Chapter 31: In the middle of the night.
"…I can't sleep…" I murmured in the darkness of our room.
The night was already well underway as we retreated to our chambers, and everyone felt asleep.
I stayed… No clue how long, thinking about our situation, eyes glued to the ceiling. About this world and how alien I felt in it. How everyone not only thought that this was normal but… That it was for the best.
Naruto, can't you become Hokage faster?
I thought about something from my old life, for the first time in… Well, a long time...
M.A.D.
Mutually Assured Destruction.
You are stupid enough to attack? You'll die with us. So, why don't we talk?
I shivered at the thought. 'Shinobi' and 'Atom bomb' in the same sentence was terrifying.
But… Compared to this world, my old one was better. And it was SHIT! Why! 'One man cannot change the way Shinobi are, so I left.' Gramps had written in his letter. And I was slowly beginning to think he had a point… What can I do to change this world…? Can one man change the way humans are…? Or leaving it all to Naruto?
I feel cold.
When I came into this world, I tried to take the better of it and simply… Tag along and enjoy the ride.
But it's not that easy. If children stop dying, then everyone will…
I feel so cold…
Turning relentlessly in my bed, I finally looked at Yama and Neji. Both were breathing peacefully in their own bed. Moon-moon was curled on the floor close to mine and was probably dreaming about all the things he will get back home when we return.
Yeah. I won't be able to sleep tonight.
I got up, grabbed my clothes on the floor, and silently headed up toward the roof.
It wasn't seal-locked, thanks Kamis, and I sat at the edge of the wall. Feet dangling in the air, watching as the lights from the festival were still going strong in the night.
Even without my Friend, I could hear the joyful sounds, the smell of the food… But I could ignore them. Maybe here I might have some time alone to think…
"Okay. Who the HELL allowed you to take my favourite spot?"
Or maybe not.
"Couldn't sleep." I shrugged innocently.
I was so lost in my little world that I even missed her approaching. Kasumi walked to me and sat on my right side.
"Couldn't either. When Nara-sensei isn't on a mission, she SNORE!" Kasumi said as we both looked at the main spire. I already knew that little titbit, but thankfully I could stop boosting my hearing when I want to.
We stood together a few minutes in silence, looking at the lights coming from the festival.
Somehow, it felt comfortable.
"Hey… What's so wrong about being a Jinchuriki?" Kasumi suddenly asked.
Huh?
"Errr… I don't know. Wrong about what? I'm not sure I understand the question, sorry…"
That was not a question I expected.
"That's what I get for expecting anything from you…" Kasumi slumped her shoulders. "You really haven't noticed? When B-sama appeared then everyone from Kumo cheered while everyone else almost shat their pants… When nee-san welcomed us and you insulted her, everyone freezes like she was a mad dog ready to bite. Offence intended."
Oh, that…
"Well, if you take it from their perspective, it's understandable." I spoke and immediately regretted my words when I felt her anger flare. No Moon-moon required.
"So, you believe my sister is a monster. I should have known better. FUCK YOU!"
Kasumi got up and turned around, but I grabbed her hand before she could leave.
"I said I understand their point of view, not that I share it." I said in a cold voice and looked into her eyes. They seemed even more disgusted by me, didn't think that was possible.
"You can't read my mind and I'm bad with words. I'm sorry for that." I kept looking at her for a second as my everything was screaming in anger. "So, let me be clear. I do NOT share that point of view. And if you think I do, then I'll never forgive you."
The second part might have been said with too much vitriol, but I was completely pissed by the fact she believed that I thought that Naruto was a monster.
"Now, Kasumi-san. Sit back and listen to me. Please…"
My teammate kept looking at me. Anger and disgust on her face. Then she forcefully snatched her hand out of my grasp. I let her hand go and we kept looking at each other for a few seconds.
"You have one chance. ONE." She ordered as she resumed her place on my side.
"More than enough." I turned my face away to look at the village.
