The Tales of Chikimatsu's Pupil

"Ninja Battle! Saemon's Ten Puppets"

By: Wolfeluck

Saemon had summoned his puppets. He fixed a singular chakra string to each, making it easier to control them all at once. Enemy ninja close to Saemon, ready to strike him down in a flurry of multiple attacks from all sides, were hesitant now that they knew the ninja before them was a puppet master. There were perhaps ten enemies to each ninja. The five from earlier were nowhere to be seen among the ranks of rogue ninja.

Sai brought more Beast Imitations out for long range combat. Sakura focused chakra into her hands and feet, ready to break a few bones, and Yamato got ready to use his Wood Element Technique. Naruto was still in the complex.

Much to Saemon's and the leaf ninjas' surprise, their enemy were not as strong individually as the five that ambushed them earlier. In great numbers, they posed a danger, but each ninja focused on defeating as many of the rogue ninja as possible while watching out for each other's back.

Saemon especially shined, defeating most of the enemy with his puppets.

He leapt upon Koumori's back, flying into the air, out of reach of the ninja on the ground who might try to get in close. He dodged their kunai and shuriken with ease, adeptly controlling Koumori's wings.

Saemon sent each puppet into the fray. The puppets he'd already used, Kumo, Benihime, and Tsume, were all close to the other ninja, backing them up. Tsume made up for Sai's weakness at close range, clawing at the enemy with its poisoned nails, Kumo benefited Sakura by trapping multiple enemies into its nets and then sending them flying towards Sakura, her strength ready to pummel them, and Benihime backed up Yamato with its kunai whips. The other six puppets all fought the enemy ninja by themselves, while Saemon sat atop Koumori, intently focusing on each of them.

Puppet number one, Yuki, dodged the ninja trying to attack it, using defensive stances, while at the same time, spewing large amounts of poisonous gas from her mouth, incapacitating the ninja who got close to her.

Puppet number two, Bakuhatsu, dropped kunai tied with explosive tags on the ninja as he jumped up into the air, the tags exploding in the enemy ranks. A few of the ninja also kept up with this puppet in the air, but Bakuhatsu spewed a jet of fire onto them.

Puppet number three, Shukke, was impenetrable, due to its incredibly hard skin. Even explosive tags and Earth Style techniques could not break it. Its sheer size and strength proved to be a force to avoid.

Puppet number four, Hitoame, hid in the trees, and threw three parasols into the air, where they stayed, spinning. Hitoame maneuvered hand signs, and the parasols released countless poison needles from the sky, raining down upon the ninja.

Puppet number five, Kagemaru, proved to be very fast, far outrunning the ninja, using extreme proficiency with the katana it wielded. Its face was covered by a mask.

Puppet number six, Ekaki, bludgeoned any approaching ninja with a man-sized paintbrush, while trying to use the paintbrush to draw a seal on the ground. Saemon had Hitoame's needles focus on the area near Ekaki, so that the seal could be completed without hassle. Finally, the seal was complete.

"Secret Technique, Paralysis Seal," Saemon said. The paint glowed, the quadrilateral symbol stopping all the ninja inside its boundaries, after Hitoame's attack was called off, granting the enemy a false sense of security. The paralyzed ninja were quickly dispatched by a rain of needles. The Konohagakure ninja were all impressed by the capabilities of Saemon's puppets. Sakura remarked how the puppets each seemed too human to be merely normal puppets.

Eventually, the fighting drew to a close. The enemy ninja who had not been killed retreated into the forest, carrying as many of their wounded as they could.

Saemon and the Konohagakure ninja didn't pursue them. Saemon returned his puppets back to their scrolls. Sai dissipated his Beast Imitations

Naruto emerged from the cave entrance. He was ecstatic about getting out of the cave.

"Captain Yamato! Sakura-chan!" he said.

"Naruto-kun!" Sakura said in reply. "What took you long, Naruto? We needed you out here."

"What?" Naruto looked around the clearing. There were a great many dead ninja. "Wait, you fought with all these guys?" He looked surprised at the sight.

"Yes, Naruto-kun. Where were you?" Sai asked.

"Sorry about that Sai, Sakura-chan. I got lost in the caves and couldn't find my way out."

"Well, try not to next time! We had a tough time out here. We only managed to defeat all these guys because Saemon summoned up all these puppets and totally beat so many of them."

"Woah! Really? That's awesome." Naruto grinned. "Wish I coulda seen that."

