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Chapter Fifteen – River of Tears, Ocean of Anger.

Ame of the Depths leaned in close to her victim's ear once more, brushing it with the bubble-breath jutsu that wrapped her lower face in life-giving air. Ame wanted her victim to hear the next words clearly.

“In a way,” she whispered “this is almost a mercy. “You see... we're only the diversion. If just two of us can do take out most of the Leaf's defenders, what do you think is going to happen when a dozen of us descend on your village, hmm?”

She felt the blonde tense, and redouble her efforts to break free. Ame just chuckled.

Surrounded as they were by Yuki's chakra-possessed lake of water, Ame could feel her sister's reaction to the words. Their connection ran deep, a link that even this vile world of ninja and blood could not sever. Instinctively, Ame felt Yuki's response. Gentle mirth. Chiding her for playing with her prey.

It was through that twin-bond, that Ame felt Yuki suddenly stiffen, a moment before the world exploded in sound and light.

The sphere of water that was Yuki, where the knot of ninja were struggling, was gone. Something had rent it asunder, and the air rushed in, feeling like a cold slap in the face after the warmth of her sister's liquid embrace.

“Yuki?!” Ame called around, still clenching the now gasping blonde Leaf kunoichi's arms behind her back. “YUKI?!!”

“Here...” came the weak reply. Yuki was back in her own form, weakly getting to her feet from where she'd fallen ten feet away. The lady who'd commanded the Leaf's reinforcements lay next to her, unmoving. “Something disrupted my jutsu...something immense...”

“YOU!” called a new voice. Ame snapped her head around. It came from a figure standing on a boulder between the two Depths jonin. It was back-lit dramatically by the sun, all Ame could see was glaring light and shadow.

The figure pointed a short blade at Ame, and the shadow dropped away as the newcomer moved out of the sunbeam. “Let go of my friend.”

***

Sakura had seen the spot clearly, a giant bubble of water, gleaming like a glass bead fifty feet tall on the forest floor.

She'd made her final leap, covering two hundred yards easily. Her momentum powering her forward like a bullet. At the last moment, her right hand flashed over her shoulder to draw one of the pair of short, square-tipped anbu blades she now carried there. Sakura slammed into the wall of water and sent her chakra pouring down her arm, down the blade, and into the liquid. Her will disrupted the attack and the entire thing had blown outwards, scattering to fall as harmless rain over a vast swath of the land.

She'd landed near the center, where the two Depth ninja tried to understand what had just happened. One still held Ino close, as if she were a shield.

“I won't tell you again.” She said.

Once more, her chakra flared down her drawn blade, blue fire in the brilliant sunlight. She assumed a combat stance and waited.

The one clutching Ino dropped a hand to the odd metal globes at her waist. The orb exploded outward. It had been filled with compressed water.

“DIE!” The kunoichi screamed as the released water suddenly elongated into long knife-shapes and rushed towards Sakura.

She didn't even blink, her stance lowered to a sweeping crouch and she spun on the spot, her flaring chakra capturing each of the flung missiles and absorbing their mass, re-ordering them into a pair of liquid swords. As her head snapped back around to Sakura let the blades fly.

Weather it was the shock of seeing her attack reflected, or the sheer speed of it, the Depths girl didn't even attempt to dodge. The first sword sliced through the belt at her waist, spilling the rest of her water-orbs to the ground. The other blade flew straight past her cheek, opening a long bloody gash.

A crack of thunder from the cloudless blue sky echoed through the forest, mingling with the Depths girl's scream of outrage.

“The signal!” the other Depths girl shouted. This one had dead, greenish skin.

“Ame,” she called. “Wwe're done here! Let's go!!!”

Before Sakura could react, the green girl had dissolved into... Yes, that was steam! The cloud that had been the other Depths ninja raced towards her comrade, the two disappearing up, into the sky.

Sakura sheathed her sword and ran to Ino. She was weak, and her breathing was ragged, but she was all right.

“Sakura...” Ino breathed out softly. “Nice timing...”

She smiled, “Sorry I wasn't here sooner.”

Nearby. The knot of Leaf Ninja who'd been protected by Temari and Tenten's wind bubble were spreading out, checking on those who'd been less fortunate.

Temari froze ten feet from where Sakura and Ino sat, a look of horror on her face. “MEDIC!!!” she screamed and fling herself to the ground next to Anko's still form.

