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Author's Note:
Chi limped through the corridor to the infirmary. One arm was tucked under Neko's thigh and the other was clutching his left side. He had to keep the pressure on it or else he'd lose more blood than he'd like. It couldn't be helped though, still, a small trail of crimson red blood was left behind with each step. He reached the door and let go of his side, struggling to knock on the door. A small amount of blood was left behind. When it started to creep down the light grey paint the door opened and the doctor looked at both of them. Without a word he helped Chi into the room and guided him over to the nearest bed so that he could let Neko down on it. Chi then worked his way over to the bed adjacent. He sat down on the soft mattress, bent down and started rubbing his face. When he raised his head slightly to look up at the doctor his vision started to get blurry and his head started to feel like it weighed a hundred tons. Chi allowed his head to drag the rest of his body down onto the bed as he fell unconscious.
Chi: Doc... I'm gone...
Chi felt someone tapping his head repeatedly, so he opened his right eye and saw Nagare standing bent over him.
Chi: Stop it, it's annoying.
Nagare: Just checking.
Chi sat up in the bed and adjusted his pillow as such.
Chi: Checking what?
Nagare: You, of course.
Chi: Right, thanks for checking. How long was I out?
Nagare: Ten minutes, the doctor just finished putting the stitches in. He's gone now. Checking other patients.
Chi: I see.
Nagare: I just wanted to check if you were alright. Do you want to come and watch the rest of Taku's match?
Chi: Naah. I know he'll be fine. Go on, I'm resting here until my next match.
Chi put both hands behind his head and allowed himself to sink into his pillows.
Nagare: Alright, I'll see you then.
Chi: See ya, Nagare.
Nagare smiled at him and then walked out of the room with her hands behind her back. She always had this happy skip in her step that Chi admired because he'd never seen anyone else with it. Chi looked over at Neko. She was tucked in under the blanket and her eyes were closed... Chi didn't buy it at all. He lifted a pillow out from underneath him as quietly as he could and then threw it at her head.
Chi: Hey, sleepy head get up. I know you're not sleeping. I reckon you'd purr or do something cool like that while you slept.
Neko sighed and opened her eyes.
Chi: I have a question for you? Why didn't you try and cut my hand off or cut my hand. I know you could have did it. In hindsight I gave you too much of an opening, but you didn't take it. How come?
Neko lowered her eyes and looked away from him.
Neko: I have my reasons.
She said this in a cold voice in an attempt to push him away.
Chi: Tell me them.
Chi completely disregarded her tone of voice and moved forward with his own question.
Neko: No.
Chi: Come on, I won't tell anyone.
Neko: I said no.
Chi: Once I'm curious I get annoying and persistent, do you want to go there?
She folded her arms and aimed to be persistent herself. Chi threw the blanket off of him and onto the ground. He turned and pulled himself up off of the bed. He took one step and arrived at her bed.
Chi: Last chance.
Neko: ...
Chi shaked his head and then started shaking her mattress violently. It was like an earth quake on a bed. Neko was bouncing all over the place on the bed, yelping several times.
Neko: Stop it! Stop it! I'm going to fall off!
Chi: Not until you tell me!
Neko kept her mouth shut after that, she didn't say anything for the next fifteen minutes during this man made disaster. Chi went for the final push and made it a wild one. He shoved down on the mattress as hard as he could and then he flipped it, Neko lost her balance and started to roll off the side.But Chi was quick. He snatched the back of her dress and pulled her up onto the mattress, laying her vertically on top of the sheets again. Chi obviously knew by now that doing anything to her wouldn't work, she's tough as nails. Chi turned and walked with his hands behind his back toward the window. He stopped when the tip of his nose touched the glass. His hands then found their way to the bottom of the window. He slid the window up quickly and locked it at the top so that it would stay in place. He poked his head out and inspected the long fall.
Chi: I wonder what would happen to someone with...
He quickly lifted his shirt and counted his stitches.
Chi: with about twenty stitches if they jumped out of a window.
Neko lay back down in her bed.
Neko: Don't play dumb, you know what'll happen.
