Following the example of NNG, I felt that I couldn't revived just that last one and leave this one be... and so I finished up this installment (most of it was actually done way back when I was updating) and waited for the completion of the other pieces. Frankly, this chapter was the easiest to write of the three, though still it seems a tad rushed... that might be because originally the events presented within were supposed to be split into two updates... in the last moment I decided to rearrange it to squeeze it all into (considering the wait was great I figured it wouldn't be fair to actually stretch the tale) and so some details aren't as elaborated on as I'd want.
If you go back to the previous chapter, it's easy to guess what comes now, so I'll just say that while I do have a sentiment towards NNG, "Those..." are a slightly different story; don't get me wrong, I do feel attachment to it and I enjoy the tale, but I have less drive to write this then the other two, so it'd be greatly appreciated if you'd leave me a review to let me know this piece gathers interest like it used to do.
And now, lets head to the tale:
Chapter #15: Invaders or Visitors?
Title Page: medieval setting; Buryaku dressed as a princess is scared as Naraku in a dragon costume nears, but between the two stands Toramaru in a knight's gear, pointing a sword at his friend
"Okay, so that was dull" whined Toramaru as he and his team walked through the streets of Konoha. "What the hell is it with those lame missions? How is picking up trash suppose to make us stronger? Say, Teigo-sensei, can't you get us another, higher rank mission? Any would do, even a C-rank!"
"That time giving you such a dangerous mission was a coincidence" the jounin reminded him, sighing slightly. "We were never expected to run into those sound-nins. You're still too bratty to get missions like that and the events in the Stone Country should have proven that to you…" but as he was prepared to go on with his lecture, he suddenly heard a familiar sound.
As he glanced to the sky, he noticed a brown-feathered hawk soaring above the village, dropping its feathers from time to time. He raised his eyebrow slightly and then gazed back at his students, saying: "Okay, you guys, that's all for today. I have some business that needs attending, so I'll be seeing you later…" and with that he was gone.
"Hmm?" was all Naraku managed to say as he just glanced over his shoulder, realizing their instructor left. Buryaku only yawned loudly and turn on her foot: "Well then, I'll be going too. See ya…" she made an effort to wave them goodbye and walked down the street, soon disappearing from their view.
"Okay, so it seems we have the rest of the day off…" concluded Toramaru, a little annoyed by that all. "So what should we do? It's still early… Hey, how about we visit Garou? It's been a while since we talked to each other and since my mother is his instructor, I know where they are right now!"
"Sounds like a plan" Naraku replied with a smile and soon both of them headed to the training grounds. Upon arriving, they realized that Hinata was no longer there, however her subordinates seemed to be pretty warned out: Garou was sitting under the tree with his hands on his knees and his head lowered, while Gouka breathed heavily, standing few meters away from a bull's eye that was filled with shuriken and kunai. Only Kumo seemed to be unmoved at all, standing with an emotionless face and hands in his pockets… as usual.
"Hey guys!" Naraku greeted the other gennin, drawing their attention to himself. Kumo merely glanced at them and gave an approving nod, while his sister only 'humped' under her nose and got back to training. The young Inuzuka on the other hand immediately shoot back to his feet and ran towards them, giving the young Uchiha a high-five.
"Wow, guys, what are you doing here?" he asked excited, almost like he wasn't exhausted just a moment ago. "I haven't seen you for a year or so! How are things going?" and instantly all three began chatting. Kumo only gazed at them for a while and then took off, without saying a word, while Gouka finally decided to turn around and came closer.
"Boy, you idiots sure are cheerful, especially considering the circumstances" she noticed with a devilish smile, which earned her a surprised glance from Naraku, who asked 'what do you mean', however his sister only shrugged and replied quizzically: "That is something I know and what you will have to find out… the fact that Hinata-sensei just took off without any reason a moment ago should give you a hint as to what's going on in the village right now…" and with that she followed Kumo's footsteps and left the trio as well.
"Still as bitchy as ever, eh?" Toramaru asked the dog boy, who only nodded as he gazed after the kunoichi. Silence felt between them for a while, before the blond broke it again: "Say, Garou, do you have any idea where Shunrai is right now? I haven't seen her in ages either!"
