Chapter 97 - Destroy What You Love

Walking around, Ekyt heard a lot of nasty things directed at him. But some people thanked him for bringing back Itachi. But one group was hell-bent on making Ryouko pay.

“You’ve damned us all, you idiot!”

“Look at what you’ve done!”

“We trusted you!”

Spit, fruit, bottles, and even rocks came Ekyt’s way. He just stood there and took it. But just like before, others stepped in to keep him away from any serious harm.

“Alright, scram, all of you!” Asuma growled. “That is a Leaf Shinobi you’re attacking! Whatever your reason, you’ve no right to attack him. Now get out of here!”

Kurenai checked on Ekyt first. She wiped the blood off a cut on his cheek, treating him like he was a young genin again. He half expected a pat on the head.

“Don’t let that bother you. They’re just confused, and they don’t want to believe Orochimaru is a threat again. It’s a painful memory.” Kurenai made sure to explain in a voice that left no room for argument- she was right.

“Yeah, you’re only doing what you have to do,” Asuma added. “And that takes guts. But still, if you’re thinking of offing yourself like my dad did…don’t make it your first option.”

Kurenai nodded her agreement. “That’s right. You’ve got people who care for you now. We’ll be sad if you die. The Third Hokage had lived a full life- you haven’t. So don’t be hasty, okay?”
--

After Asuma and Kurenai, Ekyt saw a scene that never failed to make him smile.
To Ekyt, the bond between instructor and pupil was next to sacred. They were supposed to be close friends; confidants even.

If any two symbolized that bond, it was Rock Lee and Might Gai. They trained together, and even looked alike. It was uncanny that two people not born of the same family could become so similar.

Ekyt intended to walk by quietly, but was stopped by Gai. Gai always had a kind word. But good advice? Not something you expect from a goofy-looking fellow like that.

“Remember, the key to beating a Sharingan user is to look at their feet. You can judge their moves from there.”

Lee took up a guard. “When this is over, we will spar; just like old times!”

Ekyt gave a weak smile. “Yeah. Just like old times. You mean where you totally kick my @$$?”

“Indeed!” Lee called back, rushing over for a hug. Ekyt hated that, but figured ‘what the hell; I’m dead in a few days’, and let Lee give him a hug.

If I stopped him, he might feel guilty when if I die…and if he dies, I’d feel guilty, too. Sigh. Things are so complicated. If it was just like it used to be; back when I was a luckless genin and no one liked me…then this ‘death’ thing would be so much easier…

--

The next stop was the memorial obelisk near the training fields. The black stone with all the names carved in it served as a reminder- shinobi are human. They are flesh and blood; they perish; as do all things. Our existent is transient as best. Some are remembered, as on the stone. Others die, nameless and forgotten, their achievements not remembered.

I wonder which I’ll be? I guess I’d like to be remembered. On this stone, with all the names of shinobi who left us too soon…

Kakashi soon joined Ekyt. For a time, they both stared at the stone, remembering comrades; thinking of their own lives. How fragile this thing called ‘life’ was. And yet, how much it meant.

“…You do realize you’re doing what you think is right?”

Ekyt didn’t look away from the stone while Kakashi spoke to him. “I do.”

“Then it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. Give them time; they’ll come around. Pretty soon, they’ll be happy to have the elite Uchiha clan back. And you’ll be the guy who made it possible.”

“And if I was wrong? If Itachi DOES turn on the village?”

Kakashi tapped his covered eye. “That’s when people like you and I clean up the mess. Even if it IS Itachi Uchiha, or Orochimaru, or whoever.”

Ekyt nodded his head, thinking quietly to himself about what he planned to do. What he had heard in the dream- how was the answer right in front of him? What kind of weakness does the Sharingan have?

Wasn’t there only one way to find out?

“Kakashi-sempai…how about a sparring match later?”
--

Ekyt’s last stop was to walk by the Uchiha dojo. It was being rebuilt by Itachi and Azami, plus volunteers. They were all hard at work, though as the sun set the people left one by one. Some people gave Ekyt a small, hurried bow, as if they didn’t want anyone else to know they supported him. Others glared at him. One of them gave him the finger. Ekyt didn’t react to any of it, save for nodding at those who treated him nice.

