Author's Review Response:
To Inkaliber: Good call! I changed the rating to "M" for the mature audience, after all, this story is handling a serious topic and I don't want any problems with the site about their guidelines.
To Incursio456: I know, but Ruki is a weird girl. She would act one way, but feels an entirely different way. However, she can't show any weakness because of her family's reputation and her pride. Blame her parents for that.
To SPark681: It seems to be the case, alright. Let's see what happens in the future.
That's enough for now, on with the show!
Training Ground 44 Tower, Konohagakure, 91 N.E.
-Participant's Section-
The genin's general reception of the last match ranged from one of the most horrid things they saw ninja acting against their own teammate for entertainment. The other genin who were foreign either hated it or loved the fight. The remnants of the preliminaries were still recovering from the terror that was Ruki's brutal assault.
Itachi held a calm and emotionless expression, but deep inside himself, he held great resentment for Ruki after she drove away from his rival and greatest ally. The girl took his only chance to test his steadily increasing strength against Naruto, who had the potential to be a worth advisory, simply because of her petty crush for him that the raven-haired teenager could care less for.
On top of that, the Yondaime had him place two lovestruck girls in the same squad! It was without question, one of the most annoying experiences he had to deal with in his entire life thus far. Though he admired Ruki's feats as a kunoichi, he'll give her that and only that! But after what she did to the Inuzuka heir, Itachi withdrew that single compliment, holding nothing more but disappointment and growing contempt for Ruki.
Shino's thoughts were similar to Itachi for he also considered Ruki as a worthy kunoichi for her power and skills, but her sheer cold and uncaring nature that dictated her match with Kiba destroyed every level of respect he once had for her.
Words couldn't be fathomed for how Hinata felt after Kiba's match against Ruki. It was a disaster waiting to happen which ultimately ended up in a savage lynching on Ruki's part. Sadness washed over Hinata like a waterfall as she cried for her friend. She didn't know what to do, but one thing's for certain.
Until she owns up for her mistakes, Hinata wasn't going to forgive her.
Shikamaru never liked Ruki to begin with, for he knew how arrogant and uptight the Uzumaki-Namikaze was back at the academy. Furthermore, he'd been watching Ruki and her family mistreat her brother, a mysterious person that Shikamaru never got to figure out. But seeing her manhandle a fellow teammate solidified her place as the number one most troublesome person in his opinion.
Chōji nearly choked on his potato chip at the belligerence Ruki showed to Kiba. The chubby teen knew how much of a bully the blonde-haired princess could be, given that Ruki would spit or waste his food in their academy daya. However, never in a million years would he think she'd stoop so low. It was only at that moment where the Akimichi had lost his appetite.
Lastly, Lee summed the fight as one of the most un-youthful things his eyes had ever seen. Ruki acts were atrocious and barbaric, not to mention her sportsmanship was horrid. There wasn't any sense of friendly competitiveness, just an unhealthy urge to utterly crush somebody.
Truly un-youthful indeed.
-Audience Section-
From the highest row of seats sat most of the jonin instructors, parents, and the younger generation of the Konoha genin. Most notably, Kushina with Bara, Fugaku, and Mikoto with little Sasuke, Hiashi and Sumire with their youngest child, Hanabi, Tsume, and her eldest child, Hana, Kakashi, Asuma, Gai, Anko, and Kurenai.
"Mama, look! Ruki-nee did it! She won! She won as you said!" exclaimed an excited Bara while she bounced up and down on her mother's lap.
"You're darn right she did, Ttebane!" Kushina seemingly replicated in a softer and civil manner, but was quite guilty on the inside for her eldest daughter's knack for unnecessary brutality.
'Ruki-chan, how could you do that to Kiba-kun? I didn't teach you this…have I? ...Oh dear Kami, what have I been raising? What will Tsume-chan say about this?' The redheaded lamented, terrified at the result of her past parenting.
Going over to the instructors, the jōnin were also discussing their negative opinions about Ruki's victory against Kiba.
"I can't believe how Kushina-sens-, no, Namikaze-sama's daughter was merciless towards my student, Asuma-kun." Kurenai whispered to him, clearly upset as she now renounced Kushina as her former teacher. "I get that Kiba-kun can be brash, but that kind of force could have split his skull up! If thisis how she treats her own comrades, she shouldn't be fit to be a kunoichi, let alone a chunin."
"Tell me about it, hime. My father told stories about his students' performance. And compared to this, not even Orochimaru was that ruthless in the Chunin Exams during his genin days. I'm surprised that after all of the controversy the Yondaime has dealt with, he's allowing this kind of behavior in Ruki."