Chi: No, I don't. I should probably find out.
He detached his ninja pouch and quick draw kunai case, leaving them on the table beside him.
Chi: So I can't cheat when I panic. Are you gonna stop me?
Neko: No.
Chi: Alright then.
Chi took a few steps back so that he could get a running start and then bolted forward jumping straight out of the window, head first. As soon as Neko saw that he was seriously going to do it she shouted out.
Neko: I'll tell you!
But it was too late he had left the room. Neko launched from her bed and bounded for the open window, she threw her upper body out of the window and looked down to see that Chi was standing on the wall. He had a wire attached to his belt and this wire was attached to a kunai that was embedded in the wall just below her. Chi looked at her with a grin on his face and then cockily waved at her.
Chi: I always keep a spare in my pocket. Now...
He walked up the wall and hopped back into the room through the window.
Chi: Tell me.
Neko shuffled over to her bed again and sat down. She looked down and started playing with her long hair. Chi then sat on his bed opposite her and waited until she spoke.
Neko: No one, apart from the people that were in my clan, has ever thought my eyes looked nice. I get bullied in Suna for it a lot so to hear someone say it kind of shocked me and made me grateful.
Chi: You're bullied because you're different. Why didn't you fight back?
Neko: Because the Clan Head was worried that if we caused trouble the Kazekage would make us leave the village.
Chi: I don't mean to pry but you said there 'were' people in your clan. What happened?
Neko: Yes, there were a lot more but then the fourth war started. Our village was devastated. All of the friends I had, my parents and everyone else in the clan apart from the Clan Head and his wife, were killed. Their daughter was killed too. Because I survived, and she didn't, they resent me for it. They don't pay any attention to me, they always ignore me and they don't look at me. That's why I got angry when you said that you didn't want to look at me. I haven't had a friend since.
Chi buried himself in his mattress. He rested his head on the pillow and looked up at the ceiling. It was nearly thirty seconds before he spoke.
Chi: Three things. First, I'm sorry about what I said and did, I didn't know. Two, I'm going to kick the ass of every single person who bullied you because you were different. It's a pathetic reason to do something like that. How can people not realise how enjoyable standing out is? Three, you have a friend now...
Chi got up off of his bed and walked towards the door without looking back at her.
Chi: A friend who will look at you all day as soon as you wear something interesting.
He turned around as he grasped the door handle and gave her the peace sign and a smile with closed eyes. Neko's white cheeks went from pale to a light red.
Chi: I'm going to watch the rest of the match, I'll hear you whenever.
Chi opened the door and slid out of the room closing the door after him. Neko hugged her knees and then rested her fore head on top of her knees. Her eyes watered and as she smiled a tear dropped onto the white sheets beneath her.
As soon as Konohomaru started the match Taku jumped backwards out of the way of any immediate danger whereas Nodoka hadn't moved an inch. Taku landed at mid range and began surveying the ground around Nodoka. Taku then looked back up at Nodoka and remembered a key fact about his fighting style from previous battles. He has only ever blocked with his right arm and left leg. No one knew the reason, we only knew that it didn't hold him back at all. But it's still a weakness that Taku could take advantage of. Taku weaved a small sequence of handseals and then placed his hand on the ground. He released a large amount of lightning chakra and shaped it into an enormous bolt of electricity that just tears through the ground as it races towards Nodoka. As soon as Taku released the bolt of lightning chakra he dashed to the left and sprinted forward towards Nodoka's left side.
Nodoka was not quick to react, however, when he actually did he was incredibly fast. Nodoka slashed his left arm through the air releasing a blade of wind which was directed at the lightning. As Nodoka released the wind blade Taku launched for his left side with a kunai in hand. Nodoka quickly shrunk into the earth as Taku flew past his previous position. Taku quickly regained his balance and tried to stay vigilant but he decided to use this to his advantage.
Taku focused lightning chakra into his kunai and watched as it immediately became coated in lightning chakra. He shoved the blade of the kunai half way into the ground and ran low dragging the kunai behind him, trying to make as much noise as possible. Taku ran to the middle of the field and then stopped. He speedily pulled his kunai out of the ground and kept it close to his chest.
