AN: Hey everyone hope you're all doing well! I'm here with another update hooray! Thanks for taking the time to review and share your thoughts with me. I just want to spend a bit of time to answer a few of your reviews.
GGDP: Thanks for being the first one to review the story! Your thoughts and insights are much appreciated and I hope you continue to enjoy what else I have in store for the journey.
LadyDV011, Lazymanjones96, passin'by, Uniquebooks: Thanks so much for your positive reviews and I hope you will continue to have a positive experience with this story. I will do my best to continue churning out chapters!
GoTeam: About your question if Izaya can awaken the Rinnegan. To awaken the Rinnegan you can't just have Senju and Uchiha DNA, although if I wanted to tweak the story to do that I could but I don't think I will. The truth is you have to have either Hagaromo's unique chakra or combine both Indra and Asura's chakra together to get the Rinnegan in canon. Madara got it since he was the reincarnation of Indra in a sense and stole the cells and chakra of Hashirama who was Asura's counterpart. Sasuke awakened his because he received half of Hagaromo's chakra. Well, if you stick with the story long enough I think you will be interested in the background story I have created for the Rinnegan and the Ootsutsuki clan :) For now that'll be a secret!
Ok I've rambled on enough, back to the story!
Chapter 16
Swish!
Dash!
Fwish!
Thud.
Huff...Huff...Huff...Huff. I continued to pant heavily as blood trickled down my mouth. I slowly laid down both Naruto and Sasuke on the ground in a secluded part of the forest that I spotted. Sakura landed next to me as she went straight to Sasuke. At this point he had already lost consciousness. I slowly sat down on the ground leaning my back against a tree as I clutched at my heart. Damn. Orochimaru and his summoned snakes sure pack a punch.
Just as Sakura was about to say something to me I stuck my hand out to stop her and said, "Wait. Let me catch my breath first." I then sat in the lotus position and straightened my back. I closed my eyes through my blindfold and focused on the Taijutsu breathing technique I developed a few months ago but never had the chance to teach Kimimaro. "Taijutsu Nine Dragons Breathing Technique!"
I then circulated the first breathing method. The surrounding energy in the air suddenly coalesced and flowed into my airway as it was slowly assimilated into my chakra pathway system and forced outwards into my body's cells reinvigorating them. I then let out one long and deep breath which had a tint of the color purple. Mn. This technique would be good for Kimimaro and Haku to learn. I have Hashirama's cells in me so even though I'm injured I'll be fully healed in a day or two.
This technique can speed up that process even more but I can only use it once a week and I can only perform the first breath right now. It's still incomplete but at least I can catch my breath now. And I still need to build up my chakra reserves again. I slowly meditated on the fight I had against Orochimaru. Mmmm...I definitely lost that fight. He either held back in that fight or couldn't use his true strength due to the limitations of his current host body. Then again I also didn't use my true strength either. I refrained from using the Flying Thunder God Jutsu, the Wood Style Yamato-sensei has taught me, and my Mangekyou Sharingan. For now only Haku, Kimimaro, and Yamato-sensei knows I can use Wood Style and he promised not to tell anyone except for Lord Third.
No one else knows I can use the Flying Thunder God Jutsu and activate the Mangekyou Sharingan except for Haku and Kimimaro. I don't want to reveal any of these three abilities of mine if I don't have to yet, especially the Mangekyou and Wood Style or I'd definitely be living a more strenuous life than I currently am. If I factor in these variables then I guess I didn't lose that badly I smirked. But, in terms of pure chakra output, Taijutsu prowess, or physical strength, I'm still outmatched by Orochimaru. I'll have to continue pushing my limits to increase my chakra output and after my battle with Orochimaru I have a good idea where my strength lies on the power spectrum. I then turned toward Sakura and said, "Okay, I'm done with my meditation. Go ahead, you had something you wanted to say?"
Sakura stared at me for a moment confused at what I just did to breathe out purple steam, but she snapped back to reality a moment later and said, "Thank you. Izaya-kun. You saved us and even got hurt while doing so. I'm...I'm worried about Sasuke and Naruto. Are they going to be alright? And what did that person do to Sasuke? What is this mark?"
