XII

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Arc XII Chapter 22

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“...” Asami grinned. So this was his plan all along ... How predictable of them. The only problem was Kakashi, though. He knew that the odds were favourable, and he didn’t refrain from pressing his advantage when it mattered. 

Kakashi increased the pressure, calling upon his strength. His chakra flared up, and his lightning was grinding against her umbrella, not allowing her to budge even in the slightest. “Asami ..., this will be your end.” 

Asami tilted her head, a beatific smile gracing her lips. “Truly, how troublesome.” 

Naruto closed in. Kakashi pinned her down. Unfortunately for them, it took far more to take her down. She hadn’t fought and bled two entire lifetimes, she hadn’t fought armies, nations, fate itself, just to be defeated by a mere brat with some pretension of grandeur. 

Asami moved, shifting her weight, shifting her perpendicular axis, her left hand producing a kunai from her pouch. Her body rotated, making Naruto hit nothing but empty air, much to his surprise. 

“What ...???” Naruto shot right past her, stunned for the moment, the shock palpable in his eyes. But it wasn’t over. Ever eager to strike, Kakashi exploited the gap in her defence.  

Her kunai was immediately put to good use, blocking Kakashi’s counterattack, blocking his incoming kunai dead in its tracks. Their kunai crossed, and her purple chakra met his lightning. Meanwhile, her parasol countered Naruto. Much to his credit, her favourite jinchuuriki quickly recuperated from his blunder before switching the axis of attack. Naruto halted, his feet biting into the ground, and redirected his rasengan. It was only too little too late. Her umbrella was already in place to deflect his attack. Her parasol blocked his sphere, layers upon layers of solid chakra nullifying his rasengan once again. 

“...” Asami took a deep breath now that it had become apparent that their attack had failed. Now that both, Kakashi and Naruto, were kept at arm’s length with a minimum of force.  “You know, we crossed swords aplenty today, and yet you still seem to take me lightly. This farce ends now.”

An array of purple orbs surrounded her figure, manifesting upon answering her call. 

Kakashi’s eyes widened, the sweat running down his forehead. “Retreat!!!” Her obs detonated in a glimmering flash of purple, covering the plain in a cloud of dust and debris, covering her. 

Kakashi and Naruto retreated, but the explosion hit them point blank with full force, kicking them backwards before they came to a halt.

Naruto clenched his fists, the frustration swelling up inside him. They had failed. Once again. “Dammit! Why ... Why ...”

“NARUTO!!!” Kakashi-sensei’s scream reached him, the panic in his voice audible. 

“Hm?” Naruto didn’t understand. He glanced up and there she stood right before him in the blink of an eye. Asami moved with a speed and elegance thought impossible, her coat, her kimono, her long, silken, black hair dancing in the wind with not even a single movement wasted. Her folded umbrella led her charge, its metal tip coated in purple chakra. It happened fast. Too fast. Naruto never stood a chance. His body tried to move, but it was too late. Uncaring, mercilessly, the girl closed the distance and her parasol connected. 

...

...

...

“...” It took Naruto a few moments to process, his senses numbed. Time had slowed to what felt like a small eternity, and his world had come to a halt in front of his very eyes before the first sensation of searing pain awakened him from his terrible slumber, the torrid, blistering pain surging through his entire body.  

“Aarghhh!” Naruto gritted his teeth, his adrenaline fighting the soaring pain. Asami, however, didn’t care in the slightest. 

The girl grinned in dark delight, the dark abyss of her purple eyes boring deep into his soul like a demon of ancient times. “You are too slow, Naruto-kun.”

Naruto’s gaze wandered downwards, his eyes falling upon her folded umbrella. Her parasol had impaled his stomach, her shimmering purple chakra piercing through his whole body. He saw the blood flowing from his wound, staining his orange clothes deep crimson red. His strength left his limbs and his consciousness was fading quickly.

Her umbrella tightly gripped, Asami deigned him her attention, her predatory purple eyes looking down upon him in plain condescension. “I remember you, Naruto-kun. I remember the day you fought the Hyuuga boy. I remember the words you spoke. I remember when you said that you wanted to become Hokage. I remember you when you said that you wanted to change fate. And yet you lack the strength to even control your own destiny ... A word of advice, Naruto-kun, from someone who has dictated the course of history before. It takes more than some fragile convictions to alter the path of fate, it takes more than some juvenile dreams to carry the weight of the world.” 

“...” Naruto listened, but Asami’s words went unheard. Naruto fell, and his entire world turned black.

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