Hi people!Sorry for the long wait! Like I told you, I've been pretty busy with moving.Now that I'm in mandatory self isolation after moving though, I will have plenty of time to write! So updates should resume a more steady pace from now on.For some reason, I can't manage to update from my computer though. So I'm now updating from my phone. I apologies if this results in some minor layout issues. I don't think it will but you never know.Although I will have more time in the next couple weeks, I moved to start a new job. That means I'll have less time to give to this story. I am not planning to stop writing at all, fear not! But this will have two results : the updates will be regular but less frequent than until now (one every 2 or 3 weeks instead of one a week/10 days like it was when I first started) AND I will update both FFN and AO3 simultaneously. As of now AO3 is two chapters behind. So I'll be updating over there a bit more in the next week to catch them up.On a totally unrelated note, would anyone be interested in a Discord server about this story? I've been thinking about it...Anyways, let's discover this new chapter!
Chapter 22
The next morning, chaos was unfolding in the Namikaze dining room. Seated around the large dining table were the whole Namikaze family, Tsunade, Jiraiya and Shikaku Nara. Lynx and Spider were hovering around the table, threatened into having breakfast with the group by an excited Kushina.
"-So," Jiraiya started, rubbing his hands together and a giddy smile on his face, eyebrows waggling at Naruto, "you nervous?"
Naruto casually swallowed the tea he was drinking. He caught Kakashi's eye when he looked up.
"-Why would I be nervous?"
Kakashi chuckled.
"-You should be.
-Should I?" Naruto asked in a doubtful voice, raising an eyebrow in challenge.
"-Bitch, you going down~ Ow!
-Language at my table, Kashi!" raged Kushina, the sound of her wooden spatula whacking the back of Kakashi's head resonating in the room.
Naruto burst out laughing.
Kakashi glared at Kushina, then at Naruto, under the snickers suspiciously coming from Lynx' direction.
The siblings grinned. Oh, the game was on!
"-It's just a friendly spar, isn't it?" Sayora asked.
Kushina, who was just passing behind her to go grab more rice from the kitchen, kissed her head.
"-Of course, honey. But Naruto is gonna annihilate your father!" She finished her sentence in a ferocious and supportive growl.
Naruto laughed.
"-Hey! Aren't you supposed to support me, wife?" Minato asked in a pretend offended voice.
"-Minato, honey. I love you and I will always support you. You're the strongest Kage ever," she answered in a sickly sweet voice, "but I've been waiting over twenty years to see our son whoop your ass!" She finished with a predatory grin.
Jiraiya roared with laughter. Shikaku and Lynx snorted. Spider whizzed, still unused to the family dynamics and seeing his Hokage addressed in such a way.
Minato couldn't pretend being insulted much longer and joined in with a soft laugh too. He looked at Naruto and winked. Something passed in the younger man's eyes that suddenly reminded Minato of a day twenty five years in the past. Memories of a man assuring him it would be no trouble to take him on in a fight.
The memory was clear as day despite the years.
Minato kept his eyes on his son. Naruto could read the question in his father's eyes: would he, actually, whoop his ass like Kushina mentioned?
Naruto's grin widened slightly, not giving him anything other than his own excitement about the upcoming fight. Shikaku caught the exchange and wondered.
Knowing what he did about Naruto, it was a very valid question. He wouldn't be surprised at all if indeed, Naruto actually had a shot at beating his father, if he was as strong as Minato hinted at in the cabin. On the other hand, Shikaku knew Minato had reached a level very few shinobi ever had. He had always been extremely strong, and he had years of experience on Naruto. That was a combination that would be hard to beat.
Truth was, Naruto was a wild card. While he had always been very versatile due to his upbringing, they didn't know anything about his new fighting style.
Shikaku suspected that Minato did know some of it, as he had seen him fight once before. Shikaku knew the man had even trained for it. Twenty five years ago, after the security breach Shikaku hadn't know about at the time, the Hokage had picked up his training regimen. His friend had trained like crazy until Naruto's disastrous birth. Now Shikaku understood the younger blonde had been the cause behind this brutal, three-year long training.
