Testing Part 2
(-)
"Do you really think it will work?" Kushina asked for the one hundredth and thirty-fifth time. "I still think we should have just overwhelmed him with that elemental stuff we've started working on. We have enough chakra to do it."
"No, we have to use Fūinjutsu." Minato answered, anxiously fiddling with the seals in his hand, "but it's our best shot and he's going to be here any second so we don't have time to change the plan!"
"Right."
On instinct, the two leapt apart to avoid the staff ready to knock them unconscious. "Are you ready?" The Sandaime asked, studying them carefully.
Without hesitation, they sprang into action, attacking simultaneously, their feet never leaving the ground as they shuffled around.
"Clever, but not clever enough," the Sandaime commented and performed an earth jutsu to ruin their attempt at a seal. Without a word, the Genin changed tactics and attacked him directly, their trademarked coordination appearing to be shot. Sarutobi swung his staff around, easily intercepting their weak strikes frowning at the fact they were obviously holding back speed and skill. Disappointed, Sarutobi increased his speed and struck Minato in the stomach. When he pulled back to attack Kushina, he found one end of the staff so heavy he could barely keep it off the ground, much less swing it. Abandoning the weapon, Sarutobi targeted Minato, who took an instant too long to recover from the blow. Sarutobi grasped both of Minato's wrists, forced his arms to cross uncomfortably behind his head, and placed the boy between himself and Kushina. "You lose," the Sandaime declared.
"Not yet!" Kushina answered and charged. The Sandaime tensed to react to however she managed to avoid her teammate. To his surprise, her open palm struck the center of Minato's chest and sealing lines snaked down his arms and tied his hands around Minato's wrists. The boy's chakra surged into him, the equivalent of a lightning strike. Any lesser ninja, it would have immobilized, but Sarutobi went on the attack. A series of heavy strikes later, both lay on the ground, battered. Sarutobi crouched between them.
"Your plan was flawed from the beginning. Never engage someone you know to be stronger unless you have no other choice."
They forced themselves back to their feet, grinning. Before Sarutobi could do more than smirk in amusement, their hands came together in the Tiger seal and the massive, hidden structure under the Hokage's feet burst to life. Ropes of chakra immobilized the Kage.
"It's only flawed if it doesn't work!" Kushina grunted out, struggling to maintain the chakra output necessary. "Go!" She drew on the Kyuubi's chakra to maintain the seal as Minato stumbled forward and pressed the butt of a kunai over Sarutobi's heart.
"We win," Minato said as the seal holding the Kage in place collapsed.
Kushina dropped to one knee, gasping. Minato spun around and hurried towards her, using one hand to draw out the remnants of the Kyuubi's chakra from her body and direct them into the ground. The Sandaime stood there, stunned, analyzing the fight in his head.
"How did you do it?" He demanded.
"Shinobi exploit every weakness," Kushina answered.
"You let us get away with all sorts of stuff. If the village didn't need specific skill sets, you would have just let us do whatever we wanted. Since we're 'barely Chuunin', there was no way you'd take the fight seriously and beat us right away."
"No one senses their own chakra!"
"Every time someone makes a sharp motion around you, you channel chakra into your feet so you can hold your ground. We used that to create the real seal and you never noticed because you just kept grinding us into the ground and giving us time to concentrate on the seal."
"And we proved that Fūinjutsu can be used in an offensive setting! And you said we had to win with Fūinjutsu, so we didn't go all-out in Taijutsu. We're a lot better than you think."
"Impressive, for two dead-lasts," Jiraiya inserted, "but pathetic for the God of Shinobi."
The entire assembly turned to glare at him. "Only you can insult and compliment an entire assembly in the same breath."
"What can I say, I'm the—"
"No!" Minato shouted and covered his ears.
"Come on, gaki!"
"No! It's stupid!" Minato shot to his feet and glared up at his sensei.
"You little bastard!" Jiraiya lunged forward and Minato pranced out of reach, his tongue out.
"Stop. I want to see exactly what you can do, no holds barred. Meet me here tomorrow," The Sandaime said. The two Chuunin grinned triumphantly.
"I told you my plans always work!" Minato smirked at Kushina.
"Well, you didn't think it would work either!"
"But it did!"
"That doesn't count!"
"Does too!"
"Does not!"
"Does too!"
"Does not!"
"Does too!"
"Does too!"
"Even you admit it!"
The Sandaime scowled, annoyed that he had let himself be played by two twelve-year-olds.