Ninja Kitsune
Chapter 24: The Results of Training – Akatsuki Makes It's Move
Konoha: Training Ground 7: Time: 19:00 hours
The newly reunited Team 7 now faced their former teachers, in a matchup to decide their future status. Naruko now faced Itachi, while Haku took on Kakashi, Sakura took on Ayane, and Sasuke was tested by Ryu.
Haku vs Kakashi
"I see you adopted a bit of Zabuza's look," Kakashi said, dodging senbon being thrown from several different directions, "But do you have his skill?"
"Why not see for yourself?" Haku responded, as he showed Kakashi his new sword, "He gave me this sword. It's made of a special metal found only in Iwa. It channels and enhances chakra, including elemental transformations. Being an ice user, I can use both wind and water."
Kakashi draws the ninjato from his back, and stood facing Haku. "Then it's a good thing I brought this, instead of father's sword," he thought to himself, "If he can use wind chakra, and that sword is a chakra enhancer, then it could cut through most anything."
A small patch of ice formed under Haku's feet, and the ice master dropped into it. Kakashi looked around to try to find the young ninja, who slowly rose up behind the copycat. Haku brought his blade around to strike at Kakashi, but his strike was blocked. The two engaged in a kenjutsu battle for the next few minutes, each strike parried and countered.
"Ryu and Zabuza trained you well," Kakashi noted, "You're pretty good. At least at Jonin level."
"Think higher," Haku stated, as he dropped into another frozen puddle, and his face appeared above Kakashi. Suddenly, a rain of senbon showered down on the copy ninja, who jumped out of the way. He didn't see the frozen mirror appearing on a tree behind him as Haku shot out of the frozen construct like fired from a cannon. He struck with Ryu's famed flying swallow technique, using the blunt spine of the sword, knocking him down. Haku then skids to a stop, and starts making hand-signs. "Ice Style: Frozen Vortex Jutsu!" he exclaims, as a huge vortex of water shoots out and freezes around Kakashi, leaving him in a block of ice
Sakura vs. Ayane
Ayane and Sakura faced each other in a furious taijustu battle. Each one was using chakra enhanced blows. "She's gotten better," Ayane notes to herself, "She's using the Uchiha's taijutsu style, with chakra enhanced strikes, making even blocking them painful. That combination alone is enough, but with her medical skills. That diamond mark she now sports is the same seal that Tsunade uses, only it looks like she's enhanced it. Not only does it store chakra, but she's incorporated a restoration seal to use a small amount of her own chakra to heal herself. She may have already surpassed Tsunade, and me." The two separated, skidding to a halt and making hand-signs. Chakra flared around the two of them, and gathered into their fists. Both kunoichi raced straight at each other, and their chakra enhanced fists clashed again. The storm of chakra that resulted could be felt all over the field.
"It's no small wonder Ayane-sensei's holding her own," Sakura thought as her pink hair flared all around her head in the storm of chakra, "She taught me this jutsu, but I've come too far to stop now." She then let out a shout of determination, before yelling out, "NINJA ART: CHAKRA DEVASTATION JUTSU!" The chakra coming from her fist shot out at Ayane, impacting all up her arm, and shooting the lavendar-haired jonin backwards into a tree, knocking her out.
Sasuke vs. Ryu
Sparks showered all over as Uchiha and Hayabusa engaged in a furious clash of swords. Sasuke's ninjato and Ryu's katana crashed together at speeds that most would be unable to see. "Looks like we're evenly matched in kenjutsu," Sasuke thought, "Let's see if he's still as good with ninjutsu as he was a couple of years ago." He then stopped and cycled through hand-signs. He then brought up his right hand to his mouth and stated, "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" Numerous small fireballs shot out toward the Hayabusa.
"Dragon style: Ice Storm Jutsu!" came the reply from Ryu, who created an ice storm which put out the fireballs, "Good try, Sasuke, but it may not be enough. Your kenjutsu is now at a level with mine, and that's something to be proud of. Your speed is also very well improved. Now, show me something that I haven't seen since we've been gone."
"If you insist," Sasuke responded, not even making hand-signs, but his arm being covered in cracking lightning, "I found out that my true elemental affinity is lightning, after Kakashi taught me his Chidori. I've branched out from there to this. Chidori Stream!" Lightning shot out toward Ryu across the ground. Ryu jumped out of the way, only to get stopped as he landed by five towering pillars of lightning.
"Chidori Prison," Sasuke told Ryu, "If you even move an inch, you'll get a 50 thousand volt shock. It won't kill you, but it'll hurt like the dickens, and render you unconscious."
"What is catching the current?"
"You didn't notice the senbon that Haku was throwing around in his fight with Kakashi?" Sasuke explained, "All those senbon are impaled into the ground, and they all conducted the current to create the chidori prison."
Sunagakure – Time: 19:15 hours.
