Disclaimer: See previous chapters
Airnaruto45 - Yep. And we're just getting warmed up (I think).
Sullimike23 - Actually, it's just Karin and Suigetsu with Sasuke here. I know, it seems odd, but I have my reasons. And as for Shang Tsung's plans, well you'll just have to wait and see.
Kirie – Unfortunately, this takes place in the first tournament, so it is unlikely they'll make an appearance. But I've been know to do a cameo or two, so maybe. We'll see.
Rocketfist - I'm afraid not. I haven't experienced MK9 yet, so unfortunately, I can't put that storyline in here.
-0-
Two days have passed since the start of the tournament and so far, Team Seven have been doing well. According to the rules, a combatant who was defeated could still participate in the tournament and have a chance to be champion so long as they weren't defeated three times or disabled. And by disabled, that was pretty much up for grabs and could range from being severely injured or even killed. Neither has occurred as far as they knew, but given the competition, that may change.
Speaking of competition, they were up against some really fierce opponents. Initially, many of those whom they fought were pushovers, but that only lasted for the first day. When the second day came around, their matches and opponents rapidly became difficult. They were able to deal with them, true, but if the progression rate remained as it was, the following days would introduce truly skilled and potential dangerous fighters.
Survival of the fittest, it seemed.
For that reason, they were currently outside training, a good distance away from the palace. Nothing major, as they didn't want to show off any techniques they haven't used in the tournament yet, just enough to keep them sharp. Currently, Kakashi was watching Sakura and Naruto spar against each other, without the use of any of they jutsu. Given the nature of the tournament, they focused more of their taijutsu abilities to see what they could work on.
Kakashi pretty much had it hands down. Jonin-skills aside, he had copied and learned more than enough taijutsu to keep him up to par in the tournament (which was a surprise in itself). It helped that he had copied Maito Gai's Goken, which proved to be a real asset here (not that he would tell him that, ever).
In Sakura's case, as a medic, she was more practiced in evasion techniques, which should have made her a more defensive opponent if not for the monster strength she had learned from Tsunade. With that at her disposal, she became a real force to be reckoned with. He still remembered how far the last opponent was thrown out of the ring after she cratered the ground with enough force to launch him in the air and fall unconscious.
The same could be said about Naruto, which might or might not be a problem. Training with Jiraiya had improved his abilities, true. But Jiraiya's specialty lay in fuuinjutsu (sealing technique) and summoning jutsu. His taijutsu, while formidable, was not exactly teachable. And judging from the matches, even though his attacks were a bit more refined, he hadn't shown any distinguishing jutsu in that area. At the moment, it didn't really matter. Naruto's unorthodox style threw people off and his strength in jutsu was unquestionable.
"Guah!"
Apparently, that style didn't stop Sakura from knocking him down on his butt with a well-placed sweep. Rising up to his feet, the young man rubbed his behind, groaning as he did.
"You got me, Sakura. But I'll get you next time."
The kunoichi folded her arms. "Hmph. Just hope you don't face me for real, Naruto."
Kakashi chuckled mentally. Even though Naruto was stronger than her, he would probably lose on account of not wanting to hurt her; that and the ridiculous strength she possessed. 'Honestly, her temper is as razor-thin as Lady Tsunade's.' His thoughts were soon disrupted when a dark shadow approached them from the trees. The other two shinobi looked over as well to see one of the shadow monks approach them.
"Hatake Kakashi."
"Hm. Looks like I'm up." he replied nonchalantly.
However, before he could take a step or before the other two could follow, two other monks appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. It didn't take much for him to realize that Sakura and Naruto were being called for their matches as well. This is new' he thought. Up until now, their matches had taken place at different times, allowing at least one of them to watch over the other. But not they all had a match at the same time. They would all be separated and on their own.
It didn't take a genius to see a setup.
Adjusting her gloves, Sakura stepped into the ring. Her arena was within the palace, before the throne room itself. Much to her relief, Shang Tsung wasn't there; only the shadow monk that led her. Despite that, she kept on guard. Her fight aside, she too didn't trust the fact that they were given fights at the same time, effectively separating them. But she was both a kunoichi and a chunnin. She would deal with whatever came her way.
