Disclaimer: Naruto is a Japanese manga created by Masashi Kishimoto. All characters in this story are copyrights of Masashi Kishimoto, Shonen Jump, Studio Pierrot and Viz Entertainment.

The Lazy Uchiha

By Bud

Chapter 45: There Will Be Blood

The Northern Countries were not the most habitable places to vacation. The air brought forth a chill that dug deep down to the bones. The winds washed over the landscape, raking its arctic-like touch of death upon the surface. Here is where only the brave and foolish trek, seeking the riches which only the most fool-hardy would dare to find. Neither tree, plant nor the once grassy plains were safe, frost-bitten by sub-zero temperatures and a wind-chill that dropped the mercury into a frozen state well below the gages. Despite the bone-chilling weather, there were those whom dared traverse this false simulation of Hell freezing over. The northern mountains of the Land of Earth made home to various wild beast and durable forest critters. Bears, snow cats, rabbits and many others frolicked the lands in search of food and shelter; last minute scavenging before hibernation, or to hunt and kill to survive.

These mountains were surrounded by snow-capped, evergreen forest filled with gigantic umbrella-pine trees, a unique type of conifer indigenous to the Earth Country. While they fall short in stature to the trees of the Fire Country, these stone pines – nicknamed for their durability – acted as a natural barrier, a shield which protects the roads winding through the forest and plains from the blowing northern winds. After the last major ninja war an adventurous business man from the Hidden Rock took advantage of the protection provided by the forest to construct the roadways currently in existence. This brought forth commerce from outside of the ninja nations and promoted trade. With travelers came Inns to provide food, shelter and a warm place to sleep during the cold seasons which only allowed so many hours during the day to travel before the temperatures drop to lethal levels if not properly protected. Five roads from the plains and forest intersect right in the middle of the mountain range through gigantic tunnels. Named the Five-Points, this intersection was the most technologically advanced tunnel system throughout the Ninja Nations and recognized as an industrial wonder.

The mastermind behind such a tunnel system to for logistic purposes was Kamiyama Setsuna, an unimaginably wealthy business man from the Hidden Rock. Originally an oil man, Kamiyama Setsuna turned his eyes toward gold mining after the Great Ninja War and began tunneling what were to be the Five-Points and its roads. With no gold in sight he had turned to expanding and reinforcing the tunnels to allow his machinery and workers to avoid traveling around the mountain during the winter season. This in turn made profit for Kamiyama Setsuna as the Daimyo's of the Earth Country supplied funds for use and upkeep of his roads in allowing the public to travel. Since then he has set his eyes on other bounties outside of the Earth Country toward the north and established his corporate headquarters and private home inside the mountain. Such a location not only provided protection, it allowed him to personally oversea the various branches of his business such as fabrication and material handling.

It also allowed him privacy in dealing with less than credible people.

"UAGH!"

"Ooo… feeling a little scared, young one?"

A young man in a bloodied business suit scrambled backward from the man in white. The bodies of his own body guards scattered around him, blood flowing freely from twitching bodies that did not realize they were missing their heads. He was deathly afraid, frightened beyond the imaginable. This single man in white, at first thought to be a kunoichi, single-handedly took out five men with a single cut of his now bloodied sword. And he enjoyed it! He acted as if it was greater than the act of sex and its climax!

"S-stay back! B-b-back I say!" The man in white merely showed him an amused smile as he approached his body pristine. Not even single drop of blood from his actions touched his perfect appearance.

"And why would I do a foolish thing like that? I'm only getting started."

"Bijomaru, stop," came a firm, older voice.

Bijomaru, the Bishonen Assassin, tilted his head back in a most snobbish manner. He turned and said, "Find yourself fortunate that Kamiyama-san has business with you." That did not alleviate the man's problems.

"Stand aside, Bijomaru. At least for now." Kamiyama Setsuna walked toward the blood covered young man. Though assisted by a cane, Kamiyama looked nothing like his age. True he was suffering from knee and back problems; however, he looked more like a man in his late forties than early sixties. Yes, his hair lacked the natural graying and his skin lacked the wrinkles, but his eyes spoke the truth of his age. Time has been kind to his body, but his eyes and mind were the subjects of fruitful and failed business, success, tragedy and underhanded dealings. "And back to what we spoke of before your men decided to… act not according to those fit for their station. That is what they did, correct? Act without your consent?"

"Y-yes, that's right. They acted on their own." It was a lie, but one Setsuna had forced him to make and one the older man wanted to hear. Five against one, it was easy for him to order his men to kill Kamiyama and his temporary body guard since the Hidden Rock ninja normally protecting him was on vacation at the time. How could one simple samurai be more skilled than ninja?

"And what exactly was it you wanted to speak of again, boy?"

He tried to calm himself down. Tried, that is. "I umm… I wanted to sell that l-land you were interested in before. I'm r-r-ready to s-sell it now."

"Are you speaking of that land in the Northern Plains near the tundra?" He shook his head, clicking his tongue in disappointment. "I'm sorry, but I'm not really interested in that land anymore." The man was shocked.

"W-what do you mean? You already own everything around it!"

"True, but it's not worth anything anymore since it's drained. It's had, it's done. There isn't anything you can do about it."

"But what about the natural—"

"DRAINED IT!" growled the old man, stepped into the young man's face. "Drained it, you blind boy. It's worthless now. It's had, I'm so sorry." The man had a stupefied face, unable to understand his meaning. Setsuna had an idea, an analogy to describe how he screwed over this dumb boy. "I know… I have a milkshake."

"Milk-shake?"

"And you have a milkshake." He lifted up one finger. "And I have a straw. Here it is, are you watching?" He walked away from the young man and once again approached with his finger pointing right at him. "And my straw reaches across the room," he emphasizes this while pointing his finger down right in his face. "And it starts to drink your milkshake."

