Hopeless Fight

His voice was a shrill sound, somehow more offensive to the ear than nails on a chalkboard.

Everything about this man was repulsive; from his long, gangly limbs, his frayed earwax colored hair, to his piercing voice and sadistic character.

But I couldn't feel any of the derision this person would normally evoke in me. Instead, I was overwhelmed with fear.

"Cooooommme ouuuuut!" He spoke in an almost sing-song like manner, his cheerfulness standing in sharp contrast to the dismay of the prisoners.

"Or..."

He suddenly began gently twisting his sword, eliciting a round of pained shrieks from some of the prisoners. Mom just closed her eyes and clenched her mouth shut; but the redness of her face betrayed her mask, revealing the pain she was in.

"Mom..."

I clenched my teeth, and stepped out into the clearing. I couldn't see his expression through the grey mask he was wearing, but I could imagine the derisive smirk on his face as he saw my tiny stature revealed in the dim light.

Mio stepped out behind me.

Seeing a cute little girl appear behind me, Kuriarare finally couldn't take it anymore. He burst into a scornful cackle as I clenched my hands into fists. The worst... was that this humiliation wasn't unjustified. We truly were nothing but foolish kids in front of him. I could feel a powerful aura masked beneath his cruel and lazy front.

"Ehhe... What are two little kids doing here? This isn't a place you should get lost in you know..." A faint bloodlust radiated out from his body.

But I didn't respond - my attention was riveted on my mom. My heart clenched. She hadn't even opened her eyes. As if she had already given up.

Kuriarare noticed my gaze. His killing intent cut off for a brief second, before returning with much greater strength than before.

"Hohh, so you know one of them..."

"Than maybe... maybe I should just kill them all now!"

He made as if to pull the thread tight around their necks.

"NO!"

I screamed out in spite of myself. He paused, clearly amused.

Mom's eyes shot wide open when she heard my voice.

"K...Kaito? No! What are you doing here? Where's Tatsuya?" Her voice was hoarse with a mixture of pain and worry.

"Mom... Dad... He..." I couldn't bring myself to say the words. That he was dead. But she understood from my silence anyway.

"No... How did this happen..." Her voice trailed off, consumed by grief and confusion.

"As much as I hate to do so, I'm going to have to cut your touching little reunion short!" Kuriarare suddenly interjected.

He again gestured as if he was going to kill the prisoners, tightening his grip around his sword.

Mio suddenly spoke out.

"Why? Are you afraid? Afraid that two little kids can beat you and rescue them?"

Kuriarare froze. Was it illogical for an elite shinobi to fall for such an obvious taunt... yes. But with this man's character... I somehow wasn't surprised.

"Foolish little bird... Afraid? Heh... Exactly what is there two be afraid of from two pathetic little brats... Don't you know... That my sword can unravel the stitching of your lives in seconds?!"

An explosive killing intent again radiated out from him.

Mio flinched back slightly in the face of his palpably intense bloodlust.

I handled it relatively well - maybe it was a benefit of having died once already. As much as that can benefit a person.

"Really? Then why play with hostages?" I taunted.

"Because... I can only play a one sided game of cat and mouse with weaklings like you. But... Fine. Who am I to deny the someone wishing to die?"

Yes. How altruistic of you.

He slowly unwound the thread from the handle of his sword, tying it around a kunai he left wedged into the rocks. His predatory gaze then slowly traveled up from the kunai to Mio and me. I felt a shiver run down my spine in spite of myself.

"Kaito no! Run!" My mom screamed out.

But it was too late...

He suddenly disappeared from my vision. My eyes only saw a fast approaching blur hurtling towards me.

Bang!

I didn't even have time to brace myself before a heavy kick to my stomach sent me flying backwards. A sickening crunch sounded out, and an intense pain suddenly flared out from my side. I felt myself land heavily on the ground, completely unable to control my movement. Thankfully, the snow cushioned my fall to some extent.

'How can anyone be this fast?! I literally couldn't react at all!'

I didn't have time to think about his monstrous speed or the pain of ribs anymore as he turned towards Mio, who was finishing the hand seals for a jutsu.

"Water style: Water Bullet jutsu!"

Mio shot out a tiny condensed sphere of water at him with all her force. It moved with impressive speed and accuracy, piercing straight towards his heart.

Yet Kuriarare merely laughed and easily moved out of its path. He leaned forward slightly.

"Let me show you a real water bullet jutsu." He said condescendingly.

He completed the hand signs before I was even aware of what was happening, flashing through them with the speed of a ninja who had familiarized themselves with the jutsu for years. He inhaled deeply.

I again felt myself suddenly entering a state of extreme clarity, as if something was awakening inside me. The world seemed to slow down around me.

I flashed through a series of hand seals of my own.

"Water style: Water Bullet jutsu!"

"Gale style: Gale Bullet jutsu!"

Our voices rang out at the same time. But my jutsu was infinitely faster than his, arriving in front of him in a split second - before he had even finished exhaling.

Gale style: Gale Bullet jutsu. The only gale style jutsu I knew. A self created technique modeled on the basic bullet jutsus of the other elements that shot out a compressed sphere of electricity at incredible speeds. Unfortunately, I had yet to master it to the extent where it could display the pinnacle of its speed.

Kuriarare jerked back in shock, narrowly able to avoid the orb of electricity hurtling towards his face from the side. A small strand of his hair was burnt off as it passed by. Simultaneously, his water bullet was propelled out towards Mio, but now at a deviated path.

The sphere of water was significantly more dense and fast than Mio's had been. It ripped through the air towards her, my chest tightening as I watched helplessly. Had it been enough?

Yes.

The sphere of water tore through the top of her shoulder, leaving a bloody wound. But fortunately, the gale bullet had affected his aim enough to avoid a fatal hit.

Mio clutched her shoulder with a small yelp, stumbling back a couple steps before regaining her balance.

"Interesting. But... that's all it is..."

Kuriarare once again stood unconcerned, looking for all the world like a casual diner at a restaurant. He was facing me now. He was just playing with us.

The pain from my ribs flared back to life once again, overriding the numbing induced by the massive amounts of adrenaline flowing through my system. I was already almost out of gas. It would have to be all or nothing in this next attack.

"Mio! Are you still able to do that jutsu?"