Post by Stephanie on Mar 13, 2007 11:42:26 GMT -5
It is deathly silent. No sound is heard from the tops of the towering trees, to the dirt from which their roots reside.
Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke make their way down the cleared path in the unfamiliar forest.
Even Naruto doesn't dare utter a word. The forest has such a strange and foreboding feeling to it, and an odd scent...something like the scent of blood. Anybody who enters can tell that people have died here. Innocent people.
This mission is far too advanced. What was the Hokage playing at sending us here? Kakashi thinks, surveying the area with his only revealed eye.
They are currently on a mission from the hidden leaf village to help a smaller, ally village that's been having some trouble. Anyone who goes into the forest, is never seen again.
At first thought, Kakashi assumed that it was just a group of low-level murdering thieves. When they found the body of one of the victim corpses lying at the edge of the woods, he realized that this situation was far more serious then previously imagined. The body was barely touched, except for a thin scratch across the throat. Nobody except a person with exceptional abilites would be able to pull off such a move.
Meanwhile, A dark figure watches them from a few miles away on a tree branch. Her face is covered by a mask, so only her strangely blank, emotionless golden eyes are showing. She holds an enourmous boomerang, slung across her back. The eyes in question that show above the rim of the black cloth are advanced from A strong bloodline.
Get closer to them. says the commanding voice in her head. She nods, and moves into action, jumping forwards and beginning to make the moves towards the four intruders.
The three kids observe their surroundings, keeping their expressions stoic as they have been taught. Show no emotions.
Kakashi smiles on the inside, noticing how his students have advanced in observation, but knowing that if this is a high-rank ninja they are dealing with, they won't stand a chance of being able to spot them before they attack.
He looks to the left. He's already noticed that there is somebody nearby, watching, and moving towards them. The only question now, is as to whom will attack first. Them, or the enemy.
Meanwhile, the dark figure no longer needing to strain her eyes to see them. She stops on a thick branch, placed strategically over one of the man-made, hollow spots in which no trees grow. The figures draw closer, not straying from the path, and stepping cautiously.
We will wait. They will come to this clearing it speaks again. She shows no sign of objection, she merely crouches on the branch, waiting.
The second sillhouette, placed a few trees behind her watches her back for a second, before reaching over and grabbing a stray twig from an upper area. He closes all ten of his fingers around it, and moves his hands downwards, making a very loud snapping noise.
The four travellers turn abruptly to the left at the very sudden, very near-sounding disturbance.
"Kakashi-sensei?" whispers Sakura quietly.
Kakashi looks at her, and the other two and nods. Then, all three of them turn to the left, beginning to head towards the source of the noise, taking very gentle steps and not making the slightest sound.
Kakashi knows that this was a trick to get them to go in that direction. Either to confuse them, or trap them. Hell, most likely even the dim-witted one on the team will be able to figure THAT part out.
They make their way through the thick forest branches and leaves, avoiding any clamor that their bodies may cause to give away position.
The woman continues to sit in the tree, watching them closely, waiting for them to enter the clearing so she can attack.
They reach it quickly, and the woman sees them. A despairing voice quite unlike the one giving her commands in her head whimpers Please, leave while you have the chance...I don't want to hurt you..
They can't hear you. Shut up and do your job. They are intruders, and you WILL kill them if necessary. says the other voice firmly, as the man a few branches away glares at her.
She closes her eyes, and sighs a bit.
"Who's there? We know you lured us here with that stupid twig snapping thing! Show yourself!" Naruto calls.
Do as he asks. says the voice in amusement, and she feels herself straightening up.
Silently, she takes the boomerang off her back. She holds it in both hands, twisting her body sideways, and straining her muscles. She readies herself, and turns, tossing it with all of her might.
The group hears it coming immediatley, and Kakashi yells "Duck!!!" The other three obey, and fall to the ground immediately, as the boomerang just misses them.
The Five-foot object flies around the clearing in a circle, cutting over a few trees before coming back to land in the woman's hand.
The group of four straightens up again, and looks in the direction that the boomerang came from. Oh god, they're just children...Please master, no! She thinks.
You will do as I say! Yells the other voice angrily in her head.
