Chapter 26: Bothersome orders
Idly, he wondered if his best friend's rotten luck had finally rubbed off on him. Yes, there was a considerably smaller number of women in the room, but even then, the guy who ended up being selected as his opponent was certainly no sight for sore eyes.
Besides, Miroku thought as he forced a light smile on his lips, he had to be the one to get this one team out of all of them. The only way things could've been worse would've been to get the Higurashi heiress (with their vague orders, he wasn't really sure if letting her win was the right choice, and any chance for a fair fight went out the window since she looked like a breeze could've brought her down).
Not that this was so much better.
Out of all the teams that were still in the room, the one remaining Suna team was perhaps the only one anywhere close to their level. It only took a quick look to realize they had heaps of experience over the other genins; even if he hadn't noticed their behavior back during the first test, it would've been clear by looking a the state of their clothes. Not a spot of dirt was on any of their clothing, let alone a tear that could show any sign of injury. Honesty, the fake monk wouldn't have been surprised if he learned they got here before the end of the first day, and of course, their first order about not showing too much of their skills was still in effect, so his hands were pretty much tied up.
At least he wasn't quite as blind in this match as his opponent was. If his memory was right, the main proctor for the written exam did say something about playing with dolls when the guy came back from the bathroom. Not the most obvious way of making fun of someone unless there was an implication behind it, and if there was something the young con-artist excelled at was picking up the subtle meaning beneath the most common words.
So, Kankuro from Suna seemed to favor using puppets.
"Heh, so you're the infamous Taisho, huh?" the painted teen scoffed at him. "Wonder how much of what they say it's true?"
"A few things." So puppets, meaning long-distance attacker, meaning probably lackluster taijutsu. "I fear most of those don't really apply to me though, kindly go easy on me."
The fake monk kept grinning at the sight of shock clearly etched in his opponent's face. The infamy of their clan's love of fights often gave him the same result. His enemies often expected a loud, impatient shinobi (a bit more similar to Inuyasha if he was being entirely honest); him speaking calmly and making no moves for a while was surprisingly efficient when he wanted to take control f the pace of the fight. His hands closed around his weapon, the rings around the blade letting out a familiar sound as he weighed his options.
His bloodline's special techniques were, of course, not an option at all. Not something he was all that sorry about, useful as it may be, it did him no good to forget the reason behind his clan's custom of marrying civilians.
So he was left with illusions and ninjutsu then.
Both things someone who dealt with something lie puppetry was likely to have decent defenses against. Maybe Inuyasha's luck really was contagious. The fake monk had decided to make up his taijutsu by excelling at the other two, which was usually enough to get him by; there had been no need for him to focus on it. Plus, his kekkei genkai made it so physical confrontation became almost impossible; usually, people ran away from him, not the other way around.
Shaking his head, Miroku tried to focus back on the fight; luck or no luck made no difference right now. He watched with a smile as his opponent placed the big package at his on the floor. Sometimes, it wouldn't be so bad for him to get something wrong. Just like he thought, the Suna nin was a puppeteer, and now he had to figure out how to fight him with his hands figuratively tied behind his back. The silence that fell on them, confirming the fake monk's suspicions that the other teen was more of a reactionary fighter.
Great for people like Inuyasha or Sesshoumaru who could barge against an enemy without having to worry too much about their talents...not so much for someone like him, though. Two reactionary fighters could waste hours waiting for the other to move. The con-artist shook his head; well then, it would seem like it fell to him to make the first move. He supposed he could take a page out of the little heiress's book.
"Also, if at all possible, could you please try not to aim at my face?" His voice was light and airy, completely matching his posture as he continued talking. "I assume you can understand...then again..maybe not."
"Snickers and muffled laughter followed his words, and he could see the tension begin to fill the Suna nin's frame. Good, so far, it was working.
"The hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Oh dear, I mean no disrespect, of course, some of us are just born with more blessings than others," Miroku shrugged, smile still firmly in place. "It is what it is."
