobi, Domou shinobi, and Domou kunoichi followed closely by Isamu, Isami, Hikaku and Aito who exploded off from the side in pursuit. Aito and Isami deftly lunging in a nose dive.
Hajime surged his chakra once again, dashing towards Madara, ramming his blade against the younger man's, teeth grit. He pulled back his fist and sent it forward. Madara twisted away, grabbing him by the wrist with one hand and hammering his shin into his side. With one swift movement Hajime rammed Madara into the nearest remnants of a wall, not so surprisingly tearing away at what was left, slowly forcing him back towards a window.
Madara shifted his footing with a sharp pivot, skewing Hajime's blade by an inch, the older man was strong no doubt about that, but he was lacking in grace and finesse. His Sharingan allowed him to predict and anticipate movements from just the slightest muscle twitch, but Hajime wasn't all that subtle, his attacks deliberate embroiled with his rage and hatred.
He took the opening Hajime granted, Hajime's blade only an inch from puncturing his eye, lost its edge as it collided with his own blade, there was a horrific wail as cold steel tore into each other, Madara's sword overpowering Hajime's in a frightening display sending it darting off to the side. His trajectory was not halted in the slightest, his blade ready and hungry speared straight into Hajime's side, tearing through his armor straight across to his left hip.
"Shit..." Hajime hissed in fury, the burning agony twisting his face into a deep grimace as blood dripped freely from the would inflicted by Madara's last second counter. What seemed like a counter. "I... I should have killed you just now! I didn't make a single error, I would have squashed that demon eye! I had you dead to rights, even with that Sharingan of yours!" Eyes glowering, voice tinging with nothing short of accusation as he stared down the young Uchiha leader, Hajime pressed his palm into the floor, willing himself to stand. "It...It was that sword!"
Madara narrowed his eyes. True, that attack should have punctured his eye and stab right through his brain, thus killing him instantly. He'd only feel pain for but a second, and even with his Sharingan he could only swing just in time to make a last attempt at defense. Hajime was truly dangerous and lethal, in battle and outside of battle manipulating others to further his own needs... Perhaps if it had been anyone but him. No, if he didn't have this sword, that attack would have met its mark. It would have felled him, and anyone else for that matter, Hajime was just that wily.
Again, Mikito saved his skin by extension, once again. This sword, it was truly magnificent. "Yes." He replied with a small smirk, whipping his blade to the side to rid it of the crimson substance that coated it, and pointed it forward. "Do you have any last words?" He wasn't really the sentimental type, but he was decent enough to hear one last scathing remark or insult from his foes before he silenced them.
"Eat shit, Uchiha dog!" Hajime snarled, teeth gritting red. "Allying yourself with those demons! Those cannibals! And, that witch and devil! You all fit right together though, bloodthirsty and merciless! Your days are numbered, Uchiha Madara. Have a fine departure... I've won."
Anger. Pure and distilled, it bubbled through his gut, churning and twisting violently, before surging into his veins burning red hot like his Sharingan. "You've lost!" Madara shot forward, rage spurring him on, the splatter of splinters that rushed like a geyser from Hajime's throat didn't faze him. Nor did the man's rolling head as he shoved it through a wall splitting through the paper and wood on the other side.
Replacement jutsu... Aren't your desperate. Madara mulled over silently. No matter, this has been accounted for.
Madara darted out of the room, sparing no glance to the fallen form of Hajime, speeding around clouds of shuriken, lunging off of the wall in a show of agility and dexterity. He grunted, shifting his weight to the side and swiveling on the ball of his foot, pushing two men off to the side, slamming his heel across the second's side hurdling them back.
CRASH!
The walls, railings, pillars, and stairs were all durable, but with their enhanced strength and physical prowess even these study surroundings would tear like tissue paper, snap like twigs, and shred to bits like confetti.
Madara took no breath. No pause in his step. He sped towards two, swinging up and to his right, watching a hand go flying across the room. "Surround him!" Shouted Takehito shouted, making a mad dash towards her with dozens of others.
Madara turned and was met little resistance. Blood bubbled from the man's mouth like a constricted river, he strained staggering back, he stepped to the side, spinning away fro a blade, scything his sword up and through a man's shoulder, splitting it at the front, and finished with a sharp kick to his leg snapping it at the shin sending him flipping down the stairs.