"I. Drink. Your. Milkshake!" He emphasized with a loud, forceful slurping sound. "I DRINK IT UP!"

Bijomaru quirked an eyebrow.

"Don't bully me-!"

With surprising strength Kamiyama Setsuna grabbed the youth by his suit and threw him down to the floor in the middle of the room. As the young man scrambled across the slick floor and lanes that made of up a type of recreational indoor game, Setsuna attacked him randomly with large heavy balls with three holes at one end, all the while taunting the man. "Do you think your silly song and dance would help you, boy? That you would take my life with such low life, bargain basement mercenaries? Take what I have fought tooth and nail for all these years? I am the Third Revelation! I am the one who has been chosen! And on top of that I'm smarter than you!"

"Ow! Please, stop it, Setsuna-san!"

"I'm older, much wiser than you! You're just another false prophet!" He began stalking toward the retreating boy, surprising Bijomaru as the old man was basically a walking cripple. "I am the Third Revelation! I am the Third Revelation, you stupid boy! I told you I would eat you alive…!"

The man was gone before Setsuna could reach him. An amused laugh escaped the sinister lips adorning that false visage of youth. The older man turned back, limping back to where Bijomaru stood twirling a rose between his fingers to retrieve his cane. With his support return, he merely looked at the Beautiful Assassin with an indifferent gaze. The bishonen samurai glanced back, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Is there something you wish to say, Bijomaru?"

"The question is, Kamiyama-san, do you have anything else for me to accomplish? I do admit that your little display was amusing, but I fail to see the point where I am to kill that boy as you called him." A large stay of ryou fell onto the tea table that stood behind them garnering another raised eyebrow from the sword master. "And this?"

"Your payment, Bijomaru. Your services are not needed anymore. My final order before you leave is to kill that man. You may do so on the way out."

"So cold," he said with a pouting frown. "Not even a word of gratitude for little ol' me. I seem to be losing my touch."

"Target acquired."

"Status and ETA?"

"Target has exited tunnel three. Now proceeding down road three. ETA to contact, thirty seconds. No civilian targets in sight. Target is wearing a white kimono with elaborate décor and armed with what appears to be a sheathed katana."

"That is our target. Scar team, get ready. Dagger team, stand by."

This was the moment Hatake Kakashi had been waiting for. After two months of searching and following bad leads, they had finally found reliable information that directed them to the location of Bijomaru. And unlike the owner of the Five-Points, they did strike gold as they tracked the alleged Bishonen Assassin along the road they used as a staging point. Even with the resources of two ANBU squads and his genius talent, it felt like years have been taken off their lives because of this search. Facing the most foul of weather and the least favorable conditions both on and off the road, Kakashi's hunting party has endured. With conditions as they were, each member of Kakashi's party wore snow white body suits, hooded parkas and specialized face mask, goggles, boots and gloves to protect themselves from the freezing temperatures while retaining their abilities to perform as ninja.

"Target has crossed point of contact. Dagger team, ready."

"Medic team, standing by."

"Scar team, ready. Tsumi will set off the traps and all Scar units will converse upon target. Dagger team, stand ready to attack on my go." A group of acknowledgements. "Go!"

Kakashi had chosen the best of the younger ANBU, all sworn Chuunin with at minimum of three years experience in their specialized fields and personally hand-picked for this mission. All of them had worked with collaborated with one another at some point in their careers as Genin or ANBU, and all had no connection of any sort to the Uchiha, or specifically to Uchiha clan. He did not desire any hot-heads, free lancers, or anyone who would take this mission as a personal vendetta to avenge, to pay back what the Uchiha had suffered because of that man. Those unfavorable qualities were left solely for Kakashi and Kakashi only.

An amused chuckle floated from the man in question, his jet black hair seeming to dance upon the snowy background for his unseemingly warm white kimono blended perfectly with nature. His fluidic movements danced through a hail of metal that blackened the full moon sitting high upon the starry sky. The sounds of metal piercing flesh were all but absent substituted with the

clink and clang of the deadly projectiles being deflected away to land harmlessly in the snow banks. A seductive smile appeared upon his visage, his own blade drawn only a quarter from his sheath to block the attempt at his life from the ninja in cold-weather gear.

"I knew it," he whispered, the smile not once changing as he deflected away more attacks from the same ninja. "You people have come to play. A game of death we shall have, then!"

The Konoha hunter snarled under his neoprene mask. "You shall die now, samurai!"

"I'm sorry, but you lose!" A blow from the samurai's hilt to the neck stunned the shinobi and hard shove with his bare waraji-clad foot pushed him just beyond Bijomaru's range. He saw no difference in his proximity, twisting his body and whirling around with momentum as he drew his weapon in a powerful horizontal slash to cleave the ninja in half. His blade sang as he deflected another attempt at his life, pulling short of killing the ninja at the last moment to protect himself. "Another one? Do not hide little kitten!" He turned a heel, felling the tree behind him with a single-handed stroke of his blade before it returned to its sheath.

"KATON: GOUKAKYUU NO JUTSU!" Fire Style: Great Fireball!

An intense wave of heat approached Bijomaru from across the path, yet he paid it no heed. Twice the size of his body, intimidation from such parlor tricks was anything but existent. Metal flashed as the fireball, turning the frigid air and melting snow into an embankment of steam, consumed the man in white, engulfing him in an intense chakra-fueled inferno. A few seconds passed before the freezing weather turned the steam to snow and the previously hot water to sheets of ice. And there he stood, patting himself down from residual flames and embers that desecrated the edge of the sleeves of his decorative kimono. Not a single hair on his head came close to being singed by the Konoha fire technique and it was clear to those who witnessed this feat that their target had cut fire with a simple swing of his blade.

