Ep.15: The Great King of The Past Has a Puppeteer
" Kill the bastard!" - Yelled a man.
" Sever his arms!" - A 16 year old girl yelled.
" When will this village stop embarrassing me?" - The Hokage complained.
Cut back to Sora we see him attempt to walk to the participant bench only to fall on his stomach and faint.
" Dang seems that battle against Sasuke took its toll on that kid's body. Hey kid get up or I'll have you killed!" - Anko threatened.
Suddenly Kakashi body flickered to Sora's position.
" I'll take him to the bench Anko."
" Okay Kakashi but no funny stuff."
" ( As if you could stop my plans bitch.)" - Kakashi mentally boasted.
A group of ninja warped in front of Sasuke's corpse and sealed it in a scroll as Orochimaru observed them with a wicked smile.
" Planning something?" - Ansem inquired.
" Do you want to get slaughtered?" - Orochimaru.
" Darkness can't destroy darkness."
" I'm a master of other elements care to test?"
" You're very confrontational for a ninja."
Ansem vanished within a Corridor of Darkness.
" Coward."
" Hey Sandy! Care to explain to me who you were talking to?" - A security ninja inquired.
" Uh just a weirdo in a cloak."
" Well that umbrakinetic phenomenon seemed like a jutsu follow me down to the station." - The security ninja demanded.
" Of course. ( This day is really heading to the toilet.) "
Orochimaru obeys the guard and follows him to an office.
" Fill out these forms."
" Is all of this necessary?"
" If you want to remain in this village as a legal visitor sign the documents."
" Uhhh." - Orochimaru groaned.
Cut back to the arena we see Kankuro & Temari enter the arena.
" All right we've made it to the Semi Final match between Kankuro and Temari. Ready...FIGHT!"
The 2 siblings jump back as Temari draws a regular size fan made of iron and waves it unleashing a miniature tornado as wide as a tree trunk at Kankuro who hurls the bandaged object on his back at the tornado causing it to get thrown at the wall to his left.
" Come on baby bro is that all you got?"
" Kankuro projects chakra strings from his left hand at Temari's iron fan but she dances out of the way hurling the weapon at Kankuro's stomach."
" Agh."
As the young man fell down he was revealed to be a puppet. The puppet leaped at Temari only to get batted away by her closed giant fan.
Temari then directed her attention to the bandaged object.
" Thought you could outsmart your big sis Kankuro?"
Temari opened her giant fan and unleashed her Wind Scythe Jutsu upon the bandaged object.
" AHHHHHHHHHH!"
The body of Kankuro was shredded along with the bandages that surrounded him falling down on the arena floor as severed organs.
" You gonna call the match?" - Temari asked.
Anko ignores her smug tone and lights a cigarette. Temari realizes that the match isn't over and feels a sharp stabbing sensation in her feet.
" Gegh!"
She turns to face the puppet only to see that it was the real Kankuro walking towards her with a smug expression.
" Seems victory has eluded your grasp big sis."
" Oh no it's with in perfect striking distance."
Near the concession stand Baki drinks a water bottle as he watches Temari focus her chakra between her fingertips.
" I guess this will teach Kankuro a lesson in dismissing his teacher's offers of wisdom instead he requested the tutelage of that retarded wizard."
Kankuro gets close towards Temari and she uses her new technique.
" Blade of Wind!"
Temari generates an aerokinetic blade between finger tips and tries to diagonally slash Kankuro only to see the jutsu disperse as her body becomes a dry husk.
" You can hug me after I win the exams."
Kankuro jumps over Temari revealing chakra strings extending from his feet that were swiftly recalled back into his body as he landed behind her.
" Huuuuuh!" - Temari gasped as she fell down.
" Winner Kankuro!"
" Yeaaaah!"
" Oh well Temari should have suspected Kankuro could control the chakra strings in his feet. Looks like only one of the siblings is gonna get a public lashing. Kankuro will make short work of that slave considering he'll be a groggy mess when he awakens."
