DOUBLE UPDATE: well, considering you guys kept your part of the deal I made last time (more or less), it's only fair that I'll keep mine. And thus here I am to bring you not one, but two new chapters of "Naruto: Next Generation"! Kusari must face Taka, member of Hizoku's team! Will he be able to win? It's all for you to see with this double chapter.
I want to thank everyone, who reviewed the previous chapter. It really means a lot. I sure hope you'll review this as well (I won't mind if you'll review both chapter 70 & 71… I'm not the one to hold grudges :D).
And without further to do, I believe the only thing left for me to do is to get one with the show:
Chapter #70: Weakest Link
Title Page: Kusari is sitting on the floor in a prison cell, with his hands cut in chains that are attached to the wall
"No! Don't go in there!" Rei's sudden scream made most of the gennin turn towards her surprise. The kunoichi only looked among the face observing her closely and after a moment of silence, she announced: "Sorry, bad dream" and with that she drifted off to her sleep again, leaving Kitsune sweat dropping at her behavior.
But Reiji didn't pay any attention to that. He just narrowed his eyes, which he settled onto Kusari, who was now standing before Taka. "That Leaf brat… he's the one from before, back in the forest" the axe user thought to himself with a tiny smirk crossing his face. "The one Futatsu was talking about…"
---One month ago in Hidden Metal Village---
"Hey, Reiji, did you hear?" asked Futatsu as he walked to the middle of the training ground, where his teammate was sweating and breathing heavily after intense training. The bold gennin glanced at the swordsman impatiently with annoyance slowly creeping onto his face. Noticing that the other boy immediately continued: "This year the Chuunin Exams will be held in Konoha. This is actually pretty convenient, don't you think? Since the Leaf holds the test, it means they'll be allowed to enter as many teams as they desire… that cursed brat might end up being among them!"
"That cursed brat?" repeated Reiji, rising his eyebrow. "Oh, you mean this whole Hagane guy? I'd never thought that after over seven years you'd still hold a grudge against his older brother. Actually, it's quite pathetic that you wish to take revenge on him, just because you can't get back at his brother, since he's too strong for you…"
"You know just as well as I do what that damned Hagane did!" the swordsman raised his voice uncontrollably, yet the bold gennin didn't seem to care at all. "And to think that it was our own leader that invited Konoha diplomats!"
"I believe that fat-chest woman, this Tsunade or whatever, cleared things up… you know that the younger Hagane had nothing to do with what that other guy did. Now I do not know whether you want revenge because of what happened to your clan or is it your own pride that got hurt mostly, nor do I care if you'll actually kill the brat… however, be aware that I'm going to the Leaf to become chuunin and for that reason only. If your stupid revenge will get in my way to that goal… I'll be the one to erase your clan from the face of this world myself…"
"Don't worry" Futatsu assured him, narrowing his eyes. "Be it during the Chuunin Exam or outside it, that Hagane brat will pay for what his brother did… and once I'll make him a head shorter, his older sibling will get his turn…"
---Flashback end---
"Sixteenth match: Hagane Kusari against Kuchibashi Taka!" Lee announced loudly. "BEGIN!" and in a flash the grass-nin grabbed the chain at his belt and threw it forward, making the blade at its end fly right at the Leaf gennin.
Kusari quickly dodged to his right and threw his hand, making the sharp end of his chain fly right at the masked gennin. Taka however managed to avoid the attack easily by side-stepping, and grabbed the leaf-nin's chain once it went beside him. Spinning on his foot, the Kusa shinobi made the chain master's weapon wrap itself around him and with one, strong pull, Kusari was send flying, right at Hizoku's teammate, who already grabbed his chain right below the blade in order to use it as a knife.
As Kusari came closer, Taka heard a weird noise coming from his back and instinctually jumped into the air, thus avoiding the ball end of his opponent's chain, that crushed hard into the floor where he stood just a moment ago, breaking it into pieces. To his surprise however the attack was not over as the 'wrecking ball' suddenly shoot up and went after him again.
Having no way to avoid the assault in mid air, the grass-nin threw his legs up, locating the blade of his chain behind his back and using it to deflect Kusari's attack. The ball bounced of the flat side of the blade and Taka was saved. With a quick flip, the Kusa shinobi now faced the part of the chain that was attached to the ball, and grabbed it as well, while landing on the ground.
However Kusari saw that coming and instantly jumped back, making his chain stretch to its limits and then, using that moment, he used it as a sling and blasted himself straight at the grass-nin. Surprised by that action, Taka didn't manage to react in time and received a powerful kick in the face from his opponent, which made him let go of the ball-part of the Leaf shinobi's chain, but the sharp end was still wrapped around him.
As Taka came to a sliding stop few meters away from Kusari, the leaf-nin came charging right at him with the ball end of his chain flying beside him and several kunai gathered in his hand. The Kusa shinobi however simply threw the blade of his chain at him again and as the distance between them shortened, the masked gennin raised the hand he held his chain in, only to drop it an instant later, which made his weapon act like a whip.
Seeing this Kusari came to an immediate stop and made the free part of his chain place itself in front of him in the attempt to block the assault, yet with Taka's weapon going in every, possible direction, the blade still managed to get through and cut the leaf-nin's body shallowly in several places.
