2 A battle in the woods. (2/2)
”Nani?!” Mizuki screamed before he dodged to the fireball by jumping to the side. Annie's eyes followed his form before she tossed another fireball at him.
Mizuki jumped up and over the fire shot just in time to watch it completely incinerate the tree behind him. Iruka was stunned to silence while Naruto turned to Annie. He then glanced back to the figure in the trees. He could understand them. Their abilities, their names, their very memories. He could feel it following into him. Like pieces of a puzzle, they joined together in his mind.
The archer in the trees awaited his command. Naruto held his hand into the air. ”Wait for my signal. Annie, make sure he doesn't escape,” Naruto commanded. Annie gave another grin before she laughed as she skipped towards Mizuki as the man landed to the ground. Iruka just continued to watch, stunned. ”Was this summoning from the forbidden scroll? What a strange jutsu,” Iruka thought to himself.
Mizuki's thoughts were in disarray. How the hell could a little girl command the powers of fire release without using hand signs?! Is this the demon's true power? Mizuki thought but he didn't have time to think as Annie came up to him. He watched as the fire filled her hands.
”Don't be a scaredy-cat!” Annie exclaimed before she fired another volley of fire in Mizuki's direction. Mizuki quickly jumped to the side before tossing three kunai at Annie. She had to be eliminated at all costs. However, Mizuki only watched in disbelief as a shield of fiery aura surrounded Annie. The kunai effortlessly melted into the flames as Mizuki sucked his teeth.
He backflipped through the air as Annie continued to grin. Mizuki looked around the area before focusing on Naruto. He gave a quick glare to Naruto. 'So he's controlling her? Well, I'll just take the damn fox out first!' Mizuki thought before he dodged another fire volley. Mizuki jumped over Annie causing her to gasp.
”You failed, Kyuubi! I'm going to kill you now, no hard feelings!” Mizuki said while laughing as he swung a kunai at Naruto. Naruto closed his eyes and couldn't resist a smirk. ”Checkmate Mizuki-teme! Now, Ashe!” Naruto ordered. Iruka and Mizuki gasped as a teenage girl dropped to the ground. Everything about this girl screamed, cold. Not the emotion, but the literal feeling. The flames of hell behind Mizuki from Annie and the cold front of Ashe in front of him. Her blue and gold hood, cape, battle skirt, and shirt had Mizuki glued, but the thing that gave her away was the solid ice bow in her hands along with five frozen ice arrow. Ashe narrowed her eyes with a solid glare as her hands tightened around her bow. She pulled the string.
”Right between the eyes, Bare! ( Volley)” Ashe yelled out as she shot five arrows at the Chunin ninja. Mizuki's feet skidded across the ground before he noticed Naruto hold out his hand. Fear overcoming Mizuki, he turned and noticed Annie smiling…fire in her hands. ”Shokyaku( Incineration),” Naruto called out as the flames exploded from Annie's hands. Mizuki glanced at the icy arrows coming for him from the front and the flames coming to him from the back. He was trapped! Mizuki couldn't die here! He wouldn't die to the Kyuubi brat! He wouldn't die to the dead last!
Mizuki tightened his legs and jumped into the air in time as the flames and ice arrows collided exploding in a sea of flowery fire. ”You can't kill me, Kyuubi! Don't be so damn full of yourself Brat! You're a hundred years too early to think you can defeat me!” Mizuki said, but Naruto merely closed his eyes while Annie and Ashe looked up. Annie was the only one who was surprised.
”Yay! Tibbers! I found him!” Annie shouted with joy as Mizuki felt a shadow loom over him. He looked up and the last sight he saw was a flaming teddy bear, the monstrous fluff toy opened its mouth and decapitated Mizuki's head from his shoulders with a single bite. The Chunin's blood sprayed through the air before falling on the ground around Naruto, Ashe, and Annie. His body twitched once before going limp. Annie walked over to the body and kicked it slightly. ”Beaten by a little girl. Hehehe,” she giggled before Tibbers faded back into an ordinary teddy bear. Annie grabbed him while Ashe put her bow over her shoulders. Both moved over to Naruto.
Naruto looked at the deceased Chunin's body before turning back to Ashe and Annie. ”May we continue to aid you, Summoner,” Ashe said before she vanished. Annie smiled and walked up to Naruto. Naruto gave a distressed look at Iruka when Annie hugged his leg before vanishing away as well leaving Naruto and Iruka alone.
”Naruto, what was?” Iruka wanted to ask, but he watched Naruto turn back to him. Iruka's gasped in wonder. Naruto's eyes, had they ever been so blue before? Iruka wasn't sure he could remember such a time. Whatever Iruka was going to say died in his throat before he smiled. He groaned as he leaned against a tree. ”Naruto, come here,” Iruka said, the smile never leaving his face. Naruto narrowed his eyes for a moment but complied and stood in front of Iruka.
”Close your eyes for a second,” Iruka said. Naruto did so, he was too tired to complain. The few seconds passed in a blur and Naruto opened his eyes to see Iruka without a headband. ”Congratulations, Naruto! You graduated!” Iruka said. Naruto frowned for a moment. He could honestly say that Iruka looked a lot happier than Naruto could remember from these bodies memories. Naruto might have given the man a thank you if he didn't pass out just before Iruka congratulated him.