Well, I gotta admit that my exams proven much more demanding then I have anticipated, sucking most of my free time during the last weekend (I 'love' collage) to the extend I was unable to write even half of the chapter. But, on a more positive note, I surprised myself and once I sat down to it tomorrow, I've managed to finish up chapter 117 and wrote most of the following, so I've decided to wait those few hours and actually pull off an unexpected double update for the time of anniversary (I so rock… but you all know that XD).
Being entirely honest, I was positive the events in between the beginning of chapter 117 and the end of 118 would fit into just one chappie, but apparently they didn't, so I had to separate them, adding an extra scene to fill the empty space and in the end come up with what you're about to read. I'm a little bugged about how chapter 118 turned out, but that one is actually essential for the fight, so…
THREE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY: normally, this is the place where I write 'thank you all for reviewing' and so on, but this time I wish to twist that gratitude into something wider and that is a big thanks to all of you who reached this point and kept on reviewing. It's really you guys that helped me keep going with this 'little' story for so long. It's mostly you that I wish to dedicate this special, double update. I don't know if you'll find this fic interesting enough to stick until the very end, but I truly hope you'll keep on enjoying at least a while longer. And to those that think two chapters aren't enough, can drop by to my other, next generation fic which I recently revived, "Those Who Inherit the Will of Fire".
As I checked my manga volumes of "Naruto", I got a little disappointed with myself as, apparently, after his, three years, Kishimoto reached something around 145 chapters, so I'm falling behind. Then again, he does gets paid for them XD
Now, one last thing before I start off: as some of you may know/remember, Dark Hero Orion is absent for a while, so this chapter (as well as the next) were done without his betalization (hey, I invented another word XD), thus you'll most likely have to suffer from my bad grammar again. I did my best to stick to some pointers he left behind for the time he's gone, but… well, you know me XD
And with that said, the only thing left to do is invite you to read the newest installment of "Naruto: Next Generation"!
Chapter #117: Kai's Improvement
Title Page: Kai riding in the saddle on a huge hawk that soars above Konoha
"Lets see how well you'll do against my army," Takai purposed calmly and with a quick swing of his hand, all undead beasts came at the blonde, each letting out vicious sounds, which combined send chills down the leaf-nin's spine. The first to reach Kai was the three-tailed tiger that came from the boy's right, jumping at him with its claws extended. Acting on instinct, the gennin leaned to his right, barely avoiding the beast's attack, and grabbed one of its tails as the monster flew beside him.
In the next moment, the young gennin found himself ducking under a vicious swing of a powerful arm, thrown by the monkey-like skeleton that came from his other side. As the fist went whistling above his head. With his left hand still occupied with the tiger's tail, he reached for his hostel and picking out a kunai, he blocked a slash from the 'hedgehog' claws palm with a loud 'clang' ringing in the arena the instant the two clashed.
In a fraction of a second, Kai jumped forward, away from the trio and as he did saw, a blazing note wrapped around the tiger's tail could be seen. As the tag went off, the 'gorilla' covered his head with long arms, taking the most of the blow and being blown back, shielding the spiky creature beside him, yet still their skeletons went to pieces due to sheer impact. The three-tailed monster was not left off the hook either as it's body broke, while the skull split in two.
Kai smiled under his nose, coming to a sliding stop: "Three down already. Boy, that was way too easy. I can tell you place too much faith in this… army of yours" but his words froze in his throat as the skulls of the monkey and hedgehog sudden rose back to the air and the familiar, white chakra began collecting beneath, in a flash rebuilding their bodies, almost like they were never destroyed.
"Their skeletons are made of chakra" Takai announced calmly with his arms crossed, his face as emotionless as ever. "They're not like real bones. Even if you break them, all that's required is to put more chakra to restore the fractured piece. You might say they're immortal, just like myself…"
In a flash the 'hedgehog' rolled into a ball and mimicking Akimichi's Meat Tank, came straight at Kai, scourging the earth behind. The blonde mindlessly threw his kunai at the incoming ball and picking out a scroll, bite his thumb, drawing a quick seal on it, making a huge shuriken pop into his hand. Instantly the leaf-nin folded it back and using the now one-wing weapon, blocked the scythe-like blade that the beast which stood besides Takai a moment earlier threw a him.
Seeing the monster swinging its other arm from his other side, Kai quickly rose his left foot, hitting the beasts wrist with it, stopping the assault halfway through. The creature was not done yet however as it swung its lower, right arm in the attempt to sweep the blonde off his feet. With no, other way to dodge, the leaf-nin jumped and as the scythe cut below him, he rested his other leg on the wrist of the left, lower arm of his current opponent.
With his legs frozen in a split, Kai used his free hand to reach for his hostel and grabbing another kunai, he struck the monster dead-center in the head, making the skull crack. In a blink of an eye its skeleton fall apart as the calcium head broke: "I'm no idiot! It's like that Sand lady said: he uses skulls to recreate living beings. The skeleton may be unbreakable, but if you destroy the skull that's the element bonding that chakra body together, it's only natural the rest to follow. That's why that tiger thing didn't get revived like the other two!"
