-A/N-
Sorry, I've been doing research a lot. I recently posted a new fic, so I can excitedly say I'm not keeping myself to one story now. Don't expect me to slack as I've been doing though! This story is still my baby lol.
Chapter 14: Prepare
"Yuuki, Tsumi! Rise and shi-" Hinata opened the door to a room filled with sleeping clones. She raised her hand to her forehead. "Again?" Hinata woke the clones up and let them disperse. "I'm glad this is over today. They've been working too hard." The mother looked out the window and to the sky.
OoOoOoOo
"Morning already?" Tsumi halted her training and looked up through the trees. The air was still humid, but cool morning breezes had reminded them that summer was at a close and autumn was rolling in. Tsumi turned to where Yuuki would be. "Guess I'll go get her. She's probably sparring or something."
As she made her way to Yuuki, the echoes of water jutsus and hissing of wind jutsus began to crescendo. Tsumi smirked as she neared her sister. Alright, let's see how hard she's really been working.
OoOoOoOo
She pushed herself to become faster than them; the last remaining clone attempted another wind blast, making Yuuki chuckle. She swiftly dodged the move and swept in close to the clone. Without warning, they were engaged in a rapid trade of gentle fist. The speed was one thing, but the precision was what made it a spectacle. As a swift jab from Yuuki approached, the clone instinctively performed a heavenly spin. At the very last second, Yuuki rolled into a heavenly spin to counter the clones counter. A massive, grinding pressure overcame the two as they pushed harder and harder against each other. Finally, they were both blasted away.
The clone was slammed into a tree and released. As Yuuki neared the tree herself, Tsumi caught her out of nowhere. "Good lord, are you trying to knock yourself crazy? How much is too much?" Yuuki regained her feet and rubbed her head with a laugh.
"So I guess that means its morning, huh?" Tsumi shoved her away with a smirk.
"Don't act like you don't know what today is! It's about time we get some breakfast and meet up with the group."
Yuuki smiled and nodded. "I hope he's kept his promise then. We aren't just getting stronger for the tournament you know." Tsumi returned a grin as they made their way home.
OoOoOoOo
"Hurry up and get going!" Hinata was surprisingly excited for both the girls. The atmosphere was upbeat despite the amount of times they made her worry. They were ninja, afterall. Tsumi barely managed to finish on par with Yuuki as they rose up.
"Thanks mom! Hey, do you mind if we gather the teams going to the exams here tonight?"
Hinata nodded her head. "Well, your father and I will be out tonight, so be sure you keep the place clean. I don't have a problem with it."
Yuuki pumped her fist with excitement. "We're running behind as it is, so I'll catch you later." Yuuki left quickly, leaving Tsumi in the room. After a brief stare, she grinned wide.
"I'll be back when I feel like it. Later!" Hinata gasped as she left and extended her hand out.
"Why does she insist on pushing the rules?" With a sigh, Hinata brightened up again. "She's definitely wilder than Yuuki. Must be some of the fox in her." Hinata sipped some tea and let the silence enter the house once more. She let out a sigh. "Alone again…"
OoOoOoOo
"Takeshi, I expect you to home at a decent hour now!" Sakura rose to give him a look over, but he just waved her off and headed for the door quickly.
"Yeah, don't worry so much! I'll be back right after we're done today. Yuuki wants all the teams to come to her house for a meeting later, so it'll be then." Sakura's jaw dropped as he made an escape. Sasuke put a hand on her shoulder.
"He was bound to reach this age eventually." This prompted her to take a swing at him, which was quite pointless.
"Don't you lecture me! He's still my baby." Sasuke put both his hands on her now to relax her.
"Hey, cool it will you? I never said that had to change, just give him a little more breathing room, right?" For once, she eased herself and sighed. "They grow up too quick for me to. We just have to adapt to it."
Sakura smiled tenderly. "Imagine you, going soft on everyone." He withdrew his hands and turned away, trying to play cool.
"I'll just have to schedule harder training for him then. I won't have him fall behind after these exams."
OoOoOoOo
The couple met in the middle of the street with a hug. Tsumi reddened with an annoyed face. "Really, we have time for this? It's not like you two were apart for more than a week." Yuuki stared daggers at her as Takeshi laughed.
"Ah, you're right. We'll be late at this rate." Takeshi smiled and looked towards the training field. "I hope Noriko hasn't been slacking off." Yuuki felt a subtle pain in her chest at hearing the name. She only hoped Noriko had been coping well with the divorce. Takeshi had been none the wiser to the situation.
The group departed down the street and onto the routine trail. It was to their surprise to find Konohamaru already standing by. He greeted them by flicking his cigarette away and smiling. "Yo, if it isn't the love birds and the fox!" The couple rolled their eyes as Tsumi grinned at the compliment. Konohamaru glanced behind them and then to the sides. "I expected you guys to show up promptly on time, but Noriko is late? Now I've seen it all." His eyes shifted to the trees and saw a blur fall in with the group. "Never mind then."
They looked over Noriko, seeing the typical expressionless face. This time, however, there was a slightly cooler atmosphere about her. Konohamaru masked his worry on the inside. "My apologies for being late, sensei. I was a little preoccupied, but I am here none-the-less."
