A/N: Okay, this is insane...I updated not even a week ago! XP I guess I'm just excited where this whole story is going. I think it's going to be my longest fic so far... XD
I hope everyone's enjoying; for those whose favorite characters haven't had their chance 'in the spotlight'... I hope their chance is coming soon...
Disclaimer: Oh, come on!
Chapter 12: Progress
"Kai, Rei, get over here!"
A harsh whisper, then soft scuffles of feet trampling grass, and then Rei's eyes appeared through a gap in the bushes. "What is it, Yuriko?"
"There are two of them over there," the auburn-haired teen indicated a nearby clearing. "Apparently, they're scouting the area and haven't sensed your presences yet. Use that to your advantage and, as much as possible, use only your weapons to take them out. However, should they decide to use elemental techniques against you, just remember the element chart, and everything should be smooth sailing from there."
"Roger that!" the neko-jin said, the leaves above his eyes rustling slightly as though he'd just performed a salute, and the amber eyes disappeared.
Yuriko stood up, stretching out of the crouch she'd been in for ten minutes straight. Not the best position to take for long periods of time. "Now, to other matters..." she muttered. She made her way to a rather large clump of trees, making as little noise as possible.
"Takao, are you sure volunteering to go first was a wise idea?" Max asked, gripping his kunai tightly. His bright blue eyes darted from left to right, scanning their surroundings. Behind him, the stormy-eyed teen scoffed.
"Max, what are you so worried about? There's no one here!"
"But remember what Kakashi-sensei said?" the blonde tucked the weapon back into his pouch. He and his companion were wearing standard 'ninja gear': the sandals - which they found helped speed up their running - the forehead protector, and the weapons pouch. And they were in the Forest of Death. "They could launch an attack any second!"
"Right...like they'd attack at this - Whoa!"
"Ack!"
Two dull thunks as two kunai embedded themself in the grassy loam at their feet. Both teens lowered their hands, the glow of chakra - Takao's a stark blue, Max's a majestic purple - slowly fading away, the shields they'd conjured as protection receding back into their bodies.
"Did you see where they came from?" Max asked, taking out his own weapon once more. Beside him, Takao shook his head slowly, drawing the bokken from the makeshift sheath at his side.
"No, but I could use the angles of the embedded kunai to calculate the angle of entry," the dark blue-haired teen suggested. Max frowned slightly.
"Takao, in case you haven't noticed, the kunai's angles have changed; they were deflected by our shields, remember?"
The steel blue-eyed teen grinned sheepishly. "Oh, yeah..."
Suddenly, he heard it: the unmistakable whisper of steel against the wind. "Max!" he called, taking out a kunai of his own. Beside him, the blonde nodded, then performed the neccessary hand seals.
"Biransei no Jutsu!" Max opened his mouth as though to force something very large out. Instead of air or some other substance, what came spewing out was a dark purple cloud, nearing black in some areas.
Poison.
It spread out in front of the blue-eyed boy, while Takao went behind his friend in order to not be affected by the gas. Then, Max nodded, indicating that they should conceal themselves whilst they had time; the poison cloud had barely dispersed. Both seperated, ducking down behind bushes on opposite ends of the clearing.
Hearts pumping, sweat forming at the hairline and starting downward, irritating and tickling. Knuckles turning near-white from the pressure exerted.
Suddenly, a loud crash like an explosion, and then a stark, white-blue flash that quickly did away with the toxic cloud. "Didn't think they'd use that poison cloud technique so early on..." a familiar voice said quietly, matching his light, quiet footsteps.
"Never underestimate the adversary, but allow him to dictate your actions..." an even quieter voice replied, sounding uncomfortably close to Takao's hiding place than the stormy-eyed teen would have liked.
Awww, man...! Takao thought, frowning slightly. Didn't think I'd be spotted so soon! With as much speed as he could muster in his cramped position and creating as little noise as possible, he returned the kunai to his pouch and held a hand to the hilt of his bokken.
"Do you see - or sense - them?"
No response.
