NOVEL NEXT 236. Sneaking Out
"Kumo-ryū: Omotegiri1Cloud Style: Front Beheading!"
ZWIP!
In the courtyard of a certain occupied hotel within Iwagakure2Hidden Stone Village, three genin were in the midst of a match...
With the elder two facing the one...
{His movements are faster...No-it isn't just that. They're sharper, more precise, with less wasted movement. I actually have to TRY to avoid them...amazing. Just imagine if he started using his poisons with it... Looks like I wasn't the only one who worked this last month} "Ho! All those fierce swings...I'm this close from taking it personal Tai!"
"Haha! Just think of it as me venting a little, you're a pain in my ass after all!" (Tai)
"That's fair I guess...! Whoa!" (Rei)
Team Tango had spent the earlier part of their day discussing strategy for inevitable fight approaching tomorrow. Going over every potential scenario waiting for them during Chūnin Exam's Finals
TAK! CLAP!
"Hm?!" (Rei)
"Fūton3Wind Style!"
BOOSH!
"Are you planning on bringing down the entire hotel, Suzu?!" (Rei)
The strategizing had gone on for quite some time, reaching well into the afternoon. With lunch around the corner, Suzu suggested they enact a bit of physical preparation before eating, all the while getting Rei up to speed on what he missed during his month-long isolation
"Just wanted to keep things interesting..." (Suzu)
"Seriously, the hell happened to the two of you last month?!" {Her wind attacks have become omni-directional...can barely predict where they'll strike first! This level of chakra control is far beyond what I knew she was capable of} (Rei)
TAK!
With a swift jump to left, Rei struggled to avoid the attacks thrown his way, adjusting to his new strength was still an issue for the unusual Genin
Breathing a bit easier after believing he'd successfully dodged Suzu's surprise attack from his blind spot
However...
"Hmph. Not quite Rei..." {Burst!} (Suzu)
"Wha-?!" (Rei)
BWOP! BWOP!
The wide, compressed blast of air had abruptly exploded, disorienting the young man as he was stumbled on the ground before promptly getting back up
"Argh! Ow! I actually felt that..." (Rei)
"Nice, don't you think?" (Tai)
"Yeah...you two are completely different from how I remember. So much stronger, and I'm willing to bet you still have a few tricks up your sleeves..." (Rei)
"Like you don't?" (Suzu)
"...Fair enough. Still, if may ask, just now...how'd you do that anyway?" (Rei)
"A new trick I came up with while practicing this..." (Suzu)
WOOOO...
The air around Suzu shifted as the ends of her hair began to turn white, a shining white aura of energy enveloped her being
In a mere moment, the young kunoichi had assumed a different form, demonstrating near flawless control of the unnatural power coursing through her veins. It didn't take long for Rei to realize what she had done
By focusing a fraction of this power into her Ninjutsu, she could produce brand new effects, without needing to transform, thereby maintaining the anonymity of her strange powers
"Considering the amount of people scheduled to arrive tomorrow, it's a fine alternative to avoid prying eyes" (Rei)
"...Yeah" Suzu responded with a hint of melancholy both Tai and Rei didn't fail to pick up on
"But that's not what you want...right?" (Tai)
"Hm?" (Rei)
"Sigh...For the first time in my life, my heritage can actually be a boon to Kumogakure, and myself. Finally, something good came from being related to Kinkaku and Ginkaku...and I now have to hide it. It's like a gut punch from irony itself" (Suzu)
"H-Hey...Raikage-sama did mention that wouldn't always be the case" (Tai)
{True...but despite how she usually is, this girl carries an unexpected, patriotic side to her} "I know how badly you want to represent Kumo, and the exams are all about showing off the potential of one's village, I get where you're coming from" (Rei)
"Mm. What better way than to do it, than in her new fo--huh? Oh yeah...hey Suzu! What do you call it?" (Tai)
"Call what?" (Suzu)
"This form of yours, what are we gonna call it?" (Tai)
"Huh?" (Suzu)
"Is naming it really that important?" (Rei)
"Come on Rei, substance AND style! It adds to the ambience" (Tai)
"That stuff has no practical application, don't waste your time thinking about. Instead, I'd like to focus on you Rei. You've seen how we've improved, but what about yourself? You clearly weren't at your best" (Suzu)
"Oh?" (Rei)
"Yeah...to be honest, I thought you were taking it easy on us. What gives?" (Tai)
"Is that how you see it...though most of it is because you've grown stronger...much stronger" (Rei)
Despite this, he was in full agreement with their analysis
Truth be told, he was being overly cautious during their sparring session. Taking care not to go too far, in fear of his new strength level...which remained difficult to control
Still unaware of his full capacity, he opted to spar with Taijutsu alone, worried using his Fire or Water style may end up damaging, if not outright destroying the hotel courtyard
