Chapter 21: Storm
As the last of the Sound and Akatsuki fell, the leaders of the two groups stepped forward to finish what they had started. Itachi and Kabuto turned to face their final opponents.
"So it has come to this..." Soyako said, standing to face Itachi. Unable to control his rage for the man who had destroyed his life any longer, he leapt at Soyako and engaged battle. Orochimaru and Kabuto took the hit and master and subordinate joined their own battle.
"Kabuto, if you side with the Sound now and kill Itachi, I'll forgive you for what you've done." Orochimaru barked out between blows.
"I'd rather die." Kabuto scoffed back.
"Hmph. Then I will grant your wish..." Orochimaru spoke back as the battle continued on.
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It had been what seemed like hours before exhaustion began to take over. Kabuto had taken a hit in his left leg, but he was holding up, as were the other three with their multitude of injuries. Panting, Itachi lunged at Soyako and hit him to the left of his stomach; missing his original target. By now that sparks from the blades clashing together and the leaves lying upon the ground had begun to mix and create small fires. Barrels of oil for fires left from a previous stay of the Sound were becoming an object of worry, yet none of the four had time to truly think on that matter.
As Orochimaru continued to fight Kabuto, he could tell that the situation wasn't turning out in his favor. Getting worried, he began to look for openings to evade attacks rather than deal them out. For a moment Kabuto's head turned and his eye's captured Itachi's form. He had stopped to regain his composure for another attack; but Soyako's form was moving quickly - his blade aimed at the last Uchiha's heart.
*Damn!*
Kabuto leapt away from Orochimaru and towards the two Akatsuki. As Itachi raised his head to find his opponent again, he realized his situation all too late. But before the blade sank into his flesh, it collided instead with Kabuto's stomach. He had been hit with the blunt (side without blade) of the sword because of the angel he had come in, but the force of the attack threw him backwards against the wall of the arena. He hit the ground with a loud thud - unconscious.
Orochimaru, seeing his window of escape, leapt out of the arena and away from the battle.
*Weak fool.*
Soyako mentally cursed as he turned to face Itachi again.
"I guess it's just you and me now..."
Moving his hands fluently, he formed the seals to his jutsu. Upon completion a tremor surged through the ground, and instantaneously split apart into sections connected by crevasses in the broken earth. The barrels of oil and burning brush plummeted into the multitude of abysses. Explosions of fire emitted from the gaps in the earth as the fire raged towards the sky.
Itachi smirked with the anticipation to destroy his foe.
"Perfect. Just where you belong. In hell." Itachi leaped over one of the crevasses to the one where Soyako stood. Staring at each other with malice for only a moment, they then ran forwards to destroy the last of their foes. Soyako thrust his sword at Itachi's right leg, hoping to cease his quick movement, but missed and sliced through the air instead, receiving a sharp blow in the shoulder as his punishment. Turning around again he dove at Itachi's stomach and this time his attempts were rewarded; yet his blow was not fatal. Flinching from his new and previous wounds, Itachi knew that he couldn't keep up at this pace much long.
*I have to end it now...*
Soyako had landed on a piece of land opposite to him. As they stared at each other through the flames, all the hate and pain Itachi carried swelled inside him and he was overcome with rage. Both men left the ground at the same time, their intent fatal. But it was Itachi's blow that hit first - and as Soyako's body reached the other piece of land, he dropped his sword and his dying body flew off the ground and into the flame, and it devoured him.
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Itachi panted as he watched Soyako's demise in the flames. But by now, the blood of the corpses that had fallen into the splits in the earth had suffocated the flames as did water, and they had begun to burn lower. Exhausted, Itachi turned to face the sky as the sun rose. It was dawn.
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Ino and Shikamaru walked along the beach quietly. Both of them had decided to go for a walk to collect their feelings, and they simply enjoyed their silent company. Shikamaru turned to face the rising sun.
"Nice sunrise." He commented.
"Ya." Ino replied taking his hand in hers. He looked from Ino to his hand before he returned the gesture.
"Sure is."
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