Welcome all in the New Year! Hope so far this whole 2007 isn't a nightmare for you guys!
Now, I know it took me longer to update then usual and sorry about that, but collage has been a total horror for me lately and basically I shouldn't even manage to finish this in another week or so. I know one thing: it won't be easy to write the next chappie till the end of the next week. But on the other hand, the number of reviews for last time left me a little disappointed, so…
Thanks to everyone who review and SORRY to all who I haven't replied up till now! FF seemed to screw up a little lately and I got confused in all of it (since I wrote something for my FictionPress account as well). So in case I haven't replied your review, I'm really sorry and I hope it won't happen again. Luckily, in most cases, you just wanted to know what's behind Yamazaru's helmet, so the answer is here… finally.
As usual: I WON'T UPDATE UNLESS I GET REVIEWS.
Without further to do, here's the newest chapter of "Naruto: Next Generation":
Chapter #64: Behind the Mask
Title Page: Ibuki dressed in a classical, ninja outfit (a black one) and is taking of her mask
As Yamazaru's helmet split in two and both parts of it felt to the floor, Kai's eyes widen in surprise: "That snow-nin… what the hell?" and with that his eyes set on the huge gennin's face, that was now revealed.
Hizoku took a single step back, shocked at the sight. In stead of a human face, which he expected to see, his eyes now stared at the head of a white-furred gorilla with sharp, white fangs growing from his lower jaw and a pair of bloody red eyes was watching him almost as it the glare was supposed to pierce right through him.
"What the hell is this?" demanded Kai as he pointed at Yamazaru. "What's with the King Kong? Can a monkey even be a ninja to begin with?" he asked and then glanced over to Kumiko, who only sweat dropped the moment she noticed his stare: "Why are you looking at me? What am I, a walking, shinobi encyclopedia?!" she shoot back irritated.
Just then Yamazaru charged at Hizoku again, roaring even louder then before, which send shivers down Mikka's spine. Tsume noticed that and only narrowed her eyes as she turned back to observing the match bellow: "Well, it's no wonder she's moved by all this… above anyone gathered I know best that an opponent like that is bad news… when fighting human you can always try to predict his moves… after all, we're all thinking about winning… but while fighting a wild beast, those rules just don't fit, coz in the end you never know what it'll do… it's not logic nor emotions that push it to do this or that… it's pure instinct…"
Yamazaru swung his huge mace right at Hizoku. The redhead acted immediately and bended over, placing his spear onto his back and only thanks to that did he managed to avoid getting his spine break as the snow-nin's mace got deflected by the Kusa shinobi's weapon. The spearman instantly counter attacked and this time it was him who swung his weapon at his opponent, but to his great surprise, the huge gorilla suddenly jumped up and flipping in mid-air, he landed behind the young Wanabi.
"Why start dodging all of a sudden?" Tobane's eyes widen at the sight, while Yamazaru was already swinging his mace again, aiming at his opponent's back. Hizoku however reacted in a flash and spun around on his foot, launching his spear, yet this time he wasn't aiming to pierce the huge gennin. This time, his weapon pierced right through the gorilla's huge mace.
"Enough child's play…" he announced annoyed as he spun on his foot again and having the blade of his weapon stuck deep into Yamazaru's mace, the snow-nin felt his weapon trying to escape his hands. In a flash the Yuki shinobi's weapon followed the redhead's spear and shoot out of its owners hands.
Before Yamazaru could react to the circumstances in any way, he received a powerful blow in the face from the handle of Hizoku's weapon. The redhead didn't stop spinning however and in the next moment elbowed the gorilla in the stomach, making it bend over slightly. It was then that the grass-nin threw a kick at his opponent's face, which was now closer to the floor. As the attack connected, the huge gennin was forced to take few steps back in order to keep his balance.
At that time Hizoku swung his spear as fast as he could and due to that the mace that was still stuck on the redhead weapon's blade was released and flew straight at its owner. The snow-nin was too surprised to react and got hit by his own mace in the face, which forced him to take another, several steps back. With the last one, he brought his foot hard, making the floor crack under it a little.
"Hizoku seems to have an advantage here, but that monkey-man just won't fall down…" noticed Takaru calmly as he observed the match bellow. "So even though Hizoku surpasses his opponent with skills, he can't win…"
"There's gotta be some way to bring that ape down…" stated Kusari, glancing over at his teammate. The son of Tsunade only narrowed his eyes, but didn't reply. The chain master returned to gaze down at the ring. He was positive that there was a way to defeat the huge beast… only he couldn't see it.
