Rin and Team 7 all looked at Naruto.
"I don't get it," said Naruto, pointing at a section of air as far as everyone else was concerned. "What does it mean 'Random Encounter'?"
"It's like a video game?" asked Sakura, putting earlier comments together with this. "What does it say?! Exactly!"
"Uhm, it says, 'Random Encounter' and there's a couple of numbers but they're moving so fast I can't see 'em?" asked Naruto.
"Okay, got it," said Sakura, drawing a kunai and brandishing it. "I know what's going on."
"Does this actually make sense to you?" asked Sasuke.
"Yes, this new ability of Naruto's was set up at a temple for a god of mischief," said Sakura. "So it's operating like a video game. Probably because it suspected one of us would be familiar with the idea and it would get us participating with the madness instead of just being dragged along. Naruto, later I want you to try and find a 'Settings' menu. For now - just let me know when the numbers stop moving."
"Uhm. Okay..." said Naruto. "Ah. They just did. It came up '90' and 'Shellder'?!"
"'Shellder'?" asked Sakura.
"I dunno," said a heavily perspiring Naruto. "Uhm, ah. Maybe. Pikachu?"
The dressed-like-Naruto pikachu appeared. "Pika pi pika chu!"
A clam-like creature thumped to the ground, wearing a 'Kiri' headband.
"'Expy of Gedo Hamaguri' - or so it says," said Naruto. "'Minor character killed off during Chunin Exam arc.'"
"There are 'minor characters' in these games?" asked Sasuke, also brandishing a pair of kunai but glancing towards Sakura who at least seemed to have SOME clue as to events.
"Yes, I..." Sakura began, but then realized that Sasuke was depending on her and looking to her as an expert. On video games. "Not that I play video games! I gave those up years ago!"
The Shellder shot a blast of water, missing the pikachu and hitting Sakura directly in the face.
"Pikachu, thundershock!" called out Naruto, thinking that a scene of extreme violence against a shellfish was about to be committed.
"PIKA!" complied the pikachu, throwing a lightning bolt at the water pokemon. Which keeled over.
Sakura spluttered and parted the wet hair, then sluiced water out of her eyes. When she could see again, there was a defeated Shellder in the path.
"All right, I caught another one!" said Naruto. "It looks like I can summon..."
"SHANNARO!" yelled Sakura, kicking the shellfish and causing it to fly far away.
"WHAT?! It says 'capture incomplete' and 'lost Shellder'?!" said Naruto, again pointing to a message only he could see.
Sakura stopped gritting her teeth and looking peeved. "What?"
"Nice going," groaned Sasuke. "Well, THAT was certainly pointless."
Sakura took a deep breath, visibly calming down. "Okay. Naruto. Is there anything like a menu that you can see?"
"Um, no?" asked Naruto.
"Are you looking at a little square screen that has information on it?" asked Sakura.
"Well, there's one that keeps popping up here," said Naruto, pointing at a spot off to his right.
"Try saying 'Settings' then," said Sakura, thinking about it.
"'Settings'?" asked Naruto, who then blinked. "Whoa. Something came up."
"What does it say?" asked Sakura.
"It says 'settings' and then it has a bunch of junk on this side," said Naruto.
Sakura walked up and punched Naruto in the head. "Exactly. What EXACTLY does it say?"
"Naruto is not terribly detail oriented Sakura," said Kakashi softly.
"Meaning he tends to charge straight ahead and plan accordingly," said Sasuke, using the opportunity to snark on Naruto. "If you can call that a plan, that is."
"Uhm, 'audio alert' is on, 'permit random encounters' is on, 'hints' is off, 'tutorial' is off," began Naruto.
"Turn off the 'permit random encounters' until we're done with the mission," said Sakura.
"Uhm, how?" asked Naruto.
"Try touching where it says 'on'," suggested Sakura.
"Hey that did it!" exclaimed Naruto. "You know a lot about this sort of thing Sakura!"
"Well, I generally prefer a different genre but this seems like it's a straightforward -" began Sakura proudly until she noticed Sasuke watching. "Not that I do anything as immature as play videogames! Not since my third year in the Academy!"
Sasuke sighed, rubbing his forehead as if he felt a headache coming on for whatever reason.
"A straightforward what?" asked Kakashi.
"Monster raising and training game like 'Monster Farm Deuteronomy' or maybe a Sim-style game like Sim-civilian," said Sakura. "Not that I know anything about those. I think I saw Ino play one once."
"Uh huh," said everyone else but Rin.
"What else is there or is that it?" asked Sakura of Naruto.
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(Posted Thu, 11 Apr 2013 17:12)
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