clarinetti
Spectre
The Field of the End
Despite her inclination to stiffen at the jinchuuriki's gesture, Akane didn't bother to move the hand which Akago placed on her shoulder. But this was most likely as her attention was diverted back to Shirokko, watching as the sand-nin rose to grab her hand, as though her wounds were nothing. But it was the words, and the manner in which they were said which affected the Iwa-nin the most, and for a moment she forgot that she was in the middle of a warzone, forgot the heavy things which weighed on her mind and the grim task set before them. All which she could concentrate on was the almost (but not quite) painful throbbing in her chest, and the absence of that ache which she had become too familiar with. There was not a single word which could accurately describe the vortex of complex feelings which rose within her in response to the displays of affection that she had received. It was true that she had been shown compassion and concern before by a handful of people over the past several months, and yet it was perhaps only now that she found herself able to wholly accept it without diluting it or being shielded by the mask of indifference she'd grown so attached to.
Was she suddenly a whole new person, capable of freely expressing emotion and being open with everyone around her? Hardly, and taking into consideration her overall character, she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to reach that point.... But that was something she could accept, if she could still hold onto this feeling and try to give even a fraction of it back to those whom she had grown closer to, who had become her anchors in these turbulent times.
Gradually coming out from her brief daze, the Kurokawa found her eyesight unusually blurry, and quickly used her free hand to clear her vision before finally addressing the pair, her tone heavy and raw. "....You, are far too kind at times, Shirokko... but it is this openness, this ability to give love unconditionally as you do, this is one of your greatest strengths. I look forward to seeing the future when the bonds between our countries are as close as those which have been forged between us." Pausing, the women's voice grew huskier, barely more than a murmur, but audible still to the woman beside her. "I am grateful to have you, as a sister."
After clearing her throat and turning to face Akago, Akane's expression hardened slightly, though a thin smile still twisted the corners of her lips. "Likewise, I am happy to see that you are well, and that you two have managed to reunite with one another. I suppose you haven't had time to catch up, with everything going on... Yes, what you heard was true- fortunately, Shirokko found me and used the One-Tails chakra to keep me alive until we reached the hospital in Kumogakure, where I was able to recover... we can go into more detail later, but now is not the time to do so." Eyes flickering over to Akago's cat friend, the woman felt a twinge of confusion at Haru's statement, but ultimately decided to brush it off- if need be, she could get clarification on the matter later. "If I did indeed abandon you, Haru, I apologize for doing so and assure you it was not my intent. It is good to see that you are also well." she replied, hoping her words would quell the creature's grievances.
We can't get caught up in chit-chat: we need to get moving to Konoha, and have this matter be resolved before further complications arise, she reminded herself, shaking her head slightly as she did so. Yes, they couldn't dawdle... but another part of her felt a familiar twinge, despite the warm sensation which continued to fill her chest. As much as she didn't want to... she needed to get clarification on one particular matter. "If you are both well and able, you should indeed proceed to Konoha- I shall join you shortly, but first need to ensure that the remaining undead are sealed. However, if I may... Akago, do you know what happened to Anpan, where you last saw him?" she finally asked, but seeing the look on the shinobi's face told her everything. Where he was, whether or not he was alive, the jinchuuriki did not know these things, and it did nothing to ease the uncertainty which bubbled in her mind, though she did her best to bury it as quickly as it came. Before he could answer, she found herself continuing, not quite willing to hear the words spoken aloud. "Ah, nevermind- these are things which can be discussed another time. For now, we must fulfill the tasks which we have been assigned to.... Do not worry about me or the situation here- it will be fine. Be careful, watch out for each other... and stay safe. I will see you soon." she finally finished, and after nodding to the clone before giving the pair a final smile, the woman slipped through the wall of fire and back into the fray.
While there were only bodies left as she sprinted across the field, the woman knew in her gut that not all was calm. The whereabouts of the remaining Kiri ninja or the reincarnates, she was not sure, but she hoped they would be able to handle the threat- she had other matters to attend to after all. The antics of the necromancer and his vile jutsu had gone on for far too long, and she would see to it that he was dealt with before allowed to cause further chaos. Lucky for her, fortune oft favors the prepared, and she was nothing if not that. Digging into her side-pouch, Akane pulled out a black scroll along with a thin glass vial, the contents within dark and congealing. Lightly tapping the bottle, she proceeded to pull out the cap and smear the thick, crimson substance across the scroll, her eyes cold and steely as the parchment greedily sucked it off the surface. Biting her thumb, the kunoichi stamped the paper with her blood before moving through a flurry of hand signs. "Chakra Seal." she murmured, and in that moment a single kanji surrounded by a ring of smaller symbols etched itself onto the targets flesh. At the same time, the woman became aware of one particular pinprick of chakra, beckoning her into the dense fog which consumed much of the battlefield, and without hesitation dove into it, the beacon growing stronger with every step she took.
