Chapter 17: Death Is A Forest Pt.2
How?
How could one go from a go lucky bumbling idiot, who shouldn't have escaped the academy in the first place. To an adept expert when placed under pressure. To her it made no sense. There was no way that Chusei was tactically ready. This had to be a ruse. A genjutsu of some sort.
Nagisa looked on as her groups' leader and newly appointed bukijutsu specialist. They were locked in a complicated dance going from tree to tree. Entwining and crafting what appeared to be a complex trap for the unwanted followers. It was, to say the least impressive. She truly had no idea Chusei had it in him to craft anything. Even with assistance from a competent hand.
What seemed to shock her most. was the way they appeared to know exactly what the other was thinking. The technique and ease the duo used when covering the area in flesh cutting wire, implied that it was taught to them. Meaning that graduating a year early was barely an advantage.
Nagisa sat in an opposing tree to Kobaru. Far enough that they could sit comfortably sit in different trees, but close enough to feel each other's chakra. She wasn't sure why they were trying to force familiarization, but she would comply.
The two early graduates watched on as the fully certified genin prepared their overly complicated trap. Which was mostly in hope that the bandits didn't see such a woeful attack coming.
Inner Nagisa had spoken too soon. As the chakra using bandits didn't.
The group of eleven continued their prance through the trees right into the first low hanging line. The leading runners who appeared to be a little too excited about the chase. They essentially assisted the genin with slicing their jugular. As the ran neck first into the razor like twine.
The others wisely came to a stop. The leader, a woman with poorly kept red hair that almost distracted onlookers from a nasty scar that went across her face. She signaled for another bandit to step forward.
He did so without contest and hurried through handseals.
Snake. Rat. Snake. Tiger.
Fire Release: Burning Ash
He arched his back inhaling an ungodly quantity of air. In a motion just as slow as it took for him to inhale. The man threw his head forward releasing a large cloud of ash and powder. That quickly spread out covering the area ahead of them.
The entire area was quickly filled covered with a thick layer of black. Obscuring their already impaired vision. Thanks to the dim moonlight and thick canopy. They were already fighting blind. This jutsu only added insult to injury.
The genin stayed in hiding. Waiting in silence for their pursuers next move. Nagisa sat in wait. Mostly hoping that she would be given authority to attack. After all taijutsu was better used in the field. Going all out on a minor was not as encouraged. That and she needed to secure at least one kill to add to her paycheck.
The silence persisted even as the cloud of ash cleared itself out. She couldn't tell the difference between a minute and second. Or if time was flowing at all. The sound of Nagisa's heartbeat appeared louder with every passing second. Hopefully her instincts kicked in if she was attacked. As of that moment her auditory senses was devolving into untimely introspection.
Once fully cleared. The ash revealed that the dust had settled on most of the wires. Which showed them that they were already at the center of the sharp thread trap. They all paused observing the well-crafted web. Contemplating the necessity of chasing trained shinobi.
The woman, whom Nagisa coined to be their leader, held her hand up signaling an advance. She stepped forward a half tiger seal held to her chest. Appearing to focus her entire being on her next action. She didn't know why but she felt that they needed to stop her pending technique.
Thankfully they had a Chusei.
The boy interrupted the woman. Leaping out of hiding with an exaggerated grin on his face. A little more than the carrot top would force on his face. He had his arms held out in a sign of surrender as he settled himself on a tree directly at the center of the trap.
"Wait please," he yelled causing the one holding a seal to drop her hand. Opting to pull a kunai instead. She tossed it at the boy who quickly dodged. He ignored her attempt on pleading tone, "please. We don't wanna fight. I and well we would just like to get back to Konoha and get our pay for a C-rank. I swear we won't say anything."
The supposed leader looked around at her fellow bandits. All of whom nodded when they met her gaze.
"Sorry kid," she replied her voice surprisingly deep. She followed with a chuckle that caught itself in her throat, "Leaf-nin bodies are too much of a fortune to miss," she stopped herself from all out laughter, "Iwa's pay for your forehead protector alone can feed me for a month."
"Shit. I thought we could be civil," the genin sighed but plastered his portrait with a menacing grin, "KID!"
With that, the wires snapped. Creating a wonderful domino effect of wires peeling bark. They tore themselves towards whatever was caught in the middle. All of which avoided the orange head of hair standing at the epicenter. He still flinched every time he heard a wire snap. But kept his post in the middle of the trap.
