Pov: Kenzo
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Unfortunate Circumstances!
Cannot complete merging of [Strength] and [Jump]!
Assessing situation...
...
Need to recover remains- unable to create back up body without main material.
Re-assessment of situation...
...
Merge can reconstruct body, deying merge until a safe area is reached- Shapeshifting can hold one basic form until safe zone is reached.
...
Lose merge and one point of [Strength] to create secondary temporary body using material left within hospital quarters.
Subconscious suggestion taken- form of [Ryū] made, Temporary clothes granted, you have two minutes to recover your corpse.
Fight or die.
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*GASP!*
I awake on the burnt remains of my hospital bed, I am dressed fully in bck, cloak and mask unpainted and kept fully in the dark.
No tools... that's fine.
I should have waited with someone else so I didn't get caught when merging- stupid secret keeping made me want to sit alone in the park.
No- it was that crazy kid who did this, no sane person would attack in the middle of Konoha, even the snake or Danzo would at least lure me away from the park next to the hospital!
No chakra- my basic form doesn't have that due to genjutsu... but my Ryū techniques need no chakra.
I leap from the window and use the top of the frame to swing myself upwards and into the building wall above me.
I crouch onto the wall in a moment, no tree walking method needed when I am not sticking around- I push off from the wall and use a whole nine points of strength and my jumping skill to leap.
I rush through the air and light my mana!
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Pov: Temari
I finish sealing the body and I turn to Gaara who looks out of breath, seething to kill something else... but one murder will be enough to keep him satiated until the pn is done.
*Zz*
I frown as I hear the noise carried on the wind... a subtle lightning jutsu? I look towards the sky and see an orange bzing pitch bck humanoid figure.
*BOOM!*
He nds in the park and immediately pulls out two wire's before swishing them around his arm and jumping at me.
I tuck the corpse scroll away and draw my fan-
*BASH!*
An instant... between that jump and me he crossed it in an instant- so fast.
I watch as the sand wall erected in front of me barely protects me from the fist that pounds through, my eyes itch to close from the sand in my eyes but I can't help but watch the fist as it stops only centimetre's from my face.
*Tsk!*
I here him click his tongue and I hear Gaara giggle... oh no- this is worse- this is much worse!
The only thing that wakes me from my horror is Baki-sensei and a gsses wearing Konoha ninja flickering besides me and throwing out orders.
"Silencing seals- now!" Baki-sensei orders and I immediately follow him to handle the seals.
The other Konoha ninja... most likely a spy flickers into the distance and I hear fighting from his direction.
...
He is handling a ninja who seems to have stumbled onto us- or maybe ordered to keep an eye on our sand shinobi.
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Pov: Gaara
I raise my sand and rush it towards the bzing ninja, without care for slowing down he dodges with ease and sms his fist into my sand defence, I can see the dent he leaves.
No! No! No-one can get through my sand defence!
No one!
He rushes to my side and I burst my protective sand which bsts into him and sends him backwards once more.
My sand grips his feet as he nds and I feel the sand crawl up my own body as mother within enhances me.
Without resistance he jumps- simply jumps out of my sand grip and into the air before unching two lightning shaped darts at me.
..!
And they breach my sand barrier with ease.
The thick yer of sand surrounding me hurls forward with out care, every ounce of sand I have concentrated and condensed into one spot within a second... all that energy from summoning mother turned into a split second shield.
*Sizzle!*
I hear the front of my torso sized shield sizzle as the two darts are contained within it...
*Land* *Zzt*
I blink as he nds and immediately leaps towards me- I raise my shield as I watch the lower half of his mask burn away and produce cackling Orange lightning.
*VVVVRRRR*
A high pitched tune.
*THUUUUUUU*
Followed by a deep sound of thunder.
My shield erased leaving me no sand to protect myself, a breath of lightning glows bright inches away from me... I can feel my fingers burn and my arms sear as the realisation hits me.
I'm going to die.
Mother can't be unleashed before he gets here- I have no time.
...
"I don't care about you" I hear the cold voice whisper and a hand shove me to the side... he unleashes his wire and darts forward at Temari.
Before wrapping his wire around the corpse scroll and jumping above us- through to the sky...
...
He left me alive.
No one has ever gotten that close... been so quick to beat me... even mother is silent... its so quiet.
Not me nor mother speaks about our quick defeat.
---
Pov: Kabuto
I return as Temari raises her fan to defend herself from the sudden attack not at our 'weapon' but rather facing her.
*Snatch!*
And with ease the unidentified ninja takes the scroll on her waist before jumping away with immense speed and power.
