Phew, made it! I must admit this chapter proven to be a bigger bother then I imagined it'll be. Guess Kokoro's fights are gonna be tough to write (similar in scale to Shino's I presume)… or maybe I should blame Horamaru for this? Anyway, I don't feel like I managed to pull this off the way I'd want, so I do hope you'll bare with it and that you'll still find this chapter enjoyable.
As always I wish to thank everyone who reviewed. It really helped me get motivated to finish this installment, albeit it being a pain. I presume that until I reach fight 7 (Akira vs. Dekai) I'll be having a hard time writing what I intended in the final exam. ARGH!
On a side note, for all title page fans (although I'd assume there's no more then a handful of these… or perhaps I'm wrong? Care to clue me in on that?): sorry that Kusari didn't get his individual shoot in the newest series yet. He will, I just wanted to put this one up in the spirit of the current FIFA World Cup. I'm not gonna say that I follow it, holding my breath (especially since my country didn't make it to the tournament), but it is a great event and I am for anything that unites people (at least to some extend) all over the world, if only for a little while.
Without further ado, lets move on to the chapter itself:
Chapter #132: Kokoro versus Horamaru
Title Page: the Leaf rookie boys are watching a football match on TV; Hanamaru is stuffing himself with chips, Kai, Kusari and Senkou are making a 'wave', Galu is flipping a tiny flag sweat dropping, Kokoro is standing behind the couch, propping his hands on it seat with a wide smile, Toku is sitting on the floor, staring at the screen, Takaru is sipping drinks from his cap, while Kitsune, on the opposite end of the couch, is sleeping
A fist collided with Horamaru's face, sending the boy to the sandy ground, lifting up dust as he dropped. The blond send his adversary a death glare, yet Tarakudo made nothing of it, staring at him with his left eye: "This is truly pathetic… how do you expect to beat me with that level of skills?" he asked while the other boy struggled back to his feet.
"Shut the hell up! I don't need a lecture from the likes of you! Eventually I'll surpass you and then kill you! Afterwards it'll be time for your so-called brothers! I will not rest until I send all three of you to hell!" he proclaimed, making the bandaged seven-year-old burst out laughing: "Really? Let me tell you then: that'll never happen."
"What do you know?" Horamaru shoot back, his face twitching with anger.
"Quite a bit, actually. Allow me to enlighten you" Tarakudo replied with surprisingly calm voice. "There's a very simple reason why you always lose to me; it's because, despite everything you say, you still lack it… the thirst for blood…"
-Flashback end-
Strings began closing in, forming circles all around frozen Kokoro. With the sunrays deflected by the thin lines, the telepath narrowed his eyes and suddenly charged forward, straight at the spot Horamaru was standing. Taking note of the deadly line that came right at the center of his face, the blond ducked and then jumped up, avoiding another then raced just above the ground towards his legs.
Somersaulting in mid-air, the leaf-nin picked out his kunai and filled the weapon with chakra, blocking the third string and using the instant the two blades collide to bounce back, back to the ground. The moment his feet touched the surface, he jumped forward again, flying parallel to the ground, thus managing to go between two, more strings that came from above and below.
Resting his hands on the ground, he rolled to the front, making the sixth string that fell from the sky scourge the surface on which he landed no more then a second earlier and now he saw inches away from his target.
"Good" Dekai complimented him in his mind. "But not good enough" and the instant that thought enter his mind, Kokoro torso got cut, spraying his blood before the boy while the telepath jumped back on instinct, his eyes wide as he stared at Horamaru, who still have not moved from the spot he stood.
The sand-nin smirked as the crimson liquid clapped against his face, allowing the boy to lick the drop that ran down near his mouth: "That was close… have you been a bit slower, you'd now be cut in two" he announced playfully as his adversary huffed, holding his bleeding chest.