Seven of the assailants including their leader read the attack in time and leapt into the air to avoid the trap. The two others were immediately caught in a well woven circle of flesh peeling wire. They were pulled together as more wires wove itself around them.
However that was only the first step in Chusei's plan. The wires that kept the two bandits suspended. Quickly set themselves aflame.
Blooms of bright orange raced along the chakra sensitive surface towards the two bodies caught in the middle. Thankfully they didn't appear to be trained in escaping the painful entwinement. All that could be done was to watch on as fires engulfed them.
The leader seized the temporary discord by launching herself towards Chusei who slipped into Kobaru's stance. Her first attack was a downswing which the boy narrowly evaded. Right into the path of a sword wielding bandit. The boy simply spun away from the swipe. Then traded branches for the one closer to the barbecued bandits on a string.
It was at this time that their temporary cellmate saw an opportunity. He emerged from his hiding place with an unwrapped scroll in hand. He leaped into the air. Gaining impressive height. Before forcing his chakra into the unfurled scroll.
It quickly burst into a cloud of smoke. In its place emerged a volley of kunai and shuriken which all rushed towards the bandits who were being burnt to a crisp. The bandits at the center of the metal rain, danced around the projectiles. In hopes of keeping their heads.
Most of the sharp objects found their mark piercing flesh and breaking bones as they hit the unfortunate duo. Ensuring that they died before the flames did its job.
"You little pieces of shit," One of the bandits who were quicker on their feet. Rushed at Chusei as soon as the wave of throwing weapons came to a stop.
Another took off in the direction of their fourth cell member. Who clumsily worked his way through handseals. Clearly hoping that he could finish whatever he was planning before he got attacked.
Tiger. Boar. Ox. Dog. Snake.
Kawarimi
The boy quickly replaced himself with a log that exploded the moment contact with it was made. The area was washed over by a spray of splinters and guts. Covering the nearest tree in a thick sheen of dark red. Nagisa watched in slight horror as a jawbone flew by her. Piece of flesh still hanging from the mandible.
The bandit targeting Chusei ignored the loud clattering of exploding wood. Successfully catching up to his target. He grabbed the boy by the collar. Worrying his neck with a blade. The boy just continued to grin like a clueless child. Too tired to fight back or coming to terms with the consequences of his career choice.
"Somethin' funny kid?" the man asked then followed Chusei's eyes. He caught sight of the boy's sleeves. Which were pulled back to reveal his forearm. To it was stuck a sheet of exploding paper. Which was glowing bright enough to blind anyone within ten feet.
The loudmouth aggressor tried dropping the genin and turning tail, but it was already too late.
The boy tackled the man from behind as he burst into a lovely spray of smoke and chakra. Forcing the bandit into a nearby tree trunk. His neck snapped and his spine folded when he hit the bark. She continued to follow his trajectory as he fell to the forest floor. His body bearing more resemblance to a lawn chair than a human being.
"She took another head count!" Kobaru yelled drawing attention to the assumed leader of the assailants, who was perched in a branch with a half tiger seal held to her chest.
"Still four of 'em," the woman yelled.
Another loud snapping sound went off. With it a second wave of wire wrapped itself around the trapped duo. Their lifeless bodies shook with every layer that met them. This time with the wires were several more sheets of exploding tags.
After a second of complete silence, they all went off. Blowing the bodies into millions of pieces. Chunks of flesh and bone covered the area. Replacing the dull smell of gun powder. With a deep scent of rusted metal and burnt fresh.
Nagisa would recoil, but the scent was one of familiarity. The only scent that she could remember from her childhood on Nagi Island. Not the scent of salt, sand and ocean fauna. The grime of the island's downfall was the only thing etched into her mind. Sadly, it was enough nostalgia to unearth her childhood memory.
She refocused her thoughts.
The sudden series of explosions seemed to catch two more bandits off guard. Metal shrapnel tore open the skull of the first suspect. The other was nailed to a tree by a broken and jarred femur. He was still alive. But was definitely uncomfortable with a leg bone sitting in his right lung.
"Nagisa!" Chusei yelled still very much alive, "she's all yours."
Finally, some action.
Kobaru shot her a thumbs up. She gave him a quick nod before holding a tiger seal against her chest. His face twisted in confusion. In all fairness he was yet to see her perform ninjutsu. Especially one that she shouldn't even know. But he had to see it sooner or later.
It was a technique she picked up from the library and had the privilege of seeing done by Nohara several times. It wasn't as battle altering as Chusei's firebullet. But it was something that she was proud of.
