Beside him, another man gripped a young shinobi by the hair. The boy, probably barely old enough to compete, struggled in the man'sgrasp. His Hi Haven bandana was soaked in blood, and his face was twisted in terror.
“Take him with the others,” Renji commanded. “He seems healthy enough. He may even survive the procedure.”
“Renji?” Taiga gasped, the sound catching in his throat.
Iruka and Aimee quickly yanked him down behind a nearby boulder, their bodies pressed to the ground as they struggled to contain their panic.
“What in the elemental fuck was that?” Iruka panted. “Was he…was he eating them?”
Air sawed ragged through their lungs as the reality of what they had just witnessed sank in.
“Oh hello, Hi Haven friends!” Renji’s voice called out, a sickening cheerfulness in his tone. “I’m so glad you caught me. Again.”
“Shit!” Aimee pressed her back hard against the boulder.Was he the snake? A shape-shifter?She hadn’t thought there were shape-shifters like that in this world.
“What do we do?” Iruka whispered, crowding in beside her.
“Do you want me to deal with these ones?” the voice of the man beside Renji asked, cold and casual.
“No, no, Doruto.” The monster, or whatever it was, exhaled with mock patience. “I think I deserve a little fun after all that work, don’t you think?”
“Whatever you say, Kazuma,” the other man snorted. “I’ll get the patients wrapped up and prepared for transport. But don’t play too long. The proctors are already looking for us.”
Aimee’s blood ran cold, even as a familiar shiver slithered up her spine.Kazuma. That name again. It was the same person who had supplied the Veilroot formula in Midoriko. She clenched her fiststightly, her nails biting into her palms.This is the guy responsible for Kiba’s suffering that day.
“Kazuma?” Iruka’s frown deepened. “The Hi Haven traitor?”
“And the guy who gave the drugs to the rogues in Midoriko,” Taiga finished, standing abruptly. “If anyone needs an ass-kicking, it’s this guy.”
“He’s Ryosh level, one of the legendary Oni, you fool.” Iruka hissed as he stood. “You’re going to get us all killed.”
Taiga grinned and held up one half of his locator, a twin to the one Aimee had left on the body by the canyon. “We just have to keep him distracted long enough for the Proctors to get here. Plus, you know Kiba-Sensei will come running with two of our trackers broken. He likes to pretend he doesn’t care, but he’s really just a mother hen.”
Aimee exchanged a glance with Iruka, and she saw the realization dawn in his eyes.
“Not an idiot! We should be able to last at least a few minutes.” Iruka grinned, raising his fist for Taiga to bump. “I have a few more questions for the snake, anyway.”
And together, they stepped out from behind the boulder to face the monster head-on.
Just keep them alive long enough for Kiba to get here, she reminded herself, tightening her grip on her blades.
Kazuma barely acknowledged their presence, idly picking at his fingers. Only after a long pause did he glance up. “All ready, then?”
Before he could say anything else, Aimee darted forward, her twin short swords extended out before her. She aimed low, slashing at Kazuma’s midsection, but the man countered with a gust of wind, throwing her off-balance as he sidestepped, his movements almost leisurely. While she tried to recover, a massive snake shot from hissleeve, hissing and snapping at her head, forcing her to duck and roll to the side, its fangs clamping down on empty air.
Iruka followed her, hurling a pair of kunai directly at the enemy’s chest, but he flicked his wrist, and another gust of wind knocked the blades away. Iruka didn’t stop, though. He immediately conjured his own element, a sharp wind shear that sliced toward Kazuma’s legs, driving him away from Aimee.
Taiga charged in next, his fists glowing with the weak, erratic pulse of the earth element as he slammed into the man. The ground shook beneath his feet, cracks spidering out from the impact point, but Kazuma merely raised an eyebrow, swatting Taiga aside with a slap to the head that sent him crashing into a nearby boulder.
“Not terrible. You all move better than most Tanshi.” His lips curled into a pout. “Shame your training ends here.” His gaze found Iruka as a cruel smile spread across his face. “Soon enough, you'll be able to ask your parents how they died directly.”
“Screw you, asshole!” Iruka leaped forward, slashing the air with his kunai, summoning a powerful wind shear that barreled toward Kazuma. But Kazuma moved, his body stretching unnaturally as he dodged the attack, raising an arm. Another snake flew toward Iruka, this one thicker, darker, and more menacing. It coiled tightly around the boy’s torso before sinking its fangs into his neck.
“Iruka!” Aimee shouted, rushing forward, but Kazuma intercepted her with a swipe of his hand, sending her skidding back with another blast of wind.
Fucking wind!She gritted her teeth. The monster used it better than even Kiba.
“Hey, you!” Taiga roared, charging in again.