"No clue" the young Inuzuka replied, shrugging. "Besides, you guys should know better then me, since her team is led by your teammate's father" and at that statement both Teigo's subordinates widen their eyes as they looked at their friend.
After a short debate the trio decided to grab something to eat and as usual Toramaru convinced them to get some ramen. Since they all knew the way all too well, they decided to race, passing by familiar streets on the way. But even the road you know 'by heart' can surprise you sometimes and that was preciously the case that day as Garou, who took the lead, suddenly came to a stop, spotting something with the corner of his eyes.
The sudden blockade made it impossible for Toramaru to stop in time, making the blond collide hard into his friend's back, knocking them both to the ground. Seeing the ruckus ahead, Naraku quickly jumped to the sky, flying over the duo and landing on the other side of his companions, who now laid flat on the street: "Boy, did you guys made idiots out of yourselves just now…"
But Garou wasn't listening to him. He just rose back to his feet and turn around, settling his eyes on a trio of gennin that stood on the road, apparently amused by the show they witness merely moments ago: "Who are you people?" the dog ninja demanded, pointing at the three. "As far as I know, shinobi from other villages are not allowed in the Leaf!"
Toramaru glanced over his shoulder, even though he was still laying on the ground, and realized his friend was currently accusing a trio of ninja around their own age. His eyes narrowed however as he spotted the symbol each of the three had on their headbands; an hourglass: "Sand-nins" he noted, instantly standing up, alerted, as he inspected the 'visitors'.
The only female in the group was a girl with long, blond hair, clipped in two ponytails that fell freely on her back. Her eyes were crimson-red as they stared intensively at Naraku, completed with a tiny smirk showing on her face. Her headband was placed around her neck, while her outfit gave Toramaru a very strange impression, being a little baggy and of violet color, covering almost every inch of the kunoichi's skin from neck down. Metal protectors were placed on both her arms, elbows, shoulders and knees, while leg-guards of the same material finished up the look. There was also a big scroll tied to her back, but what surprised the white-eyed boy most was the lack of any holsters or weapons.
The tall boy next to her was dressed almost completely black with his messy, spiky, black hair pointed in every direction. His golden eyes were mesmerizing, almost snake-like. This one's hitae-ate covered his forehead, while his outfit revealed a black fishnet beneath. The boy had only his left arm revealed, entirely covered with black markings.
The last of the three was a rather short boy with spiky, red hair and jade eyes. A jet black robe covered his body, leaving out only a large gourd on his back, but Toramaru noticed red kanji, that stood for 'death' on both sleeves. He carried his Suna's forehead protector as a belt.
"None of your business, shrimp" the one with tattoos on his arm replied to Garou's question with a wicked smile, almost as if he was trying to provoke the Leaf gennin. "We have every right to be in this village and that's all you need to know…"
"Our villages may be allies, but that still doesn't give you the right to wonder around here" Toramaru cut in, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "Seeing as you're foreigners, it's our duty to make sure you're not spies. State your reason for being here, otherwise we'll be forced to take you into custody."
"Will you now?" the tattooed one responded, widening his smile. "Hey, Shikyo, seems we have tough guys here. What say we teach those losers about the world?" he asked, turning towards the redhead. The one with the gourd merely glanced at the three leaf-nins and rising his sight back to his companion, he replied, his face as emotionless as his voice: "Fine, but don't play around for too long. I don't wish to get in trouble due to your stupid games…"
"Don't worry, this won't take longer then two minutes" the other boy assured, already going through a set of hand seals as his other hand, also decorated with markings, collided with the left one.
-This time, elsewhere-
The crowd gathered in the room consisted of higher rank shinobi only, most of which Teigo at least heard of. Apparently something important was about to be announced. The former sound-nin gazed at the Hokage, who was sitting in his throne-like chair, wearing his typical gear. As time flew few more ninja arrived and finally Naruto stood up, clearing his throat: "Some of you may realize why I have called you all here. It'd be pointless to make this longer then it has to be, so I'll get right to the point: in a week from today the Chuunin Selection Exam will begin and as most of you are aware, this year it'll be held here, in Konoha. I've already seen foreign shinobi walking around the village…"
"But some still seem to be missing" noticed a chubby man in a red, body armor with spiral markings on his cheeks, while his long, spiky, brown hair were falling freely onto his back. The Leaf's hitae-ate, located on his forehead, reflected the light, making this man seem somewhat more… majestic then his figure would imply: "I realize that our alliance with Kumo is quite recent, however I was positive some cloud-nins will be coming."
