Previously on Survivor: Ninja Edition...
A surprise tribe swap divided the remaining 15 castaways into two tribes; Deidara, Ino, Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, Shikamaru and Konan were put on the Taiyou Tribe, while Kisame, Hanabi, Gai, Temari, Itachi, Sasuke and Kurenai formed the new Tsuki Tribe. Haku drew the odd buff, sending himself to Exile where he found a 'Steal A Vote' advantage. At the Taiyou camp, Team 7 was united again, as well as Team 10 comrades Ino and Shikamaru, and Taiyou dominated the next two challenges with their superior teamwork and communication. Facing tribal council, Itachi put together the Anti-Konoha Alliance, a.k.a. AKA, and together they voted Kurenai out of the Tsuki Tribe, replacing her with Haku. 14 remain; who will be voted out tonight?
Ep 4 Votes:
Voted for Kurenai - Itachi, Sasuke, Kisame, Temari (4)
Voted for Sasuke - Kurenai, Hanabi, Gai (3)
Idols/Advantages:
Naruto - Hidden Immunity Idol (no one knows about it)
Itachi - Hidden Immunity Idol (Sasuke knows)
Hanabi - Legacy Advantage (use at 11 or 6; no one knows)
Haku - Steal A Vote (only good for his next tribal; no one knows)
Unknown (former Beauty Tribe member) - Hidden Immunity Idol
Konan - Fake Hidden Immunity Idol (Sakura and Shikamaru know, only Itachi knows its fake)
Survivor: Ninja Edition - Ep 5
It's A Work Of Art
Night 11 - Tsuki
As soon as she put her torch down back at camp, Temari warily approached Gai and Hanabi. The pair had not said a single word on the trek back from tribal council, and while that was not unusual for someone like Hanabi, it was definitely out of character for Gai.
Noting that Haku was being shepherded around by Sasuke, who was fetching him water and some fruit, Temari focused her attention on the pair in front of her.
"Hey guys," she began tentatively. At the sound of her voice, Hanabi inclined her head slightly and Gai raised his eyes to meet her sheepish gaze.
"I'm sorry about tonight," Temari said sincerely. "I just truly thought that our best chance of winning against the other tribe was to keep Sasuke."
"I don't blame you, Temari-chan," Gai placed a comforting hand on her shoulder while Hanabi gave a half-hearted shrug. "You did what you thought was best."
"Thanks, Gai," Temari said weakly. With nothing else to say, all she could do was watch the pair wander towards the fire pit and begin to converse in hushed tones once they had sat down.
She supposed that Gai's response was the best she could hope for - at least for tonight. Temari knew that if she was in their situation, she would probably have taken it a lot worse. However, she definitely stood by her choice to vote Kurenai out of the game. As far as trust went, Temari felt that she had to stick with Kisame, who was her ally from Day 1. Furthermore, if she, a Suna nin, went with the Konoha alliance, that move would've likely placed her at the bottom of the pecking order. It was better for her to take her chances with the Anti-Konoha Alliance.
"You made the right choice tonight, Temari," Kisame's voice interrupted her musing. While she had been lost in thought, the shark man and older Uchiha had made their way over to her.
"Thank you for keeping Sasuke in the game," Itachi said gently, before nodding his head in respect. "You have my trust."
Those words caused Temari to crack a smile. She supposed that she did make the right decision tonight after all.
Day 12 - Reward Challenge
"Come on in, guys!" Jiraiya greeted the contestants jovially as they filed onto the beach. "Taiyou - getting your first look at the new Tsuki Tribe; Kurenai was voted out at the last tribal council and replaced by Haku, who is back from Exile."
The news was met with a few hushed exchanges of words among the Taiyou members. Noticing their reaction, Jiraiya addressed Deidara.
"Deidara," he called. "Why all the whispering over there?"
"Oh, we think it's kinda obvious, yeah," Deidara shrugged carelessly. "The four previous Brawn members seem to be running the show."
To their credit, no one on the Tsuki Tribe made any indication to confirm or deny Deidara's speculation. There were a few grins and poker faces from the various members of Tsuki, but none of them gave him a definitive answer. Sensing that nothing else was to going to be revealed, Jiraiya proceeded to explain today's challenge.
"Alright, let's get to today's reward challenge!" Jiraiya indicated to the sea, where two parallel rows of seven narrow perches had been built into the shallow water.
"Today's challenge is simple," he explained. "All seven tribe members will stand in a row while perched on narrow platforms. You will all raise your arms out to the side, where you will be working together with the people beside you to hold up disks with the palm of your hands. You are only allowed to use your palms, which means you and the person beside you need to find the right amount of force to exert together."
"Oh!" Naruto's eyes lit up in comprehension. "It's like a permanent hi-five! Easy!"
"Yes, but each disk weighs five kilograms," Jiraiya continued. "If you drop both your disks or lose balance and fall into the water, you are out of the challenge - but the rest of your tribe still continues on. The aim of the challenge is to outlast the other tribe - as long as two of you are still holding up a disk, you're still in it."
"The winning tribe will be treated to a luxurious assortment of desserts - mochi, dango, wagashi - you name it, it's there," Jiraiya grinned, already noting several longing expressions form on the contestants' faces. "I know it's worth playing for. We'll draw for spots and get started."
...
"Alright! Everyone is now in position," Jiraiya announced, surveying the fourteen ninja who were precariously perched on their tiny platforms. He himself was situated on a much larger wooden platform in order to proctor the challenge.
"For Taiyou, it is Shikamaru at the side, followed by Konan, Sakura, Kakashi, Ino, Deidara and Naruto at the other end of the line," Jiraiya said as he looked down the Taiyou line up. "For Tsuki, the spots they drew landed Itachi on one end, followed by Gai, Kisame, Hanabi, Haku, Sasuke and Temari on the other side."
"Survivors ready?" Jiraiya stole one last look at everyone, making sure that everything was in order. "This challenge is now on."
Almost immediately, several disks on Taiyou's line splashed into the seawater. This was quickly followed by Ino, who gracefully hopped off her post and made her way to Jiraiya's platform to observe the challenge.
