"Alright, Blondie, start talking."
"Where would you like me to begin?" Kuushou asked.
"You can... is that the seal?" she asked instead, her eyes focusing on the numerous scrolls spread out across the living room.
"Part of it, yes," he replied easily. He laid down the scroll he had been studying and moved over to one of the small chairs, motioning for her to sit as well.
It took her a moment to move her gaze back to him, but she eventually did so. "What is going on with you, Blondie? I've seen med-nins work before, but never that fast and never on themselves. And then that technique you used... what the fuck was that?"
Kuushou leaned back and let out a slow sigh, rubbing his hand over his face. "You remember the... limitation the seal places upon me, yes?"
Anko nodded, looking curious as to where he was going with this.
"Well, the seal is not without its benefits as well. I'm sure Inoichi and the Hokage are aware of some of what went into that technique, but it's only been recently that I have really gotten anywhere with it."
Anko's brow furrowed. "That's vague as shit, Blondie."
"I'm talking about this," he said, raising one hand and allowing a stream of mixed youki and chakra to extend from it. The purple energy curled in the air, swaying back and forth like the head of a snake.
Her eyes widened and she became very still. "Why is your chakra purple?"
"Because it's only half mine," he said with a smirk.
"And the other half?"
"I think you can guess."
She nodded slowly, her eyes distant. "That's why, isn't it? The seal doesn't hold back your chakra at all, it's there for the tailed beast. But because it's combined like that, it hits you too."
Kuushou blinked, then grinned widely. "Right in one. Given how you act, it's sometimes easy to forget just how intelligent you actually are."
She flipped him off absentmindedly, her focus still on the stream of chakra emerging from his hand. "That doesn't quite explain what happened in the forest, though, or how you can heal yourself so quickly."
"Doesn't it?" a voice asked from beside her. She jerked sideways, then flung herself backwards when she saw a mass of flame shaped like the boy in front of her smirking at her side. The flames walked forward, seeming to pass through the chair without so much as scorching the cushion, and stopped next to her.
"As I'm sure you heard in your briefing, my chakra control is marked as S-rank." He waited for her to nod slowly before he shook his head. "It isn't. My chakra control is perfect."
The flame clone winked out to be replaced by a water clone that formed out of thin air. "I told Kakashi that my affinity was wind. That's technically true, but irrelevant. I can control all elements equally well."
A lightning clone replaced the water clone.
"What I did in the forest was leverage that control into a technique of my own devising. It's perhaps the only five-element technique in the world, although it's really more like multiple techniques used in rapid succession."
The lightning clone dispersed, and Anko slowly pulled herself to her feet. "Why have you been hiding this? With a technique like that, you could qualify for tokubetsu jounin, easily. Fuck, your combat rating should probably be flat-out S if you can do something like that."
"I'm surprised you have to ask that, Anko," Kuushou said calmly, shaking his head. "What do you think would happen if other ninja found out I was using the Kyuubi's chakra, regardless of how or why?"
"It wouldn't be that bad," she countered. "We all know what jinchuuriki are and what they can do."
"Perhaps I should rephrase; what would they think if they knew my entire body was saturated with the Kyuubi's chakra, to the point where all someone with the Byakugan or Sharingan can see is that chakra with only flashes of human chakra in the mix?"
Her face paled and she took a step back reflexively.
He flashed a wounded look across his face before adopting a completely blank expression. "Exactly," he said, his voice shifting into a monotone.
She flinched, then shook herself and stalked forward. "No," she snapped quickly, her expression fierce. "Don't you fucking start any of that shit with me. That's not what I expected to hear, but that doesn't change a fucking thing. You aren't the only one stuck with shit you don't want, and don't you dare think I'm like some of the assholes in this village."
By the end of her rant she was leaning over him, her face inches from his own and a harsh glare on her face.
He held his mask for a moment, then relaxed and gave her a grateful smile. "Yeah," he said quietly, "you know all about this kind of thing, don't you?"
She grimaced, one hand rubbing the cursed seal as she nodded. "Yeah," she said, relaxing and moving back to her seat, "I do."
They were both quiet for a minute, Anko lost in thought and Kuushou studying her silently, then he snorted to himself. "Besides," he said as she looked at him, "it's not like my situation is without its benefits. The level of control and amount of chakra I have to work with allow me to do things most ninja can only dream of," he concluded with a smirk.
Anko snorted in amusement. "Cocky brat," she muttered.
"Oh? You don't think I can back that up?"
She didn't reply, instead shifting forward in her chair as her expression grew serious. "That explains what you did to the bastard's clone and the healing, I guess," she said, "but you left something out."
Kuushou raised an eyebrow curiously.
"How did you find me in the first place?"
He frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"
"You managed to find me almost as quickly as I found the bastard, when you shouldn't have known I was in the forest at all."
"I'm not that bad at tracking," he said.
"When you couldn't find the trails of a whole team of genin immediately after that? You expect me to believe that you managed to track me without any trouble, but suddenly became useless when it came time to locate Sasuke?"
He grimaced, cursing internally; his earlier comment about her intelligence seemed especially apt now.
"Talk to me, Blondie. I trust you, and I think I've proven that you can trust me."
He didn't answer immediately, and Anko seemed content to leave him to his thoughts. He hadn't planned on revealing this much, certainly not yet, but she probably already had an idea of just how he'd tracked her down. In fact, attempting to lie to her now could undo all of his efforts and create an entirely different set of problems to deal with. He would just have to take care that she kept the information to herself as much as possible.
"I'm a sensor," he admitted finally.
"There, was that so- … what?" she abruptly yelped. The stunned expression on her face confused him.
"What did you think I was going to say?"
"That you had planted a tracking seal on me," she said slowly, her eyes narrowing.
He blinked, then wiped a hand over his face. "That would have been a good excuse, actually," he muttered.
"You knew!" she growled, leaping to her feet. "You knew that bastard was there the whole time! Why the fuck didn't you say anything?"
"I did, remember?" he countered, rising to stand across from her. "I tried to point him out during the exam."
"You call that saying something?" she snarled, breathing heavily. "You could have told us that he was more than just a ringer! We could have prepared for him, alerted the Hokage, ambushed him! We could have fucking killed him!" Each point was punctuated by her hands waving in the air, and on the last her hands curled as if she was preparing to strangle someone.
"I didn't know who he was or what he wanted," he snapped, not backing down at all. "For all I knew he could have been a ringer if Grass was desperate enough to make a good impression! What would you have had me do?"
"Trusted me!" she yelled. "You could have told me in private and I could have done something from there!"
He cut off his next reply abruptly, drawing in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "You're right," he said finally. "I could have. Maybe I should have. It's just... hard to talk about these things. I've kept it a secret for so long that... I'm sorry."
