?￢ﾜ ? ~ Chapter Twenty-nine ~ ?￢ﾜ ?
?￢ﾜ ? ~ Domination of Dominion ~ ?￢ﾜ ?
Today was the day, today was the day, today was the day.
Zero was pleased. His plans were finally starting to pay off—FUCK it was satisfying. He had a fun little run in with Miya… he hadn't seen that doll in forever. What was also really fun was that Konoha knew what was going on! Beautiful how things turned out.
For now, he was in the one base of Orochimaru located in the Land of Fire. It was near its border with the Land of Rice, where Orochimaru called home. It was hidden by the lost language of seals from Grass.
He had two… prospects, hidden there. Twins. From Iwa.
Zero knocked politely on the door before kicking it off its hinges and entering. "Kuro! Kura! It's been so long!"
The twin son and daughter of the late Invincible Duo looked back at him, bewildered. The dark of their skin reflected the majesty of candlelight illuminating the room. "You… Where the hell have you been?!" questioned Kura. Kuro seemed to slink back, narrowing his eyes.
"I've been busy." The twins blinked and Zero was behind both of them, holding them around the neck with one arm each. They attempted to pull themselves off but it was useless. "But, I'm sure you've been too, right? You've been training for your… revenge, am I right?"
"Damn right," snarled Kura. Kuro kept silent, simply nodding.
Zero grinned, not that anyone else could see it. "How strong do you think you are now?"
"We… we might be able to take on Hiyenzo himself," spat Kuro, finally speaking up.
Zero pulled on his collar. "If he didn't have the Kyuubi, and if you two got really lucky, then… maybe?"
Kura glared at him. "Don't you dare underestimate us!"
"I'm not! That's why I'm saying you have… a chance in Hell," defended Zero, holding her tighter.
She groaned. "Get off of me!"
Zero backed up, hands up defensively. "Geez, okay, okay…" he muttered, pouting. "Well, uh… yeah, you guys ready for the invasion?"
"We have to be," said Kuro, clenching his fists. "If we're not, then our parents' deaths would've been for nothing. We can't join them until we honor them… with vengeance."
Kura's face hardened as she nodded along in agreement. "Yeah! We're going to slaughter everyone both Hiyenzo and Uzumaki love!"
Zero laughed, shaking his head. "And I can't wait to see it…" See what, exactly? Their utter failure. At least, that was what he was counting on.
Team 8 and Team 5 could totally blunder and die against them.
If they did, then well… that'd be really fucking disappointing.
Kuro and Kura would be their ultimate test. Their senseis utterly demolished the threat of the Invincible Duo.
How would their protégé fare against each other…?
Well, there was only one way to find out.
—⊱✿⊰—
Neji stared his fate in the eyes. Sunset orange eyes. Sky-blue hair obscured the view of those eyes. A wall of tanned skin—churning with chakra the color of the rising sun. Neji stared it down.
"The fourth match! Neji Hyuuga vs Fuu of Takigakure!"
The crowd roared.
"No…" muttered Fuu, looking directly at Genma. "Fuu of Kumogakure. I fucking hate that village."
"Is… that right…" Genma noted, narrowing his eyes. He cleared his throat. "Okay! Correction! Fuu of Kumogakure will be facing Neji Hyuuga!"
The crowd's roars were drowned out by the musings of Neji's mind. She's abandoned her home for a village of bastards. Disgraceful…
Fuu was in the way of his destiny. She was an obstacle insurmountable to most. But, no, not to him.
Lee lost.
The meaning of Tenten's life, her fate was entirely on him now.
There was no way he could lose.
Neji crouched into the stance of his Juken. Fate will not allow it.
Genma brought his hand into the air.
The veins of his Byakugan pulsed with blood and chakra. His heart-rate shot up like a volley of arrows. Neji saw Genma's arm twitch to bring his hand down far before it even moved.
"Now!"
Neji blurred forward. His Juken was blown back by sunset orange chakra—the mere burst was enough to have him rolling across the dirt. Dammit—
"Y'know, Ka'rai told me that fighting can be fun. But, the thing is that you're weak. So, I'll have to try a bit harder to make it fun…" The white of Fuu's eyes disappeared—glowing like the sun. Her tanned skin hardened into an exoskeleton. A single insectile tail grew from her lower back and slammed onto the ground.
"So I'll limit myself to just this form…" Overlapping voices like the buzz of a swarm echoed out from her voice. "Make this fun for me, Neji Hyuuga."