His face deadpanned by the lack of guilt shown in her words. "Alright, so it's been seven weeks since we've returned, and for the most part, I haven't been asked for help. I gotta say, it's more boring than I expected. Due to the caliber of those you've chosen to train with, I have no doubt you've all made a decent chunk of progress. Just remember I'll always be here to offer you advice. Now our goal is to mesh it all together. So, let's see what you've all learned and work from there." Tsumi looked to the ground in boredom. "Tsumi, right now you're acting as an additional member of our team, so I'd like you to participate as well. According to the revised documents, you're listed as always being a part of our team." She couldn't hold back a smile as the team held accepting faces. "Not sure how everyone else will handle it, but oh well. Shit happens." Konohamaru focused back on the subject at hand and the group began pooling together techniques.
OoOoOoOo
As if the list hadn't been impressive enough, the teamwork between everyone had become fairly good after a few short hours. Konohamaru raised his hand in the air. "Alright, that's enough for today. You've all surpassed everything I'd hope you would achieve, so our sessions are going to be like this from here on." Everyone stopped with confusion. None of them had even broken a sweat and now they were done already. He brushed his hand through his hair. "Hey, there's only a week until the exam. I need you guys well rested." He took one more look over the skeptical group and smiled. "Don't think I'm going easy on you! Hit the books, I'm sure there's going to be some rough times during the exam. Just be thankful you guys don't have to do it like we did."
"What's it going to be like then? I heard they're modifying the regime due to the amount of teams available." Yuuki had clearly been harassing her father again.
Konohamaru crossed his arms and put on a straight face. "Just so you don't get mixed information, I'll tell you the basics. Firstly is a new test that actually counts accumulatively towards advancing. I think it's about fifty questions. Then you'll be working in your teams against other teams. Finally, the tournament that everyone is looking forward to." He scratched his chin. "I guess it's not too different, just a new test. I want you to realize that your team is skilled and works well together. Which brings me back to my point; Study! I have no question that this team is hands down the best in combat, so just be sure you don't mess it up in the test portion. Understood?"
They all nodded their heads and were dismissed. Takeshi walked over to Yuuki. "Hey, I need to get back and study. My mom is planning on helping me with the knowledge part. I'm sure you're welcome to join if you want." Yuuki looked over to Noriko. She was staring at her and gave her a signal to follow when she looked. She looked back to Takeshi. "Sorry, I might catch up with you, but I've got to take care of something first. Maybe Tsumi can join you?" Yuuki and Takeshi shifted eyes to her sister.
Tsumi shifted her eyes between them and sighed. "Alright, I guess I can. It's about time I started getting out more anyways, since half your group is oblivious to me." Yuuki looked up as if she'd just noticed that. All this time they were just concerned with training.
"Alright, see you two later then. Don't have too much fun now." Tsumi rolled her eyes as they departed back to the house. Noriko began walking into a more secluded area and Yuuki was swift to follow.
"Let me cut to the chase; I've been busy and sleep hasn't come as easy as it used to." She pulled out a scroll and planted her hand on it. Yuuki waited for the smoke to clear. As she unsheathed it, Noriko showed a sword in fairly good condition. She smirked at Yuuki's confused expression. "Don't get excited. This is your average sword." She tossed it to Yuuki. "I don't expect you to reach my level, but I won't accept you as my leader with mediocre swordsmanship."
Yuuki pulled out the sword and felt it in her hands. She welcomed the challenge. "Can't say I expected you to go this far to accept me, but if you insist…" Yuuki activated her byakugan and held a stance. "I can't say no." Noriko actually let out a laugh.
"Isami told me you were interested. I know you're holding back quite a few trump cards, but that's fine." Yuuki jolted a bit. She knows? "Two new water jutsus and three new wind jutsus? If that's all you're showing us, you've got a heck of a lot of trump cards, huh? Regardless, you've got seven days, so don't expect me to go easy on you." Noriko's face deadpanned. "First step is that atrocious stance." Yuuki's face mimicked. It seemed likely this was going to take a long time.
OoOoOoOo
"So, you've gotten a lot stronger." Tsumi struck up a conversation with Takeshi that made him blush a little.
"You think so? I was hoping I could show Yuuki just how much tougher I'd become, but we only had that small window." He almost seemed disappointed. "She didn't really seem too impressed by it either."
Tsumi frowned a little and continued on. "I know she saw it, and I know she was impressed. She's just not always the best at compliments." Takeshi raised an eyebrow at her.
"I guess so. I'm sure she knows that I was holding back a lot of my training." Takeshi crossed his arms behind his head.
"Well, obviously. You're chakra has increased a lot, so you've probably got a couple of jutsus up your sleeve." He scrunched his face and exhaled sharply. Damn.
"You were pretty much the same person as her, right? What makes you think you're any better at compliments?" Let's change the subject before she steals all my thunder. She looked over at him with a smirk.
