Chapter #32: "Emissaries among the rocks"
*Note: Credit goes to the following authors for the following team(s)
-Tengaigakure: Ayane Shuura, Sono Ishikara, and Nikaari Shuuma. Credit goes to Quzor.
-Konohagakure: Ansari Hotaru, Kaori Kasume, and Kyoshi Katsurou. Credit goes to TheWrongVine.
-Iwagakure: Hiroto Yamanouchi, Honoka Yamaguchi, Atsuko Yamaguchi, and Masaru Dazai. Credit goes to SpectacularInsanity
“Tanzou!” Cried Mikko as she ran up to the dust and rubble strewn area, “Stay back!” Cried Tanzou’s voice from behind her. Mikko turned to find Tanzou alive and well. “What-what just happened?” Hishegami asked. “It was a trap; someone had set up a barrier jutsu, creating a perimeter around any assorted area.” Tanzou explained. “But how did you know?” Mikko asked. “Please do tell.” Honoka said, stepping from out of the smoke and rubble. “I see, so you have finally made your move.” Tanzou said. “Before I personally dismantle you, I just want to know one thing.” Tanzou said. “Oh really, what?” Honoka asked. “Who put you up to it?” Tanzou replied. Honoka, Atsuko, and Masaru’s eyes all widened and they expressed looks of shock. (“Could he, possibly know?”) Honoka thought. (“No way, no how he’s just bluffing.”) Honoka later thought. “Well, who was it?” Tanzou asked. “What’s it to you anyway?” Honoka replied. “What business would a couple of Iwagakure genin have with me, or more to the point what would Iwagakure have with me?” Tanzou questioned. “Did anyone ever tell you that you ask too many questions?” Honoka asked. “Tell me!” Tanzou demanded. Honoka smirked, “Alright, if you can beat me then I’ll tell you the name of our client.” Honoka said. Tanzou’s eyes tightened, “That’s fine with me!” Tanzou cried. “Well whatever, let’s just hurry up and destroy Tanzou already.” Atsuko interrupted. “I see, so what are your orders, to kill me?” Tanzou wondered. “Bingo!” Honoka replied. Atsuko and Masaru unveiled kunai knives, while Mikko and Hishegami revealed their own weapons. (“This isn’t good, we’re so close and now we have to fight these guys?”) Mikko thought. (“Who the hell are these guys, and why do they want to kill Tanzou?”) Hishegami thought. “Listen I don’t like to kiss and tell, so why don’t we just get down to business so I can do my job already!” Honoka said. Tanzou smirked, “You really think you can beat me?” Tanzou asked. “Enough talk!” Honoka shouted, quickly throwing a shuriken at Tanzou’s head, only to have it land in a log. “Substitution!” Atsuko observed. Mikko charged up to Masaru and spun around and jump kicked him in the side, “Alright time for my specialty maneuver!” Mikko cried. Mikko gripped Masaru by the shoulders, kicked out and spun around at high speed, “Makato Spinning Suplex!” Mikko cried, as she gathered her strength to lift up Masaru and slam him back first into the ground. “Doton: Retsudotensho!” Cried Honoka, as chakra glowed in the palms of her hands, she slammed her fists to the ground sending tremors charging toward Mikko, ripping open fissures in the ground in the process. Mikko jumped into the air and rolled to avoid being hit. “Over here!” Cried Tanzou from behind. “Hien!” Tanzou yelled as he hurled a combination of shuriken and kunai at Honoka, who merely stood in place allowing the projectiles to hit. The kunai and shuriken hit Honoka and made a metallic clang as though they had hit metal, and fell to the ground. “What the hell, it was as though your skin were made of metal!” Hishegami observed. “Try more like stone that’s the Yamaguchi clan’s secret kekkai genkai: Ketsuki no Ishi (Stone Blood).” Honoka explained. Atsuko laughed and stood beside her sister, “Good thing we activated the jutsu before entering battle.” Atsuko said. Honoka laughed, “Now you pieces of garbage are going to see just how painful it is to be an enemy of the Village Hidden in the Rocks!” Honoka exclaimed. “Where is Masaru?” Honoka asked. “Passed out as usual.” Atsuko replied. “That’s just fine, we don’t need him anyway, waste of space!” Honoka added. “Deal with this!” Tanzou cried. “Futon: Daitoppa!” Tanzou yelled as he landed before Honoka with his attack palm extended. “Doton: Doryu Heki!” Cried Atsuko just as Tanzou stood, standing before him with a gigantic rock wall formed, causing Tanzou’s wind attack to smother against hardened rock. “Argggh!” Tanzou groaned as his knuckles scrapped across the rock’s surface. “I told you we’re not pushovers!” Honoka exclaimed. “Unlike your kind from the Village Hidden in the Clouds!” Honoka scoffed. “Wall dispel!” Cried Atsuko and the large rock wall crumbled and broke into pieces on the ground. Tanzou jumped back and regrouped for his next attack. (“Damn they’re fast and strong too. I’m going to have to outthink them if I ever want to beat them and walk away with my life.”) Tanzou thought.