"Don't you dare write me off!" yelled Neji. Not… that he could blame her. With a deep breath, Neji weaved Hand Seals…
—⊱✿⊰—
"Neji!" Kusari shouted. His hands were bleeding, the chakra in his arms were shot, blocked by the Juken. Every action had an equal and opposite reaction. The Juken often backfired when overused.
"You know Hyuuga Techniques won't be enough to defeat her."
Neji cursed. He knew. Of course he knew. But he wouldn't merely abandon the way of—
"Don't let your pride get in the way of your fate, Neji!" Kusari scolded.
Scolded? Neji shot a glare up at her from his hands and knees. "Who do you think you're talking to—?!"
"My brother, who's stubbornness is going to get him killed."
"As if you're doing any different!"
Kusari crouched down. "If I die, it will be for a good reason." They maintained eye-contact, the pale lavender reflecting in the other's eyes. "If you die, right now, against her, it'd be a waste. The caveat is that it's you that's limiting yourself! You're damning yourself to waste of a fate.
"You're following in the steps of the Main Branch's short sightedness. You are trailing the path of your slavers. Do you find that to be the smart thing to do?! The Main Branch orders us to only use Hyuuga Techniques not out of pride, no, it is control, Neji!
"You are falling into their trap. If you die against her because of this, it'll be no different from the Main Branch killing you."
Neji remained silent, looking down to where he clenched his fists on the grass, stained the red of his blood. "Dammit…"
Gently, Kusari grabbed his chin to make him look her in the eyes again. "You know I'm right, Neji."
He did.
He was too ashamed to admit it.
Instead, he stood, shaking from the strain as he turned his back. "I will be going to Gai-sensei…" He let out a breath. "Thank you, Kusari."
Even without seeing her, Neji knew his sister smiled as she said, "You're welcome, Neji."
—⊱✿⊰—
"Silver Eyes Technique," Neji uttered, completing his sequence. Chakra danced the color of moonlight. The pale lavender of his Byakugan glowed with the color of purity, shimmering like the midnight sun.
Ryujin, Kusari's sensei, went on a mission months ago. The hostage he returned with allowed Konoha to take that Hidden Jutsu of Iwagakure for itself. Now, it was him using it. The silver chakra was pure Yin. As a Dojutsu user, any excess Yin chakra would amplify the power of his Byakugan a dozen fold.
Of course, Fuu allowed him to complete his jutsu to the fullest. "You're white now. Does this mean you're stronger? I can sense the air around your chakra being a lot more constricted than before…"
Neji's Byakugan pulsed with silver chakra. "Come and find out."
An excited grin split Fuu's face.
Constructs of chakra formed around him—fists?!—they were made of wind, they were hot. Had his Byakugan not been active, he wouldn't have been able to see them at all. Immediately, he ducked down. A silver dome of chakra kicked up dust.
Fuu cackled and yelled, "Kyoku Wind Style! Fists From Hell!"
Each fist clobbered against Neji's rotation. It took ten for his ultimate defense to shatter—another gust sent him skidding across the ground. From all directions, a blur of chakra whirled into storm clouds. Lightning sparked. Again, he rotated. The lightning struck his silver dome.
It was about to break through— but Neji's Byakugan made the weakest points in the jutsu so clear. "Rotating Sixty-four Palms!" Fuu's jutsu dispersed into chakra and ionized air. Carrying the speed of the rotation, Neji bolted forward and silver chakra itched with his Juken.
A futile assault. Wind blasted him back.
"This is supposed to be fun!" groaned Fuu.
Neji growled, weaving more hand seals. "Lightning Style: Thunderclap Arrow!" From his palms a shock of silver lightning bolted toward Fuu. She just looked… bored. Staying entirely still, she caught his bolt of lightning.
"Really?" she asked rhetorically. With a sigh, she poured her own chakra into it. It erupted—over a hundred times stronger than anything Neji could put out. It formed into a stinger, like that of a wasp. She hurled it at Neji. He barely dodged it. The buzzing explosion sent Neji flying onto the arena wall.
More than one bone was broken.
Was… this really all he could do?
Was he really this helpless when he stared down the truth, the absolute nature of fate?
No…
"No…" growled Neji, forcing himself up with a limp. It was all on him. The fate of not only himself, but Tenten, Rock Lee, Kusari. Dying here was an impossibility. No, no, no!
