Third Person POV
Dust danced slowly in the air as the fake Anbu shattered the combat room wall, taking the Uzumaki girl's body with him.
He knew she would be badly hurt by that more than she already was. But he was sure it hadn't killed her; she was his most resilient experiment, after all. However, he was fully aware the redhead wouldn't be moving anymore.
He approached where the girl's lifeless body lay, noticing he'd thrown her into the records room, where most of the documents she and her Konoha companions were after, were stored.
— And to think you got so close to the truth you sought with your companions — the man commented calmly — My research and your history, my little assassin...
With clear difficulty, the girl opened her eyes, this time their greenish hue fixed on the man beside her. Her expression was serious and determined, which unsettled the fake Anbu.
And in that same moment, the girl's body in front of him vanished into smoke. A Shadow Clone?!, he thought, bracing himself for action. How did she escape?! But the girl had been faster this time.
The fake Anbu tried to attack her hand-to-hand when he saw her near him, but the redhead wasn't in the same situation he was. The blade of her wakizashi cleanly severed his arm, sending it and his blood spattering across the floor.
The man jumped back, trying to put distance between himself and the girl. Unarmed and with the little chakra he had left, he knew he couldn't achieve his goal. However, Amaya wouldn't give him a chance to escape again or try any other tricks.
An Adamantine Chain shot toward the fake Anbu, and he dodged it by a hair's breadth. But he didn't notice the second one coming at him from the opposite side.
The chain wrapped around the man's body, almost exactly like he had done to the girl earlier when he threw her against the wall. He crashed to the floor moments later, unable to move.
Because of the chain's ability to suppress the opponent's chakra, the fake Anbu could no longer maintain his disguise with the Transformation Technique. His stature returned to normal, along with his skin color.
Amaya's breathing was irregular. She knew she was pushing her body beyond its limits. But on the other hand, she understood that if she didn't, it would all be over for her and her team.
— I-I... — she said softly, still panting from exhaustion — am not your little assassin!
The fake Anbu couldn't help but be amused at that moment, even with his situation compromised. I underestimated her..., he admitted. I thought I knew her well enough, and I see now that it cost me my victory...
— Two chains simultaneously? — He asked, curious, as he didn't know she could do that.
— I noticed you could predict many of my moves in combat — the redhead pointed out — For someone who only saw me here, in this damned lab, it could only mean you'd observed me fighting outside, in the village... — The man just smiled behind his mask — I can imagine you're smiling right now, aren't you? — she asked rhetorically — Then let me take off that mask and see your real face, you bastard!
The girl took a step toward the fake Anbu, and again the dryness in her throat made itself known. A cough was inevitable, forcing her to cover her mouth. When she pulled her hand away from her face, she saw it stained with blood. Her blood.
And it bothered her.
That didn't seem normal, even with the injuries she had. And the cough hit her again, bringing more blood with it.
Even trapped, the man could see what was happening to the girl, and he quickly understood what was going on.
— So it seems it's really begun... — He commented, disheartened, making the redhead turn her eyes to him.
— W-What are you t-talking about? — She asked with difficulty, trying to wipe the blood from her mouth.
— About what all my creations from this lab go through — He stared at her — Your impending death. — The girl couldn't help but look confused.
— What...? — The man sighed heavily, genuinely frustrated.
— None of you are natural beings. Although constituted as humans and from humans, you are imperfect beings — He explained impatiently — All with an expiration date, so to speak, predetermined. — Her creator stared at her again — You were the only one who lasted so long, and I even thought I'd finally gotten the production proportions right, but it seems... — He let his sentence die in the air.
— No... — She denied, worried, understanding the seriousness with which the fake Anbu was telling her this.
— Death is coming for you too — He smiled slyly — The upside is I can have you back, one way or another.
The girl tried to ask him more about what was happening to her, but a new sudden cough stopped her. The metallic taste rose in her throat, and she fell to her knees as she tried to take a step.
Her physical exhaustion was beyond what she could handle. The chain she had materialized dissolved, freeing the man in front of her. Her creator was free again.
The redhead fell to the floor, still coughing. Her body had chosen this inopportune moment to remind her of all the injuries she had acquired and how much each one weighed on her condition.
The fake Anbu gripped his tantō in his one remaining hand. He wouldn't let his guard down, at least not near the girl. Just as he was about to stop in front of her, he used the blade of his sword to defend himself as several shuriken were thrown his way.