Yamazaru picked up his mace and once more set his eyes onto Hizoku. The redhead only lowered his head slightly as he gazed into his opponent's bloody red eyes: "I see you still refuse to surrender… and I don't suppose you even understand what I'm saying, but at least I'll warn you: I'm not the one to break my promises and if I'd lose to you, I'd broke two that I gave to two people, so be aware that if you won't give up, I won't hold back anymore…"
"Won't hold back anymore?" Nezumi repeated a little confused and then her eyes widen at the realization while she turned her head towards Taka: "He's not thinking of using one of the Dances, is he? Those are forbidden techniques!" but the masked boy didn't reply. He only narrowed his eyes behind his mask as he stared at the redhead: "Are you really willing to go this far only to fulfill your father's will, Hizoku?" he asked himself, for the first time worried about his companion.
"Dances?" Ibuki repeated in her mind as she glanced over to the grass-nins.
"It would seem Yamazaru can't keep up anymore…" stated Aisu calmly with her arms crossed. Kato didn't reply, yet his eyes narrowed with a little joy showing in them. Yari didn't pay attention to his teammates at all however. He just stared at the large gorilla that stood in front of the red-haired grass-nin with a sad expression on his face: "Yamazaru…" he closed his eyes as a memory of an event from several years back echoed in his mind…
---Nine years ago in the Snow Country---
A seven-year-old boy with spiky, black hair and violet eyes, wearing a violet smock with a white vest on that and wide, violet pants filled with fur from the inside. He carried a large bag in his hand as he walked through the village streets with snow covering every roof and wooden huts being closed. Although there was no such thing as 'warm season' in this country (A/N: just as a reminder to all of you who forgotten: I've invented the snow-nins before I watched the first movie and above that, I still don't acknowledge the motion picture), it was still the middle of the so-called 'spring' and the temperate was only a little bellow zero (Celsius). The boy wondered what all those people will do when 'winter' will come.
He couldn't wait to get out of this place. Soon he will turn eight and when that happens, his father promised to take him to Hidden Snow Village. Since he was little, Yari was always impressed by the stories other kids told about shinobi and it was always his dream to become one. However when you're not a child of ninja, one is allowed into Yuki Gakure only after turning eight.
But his trail of thoughts suddenly got interrupted by a roar that came from his right, straight from the bushes. Yari looked around, but didn't saw anyone. "What was that? It sounded like some sort of wild beast, but I could swore there was some pain in that scream…" and at this point the same roar hit his ears again.
With a moment of hesitation, Yari jumped into the bushes and after a short run, he reached a place where some hunters set a trap, in which prey got its foot stuck. And the prey turned out to be a human-sized, white-furred monkey with sharp fangs and bloody red eyes. "Wha… what is that? I've never seen an ape like that… could it be…" and only then did the boy's eyes stopped on a trap the large beast was stuck in.
"It hurts, doesn't it?" Yari asked gently as he took few steps forward, thus gaining the monkey's attention. He slowly held his hands forward, which made the ape roar again, this time, besides pain, with anger. The boy immediately retreated his hands and still gently, yet with his voice shaking this time, he announced: "I don't want to hurt you… look, I'll help you…" and with that he reached out his hands again.
The beast stayed silent, almost as if it understood, yet its eyes were settled on the boy as he grabbed the trap and used all the strength he had to open it. As the trap opened, the monkey immediately retreated its leg and move aside, while Yari let go, thus making the trap snap again, only this time the only thing it grabbed was air.
The two stared at each other for awhile, with Yari's breath getting faster and faster, while the ape just stood there, looking at him confused. "Why don't you go back to your… um… well, whatever it is that you belong?" the boy asked, yet the monkey either ignored the question, didn't understood it or at the very least decided not to do anything about it. "You…" the boy finally seemed to understand. "You don't have anywhere to go, do you?" he asked and surprisingly for him, the beast nodded slightly like it figured out what he was asking.
"You must be pretty rare…" Yari announced as he took few steps forward the beast. "I've never seen a white-furred monkey… though my mother spoke of them in some of my bedtime stories… and you're quite big…" and then he hesitated for a moment. The ape stayed silent, almost as if it awaited for the boy's decision: "I have an idea! Come with me! My mother always said that we could use a pet, so you'd do! (A/N: keep in mind Yari's only 7 at this point, so he's not the smartest)" and at this point the beast roared again, only this time it didn't seemed to be filled with pain or anger… it was more… pleasant.
