53 - What May Be There Tomorrow

Kazami was quite balanced. A regular mix of responsibility and freedom, humor and seriousness, selfishness and selflessness. She was protective of her sisters as any regular older sibling.

But if there was one unique part of her personality, it's that she lived in the present. She gets annoyed when Zansha worries about the future. She probably would get annoyed when Akano reminisced all the time, but she disappeared at too young an age.

"You can't tell what's going to happen in the next minute, Zansha. For all you know, the sun could explode and end the world in the next five seconds," Kazami would say. "Do what you want now, don't wait. You're gonna regret it when things are too late."

"But Kaza-nee, don't most people say it's good to think ahead?" Zansha replied, twirling her light brown hair.

"Most people are idiots. Your point?"

For Kazami, being reincarnated was strange. Suddenly, the world was different. The girl who was a newborn when she last saw her was now a chunin. Everyone she knew was older, and there were so many new people.

It didn't feel like the 'present' anymore. It didn't feel like her world.

But she wasn't the one in control right now. Whatever is bringing her back to life here, Kazami didn't like it.

"Mid left shoulder," Terasu called. Mitsuka, in Stormwind Armament, aimed a sharp punch at the designated location, but it was repelled with Kazami's own Stormwind.

Kazami attacked with a mixture of speed and power, with a sense of distant elegance from her dark brown braids fluttering in the (self-generated) wind. It was only thanks to Terasu's Unmegan that the two chunin were able to dodge most attacks.

Terasu averted his gaze for a moment. When an Unmegan user activates their power, 'weak points' become visible as black light, and the moment of 'death' flashes through their mind when looking at people.

But with Edo Tensei reincarnates, they were unnatural. They were long dead, they could die yet they revive endlessly. It was nauseating to look at one of the reincarnates, because he can see both a death that has already passed- a paradox, and the many deaths but not deaths in the future.

It was hard to explain. In short, his head hurt like hell.

"Terasu, dodge!" He looked up in time to lunge sideways, but Kazami whipped around and kicked him in the chin, sending the green haired boy into a tree.

"Wind Release: Whirlwind Fist!" Mitsuka swung her fist at the brown haired woman, who ducked away and punched her in the stomach. The hazel haired girl crashed into a rock, her Stormwind Armament flickering away.

Turning back to Terasu, Kazami took another taijutsu stance. The boy wiped a trail of blood off his chin, rolling sideways just as a wind-imbued fist came flying.

"Terasu!" Mitsuka shouted, reactivating her Armament and dashing forward to attack. She got a hit in, but Kazami's Stormwind blocked out any significant damage. Casting the girl a mildly sad glance, Kazami kicked her away again before preparing for the killing blow on Terasu.

"Stormwind B-"

"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"

Terasu looked up. "Naku! And- Aunt Kyoki-sama?"

Kyoki Shiomiru gave him a cold nod. "I saw your friend here when I was on my way. You cannot hide some things from me."

The olive haired woman drew her rapier, pointing the weapon at Kazami. "I don't suppose a team of hapless teenage chunin is enough of an enemy, no? Now, you face the head of the Shiomiru Clan of Shimogakure."

"We're not hapless!" Mitsuka complained, stumbling up and activating her Stormwind Armament once again.

With stronger reinforcements, Mitsuka and Terasu could take a moment to recuperate. Kyoki was clearly in a different league to the 'hapless teenage chunin.'

Her pale green eyes shifted into the solid black of the Unmegan, her rapier attacking with incredible speed and aim. Naku tended to his teammates with his very limited (read: nonexistent) medical skills.

Kazami narrowed her eyes as she dodged Kyoki's strikes, but she was still hit half the time. Her Stormwind Armament protected her from most damage, but getting hit was never a good idea, especially when her opponent had Unmegan targeting.

The reincarnate's Stormwind Armament flared stronger, as she moved to the offensive. A quick punch was dodged, but her second kick hit Kyoki firmly, throwing her down.

Kyoki recovered quickly, positioning herself a good distance away from Kazami. She turned to Team Haruka. "I will dispel the Stormwind with a fire jutsu. However, such jutsu is not my specialty. When I do, you must attack. Terasu, you will direct them with your Unmegan."

Terasu looked up in mild surprise, but his eyes hardened and he nodded. "I will."

