Clashing of blades; how familiar of a song that Sota had yearned to hear again. He's light on his feet, pouring all of his strength in the arm that carries his only form of defense. In the other, he's rotating his wrist and tightening knuckles til they pale. Metal claps together. His kunai cries in a high pitch when it collides with his opponent's. A fist flies out, nearly striking him dead in the eye, so he lets his balance slip, dances on one heel and shoves the other in the man's chest. A harmless kick considering Sota's weight, but a much needed move to support the boy as he takes to the sky and launches himself backwards in the air. Then, in all but a split moment, the handle of the kunai is placed in his mouth, and with a free hand he produces three, rapid hand seals.
"Wa'r releath: wa'r whib." Muffled words are quickly followed by the explosion of chakra, lining itself along his wire and crackling against the air like a true whip. It snaps the wind in half before jerking back down on the shinobi, coming down like a cleaver over his shoulder.
"THAT IT?" Sota barks out, expression contorting. Suddenly:
"And YOU." He throws a finger in Kino's direction, nearly striking himself with his chakra-infused weapon.
"You a fuckin' actor? How'd you get back on your feet so fast?"
Sees the hand that settles upon Kino's injury, furrows his brows anyway. Like he's trying out for the circus.
"The hell you waiting for? What, stillneedmyhelp?Okaygodfine, watch. Got an idea." Little detail is provided. You see, although Sota liked to
bark, he was always better at
biting. Wouldn't know how to explain with words, so he offers one of his god-trusted demonstrations. Goes something like this:
a whip made of water, rising and coming back down, wrapping itself over Kino's body like a tendril capturing its prey — perhaps even pressing up against the wound that decorates his side — and
tightening. Without another second wasted,
pulls, and hurls Kino across the five yards to the third shinobi who'd been working on his escape.
"GO GET 'IM, KINO!" he makes sure to imitate his teammate's cry from before.
All that is to say Kino doesn't simply step out of the whip's way. Which, in hindsight — if he values his life and decides against taking on the idea of some redheaded brat, then — Sota's whip simply misses and slams into the earth instead.
—
wc 414 (1042/1100)
[used
water whip]