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Kaji roar blasted Hibiki's impeccable hearing as he rushed back into the fray with what seem to be the last of the Aburame's remains. The Inuzuka was hoping that the other one didn't consume whatever was left of the traitor. He shook his head at the morbid thought as he looked ahead into the storm. The blizzard that was sweeping across the battlefield was finally settling in, as his whole body was now shaking and shivering, trying to warm itself up. Some type of root from the ground forced itself through the ice and wrapped itself momentarily around his ankle. He began to feel slightly re energized. However, something seemed to catch his attention more than the odd medical jutsu. The boy that they had been sent to capture. He began to do some odd transformation as the snow and ice around him began to combine with his body. The end result was a magnificent set of crystal-like wings. The presence of such a sight made the place feel even colder, as Hibiki now seemed to convulse on the spot. The wings began to flap, slowly at first. As each gust of wind began to pound the area, a sense of overwhelming dread filled the young mist Genin. At the time, he was trying to figure out what to do next.

Until a small little thought crossed his mind. Would I know? It said, in a voice other than his own. It reminded him of his older brother, his role model and teacher, Katsu. No, it didn't remind him of it, it WAS Katsu's voice. Do you know? It spoke again, as he locked eyes with the Mizu. "Do I know what?!" He spat out as if he was yelling at a sibling. Did you know, you're going to die some day? Katsu's mocking voice pierced his thoughts. "Of course I knew, Katsu, I knew from the start." The tone coming out of Hibiki's mouth now sounded dark and airy. His body felt even more frigid as the combination of the weather and this overwhelming emotion began to take place. Did you know, I'm not here anymore? Did you know I never want to see you again? Did you know, nobody ever liked you? You weren't even supposed to be alive anymore. You're the runt of the litter, you have no place within our pack. You can't hunt, you can't kill, you can't even stand up for yourself! Katsu's voice went from being a whisper, to a hoarse shout, as Hibiki's inner thoughts began to take over him. He held a hand to his head, as if he was having an unbearable headache. Gritting his teeth, he began to respond, "I..." You were supposed to die and you will die. You will die as you have lived in life, as a runt. Your death will be so precise and quick; It will be effortless. Oh what a pity. His jaw ached, as he began to ball his fists and growl slightly. "Shut. Up. Shut up. Shut up! SHUT UP! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!" He screamed at their targets, his eyes aching from the cold as they began to tear up slightly.

He was pushed back from another gust of wind as their target disappeared, possibly in the air. However, Hibiki was stunned from the fact that his brother would speak so vehemently at him as he laid there, refusing to get back up. His self control was slipping, more than usual, he had to regain it before he did something he would regret. Then, as if by instinct, he rolled over into a fetal position as ice coated his entire body. s**t! He was preparing another attack! He thought, as his body began to try and fight off the pressure of the ice upon itself. He could feel himself being slowly suffocated by the ice as his lungs began to heave slightly. Every second felt like hours to him. It was if this was where he was going to die, just like Katsu said. Shatter... The voice spoke again, as the Vulpine-looking boy howled in pain. His skin felt like it was being ripped off, or that he WAS being skinned alive as the ice shattered. His lung inflated and deflated rapidly, trying to regain the lost oxygen from being almost suffocated. The Inuzuka's ears heard a similar howl as he watched an orange object be thrown into the air by the area-wide attack in the distance. At first, he wasn't worried, but after feeling their Synchronization Jutsu deactivate, he knew Kuro was in danger. "Kuro!" He shouted, as he tried to stand up, or rather, get into all-fours jutsu. After a quick moment of pain, a wincing grimace, and wobbling, he was successful in at least standing up. "Kuro!" He called out again, sprinting as fast he could towards the Vulpes.

Every inch of his body was screaming in protest as he rushed over to his beloved canine. Looking down at the snowy-orange fox, a wave of despair, even thicker than the first one, came over him like the final curtain at a theater. His usual mischievous and mocking smile fell. Now with a stoic face, the boy wrapped his arms around the dieing fox. His body was slightly warm, yet cold, like wrapping ice in a warm cloth. The tears that were falling from the genin's face were barely visible within the snowstorm as he mourned the death of his lifetime ally. "K-k-kuro, don't leave me." He half whimpered, half sobbed as his body now shook from the force of his breathing instead of the cold. He chuckled slightly as a memory forced itself in his head. "Do you r-r-remember what Katsu said once? 'Inuzukas and their allies, they cannot be untethered. To do so would go against the natural order of the wild. Anyone who would try, would find that they protect each other like a mother bear would a cub.'"

