Chapter 36

Rushing forward, two swords held in reverse grip, Ino jumped over the short haired blond woman who swung her own blade at her. Landing in a crouch, she jumped back avoiding the next slash. Kicking off the wall, she rocketed towards her swiping her sword out the way and delivering a kick to her chest sending her rolling back. She waited for a few seconds allowing her to get up. How dare she disrespect her in front of her love! She would pay in the worst way imaginable. They have been at it for a few good minutes already and she had to admit she was kind of strong.

Samui finally struggled back to her feet and stared across at this psychotic blonde. Her movements were completely unpredictable. Whatever her Kenjutsu style was, she had never seen anything like it. It was incredibly flexible and unnaturally quick.

"Ok ladies." Naruto said, drawing everyone's attention. "This little spout is taking longer than expected. You're the boy's mother, so what the hell." He shrugged. "Fight for your son. Actually, let's switch things up. You stay alive and so does your son. Doll?" he said getting Ino's attention. "Try and kill her."

Samui glanced over quickly to see her subdued child's tag lit aflame and wasted no time in rushing back into the fight. The Raikage placed his hand onto the hilt of his blade ready to just bust through the barrier with force. Bee put his hand on his shoulder and shook his head. He has been extremely serious as opposed to his usual idiotic behavior. "No Bro. Let Samui handle it yo." He said eyeing the masked man on the other side. The Raikage silently grit his teeth but released his sword none the less.

Swinging her blade with unrivalled intensity Samui was going for the kill as the best way to keep from getting killed yourself was to put your opponent on the defense. She refused to lose to this blonde bimbo. Ino kicked her wrist away before her sword came within range. Attacking with both of her blades, Samui took the defensive and began backing away. Ino continued her volley of slashes not letting up in the slightest.

Feeling her time was running very thin, Samui planted her feet and kicked the blonde away from her. While she stumbled back, she drove her sword in the ground and went through hand signs. Pointing her fingers, the tips lit up in a very bright white light and shot off towards the blond who had just recovered. Ino jumped away from the bullets of white that tore through the ground beneath her with ease. She had to keep moving as the blasts continued to shoot towards her. Each one coming closer and closer. Thinking quickly, Ino drew an explosive Kunai and threw it towards the next bullet headed towards her.

Samui paused for a second with her vision clouded by the smoke. Then, when Ino jumped away from the cloud of smog, she continued her firing. With an accurate shot that was sent on a straight path to the masked girl's chest, Samui was kicked into the side of the barrier by the real one. Getting to her feet quickly she rushed her again. Throwing a punch, she was infuriated by the woman's unnatural flexibility as she swiveled out of the way of each attack.

"One minute." Naruto called out. Samui furrowed her brow and continued on, doing her best to dodge the blonde's unorthodox attacks. Eventually the two of them found their blades back in their hands and they danced in a shower sparks and slashes. Samui was getting completely demolished as Ino parried all of her attacks with one blade and delivered small seemingly insignificant slashes with the other. Slowly however, she noticed her body was refusing to do what she wanted it to. She was simultaneously using the hilt of her blades to hit her pressure points! Creating an opening Ino made a deep cut on the back of Samui's calf, dropping her to the ground. She realized the masked girl's tactic too late and her body wouldn't move.

The Raikage and Bee watched in shock as she brought her sword up for the finishing blow. Just as he put his hand on the hilt of his blade, Naruto called out. "Time." Ino's blade lingered right at the neck of the woman.

"Babe." She whined as if begging him to let her kill her. Samui was left helpless, her arms and legs riddled with tiny cuts and bruises that seemed insignificant at first glance when in truth, were a lot more effective than anyone thought. She couldn't even lift her fingers. She was completely humiliated with a blade pointing at her neck.

"Now-now, Ino." Naruto replied with a gentle tone. "You had two minutes just like everyone else." He said nodding his head towards her. Ino huffed and flicked the small amounts of blood off of her blades. In a flash of light she was back in her throne with her arms and legs crossed, clearly not happy about the whole ordeal.

Samui breathed a sigh of relief as she looked up to her son who was crying for her. Darui and Bee had also calmed down as well seeing everything would be fine. "Hey. You gonna send her back? She's injured." The Raikage said, not liking that she was still down there.

Naruto looked at her immobile form and began looking around at everyone. Ino could tell he was having an idea. When he stared over at the Mizukage's party, something in his mind clicked. He looked over to their prize, his wife. Then he looked back over to Samui who physically could not move.

"Did you hear me? She's hurt." The Raikage said again. He noticed how the man's head looked around at everyone, ignoring him completely.

Ino was trying to follow Naruto's head movements. "Whatcha thinking babe?" she asked.

Naruto stood to his feet and began casually pacing behind the prizes. The direction of his mask never giving away the direction he was looking or what kind of sick action he was planning next. "Actually… I think this is a perfect opportunity to prove a point." He said strolling towards the right side of the platform. He stopped directly behind the last person on the prize slot. A woman with short brown hair, hunched over on her knees, trying to avoid his detection.