A lot of the anger seemed to drain out of Anko's frame at his words and tone. She rubbed her hands over her face and let out a sigh. "Look, I get where you're coming from," she said finally, "I do. And you're right too, there's no way you could have known who he really was. Just-" she seemed to struggle for a moment, her hand twitching spasmodically and her body quivering with tension, then she slowly let out a breath. "Just don't keep everything to yourself," she said finally, sounding much calmer.
She moved back to her seat and dropped into it heavily. "Kami, what a day," she muttered tiredly. "Any other exploding tags to drop on me? Any other insane jutsu you can whip out at the drop of a hat? A bloodline, maybe? Secretly the reincarnation of the Fourth, perhaps?"
He startled slightly at the last one, surprised at how close her random example was to the truth.
She caught it.
Her eyes slowly widened as her sharp gaze started studying his features more closely. "You're shitting me," she breathed.
Kuushou let out a sharp laugh. "Not the reincarnation, no," he muttered as he fell back into his chair. "Having your father shove a demon in your gut is a hell of a birthday present though, isn't it?"
She let out a dry laugh, her eyes slightly wild as she slumped back in her seat. "Son of the Fourth... Kami, what a mess," she muttered. "How long have you known?"
"Quite a while," he replied, keeping his answer vague; he'd given away quite enough already.
Anko's mouth twitched into a halfhearted smirk. "Something tells me the other Naruto didn't know," she said. "Knowing that little brat, he'd have been shouting it from the rooftops the moment he found out, shoving it in everyone's faces."
Kuushou didn't bother commenting on that, and Anko lapsed into thoughtful silence.
After a few minutes, she slowly stood, shaking her head. "I guess I should be careful what I wish for, huh? If there's anything you need to get off your chest, you can fucking save it for later – I've got quite enough shit on my plate already, thanks."
"You mean you don't want to know about-"
She leveled a glare and a silent snarl at him, releasing a small burst of killing intent as well. "Shove it, Blondie," she snapped, though her face morphed into a wry smirk.
"Consider it shoved," he responded easily, grinning. As she turned toward the doorway, however, he spoke up again. "Before you go, just how much did you tell the Hokage? I imagine they'll want me to submit my own report eventually, but there are certain pieces I'm sure neither of us want going on the official record."
Anko grimaced, then leaned against the nearest wall as she ran a hand over her face. "I covered all the high points, including your little fuck everything technique, everything the bastard said, your rather violent rejection of his offer," she paused, some barely disguised emotion crossing her face as she looked him in the eye before she continued, "and our little trip to check up on the Uchiha. Any... conversations between those two incidents are not mission relevant," she finished firmly.
"And this conversation?"
She hesitated, her mouth opening and closing several times before her mouth twisted into a frown. "You can't keep your ability hidden forever. Besides, having a sensor on hand – and knowing about it," she added with a sharp glare, "would be a major advantage for any mission."
"Or it could get me stuck on permanent security duty as I become 'too valuable' to risk. I've already got people after me for my medical training, and only the fact that Konoha has quite a few sealing specialists saves me from similar issues there. All three? I'd never see the outside of the village again.
"Besides," he added in a softer tone when he saw that she didn't seem swayed by that argument, "I'm pretty sure I'm a sensor for the same reason my chakra is purple."
That seemed to bring Anko up short. She studied him in silence for several seconds before one hand rose up to rub her neck over the cursed seal. "Do you realize what you're asking me to do?"
"Yes," he replied simply, and Anko sighed tiredly.
"I'll think about it," was all she said before turning on her heel and leaving without giving him a chance to reply further.
It was roughly three hours later when he felt someone else approaching his apartment, though this visitor far less welcome than Anko.
Kuushou opened the door, his face carefully neutral as he greeted his guest.
"Shimura-san."
"Yamanaka-chuunin."
Using his "real" name this time, interesting. "Please, come in."
Danzo walked to the couch, moving slowly and thumping his cane onto the floor with each step. He turned and sat, placing the cane across his lap as he perched on the couch. "You have not given me a reply."
"That is true," Kuushou answered, sitting in a chair across from the Elder. He did not allow himself to completely relax, and kept both of his feet firmly planted on the floor, just as Danzo himself had. The room fell silent, each watching the other for any signs of movement or mannerisms that would reveal their thoughts.
"Normally I would consider that a refusal, and a rather rude one at that." Again he left the statement hanging, but Kuushou said nothing.
"In this case, I am inclined to make an exception," Danzo continued, ignoring the brief silence that had filled the room. "You have been quite busy, after all, and you have effectively formed a partnership of sorts with Mitarashi. She is a good choice, quite skilled and focused when it comes to her work."
"I thought so as well."
"However, the job I have in mind will not interfere with your other duties. In fact, it is because you have these duties that it is possible."
Danzo did not continue, and the silence stretched for nearly a minute.
"I'm listening," Kuushou conceded.
"I personally do not believe that Orochimaru infiltrated Konoha solely to apply his Cursed Seal to the Uchiha. The fact that he left the boy behind makes that a certainty in my mind. He has another purpose here, and the Chuunin Exams provide excellent cover under which to operate.
"Various parties have been attempting to trace Orochimaru's movements before his appearance in the Forest of Death. Analysis has shown that he must have killed the team from Grass prior to the start of the first phase, which means that we actually have a thorough account of his whereabouts for approximately seventeen hours prior to the incident.
"Based on that account, Orochimaru managed to personally visit nine shops, four restaurants, and interacted with over six hundred people in some capacity, at least two dozen of which included close physical proximity. The probability that he passed on or received information is high. That he intends to use this information to harm Konoha in some capacity is not probable, but certain."
"And what does this have to do with the job?" Kuushou prompted when Danzo finally trailed off.
"Orochimaru is the job. If, or rather when, he shows up again, I want you to focus on killing him, above and beyond all other considerations. Even if you are not successful, you will at the very least hinder his efforts."
Kuushou blinked, staring at the old man. His expression hadn't changed, his body was perfectly still. Even his chakra was disturbingly calm, far calmer than what most ninja were capable of – it reminded him rather strongly of Itachi, actually.
"You're serious."
"I have seen the real report of what happened in the Forest," Danzo said as if that explained everything.
He supposed it did.
"I'm still technically only a chuunin."
"If you accept the job, I will arrange for you to receive a special dispensation for the duration of the exams to operate as my personal assistant. You would effectively be outside the chain of command – excepting the Hokage and the Jounin Commander, of course."
"And you."
"Nominally, yes. I don't have any actual authority to issue official missions, or even order you to do anything. The actual effect would be to prevent other jounin from issuing you orders that would interfere with your mission to assist me."