They had their work cut out for them.

With their lead man down and his two teammates unsuccessful in killing or immobilizing Bijomaru, they attacked in coordinated unison. The moons illumination casted shadows within the shadows as eight battled against one. With eight on one, it was by default the Samurai would become over-ran by the slew of ninja against such odds. However, it was in fact the opposite in favor in the lone samurai. They surrounded him with relentless attacks pressing the criminal to what they conceived were his limitations when he suddenly counter-attacked as if he was a whirlwind of death, striking with blows that literally cleaved the ground and trees surrounding them. Bijomaru's style of attack was too easy to predict. The man was all offense, refusing to defend with his sword - as was indicted by the lack of hilt on his blade – preferring to deflect attacks away from him and strike when vulnerable. As predictable as in may seem, he tore into the two ANBU squads whittling them down one at a time in the conflagration of elemental attacks and genjutsu. Fire and lightning heated the battle ground, the elements almost instantly freezing their wash-off turning the ground at their feet into a huge sheet of ice and blood. What were eight became seven, then six with the fifth's head rolling past a crippled fourth. Kakashi and the remaining two thought they saw their opening when their footing became ice,

but they samurai's display was only a feint, his blade rising up in a powerful slash that the third ninja into two equal parts. Throughout all this Bijomaru failed to lose the seductive smile and the look of ecstasy in his eyes brought from his enjoyment of spilling their blood.

The remaining two and Kakashi backed off to assess the situation.

"What is the matter, shinobi? Your friends seem to have abandoned you." His words taunted the trio, accented by his decision to glide along the icy ground as if he were ice skating. He stopped above one of their injured comrades, his guardless weapon resting upon his shoulder. "I do wonder why exactly they would up and leave a small group of defenseless men like you out here alone in the forest. I mean, do they not know that there are dangerous people like me running around." A wide-eyed look of astonishment washed over him. "That's right! Now I know. I killed them. Oh my, how tragic. I guess this crippled one should join them…" His blade came down.

"Kakashi-sama!"

"I don't think that will be happening, monster."

A familiar chirping sound tickled Bijomaru's ears. With recognition of his attacker, the bishonen assassin seemed to do the impossible and twist his body around the attack. The Chidori, a technique created and perfected by Kakashi upon receiving the eyes of the Uchiha, was one of the most lethal techniques for assassinations. When utilized by Sharingan Kakashi and his scarred eyes there was no escaping the curtain call of death. Yet, this insane human being turned his body as the Doujutsu ninja sailed across a path above him, twisting down and slashing with his blade to cleave the crippled ninja lying on the snow embankment. And the ice only provided a slick surface as he continued to twist like I coil before spring up with moment, slashing at a semi-airborne Kakashi who dropped his technique in before of defending himself on instinct. His mind was stupefied by his inability to strike, even with Sharingan and Chidori. A powerful shove of his blade cleaved Kakashi in two leaving only a split log that toppled to the ground.

"Captain!"

"Captain?" Bijomaru looked surprised. A joyful smile appeared on his face. His body literally danced on the ice-covered ground, his arms moving in unpredictable patters that cut down shadow clones of several shinobi and Kakashi. "Well isn't this a surprise! I'm so honored to meet you, ha ha! This has become even more interesting. Show me everything, Captain! Everything that you have!"

Kakashi cursed under his breath. As powerful as the Sharingan was he had a difficult time anticipating, predicting the moves of this samurai assassin. It was as if everything he did was at random, a natural instinct that not even an Uchiha bloodline could comprehend. He had increased his power, utilizing moves from the Gouken taijutsu that Gai practiced, even attempted secondary lotus with complete failure. It was as if this man was everything that someone needed to counter a ninja, or that ninja were useless in combating someone of his caliber. Why was it so difficult to read him, yet he could read, anticipate and plan to all his remaining allies attacks?

"Don't move! I see you sleeping!"

"NO!"

Guardless blade flew from it sheath but was surprisingly stopped by a single, struggling kunai. Kakashi was nearly bent backward as he intercepted and defended against the insane samurai. Behind him one of the two medic-nins struggled to compose themselves, trapped between saving their comrade and running for his life after being targeted by that man. The toothy, wide-eyed grin freaked his mind more than ANBU Survival-Evasion-Resistance-Escape (SERE) training under Morino Ibiki; and that said a lot. Kakashi looked back at him with one of his swirling three-tomoe eyes.

"Rendezvous' point Kunai. Leave no one."

The call to retreat. Something Kakashi has not called since the Uchiha massacre. The medic nodded. "Hai, Captain."

Bijomaru looked aghast! "What? Leaving so soon? But we just got started!"

If not for his Sharingan Kakashi would never have been able to parry the samurai's powerful strikes. There was only one family of ninja sword masters and one sole sword master that was more a samurai than ninja; he had only bared witness to the Gekkou family when Hayate was on his squad and only heard the rumors associated with that man and his skill with a blade. It was clear that fighting this man using shinobi tactics would result in defeat no matter how much his reputation preceded him. He had lost one team, KIA, and two severely wounded along with medical ninja he desperately needed alive. Parrying two more attempted strikes at his medic-nins, Kakashi enhanced himself with Gai's lotus technique, fighting off the pain resulting in removing the limits to his muscles. He over-powered Bijomaru, shoving him clear across the icy path. His hands came together in seals then he regained his bearing. Blood spilled from his thumb coating a scroll.

"Ninpou Kuchiyose, Doton: Tsuiga no jutsu!" Ninja Magic Summoning, Earth Style Tracking Fang technique!