"That's because I'm not her. It doesn't take rocket science to see those muscles either, you know?" She reached over and squeezed his arm, making him pull away slightly. She felt a hint of shock at how much bigger and dense they'd actually gotten. "Woah, that's as hard as concrete! How are you able to move so much faster to?" Her eyes drifted to his legs. "hmm…" She knelt down and got an even closer look at his calves, poking them. They were a little thinner even, but they had the same concrete feel to them. Takeshi backed away, feeling awkward.
"Hey now, you don't have to give me an examination here!" She rose to her feet and chuckled at him.
"Are you offering?" She raised her hand and started a grabbing motion that made him turn redder than her hair. This made her laugh louder. "I'm just toying with you! Come on, let's get back already!" She turned around and trotted away as if she'd done nothing weird.
Takeshi took a minute to shake off his thoughts. "Oh man, that was unexpected. She's a lot more…open than Yuuki." He felt his heart relax again and ran to catch up. "I'm sure that was perfectly innocent though."
As they arrived, Takeshi opened the door to find it emptied out. He searched around for a while before finding a note on the counter.
'Takeshi, if you're back before us, we had a meeting to go to that your excellent father failed to tell me about yet again. Communication hasn't been his strong suit in life. We'll be back as soon as possible, but there's food in the fridge just in case. Don't get any ideas with your girlfriend while we're gone, young man!'
Takeshi scoffed at the letter. As if… "Well this was a bust. Looks like there was a meeting the adults had to go to. You still want to study?" He looked back to notice she was looking over the furniture. Takeshi crept behind her to get a view of what she was doing.
"Oh, there it is. I remember when Yuuki spilt her food on the carpet here. I can't believe the stain is still there." Takeshi tried to recall the event to no avail. Tsumi scoffed and face palmed his head. "You know, the day my family came over to your house to celebrate Hitomi and Isami becoming genin?" His memory jogged and found itself rehashing the day.
-Flashback-
"Why does he have to come over though? Can't they just leave him behind? It is bad enough he lives across the street! Watch me get put in the same team as that clown to." Hitomi crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks.
Sasuke tried his best to calm her down. "I don't want any complaints! It's no worse than being stuck in the same team as Naruto back in the day. Despite my severe distaste for him, we eventually became great friends." Hitomi rolled her eyes at her father's typical lecture nature. "We even got apartments downtown after the war, and I must admit, a lot of memories were born there." He looked over to Sakura, who was smiling at him the whole time.
"Ah, those were the days. So many good times in those apartments. I remember-" Hitomi slammed her hands on the table.
"We don't need flashbacks inside of flashbacks!" Everyone turned a confused look at her as she pulled away. "He better not try anything stupid."
Sakura snorted. "You're louder than normal today. I'm sure you'll move out sometime and get an apartment with him and your old teammates. Then who'll be laughing? Me!" Sakura drank more sake and leaned back. "Wake me up when they get here…" As if by command, a tapping came on the door. She rolled her head over and scoffed. "Takeshi, can you get that?"
The young boy obediently ran up and began to open the door. Suddenly, a hand holding a bottle of Sake was thrust through the opening. "Sake bombs!" The booming voice and matching hand gesture made Takeshi fall flat on his back. Hinata smacked Naruto upside the head.
"I told you it wouldn't be Sasuke answering the door! I'm surprised his sharingan didn't activate." Naruto apologized to the young boy and greeted his old friends. After Hinata tended to Takeshi, she was quick to join in on the conversation.
"Yo, little man! You been working on tossing kunai?" Takeshi looked up to see Isami smirking at him. With a smile, Takeshi nodded. Isami laughed and roughed Takeshi's hair. "That's what I'm talking about: Next big ninja in town, right here!"
Hitomi couldn't help but smile at how well he treated her brother. As she approached them, Isami 'lost balance' and planted his face on her chest. She screamed and smashed his face into the ground and stepped on his head. "If you ever pull anything like that again, I'll break your ribs with this fist!" As she released him, he squirmed away and rose to his feet with a laugh. "You're lucky there are witnesses around, Isami!"
"Why're you on the ground?" Takeshi looked up to see Yuuki offering her hand to help him up. "Need help?"
Takeshi scoffed as he rose to his feet on his own accord. "As if…I don't need assistance from a girl." Yuuki puffed her cheeks and walked past him.
"Well, I wasn't the one on the floor, so it's not like you had any pride to swallow anyways." His eyes narrowed.
It didn't take long for the women to get the food together and the men to get the booze diminished. Although the noise level began to rise uncomfortably, the smell made it quite enjoyable for everyone. Takeshi nudged his sister at this point.
"Hey, it actually smells good. How much you want to bet that's not mom's cooking?" Hitomi snickered at the comment.
"That's right, you probably wouldn't remember. Anytime Isami's mother comes over, we get good food. Although, it surprisingly isn't all her; mom seems to cook very well when she's been drinking. Weird, huh?" Takeshi nodded firmly as the men lined up more shots.
OoOo
"I'm telling you, I can throw a kunai better than you can!" The men had gotten to the ripe stage of friendly competition. The women casually persuaded them outside and gave them an audience.