Masaru gradually recovered from Mikko’s suplex attack and got to his feet, gathering as much strength as he could. “Don’t take me lightly kid!” Masaru yelled charging towards Mikko, intent on getting revenge. Masaru charged into her, shoulder first, causing her to disappear in a poof! Atsuko sighted Tanzou for an attack, “Here I come!” She cried blue energy was emitting from her hand. Hishegami watched in horror as Atsuko charged toward Tanzou with super speed, and at the last moment, Hishegami’s body moved on its own and tackled Atsuko away from Tanzou and over the side of the cliff. “Hishegami!” Tanzou cried. Honoka watched with a stunned look on her face, (“That damn brat, now it’s just me and Murasaki one-on-one.”) “Over here!” Cried Tanzou, but it was too late for Honoka to defend as her attention was distracted by the fall of her sister over the cliff side. Tanzou spin kicked Honoka into the air, while a clone blasted her with a Futon: Daitoppa. “Now I won’t miss!” Tanzou cried, with deadly precision, forcing Honoka all the way to the ground, hitting it hard and back first. “Ugh!” was all that Honoka could utter when her back had struck the solid rock surface. (“Damn, I can’t keep my Ishiketsuki up for much longer!”) Honoka thought. (“If I persist, I run the risk of seriously damaging my chakra network.”) Honoka added. (“Then I’ve got no choice, I’ll just have to wing it and try to take him out quickly!”) Honoka thought again.
Masaru was not surprised to see that the Mikko he tackled was in fact a clone. “Come out little kid, I need to stomp you out so that I may leave this wretched place!” Masaru explained. “Oh well, if that’s all…” Mikko’s voice said from somewhere near by. “Makato Specialty: Ten Clone Bombardment!” Cried Mikko as a group of Mikko clones sprung from above and lunged at Masaru all at once, each clone acting as a human cannon ball. “What is this!?” Masaru questioned as he tried shielding his head with his arms. The real Mikko landed before Masaru just in time, (“Perfect, there’s an opening!”) Mikko thought. Mikko concentrated the chakra to the center of her palm, building up blue energy that burned brightly, and then it spread to her fingertips Mikko slammed her palm onto Masaru’s gut, “Kurenai-Kaen!” Mikko cried, causing the chakra to turn a pale violet hue and to burn and flicker wildly. The immense energy swarmed out and shook up Masaru, literally lifting him up off of the ground and sending him flying backward through the air, knocking into Honoka, who grunted before she along with Masaru fell over the cliff side. “And that’s a wrap!” Mikko said, after blowing off the steam from the palm of her hand.
Ai Asagiri and Iruta Udonishi stood on the deck of the Namitora, Tita Ametsuba and several other Jonin instructors stood nearby, as well as Hiroto Yamanouchi. “Lady Ai, what should we do about the earlier incident?” Iruta whispered to Ai. Ai shifted her eyes and then closed them. She breathed in, and breathed out hard. “Nothing, for now.” Ai replied. “I will personally contact the Raikage once we arrive in Kumogakure.” Ai whispered to Iruta. Hiroto’s eyes tightened and strained beads of sweat formed on his head, (“There is a lot of whispering going on between some of the jonin instructors, and their exams proctor.”) Hiroto thought. (“If the plan worked out as I had perceived then the others should suspect nothing.”) Hiroto added.
