Chapter 54.1- One Thousand Hands

XXXXX- UZUME

In the end, her choice was taken away from her. She spotted some Kumo shinobiheaded towards the Hokage’s slumped over position and body flickered in their direction. The pair, two women, made an attempt to restist her will but the first met her eyes in shock and turned to the side, stabbing her partner with a kunai right in the throat before freezing in the complete motion and allowing Uzume to bury a shuriken into her neck before jumping over to the Hokage.

She kept a watchful eye on the Raikage who seemed amused by how quickly she had dispatched his shinobi more than anything. When she reached Hiruzen, she expected him to do something, but he just watched her even as he weaved through Sensei’s furious offensive, treating the man like four opened gates did not matter. Each slash Sensei made with his created arcs of cutting chakra that broke against the Raikage’s black lightning like water against the shore.

The situation was bad enough that she felt herself stepping forward too join the fight, Hokage be damned. She couldn’t watch her Sensei die here. At least that was until the ground behind the Raikage exploded and unleashed a monkey of all things. The monkey was a massive thing— about six feet tall and a mountain of muscle wearing a Konoha headband of all things. It kicked the Raikage right in the side and for the first time in the fight, she could tell that the Raikage felt that one.

“Go girl” The monkey shouted in her direction. She just sent a glare in its direction. The audacity of a primate to assume she took orders from it of all things.

“Uzume!” She heard her Sensei’s voice, and made her choice. She turned to the Hokage, wrestled the man to his feet and leaned his body against hers.

“Retreat! Guard the Hokage!” She heard a voice scream until she realised with a start that it was hers. She began running forward, taking some care not to worsen his situation but recognising that she had to leave as quickly as possible. She heard the sound of rushing footsteps behind her and the sharp breath of a man’s lungs. She prepared herself to kill the fool but needn’t have bothered. Another rustling motion marked a friendly arrival. She knew those near silent steps. When the man went down she did not expect him to get up again and he didn’t.

Uraume appeared to her side. “We’ll form up around you. Arrowhead formation straight back to the village” She said in a rushed tone. Uzume nodded, still moving, not able to afford to stop. The Hokage was not heavy to her, but the way the weight was distributed and his injuries made him unwieldy to carry.

Uraume nodded to her, and then turned right around.

“Come at me” She screamed at what was clearly an approaching Kumo team, taking her stand.

‘Don’t fucking die. Shori will kill me if you die’, Uzume thought as she continued to run.