"Haaaa….." I let out a drawn out sigh. "That person said his name was Orochimaru. From what I read in the history books Orochimaru is known as one of the three legendary sannin. He was originally a disciple of Lord Third Hokage before he defected and became a S-rank missing ninja."
"Eh? What? Why would someone like that be here? What does he want with Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked bewilderedly.
"Calm down. I'll try to answer you with what I know. The best thing you can do for both Naruto and Sasuke right now is not panic as you are their teammate. I might not be around next time. That means they have to rely on you. You need to be someone they can rely on. That means you need strength. You need to become stronger so you don't drag down your teammates."
Sakura had a downcast look and said, "I was useless. I...I know I can't do much for either Naruto or Sasuke. I even mock Naruto all the time, but the truth is Naruto is strong. I couldn't do anything for them when they needed it."
"Well, at least you realize that." I said.
Sniff. Sniff.
"Eh? Oi oi. Don't cry. Please?" I said a little flustered.
"Bu-But. It's true. If you didn't come in time, we could have died. And I would have died being unable to do anything." She said as she wept.
"Haaa…" I sighed again. "Wipe away those tears. If you break down now what happens to Naruto and Sasuke? I can't just stay here forever. I need to return to my teammates too. I'll tell you my honest thoughts. Since you don't want to see yourself as a burden to your teammates, you should try learning medical ninjutsu. That way, when your teammates get hurt, they can rely on you to heal them. Also, you need to at least learn some basic fighting skills. Here's a life lesson for you. It's okay to be weak. But it is not okay to remain weak."
Sniff.
"Mn." Sakura nodded wiping away her tears.
Phew. She stopped crying I mentally sighed in relief. "Okay. To answer your previous questions. When I fought that guy he said stuff about wanting a body and he also tried to give me a Mark. That mark is called a Curse Mark Seal or Curse Seal Mark, however you wish to call it. I'm pretty good with sealing techniques so I do have some sense and understanding of this thing on Sasuke's neck. I can feel it slowly trying to draw out his chakra and replace it with some of Orochimaru's. Since it can draw out Sasuke's chakra it can grant him more power when he attempts to gather more strength even when he normally shouldn't have strength left to draw on. When that happens more of Orochimaru's chakra that is infused with the Mark will exert more of its influence on Sasuke's body in an attempt to, prepare it in a sense, for Orochimaru's possession of it. That is why it is known as a Curse Mark. Anyways, basically Sasuke is in a life or death situation right now."
"What!" Sakura exclaimed.
I put my hands up and said, "Calm down. Let me finish. He is unconscious right now but he is actually having an internal battle within. Should his body successfully survive the influence of this mark, then he will live. If he loses the battle...well you can imagine what will happen. But, you should know as well as I that Sasuke is pretty tough so he won't die from something like this. Have a bit more faith in your teammates. As for Naruto, he'll wake up in due time. Just let him rest. I'll stick around for tonight so you can get some rest. I'll keep watch. No more questions for today."
Sakura took a deep breath trying to take everything in before she fell asleep by Sasuke's side. I merely shook my head and sat in the lotus position monitoring the situation outside with my senses. I took a glance at Sasuke as I gathered my thoughts. I wonder if I should attempt to place a seal over Sasuke's Mark. I don't have the tools or time to set up a proper sealing formation that would be really effective right now. The best I could do right now would be to place a temporary sealing technique over the Mark, but I'm not sure how effective it'd be and in the worst case it might agitate his Mark instead. It might also interfere with his internal battle right now so I can only wait until he wakes up. Ugh, but when he woke up, I remember the Mark started to spread right away. Whatever, I'll play it by ear.
Nighttime came and went as morning soon rolled around the corner. Heh! I inwardly smirked as I sensed the three Sound Village Genin hiding in the bushes close by. In my past life I remember that Sakura had a tough time dealing with these three. Well, those three have no chance of succeeding in their plot while I'm around. Soon after Sakura was startled awake by a nightmare. "Ah!" She screamed.
Huff. Huff. Huff. She turned to look down at her side and saw Sasuke and Naruto still unconscious. She let out a sigh of relief. "It was just a nightmare." She said.