He denied the insurmountable fate in front of him because he knew better—
A wind-enhanced fist to the gut brought him to his knees. "You Hyuuga like to fight up close, eh? So I think I should cater to that, to make this more fun—"
Neji screamed, aiming the Juken directly toward her chest. Silver chakra spiked out of every point in Neji's arm to boost it. It hit home. Nothing happened. Rage fueled him to strike again. Again. He kicked. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing—nothing worked.
He leapt back, crouching into the Eight Trigrams stance. "Eight Trigrams! One-hundred and Twenty-Eight Moonlit Palms!"
He aimed for One-hundred and Twenty-Eight of her chakra points.
Zero were closed.
Neji seethed as all ten of his fingers were broken…
"You're…" Fuu sighed. "This is really fucking sad, y'know?"
All he had was his last resort. Neji's Byakugan pulsed for anything he could make out on her, any weak points in her armor…
There was one, her left shoulder.
All he had left was his final resort.
Neji sent every ounce of chakra he could to his arm to reinforce it. If he didn't, he might as well have said goodbye to it forever. With a roar, he charged forward.
"Ingoken!"
One hit to her weakest point.
Fuu actually screamed.
So did Neji.
Her arm fell to the floor, while every bone in his was shattered.
Kusari was a freak of nature to be able to use such a technique.
With his remaining arm, he went on the offensive. Weak points showed themselves as Fuu's focus faltered. "Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Moonlit Palms!" With one arm, he could only target half of the chakra points he could usually.
Her exoskeleton fell apart—her skin fell off of her body. His Lightning Style was useless. So he truly needed to break her apart with his Silver Juken. He tore apart her chakra network, severed tendons and ligaments, pain contorted the Jinchuriki's face.
He would actually win.
Neji was winning against fate. He wasn't weak. He wasn't helpless.
He… he didn't have time to blink.
The shattered state of his arm was made infinitely worse. It was a bag of melted flesh dangling helplessly to his side.
"YOU FUCKING BITCH!"
An ungodly heatwave of wind sent him flying across the arena floor. More bones broke. Ribs, his collar bones were snapped into a dozen pieces. Blood accompanied Neji's every breath. His Byakugan receded, the silver of his chakra died to its usual blue.
…What? What… happened…? The light of the sun stared him down.
Looking into the heavens, he could almost feel Tenten's disappointment.
The sound of buzzing made his ears bleed. Barely, just barely, a blur of Fuu's figure came into his vision. He couldn't see the sun anymore. He just saw her.
Two wings accompanied her tail. She had both arms. Her skin was fully intact.
All of that… for nothing?
Seriously?
Fate was absolute.
His fate… well, his fate was failure.
He failed to be a half-decent brother to Kusari. He failed to be a worthy teammate. He failed to even fulfill the fate the Main Branch forced onto him.
Neji Hyuuga was the human embodiment of a failure.
It was time he accepted that.
Neji closed his eyes…
"NEJI!" screamed out a voice. It was one he recognized…
Lee?
"YOU BETTER NOT GIVE IN!" he screamed. The cracking of sobs accompanied his shouts. "YOU BETTER NOT END UP LIKE I DID! DO NOT FAIL NEJI! DO NOT BREAK YOUR PROMISE TO TENTEN! DO NOT DO WHAT I DID!
"YOU WILL SUCCEED! YOU WILL FIGHT AND WIN THIS MATCH! BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE NEJI! YOU ARE A GENIUS! NOW GET UP AND ACT LIKE ONE!"
Neji chuckled. "Damn you, Lee." The blur of his vision turned clear. Fuu's arms had armor, gray like a storm cloud. He rolled out of the way. The impact from the blow sent him careening across the arena. He landed on his feet.
Neji willed his broken fingers into half seals. "Silver Eyes Technique…" he barely managed. The silver glow returned to his Byakugan. Blood dripped from his mouth, through his teeth. Everything white was stained red.
"How the hell did you get up?!" questioned Fuu, clenching both of her armored fists as she floated in the air.
Neji chuckled, shaking his head, feeling his headband fall off of his forehead. "Because it's my fate." A shaky, bloodied, broken finger pointed at Fuu. "It is yours to lose. It's that simple."
"How the fuck can you say that—?!" Fuu clenched her fists. That invisible wind hit him in the gut. It was many times more powerful than the last one. Neji's entire rib cage was battered. Fate willed him to stand back up. Fate guided each step he took.