"To begin with the obvious, people aren't really afraid of your sister. She's strong, no doubt about it, but compared to a Kage? Or Hanzo? She's not even in the top ten."
"Yeah, yeah. I know. They're afraid of the Bijuu inside my her. Stop stalling."
"Okay, okay." I said with a light chuckle. "So, why are they so scary?"
"Because they are a force of nature that no-one can stop by conventional means. That's why we have seals to contain them." Kasumi was annoyed. This much I could tell.
"Wrong, because Bijuus are a force of nature that can be sealed inside a human that no-one can stop by conventional means." I wiggled a finger left and right. "But what if the human lost control of the Bijuu?"
"You thought I don't already know that? Matatabi and nee-san understand each other perfectly. And I believe B-sama is the same. So, get to the point already!"
"The point is the human." I shrugged my shoulders while ignoring her irritation.
"Ever heard about Uchiha Itachi?" I asked 'innocently' to my teammate, whose eyes sharpened.
"There's the problem. We, humans, are all just one bad day away from a full meltdown. He was once a kind and selfless child, the perfect Konoha Shinobi. And then one day, without any warning, he snapped and went all 'Hey! Let's kill everyone! Parents included! No favouritism!'. And no one saw it coming…"
Sorry, Sasuke.
"Now, imagine another Shinobi. A strong one, not 'Itachi' style, but strong… Give them a Bijuu, place them in the middle of a populated area… And then a 'bad day' happens and what Itachi did will look like amateur's hour..."
"But nee-san will never betray…!" Kasumi lashed out at me. And then she understood.
From what I gathered from the day I met her sister; she did betray her home, her family, for Kumogakure.
"And that's not everything…" I continued; shoulder slumped while mindlessly kicking the wall under me.
"Not all Bijuus are as friendly as Matatabi. When the nine tails attacked Konoha, his rampage claimed half of our Shinobi AND our Hokage. Namikaze motherfucking MINATO, a shinobi marked as 'put-your-head-between-your-legs-and-kiss-your-ass-goodbye on sight'… Had to give his life to summon the Kami of Death to stop it. That's what it takes to stop a Bijuu…"
Heh, listen to me… I managed a low and spiritless chuckle… 'Not as friendly as Matatabi'… My thoughts went to Gaara. With the One-Tail inside his head, being brainwashed day after day into hating everyone…
Kasumi lowered her head, but I wasn't finished.
"And still…" I waved a hand toward nothing. "You can't really 'stop' a Bijuu. They are a part of our world. Cut them in two, or reduce them to so much dust… They'll come back after a few years. And they will be VERY angry at you. So, we seal them… And hope for the best…"
We stood in silence, watching together the joyful and warm lights of the village hidden in the clouds.
"And here come the worst part…" I closed my eyes as I thought about how to word it without saying too much… "Sealing a Bijuu is an extremely complicated and secret process. But, from what history told us? A child is always the host… So now you have an immature kid, one 'bad day' away from slaughtering everyone… Sitting at school next to your own flesh and blood…"
I opened my eyes again and looked toward Kumogakure. Still revelling and partying.
"So… Yeah. We seal them. Because the alternative… Is sacrificing everyone and hope that the few years we just gained will be enough to do it again when they'll come back…"
We stood in silence for a few moments. Thankfully, Kasumi stayed quiet. Her mind was probably thinking about what her sister had lived in her past.
"It's… A bit like this exam… Right? Risk the children and everyone lives?"
"Here, children might die. If not? Then children will die... I HATE this situation but… What can I do about it?"
"For once, you're not stupid… Must be something in the air…" Kasumi chuckled, a weak and unconvincing one. "I mean, I'm sure you think that there's a better way…"
"Oh, no. I don't think there's a better way." I cut her. "I know there's a better way..."
Kasumi rolled her eyes at my remark.
"And I bet she knows it too." I pointed at a cable car that just left our spire toward the festival. One with a young red-haired girl dressed in civilian clothes inside.
"The rabbit? She's leaving alone. Again?"
