Van: Thanks to all that reviewed, you guys are great! XD Okay, there's a thing that I have to say here... I have not been feeling too good since I don't have as much free time as I used to... But I'll try to get the chapters up as soon as possible! In any case, here's Chapter 10!
Disclaimer: See previous chapters.
Van: A note to Cooliocows215! Plez review this ficcy! I want your imput too! XD
Chapter 10 Victor
"Yoh-kun!"
"Kau Kau Furi Wenfei!" Horohoro shouted.
Hinata looked up in surprise. 'Ice?!'
A barrage of icicle needles struck Yoh, leaving a cloud of dust.
She gasped. 'I really did see ice!' "How is he..." She murmured.
"That is the ability of the ainu... A group of shamans that live in the north. They made a bond with the Koro Pokkuru and gained the powers of the mountain." Anna explained calmly.
Horohoro sled over to his sister who cheered. He then smirked.
Manta cletched his fists, his heart pumping. Did Yoh made it? The answer came when a figure emerged in the mist holding up a sword with his oversoul activated. "Ah!" He cried relieved.
Unknowingly, Anna let out a breath that she held for too long.
Yoh staggered a bit shaken from the attack.
"Heh. That's Yoh alright." Horohoro grinned gazing at Yoh's stance. "So that's his oversoul..." He commented.
"Horohoro! Do you have any idea what you did?! You could have killed me!" Yoh cried, distraught.
"Hey, it's not illegal, look." Horo pointed behind Yoh.
The brunette turned to see a very large digital clock.
1:59 turned to 2 o'clock sharp.
"And now the real fight begins..." Anna murmured.
"The real fight?" Hinata scanned the two shamans, yet not sensing anything. 'But why do I feel as though something's there?'
"You remember the rules, right? Each shaman activates oversoul. The one that loses their spirit energy first, loses!" Horohoro said.
Yoh wracked his brains for the memory of such, but came empty.
"You forgot?!" Horohoro exclaimed. "And here you are trying to impress two ladies!"
"E-eh?!" Hinata blushed. "D-don't be silly!!!" She cried shaking her head furiously as Yoh laughed.
Horohoro grinned at her. "Just watch, Hinata-chan! I'm gonna show you something cool!"
'What... could that be?' Hinata wondered. 'Does he mean the Shaman Fight?'
Horohoro then suddenly ran in for the kill. "Ebishingu Tesshipe!"
Yoh dodged. 'An iceberg?!'
Horohoro swung the board so effectively without losing his balance, that it almost seemed like he was using the board with his hands rather than his feet.
Yoh kept dodging, but it was constantly a narrow sort of dodge.
Manta gripped his book with anticipation. "W-wow..." 'This is so intense!'
Horohoro grinned and forced his board straight at Yoh, who dodged once again. The force of the action caused the iceberg to strike the ground. "What's the matter Yoh? You won't beat me by just dodging!"
Yoh's eyes widened as the ground beneath him suddenly became ice.
Horohoro smirked evilly. "Mososo Kurupe!"
Icicle stalagmites (Van: The difference between stalactite and stalagmite is that stalactite is from the ceiling.) from the ground emerged quickly and rushed toward Yoh as the ground began to shake.
Yoh quickly jumped into the air. "An ice bridge?!" He then turned his head up surprised to see Horohoro suddenly above him.
"You can't dodge up here." Horo snickered.
Hinata's eyes widened. "Oh no!"
"Kau Kau Furi Wenfei!"
"Protect me, Amidamaru!" Yoh cried as he placed his oversoul in front of him.
Amidamaru then turned into a shield and blocked the ice barrage.
"What the?!" Horohoro shouted in surprise.
"You're open!" Yoh turned Amidamaru back into a weapon and launched to strike. (Van: Please remember that although this is anime, and it seemed slow, they're actually doing this while still levatated in the air, so if it were real, they're actually fighting really, really, fast.)
Pirika shrieked. "Look out!"
"Ah!" Horohoro cried.
It was at that moment that Kororo shot a hard stream of mist, causing her to shoot away from Yoh and protecting her shaman from harm.
"He dodged using cold air!" Manta cried.
Hinata sighed and disengaged her Byakugan. She then watched the fight growing fierce. A thought came to her. Although she was not able to see the ghosts, she was able to see the aftereffects of the ghastly battle and feel the intensity of the spirits at war... Perhaps this in itself was what makes this experience eerie as well as exhilarating. But then something caught her eye...
