บท 33: 33. Annoying

(Guys, We are still not in the Top 40, So Give me some Powerstones!)

Kakashi laid out the rules: Team 7's objective was to capture Sora, while Sora's goal was to evade capture. The time limit was set at six hours, and the entire training ground, including the surrounding forest, was fair game.

"Any questions?" Kakashi asked, looking around at the assembled ninja.

Naruto pumped his fist in the air. "Alright! We'll show you how much stronger we've gotten, Sora!"

Sasuke smirked confidently. "This should be interesting."

Sakura nodded, a determined look in her eyes. "We won't underestimate you this time, Sora."

Sora grinned, excitement building in his chest. "Bring it on, Team 7. Let's see what you've got!"

Kakashi raised his hand. "Alright then. Begin!"

The moment the word left Kakashi's mouth, Naruto sprung into action. With a speed that would have made his father proud, the blond genin activated his Body Flicker technique, closing the distance between himself and Sora in the blink of an eye.

For a moment, it seemed Naruto had won the challenge before it had even truly begun. His hand was mere inches from Sora's collar, ready to grab and end the game.

But Sora had not spent the last three months idly. In an instant, his entire body shimmered and transformed. Where a young boy had stood, a small tabby cat now crouched, easily slipping through Naruto's figure.

"What the-" Naruto exclaimed, stumbling as his momentum carried him forward.

The cat that was Sora meowed cheekily. "Surprise! I've been working on this little trick for over a year now. Like it?"

Before anyone could react, Sora's form shimmered again, this time shrinking and burrowing into the ground as a mole.

Sasuke, his Sharingan blazing, lunged for the spot where Sora had disappeared. But he was too late – the earth had already closed up, leaving no trace of their target.

"Dammit!" Sasuke growled, his eyes scanning the ground for any sign of movement.

Naruto, not one to be deterred, formed his signature hand sign. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" In a puff of smoke, dozens of Naruto clones appeared, each immediately diving into the earth using the Hiding Like a Mole Technique.

What followed was a scene that could only be described as organized chaos. The training ground quickly began to resemble a giant game of whack-a-mole, with Naruto clones popping up and down, frantically searching for any sign of Sora.

Sakura and Sasuke stood back, watching the spectacle with a mix of amusement and frustration.

"This is ridiculous," Sasuke muttered. "He's making us look like fools."

Sakura nodded, her analytical mind racing. "We need a better strategy. Naruto's clones are good for covering ground, but Sora's too smart to be caught like that."

Meanwhile, beneath the earth, Sora was having the time of his life. He darted between the searching Naruto clones with ease, his chakra suppressed to near-undetectable levels. Every now and then, he'd pop up in a different form – a rabbit here, a bird there – just to keep things interesting.

After about an hour of this subterranean game of tag, Sora decided it was time to switch things up. He emerged from the ground as a small squirrel, scampering up a nearby tree.

"You know," he called down to the frustrated genin, "as fun as this game of 'Dig up the Entire Training Ground' is, I'm starting to get a bit bored. How about we try something new?"

Naruto, covered in dirt and looking thoroughly annoyed, pointed an accusing finger at the squirrel. "No fair, Sora! How are we supposed to catch you if you keep changing shape?"

Sora's squirrel form seemed to shrug. "Hey, I never said it would be easy. Come on, where's that famous Uzumaki determination?"

With that taunt, Sora leapt from the tree, transforming mid-air into a hawk and soaring over their heads.

Naruto growled in frustration, then turned to his teammates. "Alright, new plan! Sakura, can you try to predict where he might land? Sasuke, get ready with your fireball jutsu. I'll send my clones to herd him your way!"

Sakura nodded, impressed by Naruto's quick thinking. "Got it. He seems to favour small, agile forms. I'd bet he'll go for another tree landing."

Sasuke smirked, his hands already forming seals. "Just tell me where to aim."

As Naruto's clones spread out, creating a net of orange-clad ninjas, Sora watched from above with growing interest. 'Not bad,' he thought. 'They're actually working together pretty well.'

Deciding to test their coordination, Sora dove towards the forest edge, just as Sakura had predicted. As he neared the treetops, he heard Sakura's shout.

"Now, Sasuke!"

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

A massive sphere of flame erupted from Sasuke's mouth, engulfing the area where Sora was about to land. At the same time, a wave of Naruto clones converged on the spot, ready to grab Sora if he tried to veer away.

