A stood at the edge of the forest, surveying the terrain before him. The map in his hands was worn and creased from countless unfoldings, its details etched into his memory. He had been named the Third Raikage, a heavy burden for one so young, but the fires of war left little room for hesitation.
The Second Shinobi War was brewing, its clouds looming on the horizon. Konoha had somehow managed to push Iwa out of the conflict, but the borders remained a tense battleground. A's troops had been dispatched to secure a vital bridge, a strategic choke point that could not be left undefended.
As they approached the bridge, A's keen eyes caught sight of a solitary figure perched atop the weathered stone. A young genin, with hair like flames and eyes that burned with a fierce determination. Something about the girl's gaze sent a chill down A's spine, a premonition of death lingering in those crimson depths.
"State your business," A called out, his voice carrying across the expanse. "This bridge is under the protection of Kumogakure."
The genin remained silent, her expression unreadable. A's fingers twitched, ready to summon his lightning at the slightest provocation.
"Speak, or be removed by force," he warned, his tone brooking no argument.
The lone genin's gaze remained unwavering, her fiery hair dancing in the gentle breeze. A could sense the unease rippling through his troops, their fingers tightening around kunai hilts.
"That's the Red Death," one of his shinobi whispered, his voice laced with trepidation. "She was part of the team that decimated our naval forces during the Uzushio campaign. Half of Kumo's forces perished on that cursed island, and she was the only member that escaped."
A felt a chill run down his spine as he studied the young girl, her crimson eyes burning with a intensity that belied her age. He had heard the whispers, the tales of a prodigy whose prowess on the battlefield was matched only by her ruthlessness.
"I'm Emumi Uzumaki," the young genin announced, her voice cutting through the tense silence like a blade. "My orders are clear – destroy this bridge. But first, I wanted to kill a few Kumo nin."
Her words hung heavy in the air, and A could feel the tension escalating among his troops. One of his shinobi, a hot-headed young man, let out a guttural roar and charged at Emumi, kunai raised high. Before A could even blink, a glinting chain shot out from the girl's sleeve, piercing the man's stomach with a sickening squelch.
Emumi's expression remained impassive as the chain retracted, ripping the shinobi in two with a spray of crimson. His agonized screams echoed across the bridge, sending a shiver down A's spine.
A took a deep breath, his muscles tensing as he removed his robes, revealing the chiseled frame beneath. He stepped forward, placing himself between his troops and the deadly genin, determination etched into his features.
Emumi's crimson eyes narrowed, her gaze appraising the Raikage with a hint of curiosity. "So, the great A wishes to challenge me himself?" Her voice dripped with disdain, a cruel smirk playing upon her lips.
Without warning, the adamantine chains erupted from her sleeves, coiling around her body like a protective cocoon. Within seconds, the chains had formed an impenetrable armor, the links seamlessly interlocked, reflecting the sunlight like a thousand tiny mirrors.
A's eyes narrowed, his fists clenching as he summoned forth the crackling tendrils of lightning. The air grew thick with the scent of ozone, the hairs on his arms standing on end as the electric current danced across his skin.
"Stand down, genin," he ordered, his voice a low rumble that echoed across the bridge. "You are outmatched and outnumbered."
Emumi's laughter was like the ringing of steel, sharp and devoid of warmth. "Big words from a man who couldn't protect his own naval forces," she taunted, her chains rattling ominously.
A felt a surge of anger course through his veins, the memory of that fateful mission still fresh in his mind. So many lives lost, so much sacrifice, all at the hands of this insolent child.
With a roar that shook the very stones beneath their feet, A launched himself forward, his fist crackling with lightning. Emumi responded in kind, her chains lashing out like striking serpents, the clanging of metal filling the air.
The two forces collided in a thunderous clash, the bridge shuddering beneath the sheer force of their blows. A's lightning-infused fists pounded against Emumi's adamantine defense, each strike sending shockwaves rippling through the air.
Emumi's chains danced and whirled, seeking any opening, any weakness in A's defenses. But the Raikage was a blur of motion, his speed and agility defying his imposing frame.
Just then, A caught Emumi by the throat and slammed her onto the bridge with a resounding crack. Emumi's adamantine chains clattered against the stone as she hit the ground, her breath escaping in a pained wheeze. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, staining her pale skin crimson.
"Is that all you've got, Raikage?" she taunted, her voice strained but laced with defiance. Emumi's chains began to coil around her once more, the links glinting in the sunlight.
A's grip tightened around her throat, his knuckles white with rage. "Silence, you insolent child," he snarled, his face mere inches from hers. "You have no idea the horrors of war, the sacrifices made to protect our people."
Emumi's crimson eyes flashed with a mixture of amusement and disdain. "Oh, I know all too well the horrors of war, Raikage," she hissed, her voice barely above a whisper. "It was your forces that slaughtered my family, my friends, my entire village."
A glared down at the defiant young genin, tightening his grip around her throat. Emumi's eyes flashed with a mixture of amusement and disdain, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
"You have no idea the sacrifices we've made to protect our people," A snarled, his face mere inches from hers. "The lives lost, the battles fought – all to prevent the horrors of war from reaching our homes."
Emumi let out a hoarse chuckle, her lips curling into a mocking sneer. "Sacrifices? Is that what you call the slaughter of innocents?" she rasped, her crimson eyes burning with fury. "Your forces razed my village to the ground, leaving nothing but ashes and corpses in their wake."
"Why didn't you just destroy the bridge?" A demanded, his voice booming across the expanse.