"Ruki-chan was extremely un-youthful! She has lost all of my respect for such cruelty." Gai said, having two of his old classmates nod in acknowledgment. "How is anyone supposed to trust her to have their support when she severely injures her friends and fellow Konoha-nin? I'm she and youthful late brother were even remotely related."
Moving over to where the other clans are, little Sasuke looked down to where he could see an unconscious and slightly bloody Kiba being brought to the hospital on a stretcher. Then, he turns to Ruki, who looked happy as she could be before turning to his mother.
Turning over to his mover, Sasuke uttered shyly, "A-Ano, Kaa-san?"
"Yes, sweetheart?" Mikoto responded, with Fugaku also turning towards his son.
"Am I gonna have to fight my friends and hurt them badly? Like Bara's Onee-chan?"
"No, Sasuke-chan. What she did was out of line. You're never to hurt your friends that badly, only your enemies." Mikoto said strongly, yet passionately.
"Your mother is right, Sasuke. As an Uchiha and a future ninja of Konoha, you honor and cherish the bonds you have with your comrades. They're with you every step of the way. And as those bonds get stronger, their strength will become your own. Always remember this, musuko, you're never alone in a fight." Fugaku explained wisely.
Sasuke nodded to his father while Mikoto gazed at her husband in surprise. But as she looked into the man's usually stoic eyes, she could detect the sincerity in his voice. She smiled at Fugaku, giving him an 'I'll reward you later on' look, which the clan head smiled. Sasuke focused his attention to his best friend before smiling at Bara.
"Okay, tou-san! When I become a shinobi, I'll train really hard and get stronger. That way, I'll be Bara-chan's greatest strength as her friend." Sasuke promised, smiling in the direction of the excited young red haired Uzumaki-Namikaze girl.
Meanwhile, two chunin were sitting at the end of the top row, having their own conversation on the matter.
"Damn, Ruki-sama played too hard with the Inuzuka runt. That was too harsh." Kotetsu muttered.
"Agreed. And it's a good thing that I'm not her sensei, because I would feel so ashamed of her right now." Izumo said and Kotetsu nodded.
The scarecrow jonin stood against the rails with his hands in his pockets, contemplating what just happen. He was upset at this whole ordeal with Ruki.
'This isn't what I taught you, Ruki. You're not supposed to treat a comrade in such a manner as that. ...How disappointing.' Kakashi thought, closing his visible eye.
-Ventos Drakkenborne vs. Kurotsuchi Kamizuru-
Coming from one side of the arena was our favorite pastel blond-haired Dragon Slayer. He kept a slow and steady pace as he inched closer and closer to his side of the battlefield. From afar, Bara leaned close enough to where she could see her estranged brother's form; she squealed in delight. Sasuke did the same out of curiosity since he was told of the teen by Bara. He had taken an interest in uncovering the mystery that was Bara's long lost older brother and to his opinion, it wasn't disappointing. The moment Sasuke took a glimpse at the mage, he knew that this match was gonna be interesting.
The Konoha rookies, save for Kiba, Tenten, Sakura, and Ino watched the 'Kiri-nin' like a hawk, fixing their sights on Ventos intensively.
The flat screens brought a closer look on him, showing his upper face while his scarf covered up his lower face. Ventos' aesthetic looks captured the hearts of teenage girls across the stadium, including a certain female Hyūga. Hinata's heart fluttered at the sight of the boy, getting herself entranced by Ventos' visible eye.
Some of the jonin like Kurenai and Anko unknowingly ogled him with perverted thoughts creeping forward, though Kurenai disregarded that mindset to remind herself about her undying love for Asuma. Hell, even Kurotsuchi, despite being on a personal vendetta against the mage, couldn't help but notice her newly found attraction towards him.
'Wait what the fuck am I doing eyeing like some kind of love sick puppy!? I gotta kick this gorgeous bastard's ass and—GORGEOUS? ARGH! Stupid hormones! Stop working against me!'
Ventos stood there, awkwardly waiting for his opponent to come out of her trance. Realizing this was getting them nowhere, he snapped his fingers, allowing the Kamizuru teen to gather herself professionally.
"Ah, welcome back. At last, we meet yet again." Ventos said flatly in Nihongo. "How's the teammates, subeta (bitch)."
"Don't mock me, teme! Things won't end up the same as it did back in that damn forest! You won't leave this field alive!" The Iwa kunoichi ranted.
'Oh, this song and dance again?' The blond deadpanned, sighing to himself.
"Eh? You know, that would have been intimidating if you were, well actually intimidating." Ventos smirked under his scarf.
