"Okay, what have you decided?" Kin asked. Kiba looked at kin. He brought Akamaru with him.
Kiba sighed. "As much as your offer of power flatters me... I love Konoha too much. I'm sorry I won't take your offer. Now... I need to bring you in" Kiba growled out at the end. He did the man-beast mimicry jutsu.
Kin sighed. "That honestly sucks. Orochimaru-same really wanted to recruit one of you. Too bad. I'm going to have to kill you now" Kin said, activating her curse mark.
Kiba and Akamaru got scared by this but they stood tall. "I won't let you scare me," Kiba growled.
'Okay time to step in" I said. I threw a kunai at kin. It raised her cheek as she dodged.
"Who did that?" She wondered.
I stepped in. In my blank mask and black coat(the cloak was too expensive sadly) "It was I" I announced.
"Hey don't butt in!" Kiba exclaimed Before I looked at him.
I clapped. "Pal I'm here to kick your opponent's ass for you and you're mad," I said disappointedly. I was impressed Kiba decided not to defect
Kin laughed. "You really think you can beat me? With the gift Orochimaru-sama gave me I can easily beat the both of you" Kin sneered. I laughed just like kin did.
"Your master must see something special in you 'cause I don't," I said. I wasn't impressed by kin. At all.
"You are a fool then," Kin simply said before rushing at me. Fast.
I was shocked by her speed but not for long. I dodged her first hit and grabbed her arm. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. You think you can hit me?" I asked. She must have been really cocky to think that would work
"That's not what I was going for," Kin said smugly. Suddenly I felt a fist crash into my stomach. Hard. This was worse than naruto and ino hitting me at once...
"You got one good hit, that's all," I said, brushing myself off with a lot of effort.
"Hmph"
I rushed at kin once more, activating sprinting. I quickly got a good hit at her solar plexus. But she stood there unphased for the most part. "What the actual fuck" I said mouth agape although it couldn't be seen. Who the fuck just shrugs that off?
"Hahaha, that's all you got?" The girl asked grabbing my arm
"Don't underestimate me!" I exclaimed Trying to sweep out her legs. I used my free arm to grab a kunai and try to stab her. She grabbed my arm before my kunai could enter her flesh. Her grip was as good as mine. I grit my teeth. I glared at her but she couldn't see it
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You think you can hit me?" She asked, mimicking my question from before. I headbutted her nose. Breaking it.
"Don't let your guard down," I laughed out loud.
"Bastard" She threw me away as kiba watched in horror. He hadn't done shit the entire time.
'I'm going to kick her ass' I thought in glee. "Let's dance shall we?" I said before running at her with renewed vigor. I poised a fist for her face ready to knock some teeth out.
"Dance?" She asked as she grabbed my fist. She used her other hand to set her nose.
"Figure of speech," I said, grabbing a kunai from my punch and throwing it. She grabbed her own kunai and blocked it before it could hit.
"Your attacks are weak. You should just give up" Kin mocked. She began crushing my wrist.
"Oh no you don't you bitch" I said pulling out my spiked club from my inventory. Nobody would be here to see it other than kiba so who cares. I swung it at her quickly and she let go before she could get hit. Smart move.
"What the fuck was that?" Both kin and Kiba asked at once.
I smiled under my mask. I grabbed some shuriken out of my pouch. "Oh, that was just none of your business. Now you must either get the fuck out of here or you need to do something" I said. This made kin mad. I threw the shuriken at kin with my free hand.
Kin blocked most of them but one. It hit her leg. "Of course," She said. The mark quickly healed the damage dealt. "That won't happen again," She said, pulling out some senbon.
I flipped her off. "Really? Of course, it will!" I exclaimed happily. Sure Kin could break my ribs easily. But I wouldn't let that happen.
"You really have a big ego don't you?" the girl asked.
"Nah" I simply said now rushing back at the girl with my club in hand.
"Hah that won't work, idiot," Kiba shouted from the sidelines.