"Are you alright?" I said with my back turned to her as I continued sitting in the lotus position keeping an eye on the 3 Sound ninja in the bushes.
"Eh? Izaya-kun?" She spoke in a surprised tone before recalling everything that happened recently. Phew. She inwardly sighed in relief. I'm glad I'm not alone she thought.
Jeez. How long are these 3 Sound ninja gonna play hide and seek I mused in annoyance. I'm pretty sure we ended up in a different place in this life than from my knowledge of my previous life but they still ended up finding us. Persistent roaches. I let out a sigh.
Sakura noted my mood as she attended to Naruto and Sasuke and said, "Are you alright Izaya-kun?"
I nodded my head. "Mn. Sakura."
"Yes?" She responded.
"There are a few roaches in the vicinity so defend Sasuke and Naruto well. Of course I'll help out with what I can, but you should prepare for unexpected events."
"Eh?" She was suddenly alarmed before steeling her nerves. She took out a kunai and stood in front of Sasuke and Naruto's unconscious form before saying, "Mn. I won't be a burden to them any longer. I'll put my life on the line."
I nodded at her newfound resolve and stood up. "You can come out. You've been hiding in that bush all morning. How long do you three plan on playing hide and seek?" I said mockingly.
"Eh? He knew we were here all along?" Said the one in a fur coat.
"Tch. He's that blind guy that knew of your technique in the first exam." Said the one with spiky hair.
"It can't be helped now that we've been discovered." Said the only female in their group. All three of them walked out from the bushes which startled Sakura. She stared with amazement at Izaya's back as she thought to herself, incredible, he was able to detect them since the beginning.
"Oi. You're that blind kid from the first exam huh? I'm surprised you made it this far. What happened to your teammates? They die or something?" Said the spiky haired one in a condescending tone.
I simply smirked and said, "No worries. They went to grab a scroll. We're taking the exam at our leisure. Scum like you three aren't worth putting in our eyes."
"Tch. Cocky brat. What's your name?" The sole female asked.
"When asking for someone's name it's customary to give yours first." I replied.
"Heheh-hahaha! Very well. We should tell you are names so you know who sent you to your death. I am Dosu. Kinuta Dosu." Said the one in a fur coat.
"I'm Zaku. Abumi Zaku." The spiky haired one said.
"Tsuchi Kin." The sole female said.
I nodded my head, "Mn. I'm Izaya. Karasuma Izaya."
"Hn. A stubborn kid who wants to die in the end. Zaku, I'll leave Sasuke to you. Take him alive when you have the chance. I'll kill the rest." Dosu said.
Great. I spent all of my chakra in that fight with Orochimaru, and I used what little chakra I recovered overnight to help speed up my physical recovery, so I can only rely on my Taijutsu skills. Luckily these three Sound Genin brats are little chicks before me. As Dosu rushed towards me I said in a calm and relaxed tone, "Sakura. Watch closely. Focus on our fight. Don't let a single thing escape your grasp. If you can take away even one thing and add it to your arsenal then that would be a gain."
She stared intently with a serious face and nodded her head. Just as Dosu was getting close we all heard a shout, "Leaf Whirlwind!"
Bam!
At that instant Dosu was sent flying backwards as dust and debris kicked up into the air. Sakura and I had a dumbfounded look on our faces as we both said at the same time, "EHHHHHHH?!"
"Ugh!" Dosu grunted.
Standing before Sakura and I was Rock Lee. "L-Lee?" Sakura said shocked.
"Hn! I told you before, didn't I? That I would risk my life protecting you." Lee said with his back turned in a cool confident demeanor.
Ah? That did happen didn't it? Sakura and I had the same thought, however we remembered it differently. She thought back to when they met in the hallway while I remembered it due to my past life's knowledge. She then replied, "Th-Thankyou."
Lee inwardly rejoiced while I facepalmed. It was at that moment Lee also noticed my presence and had a confused look on his face. "Er...Who are you?"
"Haha...My name is Karasuma Izaya. I belong to Team 11 under Yamato-sensei." I awkwardly replied.