"Snark all you want, but when I'm through with you, you'll be smashed into pieces!" Kurotsuchi growled.
"Yeah, yeah, I heard all of that back in the forest. And if memory serves me right, that didn't work out for you too well."
Having enough of his direct insults, the Kamizuru female sped through hand seals before unleashing her first attack.
"Doton: Doryūso (Earth Release: Flowing Earth Spears)!"
Ventos smiled at the upcoming surge of erecting rock spikes. The truth was he enjoyed getting under other people's skin. Especially a brat who was overconfident such as Kurotsuchi. As if to toy with her more he waited to dodge until the very last second. The mage closed his eyes to cast a status-boosting spell.
'Haste (Lv. 1)!'
The mage phased out of the area in which the spikes would have impaled him. Many of the audience carried the same thought at that display of speed.
'So fast!'
-Kage Box-
Every single Kage except Mei had dropped everything as they witnessed Ventos faded out of sight. The main people who were shocked at such a feat were Ay, Minato and the two Sanin. Jiraiya was the first to speak after the phenomenon occurred.
"No way! How did that gaki move that fast? If I didn't know any better, I'd say it looked like the Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique)!"
"I don't know, Jiraiya but it sure as hell looks like it! Granted, there wasn't a 'flash' to that technique nor was there a kunai to mark it. I'd say it's more like a slightly faster Shunshin no Jutsu, it's almost like he has a Kekkai Genkai." Tsunade analyzed.
"Interesting. Mizukage-dono, would you mind explaining to us how your genin knows such an advanced technique that could potentially rival, and if not, surpass the Hokage and Raikage's techniques?" Rasa asked, secretly hiding that creepy grin with the Tsuchikage's attention being at its fullest.
"Please, do. Cause I hear that this kid has an affinity to Raiton, and could have the power to rival myself when using lightning based attacks" Ay concurred.
Mei, being a relatively new leader, felt a little bit of nervousness to her fellow leaders since all the attention was directed towards her person. And it wasn't because they were all men, but rather that she didn't have any previous information surrounding Ventos' abilities documented after the civil war outside of his affinity for lightning, wind, and water.
"I-I don't know. Vento-kun hadn't shown the full extent of his talents in the war. To be honest, I'm just as in the dark as the rest of you."
Minato, however, remained silent. His mind was bouncing all over the place trying to figure out his son. Just how was his boy able to move in such a way that made him able to vanish in a blink of an eye? When was he able to accomplish such a feat? Who taught him? Many questions sprang up and the more they did, the more hurt he became. Why? Because an overarching realization hit his heart to the core.
He could have taught him how to perform and perfect such a feat.
But despite that sense of overwhelming guilt, pride and curiosity battled the negative side of his soul for the Kiiroi Senko wanted to know more about his son and his techniques.
'You're almost sixteen years old and you've nearly matched two of the fastest Kage in history with your own technique. Or...perhaps you've inherited my father's Soduko Jinton (Velocity Swift Release). Regardless of what it is, you've grown to be quite unpredictable, Naruto. What other surprises do you have in store for us, musuko?'
-In The Battlefield-
The dust subsided with Kurotsuchi smirking victoriously, only to blanched out in anger as she saw not a single corpse was found impaled. The Kamizuru girl couldn't detect him quickly enough as he appeared behind her with the Ændring's (Default) tip on the back of her neck. In a blink of an eye, Ventos delivered a quick swipe to the kunoichi, only to sever a log in half. Ventos mentally scowled at his opponent's tactics.
'Ninja and their stupid Kawarimi no Jutsu!'
Shuriken rained at the mage's direction, coming from a distant, peeved Kurotsuchi. Seeing this, Ventos altered the Ændring's Default state to its Heavy form and swiped the air while channeling magic power. As a result, a purple sword beam surged from the blade and destroyed the incoming projectiles in seconds.
-Audience Section-
'U-unreal! How did he manage to summon his sword without a scroll or a body seal!? And am I under a genjutsu, or did that blade transform?' Kakashi exclaimed in his head, trying to decipher the explanation behind it.
"Woah, did that kid just shoot a beam out of his sword? This just got good." Asuma casually commented, seeming generally impressed.
"You can say that again, man. From the sword beams to the change in structure, this gaki is more intriguing than what the rumors describe!" Anko agreed with hype laced in her voice
"Let's just hope that things don't go overboard." Kurenai sighed, worried about the match's hectic start.
Meanwhile, the red-headed duo spoke amongst themselves as the little girl started bouncing up and down again.
"Mama, mama! Did you just see that? Ryū-nii's changed his sword!" Bara pointed out in excitement.
