''Where did the other one go?'' I asked as I looked around. ''He's not here anymore.''

Hashirama grunted as we both looked at the man Hashirama had caught with a wooden cage. He couldn't even more anymore. That's how much Hashirama made the cage shrink.

''Hashirama-sama!'' One of the guards ran at us. ''He went to the marketplace, and that's where we lost track of him!''

''Any injured?'' Hashirama asked.

''Only one woman.'' the guard said hastily.

Many people were gathered at that market.. I looked at Hashirama, who looked pretty troubled. He must also know that is was dangerous to let that guy walk around so freely. If he hadn't fled town yet, he must he heading toward his next victim.

First they attack Hashirama and me directly, thinking they could beat us. Even if all of them came at us, they'd be no match for Hashirama. But this proved that we were wrong about them. They didn't only target siblings of clan leaders, but also the clan leaders themselves. It must have been a coincindence that Yumi and the other two were attacked first.

Running was useless. No matter how fast my legs moved, the man was getting closer and closer, slowly but certainly. He had already thrown a few kunais and shuriken. I was able to dodge most of them, but there were two shuriken I hadn't seen coming. One hit my upper arm, and I had removed it just a moment later, while the other one had scratched my shoulder. I still felt the throbbing pain in my arm as blood slowly soaked my kimono.

I had no choice. I had to fight. I couldn't keep running forever, and I doubted that it would make any difference anyway. Running or fighting. The result would be the same. And if I'd die, I wouldn't want to die cowardly.

Even though I was scared, I decided to face him. But first, I needed to lead him away, to the training fields for example. I was sure that only a few people, or maybe even no one would be there. It was also pretty close, so those fields would be the best option.

I looked over my shoulder, just in time to dodge another kunai. He'd been throwing less and less, so I guessed he must be slowly running out of weapons. which was convenient for me. Close combat shouldn't be so much of a problem now as it would have been before.

The training fields came into sight, but before I could reach them, I suddenly felt a presence behind me. My eyes widened and I quickly jumped aside, barely evading a powerful kick. How did he get there so fast?

Have I slowed down that much, or did he just speed up so suddenly?

Turning around, I saw the man standing few meters away from me, with another kunai in his hand. I figured he still had two or three of those, considering how empty his pouch seemed from here, but I wasn't completely sure.

I swallowed thickly and fidgeted with my fingers. What was he going to do now?

Asami had already tried to seal the man away a few times, but he constantly dodged the inscription and prevented himself from being sealed within the formula itself that way. If this didn't work, she had to rely on her combative abilities, and that was the case here.

The only things the man had left was a two kunais. One was hidden in his sleeve ane he was carrying the other one, making sure not to throw either of them. He had noticed that Asami reacted pretty quickly to attacks, but she didn't have any powerful techniques, but he didn't either.

Asami was the first one to make a move after a pause of a few seconds. She charged at him, and aimed for his face with her fist, but the man was able to dodge the swift movement and grabbed her wrist. With his free hand, which was holding the kunai, he tried to cut Asami's neck, but she grabbed his wrist to prevent him from doing that. She noticed that the man was pretty strong. Asami was having difficulties with holding the kunai away from her throat.

Neither of them being able to use their hands anymore, Asami decided to attack him differently. Even though it was difficult while wearing a kimono, she raised her leg and kicked the man in the stomach. He didn't saw that coming and his grip on Asami's wrist weakened. The Uzumaki used this opportunity to take the upper hand and yanked her hand free and reached for the kunai, but the man recovered quickly and jumped back, taking his weapon with him.

Asami didn't waste any time and quickly went after him. The man didn't have many openings, so she couldn't let chances like these when he left himself a bit open go to waste. But the man saw it coming, and swung his kunai at her, cutting her flesh.

Asami whimpered slightly and jumped back, holding her arm. She felt warm liquid against her fingers as she kept covering her wound with her hand. It wasn't a deep one, but it still hurt. Still taken aback by the sudden counterattack which inflicted a wound that caused a throbbing pain, she had to blink a few times before she saw the man already charging at her again.