"Ino," Jiraiya was shocked. "The challenge hasn't been on for five seconds and you've just given up. Is there any rationale behind this?"
"Of course," the blonde Yamanaka replied confidently as she tossed her damp hair behind her shoulder, not at all apologetic. "It's strategy - you can see how the Taiyou Tribe has paired up to conserve their energy and focus it to the right places. Shikamaru and Konan are now paired up, and so are Sakura and Kakashi, as well as Deidara and Naruto. It's our best chance of winning this."
"Sakura and Konan," Jiraiya now addressed the other kunoichi on the Taiyou Tribe. "You both have also let go of the disk between you. Is this part of the team's strategy that Ino has just mentioned?"
"Absolutely," Sakura replied. "It's a gamble to let go of a disk right off the bat, but we'll be able to last twice as long if it works."
"How unyouthful," Gai shook his head in disapproval.
"Very interesting and different approaches to this challenge by both tribes," Jiraiya acknowledged. "Taiyou has decided to focus on certain pairs, whereas Tsuki has chosen to stick it out. Let's see which one will pay off in the end."
...
"We are now fifteen minutes into the challenge," Jiraiya announced. "So far, only Ino is out of the challenge. Everyone left on Taiyou seems to be going strong; Hanabi and Temari seem to be tiring."
Hanabi clenched her teeth, annoyed. Yes, she was definitely breaking a sweat, but she was determined to prove to her tribe that she was not weak. After last night's tribal council, she knew that she could very well be the next person to go if they had to go to tribal council again. She was on the bottom of her tribe together with Gai, but there was no way that her tribe would vote Gai out instead of her as he was extremely valuable in the challenges.
"Don't say nothing about me," Hanabi ground out. "I'm doing just fine."
Her comment earnt her a chuckle from Kisame, which made her feel a bit better. However, her elation was short-lived as a splash from her other side took her by surprise. She jolted, causing the disk between her and Kisame to slip slightly, but she composed herself in time and prevented it from falling.
"Woah, girly," Kisame's deep voice rumbled softly. "Don't lose your focus."
"It was my fault," Haku said sheepishly as Hanabi flushed with embarrassment. "Sweaty palms."
"And with that, Tsuki has dropped their first disk!" Jiraiya announced. "Hanabi and Haku are now disconnected, and are holding up one disk each."
Resisting the urge to glare at Haku, Hanabi stared resolutely at the spot in front of her. Focusing her energy, she allowed her thoughts to dwindle away until she was only aware of her breath, feeling every inhalation and expulsion of air from her body.
Before she knew it, Hanabi was brought out of her meditation by a splash, the sound of cursing, and Jiraiya's voice.
"And just under thirty minutes into the challenge, Temari drops out!" came Jiraiya's announcement.
Willing her face to remain its impassive expression when all she really wanted to do was yell in triumph and point out that Temari was clearly the weak link instead of her, Hanabi forced herself to focus on her breathing again.
...
"This challenge has been going for one and a half hours," Jiraiya said.
By now, no matter how much breathing she did, Hanabi's left arm was visibly trembling as she fought to hold her disk up.
"Hanabi," Kisame called softly under his breath, shifting his gaze to her. "It's okay. You can let go."
The young Hyuuga could only shake her head stubbornly in response.
"It's alright, Hanabi," this time it was Gai. "You've done well. If you let go, you'll be helping Kisame as he'll only have one disk to focus on."
This made Hanabi turn her head, locking her eyes with Kisame. He gave her a curt nod and a small smile. It was true that she and Kisame were holding their disk at a rather awkward angle - he was practically twice her height, for crying out loud.
"Alright, if you say so," Hanabi whispered, exhausted.
Lowering her aching arm slowly, she let her disk fall into the water and joined the sit-out platform.
"Hanabi is out of the challenge!" Jiraiya announced. "We are now left with-"
However, it seemed that Hanabi's actions had created a chain reaction of sorts. Before Jiraiya could complete his sentence, Shikamaru had muttered an agitated "troublesome" as his disk slipped out from his palm and hit the water. Sakura, startled by the splash near her spot, jumped visibly and lost her balance on her perch, too tired to regain her bearings.
"And within the span of mere seconds, three disks have fallen into the water!" Jiraiya exclaimed, excited to have some action at last. "Hanabi, Shikamaru, Konan, Sakura and Kakashi are now out! Taiyou is depending on Naruto and Deidara now, while Tsuki still has Itachi, Gai, Kisame, Haku and Sasuke!"
The disappointed members of the Taiyou Tribe climbed onto Jiraiya's platform, apologizing to each other for slipping up, and cheering their remaining two teammates on.
While all the movement was happening, Itachi, Gai and Kisame had started a brief conversation, culminating in Itachi leaping off his perch to land directly on the viewing platform. He had landed even before his disk had hit the waves.
"And out of the blue, Itachi has removed himself from the challenge as well!" Jiraiya announced. "Is this a strategy by Tsuki?"
"It is," Itachi admitted, only slightly winded by his efforts in the challenge. "Gai can now properly concentrate on holding the disk with Kisame. We now have two pairs, while they only have one. The odds are in our favor."
...
"It has now been four and a half hours," Jiraiya announced, failing miserably at sounding enthusiastic.
Haku had dropped his disk somewhere around the two and a half hour mark, putting him and Sasuke out of the challenge. The showdown between the remaining pairs - Deidara and Naruto, as well as Gai and Kisame - had been going on ever since, with neither side showing signs of budging.
"Gai and Kisame," Jiraiya addressed the Tsuki pair. "How are you two holding up?"
"Spectacularly!" Gai shouted immediately. "I feel the youth coursing through my veins! If I cannot hold this disk up for another four days, I will have to do four hundred laps around Uzushiogakure on my hands! And if I cannot do that, I will-"
"Yeah, we're not going anywhere anytime soon," Kisame translated.
"Good answers," Jiraiya nodded, before turning to the remaining Taiyou pair. "What about you guys, Naruto and Deidara? Feeling good?"
"Amazing, dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed, his voice sounding rough with exertion. "I never ever give up!"
