Chapter 39 - The Poison Mist
Submitted December 14, 2007 Updated October 20, 2009 Status Complete | A Naruto fic. Yep, that''s my speech, lol. Enjoy!
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Chapter 39 - The Poison Mist
Chapter 39 - The Poison Mist
The Mist ninja were ready this time. The poison they had stuck in Ekyt’s system should have taken effect by now. The proof, in the form of Ekyt himself, came limping by. His leg was bandaged heavily, and it was clear he couldn’t put weight on it without his body protesting. They could see the muscles tighten in Ekyt’s leg with each painful step. Now was the time to reap the harvest they had sewn all those monthes ago- for humiliating the Village Hidden in the Mist, Ekyt would pay with his life.
Or that was the plan. Things rarely go according to plan in this world or any other. Ekyt, in truth, had sensed a presence. That wasn’t anything special, any given Shinobi could do that. But not every given Shinobi had disrupted a sacred custom of a rival village. Ekyt had half-expected the Mist-nin to do something, so he wasn’t completely surprised when four of them landed on all sides of him.
“I had a feeling…once Lady Tsunade said ‘poison’, there was one really good source…that’s you guys…” Ekyt commented. Inside him, something kind of snapped. Maybe it was frustration with nearly every aspect of his life- his health, his love life, his regrets, Orochimaru’s words- but Ekyt let a little emotion leak through his defenses.
“It’s pretty typical that lowlifes who would execute a kid and an innocent bystander would wait until their prey was nearly incapacitated before they attacked. Just like the scumbags you are.”
“You’re in no position to say such things! We’ve come to assassinate you!” one of the Mist ninja declared. The others all reached for their weapons. Ekyt’s verbal tirade continued.
“Then you’re an idiot- you should have taken me out while you were hidden, and I could only SENSE you, not see you. You’ve just opened yourself to a counter-attack. Not even getting to the fact that you told me just what you plan to do. Pretty poor tactics. I’m going to guess that you guys aren’t high up on the Mist food chain if you’ve drawn such an easy assignment. Am I right?” Ekyt mentally noted the positions of each Mist-nin. He also checked his chakra- after a stay in the hospital, it wasn’t back yet. That left Ekyt with a choice- he could put his mask up and protect against more poison that might be inhaled, or he could pop a chakra cigarette in his mouth and try to get himself back into fighting shape. Taking into account HOW the Mist-nin fought, Ekyt pulled his mask up over his mouth and nose. What chakra he had would have to do. Ekyt didn’t know how his body would hold up against more poison, so he had to take any preventive measures he could.
The shuriken began to fly. Between Ekyt’s staff and one-legged shuffle, a couple grazed him. These had poison in them- not good. The Mist-nin collectively grinned about that- an already weakened Ekyt was now at their mercy. But unknowingly, Ekyt had learned that, once infected like this, in multiple places, you could more or less move however you wanted and keep attacking. That in mind, Ekyt began to show the extent of his training. While casting a ‘Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique’, Ekyt was also using his chakra to jump in the air. While doing THAT, his staff was flashing down, cracking one unlucky Mist-nin. The second he landed, the genjutsu hit another mist ninja. A third would soon fall to Ekyt’s chakra-laced taijutsu. That was part of Ekyt’s plan- if these idiots came close to him, he could use his chakra to aid taijutsu, which meant using a minimum of chakra.
The fourth Mist guy was a problem- a jonin. Under normal circumstances, Ekyt could have given him a good run for his money. But being half-numb from poison was a problem against someone this talented. Ekyt recognized him as a jonin from the execution.
“I’m impressed you rescued those kids. Tell me…what do they mean to you?” the jonin asked, spinning a nasty-looking bladed weapon between his fingers. Ekyt didn’t quite understand the question.
“One’s a friend, the other is…something of a little brother. Why does it matter to you, if you don’t mind my asking?” As if this was a nice chat over sake, these two were just talking this out. Ekyt knew full well what was going on- the jonin wanted his genin cronies to wake up. To keep them under, Ekyt would have to use chakra, and spread the poison. So there was no choice but to keep talking and wait for an opening.
