Chapter 12

A Deal with the Devil

Chapter 12,

12

Zabuza plummeted towards the ground, sword poised for Kagami's torso with his trademark smirk broadened excitedly beneath his bandages. The momentum of his dive was great, and Zabuza snarled, "Die," as if breathing the command of God- an evil, bloodthirsty, war-loving God.

This murderous glee dissipated, however, when he landed right on top of where Kagami just stood, his beady coal-like eyes full of contempt as he realized the "funny eyed" Konoha ninja dodged his attack at the very last moment. His massive sword buried itself into the ground under the weight of his blow, rusted with overuse and the dry blood of some unknown, unlucky shinobi.

In the corner of his eye, Kagami watched as Zabuza extracted his sword from the earth with a mighty growl, though, his attention was primarily focused on the fast-paced Taijutsu fight Shisu was locked in with the genin, Mangetsu.

Mangetsu was small, especially for his age, and he expertly used his small stature to his advantage against his taller, older, and more skilled opponent. He kept his body to the ground and aimed for Shisu's legs, never letting up his onslaught of fast, well-aimed strikes.

It was obvious that he was no stranger to the art of killing considering the way he skillfully sneaked vicious jabs into his attack pattern, targeting any exposed vital.

Nevertheless, as expected of a shinobi of the Uchiha clan, Shisu dodged and slapped away the Mist genin's attacks. She had complete control of the battle even without her trusted Sharingan activated, however, not once did she attack back much to Kagami's ire. In fact, rather than appearing stoic or aloof like usual; she seemed conflicted with the task of fighting back.

Kagami watched as she lifted her leg elegantly, avoiding a swift leg sweep performed by Mangetsu, and then effortlessly dance around the flurry of punches and kicks that followed afterward. He saw her onyx eyes harden for a brief second and was relieved when she caught Mangetsu's fist into her much bigger palm and pulled hard.

The Mist genin dragged towards her, outwardly apprehended.

Not a second later, a sound that made Kagami's heart twist erupted from Shisu. It was a sound that he's heard before, the cries of his pained wife in another life reverberated in his head. Yet, unlike when he was abruptly blindsided and met his demise while listening to the shrill screams of his injured wife, Shisu's pain echoed endlessly, tugging on feelings he wasn't aware he had for her.

That HE DIDN'T have for her…

If she were to drop dead today he couldn't care less. Or so he thought.

Kagami's left eye twitched upon seeing Shisu jump back, clutching her bloody, mangled right hand close to her chest whereas opposite to her stood Mangetsu, silent as ever with his small, seemingly harmless fist molded into a sharp water spike that fluctuated with chakra.

Hotaro moved in front of her, advancing forward, and it wasn't until Zabuza came running at him, screaming bloody murder, did Kagami realize that he too was marching towards the Hidden Mist child with a dark expression.

"I'm your opponent bastard, the least you can do is focus on your soon to be executioner!!" The bandaged teen swung his sword in a horizontal arc at Kagami's exposed back only to freeze mid-swing, his entire body shaking, gripped in killing intent so strong that the air momentarily vibrated with power.

It was sinister, so much so, Mei let up her assault on the "Yellow Flash" and Inojinchi stopped dodging to look Kagami's way.

"What t-is wrong with his chakra?" Mei said, visibly anxious. "He's with you isn't he?" She turned to the "Yellow Flash."

Inojinchi gradually nodded and hesitantly murmured, "Taicho?"

Kagami didn't know why the sight of Shisu's blood elicited such anger from him- no that's putting it lightly- emotions from him. Certainly, they weren't his; he was sure of that at the very least.

The chakra that churned spitefully inside of him felt different too, darker like it didn't belong to him. There was no end to it despite how much he forced down his rising emotions. Heat engulfed his twitching eye, and he felt a pulling sensation at the back of his skull that felt like someone was clawing his eyes out from the inside.

…..Urging him to OPEN his already open eyes.

The pain was enough to draw blood, and as he wiped away the single blood tear that fell from his left eye, Kagami regarded Zabuza with a critical look. He needed to get rid of these Hidden Mist brats soon, and fast too, his vision was blurring in and out of focus.

Something was wrong with his chakra, and he knew his passionately beating heart had to be the cause. "Hotaro," he suddenly spoke loudly enough to draw the attention of his clansman. "Take over Shisu's fight. And Hotaro… don't hold back, we've still got a mission to complete."

Hotaro looked like he wanted to say something, but after taking a peek at Shisu's wounded hand, he simply nodded with a sharp, "Tch." There was no way she could continue her fight with a hand like that, hole and all.