"OH! Yes, I remember you now. My apologies that our first time meeting is under such circumstances, however, I have a duty to protect the lady." He then got into a battle stance while I just rubbed the back of my neck. Well, I went and acted all cool in an attempt to get Sakura to learn some fighting techniques but it was foiled by none other than Lee. Plans truly never go as you want them to I inwardly lamented. I simply stood back and said, "Well then, would you like me to help?" I asked Lee.
He carefully glanced over Dosu, Zaku, and Kin before refocusing his attention on Dosu. "I will handle this one in the middle. Please protect Sakura-chan in the meantime." He said.
I simply shrugged as I thought about the knowledge from my past life. Originally this scene happened as well from what I know. Lee fought Dosu but Dosu was saved by Zaku, and Lee was incapacitated due to Dosu's special arm technique that disrupted his sense of motion. As I watched Lee battle Dosu the scene played out exactly as I remembered it. I sighed to myself. I guess some things don't change even if I intervene. Then again, if I always intervene they won't gain any experience. I went to help Team 7 but Sasuke still got marked by the Cursed Seal. I brought Team 7 to a different spot but we were still discovered by the Sound Genin and surprisingly Lee. Lee still ended up fighting Dosu and lost the strength to fight. Perhaps this is fate.
Just as Lee attempted to block Dosu's right fist the metal arm on Dosu's hand began to emit a high pitched piercing noise and was redirected towards Lee's ear. Lee noticed the incoming attack but couldn't avoid it so he gritted his teeth preparing to take the strike headon. Well, he fought Dosu and lost. This should be enough experience for him, no need to let him get knocked out I thought.
Before the strike could hit him I dashed forward with incredible speed and said, "Taijutsu Wushu Style Southern Movement Vicious Viper!" My hand lit up in a green color striking forth like a viper in waiting that pushed against Dosu's metallic arm and knocking him back more than 5 meters away effectively canceling out his technique.
Huff...Huff...Huff… Lee panted as he knelt on the ground. He turned to look at me in shock. I stood there by his side without turning to face him and said, "Your Taijutsu skills are great, however, you let your guard down against his technique. You weren't cautious enough. You already knew he had a special technique on his right arm yet you still tried to physically guard against it. What you should of done was use your superior speed and agility to stick to his left side at all times. With your capabilities you should of been able to do this easily. It seems you're still too inexperienced."
"Ah?" Lee let out a surprised expression. This guy...He's strong. Lee mentally thought to himself.
Hm? I turned my head to the left. Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji huh? I mentally noted as I sensed their presence. Eh? I then turned my head upwards to the shadow of the treetops as I sensed Neji and Tenten. Them too huh? Well makes sense, Lee is their teammate, but it's funny how fate works sometimes. No matter how many small details change, some things stay the same. In my past life's knowledge Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji fought these Sound bastards before Neji and Tenten arrived as well. Everyone arrived earlier than before so I have some time left to deal with these three.
"Eh? Did he just turn his head this way? Ino said.
"Tch. Was Izaya always this abnormal. Even if he's a sensory type how did he know we were here when faced with the current situation they're in?" Shikamaru whispered.
At the same time Neji was also surprised and said, "Tenten. Do you know who that guy is? He noticed our presence even though we concealed ourselves."
"No idea. I remember seeing him at the first exam with the other Genin rookies but I'm not sure what his name is." Tenten replied.
At this moment I walked forward and stood in front of Lee. "Sakura, like I said before. Watch closely as I deal with these three. If you can take away even one thing from this fight then you would have taken one step forward onto the path of the strong. As for you Lee. Allow me to show you how you should have fought."
"Mn." Sakura and Lee nodded.
"Tsk. You brat. Let's see what you've got!" Dosu yelled as he charged forward. He stepped forward and punched with his right hand but I ducked and spun to his left with a low leg sweep.
"What!" Dosu shouted as he was knocked off his feet and tumbled to the ground. As he stood back up to prepare his next attack he lost sight of me only to find me next to his left arm a moment later. He widened his eyes in surprise but couldn't react in time when I kicked his stomach and sent him flying through the air. He rolled around on the ground a few times before coming to a stop as he struggled to stand back up.
"And that is how you should've fought him." I said with indifference.
"AHH! I'll kill you!" Dosu yelled.
I shook my head at his idiocy and said, "And this is how I will fight him."
