Hey guys. Took me a while to update, didn't it? I apologize for that, but the past few weeks has been... well, hell to put it simply. What's worse is that it's hell that isn't over yet, so I really don't feel like elaborating on that.
I also apologize for not responding to your reviews. I believe this is the first time ever since I began writing this fic that I DIDN'T address your comments in any way. Feels odd and inappropriate, but I just don't have the strength for it at this time. Thus I can only say sorry and promise that for next time I will reply to your reviews.
As I already made you wait quite long, just a quick reminder that this is your FINAL chance to cast a vote in Character Popularity Poll! The results of the voting will be given with the next update (which will, hopefully, take less time then this one), so if you wish to give your vote to any of this story's characters, no is the time.
With that said, here's the newest installment of NNG series:
Chapter #149: Horohoro versus Kusari
Title Page: Halloween: Kusari is fishing for apples with his hands tied with a chain (dressed as a pirate), Kumiko is treating youth of Konoha to candy (in a cat costume... duh :D), Takaru (dressed as a vampire) is trying to pin a tail to a donkey, while Kai (dressed as a Frankenstein's monster), obviously proud of himself, is showing Ibuki (in a witch's costume) his handiwork – a seriously messed-up jack'o lantern
"The goal of this exercise is simple" Shino announced as he held four scrolls out front, two in each hand. "You are to gather all of these before sundown. If you succeed, you can consider this exam cleared and you're officially promoted to gennin."
"And if we fail?" Hitomi asked without any, real emotion showing on her face. "Say we miss one?" she added with her arms crossed.
"Then you will all return to the Academy" the bug user proclaimed simply, putting the scrolls into his pockets. "This is a team's test and you outnumber me five to one. It is up to you to form a strategy that'll allow you to achieve victory. In shinobi world, there is no such thing as a job half done – you either succeed or fail..."
"My kind of challenge" Funbo stated with a smirk as he spun his staff in his grip. A moment later insects flew out of the jounin's sleeves, forming a dark cloud over his head. Instantly Hitomi went into her fighting stance, while Akira reached for his tanto, alerted by the buzzing that filled the air. Only Horohoro narrowed his eyes as he took a single step back...
The blue-haired teen panted heavily as he gazed at the man before him, resting his body on the knee; on the opposite side of the glade Shino stood calmly, all four scrolls still in his possession while the gennin-to-be hung in nets tied to the trees behind, their figures casting long shadows in the setting sun.
"A valiant effort, however the result of this test is basically decided" the jounin proclaimed in his usual monotone while his student slowly rose back to a standing position. "Your time is almost up and all your teammates have been captured. Even you are fairly exhausted after using so much Water Release... skipping the fact that I don't understand the logic behind your strategy..."
"There's no strategy really" Horohoro responded, narrowing his left eye as a drop of sweat ran down his brow. "Not in a typical sense anyway. I have a goal and I'm only acting to achieve it. There's really nothing more to understand, especially since I'm not exactly a tactician type..."
"Yes, I get that" the bug user nodded, keeping his emotionless exterior. "And that is why I don't understand – your goal is to take the scrolls, yet for the past hour you haven't done anything to succeed in that... unless I failed to see something."
"No, that sounds about right" the ice user replied, bringing his hands into a seal. "It's not about seeing some, elaborated plan... your lack of understanding, Shino-sensei, comes from a simple miscalculation" he announced, making the jounin rise his eyebrow... not that the boy could've seen that behind the man's shades. "My goal wasn't to snatch the scrolls; I aim to free my teammates..."
"That's right!" Taki yelled, throwing her fist to the sky through the net; a motion that made the trap dangle, in turns making the kunoichi dizzy. Neither Akira nor Hitomi seemed to react to the statement, yet Funbo allowed himself to narrow his eyes: "Of all the dumb-ass ideas..."
"Is that so?" Shino rather said then asked, adjusting his glassed, which caused him to drop all the scrolls to the ground. "You know that this won't leave you enough time to complete the task at hand?"
"I don't care" Horohoro proclaimed with determination. "Forsaking your comrades for some, stinking rank... I don't think that's what we've been separated into teams for! And certainly that is not what Leaves do!" he added, completing the technique...
-Flashback end-
Kusari thrust his right arm forward, making the scythe blade lung at Horohoro's face, forcing the teen to duck under the assault. Immediately after the blue-haired ninja strafed right as the small wrecking ball came at him as well, but just as he thought he was out of danger, he had to flip back, seeing the second sphere dropping from above.