His opponent's hand tightened around the package's wrappings for just a second before removing them to reveal a ragged looking puppet. Placing an apologetic expression on his face; the con-artist raised both his hands as satisfaction welled up inside him. Who said the first attack had to be a physical one?
"Slice his head off!" There was some anger there, but not quite what he'd been hoping for. "Karasu!"
Good chakra control and good control in general. A burst of wind passed in front of him as the wooden doll landed in the exact spot he'd been standing on, the soft jingle of the rings of his shakujo echoing softly. His smile remained unchanged. It would be tricky, being able to control the puppet with this amount of precision meant the guy had some level of chakra sensitivity. Miroku was sure he could pull it off, though.
Violet eyes narrowed on the rosary tightly wrapped around his right hand; these restrictions were really limiting his arsenal...
Then again, even if he were granted permission, there was no chance the fake monk would dare use the ability his bloodline granted him in such a small room that was filled to the brim. He had more than just decent control over it, but in his case, even little accidents could have too big a price for him to risk it. That was without considering that if his left hand were to get close to his right one in any way, his supervisor would happily have him caring for beautiful and poisonous flowers for a year straight. Watching his foul-mouthed friend arrive covered in smelly bandages over his rashes for their training once was good enough to convince him not to call the Taisho clan heir's bluff.
No, he had no plans on sharing his teammate's fate.
His sense of self-preservation had always been a strong suit for him.
Rage was becoming evident in his opponent's face, the paint doing little to hide the growing frustration the teen felt every time Miroku jumped away from the doll's blade, making sure to keep as much distance as possible. Dear, oh dear, was he really being underestimated to the point the puppet master really expected him to let it close the distance?
Puppets were, after all, just weapons. And long-distance fighters tended to do their best to make sure the fight remained a long-distance affair. It wasn't strange to find they'd mastered some way to keep their opponents away, like the complex subject of poisons and toxins, from time to time, even genjutsu became an option. Since puppeteering already demanded the use of chakra; most masters chose to douse their doll's weapons in deadly substances.
Yes, he knew his poisons, and getting rid of the thing would probably be the fastest route to victory, but the fake monk wasn't really in the business of gambling with his life. And besides, there were more than just one path for victory.
"Stop running away!"
"My, I fear that's not really an option, you see." Now he was starting to really lose his temper. Yes, his plan would do nicely. "I'm not particularly fond of pain, at least not this kind."
The sound of the golden rings in his weapon reached his ears again. Yes, there were more paths to winning this fight, they may be slower, but they'd work all the same. At the enraged yells of his opponent, the con-artist smiled even wider.
It was a good thing he'd been blessed with the patience of a saint.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Azure eyes followed the fast movements of the last member of the Taisho team. Glad that, for once, she didn't have to pretend not to care. Showing interest in the ever-elusive clan was a completely normal response. Especially considering there was a chance they'd end up facing one of them.
Not that any of them were giving up much of their talents or preferred strategies. Unsurprising, considering the mystery the clan was shrouded in, but no less frustrating. The Higurashi heiress may have played it off back in the forest, but knowing she was the cause for them finally stepping back into the allied nations game board was more than just a little unsettling. Kagome had always known her family, the blood-related family she couldn't remember ever knowing, had been special in the village. Uchiha Fugaku would've never tried to gain custody of a little girl had she been born in a regular civilian family. However, it was one thing to have some recognition from Konoha's old families and an entirely different matter to be sought after by a foreign power whose intentions were still unclear. She could feel no ill will coming from the Taisho team, that much she was sure of.
The problem here was that she had no idea what they wanted from her.
Ironically, she felt less anxious when thinking about the rogue Sannin's intentions. The man's presence put her on edge, warning bells sounding so loud on her head it was almost deafening...and yet, at least she knew there was danger, and if not prepare for it, at least she could get used to the idea. With the Taishos, though...
What Orochimaru wanted couldn't be more obvious. Her power, her blood, just like the many before him who'd hunted her clan into hiding. It was something she'd been taught to expect since she was a child. Something told her that wasn't what the isolated clan was interested in...