The Nara clan head sipped on his green tea as he looked around the table. It had been a while since the last time this joyous crowd had all been all together. Tsunade was not in the village much anymore. Not that Shikaku actually spent much time with her when she was. It was actually rather unusual for Shikaku to join the extended family when both Sannins were there too.
The casual chaos of breakfast pulled his lips into a thin smile. That family was something else! If he was being honest, this was way too much energy for Shikaku at anytime of the day. And yet there he was, having breakfast at probably one of the noisiest tables in the village, not including the Inuzuka's. Sayora, Minato and, surprisingly, Naruto were the least rowdy of the group, not including the silent ANBU guards.
Shikaku tuned the group out as he finished his meal. Soon, it would be time for everyone to head for the secured training field for the fight between Minato and Naruto. Only Sayora wouldn't attend, as she didn't have the clearance for it. Technically, the fight was supposed to take place just between the two Namikaze men, but word had spread, and the unofficial level of clearance required to attend was way above the young girl's current senior genin status.
Sayora hadn't minded the restriction. She had actually turned down Minato's offer to allow her in under Tsunade's supervision. She argued that only boys would want to watch the blondes fight just for the hell of it. Kakashi had not so graciously ignored her pointed look: he happened to actively want to see that fight. Minato had smiled and accepted her decision, though not retracting his offer.
Shikaku and the others around the table held no illusion: there would be a lot of people watching the fight, no matter how low-key it was supposed to be.
Kushina had taken it upon herself to secure the perimeter with barrier seals of her and Minato's designs. They didn't expect to need the protection, but better being safe than sorry. Especially considering how much damage her two men could potentially deal to the onlookers and surroundings.
That was one of the main reasons visitors were limited to the elite: they could protect themselves if anything happened. Another reason was obviously security: excited genin or chuunin would represent too much of a risk for information on either fighter to leak into the public.
Half an hour later, the group of seven, surrounded by Minato's guards for the day, headed out of the family house. They took to the roofs and went to the outskirts of the city undetected by anyone under jounin status.
When the group approached the field, they were met with a masked Panther and Sparrow, who were checking that everything was in order. Kushina quickly spoke with Panther, making sure all the protective seals were in place.
A few highest ranking ANBU members were already present and saluted the incoming Hokage. One of them discreetly whistled as he appraised the full team of the Hokage's guard now surrounding him.
It was extremely rare for the whole team to be on duty together, as they would normally work in shifts of two when within the village. All five of them together, even including an unmasked Kakashi, was a sight even the other ANBU captains were not used to.
The Hokage guard squad held a particular status among ANBU and regular forces. The team was selected with the utmost caution. Their loyalty was beyond any suspicion. They were the only shinobis in the village to know the extend of the Hokage's skills and to be able to work with him as a cohesive unit. And, most importantly, they were the only individuals in the village authorized to operate outside of any military channel. They answered to the Hokage and the Hokage only.
While not necessarily the strongest of the village, each member was undoubtedly part of the elite for a reason. What set them apart from the other ANBU teams was their capacity to work together, in any combination possible, to the very highest standards. Their teamwork was unwaveringly flawless.
Sparrow and Spider quickly separated from the group and went to join their masked colleagues, as they weren't technically on duty any more. Naruto soon went to join the small group of elite fighters as well, used to being surrounded with the members of the organization. He felt more comfortable talking with them than with Jiraiya and Tsunade, despite the time he had spent with them outside of the village.
Naruto felt the giddy anticipation around the field. The soft murmurs of conversations, the quick slap of hands agreeing on bets, the low chuckles of people simply taking the time to socialize. And under all of that, the almost invisible twitchiness of ninjas itching for a fight. It was like a buzz on his skin, resonating with the adrenaline already coursing through his veins.
Naruto had the distinct impression of being back at the chuunin exam, where everyone was so excited the air was almost vibrating with it. The difference was that the eager puppies waiting for the show now were all lethal shinobis.
As he teased Spider about his new appointment on the Hokage squad, Naruto took a moment to digest the fact that this was really happening. Fighting the Yondaime Hokage had been one of his dreams for as long as he could remember. Even before Iruka's lesson on the then legendary but mysterious hero, Naruto had wanted to measure himself against his idol. On this path, his father had always been his benchmark for his progress. Maybe an unfairly high self-imposed standard, but what son didn't compare himself to their father?
