'Anbu, sweet Kami who saw that coming for I sure as hell didn't. I sure hell hope they teach Sealing in ANBU, it is an offer I cannot dissuade myself from.' Mika thought as he made his way to the Land of Rivers. Thankfully only about a days travel at average ninja speeds, he had plenty of time to rest and ready himself for the fight of a life time. 'Can I really best Raiga, a solid A ranked combatant, someone that was ANBU trained and is a Seven Swordsman? It won't be an easy feat, I will easily be injured... I just hope I can do this and survive. I have plans and until they come to fruition, I am not even aloud to die...
Isn't that right, Hinata?'
He sighed, looking skyward.
"I miss you, Hinata, always will... my first friend, my best friend. I love you, even now..."
And for a moment, he swore he felt her cool chakra flowing in the air around him, something he took for granted before she was killed.
:::
Danzo wanted to scream, though he hid it well. 'Damn it, another powerful Ninja taken from me!' He cursed inside, hating that once again, a ninja of superb skill and potential was driven from his care. Two if one counted Hinata Hyuuga. 'The boy would have excelled under my care, into something fierce, powerful and terrifying. As useful as Orochimaru or Itachi or Shisui. Curse that Sarutobi, curse him to the pits of the Shinigami's belly!'
Considering his options, he wonder aloud.
"Should I have him killed, or allow him to lift the Leaf up from the light?" Unsure of his next steps, he turned an eye up. "Perhaps I can test him, see where his skills land... as it is, he is being watched on his way to the Land of Rivers as part of his ANBU test. Yugao herself is watching him, naturally. I could simply observe as well or have one of my own watch... yes... that will work... Fuu!"
The powerful Yamanaka appeared, kneeling. "Lord Danzo?"
"Follow Mika, Yugao's newest protege, as he goes to Rivers to face Raiga. Asses his worth, and come back to me... do not fail me."
"I will not, Lord Danzo."
"Good, now go."
As the boy left his sight, Danzo sat back. "And what will come of the boy now, will he crush his enemy, or show him mercy as Sarutobi would have liked... we will see, one way or another."
"""
The land of Rivers was... Misty as hell, almost as bad as the Land of Wave. The air however, Mika felt a chakra in it. Not immediately, he was no natural sensor, but after about an hour or so, when he entered an area near the mines. It was the presence of several beings, most pretty weak but the last two were strong, potent and purposeful. Mika knew they would be the real trouble. One was Raiga, and he knew he was ready to fight.
Slitting his finger, he moved his hands into the perfect handsigns. "Summoning jutsu, Kagome!" Mika summoned the girl chameleon, one of the only ones he had the chakra to summon safely. She appeared, in a swirl of smoke. Before she could squeak out, he shushed her. "I need your help. I cannot maintain a perfect cloaking jutsu yet, not with my chakra levels. I need more training in that. Help cloak me, while I sneak through this mist."
She nodded, whispering. "Who are you fighting?"
"Raiga of the Seven Swordsman. I sense a secondary chakra, but I am not true sensor as you are, I cannot pick it out. I need you to also be my sensory skills, since I will be muting my chakra."
She nodded, crawling onto his shoulder and gripping. He felt his entire form vanish, her chakra cloaking his visual state entirely. "We are a go... but please be careful. Oh and summon me for talking later, I want to be more than a fighter, ya know?"
He almost laughed. "I promise." Then, focusing, he muted his chakra signature as best he could, it was something the Chameleons taught him during the Chunin exams, but he never had time to truly master given that he was helping Hinata at the time. It was an odd thing, like living under a wet wool blanket. Chakra kept you strong, warm and powerful. With minimal access, he felt... cold and tired.
Looking about, he saw his path and set to walking it. Kagome whispered in his ear. "Raiga, I can sense him, his potent lighting chakra as well as those blades. There is a third one on him, I can feel it... he has a bloodline, no other would have such a specific and non general chakra signature. I cannot tell you the specifics, but it reminds me of Hinata's to some degree, potent but oddly warmer... it's not healthy for them, it is draining their lifeforce at a rapid rate."
Mika nodded. "Lead me toward them."
And so she did, using her tail to nudge him in each direction until he was finally nearby the man in question, about twenty feet away. Raiga was tall with greenish black hair, a blue top, two banaged looking things he presumed was the Kiba blades and an odd package on his back. Mika could not feel chakra in his state, but he knew this was the real deal. He wondered, absently, if the package was a person, it was too big to be jus held on...