"The Raikage assured me he'll send some of his gennin teams to participate in the exams, Chouji" the blond Rokudaime responded calmly. "But if they won't make it here in time then that is not our problem. I have called you all here to worry about our youth. The exams are a great chance to promote our village as well as strengthen the ranks of chuunin. That is why I wanna hear all the jounin who were chosen as instructors for gennin teams if they find any of their students worthy participating in the exams. It's tradition, so may the leaders of the rookie teams please, step forward?"
As on cue, Teigo walked to the front, along with five, other people. To his left was Uzumaki Hinata, the head of the Hyuuga and one of the most respected kunoichi in the Leaf. He would heard rumors she was picked to guide a gennin team, what surprised him even more was the fact that apparently she was chosen for similar reasons as himself. The other four he did not know all too well. He had seen them with the Hokage every once in a while, however did not pay much attention to remembering them.
"You know the drill, so lets start with the right" announced Naruto calmly, pointing at Teigo. The masked jounin formed a respected seal and with a little monotone voice, he spoke up: "I, Kinuta Teigo, the leader of team consisting of: Nara Buryaku, Uchiha Naraku and Uzumaki Toramaru, taking full responsibility for my decision, wish to nominated all three gennin mentioned above to participate in the Chuunin Selection Exam…"
Then a man with huge eyebrows stepped forward, mimicking Teigo's gesture: "I, Rock Lee, leading the youthful team of Nekko Hinako, Nayamasu Gaki and Rock Gai, fully aware of the responsibility, too wish to give my blooming students a chance to partake in the upcoming Chuunin Selection Exams so that their youthful hearts can explode!"
Next on the list was a man with medium-length, black hair, clipped in a ponytail that made his head look like a pineapple. He wore a black fishnet, covered with a light green t-shirt and a green vest on top of that. His black pants were slightly baggy and his headband was located on his left arm. Teigo also noticed three, golden earrings in his left ear: "The team led by me, Nara Shikamaru, consists of Shunrai, Akimichi Choumaru and Hisakata Gitou. Although it's troublesome, I too would like to recommend all three to participate in the exams…"
"I, Uzumaki Hinata, leading the team composed of Uchiha Gouka, Aburame Kumo and Inuzuka Garou, taking full responsibility for my decision, the same as to my right" stated the white-eyed woman with a tiny smirk appearing on her face.
Everyone's attention then traveled to the man seemingly around Teigo's age, who had short, spiky, blue hair and eyes in the same color. The jounin wore a black, sleeveless top and baggy pants just as dark. His forehead protector was wrapped around his left arm and the former sound-nin also noticed that the figure carried two katana, both on his back, yet one was hung horizontally, while the other ran down the man's back. Thanks to the absence of sleeves, one could also spot black markings covering his hands, much like a big kanji for 'blade' that decorated the man's right cheek.
As the man walked out front, he formed the respected seal and with the voice as emotionless as one can only be, he announced with a serious look on his face: "The Hasaki led team consisting of: Hyuuga Hitomi, Abunage Shimiru and Hatake Jun. Under the name of Kinzoku Hasaki, the same as those before me…"
The last of the group was a woman, apparently the youngest among the six, with long, red hair, clipped into a ponytail with a large, yellow ribbon and purple eyes. Her outfit consisted of short, red t-shirt that left her navel uncovered and short, brown pants. Her right hand was covered by a metal protector with three, claw-like blades sticking out of it, while two, small daggers were attached to her belt, making them hang on her left hip. The jounin's look was complete with a big scroll tied to the bottom of her back and a necklace with an eagle feather.
"The team placed under my care, consists of Nekata Akemi, Kagami Akai and Megane Akumo" the woman proclaimed with a warm smile after paying her respect towards the Rokudaime. "Gladly taking full responsibility for my decision, under the name of Shinku Hiyoko, I too would like to recommend all three to take part in the upcoming exam…"
"It'd appear that ever since I took the exam for the first time, jounin has grown confident of their gennin abilities" Naruto smirked under his nose as the last statement was said. Hearing this, the blue-haired man inspected the Rokudaime closely with his eyes, while he spoke up in his emotionless voice: "Does this mean you're going to object our decision, Hokage-sama?"
