Artist: Hoobastank
A|N: I know, I know.... it took me
I have started writing again, mainly because right now I am completely stress free... OMG you just don't know how good that feels! *cries* So happy... D: And besides my grandmother assuming I worship Satan/The Devil/Diablo.... *rolls eyes* Pretty good week.... *secretly putting hex on grandmother* ^__^
I hope you guy enjoy this one! I haven't started writing on the next one yet because I'm trying to get the next one for Axel out but I promise not to make you guys wait so long this time! D: *hugs everyone*
If you made me a banner and sent it to me at any point in time could you please send it to me again? My internet crashed and we had to go with another provider. I lost all the Banners I saved so if you still have them would you send them again? I really enjoyed all the ones I got! Thanks again!
-Rei
D: *sends banner again*
D: *didn't make one in the first place and goes to read*
[ Fight or Flight Reaction; Death of a Hero? ]
I've thrown away again the pills that make me
I've thrown away again the chance to want to change
I've thrown away again I'm standing all alone
I've thrown away again!
Eyes wired shut running through my brain
Pulling back the skin it happens we're getting older
Eyes wired shut running through my brain
I want to be I want to see I want to make it back to me
The first seven weeks had gone by so slowly, the sun setting each night in such a fashion that you felt it was mocking you. Everyday of every week you found yourself wishing for some type of peace, a chance to relax... A chance to see him again...
Such a simple longing it was, but in your current situation, that dream seemed far from reach...
Your body slid sideways across the ground, bashing into a tree harshly, halting your body from its movement. Gasping in pain, you rolled to the side and clambered back to your feet quickly, the sound of breaking twigs telling you your attacker was only steps away from you. You lurched to your feet quickly and spun around, the blade of your katana flashing in the dimly lit area of the forest you were in. A metallic clang rang through the air as your sword met the metal wrist protectors on his arms, sending vibrations down your arms. The man before you smirked and pushed his arm forward, pinning your body against the tree you had forgotten was there. Cursing your stupidity quietly, you applied your strength to the sword and pushed back against him arm, clenching your teeth together from the strain.
The metal of your blade stressed, the pressure your adversary was applying to it too much for it to handle. The metal would break soon if you didn't do something...
As if on cue, a body flew through the air and bashed into the side of the man attacking you, sending him skidding a few steps back. With his attention distracted for the moment, you charged him head on. With a grunt, he fell to the ground, his limbs tangled in vines. A smirk crossed your lips as you glanced up. "Good work Uta..." you said, watching your blonde haired novice teammate as she concentrated her chakra into the roots of the trees, binding them to her will.
The nuke-nin trapped within her binds was a large man, white hair cropped and spiking off in a variety of directions. A bandage-type eye patch folded over his right eye while a cloth mask hid his face. His body was cloaked slightly, though you had caught a glimpse of the white tank top he had on underneath. Two leather belts occupied his waist with chains hanging from them. Attached to these chains were two swords which he had been clutching in his hands, as of now, they were resting at his sides and bound to the ground by Uta's manipulation jutsu. A wrap-around skirt type cloth was all that dressed his legs, a symbol in it's center, probably the mark of his clan. On his forehead was a black forehead protector, the metal plate engraved with the Sunagakure emblem proving him from Hidden Sand. Through the middle of the symbol there was a large gash, one inflected by a kunai knife showing him banned from his home village. For the most part his clothing was tattered, probably from the harsh desert air.
You stared down at the trapped man coolly as he struggled against the roots,, spewing curses at you. "Rikco Kon..." you said slowly, breaking through his chain of fowl words. "Missing-nin of Sunagakure, ranked in the lower S-class. You've been marked in the Bingo Book for quite a few years..." you breathed, watching as he eyed you, trying to see past the white and red ceramic fox mask that hid your face.
You narrowed your eyes at the foolhardy man, knowing all too well he would not be able to see your face, but a disturbing smirk was slowly appearing on his face, unnerving you. With the slightest movement, three kunai knives appeared on your fingers. The smirk only grew when he saw this, a gruff laugh escaping his throat. "So the great Hissori-Kira is back on the loose?" he asked, still grinning. "I was sure one of the other nuke-nins would've killed you by now..."
You let out a low chuckle, shaking your head in amusement though inside you were slightly shaken. No one had called you that name in years, a name you thought you had buried with your past...
You mentally hit yourself for letting your guard down momentarily. Turning your attention back to Rikco, you placed your hands on your hips, ignoring the questioning glances you received from both Uta and Hemitaro. "Now," you said slowly, "Who did you hear that name from?"
The smirk grew larger, his eyes glittering but not with amusement anymore. The light that filled his eyes now was that of bloodlust and rage. "Oh, it's quite simple dear..." he growled. "I was part of your training exercise that day!" he yelled in outrage, pulling himself upwards.
Your eyes widened as he ripped away from the vines and roots that Uta controlled, forcing her to break away her chakra control. The roots immediately pulled away from him and disappeared back into the ground. Panic filled you for that split second as you watched the man rise, but it only lasted for that small instant. Gritting your teeth, you threw the kunai knives in your hand, diverting his attention for that second, long enough for you to dart towards Uta and Hemitaro and drag them away.