"Because I am Neji Hyuuga." Another step forward. "I am the Genius of the Hyuuga Clan." Another step. "I am fighting for the destiny of my teammate." Neji crouched into a one-handed Juken stance. "And you… you're just a demon, fighting for nothing."
Fuu snarled. "What did you just call me?!" Cutting waves of wind sliced Neji to ribbons. She kept him alive to make him suffer. An armored fist clenched around his neck. He went up into the sky—she hurled him down.
Instinct made Neji rotate. The dome of chakra shielded him from all damage. Fuu growled and ripped one of his shattered ribs out of his chest. Lightning shocked him, his skin was smoldered black and he was blasted back as a smoking, limp body.
Fate willed the limp body to move. Neji chuckled more, shaking his head. "When will you understand how futile it is to fight against your own destiny? You're just a caged animal, scared. You'll never be free from the demon inside. Even in death, the memories of your life will trap you forever."
Fuu stopped in her tracks, seething, breaths hitched.
Neji stepped forward. "Your destiny. I see it. The Byakugan sees ALL, and your fate is no different." The Caged Bird Seal on Neji's forehead burned. The agony brought tears to his eyes. But Neji continued to walk forward.
Fate's Vessel was the unstoppable force to eradicate the immovable object of destiny's wall. The chakra fueling his Byakugan erupted. Veins on his forehead, between his eyes, they bulged with the power to view fate.
Neji blurred forward, a Juken strike to Fuu's chest. It did nothing. Neji smirked—flashes—
—Darkness, cobalt blue flames, a seven tailed insect, cages burning, a girl crying. Freedom lost. Freedom gained—
—Neji looked at Fuu in the eyes with his own. Pupil-less black eyes. White dots scattered like stars… when Neji glared, the three stars in his eyes aligned like three deities ready for war. The Caged Bird screeched in protest. But Neji didn't do anything to respond.
He was in enough pain already.
"Fuu of Takigakure," Neji began. The Jinchuriki looked angry. "You'll never know the taste of freedom for as long as you live. Do well to remember that."
Fuu slapped him away. His skull was shattered. The clawing of the Caged Bird took its toll. Neji… closed his eyes.
They didn't open back up.
—⊱✿⊰—
"NEJI!" Kusari screamed out. Her heart pounded in her chest—it was unbearable. Not even Shinrai's hand on her shoulder did a thing to soothe her. Her Byakugan pulsed. She could barely look in his body to find a pulse. Damn her eyes. Damn her eyes. Damn her eyes—
Seeing ten miles didn't mean a damn thing when any detail was a blur.
"By way of knockout, Fuu of Kumogakure is the winner of the match!"
That bitch flew up into the stands as the crowd cheered—they cheered at her brother's possible death. Fuu's insectile extremities fell off as she entered. The Jinchuriki didn't spare her a glance—Kusari charged toward her.
"You dare do that to my brother?!" Kusari screamed. Shinrai's hand jolted off of her from the pure fear—
She summoned every ounce of Shivua's rage she could to suffocate everyone present. Fuu hitched her breath— the Nanabi's chakra flooded the arena to match the fury of Shivua. "Yeah! I did! The fuck else were you expecting?!"
Kusari bared her teeth, her hair stood. "Fate wills it so. I will kill you—"
"Don't say that fucking word!" Fuu threw a punch, Kusari thrusted forward an Ingoken—
"HEY!" Shinrai yelled, holding back Kusari's arm.
Ka'rai had Fuu's fist restrained in his grip. "Calm the fuck down, Fuu."
"You two will have the opportunity to rip each other to shreds soon enough," assured Shinrai, "just not right now—"
Fuu groaned and shook herself from Ka'rai's grip, stomping away from everyone. "ALL OF YOU CAN GO FUCK YOURSELVES!"
Kusari remained silent. Kusari remained still. Kusari remained irate.
The first of the three remaining to speak was Ka'rai. "Sorry about that…"
"Don't you dare speak to me," ordered Kusari. Her glare remained where Fuu once stood. That was until Shinrai let go of her arm, going for her hand—"Don't you dare try to calm me down."
"...I'm not," Shinrai said softly. "I'm trying to stop you from being like me and doing something stupid."
"Get off of me," Kusari spat.
Shinrai did as she said, slinking away.
With a sigh, Ka'rai walked forward as Genma entered. "Shinrai Uzumaki. Ka'rai Uzumaki. Come with me."