"Damn, he didn't make it through!" Kai stated the obvious, his grip on the rail tight while Karame spoke up: "Frontal attacks based on physical combat won't do since the strings provide cover for wide areas" he explained, making the blond gaze at him confused. The mummy allowed himself to let out a sigh as he continued: "Think about it: every inch of the string is just as deadly as the other. With their lengths, each string renders the space it occupies blocked. Having one attached to each finger gives a total of ten strings. Even if Horamaru were to flip them randomly, with these strings mixing each others paths, the space through which one could pass becomes extremely thin, assuming there will be such left. Trying to break through something like that might be considered a suicide attempt…"
"So what can be done?" asked Kai with a worried expression. This time however it was Kumiko who answered his question: "Flank it, obviously. That is the only way, but judging from distance where the strings cut the surroundings, it's safe to assume their length covers at least a third of the field. Since that is so, even the space left to go around them is pretty slim…"
"Mind reading doesn't work" added Takaru, narrowing his eyes as a single drop of sweat traveled down his face. "But even if that was not the case, that string guy could just flip his fingers randomly and still have his attacks be just as dangerous… possibly even more then they already are. I hate to say this, but from the way that blond is acting, it's much safer if Kokoro would just surrender… otherwise, he may lose his life!"
"Give up is one thing Kokoro most certainly won't do" Galu announced with a stoic face and his arms crossed. "Since, if he did, that would go against everything he believes in" he said, making Kitsune snap at this: "Are you kidding me? What the hell is so important that he'd be ready to throw his life away for it?"
"Everyone forms their own priorities" Hizoku explained simply with understanding in his voice. "Not always preserving ones life is placed on the very top…"
"So what is it that he's willing to put his life on the line for in such a meaningless battle?" questioned Kusari, to which his green-haired peer responded instantly, lowering his head: "realizing his dream…" at those words Horohoro flinches slightly, but none of the gathered seemed to notice his reaction.
Meanwhile Horamaru swung his arms again, forcing Kokoro to strafe right in order to avoid another hit, yet the leaf-nin came to an abrupt stop and bend forward, making one string drop inches behind his back, while another flew horizontally just above his head. With his body still in that position, he placed his hand on the ground and spun on it, getting out of another string's way, yet the fifth scourged his arm, making the young telepath lose his balance. As the blond fell, another wire left a mark on his left leg while the boy landed very ungracefully.
"Kokoro" Hinata thought to herself as she observed her student, worry written all over her face. Simultaneously, Leaf rookies had very similar feelings: "He cannot win" stated Kogane sadly. "That Sand guy is barely leaving him room to dodge, left alone counter. He can't get through…"
"Certainly seems that way" Ibuki agreed with a nod. "Even if he were to use weapons, those strings will just deflect them. Unless Kokoro has something up his sleeve, this match is as good as decided" she added, to which Senkou merely smirked (A/N: not that anyone could tell due to his mask): "Well then, good thing he still has his trump card then…" he announced, making everyone gathered, expect for Rei who was still sleeping, to gaze at him curiously.
Horamaru threw his hands to the sides, flipping his fingers while the other blond charged forward, picking out two kunai, one from each palm. He ducked under the first string without slowing down and threw the knife in his left hand at his adversary's face as he himself somersaulted over the second string.
The third wire came at the young mind reader while he was still in mid-air, yet before it reached its target, the sand-nin was forced to bend to the right to avoid the projectile, throwing his own weapons off course. Thanks to that the string switched directions, going just above the spinning form of the Leaf gennin, allowing him to land safely on the ground and resume his sprint, occupying his left hand with a new kunai.
A quick strafe to the right let him dodge the fourth wire that came from above and then he was forced to flip back to the left, avoiding the fifth, all the while he was getting closer and closer to his target. With no more then inches away from his opponent, Kokoro ducked again, making the sixth string miss and just as he was about to thrust his knife at the older blond, ground beneath him suddenly split, uncovering a seventh string that rose up in an attempt to split him in two.
His instincts taking over, the leaf-nin rolled to the right, barely dodging certain death, yet his left foot was still scourged by the wire, making pain shoot through his leg as he landed. The telepath's eye twitch at the agony, while his teeth clenched as he flipped back a few times, escaping a new barrage of strings that came with a new flip of Horamaru's arm.
"There's no way I can keep up in close range" Kokoro concluded, a dreadful thought that lingered within from the very beginning of the match. "What's more, this guy's capable of putting a barrier on his mind. I recall Yume mentioning something like that, but I never imagined someone of a gennin level was capable of such a feat. I basically have no options left, the only one being that secret skill… but if his barrier holds, seeing that he's a psychopath, if it fails… I'm as good as dead!"
"Seems as though all you can do is run around" the sand-nin spoke with an evil smirk as he stared at his adversary playfully. "And I was actually hoping for some challenge. You're no fun at all… you're barely worth getting ripped to pieces. But, you're still worth it" he added, widening his smirk as his arm flipped again.
