[TN][O] Hishimoto's Test: A Sparing Match

A day had passed since Alex's weird incident with the Transformation Jutsu. Hishimoto had instructed them to meet again at the Park in Town Square. Alex arrived a few moments early with Tai. He stood facing his teammate and bestfriend

"Just be prepared to do what is necessary should I transform into something I can't control. This is my first time using th Transformation Jutsu since I mastered Kunai Rage Jutsu," Alex said, as he closed his fists and extended the two forefingers on each hand an foring a cross with them.

In his mind, Alex pictured Tai. From His friend's spiked hair and deep green eyes to the Kwondo Clan's famous neon yellow clothing and Tai's black combat boots.

"Transform!" Alex shouted, as his chakra spiraled around his body, fading to leave him as Tai's clone. Everything matched Tai, including the positioning of the pouches that carried Tai's shuriken

"Explain to me again, why you chose me? Why didn't you ask Kairi to come watch you test your Transformation Jutsu?" Tai asked, as he tossed a shuriken towards his clone.

"Because, Kairi wouldn't have been able to do the unthinkable if I lost control of the jutsu like I did against Asher," Alex said, his voice mocking Tai's.

Alex then cancelled the jutsu

"Thank you Tai. I'm going to do it once more. This time I will try the wolf and see if anything weird happens," Alex said forming the cross oce again with his fingers as he mentally pictured the timber wolf. "TRANSFORM!

Again, Alex's chakra spiraled around him, as changes occured to his body. He fell to all fours ad became a normal wolf.

"Told you nothing would happen. You just got carried away trying to impress The Royal Families," Tai said as Alex canceled the jutsu

A sound to Alex's right and Tai's left, caused them to turn towards it simultanously. They both prepared for a fight, drawing their respective weapons, only to find Kairi approaching them. She blushed a bit.

"S-Sorry you guys. I didn't mean to interrupt. Its time to meet with Hishimoto-Sensei," She called.

Alex and Tai nodded as they joined her to the center of Konoha Park. They found Hishimoto-Sensei sitting cross-legged atop a telephone pole that had been cut in half. He was reading a book entitled: Dances With Shinobi by some author called Hikami Shogo. Upon their arrival, he casually put the book on his lap and looked at his pupils.

"So you three are ready for the next phase of my test. Very well, look around you and study this terrain," Hishimoto stated.

Alex looked around him, to see that the pole Hishimoto-Sensei as sitting on was the middle of three poles. This area seemed familiar to him but he wasn't sure why.

"This is the testing field for many genin cells. My cell's first test is going to be your first test. You will have forty-eight hours to come at me with everything you have. Be prepared to kill if needed. You goal is capture this," Hishimoto said, brandishing a gold plated box.

He placed the box on the pole beside him.

"You may use any jutsu you have learned. All traps and items are usable as well. The test begins in one hour. I have prepared all that I am going to prepare, but it seems an unlikely advantage, so I'm going to allow you to prepare for one hour. I am turning my communicator off, so that I do not hear your plans" Hishimoto said.

Alex, Tai, and Kairi split up and ran off in different directions.

(OOC: Starting with my next post until the end of this topic, any character whose speech is inside these <> symbols is coming from the communicator. The color of the character's speech will remain the same.)

< Okay, everyone in position? > Tai's voice came across the communicator in Alex's ear.

Alex couldn't respond, with him being so close to Hishimoto's position. Tai's plan was for an all out ambush. Tai would begin the ambush from the front, with one of his standard clones providing cover from the right, as Kairi and one of her standard clones would strike from the rear and left. Alex would come from a nearby tree, with his Kunai Rage Jutsu and strike from above. This didn't include Hishimoto's traps though. Tai had forgotten that tid bit of information.

< Tai, Alex. This plan is not going to work. We have his Stealth Jutsu covering several Shadow Doppelgangers. > Kairi said.

< How could you know that? > Tai asked.

Alex had a feeling he knew how. Kairi hadn't told them her selected jutsu, yet Hishimoto was testing their ability to wor as a team.

< My selected jutsu ws The Byakugan Eye. I can see chakra using it. I have a clear view of my surroundings and I can see though his Stealth Jutsu. This means he's testing our abilities to use the jutsu he selected for us to use. Tai, didn't you say you mastered Manipulated Shuriken? > Kairi asked.

< Yeah. I mastered Dual Manipulated Shuriken too. How is that going to help us? >

"Let's regoup you two and think of a new plan. We have forty-eight hours to act," Alex said, pressing the talk button on his communicator.

He backed away from his position in the tree and hurried over to a dense bush that Tai was hiding in. Kairi beat him there.

