Chapter 69 - Death

Shikamaru and Hana Inuzuka vs. Kiba and Hinata. The four got right into the match. Well, Kiba and Hana did, anyway. They traded dog-based attacks back and forth. Shikamaru, meanwhile, patiently analyzed every move Kiba made. Having been on the same team as him, it wasn’t hard to pinpoint how long his Fang over Fang could last, and where he landed after he performed it.

Hinata, meanwhile, was standing in the back, looking timid. She wasn’t really part of a couple, though Kiba was now her first choice, since Naruto was taken. Maybe thinking of that is what motivated Hinata to get involved in the fight. Using her Byakugan, she picked out Shikamaru through all the dust and wreckage that the Inuzuka’s created by trading attacks.

-

Shikamaru knelt down, timing it just so. “Shadow Possession Jutsu!”

Just as Kiba landed, and was on one foot to take off again, he was snared by Shikamaru’s attack.

“Damn it! How did he do that?! I didn’t even touch down for a full second!” Kiba snarled, barring his teeth in frustration. He had to count on Hinata…well, this one was as good as over.

“No offense, Kiba, but your combat style gets predictable after a while. You stay in the air a certain amount of time, and then you land in a spot proportionate to your hang time. It’s easy to predict what you’ll do.” Shikamaru held Kiba, making room for Hana to attack.

“This one’s OVER, bro!”

Hinata had stood still, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t thinking. She had honed her skills for years now, just to be noticed. She wasn’t going to go down without taking a swing. And her swing was to be a mighty one.

“Protection of the Eight Trigrams!” Hinata yelled (yes, yelled), leaping in front of Hana. Hinata’s arms began to move in a seemingly random, endless pattern. In reality, she was creating a cocoon of chakra around her and Kiba. Kiba’s shadow was still trapped, but Hinata had blocked Hana’s attacked, knocking the older Inuzuka girl back to Shikamaru. But that’s not all her attack did.

CRASH CRASH CRASH CRASH CRASH!

“What in the hell?!”

Shikamaru couldn’t even voice a whole complaint. His attack had just been effectively halted. Hinata had destroyed the lights- every last one of them. It was now completely dark inside the arena. That played to Hinata’s strengths, as well as Kiba’s. That meant Hana had a chance, too, but Shikamaru was out of the game for a while.

“Alright, Hinata! Nice job! Now let’s finish ‘em! I’ll find Shikamaru with my nose, you keep an eye on Hana! We’ve as good as won this!”

-

Shikamaru immediately sank back against the wall, cupping his hands in his ‘planning’ pose.

No light…Kiba can sniff me out. I’m gonna have to spread my scent out and buy some more time. Meanwhile…

“Hana! Use a substitution jutsu!” Shikamaru called out, shrugging off both his vests. He threw the articles of clothing to opposite ends of the arena. Meanwhile, he pulled out a kunai, a flash bomb, and an exploding tag. Once he heard the sound of a log hitting the ground, Shikamaru made a cut on his hand, squeezing blood free. He then used a body flicker jutsu to get away from the blood. Next, he threw his flash bomb. Using the brief light to find the log, Shikamaru noted it’s position while he kept using body flicker’s to throw Kiba’s nose off.

That’s done. Now, I’ve got to aim just so. Substitution Jutsu!

Shikamaru used the substitution jutsu just over the spot where Hana had used hers. As he landed, he jumped and threw his exploding tag onto the pile. Seconds later, Kiba plowed into him.

“Found ya!” Kiba declared. But he was wrong. He had found another log. “Huh?! I get it…he put his blood on the log, so I’d home in on the scent. I’ll get him eventually…”

BOOM!

The explosive tag went off, setting a fire across the two logs. Shikamaru was in perfect position.

“Shadow Possession Jutsu!” This time, he succeeding in snaring both Hinata and Kiba. The light of the fire was just barely enough for Shikamaru’s attack, but it worked. His long-winded plan had succeeded.

“I declare this match over!” Yukao said in a hurry. Two water-style users rushed onto the floor and put out the flame, while a second crew came and fixed the lights.

“Winners: (kof) Shikamaru Nara and Hana Inuzuka.” Hayate finished, raising his hand towards Shikamaru.

“This is a drag. Do I HAVE to kiss her? The troublesome woman…” Shikamaru was complaining, despite a hard-fought victory. I should’ve just surrendered!

