Naruto: Tetsuden - 030

Chakra Wizard

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I’m not gonna lie, this is probably the match I enjoyed writing the least up to this point, so hopefully, it’s not low quality cause of that. Anyways, hope you enjoy:)

Here’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:











Chapter 30: Family Quarrel


While Shikaru narrowly escaped Inoka’s outstretched arm as he leapt to the ground floor, Yatsuri gave a wave of his hand to his cousins before following suit. Each of them made their way to either side of B, where the older of the two proceeded to smirk at the other.

Yatsuri: Hey, cuz. Been a while.

Shikaru: (He returned the gesture.) Sure has.

Kei: (Overhearing their exchange, he turned to Airon in confusion.) Cuz? What the heck is he talkin’ about?

Airon: (He simply shook his head in amusement, not bothering to look up at Kei as he answered him.) Cousins, Kei. The two of them are cousins.

Kei: (Surprised by this, he returned his gaze to the two shinobi below them.) Say what? …But, that guy with the makeup’s from the Sand village.

Inase: (Shaking her own head in minor annoyance, she proceeded to sort out his points of confusion.) As is Shikaru’s grandmother. She and Yatsuri’s grandfather are siblings, Kei, hence them being cousins.

Kei: Ooohh, …wait. I thought cousins meant your parents were siblings.

Knowing he’d be giving this explanation for a good ten minutes at least, Airon heaved a sigh of annoyance before walking away and leaving him to Inase’s devices, motioning for Manako to follow him to the other end of the balcony, where stood Sabure and Ryūza.

Airon: Mind the company?

Sabure: Hm? …No, not at all.

Looking past him and fixing her eyes on Manako, Sabure quickly lowered her head as the latter turned his gaze towards her, her face gradually becoming as red as his eyes. Picking up on this, Airon looked back-and-forth between them for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle.

Sabure: What?

Airon: Hm? …Oh, nothing.

Ending his short bout of hilarity, Airon proceeded to lean on the railing and turn his gaze towards the two ready combatants, quickly analyzing them before turning back to his foreign peers.

Airon: My apologies beforehand, but I’d say your cousin’s chances against Shikaru are pretty slim.

Sabure: (Finding his prior apology somewhat pointless, she looked at him with an expression that melded confusion and minor irritation.) That’s not a very nice way to start off a friendly conversation-

Ryūza: I’m afraid he’s right, though, Sabure.

Sabure: Huh?

Ryūza: (Narrowing his eyes, he stared Shikaru down for a moment before turning his gaze towards Yatsuri.) He’s from the Nara clan, remember? That means his techniques involve shadows. Meanwhile, Yatsuri’s pretty much got just his puppets to work with. …Now, what do you think might happen if Shikaru’s shadows were to latch on to one of his puppet strings…and then trace it all the way back to Yatsuri?

Catching on, Sabure looked down at their cousin in worry, eventually settling on being a cheerleader for this round.

Sabure: Come on, Yatsuri! Don’t worry about a thing! You’ve got this!!

Airon: (Finding her antics amusing, he chuckled softly once again.) (Hmhmhm, quite the spunky one, isn’t she?)

Manako: (Looking at her for a brief moment, he turned back to the two combatants below with a small smile) (…Yes, she is.)

Below them, Shikaru and Yatsuri simultaneously removed their hands from their pockets and flexed their fingers – both of them would be making heavy use of them during this match. Checking to see if they were ready, B smiled upon confirming this and threw his hand into the air.

B: Alright, if both y’all are ready, …begin!

Shikaru: (The moment the old man’s hand fell, he pressed his together to form his clan’s signature hand sign.) Shadow Possession Jutsu!

Almost immediately, his shadow began to bend and mold before darting out in front of him, advancing towards Yatsuri as it became thinner with every inch of terrain it crossed. Expecting quick reflexes on Shikaru’s part, Yatsuri quickly leapt to the left and away from the incoming shadow, making sure to keep a safe distance from the large mass of it beneath the balcony, as well. As he moved, he reached into the large bag on his back and pulled out a relatively small scroll – that is, in comparison to the three large ones that also resided there. Briefly feeling around for the exposed end, he latched ahold of it and tossed the scroll away, causing it to unravel upon the ground. Waiting until he was a good distance from Shikaru’s shadow, he knelt down in front of it and formed a few hand signs.