So she watched closely as the one who was clearly in charge of acting as the spokesperson (and potentially played a heavy role in the intelligence department) sprinted across the lower floor. The sound of his clinking weapon filling the few moments of silence between taunts and angry yells.
The girl had almost missed it as if her exhaustion wasn't enough; her anxiety was now making it harder to concentrate on the fight below.
Only almost.
It was beyond basic; the heiress was sure she knew what the technique was, and the level of control to slowly weave the illusion around every time the rings on his weapon clinked without leaving a glaring chakra trail was nothing short of impressive. Especially considering he still had to move every other second to avoid getting hit by the puppet.
Not like that will last much longer.
Once the genjutsu was complete, there would be no need for him to keep the pretense up. A clever scheme. using the bare minimum. Usually, she'd praise the careful way the older teen was slowly stitching the layers of illusions, making sure the Suna nin wouldn't be able to notice how little by little, his perception was shifting. The puppeteer hadn't noticed yet, but the original razor-thin dodges were gaining more and more distance.
Idly, Kagome wondered if she'd be able to notice it if it was her down there.
The sharingan would surely manage to see through it...
And then, she couldn't breathe.
Her hand tried to reach somewhere to her left, looking for the familiar feeling of safety and reassurance only to grasp nothing but air. What little tension her battered body was still able to produce settled upon her as the names she'd kept trying to push to the back of her mind came back at full force. Naruto was still too worked up to catch the slight change in her posture, her voice dying in her throat because suddenly, the pressure of the people around her was oppressive and she couldn't breathe, her lungs were refusing to take in the ait because...
She was alone.
Alone in a room full of people she couldn't trust.
And Sasuke...Sasuke was also alone with people that couldn't protect him.
What if Orochimaru decided to go ahead and take the boy anyway? They had to have left some guards with him. But Kagome would sooner invite Haruno for a sleepover rather than believe the snake-obsessed shinobi incapable of getting through whatever security was set in place.
Her breath was coming in short pants. Hands trembling as she felt an invisible weight crush her heart.
No.
No, that wouldn't' happen.
The man had said Sasuke would go and look for him willingly.
She didn't trust a single word out of his mouth, but this...this was the truth, if only because this truth was probably more painful than anything he could come up with.
Sasuke would be there when she finally made her way to wherever it was they were keeping him.
Something pierced through the blanket of panic that enveloped her.
Something just as oppressive, but hungrier.
Azure eyes snapped to her right, her breathing finally settling back to its normal rate as she looked at the only Suna genin to fight. Anger seemed to be radiating from him; Kagome was sure now that the redhead had noticed his teammate's slowly slipping performance. And was clearly not happy about it. For the split of a second, his eyes connected with hers, pale blue clashing against azure, and she felt a shiver ran down her spine. He was dangerous, that much was for sure, but there was something else, something at the edge of her mind that seemed to tell her there was more somehow. Something she kept trying to grasp but failed to.
Bitterly, she wondered if there were still more surprises left in this exam; if any of them had to face Gaara in the next phase, then...
"Higurashi!"
A different kind of shiver made its way through her back. Her grim thoughts momentarily forgotten as the way too familiar voice of her former senpai reached her...
Right...honestly, she supposed she should be surprised the older teen hadn't tried to come this way earlier. One quick look at the space behind his rapidly approaching figure showed his redheaded teammate holding her head in irritation.
Ah, so that was it.
Enju-san had probably stopped the aspiring medic from moving after seeing Hinata-chan help her with the bandages; the other girl probably got distracted wanting to see the Taisho fight. Distraction the older genin took advantage of to slip away.
"Ah, Higurashi, here." The teen smiled, a blush on his cheeks as he offered a couple of bottles to her. "It took a while to find it in my bags, but these should help with your injuries."
