Her clone would be welcomed with a spear straight through the stomach. Kneeling in pain, colourless blood would flow out of the wound. Before her, her prey would come to a halt, breathing heavily. Backed by a the very man that she had been looking for. Shi. He seemed to have emerged from the ground, earth and dead leaves still dropping from his countenance as his grey eyes assessed the situation. He'd speak slowly, measured, his age and experience shining through in every of his words.
"Idiot. You lead her straight into our camp."
He didn't raise his voice in the slightest. Just a statement made by a veteran expecting his brood to do better next time. The Unmei would scurry away, leaving the battlefield to Shi and the clone. His eyes rested on the much younger Haka clone, clearly not impressed with how she had been able to discover him.
"I'd be disappointed if you got taken down this easily, wolf spider. What tricks are you up to?"
Perhaps he could not differentiate between the clone and the real one cloaked as the mist wraith, but he certainly was wise enough to see through a ruse this simple. There was no point in playing dumb games with him so the spider-nin pulled back the chakra out of her wounded clone and dismissed the mist form she had maintained all the while. If he was already surprised, he didn't show it, his gaze merely shifting from one Haka to the other.
"So there you are. What's your business here?"
"The hunter needs to become the hunted."
"I'll respect your guts, little one. But if you want me to respect your talent, you'll have to do better. I hold little interest in the current fractured nonsense of the clan. Would prefer to stay out of it too. But that's not an option, I see."
"If I could offer it, I would."
"Then let us see who the better hunter is."
With a deep breath he'd throw his spear at Haka and as the spear flew to its destiny the elder spider would vanish from sight to blend in with his environment. The simple attack would easily be dodged but the distraction was all he needed to hide himself. The rustle of leaves could be heard just a second, betraying he went to the left but then all became quiet. Haka formed her hand seals, invoking her Fuinjutsu artistry to cover herself in a coat of chakra just in case, then called upon an old ally she hadn't relied on since long - Ameya. From the shadows she would emerge, the eyes of the spider briefly surprised when she saw who summoned her before they returned to their typical deadened state.
"What?", she'd snap, still as irritated to be bound to a contract as the first day she had been forced to do so by Noiralane for her defeat.
"Use your sensory technique and make sure not to get taken out by Shi."
The black widow would shoot out strands in a wide vicinity, covering a 30m radius in an invisible chakra web before she'd seemingly vanish within the shadows again to hide herself from sight. Through her connection with her Summon, it wouldn't take long to understand that Shi had been circling around her slowly to reposition himself in her back. She'd allow him his little game, waiting in ambush of her own even though she remained in plain sight. Her chakra arms were still up, held close and eager to lash out to his new position. Only moments later would Shi emerge again, throwing a chakra-infused spear. The noise of the leaves, the strands of the sensory jutsu broken and still, Haka allowed her arms to reach out to him and claw at his being. But he was faster than expected. Her claws would rake his arm, leaving long bloody scratches where she had hit him at the same time that his chakra spear would crash violently against her own chakra barrier.
"I see you've come prepared.", his voice rumbled through the underground.
"You should not underestimate your prey"
"That's right.", he replied, his hearty laugh making the earth tremble.
At that point, the battle seemed to heat up. His movements became faster. He was no longer cloaked by his stealth but his movement was nothing to scoff at. His presence was blurred. Not just by the speed but by another jutsu of his own creation. Zigzagging through the trees, at the most random of moments he'd pelt her with chakra javelins taken from his quiver. The first few would clash with the remaining power of her barrier but soon that one would forfeit its efforts to protect her. The barrage only partially being guarded against, one of the javelins would tear off a piece of her arm's flesh. New hand seals would be formed, her Dominion of Denial engulfing the near area and swallowing the next barrage of chakra javelins while they weren't even halfway their trajectory. Already forced to deal with the relentless assault of her four chakra claws, seeing as how his javelins were sealed away this soon Shi was forced into the defence. Pushing the edge, another Fuinjutsu seal granted her a swift burst of speed. Her turn to blur out in front of his sight. He'd spot her when she stood right in front of him. Forming hand seals in a counter-offence his only chance to escape was thrown away as the chakra of his attack was sucked in by her protective jutsu as soon as it took shape, which was then followed up by her chakra claw digging deeply into his shoulder and pinning him against a nearby tree.
Shi would chuckle as pain washed over his senses and blood gushed out of the brutal wound. Three more chakra arms would float around him, ready to take his life at the blink of an eye.
"This was a good hunt, I have no regrets.", he growled in pain. "Claim your victory, huntress"
"Giving up already?"
"I'm old, I'm tired and I'm wounded but I can still smack you around if you're going to get cocky, princess."
"If I offer you life, will you stay by my side?"
"I'm tempted, but no thanks. I'm too old a spider for this sort of changes."
She'd step closer, running her hand through his hair. As her eyes locked into his grey eyes filled with fatigue, the idea that the loss of such a hunter was a most unfortunate choice crossed her mind. A healthy, strong male filled with the ability to persevere and hunt. It lured her in a way nothing else had ever succeeded at doing. But he had been given the choice to be at her side and he had refused. She could only respect his decision despite the loss - he was deserving of that much.
"As you wish.", she'd whisper in his ears, and as she briefly pressed her lips against his, four chakra arms would swiftly deal the final blow. His last breath would be hers. His dying wish fulfilled, her decision to have him at her side not to be denied. Both would have what they desired at the end of this skirmish.
As the body of the male Unmei perished, Haka ran her hand through her hair. Apathetic eyes would briefly glance around, taking note of the black widow inching closer with an askance glance.
"You've changed, Haka"
"And so should you. Once this is over, you'll either be trained or killed by my hands."
Hard stares would be shared but eventually the Summon would break contact, understanding her position in the clan well enough to know she didn't hold the power to claim superiority. With a low hiss, the widow would unbind the contract and disappear in the shadows once more, leaving the wolf spider by her own.
Now the unification of the clan could truly begin.
[EXIT]
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