It's quite amazing what a bit of inspiration can do. I would never guess I'll actually managed to write most of this chapter in less then an hour. I so rock! And what else is new :D Seriously though, during the week I sorta got stuck at the flashback a bit, even though I knew what was suppose to be in it. But I managed to reach my goal and finish this before weekend. Hopefully it's the sign of the one-chapter-per-week haste return.
Thanks for all the reviews for last time. It really means a lot, especially now that I have to concentrate on my original stories on FictionPress as well (and I encourage you to read and review them as well… since this is my fic, I guess I'm allowed to place a free commercial every once in a while in it).
ANNOUNCEMENT (PLEASE READ): also I want to announce that once more I'm looking for any drawers that are interested in doing some pics for me. It's not a great paid job, but at least it's taxes free! Seriously though, anyone who likes to draw and won't mind drawing some of the characters from my fic is welcomed. One already volunteered, but there's still plenty of space. Everyone is welcomed.
Oh yeah, I WON'T UPDATE, UNLESS I GET REVIEWS! Almost forgot to write that :D
And with that said, lets get down to the story:
Chapter #67: Reason to Fight For
Title Page: simply Hanamaru eating shashlik
"Hanamaru, dinner's ready!" a young woman called out from her hut, making a seven-year-old, chubby boy run right towards her. "My, ain't you lively today!" she announced with a warm smile, placing her hand n the boy's head. "Could it be that you're this excited about your upcoming birthday?"
"Of course!" the boy replied enthusiastically. "Once I'll turn eight, I'll be allowed into a shinobi village! Isn't it natural to be happy when one's dream is close to becoming reality?" he asked with a grin, on which his mother responded with another smile: "Do remember that just be getting accepted into the village you won't become a ninja. Now lets go or else the dinner will get cold" and with that the two went inside the house.
"And why are you so into becoming a ninja anyway?" his mother asked the boy as she glanced the soup before him. "It's a dangerous profession, especially for someone as young as you. You still have plenty of time to think what you wanna do…"
"I've already decided!" stated Hanamaru firmly. "I wanna become a ninja and help you, mom!" and as he announced that, the woman glanced at him surprise as he continued, lowering his head over the plate: "Ever since dad passed away, you've been working hard, but we're still short on money. A shinobi gets paid for doing missions and quite much at that and the harder the task, the more money he'd earn! If I'll manage to become one, you won't have to worry about anything anymore, mom!"
The woman only looked at her son and managed a weak smile: "Just don't get yourself killed. And start eating, otherwise your soup will really get cold…"
---Few years later---
"Okay, so you guys managed to graduate from the Academy" stated a man with a toothpick in his mouth and long, black hair, made in a way his head resembles a pineapple. "And although it's troublesome, it'd be helpful if you guys would tell me something about yourselves… you know, the usual: your name, likes, dislikes, plans for the future, dreams…"
"And what's the poin… zzzzz" began a twelve-year-old girl with markings on her face and long, brown hair, as she slowly drifted off to sleep. A boy with her age with medium-length, black hair, wearing a fishnet, who sat right next to her, only glanced at the kunoichi and then, turning back towards the man, he announced: "What she said…"
A blonde with a umbrella on his back only shook his head while he sweat dropped. Meanwhile came Hanamaru's turn: "My name is Gusoku Hanamaru! I like eating, sleeping and Kogane-chan!" and with that he suddenly smiled to the blonde girl seating next to him. In a flash the girl smacked him on the head with a loud 'not interested' and after rubbing the back of his head, he continued: "I dislike diet and my dream… is to become a respective, Leaf shinobi and get enough money to help my mom!" and the instant he said to, the blonde girl glanced at him with her eyes widen.
A little late the team was dismissed and Hanamaru went on his way home, but before he managed to reach it, a familiar voice reached his ears: "So, you're planning to become a respective shinobi of the Leaf, eh?" he looked to his left as saw Kogane, drinking some juice from the bottle. "Sounds like a dream to be respected…"
"Well, it's the only one a peasant boy can think off" replied the chubby gennin. "A pretty simple one…"
"So what if it's not very original?" demanded the blonde kunoichi, making a little angry face. "A dream is a dream and no-one has the right to laugh at dreams, even those who dreamt them! It just so happens that my dream is the same as yours…" and at this point Hanamaru settled his widen eyes at her. "And since we both want to become shinobi acknowledged as Leaf ninja, what do you say we make a deal; no matter the obstacles, we'll always give our best effort to pass them? That's what real shinobi do…" and with that she held out her hand towards him.
