II

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Arc II Chapter 11

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"Run", Asami whispered. Aritame, Yukihiro, and Masasane refused to move, paralysed by fear and trepidation.

If they wanted to survive, they had to run. Their chances of survival were slim with their capabilities.

"Long time no see?“ Kisame raised his eyebrow.

“Itachi, who is this girl? I never knew you have a girlfriend. Why didn't you tell me about her? I thought we were friends, Itachi."

Asami whispered again, "Run! Run, you idiots!"

Why didn't they run? Didn't they understand the severity of the situation?

"Kisame, I don't know the girl, nor do I remember her." Itachi maintained his stoic facade.

Of course, Itachi remembered. It was her, the girl from back then. What was her name again? Asami?

Asami shook her head in disappointment, stalling for time. "Itachi, you sadden me. It seems you have forgotten me.“

“You might not remember me, but I certainly remember you, Itachi. I would never forget such a lovely person like you."

Itachi narrowed his eyes. This girl was … strange.

Kisame laughed. "I have heard you being called many things but never lovely, Itachi."

"Lovely indeed. I still remember, the reaction I got from him back then was priceless." Asami waved armed with her suavest smile.

Her tactics worked. Itachi and Kisame both dropped their guard. They didn't take them seriously. Confident in their victory, they grew careless, a mistake, a huge mistake.

Asami whispered to her petrified team, discarding any sense of subtlety. "Run! For the last time, run! Flee, you fucking idiots!"

Asami curled her hand around her sword. "I will buy as much time as possible."

Her life would be so much easier if they retreated. Aritame, Yukihiro, and Masasane presented a burden, dead weights. This fight required all of her chakra, all of her power, all of her concentration.

Masasane paled, realising the full hopelessness of their situation. Cold sweat ran down his face.

They wouldn't see another day. Their opponent was Uchiha Itachi, a legend among legends.

Masasane glanced at Asami. Should they flee as she said? Should they really abandon her?

Masasane clenched his fist. The answer was no. Asami might be strong, but he would never leave her behind. .

Aritame crossed Asami's wonderful plans.

The idiot stood his ground. He gripped his kunai and marshaled all of his courage. "Asami, we won't run! We will never leave you! True Konoha shinobi don't abandon their comrades."

"Have you gone mad? Only death awaits you here, Aritame. Do what I say! Run! Run for your lives!" Asami lost her patience. She was tempted to beat the shit out of Aritame right now and right here.

"NO!" Aritame stood his ground. His conviction didn't waver.

"You will!"

"No!" Yukihiro stepped in.

Asami exploded. Her eyes shone with a dangerous shade of purple. "Shut the fuck up! You will do exactly as I say ..."

"Sorry, but playtime is over, kids." Kisame closed the distance and attacked.

Asami trusted her instincts and flipped backwards, avoiding the incoming strike with natural ease. Her teammates didn't share her luck.

Kisame's attack was nothing more than a diversion for Itachi. Itachi's shuriken were a testament to her failure.

Masasane parried Kisame's blow with a kunai. Their weapons interlocked and Masasane was unable to move.

Itachi's shuriken were fast, accurate, deadly. Three shuriken hit, three bodies were claimed.

Masasane died instantly. The shuriken severed his cervical artery. He bled to death. Yukihiro met a similar fate.

Aritame survived, but his condition was critical, his breathing unsteady. Plagued by excruciating pain, Aritame coughed up blood. A shuriken punctured his lungs.

Kisame retreated. "It seems you aren't all bark no bite. You have my interest, girl. What's your name?"

"My name? Lick my ass! I will kill you and spit on your grave before I give you my name!" Asami discarded her beloved umbrella and drew her sword. Her eyes burned with hatred.

Asami marched forwards amid the falling rain. Without hesitation, she plunged her blade into Aritame, ending his life as a final act of mercy.

Kisame chuckled. "How vicious even for my standards. I always thought killing comrades was a big no-go for you Konoha guys."

Asami glared. She felt the grief, the pain, the hate boiling inside her heart.

Asami closed her eyes. Ghostly purple flames engulfed Aritame, Yukihiro, and Masasane, turning their bloodied corpses to ash.

Her funeral pyre illuminated the encroaching night. Aritame, Yukihiro, and Masasane were history now.

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"How do we proceed?" Asami clenched her fist. She would make them pay.

"This is the part where we kill little girls like you." Kisame grinned. The grip of his sword crawled across his body.

"My sword likes your chakra. Samehada is excited to meet you."

Asami narrowed her eyes. Hate gripped her heart. “I can't share your enthusiasm, but you are free to try.“

Asami's maniac laughter filled the air. The ecstasy was palpable. "You are neither the first nor will you be the last trying to kill me. They have all failed and so will you."