As Kusari covered his face with his hands, he felt his skin being cut all over. "Kusari!" Kumiko yelled from the platform at the sight in the same time as Nezumi called out just as loud: "Way to go, Taka-kun!" and a second later both kunoichi glanced at each other.
Ibuki, who stood right behind them, watched as their eyes meet for a split second, and then both girls looked away, blushing slightly. The young assassin sweat dropped as she smacked her face with her palm, covering her eyes in the process. "Now this is just…"
"Looks like you boy isn't doing so well, eh Teela?" asked Tasuki with a smile while he turned towards his blue-haired teammate, yet she seemed to totally ignore the boy, which made his eye twitch. Nobu only let out a sigh and tuned to Tenka, who still stood with her arms crossed and didn't made much of Tasuki's comment either. "Those guys…" was the blonde's only thought, before he returned to observing the match as well.
The attacks finally stopped and Kusari lowered his hands to look at his opponent, who stood few meters before him, making his chain spin in his hand. The leaf-nin felt his skin burning slightly all over; a sign that many cuts just got inflicted onto his body. The ball end of his chain now floated right above him, ready to blast at the masked gennin the instant its master would show the will for it to do so, but Naruto's subordinate haven't attacked. Not yet.
"I must say that I'm quite impressed" announced Taka calmly, with no trace of emotion in his voice. "I've never expected that you'll manage to control your chain with your chakra. Up till now I've only heard that something like this was possible, but I've never seen it actually being performed. Congratulations…"
"Thanks" was the only thing the leaf-nin said. Meanwhile Kai glanced over at the other grass-nins surprised: "wait a minute, you said that Taka guy was supposed to be stronger then Hizoku, but from what he just said, I believe it's safe to assume he's incapable of controlling his chain with his chakra! That means Kusari surpasses him!"
"Well, theoretically you're right" replied Hizoku calmly, as he gazed at the blonde. "But you should understand the subtle difference between knowing how to use a technique and using it properly. You see, the most powerful technique is useless if you don't know how and where you can use it. In a shinobi fight it's not always the matter of who knows more techniques or whose abilities are more powerful. During battle, what counts most is the person's individual skills and his usage of his techniques. Take your female friend's match from before: that Snow girl had an amazing skill, whereas Kumiko-san knew only few, genjutsu tricks, and yet she won, because she was more skilled then that Yuki gennin. The situation right now is the same: your friend can move the chain as he desires, however, out of the two, it's Taka that has a better control over his weapon…"
"Come again?" asked Kai, completely confused. Takaru only let out a sigh as he turned towards his teammate: "To put it simply, blockhead, just having talent for ninjutsu doesn't make you undefeated!" and the moment he said so, Naruto smiled under his nose: "Seems like he finally understood that" the jounin thought to himself, but said nothing.
Suddenly Kusari shoot the sharp end of his chain at his adversary, forcing the grass-nin to take action. Acting on instinct, the masked boy charged forward, once more grabbing his chain like a knife and made his blade collide with the incoming one. With sparkles flying all over, Taka kept on charging right at the Leaf shinobi, dragging the blade of his chain along Kusari's, with a loud, scratching sound following it.
As his ears caught the loud noise, Taka's eyes narrowed for a split second as he glanced at his opponent's weapon and then settled his eyes on Kusari again, swinging his blade. The chain master was forced to jump back, in order to avoid the attack and then send the round end of his weapon at the masked gennin.
With a speed that Kusari could not follow, the grass-nin avoided the attack and stepped on the end of the chain. In a flash Taka charged forward again, placing his steps in the way each would force the next part of the Leaf shinobi's chain to the floor. Instantly Kusari made the round end of his chain rise again and flew right after the charging, masked boy, while the sharp end of his chain flew straight at the incoming gennin.
Sensing the right moment, Taka slammed his blade at the incoming sharp end of Kusari's chain from above and jumped into the air, somersaulting. At the same time the round end of the leaf-nin's weapon flew after him. Instantly the masked boy flipped in mid-air and kicked the incoming ball away, cutting parallel to the floor, aiming to chop Kusari's head off.
Having no other way to avoid the assault, the leaf-nin jumped back, dragging his chain with him, but as it was passing Taka, the masked gennin spun on his foot and struck the blade of his chain into the link of his opponent's weapon, stopping it. Naruto's subordinate looked at him surprised and using his chakra made the sharp end of his weapon rise up, aimed at the back of his adversary's head.
As the blade flew right at Taka, the masked boy suddenly spoke up: "You know, my friend, I'll give you a little advice, considering we're both chain users. No matter what you do, you must always remember that your weapon is only as strong as its weakest link… and sadly for you, I've managed to locate it in yours" and with that he made a quick motion with his hand, making the link his blade was holding fall apart.
Kusari's eyes widen in shock as the sharp end of his chain felt to the floor. He no longer had any control over it. The leaf-nin retreated his chain, which was now shorten then before. "That guy just broke my chain!" he concluded in his mind. "I can't attack him with my blade anymore! At this rate, I'll…"
"Sorry to say this, my friend" announced Taka, spinning his chain again. "But it appears this match is over…"
---Kusari's chain broke… could this be the end of the perverted gennin?---
Well, that's it for this chapter, but don't go nowhere, coz the next one is already on its way. Naturally, I won't mind if you'll decided to review this one before you move forward.