'There's two people on that building!' The ninja quickly calculated the odds. 'If they're hostile then their strategy may be to wait until both are tired and then attack... They could be friendly... But if they were, then why are they over there?' Silently, the kunoichi disappeared into the shadows.
Naruto groaned while clutching his stomach. "Man, Menma... Why does Suna have to be so far?!"
Menma patted Naruto on the back. "Don't worry! We'll get there, Naruto-kun."
"Meh, I know! But why?! Why isn't there anyone else to share our suffering?!" Naruto cried. He then turned to Menma. "Menma! I was a good roommate, right?!"
Menma sweatdropped remembering how messy the apartment was before he moved in. "Ano..."
"Wah! Menma, why?! Why?!" Naruto cried heavilly while leaning on his companion.
"Eh?! Don't be like that, Naruto-kun! You'll only wear yourself out more!" Menma chastised.
Naruto huffed and kicked some sand, only to have some land in his mouth. "Ugh! Blargh!" He spat.
"Naruto-kun! Here's some water!" Menma quickly gave Naruto a bottle.
Drinking it, Naruto then looked back at the map. "Okay, so we go this way!" He pointed west.
For a while, they headed in that direction, until...
"Gah! I can't see Suna! It's just thousands and thousands of miles of... SAND!!!!" Naruto shouted angrilly. "Who wrote this stupid map?!"
"Wait a minute, Naruto-kun! Don't!" Menma cried, but it was too late.
"EYAH!" Naruto ripped the map to shreds.
Menma was very much tempted to cry at that moment. "N-Naruto-kun..." It's tough when you're the patient nice guy.
"Tch! BAKA! And here I actually came to depend on you! Guess I set my hopes on the wrong guy, huh?"
"Eh?" Naruto turned to find himself knocked over by an eager puppy. "Akamaru?!" He sputtered as the dog began to lick his face. "Hey! Stop that!"
"So anyway, Hokage-sama actually thought that something like this would happen, so I was sent to come with you. Too bad the others couldn't come, they would have had a real laugh, seeing you lost." Kiba commented.
"Sh-shut up!" Naruto said angrilly, his face growing hot.
"Naruto-kun! Are you alright, you look red!"
Surely enough, Naruto's skin was bright scarlet.
"Idiot! What kind of person wouldn't bring sunscreen!" Kiba screeched while shoving ointment on the kyuubi container's hands.
"Geez, you can't think of everything..." Naruto mumbled."Itai! This stuff stings!"
"Well, duh! You're sunburned! Any case, give me the map, I'm navigating."
"Ehehehe... There is a slight problem..." Naruto said nervously.
"Um, the map is gone..." Menma said quickly.
"Naruto... You did this, didn't you?" Kiba said glaring.
"Eek!" Naruto ran behind Menma.
"Coward! Always hiding behind Menma!" Kiba said running around Menma.
"Come on! It's not my fault!" Naruto begged spinning Menma so that he faces Kiba every single time.
Unfortunately, the pattern of turning was a circle that went clockwise from an above view AND counterclockwise. So Menma ended up very dizzy indeed.
Akamaru's yipping wasn't really helping. It just made it worse.
It all happened so quickly. One minute, the Shaman Council members were just doing their duty of observing the battle and the next thing they knew, cold steel barely touched their necks.
"Silva..." Karimu murmured.
Silva tried to look at their attacker with the corner of his eye, but failed to do so.
"Who are you two?" The voice whispered.
"We are the Shaman Council members, whose duty is to oversee the Shaman Tournament." He answered.
"I see..."
The kunais withdrew, and the Shaman Council member turned around to see their attacker is... A girl?
"Sumimasen, I-I thought that you two were people with horrible intentions of..." Hinata murmured the rest of her words inaudibly.
Several thoughts ran through the two minds.
'My goodness! What's the world is coming to?! Thirteen year olds actually learning to kill people! Well, this is the Shaman Tournament, but...'
'Nani?! I don't really look like a villain, do I?!'
'And look at her! She seems so sweet!'
'I don't think I can even pass as a villain... I don't have the qualifications! Although maybe I could have an evil lair, and I AM great at monologues...'
'I CAN'T BELIEVE A HIGH COUNCILMAN SUCH AS I WAS NEARLY KILLED BY A LITTLE TEENAGE GIRL!'
It was then that the turtle spirit chose to speak up. "Hey, Silva," He said slowly. "What kind of person wears sunglasses at night?"