Where are they? Takao thought, crouching lower - but drastically lowering his defensive capability from such a stance - trying to peer through the gaps in the branches of the bush he'd chosen as a hiding place. Nothing.
And then, surprisingly, dark eyes met his through the same gap he was peering out of. Just as suddenly, the obstruction disappeared, and Takao knew what this meant.
He had to move. Now.
Kai leapt back as a dark blur charged up at him. A flash - no, the sensation of a flash - of steel to his left, and he made to block it with his own kunai. At the same, with his left hand (he'd used his right to block the initial blow), he took out three shaken - the smaller version of the shuriken - and flicked them one, two, three, at his opponent. Small pings as they bounced off the other's weapon, and the crimson-eyed teen dropped to the ground, backflipping towards the nearest tree. The blur followed, drastically closing the distance Kai needed to perform an effective attack.
A low sussurus, buzzing through the air towards him. Shuriken. Moved his arm upwards to block it, and then leapt up once more onto a branch.
Have to...conceal myself...gain the advantage, somehow... the slate-haired teen thought, leaping from tree to tree, his adversary always one step behind him. He and Rei had been all set to spring their opponents from behind, but the plan had gone awry and now both teens were on the defensive instead.
Suddenly, a small, sloshing sound. It started out low and almost inaudible, but was growing considerably louder with each passing second.
Shoot! Kai thought. According to the element chart, his chakral nature - fire - would be weak against water and strong against wind.
He was facing a water-user.
Think, Hiwatari! How do you turn the tables so they're in your favor?
No use. He could hear the gurgling as the enemy coursed nearer towards him, seemingly gaining speed.
Crap...
Darn it! Rei thought as he ran, hair flying in the wind. Of all people to go against Too bad Kai and I got seperated...
A hot streak of wind, blazing uncomfortably past the neko-jin's right ear. Moments later, he spotted a tree trunk with a hole straight through it; the tree behind it had a kunai stuck in its bark. He shuddered, pressing himself to go faster.
C'mon, Rei...how do you get yourself out of this one? He glanced left and right, quickly assessing his surroundings for any signs of his patrol partner. There were none.
Yet.
They have to be around here, somewhere... the amber-eyed teen thought. He stopped for a moment, reaching into his weapons pouch for several bo-shuriken. These were essentially shuriken, but were shaped like bo - bamboo staves - only smaller and with sharper ends. Rei backpedalled a bit, leaping up onto a higher branch, and threw them.
They did not connect, and the neko-jin whirled away, willing his legs to run faster. He wasn't about to let himself be on the recieving end of an attack.
As he ran, he surveyed his surroundings constantly for any sign of Kai. If they were to join forces, somehow, then perhaps there was still a way out of this fix...
"Aww, man..."Max groaned under his breath, reaching into his pouch for another kunai. He'd thrown the first one in an effort to distract his opponent. It had worked for only a while, and the blonde had found himself running faster in order to keep a good distance ahead of the other.
The guy runs like he's got a jet rocket strapped to his back! the bright blue-eyed teen thought, casting a quick backwards glance to gauge the distance. Not much.
And I've yet to master any of the defensive techniques Neji-san and Hinata-san use...Just when I might have needed them, too... The cousins had taken it upon themselves to train their newfound relative in combat techniques the Hyuuga clan was well-known for. Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke had done the same with Rei, Takao, and Kai, respectively, adding a few more hours to the already-exhausting training sessions they had with Yuriko every other day. But Max was not one to complain; he knew how high the stakes were in this battle - one they had willingly offered to take a part in. And this was just one obstacle to winning that battle.
Then, an idea struck, and Max stopped, turning around to meet his attacker head-on. Hopefully, this would startle the ninja, gaining enough time for the blue-eyed teen to formulate a proper counter-attack.
True enough, the pursuer was surprised by the sudden change in strategy, from evasion to what looked like aggression, and he froze momentarily, being careful to keep to the shadows. That didn't matter.