Kagami's gaze lingered on Mangetsu before he swept his eyes over the other Mist genin, ignoring the disapproving look Shisu was sending him. Seeing that Inojinchi, who didn't look like he had any intentions of fighting Mei, Kagami rolled his eyes back to Zabuza with an irked click of his tongue.

His eyesight was stabilizing, yet the recurrent tune of his heart continued pounding continuously, much to his frustration. When he took a small step forward, he found that Zabuza instinctively jumped back a couple of feet with a contradicting grin plastered beneath his bandages.

Excitement and fear overwhelmed his features, blending together with the faint traces of respect swirling madly in his narrowed coal eyes.

"How're you manifesting your chakra around you like that? Almost like a shroud… you're actually pretty strong." Zabuza questioned through gritted teeth.

"And you're weak," Kagami responded, earning a growl from the teen.

Zabuza, seemingly mustering up the courage to fight, released an exhale of hot air as he charged Kagami head-on. Carrying his rage and anticipation for battle at the tip of his sword, the young Hidden Mist shinobi dragged his weapon behind him, carving a thick line in the dirt.

Meanwhile, Kagami watched on scornful, unflinching as he perceived Zabuza's movement in damn near slow-motion. Despite his fading vision, he saw many openings in the genin's death charge and would've plunged a kunai into the youth had a jolt of pain not rose from his bleeding eye.

As soon as Zabuza was within arm's reach of Kagami, he raised his blade, kicking up a cloud of dirt into the Uchiha's eyes. A crude smirk contorted along his bandaged mouth, and Zabuza, using the cloud of dirt as a veil of sorts, ran past Kagami and swung his sword overhead.

Kagami simply sidestepped it, seeing through the dirt particles. 'Was this all the brat had,' he thought. 'Cheap tricks?'' He rose a kunai in parry, blocking Zabuza's next attack.

The Hidden Mist genin continued his rapid assault, firing blow after blow, only to hit the air or the metallic edge of Kagami's kunai. Sparks flew about, and the crazed thrill and bloodlust radiating from Zabuza, even as Kagami delivered a nasty elbow to his unprotected stomach were overpowering, giving Zabuza the strength to continue fighting.

With a fatigued, animalistic breath, Zabuza heaved his sword into the ground and propelled himself at Kagami. Opting to resort to a battle of fist: Taijutsu.

He launched a fast, vicious kick impressive for a genin, neither wincing nor grimacing when Kagami blocked the kick and slid a kunai past him- nearly cutting off an ear. However, wanting more battle and bloodshed, Zabuza fought on, utterly ignorant to the number of wounds he was stacking up.

Kagami's expression remained serious, his scarlet eyes sharpened into a glare, not an ounce of sympathy for his young opponent as he ruthlessly jabbed the blunt end of his kunai into Zabuza's temple and planted his foot into the teen's chest, kicking him back some. He didn't think he'd ever be fighting genin, but the skill gap between genin and jonin was exactly as he'd imagined it'd be.

Day and night.

Elsewhere, he saw that Hotaro too had his genin opponent on the ropes, much to Shisu's displeasure who was situated next to Mari. Her mutilated hand resting in between the Uzumaki's faintly glowing green palms clenched tightly in rage.

Not bothering to check on the Yamanaka heir, who was no doubt still trying to convince Mei of his truthfulness, Kagami shook his head when Zabuza licked his bloodied lip, revealing his shark-like teeth as he fixed his footing and grasped the hilt of his sword to keep himself balanced.

He looked like a mess, bloody and covered in sweat. His bandages were blood-soaked, now hanging around his neck like some sort of old withered noose. With a masochistic smirk tugging at his laugh lines, Kagami could only think, 'disgusting.'

'Was he still going to fight,' Kagami wondered absentmindedly. His eyesight was back to normal, and that meant no more shallow attacks. He'd end this charade of a fight and then proceed to clean up Inojinchi's mess.

He was bound to not earn any brownie points from any of his team besides maybe Mari, but he couldn't care less about that. They were traitors who couldn't even perform the most basic of tasks such as heeding an order.

"Heh, given the way I underestimated you, I might just die," Zabuza spat disdainfully before laughing. "But this… this is the thrill I live for!! Hovering between life and death like this… it's what makes us ninja, don't you agree!? He hehe, but I'm no normal ninja. I'm a demon, and the one who's going to Hell tonight will be you, not me!!!"

All Zabuza's talk of Hell and Demons brought forward a torrent of irritation to Kagami's already aching head. Any sane person wouldn't be spouting such useless banter; did the brat not understand the predicament he and his teammates were in? He was going to die, and darkness would envelop him for all eternity.

"Don't look at me like that," Zabuza snapped angrily. "I know that look, you're looking down on me aren'tcha, bastard? I'm not done yet-" The frenzied teen clasped his hands together, chakra flaring before his face ate a punch.