"Of course not" the Kyuubi vessel responded, still smiling. "My own son is among these brats and I'm more then interested to see how far he can get. However, with all the improvements made upon the exams themselves I feel the challenge ahead is much more difficult then any of us recall it was and seems to me that with all this, we'll be in for a treat…"
-Back to our youngsters-
"Ninpou: Dokudokushii Tsuba!" the boy in black called out as he took a deep breath, only to spit out something at the trio the moment after. As green liquid flew through the air, the three leaf-nin scattered out of the way, making the substance hit a fence behind them, instantly eating up the wood.
"What the hell?" Naraku began, his eyes widen from both shock and fear. "Toxin?"
Garou was not assumed though and quickly putting his body into a spin, went for their opponent with a cry: "Tsuuga!" In a flash he neared the target, yet before reaching the Suna shinobi, his assault was stopped by a wall of sand that suddenly raised before him.
Hitting the barrier, the grains showered the area, yet the wall remained still, making the dog ninja cling to it. The next moment the top of the barricade bended and went for the leaf-nin, aiming to close around its prey.
Garou acted immediately and ran to the right, sticking to the wall, yet another sand barrier appeared in his way, this time growing out of the original one. With no place to run, the chasing wave caught up to him and wrapped around his body, soon immobilizing him completely, leaving only the boy's head uncovered.
The one called Shikyo held his right hand high, the rest of his body being perfectly still. Without any remorse, he began closing his palm, instantly making Garou yell in pain as his prison tightened. This is when Naraku sprung into action and coming from the boy's left, released a barrage of shuriken that came at the sand-nin.
None of the shinobi stars reached their target though as another wall of sand shoot up from the ground, swallowing the projectiles. The young Uchiha only managed to widen his eyes as the sand went after him as well in a form of a small tsunami that ripped the sidewalk.
Naturally the boy ran, yet the sand proved to be faster and as it neared his back, a new figure appeared in between and flashing its hands a couple of times, made the wave disintegrate, its grains dropping to the ground. The event shocked Shikyo, albeit his face didn't show it. The surprise was enough for him to loosen his grip on Garou and as his body gained room to move, the dog ninja managed to jump out of the cocoon.
The redhead paid no attention to the fact, he just stared at Toramaru who stood just before Naraku, his eyes surrounded by white veins. With a voice as emotionless as his expression, the Suna gennin asked: "How?"
The blond smirked at the question, still in his fighting stance: "To control that sand, you need to put chakra into it... and anything with chakra can be destroyed with Jyuken. That's quite a barrier, but that won't stop me!"
"Then I will" came a voice and instantly the boy clad in black appeared behind the white-eyed youngster, kunai in hand. Before he managed to swing though, a fireball came his way, hitting the sand-nin right in the face.
The teen with markings immediately jumped back, landing on a nearby fence, anger written all over his face as he flipped through another set of seals. But what made Naraku, who was now coughing out last bits of smoke from his mouth, freeze wasn't the upcoming counterattack. No, it was the fact that his adversary was completely unharmed!
Meanwhile Toramaru and Garou charged Shikyo together with the dog ninja strafing left so as to avoid the wave that came his way. The blond however jumped up, somersaulting over the assault and as a new blast came, he flipped, landing on top of the solid sand. Sliding down, he prepared his Gentle Fist, yet also this time the redhead's protection proven faster; the new barrage rose from the uncorked gourd and came from above, too fast for the white-eyed boy to dodge.
Luckily for the leaf-nin though, another blast of sand went by him and colliding with the one coming at him, the two canceled each other out, leaving the blond safe. Or so he taught since his ride was stopped by a hand of sand that grabbed his ankles, stopping him in the middle of the slide. As the sand beneath him retreated, the grip remained, suspending him in air, hanging upside down. Only now he noticed Garou was also immobilized, once more trapped in the sandy grip.
"One can't leave you for a moment, Shikyo" a new voice came, making Toramaru gaze down the street where three, new figures appeared. The one talking was a girl with medium-length, blonde hair and eyes just as green as the redhead. Her attire was not all that different from the boy's either as her jet-black robe swayed gently in the wind, being unbuttoned, yet the gourd on her back left little place for doubt that it was her who stopped the sand-nin's assault.
