Paths of Divergence

Rising Flames Crashing Lightning

Chapter 9

-Rising Flames, Crashing Lightning

The flames steadily burn away at the forest, bringing everything that was alive and healthy to a fried crisp. The Uchiha and his clones continue to stare into the massive embers, looking around for any sign of the evil man. The flames finally clear out after a breeze blows through, revealing the scorched battlefield. Smoke arises from the singed earth, embers of fire still burning at the ground.

"Tch," Shizake grunts as Kankaku emerges from a rock dome.

"Whew! Now that was a close one! Haha I am enjoying myself, Uchiha!" Kankaku manically screams.

"You're a resilient one. Looks like I'll just have to up the ante," Shizake says aloud.

"I ain't goin down so easy. Now...show me what you got."

***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***

"What do you want with us?" The Hyuga boy yells, tossing several shuriken at his masked enemy.

The man answers by placing his palms together, huge chunks of rocks leaping out of the earth and straight at him. Nitatchi smirks behind his mask, chakra steadily flowing into his palms all whilst his Byakuan activates.

He thrusts his palms forward, huge gales of air being exerted from his hands with enough force to smash the rocks flying towards him. The last rock soars at Nitatchi who hits it with an open palm, sending it upwards into the air. Nitatchi then leaps into the sky smashing the rock with his palm to send it flying back at his enemy.

The man leaps to the side, rolling on the ground to barely dodge the splash like explosion. Nitatchi sticks his landing, quickly sliding out three shuriken and tossing them with the whip of his arm. He then brings up an open hand, using his air palm to thrust the shuriken forward. The metal tools whiz through the air aimed straight at the hooded enemy who lifts his forearm up, rocks quickly forming up and around it. Just as the rocks cover his entire arm, the shuriken clang off the armor.

"Gotcha," Nitatchi says, as he appears behind his assailant.

The Hyuga unleashes his index and middle finger, pinpointed directly into the enemy's chakra point located on the middle of the back. The hooded man cripples over before the force sends him tumbling across the forest floor, coming to a halt as he slides in the dirt.

Nitatchi quickly flickers back over to the enemy, kicking him over on his back.

"Now tell me. What do you want with us?" He interrogates.

***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***

"Keep it coming Uchiha! I love the heat of battle! You are definitely proving a worthy challenge!" Kankaku insanely roars at Shizake.

The intensity of the battle seems to have had a toll on Kankaku's mind as he stares with murderous intent at Shizake. The Uchiha huffs heavily, having fought Kankaku for the past hour or so. A large chunk of his chakra pool is gone, leaving him slightly fatigued and scuffed up from the battle. The armor on his left arm sits in the grass, having been hacked off from an earth style jutsu. A crack runs along diagonally on his chest plate, another doing of the earth jutsu user.

"I have no idea what you want Kankaku. Why go to all this trouble to come after me?" The Uchiha asks aloud.

"If there's one thing I've learned from Orochimaru... it's that doing what you're told grants you power in his domain. Face it, the man is a genius and can unlock the true power of this shinobi world," Kankaku replies.