"So, you're the culprit." says Kakashi, seeing her standing on the branch. She merely stares at him and the other three blankly.
"Leave, this is my forest." she speaks in an unusual monotone.
"This forest belongs to the Kumogi village. Not you." says Kakashi.
"It's mine. Leave." she says again, as though she did not hear him.
"No, we are here to stop you!" Naruto cries.
"I told you to leave." she says emotionlessly. Why does she keep repeating herself? Kakashi frowns in suspicion.
Without warning, she leaps from the branch, and lands on the ground in front of the four. She crouches there for a moment, before straightening up again.
"Show your face." says Sasuke coldly. "Leave." she replies, a tiny thread of mocking within her voice.
"d**nit, stop saying the same things over and over!" yells Naruto in absolute frustration.
Why are her eyes so blank, so empty? thinks Sakura, observing the woman closely.
"Leave, or I will fight you." says the woman slowly.
"Then we'll fight back!" Naruto's defiant tone cuts off, as he springs into action, and readies his chakra.
"Naruto no!" yells Kakashi exasparatedly, but it is too late, as naruto runs forward as fast as possible, and calls "Kage bunshin no jutsu!"
Multiple clones spring up around him, and they all jump from the trees to attack her from the top. She very calmly removes the boomerang from her back once again, reaches back, and swings it hard at the clones.
The boomerang flies through the air and hits all of the clones one by one, causing them to burst.
The real Naruto flies backwards, and hits a tree, as the boomerang comes back, and lands in the woman's hand.
I'm sorry, kid. she thinks, feeling a deep pain within her chest that does not show in her face.
"Let me, Kakashi-sensei." says Sasuke, and Kakashi nods distractedly.
To her surprise, the boy's eyes turn red.
This is strange. she thinks, but again shows no emotion to reflect her thoughts.
She holds back her boomerang again, and waits for the boy to make the first move.
Sasuke pulls out a Kunai, and flings it at her, using his chakra to direct it precisely at her face. Her reaction is too quick, as she catches the knife between her pointer and forefinger. She moves her hand backwards, and throws it towards him.
He dodges it, and waits for her to move again.
She suddenly stretches out her fingers, and her nails elongate to an inch longer than normal, becoming razor sharp.
Sasuke doesn't show any signs of surprise, as he feints to the right, and springs forward, searching for any movement on her part.
She dodges him by jumping to the left, dragging her claws across his cheek.
Sasuke gasps slightly, and stops, touching his face where she scratched him. There are four long gashes along his cheek, and they are bleeding heavily.
He grimaces, and runs at her again.
She jumps up, and flips over him with ease, landing close behind him.
She slices his back, and he frowns in pain.
She leaps up into a tree, and Sakura suddenly flings a Kunai at her. She dodges it, but it manages to cut her cheek slightly.
She jumps from the tree, and lands on the ground again.
Kakashi gasps, as the cut on her face instantly heals. Impossible!! he thinks, looking at her in shock.
Sasuke runs at her again, and this time, she waits for him to get close, and suddenly takes the boomerang from her back, and throws it at him.
It hits him in the stomach hard, and he flies backwards, hitting a tree. Sakura screams, and runs over to him.
Naruto growls in rage, and suddenly runs at her. She watches him boredly, as he gets close to her.
She puts her hand forward. In an arrow-like position. Her commander's excitement with the situation momentarily gives her a small amount of control. She concentrates it to her arm. It twitches, and veers to the left awkwardly. It has the desired effect. Instead of hitting him full in the stomach, her claws scrape his upper arm.
Naruto falls to the ground in pain, and Sakuras eyes widen in wonder. Before, when that boomerang hit those trees, it sliced them in half...but when It hit Sasuke, it just knocked the wind out of him. And she could have killed Naruto just now, but I saw her frown a bit, and direct her claws toward his arm...What's going on with this lady? When she attacks, she shows no effort, no signs of anguish! Sakura thinks.
"Kakashi-sensei! There's something strange about this woman!" she says to him, voicing her opinion.
Kakashi looks at the woman more closely, and says "Nice work Sakura. You seem to have noticed what Naruto and Sasuke didn't. There is indeed, something very wrong here."
