Betrayal and Defection

Rift of Malice
Ryuka sped off, running on the rushing waters. His feet rapped against the blue surface as he zipped along with immense speed. Sweat ran down his face, and he panted mildly. But a grin was plastered on it, along with a confident look in his eyes, as he ran swiftly. Behind him, he sensed another presence, pursuiting him with the same rapid footsteps, and it made his adrenaline pump even harder.

He quickly leaped over several pointed rocks, landing on the balls of his feet and jumping over another piece of jagged rock, then another, and another in quick succession. Drops whipped his face as he jumped through the thick and sturdy network of branches, listening closely to hear the same feet jump onto the branches he left behind. But, as quick as his movements as, as fired up as he and his pursuer were, he was not trying to lose the ghost that followed him. In fact, he was leading it somewhere.

The feet that were stepping into his footsteps, only a few feet away, belonged to Kyashi Urami. Her long and blonde hair was matted around her as she ran, even blinding her for a second. Her eyes were narrowed in grim determination, even as the salt water ran down her face and neck in rivers. A snarl, not meant for a human face, was etched, and the only thing that was keeping her cool was her own fear and anger.

Many emotions were running through her mind. Anger...guilt...fear...disbelief...it was too much to think about. Her heart pounded in her chest painfully. The only thing that was fueling herself was pure willpower. It was all she could think of, as she chased after the figure that seemed to be so far away from her. She was tempted to call out his name, in an attempt to make him stop in his tracks and face her. But she knew that would never happen. All she could do was chase after him, like a crazed fangirl.

As Ryuka turned a corner, he could sense a powerful presence of dark energy, getting stronger as they neared it. By then, he knew she could sense it too, for it was impossible not to. His eyes squinted ahead, he saw a sudden slope in the wide river's path, and grinned.

"Good. I'm heading the right way." He thought, feelings of apprehension running through his veins. When he reached the slope, he didn't hesitate, he jumped, timing his control of his chakra right and sliding on the blue liquid like a slide, into darkness. He looked behind him, and sure enough, Kyashi had done the same, but she was soon becoming merely a speck, at the speed he was now going at.

Kyashi's eyes furrowed in frustration, as the figure of Ryuka began to get smaller and smaller, disappearing into the dark. She picked up her own pace, although an eerie feeling washed over her, as the dark energy seemed to close in on her even more. As she descended, everything around her seemed to turn into blackness, and the only thing that prevented her from thinking she was dying was the cold water she felt under her feet.

For a moment, she swore she felt the water felt warmer than usual. As she descended even more, out of the corner of her eye, several small orbs of light appeared as she passed by. Even their light could not allow her to see where she was. Even the water under her feet could not be seen.

"What kind of genjutsu is this?" She thought.

The suddenly, the warm water feeling stopped, and her stomach lurched up in her throat, as she felt her body jerk in mid-air, then plummet like a rock at an accelerating speed. She couldn't help the scream that escaped her throat, as she fell helplessly towards the ground. Behind her, she could hear the sound of loud rushing water behind her, also seeming to be plummeting downward.

Her mind clicked. She had just fell off a waterfall. Instantly, she stopped screaming, shut her eyes, and held whatever breath she had left, as she hit the water, making a large SPLASH!

The first thing she felt was pain from the shock, radiating throughout her body. A red glow pulsated for a split second, then dissipated, making her aware that Kyosuke used his chakra to protect her. The next thing, she noticed, was the warmth of the liquid that surrounded. Slowly opening her eyes, she wondered if she was in the middle of recovering from a concussion. The water appeared a crimson color around her, and she could barely see the surface.

Realizing she would drown soon, she shifted herself up and swam towards the surface, the pain disappearing. She managed to reach it quickly, however, and when she was finally able to pull herself up, she immediately took in a gasp of air, opening her eyes completely....and immediately started coughing.

