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Lee's Group POV (Nearby Chakra Anchor - Western River Plains)
Evening
Lee's POV
Finding the Chakra Anchor was no true problem. The strange item the Okama had described as covered in a barrier was visible as soon as one closed in. A giant semi-transparent red orb surrounded the area the Chakra Anchor was said to be. What had been described as a beautiful ravine had been destroyed, the gap widened, and much of the former walls had collapsed into the river, creating something of a dam. Pooling water grew as more and more of it was blocked. Causing the nearby rivers to overflow. Mono and Muuni had wanted to immediately attempt to bypass it. But Shino had objected, knowing their unknown enemies would likely notice such. Instead, they had elected to scout the area first.
The group slowly trekked around the barrier. Shino's allies were working on subtly attempting to tunnel under or around it; Hinata's eyes seemed a weakness, and the rest of them kept their guard up to ensure they were not caught off guard.
Lee flinched as he leaped from one tree to another, slightly ahead of the group. Kicking backward from one branch to another, he watched as the branch he had been standing on was cut free. He had thought he hears something cutting through the air. Shino, who had been behind him, joined him on the same branch, glasses sheening as both of their senses whirled to detect the unseen attacker.
Hinata, Sakura, Muuni, and Mono stopped just short of them, extending their senses. However, neither group's efforts were for naught as suddenly the ground between them bubbled before a massive wall of earth shot between them. Within seconds, a wall of dried mud stood between Shino Lee and the others with emblems of Iwa present. Both Lee and Shino flinched as a whistling of wind sounded, and both jumped in opposite directions, avoiding a pair of hatchets stabbing into the spots they had been standing.
"They're attempting to separate us!" Shino cried to Lee; Lee nodded, realizing keeping together was their best option. With a flick of both wrists, he freed his bandages using Ninshu to have them wrap around another branch and swing himself toward the still airborne Shino. Their attackers, however, were quicker. Another massive mud wall cut him off from Shino. Having no choice but to retreat or smash into it, Lee willed his bandages to swing back and swing him backwards, allowing him to land on the ground in front of the tree the two had started at.
A poof sounded off, causing Lee's head to snap up to the branch he had just been on. Where the strange hatchets had landed stood a redhead woman now holding both in her hands. She smiled sweetly at Lee, excitedly twitching as if it took everything she had not to charge at Lee. It was the woman from before! The one that had saved Suzumebachi!
"You must be a part of the ambushing force…" Lee mused out loud. "While this is a concerning turn of events, at the very least, my foe is now clear to me."
"Music to my ears, baby cheeks!" Leifazu cried out. "I had figured some fun was coming my way, but I never dreamed I'd get to find you so soon!"
"I have no choice but to come when whoever you all are causing such mayhem. Have you no heart for this natural world you disturb? Is your wants truly more important than the lives you have impacted? The answer to those questions and more is what I'll gain by defeating you!" Lee declared.
Leifazu, however, closed the distance so fast Lee could scarcely blink. The woman slightly shorter than him still seemed to loom over him and raised her face toward his mere centimeters apart. Lee backflipped by instinct, kicking Leifazu's chin as he did.
"I was certain when we first met." Leifazu had barely budged from the blow, only her head snapping up from the sudden kick. "To defeat an experienced Jounin is no small feat. I was certain you'd be a fun fight, the kind I lusted for!"
Lee blinked owlishly at such. Once, twice, he raised his bushy brows in confusion. "Excuse me?"
"I love two things in life," Leifazu explained. "Killing or being killed by others, or something equally as personal if not slightly more pleasurable. Since you are a foe, my options are limited; perhaps we can do the latter once I'm done with the former. Would make for a nice farewell gift…"
Lee blinked again. "Um, mam, I hate to be rude, but such… youthful desires are not fit for battle… besides, we don't even know each other's names!"
"My name is Leifazu Uzumaki, a weapon for Ikam and your current admirer and future murderer." Leifazu was introduced with a bow, one Lee couldn't help but notice; seemed intentional to show off the cleavage from her top. Lee flinched, ashamed to have even noticed such.
"I will not allow you to defeat nor seduce me," Lee assured. "My name is Rock Lee, a Genin of the Leaf; I cannot afford to allow you to have fun. I must defeat you quickly; forgive me for the harm I caused; it is not personal."
"Don't worry, Lee…" Leifazu trailed off as she spun her hatchets and prepared to charge in. "It'll be plenty personal…"
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Shino's POV
Shino cursed as he was closed off from Lee. As he landed, he sent out dozens of allies to search for his allies and enemies. Shino removed his glove, revealing the dark purple hand as he scanned his surroundings.