" Kankuro! Kankuro! Kick some ass! Show them how a prince will pass!" - A group of Sand Villagers cheered.
Kankuro cried tears of joy but swiftly wiped them as Temari was taken out of the arena by medical ninja.
" Make Kankuro the champion! Make Kankuro the champion! Make Kankuro the champion!" - Yelled the audience.
" These people are idiots." - The 3rd Hokage said in an annoyed tone."
The 3rd Hokage activated a microphone as Sora awoke.
" Testing! Please remain silent or you'll all be buried in the Forest of Death."
The audience quieted.
" The Final match will happen and it will be scheduled at 8:30 PM the execution clause is still in effect. In an effort to bring out the best of the finalists I grant them time to train and or resupply themselves. I have given my edict see that it is followed."
" So my final opponent is that man with the chakra strings. I can't believe I slept during his match against that girl with the fan I guess I'll have to win with adaptive strategies."
Sora exited the arena on to the streets of the Leaf Village as he passes Kiba moping on a bench.
" GRRRRR!" - Akamaru growled.
" Calm down Akamaru we'll hunt him down the same way our ancestors used to hunt lions."
Kiba imagines him and Akamaru drilling into a lion with their fang over fang technique.
" Woof."
Sora reaches the Leaf Village Prison and gets stopped by a body flickering Kakashi holding a katana sheathed in a purple scabbard.
" Hi ."
" It seems I truly underestimated you Sora you managed to outperform opponents that non-ninja could only dream of scratching. Since you're my last squad member I offer you the chance to use my grandfather's Katana."
" I'm sorry but you're too obvious to call yourself a ninja."
" I just wanted you to stand a chance against Kankuro."
" I can smell the poison you sprayed on to the grip you probably built up an immunity just so you could perform this method of assassination."
" Congratulations you get the right to die in battle."
Kakashi mockingly shows Sora the door to the prison. Sora heads to the slave armory and obtains 3 longswords. Meanwhile Kankuro is leaning against a tree he then flashes back to his training period where Riku and Temari stand in attention near a lake before Baki and a 59 year old man in a blue robe with a scimitar attached to his belt.
" Okay Kankuro since you managed to do well as you requested I grant you access to knowledge shown only to the most prodigious. Allow me to introduce you all to Khadim the Lion Master.
" Salutations Honorable children." - Khadim said after bowing on one knee before team Baki.
" (All right more methods to use in battle.)" - Kankuro smirked.
" Temari since you're best suited for the technique I have to offer we'll train in a different area. As for you Riku I don't care what you do but if you happen to get in to contact with that other slave boy again I want some info especially on that Uchiha boy who's going to kill you."
" I ain't going to lose to any one."
" Well Riku you have a month to train prove me wrong. You're all dismissed."
Team Baki went their separate ways Kankuro following the man in a blue robe.
" I've never heard of any jonin named Khadim."
" I'm not a ninja honorable son I'm a wizard who has mastered the art of summoning."
" How is that possible?"
" I went to ninja school and failed because of my pathetic physical abilities however when it came to offensive magic I proved to be very powerful.
We see him him burning a Sand Ninja with a massive fireball projected from his mouth and hurling a squad of samurai and Mist ninja into the walls of buildings by manifesting a tornado.
" Eventually after slaying 13 Chunin level enemies at the age of 16 I was granted the title of Genin Equivalent the second highest combat title for non-ninja citizens of he Sand Village. I was trusted to go on combat missions as back up building my skills even further. Then one day on my travels.
We see a 16 year old Khadim enter a canyon where he was met by a lioness-like manifestation in the sky."
" Khadim you're reputation as a fire and wind master is impressive you have proven yourself to the great kings we grant you the right to call us."
" ROOOOOH!" - The lioness roared.
As the lioness-like manifestation roared a red orb was projected from it's mouth into the ground Khadim picked up the orb. A surge of red electricity coursed through his body.