"And as long as what I'm doing is at your request, it falls under the guidelines of the mission."
"Yes."
It didn't take him very long to make up his mind at that point.
"I accept."
A few days later – days that had not included a conversation with the Hokage about his abilities – Kuushou was strolling through the tower alongside Anko, heading down to the arena for the end of the second phase when he suddenly stopped in his tracks. Anko took a few more steps before she noticed, and turned to look at him with a curious expression on her face.
"What's up, Blondie?"
Kuushou didn't bother to hide his wide grin or stifle his laughter; his loud cackles echoed throughout the hallway, causing Anko to look at him oddly and pulling attention from everyone within earshot. It took him nearly a minute to get himself under control, and by that time he'd managed to attract a small audience, including Hinata's team and her teacher. He ignored them for the moment, instead focusing on Anko.
"Remember that little talk we had a few days ago, about trust?"
Anko frowned slightly, her eyes darting around to take in the others listening to their conversation.
"Yeah? What of it?"
"There's something else I need to trust you with right about now. I think you'll like it," he added, threatening to burst into laughter again. "I think you'll like it a very much indeed."
Anko's eyes narrowed in confusion for a moment, then widened in shock before a manic grin bloomed on her face. "You mean?"
"Right this very minute."
Her eyes glittered insanely, and she paused to lick her lips for a moment, her tongue darting out as if tasting the air.
"I think there's an old man we need to talk to, don't you?"
Kuushou just grinned wider and followed Anko as she disappeared in a shunshin.
They tracked the Hokage down quickly and convinced him to meet with them in one of the unused rooms in an upper level of the tower.
"I trust this is important?" the Hokage asked wryly, though he looked more amused than annoyed at the interruption to his schedule.
Anko nodded sharply. "Uzumaki-chuunin has brought some information to my attention that I think you need to hear, Hokage-sama," she said before turning to look at Kuushou expectantly. The Hokage's eyes narrowed when he noted Anko's unusually formal tone, his body tensing slightly.
"Orochimaru is here," Kuushou said simply.
The Hokage blinked for a moment, then his gaze sharpened even further and he straightened, any semblance to the kindly grandfather gone in an instant.
"Where?" he asked, already motioning for his ANBU to step out of the shadows and prepare to take his orders.
Kuushou let his gaze drift to the side, humming thoughtfully. "Right now... he's walking along the second floor corridor, heading towards the balcony of the arena."
The Hokage's eyes narrowed before he turned to one of his ANBU, one wearing a lizard mask. Kuushou felt a small flare of chakra, and wondered what the man was doing for a moment before the ANBU announced, "There are four people in that section of the tower, the three Oto genin and their jounin teacher."
Kuushou focused for a moment, then nodded. "The jounin is Orochimaru."
The Hokage was eying him curiously while the ANBU shook his head. "The jounin's reserves are not nearly large enough; they're below average for his rank, actually."
"A Hyuuga, right?"
The ANBU made no reply, but after a moment the Hokage coughed slightly. "Supposing he was," he said, all but admitting it, "why is that important now? Where are you getting your information, Naruto-kun?"
"I'm going to name the locations of various people in and around the tower, and I want the hypothetical Hyuuga to use his hypothetical Byakugan to hypothetically confirm what I am saying. Maybe then you'll believe what I'm trying to tell you."
The Hokage stared at him for a moment, then glanced at Anko and noted her absolutely serious expression. He nodded.
"There are... thirty-one ninja present in the tower at this moment, with another seven inbound from the forest. There are four ANBU in this room, two more waiting in the hallway, and two more waiting in the arena.
"Sasuke Uchiha is three floors down and roughly forty meters to the north, alone. Sakura Haruno is ten meters away from him, next to Kensuke Ogawa. Kakashi Hatake is thirty meters to their left and walking slowly towards them. Team Kurenai, both teacher and students, just entered the arena and are moving to meet with Team Asuma, who have been waiting in the arena for at least fifteen minutes.
"Am I correct?" Kuushou finished sarcastically.
The ANBU slowly nodded his head. "I can confirm that everything he stated is true, Hokage-sama, both the total count and the locations of specific individuals."
The Hokage studied Kuushou for several seconds before asking quietly, "How did you do that, Naruto-kun?"
Kuushou gave a dramatic sigh before reluctantly saying, "I'm a sensor, Hokage-jii-san."
The room was silent for a moment, then, "And why did you hide this from me, Naruto-kun?" the Hokage asked, sounding saddened and disappointed.
Kuushou shifted uncomfortably, lowering his gaze and looking away. "I... I don't think it's a bloodline, Jii-san," he said softly. "I started picking up bits and pieces after... after the library, and the Kumo incident. I think it's because of this," he added, rubbing his stomach lightly. "I didn't know what was going on at first, then when I figured it out I was scared to tell anyone because of how they might react, and then, after a while, it just... got to be a habit."
"I understand, Naruto-kun," the Hokage said after a few seconds, his tone gentle. "Your situation has never been fair to you, and I can see why you might have been worried or scared by what was happening to you. I'm glad that you are willing to tell me now, when it's truly important, and hope you know that you can share anything else with me as well."
"Thanks, Jii-san," Kuushou said, shooting the Hokage a smile while he internally scoffed at the old man's attempt at guilting him into not hiding any other secrets.
The Hokage drew in a deep breath then dropped his kindly mask once more. "And you are certain that it is Orochimaru you are sensing?"
"Absolutely," Kuushou responded. "I felt his signature during the first phase, though I didn't know who it was until I ran into him in the forest. He's masking it somehow, but it's definitely him."
The Hokage lapsed into thoughtful silence for nearly a minute before he began to speak. "That information doesn't leave this room. You are to inform no one of this, nor are you to reveal our knowledge in any way.
"Naruto, you will continue to track Orochimaru's location and will inform me discreetly if he appears to be leaving the tower. I believe you know ANBU code?" he asked, waiting for Kuushou's nod before continuing. "The signal will be 'swirling tide turns red.' If you can't inform me directly, you are hereby authorized to task any ANBU to deliver that message in your stead. At no point are you to allow him to leave your range if you can manage it."
The Hokage didn't wait for him to acknowledge the orders, already turning to Anko. "Anko, you will need to be present to oversee the end of the second phase as the proctor. Once you have turned things over to Hayate, you will leave the arena as soon as you can manage without attracting undue attention and report to the Jounin Commander. Once there you will convey all relevant information about Orochimaru's style and tactics to the ninja participating in this mission, with an emphasis on how to delay and harass him."
Anko nodded sharply, a grin slowly spreading on her face as she realized what the Hokage was planning.
