Kai: I'm back!
Shang: Yeah, I hardly overcome my joy... I have a VERY special announcment to make, so lets get going, shall we?
Kai: Okay, okay... first of Yamineko Hyousai wants you to know that someone cheated in playing cards in last chapter. There were five queens... come to think of it, he's right. Hey, I lost few bucks because of that! What's the deal?
Shang: My bad... I missed that mistake. The game was supposed to be fair (I wonder who's going to believe me...).
Kai: We'll get back to that... this one is for the character profile... most of reviewers ask you to give the characters favorite food in those...
Shang: Shall be done.
Kai: ... a compliment on creating a second guy with a big sword... that's kinda cliche...
Shang: It will be explained in the story.
Kai: Akimori-chan wants to know if she can use the chapter covers idea in her story... she promised me some money if I convince you to allow that, so... give her your approval, dammit!
Shang: She'd gain it anyway. And that goes for every writter who reads this story: you can use the chapter covers idea in your fics as well, be my guest. I'm glad that there are people who like the idea.
Kai: Ruka-kun feels bad for Takaru because Naruto-sensei knows something about his father and Takaru knows nothing... but who cares about that dope anyway? Or do you want to add something?
Shang: Well... maybe just that Takaru's father case is far from closed...
Kai: Lastly, the readers would like you to place something about the families in the character profile.
Shang: I'd prefer not, coz it may spoil few surprises... but if guys REALLY want it, then I'll do it.
Kai: Boy, one, boring interview this turned out to be... lets cut the crap and let the readers enjoy my heroics!
IMPORTANT NOTE: the cover for the second chapter is done! It was done by a friend of mine, Hytokiri and he placed it on the site called Minitokyo. Here's the link: gallery dot minotokyo dot net / view / 175868. Of course you have to put 'the http' stuff (http colon / and then another /) in front of all that (sorry for the way I wrote it, but as some of you may know, FFnet 'doesn't like' to show links). Those of you who are MT members, please at least leave a comment under his drawing. Hope that won't be the only chapter cover that was turned into the drawing. Of course those who want to make chapter covers are welcome to let me know. It doesn't metter which cover you wish to do: ALL of those who are interested in drawing them are welcome to do so and I promise I'll put a link to your works. That's all for now.
P.S. If, for some reason, the link doesn't seem to work and you're really intrested in that pic, let me know and we'll settle things through e-mail.
Chapter #18: To Crush the Party
Chapter cover: Kai dressed as a wampire is showing 'his fangs' and strechtes his arms out so that his cape is unrolled.
'We'll just kill him' and with those words the one named Ryu charged at Naruto with his sword in his hands.
The blonde jounin bended back in order to avoid a hit. As he saw the blade cutting the air right in front his face, he decided to counter attack. He aimed his fist in the swordsman's gut, but his opponent dodged the attack by side stepping to his left. Before Naruto knew it, the blade of the huge sword was already heading straight at him once more.
'Naruto-sensei!' yelled Ibuki, picking out her kunai and charging at the two fighters.
'Stay out of this!' she heard her sensei.
Naruto kneed under the blade and in the fracture of a second he picked out a kunai in order to toss it at the swordsman. The tree-nin dodged easily, but he had to slow down a bit.
'These guys are jounins and it seems they're on no different level then that Kataki guy we fought earlier' announced the blonde jounin to his students. 'If you'd interfere, you'd only make things worst. Listen up, take Deji-sama and Recca-sama and get out of here! I'll try to hold them of as long as I can!'
'But…' Takaru was about to argue, but was cut of by Naruto:
'That's an order!'
The young gennins looked at their sensei for a moment and then, grabbing Recca and Deji, left the hall.
'These brats are mine!' announced the one called Karuto as he ran right after the Leaf shinobies. 'You guys can have this freak!'
But before he reached the door, Naruto blocked his way and launched a sidekick in his face.
