AN: Hello everyone here on ! wow really blown away by the response this has gotten and I'm glad to announce the return of my first fic! That said this whole arc was a mistake. Going into this much detail quoting all these lines it made this more of a project in patience and transcribing than creative and fun, at least for me and that killed my drive to write... Which is how I ended up with my other three fics. Hopefully now I'll update this a bit more often.
Edit: Why does it keep eating my formatting! all that pain in the ass underlining and it eats it! but noooo it can't eat all of it instead it just eats chunks of it. so much bullshit to redo.
4.8 Battle at the "Bridge"
"Amy, please tell me we're almost done with this." I asked as Sakura launched into a rant about Chakra.
"Well a few accelerated training scenes, a few touching moments between myself and Inari, and the bridge battle. Then we are done." Amy gave me an apologetic smile.
Shrugging I did my best to put on a professional attitude. "That's fine, this hasn't been my favorite experience, but it is taking less time than Pokémon, and after Mario… this isn't so bad. Besides I should be apologizing to you, you're the one getting beat on all the time in here."
Amy's cheeks pinked slightly. "That's alright; it's worth the chance to play the hero. Oh hang on line coming up. Hey?! Hey?! I didn't understand that complicated explanation but isn't that something you learn with your body?"
"Naruto is right. We can already use jutsu." Hmm that might be the most sensible line this Sasuke character had yet.
"Nope! You guys aren't using chakra properly." Jeff intoned.
"What?!" Amy exclaimed in mock indignation.
"Well listen…"
Oh for the love of… we just got through one lecture why the hell is Jeff subjecting us to a second one. I wonder how I can get to pick the next thing I use my power on. I still want to see the Princess Bride from the first person point of view. Not to mention a hand full of childhood classics that I hadn't read in awhile the Maggie Holt series had captured my imagination as a child, and later so to had its lighter toned earth Alph counterpart the Harry Potter books. Both were enthralling in their own ways not to mention I was curious to see what my power would give me from such diverse universes.
I still wanted a flight power, and maybe laser vision, after all there came a time in everyone's life when they felt the need to set someone on fire with their eyes, actually being able to sounded appealing.
Of course my time would probably be better spent looking for a power that could kill the Enbringers. That would probably be the best thing I could possibly do with my time, sadly the director still wouldn't let me near anything that potent.
"Hmm tree climbing!" Jeff shouted breaking my train of thought.
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Focusing for a moment I launched myself toward the tree before running straight up the side for six steps before the bark cracked and once more I tumbled through the air only to land in a crouch at the base of the tree.
"So Amy, what have you been up to lately besides researching to help me out?"
"Well I'm trying to work out a deal with director Piggot to stay on base permanently. I offered to heal some of her old injuries that caused her health to deteriorate as well as perform my powers equivalent of liposuction. She never asked for healing in the past, but I'm hopping making it a business transaction will give her more of a reason to trust me to do my job."
"Wait so you may not need to move out at all?" It would be nice to have another girl around the base. Missy and I were fairly outnumbered not to mention the idea of my Amy living at my work, which also happened to be where I spent the majority of my free time.
I think I like this plan.
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"Wow this is super fun! It's been so long since we ate with so many people!" Tazuna shouted while Amy and I chowed down on bread and fish stew.
"More." the two of us demanded in stereo… before puking our meal up onto the floor.
"If you're going to throw up then stop eating!" Sakura shrieked
"No, I must eat." Why are all of my lines melodramatic?
"Yeah, we have to no matter what, because we have to get stronger."
Wow that's a pretty dramatic line too Amy, nice delivery though.
The group settled in to eat in silence for a few minutes. Then Sakura opened her mouth and ruined everything by asking about a picture on the wall. The story that followed pissed me off. Gato is a thug and a bully and I fully intended, plot permitting of course, to kick the megalomaniac midgets ass myself
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AN: My muse rebelled every time I tried to do anything more with the scenes between here and the battle on the bridge, I'm sorry but I've been forced to jump ahead. If it's any consolation most of it focuses on Naruto who is played by Amy so I'm not really skipping all that much. If you are unhappy about this blame Inari! For whatever reason every time I read the scenes with him I just can't take him seriously at all.
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"Here they come!" Jeff shouted as the mist began to roll in blanketing the bridge.
I tuned out an obnoxious screech from Sakura about something or other and pulled out a pair of knives, focusing on the fight ahead. The sensation of adrenaline pumping through my veins and with it a slight thrill ran down my spine causing me to shiver slightly.
"Long time no see Kakashi. I see you're still with those brats… He's shaking again… Poor kid…"
In that moment a half dozen Zabuza clones materialized out of the mist surrounding the group. For the first time since arriving in this story I found myself agreeing with my characters lines.
"I'm shaking, from excitement."
"Do it Sasuke." Jeff intoned brightly.
