Chapter Thirty-Five
Deadlock
⠀⠀⠀⠀Vigor; noun, physical strength, good health, your stamina, how much energy you have, and your general enthusiasm to life. For me, it was a stat, and a stat at four-sixty, and for me, it was its definition, tenfold. I had Vigor, and I had it for days. My muscles were never tense and were always relaxed, and I rarely felt the burning sensation most often get when they worked out. Since I came to this world, I had never gotten sick. Perhaps a sneeze every now and then, but that was from a third party. Pepper, for example.
⠀⠀⠀⠀I rarely felt pain, too. If I did, something great had to have hit me. The Rasengan, is one, and even then, its drilling only stings. I can recall days where I stubbed my toe in my old life that hurt worse than a Rasengan. Zabuza, when he nearly killed me, probably hurt, but I couldn't remember the feeling. In my sparring match, when my clone unleashed Enryuu's Dragon Fire, even if the blaze ripped away a quarter of my health, and singed my skin, my eyes, my clothes, and my hair, I was able to charge through it thanks to my Vigor.
⠀⠀⠀⠀And so, when my clone tried it today, when the flames engulfed me, I kept running, and my clone met me with a focused stare as I burst out next to her. She stood atop a large stone, and held an Enryuu that was sheathed in flame. She lifted the blade up, and as I flung several kunai at her, blocked each one with the broadside of the flaming sword. As I closed in, the blade vanished, and she withdrew Lifegiver. The gun went bang twice, but I shifted to the side to avoid each shot. A moment later, after the bullets struck the ground, the tiny Fūin scrawled on each one exploded.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Rubble was blasted in every direction, but I ignored the bits that smacked my back, leaped at her, and raised a fist to strike my clone. She ducked the attack, moved to the side, raised Lifegiver, and shot me in the stomach. The round exploded when it hit my skin, and I was blown back across the clearing. I rolled to stop myself, but when I looked up, my clone was rushing me with a Rasengan in each hand. With jabs that she mimicked from Hinata's jūken, she tried shoving the balls of chakra into me, but I scrambled, avoiding each as best I could. Her veins bulge, and the first inner gate ensured she was faster, but as I kept away, she kicked up the second gate, and met me where I landed.
⠀⠀⠀⠀The Rasengans slammed into my stomach, and I clenched my abbs to cushion the blow. My pose never faltered, but the ground tore up from under my feet, and two long streaks of dirt trailed where they had been. Bits of me sprayed out from the wound, but when the Rasengans failed and vanished, I was still standing, even with two holes drilled into my skin. I wasn't winded, and not a moment after the wound started to fade, I charged my clone.
⠀⠀⠀⠀I leaped forth to dive kick her, much like Guy's dynamic entry, but she stepped to the side, caught my kick, twisted her waist, and slammed me face first into the ground. As I spat gravel and rubble out of my mouth, she did a backward crunch, and much like I had done to Mama, suplexed me. Again, my head slammed into the ground, and the stone cracked and splattered about from the blow. Like I had done to Mama, my clone went for a second suplex, and as Mama had done, I caught myself with an outstretched arm. Withdrawing a kunai from my inventory, I flicked it at the clone, only for her to vanish and reappear above me. In a twisting motion, she spun like a ballerina and drove the bottom of her feet into my back.
⠀⠀⠀⠀There was a crack, I got a notice that a rib was fractured, and then the paper bomb the clone placed on me mid suplex exploded without warning. She had, for a second time, escaped by teleporting away, but I was blown back by the massive blast, slammed my way through the bolder she was standing on earlier, and crashed into the side of an even larger rock. My body left an imprint in the stone, and I was annoyed I had landed face first. After I pulled myself out, I rolled my neck, spat out a loose tooth, and smiled a bloody grin at my clone.
⠀⠀⠀⠀She just raised an eyebrow and gave me the same sly smirk that I often gave others. I wasted no time in attempting to punch that smug grin and rushed at her again. When I was halfway to her, her veins bulged, and she met me with a withdrawn sword from our inventory. The blade was brought up, and I raised both arms to block, using the same motion I used against Zabuza's attack. Glacier Song, the steel katana of ice, ripped into my skin, and froze over the wound, but failed to cut through my bone. I tilted my weight to the left, bringing the sword with me, and kicked out with my right foot.
⠀⠀⠀⠀My clone, letting go of the sword with her right hand, caught my foot, and twisted. There was a pop, and my ankle was broken. Our eyes never separated, and my clone failed to see the paper bomb stuck to the back of my ankle. Again, there was no sizzle, no warning, it just exploded. My clone popped, and I was blown back. I skipped off of the ground once, then landed on my good leg. I stood there for a moment, reliving the memories of the clone, and smiled. Then, with a kick, I struck the ground with my broken ankle, forcing it back into place. The moment my health was full, I walked over to where Glacier Song had been blown off too, and after I threw it into my inventory, I glanced over at the Shinobi that watched my little spar.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Mama, Papa, Shizune, Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata, Kakashi-sensei, my new Sensei, Hyūga Iroha, and my two new teammates, Karin, and lastly, Haku, gazed at me with different degrees of reactions. The first nine of them were open about their excitement, but Haku, who hid behind a tree while wearing a blank ANBU mask, was unreadable. Her chakra told otherwise, and she was scared, joyful, and happy, but the mix of emotions made the flavor of her chakra twist into a conflicting mess.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Kakashi-sensei had a supprised spark in his eye. This was the first time he had seen me use the Rasengan, even though I suspected he knew I was working on it. He, like everyone else, didn't seem surprised that I was able to teleport, but that was only due to me running about the village, telling everyone I could do it. It was a fun day, but as I glanced at Sasuke, I saw a mix of jealousy, shock, and prideful kinship. The third emotion was new, but the way his chakra tugged at me, and the way he was grinning, amounted to something positive.