Ekyt suddenly wanted a drink…and a cigarette. It was night time, and the streets were empty. So Ekyt walked across the street and bought a pack of cigarettes. He wouldn’t smoke enough to damage his lungs- just enough to calm him down. Alcohol didn’t slow his heart down when he was like this, and he needed his wits about him. But he wasn’t going to become a full-fledged smoker over this. He would just do what he needed to be calm down and stay efficient.

Forgetting the long term health effects for the moment, Ekyt turned his mind back to the task at hand.

Itachi, we’ve both made sacrifices…All I ask in return is that Azami is taken care of. You’ve earned a rest.

To think I’d be calling you ‘comrade’… I didn’t see that coming. And even if I had, I wouldn’t have believed it.

“Ekyt…”

Ekyt heard Azami’s voice. He vaguely wondered how he must look now- holding a cigarette, a trench coat on, his tonfa at his sides. No doubt he’d let his five o’clock shadow grow into something closer to a beard. That happened when you didn’t sleep all night.

“Oh…hi. Sorry to have disturbed you,” Ekyt replied amiably, giving a small wave. “I was just finishing up my walk. It’s good rehab for my legs.”

That was true, but not the reason he was out at this hour.

Hell, I’m not sure of the reason myself. Am I just looking for reasons to stay alive? Or is it just saying goodbye to the village?

“We need to talk,” Azami said, her voice leaving no room for argument. “We can’t leave things like this.”

Ekyt gave in and turned around. “Listen, I’ve already made peace with this-”

“But I haven’t!” Azami protested. “And how can you? We were in love, Ekyt! IN LOVE! I don’t know how that can mean so little to you!”

“It means a great deal to me. But I’d rather see you happy in the arms of someone else, than only partially happy in mine,” Ekyt told her firmly. “I did love you- probably still do. But now your job is to take care of Itachi. My job is to take care of this village. I’m not it’s Hokage, but there’s too much here I care too much about. That includes you.”

Azami stepped into Ekyt, giving him a hug. “Damn it, why can’t you be at least a little mad at me? Don’t be so agreeable. I deserve to be yelled at… I mean, look at what I did to you! And now you’ve saved my Father, and helped me meet my new lover…”

Ekyt gave her a hug back. “You know that’s the kind of guy I am. Stupid. (laughs) But really, Itachi is better for you. You two are in tune, and your power is off the charts. So it’s better that way. So, just…let it go, okay? This is how things are, and it’s best that they’re like this.”

Azami let go, looking toward the Uchiha dojo. “Yeah, I guess…”

“You can’t control who you fall in love with, Azami. If you could, then I would have picked someone in my league.”

With that, a typical Ekyt-ish quip, Ekyt gave her an over-the-shoulder wave, and walked away. Or, he started to. He felt someone appear at his side.

“It will be easier for you if the village hates you.”

Ekyt looked over at Itachi. “How do you figure that?”

“Experience.”

“Ah.”

After a short walk, Itachi stuffed an Akatsuki cloak and hat into Ekyt’s hands.

“You still have Kisame’s ring, right? Wear that. It goes on your left ring finger.”

Ekyt knew that this was just ‘in case of emergency’ advice. He thanked Itachi, then excused himself. He still had to talk with Mimizu and Asuna, then square with Lady Tsunade. There was a lot to do, and only a little time to do it in.

Gradually, Ekyt thought of a way to ‘plan’ out Orochimaru’s attack.

If I leave the village, then the ‘Reaper Death Seal’ leaves with me. That would give Orochimaru an opportunity to attack; either me or the village. If he attacks me, then that’s all the better- I can kill him without a problem. If he attacks the village, I can come back and get him from behind.

And now, Itachi just handed me my escape plan. I’ll need a few volunteers to make it look good, though…

Ekyt stopped himself, turning back to Itachi. “Wait a second. Itachi, I just need to know something. The Akatsuki…is there anyone that we really need to fear? Anyone stronger than me?”