Nodoka silently raised out of the ground behind him and touched Taku's left shoulder with left his hand. Taku was quick to spin around and aim the tip of his blade right for the side of Nodoka's head. Nodoka immediately ducked and threw a right fist into Taku's gut. He coughed loudly as the wind was knocked out of him. Nodoka started to rapidly punch Taku's chest and on the seventh punch just as his lightning chakra faded from the kunai, Nodoka sent Taku flying towards the wall of the arena. As Taku's feet left the ground he ignored his painful gut and coated his kunai in lightning chakra again immediately throwing it at Nodoka aiming for his left arm. Nodoka did not expect this so he wasn't prepared to dodge at all. The kunai struck his left arm and pierced through his bundles of clothes.
Taku threw the soles of his feet to the ground in an attempt to stop himself before he hit the wall. He still hit the wall with enough force to hurt his back but it would have been a lot worse if he hadn't tried to slow his momentum. Taku was now breathing faster than normal as he stood there and watched Nodoka remove the kunai from his arm. In an instant Nodoka threw the kunai at Taku. He had barely any time to react, he threw his head to the left but at the moment when the kunai flew past his head he noticed that there was no blood on the kunai, it was completely clean. The kunai hit the wall and was buried quite deep. How much force could have have put behind that throw?
It didn't really matter to Taku at this point. As far as he was concerned he had already won.
Taku: * Perfect * I didn't think that I would win this early in... Of course I did!
Taku laughed as he stood up properly. His left shoulder felt cold and stiff so he had to move it around and stretch it before he could have full use of it again. But the cold remained. He walked a few steps forward and then slammed both of his hands on the ground. Taku took advantage of Nodoka's strange patience and after thirty seconds had passed Nodoka could feel and hear a rumbling underneath him, in fact, everyone could hear it. Suddenly four metal pillars all rose from the ground around Nodoka at the same time. They were in a square formation and not too far away from him but the most important feature of these pillars is that they were all coated in thick black lightning. Lightning crackled all around these pillars and then the lightning joined together and formed a cage around Nodoka. Some of the people in the crowd had to cover their ears because the crackling was so loud.
Taku: The apparatus that is surrounding you right now are tools that I like to call amplifiers. I hid them in the ground here before the exam just like Minato did with his kunai.
Minato: So that's how he knew about the kunai.
Nagare: Yeah I kind of figured. He was hinting at the idea a lot before. Can't believe you didn't know.
Minato: Oh, you're back. I was too busy palling around to notice. How's Chi?
Nagare: He's fine, he said he's going to rest before his next match but do you really think he'll be able to fight again?
Minato: I don't know, we'll just have to wait and see.
A: Those must be the structures you noticed earlier, Kazekage
Gaara: Yes, but to bring out your trump card near the start of the match. That is very unwise.
Taku: This match is over...
Before Taku could unleash his final move something strange happened his black lightning started to become thinner and quieter and before he knew it the cage had been dismantled and his black lightning continued to disappear.
Taku: What the hell is going on? How is that possible?
Taku noticed that his amplifiers started to become rusted. The rust spread all over his amplifiers completely engulfing the structures. The metal then started to slowly rot away and turn into dust. In about ten seconds the amplifiers were gone they had left just as quick as they arrived. Taku looked completely disheartened by what he was witnessing.
Taku: * I can't use my black lightning without the amplifiers yet. What am I supposed to do? *
Minato: FIGHT! TAKU!
Nagare: DON'T GIVE UP ON US TAKU!
Minato and Nagare shouted at the top of their lungs from the viewing area. They both looked down at Taku with determined expressions. Taku suddenly felt his resolve to fight become stronger. He blasted forward without thinking. Nodoka also started to speed towards him. When Taku was within punching distance he threw a fist aiming for Nodoka's face but Nodoka was too quick. He caught his hand with his left hand and all of a sudden Taku stopped dead in his tracks. Nodoka squeezed Taku's hand ever so slightly and Taku screamed in pain. Minato and Nagare looked on with disbelief. Taku didn't want to give up so he tried using his left hand instead. He released his lightning chakra and formed a dense sphere of lightning chakra.
