SHADOWS OF THE VILLAGE (Naruto)

Chapter 7: Capable

A single hand sign was formed and his eyes were closed. Imori had to focus. He had to focus on the water in Kaeru's body, feeling it circulate throughout his entire system. The teen wasn't dehydrated - his blood brother was too much of a control freak to allow him to be even at a slight disadvantage.

Too bad he didn't know the extent of Imori's water manipulation.

Before the scorching blade could slice uneven skin, it dropped to the ground. Kaeru's hands clutched at his head, screaming at the pressure building at an agonising speed. The pounding made his skull feel like it was going to explode until the pain moved rapidly throughout the body.

Imori closed his fist and watched Kaeru fall to the ground as the cells in his body were manipulated to destroy internal organs. As it turned out, it was easier to stop a heart than Imori thought.

He had learned the theory of it, but never followed through to stop the heart of an animal or human - Kuma claimed that Imori wouldn't be able to rid himself of the guilt of killing an innocent animal.

Just to be safe he formed another hand sign. "Lightning snake." The dead weight convulsed as the snakes engulfed it. But Imori still wasn't satisfied and stabbed a kunai into his skull.

Imori didn't feel any life from the teen and turned his attention back to his brother who was locked in a frightening battle. He ran straight towards the screaming blond, ice blade forming in his bloodied hands.

Some blood mixed with the water he used to make the ice which he found interesting and would have to play around with the concept later.

Water manipulation within the body required a ton of concentration and chakra control. But it was the making of ice that sapped chakra more than he'd like. Imori was exhausted.

Inoshishi had become manic when the red head blocked his efforts in reaching his deceased brother. Kuma had lost his tantō during a genjutsu and dived left to avoid the hundreds of senbon being dispersed in his direction, desperately making hand signs as they embedded themselves in his skin. "Earth wall!"

The red head groaned as tried to move his arms but found them heavier than usual when a thought came to mind. "They're infused with chakra, Imori! Watch out!"

"Got it!"

Imori deflected the senbon sent towards him with his ice blades, only having a few stab into the exposed skin in his arms. He raised his right arm, in turn raising a string of water. He used it like a whip, swinging through the air to knock senbon away before throwing it in Inoshishi's face and freezing it.

Inoshishi used a Fire jutsu to get rid of the ice and armed himself with a kunai, clashing with Imori's ice knives.

Kuma sighed as he continued removing the senbon when a familiar face appeared. "Bloody hell, Kuma! You look like a dang porcupine." A childish smile formed on Kuma's face as he shook his head. "You look like shit too."

"Rude but what's the plan? My clone can only hold him for a little bit longer."

"We need to stop him forming another genjutsu. There's only so many times I can break it before it get to be too much. He made me see something odd." Kuma didn't explain and accepted the tantō given to him by Imori. "We'll talk about it later thought."

Imori nodded in thought.

"I'll distract him. You go right and I'll go left... now!"

Kuma formed a clone as he rushed at the enraged Inoshishi who had already made his move. Suddenly Kuma and Imori regretted everything as a horrifying vision over took their sight for a second before being dispelled. Kuma throwing a shuriken as soon as his sight returned.

Imori forgoes weaponry and threw a punch at Inoshishi. The blond jumps back as Imori advances with Kuma's clone, blocking all incoming attacks. Inoshishi had caught the thrown kunai and sliced Imori's arm but the boy didn't back off.

Inoshishi sliced and swung at Imori, who blocked the blade with his bare arms and dodged as much as possible. He maintained proximity despite the injuries being inflicted until an opening occurred. Inoshishi's blade swung lower than it had before, the clone and Imori grabbed ahold of his wrists.

"Now, Kuma!"

Inoshishi couldn't pull away no matter how much he desperately tried to when he saw Kuma in the air. He had infused chakra into his arms to quicken the downwards swing of a tantō. The sharp blade sliced evenly through flesh and bone.

Yamato stepped forward in horror as blood sprayed from the stumps of Inoshishi's arms. "My hands!" His scream was echoed through the otherwise empty training ground. "You bastards! How could you?"

"Easily," Kuma huffed pushing his soaked hair back. "If you can't use your hands, how are you able to get us caught in a genjutsu? Remove the hands and eliminate the problem." He stated simply.

Imori threw away the hands, wiping the blood from his mouth on his shoulder as Kuma's blade was pointed in Inoshishi's direction. "Your lucky I'm feeling generous today. You'll be joining your brother quickly."

Inoshishi lifted his head as tears and blood was mixed across his face. "This is what you'll have to look forward to, Kuma. The only difference is that my death won't come at the hand of my brother."

Imori stepped forwards with a snarl but Kuma grabbed him. He turned back to the kneeling blond with a look of distain, "we have no plans on killing each other. Unlike you, we will find a way out even if it kills us."

Kuma raised the tantō in his left hand and swung swift and true.

As blood was spilt yet again, Yamato couldn't help but frown at how much he had underestimated the boys. While not as skilled as any prodigy, they were very capable and had been dropped into a more nefarious lifestyle than most kids their age, and adapted to it. It was terrifying to think that they were only going to improve as time goes on.

Until they are pitted against each other.

A/N: Not edited. Woah that was a little intense. What did you guys think ?

Also I hope you are you all staying safe during this crazy time 💜