Chapter 7: Turning Point Part III
"Sure you were..." Sui turned to face Enma the Monkey King on the open field, the veins protruding on the right side of her face. "I'm sorry for the delay Monkey King."
"You're very polite for that killer look on your face."
"I can't help it. You're the one in the way of our dreams." Sui got into her fighting stance. I activated my Sharingan to watch her movements, even though that defeated the purpose of me sitting out. I'll only watch a little. I wasn't going to miss the chance to watch Sui get serious.
"Good, a ninja should have a goal. Now come at me with all you hav—"
Sui cut him off. The palm of her hand struck the monkey's center sending out a shock wave that disturbed the river behind Enma. She clicked her tongue as the monkey turned into a log. A Substitution Jutsu which meant he had to be. A hand broke through the ground under her.
Unfazed, Sui hopped into the air out of his grasp. Her body twirled around midair until she faced downward striking at the monkey's arm with her gentle fist. Two, four, eight, ten strikes, with speed faster than my eyes could keep up with, ending with a grab onto the monkey's paw. She dragged him out of the earth, throwing him up into the air while bringing her down to the ground.
With a sigh, Sui spoke. "You can't hide from me. So don't try."
Staring up at the falling Enma. I still found it amazing that her Byakugan could see chakra signatures even underground. Which was why I believed Sui could see through lies. I wasn't 100% certain if that was true, but the longer I spent with her, the more I believed it. I relaxed my eyes having seen enough. The fight was over since the monkey could only use one arm.
"Bad move." Tayuya mumbled next to me. I raised an eyebrow since I couldn't exactly talk to her. "Sui's a close combat fighter, and judging by her stance, she needs the ground to use her gentle fist. I'm sure the overgrown ape can cast Jutsu while he's up there." That's not true at all; you just can't see it—
Enma somehow clasped his hands together. "Clone Technique: Adamantine Staff Hailstorm!" Around him, staffs colored black and gold appeared. All ten of them extended out at Sui, growing over twenty meters long. The staffs struck like hail, fast and hard, creating a dust cloud. The bangs sent shockwaves that felt like an earthquake, shaking me and Tayuya. Enma landed onto the ground, heaving as his right arm dangled.
"See I told—"
I placed my finger in front of Tayuya's lips and pointed at the dust cloud that began to fade. Sui stood in her spot, not even having moved. It was as if all the staffs had missed her entirely.
"Hah... Hah... I hate Hyūga ninja." Enma said, willing his right hand up only for it to fall back down. From how it limped, Sui had definitely destroyed its chakra points.
I was just surprised he could still cast Jutsu with one of his arms being injured. Is that what fighting in a war does to you? Sui gave me the short recap of who Enma was, and he apparently had fought in all three of the Great Ninja Wars alongside the Third Hokage. As such, his resolve was something I could only dream of.
"Trust me. I hate them too." Sui said, walking around the stuck staffs. Her lightning cloak wasn't as bright anymore, and I figured she dropped it down to ten percent.
"Sui, you have a minute left." I said, reminding her to finish the job.
"I know." She said, getting back into her gentle fist stance. "It's all because your attitude is rubbing off on me."
"What the hell happened? I'd get it if she moved out of the way, but she just stood there. How is that trash still fine!" Tayuya still didn't get it, and I guess if you didn't know the Hyūga, you wouldn't, but that last line made my eye twitch.
"Tayuya, can you not call my girlfriend trash." Especially since I'm sure, she can beat even a long-range user like you.
"Only if you explain." Tayuya sat her head on the palm of her hand, grumbling.
I didn't think this counted as talking, so I decided to tell her. I didn't see it, but there was a circular line in the dirt where all the staffs landed. Which told me she used Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation. Pretty much a spherical barrier formed by rotating. It stopped all attacks by equalizing the force applied creating a stand still. However, I didn't think that she'd lose 40% of her lightning cloak. Which meant those adamantine staffs were durable, hell maybe unbreakable is the word. Since none of them looked to even be cracked.