Hanamaru stared at her for a moment, still surprised, and then shook the girl's hand, blushing slightly: "Sounds good… lets do that…"
"Well then, what do you say he train a bit for tomorrow's exam?"
---End flashback---
"That's right" Hanamaru thought to himself as he slowly struggled back to his feet. "I made a promise! I can't back out now! I still have one, last thing I can try" and with that he gathered the last of his chakra with Kogane's cheer 'go get him, fatso' hitting his ear.
"Why do you even bother standing up?" Reiji asked, both amused and slightly annoyed. "The outcome will still be the same" but the chubby gennin wasn't listening. He just bite his thumb and with a quick set of hand seals, he slammed his palm to the floor, calling out from the bottom of his lungs: "Kuchiyose no Jutsu! Come forward Inosu!" and suddenly a huge cloud of white smoke covered the overweight boy.
Galu's eyes widen in surprise, while Hizoku narrowed his: "At this age, he's capable of performing that technique?" he asked himself with a tiny smirk of approval showing on his face. Tokame only glanced at his teammate and then returned his gaze to the arena bellow, where the smoke already cleared, revealing Hanamaru sitting on a huge, brown-furred boar with long fangs and a scar going through its left eye.
"Hey, Takaru, you and that pig got something in common" joked Senkou with a chuckle, making the son of Tsunade hold back his anger. Funbo only smirked at the masked boy's comment, which resulted in Taki shaking her head in disapproval.
"That little guy is full of surprises…" concluded Kankuro with a smile as a rumbling sound began appearing in Sabure's gourd. Hari moved away from her, slightly worried, while Horamaru only smirked, joined by Takai, who followed his example as he settled his eyes on Hanamaru.
"Hey, that technique he just used…" began Kai, turning around to his teammates. "Didn't you used it against that Kataki guy in the Rock Country, Naruto-sensei?" he asked the jounin, making the Kyuubi vessel nod in agreement: "Yeah, it is… but it's rare to be able to perform it at that age… Hanamaru certainly isn't your everyday gennin…"
"I knew that guy was good!" announced Kusari with a wide smile as he crossed his arms confidentially, making Kumiko sweat drop: "Wasn't he the one who told Hanamaru that he should watch out?" she asked herself, looking at the chain master.
"Lets go, Inosu!" yelled Hanamaru as the boar charged forward, straight at the metal-nin, who still stood calmly under the arena wall. A tiny smirk crossed his face as the chubby gennin and his beast came closer: "I told you that no matter what you do, the result won't be changed!" he repeated, jumping high into the air and thus flying right above his opponent's head, somersaulting in the process.
Inosu didn't manage to stop in time and so his fangs ended up deep in the arena's wall, immobilizing him. Meanwhile Reiji landed safely on the ground behind Hanamaru's back and turned around instantly, swinging his axe at the chubby gennin once more.
As the attack connected, another slash appeared on Hanamaru's body, sending him flying back in the process. The overweight boy crushed hard against the wall with his right shoulder, making the huge boar disappeared in the cloud of white smoke. The leaf-nin collapsed to the floor with pain shooting from every inch of his body.
"Hanamaru!" Kogane only managed to call out as her teammate laid on the ground with Reiji rising his axe for the final blow. But before the Kane shinobi brought his weapon down to unleash another assault, his hand was grabbed by someone and as the bald gennin turned around, he saw Lee standing right behind him with a serious face, his grip tight on his wrist.
"This match is over" the Leaf's Green Beast announced, surprisingly calm for him. "There's no need for you to continue…" and as he said that, Reiji's eyes settled on the taijutsu specialist. A moment later the metal-nin lowered his axe and throwing Hanamaru, who still laid on the floor with many wounds all over his body, he reattached his weapon to his back and slowly headed back to the platform.