"Y-Yes, it certainly s-seem that way, Bara-hime." Kushina answered, struggling with her shaking voice, unable to hear what her daughter called Ventos.
Kushina felt a variety of emotions in her soul. First of all, the last Uzumaki was shocked at her estranged son's skill with a sword that has a design she's never seen before. That was followed by her sense of motherly pride, pleased at how her son achieved such power. And yet, that sense of pride was squashed the moment she recalled a certain memory between herself and her son.
'M-mom you don't mean that! You promised that you would train me! YOU PROMISED THAT YOU WOULDN'T ABANDON ME!'
'How dare you! How dare you say that to me, of all people!-'
'-We work every single day to do the best we can to make you safe in this village! We try our absolute best to provide you happiness, and yet here you are constantly whining over something so petty, acting like an immature, spoiled brat!-'
'-I never abandon my family, ever!'
'You know what, just go to your room! Don't bother coming out for the rest of the night because you're not getting any dinner tonight! Not only that but you're staying in that room for the remainder of the week! I don't even want to see your face at the moment. And by the way, you can just forget about that promise.'
It was at that moment where Kushina realized, she royally fucked up as both mother and an Uzumaki. She actively chose to blatantly ignore her elder child in favor of her younger child, leaving her firstborn to endure hell on earth. Even though she can clearly see her son right now, it was his new feats that he attained without her guidance that really tore her heart into pieces. The older redhead only hoped to earn her son's forgiveness.
'Kami, what have we done! What have I done! Oh Naru-chan, my little maelstrom! Please forgive your stupid Ka-chan!'
-In the Battlefield-
During their exchange of punches and kicks, Kurotsuchi decided to change things up a bit by rushing at the mage using Doton: Kengan no Jutsu (Earth Release: Rock Fist Technique) with both hands to throw fisticuffs at Ventos. Much to her frustration, Ventos nimbly evaded every punch she tried to land while he slapped rocked coated hands away. Having had enough of being toyed with, Kurotsuchi threw a concentrated blow, aiming at the scarf wearing blond's face.
An eye-smirk appeared on Ventos' face, indicating her newly found status of being royally screwed. Ventos, using his hands, guided the stone covered fist into the ground. That caused Kurotsuchi to pummel the earth beneath them, creating a few cracks in the process.
While taking her left fist out of the ground, Kurotsuchi was met with a swift roundhouse kick.
-Audience Section-
Most of the audience winced at the sound of Ventos' kick connecting to Kurotsuchi's pretty face, tossing her like a rag doll. Over on the left side of the jonin and families were the mages. Animus was one of the people who was flinching at his brother's attack. Titania shielded her eyes to prevent mental scarring. Beowulf and Kai on the other hand...
"Hahahaha! Heavenly Saints, that was priceless! Somebody's gotta have that recorded! Please!" Kai laughed uncontrollably, hoping that somebody had evidence of the fight so she can look back on it later in life.
"Way ahead of you, Hothead! I'm sending this to the rest of the archives!" Chuckled the humanized Beowulf said, holding a magical tablet that was monitoring and recording the entire fight.
"Oh my-, you actually remembered to bring that?"
"Remember!? Sis, events like this are a once and a lifetime opportunity! There's no way in Helheim I'm gonna miss it!"
The two shared a loud laugh before ending it with a high five while shouting "Nice!" before going back to the match.
-Kage Box-
The old Tsuchikage started throwing a hissy fit with Jiraiya and surprisingly Tsunade began to crack up in laughter. Mei kept a reserved and calm face but on the inside, she was dying from the way her genin was thrashing Kurotsuchi.
"No! That Kami-damned, arrogant, no good, son of a bitch! How dare he mock my lineage and legacy! I DEMAND RETRIBUTION!" Onoki swore, with his face glowing a bright red.
"Lighten up, old man! It's not Mei's fault that her shinobi's got your granddaughter beat!" Sniggered Ay.
"BE SILENT, BRAT! I WILL NOT TAKE THIS FROM THE LIKES OF YOU! I—Augh! My back!" The old man bellowed, prompting another round of laughter from Jiraiya, Tsunade, and a chuckle from 'Rasa' from the old Tsuchikage's hot temper and age catching up with him.
"All is fair in peace and war, Tsuchikage-sama." Mei chimed in, inwardly enjoying the clout in the process.
Onoki gritted his teeth in anger, seething at the titterings the Mizukage was allocating towards him. She was right though, her genin was distributing a beating at a level that Onoki never prepared Kurotsuchi for before. And seeing how much punishment she was taking left the Tsuchikage at an internal distressful state. The old man could only pray that his granddaughter's stone solid will hadn't crumbled yet.