"Speak for yourself, yeah," Deidara panted. "It's fucking tough keeping up with you stamina freaks."
"You're doing awesome, Dei-kun!" Ino called from the main platform, causing the rest of the tribe to join in the encouragement. "So are you, Naruto!"
"Alright, alright," Jiraiya waved his hands. "So, because it looks like these four aren't going to give in for at least another day, and we really need to give the winning tribe their dessert and get on with the schedule, we're gonna up the ante."
Deidara's groan was drowned out by the enthusiastic cheers from Naruto and Gai.
"I'm going to add another five kilograms to the disks," Jiraiya explained as he began a series of handseals.
As he held the last hand seal in place, both disks glowed for a fraction of a second before the four ninja all let out yelps of surprise as they had to adjust to the sudden increase of weight. Kisame and Gai were able to successfully make the transition and regain their balance. The weight increase proved too much for a fatigued Deidara, however, and the explosives expert met the water face-first, the disk following soon after.
"And with that, Tsuki wins reward!" Jiraiya threw his hands high up into the air, forming miniature 'V's with his fingers to signify victory. "Your dessert spread will be waiting for you back at camp! Enjoy the rest of your day!"
The Tsuki Tribe immediately erupted into cheers, celebrating their first victory as a tribe. The members of Taiyou hung their heads, exhausted and disappointed, as they prepared for their trudge back to camp devoid of sugary treats.
"Taiyou, I've got nothing for you," Jiraiya waved a hand dismissively. "Head back to camp."
Day 12 - Tsuki
The entire tribe was in high spirits from their first victory as a new tribe. Even Itachi couldn't hide a huge grin from coming to his face when they walked into camp and found a wide array of desserts waiting for them.
Dropping their bags and running to the table filled with sugary goodness in front of them, the Tsuki Tribe wasted no time in picking out a treat and toasting to their success.
"To Tsuki!" Gai's booming voice echoed across the beach. "May our youthfulness always burn bright!"
A round of cheering ensued, followed by a short silence as everyone took their first bite.
"Oh kami, this is amazing!" Temari moaned, savoring the strawberry mochi in her mouth. "Thank you, Kisame and Gai. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"Yeah," Hanabi agreed. "We definitely won this one thanks to you two."
"Ah shucks, you guys," Kisame laughed, the sugar putting him in a good mood. "You hung on pretty well yourself, Hanabi."
"I did try my hardest," Hanabi smiled at the shark man as she punched his arm lightly. "Must be that old Brawn Tribe blood."
"Hey, how funny was that, by the way?" Temari interjected. "The other tribe thinking that the Brawn are in charge!"
"Hilarious!" Hanabi giggled, sharing a friendly look with the Suna kunoichi.
After polishing off several more sweets, the tribe agreed to save the remaining dessert and split it evenly between all of the members as the days wore on. Sugar was a valuable commodity out on the island, after all. Satisfied with the arrangement, the ninja began to wander off to complete their daily activities. Gai went to collect more firewood, Haku went to do his laundry, and Kisame went fishing, accompanied by Temari and Hanabi.
Left in the shelter with his older brother, Sasuke glared out at the ocean, where he could make out the figures of Kisame and his tag-alongs.
"Are you noticing this as well, aniki?" Sasuke whispered.
"Hn?" Itachi followed his brother's gaze to the water.
"Hanabi." Sasuke scoffed. "She's trying way too hard with Kisame and Temari, and they seem to be falling for it. It's pathetic."
"You have a point," Itachi conceded after he pondered Sasuke's words. "We'll make sure that she's the next to go."
"I want her gone, but is that the best move?" Sasuke asked. "The other tribe thinks that the former Brawn are calling the shots. Is there anything we can gain from letting them continue to think that?"
"If they assume that, it might make Naruto-kun a target," Itachi guessed. "Would that be beneficial to us?"
"Maybe," Sasuke frowned. "I'm not sure if Naruto will want to work me after what happened in that joint tribal council."
"If that's the case, we'll have to target Haku," Itachi said thoughtfully. Haku was the only non-Brawn on this tribe that wasn't a Uchiha.
"At the same time, I'd rather not," Sasuke admitted. "He's part of our alliance after all. We've been somewhat aligned since the start."
"And yet," Itachi countered, "I am slightly suspicious of him. He might have the idol from this beach. One of your former Beauty members has definitely found it, remember?"
"Argh! This is so frustrating," Sasuke groaned.
"We have time to think on it," Itachi assured him with a poke to the forehead. "If we lose the next immunity challenge, we can decide if it's Haku or Hanabi. But until then, don't stress yourself out unnecessarily."
Day 12 - Taiyou
"I'm sorry, guys," Deidara sighed as he plopped himself down in the tribe shelter.
"Don't be, you did way better than most of us," Sakura assured him as Ino rubbed soothing circles into the Iwa nin's back.
"I really wanted some dessert, though," Naruto pouted.
"It's alright, we'll just make sure we win the next one," Kakashi told him.
They had just arrived back at camp, their spirits slightly dampened at their first loss as a tribe. After a couple minutes of moping, the group of seven pulled themselves together and continued on with their daily routines.
Deidara made sure to tag along with Konan as she gathered a bundle of her clothes and headed to a quiet spot on the beach to wash them. Grabbing a handful of his and Ino's clothes, the blonde artist joined his former Akatsuki comrade by the shallow water as she acknowledged him with a nod.
"I've been meaning to talk to you," Deidara began.
"Straight to the point, huh," Konan mumbled amusedly in response.
"I think the two of us are way past stuffy formalities," Deidara told her honestly.
Ino had told him to talk to Konan about aligning with them and Shikamaru. He had put it off for a couple of days, seeing that their tribe had been on a winning streak. However, the outcome of today's challenge had forced him to approach Konan before it was too late.
"Ino and I want to form an alliance with you and Shikamaru," he continued. "That way, it'll be us four in the majority against Naruto, Kakashi and Sakura."
"That's... an interesting proposal," Konan said slowly. "I'm curious to know what brought this on."
"Oh, come on," the explosives expert rolled his eyes. "I know you're not dumb, yeah. You've had to realize by now that those three have made an alliance 'cuz they're Team 7 or some shit like that."