Blood pelted against Kagami's fist, and the feedback coming from the knuckles of his clenched hand informed him that he had broken something in Zabuza's face. At Kagami's feet, his nose broken crooked leaking an endless stream of red, Zabuza cursed and screamed in pain.

The distinct gleam of Kagami's kunai loomed threateningly over the teen, reflecting the moon's rays into his wide, shocked eyes. However, rather amazingly, anger remained with Zabuza as he tried to reach for his sword despite being a breath away from death's door.

"Gahh, aughhh...!"

Blood flowed, but not from Momochi.

Having his attention stolen away from the tossing and turning genin, Kagami glared darkly at the three silhouettes standing high up in the trees. A fourth silhouette stood over a kneeling Inojinchi; whose bleeding arm hung limply from its socket.

'Where had these shinobi come from? And why didn't Mari inform him of their arrival?' He thought, analyzing each of the Hidden Mist newcomers. All of their lower faces were bandaged like Zabuza's, with distinctive swords gripped murderously in their hands, ready for use.

"Wha-what are you doing here?"

Kagami could hear the nervousness in Mei's voice as she looked torn between helping Inojinchi and running away. Her question went unanswered by the figure, yet the arrogant glower that looked much too similar to Zabuza's own told her to keep quiet.

[Kagami... Between healing Shisu …and your chakra, I couldn't expand my senses far enough to notice them.]

[Fine. But who are these shinobi?]

Apart of him already knew the answer to his question, but another part, the uncertain part, wanted a vocal confirmation from the redhead encyclopedia.

[By the looks of their weapons and the feel of their chakra storages, they are the remainder of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. I may have healed Shisu a little, but as she and Inojinchi-kun are right now, facing them will most likely result in death… that is unless you can utilize that dark power you have inside of you.]

At that instant, Kagami's brows furrowed and he subconsciously rubbed his left eye. Even though the physical pain was gone; he could still feel the echoes of the sinister chakra gouging his eyes out.

Below, at his feet, Zabuza ousted backward, dragging himself away, all the while laughing wildly. "You're dead now!" he exclaimed, snickering. "That's Juzo of the Executioner's Blade. He's already eliminated your village's esteemed Yellow Flash, so enjoy your last breaths, bastard."

"Konoha's Yellow Flash?" Juzo, the tall individual standing over Inojinchi repeated, averting his beady eyes from Mei to the Yamanaka heir. He leaned down, the metallic gleam of his massive broadsword towering eerily over Inojinchi like a large tower. And not long after, he snorted, followed by an unimpressed scoff. "If you brats don't want to die then scram. Dealing with these Konoha Spies is a job for us Swordsmen, get lost already, hm?"

Despite looking offended, Zabuza nodded unquestioningly with a blood-curdling smile tugging at the edges of his mouth. He picked his beaten and battered body up and then moved past Inojinchi, joining Mangetsu at Mei's side. The auburn-haired girl gave him a once over with a crinkled nose but remained silent, if not because of Zabuza's pitiful glare, then because of the three shinobi who landed silently in front of them.

"According to intel gathered by our Hunter Nin corps in the Land of Fire, Namikaze Minato, Konoha's Yellow Flash is still stationed in the Hidden Grass Village, resting after having sacked Kannabi Bridge." A short, redhead woman with long hair and black eyes spoke in an uneven tone. "So, who the hell are you, ya phony?!" She snarled in a rather unladylike way while clenching her twin swords tightly, both of whom had protruding curved-spikes nearing their hilts and small jolts of lightning sparking erratically up and down their blades.

"Tch, just a fake," the eye-patch wearing man next to her grunted. "I couldn't wait to show off my skills by killing the Yellow Flash." The crown of his head was wrapped tightly in bandages, affixed by a Hidden Mist headband, and he leaned idly on his double-edged sword which was clad in a massive quantity of explosive tags.

"How boring… I dislike men like you the most," the redhead continued disdainfully towards Inojinchi. "Using the name of a strong shinobi to make up for your lack of fighting skills is pathetic, you know? I never miss my prey, and that goes double for cowards like you."

"Shut it, Ameyuri. You've said enough already for a dying woman," By far the tallest and largest person present, the robust swordsman standing next to the redhead and the eye-patched ninja kept his gaze locked on Kagami. His long orange hair fell over his shoulders and back, with two knots pinned atop his head where the handgrip of his demonic-looking sword rested high in the air.

The woman, Ameyuri, let a growl escape her throat. "…Yeah, I'm sick, but I can still fight. Especially weaklings like him."

The orange-haired giant of a man slowly shook his head and looked at Juzo. "As I'm sure Juzo and Jinpachi have noticed, the real threat here is the Uchiha standing further back and… not to mention our stolen Uzumaki."