Coming to a sliding stop, he side-stepped the third ball and reached to his hostel, releasing three kunai at his adversary. Before the knives could reach their target though, the scythe-blade swung before them, knocking each off its course, while a wrecking ball came directly at Horohoro's back in the meantime.
With a quick set of seals, the teen spun on his foot and slammed his palm to the side of the chain, making the metal instantly cover in hoarfrost, which immediately grew in thickness, immobilizing the weapon in a layer of solidified liquid. The weight pulled the chain down, making it smash into the ground, while Horohoro shifted his attention back to his adversary, preparing another technique.
Kusari wasn't about to let him do that though as he set his scythe blade into motion, making it spin above his head, stretching to cover more ground. In a flash it whistled before the blue-haired gennin's face, forcing the latter to duck again as he completed the jutsu: "Hijutsu: Mizu Muchi no Jutsu!" he called out as he jumped upwards, over the wrecking ball that came at his legs.
In a fraction of a second water formed from the humidity in the air, circling like a tornado. With a cacophony of splashed it shaped itself into thin, spinning whips of liquid that spread to the sides, slapping the two, incoming balls. Without any, visible sign from Horohoro, a third whip erupted forward, going straight for Kusari.
The young gennin quickly retreated his scythe blade and thrust it at the assault, but to his surprise the liquid swayed and circling around the chain in a steam, it continued its attack, hitting the boy right in the chest.
The sudden impact pushed the chain master back a few inches in a sliding fashion as the leaf-nin held his torso. The instant he came to a stop, a second whip smacked his back, knocking his face first into the ground for the third one to go for his head.
Before the assault connected, Kusari made one of the chains tied to his wrecking balls wrap around the tree and pulled himself in that direction, narrowly avoiding the attack. Still in mid-flight, he put his scythe into motion again, aiming at his opponent's back, but just as the blade came close, the liquid formed a shield and deflected the metal as its master turned around, hands completing another seal: "Hijutsu: Kaishou!"
In a flash Horohoro's mouth opened, releasing a powerful wave of water, which extended , forming a wall between the two fighters. Wall, that with a defying rumble, charged right at the chain master.
"Isn't that... Taki's technique?" Funbo wondered, narrowing his eyes, yet regardless to the fact, the mask kunoichi cheered even louder at the sudden turn of events. "But then, it couldn't be a Secret Skill... so what the heck?"
"Such an enormous Suiton in a place without water" Ibuki thought to herself with hands tied before her mouth. "That Takai guy... Hizoku... bone guy... my brother... the Moon babe... this is so unreal... are all those guys... really only gennin?"
"Kusari, watch out!" Kai panicked at the sight, grabbing his head. Even Takaru seemed shaken at the display as the tidal wave rushed at their teammate, snapping any tree that stood in its way. Surprisingly for most however, the young leaf-nin didn't run; no, in stead he spread his legs as his hands clasped in the form of a seal.
"Ninjutsu?" Teela wondered, a little shocked to see this, particular ninja reach for such a tactic, all the while unaware of a memory that sprung into Kusari's mind as the wall of water neared his position...
-Three weeks earlier-
"Wind Release?" Naruto repeated, rising an eyebrow at his student's request. "Frankly, I don't really see how that is gonna be helpful to you against your opponent in the first round; wind, much like water, isn't solid. From all, chakra types, lighting would be most beneficial in your situation..."
"You said it yourself that I'm not a Raiton type though, Naruto-sensei" Kusari reminded him with a weak smile and seeing a skeptical look on the jounin's face, he went on, his expression turning serious: "I know what I'm asking, Naruto-sensei... from the get go there was no chance of me defeating that Horohoro guy with ninjutsu. I'm a kinjutsu fighter and my good, chakra control cannot change that in one month's time. But with my fighting style, I can easily amplify even the simplest of wind-based techniques and once I do, I'll force my opponent's hand..."
"Force it to do what?" the blond questioned suspiciously.
"To make the mistake I need him to..."
-Flashback end-
"Fuuton: Bouseki Kaze no Jutsu!" the boy called out, giving birth to weak, wind currents that began spinning around him. Instantly he flipped his arms, making his chain spin wildly in his grip, accelerating the air, in a flash turning the breeze into a cyclone that shielded him, climbing to the sky.
