The Dragon Dilemma
I don't own Naruto and Zoids
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"Talking"
'Thoughts'
/-- Scene change
)-()-( Different point of view
?-? Flash back
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Chapter 17
He walks through the village with a scowl on his face. Nobody has yet to give him a name on who could have massacred that gang of A and S rank missing nins and he's in a fowl mood. He was heading towards the shed where he kept Shadow Fox. He needed something to do and decided to take his Zoid out for a jog, for it's been a good three months since he last laid eyes on the black fox Zoid.
Some of his frustration seems to envelop at the thought of the fox type Zoid. It also reminded him of the blond carrier of the nine tailed fox, which just made him smile bitterly at the thought of his ex-team mate. Shaking his head in hopes of dismissing the blond phantom and focus on where would be a nice spot to take a jog at, especially with his Zoid.
He pauses as he notices Neji waiting for him by the shed. He gathers control over his expressions as well as making his face blank, he didn't know what it was about the Hyuuga genius that rubbed him the wrong way only that something about the Hyuuga that just stirred up something, perhaps a memory. Neji was awarded the right to pilot that Lightning Saix that Leaf claimed from that mess of a battle about four months ago, he had wondered if Neji had any problems with the feline Zoid.
"Hyuuga." He says and Neji replies, "Uchiha." He walks passed the other, not looking at the white eyed teen. He opens the side door, fully aware that the older ninja is standing behind him. He flips a light switch and notices that the Lightning Saix was also housed here. He tries his hardest not to alter his expression, knowing full well that Neji would notice the change in expression with a simple muscle movement.
He approaches his Zoid and begins to climb up along the leg and then the neck. He opens that cockpit and moves into it with as much grace he could muster. Soon the controls come alive and the shed doors open. He pauses as Neji's Zoid moves out of the line up of Zoids. Once Neji is finished walking through the open door in the cockpit of the Lightning Saix, he then moves forward in his Shadow Fox. He didn't glance around to see if the Lightning Saix is still around, he knows that Neji wants to test his skills as a pilot against his and he wouldn't mind seeing how well Neji can pilot his Zoid. A smirk crosses his face as the Shadow Fox enters into a trot.
/----
A slight jerk to the right and his Zoid leaps to the side as a series of shots land to his left. He activates the smoke screen and targets the Lightning Saix and fires of his gun, the rounds hit the feline Zoid and he watches as the Zoid charges towards him. He counters by using the Shadow Fox's Strike Laser Claw, the attack is blocked by the Lightning Siax's jaws grabbing hold of the upper part of the fore paw.
He smirks and activates the Vulcan gun, targeting the chest of the Lightning Saix. Four shots hit the Lightning Saix, causing the other Zoid to let go of his Zoid's arm. They battle it out, testing which of them has the better reflexes and timing. He knows he's winning, despite the fact that Neji is most likely using his bloodline limit.
He frowns as the fact that he has yet to activate his own bloodline limit; he mentally pushes those thoughts out of his head as he focuses in on the battle once more. If anything, the fact that he'll win this battle despite the fact that Neji's using his bloodline limit will make winning all the more sweeter. 'I wonder how I can rub this into his face after this.' He thinks as he manages to forces the larger Zoid back a few feet.
A picture of Neji appears on his screen and the older ninja seems pissed about something. "I think that's enough for now, Uchiha." Neji says in a polite tone. He just nods and the image vanishes, he moves away from the other and heads back to the shed, the taste of sweet victory spreading through his being. The adrenalin that had been present throughout the battle begins to ebb from his body, begins of exhaustion and a scents of peace enters in. He smiles tiredly as he pilots the Shadow Fox back to the shed; he'll have to check on the damages before heading home.
)-(Naruto)-(
He just sighs as he eats an apple; he stares at the large red crystal like structure that stands where the Liger Zero had been. He truly is at a lost at what Shadow's doing with the Liger Zero. He also didn't know if his explanation about what Shadow is helped explain anything about what's happening.
He also had to wonder if there weren't any other Organoids about, for he does remember that Ambient is still being held within Hidden Leaf. He seriously doubts that Ambient has been cooperating with any ninja living within those walls or that the red Organoid has escaped from the holding cell either. He looks thoughtful as he thinks about the other two Organoids that Shadow told him about. 'Zeke and Specular, the white and the blue dragon Organoids.' He thinks as he finishes off the last bit of the apple he was eating.
It's been about a day since Shadow fused with the Liger Zero and his beginning to wonder if Shadow might be evolving the liger type Zoid, for he does remember something similar happening when Shadow told her about Raven and the Geno Saurer and how the Zoid evolved into Geno Breaker. He sighs as another story about another liger type Zoid evolving into a Blade Liger. 'Wasn't that it a Shield Liger?' He wonders as he looks thoughtfully at the play of light and smoke that seems to be dancing around the red crystal.