"Hitomi, Isami, please watch the kids. We don't want these two getting too much attention out here. Besides, it's likely going to be pretty dangerous." The glass door slid shut and the group sat in an awkward silence. Finally, Isami was first to speak.
"Hitomi, can we have a quick talk?" She raised her eyebrow in suspicion, but his face seemed quite serious in comparison to normal.
She sighed and glared at him. "Remember what I said earlier." She pointed to Takeshi. "Don't get in trouble, alright?" He gave her an obedient head nod.
The two fresh genin left the room and Takeshi was alone. Yuuki was too preoccupied with watching the adults that she hadn't even taken notice of anyone being gone. I'd rather spend my time with Isami. He was quick to round the corner and climb the stairs to his sister's room. Takeshi placed his ear on the door.
OoOo
"I know, I'm sorry. It's just such a peculiar relationship, that's all." Hitomi rubbed her arm and looked away from Isami. He sat next to her on the bed and looked up.
"Yeah, sorry about getting mad over that. I don't know, part of me wishes we didn't have to sell this farce so well. Is it really that bad if we just came forward about it?" She glared at him and smiled.
"What, so you could continue being a pervert without consequences? I don't think so! You're the kind of guy I need to fix." Hitomi leaned back a little.
"Yeah?" Isami propped himself on his elbow and stared into her eyes. "And you're the kind of girl I'm going to break." Hitomi blushed faintly and chuckled. She leaned in on him and drifted close to his face. Oh man, is she coming in for a kiss? Isami's eyes shut on their own and prayed for a taste. Instead, he felt a flick to the forehead.
"You're going to break anyone with that kind of weak attitude!" She pulled an eyelid down and stuck her tongue out. Isami rubbed his head and laughed. She couldn't help but join in on the laughter. After they quieted, stood up and turned to him. "Who knows, maybe things will be fine just the way it is now. But I warn you, pull a stunt like you just did in public and I will break your ribs."
Isami jumped up and walked to the door. "That just means I'll have to try again in a few years."
OoOo
Oh crap, they're headed for the door. Takeshi bolted down the stairs and rounded the corner to get into the living room. "Safe!" As he turned his head, he couldn't stop himself in time after seeing Yuuki eating curry. "Crap!" They collided, sending the curry straight to the floor. Takeshi landed on top of Yuuki, but he managed to catch himself over her. Her eyes were still wide from the shock.
"You kids still being good?" Hitomi turned the corner and shrieked.
"What now?" Isami turned the corner now. What he saw made his eyes twitch. "Guess kids start early now-a-days." Hitomi smacked his face straight to the floor and stepped on it.
"See what you're teaching them? You're the dirtiest trash on the planet!" Takeshi looked at Yuuki and shrugged.
"Sorry about that. I didn't expect you to be there." He rolled off of her and helped her up. She walked over to the curry and crouched next to it.
"You should be apologizing to the curry. It didn't deserve such a terrible fate." She prodded it a couple times and his jaw dropped. This girl really likes food, doesn't she?
"Oh crap!" Hitomi pointed at the trash under her feet. "You! Get some paper towels, and I'll get the floor cleaner!" As if curry spilt like this every day, they both had it picked up and faded in one minute flat.
Isami looked up to her. "Was I supposed to do the circle pattern, or the dabbing pattern?" Hitomi covered her eyes in hopes for the best. I know he didn't do the circle pattern.
Slowly, she peeked through her fingers and instantly went to her knees. "Dabbing, you idiot…Dabbing." No matter how much cleaner they put on it, the mess refused to go away. Once she decided it was faded enough, she slid the couch over it. "Alright, we're going to pretend like absolutely nothing happened in the last twenty minutes. If they ask what we have been doing, we say 'nothing at all', okay?" They all nodded in agreement.
The door began to slide open and the group quickly sat on the couch. Sakura narrowed an eye at the strangely motionless kids. "So, what have you four been doing?"
"Nothing at all." Hitomi face palmed as Takeshi, Isami, and Yuuki all said the verbatim excuse in unison. Even through a drunk eye, her mother became suspicious.
"Oh really? It sounds like you're hiding something to me!" Before she could jump to any conclusions, Isami piped up.
"Actually, that's what we've been doing: Practicing communication in unison. I think it's a good way to build teamwork and understanding between others. Teach 'em while their young, right?" Hitomi immediately nodded in agreement. Nice recovery, Isami.
"Oh, well…not bad then. Looks like you know how to train well even without animation." She bought it with a smile before flaring her nostrils. "Doesn't it smell cleaner in here?"
"Not at all." The chorus answered at once and made Sakura uneasy.
"Now that's just freaking me out…"
-End Flashback-
Takeshi laughed at the memory. "Wow, I completely forgot about that." When I think back on it, it seemed like Hitomi and Isami were…
"Yeah, and I guess your mom never found it either, huh?" They shared another laugh.
"You know, now that I remember it, why was Yuuki on the other side of the corner?"
Tsumi snickered. "She was spying on you, who were spying on your sister. She just got a little hungry to." Takeshi shook his head at the irony. Finally he sat down next to Tsumi, arms crossed behind his head.