“Mikko, over here!” Tanzou cried. Mikko rushed over to Tanzou’s side, he was squatting over the cliff side, hanging onto something. Mikko leaned outward to find that he was grasping onto Hishegami’s arm, whom herself could barely hang on. Mikko quickly grabbed Hishegami’s free arm, and together with Tanzou helped pull her up. “Thanks guys.” Hishegami said, after being pulled from certain doom. “I thought I was a goner.” Hishegami said. “You would have been too if Tanzou hadn’t seen you!” Mikko exclaimed. “True, but I saw the way you reacted Mikko!” Hishegami said. “You didn’t hesitate at all to save my life.” Hishegami added with a smile. Hishegami approached Mikko and gave her a big hug, and whispered to her: “Even though we sometimes don’t get along; in my book, you’ll always be a friend.” Hishegami said. Hishegami quickly turned and hugged Tanzou, acting as though he were more important than anyone else. “Thank you, thank you so much Tanzou!” Hishegami cried. “Uh, don’t mention it…” Tanzou hesitated. “Look, the important thing is that you’re okay.” Tanzou added. Hishegami hugged Tanzou, and looked out to the cliff side during their embrace. (“Thank you Mikko, even though can be a real baka, you truly know how to help someone in need!”) Hishegami thought, a sated warm smile took over her mouth. Mikko’s cheeks were still reddened from Hishegami’s personal thank you, and Tanzou was still being clung to by Hishegami. Tanzou merely looked to Mikko and ever so slightly shrugged. “Hey now, of course we’d never hesitate to help you, we’re friends after all!” Mikko said scratching the back of her head.
In Kumogakure, Ai Asagiri and Iruta Udonishi approached the Rokudaime Riakage’s office. Ai pulled open the doors and stepped into the office, the Raikage was gathering some paperwork off of his desk and the room was only half-lit. “Ai-San, what brings you here at this hour? I was just heading home for the night.” Rokudaime asked. Ai approached Rokudaime, with a clearly bothered look on her face. “Lord Raikage, it has come to my attention that there may be danger within these exams.” Ai said. “Please explain to me what you mean, Ai.” Rokudaime said. Ai took a deep breath and composed herself. “We have suspicion to believe that the exams are being used as a chance for enemy invasion.” Ai explained. Rokudaime’s eyes widened, “Are you sure, what proof do you have?” Rokudaime asked. “Nothing carbon, however we had been trailing several shinobi from…” Ai stopped in mid sentence when Rokudaime raised his hand, his eyes looked toward her and he nodded slightly. Ai understood and she gave a nod in reciprocation. Iruta, being new at all of this said nothing, but simply watched as the Raikage and Ai continued to speak. “So we believe that the boulders in the area were likely broken loose by land tremors throughout the region, I suspect that minimal damage to the land was caused however…” Ai said. “Was anyone harmed?” Raikage asked. Ai’s expression changed to a sullen, sad one. “Yes my lord. Unfortunately a few shinobi from an unspecified country were apparently crushed by the impending boulder.” Ai explained. “I see.” The Raikage said, turning his back to Ai and facing the door. “Do you have any ideas as to who the deceased might have been?” Rokudaime wondered. “We do, after tallying the results of the tundra challenge portion; we have determined that the team sent from the Village Hidden in the Rocks may have been the said deceased.” Ai added. “That is most unfortunate, we will have to inform their jonin instructor if he does not already know, and prepare a letter of condolence to the Village Hidden in the Rocks’ academy.” Rokudaime explained. “Thank you for coming all this way to inform me of this grievous tragedy, I will begin on the paperwork first thing in the morning.” Rokudaime said. Ai nodded and proceeded to leave, “Oh and Ai please have the returning genin take the rest of the night off and get something to fill their bellies.” Rokudaime said with a smile. Ai looked back and smiled, “Of course.” She agreed. Ai and Iruta left the Rokudaime’s office, and stepped back into the streets of Kumogakure. Hiding in the shadows, beside the Raikage’s office, was Hiroto Yamanouchi, Iwagakure instructor. He had been using a hearing jutsu to allow him to eavesdrop on the conversations taking place in buildings. Having not hearing anything of importance, Hiroto disappeared into the air.
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Table of Contents
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Chapter notes: Mikko Makato, Tanzou Murasaki, Hishegami Otokusa
Chapter end notes: Flashback Arcs