Scarlet Justice - ep. 55
"Winning Run"
[Sasuke Recovery Mission: Battle]

"Final orders," I call out. "You'll be getting your targets and instructions for them. And...one more thing, a personal message for everyone. Take these words with you and keep them close. You'll be protected by them. I know all of you by now, and I'm responsible for all of you. The last thing I want is for anyone to pass on. So...I want you to lend me your ears."

I look to my right and start from there. "Everyone will rotate clockwise to meet me. Since you're here already, I'll start with you, Rock Lee."

"Yes."

"There's an unknown enemy ace up ahead, at the front of the group. You'll have to take them on. If you cannot win, stall as much as you can until one of us arrives to help you...this is a strong chakra that I'm feeling."

"Yes, of course!"

"Also...one more thing. I know why you're fighting. And I understand that you're not very fond of me, Rock Lee. But none of that matters. I said that you were our dummy, meant to stall. But you need to understand this much...don't you dare roll over and die for the enemy. For any reason. To me, you were never some azure beast or whatever it is you call yourself. You're far too annoying for that sort of title."

"..."

"What you are is a white knight. Your motivation is pathetic as far as I'm concerned, but your resolve is strong like no other. Sakura is your light, the princess that you are meant to rescue from harm. So don't worry about what anyone thinks, even if it's me. Raise your blade to the heavens, and cut down anything and anyone that gets in your way. Embrace your title. For today, you are the Leaf's Shining White Knight. Got that?"

He smiles and gives me a thumb up. "Yes, ma'am! I will not let you or Sakura down!"

"Good. Rotate in," I call out. Shikamaru is up next.

"Now you're doing motivational speeches?" he asks smugly.

"It seems so. That effeminate looking one, with the two heads...Sakon, he's called. I'm sending you towards him. Whatever strange ability he has, you'll be able to deal with it. You're also the best at buying time for others, and the way I have things planned out means that you'll be getting backup from Hina first. Think you can work around that?"

"Easily."

"Good. Then here, have these."

"Oi, your equipment-"

"Shut up and don't complain." He grumbles anyways while taking the extra tools from me. "I probably won't need all of it as much as you, and either way you'll make better use of everything."

"Seriously?"

"Just re-calibrate, fucking slacker. Oi, and you better not get yourself killed, or I'll bother you with an ouija board every night and ask you the stupidest possible questions. I won't let your lazy ass get any rest in the Pure Land, got it?"

"Damn, you're always a pain in the ass..." Everyone laughs a bit at our exchange.

"There's a lot you have to worry about, I realize. Being the next clan head, a not so secret genius anymore, responsibilities as a chuunin...all of that. Everyone is expecting great things of you, Shikamaru. People will want more and more out of you as time moves forward. That's why...I'm going to make a simple, selfish little demand instead."

"..."

I look into his eyes. "I want you to take me out for a drink. That's all I'm going to ask of you, Shikamaru. Will you do that?"

"Yeah. I will."

I smile. "Thank you. I'll be waiting until then."

He nods and the group rotates once more for Shino.

"The uncouth sounding woman with pink hair, Tayuya...she seems very much like a distance fighter, someone who makes heavy use of chakra-based attacks. And someone from the Sound could very well have sound-based genjutsu," I say to him. "Because of your physiology, you're the perfect counter for her. If you can capture her, great. Killing her is even better if you can manage it. Anyways, you know what to do. Go all out from the start and finish that loser off. That's an order from your boss."

"Right. I'll do exactly as you've asked."

"I know you will. Come back to us soon, my friend. I'll be waiting as always."

And finally, the group moves one last time so that Hina is beside me.

"Your opponent will be the fattest one out of the Sound trash, called Jirobo. You're faster and much more skilled than he is. He would be a big problem for anyone else because of his strength. The Gentle Fist is perfect for neutralizing him."

"Yes."

"There's not too much to say. Hina...please keep these words close to your heart," I say as I look at her.

"..."

"I will always love you. Forever and always, Hinata. Come back to me soon."

"I will, Lili. I promise."

I see the determination in her eyes and nod.