In that moment, I felt like a blur, like liquid lighting. I moved faster than humanly possibly, swinging my blades, dragging them through the clones that surrounded us. Then I stopped head down arms back, a blistering grin spread across my face. For all that this series might be frustrating… I might be able to get used to this.
"Hmm he saw through the water clones. That brat has grown. It looks like a rival has appeared… eh Haku?"
"It does indeed."
"It seems my thinking was right on the mark." Jeff said, sounding thoroughly enthused about what was coming.
I zoned out focusing on the upcoming fight, waiting, ignoring everything else.
"I'll fight him."
In a blur Chris's character, the extremely effeminate boy named Haku, vanished only to reappear in front of me. With a clash of metal against metal the fight was on, and we clashed, again and again. Each contact sent a shock up my arm and with it a small burst of adrenalin. For the first time since I got my power I was really enjoying combat.
"I don't want to kill you… but you won't stand down will you?" Chris asked
"Don't be foolish."
"Heh, but you won't be able to keep up with my speed. Besides I've already got two advantages."
"Oh?"
"First were surrounded by water, Second I'm blocking one of your hands. All you can do is defend." Chris held up the hand not currently occupied holding off my dagger and started to flip through handsigns. "One thousand needles of death!"
Chris stomped a sandaled foot onto the bridge causing the water around us to rise into the air, before congealing into an array of needles. With an effort I focus the energy everything in this story relies upon to my feet then releasing it all in one burst I launch myself into the air, avoiding the sharp water needles.
With a victorious grin I launch ninja stars after Chris making full use of my air time. As soon as I touch down another burst of Chakra launches me past Chris. Holding a knife near the back of his neck I boast.
"Now it's your turn to defend." Inwardly though I'm grumbling about wasting the opportunity to end the fight right then and there with a strike to the neck.
We both spin into new attacks our backhand strikes collide between us but I smirk victoriously as with a flick of my wrist I launch my knife at Chris's head. He ducks down to avoid the knife but not the kick that follows it. With a deep thump Chris sales back several feet to land flat on his back.
"Seems I'm faster than you, Chris." I say, enjoying the feeling of success.
Eugene chuckles darkly, mercifully cutting off Jeff before he can describe how each member of our team is uniquely awesome.
"Haku, you realize what this means? At this rate you're going to lose."
"Yes…" With that a blue miasma starts to flow from Chris's body wavering in hypnotic patterns through the air. "It is unfortunate..." I can feel the air starting to chill; the sensation sends a shiver down my spine as goose bumps form across my body under the now chilled water and sweat.
With a sound somewhere between the shattering of ice and glass, and a murmur of 'hidden jutsu crystal ice mirrors', sheets of ice form out of the very air surrounding me to form a dome. With a casual gate Chris steps forward and into one of the mirrors. Within instants Haku's image appears across the surface of each mirror.
"What the hell?" I murmur holding up a throwing knife in what feels like an increasingly pitiful defense.
"Now then… I'll start." Chris taunts. "I'll show you my true speed!" And with that the needles begin to fly I fall under a barrage from all sides, the tiny projectiles leaving dozens of small gashes across my body and knocking away my knife.
"Take this!" I glance up hearing the sound of Sakura's voice to see the knife I lost sailing back to me, only to be plucked out of the air by Chris's hand as it emerges from one of his mirrors. Given that display of skill I sweatdrop as a throwing stars glances of the side of Chris's mask, knocking his head slightly to the side. A burst of smoke heralds Amy's arrival to the fight.
"Idiot." I mumble good naturedly.
"The number one hyper active knucklehead ninja." Chris intones.
"Uzumaki Naruto has arrived."
Grumbling a bit to myself I tune out the conversation going on outside to take stock of my injuries. Amazingly it seems like I've got nothing worse than paper cuts just spread out across my body. It's nothing life threatening or debilitating but they sting.
"You ok Sasuke?" Amy asks.
"Idiot, why didn't you attack from the outside?!"
"Oi! I came to rescue you!"
"Idiot if you also come inside the mirrors… forget it." Really it wasn't like I could actually be mad with Amy about this seeing as we were all just following a script anyway. "Fine then I'll just smash the mirrors!" I run through a string of hand seals with dexterity I don't really posses. "Fire style, fireball jutsu!" Inhaling deeply I can feel the temperature in my lungs begin to rise. Quickly I exhale a ball of fire to smash against a mirror's surface. The result is underwhelming.
"They won't melt with that level of firepower."
"Shadow clone Jutsu!" With a burst of smoke a dozen Amy's launch themselves at the mirrors. In a blur of motion I cannot follow the clones are destroyed and the original thrown back.
With an outraged battle cry Amy repeated her attack, and just for a moment, I saw something. A blob of water displaced and dispersed by Chris passing through it. We were still in this fight; I was still in this fight.
"One more try!" Amy shouted. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Just like before another wave of clones launched themselves at the mirrors. Seizing the opportunity and acting on instinct my fingers ran through a now slightly familiar set of seals. Taking careful aim I launched a smaller more focused fireball into Chris's path.