Any of the man's attempts at summoning or ninjutsu would prove fruitless- so long as the seal held, his chakra would be blocked. He could flee to the other side of the continent, hide within the darkest corners of the earth and she still would find him with ease now that the seal was activated. No, there would be no escape for Gonta Snow: she would have his corpse before the battle was over, and Kami save the fool who attempted to stand in her way.
Akane didn't need to turn her head to see that the clone was following her, and at this she breathed a silent sigh of relief. If nothing else, he'd be able to keep her informed on how things were progressing in Konoha while she finished tying up loose ends here. "...Thank you by the way, for helping me communicate Hoshie's instructions to the alliance and staying to keep me update on their progress- your assistance is much appreciated, stranger." she stated to the clone, her voice calmer and composed, but the sentiment of her words were still genuine. As they near the end of the mist, the woman sensed that she was almost upon her target, and she released another heavy sigh in preparation for what was to come next.
From the dense fog came a mass of chakra threads which rushed towards the summoner and his familiar. The man leapt back from the initial wave whilst the raven took flight, but the birds harsh cries were cut short as its whole body was pierced by a thick coil of interwoven threads. Evading the pesky strings as they swooped upon him, the shinobi could only grin in amusement- it didn't matter how many threads were after him if he was fast enough to avoid them all. And yet, before he could throw out a snarky comment out to his attacker, the soldier felt his footing grow unsteady, and looking towards his feet could only stare as the earth beneath him gave way to a writhing mass of threads. He left upwards to dodge, but felt something grab at his ankle, and suddenly found himself thrown back to the ground, the coils of threads encasing his body like a straightjacket. Walking out from the thinning mist was the Iwa-nin, her left hand completely hidden by all the chakra threads which seeped from her fingertips. "...Unfortunate, that you can no longer call upon your undead coherts to assist you." she remarked coolly, her voice cutting through the calm of the abandoned battlefield.
Pulling out a single kunai with her free hand, Akane approached the immobilized super-soldier, her grey irises dead as she stared down the man before her. He countered that stare for a few moments... but it was when intense pain erupted in his lower abdomen that he broke away, searching for the stab wound which wasn't present, the chakra covered blade still hovering inches from his body. The Iwa-woman internally smirked at his confusion, though the sentiment wasn't visibly emoted. No, as satisfying as it might've been to gut the man from collarbone to navel, he'd likely bleed out before she got what she needed from him. But allowing the chakra coating to pierce through would trigger the nearby neural pathways, thereby stimulating pain without risk of killing him prematurely.... that much she could do, for however long she needed to. Leaning the blade a hair closer to the groin this time, agony again shot through the Kakureyami loyalist, but she was apathetic to his suffering. She spent a few minutes like this, poking and prodding around to see which regions provoked the strongest, more volatile reactions before finally retracting the chakra blade, waiting until his cries diminished before finally speaking. "I'm afraid I've never been much for pleasantries... so let's just get to the point. Tell me how to control the reanimates, and how to undo the jutsu."
@White Masquerade
@IG42
@Drumonkey
@BlacklegSanji
Was she suddenly a whole new person, capable of freely expressing emotion and being open with everyone around her? Hardly, and taking into consideration her overall character, she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to reach that point.... But that was something she could accept, if she could still hold onto this feeling and try to give even a fraction of it back to those whom she had grown closer to, who had become her anchors in these turbulent times.
Gradually coming out from her brief daze, the Kurokawa found her eyesight unusually blurry, and quickly used her free hand to clear her vision before finally addressing the pair, her tone heavy and raw. "....You, are far too kind at times, Shirokko... but it is this openness, this ability to give love unconditionally as you do, this is one of your greatest strengths. I look forward to seeing the future when the bonds between our countries are as close as those which have been forged between us." Pausing, the women's voice grew huskier, barely more than a murmur, but audible still to the woman beside her. "I am grateful to have you, as a sister."
After clearing her throat and turning to face Akago, Akane's expression hardened slightly, though a thin smile still twisted the corners of her lips. "Likewise, I am happy to see that you are well, and that you two have managed to reunite with one another. I suppose you haven't had time to catch up, with everything going on... Yes, what you heard was true- fortunately, Shirokko found me and used the One-Tails chakra to keep me alive until we reached the hospital in Kumogakure, where I was able to recover... we can go into more detail later, but now is not the time to do so." Eyes flickering over to Akago's cat friend, the woman felt a twinge of confusion at Haru's statement, but ultimately decided to brush it off- if need be, she could get clarification on the matter later. "If I did indeed abandon you, Haru, I apologize for doing so and assure you it was not my intent. It is good to see that you are also well." she replied, hoping her words would quell the creature's grievances.
