Naruto: The Last Fuinjutsu Master

Land of Whirlpools (3): Uzumaki Puppets

Chapter 17: Land of Whirlpools (3): Uzumaki Puppets
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto. Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

A/N: The upload schedule is too slow! I'm reverting back to "short" chapters (around 2k+ words, give or take). For some reason, long chapters take too long to make, yet short chapters feel like a breeze. When I write a chapter that's 4k+ words long, it takes forever, but when I write two chapters that are 2k+ words, it takes less time. It doesn't make sense! T_T

"Haaa... Ha... HA!"

Wooooop—TING!

Sparks flew like fireflies at night, dancing as the cold knives and swords clash and kiss each other's blades with passion and killing intent.

Underneath the towering kingdom of trees, a swarm of bandits charged forward like moths drawn to flames, hopelessly trying and failing to break the barricade of the Uzumaki clan members.

The soil was dark, watered by raining blood, wetting the shredded grass blades below the humans' feet.

"Ichiro-senpai, dodge!"

Kaiso, Ichiro's friend, turned his head just in time to see a bandit raise his katana to slice Ichiro in half. Heeding his friend's warning, Ichiro bent his arm in an unholy manner, as if wanting to break it in half, barely blocking the incoming katana using his chokuto.

CLANG!

"ARGH! RETREAT!"

Ichiro gritted his teeth and yelled, growling like a mad beast trapped in a jar. They were surrounded by hundreds of bandits, and the White Bear Emperor was looming over their heads, the chances of escape were slim yet, Ichiro had no choice but to try,

"Ichiro-senpai, please escape! Leave us behind, regroup with prince Menma and let our death have meaning! Please, Ichiro-senpai, this is our last wish!"

Kaiso cried out. The other Uzumaki heard his plea, and they all surrounded Kaiso and Ichiro, protecting them from the wild brutes charging toward them. The White Bear Emperor wasn't deaf, he clearly heard Kaiso's words, so he ordered his army to ram toward the Uzumaki's defenses and quickly end the battle.

"RAAAAA!"

"NO! I won't leave all of you here to die! Let's fight side by side, and march to our own end together! FOR UZUSHIO!"

Amidst the battle cry of the unruly bandits, Ichiro raised his chokuto in retaliation, intending to boost his comrades' morale.

THUD.

However, his feet never took a step forward, and his knees fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Ichiro's eyes widened in disbelief, looking at Kaiso with wide eyes.

"Ichiro-senpai, please escape and be safe," Kaiso moved closer to Ichiro, tore apart Ichiro's shirt, and sliced his palms open, drawing a symbol on Ichiro's bare chest. "Fuuiinjutsu: Chi no Tōbō (Sealing Technique: Blood Escape). I bid you goodbye, senpai. You were the best friend we could ever ask for."

"KAISO, NO!"

POOF!

In a puff of red smoke, Ichiro's figure disappeared into thin air, replaced by a puddle of blood and flesh. Kaiso's blood and flesh.

Blink... blink...

"Prince?"

Ichiro groaned, looking around. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all made out of rocks, so he knew that they were inside a cave. Hearing Ichiro wake up, Menma turned to look at Ichiro's bloodied appearance.

Ichiro's shirt was in tatters as if he was mauled by a wolf, yet managed to stay intact. Even the blood on Ichiro's chest didn't belong to him, making Menma perplexed when he first saw Ichiro's state.