The instant his feet touched the ground, a snapping sound reached his ears, announcing the arrival of the beetle-like creature. In a flash the blonde opened the Fuuma Shuriken he held in his hands, making the wings that flew to the sides stopped the huge pincers that attempted to squeeze the leaf-nin between. Trapped in a deadlock, Kai pushed his shinobi star into a spin, making the pincers get blasted away. Using the opening, the Leaf gennin quickly spun on his foot, ready to split the head of the monster behind him with the spinning blade in his hand, yet before he managed to complete that task, his eyes caught a spinning ball flying straight at him.
In an instant the hedgehog cannonball crushed against the boy, cutting his skin and sending him flying back to roll on the ground for a few meters before finally coming to a stop. Kai rose to his feet immediately, his grip on the shuriken still tight. As his face twisted with both anger and pain, chakra began escaping his body. With a vicious cry, the blonde threw his weapon at Takai, making it fly right between the two beasts he just clashed with.
In a flash the leaf-nin went through a series of hand seals and as the last symbol was formed, he yelled from the bottom of his lungs: "Fuuton: Kiritori no Kaze!". Instantly, the wings of the shuriken got surrounded with circling air, which grew to the side, widening the weapon's range and cutting right through the skulls of both hedgehog and beetle, sending the two into oblivion, while the shinobi star kept going forward, aimed at Takai's chest.
Acting on an instinct, the sand-nin strafed left, dodging the incoming shuriken in the last moment, yet Kai wasn't done and with another seal, the air surrounding his projectile twisted, blowing the weapon at the shocked Takai again. Still in motion, the scythe user struck his blade into the ground, stopping himself instantly, and ducked under the deadly windmill. With a whistle, the shinobi star flew above his head.
Adjusting to the situation, the blonde executed another seal, making his weapon turn around come at the crouching form of its target once more at point blank range, leaving Takai wide open. The sand-nin's eyes widen as he braced himself for impact, but the hit never came as a powerful punch crashed against Kai's face beforehand, making the Leaf gennin lose his concentration, resulting in the shuriken getting blown off course and striking the ground just next to the artificial shinobi.
The monkey skeleton kept on charging forward, unleashing a storm of punches at the blonde, which the latter barely dodged. With no time to counter, Kai went through another set of hand seals, gathering wind underneath his feet: "Fuuton: Tatsumaki Hakka no Jutsu" he cried out, making a small tornado blast him to the sky. Once in mid-air, he somersaulted, reaching for more kunai, quickly showering the beast with his knives, eventually striking the skull twice, thus sending it to pieces, making the body soon follow.
"Since when is Kai able to do that?" Tsume barked, her body shooting up from her seat. But no-one answered. Ibuki only stared at her teammate fighting below, her eyes widen: "I can't believe it," she stated in her mind as her sight settled on the blonde. "That idiot… he's a wind user like me!"
"This is your doing, eh Naruto?" Temari asked suspiciously, turning towards the Kyuubi vessel, who carried a wide smirk on his face as he replied: "What can I say? Fate really likes to play weird jokes. Why else would it bring me and that brat together? He really is a lot like myself: the looks, the attitude, the skills… he even has talent for the same element as me. I just couldn't let that opportunity slip. With taijutsu alone, there's no chance he can beat Takai, so I had to teach him new tricks… I already told you: bet your money on Takai and you might lose it."
As Kai's feet finally touched the ground, the blonde felt the ground rumble a bit and in a flash the four-headed snake sprung upwards, wrapping its long tail around the surprised leaf-nin, trapping both boy's hands and legs, completely stopping his movements. At this Takai allowed himself to smirk a bit, slowly walking towards his immobile opponent.
"You're good… better then I have anticipated," the sand-nin announced calmly, readying his scythe. "I really want you in my collection. But, this is an exam after all, so it's only fair to give you this one chance to surrender before I behead you. Refuse and I shall not even bother with repeating my request. Don't underestimate me, I will kill you on the spot…"
"Funny thing… the one underestimating someone here… is you!" the blonde shot back just before his clone jumped from under the ground right behind Takai, ready to strike with his kunai. Surprisingly, the artificial shinobi didn't react and as the bushin reached the top of his flight, his chest got instantly pierced by a sharp blade. With a puff, the clone was gone, the smoke created by its dismissal quickly blown away by the flaps of the bat-scorpion's wings.