Taku: It's not looking too good for me. So we're both going down.
Taku slammed the compressed lightning chakra into Nodoka's chest and created a massive explosion engulfing both of them in lightning chakra. The blast was so bright everyone but the kage had to cover their eyes. As people slowly regained their vision they all saw two people lying on the ground with steam radiating from their bodies. Their clothes was singed and torn up in different places. After about fifteen seconds Taku started to get up, it took him a while but he managed to drag his extremely beat up body from the ground. Blood was dripping from his right hand and mouth. With his left hand he wiped away the blood from his lips. His legs were slightly shaking but despite this he still stood.
Taku was assured his victory until Nodoka moved one finger. He got up from the ground with no effort at all it was like he hadn't even received any damage from the blast. Taku and the rest of the arena couldn't believe what they were seeing. Nodoka then started to slowly walk towards him.
Taku: * There is no way... *
Taku pushed his whole body and jumped forward with his head held high and his fist flying at Nodoka's face.
Taku: * NO WAY I'M ABOUT TO GIVE UP NOW!!! *
Taku landed a clean punch on Nodoka's face. With his good right arm hanging uselessly by his side and his left arm embedded in Nodoka's face Taku thought that what he just did had no effect at all. He gave everything he had... and nothing. Nodoka quickly grasped the elbow joint on Taku's left arm. After five excruciating seconds Nodoka, again, he squeezed ever so slightly and Taku's arm snapped like a twig. Taku roared in pain. Minato felt his agony, he gritted his teeth and slammed his fist down on the railing.
Nodoka ignored Taku but when he walked past his right arm he chopped the elbow joint with extreme ease, effectively breaking his right arm as well as his left arm and his right hand. Taku didn't have anymore screaming left in him, he uttered no sound yet his mouth was wide open and his head was tilted as far back as it could go. Minato began to shake with rage and Nagare was very close to tears while watching her friend get torn to pieces.
Nodoka confidently walked to the entrance of the hall way. He never expected what would happen next. Taku slammed into his back head first. He then back away a couple of steps. Both of his arms were hanging like useless dead weights. The blood was pouring from his wounds and a small puddle of it began forming underneath him. Nodoka calmly turned around to face him again. A small shadow covered Taku's eyes as he slowly uttered these words.
Taku: You can destroy my weapons... You can destroy my body... You can even destroy my pride... BUT I WILL NOT BE KNOCKED TO THE GROUND BY THE LIKES OF YOU!
Taku's powerful words echoed around the arena and affected many people strongly but the people who were affected the most were Minato and Nagare. The tears streamed down Nagare's eyes and at this stage Minato channeled his rage into determination.
Nodoka stood there without moving an inch. After a short amount of time he reached into his pocket and retrieved a kunai. In an instant he leaped forward aiming for Taku's chest, he intended to kill him but as fast as he started he was stopped just as quick. Minato teleported in between both of them and caught hold of Nodoka's kunai. Minato gripped the blade of Nodoka's kunai tightly, the blood started to run down his wrist and drop onto the ground. His wrist and Nodoka's wrist still shook violently, clearly Nodoka wasn't for giving up either.
Konohomaru: Minato! You can't interfere in this match or Taku will be disqualified.
Minato: He's already lost, check, he's unconscious.
Konohomaru looked Taku up and down, seeing that he was still standing up despite him being unconscious was hard for him to believe. Minato shifted his attention to Nodoka and stared at where his eyes most likely are.
Minato: You were going to kill him, weren't you? I have this policy. The amount of pain anyone deals to my nakama, I give them back double what they're owed...
Minato felt that Nodoka had stopped trying to force the kunai out of his grip so he let it go, turned around and walked towards Taku.
Minato: You better hope that we aren't fighting next round... because I'm probably going to kill you.
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Author's Note:
'Nakama' means 'close friend' in japanese. I just think it sounds better.