As he watched the younger blonde chatting with the ANBU, Shikaku appraised his confidence. It was clear to him that Naruto was not nervous at all, contrarily to what Jiraiya expected. Shikaku turned his attention back to the smaller group around him.
Jiraiya was talking to Minato while his two ANBU protectors for the day were standing a few meters away, casually standing guard as usual. Kakashi was grinning, clearly looking forward to the spar that would start shortly. Tsunade and Kushina were discussing slightly further away, excited about the fight too. He noted a couple more masked operative discreetly arriving, almost all supporting the mark of team captains.
"-Are you gonna fight seriously?" Shikaku asked Minato, cutting Jiraiya off.
His question was met with three thoughtful looks. Minato turned his gaze to Naruto's direction. Jiraiya emitted a low noise that indicated his doubts at the suggestion.
The Sannin had admitted long ago that Minato had surpassed him. Even though he'd been in the office when Naruto had explained what had happened to him, he knew Minato's level. As good as Naruto thought he was, he was not his father. Maybe one day he could reach that level too, but the young ninja was not there yet.
"-His fuuinjutsu could be a problem," the Toad Sage mused out loud. "Although I doubt there is much he'll be able to do against you. Fuuinjustu takes time."
Naruto turned around when he felt eyes on him and found the Hokage looking at him. He could see the anticipation shining in the deeper blue of his father's eyes, a challenge clear in the darker color, a memory just below the surface. Naruto grinned before reporting his attention back to the ANBU around him.
Minato didn't react to his old sensei's remark. He observed Naruto a little bit longer then grinned, not turning back to them.
"-He's not gonna give me a choice.
-About seals?" came Jiraiya's voice.
Minato finally turned back to the small group, not catching the quick look Naruto sent his way. Shikaku was certain there had been amusement in the younger man's eyes.
"-About fighting seriously."
Shikaku briefly wondered at his friend's reply. The idea of anyone not giving Minato a choice in a fight was almost laughable. Almost.
-Mah," Kakashi answered, "I'm curious how long he'll manage against you, sensei."
The four men remained silent as they observed the small crowd around the field.
Shikaku was surprised to see the two Hyuuga clan heads approaching. They politely saluted the Hokage from afar. Shikaku, Jiraiya, Kakashi and Minato politely returned the greeting. A couple more elite jounins arrived too, the heads of various branches of the military organization.
After a few more minutes, Dragon, the ANBU Commander, appeared a few feet behind Minato, to the surprise of some of his captains. He walked straight to the Hokage and saluted him.
"-Hokage-sama.
-Dragon," Minato smiled. "It's unusual to see you in the open.
-What can I say," he answered in a smooth tone, "you're fighting, I'm standing."
Shikaku chuckled. That was some protocolary bullshit.
Of course, the Hokage fighting meant that the ANBU Commander was on standby, ready to take over at any point. Such was the way the Nidaime had created the force. As its commander, Dragon, no matter who was behind the mask, was the next in the line of command should anything happen to the reigning Hokage during a fight.
But this was not a fight that would require the highest ranking ANBU to be on duty. Shikaku would bet the man was just as curious as the rest of them.
Dragon turned towards Naruto, who must have tracked his presence through his senses because he turned to face the masked man at the same time. The younger blonde wordlessly brought his hand up in a lighthearted finger salute, winking at Dragon.
The ANBU commander snickered lightly.
Oh yes, Shikaku thought, Dragon was definitely here for the show.
Shikaku nodded his greeting as the three other members of Team 5 arrived, and were immediately approached by Panther.
"-Say, Shika, wanna place your bets?"
The dark hair man tilted his head and looked over the still empty field, scratching his chin.
"-Hm. What's your take?
-Two hundred on Kakashi getting his ass kicked!
-I wasn't aware Hatake was part of the fight," ventured Shino.
Panther snorted.
Shikamaru threw a quick glance at Kakashi, who was standing next to a cheering Kushina. Both of his hands were in his pockets and he was slouching so much it was a wonder he was still standing.
Shikamaru chuckled: the guy was excited for the fight all right.
"-What's the pool on Hokage-sama?" Asuma asked.