Politeness, she reminded herself, was the start of diplomacy. And consistency was what made a mask remain believable. So she forced herself to smile despite the growing irritation that was slowly overshadowing her anxiety, even if at this point, she was unsure she could lift the ointments being offered. She really doubted she could hold a pair of chopsticks without having to endure the pain doubling from the movements, wasn't the guy supposed to be the son of a member of the medic corps? Assessing wounds and injuries were things he should know by now, right? At her side, she could feel Naruto reacting, coming to stand beside her, probably frowning already.
"Ah.." she faltered for a second before the blond thankfully snatched the medicine from Hojo's hand, not caring if this could be seen as offensive.
"What's this supposed to do?" he asked as he sniffed one of them, a grimace on his face.
"It's a special poultice," if the older genin felt any sort of annoyance, he was the best actor Kagome had seen. "My family makes it; it should help with all the bleeding since it's designed to be helpful even if it gets into an open wound."
"Thank you, Hojo-san, but I fear Hinata-chan already added some of her own ointment to my wrappings. I wouldn't want the two to mix and risk a secondary effect." It was a bit of a stretch, yes, but she would use what she could.
"Ah, if it's that, then washing it off..."
"So, then are you saying Hinata-chan's not good enough?" Naruto almost jumped, anger lacing his words.
"O-oh, no." This time, Hojo was visibly flustered. "That not it at all."
"Then, what was it?"
It would probably be cute, watching the prankster get so clearly offended in the Hyuuga heiress' place...if they were no in the middle of a crowded place and the boy didn't have enough accumulated tension that the chances of him actually punching the older genin weren't so high. With her condition as it was, no one would say a thing about her not stopping the usually cheery prankster; but his public image would definitely take a hit. And just after he surprised everyone by ending his match so quickly. She couldn't let him give the other an excuse to say that the boy who contained the Kyuubi was as violent as the demon inside him.
"I'm sure that wasn't it, Naruto-kun." From the corner of her eye, she could see Hojo letting out a sigh of relief at her interruption. "It's just easier to feel more confident in something you make yourself, regardless of the actual quality. He knows it works because he's used it himself, but he's never seen how effective Hinata-chan's medicine is; it's just his concern talking, right, Hojo-san."
"R-right, that's exactly what I meant."
"Come one, Naruto-kun, just put them in your pack and give them to me once I go get checked, will you?" She smiled at the blond, willing him to let it go before this got more attention than the fight below.
"I...guess so..."
"Ah, right. Say, Higurashi." Oh god, he was still going to insist on something now? "Do you think this..."
"Winner, Miroku!"
It almost hurt as she turned around, her head whipping only to see the teen on monk's robes shoving the blade of his staff against the Suna nin, wire tightly wrapped around him, and the puppet lying uselessly on the opposite side of the room...
Yes, she had figured out the trick behind the genjutsu, but actually being able to see the older teen's movements would've been...
Politeness and consistency, politeness and consistency, Kagome reminded herself as she turned once more. There was a visible strain in her smile; there was no doubt in her mind. Hopefully, it would get passed as tiredness or worry instead of irritation...then again, right now, the girl didn't really care that much to let her displeasure be known.
"Thank you again for the medicine, Hojo-san." She had to get him out of here before she stopped wanting to avoid a fight. "But since your match has yet to pass, maybe it would be best not to focus too much on others. "
Her voice wasn't as soft as it usually was; there shouldn't that many people paying attention to them to take notice. Even if wasn't like that, Kagome wasn't sure she could keep up with the politeness. Either way, really, this much was an accomplishment on its own.
"Oh, would you look at those names?" The Higurashi heiress had never been happier to hear her teacher's voice.
The teen's attention wavered from the mounting tension, turning to look at the new characters shown on the screen. A sigh of relief threatened to escape her as she read the name besides that of Inuzuka Kiba.
"Oh...looks like I'm next." There was a slightly dejected tone in his voice. "Would you wish me good luck, Higurashi?"
"Luck..." the girl trailed off. "...right."
"Okay, that's enough lover-boy," the annoyed redhead said, one hand already grasping her teammate's jacket and beginning to push him down the stairs. "Really, just go down there and win, will you?"