The blonde quickly performed a few handseals. "Swamp Trap!" he yelled, placing his palms flat on the ground before him. In seconds, his opponent found himself trapped waist-deep in what looked like very sticky, clingy mud. It would take some time - a few minutes, at the very most - for anyone, even a Jounin, to free himself from such a 'grounding' technique, but it was enough.
Max bounded away, going over the possibilities in his mind. He didnt' know what elemental techniques - if any - his opponent used, and he would have to allow for that.
I just hope the others are all right...
"Rei, get down!"
The neko-jin glanced up, surprised, when he heard his former captain's voice. "Kai?"
"I said, get down!" the slate-haired teen shouted, landing on an overhanging branch and launching a giant fireball at his partner. Rei understood, ducking at the last minute as the flames blazed overhead, racing towards his opponent.
There was a minor explosion as the fireball collided into the trees...but no sign of Rei's opponent.
"Crap..." the amber-eyed teen muttered as he stood up, bounding over to Kai. "Did you get a good look at his - or her - face?"
Kai shook his head. "Unfortunately, I didn't; whoever it was kept to the shadows...""So, he - Kai, look out!"
The crimson-eyed teen jumped away just as a giant water dragon crashed down on the spot he'd been standing on. The branch fractured, and Rei was forced to jump to another branch as well.
Suiryuudan no Jutsu... the neko-jin noted. He crouched, readying himself for the technique Yuriko and Kakashi had helped him form to be used as his personal trump card. It utilized the speed Byakko had granted him, added to his knack for balance and agility. If performed properly, it would be as though the target had been hit by lightning, but not quite. Since Kai's facing a water-user, this should be somewhat effective...
"Explosive Tiger Fang!" he exclaimed, launching himself towards Kai's opponent in a burst of bright green chakra - quite different from the gentle green glow of healing chakra. Imitating the centrifugal spin of his Beyblade and translating it into human action had been no easy feat, but he'd managed to do it at last, and now Rei could see where it would come in handy. Judging from the blurs of the forest that surrounded him, he was going too fast to be seen by the naked eye. He extended his arms, a kunai clutched in each fist, and then slashed downward, once, twice, thrice, four times as he whirled round and round in quick succession. There was barely time to react, and there was a thud as the opposition collapsed.
Rei landed lightly on the branch, next to the person he'd just attacked, and Kai landed on the next branch over. The amber-eyed teen glanced towards his partner, giving a small smile.
"Well, guess that takes care of that..."
Darn it! Max thought as he dodged another attack. I haven't thought of a good counter-attack yet!
Another crackle of electricity, and the blonde jumped to a higher branch. Maybe if I get a good look at the guy, I'll be able to formulate some sort of plan...
Then...
"Oof!" the blue-eyed teen exclaimed as he fell flat on his bottom.
"Sorry about that..."
Max glanced up, then grinned. "Takao!"
The dragon-wielder smiled cheekily, extending his hand towards his friend. "Here, lemme help you up."
Max dusted himself off, then glanced around. "Did you get rid of your opponent already?"
Takao shook his head. "Nope. He's still behind me...I think."
"Great..."
Suddenly, flashes of red and blue-white light came from below, and Max and Takao leapt up onto the higher branches.
"They've combined their attacks!" Max noted, almost disheartened by how devastating the attack looked.
"Then we'll try to combine ours, too!" Takao yelled back, over the roar of lightning and flame. "Do your Water Dragon thing!"
"You really think this will work?" Max asked, even as he performed the seals.
The dark blue-haired teen shook his head wildly. "But it's worth a shot!" He, too, did several seals of his own.
"Bursting Water Dragon Wave!"
"Great Dragon Hurricane!"
The two teens had been working with Yuriko to incorporate what had been their bit beasts' attacks into each of their small combat arsenals, but neither of them had used the resulting techniques in confrontation.
To their surprise, the two attacks, sent in the same direction, joined together, the high speed and low temperature of the wind causing the gigantic wave of water to solidify.
Ice...? Max and Takao exchanged surprised glances, then leapt away in opposite directions, a precaution they took in tandem in case their technique gave way to their opponents'.
There was a humming sound, and then an explosion as the opposing elements clashed into one another. The duo took shelter behind tree trunks, away from the worst of the resultant debris. And then...
