The three girls tread carefully, Hisako was the most experienced with missions and so she was clearly supposed to observe the environment for traps. It was just so easy for one to set their foot on a floor tile that was sealed with some trap, it only took a genin decently skilled in sealing techniques to seal a simple explosive burst of chakra into stone tiles, hell, some could even seal entire techniques into scrolls that other people could use without learning the technique first-hand. Mana knew quite well how potent seals were, she wore a large pocket space full of tools that her father crafted for her after all.
Even if Hisako was overly excited about the prospect of upcoming slaughter Kiyomi did her part for the raven-haired swordswoman. Luckily enough, Kiyomi was quite familiar with stepping up and dealing with a sloppy leader's part of responsibility since she worked so long with Chestnut Hanasaku who, while being one of the most powerful ninja in the world, was quite sloppy and, most of the time, a complete idiot.
Mana was glad that the Yamanaka had that experience, with Eiju tired out she needed that injury least of all things. Usually, a ninja would just augment their chakra at the specific point to shield them from a blast or an incoming arrow but when they didn't know it was coming it wasn't that easy.
It was a strange thing, chakra augmentation. Mana and someone of her skill level, which was to say slightly above that of an average genin, should've been able of some degree of augmentation. The thing was that even if she could have done it and she could've just coated herself with augmented bursts of chakra shielding her entire body from explosions or sharp projectiles and it'd have not killed her or injured her that badly. However to shield oneself was to waste an overwhelming amount of chakra, also chakra augmentation had the nasty side effect of messing with one's chakra network already. It was best used just in short bursts and only when it was needed.
"Hey... Look, what's that?" Mana asked and approached something that looked like a poster with several very distinct and darkened hieroglyphs, they were so clear that to the magician it instantly became clear that they were meant to be read. The girl was very careful and didn't touch it, just let her eyes run down it and waited for her friends to come check it out.
"Looks normal, don't think it's a trap, trust me, I've seen plenty..." Kiyomi examined the poster and carefully touched it, both Mana and the blonde augmented their bodies to emit a weak forcefield-like shield that'd have protected them in case of an explosion and kept their limbs on their bodies or protected them from the penetration of a cloud of arrows coming their way. Those two were the most common types of traps anyways...
"Tear me off and my friends at the same time or the perfume kid gets it..." Hisako read it out loud.
"So it actually is a seal, it's probably linked to a bunch of explosive notes stuck around wherever they're keeping the kid, if we try and act smart we risk blowing him and ourselves up or setting whatever trap it is..." Mana pondered.
"Smart girl... Although Yellow is a guy who has a flair for the classic dramatics, he actually placed the boy in a prison of hardened glass and dipped the whole thing into a vat of acid, if the seal is set off the walls will disintegrate and the boy will take the last skinny dip in his life. probably still better than one in Serenity Lake but he'll die anyway..." a voice echoed through the bunker, all three girls turned and saw a Yamanaka dressed in a white zip-up combat jacket and smiling with his wolf-like fangs and his trusty dog by his side.
Hisako flashed at him almost instantly, moving at incredible speed but her blade got stuck in the fangs of the Inuzuka's dog. She smiled ready to once again rudely pull the sword out and leave another wound in the dog's mouth but then the Inuzuka sighed and yelled out.
"Wait, each of us can set the seal off ourselves, you three will play by our rules and the rules are – the fancy Nancy smartsy pantsy here fights me, you two can go to the lower floors. If you want to set the boy free you'll each beat the ninja protecting the seals in each room and remove the seals at the same time. How you coordinate this is none of my concern..." the Inuzuka explained waving his arms frantically and smiling confidently.
Hisako looked at Mana and closed her eyes, suddenly the swordswoman realized how hopeless the situation was – the enemy had complete control of the situation here and they just walked into a far more intelligently crafted trap than they had any right to expect...
"You'll die, idol-bitch. This guy is a close-range Inuzuka who can drain your chakra, he combines the peeling and overpowering Inuzuka clan techniques with the usual Chakra Absorption Jutsu. He's a perfect counter to your style" the swordswoman explained looking at Mana, she may have already realized that whoever was waiting on the other floors would've also been a similarly crafted match-up.
Mana gulped and shook her head, then faked a smile. "Nah, it's fine. You guys go ahead. If I die, it doesn't matter because you can just beat down those other guys and come back here and finish him off. We need to save that boy no matter what, no teen deserves the experience of being kidnapped and put into a glass surrounded by acid..."
Kiyomi walked up and opened the hatch, after a brief glance down she looked back at Mana hesitant to leave her friend behind in such a pickle. "And if it doesn't work? If this is all just a ruse and the seals don't work?" she asked to which Mana just faked another smile.