Nakama...
Chi limped through the corridor to the infirmary. One arm was tucked under Neko's thigh and the other was clutching his left side. He had to keep the pressure on it or else he'd lose more blood than he'd like. It couldn't be helped though, still, a small trail of crimson red blood was left behind with each step. He reached the door and let go of his side, struggling to knock on the door. A small amount of blood was left behind. When it started to creep down the light grey paint the door opened and the doctor looked at both of them. Without a word he helped Chi into the room and guided him over to the nearest bed so that he could let Neko down on it. Chi then worked his way over to the bed adjacent. He sat down on the soft mattress, bent down and started rubbing his face. When he raised his head slightly to look up at the doctor his vision started to get blurry and his head started to feel like it weighed a hundred tons. Chi allowed his head to drag the rest of his body down onto the bed as he fell unconscious.
Chi: Doc... I'm gone...
*
Chi felt someone tapping his head repeatedly, so he opened his right eye and saw Nagare standing bent over him.
Chi: Stop it, it's annoying.
Nagare: Just checking.
Chi sat up in the bed and adjusted his pillow as such.
Chi: Checking what?
Nagare: You, of course.
Chi: Right, thanks for checking. How long was I out?
Nagare: Ten minutes, the doctor just finished putting the stitches in. He's gone now. Checking other patients.
Chi: I see.
Nagare: I just wanted to check if you were alright. Do you want to come and watch the rest of Taku's match?
Chi: Naah. I know he'll be fine. Go on, I'm resting here until my next match.
Chi put both hands behind his head and allowed himself to sink into his pillows.
Nagare: Alright, I'll see you then.
Chi: See ya, Nagare.
Nagare smiled at him and then walked out of the room with her hands behind her back. She always had this happy skip in her step that Chi admired because he'd never seen anyone else with it. Chi looked over at Neko. She was tucked in under the blanket and her eyes were closed... Chi didn't buy it at all. He lifted a pillow out from underneath him as quietly as he could and then threw it at her head.
Chi: Hey, sleepy head get up. I know you're not sleeping. I reckon you'd purr or do something cool like that while you slept.
Neko sighed and opened her eyes.
Chi: I have a question for you? Why didn't you try and cut my hand off or cut my hand. I know you could have did it. In hindsight I gave you too much of an opening, but you didn't take it. How come?
Neko lowered her eyes and looked away from him.
Neko: I have my reasons.
She said this in a cold voice in an attempt to push him away.
Chi: Tell me them.
Chi completely disregarded her tone of voice and moved forward with his own question.
Neko: No.
Chi: Come on, I won't tell anyone.
Neko: I said no.
Chi: Once I'm curious I get annoying and persistent, do you want to go there?
She folded her arms and aimed to be persistent herself. Chi threw the blanket off of him and onto the ground. He turned and pulled himself up off of the bed. He took one step and arrived at her bed.
Chi: Last chance.
Neko: ...
Chi shaked his head and then started shaking her mattress violently. It was like an earth quake on a bed. Neko was bouncing all over the place on the bed, yelping several times.
Neko: Stop it! Stop it! I'm going to fall off!
Chi: Not until you tell me!
Neko kept her mouth shut after that, she didn't say anything for the next fifteen minutes during this man made disaster. Chi went for the final push and made it a wild one. He shoved down on the mattress as hard as he could and then he flipped it, Neko lost her balance and started to roll off the side.But Chi was quick. He snatched the back of her dress and pulled her up onto the mattress, laying her vertically on top of the sheets again. Chi obviously knew by now that doing anything to her wouldn't work, she's tough as nails. Chi turned and walked with his hands behind his back toward the window. He stopped when the tip of his nose touched the glass. His hands then found their way to the bottom of the window. He slid the window up quickly and locked it at the top so that it would stay in place. He poked his head out and inspected the long fall.
Chi: I wonder what would happen to someone with...
He quickly lifted his shirt and counted his stitches.
Chi: with about twenty stitches if they jumped out of a window.
Neko lay back down in her bed.