He heard a sound from the gargantuan avian that soared across the battlefield. Expecting another attack, Hibiki tried to get into another defensive position while protecting Kuro by embracing him. The ice cascaded across the area, coating everything in sight. The pressure of ice made his body cry in desperation, and screamed in unison as the ice shattered once more. How much more punishment could he handle? The fox's body that was now in his arms felt more like a doll, than a friend he once had. Tears now poured down his face like a waterfall. "Did you know? Kuro? That this is how it was going to end?" He whimpered again.

After a moment of pure sobbing, Hibiki placed his comrade's body down. Kuro had died a shinobi's death, that was the way he was going to think about it. However, after establishing that fact, the sadness began to melt away, into numbness. His face wore an unfamiliar mask now. There was no smile, no mockery or sarcasm, and no pity displayed on his face. Anyone who had been with the boy for more than five minutes, knew that s**t was going to go down. Lightning-type chakra began to run through him and even jumped out at the environment. It grew to an unpredictable level, as a pale yellow aura quickly covered his body. "Did you know?" No longer a whimper, but a dry tone. It was not spoken fast, but ominously slow. "Did you know?" The volume of his voice began to escalate, but not without losing its previous attributes. "Did you know that I will no longer hold back? Did you know, some of us have nothing to lose now? Did you ever think of that? Do you know how much its going to hurt? When I rip out your nonexistent heart from that cavity you call a body and show you what real pain is! I won't let you go unpunished!" He tilted his head back and let out a roar that could rival Kaji's in ferociousness. Scanning the area with his super senses, he found Kyu's scent and easily regrouped with the rest of his makeshift squad. His body was no longer cold or tired, but comfortably numb as he stood by Kyu's side in his Clan-made Taijutsu stance. "Just give me a target and a signal and I will whip some a**." He growled to Sushi-kun, "I know the location of the second twin, the one not attacking so openly, if at all. Head northeast from this position for fifty meters, he should be around there somewhere. We could pursue him quite easily if you want." He nodded towards the direction of a baby blue chakra scent, as pure rage and malevolence replaced the sense of grief that he once felt. It began to eat away at his self control, he was going to go insane if he didn't do something soon!

‘it’s time for stealth…' Hatsuma’s hands did this speaking this time as they nearly crested the top of the hill on the other side of which were their targets. Stopping she pulled out two of the paper triangles and quickly activated them. Instantly flowing cloaks appeared on the ground beneath her feet. They were a dull white color and had long strings riddling one side of them. Hatsuma grabbed one and flipped it over string side down and dragged it along the snow before flipping it over and draping it over her. The strings had neatly clung to the snow and created a shell that blended in nicely with the ground around them. Hatsuma motioned oasis to follow after she had done the same thing with the second cloak.

Soon Hatsuma was at the top of the hill looking down into a valley with some abandoned buildings. She made herself prone and lay against the cold snow, she could feel the slight n** of the chilly snow even through her heavy clothing however she ignored it observing the situation carefully, just to the west there was the demon well, and the people should be down bellow likely searching through the building at the moment. She would wait and size up the enemy before initiating a plan of action. The only thing visible was her face poking out from the snow cloak and at this distance it would hardly be recognizable.

Oasis nodded her head, remaining pointedly silent. The signals that Hatsuma gave read something along the lines of 'time for sneaking' she watched as Hatsuma created a pair of strange cloaks from her unusual tag things, she waited until Hatsuma put on one to follow suit. She paused as she sensed something on the air. She held still as a flurry of cold wind and lonely snow flakes flew by. Her long ears twitched and she narrowed her stance before following after Hatsuma. As she walked she heard the strange ticking 'tsk tsk' sound again she slowed her movement and stepped on the snow this time altering her step she put her foot on top of the snow and did not compress it down using her ability to walk on water. She took a few more steps keeping pace with Hatsuma yet paying more attention to the sound that came from behind. As she payed attention she noticed it change, the sound of 'tsk tsk' came from at least two directions. She stopped when Hatsuma stopped and she knelt down closing her eyes she could hear the sound stop as she stopped, without doubt they were being tailed by someone, or something. She held the kneeling stance and watched the distance, she could see some buildings and, just barely, she could see movement. Oasis put her hands on the snow she closed her eyes for a moment and a small pulse of her energy washed out through the snow for a moment and she could sense the location of the targets below, but more disturbingly she could only for a brief moment sense something behind them, which vanished the moment she felt it. She tapped the snow a couple times and then spun about the one behind them, was very close.

Almost as if on cue a tall thin bodied individual dropped down in front of Oasis. It stood back at the road side, its gender was impossible to determine and long drawn eyes stared blankly at the two. An odd hissing sound came from a mouth that hung agape. No breath was visible from its mouth even with the sound, it was nearly as cold as the surrounding area. Then without notice it lunged forward a spindly arm launching forward and hitting Oasis square in the chest.