"I'm a stage magician, glass cages sinking in acid are my specialty, I'll get him out either way. Still, might be a better shot to try the sealing method first." Mana tried to calm her friend down but she struggled to hide her fear. She wasn't really afraid of being beaten down or killed, she was afraid of failure, she was afraid of dying knowing that the boy would die too and his father would lose his son. That was what scared her the most.
Hisako nodded and leaped down, apparently cool girls didn't use ladders... Kiyomi gave Mana an encouraging thumb up and slid down the ladder. Just like that, it was just Mana and the Inuzuka.
*****
Kiyomi looked at Hisako after the two girls dropped to the lower level. The blonde wanted some support, she wanted a teammate whom she may have talked about having just left a young and inexperienced and naïve girl in a situation she was sure to die in. More so Kiyomi wanted to make a plan or something, playing the way things were was just not at all right, they were playing by the rules set by the opposing force.
"Stop being such a fucking momma-bear, that's idol-bitch's role. If she survives that shit anyways, if she doesn't – she's not cut out for this work. Situations like this happen all the time, one fights in fights where things are stacked against one's favor all the time!" Hisako angrily hissed back at Kiyomi looking out for the other member of the enemy group letting them know the rules of this floor and whom he had selected to be their opponent.
"Yeah but... Mana's already injured and a bit tired from before, none of us had much sleep and lived through fights that nearly claimed our lives, one of which was with you by the way!" Kiyomi yelled back angrily
"Oh, please, I knew you'd augment your gut and not just get your gut poked out... I have a feeling for those things, it's needed for a swordsman because if you don't predict it and put too much force into a strike that's gonna just hit a chakra forcefield it'll break your wrist." Hisako explained, still looking for someone to see in all of the darkness.
"Well... Lucky shot for you, I guess, but I just want a teammate to talk with, I just want to be sure that Mana's gonna be alright. She looks up to me like I'm some goddamned hero or something and I guess that somehow made me feel responsible for her a bit" Kiyomi explained, soothing her tone down and softening it up, appealing to Hisako's humanity.
"Pffft, you and your fucking responsibilities, take a responsibility for not being such a condescending cunt once, why won't you!?" Hisako suddenly broke out reaching for the handle of her sword.
"What was that all about!?" Kiyomi also prepared to punch the black haired assassin in the face.
"You know what it's about! Ever since we met you're always just yelling and talking about how fucking messed up I am and how my clan is somehow not worth the shit dripping from their assholes. "Oh, Hisako is such a bitch, she wanted to test her teammates she'll have to trust, oh Hisako is such a bitch, selling her cunt to save the lives of her team!" Guess fucking what, Princess, your shit doesn't smell of gold either!" Hisako snapped back drawing her blade, Kiyomi took a dash back seeing the alarming rage accumulating in the assassin's eyes.
"Look... I'm sorry, I just... It's clear we both have issues. I hate criminals and people who do things that while legal in our line of work aren't ethical, in other words, I hate cunts and... Well... You're a bit of a cunt... You also seem to have some psychological issues that I clearly stepped on and I'm sorry, let's just agree to never work with each other and trust our lives to each other and keep going. This mission is bigger than our quarrels, Mana was ready to sacrifice her life for this, let's forget this for at least until we're back home. Then if you still want to have a go at me, I'll take you on in the Training Grounds... Sound fair?" Kiyomi carefully tried to calm Hisako down and with a depressing sigh, she realized that the assassin relented.
"You're right, you're a good ninja but we can't work in a team. You hate people like me, I hate people who hate me for no other reason than just hating me because of my clan or what I do. We're meant to cut our throats out not to fight together, for all I know those guys are doing us a favor splitting us up." Hisako sighed a couple of times and sheathed her swords, only to grab their handles again and deflecting a bunch of knives flying right at Kiyomi.
"Thanks..." Kiyomi uttered surprised. She never heard those coming, that could've only meant one thing – that annoying cat-hobo from before.
"Leave me and the Yamanaka alone, I'm sure that Noji explained the rules already, my sister will take you on on the other floor. This between me and the blonde is personal, it's a matter of my broken pride! Make sure to let my sister kill you, if one hair falls from her head I'll make sure to stab you everywhere but where it'll kill you for it and leave you to bleed out!" the man roared out. His lion-like growling and powerful voice was something to admire as it instantly covered all of the room.
The man looked like Kiyomi's boulder gave him quite a beating – his powerful and muscular chest was covered with several deep and nasty bruises and purple as prunes blunt force traumas. His hair also was no longer worn in dreadlocks but was wild and all over his half-naked body. He still wore several belts full of knives, Kiyomi would've loved to see him take Hisako on as both of them had similar fashion senses with belts of knives being the dominant accessory.
"Awww, I didn't know it hurt your feelings, big guy. Maybe if you asked nicely I'd have let you off with a tie..." Kiyomi taunted the man with a smile as she removed her kunai from the pouch and let Hisako leave. It appeared that the assassin didn't even need to be encouraged further, right when the lion-man stated his conditions the assassin was gone.
