The Red Maelstrom

[25] Strength

Kohana knew fully well that she was going to set herself up for ruin, allowing her enemy to come at her at full capacity with his two katana, but she her shoulder was injured. She could very well use the katana with her dominant hand, but she wasn't an idiot. Yoshiaki was experienced in kenjutsu and wielded even two shinogi-zukuri katana. If Kohana tried to hold her own against that with her complete lack of experience, she was better off surviving fighting the way she was accustomed to. Fighting comfortably would make it easier to turn the tables on her enemy.

Yoshiaki came at her swinging both katana at once, but Kohana was quick to crouch and accelerate forward, slashing at Yoshiaki's left leg as she ran past. The boy winced in pain just as Kohana threw three shuriken his way. He spun around to deflect them, but one managed to land on his left arm. Good. Kohana needed to target his arms and legs to slow him down and leave him struggling to use his beloved weapons. That, however, was not going to give her enough time to dodge whatever he had in store. Her wound had reopened and the pain, to say the least, was jarring. Kohana had lost far too much blood in the past few hours.

"You're fast; I'll give you that," Yoshiaki growled, discarding the shuriken that had embedded itself into his arm. Sheathing both of his katana, he formed a series of hand seals. "But you're hurt, so let's see if you can dodge this. Breakthrough!" Yoshiaki heaved a deep breath, but before he could expel the wind, Kohana formed a series of hand seals.

"Flying Thunder God Technique!"

Only, just when she appeared where she'd left a formula on the handle of Yoshiaki's katana, she was slammed against the wall behind her. The force of it knocked the wind out of her.

"Figured you'd use that on me again. You think I wouldn't see your little seal on my katana?" Yoshiaki growled. His hand came up to rest around Kohana's neck.

Yoshiaki smirked and leaned closer to Kohana, still holding her by the neck. "I'm done playing; maybe I should just kill you now."

The weakened girl tried with whatever strength she had to pry his hand from her neck. There was hardly any air through the pathways and Kohana had enough of the pain. She needed an opening. She couldn't focus properly on her chakra when her breathing itself was severely limited in the hand of her opponent.

Kohana's head snapped to the side, and she distantly realized that Yoshiaki had punched her. Blood leaked out from where she'd accidentally bitten her cheek. She spit it out and moved to form the hand seals required to use the Flying Thunder God Technique again when Yoshiaki let go of her neck, unsheathed one of his katana, grabbed her wrist, and pierced her hand. Kohana screamed as it pierced through her bones. The pain was blinding and sapped her of all strength, but she couldn't fall to her knees for her hand was pinned to the wall.

"BASTARD!" Naruto yelled from the viewing deck. Kohana could hear Sakura and Lee calling her name as well.

"I expected more from a Konoha ninja. You murderous lot go around parading your strength, but you're all bark after all," Yoshiaki spat venomously.

Amidst the nausea and panic nearly fighting to take control of her, Kohana saw a chance. Yoshiaki was chatty, that much she could observe. If she got him to talk, then maybe she could buy herself some time. She glanced at Hayate, who was watching them both intently. If she didn't take this chance, she'd either die or lose—either way, she wouldn't be advancing to the main event.

"What..." she gasped for air. The pain was far too much for her to bear. "What the hell... are you talking about, bastard?" she hissed angrily. To her surprise, the katana in her hand was yanked out all too suddenly, but Kohana had no time to react, because the next thing she knew, she was being thrown over Yoshiaki's shoulder and onto the hard floor. Once again, the wind was knocked right out of her lungs, and her back ached to hell along with the gaping wounds in her hand and abdomen that throbbed and seemed to ignite fire within her vines.