Kai: So we're back! We rock!
Shang: Just tell me what reviewers wish to know.
Kai: Fine! Firstly, one of them wish you to tell him who's Takaru-teme's father... actually I'm a bit curious myself.
Shang: Well, I wanted to keep it a secret for a while, but since I didn't plan to reveal it too soon in the story I could tell you. If you really, really, really wish to know, let me a note and I'll give you the answer on your e-mail or something (since other readers may wish that to remain a secret).
Kai: As always: never gives a straight answer... why the hell are you even doing this interview thing, dumbass? Anyway, another reviewer says that we're going to wail some people... we are?
Shang: I'm not saying anything... you'll soon find out.
Kai: Okay, so we seem to have another, new reader... some Catarina... she wish to congratulate you on the job well done and... blah, blah, blah...
Shang: Can't you show any respect to the reviewers? Anyway, thanks for leaving a comment. Thanks to reviews like that I feel like doubling me efforts to make this an even better story. Really, thank you.
Kai: Seems that this one is the last... Fic Slayr really did gave you some questions. Firstly, he announce that the chappies are too short... guess he just can't get enough of me...
Shang: ... Well, the chapters are short, that true, but I can promise you that once the Chuunin Exam will begin (which no-one doubts it will), they'll get longer. Also, the fact that they're short allows me to upload new ones a bit fast... and I suck at filler ups, so I usually don't do things longer then they has to be. Those are the main reasons.
Kai:Moving on! He also wishes to know why Naruto-sensei doesn't use the Kyuubi... what the hell is that?
Shang: Well, the Kyuubi... wait, why am I explaining this to you? To answer Fic Slayr question: Naruto still has the Kyuubi sealed in him, but... well, let's just say that some things changed during those fifteen years. I can promise you that Naruto will use it... but in later parts of the story.
Kai: Another one: he wants to know what happened to the original, 'Naruto' crew? And when you're at it, do tell who Kakashi send after Naruto-sensei and us.
Shang: For the first question: the original, 'Naruto' crew will appear in the story (not so far from now actually). For the second one: don't want to spoil anything... I'll say that you'll find out soon... really soon.
Kai: Lastly: he thinks Naruto-sensei learned more jutsus during the time of those fifteen years... so? Plus, he thinks Rasengan was way more powerful...
Shang: Well, he did learned more jutsus, it's just that he doesn't use them too much Some I've already shown, more will be revealed as the story goes... I like saving some things for later. As for Rasengan: it is powerful (at least in my opinion), but everything can be stopped... even Rasengan (that's my point of view anyways).
Kai: Okay, anything more?
Shang: I'd just like to thank everyone who reviewed. Hope you'll like what's coming.
IMPORTANT NOTE: With the collage start it may take me longer to upload then I used to. Still I promise I'll do my best to submit AT LEAST one chapter every two weeks. The 21st one should be done this week though... at least I'll try to hurry it up so you won't have to wait too long. Hope you'll bare with me.
Chapter #20: Ace out of the Sleeve
Chapter Cover: Ibuki simply practicing shuriken throwung in the forest. The target with few shinobi stars in it is hanging on a far away tree
"Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" yelled Kai, as his place took twenty clones.
"Kage bushin?" Karuto raised his eyebrow. "I'd never expect a brat like you to master a jounin level technique. This may be interesting…"
"Kage bushin…?" Kumiko looked with amazement in her eyes. "But he only saw that jutsu once, when Naruto-sensei used it against Kataki. Did he really memorized all the seals and in just few days he managed to learn how much chakra is required to perform the technique? Even Kusari with his chakra control would have problems in managing that!"
"That…" whispered Takaru. "That… blockhead… using his trump card like that…"
"Here I come!" announced Kai as he picked out several shurikens and kunai's.
As the original and the clones charged at the cards user, they threw the shinobi stars at the red head and preparing the knifes half of the jumped into the air.
"Useless" Karuto said calmly as all the shurikens were deflected by the card he held in his hand, but the clones that jumped into the air were already aiming at the card user's head.
So those cards of his can only block an attacked based on chakra, they're useless against a physical one, eh?" Kumiko thought to her as she observed the scene.