Azure eyes didn't bother to follow him. Instead, the girl looked around to locate the second opponent and forced herself to resist the urge to bang her head against the railing at the cocky smile Kiba sent her way before bypassing the stairs and jumping down.
As much as she didn't have any particular interest in watching this match, the Inuzukas were well known trackers, and it wouldn't do to be blind about what kind of strength had a genin level clan member. There was a good chance eventually they'd have to watch their backs from someone from their family, the slightest edge she could get from watching this match was one they could use.
"I watched the whole match." Again, there was a weight on her hand as the copy ninja patted her head in sympathy. "Don't worry, you didn't miss that much."
This time, she sighed. With the eyes of most people in the room looking downstairs, there wouldn't' be too much risk. If the pain stopped for just a second, she may be less tired, enough to worry about their teacher noticing the crack on her mask. Kagome had no delusions that a former ANBU captain would offhandedly dismiss the little odds and ends of her behavior.
Giving a slight nod as confirmation, the Higurashi heiress tried to focus on the fight starting on the lower floor. Naruto's loud cheers for Kiba threatened to make a laugh escape her. Seriously, she'd never met someone who was that open with their emotions and persisted in becoming a ninja. Anyone raised in a household with at least one shinobi parent was trained to control their feelings or at the very least to learn when it was necessary to keep quiet and pretend. Idly, she wondered if maybe that had been one of the reasons she'd been so willing to bring in a stranger into her little circle of precious people.
Sango valiantly kept looking down to the knew match instead of giving in to the urge of laughing when the unknown Konoha genin that had rushed past her nad Inuyasha in his hurry to reach the little heiress only to be pulled away by his teammate. Even without Miroku here to analyze the situation, it wasn't hard to read the rapidly blushing teen's body language, nor was it difficult to see the strain in the girl's polite responses.
"So, what did I miss?" The soft jingles of his weapon reached them at the same time the fake monk's voice did.
"Other than a pathetic attempt at flirting?" Inuyasha scoffed.
"I think it was sweet." Though she was still having to force back a laugh.
"Oj, here I thought the Uchiha boy would've scared everyone away." Miroku leaned to observe the new match.
"Seems like he forgot one."
"And who's the poor soul?"
"Look down." This time, Sango lost the battle to keep a serious face as she pointed.
The slightly older genin had finally made his way down the stairs but kept sending glances up to the direction where the Higurashi heiress was boringly gazing down. "Ah, I think I can figure out who he is from here...but his opponent may be a bit more interesting."
"What do you mean?"
"Check the second name; that kid is from one of the most well known tracker clans in this village," Miroku explained with his ever-present patience.
"You know I leave that shit to you guys."
From what Sango could remember; while they rarely made contact, that particular clan was one the Taisho's retrieval teams often encountered when looking for rogue nins in the Fire country. So far, the three of them had yet to really take any assignment in this region, but considering the head's new interest in one of the village's shinobis, the girl wouldn't be surprised to find their new batches of orders would have them closer rather than not. Maybe this match could prove somewhat interesting...if only to see how the Konoha's special dogs compared to the wolves from the Okami family. Considering how close the animals the families used, perhaps they could get something useful to apply with their spars with Koga?
"They're important, though they don't have any close relationship with any of the more politically inclined clans." She looked briefly at the con-artist for confirmation. At his nod, she continued. "I think there have been a couple of instances when they've called out someone on a mission, but the treaties have never been placed at risk."
"Hmm.." And unsurprisingly, the silver-haired shinobi was not interested. "Think this is gonna take much longer?"
"Inuyasha, we can't leave until all the matches have passed." If she shared his opinion, well, better not say that. "Even Sesshoumaru-sama is still here."
Though unlike the rest of the jounin teachers who'd chosen to get back to their teams; their fearless leader was still standing near the other proctors. A bored expression on his face that Sango would've bought if she didn't know the young man never wasted any opportunity to gain valuable information on their allies. He was just the kind of person that tried to overachieve in everything and anything he did.
"Besides, there's still one really interesting match to come," Miroku added.