⠀⠀⠀⠀The sweat running down his neck helped confirm he saw everything, but the red Sharingan glow of his eyes told most of the story. He wanted a fight. To test himself. To see if he can become as strong as I. It was the same old look he often had when he saw me go all out. It was warm, excited, and reminded me of Guy and Lee when they face a challenge that gets their blood rushing. It suited him.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Naruto shared the grin Sasuke had, only it was wider, and his eyes were filled with a shocked, gleeful joy. Like Sasuke, Hinata had her dōjutsu activated, but her eyes sparkled like Naruto, and her mouth was agape. As for Karin, her jaw was on the floor, her eyes were wide, and her glasses looked to be one strong gust of wind away from falling off. Her chakra buzzed about, erratic and uneasy, but it made her chakra taste tantalizing. Which was odd, as fear was often something that turned someone's chakra sour and rotting.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Shizune looked shocked, buy happy, and Tonton, who sat in her arms was silent and run through more emotions that Karin. Happy was one, then sad, then scared, then worried, and lastly, a cheery admiration. They were all directed at Mama, who looked pensive, curious, and thanks to the blood that ran down my stomach, scared and frozen. Yet the shaky spark in her eye I recalled from the anime wasn't there, and her chakra shook in a calculative manner, and nor a fearful one. I would go as far as to say she looked deep in thought.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Iroha-Sensei, who was slated to be my new Sensei by day's end, still had his Byakugan active, but his crossed look of stoic fear wasn't worrying me. It was stern, he had his arms crossed, and he slowly nodded, not showing much emotion fast the sweat running down his neck. Like everyone else I ever met, his chakra fibbed to me what he really felt. Pride, worry, admiration that shifted towards the center of the village and worries. The worry was flexing in on itself, and it reminded me of what Hinata's chakra was like when I first met her. Only the feeling was faint and overshadowed by something else in him.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Then there was Papa. He wasn't smiling. His posture was serious, unblinking, and as he gazed at me, I read an intrepid feeling in his chakra. "Hikigaeru," he began, stepping forward, only to finally grin at me, "I want you to have a little spar with me."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Sure," I said, meeting his serious demeanor with a cheerful chirp.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Go easy on her, Jiraiya," Mama called out to Papa, snapping out of her faint traumatic daze.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"I don't think I need to," Papa countered, not looking back at Mama.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"I'd be disappointed if you did," I added.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Kakashi-sensei sighed and turned to his three Genin. "Hinata, Sasuke, Naruto… pay attention to their spar. Since Hikigaeru-chan isn't on our team anymore, there's a chance you might have to fight against her in the future, so take notes."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"You mean for the Chūnin Exams?" Naruto questioned.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"The what?" Sasuke asked.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh, and just how do you know about that?" Kakashi asked him.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Hikigaeru-chan told me about them when we were younger. She took me to go see one before we graduated. I think one of Hinata-chan's clanmates was the judge. Kō-san, I think. Or was he a challenger? I don't remember."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Huh," Kakashi-sensei grunted. "Well, just pay attention then."
⠀⠀⠀⠀Iroha-sensei, taking note of Kakashi-sensei, turned to Karin, but his eyes drifted in the direction of Haku, and he ordered, "Watch her fight closely, as well. You will learn much by observing your new team mate."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yeah," Karin stuttered, not once looking away from me.
⠀⠀⠀⠀While my Senseis ordered my friends to watch me, I had withdrawn Gokumonji from my inventory. Karin and I were the only true sensors here, and the dark presence of the blade was quite noticeable to either of us. Karin had tensed up the moment it appeared, but as I pushed chakra into Gokumonji, her crimson glow lightened, and the dark pressure was overtaken by my own chakra, and the blade tugged at me with a welcomed embrace.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Just so you know, Papa," I lifted the blade up and hide my face behind the massive thing, "if I hit you with this, you better hope Mama gets over her phobia." I spun the blade ninety degrees, lifted it up a bit, and took a standard sword stance. "Because it will probably kill you. Gokumonji isn't something to gawk at." Papa then broke into a hearty laugh, causing me to lower the sword to the side with a sweat drop. "Really?" I questioned.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Sorry, Hikigaeru, sorry, it's just," Papa snickered, and pointed at me, "I… I just can't take you seriously while you wear that. I know I see Guy running around with it all the time, so I'm a bit used to it on him, but on you? You look adorably-ridiculous."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Finally, someone said it…" Kakashi-sensei mumbled, and I glanced over at them with an annoyed glare.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh come on, at least it's not green," I countered. "Besides, I look good in black."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"It's more of a dark gray, but sure, sure, say what you want, Hiki-chan. It's still ridiculous," Papa chuckled.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh god, please don't call me that," I groaned. "The last thing I want to be known as is 'pull,'" I complained, switching to English with a shiver.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh come on, I think it sounds cute," Papa joked. "Would you rather me just call you Hime, then? I recall you saying you hated that too when you were younger."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"I'd rather that, to be honest. I'm not as bitter about the idea anymore, but if you're still calling Mama that, then no."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"How about Kawaii-hime?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"So I'm going to upgrade your no to a premium hell no," I commented.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Papa snickered, then shrugged, and said, "Fine, fine. Hikigaeru-chan it is. But that jumpsuit still looks silly on you, not to mention you ruined it between the fire and the Rasengan. Honestly, I'm just glad you're not matured yet."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Jiraiya! She's our daughter!
⠀⠀⠀⠀"That's not what I meant, and you know it, Hime," Papa countered in an even tone. His shoulders then slumped, and he turned back to me, and apologized, "I just don't want any random guy to be checking out my daughter. They need to get my seal of approval first."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Coming from you, that is the most hypocritical thing I've ever heard," I muttered.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh, I know, but it's a Papa's duty to make sure their daughter finds the right guy. You know what I mean, don't you?" he asked.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh, I know what you meant. Something like this," I gestured to the jumpsuit, "would look great on most girls. Like Shizune or Mama." I glanced over to the two, and they looked at me evilly. "Which reminds me, Hinata-chan," I turned slightly, and looked over to the Hyūga, "we're going to start sparring in these for now on, alright?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"W-what‽" she asked, her face going red, while Papa snickered at the idea.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Naruto-kun will be joining us," I added, and Hinata's face reddened deeper, while Papa began to laugh.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Naruto, who sputtered at the idea, also turned red but grinned. "I don't know, H-Hinata-chan, it sounds like a g-good—" Iroha-sensei interrupted Naruto with a glare, and the blond cut out mid-sentence.
⠀⠀⠀⠀I sighed, happy that my comments distracted everyone enough to change topics, and lifted myself back into my stance. "Let's just spar already," I insisted.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Ready when you are," Papa agreed.
⠀⠀Mandatory Quest: Papa's Challenge!
⠀⠀⠀⠀'Papa wants to see just how strong you really are. Faceoff against him for a long as you can!'
