Despite it All

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Shino's POV (Nearby Chakra Anchor - Western River Plains)

Evening

The air was still, as nothing but tense breaths filled it within a small grove of trees between two rivers surrounding the Chakra Anchor. In said patch of trees and rivers stood the two of them. Shino and Suzumebachi finished their sequence of hand signs nearly simultaneously, shattering the tense silence and lull of battle with their cries.

This mission had proven far more troublesome than Shino had thought possible. Not only had the struggle to free, protect, and now escape with their allies proven quite the ordeal. But their entire path had been doggedly blocked by mortal enemies of their clan, the Kamizuru.

Shino, as the heir of the Aburame, was aware of the Kamizuru as their former greatest foes and now the most hateful enemy. But in the last war, their numbers diminished significantly, and the remaining members were ashamed and unremarkable. So much so that the Aburame had largely considered the rivalry over. Shino had thought it unlikely he would ever encounter them at all in his life. Yet now he was facing his third. Annoying when Shino cared little for settling an unimportant score with an enemy long defeated. Emotional grudges never were his forte.

"Earth Style: Sudden Pitfall"

"Earth Style: Plate Canon!"

Shino didn't bother flinching as the ground beneath him gave out. His eyes spotted sharp and long spikes at the bottom, ensuring landing would be death. He had predicted this sort of move from her. Stone shinobi often relied on their elemental jutsu to bind, imbalance, crush , or defend. His own jutsu activated and provided the perfect counterattack. Before Shino could fully begin falling, his own jutsu caused a flat sheet of earth behind Shino to shoot forward; Shino caught it with his feet, jumped off it, and backward launched himself back as the plate of earth sought his foe.

Attempting such a simple tactic would never be the opening ploy of a true Jounin, not on its own. Shino had figured she would try to unbalance or cause him to backpedal in fear from the initial attack, using the moment to close the distance between. Shino had grilled each of his allies regarding their foes thus far and was well aware of the woman's lethal ace. She could control Shino utterly with a mere touch from her right hand. However, the woman was nearly beheaded as the plate met her charge; she barely slid under it, throwing several kunai, as she did.

Shino met her charge confident in his strategy going forward. His previous bouts against both Jibachi and Kurobachi had made it clear the Kamizuru had improved their jutsu enough to negate the usual tactics of the Aburame. That left him with his sharp but limited Taijutsu, elemental Ninjutsu, and his Rinkaichu. It would be enough, merely another foe for him to fall before he could call it a rest. He bit off his glove as he weaved around the first kunai before catching the second one, deflecting a third, and using the held kunai as his own weapon, launching it back at Suzumebachi. The woman deftly caught it and returned fire. The single kunai raced back and forth as the two threw it back at each other, each time catching and attempting to use it themself. The two repeated the gesture again and again as they marched forward at each other.

Suzumebachi caught the kunai last just as they drew close. Flowing through the catch, she lunged forward, stabbing for Shino's throat. Shino deflected the stab with a swipe of his right hand, stabbing out with his left for her throat. She leaned flexible back, barely dodging the grab attempt, and kicked Shino square in the stomach as she did. Shino stumbled back as the woman smiled grimly and lunged forward with her free right hand. Shino barely caught it by her wrist and swept out the legs of Suzumebachi, attempting to dive on top of her as he did. However, Shino suddenly was launched back and left breathless for a couple of moments before hitting the ground and rolling to his feet with a sigh.

Suzumebachi glared back at him, standing up a small pillar of earth that he was shown to have erected from the ground. It saved her and smacked Shino away.

"The hell are they feeding you hippies these days!" Suzumebachi roared angrily. "I'll accept the bowl cut boy is some kind of genius or something, but this must be a damn joke. I am a veteran Jounin, Head of the damn Kamizuru Clan. I cannot and will not be matched by some green rookies, especially a damn Aburame!"

"I take great pride in my clan," Shino answered simply. They both used this brief exchange of words to plan out this battle. It seemed to Shino they were both more tactical fighters. That initial series of blows had been short but telling for both. A touch from Shino's left hand or Suzumebachi's right hand would lead to an instant victory for either of them. Suzumebachi would gain control over Shino, or Shino would kill her with his Rinkaichu. That knowledge would be the deciding factor in this battle, and the strategy would be formulated around it. "Yet I do not consider that all I am. You said earlier you are not here as a Kamizuru member or a Iwagakure Jounin. You fight to survive, something I can currently relate to. I have no interest in continuing the bloodshed between our clan. I must continue to the Chakra Anchor regardless of risk or impediment. If you insist upon standing in my way I will subject you to both."

"Just like a Leaf Shinobi resorting to diplomacy, all while contradicting themselves by making a threat. "Suzumebachi snorted. "But you are not listening. I cannot afford to let you pass unabated. If I did, my own life would be forfeit. Besides, you killed both Jibachi and Kurobachi, admitted by yourself. I was not fond of the two, but they were some of Kamizuru's finest. I have no choice to avenge them or besmirch their and my own honor."

"I did not believe you would listen to reason. All the same, I find myself tired of this. If you let me pass, you can pretend I managed to best you. No need to risk your life in a fight with no meaning. I do not wish to be forced to deal with you." Shino responded.

"I have been forced to betray my country after being misled, and now I am forced to fight for my own life. Despite that, I still have pride in being a Kunoichi. If I was to not only turn away from facing a Leaf shinobi but give a pass to the killer of my own, I would have no pride left. And right now that is all I have left." Suzumebachi responded. "The problem with you, Leaf shinobi, is you lack guts. You're constantly concerned with what's right or wise, but sometimes you must move forward with nothing supporting you but the hard as the stone will within."

"That does not sound all that different from the Will of Fire ideology we Leaf shinobi conduct ourselves by. Though we recognize the need and power of unity over one's own might." Shino acknowledged. "I suppose we should end this then, the clash of Aburame and Kamizuru, Leaf and Stone, the tough unchanging will of stone or the bright burning flame of the will of fire. The victory will be decided today, more bloodshed over meaningless honor."

Suzumebachi did not wait for him to finish as she raised a finger and shot off a litany of stingers at Shino in a mere second. The Aburame sprinted to the left, threading through trees and rocks for cover. Hearing the stingers stabbing into his cover as he ran. However, as Shino rolled free of his cover, the stingers caught up and pepper the body of the Aburame. However, Shino burst into a cloud of insects, revealing he had switched out with an insect clone.

Shino grimly closed in from behind Suzumebachi, but the woman whipped around and barely dodged the clutch of his lethal left hand. Shino, however, did not let this bother him as he spun on his heel and backhanded her face with his less lethal hand, making her stumble back. Shino stepped after her, attempting to jab her chest with a mere finger of his left hand. However, he blinked in shock. The woman was suddenly shrouded in armor made of hardened mud and stone. His hand harmlessly touched such as he realized she had managed a jutsu. Suzumebachi responded with a much more effective jab to the face. Shino now dizzily backstepped, but it was for naught as he was kicked in the chest by the earth-clad woman. The blow knocked him clear off his feet.

Landing flat on his back, he was helpless as she stomped down onto his chest, Shino's sternum and ribs creaking under the blow. 'She's aware of the weakness of the Rinkaichu! Of course, she is…' Shino did not panic and merely weaved hand signs as she attempted another to finish him off. Completing the earth jutsu, just barely several sharp spines of earth were stabbed into Suzumebachi's armored chest. They failed to stab through but knocked her off her feet and off him for a moment.