Author's Note: Hello there my people, Brandon here with another update for Heroes path. Read, Review, and most importantly of all, enjoy!
On a list that was admittedly neither long nor extensive, this was the strangest fix they had ever found themselves in. As part of post graduation exam, they found themselves inside of a gigantic spherical wooden ball but hollowed out into a massive maze. The Walls were quite strange, being perfectly circular wherever they went. Atsuko noted that there was a fixed amount of chakra everywhere they went and that they could climb on the walls or even the ceiling. Shiro theorized that it was something like the tree climbing technique in reverse: Normally a Ninja would concentrate a fixed amount of chakra into their feet, just enough to cause them to stick to a surface. Instead, this ball of wood was sticking to them.
"This is new. So how are we going to get out of here?" Atsuko asked, hanging upside down.
"This ball is made of wood, as it so happens I have a little something that eats wood," Shiro stated pulling out a swarm of white colored insects. "Termites, plus a little bit of that fancy chakra you got in that arm of yours."
"Are we sure that we wanna screw around with that stuff? Atsuko put a hole through three buildings with that stuff didn't she?" Kenta asked, apparently both nervous and apprehensive about relying on the unpredictable chakra.
Ignoring Kenta's apprehensions Shiro released the insects onto the floor, they quickly began chewing tiny holes into the wood.
"On average a colony of five hundred thousand termites will eat through sixteen grams of wood a day. Augmented by your unique brand of chakra I'd estimate that they'll tear through roughly 10 000 times that." Shiro explained as he backed away.
"Isn't that only like 300 pounds of wood or something?" Atsuko stated looking confused.
"We'll be here all month at that rate!"
"Yes but there is a faster way," Shiro stated pushing his two teammates back. "One of the tricky things with the tree climbing technique is that if put too much chakra..." Shiro's explanation was cut off by an explosion from the termite holes, blowing a large hole into the wood.
"I think we get the gist Shiro," Atsuko stated as she lowered her arms from a defensive position, the trio jumped into the wood, quickly noting it rapidly growing back. "I hope you have more termites Shiro."
"Not to worry Atsuko the Termites are also reproducing at an accelerated rate..." Shiro pointed out a growing series of termite holes in the wood they were standing on. "And with the explosions propagating them this ball of timber will be destroyed in no time."
"Let's see if we can find Yamato before we start wrecking the place." Atsuko began using her Byakugan to look around, noting that there were several Yamato's sprouting out of the wooden sphere. "So much for that."
"Great now what do we do?" Kenta asked looking around the wooden hallway for any clue as to which way was out.
"I recall mention of a Yamato during the last Shinobi world war with a particular proficiency in the famous wood style of our village," Shiro stated scratching his chin.
"He was particularly fond of architecture books."
"How does this help us?" An annoyed Atsuko asked while she crossed her arms.
"After the attack on the village by the terrorist organization known as Akatsuki he was responsible for rebuilding several blocks that were leveled in the attack."
"Still don't see how that helps any." A losing patience fast Atsuko stated.
"How big is this thing?"
Atsuko used her Byakugan to get a look at the entire sphere.
"I'd say 1000 cubic metric tons of wood, purely in terms of mass."
"Witnesses reported that after growing a number of buildings that collectively make up roughly 1 percent of this construct Yamato said extreme exhaustion due to severe Chakra depletion. Not only has Yamato grown a sphere over a hundred times larger but he's also keeping it charged full of chakra."
"So that means that he has an alternate source of power to keep this thing going!"
"And I have a theory as to what. What is on the outside of this sphere."
"Ah leaves. Lots and lots of leaves."
"Just as I had suspected! This big wooden ball is solar powered!"
"As much as I hate to interrupt you guy's bonding moment..." Shiro and Atsuko looked over to Kenta, who was intent on bringing them back down to earth. "But how does this help us figure out how to get out of here?"
At this Atsuko took over, Taking aim at the chakra charged walls with her Byakugan and began pounding on the walls with Gentle fist, the additional chakra detonating the chakra already existing inside the walls. With one final explosion, the group exited the sphere of wood and landed on the ground a short while away.
"Well, that was unexpectedly easy," Atsuko commented a mix of relief and suspicion in her voice.
"Forgetting something children!?" The group looked up to see Yamato stuck out of the side of the wooden spherical maze holding the bells in his hand. "Only three hours left until lunch time! Looks like I'm gonna be eating today alone!"
"Oh, I hate that guy!" Kenta stated bitterly.