"YAAAH HA HA HA! DIE!" The ground rumbled under Bijomaru's feet causing him to lose some of his balance. On pure instinct he moved his foot barely missing the bite of a wild dog wearing a shinobi headband. He bit down a scream when his bare leg unfortunately met that similar fate. Pissed off beyond comprehension, he turned his body and beheaded the human sized canine trying to clamp down on his shoulder, split the head of the one that tried to bite his left leg and continued to massacre the summoned animals. "You fucking little mutts! You whores! Die, die, die!"

By the time Bijomaru killed off the last summoned dog, the Konoha shinobi were long gone. He winced, shaking off the blood that dripped off his arm. He blade slid back into his sheath.

"Well, shit. Looks like I'll have to buy a new kimono."

He continued as if he was never attacked.

The weather had picked up dropping a few more inches of snow along with winds gusting at a respectable speed. It came to a point where authorities

had to close down the roads to begin maintenance to clear out the fresh snow to keep traffic flowing smoothly. The Earth Country depended on commerce and trade of food and goods as the mountainous regions did not provide vast plains suitable for enormous farming districts. With the roads closed many have found themselves trapped in the various check-points lining the Five-Points, while others stayed within the warm caverns of the Five-Points Mountain and their inns.

The warmth of the inn was comforting, soothing the pain of traveling in such harsh conditions on foot. A fire in one corner of the inn and diner spread warmth throughout the lit room, calming and easing the various travelers while a cast iron oven in another corner heated a pair of water kettles. He shook himself at the entrance ridding his head and shoulders of sleet before taking his step inside. A young girl approached, offered to take his coat and weapon and check them in – he allowed her, confident in his own self that he would not need his weapon if an altercation does break out. As one of his hands reached to unwrap the turban wrapped around his head, he looked over the assembled patrons searching for something beyond normal understanding; something that only someone of his mindset would understand. He shook his head after a brief moment, shaking his long black hair free; an act that made the young girl blush like a tomato. A pair of chocolate eyes stared down at her once his scarf and goggles were removed, awaiting her next actions.

"T-t-this way, My Lord."

"Hn."

He found it amusing that the young girl had a little more swing in her step compared to when she first approached him. Even more so was the sly hand reaching for his hand as he passed a table. His amusement died when he felt the tiny scroll deposited as he tried to intercept, and as usual his duty came before anything else.

"Is there anything I can get you, My Lord?" the young girl asked. "Food, drink, my virginity?" A few within hearing distance looked over at him. He ignored them.

"Sake."

Procured from with his winter yukata was an orange paper-back book. An unnoticed frown appeared on his visage for a brief moment when eyes caught site of the book and quickly turned away. The images circulating in their minds did not pass his keen intellect and he felt a little insulted they would assume a book about birds to be that infamous smut novel that was popular these days. To think that man was one of the Sannin of all people to write such trash befuddled him, however, that particular one was notorious for his escapades and alleged research – none of which attributed to his questionable character.

"My Lord, I present you the best Sake of the house," the serving women said as she set and poured the first cup for long haired man. "Is there anything else I can do for you, My Lord? Anything to please you?" One of his cerulean eyes peered over his book, almost literally staring down the young girl with a slight movement of his eyebrow.

"There is nothing more for you to do. Leave and tender to others, that

you must."

He ignored her saddened visage in favor of his book. His thumb rolled open the tiny scroll hidden within its pages and he began deciphering the message. Kakashi was having problems if he went through the trouble of contacting him directly instead of vice versa. That man, like himself, was difficult for even journeyman assassins like the second White Fang to handle, especially so when the lives of others were at stake. He sighed. The lives of four were lost and two more were in serious jeopardy. From his understanding, Kakashi himself was lucky to be alive if that man was just merely toying with them. Some predators tend to play with their food before devouring them whole. It was one of the signature traits of that man.

The inn suddenly settled down, the common area become deathly silent with only the snap and crackle of the fire and stove dominating. A few murmurs picked up until everything zeroed in onto his location. The movement of a chair scratched in front of him, yet he ignored it in favor of his book. Whatever it was, it was not his concern. However, when the light chuckle from the person invading his space began to annoy him did he voice his curiosity.

"Is there anything that I can help you with?"

The chuckle continued for a brief moment before a reply came. "Maybe there is. You seem like the strong type." A male voice. Undoubtedly familiar. "Have you ever tried the sword?"

"Mother said I was handy with a kitchen knife if that counts as anything, that I am."

"Formal and respectful, I see." Another chuckle and an intake of air. "Do you enjoy roses, stranger?"

"Never had a green thumb. Gardening is beyond my abilities, that it is."

His voice lowered. "Konoha is nice this time of year, right?"

"That it is, Bijomaru."

A chuckle. "You cannot hide your fighting spirit from me, Hyuuga Hiryuu. A wonderful and exciting man like you will never miss my keen eye. I'm so happy that we can meet each other once more. As kindred spirits, we shall always be connected in glorious and orgasmic combat."

"Orgasmic? A little too much to drink?" The pair of cerulean eyes peered over his book. The man known as the Beautiful Assassin sat before him with his elbows propped onto his table supporting his blushing visage. It was clear the man was drunk. Bijomaru frowned when his eyes appeared.

"Hey… what is this? What happened to those lovely white eyes…?" He began to reach over but Hiryuu intercepted, gently redirecting his reaching hand away from his face. "What's going on…? Hic-!"

"It matters not. What is your business with me? Terms?"

He pouted. "When the weather clears, we'll settle this once and for all. And when I'm done decapitating your fellow ninja before your crippled

eyes, I'm gonna have my way with you… then do it again before I kill you."

"Honor dictates that I should kill you where you are, assassin."

