Dead Eyes ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Inside the Shinrin Jinja With her fist mounted at her side, Shiki launched herself straight for the blinded Yagami. The gap between them closed up and the ninja woman of Morioka thrust her fist straight at the jaw of the older Yagami. He smirked and swiftly tilted his head to one side of the blow. Shiki's hand went right past it. But she didn't stop there. The woman turned her hips towards the right and brought up her leg. She kicked at Yagami's rib area with all the speed she could gather together. Yagami's wrist shot downwards and latched onto Shiki's ankle before the kick reached centimetres of him. Which wasn't good. As soon as she felt herself being dragged inwards by the length of her leg, Shiki kicked out of his hold and jumped backwards from the taller shinobi. Her lithe body somersaulted backwards through the air repeatedly. Her body then made a graceful landing at a fourteen-metre distance from Yagami. But rather than think up a better attack plan; Shiki charged straight for Yagami again. And though he couldn't see a thing, Yagami knew exactly what Shiki was doing. She came at him again, once more leading in with a punch. The footloose boy danced around the blow, avoiding it totally. Shiki drew her arm back inward and twisted around to try to catch up with Yagami's actions. The second she did, her eyes bugged out and the wind was robbed from her lungs. Yagami's knee was planted firmly in her chest. So firmly and quickly that she hadn't even seen him move. The bigger fighter withdrew his knee from Shiki's stomach. Then smashed her across the face with the back of his right fist. Shiki wailed painfully and was thrown right off her feet. She tumbled backwards, falling over herself and rolling into a spread position. Her back on the floor, her limbs splayed out in opposite directions. Her breathing was heavy and her muscles were sore. The Mizuryu Gijutsu was still active and her body still burned with the odd trace of her green Chi flames, but she was tiring fast. Her newfound Mizuryu Gijutsu was powerful... but Yagami was right about it. It wouldn't last forever. And once it ran out, blows like his knee to her chest wouldn't just wind her... they would probably break open her ribcage. She was in a race against time to win this fight. Yagami stood above with an unfazed expression. "Ningen-jutsu (Art of Human/Martial Arts) are completely worthless against the Shinda Koukei technique. Every action that you produce will create subtle vibrations that will ripple throughout the air. My superior senses will pick up on them. And the enhanced speed of my thoughts will calculate the best way to defend against and counter these assaults." Shiki rolled onto her stomach and left arm. "...Y-You're... lying..." "No I'm not," Yagami replied, "But don't take my word for it. Try attacking me with martial arts and see for yourself. All you'll be doing is squandering the little time you'll have left for the Mizuryu Gijutsu. And once it fades away completely... I'll kill you. So face it. Face the truth. You are no match for the power of the Kagayaku. You never were and you never will be. No one person ever was." "Arrogant son of a bitch!" Shiki pulled herself up from the floor and shot over at Yagami. As she charged him she made a quick leap upwards and drew back both of her fists to her sides. Her hips made a swift turn, projecting her left leg towards her blind rival. Yagami's eyebrows rose in understanding of both direction and strength. His body shifted to one side of the kick and projected one of his own. Shiki gasped at the failure of her attack and then screamed as Yagami delivered a roundhouse blow to the back of her head. The clapping force of the kick pushed Shiki further ahead on her stumbling legs. Leaving her back open for another slash from the Mikazuki Satsujinki. Yagami drew it from behind on his back; then gave a ruthless stroke across the back of Shiki. Again. The Morioka Kunoichi grit her teeth and seethed a frustrated squeal from between them. Not only did that attack slice open a fresh wound on her body... but it cut across the one that had already been administered to her. Blood dripped freely from both wounds. Which had been awkwardly forged into a sort of cross shape. Shiki turned around and watched the silent Yagami whilst he waited for a new attack. He was right about martial arts not working against him. He hadn't been lying. But that didn't exclude all of Shiki's options. All she had to do was work fast. If not then the Mizuryu Gijutsu would surely wear off and leave her almost helpless. The girl thrust her hands into both of the shuriken pouches at the side of her leg. And hooked her fingers into the holes of six of them, three on either hand. Shiki had twelve shuriken left. Once she used these six, that would cut the number of shuriken she had left in half. But she had to take the shot now. The woman then withdrew all six of them in her two hands and crossed her arms in front of her chest. A few seconds later; those hands were burning with the smouldering emerald fire of her spirit. Thus igniting the six shuriken. Shiki braced herself, and then through all six of her flaming-jade shuriken at Yagami in a horizontal motion of the arms. "Mizuryu Style! Roku Shuri-Hou!" The six fire shuriken zoomed over at the target, Yagami. The Commander of the Six Orochi waited on. His facial expression twisted into one of alarm. Understanding. He was aware of the attack by now. His strapping young arm twirled around to get the Mikazuki Satsujinki into position, his body leaning forwards. "Frontal assaults will do you no good either!" He barked, right before showing