"I have noticed," Konan said simply.
"So then you'd know the best option for you and Shikamaru would be to join Ino and me," Deidara told her earnestly. "Those three are dangerous together, and anyone who joins them will always be number four at best. You'd be crazy to align with them. If you come with us, on the other hand, it'll be like a democracy."
Konan was a smart woman - she already knew everything that Deidara was telling her. However, she was loathe to break up the former Brain alliance with Shikamaru and Sakura as they both knew about her idol. By picking either one to side with, it was practically guaranteed that the spurned individual would spill the beans on her advantage, thus painting a big target on her back. Konan also knew she was in a precarious position; out of the entire tribe, she was the one with the least number of connections within the group.
"Alright, I'm in," Konan looked Deidara in the eye as she shook his hand.
"Awesome!" Deidara grinned at her. "I knew you'd make the right choice, yeah."
Smiling back at her former Akatsuki member, Konan resumed her washing with Deidara doing the same beside her. She wasn't completely sold on the idea that the four consisting of herself, Shikamaru, Deidara and Ino would be on equal standing, but she had little choice other than to go with it for now. Before she made her choice, Konan decided she'd need to first have a conversation with Shikamaru and Sakura to get a sense of where she stood in the tribe, and then act accordingly from there. There could still be a chance that they would both want to keep the Brain alliance in tact.
Day 13 - Immunity Challenge
"Come on in, guys!" Jiraiya waved his arms in welcome as the fourteen ninja filed into the small clearing.
"We are here in the dense jungles of Uzushiogakure, where the early Uzumaki used to forage for food," Jiraiya explained, "and it is here where we will begin our next challenge for tribal immunity."
A quick glance around the clearing revealed two tables on either side of the Sannin that were filled with several covered boxes. Additionally, a medium-sized roulette wheel stood behind him. There were words written on each section of the wheel, and Jiraiya wore a devious grin as he watched the contestants register just exactly what words they were reading.
"No way!" Ino covered her mouth in horror, her eyes comically wide. "We're gonna have to eat bugs?! A-and things?"
"Right you are, Ino!" Jiraiya exclaimed, noting with glee that a few others were beginning to share in Ino's disgust. "For today's challenge, you will face off one on one against the opposing tribe in an eating contest! After you pick your contenders, I will spin the wheel and whoever eats whatever quicker will score a point for their tribe. There will be seven rounds in total, and the tribe that scores higher will be safe tonight. The losing tribe will pay me a visit at tribal council where somebody will be going home."
Before anybody else could protest, Jiraiya continued, "Every member needs to go once. I'll give you a minute to decide what order you'll be going in, and we'll get started."
…
"Alright! First up we have Naruto from Taiyou taking on Itachi from Tsuki," Jiraiya announced, giving the roulette an enthusiastic spin. "Let's see what's on the menu!"
Everyone waited with bated breath as the wheel gradually slowed to a halt.
"Fish sperm sacs?!" The look on Naruto's face was half disbelief, half morbid curiosity.
"Yep," Jiraiya confirmed as he lifted the lids of two boxes. "From puffer fish, specifically. Ready? And eat!"
Although both Itachi and Naruto looked like they would very much rather be doing anything else, they instantly stuffed the white, gooey substance into their mouths. Naruto was bouncing from foot to foot, while Itachi unsuccessfully tried to hide his grimace.
"Come on, Naruto!" Sakura called. "Pretend it's a new ramen flavor!"
"Yeah!" Deidara added eagerly. "Devour it, un!"
Emboldened by his tribe mates' encouragement, Naruto forced himself to swallow the food and stuck his tongue out at Jiraiya to show an empty mouth.
"Naruto has it!" Jiraiya declared as the blonde in question pumped a fist into the air triumphantly. "Taiyou scores the first point!"
The second round saw Deidara from Taiyou challenging Gai from Tsuki. After another spin of the wheel, Jiraiya uncovered another two boxes of food.
"Gai and Deidara will be eating deep fried tarantulas!" the Sannin said. "Your time starts now - go!"
The two shinobi attacked their portions with ferocity, but Deidara was no match for Gai. Within a matter of seconds, the Green Beast of Konoha showed Jiraiya an empty mouth and praised youth as Tsuki was awarded their first point.
"Next we have Taiyou's Kakashi up against Tsuki's Kisame!" Jiraiya said as he spun the roulette. "You will be eating fertilized duck egg and-"
"Wait a minute!" Naruto bellowed. "Does this mean we finally get to see Kaka-sensei's face?"
There was a collective moment of silence as everyone stared at Kakashi expectantly.
"Well, my cute student," Kakashi held up his hands placatingly as Sakura and Sasuke shared meaningful glances with their blonde teammate, "I think what we should be more focused on is that there is a half-developed embryo in this egg-"
"Nice try, but it's not gonna work," Naruto crossed his arms defiantly.
"Yeah!" Sakura nodded her head. "You need to eat this in front of everyone, after all."
"And you need to show Jiraiya your empty mouth," Sasuke added with a victorious smirk.
Sensing there was no denying it, Kakashi sighed. "Very well," he said as he hung his head.
"Okay, uh, if that's settled then let's get on with it," Jiraiya's confusion was shared by everyone else in the area, having expected Kakashi to put up a bit more of a fight. "Ready, and eat!"
To everyone's fascination, the egg in Kakashi's hand disappeared into thin air. Seconds later, his cheeks bulged and he started chewing. Even Kisame was staring dumbfounded at Kakashi as he crunched on his own egg.
The answer became apparent soon enough, however.
"Oh god," Sakura groaned as Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I can't believe you used Obito's sharingan to warp dimensions just so you could get away with this!"
"I take my privacy seriously," Kakashi mumbled as he chewed, shifting his headband back over his sharingan eye.
In the end, however, Kisame won the match easily thanks to his razor sharp teeth, bringing Tsuki into the lead and saving Kakashi from having to show Jiraiya his empty mouth. Though he would never admit it, Sasuke was actually disappointed for once that his tribe scored a point.