“Shut up! I’m not enjoying this either! Let’s just get it over with! For the record, I’d rather kiss a dog’s @$$ than your mouth!” Hana growled at Shikamaru. Despite the harsh words, she kissed him. It seemed to be a pretty good one, too.

“What the hell was THAT?!” Shikamaru demanded at the end, glaring at her while spitting.

“Sorry. Dogs lick; it’s kind of an instinct.”

--

Azami and Ryouko were waiting for their turn patiently, exchanging attack plans. At one point, Yuushi wandered over and asked advice. Ryouko/Ekyt made time, of course, and explained to him about Sasuke. It was when she was alone that Azami felt it. Or, rather, heard it.

It’s time.[/i]

Azami shook her head violent. No! she thought desperately. It’s not! I won’t! You can’t make me!

Would you prefer your Father dead, and your new home burned, then? As I recall, we made a deal. Backing out now would cause me to complete this mission for you. Or, you can return to us. What will it be?[/i]

Azami cursed herself and her captors for this. I didn’t mean to…I really didn’t…I never thought I’d love him. He was just another target. I’ve finished off at least a dozen men; some cuter, richer, smarter, and stronger than him. But this one…why this one? Why and how? I’ll kill anyone for the right price, but not him! I wanted to believe it…to believe that this was over. I wish I could just ask him…I just want him to hold me…when he did the first time, I knew it was love. And now…
Now I’ve got to betray the man I love. If I don’t, he loses everything, and so do I. But if I do, I lose…no, it’s better that way. He’s suffered enough.

“I know a genjutsu when I see it…”

Azami jumped as Ryouko put an arm around her. His face was set for combat. “Did something happen? That wasn’t any ordinary genjutsu on you.”

Azami tried to laugh it off. “I’m fine, really. I was just lost in thought, I guess. Are we up next?”

“Yeah. Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Nothing a kiss wouldn’t cure. You up for it?” Azami cooed, pushing herself toward Ryouko.

“For you? Always,” he replied, leaning to kiss her. Their lips met. Azami’s right hand felt for her kunai pouch. Her left arm held Ekyt/Ryouko tight to her.

SCUNNKKK!

The kunai was buried up to the grip tape in Ryouko’s chest. Blood spurted from his mouth and into hers. Azami let go as he tumbled to the ground, blood cascading from his chest and mouth. Azami stood over him, still holding the kunai, his blood dripping down her mouth. Her body had fallen back into it’s ‘bounty hunter’ mode. Her eyes, though, were sad pools of brown. She looked at him, dying, on the ground.

“I’m so sorry…I’m so sorry!”

Tears mixed with his blood as Azami look at his motionless form.

Well done. All you love is spared now. Return to us.[/i]

Azami’s face hardened. She used the back of her hand to wipe the blood from her mouth. With a flick of her wrist, the blood from her hand landed across his pained face. She ran for it at top speed.

I’m sorry. I really loved you. But I had to do this to save everything you love. Please forgive me. Ekyt…Ryouko…I love you. I’ll never love again now. In that way, at least, I can honor you…

--

Neji and Tenten came back to see if Ryouko and Azami were ready. As they walked in, they were nearly run over by Azami.

“What’s her problem?!” Tenten wondered, a little irritated that Azami would just push past. “Was she sick or something?”

Neji saw Ekyt lying on the ground, unmoving. “She was sick, alright. Go get Lady Tsunade. I’ll see about his vitals. BYAKUGAN!”

--

Tsunade zipped to the back, giving instructions to keep the tournament moving, and to skip to the next match. She got to the back, seeing Neji checking Ekyt’s vitals.

“Low, but they’re there. His chakra is instinctively clamping the blood flow, forming a cocoon around his heart. It seems like his assailant only knicked his heart, rather than pierced it. Not that it’s good either way.”

Tsuande immediately got to work. Her face paled. “Oh…SHIZUNE! NOW! Stay with me, kid!”

--

The light…it’s bright. Why is it so dark where I am? And what happened anyway?

Ekyt/Ryouko was standing in the darkness, looking at a light ahead of him. Like a moth, he was drawn toward it. But a hand stopped him.

“Ekyt, not yet. It’s not time yet.”