"Sure it won't" I said as I smashed the club into her skull. "Sucks to suck" I grinned.
*Poof!*
"Oh shit kawarimi," I said As I saw a bunch of tiny splinters instead of blood and brains.
"Haha... Face it dumbass I'm better than you. You should just give up here" Kin laughed. "You got lucky last time. That won't happen again" Kin said as her nose just fully healed.
"Come on," I muttered. I wouldn't back down. I was just beginning to have my fun. Maybe I should activate one of my skills? Nah i already used sprinting for a few seconds. I need some time to regain my energy points. Hm... chakra can enhance the body.
New skill unlocked: Chakra enhancement
Chakra enhancement lvl 1.
Increases user's physical stats by 10%
Cost 25 chakra points per second
Wow how convenient. With the cost, I should have... 13 or so seconds. Good enough. I rushed at kin once more continuing the dance of death. Kin grabbed my leg this time.
"For the last time. No matter how hard you try you can't win" Kin said in annoyance.' Sprinting' I called mentally. I punch headed straight to her head. It hit. It hurt. I pulled my hand back.
'I'm starting to think I'm way in over my head... I need to end this quickly then.
I rushed back at kin with a goal in my mind. Win.
"You have got to be kidding me," I said. My son had come to me telling me that his friend went off to fight a classmate who was a spy with Orochimaru's curse mark. I felt like smacking him for not telling someone right away.
"Troublesome I know. I wish I was kidding" My son said tiredly.
I sighed. We needed to go to the Hokage fast. "You stay home with your mother. I need to inform the hokage so we can get your friend help quickly" I said sternly. Shikamaru straightened up fast. Good.
"Okay," He said simply but I knew he was hiding something.
"You're not planning something aren't you?" I asked. I knew that look. It was rare but he still had fire in him.
"Nope"
I sighed "You better not try anything while I'm gone," I said before leaving. I needed a drink.
"You have got to be kidding me," The Hokage said.
"I know," Shikaku replied. "I said the exact same thing to my son"
Hiruzen sighed "Of course, he'd pull something so reckless. I shouldn't have scared him that much" the Hokage told the jonin commander. "Only my wayward student would plant a spy directly into the academy. Nobody would suspect that"
"We need to send some anbu out now. Check for more spies and detain kin tsuchi" Shikaku said and hiruzen nodded.
"ANBU. Go search and background check every academy student. Look for more spies as well. And someone detain Kin tsuchi before she kills kukui tanku" Hirzen ordered.
A bunch of anbu appeared and nodded at their orders. They quickly left once more.
"We need to check for holes in our defense as well. If Orochimaru got in a spy already, there is most likely more, `` Shikaku said.
"I agree. My former student would most likely have more spies sprinkled into our ranks as well" Hiruzen mused. "Someone call a council meeting" Hiruzen ordered once more.
"I'll do that sir," Shikaku said quickly leaving the room.
"Thank you shikaku," Hiruzen said as the man left. Oh, how he wished he took care of Orochimaru when he had the chance. His student had been proving to be troublesome in recent years. Shinobi have been going missing. Information has been leaking. So much had gone wrong in recent years. He couldn't prove it but he had a feeling that his wayward student had been behind all of it.
Hiruzen pulled out a glass orb. The very same one he's been using to keep track of naruto.
He locked on to Kukui's chakra signature.
Hiruzen saw Kukui fighting a cursed mark enhanced kin tsuchi with a club. He looked injured. Cracked ribs maybe? and a broken arm. The boy was wearing a root-esque mask along with a coat that looked torn and bloodied. Kin looked tired but relatively fine other than some blood
Kukui grabbed the girl's arm before she could hit him. A look of pain could be seen on the girl's face as her wrist was most likely shattered. Hiruzen watched in sadness as kukui was punched away. This could have been avoided had he told someone.
But kukui wasn't weak. He rose once more. The girl shouted something hiruzen couldn't hear sadly. The orb had restrictions.