"What else can you remember? It's actually pretty fun rehashing the old times." She leaned back and pondered. "Hey wait, I got one!" Takeshi leaned up and told the story, and soon after Tsumi would tell him another. Before they knew it, they were trading memory after memory of each other.
OoOoOoOo
Not before long, the council and Naruto had gathered in the usual spot. However, this time there was no alcohol involved. Even Lee had managed to control himself and attend. This time, Shin, Isami, and Konohamaru attended as well.
Naruto rose and everyone silenced. "Alright, we need to come to a decision on Hell's Phoenix. I'm sure you've all gotten the information together, so let's hear what you've got to say."
Shin was first to go. "There's more to this group than what's let on. If he was able to get to me, then he may have already gotten to several nations. However, the fact that the only known existence of this group was near our village, it's appears likely they have the most influence in the land of rivers." He seated himself and everyone politely acknowledged the input. Next, Konohamaru stood.
"This is, however, an assumption. Seven years ago, Shin was forced to attack his old village. The result was a crushing defeat and withdrawal of the enemy, Biton inclusive. What seems more likely at this point was the demotion of Biton. Forced to maintaining the group he gathered and awaiting the order to strike once more." Next Isami rose and submitted his input.
"As far as Biton goes, his chakra seemed very sporadic. It was as if he was still struggling to control his power, and he himself was in denial of his failure. He was easily riled up and quick to state his 'prominent position' in Hell's Phoenix. I have eliminated all traces of his genjutsu and sealed his chakra for good. This, no doubt, has been the first counter-blow to Hell's Phoenix." As Isami sat down, an upbeat chatter began running around the table. Kakashi gave him an approving nod that made him feel like he actually belonged at these dull meetings.
"Alright, alright…" Shikamaru stood up and put his hands in his pockets. "It can only be the death god's luck that we ran into Hell's Phoenix after our secret mission discovery. Konohamaru and Isami were sent to the abandon Akatsuki mansion and found some sensitive documentation. It would appear Guden's brother was quite the scholar, and didn't seem to like his brother knowing everything about him." Shikamaru pulled out a small book and threw it on the table. "Regardless of whether or not Guden knew about it, Kuden wasn't working alone. This book tells me he was acting under a role similar to mine: Gathering information, heading research, and formulating strategies. In order for Hell's Phoenix to still be around today, there has to be a steady flow of resources. It's likely that when Kuden died, the brunt of the forces were pulled back. According to these findings, there was someone acting above them." He pulled out a letter and cleared his throat.
"The One for Wisdom,
You have done well. Understand that it is necessary to keep your brother in the dark until you have finished the experiment. I've heard a few patients have become unstable, but potent. If you want to keep us concealed, you had better think of a fail-safe in the event of detection. While you may prove to be the smartest influence of the east, you are not the only One. You can expect my support, and I expect your results.
Burn after reading,
-The One for All"
"I'd like to annotate that when he brings up eastern influences, he capitalizes 'One'." The group was quiet. After all the years, Hell's Phoenix had only just now surfaced. Now, the threat they thought they knew had become insignificant. "Aside from this book and letter, that is all Kuden has slipped on. In this book are scribbles of strategies and war plans up until he was killed. Some of these have come to light, and some have yet to happen. I will keep working to research events after his death to see if any of this was finalized. We'll be working with cypher corps to reveal as much information as possible." All eyes were focused on the book that lay on the table. What secrets of the enemy did it contain? Shikamaru rubbed his head. "One more thing to add: if 'One for All' is the leader, and Guden knows about Hell's Phoenix, that means Kuden's experiments were successful. However, that means Guden has someone to answer to. If he has stepped out of line, we will not see him for a while."
Isami was quick to jolt up. "Now that you mention it, Zente told me Biton said he was one for deception. I think that means he was 'The One for Deception'!" Even Naruto stood straight up in his seat and gripped the hand grips.
"It this is true, we can't rule him out of the picture completely. These guys have earned their titles. We need to be in direct contact with The Village Hidden in the Rivers now: Not only are they the closest to the suspected enemy location, but they have assisted us in taking out two of these One people." As Naruto finished his solution, not a single person disagreed. "Alright, do we have any reconnaissance updates? Scents, suspicious trails, genjutsu barriers?" Neji, Kakashi, and Kiba shook their heads no. Naruto put his hand down firmly. "Alright, get your best men on it. I'm going to let the Chunin exams happen, but I expect Neji and Kiba to be out there helping in the search afterwards. We need to prepare all of our ninjas for the future. Shikamaru and Temari, please give some intel training. We're going to need sharp minds. Lee, I want you to challenge as many skilled Taijutsu ninja you can to train harder. Ten-Ten, work with tools, show 'em something they've never seen before. Kakashi, I need you to handle ANBU. Sasuke, I'm sure you can take care of ninjutsu. I'll even have Kurena come back to teaching genjutsu. I want to get our entire ninja community involved without them being panicked. Think of competitions, lectures, races, anything to get them engaged in attending the sessions. If you think you can add something that you find beneficial to the cause, swing it by me and I'll approve it. Questions?" The group felt the surge of energy and urgency in the air and uniformly nodded in agreement. "I'll handle speaking to the other nations." They won't like the sound of this, but it's not war…yet.
