"When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die."
— Cersei Lannister
--
The ninja raised the blade.
Then
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
A deep growl rolled through the room, vibrating the walls.
The ninjas froze.
"…Did you hear that?" one muttered.
"No," another replied. "And I'm definitely not turning around first."
The window behind them suddenly ceased to exist.
The growl came again, closer this time.
Slowly, all four turned their heads toward the window.
"…"
"..."
"..."
"..."
For half a second, no one moved…
Two massive eyes stared right at them, like they were looking straight into their souls.
It was Yuki.
"What the fuck?" one of them whispered.
"A… bear?" another said.
Then the window exploded inward.
Wood and glass shattered as the bear pushed her head through the frame slowly and deliberately, like a landlord who'd just caught tenants doing something illegal. The wall cracked around the window as she forced herself through an opening never meant to hold her.
And then she came fully inside the room, the whole inn shuddering under her weight.
Yuki sniffed the air once.
Then she growled.
The ninjas' minds scrambled for more escape plans than there were hairs on their heads.
They had just enough time to think…
Why is the bear smiling?
And then suddenly, she caught the first one in her jaw and began chewing, blood spraying as his teammates watched…
Chaos erupted.
The second ninja didn't even get to scream. The moment he processed his companion being eaten by a giant bear, Yuki slammed him into the wall so hard his spine snapped instantly. He became part of the décor.
The third tried to leap away.
Yuki caught him midair and smashed him into the floor with bone-shattering force.
The fourth ninja turned to run.
He didn't make it two steps.
Yuki's jaws closed around him and dragged him back, the sound of tearing cloth and breaking bone filling the room. He learned that outrunning a bear is a terrible career choice. The hard way.
The entire thing lasted only five seconds.
The shinobi were gone.
Yuki stood in the center of the room, blood staining her fur, eyes still glowing faintly in the dim light. She sniffed the air once more, then turned her gaze toward the family.
Blood dripped from her muzzle.
She stared at them for a long moment.
Takeshi, still shielding Hana and Ren, whispered,
"D-Don't look."
Ren, unfortunately, looked.
His small hands clutched his mother's clothes as he stared at the massive bear.
Otis's casual voice replayed in his mind from earlier.
"Be careful around her. She eats people."
He had thought it was just a joke.
Ren let out a small, broken sob and buried his face into Hana's chest.
Yuki snorted.
As if to say, 'Safe now'.
Without another glance, she turned, climbed back through the window… or what used to be a window, and vanished into the night as quietly as she had arrived.
The silence lingered…
Takeshi collapsed to his knees, breath hitching.
Ren finally spoke, his voice tiny and shaking.
"…Mama?"
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"Otis was serious."
Hana hugged him tighter.
"Yes," she whispered. "I think he was..."
Outside, the capital slept on… unaware that something far worse than politics had just walked through its walls.
…
Konan coughed, a dark smear of blood marking the corner of her lips.
She tried to rise…
Paper gathered and folded behind her instinctively as her wings began to re-form, muscles straining as she attempted to lift herself into the air.
This was not in her favor. On the ground, she was at a clear disadvantage.
CLANG.
A sharp metallic clang tore through the air.
The axe Otis had thrown earlier snapped back into his hand, dragged by chakra, and he swung it immediately in a sideways arc.
WHOOOM!
The blade stopped at Konan's neck.
The edge hovered there, close enough that one careless breath would open her skin
But Otis couldn't move any further. At that exact same instant.
Five paper kunai slid into place around him. One at his throat. Two pressed against his wrists. One at his ribs, angled toward his heart. One resting against the back of his neck.
Perfectly still.
If either of them moved, they would both die.
The battlefield went utterly silent…
No jutsu.
No shouting.
No movement.
Just two people breathing in the cold morning air, vapor curling between them. Dust drifted lazily in the space between them, like ash after a fire.
Konan looked up at him, her eyes sharp despite the pain in her chest where Otis had struck her.
Otis looked down at her.
(Pic)
His back was drenched in sweat beneath the shattered remains of his armor. His chest rose and fell slowly as he exhaled, every muscle screaming, every nerve stretched thin. He could feel the kunai against his skin… close enough that even swallowing felt dangerous.
Konan's wings froze half-formed, paper still gathered around her shoulders. She did not dare complete the transformation. Not now. Not with the axe already there.
They both knew it.
If she moved, Otis would finish her. She would not even have time to disperse into paper. The blade was already touching her neck.
And the same was true for him.
If Otis moved, the paper kunai would pierce his vital points before his muscles could react. His armor was nearly destroyed, and there was no chakra left to stop it..
A perfect deadlock.
Otis broke the silence first. His voice was low, rough, almost amused despite everything.
"…Guess this is the part where we decide who's more stubborn."
Konan did not answer immediately. Her eyes searched his face.
"You're injured," she said at last. "You won't survive another exchange."
Otis let out a short, breathless huff.
"Yeah. And you won't survive this one either,"
The haft creaked faintly as his grip tightened.
He exhaled slowly.
"Let's stop,"
His voice was steady, but tired.
"It's not like we're mortal enemies. There's no benefit in continuing this fight."
More than half of his armor was gone now. Stone plates lay shattered around him like shed skin, others hanging loose and cracked. The left side of his face was exposed, sweat streaked with dust and blood, one eye visible and locked onto hers. The other half of his head remained hidden beneath the fractured helmet.
He stared straight into Konan's eyes.
For a heartbeat, he meant it.
This fight is already over, Otis thought. One mistake, and we both die.
Or so he believed…
--
Author's note:
My keyboard suddenly stopped working, and I had to order a new one. I tried using a simple membrane keyboard in the meantime, but I just couldn't do it. I guess once you switch to a mechanical keyboard, there's no going back to membrane. 🚬🗿
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