"Everyone has their orders," I say as we organize in a line. "Recovery Team...scatter!"

Lee accelerates to the front. I take off through the trees to my right. Shino goes left and Hinata drops to the ground, running forward. Shikamaru gives me one last nod before disappearing into the trees himself.

"It's finally time," I mumble. I can feel my dark half stirring, but calm her down. Not yet...just a bit longer. That time is coming soon.

I accelerate towards my target, who has already passed the barrel containing Sasuke up ahead to the ace from earlier. They're moving ahead with Sakura, and Lee has already closed the gap; at that speed, they'll reach the grassy field for a proper showdown. Lee should do well enough in that type of environment, instead of getting tangled up in the trees.

As for me, terrain is a small trifle at best. It doesn't matter who or where it is...I'll devour my prey. The arena this time is a small clearing in the forest, with trees spaced around me and grass poking up in places along the ground. It's quiet for a moment before I hear movement.

"I guess I got the good looking one, eh? What a shame..."

"..." I remain where I am, noting the movements of my target as he glides through the trees.

"Long range fighter. Good with her speed and has fast lightning type jutsu. Not too much for taijutsu, it seems...uses her smarts and summons to mask her deficiencies. Very good at finding and exploiting weaknesses. And of course...you've got a thing for violence."

"..."

"We've got a fair bit of data on you, little girl. All I really have to do is stick to places where you can't reach me in time, and stay out of your line of sight, just to start. Though...you should put away that hair of yours, if you really want to stand a chance."

He stops to glare down at me from a branch, and I slowly raise my head to look up at him. Hair pulled back into a ponytail. Brown skin and black eyes. An arrogant smile, along with two extra arms. And that same sort of purple rope belt that Orochimaru wore. Definitely one of his special pets.

Kabuto called this one...the group's intellectual. Kidomaru. Someone who can quickly form a strategy with limited information and wear down his opponents. A strong sense of tactics...the ability to find and exploit weak points, and to refine all of the information he takes in for deadlier attacks with each successive wave.

That makes my strategy a simple one.

"Did you dye it to look exotic? You know only street rats and whores do things like that, right? Doesn't matter to me...it just makes you a nice, bright target to tear through at a distance."

"..."

"Oh, a silent type. Don't worry, you'll be screaming nice and loud when I'm done with you." He reveals two more arms and begins making seals. "Let's get started!"

I clench my fists and glare up at him.

"As you wish...we will begin."

"I'm not taking any chances with a monster bitch like you...whether those rumours about you defeating Lord Orochimaru have anything to them or not, it doesn't matter. Three minutes...I'll play with you for that long."

He chews vigorously before firing a barrage of webs rapidly at me from his perch. I easily slide to my left and past them, continuing to run as he tries to catch me in one of his attacks. His fire then becomes scattered, but it only makes it easier for me to see the trajectories and weave past them with little effort.

"Not bad! Here's the next level!" He spits up several golden daggers and throws them at me in a wave, making me flip backwards to avoid them as they hit the ground. From what I can see, he's using his saliva to create them. Possibly with any type of bodily fluid...this could get a bit tricky if I'm not careful.

I whip a shuriken at one of the webs, and it bounces off like it hit a steel wall. Troublesome. The web flies past me and I dodge several others as he swings through the trees. In the next moment, he jumps down from above and draws a gold sword from his mouth to slash at me.

"!"

Then he fires a web and pulls himself away from me. He doesn't trust his speed against mine, even after crowing about how weak my taijutsu was. I'll try something, then. He stops firing webs for a moment and I race up a tree before jumping into the air, floating towards him as he swings underneath a branch. My right hand tenses and makes a shape.

"..." Kidomaru notices it and again swings away, landing on another branch safely. I come down towards another tree and land solidly on the trunk, sticking to it with chakra. That confirms it...he doesn't want to get hit by Mobius either, and is keeping it at the front of his mind. The slightest chance of me firing it, indicated by a hand movement, was enough to make him back off.

He has a lot of my data, it seems. But not all of it.