"Tsuki now leads two to one!" Jiraiya stated. "Let's start the next round!"
Sakura and Temari were the ones to step up to the plate for Taiyou and Tsuki respectively, glancing at the spinning roulette that would determine their menu.
"Fermented horse milk!" Jiraiya told them. "In three, two, one - start!"
Sakura wasted no time in grabbing her cup and chugging down its contents. She told herself to channel Tsunade - after all, she'd witnessed her mentor downing entire sake bottles in a matter of seconds one too many times.
"Shannaro!" the pink-haired medic exclaimed as she slammed her empty cup back down on the table, sticking her tongue out to Jiraiya. Temari was still struggling with her first few gulps.
"We are now tied!" Jiraiya acknowledged. "Both tribes have two points each."
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto's eyes were practically filled with stars. "You're so cool!"
"Up next we have Konan representing Taiyou, and Haku for Tsuki," Jiraiya said, beckoning the pair forward. Both looked equally determined to help their tribe pull ahead by scoring the next point.
"You will be eating jellied moose nose!" Jiraiya announced, enjoying how he got a few double takes as his words registered. "Ready? Go!"
There was zero hesitation as both Konan and Haku devoured their portion of nose. As two people who had lived through the horrors of war since their childhood, there were several occasions where they had to eat anything they could find in order to survive. A bit of moose nose was child's play to them.
It was a very close call, but Konan managed to show Jiraiya an empty mouth a split second before Haku did.
"And Taiyou is now in the lead with three points!" Jiraiya declared to the cheering of the three loud blondes on the tribe. "Let's begin the next round."
Ino and Hanabi stepped forward, sizing each other up with their gaze.
"Ino can win it right here for Taiyou," Jiraiya reminded the entire group. "Hanabi is hoping to tie it up and keep Tsuki in the challenge."
As the roulette was spun yet again, Ino found herself dreading what she might get. Given her way, she'd bow out of the challenge entirely, but with the added pressure of potentially winning the entire challenge for her tribe, she knew that she had no option but to give it a shot.
"Your dish is white ant egg soup," Jiraiya's words almost had Ino gagging already. Even Hanabi's usual poker face was in danger of cracking.
At the Sannin's signal, both kunoichi dived into their soup. While their effort was admirable, it was clear that both of them were struggling. Hanabi was turning a peculiar shade of green and Ino was doing a poor job of holding back her gag reflex.
"Come on, Ino-pig!" Sakura's voice reached the blonde Yamanaka's ears. "Just pretend it's tofu! Or barley! Or just any of your healthy diet foods!"
Easy for her to say, Ino thought darkly as she pinched her nose in hopes of blocking out some of the taste. She took another mouthful of the soup and fought down the urge to cough. Forced herself to swallow and-
"Hanabi is cleared! We are once again tied!" Jiraiya exclaimed. Sure enough, the bowl in front of the now queasy-looking Hyuuga was empty. "We'll move on to our final round with Shikamaru and Sasuke."
Angrily, Ino spat out whatever was left in her mouth as Shikamaru murmured a quiet "troublesome" as he prepared for his round. He was secretly hoping that Ino would win and save him the effort of having all the pressure on him to win.
"Chocolate-covered locusts!" Jiraiya told them once the wheel came to a stop. "Begin!"
Both ninja began rapidly shoving the insects into their mouths and chewing furiously. Egged on by their tribemates' cheering, neither refused to slow down or break their concentration. While Sasuke was not a fan of sweets, he knew that winning immunity for his tribe was a lot more important than his food preferences. Even the laid back Shikamaru was looking rather frenzied as he raced to finish his food as soon as possible. Going to tribal touncil would be infinitely more tedious than hustling right now.
At the last moment, however, Sasuke managed to pull ahead of Shikamaru and slammed his palms down on the table to get Jiraiya's attention as he opened his mouth to show it was empty.
Only a mouthful behind, Shikamaru swallowed and shook his head in disappointment. It was going to be messy tonight.
"And Tsuki wins tribal immunity!" Jiraiya declared, his voice almost drowned out by Gai's joyful proclamations of Sasuke's youth. "Tsuki, you may had back to camp and enjoy the night off. Taiyou, I'll see you tonight at tribal council where one of you will be next person to be voted out."
Day 13 - Taiyou
As soon as they hit the beach, Konan found herself and Shikamaru promptly whisked away by Sakura. Sparing a discreet glance behind her as the trio made their way to the water well, Konan observed Naruto keeping Ino and Deidara occupied with his loud, dramatic antics.
Wasting no time, Sakura started speaking as soon as they were out of earshot.
"I would like us three to stay strong," the medic spoke up, looking each of them in the eye.
"I'd like that too," Konan admitted easily. It was the truth, after all.
Shikamaru looked deep in thought as he spoke. "What do you propose, Sakura?"
"As much as it pains me to say it," Sakura's eyes fell shut as she took in a deep breath. "I think Ino should go home."
Risking a quick look at Shikamaru, Konan noted a slight pinching of his brows before it disappeared behind a mask of indifference. Interesting. Maybe the Nara genius did have a protective streak when it came to his female teammate?
Sensing the need to elaborate, Sakura continued, her voice soft and convincing. "I'm not happy about it, but Ino-pig is obviously the weakest member of our tribe. We need to be winning challenges, and the only advantage she gives us is her clan jutsu, which in itself is a wildcard. We don't know if she could use it in the future against us."
"That's a fair point, Sakura-chan," Konan nodded.
"Challenges are only one part of the game," Shikamaru countered. "Ino is good at gathering information and keeping secrets. Playing the game with someone like Ino is easy as you know what to expect from her. It's unfortunate, but I truly think that Naruto should go. He's too unpredictable and indiscreet to have as an ally."
Something flashed in Sakura's eyes, but before Konan could identify what it was, the pinkette was already smiling sweetly.
"But doesn't that make playing with Naruto even better?" she shot back. "People underestimate him, and that would give us the advantage."
"Same with Ino," Shikamaru pointed out. "She's not a physical threat, which makes her great to take into the merge. Naruto could easily go on an immunity winning streak. It's best to take him out before that happens."