Lee only throw a quick glance after him and then announced in his usual, loud voice: "Winner: Ono Reiji!" and instantly Kogane jumped down to the arena with Toku and Kai following her. Mikka also prepared to go down, but this time she was stopped by Kokoro: "Don't… although I understand your feelings, you mustn't forget that this is a competition and you're one of the participants. You can't go using your chakra on everyone. Besides, with your current level, I don't suppose you'd be capable of treating Hanamaru's wounds anyway…" and with that the medic-nin only lowered her head and after a moment of hesitation, she returned to her place.
As Reiji headed back to his place, he walked past Ibuki, exchanging quick glares with her. A tiny smirk appeared on the boy's face, which made the weapon mistress' eyes narrowed. It was obvious that the bald gennin just declared a war against her.
Upon arriving back to his place, Reiji received a quick glance from Sentou, who then got back to observing the events bellow and said calmly, gaining his teammate's attention: "I've never thought you'll be forced to use a forbidden technique in the eliminations… was that fatso really that good?" he asked, but the only answer he received was a cold 'shut up'.
"Hanamaru, are you okay?" asked Kogane with concern as she bended over her laying teammate, while the medics rushed towards them. The chubby gennin opened his eyes and with a weak smile, he replied: "Not really… skipping the fact that I feel like after fighting a horde of crazy squirrels with sharp claws… I lost. I couldn't fulfill my end of the deal, Kogane-chan…"
"What are you talking about?" the blonde kunoichi shoot back, slapping him in the fact, which made the overweight boy yell in pain due to his injuries. "You fought well! You just happened to face someone stronger then you, that's all! There's no shame in such defeat!"
"Yeah, Kogane has a point" nodded Kai with a wide smile. "That axe freak took both Kusari and Ibuki at once, without getting injured and you've managed to push him to his limits. If anything, the ones who suck are Ibuki and Kusari" and the instant he said so, the chain master clenched his teeth as his grip on the rail tightened, making it deform slightly. The young assassin only narrowed her eyes with an evil thought appearing his her head: "Kai… you better be ready to die…"
Toku only smiled at the two blondes behavior. Soon after the medics pushed them all aside and took Hanamaru for treatment, while Lee asked the trio to go back to the platform, where Miaka smiled under her nose: "Well, what do you know, fat guys can be strong too" and with that she glanced at Tetsu.
The hammer wielder didn't reply in any way, although Shita, who was still sitting on his shoulder, began scolding the kunoichi for what she just said, announcing that she lacks respect. Tetsu didn't made anything of it as he only settled his eyes on Lee, who announced loud enough for everyone to hear him: "Lets move on to another, elimination match!"
---determination isn't enough… welcome to reality---
And this concludes this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it and that you'll bless me with a review once you're finished with reading this.
And now, once more, a list of participants of the eliminations, who are still in the game:
Konoha #7: Murasakki Kumiko, Tanken Ibuki, Gekido Takaru, Hagane Kusari, Haisha Kai
Konoha #3: Konpaku Rei, Rikoteki Kogane, Amagasa Toku, Debano Kitsune
Konoha #4: Igaku Mikka, Inuzuka Tsume, Benda Kokoro, Hatake Senkou, Kobushi Galu
Konoha: Hamano Taki, Hyuuga Hitomi, Manako Akira, Tanken Funbo, Horohoro
Suna #1: Aoru, Torune, Honemaru, Tarakudo, Takai
Suna #2: Sabaku no Sabure, Hari, Dekai, Horamaru, Karame
Kusa:Hokku Tobane, Kanraku Nezumi, Kuchibashi Taka, Kyohaku Tokame, Wanabi Hizoku
Ame: Kasano Youji, Eshaku Ryo, Furikuzu Tsuino, Hebereke Nazaa
Bakufu: Azarashi Kawa, Tora Miaka, Abura Tetsu, Makko Shita
Tsuki:Junsei Teela, Tenka, Chishio Nobu, Kihako Tasuki
Hane:Ono Reiji, Sentou
Yuki: Nadare Aisu, Sarumaru Yari, Urufu Kato
Kumori: Kyuu
And this is really it for this time. Thanks for tuning in and hope to see you again!
Take care!