Shinrai spared Kusari a long glance before leaping down into the arena with Ka'rai.
All she did was let out a breath… Kusari was so angry she wanted to cry.
—⊱✿⊰—
Well, I had a good run. No I didn't, don't fucking lie to yourself. Shinrai sighed. At that point, he couldn't be bothered to veil his Sharingan with Genjutsu. There wasn't a fucking ounce of chakra he could spare.
He didn't pay any mind to the bewildered look that Genma gave him. "The…" He cleared his throat. "The Fifth Match! Ka'rai Uzumaki vs Shinrai Uzumaki!"
The crowd went wild.
Heh.
Ka'rai was uncharacteristically silent. Well, he was about to blow this entire stadium to bits. It looked like he was something of a good person, so, yeah, that made sense. Heavy was the arm that wielded the blade, after all.
Genma's hand raised into the air.
Welp. Time to die! You failed Konoha Shinrai; it was YOU! Out of a puff of smoke on his wrist, the ivory blade, Shinrai appeared. Yora remained chained to his waist… he didn't need to use her yet.
Plus, Ka'rai was one of the few people who could take Yora away from him again. He couldn't take any fucking chances. Before Genma even registered it himself, his hand was chopped down.
"The match begins now!"
Ka'rai shook his head. "I can't with this…" One burning tail whipped out from the fiery blue of his cloak. "Are you going to stop me, Shinrai?"
"You bet your ass I will!" Not.
Ka'rai… laughed. He laughed. He cackled. "You really don't believe a fucking word you're saying."
"Well, y'know what they say… fake it 'till you make it," Shinrai said, stalling as he weaved hand seals on his blade. I need to make him use both types of fire. The regular type and Jinsei.
"You can't fake your way to being strong." Ka'rai stepped forward. Shinrai flickered backward. Both Selective Absorption Seals were activated. All he needed now was the things to absorb.
"Water Style—"
Ka'rai back-handed him across the arena. Stars crossed the black blotches of Shinrai's vision. Before he landed, he stuck his blade into the ground to break his fall—his arm almost yanked out of socket.
The chakra for his jutsu was still molded; all he needed to do now was spit it out. "Whirling Jet Helix!" Water spewed from his mouth in a helitical jet. It concentrated onto Ka'rai's cloak, it didn't go through. It barely made a dent.
Ka'rai scoffed. His arm erupted with the cobalt flame—perfect!—Shinrai activated one of the two seals etched onto his blade. "Selective Absorption Seal!" Water turned to steam as a flaming maelstrom scorched the ground molten without a lick of effort.
Brandishing his blade, Shinrai stuck it in the blaze. A seal glowed white—then the cobalt blue of the fire he absorbed. In but a second, it was entirely gone. Shinrai didn't allow Ka'rai the time to process it. In a scarlet flicker, he blurred toward Ka'rai. I need to force him to heal.
Halfway through his flicker, a clawed hand grasped his throat. He didn't feel the comfort of the ground below his feet as the grip tightened. The heat of the Nibi's chakra cloak smoked his skin black. Shinrai welcomed the agony it brought… it was soothing, almost.
"Dumbass," muttered Shinrai.
In his unarmed hand, chakra whirled. Flat rotation spun into a blue spiral. Shinrai couldn't see Miya or Naruto. He didn't need to. He felt them because they were always with him. The blue spiral exploded into a spherical helix the size of his head.
"Rasengan!"
The chakra tore through Ka'rai's cloak and into his chest. Bones snapped, skin tore, Ka'rai's own blood was vaporized by the heat of the cloak. His grip on Shinrai's neck slipped and Shinrai pumped himself to the ground. The tomoe of his Sharingan whirled as he planted his feet and pushed harder.
Blood heaved from Ka'rai's mouth and onto Shinrai's head… he didn't give a fuck. A kick rocked his body—every bone in his body trembled and he flew. Deactivating his Rasengan, he again slammed his blade to the floor. I need to be in range—he blurred scarlet toward Ka'rai. Just as predicted, Jinsei Flame repaired Ka'rai's wound.
Two dozen clones bursted and blurred scarlet. Afterimages flashed in and out in a visage of scarlet. Cobalt Fire roared out but it went to Shinrai—the real one—Dammit! A blast of water launched Shinrai in toward Ka'rai. Water coated his blade and he stabbed through Ka'rai's cloak, making contact with the Jinsei Flame.
Another hand seal.