The red head was able to block the attack with his hand though and instantly reached for his cards. Before the blonde jounin knew it three cards were already aiming for his head. He jumped into the air using the wall behind him and once he got above the tree-nin he threw his shurikens at him.
The red head jumped back in order to avoid the stars and once his feet touched the ground he saw the image of Naruto right before him, going for a punch. He moved his head to the left, so the leaf-nin's fist went right next to it, but before the card user could do anything else, he received a hard knee in his stomach.
The tree-nin feel on his knees as Naruto picked out his kunai's (one in each hand), ready to finish the job. But before he could cut the card users throat he was forced to jump away in order to avoid a shuriken flying right at his head. Before his feet even touched the ground the blonde haired girl gave him a kick in the back, thus making his landing hard.
She lifted her leg up in order to drop it at the leaf-nin's head, but before she was able to put her plan into motion, Naruto's body went up, supported by his hands that were propped on the ground.
Only thanks to her good reactions was the tree-nin able to jump back, thus avoiding her head being smashed by Naruto's legs that came at her from both sides.
As the whisker-marks ninja landed on his feet he saw the one with black hair coming right at him with the swordsman close behind.
The blonde jounin instantly reached for the sleeve of his jacket and took out tens of kunai's attached with a rope to each other. With a quick move all of the knives were released from the line and flew right at the two tree-nins. The one in front dodged by jumping into the air but the other deflected them with his sword.
While the black-haired one was still in mid-air, Naruto jumped up as well and once he found himself in front of his opponent he launched a punch in his face.
The tree-nin blocked the attack by grabbing his fist and then stopped another punch with his other hand. But the smile on his face quickly vanished as he saw another Naruto coming into his view and landing a powerful punch on his face.
The black hair crashed into the floor as both Naruto's landed safely few meters away.
'He performed the Kage Bushin in less then a second' announced the one called Ryu. 'That is impressive. But you won't defeat us with such low-level tricks.'
'I figure' replied Naruto with a smile on his face. 'After all you are Togatta Ryu, right?'
'You heard about me?' asked the swordsman.
'Well, you were one of the Mist seven swordsmen, just like Zabuza and Kataki. You guys are famous. From what I've heard you were ranked second among the swordsman, weaker only then Kisame. Now first since Kisame's dead.'
'Thanks' replied Ryu. 'But don't think that I'm the only one you should be afraid of. All my comrades are… were elite jounins in their villages.'
'Ryu-san, what…?' began the girl called Fugou, but her leader interrupted her:
'No point in hiding it, this man knows me and thus he knows we are not Tree shinobies. All except Kouba and you, but you guy are missing-nins just like us.'
'I guess you have your reasoning in pretending to be tree-nins…' began Naruto as his replication disappeared in the cloud of smoke. 'And I don't really care what they are. The fact is that I am going to defeat you.'
'Such confidence' said the black hair getting back on his feet. 'My friend, you're thinking too highly of yourself. We didn't even used our top techniques. Karuto, you wanted to play with the brats. Go and leave this guy to me and Fugou.'
'Okay, you can have him' announced Ryu. 'Lets go, Karuto. We should not let the Stone princess escape…'
'You're saying this just like I'd let you to leave' stated Naruto as he went into a fighting stance, but before he was able to take any action, he heard a sound coming from behind.
Before he knew it, he felt a hard punch on his face and was send flying back. As he landed on his feet he saw the blonde girl smiling.
'I didn't sensed her till the last moment' the leaf-nin thought to himself. 'Such speed… that was Lee's level!' then he turned to the door just to see the swordsman and the card user disappearing by running through them. 'Dammit… this is not good. I have to finish this quick or otherwise those kids are dead!'
'Now then, let's start the fun' smiled Fugou as she ran straight at Naruto with incredible speed.
But to her surprise the blonde jounin dodged in the last moment by moving to his left and gave the female shinobi a hard punch in the stomach. She bended over just to receive a knee in the face. As her head went back Naruto finished the job by landing a kick on her jaw, which send the girl flying back.