The air reeked! The odor literally smelled of something rotting. It was awful, nearly unbearable to her as she continued coughing hard. Mild panic swept through her mind. But as she expelled the sudden air from her lungs, she pulled herself onto the water surface, slowly but surely.

As her vision slowly cleared, she saw her environment. In two rows, on both sides of a unsighted rock wall, were sets of the same orbs of light she saw before. They were completely still, not flickering, seemingly frozen in time. It was almost like they themselves had prepared for both her and Ryuka's arrival. The red and warm water she was standing on also seemed deathly still. No rapids, no rushing....nothing at all....

Wait....red water?

She then raised her arm up to take a good look at it. Her heart almost stopped.

Her arm was covered in a crimson red, like it had been cut several times. Of course, that obviously wasn't the case. It was slightly trembling as its owner stared at it in pure horror. Looking downwards even more and squinting her eyes, she saw several humanoid figures lying at the bottom of the sea. It only took her a split second to realize what she had landed in.

This wasn't water. It was an ocean of pure blood.

Kyashi put a hand to her mouth, horrified beyond belief. Her mouth quivered under her hand's touch. "O-oh God...." She stammered. "W-what happened here...?" She was a shinobi. But things like this were something she would've liked to never see again. She had to restrain the urge to puke, or break down in panic.

Slowly getting up from her knees, all thoughts of the environment subsided, as she saw Ryuka walking slowly in one direction, away from her. He seemed untouched by the blood, although she was covered in it.

Knowing full well that she didn't have the energy to run any longer, she took in a deep breath, and shouted at the top of her lungs.

"RYUKA!"

That stopped him. Instantly. Like a sudden command, he froze in his tracks, his back still turned to her.

Kyashi breathed heavily, as she glared intensely at the Uchiha. The sweat mixed with the blood, forming a gritty and sticky network of rivers on her body. Her hands clenched into fists. "Turn around..." She demanded. "And face me!"

Silence. The only thing that could be heard was Kyashi's harsh breathing.

Then, registering her command, Ryuka slowly turned around. "It looks like I can't run from you any more....Kyashi-chan." He said, staring into her eyes.

Descent Into Darkness
Kyashi didn't move as Ryuka stared deeply into her eyes. She felt exposed under his emotionless gaze, like an owl on its prey. But she merely stared back with a confused and sad look.

"Why...?" She asked weakly, all power gone from her voice. "Why are you doing this...? We all are your friends...why are you pushing us back?!"

Ryuka closed his eyes. "Friends?" He replied. "Shinobi don't have friends, and don't need them. They only get in the way." He felt a guilty pleasure, as he saw Kyashi visibly flinch at those words.

"Let me make this clear to you." Ryuka said coldly. "I have my own goal to accomplish. You, nor any of the others, do not fit. To me, you're merely a hindrance to me, a mere obstacle."

"...Nani?" Kyashi felt tears well up in her eyes, threatening to spill into the bloody lake. "So...you're saying...that what you felt for me...was a lie all along?" She said vehemently, glaring angrily. "That I was your little fake love tool?"

An even louder silence reigned, before Ryuka spoke again. "It wasn't fake." He replied quietly. "Ever since that day, you've become one of the things I desired to protect." A noticeably peaceful expression was on his face, but it quickly etched back into a hard look. "But that day is long gone." He whispered harshly.

A tear spilled from Kyashi's eye, but the Uchiha didn't seem to care.

"My days of playing friendship with you and the other ninja are over." He said firmly. "Go home."

"Go home...."

"Go home...."

"Go home...."

Those words hit Kyashi hard like a physical blow. She slowly brought her head down, looking toward the blood she was standing on. Rivers from her eyes went down her face, falling to the ground. Her heart clenched even more. She even trembled slightly.

"He....he really wants nothing to do with me anymore...." She thought.

Ryuka was indifferent to the sight. He turned on his heel and started to walk off again, his footsteps sounding throughout the area.

He would have no resistance to his way to Jikokukenin. Kyashi was powerless to do anything against him, and even if she tried, she wouldn't be able to bring herself to harm him. She was too emotional, too caring...