Before the clones were able to hit the red head with their knives he unleashed a storm of cards from his hands, hitting even single clone that was still in mid-air, thus causing it to disappear in the cloud of white smoke and their kunai's falling into the ground, covering it with white smoke as well... But it was then that the clones that were still standing one the ground charged at him.
"You're really stupid" announced Karuto, preparing more cards. "Can't you sense the difference in level? There's no way you, gennins, can defeat me!" and with that he threw his cards at the charging Kai's.
All of the blonde gennins were hit severally before disappearing in the cloud of smoke and it was only then that Karuto noticed something.
Where's the original?"
It was then that he spotted one kunai at his feet which didn't disappeared and, once it got covered with white smoke, Kai took its place with a kunai aimed at the red head's heart. In the last moment Karuto blocked the attack with a card in his hand.
"Well, well, well, who'd have thought?" said the card user with a smirk. "You almost got me that time. But almost is not enough" and with that he gave the blonde gennin a hit in the stomach which send him flying back.
But at the very same moment he heard a kunai coming right at him and jumped to the left in order to avoid the attack.
As he turned around, he spotted Ibuki throwing more kunai's and shurikens at him. Knowing that he won't be able to dodge them all, Karuto threw some of his cards in order to deflect some of the incoming weapons.
"Kai, are you okay?" asked Kumiko, who instantly found herself next to her teammate.
"I guess" replied the blonde gennin. "But what do we do? It doesn't look like we'll be able to defeat this guy…"
Kumiko looked at the card user for a moment as Kusari reached them.
"I have an idea" she announced quietly. "Kai, can you repeat the kage bushin?"
"I think so… what are you planning?"
Ibuki threw her last shuriken at the card user and once Karuto stopped, prepared to deflect the shinobi star the young assassin moved her hands closer to each other and performed a quick set of hands seals:
"Shuriken Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" she called out as the star thrown but her suddenly splited into tens.
"What the…?" was all the red head could say before he found himself dodging and deflecting all the shurikens that flew right at him.
As he finally avoided the last of the stars he instantly appeared right before Ibuki and cut her stomach with a card. The young assassin gave out a scream of pain and felt motionless to the ground.
"Yo, loser!" he heard a yell coming from behind and as he turned around he saw Kai finishing a set of hand seals. "Kage bushin no Jutsu!"
Once more twenty, new Kai's appeared before his eyes.
"You're wasting your chakra, kid" announced Karuto.
"We'll see" replied Kai as his clones charged directly at the card user.
Avoiding the wild attacks of every blonde gennin, the red head was slowly cutting the clones one by one. Finally he moved to his left in order to dodge the fist of the last clone and as the young shinobi was flying next to him he cut his back. The blonde gennin felt to the ground and his body got covered with white smoke.
"Told you so…" said Karuto when he noticed Kusari coming right at him with his fists ready.
The red head didn't move an inch. He simply blocked the first attack with his left hand then he grabbed the chain master's right fist with his right hand and finally gave the pervert ninja a kick in the stomach.
Kusari bended over, breathing heavily as Karuto began laughing.
"This is hilarious!" he announced. "I really though you guys were up to something, yet you're still just brats playing…" but his words froze in his throat as he felt his body being tied up by a chain. "What the…?" he looked surprised at the boy that was kneeing right before him. "Impossible, I'd have noticed if he…" then he noticed that the chain came from behind.
As he turned around he spotted Kusari with a smile on his face, saying:
"Gotcha… looks like you've fallen for the same trick twice. Even your Kirifuda Tate has been dispelled."
As the card user turned around to the other gennins he noticed Kai disappearing in the cloud of white smoke and Kusari that was kneeing in front of him just a second ago turned into the blonde gennin.
"I see… henge, eh?"