"Yup. Probably going to play some music."
"She's stupid. With at minimum two match tomorrow, she should be resting." Kasumi's eyes turned on me again. "And what does it have to do with 'finding a better way'?"
"Because, when she fought Konoko-chan, with her speed she could have knocked her out, or simply cut off her hands." I shrugged again.
"Not a killing move, but one who would have ended the match. Then she waited to see if her opponent would surrender. When she didn't, she ended it with little to no consequences. Two dislocated arms are nothing to worry about in the short term. So, what does it says about her?"
"Nothing about the 'finding a better way'." My nemesis said without even a thought.
"Now who's the idiot?" I chuckled. "It means that she doesn't want to add any more lasting pain and suffering in this world when there's no reason to."
"Heh." Kasumi wasn't willing to lose the battle. "Have you seen Konoha's hospital? Cause I did. Re-attaching limbs is easy."
"Has she?" I replied innocently. When her country closed its border before she was born? When her friends and teammates have so many injuries, fractures and untreated scars?
Bakasumi withdrew, knowing that she had lost. Still, her personality demanded that she had the last word.
"So, what is she trying to do now? Will playing some songs alone in a deserted school will give her some sympathy points for her promotion?"
Well, sorry, because I could answer that.
"Or maybe, when everyone is asleep, she can act like the nine-year-old she is? And forget… For an hour or two… That she might have to kill someone tomorrow or the day after?"
We stayed in silence for a few moments. Watching as the trolley took the little girl towards the lights of the festival.
"I wonder…" The girl besides me whispered, a little bit of wistfulness in her voice. "My sister always liked music when we were young… She used to play with a Shamisen and sing when I couldn't sleep… Maybe she'll be there too?"
"She will."
Kasumi and I jumped out our sitting position and turned toward the new voice that came from behind us.
And there was a cat. Another black one. I took a second to register the fact that a random feline managed to get close to us and we didn't sense anything.
"Gotaru-sama!" Kasumi immediately kneeled against the floor and bowed her head toward the… Let's be honest, completely unremarkable cat that had sneaked behind us.
"Hum… Context please? Because I donWHOAAAAH?" My question was cut short as Kasumi grabbed my hand and forcefully slammed me to the ground beside her.
"Gotaru-sama is my sisters Friend and, right now, the most dangerous living being in this building. So do me a favour and SHUT UP!" She managed to whisper to me as my face was eating dirt. But I felt a hint of fear in her voice.
"Oh, an Inuzuka who listen? I guess the legends were true…" The cat just shrugged and turned his attention toward Kasumi.
I threw my most deadpan expression toward my teammate, but the glare she sent me back screamed 'I WILL END YOU' so I decided to let it slide.
"Since the Chuunin exam will end tomorrow, my Friend wish to spend some time together before you leave. You will wait for her at the park where she found you last night. After she is done with the rabbit, you will be taken to more appropriate accommodations."
Funny how the way her words could be as threatening as they could be completely innocent…
Konoha drilled us into the whole 'appearances can be deceiving' thingy, but somehow…
I doubted 'being coerced by a murderous kitty cat' was the intended meaning…
"I…" Kasumi hesitated before continuing. "I would very much like it. But… I can't leave without my sensei's approval. We sleep in the same room; she'll notice that I'm gone!"
"Do not worry, Kyougi Nara is a known hazard. We have ways to keep her… Occupied, while you speak with my Friend."
I saw and felt Kasumi hesitating. And I could somehow imagine why. The sister she apparently looked up to abandoned her when she was a child and now ordered her to meet her…
"You should accept". I reassured her as I sat up from my previously forced faceplant. "You won't have many opportunities to see your sister in the future. Don't worry. I'll cover for you".
"I believe you misunderstand me." Gotaru cut us off as she turned her eyes on me. "When I said my Friend wanted to meet 'you', she meant 'both of you'. She is quite curious about your… Teammate, Kasumi-chan."
"What?"