her this. He twisted his glaive to one side and deflected the first shuriken. Then he did the same for the second and third. He then span the glaive around and around in front of him until it created almost a protective shield. The remaining three shuriken bounced off the spinning glaive with clashing sounds of metal. Each of the shuriken were batted away so quickly that they went flying in opposite directions from Yagami's point. The kind of result that Shiki was expecting. The young woman made the two-fingered sign of the shinobi and slipped her intent green eyes shut. She then began concentrating all of her power and attention on the six shuriken that Yagami had deflected. They all span away, but in that second; they froze and hovered silently in mid-air. Still burning with the power of Shiki's jade-tone spirit fire. The following second they then began returning to the person whom had reflected the attacks. Yagami's face showed his attention to the returning shuriken. Yagami re-gripped the Mikazuki Satsujinki with two hands. "...You re-routed the direction of the shuriken using Zanmaru's skill. Interesting. But still meaningless..." He reattached the glaive to his back and made the two-fingered sign. The shadow beneath his feet began growing and growing until it was surrounding him in a circular dark shape. The Kagetoho technique. Yagami smiled for no reason in particular, then let his whole body sink into the shadow beneath him. The six shuriken slashed over his head but didn't scrape a single hair from it. By the time they reached the point of attack; Yagami's head had been swallowed up by the darkness. Shiki grinned as the shadow beneath her own feet began to grow in size, her thin long fingers still making the shinobi sign. "...Now! Shunhenkou!" She then disappeared in a loud puff of spiritual smoke. Once the smoke began to fade, a surprised Yagami was replaced in that position. Standing above the widening shadow. While Shiki rose up from that shadow herself. Head, shoulders and body. It was the one unguarded instant she had been waiting for. The girl swiftly withdrew Miyuki from its sheath and gave a sharp stab forwards. Yagami projected a foul grunt of agony as the short sword roughly stabbed him straight through the side of the abdomen. Right through his toned back, grazing his strong organs and reappearing through the front of the stomach. A fresh coating of blood covered the blade. The stab was urgent in nature so was awkwardly aimed. But still did its damage all the same. Yagami choked up a gob of blood, which splattered in small puddles on the floorboards of the Room of Present. Shiki ripped out the sword from the torso of the stunned Yagami. Then jumped out of the shadows below. She delightfully backflipped from that position and landed a good few metres away. With a keen chuckle in her throat. Using her essential Shunhenkou technique, she had managed to reverse the power of Yagami's Shadow Walking skill against him, using it to her own advantage. Yagami gripped the wound at his stomach and coughed, blood staining his lips. "...Very good. Your skills are better than I gave you credit for... but I refuse to die here... I am going to win this fight..." Once that was said, Yagami firmed his hold over the Mikazuki Satsujinki. Shiki could tell that he was going on the offensive. The Fifth Orochi ignored the pain throbbing at his abdomen and jumped straight upwards into the air. His movements were swift. If not for the Mizuryu Gijutsu, her eyes would not have been able to keep up with them. Yagami's blurred body vaulted straight up into the air of the Room of Present. He turned around mid-jump so that he was facing his adversary, the girl from Morioka. There was a pause; right before Yagami swooped in with an even greater speed, like a bird of prey on the hunt. Shiki could not keep up with this attack at all, but remembered it well. "Kagayaku Mangetsu Zan!" Yagami bellowed, right before landing it. A wisp of a chime sound filled the air. Right before Shiki screamed. The fast image of Yagami swooping down on her went past with a flash, and a subsequent tear of her clothing. And a rough spurt of blood that leaked from the fresh wound at her left arm. Yagami zoomed all the way over to the far wall from the momentum of the Kagayaku Full Moon Slash. His sandals pressed into the fall and he braced himself against it for a follow up to the previous attack. Yagami thrust himself off that wall in the following seconds and made a second attempt for the K.F.M.S. Shiki held the deep gash on her injured arm. She could hardly move it due to the pain. One arm down and Yagami was about to land a second strike. He was closing in as fast as ever. There was only one hope. If he injured the other arm like this then the fight was over. Not to mention the fact that Shiki could feel that the Mizuryu Gijutsu running low. The girl closed one of her eyes and brought up her un-injured arm. Making the two-finger sign. She couldn't use Shunhenkou when he was moving at that speed. But there was one last thing she hadn't tried. Keeping her focus strictly on the task; Shiki took a deep breath and began the process of gathering her Chi. Yagami was in metres of her. He held the Mikazuki Satsujinki at his side and aimed for the jugular. Literally. And had it been attempted purely a second earlier than that... then Yagami would instantly have killed her. "Mizuryu Style! Monosugoi Uma Hitoiki!" Shiki's bright flaming soul ignited with a great passion and intensity that triggered off the most powerful Ninjutsu she could muster. A broad halo of searing-hot emerald fire surrounded her and acted as not only a method of defence; but of attack as well. Yagami