OoOoOoOo
A knock came over the door that made Takeshi jolt awake. He looked down to notice Tsumi passed out on his chest. Oh man, I can't believe myself right now… The knocking came louder now and woke Tsumi up to. Takeshi jumped up. "Hold on, damn it! I hear you!" He answered the door and evaded a swift series of jabs.
"Yup, he's still got it! What's up, bro?" The young man smirked at him as he laid his hand back. Takeshi smiled and completed the handshake.
"What's good, Kobi? It's been too long, huh?" Only now did he realize it was dark out. "Oh man, is it time for the meeting already?" Before Kobi could answer, his dog barked into a subtle growl. Takeshi looked down. "What's wrong, Ripper?"
Tsumi came walking up, yawning and stretching. Kobi's eyes widened at the stunning beauty he saw before him. "What's all that noise about?"
Kobi placed a hand on the back of Takeshi's and brought him into a huddle. "Takeshi, who is this girl?"
"Her name is Tsumi."
"Why is she yawning and you were just waking up?"
"We fell asleep."
Kobi festered for a minute in thought. "So, you slept with a girl while your parents were out? How far did you get?"
Takeshi reddened and flicked him in the nose. "Enough! She's just a friend. I'm sure Yuuki will explain who she is. Let's get going."
Kobi bolted passed him and grabbed her hand. She was overcome with confusion. "Tsumi, was it? My name is Kobi, and I just wanted to let you know I'm single." Ripper tilted his head.
Tsumi pulled her hand away and looked him over. "Strike one." Kobi planted his face to the floor in rejection. Tsumi walked by him and put her hands on Takeshi with a laugh. "I can feel your weakness from here. You better man up if you want to talk to me." Takeshi pulled away and pocketed his hands. Kobi gritted his teeth at him. Damn you, Takeshi!
"Very funny, time to get moving." Takeshi greeted Nagi and Shitto and ventured towards the house. Tsumi looked down to the dog and saw it giving her a funny look.
"Well, at least Ripper here looks strong. Don't you?" She began petting him and rubbing his ears. He panted excitingly and licked her. "Good boy! Let's go see what the meeting is about, kay?" Tsumi ran off and Ripper turned his head back to Kobi.
"Don't give me that, traitor!" Ripper bowed his head as if to apologize. Kobi stood up and rubbed his head. "She kind of looks like Yuuki, doesn't she? Why is she coming to the meeting?"
Takeshi arrived to the groups standing outside. "So, where is Yuuki? And Noriko for that matter?" Shitto was quick to get to business. Nagi pointed down the road.
"That'd be them. Things really have changed if those two are friends." Nagi pondered on his cousin. Her chakra hasn't exploded again, but it's definitely bigger than before. I hope she explains that. His eyes caught something and he turned to Tsumi. Her chakra is just as massive! What's going on here?
"Staring at the new girl already? You pig." Nagi jumped, hearing Shikamira's voice.
"That's just the way boys are. Can't keep their eyes to themselves." A pair of twins approached, though it was difficult to tell off appearance. Her brother was much…wider than she was.
"Cut him some slack Inora. It's not our fault kunoichi in this village dress so provocatively." She glared at him.
"Chojiko, there are no excuses for the amount of perverts in this village. Especially with a track record like yours." He chuckled to himself and rubbed his head.
"Yo! Sorry we were behind. We got a little side tracked. Come on in!" At this point, everyone's eyes shifted between Yuuki and Tsumi. She let out a sigh. Suddenly a loud noise crashed near them that made everyone stare.
"Made it! Hurry up you fools!" Datsu pointed Takeshi's direction, making him point to himself, clueless. Datsu moved his hand in a tight circle pattern. "Are you a plural fool? No, no, no, Them!" Akano and Kaito stood just behind Takeshi, both of them ignoring Datsu. The rookies sweat dropped at the foreign ninja.
Yuuki smacked Datsu upside the head and opened the door. "I'll explain both of these inside."
As they ventured indoors, Yuuki organized the living room into a makeshift conference room. All the teams sat down and waited for Yuuki to finish sliding a small dresser to create a podium. She signaled Tsumi to come up front. "Alright, first order of business: meet my twin sister, Tsumi." As everyone's jaws dropped to the floor, Yuuki laughed. "Before you ask unneeded questions, I'll explain. My dad has the nine-tails sealed within him, and when I was conceived, the fox manipulated his own DNA into my mother's and father's. This didn't create twins, but Tsumi's conscious and chakra were sealed inside of me. So, over the past four-teen years, Tsumi was witnessing everything from my perspective. After all of the trauma we've been through, her chakra and consciousness finally popped out in one of my shadow clones." No one's jaws seemed any closer to closing. "In a nut shell, we had her create the shadow clone and separate herself from me, and had Isami put on a temporary seal to make the body stable. Nagi, can you tell our chakra is different?"
They all looked to him as he hesitantly confirmed it. "They are indeed different. And from the hue of her eyes, I can tell she can use the Byakugan." No one felt the ability to move.