"Also." Because of course the cat wasn't finished. "She specifically ordered you to wear the civilian disguises your sensei gave you. My Friend was… Let's say impressed with her fashion sense. I believe she want the same Yukata for her and the same T-shirt for a group of… Unruly Chunins that recently landed on her shit list. Don't disappoint my Friend, please."
"WHAT?! NO!"
"Okay, kids. Our reserved seats are still there. Same placement as yesterday." Nara-sensei guided us through the massive crowd of people that were slowly filling the arena again.
The Genins entered the stage as the blacksmith from yesterday joined us and sat beside our sensei, as they exchanged polite greetings.
Ume, somehow, was sleeping on her bench.
Unfortunately, after the third verse of Killer-B's 'flow', my brain decided to do a Blue-Screen-Of-Death. I finally got back to the realm of the living after the first two matches had already begun.
On the right side, the puppeteer from Suna was doing a mockery of his opponent. Either the guy facing him hadn't watched yesterday's match or the Suna-nin had Jonin-Level stealth techniques because he never was in any danger before his opponent collapsed.
On the left side, Aozora Kiriko was facing Hozuki Suigetsu, and things were… Interesting.
If you took the fight at face value, then Kiriko was winning.
Because you will see a 'clearly-under-a-genjutsu' Suigetsu throwing water-based attacks toward nothing as the Aozora was keeping her distance.
Then, you'll take a closer look and notice that the poor girl was actually RUNNING FOR HER LIFE AS THE BOY WAS EFFORTLESSLY THROWING MASSIVE FUCKIN' WATER AOEs EVERYWHERE!
This blatant display of unfairness didn't last long, fortunately. After a few attacks, Kiriko wasn't fast enough to get away from the splash-zone and a few droplets of water landed on her arm.
"Suiton! Water Prison!"
Immediately, the glass-eyed boy rushed in her direction with pinpoint accuracy. All the water that was still in the arena immediately rushed to Kiriko and imprisoned her with the same skill that Zabuza used to restrain Kakashi.
A part of me realized that if she wasn't limited to the boundaries of the arena, then she would have won… Did Kirigakure had such strong Shinobis in the story?
The public went wild as the Red Rabbit and Kishi Hiroshi entered the field. The boy eyes were fixed on her.
He was afraid. Through our imprint, Moon-moon shared what he felt from them.
Scared, but relieved to finally be able to go all out… And prove himself.
Seriously, what the hell is wrong with those kids…
Ume, weirdly, looked at the rest of the mist Genin waiting in the participant box for a second and… smiled.
As Killer-B called the start of the match, the little girl immediately dashed toward her opponent. But she was too slow as the Kishi had immediately covered the whole area with mist.
Through my imprint, I was able to hear Ume reaching the now empty spot her teammate occupied before, multiple low-grade tags detonated around her like firecrackers. A common distraction technique when you are fighting blind to cut off sound. Ume completely ignored them, and I felt her chakra gathering inside her. She put her right hand on her sheathed blade.
"Take me seriously, Hiroshi." Ume whispered before screaming. "Fuuton! Sweeping Wind Blade!"
She drew her sword in a 360-degree attack and the mist that the Kishi summoned was completely blown away.
"Wow…" Our resident blacksmith muttered before taking his drawing tools. "That girl is loaded!" Then he started to draw an outline of Ume's sword on his sketch board.
"Chakra metal from Snow… That's a given, but still. Expensive and hard to work with…. Yes. Good materials but… Inferior techniques? No. Not inferior, unusual… Quenching shortened. But annealing perfectly respected… Lesser resistance… Not for a high-grade sword… No. Don't make sense, too shortsighted. Still, upsetting top grade. Not intended for clashing against other swords but… Long distance cutting? Custom made for her! Yes! YES!"
I looked at our neighbor as the two children were dishing it out. He kept mumbling for a while like a perfect imitation of Mordin Solus from Mass Effect and I could help but chuckle at the resemblance.
The blacksmith finally got out of his trance and looked at me with a guilty expression.
