Samurai Showdown With Kakashi

The incarnation of chaos and agony named Renji walked forward slowly as Lin shook in her place, but even with all that fear coursing through her veins she wouldn't move and let Rod be killed. Protecting her loved one was too important. Renji ordered:

- Move away, Lin. You have nothing to do with this.

- I'm pretty sure you trying to kill my boyfriend makes me very involved.

- Boyfri... - Renji was shocked, and for a brief moment, proud of his best friend, however that was something he had to give up on, if he were to do what he had to. - He killed my master. He was like a father to me.

- So were Roderick's literal parents to him. Don't you realize how much of a hypocrite you're being? - Renji chuckled.

- It is ironic, I can't deny that, but that only makes this fair. His punishment is the exact opposite of his misdeed. He killed Lai for slaughtering his parents, I'll kill him for ending mine. - Renji approached more quickly. Lin grabbed one scroll she had hidden underneath her outfit, as she summoned:

- Fire Style Scroll, Flash! - A flash of light erupted from the scroll blinding Renji. Lin took this chance to strike him with a kunai, however sight wasn't Renji's only sense.

With his enhanced fox-like sense of smell, he felt her approaching, moving to the side, dodging her attack, and kicking her in the back. Lin was launched against her injured dog, Inky, badly damaged by that one strike.

- Lin! - I shouted, receiving no response.

Renji blinked esporadically and once he regained his sight once more, he came after me. With whatever strenght I could still muster, I began standing up, but with how hard that was, how could I hope to fight such strenght? No, Roderick, stop with those thoughts. If I only think about how I'm going to lose, I'm already discarding any chance to win. My body trembled, my bones shook, my muscles screamed, as I tried to stand up. I grabbed hold of my blades, as Renji saw that as a challenge. He stretched his arms sideways, engulfing his limbs in white chakra, resembling blades. His body was a weapon. He ran after me, readying a strike, as I shook in my place ready to take it. However before he reached, he fell flat on the ground. Something grabbed his foot, something slimy and black. It was Inky's tongue.

Like a whip, Inky grabbed hold of his foot and began swinging him around, through walls and rubble. Renji stabbed one of his arm blades on the ground, stopping his movement, and cut the tongue with his other. Inky reverted his tongue back to normal size and utilized his body ink properties to change form. His arms grew to three times their size, as ink veins started popping. Renji tried to wrap his head around what was happening. Lin was nowhere to be seen, yet she would be the only capable of drawing improved limbs on the dog. Is the dog really capable of doing it on his own? He thought it odd, but he was ready nonetheless to face the challenge. He dissipated his blades, and grew his arms in chakra as well, as he charged towards Inky. He threw the first punch, which Inky grabbed and tried to counter, only for Renji to grab his fist as well. Now in a stalemate, Renji only had to push the dog back, however his mouth opened. From inside Inky, Lin appeared, stretching her hand to place an exploding scroll, before quickly returning inside her pet. Renji, completely caught off guard, had no option but to take the full blast of the explosion, sending him back so strongly that a building collapsed on him. Inky was thrown back as well, as the explosion took out what remained of his teeth. He tried to hold on, when pushed back, sticking its back paws on the ground. He pointed his nose up, growling:

- Ah... ah... achoo! - The dog sneezed Lin out from within him, bringing with her a bag filled with scrolls. She cleaned the ink snot all over her before commentating.

- You acted like a true good boy, Inky. You can rest now. Leave the rest to me. - Inky layed down and stopped moving. There's no certainty about whether or not an ink dog actually lives, but if he does, this is where he died, protecting her owner loyally.

Lin looked towards the opponent's direction, seeing the dust pulsate. Renji's jacket of chakra was slightly burned off, but it quickly regenerated. Renji shouted as the ground trembled and a black energy ball appeared before him. Renji grabbed it, and molded its figure imitating that of a lance.

- Tailed Beast Spear! - Renji grabbed and threw it towards Lin, who quickly grabbed a scroll once she realized she was in danger.

- Earth Style Scroll: Mudwall! - Before her an enormous wall of dirt emerged. She fell down on the ground, covering her head with her hands, to protect herself, as the wall exploded from the impact. The spear not only pierced through but advanced forward to strike two more households, before ending in a cataclysmic wave.

I stumbled down once more from the shockwave of the blast. All that work to get up, only for my face to hit the ground. I have to get back up. Renji no longer is going easy on Lin, he is seriously trying to kill her. I put my hands on the ground, screaming to push myself back up.

- AAARGHH! - I had to. I have to protect Lin.

- I missssed out on a lot didn't I? - I heard a voice talk behind me. It seemed familiar, but I couldn't look back to make sure, unfortunately, the serpents surrounding my arms were enough to make it clearer.

Cobras slithered through my members, forcing me to stand. Orochimaru observed, liking his own lips with antecipation.

