A/N: Tertiary diamond release: I was trying to avoid confusion with diamond release of Naruto's world, and I was trying be showcase some of Ryoko's alien techniques.
For those who asked for Anko, here she is. I hope I did her justice. Oh, and Ryoko's nickname came from the fact that every time I looked her up I kept coming up with bean recipes.
Part 9: How to Make Friends and Influence People. The Ryoko edition.
~OOOOOO~
Ryoko was exceedingly proud of herself.
She was having a very productive morning. She managed to get Naruto and Ryo-ohki (who for some inexplicable reason wanted to tag along with him) to school on time. She had just finished an extensive shopping spree, and two clones were at home awaiting pending deliveries as they cleaned the small apartment.
And just in time for the bars to open.
A week was a long time for to go without her beloved beverage, and she was looking forward to sampling this planet's version of sake. The ex-space pirate stretched her arms as high as they could go to get the last of the kinks out before heading towards the nearest drinking establishment. A gentle breeze blew through her hair, ruffling it slightly. It was a balmy, sunny day where everything seemed perfect and peaceful. Grinning and humming to herself, she was positive nothing could ruin her day.
She was wrong.
"Hey! Hey you!"
"Aw jeez, please tell me she's not talking to me," Ryoko muttered irritability, her mood immediately darkening. "I was having such a nice day too." She turned her attention to the voice and gave the woman a quick once over, assessing her threat level and how powerful she was. There was something odd about her chakra readings (not to mention her sense of fashion), but she couldn't put her finger on it.
"What do you want?" Ryoko finally said after nearly a minute of silence.
"You're the one who defeated the three chunin last week, aren't you?"
"If by three chunin, you mean three punk kids picking on a defenseless little boy, then yeah I'm the one. What's it to you?"
"My name is Mitarashi Anko. I'm the proctor of the second chunin exam. I was the one who passed them, and the fact that you don't even have a rank and was still able to defeat them, is a black mark on my reputation."
"Is that so Bean-girl?" Ryoko said in a tone dripping with boredom. She couldn't care less who she was, or if her precious reputation was ruined. If those were the type of people she was passing then she and this village had bigger problems. "I don't have a rank, because I don't need a rank. My power speaks for itself, but if it makes you feel better, my level is bijuu."
The ex-space pirate didn't know anything about shinobi rankings (she'll have to ask Ryo-ohki, or Naruto), so she didn't actually know if there was such thing as bijuu-level. But as far as she could tell, they were the the most powerful creatures on this planet, so it made complete and utter sense for her to compare herself to the tailed-beasts.
Ryoko went to pass by Anko, thinking their exchange was over. And it most likely would have been had she been talking to anyone else, but Orochimaru's former pupil wasn't like other people. She stuck out her arm to stop the cyan-haired female from walking by.
"I wasn't done stranger," Anko said, her tone giving no indication that she was impressed or intimidated by the other woman's claim. "There's no such thing a bijuu-level , and I think you're lying about how strong you are."
A wicked smile spread across Ryoko's face, a hint of fang was visible. "Really? I guess there's only one way to find out."
Using the arm that was blocking her, Ryoko flipped the other woman over. Even though she was momentarily caught off guard, Anko was still able to land on her feet. Not pausing for a second, the cyan-haired female quickly followed through with a punch that had it landed, would have knocked the wind out of her opponent's stomach, thereby ending the fight quickly.
No such luck.
Anko quickly dodged, and readied her kunai. "I'm no chunin, stranger. I'm a elite jonin," she announced.
"So the hell what," Ryoko retorted. "My name is Hakubi Ryoko by the way, and you'll go down the same way those punks did. Maybe I'll even visit you in the hospital."
"We'll see about that."
The ex-space pirate smirked, she then formed a small energy ball, and threw at her opponent. She missed. It hit the ground causing a small explosion of gravel and dirt. Quickly teleporting, she reappeared mere inches from the jonin with her energy sword formed and at the ready. Ryoko swung down and was met with a kunai. Sparks flew as each combatant put a great deal of their considerable strength behind their attacks.
After several moments, they pulled apart and Ryoko teleported several feet away.
"You couldn't care less about those chunin. You just wanted to fight me," Ryoko said, playing on a hunch.
"And why wouldn't I? I heard you were tough, so I had to test you for myself." Anko raised her arms. "Striking shadow snake!" Several snakes burst forward from the sleeves of her trench coat toward the ex-space pirate.
Ryoko snorted in contempt and flexed her fingers. Claws, easily four inches long and made of diamonds extended from the tips,. Tertiary diamond release: diamond claws, part of a new set of moves she had learned on another planet far, far away. There were very few things in this universe that they couldn't cut.
With a running charge, Ryoko shredded through the snakes as if they were rice paper, dodging poisonous fangs and blades held within their mouth. Several more volleys came at her forcing Ryoko's attention on them and not the younger woman who was using the last of them as a diversion to get behind her opponent's back. For a brief moment a look of triumph crossed Orochimaru's former pupil's face, she thought she had the cyan-haired female in her cross-hairs, but she was wrong. A mule kick to her stomach sent the younger girl flying across the marketplace only to crash into a stall selling brightly colored cloths.
Quickly getting up, she shook off several silk scarves that were clinging to her, and growled. The wind which was a calm and gentle breeze started to to pick up, whipping both combatants hair and causing goods from close-by stalls to fall and shatter. "Wind release: hundred –"
"That's enough out of you two," Ibiki said. His hand was over his fellow proctor's mouth keeping her from finishing her move, the wind quickly died down.
"And a not moment to soon," Kakashi replied with an arm on Ryoko's shoulder. Though he strongly suspected if she really wanted to get away there was little he could do to stop her. "If we were any later, the whole marketplace would have been in shambles."