Looking about, she saw a few spectators around the ring, waiting to watch the match that would take place. More likely, they were combatants awaiting their next match. She had also noticed that there was at least half the number of people left on the island than the first day of arrival. That seemed a little strange to her. She hadn't been in that many matches and she surely hadn't fought the same opponents over. Given the rules to the tournament, it seemed odd that there were so few left after three days.
Motion from the other end of the ring snapped her to attention. Another shadow monk stepped into the ring, followed by her opponent, who simply swaggered into the ring. He wore white clothes and a utility belt across his chest, but was stood out was his face; a bald head with what looked like a metal plate on the upper right side of his face. A glowing red eye gleamed out at her and a sneering grin was plastered on his face.
"Well, ain't you a pretty little thing?"
Sakura frowned, but was surprised by the swell of anger that surged through her so suddenly. She had a temper, that was a given. But it never surged through her like this. It was...odd. She let out a sigh. She didn't have time for this. She had a match to get through now and she couldn't afford distraction. Cracking her knuckles, she settled into stance, readying to face her opponent.
The Black Dragon, Kano...
He was worried...
That wasn't the sort of thing to normally cross through the mind of the copy ninja. The last time he felt that was during the time with his team of genin, before Sasuke left them. Despite being shinobi, they were still kids and there was a dangerous world ahead of them now. Worse (at least in his mind), it was up to him to both teach them and watch over them until they were strong enough to take care of themselves, so basically, what they did would reflect on how he taught them.
That worry didn't end, but he figured it had mellowed out to the point were he didn't really notice it anymore, and for the most part that was true. At least Sakura was able to become a capable chunnin and Naruto had the training of Jiraiya to aid him. Sasuke was his only concern, but at the time, there was nothing he could do about that. All in all, worry had never been a prevalent thought for him.
Until now...
There was something else as well. He wasn't sure and it wasn't something he could explain, but he felt... something...in the air seemingly. Again, he didn't know what it was, but it felt...insidious. There was something happening in the tournament and he had a feeling; no. He knew that it wasn't going to be anything good. It was a moot point true, but it was something to keep in mind. And in any case, to complete their mission, they had to progress in this tournament and he had to trust his team and hope nothing went wrong.
As it was, he had his own problems now.
The shadow monk had led him to ring amid a rocky beach on one of the far sides of the island. Kakashi had kept his eye pealed for any signs of an ambush or attack, but there was none. At the moment, every was as it was supposed to be. Stopping, the monk pointed to the ring and Kakashi calmly walked in toward the center, appearing relaxed, but readying himself. If he was fortunate, he would be able to take out his opponent without too much difficulty. But upon looking on the other end of the arena and seeing his opponent, Kakashi quickly knew that wouldn't be the case.
'Figures...'
His opponent strode past the shadow monk at his end and silently toward the center and Kakashi. His sole eye narrowed in memory as the two met in the ring's center. A chill wisp of air left the masked mouth of his opponent as he spoke.
"It's been awhile, Kakashi of the Sharingan."
As those words were spoke, Kakashi was already lifting up his hitai-ite, revealing the crimson spiral of the Sharingan and focusing it on his opponent; one of the very, very few people to face him in combat and live to tell the tale and one of the even fewer people that Kakashi would have preferred to avoid fighting again.
"So it has, Sub-Zero of the Lin Kuei."
He did not like this guy...
That seemed to be the repeating thought in the head of the orange-and-black clad ninja as he bent on the ground after an attack from his opponent; a blue-skinned man probably around his age with purple-tinted eyes and sharp teeth. It didn't take a genius for Naruto to recognize him as a shinobi from the Hidden Mist village. Meeting with Kisame and Zabuza told him that much at least. Speaking of Zabuza, there was something else he recognized from the fighter. The giant sword that he had been trying to hack him down with was the same exact sword that Zabuza fought with. The stranger had told him such at the beginning of their fight.