Hic-! "Yet you do not wish to break the harmony of this inn. That is why we are kindred spirits, Hiryuu." He inhaled the scent of the rose in his hand as he stood. "We may follow completely separate paths, yet we follow the same code. Albeit, it may be a bit more loose in my case." He chuckled as he turned to leave.

"Bijomaru."

"Hmm?" He raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Keep this in mind. This time you're the prey and I'm the predator. And unlike last time, honor and duty will not hold me back from taking what is rightfully mine, that it shall not."

Bijomaru made a cooing sound. "I'll be waiting in anticipation."

Finding Team Kakashi was not as difficult as it seemed, at least not for someone with his unique talents. Hidden from the eyes of normal people and tracking ninja deep within the surrounding forest of the Five-Points lay the small Konoha ANBU encampment. A single tent capable of housing three individuals with room for comfort became a medical tent used to tend to the lives if the injured. Surrounding the camp was a ward of seals designed to act as a type of active camouflage, a passive illusion in which only a skilled genjutsu-specialist or animal would detect.

Smoke billowed from a secluded section of the snow-packed forest. A small pit laden with chard wood and ashes, embers still smoldering even in the frigid temperatures. Little by little the pit began to sink in, the outer rim enclosing and compacting the contents within. Within a few seconds the pit was gone, the only testament to its existence being the lack of snow covering the surface of the ground.

Kakashi lowered his hands, his eyes dropping down to stared at sealed pit. The death of comrades always seemed to surround him on high-profile missions, even personal vendettas like this one. Even still, he was responsible for the deaths of those four even though their cards were dealt by that man. It was his job to protect them, yet he failed in the end as always. And it fell upon him to do what was right to destroy their bodies, erase any evidence that they had existed in this world. This was the result of the life they chose to live, a life of hardship and death; a life of much sacrifice for little reward.

"So, you received the message, hmm?"

"That I have."

"I did not expect Tsunade-sama to send someone to assist us. We could handle it on our own."

"Do not think so highly of yourself, White Fang. If you suddenly forgot, four of your best ANBU are dead. Someone of his type cannot be dealt

with mere bloodline abilities or conventional ninja tactics."

"Four of my comrades are dead. Do you think you can do better?" Anger laced the silver-haired Captain's low, but fierce tone. "You should have killed him when you had the chance, Hyuuga-sama."

Hiryuu looked impressed. "Information travels quickly. No matter; I have my own reasons, Kakashi, that I do. Though I serve my Hokage, my village and the Hyuuga to the best of my abilities, I do not follow the same Nindo. Birth had stripped me of such a life, if I must remind you. Do not allow your duty to the Uchiha and your pride to blind you from the task at hand."

His head snapped back and a pair of Sharingan eyes locked onto the Hyuuga. "The Uchiha has nothing to do-." A pair of blue orbs stared down upon him as if his existence at this very moment was insignificant.

"I may not have the talents of my fellow clansman, but you cannot intimidate me with eyes that are not of your blood." A pale hand brushed over his visage, washing away the blue contacts to reveal the pale white eyes that signified his bloodline. "The Uchiha has everything to do with this. What reason would you stand before the cenotaph morning after morning."

He looked away. "They still have nothing to do with this."

"Your life debt to the Uchiha and Itachi have nothing to do with this mission, Hatake Kakashi. In fact, I will be taking over and you will support me when called upon." The ANBU captain stood and faced off against him.

"You cannot-!" He found a blade pressed against his neck.

"You did not even feel it coming, did you? That is the type of person Bijomaru truly is. Why Samurai like myself still exist in a world of ninja." A click sounded the retreat of his blade into his sheath. Kakashi's eyes saw the return movement, but it was too fast for his reflexes to match. Hiryuu brushed his long raven locks behind his ears. "Understand this, Kakashi – you may be in debt to the Uchiha, however, I have grown together with Itachi and Sasuke. Along with Washimaru, they are my most precious people."

"My bond with them overrides anything you may feel." Kakashi stepped back, eyes downcast.

"Hai, Hyuuga Hiryuu-sama."

With his arrival, Kakashi ordered the remaining members of his platoon to travel back to Konoha with the injured while he remained as back-up. That man' talents and specialization far exceeded their and his combined abilities' unnecessary deaths were best avoided at this time and the injured – though recovering – would only serve as a hindrance. As team leader his priority was now the safe return of his subordinates.

That man, Hyuuga Hiryuu, irked him. The Samurai among Ninja had read him like an open book where others would admire his calm and cool attitude. He had only met him on occasion or had a brief glimpse when he had to visit their mutual Uchiha acquaintance, but he had heard many stories about him that clearly made sense – most confirmed from his own words. A Hyuuga noble

born of the Main House who would one day surpass all Hyuuga with his eyes, yet fall from grace from a birth defect that robbed him of all but the most basic of ninja abilities. How he remained in the main house befuddled Kakashi. Of course he was Itachi and Washimaru Genin teammate. But after their mutual graduation to Chuunin his path became separate from the other two. The other two had become ANBU while this man quickly rose to the rank of Jounin and began to undertake extended missions out of the Fire Country by order of the village council, or so he understood. Other than that, Hyuuga Hiryuu was shrouded in mystery.

Kakashi disliked mysteries.

Even worse the man carried himself as if everyone around him was lower than him; they did not belong in the same area; to breathe the same air; or walk upon his ground. His attitude and ego was worse than even the most noble of the Hyuuga Main House. And to think that despite being his senior in age, rank and experience, his word carried more weight than his own because of his connections with the Hokage and the village council.

That too, irked the son of the White Fang.