The bridge shuddered violently beneath their feet, the stones groaning under the strain of their battle. A's grip tightened around Emumi's slender throat, his eyes narrowing as he studied the defiant young genin.
"And miss the opportunity to kill the Raikage?" Emumi rasped, her voice strained against A's tightening grip. A cruel smirk twisted her lips, her crimson eyes glinting with malice.
A's brow furrowed, his grip loosening slightly as he processed her words. "What are you talking about?" he demanded, his deep voice echoing across the expanse.
Before Emumi could respond, a deafening crack split the air, the bridge beneath them shifting and swaying precariously. A's eyes widened as the structure began to crumble, the adamantine chains of Emumi's armor suddenly unraveling and whipping through the air.
In a blur of motion, A seized Emumi's slim form and hurled her from the collapsing bridge, the young genin's chains clattering uselessly as she tumbled through the air. With a powerful leap, A propelled himself back towards his troops, his sandaled feet skidding across the rocky terrain as he landed safely among them.
They watched in stunned silence as Emumi plummeted towards the raging rapids below, her slender form disappearing beneath the churning waters with a resounding splash.
A's chest heaved with exertion, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. "Search the area," he ordered gruffly, his gaze fixed on the spot where Emumi had vanished. "She couldn't have survived that fall."
The shinobi around him sprung into action, fanning out across the riverbanks and scouring the surrounding forest. A remained rooted in place, his eyes narrowed as he studied the rapids, the memory of Emumi's taunting smirk still fresh in his mind.
"Raikage-sama," one of his men called out, his voice laced with concern. "The bridge has been completely destroyed. We've lost our only viable route across the border."
A's jaw clenched, his mind already whirring with contingency plans. "Then we'll have to find another way," he growled, his steely gaze sweeping across his troops. "Konoha's forces will be mobilizing soon, and we can't afford to be caught unprepared."
As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of crimson and gold, A turned his back on the ruined bridge.
Emumi's slender form sliced through the churning rapids, the icy waters engulfing her like a thousand knives. She fought against the current, her lungs burning as she struggled to reach the surface.
Just as her vision began to dim, a powerful arm wrapped around her waist, hauling her upwards with a strength that belied its slender frame. Emumi gasped for air, her crimson locks plastered to her face as she found herself lying on the riverbank.
"Damn that Raikage," she muttered through gritted teeth, her voice laced with a mixture of anger and reluctant admiration. Emumi turned to face her savior, her eyes widening in recognition. "Kushina?"
The fiery-haired woman beside her nodded, her violet eyes narrowed with concern. "You almost got yourself killed!" Kushina exclaimed, her violet eyes flashing with a mixture of concern and anger. "What were you thinking, taking on the Raikage like that?"
Emumi winced as she sat up, her drenched clothes clinging to her slender frame. "I had to destroy that bridge," she rasped, her gaze fixed on the ruined structure in the distance. "It was a strategic chokepoint, and my orders were clear."
Kushina shook her head vehemently, her fiery locks swaying with the motion. "At what cost, Emumi?" she demanded, her voice tinged with worry. "You're lucky A didn't crush your throat entirely. He's a force of nature, not some genin fresh out of the academy."
Emumi scoffed, her crimson locks dripping water onto the rocky riverbank. "I'm not some helpless genin, Kushina." Her gaze hardened as she met Kushina's stare. "Or have you forgotten what I did to Kumo's naval forces?"
Kushina's eyes hardened as she regarded her friend, her slender fingers gripping Emumi's arm with surprising strength. "You're not just fighting for yourself anymore, Emumi," she said, her voice low but laced with urgency. "We're a team, and we need to look out for each other."
Emumi's jaw clenched, her crimson eyes flashing with defiance. "I had a mission, and I completed it," she retorted, her gaze drifting towards the ruined bridge in the distance.
"At the cost of your life?" Kushina shot back, her violet eyes narrowing. "Do you think that's what Minato and the others would want? For you to throw yourself at the Raikage like a kamikaze?"
Emumi flinched at the mention of their teammate's name, her expression softening ever so slightly. "I knew what I was doing, Kushina," she said, her voice quieter now. "I had to take that risk."
Kushina shook her head vehemently, her fiery locks swaying with the motion. "There's a difference between taking calculated risks and outright recklessness," she chided, her grip on Emumi's arm tightening. "We're shinobi, not martyrs."
Emumi opened her mouth to protest, but the words died on her lips as she studied the fierce determination etched into Kushina's features. With a sigh, she nodded reluctantly, her sodden crimson locks falling across her face.
"Fine," she conceded, her voice barely above a whisper. "But the next time we encounter Kumo forces, I won't hold back."
Kushina's expression softened, and she reached out to brush the damp strands of hair from Emumi's face. "I wouldn't expect anything less," she said, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of crimson and gold, the two young shinobi sat in silence, their gazes fixed on the swirling rapids where the bridge once stood. The weight of their mission, the sacrifices they had made, hung heavy in the air between them.
Emumi's fingers traced the jagged scar across her abdomen, a reminder of the price they had paid in the war against Kumo. She glanced sideways at Kushina, her crimson eyes glinting with a newfound resolve.
"We'll make them pay, Kushina," she murmured, her voice laced with steel. "For every life they've taken, for every atrocity they've committed."
Kushina nodded solemnly, her slender fingers instinctively drifting towards the seal on her abdomen, where a powerful force stirred beneath the surface. "Together," she affirmed, her violet eyes gleaming with determination.
Authors note: I started writing mainly because i wanted to do the chain armor idea, Imagine it Adamantine chain armor. say what you want to see in the next chapter.