The boy with the unruly hair was on the other side, still holding a few ninja weapons. Shisui Uchiha..., the man thought, slightly annoyed. He's a problem, at least now that I'm almost out of chakra and missing an arm.
But where's the other one?, he wondered for a moment. Is he hiding, or is he really... The fake Anbu tried to sense any sign of Kakashi's chakra nearby but found none. It seems he's really not here. One less to worry about...
The Uchiha ran past his sister, his own tantō in hand, toward the fake Anbu. The man wasn't too worried about fighting the Uchiha, since his biggest fear was the boy resorting to his Mangekyou.
But from what he knew about its power, the boy would have used it already, and the man wouldn't even know. That means he doesn't have enough chakra to use it, the fake Anbu thought. Seems luck is finally turning my way...
Shisui was furious. He, who was always a calm person, was burning with rage. The whole situation had built up inside him, maximizing his feelings at that moment.
Having left his sister to follow her order, the betrayal by the Anbu Ne in front of him, seeing Amaya being assaulted before his eyes and doing nothing, and now not being sure he could defeat his opponent...
No...
He couldn't affirm that last thought yet. At least not while he had Hatake to help him. The Uchiha grabbed the man's only arm in front of him, with some difficulty, to keep him from moving.
— Now! — Shisui warned.
The sound of countless birds chirping echoed through the room, grabbing the fake Anbu's attention. It all happened too fast, but he managed to process the figure of the platinum-haired boy charging toward him at an incredible speed and the impact in his back, at chest level.
The fake Anbu then understood that the Uchiha had just been used as a distraction to keep him there, within range of Hatake's jutsu. Damned kids...!, he cursed.
Kakashi pulled his own arm out from where it had pierced the man's body, letting the fake Anbu fall to the floor. The body fell lifeless, indicating his instant death.
But to the confusion of the two boys standing over the body, it began to peel away, like a snake shedding its skin. The man's pale appearance gave way to a person with more tanned skin and short, though still black, hair.
The Uchiha approached him, removing his mask so they could try to understand who was lying there before them. And their confusion only grew, for the man before them wore a headband from the Village of Stone.
— What's going on...? — Shisui asked, looking at Hatake and seeing that he was almost as confused as he was.
The platinum-haired boy then looked toward Amaya further behind him. The girl wasn't moving on the floor, and it gave him an immense feeling of unease. He ran to her, even though his own physical condition wasn't great.
— Amaya! — He looked at her for a moment, noticing the Uchiha had joined him — Hey... — He carefully held her face.
The redhead was still trying to fight her body to stay conscious—especially when she heard Shisui's and Kakashi's voices. She opened her eyes slightly, finding the two pairs of onyx eyes before her.
— W-Where... is he? — She asked, her voice extremely low, referring to the fake Anbu.
— Dead, don't worry — Hatake quickly reassured her.
— And you two, are you okay? — She questioned them.
— Are you seriously more worried about us than yourself? — The platinum-haired boy asked, and the girl nodded weakly.
— We're the ones who should be worried about you! — Shisui exclaimed without real anger, and the Uzumaki looked at him, noticing the gleam in his orbs, a sign he was about to cry — Why didn't you just try to run from that bastard? Why did you stay and fight him? — She thought for a moment before answering what seemed to her the real reason.
— Because I couldn't let him get to you — Amaya said calmly but seriously — I brought you here, and I couldn't even consider letting you fall into his hands... So, I'm sorry, but it's stronger than me, wanting to protect you — She looked at them with a weak smile on her expression — You're important to me...
The two boys were surprised by the redhead's words at that moment. Whether it was the way she saw them and wanted to take care of them, or because they felt the same way about her.
— Are you learning to act like a normal person and getting sentimental? — Hatake asked, trying not to show how good her words made him feel.
— Baka... — She said softly and felt her eyes grow heavy, though she still tried to fight to stay awake.
— Rest a little — Her brother told her.
— No, I can't, I... — Hatake interrupted her.
— We'll make camp here and handle the first watch.
— So you can rest a little — The Uchiha complemented the arguments — So, what do you say? — She gave a weak laugh.
— It's hard to argue with my team when you're using good arguments and working together to convince me — The two boys gave weak laughs.
— It's because you're here to coordinate us — Shisui commented.
— That's the only reason we're putting up with each other — And Hatake finished.
— Of course... — She agreed with the two's excuses with a weak smile, letting her eyes close — Then I guess I'll let you guys handle... the first watch and... — And her body didn't even let her finish, finally making her surrender to exhaustion.