- You truly were beat down here. Looks like you need sssome help. - One of the snakes came off my leg, and approached my neck, readying its fangs to bite me.

Exasperated, I used droplets of my chakra to cover that part of my skin in metal, causing the snake to break her fangs in its attempt.

- I don't want your curse mark. I don't need it! - I told him. I tried to shout, but I felt myself almost faint trying.

- You really are an interesting specimen. If I remember correctly that girl over there has great value to you? Are you really going to let Kurama kill her? To think he was able to get so far with sssuch a body. I knew I chose the right vessel.

In front of me, an increasingly angrier Renji moved forward, as Lin took out two more scrolls, creating two clones besides her, who began running at Renji with kunai. The real Lin began to think what to do next, as she looked around in her bag. Renji tried to punch the first clone, however she immediatelly dropped the kunai and held on to his arm. Her goal wasn't to stab him, it was to hold him down, so she wrapped her legs around his arm and neck. The second one had the same idea, as Renji had now two Lin's wrapped around his arms. They shouted:

- Ultimate Move: Arm Breaker! - Lin wanted to break his arms, however they just twitched while hanging there. - At least fall down, you overpowered idiot! - They forced their weight on his shoulder, to try and break it, but Renji was too strong.

- Weapon Change: Dual Light Beacons! - From his shoulders, white chakra exploded and covered the Lins entirely. They fell down burned off, before dissipating.

The real Lin got up, with several scrolls on her hands.

- Do you really think ssshe has a chance? - Orochimaru hissed at my ear. - You know there's only one way to save her. I could give you the mark whenever I wanted. - I felt as many of his snakes began slithering across my body. - But I'm giving you the choice. That's how nice I am. I'm giving you the only way to solve this.

- I just need to speak with him. With the right words, he...

- And how will he listen, when a beast is covering his ears? Don't avoid the inevitable. - I exerted my body, as chakra began flowing again.

- First Gate, Open! - The serpents fell down, as I opened my first inner gate. It took everything I had to open a single gate. It's unbelievable, but while I was scared I had to move. I took a step forward. - It's never impossible to save a friend.

- Even if you somehow rid him of the beast, he would still try to kill you.

- I'm content enough with eliminating that demon. I deserve whatever comes next. Aaaaghh!! - I began screaming like an animal, pressing my body to throw out more power.

Renji shouted at Lin:

- Don't make me kill you. You're not my target.

- I feel like we are well beyond that point. Water Style Scroll: Puddle. - Some water came off her scroll, creating a puddle on Renji's feet. Lin didn't have many high level scrolls. The highest grade one were probably the clone ones, but she hoped that if she used them well she would manage.

- This is looking desperate. A puddle? - Renji mocked.

- It's more than enough to beat you. Lighting Style Scroll: Spark! - A small spark of lightning came off the scroll, hitting the puddle and electrocuting it and Renji.

- Earth Style Scroll: Falling Boulder! - As she put the scroll on the ground, a big stone erupted from it, launching itself up.

- Ok, enough going easy on you. - Renji, once recovered from the shcok, leapt at Lin, with chakra blades on both his hands. Lin screamed:

- Wind Style Scroll: Push! - Renji was pushed back a couple meters by a dense wave of air. He got his feet back on the ground, seeing Lin point up. He looked above himself, only to get hit in the face by the falling boulder, pummeling him against the ground.

Orochimaru clicked his tongue.

- Why is it taking him so long to kill her? It's like he's falling on these traps on purpose. - I explained.

- It's not on purpose. Lin is just that good. She is smarter than you think. She is capable of... humm... - Wait, what am I talking about? He's right. There's no way he would let himself get hit by her attacks unless...

- Second Gate, Open! - With the gate of healing open I should be able to atleast heal the damage from my battle against Lai. Recovering stamina is another story entirely. But who cares about that, my body has to handle it, it has...

- Ackk! - I coughed out blood, as my body truly reached its limit. I couldn't open any more than two gates. I hope that's enough. I grabbed hold of my swords.

Renji took the boulder off his face, mumbling to himself:

- You really couldn't stop me. Pity. - He got up as he slid one of his chakra swords against the other, as if sharpening them.

Lin had only one more scroll with her. She held a kunai in her hand, but she knew now that to protect her boyfriend she would have to sacrifice her life. She began shaking in her feet, unsure of whether or not it really was worth it.

- C'mon Renji. You wouldn't kill me, right?

- Maybe not. But I will incapacitate you for getting in my way.

- Oh... don't chop my arms please then. I need them to eat food with. - Lin begged. Renji shouldn't be surprised to see her ruin the mood, but he was. Either way, he didn't want to slice through her, just scare her with the swords and kick her away to impale her like... stop. What was that thought on his mind just now? Does he really want to impale her, or is it the beast talking?

