Chapter 23

'Katon: Phoenix Flower Jutsu'

With a breath, eight large fireballs clustered together in the shape of a flower erupted out, targeting Kumo Jonin. The heat contained in the jutsu exceeded the strength of the C-level Jutsu.

"Shit! Dodge it!"

The nine Shinobi leaped away in different directions, avoiding the Jutsu.

'Expand.'

Reaching where the Shinobi once stood, the Jutsu burst out, scattering into sixteen pieces, giving chase the Jutsu burned six of the Jonin.

The remaining three remaining Shinobi were singed but were still relatively okay.

Shinku roller back, dodging a hell stab, piercing the ground where he was crouched.

Shinku threw another volley of Kunai and Shuriken in A's direction, with some flying past the burly man and toward the remaining three Shinobi.

Cling

The three Shinobi deflected the incoming Kunai with their Katana's.

A rushed past the Kunai and Shuriken with a trail of electricity following after him as he appeared in front of Shinku.

"You've slowed down considerably since the beginning."

A smirked as his finger slashed the evading Shinku's right cheek.

Shinku glared with his Sharingan eyes and leaped back several steps. The tattoo chains glowed an even brighter red as blood dripped from everywhere they were.

'Doton: Earth Dragon'

Panting, Shinku stamped the earth, and three earth dragons erupted from beneath his feet and roared at A before charging out.

"Heh. You're getting slower." A flashed past the dragons, leaping into the air. A dropped the number of fingers again, with his fist pulled back.

Shinku didn't evade this time as he stood with his Katana in hand once more. Having picked it  at some point when A's vision was obstructed.

As A's fist connected with Shinku's stomach and ripped a hole through his side, Shinku stabbed through A's right peck.

"You should have gone for a stab."

A clone of Shinku said from behind A, driving another Katana through his left shoulder.

"If you did, you could have 'probably' managed to kill me." The clone smirked, and knee bashed the back of A's head, knocking him out.

"You alright?"

As A's body dropped, Shinku's clone turned toward him and asked only to be immediately dispersed.

"Fucking shit. Does it look like I'm alright." Shinku grumbled, dropping to a knee clutching his side, and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

With his body practicly on fire and the chains emitting smoke, Shinku struggled to get back in his feet. His gaze locked onto the Bijudama that was still in the process of forming.

The weakened Bijuu with the Jinchuriki's control was slow at gathering the necessary chakra, buying Shinku enough time till now.

"Dammit! He killed Raikage-Sama!"

"Run!"

Shinku watched as the Kumo nin charged at him and frowned.

"Well, shit."

Shinku pulled his Katana out from A's chest and redied himself.

"Absorb the chakra I have stored now, or you'll die." Once back in Shinku's hands, the Sword shouted in ernest. The black aura that once covered the blade moved toward Shinku, permeating into his body, accelerating his weakened healing.

"???"

While disturbed by the healing abilities in the blade, Shinki didn't question it for the time slashed the three Kumo nin's heads clean off.

"Ugk..."

"It still hurts like hell to move, but this should be enough." Shinku stabbed the Katana into the ground to stop himself from falling over.

"Now would be best to run."

"Tch. Fine, there'll be other chances to get my hands on a Bijuu."

Just as Shinku was about to teleport away, he noticed the Hachibi shifted its gaze elsewhere and fired the Bijudama. It didn't take Shinku long to sense that Gin was in the direction he was looking.

'That's right. Jinchuriki's and Bijuu's are the best sensors. Of course, the two were caught a while ago.'

Shinku teleported in the Bijuudama's path, on top of a tree. Barely able to stand, let alone move his arms, Shinku opened his mouth wide and imitated the Hachibi.

Chakra quickly gathered in front of his mouth, forming a crimson sphere. The weight of it caused his jaw creak momentarily before a loud snap resounded.

Blood dripped from his mouth and nose as the Bijuudama only grew closer.

"You're fucking insane!"

It didn't take long for the crimson sphere of densly packed chakra to turn black.

'Now...'

With his own improvised version of a Bijudama, Shinku let out a roar and released the mini chakra ball. At the same time, his jaw was ripped off from the chakra's weight.

The chakra ball flew at a faster speed than the Bijuudama and pushed against the bottom of the sphere, forcing its direction to shift upward and explode mid-air.

'Heh. You'll die if you aren't a little crazy.' Shinku thought as his vision went black and he lost his footing on the tree, falling hundreds of feet.

. . .

. .

.

"I'm fine!" Akahana pushed Akame and Ruri off her in an attempt to get out of bed. Both women quickly forced her back into bed and constrained her with chakra chains.

"Quit complaining. Not long ago, you were asking me to at least act like i get along with you." Akame gritted her teeth and glared at her former friend.

"Still can't believe you got yourself pregnant."

At her words, Akahana shot Akame a side eye before trying to break out of the chains once again.

"Please just stop bickering for a minute, you two. I'll have Iroh send a messenger for Shinku if he's not dead already." Ruri sighed, her grip in Akahana's left side increasing briefly at the mention of Shinku.

Reluctantly, Akahana settled down and shot Ruri a glare for suggesting Shinkun was dead.

"He's definitely not dead." Akame whispered, releasing her hold on Akahana finally and sighed as her mother left the room.

"Why didn't you go with him?" A tense silence filled the room until Ruri left the house fully, and Akahana asked in a whisper, her gaze locked on Akame.

"What kind of question is that all of a sudden? I had so much work to catch up on - "

"Stop with the lies, Akame. I'm not an idiot who'll just buy whatever you tell. I want the truth."

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Chapter End