⠀⠀Rewards
⠀⠀⠀⠀40,000 xp
⠀⠀⠀⠀+1,000 xp for every minute
⠀⠀⠀⠀250 reputation towards Jiraiya
⠀⠀⠀⠀+10 reputation for every minute
⠀⠀Warning
⠀⠀⠀⠀Possible Exhaustion, Chakra Exhaustion, broken bones, and/or loss of blood.
⠀⠀⠀⠀I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and as I slowly exhaled, I calmly open the third gate. The green haze that wrapped around me was quite visible, and in a blur, I charged at Papa. He ducked my swing of Gokumonji, brought a hand up to my forehead, and flicked me. It wasn't hard enough to knock me back and was nothing more than a tap. No damage, no harmful intent, just a flick along with a grin from Papa. Using the momentum still in my swing, I spun about, and tossed a kick at Papa's face, as he was now crouching. He sidestepped the kick, reached out with a hand, and again, flicked my forehead.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Then I vanished and appeared next to the rubble of the rock my clone first stood on earlier before. Papa turned to me, expecting me to attack with some form or another, but I tossed Gokumonji into my inventory and closed the gates. With my arms crossed, I asked, "If you're not going to take this seriously, Papa, then why even bother asking me to spar with you?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀As the words escaped me, a notification told me the mission was paused, and Papa just chuckled. "Could say the same thing myself. I'll take this seriously once you open up the fourth gate. I can tell the third one is just a tad bit too easy for you."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Damn it, Papa, don't say that out loud, I'm not supposed to know how to open a gate past the third," I quickly sputtered out. He just laughed, and I glanced over at Kakashi-sensei who looked neutral about it.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"'A gate past the third'. Odd phrasing, Hikigaeru-chan. I may be grasping for straws here, but that makes me think you have more than just the fourth gate unlocked. Care to show just how many you know how to open?" he asked.
⠀⠀⠀⠀I sighed. "You know, I didn't want people knowing I could open more, Papa. Kind of proud that no one figured it out. I mean, other than you. Not to mention that Kakashi-sensei doesn't want me to even use the third." I gestured over to Sensei, whose chakra nodded in agreement, but he himself remained expressionless of the topic.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"So does that mean you know how to open five?" Papa asked. His tone was along the lines of a shocked housewife speaking of gossip, and after a dramatic gasp, he turned to Kakashi-sensei. "You hear that Kakashi, I think she can open the fifth gate too."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh, really?" Sensei glanced at me, and our eyes met. "Well, she's lucky I'm no longer her Jōnin instructor. Otherwise, I'd tell her no training for a week."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"I take it those are the kinds of punishments I'll have to give her?" Iroha inquired.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"So long as you have her respect, she'll listen to whatever you say," Kakashi-sensei shrugged. "Just think of her as a dog off of their leash. If she wants to run off and do something, you'll have to chase her down to stop her."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"I resent that," I called out over to them.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Wait, so, she's been holding back?" Karin stuttered out.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Figures. She's always hiding something," Sasuke huffed.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, I know what you mean," Naruto agreed. "Kind of makes me wish I knew how to open the gates though."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Mhmm," Sasuke agreed.
⠀⠀⠀⠀His eyes drifted over to Kakashi-sensei, and without the Jōnin looking back to Naruto, he said, "No. I'm not teaching you how to open the gates. Honestly, I think her going behind my back and asking Guy to train so that she could 'surprise me', was just a front. Knowing her, she knew I'd say the same thing. So you, Naruto, would die if you used it. Probably. Either way, end of story. And… the same goes for you too, Sasuke, and just in case, you're banned too, Hinata."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Hm…" Sasuke grunted.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Fine," Naruto sighed.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"R-right," Hinata added.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"But… I couldn't keep track of her when she had the first gate open, let alone the third! How much faster can she get with more of them‽" Karin questioned.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"You'll have to pay attention and see. If you cannot keep track of her with your eyes, then focus on her chakra, and follow without them," Iroha ordered.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Ah… Sure, I'll try, S-sensei," she accepted.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Papa and I quietly watched them as they gawked over us, and when their talks quieted down, I cleaned my throat. "Papa—you'll fight me seriously if I go all out?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Sure. I don't see why not," Papa agreed, switching to a more condescending tone. There was still a twang of love within it, like those you use on a child who's throwing a fit, but one I recalled him using on Naruto in the show.
⠀⠀⠀⠀I let my arms fall to my sides, and let out a sigh. "Fine. You should be stronger than me no matter which gate I open. Just don't expect me to make dinner later. I might feel a bit drained after this. Probably. Actually, I don't really feel pain anymore, so, I have no clue how I'll feel after this."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"You don't feel pain? Are your other senses off?" Papa asked, and I glanced over at Mama to see her focusing on me.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"No problems with my other senses, Papa. None at all. In fact, they're as sharp as they can be, but now, I think that's enough talk. I'm going to kick you in the face now."
⠀⠀⠀⠀Papa shifted into a combative posture, while I crouched slightly. In a stance similar to Lee's when he faced Gara, I covered my face with my arms, and one by one, I opened the gates. The Gate of Opening and Gate of Healing were kicked open as if they were second nature. The Gate of Life and the Gate of Pain I forced with an off twang, almost like a tickle. The feeling was wonderous, and the increased blood flow felt invigorating. Then, in a loud voice, I yelled, "Gate of Limit… open!"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"So you know how to open five? Sheesh," Papa grunted quietly to himself. Meanwhile, Kakashi Sensei's chakra molded in a mix of shock and pride. I didn't bother glancing over to him.
⠀⠀⠀⠀But I had yet to move my arms, and I gazed at the green glow around me. I smiled, and again, yelled, "Gate of View," there was a collective gasp from the seniors present, "open!" As the green aura around me doubled, I slammed my arms down, stood at attention, and grinned.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"You've got to be kidding me! You know how to open the sixth gate too?" Papa demanded in a praising tone, abandoning the childlike tone he used before.
