Red Eyes (Naruto FanFic)

Chapter 13 - Tension

Akai wasn't one to get mad that easily, she knows she's quite good at dealing her problems with her questionable sense of humor or even silence. She's obviously not as short-fused as a certain Uzumaki (he's not a good standard, by the way), but she certainly couldn't handle anger as well as her own teammates. Not many thing can trigger her so easily, except for anything related to her past. To her family, her old job in the Mist, to everything before her new life in Konoha. Yet somehow, somehow so many people had crossed that line in the past week. First the interrogation, then Naruto and Sakura (with their obsession with Sasuke, who barely annoys her in comparison), and even her own 'family'. Ibiki and her father, treating her as if she was some kind of damsel in distress.

Which is a total bullshit, considering how they should've been aware of what she's truly capable of. Especially the Morino.

With another angry growl, she swung her sword to her right side, barely blocking the attack but enough to throw her opponent away. This time, however, the flow of the battle halted, both swordsmen froze for a moment before Akai let out another growl and lunged at her water clone. Akane's figure dispersed into the mist surrounding them, dropping her half of Hiramekarei.

"Are you running away now, Akane?" Akai half-mocked, though honestly, she could barely remember what exactly is she doing in that clearing. Sparring, training, a real fight?

Akane re-appeared right in front of her, quickly grabbing her wrist and twisting her arm, shoving Akai forward and pinning her onto the nearby tree. Akai still had her grip around her own sword, and she only released the blade when Akane had pushed the edge against her neck.

"I'm not. What the fuck was that, Akai?"

"Be more specific."

"You almost killed me!" Akane snapped, kicking Hiramekarei away from the two of them.

Akai grunted. "You're the one who told me, 'always attack like your life depends on it'. I'm only following your advice; I thought you were supposed to be the evil one here?"

"If that was a real fight, you would've died in 5 minutes. And back there, you weren't just agressive; you were reckless. Blinded. You focus too much on your own emotion, you weren't thinking straight, Akai. Hell, you weren't thinking at all!"

Akane didn't stop talking. "I know your instinct's good, but you can never rely on it alone. We weren't even sparring, idiot!" Akai could feel Akane's glare burning through the back of her skull, but she could barely talk with the hand pressing against her neck, which was probably there for that exact purpose. "Oh, dear Kami, you forgot, didn't you? We were testing this damn jutsu! Me inside a clone, remember? I know you're feeling like shit, Akai, but you almost fucked up. What if I died?!"

"You can't die, and it's just a clone," Akai sneered, though her voice was a bit hoarse from the pressure on her throat.

"Killing a part of your subconscious while you're still recuperating from your last fight? Not a smart idea. And it was a battle against an S-rank criminal, if I may remind you. Your chakra was completely drained."

Akai let out a frustrated huff. "Alright, fine, just let me go."

Akane disappeared in a splash of water, but her voice still rang inside Akai's head. 'We're heading back, Akai. You're gonna need more rest.'

The Hozuki scoffed, picking up her sword and attached the halves together. "There's no way I'm going home to see Scarface or even Dad. You know how they've been treating me; it's too..."

'Overwhelming?'

"... Yeah, that's one way to put it."

'How about you find your boyfriend? We know he won't fuck up as badly as the other Konoha shinobi.'