"Who is that guy?" Hemitaro asked as you guided them away from the battle area, mind intent on finding somewhere more open. A large ass field would be good right about now...
"His name is Rikco Kon, he was part of Suna's elite forces of shinobi before he turned on them," you answered as you ran. You didn't have time to go into depth on the subject, currently too worried about how far away he was. "We need to find a more open area to fight him in... We'll die if we don't."
Rei is panning something... I can smell it! D: (Rei: O_o.... *sniffs the air* mmm, smells like toast)
"Use the Oshi-hoi-ru..." Hemitaro suggested. You frowned at the idea but held your tongue. It may become extremely like you would have to use that technique, not matter how much you hated to.
Suddenly, something zipped past your head sending pain through your cheek. Wincing, you reached up and touched your cheek gingerly, feeling blood. Uta, taking notice of the new energy whipped around, shuriken and kunai knives flying from her hands. The sound of metal hitting metal confirmed that Rikco had countered her attack.
Turning your complete attention back to where you were running, you found yourself nearing the edge of the forest. In seconds you cleared the forest and entered the clearing. It was large, not as large as you would have liked but it would do. Twisting around, you performed a series of hand seals quickly, before shoving you hands against the ground. The earth quaked beneath your fingers, crumbling and rising upwards in a sudden heave. Rocks chipped away, reveling the open jaws of an earth carved dragonhead, you kneeling just behind it. You twisted your hand counterclockwise, making the said dragon's eyes light up. 'Earth Style, Dragon Missile!' you screamed in your mind, watching as the blast exited the dragon's mouth.
The light faded from the blast slowly, the dragonhead gone from sight. Ahead of you, a low laugh filled the air. "Is that the best you can do?" Rikco's voice crooned, walking though the dust and smoke and slowly coming into view.
"It missed?" Hemitaro asked, shaking in awe. "Or... did he dodge it?"
You laughed softly and smirked. "Give me some credit, Taro... I'm not that bad of a ninja." Hemitaro glanced at you, confusion shinning in his amber eyes. "I was never aiming for him..." you explained, watching as the smoke cleared away. Rikco had stopped by now, arms crossed over his chest as Uta and Hemitaro stared past him. The forest was leveled behind him, widening the clearing by at least forty yards.
Rikco turned and looked behind himself, quirking his visible eyebrow. "Not bad... You've grown stronger since then... No wonder Shingai nearly lost to you..." At this name you froze, watching as his eyes returned to you. "But I'm much stronger than he is... and don't I feel the need to keep you alive," he stated coldly. Then his body disappeared from sight.
The three of you backed up against each other, looking around warily as you waited for the attack. "Where is he?" Uta whispered, eyes darting around the clearing.
"No tell-" your voice cut off as the world around you seemed to slow down. Colors blurred together and the air in your lungs was forced out, choking you. You felt your eyes widen as this odd feeling took control of your senses, a deep voice booming in your years.
"Bombard..."
Milliseconds passed then pain seared through your upper body, flinging you out and away from Uta and Hemitaro. You hit the ground harshly, rolling over until your side me the trunk of a tree. Stifling a groan, you cracked your eyes a looked up, seeing Rikco standing motionlessly where you and your team had once stood. 'What the hell?' Your eyes shifted past the missing-nin, taking in the fallen forms of both Uta and Hemitaro. The two were already starting to rise, obviously no more wounded than a few cuts and scrapes.
You growled and pulled yourself to your feet, eyes locked on Rikco's still figure. You were tired of playing games. You reached into the pouch strapped around your waist slowly, drawing out five shuriken. Across the field, both Uta and Hemitaro were doing much the same. You caught their eyes, telling them what you wanted to happen with a single glance. Taking action, you threw you arm out, slinging the shuriken away from your body towards the solitary missing-nin. Uta and Hemitaro replicated your action, throwing theirs slightly after you had thrown your own. Now Rikco would be faced with a nice little challenge. Fifteen shuriken flying at him, five coming from three different directions.
Seeing his eyes widen in surprise you took flight, rushing towards him in order to catch attack him off guard but as you neared the nuke-nin, the look of surprise turned to one of pure malice. With speed only an upper class ninja could posses Rikco Kon ducked, voiding the attack all together. Shifting your attack strategy, you dropped your speed by two steps, forming hand seals rapidly but as the last seal was performed something went wrong.
Your attack came to a halt, a surge of panic flooding you so rapidly you didn't have time to fend it off.
"Kira, what are you doing?! Attack him!" Hemitaro yelled, throwing another set of shuriken at the man as he launched his attack. You only stood there blankly, eyes wide and pupils dilated. "KIRA!"
