บท 68: 68. Academy
(Guys, We are out of top 10, heck we are barely in top 20, so Give me your Powerstones! )
Hanabi nodded, chakra already gathering in her palm.
Just as they were about to collide with the kunoichi, Sora shouted, "Now!"
In a move that would have made any circus acrobat proud, Hanabi vaulted off Gamahiro's back, flipping through the air with the grace that belied her young age. The Oto kunoichi, caught completely off guard by the aerial assault, could only watch in shock as the tiny Hyuga descended upon her.
"Eight Trigrams: Sixteen Palms!" Hanabi cried out, her hands moving in a blur as she struck the kunoichi's chakra points with pinpoint accuracy.
The enemy ninja stumbled back, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Impossible... how could a child..."
Her words were cut short as Gamahiro's massive tongue shot out, wrapping around her and lifting her into the air. The kunoichi struggled futilely against the amphibian's grip, her face a mask of shock and indignation.
"Put me down, you oversized garden ornament!" she screeched.
Gamahiro looked at Sora, amusement glinting in his amphibian eyes. "What should we do with her, kid?"
Sora stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Well, we could always use her as a lawn decoration. I hear angry kunoichi statues are all the rage this season."
The Oto ninja's face turned an impressive shade of purple. "Why you little-"
"Now, now," Sora waggled his finger. "No need for bad language. We're all friends here, right? Well, except for the whole 'you trying to destroy our village' thing."
Hanabi, who had landed gracefully back on Gamahiro's head, rolled her eyes. "As amusing as this is, don't we have an academy to save?"
Sora's expression sobered immediately. "You're right. Gamahiro, can you secure her somewhere? We need to keep moving."
The giant toad nodded, using his free hand to pull out a scroll. With a puff of smoke, a large, reinforced box appeared. "Special containment unit," he explained at Sora and Hanabi's curious looks. "Jiraiya-sama had me carry a few, just in case."
With surprising gentleness, Gamahiro lowered the still-sputtering kunoichi into the box. As the lid closed, her muffled threats could still be heard, though they were rapidly fading as the box's seals activated.
"Well," Sora said brightly, "that's one problem solved. Now, off to the academy!"
As Gamahiro resumed his journey, leaping from rooftop to rooftop with earth-shaking bounds, Hanabi turned to Sora with a mixture of exasperation and reluctant admiration.
"You know," she said, "when we snuck into the Chunin exams, I didn't expect we'd end up defending the village from an invasion."
Sora grinned at her. "Aw, come on, Hanabi. Where's your sense of adventure? Besides, think of how impressed everyone will be when they find out what we've done today!"
Hanabi's eyes widened as she considered Sora's words. "You're right! Father might even smile for once... or at least frown less severely."
As they approached the academy, the sounds of battle grew louder. Gamahiro landed in the courtyard with a resounding thud, causing both enemy and ally alike to pause and stare at the unlikely trio atop the giant toad.
"Alright, kids," Gamahiro rumbled, "this is where I leave you. Good luck, and try not to get squashed."
With that, the giant toad disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Sora and Hanabi standing in the middle of the stunned silence. For a moment, no one moved.
Then, Sora flashed his signature grin and waved at the gawking ninja. "Hi there! We're here to save the day. Any objections?"
An Oto ninja, apparently recovering from his shock, pointed an accusing finger at them. "They're just kids! Get them!"
As the enemy ninja charged forward, Sora and Hanabi exchanged a quick glance. "Ready to show them what Konoha's youngest can do?" Sora asked.
Hanabi's Byakugan activated, veins bulging around her eyes. "Try to keep up, red-head."
What followed was a display of teamwork that would have made their teachers proud. Sora's water techniques created openings that Hanabi exploited with her Gentle Fist, while her 360-degree vision allowed them to avoid surprise attacks. They moved in perfect sync, covering each other's blind spots and amplifying each other's strengths.
"Water Style: Liquid Bullets!" Sora called out, spitting rapid-fire water projectiles that forced a group of Oto ninjas to dodge right into Hanabi's strike zone.
"Eight Trigrams: Sixteen Palms!" Hanabi's hands blurred as she struck the enemy's chakra points, leaving them slumped on the ground.
Meanwhile, inside the academy, a group of students huddled in a classroom, fear evident on their young faces. Among them was Konohamaru, the Third Hokage's grandson, trying his best to put on a brave face.