“…Only two. Tobi and Pain. Everyone else has a match in this village. Someone who can stop them without losing their life.”

Ekyt had only used that question to lead up to his next one. This one had been haunting him for a while now, and he needed an answer. He could rest until he heard it straight from Itachi himself.

“…When he fought, how much of your power did you use against me? I know you never battled me at full strength…”

Itachi stayed quiet for a moment, studying Ekyt. Then he looked straight ahead again.
“You never disgraced yourself, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“That wasn’t my question,” Ekyt pointed out, keeping his voice firm. “How much did you hold back against me?”

“…I held back thirty percent. But consider that I haven’t fought you in more than six months. I’m not sure I’d have to hold back so much now. You’ve gotten stronger. And the fact that I came here on your request proves that. I wouldn’t come running for someone weak within a weak village. And I took you at your word. Consider that.”

Ekyt forced himself to be satisfied with that for the time being. He still felt like Itachi was hedging his question. But Itachi likely had his own reasons for that. As an odd duck himself, Ekyt wasn’t going to question Itachi.

“…Thank you, then. Good night.”

Ekyt kept walking while Itachi stopped. He watched the younger boy go, then turned back and went to his wife.

“Will he be alright?” Azami asked, clutching Itachi’s shoulder.

“…Time will tell. But he’s not weak; as a shinobi or a man.”
--
--
--


“Dragon’s Ember Jutsu!”

Ekyt…no, Ryouko. The mask was gone. It was Ryouko doing this.

The (abandoned) store burned, Ryouko staring dispassionately at it.

“Why are you doing this?!” an ANBU agent called out. He and his partner rushed Ryouko. But Ryouko sent them both flying with kicks.

“Because you turned your backs on me! After what I’ve done, all you can do is condemn me? If that’s how it is, I’ll give you plenty of reason to!”

Ding!

The hat with the bell on it rang.

Whoosh.

The long cloak blew in the wind.

Tok tok tok.

The jonin came running.

And the cause of all of it- Ryouko. Wearing an Akatsuki cloak and hat, and even wearing a ring, he had caused destruction to his own village. It was time to run, before Lady Tsunade came.

Came as planned. It’s killing me that the village was so willing to see me go that they all agreed to play a part in seeing me leave. I just hope I can come back…

--

Ryouko was to rendezvous with Kisame. Kisame was loyal to Itachi above the Akatsuki, so he would follow Itachi’s suggestion of ‘Let Ryouko take my place until he needs to come back’ without question. Having seen Ryouko fight, Kisame could respect him enough to not feel burdened.

Samehada shouldered, the tall, blue, gill-faced shinobi waited at the appointed place.

“Here’s your ring back,” Ryouko said, by way of greeting. On his left index finger was Hidan’s ring.

Kisame gave a hearty laugh. “Well now, you’re just about the last person I’d thought I’d be partners with. Since you’re new to this, I’ll just have to teach you. And you’ll learn quick- you’re talented enough. And if it turns out you’re not, I’ll just tear you up with Samehada a little, and we’ll just see if you get more proficient!”

Against his better judgment, Ryouko took that as ‘acceptance’. His tonfa were now hidden in his sleeves, but he took them out to play with them as the two walked.

“So Orochimaru’s the cause of your headache, eh Leaf boy?”

Ryouko barred his teeth inside his mouth. “Yes, he is. And he’s going to be too much for anyone now that he’s got the Sharingan. Why the hell did the Akatsuki create that? How arrogant must the leader be to think that this plan couldn’t backfire?”

Kisame laughed again; not generally a pleasant thing. “I thought the same thing. But Itachi wanted the damn thing. Probably because he doesn’t want Azami to get lonely when he dies.”

Ryouko had heard about that, but didn’t know the details. He decided that, if anyone knew the details, it would be Itachi’s partner.

“Just how close to death was he, Kisame?” Ryouko’s eyes slid toward Kisame under the brim of his hat.

