• Dark Dawn •

Ep 28 - Character

(Arc 4 - Attack - pt 4)
•<>•<>•<>•
Sasuke

"Nice to meet the both of you." 

The two shinobi instinctively backed away from the newcomer. Both were staring intently, waiting for their enemy's next move.

"Who are you?" Kakashi said, killing intent lacing his voice. He squinted a bit at the person in front of him. He looked like a kid, but he couldn't be sure because he wore a mask on his face. One that resembled a fox.

The figure merely chuckled. "Shinokage. Or you can call me Yōake." A hand slipped out from underneath the cloak, holding what seemed like a scroll. 

In one swift movement, a long sword appeared in the masked person's hands. He charged straight at the two leaf shinobi and swung the sword horizontally at their waist. 

Kakashi and Sasuke were able to jump back in time and retaliated with a flurry of shurikens and kunai, which were all unsurprisingly blocked. They landed in a clearing and posed for battle. 

The masked figure walked out from behind the bushes and stopped, seemingly staring the other two down.

His sword started to coat itself with the kyuubi's chakra and disappeared in a flash. Not even a moment later, he was behind Kakashi, about to cut his back.

Sasuke reacted fast enough and blocked that incoming attack with his kunai, but that wouldn't hold up for long. That moment gave enough time for Kakashi to react and kick the other shinobi away from his student. 

The two sides were once again staring each other down from a distance. "What exactly is your goal here, attacking Konoha??"

The figure remained at a relaxed state as he replied. "It's complicated, really. There are exactly five sides to this battle that you are probably unaware of right now. This attack is not what it seems like."

Sasuke glared at the assailant and his eyes spun into his sharingan. "Then what are these sides you're talking about?!"

The masked person hed up a hand. His other hand's index finger touched the thumb of the right hand."Konoha." He went to the next finger. "Sound." and again. "Suna. Root. The Akatsuki."

"Which group are you affiliated with?" Kakashi said, after the masked person put his hands down.

The masked person looked like he was thinking. "All of them, and none of them."

Kakashi pulled up his headband and shifted into stance. "I hate it when enemies talk in cryptic messages. Alright. All I know is that we have to beat you for anything else to happen."

The masked person tilted his head. "Oh, no, you don't have to beat me. All I'm after is buying some time."

Sasuke and Kakashi weren't expecting that. 

"You are the one who stole Naruto's Kyuubi chakra, aren't you? And you're after the full power of the Kyuubi." Kakashi eventually said after a moment of shocked silence.

"Precisely."

"I was hoping that wasn't the case." He let out an annoyed sigh.

"I have a message for Sasuke, if you don't mind hearing it." The person.

Sasuke grimaced, already preparing for the worst.

"I never go back on my word."

He had to do a double take. That phrase sounded familiar.  It felt wrong coming from the mouth of an enemy.

Sasuke knew what this person was talking about.

But why did he know?

A sudden thought came to mind.