"Tch. So, you're telling me she was holding back against me too?"
No, not at all. Saving Kurai from her Genjutsu just took a lot of chakra from Sui. But I decided not to tell Tayuya that since I was already pushing my luck. I simply shrugged my shoulders and went back to watch the fight's conclusion.
They were both bruised and beaten. Sui's lightning cloak was no longer active, and the bandages on her arms had come off. The only thing that stayed intact was her head protector, which still covered her Sharingan eye. She really went that far to hide the fact she had both and still came out on top.
"To think–hah... With one arm, you still put up this much of a fight." Sui spat out blood. "You really are The Monkey King."
"Hah... I've fought wars without them, Young Hyūga prodigy."
"I wish you wouldn't refer to me as that."
Enma stared at Sui. "What would you like to be called then?"
"Sui."
"Sui. Yes. That is a perfect name for someone whose movements are fluid like yours."
"Thank you for the compliment." Sui dashed from her spot.
Enma didn't move, his armor broken and chipped. He looked more banged up than Sui. He just lifted one arm; his breathing could be heard all the way from where I sat.
I prepared to move in the next twelve seconds. I didn't think she'd fail, but I knew she wouldn't be able to help me beat the Third Hokage. Jealousy is a terrible thing to deal with.
The ground cracked beneath Enma as he threw a left hook. Sui ducked moving like water and prepared to counter with an uppercut "Enma, let's do this again sometime. It was fun."
"Gladly." Enma smiled then I noticed he did a hand sign.
The world moved in slow motion as I sprang forward. I started doing the hand signs for my wind technique. Though, no matter how fast I ran. I was never fast enough.
An adamantine staff shot out of the ground knocking her away. Blood spewed out of Sui's mouth as she flew backward. Her head protector came off as her head rocked back.
"Sui!" I screamed out.
Her eyes opened, and she clasped her hands together. "Water Style: Water Bullet Jutsu!" Staring past the staff, she spat out bullets of rain.
Enma's eyes widened, letting the storm take him down. "Sorry Hiruzen. Looks like I lost." He disappeared in a cloud of smoke, but I didn't care about that now.
"Wind Style: Whirlwind Sprint Jutsu!" I dashed over to Sui to make sure she didn't crash into the ground. In my arms, she was out cold, but my eyes told me she'd live. Sui just pushed herself too hard and even gave away the fact she knew water style in the process. All to impress me. Stupid girl. Don't you know? I'm already yours. I laid her next to Tayuya.
"If you can heal her, that would be great."
"I'm not too good at that, and you know it." Tayuya said, already preparing to stabilize Sui. The Third Hokage clapped his hands, and Tenzō appeared in his mask and cloak.
"Don't worry, we'll take care of her. Continue with the test." He picked her up and disappeared.
That guy still isn't chatty. Then again, I'm running low on time. The sky was becoming more orange and blue by the second. She did it in three minutes, but I needed more than twelve, no, ten minutes. I still needed to get ready.
"With that out of the way. I guess it's you and me now, Yuki." Tayuya stood up, a wild grin spread across her face as she prepared for the fight.
"No, you're sitting this one out." I said, preparing my kunai with elemental tags.
"What! Hell no! I'm not—"
"If you participate and throw away Sui's will." I stared at Tayuya, who shuddered. "I'll kill you."
She looked away from me. "Fine. But just so you know, we're still going to have that talk alone when you're done."
"And what makes you think that?" I didn't care if Sui technically didn't win because she wasn't here to fight with me. She went that far for her goal, so I wasn't going to go back on it. I shouldn't even be talking to her right now—
Tayuya grabbed my face beating back her earlier fear. Our eyes locked her brown to my red. Is she sad? "Your eyes look just like his right now."
I pulled away from her and sighed, relaxing my eyes. "Alright, alright, we'll talk. Alone. But only if I lose, ok." I walked off towards Hiruzen-sensei shaking my head. That gamble really didn't pay off.