Not being able to dodge this time, she was thrown back by a strong puch to the collarbone. For a moment, it because hard for her to breathe. Both from shock and pain. Falling onto her back, she just managed to turn her head away, causing the thrown kunai to stab the ground near her ear. Long strands of red hair were cut off and some of them were blown away by the wind.

Asami didn't need so much time to comprehend the situation and quickly pulled the kunai out of the ground and got onto her feet. She had to keep her wits about herself and shouldn't lose focus, and she knew that.

This time, it was her turn to attack.

Asami ran at him as fast as she could. Her kimono restrained her from moving at full speed, but she'd gotten used to fighting in it by now.

By holding the kunai in front of her, she knew that the man wouldn't attack carelessly. Something like that could cost him his hand after all. Asami threw a kick at him, but he stopped it with just his forearm Grunting, she tried to kick him again, but to no avail. Her efforts were futile. No matter what she tried, the main would block her attack or dodge it.

Was the attack that hit him in the beginning of the fight a fluke?

She bit her lip in frustration. What was she supposed to do now? Even if she decided to fight someone who's stronger than her instead of running like a coward while knowing the risks, she didn't expect her attacks to have this little effect. She wouldn't give up though. She might have a small chance at beating him, but giving up was the same as dying, and she rather kept going, hoping reinforcements would arrive before she'd run out of stamina or would be defeated herself.

Asami coughed once she received a powerful kick in the stomach. Her back was slammed against the trunk of a tree. A throbbing pain shot through her arm, where two wounds were inflicted, and she winced while tasting an iron flavor in her mouth.

Unmistakely blood.

Asami grunted and held the kunai tighter in her hand. She though that the small weapon would have had more effect, but the man was now evading it easily. He was able to read all of my attacks.

Asami actually wanted to think of a plan, but her opponent didn't give her the chance as he ran at her again. Evading yet another punch, she decided to shift gears; going from defense to the offense. She tried to cut him with the kunai, but he dodged them all. Asami growled irritably and threw her fist at him, but he caught her clenched hand and twisted her arm harshly.

Asami whimpered and was able to escape his grip when she swung the kunai at him, which made him recoil. She couldn't use her arm anymore. The slightlest movement hurt significantly.

The man looked like he wanted to end it soon. The longer it took, the more likely i'd be for reinforcements to arrive while he was still there.

For one last attack, he launched himself at his target and shook slightly with his sleeve. Asami also knew that this fight would finish with that last clash, and held the kunai tightly in her hand. This was her last chance. If she didn't do it now, she'd be defeated, and he'd kill her. The state she was in now made it impossible to beat him if the fight were to continue after this last attack.

Asami barely evaded a kick. It became even harder to move with the injuries she wash having now, and it was already hard with the kimono she was wearing. She wouldn't be able to keep this up if she didn't end this now.

Launching herself at the man, she held the kunai ready.

But the man didn't move.

He didn't try to dodge the small blade at all. He just kept standing there. Asami knew that something was wrong, but she couldn't stop. She was already too close.

Even though she dug the kunai into his shoulder, she didn't feel happy nor relieved. He was still alive, btu with a wound like that, he wouldn't be able to keep fighting. But that didn't calm her.

He was smiling.

The man was smiling and that bothered her a lot.

A deep and raspy voice. ''I've been waiting for you to get this close the last minute.''

Asami's eyes widened, and the flavor of iron returned in her mouth. Blood leaked from the corners of her mouth and she looked down. A kunai was plunged into her stomach. Asami was confused and shocked.

When did he get that kunai? His pouch was empty, and the last weapon he was carrying was the kunai Asami stabbed him with. It was because she was sure he was unarmed that she thought she could get close to him.

Red droplets dripped onto the ground and Asami stumbled back. She suddenly felt very weak, and her legs couldn't support her weight anymore.

The man merely chuckled and collapsed himself as well. The pain in his shoulder had become unbearable, but it was nothing compared to what Asami was feeling at that moment. Everything was beginning to get blurry now and then, and Asami felt like she could lose consciousness at any moment.

A great amount of blood was leaving her body through the deep cut in the stomach. It was just too much. She felt cold, and the ground was hard. Was this it? Was it really going to end here?

Just when she was about to give up, she felt something warm near her serious injury, and she recognized it immediately.

It was Medical Ninjutsu.