“He should have been dead a year ago. Some miracle drug kept him alive. Although now that Tsunade’s got a hold of him, he’ll probably be fine. As you might guess, the Akatsuki doesn’t exactly have health care. If someone dies, we just pick someone else.”

“Will we be meeting up with them? The rest of the Akatsuki, I mean. Because I’ll be in for a fight if we do.”

“WE will be in for a fight,” Kisame corrected. “You might think we’re just greedy, criminal scumbags, but partners look out for each other. If Itachi had a beef with Deidara, then the artist would have to get through Samehada to get to Itachi. Except for Hidan and Kakuzu. But you’ve heard their arguments first-hand. It’s a shame you didn’t kill them both.”

“It IS a shame,” Ryouko agreed. “I didn’t expect loyalty within the Akatsuki ranks. I figured money was what united all of you.”

“Oh, it does. But some of us genuinely care about each other. Or some, like me and Itachi, have other reasons. I like to kill, for example. Which reminds me- you’d better concoct a reason why you’re joining us. And make it good. Even if it’s all crap, you shouldn’t walk in with no cover story. Especially if you’re trying to take Itachi’s place.”

Ryouko’s mind immediately went to work on that. It was best to have a grain of truth in his lie, so he picked out the most accessible lie.

“I’m too restricted in Konoha. I could do better things with less moderation with the Akatsuki.”

Kisame thought that was pretty good for a lie. But then again, he also knew more about Ryouko than the other Akatsuki.

“Did Itachi ever tell you why he picked you to keep challenging Sasuke?” Kisame asked after a while. He wasn’t one to appreciate the forest for the trees. Every bit of bark was the same as any other bit of bark.

Ryouko thought for a second, but couldn’t recall Itachi bringing that up. “No, it never came up.”

“Well, it’s because you two are similar. You both have that ‘anything for Konoha’ mentality. That, and you would challenge Sasuke. You two were more likely to come to serious blows than Sasuke and Naruto.”

“…I’m surprisingly flattered by that,” Ryouko commented mildly, lighting a chakra cigarette.

Kisame smirked a little at Ryouko’s reply. It almost sounded like Ryouko really WAS looking forward to his new lifestyle.

“You DO realize that Hidan will want his ring back, right?”

“I know.”

Kisame was a little surprised by his lackadaisical attitude against a legitimately tough foe. “And you know he’ll want to fight you for it, right?”

“Most likely. If he does, then I’ll get him out of my way.”

“You cocky bastard!” Kisame laughed. “But you know, you’ve got guts. These people aren’t going to be happy to see you, and you’re just gonna walk in like you’re one of us.”

“If I’m not one of you yet, I’ll MAKE myself one of you.”

--

You could have cut the tension with a knife.

The Akatsuki were all here, all in the flesh, and all staring at the one who had arrived with Kisame.

“Gimme back my ring, f*****!”

Predictably, Hidan was making a challenge. Ryouko turned his head toward him, keeping his voice just above a whisper, and making sure there was absolutely zero emotion in it.

“Why don’t you take it from me, then? If I’m good enough to keep it for this long, maybe you don’t deserve it.”

A fight already. No one was really shocked about that. They were still shocked Ekyt was even here.

“Hidan, don’t do that. There’s no profit in killing him like that. He’ll just destroy you like before. Let Pain take the ring from him.” Kakuzu didn’t have much faith in his partner’s abilities, it seemed.

“F*** that! He’s mine!”

WHA-BAM!

Kisame’s giant sword crashed down in front of Hidan.

“Hold it right there. This guy (nods at Ryouko) is Itachi’s replacement. Learn some manners. Don’t forget that one partner defends another. So if you plan on getting him, you’ll have to tangle with Samehada, too.”

Ryouko took two steps forward, staring mildly at Hidan.
“Do you know how to get respect in prison, Hidan? You pick the toughest guy out and punch him. Win or lose, you’ve got respect for being a guy with a good sized set. You can serve that role for me, if you’d like.”

Ryouko’s hand pulled his hat off. He let if flutter to the ground. When the bell on it rang, he and Hidan charged.