Ekyt immediately knelt down. “Third Hokage…but you’re dead! Does this mean that…”

“It does. Your lover betrayed you, it seems. But you’ll be going back any time now. Just remember: Things are not always as they seem…Now, focus on returning. There’s still a chance that your death may be permanent.

Ekyt focused. He couldn’t die- not yet. He had to know just what had happened to him.

Azami…[/b]

--

Shizune focused as hard as she could, using Ekyt’s hair as a catalyst. She and eight others were sitting with scrolls in their mouths, focusing all their chakra on Ekyt. They had done this once before with Neji, but you never got used to this.

He’s dead…No! No! It’s not over yet! We can save him! Hang in there, please!

“Give it all you’ve got!” Shizune yelled.

“It’s hopeless! He’s dead!”

Shizune shot an angry glance. “Someone replace him! Get him out of here! There’s no place for doubt in here![/b]

--

Outside, Tsunade briefed her available jonin. Kakashi and Gai were the two, for the time being.

“I want the girl brought here alive. She has to answer for this. And NO ONE ELSE FINDS OUT ABOUT THIS. Am I clear?”

Kakashi and Gai hadn’t seen Lady Tsunade so worked up in a long time.

“Yes, M’lady. But what happened?” Gai exchanged glances with Kakashi.

“Azami stabbed Ekyt. That’s all we know. He’s clinically dead, but I’m sure we can save him. Don’t kill Azami- she may or may not have meant to do what she did. If there are outside forces involved, we need to know about them. Now, get going!”

--

Neji and Tenten were given a bye to the next round. Shizune was out, so that meant Genma was, too. Yuushi was Ekyt’s next of kin, so he had been informed and sworn to secrecy. He was in no shape to fight after a thirty-second match that saw him and Kantai devastated. That left one match in the first round.

“I declare match six open. Temari and Kimimaro versus Rock Lee and Linda Mawashi. The following round will be the following:

Asuma/Kurenai vs. Shikamaru/Hana.
Winner of Temari/Kimimaro and Lee/Linda vs. Neji/Tenten
Naruto/Sakura vs. Sasuke/Ino
…

Now, the current match: Begin!”

--

SPECIAL BONUS STORY: YUYU HAKUSHO (Part 1)

The underworld was a busy place these days. Lord Koenma barely had enough time to deal with his paperwork. His saving grace had come about a year ago now. It was the boy standing in front of him, for that matter.

“Let me see now…Kimihiro, age twenty…oh, has it been a year already?”

The boy in front of Koenma nodded. “It has, sir. I came to see about my parole hearing…I’ve decided I’d like to go back to the world of the living. I don’t dislike it here, but I have too many regrets to let go of. Is it possible?”

Koenma looked through Kimihiro’s file. “Let’s see here…You died a murderer, which is why you’ve been here for a year. You’ve repented your crime, and proven that there were outside circumstances…remind me of those circumstances.”

Kimihiro ran a hand through his dark brown hair. “Well, I was at the bank, cashing my paycheck, when a robber came in with a gun. He shot someone to prove he was serious. He leveled his gun at someone else when I attacked him and killed him. He shot me just as he died.”

“So your circumstances were indeed extenuating. Killing in defense of yourself or others is pardonable, in a correct situation. As we’ve had witnesses attest to your story, the underworld has decided to return you to life. There will be a few catches, however. I’ll tell you of one now- the rest you’ll have to learn on your own.

The first catch is this: If you take another human life, your will die instantly. However, if it’s another case of defending yourself or someone else, you will take a demon form and be returned to earth.”

Kimihiro nodded, sure that he could avoid killing. It’s not as though he had wanted to.

“Oh, one other catch- you will assist my spirit detective, Yusuke Urameshi, as necessary. His spirit guide, Botan, will also provide you with information about your ‘condition’. The rest of your life is up to you. Everyone will remember you as being dead, so be certain to have an explanation ready for anyone who confronts you. Now then- do you agree to the terms?”

“I do,” Kimihiro responded.

“Very well then. You will be returned to life. Your own body has long been buried, so you’ll be using another one of a recently deceased fifteen year old. I wish you luck, and look forward to your return. Your assistance with my paperwork really saved me!”

Kimihiro gave a small smile. “I’ll try to make a less dramatic entrance the next time I die. Until then, sir, thank you for everything.”

To be continued…

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