...?
Shit- he didn't come to kill anyone, just take the corpse of Kenzo and run, damnit- if that was a root agent Lord Oorochimaru is going to be pissed at the price of that corpse!
And if it wasn't he is probably going to sound the arm!
*Flicker!*
Baki and Temari stay behind to handle Gaara in case he blows up and ruins our pns... but I charge after the lightning ninja, not able to keep up I draw three senbon and ce them with poison quickly.
*Thwoo!*
I throw them with one hand quickly and the ninja dressed in all bck takes the hit- the poison should slow him down once it reaches the heart-
*Fzzzzlzlzlzzz!*
Sparks fly from his blood and I watch as orange steam burns off the needles... my poison won't work under those intense temperatures.
*Bang!*
The roof tiles under his feet explode as he unches up into the sky once more... I won't be able to keep up at all- better to report about mission failure to Lord Oorochimaru than get caught.
I sigh as the orange glow bursts into the distance of the Hokage's office.
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Pov: Kenzo
*Bang!* *Ting~*
I nd in the Hokage's office and let the Anbu's sudden sword strike stab through my chest and pierce my heart before turning to the Hokage who lowers his hands and signs to his defensive team.
I grip my chest, but it does not matter, this body will be chucked away soon.
"Ryū what-" he begins calmly.
"No time- Kenzo code 2 please" I interrupt and he digs through his desk before handing me a seal, or a key in this instance.
"How long?" He asks.
"Lets find out" I reply and burst out of the window towards the safe house this key unlocks, it will lock me in until I can consciously solve the seal puzzle and leave.
...
Built for containing 'monster' times- but will do for rebuilding myself.
I nd in front of the tree and sp the seal on its trunk, it burns up and a hatch opens below me I drop to the ground as the hatch seals above me.
I open the scroll and beg the system.
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Twenty eight seconds remaining.
Safe pce found- reconstruction begins!
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I feel my yang energy shift and reduce my 'current' body to a pile of ash like in the hospital- hopefully when I awake... it won't have been too long.
..........
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.......
......
.....
....
...
..
.
*SCRATCH* *SCRAWL*
I gasp awake and look around my surroundings, I take a few breaths and calm my gaze to see that I am back in the safe house... and my body is alive once more.
I y down and wipe my face with my hands... the cold sweat being wiped dry.
Same bunker as before, basic necessities and such.
...
I'm only alive due to my shapeshifting and the unique timing of gaining a lesser blessing... all that power converted into a revival for myself... and yet if I didn't take that power up I would of had lived due to having my legs and not feeling weak.
So this revival was circumstantial and I shouldn't try to abuse it... though I can try and replicate it at another time if needed.
Depends mostly on the time I have been gone as well- any more than three days and I might as well fake my death some other way.
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Reminder!
Uncimed B-rank scroll and D-rank summoning scroll!
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Right- forgot about that.
I accept the summoning scroll and y it on the floor, using it as I pce my hands down and create a chakra system- a puff of smoke appears, through it I find a pitch bck rat.
*Squeak*
It squeaks and I sigh... kind of wanted something a little more helpful...
"Disappointment? Already? But I have yet to speak oh~ idiotic thing" A deep male voice emanates from the rat and I squint my eyes.
"Oh yes- I speak human male" It confirms.
"What- well, I shouldn't be surprised should I?" I sigh once more and calm myself down.
"No you shouldn't- now shall we complete the summoning contract? I was about to cook for my cn and they do get oh so angry when they hunger" The rat stands tall and puts his front paws behind his back.
"Cn? You are apart of a cn? Like the toads, snakes and slug?" I ask in hope, this could be my ticket to learning sage stuff!
...
"Bahahahahahaha!" The rat starts ughing loudly.
"Wahahahahahahahahahahahaha!" He starts rolling over the floor and after a minute of that he gets up and wipes away a tear.
"No- haaa- no, I am not apart of THAT cn... the cn I am from is more... different to the likes of snakes" he says.
"How so...?" I ask.
"Well the cn I am from is more akin to a group of travelling outsiders" He states and stands tall once more.
"Outsiders? The rats don't stay in one pce you mean?" I reply.
"No, no, no- you seem to have an odd interpretation, in my cn I am the only rat, I didn't like the... less than noble outlook that Cn Rat had and so I left and found my current one" He decres as his yellow eyes squint to smile at me.
I thought summons usually live in groups of their own kind... I suppose it makes sense that not every animal is the same and would like to form alternative groups, perhaps there is more than one snake group and I have only heard of the ones Oorochimaru uses?