“Well, you know, I guess I don’t actually care. I AM curious- did that jonin die? The one with the cough and the bags under his eyes?” the jonin was just speaking casually now. Both Ekyt and the jonin knew of each other’s plans; it was a calculated game of chicken to see who would give in first.
“He’ll live. Sorry to disappoint. When did you get him?” Ekyt always wanted to know why Hayate seemed so sick. The cough and bags under his eyes…well, the bags under the eyes came from studying so much, Ekyt knew that from experience. You didn’t master a jutsu like the ‘Crescent Moon Dance’ at a young age without some really hard work and long nights. But that cough was a curiosity.
“Years ago, at his chunin exam. I nailed him with a slow-spreading poison just after he beat me in his preliminary match. I was a sore loser back then, what can I say. But to hear you say he’ll recover…well, maybe I’ll get a rematch with him someday, and get to kill him face to face.”
Ekyt gave a derisive snort and as close to a sneer as his numbing face could manage. “Oh please, don’t flatter yourself. He would kill you before you had a chance to reach for one of your poisoned weapons. He’s gotten even more skilled- I know, I’ve trained with him. Trust me, if you couldn’t kill ME, then you’ve got no shot against him. After all, he’s a jonin now, and I’m just a chunin…”
In truth, Ekyt might have surpassed Hayate in terms of ability, at least in some areas. But building him up was the perfect way to stall for time. It gave him enough time to think of a plan, at least. One that was desperate, to say the least.
Never thought I’d ask for help…but these guys are losers, and I can garner some attention while doing some major damage. Now to act for all I’m worth.
Ekyt clenched his stomach and folded to the ground, screwing his face up in pain. With his arms crossed, the jonin couldn’t see the kunai Ekyt had pulled tight to his wrist as he went down. The genjutsus ending, this was the perfect plan to draw these idiots close. As for his chakra…one burst was all he needed. Having lived through worse, Ekyt guessed he could pull this off. He opened his eyes, squinting as though in terrible pain, as the jonin and his team drew closer. Once they reached him, Ekyt rolled over and slashed their ankles with his kunai. The second he had a moment, he used his “Dragon’s Ember Jutsu” to send a message to the sky. It was a desperate gamble to get attention, but Ekyt really didn’t want to die, not like this.
The Mist-nin recovered, having Ekyt covered on all sides. Now that his body was even more numb, Ekyt had to keep the Mist-nin’s at bay. Not caring about poison anymore, Ekyt stuffed a chakra cigarette into his mouth, lighting it with a shaking hand. He just needed enough to hold out. He jabbed his kunai at the genin, knowing that the jonin wouldn’t bite on such a lame trick. The genin backed up, while the jonin confidently stood still.
“You’re as resourceful as they say. But you’ll be dead before help comes. Your chakra must be gone, you’re running on fumes.”
Ekyt realized that they hadn’t figured out that his cigarette was a chakra enhancer yet. That was a slight advantage…but how to use it? He didn’t have enough chakra for anything big- but maybe planting a little seed of doubt in their mind would be enough. Ekyt ran through his options- Genjutsu…taijutsu…ninjutsu…Given that he had just talked about Hayate, Ekyt decided on the obvious choice.
“Sickle Moon Dance!” he called, only able to summon one Shadow Clone wielding three kunai- one in each hand, one in it’s mouth. With that, Ekyt and the clone put on bursts of speed and raced around the jonin, swiping at him while avoiding his attacks.
“Damn it! I knew it! It’s that Hayate’s jutsu! You rotten little punk!” the jonin was becoming unraveled, as he remembered the very jutsu that had defeated him years ago at the chunin preliminaries. That distraction did two things for Ekyt: First, it showed that he DID have chakra left, planting a seed of doubt in the Mist ninjas minds. Second, it bought a little more time. Both positives in a negative situation.
--
Yuushi, who was enjoying himself with Kantai, perked up suddenly. The blonde girl was incredibly sensitive to the boy she knew had a rough life. Even though they were just moving on to hand holding, she wasn’t too upset that Yuushi perked up.
