Will of Fire: Kakashi Hatake

Chapter 27

"Juzo Biwa," she said coldly.

Juzo smirked. "You know of me?"

"You're in the bingo book as a rogue shinobi from the Hidden Mist. I know of you, alright."

"Well, I see the Leaf's ANBU are up to date with their intel. And soon the Mist will be too."

Akira tightened her grip, ignoring the man scratching at the back of her hands and trying to pry her fingers away from his neck. This was not good, not good at all.

"I have to say, it's quite unbecoming for a former member of the seven ninja swordsmen to stoop to the likes of hired thugs."

She pressed down harder on the man's neck, crushing his windpipe. He made choking noises beneath her and bucked his hips, trying to toss her off of him. But she concentrated chakra into her hands, locking her grip on his neck. She would break her arms before she let go, no matter what. She would have to search the boat to make sure he hadn't hidden intel anywhere.

Or just sink it.

"I'd let him go if I were you, little girl. You're out of your league and far from home. We're crossing into Mist territory right now, don't want a war to break out, do you?"

Akira didn't move a muscle. He was right, they were crossing into Mist territory now. She could see an island in the distance, and other ships out on the water. She kept her eyes on Juzo in front of her, watching carefully for any twitch in his arm that would tell her he was about to attack with his outstretched sword.

"You could kill me at any time, I don't have a weapon in hand to defend myself. Why keep me alive and let me kill your friend here?" She asked him.

Juzo let out a cackle. "I could care less about him. Whether or not the intel reaches the Mist Village doesn't matter to me."

That implied that he didn't know the intel. Perhaps he just knew of it. Akira frowned. "Then why are you here?"

"You were hiding on the hull, you should know. I want the money. Though now you might provide me some entertainment."

The man finally went limp beneath Akira's hands. She whipped out a kunai and slashed it across his throat, splitting it deep and from ear to ear. Then she slowly stood, keeping her kunai out in front of her and in between Juzo's sword and herself. She took a step backward.

"Is there intel anywhere else on this ship?" She asked, fighting to keep her voice from shaking. She was really hoping she wouldn't have to fight Juzo. She wasn't confident enough in her abilities to think she could take him on here. On land, maybe, when she had access to earth and could use her kekkei genkai. But being out on open water put her at a disadvantage that Akira was sorely aware of.

Juzo laughed again. "Now why the hell would I tell you that?"

Akira raised her kunai up in front of her chest and spread her feet apart, waiting for the inevitable attack.

"You Leaf Ninja are all the same. Naive, cocky, and out of your league."

Juzo sprang forward, swinging his massive sword. Akira was barely able to get out of the way of it in time. Despite its size, he was able to swing it as fast as she was able to swing her own blade. Akira pulled a second kunai and jumped backward onto the deck railing. Juzo swung the sword again and Akira jumped straight up into the air. The blade smashed into the railing with a crash, sending splintered wood flying through the air and to the water down below. And it gave Akira an idea.

She landed on the main mast, holding to the side of it with her chakra. Juzo turned and swung the blade again, slicing through the mast. It started to tip over, and Akira jumped over to the opposite railing to avoid being thrown off the boat.