"Chameleon, alert the ANBU Commander and the Jounin Commander immediately – I want an S-rank strike force mobilized and prepped in thirty minutes, ready to move out at my command."
"Hokage-sama," Anko spoke up suddenly, "I would like to request to be part of that strike force."
"Denied," the Hokage said immediately, the word slamming into Anko like a physical blow. His face softened slightly as he took in her reaction. "I understand why you want to take part, Anko-chan, but your recent encounter has already shown that Orochimaru can immobilize you at will; it's simply too dangerous for you to take part directly. Besides," he added, his face growing grim, "this matter is my responsibility. I will be seeing to it personally."
The Hokage looked around the room for a moment, then nodded. "You have your orders. Move."
Kuushou watched as the genin who had made it through the second phase lined up in neat rows in the middle of the large arena. Seven full teams had made it, five from Konoha, the single team from Oto – looking heavily wounded – and Gaara's team.
According to what Anko had told him yesterday when the second phase had technically concluded, Gaara's team had taken over one of the key locations the first day – slaughtering the team that had previously occupied it – and easily fended off the few teams stupid enough to attempt to take it from them. None of the three genin from Suna even looked scratched up, nevermind as worn out as some of the Konoha teams or as injured as the Oto team.
Team Gai had secured a location on the second day, layering it so heavily in traps that even some of the chuunin proctors had been hesitant to approach them. It was the other three teams from Konoha that amused him the most, though. According to Anko, they had all been occupying the same location, and had nearly been disqualified before Shikamaru had successfully argued that since there was no hostile presence in the area that all of them passed. Even with three teams cooperating for the majority of the second phase – and he was very curious to discover how they managed to make contact with each other in the first place – they still had to fend off quite a few teams who saw them as the easiest prey.
The team from Oto had waited until the final day to make their move on a different location and paid the price, running into an entrenched enemy and nearly failing in their assault. Kabuto's team had supposedly followed a similar strategy, through with more success. The other teams had either lost members or been wiped out entirely, ending their chances to continue.
He wasn't surprised to see that Kabuto had made it through, although he was still wondering why the supposed genin was bothering to take the test. Had he finally gotten tired of faking, or was he after some other goal?
Then Kabuto forfeited, increasing his confusion even further.
Still, that left twenty genin to fill eight slots in the finals, so the proctor for the third phase began the preliminary bouts. Anko had already left, slipping out while the room's attention was focused on the Hokage's speech about the purpose of the Chuunin Exams. Kuushou had to give the Hokage credit – even watching for it, he couldn't see a single sign that the old man was paying more or less attention to the disguised Orochimaru than any other ninja in the room.
At the same time, he found himself wishing that he could follow Anko's lead and slip out of the room. Despite the fact that he had personally trained almost half of the participants, or perhaps because of it, he found the entire process rather boring and the need to "track" Orochimaru offered no distraction since it required no concentration on his part.
So he stood on the balcony along with the other onlookers and watched as Tenten overwhelmed Gaara's teammate Kankuro with the sheer volume of weapons she threw at him, Neji completely decimated the female Oto genin in a matter of seconds, and Hinata effortlessly tore through Kabuto's teammate Misumi Tsurugi.
Then the fourth battle's participants were decided, and he found himself paying closer attention.
"Lee Rock versus Sakura Haruno!"
Normally, he would say that Sakura would lose without much of a fight, but this was actually the kind of scenario he had most focused on during her training. Lee had far more physical strength and speed than she did, but nothing else. She had a powerful advantage in genjutsu and ninjutsu if she could find a way to leverage it.
"Begin!" the proctor called out.
"Lee-kun," Sakura said, adopting a defensive stance but making no further moves. Lee hesitated, bouncing on his feet but allowing her to speak, a curious expression on his face.
"Before we begin, I just want to say that there won't be any hard feelings no matter what happens, ok? I mean, I know you'll probably win, and I might end up in the hospital given how strong and powerful you are, but it's ok."
Kuushou's eyes narrowed as he felt chakra in the air. Was she...
"Sakura-chan," Lee said softly, his eyes widening. He dropped his stance completely, sticking one hand out to give her a thumbs up. "Do not speak of yourself so, my beautiful cherry blossom! You are a wonderful kunoichi as well! We shall both give it our all, and our Flames of Youth shall decide the victor!"
Sakura smiled hesitantly, pulling her hands behind her back and turning sideways bashfully. "Lee-kun..." she muttered, blushing. "You know... you really are a great guy. Maybe... maybe once this is all over, we could, you know... talk sometime?"
Kuushou had to struggle to keep from laughing. She was! Not only that, but she was doing it right in front of his eyes and he didn't even notice!
Lee's face looked suspiciously red and his eyes were becoming a little glazed. "Sakura-chan," he breathed. "That is... I would be delighted! It would be my honor to spend time with you!" His eyes grew even glassier, and his arms dropped until they hung limply from his shoulders. His blush deepened further as he started muttering under his breath.
Sakura walked forward, pulling out a kunai and laying the edge against his throat. Lee didn't react at all, gazing vacantly into the distance with a goofy grin on his face.
"Winner, Sakura Haruno!"
Kuushou burst out laughing as Sakura turned and walked back towards the stairs, putting her kunai away. Lee finally snapped out of it, looking around in confusion before he spotted Sakura leaving the arena floor.
"Sakura-chan... what about our fight?"
"Sorry, Lee," she called back, looking uncomfortable. "No hard feelings, right?"
"You lost," the proctor said, shaking his head and covering his mouth as he coughed. "Better luck next time, kid."
Lee trailed after Sakura, his expression switching between completely lost and vaguely betrayed.
Sakura tensed when Kuushou started walking towards her, glancing at her teammates as if making sure they would support her. She started talking as soon as he was within hearing distance.
"I know I didn't really use anything you taught me but Lee's way better than me at taijutsu and faster than me and I knew that if I tried to face him head-on that I would lose so-"
"You act as if I'm upset," Kuushou interrupted, letting his amusement bleed into his voice.
"You aren't?" Sakura asked hesitantly.
Their conversation had drawn the attention of those around them, Sasuke watching the exchange curiously while her other teammate, Kensuke Ogawa, stared at him with... dislike? Kakashi was leaning against the wall nearby, watching the exchange silently while pretending to read his book.
"Not at all. In fact, I wanted to compliment you on your strategy. You revealed a measure of cunning and some skill with genjutsu, but nothing else. Using your supposedly embarrassed reaction to conceal the formation of hand-seals was especially well done, not to mention that most people wouldn't be able to form them backwards like that so quickly."
Sakura gradually relaxed as he spoke, and by the end she was actually smiling in relief. "That's... thank you. For a moment, I thought you were going to go into your skill versus raw power thing again."