With no time to really react Oasis was only able to throw her arms up in front of the assault however the attack was not one for damaging purposes it held only one purpose, it was to propel her backwards. The arm gave a heavy forceful shove backwards, and it did that task well, and sent her tumbling backwards down the hill. The tall creature hissed again and swung its extended arm around aimed at Hatsuma.

Oasis continued to roll down the hill gathering snow on herself as she nearly turned into a rolling snowball. She finally hit the bottom of the hill and burst out of the snowball. She was surprised by the second clicking sound appearing before her. It looked like a small version of the one that just knocked her down. It hissed like the other, though in a different tone, before lunging at her with its rather over sized looking weapons. Oasis spun around sending snow up from the ground before flipping back away from the attack, the wave of snow sufficient in taking its loss of balance in the direction she wanted it to go. She dropped back and altered her stance entering for a moment into the crane stance before she moved in to attack. Her arms trailed at her sides as she rushed in at the snow-blind assailant.

The short creature restored its balance and its body hung low as it watched Oasis approach. Its head tipped from side to side as she approached before it in a similar manner lunged both arms forward throwing itself off balance and right at Oasis.

Oasis slipped around the lunge her hands making short sharp strikes at its side before she stopped at its back, the thing growled and hissed and spun around again Oasis kept herself to its back as it continued to wheel about. She moved in an erratic dance like pattern keeping herself behind the attacker and landing attacks at its sides, striking where vital organs should be. As she entered into a battle rhythm her breathing became metered and her expression steeled at the same time her strikes became more pointed and damaging. After a few more strikes at its back and sides the creature let out a strange wailing sound and collapsed forward into the snow twitching and writing about as oddly colored blood spurted from its mouth spattering onto the snow. When the substance hit, it made a sickening sizzling sound and Oasis jumped backwards, about the same time she heard Hatsuma warn her about the acid. She nodded and then threw her hands up in the air, it would be dangerous to stay close to fight this thing. "Watch out, I think its their blood!" Oasis called up to Hatsuma as her assailant flailed a moment longer before flipping onto its feet and turning to face Oasis. Its head cracked from side to side and its mouth gaped open as a trail of its blood dribbled from its open mouth. It hissed again before closing its arms around itself and going into what seemed like spasms. Oasis pulled her hands down quickly and an array of seals came quickly after. She punched her hands forward and the snow melted becoming a rushing wave of water. The water wave crashed into the opponent and sent it reeling backwards, it was cold enough that the water was fairly quick to freeze and created a sheen of ice on the surface of the ground. Oasis hadn't dealt with ice before. However she was able to stand on water, and with that capability she was able to do the same with ice it would seem. Oasis crossed her arms for a moment and then swung them down to her sides as she turned her profile to her attacker and motioned with two fingers, the standard 'come on' taunt.

Oasis rolled her shoulders back as her opponent let out a screech before rushing at her, it flailed at her wildly before it fell to the ground and from that posture actually flipped into the air aimed at her like some sort of twisting blade. Oasis loosened her stance and threw her hands out to her sides, she spun around closing her arms and a burst of water came up from the ground giving extra height to her jump so she could fling up over the opponent as it came at her. She flipped over to face its back as it spun and then looked up at her. She opened her mouth and spat a shot of water at it, colliding straight with its chest it crashed through the upward cascade of water and hit the ground with a thud. Oasis threw her hands through the splashing water covering her hands with the fluid entrenched with her chakra. It wrapped around her hands as she began to fall towards the stunned opponent. The enemy flailed attempting to regain control as it flailed about attempting to return to its feet. However its attempts were too late as Oasis landed atop it and threw a flurry of strikes into its chest, the water covering her hands protected her from the blood as she punched her hands into its flesh tearing bits out of its chest as she punched into it. She paused feeling a flux in the enemy and jumped flipping back away from it as spikes suddenly jutted from its chest. It stood up with a crackling sound as lumpy bits fell from its chest to be replaced in moments by its oddly textured flesh. Oasis stood back breathing heavily, this thing regenerated, and it did it really well. She shook her head and set her jaw entering a fighting stance similar to that of the Hyuugan jyuuken technique. She was taught this stance by the elder of her home. Her eyes lit up bright blue as she held the posture, a heavy pulse of energy escaped from her creating an area that only the most sensitive would recognize, it was a field of attack and defense, a double sphere that would read movement through changes in air and sound. She snapped her hands into the upturned position and waited for her opponent. She could hear Hatsuma say something however, she didn't really understand it as she was wrapped up quite well in her combat. As she waited, her opponent did as she expected it screeched before racing at her, it came in with a wide swing, and as it passed into her field she reacted. Oasis flickered with movement. She swung around the blades and spines of the creature landing a great number of thrust attacks to its body all along its left side as she came around behind it she pulled in a deep breath and released a spray of thick almost glue like water from her mouth. The creature reeled about screeching madly as the markings on Oasis' body lit as well. She spun around it again striking various positions on its right side, disabling its limbs even if they would regenerate later. She came to stop infront of it again. before punching both hands straight into the center of its chest, she had finally heard the last thing Hatsuma had said. She felt the core out as she was hitting it, with probe like attacks. With the two hand strike its core was ejected out through its back along with Oasis' hands and then she pulled it back out through its chest before kicking it square in the chest knocking the still corpse onto its back, she spun wheeled around and threw the core at Hatsuma "Do you what do!" she shouts as the bit flew at her partner. She turned back to the body, not sure it was dead and released a spray of acidic like liquid from her mouth that would dissolve its form in short order.