They looked at the girl, who was now quiet and fidgeting and realized at a close zoom that indeed she was wearing sunglasses... In the dark! Dun, dun, dun!
"There's only one explanation, Silva..." Karimu said solemnly.
Silva nodded. It was far too obvious! The girl has a case of emoism! She can't bear to look at the world, not even at night, and thus the shades! And look! Her bangs are even long! Definitely emo material. He nodded even more rapidly. They've got an emo on their hands.
Karimu grasped Hinata's shoulders. "Young lady..." He began with utmost serious reproach.
Hinata looked up attentive. "H-Hai?"
"There are happy things in life. Don't throw it away!"
Hinata blinked surprised. "N-nani?"
"There's no need to shut yourself away from this world! Whatever the case may be, there are people who care!" Karimu cried passionately.
Silva sobbed at the inspirational speech as does many of the other spirits.
"So please, don't throw it away! Life is too precious a gift!" Karimu finished with tears.
Hinata, being confused, didn't know what to do! What were they saying?!
"But right now, we must focus on the Shaman fight. Are you willing to wait until then? They don't call us councilmen for nothing, you know."
"I thought that the correct term was counselor..." Silva murmured.
"Oh really? Well, I guess we could have two proffessions then." Karimu commented.
'They are a bit funny...' Hinata thought.
"Well, come here, we can't have you wandering off." Silva waved.
Hinata sat down between the two still confused on what they meant.
"Yoh is indeed strong... But Horohoro has more potential, Silva. I have fought with him, and unlike Yoh, he has a bold reason for his ambition... I believe that it is he who will win the match." Karimu said smiling.
"What do you think?" Silva asked Hinata.
"S-sorry, b-but I can't see spirits..." Hinata said softly.
From behind Hinata, Karimu made a few signals. 'Uh, uh! Uh, uh! This might be one of the reasons she's emo! Her friends could see spirits, but she can't!'
Silva would argue back that it's the opposite that is more likely to cause emoism, but there was a battle to watch.
Horohoro huffed in tiredness. "How did you...?" The answer came to him quickly. "Pretty good, changing your oversoul like that."
"I've seen through just about enough of your attacks." Yoh said holding out his sword. "You have too many openings."
Horohoro growled frustrated. "Take this! Mososo Kurrupe!" Once more the ice bridge of stagmites rushed toward Yoh in a fast pace very much like one of a cheetah.
Yoh, unfazed, informed, "I've seen through that too." He held out his sword gracefully and shouted, "Shinkuu Buttagiri!" And with one strike of Harusame, the ice bridge was cut and stopped.
Horohoro just froze. (pardon the pun) "No way... You stopped my Mososo Kurrupe attack?" Horo's board slid off onto the ground and so does he.
Manta and Anna were surprised. Was this really the same Yoh that was crying while being pushed to the limit?
Pirika cried at the sight of her big brother on his knees.
Horohoro inside was a figure of mixed emotions... He was certainly intimidated by Yoh! Just how? How could he be this strong and overlook his attacks like that? His thoughts vanished at the sound of his sister's call.
"Onii-chan! Don't give up! Don't you remember what you're fighting for? We're all counting on you to save the dying race of Koro Pokkuru! Remember!" Pirika sobbed. "If you don't win, they'll die! Kororo and everyone will vanish!" She held up a hand to wipe away the tears. "A-and then what will we do?"
Horohoro then stood up. "Don't worry... It won't happen!" A fierce determination came to his eyes. "I won't let it!"
From above, there was a twinkle in Karimu's eye. "So he'll use that technique..."
Horohoro turned to Yoh. "There is a saying in my village that sometimes the god of the mountain would come out to play with mortals... This is a warning for Nature's destruction, but my village calls it a sign of the god coming to cause destruction upon mortals... Yoh, you are the greatest opponent I've ever fought. So I challenge you with all of my spirit energy in this one last attack."
Yoh looked around quickly as the ground and everything around them began to shake, as though indeed there was something unearthly gathering to enter the world.
"Witness Kororo's strongest attack!"
From behind the ainu, there was a huge wave of snow that bursted from seemingly nowhere. The height of the avalanche seemed to reach as far as the sky and there was no question what sorts of chaos it would make. Horohoro jumped up to the very top and began to surf the snow attack.
"Epikari Kyupashi Horuske!"
Yoh faced the wave calmly. "Let's do this, Amidamaru." He then jumped up his sword ready.
The two clashed and caused a huge fog to emerge.