"That's unlikely with people like Gai and Kisame around," Sakura snorted. "But if someone like Ino makes it to the end, she'll beat us hands down for several reasons!"
Noticing that two pairs of eyes were now staring at her, silently screaming for her to take their side, Konan sighed. So much for keeping the Brain alliance together.
"Look, I see both your points," Konan said, taking care to keep her voice neutral. "I need a bit of time to think it through as our decision will definitely affect our tribe. I don't want to rush it."
Seeing their reluctant expressions, Konan felt the need to add, "But rest assured that I want to have both your backs. We need to stick together, no matter what we choose in the end."
"Okay," Sakura's smile didn't quite reach her eyes as she regarded Shikamaru.
"Take your time. We'll wait," Shikamaru's voice was a bit too polite.
…
Turned out that waiting was not an option. Over the past hour, it seemed that both of Konan's former tribemates had individually decided that it was not going to work and had approached her separately to persuade her to join their side. Only this time, Sakura had gone after Shikamaru and Shikamaru had also gone after Sakura, each of them telling Konan to vote the other off as they were the only ones who knew about her idol.
"Shikamaru is too smart for anyone's good!" Sakura had huffed to her. "Besides, he's so goddamn lazy - who in the world would want a bum for an ally?"
"Sakura is way too stubborn to work with," she remembered Shikamaru complaining. "And you can bet she's already told Kakashi and Naruto about your idol!"
Konan would've laughed if she wasn't feeling so torn. Being a pacifist by nature and only wishing for peace, she truly found it hard to take sides. They both made excellent arguments - keeping Sakura meant being on the bottom of the Team 7 pecking order. Keeping Shikamaru meant keeping a major strategic threat who could very well make it all the way to the end.
Eventually, she had ended up telling both of them that they could count on her vote, when in reality, she had absolutely no clue about what she wanted to do.
…
"Urgh!" Sakura punched a tree in frustration, causing the poor bark to crumble under her wrath.
"S-sakura-chan," Naruto smiled nervously, placing a tentative hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure we have nothing to worry abou-"
"Shikamaru was targeting you, Naruto!" the petite kunoichi snarled. "I think you should be a bit more concerned about Konan's decision as one of us could be going home!"
Strangely enough, tears of joy sprang to the blonde's eyes.
"Sakura-chan!" he cried happily. "You really do love me!"
Kakashi merely observed his female former student bop his male former student on the head before he turned to the next page of Icha Icha.
They were currently deep in the jungle for a much needed team meeting. Or more like Sakura needed to vent without scaring the rest of the tribe; that would be counter-productive to getting Konan on their side. Reaching out with his chakra, Kakashi was satisfied to note that their other tribe members were right where they left them - Shikamaru, Ino and Deidara were close together on one side of the beach, while Konan was by herself on the other.
"It just bothers me so much," Sakura was now saying. "I'm really scared that one of us is going home - it shouldn't take Konan this long to decide what she wants to do!"
"If it helps, the other group is probably feeling the same way," Naruto tried to ease her worry.
"It does seem like Konan-san is waiting until tribal council to make her decision," Kakashi noted.
"But that's not good enough!" Sakura ground out, stomping a rock on the ground and reducing it to powder. "There's too much risk."
"Maybe this will help!" Naruto pulled a necklace out from his pocket and brandished it around.
Kakashi and Sakura both paused, eyes widening.
"Is that what I think it is?" Sakura's anger had vanished.
"Yep! Found it a few days ago here!" Naruto chirped, holding out his immunity idol for his team to see. "So if everything goes to shit, I will use it for us."
"Naruto, that's amazing!" the blonde was pulled into a tight hug by Sakura, but she was frowning again as she released him. "It won't matter though, unless we know what Konan's decision is."
That was true, Kakashi agreed in his head as the three of them lapsed into silence. If they knew outright that Konan was siding with the other alliance, they could put their efforts into figuring out which of the three of them to play the idol on. If they knew for sure that Konan was with them, then there was no use wasting the advantage, and Naruto would be able to save it for another day. But not knowing where Konan stood at all (and Kakashi was pretty sure Konan herself didn't know where she stood) was problematic, which led him to the idea of...
"Just turn the vote on Konan," the copy-nin found himself saying.
"Kakashi-sensei's finally fried his brain from reading too much smut," Naruto stage whispered to Sakura.
"Konan's problem is choosing a side," Kakashi went on as if Naruto hadn't just said what he said. "Shikamaru and team doesn't have that same problem."
Sakura considered it for a few seconds before she shook her head. "It's too risky," she said. "Shikamaru and I have been at each others' throats this whole afternoon and tribal council is only half an hour away."
"I like risk," Naruto stated.
"You just called Kakashi-sensei crazy a few seconds ago, baka," Sakura muttered. "Besides, there's always a chance that Shikamaru will use that to turn Konan fully onto their side if she hears we're now angling for her."
"There's a way to get around that," Kakashi reasoned. "You said it yourself - we only have less than half an hour left. We can use that to our advantage. Don't forget that Naruto and I are here to help."
Sakura wanted to scream in frustration. Now she didn't know what to do.
Night 13 - Tribal Council
"Welcome to your first tribal council as the Taiyou Tribe," Jiraiya greeted the group as they entered the hut. He waited patiently until all the ninja were seated on the benches before proceeding.
"Let's dive right into it, shall we?" Jiraiya grinned widely. "The trip swap actually reunited all of you to certain people, in a way. Ino - would you say that holds true for you?"
"Definitely," the pretty Yamanaka agreed. "Me and Shika have been reunited, as well as Deidara and Konan. And then, of course, Team 7."
Sakura didn't miss the way her rival had made it sound, and forced herself to keep a neutral expression on her face.
"And Naruto," Jiraiya looked to his apprentice. "Is it fair to say that those bonds have affected the game?"
"Of course!" Naruto chirped. "I'm super happy to be playing with Sakura-chan and Kaka-sensei!"
"Does that mean old tribal alliances are out the window?" Jiraiya asked him curiously.
"I think so," Naruto scratched the back of his head and shrugged casually. "But then again, I'm the only Brawn member so I can't say for sure."