"Oh- so I do have one other question actually... how did my summoning work?" I process his information and ask something about the system in hopes he knows- best chance to ask when I have a speaking summon.
...
"You don't know how you summoned me?" He asks seriously.
"Yes" I nod my head.
"Alright then idiotic thing- the scroll you used sends a signal out via the chakra you used to activate it- we 'summons' hear the signal and chose to accept it or not... I felt your... odd nature and thought to invite you to the Outsider Cn" He says simply.
Oh.
"So I am apart of the cn now?" I ask.
"A few things first- remove the other summon tied to you and then pass a test of strength, we don't accept weaklings idiotic thing" He says.
...
Well I wasn't using the messenger bird much anyway, can I remove it system?
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Remove E-rank summon?
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It asks and I confirm.
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E-rank summon removed.
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"Done" I reply.
"Good- decisive, and now for the test" He says and performs some hand signs.
"What is this test?" I ask.
"A fight against me" The little rat sms his fist down and a cloud of smoke summons through a rat-sized sword... more of a cleaver.
...?
"But... well I don't mean to be rude" I gesture to his size.
"Oh I am weak human- but I am better trained then you" He states and I get off the bunker floor.
"So when do we start-" *CLANG!* His sword strikes my headband and I back up as he rolls back to the floor and sprints around me.
Not strong enough to scratch the metal... but precise enough for a deadly blow.
I shift a give tail and swing it at him- my sharp bck bone tail slides through the stone floor and rises up to ssh at the rat.
Stone dust flies and rocks splinter around the rat as it deflects multiple stones and slides under the bde.
I have to control my strength- I forgot I had an upgrade and need to remind myself of that.
I create cws and ssh down only to be met with a cleaver in the top of my hand, I switch tactics and create a genjutsu- *Jolt* I take a breath as the bde stops before my neck... and I pull the rat from my shoulder and grip him in my hands.
I undo the genjutsu.
"Oho? I see, I see... you beat me! Tsk- using rat cn tactics however, shameful but you won and I can only compin about the journey not the end" He crosses his rat arms as I drop him down.
"So...?" I ask.
"Jun is my name new cn member, I am the cook of our cn and I can help... *Squeak* clean up your... well to put it bluntly your terrible fighting" He introduces himself.
"My name is Kenzo, what do you mean by clean up?" I ask.
"Bah- another time, I was not joking about our cns hunger" He says before unsummoning himself.
...
I sigh and think about the B-rank scroll... perhaps another time, I need to let the Hokage know I am okay.
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Entered into cn specific summoning- unable to be rewarded with summoning scrolls anymore.
Readjusting rewards.
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Ah- another adjustment, might mean that I have refreshed challenge scrolls more appropriate for my level now.
I look around and don't see any clothes, I turn into a bird and fly up the tunnel leading into this safe-room before activating the exit seal and flying upwards to the outside.
....
*woosh!*
I fly above the trees and listen intently to the ground below... pretty active konoha today?
I don't have another Kenzo blindfold and I have no clue where it was dropped in the chaos of the exams and after.
I fly through my window and nd inside, finding my clothes I shift into a normal looking Kenzo and put them on.
I walk outside and down my stairs and as I pass through the lively streets I notice that the gazes and whispers are very much more prominent this day.
Too crowded- can't focus... over a hundred stares at me right now.
I lower my controlled gaze and focus on the road below me as I make my way to the Hokage.
...
Moments ter I arrive at the Hokage building roof, where I feel his gaze studying the streets and nd on me.
I nd on the roof and bow slightly as I approach him.
"Kenzo- have you and Ryū returned from your emergency mission?" He asks while giving me a hint of what I was 'up to'.
"Ah yes, Ryū will get you the report- I am here to let you know we are home and resting" I reply.
"Good enough then, enjoy the Chunin exams- although there isn't any seats left un-booked... I am sure you have a way of listening in still?" He asks me.
"Yes, I will be rooting for my brother- how is he?" I ask.
"Good, has been getting lessons from one of my students actually I hear..." He brushes his goatee and I nod my head.
"I will be off then, sorry for the intrusion" I bow and flicker off and away.
Its been an entire month- I Kenzo am an idiot.
Why do I always make better decisions as Ryū rather than Kenzo? I should of waited with someone strong enough to save me when I got killed.
I flicker to Ryū's apartment and gather one of my emergency kits, kunai, wire and an extra set of Ryū's clothes, my Kenzo kit was used up and I haven't been able to refill it.
