VII

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Arc VII Chapter 1

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Satoshi guided his men and pursued Asami. The girl was hard to track, especially in urban terrain. The princess was fast and led the charge, but luckily Asami was still Asami.

They followed the sound of her explosions, the purple shade of her flames, the charred corpses along her path. This was definitely her. This was her signature.

His men passed what remained of the Oto-nin. They dared to oppose her and paid the price. Their blood painted the sand, the street, the walls red. Their mutilated corpses littered the ground, massacred, slaughtered, eviscerated.

Satoshi averted his eyes. He ignored the uneasiness in his heart. The little princess didn’t hold back. “Mashiro, do we have clan ninja?”

Mashiro nodded. His answer was positive. “We do.”

“How many?”

“Four Hyuga. Seven Yamanaka. Five Nara. Two Aburame.”

“That's all?” Satoshi frowned. The numbers disappointed him. Eighteen wasn’t much. They needed firepower to survive, first strike capabilities. “Are they capable of shadow and mind manipulation?”

Mashiro nodded once again. “I assume so.”

The earth trembled and a column of dust and smoke rose on the horizon. A series of consecutive detonations followed. The girl loved playing with super heavy ordnance. Her destructive tendencies cared little about collateral damage and civilian casualties.

Satoshi clicked his tongue. “We need to strike and hit hard. We need to pin her down, as we only get a single chance. If we fail, ...”

He remained silent. Some words were better left unspoken. He had to think positively. They wouldn’t die today. They had a plan. “Tell them to be prepared and stun her when I give the signal. We will strike at the right moment.”

“What is this ‘right moment’, Captain?”

Satoshi smiled, maintaining his facade. “You will know when the moment comes, but no pressure. Don't worry and stay calm. If we fail, we are all dead anyway.”

The Yamanaka hesitated. “I understand ...”

Satoshi's instincts flared up. He sensed a massive concentration of chakra ahead of them. Chakra saturated the air. A detonation awaited them.

His eyes closed, and his world turned white until the violent shock wave tore him back to reality. The detonation was fast, accurate, powerful, deadly.

Satoski inspected his men. They were still disoriented after getting hit by her lovely flash bang, “Atsutane, Tanosuke, Satsuki, get up. You have a mission.”

“Inform Danzo we are going to engage our target. He shall send in everything they have.”

“Understood, Captain.”

“Atsusane, can you do me a little favour?” Satoshi flashed a smile, the smile of a dead man. “If we bite the dust, tell Danzo I told him so, and that he can go fuck himself. He will have the honour of dealing with the little psychopathic princess.”

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Her flames dissipated. The results satisfied Asami. Her katon performed admirably and claimed another batch of Oto.nin, but they just kept coming. They didn't learn their lesson. Fresh supply never ceased, and Asami stopped counting. Their deaths didn't bother her. Their lives were not her concern. Her enemies were numbers, anonymous and without face, destined to be felled by her blade.

Asami observed the battlefield and beamed while surrounded by charred bodies, burnt beyond recognition. Her flames had grilled them alive. They thought they could get past her. They thought they could escape. They were wrong.

The remaining Oto-nin held their breath. Their eyes stared at her in fear, in dread. Angst, terror, desperation ensnared their hearts.

Asami stepped forwards and their faces paled. Her hand once again reached for her blade, her trusted servant. “Who is next. I am waiting.” Three Oto-nin snapped and attacked. The pressure proved too much.

How disappointing. They learned nothing.

Her fire finished them before they even got close, setting them aflame. Their flesh burnt, the Oto-nin turned into lifeless husks, killed before the eyes of their comrades.

The Oto-nin glared. Many of them had tried, but all had failed. They were sliced, beheaded, mutilated, burnt, butchered by the demon in black. Blood adorned her kimono, and the girl wore her new colours with pride.

Her presence terrified them. Her smile, her aura, her eyes.

...

...

...

The Oto-nin reconsidered their loyalty. They feared Orochimaru, but fear alone wasn't enough to compel them to fight. The demon was close, and Orochimaru was far away.

The Oto-nin dropped their kunai, their shuriken, their swords, their axes. They dropped their weapons and raised their hands. “We surrender.”

Asami applauded. “Excellent decision, you are smarter than you look.” Chakra filled the area together with the wonderful crackling of blazing fire. Her chakra danced and tension was palpable.

“Sadly, I am not taking prisoners.” Asami waved goodbye. In an instant, her chakra set the very air ablaze in a giant purple conflagration, disintegrating the unarmed Oto-nin alive.

Her hand picked up a scrap of cloth. “That should suffice.” Her blade required a little love. Asami polished her sword until her blade sparkled in the sunlight. Blood was corrosive, and rust was the archenemy of every good sword.

...

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...

“Captain.”

“I am listening, Satoshi. What do you want, my friend?” Asami paid little attention to her visitors. Polishing her blade was more important.

Satoshi and his men surrounded the area. They were ANBU, Root ANBU, Danzo's personal guard dogs. They had arrived.

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