Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Author's notes: O'levels are over so I can once again resume the fanfic, which is way overdue. With the introduction of Tenten's new battle tactics in the recent fillers, it'll be much more interesting to write her battle scenes. Well, here goes...
Chapter 9: Initial Skirmishes
Infiltrate the Konoha village and find out the great orb's location as well as any invaluable information pertaining to sneaking it away from where it lies.
That seems pretty easy to do, thought Surai to herself as she made the final preparations for her mission, with Makendo's words echoing in her mind. It was, on first glance, no more than a simple information gathering mission, though it was complicated by the lack of possible sources. Makendo had briefed her in greater detail and had warned her to expect greater trouble in searching for the desired information since the orb had entered Konoha as the result of a mission several years back, during the time of Sandaime Hokage. Few people knew about it outside of the team which brought it in and the Hokage, and since it was considered an unimportant item, they thought it unnecessary to inform others. Surai concluded that her best bet lay with the surviving elders who had been close to the Third.
Makendo was known to be generous when he got what he wanted and the price placed on this mission was no exception. Just thinking of what Makendo could offer made any mission he sent her to do well worth it. At least he knows talent when he sees it, she smiled as she muttered those words to herself. She briefly considered the possibility of going one step further by bringing back the orb itself in exchange for a larger reward but dismissed it after careful thought. The orb would have been classified as an artifact even as its potential as a weapon remained overlooked and was likely to be within the Hokage building, which had a heavy ANBU presence and a Godaime who was notorious for her mood swings and incredible strength.
Slinging her pack over her shoulder, she checked herself in the mirror. Her attire was nothing too extravagant, a black tunic and shorts, outfits which any typical ninja would wear. The outfit was made of light material and it enabled her to run at a swifter pace and that, when added to with her running abilities, ensured her flight from her enemies since battle was not one of her strong suits. Surai had her hair tied up in two high ponytails. Though she was in her early twenties, many mistook her to be a teenager because of her baby face and small built. Surai had used that to her advantage before; not many people whom she had mixed with to wring out the information she needed ever realized that she was a crafty spy under her facade. In fact, others had even complimented her on being such a sweet and innocent girl, something which Surai would think back to and laugh to herself about after her missions.
Surai did not need anyone to help her in her missions. She was more than capable of completing them herself. Partners only served to pull one down, and Surai had learnt it the hard way, losing both her parents ten years ago when one stopped to help the other during a mission. This had indirectly served to strengthen her resolve to never grow close to anyone, and her belief that the others around her were simply pawns to be used for her own gain. This callousness had attracted Makendo's attention, and as a result, his employment. Surai kept to herself and no one in the organization bothered her, except to employ her services. She felt lonely at times, talking to herself was no fun, but it beat being hurt by people she considered her friends.
Stop dreaming and get on with the mission. The faster you do his bidding, the faster you can get the reward and treat yourself. Shaking her head to break herself out of her daydream, Surai left her room and headed toward Konoha. If things worked out well, Konoha would not miss the orb. It will be a challenge to get information when hardly anyone in the village knew about the orb, but she was willing to give it her best shot, after all, challenges served to improve her skills and the reward for overcoming it was great enough for her trouble. Shifting her backpack to her other shoulder, Surai planned the moves to make when she entered Konoha.
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"Dainamikku Entori!"(Dynamic Entry)
Gai rushed at Chaaruzu and aimed a powerful kick at the his face, which was dodged with ease, then bent over backward to avoid the mace which Chaaruzu threw at his chest. Chaaruzu swiftly redirected his mace downward, expecting to land a hit, but Gai was no longer there. While bent over backward, Gai had placed his hand on the ground and flipped himself to his right. Swiftly recovering his balance, he brought his body low to deliver a sliding kick to Chaaruzu's legs, catching the latter, who had spun around and brought his mace up to guard his upper body, by surprise and causing him to fall flat on the ground. Gai wasted no time in taking advantage of Chaaruzu's defenseless state.