"Sorry… I tend to be… Enthusiastic when it comes to swords…" He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.
"No, no don't worry. You just reminded me of someone I know. By any chance, do you like to sing?" I asked with a knowing smile.
"Hum… I guess I do?" Yoake-san hesitatingly answered. "I mean, as much as the next guy, but…"
"I am the very model of a Kumogakure blacksmith,
Hitting, forging, shaping, cutting, that's all I need to create with!
I'm quite good at drawing, which is the opposite of upsetting,
Because I am an expert when it comes to anything about forging!
There is no steel, no ore, nothing that I can't work with,
I am the very model of a Kumogakure blacksmiiiiiiiiiith!"
Then, after keeping the last note for a few seconds and throwing my arms in the air, I noticed our surrounding had become quiet…
Looking around, I saw that everyone was looking at me with a judgmental expression.
Even my team. Especially my team.
"Hum-hum" I cleared my throat to break the silence. "You philistines have no appreciation for true art. Hmpf!"
I crossed my arms and started to pout.
"Pff!" Yoake-san barely managed to avoid laughing. "So that was… That was a thing… Hehehe… But still, we should look at the fight…"
Oooooh. Right. The exam. Kinda forgot about it for a moment…
Back at the arena, Ume was still trying to get closer to her opponent. The Kishi used that and send water bullets, earth spikes and seals to keep her away from him. None worked. Ume kept getting closer and closer to her target. Until…
"Kuchiyose-no jutsu, Fukuro Kohane!"
The Kishi bit his thumb and placed his hand on the ground. Immediately a huge (and I mean, HUGE. Like… Horse sized) owl summon appeared under him and took him to the skies.
That finally stopped Ume. She sheathed her sword and both fighters looked at each other.
"So, you signed a contract. Just to fight me?" Ume calmly whispered.
"The last time I underestimated you I ended up in an... Uncomfortable situation. This time, I came prepared." The boy replied.
Both opponents smiled, as if enjoying a private joke, and the truce was shattered as Ume jumped faster that the eyes could see toward her friend.
Hiroshi was expecting this straightforward approach and sent waves of water bullets and kunais in her trajectory. She responded by… Changing directions in midair, just like she was using the very air as a stepping stone...
"She's… Using wind Jutsu to throw herself around?" Kasumi asked bewildered. "That's both completely stupid and insanely impressive!"
"But I doubt that she can't keep it up for long." Yama observed. "She's starting to show signs of exhaustion."
Then Ume threw herself upward, higher and higher, until she was above him, her back turned against the sun.
"Fuuton! Sweeping Wind Blade!"
Hiroshi had to divert his eyes to defend himself for the coming attack, except he wasn't the target. The wind blade from the rabbit's sword neatly cut his summon right wing and both the owl and its rider started freefalling toward the ground.
Ume again used her wind affinity to land before him and took her Iaijutsu stance. Then, she turned her scabbard and slashed with the blunt edge as her friend hit the ground.
*Splash*
Overseeing the fight from afar, we all noticed that Hiroshi had used his fall to stealthily create a water clone and switched place with it. The water clone that was 'Hiroshi' exploded, drenching Ume from head to toe and she had to take a few precious seconds to wipe away her eyes.
A few precious seconds that Hiroshi used to safely land and immediately begin a long series of hand seals.
Ume sensed it and immediately jumped toward him. But before she could draw her sword…
"Hyoton! Frozen Prison!"
Ice crept up from the water soaking Ume's clothes, the water resulting from the previous fight also rushed toward her and solidified. Ume's charge immediately came to a halt. She tried to keep moving but she finally became trapped.
"Ice… Release… How long… Did you practice…?" Ume's voice was weak, teeth chattering. I could easily imagine that she was spending her last reserves on not passing away due to hypothermia.
"Two weeks, every day. But even with my water clone, if Suigetsu hadn't flooded the arena before us I doubt that I would have enough water at hand to stop you…"
The public around the arena had become silent in anticipation. The referee started to carefully walk toward them. But before he could stop the match, Hiroshi raised in hand and silenced him.
