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 18
He just throws his hands up and sighs as he turns away from the smirking elder ninja. 'How can someone CHEAT at War?' He thinks as he shakes his head and crosses his arms over his chest before turning to face the missing Mist nin. He glares at the smirking jonin as the other begins to shuffle the cards. He walks back and sits down at the table.
"Is there anything you can't win at?" He asks Zabuza. Soon the cards are dealt and he picks up his stack. "In any card games or in any gambling games?" The jonin asks. He rolls his eyes and shakes his head as he flips the first card off his stack onto the tree stump. After a few minutes, he asks, "Shouldn't Haku be back by now?" Zabuza pauses as he picks up the cards off the stump. The assassin's eyes seek out his huge sword and though he can't tell through the bandages that cover Zabuza's lower part of his face, he figures that the older ninja is frowning.
He sits back and watches as Zabuza gets up and walks toward the Dark Spiner. In a whirl of wind and water, Zabuza teleports onto the head of the green Zoid and soon enters the cockpit. Once the green Zoid leaves in search for Haku, he picks up the cards that belong to Zabuza and begins to study them to find out the secret trick that allows the Mist ninja to cheat in their every game of cards they have played as they wait for Tobi and for his Zoid to finish evolving so he can finally have his friend back.
)-(Sasuke)-(
They were in a kind of stand off, for they can't seem to figure out where the other is and their enemy seems reluctant to engage them in battle. He didn't know what's worst, that they can't move from their spot or that this ninja isn't taking them seriously. He scowls as he keeps going through his map in hopes of finding a likely spot where the masked ninja would hide, he hadn't had much luck and he tries to ignore Kiba's attempts of reasoning with Kakashi about letting Kiba and Akamaru scout around.
Then his Zoid picks up another signal as another Zoid enters the area. He closes his eyes and wonders what to make of this. He opens his eyes and watches as an image of a man with bandages wrapped around parts of his head appear on screen. "Well, well, well. It seems that we got ourselves some Leaf brats." The man says as an image of a reptilian-like Zoid appears before them.
"Zabuza, if I'm correct." Kakashi replies. "And you must be Kakashi, the Copy Cat Ninja." The man now identified as Zabuza says. He groans and says, "Look, we're just looking for a blond named Naruto. Once we get the idiot, we'll leave." Zabuza laughs at that and says, "So what? I'm bored and it seems to be even enough, two vs two." "So the other ninja is with you?" Neji demands. The bandaged man seems to smirk before the com is closed.
Soon there's gun fire and he's busy manoeuvring around so he doesn't get hit. Kiba and his dog were off of the Shadow Fox's neck. He wonders absently just what the pair is doing, but those thoughts are pushed aside as he begins to think up a battle plan. He activates his smoke screen and leaves Kakashi to fight against the large green Zoid.
/----
He grunts as he falls to the ground. He shakes his head and looks to find the other is also out of his Zoid. He turns and examines the Shadow Fox. He sighs for the two Zoids are currently in an embraces, the jaws of the gun Zoid biting down on his Shadow Fox's neck and the Shadow Fox is currently biting on one of the legs.
He then begins to study the battle ground before the masked ninja says, "You are good, though I doubt you would stand a chance against a certain friend of mine." He studies the other and decides to take that as a compliment. "You're pretty good yourself; it's been a while since I fought a battle that ended in a draw." He says and it's very true.
He shifts his weight, not knowing what to do next. To his infinite relief, Kiba and Akamaru appeared. "Geeze Sasuke, I thought you were a pro." The loud mouth dog trainer says. He shrugs and then watches as Kiba rounds on the guy with the mask. He automatically tones out Kiba shouting at the possible hunter nin. He's busy replaying the battle over in his head, trying to think of what he could have done that would have made it a win for him.
He sighs as he concludes that the masked ninja seems to be equal to him in skill. He wonders if he'd win a fight with the other without using a Zoid, but decides to wait until he's rested to ask for a spar. He blinks and looks over at the 'path' that the battle created, he watches as the large green Zoid, then the Lightning Saix, and finally the Red Horn coming towards them. "Well, it seems that our students are of equal prowess, Kakashi." Zabuza's voice sounds out through out the clearing. "So it would seem." Is Kakashi's reply, in a dry tone. He wonders just what's going to happen next.
)-(Naruto)-(
He chuckles as he finally cracks the secret to the card deck. He then puts the cards back on the table as he hums. He glances at the huge sword, but isn't tempted to see if he could lift it up, let alone swing it. He checks the time and heads off to the river to get more water for his bottle.
He almost ended up in the river once a sheet of ice appeared to his left. "What's wrong now?" He asks once Haku steps out of the mirror like sheet of ice. "It seems that Leaf ninjas have discovered that you're in the area." The ever polite older ninja tells him. He blinks and stands. 'Am I dreaming?' He thinks to himself and blinks a few times and sighs.