However, his attention was snapped from it as several of his allies were killed before finding anything. Whipping his head around, he heard the buzzing of wasps and their small blurring shapes as they flew around him. It was just like Kurobachi and Jibachi…
"This mission thus far has been a net loss for me. That is to say, I'm in desperate need of a win. One that has presented itself with a damn bow on it. Hopefully, you can forgive me, Aburame…" a female voice called out.
Shino turned to see a shorter brown-haired woman staring at him from above. "You must be the leader of the Kamizuru I encountered earlier," Shino determined. "Why exactly are the Kamizuru working with a criminal, and here in Irminsul?"
"Such truly doesn't matter, Aburame. All that matters is that we are sworn enemies, and I am motivated to ensure you don't live. Besides, from what you said earlier, you are to blame for the deaths of Kurobachi and Jibachi…" Suzumebachi responded. "Any older sister what do what they could to avenge such, even if they were garbage."
Shino inwardly frowned but outwardly kept his cool. "I will deny both of them perished at my hand. But they attacked first in both instances, not that I think such will persuade you anyway."
"Your assumption is correct," Suzumebachi responded with ease. "My hatred for your clan and your actions truly doesn't matter anymore. I want to survive; to do such I must kill you."
"We need not be enemies; I know even Iwa wouldn't endorse such a mission. Throw aside the grudge between our two clans; we can help you and ensure your village isn't thrown into Ikam's lot. Guilt by association is a real phenomenon, after all." Shino half-heartedly attempted to explain. If he could avoid combat, he could check on the others and ensure they reached the barrier and by proxy his home safely.
"That's where you're wrong." Suzumebachi almost sadly answered. "I have no choice but to kill you. I'm not here as a Kamizuru today but as a Jounin of Iwa but as the woman Suzumebachi. I will kill you to ensure my own safety."
"Then nothing more needs to be said. The name is Shino Aburame. Let us repeat the mistakes of the past…" Shino responded morosely as both of them simultaneously began to weave hand signs.
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Hinata's POV
They were all stunned momentarily as the giant mud wall settled between them. Cutting off both Lee and Shino from them. Within seconds of them being closed off, Hinata witnessed both soon joined by strangers.
"They've isolated and are now attacking Shino and Lee! We need to get to them!"
"No true concern we can burrow through using my clay manipulation," Mono assured, stalking toward the wall with Muuni in tow. However, Hinata flinched as several objects entered her field of vision from above. Mono also noticed stomping his feet and allowing clay to burst from the ground and create a roof over their head. Thunderous impacts hit it, causing the construct to shatter around them. Revealing large stingers falling around them.
The group raised their heads to the top of the wall. There, now hovering menacingly over them, was an absurdly large wasp. Its wings were the size of boulders, and its flaps in the air were deafening. The combined buzz of the group helped fill the air with their racket. Around it hovered dozens of human-sized wasps.
"I have no choice but to kill you all." The giant wasp spoke. "I am the Queen of the Wasp and, therefore, the clan's leader. For the safety and continued living of us all, we will slaughter you all. Fret not, however, for we will consume every part of you, nothing left to waste."
Mono, however, faced the Queen calmly. "We of the Okama have allied with the Wasp Clan for years. Surely, you are not so blatantly betraying our relationship. Allow us by, and I assure you we will see to your freedom. You have my word as an Okama."
"I cannot risk my hive on mere assurances. If I do not listen, it won't matter if we make an enemy of the Okama; we will perish if we don't. Children kill them." With the Queen's decree, the swarm of man-sized wasps surged forward.
Mono and Muuni prepared for combat as Sakura and Hinata stood protectively before them.
"Mono and Muuni, the two of you do something about this barrier! Sakura and I will deal with them!" Hinata decided as she began to fire off Shuriken and Kunai with lethal speed and precision. Sakura pitched in as well. The two women managed to pepper several with enough to slay them, though it was barely a dent in their numbers as they drew close.
"We cannot leave you!" Muuni cried out definitely.
"She's right!" Sakura chimed in, wounding a kunai in an explosive tag before throwing it into the heart of the swarm, wreaking a lethal tall of nearly a dozen wasps dead. "They're trying to stop us! They obviously don't want the barrier down. If you manage to do so, we can focus on surviving!"
Mono nodded grimly. The earth next to him bubbled as suddenly the ground was hallowed, and a clay tunnel appeared next to him. "Come Muuni, they are right. We cannot not afford for them to have access to the Chakra Anchor. We need to ensure they will be able to come to it once they are done here. I wish you luck, Hinata Hyuga and Sakura Haruno; you serve your home well." A protesting Muuni was herded by Mono into the tunnel as the two left the two women to face hoard alone.