"Once again my student causes unnecessary violence" Hiruzen sighed. He had let things like this go on for far too long. It was time for some changes.
Hiruzen watched the boy grab his club once more and rush back at his enemy. He threw shuriken with ninja wire tying them together at kin. Kin didn't see the ninja wire and she got cut deeply. She quickly broke out. The curse mark would regenerate the wounds but for now, the playing field was more even
"Everyone is in the council room. They are wondering why the meeting was called this late though" Shikaku said.
"Okay. Let us go then" Hiruzen said before shunshining away
"Yes sir"
"That was more effective than I thought," I said. The ninja wire was the most damage I had landed so far. The girl's strength was now at least halved whilst she healed.
"That hurt," Kin whined in anger. I smiled. Serves her right for breaking my fucking arm. I was in over my head. Kiba was knocked out after he tried to help. He gave me time to cause this at least. I looked at my opponent. This was a life-or-death battle. I didn't want to die again. I set my arm as best as I could now that I had the time.
"That's the point. Now let's continue our little dance shall we?" I asked raggedly. I was tired. I wanted a nap. And I wanted to get something to eat. Everything hurt like hell
"What's with you and dancing?" Kin finally asked. I had been waiting for that question from someone
I looked at myself and then at her. "The dance of death, the thrill of the battle, the taste of my own blood. It's all so exciting. So thrilling" I explained. I discovered I loved fighting. The taste of defeat was sour but the ride to possibly getting there was oh so sweet. Even though I could quite possibly lose. I definitely was in over my head. I'm fighting someone with a fucking curse mark not some low-level academy student. Of course, kin was bound to be dangerous.
"Thats dumb. Why would you want to feel pain? Are you some sick sadist?" Kin asked. She was trying to buy time. I lunged at the girl club in hand.
"Nope! I just love to feel alive" I howled out swinging my club with vigor. Kin was blocking with a kunai. Of course, it couldn't be easy. That tanto would have been really nice
We traded blows for a while. Nothing could hit. Kin kept getting faster and faster. Damn healing.
I jumped back as kin closely followed. I quickly grabbed a kunai and threw it at her stomach. I was going for the kill
*Clang*
It was blocked
"I admit your better than I thought you were. To keep up with me for this long it's just so impressive for someone who doesn't have Orochimaru-sama's gift" Kin said, praising my skill.
"Well, I was underprepared. You're far stronger than I thought. Shame on me for letting my ego go to my head" I said. I had become an egotistical bastard. It's costing me now.
"Well since you have proven yourself strong. I think you deserve to see something. Orochimaru sama's true gift" Kin said. The curse mark spread further along her body. Her hair grew longer and it turned gray. She hunched over slightly as she grew a tail with a stinger on it. Skin turned slightly scaly and grayish. Her sclera turned black with white pupils. "Haha this is the power I was given by Orochimaru-sama!" Kin exclaimed as I looked on in horror. I couldn't fight that.
"What the absolute fucking hell is that" I asked rhetorically.
"Oh you don't like it?" The now mutated girl asked
"Of course I fucking don't like it. You mutated your body for power!" I exclaimed. This was just... disgusting. It was one thing to see it animated but in real life. It was horrifying. I honestly pitied the poor girl. Orochimaru really was a grade-A asshole.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I didn't do this. Orochimaru-sama is the one who gave me this gift. Now watch and feel this incredible power!" The girl exclaimed as he came barreling toward me. I quickly dodged a flurry of ever-increasing blows with ever-increasing speed. 'I hope someone gets here fast' I thought. Suddenly I was grabbed by the girl's tail.
She pinned me down to the ground as I couldn't move... 'GG' i thought
"You wanted the dance of death huh? Well I'll do you one better" Kin said, pulling out a kunai. "Any last words"
I put my pinky finger on the ground as I closed my eyes. Thankfully my hand was able to move. I felt a chakra signature enter my range. "I'll see you later," I said. Suddenly three anbu appeared surrounding me and kin.