"I wasn't going to use my full power," Ryoko said. "Besides, we were just having some fun."
Anko nodded vigorously in agreement.
"You two have a warped view of fun," Ibiki muttered in an exasperated tone. He lowered his hand from her mouth, but kept an grip on her upper arm.
"Be that as it may, you two will have to go somewhere else for your fun," the one-eyed jonin broke in.
A wicked grin spread across Ryoko's mouth as a thought came to her. "Well Bean-girl, I know exactly how to settle this, and we don't have to worry about anyone getting hurt."
"I'm listening . . ."
ONE HOUR LATER . . .
"Chug, chug, chug, chug, chug!" A chorus of patrons surrounded the pair of woman who in turn surrounded a growing collection of empty sake bottles. An alcohol induced blush graced each woman's face as they stared bleary eyed at each other. Many of the patrons who were not encouraging the women in their quest for alcohol poisoning were laying odds, and placing bets, on who would pass out first, and on what numbered bottle.
Ibiki and Kakashi were standing to the side staring at the women with equal parts astonishment and horror at the inhuman amount of sake each were consuming(it didn't stop them from placing bets).
Ryoko swayed slightly in her chair making it look as if she were about to take a tumble to the ground.
"Is that the best you can do, Ryoko? I didn't think you were such a lightweight," Anko taunted, her voice becoming more and more slurred. The bar was starting to spin a bit, even though she knew she was sitting perfectly still.
Ryoko immediately straightened up and called for another round. She grabbed two bottles and proceed to empty each one one in rapid succession. "Does that look lightweight to you, Bean-girl?"
The dark-haired woman mirrored the ex-space pirate's actions before answering. "The name's Anko, stop calling me Bean-girl."
Or at least that was what she was trying to say, what it sounded like in her head. What it sounded it like to everyone else was a slurred mess of barely decipherable words, punctuated by her collapsing to the floor.
"Finally," Ibiki said. He went to his fellow proctor's side and easily hoisted her into fireman's carry. "Good luck with that one," he said to the one-eyed jonin before taking his leave.
"Come along Miss Ryoko. I'll take you home."
Ryoko nodded her head. "I think you won the pot," she said as she got to her feet. Her stance was a bit wobbly as she regained her balance. "What? You didn't think I noticed you all making bets on us?"
Kakashi at least had the good grace to look abashed at having been caught. "Uh, yeah, I won."
"Good, you get your winnings and I'll pay my tab, and we can get the hell out of here."
The cyan-haired female pulled out her coin purse, paid for the sake, left a generous tip and even paid for the next round for the remaining patrons. She did this all with such acuity, that Kakashi was left to wonder at how drunk she really was.
Ryoko walked close, but did not touch the male jonin, as they made their way to Naruto's apartment. He had offered a shoulder to lean on, but she refused. Already she could feel her metabolism burning off the poisonous effects of all those bottles of sake. Her body was getting too good at ridding itself of toxins. But for the moment, she was enjoying the warm buzz of alcohol as it swam through her system.
The walk started out quietly. Ryoko could feel Kakashi's gaze fall upon her every once in a while, almost as if he were making sure that she didn't fall flat on her face. For Ryoko's part she found her mind wondering, there was a bit of a mental conundrum going on. She was trying hard to hold on to the hate she felt for the village and its people, but she found she was actually starting to like a few of them.
With a shake of her head she turned to her escort. "So, who did you piss off to get stuck with this assignment?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"Don't be coy. I know you've been spying on us when we were in the woods. The old man put you up to it didn't he?"
Kakashi saw no point in lying. "Yes, the Hokage asked me to keep an eye on you."
Ryoko chuckled darkly. "I guess I can't blame him. I've been a bit of a nuisance, haven't I?"
That's putting it lightly, he thought. "You're not going to beat me up now?" he asked half jokingly.
"No, at least not today. I would like to fight you one of these days."
"Do you always go into villages and challenge everyone to a fight?"
"Of course, though sometimes they challenge me, but how else am I to get stronger?" Her tone was laced with genuine confusion.
"There is more to life than fighting."
"Maybe for some people, but for me this is who and what I am."
"And what is that?"
"A demon," Ryoko said simply, the last of the sake making her tongue loose. "All children of gods are demons," she finished quietly.
"You're a child of a god? And the tailed-beasts? Are they children of a god?" he asked, his curiosity piqued. While occasionally popping in to keep an eye on the ex-space pirate during her time in the forest, he had heard her refer to herself and Naruto as demons. But he knew of the blond's bloodline, there was no god, or goddess as far as he knew. And he knew the story of the sage of six paths. As far as he knew, he was no god, though he did create the moon . . .
"Yup, I am," Ryoko replied with a note of pride. "I'm afraid I don't know much about them, it might be they're children of a local god. Which means, they're on a much lower rung on the ladder than I am. Though in all honesty, right now I'm only as powerful as the weakest one."
Only? Kakashi thought a little dismayed. "I see."
"Do you? I admit, it sometimes confuses the crap of me. But then I'm a bit of a knucklehead myself," she responded with a laugh very reminiscent of Naruto's
"There seems to a caste system even amongst the gods. Should I be calling you Lady Ryoko?" he asked half jokingly.
"Oh, no. Ryoko is just fine with me. I never cared much for formalities."
"So I noticed."
In response, the ex-space pirate merely smiled widely at the one-eyed jonin. They were in front of the apartment complex, and she was almost completely sober.
"I appreciate the escort, Kakashi," Ryoko said as levitated off the ground. "Oh, by the way? Love the hair."
Ryoko teleported away leaving a thoroughly confused jonin to scratch at his head.
"Interesting times indeed," he muttered to himself recalling the Hokage's words.