Kuushou shook his head. "I never meant to imply that you should never use skill – quite the opposite, really. Skill should usually be the first choice. You seem to have grasped this subconsciously, at least."
"Will Kensuke Ogawa and Shino Aburame please report to the arena floor?"
Kensuke shot a defiant glare at him before turning and walking towards the stairs.
Kuushou watched him go before turning back to Sakura. "Does he have some sort of problem with me? I can't recall even speaking to him since I got here."
Sakura rolled her eyes and huffed in annoyance. "Don't even get me started. He's constantly whining about how we should only train with real teachers and pestering us about what we worked while we were with you. I didn't really talk with him much in the Academy, but ever since I got stuck on the same team with him he's been even more annoying than Na- uh, this other guy I kno- knew."
Kuushou looked at her with a deadpan expression, and she winced before looking away.
Sasuke stepped into the conversation, giving Sakura a chance to recover from her slip. "He's the only one of the graduates who isn't receiving personal training from you. It didn't bother him at first, but after we all started to rapidly improve and he... didn't, well... Why aren't you training him, anyway? I've wondered about that."
"I'm only training the eight of you because I have extensive personal experience with your skills and what you are capable of. Half the time I'm not training you so much as making you act out what I remember you doing before."
"Really?" Sakura asked, surprised. "I was doing all that?"
"Well, the physical conditioning may be my own addition to the mix."
Sakura blanched while Sasuke snorted in amusement.
Down in the arena, Kensuke seemed to be attempting to launch a fire technique of some sort against Shino, only to have it fizzle out before it properly got started. A few seconds later he collapsed to his knees and then pitched forward, unconscious.
"Winner, Shino Aburame!"
"You don't seem too upset," Kuushou noted.
Sasuke just grunted while Sakura shrugged.
"He should have known better than to take Shino so lightly," she said.
"Maa, let's not be too rough on him," Kakashi said as he entered the conversation. "Kensuke-kun is a promising ninja, he just has his own set of issues to work out, just like the two of you do."
Sasuke grunted again, his eyes narrowed as he stared at something in the distance.
"Maybe now he'll actually train on his own time instead of bitching at us for-"
"Sakura," Kakashi interrupted her.
She shrugged, but didn't finish her sentence.
"Will Gaara and Akado Yoroi please report to the arena floor?" the announcer called out.
The Suna genin disappeared in a swirl of sand, reappearing in the middle of the arena a moment later. The masked Konoha genin moved at a more sedate pace down the stairs, giving time for Gaara to grow visibly impatient at the delay.
"This should be interesting," Kuushou mused aloud.
"Oh?" Kakashi asked. "And why is that?"
"I've heard some interesting things about this Gaara."
"Ah," Kakashi said. "Yes, I suppose you would have."
"What's so special about..." Sakura started to ask, only to trail off as a wave of sand swept across the arena floor and slammed into Yoroi. "Oh," she finished faintly.
Kuushou's eyes narrowed as he studied the powers manifested by the demon sealed within Gaara. The clear connection with earth implied that the demon was one of Ryuudo's ilk, though he'd have to see if it manifested another element before he confirmed that. The focus on sand – which the genin was apparently carrying with him – struck him as odd, though. He'd never run across a demon who used that as their primary attack, although he did recall some rather massive dust storms that some of them had kicked off. And against humans and with the quantity that was being slung around, it certainly made an effective enough weapon.
Shrugging off his thoughts for now, he watched as the sand completely encased the struggling Konoha genin. Yoroi appeared to be attempting to shout something, but a gag of sand was preventing him from doing so. Gaara had his right hand stretched out, palm open, and wore a maniacal expression on his face as he stared at his immobilized opponent.
"Win-"
Gaara squeezed his hand shut, and the sand compressed along with it, showering the arena floor in blood and gore.
"-ner, Gaara," the announcer trailed off. Kuushou could make out the frustration on the man's face clearly. Gaara hadn't broken any rules since the match was still technically ongoing, but he had also killed his opponent well after the outcome had been made clear.
Gaara appeared unconcerned at the intense scrutiny he was currently receiving from the many Konoha ninja in the room as he recalled his sand and stored it in the gourd on his back once more. His teammates were far more aware of the situation, and both currently had their backs to the wall, watching Gaara and the rest of the room with equal wariness.
"Why did he do that?" Sakura asked quietly. "He had already won... there was no point."
"I imagine killing him was the point for him," Kuushou countered. "Look at his teammates. They seem as scared of him as they are of any Konoha reprisals; that should tell you something."
Sakura looked in the direction indicated and slowly nodded, her thoughts clearly turning inward.
There was a short delay as the arena was cleaned up, then, "Will Shikamaru Nara and Sasuke Uchiha please report to the arena floor?"
Kuushou watched as the two genin faced off, trying to use his knowledge of the two to predict the outcome of the match. The two had very different skill sets and styles, but both were also capable of ending the match very quickly if they landed any attacks.
"Begin!"
Kuushou grinned as Sasuke blurred forward, one hand poised to deliver a strong blow, only to suddenly leap away just before he would have made contact with Shikamaru.
"Troublesome..." Shikamaru muttered, reaching up to rub his hand through his hair as the shadows beneath his feet reverted back to mere pools of darkness. "Those eyes of yours are just too much. I don't suppose you would be willing to just surrender?"
"Not a chance," Sasuke called back, beginning to circle around the Nara.
Shikamaru just sighed heavily, staring up at the ceiling of the arena for a moment as if looking for something. Then four small pellets landed at his feet and the arena floor was covered in smoke.
Kakashi hummed thoughtfully to himself as he turned a page in his book, and Kuushou noticed several other jounin around the arena visibly starting to pay more attention to the battle. He could sense Shikamaru's chakra flaring now and again, but never very high and never for long. Based on the sensation, the Nara was creating basic clones and spreading them throughout the arena.
Sasuke was still circling, though he was moving along the arena walls where the smoke was at its thinnest. He was visibly tense, and his gaze was mainly focused downward, watching the tiles for any movement that could indicate Shikamaru was attempting to use his shadow manipulation techniques.
So focused, in fact, that he nearly missed the shadow creeping high along the wall behind him.
It amused Kuushou to no end that it was a complete fluke that he detected the shadow in time. Sakura shouted out encouragement for her teammate, and Sasuke's eyes flicked back towards her at the sound, allowing him to catch sight of the shadow just before it darted towards him. He leapt away, into the thinning cloud of smoke, his head turning and his eyes whirling as he traced the shadow back to its source.
