XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Leifazu's POV (Canyon of Chakra Anchor - Western River Plains)
Early Evening
It had been a dull day thus far. Mishiro could not move and seemed too occupied for their plan to move forward in any meaningful way. While the barrier was nearly impenetrable, with the Okama as their enemy, it would be unwise for them to rely on it as their sole defense. While Leifazu may enjoy Mishiro's death, she would not enjoy her own upon Ikam learning of her failure in protecting her.
It left a horde of wasps and their Queen nervously buzzing around inside the barrier but staying as far from them as possible. Suzumebachi had attempted to join their fold but had been rebuffed and now sat glaring at Leifazu hatefully alone, close to them but clearly still defiant. Leifazu ultimately cared little; but why was the bitch blaming her!
Luckily, the dozen animals captured by the wasp were less angry. The poison from the Queen and Suzumebachi's technique was nothing less than total control. As long as the Queen lived, the limits on the number of victims Suzumebachi had warned them of were not a factor. Three Okama stared woodenly at Leifazu; a man-sized spider seemed to sleep, legs curled as it dazed. Leifazu hadn't known they did sleep. Three wolves sat with rapt attention, the apex predators reduced to waiting with loyalty like a pet. Another trio of deer. Even a giant worm that held no eyes was partially buried. Only a bit of head pointing out to point its mouth at them. An enslaved and strange platoon, but a helpful backup plan.
With the tense silence and boredom threatening to kill her latest body, Leifazu had been elated when the barrier flared with a disturbance. Someone or something had attempted to bypass their shield and somehow evaded the senses herself and the litany of enhanced senses from the beast under their forced employ. Doing so until this close was no small feat. Indeed, this threat may be worthy of her attention. With a whistle, Leifazu had the wasp, Queen, and their animal army form a defensive perimeter around Mishiro. With their leverage over Suzumebachi and the Queen, installing themselves as the ultimate leader of the wasp and beast was easy. They would serve to protect Mishiro well in her absence. Making this little errand in her mind completely justified. "Suzumebachi comes with me; I may need a human shield."
"Fuck you." Suzumebachi spat. All the same, the woman rose and walked over to join her side. Her inability to escape their employ seemed to have settled into her mind. Suzumebachi was still openly hateful of them but had made a point of following their orders without much resistance. Leifazu felt some compassion, but expendables were expendable; she didn't make the rules, merely played within them.
"Anytime~!" Leifazu sang as they two leaped off.
"If this is a booty call seal or not, I will kill you." The Kamizuru declared as two raced up the wall of the newly formed canyon. "I'll do many things to survive, but forsaking myself isn't one of them."
"I'll have you know Leifazu always gets consent first; I'm a proud killer, not a monster." Leifazu disagreed, sure she enjoyed killing, but she felt no pleasure in torture of any kind, assault fit that bill.
"Agree to disagree, you certainly are one." Suzumebachi spat. "Why are we moving out?"
Funny how she made a question sound like a demand. Even in defeat, the woman still had pride; Leifazu was beginning to warm up to her human shield. "All business then, someone or something attempted to breach the barrier with a powerful attack of some kind. I sensed the disturbance moments ago. While it's unlikely anything could breach this barrier, but Ikam warned us to not underestimate the Okama Clan. You and I will check on this and, if necessary, kill whoever is responsible."
"As long as that helps us get out here faster." Suzumebachi sighed.
"Kidnapped or not, I'd love to just sleep in a bed now. So, do you have any idea what we're facing?"
"Whatever it was wasn't insignificant; the barrier reacted sizably. It's designed to alert us of any attack it's subjected to. Based on the feedback wave, whatever tried to get in has a considerable bite. Two hostiles; one seems relatively weak. Maybe Chunin level at best; the other seems considerably more problematic. If their attack potency and chakra level are anything to go by, they may be high Jounin level." Leifazu explained all business now. "I'll handle the initial confrontation; hide yourself nearby. Only show yourself if it seems I'm in peril or there's more than I can reliably hunt down."
"I sincerely hope they kill you before I can stop them." Suzumebachi offered. "Would be a small mercy."
"Even if they did, it wouldn't free you from Ikam or my company." Leifazu sniped back. "Besides, the only threat to me here is Mishiro."
With their feelings made known, the two women split up. The attack had been in the southern quadrant of their barrier—a small clearing between the spare trees and rivers, filled with luscious grass. Suzumebachi leaped into a deep crevice just past the tree line, stooping low and suppressing her chakra to lie in wait. Leifazu leaped past her and clearing to face the barrier wall directly.
There was no need for true investigation. The culprits stood on the other side of the barrier, waiting patiently and expectantly. Two of them, a dark-skinned and beautiful man, stylishly dressed in a feather body coat and no shirt. He seemed utterly impressed with the barrier, lightly tapping such with a giant feather of all things, which even more oddly withstood the effects of touching it. Besides him, was a younger short woman dressed in a simple orange sundress of all things, though she had a whip drawn, showing she wasn't defenseless.
"Ah, I had hoped the culprits of this beautiful technique would show themselves after my little cry for attention!" The man excitedly declared from the other side of the barrier. The airtight wall made hearing him nearly impossible, but Leifazu could read lips fine enough. Enough to catch the man silently warning his companion to remain silent. A leader, then. "My name is Blechumi; I am something of an evolved human, one with interest in the Chakra Anchor your lot is currently toying with."
Leifazu silently pondered the information for a second. Yet another party was present in the wildlands, yet the pair clearly weren't shinobi of any village she had heard of. Perhaps even humans inhabited these lands? Why were they after the chakra anchor? Should she kill them? Leifazu focused back on them, seeing Blechumi had apparently continued talking.
"I will admit, even with my considerable power and knowledge, I cannot overcome this barrier. A problem since your actions deter my own plans and aims. I'd ask what your goal is; despite this rather lacking introduction, there is a chance we can be friends instead of foes. Assuming our goals align, I'd be happy to aid you a lot, as long as you don't mind returning the favor. By the way, tell that foolish woman to show herself. No mere humans can hide from me." Blechumi haughtily offered.
"I don't really care who you are." Leifazu countered as she snapped fingers, signaling that Suzumebachi would join her side. There was no point in hiding anyway; Leifazu had detected no lies from his earlier claim of being unable to enter nor did he seem to be bluffing on somehow detecting Suzumebachi. This strange man was clever and had some power, a potential threat. Though this man was strange, and clearly the powerful presence she felt earlier. Alert enough to detect Suzumebachi from within the barrier and able to read lips as well as she did. An art Leifazu had struggled to master over decades, just who was this man. "As for our goals, there's no harm in sharing such with you; you're heedless to oppose us even if we are foes anyway. We plan to gain total control of the Chakra Anchor."
"Such would allow you to control what comes in and out of Terra as a whole…" Blechumi admitted with a frown. "For what aim?"
"We plan to weaken the Elemental Nations as a whole. Our foes hide among them, making them all enemies of us. Without the power of summons and the exclusive ability for us to wield them, we'd gain a tremendous advantage. Not to mention, we intend to gain Okama under control as well. Screwing the rest of Terra is more of a side effect than an intention." Leifazu shrugged flippantly.