"Oh I'm pretty sure it's a thing, yeah," Deidara piped up. "Since we became a new tribe, Kakashi's barely said two words to Ino and myself. He's always hanging around his 'cute little students' now."
To his credit, Kakashi remained unperturbed and merely gave his signature eye-smile.
"So correct me if I'm wrong," Jiraiya ventured on when it was clear Kakashi was not going to offer a response, "But it sounds like there are two main alliances within this tribe now."
"Right," Deidara confirmed. "There's Ino, Shikamaru and myself, and then Team 7 over there. Konan's in the middle, but really I'm sure she's smart enough to know it's the best move to come with us, un."
"Wow," the Toad Sage now directed his full attention onto the blue-haired woman. "If that statement holds true, then you're the deciding vote for tonight, Konan."
"Yes," Konan nodded slowly. "Both sides have come to me with their cases, and both are equally convincing. Truth be told, I'm really struggling to make a decision as both Shikamaru-kun and Sakura-chan were loyal allies to me while we were on the Brain Tribe."
"Well, a decision does have to be made in a few moments when we vote," Jiraiya reminded her. "So, let's have both alliances state their final case to help Konan make a decision. Sakura - what do you have to say?"
"You can trust us to keep our word, Konan," Sakura said, shooting a pointed glare at the Nara heir. "It's our ninja way. By joining us, you will be gaining three strong allies who will never betray each other, and it is that strong bond that will keep you safe through the merge and bring you to Day 39. Once we make a plan, we mean business. I can't say the same at all for the other group, however."
"Well said," Jiraiya acknowledged the medic. "What is your alliance's case to Konan, Shikamaru?"
"Ninja have to be adaptable and able to improvise, Sa-ku-ra," the Nara heir drawled, raising an unimpressed eyebrow. "A stubborn, rigid ninja is a dead ninja, no matter how honorable. It's best to take your chances with us, Konan. If you go with Team 7, you will always be in fourth place. And we all know that only three make it to Day 39."
"Both sides do make some fair points," Jiraiya said, quickly holding up his hands to stop the glaring match that had started between Sakura and Shikamaru. "Konan - does that help you make up your mind?"
"It... it has helped," a thoughtful frown was etched onto Konan's features.
"Alright, then it is time to vote."
…
Konan's heart was pounding as she watched Jiraiya re-enter the hut with the voting urn in his hands. While logic dictated that she was the swing vote for tonight and thus safe, another part of her couldn't help but feel as if something was amiss.
That feeling had only amplified when Sakura and Shikamaru were told to present their cases to her. Yes, they had addressed her as they glared daggers at each other, but their words had put a queasy feeling in her stomach. It was almost as if they were bartering with each other just as much as they were with her.
"If anyone has a hidden immunity idol and would like to play it, now would be the time to do so," Jiraiya's voice broke through her thoughts.
Her nerves making her hyper-aware, Konan felt every discreet glance shared by her tribe members and every shift of weight in their seats. Something was wrong. She didn't feel safe.
Standing up suddenly, Konan made her way to Jiraiya with determined strides. She pretended that she wasn't painfully aware of how every eye in the vicinity was glued to her as she reached into her bindings and pulled out her idol.
"I don't know if this is the right thing to do," she admitted softly as she handed her idol to Jiraiya. "But I need to go with my gut."
The hut was eerily quiet. Her voice was soft, but Konan had no doubt that everyone could hear what she was saying.
"I'm playing it for myself."
With that, Konan turned around to head back to her seat. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Naruto's look of panic, before he quickly clamped down on his emotions and schooled his features back into a neutral expression. The observation made her feel a bit better. Perhaps her gut was right after all?
"This," Jiraiya said once she had taken her seat, "is not a hidden immunity idol."
"What?!"
Sakura's shocked outburst barely registered with Konan as her entire being went numb. That numbness soon gave way to disbelief, confusion, and finally, anger.
"Of course it's an immunity idol," she snapped. "I found it on the Brain Tribe's beach days ago."
To her ire, Jiraiya started to chuckle. "You definitely found something, alright – it's a work of art, I'll admit that."
Losing all traces of humor, the Toad Sannin looked her square in the eye as he threw the necklace into the fire pit in the middle of the hut.
"But an idol it is not."
Paralysed with shock, Konan could only watch with wide eyes as the flames consumed what was once her blanket of safety in the game.
"That necklace holds no power in this game," Jiraiya continued unapologetically. "All votes cast for Konan tonight will count."
As she vaguely heared Jiraiya announce that he would read the votes, Konan glanced at Sakura and Shikamaru. They both wore identical looks of confusion, and their brows were furrowed in thought.
"First vote," Jiraiya read, "Sakura."
To her credit, the pinkette in question looked unfazed.
"Next vote – Shikamaru."
The Nara genius sent a pointed look towards the general vicinity of Team 7, as the trio stared right back at him.
"Third vote – Sakura," Jiraiya announced. "That's two for Sakura, and one for Shikamaru."
Konan was beginning to feel stupid now. Things were going as planned, and yet she made a scene and played her idol, telling her allies she didn't fully trust them. Getting humiliated when it turned out to be a fake was just the cherry on top.
"Konan."
The ex-Akatsuki kunoichi looked around to see who had called her, but dread settled over her being as she realised that it was Jiraiya. Her former teacher was holding a voting parchment with her name written on it.
"Next vote – Konan," Jiraiya stated. "That's two for Konan and Sakura, and one for Shikamaru."
Perhaps she wasn't such a fool after all, Konan decided as her eyes narrowed. It was just a shame that her idol was unwittingly a fake.
"Konan."
There was yet another piece of paper with her name on it. Rounding on Team 7, Konan felt her anger grow when all three of them refused to meet her eyes, their expressions guilty. But there was still one vote left – there was a small chance that it would lead to a tie and a re-vote.
Picking up the final piece of parchment, Jiraiya unfolded it and stared at the name written there. His movements were frustratingly slow, and his face betrayed none of his thoughts.
"Fifth person voted out of Survivor: Ninja Edition," Jiraiya revealed the name on the paper. "Konan."
