Pov: Kenzo
"I can hear fighting up ahead, slow down and pay attention" I tell the team.
We slow down as I hear jumping and rge sms... a minute ter and I witness the scene of Sasuke getting bitten- no... not him- my hands shake a little as I gulp.
"What should we do?" Katsuko whispers.
"Kenzo?" Kanata asks after a second.
"Kenzo!" Kanata pushes my shoulder and I blink.
My pupils go from shaken to stiff and focused when they spot Naruto knocked out and on the floor.
Can't be scared- not now, not when Naruto is in danger.
"That's- go find a Jonin at the tower, don't look for scrolls and just find someone to let them know that Oorochimaru is in the forest" I let them know and slowly start to transform, tail growing and cws shaping.
"What- no we can't leave you to fight that guy alone" Kanata reassures.
"Kanata... we have to go, Oorochimaru is the snake sannin..." Katsuko tugs his sleeves with heavy breaths.
"But Kenzo-" Kanata pulls out a kunai.
"But Kenzo is not going to leave his brother alone with that man... and I cant help here... but I can't get to the tower without your help..." Katsuko pleads.
...
Kanata flickers away.
"Thanks Katsuko" I tell her.
"Sorry, we will get help fast" She practically whimpers in guilt as she leaves.
...
I summon the messenger bird and scrawl a quick message before sending it outside to Anko- they didn't need to go... I just can't let him near them.
I can't...
I can't move...
Why?
"Come down Kenzo" The snake says with his slimy tone.
Hhahahaaaaaaa- I have to- I have to move.
I pat my belt... not ninja tools- I grab my water and drink it.
"Thirsty?" The snake smiles as he flickers to my side and whispers to me.
I pce my water back onto my belt and turn to face him, eyes digging into the back of his skull.
"Ah- back to our cssic banter are we? Lets do a test like old times" He smiles as casually as before... but sshes a kunai across my chest and blood flies- I jump back with my body finally feeling free.
My skin turns pale and my body grows alongside the length of my teeth and tongue.
"Interesting kekkai genkai... I have heard so much about you and it seems you cover your scars with this ability?- and what a unique transformation you have conjured..." He assesses me as I deflect his basic attacks- he lets his kunai fly as I flick it away with my tail and break through my clothing, becoming much, much taller.
He rushes forward and spins around my body before biting into my neck- I manage to tear his 'skin' off with my tail... nding behind me I unch at him and swipe with my left cw.
*Sm!*
He flickers away as I break the branch and unch after him- his 'skin' fully comes off revealing the horrid face underneath.
*Crash!* *Swipe!*
I crash in front of him with my jump and swipe with my tail, he jumps above it and performs some hand signs as I use my right cw to swipe downwards at him.
*WOOSH!*
He breathes out wind and pushes me back- unable to him him I stumble as he flickers to my neck and bites me again.
*Flicker* *Swooosh!*
He flickers away as I rapidly attack him with my tail, give flying almost as fast as I can see as I pour all my energy in hitting him.
"So both my prepared curse marks do not work on you... how interesting" He smirks as he performs more hand signs.
I gre at him as I lunge once more- *Thunk* a rge rock spike pokes out of the ground and I tilt away from it- *Thunk* more spikes follow but I manage to get past and ssh down at him.
"Impressive reactive speed... strength is greater but unsure if its the form or not" He comments as I sm into the ground and swipe the air with my tail.
He shoots his arm out at me- it transforms into a snake as I ssh down on his arm and sever it- *Ssh!* I rip the snake off me and charge him again.
*Swooosh!* *Stab!*
My tail flies past me as I cw downwards and it impales his stomach.
"What...? Oh- that's a neat trick for genjutsu... and you only rely on minimal changes to scenery- you have become quite the genjutsu user Kenzo, but that trick won't work anymore" He says as he pulls himself off the bone give and wiggles around my attacks.
Flickering past me I... I... shit he poisoned me.
My shapeshifting loses focus as I turn to face him and my monstrous form becomes less humanoid and much more random.
Cws, teeth, and tail become more feral- my eyes spasm as I try to focus my Yang energy and my body starts to warp as if worms were crawling through my skin.
"Rrrrgghaaaahhg" It feels awful and I grunt out an annoyed roar.
"Show me everything Kenzo... let me see your current limit" Oorochimaru eggs me on as I slumber towards him and ssh at him.