"Impressive, though I do wonder how long it'll take until it's finished whatever it is that's happening within." Haku says softly and to his left. He looks startled as he looks over at the girlish looking boy. He smiles sheepishly at the other, Haku smiles understandably and he then replies, "True, if I remember rightly, it took about a week for a Shield Liger to evolve into a Blade Liger. I can't seem to remember how long it took for a Geno Saurer to evolve into a Geno Breaker though. Though logically, it must have been longer then a week, but less than two weeks. But the Liger Zero is stronger then a Geno Breaker and a Blade Liger so maybe three weeks." Haku looks towards the red crystal and says, "Hopefully we'll be safe until then." He just nods in agreement as he returns to watching the tail of smoke whirl around the red crystal.
'I wonder if I can survive that long without Shadow to talk to and to be with.' He thinks as he pictures the black Organoid. A soft smile appears on his face as memories of Shadow play through his mind; his eyes gazed over as he loses himself within his mind.
)-(Sasuke)-(
He sighs as he examines the Shadow Fox, it's been four days since his spar with Neji and the damages were gone. It still amazes him that Zoids can actually repair themselves with little or no help from anybody. He also wonders if they grow the material to make the repairs. He does wonder just what kind of technology that allows machines to do self repairs without needing much in the way of raw material.
It takes him about an hour and a half to finish examining his Zoid to make sure that everything is within order. As he's coming out of the shed he finds Sakura racing towards him, he watches as Sakura slows and stops before him. "Sasuke, a lead to Naruto just arrived!" The pink haired teenage girl tells him. He shrugs and replies, "It's most likely just another false lead."
He walks pass the teenaged girl, who then falls in behind him. "It was Anko Mitarashi who reported the lead. It seems that there are two missing nins with him with Zoids. She also reported a large odd red crystal structure within the clearing where their camp is located." Sakura adds as she follows behind him, back towards the main part of town. He just grunts at that, soon toning out Sakura's voice as she begins to theorize reason why Naruto would be in the company of missing nins as well as what the red structure is.
He glares as Kakashi appears in a whirl of wind and leaves. "Yo." Kakashi says with a simple movement of his hand. "You're only an hour and half late!" Sakura says in amazement. The single eye seems to sparkle with amusement as their instructor says, "It seems that we've been chosen along with Neji, TenTen, and Kiba. We're also going to be traveling with Zoids, so what kind of shape is your Shadow Fox?" He replies, "It's fine and ready to go." Kakashi nods and says, "Go home and pack for we'll be meeting at the gates at noon." They nod and soon their teacher disappears in a whirl of wind and leaves.
They split up and head off in different directions. He sighs and doesn't see how this will be any different then the last five times leads have come in. Though this will be the first time he'll be piloting a Zoid during a mission, which causes him to smirk.
/----
His right eye twitches as he listens to Kiba's bragging, even if the other ninja is riding on Shadow Fox's neck with his dog, he can still hear the noise dog trainer from within the cockpit. He has to wonder how Shino could put up with the loud ninja and his dog, he doesn't know what he'd do if he was put on a team with someone similar to Kiba. He shudders at the very thought of someone just as loud as Kiba or louder on his team.
To his right is Neji's Lightning Saix and then to his left is a Red Horn with Kakashi piloting it. Kakashi doesn't have a usual Zoid like Neji and he did, so Kakashi had to borrow a Zoid from someone else. Kiba, Sakura, and TenTen have yet to be given lessons about how to pilot a Zoid, so Sakura and TenTen were riding with Kakashi as Kiba and his dog were holding onto the Shadow Fox's neck.
They've been traveling for three days and they were nearing the spot where they're going to find Naruto and this large red crystal that had been reported. He can't believe how much ground they covered even with the heavy and often slow Red Horn slowing them up. TenTen and Sakura were riding with Kakashi, so they didn't have to worry about anyone other then Kiba and Akamaru falling off one of the Zoids.
Personally, he's curious as to just what Anko found at the location. He's wonders are cut short as his scanner beeps. Something hits the ground before his Zoid just as the map appears to his left. He hears Kiba curse as he moves the Shadow Fox out of the line of fire, Neji rushes forward in the Lightning Saix. He curses silently at who ever is firing on them, a shot hits the Lightning Saix in the right fore arm which makes it impossible for Neji to use the full potential of the Lightning Saix's speed and agility.
An image appears on his screen, the person is currently wearing a simple mask with they symbol of Hidden Mist on the forehead of the ivory white mask with a small image of a red whirl where the mouth and chin were. "Please turn back; we don't need to fight a scentless battle." The person says calm. He blinks, but before either Neji or him replied Kakashi answers equally calmly, "We're currently looking for a kidnapped blond Leaf ninja named Naruto. We've been told that he's somewhere located around here." He blinks and then waits for the masked nin to answer.
To be continued …