Chapter 34 Flying Swordswoman

The late afternoon sun cast golden rays through the thick canopy of the forest, painting the dirt path in dappled light. Fū walked a bit ahead of her squad, her dual short swords strapped securely to her lower back. Their polished hilts would catch the light from time to time.

Yōrō followed after her with heavy strides. The stout shinobi carried a store of both shuriken and kunai across his back; his broad shoulders seemingly weighed down with a heavier load than just his muscles and bone. Beside him, Kegon glided like a ghost with slender legs in the deep-green uniform of Takigakure.

Their leader, Airi, brought up the rear. There was a quiet confidence to her stride, her sword loose at her hip. In terms of kenjutsu in their village, she was unpaired, and her calm manner turned even the most stubborn of shinobi.

The mission had been simple enough: deliver a set of crucial documents to an allied village and return to Takigakure. The mission itself had been going well, but Fū just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Her orange eyes scanned the treeline as they walked. The forest was too quiet—no rustle of animals, no chirp of birds. Her instincts, sharpened by her time in the Kumarai territory, whispered a single word: ambush.

"Airi-sensei," Fū called over her shoulder, her voice low. "Do you feel it?"

Airi's hand rested lightly on the hilt of her sword. She didn't say a word, her dark eyes scanning the surroundings with the precision of a hawk. Finally, she gave a short nod. "We're being watched."

Yōrō grunted, his massive frame tensing. "Tch. I knew it was too quiet."

Kegon's voice was low and even, but beneath it lay an edge. "How many do you think?"

Fu didn't answer. Instead, she closed her eyes for a moment, drawing in a deep breath. The wind surrounded her, ruffling leaves with unnatural undercurrents, carrying the faint whispers of chakra. "Four. Maybe five.

Airi's gaze flickered to her squad. "Be ready. Fū, take point. Kegon, stay close to Yōrō and cover his attacks. I'll flank them if they show themselves."

The squad tensed, moving into position with the ease of practiced teamwork.

It happened in an instant.

The forest exploded with movement as a barrage of kunai and shuriken rained down from the treetops. Fū reacted in an instant, "Caswell Swordsmanship : Page 4, Tempest Veil." drawing both of her short-swords in a single, smooth motion. Blades whirled, whipping around with precise, whistling strikes to deflect incoming projectiles as the wind chakra surged through.

"Contact!" Airi barked, her own blade flashing as she deflected a kunai aimed for Kegon.

Yōrō roared as he launched a volley of shuriken, each one whirring with deadly precision toward the treetops. "Come out and fight, cowards!"

Kegon's hands blurred through a series of seals. "Water Release: Striking Tide!" A whip-like tendril of water shot from his outstretched palm, striking a rogue ninja who leaped from the shadows.

The ambushers emerged, five rogue shinobi clad in mismatched armor and masks. Their movements were erratic but coordinated, like wolves circling prey.

Fū narrowed her eyes as two of them lunged at her. She met their assault head-on, her swords a blur of motion. One blade slashed upward, sending a kunai flying from her opponent's hand, while the other struck with a gale-force slash that sent the rogue ninja sprawling.

"Don't lose focus!" Airi's voice cut through the chaos as she engaged another enemy. Her movements were sharp and deliberate, each strike of her sword a display of her mastery of kenjutsu.

Yōrō and Kegon worked in tandem, their styles complementing each other. Yōrō hurled a barrage of shuriken that forced their enemies to retreat into Kegon's range, where his water-based techniques struck with precision.

Fū ducked under a wild swing from one of the rogues, her blades slicing in a cross pattern that disarmed and incapacitated her attacker in one motion. As she turned to engage another, her senses flared—another ninja was closing in from behind.

Without thinking, "Caswell Swordsmanship : Page 6, Gale Outburst." she channeled wind chakra into her blades and spun, releasing a shockwave of strong winds that sent the ambusher flying into a tree.

The fight didn't last long. The rogue ninja, realizing they were outmatched, began to retreat. Airi let them go, lowering her sword as the last of the attackers disappeared into the forest.

"Stay alert," she said, her voice steady despite the adrenaline in the air. "There could be more.

She sheathed her blade, emerald eyes scanning the treeline one last time. "Cowards," she muttered, though the clench of her hand around the hilt of her blade gave away the taut alertness still in her veins.

Yōrō let out a heavy sigh, slinging his pack back over his shoulder. "They weren't expecting us to fight back like that. Good riddance."

Kegon nodded, wiping sweat from his brow. "Still, they were organized. Someone sent them."

Airi didn't respond immediately, her gaze distant as she sheathed her sword. Finally, she turned to her squad. "We'll report this to the village when we get back. For now, let's move. Stay close, and don't let your guard down."

The squad fell back into formation, quieter this time, senses heightened. Fū stayed at the lead, her blades resting across her back, though her hand did not stray far from the hilts. The tension in her chest had not dissipated, but with the trees whispering their secrets in the wind, she felt a flicker of reassurance.

The storm was over, but she knew better than to trust the calm.