Silence gripped the entire forest as all eyes shifted to Kagami and Mariko. The Uchiha in question kept his cool, emotionless expression whereas Mariko glared hatefully at the four swordsmen. The mood that came with her intense glare stayed only for a second, dampened by the feeble look she casted towards the ground.

Mariko let her discomfort and fear show for the second time, and just like the first time, Kagami was taken slightly aback by her honest emotions. The fear of being captured and experimented on clouded her scarlet eyes and Kagami felt all of her emotions come raining down on him when she mentally, without the use of her strange mind technique, begged him to not let them take her.

To escort her back to Uzu, like promised.

It wasn't often that he was reminded that he indeed did have feelings and compassion for others, but Mari's mute plea drew out the empathy in him. It wasn't fake or fabricated like the rage he was possessed with earlier; this was real, and deriving straight from the innermost part of his soul. Besides, he knew there was no running away from these shinobi. He had to fight.

As if sensing his resolve, Jinpachi laughed and stood up straighter, taking his legendary sword into his hand. Next to him, Juzo and Ameyuri furrowed their brows and readied their swords.

"Hotaro," Kagami called. "You still have that bone I gave you to hold, correct?"

Hotaro looked slightly taken aback at the strange request but nodded as he opened his mouth, "Yes, but you're not actually thinking of fighting them, are you? We should fall back, while we still can." As he spoke, he made his way next to his senior, unsealing the jagged Kaguya bone.

It was still coated red in the blood of the Kaguya, Kagami had ruthlessly impaled and mutilated.

"Don't be an idiot," Kagami took the offered bone. "There's no way we can outrun them. Killing them here and now, is the only option."

Inojinchi winced at that, knowing he was the primary reason why they couldn't flee the scene and disappear into the night. Still, he stood up and backed away from Juzo, joining Hotaro at Kagami's side. Mei was glaring at him with conflicted eyes, and just as he was about to remind her not to trust the Hidden Mist, Ameyuri spoke up.

"Ahh, he wants to kill us…? You were right Fuguki, he's certainly got a strong presence. I think that I'll play with him first." She grinned, showcasing her sharp teeth.

"No, you're no match for him. It took me a moment to recognize him, but he's none other than Wicked Eye Fugaku's dog: Kagami of the Sharingan." Fuguki asserted, withdrawing his massive, scaled sword. "Rumors say that you retired and settled permanently into Konoha's Uchiha Police Force… Crippled by the war, unable to fight. Guess they were just that, rumors."

"Now I want to fight him even more."

"No way Ameyuri," Juzo rolled his shoulders, stretching. "You take the fake Yellow Flash; we'll deal with the rest. I guess maybe I should pluck his eyes and keep them as a trophy."

"My my, how inconsiderate, Juzo. How else am I supposed to show off if you claim his eyes, besides, wouldn't Mizukage-sama appreciate it more if we captured him alive? Stick him in a cell with the Uzumaki."

"No, I'm the one who's going to be fighting him and taking his eyes for myself!"

Kagami turned his gaze from the three bickering swordsmen, something that must be common for Mist Ninja, and set his eyes on the giant orange-haired shinobi, Fuguki. The air surrounding him was different from the others, darker as if devouring the very air.

For a man who lived every day in darkness, identifying others like him was something simple for Kagami. So, he instantly knew that he was going to be the biggest obstacle. "Inojinchi, you take the woman. If she truly is sick then, she's the only one you can keep up with right now. Hotaro, assist him in his fight; these three are mine."

"Hai, Taicho," Inojinchi voiced his confirmation with a salute and after Hotaro did too, albeit slower, the both of them leaped high into the tree line.

Jumping freely midair, Ameyuri cursed angrily as lightning shot out from her swords, wrapping around her form. She too disappeared into the sea of dead trees, chasing after the injured Inojinchi and Hotaro.

"Well… that just leaves-"

A sinister air of murderous intent swirled to life, causing each of the three present swordsmen to stare at Kagami with wide eyes.

'The only way I can win this is by using "that" chakra,' Kagami told himself, his eyes closed in concentration. He would not die here, in a fucking swamp. Not after everything he's been through in this new, insane world.

He forced images of a pained Shisu, clutching her mangled and bleeding hand close to her chest, into his head. And like a broken dam, once again, emotions unbelonging to him, swelled in his chest, gripping his lungs hatefully.

"K-Kagami…?"

When he opened his eyes, he turned to face Shisu, who stared back, mouth gaped in shock and worry. The pain was excruciating, much more than before, and through blurry eyes; he saw the greyish ethereal skeleton of ribs wrapped protectively around him.

End