Chapter 34
AN: Another wacky adventure, readers! Just a shout out to 'Heart: Guest' for all their reviews- I really like them! All of them are super short but they make me laugh, so thanks! Now, onward, to the 'ANBU shinobi Tournament'!
Start of the Tournament:
"For the first event we'll be on a long jump contest, with the combined length of each team equaling their score. The top sixteen teams will advance to the second round. Now, the first person from each team line up!" The commander mentally patted himself on the back: Kitsune's team had three children, and no way would their jumps be large enough to advance, even with chakra. Then, Dragon could have the squads haggle for the one and only Kitsune as their mascot for the second round. Brilliant!
Meanwhile, Shin was in a huddle with his team plus Itachi.
"Alright, Priest-kohai, brother…Itachi, it's time for our plan to be put into action. Itachi, you're sure that the rules allow this?" Itachi nodded.
"Hn, yes, there's nothing against it in the book. In fact, none of these events have any real set of rules, it is just tradition to not try what you're planning."
"Excellent. Brother, you go first, then me, then Itachi, and finally Priest-kohai. Now, who are we?" He asked, starting the chant.
"Konoha ninja!"
"And what do we do?" Sai continued.
"Triumph!"
"Because that's" Naruto asked the final part.
"OUR WILL OF FIRE!" They finished together.
Sai was outwardly calm as he lined up with thirty two other shinobi, all over a foot taller than him. Inwardly, he was a sea of uncertainty, as the jumping course…was a gaping chasm, with spikes at various intervals for landing. If one misjudged the distance they were capable of, death awaited them five hundred meters down.
Of course, as ANBU/Root, they would be able to save themselves, but there was still the 'what if' that plagued Sai.
"Oh, Sai, here: stand on this spot, there's a close by spike you can land on" Boar said from next to the pale boy. The older black op's believed that Sai, being the sensible one in the group of their Mascot's friends, would gladly move.
Sai may have been sensible, but his pride, the pride of his team, rested on his shoulders. So instead the pale boy gave the older shinobi a creepy smile.
"Thank you, but I am fine; after all, I'm light enough to soar to the other side in one jump."
"ON YOUR MARKS" Interrupted the argument budding. Sai shifted into his stance. "GET SET!" He mentally marked the distance to the cliff, and the distance between the two sides: five hundred meters, he calculated. Hardly anyone went the full distance, but on SHL: WoF edition, all four of them would. His brother decreed it. "GO!"
Sai, along with the ANBU, shot forth like arrows, but the other ANBU's longer legs permitted them to over take him quickly. However, this was a test of distance, not speed.
Reaching the edge Sai didn't stop and felt himself flying over the updraft.
NOW! He mentally shouted and activated the plan.
Explosions alerted the other ANBU still jumping or perching on various spikes. They looked up, ready for an attack, only to see Sai being blasted clear to the other side, landing in an ungraceful heap.
But still on the other side, something none of them had been able to do.
Sai panted heavily, relieved it worked. Throwing small grade explosive notes and over loading them with chakra produced a large backlash that propelled Sai back, but it could have just torn him apart.
"Oi! Brother, nice landing" Shin called from the starting point. Naruto gave his own praise, while Itachi gave a tilt of his head so small Sai couldn't tell it was there.
Minutes later, Sai was back with his team, but Dragon was not happy.
"What the hell was that?! The rules"
"Say nothing against this. The description is: Using your own skill set and no other teammates, jump as far across the chasm. Sai here has done exactly as you asked, hn. He has a skill of over loading explosive notes, it's not his fault if the others do not wish to use their abilities to the fullest" Itachi informed the commander dryly. Sai gave the man an innocent smile.
"…fine. But: NO more explosive notes!" He ordered. There, Dragon assured himself, They don't have another plan, I'll bet. ANBU around him resisted the urge to kill Shin when the boy stuck his tounge out mockingly. "NEXT!"
Shin's turn…
"Here, Shin, you can have this spot!" Someone said, pushing the grey haired shinobi to the spot with the furthest first spike. Their nemesis wouldn't die, the ANBU reasoned- they weren't that lucky- but he'd fail if he didn't make a spike.
"Tsk, to think you have such faith in I, Shin the Great! Alright, let's do this." The ANBU sputtered in response. Grinning manically the Root agent ran full speed ahead once the go ahead was given, catapulting off the side in abandon.
Shin spread his arms out in a mocking way as he soared. Then, with practiced aim, he flung a kunai to the other side. Once it was close he switched with it, landing gracefully. Turning to face the gob smocked ANBU, one of which had managed to reach the ledge with him, Shin did an exaggerated bow.
"Thank you, thank you!" Shin said.
"That bastard"
"Was that even legal?"
"Breaking tradition!"
"Our nemesis is crafty alright"
"Maybe my team should try that" A final ANBU said.
Dragon was banging his head on the clipboard by this point. The only good thing was the mascot clones were doing their jobs, giving their respective teams exuberant cheers before they lined up each time. The commander noticed Itachi was next on the list and groaned: Itachi didn't need any 'tricks', he'd just blow the other teams out of the water.