As the tidal wave smashed against the tornado, it split in to, some of the liquid circling around Kusari, carried by the current. The rest of water smacked the wall of the stadium, splattering all around the battlefield as Horohoro narrowed his eyes, completely ignoring the drizzle: "Countering with wind, eh? Well, I suppose you can try that, but you know..." he began, flipping his arms again: "I'm not just a water user!" he proclaimed, slamming his palms to the ground.
"Hijutsu: Hatsushimo!" he called out, immediately making his opponent feel cold as steam escaped the chain master's mouth. Within moments the liquid that circled in the wind began solidifying, forming a sphere that wrapped around the young leaf-nin's limbs.
Before Kusari could react, his body was frozen from the waist down, while his arms sported a heavy layer of ice, stuck to the gathering below, successfully immobilizing the gennin. Quickly he send chakra into his chain, yet the weapon didn't respond, trapped beneath the solid water as well.
"I specifically left your upper half free to not cause more damage than was necessary" Horohoro explained simply, staring at his adversary with the lack of emotion. "But even so, you don't really have any way to move, which also means you won't be able to fight back..."
"So it seems" Kusari admitted with a nod, glancing at his frozen body.
"So, you're gonna give up?"
"Not really" the chain master replied in a laid back fashion, shrugging slightly.
"What the hell is that idiot saying?" Kogane snapped, grabbing Rei by the collar. "He totally lost! Why the heck is he trying to act cocky? Kumiko isn't even here!"
"How should I know why he acts like he does?" the lazy kunoichi replied with a stoic face as her teammate flapped her back and forth. "I suggest you ask Ibuki over the matter; she's the most likely to have an answer..."
"Well, I don't" the young assassin assured her, narrowing her eyes. "One can never tell what exactly goes on in Kusari head... at times I think he's two, different people altogether; one being the pervert we all know... and the other that really scary warrior, rid of any attachments... even more frightening then my brother..."
"Kusari-kun... frightening?" Mikka repeated in disbelief, gazing at the other girl.
"Well, they do say the least likely can be most dangerous" Senkou stated simply, seemingly ignoring all the commotion. "And, although this applying to Kusari seems laughable at best... I doubt he'd choose to continue this match if he hadn't got a plan..."
"You seriously ain't gonna forfeit?" Horohoro asked, somewhat disappointed.
"Sorry, no" the chain master announced sternly. "You'll need to knock me out to win."
At this the blue-haired boy narrowed his eyes as he reached for his hostel. Without rush he prepared a kunai and charged at the younger gennin with the knife ready. As he came close though, Kusari smirked...
In a flash another chain shoot up from beneath his shirt, this one ended with a large, almost cleaver-like blade. A blade that came straight at Horohoro's face at a blinding speed...
-what the hell?-
Surprised? Actually, from the start I was planning on extending Kusari's chain by a greater deal then just what he shown in the previous chapter and you can rest assured that the modifications won't end here... but that's an issue for another time. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and found it worth waiting for.
Konoha #7 (Naruto): 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, Manako Akira, Tanken Funbo, Horohoro
Suna #1 (Temari): Aoru, Torune, Tarakudo, Takai
Suna #2 (Kankuro): Sabaku no Sabure, Hari, Dekai, Karame
Kusa (none): Hokku Tobane, Kanraku Nezumi (currently in medical wing for treatment), Kuchibashi Taka, Kyohaku Tokame, Wanabi Hizoku
Tsuki (Hinami Hoshiru): Junsei Teela, Kihako Tasuki, Chishio Kumo, Chishio Nobu
Kane (unknown): Futatsu
Kumori (Tategamaru): Saiken Tenma
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
Fight 19: Benda Kokoro vs. Tarakudo
Fight 20: Manako Akira (automatic win)
Fight 21: Sabaku no Sabure vs. Debano Kitsune
Fight 22: Kanraku Nezumi vs. ?
Hijutsu: Mizu Muchi no Jutsu (Secret Skill: Water Whip Skill)
Hijutsu: Kaishou (Secret Skill: Tidal Wave)
Fuuton: Bouseki Kaze no Jutsu (Wind Release: Spinning Wind Skill)
Hijutsu: Hatsushimo (Secret Skill: First Frost)
Now, before going, I'd just like to say to all of you who read my other, next generation fics, that "Those..." is coming, just it takes longer to finish the chapter and thus it didn't made the cut for this update. Hopefully, next time, all three fics will be updated.
And with that: HAPPY belated HALLOWEEN and see you next time!