⠀⠀⠀⠀I answered him by rushing him down, throwing myself up into the air with a diving leap, and with a jabbed knee, tried to strike him in the face. Papa's eyes went wide, and he fell back, dodging the attack by bending his knees at a ninety-degree angle. Spinning in the air, I withdrew Gokumonji and slammed the blade into the ground, using it to stop my momentum. When I came to a stop, Papa turned about, but again, his eyes widened as he saw me pointing a second blade towards him. Enryuu's flames kissed his back as he dove to the side.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Even with the accelerated perception of the sixth gate, my one eye was able to follow him, but not his hands. I counted eight or nine seals, but how quickly he wove them, I had no clue which ones he used. When Papa landed, he turned about and shot his own wall of fire at me. I didn't bother evading, threw Enryuu into my inventory, and slashed at the attack with Gokumonji. With chakra fueling the blade, a pulse of hellish black, almost a reddish purple, slash of energy ripped into the wall of fire, splitting it in two.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Papa was no longer standing where he had, but I could feel his chakra underground, and as he popped up beside me, I ducked under his punch. Only for his knee to spring out and kick me in the forehead. My head flicked back, but Papa's hit didn't send me flying, and the man still had momentum. Raising the same leg he had kneed me with, he sprang out his foot like a held spring, stomping me into the ground. Thrice I bounced, but as I flew, with an outreached hand, Papa snagged Gokumonji from me. Only to yelp as the blade burned his palm.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Damn," he hissed aloud.
⠀⠀⠀⠀I pulled myself up as my demonic, Oni blade clattered to the ground, and with no warning from me, I teleported next to Papa using the seal I had on my sword. My fist slammed into his gut, and he winced in pain as I drove him back. With my off hand, I swung again, then again, and again. Each strike rose Papa into the air just a bit more, and then, with a roundhouse, I slammed my foot up, knocking him high into the air. I didn't follow after him and silently watched as he spun in the air, and landed on his feet.
⠀⠀⠀⠀He looked at me, expecting a continuous aggressive flow in attacks, but I just stood to wait for him to move, with Gokumonji on the ground clattered next to me. My eyes shifted up from where he stood, and I noticed that I barely reduced his hit points by ten-thousand, which was good. The longer I faced Papa, the better this fight was going to be.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Okay," he muttered as he flexed his burned hand. Then, in a quieter voice, one where I had to read his lips just to know what he said, he muttered to himself, "To be able to use the sixth gate at the age of ten? Man, I can't wait to see how strong she gets when she's older." He let out a laugh, and added, "Good thing she's only a Genin, otherwise, I might be worried."
⠀⠀⠀⠀The comment made me snicker. Of course, even with the sixth gate, he was stronger than me. How could he not? The math didn't make sense to me since the sixth gate multiplied my Strength and Dexterity by twenty-five, but logically, it did. Lee, as he was now, was still stronger and faster than I, and I knew, even if he opened the seventh gate, Papa could run him into the ground. What chance did I have? Little, but regardless, the puzzle of the numbers was something I had to look into at another date.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Papa, not letting the minor burns stop him, clapped both his hands together, making the boar seal, then tiger. Around him, his chakra flared, and the ground around me turned into mud. With a hard kick, I slammed my foot into Gokumonji, flicking the blade into the air. Then, teleporting to it, I swung it about, and tossed it far away from the swamp Papa called in around me. It landed with an earth cracking crunch right behind Papa. When I turned to face him, I found him already on me.
⠀⠀⠀⠀I blocked his quick jab, only for my left leg to get swept out from under me. Before I hit the ground, Papa batted his leg out, kicking me in the stomach. I didn't go flying from the blow, as I clapped my hands down on Papa's outstretched leg, but to even get a grip, I had to hold onto him with my chakra. Twisting my body at an odd angle, I stomped my foot into the ground, and heaved Papa up over me, going to slam him into the earth. Right before he hit the ground, his hair sprang to life, and I didn't see him weave any seals.
⠀⠀⠀⠀A wave of white cushioned his landing and tore me apart. Compared to the Rasengans I had struck myself in earlier, the rapid piercing of hair was unwelcoming. All the while, all I saw what white for several seconds before I was blinded by the sun. A moment later, that was taken away as Papa dragged me across the ground, only to toss me far from him. I skipped across the ground several times, only to splash into the swamp Papa had conjured.
⠀⠀⠀⠀I immediately teleported to the large rock I had marked when I faced my clone. There was a wet thud as I hid the ground, and as my attention turned to the gunk I was covered in, the glow of the sixth gate obstructed my view. My hands slowly rose to my hair, and as I gazed at my now brownish black locks, I gasped in horror. "Do you know," I began in a loud screeching tone, only for my voice to crack, "how long it's going to take me to get this crap out of my hair‽"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Ah, what's wrong?" Papa questioned, and that same, annoying tone returned. "Mad that your hair got a little dirty?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yes," I yelled back, only to withdraw a bucket of water from my inventory, and in a swift motion, dump its contents over my head.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"You know, we're not done fighting?" Papa began walking towards me.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Why do you think I still have the gates open?" I countered.
⠀⠀⠀⠀He just grinned and went on the offensive. With only the tiger seal, and with only a single hand, Papa unleashed a blaze from his mouth. It wasn't as large as the first, but its speed made me flinch, and I reacted defensively. Reaching into my inventory, I withdrew the earth hammer, Dokoutsui, and the air nodachi, Kuga. Slamming the former into the ground, a massive deformed bolder sprang from the earth, blocking the blaze, and with the latter, I readied myself to unleash a slash of wind using as much chakra as the blade allowed.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Dokoutsui lv. 3
⠀⠀Damage: 3,500
⠀⠀Critical Location Modifiers: -5, 2, 4, 10, 5000
⠀⠀⠀Indestructible: This weapon is indestructible, and cannot break.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Quake: Slam the ground using 2,500 causing a lashing out of your chakra in a ten-meter radius. For each creature or object selected in that range, the earth will fire out below them, knocking them into the air, and causing 10,000 blunt force damage. For every additional 1,000 chakra used, the radius increases by 10 meter, and the damage increases by 500. A maximum of 50,000 chakra may be channeled into Dokoutsui at a time.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Stone Turner: With the use of chakra, stone can be manipulated with this great hammer. Cost for manipulation is equal to 500 for every cubic half-meter altered.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Kuga lv. 3
⠀⠀Damage: 2,000
⠀⠀Critical Location Modifiers: -5, 2, 4, 10, 5000
⠀⠀⠀Indestructible: This weapon is indestructible, and cannot break.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Wind Slash: At the cost of 2,500 chakra, cut the wind, unleashing a blade that will slice its way through things. The Wind Slash goes out 100 meters, is 2 meters long and deals 25,000 damage. For every additional 500 chakra used, the width increases by .2 meter, the range increases by 5 meters, and the damage increases by 2,500. A maximum of 50,000 chakra may be channeled into Dokoutsui at a time.