Neko: Don't play dumb, you know what'll happen.
Chi: No, I don't. I should probably find out.
He detached his ninja pouch and quick draw kunai case, leaving them on the table beside him.
Chi: So I can't cheat when I panic. Are you gonna stop me?
Neko: No.
Chi: Alright then.
Chi took a few steps back so that he could get a running start and then bolted forward jumping straight out of the window, head first. As soon as Neko saw that he was seriously going to do it she shouted out.
Neko: I'll tell you!
But it was too late he had left the room. Neko launched from her bed and bounded for the open window, she threw her upper body out of the window and looked down to see that Chi was standing on the wall. He had a wire attached to his belt and this wire was attached to a kunai that was embedded in the wall just below her. Chi looked at her with a grin on his face and then cockily waved at her.
Chi: I always keep a spare in my pocket. Now...
He walked up the wall and hopped back into the room through the window.
Chi: Tell me.
Neko shuffled over to her bed again and sat down. She looked down and started playing with her long hair. Chi then sat on his bed opposite her and waited until she spoke.
Neko: No one, apart from the people that were in my clan, has ever thought my eyes looked nice. I get bullied in Suna for it a lot so to hear someone say it kind of shocked me and made me grateful.
Chi: You're bullied because you're different. Why didn't you fight back?
Neko: Because the Clan Head was worried that if we caused trouble the Kazekage would make us leave the village.
Chi: I don't mean to pry but you said there 'were' people in your clan. What happened?
Neko: Yes, there were a lot more but then the fourth war started. Our village was devastated. All of the friends I had, my parents and everyone else in the clan apart from the Clan Head and his wife, were killed. Their daughter was killed too. Because I survived, and she didn't, they resent me for it. They don't pay any attention to me, they always ignore me and they don't look at me. That's why I got angry when you said that you didn't want to look at me. I haven't had a friend since.
Chi buried himself in his mattress. He rested his head on the pillow and looked up at the ceiling. It was nearly thirty seconds before he spoke.
Chi: Three things. First, I'm sorry about what I said and did, I didn't know. Two, I'm going to kick the ass of every single person who bullied you because you were different. It's a pathetic reason to do something like that. How can people not realise how enjoyable standing out is? Three, you have a friend now...
Chi got up off of his bed and walked towards the door without looking back at her.
Chi: A friend who will look at you all day as soon as you wear something interesting.
He turned around as he grasped the door handle and gave her the peace sign and a smile with closed eyes. Neko's white cheeks went from pale to a light red.
Chi: I'm going to watch the rest of the match, I'll hear you whenever.
Chi opened the door and slid out of the room closing the door after him. Neko hugged her knees and then rested her fore head on top of her knees. Her eyes watered and as she smiled a tear dropped onto the white sheets beneath her.
*
As soon as Konohomaru started the match Taku jumped backwards out of the way of any immediate danger whereas Nodoka hadn't moved an inch. Taku landed at mid range and began surveying the ground around Nodoka. Taku then looked back up at Nodoka and remembered a key fact about his fighting style from previous battles. He has only ever blocked with his right arm and left leg. No one knew the reason, we only knew that it didn't hold him back at all. But it's still a weakness that Taku could take advantage of. Taku weaved a small sequence of handseals and then placed his hand on the ground. He released a large amount of lightning chakra and shaped it into an enormous bolt of electricity that just tears through the ground as it races towards Nodoka. As soon as Taku released the bolt of lightning chakra he dashed to the left and sprinted forward towards Nodoka's left side.
Nodoka was not quick to react, however, when he actually did he was incredibly fast. Nodoka slashed his left arm through the air releasing a blade of wind which was directed at the lightning. As Nodoka released the wind blade Taku launched for his left side with a kunai in hand. Nodoka quickly shrunk into the earth as Taku flew past his previous position. Taku quickly regained his balance and tried to stay vigilant but he decided to use this to his advantage.