"Don't worry Kenta, all is going according to plan!" Suddenly balls of fire exploded out from the ball of wood, the termites suddenly converting the powerful and potent chakra in their bodies into fire chakra, which had now set the wooden ball on fire.
"Sorry, we ever doubted you Shiro." Atsuko quickly stated a bit in shock.
Yamato quickly separated himself from the flaming ball of wood and fire and landed on the ground breathing heavily, though something akin to a smile was on his face.
"Well done graduates! I must say that it's been a while since someone has managed to tear apart my 'wood maze trap' like that! Of course, if you think that means you lot have won, then all that means is that you're gonna lose faster!" Yamato stated as he got up, breathing normally as he continued to smile at the recruits.
"Oh yah!" Kenta shouted, bolting off to Yamato at top speeds.
"Kenta you idiot wait!" Shiro's warning was in vain.
In spite of Shiro's warning's Kenta kept going after Yamato. Weaving through columns of wood as they grew, sprouting leaves and contributing energy to grow more trees. Yamato was eventually able to cut him off with a wall of wood. Instead the younger Ninja went upwards, in vain as Yamato manipulated the wood to grow taller, faster, and enclose him. Kenta fought bravely, smashing barriers, branches, walls, trying desperately to escape the trap he had fallen into before finally being crushed between two barriers, just enough to avoid being lethal. Kenta might be strong, but even he could not fight with no leverage.
"Well, that was fun while it lasted. How about you, princess, think you can do better than he did?"
Atsuko looked at Shiro, whom silently nodded in response. Without a second thought, Atsuko ran at Yamato, jumped at the jungle gym of wood that was used to pursue after Kenta. The wood grew like before with Kenta, but Atsuko eliminated the four pillar's that made up Kenta's tower, cutting off a portion of the solar energy that Yamato had come to rely on so much. The tower landed with a loud 's wooden prison cracking slightly above his right index finger, that crack immediately getting bigger as Kenta rapidly tapped on the wood with what little leverage he had acquired with Chakra induced superhuman strength and speed. Atsuko had bought him an opening, but it would take time to go to play, time that she may not have as she discovered a root wrapping around her foot.
"An impressive attack, but futile. I hope the bug boy can put up a better fight than the two of you did."
Atsuko cut the roots off of her leg with her wind Chakra before diving into the makeshift jungle gym prison. Immediately Atsuko activated her Byakugan and began spinning around like a chakra filled spin-top, turned into a twister thanks to the transplantation of wind chakra. Chopping the wood into razor sharp pieces and flying them into the air before hitting them all with pinpoint precision and shooting them at Yamato, augmenting them with Wind Chakra. The only thing that prevented Yamato from winding up like so much of a finely muscled pin cushion was the wall of wood that he shot up right in front of him. Instead Atsuko shot the remaining shards of wood at Kenta, punching a few holes into the wood and buying Kenta a bit more leverage.
"Is that better Tin Woodman!?"
All ears within range, including Kenta, who by now got his arm and head free from the wooden prison, looked to the ashes of Yamato's plan A. Suddenly an enormous chitinous arm popped out from the ashes, like some kind of giant insect. Then more of the creature appeared, the mass produced Termites forming together and absorbing the ash. A body appeared next, red fur around the cuffs of it's arms and collar, vestigial legs lined the torso like a rib cage. Then the other arm grew, and then legs, bent at odd angles like an animal's, like a fox. Finally a long scorpion stinger grew out from it's behind, and long dragonfly-esque wings from it's back, framing a knight like head with six eyes and drooling acid.
"Okay, that's better."
"I hoped so," Shiro stated, having ducked into makeshift ash wasteland to work on his little project.
The beast of a bug's fist turned into a hammer as it slammed down on top of Yamato, spared an Ironically crushing defeat thanks to a expect leap out of the way. Unfortunately, this thing that Shiro had created was intent to not limit his options to just one target as it turned its wrath upon Atsuko. Kenta, having freed himself from his wooden prison ran to Atsuko, scooped her up, and moved her out of harms way.
"Shiro control your damn pet!" Kenta growled supporting Atsuko's weight as he realized that she was in pain, observing the beast Kenta also noted that the beast was spewing out large portions of ominous chakra. "Damn it Shiro it's hurting her!"
"I've noticed! Unfortunately, I don't think I can call it off anymore!"
The pair heard the sound of earth creaking as a number of wooden dragons shaped pillars grew out of the ground, their heads all pointed straight at the insectoid beast.
"What's happening..." a sharp pain to Kenta's groin cut off his current chain of thought. "Uh-oh!" Kenta had said weekly before he collapsed.