Then he spun around in order to face the black hair that came from behind. He bended over just in time to avoid the kunai thrown by the former tree-nin and attacked his feet. The black hair jumped back instantly and threw some shurikens at his opponent.
The Leaf shinobi instantly picked out a kunai and deflected the incoming stars in the way they would fly back at the one who threw them (A/N: kinda like Sasuke did during his fight with Yoroi). As the black hair was going for the dodge, Naruto charged forward in order to use the opening which was bound to appear.
Just when he was about to stab the tree-nin's head with his kunai he had to bend back in order to avoid the female ninja punch aimed at his face. Once his head was located parallel to the floor he bended back even more, thus avoiding the kick that the kunoichi launched at him.
Once Naruto's hands touched the ground, he felt his feet hitting something. He guessed it was the female ninja's face, since once she launched the attack, she probably created an opening as well.
When he finally landed on his feet he saw black hair's fist coming right at him. He bended down and as the tree-nin's fist went above his head, he received a powerful knee in the face from the female shinobi. That send him to the sky, but as his feet left the ground he grabbed the girls hand and, by tossing her by his shoulder, send her right at the tree-nin.
Both the girl and the black hair rolled on the floor for a few meters before coming to a stop. They slowly got back on their feet and looked excited at the blonde jounin.
'Well, you're certainly better then I've expected' announced the one called Kouba. 'We really should stop playing around and get serious, don't you think so, Fugou?'
'Guess so' replied the girl and it was then that Naruto felt her chakra flow all over her body.
Few seconds later the black hair performed few, quick seals and send his chakra to the floor by putting his hands on it. The leaf-nin looked at the surface for a moment and when he raised his head back at his opponents, he saw that the girls body was covered in strange markings, that looked like tattoos, but they weren't there just a second ago.
'What the…?' was all Naruto could say before the kunoichi disappeared from his view and landed a powerful blow on his face.
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'Where are we going?' asked Kusari as he and his teammates were running through the palace gardens.
'Away from the battle, just like Naruto-sensei told as too' replied Ibuki not even turning to the chain master.
'Kusari has a point, actually' announced Kumiko. 'We should think through our moves. If those guys are on the same level as Kataki, we should be prepared to face them because it's not said that Naruto-sensei will be able to hold them back. And if a need to fight with them is possible, we should do it in a place where we have the advantage…'
'Then what do you suggest?' asked Takaru, slowing down.
'I don't know, but since Kusari uses the chain it should be a place with open space where his weapon won't be limited. Also, since Ibuki is a weapon mistress, it should be somewhere with the lack of hideouts, so she could throw her knives and shurikens more effectively…'
'Alright, so which place in the palace would you suggest, that fits the requirements, Deji-sama?' Kai turned to the Stone princess.
'I think that this garden fits the description best' replied the royal girl.
'Whatever it'd be, you won't have the chance to go there' they all heard a voice coming from above.
As they looked at the top of the palace they saw the swordsman and the card user standing on the roof. Suddenly they both jumped down and landed just few meters away from them.
'I'm afraid that the time for running has ended' announced Ryu, pulling out his blade.
And that's it for this chapter. Releasing another may take me a bit longer then usual, coz it's highly possible I won't have access to any computer for more then a week. I'll try to submit the 19th chapter before I go, but if I won't manage: sorry. I promise I'll submit right after I get back though.
Now, for another character profile, with imporvements you asked for:
Name: Hagane, Kusari
Age: curretnly 12 years old
Birth Date: 1st of April
Zodiac: Aries
Bloodtype: AB
Height: 150,3 cm
Weight: 48,1 kg
Favorite Food: spagetti
Village: who doesn't know he's from Konoha (Hidden Leaf)?
Current rank: gennin
Bloodline Limits: none
Techniques (used so far): Kawarimi no Jutsu (Art of Substitution)
First Appearance: 1st chapter
And that's it for this time. Before I finish I'd like to ask you to leave a review with your opinion, as well as invite you to read my other fanfic: 'Shinobi Showdown'.
Take care and till the next time.