Her two companions were both male, each a boy around her age. The one on the right was clad in blue with triangular tattoos under his eyes in the same color. His spiky, black hair was mostly hidden under a wooden headgear while three, large scrolls were tied to his back. Several, smaller scrolls hung tied to his forehead protector with the hourglass, which the boy used as a belt.
The last of the trio was much shorter then the rest with long, green hair made into straps. His face was hidden behind a mask that left his left eye visible while the right side was decorated with black, claw-like stripes. He wore a bit too big jumpsuit, mostly orange if not for its right trouser leg and left arm, starting with the shoulder. Wide sleeves made the top of his hands uncovered and a Suna hitae-ate attached to his outfit finished up the look.
"What are you guys doing here?" the boy clad in black asked, only now drawing attention to himself, thanks to which Toramaru noticed his chain of seals was interrupted when other arrivals grabbed him by the wrist. To his surprise, the one holding the sand-nin in his grip now was Akumo, who stood on the fence just above Akemi and Akai, who also appeared on the scene.
"Stopping you from doing something stupid" replied the one with the headgear, sending his comrade a stern look. "We're not here for fun, Kobura. You shouldn't cause trouble before the exams. Be glad those Konoha kids stopped you from using that technique. If you kill anyone outside the tournament, I'd imagine you'll be disqualified immediately."
"Bah" the other boy snorted, freeing his hand. Akumo gaze at his palm shocked; he didn't loosen the grip one bit and yet his captive was now free. The only thing left in his hand was a strange, crumbling, white material. He then glanced suspiciously at the sand-nin, but the one called Kobura didn't seem to pay any attention to neither him nor his teammates: "What difference would that make? It's not like the loss of such, pathetic brats would be a real lost to the Leaf..."
"These 'pathetic brats' as you called them did manage to get through Shikyo's Sand Shield" noted the masked pipsqueak. "Obviously they're stronger then you give them credit for. Though it is just like you to look down on everybody..."
"With you, looking down is implied" the boy with markings hissed, also as if he was provoking his fellow Suna gennin, yet before the shorter teen could respond, the redhead walked over, stepping between the two: "Enough, Kobura" he ordered calmly, yet the very sound of his voice made the black-clad ninja retreat. "Fuugo is right... even though we haven't gone all out, that blond broke through, which in itself is commendable. What is your name?" with this, he turned to the white-eyed shinobi.
"One should first introduce himself before asking another's name" Toramaru shoot back, somewhat to the redhead's annoyance, yet the sand-nin complied: "Sabaku no Shikyo..."
"Uzumaki Toramaru" announced Hokage's son, still watching the boy carefully. That is until the blonde girl snapped him out of it: "I apologize for my brother and his behavior. He... has moods. I understand that seeing us here may seem suspicious, but I assure you we're here under the allowance of your authorities. We came to take the Chuunin Selection Exam."
"Chuunin Selection Exam?" Garou questioned, relieved to be free of the sand. "What do you mean? And how is that related to your presence here? Shouldn't you be taking that exam in your own village?"
"I see you brats know nothing" the female teammate of Kobura and Shikyo smirked as she began explaining: "It's already tradition that allied countries take exams together. To make it fair, every time it's held in a different village and it just so happens that this year Konoha is the host. It's not just us; I'm sure in the next, few days you'll be seeing gennin from Ame, Kusa, Taki and Kane around the streets. I also heard new alliances were formed with Kumo and Sawa, so even those villages may be sending their representatives..."
"True" Akai nodded, walking over to the rest of the people gathered with his teammates close behind. "Just yesterday we came across a team from Hidden Rain while we were doing our weekly, survival training with Hiyoko-sensei."
"So why weren't we informed of all this?" Toramaru asked, turning to his old classmates. To that Kobura chuckled, before replying for the young redhead: "Apparently, you weren't deemed worthy enough to take part in the exam... and so any information regarding it is none of your concern."
"What did you say?" Garou turned towards him, obviously insulted. Hanomaru barked loudly before growling at the boy in black, yet the blonde kunoichi quickly raised her hands in a calming gesture to prevent another fight from breaking: "Please... apparently there's some tension here, so with your allowance, we'll be on our way. We really have nothing against you guys. And you" with that she turned to the one with markings: "Stop that!"