⠀⠀⠀⠀The slash of wind tore through the stone, cut through Papa's blaze, and missed as the old perve leaped over the slash. His chakra flared, and several small stones shot through the massive slab I used as a shield. The first hit me, and tore through my stomach like a bullet, only to skip out onto the ground. The remaining three missed as I dove around to the side, and once Papa was in view, both of my weapons vanished into my inventory.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Thus far, just under three minutes had passed, but as Papa began to close the gap, I withdrew two stacks of paper bombs. Throwing heaps of them in every direction, I teleported about the field, faster than Papa could keep track, only to appear in front of Naruto, using a tag that I placed on him. My hands ran through the tiger, hare, boar, and dog seals, and much like Sensei had often done, I erected a wall. The blast was massive, and everyone gasped as the shockwave broke apart the outer sections of the wall.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Before anyone could speak, let alone hear, everyone but Mama, Kakashi-sensei and Iroha-sensei had to deal with the ringing in their ears. Even Haku, who had taken cover behind the tree she stood near, was dazed by the bang. Then, Mama's hand went down and smacked the back of my head. I didn't move and glanced at her. She was angry, and her veins bulge as if she had the first gate open. The moment she went to say something, I let the rock wall drop, and vanished, not bothering to hear her.
⠀⠀⠀⠀She raged in the distance, and Papa stood in the center of the field, standing with his hair all around him. Craters pocketed the land like a war zone, and as Papa's hair separated just enough to show his face, he wasn't looking too pleased. "I know I told you to fight me seriously, but that was just reckless, Hikigaeru," he mumbled, yet his chakra read nothing but pride. His tone shifted, and he gave me a cheeky smirk, "Using paper bombs against me? Come on, you should know better than that."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Reckless? Coming from you?" I countered, and he broke out into a smile. "Wait, no, nevermind. If you ask Sensei, he'll say I'm reckless, so I can't say anything."
⠀⠀⠀⠀Papa rolled his eyes, glanced at Kakashi-Sensei, and the Jōnin just nodded. With a snicker, Papa commented, "Either way, good thinking throwing up a barrier to protect everyone."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Thank you—but, see, Papa, there's a problem…" I trailed off and placed a hand on my shoulder. I then winced, putting on an act that I was in pain.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"The gates are messing with you?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"It's not that. See, I—haven't been giving it my all thus far. Kind of hard to since you're my Papa. Don't want to kill you, you know."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Ah, you don't need to worry about that," he shrugged, but then gave me a cocky smirk. "I doubt you could."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Percentage-wise, how fast would you say I am compared to you at your best, and no, I'm not talking about you using sage mode?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Honestly? I'd say—I don't know. Bout' thirty-five percent? Don't tell me you can open the seventh gate too?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Thirty-five? Wow, I expected it to be lower," I muttered to myself, then after recovered Gokumonji, I placed her against my back, and used chakra to hold her in place. "Or higher? Don't really know what I expected." I rolled my eyes at myself, shook my head, and gazed up at Papa.
⠀⠀⠀⠀He just kept smiling at me. Waiting and expecting. It was off, and then something clicked. Why would Papa want to know how strong I was? Sure, I was his daughter. It was to be expected, yet the faint nagging in the back of my mine grew louder and louder, and I tilted my head to the side, thinking it over. Trusting my instinct, I asked, "So, Papa, you—really, really want to know how strong I am?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Sure I do, and I'm disappointed you were holding back. Trust me, your old man can take it."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, I am. So do you want me to go all out? No more holding back? Do you want me to go at you with the intent to kill as if you were some enemy nin who kidnapped someone I loved?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀He gazed at me for a long moment, only to glance over at our onlookers. "Sure. Let's go with that. Hell, I'll even play my part, and kidnap some of the girls and tie them up, if you like. Or I could kidnap Naruto and Sasuke, and you can run in and be a reversal to the norm."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"As funny as that would be, it's not necessary, Papa." I rose my hands and formed the shadow clone seal. Then, as nine clones appeared around me, we all spoke at the same time, "If you want me to go all out. Then there's something I need to point out." My clones fell silent, but as they each opened the sixth gate, I continued, "Remember when I hugged you right before you came to the village?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀I didn't give Papa time to answer as my clones teleported around Papa. They each took a pose and withdrew swords from our inventory. Papa froze as blade after blade, eighteen int total, pressed dangerously close against him. Three were no farther than a hair away from his privates. I felt his chakra tense, only for him to snicker. There was a poof, and he vanished into smoke. None of my clones and they all just giggled as the real move made my move. A moment later, the I burst out of the ground, with Papa right atop me, trailing blood from his mouth as I drove a fist into his jaw.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Around me was a blue aura, and Papa's eyes were narrow as he grit his teeth. With, yet another kick, he stomped down into my stomach, and I howled as I was knocked away. It was the hardest anyone had ever struck me, and my health was shot down by two thirds. The seventh gate gave in around me, even if I had only opened it for a brief moment, and I sprayed blood out of my mouth as I was launched away. I was then stopped by my clones, after they had teleported to me, using themselves as a blockade to slow my momentum.
⠀⠀⠀⠀As Papa fiddled with his jaw, I didn't bother feeling out anyone's chakra but his, and in a ruff voice, he commented, "So you can," he pause for a moment to block a kunai I had thrown at him, "use the seventh gate… You know, you really shouldn't use shadow clones with that forbidden jutsu. The exhaustion and fatigue—"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Stack, I know," I interrupted him. "I'm well aware of the risks Papa, but I did it to distract you. If you didn't have a clone, you'd be dead. Besides, don't even feel like I even used the gates. Sure, I'm a bit tired, and kind of hungry, and I might be reckless, but I'm reckless with a hardhat."
⠀⠀⠀⠀He just shook his head and sighed. "That's one way to put it," he began, stepping up to me and messing with my hair, "but it's reckless and dumb. Kakashi's right, you do need to restrain yourself. Still, I think that's enough for now. I get a feeling I know how strong you are. Definitely Chunin level, without the gates. With those swords of yours, plus the gates, and the Flying Thunder God? Jōnin. Got to say," he glanced over to Kakashi-sensei, "you did an amazing job at teaching her, Kakashi."
Quest Complete
⠀⠀⠀⠀'You've shown Papa just how strong you are, and lasted four minutes! Good job!'