"Are you done, Ume? Is this really all you got?"
He was exhausted. Apparently, a 'Haku-grade' jutsu without his blood limit took all of his strength...
His eyes were serious but his words were damning… And I understood what was happening.
"Holy fuuuuck, she completely has him…"
"Yup, he's done for, there's no escaping from that." Kasumi shrugged with a little smile.
"Hum… What are you talking about? The Kishi's winning, no?" Yama, bless his pre-puberty soul, tried to make sense of our remarks.
"Awwwww… It's so sweet! Ninja-sweet!" Kyougi-sensei eyes were shining as she kept her hands together close to her heart.
"You don't see that every day, indeed." Yoake-san chuckled.
"Hmmmm… Neji-san? Do you know what they are talking about?" Poor ol' Yama tried to ask the only reasonable person left.
"Sorry. After Shinji said 'I am the very model of…' I decided to treat everything you say as 'background noise'."
Sadly, his hopes were dashed.
*Shhhhhhhh*
Our eyes returned to the battlefield. The prison keeping Ume was rapidly thawing. She was using her last reserves, her very life force, to break from it. Ume and Hiroshi kept looking at each other's eyes, unflinching. Then, the ice prison shattered.
Hiroshi closed his eyes and smiled.
Ume put her hand on her sword and smiled.
Moon-Moon shared their thoughts with me.
"I'm sorry…"
"Thank you…"
One quick-draw later, Hiroshi was taken to the medical tent as Ume slowly walked toward the contestant booth. To prepare for her next match.
After the crowd finally calmed down and Ume got back to her friends, Hozuki Chigetsu existed the Kage's booth and stomped down the stairs toward the arena.
"Wow… The guy's pissed…" Yoake said as we all watched the very irate Kiri Jonin entering the contestant area. "What could she have done to warrant that?"
"Oh, please." Nara-sensei said in a teasing tone. "Please tell me, Arata Kaizaki-san, that the head of Kumogakure's Intelligence Division hadn't see this coming. Inoichi-kun may even declare it a national holiday and I'll have one less day of work."
What?
"Heh… I just wanted to know if you guys also figured it out." Our neighbor said with a… Completely different voice as I turned to look at him.
It was the same face, alright, but the devil is in the details…
His eyes were sharp, his smile was fake, his arms were casually resting were Shinobi usually kept their weapons… And I noticed that Nara-sensei turned her body 'just-so' that she would shield us if he decided to attack…
"Acting is fun, right Shinji-kun?" And immediately he was back to his 'Kumogakure blacksmith' persona in the blink of an eye. "I retired from the intelligence division last year. Please, Nara-sensei, inform your village about it, we don't mind. Now I'm just a Jonin enjoying his life and I like it!"
I noticed that Kasumi was looking at him and shaking.
Oh, she said that the Nekomata style is all about reading body language. She just had a masterclass on 'Everything you've learned can be used to deceive you'…
"Still!" He continued while looking at the arena. "Kumo's going to win. That was a praiseworthy attempt from Kiri but there's no way she can beat Buruto-kun now that she's exhausted. Hozuki-kun will win his next match but he has no chance against his lightning techniques."
"Hum…" Sensei interrupted him. "I wouldn't be so quick to rule the rabbit out. If there's one thing children have for them, it's rapid regeneration. Besides, she fights smart while your Genin is all about brute force and getting lucky with one strike."
"Oooh?" Our suddenly very dangerous neighbor smiled. "Well, we don't we play a little game? I bet on Kumo, you bet on Kiri. The loser must invite the winner in the best restaurant they can find."
"Oh, you really know how to capture a young maiden's interest, Arata-kun…" Sensei… blushed.
Cue Team Four Synchronized Facepalm. Without Neji who was still ignoring us.
While Ume was resting in the medical tent before the semi-finals, Suigetsu faced the puppet-user whose name I didn't even tried to commit to memory.
