Daisuke's plan sucked.

We had no intel on these guys, on Shri's powers, on Katasho's strength, on anything, and yet he wanted to dive head first into the fight.

Okay, so it wasn't quite diving headfirst, but it was still risky, still rash.

"Hey, if we make it through this alive, you totally owe me a kiss for coming up with such an awesome plan," Daisuke grins.

"In your dreams," I hiss back, "can't we concentrate on the mission?"

"Alright. Now remember, I'm going to be transformed into the kunai that you throw towards him. He thinks you're weak, for some reason, so he won't question it when you miss. Then I'll be behind them. I'll take Katasho out, and while he's distracted you'll have the opportunity to get Shri."

"You seem to have forgotten how easily he took me down during the prelims," I remind him.

"Yeah, but I think I've figured that out. Every time he's used it he's been looking his victim right in the eye. I think he needs some sort of connection: physical, eye contact, whatever. So you should keep your eyes shut, and make a genjutsu so it seems like they're open. Can you do that?"

"Go in blind with a genjutsu making it seem as though I can see, then throw these kunai way over their heads so you can sneak up from behind. I think I got it," I recite.

"Well, at least it shouldn't be too hard for you to miss with the kunai," he jibes jokingly.

"Hey! I resent that!" I laugh. Then the mood sombers. "Alright. Let's do this."

I take one last glance around the corner to memorize their positions before nodding to Daisuke. As he rolls the smoke bombs out I do the handsigns, closing my eyes. "Are your eyes closed?" Daisuke asks. I smirk in response. "Right."

I hear the slight puff as he transforms. Grabbing several kunai, I stand and turn the corner just as the smoke bombs go off. Immediately I throw the kunai, aiming high and wide. I try not to show the relief when I don't hear any clangs of metal on metal, meaning none got deflected.

"Ah, Fuzen, so glad you could join us. Seems as though I have bait, now. I see you haven't gotten any stronger," Shri calls out, the smirk evident in his voice.

"I see you haven't gotten any less assholeish," I respond. The comeback was admittedly weak, but I was more worried about the plan than how idiotic I sounded.

"It doesn't matter what you think. Come here, Fuzen," he orders.

"I don't think so," I respond. How long was Daisuke going to take?

"Don't be ridiculous. I said come," Shri snaps. I can feel the power of his gaze drilling into me. "Fine. I guess I'll have to resort to methods with a little less finesse."

"Duck, Fuzen!" I do what Daisuke says without question, hearing the whistle of a long and heavy object sailing over my head. I open my eyes, knowing that I would have to face the risk of Shri's power in order to fight.

I glance behind me. Katasho had flung his metal staff towards my head. Thank God Daisuke had warned me. Speaking of...

I turn back to Daisuke and Katasho, seeing then locked in a power struggle over a kunai, I stare in horror as Katasho slowly pushes the kunai towards Daisuke's throat. Immediately I react, sending a kunai pommel first towards Katasho's head. Not a killing blow, but if Daisuke shifted into the path of the kunai I would be greatful for that.

As soon as I release the kunai I begin handsigns, creating the genjutsu I adapted from the jutsu my sister taught me. Shun falls still as he's trapped in my genjutsu. In the genjutsu, shut ikay were raining down from all sides. He'd be so busy trying to escape them he wouldn't realize it's a genjutsu.

Hopefully.

The kunai hits the side of Katasho's head, effectively distracting him. In the moment of time I provided, Daisuke unsheathed the sword from his back and cut Katasho from shoulder to hip.

I stare along with Daisuke at the trail of blood left in the wake of his sword. Daisuke stumbles backwards several yards and I steady him.

In that moment Shri broke the genjutsu. He was barely trapped for a minute. He immediately spots Katasho on the floor, bleeding out.

"Katasho!" He shrieks, "Cousin!"

I breathe heavily. I felt as though is been fighting for hours, when in reality the fight was over nearly before it began.