Destroy the Akatsuki from within…that’s my mission. And that means I’ll have to kill… But what choice is there?

There’s gotta be another way! I’d like to take this stupid organization over…Well, I’ll start with Hidan. I can’t kill him, which means I don’t have to hold back. Let’s just see if my power has grown any…

Hidan’s scythe bounced off Ryouko’s arm. His tonfa knocked it aside. With his other hand, Ryouko threw a chakra sealing tag. It hit Hidan right on the chest- exactly where he’d aimed.

When Ryouko first learned this jutsu, he had to chant some kind of code to make it work. Now, with all his practice, he only needed to make a single handsign.

“Seal!”

Hidan’s chakra was sapped- but only for a second. The tag peeled off and fluttered to the ground. Ryouko half-expected that. He darted in, smashing Hidan across the face with a flick of his tonfa. He grabbed the cord Hidan’s scythe was on and yanked. Hidan came flying back toward him. Bracing his tonfa under his forearm, Ryouko stepped into his strike and smashed Hidan in the stomach.

“Acgh!” Hidan coughed up blood. The blood spilled onto the floor. Ryouko pushed Hidan backward and battered him with his tonfas. Switching to beating Hidan with one hand, Ryouko made handsigns with one hand.

“Fire Style: Dragon’s Ember Jutsu- Modified!”

Ryouko hit Hidan point-blank with that jutsu. But it wasn’t his old attack. The old attack came from his hand and did minimal damage. This attack came from his mouth. The fire singed Hidan pretty good, but that wasn’t it. A black line of ash stayed on Hidan. Ryouko pressed his attack, slapping an exploding tag on Hidan. When it exploded, the black ash burned red-hot.

Even Hidan couldn’t completely enjoy this pain. He was being completely routed in this fight.

This kid…he’s different! He doesn’t give a f*** if I live or die! He’s not protecting anyone! He’s not holding back! He’s just beating the s*** out of me! I’ve gotta counter…

Ryouko focused his chakra into his tonfa, forming a cutting edge. Mimicking that idea into his other tonfa, Ryouko first cut Hidan’s scythe, then his arms (Which were holding his collapsible spike with which Hidan punished himself), and finally his neck.

An arch of blood sailed in all directions. Hidan’s head rolled to the floor. Ryouko picked the head up, glared into it (thereby putting a genjutsu on it), and stuffed it into a sealing scroll.

-

There was silence. No one had expected that.

“Don’t look so surprised. I’m not that strong. He was just too weak. So it’s better for the Akatsuki if I just go ahead and take his place.”

Kisame chuckled loudly, not keeping his dislike for Hidan a secret. “Hahaha! Look at that! Immortal or not, he’s no good to us now. Ryouko here is no Itachi, but he’d a damn sight better than that moron.”

Kakuzu was looking at Ryouko. Eventually, Ryouko noticed and turned to confront him.

“…You aren’t the same boy as you were at the temple…”

Ryouko’s gaze didn’t change or waver. “No, I’m not. I was scared, and I had too many people to worry about. Too many problems. Now I’m free of those problems, and I can battle to my true capabilities.”

“And do you think you could beat me? You’ve got twenty-seven thousand ryo on your head, labeled by the Mist Village. I could cash in on that anytime I wanted. I can already see why you defeated Hidan…” Kakuzu had analyzed the battle in his mind, and he saw Hidan’s mistake.

“Oh? Tell me then- why did I defeat Hidan so easily? I’d really like to hear how you think it happened.” Ryouko’s voice dripped with sarcasm, though his face showed nothing but a genuine curiosity.

“He let you get the advantage. You closed in on him and just kept hitting him. He didn’t get a chance to use any of his weapons. Against you, his slow jutsu didn’t stand a chance. But he only had marginal skill anyway. If you tried that against anyone who knew what they were doing, you would be defeated easily.”

Ryouko closed his eyes, resting a little bit. “You’re halfway there. I also knew his fighting style, and exactly how to counter it. Beyond that, he’s the most easily rattled of all the Akatsuki I’ve faced. The fight was over when his first strike didn’t draw blood.”