Even as the sun rose from the eastern horizon, the frigid temperatures remained steady and unrelenting forcing the shinobi to dawn his cold weather combat gear and shield his scarred eyes from the wind chill. The indigenous conifer he hid within provided some shelter and acted as his look-out point to observe the coming conflict, as instructed by the Hyuuga sitting legs akimbo in the middle of the snow covered road with his sheathed blade resting in his lap. He had to admit that even he would think twice of sitting in these frigid conditions in only a pure white haori and hakama. And to think the man remained there throughout the night. If not for the steady rise of his chest, Kakashi would have thought him frozen to death.

"Stay your position, White Fang, that you must." Kakashi looked down upon the Hyuuga sword master. "We have a guest."

The scarred shinobi searched high and low for this guest but he failed to gain a visual on their target. How could the Hyuuga see him without opening his eyes? Kakashi was well versed in the bloodlines of the Hidden Leaf and he clearly understood that even Hyuuga required their eyes to be open for their Doujutsu to be effective.

"My, my.. What is this?"

Kakashi twisted toward the end of the road. Just walking into visual from around a bend was the man from yesterday. Black hair, and pales skin wrapped in an ivory yukata under an elegant white haori. The white rose that he twisted between his fingers tickled his nose as he inhaled its scent. A mischievous smile washed over his visage as he focused on the man in the middle of the road.

"If I knew you were waiting for me, I would have held off a few more days before taking my leave," said the pretty boy assassin. "Tell me – any particular reason to why you're just sitting there? The predator usually chases their prey.

"A good hunter can track and capture their prey. A great hunter allows their prey to come to them."

"Ha! Are you an expert now?"

"Are you saying I am not? I found you, after all."

Bijomaru snickered. "For now I'll let you believe such lies. Now tell me, oh great hunter. Tell me of the little mutt watching over us. The one with the scarred eyes." A grin broke past his smile. "Tell me if he enjoyed the way I cut his people into pieces; the way I slaughtered his mongrel dogs one by one! Oh, I thoroughly enjoyed ever single second of that tryst, of how I had my way with them. Tell me, so I can speak of how much I got off on it."

Kakashi ground his teeth behind his mask, having to stab himself with a kunai just as a reminded to stay still. Even he had a limit as to how much he could take. That man knew all the right buttons to push and push he did.

"No matter." He moved his eyes toward the tree Kakashi happened to be hiding in before dropping back to Hiryuu. "That little mutt can watch from his perch." The rose dropped from his hands, flicked over his shoulder to stab stem first into the white snow. "I, Mogami Bijomaru, shall rid the world of thy evil this very day."

One of Hiryuu's eyes twitched. "And who are you calling evil?"

"Che, who gives a shit. It sounded fucking cool."

"Cool does not describe a psycho-path such as you." He slowly stood up, his sheath held in one had at his side. "The only evil here is you. I, Hyuuga Hiryuu shall-" His blade drew half-way, sparks shooting off of the forged and folded water marked blade. Blue stared coolly at the pair of onyx.

So fast! Kakashi's eyes bled over into the Sharingan. He moved as fast as Gai without his weights. Is this the strength of samurai?

"Once names are stated combat shall begin!" Bijomaru pushed off, sparks once again flying as he landed a decent distance away from the Hyuuga. He rests his blade on his shoulder looking highly amused. Focusing on the blade of his opponent, he admired if for a short moment before realizing that its natural forged pattern was similar to his own. "Is that what I think it is, Hyuuga? A blade of Damascus steel? Which mountain did you sell to get that?"

"Yours."

"You bastard-!"

Strike, strike. Block, parry, evade, strike. A whirlwind of death is what would best describe their clash of mythical blades. Bijomaru was the aggressor, attacking with a rare combination power and precision. He evaded parries like water flowing around the protruding rocks in a stream. Hiryuu defended his movements quick and efficient as he searched for openings in the man's near relentless attack. Unlike his opponent's aggressive and emotional attacks, he was calm as gentle breeze on a hot summer day. Cool, calm and efficient. Not any movement was wasted. The pair split apart for a short respite.

They were merely testing each other. Kakashi surmised.

"Are you done playing, Bijomaru?"

"Are you finished holding back, Hyuuga?"

His hand moved over his eyes, blue becoming a pale white. He dropped the contact lenses that hid his bloodline in the snow while veins grew and branched out along his face. "Yes, that I am."

Sharingan accurately predicted their first moves, yet Kakashi stared in utter amazement as he lost them upon first step.

The pair connected in a bright flash of sparks created from mythical steel. What they engaged in was nothing short of a flurry of death as their blades flashed in and out of vision, blinding anyone who witnessed with their reflection off of the rising sun and packed snow. Neither man made a single sound of effort or physical complaint, only the ringing of steel upon steel, the sound of their blades cutting through the air and the rending of the ground as their air pressure alone from their attacks cut huge gashes into the snow. Not even the frozen dirt underneath was spared their wrath. And just as quickly as they came together they separated and began circling one another as if they were two lions battling for dominance of their pack.

One with eyes of white and a face washed over with concentration. Another with appraising eyes with a look of enjoyment plastered upon a confident visage. They circled one another, watching and waiting. An assassin with his guardless blade held in its sheath, moving and twisting before him with simple motions of the wrist. A fallen shinobi, one hand empty and resting just mere centimeters from the touch of his sheathed sword hilt on his side, the other hand lightly clenching the sheath in preparation to strike. This is what Samurai live for – the thrill of combat and powerful opponents to test their skills against. For men such as these who live in a world dominated by cloak and dagger, lies and deceptions, darkness and those who seek the dark, it was only in encounters with their own kind do they find reprieve in their own world.