Shikamaru tried to react in time, but Sasuke's superior speed won out and the Nara was thrown across the arena by the force of Sasuke's attack, skidding over the tiles and landing in a heap at the base of the far wall. The Nara was still for a moment, then let out a small groan as he shakily rose to his feet. He looked across the arena at Sasuke, who was already moving towards him with a kunai in each hand, then sighed and raised one hand in the air.
"I surrender," he called out.
"Winner, Sasuke Uchiha," the announcer called out.
There were several bouts left to go, but Kuushou felt Orochimaru leaving the arena, walking at a leisurely pace out into the hallway as if he was just stepping out for a brief moment. It was only when he kept walking, descending the steps to the first floor and heading out of the tower that Kuushou decided he was actually leaving the tower completely.
He casually looked around the arena before he caught the Hokage's eye, and his hand twitched through a series of signs. Spin. Flow. Change. Red. After a second, he added another signal: Follow.
The Hokage made a single handsign in return, covering the movement by adjusting the sleeve of his robe: Acknowledged.
Kuushou barely noted the next bout – Kiba versus Ino – as he quickly made his excuses and left the arena floor. Kakashi was staring at him, eye narrowed as he flipped another page in his book. His own hand was twitching through signals as he requested information on the current situation.
Kuushou frowned and picked up the pace when he felt Orochimaru moving through the forest rapidly, darting down the stairs and out one of the side entrances to the tower, not even pausing to acknowledge the ANBU who were noting the direction of his pursuit.
He could feel the Hokage leaving the arena as well, Kakashi and Gai accompanying him, and picked up nearly two dozen signatures circling the edge of the forest in groups of four. There was a new signature accompanying the Hokage, a powerful one, but one he didn't recognize - it certainly wasn't human, though. He shrugged; he'd find out what it was soon enough.
As he tracked Orochimaru, he was nearly convinced that the ninja would be out of the forest and heading away from Konoha before the Hokage pulled his assault team together, but the Sannin stopped suddenly as he encountered another signature in the middle of the forest, one that Kuushou knew quite well.
Kabuto Yakushi.
Given that there was no flare of chakra to indicate combat or attempted flight, that Kabuto had somehow made his way from the tower into the middle of the Forest of Death, alone, and the way Kabuto had been hiding his skills so thoroughly, there was really only one conclusion to draw. He paused roughly a kilometer away, pondering this new bit of information and wondering if Kabuto was also a traitor in his own world. He was certainly well-situated to be one, given his close working relationship with Shizune and his nearly complete clearance for medical records and other associated information.
The Hokage appeared next to him, only the slightest flare of chakra accompanying his abrupt entrance. The old man had shed his white robes and hat to reveal the dark clothing he wore underneath. He already had his staff in his hands, and Kuushou was very surprised to find that it was the staff, of all things, that was the source of the powerful signature he had felt.
Kakashi and Gai appeared a moment later, along with four squads of ANBU that quickly formed a protective ring around the Hokage.
"Report," the Hokage snapped sharply.
"The target is currently in contact with another ninja, Kabuto Yakushi. As they are not engaged in battle, I believe that Kabuto is working with Orochimaru in some capacity," Kuushou replied, keeping his tone professional.
The Hokage's nostrils flared and his eyes darkened further as he processed that information. Kakashi and Gai exchanged quick glances, both looking as if they had just figured something out.
"Yakushi is hereby designated as a secondary objective, capture preferred. Assume that his combat abilities are at least a rank above what he has shown to date."
"Actually, Hokage-sama," Kuushou said, "Kabuto Yakushi was a Double-A rank med-nin in my world, and his signature is practically identical here."
"I see," Sarutobi said slowly. "Kakashi, Gai, your mission is now to isolate and subdue Kabuto. Everyone else will continue to support me as I engage Orochimaru," he informed the assembled ninja. "Orochimaru remains the primary objective and is to be eliminated by any means necessary. Naruto, you will remain outside of the battle and continue to track his movements to ensure that he does not escape. If you sense the real Orochimaru leaving the area, signal us with a double flare."
Kuushou nodded and remained silent under the Hokage's fierce gaze; it was clear that the Hokage was not going to compromise on that point. He didn't have any particular reason to take part in the battle – no real connection to Orochimaru other than through Anko, no particular concern for the fact that he was a missing-nin from Konoha – but he felt agitated for some reason, a feeling he had little experience with and liked even less. Even as he acknowledged it, he knew that Orochimaru was not the source.
It didn't stop him from imagining the look on the ninja's face as his body was torn apart from the inside out, though.
Before he could think on that any further, his attention was drawn back to the surrounding ninja.
The Hokage's grip tightened on his staff as he drew in a deep breath. "On my signal, we move to engage," he said, his eyes slowly panning across the forms of his ninja. He expelled his breath sharply, hefting the staff in both hands and snapped, "Now."
Kuushou had spent over a decade studying the ninja of Konoha, learning their habits, their techniques, their tactics, even their way of thinking. He had observed, remotely and in person, spars between ninja of all levels, had seen them striving to perfect their skills, even seen some of them experimenting with radically different methods of combat.
He had used the ANBU spars he had sensed while living in ANBU headquarters as a baseline for what the best ninja would be capable of, extrapolating from those practice sessions to estimate what they could do at full strength.
It hadn't occurred to him until this moment that ANBU could be completely outclassed.
The Hokage covered the distance to Orochimaru in less the a second, his chakra flaring higher than anything he had ever felt from the man in either world, all of it skillfully directed for maximum efficiency and effect. From this distance the man's signature felt more like a whirlwind as he launched attacks so quickly that Kuushou couldn't distinguish where one ended and the next began.
For all of that, Orochimaru's response came without a moment's hesitation or delay. His chakra flared even higher than the Hokage's as he dropped all restraints, and dozens of clones and decoys filled the clearing, the Sannin switching between them rapidly as he evaded the Hokage's strikes. While his reaction may have saved him from the initial assault, Kuushou got the sense that the man was purely on the defensive.
The ANBU entered the clearing a moment later, quickly dividing into groups as they isolated and destroyed the clones almost as quickly as they were created. Kakashi and Gai deliberately hung back for a moment, gauging the progress of the battle and choosing their moment to engage Kabuto.
That moment soon arrived as Kabuto sought to flee, lashing out with dense projections of chakra at the nearest ANBU before he darted towards the edge of the clearing. Unlike Orochimaru, he failed to react to the incoming strike and was launched through the forest by one of Gai's spinning kicks.
Kuushou focused on the battle between Orochimaru and Sarutobi, trying to distinguish specific techniques or anything that he might be able to make use of. Both of them had chakra flooding their bodies, concentrations shifting abruptly and seemingly randomly; yet, as he continued to observe, he could make out subtle patterns within those shifts, a certain rhythm in the way the chakra moved.
