(IC) The Life of a Shinobi (Chapter 6: The Seven Tails Jinchuriki and the Yigonists)

"A 'B level' ninja that thinks he's an A level one," Akira said harshly as she confronts him, "you should get lost before I get mad enough to hurt you." Akira, fearless and strong, she show no weaknesses as she stared down the man as if she was a lion ready to go to war another lion's pride.

The mysterious gave her a small, yet subtly evil smirk from behind his Anbu mask. "A feisty one," he crooned, "I like that in a girl." He raised his hands in mocking surrender as he took a few steps toward them. "But I'm not looking to fight. I'm here on business, as per request of a high-value client. Plus, I'm a somewhat busy bee, so let me keep it simple.." He points nonchalantly at Mao. "Give me her."

As soon as Hiryu says this, the side of his face was cut open by a bolt fired by Akira's crossbow pistol. "I said get lost," Akira said once again. Kaito quickly made a handful of clones and readied himself to fight. "Unless you want to get your ass kick right here, y'know," says Kaito.

"A crossbow? I'm starting to like you more and more." He paused for a moment and continued, "Look, my client has been very specific, and needs me to deliver urgently. I don't want to make a mess of you, and THEN take her. So I will say this again: give me the woman, and walk away with your lives and limbs still in tact.." He took another step forward, cautious yet unnerved by their threats as Mao looked on in shock.

"I guess it is true," says Akira as she lowers her crossbow, "the smaller the dog the louder the bark." Akira puts away her weapon and walks up to Mao. "Lets go this guy's wasting our time," she says as they began to walk away. "Don't worry Mao I'll mop the floor and be right with ya, believe it y'know!" Kaito says with a big smile.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Kaito," Mao said with a smile back. Then that smile turned into fear, as she turned to her body guard, Jo Fang, to see him buried neck-deep in the ground and the ninja with the Anbu mask having one foot on his head. Two cuts were made on each side of Akira's cheek, and half of Kaito's clones were gone instantly. "Like I said, I'm on the clock here and my client urgently wants you, Miss Miyazaki. So last chance: give yourself up...no mess. No fuss." Slightly backed away at the realization that he knew her name. "Get away from Fang, you creep!" She said with slight fear in her voice.

Akira looked at the masked man and gave a small laugh and said, "you're pretty fast I'll gave you that but." "You fail too see the bigger picture, y'know," said Mao before she punched the man so hard that his mask broke as he was sent flying. Mao, Akira, Fang then turned back into Kaito clones, "I can't believe you flew for that old gag," he said with a laugh, "I mean really that's was dad's oldest tricks, y'know." As Kaito stood there a full army of clones showed themselves the surrounding area armed and ready battle. "Alright guys attack" all at once the clones swarmed the man with endless attacks.

While elsewhere the real group was long gone to their objective, "that moron is going to level the whole area we should keep moving," Akira says as they were walking away. Even as far away as they were they could still hear the battle.

As the group fled, there was suddenly a snow leopard blocking their path.

"What the heck is that thing doing here?" thought Jo Feng.  He suddenly sensed two high chakra levels ahead.  "Stop!" he exclaimed, motioning for the others stop running forward.  

Two figures walked out of the brush and stood behind the snow leopard. "It's a little too late to run away now," said one of the two individuals as he bent down to pet the snow leopard.  "Thanks a lot for bringing the 7 tailed Jinchuriki here," replied the other, "Our conquest of the Land of Grass will now be that much easier."

"Blast it!" exclaimed Jo Feng, "It's Sashren and Kuhika.  They've been causing the most trouble around these parts and I hear they've even killed an Akatsuki member some time ago."

"Out of the frying pan, and into the fire," Mao said with a disgusting look on her face. "I wish you guys would just leave me alone." The more this day went on, the more Mao began to realize she might have to put a little fighting effort to stay alive. Fighting, Mao thought, something I absolutely hate doing...