"Too weak." He thought.

However, he never got to the exit. A presence was instantly felt behind him, and he turned.

Kyashi had rushed towards Ryuka, twisting her body around. "You mean to tell me," She yelled, losing her own cool. ",that all the time we spent together was for NOTHING?!" Her leg, spinning around with her, directed towards Ryuka's face, and connected. Hard.

Ryuka spun in the air like a rag-doll several times before landing on the blood surface, face-down.

A hand came on Kyashi's shoulder. It was none other then her brother, Seireitou.

Kyashi gasped. "S-seireitou-ani?!"

Ryuka merely got up, using his chakra to dispel the blood from his face. He glanced at Seireitou. "...."

Seireitou had an expression of sincerity on his face. "Kyashi-chan...." He said. "Are you okay?"

"How...did you find us?" Kyashi asked, mildly shocked. Her hands trembled slightly. Her attention was now focused on him.

Seireitou smiled at her. One of his eyes closed, while the other looked at Kyashi. "You're my sister. I'm supposed to keep an eye on you. right?" He said.

Kyashi chuckled. "I guess you're right." She admitted, turning to the Uchiha.

Ryuka frowned. "If you want what's best for her, you'll stay out of this." He said calmly, eyes narrowing. "Right now, she wants to do this alone."

From that kick alone, he was able to tell that she wasn't just going to let him leave. She was going to fight to the death, if that's what it took to bring him back.

"Kyashi-chan... I won't stop you. Just promise me you'll be safe..." Seireitou said slowly, serious and concerned.

Kyashi still looked at Ryuka. "I won't be able to promise you that, big brother..." She replied quietly, turning her attention to Ryuka "But I can promise that I will bring you back. Even if I have to toss you around the world and back to do so!"

Ryuka had an amused look on his face. "Have it your way." He replied, the layer of the Sharingan surfacing to his eyes. "I will show you the true power....of the Uchiha!"

The Power That Severs Bonds
"Kyashi-chan" said Seireitou, now both hsi hands were on her shoulders. "If you need help, im right here, just give me a signal, and ill jump in" stated seireitou

Kyashi nodded in return. "Right..." She replied assuredly, facing Ryuka. "You may have the power of that Sharingan of yours..." She stated. "But I have the Will of Fire with me." She charged at Ryuka, aiming a kick towards his neck, which he quickly dodged. She followed up with several punches and kicks at the Uchiha.

One of her punches were caught by her wrist. "Don't give me that crap." Ryuka snapped, slamming a fist in her gut and making her reel over. He followed up with an uppercut to her chin, knocking her view upwards and on her back. Luckily, she recovered quickly, although the punch jarred her vision for a moment. A bit of blood spat from her mouth.

However, she quickly made the crossed fingers sign. "Shadow Clone Technique"!

A dozen of shadow clones appeared around Ryuka, but he was unphased, as they charged at him. Crouching down, he raised his knee up, slamming one in the gut and dispelling it. Twisting around, he caught another one in the face, then flipped over to avoid another one's punch. Using simple taijutsu, he was able to dispel each of the clones with relative easy.

"Is this it?" He mentally sneered.

Unbeknown-st to him, Kyashi had fit herself in with the clones. After he had dispelled the last one, Kyashi charged at him, throwing another punch. "I gotcha!" She yelled, aiming the punch straight toward his face.

To her shock, it was caught by Ryuka once again, and soon she found herself turned around and in incredible pain, as the arm that was grabbed was forcefully twisted behind her back. She shut her eyes, stifling a scream.

"Shadow clones won't work on me anymore." The Uchiha said coldly, thrusting a kick into her back and sending her flying. Making hand signs, a fireball escaped his lips. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

The fireball raced toward the floating Kyashi at immense speed, ripping through the blood "waters". She could only shut her eyes and brace herself, as the fireball impacted her. Incredible pain raced throughout her skin as the flames enveloped her mercilessly, and she let out a scream as she fell into the crimson, sinking into its depths.