⠀⠀Rewards
⠀⠀⠀⠀44,000 xp
⠀⠀⠀⠀290 reputation towards Jiraiya
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Regretfully," Sensei began as he started walking over to us. "I only ever taught her how to make the mud wall. Otherwise, she learned all of that on her own." Stepping forward, he reached out with a hand and flicked my forehead. "While I might not be your Jōnin instructor anymore," he started, giving me the stink eye with Obito's Sharingan, "that doesn't necessarily mean I can't punish you for doing something reckless. I am still a Jōnin and am your superior.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"I'm surprised you can even open the fifth gate, let alone the seventh, but yet again, you're just running off, doing something stupid. Have you stopped and considered the fact you don't know everything about your healing abilities?" he asked, and I just smiled at him. "One day they might just stop working, and you'll find yourself out of luck."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Kakashi-sensei?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Hm?" he grunted, annoyed that I broke into his little rant.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Thank you for caring, but I have thought of what happens when I get to that point. I'll just do what Mama did, and get that seal of hers," I pointed to her forehead.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"And what makes you think I'll teach you it?" Mama questioned with narrowed eyes.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Well, I don't need you too. I already know all about it," I stated.
⠀⠀⠀⠀She snorted. "Sure you do, and you'll just permanently damage yourself if you try."
⠀⠀⠀⠀I cleared my throat, took a quiet deep breath, and breathed out, "The Yin seal, or better known as the Strength of a Hundred Seal, is the build-up of chakra within a location of the body. While often located on the forehead, the seal can be placed anywhere and is used to build up a vast amount of chakra over a long period of time. As it is called, the chakra is yin, and while creating the seal, the user is unable to use their chakra, as they divert all of their reserves through meditation to said seal.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"However, while not directly tied to medical ninjutsu, the seal has often used in conjunction thanks to the perfect requirement in chakra control, and the subdivisions of jutsu used with said ability. Those being: Yin Seal Release, which unlocks the seal, Creation Rebirth, which uses one's chakra within the seal to heal themselves, and Ninja Art Creation Rebirth—Strength of a Hundred Technique, which allows the user to heal from any injury by increases the replication of cells within the body. Which," I raised a hand, and broke Mama's hence, "makes you look older."
⠀⠀⠀⠀Everyone looked at Mama when her younger illusion broke. There was a shocked gasp from Naruto, Hinata, Sasuke, Karin, and Haku, while Kakashi, Papa, Iroha, and Shizune just went wide-eyed. Then Mama hit me, and yelled, "You damn brat!"
⠀⠀⠀⠀My health shot down by four-fifths as I went flying away from Mama, and my blood sprayed from my now broken nose. There was another gasp as I rolled several times, before falling into the hole that Papa and I have broken out of. I decided to wait for my health to go to full before pulling myself out, and when I did, I just laughed. "Ah, come on, Mama," I began, giving her the cockies grin I could, "you call that a spanking?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Keep talking, Hikigaeru, and I'll hit you again!" she yelled at me, reigniting her younger transformation.
⠀⠀⠀⠀From the corner of my eye, I saw Kakashi-sensei turn away from Tsunade, and cover Obito's eye. I snorted out a chuckle, knowing that he saw every detail in Mama, which made Mama think I was snorting at her. Her chakra spiked, she growled in a faint fit of anger, but Papa stepped between us, and in a relaxed tone, said, "Calm down, Hime, it was just a joke."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"More like a prank," I commented, though my intention was just to distract everyone away from the current topic.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Well, it wasn't funny. You know I don't like people seeing me like that, Jiraiya!" Mama snapped. "She's lucky she's so tough, otherwise that hit would have knocked her out!"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Killed me, more like it," I added, with a hand on my jaw.
⠀⠀⠀⠀My gaze turned to Naruto, who was wide-eyed while he gazed at Mama, and in a loud, yet hushed tone, he quivered out, "But s-she's so old!"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Quiet down, Dobe, before she hears you!" Sasuke hissed at him.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"What was that‽" Mama turned about to look at the kids behind her.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Nothing!" Karin and Hinata stated, moving to cover Naruto's mouth.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"P-please quite d-down, Naruto-kun. We d-don't want to get in trouble," Hinata pleaded. He countered with a muffled comment, but I couldn't hear it from how far away I was.
⠀⠀⠀⠀With a shake of his head, Iroha-sensei waved me over. When I appeared next to him, he glanced my way, cleared his throat, and spoke up, "I believe it's time to introduce our third member of our new team."
⠀⠀⠀⠀Sasuke, looking to my new Sensei, pulled himself from Naruto, and pointed towards Haku, who was still draped in a cloak. "You mean that guy that's been trying to hide over there since we got here?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yes, that is who I am speaking of." Iroha-sensei waved Haku over, and slowly, she stepped out. "Hikigaeru, Karin, this is Haku. She will—"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Wait, Haku‽" Naruto gasped, and he, Sasuke, and Hinata moved towards the girl.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Finally letting down the hood and taking off the mask, Haku smiled at the three of them. "It's good to see you three, again."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"How did you become a Konohagakure Shinobi?" Sasuke instantly asked, spotting her headband.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"It's a long story, but Zabuza and I have joined your village." She glanced at me. "I requested to be on Hikigaeru-kun's team, and the Hokage agreed. So long as a third member was found, and thankfully, one was."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Really? That's amazing!" Naruto grinned.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"I'm glad, then," Hinata agreed. "It really is good to see you too."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"It's, um, nice to meet you, Haku," Karin began, only to offer a hand. When Haku shook it, Karin then asked, "How do you guys know her?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Him," Naruto corrected his clanmate. "Haku's a boy."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"W-what‽" Karin turned to Haku and looked him over. "Y-you're really a boy? No way, I don't believe it."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"And you shouldn't." Haku let out a soft laugh and looked to Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata. "I'm sorry for lying to you all, but I really am a girl."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"But, wait, Hikigaeru-chan told us she can sense things dangling between your legs," Naruto muttered.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"She can do what?" Papa spoke up from behind us.