Meanwhile, the Anbu ninja held his face in his hand, forehead bruised. "Geez, Konoha shinobi have been getting more and more stubborn," he retorted, malice in his eyes. "And what is with you and that 'y'know' crap? It's getting annoying really fast." He moved his hand away from his face, revealing the face of Kazuma Ryuuga.... or at least someone who almost looks exactly like him. "Man, those Akatsuki guys are not going to be happy with me if this keeps up." Weaving a blur of handsigns, the Kazuma look-alike raises his hand and says, "Chidori Nagashi,"(One Thousand Birds Current) and instantly a wave of electric discharge flowed through his body and shot out in every direction.

The electric waves tore through many of the clones as they tried to escape. "Lighting style just like Mugen that gives me an idea," Kaito thought as he and other clone around him takes their blade they have and stick them into the ground. As they were hit by the electric waves the electric current redirected into the blades and away from the body. "Oh that ways close," Kaito says but as he stood up he could feel the aftershock of the look a likes attack, "Man that hurt a little more then I thought it would, y'know."

The remaining clones although hurt were still ready for a fight as drew their weapons, "come on let's go for round two, y'know." While Akira stood in front of Mao shielding her from the two new shinobi. "You must be those Yigonist big shots I've heard so much about right," Akira says as she draws her Dao sword and readies herself to fight.

"Hmph, you're smarter than I expected-," the Kazuma look-alike said, slightly impressed.
"-but you could be better," a voice came from behind him. The mysterious assassin had suddenly appeared from behind Kaito in a blink of an eye. He quickly saw Kaito's clone attack, but dodged in such a way that left an after-image. The assassin then pulled out one of his swords, channeled his chakra into it to create electricity and, all in one swift motion, slashed Kaito and his clone in a seemingly effortless spin move.

With little to no time to react, Kaito could only avoid a killing blow from the man's sword. The blade cut a large gash on his back as he tried to avoid it. In pain Kaito quickly turns to face the man and said, "you're fast I mean like Mugen fast." Kaito then pulls out his Chakra Blades and says, "but that won't be enough to stop my, y'know!" Focusing his chakra into his blade Kaito made more shadow clones and charged in great numbers.

"Indeed we are," said Sashren as he continued to pet the leopard. "You know," said Kuhika, "we don't really have anything against you leaf ninja. Why don't you just leave and let us have the other two?"

"Have at THIS!" Mao shouted as she threw two kunai at the Yigonists' feet. The paper bombs attached to them suddenly exploded in close proximity making a surrounding dust cloud. "C'mon, let's get out of here, while they're still stunned," Mao said.


"I'm serious," the assassin said, "that 'y'know' thing is irking me." He weaved a few more handsigns in a blur again, adding, "Allow me to show you never to compare a hunter to his prey... Kaito Uzumaki." The assassin that looked like Kazuma then took a deep breath and said "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu)" and giant wave of fire spewed from his mouth,  the flames consuming Kaito and his clones.

Sashren and Kuhika were effectively blinded by the smoke and fire from the explosion.  "It seems they've run away," said Kuhika.  "Not a problem," replied Sashren with a smile.  The Leopard quickly lept through the smoke and began running in the direction of the fleeing shinobi, apparently able to detect their individual smells even through the smoke.  Sashren and Kuhika followed close behind the Leopard as quickly began to catch up with their targets.

Seeing the Yigonists approach, Jo Feng stopped and turned to face them.  "Hana Shuriken: Hikarakuyō (Flower Shuriken: Falling Blossoms and Scattering Leaves!)"


Several flowers rise up from the ground and become sharp.  The flowers then begin to spin rapidly and fly towards the oncoming Yigonists like shuriken.  

"How cute," thought Kuhika.  Sashren and his leopard pulled back and allowed Kuhika to take the lead.  "Yigon Shield!" she exclaimed.


A bubble of chakra energy surrounded Kuhika and deflected the flower shurikens with ease. Jo Fang looked at Mao and Akira, "You two get out of here! Return to the Grass village and I'll hold them off as long as I can."

"No Feng, I am not leaving without you. We both know you do not stand a chance against both of them," Mao said with shock and disapproval. She figured he knew this, and was doing it to stall for time between them and her. But Mao didn't want to just let Jo Feng risk his life for hers, even though it was his job from the beginning.