As Dosu rushed forward I did the exact same. As he moved to the left I too moved to the left like a perfect mirror image.
Eh? Something seems off Dosu mentally thought. As he prepared to kick I threw my kick first hitting him in the chin and knocked him back. "UHH!" He grunted. Frustrated he dashed straight at me as I dashed at him perfectly mirroring his moves, he stepped forward and punched with his right arm as I did the same. Before his fist barely moved I said, "Taijutsu Wushu Style Southern Movement Vicious Viper!"
Once again my hand lit up with a green glow and struck faster than Dosu could see. My palm made contact with his shoulder thrusting him through the air and crashing into a large tree trunk.
"GUH!" He let out a cry as tears welled up in his eyes and blood spilled out of his mouth.
"I-Impossible!" Zaku and Kin exclaimed as they watched their teammate getting thrashed around. They glared at me viciously. I shrugged my shoulders and said, "Don't give me such eyes. If you have the ability, then come at me." I said with confidence.
Lee widened his eyes in amazement and asked, "What was that technique?"
"It's my own unique Taijutsu. I call it the Wushu Style. The first technique I used is called Wushu Style Southern Movement Dancing Dragon. It works by syncing the flow of your breathing with your opponent. Matching your every movement with theirs. Once you're fully synced then you become like a perfect mirror image of them. Since it is an advanced Taijutsu movement, you use your superior physique to outclass their own movements when you find an opening and flaw in their pattern. This way you know how to time your dodging or perform your counter. Notice how I instantly struck out first when I noticed him begin to attack. That's because I synced my movement with his allowing me to strike first at the opportune moment, not giving him a chance at all."
"Damn you!" Dosu said as he attempted to get up, however he instantly became panicked when he realized that he couldn't move his left arm. Eh? He looked down to inspect. UH! Impossible he thought. He completely disabled my left arm. At that moment both Zaku and Kin could no longer hold back and rushed at me. Kin threw six senbon needles at me while Zaku stuck out his palms which had metal holes in them and said, "Extreme Decapitating Airwaves!"
Powerful blasts of air blew out towards me which also rapidly increased the speed at which the senbon needles flew at me as well. I let out an outward sigh. If I dodge then their attacks will hit Lee, Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto. I don't have the chakra to spend on ninjutsu so I can only use Taijutsu.
Kimimaro, I know I told you not to use these due to your health, but that doesn't mean I can't I mentally thought to myself. I took one step forward with my left foot and stabilized my stance lower to the ground. I took one deep breath and pulled back my right fist before saying, "Taijutsu Wushu Style Eight Extreme Fists! 8th Fist of Moving!" At that moment my entire right arm and fist seemed to glow with a golden color as I stepped out with my right foot and punched forth with my right fist. I exhaled all the air I took in and let out a loud "HA!"
To everyone in the vicinity it seemed like my fist was moving at the speed of a snail, however, the truth was that time had nearly stopped for everyone. It was as if all sound in the world disappeared. Complete silence. It was because at their current level of strength this fist strike was too fast for their eyes to follow and brain to process. I made a full on striking motion with my fist before it seemed like the world started spinning again and sound returned to everyone's lives, but the only thing everyone saw was a gigantic flash of golden light and a noise that sounded like thunder.
BANG!
A ringing noise buzzed in everyone's ear who was in the vicinity for a good 3 seconds before it went away.
Huff...Huff...Huff...I panted as I clutched onto my right arm as blood dripped down from it. Everyone could only stand there in silence. The entire 100 meter area in front of them was torn to smithereens as if a natural disaster blew past. The three Sound Ninja had been blown away far and deep into the forest undoubtedly dead. The only thing left that was a sign they were here was the earth scroll they dropped when they were blown away.
Tsk. I clicked my tongue. Shattered the bones and tore my muscles in my right arm. Even with my body's special physique, it'll take about two weeks to fully heal on its own. A week if a skilled healer helps. Too bad I don't have bones of steel like Kimimaro. At that moment I picked up the earth scroll they dropped and threw it by Sakura's feet. Before I could say anything else I noticed all of their jaws dropped down with shocked expressions on their faces.
I simply tilted my head a little and said, "Eh? Do I have something on my face?"