Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto
Piece of the Puzzle
Chapter 10: Pretty Soldier Sailor Momo
The first round of the chunin exams had ended, and it was now time for the first intermission. The spectators could use this time to place additional bets on the matches, get more refreshments, use the facilities, or in the case of the Uchiha patriarch, close down a business he started to earn some extra funds.
The remaining competitors in the exam were in their waiting area, eager to begin the next round. Momo had taken the time to change for her match against her Aburame team-mate.
Knowing his destruction beetles can drain her chakra by biting her, she slipped into a navy blue jumpsuit that fit her well. It covered her skin, and was made of a strong material, protecting her from harm.
In addition, she wore her white battle skirt and navy blue t-shirt with the Uchiha crest on the back. The jumpsuit gave away too much of Momo's figure, and she did not want anyone but Naruto seeing her like that.
She also wore a pair of closed toed combat boots, a bandana covering her hair and forehead, and open fingered gloves, to let her handle her tonfa with ease.
Momo still wore the goggles Naruto gave her, and had her forehead protector around her neck, which was covered by the turtleneck of her jumpsuit. Overall, her only exposed flesh was on her fingers and face.
Right now Momo was studying the Rain genin in order to gain an estimate of their abilities. There was a good chance she would face the swordsman in the finals.
'From what I could tell from the fight against the other Leaf Ninja, he has impressive speed and strength. He's skilled with his ninjato, and can charge them with electricity. I don't know if it's an effect of the blades, or his own affinity. Presumably, he should have a water affinity, which would allow for some synergy with his weapons.'
It did not look good for Momo.
'He's pretty much my worst opponent. He's bigger, stronger and faster then me. His affinities beat mine, and he's more skilled with his swords then I am with my tonfa. I'll have to rely on my sharingan in combat, and hope I can use my illusions to disorient him.'
One thing was clear to Momo. If she were to beat the Rain genin, she would need a good plan. As for her next opponent, Momo would have to face her own team-mate in combat.
'At least I have a good strategy for Aburame. He won't know what hit him. It's a good thing I've learned his weakness. I don't like what I'll have to do, but it's the most effective and simplest way to beat him.'
Momo's Aburame team-mate was known for his logic and analytical ability. Momo would need to use her tactics to her fullest to beat him.
Soon enough, the intermission came to an end. Konohamaru called the Rain genin down to the arena floor to being their match, and the second round of the finals of the chunin exams.
Momo was watching the match with a critical eye, attempting to discern any weaknesses in the stronger Rain genin. She did not use her sharingan while doing so, primarily because her father advised her to only use it for training, or life and death situations. He had a good reason for this restriction.
'According to father, anything observed while using the sharingan can never be forgotten, and will always be remembered with perfect clarity. Thus, if I only used it in combat, in my old age when the rest of my memories have faded, all I would have are memories of violence and death.'
It was quite a horrifying thought, and explained why so many Uchiha succumbed to mental illnesses.
Still, Sasuke trusted Momo's judgement and allowed her to use the sharingan when she saw a need for it, but encouraged her not to rely on it, advising her to use it with caution.
'Oh, the match is starting. This is going to be interesting.'
Down on the arena floor, the two Rain genin began their fight. The first genin who fought Inuzuka quickly began retreating for cover behind the trees.
'He must be trying to find a safe place to set-up his illusions or stealth techniques.'
The swordsman of the Rain ninja merely withdrew his ninjato, and took a ready stance.
'He must be waiting for the other to make the first move. Since they're team-mates, they must know each other's strengths and weaknesses.'
Soon enough, the first Rain ninja made his move. Using the earth release: underground projection fish technique, he moved through the arena floor as if he was swimming through it.
The Rain ninja then created a series of clones. Using the sharingan for a moment, Momo identified their types.
'I seem some basic clones, haze, and even some other illusionary clones. By the look of the other Rain genin's chakra, he's also under an illusion. So why hasn't he moved yet?'
Indeed, the swordsman from Rain had not moved an inch. Seeing an opportunity, his team-mate's clones began their assault. As one, they all threw several kunai and shuriken at the swordsman, who stayed still. When he was mere seconds away from getting hit, the swordsman swiftly deflected the real weapons, letting the illusionary copies fade away.
