~Chapter Two~

The man standing in front of the young woman was known by a couple different names, not to mention the fact he was an S Rank criminal. His most renowned nickname was the Thunder of the Hidden Mist, and although he was skilled with his swords his wasn't exactly on par with Kisame Hoshigaki though he would come decently close.

Raiga Kurosuki supposed he'd made several choices in his lifetime that he'd either regret or spend a couple of sleepless night debating about whether it was the right choice or not, and now facing off against the lone survivor of Team Arashi he was doubting his choice all those years ago.

He'd been certain when he set out to find and eliminate the survivor that'd he win easily, but now faced with the person who is dead set on killing him, he highly doubts that it'll be easy to defeat her. But no matter what he was going to win, there was no doubt in his mind that he could defeat the last Ookami.

Everything went dead quiet for a split second before the two dashed forward in unison, the grating sound of metal on metal vibrating out and ringing in the air. The air rippled and the two were pushed back, snow flinging up all around. His hair, now up close proving to be a dark green, whipped in the wind while Winter's stayed in its ponytail.

Kunai and shuriken were flung with fatal accuracy, each smoothly dodging the others attacks. It was a deadly dance of blades, eyes narrowing and trying to read the movements of their opponent. Because whoever managed to break through the others defenses the longest, was the winner.

Snow swirled around them and the sky darkened considerably as their blades clashed, lighting brewing in the sky but no yet being released upon the world below. Both the ninjas had a high affinity for lighting, the air becoming thick with electricity as it started to spark on their blades.

Raiga's twin swords, known as Kiba, were slim and had straight double-edged blades. Both blades also had an upward-curved bladed prong near the tip of one side of the blade and another one near the base of the blade's other side. They were said to be the sharpest swords ever made, and belonged to a man who knew how to use them better than anyone ever could seeing how he used to belong to the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist.

Lighting sparked along his blades, his purple eyes narrowing slightly in concentration as the two locked blades. Winter's muscles strained as she put all of her brute strength against Raiga's, but unfortunately he was a tad bit stronger.

Winter was sent flying back with a small cut on her cheek, her cloak billowing out making a black spot against the white background. With a noise of annoyance she yanks her cloak off leaving her in a scarlet red tanktop and black capri pants. Her Storm headband is fastened securely around her neck while her Leaf headband is tied across her forehead.

Her forearms are covered in black bandages while her katanas rest securely in her hands. With a snarl she lunges forward, a whirlwind of black and red with lightning running along her body. She lashes out at him, her katanas a deadly extension of her arms with her mouth twisted into grimace.

She wanted nothing more than to kill him right then and there, but she wasn't stupid. The battle was just getting started and it wouldn't stop for a long time.

They tested eachothers physical strength, their blows nearly invisible to the naked eye with a confident smirk on Raiga's face. Winter's face stayed calm and poised as they fought though every now and then a flash of triumph or concentration would appear.

His twin swords crackled with lightning as he charged at her, Winter not even bothering to move. At the last second she shifts to the side, maneuvering her katana's around his and slicing his arm. Deep red blood flows out of the wound and drips onto the once white ground marking the start of the real fight.

His jaw clenches and his whirls his swords around, lighting gathering around him as he prepares to use his first jutsu. "Lightning Strike Armour." He spits out as he combines his swords at the hilts, beginning to rotate them rapidly. Electricity gathers and surrounds him, the intense electrical shield making Winter narrow her eye.

He smirks and dashes forward, faster than he ever moved previously. As he nears her, raising his swords to strike, a smirk graces Winter's lips. "Idiot." She whispers whirling around and grabbing his arm, the high energy element coursing throughout her body. Her turquoise eye stares into Raiga's purple eyes as shock flits across them, the girl absorbing some of his lighting.

It races along her body and she welcomes it, the sensation cooling and making her feel a tiny bit drunk on power. She closes her eye briefly before it flashing open, a raging storm replacing the usual color. His armour starts to disappear as she sucks the lighting into her body, the storm growing more violent in her eye.

She suddenly releases his arm, a pounding in her head serving as a reminder that she couldn't take anymore of the pure energy. Sparks appear around her as she struggles to compose herself, and that second is all it takes for Raiga to counter attack.

Her eye widens and she tries to move out of the way but his sword pierced through her left shoulder, electricity coursing throughout her veins. She grits her teeth, her knees threatening to buckle from the overload of energy.

