An Absence of Thorns

Chapter 11: Tikari

My entire body was screaming in pain, but I had to ignore it. I knew that bastard had been heading to the village.

How did he find out about them?

No matter what he had done, I had never said a word. He should have believed that I was the only one. I just hoped that Kohana hadn't gotten my abilities. But I couldn't worry about that, I just needed to get there.

"Move." I growled at myself as my broken body refused to listen to my commands.

I knew they weren't coming back. All the plant mutations had left for the village and he had collapsed their hideout on top of me.

"Okay Tikari, this isn't the time to give up. Just think damn it."

I pushed myself up with my right arm, hissing at the pain. Nearly all of my left side shifted as I moved, more than likely broken.

There has to be some way that I can move.

That was when my eyes found them. The roots of a nearby tree that were peeking through the rubble. It was crazy enough that it just might work.

Pulling myself along by my one good arm, I forced myself to remember what little bit of medical ninjutsu training I had had: where the vital and chakra points were in the body, how joints connected and which directions and functions they controlled. If I did this wrong, I might never be able to move again.

"Here goes."

I placed a hand on the root and began manipulating my chakra. Gently, a series of vines began to sprout and position themselves around me. I took in one finally deep breath before they plunged into my skin.

It felt as though a dozen snakes were crawling through my body, but I pushed that thought aside. Clenching my jaw, my chakra pulled the plants around my muscles and bones, physically pulling and holding me together.

Now let's go.

||~x~||

"Don't listen to him!" a young girl screamed up ahead. There was a panic in her voice that gave me a needed push. Controlling my plant support system was straining my chakra levels, but I couldn't stop. There was a chakra signature up ahead that made my heart race.

The edge of the treeline came into view and my blood boiled. Sadao stood close to a young girl with chocolate brown hair, his hand extended as if he were waiting for her to give him her hand.

"Just come with me."

My anger flared at the tone in his voice. He sounded as if he had already won. And from the look in the girl's face said that she was considering whatever he had been saying to her before. My eyes traced over her features and I couldn't help but notice the similarities in her looks, then the small pup at her side.

No.

My foot connected with his chest hard enough to send him across the training field. I stood tall where he had just been as Sadao began to pick himself up from the ground.

"I won't let you touch her."

A smirk crawled onto his face as he realized I was the one who had sent him flying. I knew that I had limited time before my chakra and body would give out and I couldn't let him get close to her.

"Mom?"

I could hear the shock in her voice, but I knew I couldn't respond to her now. I had to take care of this fight first.

As I launched myself forward, I manipulated my chakra as I formed a blade around my arm out of the vines that were now growing from my body. Sadao's eyes glanced over the new plant feature in awe. That dissecting look was something that I should have been used to at this point, but it still sent an ache through my bones.

He ducked under my strike, driving his own fist into my stomach. My body collapsed in on itself as a familiar metallic taste hit my tongue. I forced myself to remain on my feet, shooting the vines from my arm out toward him. In the blink of an eye, they laid at the ground near his feet. Sadao smiled as he twirled the kunai around his finger.

"I must admit that I'm surprised that you made it this far."

Pushing my body upright, I squared my shoulders as he continued to step closer. I could see all of the kids from where I was now. Kohana was making her way between them. She pressed her hand to the vines for a few seconds before the vines would start to retract.

She does have them.

"Get away!" I yelled in their direction as soon as the four of them were all free. They had to get away. I didn't have it in me to keep him occupied for much longer. "Get back to the village!"

A groan escaped me as I felt his blade plunge into my stomach. My loose bones shifted, taking me to my knees. More pain shot through my body as it jarred from hitting the ground again. I could barely feel anything anymore.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu."

A sea of blondes surrounded and pinned Sadao to the ground. It took nothing for the man in front of me to take him down. I read the title Seventh Hokage on his back before he turned to look at the kids and then me. His bright blue eyes widened, "Tikari?"

I couldn't help the smile that came across my face. "Congrats. I knew you would do it."

Then everything faded.

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Sorry for the delay, I lost track of my days. But here is the scheduled chapter right before midnight

See you,

Kiki