Ryuka closed one eye. "How pathetic..." He mocked harshly, watching the defenseless girl sink seemingly to her doom. "If you're not worth Hikaru's time, you're certainly not worth mine." He stood in an idle way.

Two thoughts crossed his head suddenly. One thought was of their own relation. There had been no denying it. Ryuka and Kyashi had loved each other with a passion, and were willing to protect each other when they were in danger. Not surprisingly, they both knew of the bond that had been tied between them, and was made stronger by each other's love. The other thought was of the powerful Mangekyo Sharingan. The seemingly only way to obtain it was to kill your closest friend. It was a power that could be only obtained through tragedy, and the cold heart of a shinobi.

A sadistic smile crossed his face. "Maybe..." He thought. "There is meaning to this fight after all..."

Meanwhile, at the blood's depths, Kyashi finally sank to the bottom, resting on a corpse. Surprisingly, in the warm midst surrounding her, she was able to feel its cold and leather-like skin. It made her shudder, as she floated around like a helpless flounder.

Trying her best to ignore the burning sensation on her skin, she pushed herself off of the corpse, jetting back towards the surface. Her lungs felt as if they were going to explode at this point, and her eyes left small drops of water in the large lake. "Damn it..." She thought despairingly.

Through the blurry murkiness, she could see Ryuka's figure standing on the surface. From the looks of it, he didn't even notice her. His Sharingan wouldn't be able to see through the darkness, even if he did notice her. Perfect.

Ryuka immediately felt something under him, and instinctively jumped, looking below with widened eyes. He saw Kyashi fly at him, one arm bent in front of her, and the other cocked back. "BASTARD!" She shouted, as she struck Ryuka in the face, forcing his head to turn left.

As they stopped in mid-air at zero point, Kyashi used her other arm to throw another punch, but to her surprise, Ryuka had recovered quickly, grabbing the Urami's wrist and turning her around. Her own eyes shut in pain, as she felt Ryuka's knee go into her spine, and she screamed.

"Imoto-chan!" She distinctively heard Seireitou shout suddenly, as she plummeted back towards the crimson lake. Throwing her weight, she flipped back on her feet, landing on the surface. The pain in her spine was incredible, as her vision started to blur. She stumbled a bit, kicking up the sticky fluid as she did so.

Ryuka skillfully flipped backwards a bit, executing three simple hand signs, enough to create the reddish lightning orb that chirped in his palm. "Raitama!"

Kyashi could only narrow her own eyes, shutting one of them. During her fight with Ryun, her Rasengan had been overpowered by his technique. There was a possibility it could happen again, if she didn't put enough energy and force into her attack.

Raising one hand, she shifted her fingers, and the ball of concentrated white chakra formed quickly. It gleamed with bright energy, and an intent to kill. "Rasengan!"

As soon as her Rasengan was complete, the two began racing towards each other, their footsteps splashing crimson over their feet. The Rasengan whistled, and the Raitama chirped continuously. Each of their eyes held the same thing: determination.

The gap between them was closed quickly, and the two became one. Their hands met, and the resulting powers clashed at one another with a fierce burst of energy. As soon as the attacks met, the two were pushed back a bit, but stood their ground, one trying to push the other. Around them, the intensifying energy was stirring up the blood, rippling the ocean around them.

But then they each let out a sudden yelp, as they were forcibly thrown back from each other. At the same time, they tumbled along the lake, like pebbles skipping across water. It was mildly painful for both of them, as they flipped and turned, finally coming to a stop in a dead man's float.

"Kyashi-chan!" yelled out Seireitou

"Seireitou-ani..." She thought, coughing a bit. "....I'm fine." She said softly, turning her drenched head towards Ryuka.

The Uchiha, however, was in his own thoughts. "Her Rasengan was able to completely counter my Raitama...but Ryun's was able to overwhelm hers..." His eyes narrowed, as he slowly turned over, pulling himself up on one knee and glaring at the floundering Kyashi.