“That’s my sensei’s chakra! He’s in a fight! I’ve got to help him, he’s injured!” Yuushi got up quickly, then remembered the manners that Ekyt’s training had drilled into him. He bowed to Kantai.
“I apologize for this, please excuse me.”
Kantai stood up, too, waving to Tenten, who was still munching on dumplings. Tenten made her way over quickly. Before she did, Kantai told Yuushi:
“Like hell, I’m coming too!”
“What’s going on?” Tenten whispered, not wanting to attract the attention of everyone in the restaurant.
“Please follow me, Tenten-sensei, I’ll explain on the way!” Yuushi replied, making for the door. Kantai and Tenten were in his wake. Tenten had a sidenote to add:
“Don’t add the –sensei thing, Yuushi. I’m not your sensei, and it just sounds weird after my name!”
--
Ekyt had finished his jutsu, with about a third of his cigarette left. The Mist Shinobi were wondering what had just happened. Their jonin was sputtering furiously, and he was cut all to hell from a move that they could even see!
“That poison should have immobilized you by now! How are you…of course. How did I not notice sooner? The chakra in the air…that cigarette!” the jonin snarled, pointing at the offending smoldering chakra source.
“You got it. It boosts my chakra. Unfortunately, not as much as I’d hoped, since I didn’t manage to kill you OR your team…” Another bluff by Ekyt. His legs had turned to jelly by this point, so he was forced back to his knees. If help was on the way, it had better hurry up!
“You know, you probed into my past, you cut me up, and you gave my team a workout…I think I respect you. But don’t think that’s going to stop me from killing you!” the jonin lost his composure and ran forward to stab Ekyt.
The sound of metal meeting metal hit Ekyt’s ears. As he turned to see what had happened, Ekyt saw Yuushi, Kantai, and Tenten standing behind him. Tenten’s summoning scroll was open, and since shurkien, kunai, and axes were all over the place, Ekyt guessed that it was her who had blocked the jonin’s attack. Kantai and Yuushi nodded to each other, then took off in opposite directions. Ekyt was astounded by their teamwork, as the two took care of two of the stunned Mist genin in no time flat. The third proved to be some trouble for the two of them- until Tenten lent her aid, in the form of a bo strike that split the genin’s noggin wide open. In all the confusion, Ekyt had a rush of adrenaline. The kunai were still in his hands, and falling down was the easiest thing in the world at this point, so Ekyt did what came naturally.
THUNK!
“OW! DAMN IT, YOU LITTLE PUNK!” the jonin howled. He would have jumped if Ekyt hadn’t jammed his kunai into both of the jonin’s feet. Ekyt collapsed, conscious but unable to move. That left him at the jonin’s mercy. But the jonin needed to beg for mercy. Yuushi suddenly picked out that this was one of the jonin from his execution- the one who had so gleefully reminded him of his father’s fate. Yuushi’s samurai blood boiled. Ducking low and moving fast, Yuushi drew his sword, cutting twice. The first strike cut upward through the jonin’s chest; the second cut down through the other side of the chest. The jonin screamed, knowing this was the end. Yuushi calmly shook the blood off his sword and glared coolly at the jonin.
“Don’t scream. You won’t die. My father wouldn’t have wanted me to become a murder…not against someone so weak…Besides, I figure you’ll hate it more if I leave you alive and drag you @$$ back to my village. Attack again, and that’s it- I’ll forget I’m a nice guy and I WILL kill you.”
With that, Tenten knelt down and hefted the motionless Ekyt onto her back, carrying him piggy-back.
“Good thing you don’t weight anything!” Tenten told Ekyt with a smile. She didn’t get any joy out of making him blush, but she did admit that it was kind of fun seeing the tough as nails chunin riding piggyback on a kunoichi. But Tenten was the only one with the physical strength to carry Ekyt back. Well, maybe Yuushi could have done it, but Tenten guessed that he’d better walk back with the prisoners and his girlfriend- he’d better score some points with her for getting up in the middle of a date to go fight.
