Chapter 46

                                    

                                          
A blonde woman shielded her eyes from the falling rubble.
"How did you find me?" Yugito asked.
The blue-haired man could not have been more physically different from his partner. Where the armoured man had no identifiable characteristics- even the 'man' part was pure speculation on her part- with the draped Akatsuki cloak as the only article of visible clothing, the man in front of her was tall and lanky, practically drowning in belts and shirts underneath that baggy cloak. How anyone could fight in such clothing was beyond her.
Kuki Isha and 'Hogo'. Both are highly wanted, for counts of high-profile assassination and for their secrets. They are to be taken alive, if practical. 
The man in shining steel armour gave no response. His partner, on the other hand, started to talk.
"You... reek of blood."
She took a second before narrowing her eyes. "That's not what I asked.".
He was determined to ignore her. "You... How many have you killed? How many innocents have been consumed by your flame?"
She frowned. "How would I know?"
The man's face gave way to pure fury, and he adopted a fighting stance. "Exactly. People like you disgust me. I'm going to do the world a favour, and rid it of your existence."
The armoured man stepped forward. "Enough, Isha. No need to get swept up by your emotions."
He grit his teeth. "You would never understand."
The chakra around her flared tenfold, and she snarled.
"You two will not make it out of here alive!" She brought the full power of the Two-Tails down to bear upon them, orange fire sprouting from Matatabi's ethereal mouth.
Isha made a seal, and the fire in her mouth fizzled out.
What?
After an instant, she realised what was wrong. She could feel it. The air. It was all moving away from her.
End it quick. End it quick.
Blue-black fire roiled in her maw, and she fired at the duo.
The armoured man rushed in front, punching an exposed pipe and forcing a jet of water in front of the fire.
The fire dissipated, and she briefly considered using the Bijudama, and then looked up.
Not worth it. Not yet.
The water stopped, and she looked around. That strange man was nowhere to be found.
Where...?
She staggered, knocked back by a colossal punch.
She looked at him again, and she saw an aura of wind around him.
He's being sped up... I hate these kinds.
He darted away from a swipe and rushed back in with a wicked blow, sending her avatar reeling. She unleashed a wave of fire which was also avoided, and she had to brace for the subsequent counter.
Alright, enough!
She opened her maw, and purple chakra began to pool in her mouth. She swallowed the ball, and released it as a huge beam, straight at the wind user. The armoured man disengaged, making a beeline straight for his compatriot.
His eyes widened, and he started moving out of the way.
Too slow.
She moved, dragging the beam along with her, collapsing the pillars and dropping the ceiling on him.