For a moment, it seemed they had him. But at the last possible second, Sora's hawk form shimmered and stretched, transforming into a long, sinuous river otter. He slipped through the gaps in Naruto's clone net, using the momentary confusion to slide down a nearby slope and into a small stream.

"Water?" Naruto exclaimed. "Since when can he turn into water?"

Sora's voice echoed from the stream, sounding both amused and impressed. "Not quite water, Naruto-nii-chan. But close enough to slip past your little trap. Nice teamwork, though! You almost had me there."

As Team 7 regrouped, frustration evident on their faces, Kakashi watched from a nearby tree, his visible eye crinkled in amusement. 'This is certainly turning out to be an interesting test,' he mused. 'Sora's skills have improved dramatically, but so has my team's ability to work together. This could go on for a while...'

And go on it did.

For the next several hours, the game of cat-and-mouse (or rather, cat-and-shapeshifter) continued across Training Ground 7. Sora's new jutsu proved to be a formidable challenge for Team 7, pushing their skills and teamwork to the limit.

As the sun began to dip lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the now thoroughly dishevelled training ground, Naruto's seemingly endless stamina was finally beginning to flag. Even Sasuke, usually stoic and composed, was showing signs of fatigue. Sakura, while physically tired, kept her mind sharp, constantly analyzing Sora's patterns and trying to predict his next move.

Sora, for his part, was panting heavily, his transformations coming a bit slower now. While his new jutsu was incredibly versatile, maintaining it for hours on end was taking its toll.

"You know," Sora called out, currently in the form of a small monkey perched high in a tree, "I've got to hand it to you guys. You've really improved since the last time!"

Naruto sprawled on the ground surrounded by his equally exhausted clones, managed a grin. "Just you wait, Sora! We've still got some tricks up our sleeves!"

Sasuke, leaning against a nearby tree, scoffed. "Speak for yourself, dobe. Some of us don't need tricks to win."

Sakura, who had been quietly observing Sora's movements, suddenly perked up. "Guys, I think I've figured out a pattern. When he's tired, he tends to favour smaller forms that require less chakra. If we can force him to keep changing rapidly, we might be able to wear him down enough to catch him!"

Sora, overhearing this, couldn't help but be impressed. 'Clever girl,' he thought. 'I'll have to be more careful.'

What followed was a whirlwind of activity. Naruto's clones launched a coordinated assault, forcing Sora to constantly shift between forms to evade them. Sasuke's precisely aimed fireballs and shuriken kept Sora from staying in one place too long, while Sakura directed their efforts, calling out predictions and strategies.

As the final minutes of the six-hour time limit approached, Sora found himself cornered. He had underestimated just how much Team 7 had grown, both individually and as a unit. Their teamwork was seamless now, a far cry from the disjointed efforts at the beginning of the test.

With Naruto's clones closing in from all sides, Sasuke's Sharingan tracking his every move, and Sakura's tactical mind leaving him with fewer and fewer options, Sora realized he might actually lose this challenge.

Just as Naruto's hand was about to close around Sora's collar (he had finally returned to his human form, too tired to maintain any other shape), a loud buzzing sound cut through the air.

Kakashi appeared in a swirl of leaves, his eye crinkled in what might have been a smile. "Time's up! Excellent work, everyone."

Naruto's jaw dropped. "What? No way! We were so close!"

Sasuke clicked his tongue in frustration, while Sakura let out a sigh of disappointment.

Sora, still panting heavily, managed a weak grin. "Phew! Talk about cutting it close. You guys really had me on the ropes there at the end."

Kakashi nodded approvingly. "Indeed. While you didn't manage to capture Sora, the improvement in your teamwork and individual skills is remarkable. You should be proud of yourselves."

As Team 7 caught their breath, Sora stretched, working out the kinks from hours of constant transformation. "Well, that was certainly a workout. If you want to discuss the battle in more detail, how about we meet at Ichiraku in about 15 minutes? My treat!"

With that, Sora's form shimmered and then burst into a cloud of smoke, revealing that he had been a shadow clone all along.

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Thank you to emanuel_2085, Osas_Destiny_4852, Crimson_Star96, knightwolf225, gentlebreeze03, Tsniper, CR077, Uchiha_D_minato, PauloHMS, Kennchan ,Desire96, Jude_Ovie, Syazam_Daniel, SgtoPepinillo, Jerlyn_Wilfred, RoninRaidon and name1681 for Powerstones.

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