"The Shadow Doppelgangers will disperse upon contact. So if Tai could use his Dual Manipulated Shuriken, he can take those out leaving a distraction up to me and my standard clones. Once I come out into the open, my Clones and I will take the attacks, he throws at us, with Tai providing cover with his Manipulated Shuriken. Alex, you should still attack from above, but combine techniques." Kairi said.

Alex looked to Tai for some kind of compliment.

"Okay. We still move on my mark. Ruler, you should combine Kunai Rage Jutsu with Transformation and Clone Jutsus. Use Clone Jutsu and Transformation Jutsu to make copies of Kairi and I. Then have three clones use Kunai Rage Jutsu,"Tai said.

Alex nodded.

"Tai, combinations like that work well. I'll do it. Kairi, You also mastered The Gentle Fist Style? Right?" Alex asked, getting a nod from Kairi"Good. You and Tai should attack from the same direction. This way, Hishimoto will be expectng me to come from the other three directions. You can also use Rotation to deflect any projectiles he throws at you, if Tai can't stop them with his Shuriken," Alex said before they departed.

Their teamwork skills couldn't be matched. Tai and Kairi would lay out a plan and wait for input from the entire squad before moving out.

"There is one small problem, Alex. I cannot use Rotation as Genin. I would have to think of some other way to deflect anything Tai cannot block...like using my own Kunai to deflect" Kairi said.

minutes later

"I wondered what was taking you so long," Hishimoto said to Tai."I hope this isn't a display of teamwork, sending just you to try and take this box,"

Tai brandished his two shuriken, and threw them forward. Hishimoto laughed as the shuriken retracted along strings like deadly yo-yos, until he heard a distinct poof! that signaled he had lost a Shadow Doppelganger. Twice more they heard distinct poof!poof!s and Kairi appeared, her Byakugan active as the viens around her eyes were showing. Hishimoto understood now. She had told Tai where to strike.

"I still have not been defeated. I still have one more trap laid out for you that your Byakugan Eye can't see. You can both have it!"Hishimoto said, throwing a kunai with a tag bomb attached to it directly at Tai and Kairi.

Tai's controlled the shuriken to both strike the kunai thrown at them by Hishimoto from opposite sides. The Kunai exploded with a fiery blast as Tai retracted his shuriken and dove for cover, pushing Kairi down as he went.

"Tai, We've got to keep him distracted." Kairi panted.

Tai noted that the Byakugan exhausted her. He pressed his finger to the button on his communicator.

< GO! > Tai said in a low whisper.

Hishimoto directed his attention towards Tai and Kairi and began bombarding them with projectile weaponry. With Kairi standing beside him, Tai knew that Hishimoto wouldn't try any more Stealth Jutsu. This would allow Alex a direct shot.

Meanwhile...from his tree.

Alex had managed to transform two of his clones into replicas of his teammates. They each brandished Kunai and Alex used the Kunai Rage Jutsu. He leaped high and plummeted towards Hishimoto, in a head dive, with his clones following.

"Such Amatuers!" Hishimoto said.

He raised his right hand as Chakra filled the palm and began spinning. Alex sliced with his flaming kunai, until the kunai touched the spiraling chakra in Hishimoto's hand. He was stopped dead in his tracks and blasted into a tree, spinning around as he flew. Alex collided with the tree and slumped to the ground. This gave Tai the incentive to improvise on the plan as he took the time to rapidly throw several shuriken at Hishimoto, with only two of them attached to his strings. He wrapped the strings around Hishimoto's arms and pulled them back, criscrossing the wires.

"How did? Hishimoto started before Tai interrupted him.

"I filed the edges of my shuriken down so that I have two dull blades for tying up opponents I don't want to hurt. Now about that box," Tai said, reaching for the box.

"NO!!!!" Kairi yelled as Tai's hand touched the box and a series of mini-explosions were heard and seen by Kairi and Alex.

Tai landed beside Alex, his body bruised, battered, and in some areas burned from the explosions. Alex stared in disblief at Tai.

He was the best taijutsu user around. How could mini-explosions injure him so bad? It just isn't right! HOW CAN THREE FRESH FROM THE ACADEMY GENIN PREVAIL AGAINST THE STEALTH NINJA? Alex thought, slamming his fist into the ground, causing it to shatter. Chakra began discharging from his body as he stood up.

"HISHIMOTO SENSEI! FEEL THE RAGE OF MY KUNAI!" Alex shouted, as he clenched his kunai tightly."FIRE STYLE! KUNAI RAGE JUTSU!

Alex's kunai took in all of the discharging chakra and began glowin crimson red. Alex rushed forward, striking Hishimoto several times in a 'z' fashion.

"It appears as if Mister Ruler sufferes from Enhanced Rage Chakra Syndrom," Hishimoto said, from behind Kairi.

Alex turned to see Hishimoto standin there unharmed, with one hand upon Kairi's shoulder and carrying Tai's body.

