kakunosekai:

Over here, big boy—The
distraction lends him an opportunity to charge again, though he does it pretty
darned quietly. He isn’t swinging Hiramekarei yet; it’s still strapped to his
back. Doesn’t really get in a blow as much as he would have liked to, but soon
there’s something different about those knuckle knives. Asuma makes to cut Mangetsu
in the face, only to have that chakra infused blade of his slice right through.

There’s no blood; just a little bit of water.

So they had more in common, apparently: they both liked to
coat their blades in chakra. Mangetsu’s collar is down low enough now for Asuma
to see that grin. “Aw. Missed?”

He can see it in the man’s face, suddenly on his guard five
times more than he already was, probably wondering if he was fighting a clone. Must
suck trying to figure out where the ‘real’ him is, Mangetsu thinks, amused.

And soon enough, he’s using that confusion to hide his hands
in the sleeves of his cloak (this ridiculous thing is coming in handy after
all) to shoot at the man’s knee. A water bullet, meant to do maximum damage. He’s
being nice and letting it be a little one this time, but it’s fast enough and
powerful enough to go right through the man’s knee.

And there it is—a spray of red behind the guy, The smell of
blood’s got his nostrils flaring a bit.

It’s been a while.

And with Asuma injured like that, Mangetsu makes to charge
again—

–Only to have some other guy step right into the melee. Someone
who gets greeted with: “Why have you shown up too?”

Cocky bastard, Mangetsu thinks, when the new guy with the silver
hair and a sharingan, apparently
(when did that happen?) responds coolly: “Well, I asked you to take care of
them earlier. But I kinda felt uneasy, y’know?”

He’s not sure if that’s a compliment or something really
backhanded. Not like he’s fishing for compliments from an opponent. But that
felt really backhanded.

Either way, Mangetsu backs off a bit, hand finally on
Hiramekarei’s hilt. “Guess yer not the only one with that eye, eh Itachi?”

Shit just got interesting.

He’s pumped.

He hears two voices. Itachi turns, and meets Kakashi’s Sharingan with his own. There’s a murmur from Kurenai, tipping Itachi off that this is a Kage Bunshin. Informative… Leaf shinobi tended to be.

“Talk.” A clear demand, scorn in Kakashi’s voice. There’s a kunai leveled to Itachi’s shoulder, supposedly to make him lean more towards being truthful, or answering quickly.

“What’s a rogue ninja like you doing in this village?”

“It’s you. Kakashi Hatake.” This time he lets loose a small scowl. Damnit… This had been a two on two, and now Kakashi makes three, not including the clone. He doesn’t like the way this is going. Did he tell others before he made his way here? Or was he lucky, and Kakashi was the only addition this fight would have?

There’s silence before either of them answer each other. Kakashi remembers those eyes, knows they’re the eyes of a true heir of his family’s dojutsu. 

“Well well well…” This time it’s the clone who speaks, placed between Asuma and Mangetsu. “I go to check a couple of lowlife hoodlums and I find none other than Itachi Uchiha, and you…”

kakunosekai:

It isn’t my desire to
kill you—What the fuck kind of statement is that, Itachi? What kind of
mixed signals are you throwing around here? Especially when it’s followed by a Don’t overdo it. That ‘don’t overdo it’
pisses him off, honestly. It’s like finally having that cock ring taken off and
being told you still couldn’t get off.

But Mangetsu could very well manage a silent kill. Or two. Or a hundred. He didn’t even have to
pull his sword out of its wrappings. And with the stream running below them, he
was in his element.

His feet shift under him, sliding against the floor of the
bridge they’re standing on to bring him into a crouching position ready to
pounce. There’s a stray pebble that goes spinning off into the water below. He’s
got his sights set on Asuma for now; it looks like the woman’s got something
else up her sleeve with the way she’s always a step behind the guy. What’s he
shielding her from?

Mangetsu makes a go for it, right in Asuma’s face, just
trying to elicit a response from either of them so he can gauge what kind of
attack they were going to throw at him. He’s already grinning from ear to ear
at the bewildered look on either of their faces. Who charged right into a fight
unarmed?

If only they knew.

But Asuma draws out his weapons and Mangetsu can’t help the
excited laughter. Trench knives modified to fit his knuckles, hm? A close-range
fighter, then. Suits him just fine.

If only Asuma can land a hit.

It must be funny, going toe to toe with the guy with just
his bare hands. But what’s he got to be afraid of, really? Nothing for now, at
least. Conventional weapons weren’t going to hurt him. –Not that Mangetsu was
keen on disclosing that little surprise any time soon. He’s going to get a few kicks
and punches in the old fashioned way, dodging where necessary but not entirely
worried about leaving himself open. (Might as well get some of this pent-up
frustration out like a goddamn slow work-up back to getting off.)

He’s already punched the guy in a few of his chakra points
enough to make him stand a bit shaky for a second or two before there are
creepy ass vines and muck around him and the guy he’s just hit is smirking
about his partner ‘being late’. Genjutsu, huh? Had a feeling the woman was
better suited for the kind of thing Itachi fucked people up with.

“Heh. Ya got me~”

Fair and square, but what’s the dude going to do anyway?
Slice through water? This is going to be fun.

For now, Itachi does nothing. Merely watches Mangetsu and Asuma go toe to toe. Itachi dislikes close range combat, but that won’t stop him from observing Asuma’s movements and choice of weapon. 

Something more interesting is going on in the back, however. Kurenai has taken a few steps back, and is rapidly weaving handsigns. Her form quickly disappears from the feet up, as if she was never there to begin with.

His pupils widen. his eyes glistening red.

Like Mangetsu, Itachi is quickly wrapped up in snarling vines, and strapped to the thick trunk of a tree. His arms, bound by his side. Surely helpless. But he does nothing to stop it. No struggling, no calling out, not even a glance  until it’s upwards. From the tree’s very self, a body forms, gaining shape and then color. It’s Kurenai, right arm free, a sharp kunai held in her hand. Her arm raises, gripping the hilt, and comes swooping down–

Kurenai gasps for air. Her head dips down, seeing her body strapped to the same tree she swore she’d caught Itachi in. Infront of her is the man himself, completely collected.

He…he reflected my genjutsu!

“Something of this level won’t work on me.” It’s a quiet explanation, producing his own kunai from his right sleeve. Kurenai swallows, and bites her lip, giving more and more pressure until her teeth snap clean through her right lip, drawing blood. At the very last moment, when the kunai is about to plunge deep into her gut, she manages to break the illusion, scrambling for balance.

Itachi strikes. Faster than the eye can see, he’s quickly up to Kurenai’s front, a very real kunai this time. She dips, but still loses several chunks of hair in the swipe, which could’ve very well been her own head. 

But before she has a chance to counter attack, Itachi’s dipping, raising his left leg. She can only raise her arms to block the hit, going flying out into the stream below, a thin layer of chakra the only thing keeping her from plunging deep into the water.

“Kurenai!!” Asuma cries out, distracted from his fight with the mysterious partner.