When the fog cleared, Manta was shocked. There was snow absolutely everywhere! And there was Horohoro right there, grinning victoriously, but where's Yoh?
"He did it!" Pirika said in joy. "Horohoro won!"
Horohoro smirked. "Yoh didn't have a chance."
"Hmm..." Anna said scanning the ground.
From above, Hinata helplessly gazed at the scene. Had Yoh really been wiped out? (pardon this other pun! You know the song.)
Horohoro then gasped turning around, but a bit too slowly, as his opponent bursted from the snowy ground. He then closed his eyes, waiting for the ending attack to finish him.
"Shinkuu Buttagiri!" Yoh struck with Harusame.
Horohoro opened his eyes, to find that he was in one piece. He looked to his right quickly. "Huh? He missed??"
Yoh pointed. "Kororo's out of your board and you ran out of spirit energy, so I win."
Horohoro shrieked at the irony while Kororo stayed on the snow all dizzy from the events.
Hinata smiled overjoyed. "Y-Yoh-kun won! He did it!"
"But how? How did Asakura Yoh...?" Karimu couldn't understand! What exactly does this guy have going for him? He's not trying to save something, nor anything distinctively noble, so why?
"Yoh has always been full of surprises. He has proven so in my battle against him. He has a calm wind with him and that is why I support him." Silva smiled.
Then immediately Karimu turned to where the kunoichi was sitting. "So, now that it's over, I believe it's time for your counseling!"
Silva and Karimu's jaws hung wide. Where is she?!
The wind blew.
"Silva! Why weren't you watching her?!"
"Don't look at me! She was nearby you!" The other councilmember argued back.
Hinata leaped away from the two indian people. 'They really are kind, but I still don't understand them...'
"Hinata, where have you been?" Anna asked.
"S-sumimasen, there were these people and I thought that they were enemies..." Hinata twiddled her fingers nervously.
"That's okay! Just be sure to tell us next time okay?" Manta said smiling.
"Hmph. This is why you'll never grow tall, Manta." Anna said.
Manta sighed.
Hinata giggled. "But I did see Yoh-kun win!"
At that, Pirika began to cry loudly. "Why?! Why?!"
"Ne, Pirika-chan! Don't cry!" Manta comforted.
Hinata nodded. "Th-that's right! The food will get cold, and-" Before she finished, the blue haired girl had already been stuffing her face with the food.
"Oh, stop it. Besides, it isn't over." Anna said.
Pirika stopped.
"What do you mean?" Manta asked.
"Each shaman recieves 3 matches in the elimination round. If you win 2/3 of your matches, then you will definitely go through and participate in the next round." Anna stated. "So stop crying." Anna said, sipping tea.
"But... A loss is still a loss..." Pirika murmured looking at her lap.
"Don't be sad, Pirika. You're causing someone to be very much worried about you..." Manta said.
Pirika turned to Kororo, who was whimpering over her failure. "Kororo..." She picked up the little spirit and held her. Smiling she said, "Don't worry about me, it's okay. You did your best out there, I know it. Everything... Will be fine." Pirika gave Kororo a genuine smile.
"Ko koro ko ro kororo!" (Kororo translator: I'm happy that you're smiling!)
Pirika giggled.
Hinata then thought back to Konoha. She missed her home so deeply, but looking at Pirika... Maybe, just maybe she can learn to cope. Yes, she'll be fine, after all, they are looking for her, right?
"Meh, Kiba! Why'd you freak out if you had a map on you?!" Naruto complained while walking beside the dog master.
"Shut up! It's your fault this happened anyway! Who would have thought what would happen if I didn't come!" Kiba shouted angrily.
Akamaru yapped in agreement.
"But Naruto did try his best..." Menma said, trying to fend for the kyuubi container.
"Oh don't start with me, Menmaaaa..." Kiba groaned.
Menma bowed his head sadly. "Sorry."
Powerful wind then began to blow in their direction. The three boys huddled together upon instinct and covered their mouths with cloth.
The wind died down and the three sighed, but at the sudden presence of someone else, stopped.
For there, right in front of the three boys were two people in black clothes dark as the night, embroidered with artistically red clouds. They wore straw hats of the typical asian style, with lots of white ribbons concealing their faces. They didn't look too strange; however, one close look at their hands told all that was needed to be told.
"Akatsuki..." Kiba gasped.
Akamaru whimpered.
Van: Thanks for being so patient! Please r&r and tell me what you think. :)
