Game of Shadows by Adrian King1

Chapter 105

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor The Gamer. I own nothing, really.

Cover Art: Kissuli.

Chapter 105

"You know what to do," Eiji said when his team turned towards him because of Hidan's words. "All of you though."

"Eiji-" Temari started protesting.

"All, of you," He repeated, his lips slowly forming a smile. "I want to let loose."

There was silence then as he took a step and then another towards his opponent. The team, meanwhile, dashed into the woods. Kakuzu looked at their retreating shapes before giving him what he imagined was a raised eyebrow.

"That wasn't very smart," The S-Rank missing nin commented. "I'm not complaining though. People are bound to pay quite a bit for the Weaver's head. Especially Taki, after they learn of what happened."

"I'm sure," Eiji nodded, regarding his opponent the same way they were him. Instantly, a clone was made that vanished just as fast. He couldn't see much of Kakuzu's expression, but he was fairly sure that he looked amused by the action. Regardless, he hadn't interfered, and that was good enough for Eiji. "So," He started then, wires coming to life around him as his right hand gripped Nuibari. More and more threads appeared in puffs of smoke from Storage Seals. "Do we get started already?"

Kakuzu, for his part, did much the same as he did. Pitch black strings seemed to come out of his body. They spread behind him like ominous hair, waving around as if given life by the very wind.

"We could, if only you weren't dead already," Kakuzu mused, at the same time that Eiji felt a stab pierce his heart. Tsuchigumo growled inside him as he activated World Ender and she powered it herself. Eiji could feel it though, the way his little, adorable beast wanted to do more, to give him the power to destroy this foe, to pursue the other, to hunt the traitor.

"Not yet, girl," He whispered to her, calmly. "Soon, but not yet."

"I'm not that easy to kill," He said with a smile that grew wider at the same time as Kakuzu's eyes did. Then, instantly, he Flickered to the side, and then again to behind him. The third one put him still behind the Akatsuki member, but slightly to the side, channeling lightning through his legendary weapon he threw it at Kakuzu.

The bounty hunter tried to stop it with his own threads, but that was a lost cause if Eiji had ever seen one. Nuibari might be no Samehada, but it was a legendary sword all the same and he was not weak by any measure. It would take more effort than that to prevent the weapon from piercing through its target. In the end, Kakuzu was forced to dodge to the side, that part wasn't that difficult.

However, that bought Eiji the split second he needed to run through a few hand seals. Sunfire Cape activated around him, boosting him even more. He'd have gone for Senjutsu, but that'd take a little too much time to use in the middle of a fight such as that one. With the technique active, he pulled his arm back, recalling the sword back to him. He almost messed the action up, when his other arm suddenly gained a cut that hadn't been there before.

'How has the team not taken Hidan out yet?' He had to wonder.

His grin remained as he Flickered once more, lighting at his feet and fire around him. The place where he'd been standing decimated by dark threads, just like he'd known would happen. The failure didn't deter Kakuzu in the slightest though, the rest of his strings moving as if nothing had happened, some waving menacingly around while others rushed towards him.

He simply dodged this time, half the attacking threads missing because of the movement while the other half was stopped by his wires. Many powered through, but were sufficiently disturbed by the obstacles set that they didn't hit, at least. Eiji knew fighting that way would end in his defeat though. Fortunately, he had a lot more than just threads.