Of Bone And Ice - Chapter 14

A massive explosion shook the entire building shattering the large windows and cracking the walls. Everyone in the party room abruptly started screaming in panic, the guards suddenly rushed around Kinjo and others began rushing to the site of the explosion.

“Please everyone remain calm!” One of the guards tried to shout above the confusion but it was no use. Everyone was rushing to the exit pushing past each other with no regard for anyone other than themselves. Sano and Toyoda nodded at each other as now was a perfect chance to kill the target.

Toyoda rushed around to the left side while Sano ran straight towards Kinjos location. “Please help me lord Kinjo!” She screamed drawing all of their attention. Two of the guards stopped her path and she suddenly pretended to faint both of them catching her.

“Wake up madam!” The guard shouted but it was no use. Swiftly Toyoda cut through all of the guards in his path before reaching Kinjo. The two guards were so shocked at what had just happened they did even see Sano move to end both of their lives.

Both Toyoda and Sano had tossed their disguises away and released the transformation jutsu and surrounded Kinjo.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Kinjo shouted outraged.

“Sorry my lord but this is the end of the line,” Toyoda said as he dashed forwards kunai in hand. Kinjo fell to the floor cowering as his life flashed before his eyes when two shadows appeared before him. A woman hand stopped Toyoda’s advance with her bȧrė hand holding his kunai in a tight grip. “What in the?” Toyoda said out loud as the woman smile, she suddenly spun around her long black hair shadowing the spinning back kick that followed to Toyoda’s stomach sending him back a few meters.

“Toyoda!” Sano shouted but she had her own problems and she quickly ducked and jumped backwards performing a back handspring to get clear of her ȧssailant. Both a man and the woman who had kicked Toyoda across the room stood in between them and Kinjo. Toyoda stood back to his feet throwing a table off of him as he did. Taking in all of the details he looked at the woman first.

She was tall standing at about 5 foot 9, she had long black hair that fell below her buŧŧock and wore a red hidden waterfall headband. She had a sleeveless black bodysuit that also covered her full legs down to her boots. Toyoda then looked to the large muscular man, he stood at around 6 foot 5 and was very well built. He had a black face mask on and a hidden waterfall headband that was tied around a metal helmet with a trident-shaped ornament on top. His upper body was bȧrė showing many scares around his torso. On each hand, he had a set of three claws and they looked razor-sharp.

“Don’t let your guard down, Sano!” Toyoda shouted sounding worried as he raised his kunai putting his guard up fully. Sano also did the same thing and they had no choice but to wait.

Kinjo stood to his feet dusting himself off as he did. “Well, it’s about time you got here! Another second and I could have been killed!” The large man turned to face Kinjo.

“I suggest you leave this place lord Kinjo, things could get messy.”

Kinjo gulped and nodded, “Very well Kawabata I leave things here to you and Matsutani.” With that, he turned on his heels and walked off exiting the room calling for his guards.

“These guys must be part of the same team that Kure and Zayasu were fighting out in the courtyard.” The woman said flicking her hair out of her face with her hand. The large man turned to face Toyoda and Sano and crossed both his claws across his ċhėst.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Kawabata Kunimichi of the hidden waterfall, this here is Matsutani Aishun also of the hidden waterfall. We will be the last faces you ever see.”

“Look out!” Toyoda shouted as both the hidden waterfall ninja charged forward. They started zigzagging between one another and it seemed they were used to working together. Kawabata lunged forward slashing at Sano who was forced on the defensive ducking under his first slash and then blocking his second with her kunai.

“Not that easy little girl.” He said as suddenly lightning style enveloped his claws and cut through Sano’s kunai like buŧŧer. Sano quickly jumped backwards doing a flip and tossed a handful of shuriken at Kawabata. He easily blocked all of them with his claws and pressed on the ȧssault once again.

Matsutani went after Toyoda engaging in a taijutsu match, she was very skilled and Toyoda was starting to struggle against her constant ȧssault. “Such a shame to kill such a handsome man like you!” She shouted as she spun around dropping to her knee sweeping Toyoda’s legs from under him. Toyoda hit the ground and she quickly mounted him raising her hand for the finishing blow. “Your the one who is dying today,” Toyoda spoke softly as his body was suddenly replaced by the dead body of one of the guards that were lying about.

