Chapter #31: "A Trap is sprung!"
*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
Mikko, Tanzou, and Hishegami ran up a rocky path, and struggled to keep their balance. “Oh my god!” cried Hishegami. “Geez, the least they could have done was put up a bridge or something!” Mikko cried. “Just hang on, we’re almost across!” Tanzou yelled. The three of them slowed down and gradually made their way across the thin catwalk of rock slab, eventually making it across the gaping maw of the canyon, to the other side. “Finally!” Mikko cried with glee. “We made it!” Hishegami added. “No time for cheering, we’ve gotta keep running!” Tanzou urged, starting to run again. “Ah nuts!” Hishegami moaned. “Run, run, run!” Mikko said as she imitated an engine being revved up. “Mikko, don’t be so annoying!” Hishegami scolded. “I’m not!” Mikko replied.
Ansari, Kaori, and Kyoshi continued running while Kaori who was behind the two looked back with a look of concern on her face. “That blast just now, shouldn’t we have checked it out?” Kaori asked. Ansari shook his head, “There’s no time!” He exclaimed. Kaori frowned and continued running, (“Just like there was no time to help out Sono, and no he isn’t even in the exams anymore!”) Kaori thought.
Kali, Yuu, and Jiro gasped and groaned as they trotted up and down the rocky pathways of the canyon land. “This…is…unbearable!” Kali complained. “I agree with you boss!” Yuu said. “Why can’t we fly instead?” Kali wondered. “Cos we ain’t got wings?” Jiro wondered. “We’re…much too special to be…running around…like dogs!” Kali exclaimed. The three came to a bend in the path and all three of them collapsed facedown on the ground at once. “This is too MUCH!” cried Kali from the ground.
Meanwhile, Makki and her teammates were pretty much in the lead. Makki Fuhina couldn’t keep from smiling. Ai Asagiri, her inspiration had personally told her that she felt she would be the only one to pass these exams. Makki felt pretty assured that she would win, that it was her destiny to return to Kumogakure as a chunin, or at least try anyway. “Come on guys, just a bit further!” Makki cried as she pressed onward. “Makki, how can we keep up?” Batsou groaned.
Umikira, Fuuko, and Satoru bounded from cliff top to cliff top with ease. They had decided they were through with the traditional route, and chose to take a less trafficked one. “This was an excellent idea Umikira!” Fuuko praised him. “Yeah little bro, you really are a prodigy!” Satoru added. Umikira said nothing, but the look of determination in his aquamarine eyes showed that he was pushing himself to win this race, if not for the sake of winning, then for killing Tanzou Murasaki at the very least. Satoru grinned and pulled out a cigarette while bounding from a cliff edge up to the top of the next pillar. “What are you crazy!?” Fuuko chided, “You can’t smoke while you’re running!” Fuuko added. “What do you mean?” Satoru wondered. “You’ll get too winded and we’ll have to take a break!” Fuuko reminded. “Oh damn, sorry!” Satoru replied, spitting out the cigarette. “My bad!” He added with a grin.
Mikko, Tanzou, and Hishegami continued running up the canyon and down the next curve. “This sure is taking a long time!” Hishegami exclaimed. “Hopefully we will arrive at the gates within required time!” Tanzou said. “I know we will!” Mikko exclaimed excitedly. The trio continued on their way down the curved path of the canyon, occasionally panting, and gasping for air. (“My ribcage feels like its going to burst!”) Hishegami thought. (“But I can’t give up, Tanzou made it very clear that we ARE continuing.”) Hishegami added. (“My back is starting to ache, but as long as I make it to the gate first then it will all be worth it!”) Tanzou thought. (“I’m starting to get pretty hungry, we’d better get there soon or else my stomach’s gonna explode!”) Mikko thought. Each of the three shifted their eyes at one another in quiet suspicion as they continued on their way.
Ai Asagiri examined the boulder more closely, and Iruta stood behind her. “Hmm…it looks like real blood.” Ai declared. “Why wouldn’t it be, the boulder just fell on top of those three from the Hidden Rock village.” Iruta said. “Exactly, how could it ‘just’ fall?” Ai asked. “My men and I checked this entire area before okaying it for the genin race, there was nothing pernicious about the site at all; no lose boulders, no signs of impending rockslides.” Ai explained. “I see, so what does this all mean?” Iruta asked. “A setup.” Ai replied. “They were smart to use bunshins until now, and even go so far as to plant real blood and clothes on them to boot.” Ai added. Ai tore a piece of the loose garment from under the boulder, she tugged at it and it disappeared in a poof. Ai grinned, “And as I suspected they were all time-released materials.” Ai added. “Time-released?” Iruta wondered. “They were coded with chakra; a special jutsu used to setup a specific timeframe for when an object should detonate or disappear, in this case they wanted to make sure that the clothes on these clones wouldn’t disappear prematurely.” Ai explained. “They certainly did their homework, I’ll give them that much.” Ai said. “So what do we do?” Iruta asked. “Nothing, we mustn’t upset the current process of the exams.” Ai said. “Wherever those three are, they’ve already managed to fool everyone else into thinking that they are dead, meaning that Iwagakure team won’t be on anyone’s mind during the race.” Ai explained. “Shouldn’t we at least inform the jonin?” Iruta asked. “If we did that then they would only want to get involved or worse yet they would shut down this portion of the exam.” Ai said. “As I said, everything needs to run smoothly until we return to Kumogakure, we will continue to survey the team’s jonin, Hiroto and question him if anything suspicious arises.” Ai said. “Understand?” Ai asked. Iruta nodded, “I will do as you say, Lady Ai.” Ai turned her back to the boulder and looked up at the sky, “It’s getting late, we don’t have much time.” Ai said. “Let’s gather the jonin and return to the Namitora.” Ai ordered. “Yes ma’am!” Replied Iruta. The two shinobi disappeared and returned to the ship, to make preparations for their Kumogakure homecoming.
Mikko, Tanzou, and Hishegami ran down the twisting and turning rock path of the canyon to reach a smoothened out flat strip of canyon that stretched out for what seemed like miles. “Oh this is great!” Exclaimed Hishegami. “No more climbing or jumping, just smooth sailing!” Hishegami added. “Finally, my feet were beginning to get a little irritated.” Mikko replied. “We’re almost there guys so don’t back down, I can feel it in my bones!” Tanzou noted. “You really think that we are this close to Kumogakure?” Hishegami wondered. Tanzou nodded, “Just stay sharp and keep an eye peeled at all times.” Tanzou added. Hishegami smiled, “Will do leader!” She said with a giggle. Tanzou walked past a rock formation, causing a chain of several small explosions to occur. “Tanzou!” Hishegami screamed. “Tanzou!” Mikko cried.
[Reviews - 9]Chapter or Story
Table of Contents
- Text Size +
Chapter notes: Mikko Makato, Tanzou Murasaki, Hishegami Otokusa
Chapter end notes: Flashback Arc