"-A lot of people to share that win with. Although, even so, that's still a decent amount.
-This represents a considerable amount of money to be earned," noted Shino in his soft voice.
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at his teammate's reaction. Panther tilted his head on the side.
"-I'm not sure you understand how splitting works, kid.
-He ain't talking about splitting," Asuma jerked his head in Naruto's direction as he lit up a cigarette.
Any remark was cut by Minato clapping his hands and turning towards the field.
"-This is gonna be fun," the Hokage muttered under his breath, a large smile on his face.
Kushina whooped encouragingly. Naruto turned away from the group of ANBU he'd been talking to, mentioning something about drinks to Spider and bumping fists with Sparrow. He jogged towards his father, who clapped him on the shoulder.
Their matching smiles was clear for everyone to see, their excitement for what was about to happen obvious.
When they crossed the limit of the field, Minato nodded at Panther, who activated the protective seals of the perimeter. The barrier was completely invisible except for the fine line of glowing seals running on the ground. It would keep any and all attack inside while letting people through on both sides – a safety measure Tsunade had insisted on.
A hushed but excited buzz went through the gathered ninjas as they all turned to the field.
There was a ruffle of leaves, announcing the arrival of two other Sarutobi clan members, whom Shikaku recognized as one elite jounin and an off-duty ANBU.
Shikaku looked around one more time before the start of the fight: all the members of Team 5, a handful of ANBU captains, Dragon, the Sarutobi clan members, the full Hokage guard team, both Hyuga twins clan heads, both remaining Sannin, the heads of various military departments, and himself, the jounin commander.
As expected, this fight had gathered a lot of high-profile attention.
The Nara clan head wasn't sure how much of that attention had been a calculated move on Minato's part. He knew the man had intentionally involved his guards in securing the field, knowing news of the fight would spread. The fact he hadn't openly invited anyone was just as intentional, Shikaku was sure. Shikaku approved of the move.
It didn't escape his notice that every single shinobi on this field was someone he knew Minato trusted fully with the village's best interests and loyalty.
"-Wreck him, Naruto!"
Naruto chuckled at his mother's shouts of encouragement on the other side of the glowing seals. He looked at his father a couple feet away from him.
"-You ready, old man?"
Minato's grin was luminous.
"-I've been waiting twenty five years for this, kiddo. Show me what you got," the Hokage finished with a wink.
Naruto laughed again then said with a grin:
"-Remember, Dad: you asked for it," he said with a wink of his own before shushinning to one side of the protected field.
If anyone around the field was surprised by his lack of nerves, none showed it.
Minato leisurely walked towards the other side, savoring the anticipation of what was to come. On his way, he surveyed the small crowd amassed around the future battle field. Panther had done a good job.
"-COME ON, you lazy asses!" Kushina's voice rang around the clearing.
On the fighting field both Namikaze men were standing, their grin turning into smirks. Without any warning sign, Naruto moved his right hand and a blade of wind hurled towards Minato.
Minato lazily dodged the wind and snapped out one of his own. Naruto jumped out of its path with a bark of laughter.
"-That's it, bitches!"
An excited hum rose through the crowd at Kushina's shout: the fight had started.
Minato and Naruto lazily danced around wind attacks, testing each other's reactivity. The attacks were as low-key as could be for the two accomplished wind users. The blades and bullets of air were clearly designed to flush out obvious potential, but ultimately inexistent weaknesses.
Naruto vaulted back with a smile on his face, avoiding a blast of compressed wind. The ground cracked where it hit a foot in front of him. He felt the sharp pinch of a shard of rock touching his cheek. He stopped moving and stood still, looking at his father. He drew his thumb against the already-healing cut. He lowered his eyes to his thumb to find a drop of blood on it.
He raised his eyes again to settle on his father. A satisfied smirk stretched the Hokage's lips.
He had drawn first blood.
"-Oh he done it! Make him pay, honey!"
Kushina's outburst brought a similar smirk to Naruto's lips. He turned his head to look at his mother. She was grinning like a fool, fire in her eyes, pride radiating off her. Next to her, Jiraiya was smirking, one eyebrow raised in challenge.
