Something to Fight For (Naruto)

Confronting (the first)

Haruka took in an unsteady breath, eyes wide. As her mind worked in overdrive, she quickly took her stance in front of the injured Iruka and tired Nii-chan, afraid. What was Kira doing here?

Kira was Rioko-sama's second hand man. He loved to call Haruka a "servant", while most just used her name. He took delight in all her punishments and was probably one of the crueler ones at the hide out. In other words, someone Haruka did not want to see ever again.

"Haruka." Iruka whispered softly as the men laughed. "What is he talking about? Who is he?" Haruka couldn't answer, frozen at the sight of him. And even if she could, what would she say?

"Hey! Who're you calling gay, losers!?!?" Nii-chan yelled, attempting to stand. Haruka gently used her foot to keep him down, hoping that he would at least stay quiet.

"Looks we got a tough one here, eh?" Kira laughed, and the other's joined in with him. He had about five men in all, none familiar to Haruka, but all looking fairly battle worn.

"What are you doing here?" Haruka spoke softly but calmly, as if asking the name of a flower or something else trivial. Even so, on the inside, she was a wreck. What should she do? How could she get Nii-chan out of here, and hopefully Iruka also?

"Well, that's the funny thing." Kira gave a small smirk, stepping forward and placed his foot on Mizuki's face, twisting and crushing it. "We get a message from this guy, saying he'll give us some sacred scroll if we give hiim a place with us. And what do we find? A runaway servant," he paused, smirking at Haruka. The two behind stared in confusion as her grip on her knives tightened. "and two wanna-be gay ninjas."

"H-haru?" Nii-chan's voice was soft, and he again tried to stand. Haruka refused, giving him a bit of a harsh look. Now was not the time to talk about Kira and herself; now was the time to keep him safe.

"Well,this wasn't a total waste. At least I can bring you back to the boss." Kira had a Cheshire cat grin, but before he could step forward, Haruka interrupted him.

"How did you know it was me?" She didn't really care, but needed another minute or two to think of a plan to get out.

"The knives, you idiot. Rioko-sama got them one of a kind."

Haruka felt dumb for not thinking of such an important detail. She had been careful with everything else: her hair, her face, her clothes. But she had been too sentimental to even think of getting rid of her knives. No, she hadn't even considered the idea that they may get her recognized. And now here she was, paying for it.

But that was something to think on later. She had an idea to get Nii-chan and Iruka out, but had no idea how it would go. It was dangerous and risky, but the only thing she had.

She took a deep breath and started. She pulled out a scroll full of senbon, jumping in the air as she unraveled it around her. Quickly making the hand sign, she released the senbon as the men laughed at her from below.

"Ha! What do you think you're going to do to us with some measly senbon?" Kira tried taunting her, but Haruka ignored him.

"Senbon style: Porcupine Death." When the men heard the jutsu, they laughed even harder. They started yelling at the stupidity of the name while Haruka started to spin around in the air faster and faster.

Once she was at her top speed, she started shooting the senbon down at the men with her limbs. The jutsu was a self sacrificing one, giving scratches and pricks bubbling with her blood from the senbon's sharp edges. Even so, the damage was worth it. She could shoot senbon at high speeds at her enemies, and follow their movements when they tried to dodge. She could bounce them off surfaces and aim for vital spots.