"I saw it, clear as day," a voice said. It was Yuujiro, the man whom Saemon injured back in the forest. He was pale, but on his feet. Saemon was astonished that Yuujiro had survived the effects of the poison from Tsume's claws. He fully expected that the man before him had died before he had even reached the fortress. "Those puppets of yours are impressive, Kuromatsu. Who knew that you were still alive, even after all these years?"

"I could say the same thing. How did you survive Tsume's poison nails? I can only think you must have realized that I coat every weapon in my arsenal with my special brand of poison, and you had someone prepare an antidote. There must be someone skilled in medical ninjutsu in your party," Saemon said.

"Actually, yes," he replied. "My lord, Jizo-sama, extracted the poison. His skills would easily outmatch your pathetic toxins."

"Is this Jizo-sama your leader?" Yamato asked. Yuujiro became hesitant.

"Yeah, he is."

"Take us to him. We'll take him back to Konoha for interrogation."

"Not a chance," Yuujiro said.

Something sounded off in the distance. A stream of white smoke exploded in mid-air, deep in the forest. Yamato recognized the flare as a signal from Shikamaru. There was trouble.

"Naruto! Sakura! Sai! The emergency signal!"

"What?" they said unison.

"We have to go backup Shikamaru and the others. That flare means they were followed and have been ambushed."

"Then let's go!" Naruto said.

"There's no helping them, you idiots," Yuujiro said. "Your comrades are probably too far away for you to help them. Jizo-sama sent Suzuka and Genma after them. Those two are the strongest of us, under Jizo-sama."

"Captain Yamato. Take those three and go to Shikamaru. I can handle Yuujiro by myself."

"I understand. Are you sure you're okay by yourself?"

"I'm sure," Saemon said.

"Captain Yamato? Let me stay with him," Sakura said.

"Sakura-chan? Why do you wanna do that?" Naruto asked.

"I might be more help here then with Shikamaru. They've got Ino, so having another medical ninja is too much. Plus, Saemon will be outnumbered, if only those two from before ambushed Shikamaru."

"That's true. You can go along, but be careful, Sakura."

"I will."

Yamato, Sai, and Naruto sped into the forest, towards the origin of the flare. Yuujiro fled in the opposite direction, with Saemon and Sakura hot on his trail.

Yuujiro was going deeper into the forest. The canopy was blocking out the moonlight, making it harder to see. Saemon and Sakura stopped once they reached a clearing. The clouds made the area darker once they covered the moon.

Yuujiro did not hesitate to start the fighting. He immediately started with hails of shuriken and kunai. As Saemon and Sakura easily dodged them, Yuujiro struck at them with close combat, sucking out a bit of chakra with each blow he managed.

Saemon focused chakra into his eyes, taking in as much light as possible so he could get a better view. He had already summoned Bakuhatsu on reflex, a natural defense to the close range of Yuujiro's attacks. Saemon counterattacked with exploding tags and the jet of flames from Bakuhatsu's mouth. Sakura tried to fight fist with fist against Yuujiro, but he only blocked her strikes while stealing her chakra, and her strength, away from her. Saemon decided to lay a trap.

Yuujiro was gaining the upper hand. With his swift weapon throws and even swifter punches and kicks, the two ninja he was fighting were going to die very soon. Saemon's puppet was too slow to accurately strike the adeptly dodging Yuujiro.

He noticed the fuse on some explosive tags. They were on the ground. A time delay! Yuujiro jumped away from the explosions, almost getting caught in the blast. Sakura punched the ground, trying to knock Yuujiro off balance so Saemon could use Bakuhatsu's flames on him. It still wasn't working.

He'd been backed into a tree for a moment. Yuujiro was tired. His technique required a lot of chakra to use. Fortunately he had his other technique to steal their chakra.

A blade from the darkness.

Yuujiro's chest bled. The clouds moved away and revealed the scene in the moon's ethereal glow. One of Saemon's puppets, Kagemaru, had stabbed Yuujiro from behind. Apparently it was hidden on the tree using a technique. Yuujiro realized that he'd been led into a trap. Yuujiro fell to the ground, Kagemaru's sword pulling out of his heart. He was dead.

"Oh, look. Yuujiro got himself killed. You shouldn't have saved that man, Jizo-sama," Fuu said.

"I agree, Jizo-sama. It wasn't a smart idea," said Ai.

Fuu and Ai, each standing to the side of another ninja, this one addressed as Jizo-sama, appeared in the darkness.

"I must admit, it was an interesting fight," said Jizo. "The puppets that man uses can use techniques like living people. I'd love to know how that's done."

Jizo, a middle-aged ninja, formed a hand sign. Ai and Fuu fled as fast as they could away from Jizo, covering their mouths as they did so.

Saemon and Sakura readied themselves for the enemy leader.