Momo narrowed her eyes at the swordsman. How was he able to deflect the real weapons among the illusions? Taking a close look at him, Momo noticed something off about him.
'His eyes are closed! If he can't see the illusions, then he must be listening for the real weapons! He might even be able to locate his opponent by feeling the vibrations in the ground. Not only that, but if I fight him, my illusions will be useless as well.'
It would seem that history had repeated itself. Just as Momochi Zabuza once nearly defeated Hatake Kakashi in near zero visibility, the swordsman from Rain was going to defeat one, and maybe two illusionists, without ever looking at them during the fight.
'It's too bad Inuzuka kept falling for the illusions. If he had closed his eyes and followed his nose, he might have won his fight. Although, the Rain genin did use some type of water technique to dilute his scent. I suppose it doesn't matter. Inuzuka is still too hot headed to get promoted anyway.'
As for the Illusionist of the Rain genin, seeing how his primary form of attack was useless against his team-mate, and knowing he stood no chance against him in direct combat, he forfeited.
'That does not bode well for me.' Momo thought worryingly.
Up in the stands, Naruto began chatting with the people Momo, and someday he would call mom and dad.
"Remember when I beat the Rain genin team in the chunin exams all by myself? That guy down there used some of the same techniques they did."
"Yes Naruto," Sakura answered exasperatingly. "We remember. It wasn't that long ago for us.
Given Naruto's time spent in a coma, his memories of their first chunin exam were fresher in his mind then in Sakura or Sasuke's, along with other memories of their past.
"I know, I'm just thinking of our first chunin exam. It's not like I'm bragging about how I beat them all by myself, twice even!"
Sakura just gave Naruto an incredulous look.
"Un." Sasuke said to them.
"Momo's match is starting now." Sakura translated for Naruto.
The three of them then turned their attention back to the arena floor with Momo was about to start her second match.
Momo stood across from her Aburame team-mate. Konohamaru had yet to call the start of the match. At the moment, they were engaged in witty pre-combat banter.
"Un?" Momo asked Aburame.
"Ah." Aburame replied.
As odd as it seems, they actually knew exactly what the other was saying. Both were accustomed to reading body language, and as team-mates knew each other well. They could have, and have had, whole conversations using monosyllabic words.
While having their strange conversation, Momo was reviewing her plan for beating her team-mate.
'His destruction beetles can disrupt any illusions I place on him, so demonic illusion: hell viewing technique is out. I can still use the demonic illusion: false surroundings technique to disorient him though. I happen to know just what would distract him, but I'm going to have to make some cover first.'
Momo was confident she could win. Nodding to her team-mate, they signalled to Konohamaru that they were ready, and he started their match.
The battle between the Momo and her Aburame team-mate had gone off with a swift assault.
Aburame sent out two waves of destruction beetles, one from each sleeve. Momo used that time to charge in and engage him in close-quarters combat with her tonfa.
Aburame used his kunai to parry, but Momo's earth chakra infused hits were pushing him back. Aburame called his beetles to swarm Momo. They attempted to engulf her, distracting Momo and allowing Aburame to get to cover.
Momo was now dodging the swarms of beetles attempting to devour her chakra.
'My suit keeps most of my skin covered, so even if they did swarm me I would be able to fight for some time. I could have kept fighting Aburame while they covered me, but that would be gross.'
Say what you will, Momo may be a trained killer but she was still a little girl.
'He took cover in the trees. No doubt he's going to replace himself with a bug clone and try to trap me. I should be able to see through that with my sharingan though.'
Momo jumped back as the destruction beetles made another pass at her.
'I have more area to evade them out in the open, but no time to prepare the great fireball to incinerate them. Wait, I know what to do!'
Momo, using the body flicker technique, which she had practiced enough to not need hand-seals for, put some distance between her and the bug swarms.
'I hope this works.'
Momo took a deep breath, and fired the signature technique of the Uchiha clan at the destruction beetles.
'Horse, tiger, fire release: great fireball technique!' Momo thought as she made the hand seals and directed the inferno at her team-mates allies.
The destruction beetles tried to get away, but Momo put enough power in the fireball to consume the majority of them. The survivors retreated for the woods, presumably to rejoin their host.
