Naruto Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ A Strange New World ❯ Quest to be the Best ( Chapter 27 )

Quest To Be The Best

 

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

 

 

"Come on, Kurama."

 

"I said no." Kurama and Kuwabara glared at each other.

 

"Don't you want to know who is stronger?"

 

"Not really."

 

"I wish the idiot would just give up." Hiei said. "He isn't going to get Kurama to fight him if the fox doesn't want to." The fire apparition then noticed Orochimaru standing on the other side of the glade, his eyes were fixed on Kurama's back. "Kurama, your 'sexy snake' is here." Hiei said, seeing the blush appear on the kitsune's face before he made a few seals and disappeared in a puff of smoke, to reappear beside the Sannin. "Looks like he has improved since leaving Konoha." Hiei said. "It must be all that 'intensive training'." Yusuke snickered at the comment.

 

Orochimaru looked at Iruka's trio, all three looked stronger than Kurama but he didn't care, looks weren't everything, ability on the other hand... His thoughts were on getting Kurama through the next Chuunin exams, hopefully with him being promoted. He had no doubt that Kurama could defeat the taller of the two dark haired boys when it came down to knowledge. His eyes moved to the other Genin, gold eyes studied the figure. 'Mentally weak, and relies on brute strength.' Orochimaru thought as his arms wrapped themselves around Kurama. 'More than likely he will have some kind of Kekkai Genkai like the other two.' He felt Kurama relax in his arms and smiled as he took the opportunity to take advantage of the other's lips.

 

Kuwabara gave a stangled cry. "Do you have to do that now?" He asked, but instead all that happened was Orochimaru taking control of the kiss even more, knowing that Kurama wanted it by the dig of nails in his back, that and the small moans emitted from the back of his throat. When Orochimaru eventually pulled away from the kiss, Kurama tried to pull him back in again. Instead, Orochimaru pulled him into a hug.

 

"What were you speaking about?" Orochimaru asked quietly, his fingers running through Kurama's hair.

 

"Kuwabara wants to fight, but I'm not interested." Kurama said. "I know too well that he will do, or rather use. He has a Kekkai Genkai called the Suegan. Yusuke told me that it allows him to predict an opponent's attacks by viewing the future, hence the name. I have seen him use it in a fight with Sasuke, and I do not intend on having egg on my face." He heard Orochimaru give a quiet chuckle.

 

"Accept the fight." Orochimaru said. "Every Kekkai Genkai has a weakness, even this Suegan." Kurama opened his mouth to say that he wouldn't, but Orochimaru kissed his cheek. "I think I could know what that weakness is." Kurama's eyes opened. "Tell him."

 

"Very well, Kuwabara, I will fight you." Kurama said. "However, not today, I have too much to do today." Kurama thought. "This time two days from now?" Kuwabara nodded.

 

"It's a date." Kuwabara said before he saw a rather guarded look in Orochimaru's eyes. "Well... um... I'll see you then." He said, before making a run for it.

 

"Kurama smiled at the others. "I have some training to do." He said. "I'll see you guys later." With that the two ex-Otogakure ninjas left.

 

 

"So what do you think that the weakness is, Orochimaru?" Kurama asked, having been told on more than one occasion to drop the titles when they were alone. "I mean if he can see the future then..."

 

"It isn't such an advantage." Orochimaru said. "Even a second into the future can give you a number of possible outcomes." Kurama blinked. "I believe that he attacks using what he knows of the opponent, coupled with what he sees to predict the most likely attack that his opponent does." Kurama's jaw dropped. "'Genius' really does tell you a lot about somebody's mentality."

 

"So all I have to do is the least likely thing that I would normally do." Kurama said. "I don't know how well I could do that. The thing I'm meast likely to use is Taijutsu, and that is because I am bad at utilising the attacks." Orochimaru smiled.

 

"Then we shall just have to get you used to using Taijutsu then." Orochimaru said as he draped an arm around Kurama's shoulders. "We need to push you past your limits for both days to get you used to it, not to mention that a few Genjutsu in your repertoire, would be very good to use. I have never seen you use anything but plants when you fought before." Kurama nodded. "He probably thinks that you haven't brought up any new skills."

 

"He never really witnessed me fighting here." Kurama said. "All that he would remember is what I used to do before we all joined Konoha." Kurama said. "His information is about two years out of date." Orochimaru laughed.

 

"That is even better, Shuichi-kun." Orochimaru said. "What was he like before you joined the village?"

 

"The village idiot." Kurama replied. "He wasn't the most inteligent, nor did he have the best ability. He was the weakest, with me being just above him on strength. However I was the best at working out strategies, so we made a good team." Orochimaru nodded.

 

"So he will be relying on what he suspects that you will use, rather than what he guesses that you would have learned. That makes things easier on us." Orochimaru said. "Well, let's start your intensive training."

 

 

Two days passed quickly by, and the two teams met up once more. Kuwabara and Kurama walked to the centre of the glade. "Kurama is looking more confident than I thought that he would." Yusuke said to Hiei. "He knows all about Kuwabara's ability and he doesn't seem to care."

 

"The fox has probably worked out some way to counteract the Suegan." Hiei said. "We both know that he isn't stupid." Yusuke wanted to point out to his boyfriend that he wasn't exactly stupid either, but he still lost to Kuwabara's Suegan.

 

"Do you want to give up, Kuwabara?" Kurama asked, as he stood with his hands behind his back. "I won't go easy on you, and you could get hurt."

 

"You should remember that I'm not afraid of pain." Kuwabara said. "Anyway at least I know where my loyalty lies."

