A Hatred That Will Never Bloom Into Friendship

"Lloyd!" The scream that came out of my mouth hurt my dry throat. Tears filled my eyes as his body was sliced in half before me.

Two halves of a log falls to the ground in place of his body.

"A substitution...?" Rakuyo, Yasu, and even me say aloud in unison.

"Huh?" Yasu jumps back to his brother, avoiding the three shuriken that was thrown in his path. Yasu then catches the kunai knife, this time that was hurled towards his neck, and twirls it around his index finger; impressed. "You know, that was a very nice trick... especially one coming from a little genin punk like yourself." He gazes up into the trees, above Rakuyo and I.

I look behind me, to where Yasu's eyes were held, and see Lloyd standing on top of the highest branch of a tree, smiling proudly of course.

"Hehe." He jumps down and lands between Rakuyo and I, his arms crossed.

"You know... that was pretty nice," Rakuyo repeats Yasu's words.

"Don't... please, don't agree with him. It was nothing. So... did you come up with a plan yet?" Lloyd asks, hopeful.

"So, now you’re finally realizing that that is our best option? Lloyd scowls at him. “No, not yet.” Lloyd scowls again; that was something he didn't want to hear.

"Lloyd..." I stand to my feet. He looks back at me. "Are you okay?" I look to his wound.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I already told you that," he retorts, placing his hand over it absently. “And look, Kimina. I know you’re scared. But you have to help us, whatever fear you have you need to let go of it and help us work as a team. Just remember this is also both of our first time fighting in a real battle as well. Were doing the best we can… even when sometimes it’s just plain adrenaline and reflex.” He chuckles. “We need you though, and I promise I won’t let anything happen to you,” Lloyd says surely, letting his hand fall from his wound. I smile at him, my breathing somewhat more under control.

“I’ve… never heard you talk that way, Lloyd,” I say, completely liking his new attitude.

“Yeah, well, don’t get used to it, alright? It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to witness.” He smiles a big goofy grin. Lloyd was right though; I needed to help them fight these two bastards. It was all of our first time battling, and I couldn’t let them down. They were going to risk their life for me, and I was going to do the same. It was just that death wasn’t sounding so good to me. When does it ever though?

"Look, Rakuyo, since you can't come up with a plan, there is only one thing we can do," Lloyd turns to our other teammate, while also keeping an eye on the two brothers in front of us.

"Run," Rakuyo answers him. "Yeah, but, I already overlooked that option. If we do run, they'll be able to catch us in an instant and kill us quicker."

"Yeah, your right." Lloyd sighs. "Alright, guys. Guess there's only one other thing we can do. One of us will have to stay here as a diversion, while the other two make their escape. Looks like you two better start going."

"No, Lloyd. We're not going anywhere," I tell him simply. I couldn't believe that he would just sacrifice his life like that. Of course, he would be killed if he did stay behind while we fled. And I was not going to let him be put into that position.

Rakuyo nods his head. “Kimina's right, Lloyd. We're not going anywhere, because I have a plan."

Lloyd looks at me for a long time, before turning around to Rakuyo. "Great. What is it?"

"Lloyd, your going to have to use your Fog Concealment jutsu," Rakuyo tells him, averting his eyes.

"Alright. Hey, wait a minute. I never showed you that jutsu. I haven't shown anyone that justu, besides Kimina that time..." Lloyd trails off. "You were watching us, weren't you?" Rakuyo doesn't answer.

"Hmph. Whatever. All right, and then what? After that?" Lloyd Rakuyo questions; hoping that the two brothers couldn't hear them asks bitterly.

"Are you able to see through the dense fog?"

"Of course I can. Only the Yukohama's have the ability to see through it. It's almost like the Hidden Mist jutsu," Lloyd explains with a nod of his head.

"Then I guess we won't be any help to you," --Rakuyo begins-- "so here's what I'm going to do… and then you will use your shadow clones and..."

"Hmm? Wonder what they are talking about now, Yasu," Toshio asks his brother, his voice monotone.

"Hmph. I don't know." Yasu sighs. "I am getting bored with this. I think I’m going to finish it."
Toshio holds out his hand to his brother. "Let me do it. Huh? What is that boy doing?” He was referring to Rakuyo, who was jumping back and forth between them and us, each time getting closer and closer. Toshio and Yasu exchange puzzled glances.

'Come on, Lloyd," Rakuyo thinks hurriedly.

Making sure that the two brothers' attention was still on Rakuyo, Lloyd makes a quick hand sign. "Fog Concealment jutsu. All right, Rakuyo! Get back to Kimina!"

"Right!" Rakuyo falls back to my side. Lloyd's summoned fog then begins to appear around the area.

"What the hell? What is this?" Toshio exclaims, his viewpoint becoming less perceivable by the second. "Is this the Hidden Mist jutsu?"

"No, pal. This is my own special jutsu. Fog Concealment Jutsu," Lloyd boasts arrogantly.

“Shadow clone jutsu,” I say under my breath.

"I can't see a thing," Toshio proclaims, discouraged.

"Just stay calm, brother," Yasu tells him strictly. 'This kid. What power he possesses. Who would have ever thought...?'

Crack... crack...

"Huh?" Toshio looks down at the ground, as two hands wrap around his ankles from underneath his feet. "Hey, let go of me you little... what? Another one?"

"Brother... the girl is using shadow clone’s. I can feel it. Be on your toes!" But Yasu was too late in warning his brother.

"Fire style: Fireball jutsu!" I utter loudly. I blow out fire from my mouth at Toshio, who couldn't escape quickly enough, given that his ankles were being held down by one of my shadow clones.

"Ah!" Toshio is thrown back by the force of the fire jutsu, and slams hard into a tree far behind him.

"Toshio!" Yasu yells, hearing his brother's scream. "Damn it! All right! I've had just about enough of this. Hi-ya!!" Yasu slams his sword into the ground, a wind vortex appearing around it and him.

"What's going on?" I ask myself, looking in the direction of the power I felt. The wind surrounding Yasu swallows up the fog in split seconds, and then strikes out at me, sending me flying back to Rakuyo and Lloyd. Rakuyo helps me up, while in the confusion Lloyd jumps into the trees behind us.

"Hah! Not bad of a plan that was, I must say.” Yasu chuckles darkly. “But you all will pay for knocking my brother unconscious.”

"Oh, yeah? We'll see about that!" Lloyd jumps down on Yasu's right, his arm held back for a punch. But before he could land one, Yasu quickly strikes Lloyd in the neck. Lloyd flies backwards and lands on the ground hard, near the cliff's edge.

"Lloyd!" I shout, nervousness evident on my voice.

"Hah!" Yasu walks over to Lloyd's body and picks him up roughly by his collar. Lloyd looked to be unconscious; his body limp in Yasu's grasp.

"Lloyd!" I scream out again. Rakuyo and I run over to the both of them, keeping some distance so that Yasu didn’t do anything rash.

"Hmph. I could kill you now, no problem. But that would be too tedium in my opinion. So, how about we make this a little more interesting." Yasu smirks deviously, tightening his hold on Lloyd.

'What is he planning on doing?' I ponder in fear, my heart accelerating in my chest.

"You, precious" --his features become malevolent-- "you are to take the life of your worthless teammate," --gestures to Rakuyo-- "or this one here I have dies."