Finally, Tsumi spoke. "Alright, everyone inhale deeply and relax. I'm aware this is strange, but I am a member of Team Seven now as well. And right now, there are more important things to discuss." They did as she said as she sat down.
Yuuki placed her hands on the make shift podium and gathered everyone's attention once more. "The clock is ticking before something big happens here. There's a group called Hell's Phoenix running around, and I've bumped into them twice already. They're the people responsible for that fire in the forest four months ago and the A-mission my team went on in the Village Hidden in the Rivers." Datsu was constantly pointing at himself and his other teammates. Yuuki's eyes narrowed. "Since it clearly can't wait any longer, this is the group that was originally assigned the mission. Alright, stand up you three." The group did as they were told. Datsu lined up next to Yuuki, followed by Kaito and Akano. She smiled as she walked around to the other end to start introductions. "This is Akano. Takeshi fought with him on fairly equal ground, and that was with him being influenced with an S-ranked genjutsu. He's a pretty good sensor, capable of feeling chakra focused in your ears." Akano performed a modest half-bow. The boy had a couple of the girls' attention. "Next is Kaito. You probably noticed this massive blade he carries on his back and doesn't open his eyes very often." Yuuki too another glance at his sword. "It's even bigger than before…" The group was silent, watching the statue of a man. Thinking of trying to open up to the group, Kaito drew his blade with one hand.
"Would anyone like to feel its weight?" Before Yuuki could dissuade him, Kobi jumped up and eyed it.
"Sure, let's see it!" A Kaito dropped the sword in his hand, Kobi's entire body fell to the floor and planted there. Kobi jumped back up with a laugh.
"Just caught me off guard is all! Alright." With both hands, Kobi lifted as hard as he could. The sword barely budged. Screw lifting this thing, I can barely push it up on its tip. After a very sad struggle, Kobi managed to lift the sword upright. After a couple pants, Kobi pointed at Kaito like he was a monster. "How heavy is this thing!"
Kaito casually responded, "Seven-hundred pounds. Why?" The entire table froze. Kobi's eyes shot wider.
"Say that first!" Kaito nodded as he picked it back up and sheathed it.
"Kaito is the son of a samurai, so he's been training with swords his whole life. Not only can he use it with his weak hand alone, he can swing that sucker quick." Shivers ran down everyone's spine. They looked to the next person in line. Yuuki just pointed without a word.
"Yo, I'm Datsu! I'm the most powerful ninja in the world!" Yuuki flicked him in the eye and made him yelp.
"Yes, this is Datsu. Don't let his stupidity fool you: He knows just about every water jutsu in the book and single-handedly took out thirty-six grunts and two chunin level opponents." Only those on the mission could hold back their shock. Datsu himself had been flexing. "Together, this is Team Seven of the Village Hidden in the Rivers." The group was welcomed and she gave a brief period of time for them to mingle a bit.
"Alright Yuuki, what were you saying about this Hell's Phoenix? What if these are coincidences?" Shikamira was quick to jump back to business.
Yuuki crossed her arms. "I have information sources, that's why. Think about it: the first attack was aimed towards killing me and Takeshi to get my father to leave the village. This second attack that we brought to them, but they had been ready to assault the Village Hidden in the Rivers. The fact that they're attacking two different nations is a good indication these guys are a serious threat." Shikamira nodded and allowed her to continue on her point. Yuuki smiled as she looked back to the group. "Even with my prowess of information digging, I still can't get a lot of answers on these guys. However, as long as the information I received remains accurate, the Leaf will be unharmed for another three years. This comes from a very reliable source in the village." A subtle chatter began to rise.
Nagi spoke aloud now. "So, if we're gathering this information correctly, you're saying Konoha will be attacked in three years?" She nodded as she held her hand up.
"Listen, I'm telling you all this for a good reason. You can't let on that you know anything about Hell's Phoenix unless you have direct contact with them. Is that clear?" Shikamira and Nagi made eye contact and nodded. "I'm under the impression our parents and senseis don't want to inform us because they don't want us on the battlefield. Also, they don't want us to become paranoid while we're doing missions." She put her hands back on the podium and relaxed. "I'm not sure how much stronger you guys have gotten, but I believe my entire team, as well as Datsu's team, are already chunin." Her comrades seemed taken back. "I called you here for a good reason: Don't focus all your time on training for the chunin exam. Start training for the Jonin exams. Don't settle for less, and I don't want to see a single person in here to be defeated by anyone not in here. The Village Hidden in the Rivers are our allies, don't be ashamed of losing to them. Cool?"
Shikamira stood up now. "It looks like you've gained a lot of backbone, Yuuki. What do you think, other Team Seven? If you were to guess the strongest person in this room, who would it be?" Should be an interesting way to start a little drama. Kaito and Akano pointed to Yuuki immediately, Datsu staring at the ground. He wanted to point to himself for old time sake, but he reluctantly showed his agreement.
Datsu spoke out. "I may have defeated two chunin, if you can call them that, but she wore out a jonin. She's almost died twice now, and she still acts like that. I don't care how you define strong. It's her."
