Blood Lust

Chapter 33

When the two enemies arrived in the vicinity of the men, tension rose quickly amongst them. The group of four held their breath, ready to defend themselves at any moment. Their eyes were wide in bewilderment. One looked mutated physically---his skin had an abnormal tint of blue and he towered above everyone around him. He wore a menacing grin that revealed teeth that were jagged like a shark's. The other one looked young and resembled Madara and Izuna in some ways. His presence alone was different than most they've encountered.

"I'm guessing this isn't just a friendly chat," Madara huffed.

"We won't have to fight if you and Izuna just follow us back to the coven," Itachi remarked. "I figured I'd give you the option before a brawl begins."

Madara smirked, "If Obito is really that obsessed with me, then why doesn't he just come find me himself?"

"I don't care to indulge in your pathetic attempt to waste time," Itachi sighed. "Are you going to make this easy or what?"

Kisame nudged Itachi playfully, "C'mon Itachi, you promised me a fight. There's no point in playing nice!"

Without any regard to Itachi's attempt to make things "peaceful," Kisame made a head start towards the group of four. His weapon was swung back behind him, ready to aim for the Senju brothers. The speed he had was unimaginable and it surely took the men by surprise. Itachi stood in the same spot with a tinge of frustration on his face. Fighting was the last thing he had in mind, but now he had no choice.

Hashirama barely dodged the swing of the sword by diving off to the side. The blade pierced into the ground beside him, but it was quickly returned into the air again with dirt following it---Kisame was ready to take another swing. Tobirama did his best to counter Kisame's attempt to protect his brother, but was violently thrown back with Kisame's free hand. The two Senju brothers were quite adept with weaponry and combat, but this man seemed to push their limits. He was truly a beast.

"Two versus one and you're still struggling?" Kisame laughed between strikes. "I haven't even unleashed my full potential!"

"We just aren't used to seeing creatures as monstrous as you!" Tobirama snarled, huffing out breaths as he stood back on his feet. "But I promise you won't be laughing anymore once we are done!"

Meanwhile, Itachi allowed for Madara and Izuna to run towards him, unphased by their quickness to action. They threw punches and kicks, but Itachi seemed to seamlessly dodge them with ease. His lack of emotion was making him hard to decipher. There was something a bit off about him that Madara desperately wanted to figure out.

"Just give up, Madara," Itachi warned, still avoiding any damage from the Uchiha brothers. "You're making this harder than it needs to be."

"If you walk away now, I'll let you live!" Madara yelled out.

Flames started flying around and surrounding the men---filling the area with the scent of burning earth. Itachi was capable of their same abilities, so it was becoming a test of who was the best at what they could do. Speed played a major role at avoiding fatal hits, and they were all quite on par with each other. Itachi was tactful and familiar with their habits from the time he spent watching them. He knew Izuna was more bold and quick on his feet. Madara, on the other hand, was well-acquainted with combat. He was sure of himself and skilled with years of experience. They all had certain strengths that the others didn't.

Danger only increased when the earth below them began to rumble and crack. A mighty force of winding and twisting trees ripped from the ground with flames engulfing them. Hashirama was determined to subdue his enemy, even if it meant taking out the entire mountain with him. Kisame was leaping on top of every tree trunk and branch that rushed towards him. Water flowed from his palms, extinguishing the flames that could still reach him.