Gatoh sneered. "It's a good job I never planned to pay you anything, Zabusa... you and your apprentice are both useless!"
Zabusa snarled and pulled out a kunai but before he could do anything, a shadow crept out from beneath the bridge, where even muted by the mist, the sun still cast deep shadows, and seized at his ankles.
"What!" the shipping magnate gasped. "I can't move!"
Eerie laughter came from behind him and a shadowy shape appeared at the unfinished end of the bridge, almost featureless, a gray shape whose edges were blurred by the mists. "What evil lurks in the hearts of men?" boomed the spectre. "The Shadow knows..." he laughed, advancing upon the frozen Gatoh, who was slolwy forced to turn his head until he could see the figure out of the corner of his eye.
"Protect me!" Gatoh screamed at his men, who wavered between attacking the ninja at one end of the bridge or the weird enitity at the other. None of them recognised the ninja sign for 'hurry' sketched by one hand of the new arrival.
Neshan and Katsu charged, naginata and gauntlet ripping into the front rank of the thugs. A moment later, Zabusa and Kakashi came to some mutual agreement and followed the genin, kunai flashing in their hands. Kakashi fought coolly, efficiently keeping the thugs from the backs of the younger ninja as they crashed through the crowd; but Zabusa was recklessness incarnate, bleeding from a dozen wounds as he overtook them and headed for his target. "Gatoh!" he howled. "I'm coming for you!"
"Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea," gloated the spectre that had almost reached Gatoh. It flicked it's hand and a long scythe of some pale material materialised in it's hand. One of the thugs drive a spear at it, but a moment later his head was bouncing along the bridge as his body collapsed to the floor.
The spectre laughed again and one of the thugs ran to the side of the bridge and jumped off it, hoping that the water would be more hospitable. Others followed him, abandoning Gatoh to his fate and their comrades to the mercy of the ninja.
From beneath the bridge, hanging by his feet from one of the pylons, Shikanenai restrained his chuckles at the sight of Gatoh's men splashing towards the shore or their boats, completely demoralised. He couldn't really spare the attention after all, maintaining the shadow binding on Gatoh and the Kage Bushin that was menacing the man with an origami weapon was demanding a lot of his concentration.
----------------------------------------------------
Shikanenai looked at his opponent and then shrugged. "I'm going to give you a chance to surrender now," he said in a clear voice, "While you still have your dignity. Because I warn you now - I've already won this battle."
His opponent snorted. "You've got a big head, leaf-nin. But you're way out of your league."
The spiky-haired ninja smirked. "Okay then - how about we settle this with a simple wager? If you meet my challenge, I'll concede. If you fail... well, I don't think that you'll be in any condition to continue. But if you want to fight it out then I'll humour you."
The Sand-nin hesitated, looking for the trap. "What's your challenge?" he asked.
"Henge no jutsu," Shikanenai said. "I bet that you can't use a henge to disguise yourself as me."
"What!?"
Shikanenai raised his eyebrows. "Want me to repeat myself? Having trouble hearing me under that get-up of yours?"
"Hah!" Kankuro snorted. "You can't even dream of how good my henge is! We'll be so alike your own mother could't tell the difference!" His hands flickered through the seals and ninja smoke began to form around him, only to dissipate as a sudden sensation stripped away his concentration. "What the - !?" he yelped incredulously. In desperation, the ninja removed his wraps, revealing that the 'Kankuro' who faced Shikanenai was merely a puppet and that it was the the bundle on the puppet's back that was the Kazekage's eldest son. He clutched at his belly in a panic and then fell to his knees. "Oh gods, oh gods," he gasped before decorating the floor with his breakfast. "What did you do to me, you bastard!?"
Not far from the two boys, Shiranui Genma sniffed the air and grimaced. Whatever Shikanenai had done, it was evident that Kankuro had done his pants.
There was a gurgling sound from Kankuro's belly and a horrified expression crossed his face. "Stop it!"
"You know what to say," Shikanenai replied evenly. "Just two little words." He tilted his head to one side and examined the boy smugly. "You might want to hurry..."
"I SURRENDER!" Kankuro shouted. "I quit! Just stop it!"
Shikanenai glanced at Genma, who nodded. "Please do," requested the jounin. "It's quite unpleasent."
"Maa..." Shikanenai sighed and made a mental note to thank Katsu for the nose plugs. "Listen, Kankuro. Do a Horse seal and channel a little chakra. That should sort you out."
Groaning and twitching, trying to ignore what was happening to him, Kankuro complied. Almost immediately, the sensations began to fade away, although he was still faced with the consequences. No longer distracted by his situation, it only took him a few minutes to deduce how Shikanenai had achieved the effect. "You utter bastard," he gasped. "I wouldn't have believed that even a Leaf-nin would sink to it."
"Now, now," Shikanenai said. "I wouldn't suggest that you try to channel any of your chakra for a couple of hours. And you'd probably better not have any solid foods today either."
Genma looked dubious, the crowd above them muttering uncertainly. "That is a bit low," he observed. "You're supposed to fight him, you know."
Shikanenai shrugged. "We were given a month to prepare," he said reasonably. "Sneaking a chakra-sensitive drug into his breakfast this morning struck me as a very effective form of preparation. It wasn't easy either, I can assure you."
The muttering from above seemed split between anger at the failure of the fight to involve actual fighting and amusement at the plight of the Sand-nin. A ripple of chuckles was spreading as Genma shurgged and upheld the victory.
Up on the highest balcony, the Kazekage turned to look at the Hokage. "That's an interesting approach..." he murmured, his face impossible to read behind its veil. The Hokage simply grunted and tugged the brim of his hat lower over his face.
"Weak," muttered Gaara of the Desert from his place among the other finalists.