"Konoha Bouseki Gufuu" (Konoha's Spinning Tornado)
Leaping into the air above Chaaruzu, Gai spun his body at great speed while keeping his body straight. He then plunged vertically down at Chaaruzu, preparing to finish the battle quickly with a devastating, if not fatal, blow so that he could rush to his team's aid. But before he could make contact with Chaaruzu's prone figure and grind it into the ground with the impact, he was surprised to hear a voice below call out.
"Togetogeshii Araihada!" (Thorny Skin)
Thick spike-like objects emerged from Chaaruzu's back, piercing through the back of his clothing, forming a barrier against Gai's attack. The spikes withstood Gai's attempt to grind Chaaruzu into the ground, effectively absorbing the impact and causing it to lose momentum. When his spinning downward kick had been completely stopped, Gai sprang off Chaaruzu's back and stared uneasily at him from a few meters away. Who or what is this person?
The spikes sank back into Chaaruzu's back as he slowly got up. "Be assured that those are entirely natural," Chaaruzu told Gai with a grin. "The chemical composition is identical to that of my skin, so essentially, the 'spikes' are mutated extensions of my own body. Then again, my body itself isn't normal, so you have every reason to look at me suspiciously. But all things considered, I am fully human." His face darkened slightly. "Just one who had a less than pleasant childhood."
There is something rather pitiable about this man. Gai thought to himself. Something terrible must have happened to him to cause his body to mutate. But it doesn't change the fact that he and his companions want us dead. So the only thing I need to worry myself about is whether this mutation gives him other advantages in battle.
"I fail to see why you are telling me this," Gai replied. "It has nothing to do with why you and your students are attacking us."
"Oh but it does," Chaaruzu said, all traces of good humour gone from his face. "You three are standing in the way of my revenge against those who did this to me." That being said, he took up a taijutsu stance, which Gai was swift to match. But to Gai's surprise, Chaaruzu suddenly dropped the stance and began forming a series of complex hand seals.
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"Blow, wind, blow. Blow all those who are... from Konoha, cha!" Merubin announced in an artificially juvenile voice
Neji ignored him, quietened his conflicting emotions and swiftly took stock of the situation. They were stuck in an area covered by heavy rain with two cocky opponents who had the power to control said rain and who knew what else. They had the advantage in numbers but that was about it His bloodlimit ensured that his vision was not obscured by the heavy rain, but his teammates were not as well off. Neji was not too worried about Lee, he could fight in his sleep for crying out loud, and was sure that the rain would not pose too much of a problem for him. But Tenten's situation was entirely different, her entire fighting style depended on weaponry, which in turn needed visibility to ensure accuracy. In short, Tenten was rendered helpless by the heavy rain, which affected both the senses needed to locate her targets; sight and hearing.
Without really thinking, Neji decided that Tenten needed protecting and that he would be the one doing it. He then caught himself and attempted to justify such a decision. It's strictly for professional reasons, of course. She's my teammate, after all. He realized just how lame he sounded, even to himself. Fine, so maybe it's more than just that. His thoughts were rudely interrupted by two voices calling out simultaneously.
"Futon: Koudai Shippuu no Jutsu" (Wind Release: Large Gale Technique)
The three of them were assaulted by a powerful and unrelenting blast of wind, which came from above and in front of them. Neji and Lee both stood their ground with some difficulty, but Tenten would have been thrown backward had she not stabbed the point of a scythe into the ground to help her balance. At length, the wind ceased.
"Meh, you guys are no fun. You barely even moved, cha!" Merubin complained.
"Yeah, you should all be disqualified..." Kurara had no time to finish her sentence, as Rock Lee came at her with an incredible burst of speed, catching her entirely by surprise.
"Konoha Daburu Hanmaa" (Konoha's Double Hammers)
Backed by the sheer speed at which he was moving, Lee threw a powerful punch at Kurara's face, who even in the process of performing a set of hand seals managed to twist her body so that the blow only grazed her shoulder. Even so, she winced noticeably at the pain which coursed through her body as a result of the hit. Lee followed up his initial punch with another equally powerful one thrown by his other hand. But by then, Kurara had completed her seals.