Not to mention that I needed to make that fight look lopsided to prove a point. I’m not that strong. Every other time I’ve seen someone fight Hidan, they’ve sat back and let him do what he wanted- including gulp their blood. I don’t understand why no one didn’t just push him out of his stupid circle, then maim his body beyond repair.

Then again, in this case, I didn’t plan a strategy. I just kept attacking and didn’t give him an opening. If he was any kind of a shinobi, he would have figured out that one Replacement Jutsu would have been the end of me.

Ryouko was going to have to keep his guard up until he has finished with the Akatsuki. He knew he could take down a couple of their weaker members, plus Kisame was siding with him. That left the problems- Pain, Tobi, Konan, Kakuzu, and Zetsu.

“…You’ll need a partner…Kakuzu…” Pain said, pointing at Ryouko, then at Kakuzu.

“I’m Itachi’s replacement; Kisame should be my partner. Our styles would mesh better. Kakuzu and I would kill each other at the drop of a hat, anyway.”

“I’ve got no problem with it. I’m very interested to see what kind of guy we have replacing Itachi. It’s not every day we get a new member. And it’s certainly not everyday it’s one who Itachi respects on some level!” Kisame said.

No one said anymore on the subject.
--

Tsunade had a few minutes to herself, for a change. As she always did, she worried. Worried for her village. For herself. For Naruto. For the future. For the past. But this time her worries had a theme.

How heartless am I to let the village do that to Ekyt? Necessary or not…no, there HAD to be another way!

Shizune had noticed Tsunade’s demeanor, but didn’t want to comment. As an observer, she remembered a lot of details- sometimes more than Lady Tsunade herself. This time, she flashed back to a conversation between Tsunade and Ekyt. It took place one day when they discussed what would happen if Orochimaru got his ‘perfect body’


Tsunade and Ekyt had talked back and forth- what was the best way to deal with Orochimaru.

“The Reaper Death Seal. Make sure he STAYS dead,” Ekyt maintained.

“Because it worked so well for the Third Hokage?”

“You know as well as I did that he wasn’t on top of his game!” Ekyt protested. “There’s no other way to do this gracefully! Not before a ton of lives are lost, and the village is destroyed! Because you can be sure, even if we beat Orochimaru, the Akatsuki will come calling next, and we can’t fight both off!”

Tsunade couldn’t argue that point, so she didn’t even try. Instead, she asked Ekyt a question about what he’d be willing to do to help the village.

”I’ll do anything. If you need a hero, I’ll be a hero. If it’s a villain, I’ll be a villain. Scapegoat’s fine, too,” Ekyt answered instantly.

“Do you mean that?” Tsunade wanted to know. It wouldn’t be an easy promise to keep. Part of Tsunade wanted Ekyt to say ‘no’, really. She had warmed to him over the years, and had actually gotten fond of him.

“That’s a bad habit, M’lady,” Ekyt told her, walking toward the door.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Ekyt gave her a half-smile. “Asking questions you already know the answer to. My loyalty is absolute.”
--

Kisame stopped suddenly.

“I guess this is far enough,” he announced. He turned around to face Ryouko.

“Far enough for what?” Ryouko asked, hiding a sneaking suspicion he already knew the answer. Here, surrounded by tall trees and small ponds on either side of the marsh-ish area.

Kisame grinned nastily. “Well, funny story- all this time, I was ‘loyal’ to Itachi. But really, I serve another master. I’m not going to say who- not that I think you’re a threat to him, but I’d hate for you to make trouble and tell someone else- but you’d be surprised.”

Samehada arched down. Ryouko threw himself backward, skidding through the woods. More swings followed, and Ryouko just barely dodged each one. Finally, his back hit a thick tree. Kisame swung again, sideways this time. Ryouko just barely threw up his tonfa in a block in time. The force of the blow swept him away, but he was unharmed other than that. The giant tree that had been behind him fell to the ground with a thunderous sound.

Ryouko should have looked where he was going, because he landed right near one of the ponds!