"Oh shit... you were stalling," Kin said, now realizing what had happened. She quickly thrust the kunai into my stomach. "You'll die for that," She said as she dropped me. I felt a stinging hot pain in my stomach.
"Shit!" I exclaimed. I began to see darkness surround me. 'I deserve this. My ego cost me' I thought. I could give up and let darkness consume me. I tried to get back up but one of the anbu noticed.
"Kid, don't get up your injured. " The male anbu said, stabbing into kin's arm. as his comrades cut off her tail and tried to restrain her
"My dance isn't over yet" I spat out some blood but I collapsed. 'NO, NO, NO, THIS CAN'T BE IT' My mind screamed in anguish.
Darkness consumed my vision
"What do we do about the tsuchi girl then? Do we kill her? or do we imprison her?"
"I think we should execute her. She is a spy after all"
"No, she's still a child. Imprisonment and having their chakra sealed permanently makes more sense"
"Enough. We aren't here to talk about kin tsuchi only. We are here to talk about our defense as a whole. Konoha's defense has been lacking in the past few years. Our gate guards have gotten lazy and we are lacking some of our strongest ninjas"
"You're right. Your students seem to have all left us. Jiraya is always gone and your other students are no longer loyal"
"Tsunade is still loyal I can assure you. I can have jiraiya look for her now act-"
"With all do respect hokage-sama every time you say that neither of your students come back"
"Yeah. Tension is at an all-time high and without some of our heavy hitters we look weaker than the other nations"
"We need to have better shinobi and stronger shinobi too. We can't rely on my students forever"
"Well we need to overhaul the academy then. In the last few years nearly half of the academy's graduates have been killed"
"Our children are going to be shinobi in two years. We need them to be prepared as well. Along with the jinchuuriki and the newest prodigy. Our system needs to be fixed"
"But we are in an era of peace. Surely our children can have some more time to enjoy their childhoods!"
"Peace is fickle. It won't last forever. We need to prepare the young generation for war and make sure we have a good enough defense so we can continue to protect them"
"I agree. We need to make sure the next generation has the right resources to defend themselves and konoha. In fact I already have some ideas. One single lap around a giant space isn't enough hiruzen"
"You have been thinking about this for a long time have you?"
"I was preparing to bring the issue of the next generation being weak up in our next meeting actually"
"So it's decided. We're overhauling the academy curriculum and we are fortifying our defenses"
"Finally a good decision"
"Finally what do you mean?"
"Can someone brew a pot of coffee then?"
"Sure. It's going to be a long night"
An anbu shunshined into the room. "Hokage-sama!"
"Oh what now?"
"Squad 3 detained Kin tsuchi. They also brought kiba inuzuka and Kukui tanku to the hospital. It appears they tried to fight her. Kiba should be clear to leave by tomorrow, but Kukui is in critical condition"
"Wait kiba's in the hospital"
"Yeah someone please get that coffee"
"Quickly"
I felt groggy. Where was I? I opened my eyes and noticed I was in the hospital. A white roof greeted me. I was never more happy to see the color white than I was now.
Quest complete: Survive your first fight!
Rewards
Random skill scroll: Basic kenjutsu lvl 1
Okay that's just a fuck you from the game 'I almost die and this is what I get. A skill that's useless to me now and a skill I would have loved to have when I fought kin' I thought angrily at the game. But I couldn't be too mad. I had learned something valuable. Ego is the downfall of everyone. I wasn't even safe from it.
"You woke up sooner than expected," said a voice to my side. I looked and saw the hokage.
I stiffened for a second but I quickly relaxed. "Hello, hokage-sama. I assume I am in trouble" I said. I knew the risks when telling Shikamaru to tell someone about the situation. I'm just happy I didn't die... Again.
Hiruzen sighed. "No kukui-kun you are not in trouble. I would have appreciated it if you told me about kin right away though" Hiruzen said sternly.