⠀⠀⠀⠀I ignored him and shrugged. "Sorry guys, but it was a lie. I kind of just went with Haku's thing, since, you know, some guys wish they are girls, and some girls wish they were guys. Like that talk we had when we were younger, Naruto."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh. So they do exist…" Naruto nodded, only to grin.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Are you lot talking about what I think you're talking about?" Papa asked again, but again, we ignored him.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"So you want to be a guy?" Sasuke asked, turning to Haku with an emotionless expression.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"No. I just tell people I'm a boy to prevent them from… wishing to whisk me away to make more Ice kekkei genkai users," Haku corrected, and realization over the comment sparked on all of their faces, especially Hinata. "I'm thankful Hikigaeru-kun caught on so quickly."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"O-oh," Hinata glanced at me and looked approving.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Karin, who seemed puzzled, then asked, "Wait, didn't you just say—"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"That was before I figured out she had a kekkei genkai," I interrupted her.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Ah." She gave a nod.
⠀⠀⠀⠀While the conversation did continue, I was yanked away from it by Mama, who grabbed at my head, and examined where she had hit me. I just stared at her without speaking as she scrunched up her face. She then asked, "Is there any pain? Discomfort? Is your jaw sore?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"No, no, and no."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"And are you feeling exhausted? From the battle? Any cramps, muscle fatigue? I know you're tired and hungry, but anything else?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"No, Mama. I'm fine," I clarified, only to smile at her.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"That's… surprising then. During the war, I've treated Guy when he overdid it with the gates. I'm surprised you're not feeling the effects…" She raised a hand and tapped her chin. "Later, I'm going to go over your medical records. Are you alright coming into the hospital tomorrow, Hikigaeru, and helping me run some tests? I want to get a better idea of your healing. It—reminds me of Sofu."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"It should, Mama. Cause I think it is," I agreed. "But yeah, I will, so long as you're the one drawing my blood." I turned about and walked over to my friends.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Mama just stuttered something, before looking away from me annoyed. "Damn it…"
⠀⠀⠀⠀Welcoming me back with an amused look, Sasuke quietly asked, "You up to spar later?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Not today, Sasuke-kun, but I might get Iroha-sensei to go join you three whenever we do morning training. You guys are up tomorrow morning, right?" He nodded at my question. "We'll go toe-to-toe then."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"So, your team is just made of girls? That's… cool," Naruto pondered.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Iroha-sensei, when do we start going on missions, or… are we going to help somewhere else?" I then asked.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Our team will only be doing training for the next month, and perhaps a D-rank mission when you three are feeling up for it. As it stands, Hikigaeru is still recovering from her mission to the Land of Snow, and killing the Jōnin Rōga Nadare. Even if she seems like she's able body." He glanced at the wrecked training ground, only to continue, "I'm sure Haku would like to know the details of that mission," he glanced at me when he said that, and I nodded, knowing what he meant, "but for now, I see you three are acquainted.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"We'll begin training later today, at training ground twenty, at exactly six. Eat a small dinner." This time he looked at Kakashi, and asked, "However, Hikigaeru mentioned your team's trains in the morning. Would you allow my team to be present to train against them? Since most of them are already aware of their skills, it would be a good idea to help Karin move into the fold, as she is the weakest of them."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"I don't see why not. So long as you show up to watch them. I have… things I need to take care of tomorrow morning. Hikigaeru-chan, make them run through the normal drills before you go 'toe-to-toe' with anyone. Now if you need me… I'll be somewhere in the village," Kakashi said lazily, only to turn and walk off.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Bye, Kakashi-sensei," I waved.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Hey, Hikigaeru-chan," Papa spoke up, "I'm a go run off and do some research. You're still cooking barbecue for dinner, right?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Things changed, Papa, so no, sorry. Tomorrow I will."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"That's alright," he agreed, only to slowly follow behind Kakashi-sensei.
⠀⠀⠀⠀After they left, I withdrew a clipboard and wrote down a few things. "Iroha-sensei, this," I tore off the sheet of paper I wrote on, and handed it to him, "is the times Team Seven goes to train."
⠀⠀⠀⠀He took it, didn't look at it, and pocketed it. "I'll let the three of you have fun with your friends for now. Do not be late."
⠀⠀⠀⠀As he body flickered away, Haku turned to Karin and I and said, "He seems nice."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"I don't know, there's something off with his chakra," Karin muttered, and I just looked at her with a raised brow. I hadn't sensed anything off with him.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"You five up for lunch?" Sasuke asked.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh, can we go to—"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"No," Sasuke and I interrupted Naruto.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh come on, we haven't gone to Ichiraku is days!"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Naruto-kun, we ate lunch there yesterday," Hinata pointed out.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"I know, but… it's still good. I mean, it's Ichiraku," he protested.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"I saw a barbecue restaurant when Naruto was showing me around," Karin began. "We can go there?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, but I'm making barbecue tomorrow," I countered. "And besides, I don't eat barbecue unless I make it. Otherwise, it's just bland and tasteless."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh, right, sorry, I f-forgot."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"How about we walk and talk?" Sasuke questioned as he pointed towards the village. "No need to just stand around while we figure out what we're going to eat."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Good point," Naruto chuckled, only to turn and trot away. We followed, and soon, the debate over what we should have sparked up.
⠀⠀⠀⠀After a few hours passed, and a big lunch, a lot of messing around, and a light dinner, Karin, Haku, and I found our way to training ground twenty. It was as far south in the village as you could go. Just southwest of the Uchiha clan compound, and far east of the southern gate. It was located within a small grove of thick trees, and with small clearings here or there. Iroha-sensei stood in one such clearing, but I only knew that from memory of the village, and where I felt his chakra, over a kilometer away. However, I knew something was wrong. He wasn't the only person I sensed, and every one of them had chakra as bland and tasteless as water.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Karin-chan, do you sense others with Iroha-sensei?" I asked.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, I do. I wonder why?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀I didn't say anything on the topic, but Haku gazed at me with a blank stare. "Is there—a problem?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yes," I commented. "Karin," I began, dropping the honorific, "do the chakras feel off?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, they do."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Off how?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"They're… still? Cold? Not, like, Haku's chakra, or like temperature, just…"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Emotionless? Bland?" I inquired.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yeah."
⠀⠀⠀⠀I gazed off towards the chakras and bit my lower lip. Withdrawing Gokumonji from my inventory, I placed her against my back and latched onto her with chakra. "Just in case, be ready for a fight. Things might go south fast, and Sensei, well, he's probably watching us with his dōjutsu."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"The Byakugan, right? The one that lets him see far away?" Karin asked me, and I nodded.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Well, this just got—Curious," Haku hummed.