Minato had yet to say a word, for his eyes were nearly permanently glued to his lost son. For a while, the man was almost convinced that this whole ordeal was all a dream, but with the last conversation he had with Naruto, or 'Ventos' rather, the reality seemed to take his mind back into rationality.
-In The Battlefield-
Kurotsuchi arose from the ground, albeit wearily. She was on her last legs, and she knew that. Bruises and sword cuts were scattered across her body. Her breathing had a rhythm reflected her fast heart rate and her hair looked like it had been through hell. She hated Ventos. She really hated him. He bested her team, humiliated her in front of them. Nearly robbed of her pride, made her teammates run away, and now she's being made a mockery with thousands of people watching alongside her grandfather!
She's had enough!
''Fuck! I'm running out of options here! Vento-teme could evade my Doton techniques, Suiton is definitely out of the question, and I doubt he'll be phased by a basic Katon technique. ...Damn it all! I guess I'll have to use my secret weapon after all! Iwa kunoichi ranted mentally while she stood in front of the indifferent, scarf-wearing mage.
Taking a deep breath, Kurotsuchi created a few copies of herself from the Iwa Bunshin no Jutsu (Earth Clone Technique) her grandfather taught to her, which was a temporary way to distract Ventos.
As Ventos bobbed and weaved through protruding rocks and giant fireballs, the real Kurotsuchi had hid underground, puzzling everybody as to what she had in store for her opponent.
-Kage Box-
The Hokage, Mizukage, and Raikage were either scratching their heads or tapping their chin, stumped to what their fellow Kage's granddaughter was up to.
'Rasa' kept his calm and cool nature, but had a slightly mischievously curious glint in his eyes.
Onoki crossed his arms, forming a predatory smirk on his face, knowing what Kurotsuchi was planning to do. He had witnessed similar maneuvers like what she was doing many times during the times he was in charge of her training. And if it was the exact same maneuver as he thought Kurotsuchi was doing, there was no doubt left in his mind.
Mei's poster boy was in trouble.
The arrogant expression on the Sandai Tsuchikage didn't miss the eyes of the Yondaime Hokage. As a pit formed in his stomach, Minato thought to himself, 'Onoki looks way too confident right now. You better stay on high alert, Naruto. I have a bad feeling about this.'
-In The Battlefield-
Back to the pastel blond mage, he was busy dealing with a total of three Kurotsuchi clones. The first tried taking the blond in taijutsu. She went for a wide and up close stance, unleashing flurries of specifically aimed punches and kicks. However, Ventos' body moved like water, loosely swaying away from the blows. Using his enhanced dragon senses to read the Kurotsuchi clone's movements, Ventos waited for the right moment, catching an opening to strike and threw a hard left punch in her midsection, shattering the clone into pieces of small stones.
The other two Kurotsuchi clones took the ninjutsu route and attempted to bring the Dragon Slayer down that way. With the second clone decided to crush Ventos in between rock formations like a sandwich using Doton: Sandō no Jutsu (Earth Release: Mountain Technique). However, Ventos quickly dodged the technique by jumping high into the air from his Haste (Lv. 1) multiplier. Summoning the Heavy form of the Ændring and throwing the blade like a Fuma Shuriken, the blond cyclops crushed the second clone before the blade returned to his hand on its own.
From there, the final clone of Kurotsuchi appeared two meters from behind him. After a series of hand seals, the clone shoots her technique from her mouth while saying, "Yōton: Sekkaigyō no Jutsu (Lava Release: Quicklime Congealing Technique)!"
Upon his survival instincts kicking in, Ventos jumped, rolled and evaded some of the quicklime being shot from the Sandaime Tsuchikage's granddaughter. But he paused to see the sticky liquid of calcium oxide that had been spouted. Realizing the familiar name of the Kekkei Genkai, Ventos said, "Did she just say—"
-Kage Box-
"—Yōton!?" Mei echoed, also surprised at what Kurotsuchi said when she performed her technique. "She shares the same type of Kekkei Genkai as me."
Nodding in acknowledgement, Ay said, "That's right. You have that bloodline as well."
"Yes, but from the looks of it, Kurotsuchi's way of utilizing her gift is different from yours. While you, Mizukage-dono, attack with traditional lava and magma while having diverse methods with said element(s), it seems that Kurotsuchi takes a different approach by immobilizing and melting her targets using corrosive quicklime." 'Rasa' explained with a hiss to his voice.
"So that's what you're counting on, eh Onoki-dono?" Minato said, keeping calm but internally began to worry.
