Book 1: Sakura Heart (Kiba Love Story)

Chapter 5

Sakuya's P. O. V:

Hotaru Sensei explains, "The goal of your mission is to take one of these bells from me. If you succeed, you pass. If you fail, it's back to the Ninja Academy for you!"

Ren gapes at the beautiful woman as she giggles. "That's not fair!" He complains.

"Fair or not, that's how it is. I make the rules around here, got it?!" We watch as Sensei ties the bell at her right hip securely. She looks back at us as we get to our feet and get in ready stances, a wind blowing over us. "You can come at me with everything you've got! I'll let you go home to get all of your ninja gear, but return right away, okay?"

We nod and go get our ninja gear. We return to the training grounds to find our Sensei right where we left her. Ren doesn't seem to have much on him, though. She smiles in approval at us.

I have my katana strapped to my back just in case.

"Now... begin!" The Arashi calls and we leap into action, with Ren diving in head first, doing hand signs.

"Crystal Release: Crystal Needles!" Slender senbon of rose quartz crystal shoot out and fly right for our Sensei.

Quickly, she whips out a kunai knife and deflects all of them with ease. "Is that a Kekkei Genkai, Ren?" Hotaru Sensei inquires. The boy smirks.

"It sure is! I don't remember much about my parents but I'm from a clan with Crystal Release. Crystal Release: Crystal Armor Jutsu!" I watch as he engages the woman in hand to hand combat. Ren throws swift punches and kicks but Hotaru Sensei blocks or dodges them all.

Dodging a kick, she grabs his leg and throws the boy over her shoulder, onto his back with a grunt of pain.

Kyo was the next to move. "Wind Release: Divine Fist of the Wind God." Chakra infused wind envelopes Kyo's hands like mitts and he rushes at Hotaru. His movements with hand to hand combat were swifter and faster than Ren's. The blonde leans up on his elbows to watch as Kyo punches towards Hotaru.

She blocks with ease and catches his right leg when he kicks at her. Kyo jumps back before attempting to punch the Jounin again. He's really good at Taijutsu.

Kyo grunts with exertion and slams his right palm against Hotaru. Her brown eyes widen when she's suddenly thrown back with tremendous force. She hits the ground and rolls but catches herself and coughs. Hotaru gets back to her feet, gazing at the green eyed boy in surprise.

Kyo pulls back and does some slow but precise hand signs, surprising the black haired woman. "Wind Release: Air Bullets Jutsu!" He blows out several small balls of chakra infused wind.

Our Sensei dodges them with ease, surprising us.

"That was some dodge!" I think in astonishment. Kyo goes to do the same Jutsu once more, but Hotaru Sensei does her own hand signs.

"Typhoon Release: Consecutive Bursting Strong Winds!" A massive typhoon forms around Kyo and Hotaru gazes at it. She Body Flickers to above the tornado.

Kyo looks up with a gasp.

"Water Release: Water Trumpet Jutsu!" My eyes widen as a huge jet of water in the shape of a trumpet is shot out from her cupped hands. Kyo's pink orbs jerk wide as he gasps sharply, but before he could dodge or block, the Jutsu hits him head-on.

We hear him scream and when the water dies down, we see Kyo sprawled on his back, spread eagled.

Homura growls as she changes her size with a flare of fire, her fangs longer. Three people could ride on her back now. Ren and Kyo gape at the nekomata before she charges for Hotaru. Homura swings her claws but Hotaru manages to dodge them.

A spark soon forms from Homura's paws and she fires several balls of flame at Hotaru. They explode around her but Hotaru uses a Substitution Jutsu.

Reappearing, Hotaru faces me expectantly. She looks calm. "Care to have a go, Sakuya?" She inquires innocently.

I steel myself before I make my first move.

I do a set of hand signs, smirking at the water on the ground before me. "Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder!" I channel chakra infused lightning around my hands, then thrust them at the water on the ground.

Hotaru's eyes jerk wide as she sees the electricity racing along the water at high speeds, crackling wildly. As swiftly as before, though, the Arashi dodges and smiles.

"Using the water from my Jutsu to enhance the power behind your Lightning Jutsu. Not bad, Sakuya! Let's see you dodge this!" She does more hand signs. "Water Release: Liquid Bullet Jutsu!"

I blink as orbs of water form and shoot at me. The bullets hit me, but my body turns into a puddle of water.

"A Water Clone, huh?" Hotaru mutters as she lands.

After I had gotten away from Hotaru Sensei, I was standing on a platform of earth I'd created from my Earth Suspension Jutsu, hovering above the Jounin's head. I breathe under my breath, "Water Release: Hydro Kata Jutsu." Water wraps around my fists. I then launch myself at the woman with my Earth Suspension Jutsu before I leap off of it.

Hotaru looks up with a surprised gasp as she sees me heading towards her with my left fist pulled back. She jumps back to dodge my punch. She eyes the water wrapped around my fists as I continue to throw punches and kicks towards her.

She narrowly dodges while also blocking some of my punches. One of my fists sails right past her face. It was almost like we were moving in slow motion.

My gaze jerks down to the bells at her waist. I smirk and jerk my other hand for them. Hotaru gasps as my fingertip just barely grazes a bell.

Before I could grab it, I was slugged in my side by a kick from Hotaru. I grunt sharply as I tumble across the ground before I come to a stop.

"I'm rather disappointed in you three," Says Hotaru as she gazes at us. "I was so hoping at least one of you would've gotten a bell by now. Oh, well, you can always try again next year, I suppose."

"No way! We are so not going back to the academy!" Ren snaps, annoyed, as we get to our feet.

"Yeah, that's right!" I add as we face the woman who smirks.

"Very well, then. Show me what you've really got!" Hotaru challenges, making a "come at me" gesture with her right hand.

I gasp and jerk my head to the boys, "Guys! I think I know how we can defeat Hotaru Sensei!"

"What?" Ren asks, looking to me.

"You do?" Kyo asks in surprise. I nod and gesture for them to join me. I then whisper my idea to them.

"Are you sure that'll work?" Ren asks dubiously with his right blonde eyebrow raised.

"It has to!" I insist. I flick my gaze to the blonde haired woman. "Alone, as mere Genin, we don't stand a chance at beating her, a Jounin. But! If we can work as a team, then we have a better chance at winning! It's the only way!" I look back at my teammates. "Do you trust me?"

Ren and Kyo pause, glancing at each other.

"It's worth a try, at least," The Suzumoto finally speaks up.

"Alright, Princess. We can try it your way—if it means we won't be sent back to the academy," Ren finally agrees, shrugging. I beam at them.

"Great! Here's my plan!"