"He didn't give me a choice," Daisuke whispers, "I didn't want to kill him. But he didn't give me a choice."

"It's okay, Daisuke," I reassure him, "You did what you had to."

The door that Shun and Mizuko had barricaded now opened. Shun peeked through the crack before opening the door further, pulling Mizuko put of the room with him.

"Thank God you're okay," I pull Shun in for a quick hug. "And you too, Mizuko," I add, turning to him, only to find that he's paying no attention to me.

"Sh-Shri-sama?"

Mizuko takes a half step forward, hesitance clear in every move he made. "Shri-sama?"

Shri whirled, eyes glaring straight in Mizu's and said one simple, devastating word.

"Die."

Mizu stiffened, taking one stumbling step back before collapsing. Shun sprung forward, barely catching Mizu before his head slammed into the concrete.

"M-Mizu?" Shun stuttered.

Mizu opened his eyes, clearly hazy. "You need to get Shri go release me," he ground out, "Or I'm going to die."

"How the hell does that work?!" Daisuke shouts.

"His jutsu allows him to directly control your mind. He effectively takes away your free will," Mizu explains.

"Then why isn't the effect immediate?" I ask, kunai clenched in my hand.

"He hadn't perfected it," Mizu coughs wetly, "But right now I wish the effect was immediate." He was clearly in extreme pain. "Unless he releases me, I'll die within five minutes. At most. But he can... Ugh," he groaned in pain, "He can only command one person at a time. And right now that's me."

With that Mizu went silent, clearly having used up the majority of his energy.

"Let him go," Shun growls, standing.

"Make me! He brought this on me with his wretchedness! If he wasn't unholy, if he didn't serve the devil this never would have happened! This misfortune never would have occurred! Katasho would still be alive!" Shri shouts, eyes crazed.

I take a step forward. "This is your last chance, Shri," I warn, hands poised for the hand signs.

"Make me," he growls defiantly.

"I will, Shri," I promise, then make the handsigns.

I didn't waste the month I was on the business trip. I studied the genjutsu scrolls I packed fervently, digesting the information and learning. And during that time, I'd created my own genjutsu.

This genjutsu would place the victim into their worst memories. They would relive every agonizing moment, effectively torturing them without laying a hand on them.

But this genjutsu was far from perfected. It was still a double-edged sword.

Just as Shri would experience his worst memories, I would experience mine. And just as I could peek into his mind during the genjutsu, he could see into mine. As I opened his mind to me, I opened my mind to him.

A door, once opened, may be stepped through in either direction.

I knly saw brief glimpses of each memory flying by so fast. Shri, always needing to be better for his father. Shri, with no mother. Shri, with no siblings. Shri, lonely and estranged. Shri, no friends willing to play with him.

Shri, so similar yet different from me.

The genjutsu ends, and we both stagger. Shri is crying. I pretend not to be.

"Your childhood sucked," Shri garbled through his tears.

"As did yours."

"You could be just like me you know," Shri informed me, panting.

"I could never," I say softly. I pull a kunai out, along with Daisuke and Shun.

"You wouldn't kill me," Shun says, still lying prone on the ground, shaking.

"No," I admit, "But we would make things extremely painful for you."

"And I might still kill you," Shun growls. "Now. Release. Him."

We all hear Mizuko's sigh of relief as the pain evidently left him. Shri scrambles to his feet and stumbles away from us as we turn back to Mizuko. He lay unmoving on the floor.

Shun gently lifts his head into his lap and places two fingers in his neck. His head bows and shoulders collapse. Relief? Grief?

"He's alive," Shun announces hoarsely.

"Good," Daisuke says, "but I still want to kill-- huh? Where'd he go?"

Shri was gone, leaving Katasho's body behind.

__________________________

Kinda short update, and if took awhile, I know, but this was just kinda awkward. What do you guys think? Make me feel better! T.T

I hope to update soon! Hokage funeral coming up!

Hope you enjoyed!

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Bye!

gaara119