Then Orochimaru and Sarutobi separated slightly, the traitorous ninja thrown backwards by a strong blow, and the Sannin was suddenly no longer in the clearing.
This must have been the technique the ninja had used to escape from their encounter in the forest, Kuushou mused. Even watching as carefully as he had been the transition of build-up to activation was almost impossible to catch, though he could definitely say that the technique consumed far more power than anything else the Sannin had done.
Kuushou flared his chakra twice as he began pursuing Orochimaru, pushing chakra and youki to his legs and diverting some of his attention to comparing what he was doing to what the Hokage and Orochimaru had done. He certainly had far more chakra at his disposal and easily eclipsed the concentrations they had achieved, but comparing them now it was clear that his results were far less than theirs.
The Hokage peeled off, moving quickly to catch up to him, and the ANBU finished off the remaining clones before following suit.
"Where?" the Hokage asked, panting slightly. It obviously wasn't from the effort of running, however, as the old man caught up with him in moments and was easily matching his pace.
"Two kilometers that way," Kuushou said, pointing, "and gaining ground. He-"
His next words were cutoff as the Hokage grabbed his shoulder and the world lurched. He stumbled for a moment, then shifted his hand to point a little ahead and to the left. "One ki-"
Another lurch, and then the Hokage disappeared, without him this time, as he intercepted Orochimaru once again.
There was another flurried exchange before Orochimaru used that technique – Kuushou almost caught the buildup this time – and opened the distance once more.
The Hokage was at his side almost the moment he finished flaring his chakra the first time, not even bothering to voice his question. Kuushou's gaze was focused on Orochimaru's location, but before he raised his hand the ninja released a massive surge of chakra and a new presence entered the battlefield.
"Damn," the Hokage growled, frowning. "Manda will be difficult to deal with."
The new presence – one that the Hokage apparently connected with that surge of chakra, since the old man wasn't a sensor himself – began heading towards the tower in the middle of the forest while Orochimaru once again sped off in the opposite direction.
"He's moving again, and this Manda is heading towards the tower."
The Hokage's face looked positively murderous at that news and his grip tightened on the staff, but other than that he gave no sign of his agitation. After a moment, he created two clones – clones which Kuushou was surprised to find had the exact same signature as the Hokage himself - that tickled something in his memory, but he couldn't quite come up with it. The clones sped off, one towards the tower and the other back the way they had come, then the Hokage turned back to him.
"Orochimaru," he said tersely, and Kuushou nodded and pointed in the ninja's direction, setting aside his study of the unusual clones for later.
Three more bursts of movement and the Hokage was assaulting Orochimaru once more, his signature sharper and practically oozing killing intent. In contrast, Orochimaru's signature was faltering, likely due to the massive amounts of chakra he had expended in such a short time and his mounting confusion as to how the Hokage continued to track him down.
Orochimaru used his escape technique again, then again, then a third time in rapid succession, taking him nearly to the limits of Kuushou's range before he continued to flee under his own power. That also gave Kuushou enough information that he could accurately predict the distance and direction Orochimaru would move in when he used it. With that in mind, he began moving in that direction even as the Hokage joined him once again. He spoke up before the Hokage could grab his shoulder.
"I've figured out when he's going to use that escape technique," he said quickly. He then frowned, feeling Orochimaru's signature starting to fade with distance. "That way," he said, pointing.
The Hokage grabbed him and shifted them again, bringing Orochimaru comfortably in range again.
"How?" the Hokage asked as they resumed running.
"He does something to the ground under his feet just before he disappears."
The Hokage frowned and shook his head as they leapt over the barrier surrounding the Forest of Death and entered the thinner forest that surrounded Konoha. Orochimaru had picked up speed slightly, but it seemed like he was making an effort to avoid any areas that were likely to contain ninja or even civilians. "That doesn't help me, Naruto-kun. I can't sense chakra like you can."
"You don't have to."
"You aren't ready for this kind of fight, Naruto-kun, and I can't maintain my attack on Orochimaru while protecting you."
Kuushou smirked and shook his head. "I wasn't thinking of fighting him. I just need to get close enough to stop him from using that technique." He used a henge, altering his appearance to that of a man he'd seen often, though his form was covered by a dark uniform and his face covered with a stylized dragon mask. "What do you think he's going to do when the ANBU Commander shows up to support you?"
The Hokage, mouth half-open to reiterate his refusal, paused and considered.
"That's a very small window, Naruto-kun, and it would still be dangerous."
"More dangerous than allowing Orochimaru to get away?"
"That is not your-"
"Hiruzen," a voice suddenly said out of nowhere, and Kuushou's eyes narrowed as he realized it was coming from the staff in the Hokage's hands. "Without the boy's help Orochimaru would have already escaped. You cannot do this alone."
What was that thing? And why was the Hokage actually listening to its advice?
The Hokage sighed, looking old and tired for a moment before his face firmed and he nodded.
"Very well."
Kuushou began moving the moment the Hokage disappeared to engage Orochimaru once again, approaching carefully and silently. It took several seconds before Orochimaru was in sight, and he studied the man's form as he moved into position.
The ninja had clearly taken considerable damage; his clothing was ripped and torn and there was barely an inch of his body that wasn't covered in blood and dirt. Despite the evidence of the damage he had taken, however, the man himself showed no sign of it. There were no bruises, no broken bones, no wounds where the bloodstains clearly indicated there should be.
The man was now wielding a sword he had procured from somewhere, the blade whipping through the air as he tried to counter the Hokage's attacks. This close, Kuushou could pick out the faint chakra signature that the sword emitted, though it was almost completely covered by Orochimaru's as he pumped his own into the blade.
As he moved closer, the Hokage spun his staff expertly, one end breaking through Orochimaru's guard and sending the arm holding the sword out wide, the other end already closing in to deliver a crushing blow to his ribs.
Orochimaru spun and somehow managed to parry, his blade singing through the air as it slipped through the narrow gap between his body and the staff and diverted the attack. The harsh screech of metal on metal rang through the clearing as the weapons struggled against one another, then the Hokage pulled his staff back slightly before sending it forward again in a series of lightning fast jabs, the tip disappearing from sight as it moved.
Kuushou saw his opening and performed a very short-range shunshin, appearing to the right and slightly behind the Hokage, his hands raised in a tiger seal as if preparing to unleash a ninjutsu. His youki was already pouring into the ground, spreading rapidly and saturating the earth beneath Orochimaru's feet.
"Hokage-sama," he called out.
Orochimaru's eyes flickered in his direction, widening as the man took in the appearance of the ANBU Commander, and his waning chakra flared as he attempted to use his escape technique.
The Hokage, prepared for this moment, redoubled his assault. The end of his staff swept through the air towards Orochimaru's skull.