Naruto stared at the Mizukage from this distance. The blue haired man did not shy away from his gaze in part because he couldn't see it. A sickening feeling arose in the pit of his stomach, figuring it was their turn. All he had to do was follow the man's rules. If he had to kill someone, then he would do so without a shred of hesitation. He had to…

"Mizukage… Your fiancé here… Ms. Aya Koroyo?" he asked him rhetorically, already knowing the answer. The Mizukage just glared at him dangerously. "She has… never been a shinobi correct?" he asked. Once again he received no reply, as expected. "Well, she hasn't." he said cutting the rope tying her hands together and ripping the chain from around her neck. He grabbed her by her arm and pulled her to a standing position, ignoring her muffled pleas for her life.

"Hey!" the Kage in question yelled as he stepped up to the side of the barrier. He put his hands on it and leaned forward as if he were trying to get a better view. "Don't hurt her!" he yelled out frantically. Naruto ignored him and walked forward a bit.

Ignoring him for the time being, he spoke to the other remaining members, namely Gaara. "Now, you claim we aren't all monsters… I say.. we are." he grabbed her by the throat and held her over the side of the cliff to the horror of the Kiri group and his family. Her hands wrapped around his wrist and her bulging brown eyes stared into his eye holes, pleading desperately.

"Naruto! Wait, no!" yelled Minato putting his hands out as if telling him to calm down.

Naruto ignored all of the outraged cries of protest and continued on. Now, his mask was looking towards the woman in his hand. He spoke as if he were talking to her. "When your way of life or your life itself is threatened… you will do absolutely anything to maintain it." He said holding the kicking woman up with absolute ease. "It's the law of human nature. If it's an action with an immediately positive outcome, even if there is another way, we will take it if that other way isn't a sure thing."

"Please!" The Mizukage yelled hitting the barrier with his giant sword. "I'll do whatever you want!" he said, his eyes darting into the middle platform seeing that Samui was still there. "You want me to kill her!? I'll do it! Just, please!" That proclamation garnered a daring look from the Raikage's party of course, but he didn't even spare them a glance.

Naruto looked over to the blue haired man at that. He just eyed him lazily. "…Tempting." He said. "But, no." Just like that, he unclenched his hand and Aya fell.

Outrageous gasps and a hell curling scream from the Mizukage himself filled the air. He packed his sword with chakra and hit it as hard as he could with a war cry. Before he hit it again, his attention was drawn to the middle barrier where Aya landed unceremoniously in a flash of light, her eye's nearly popping out of her head and her tears returning full force. She landed on her back and ungracefully rolled over to get to her knees.

In another flash of light, a Kunai appeared directly in front of her. "I want her to do it." Naruto finished looking down to the fearful civilian woman.

The Raikage and the Mizukage shouted out in protest. Screaming their own words of hatred filled threats at the redhead. Naruto casually walked back to his throne and sat down. His gaze landing directly across from him, into the unreadable expression on his brother's face.

"For your freedom Aya." He called out, still looking into the eyes of Menma. "Kill this woman and you… and your party are free to walk away." He said surprising everyone. Aya's eyes were on the blade in front of her, tears streaming from her eyes uncontrollably. "You choose not to kill her, and you and your party remain for the duration of the game in which your husband will eventually have to fight for you." He said.

The first thought that ran through her mind was of course she wouldn't do it. She would just wait for Chojuro to save her. But… then she thought about the Tsuchikage's violent end. The man she brought with her died at the hands of another Kage. Her eyes traveled up to their platform. What if Ao or Haki were chosen to face off against the Raikage or the Hokage? They wouldn't stand a chance… by choosing to stay, she'd be choosing for them to die instead even though it wasn't a guarantee Chojuro would save her or not…

She looked back down to the Kunai and then up into the eyes of the immobile woman in front of her. Her heart and brain were tearing themselves apart, both making sound arguments for each scenario. She cried out hysterically, she didn't know what to do.

"A 'monstrous' action for certain freedom?" Naruto called out blandly. "Or… a 'righteous' action for an unassured chance at life?" he asked her ominously, further distorting her will. The constant screaming of those around her was feeding her anxiety as well.

The look in the woman's eyes was eating her soul, even from the considerable distance. She hadn't said anything, she just stared back at her, tears beginning to fall from her eyes. Aya reached forward with a very shaky hand and grabbed the kunai. Holding it up, she stared at the very tip of it and looked back to the blonde woman. Standing to her feet, she slowly walked forward until she was right in front of Samui.

She dropped to her knees and stared at her, trying to steady her resolve. She had to do it. This man was a complete Psycho. As soon as she refused, he would do something worse to them, she knew it. He spoke as if he knew she would end up killing this girl. He was trying to prove a point to everyone here and if she refused to feed in and made him wrong, there's no telling what he'd do.

"Don't do it!" yelled The Raikage, pushing against the glass in frustration. "Don't you fucking do it!" he looked across the way at his son who was witnessing the whole thing. "Don't look son! Look away!" he pleaded. Bee was quiet behind him, watching the whole thing play out. It broke his heart, but he kept his composure, knowing nothing they did would change the outcome.