The bright blue fire was sucked out of Ka'rai's wound and into his ivory blade. At the same time Shinrai saw Ka'rai's claws rip down toward him. His heart went cold—his Sharingan saw it but he just wasn't fast enough—
Water erupted from all directions around Ka'rai and Shinrai. Both Uzumaki were flooded, the damage Shinrai took from his own jutsu only served to fuel him. Dozens of pops rang as his clones dispersed. The chakra from his duplicates returned and supercharged itself with the ability of his Special Chakra. Yeah, he was stronger.
But how much did it really mean when he was fighting Ka'rai? Not that much. Sucking his teeth, he got up, drenched. Ka'rai did the same; he was only half healed; his chest was still bleeding.
Ms. Miya wasn't lying when she said the Rasengan packed a fucking punch.
Blood dripped from Ka'rai's teeth as he bared them. Jinsei Flame attempted to erupt, but it was absorbed right into the seal on his blade. Ka'rai's eyes went wide. Slowly, Shinrai smirked. "You're fucked, buddy."
"Is… that… right?" asked Ka'rai… slowly. The air chilled as he contemplated, looked into the sky. Shinrai shouldn't have let it happen, but he did. Clasping his namesake blade with both hands, he stared down Ka'rai with the racing of his heart anticipating it all. His chakra's ability seemed to be working overtime despite the lack of additional damage he took.
His chakra was blowing itself out of his body. It wasn't hot, so none of his tiny bit of Kyuubi chakra was activated. His awareness doubled, combined with his Sharingan, it was like every detail of the world was clearer than the air itself.
He wasn't supposed to be having fun… he was fighting for the sake of the village.
That chilling excitement was banished by the punch to the gut, delivered by fear. The blade named Shinrai began to tremble in his grasp. His footing slipped into the dirt. His Sharingan focused on Ka'rai—the indomitable chakra spewing from him.
Even without his fire… could he win?!
The odds were low.
Well, he couldn't blow the arena to bits without his fire… so hopefully that threw a Bijuu-sized wrench into whatever invasion plan there was. Either way, he needed to put on a good show at least. He needed that promotion. He needed to please Lord Danzo.
He couldn't lose his parents.
In a scarlet blur, he cut at Ka'rai. Metal clanged as his blade was blocked by Ka'rai's. Mismatched eyes glared with morbid entertainment. Again… Ka'rai laughed. It was so much more chilling. The grip of death smothered his breath—his chakra exploded. Only for a second he managed to make Ka'rai's Katana move—Ka'rai slashed in kind and Shinrai was on his back.
A scarlet flash and Shinrai's jacket was ripped off of him—he barely dodged—His Sharingan barely helped see. That was a lie; if he didn't have it he'd be dead—
—Another clang. Ka'rai's hellish Katana almost cut his headband in half. The impact still made his forehead bleed. Shinrai bolted forward to stab. Ka'rai's foot turned his guts inside out.
Clones—afterimages—water.
They all worked last time.
In a crescent of pure red energy, they were all cut to smoke. Ka'rai cackled and a careening beam of energy that was literally from hell burned toward him. The ground below Ka'rai cracked into brimstone.
The air seared and Shinrai flickered to the left.
What did he even have to defend against this—?
Ka'rai cut his chest; blood barely spewed through the cauterization of the wound. A growl made Shinrai's throat bleed. Shinrai blocked Ka'rai's next strike. A lot of damage—a lot of power.
I need to win—I need to win—I need to win—I need to—
Hell's energy blasted him back. The sheer heat lit the rest of his clothes alight into flame. Hysterical laughs accompanied the hellish eruption that blasted Shinrai back. Lava and brimstone poured from Ka'rai's Katana, and Shinrai could do nothing—
"IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT?!" questioned Ka'rai through his laughter. "I thought you were STRONG!"
"Go fucking fuck yourself—" he muttered under his breath. Shinrai barely brought his blade up to cut Ka'rai's hand in half.
All Ka'rai did was laugh harder. "I HEARD YOU BY THE WAY!" He took that same cut in half hand and broke his nose with it. Shinrai went flying headfirst into the arena wall. A fiery blue fist of chakra broke Shinrai's ribs.
Ka'rai unballed his fist and clawed. Blood poured. Shinrai barely held back a scream.
With death's eyes, Ka'rai had a disappointed—sadistic grin on his face. "Don't tell me you're so fucking weak."
"I thought…" Shinrai coughed up blood. "You DIDN'T want to do this?!"