"Whatever" Kobura spat, turning his back. "These brats wasted enough of my time already" he proclaimed as he followed Shikyo, who by this time was walking away. Their female comrade merely left out a sigh as she ran after the two, leaving the other, Suna team and Konoha gennin to themselves.
"All they do is cause trouble" the one with the headgear commented, staring after the trio. "Kankuro-sensei was right to ask us to watch them" he said, mostly to himself, to which point his masked companion nodded. "Anyway, we'll be off too. We apologize for their behavior. Hopefully you won't have to stand for it, since as soon as the exams are over, we'll all be out of here" and with that statement, the other, Sand trio disappeared as well.
"Thanks for the assist" Naraku spoke, the tension gone with the absence of the enemy. Akumo gave him an approving nod, without saying a word. In stead, Akemi decided to join the conversation: "I see you three still can't pick your fight" she joked. "You shouldn't start with people that much stronger then you guys."
"What are you talking about?" Garou shoot back. "We had them on the run!"
"Actually, I doubt they shown even half of their fighting strength" the four-eyed gennin stated, adjusting his glasses. "Also, note that the girl didn't even try to help her teammates. It's safe to assume she was sure they could handle the situation. From what we saw, you did seem to get a few blows in, but these didn't seem to leave any effect."
"You saying we couldn't win?" Toramaru asked, rising his eyebrow.
"Well, one can't truly determinate something like that" came a reply. "However there was something odds about that Kobura guy... about all of them actually..."
"Yeah" Akai nodded. "Almost makes you glad we weren't picked for the exam..."
"So you guys too?" Naraku questioned, turning towards him.
"Well, Hiyoko-sensei didn't say anything about it" the redhead responded with a note of sadness in his voice. "I guess we're not ready yet. But then, if we were to face opponents like that, perhaps it's best to wait for a better time. Frankly, when Akumo jumped to save your butts, I was hoping things will cool down. These sand-nins give me the creeps."
And with that said, all six gazed in the direction the Suna gennin disappeared to. Toramaru narrowed his eyes at the happenings of the day, his mind set on one thing only: "Chuunin Selection Exam, huh..."
-opponents gather... a new challenge is underway!-
And this would be it for this chappie. Hope you enjoyed it (especially it's the only one I'm generally satisfied with out of the three x_x) and that'll you'll leave a comment. Below I place jutsu translation and just in case a list of gennin which will be update with the inclusion of new characters as they appear. At this point I'd also like to assure you all that taking example from NNG, I won't be filling all the gennin at once but gradually introduce them to you, along with a little remind of the Konoha rookies with whom the earlier parts of the story gave you a chance to meet. Hopefully this'll ease the confusion, especially since the number of characters is smaller then NNG's:
Ninpou: Dokudokushii Tsuba (Ninja Art: Venomous Spit)
Konoha #1 (Teigo Kinuta): Buryaku Nara, Naraku Uchiha, Toramaru Uzumaki
Konoha #2 (Lee Rock): Hinako Nekko (?), Gaki Nayamasu (?), Gai Rock (?)
Konoha #3 (Shikamaru Nara): Shunrai (?), Choumaru Akimichi (?), Gitou Hisakata (?)
Konoha #4 (Hinata Uzumaki): Gouka Uchiha (Naraku's twin sister), Kumo Aburame (the boy in green overcoat), Garou Inuzuka (the boy with the dog, Hanomaru)
Konoha #5 (Hasaki Kinzoku): Hitomi Hyuuga (?), Jun Hatake (?), Shimiru Abunage (?)
Konoha #6 (Hiyoko Shinku): Akemi Nekata (green-haired girl), Akai Kagami (the redhead), Akumo Megane (the boy with glasses)
Suna #1 (?): ? (girl with metal protectors), Kobura (the boy in black), Sabaku no Shikyo (the boy with the gourd)
Suna #2 (Kankuro):? (the girl with the gourd), ? (the boy with a headgear and scrolls), Fuugo (the masked pipsqueak)
And so this chapter ends. But before that, just a reminder: this tale, much like NNG, has began and was planned when "Naruto" was still in the early stage of its Part II. As such this should be considered an AU to a point with everything beyond Naruto meeting Sasuke after the time gap considered non-canon, unless stated otherwise.
With that said, thanks for reading and have a great day.