Asami summoned her might. Her chakra heeded her call and columns of scorching fire surrounded her figure.

Itachi and Kisame dodged. A purple avalanche of fire nearly incinerated them and everything in its path.

The entire forest was set ablaze, falling prey to a sea of devouring flames. The very land burned.

Kisame observed the nightmarish scene. The scorching heat touched his skin. Her fire singed his clothes. His coat received a few scorch marks for free.

Kisame grinned. "I like her. The girl has a fiery personality."

Itachi didn't bat an eyelid. "I suppose she has talent for fire ..."

The infernal fire parted, made way for their little fiery princess. Purple flames accompanied every step of their goddess.

Itachi rolled his eyes. The girl loved the big entrance, didn't she?

"Didn't you say you would kill me? So why are you running away from me? Are empty threats all you have to offer?" Asami smirked.

"We don't run, we merely regroup. Big difference." Kisame initiated his attack.

A series of water sharks shot forwards. They didn't even come close. The flames protected their princess and intercepted his sharks mid-air, evaporating them. A cloud of boiling steam covered the area.

Kisame clicked his tongue."I feel this girl will be more troublesome than expected …"

"I hope so." Asami closed the distance armed with an elongated lance of vibrating plasma. Purple lightning coated her blade.

This was going to hurt. Her sword aimed for his chest.

Kisame moved in time to avoid the worst.

Her plasma lance ran straight through his left shoulder, burning everything in its way.

Asami readied her sword for a consecutive strike. This time she wouldn't miss.

Kisame grunted. "Fuck."

Itachi saved him. His Susanoo deflected her attack. Her lightning clashed against Itachi's armour, but her lightning failed to penetrate.

Asami retreated and clicked her tongue. Her murderous eyes trained on her enemies.

"Can you still fight?" Itachi checked Kisame.

"More or less.“ Kisame grunted. He regretted his earlier carelessness. It nearly cost him his life.

"The girl is dangerous. She is fast and she strikes hard.“

"Kisame, we withdraw. We have achieved our objectives. I see no reason to engage her further", Itachi ordered. They gained nothing from continuing to fight her. Withdrawing also provided him with a suitable excuse to spare Asami.

Itachi bore no ill feelings towards Konoha. He had no interest in robbing his village of such a promising talent. This wasn't the first time he spared former comrades despite contrary orders.

"Seriously? The fight hasn't even started and you want us to withdraw?" Kisame didn't look happy nor did Asami.

“I agree. I still have unfinished business with you both." Asami gripped her sword.

Asami charged and targeted Kisame. He was the weak link in the chain, but Asami changed her axis of attack.

"Die!" Her sword met Itachi's Susanoo. Her blade cut through consecutive layers of chakra, but she was unable to pierce his armour. Her sword got stuck, stopped by his chakra. Itachi escaped a nasty stab wound.

Her attack failed and Asami suffered the consequences.

"Amaterasu." Itachi activated his right eye.

Asami might be talented, but the price was too high. He couldn't die here. He still had a foolish little brother to fight.

Black flames engulfed Asami and she took a direct hit from his Susanoo.

A skeletal arm hurled Asami across the muddy ground.

Asami gritted her teeth in pain. Her whole body hurt. Black flames claimed her arm.

"Kisame, we withdraw", Itachi commanded.

"Shouldn't we finish the job?" Kisame complained.

"Unnecessary, my Amaterasu will do the rest." Itachi's right eye bled.

"You go ahead. I will join you soon. I just need to investigate something. "

"You are the boss." Kisame sighed. He left, not doubting the effectiveness of Itachi's Amaterasu.

Itachi marched forwards. His Amaterasu malfunctioned. Her fire should have devoured Asami, but his Amaterasu was blocked.

Itachi froze. His eyes went wide. Asami ... lived. She survived, but her arm was missing. She amputated her left arm to save her life.

Asami touched her cauterised wound. Her wound shone with a purple glow, surrounded by an endless stream of brilliant particles. Pure chakra permeated the air, pulsating with an intensity he had never felt before.

"Surprised, aren't we?" Asami giggled, visibly amused by his stupor.

Her lost arm regenerated, restored by the power of her chakra.

"I will share a little secret with you, Itachi. Yin is commonly considered the spiritual component of chakra and while Yang is considered the physical component. Yang might grant longevity and vitality, but Yin harnesses the power of your very will, the power to bend reality."

"And now run! I promise you, Itachi, I will find you and I will kill you for what you have done to me! Uchiha don't forgive easily."

Itachi held his breath. Her eyes ...

Two black five-petaled flowers on red ground greeted him, two stylised kikyou that promised revenge and destruction. Asami had awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan.

Itachi fell silent and disappeared.

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