"But I need to. I don't have a fucking choice. If I keep being sad, if I keep feeling like a bitch and CRY about everything bad that happens—then I won't be able to do anything about them in the future!" Ka'rai picked Shinrai up by the hair and snarled. Blood and saliva spat onto Shinrai's face.
"You're doing the same fucking thing. You're feeling it all… just stop. I saw it for a bit… you want to enjoy this… so do it. "
Death's grip was suffocating. Ka'rai was pulling Shinrai to the depths of hell and he knew it—Shinrai's heart thundered, his throat closed—he couldn't say a THING! Ka'rai saw that. Fury erupted and Ka'rai slammed Shinrai's head into the arena wall before throwing him back to the center of Hell.
With a predatory leap, Ka'rai came down on him. Shinrai attempted to grab the blade of Hell that still stuck in the ground. His hand was almost turned entirely to ash. Ka'rai picked it up next. Walls of brimstone and fire rose above them.
"You have that other blade! Why are you trying to take mine?!" Ka'rai asked with a cackle.
Shinrai barely gave an answer.
"What's wrong… you scared I might take her from you?"
Instinctually Shinrai's free hand grasped Yora's hilt. "Don't you FUCKING DARE!"
The fire in his chakra burned him—hurt him. Ka'rai's eyes widened a bit. He could tell—sense the Kyuubi's chakra. That made him smirk. Fear erupted Shinrai's chakra—he drew her alongside his namesake blade. Shinrai's two Grass Cutters sparked against Ka'rai's Katana. Of course, Ka'rai overpowered Shinrai. A blitz and Ka'rai grabbed Yora—HE GRABBED HER! Pure scarlet chakra erupted from every part of his body. He blitzed, his Sharingan whirled, so did the chakra in his hand.
Ka'rai's tail swatted Shinrai to the ground.
Ka'rai cackled as he held Yora in his grasp. Eyes of the Nibi met the Shinrai's. Ka'rai's grip tightened—!
Yora fell to the ground.
"Pick it up."
Shinrai's heartbeat rang in his ears—he could hear the screaming of his chakra.
Ka'rai's sick grin grew but his tone grew much more horrifying. "Pick. It. Up."
Shinrai roared and grabbed her off the ground. "YORA!" belted Shinrai—her chakra danced, he flushed his own into her. The metal blade whirled into scarlet and cut through Ka'rai's chest—blood spilled out. Shinrai was in his other hand. He slashed up, the chakra in the blade was scarlet through veins and he stabbed Ka'rai's chest again.
Flashing back, blood spilled. His Sharingan whirled. Shinrai planted a seal on the floor. "Stolen Blood. Murder Storm!"
Ka'rai's beastly blue form dashed in front of him. From the seal, an eruption of Clowui's blood speared Ka'rai with spikes dozens of times over. Ka'rai screamed then he cackled. The blood was only solid for a second; it all poured and boiled on the brimstone below after a few seconds.
His love-crossed Grass Cutters danced in tandem. Ka'rai's brutish and blunt strikes blew both of them back. Was he actually defending against this monster?! It was almost exciting—he really was strong.
Ka'rai's laughs echoed alongside the clanging metal. Shinrai leapt, planting his feet onto the brimstone walls and launching. The brimstone cracked at the same time he flicked. His knee, Ka'rai's knee, he cut it out.
He fell to the one that still worked—Shinrai burst with chakra, his headband fell over his eyes. The metal barely saved Yora's eyes from being cut out forever. Another scarlet flicker and Shinrai was across the hellish arena again. "You… you're really trying to kill me, aren't you?"
"I don't even know!" Ka'rai yelled. "I'm just… fighting."
"Same!"
"No, you're not. You're still thinking about it too much! You're being still so fucking weak. You're stronger… but not strong enough. Just let it happen!"
"Let what happen?! You destroy this village?!"
"Why do you even care about Konoha?!" questioned Ka'rai, shaking his head. "This village has treated you like shit your whole life. Naruto told me all about it. He said that you were angrier than he was about being hated. It was all because they were hurting him! Right?!"
"What do you fucking know?! Everyone I care about is in this village! Ms. Miya, Naruto, Kusari, Ryu! And everyone they care about lives here too! Of course I'll put my life on the line!" Shinrai yelled back, clenching his fists over his blades.
