Chapter 3: VIP Escort

Mukuro laugh as he used his rope dart to tie up Yoshino and Kazuma, “you’re gonna make a great shield,” he said. Thinking quickly, Kumori used use a Water Clone to kick Mukuro in the side of the head, “you again why don’t you just die,” he roared as he took the clone with Hell Stab before trying pulling his two hostages closer to him.

Sanmaru threw shuriken to cut the rope that tied Kazuma and Yoshino together and the connection between them and Mukuro. "I told you to stop bullying my kids." He turned to check on Kazuma and the girl. "Get the girl to safety and go help your team. I'll handle this." Kazuma nodded and rushed past the three of them back to the boat. Sanmaru slowly took out a cigarette and lit it in his mouth before taking a drag. "Now, to deal with you.."

"Pfft. Predictable," Renji scoffed as he ducked out the way. "Heads up!" Kamiko shouted. She jumped off Renji's back into the air and brought down her foot on Zaku's head with an axe kick.

Zaku quickly halted his advance and lifted up his arm to stop the heel drop. "Dumb brat," he said as he swung his kunai up to cut her.

Kamiko quickly backed away before the attack could connect. "Go ahead Renji," she signaled. Renji nodded, getting ready. "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu! (Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu)" Rrenji exhaled a burst of flame spreading wide in the direction of Zaku.

Renji was too close, leaving Zaku no time to weave his own hand signs. The Fire Ball Jutsu set him ablaze and he began running around frantically. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Zaku ran to the edge of the boat and dived into the water below.

"And stay out, " Renji shouted after him. "Well, that takes care of him, " Kamiko said relieved. Kazuma just made it back to the boat to regroup with the other two. "What did I miss?"
"Not much, that guy was a complete pushover, " replied Renji. Kazuma, still holding Yoshino, placed her down on her feet. "You're safe now, get below deck with everyone else until the coast is clear. Got it? "

Still shaking, Yoshino nodded to Kazuma and ran below deck.

After Zaku washed everyone for the top deck Captain Faku organized his crew as well as a few passengers willing to help in order to rescue those who fell in the sea. At the same time the pirates, who also fell in, retreated back to their boats. “Useless fools,” Kiseki said angrily, “to be beaten by so few is insulting.”

He jumps off his boat onto and approaches Mukuro who turn to him and says, “It looks like Zaku ran away, huh brother?” “That is none of my concern,” he says coldly, “right now the honor of the Mizuryū is at stake.” Kumori quickly moves to stand by Sanmaru’s side and says, “this guy is different from the other others. We need to be careful.”

"Tell me something I don't know, " Sanmaru joked. He could tell that Mukuro would be a tough fight, considering that using a rope dart as a main weapon of choice takes a great amount of expertise. But the other guy...
"So how do you want to go about this? You seem to know more about them than I do. "

“Hmm let’s see,” says Kumori as she make the bird sign with her hands, “Shikaku!” Her eyes began to glow blue as she stared down Kiseki. “It looks like he has wind chakra with a bit of fire,” says Kumori, “by his bearings I’d say his A-class at the most. It’ll be best if we did this ourselves.”

"If you say so," Sanmaru replied while taking another drag of his cigarette. "I'll follow your lead." Great, another strange dōjutsu, Sanmaru thought, and I thought Kamiko's was the strangest... Being able to determine what nature chakra someone has is just weird to him. Then again, he's seen weirder. Sanmaru pulled out two kunai, one in each hand, readying himself.

Kiseki coldly glared at the two jonin as he readies his chakra blades. “You are free to do as you please Mukuro,” he says. With a smile, Mukuro flicks his wrist firing hundreds of lightning sparks towards the Sanmaru and Kumori. With quick thinking, Kumori made hand seals to fire the Water Release: Water Formation Wall stopping Mukuro’s attack but doing so left her to Kiseki, who leapt into the and Wind Release: Air Bullets at her.

Sanmaru noticed Kiseki attempting a surprise attack. "I got him," he said, "Katon: Ryūen Hōka no Jutsu! (Fire Style: Dragon Flame Caterwaul)" Sanmaru spewed fireballs in the shape of dragon heads, countering the air bullets.


Kazuma, Kamiko, and Renji watched the fight from the safety of the boat. "Wow, Sensei is really going all-out," Renji said with astonishment. Knowing what he's capable of, I highly doubt it, Kazuma thought to himself. He knew Sanmaru-sensei was more strategist above all else. So it wouldn't be a surprise if he already had a plan or three already set in motion.
"Should we go help him?" asked Kamiko.
"No," replied Kazuma, "for now we stay out of the way. If things get hairy, Kamiko you know what to do." Kamiko was slightly hesitant, but nodded to show she knew exactly what he meant.

Mukuro jumped into the air using Lightning Release Armor to quickly pull his brother out of danger. “Hahahahaha you’re too slow,” he said before launching Kiseki at Kumori who barely manage to dodge his chakra blade. “Brother waste no time,” he ordered as he continued to attack Kumori. Mukuro drawing two short swords laughed as he said, “die leaf ninja, Lightning Release: Lightning Fang.” From his swords, Mukuro sent bolts of lightning flying toward.