"Did you get names?" He asks, not sure if he wants to know. "The jonin is one Kakashi, Neji, TenTen, Kiba, Kiba's dog Akamaru, Sakura, and Sasuke." Haku tells him. He closes his eyes and wonders just what to do now. "I don't suppose you have any suggestions on what to do?" He asks weakly. Haku smiles and begins to explain what Zabuza and him had planned if this ever happened.
/----
His eyes open and he feels something drawing him some where. His body feels stiff, but it appears that they hadn't found the hiding place where Haku had then used a hibernation jutsu. It had worked, for the spot seems untouched. He slowly sits up, he's a bit dizzy but it disappears within two minutes. He then slowly pulls himself up and crawls out of the small cave between a tree's large roots.
He shivers slightly as he feels the chilling air flow over him. He sits and rubs his arms a bit. Once he feels a bit more awake, he stands up and the moves softly through the mixture of tree and rock. He notices that it's a new moon, he smiles slightly as he pauses to look at the starry sky. He grins and sighs. 'What a perfect night for the crystal to hatch. I wonder what kind of Zoid will come out of at crystal. I do know that it'll not be a canine type.' He thinks to himself as he continues to gaze up into the night sky.
Soon enough, he returns to the matter at hand and continues on his way towards the camp. He's surprise to find that they had moved slightly away from the original campsite, but decides that it's for the best. He heads northeast until he reaches the original site, taking only fifteen minutes. He studies the huge red crystal. Within the three minutes of him standing there studying the crystal, the barrier flashes dimly which reveals the newly evolved Liger.
He blinks as he studies the Zoid. The Zoid's coloring is no longer white and black, but bluish grey and black. The cockpit glass is blue. The Zoid grew two meters in height as well as in length. The teeth and claws were no longer dirty gold, but orangey kind of yellow. On the back were a pair of blades with the left blade over the right and at the sides, folded upwards, were another pair of blades. The blades were white in color.
He sighs as he takes note of the longer fangs that were protruding out of the mouth. The head of this Zoid is similar to that of Liger Zero, but with a more refined muzzle. He notices the 'wings' on the tail tip and sighs. All in all, you could tell it was related to the Liger Zero but there were enough differences to show that it's its own model.
The Zoid lies down and opens the cockpit. He climbs in and as the Zoid stands upright, a group arrives at a run into the clearing. The Rogue Liger roars and he directs the Zoid north. He knows that Haku and Zabuza can handle things just fine without him, plus he didn't want to face anyone from Leaf. He wasn't going back to the village, he has a dream to fulfill and he plans on making that dream his reality as soon as possible.
)-(Sasuke)-(
He glares at the Zoid as it heads north, as one, Neji and him turn and sprint back to the campsite to get their Zoids in order to catch up to that feline type Zoid. He ignores Sakura asking where's he's going, more focused on finding out just what's up with that Zoid and who's its pilot.
It doesn't take him long to climb into the cockpit of the Shadow Fox, he had focused some chakra into his legs before leaping off the ground and onto his Zoid. Soon the controls are active and he takes off north at a trot, the Lightning Saix over takes him within two minutes, much to his chain grin.
They passed the others, picking up speed once they left the clearing. It takes them about twenty minutes to get the feline Zoid in their sights. He activates his gun and shots off a warning shot at the blade Zoid. He blinks as the Zoid moves with better agility then he expected as the shot hit the ground about ten feet from the right side of the Zoid.
Neji then tried to get the pilot to surrender, that got no response what so ever. Neji moves to the guy's left as and tries to force the blade Zoid towards the right, but the guy wouldn't have it and the left top blade came slashing down, forcing Neji to distances himself from the Zoid. The blade returns to its rightful place and the Zoid picks up speed.
He growls and fires off a few more shots in hopes of at least forcing the Zoid to slow up. The Zoid before him roars out in displeasure and turns to face Neji and him. He smirks but that doesn't last long as a shot if fired from the alien Zoid. He was able to move out of the path out of his reflects, he notices the Shock Cannon that were located around the chest area.
'Only Ligers have a Shock Cannon. So what kind of Liger is this?' He thinks as Neji begins to engage in physical combat with the Liger. He would try to get a few shots in, but mostly he just kept out of the way, as much as he hated this, he hoped that if whoever's within the Zoid would tire after fighting Neji. He also can learn more by watching them fight.
To Readers:
I would like to thank Ant Crown for helping me come up with Liger Zero's evolved form, Rogue Liger. And those of you who are Zabuza and Haku fans also own their appearance in this story to Ant Crown as well. I also would like to thank everyone who's read this story and a special thanks to those of you who've reviewed too. I hope that you continue to enjoy this story until the very end.
To be continued …