"Ryuka, dont you dare make another move!" yelled an angered Seireitou

Kyashi, ignoring Seireitou's protest, slowly pulled herself up onto the surface as well, until she was matching Ryuka's position. She was breathing hard, as she stared into the crimson Sharingan she had known for so long.

"I can't waste any more time..." Ryuka thought, although smirking at the Urami. "It's time to finish this." "You know, Kyashi-chan." He said. "Shinobi who don't know each other can read each other's hearts with just a few exchange of blows."

Kyashi's ears perked up.

"Right now..." He continued. "I'm sure of it. You're willing to fight to the death, just to knock me to my senses....how foolish."

Kyashi closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Then you're right." She opened her eyes again, staring into Ryuka's crimson ones. "And now....from that exchange of power....you really mean to kill me....and I can't even tell if you were being truthful before....when you said you loved me."

Ryuka remained silent, although standing up onto the surface. A sneer crossed his face. "At least that bond was good for something...to give me the chance of obtaining the true power that the strongest Uchiha wielded. And once I do, it will grant me the power to lay waste to the Uchiha's legacy."

Kyashi could only blink, as she saw Ryuka's figure appear in front of her, and cough up blood as his knee slammed into her gut. The blow was strong enough to send her back into the bloody lake. But before she sank again, she looked into Ryuka's eyes. They were filled with a killing intent he had never looked at her with before.

"Ryuka! You dare make one more step and your life ends right here!" sneered Seireitou with a anger not seen in him usually

Ryuka didn't spare him a second glance. "I already gained my own Mangekyo by foolishly letting my emotions get in the way." He said, thinking back to his fight with Sora. "But once I kill you, Kyashi, I will gain the power that Madara obtained so long ago."

Once again, he appeared in front of the stunned Urami, landing punch after punch into her face, and she couldn't block. She reeled back, feeling a few teeth come loose. But before they could completely knock out, Ryuka's last fist stretched out, grabbing her by the collar and hoisting her up into the air. She opened one eye, to see him forming another Raitama.

"Damn it..." She cursed, as the sounds of chirping birds filled her ears once again. She lifted her hand a bit, but just enough so that Ryuka would not notice.

However, he caught sight of it, and smirked. "I told you....it's TOO LATE!" He shouted, and he thrust the Raitama....right into Kyashi's chest.

Bijuu vs Yokai
The pain....was like a hot pipe driven through your stomach. That's how Kyashi felt. She felt Ryuka's arm rocket through her like air through clenched teeth. Out of the corner of her eye, tears dropped to the ground, but not because of that pain.

"Ryuka-kun...." She thought hoarsely. "I won't let Urakih have you..!"

Ryuka still wore that smirk. Kyashi's blood ran down his arm, making his nerves race even further. He saw her head droop down, as a small trickle of blood came from both corners of her mouth.

"You're still alive?" He asked mockingly. "Can't have that now can we?" He ripped his hand out of her chest and grasped her throat, cutting off her air. His smile turned maniacal. "Die."

But as he did so, he failed to notice half of the Bijuu Mask that was materializing itself on Kyashi's face...her canine teeth sharpening themselves...the reddish glow of her eye color...and one of her clawed hands reaching to grab the wrist that was choking her.

Ryuka glanced at his arm, and winced, as her hand applied pressure to his wrist, forcing him to let go and back off a few feet. He growled, nursing his injured wrist, looked at Kyashi...and his nerves went cold.

A swirl of grayish-white chakra was glowing around her body, sending fierce ripples throughout the pond. Her arms were dropped, and her head was still facing downward, but her hair was partially writhing around her in an untamed way. His mouth gaped slightly.

"What the...?"

He saw her chest wound healing itself, the blood vessels reconnecting, and the scar disappearing. He looked on, shocked and awed, as Kyashi slowly raised her head to reveal half of her face covered by the mask, and half visible, showing the features of her primal form.