“Genjutsu?!” She shouted as Toyoda appeared behind her slamming his kunai into the back of her neck going for a killing blow. To his surprise, his kunai snapped as it made contact with her neck and in the surprise of the moment she struck him with another kick into his gut sending him stumbling back. Matsutani stood to face him with a cheeky grin on her face, “Sorry honey but I’m not that easy to stick.”

Meanwhile, Sano was doing her best to avoid Kawabata’s onslaught and she was struggling to get any distance from him, despite his size he was pretty agile. He launched forward slashing in all directions catching her across her back as she tried to flip out of the way. She screamed in pain as she hit the floor hard.

Kawabata laughed as he walked over to Sano picking her up by her neck. “You don’t stand a chance against me little girl.”

Sano couldn’t speak as his grip around her throat was too strong. Instead, she dropped a gas canister and forced a smile before it set off. A huge poison fog spread all around the area Sano and Kawabata were battling in and Kawabata quickly dropped her dashing out of the fog as fast as he could.

“You bitch trying to take us both down!”

Sano was nowhere to be seen as the poison fog was to thick to see through. Shuriken flew out of the fog and Kawabata was forced on the defensive as he blocked all of the projectiles aimed at him.

“I can do this all day!” He shouted waiting to see what she would do next. “Alright, that’s enough of this if you won’t come out then I will make you! Wind style!” He shouted as he made the hand signs. “Violent whirlwind!” Kawabata shouted as he unleashed a massive gust of wind from his mouth blowing the poison cloud away.

Sano, however, was nowhere to be seen and Kawabata was surprised. “Looks like your not just a little girl after all.”

Tsuji Had herd the explosion and headed for its origin, along the way he had encountered a fair few guards but thanks to his disguise as a waiter no one stopped him. As Tsuji reached the side of the mansion that had taken the brunt of the explosion he could see the level of destruction that had been done. Half of the courtyard and most of the side of the building facing it had been heavily damaged. Tsuji stepped over the rubble and started looking for any signs of life.

His search effort was cut short by a gruff male voice capturing his attention. “I take it you’re a friend of the one my comrades were battling here.” The voice spoke with little enthusiasm. Tsuji turned to look at the owner of the voice and was quite surprised at who he saw.

It was a man sat on one of the larger pieces of rubble, his face was covered by his Kasa (Straw hat) on his head, he wore a blue kimono with a white dragon pattern on it. Only one of his arms were in the sleeve and the other was bear. He had a samurai sword strapped to his hip and black combat pants with battle boots on. One hand was on the tip of his swords handle while the other was on his hat.

“That would make us enemies boy.” He said as he slowly stood to his feet revealing his battle-hardened face. His eyes gave a heavy stair, his long black hair blowing gently in the night breeze.

Tsuji smiled and released his transformation jutsu drawing his large sword. “I guess it does.”

The samurai also drew his blade, “My name is Togoshi TakaakiI am a ronin.”

He was cut off by Tsuji, “Yeah whatever lets fight!” He shouted as he slammed his massive blade down trying to split the ronin in half.

“I thought you would like to know the name of the man that kills you.” He whispered as he counterattacked his blade missing Tsuji’s throat by a millimetre. Tsuji had managed to dodge the attack by a hairs length, quickly he pulled his blade from the ground and spun around slashing hard towards Togoshi’s midsection but his blade never made contact.

Togoshi had jumped into the air his legs raised as he avoided the attack and swung his own blade down aimed for the top of Tsuji’s head. Tsuji jumped back as fast as he could but hadn’t managed to dodge the attack fully. Togoshi had landed a clean slash down Tsuji’s face from his forehead going right down his left eye, luckily the cut wasn’t deep and he hadn’t lost his eye. He may as well have though as blood seeped into it obscuring his vision.

Togoshi let out a breath as he changed his fighting stance pulling his sword so it ran along the side of his face pointing at Tsuji. “Time for me to stop playing around.” He said as his blade suddenly became engulfed in a blue chakra making it even more deadly.