"Suiton: Suijinheki!" (Water Release: Water Encampment Wall)
The surrounding rainwater droplets formed themselves into a solid wall in front of Kurara, protecting her from the full brunt of Lee's attack. The punch packed so much power that it eventually forced itself through the wall of water, but by then it had lost most of its strength and Kurara easily avoided it by jumping back.
"Mizu-Shunshin no Jutsu!" (Water Body Flicker Technique)
Utilizing the rainwater falling all around her, Kurara's body blurred and appeared a great distance in front of Lee, almost too far for him to even see her. Determined to not let her get away, Lee prepared himself to bring the battle up a notch.
"Hachimon Tonkou: Daiichi: Keimon: Kai!" (Eight Gates Release: Number One: View Gate: Open)
Opening the initial gate, Lee immediately took off after his target with his increased speed. Recognizing what the siblings were trying to do, Neji desperately called out after his teammate.
"Lee, don't go after her! They're trying to separate us!" But his words were drowned out by a loud clap of thunder. Gritting his teeth, Neji waited for the sound to pass before attempting to call out again. But the moment the first word left his mouth, the thunder sounded again. Realization dawning on his face, Neji turned to glare at Merubin, who smiled sweetly in return.
"As I said, anything that comes out of a cloud is under our control, cha, even thunder, though it is something that we cannot use as a means of attack." Merubin explained calmly. "Now it seems to me pretty obvious that your girlfriend over there is badly handicapped by the rain, cha. So assuming you to be the epitome of a perfect boyfriend, you're going to have trouble protecting her as well as yourself, cha, let alone have the luxury of attacking me."
Ignoring the rush of feelings that went through her at Merubin's casual mention of Neji being her boyfriend, Tenten spoke out angrily, "I can take care of myself, thank you very much!" Placing great emphasis on the second half of her sentence, Tenten threw a handful of senbon at Merubin. Since she was still able to faintly make out his location and confirm it by the direction from which his voice was coming from, her aim was spot-on.
But the rain covering the distance between Merubin and herself suddenly became many times heavier as a result of Merubin's control. Faced with the increased resistance, Tenten's projectile clattered uselessly onto the ground.
"Not too convincing of you, cha, though I admire your accuracy even in this heavy rain." Merubin said thoughtfully.
Projectile weapons won't work against him, he can use either the wind or the rain to deflect them. Even the senbon, which have little surface area for the rain to act one, were completely useless. I'll have to get in close, but wouldn't I then get in Neji's way, since he's the close range combat specialist? Tenten was caught between two minds as to what to do, and it showed in her facial expression.
Ignoring the twinge of disappointment he felt when Tenten announced that she did not need his protection, Neji guessed what was going through his teammate's mind and endeavored to solve her dilemma. "Tenten-chan, we'll both go in close. But I'll take the lead." He dropped into his favored Gentle Fist fighting stance.
"Hai." Tenten's reply was concise as she readied a set of nunchuks in her hands.
"Ooh, now I'm really afraid, cha. But before you both tear me to pieces, eat this!" Merubin said sarcastically, his hands having formed the final seal necessary.
"Suiton: Shichishokuzame!" (Water Release: Seven Eating Sharks)
The rainwater formed itself into seven immense projectiles in the shape of sharks with their mouths open, which hurtled towards both Neji and Tenten. Confidently swinging her nunchuks and displaying her acrobatic prowess, Tenten quickly demolished three of the seven sharks. Moving slightly lower but by no means any less confidently, Neji took care of the other four with strategically aimed palm strikes to each.
Merubin was beginning to feel the first signs of unease, although it was not reflected on the outside. They took care of my jutsu way too easily, cha. I'll have to increase my attack strength and more importantly, keep my distance from both, cha. I hope Kurara's doing okay.