We can't get caught up in chit-chat: we need to get moving to Konoha, and have this matter be resolved before further complications arise, she reminded herself, shaking her head slightly as she did so. Yes, they couldn't dawdle... but another part of her felt a familiar twinge, despite the warm sensation which continued to fill her chest. As much as she didn't want to... she needed to get clarification on one particular matter. "If you are both well and able, you should indeed proceed to Konoha- I shall join you shortly, but first need to ensure that the remaining undead are sealed. However, if I may... Akago, do you know what happened to Anpan, where you last saw him?" she finally asked, but seeing the look on the shinobi's face told her everything. Where he was, whether or not he was alive, the jinchuuriki did not know these things, and it did nothing to ease the uncertainty which bubbled in her mind, though she did her best to bury it as quickly as it came. Before he could answer, she found herself continuing, not quite willing to hear the words spoken aloud. "Ah, nevermind- these are things which can be discussed another time. For now, we must fulfill the tasks which we have been assigned to.... Do not worry about me or the situation here- it will be fine. Be careful, watch out for each other... and stay safe. I will see you soon." she finally finished, and after nodding to the clone before giving the pair a final smile, the woman slipped through the wall of fire and back into the fray.
While there were only bodies left as she sprinted across the field, the woman knew in her gut that not all was calm. The whereabouts of the remaining Kiri ninja or the reincarnates, she was not sure, but she hoped they would be able to handle the threat- she had other matters to attend to after all. The antics of the necromancer and his vile jutsu had gone on for far too long, and she would see to it that he was dealt with before allowed to cause further chaos. Lucky for her, fortune oft favors the prepared, and she was nothing if not that. Digging into her side-pouch, Akane pulled out a black scroll along with a thin glass vial, the contents within dark and congealing. Lightly tapping the bottle, she proceeded to pull out the cap and smear the thick, crimson substance across the scroll, her eyes cold and steely as the parchment greedily sucked it off the surface. Biting her thumb, the kunoichi stamped the paper with her blood before moving through a flurry of hand signs. "Chakra Seal." she murmured, and in that moment a single kanji surrounded by a ring of smaller symbols etched itself onto the targets flesh. At the same time, the woman became aware of one particular pinprick of chakra, beckoning her into the dense fog which consumed much of the battlefield, and without hesitation dove into it, the beacon growing stronger with every step she took.
Any of the man's attempts at summoning or ninjutsu would prove fruitless- so long as the seal held, his chakra would be blocked. He could flee to the other side of the continent, hide within the darkest corners of the earth and she still would find him with ease now that the seal was activated. No, there would be no escape for Gonta Snow: she would have his corpse before the battle was over, and Kami save the fool who attempted to stand in her way.
Akane didn't need to turn her head to see that the clone was following her, and at this she breathed a silent sigh of relief. If nothing else, he'd be able to keep her informed on how things were progressing in Konoha while she finished tying up loose ends here. "...Thank you by the way, for helping me communicate Hoshie's instructions to the alliance and staying to keep me update on their progress- your assistance is much appreciated, stranger." she stated to the clone, her voice calmer and composed, but the sentiment of her words were still genuine. As they near the end of the mist, the woman sensed that she was almost upon her target, and she released another heavy sigh in preparation for what was to come next.
From the dense fog came a mass of chakra threads which rushed towards the summoner and his familiar. The man leapt back from the initial wave whilst the raven took flight, but the birds harsh cries were cut short as its whole body was pierced by a thick coil of interwoven threads. Evading the pesky strings as they swooped upon him, the shinobi could only grin in amusement- it didn't matter how many threads were after him if he was fast enough to avoid them all. And yet, before he could throw out a snarky comment out to his attacker, the soldier felt his footing grow unsteady, and looking towards his feet could only stare as the earth beneath him gave way to a writhing mass of threads. He left upwards to dodge, but felt something grab at his ankle, and suddenly found himself thrown back to the ground, the coils of threads encasing his body like a straightjacket. Walking out from the thinning mist was the Iwa-nin, her left hand completely hidden by all the chakra threads which seeped from her fingertips. "...Unfortunate, that you can no longer call upon your undead coherts to assist you." she remarked coolly, her voice cutting through the calm of the abandoned battlefield.
Pulling out a single kunai with her free hand, Akane approached the immobilized super-soldier, her grey irises dead as she stared down the man before her. He countered that stare for a few moments... but it was when intense pain erupted in his lower abdomen that he broke away, searching for the stab wound which wasn't present, the chakra covered blade still hovering inches from his body. The Iwa-woman internally smirked at his confusion, though the sentiment wasn't visibly emoted. No, as satisfying as it might've been to gut the man from collarbone to navel, he'd likely bleed out before she got what she needed from him. But allowing the chakra coating to pierce through would trigger the nearby neural pathways, thereby stimulating pain without risk of killing him prematurely.... that much she could do, for however long she needed to. Leaning the blade a hair closer to the groin this time, agony again shot through the Kakureyami loyalist, but she was apathetic to his suffering. She spent a few minutes like this, poking and prodding around to see which regions provoked the strongest, more volatile reactions before finally retracting the chakra blade, waiting until his cries diminished before finally speaking. "I'm afraid I've never been much for pleasantries... so let's just get to the point. Tell me how to control the reanimates, and how to undo the jutsu."
@White Masquerade
@IG42
@Drumonkey
@BlacklegSanji
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