Chapter 51

"The rain's letting up," Fumi noted. "Maybe we can make a fire tonight."

No Face had been trekking through backcountry in Fang Country for the last few hours. None of them were in a rush to be anywhere having no leads on a new mission. Beon had made the decision to change course and travel east around the Land of Fire. If they were desperate enough for something to do, half of them would venture into Fire Country to travel to Wave Country and see what it had to offer. For the time being they were only looking for a place to stop for the evening as it grew late into the afternoon. They were just glad that the rain had let up a bit to make travel easier.

"That's a relief," Kenta sighed.

All of them had wrapped their heads in a thick cloth to try and keep out the water as the masks protected the face. Mai could feel the slight chill in the air through the fabric even though they had all swapped out some time ago for warmer clothing with the winter months approaching. What she would give for a hot bath, but didn't voice it. They still had another three hours to go before considering stopping for the evening. At least Asami was keeping an eye out for a possible hot spring for them to warm up around. The prospect was nice. None got their hopes up to be sure they weren't disappointed.

It was an hour and a half later when something tugged at the Be Fong's net alerting her senses. An animal most likely, or fallen branch had caused it. No Face took a brief break to eat before moving on. But the disturbance continued and one turned into two more presences. Mai instantly grew wary. Their movements were not that of a mammal. It was more precise and stealthier. It caused the older teen to fall back from the center of the group. Her shift didn't go unnoticed by the leader.

"What is it?" Beon questioned.

"We are being followed," Mai stated without hesitation. The others looked to her.

"How can you be sure?" Takashi asked.

"They've been following our steps for the last thirty minutes. They are making their move and drawing closer as we speak."

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Chapter Inspiration: My Demons by Starset

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Being sure all of their masks were securely in place Kenta, Joon, Asami, and Mai peeled off into the surrounding trees. The others continued walking slower in order for their followers to purposely catch up. It didn't take long for them to halt all together.

"Come out and face us coward," Akihiro shouted. "No more hiding."

There were three of them facing the ten-person team, watching with calculated eyes. The group shifted sharing quick glances between each other to figure out what was the meaning of this interaction, as No Face tried to gage just whom these strangers were. But Mai instantly recognized them from her perch on a branch in the shadows. From the young man with a board sword strapped to his back, with pale skin and white hair.

"I'm looking for the strongest member of your group."

To the tall young man with flaming orange hair.

"Which one of you is the leader?"

To the older teen standing at the front wearing dark clothing and a sword strapped to a side with equally dark hair and eyes.

There was a long pause before Beon stepped forward, "What business do you have with us?"

Sasuke Uchiha, along with two members from the former team Taka – Suigetsu and Jugo. What on earth were they doing here? And together again?

"Reports say your Taijutsu is better than the great Might Gai," Sasuke stated. "I wish to test that theory."

This wasn't a friendly request for a spar based the tone of his voice alone. Even his expression was serious and never wavered.

"Did a Village put you up to this?" Beon wondered.

"I came on my own terms."

That confused No Face. They were a quiet group that only took what they needed. Were careful to not draw too much attention to themselves unlike others. Why would their limited services that mostly went unnoticed warrant an altercation with someone else? Especially since none of them were dangerous.

"We are a peaceful group of rogues. I am asking you to step aside so we can move on. There is somewhere we need to be."

"That's what they all say at first," Sasuke said. "In the end if you live long enough you can see yourself turn from the hero into a foe."

"We are far from that."

"That's a chance I'm not willing to take."

Immediately the others were on guard removing their weapons. Those at Sasuke's side followed suit.

"You're out numbered," Akihiro stated. He hoped to intimidate them because numbers never guaranteed a victory.

"We've fought against greater odds," Suigetsu stated with a toothy grin.

That was when the Be Fong realized they were being surrounded. Clones took form from the surrounding puddles due to the rain. Which then made the Be Fong wonder if the terrible weather had been the handy work of the Water Ninja. Making the perfect trap for them to wander into.

"It's an ambush!" Mai shouted.

Joon and Asami were off into the underbrush to deal with the clones to the best of their ability. Some managed to make their way through their defenses and engaged the rest of No Face. It was Jugo they had to worry about to most as the curse seal activated hardening the skin. His expression grew manic and went on a rampage completely throwing off those on the ground. They quickly dodged to try and figure out the next course of action to take. It was only Beon and Sasuke who had not engaged. The two stared at the other waiting to make a move. Mai didn't hesitate to swoop down and cut off Jugo's attack as it went in for the killing blow towards Takashi. The short sword scraped against the harden skin without making a scratch and used the strings to throw him backwards through the trees creating a mess in his wake.

"What the hell is he?" Fumi breathed in horror.

"An experiment of Orochimaru," the Be Fong answered. "His skin is nearly impenetrable in this state. Make sure his hits don't touch you or it can cause real damage or worse."

"You've fought with him before?" Takashi asked.