Hatsuma quickly threw the tag at the pulsating chunk and they collided mid-air quickly becoming one as Hatsuma stated the word she had earlier and the chunk and paper became a small ball before disappearing just like the other had. Hatsuma came to a stop at the bottom of the hill and looked over towards the abandoned building, at this range she could tell no one was inside, perhaps the creatures had taken all their time. The strange energy was gone now. “Looks like these were responsible… let’s look in the building then for clues of why they were here…” Hatsuma commented pushing open the door to the nearest abandoned building. The snow blew loosely through the window which no longer had a pane of glass within it. looking about the snow riddled objects within it was clear to see that the occupants had left unwillingly as many things were still here. Searching about she entered the room that likely belonged to a child given the size of the broken down snow coated bed. A small lump on the floor caught her attention and she knelt down and pulled it free from the white that trapped it in place. Clearing the snow from it, it became clear as to what it was… a damp and slightly worn teddy bear. It brought back memories of her childhood as she too owned a small stuffed bear; it was quite similar to this in fact. She stowed it away and left the room and the building that seemed undisturbed aside from the bear she had taken. “Oasis there are three buildings left we’ll check them separately look for anything that’s been disturbed it should be easy to spot… we need to find clues as to why they were here if we can… and more so why they were able to find us so easily…” she commented as she slowly made her way towards another building to continued the search.

Oasis watched as the white tag enveloped the chunk and it faded away to nothing as the other had. She followed Hatsuma into the empty little settlement. It was quiet in there, the movement she saw down there was a play of shadows and snow because now that she was there she could see that aside from Hatsuma, and her own footsteps there was no other trails in the snow that she could see. She waited outside while Hatsuma went into the building. Finally Hatsuma came back out and she said that they needed to check the other two buildings. Oasis nodded her head and went off to the other building leaving the third building to Hatsuma. Oasis chose the largest building of the three. The windows were all shattered and the front door was hanging from only one hinge. She tipped her head to the side looking at it, this place had been broken into for certain. She pushed against the door and it broke free falling into the snow with a muted thud. She climbed over the fallen door and entered into the building. there was snow on the ground near the entrance and each window, but with the size of the building there was large areas that had no snow on them. she walked around for awhile looking at many things that had been disheveled. Perhaps the other building didn't look like this because the thing that was being searched for was in this building. She walked to a large room that looked like a struggle had ensued within, and that's where she found her number one clue. A large case, similar to the one in her 'uncles' home was smashed open, there were scars from a blade all about that area of the room. So a sword had been stolen from this place, maybe, it could have been those people who were after her uncles sword. She looked around some more trying to figure out what was here, what weapon had they stolen from this place, and why was it important enough for this kind of attack. Oasis took mental note of the area and then left the building, she quickly made her way towards the last building where Hatsuma would be, she tapped on the wall "Hatsuma, I think I found what happened here. Come on its the other building." she states hoping Hatsuma would hear her and come out, she walked towards the other building waiting for Hatsuma to follow.

Hatsuma heard Oasis’ voice from outside the building she was inspecting; she had found a book here and opted to take it since it seemed to be misplaced. “Let’s go see then, I’ve found something as well… a story book about legendary weapons…but let’s see what you’ve found first…” She commented as they made their way towards the building Oasis had gone into. Upon entering she noted it was quite a bit larger and certainly not set up to be a home… there were displays all about, perhaps it was a museum of sorts. Her attention was instantly directed to the case which was broken apart with slashed gouges all about, no doubt the work of the creatures. However whatever was housed there wasn’t on the two they fought which means it was a different group that attacked them. “I think a sword was here… this book is about legendary blades afterall, it was misplaced in the house I searched… I have as feeling we weren’t sent here just to take out the intruders… it probably has to do with the weapon that was likely here until recent…” Hatsumas deduced from the clues about and the manner in which they were recruited, though she was curious as to why they were sent instead of the shinobi from this country taking care of it.