Something about those webs, though...they have a lot of chakra running through them. I can sense it every time they get close. It explains why they're so strong; enough to support his body and enough to use as transport. If they're made of chakra, then...

"Can't do anything if I don't hit you...you're more annoying than I thought!"

His chakra is changing. Seems like the curse mark has been activated...but this early? I suppose he really isn't playing around, like he said at the start of this. I see him climb higher into the trees and bite his thumb to draw blood.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

A giant black spider appears above my head, already attached to a massive web that stretches above the canopy and casts a large shadow downwards. It squeezes out a lump of web, and my enemy cuts into it with another one of his self-made daggers.

"Time to spread out! Get a load of this one...Rain of Spiders!"

It's a mass of small spiders that drops down like heavy rain. I hear the snap of wires as a trap is activated, sending sharp spears at me from all sides. It's a tight situation now...

"Hmph..."

"Your time's up with this, Red! Game over! You should have never challenged Kidomaru of the Sound Five!"

The spiders are all spinning webs as they drop down...even if I were to shoot every one of them, it might not be enough to escape. The trap that's been sprung is avoidable if I try to run out of range, but he's definitely accounted for that and will use the opportunity to press me. There's a lot to deal with at once...

"But this isn't too difficult for me."

Only one thing to do. Time to activate the full power of my tracking technique...Crimson Depths, locked on. I can see everything clearly. Next move is to bend my legs, push chakra into my feet, and...

"Jump!"

"Stupid!" Kidomaru's cheeks bulge with chakra in my vision before he fires an arrow from his mouth right at me. At this speed and trajectory...2.5 seconds cut in half is 1.25 seconds. Math was always one of my better subjects...and it helps with paperwork immensely.

"!"

"Mobius...!" I fire a shot at the incoming arrow with my right hand as I rise, knocking it well off course before it shatters into fragments. "Second Barrel!" The second shot from my left hits him dead on, sending him flying upwards. Gold fragments crumble from his skin as he recovers.

"Guh...!"

The same substance as his weapons, then? So he really can emit it from any part of his body. I curl into a ball and pull myself through the air, falling towards a nearby branch safely. Not wanting to end my pressure, I run up the trunk and jump into the air at Kidomaru as he falls, throwing a kick that he blocks with two arms. I spin and stretch my opposite leg out, feinting before trying to get him from below with another kick as we fall together. But he uses two more arms to block, grabbing hold of my foot firmly. I twist around in his grip, my back turned to him, and make seals before aiming with one hand behind my head.

"Water Shark Bullet."

"Gah...!"

The attack hits him dead on, making him release his grip as I'm thrown downwards. I see that the spiders have landed on the ground, coating it in a layer of darkness. That's trouble that I need to take care of; I tighten my core before flipping myself into position, making seals and gathering water in my mouth.

"Colliding Wave!"

A torrent of water bursts forth from my open mouth, hitting the ground and washing away the spiders along with their threads. The shadow that was on the ground from the giant spider's appearance darkens considerably...I turn my body in midair to see that the spider is falling rapidly towards me.

"Trying to crush me...no, you're not that simple, are you? This one's got too much familiar chakra in it..."

I let the spider slam into me as it falls, and substitute with a log as we hit the ground together. Instead of the expected crater, the log I switched with is now covered in a mass of sticky threads. Seems like it was a prudent move, that one.

"Damn. Doing a lot of unexpected crap, aren't you? Didn't expect the difficulty of this game to increase so sharply...you really might be a secret boss after all..."

Kidomaru sneers at me from his hiding place. I stand calmly in another tree, waiting for him to attack. He's confused by the new rhythm of Mobius. A half power shot at double speed was enough to make him put up those sorts of countermeasures. He's gained distance again, though...so I should remain cautious.

"..."

His...chakra is shifting again. This pulse...

"This is...a new level?" I mutter to myself. It's a sinister sort of feeling...making me...ugh. "What is this...I feel like I'm losing my grip..." My hand goes to my head. 'She' is making a lot of noise all of a sudden, dragging my bloodlust out in the open. Annoying...something like this is really annoying. I can feel where this idiot is, but he must be able to track me, too. Cursed seal...second stage?