"Kyashi-chan......" thought Seireitou, staring at the power being given off by Kyashi

Kyashi glared at Ryuka, baring her teeth. "I won't let Urakih take you away!" She roared, causing the Uchiha to narrow his eyes. "Do you understand me?!"

She got into the "Jinchüriki Form" fighting stance. "I'll break every fucking bone in your body, if that's what it takes to stop you! YOU AREN'T GOING ANYWHERE!!!!"

Kyashi's Rage
Kyashi, with a loud yell, thrust both of her arms out, creating a shockwave. It thrust a wave of blood at Ryuka, hitting him and stunning him. His eyes practically spun, as he felt Kyashi's fist bury itself into his gut, followed by another fist to his cheek, and a kick to his chest. The blows were enough to send him tumbling over the crimson surface. He managed to barely land on his feet, but wasn't fast enough to counter another blow from above, dunking him into the depths.

"Aahhh..." He thought, as he twisted around and swam back up to the surface. "Where is she getting all this power from?!" But he knew what the power source clearly was...or rather, who it was.

Soon after swimming back up to the surface and pulling himself halfway up, Kyashi appeared in front of him again, thrusting her leg up in an axe-kick and forced him sailing into the air. As his body sailed upward, he looked down to see Kyashi coming at him like a missile. He could only brace himself as she slammed into him with incredible force, knocking him into the rock wall. He fell and landed on the red liquid with an unforgiving splash.

Weakly, he got up, vision doubling. "Why can't I track her with my Sharingan?!" He thought frustratedly, as he saw Kyashi speeding towards him again. Making a few hand signs, he blew out another fireball from his lips. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

What Kyashi did was very unexpected: She stopped in her tracks, took in a deep breath, and let out a loud and wolf-like roar, dissipating the fireball instantly and hitting Ryuka with moderate force. He shut his eyes to prevent himself from being blinded by the wind. Unfortunately, he was immediately slammed into the blood again.

His situation seeming desperate, he tried to swim back up, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kyashi swimming at incredible speed, aiming for him once again. He shut his eyes, as she slammed into him again, both rocketing out of the blood.

"Amazing, even im beginning to lose track of her..... Kyashi-chan, you've come so far" thought Seireitou as he smiled

As Ryuka spun around uncontrollably, Kyashi caught his leg in mid-air, and with her own twisting, threw him with enough force to make him skid along the lake, before coming to a stop, floating, seemingly unconscious.

But Kyashi knew he wasn't. Landing right beside him, she grabbed him by the collar with both hands and hoisted him up. "Are you awake yet?!" She snapped, eyes widening with rage.

No response. Ryuka's eyes were forced shut, as he was trying to overcome his pain. He seemed so lifeless now, but it didn't phase Kyashi any.

"If you still haven't realized what you're doing, I'll just have to keep tossing you around and drag you back home!" She shouted. "So wake up!"

Ryuka's eyes slowly opened, and so did his mouth slightly. He looked peaceful, as if the next thing he was going to say was finally resigning and coming back with them. But they weren't.

"Shut...up..." His voice sounded like it was cracking. "What the hell do you know about it? It's not like you had to live with a false family in the first place!"

His expression turned to rage, as he glared at the Urami with such intensity, it almost made her drop him. "You had parents who actually cared about you! What makes you think you know all about it, huh?!" He screamed at her, the emotion finally showing.

Kyashi's face lightened at his words, and she stared at him confusedly.

"All my parents really wanted was for me to grow stronger, only for the greedy reason of supremacy. How could you possibly understand, when you're only seen as a TOOL?!" He thrust both of his hands hard into her stomach, making her stumble and release his grip on him. Then he flipped away a few feet, glaring at Kyashi, his eyes wavering.

For a moment, there was only silence between the two, as they stared into each other's eyes. Kyashi now held a calm look on her face, mixed with a small amount of sincerity.