Yatsuri: Alright, time to stretch my wings. Summoning Jutsu!

Pressing his palm against it, a large cloud of smoke suddenly appeared around him, gradually vanishing to reveal Yatsumi atop a large, bird-like contraption. Intrigued, Shikaru stopped his advance – he was out of range, anyways – and examined this new weapon of his, which had also caught the attention of most of their audience members.

Shikaru: (So, this is his puppet, huh? …Doesn’t look like much.) I like your toy, Yatsuri!

Yatsuri: (Aware that Shikaru was simply mocking him, he smirked at his ignorance.) Stick around, cuz! You might even get to see the rest of them in action, too!

Shikaru pondered his words for a moment, somewhat curious to see just what else was stuffed into that bag of his, but he set his interests aside and moved in to prepare for another assault, clasping his hands together once he was back within range.

Shikaru: Shadow Possession Jutsu!

His shadow immediately began advancing towards Yatsuri once again, but no sooner after it did, the latter flexed his outstretched arms to reveal ten chakra-coated strings, each one connecting the puppet to one of his fingers. Making such movements with them that the puppet’s wings began to flap, he took to the air, going so high that there wasn’t even a shadow for Shikaru’s to connect to, leaving him kneeling there in shock.

Yatsuri: Not so easy to get now, am I, cuz!?

Their spectators, too, were quite impressed with Yatsuri’s skills as a puppeteer, including Airon and company.

Airon: That’s pretty talented.

Sabure: (Pleased to see a change in his opinion, she scoffed at his earlier remark.) Hmph, just you watch. Yatsuri’s gonna win this match for sure now.

Airon: (Looking at her for a moment, he turned his gaze back towards Yatsuri, who seemed to be prepping for an attack.) (For sure, huh? …Hmhmhm, we’ll see.)

No sooner after this thought crossed his mind did the puppet begin descending, opening its beak as it soared through the air.

Yatsuri: Alright, take THIS!!

Before Shikaru even knew what was happening, a small black object shot out from its beak at high velocity, causing his eyes to widen with shock.

Shikaru: What the-

The moment it made contact with the ground at Shikaru’s feet, it exploded, covering a third of the arena with a cloud of dust and black smoke. As Shikaru slowly returned to his feet after coughing up some blood, those watching from the balconies looked on in bewilderment.

Chōzen: WHOA!! That can’t be legal!

Inoka: Oh, wow. Hey, be careful, Shikaru! His puppet’s armed with bombs!

Shikaru: NAW, REALLY!!?

As the smoke cleared, he looked around frantically for his opponent, only to find him soaring through the air once again, this time from the opposite direction.

Shikaru: (This sure ain’t looking good. I can’t get to him when he’s that high in the air. …What do I do now?)

Yatsuri: Here comes round two!!

The puppet shot yet another small object from its beak as it descended from the air. Shikaru, however, wasn’t looking at the puppet, but at the ground directly beneath it.

Shikaru: (Hmmm, it’s just barely doing it, …but it looks like-)

Inoka: SHIKARU!!

Shikaru: Huh!?

His current situation having slipped his mind, it was only a slight miscalculation by Yatsuri that ultimately prevented him from being decimated by the explosion that followed. Even Yatsuri was surprised as he took to the air once again, stopping once he had reached a safe altitude once again.

Yatsuri: Holy cow! (Sure hope I didn’t kill him. …What the heck was that hesitation for?)

Slowly getting up again, Shikaru took some time to catch a breath – and ponder what he had just seen – smiling after a brief moment.

Shikaru: (Heh, looks like this might just work in my favor, after all.)

Reaching into the pouch around his waist for a kunai, he dropped to one knee and set it by his feet, waiting until Yatsuri began descending once again before clasping his hands together.

Yatsuri: Here it comes! Get ready for it, cuz!!

Shikaru: (Oh, I’m ready for it.) Shadow Possession Jutsu!