"!"

I body flicker to one side and jump as a large golden arrow passes right beneath me, blasting apart the trunk that was behind me before.

"Alright! I'm gonna put an end to this game! There's nothing special about you other than your gimmicks! I feel like a loser for getting scared of you!"

"Ending the game...repeating that over and over, aren't you? What happened?" I taunt as I land on the ground. "You said that you were going to finish the game in three minutes, but we're still here."

"Every once in a while, a scrub gets lucky and progresses to a stage they shouldn't have. But now it's over! Weak idiots should realize when they're outclassed, take their loss, and die!"

Oh, he's terrified. This is delicious. "Ufufufu...weak. Calling me weak isn't very nice of you, you know? I'm sure you know all about how I took out your worthless master in the invasion. Mm...I'll tell you what, little spider. Since your game is long over by now, let's play one of mine."

"Wha...?"

I let my special smile come to my lips. "You heard me. It's my turn to play now...and I'm itching to have some fun, you Sound trash." I'll swallow him up properly, but there's a time limit to consider. I don't want to get carried away like I did with Gaara...it's not just my life at stake here.

Let's take him a bit more seriously than usual, even if this power is wasted on garbage. I shift into the first stage of my chakra mode, blue lightning swirling and crackling around my form. I already knew where he was, but the experimenting over the break helped me discover that my tracking and sensing states are also enhanced while in this form. Very useful.

His chakra is shifting again, which means that he's going for another attack from distance. How boring.

"Accuracy one hundred percent...power max! Time for you die, bitch!"

"Bitch? Who is?" I ask.

"Huh?!"

I smile and drive a kunai into his back, making him scream in pain as he falls from his branch. He recovers from his fall with threads, quickly pulling himself into a tree. I watch as his chakra slowly steadies, and he gets ready to prepare another attack. He forms another arrow from his mouth, sets it on the string, and turns on his branch...

...to face me.

"Yo~!"

"How-aaaaaaaagh!" This time, I land a slash across his chest before he leaps away. He's nervous. Hesitating. Now this is what you call a fun game, hmhm.

"Miscalculation, then? That's not your fault, since you could only observe so much. But those new cursed seal forms are something, aren't they?" Dark red skin now, and monstrous black eyes with yellow insides. Three of them, in fact - the other one must have been hidden under his headband before. He has horns like a demon, and a much wider mouth which allows him to make things like that war bow and those terrible arrows. A bow is a sensible weapon...the ability to make weapons that are like steel with nigh-unbreakable string. Multiple arms for superhuman pulling and arrow tension. I did a good job drawing such a menace away from the others, Hina especially.

I lick at the blood on my kunai and grimace. What a horrific taste...what is this flavour? It's awful!

"What is it you call that sort of form?" I say, trying not to gag. "Something lame like...Cursed Seal Level Two?"

"W-what of it?"

"Eh. It just speaks to a lack of imagination, I would say."

"You little...! I'll kill you!"

"With this," I start.

"Next shot!" He continues.

"One hundred twenty percent accuracy. Maximum power!" we say together.

"Yeah?"

I smile and gently place a hand on his shoulder. He turns his head, looking at me with absolute terror.

"I have a question. Can you see the future...with that third eye opened?" I ask.

"No...what...what the fuck ARE YOU?!"

"Oh, me? I'm just...mm." I smile for him, nice and wide. "A really, really big bully."

I shove my hand into his stomach, paralyzing him with the lightning flowing from my body.

"No...fucking dammit, no...!"

"I wonder if you knew this...but when you play games, you should have a cool special move in reserve to end everything. Just makes everything more fun, you know? And it looks like we've hit that time, so I'll show you one of mine. Turns out the only scrub here was you. Sad times." My head tilts to one side as I charge my technique. "I'm sorry to forget at such a time, but...what was your name again?"

"K-Kidoma-"

"Mobius: Double Barrel."

I fire through his stomach, the burst ripping apart the tree trunk behind me in a brilliant flash of light. Kidomaru flies into the air a good distance before falling, making a crater in the ground as he lands.