A strange bird floated serenly through the air over the village of Sunagakure. On it's back is a man in a black cloak with red clouds scattered over it. This man, a blonde-haired rogue from Iwa, scanned over the village for his target, the host of the one-tailed Shukaku. He didn't have to look hard, as a shower of sand shot up from the ground, creating a ball that imprisoned the bird and it's rider.
"Sand prison," came the almost whisper-like voice of Gaara of the Desert, "Did you really think your infiltration of my village would escape my notice? There are no birds like that in this desert."
"It seems you know your territory better than I thought, Kazekage," came a voice behind the red-haired man, "But what you failed to realize is, that was a clay clone." The kazekage then felt a kick to his back as he plummeted toward the ground, only to have his descent stopped by a platform of sand.
"I won't be stopped that easily," Gaara said as he stood up, "I hope you're ready for the fight of your life."
Konoha – Training Ground 7 - Naruko vs Itachi
"I see you now hold the Dragon Sword," Itachi Uchiha said to Naruko, "That, in and of itself is impressive."
"You'll find I'm full of surprises," Naruko stated as she flicked a senbon from the pouch on her belt at Itachi. He casually dodged the attack, and started to charge at Naruko, only for her to disappear. Not even a second later, the Uchiha felt a strong kick to his back, as he was rocketed forward. He looked at Naruko's eyes, only to see that her pupils were slitted, but remained their normal blue.
"Sage mode," he mused, "You have grown a lot, Naruko."
"I've barely scratched the surface," the blonde-haired fox sage responds, "I'm sure you don't want to come face to face with Arisa, so I'll save her for when we need her. Till then, let's just see how you stack up, Itachi." During her monologue, she looked around the field with her peripheral vision, spotting the senbon in the ground. "Thank you, Haku-kun," she thinks, "You placed my senbon around the field in strategic locations during your fight with Kakashi. Hang on. Five of them are special. Ok, Itachi, let's see if I can get you to that spot." She got into a fighting stance, after placing her sword back in the scabbard. She lifts her right hand in front of her, and makes a sign of "just bring it", which causes Itachi to once again charge in. This time, she again transports herself to another of her senbon. "Come on, you can't tell me that this is the extent of the great Itachi Uchiha's speed," she mocked, "You can't catch one girl?"
"How is she doing that?" Itachi thinks, "She's moving faster than even Shisui did. Wait a minute. This started with that senbon. Hiraishin." He smirks. "So you learned the Hiraishin," he states, "You are full of surprises. To master that technique, you have to be almost a seal master."
"I wonder why people think sealing is such a difficult art," Naruko asks, "Learning that was the easiest part of my training."
"That's your Uzumaki heritage," the Uchiha tells her, "the Uzumaki clan of Uzushiogakure were renowned as seal masters." He then closes his eyes and activates his sharingan.
"I'll have to do something about those eyes," Naruko thinks, "Any ideas, Arisa?"
"How about a chakra draining seal on the back of his head?" the fox responds, "that could seal the Sharingan until you release the seal at the end of the match."
"On the plus side, if I put the sister seal on my body, I can drain his chakra and have it transferred to me," The young sage smirks, "This is going to be fun." She charges right at Itachi, but flicks a senbon out ahead of her, and behind Itachi. When they're within arms reach, she teleports herself behind him, and her hand glows bright orange. She places the hand on the back of Itachi's head and says, "Chakra drain seal, activate."
Itachi's eyes returned to normal. "She sealed off the Sharingan," he thinks, "I shouldn't have let her get in close. Her seals, combined with kenjutsu, and Hiraishin has made her even stronger than her parents." Naruko now stood in a fighting stance, awaiting Itachi's next move. "Good thing I put more in that seal than just the chakra drain seal," she thinks, "All I have to do now is let him let loose a jutsu, and I can substitute him for me, and then activate this barrier seal that Haku dropped out here."
"You mischievous little vixen," Arisa says, "You put a transportation seal in there as well."
"Couldn't resist," Naruko replied, "This is Itachi, after all, and I don't want to kill him. He's Sasuke's brother. The barrier seal will keep him in where he can't continue to fight."
Itachi cycled through a series of hand-signs before, "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" The Uchiha let loose with a massive fireball but that was all Naruko needed.
"Transport seal, activate!" she said, as she and Itachi switched places. She then placed a hand on the ground and said, "Five point barrier, seal!" Itachi is then caught in the hexagonal barrier and unable to fight.
"Excellent move," Itachi said to Naruko, "Your mastery of the arts you were taught is very impressive, Naruko. Ryu and Jiraiya did well in your training."
After all the fights were concluded, a loud chorus of cheers and whoops are heard from the treeline as the members of their rookie year, Team Gai, and all the jonin sensei, including Anko jump down and rush the field.
"Team 7, I hope you're ready to work," Tsunade told them, "Be at my office tomorrow at 7am for your first mission."
End Chapter 24
Next time on Ninja Kitsune: Gaara's battle against Akatsuki continues, and the new Team Hayabusa gets a new mission.
Next Chapter: 25 – The Kazekage Stands Tall – A Mission To The Sand.