"You know it's not me right?", Kurama said. "You have control over me now because you're the best."

Kurama hit Renji in his pride, as he began to believe the inside voice. He wanted to kill her. He stretched one of his arms with chakra, catching Lin with a huge hand.

- Wait, let's just think about this. - Lin pleaded, but Renji's sanity had already went beyond the breaking point. He aimed his chakra blade at her, but something interrupted its path.

In a downwards swing, I hit his chakra sword with my two blades, as I put all my strenght to push it back. Renji noticed me, and with a sadistic grin, held his sword tighter, and with one hand, pushed me back strongly enough to crack a ruined building's wall.

- Too late, my friend. - He aimed his sword back at Lin, who screamed.

- Fire Style Scroll: Surrounding Flames. - Renji's enormous hand started to combust, forcing him to let go of her.

Lin quickly rolled on the ground, desperately trying to put out the flames. Seeing her hurt, I felt a surge of strenght, sheathing my swords.

- Double Laidõ Explosion! - I launched myself at Renji, who blocked my attack on the instant my swords crossed each other. With one chakra blade, he looked me dead in the eyes, commenting.

- So you still have some strenght left after killing my master? Where the hell do you get all this power?! - He pushed my swords down, breaking one of them, and making me trip forward. He stretched his leg back, and kneed me in the face. I was sent flying, as the stitches on my cheek opened. They had been closed ever since my fight against Kakashi, who would have guessed they would open now.

I felt my body numb, and my mind about to fade. Renji jumped after me, however Lin got a chance to grab onto his back. He leapt several stories up to impale me, but Lin grabbed on tight and struck him with a kunai. Renji grunted in pain, grabbing her and throwing her against me, as he charged a Tailed Beast Bomb midair. Feeling my consciousness back from being hit with Lin, I got my swords in the sheaths, and ignited whatever chakra I had.

- Double Laidõ Explo... - I couldn't even finish saying it, otherwise Renji's bomb would have certainly hit. I heard the massive explosion, and was launched straight forward from its knockback.

Lin grabbed hold of me in an attempt to protect me from the fall. It definitely felt softer as we rolled through the rubble, but seeing Lin hurt didn't make me feel any better. Renji landed right beside us, as me and Lin got up and tried to slice him. Renji easily knocked Lin's kunai, and grabbed my sword. With only his hand, he broke it, and readied to impale Lin. I moved ahead of her, getting stabbed right through the shoulder. As the blood spurted out, I felt my body want to fall once more, but if I did I I knew I wouldn't be able to get back up. Lin helped me not fall. Renji grunted once more.

- Just stop resisting. Please! Let me kill you! - Renji was as desperate as we were, which gave us a chance.

I turned around gathering speed for a punch with my left arm, as Lin went with her right. We hit him straight in the face with the combination, but it had no effect. My legs began to tremble. Lin fell down on the ground exhausted. With my fist still in touch with his face, I told him:

- Renji, thank you. - He seemed shocked. - If you had fought us both seriously we would have died in an instant.

- I did fight seriously...

- No, you unconsciously held back. I suppose deep down you know this is wrong. - Renji grabbed my hand, punching me in the gut. I spit blood on the ground.

- You... you killed my master! I know this is right! - I fell on the ground, laying against a rock.

Renji approached me, but stopped. Lin crawled towards me, shielding me with her body. Renji asked:

- Why would you protect this murderer? - Lin simply answered.

- Because he's the only one who would sacrifice anything for me, and the only one who ever treated you like a person, and not a prodigy. Admit it, Renji. Rod is too good to be killed. - Those words felt familiar to me.

I remembered how my mom once answered when I asked why she loved my dad. "I love him because I know he would destroy his own life to be with me, even if I never asked him to." Now that I think about it, didn't my parents die like this? My mom trying to protect my dad from Lai's strike? History really does repeat itself. Should I say anything before I die? I think my dad would have said something like this.

- Lin, you're such an idiot for liking someone like me, and I'm the biggest fool for loving someone like you. - I grabbed hold of her, and closed my eyes, waiting to die.

...

...

...

Huh? I opened them again. Renji was back to normal. No jacket of deadly white chakra, no evil look in his eyes, only tears, that he quickly swept away off his face.

- Wha... Why?

- Just get out of here. - Renji looked at me with his eyes watering again. - I'm not in a good place, and killing you would only make things worse. I'll save that for later.

- But...

- There's someone else more pressing to me at the moment. Consider yourself lucky. - Renji looked at someone behind me.

Orochimaru had observed from afar. The one who had put the beastly curse mark on him. He knew this was a more pressing matter, or perhaps he found a reason to avoid trying to kill me, to ignore his beast's words.

Unfortunately for me, getting up wasn't going to be so simple in this state. Now, how the hell am I getting out of here?