"That's the only way you'll get the bells," said Kurenai Yuhi.
"You do realize that neither Shino's insects nor my Byakugan will be affected by genjutsu," pointed out Hinata.
"Yes, I'm quite aware that normal genjutsu will be ineffective against such measures," admitted Kurenai.
"You two take a rest, I got this," said Kiba. "C'mon Akamaru."
"Very well, you may begin," said Kurenai, shimmering and vanishing as the last syllable left her mouth.
Hinata sighed, turned around, and casually walked over to a fallen log.
Shino glanced at her, then at where Kiba was trying to pick up a scent, then back at her. Finally he walked over and stood before Hinata. "Are you not going to activate your clan's dojutsu and locate our sensei?"
"Not yet," said Hinata, opening a book. "You figure out the hidden meaning here?"
"Got you!" yelled Kiba, throwing shuriken at a tree. "You can't hide from my nose!"
There was a thudding noise of something heavy striking the ground.
"I told you I got this," said Kiba, walking over to the shape and then reaching down.
Hinata covered her ears. Shino did the same, just a little slower.
BOOM!
"You didn't need a Byakugan to see that coming," commented Hinata.
"Indeed," admitted Shino. "As to the 'hidden meaning' of this test, I take it that you know of such?"
"Yes," said Hinata. "Kiba? Are you okay?"
"Pepper bomb," wheezed Kiba. "Ack!"
"She's researched us, knows our strengths and how to avoid them, knows our weaknesses and how to exploit them," pointed out Hinata as Shino sat down nearby.
Shino was quiet for a moment. "I attempted to tag her with a female insect so that I could track her."
"She was never here, that was a shadow clone," said Hinata. "A... friend of mine uses those."
"Ah," said Shino. "I have directed sentries out to indicate when she reappears."
"All three of us have scouting abilities," mused Hinata out loud. "So I expect she wants us to find her."
"Pardon me, but in the Academy you hardly ever spoke and seemed to try and blend into the background," said Shino.
"You're wondering if I'm actually Kurenai-sensei under an illusion?" asked Hinata, blinking her pale eyes.
"The thought did occur to me," admitted Shino.
"Kiba-san," said Hinata, throwing a bottle of water from her pack at the boy. "Use this to clear your face."
"Are you?" asked Shino.
"No," said Hinata. "This is a mission. Someone precious to me talked to me about maintaining a mission-mindset and how to focus on that. It is quite useful. Byakugan!"
"Do you see our instructor?" asked Shino.
"Yes," said Hinata. "Can you direct your swarm to flank her, and then we can have Kiba attack directly?"
"Easily done if you can pinpoint her location," said Shino.
Hinata reached into her pack and pulled a battered-looking mask out, then brought it to her face.
Feathers seemed to erupt from the mask as it changed from featureless to fanciful, the stream of feathers swirling around her and partially concealing her from view. A cloak appeared behind her, the design suggesting wings. Hinata's clothing also changed, her previous set seeming to fade out as another set faded in - becoming less bulky and seeming to blend into the scenery somehow.
Shino's eyebrows were both visible due to the amount he'd raised them.
Owl Girl unfurled a scroll which shifted to become an area map. "This is what my Byakugan reveals about the area."
"Your... friend provided this to you?" asked Shino.
"Yes," said Owl Girl.
"Fascinating," said Shino.
"Justice Log 00742: Supplemental.
A snag in the steps required for my quest has appeared. Paired together with White Fox and Normal Girl, we fight for the right to take our stand on the central stage as full ninja. Our opponent: the jonin Kakashi Hatake. The Bell Test is the given exam, as predicted.
Now, if it doesn't distress Normal Girl too much, we are setting things up for Gambit 4.
Kakashi Hatake HAD read up a bit on his charges, because he HAD heard a few concerning things. Therefore he wasn't surprised that much by what was going on.
The ANBU files were most helpful as the ANBU had more complete information. The school records, on the other side of the scale, were completely useless and had very little to do with reality.
Kakashi moved his head slightly, allowing a set of razor-edged chakra-enhanced playing cards to imbed themselves in a tree. As opposed to shaving his head or worse.
He was only slightly surprised when the cards didn't explode.
Since the next barrage came from directly behind him, he supposed Naruto was using "foxhole" - which was a variation of the kawarimi from what he understood.
The next one came from directly in front of him, which he supposed was an attempt to get him to expect the next barrage from a set pattern. Which was silly, of course. His eye widened though as he realized that one of the cards that had just passed him had puffed out into a shadow clone, which had just been substituted with the real Naruto, who was now unleashing a taijutsu attack from point-blank range into his blind spot.
Really, for a genin fresh out of the Academy, that wasn't bad at all. Needed some polish, but not bad.
"Is that all you've got?" asked Kakashi as he idly tossed the "White Fox of Konoha" at a tree.
"I thought you'd never ask," said the Fox, making a particular set of hand seals as he flipped to land on his feet and bounced away. Dozens of Naruto appeared and rushed forward in a swarm.
Shadow clones? "A dozen times nothing is still-" began Kakashi as he idly began a sweeping attack that would have destroyed at least four of the clones.
BOOM BOOM BOOMITY BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Kakashi Hatake blinked as the shadow clone of himself that he'd made to fight Naruto was dispelled. "Explosive shadow clones. Dozens of explosive shadow clones. Who used grappling wires to cut off escape routes. Is he insane?"
"Are you asking me?" asked Sakura, whose head was sticking up out of the ground while the rest of her was buried. "I think I already offered my opinion on that."
"Why do I have a feeling that if you DID pass, you'd be the Only Sane Man and Voice Of Reason?" asked Kakashi.
"I was wondering that myself," agreed Sakura.
"Well, I'll be back later, if I remember," said Kakashi before leaping off into a tree.
"Yup," said Sakura. "Only Sane One... and that apparently includes the sensei. I am SO in over my head... and talking to myself."
"Oh?" asked Sasuke as he landed nearby. "Be ready. We're going for Gambit 4."
"Wha?" asked Sakura before Sasuke leapt off into the brush again. "Wait. Still buried here."
Kakashi appeared to be reading a book, and even talking to it. "I know at least two of you are capable of working together, so I'm a little surprised you aren't doing that."
"Well, this is our chance to just go ahead and show off what we can do," admitted Naruto. "Instead of hiding what we're capable of. It's a bit of relief to cut loose actually."
"You're running out of time," pointed out Kakashi, turning a page. At which point his visible eye started spasming and he nearly fell off the stump he'd been sitting on.
"He found it," said Sasuke's voice, aware that Naruto had added a page while the jonin had been distracted.
Naruto was already flashing through hand-signs.
"Kuchiyose No Jutsu!" called out Sasuke and Naruto together as they summoned allies.
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(Posted Thu, 09 May 2013 16:18)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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