One wild lunge was all Madara needed. Before the man could rebound into another stroke Madara was already in his face, flying through the splatter of blood. He pressed his attack, the second, third, fourth, and fith man charged fists and blades screaming forward. Madara wasted no time, catching one by the wrist and twisted viciously breaking the arm at the elbow joint, poking the bone through the skin. He slammed his head into three of them face knocking them back.
The last man was quick enough to attack, Madara already had the movement scouted. Parrying swiping stroke striking the side of the man's neck with the edge of his blade.
Another three men darted towards him.
Madara dashed towards the closest one just a few steps away from him, he had his sword run through him before the man could react.
He didn't pause in his attack, turning sharply to the his left and lunged forward, tearing through the second's man shoulder, sending him off across the floor, continuing with his movement he spun passed a kick scything through the man's sternum.
He tore against his body, sliding away from a kunai. The projectile speared into the wall where his head had been, sinking a few inches.
"Kill him!"
Souji pivoted to the side, dodging a deft slash from Tunoichi, putting on another burst of speed as he deflected the follow up attack, and swung his arm up, blocking the punch Tunoichi had poised for his throat. He swiveled to his left, forcing the older man to stagger, pivoting sharply he lunged forward, Tunoichi hastily blocked the stab.
He heard heard the ear popping boom as another portion of this building erupted. Focus nearly swayed, he narrowly deflected a slash poised for his throat, returning one of his own, but Souji swayed passed it, slamming the point of his elbow into the soft of the man's back, hearing a deafening gasp as his lungs heaved under the force. Tunoichi retaliated with a swift kick to the shin, forcing Souji to stagger bacl. It was a blunt blow, the armor just barely absorbed the full impact of his elbow, Souji's blows were ridiculously quick but powerful.
"Grraaagghh!" Tunoichi half snarled half grunted, his back still pulsating painfully.
Tunoichi bridged the gap, shooting around in a low curve as he forced his blade into a neat arc. Souji collided with him, swinging his blade forward. They both picked up speed, rapidly exchanging and evading strokes, Souji forced back every few seconds only to return with a ferocious flurry of strikes.
"Well..." Tunoichi mused. "You're a lot more deft and stronger than I previously gave you credit for." He snapped a fist forward, taking advantage of their stalemate, smashing it straight against Souji's chest. "But, you're still just a brat!" A homing stab skewed its way towards Souji, spurred by his vehemence.
Souji pushed off the ground with one foot quickly changing his direction with a quick pivot at the last minute, evading the stab by a fraction. His shirt tor, and blood dribbled from the hairline cut.
Souji pivoted again, darting forward, Tunoichi's hasty vertical swipe forcing him to swivel away at the last second, swiping towards him, as he expected, Tunoichi blocked the blow.
The vicious impact forced him back and away. Tunoichi dashed away, hearing the air 'whoosh' around him, the hasty movement made him an easy target. Souji darted towards him from the side, slamming his heel straight into his ribs launching him through a nearby wall. Tunoichi quickly recovered as another deft slash began screaming towards him, slicing just above his head, tearing open a gash in the wall and forcing it to 'spill' out.
Tunoichi grunted as he coughed, eyes roaming around him barely spotting the vicious clashes going on all around, the bodies thudding and falling, plummeting from the higher floors only to crash brutally on the bottom floor wiping out any remaining tables or pillars and sending waves of force billowing outwards.
"Well, I'll give you credit..." Souji scowled, stepping closer silently crouched in a powerful stance. "You managed to rope in Hajime, as unlikely as it may be for such a thing to occur... You used Tomoyuki's rage and sacrificed him, swaying Hajime no matter how slight."
Damn it... Tunoichi took a heavy breath, straightening his back. "I'm a bit surprised at how perceptive you...But, since the rumor is you are a devil in human form... I shouldn't be." He eyed Souji, his powerful form and outline visible through the fading mists of wood and the glinting moonlight. I know there's a way around this guy's speed, there has to be...
