Sakura's hands quickly held a group of kunai. Temari made a quick adjustment to the fan across her back.
Ryoga went into a crouch. Ranma simply blurred.
The opponent was a slender looking woman, except that her tongue went out an unnatural distance as she licked the scimitar-like blade in her hands. "So I have found you. Lord Orochimaru will be pleased."
"Orochimaru?" asked Sakura, sending three kunai towards the opponent.
"These others are of no consequence," said the ninja as the kunai went through her. "You will accompany me or your companions will perish."
"Where is Sasuke?" demanded Sakura, rushing forward.
"Attacking the image is useless," said Ryoga. "That's a displacement jutsu."
"My lord, Orochimaru, desires your strength - Ryoga Hibiki," said the minion as Sakura sent several attacks through its image.
"Yeah?" said Ryoga. "You gonna be much longer, Saotome?"
"They're outta the house," said Ranma from outside.
"What? The hostages?" asked the minion.
"Give me back SASUKE!" declared Sakura, sending more kunai through the image.
"one track mind," grumbled Temari as she watched the paths of the kunai. The image never reacted so the projection must be...
A bamboo umbrella swung out in a single movement, arcing out apparently through thin air though there was an impact sound during its arc. That and a wall of the house exploding inward as if something had impacted it.
"You can tell Orochimaru," said Ryoga, "that if he wants strength - he's going to have to ask a whole lot nicer than this."
"How did you... the beast?" said the minion, fading into view as the technique was dropped and the image faded away. She limped a little as she exited the house through the hole she'd just made.
"No, not really," said Ryoga, rotating a shoulder as if he was just stretching out. "The beast is sleeping. Let's keep it that way, shall we?"
"What's this 'beast' stuff?" asked Sakura.
"Ain't no reason to go all out against this small fry," said Ranma agreeably.
"You can't see through THIS," declared the minion, her hands flicking through several hand signs. "I am Sidewinder, and this is my deadliest technique. Poison Copy!"
"Yip-dee-do," said Ryoga. "Three copies of you, and surprise surprise - they turn into poisonous snakes."
"Watch it, those snakes ARE poisonous," said Temari.
"Not a problem," said Ryoga.
When the umbrella sheared through about a meter of snakehead, Sakura had to wonder what that particular bamboo umbrella was made of.
Temari merely smirked and took out a second snakehead, her fan revealing two moon-shapes as she sliced out with it.
Ranma, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen. Sakura looked around for the fourth of their little group before turning her attention back to the third snake.
"Look into my eyesssss," hissed the snake.
"I don't think so," grumbled Ryoga, throwing several somethings.
As twitching lengths of snake landed on the ground, Sakura noted that cloth bandanas had been used to slice up the snake.
"Saotome?" asked Ryoga.
"There was a backup," said Ranma, popping up on a tree branch. "They got away as soon as they realized I wasn't on the battlefield."
"'They'?" asked Sakura, ready to rip into Ranma for leaving them during the fight.
"Three of 'em," said Ranma, shrugging. "Two men. One woman. The other gal's got REAL good control of her aura. Wasn't able to see her except for the way she made a trail. Lit out fast. Might have recognized me."
"Hmmm," hmmmed Ryoga, mulling that over.
"Orochimaru wants you?" asked Sakura.
"First I've heard of it," admitted Ryoga. "Though I end up in lots of odd places. Don't really remember running into him, though I've seen snake techniques before."
"Orochimaru, Class Two Criminal," said Ranma, flipping open a book. "Power motive."
"Power motive?" asked Sakura.
"Means he's the sort who's after increasing his own personal power, cost is no option," said Ranma, looking at Sakura as if he couldn't believe someone didn't know this stuff. "Lots of high-end criminal types are like that. Either that or they're the Control motive, Vengeance motive, Thrillseeker, and such. The higher end types don't tend to be out for just the money."
Sakura stared.
"What?" asked Ranma. "My stupid oyaji went into this stuff a lot since I was a kid."
Sakura blinked as the idiot demonstrated that maybe he wasn't as dumb as his manner of speech tended to indicate.
"Anyway, his MO involves snakes," said Ranma, looking at his book before closing it again. "Summoning. Control. Transformation. Fond of hitting victims with curses, poisons, special jutsu, and such. Figures his minions would go with that sorta thing too."
"'Snakes, why did it have to be snakes?'" quoted Ryoga.
"Heh," responded Ranma.
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(Posted Wed, 03 Oct 2007 18:30)
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