The puppet hadn’t even opened its beak before it stopped moving completely, the sudden loss of momentum causing it to plummet to the ground and shatter, leaving Yatsuri stunned long enough for Shikaru to move his shadow from his desecrated puppet to him.

Yatsuri: Huh!? But…but how’d you do it!? I was still almost twenty feet in the air!

Shikaru: (His jutsu finally connected, he stood up with a smile, causing Yatsuri to mimic his movements.) Exactly, …and that’s more than enough distance between your puppet and the ground to cast a shadow.

He reached down and picked up the kunai he had discarded earlier before walking forward. Yatsuri did the same – as the technique required of him – only for him, there was no kunai to pick up. Stopping once they were only a foot apart, Shikaru lifted his hand and held the kunai up to his opponent’s neck, touching it against his skin for good measure.

Shikaru: There’s only one move left to make, …cuz.

Seeing no way out, Yatsuri silently scoffed at himself for being too confident and looked into Shikaru’s eyes, returning the smirk the latter was giving him.

Yatsuri: Hnh, yeah yeah, fine. You got me this time.

B: (Smiling, he threw his hand in the air and announced the results to the spectators.) The winner is Shikaru Nara!

Ending the jutsu and returning the kunai to his pouch, Shikaru held out his hand, which Yatsuri hesitated before taking into his own, forming the Sign of Reconciliation before walking back up to the balcony overhead. Shikaru was immediately greeted by his team, some of its members more enthusiastic about his victory than others.

Chōzen: YEEAAAHHH!!! You showed him, Shikaru!!

Inoka: (Her knack for degradation notwithstanding, she pushed against Shikaru’s shoulder as soon as he came within arm’s reach.) You idiot! He almost killed you back there!

Shikaru: (Expecting nothing less from her and not really in the mood to fight, he simply heaved a sigh of annoyance and cast it aside.) Huhhh, yeah well, sorry to worry you like that.

Inoka: (Though a bit touched by his apology, she still noted the lack of sincerity and simply waved it off.) Whatever. …Congrats, I guess.

Shikaru: Eh, forget it. Just a preliminary, anyways.

Kogane: (Walking up from behind Chōzen and Inoka, she gently placed her hand on Shikaru’s shoulder.) Hmhmhm, either way, we’re still proud of you.

Shikaru: (Always pleased to see his instructor, he smiled at her assuring words.) Thanks, sensei.

On the opposite end of the balcony, Yatsuri finally rejoined his cousins, both of whom seemed rather disappointed with his loss.

Yatsuri: What can I say? Guy’s pretty good.

Ryūza: There’s always another exam. Maybe next year, the competition won’t be so fierce.

Sabure: (Not nearly as optimistic as her twin brother, she pointed angrily at Airon.) Nnngghh, it’s only cause this guy with the sword here jinxed you before the match started!

Airon: (Still leaning on the railing beside them, he chuckled in light of Sabure’s childish accusation.) Hmhmhm, I have no idea what you’re talking about. (You think that’s what happened, Manako?)

Manako: (Hm, have you ever known me to be superstitious, Airon?)

Airon: (Hmhmhmhm, suppose not.)

B: Alright-y! Next round, here we go!!

Everyone turned their attention towards the black monitor as random yellow letters began flashing across it once again. After ten seconds, they stopped on the names of two new combatants, the latter of which brought to B’s face.

B: Next match-up is Kemono Inuzuka and…hoho, it’s my lil’ homie Z!

Z: (Sporting a grin that could scare paint off a wall, he leapt down from the balcony to the arena below, making sure to do a few elaborate somersaults along the way.) Yea-heeeaaahh! About to let loose up in this *****!

Tomoi: You go get ‘em, Z!! Show this mutt who’s boss!!

Sakebi: (Not nearly as enthusiastic, he lazily lifted his fist into the air and bobbed it back-and-forth.) Yeah, you the man, Z. Whatevs. (Sheesh, watch me not even get half that much support from her.)

On that same balcony, Kemono waved to his teammates before placing his hands on the railing, ready to jump over before Raiden gave him one last time word of encouragement.

Raiden: Show him why the Leaf’s the strongest of the hidden villages.