"Do you truly believe I made it this far only because I'm immortal?" the sand-nin asked, his voice again rid of emotion. "You've miscalculated. I figured creating your army of clones had more to it then you let on. You used the cover of the smoke they disappear in to hide one of them underground, making it wait for the right moment to strike. But note this snake has four heads, while the one I created with others had three. I don't need seals to form my legions. Since the very beginning I released some of my chakra into my backpack, just in case. When the smoke from your bushins covered the arena, I send one-headed snake into the ground. It scouted the area below our battlefield. When your clone dug under the surface, the earth vibrations alerted my minion. I knew of your clone hidden underground all along. I still win."
"So, you just combined two skeletons into one, extending the number of skulls?"
"Naturally." Takai responded simply with a monotone voice. "Judging from your action, I'd guess even you figured out by now the strength behind my creations. Their skeletons aren't real, it's just materialized chakra. At any, given time I can reform it. As long as the skulls remain unharmed, I can mixed any beings I have in my collection, joining their power in one body. In theory, I can even make a human with tiger's strength and claws…"
"I see…" the leaf-nin replied as a sudden smile crept onto his face, making his opponent rise his eyebrow. "Thanks for telling me this, it might prove useful in the future. However, you miss out on a single detail: as you said, you knew my clone was underground thanks to that snake thingy, but once you joined the two skeletons and this thing wrapped around me… you lost track of what was going on below!"
As on cue, another Kai shot from the same hole the previous clone emerged. With kunai ready in its hand, the new blonde tossed his knives at the beast tying the original, striking all, four skulls. The effect was instant and the real Leaf gennin was freed, going through a set of hand seals the moment his hands could move.
"Kaze Onban!" the blonde called out as a disc of spinning wind froze in his palm, only to get tossed straight at the bat creature a moment later. With an ear-piercing 'buzz', the bullet cut the air, hitting the beasts head dead center, making it share the fate of its comrades. In the meantime, Takai rid himself of the bushin that freed his adversary, now slightly annoyed.
"That blonde…" he thought to himself with his eyes narrowed. "He actually made his clone perform another Kage Bushin before making it jump out on me. Since my snake wasn't underground anymore, I had no idea of that maneuver. Could it be that he knew about my scout all along and planned this much ahead? Or was it pure, dumb luck?"
"Dammit, that's my technique too!" Takaru snapped at the sight of the disc. "Just wait, you bastard, I'm so gonna kick your ass for stealing all my moves!"
"So, you like playing with animals?" Kai asked his opponent, completely ignoring his teammate's shout (A/N: although it did send shivers down his spine) as he bite his thumb, performing another set of hand seals. "Two can play that game!" he announced, slamming his hand to the ground with determination booming from his face. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu! Come forward, Gamabunta!"
--the summoning of boss toad--
And so this chapter ends, but stick around as the next one is already on the way. Before inviting you to read that one as well, I wish to ask you to hit the review button on the bottom left of the screen and possibly write a few words. Also, I'm placing the jutsu encyclopedia as it's been a while since new techniques were used. There's no descriptions though, but I promise to correct that with the next update, when I will have more time (meaning after my exams are over):
Fuuton: Kiritori no Kaze (Wind Element: Cutting Wind)
Fuuton: Tatsumaki Hakka no Jutsu (Wind Element: Tornado Ignition Skill)
Kaze Onban (Wind Disc) – just for the record, to explain what Takaru said at the end of the chapter and Kai ripping him off; do any of you remember such a skill Kasai Onban? Actually, it's a technique that Takaru used all the way back in chapter 12 against Kataki. The physic behind that move is the same as Kaze Onban, with the only difference that Takaru's version uses fire, not wind XD
KONOHA: Kumiko Murasakki, Ibuki Tanken, Takaru Gekido, Kusari Hagane, Kai Haisha (fight in progress)
KONOHA: Mikka Igaku, Tsume Inuzuka, Kokoro Benda, Senkou Hatake, Galu Kobushi
KONOHA: Rei Konpaku, Kogane Rikoteki, Toku Amagasa, Kitsune Debano, Hanamaru Gusoku
KONOHA: Taki Hamano, Hitomi Hyuuga, Akira Manako, Funbo Tanken, Horohoro
SUNA: Aoru, Torune, Honemaru, Takai (fight in progress), Tarakudo
SUNA: Hari, Sabaku no Sabure, Dekai, Horamaru, Karame
KUSA: Tobane Hokku, Nezumi Kanraku, Taka Kuchibashi, Tokame Kyohaku, Hizoku Wanabi
AME: Youji Kasano, Karei Nokogiri, Ryo Eshaku, Tsuino Furikuzu, Nazaa Hebereke
BAKUFU/TAKI: Kawa Azarashi, Miaka Tora, Tetsu Abura, Shita Makko
TSUKI: Teela Juusei, Tenka, Kumo Chishio, Nobu Chishio, Tasuki Kihako
KANE: Naginata, Reiji Ono, Futatsu, Hogosha, Sentou (absent, went back to Kane for recovery)
KUMORI: Saiken Tenma (the mysterious, headgear gennin, currently somewhere in the Leaf)
And with that, let us move on to the next chapter!