Itachi's turn…
Itachi gracefully landed in a perfect crouch. The jump had been easy, and he found himself frowning when no one else made it so easily. Oh well, not everyone had as high standards as himself.
With the other teams, right before Naruto's turn…
"Alright, team, with the Mascot next we have to selvedge some pride; if Kitsune beats us we'll never hear the end of it" Tenzo whispered to his team. "So, since I'm next I'll…"
Kakashi lazily stared at his squad.
"Yugao, Hayate, you both made it to the other side, and Mouse, you reached three quarters. We're the best except for Naruto's team, so to use a shunshin to make the distance and then some. I'll shunshin far onto the other cliff to make up the score. If they're cheating, so will we." His team nodded gravely.
"Good luck, captain." They said.
Ibiki glared at his team.
"I won't be losing to Kitsune: what kind of mentor would lose to his apprentice?" Anko sniggered.
"But sir, he's Dragon's apprentice."
"Not for long! Soon, Kitsune will realize that T and I is the place for him, and then Dragon-teme will finally lose to me at something." Ibiki gave a dark chuckle at his own thoughts.
Naruto's turn…
Sandwiched between two of his favorite sempai's, Tenzo and Kakashi, Naruto was vibrating in anticipation.
Hey, Bunny, watch me beat my sempais!
Gaki, for the billionth time, I don't like being called a BUNNY! I'm a Fox. F-O-X, Say it with me.
Kurama attempted, but Naruto tuned him out and focused forward when Dragon declared start.
Naruto tried to run forward, but found himself tripping over a root.
Tenzo-nii. Naruto deduced, and growled. He shook it off and gave another start, avoiding various roots that popped up.
Tenzo was getting nervous: Naruto had yet to make it to the ledge but at this rate he could still get a long enough head start to jump, and then pull what ever insanity he was planning and reach the other side. Suddenly, an idea struck.
"Kitsune! Shin has ramen!" Tenzo tried. Naruto screeched to a halt and prepared to abandon his task.
"RAMMMEN!" The Uzumaki ramen addict screamed, only to be interrupted by Shin.
"PRIEST-KOHAI! Go further than anyone else and I'll buy you ten bowls!"
That stopped all thoughts of giving up. Naruto paused, took a deep breath, and set out.
Five meters from the side he pumped more chakra into his feet.
One meter from the side he vaulted up.
Half way over he ran through seals. "Wind style: Great Breakthrough!" Naruto called, and pushed the chakra down, its lift carrying him far onto the other ledge, past several other ANBU including an irate Kakashi who had used four shunshins to win, plopping fifty meters further than the cyclops.
"YATTA! I DID IT! RAMEN-SAMA, HERE I COOOME!" The blonde squealed and then cleared the canyon like chasm AGAIN but with pure chakra and excitement.
Meanwhile, one hundred and twenty nine ANBU shared one thought:
Shin, you bastard. For not only had they lost, but Naruto's overpowered jutsu had knocked everyone in the canyon off their spike save for Ibiki, who was pointedly ignoring his rival's taunts of 'how does it feel to lose to a ten year old'?
Hokage's office…
Hiruzen Sarutobi deactivated his crystal ball once Dragon picked his jaw off the ground when Naruto had done his second jump.
"Naruto has grown a lot, being able to go that distance" the aged Hokage mused.
"Perhaps, or its just that the banes of my existence defy logic. First Sai survives, then this? Ludicrous." Danzo snorted.
Somewhere in Rice…
Orochimaru read the report from Kabuto and a note from his mole Mizuki.
"Kukukuku, everything is going according to plan. Itachi being back might be a problem to destroy Konoha in a few years, but then…" Orochimaru turned a page to read over the file on the Jinchuuriki, Naruto Uzumaki. Kabuto had to sneak around for months to get the information the sannin wanted, and it wasn't complete, but it was finally in his lap. Turning his head to the new headbands he'd had made, Orochimaru chuckled. "Otogakure is my dream village, after all, and what proper village has no Jinchuuriki? He's the personal favorite of my old sensei too, oh how delicious, and he's known for being not all there, an easy target." Drafting a note for Kabuto to keep an eye out for opertunities to grab the child and bring him to Oto, Orochimaru sat back in contentment.
"Orochimaru-sama, the three headed cat is loose again!" A subordinate cried.
Oh well, the sanin mused, time to get to work.
End! I planned on writing the next two challenges but it took awhile to start writing and I have to go to a night class for a test soon. Sooo, I added in the Orochimaru scene a chapter early. A bit of foreshadowing, eh? This is an AU, so why wouldn't Orochimaru think Naruto could be caught, if not turned? He is a ten year old, and I didn't put in his whole reasoning for believing it possible to turn Naruto yet. So, a couple of things:
Again, thank you for all the reviews so far! I'm sad I can't update this one as much anymore, but I enjoy writing it still.
How will Orochimaru's Otogakure stand against Naruto? Will he capture Naruto? And does he really want to, once he gets the story on him stopping the Akatsuki (remember, the file isn't complete but Orochimaru will find out soon.)
The next challenge is a scavenger hunt, ANBU style. Any items they should find? The more ludicrous the better!
Have a great week everyone!