"You injured Tai by rigging that box with explosives knowing Kairi couldn't see inside of it!"

"I assure you, Alex, I did not rig the box with explosives. Kairi was not close enough to see within the box a her current level of experience."

"If you're over there, then, who is this...?" Alex started to say, turning to look at the imposter.

He heard a familiar sound he had hard three times already. poof! The clone dispersed Alex looked to Hishimoto as his rage subsided. He realized at that moment, Hishimoto was carrying Tai, but Tai was not burned, bruised, or battered, just unconcious.

"Genjutsu," Alex said, lowing his head and shaking it embarassed."How could I fall for Genjutsu and Shadow Doppelgangers?"

"I noticed in each of your files that neither of the three of your specialized in Genjutsu. so I figured it wouldn't be easy for you three to recognize it. It is simple for you to learn how to recognize genjutsu and to stop its effects. First things first, you recognize genjutsu, when your opponent makes perfect eye contact for a short period of time. Depending on the skill of the opponent, the time varies." Hishimoto explained.

"Then when did you have enough time to make eye contact with all three of us?"

"Very observent. When I was explaining to you three the rules of this test, I cast the genjutsu. Then while I waited for you three to prepare, I made the Shadow Doppelganger sit in my place, surrounded by the other three covered in Stealth Jutsu. I knew Kairi's limitations with her All-Seeing Eye, so I stood just outside the parameter,"

"Wha? What happened?" Tai said, rubbing his head.

Alex was glad to see his friend okay, but knew Tai would be disappointed that their strategy had not worked.

"Hishimoto-Sensei. Zedo Squad would like one more shot at this test. We will refuse to fall for your genjutsu again," Alex stated.

"You still have time left, you get as many tries as it takes for you to obtain this box," Hishimoto responded"I have a feeling the same tactics won't work on three twice. Just know your limitations and do not try to exceed them. Teamwork is always a key fundamental. If you three would have had clones appear, to my left before, your ambush would've worked, by the way,"

Alex, Tai, and Kairi turned to prepare for their second chance....

(OOC: Kar can now reply)

Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

"Hishimoto Mouto!" a cold voice said from behind Hishimoto.

Hishimoto turned to see his old cellmate Nobuki Arakawa standing behind him. Alex, Tai, and Kairi, crashed into Kar, Neji, and Jin. Kar standing front and center. Kar stood with his arms crossed across his chest, smirking at his brother.

"Kwondo!" Jin said, smirking at Tai.

"Brother," Kar hissed, "We just returned from our first attempt at the Chuunin Exams to find you and your pathetic team playing with your sensei? It would take my team five minutes to get that box from your pathetic sensei,"

Nobuki looked at Kar and nodded slightly.

"Seeing as how our sensei happen to be former cell mates, I wanted to issue a challenge to your squad. The Deadly Alliance, Jin, Neji, and myself, would like to Challenge your squad to a match in order to earn credits for a D-rank Mission for putting on a show for some younger academy ninja. Do you think you three can handle that?" Kar asked, smiling.

"You will accept won't you Kwondo?" Jin asked, as he too smiled.

"Nobuki Arakawa. Genjutsu Specialist. Nice of you to allow your students to play. I do not remember inviting you to crash this training session," Hishimoto stated, facing his former cell mate.

Alex clenched his fist upon hearing Kar's challenge. He knew that The Chuunin Exams tested every technique Kar and his cellmates had learned and if they had failed, then it was extremely tough. Alex remembered watching Kar's training sessions.

"A D-Rank Mission? That involves a fight between our cells? Zedo Squad, what do you say?" Alex asked turning to his teammates.


Tai and Kairi looked on fiercly before they answered in unison

"WE ACCEPT!"

Hishimoto smiled. He knew his students were ready, but he wasn't about to admit that to them. He stared intently at Nobuki.

"I suppose you are fine with this D-Rank mission, right?" Hishimoto asked"Choose a time and place. We have training to finish before nightfall,"

"Hishimoto, I agree with the terms of this challenge. It would give our children the experience of operating a combat situation on their feet. I mean even though my children are far more experienced and prepare then your three," Nobuki stated, as he gingerly approached Hishimoto.

"Besides, brother, you aren't afraid to fight us are you? The one who was bragging about making Ma and Pa regret sending you to lower house? Maybe that's why you are in the lower house, because your a coward," Kar said, slapping hands with Jin and Neji.

"I wish to fight the girl. She seems to be the only worthy one worth fighting," Jin said.

"I want your brother, Kar, you can have Kwondo" Neji spoke, breaking his unusual silence.

"We'll wait until the kiddies finish their training before we hold these matches, is that okay?" Kar asked, turning to leave without hearing an answer.

Nobuki also vanished with a slight poof as a puff smoke surrounded his body.