Taku focused lightning chakra into his kunai and watched as it immediately became coated in lightning chakra. He shoved the blade of the kunai half way into the ground and ran low dragging the kunai behind him, trying to make as much noise as possible. Taku ran to the middle of the field and then stopped. He speedily pulled his kunai out of the ground and kept it close to his chest.
Nodoka silently raised out of the ground behind him and touched Taku's left shoulder with left his hand. Taku was quick to spin around and aim the tip of his blade right for the side of Nodoka's head. Nodoka immediately ducked and threw a right fist into Taku's gut. He coughed loudly as the wind was knocked out of him. Nodoka started to rapidly punch Taku's chest and on the seventh punch just as his lightning chakra faded from the kunai, Nodoka sent Taku flying towards the wall of the arena. As Taku's feet left the ground he ignored his painful gut and coated his kunai in lightning chakra again immediately throwing it at Nodoka aiming for his left arm. Nodoka did not expect this so he wasn't prepared to dodge at all. The kunai struck his left arm and pierced through his bundles of clothes.
Taku threw the soles of his feet to the ground in an attempt to stop himself before he hit the wall. He still hit the wall with enough force to hurt his back but it would have been a lot worse if he hadn't tried to slow his momentum. Taku was now breathing faster than normal as he stood there and watched Nodoka remove the kunai from his arm. In an instant Nodoka threw the kunai at Taku. He had barely any time to react, he threw his head to the left but at the moment when the kunai flew past his head he noticed that there was no blood on the kunai, it was completely clean. The kunai hit the wall and was buried quite deep. How much force could have have put behind that throw?
It didn't really matter to Taku at this point. As far as he was concerned he had already won.
Taku: * Perfect * I didn't think that I would win this early in... Of course I did!
Taku laughed as he stood up properly. His left shoulder felt cold and stiff so he had to move it around and stretch it before he could have full use of it again. But the cold remained. He walked a few steps forward and then slammed both of his hands on the ground. Taku took advantage of Nodoka's strange patience and after thirty seconds had passed Nodoka could feel and hear a rumbling underneath him, in fact, everyone could hear it. Suddenly four metal pillars all rose from the ground around Nodoka at the same time. They were in a square formation and not too far away from him but the most important feature of these pillars is that they were all coated in thick black lightning. Lightning crackled all around these pillars and then the lightning joined together and formed a cage around Nodoka. Some of the people in the crowd had to cover their ears because the crackling was so loud.
Taku: The apparatus that is surrounding you right now are tools that I like to call amplifiers. I hid them in the ground here before the exam just like Minato did with his kunai.
*
Minato: So that's how he knew about the kunai.
Nagare: Yeah I kind of figured. He was hinting at the idea a lot before. Can't believe you didn't know.
Minato: Oh, you're back. I was too busy palling around to notice. How's Chi?
Nagare: He's fine, he said he's going to rest before his next match but do you really think he'll be able to fight again?
Minato: I don't know, we'll just have to wait and see.
*
A: Those must be the structures you noticed earlier, Kazekage
Gaara: Yes, but to bring out your trump card near the start of the match. That is very unwise.
*
Taku: This match is over...
Before Taku could unleash his final move something strange happened his black lightning started to become thinner and quieter and before he knew it the cage had been dismantled and his black lightning continued to disappear.
Taku: What the hell is going on? How is that possible?
Taku noticed that his amplifiers started to become rusted. The rust spread all over his amplifiers completely engulfing the structures. The metal then started to slowly rot away and turn into dust. In about ten seconds the amplifiers were gone they had left just as quick as they arrived. Taku looked completely disheartened by what he was witnessing.
Taku: * I can't use my black lightning without the amplifiers yet. What am I supposed to do? *
Minato: FIGHT! TAKU!
Nagare: DON'T GIVE UP ON US TAKU!
Minato and Nagare shouted at the top of their lungs from the viewing area. They both looked down at Taku with determined expressions. Taku suddenly felt his resolve to fight become stronger. He blasted forward without thinking. Nodoka also started to speed towards him. When Taku was within punching distance he threw a fist aiming for Nodoka's face but Nodoka was too quick. He caught his hand with his left hand and all of a sudden Taku stopped dead in his tracks. Nodoka squeezed Taku's hand ever so slightly and Taku screamed in pain. Minato and Nagare looked on with disbelief. Taku didn't want to give up so he tried using his left hand instead. He released his lightning chakra and formed a dense sphere of lightning chakra.