'Now it's time to end this.' Momo thought as she used the body flicker technique to quickly make her way to the other end of the arena, in the woods where her team-mate was recovering.
Aburame stood against a tree. Momo's attacks had been fierce, and he had taken a few blows. He was now resting, and thankful that Momo's strikes had not done any serious harm.
His destruction beetles had just returned to him. Aburame was mildly upset by the loss of so many of them, but had been expecting something like that to happen. He was about to form a bug clone, but his allies had informed him they detected the scent of a female beetle that had attached itself to Momo.
Looking forward, Aburame noticed that Momo was standing a few metres in front of him. Momo's goggles, being tinted, prevented him from knowing whether she had her sharingan active or not.
Momo did have it active, and could tell it was her team-mate in front of her and not a big clone.
"It looks like this is it now. You've taken some hits, and lost several of your allies, while I'm just fine. Give up now, and spare yourself from any more pain." Momo said to her team-mate, and current opponent.
"I do not think it would wise for me to forfeit. Why? Simple, you are now in my trap." Aburame responded.
Suddenly, several large swarms of destruction beetles came out from behind the many trees. Momo was now surrounded.
"I believe it is you who should now give up. Why? Even though most of your skin in covered, my allies will eventually devour your armour and then your chakra. You will lose. Forfeit now, and spare yourself the shame of your loss."
Momo did not bat an eye at the large number of destruction beetles, even though they did creep her out.
'Devour my armour? Yeah, you just want to see what's under it. That's right; I know your dirty secret. Well, I bet you haven't anticipated this!'
Momo formed a hand seal, and created several earth clones.
"That will not work." Aburame said to her. "My allies can detect the original amongst you by your scent."
"That's not what I'm planning on using it for." Momo responded.
Aburame was confused by that statement. Even if Momo planned on fighting her way out, his allies would keep the clones from attacking him. Momo must have had some other need for them.
Momo did have a plan for them, and considered it quite sinister.
'I know how those beetles work. They respond to the will of their host. If said host is sufficiently distracted however, they won't know what to do.'
Momo then formed the ram seal, and cast a technique that she was counting on allowing her to defeat Aburame. A smoke cloud appeared, briefly covering up Momo and her clones. The destruction beetles were about to swarm in and attack, but stopped as their host was no longer directing them.
Aburame's lack of focus was understandable. When the smoke cover dissipated, it revealed Momo and her clones, along with several new basic clones, all appearing to be wearing a mix of school girl uniforms, sailor suits, nurse's uniforms, maid outfits, and even catgirls.
Aburame was now in a state of shock, and could not form a coherent thought. Momo was inwardly cheering.
'Hah, I bet you didn't think I knew your secrets! I know you have a crush on me, just like almost every other boy I know. Not only that, you have a cosplay fetish!'
Not that there's anything wrong with having a particular fetish.
With her opponent suitably unable to even remember his name, Momo moved in and knocked him out. Aburame's allies then returned to give their host aid. Momo dragged her team-mate out of the woods and set him down.
Konohamaru, confirming that Aburame was out cold, declared Momo the victor of the match. With the second round of fights over, one final intermission was called before the final match.
Momo ran back to the changing rooms to prepare for her last fight. It would take everything she had to defeat the swordsman from the Hidden Rain Village. She was going to give it her all, to make her parents proud, earn a promotion to chunin, and someday, Naruto's love as well.
Author's Notes: What? Everyone knows that Aburames, Hyuugas, and Inuzukas get along so well in teams because they're all perverts, not because of their tracking skills.
In case you're wondering what Momo's final technique did, she used a combination of the basic clone and transformation techniques to create clones of herself with a different appearance.
She also used demonic illusion: false surroundings technique to alter the appearance of the earth clones. I suppose she didn't need them, but they could have come in handy, just in case.
Demonic illusion: false surroundings technique is what Izumo and Kotetsu used in the chunin exams to change the door number, so they could weed out the weaker genin, until Sasuke blew their cover.
Also of note is that the illusion faded with a swirl, while the transformation technique is dispelled with a cloud of smoke like the shadow clone technique, which is a solid chakra construct, or that Lee blocked a kick from the transformed chunin, when if he was under an illusion, due to the height difference between his appearance and real self, Lee would have ended up getting kicked in the head. Interesting…