"Don't worry, guys," he said, his voice only slightly shaky. "My grandpa will save us for sure!"
Suddenly, the door burst open, revealing one of Sora's clones. "Hey there! Heard you guys could use a hand?"
Konohamaru's eyes widened in recognition. "You're that red-haired kid who's always with Hanabi! What are you doing here?"
The clone grinned. "Oh, you know, just in the neighbourhood, thought I'd stop by. Now, who's ready for a super-secret ninja escape mission?"
At the academy, the original Sora and Hanabi were still holding their ground against the Oto and Suna ninja. Despite their young age, they were proving to be formidable opponents, their teamwork and unique skills catching the enemy off guard.
"You know," Sora panted, ducking under a wild swing from an Oto ninja before retaliating with a water whip, "when I woke up this morning, I didn't expect to be fighting off an invasion."
Hanabi, who had just finished incapacitating two Suna genin with her Gentle Fist, shot him a look. "Really? Because somehow, this seems exactly like the kind of trouble you'd get us into."
Sora grinned sheepishly. "Fair point. But you have to admit, it's exciting!"
Before Hanabi could respond, a new voice cut through the chaos. "What in the world is going on here?"
Both children turned to see Iruka-sensei standing at the entrance of the academy, his eyes wide with disbelief as he took in the scene before him. Sora and Hanabi, two of his youngest students, were standing amidst a group of defeated enemy ninja, looking battered but triumphant.
"Iruka-sensei!" Sora called out cheerfully. "You're just in time for the party. We saved you some punch!" He gestured to a nearby Oto ninja who was groaning and clutching his stomach where Hanabi had struck him.
Iruka's eye twitched. "Sora, Hanabi, what are you two doing here? You should be in the shelters with the other students!"
Hanabi, ever the more diplomatic of the two, stepped forward. "We were on our way to the shelters when we saw the academy was under attack. We couldn't just leave our classmates in danger."
Iruka's expression softened slightly. "While I appreciate your bravery, it was extremely reckless to engage an enemy ninja on your own. You could have been seriously hurt!"
Sora rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, to be fair, we weren't entirely on our own. We had some help from a giant toad."
Iruka blinked, sure he had misheard. "A... giant toad?"
"Yep!" Sora nodded enthusiastically. "His name's Gamahiro. Nice guy, a bit sensitive about being called a frog though."
Iruka looked like he was developing a headache. "I... see. And where is this giant toad now?"
"Oh, he had to go," Hanabi explained matter-of-factly. "But he left us to handle things here."
Iruka took a deep breath, clearly trying to process this information. "Alright. Well, as impressed as I am by your... unexpected skills, I think it's time we get you two to safety. The jonin can handle things from here."
Just then, another of Sora's clones appeared, leading a group of students including Konohamaru. "Hey, boss!" the clone called out. "Found these guys hiding in a classroom. What should we do with them?"
Iruka's jaw dropped. "Sora... did you just... how did you..."
Sora grinned. "Shadow Clone Jutsu, Iruka-sensei. Pretty cool, huh?"
Iruka looked like he was about to faint. "That's... that's a jonin-level technique! How in the world did you learn that?"
"Oh, you know," Sora shrugged, "a little bit of reading, a lot of practice, and a healthy disregard for the phrase 'you're too young to learn that'."
Hanabi nodded in agreement. "It's true, sensei. Sora's clones have been helping all over the village. They've probably evacuated half the civilian population by now."
Iruka looked between the two children, a mixture of pride, exasperation, and utter bewilderment on his face. Finally, he sighed. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. You two have always been... exceptional. But don't think this means you're off the hook. We'll be having a long talk about appropriate jutsu for your age once this is all over."
Sora and Hanabi exchanged a glance. "Does this mean we pass the practical exam?" Sora asked hopefully.
Iruka couldn't help but chuckle. "Let's focus on surviving this invasion first. Then we'll talk about exams."
As they began organizing the evacuation of the remaining students, Sora couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. Sure, they were in the middle of an invasion, and yes, they'd probably be in a world of trouble once things calmed down. But for now, they were ninja of Konoha, protecting their village and their people.
And really, wasn't that what being a shinobi was all about?
Right?
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Desire96
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