" AHHHHHHHHHHH!"
" Call my name Khadim." - A powerful voice commanded.
" I summon thee Mufasa!"
And with that utterance a lion with golden fur and a crimson mane appeared before the wizard.
" ROOOOOOH!"
" You know for a lion you sound like a tiger."
Mufasa tackled Khadim.
" Rooh! Is that an insult?"
" No I meant no disrespect Great King!"
" Never compare me to those lonely fools ever again."
We return to the present where we see Khadim hand Kankuro a red orb.
" After I mastered my familiar he replicated the orb and after mastering more of these duplicate orbs I eventually decided to share this knowledge with my leaders and it was wisely withheld from the mediocre. Sigh."- He said in a disappointed tone."
" Can't have too many outliers running around it might give the impression that ninja are obsolete." - Kankuro says receiving the orb.
The orb electrocutes Kankuro with red energy.
" AHHHHHHHHHHHGAHHAGAH!"
" Call my name Kankuro."
" Huff! (3x) Whatever you say pussy cat. I summon thee MUFASA!"
The Lion King reappeared releasing a roar that burned the vegetation to ash.
" From what I've seen Kankuro you'll be even better at using the Great King than I ever was in my twenties."
" Listen well neophyte you are only to summon me against powerful foes." - Mufasa threatened.
Kankuro lashed Mufasa with his Chakra Strings.
" ROOH!"
" You'll follow my commands when I call you."
The lion pounced upon Kankuro and slashed his face 2 times.
" We shall see if you've learned who is the master in our alliance over time. Fail too many times to understand this obvious lesson and I'll kill you and your friends."
Mufasa disappeared as Kankuro's face turned to anger.
" Let's begin our training." - Khadim commanded.
Kankuro is shown training to the song Push it to the limit by Paul Engemann where he is first shown attempting to pull a boulder with chakra strings. He is then shown draining a chakra from a bear reducing it to a skeletal husk. He is then shown confronting Khadim.
" Today you're going to spar with one of my more traditional summon spirits."
" Traditional?"
Khadim cut his palm and placed it on the grass summoning a pale green manticore with a black mane and no eyes.
" Doku-Shishi impale Kankuro!"
" Very well."
The manticore dashed towards the ninja but Kankuro dived out of the way and attempted to impale the beast with his chakra the beast body-flickered behind Kankuro and repeatedly stabbed him with it's scorpion-tail.
" AHHHHHH!"
Kankuro fell on his stomach.
" Get up Kankuro I'll hold nothing back if you fail to recover in the next 3 seconds."
3 seconds pass and Khadim performs a thumbs down gesture ordering the manticore to unleash an energized thrust with it's tail only to impale a log.
" Rooooh!"
Kankuro used his chakra strings to burrow underneath the beast and impale him from multiple angles.
" Your chakra is mine."
Kankuro absorbed the summon spirit into his body and fell to his knees consoling his head..
" AHHHHHHH!" - The puppet master screamed.
Kankuro projected Doku-Shishi into a the side of a boulder.
" Roonh!-" -Doku-Shishi whimpered.
" Ah-ahn-ahn-egh." - Kankuro groaned.
" Hurry up Kankuro we still have 3 weeks of trainining to complete."
The flashback ends. We then follow Sora.
" ( I have to win this battle there is only victory or destruction. Even if I win I have no assurance that the reward of life will be worth it. Within a few months here I became a murderer, too bad I'm not strong enough to kill my captors, if that stretchy guy was able to defeat my "team" single-handedly what chance do I stand against The Hokage, or even Kakashi. I just wanted to go on an adventure with my friends.)" - Sora contemplated.
Later at 4:26 PM Orochimaru has finished signing papers and speeds off into an alley he then transforms into a fly and heads to a hospital.
" ( There might still be some time before they trap Sasuke's corpse in an unreachable dimension.)" - Thought Orochimaru.
Orochimaru enters a room labeled scroll furnace there he sees a furnace with dark yellow flames and a ninja unloading scrolls from cylindrical containers.
" With Sasuke gone we'll only have those white-eyed bastards to look up to." - The ninja complained.
Orochimaru deactivated his transformation revealing that he was wearing his proctor disguise from the Forest of Death with a new gorilla mask. He swiftly dashed behind the ninja and slit his throat using his claw-like hands. Orochimaru seached the scrolls and found 1 labeled Sasuke Uchiha. He unsealed the scroll and deactivated the sealing jutsu summoning Sasuke's corpse. He seals him in one of his own scrolls and turns into a fly to escape through an air vent.
" That boy will serve me well."
Orochimaru exited the village and entered a cave.
" Kabuto mission complete follow escape protocol 57."
" Yes Lord Orochimaru."
We eventually reach the time of the match where Sora and Kankuro enter the arena. Sora locks on to Kankuro with scan.
" ( Did he lose health since our last encounter.)"
Sora changes his targets and notices that a boulder has 3 full bars of health.
" All right welcome to The Final Match..."
" Wait!" - Sora yelled.
" Don't interrupt me kid..." - Anko says pointing a combat knife at Sora.
Sora restrains his anger as the Kankuro that stood before him smiled wickedly.
" Welcome to the Chunin Exams Final Match! Give it your all and let the best combatant win...Ready...FIGHT!"
The theme of the Chunin Exams-Rooftop from Naruto Clash of The Ninja 2 plays in the background as Sora chases after the boulder but the Kankuro that stood behind him activated his Chakra Strings and lashed them at Sora. As they came in striking distance Sora deflected the energy constructs with sword swings directing them behind Kankuro.
" ( His strings have grown far more powerful.)" - Thought Sora.
The Kankuro that stood before him absorbed his left hands Chakra Strings while slightly retracting and fusing the right hand's strings into a construct of a serrated scimitar.
" A sword made out of raw chakra?" - Sora reacted.
" Heh-heh-heh. You think this is just a sword?"
Kankuro releases his grip of the construct revealing it to be attached to chakra strings bound as a singular rope he then spins it like a kusarigama and performs a sweeping horizontal swing that cuts into a moving Sora's torso.
" AHHHHH"
Sora recovers slowly from his wound as Kankuro reels his energy weapon back, spins it a manner that mimics a moving wheel causing the energy to glow more vibrantly as Sora examines his foe's weapon.
" His weapon's just like Selphie's jump rope."
" The loss of blood must have made you delusional. Anyway try my... LIQUID SCIMITAR!"
Kankuro reeled the manifested blade back and casted it like a vertical sword swing but Sora moved forward deflected with his guard technique causing the blade be reversed in to his face cracking it revealing the opponent that stood before him to be a puppet. Sora maximized his Shotlock crosshairs on to the boulder while still looking at the puppet. The boulder then projected Chakra Strings at Sora's back but the swordsman countered with a Dragoon Jump that evaded the technique and impaled the ninja only to see that his blade stabbed a cactus.
" Whew." - Kankuro gasped.
" Hey Miss Mitarashi Kankuro was disguised as a boulder before the match even began that should be grounds for disqualification." - Sora said still readying another Shotlock for his foe.
" Peh! You've only managed to prove Kankuro's resourcefulness in the ninja world it's anything goes."
" GRRRRR!" -Sora growled
Sora swiftly unleashed a Ragnarok at the exhausted Kankuro slamming the boy into the wall of the arena leaving him in a bruised and bleeding state.
" Gagh!"
" ( What strategy could Kankuro have up his sleeve?)" - Thought Baki?"
Sora rushes towards Kankuro's body but he recovers and scatters caltrops on the ground halting the swordsman's movement.
Sora runs around the caltrops and with his blade readied but Kankuro reveals his trump card by raising his hands and offering blood and chakra he summons Mufasa.
" ROOOOHR!" - The beast roared burning the grass to ash.
"Gasp! I have a feeling that's no ordinary lion." - Sora reacted.
" WHY HAVE YOU SUMMONED ME KANKURO?"
" To defeat him he's a powerful opponent he beat an Uchiha and a Hyuga."
" Hahaha! They must have been wimps. I warned you Kankuro about wasting my time!"
The lion faces Kankuro but the ninja swiftly impales his chakra strings into the summon spirit's face and dashes away from him up a wall as he converts Mufasa into raw chakra and absorbs him his body. Kankuro grabs his head and falls to his knees while still adhering to the wall.
" ROOOOOOHR!" - Kankuro roared as his body was surrounded by a blue humanoid lion-shaped energy field.
" It seems The Sand Village prepared a contingency against me." - The 3rd Hokage speculated.
" ( I got to gain some distance and ready another Ragnarok)"
Kankuro dashed at the fleeing Sora and horizontally slashed his chest ending his assault with a rotating elbow strike that blasted Sora away from his blade but he conjured another as his crash landing ended. Sora readied another Shotlock only to realize that he was limited to 13 crosshairs.
" Dang I'll just have to settle for a heart cluster."
Sora projected a cluster of 13 orange hearts at Kankuro but the ninja roared at the projectiles redirecting them back at Sora's body as blue hearts.
" Gaaah."
Kankuro grabbed Sora with one arm by his undersuit and tossed him into the air.
" Rooorh!"
Kankuro leaped after Sora and pounded the swordsman with a mighty punch.
" Aggh!" - He screamed as he was slammed into the ground.
Sora recovered.
" (I'm running out of health I need to play defensively or I'm toast.)"
Kankuro dashed towards Sora to swipe at him with his energized hands 8 times but he deflected 6 of his blows with timed slashes from his longsword backing Kankuro off he then leapt and assaulted him with an aerial combo ending with a blocked Hurricane Blast that slightly wounded Kankuro's arms.
" ( I can't take this anymore I'm gonna go for the head.)" - Kankuro schemed.
" Let go of me Kankuro!" - Mufasa demanded through Kankuro's voice.
Kankuro thrusted his energized hands like claws at Sora but the swordsman evaded by weaving out the way, as Kankuro performed a horizontal claw-swipe Sora ducked and upon rising he slashed Kankuro 6 times and blasted him away with a rotating slash.
" ROOORH!"
Kankuro reaching his physical and spiritual limit projects Mufasa out of his body as a lion-shaped energy construct.
" Oh no you don't."
" SHROOOH!"
Sora blocks with guard deflecting the summon spirit back into Kankuro causing his body to get spiritually slashed repeatedly by the Phantomous Feline.
" AHHHHHHHH!"
Sora runs up to Kankuro to slash him 6 times and kills him with a Ripple Drive to the skull.
" ...Winner Sora!"
" Perhaps I overestimated Kankuro's abilities." - The 3rd Hokage contemplated.
" Yeah go Leaf Village!" - Yelled a single business man.
The Leaf Villagers and Sand Ninja were filled with almost silent fury.
" He won." - Kakashi said in a restrained but begrudging tone.
" For the first time in Leaf Village history a slave has won the Chunin Exams proving the worth of our Slave Soldier Program. Bring the Slave before me."
" Follow me Sora." - Anko commanded.
Sora was brought before the 3rd Hokage.
" On your knees Sora."
Sora obeyed.
" ( I don't have enough power to fire a Ragnarok at this bastard even then I'd just be killed.)" - Sora contemplated.
" Sora even though you're not a ninja you showed exceptional skill in battle against some very prodigious opponents thus I grant you the conditional but honorary rank of Vice-Chunin. However if you miss 2 consecutive Chunin Exams in a row you will be stripped of your rank. You are dismissed."
Sora is escorted back to prison as various villagers look upon him with contempt. He eventually reaches reaches his cell the door is locked as he sits on his bed.
" Leaves may fall but eventually they will be removed."
Sora closes his eyes as Break The Ice by John Farnham plays in the background.