"Hmph!" Onoki grunted stubbornly. "I don't have to count on it, I know my granddaughter has already won. Sorry, Mei-dono, but this is the end of the road for your poster child,"
Keeping quiet, both Minato and Mei watched the fight continue as they thought to themselves doubtful 'I wouldn't count him out just yet, Onoki.'
-In The Battlefield-
Jumping away from the quicklime, Ventos gritted, "Shit! I can't let that stuff touch me!"
Landing in a safe spot, Ventis noticed that the final clone was nowhere to be found. Titling his head, Ventos gazed around until he found a few pieces of rocks near where the first barrage of quicklime had been fired.
The clone dispersed.
Sending the Ændring back to pocket dimension through Kansō Mahō, the blond mage began to think as he inspected the land around him. The spiky pastel blond kept to his thoughts, focusing on finding his opponent.
'Where could she be? She's not on the left, nor the right...Neither is she above...which means she's belo—'
Before the wizard could finish his quick thought, the real Kamizuru teenager emerged from an underground hole, ascending several feet in the air. Noticing where Ventos was as he was focusing on her, Kurotsuchi smirked.
Weaving through several hand seals, she shot her next attack while shouting, "Suiton: Mizurappa!"
Cupping her hands together, a stream of highly compressed water hit a nearby puddle of quicklime, murking the land where the districated Ventos had been standing behind. He used his arm, trying to shield himself from the light mist that was created out of the spray of water. Before it subsided. Upon realizing where she was aiming and what resulted in the calcium oxide turning into a sticky concrete substance below the one-eyed swordsman's boots.
Ventos tried moving as Kurotsuchi landed near her opponent but away from the water and quicklime mixture, but failed to do so.
'...Got him!' Kurotsuchi said to herself mentally, smirking at her handiwork.
Using a Doton technique to erect a boulder as a makeshift platform to meet her opponent. Kurotsuchi began speaking to the struggling and irritated blond.
"Quit your squirming, it will only solidify quicker."
In between grunts as the blue eyed blond is trying to break free, Ventos eyed his opponent while demanding, "Tell me what is this mess?"
Snorting at the blond while patting his scarf covered cheek mockingly, Kurotsuchi responded, "Oh, you're not in an intimidating position enough to be giving me demands, teme! But I supposed since I'm going to take your life for humiliating me and my homeland, I could give you an explanation for your blunder."
"You see, like your Mizukage, I inherited the Yōton Kekkei Genkai. But mine is different, obviously. Yes, I can spit lava just like Mizukage-sama. Adding on to that, however, I can create quicklime and trap my targets with them, restricting their movements. And as you're currently experiencing right now, I can use water to expand the reach of the quicklime as it hardens until its solid concrete."
"Concrete!?" Ventos shouted, not happy in the slightest that Kurotsuchi's bloodline had halted his movements.
Putting her hands on her hips sassily, she said, "That's right, Vento-teme. My clones kept you busy while I executed my plan to lure you near a puddle of it to keep you grounded. And boy, oh boy, you felt for it like an idiot."
Jumping back, the black haired kunoichi sped through yet another series of hand seals before screaming, "NOW DIE DRAKKENBORNE, Yōton: Kagandan no Jutsu (Lava Release: Fiery Rock Bullet Technique)!"
With that, a large powerful ball of molten rock was fired at close range, causing a large explosion in the area.
-Audience Section-
During the blazing light show, the audience watched with fear in their eyes. Kakashi prayed for his little brother figure's safety, while the other jonin already gave up on the blond, considering his death. Little Sasuke shielded himself with Mikoto's body, taking cover from the uprising attack. Kushina wailed for 'her baby', horrified at seeing the 'Iwa-ama' roasting her beloved estranged sochi alive. However, Bara patted her mother's lap, receiving the elder red head's attention.
"Mama?" She said
"Y-Yes, hime?" Answered the nearly broken Uzumaki matriarch.
"Mondainai (No need to worry/no worries)!" The little girl chirped faithfully
That single phrase brought the mother's hopes up. Perhaps, Bara was right, she couldn't just count her sochi out just yet! She may not have raised Naruto, let alone train him, but if there was one thing she knew about him, its that he was never a quitter! Pulling herself back together, Kushina ruffled her daughter's red locks and thanked her greatly.
-In the Battlefield-
Despite her body's fatigue due to the amount of chakra used for her devastating attack, Kurotsuchi took tremendous satisfaction in finishing off the mage.
"Hmph! Like there was any doubt. I ended that bastard's whole career!"
"...Wanna bet?" Said a voice out in the distance.
"HUH!?"