"But I can't just call you 'ape'…" stated the boy after a moment of thought. "I know, I'll call you Yamazaru! It fits you (A/N: as far as I remember I didn't make Yamazaru's profile, so for all of you who haven't checked it until now, I can say that 'yamazaru' can be translated as 'monkey'). Now come on, I'll take you to me house…" and with that Yari guided the beast to his village.
However the moment they've entered the town, several screams hit their ears as young girls panicked at the sight of the human-sized monkey. Immediately some of the boys grabbed small stones that laid on the ground while the elder people reached for anything that could be used as a weapon. Before Yari knew it, stones were already hitting Yamazaru. He wanted to do something, however he never got a chance to as one of the rocks hit him right above his left eye and made him lose consciousness
As he woke up, he noticed Yamazaru sitting besides him with something that could be taken as a worried expression on his face. Yari slowly sat up and looked around only to see the huts that surrounded them got devastated. There was no-one in sight: "Yamazaru, what did you do?" he asked, turning to the monkey, yet the beast said nothing.
After a short while the boy let out a sight and as tears began gathering in his eyes, he got back to his feet: "I can't go back anymore… everyone knows about what you did by now… but I'll turn eight soon and I'll be allowed in Yuki Gakure… maybe I'll manage to find a home there… Yamazaru, will you go with me?" he asked, forcing a smile. Whether he liked it or not, the huge ape was now his only companion.
The beast nodded slightly again, as if it understood and then got back to its feet as well. "Lets get going then!" announced Yari. "The Hidden Snow Village is few days marsh from here… but before that, we need to do something about your looks… if ninja would see who you are, they might kill you on the spot… lets cover that scary face of yours!" and with a little more truthful smile, the boy run into the forest, followed by his new friend.
---Flashback end (A/N: I could've made it longer, but decided to shorten it in order to not stretch things)---
Hizoku cut his thumb with the blade of his spear and then drew a quick symbol on his weapon. Tokame merely narrowed his eyes at the sight: "There's no doubt about it… he's really going to…" but he never got to finish that sentence as his redhead teammate performed a quick set of hand seals and with the last one he called out: "Ekibyougami no Mai!"
In a flash he charged straight at Yamazaru so fast, that even Lee's eyes widen: "Such speed…" Naruto only felt his heart beating slightly faster as he glanced over to Kakashi. The Rokudaime has set his eyes onto the fighting redhead and for the first time in a really long while, he had his left eye uncovered, thus revealing it was red and spinning.
Kogane's eyes almost went out of orbits at the sight as Galu's only widen slightly. Kitsune's grip on the rail tightened as he bended over it a little: "What the hell's with that speed?" he asked shocked. Meanwhile, at the moment Hizoku charged at the huge snow-nin, Hanamaru choked on his chips and gasping for air, he took several steps back, thus stepping on Rei's leg, which caused the sleeping girl to wake up.
"Watch what you're doing!" she yelled, smacking Hanamaru in the back of his head, which resulted in him swallowing the chips and thus being able to breath again. Meanwhile Funbo narrowed his eyes, not paying any attention to the whole fuss near him: "That technique…"
"Such speed…" Senkou thought to himself with a single drop of sweat falling down his face."Even I…" but he never finished the thought. Kokoro only glanced at his masked teammate for a moment, like he knew what he was thinking, but decided to say nothing.
Yamazaru made an attempt to smash his opponent, yet missed him by a mile as Hizoku was moving at top speed. The beast tried to keep up with its eyes, yet the redhead seemed like nothing more then a blur to him at this point. Before anyone knew it, the grass-nin appeared behind the huge Snow ninja and with a quick slash, cut the monkey's back, making it scream in pain, before slowly collapsing to the ground.
"Sorry buddy…" announced Hizoku calmly as he retreated his spear. "You fought well, but this fight… I'm the victor…"
---A man that feels no pain got hurt… as darkness covers his vision, an even more powerful opponent appears on the battlefield---
And that's that for now. Hope you enjoyed it. And remember: I WON'T UPDATE UNLESS I GET REVIEWS, so…
Now, since I don't have that much time (I have 4 exams soon and have to study), I'll just give you a translation and write the proper description next time. Sorry:
Ekibyougami no Mai (Angel of Death Dance)
And that's all for now. Take care and all the best in the New Year!
Until next time, hopefully!