Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Enjoy!
Chapter 17
Team Orochimaru vs the 11 Guardians
Shino witnessed once again as his partner was harshly kicked into the bushes. He had been observing every move of his opponent, Kabuto. But, he always had a counterattack up his sleeve. Naruto and Sakura weren't any closer in doing any damage, as well.
He saw as Kabuto and Sakura engaged into another fierce taijutsu battle. A Sakura clone snuck behind him, in an attempt to punch him from above. He jumped in midair throwing 2 kunais at them. Sakura quickly backflipped and imitated his moves. They all flinched by yet another loud, explosive sound. It had happened several times during their fight, sometimes it would send a mighty wind.
"Quite impressive. The kunoichis are getting stronger for each generation. I thought the Yin guardian was the only one capable of withholding an opponent like me for so long." Kabuto pushed his glasses up and smirked. "As much as I would want to continue, I need to gather the remaining guardians." He turned his back to them.
"In the mean time, have fun with my other friends." And he disappeared before their eyes. Team 7 and 8 were left confused. That was until they heard sneering from the bushes were Kabuto stood.
"Is it our time to shine?" Asked a dark and hoarse voice. This time they resembled a typical team. 2 males and a female. Looking from their forehead protectors they came from the Sound.
"Let's begin!" Said the guy with the cow-like scarf around his neck.
Kabuto had created 4 clones of himself. 2 of them transforming into Sakura and Sasuke. He positioned himself at the spots where the Teams could clearly see the assault happening. Remembering a bit from the time he saw them in class, he knew each team were infatuated with one of the 2 ninjas.
Ino was about to perform her Mind Transfer jutsu, hoping to succeed this time. But a sudden movement from a figure not so far from where she was caught her off guard. She saw as the person was getting thoroughly beat up by another figure. Her eyes widen as she got a better look at the person that got beaten. "Sasuke-kun!"
"Oi, Ino! Where are you going?" Shikamaru asked in a panicked tone as this was their perfect chance to take control of the scroll's mind. He saw Ino dashing towards the trees. Choji witnessed the same thing and waited for an order from Shikamaru. The Nara teen looked at their opponent who had a dull expression.
"If it's not a three-mans team, then I shall not participate any longer in this fight." He said and turned into a mere scroll floating in mid-air.
"Shikamaru, what just happened?"
Shikamaru escalated a tiresome sigh and pointed at the direction Ino went. "Geez, why is she making this more troublesome than it already is?"
"Oi Lee! Where are you going?"
"Sakura-san, she's in danger. I must save her!"
"She can wait! Right now we got-"
"What the?!"
Neji looked at their enemy as it turned into a scroll. He deactivated his Byakugan. "Who did it?" He saw as Lee had left the battlefield. "Could it be because he left?" Neji cursed under his breath before following his dumb teammate. Tenten, not knowing what just happened, followed Neji.
Hinata had to close her eyes to block the sand particles. Sasuke and Orochimaru's fight was intense, every physical contact would result in a blow so fierce that it cut down some trees. She was forcibly pushed further back. She felt her back hit a glass object, she looked behind herself and saw a jar with lavender-like chakra. Huh?
The Yang Guardian put his sword away to then engage in a fist to fist fight with his opponent. Hinata saw as he landed a hit on Orochimaru and dodged a kick to his abdomen.
"Kakashi has taught you well." Orochimaru complimented while drying the blood running from his lips. "But, the real fight begins now!"
Sasuke reached out for his shurikens and threw them at Orochimaru. The snake Sannin dodged them as he dashed towards Sasuke. Taking by surprise of his opponent's increased speed, the Yang Guardian reached for his katana to block the attack. Sasuke felt a piercing pain run through his stomach as he flew into a large tree.
"Sasuke-kun...!" But to Hinata's surprise, he seemed to have recovered quickly from that punch. He and Orochimaru exchanged a few kicks and punches before Sasuke launched his Great Fireball Jutsu. Orochimaru snapped his fingers and in the next second, the attack dispersed.
"How did he-" A great chakra wave flew through Sasuke but thanks to his Sharingan he easily saw through the scheme and attacked the Sannin head first. He struck Orochimaru's face with as much force as he could give. Orochimaru was sent rolling and sliding on the ground. Sasuke appeared in the air, sending several Windmill Blades at him. He then finished the combat by collecting the remaining of his chakra into another Great Fireball Jutsu.
Sasuke had a few seconds to catch his breath. When he felt good to go, he slowly neared the smoke and smell of burnt skin. Hinata watched as Sasuke approached Orochimaru's presumably dead corpse. She hoped that, that combination had put an end to him.
As the smoke cleared and the remaining bits of Orochimaru could be seen, Sasuke was taken aback from the corpse turning into a mud puddle. He sensed his presence a little to late from the unexpected kick to his abdomen, sending him into mid-air. Orochimaru launched several kicks to send him further up.