Kyoki performed a sequence of hand signs. "Fire Release: Flame Bullet."

As the ball of fire flew towards Kazami, she quickly evaded the attack. Kyoki continuously threw fire jutsu at the Sora, until she gathered her Stormwind to her arm to block it.

"Lower right leg and left elbow," Terasu commanded, his Unmegan flickering on. Naku and Mitsuka activated their own Stormwind Armaments, dashing forwards to attack.

The woman flinched, ducking and sweeping her leg to knock the two away. Due to previous injuries, Mitsuka was thrown away with a yelp but Naku jumped over, landing a few meters away and following up with another attack.

With the barrage of fire jutsu over, Kyoki was somewhat tired. After all, the Shiomiru specialized in their kekkei genkai and occasionally swordsmanship, not elemental jutsu. Kazami quickly recovered her Armament and began to form hand signs. "Stormwind Blast."

Part of her Stormwind Armament gathered into a tightly concentrated beam, shooting straight towards Kyoki.

"Rina, go to the war. Assist the Allied Forces if you're forced to fight, but focus on finding Yurei," Kyomu commanded, his voice tight.

Said pink haired girl frowned. "Why me? Can't you just wait until Henka comes back and send him?"

The red haired man shook his head. "No..."

"In fact... I have my doubts whether Henka is alive at all."

"...Makoto."

The armored Executioner nodded briefly, Makoto's voice resounding through it as it hauled up a large axe. "I already told you Sun Star people to back off. However, now, I have no choice but to hunt down and kill..."

She picked up her sentence through the second puppet, the dark-robed Onyx. "...each and every one of you."

Henka never had much of a motivation in life. His mother was a ninja and his father a civilian, nothing too special. Henka himself learned a few jutsu from his mother, but never became a shinobi himself.

The boy had a sharp eye and a sharp tongue, often judging people's choice of outfit out of nowhere. Despite fashion being a near nonexistent job in the ninja world, he often helped out resident designers.

He was also relatively detached from the village. There was never anything binding him to Takigakure except having no reason to leave. So obviously, he left as soon as he had a reason, namely his dislike for the ninja headband designs.

He didn't like walking around and looking at people wearing ugly headbands. That's all.

Afterwards, Henka travelled. He designed, he critiqued fashion, and he learned to judge people silently to not offend any bigshots. Without any annoying rules and ugly clothes surrounding him, he opened up slightly. At least enough to decide Sun Star needs fashion help and actually decide to help them.

So yeah, he expected to die of old age, or maybe of terribly clashing colors, not to be killed by a mysterious sociopathic puppeteer lady's remote controlled dolls.

But then again, life wasn't made to be happy.

In case you're wondering, no, Terasu didn't heroically jump in front of his aunt to take the hit. He might be dying today, but that doesn't mean he won't try to make an effort.

The green haired boy snatched two kunai from his holster, launching them at the Sora. With Kazami distracted, the boy hurriedly cast a fire jutsu- not his specialty, for sure- to dispel the Stormwind attack.

Kazami turned around, her Stormwind Armament thickening further. Naku launched a volley of shuriken, but they bounced harmlessly off.

"Stormwind Blast."

With Kyoki temporarily unavailable and the Sora siblings unable to attack through Kazami's armament, nobody could redirect the attack.

As prophesied, Terasu was dead.

Due to the attack, for a moment, Kazami's Stormwind Armament faltered. This was enough time for Naku and Mitsuka to attack simultaneously, their eyes sparking with anger.

Kazami whipped around, defending herself from Mitsuka. Naku, however, ducked under her attack to kick his aunt down. "Bind her, quick!"

Kyoki managed to get up, delivering one more attack with her sword and kicking the reincarnate into a tree to temporarily incapacitate her.

The olive haired woman kept her face blank. "I will take my leave now. Find your Sealing Team to seal up the Sora."

Naku frowned at her. "Your nephew just died, aren't you going to react in the slightest? Aren't you sad at all?"

Kyoki paused in her steps, shooting the brown haired boy a cold expression. "Death cannot be avoided. Haruki might feel sad for the boy, but I never knew that child. He was never meant to survive past this day, everything happened as I expected."

"But you two... you two will survive to tomorrow." Kyoki's eyes flickered black for a moment, before returning to their original misty green color as she turned back around, disappearing into the foliage. "Do not waste your future."