Chapter 23: Yami
To read up to 15 chapters ahead: https://www.patréon.com/SlyOW
-------------
First, the teleportation from the Reverse Summoning Jutsu was only instantaneous the first time it was used, because it was only relying on a single entity, the ninja. Once one has signed their contract with a race, any summoning, no matter which side it goes to, needs to form a connection between two beings, which took time.
In general, it was easier for a Summoned Beast to enter our world, which was why it was often considered as near instantaneous and usable in battle, but the same couldn't be said for the other way around.
It often takes several seconds to go to the other side, which were in general more than enough to escape.
Another reason for this Jutsu not being the ultimate escaping tool, as well as why it wasn't a compulsory jutsu taught to every Genin, was that the Summon World was extremely dangerous.
Not every race was as welcoming as the toads of Mount Myoboku, and obviously, I wasn't so lucky to get a safe zone.
Looking around, I could barely make out a few trees, and rugged terrain. If I had to guess, I would say I was on a mountain, and pretty steep one too. The moon hung high in the sky, yet for some reason it seemed incredibly dim, as if it was about to balloon out of the sky.
Obviously, this area wasn't very amicable, I don't know what lives on this mountain, but it didn't seem to be a very hospitable race. Possessing an affinity to a race didn't mean this race wouldn't harm me.
Besides, summons were still fleshy beings, and needed to feed, so most lived alongside other animals, their prey. According to Itachi, the crows he had signed a contract with had settled on a giant tree, which they shared to all kinds of insects they would eat when hungry.
Alone in the dark, possibly surrounded by dangerous beasts, I was a little scared, but every time I felt my fear rise, I reminded myself of the situation I was in.
The final reason the Reverse Summoning Jutsu was not a viable escaping technique was because when one left to the Summon World, they would reappear in the same place they left in, if they ever returned that is.
But in my situation, it meant I would most certainly have someone waiting for me when I come back, someone stronger than me.
So I had to sign a contract with the local Summon Race, and grow stronger rapidly to come back to my world. One important piece of information I had taken from the two I had killed was that my team most certainly wasn't dead.
They talked of interrogation, and targets. I don't know why, but they wanted to interrogate my team. Now, the sensible thing to do would be to hide in here for as long as possible, if possible months, and then go back to Konoha when the coast is clear…
But I don't think I would be able to live with myself if I simply abandoned my team. So, another plan was formed in my mind. Grow stronger, track my team, and save them. Suicidal, foolish, extremely unlikely to work out… But fuck the odds I'm a goddamn queen.
This is what I repeated to myself everytime I felt my fear rise,, and it did give me the necessary bravado as I walked up the mountain.
I don't know what kind of race I had been brought to, but I doubt they settled at the bottom of the mountain, so I decided to go up.
Honestly, I looked quite miserable, I was still dressed in dirty rags, torn in some place because of the fight, and I only had my sword and a few shurikens in my pouch. I had set aside the rest so to pass as a beggar, but it came back to bite me in the ass.
However, as I was deep in thought, I suddenly felt a jolt of pain come from my shoulder, and I barely saw a shadow flash by as a burst of blood gushed out from my now injured shoulder.
I held my shoulder in both shock and pain while taking several steps back, my eyes wide as I searched for my attacker.
That attack had been shockingly stealthy, I only knew I was attacked when I got injured. It was so fast I didn't have enough time to see my attacker.
On my guard now, I moved forward with prudence, but before long I felt something slam into my back, forcing me to ground as another cut was opened in my back.
I cried out in pain this time, jumping up right away to attack my silent attacker, but they had completely disappeared.
Then, I understood. The fucker was playing with me.
So I decided to stop moving. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed my katana's handle, my other hand securing the sheath in place.
I pushed all of my senses to their maximum, waiting for my attacker.
However, even in those conditions, I didn't sense my attacker in the slightest as whatever was attacking me went for my face.
My vision was instantly covered in blood as a precise cut was made right above my eyes. Barely a few centimeters lower, and I would have lost both of my eyes permanently.
But even though whatever had attacked had missed my eyes, they still incapacitated my vision as I was forced to shut my eyes from the blood.
I felt despair rising, but I buried it deep under my will to survive as I once again took my earlier pose, waiting for an attack.
Again, I was underestimated, and again, I would use this against my enemy. I may be blind, but I have five other senses.
The next slash was for my ribs, and this one too I wasn't able to dodge. Then my chest, once again my back, my other shoulder, both of my legs…
In a matter of minutes, I received several grave injuries, and I felt myself growing weaker as I lost blood. Still, I did not let go of my sword.
And finally, my perseverance paid off. Again, I did not feel my attacker, whoever was attacking my was extremely good at stealth attacks.
However, I felt myself enter into a strange state of extreme focus as the world around slowed down, and my every senses felt like they became ten times stronger.
While I did not feel the attack coming, I managed to react to the moment the attacker's weapon touched my skin.
Reacting in a hundredth of a second, I lowered slightly my body, making the slash completely miss, and at the same time, my brain calculated the trajectory of the attack, and by extension my attacker.
Finally, my set of action ended with a Shunshin Slash. For the first time, I managed to use the Shunshin and attack in conjunction.
I disappeared from my spot, passing by my attacker as my sword performed an ultra fast slash onto them, before I bypassed them and stopped several meters in front.
Releasing the breath I had been holding, I heard a loud thud behind me, meaning whatever had attacked me, had fallen to the ground.
And now, it was my time.
I finally couldn't hold on anymore as I fell to the ground, unconscious.