Emerging from the lowered lava was an unscathed Ventos surrounded by a bluish-green spherical field. Slowly, the protective barrier collapsed at the release of Ventos' outstretched arm and open of hand.
"Mahō Shōheki (Magical Barrier)!" Whispered the triumphant wizard.
-Kage Box-
All of Minato and Mei's doubts swiftly receded from their minds. Mei, who was busy contemplating on figuring how in Kami's name did she acquire such a powerful and a unique affinity as Yōton, grew a smirk on her beautiful face, convinced that the battle's victory was in her genin's favor.
Onoki became flabbergasted at Ventos' survival. He had been sure that Kurotsuchi had burned the Kiri gaki! He hadn't moved a muscle, he accepted defeat. And yet here he is, alive and trying his patience! The old Kage crushed the arm of his seat in sheer anger.
Jiraiya and Tsunade's reaction had a suspicious eye in the match, analyzing the composition of the shield that Ventos had constructed.
"Hey, Tsunade-hime...Did you notice that?" Asked the toad sage.
"Hm? What are you on about now, baka?" Tsunade whispered back.
"That protective barrier, the one that looks like Minato's brat has made. What do you notice about it, chakra-wise?"
Tsunade then attempted to gauge Ventos' chakra, nothing but pressure coming from Ventos. This got the slug princess stumped.
"What the hell? I can't sense any chakra coming from it at all! There's only this thick force of pressure coming off of him." Tsunade stated in disbelief.
"Yes, it does appear that way at...Let's try detecting it using natural chakra." Jiraiya suggested as he activated his Sennin Mōdo (Sage Mode), with Tsunade following him.
As they began scanning Ventos, shock washed over their minds from the revelation that hit them. Much like Itachi, they realized that Ventos has two energy signatures.
Yeah, they barely managed to get a feel on Ventos chakra, and it was similar to both Minato's and Kushina's signature. However, the chakra signature, that was mid-chunin to low-jōnin level, was being shrouded and overshadowed by an entirely different and larger energy that was exponentially more potent than chakra.
"J-Jiraiya...What in Kami's sacred name is that?" The Legendary Sucker stuttered.
"I-I'm not sure, Tsuna-hime. But somehow, that kid possesses a strange aura that's shrouding his chakra. I don't think it's anything present in the elemental nations. Not even the Kyūbi's demonic chakra has this kind of sensation." The Super Pervert concluded.
"That's completely absurd!" Tsunade whispered louder. "Aside from jinchūriki, no ninja should have two pools of chakra, let alone a different pool of energy altogether!"
"I know, it's kind of hard to believe." Jiraiya started. "But if what Minato said is true, then that kid is hiding something. Something a lot more than just his identity."
"If that's the case, then it's only logical to assume that this display is only a fraction of what this kid is truly capable of." Tsunade decided.
"Hai, according to the fight. The gaki's not even tired. It's as if he's trying to hold back more than he's displaying. Now I can see why Minato would want us to keep watch of him."
"Certainly, he's more than meets the eye."
While the constant murmurs were being exchanged amongst the Konoha advisory, 'Rasa', unbeknownst to them, was listening in on them the whole time. Of course, he hadn't used natural chakra to detect his power, but he knew that Minato's long lost child was special. Consequently, learning that his potential host has a power nobody hasn't seen before only increased his desire of obtaining the boy.
'Kukukuku! it seems that my suspicions are correct. I look forward to unlocking the secrets to your mysterious power, Naruto-kun... And once I do, immortality will be mine!'
-Battlefield-
The Kamizuru's female hysterics risen immensely as her mind was bombarding itself with various questions revolving around her opponent.
'HE BLOCKED MY ATTACK!? That was my strongest technique! How did he manage to block it? And what was that bubble thing? How was he able to use it? UGHHH! THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING!' Kurotsuchi complained internally while barely managing to stand on her own.
Deactivating the barrier, Ventos mentally sighed, 'I got to thank the old man for teaching me that spell. Otherwise, I could have bit the dust.'
Looking down at the hardened quicklime that was stuck at the bottom of his boots, Ventos slowly vented a little bit of yellow electricity towards the bottom of his. With a grunt, Ventos shouted as the lightning poured out from underneath him. The short yet powerful burst of plasma destroyed the stronghold of concrete, freeing Ventos and eradicating the compound in a two meter radius. With his problem taken care of, Ventos began to walk slowly towards his adversary with a serious glare that could kill several people if it possessed such a power.
And that stare instilled a primal fear so palpable, the mighty Kurotsuchi's smug behavior deteriorated rapidly as it turned into panic.
