Haurutsuki: Melting of Beautiful Snow

12. Battle with the Past

Dawn came and Kakashi arrived uncharacteristically on time. Miyuki smirked in satisfaction, “You came.” She stated. He looked her over. She wore her usual attire but added a kunai and needle holster. What really caught his eye was the fact that she was wearing her signature red hood.

He put his hands in his pockets, “What are the rules?” he asked. She grinned slightly, “This is a one-on-one combat battle. All Ninjutsu is prohibited except for the Hidden Mist Technique, Substitution and Shadow Clone Jutsu. Weapons and taijutsu tactics are the name of the game.” She explained. “And all I have to do is fight you and we can put this behind us?” he asked, unimpressed by the whole charade. “Go easy on me, Lord Kakashi.” She taunted. He sighed, “Ready when you are.” She raised two fingers to the sky, “Turn around and walk back ten paces. Then we can start the fight.” She smirked. “Fine.” He eye-rolled, doing as told.

Suddenly mist began to shroud all around him. At the tenth pace, before he had the chance to turn, Miyuki fired senbon needles at him. Kakashi easily managed to whip out a kunai and dodge them. He narrowed his eyes, ‘What’s her angle?’ The mist had gotten so thick, that Miyuki could barely make out her opponent. She instinctively raised a kunai from her pouch, guarding herself. She was instantly met with the harsh clash of an attacking kunai. Kakashi, in a sudden burst of speed, silently charged in for a frontal assault.

He glared at his hooded opponent, unable to make out her face through the fog and shadows. She held her stance as the two fought for dominance between their two kunai, when suddenly they both leapt back. She retreated into a tall tree behind her. ‘That was close.’ She realised.

Just then, she felt his presence and leapt from the tree.

She twisted her body midair, and delivered an air kick. She made contact with the side of Kakashi’s head, when suddenly POOF! He disappeared into smoke. ‘What? A Shadow Clone?’ She realised, beginning to descend from the sky. ‘If it’s like before he’ll-’ She abruptly spun in time to block a Clone’s uppercut. His Clone glared. Miyuki abruptly grabbed his wrist, twisted it, raised his arm over his own head and pulled him into her chest for a choke hold. She then raised her knees behind him and used it to press into his back. Before finally falling onto the ground, she used him to cushion her fall. The Clone disappeared under her knees. A third Clone immediately came at her with a kunai. She narrowly dodged it. The sound of cloth ripping in the process. He had missed her head but slashed through the side of her red hood. Her eyes widened as she felt her hair escaping the side of it, ‘He’s as fast as ever.’ She realised.

The Clone then proceeded to attack her, but she bent over backwards and used her momentum to kick him with both legs. The Clone’s kunai fell and was taken aback by the two-footed kick. She sprung up from her hands onto her feet. Just then, she heard the sound of oncoming shuriken. She grabbed the Clone by the belt and pulled him in to shield her from shuriken. Several thuds were heard as the shuriken hit the Clone’s back. ‘Where is he?’ She anxiously wondered.

More shuriken flew in from the side, and she gasped before dragging the Clone she still had, in time to shield her again. However, one managed to graze her arm. The Clone disappeared from her grip into a puff of smoke, and she used both hands to quickly grab several needles from her belt and hurriedly shoot them forward. She watched as they faded into the thick mist. A few hit something sounding like a body that collapsed on the grass. She began sprinting into the mist to find the original Kakashi. Only when she arrived, she was met with the sight of a fallen log, her eyes shot open in surprise, ‘It’s all just like I remember…’

The real Kakashi emerged from behind her. He delivered a hard kick to her side from her blind spot. She was hit and skidded across the grass. Able to make a quick recovery, she used her hand to halt her actions and drifted to a stop. She bounced back up and charge in for the attack with the real him. Kakashi managed to dodge every one of her taijutsu moves but wasn’t willing to fight back just yet. It wasn’t long before he was able to grab one of her punches, much to her surprise.