Ekyt, not being able to protest, was just thankful he had blood enough left to blush. Being carried piggy-back by a cute kunoichi…he would NEVER hear the end of this, even though it was just an emergency measure. No one would care about that. In a psuedo-sexual situation like this, Ekyt knew his relationship-hungry comrades would eat this turn of events up with gusto.
Still, it was nice having someone care enough about him to carry him like that. Even better that it was a girl.
She’s a great friend, I owe her one. Wonder if I could help her get Neji’s attention or something…
Or that was the plan. Things rarely go according to plan in this world or any other. Ekyt, in truth, had sensed a presence. That wasn’t anything special, any given Shinobi could do that. But not every given Shinobi had disrupted a sacred custom of a rival village. Ekyt had half-expected the Mist-nin to do something, so he wasn’t completely surprised when four of them landed on all sides of him.
“I had a feeling…once Lady Tsunade said ‘poison’, there was one really good source…that’s you guys…” Ekyt commented. Inside him, something kind of snapped. Maybe it was frustration with nearly every aspect of his life- his health, his love life, his regrets, Orochimaru’s words- but Ekyt let a little emotion leak through his defenses.
“It’s pretty typical that lowlifes who would execute a kid and an innocent bystander would wait until their prey was nearly incapacitated before they attacked. Just like the scumbags you are.”
“You’re in no position to say such things! We’ve come to assassinate you!” one of the Mist ninja declared. The others all reached for their weapons. Ekyt’s verbal tirade continued.
“Then you’re an idiot- you should have taken me out while you were hidden, and I could only SENSE you, not see you. You’ve just opened yourself to a counter-attack. Not even getting to the fact that you told me just what you plan to do. Pretty poor tactics. I’m going to guess that you guys aren’t high up on the Mist food chain if you’ve drawn such an easy assignment. Am I right?” Ekyt mentally noted the positions of each Mist-nin. He also checked his chakra- after a stay in the hospital, it wasn’t back yet. That left Ekyt with a choice- he could put his mask up and protect against more poison that might be inhaled, or he could pop a chakra cigarette in his mouth and try to get himself back into fighting shape. Taking into account HOW the Mist-nin fought, Ekyt pulled his mask up over his mouth and nose. What chakra he had would have to do. Ekyt didn’t know how his body would hold up against more poison, so he had to take any preventive measures he could.
The shuriken began to fly. Between Ekyt’s staff and one-legged shuffle, a couple grazed him. These had poison in them- not good. The Mist-nin collectively grinned about that- an already weakened Ekyt was now at their mercy. But unknowingly, Ekyt had learned that, once infected like this, in multiple places, you could more or less move however you wanted and keep attacking. That in mind, Ekyt began to show the extent of his training. While casting a ‘Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique’, Ekyt was also using his chakra to jump in the air. While doing THAT, his staff was flashing down, cracking one unlucky Mist-nin. The second he landed, the genjutsu hit another mist ninja. A third would soon fall to Ekyt’s chakra-laced taijutsu. That was part of Ekyt’s plan- if these idiots came close to him, he could use his chakra to aid taijutsu, which meant using a minimum of chakra.
The fourth Mist guy was a problem- a jonin. Under normal circumstances, Ekyt could have given him a good run for his money. But being half-numb from poison was a problem against someone this talented. Ekyt recognized him as a jonin from the execution.
“I’m impressed you rescued those kids. Tell me…what do they mean to you?” the jonin asked, spinning a nasty-looking bladed weapon between his fingers. Ekyt didn’t quite understand the question.
“One’s a friend, the other is…something of a little brother. Why does it matter to you, if you don’t mind my asking?” As if this was a nice chat over sake, these two were just talking this out. Ekyt knew full well what was going on- the jonin wanted his genin cronies to wake up. To keep them under, Ekyt would have to use chakra, and spread the poison. So there was no choice but to keep talking and wait for an opening.
“Well, you know, I guess I don’t actually care. I AM curious- did that jonin die? The one with the cough and the bags under his eyes?” the jonin was just speaking casually now. Both Ekyt and the jonin knew of each other’s plans; it was a calculated game of chicken to see who would give in first.