Naruto winked at Kushina and shot in his father's direction. The man met him half way with a blast of fire followed by vicious taijutsu jabs. Naruto felt the heat on his skin as he shifted his weight to hook his leg behind Minato's. The two men flowed into a mix of taijutsu moves and short-range fire and wind blasts.
Half way through his cigarette, Asuma watched the two opponents test the waters. With a few blades of wind, medium-size licks of fire, careful jabs and spinning kicks, the fight was starting slow.
By elite standards at least.
Asuma had to appreciate the pace: if the Hokage opened his friendly spar to visitors, he might as well make it good. The Sarutobi smiled: they were in for a show. The crowd around him seemed to realize that too as Naruto sent back a ball of fire in his father's direction in a move Asuma had recently been on the receiving end of.
The smoking man looked around, a part of him proud of the attention and respect evident in the atmosphere. It was good to be part of this.
He reported his attention to the slowly quickening fight on the other side of the barrier.
Naruto blocked a jab from his father, spinning out of his reach. The younger blonde retaliated with a sweeping kick, easily avoided by Minato quickly lowering his weight and going for Naruto' support foot.
The fighters fell into a steady rhythm of hands and arms and feet, broken only by sudden blasts of air and the occasional flare of fire. Both men were smiling widely.
The opponents never stopped moving, their body warming up and their muscles flowing into fluid movements. Neither of them reached for a weapon, thrilled by the challenge of fighting as they were.
Slowly, Minato let himself be absorbed into the fight, fully focussing his attention on his son, to his growing satisfaction. There was an easy comfort in the paced rhythm of their confrontation. Fighting Naruto was like brushing one's hands on a wooden banister smoothed out by habits and familiarity.
It had been a while since the last time the two had sparred together. Minato was extremely pleased to see his pleasure at the fight reflected in his son's eyes.
With a smirk Minato shifted his weight and sent out a swift cutting blade of wind. The air hurled towards Naruto faster than his previous attacks. The younger ninja flawlessly avoided it and retaliated with one of his own. One move after the other, Minato steadily increased the speed of his attacks, pushing Naruto to go faster as well.
Naruto easily glided into the faster exchange, returning each attack with one of his own, or deflecting with even more speed still. One particularly sneaky blade of wind, compressed to the point of being almost invisible, caught Minato by surprise. He managed to narrowly escape the full force of it, noticing it at the last moment. With the momentum of his deflection, the sharp blade cut cleanly through his jacket.
Both sensors felt a ripple of eager tension go through the crowd of observers when the piece of cloth fell on the ground behind the Hokage.
Minato focused on his son. He stopped hearing Kushina's loud yells of encouragement. The fight deserved all his attention. If Naruto' style was familiar, this increased speed was a thrilling new element.
Minato felt a renewed wave of excitement bubbling inside him.
He suddenly started moving again, allowing himself to do something he had never before done with Naruto: he let his body move with the speed and deadly accuracy that had become second nature to him, smoothly settling into the lightening-quick dance that he had developed through the years.
To the crowd's eager delight, Naruto rose to the challenge, matching his speed effortlessly.
Minato almost wanted to giggle with the sheer pleasure of being able to fight at this level against Naruto of all people brought him.
Shikamaru observed the exchange unfolding in front of him. He was completely absorbed by the impressive skills displayed by the two men.
The Hokage was a study in shinobi art. The man moved with breathtaking precision. Each and every move was controlled to the last detail. Every shift was executed with the exact amount of energy required. Every lick of energy spent was tailored to the highest impact.
Before his eyes was the perfect example of a ninja. Focused, ruthless, efficient, lethal.
In that moment, Minato Namikaze was every bit the Hokage of the village hidden in the leaves.
Somehow managing to weave around his father's unforgiving attacks, the younger blonde was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Dancing between fire and wind, Naruto was never in one place for more than a fraction of a second.
Twisting and turning, Naruto was a whirlwind.
Skin still glowing from the fire he had narrowly dodged, Naruto was a blur. Where his father was precise and calculated, Naruto was wild and explosive. When Minato was a razor-sharp whip of wind, Naruto was a shifting storm gale.
There was something utterly fascinating about the differences between father and son. Their physical resemblance was almost poetically ironic. Both fighters were practically the reverse version of one another in style.