He jumps above my cw and nds on my hand as if to mock me- I ssh down at him with my other cw and he dodge's again... this game of cat and mouse goes on for quite a bit, giving me moments to think rationally and not act emotionally.
He wants to test me? He put a mark on Sasuke... and also left those three alone after dealing with them...? He doesn't want them dead at least... and he doesn't want me dead- he would have killed me if that were the case.
Should I use my Lightning mana? If he is finished testing me will he kill me then? I can't let him see that side of my skills or else so many things will go wrong with my life, the Hokage would have no right to protect me after its discovered that I am Ryū.
Only as a st resort.
It will be the most surprising and useful then as well.
I take a breath and focus back on the fight- three minutes go by as I attack and barrage Oorochimaru with the skills and techniques I have shown thus far.
And because I am poisoned... because he is a sannin- I cannot hit him.
If I were Ryū he wouldn't be able to touch me and I would have been able to deal a lot more damage- in fact I am losing so badly due to the skills that I have chosen as Kenzo... it is a type disadvantage.
Add onto the disadvantage with the sannin famed skills and you have this unfortunate struggle.
He cuts into my flesh- I retaliate- he does nothing- I attack- my tail flies crazily and my body accelerates into a jump carried by my strength- all I can do is watch as he throws away that body and vomits up a new one.
My energy wasted as I hold the defted flesh in front of me... I turn and see not a single wound on his body.
A giant snake descends on top of me as the sannin gives me no time to process- I raise my tail and run all my chakra through it to deflect the attack and send the snake to my left.
*Crash!*
I grit my sharp teeth and lick my wounds as I jump forward and- *SLAM!* a second snake cuts me off and sms me through bushes and into one of the big trees, an impact around me as I am embedded into it.
Two? One has paint all over it- Naruto's work.
I detach myself from the hole and watch as Oorochimaru gets onto his snake and the other snake barrels towards me at a high speed.
*Sm!*
I catch the snake by the snout and bend my legs as he sms me into the tree again- my legs crush the wood beneath me but I push back with my monster body and improved strength.
I use my tail and swing it under me to ssh across the snakes chin- *CARVE!* Blood sptters downwards as the give repeatedly attacks the snake and I get enough leverage over the creature to push it down and jump over it.
*Woosh!*
The other snake attacks me with its tail but I plunge my own into the beast and use it to swing myself out of the way.
I nd and use my remaining mana to deflect the snakes second attack of ramming into me- *BOOM!* the dirt picks up under my feet and I kneel as I manage to deflect the snake.
Haaa- Haaa- Haaa-
I struggle to get up but fall to my knees as my transformation starts to shape back down... I need to conserve energy... I should only use my tail- make it smaller for my usual self.
I shrink down and stand up again as Oorochimaru waits for me... the bastard.
Haaa- Haa- Haaa-
"Oh? The poison seems to have finally started to affect you" Oorochimaru gloats.
My body still trembling unsure if its because I fear this man or because of the poison.
Even if he has tortured me- even if I am terrified... My stare is unyielding, and his brows are not unflinching.
He frowns a little but raises his head to think.. the snakes are de-summoned and he gres back.
Silence between us ensues and despite my fear I step forward, despite his poison I grip tightly and rush him.
*Woosh!* *Sp!* *Sm*
He dodges and pushes me, he runs around me as I punch at him and use my tail unrelentingly- I sm the ground in frustration and he dispels my genjutsu.
"Monster is a fitting title, you don't look so human now" Oorochimaru chuckles ominously as my tail shrinks and I use up my Yang energy.
My body covered in my own blood and clothes rough, loose fitting and torn, my eyes bloodshot as I stare in anger at Oorochimaru and my shoes missing as my feet dig into the dirt, hair much dirtier then before.
I grit my teeth and lower my body ready to unch at the snake summoner.
"Kekekeke" He suddenly throws something at me and I- *Catch* see he has thrown me a heaven scroll.
I look up to him again and no longer see him, ears don't pick up anything at all and I look around.
I pick up the three genin around me and pce them together, I need to get them somewhere safer... Naruto, Sasuke then Sakura- I can carry them if I put the heaviest on first.
I bandage my wounds as I think and carry the three on my back to a better location.
---
Pov: Anko
...?
Why is a messenger bird here? I take the small fingernail sized scroll off and open up the message.