"Yeah...I don't have an easy time remembering losers," I quip as I drop to the ground. He lies face up in his crater, a large and nasty hole in his body as he bleeds out. He's returned to his natural state, looking upwards into the sky as the life flows out from his form.

"You see, Double Barrel is when I use two fingers on one hand, instead of the one normally used for Mobius. The attack power goes up by a lot, and using the chakra mode helps increase it further. Cool, huh?" I sigh and look up at the trees. "Turns out I was the worst possible match up for you. Hina might have been in trouble against you, thinking about it...mm."

"S-Sasuke...won't return to you...or your village..."

"Oh, of course. I didn't expect him to do so on his own."

"Then...why..."

"Because someone I love asked me to rescue him. And then my friends all committed to this mission, with their hearts and lives on the line. I don't know anything about pulling him out of the darkness, but I'm going to drag him home. If there really is someone that can reach him, they'll be able to do so there. I really can't identify with someone like him, someone with such a weak will...but he is and always will be a part of the Leaf. That's how it is."

"Ugh...you..." He hacks up blood.

"Enjoy your last moments...knowing that just like your worthless master, you and your dreams are dead," I say with a cruel smile. "Game over~."

Kidomaru groans before closing his eyes, and his breathing stops. Finally. It's done.

Every group has an intellectual of sorts within...seems like it was him for their side. Oh well. None of that matters now.

It's time for me to head to the next place as soon as possible. Lee might need my help.

I tear through the forest and across the grassy field. Hina has already linked up with Shikamaru, and Shino is still battling from what I can sense. They all should be done very soon, as I planned...the extra chakra signatures that I don't recognize tell me that things are working out as I thought they would. Always some sort of complication to factor in...

But Lee...he's in trouble. He's clearly used the Inner Gates in his bid to stall, and I can feel a monstrous chakra as I approach. This ace, whoever they are, is a very dangerous opponent. Enough so that Sakura is able to put her full power into protecting the barrel containing Sasuke, which seems to be getting agitated for some reason...

Now Lee's chakra is surging upwards at an incredible rate, and the other chakra is shrinking slightly...I can see a large impact like some sort of meteor strike in the distance before Lee's chakra drops like a lead weight.

"Shit," I say under my breath, moving faster towards him. The other chakra is shifting wildly again, and it feels similar to Kidomaru's Level Two state...so whoever this is also has access to the curse mark. This isn't good. I come within visual range and Lee is on the ground, hacking up blood onto the grass.

"...admirable...Rock Lee. I wish you...in the next world."

The enemy charges Lee with something that looks like a giant drill attached to their arm...they look like some sort of miniature dinosaur. A body flicker won't make it. The normal chakra mode won't cut it either, not even the second stage...

But I have something that will make the impossible reality.

"Here! Now perish!"

I do as I have done hundreds of times before, on that practice field in the Leaf. Form my right hand into a claw shape, and press it over my heart. Flow the chakra through to my fingers, positioned on top of those specific pressure points. Feel the feedback...connect, and push more chakra in.

And with the chakra network activated...feel the flow...twist...and burst! I rotate my hand and make the chakra rush through me, sparking a new explosion of power. Flowing around me like a wicked flame is a shroud of crimson lightning. It's only for a few seconds, but that's all I need in this form!

With a step like lightning itself, I reach Lee and scoop him into my arms, then quickly accelerate to my left and slide to a hard stop in the grass. The earth throws up smoke ahead of us as my shroud disappears, having served its purpose.

"Incredible...that sort of speed," the ace mutters.

"T-that's...Lilith...?" Sakura says, trembling.

"Am I...alive?"

"Yes," I say as I look down at my comrade. "You're alive, Lee."

"I...I see. I...could not-"

"You have nothing to apologize for," I say as I hold him close to me. "Absolutely nothing, you foolish boy. You were a splendid knight today."

"I wanted to save her...both of them...but I..."

"..." I can only look at his body, battered and bruised. There are fragments of what looks like bone lodged in his arms and legs...they're not his own, so they must have come from the freak I just saved him from. I don't know what kind of ability this is...

