Shooting Straight

Chapter 31

Trigger Warning: very graphic/brutal fight scene

Dust filled the air and Tsukame's vision as her opponent moved at a next-to-inhuman speed, but still, she readied herself for an attack. Her cold blue eyes darted from side to side, straining to see any change or movement in her surroundings- she fell into a defensive position, readied the sardonyx-encrusted blade in her hand. 

A movement to her left as the dust began to settle.

She lunged, catching Arrow's shadow as he moved beyond her grasp. She tripped on displaced air; her feet stopped but her body continued until the glint of silver caught her eye in her peripheral vision. The metal rained down over her, blanketing her features with shock as it made contact. He pulled back his bow, tearing open the skin of her shoulder and releasing the pulsating river of red beneath, with a cry leaving the confines of her lips as she whipped around to slash at him, but he danced beyond her reach again. 

Fear began to creep in; Tsukame clenched her jaw in an attempt to ground the agony blossoming over her left side and successfully curled her left hand into a tight fist. She heaved a sigh of relief knowing he'd broke no bones or tendons- he'd merely left her a flesh wound that would be a real pain in the ass to heal. 

The crowd was silent- they had been caught unaware and unprepared for the brutal first impression. Even Temari was wide-eyed on the viewing platform- her fingers were tightly wrapped around the rail as she drank in the sight of her friend's battle. 

Tsukame knew she had to keep her wits about her- she'd been woefully taken aback at the sudden spike in Arrow's physical capability. She steadied her breathing, focusing her mind on the task at hand of winning this fight, even despite being off to not the greatest of starts. He came at her again with a dagger, but she rolled out of the way and threw herself to the other side of the arena. Within seconds she was weaving handsigns and forcing her chakra to her will- slamming her palm to the ground, she watched as giant pincers erupted from the loose dirt, gripping the ankles of her unsuspecting opponent and pulling him beneath the earth. She sighed, carefully watching the ground in case he managed to escape. 

A few beats of silence passed with no movement, and Tsukame sunk to her knees, letting a shaky breath leave her mouth. Guilt swelled in her chest and concern weighed heavy on her shoulders, but the proctor was ready to call the fight as Arrow failed to resurface. Whispers flooded the crowd. 

"Kame- behind you!" Takeshi's voice rang clearly through the silence as he stood from his seat and launched himself against the railing. 

Tsukame jumped to her feet and whirled around with a kunai readied in her hand just in time to see Arrow emerge from the ground, shaking off loose dirt and speaking quietly under his breath. Without time to brace herself, spears of stone shot up from the earth beneath Tsukame's feet, spearing her already injured arm and offsetting her balance enough for Arrow to launch forward and grab her by her silver braid. Her scream echoed around the arena as he gripped one hand in her hair and used the other to twist her arm behind her back.  

She couldn't take it anymore, she had to forfeit.

Arrow's naturally green eyes shifted as his bloodline trait activated. He shoved her to her knees, using his ability to refract the sunlight around her, trapping her in a genjutsu. He stepped away as she began screaming- watching with the essence of a smirk on his face as she scratched at her skin. He'd taken her fear of spiders and used it against her.