Silence.
Max peered around the trunk he'd hidden behind, searching for Takao and spotting him. "What happened?" he called, stepping out cautiously onto a branch that had been unaffected by the explosion.
"I don't know!" Takao replied, following suit. "Let's check it out..." Both jumped down to where they guessed their opponents had stood, finding nothing.
"Weird..." Takao muttered, taking in their surroundings.
"Yeah...they disappeared...just like that..." the blue-eyed teen added, glancing about as well.
"...Well, you four have certainly improved..." Sakura commented as she finished patching up the slashes Yuriko had recieved.
"I'll say!" the auburn-haired teen half-laughed, glancing at Rei, who sat a few feet away, his face downcast. "Rei, you perfected the new technique Kakashi-san and I helped you work out, and it went great!"
"Yeah, but I hurt you in the process..." the neko-jin said sullenly.
"Well, that was the point of the exercise, wasn't it?" Kakashi asked, taking a sip of the green tea Hiromi had set in front of him. "To learn how catch the enemy by surprise and deduce a strategy while under threat of personal injury?"
Around fifteen minutes earlier, all eight of them - Yuriko, Asuma, Kakashi, Sasuke, and the four members of Team BBA - had gathered at Yuriko's house to discuss the results of the battle exercise they had gone through.
"Yeah, but I don't think I should have gone that far..."
"Rei, it's all right now..." Yuriko said, walking over to him and laying a hand on his shoulder. "No harm done, and it shows us how far you've come in your training. No pain, no gain, right?"
"Well, I suppose..."
"At any rate...Kai, what was that technique you used back there?" Asuma asked, stubbing his cigarette out in a nearby ashtray. "It looked like the Great Fireball technique, but you didn't perform any of the seals needed for that."
The slate-haired teen glanced at Yuriko, then up at the bearded Jounin. "Yuriko's been helping the four of us convert our bit beasts' attacks into techniques of our own, Asuma-san. The one I did back in the forest was a variation - the second form of Suzaku's Volcano Emission attack."
"I see..."
"And the first form would be-?" Kakashi pressed. He'd found it interesting that these four were making up their own techniques, based on the attacks of the sacret beasts they'd once controlled.
"Exactly that, Kakashi-san: a miniature volcano. I can only use it when I'm on the ground though, so that the flames come up through the earth..."
"Hmm..." the masked ninja turned to Max and Takao, who were conversing excitedly, no doubt about the combination attack they'd done in the forest. "And the two of you were able to accidentally discover a combined technique of your own."
Takao nodded, smiling. "Yup! It was awesome!"
"Great for creating shields and stuff," Max added, grinning from ear to ear.
Sakura shook her head. "I can see the resemblance between Naruto and Takao, but between Neji, Hinata, and Max? None whatsoever..."
"Oh, yeah!" Yuriko said suddenly. She turned to Hiromi, who had just come out from the kitchen. "Hiromi-san, I just remembered, but how's your training going?"
"It's going great!" Hiromi replied, sliding the screen door closed.
Takao looked surprised. "You're training, too?"
The ruby-eyed teen nodded, smiling. "I was getting so tired of sitting back and watching you guys, so I asked Yuriko if there was something I could do. After we got the go-ahead from Tsunade-sama, I started training with Tenten."
"Yikes!" went Takao, scurrying into a corner. Embedded in the spot where his head had been moments earlier was the bladed end of a modified manrikigusari. The original weapon consisted of a three-foot-chain with weights at both ends; this had a weight at one end, and a small sickle-shaped blade at the other. Hiromi had thrown it, just for emphasis on what she'd said.
"So, we'll be having another weapons user when the time comes..." Sasuke noted. "And she's even learned to hide them well."
"That's good." Asuma commented, taking out another cigarette and lighting it. "That way, we have more long-range attack units. That should be helpful when the Shikino finally decide to move in."
"Which I don't think can be very far off..." Yuriko added.