"All three of them have already fought; what the hell could be left?"
"Why, the smallest of the Suna nins, of course."
Brown eyes traveled to the place the only other remaining foreign team was standing. The defeated puppeteer looked almost afraid to be so close to the young redhead, and there was some clear repressed killing intent radiating off the boy. A slight shiver ran down her spine; Miroku was right, Gaara of the Desert was different from the rest of the genins in this exam. Not even the Hyuuga prodigy had displayed the same bloodlust around him when going for that last hit. In fact, she was pretty sure he wouldn't be too out of place when comparing him to some of the higher bounties they'd managed to get assigned to.
"Guess you're right about that one." Inuyasha's eyes had followed her own. "That guy looks like he has some serious anger issues."
"Underestimating your opponents..." Miroku started.
"Yeah, yeah, can make you lose against even a civilian, I know Miroku."
They're taking their time," Sango interrupted, it wouldn't devolve into a fistfight, but Inuyasha's concept of indoor voice could be faulty at times.
That brought their attention back to the match below them. The blushing boy was not doing much in terms of attacks, he was pretty efficient in dodging the well-coordinated attacks of both dog and owner though (meanwhile, she could hear the short blond cheer his former classmate on, idly, Sango wondered what the other guy had said to earn the anger from the usually cheerful boy). If she was right, then this was likely to end up in a battle of endurance, in which case, the girl honestly wasn't sure who had the advantage. After all, while the Inuzuka kept the other boy in constant retreat, he was also using more chakra to attack. She dearly hoped it didn't end up like that; even Miroku would have some issues trying to pretend interest in a fight like that.
Apparently, the Inuzuka thought the same, giving the pup a soldier pill only to have the dog's fur become red and change his appearance to that of a human…
Well, that was certainly not the kind of jutsus the Okami family used with their wolves, not even close, especially with the way the boy was now growling and moving in hands and legs, beast effect indeed.
"What the..." Inuyasha's words trailed off.
"Seems like the two of them are somehow exchanging some of their characteristic to the other." Miroku's explanation didn't betray the surprise she knew he had to be feeling. "Maybe this fight won't last that long after all."
No, it definitely wouldn't. At this point, it would be surprising if the opposite happened since the other genin was now being slowly cornered. The skills the guy had shown so far had been well executed but still very basic; now that his opponent's abilities had grown stronger he was having trouble keeping up. Starting to twist in the air, the Inuzuka screamed his technique as both bodies blurred into some sort of uncontrollable whirlpool.
"Well, seems like they do share some focus on speed" the weapon's specialist commented lightly.
"Koga does have some more control over his directions, though."
"Keh, the idiot can barely see when he moves." Predictably, Inuyasha refused to give even a little credit to their former classmate. "That technique can barely be thought useful."
Sango shook her head as the match below them was finally decided; Inuyasha had always been competitive, but most of their year-mates ignored the loudly proclaimed challenges…not Koga though, that teen was every bit as impulsive and competitive. To this day, the weapon specialist still wasn't entirely sure about what had happened between the two, but it was one of the anecdotes the Taisho matriarch often brought up to fluster the boy…idly she wondered if she could convince Miroku to get the story out of one of their three main rulers.
Would Ino nag him too much if he were to concede?
,
Sure this wasn't the grass team Kagome had warned them against, but the sound nins were still affiliated with the legendary rogue Sannin. Surely she wouldn't complain if he decided to just throw the match? He was also unlucky enough to get the only one the Uchiha hadn't gotten to…
Because, of course, he would.
"I..."
"Go on, then," the girl interrupted his attempt to concede.
"H-hold on..."
"Good, luck Shikamaru!" Chouji just cheered as he nursed his bruises by eating more chips.