Sanmaru dodged out of the way, dashing around Mukuro. He's making mistakes, leaving obvious blindspots in his single-minded attacks, he thought to himself, but at the same time giving me little chance to exploit them. I need to either find an opening...or make one. Sanmaru flipped the cigarette dangling from his lip into his mouth and chewed on it, infusing it with his chakra. "Katon: Haijingakure no Jutsu! (Fire Style: Art of Hiding in Ash)" Sanmaru spewed out ash that began to cover a wide area. This will give me enough cover, plus he can't do anything about the ash, if he doesn't want to get burned.

Mukuro burst through the hot ash covered with burns as he hit is Sanmaru with the Rising Bomber. “Did you think hot ash would stop me,” he said as he swung his short sword toward Sanmaru’s neck.


Kiseki rapidly throw punch after punch at Kumori who could only dodge them with still getting slight cuts from the blades. “He’s too close,” she thought, “have to make some room to counterattack.” Ducking underneath one of Kiseki’s punches, Kumori drove her elbow into his solar plexus before hitting him in the head with her other elbow. “Now,” she thought as she focused her lightning chakra into her foot as delivered a reveres roundhouse kick to his head.


Kiseki was able to block Kumori’s kick but was still hurt by her chakra and was now annoyed. “Turn to ash,” he said making hand seals, “Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!” Kiseki blow a huge gust of wind from his mouth than igniting it creating flames. Kumori countered by using Water Release: Water Formation Wall in order to keep the flames away from the ship.

Sanmaru tried to block it, but still winced in pain as he slid back, taking the full brunt force of the attack. "Of course not," he replied with a smirk, "I just needed something to slow you down with." Before the sword can make a full swing, it stops short of his neck. Mukuro suddenly stopped moving. Silently, Sanmaru pointed at the cloud of ash overhead, and his shadow....that was now connected Mukuro's.
"The Nara Clan's ace in the hole: Kagemane no Jutsu (Ninja Art: Shadow Possession Jutsu). Because of the water, I couldn't exactly find a good shadow to use, not to mention you were too fast and too far out; it wouldn't have been as effective. So, I decided to make one, while at the same time slowing down. And now, you're under my control." Sanmaru raised his hand in mirror of Mukuro, whose hand had the sword.
"It's over."
With a sudden thrust of his arm into his chest, Sanmaru made Mukuro stab himself in his.

“You bastard…” Mukuro exclaimed as he drove the blade into his own chest with under control of Sanmaru.


As Mukuro died the battlefield became covered with steam from Kumori and Kiseki’s battle. Under the cover of steam Kumori made a water clone that quietly moved in on Kiseki stabbing him with a kunai. “You damn bitch,” said Kiseki as he takes out the clone, “I’m through with your games, Wind Release: Gale Palm.” Clapping his hands together Kiseki a powerful gale that blow away the steam. As the steam cleared Kiseki noticed Kumori was gone and that his brother was now died.


He turns to face Sanmaru only to have a hand pierce through his chest, “what…” “You let your guard down,” says Kumori as she lays him down, “may you rest in peace.” The pirates who were watching the battle all panicked, “we gotta get out of here,” one yelled. Seeing this Kumori shouted, “do not let them get away!” before charging after the nearest boat.

Sanmaru grabbed Kumori to stop her before she gained any ground. "No," Sanmaru said, "I don't know about you, but my mission is to keep my client safe while escorting him to his destination. They're on the run, they're no longer a threat; we should head back to the main boat."

"Well, glad that's over." Kamiko, Kazuma, and Renji stood astonished after the fight was over. "So that was a clash of two jonin level shinobi," Renji whistled, "we sure have a long way to go.."
"Oh please," Kamiko scoffed,"I could take on either of them with one hand tied behind my back."
"We should head back below deck, check on Mr. Ramu," Kazuma said to them. The other two nodded in agreement and went below deck.

Kumori watched the pirates escape on their boats before giving Sanmaru a disappointed look. "Foolish," she said, "that could have been our only chance to gather intelligence." "I hope we do not come to regret this choice," she said walking back to the ship.

All the passengers were all quietly sitting below deck, wondering what was going on above them. When the genin came downstairs, everyone looked over. Yoshino stood up and ran over, "Kazuma!" she exclaimed, "Is it over?"

Kazuma nodded. "Yeah, looks like it. For now, anyway."
"Don't worry, if they come back I'll defend you no matter what," Renji piped in, "a man never lets a fragile bird like you become harmed by anyone." He punctuated his declaration with a wink and a thumbs up. Completely ignoring him, Kazuma and Kamiko turn their attention back to Yoshino. "What I'm curious about is why you were on the top deck with all of what was going on."

"I'm sorry," she said with her head down, "I shouldn't have followed you all. I let my curiosity get the better of me." Yoshino's father walked over to where she was and looked at the genin. "Father," she said, "This is Kazuma. And these are his friends." The man extended his hand for a hand shake. "I give you my thanks young man for saving my daughter's life."

Kazuma gave a confused look back at his teammates, who shrugged in equal confusion. "U-uh, yeah, " he stammered as he shook the man's hand.

Elijah and his remaining security guards walked up to the genin. "I knew I made the right choice in hiring leaf shinobi," he said, "Now where is Sanmaru? I noticed something about one of the mercenaries that I think I should share with you all."