“He’ll live. Sorry to disappoint. When did you get him?” Ekyt always wanted to know why Hayate seemed so sick. The cough and bags under his eyes…well, the bags under the eyes came from studying so much, Ekyt knew that from experience. You didn’t master a jutsu like the ‘Crescent Moon Dance’ at a young age without some really hard work and long nights. But that cough was a curiosity.
“Years ago, at his chunin exam. I nailed him with a slow-spreading poison just after he beat me in his preliminary match. I was a sore loser back then, what can I say. But to hear you say he’ll recover…well, maybe I’ll get a rematch with him someday, and get to kill him face to face.”
Ekyt gave a derisive snort and as close to a sneer as his numbing face could manage. “Oh please, don’t flatter yourself. He would kill you before you had a chance to reach for one of your poisoned weapons. He’s gotten even more skilled- I know, I’ve trained with him. Trust me, if you couldn’t kill ME, then you’ve got no shot against him. After all, he’s a jonin now, and I’m just a chunin…”
In truth, Ekyt might have surpassed Hayate in terms of ability, at least in some areas. But building him up was the perfect way to stall for time. It gave him enough time to think of a plan, at least. One that was desperate, to say the least.
Never thought I’d ask for help…but these guys are losers, and I can garner some attention while doing some major damage. Now to act for all I’m worth.
Ekyt clenched his stomach and folded to the ground, screwing his face up in pain. With his arms crossed, the jonin couldn’t see the kunai Ekyt had pulled tight to his wrist as he went down. The genjutsus ending, this was the perfect plan to draw these idiots close. As for his chakra…one burst was all he needed. Having lived through worse, Ekyt guessed he could pull this off. He opened his eyes, squinting as though in terrible pain, as the jonin and his team drew closer. Once they reached him, Ekyt rolled over and slashed their ankles with his kunai. The second he had a moment, he used his “Dragon’s Ember Jutsu” to send a message to the sky. It was a desperate gamble to get attention, but Ekyt really didn’t want to die, not like this.
The Mist-nin recovered, having Ekyt covered on all sides. Now that his body was even more numb, Ekyt had to keep the Mist-nin’s at bay. Not caring about poison anymore, Ekyt stuffed a chakra cigarette into his mouth, lighting it with a shaking hand. He just needed enough to hold out. He jabbed his kunai at the genin, knowing that the jonin wouldn’t bite on such a lame trick. The genin backed up, while the jonin confidently stood still.
“You’re as resourceful as they say. But you’ll be dead before help comes. Your chakra must be gone, you’re running on fumes.”
Ekyt realized that they hadn’t figured out that his cigarette was a chakra enhancer yet. That was a slight advantage…but how to use it? He didn’t have enough chakra for anything big- but maybe planting a little seed of doubt in their mind would be enough. Ekyt ran through his options- Genjutsu…taijutsu…ninjutsu…Given that he had just talked about Hayate, Ekyt decided on the obvious choice.
“Sickle Moon Dance!” he called, only able to summon one Shadow Clone wielding three kunai- one in each hand, one in it’s mouth. With that, Ekyt and the clone put on bursts of speed and raced around the jonin, swiping at him while avoiding his attacks.
“Damn it! I knew it! It’s that Hayate’s jutsu! You rotten little punk!” the jonin was becoming unraveled, as he remembered the very jutsu that had defeated him years ago at the chunin preliminaries. That distraction did two things for Ekyt: First, it showed that he DID have chakra left, planting a seed of doubt in the Mist ninjas minds. Second, it bought a little more time. Both positives in a negative situation.
--
Yuushi, who was enjoying himself with Kantai, perked up suddenly. The blonde girl was incredibly sensitive to the boy she knew had a rough life. Even though they were just moving on to hand holding, she wasn’t too upset that Yuushi perked up.
“That’s my sensei’s chakra! He’s in a fight! I’ve got to help him, he’s injured!” Yuushi got up quickly, then remembered the manners that Ekyt’s training had drilled into him. He bowed to Kantai.
“I apologize for this, please excuse me.”
Kantai stood up, too, waving to Tenten, who was still munching on dumplings. Tenten made her way over quickly. Before she did, Kantai told Yuushi:
“Like hell, I’m coming too!”