Rikco's body collided with your, sending you flying backwards and rolling through the dirt. Your mind now alive with panic screamed for you to fight back or run. You would not survive long if you didn't comply. You stumbled back to your feet, shaking off the newly formed pain that was now shooting down your left side. Growling low in your throat, you lifted your head in the direction you thought you would-be killer to be in. The sound of a twig snapping beside you made you jump back, but your reaction was too delayed. You couldn't see anything... your entire world now completely dark. You could feel the pain rack through your body as Rikco's fist collided with the side of your face, sending you to the ground once more. Your body screamed in pain but your mind felt nothing.
'What's going on?! Why can't I see...?! Did he do something or is his chakra doing this?!' you questioned yourself as you regained your footing, wiping the trickle of blood that was sliding down from the corner of your mouth. The feeling was similar to the time you and Machi had taken up as sparring partners... a fight that never ended with you as the victor. Shaking away the memory, you ground you teeth together and extended your hearing. Another snap warned you and this time you did move fast enough. Ducking down, you performed a wide sweep with your leg, catching Rikco off guard and causing him to drop. With him on the ground, you took quick advantage to his vulnerable state. Flinging your hands into quick seals you ended with ram and smashed your hand down, landing it squarely on his chest. He coughed out in pain as an electrical wave shot through him causing his heart to constrict painfully inside his ribcage. But even through this new pain, the psychotic nuke-nin smirked, holding in any other cries of pain and grabbing your wrist. With a quick and simple twist, the bones in your wrist snapped away from their proper places. Snatching backwards, you tried to escape Rikco's grasp but the man held fast to your hand, jerking your forward and flipping you over himself. Your back met the forest floor harshly, clearing your lungs of all air. Twisting yourself, you scrambled to your feet, your left hand hanging uselessly at your side. Cursing your luck mentally you kept your body from doing the one thing your instincts were telling you.
'Flee, run! Don't look back! You can't win this! Not without being able to see!!'
'I can do this... I was trained as a ninja from the crib... I don't need my eyes...'
Taking a deep breath, you closed your eyes slowly, your other senses already magnified to accommodate for your lost sight. You could hear Rikco chuckling to himself, the deep gruff noise unnerving you slightly. Pushing that aside you readied yourself to attack him but he spoke two words that made you freeze in place.
"Destruction Wave."
A blast that sounded equivalent to the roar of a tornado tore through your senses, bashing away all rational thought. Fear washed over you like cold water and then the pain set in. Flesh and muscle being ripped away from bone, ribs breaking and your spine cracking. You blacked out before you ever felt the ground.
PLOTTING!!!! (Rei: ^__^ Me love evil plots... >D)
Shock and horror ran through Hemitaro's mind at the same time, blocking out his other senses for the moment. The 'Destruction Wave' as Rikco had called it had done just that. All the man had done was put his hands together in a single seal and a burst of energy had rippled outwards from his body. A cloud of dust had risen in the air, obscuring his view of the fight but as it cleared he saw the devastation it had inflicted. Hemitaro and Uta watched your still figure, willing you to stand off the blood and gore and start fighting again. Willing you to do anything but lay there motionlessly. Hemitaro could feel his body freezing up, his mind reeling. What was he supposed to do? His former village had not put them in such circumstances, they merely read from textbooks. Now that he was here with it actually happening...
The sadistic smile returned to Rikco's lips as he took a casual step forward, completely ignoring the other two ninja there. He wasn't after them and besides they were obviously not worth his strength. He had more important things to take care of at the moment.
As he took another step he felt something tug at his ankle. Frowning he looked down and caught sight of a lone vine twisting around his leg. Growling in annoyance he yanked his leg to get it free of the offending object. With his anger flaring again he turned around sharply, five shuriken appearing and disappearing from his hand. Uta held in a low scream as two of the shuriken lodged themselves into her flesh.
"Foolish little whelp..." Rikco growled, stalking towards her. Hemitaro panicked and rushed to his teammates aid, grabbing the Katana strapped around his waist. Stopping in front of her he brought the sword up just in time to block on of the larger ninja's blade. The missing-nin growled and brought the sword back up to strike again, Hemitaro holding his blocking position. His fingers tightened on the hilt as he moved his hands quickly, blocking Rikco's first two attacks. The third grazed his arm, peeling his flesh back. Grinding his teeth together to keep from crying out, he struck back catching the ninja off guard.
Rikco backed up slowly, blocking Hemitaro's attacks but not being able to attack back. Kon growled in annoyance, not liking how this change of attack was affecting him. This runt of a ninja was pinning him down and if he didn't watch it...
Pain radiated through his chest. At first he thought the ANBU novice had actually achieved in wounding him but the said boy had stopped his attacks now and was staring at him. A cough rose in his throat, a thick coppering substance sliding over his tongue past his lips and out his mouth. Slowly he looked down seeing the blood surface against his shirt before he looked back up. Hemitaro watched on in silent fear and fascination as Rikco Kon's eyes rolled up into the back of his head and his body collapsed to the ground. Behind him you just stood there, panting heavily with katana raised and bloody. Your white haired teammate watched you as your eyes clouded over, blood dripping from the wounds that covered you as the sword in your hands dropped to the ground.
"Kira...?"
No words answered his exhausted call, only the sound of you body collapsing to the ground and the wind in the trees.
To the Results!!