Letting out a sigh the boy allowed himself to be pushed down the stairs. No, there was no way he'd manage to get out of this. He should've refused to enter the troublesome thing to begin with…
Bored eyes traveled to his opponent; the older teen was already down geez, the guy really was excited, wasn't he? This just couldn't get more annoying…no wait, it could; his jutsus could've been revealed. At least he knew what his enemy's move-set was from watching the team ambush the Higurashi heiress…and he wasn't fighting a girl. Shaking off the thoughts that would have his mother promising pain, he focused on his opponent. The last remaining nin from Oto, the last pawn they knew for sure was related to Orochimaru. If even a single one of those guys passed to the next phase, things may very well become more troublesome...
"Do you agree to this match?"
"I do."
"Whatever."
Sound was it; that was the trick behind the hits, meaning he had to make sure to keep his distance or risk getting trap in the sound waves…the range was not that small, but it wasn't that large either. Kagome had managed to keep a good estimation and kept jumping to the sides and back to avoid them, but she counted with a significantly bigger battlefield when compared to him…nope he was not running, no way in hell, besides, there was not enough space inside the room for him to try and copy the girl's strategy. He did have one small advantage, while he knew enough about his enemy's fighting style, the Oto nin knew nothing about Shikamaru's own techniques.
Keep him from looking at the ground and move fast.
Meaning knowing where everything was would become essential. It wasn't like he had any other advantage in any other area so definitely avoid hand-to-hand combat.
The room was fairly small, no direct source of light but no overly strong shadows either; his best bet would be….dark eyes snapped to the place directly beneath the second floor.
"Let's finish this quickly, shall we?" Shikamaru was definitely being underestimated here; he could use that. "I don't really care about you."
"Geez, rude much?" Better begin angling himself to where he needed to reach. "Not like I care; honestly, this is such a drag."
The bandage covered weirdo jumped at him.
Damn, this guy really was in a hurry.
Racing back, his hands began to move in the seals his father had nagged him into learning. The older teen followed him back into the corner. Well, he figured none of them were too bright if they couldn't manage to handle one single tied down genin.
The slight indentation a few cm away from his feet, his calculations had been right, and now the Oto nin was frozen a couple of meters away from him, arm still extended, and eyes wide open in surprise as he fought to get his limbs to move as he wanted.
"Ahh, yeah, that's not gonna work," he drawled. "The kagemane no jutsu was completed after all."
The question now was...how was he supposed to knock this guy out again?
"Shadow binding..."
"Yup, see?" He raised his hand, waving it around a couple times, watching as the movement was mirrored. "Well, but you were in a hurry, right? So let's finish this."
Getting a hold of a couple of shurikens, his eyes followed the bigger teen's movements. Technically, this guy was taller than him; if he were to aim high enough the weapons on his opponent's hands would pass above his head while letting him land the hits. Panic was obvious on the Oto guy's movements as he came with the same possibility.
Leaning slightly, the boy began to sprint, making sure to take aim, ignoring the suddenly angered screams from his opponent. The blades left his hand at the same time as he leaned forward, rolling to the ground as he allowed the technique to vanish at the loud sound of a crack behind him. Lazily he stood up and turned, knocked unconscious head still touching the wall, the last of the Oto team was a heap on the ground.
Eventually, he'd probably be forced to take a life if he wanted to get the chuunin rank he planned on staying, but honestly, Shikamaru could probably use a couple more years before that. None of them was ready for that last step; gray eyes went to Higurashi Kagome, she had been shooting to kill, each and every single one of her shots were supposed to land in a vital point…and she still didn't look fazed at all…
"Idiot, like I was actually aiming for your head," he mumbled at the unconscious boy. "You were so focused on the shurikens you forgot there was a wall in front of you."
Not bothering to hear the proctor declare his win, the Nara heir made his way back up. He really wanted to get out of here and just take a good nap. Well, there would only be one more match left, the last of the Suna nin, against the green spandex weirdo that had been one year ahead of him in the academy.
A/N: Happy New Years everyone, hope you enjoyed the holidays! And just one more chapter before finishing with the prelims, the plot is finally going to start moving again. Again, I feel like with no visual element this format can get repetitive, even jumping from character to character.
As always, thank you guys so much for reading and any review/comment/criticism is greatly appreciated.