 

"As do I." Kurama said. "My loyalty lies with myself, the one person that I cannot betray, and who cannot betray me in return. Now if you're not going to turn back, then I guess that we should start." Instead of moving, Kurama remained motionless, not giving Kuwabara any clues as to what he was planning. He wasn't intending the fight to be an easy one.

 

Kuwabara started to feel very nervous. He had never had to fight Kurma before, and this was proving to be unnerving indeed. Now he knew how an enemy felt when they faced him in combat. The emerald eyes seemed to scan every movement he did. "Suegan." He said activating his kekkai genkai. Kurama then moved his hands from his back, raising them to his face. Immediately a number of possible futures flickered in Kuwabara's mind. However, what surprised him was the lack of plant-based attacks. Alarm bells began to ring in his head.

 

Orochimaru watched Kurama closely, he was interested in how the other held himself. He was so confident, that he could almost feel it from where he stood, leaning against a tree, a small smile on his lips. He could see how nervous Kuwabara was, and then he looked at Yusuke and Hiei, who were quietly speaking to each other. He could imagine that they could sense that something was up.

 

Kurama's left hand moved to his left eye, pulling back the lower lid and touching his actual eye as his right hand removed a kunai from its holster. A moment later and the Genjutsu took effect. It gave Kuwabara a frightening image of his own death, bringing about deep shock. Kurama then approached Kuwabara.

 

"That's enough, please." Orochimaru said as he walked from the tree, his form shifting to reveal that the Sannin was actually Kurama. 'Kurama' changed to reveal Orochimaru.

 

"That's not fair, you cheated!" Kuwabara shouted.

 

"We decided to check out how sharp you are." Kurama said. "You should have noticed that I... Orochimaru-sensei... didn't go for the Rose Whip." Kuwabara's jaw dropped. "I'm sorry, but if you're not able to detect that, then there is little chance of you actually defeating me." Kuwabara was still stunned that Kurama would pull off something so... devious. "If you still want to face me, then you can, but it really will be unforgiving on you this time."

 

"I still want to face you." Kuwabara said as he got to his feet. "You are a cheat, Kurama. I, Kazuma Kuwabara, will show you how a real man fights." Kurama laughed.

 

"Very well, Kuwabara-kun." Kurama said, still smiling. "Who am I to hold you back?" He stood in the same position as Orochimaru had, but had his hands by his sides. He held a similar confident look about him as Orochimaru had when he had faced Kuwabara. "I'm ready whenever you are."

 

For the longest time, neither of the combatants moved, both waiting for the other to strike first. Then Kurama got bored, and he removed two roses from his short hair. Immediately a number of possibilities entered Kuwabara's mind, one of which was a possibly deadly, attack with two Rose Whips, it was an attack that he doubted Kurama would actually use, on a friend. He prepared himself for the one he thought was the most likely atack. The one he remembered Kurama use on Karasu during the Dark Tournament. How wrong he was.

 

Kurama remembered what Orochimaru said about Kuwabara choosing the one that he thought would most likely occur, and that he suspected that Kuwabara never thought that he would attack a friend with his Double Rose Whip, however the other was sadly mistaken. He had to be shown that his kekkai genkai had a serious flaw.

 

The next thing that Kuwabara realised was that he had a wound running down his left leg and that Kurama had two Rose Whips. "Why?" He asked.

 

"To prove to you that you are not infallable." Kurama said. "I have learned of your weakness, Kuwabara-kun." he chanced a smile at Orochimaru. "I would probably have missed it if not for Orochimaru-sensei." He dropped a smoke bomb and disappeared from view. Kuwabara looked high and low for him, but couldn't see him anywhere. A moment later and Kuwabara was dragged underground, however it was just a replacement. The real Kuwabara had managed to narrowly avoid being caught by Kurama.

 

'That was close.' Kuwabara thought as he leaped away from the attack. 'Too close.' The pair stared at each other once more. 'I knew that this would be more difficult than facing Hiei, but this is ridiculous. I guess I have no other choice.' Kuwabara disabled the Suegan before charging at Kurama, the Spirit Sword activated in his hand.

 

Kurama's eyes went wide, and he remained frozen to the spot. He hadn't expected Kuwabara to use the Spirit Sword, and it took him by surprise. He couldn't believe that he had forgotten all about that little bit of information. He managed to move, ducking just in time to avoid decapitation. However the same couldn't be said about his newly grown hair, the ends having been sheared off. Kurama looked mournfully at the hair that fell to the ground. He had spent so long growing the little that had been taken off, and now he had to do that all over again.

 

Kuwabara looked at Kurama in shock. How had the kitsune forgotten about his signature move? Was this actually the fake Kurama after all? He ran forward, but his Spirit Sword was caught by Kurama's Rose Whip. When he looked at Kurama he saw the same self-assured look that he always wore in battle, however it also contained relief. "I should have remembered the Spirit Sword." Kurama said with a smile. "I won't forget again though." With a flick of his wrist the pair was separate once more. Kuwabara then attacked Kurama once more, but Kurama ducked and kicked the back of Kuwabara's knees, making him drop to the ground. It took only a moment for a kunai to be pressed to Kuwabara's throat, and for him to surrender. Then Kurama had a nasty idea, and gave Kuwabara an impromptu hair cut. "You look much better now, Kuwabara-kun." Kurama said as he deposited the kunai back into its holster. "I must admit that I enjoyed out little skirmish." He smiled openly. "We will have to do it again sometime, no?"

 

"Did you have to cut my hair!" Kuwabara shouted. "Do you know how long it'll take to grow back?"

 

"About as long as mine, Kuwabara." He said as he helped the larger human to his feet. Orochimaru moved to stand behind him.

 

"You fought well." Orochimaru said, draping an arm around Kurama, who blushed. "You both did."