D for Drakensis
You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.
Zabusa snarled and pulled out a kunai but before he could do anything, a shadow crept out from beneath the bridge, where even muted by the mist, the sun still cast deep shadows, and seized at his ankles.
"What!" the shipping magnate gasped. "I can't move!"
Eerie laughter came from behind him and a shadowy shape appeared at the unfinished end of the bridge, almost featureless, a gray shape whose edges were blurred by the mists. "What evil lurks in the hearts of men?" boomed the spectre. "The Shadow knows..." he laughed, advancing upon the frozen Gatoh, who was slolwy forced to turn his head until he could see the figure out of the corner of his eye.
"Protect me!" Gatoh screamed at his men, who wavered between attacking the ninja at one end of the bridge or the weird enitity at the other. None of them recognised the ninja sign for 'hurry' sketched by one hand of the new arrival.
Neshan and Katsu charged, naginata and gauntlet ripping into the front rank of the thugs. A moment later, Zabusa and Kakashi came to some mutual agreement and followed the genin, kunai flashing in their hands. Kakashi fought coolly, efficiently keeping the thugs from the backs of the younger ninja as they crashed through the crowd; but Zabusa was recklessness incarnate, bleeding from a dozen wounds as he overtook them and headed for his target. "Gatoh!" he howled. "I'm coming for you!"
"Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea," gloated the spectre that had almost reached Gatoh. It flicked it's hand and a long scythe of some pale material materialised in it's hand. One of the thugs drive a spear at it, but a moment later his head was bouncing along the bridge as his body collapsed to the floor.
The spectre laughed again and one of the thugs ran to the side of the bridge and jumped off it, hoping that the water would be more hospitable. Others followed him, abandoning Gatoh to his fate and their comrades to the mercy of the ninja.
From beneath the bridge, hanging by his feet from one of the pylons, Shikanenai restrained his chuckles at the sight of Gatoh's men splashing towards the shore or their boats, completely demoralised. He couldn't really spare the attention after all, maintaining the shadow binding on Gatoh and the Kage Bushin that was menacing the man with an origami weapon was demanding a lot of his concentration.
----------------------------------------------------
Shikanenai looked at his opponent and then shrugged. "I'm going to give you a chance to surrender now," he said in a clear voice, "While you still have your dignity. Because I warn you now - I've already won this battle."
His opponent snorted. "You've got a big head, leaf-nin. But you're way out of your league."
The spiky-haired ninja smirked. "Okay then - how about we settle this with a simple wager? If you meet my challenge, I'll concede. If you fail... well, I don't think that you'll be in any condition to continue. But if you want to fight it out then I'll humour you."
The Sand-nin hesitated, looking for the trap. "What's your challenge?" he asked.
"Henge no jutsu," Shikanenai said. "I bet that you can't use a henge to disguise yourself as me."
"What!?"
Shikanenai raised his eyebrows. "Want me to repeat myself? Having trouble hearing me under that get-up of yours?"
"Hah!" Kankuro snorted. "You can't even dream of how good my henge is! We'll be so alike your own mother could't tell the difference!" His hands flickered through the seals and ninja smoke began to form around him, only to dissipate as a sudden sensation stripped away his concentration. "What the - !?" he yelped incredulously. In desperation, the ninja removed his wraps, revealing that the 'Kankuro' who faced Shikanenai was merely a puppet and that it was the the bundle on the puppet's back that was the Kazekage's eldest son. He clutched at his belly in a panic and then fell to his knees. "Oh gods, oh gods," he gasped before decorating the floor with his breakfast. "What did you do to me, you bastard!?"
Not far from the two boys, Shiranui Genma sniffed the air and grimaced. Whatever Shikanenai had done, it was evident that Kankuro had done his pants.
There was a gurgling sound from Kankuro's belly and a horrified expression crossed his face. "Stop it!"
"You know what to say," Shikanenai replied evenly. "Just two little words." He tilted his head to one side and examined the boy smugly. "You might want to hurry..."
"I SURRENDER!" Kankuro shouted. "I quit! Just stop it!"
Shikanenai glanced at Genma, who nodded. "Please do," requested the jounin. "It's quite unpleasent."
"Maa..." Shikanenai sighed and made a mental note to thank Katsu for the nose plugs. "Listen, Kankuro. Do a Horse seal and channel a little chakra. That should sort you out."
Groaning and twitching, trying to ignore what was happening to him, Kankuro complied. Almost immediately, the sensations began to fade away, although he was still faced with the consequences. No longer distracted by his situation, it only took him a few minutes to deduce how Shikanenai had achieved the effect. "You utter bastard," he gasped. "I wouldn't have believed that even a Leaf-nin would sink to it."
"Now, now," Shikanenai said. "I wouldn't suggest that you try to channel any of your chakra for a couple of hours. And you'd probably better not have any solid foods today either."
Genma looked dubious, the crowd above them muttering uncertainly. "That is a bit low," he observed. "You're supposed to fight him, you know."
Shikanenai shrugged. "We were given a month to prepare," he said reasonably. "Sneaking a chakra-sensitive drug into his breakfast this morning struck me as a very effective form of preparation. It wasn't easy either, I can assure you."
The muttering from above seemed split between anger at the failure of the fight to involve actual fighting and amusement at the plight of the Sand-nin. A ripple of chuckles was spreading as Genma shurgged and upheld the victory.
Up on the highest balcony, the Kazekage turned to look at the Hokage. "That's an interesting approach..." he murmured, his face impossible to read behind its veil. The Hokage simply grunted and tugged the brim of his hat lower over his face.
"Weak," muttered Gaara of the Desert from his place among the other finalists.
D for Drakensis
You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.