It should be a bit before the matches start right? I get up and flicker across the rooftops towards the stadium, I arrive at the roof and try and avoid the ninja at the entrance guarding it.
I listen intently but cannot find Naruto talking, must be somewhere else.
I sit down and wait, noticing the many gazes making sure I don't enter the stadium.
...
Around an hour passes when I am told to hop off the roof and people start entering the stadium, I slide down the wall and over by the entrance as people enter.
After twenty minutes of seat finding everyone seems to have found themselves a space inside the stadium.
That's when the contestants start to arrive.
Ino, Shikamaru and Choji arrive at the door and stop to look at me.
"Kenzo?" Ino asks.
"Hello you three, how was your month of training?" I ask.
"Lame" Shikamaru deftes and sits on the stairs.
"Nope, not zing about now- sorry Kenzo Shikamaru has to be in within ten minutes" Ino apologizes and drags him in while he grumbles.
So Shikamaru is the only competitor form their team.
"Hey, who is fighting who?" I ask before they leave.
"First up is Shino versus Shikamaru, then Naruto versus Neji, after that is Lee versus Temari, then... Kankuro versus Hinata, and stly Gaara versus Sasuke" Choji stops for a moment to tell me and I nod my head.
"Thanks" I smile and he turns to enter.
The next group that arrives is my favourite team, team seven... missing Sasuke however.
"Yo! O!" Naruto runs up and gives me a high five.
"Naruto, how goes the past month? Not scking were you?" I ask and jab him at the side.
"Nope- ouch, of course not!" He crosses his arms and smiles at me.
"We can catch up ter, I will see you fighting so don't be as me as me and fail alright?" I ask of him.
"Psh- Sasuke got lucky and I am gonna prove it to him!" He shouts and I chuckle.
"Good to see you, catch up ter!" He runs inside and Sakura nods her head to me as she follows in.
...
Lets wait for lee before we find a good spot.
Unfortunately the next team I see is team crazy... lead by the insane sand child that killed me... I should have told the Hokage about that but if he hasn't killed anyone else in anger than the Hokage wouldn't have known and that's good enough for now... unless... I wasn't really paying that much attention in my rush but did the sand ninja try to cover my death up? A question for ter, they are competing now.
"You- your-" Temari stops herself and I gre.
"Like a phoenix?" I spit at her as my eye twitches... no one likes dying.
"You... do you know the man named Ryū? He is your boss correct?" Gaara asks and breaks through the tension in the air.
...
"Haaa- I do, why?" I reply with a cold tone.
"I wish to speak with him" He states.
"Let me think... no can't help you, Ryū is more weird than me and only he will show himself to you, not the other way around" I state and Gaara moves ahead as soon as he hears a negative answer, the duo follow him inside as Temari gives me odd looks.
A minute ter and team... eight? Eight, arrive alongside my team.
"Kanata, Katsuko, Hinata, Kiba and shino- Kurenai-sensei how are you guys?" I ask and they stop to stare at me for a moment.
"Kenzo, where have you been?" Kurenai-sensei asks.
"Secret mission with Ryū, the usual stuff I get up to" I reply and shake my head.
"So you haven't heard the sudden burst of news surrounding you?" Kanata sighs as they walk past.
"Nope, what news?" I ask.
"Groups of konoha ninja ciming you attacked them, they have... 'proof' in the form of destruction very simir to your own" He tells me.
"Really? I wonder who is responsible for that...?" I ask aloud and gnce towards the stadium.
"I'll catch you guys ter" I say and they all enter.
Something is up with the sand... rumours about me attacking others, this isn't going very well for me.
Soon lee and his team arrive and I nod to them.
"Kenzo!" Lee greets.
"Lee, Neji and Tenten- Gai-sensei, how have you been?" I ask and the two shout with a chant while Tenten and Neji frown a little.
"Like usual? Good" I chuckle a bit.
"Good luck with your matches, beat up Temari for me Lee and Neji keep your wits about you- my brother is not to be underestimated" I say and start walking away, they keep walking into the building.
"See you ter Kenzo! Higher the hurdle!" Lee yells and I wave back.
...
I need to listen in the matches, that roof over their will do no? I flicker up and climb my way to the vantage point.
I listen to the Hokage give a speech and rest on the roof, closing my eyes to focus on the important stuff.
*Critter*
But unfortunately an Ink cockroach passes by my legs and wanders past me... I watch as it travels and turn to the stadium and back to it.
Damn.
I get up and follow it.
Thanks for reading :)