-"Hey! What are you doing with that sword?"-
-"This? Oh yeah, right. I had heard you and the boss had a throw down with him. In any case, it belongs to me now."-
-"Wha-? Boss?"-
-"Why Sasuke, of course."-
Those words left Naruto with mixed feelings. On the one hand, he was glad to have finally heard something about Sasuke. Since their time on the island, they hadn't seen him or heard about him since that first match. As if that wasn't enough, they hadn't had time to even try and search after their first rounds. The second day opponents were tough and Naruto had to really focus to beat them, so he didn't even have time to think about Sasuke.
But on the other hand, he felt upset. Upset that he had been replaced by his supposed friend and a little more than peeved that this sound freak had the nerve to take something that didn't belong to him. The fight didn't start soon enough for the jinchuuriki, but he learned that his opponent -Suigetsu was his name- had more than a few strange jutsu, mostly being that whole ability to liquefy himself and attack like a literal wave of water, if a wave could hold a massive blade in its hands.
"Man, I didn't think you'd be this weak."
Naruto scowled, feeling his anger beginning to rise and with it, the light wisp of the red chakra. Taking a breath, he brought it under control as he rose up to resume the fight, crossing his fingers into an all-too-familiar hand seal.
'Kage Bushin No Justu!' ('Shadow Clone Technique!')
Five other copies soon appeared around him and together, they dashed at their watery opponent. Hopping up, Naruto landed in between the clasped arms of two of the clones, whipping out a kunai as they hurled him right at Suigetsu. Grinning, Suigetsu charged in as well, the lower body taking liquid form while the upper half remained normal, bringing the giant sword up high to bear.
As the two bodies soared at each other, Suigetsu swung first, his larger weapon capable of reaching Naruto first. The young jinchuuriki managed to rotate his body enough to deflect the attack, but was knocked out of the air and slammed into the ground. Suigetsu whirled about to press the attack when the shadow clones came in on him. But he hadn't forgotten about them as he whirled about and slashed out wide, a wave of water following his attack, dispelling the first pair clones and knocking the rest down. Suigetsu then quickly returned back to face the original Naruto that he knocked down earlier.
Only to have him disappear in a puff of smoke.
Suigetsu's eyes widened with shock and he turned back to the clones he knocked down to see one of them hadn't dispelled and was currently flying at him with an outstretched fist. Naruto grinned as his fist connected, but that grin vanished when Suigetsu suddenly exploded in a splash of water. 'Crap! A Mizu Bushin! (Water Clone!)' His eyes quickly shot to the back to see Suigetsu rushing at him, sword reared back. On instinct, Naruto ducked and the sword soared past his ear by a mere inch.
But while Naruto was bent low, Suigetsu quickly shot his leg forward, kicking Naruto in the shoulder and sending him rolling on the ground. Groaning, Naruto quickly rolled on the ground and looked up just in time to see Suigetsu rush at him with the sword overhead again. Once again, instinct took over as Naruto shot his hands down on the ground and launched himself away as the sword struck down, releasing a blast of water out as it hit the ground and knocking Naruto backward, half-drowning him in the process.
"Geez, no wonder Sasuke left you. You're so weak; you were probably slowing him down."
"Shut up!" Naruto roared, sputtering out water in the process. Sasuke's departure had always been a sore spot for him (for all of Team Seven really), particularly because he had been unable to stop him from leaving. And while this resulted in him become a more determined person, it also made him very touchy whenever someone brought up the subject.
With friends and fellow shinobi, he would quickly become depressed, if only for a few minutes. Usually in that time, he would pull himself together and reaffirm his desire to bring him back to Konoha. However, in the case of enemies, his temper would burst and that was a bit harder to settle down from.
Like now...
With a burst of charka shooting down his feet, Naruto launched himself at Suigetsu, cracking the ground he left in the process. The water-nin was only half-surprised by the sudden burst and quickly leaped to the side to avoid Naruto's attack. But as he turned about, Naruto was on him again, now in the air with a fist lifted high.
And his eyes in narrow slits...