Pain coursed through her body, Mizuki flinched as she felt Kaede pick her up. Her amber gaze blinked slowly as she looked at her black arms, bubbling a little from then beads corruption before it slowly disappeared. The red haired warrior then gave her to the Priestess for healing before defending them from the puppets. They seemed a bit more sloppy from before, most likely using the tree spirits power to make them more efficient. But as the orb glowed from the Masked Man's hand, the tree spirit growled weakly as the puppets moved and attacked.

Mizuki flinched only slightly as Hanami healed her wounds, but frowned when she heard Asuka's painful scream. Worried, she stood to go and assist but the Priestess pleaded her to stay before going to assist as well. Amber gaze narrowing, she glanced back up at the gate to see Hanzo. It was unlike him to reveal himself on a mission... Unless killing her wasn't his objective? If it was, she would be dead by now.

As Kouko went after the Masked Man, aiming for the orb, he moved in swift speed as he moved out of the way of the blades, his focus slightly away from controlling the puppets. [b]"Foolish girl."[/b] he spoke coldly, leaping back onto another roof of a building, black leechlike creatures bursting out of his cloak and making their way to land on the assaulting ninja.

Hanzo watched boredly as the warrior made a strike at him, a vertical strike at that. Predictable move and he had estimated it. In a blink of the eye, his body disappeared in a puff of black smoke, and in replacement was a large round brown object with a fuse at the end. As the sword swung down upon it, easily slicing it, it flashed a bright whitish red light before making a loud sound. Boom! The bomb exploded in a massive burst, the gate crumbling and the rubble falling to the ground and blocking the exit. Making a little harder for the groups escape. It probably wouldn't be too big of a problem to climb over for seasoned warriors, but their stamina was probably running lower by the moment.

Mizuki's eyes widened as she looked around for the ninja, seeing he wasn't in sight now. Until her ears perked as the familiar scent briefly brushed her nose. She tried to dive foreword but she yelped as she felt a sharp object pierce her shoulder before a hand grasped her shoulder. Trying to turn around, she yelped as a cold stone substance pressed against her fresh wound and two fingers pressing against her forehead as low chanting was whispered. Just as fast as he came, Hanzo had already left and was standing on a roof a bit further away holding a orb filled with dark blood.

The Princess panted, getting to her feet, shaking a little from the shock. But she was alive... For some reason. It was easy.. He could have done it there... But he had just stabbed her in the shoulder. Her vision blurred and she wobbled. Too much of her energy was used from the running and attempting to stop the tree spirit. Mizuki wobbled before collapsing, passing out and slipping into unconsciousness.

The ninja just watched before looking toward the Masked Man. [b]"Leave the rest to the puppets and men.... Lord Yakoto needs the report."[/b] he spoke briefly before disappearing once more after throwing a smoke bomb.

Tsking the Masked Man looked at them, chanting a little before regular soldiers men appeared from the alleys. Tossing the orb to a very large man. He huffed a bit as he slowly seemed to melt. [b]"Do play with them more...."[/b] he spoke before disappearing, his cloak the only thing remaining.

The tree spirit roared, using its massive paws to bash the puppets away before looking at the Guardians. [b]"....We must go as well...I can carry you all on my back over the rubble."[/b] the bear spoke in a deep voice.