"Wonderful cloakin jutsu..." Mika froze as Raiga started to speak, insanity leaking into every word. "Ranmarau had trouble seeing through it, and that has never happened." The man grinned, shark teeth showing. Then he moved, with intensity, throwing out the wrapped up blades. " Lighting Blasts!" And two sharp blasts of lighting chakra shot at Mika and actually managed to strike him and sent him flying back.
Only the snapping back of his chakra kept him conscious, but even as that happened, he writhed in utter agony. 'Never again... that was terrible.' With as much force as he was capable, he threw himself to the side, dodging Raiga's next cackling and crackling attack.
"Oh, don't be that way, take it like a man!" Mika tore out his blade, an idea forming, gathering water chakra onto the blade, he waited for Raiga to charge his own. It did not take long, the man was utterly devoid of reason. "THERE WILL BE NOTHING LEFT FOR A FUNERAL!" And with that, he moved to throw his attack at Mika, only for Mika to flick a stream of water at the man, soaking his hands and arms in impure water. The sudden conduction left the man screaming, as well as a young child on his back.
Wasting no time, Mika moved in and in a blur rammed his sword into Raiga's heart... or rather he tried to, only getting the blade just in between his ribs and no further. "Shit!" Mika grunted out, seeing that Raiga had grabbed his sword.
"NO ONE, ESPECIALLY NOT TRASH LIKE YOU WILL KILL ME!" And the man's other hand, bearing a Kiba blade, moved toward Mika at High speeds.
Realizing he had to ditch his blade, and drastically limit his power, he rollowed around Raiga and tore off the package on his back all while leaping away. He never made it more than five feet away before realizing Raiga had indeed gotten him wiith his blade, carving a nice cut from his shoulder down about five inches.
Ignoring his wound, Mika tore the package open and saw a tiny child with red glowing eyes. Pulling him up, Mika held him in a death grip. "Unless you want your cute friend to perish, give up Raiga."
The man, realizing the weight was gone, called out. "RANMARU!" He turned, eyes filled with utter despair!
"Raiga!" The brat said, rigid and utterly afraid. Mika didn't care though, the brat helped the man kill who knew how many. He was no civie at this point.
"If you hurt Ranmaru, your anguish will last decades!" The man exclaimed.
Mika smirked, realizing how much power he had. "If you try and hurt me, I will snap his neck. Simple as that..."
Raiga sighed, slumping forward. "Please,... just... what do you want?"
"Kill yourself, and maybe I will let him live."
The boy screamed. "NO RAIGA, I CAN'T LOSE YOU!"
Raiga looked at Mika, eyes cold and desperate. "You will keep him alive and well?"
Mika nodded. "I will try. I hate hurting the innocent, when I do not have to."
"So be it... Ranmaru, listen to the nice man... he will keep you safe. "The man raised his blades and called out. "Lighting funeral!" And threw himself off of the cliff to their right.
That should have been the end of it, but Ranmaru's body started to glow and Mika almost fainted as a huge chunk of his chakra was torn from his body. Most of it in fact, enough so that he lost his grip entirely on the brat. Ranmaru shot forward, running into the air, right into Raiga's arms, the man welcoming him with a surprised smile. They hugged as a blast of lighting charge through the sky, through the air, smiting them both from existence entirely... leaving Mika honestly sort of moved.
"He will be remembered... they both will be." Mika moved a hand over his open wound, slowly sealing it shut as he stood and moved to the cliffs edge, where he saw the Kiba blades sticking out, still charged. "Kagome... do you think you can hold onto those until I get home?"
She nodded, shivering still from the charge. "I'll try... but I do NOT want to be shocked again, that hurt. I almost poofed away. We're lucky my body is so durable."
"Agreed..." And Mika hopped down. In minutes the Kiba blades were sealed away...
And Yugao appeared at his side, smiling at him. "So, you pass!"
"Huh?" Was all he could say as the stress of the mission started to hit home. "I need to sit down, I was just electrocuted and the kid's bloodline stole a huge chunk of my chakra... ugh, I am so sore."
She moved, pushing chakra into him with a touch. "I was watching from the start, I never knew you could summon Chameleons... that is new. Is the Hokage aware?"
Mika frowned. "Honestly, I don't know... but I will tell her. So much has happened, I think I forgot."
"That's fair... now, let's go complete your mission and get your ass home."
"Thank Kami... I need a day off."
Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.
This was a joy to write.
Love, your Ninja Overlord,
Mika.