"Tch, so you really did go through with such a plan, there is nothing too low for you to stoop to, Tunoichi." Souji shot forward, slamming his blade against Tunoichi's, pushing him back steadily with a quick burst of his chakra. Which means he intended to lure Hashirama into a trap.
"You may have seen through my plan, but there is nothing you can do to stop me!" Tunoichi snarled in fury, deflecting another deft slash from Souji, lunging through his guard and stabbing forward, only for Souji to pivot away, in the same motion battering aside the concise stab. He can't keep his focus on me forever, eventually he'll slip up...
Tunoichi dashed towards the man of his ire, looking straight into his eyes, making sure to focus his ki into his arms and wrists. Timing was everything. One slip and he was going to be eating a face full of cold steel.
Souji grunted slamming the ball of his foot into the floor, shifting his stance, and lunged upwards, forcing Tunoichi to jump back, he landed swiftly, darting forward in a dizzying display of quickness, pressing him as Tunoichi rebounded.
Tunoichi strained pushing against Souji, shifting his footing and swiveling his sword off to the side, he clenched his fist tightly pulling back as far as he could. Souji's retaliating stroke skimmed passed his cheek cutting it by the barest inch. He released all of the tension in his arm, like a spring compressed, it rocketed by his will, burying itself into Souji's face forcing him to slam a foot back halting his stagger.
Tunoichi followed through with the movement, slamming his other hand into his armored torso, lashing out with a quick swipe that forced Souji to jump back, feet planted for just a moment, he surged forward with renewed vigor. On instinct, Tunoichi turned swinging wildly off to the side, gritting his teeth as he blocked Souji's blade just an inch from his face. They pushed against each other violently, teeth gritting with crushing force, and snarls reverberating from the back of their throats.
With a quick half turn, Tunoichi broke their contest, swiveling his blade away to the side as Souji staggered before him.
He snapped his fist up towards his jaw, which Souji blocked sailing a few feet back. He scowled for a moment, kneading the the pain from his forearm. Now is my chance! Renewed and fury embroiled, Tunoichi lunged forward swiping violently through the air, surging himself forward forcing chakra throughout his entire body, his blade cleaved against a few strands of hair as Souji ducked under the decapitating attack, snarling he quickly followed up his attack.
Souji growled savagely as he spotted the next attack coming. He only had a moment to react. Pivoting sharply against the floor with his right foot he generated a rush of momentum and power, sailing completely under Tunoichi's follow up attack. There! His eyes locked onto the exposed joint, he lunged, cleaving into his leg at the knee, splitting open the flesh and tearing into the tendons, he pressed his attack, pivoting off of his right foot, slicing forward against the opposite side of the knee, severing those tendons just as easily.
Tunoichi's eyes widened briefly, pain burning through him nearly bringing him down to both of his knees. Willpower and experience kept him standing. He peered at the wound on his leg, gritting his teeth in fury. His leg was torn apart, once he ran out of chakra he wouldn't be walking... These wounds were deep and severed many tendons on both sides of his knee. "You..." He seethed.
"I should spare you." Souji said stonily. Tunoichi could keep on fighting, so long as he had chakra. But, as far as he was concerned this battle was all but finished. He couldn't move the same with the wounds he inflicted to his leg, it wouldn't stop Tunoichi from charging in carelessly. But, if he killed this fool now, they'd have more questions. Now they would get answers. "However-"
Tunoichi glared viciously, violently turning his blade onto himself.
CRACK!
Souji vanished...Between their gap, grasping Tunoichi by the wrist halting him short, and snarled, twisting his arm to the side sharply. Bones splintered, snapping apart as easily as little twigs. Souji snapped his hips to the side, forcing Tunoichi off of his feet, slamming him side first, bashing in the floor from the horrid impact, sending spider web cracks shooting out in every direction traveling up the walls and forcing them to chip away and crumble.
"You might just prove to be of use after all."
He snapped his head to the side, shifting into a battle ready stance as he drew his blade back compressing it close to his body. There were footsteps hastily drawing in his direction, friend or foe he couldn't guess, wouldn't guess. A high collared shirt came into view. He didn't relax the slightest meeting Izuna's steady and cold gaze with a stony gaze of his own. "Izuna..." He paused steadily, sword clasped tightly in his right hand. "How are things coming along?"