"Yeah… everyone I care about is going to be here, too. My mama, my girlfriend, my friends…" Ka'rai shook his head. "I know Hane hates what I'm doing right now… but I'm doing it for her, in a way. If I'm sad, If I'm worrying, then I'll fuck up. If I fuck up, then they die." Ka'rai spread his arms. "But… if I'm like this… then everyone that wants to kill them is going to die instead."
Ka'rai cackled, bleeding all over and taking every joy in it. "I'd much rather they die instead of those I care about… I'm sure you understand that, eh?"
"You're… a fucking idiot, aren't you…" Shinrai laughed, just… the absurdity of it all. One of the fucking Demon Twins… the last line of defense between Konoha and ruin.
But Ka'rai did have a point.
If he was going to be doing this, then why not enjoy it? He loved fighting; Shinrai knew that much about himself, not much beyond that, but eh.
Everything fucking hurt; Shinrai loved that.
The taste of blood in his mouth; Shinrai loved that.
All of this bad made him feel so good.
Shinrai cackled.
Elation erupted with Ka'rai's chakra. He laughed too.
"I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!" yelled Shinrai, tears mixing with the blood on his face.
Ka'rai grinned. "NOT IF I MURDERIZE YOU FIRST!"
They flashed forward, their blades clashed. When Ka'rai pushed, Shinrai pushed back. His scarlet blade flashed with water—he barely needed any hand seals for his, "WATER STYLE! WHIRLPOOL DEVASTATION!"
Water whipped around his blades and cut Ka'rai's armor off, bleeding into his already tortured skin. A scarlet flicker and Yora danced at the call of her name. She ripped across Ka'rai's hell blade—the Jinchurki kicked Shinrai. His pelvis cracked.
It made Shinrai grin—he was getting stronger. Another Whirlpool Devastation eroded boiled against the brimstone and Shinrai blitzed forward—so did Ka'rai. Hellflame erupted from Ka'rai's Katana and evaporated the water.
Clones popped, afterimages flashed. Ka'rai burned them all to hell. The agonizing memories cut a smirk across Shinrai's grinning face. His Sharingan tracked every movement Ka'rai did. He could see them. He could predict them. Barely, he could counter.
Was he as strong as Ka'rai…? Nah… but he was getting there. It was at the point where simply moving would damage his body. The Kyuubi chakra ravaging his system was burning him from the inside out. Merely fighting was making him stronger.
Ka'rai couldn't heal.
He had no fire.
He was getting weaker.
Shinrai was getting stronger—Ka'rai was getting weaker.
He could win—"I CAN WIN!" he bellowed before cutting Ka'rai's shoulder. He was a medic, he knew where to strike to cause the most damage. Kusari helped him with that, too. Tendons, Ligaments… all of it.
A scarlet flicker cut the tendon in Ka'rai's elbow. He went limp on his primary arm. Both flaming tails behind him slashed across Shinrai's chest. A smoldering X made his mesh armor drop to the floor. His bleeding, burning, and bare torso pulsed with blood and chakra.
Again they both blitzed. Blades flashed. Hell's energy erupted. Lava spewed. Both boys cackled through it all.
"YOU'RE STRONG SHINRAI!" complimented Ka'rai, slicing Shinrai's bicep.
Shinrai grinned at the agonizing blood that poured. "I FUCKING KNOW!" A giddy giggle accompanied his flash toward Ka'rai—Shinrai screamed, mixing it with a cackle as he felt fire through his stomach.
Ka'rai impaled him.
That damned blade of hell.
Shinrai laughed through it all, he felt his special chakra's ability go into overdrive. But… did his body even respond? A little bit…
"But I have a mission to complete." With a roar, Ka'rai tossed Shinrai over the hellflame and brimstone. He landed on dirt. Dirt? It felt like he hadn't felt that in forever. It was so soft compared to the brimstone.
But… damn. He was bleeding like a motherfucker. Both Shinrai and Yora were still in his hands, that was good. Then… something kind of happened.
That soft dirt morphed into hellishly hot brimstone. Fun! Adrenaline kicked back in. Shinrai could stand. Lava overtook the arena where Ka'rai and he once fought. Hellflame poured out like a fucking volcano. The entire stadium trembled as he heard Ka'rai power up.
The worst sense of impending doom whirled the excitement in his gut.
"Shit…"
"INFERNAL BAKUGAMI!"
A flash of white was the last thing Shinrai saw.
?￢ﾜ ? ~ Chapter End ~ ?￢ﾜ ?