"Sasuke-kun!"
Hinata aggressively twitched the robes, hoping that she would loosen them up. She saw the snake Sannin performed a jutsu that made two large snakes replace his arms. His head and the snakes slithered towards Sasuke with great speed and caught his two arms and whole chest. Sasuke let a painful scream escape his mouth.
The young heiress spotted her crystal laying on the ground, not so far from where she was standing. She heard a loud crash and turned her head to the battle, but they were gone. The only thing she saw was the destruction of many trees. A cry from Sasuke had her crawl faster and faster towards her crystal.
"Okay, are we done?" Asked the girl with long hair.
"Nope. More are coming." Said Kabuto's voice from behind. He complimented them for holding the other Guardians back. Looking by the damaged soldiers that had seemingly lost conscious, they must have had a lot of fun.
"Sakura-san!"
"Sasuke-kun!"
Kabuto fixed his glasses and pulled an evil grin. "Here they come." The remaining Guardians entered the battle field in no time. He waited for the reactions to their hurt fellows and realisation of their close comrade being Guardians to settle down. Soon, the poison from the Guardians bound by hate should slowly infiltrate the other crystals. With the Yang and Yin Guardian missing, they have no form of protection.
Kabuto saw as a faint, purple dot appeared in Lee and Tenten's crystal. It sooner or later appeared in everybody else's crystal. The more they fight, the more the poison will spread. And when they reach their limit, they will die.
Kabuto couldn't hold his laugh from the thought of them all falling one after one, wondering what the cause could be. Lee pointed at Kabuto and swore to avenge the damage they had done on Sakura.
"Kin." Kabuto looked at the kunoichi. Kin nodded and took a step forward, smirking.
"Her, against all of us?" Ino asked in confusion. She saw as their enemy materialised 6 senbons with bells attached to them.
Neji activated his Byakugan. But he didn't see any trap hidden in those bells. Kin threw the senbons, the Hyuga thought that the bells had already past them because he couldn't hear anything. Kin waited till they were all completely distracted, she then pulled on the very thin strings which made random bells ring.
"Huh?" That waas the reaction she expected before performing hand signs, whispering the jutsu to herself. Kabuto saw when the Hyuga had activated his Byakugan and smirked as the purple dot in crystal had grown immensely. First, we take the strongest out first.
"Bell Ring Genjutsu."
Naruto opened his sore eyes and witnessed as there were other figures falling on their knees one after one. When he had regained full consciousness, his ears felt a disturbing sound of ringing enter his brain. What is this?!"
He blocked his ears, but it didn't help at all. He tried to get a look at the spell caster. Meanwhile Sakura, Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino had regained conscious. Kiba and Akamaru performed a sloppy Fang Over Fang, aiming after Kin. Zaku stood before her and send a sound wave at Kiba, making him and Akamaru lose formation and fall on the ground.
"It's no use. You-" A yelp from Kin interpreted Zaku. He saw that Kin was paralysed and that something dark was beneath her. It was even attached to something, he followed the trace and saw that a spiky-haired guy was behind this. He saw as a kunoichi was focusing on an attack that targeted Kin as well.
"No way!" A large silhouette took him by surprise. It looked like a huge ball. He got out of the way.
"Now, Ino!"
Mind Body Switch Jutsu!
Kin felt a beat through her body. What the-. Her hands moved on their own and performed the seal of release.
"Kin, what are you doing?!" Dosu asked.
"I... don't know. Kai!"
The ringing bells stopped. The Guardians let a sigh of relief out. Naruto gasped by the increased ninjas standing in front of him.
Are all these... Guardians?
The Hyuga felt a strong squeeze in his chest, making him clutch his heart area. He tried to subdue the pain by taking heavy breaths, but the pain only grew more.
"Neji!-" Tenten covered her mouth as she, as well as her team, had been told not to shout their teammate's name out if they showed any sign of pain. She heard people whisper his name in a questioning tone.
Neji saw Tenten and Lee approaching him, and it only made the pain grow stronger for every second. He released a scream of agony, worrying every Guardian.
"What's happening to him?" Asked Sakura. Tenten nor Lee could give an answer.
"Hey look!" Ino pointed at his crystal that had melted with his right hand. "There's a purple thing growing in it."
Kabuto silently grinned from their quick realisation. "My, my, I wonder why that is happening-" The medic nin's amusement grew by Tenten's serious glare.
"Tell me what you did to Neji or," she materialised a sword and pointed it at Kabuto, sending a minor breeze at him, "it won't be the last cut I'll give you!"
"Huh?" Kabuto raised an eyebrow before groaning over his cheek began bleeding. "Bastard." But never mind, the anger from her is only increasing the intensity of the poison in the remaining Guardians.
Tenten only grew angrier and decided to attack. "You little!"
"Bring it!"