I nodded and sat up. " May I ask why your here and how long I was out?" I asked. I had to get back to training as soon as possible. Everything needed to be done. Screw the consequences of chakra training early. Kawarimi would have saved my ass so many times
"You were out for only a day. We expected closer to a week. As for why I'm here, well you helped bring down a spy and a threat for Konoha. This counts as pay for a B rank mission" Hiruzen handed me an envelope. 200,000 ryo. "Also you and your classmates have a week off from the academy. Then you're going to need to take a new test" Hiruzen said.
"H-Holy... this is a lot... You could have had an anbu hand me this or just a regular shinobi actually. I'm sure you have more important things to do sir" I said. "Also what do you mean by new test?" I asked curiously. I wanted to know what in the seven layers of hell happened whilst I was out. Also, I was buying myself something nice later. N new apartment and some new clothes along with a nice tanto.
"I could but even with shadow clones paperwork is getting to be too much. You wouldn't happen to have another trick wouldn't you?" Hiruzen asked hopefully.
"Hm... More clones are the only choice I see here personally" I said.
Hiruzen sighed. "I tried that sadly. It didn't work" Hiruzen said, slumping down for a second. "Anyways As for your second question. After your little fight and a council meeting, we elected to overhaul the academy curriculum so new genin would be more prepared for the world
My face scrunched up in thought for a second 'So the council is canon here' I thought before nodding. "That makes sense. The academy curriculum is easy compared to the generation of the nidaime hokage" I said.
"That was the general consensus that was reached," Hiruzen said. "Well, kukui-kun I need to go. Paperwork sadly can't do itself anymore" Hiruzen said sadly as he shunshined away.
I looked down at the envelope again and grinned. My money issues were solved until I could actually become a shinobi.
*Knock, knock, knock* I heard.
"Come in," I said as the door quietly opened. I saw one Shikamaru nara enter my hospital room.
"Hello Shikamaru," I said calmly.
"You got one too?" Shikamaru asked seeing my envelope.
"Yeah. It was a painful way to get money though" I said.
"You let your ego cloud your judgment, didn't you?" Shikamaru asked disappointed
"Yeah... I really was way in over my head" I said rubbing the back of my head. "It was fun though" I added on
"Idiot. At least you learned your lesson, I hope" Shikamaru said. He set up a shogi board and I made the first move.
"I did. I was an idiot. I was weak. I need to be stronger" I said. Shikamaru sighed. "She kicked my ass badly. She activated this weird form and then she kicked my ass" I finished.
"That's bad huh? You should take it easy every once in a while. But if you want to train that bad then go ahead as long as I don't have to join you" Shikamaru said. He quickly beat me once more.
"You should try putting in some effort sometimes. This world is harsh and cruel. Kin was a weaker opponent. We need to be prepared" I told the pineapple-haired boy
"What makes you think like that? We are in peacetime now, " Shikamaru asked. I sighed.
"Well we're in a time of peace now but that changes. Peace is a fickle thing. We can't be sure when a war's going to start" I said moving a piece on the board.
"That makes sense. But what if we're lucky though? We might just be lucky and ther-" I cut the Nara off.
"There'll be a war. Every generation since Konoha's founding has experienced war. Our village was severely weakened after the kyuubi attack. We need to be prepared" I said. Shikamaru nodded.
"I guess that makes sense. But we shouldn't be so negative" Shikamaru offered his opinion.
"Wake up to reality. We are training to become killers. Negativity is a given in our chosen line of work" I offered my opinion.
"That... I need to think about that." The nara said. For once he couldn't think of anything on the spot.
"Ask your father about the world. Ask him to show you reality" I told my shogi partner.
"How do you know about "reality" then?" Shikamaru asked
"I almost died. Twice. That changes people" I said adding on 'I did die once too' Mentally.
"I guess I'll ask him later," Shikamaru shrugged.
We continued to play shogi for three hours before he left.
"I have a lot to think about," I said aloud.