It ended the way we all thought. The shark boy flooded the whole arena, the Suna-nin got caught in it.
Cue unfair beatdown, better luck next time.
After the proctors managed to 'un-flood' the arena, Ume faced Buruto.
The arena was a total wreck. It was muddy, icy and covered in bits of boulders. Still the rabbit faced the larger Kumo-kid in the field.
"So, you're the Aki No Usagi, the ruthless fighter. You're an insect." The larger boy started some trash-talk, as per tradition.
"No. I'm a rabbit. See the ears?"
Ume innocently pointed a finger on her mask.
"You really weren't chosen for your smarts, are you?"
Buruto snarled.
"Tell me." The rabbit continued.
"Did you step on your opponent's arm because you're as coordinated as you're intelligent?"
The boy took the bait, as Yoake… Or Arata… Well, the blacksmith, sighed.
"Intelligent?" The boy raised his gauntlet in front of him. "I build those!"
"You created a new way to recharge batteries. Good for you. I'm impressed. Trully." Um's tone was completely patronizing.
"I guess it's a wonderful feeling to beat children three years younger than you?"
Buruto tried to argue but the rabbit ignored him and took a Iaijutsu stance as the referee send the signal to begin.
"And now I wonder… How will you react when you'll lose to a nine-year-old?"
The kumo-nin was surprised by her words. Either he didn't see her profile or didn't believe it, but he was caught off-guard when Ume jumped inside his range and drew her sword. The vertical slash only made a small cut on his chin. His training kicked in just in time to jump backward and avoid the blunt of the damage.
Immediately, the boy retaliated with a right hook where Ume should have been, but everyone in the stands had already saw that she had jumped above him.
An impressive exchange of blows happened. Armored fists against metal. The boy only gained a few shallow cuts thanks to his, as much as it pains me to admit, excellent reflexes, while the exhausted girl had to avoid being touched only once.
So, it was only a matter of time when Buruto scored the first hit.
Ume winced but didn't surrender when he scored a lucky punch on her right arm, disabling it. She quickly switched her sword to her other hand and continued to assault her opponent as if nothing happened.
After another rapid exchange of blow, however, it was obvious who was winning.
"You're slowing down, little insect." The Kumo kid said while jumping toward the little girl.
"Rabbit… See the ears?" Ume smirked and dropped her sword to sign a seal every Konoha Genin was familiar with.
"Substitution."
Buruto's fist broke the rock that Ume switched with.
As he turned around to search for his opponent, he missed Ume dropping from above.
The chakra-reinforced senbon Ume held between her fingers, wolverine style, carved three red lines on his face.
Buruto screamed in pain, but immediately counterattacked. Unable or too tired to dodge, Ume's right leg took the hit and her bones were shattered while she was in mid-air.
The little girl fell on the floor. Before her very VERY pissed opponent.
"YOU ANNOYING INSECT!" Buruto was angry beyond belief. His right hand was clasping his fresh scars, glowing with the light-blue color of a poor-man healing-jutsu, as he started to walk toward the little girl.
"Rabbit… See… The ears…?" Ume was down for the count. But even with one arm disabled and one leg broken, she rolled away and used her uninjured hand to point at her mask.
"Do I have… To keep reminding you…?"
"DOESN'T MATTER CAUSE I'LL…. I'll… Cru… Crush…Y…"
Buruto started to stammer. Like a drunkard trying to walk in a straight line, before falling unconscious on the ground.
"Poison?" I nudged Yama.
"Aconite on her sembons. Really precise dosage. At least this time no one tried to lick the blood just to look badass..." My friend answered while throwing a deadly glare toward our last teammate.
Bakasumi glared back for a second, before crossing her arms and turning her face away, nose up, with a very dismissive 'Humph!'.
…Wait… Is she… POUTING?
And so, as the completely beaten down rabbit managed to stand up, the semi-final of Kumogakure's Chuunin-exam ended.