Kuushou felt Orochimaru's chakra attempting to flood the ground and rejected it completely, preventing whatever technique he was attempting to use from taking hold.
Orochimaru's eyes widened, stunned, as he realized his technique had failed, then the Hokage's staff made contact with all of the veteran ninja's considerable power behind it.
Kuushou eyed the spray of blood and gore that stretched nearly ten feet, a smirk growing on his face. "Anko's going to kill us, you know. She'd have given her right arm to see that expression on his face."
The Hokage didn't reply, staring down at Orochimaru's decapitated form silently. He didn't seem to be celebrating his victory, though what he was feeling was carefully hidden behind a blank mask.
After a few seconds, he turned with a grim smile on his face. "Yamanaka techniques aren't to be used lightly, but for this I might make an exception," he said. His lips quirked in a brief frown before his gaze turned back to Orochimaru's corpse.
Kuushou chuckled for a moment. That sound abruptly cut off when he felt the surge of chakra from Orochimaru's corpse. He'd barely managed to open his mouth to say something when the Hokage slammed into him, the old man's momentum carrying them well away.
"Sensei," came a sibilant hiss from with the headless corpse, the sound filled with rage. The corpse burst open, revealing a large, snake-like form. Where scales would be on a normal animal were instead thousands of small white snakes, and the thing's head was replaced by a mockery of a human face, the shape distorted by enlarged jaws and the mouth filled with dripping fangs.
"Sensei," the thing said again, it's head rearing back as if preparing to strike. "You will pay for this insult."
Sarutobi appeared to be horror-struck for a moment, then his eyes firmed. "Do not call me sensei any longer, abomination," he growled. "I see nothing but a pale mockery of the student I once taught, crying out piteously for someone to end its suffering."
Orochimaru – Kuushou supposed it was still the same being, since the chakra signature had changed little – reared back, his jaws gaping wider and his body coiling as he hissed his rage. Sarutobi didn't hesitate, leaping forward with his staff spinning, the metal weapon slamming into the creature's hide and producing splashes of sickly purple blood as it crushed the myriad snakes that composed Orochimaru's body.
Kuushou hung back, observing the battle for a moment. Despite his larger size and monstrous appearance, Orochimaru's movements were slower and far less coordinated. Sarutobi had little trouble evading the snapping fangs and dodging Orochimaru's attempts at trapping the Hokage within the coils of his body.
On the other hand, despite the considerable amount of ichor the Hokage's attacks were producing, a careful examination showed that the snake was healing just as quickly as the Hokage could damage it. Coupled with the fact that the snake's chakra reserves were actually stable whereas the Hokage's were slowly but noticeably depleting, it meant that despite appearances Orochimaru might actually manage to pull out of this yet.
That just wouldn't do.
As Orochimaru's body stretched out, his fangs once again failing to wound the Hokage, the ground suddenly shifted underneath him and wrapped him in crushing bands. He attempted to wriggle free for a moment, but then spikes erupted from the inside of the stone bands, piercing his body and locking him in place.
His head whipped around to find the one responsible, once more focusing on Kuushou, only to find the ninja – still looking like the ANBU Commander – breathing in deeply, his chest thrust out as his lungs filled with air and one hand poised over his mouth with the thumb and index finger forming a ring.
"Kukuku!" Orochimaru laughed as Kuushou's lungs continued to fill with air. "I am immortal! No pathetic technique will ever stop me!"
As he spoke, the creatures that comprised his body began wriggling free, swarming over the bands of earth as his form collapsed into a mass of writhing snakes. He looked back to the Hokage, only to find that the old man had set aside his staff and formed two clones that had taken up positions around Orochimaru, forming a rough triangle among themselves with Kuushou between the two copies.
Each Sarutobi was also running through a string of hand-signs.
Kuushou finally exhaled, creating a roaring mass of flames that were a pale blue-white. The inferno swept over the mass of snakes, instantly destroying countless hundreds of them. The technique, as large as it was, still wasn't enough to cover all of the snakes as they dispersed, however.
Then the Hokage and his clones launched their techniques in unison and three howling gales sprang into being, all focused on the center of the triangle. The snakes, individually far too small and light to withstand the power of the attack, were picked up and thrown back into the middle of the formation.
Then the wind made contact with Kuushou's flame.
Kuushou had half-expected to be thrown back by the force of the explosion when he realized what Sarutobi was planning, but it seemed the old man had anticipated that as well. Instead of slamming together head-on in the middle of the formation, the winds were all aimed slightly off-center. Each technique met another at an angle and they began to curve, creating a swirling tornado of wind and fire that grew higher and higher, the force of the combined technique contained by the same winds that had created it.
Blocked by the ground below and unable to expand outwards, the roaring flames shot upwards, forming a towering pillar of fire that climbed hundreds of feet into the air, the color gradually shifting from blue to orange as it did so.
Kuushou could still feel Orochimaru's signature, though he could also tell it was fading rapidly as the combined technique ate away at the snake-like being. He continued to breathe out fire long after the air in his lungs had been exhausted, pulling in air from around him to continue to fuel the technique. Most of his effort was focused on making sure that this his youki didn't get pulled too far away; the fire created by the fuel within the inferno wasn't as hot as his chakra-created fire, but it also wasn't restricted by his seal.
Kuushou kept up the flame for nearly a minute, making sure that he couldn't sense any trace of the Sannin's chakra before he finally relented, allowing his technique to die off. The tornado continued to churn for several seconds as the Hokage's technique fed the flames, then he too stopped. They both retreated quickly as the tornado dispersed, tongues of flame lashing out in all directions as the fire sought any source of fuel with which to sustain itself. The grass blackened and the nearby trees burst into flame, but without the massive flow of air feeding it the tornado quickly faded.
The Hokage dispelled his clones, breathing haggardly as sweat poured off of his frame. That last push had taken most of what the old man had left, though that was still more than most ninja would have had to begin with.
Kuushou's lips twitched as he felt dozens of ninja racing towards their position.
"I think they saw that," he observed wryly.
A/N: And thus rings the death knell of canon.
One of the reasons this chapter took so long was that the prelims and the month-long lead up to the finals were dragging me down. I've already written versions of that twice, and the third time, while different, was still only half-a-step shy of a canon rehash.
Needless to say, I wasn't happy with it.
Then I remembered a certain Sannin who snuck in to observe Sasuke during the prelims, and everything fell into place.
As I posted on my profile, the next chapter won't be out for a while as I take a break to participate in NaNoWriMo (and, hopefully, build up a bit of buffer for my fanfics as well).
Once again, many thanks to the folks on the SB forums who provided feedback and pointed out mistakes for this chapter.
As always, thanks for reading and thanks for all the reviews!