[Okimi]
The idiot adult stumbled over to the rest of the genin. He was clutching a crumbled ball of metal in his hands. "Hey, I did it! I got the bells. Takara fell for my tricks. Of course she did, because I'm that elite of a shinobi!"
"She didn't say start, so I don't think that counts. The mission is now to knock the hokage off of that tower," Okimi said.
"But, that isn't fair! I did it!" Maguro threw the bells onto the ground. "Whatever."
Kurotenshi stood up and began running towards the tower.
"Hold up!" Maguro dived at him and tackled him to the ground.
"Ow, what was that for?"
"I've known Takara for a long time, so all of you should listen to the great fantastical hero, Yours Truly. That tower is called the Pillar of Creation. If you touch it, you'll be attacked by Takara's Creation Chakra Mode."
"So, how are we supposed to even fight her?" Hyuuga Nakami asked.
"Wait, what is Creation Chakra Mode, Mr. Maguro?" Kurama Hanjiro said.
"It can heal you or turn you into a statue or a dog or something. But the most important thing to know is, it looks all cool and space-like."
Was this guy for real? How were they supposed to understand how to fight the hokage from that explanation? Okimi sighed.
Kurotenshi was no longer paying attention, and instead threw a rock at the hokage atop the tower.
Takara barely moved and slapped it into dust with the back of her hand. "You should never waste your opening attack. Afterwards, you can expect the enemy to retaliate and they might not give you time to make another opening."
Takara made some lighting-fast handsigns and a pillar of earth erupted from the ground beneath Kurotenshi, launching him backwards and high into the air.
Identical pillars began emerging all around the ground of shinobi. They each took off running in different directions. Okimi saw get hit in the stomach and lifted into the air by a pillar. Then, she was amongst the trees.
Okimi suspected even from this distance, the hokage could figure out where they were. Still, they had at least made it difficult for the hokage. She had a few options. She could attack now, she was certain the hokage would repel her attack. No, she would stay hidden and watch. She would learn what this hokage was capable of and wait for an opening.
The earth release seemed to have wrapped around Maguro. The hokage was just staring at him with pity as he struggled to break free of her technique.
From her hiding place, she watched the other two kunoichi run out of the forest. Nakami was in the front, her byakugan active. Miu stopped after and made some hand signs.
A tree burst forth underneath Nakami. She rode it into the air, until she was right next to the hokage, then she swung off the branch towards the hokage. Nakami spread her arms to her side, her fingers wide apart. Okimi thought she saw a glint of something in the sunlight.
The hokage snatched at the air between them, then swung her arm. Something invisible seemed to grab the Hyuuga girl. She flew in an arc right into the pillar. A light enveloped her arms and suddenly, there were two tree branches where the girl's arms had been.
Miu caught Nakami bridal style before she hit the ground. Nakami gave her a mischievous grin and Miu immediately flushed red.
"That was an interesting technique, combining chakra threads with gentle fist. I see what you were trying to do. You were going to use the threads to attack my chakra system all over, all at once. That move is good for a sneak attack. Next time, save it for that," the hokage said. "Also, I'll change your arms back, but not until this fight is over."
At least these girls had good techniques, but the strategy they'd came up with was hardly a strategy at all. Two idiots guys, two girls who weren't that smart either, and Hanjiro whose abilities she hadn't seen yet. That was who she had to work with. Well, Okimi had learned to fight with her head even before she'd met the old man. She'd been hunting animals bigger and stronger than herself, afterall.
Now Hanjiro was creeping out of the bushes towards Maguro. The Hokage turned her head back and forth, looking over the area. Could she not see Hanjiro? No. Her head motions were too wide, too showy. She was pretending for some reason.
As soon as Hanjiro reached Maguro her eyes darted to him. She smiled, not unkindly, and her hands became a blur of hand signs before Maguro's column slammed down into Hanjiro, then crumbled to pieces.
Maguro pulled himself out of the rumbled, then shoved a rock away, freeing Hanjiro.
The Hokage hadn't taken her eyes off of the two of them and was making hand-signs again.
Okimi saw the Hokage look right at her and she knew it was already too late. The branches of the bush she was in grew larger and wrapped around her Arms and legs. Dammit! The hokage could use wood too!
Okimi was jostled in this direction and that. She saw the sky and then the ground through the branches. And the tower.
She was being dragged towards the tower. Fortunately the old man had left her his weapon, one that she could use even if she couldn't move her arms or legs.
Okimi craned her neck and the sword came out over her mouth. With a flurry of slashes, she was suddenly free.
The hokage was giving her an intense surprised look now. "That's not a copy. That's the Kusanagi," was all she said. "That's impressive, however none of you have thought about the most obvious threat, the first one I've showed you."