"Well, at any rate, you guys are making swift progress..." Kakashi commented as he stood up. "I'd best be on my way now; Tsunade made me promise to report to her regularly on your training..."
"I'll go, too. I feel awkward being the only adult here..." Asuma went and joined the silver-haired man in the outer hall.
"Dewa mata, Kakashi-san, Asuma-san..." Yuriko said as she got up, intending to see him properly to the door; she'd finally gotten over calling them 'sensei'. With one last wave to the group, the two Jounin were gone.
"So, ever since you started training, you've started seeing your opponents' moves as though they were a movie playing in slow motion?" Sasuke asked, arms crossed. Kai, who sat next to him on the porch, nodded sullenly. Usually he relied on his own judgement when it came to confusing things, but the slate-haired teen decided to break this habit, just once; it had been several weeks now since he started seeing everything slowed down when in combat, and he still hadn't found a logical explanation for the strange phenomenon.
"I felt like I had to ask you about it, since, according to Tsunade, the two of us are closely related," Kai said as some sort of explanation. A few moments later, Sasuke turned and gave a small smile.
"There's your proof right there."
"'Proof', you say?"
Sasuke sat down - he'd been standing a while ago. "You seemed skeptical about our being cousins. The bloodline limit of the Uchiha clan is the Sharingan. Those who can utilize it are able to read and predict the movements of ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, and, if they so wished, copy these techniques. That's the reason for the slow motion effect, and probably why you were able to hold your own the first time we met...
"Since you inherited the Uchiha genes from your mother, I think your permanently crimson eyes are a by-product of the dilution of the gene that carries the ability to use the Sharingan. And maybe this diluted kekkei genkai manifested itself only when you came here because-"
"You're wrong." Kai said suddenly, remembering something.
"Excuse me?"
"You're wrong, Sasuke," the slate-haired teen replied, making his voice a little louder. "True, what I have may be a diluted version of your clan's bloodline limit, but it didn't manifest itself only when I arrived here. It happened much earlier..."
"Oh?" One elegant jet-black eyebrow arched in interest.
Kai nodded; he looked a bit out of it because he was remembering scenes from his early days of Beyblading onward. "As you already know, from where we come from, my friends and I are a Beyblading team, a championship team to be exact. When I was around twelve - when I entered my first championship tournament - I noticed that I could predict where my opponents were and what they were going to do next based on their blades' position in the stadium. I never gave it much thought before, because I believed I'd just memorized the attack and defense patterns of most blades with the same build and structure. But when I saw that it worked for humans, too..."
For a few minutes, both teens were lost in the silence, then Kai spoke up once more. "How do you learn to control this...Sharingan?"
"There really isn't one concrete way to mastering this kekkei genkai," the obsidian-eyed teen replied. "You just keep training as usual, only using the Sharingan as much as possible so you can train your body to react according to what it tells you will happen next. You could also try copying several techniques, but since what you have is a diluted version, it might not work as well..."
"I'll keep that in mind..."
"Kai? Sasuke-san?" Yuriko's head poked out of the back door shoji. "Won't you come inside? It's time for dinner now, and I don't think Takao or Naruto are willing to wait any longer..."
Kai chuckled; he knew the dragon-wielder's penchant for food and his accompanying eating habits. He stood up. "Fine. We'll be right there, Yuriko." The auburn-haired teen disappeared back into the house, and Kai turned to Sasuke.
"C'mon, let's go; if we don't, even the table will be gone by the time we get in there."
"How much longer, sir?"
"A few more weeks, perhaps. Give them a chance to relax..."
A cruel smile, a whisper of steel, and then a shk! as the kunai embedded itself in the ground.
"And then...we attack."
A/N: Chapter 12, fini! XD Maybe November is my 'Golden Month', where my fics are updated at incredible speed! XP Only kidding. Oh, as for the techniques Team BBA uses, they're not canon - just made up on the spur of the moment, by yours truly. I was contemplating using the Japanese names for the techniques, but thought you guys would be confused. So...if you want to know the original name of the technique, please say so in your review or through a PM, and I'll get back to you.
Well, that's it for this installment! Peace out and God bless! D