Sano had managed to take the opportunity to hide from her opponent with the aid of her poison gas, luckily she had the antidote and with it, she was immune to its effects. Now that she had the element of surprise on her side she stood a chance of winning. She had to be fast though so not to let him aim his partner in fighting Toyoda. “Let’s see if he can stop this.” She said as she readied her weapons.

Toyoda was in a world of trouble as Matsutani’s defence was pretty much impenetrable, turns out she could use the steel release and even turn her entire body harder than steel and even turn her limbs into weapons. Toyoda was pretty sure he was only still alive because she wanted to take her time with him.

She had become aware of his genjutsu abilities and never gave him enough time to cast a strong enough one on her to change the course of the battle. For now, all he was able to do was small illusions to help gain small advantages but every time he did Matsutani would simply case herself in steel and became almost impossible to kill.

“What’s the matter pretty boy, I thought you wanted to stick your weapon in me?!” Matsutani shouted as she attacked in rapid succession. Toyoda avoided her punches and flipped backwards avoiding a high roundhouse.

“Sorry but you arnt my type!” Toyoda shouted as he quickly made a bunch of hand signs. Matsutani realised what he was doing and quickly lunged forward trying to stop his jutsu. “I don’t think so!” She shouted as she ripped her arm right through his midsection.

“A clone, quick thinking of you, now where is the rea.” She was cut off as Toyoda spat out blood onto her face. “Don’t get too excited honey, I haven’t finished my load just yet.” He said with a cheeky grin and he finished his last few hand signs.

“Why you!” She shouted in a fit of rage as she lifted her other hand turning the edge of it razor-sharp ready to cut Toyoda’s head off. Her body suddenly stopped and her hand halted just inches away from his head as his Genjutsu had taken full effect. “Your mine now.” He said as he coughed up a little more blood pulling her hand out of his body.

He fell to one knee and pressed his hand over the wound. “Looks like she cut me deeper than I thought.”

“That’s enough hide and seek bitch! Show yourself!” Kawabata shouted as he started weaving hand signs. “I’ll bring down this whole place if it means flushing you out!”

A sudden storm of shuriken flew towards him and Kawabata was quickly pressed against the wall as he tried his best to deflect all of them. He only noticed a gas canister land at his feet at the last second and a shuriken hit him in the shoulder, dashing out of the poison smoke he continued to deflect the rain of shuriken that was still flying at him and he jumped doing a big flip landing in a spiderman pose. Two kunai wrapped in an explosive tag landed on each side of him and exploded creating a debris cloud.

Kawabata shot out of the smoke high into the air and stuck to the roof with his feet. He blocked another handful of shuriken with only one arm and then pulled out the one stuck in his shoulder. “You think this is enough to take me down?”

Suddenly Sano appeared right in front of Kawabata pulling another gas canister pin right in his face. To her surprise though he didn’t retreat and instead stabbed his claws into her ċhėst landing a vital blow. The shock on her face faded as she lost conciseness and fell to the ground hard. Kawabata quickly jumped down making sure he was clear of the gas before taking a breath.

“Looks like your poison is harmless if I don’t breath it in.” He turned to look over at his teammate and was surprised to see her frozen in place and Toyoda crouched down holding his wound.

“What the hell is she doing?” He said as a sudden jolt of pain radiated from his shoulder. Kawabata grabbed where his wound was and could see that the veins in his arm and shoulder had turned black. “She poisoned the shuriken!” He said as the poison started to take effect and he fell to his knees losing the feeling in his legs.

“In a few minutes your lungs will stop working and you will die…” A soft voice said from behind him. He forced himself to turn and look, it was Sano and even though she was dying herself she still had a smile on her face.

“You bitch!” Kawabata said in a malicious voice. “I’ll see you in hell…” He finally said before he collapsed to the floor the poison taking full effect. Sano’s last thoughts were starting to fade and not long after the light left her eyes.

Toyoda had watched from the sidelines powerless to stop what had happened to Sano. His wound wasn’t looking good but if he treated it soon it wouldn’t become life-threatening. The only problem was that the only medic had just been killed and all he could do for now was tie a piece of his cape that he had torn off around it.

His Genjutsu had taken full effect of Matsutani but it had come at great cost. Toyoda had realized he would not be able to beat her without pulling a fast one like that as it was the only way to trap her in his jutsu.