"I've heard the stories and they are never good." The young man was already recovering. "We need to knock him unconscious. It'll reverse the seal on his skin."

No Face had to deal with the continuous onslaught of Suigetsu's clones coming in from the trees around them. The real one was engaged with Akihiro and Makoto. The clashing of another set of blades drew Mai's attention to the left. Sasuke and Beon had finally engaged with so much speed they were a blur at times. The leader of No Face held his own against the Uchiha, matching each blow and fended him off. There was no time to sit and be a spectator. The Be Fong rallied with the others to hold off Jugo, wild eyes setting solely on them sadistically.

"Tell me the truth, why do you hunt us?" Beon questioned.

"To be rid of a threat that could come to pass," Sasuke said. "To prevent another Akatsuki. And to test my own strength."

The Be Fong paled as she came to the realization of the situation before them. She flipped over a clone that tried to catch her in a blind spot.

"So you're the killer everyone has been talking about," the leader concluded.

"You're only a number on my list. I will admit it was hard to track No Face down despite your numbers."

He meant to kill Beon and all in No Face. To prevent another Akatsuki. Their numbers nearly equaled that of the former faction. None of them would be left alive as the man's foot landed in the Uchiha's gut and threw him through the air. He crashed through a handful of trees that snapped under the pressure. The ninja grunted at the harsh impact, but Mai knew what was coming next.

She tossed a clone over her head before catching another around the waist and flipping them through the air while slitting its throat. The body turned to water in her grasp only for her path to be cut off by Jugo. His fist came around aiming for the face. She barely had time to duck, now concentrated on the raging experiment.

Beon didn't wait for his opponent to get up again speeding forward with a raised fist to inflict some real damage. The time to talk and reason with was over. This was a fight to the death. Only one of them would come away from this.

The Sharingan activated so swiftly there was no time for Beon to rethink his plan of attack. An Uchiha. This changed everything. The older teen managed to avoid the attack and sliced into the leader's stomach causing blood to pour from the wound. Grunting, the man quickly rushed to distance himself from the ninja. Sasuke was not far behind utilizing the Genjutsu to try and trick the leader. But Beon wasn't so easily fooled. He surprisingly saw through the tactic and nearly cut one of Sasuke's cheeks when they grew too close.

Mai struggled to hold off Jugo as he pressed against the Chakra Strings without any signs of letting up. Her feet to dig into the ground, the pressure beginning to snap a few tendrils as others tried to fill their place. This couldn't last for long. The other members of No Face were too busy with Suigetsu's clones when a figure suddenly appeared overhead.

Masaru landed on the young man's back causing him to roar in anger and rear up trying to remove the weight. The dark-skinned man wrapped both arms around Jugo's neck. They were gone in an instant. The Be Fong nearly stumbled forward without the additional weight only to look up and notice the two were falling from a great height above.

"In coming!" Kenta shouted from the trees seeing their approach.

The impact made the ground tremble Masaru disappeared seconds before contact as the trees broke and folded in on each other leaving a crater in place. Turning away from the destruction, Mai's eyes landed on Beon and Sasuke. The two lunged forward to engage. The Uchiha's Genjutsu was in full effect, bits of Susanoo being used now and again to deflect the harsh hits by the leader. Surprisingly the surface wasn't burning Beon's skin. He was lucky it was raining enough that Sasuke would not activate Chidori for fear of being electrocuted himself.

"Focus on me," a clone sneered coming in for the kill.

Mai whirled around fist covered in rock at the ready and ripped through it with ease glaring. "Out of my way," she growled.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed on the man, who showed no signs that he was weakening from the injury to the stomach.

"I will admit that the rumors of you are true, you are strong," the Uchiha commended.

Mai didn't like the tone of voice. Attention back on the fight upon ripping through ten more Suigetsu clones. Out of the corner of her eye she watched the rubble from around Jugo's resting place shift and groan. The next wave was about to begin–

And then she saw it. A black streak that seemed to move around the man from behind. Beon never seemed to notice still focused on the target in front of him. That wasn't the real Uchiha as it shimmered and vanished before his eyes. His true form came into focus. The leader had fallen into a trap. Mai's Chakra Strings shot towards them with lightning speed and desperation. However, a large tree trunk came sailing through the air, breaking her concentration in an attempt to avoid the attack from Jugo.

She barely managed to not get crushed and caught the sailing wood to redirect it from Kenta, who had been thrown into its path by a clone. The attack had distracted the Be Fong long enough, head whipping back around towards the real fight at hand.

"But you've lost this fight," Sasuke said.

Mai could see Beon's eyes slightly widen from behind the slits of the mask. He made eye contact with the Be Fong as she lunged. It was too late. Sasuke's sword came around aiming straight for the neck.

Mai screamed.