…

…

The forest stood deathly silent, the faint rustle of leaves replaced by the oppressive hum of tension. Fū led the squad forward, her sharp eyes scanning the treetops for danger. Yōrō walked close behind, his bulk shifting uneasily under the weight of his weapons. Kegon, thin and wiry, moved like a shadow at his side, his water flask sloshing faintly with each step. Airi, their leader, brought up the rear, her hand never leaving the hilt of her blade. "Keep alert," Airi said softly. "They'll want revenge for their failure."

Her words were prophetic.

The forest erupted without warning. Explosions tore through the canopy, showering the squad with shards of wood and dirt. Fū twisted instinctively, drawing her twin short-swords in a single fluid motion. Chakra hummed along the edges of her blades as she deflected a hail of shuriken.

"Scatter!" Airi barked, her voice calm and authoritative.

Fū leaped into the air, flipping backward as she caught sight of their attackers. It was the rogue shinobi from earlier, this time with reinforcements. At the head of the group stood two figures radiating palpable menace.

The one was a huge man; his spiked crimson hair was wild, like the lightning that crackled along the surface of the mighty kanabo he carried, while a lithe kunoichi strode alongside him with flowing silver hair, where blue flames danced upon her hands. A mask shrouded her face, but every motion exuded deadly confidence.

The red-haired man sneered. "You gave us some trouble last time, but it ends here."

The kunoichi cocked her head. "Let's make this quick."

The ambushers struck with overwhelming force. The squad scattered to defend themselves, but the sheer power of the new arrivals quickly tipped the scales.

The red-haired man charged at Yōrō and Kegon, his kanabo coming down to the ground with such force that it sent a shockwave. Yōrō responded with a storm of shuriken, but the lightning-infused club disintegrated the projectiles before they could land. Kegon tried to flank him, weaving hand seals for a water technique, but the man was faster, delivering a blow that sent Kegon flying into a tree.

"Kegon!" Yōrō roared, lunging at the attacker with a kunai, but a backhanded strike from the kanabo sent him sprawling.

Airi engaged the kunoichi, her sword clashing against the blue flames. The rogue's fire seemed alive, as if it was a physical representation of her chakra, twisting around Airi's strikes and forcing her back with every exchange.

Fū watched as her squadmates fell one by one, her grip tightening on her blades. Her heart pounded while she dodged another attack, the blue flames singeing her sleeve.

Her tailed beast stirred within her, its voice a low rumble in her mind.

"Let me out, Fū. They'll kill you all if you don't use my power."

Fū hesitated. She hated relying on the Seven-Tails, but there was no other way. "Fine," she whispered. "But we're doing this my way."

A surge of chakra erupted from her body, green and golden light spilling into the forest as her tailed beast's power flared to life. The rogue shinobi paused, their eyes widening in shock.

From Fū's back, two translucent wings unfurled, shimmering with a beetle-like iridescence. The air around her grew wild, the wind swirling in violent currents as her chakra flooded the battlefield.

"You should've stayed down," Fū said, her voice steady as she leveled her blades at her enemies.

The crimson-haired man grinned, hefting his kanabo. "Jinchūriki or not, you're just another target."

He charged, his kanabo crackling with lightning, but Fū was faster. Her wings propelled her forward in a blindingly fast movement, and she met his strike head-on. Surging wind chakra lined her blades as they cleaved through the kanabo like it was paper. The man barely had time to register the loss of his weapon before Fū's second blade plunged into his chest.

The rogue staggered, blood dripping from his lips as he tried to grab her. Fū stepped back, her wind chakra creating a gust that sent him crashing into the ground. He didn't get up.

The kunoichi snarled, her blue chakra flames roaring to life as she lunged at Fū. "You'll pay for that!"

Fū dodged the attack, her wings propelling her into the air. "Caswell Swordsmanship : Page 7, Tempest Slash." She spoke as she slashed downward with both swords, sending a crescent of wind chakra slicing through the kunoichi's flames. The rogue screamed as the wind cut into her, but she didn't stop.

Fū landed lightly on the ground; one beat of her wings sent a powerful gust toward her opponent. The kunoichi stumbled, her flames sputtering. Fū closed the distance in a flash, her blades blur-like.

The kunoichi tried to counter with a final burst of fire, but Fū's wind overwhelmed it, snuffing out the flames and striking her down. The rogue fell to her knees, blood staining her silver hair.

Fū stood over her, both swords pointed at the kunoichi's chest. "You shouldn't have come back," she said coldly before driving her blades home.

The kunoichi crumpled, the forest falling silent once more.

Fū turned to her squad, the glowing wings on her back fading as her chakra receded. Yōrō and Kegon were battered but alive, while Airi managed to rise to her feet, her sword stained with blood.

Airi gave Fū a nod of respect. "You saved us."

Fū sheathed her swords, weariness the closest thing to victory. "They didn't leave me much of a choice."

Yōrō laughed weakly. "Remind me never to get on your bad side, Fū."

Fū smiled weakly, but her mind was elsewhere. The power of the Seven-Tails was a gift and a curse; tonight, it had balanced the scales in her favor. As she looked at the blood-stained forest, however, she couldn't help but wonder how long she could keep control, she thought back to Riku, what Riku had told her.

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