His physical strength had reached heights far greater than he ever could've imagined. Even the simple act of dashing and stopping proved to be a challenge for him
"Don't worry. Once I'm in an environment where I can actually go all out, things will naturally fall into place. But what I really desire now is some relaxation...elsewhere" Rei said as he glanced upwards to several windows on the higher floors
"Sigh...it's been made to your specifications, but I have mixed feelings about doing it to a comrade" (Tai)
"Relax, it's not we're trying to kill him. He'll be right as rain in the morning. Fact is, we have to neutralize the only sensor-nin here besides myself if we're gonna...well, you know" (Rei)
"Once they find out, you're definitely gonna get it later" (Suzu)
"IF they find out Suzu. And in the event they do, we better make sure to win tomorrow's competition so they're inclined to go easy on us" (Rei)
"Rei...do we really need to do this?" (Tai)
"..." (Rei)
Thinking back to everything he'd discovered since his training began, about himself, and the world...Rei's mind had been overwhelmed as of late. Prior to his enlightened discussion with the now expired entity known as "Notitia", he'd spent the entirety of his month focusing on not one, but two activities
The first, generating his brand-new chakra, consequently stabilizing his "Neo-Ōtsutsuki" body once and for all
The second, absorbing as much knowledge as he could from the deceased Isshiki's over thousand-year collection of memories now stored in the manifestation of his consciousness...the Black Gem
Despite his abnormal physique, such undertakings had left him drained mentally and spiritually, more than he'd ever been since the start of his journey in this world
"Yes Tai...we definitely need this" (Rei)
The challenges headed their way would only grow from here on...
♦♦♦
"What exactly are they doing?"
"No clue, kids will be kids. Don't worry about them for now, focus on the task at hand"
Looking at the Team from upstairs was none other than Darui
He, and his colleague C, were in the midst of delivering a report to the Raikage. Per a recommendation from Mabui, the village leader ordered the Genin to bed early not only for their health, but to ensure the secret activities of his two most trusted bodyguards would go unnoticed
Sending them out in the middle of the night to covertly investigate what kind machinations Iwagakure's upper brass had cooked up for the finals
The last-minute reconstruction of their coliseum was a factor that continued to gnaw at A...
"On the surface, Iwa's expansion of the location appeares to be for the sole purpose of entertaining a larger venue than anticipated" (C)
"I already know about that" (Raikage)
"True boss, but I bet what you didn't know is that they've completely destroyed the original ring. Replacing it with a new one altogether" (Darui)
"Why do that? From what I've heard, the original was in excellent condition" (Mabui)
FLAP!
C flipped over a set of notes on a pad he brought with him. Being the ever attentive, there wasn't a single factor missed during his and Darui's late night stakeout
"I thought the same, which is why we decided to get a closer look. With help from Darui, we were able to place a low-level employee at the site under my Genjutsu" (C)
"I believed I told you about non-interference" (Raikage)
"Rest assured Raikage-sama, no one knows we were there. But on to the point, he didn't know much, except for the fact the materials used to build the new ring were...unique" (C)
"In what way?" (Raikage)
"We had no clue at first boss, but after remembering what Tango shared his reports from his students about the first exam, we realized the materials are likely the same, if not similar to ones used in the second part of the first exam" (Darui)
"The first exam...you mean that strange room the Genin were trapped in? I remember reading about it in the report Tango sent to the village. Supposedly, it has unusual reactions with chakra" (Mabui)
"I've heard of something similar. The Land of Earth is littered with special minerals on an amount rivaled only by the Land of Iron's. So, they're using it for the final exam. The only question is...how exactly they'll apply it to their advantage" (Raikage)
The room was silent as the four went quiet in contemplation
No matter how hard they wracked their brains, there was no answer they could be certain of, which only added to their worries. All of them, Mabui in particular, hated the idea of sending Team Tango into the unknown
Sensing the mood taking sour turn, C brought up the useful tech Tetsuo Mori had provided to aid the Genin in attempts to alleviate their worries... but it had little effect
With less than a day before the finals begin, there was hardly anything elsethey could do
It was then...