"My name is Roe, I was an heir to the Nekomata clan and I plan to cash my claim in once I kill everyone who stands in my way. My father was unfairly dismissed by his stronger sibling who took my father's spot in the line of succession, I must be the strongest there is to take my claim back! You've beaten me and that makes me respect you a great deal but I will kill you, I must become the strongest one there is, to become a man worth inheriting the leadership of my clan I must remain undefeated. Only such a man is worth the Nekomata name!" the cat-hobo growled angrily drawing two knives and spreading his arms and legs out wide, preparing for a fight.
"I'm Yamanaka Kiyomi, an heiress to the Yamanaka clan. If my uncle doesn't miraculously have a son, that is... Anyways, there are things I must prove also, but not to you nor myself, I must save the child you keep down there and prove to my stupid sensei that I am worthy of a promotion. An heir of a clan who doesn't believe in his own strength and needs to beat someone to trust his own claim doesn't deserve to lead a clan."
Roe roared again, proudly and pounded his chest with the handle of his knife. "You fool, the leader of a clan must be the strongest there is, only by remaining undefeated can I trust my claim, only those who protect their family, their clan and are strong enough to never lose to anyone are worth leading a clan"
Kiyomi shook her head angrily, "You're wrong, leading a clan is so much more than just being a muscle-head and killing everyone in your way. Strength has little to do with that nonsense, it's all about the will of being a leader. All about love for your own blood and putting the interests of your clan in front of those of your own. All about the responsibility of always doing the right thing and if you do a wrong facing the repercussions because that's who a leader is"
Roe stepped back and disappeared into the shadows, Kiyomi prepared for the rematch, that inevitable second clash between her and this crazy and stealthy cat-man of the Nekomata clan. "One clan shall lose their future head today, only symbolic that you'll lose yours as well!"
Kiyomi turned behind and blocked the man's knife, leaping back to avoid his slash with the other hand. She fought this man already and knew his style, she knew he favored striking at her blind spots and disappearing again unless he felt a relentless assault could've earned him his kill.
"I'll show your head when I claim my position! It'll show the Nekomata that I am willing ready and able to bring the clan above even the Yamanaka!" somewhere from the shadows the man's voice still reached Kiyomi's ears and while the cruel tone still froze her body in intimidating fear she loved the fact that he now had his feelings hurt and was emotionally involved into this fight, it may have been what would make her come out on top again...
*****
Hisako carefully and silently walked around the third level of the bunker, it had a bunch of cargo crates in there which begged the assassin the question of how they were carried down there. This place may have been the basement and it only had doors that lead further, not lower. This floor must've been it – the main base of their leader's operations, just who was this "Yellow" guy whom the Inuzuka spoke of?
Surely it couldn't have been that woman with the whip from before, Yellow sounded like a nickname based on some detail like a dominant piece of clothing or the man's hair... It could've been a man or a woman... They haven't even seen the leader which was odd to the assassin, why didn't he or she attack with the crew? If the leader was present in at least one of the battlefields he or she would've meant the difference between victory and defeat... Maybe this Yellow guy wasn't that good of a fighter, that would've explained everything.
"Well, you've come" a seductive feminine voice alerted Hisako of her challenger sitting on top of a stack of cargo containers, playfully dangling her legs and smiling with her blood red dyed lips and greasy purple hair. She looked like a countryside whore with a fancy ninja jumpsuit. If it was Hisako's guess the bitch must've looted it from some kunoichi, no way she was worth the reward which would've been needed to make such a fancy piece of attire, maybe it was worth snagging from her dead body...
"Wow, it's like you're a fucking detective or something... How did you guess, I'm fucking stumped! May as well give the fuck up, no way I'll beat Mrs. Perception over fucking here..." Hisako snapped back at the woman. It was clear that her snark hit the mark.
The woman leaped down and swung her whip around preparing to lash out at the assassin. "So you're the witty tongued one, you talk a mean talk for a bitch who couldn't catch up to me earlier, even the idiot dressed like a magician caught up no problem... Isn't it a bit too early for you to get old? I guess you are how you feel..."
"You know fucking what? I'll strangle you with your own fucking whip, how'd you even get to "Last Boss" status anyways, did you fuck that other cat-guy? You look alike..." Hisako angrily snapped back taking a fighting stance and preparing her blades for a fight.
"You bitch!" finally the whip-wielding cat-lady with those stupid cat ears dropped her sultry façade and got angry, maybe she'll make a mistake or something... "He's my fucking brother!"
"Yeah, he may have said something like that... Didn't listen to him much, he's hot but I don't fuck much with airheads and I don't listen to people I don't plan to fuck or kill in the future and guess what, I'm not a lesbian!" Hisako smiled leaning back for a charge, intending to settle the fight with a single swipe.