Kemono: (He gave him a thumbs-up and a wicked grin in response.) Oh, you can count on that! Eh, Mukinu?

His black-furred companion barked in response before the two leapt down from the balcony and walked over to the other side of B. As he began staring Z down, Kūrogane also found herself giving her teammate’s opponent the up-and-down, not very fond of what she saw.

Kūrogane: I’m not so confident about his chances, Raiden.

Katame: (Scratching the back of his head in light of her pessimistic outlook, he moved forward to provide some reassurance.) Come on now, Kūrogane. You should have more faith in your teammate.

Kūrogane: (Surprised he wasn’t being more critical, as well, she looked back at him with a persistent expression.) I mean it, sensei. Just look at him. …That Cloud genin’s strong…very strong.

Below them, the two – or rather three – combatants were busy exchanging the most confident expressions they could muster. While Mukinu took the time to growl at their opponent, Kemono proceeded to hold out his fist, positioned thumbs-down.

Kemono: Get ready for a beatdown, pal. We’re gonna wipe the floor with you.

Z: (He cracked his neck before replying to his threat with a smile.) Lookin’ forward to it.

Feeling the start of their match closing in, Z began rubbing his hand against the hilt of his sword, while Kemono dropped to all fours, ready to dash forward with Mukinu the moment B signaled them to start. Checking to see if they were ready, the seasoned jinchuuriki threw his arm in the air.

B: Alright, if both of y’all are ready, …begin!

Inoka: Oh, and before I forget!

As Kemono and Mukinu rushed their opponent, Inoka reached beside her and knocked Shikaru on the back of the head, payback for the remark he made just before his own match began.


The Cloud’s newest prodigy takes on Kemono and Mukinu – what other surprises has this talented genin yet to show his competition!!?

The End
 

zedek

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i liked the bird puppet i dont know why u didnt like writing this one seemed like it could have been on e of the funner one with all the creativity u have with the puppets and shikaru the different ways u could use his shadows i would have went crazy thinking of all the different ways to use them
 

Chakra Wizard

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i liked the bird puppet i dont know why u didnt like writing this one seemed like it could have been on e of the funner one with all the creativity u have with the puppets and shikaru the different ways u could use his shadows i would have went crazy thinking of all the different ways to use them
Eh, I just didn't enjoy these two characters that much, honestly. I've got favorites among my OC's, y'know:) lol And thanks*_*
 

Kuroi Honoo

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I didn’t expect two family members to be facing off lol And by some of the young student’s comments it would appear as though Shikaru has the edge in this match. However, they could just as easily be underestimating Yatsuri’s skills as a puppeteer. Thus I’m eager to see how this match turns out ^^ I thought perhaps Yatsuri would be able to combat the shadows somehow and I was correct. I liked his first puppet of choice and what a wonderful counter as well! :) It would’ve been cool for the puppet user to win but I thought you’d go in the Nara direction lol I like that the next matchup is featuring an Inuzuka and so this time around I’m hoping the win goes to Konohagakure but I think Z has the edge here as these Kumo-nin are fierce combatants. Even though you stated this chapter was the least enjoyable to write, I thought you did splendidly and I look forward to see what this Inuzuka can do! ;)
 

Chakra Wizard

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I didn’t expect two family members to be facing off lol And by some of the young student’s comments it would appear as though Shikaru has the edge in this match. However, they could just as easily be underestimating Yatsuri’s skills as a puppeteer. Thus I’m eager to see how this match turns out ^^ I thought perhaps Yatsuri would be able to combat the shadows somehow and I was correct. I liked his first puppet of choice and what a wonderful counter as well! :) It would’ve been cool for the puppet user to win but I thought you’d go in the Nara direction lol I like that the next matchup is featuring an Inuzuka and so this time around I’m hoping the win goes to Konohagakure but I think Z has the edge here as these Kumo-nin are fierce combatants. Even though you stated this chapter was the least enjoyable to write, I thought you did splendidly and I look forward to see what this Inuzuka can do! ;)
Well, even if I don't like it, that doesn't mean I'm not gonna put in the same amount of effort:) lol And thanks, man*_*
 
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