Meanwhile, the mystery ninja that looked like Kazuma studied the area. No sign of Kaito and his clones from the ongoing flames surrounding him. "The child of the Hero of the Hidden Leaf Village," he stated mockingly. "Disappointing." He turned to look at the trail in front of him. "Anywho, I've wasted enough time here, gotta get moving. If any of the Yigonist's foot goons catch the woman before I do, Craelor and some of the Akatsuki might find out my secret..." And I, for one, he thought, would rather not have my head on a spike.

"Man that was a little TOO close, y'know," Kaito out of nowhere. Under the man's feet four hand came out of the ground and grabbed his legs. Three more Kaitos (all with minor burns) jumped out of the ground then rapidly punched and kicked. "Time to finish this...rasengan!" he said as he strikes the man's stomach sending him flying into a near by tree. "Man it was real hard to get you to stop moving," he said as he was tying a rope around him, "well time to bring you to Akira, y'know."

While Kaito was bring the strange to the group, Akira was still in the middle of a another fight. "Would you two just shut up for five minutes," she shouted, "I came here to bring you back to the leaf village safely, alright. So just calm down and let my work." She walks up to Kuhika with sword in hand and says, "between my brother and Taka breaking everything in my house, Kaito's stupidity, AND this mission. I think you piss me off the most so I'm just going to kill you right now." With a single step she was behind Kuhika with blood on her sword and his neck bleeding.

"Well, I guess I misjudged you," the assassin said, slightly wincing in pain. "You managed to break a few of my ribs.." he studied the situation. Well, I could always let this buffoon take me back to his group and capture the woman, he thought, but knowing the Yigonists they've probably made a move already; those two lackeys of Craelor were getting antsy last time I saw them.. The assassin began to think that retreating was the best possible solution: slip back into the shadows, lay low, and come up with something else. But how am I gonna get rid of THIS guy?

Mao gawked at how fast Akira moved, she was barely able to see all of it happen. From the looks of it, Akira won the fight before it even started. Then again, she began thinking, the Yigonists are a different kind of ninja... or rather, maybe even a different kind of human.

Kuhika narrowly avoided a fatal slice by adjusting her neck position slightly.  However, the intense speed of Akira did manage to graze Kuhika's neck and cause her to bleed.  "D*** leaf ninja," she thought, frustrated by the unexpected attack.  Sashren quickly rushed in for an attack on Akira.  Pulling out his sword, Sashren swung his sword in Akira's direction.

As the battle continued, two familiar faces were watching from a distance.  Tidoma and Danji watched the battle, in hopes that they could jump in and defeat the weakened victor.  The Yigonists are a consistent secondary threat to the Akatsuki, the hidden leaf girl is affiliated with the primary enemy, and then Mao, of course, is the target.  However, there was also a third spectator with Tidoma and Danji who wasn't too familiar.  His name was Kagoshima and he was a member of the Vetonday clan.  "That girl..." said Kagoshima as he examined Akira.  "What about her?" asked Danji. "There's something about her...something I find detestable."

"Look out!" Mao shouted. She intercepted the strike by kneading the chakra in her body, then releases it from her mouth in a giant purple cloud. "Ninja Art: Poison Fog!" The plume of toxic began to envelope the surrounding area, and Mao turned to her allies to warn them. "Miss Akira, Feng! Quickly, cover your faces!"

Seeing the cloud of poison Akira quickly took a deep breath before she was completely covered by the cloud. As an assassin hunter her started gaining a slight resistance to many kinds of poisons. Once inside the cloud Akira knew that she had a limited time to act before the poison would start to harm her. Quickly grabbing her sword with her off hand, Akira separates the two swords. "Now lets get started," she says before using the blinding fog to counterattack Sashren.

"I really don't like fighting, but I will do my best to help," Mao told her. "I am not sure we can beat them, though we could be able to subdue them long enough before this could get worse," she explained hinting at an idea.

"Whatever you're going to do Mao do it fast," says Akira as she readies herself for another attack.

Mao nodded and readied herself. "Okay, I need you and Feng to buy me some time," she explained as she began to gather some of her medical chakra.

While still inside the cloud of smoke, Akira continued to attack Sashren with fast and circler that seemed to come from every direction.