was blown straight out of his Kagayaku Mangetsu Zan. The amazing force of the Monosugoi Uma Hitoiki rammed into his stomach and burned savagely at his flesh. The body of the Kagayaku descendant was thrown from Shiki and sent straight back towards the opposite wall. Once the ring spread away from the Morioka girl, she acted like lightning and went for Miyuki. This would probably be the only time that Yagami would be totally unguarded so she made the effort to end this as quickly as possible. Shiki withdrew Miyuki from its sheath and then threw the long dagger right at Yagami. As soon as the young man's back smashed against the back wall of the Room of Present, Miyuki followed him. And the steel blade, sharpened with acids, sliced straight through his chest. Yagami's throat gave a breathless gasp. Miyuki shot through his ribcage and sliced past his lungs, reappearing through the wooden frame of the wall. A new trail of blood dripped down the corner of his mouth. Just as easily as it came down, it made Yagami aware of the outcome of this fight. Shiki had won. The legendary power of the flawless Kagayaku bloodline... was defeated. Yagami's head slumped. And a smile played upon those lips. Not a smile of joy. One of earnest depression and sadness. He was beaten. As were the Six Orochi. Whoever the Sixth Orochi was... there was no way he could get here in time to amend the failures of the previous five. It was over. While Yagami remonstrated, Shiki fell to one knee and gasped for breath. All the attacks and Ninjutsu she had used had drained her Chi supply. The Mizuryu Technique had run out too. All of the green spirit fire that had been surrounding her earlier was now vanishing. But it had served her well. Bringing out her full potential. It was enough to defeat Yagami. And thusly Shiki had enough left in her to finish off Hirotsugu. The young woman stood up after getting some air into her. Then looked at the defeated descendant of the Kagayaku Family. He might not have been the most honourable person out there... but he was a worthy shinobi. If only he had the sense not to use Hirotsugu's ambitions as expression of those talents. The tired Shiki walked over to the downed Yagami. Impaled on her short blade. Shiki stopped just as she came within five metres of him. He had proven to be her greatest challenge. For that... Yagami had earned her respect. The dying boy looked up with one open eye socket. "...W-Well done... g-girl of Morioka... you've beaten me... and assured yourself of... a meeting with... Hirotsugu-sama." Shiki nodded. "Yeah." "...Tell him... I'm sorry... that the Kagayaku bloodline... has failed him..." And then Yagami's head slumped downwards in an awkward position. The Fifth Orochi was dead. Shiki kept her face still and then gripped the smooth bamboo hilt of Miyuki. She slowly removed the blade from Yagami's skewered chest. After wiping it free of the blood and then sheathing it; Shiki turned and ran for the next door. It was time for the opportunity that she had been waiting for since she came to Tokyo. The girl dashed across the Room of Present (which was now on fire) and began the dash through the door and down the corridor. That followed it. The space around that area was darker due to the lack of light at the far door at the end of the corridor. But she kept a fast pace as she ran for it. And suddenly memories began surfacing of the past... Her past... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ "The existence of a shinobi demands nothing other than skill and offers nothing more than servitude, bloodshed and death. This is how we must express ourselves. Outside of this, who you are means nothing." ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ You can't mean this... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ "We are powerful and we are deadly. But we possess one weakness. We are human. The eternal struggle of the shinobi is to overcome this sense of humanity. For mankind's morals have no place in the shinobi order." ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ...Am I worthless...? ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ "Kindness is for the infirm, peace is for the feeble and mercy for the weak." ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ...But why? Please... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ "A shinobi who possesses emotion is the mark of a shinobi who has failed in their mission before it has even begun..." ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ...Please, don't... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ "You need only know this, Yui... you are only a weapon." ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ...Don't abandon me, Otou-san... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Shiki ignored her feelings no longer. It was all rushing to the surface. As she neared the Room of Fates. The woman from Morioka slowed down and then took a stop in front of the door. It was time... to face...the Honshu Koga. Shiki growled and kicked open that wooden door, shattering it into shreds. She then stepped forwards and walked to the bleak room. Towards the shadowy centre of the hall was the mastermind and cause behind all of this. The one single man who forced Shiki to the edge of her limits and beyond. Hirotsugu. The older man had his back to silent girl. But he stood upright from his seated position, with the Scroll of Kokomaru below his feet. And his aged lips parted with both smile and speech, addressing the Burning Kunoichi. "...It's been seven long years..." He spoke, "...Welcome back, Mizuryu Yui..." Shiki scowled, seething. "...Father..."
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