Bijomaru made the first move. Just as quickly as his opponent Hiryuu drew his blade and parried the downward slash, shoving back and counter-attacking with his own. Meeting a similar fate he sheath his blade and nimbly dodges several jabbing stabs aimed at his head before bringing his sheath into play deflecting quick diagonal cuts. With his vision he saw everything without having to face Bijomaru. His open palm reached back and caught a strike aimed at the back of his head from a scabbard and used the leverage gained to twist around a straight thrust for his guts to deliver a stunning back fist to the assassin's face followed by an open palm to the chest. His hands shot back into position and drew his blade in one lightning fast motion but Bijomaru, on instinct alone, rolled out of danger and brought his own scabbard to block Hiryuu's overhead slash. The pretty boy assassin grunted under the assault, sinking slightly into the ground from the power of the strike.

"A little more bite than last time, I'd say."

"And your bark is just as atrocious!"

Hiryuu allowed himself to be pushed back, resetting his stance and sheathing his blade. He made the first move in their next melee striking quickly with a horizontal slash that nearly cleaved the man in white in half.

He parried the retaliation, pushing forward with both hands and with a shove he turned and struck out with a rising slash that missed by just a hairs width. Twisting his wrist brought his blade into position to block several consecutive strikes that pushed him into a defensive position that he has been in many times. It was here were the mentality of a shinobi is tasked and has failed many times. A ninja' natural instinct in combat is to gain the element of surprise and strike at an enemy's weakness when the opportunity arises. In this situation one should retreat, rethink their strategy then act. For a Samurai, true warriors of the highest caliber, words such as retreat, fall back or withdraw did not exist nor were ever uttered from their lips. To run like a coward in the face of adversity was worse than death!

"KYAH! A little present for you, Hyuuga!" Bijomaru pushed off with his blade. With both hands he slashed diagonal down creating a gust of wind that ripped at the snow-covered ground. "ZANKUSEN!"

He crouched low with his sword at his side and pushed into a mighty leap that cleared the ki charged air blast. Landing a distance away, his Byakugan focused on a smirking Bijomaru as the assassin drew his blade in a quick fluid motion and cut at the towering tree he stood next to. Within a second Hiryuu was in the path of a clean cut falling conifer. He closed his eyes, his hand resting upon the hilt of his blade.

The surrounding wild-life scattered as far as the eye could see. Bird taking refuge in the morning skies and deer and small creatures running for the hills as the ground shook with a thunderous impact of the gigantic tree. The impact could be heard and felt for miles, Kakashi was quite sure of it. A powder white cloud enveloped the impact zone blinding anyone from peering at the aftermath. Only the sound of an amused chuckle and a mocking applause remained in the air. "Impressive, Hyuuga. I'm beginning to like you more and more every time. Killing you will surely be that much more pleasurable."

Eyes focused from above and stared in disbelief. Hiryuu did not move a single inch from the spot he originated, sword drawn and pointing toward the ground. On each side of him lay what remained of the enormous tree, split from top to bottom clean and centerline. Bijomaru smirked, a little swagger in his step as he began to approach the Hyuuga. "Tell me, Hyuuga. What new tricks have you learned recently. Tell me of this technique! Tell me of it so I can use it on you and make you mine in a most perverted way."

"Technique?" Hiryuu arched a noble eyebrow. "That was just a mere feat of strength."

"Is that so…?"

THAT was just strength alone? If not for fear of falling to his death, Kakashi would have fainted.

"DO RYU SEN!"

Bijomaru hit the deck as the wind blew right over his head. Of all things from the Hyuuga he never expected him to fire off a solid blade of ki and he never expected the result of the thunderous impacts of trees hitting the earth after being cleaved clean from their trunks. A low whistle of appreciation blew from his lips. The man in white dusted himself off and turn toward the Hyuuga just in time to raise his blade and block a flurry of attacks from the Konoha Samurai. "You've been training!" He said in glee

despite nearly shitting his pants after Hiryuu's feat. "More! Give me more! Taking you will be just that much more fulfilling! Give it to me! Yes! Yes!" He parried and brought his blade down quickly. "Show me everything! ZANKUSEN!"

Hiryuu grunted, taking the brunt of the attack. The winds ripped at his clothes, cutting at his thick skin with small paper-like cuts that while not life threatening hurt more than they seemed. "I'll kill you before that happens!"

"ZANTETSUSEN!"

"DO RYU SEN!"

A miniature funnel torrent of wind met ki blade, both canceling one another. Byakugan active, Hiryuu brought up his blade blocking the falling slash of the Man in White, struggling against the forces behind his strike. Shifting he used the momentum against him, throwing him off his attack with a side-step and leaning away from the follow up horizontal strikes. He twisted, attacking in a pattern more used by Angelo mercenaries from beyond the seas than true Samurai swordsmanship, trying to confuse his opponent with linear and powerful, yet cumbersome attacks. Bijomaru retaliated with a laugh and more intensity, finding all the openings in Hiryuu's strange style. That man's unpredictable nature revealed itself in his retaliation and through the Byakugan allowing the Hyuuga a tiny window to strike and strike hard. So when Bijomaru came down with a powerful double-handed slash, his brought his blade up to counter with his other fist following to strike the blunt edge of his own blade.

"RYU SHO SEN!"

"UAH!"

"This is the end for you, Bijomaru. My next attack will be the last you shall see, that it will."

Slowly he approached the wounded man, caution being focused upon even though it was clear that the assassin was suffering from a grievous wound. The attack did not strike Bijomaru directly. A shift as he came down allowed him to avoid the death stroke from the extra power poured into the rising attack, however he was not fortunate enough to avoid the end of the blade. As he knelt on the ground with his arms supporting him, blood freely flowed from his visage, pooling upon the flaky snow and painting the dirt underneath. With each sporadic breath he took, the wound was clearly displayed along his left side – the inside of his mouth exposed to the elements and the skin that made up cheek split clean from lips to his jaw bone, flapping with each breath and movement. Attribute it to numbing from the pain or his fighting spirit, Bijomaru only stared with a wild look in his eyes, refusing to scream to the heavens.