Ragia smirks sadistically and presses his sword deeper into her shoulder, bringing the other one around her cut her neck. She barely manages to swing a single katana up to pary the strike, though her arm shakes with the effort. The man narrows his eyes and spends more chakra to send even more electricity throughout her. A strangled cry scratches its way out of her throat, her knees giving out making the second half of Kiba fall with her. Ragia swings the other half at her, Winter dizzily ducking and making a few pieces of sliced hair drift to the ground.

"Aw look at the little wolf, unable to do anything once again."

The man sneers at her, yanking the second half of Kiba out of her shoulder brutally. She grunts, the once white snow now a horrible red. "You couldn't save your family, you could save your village, you couldn't even save your own teammates. So how do you expect to defeat me?"

He grins down at her, "The thing is little girl, you can't. You will never be able to kill me. So let me tell you what's going to happen. I'm going to destroy you just like I did to those red haired twins." He raises his swords slowly, tauntingly. "Why don't you join that dead team of yours? Because let's face it, you're just as much of a failure as they were." Her eye widens and her grip loosens on her katana's.

Was that all she was? A failure destined to die at the hands of the man who managed to completely wreck her? The man who tore her life apart after it had just barely been rebuilt?

"Don't give up Yu-chan!"

Her breath stilled as she heard a voice she thought was long gone, her heart pounding in her chest as a memory flashed in her mind.

Riku and Winter stood back to back, their expressions scared yet determined. The area had already been destroyed from them completing their jutsu, which meant their chakra was at an all time low. A young Winter could feel the blood draining from her face as she got into a taijutsu stance, her body quivering.

"Don't worry! Everything will be fine, I promise. Just take a deep breath, it'll all work out eventually."

Ryu grins at her weakly, blood pouring out of the various wounds on his body as the man with dark green hair stalks towards the defenseless boy. He raises his sword high, a sadistic smirk on his face as he drives it down.

"RYU!" The scream tears from her throat as she watches one of her best friends fall to the ground, his chest barely moving. Lighting gathers overhead and her eyes are glassy with unshed tears. Riku, upon hearing her cry, glances around with his gaze settling on his twin and his heart skips a beat. This distraction all it taking for the same green haired man to dash forward aiming his sword at the black haired girl.

Feeling the warmth of blood splatter onto her cheeks Winter's eyes widen dramatically, the body of the second red haired twin falling to the ground. Riku had sprinted forward, interpreting the blade... at the cost of his life. He collapsed to the ground, his hand twitching in pain.

"Y-you..." Her head whips up as she glares at the man, "YOU HURT THEM!" Her scream echoes throughout the forest, the lighting generating above flashing to the ground and causing a catastrophic explosion. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

She had no control over the destructive element, the lighting fueled by her wild emotions. The black clouds gathered above, the bright flash alerting the attention of the guards at the Leaf village gates. With a cry of either pain or fury, Winter slams her hand onto the ground making a huge wolf appear. Without a word the creature manages to get the two boys onto his back, dashing off.

Her eyes fixate on the man, the charred remains of several rogue ninja surrounding her. He grins at her, not seeming to care one bit about his comrades. "That was a waste of time you know, they're going to die."

"SHUT UP!"

She yells at the top of her lungs, the lightning striking around wildly. Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes... and one by one they did, each droplet hitting the ground. Her body was aching, her throat closing up and her vision was dotted with black spots. She was almost all the way out of chakra, and she couldn't keep what little control of the lighting that she had.

"You're going to join them in whatever afterlife there is." He snarls at her, his sword dripping with the blood of her teammates.

Without warning she drops to the dirt on her knees, blood trickling out of the side of her mouth. The man stalks forward only to pause, tilting his head to the side. "Huh, looks like we have incoming company. I guess I'll just see you soon then little wolf." He dashes away, Winter swaying as a cloaked figure comes into view. With a cat ANBU mask the ninja takes one look at her and scoops her up, sprinting back to the Leaf.

The last thing she remembered was the ANBU's gravity defying hair before everything faded to black.

I... I won't lose. Not today, not now, not ever...

As Raiga's sword nicked her neck, the white lighting that had been gathering overhead for the past hour was finally released in a brilliant flash that was seen for several miles. It was white hot and pure, undulated, raw energy.

Raiga was blown back a couple feet, skidding in the icy snow with his swords hanging limply in his hands as the snow settled back around Winter. Her head was hung low, her hand raised to the sky as the lighting flickered away revealing the obsidian colored handle of a giant weapon. The red bandages were wrapped securely around the blade, the single tag with a name written on it swinging lighting in the wind. The shadow hid her eye from view, though the gashes on her skin were slowly healing. Her Storm headband shone in the light and a wicked smirk settled on her lips as she said the one word that sent chills down Raiga's spine.

"Taiteki!"

Picture of Raiga to the side --->