The young woman took out her next three kunai and chucked it at him. The pastel blond replied by summoning the Ændring's Heavy form and swatted them back. Her determination began to waver at her pathetic attempt, so she brought out her last kunai to throw at Ventos.
Unfortunately for her, the mage swiftly took her wrist, torqued it, causing the girl to shriek in pain as her broken hand dropped the kunai. He then proceeded to kick the girl down to the ground, bringing the Ændring, now Default, to her face.
"Yield. Now." Ventos commanded.
The Iwa-nin gritted her teeth while she looked up to the Kage Box, where grandfather was. As they connected via eye-contact, Kurotsuchi noticed a very specific look in the old man's stare. The look that will haunt her forever.
It was a look of disappointment.
Seeing this, Kurotsuchi dropped her head in defeat. There was no point to continue, not when your role model loses faith in you. Especially if you're eliminated from the preliminary round. It just wasn't worth the effort.
"You win, I-I give up!" A bitter and sorrowful Kurotsuchi exclaimed.
Once that was heard by the proctor, Hayate called the match.
-Winner: Ventos Drakkenborne-
At first, there was a long sound of nothingness. But a single motion of clapping was sounded off by Bara, which was copied by little Sasuke. Next was Kushina, and later, the Jonin and the remaining genin. Soon enough, everybody gave cheers to the mage for a job well done, letting out a thunderous cheer. He turned to the audience, glancing at his guildmates, who was either waving, cheering, or, funnily enough, recording him. He waved back, however, he noticed his godparents' mana next to his guild siblings.
Ventos then turned away from the winded Kurotsuchi, who was taking the hospital by a pair of medic-nin, and unequipped the Ændring blade while walking back to the other genin as he snaps his raised fingers.
'Game... Set!'
-Kage Box-
"DAMN IT, DAMN IT, DAMN IT, DAMN IT!"
Screams of curses and profanities were being flung left and right by the Tsuchikage as if he were a nine-year-old child. However, age kept up with him as his back bent out of place, prompting the big-nosed elder to ease his movements. The other Kage and the advisory got a kick out of seeing the old Tsuchikage lose his wits over his granddaughter losing to the blond-haired mage. After a bit of a cool down from all the commotion, the other four Kage began to speak amongst each other while Onoki brooded in his seat.
"Kami, that was some fight!" Ay started. " What kind of stuff have you been feeding your genin to get this strong?"
"Oh, nothing in particular, Raikage-dono. Believe it or not, all Vento-kun does is push-ups, sit-ups...and he drinks plenty of juice." Replied Mei, which sparked up some playful laughter between the two.
"With joking aside, I'd like to give my compliments that are due. For a new Kage, your success in acquiring such talented ninja such as Vento-san is a great feat and I must give my respects in that regard." Rasa said with a smile.
"I have to agree with Kazekage-dono, your genin is impressive indeed. Seeing such a display of skill and strategy makes it reassuring to know that Kiri has prodigies that are able to fight alongside their allies, in case of trouble in the future." Minato said before looking back to where his long lost son just stood.
The elder blond was truly gazing at his eldest child in awe and astoundment. Like Jiraiya, Tsunade, and 'Rasa', Minato couldn't sense Ventos' chakra right away, so he tried utilizing his sensory skills only to realize that his son has another kind of energy that was at least three times larger than his chakra signature. That only piled on to the questions that he has for Ventos. But as he admired the young man's strength, guilt once again strained his heart. If Minato never had lied about the Kyūbi and trained Naruto with Ruki, then things would have been similar, only he, as their father, would have taken the credit.
But alas, that wasn't the case.
Still, Minato wouldn't be discouraged from that known fact. He was gonna repair his family, and nothing is about to stop him from achieving that goal!
'You have gotten stronger, Naruto. You've proven that to me today. I...I should have spent more time with you like the father I was to you sisters. Maybe when the preliminaries are over, I can explain my failures and make amends to you. I can only pray to Kami that you forgive me so we can be a family once more.'
To Be Continued...
Author's Note:
To address certain people about the whole Naruto and Hinata ship in this story, it's not the main focus. However, considering that I like Hinata Hyūga as a concept but hate her underutilization, I decided to add her into the mix and show her progress later on. It sucks if you do not like the pairing, but I believe that it has potential in the right hands. In this alternate universe, she's personality similar to her canon counterpart, but she's not a stalker and she isn't as underconfident.
Can her anxiety show up sometimes? Of course! But can she kick when needed? Oh most definitely!
Other than that, I have nothing else to say. Let me know what your thoughts are about this chronicle. I'm heading out! Have a blessed day! Shadow, out!
-DarkShadowGames451