"Please...please rescue Sakura..."

I look at him sadly. "Battered and broken...filled with regret and despair...and you still think of her."

"I...even if she comes to hate me for this...please...help me save her..."

"I will grant your wish, Rock Lee. In return, you will promise me one thing."

"Yes...whatever you name..."

"Become a wonderful shinobi, no matter what happens. Promise me that much."

"I-I promise."

"Well done. And...even if I am not the princess you sought out, I will give you a just reward for your bravery." I lean my head down and gently kiss him on the cheek. "Rest now...we will bring your beloved home. Praise be for your glorious sacrifice, my faithful knight."

"Captain...thank you..." He passes out in my arms.

"Lili!"

"Hina." I look up to see my comrades returning. "Shikamaru, Shino. You're all safe. Thank the heavens above."

"Lee is..." Hina's expression changes as she looks at Lee.

"He fought with all that he had. I won't let his sacrifice go to waste. None of us will. Hina, I have something to ask of you."

"Awaiting your orders."

"Watch over Lee for the time being and treat his surface wounds. I suspect that he won't be able to move properly for a while yet."

"Yes, ma'am."

"I don't believe it...all of them failed, huh. Then it really was a good thing that I came out here. I'll have to finish this soon," the enemy says as he transforms back to a normal looking state. "There's not much in the way of time for me..."

This is trash who again dresses like Orochimaru; the same sort of loose-fitting shirt only in lavender, the black pants with bandage around the calves and ankles, the same stupid purple robe belt around the waist. His eyes are green, reminding me a bit of Gaara, and he has silvery hair with two ornaments helping to frame his face. Curiously, I can see that his hair is divided into two halves by a zig-zag parting. I have to wonder if these attempts to look cute are just more elements of Orochimaru's brainwashing.

"It's four on two. The odds aren't in your favour," Shikamaru says menacingly. "The first thing you're going to do is let Sakura go. And the second thing is that you're going to keep away from that barrel."

"No...I won't need to do any of that. The time has come."

Everyone's eyes lock onto the barrel as it rumbles. The paper seals tear themselves apart before the barrel explodes outwards, the lid flying high into the air and out of the cloud of black smoke. I watch as someone emerges from the dark shroud slowly.

"Hahaha...so...it's finally started. This power...with this, I'm on my way. I can finally hunt him down and end him..."

"Sasuke!" Sakura squeals.

He emerges fully from the smoke and smirks at us, his Sharingan active. There are three commas in them now, and he's looking down on everyone as if he can't be stopped. His eyes linger on the white-haired Sound shinobi before focusing in on me.

"Well, isn't this just perfect. Too fucking perfect! Great! I get to test my powers on Kobayashi, the number one arrogant bitch of the Hidden Leaf! You chased me all the way out here, and I'm going to make sure you regret it!"

"..."

It's not about me. It was...never about me. Keeping it together is what will allow us to succeed. I keep my head level and address him with the amount of passion he deserves...none at all.

"I'm not here to fuck around any longer," I say tonelessly. "You want to dance with me, but you're going to have to wait your turn. Someone like this ace in front of me is dangerous, enough to do what he did to a strong fighter like Rock Lee. I think he should be dealt with first."

"Don't...don't you talk about me like I'm not-!"

"Boss. What's our next move?" Shino asks, interrupting Sasuke.

"This is the endgame. As I said before, someone strong enough to take out Lee at his best is no joke. But I have a score to settle for Naruto's sake..."

Even so, I can't let myself get pulled into an emotional spiral. Looking at him like this, acting so smug as if he's made the right choice and knows it somehow...it's taking a lot to keep myself from exploding. Slowly and calmly...I have to analyze this situation.

This guy here is fast enough and strong enough to beat back any terrain changes. His chakra levels are high. He's resilient and durable. Hina can't...Shino can't...Shikamaru can't. Sasuke is waiting for me to commit to something. Sakura is hiding behind him, scared.

I know what it is I have to do.

"Recovery Team...new orders. Listen well."