The room fell somber. Shikamira sat back down. Twice? A miscalculation on my part… "I didn't realize…"
"You have our support, Yuuki. I think what you're doing here is quite commendable." Nagi eyed everyone in the room involved in the mission. Their expressions described the mission. He bowed his head. "We should meet like this after the exams, regardless of the outcome. It's actually starting to unnerve me imagining how strong you are. But make a mistake, and you will lose in an instant."
After that, Shikamira rose again. "I think that's enough meeting for one night. Her team rose with her and approached the door. Shikamira looked back. "Let me know if you want help with strategies and tactics." Yuuki smiled and nodded her head. "After the exams, of course!" She was quick to shut the door, but paused for a moment outside. I thought our team was the one taking this seriously. Jonin exams, huh?
Nagi and Kobi were next to rise. "I take my leave. You can expect my cooperation in the future." Kobi turned and pointed to his nose.
"I've got you on my radar, Tsumi!" She rolled her eyes.
"Strike two, stalker." He lowered his head in defeat once more. As he went outside, Ripper was quick to greet him. I'll get passed that rejection field eventually.
"We should be going as well. However, can we postpone our team fight?" Kaito's request didn't shock them at all. Yuuki shook her head 'yes'.
"I don't want you three gaining any added knowledge on us before the exams either!" Yuuki's reply made Datsu grin.
"Alright, let's go!" Datsu dashed out the door, whereas Kaito and Akano casually walked out. Datsu was already down the street. They look a lot stronger already…Especially Takeshi. I've got some serious training in the next few days.
Tsumi yawned and ventured to her room. "I'm tired. See you guys tomorrow." Noriko rose up and neared the door.
"Don't forget about it, Yuuki. I'll be early for training. Later." As the door shut, Yuuki and Takeshi walked up to each other.
"Well, how do you think I did?" Takeshi smiled, but narrowed his eyes.
"Great! You knocked that out of the park." Yuuki returned the same awkward reaction.
"Does something feel off to you? Like you're forgetting something?" Takeshi's mind raced. Does she know? I don't think I did anything bad, necessarily…I just remember talking with Tsumi for a while and falling asleep. Honestly, that's all it was, right?
"Nah, I don't know. Maybe I'm feeling like that to…" This doesn't need to be brought up.
"…Everyone forgot me again…" They turned to see Shitto sitting at the table still. A shiver came down there spine.
"That's what it was. You can go home now, Shitto." He shrugged and slowly departed. Yuuki looked back at Takeshi, who had been sweating a little. What's up with that? "Are you hiding something?"
Takeshi jolted and countered. "No. What's going on between you and Noriko? Are you two hiding something?"
Yuuki felt shocked at his rushed, annoyed tone. It's not my place to tell him about Noriko. Still, he's being weird. "Nothing. Did you have a rough day studying?"
"Studying?" Takeshi jolted. Shit, why did I have to sound so confused. "Oh! Yeah, studying was pretty rough. Lot's of studying, no sleep what-so-ever." Takeshi let out a nervous laugh. Yuuki scrunched her face and felt like she was being straight up blown off.
"Really? What subject?" She watched as he searched for words.
"Ugh, so much, really. Nothing specifically." Shit, too vague. "Vectors!" Yuuki nodded, just letting him spit it out. "So many kunai vectors, ninja running vectors. You know? Vectors…always those vector questions…"
Yuuki had heard enough. He didn't study at all. "Ok, just wondering. I'll see you tomorrow." Clearly irked, she spun around and left without saying bye. He sat inside his head, not moving for a minute. I'm screwed. I didn't think I could be so dishonest.
He clinched his fist and turned around, trying to sound happy. "Yeah, see you later! Have a good sleep, can't wait to hang out tomorrow!" Her door shut loudly and he flinched. "Yup, fuck me, right?" Takeshi left pissed off himself. I know I'm wrong, but she's hiding something to. She's just going to blow this out of proportion now. Still, acting like that. What a…" Takeshi shook his thoughts away. "I need to cool it. I guess if that wasn't our first argument, it was the grounds for it. Shit."
OoOoOoOo
"So, you and Takeshi were studying pretty hard, huh?" Yuuki spoke to her sister, who didn't seem to be paying attention.
"Oh, yeah. Studying. So many terms and history notes covered. Boring, right?" Yuuki felt her composure leaving rather quickly.
"It's a shame I wasn't able to come along. I was kind of in the mood to do some vectors with Takeshi." Tsumi looked over to her with an indifferent face.
"Nah, it was nothing fun like that. You wouldn't have had as much fun with him." Yuuki's suspicions were confirmed and her heart couldn't believe it.
"Oh…I see." Takeshi lied to me. Tsumi lied to me. Wouldn't have had as much fun with him? What the fuck?
-A/N-
Oh snap! I didn't even add this drama in my original draft, but I decided to make things interesting. Just what happened between Takeshi and Tsumi? Is this going to blow out of proportion? I've been feeling a little lack of motivation lately, but I'm glad I finally got this chapter up and running. A month between updates? Shame on me!