The longer Shikamaru looked, the more entranced he became.
A shiver went up his neck as he followed the graceful movement of Naruto's hand redirecting wind-reinforced flames. The fingers flawlessly weaved into signs, beautifully precise in their speed, and suddenly, Shikamaru could almost feel their caress on his skin.
Instinctually his eyes rose to the whiskered face on the other side of the clearing. Shikamaru studied the smooth skin, the clear, focused blue of his eyes, the straight nose taking air in slowly. The lips he knew so well. Their shape, their texture. The satisfied, almost lazy smile hiding in their corner just before they parted, letting go of a deadly blast of air.
He sought out the blue of his eyes, getting lost in their depth, their attention focused not on Shikamaru but on the man he was facing. The fire in them was a smoldering heat under the deceptively calm surface.
Shikamaru's body thrummed with a familiar want, with an excited anticipation for a duel of a completely different nature. His fingers tingled with the fantom sensation of warm golden skin. Goosebumps erupted at the junction between his shoulder and neck with the memory of a teasing bite and a soothing tongue.
In between the flames and the acrobatics, all Shikamaru could see was the burn of blue eyes that glowed with mischief and amusement, with satisfaction and knowledge.
With control.
Shikamaru almost gasped.
Oh, how he knew those eyes.
Those eyes that could caress his body without a touch, those eyes that controlled him better than any shadow could ever control anyone. Those eyes that Shikamaru had come to admire and crave like water in the desert.
Those eyes told Shikamaru everything he needed to know: in that moment, dancing around the Hokage's unrelenting taijutsu, Naruto was in absolute and complete control of the fight.
Oblivious to his son's observations, Shikaku watched on as the fight accelerated. He could see the jabs, the twists, the grabs and the kicks. He could see the impacts of the compressed air on the ground. The elation of both fighters as they allowed their body to simply act and react.
Like every other spectator, he could feel the eager tension rising hand in hand with the speed of the exchange on the field. The attention of the audience became more focused, conversations decreased as everyone appraised the change of pace.
The real fight had just begun.
Shikaku's eyes were pulled to his right just in time to see Kakashi move his headband up. He smirked.
A fraction of a second later, Minato stood in Kakashi's stead. The clang of metal hitting metal resonated through the clearing. On the field, Naruto and Kakashi were locked in a mutual block, each hand holding a kunai.
Naruto had a fierce grin on his face.
Shikaku turned to Minato, ready to comment on the upcoming confrontation. Minato was standing within the protection of the seals. His arms were loose on his side. His eyes were intent on the two unmoving shinobis at the center of everyone's attention.
To Shikaku's astonishment, the Hokage's face was completely void of expression.
The shadow user uncrossed his arms and reported his attention to the two jounins in the field, suddenly acutely aware of Minato's level of concentration.
Naruto marveled at his own sensor abilities when he felt the tiniest flutter in his father's chakra. He barely had the time to palm two kunai before Kakashi was suddenly where the Hokage had been, Sharingan uncovered and a kunai in each hand.
Ears ringing with the noise of metal against metal, Naruto took half a second to give credit to his father and brother for the perfect execution of such a simple technique in the middle of a high-speed fight. That move was bound to take any enemy by surprise.
Unfortunately for Kakashi, Naruto was not any enemy. He had built the first part of his career on that move a lifetime ago.
Still in the hand-lock, Naruto grinned at Kakashi.
"-Ready for your lesson, mutt?"
Kakashi's smirk was visible through his cloth mask.
"-You're gonna eat dirt, foxy.
-Oh no, Kashi, you're not getting the fox today," a shiver went up a couple ANBU captains' spines at the teasing in Naruto's voice, "Today, it's all me, baby!"
Naruto spun around and lashed out with a kunai in a reverse grip. Kakashi blocked it and redirected the force behind the spin at Naruto. Naruto deflected, already moving his other hand towards Kakashi' seemingly unprotected side. He deviated the strike and pushed Naruto in an attempt to unbalance him. Naruto accompanied the movement, already shifting his own weight around a bone-shattering kick he never got the time to launch.
Naruto let out a bark of laugh. There it was, the unique thrill of fighting against the sharingan. Every move he made, Kakashi anticipated. Every twitch, every shift. Every attack was deviated, dodged, returned before it could connect.