Matsutani’s world was black and she could feel nothing. It was as if all of her senses had been blocked and she had no idea how long she had been there. She screamed for him to face her like a man but she couldn’t even hear her own words. She tried activating her steel release jutsu to cover her body but she couldn’t feel if it had even worked. She tried to focus on breaking the flow of her chakra but the Genjutsu was too strong to break alone.

On the outside, her body was fully clad in her steel jutsu and Toyoda still couldn’t deliver the finishing blow. At this rate, his Genjutsu would fade before she let her defences down and he decided he had no choice. Placing a hand on her forehead he started to channel his chakra. “I have to create a more powerful Genjutsu to finish her off. But It will drain most of the chakra I have left and I won’t be able to stop the bleeding with it anymore.” He thought to himself

“Looks like it’s up to you captain Yuki. Hopefully, our sacrifice leads to the success of the mission.”

Tsuji was locked in a vicious sword fight to the death. His adversary Togoshi was an extremely skilled Kenjutsu parishioner and his skill in battle was evident. Tsuji was using every ounce of his abilities just to stay alive and it still seemed as if Togoshi was playing with him.

“Don’t look so bewildered boy, I have been wielding a sword since before you were even born,” Togoshi said as he rested the back of his blade on his shoulder. Tsuji slammed his blade’s tip into the ground and quickly began forming hand signs.

“Water style, water dragon jutsu!” He shouted as a fair amount of water formed from thin air into the shape of a dragon and darted towards Togoshi like a missile. Togoshi raised his blade and swung it releasing a powerful chakra slice stopping the water dragon in its tracks soaking the ground in the process.

“That level of water style will never reach me, boy,” Togoshi said once again readying his blade for another attack. “I think it is time we finished this little escapade.”

Togoshi swung his blade unleashing a chakra blast right at Tsuji, he picked up his blade and swung it as hard as he could to counter it but the blast tore right through his own blade snapping it in two. Tsuji felt like a helpless child and dropped to his knees after seeing what had become of his blade.

“Don’t tell me you have given up boy?” Togoshi said as he appeared behind Tsuki his blade pressed against the side of his neck. Tsuji tried to swing one final attack but before he knew it he was disarmed and placed in a heavy wrist and shoulder lock pinning him to the ground. Togoshi had him pinning in the joint lock with one hand and placed the tip of his blade against the back of Tsuji’s neck with the other.

Tsuki gulped as his last moments were upon him his heart thumping loudly in his ċhėst.

“This is the end, boy,” Togoshi said as he slid his blade into the back of Tsuji’s neck severing his spinal cord from his brain granting him a quick death. Tsuji’s arm fell lifeless to the floor as Togoshi released it, with the flick of his wrist he swung his sword flicking the blood off the end of it before spinning it around and placing it back into its sheath.

“A merciful death young one.” He spoke softly as he picked his hat up off a piece of rubble and place it back on his head walking back towards the huge hole in the building. Suddenly his battle-hardened reflexes kicked in and he drew his sword in a flash of blinding speed to deflect what looked to be a sharp piece of bone.

He quickly deflected more blows that came from the same weapon and slashed at the person responsible for the attack. To his surprise, it felt as if his blade had hit a wall of steel and as his eyes adjusted to his attacker’s form he noticed it was a child.

Fuyōna had survived the explosion by encasing his entire body in as much bone as he could, the blast had still done damage and the force of it had rendered him unconscious and trapped under a large amount of rubble and debris. When he had come too he could hear what sounded like a battle and just as he had managed to shake himself free from his concrete prison he had witnessed this man kill Tsuji. He was pissed and he planned on taking out all of his rage on Togoshi for killing his teammate.

Togoshi’s blade was trapped under Fuyōna’s arm as he hadn’t even bothered to block the attack instead absorbing it with his ribs and then locking it in place with his arm. Togoshi was a little surprised that his blade had been trapped so easily and was about to channel his chakra through it but he was suddenly forced to let go of his blade and retreat. Bones had suddenly darted out of Fuyōna’s body from all over ready to skewer Togoshi like a ragdoll and they would have too if he had not retreated.

