Illumination – A Naruto Fantasy

"Let's go!" (Rei)

"Hehe" (Raikage)

Charging at him, I put my Taijutsu¹Hand-to-Hand Combat Techniquesskills to work with the hope I could get him to move off the small flat rock he was standing on but...

"Hmph!" (Raikage)

"Whoa!" (Rei)

...it was useless.

"That all you got kid?! At least try to make this interesting!" (Raikage)

GEEZ! Not only is he abnormally fast for his size, but his body is inhumanly strong. It's like I was punching metal or something!

 

"Hurk! Let's see how you handle this!" (Rei)

After forming some hand seals

"Bunshin no Jutsu²Clone Jutsu!" (Rei)

"Oh? You can make clones. Not bad, they're very well made for someone your age" (Raikage)

Since anything was allowed, I made two clones (two is my limit right now) and moved towards the Raikage. I took out some bombs Tai helped me make at school and threw them. The entire area was immediately covered in grey smoke

"Oh, knowing that a frontal assault is useless, you immediately switch to a diversionary tactic. The idea is sound..." (Raikage)

Circling around, my two clones distracted him from the front as I moved in from behind, intent on striking his legs

"...but..." (Raikage)

At the last second, the old man caught my arm within inches of me getting him 

"What the?!"

"...the execution is lacking..." (Raikage)

"Aaah?!" (Rei)

The clones went right through him as I was thrown in the air. I, somewhat painfully, ended up in the very same spot I started in

"...as are you" (Raikage)

"30 seconds!" (Mabui)

Damn it, time is running out. I have to hurry

"Arrgh, figures this would happen" (Rei)

"It can be useful for a diversion but...the clone technique only creates illusions of you. It's not like the 'Kage Bunshin no Jutsu'³Shadow Clone Jutsuwhich makes real physical clones" (Raikage)

Right, this body is still far to young for that Jutsu. I don't have enough chakra to make those yet.

"I know you're at a huge disadvantage, but I would think the one at the top of his class would do better than this. Even my apprentice managed to succeed at this test" (Raikage)

Seriously?! A kid managed to beat this test?! There are too many damn geniuses in this world!

"Haaaaah" (Rei)

 

Lamenting at my struggle, the smoke in surrounding him began to drop

"Hah...Hah...Hah..." (Rei)

"What the? Are you already out of breath? Disappointing Rei!" (Raikage)

"Rei..." (Mabui)

"Heh..." (Rei)

"?" (Raikage & Mabui)

"Heh...hehe...hehehehe" (Rei)

"...What's so funny?" (Raikage)

"Hehe...sorry...it's just that your absolutely right..." (Rei)

"...What?" (Raikage)

"...they really DO make for a good diversion" (Rei)

"Huh?" (Raikage)

I charged at him one last time

"Haah!" (Rei)

"Charging at me again...alright...I've seen enough" (Raikage)

"Ooof?!" (Rei)

"Ah!" (Mabui)

"This fight is over" (Raikage)

The Raikage hit me on the chest with an open palm, blowing me away. Nee-san moved towards me to check on my condition. As I was about to lose consciousness, I muttered my last words for the day

"Heh...getting you away from the flat stone...doesn't necessarily mean...I have to move YOU now does it? Ya...damn...old...monster..." (Rei)

"Times up!" (Mabui)

"What?" (Raikage)

Before he could realize what Rei meant, a kindling sound could be heard from below him. As he looked down, he noticed what appeared to be a burnt match smoking

"?! YOU!" (Raikage)

BOOM! The bottom of the Raikage was engulfed in a small explosion

"Ah! Raikage-sama!" (Mabui)

 

Coughing from the smoke

"Gak! Ugh! That's an awful taste. I'm fine Mabui...this kid is crazy..." (Raikage)

Emerging from the small explosion completely unscathed, the Raikage began wiping the dust off of him

"I knew you would be fine sir, but that's not why I yelled..." (Mabui)

"Hm? What wrong? Ah! Did I hit him too hard?! (Raikage)

"No...he's fine...but sir...look" (Mabui)

"?" (Raikage)

As he looked down towards the direction Mabui was pointing at, he was met with surprise. The flat stone he was standing on was completely destroyed!

"...Well I'll be damned..." (Raikage)

The Raikage thought about Rei's last words before he passed out

"He decided not to move you away from the flat stone, but rather the flat stone away from you. But how did he cause that explosion?" (Mabui)

"...It was the smoke bomb." (Raikage)

"Huh?" (Mabui)

"I noticed earlier that the smoke was unusually grey for a standard smoke bomb. Most likely Rei had added in some explosive elements to it like some explosive powder or incendiary gas. He then used this to ignite it..." (Raikage)

The Raikage displayed a burnt object in his hand

"That's! What I had used earlier to cook..." (Mabui)

"Ah, so this was the matchstick you used to ignite your stove...I was wondering where he got it from" (Raikage)

Shocked, Mabui looked back at an unconscious Rei

"But that means...this whole time Rei was..." (Mabui)

"He played me from the start. All the times I thought he was being rash when he charged at me was nothing but misdirection. To his frontal assault, the clones, what I thought was just a smoke bomb, even his reckless demeanor in response to my taunts...were merely just the means to hide what he was really up to." (Raikage)

"..." (Mabui)

"Putting it step by step

1.  He placed the matchstick by my feet when he first attacked me, distracting me with taijutsu
2.  He laid out his explosive making me think it was just a smoke bomb when he attacked with clones
3.  Finally, drawing the fight out so I wouldn't notice the match stick until it ignited the smoke on it's own

and I completely fell for it...hook, line, and sinker..." (Raikage)

"This...this is simply..." (Mabui)

A wide grin emerged from the Raikage's face

"Ha...haha! Magnificent!" (Raikage)

"?!" (Mabui)

"Mabui! Remember when I said my apprentice passed this little test of mine?" (Raikage)

"Yes?" (Mabui)

"Well I left out a minor detail." (Raikage)

"Hm?"

"My student Darui is older than Rei and..." (Raikage)

"and?" (Mabui)

"...I gave him 10 minutes" (Raikage)

"?!" (Mabui)

"And yet Rei managed to accomplish the same feat in one" (Raikage)

 

Mabui was shocked as she looked at a passed out Rei in her arms, realizing that the personal student of the Raikage himself could not hold a candle to him

"Even when pushed into a corner, met with impossible odds, this child continued to strive forward without even considering the possibility of defeat. Such an attitude is worthy of respect from even the greatest of Shinobi. Hehe" (Mabui)

The Raikage began walking towards the exit of the backyard

"Raikage-sama?" (Mabui)

"Mabui! You've hardly been able to spend any time with him recently. I'm ordering you to take the month off, and I won't allow you to challenge my decision" (Raikage)

"Wha?!" (Mabui)

"Also, when Rei wakes up, give him my thanks" (Raikage)

"Thanks?" (Mabui)

"...What I had thought I lost...has now been returned to me...thanks to him..." (Raikage)

"Lord Third..." (Mabui)

"And thanks for the food, you're cooking skill is at the housewife level! HAHAHA!" (Raikage)

"..." (Mabui)

 

The Raikage had left, leaving Mabui at a loss for words. Taking Rei to bed, she cleaned up the kitchen before turning in herself. Still unable to find meaning in the Raikage's actions tonight, she drifted off to sleep