"Messatsu…"

Hiryuu paused in step. What is this feeling?

"…ZANKUU ZANMASEN!"

An enormous wave of ki smashed into Hiryuu as he brought his scabbard

to block. Instantly he was overwhelmed, sent flying across a length of the road and through a gigantic tree before he was stopped by a boulder. His body left an impression in the rock, spider-webbed from the force of impact. He groaned, pain being the only source of acknowledgement to his continued existence. Even though he could barely move, the pain eased his mind. Pain meant he was alive and that there was still a chance. He was not easy to kill. For someone like him who lives in a clan of powerful ninja in a hidden village, survival was everything and he had beaten the odds to this point. He intended to live and nothing was going to stop him.

Except Bijomaru.

"GUAH!"

He took pleasure in the look of pain as he buried his blade into Hiryuu' guts, impaling him against the boulder. Though blood poured from his open wounds, Bijomaru took the opportunity to rip open the Hyuuga's robes, his bloodied tongue lavishing the smooth, muscular chest of the Konoha Samurai. His face in shambles, the look he gave Hiryuu gave him the image of a true monster, a demon that many have rumored him to be – one who feast upon the flesh of women and a rapist of young boys. In all cases such rumors were true and though not a young boy, Hiryuu was Bijomaru's next unwilling conquest – to him it did not matter as long as they were dead afterward. Even in his own words, that still did not stop him from continued violation.

"Look what you did to my face…" Blood spat with every word, his ability to speak a huge feat despite the wounds. "For that, I will definitely take you as my own bitch! Let me make it official by giving you a mark just like you gave me, my little bitch!" He pulled his blade and aimed high.

"ZANGANKEN!"

His blade cleaved the rock in half, but his eyes were wide throughout the whole process as his target clearly twisted around his body to evade. His broken face twisted into a look that was beyond recognition. Words could not describe the anger, hatred and loathing he had for the Hyuuga. He had searched the rumors of a man of similar qualities of his own and followed a path of death, perversion and defilement in his quest to find him. Ninja, whores and children were killed and taken against their will in his frustration in his search. His enjoyment in watching as others suffer as their loved ones died before their eyes only entertained him briefly as his desire to kill that man grew. And when he found them, he had chased him across countries before he suddenly stopped following and he was imprisoned in that mountain. And when he is finally free and finds him again, everything that he desired was rejected! He was denied by that very man his most precious of desires and he defiled his beauty! The screams of those male and female whores as he rapes and kills them will never be as satisfying! How dare that Hyuuga tramp do this to him!

"Die you fucking bitch! SHIN RAIKOUKEN!"

Lightning flashed before Hiryuu and he acted purely on instinct! Unable to avoid the incoming blade of lightning, he knew he had to be faster than his opponent. Fueled on adrenaline and the empowering will to survive, he grasped his sword in a battoujutsu stance and stepped forward with his left leg, placing his own body on the line for his own life.

Two identical blades upon different paths. One blade of death. The other a blade of life. One who seeks to destroy while the other seeks to live. Only one shall overcome and claim victory. A blade of lightning fueled by the wielders ki and the countering blade fueled by a will to survive clashed, locking for just a split second before the countering blade overpowered. However the strike only disoriented Bijomaru who with maniacal eyes raised his lightning blade once more for the killing blow. Hiryuu flowed with the initial strike, exposing his back to his enemy and as Bijomaru's blade came downward, the space in front of him shifted dramatically as if a void was created within the air. And just as quickly as the two blades met and departed he was sucked into the void, trapped in mid-strike as Hiryuu came full circle and sliced his body in half.

"Hyuuga-sama!"

Kakashi appeared at his side and held the man before he full collapsed into his arms. He had witnessed everything from beginning to end, each moment bringing him to consider where exactly he stood in the village in terms of capabilities. What he had seen left him in a state of bewilderment, confusion and a sense of awe. True he had been in his fair share of scuffles in the past and in recent times, however, those two were on a level all on their own. Rest his soul, they put to shame anything Minato-sensei was capable. And off-handedly, where these people with this abilities when the village needed them the most? Back to what was at hand, he was told there would be two out comes in this battle – Bijomaru would die, or he would. And he was ordered to allow either to happen. Bijomaru was indeed dead, body split in two and laying in a pool of blackening blood. As much as Kakashi did wish to interfere when it seemed Hyuuga Hiryuu was in danger, he was glad he did not.

He would have shared the same fate as Bijomaru.

"What sort of attack was that?" Kakashi wondered out loud, thinking if Hiryuu's final strike.

"Even if you were able to avoid the fangs of the flying dragon, the gusting winds of heaven strip away movement, and the claws rip you apart."

"Amakakeru Ryu no… Hirameki…?" Kakashi seemed confused, barely piecing the words together from his anecdote. He shook his head. There were more important issues at hand. "I need to get you out of here, Hyuuga-sama."

"B-burn the body… give me his blade…"

"Hai, Hyuuga-sama."

"The things I do.. for t-that damn U-uchiha…"

"Hai… Hyuuga-sama."

End of Chapter 45

Author's Notes:

A long time coming but I got a chapter done. I would like to take this time to point out the current path of the Naruto manga and admit that I am a

genius. I knew everything that is happening now was going to happen back when I first started writing this crap. Yeah, I know. I'm a pimp.

The techniques used by Bijomaru are from Shinmei Ryu, a demon-hunting sword style made popular by Motoko Aoyama from Love Hina and Setsuna from Negima. If you don't know Hiryuu's style, then you fail more than Kasumi-Ouji in the current Bleach filler.

Got any questions, comments. You know where the review button is. Don't be shy.