Okimi looked around. What the hell was it!? Her eyes locked a onto the tower. The hokage had used it before the battle even started, but what was she missing-wait!
The moment she realized what was about to happen, it happened. The two towers appeared to either side of her, no smoke, no warning, the slammed shut.
This realization gave her a slim window, just enough to use a simple jutsu. Walls of water appeared in front of each pillar, slowing them long enough for Okimi to barely slip out of them.
Or, as the two towers slammed together, she thought she had. Her feet flew forward and she fell on her ass. Her her had caught between the towers.
The hokage was looking at her now, with a growing look of confusion.
"Aren't you going to turn me into a dog or something?" Okimi asked.
"You can't tell? I'm trying to. The Chiyuura Kekkei Genkai, do you know what it is?"
She had a good idea of what it was, but there was still a lot she didn't understand. "I'm sure you would love to tell me."
The hokage frowned. "Don't be like that. This is just training. We're going to be a team afterwards. Anyway, simply put, it is the ability to manipulate souls. Orochimaru could do some basic soul manipulation, but learning how to do that was no small feat. Once you awaken your powers, you'll be able to do much more than he could. Your soul is also more robust than a normal person's. I was worried about your cursed seal before, but if your soul can withstand even my technique, it won't be able to harm you."
Orochimaru? Was that the old man? Manipulating souls was the ability? Did that mean she could manipulate souls other than her own? She didn't really want to ask the hokage that. It sounded like the sort of thing that would be forbidden here. "Is there anyone who can teach me how to use it?"
"I can think of one person who could, but he's the last person you'd want to meet. I'll work with you and we'll do some experimentation later."
She'd work with her? Or keep watch on her? Well, even if she had to follow the rules, having the hokage's help with this would be to her benefit.
"Alright, let's resume," The hokage said. "I'll give you ten seconds."
The fact was, Okimi's hair was stuck tight. Well, then. "The one you call Orochimaru once said something to me." She raised the kusanagi over her head, positioning it above the back of her hair. "If something is standing in your way—"
Suddenly the pillars moved apart, sending Okimi stumbling forward.
"Sometimes it's necessary to adapt, but don't take such a thing lightly," the hokage said. "Don't be so quick to give yourself away. What will you have left to live for if you achieve your goal, but it costs you everything?"
Okimi scowled, then ran back into the forest. Well, she was glad she still had her hair, but she didn't enjoy being lectured.
"Pssst," She heard from some nearby bushes.
She found the other genin crouched down in a space between the bushes.
"We're trying to come up with a plan," Kurotenshi said.
"I'm telling you, my fire shield is the best plan," Maguro said.
She looked at Maguro. Despite being a complete imbecile and an incompetent shinobi, he did seem to know the hokage well, and had provided them surprisingly useful info before. On top of that, he'd been able to provoke her anger before.
"Alright, you clown. I have a better plan," Okimi said. "And you're going to plan a key role. I just need you to jostle the hokage for a bit."
***
The genin ran out of the forest in three groups. Okimi with Kurotenshi, Maguro alone, and Nakami with Miu and Hanjiro.
The hokage immediately spotted all of them of course. But, Maguro was already on it. After making his hand signs, he transformed once again into a hot naked lady, but not just any lady. This time, he had transformed into the hokage.
The hokage stared in disbelief at this for several moments with a disturbed face that then became more and more embarrassed. Then she snapped, "Maguro! What the fuck, Maguro!? There are children around. I'm going to—"
Three of said children had already made it up the tree. Nakami leapt at the hokage, a kunai in her teeth. Of course, Okimi knew this wasn't actually Nakami. Since Nakami didn't have the use of her arms, she couldn't use the transformation technique, but Hanjiro had used his genjutsu to disguise her instead.
The hokage grabbed the fake Nakami's leg and tossed her high into the air above her. The real Nakami, disguised as Hanjiro leapt towards the hokage next. The hokage raised her arm to strike. Still on the tree, Miu made the hand-signs. Nakami's wooden arms were her target. As soon as the hokage connected, Nakami intended to send her flying with a sudden growth of trees.
Back on the ground, Okimi and Kurotenshi stood on opposite sides of the tower. Each of them held a kusanagi. Okimi had infused the swords with her chakra. Hopefully, this would be enough to protect them from the Pillar of Creation. Both of them raised their swords, ready to cut this tower down.
And then everyone stopped.
Everyone stopped and looked in the direction of the bloodcurdling scream. Okimi had never heard anything like it, neither human nor beast. What the hell was going on!?
"Playtime is over," Takara said. "The Corruption is here."