Taku: It's not looking too good for me. So we're both going down.
Taku slammed the compressed lightning chakra into Nodoka's chest and created a massive explosion engulfing both of them in lightning chakra. The blast was so bright everyone but the kage had to cover their eyes. As people slowly regained their vision they all saw two people lying on the ground with steam radiating from their bodies. Their clothes was singed and torn up in different places. After about fifteen seconds Taku started to get up, it took him a while but he managed to drag his extremely beat up body from the ground. Blood was dripping from his right hand and mouth. With his left hand he wiped away the blood from his lips. His legs were slightly shaking but despite this he still stood.
Taku was assured his victory until Nodoka moved one finger. He got up from the ground with no effort at all it was like he hadn't even received any damage from the blast. Taku and the rest of the arena couldn't believe what they were seeing. Nodoka then started to slowly walk towards him.
Taku: * There is no way... *
Taku pushed his whole body and jumped forward with his head held high and his fist flying at Nodoka's face.
Taku: * NO WAY I'M ABOUT TO GIVE UP NOW!!! *
Taku landed a clean punch on Nodoka's face. With his good right arm hanging uselessly by his side and his left arm embedded in Nodoka's face Taku thought that what he just did had no effect at all. He gave everything he had... and nothing. Nodoka quickly grasped the elbow joint on Taku's left arm. After five excruciating seconds Nodoka, again, he squeezed ever so slightly and Taku's arm snapped like a twig. Taku roared in pain. Minato felt his agony, he gritted his teeth and slammed his fist down on the railing.
Nodoka ignored Taku but when he walked past his right arm he chopped the elbow joint with extreme ease, effectively breaking his right arm as well as his left arm and his right hand. Taku didn't have anymore screaming left in him, he uttered no sound yet his mouth was wide open and his head was tilted as far back as it could go. Minato began to shake with rage and Nagare was very close to tears while watching her friend get torn to pieces.
Nodoka confidently walked to the entrance of the hall way. He never expected what would happen next. Taku slammed into his back head first. He then back away a couple of steps. Both of his arms were hanging like useless dead weights. The blood was pouring from his wounds and a small puddle of it began forming underneath him. Nodoka calmly turned around to face him again. A small shadow covered Taku's eyes as he slowly uttered these words.
Taku: You can destroy my weapons... You can destroy my body... You can even destroy my pride... BUT I WILL NOT BE KNOCKED TO THE GROUND BY THE LIKES OF YOU!
Taku's powerful words echoed around the arena and affected many people strongly but the people who were affected the most were Minato and Nagare. The tears streamed down Nagare's eyes and at this stage Minato channeled his rage into determination.
Nodoka stood there without moving an inch. After a short amount of time he reached into his pocket and retrieved a kunai. In an instant he leaped forward aiming for Taku's chest, he intended to kill him but as fast as he started he was stopped just as quick. Minato teleported in between both of them and caught hold of Nodoka's kunai. Minato gripped the blade of Nodoka's kunai tightly, the blood started to run down his wrist and drop onto the ground. His wrist and Nodoka's wrist still shook violently, clearly Nodoka wasn't for giving up either.
Konohomaru: Minato! You can't interfere in this match or Taku will be disqualified.
Minato: He's already lost, check, he's unconscious.
Konohomaru looked Taku up and down, seeing that he was still standing up despite him being unconscious was hard for him to believe. Minato shifted his attention to Nodoka and stared at where his eyes most likely are.
Minato: You were going to kill him, weren't you? I have this policy. The amount of pain anyone deals to my nakama, I give them back double what they're owed...
Minato felt that Nodoka had stopped trying to force the kunai out of his grip so he let it go, turned around and walked towards Taku.
Minato: You better hope that we aren't fighting next round... because I'm probably going to kill you.