"Correct" announced Kumiko. "Since you use your cards in battle, I figure you won't be dangerous if Kusari were to trap you with his chain. Unfortunately, that card shield of your would stop any chakra-based attack and Kusari uses his chakra to control the chain. But when Kai clones came right through that shield along with Kai in the shape of a kunai, I figure that any, physical object could get through it. Also, you threw your chakra-filled cards from within the shield, so I guessed that once someone would get on the same side of the shield as you, he or she would be able to use any chakra-based attacks they desire. That's why I told Kusari to switch places with Kai…"
"Kage bushin was only a decoy" continued the chain master. "I turned into Kai and charged at you along with other clones. When you cut my back and I felt on the ground, the smoke that appeared didn't mean that you destroyed the clone. I just canceled the henge…"
"Yeah, then I charged in so you wouldn't notice" Kai joined the explanation. "Simple as that!"
"And now, that your shield is gone, we'll finish this fight" announced Kumiko as she performed the right seals and after she finished, she called out: "Odori no Sendo!"
A second later Karuto's scream of pain could be heard throughout the palace. But before the genjutsu could finish the job, Kumiko received a powerful blow in her face, which send her flying a few meters. At the very same moment her genjutsu was dispelled.
"Enough child's play" announced Ryu as he charged at Kusari and gave him a knee in the stomach. The chain master bended over just to receive a hit in the back of his head. The young gennins felt unconscious to the ground.
Then he gave Ibuki, who was just beginning to stand up, a kick in the back, thus knocking her out again.
Before Kai knew what happened, he was the last one of the leaf-nins still standing and Ryu was coming right at him!
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Fugou's eyes widen as Naruto grabbed her fist that was coming right at his head. She was even more surprised that the blonde jounin blocked the knee she aimed at his stomach with his second hand.
With a quick motion Naruto tossed the girl right at the wall and as she used her feet to bounced of it, she felt the leaf-nin's fist landing a powerful blow on her face.
What the…?" she thought to herself. "Just a second ago he was barely able to keep up and now his speed is the same as mine! What did he do?"
"Shit!" thought Kouba as he began performing a new chain of hand seals. "I don't know what he did, but at this rate there's no other way. I have to use THAT jutsu" and as he finished the chain he called out: "Mokudon: Nekata Gooremu!"
The floor started shaking as giants created from the roots raised before the blonde jounin.
"How do you like that?" asked Kouba with a smile. "My every own technique. No-one who saw it, lived long enough to tell anybody about it" and at his commend the root giants charged right at the leaf-nin.
Naruto ran straight at the new opponent, cutting them to pieces with the kunai he held in his hand. Before anyone noticed, the blonde jounin was standing behind the tree-nin, his face shown no emotions at all!
"An impressive jutsu, I give you that" announced Naruto. "But a trick of such level won't do against a shinobi who just opened the fifth, celestial gate."
At hearing that both his opponent felt shivers coming down their spines.
"That guy…opened the Limit Gate!" Fugou thought to herself as Naruto continued:
"I'm not an expert in this so five gates are my limit, but judging from the looks on your face I believe that will be enough. As I told you, this ends here and now!"
Okay, that's that for this chappie. Hope you liked it and that you'll leave a review once you're done reading.
Now for the jutsu encyklopedia:
Mokudon: Nekata Gooremu (Tree Element: Root Golem) - a jutsu invented by Kouba. The user first gathers chakra in his hands and then, with the use of the right hand seals releases it into the ground. The chakra doesn't lose connection to the users hands and once it finds roots, it forms then into a golems. The shinobi can use those golems as puppets. It's quite similar to the Hidden Sands Kugutsu no Jutsu (Puppet Skill), only it requires more chakra.
And now time for another, character profile:
Name: Haisha Kai
Age: currently 12 years old
Birth Date: 4th of October
Bloodtype: 0
Height: 149,8 cm
Weight: 46,1 kg
Favorite Food: ramen (kinda reminds you of someone, doesn't it?)
Village: Hidden Sand... yeah, right... of course it's Konoha (Hidden Leaf)
Current rank: gennin
Bloodline Limit: none
Techniques (used so far): Kage Bushin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Skill), Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Skill)
First Appearance: 1st chapter
Okay, I think this seriously ends this chappie. Sorry for any, grammar mistakes, I just really wanted to upload it, so you won't have to wait too long for it. Hope you'll leave me your opinion once you're done.
Keep warm and see you on the next chapter (hopefully).