| [Jun. 12th, 2009|12:30 am] |
I've got taijutsu. Ninjutsu's weak at the moment.
Freakin' fantastic.
Asuma leapt up onto the railing, grabbed a gang-rope, and steadied himself against the ship's rolling movement with a flicker of chakra. He couldn't sworn the waves were getting rougher. The ocean had a sense for atmospherics. Or the flush of new adrenaline coursing through his veins just made him notice things more.
Like that ship reaching the outer limits of cannon-range.
Like the rumble of moving metal beneath their feet.
Like Tsume growing claws.
He shot a glance back at her, clocking sharper teeth, shifting muscles, and slender fingers now edged with dagger-tip points, and whistled. "Nice. Brace yourself, love."
She arched an eyebrow at him--her eyes were bluer, icier, pupils narrowed to slits--then lunged to grab the railing when the first barrage of cannon fire split the air like a thunderclap. The enemy ship was quicker off the mark. Asuma grabbed his chakra, twisting it out in flurry of seals, and slammed up a solid wall of air. Incoming cannon balls cracked against the wind-shield before they met wood; Asuma grinned and flung them back, turning Shin's first salvo into a double attack.
Chakra lashed around the enemy ship. An orchestra of curses went up from Shin's crew when every single cannon ball landed harmlessly in the sea, but Asuma smiled. No more tracking; they'd found their ninja.
"Get closer!" he bellowed. They'd never outrun the other ship, but he'd wager they could inflict some interesting damage.
"Are you crazy?" Shin roared back.
"Probably! Get closer!" He could see three shapes on the other deck, standing perfectly still amid the chaos of running sailors. Steel glinted blue in the moonlight. "Now, captain!"
"Son of a whore!"
The ship lurched beneath them, heeling around like a spurred horse. Asuma snapped a clone to life, sent it to stand at Tsume's back, and called up a whirlwind of fire. |
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