“What’s going on?” Tenten whispered, not wanting to attract the attention of everyone in the restaurant.
“Please follow me, Tenten-sensei, I’ll explain on the way!” Yuushi replied, making for the door. Kantai and Tenten were in his wake. Tenten had a sidenote to add:
“Don’t add the –sensei thing, Yuushi. I’m not your sensei, and it just sounds weird after my name!”
--
Ekyt had finished his jutsu, with about a third of his cigarette left. The Mist Shinobi were wondering what had just happened. Their jonin was sputtering furiously, and he was cut all to hell from a move that they could even see!
“That poison should have immobilized you by now! How are you…of course. How did I not notice sooner? The chakra in the air…that cigarette!” the jonin snarled, pointing at the offending smoldering chakra source.
“You got it. It boosts my chakra. Unfortunately, not as much as I’d hoped, since I didn’t manage to kill you OR your team…” Another bluff by Ekyt. His legs had turned to jelly by this point, so he was forced back to his knees. If help was on the way, it had better hurry up!
“You know, you probed into my past, you cut me up, and you gave my team a workout…I think I respect you. But don’t think that’s going to stop me from killing you!” the jonin lost his composure and ran forward to stab Ekyt.
The sound of metal meeting metal hit Ekyt’s ears. As he turned to see what had happened, Ekyt saw Yuushi, Kantai, and Tenten standing behind him. Tenten’s summoning scroll was open, and since shurkien, kunai, and axes were all over the place, Ekyt guessed that it was her who had blocked the jonin’s attack. Kantai and Yuushi nodded to each other, then took off in opposite directions. Ekyt was astounded by their teamwork, as the two took care of two of the stunned Mist genin in no time flat. The third proved to be some trouble for the two of them- until Tenten lent her aid, in the form of a bo strike that split the genin’s noggin wide open. In all the confusion, Ekyt had a rush of adrenaline. The kunai were still in his hands, and falling down was the easiest thing in the world at this point, so Ekyt did what came naturally.
THUNK!
“OW! DAMN IT, YOU LITTLE PUNK!” the jonin howled. He would have jumped if Ekyt hadn’t jammed his kunai into both of the jonin’s feet. Ekyt collapsed, conscious but unable to move. That left him at the jonin’s mercy. But the jonin needed to beg for mercy. Yuushi suddenly picked out that this was one of the jonin from his execution- the one who had so gleefully reminded him of his father’s fate. Yuushi’s samurai blood boiled. Ducking low and moving fast, Yuushi drew his sword, cutting twice. The first strike cut upward through the jonin’s chest; the second cut down through the other side of the chest. The jonin screamed, knowing this was the end. Yuushi calmly shook the blood off his sword and glared coolly at the jonin.
“Don’t scream. You won’t die. My father wouldn’t have wanted me to become a murder…not against someone so weak…Besides, I figure you’ll hate it more if I leave you alive and drag you @$$ back to my village. Attack again, and that’s it- I’ll forget I’m a nice guy and I WILL kill you.”
With that, Tenten knelt down and hefted the motionless Ekyt onto her back, carrying him piggy-back.
“Good thing you don’t weight anything!” Tenten told Ekyt with a smile. She didn’t get any joy out of making him blush, but she did admit that it was kind of fun seeing the tough as nails chunin riding piggyback on a kunoichi. But Tenten was the only one with the physical strength to carry Ekyt back. Well, maybe Yuushi could have done it, but Tenten guessed that he’d better walk back with the prisoners and his girlfriend- he’d better score some points with her for getting up in the middle of a date to go fight.
Ekyt, not being able to protest, was just thankful he had blood enough left to blush. Being carried piggy-back by a cute kunoichi…he would NEVER hear the end of this, even though it was just an emergency measure. No one would care about that. In a psuedo-sexual situation like this, Ekyt knew his relationship-hungry comrades would eat this turn of events up with gusto.
Still, it was nice having someone care enough about him to carry him like that. Even better that it was a girl.
She’s a great friend, I owe her one. Wonder if I could help her get Neji’s attention or something…
Great chapter by the way