Kokoro was quicker and with four hand seals, he thrust his hands forward, catching the string user between his fingers: "Hijutsu: Ishindenshin!" he called out, in a flash making Horamaru's surroundings disappear in the darkness.
The confused, Suna gennin blinked a few times as the shadows that engulfed him began fading, revealing a completely new location. One that he was all too familiar with: a dim space filled with test tubes and boards covered in calculations. Top of the line medical equipment littered both the floor as well as the corners of the room while a small lamp swung back and forth from the ceiling in an annoying dance.
"What the…?" he began, looking around. "This is my father's lab… a teleportation technique? No, that's no possible. There's no way someone of that level could perform a feat like this, especially through that long of a distance. Even that masked brat shouldn't be capable of doing that. So what is this? A genjutsu?"
"That's about half right" he heard a voice and turning to the direction it came from, he narrowed his eyes, spotting Kokoro, who too was glancing around the hideout: "Charming place… I suppose it's to be expected of a sociopath such as yourself though…"
"What did you do?" the sand-nin demanded, losing his calm. "And just now… did he read my mind?" he suddenly flinched at the realization, but the other blond only smirked: "That's also only half right. In here, both of us can be considered telepaths. I have a full inside of your thoughts… and vice versa. But to answer your question… haven't you figured it out yet?" he asked curiously, immediately answering his own question: "No, of course not… I should be able to tell. I'll give you a hint then" he stated, staring at his adversary.
Horamaru's eyes widen at the news, face twisting in fury: "You gotta be kidding!"
"On the contrary" replied the Leaf gennin with a stoic face. "We're inside your mind…"
-enter the new nightmare!-
And this concludes this chapter! Hope you enjoyed reading it and do leave a comment before leaving. Not much to say really, so I'm just gonna close this with the jutsu translation as well as character list and the match-up:
Hijutsu: Ishindenshin (Secret Skill: Mind Communication… rough translation)
Konoha #7 (Naruto): Murasakki Kumiko, Tanken Ibuki, Gekido Takaru, Hagane Kusari, Haisha Kai
Konoha #3 (Shikamaru): Konpaku Rei, Rikoteki Kogane, Amagasa Toku, Debano Kitsune, Gusoku Hanamaru
Konoha #4 (Hinata): Igaku Mikka, Inuzuka Tsume, Benda Kokoro, Hatake Senkou, Kobushi Galu
Konoha (Shino): Hamano Taki, Hyuuga Hitomi, Manako Akira, Tanken Funbo, Horohoro
Suna #1 (Temari): Aoru, Torune, Tarakudo, Takai
Suna #2 (Kankuro): Sabaku no Sabure, Hari, Dekai, Horamaru, Karame
Kusa (none): Hokku Tobane, Kanraku Nezumi, Kuchibashi Taka, Kyohaku Tokame, Wanabi Hizoku
Ame (unknown): Kasano Youji, Nokogiri Karei, Eshaku Ryo, Furikuzu Tsuino, Hebereke Nazaa
Tsuki (Hinami Hoshiru): Junsei Teela, Tenka, Chishio Nobu, Chishio Kumo, Kihako Tasuki
Kane (unknown): Futatsu
Fight 5: Benda Kokoro (9) vs. Horamaru (10) – in progress
Fight 6: Furikuzu Tsuino (11) vs. Tarakudo (12)
Fight 7: Manako Akira (13) vs. Dekai (14)
Fight 8: Hyuuga Hitomi (15) vs. Tenka (16)
Fight 9: Hokku Tobane (17) vs. Sabaku no Sabure (18)
Fight 10: Murasakki Kumiko (19) vs. Debano Kitsune (20)
Fight 11: Junsei Teela (21) vs. Kanraku Nezumi (22)
Fight 12: Horohoro (23) vs. Hagane Kusari (24)
Fight 13: Aoru (25) vs. Hamano Taki (26)
Fight 14: Torune (27) vs. Hari (28)
Fight 15: Amagasa Toku (29) vs. Kyohaku Tokame (30)
Fight 16: Kobushi Galu (31) vs. Karame (32)
Fight 17: Takai vs. Wanabi Hizoku
Fight 18: Tanken Funbo vs. Gekido Takaru
And that's it for NNG for the time being, but I do hope you'll tune in next time! Until then!