Sasuke grunts, and sits up. "Sasuke-kun, are you alright?" asks Sakura, and he nods slowly. "Why didn't she kill me?" he asks, and Sakura shakes her head. "I don't know." she says, and they turn to look at the woman.
Kakashi takes this as his time to step in. He walks forward a bit, and Naruto sits up. "Naruto, go over to Sakura and Sasuke and stay there." says Kakashi seriously.
"But Kakashi sens-" "Do as I say!" says Kakashi, cutting off Naruto.
Naruto frowns, and stands up. He runs over to Sakura and Sasuke like Kakashi said, and helps Sasuke up.
Kakashi looks at the woman closely, and she stares straight back at him blankly. "There's something wrong with your eyes." says Kakashi, and she blinks, but doesn't say anything.
They've figured it out. she thinks, her heart leaping.
They've figured out squat, they're dead. They're just too d**n dumb to know it. says the other voice in her head angrily. Now attack!
She finds herself springing forward quickly, with her claws ready. Kakashi merely stares at her, as she comes forward, and prepares to hit her, but to his surprise, she leaps over him, flips, and lands gracefully behind him.
She comes up to his back, wrapping her arm around his neck, with her nails pointed directly at his vital organs.
She keeps him in her grip as tightly as possible. Instead of moving away, he just grins.
"Are you really going to do that? You've been holding back this whole time, but I can't figure out why. Let me guess, You don't like the sight of blood?" Kakashi asks.
She doesn't comply at all, she just proceeds to let her nails penetrate his jounin vest as a warning.
He wiggles his arms out of her grip, and pushes her away from him.
He turns to face her and says "Hmm, apparently not. Maybe you don't like to touch people is that why?"
She swings at him, and he ducks. "Nope, that can't be it. C'mon tell us your secret, why aren't you using your full potential?"
She leaps at him, and he jumps out of the way. "Kakashi-sensei why are you stalling? Attack her already!" yells Naruto.
Kakashi merely smiles, and continues to dodge her attacks that get fiercer and fiercer.
Without warning, the woman stops attacking him, and stretches her arms out. Kakashi watches in slight interest. Something blooms behind her slowly, at first it appears to be some sort of odd, fuzzy, shapeless thing. But soon, it begins to form into something else. Two somethings. The move outwards towards her left and her right, developing what look like feathers. Two golden-bronze wings.
"What the hell is she?!" yells Sasuke suddenly, looking at her wings in horror.
Kakashi looks slightly surprised, as she again lunges at him, but this time, her attacks are far faster, and more difficult to dodge.
She leaps into the air, and kicks off of trees for support, as her wings move up and down.
The two extensions make a loud swooping noise, as they flap giving her airborne advantages.
"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" He calls up to her.
He watches as one of her eyebrows twitches, and she dives for him. He stays still, as her leg swoops up to his chin, apparently trying to kick him in the face.
With a surprising flexibility, he bends backwards, his hands still imbedded in his pockets, managing to keep his balance.
She's strong. But untrained. There's no reason to use my Sharingan. That will waste unneccessary energy. He thinks, watching her lower her body to the ground.
"Kakashi-sensei! Use your chidori!" Sakura's voice sounds. Kakashi does best to keep himself from rolling his eyes. "Thank you Sakura." he says sarcastically.
Nonetheless, Kakashi gathers all of the chakra to his hand, making it form into a large, bright, blue ball.
The woman looks at it in interest, as Kakashi holds it away from him, and yells "Come and get it!"
Chakra that you can see?! Impossible!! No, it must be a trick... attack! yells the voice in her head.
The woman obeys it, and runs forwards.
She doesn't stop until she gets to him.
That is where she makes the first mistake. His chakra is too strong for her to fight against, it seems to paralyze her limbs. Time moves slowly, his arm heads to her stomach.
The pressure and raw power of the lightning ball burst through her abdomen with a sickening noise. A noise that can only be described if one has ever heard a person be mutilated in such a way.
Kakashi's wrist can now feel the heat of her blood spewing from within her body, running down his arm and over her battle clothes.
His fingers and full hand, now caked with crimson liquid appear, punched right out of her back.
Her eyes widen. She chokes.