"Odd." Atsuko rose to her feet, looked at her person, taking note of the fact that her arm was still covered in bandages and they still secured via the clamp. "These things are still here but this side of me has still come out." Atsuko looked up to the creature and saw that it's red chakra that it was spewing out was coalescing around her. "So you brought this out. Well, I might as well have some fun!"
Atsuko dodged an another blow from the beast by jumping into the air and landing on its arm. Activating he Byakugan she saw all of its chakra points especially the ones in its arm made use of a gentle fist barrage to punch holes in the arm through every chakra node in the arm. The creature screamed in pain from it's bloodied arm, each hole leaking massive chakra and flung Atsuko into the air. Getting just the boost that she needed Atsuko used another Chakra tornado attack, only this time with the powerful dark red chakra. Together the combination tore the beast to shreds.
"Well, that was fun. Now where is my dinner?"
Atsuko soon realized that her victory was rather short lived as the Red Chakra left her body and was absorbed into the nearby dragon pillar, then she fell unconscious. Not too much later Yamato had decided to end the test earlier due in no small part to Atsuko's compromised condition. The results could be seen by Shiro tied up to a pole while Kenta and Atsuko were unbound.
"Deplorable. Shiro your actions were reckless and ill-advised. Not only did you put both yourself and those around you into danger with the stunt you pulled but you failed to lift so much as a finger while both of your team-mates had to fight me alone. Now I want you two to sit here and eat and I want you to watch while they eat while I go to file my report! Am I understood?"
"Yes Sir!" The three children stated in unison.
Yamato left immediately. Kenta was the first to begin eating although he quickly noticed that instead of eating she was attempting to feed Shiro one of her chicken balls.
"Come on Shiro down the hatch!"
"Atsuko, what are you doing?" Shiro asked looking a bit confused.
"I'm giving you some of my food silly!" Atsuko said a warm smile that could make your heart melt crossing her features.
"Why?" Was Shiro's reply.
"Even if we aren't the greatest of friends until I hear otherwise you're still my teammate Shiro. So eat already."
Alas, if only he were selfish and didn't worship the ground that Atsuko walked on, that would make his life much easier. With this, he pushed all of his chicken balls into Atsuko's food carton.
"I prefer the rice anyway."
Suddenly one of the poles of wood vanished in a poof of smoke and was replaced by Yamato, who was grinning widely.
"Congratulations! You have all passed!"
"Huh!?" Both Atsuko and Kenta stated with matching looks of confusion
."Allow me to explain..." the group looked over to Shiro to watch him finish a morsel of food. "The test was engineered to turn us against each other..." Suddenly, much to the surprise of those present, Shiro's restraints fell off having been undone by him and with his now freed hand held up the two bells. "If the goal were to test our abilities by having us steal the bells then logically there would have been three bells instead of only two."
"So if we still stuck together after all of that then we'd pass!" Atsuko deduced and slamming her fist into her palm.
"Quite clever of you to figure it out buggy," Yamato stated a hint of annoyance in his features.
"It was pure logic, promote team unity, test general competency, quite well designed in my opinion. Hence my reason for not spoiling the test." Shiro explained, no sign of smugness in his voice despite a bit of tooting his own horn.
"Shiro..." Yamato leaned down to ear level with Shiro. "If you pull a stunt like this again then you will not be welcomed in Konoha I promise you am I clear!?" "Crystal clear sir." "Good, the three of you will report to the Hokage office tomorrow morning for your first missions!"
"In short sir..." Shikamaru had taken Naruto to what resembled a model train set. More accurately, a model train set made in the image of the railway project that was designed to stretch throughout the entire fire nation, and would connect to the four other Shinobi nations. "This project will improve the international and national economies, promote diplomatic relations, and will satisfy the nobles."
"Good work Shikamaru. Your team really did a number here!" Naruto commented grinning widely.
"Don't thank me, thank our top engineer Tenten," Shikamaru stated as he pointed over to a woman with black hair who had it tied to a pair of chopstick wound buns and wore white, formal yet practical clothing. Pink flame print and had the Konoha forehead protector around her neck.
"If you really want to thank me then send some teams out for the bodyguard. Bandits have been going after us Day and night!"
A messenger walked into the room and handed Naruto a file titled simply 'team 8' Naruto looked through it before he smiled.
"Yah know I think I got just the people for the job."
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Guest: She already has, with Kyuubi being Naruto's partner he already introduced him to the village in a slightly more peaceful manner than the circumstances behind his birth.