“Perfect! Water Style! Water Shark Bombs!” Kisame shouted. Water erupted from the pond next to Ryouko. Ryouko was caught flat-footed, and threw his tonfa up in strike after strike, knocking down the water bombs aiming for him. But he himself got wet, which was the whole point of Kisame’s attack.

“Water Style: Water Torment!”

What?! Oh no, the water!

Ryouko turned and ran for the trees- he had to get away from the source of that water! But he couldn’t outrun the wetness on his own clothes! The water began to pull in all directions. Ryouko’s body ached in protest- his arms and legs were going to snap off!

Ugh…I’ve gotta…escape!

“There’s nowhere to run!” Kisame declared. He ran forward incredibly fast, with an agility belying his size. Samehada hit Ryouko right in the chest, and cut clear through him!
Sploosh! Ryouko’s Akatsuki cloak was saturated with water from when his water clone burst.

“Water Clone?! Where’d you go?!” Kisame began to turn to look for Ryouko. “You can’t escape!”

Three Ryouko’s appeared, each on opposite sides of the clearing. They were hidden in the trees, peering down at Kisame. They all looked to the ‘original’ Ryouko. Once he nodded, they all took off for Kisame, their legs extended in kicks, or their hands extended in punches.

Kisame sensed them coming. With a laugh, he spun around and cut the first clone in half. The second one managed to grab him from behind, but Kisame grabbed the clone’s arm and threw him down. The third clone had stayed back just enough. Now he charged in, throwing shuriken and kunai.

“Bah! Those stupid little cuts will do nothing!” Kisame yelled, laughing as only his left sleeve was torn off by the attack. His powerful blue arm threw the last clone clear across the marsh.

Ryouko made his move next. He came flying down from the top of a tree. His tonfa, with his chakra extending them, bit into Kisame’s shoulder. Using the handle of the tonfa, Ryouko stripped Samehada away from Kisame. In the same instant, he slapped a tag on Kisame’s arm.

“Chakra Seal!” he declared, focusing all his energy into the tag. Kisame froze for a moment, then rushed forward- though much more slowly.

“Seal my chakra? Good move, but I’ve got enough strength to back up it’s loss! And from the looks of it, you can’t stop focusing on that stupid tag!”

Ryouko stayed still as Kisame ran toward him. Kisame had been correct about the tag- Ryouko did need to focus on it completely. But there were other elements in place that could help.

Now!

From below, a cord popped up, camouflaged by a thin layer of dirt. The tripwire sprang into place and sent Kisame sprawling to the ground. From behind a nearby tree, Ryouko’s fourth clone popped out. This clone carried three kunai. He leapt high, and then jammed the kunai down- right through Kisame’s hands! The last knife, in his mouth, jabbed into Kisame’s body three inches below his navel (though it entered through Kisame’s back).

Ryouko relaxed- no need for the tag anymore.

“Can you feel it? I’ve severe your tenketsu, Kisame. Your chakra will be gone until it repairs. And your chakra will never be as large as it was. It’ll take all you have just to swing your oversized sword.”

Kisame lay on the ground, unable to escape the kunai through his hands. All he could do was growl at Ryouko. But after a few minutes, he stopped growling.

“You shouldn’t have won, you know. Your chakra nature is fire! Water always beats fire! How’d you do it?”

Ryouko shrugged. “Strategy. When you attacked my clones, I had the one that held back plant that tripwire. Then my last clone pulled it tight at just the right moment. If you had noticed either clone, I would’ve been in trouble. Oh, and that tag- it needed to be placed on skin directly.”
Ryouko stopped for a second, bending down to Kisame’s level. His face was icily calm, unnerving even to Kisame.
“Just be thankful I’m not Kakashi. He’d kill you. Me…I’m going to leave you to rot. That way, the elements killed you, not me. I don’t want to bloody my hands.”

With that, Ryouko left.
-

Zetsu entered the marsh, popping up near Kisame.

“Do I get to eat him now?! The fool lost to a child!” the black half of Zetsu said.
“No. The Leader might have use for him,” the white half of Zetsu replied. “Do you need help, Kisame?”

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