Shifting slightly Chris evaded with only a scorched pant leg to show that my attack had done anything. Then without missing a beat Chris resumed his assault destroying Amy's clones.
"Damn, we were so close."
"Naruto, can you still move?"
"Of course, I'm totally fine!" I know it's a lie, I know Amy's getting tired but that's fine, were about to bust out of here.
"Naruto, run! Run out of here and attack from the outside!"
"Alright!" Amy smiles and pumps a fist.
"You won't be able to!" Chris exclaims.
As Amy makes a dash for the gap between two mirrors Chris launches himself on an intercept course. Even the fireball I lob into his path does nothing to stop him as he effortlessly shifts around it. Before I can react Chris launches a middle which embeds itself in my shoulder and throws Amy back into the middle of our prison. I yank the needle back out and allow it to drop to the ground.
"That was good just now, we're doing it one more time."
"Alright."
We split up and run in opposite directions. For a moment I think I'll get free. That illusion shatters as I'm thrown back with several needles imbedded in my legs and arms. The needles sting in a way not unlike sticking my arm into ice cold water, only the sensation goes far deeper than my skin.
"Sasuke!" Amy shouts only to be cut off as she too becomes peppered with needles across her back.
The sound of Sakura's scream cuts through the pain, a reminder that another fight is going on outside the ice cage we are trapped inside.
With another battle cry Amy stands up channeling chakra until her body is surrounded by whipping wisps of blue energy. Launching forward she race across the dome attempting to get ahead of Chris only to be launched back by yet more needless.
"It's impossible to get out of here." As if to give validity to the statement Amy collapses in a heap looking like a balding porcupine. In that instant Chris launches his next attack. Three needles come flying out of one of the ice mirrors.
My blood sings in my veins as adrenaline pumps through me but despite all that my mind remains strangely clear even in the absence of any coherent thought or plan.
Acting fully on instinct I scoop up a needle from the bridge and use it to deflect the approaching projectiles.
"Stand up you idiot!"
"I know… You're so persistent." Amy grumbles as she leverages herself up.
Then it rains needless. The bloody things come from every direction but I manage to dodge or deflect most, still acting on instinct still not truly thinking or feeling, only acting. Seeing a barrage of needles Amy would be unable to dodge I shoulder check my friend out of the way before jumping back out of the line of fire.
"Naruto, don't faint! I can't take care of any more than I already am!"
"Who asked you to take care of me…" the line came out sounding… off, Amy sounded rather content about the situation. I wanted to take a moment to consider that but the sound of Amy's body slumping back onto the bridge unconscious ripped me from my musings.
"It seems that kid has reached his limit. And you, you're almost at yours!"
In that moment a sense of calm and determination washed over me, the aches and pains caused by the needles faded from my mind, my exhaustion seemed to fade, and I saw everything. The details seemed so much clearer, the motions that much slower, and in that instant I moved.
Grabbing Amy I launched myself away with a burst of chakra and set her down again. I could see Chris's movements clearly now, and if I can see, I can fight!
Then just like that Chris launched himself. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl as the realization dawned on me. I wasn't the target.
"Amy!" I moved.
I was vaguely aware that I had needles jutting out of my neck and going completely through my chest. I was barely staying on my feet.
"For God's sake, just won't quit... dragging my feet will you?" I get out between the pain, once again hating my lines.
"Taylor." Amy's voice was sad, almost pained. Glancing over my shoulder i took in her pained expression.
"W-what kind of face is that? Goof."
"Why?"
"Heh, I just moved." My vision faded out and I felt myself tipping backwards, all sensation slipped away.
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I blinked a bit in surprise as the forest path back to the village hidden in the leaves shifted instantly to the black room.
"Oh thank god. Let's see what I got, and get out of here."
Naruto
Naruto: Regeneration, Solid clones that share memories, ability to shapeshift.
Sasuke: Accelerated perception of time, fireballs, brief acceleration that drains stamina.
Kakashi: Ability to run on water, and walk up vertical surfaces, can confuse enemies by making eye contact.
Zabuza: Ability to manipulate water into a dense fog or large scale attacks.
Haku: Ability to form/manipulate ice and teleport in line of sight between reflective surfaces
"Damn, you are so freaking lucky Taylor. You get new powers and you come with a freaking options list." Eugene complained.
Honestly I knew my power was bullshit but right now I just wanted to be done with this. That last fight had been a rush but it left me emotionally drained. Also Mom would have had have been ranting for hours if she had read, watched… lived that, and right now I was fighting to not let her influence sweep me away in a rant.
With a shrug I willed us back into the real world where rather than being met with a bombardment of questions I saw the rest of the Wards gathered round the large TV built into the wall the image on the screen was of a building, a warehouse by the looks of it. Jutting from the wall of the warehouse was a pure white feather almost eight feet in length.
Scrolling along the bottom of the screen in white text outlined by the red banner where the words, 'Simurgh molting?'
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