'Snake Sannin, Team 7, Team 6, north from 7 start- Ryū'
Snake...?
My eyes trace the name Ryū... why was he in the forest? I am in charge of this exam and I should be aware of- oh- sannin.
"You two! Contact Anbu and let them know Oorochimaru is in the forest!" I yell out before jumping the fence
I rush through the forest and dive through the trees... it takes me half an hour to find the exact location but I manage to.
I kneel down and examine the thrown away flesh of a grass ninja, big hole in the middle... to catch him off guard is certainly a feet.
I don't see any others- my eye's scan the surroundings and from the footprints and details on the dirt- one man picked up three and left.
Monstrous sized markings all over... and snake lines through the dirt over there...
Kenzo fought Oorochimaru- but how did he live? And what about his teammates?
"Anko" An Anbu flickers next to me.
"Preserve the area for analysis and get T&I down here, get some people to scout the area and find team 7 and 6 to report there locations and conditions" I order and flicker into the trees once more.
I find Kenzo and team 7 all injured an hour ter- in one of the best pces to hide within the forest, under one of the great trees and covered in grass this hole is safe, hidden and blocks some tracking skills.
Luckily I knew the forest well.
Team 7 looks fine except for some squirming... Kenzo is covered in bandages to the point that he looks like a mummy, at least they are safe- is that the heaven scroll?
...
The grass team should of had that.
How did he manage to cim it from Oorochimaru, he would let them live if he wanted to but he shouldn't care at all how these exams go... what is his motives
And how do they involve helping Kenzo?
I flicker away to help find that snake.
---
-One day ter-
Pov: Kanata
"Well we told them... but now what? Do we wait at the tower or search for Kenzo?" Katsuko asks me.
"Kenzo wouldn't allow tracks to be left behind him... and the tracks would be seven different animals if he was in a rush..." I groan in annoyance.
"He knows we are here- he can get us" Katsuko says.
"But ninja will flood here the more we wait" I expin.
...
"So looking for Kenzo?" Katsuko asks.
"We will ambush the ambushers" I reply and point to an opening in the forest.
"Ahhh- that way they use up their ninja tools and techniques on traps and then we can get them like the warehouse mission" Katsuko understands.
"Warehouse mission?" I ask.
"Kenzo and Raiki got a report on something happening in a merchants warehouse by the patrol team and remember how Kenzo got someone innocent 'apprehended?'" I tell him.
"Yeah? Oh- and the 'suspicious' individual was just borrowing his uncle's warehouse to test traps on I remember" It clicks in my head.
"Yeah- lets do what he did, drain them of their resources and hit them suddenly, if we can get a surprise attack in numbers won't matter- and Kenzo will be happy if we have a set of scrolls" Katsuko says.
"Got it- lets hide there and wait" I point to one of the higher points of the tree.
---
Pov: Kenzo
...
"Not here" Someone above the hole mentions.
"They are here I heard their squirming!" Another yells.
I turn my head to the tightly bound Naruto and Sasuke, Sakura is silent and making sure they are too.
...
They are leaving again, but they will be back.
"(Whisper) Sh- the poison hasn't affected me much this past hour, I can run to the tower and take them with me long enough for Naruto and Sasuke to wake up" I nod to Sakura.
"(Whisper) Thank you... you said the poison ate at your ability to... be monster like- will you be fine?" Sakura nods gratefully.
"Sure, sure- my 'monster' stuff is all fvour to my foundations anyway, stay safe and don't leave until these two are recovered enough" I tell her and she nods.
I crawl out of the grass covered hole and leave the den underneath the great tree.
---
Pov: Kabuto
"Oorochimaru-sama" I bow to him as he nds on the great branch next to me.
"Kabuto... I trust you can find and 'help' team seven?" Lord Oorochimaru tells me and I nod.
"What about the sound genin you sent after them? They will intercept Kenzo and might mess with your pns" I warn.
"How so?" He asks with a smile.
"You sapped him of his ability to transform... won't he be killed at his level?" I ask thinking about my cards... he has relied on that ability for every mission he has done tely.
"Kakakakekeke! Kenzo? I personally tested him myself yesterday... the 'monster' doesn't come from his shaping abilities..." Oorochimaru smiles as he wipes the dust off his chest and flickers away.
"No...?" I wonder how far my intel is off by, I should pay attention before tracking team seven.