The ground became stained red with blood. No Face stood there in shock, not knowing what to do at first, while Suigetsu and Jugo observed the bloodshed with smirks. It had all been so sudden, and now their leader was dead. Killed by the infamous Uchiha. Beon's body fell to the ground, knees giving way and hitting the ground before tipping to the side, while the head bounced across the wet dirt to a halt.

It caused the mask to come loose giving them all a clear view of his face, eyes closed almost peacefully, contempt with the fact he had finally met his match. None of the others felt that way. Fumi and Asami wailed. Akihiro cried out in rage. The others for the moment were too horrified to speak. Suigetsu's clones used this opportunity to their advantage and attacked once more. Some barely managed to get out of the way in time or hold off the blows. Six of the clones noticed Mai's frozen stature as she continued to stare ahead at the dead body. They swooped down at once for the kill. The older teen knew they were coming through. She let them get close feeling her heart breaking at the decapitated Beon.

The Be Fong didn't care anymore, completely releasing the full capacity of the Chakra Strings so they engulfed the area. A strategy that had not been used since the Fourth Shinobi War. Something she should've done sooner. An action she would forever regret not doing in the first place. The spike of chakra in the air was staggering to everyone as the clones were ripped to shreds on the spot. Even completely pinned down Jugo, suffocating him into unconsciousness. It threw No Face towards the north end of the clearing being sure to keep them separate from Taka and out of harm's way.

Sasuke turned to watch the display with cold eyes only to be tossed through the air as well. Feeling the force press against his real form and threw him rather violently into a tree.

"Let's go!" Makoto shouted.

No Face tried to collect themselves. All of them felt so far away as Mai's ears rang from the shock of what just happened. Including the extensive use of chakra in only a matter of seconds. She stared at the Uchiha's back when he tried to stand once more.

"Come on!"

None dared to go up against the Uchiha after such a display even as a group, valuing their lives above everything else at the moment. Mai's head quickly turned away before Sasuke could see her, slipping into the cover of the trees. Taka didn't follow after them, for his intended target had been handled. A few rogues were not worth his time for now as she found the others. Masaru made eye contact with the Be Fong. Even he appeared concerned and affected by Beon's death.

"Sena, now!" he shouted.

She didn't need to be told twice, even if her levels were a little low at the moment and reached into the reserves. Mai grabbed ahold of a bleeding Makoto and crying Fumi, as Joon and Asami both gripped her shoulders from behind. Within the blink of an eye they were moving across vast stretches of land, crashing to the ground not very gracefully on a patch of grass. At least it had been somewhat comfortable as the others appeared beside them soon after in a similar fashion.

"What the fuck!" Akihiro shouted. Ripping off the mask it was thrown to the side with so much force they thought it would shatter on impact. "A fucking– An Uchiha– He–!"

Mai's chest seized with an indescribable pain, feeling a wave of panic and distress setting in. This was what Sasuke had been doing all along? In order to test his strength, he was the one killing the rogues? Even though it was a blessing to some to be rid of a nuisance, there were some who were peaceful. Like No Face. Only wandering for hire. Yet that didn't matter to Sasuke. He had it stuck in his mind that a peaceful band of rogues weren't possible. Beon did not deserve to die.

"We can't stay here," Makoto stated.

His arm had been sliced open from Suigetsu's blade, being tended to by Kenta. They all knew he spoke the truth. Even if Sasuke had allowed them to escape, he wouldn't stop till finishing his mission to eliminate the supposed threat. None of the rogues that had come across the serial killer in the past survived. They would be hunted, Mai realized. And there was nothing that could be done to stop it. One by one they would be picked off for fear of the news reaching the Kages that the murderer was from the Leaf. Even if any of them managed to reach a Kage, this news would also pinpoint their whereabouts and movements. Ibiki would never allow a rogue to leave the gates once they passed through his doors. Either way, it was a lose–lose situation.

Someone cried out. Fumi was in distress, heartbroken at the loss of Beon. Not only that, she was sporting a rather serious injury of her own from Jugo. A shoulder was swelling up, not sure if it was due to a dislocation or a break in the bone. Asami tried to calm her down to check. She had gotten too close to the young man. Mai ran a frustrated hand through tousled hair. They were all alone and without any guidance. No one was stepping up to claim the title of leader. But they needed someone for the time being.

Why hadn't she pulled Beon out of the way and engaged herself?

Because she thought the leader could handle himself like he had time and time again.

Why hadn't she spoken up and said something? It could've stopped Sasuke in his tracks.

Because a part of her didn't wish to believe what she was seeing was actually happening before her very eyes.

Why hadn't she taken Beon's place?

Because she wanted to be Sena. To not be Mai Be Fong.

Sena, a false persona that she had grown accustom to over the past few months. It was almost easy to forget who she was before joining No Face. Because she wanted to be someone who wasn't special in others eyes.

No Face headed south to a denser area of the forest that was uninhabited and hard to reach should anyone come looking. It didn't matter though. Mai knew they were going to die.

This mission was a disaster.

It was time to abort. [song ends]