"They'll be fine" (Darui)
"?!" (Mabui, Raikage, & C)
"You see them out there? Not a single hint of worry on their faces, they know the score. Though it's already been said, the fact is, all we can do now is have faith in them" (Darui)
"No worries is easily mistaken for carelessness. I've told YOU this multiple times in the past" (C)
"Nag, nag, nag, nag" (Darui)
"Darui..." (C)
"..." (Raikage)
"You know they'll be alright, otherwise, you wouldn't have picked them. Right boss?" (Darui)
"Hmph!" (Raikage)
♦♦♦
"We've had this discussion already, my mind's been made up"
"And once again, I must insist-"
"Just because you insist, does not mean I'll comply"
In another hotel much smaller than the ones occupied by the denizens from Kumogakure, several individuals hailing from a different nation were in the midst of a... pointed discussion
A sole kunoichi and a senior colleague of hers, tried their best to get through to their village leader regarding concerns on the latter's security
"We've already confirmed Iwagakure is already up to something with the recent changes they've made, your safety could be compromised. Not to mention, there's little we know about the competition. Please reconsider my lord!" Pleaded the kunochi
"The low numbers of competitors from our nation is only trumped by those of smaller nations, and Kumogakure. The event is tomorrow, at least give us permission to do more recon before the day is over. I have no doubt the other villages are of like mind, and have already done the same" Added the senior
"And risk causing an incident? Absolutely not, you are to remain here for the remainder of the day" Showing a deaf ear to their pleas, the village leader shut down their arguments
The conversation went back and forth for some time before the village leader grew tired of the debate. Forcibly sending them out of his room, leaving their complaints and concerns to fall on deaf ears
KLACK! SLAM!
Once they were out of the room, the kunoichi cracked the wall with her fist, gnashing her teeth in frustration. She her best to keep the boiling anger swelling down in her gut from erupting as much as she could, trying her best to accept there was nothing else she could do
"Hey, cut that out. We'll have to pay for any damages"
"Senpai. Don't tell me you're honestly satisfied with this conclusion"
"Of course not, but I believe you and I have already had this discussion before. Our lord, he's changed quite a bit over the years. Whether it's the result of the last war, the recent defections of our shinobi, or something else...there's little we grunts can do"
"But not even leaving us to handle security, it's become a total lack of trust! What are we even doing here?"
"Our duty..."
"...!"
"I wouldn't have agreed to come here, countless miles away from home, if it weren't beneficial to the village"
"Tsk...!"
TAK!
"Where are you going?"
"Out. Sorry senpai, but if I stay here any longer, I might destroy the place. Like you said, we'll have to pay for the damages"
"Good grief. He just told us not to go anywhere"
"Well, he clearly doesn't value our opinion, so why should I value his? I'll be back..."
KLACK!
Closing the sliding door on her way out, the older man held his head with his hand and sighed heavily. Understanding her dissatisfaction, but exhausted by her behavior, he simply hoped she'd be able to clear her head before tomorrow
"Maybe the merry gala going on outside will put her in a better mood..." {With that temper...she'll never get married}
♦♦♦
KLACK!
"Shhhh! We're almost free"
"You make it sound so easy...!"
Three individuals, dressed in casual clothing, treaded carefully through their hotel. Putting all the training they've received to work while attempting to slip past some of the most powerful shinobi in their lives
"You mean as easy as slipping a drug into a Jonin's dinner? Now that was hard"
"I've said it before, but you're terrible Rei"
"Yeah yeah..."
After the crack of dawn, Team Tango waited patiently for C to fall asleep. Rei left several Shadow clones in place to throw off any suspicion of their absence. Thanks to a concoction brewed by Tai, they successfully managed to put the Jonin sensor to an early sleep, but sneaking out of the hotel was easier said than done
Disregarding the adults present and on guard, there was still the batch of lizards scattered throughout the area. All utilized as makeshift "eyes" by Ronri via his "Tokage no Me4Lizard's Eye Technique" Ninjutsu. Fortunately, Rei pinpointed each of their chakras, carefully leading his team as they navigated outside the hotel
TAK! TAK! TAK!
Finally making it past the fence surrounding the location, the Genin remained cautious for little longer before entering the heart of the village, blending in with lively crowds
After a moment of pause, Rei finally declared...
"Aaaaand...we're home free!" (Rei)
"Haaaa..." (Suzu)
"GAH! That was so nerve wracking! I never want to do that again!" (Tai)
"Hehehe...true. But doesn't it take off the edge for tomorrow?" (Rei)
"!" (Suzu & Tai)
"Heh! That's what I thought! Come on guys..."
Standing between them, Rei put his arms on their shoulders, pointing the pair in the direction of what lied before them. The endless number of festivities awaiting them shoved all doubt aside
Seeing their expressions light up, Rei couldn't help but smile...
"Let's join the party" (Rei)