The Mizukage's shouts were of course telling her to do it. If it was a sure way to save her life, he needed her to do it. Every now and then, he looked back to the masked man and cursed him for making his soon to be wife do something of this magnitude, but if it was a way out, he needed her to do it. "Aya-chan… just do it! Please, just do it… it'll be over quick!"

In their contradicting pleas to the woman, they locked eyes with each other a couple of times, shouting out curse words and hate filled remarks before immediately going back to yelling their threats/encouragements at the weak-minded woman. The Konoha bunch tried calming the two down before things got out of hand, but their words were consistently overshadowed by the two adrenaline fueled men screaming their heads off.

Aya peered into Samui's eyes. She had never killed anyone before. Could she even do this? This woman had a husband who was watching and threatening what would happen if she did… a child who was watching… How could she take her life like this? Before she realized it, the sounds around her drowned out completely and she was left alone with her thoughts once again. Her eyes were on the Kunai in her hands. Hands that wouldn't stop shaking. They just… they wouldn't stop. Tears were hitting her wrists as she tried to ration with herself and convince herself this was the right thing to do.

Naruto sighed and looked out towards the sea. From the positioning of the beams of light, he could guess it was possibly a little past noon. The uproar of voices all mangling together was giving him a headache. "Aya, you do not have all day. You either do it, or miss the opportunity." He said loud enough for her to hear him over all the commotion.

She clinched her eyes shut and opened them back up to look at the Kunai in her hands. She steadied her heart, and drowned the sounds of the others screaming at her out. With a heavy heart, and shaking hands, she brought the blade up over her head which simultaneously threw fuel on the fire, upping the intensity of the screaming happening around her. With her eyes shut and an unintentional scream of frustration, she drove the kunai down.

Metal met flesh and bone. She could hear and feel the blood gushing out from the chest of this woman in front of her. She couldn't take it anymore. She pulled the blade out and drove it down again… and again, and again. The area was quiet. Stunned in silence at the brutality of the scene. The only sounds remaining were the grunts of effort and frustration from Aya, the squishing of her hands and the blade plunging in and out of Samui's bleeding chest, and the muffled crying of the child who was watching his mother getting butchered to death by a woman that had cared for him in his brief time of captivity.

The Raikage hit his knees… no expression on his face describable in any real terms. His hands rested on his lap and he watched on as the woman stabbed Samui over and over again. The Mizukage was watching just as silently. He watched his fiancé's mind tear itself to shreds with every stab. She would never be the same. This was something he had never imagined seeing in his life time. Something he'd never wish to see.

Sorrow and remorse filled his heart for the man on the opposite side of the formations. They didn't deserve this. They were all victims in this. He was glad his wife was safe, but the action she had to take to do so was horrendous. He set his heart to rest just rationalizing with himself that being put in the same situation, he would have expected his wife to do the same. He prayed he understood that.

Aya had finally stopped her violent stabbing of the already deceased woman and she threw the Kunai away from her. She bent down and cried out continuous streams of apologies for the dead woman before her. She had to do it. She had to. That's what she told herself over and over again. In her hunched over state, she threw up whatever was left in her stomach from the last time she ate. Tears and pleas for forgiveness rushed out along with it.

Naruto watched the whole scene play out before him. His eyes were on the expressions of his family. They watched the sight with unbelieving gazes just like everyone else. It seemed like this was just too much of a revelation. The redheaded Kazekage watched on in contained shock as well. None of them could grasp the concept of the actions just taken.

"'Animal'.. is a derogatory word that inaccurately describes what we are." he said suddenly, drawing the attention back to him. "When someone is cruel, we are all so quick to call them an 'animal', yet when you truly nitpick it, humans are the only animals capable of such atrocities… so in other words…" he said looking down to the two women in the barrier. "Aya… you're a human… and you're also free to go." He said, letting the barrier fall.

The Mizukage's barrier fell as well, freeing him and his two chosen attendants. He didn't waste any time in jumping down to his fiancé. He wrapped her up in a hug, hiding her eyes from the horrendous sight of the mutilated blonde before them. He scrunched his nose up at the stench and looked up to the masked man.

Naruto could see the anger in his eyes. "If you wish to end up like the Tsuchikage, you are free to attack me as you please." He said ominously. "Your prize has won her own freedom. Take this opportunity to leave while you can…"

The Mizukage glared up at him, and for a second, the others thought he was going to attack him. He picked his fiancé up in a bridal carry while still eyeing the masked assailant. "…If they don't kill you when this is all over… I swear I'll find you." He said with pure hatred resting behind his eyes.

Showing no fear, Naruto nodded his head sharply, still unfazed by the meaningless threat.

With his piece said, the Mizukage turned to leave, stopping as he caught the eye of the Raikage who was staring right back at him. "…Had it been your wife… you'd have expected her to do the same." He said, to try and get him to understand.

The Raikage just stared at him for a second. A look of disgust crossing his face. "Sadly for you… it wasn't my wife."

The threat taken and understood completely, the Mizukage nodded his head and began walking away. He and his men jumped off of the cliff before the middle barrier shot back up, leaving just three more groups. A clone dragged Samui's body down and cleaned the area for the next event which was still undecided.