Naruto felt his muscles pulse with the instinctual need to let go. He restrained himself, the fierce joy at the exchange too irresistible to put an end to it so soon.
In a part of his mind, he briefly wondered if he should look into his feeling so elated by something that had cost him so much in another life.
The symphony of metal clashing filled the air, drowning out any appreciative sound from the spectators.
Naruto was still mid-spin when a sound he knew as well as his name pierced the near silence. The crackling roar of electric blue wolves barreled towards him. Naruto threw both his kunai behind him and started weaving hand-seals. The jaws of Kakashi's Raiton wolves snapped shut around his raised right hand, his left arm stretched out to his side, hand closed in a fist but for two extended fingers.
The roaring blue light screeched as it ran along the thin metal cables tied to the kunai embedded in the ground and coming out of Naruto's fisted hand.
"-Whoohooo! That's it, baby!," Kushina's yell resonated in the silence following the explosive attack.
Naruto let go of the metal cables and reached inside his thigh pocket. He chuckled as he pulled out his custom-made knuckle knives. Kakashi was standing a good few meters away in a lose ready stance.
"-Oh, game on, Kashi. You'd better be ready."
Behind his porcelain mask, Genma was grinning like a loon.
That's what he was talking about!
With that first jutsu, Kakashi and Naruto were finally done playing.
As if hearing his thoughts, chaos suddenly erupted in the field. Kakashi had let go of his blades and was bombarding Naruto with all sorts of techniques.
Genma almost jumped in excitement.
Fighting Kakashi was a pure nightmare. The guy could go for hours and never use the same attack twice. His repertoire was so large it was virtually impossible to know what he was going to pull next.
Witnessing it from the sidelines was absolutely terrifying. Man, his friend could dish out a mean beating when he got serious! The attacks were relentless.
Genma held no illusion. He might be the captain of the Hokage squad, but Kakashi was way above his level. It was no secret that Panther had been offered the position after Dog had refused it. Genma didn't mind. He loved his job regardless, and he had enough self-awareness to admit when he was outclassed. And as aloof as he may seem, Kakashi definitely outclassed him.
The water dragon tearing through the field confirmed his thoughts. The torrent of water crashed into Naruto, only to be divided in two by a blade of wind that shattered the hard-packed rock already hurling towards him. Naruto was long gone by the time the last clumps of earth fell to the ground.
Genma silently reflected that it felt extremely good not to be on the receiving end of Dog's particular style of fighting for once. A sentiment wholeheartedly shared by several other masked operatives present around the clearing. Seeing the sharingan user dish out elementary attacks like they were going out of fashion was a humbling treat.
Now what Genma really wanted to see was whether he had been right to bet on Naruto besting Kakashi. Kakashi's jutsu repertoire and experience were reason enough to believe Naruto would have a hard time beating him. Paired with his annoying natural talent and his frustrating ability to be two steps ahead at any given point, and Genma would easily admit that that bet was a no-brainer.
But Genma was Panther. And Panther had been there when Naruto had come back from his mission a few weeks before. He had been there when Naruto hadn't flinched when Minato and his team of ANBU guards had appeared in a flash in battle-ready mode. He had seen how Naruto had glanced at him and his teammates with cold assessing eyes and dismissed them in a heartbeat. For a few seconds there, Panther had had the impression that Naruto was a complete stranger.
The man they had retrieved at the border barrier, that was someone Panther was willing to bet on against the Copy Ninja.
Having seemingly reached a similar conclusion, Dragon approached Panther without turning away from the fight.
"-You've got the pools."
Panther didn't answer the non-question.
"-Whatever is going on the brat wasting Dog, I'm placing double on him against the two."
Panther startled.
"-Against the two?"
Dragon pointed his thumb over to his side. Panther followed the motion until his eyes rested on the unmoving Hokage. Dragon's voice rumbled.
"-Three. Two. One."
The Hokage vanished in a flash of light.
I know, I know, another cliffhanger! I couldn't resist!After much thinking about it, I decided to cut the fight into two chapters. I won't give you the details, but please just respect the fact that this is the way that worked best for me.Next chapter will be up very soon, promise!