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Temari had just finished discussing certain matters regarding ties between Konoha and Suna and was on her way to find a place for lunch. Despite being successful in forcing Shikamaru to treat her to dinner for as long as she stayed in Konoha, she was unable to obtain the same agreement for lunch, as it was a meal he ate with his team since it was during their training time.
Deciding not to opt for one of the established restaurants, Temari directed her feet towards the area of Konoha which Shikamaru had told her contained a fair number of small eateries. That lazybones had better be correct about this. Else I'm ordering the most expensive dishes on the menu tonight.
Passing a large house, Temari heard loud laughter from within. Stealing a quick glance through the window, she saw a large group of elderly seated at a round table, engaged in conversation. Gathering of elders, Temari thought to herself, drunk on sake too, by the looks of it.
Thinking nothing more of it, Temari turned to leave when her instincts told her that something was amiss, despite the peaceful scene. Still noticing nothing our of the ordinary even after surveying the area carefully, she continued on her way until she was a fair distance away from the house and unseen by anyone. Unstrapping the fan from her back, she unfurled it and swung it powerfully in the direction of the house.
"Toppuu no jutsu!" (Sudden Gust Technique)
A powerful wind, though not quite strong enough to cause any damage, hit the house and its surrounding area. There! A satisfied Temari thought to herself. A section of the roof just trembled slightly. Either there's someone using a camouflage technique up there and listening to the elders' conversation or Gaara's interested in girls. But what purpose can listening to a bunch of old folk serve?
Since she was not a Konoha shinobi, it was technically no concern of hers. But she was a diplomat sent to improve already strong ties between Suna and Konoha, and a spy was a spy, regardless of circumstance. And the camouflage technique was indeed a high level one. Besides, she was itching for something to do involving battle.
Still in her hidden location, Temari swung her fan powerfully.
"Kaze no Yaiba!" (Wind Blade)
Having adapted her sensei's technique to one which could be used by her fan, Temari sent a solid blade of wind straight at where she had perceived the spy to be.
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Surai had not been very successful since entering Konoha. When she told a jounin at the scroll library that she was doing research on the Sandaime Hokage, had found insufficient information in the scrolls and so wanted to know whether she could obtain firsthand accounts of what the man was like in his lifetime, she was given directions to a house where the elders who had known Sandaime often gathered.
After finding the place, Surai concealed herself on the roof just above a window and sat down to plot her next move. Simply listening to their conversation would do her no good, the elders had lived long lives and the chances of their bringing up the one incident she needed to know about were close to zero. And the conversation was so boring and meaningless that she was likely to go insane if she had to endure much more of it.
Lost in thought, Surai was startled when a strong wind suddenly struck her, causing her to nearly lose her balance. She had not thought much when a kunoichi had earlier stopped by the house, since Surai had ascertained that she was not strong enough to see through her camouflage technique, and had ceased to think about her the moment she walked away from the house.
Regaining her balance, Surai was about to resume her pondering when she was distracted by a voice calling out.
"Kaze no Yaiba!"
Turning her head to the direction from which the voice had came, she was saved by sheer reflexes, as her body vaulted onto the ground, narrowly avoiding the blade of wind, which skimmed the top of the roof before burying itself in a nearby tree, leaving a deep gash.
"Eavesdropping on the elderly, are we?" Temari asked with a malicious grin, facing Surai whose technique had been dissipated during her fall. "I'd ask you to surrender, but that'd be no fun."
Without emotion, mentally slapping herself for letting her guard down, Surai stared at the grinning kunoichi before tossing a smoke bomb onto the ground and preparing to flee.
"A smoke bomb against a user of wind like myself? You have got to be kidding me!" Temari grumbled before clearing the smoke with one swing of her fan. But Surai had already fled, speeding along the rooftops.
"Man, she's fast!" Temari muttered to herself before giving chase.
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Editor's Notes: Took us one heck of a while, eh? Hope this was worth the wait. Though truthfully, the chapter itself didn't take long to write. We just dawdled over it for a heck of a long time. As always, reviews would be exceedingly welcome and helpful!