The only thing left was to better balance her chakra flow. Until then she would have to throw in more seals to compensate.
Rabbit. Horse. Tiger.
Shunshin
Within the blink of an eye, she was gone. Reappearing from the chakra fueled state only a few inches away from the shaggy haired woman. She widened her eyes at the eleven-year-old whose eyes promised pain.
Nagisa cocked her fist and released her shot before the woman could react. Her small knuckles contacted the bandit's face. The impact threw her much larger frame backward. Enough so that the momentum forced a quick retreat. Even with both feet planted firmly on the wide branch.
She locked eyes with Nagisa as she allowed the involuntary drag. Her sandals exposing fresh bark as she slowed to a stop.
The woman smiled at Nagisa then straightening her frame. Shaking the tension out of her shoulders and hips as she did so. After her useless showing. She dug her heels into the gathered lump of damp wood. She overtly ran her tongue along the inside of her gums and spat out a dislodged molar. With it another chuckle caught itself in her throat.
"This one is gonna be a problem guys," the woman spoke aloud looking at her surviving comrades. Nagisa debated another surprise attack. But realized that the moment was gone as quick as it came.
"I know right," the ash technique user yelled down from his perch higher up the same tree, "Hayazuki could have at least give us a warning," he sighed moving from the canopy onto a lower branch, "Could've saved us some heads."
Noted.
"These kids are doing us a favor," the woman said tearing a broken kunai out of the tree trunk, "call for help," she instructed. A command that was quickly followed by the next unharmed bandit blowing into a seashell, "Buy time. I'll capture the girl."
Nagisa wasn't going to miss another free hit. She raced forward. Her arms held back and to her sides. The woman threw the broken kunai doing little to deter Nagisa from closing the gap. The girl moved around the piece of metal. The raggedy bandit switched her footing. Turning her left side to face the onrushing preteen.
The genin over committed to her sprint, to bait a hard strike. Predictably the woman fell for it. Launching a vicious roundhouse aimed at decapitating her opponent. Nagisa expected it. Simply ducking under the swing and slipping to her unguarded side. Once clear she fired a jumping roundhouse aiming for the back of the head. It was the perfect left footed strike. A sure hit for most.
The woman anticipated the counterattack. Quickly recovering from her failed strike. She ducked under Nagisa's swipe. Responding with a powerful back kick. Catching Nagisa in the midsection.
For any other genin. A kick to the while airborne would end the fight.
Thankfully she wasn't any other genin.
Nagisa grabbed the offending limb and allowed her initial attack to carry her over. She twisted her body around the leg. Then sought to catch the bandit with a quick back kick. The scarred woman somehow got her right forearm up countering yet another hit. Then stuck her left forearm in the way of a reversed kick from the free leg.
The blue haired genin pushed off the offending limb. Narrowly evading a stomp aimed at knocking her head against the branch.
She rolled away. Contorting her frame to keep eyes on her attacker as retreated.
"I have about twenty other guys closing in on our location right now," the woman smirked as she nursed her forearm, "you're outnumbered six to one. Save us a fight."
Nagisa held up a half tiger seal, "I haven't hit anything in five days."
"What?"
Rabbit. Horse. Tiger.
Shunshin
Right out of the technique. Nagisa hit the woman with an open palm. She savored the feeling of cartilage and bone crunching under her wrist. The woman's head snapped back with the force of the hit. Knocking herself off balance. In her disoriented state. She sought to counter once more. Connecting a straight jab with Nagisa's forehead. To force separation.
In the dizzy state, Nagisa hopped off to another tree. Her mind racing to make sense of her surroundings. A hand moved to her forehead. Confirming that the skin was as broken as it appeared. She spread the blood between her index and thumb. A scowl souring her features.
"Wear that forehead protector where it should be," The ugly, raggedy bandit woman laughed through her broken nose.
"Wear a bra." Nagisa said to herself. Then quickly berated her lack of self-control. Eventually deflecting the blame onto Chusei.
"That one got you good. I hope it leaves a scar. You'll remember me for the rest of your life."
Nagisa held her eyes shut. Doubling the effort to regain her bearings. Going of how long it took for her mind to recover. It was confirmed that she was indeed 'got good'. The genin was not pleased with the strike. She had little experience with being hit. As a matter of fact, the hardest she was ever struck was by flying debris. During a war.
She would ensure that the attack would be punished tenfold.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone