Ch. 1 - A New Rival Surfaces!
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"I don't think this is a good idea Yugo." The white-haired young turned back and grinned at his friend.
"Hey, quit worrying so much Ryu. The forest is just that, a forest. You really believe such a thing exists as the Forest of Death?" Ryu shrugged and adjusted the shoulder strap for his guitar case. The two had been good friends for a long time. Ryu's hair was the exact opposite of Yugo's; brown, short and spiked in such a way that it almost looked dangerous.
"You never know. And besides, better safe then sorry I always say."
"Yeah I know you do. Did you have to bring your guitar with you?" Ryu grunted and patted the case before checking the pockets of his tan cargos.
"We just got off school. Where else would I put it?" Yugo sighed. He pushed a tree branch out of the way. They were getting closer. A mysterious young boy had informed him earlier of just where he was going and what he was going there for.
"You have a point. Come on, that kid told me we're looking for a large tree with a hole near the base. It should be pretty close." Ryu shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. The sooner they got done, the sooner he could go home and practice. He grunted as a branch scratched his cheek. Yugo looked back at him again before coming out into a clearing. In the center of the clearing stood a very large tree; the base of it was easily the size of a van. Ryu looked ahead to try and see through the dense foliage, but he couldn't.
"Hey Yugo!"
"Come on, you gotta see this Ryu!" Ryu rushed forward and looked at the huge tree. His eyes then moved to the base, where he saw Yugo standing. He took a step forward when he stopped. Somebody was watching them.
"What's wrong Ryu?" He put a hand up to silence him. Yugo looked around.
"Behind you!" Ryu cried as he looked forward just in time to see a cloaked figure grab Yugo around the neck and place a small dagger-like weapon against his throat.
"I suggest you follow me if you want to see your friend alive again." The figure cackled as he stepped back and vanished through the tree with Yugo. Ryu blinked a few times. Had he just seen what he thought he had? After a moment of thought, he stepped toward the tree and touched it. A look of mild surprise crossed his features as his hand passed through the bark.
"What's going on here?" He shrugged and looked down at his guitar.
"Hopefully this won't be anything too dangerous. This baby wasn't cheap." With great reluctance, he stepped through the tree.
***********
"Katon Goukakyu no Jutsu!" Ryu clutched his head and shook it vigorously. Where was he? The last thing he remembered was falling and then he blacked out. And who the hell was yelling those crazy words?
"Look out!" Ryu looked up just in time to see a young man dressed completely in orange with blonde hair leap out of nowhere, grab him, and jump away before a huge fireball engulfed the ground he had been standing on. Ryu rubbed his head as the young man put him down.
"Talk about a rude awakening." He looked to his side and sighed with relief when he saw he still had his guitar with him. He pulled it out of the carrying case when he saw that there was a long tear in it.
"Perfect, now I've got to get a new case for this thing." He looked it over and placed it on his back, pulling the strap over his shoulder to keep from dropping it.
"Are you okay?" Ryu looked up again at the young man. He had completely forgotten about the situation he was in.
"I guess so. Where am I?" The young man beamed a smile. Were those whiskers on his face? No, just very similar markings. The headband he wore had a symbol on it that looked very much like a leaf.
"The hidden leaf village of Konoha. My name is Uzumaki Naruto." He nodded and accepted his hand when he offered him help up. The name sounded familiar, like something he had hear somewhere before. Now that he thought about it, the young man also looked very familiar.
"I'm Ryu. Thanks for the help earlier."
"Hey Naruto, who's the bonehead?" Ryu glared daggers at the black haired young man that had just joined the conversation. Did he really have a chance to move on his own? Not much of one, and his head still ached from the fall he believed he had taken. Five minutes ago, he had been standing in the woods. Now, he was in the middle of an open field with two people he had never seen in his life.
"He says his name is Ryu. He doesn't have any kind of headgear; do you think he's from one of the other villages Sasuke?" Naruto questioned as he turned to address the newcomer.
"Unlikely, I don't even think he's a ninja." Ryu dusted himself off and glared at the other, Sasuke.
"Watch it pal, I'll drop you on yer ass in a second." Sasuke crossed his arms and smirked at him.
"Am I supposed to take that as a threat, or a challenge?" Ryu looked between him and Naruto. Then, he pulled his guitar off his back.
"Sorry, I don't want to risk damaging my guitar. Cost me a lot of money you know. I'm sure you understand." Naruto nodded and Sasuke closed his eyes.
"Of course, you're afraid to fight me." Ryu strummed a long note and sat down, glaring up at Sasuke as he did so.
"I never back down from a fight. My guitar comes before my pride though." That statement was true. Ryu would give his life before he'd give away his guitar. He then looked at the ground as he began to play "Life in the Fast Lane". Slightly impressed, Sasuke raised an eyebrow.
"I see, you aren't a fighter."
"Not yet anyway." Sasuke and Naruto both turned around as their sensei appeared out of a cloud of smoke. The white-haired Jounin who kept his face hidden behind a mask, Kakashi.
"Kakashi-sensei! You mean to say that you know who he is?" Ryu listened to the conversation with little interest as he continued to play. It was his way of staying calm even when he became frightened or anxious.
"Yeah Naruto. Well, not entirely. I've got some important news to tell you guys, where's Sakura?"
"Here!" The pink-haired girl cried as she stumbled into earshot panting for breath. Kakashi looked at her with his lazy eye and then knelt down beside Ryu. He placed a hand on the strings of his guitar and Ryu glared at him.
"Touch it again and I'll rip yer head off yer shoulders. Got it?" Kakashi brought a fist down into the top of his head. Ryu fell forward and groaned as he sat back up.
"Cool it, from now on I'm your teacher. If you don't like it, too bad. Death is the only way you're going to get out of the assignment you've been given." Ryu grunted and sat back up. Before he replied, he placed the guitar in its case.
"Hold on, I've only been here five minutes if that. How could you even know who I am?"
"Ryu Tanabe, age fifteen. Trust me, I'm well informed." He muttered something under his breath and stood up. Kakashi gave him a once over before looking at his other three students.
"You guys, this next mission we're going on is going to be very dangerous. First off, we have to train this young man and get him up to speed." Naruto groaned and Kakashi looked over at him.
"I don't like it anymore then you do, but he is the key to the success of this mission and we need help not hindrance." Sasuke smirked again as he looked over at Ryu. Naruto looked between the two. It seemed that there was already a strong sense of rivalry building between them. Sakura looked at Sasuke and then at Ryu.
"Sasuke-kun, is there something wrong with him? You're looking at him like you used to look at Naruto. Do you think he's also an idiot like him as well?" Naruto growled and gritted his teeth.
"No, I can sense his Chakra. It's small, and not very easy to find. But that's only because he's inexperienced. Naruto, let's get to work." Naruto smirked and nodded. They both began to leap away, but Kakashi grabbed them.
"Hold on, I want to give him some individual training before I let you guys take over. He needs to know some key techniques and facts before you just throw him into battle."
**********
"So did you get all that?" Ryu looked up at Kakashi, scratching his head.
"I think so. So you're saying that Chakra is basically a combination of spiritual and physical strength? Right?" Kakashi nodded.
"That's about right. So, are you ready to begin your training?" He nodded. It had only been a few hours, but he was confident he could do this.
"Sure, you promise you'll give me back my guitar afterwards?"
"That was the agreement." Ryu smirked. The Jounin had taken the guitar away after finding it was the only way he would listen. If his guitar was on the line, he had no doubts he would be able to do this. He cracked his knuckles and placed a hand over the small pouch Kakashi had instructed him to put on his left leg. Kakashi pulled out his book and looked over at him before placing a bell on his belt.
"Here's your first test. Try to take this bell from me. If you do, you pass." Ryu crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.
"And if I don't?" Kakashi's lazy eye wandered back to him.
"Then you don't get your guitar back." That was all the motivation he needed. He leapt forward and swiped at the bell. When he reached Kakashi's position, the teacher vanished and reappeared behind him.
"You'll have to do better then that." Ryu stumbled forward and turned around. If he hadn't just been versed in the way of the ninja, it would have caught him way off guard. He spun around and threw a shuriken at him. The small throwing star stuck into the back of Kakashi's book. He glared at Ryu. Inside, he was astounded to see such quick reflexes and thinking. On the outside, he was pissed that his favorite book had just been damaged.
"Maybe I underestimated you." He said softly as he placed the book back in his pouch. Ryu smirked and stood up straight.
"Yer damn right you underestimated me. Now, let's get down to business." Kakashi smiled inwardly. Not since Naruto and the others had come to him had he seen somebody with so much potential. He vanished and Ryu looked around, half expecting him to reappear behind him. When that didn't happen, he began searching the surrounding foliage.
"Didn't I tell you that a ninja must be ready for anything?" Ryu looked at Kakashi in surprise as he flew out of the pond nearby and pinned Ryu's arms behind his back. Ryu grunted then vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving Kakashi holding a large rock. Kakashi's eye shot open in surprise. A student tricked him?
"I'm prepared for anything. The question is, are you?" Ryu smirked as he reached out for the bell from behind him. In a blur of motion Kakashi grabbed his wrist, twisted his arm, and pulled him to the ground.
"Very impressive, I never expected a rookie who hasn't even trained to become a Genin to be such a skilled ninja. Are you certain you've never even seen a ninja in your life?" Ryu nodded.
"Yeah, I've seen a lot of movies though, and you seen really familiar." Ryu placed a finger on his cheek as he tried to think, not even noticing that Kakashi still had him pinned down. The faces, the names, everything seemed so familiar to him. Then, the realization hit him. It had only been once, but he remembered the names and characters from a manga he had once read.
"Naruto! You guys are all from Naruto!" Kakashi helped him back up to his feet, not really paying any attention to him.
"Sure, so do you think you're ready to begin the next training session? I'm sure Naruto and Sasuke are ready to teach you what being a real ninja is about." Ryu put a hand out.
"My guitar first." Kakashi sighed, the guitar appeared in a cloud of smoke and he handed it to him. Ryu nodded and placed it on his back.
"Okay, I'm curious to see just how good these guys are." With that, the two headed off for the village to find them. It was going to be one of those days, Ryu was sure. He didn't end up in a manga everyday, but he did usually have a bad tendency to pick fights. Now that he was a bit better educated, he was ready to give Sasuke the beating of a lifetime.
***************************************************************
"I don't think this is a good idea Yugo." The white-haired young turned back and grinned at his friend.
"Hey, quit worrying so much Ryu. The forest is just that, a forest. You really believe such a thing exists as the Forest of Death?" Ryu shrugged and adjusted the shoulder strap for his guitar case. The two had been good friends for a long time. Ryu's hair was the exact opposite of Yugo's; brown, short and spiked in such a way that it almost looked dangerous.
"You never know. And besides, better safe then sorry I always say."
"Yeah I know you do. Did you have to bring your guitar with you?" Ryu grunted and patted the case before checking the pockets of his tan cargos.
"We just got off school. Where else would I put it?" Yugo sighed. He pushed a tree branch out of the way. They were getting closer. A mysterious young boy had informed him earlier of just where he was going and what he was going there for.
"You have a point. Come on, that kid told me we're looking for a large tree with a hole near the base. It should be pretty close." Ryu shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. The sooner they got done, the sooner he could go home and practice. He grunted as a branch scratched his cheek. Yugo looked back at him again before coming out into a clearing. In the center of the clearing stood a very large tree; the base of it was easily the size of a van. Ryu looked ahead to try and see through the dense foliage, but he couldn't.
"Hey Yugo!"
"Come on, you gotta see this Ryu!" Ryu rushed forward and looked at the huge tree. His eyes then moved to the base, where he saw Yugo standing. He took a step forward when he stopped. Somebody was watching them.
"What's wrong Ryu?" He put a hand up to silence him. Yugo looked around.
"Behind you!" Ryu cried as he looked forward just in time to see a cloaked figure grab Yugo around the neck and place a small dagger-like weapon against his throat.
"I suggest you follow me if you want to see your friend alive again." The figure cackled as he stepped back and vanished through the tree with Yugo. Ryu blinked a few times. Had he just seen what he thought he had? After a moment of thought, he stepped toward the tree and touched it. A look of mild surprise crossed his features as his hand passed through the bark.
"What's going on here?" He shrugged and looked down at his guitar.
"Hopefully this won't be anything too dangerous. This baby wasn't cheap." With great reluctance, he stepped through the tree.
***********
"Katon Goukakyu no Jutsu!" Ryu clutched his head and shook it vigorously. Where was he? The last thing he remembered was falling and then he blacked out. And who the hell was yelling those crazy words?
"Look out!" Ryu looked up just in time to see a young man dressed completely in orange with blonde hair leap out of nowhere, grab him, and jump away before a huge fireball engulfed the ground he had been standing on. Ryu rubbed his head as the young man put him down.
"Talk about a rude awakening." He looked to his side and sighed with relief when he saw he still had his guitar with him. He pulled it out of the carrying case when he saw that there was a long tear in it.
"Perfect, now I've got to get a new case for this thing." He looked it over and placed it on his back, pulling the strap over his shoulder to keep from dropping it.
"Are you okay?" Ryu looked up again at the young man. He had completely forgotten about the situation he was in.
"I guess so. Where am I?" The young man beamed a smile. Were those whiskers on his face? No, just very similar markings. The headband he wore had a symbol on it that looked very much like a leaf.
"The hidden leaf village of Konoha. My name is Uzumaki Naruto." He nodded and accepted his hand when he offered him help up. The name sounded familiar, like something he had hear somewhere before. Now that he thought about it, the young man also looked very familiar.
"I'm Ryu. Thanks for the help earlier."
"Hey Naruto, who's the bonehead?" Ryu glared daggers at the black haired young man that had just joined the conversation. Did he really have a chance to move on his own? Not much of one, and his head still ached from the fall he believed he had taken. Five minutes ago, he had been standing in the woods. Now, he was in the middle of an open field with two people he had never seen in his life.
"He says his name is Ryu. He doesn't have any kind of headgear; do you think he's from one of the other villages Sasuke?" Naruto questioned as he turned to address the newcomer.
"Unlikely, I don't even think he's a ninja." Ryu dusted himself off and glared at the other, Sasuke.
"Watch it pal, I'll drop you on yer ass in a second." Sasuke crossed his arms and smirked at him.
"Am I supposed to take that as a threat, or a challenge?" Ryu looked between him and Naruto. Then, he pulled his guitar off his back.
"Sorry, I don't want to risk damaging my guitar. Cost me a lot of money you know. I'm sure you understand." Naruto nodded and Sasuke closed his eyes.
"Of course, you're afraid to fight me." Ryu strummed a long note and sat down, glaring up at Sasuke as he did so.
"I never back down from a fight. My guitar comes before my pride though." That statement was true. Ryu would give his life before he'd give away his guitar. He then looked at the ground as he began to play "Life in the Fast Lane". Slightly impressed, Sasuke raised an eyebrow.
"I see, you aren't a fighter."
"Not yet anyway." Sasuke and Naruto both turned around as their sensei appeared out of a cloud of smoke. The white-haired Jounin who kept his face hidden behind a mask, Kakashi.
"Kakashi-sensei! You mean to say that you know who he is?" Ryu listened to the conversation with little interest as he continued to play. It was his way of staying calm even when he became frightened or anxious.
"Yeah Naruto. Well, not entirely. I've got some important news to tell you guys, where's Sakura?"
"Here!" The pink-haired girl cried as she stumbled into earshot panting for breath. Kakashi looked at her with his lazy eye and then knelt down beside Ryu. He placed a hand on the strings of his guitar and Ryu glared at him.
"Touch it again and I'll rip yer head off yer shoulders. Got it?" Kakashi brought a fist down into the top of his head. Ryu fell forward and groaned as he sat back up.
"Cool it, from now on I'm your teacher. If you don't like it, too bad. Death is the only way you're going to get out of the assignment you've been given." Ryu grunted and sat back up. Before he replied, he placed the guitar in its case.
"Hold on, I've only been here five minutes if that. How could you even know who I am?"
"Ryu Tanabe, age fifteen. Trust me, I'm well informed." He muttered something under his breath and stood up. Kakashi gave him a once over before looking at his other three students.
"You guys, this next mission we're going on is going to be very dangerous. First off, we have to train this young man and get him up to speed." Naruto groaned and Kakashi looked over at him.
"I don't like it anymore then you do, but he is the key to the success of this mission and we need help not hindrance." Sasuke smirked again as he looked over at Ryu. Naruto looked between the two. It seemed that there was already a strong sense of rivalry building between them. Sakura looked at Sasuke and then at Ryu.
"Sasuke-kun, is there something wrong with him? You're looking at him like you used to look at Naruto. Do you think he's also an idiot like him as well?" Naruto growled and gritted his teeth.
"No, I can sense his Chakra. It's small, and not very easy to find. But that's only because he's inexperienced. Naruto, let's get to work." Naruto smirked and nodded. They both began to leap away, but Kakashi grabbed them.
"Hold on, I want to give him some individual training before I let you guys take over. He needs to know some key techniques and facts before you just throw him into battle."
**********
"So did you get all that?" Ryu looked up at Kakashi, scratching his head.
"I think so. So you're saying that Chakra is basically a combination of spiritual and physical strength? Right?" Kakashi nodded.
"That's about right. So, are you ready to begin your training?" He nodded. It had only been a few hours, but he was confident he could do this.
"Sure, you promise you'll give me back my guitar afterwards?"
"That was the agreement." Ryu smirked. The Jounin had taken the guitar away after finding it was the only way he would listen. If his guitar was on the line, he had no doubts he would be able to do this. He cracked his knuckles and placed a hand over the small pouch Kakashi had instructed him to put on his left leg. Kakashi pulled out his book and looked over at him before placing a bell on his belt.
"Here's your first test. Try to take this bell from me. If you do, you pass." Ryu crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.
"And if I don't?" Kakashi's lazy eye wandered back to him.
"Then you don't get your guitar back." That was all the motivation he needed. He leapt forward and swiped at the bell. When he reached Kakashi's position, the teacher vanished and reappeared behind him.
"You'll have to do better then that." Ryu stumbled forward and turned around. If he hadn't just been versed in the way of the ninja, it would have caught him way off guard. He spun around and threw a shuriken at him. The small throwing star stuck into the back of Kakashi's book. He glared at Ryu. Inside, he was astounded to see such quick reflexes and thinking. On the outside, he was pissed that his favorite book had just been damaged.
"Maybe I underestimated you." He said softly as he placed the book back in his pouch. Ryu smirked and stood up straight.
"Yer damn right you underestimated me. Now, let's get down to business." Kakashi smiled inwardly. Not since Naruto and the others had come to him had he seen somebody with so much potential. He vanished and Ryu looked around, half expecting him to reappear behind him. When that didn't happen, he began searching the surrounding foliage.
"Didn't I tell you that a ninja must be ready for anything?" Ryu looked at Kakashi in surprise as he flew out of the pond nearby and pinned Ryu's arms behind his back. Ryu grunted then vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving Kakashi holding a large rock. Kakashi's eye shot open in surprise. A student tricked him?
"I'm prepared for anything. The question is, are you?" Ryu smirked as he reached out for the bell from behind him. In a blur of motion Kakashi grabbed his wrist, twisted his arm, and pulled him to the ground.
"Very impressive, I never expected a rookie who hasn't even trained to become a Genin to be such a skilled ninja. Are you certain you've never even seen a ninja in your life?" Ryu nodded.
"Yeah, I've seen a lot of movies though, and you seen really familiar." Ryu placed a finger on his cheek as he tried to think, not even noticing that Kakashi still had him pinned down. The faces, the names, everything seemed so familiar to him. Then, the realization hit him. It had only been once, but he remembered the names and characters from a manga he had once read.
"Naruto! You guys are all from Naruto!" Kakashi helped him back up to his feet, not really paying any attention to him.
"Sure, so do you think you're ready to begin the next training session? I'm sure Naruto and Sasuke are ready to teach you what being a real ninja is about." Ryu put a hand out.
"My guitar first." Kakashi sighed, the guitar appeared in a cloud of smoke and he handed it to him. Ryu nodded and placed it on his back.
"Okay, I'm curious to see just how good these guys are." With that, the two headed off for the village to find them. It was going to be one of those days, Ryu was sure. He didn't end up in a manga everyday, but he did usually have a bad tendency to pick fights. Now that he was a bit better educated, he was ready to give Sasuke the beating of a lifetime.