⠀⠀⠀⠀ I glanced off towards our new Sensei and bit my lip again. "It's better to be safe, than sorry. If we get into a fight, Haku, guard Karin. I'll run point. Karin, other than sensing and your ability, what are some things you know how to do?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"I… know how to walk on trees and water?" she questioned herself, only to shake her head. "I'm sorry, I don't know much, but I—"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"It's fine, Karin. Just stay close to Haku." I raised a hand and offered it to Haku. "My teleportation jutsu requires me to have an anchor point that I mark with touch. Just in case, would you please offer me your hand, Haku?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀She did so, I marked her, but Karin was the one who spoke, "But, what about me? Don't you need to mark me?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"I did when I hugged you back in the bathroom, Karin," I noted, and she raised an eyebrow at me.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh…"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Don't look so down. I only mark people I care for, in some way or another," I stated, not looking back to her. "Or if I'm fighting them."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh."
⠀⠀⠀⠀We continued our walk towards Iroha-sensei in a quiet, cautious march. My eyes flicked towards each of the souls trying to hide from us, but I felt them, even if they were hiding away, trying to suppress their chakra. With one word; Observe, I knew who they were. Danzō's goons, surrounding us as we stepped into the clearing. There were nine of them, and each one I looked at was stronger than the last. Their levels ranged from forty to sixty-five, and I paused when I saw one was Sai, who wasn't noted by that name. He was the weakest, yet there he was, watching us through the thicket. He was also the lowest level of the lot, at only thirty-nine.
⠀⠀⠀⠀My eyes then turned to our Sensei, and I gazed at him for a moment, before quietly muttering, "Observe."
Hyūga Iroha
⠀⠀⠀⠀Level 54, Konohagakure Shinobi, Jōnin
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Loyal to Konohagakure, Loyal to the Hokage, Loyal to Danzō (!)
⠀⠀Hit Points: 62,000
⠀⠀Chakra: 7,200
⠀⠀⠀⠀'Iroha is often seen as the ideal Hyūga, as he is loyal, serious, and skilled in the Jūken fighting style. His eyes are his strongest asset, as he's often sent on scouting missions to evaluate distant targets, or on protection based missions, as he's able to spot any and all hostile opposition from great lengths away.'
⠀⠀⠀⠀I cursed under my breath as I read his loyalties. 'Why didn't I do this sooner?' I mentally questioned myself. 'Note to self, Observe everyone, regardless of who they are!" I then asked aloud, "Sensei—why are we surrounded by Chūnin and Jōnin level nin?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"They are here to observe us," he offered, and I rolled my eyes at his wording. "And I've asked in a few favors to have three of them face you three. I wanted to see what your teamwork would be like, without any training."
⠀⠀⠀⠀"I see," I intoned, only to scratch my scar. "And who would they be?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀Iroha turned towards Sai and waved him over. He, and two other lower level nin stepped out, but as Karin and Haku turned to look at them, all of the higher level nin struck out, including Iroha. I reacted as best I could the moment their chakra rushed my position, but before I could open the gates, Iroha slammed his palm into my chest, blocking the third gate's chakra point. With only the first two opened, I turned to face him, but he had already entered the entering the Eight Trigrams position. With another strike, I was forced out of the second gate, and then the first.
⠀⠀⠀⠀When I reached up to grab Gokumonji, his hand flicked at my wrist, and it went limp, only for him to withdrew a kunai, and impaled my wrist with it. When I tried to use my chakra, his hands would dance about, closing the points around my stomach, and cutting off access to it all. I was outmatched, in pain, but worried over my friends more than my own life. When I tried to run to one of them, another nin kicked me back towards Iroha, or the Jonin himself would stop me with a strong blow, or throw me off balance.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Ah!" Karin screamed, as one of the higher leveled Jōnin grabbed her, only to knock her out with a knee to the stomach.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Haku, who was expecting combat, lasted longer than she did, and slipped out several senbons from her sleeves, blocking several attacks from Danzō's goons. Thereupon a sword user rushed her, and when his blade was knocked to the side, Haku breathed out a thick mist over the clearing. When ice mirrors began to form around Iroha and me, the highest leveled Jōnin there rushed Haku, appearing behind her, and impaled her in the lower back with a kunai. She would have made a sound, had the Jōnin then not wrap their arm around her throat, closing her windpipe. She struggled for a moment, only to pass out from lack of oxygen.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Haku! Karin!" I yelled out to them, only to be slammed by Iroha-sensei again, and unable to open any of the gates, he was out matching me at every turn. Then, his hand struck my throat, and I spat blood. With a growl, I screamed, "You bastard! I'll stop you, and all of these nin!"
⠀⠀⠀⠀He said nothing, and his expression went blank as I felt someone else's chakra appear behind me. I turned to face them but gagged as they struck their sword forward. I looked down to see their blade stab me through the mouth, and as my body went limp, I narrowed my eyes. The sword pierced through my mouth, and out of the back of my neck, severing my spine. I tried to speak, but all that came out was a garbled mess. When I tried to move, nothing happened.
⠀⠀⠀⠀I then tried to teleport, but all I was met with was nothing. No pain, no feeling. I was, from the neck down, paralyzed. But my body kept healing, and my chakra points were reopened after a few moments, only to be slammed shut again. The process repeated for only a moment longer, before I felt yet another one of his nin move in on me. They wove several hand seals, and faster than I could track, slammed a palm into against my stomach. I sensed my chakra dim greatly, as it was sealed off, and a notification confirmed it.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Targets captured," Iroha stated, ceasing his Jūken combo, only to turn to one of the nin. "Do it. Quickly," he ordered, and the nin he turned to placed his hand on Iroha's forehead. Iroha then fell limp to the ground, limp as a noddle.
⠀⠀⠀⠀With the sword left in my mouth and through my spine, I was thrown over one of their shoulders, and unable to do anything at all, I was helpless as Danzō's men carried Haku, Karin, and myself off, out of the village, using a hidden tunnel. Again, I tried to speak, but all that came out was, "Yoo, bawters! Yoow paw! Yoow pay!"
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Author's Note
⠀⠀⠀⠀Iroha was a Danzō goon‽ LAPASP…!
⠀⠀⠀⠀Anyways, jokes aside, sorry this took so long. I have to take this new medication, which are weekly self given injections, and the side effects boil down to: you're going to be tired, have a foggy mind, and will be as confused as a baby playing 'where's mama'. Hope you enjoyed.