Hanging her head in defeat for a brief moment, Konan then stood up and approached Jiraiya with her torch.
As her flame was snuffed out and she was told that "the tribe has spoken", Konan turned back to face her tribe mates.
"Well played, you two," she nodded to her former Brain Tribe members, noting with no small amount of glee that Ino and Deidara were throwing furious looks towards the Nara heir.
Waiting until the blue-haired kunoichi had departed the hut, Jiraiya addressed the remaining six Taiyou ninja.
"From the looks of it, there has been a lot of confusion tonight," the Sannin said. Dipping his head slightly in Kakashi's direction, he continued, "quoting from a wise man – look underneath the underneath. That's the only way to get further in this game. Grab your torches and head back to camp. Goodnight."
Bonus scene
Day 13 (Right Before Tribal Council) - Taiyou
Shikamaru glanced over to the other side of the beach from where he sat with Ino and Deidara. Following his line of sight, the two blondes frowned.
"She's on our side, right?" Ino raised a delicate eyebrow. "I mean, both of you spoke to her."
Deidara nodded. "She told me she'd vote with us yesterday, un."
Not wanting to put doubt into his alliance members, Shikamaru just nodded mutely. Inwardly, however, he had to admit that tonight was going to be a gamble. He could only hope that Konan would side with them seeing that she had history with Deidara, and would see that there was no penetrating the Kakashi-Naruto-Sakura trio.
A loud disturbance in the form of an orange blur broke the ninja out of their thoughts. It was Naruto.
"Look, Ino!" Naruto all but shrieked in excitement. "I found more bugs for us to eat after that challenge!"
Shoving a fistful of what looked like beetles into the Yamanaka's face, Naruto proceeded to dare her to try them first. Naturally, it earned him a shrill scream as the girl scrambled behind Deidara, trying to put as much distance between herself and the bugs as possible. Undeterred, Naruto gave chase and Shikamaru sweatdropped as he watched the three loud blondes on his tribe trip and stumble over each other as they ran further down the beach and away from him.
"You would think they'd be a bit more serious," Sakura's voice drifted over to him. "Tribal council starts in just another ten minutes, after all."
It was then that Shikamaru realized he was standing alone with Sakura. A quick glance to his other side told him that Kakashi had gone to sit with Konan. Something was definitely up.
"How troublesome," he sighed. "What do you want?"
Seeing no point in beating around the bush, Sakura told him plainly, "The three of us are gonna vote Konan out. Join us."
"And why would I do that?" Shikamaru asked, his guard up.
"Look, I think it's a waste for us to be at each other's throats," Sakura admitted, her voice gentle. "I mean, you've had my back since Day 1 and I yours. We only started fighting now because we're both trying to protect our precious people."
Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. He knew this. "And?"
"And I think it's pathetic of us to let the fate of our precious people be decided by a woman who barely knows any of us," Sakura declared, her eyes brimming with fire. "I say that we get rid of the idea of chance and take matters into our own hands so that we can be sure."
Nodding slowly, Shikamaru pondered her words. "But how do I know this isn't one big trap?"
"Just look at her!" Sakura hissed, discreetly gesturing in Konan's direction. "We're practically out of time and she still can't make up her mind! I don't want to leave my game up to someone like her – it's like flipping a frickin' coin."
"So you want to blindside her with the idol in her pocket," Shikamaru concluded, earning himself a hopeful nod from Sakura.
A loud yell reminded the pair that they were not alone and were running very short on time. The blondes of their tribe were now running back in their direction.
"Just – consider it, okay?" Sakura's voice now held a hint of desperation. "I promise you can trust us. You have my word."
They were forced to end their conversation there as Ino all but tackled Naruto into their path, forcing Shikamaru and Sakura to jump away from each other.
Watching as Sakura proceeded to pinch Naruto's ear and give him a big telling off, Shikamaru allowed himself to think.
Truth be told, there really was no harm in going along with Sakura's plan if she was being sincere. His alliance had zero idols and advantages, while he knew for sure that Konan had an idol and the other alliance was a question mark. Before Sakura had come to him, the best he could hope for was that Konan would somehow choose to keep him over Sakura. But with this new plan, he was definitely safe. With three votes on Konan from Team 7 and two votes on Sakura from Ino and Deidara, it truly didn't matter who Konan chose to vote for.
As he picked up his torch and prepared to leave for Tribal Council, Shikamaru realized that he was the real swing vote of the night. He could still choose to vote Sakura, but if Konan voted him, that would lead to a tie and re-vote where Sakura would go home. But that would still leave Konan in the game with a hidden immunity idol, and this scenario was still a big 'if' depending on Konan. And if Team 7 sniffed out that he was still voting for Sakura, they could very well switch their votes back onto him – not to mention any potential idols they might have. Troublesome.
His best option would be to make himself the deciding vote and target Konan. He preferred to be in control than at the mercy of someone else. Doing so would eliminate her with an idol in her pocket, or if she sensed things were amiss, she would play her idol and Sakura would go home. Either way, it would flush out the idol and guarantee that he would be safe tonight. Shikamaru was no fool; he didn't hold out hope for Konan to use her idol on him in the future, especially once the merge came.
Sighing as the Tribal council hut came into view, Shikamaru decided that his ideal scenario tonight would be for Konan to go home with the idol in her pocket. The second best option would be to flush out her idol, but that would come at the expense of Sakura leaving instead. Even after being at odds for the whole afternoon, he still trusted Sakura a lot more than he trusted Konan.
He just hoped it would work, and that Ino wouldn't hate him too much once the night was done.
Author's Note:
Hey guys, I'm back! I know it's been months since the last update and I apologize, but I'm super determined to complete this series and not abandon it. To make up for my absence, I've written the longest episode yet and hope that the twists and turns have satisfied you. Also that little bonus scene. There will obviously be a lot of damage control to be done at the start of the next chapter with Ino and Deidara, as well as the fake idol biz.
Thank you sooooo much to everyone who's reading, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. Please review, favorite and follow! As always, I'm open to all suggestions - challenge ideas, strategic plays, questions etc. Also let me know who you're rooting for!
Til next time xxx