---
Pov: Dosu (Main fluffly coat sound genin)
*CRASH!!!*
I duck under the thrown object and watch a small boulder the size of my body crash in front of me- I turn to try and fuck up the beasts eardrums but can't see him again.
"Where is he!?!?" I yell out and blink to find him gripping my left arm.
*Crunch!*
I feel something break as the blood covered man is staring silently into my eyes, everything screams at me to run but I do not.
"You are all about sound right" He states calmly as he pushes on my shoulder and makes me kneel.
I look around in a panic, trying to find my teammates, I know Zaku was hit by one of the logs he substituted with but where did she go!?
"Focus... break from my genjutsu" He smiles at me and I feel my bloodshot eyes widen even more.
Once I break the genjutsu I see her... impaled on one of branches above me- the blood covering him wasn't the bandaged wounds opening up.
"What the fuck..." I mutter.
"That's fear and genjutsu for you. Does wonders to a team like yours, so arrogant" He shakes his head and tsks.
"Wha- what...?" I blink rapidly trying to comprehend the situation.
"Having a bad time huh? Not used to relying on instincts are you?" He smirks a little before breaking my arm and gripping my neck.
"I gave them st words so you get some too" He sighs.
"I- I-" I choke on my words as I slowly fade into sleep.
*CRACK!*
A crack much like a whip sms into my eardrums and I turn to see Zaku shaking me awake as I dispel the genjutsu.
I jolt upwards and sm my back into Zaku's back- we spin in a circle and look for that monster, scanning the woods around us.
"Sorry- sorry-" I mutter in terror as I feel the chill reach up my 'broken' arm... I rub it to make sure it isn't broken and that I am awake once more.
"Shut it! Stop making noise, that's how he is casting the genjutsu!" I hear Kin shout from the tree above us and throw her senbon- they no longer have bells attached to them.
I take heavy breaths and try to stabilize myself- what the fuck is hunting us?
"Get it together Dosu!" Zaku says and fire's off into the greenery around us.
"The sound- plug your ears!" Zaku says and hands me cloth, I plug my ears and the world goes silent.
Oh gods... I can't hear.
Kin drops down and I jolt as she puts her back to ours as we scan the forest around us, every twitch from the wind or animal brushing against the leaves or grass sends another jolt down my spine.
...
What was that- my third genjutsu? I shouldn't have been caught that much but he just kept bombarding my trained ears with his weird technique.
*sniff*
That smell... I can still smell that blood as if it were in front of me, am I still under the genjutsu? No it can't be, I am shaking my chakra systems so much that I can't retaliate with Jutsu of my own.
How long have we been here? Being hunted? It has to have been a few hours... when was I put under that genjutsu? When was the st time I even saw that monster?
I feel the vibrations of a smoke pellet dropping at our feet and we all jump forwards away from the attack- *SLAM!* My body tightens as wire wraps around me and pulls me against a tree I was jumping at.
I watch as the pellet explodes into orange powder and covers my vision of the other two, two shadows blur around the field attacking my allies.
I break the wires with a kunai and jump- *Jolt* I jolt one st time and stop as metal lingers at my throat... haaa- haaa-
"Mon-monster" I utter finally seeing his... painted nails?
The smoke fades and I see both my companions being beaten by... our target Sasuke Uchiha.
A mark covers his body... and a yellow haired genin undoes some wire traps in the forest.
When did that monster leave? How long was I in that st Genjutsu? I look at the eyes of my allies and witness them widen as if realising something, I can't hear them but their lips read 'No way...' and 'That damned Monster'...
I don't understand- I don't get it- what is happening!?
---
Thanks for reading :)
Also: Kenzo cast one st Genjutsu on the sufficiently terrified team that had been running from his eyes and genjutsu- Dosu was running away in his genjutsu before waking up to Zaku shaking him, Zaku and Kin were in a Genjutsu fighting Kenzo and woke up Dosu to the 'reality' where they have been fighting him off for the st hour. (Kenzo left about an hour ago)
They realised that they were lunging and attacking nothing for an hour and clogging their ears which allowed team seven to find them and get an easy win.
Oorochimaru was refering to the overlooked insane Genjutsu that Kenzo treats as his secondary weapon in battle as the true 'monster' ability.
I didn't think it was as clear from Dosu's perspective.