Fuyōna tossed the sword aside and slowly started walking towards Togoshi white bones protruding from all over his body most noticeably two horns atop his head making him look like a devil.

“What the hell is this kid?” He said as he noticed his breath suddenly visible in the air. “Cold?” He said again as the temperature around his suddenly dropped to freezing. The edges of a bit of rubble had even started to freeze over and layers of ice started forming on the floor where Fuyōna stepped.

Togoshi looked at his sword and then at the demon that was walking towards him. “I can’t win this…” He said as he turned on his heel ready to retreat. To his surprise, He was met with his reflection for a brief moment as he fell into the ice mirror before finding himself standing in front of Fuyōna. He looked down to see Fuyōna’s bone blade sticking in his ċhėst and then looked the child in the eyes.

“Ice style, Piercing flash freeze,” Fuyōna said as the ice started to spread from the wound in Togoshi’s ċhėst quickly freezing his entire body in a matter of seconds. Fuyōna pulled his blade out and Togoshi’s body shattered into pieces onto the ground. Fuyōna allowed the bones to return into his body and the temperature around the area returned to normal as his chakra settled.

He walked over to Tsuji’s body and looked at it for a moment in silence. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.” He said as he placed an explosive tag on his body. “Farewell Tsuji.” He said as he walked into the building the explosion sounding behind him destroying his teammate’s body.

Fuyōna made his way inside and finally reached the party hall. In an instant, he took in the situation and could see that Sano was dead and Toyoda was not far behind. He quickly ran over to Toyoda who smiled when he saw who it was.

“I knew you would make it… C-Captian.” He said as he breathed his final breath the light leaving his eye’s. Fuyōna lowered his head and bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. “I couldn’t save any of them after all.” He said almost to quiet to hear.

He placed another tag on Toyoda’s body and walked over to Sano’s body. She had a smile on her face and looked as if she died proudly. “Forgive me, Sano,” Fuyōna spoke as he placed another tag on her body before walking out of the estate the explosions signalling the end of his teammate’s existence.

Shinobi were taught to suppress all emotion. There was no sorrow, no sadness. The mission came first. At least that was what was drilled into you. After surviving, many battles in the war Fuyōna had become almost completely emotionless or could at least be when he wanted to.

In the not to far distance he could see that Kinjo was being escorted away in his carrier surround by about fifty guards. Fuyōna raised his head and took a deep breath. “The mission comes first.”

With that, he placed his hands together making the hand sign for his ice mirrors. One of which formed right in front of him while the other formed far into the distance. Fuyōna stepped inside the first and not even a second later out of the other doing the same again this time slipping out of a mirror now facing Kinjos escort.

“Where the hell did this kid come from?” One of the guards shouted. The others raised their weapons and suddenly became tense. “Watch out he’s here for lord Kinjo!” Another shouted and they surrounded Fuyōna.

They were nothing other than simple guards who couldn’t even use ninjutsu and to Fuyōna they may have well-been children. “Alright, men lets take him!” One of the guards shouted as he and ten others ran at Fuyōna spears raised ready to attack.

Fuyōna didn’t even more as bones sprang out killing all of them without any effort at all. The others started panicking and they charged in at the same time giving a battle cry.

Fuyōna dashed forward like a hurricane and swept through all forty of them without any resistance what so ever. Kinjo had tried to run away after witnessing the sight of Fuyōna abolishing all of his men but he was suddenly met by his own reflection as he ran into an ice mirror that formed right in front of him. He failed to stop in time and hit the mirror hard falling backwards blood gushing from his nose. Not a moment later Fuyōna stepped out of the mirror his form almost demonic.

His clothing was covered in holes and the blood of his enemies, his aura was cold and his eyes even more so. “Lord Kinjo…” He spoke gaining his attention.

“Lord Mizukage sends his regards.” He said as he pulled a bone blade from his shoulder readying it to deliver the killing blow. Kinjo stuttered and was about to speak but his view was suddenly flipped upside down as his head left his shoulders.

Fuyōna stood for a moment as he looked at his handy work and then turned to look back at the estate that was ablaze.. The moonlight reflected off of Fuyōna’s form and he looked up at it taking a moment to clear his thoughts amidst the carnage before him.