Description
- Lineart by -

Chapter Fifteen – River of Tears, Ocean of Anger.

Ame of the Depths leaned in close to her victim's ear once more, brushing it with the bubble-breath jutsu that wrapped her lower face in life-giving air. Ame wanted her victim to hear the next words clearly.

“In a way,” she whispered “this is almost a mercy. “You see... we're only the diversion. If just two of us can do take out most of the Leaf's defenders, what do you think is going to happen when a dozen of us descend on your village, hmm?”

She felt the blonde tense, and redouble her efforts to break free. Ame just chuckled.

Surrounded as they were by Yuki's chakra-possessed lake of water, Ame could feel her sister's reaction to the words. Their connection ran deep, a link that even this vile world of ninja and blood could not sever. Instinctively, Ame felt Yuki's response. Gentle mirth. Chiding her for playing with her prey.

It was through that twin-bond, that Ame felt Yuki suddenly stiffen, a moment before the world exploded in sound and light.

The sphere of water that was Yuki, where the knot of ninja were struggling, was gone. Something had rent it asunder, and the air rushed in, feeling like a cold slap in the face after the warmth of her sister's liquid embrace.

“Yuki?!” Ame called around, still clenching the now gasping blonde Leaf kunoichi's arms behind her back. “YUKI?!!”

“Here...” came the weak reply. Yuki was back in her own form, weakly getting to her feet from where she'd fallen ten feet away. The lady who'd commanded the Leaf's reinforcements lay next to her, unmoving. “Something disrupted my jutsu...something immense...”

“YOU!” called a new voice. Ame snapped her head around. It came from a figure standing on a boulder between the two Depths jonin. It was back-lit dramatically by the sun, all Ame could see was glaring light and shadow.

The figure pointed a short blade at Ame, and the shadow dropped away as the newcomer moved out of the sunbeam. “Let go of my friend.”

***

Sakura had seen the spot clearly, a giant bubble of water, gleaming like a glass bead fifty feet tall on the forest floor.

She'd made her final leap, covering two hundred yards easily. Her momentum powering her forward like a bullet. At the last moment, her right hand flashed over her shoulder to draw one of the pair of short, square-tipped anbu blades she now carried there. Sakura slammed into the wall of water and sent her chakra pouring down her arm, down the blade, and into the liquid. Her will disrupted the attack and the entire thing had blown outwards, scattering to fall as harmless rain over a vast swath of the land.

She'd landed near the center, where the two Depth ninja tried to understand what had just happened. One still held Ino close, as if she were a shield.

“I won't tell you again.” She said.

Once more, her chakra flared down her drawn blade, blue fire in the brilliant sunlight. She assumed a combat stance and waited.

The one clutching Ino dropped a hand to the odd metal globes at her waist. The orb exploded outward. It had been filled with compressed water.

“DIE!” The kunoichi screamed as the released water suddenly elongated into long knife-shapes and rushed towards Sakura.

She didn't even blink, her stance lowered to a sweeping crouch and she spun on the spot, her flaring chakra capturing each of the flung missiles and absorbing their mass, re-ordering them into a pair of liquid swords. As her head snapped back around to Sakura let the blades fly.

Weather it was the shock of seeing her attack reflected, or the sheer speed of it, the Depths girl didn't even attempt to dodge. The first sword sliced through the belt at her waist, spilling the rest of her water-orbs to the ground. The other blade flew straight past her cheek, opening a long bloody gash.

A crack of thunder from the cloudless blue sky echoed through the forest, mingling with the Depths girl's scream of outrage.

“The signal!” the other Depths girl shouted. This one had dead, greenish skin.

“Ame,” she called. “Wwe're done here! Let's go!!!”

Before Sakura could react, the green girl had dissolved into... Yes, that was steam! The cloud that had been the other Depths ninja raced towards her comrade, the two disappearing up, into the sky.

Sakura sheathed her sword and ran to Ino. She was weak, and her breathing was ragged, but she was all right.

“Sakura...” Ino breathed out softly. “Nice timing...”

She smiled, “Sorry I wasn't here sooner.”

Nearby. The knot of Leaf Ninja who'd been protected by Temari and Tenten's wind bubble were spreading out, checking on those who'd been less fortunate.

Temari froze ten feet from where Sakura and Ino sat, a look of horror on her face. “MEDIC!!!” she screamed and fling herself to the ground next to Anko's still form.