"They're clearing out the floors below us. The first, second, third, fourth, and fifth, sixth and seventh are all clear. Nobody on the Hageshii or Shainingu are bothering to surrender and keep attacking..." He paused, eyes narrowing just a tad. There was no retreat, and just the same they weren't going to bend and sway. They were all resolved, "Aito, Isamu, Chiasa Mikito, and Misaka are staying outside near the front while Mitsuki, Hiro, Hikaku, Yuto, Madara, and Bunji are in pursuit of those who managed to get out of here..." He paused. "Hajime managed to gain some ground, but he shouldn't make it beyond these borders. "Yuko, Kagami, Masa, Ahiko, and Shin are providing support where it is needed."
"Things seem be wrapping up smoothly." Souji noted. There was no earth rattling explosion followed by the roof giving way, though there were many explosions and bangs resounding. They were growing fewer and less intense as well as abundant.
"Indeed." Izuna nodded in solemn agreement, turning his eyes onto the fallen man in the room who's chest was still rising and falling, paying no heed to the destruction surrounding him. He stepped over a wooden pillar, what was left of one anyways, and made his way towards Souji until he stopped a few inches from him. "You've managed to catch one..."Izuna eyed Souji carefully for a moment. "How unlike you."
"He was going to take his own life." Souji explained, staring down at Tunoichi's unconscious form. "I had planned to kill him, but seeing that he was quick to turn his blade on himself I reconsidered my options..." His stony expression darkened. "Now we'll get some answers."
"Who is it?" Izuna ventured. There were slabs of debris and slews of paper and wood covering the man's form, making anything noticeable an arduous task to find.
"Tunoichi."
Izuna's smirk broadened for a moment.
Capturing Tunoichi was a huge boost, it made this hellish and relentless fight all the more worth it, and they completed their task to just about a T. They may have missed Koizuki, Hajime, and Takehito, but they captured Tunoichi who would be more than ample, and the off chance those three did manage to cover ground they'd be pursued right after.
Any of their cronies were slain or in the process of being slain. The trio's capture would be swift and immediate, granted Madara didn't run his sword through them. "Looks like this whole thing isn't a loss after all."
"No, it seems we've hit it." Souji agreed quietly, stretching his perception out around him. Since there were no more shinobi on this floor he flicked his sword to the side, before sheathing it swiftly. It was very doubtful Tunoichi would speak a word, hell even a mutter. Whatever he planned with Hajime, it was huge, and effected things on a country level they had to figure out just what it was they were planning, had planned, and intended to carry out.
Having one of the brains only gave them a bare portion of the story, they'd need to capture the other three, start piecing things together with whatever they told them, and any lies would be snuffed out once they started pieced it together. Anything that didn't fit would be glaring.
Though, the Shainingu would most likely seek active conflict from here on after.
"Izuna-sama!" A voice broke through their tense conversation. Footsteps thudded and pounded against their ear drums, and a few seconds later an Uchiha shinobi sprinted into the room. Sword clasped tightly in one hand, Sharingan glowing a bright crimson as his eyes scanned the room. Blood smeared his armor, splattered and covering him just like the rest of them, but the distinctive high collared shirt distinguished him as one of their own. "Hashirama and Tobirama have been encountered by Madara! Mikito is already on her way there! Sasuke and Daiki launched an ambush as well they both seemed to be thinking along the same lines, and Hajime was just in their sight until Syrus attacked him!"
"What's the status here?" Souji questioned sternly.
"We managed to contain most of them within this tea house, and some in the front, those that managed to escape that haven't been killed are being pursued." The Uchiha shinobi supplied. "There are many that remain in here at the moment, but they're all downstairs."
"I'm going to take Misaka, Isamu, and Aito with me." Souji said, darting away.
"Go to the castle and gather more shinobi." Izuna told the man seriously. "Take this man there too, put him in one of the storage rooms and get a unit to keep watch of him. Meet us with haste."
"Yes, Izuna-sama." The man bowed, hefting Tunoichi up onto his shoulders, hurrying to complete his task.
Izuna vanished in the shadows in a terrifying show of speed.