Note: Italics denote mental thinking.
The four alert ninjas shuffled along. "Everyone ready?" Izumo asked the others in a low voice. The others nodded.
Three ninjas dropped in front of the group and three more behind them. Kotetsu, Izumo, and Naruto formed a circle around Kabuki as they readied themselves in a balanced stance. One of the ninjas standing in the front walked closer.
"So which one of you is it that used the shadow clone technique?" The ninja's voice carried an annoyed tone. Izumo and Kotetsu said nothing, but Naruto couldn't keep quiet and snorted. Kotetsu shook his head in disbelief and Izumo sighed. The black outfitted ninja approached Naruto and grabbed his collar.
"What's so funny?" He asked Naruto while removing his katana. The other ninjas proceeded to do the same. "This isn't going to end up the same as last time."
The other ninjas charged in to attack the group as well. "Now!" Izumo yelled. Three of the ninjas stopped advancing with puzzled looks. "What the...?"
"Well, you're right about that." A hidden ninja stepped out from the shadows. His brown hair was pulled back in a high ponytail and a distinguishable scar ran across his nose. "This won't end up like last time."
The bound ninjas slowly started walking forward as another ninja from the shadows revealed himself. This one had dark hair pulled back in a high ponytail and had a rather lazy expression. He walked up to his comrade. "We'll take care of these."
Kotetsu faced his chosen opponent, twirling his kunai. "Aa. I'll give you the signal." Izumo, Kotetsu, and Naruto taunted their opponents by attacking once then headed off in three different directions. The one fighting Naruto yelled to the others, "Don't let them get away!" One ninja pursued each of the retreating forms.
Kabuki sighed. "I guess I'm stuck with you guys." A young kid's voice replied, "And what's that supposed to mean?" A younger boy jumped down from one of the trees. "Incase you didn't know, I'm Konohamaru, and I'm going to be the seventh Hokage of Konoha, so what could be so bad about that?!" Kabuki's eyebrow twitched. The little boy reminded him so much of Naruto, both in features and feisty attitude. "Everything." Kabuki groaned.
Shikamaru sighed. "At least everything is going according to plan. Iruka, they're yours now." Iruka smirked as the three ninjas clumsily fell forward when Shikamaru released his shadow binding technique on them. "Come with me Kabuki." Kabuki and Konahamaru followed Shikamaru off into the woods.
The three ninjas stared at their new opponent. Iruka spread his feet apart into a balanced fighting stance. "This should be fun." The three ninjas didn't share the same enthusiasm, but rather seemed nervous.
Kotetsu gracefully parried his opponent's weapon with his own. Kotetsu grinned as he noted the hesitation in his opponent's moves. Combat with weapons was his specialty after all. He quickly maneuvered his other hand to attack his opponent, but the ninja saw this coming and leaped into a tree above him. Kotetsu threw shurikens at his target's feet, but only met the tree's branch as the ninja flew into another tree and immersed his body into it.
Panting heavily the ninja looked down to Kotetsu from the tree. "He's skilled at close combat I see, but I wonder how good he'll be at long ranged combat." The ninja smirked and placed his hands together as he released chakra.
Kotetsu stared up into the dark trees. The rain clouds had cleared and the moonlight was bright, but the ninja knew how to hide himself well enough in the tree's darkness. He waited for his opponent to make a move. Suddenly the earth began to rumble and something green began to break from the ground around his feet. Just before he could jump away a large vine wrapped itself around his ankle and continued to grow upwards as it coiled around his body. Kotetsu didn't have time to think how to react or he would be suffocated in a short time, so instinctively he removed his scroll from his pouch just before the plant could wrap itself over it. With one free hand he summoned two large kunai-shaped swords and cut his other arm free and eventually freed himself. He rolled away from the plant before it could wrap itself around him again.
"You're quick, but not quite nimble enough." The ninja's laughter could be heard from within the tree leaves above him. Three more vines emerged from the ground, surrounding Kotetsu. This would be a test of stamina on Kotetsu's part, but he still had a way out if he needed to use it.
Izumo flattened himself against the bark of the tree. He knew they could use the plants to find him, so he was at a disadvantage being in the middle of a plant-filled forest. He stared at the plants on the ground in a suspicious manner, as if any of them were a ninja in disguise just waiting for him to drop his guard.
He closed his eyes and let a steady breath out. Just calm down. He used his ears to focus on sounds. Leaves rustling, wind blowing, rodents crawling, owls hooting, critters chirping, and water gurgling. Water. Izumo managed to suppress a smirk. If he could reach the water, then he would have an advantage against his foe. He only hoped the others were faring well.
Naruto bit his lower lip as he stood in the center of the clear opening. Waiting for his opponent to show himself was giving him more stress than he had imagined it would. Sweat droplets trickled down the side of his face. Had the enemy even followed him there?
A figure stepped out from the shadows. Naruto unconsciously slid his hand into his weapon pouch. The moonlight reflected off the black hood and clothing. He removed his katana as he continued walking towards Naruto who removed two kunai from his pouch.
"I propose a duel. A match to see who stands up the longest." The katana struck the ground and the ninja walked in a square pattern around Naruto. "This will be our border."
Naruto, being one who never let a challenge go by, smiled at this. They both leaned forward facing each other. "Let's begin!"