Naruto: The Lost Phoenix

Chapter 76: The Ultimate Technique

"Alright everyone, try to do your best for the elders and show them what you've learned so far in the academy." Reguia instructed as Kai and his classmates lined up in front of the man in an open area outside of the village, which was strange seeing as they normally did tests in the yard at the academy. However, seeing as the elders were watching them this time, he supposed that it was appropriate seeing as the academy couldn't fit both them and the students. "All of you will be sparring with each other while using anything available to you to win. However, just like normal sparring, no serious injuries or death are allowed and I'll stop the match if I think it progresses too far. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Reguia-sensei!" Everyone in the class said at the same time, standing still as all of the old people sat down in chairs a ways away from them before they were finally able to start. And while all of their classmates whose names Kai didn't know went first, eventually his friends started sparing as Fumi fought Airi and Ruki fought Akihiro. However, after the next few battles, Kai was getting bored seeing as his friends had already sparred and it was people he didn't know again. But that changed when he was called out next.

"Kai Nazaru against Namaki Sosen." Reguia announced as the man pulled the names out of a hat, which was how they'd been deciding the matches. And as soon as Kai heard who his opponent was, he attempted in vain to hide his evil smile as it was finally time for some payback.

"I'm going to crush you this time, Nazaru." Namaki nearly spat at him as the two walked over to where the previous matches had been held.

"Kai-!" Reguia began.

"Don't worry, Reguia-sensei. I won't hurt him. (Much)" Kai made sure only to think that last part as he reached his position and turned to face his opponent. Though as he did, he couldn't help but remember the beating that the bully had given Fumi, and such memories only served to further fuel Kai's anger. However, as his anger peaked, an idea formed in his head about what to do to the boy. And while he'd thought that it was one of the worst things that a person could ever do to someone else when he'd first seen it, currently, no other technique seemed appropriate.

"You ready, Namaki?" Kai asked, this time not bothering to hide his smile as his opponent nervously prepared to fight. Though the older boy didn't answer before Reguia stepped between them.

"Remember, I'll stop the match if I see any techniques that are possibly deadly. Other than that, anything goes." Reguia reminded them before holding his hand above his head until he threw it down and jumped away. "Begin!"

"You're going down!" Namaki yelled, withdrawing a kunai from a pouch at his side and running across the ground towards Kai while he lazily stood in place. However, when Namaki finally reached him, Kai easily dodged the weapon and deflected a kick with his hands before he twisted the kunai out of Namaki's hand and used it to slash at the boy's pouches as he passed him, which caused all of his opponent's weapons to spill out onto the ground.

"Why you-!" Namaki yelled while turning around to attack Kai.

"What? Weren't you going to crush me?" Kai asked. "How about this? As you probably know, I stayed at Konoha for about a week before I returned to Kumo, so how about I show you a technique that I picked up from them?"

"A technique from Konoha?!" Namaki asked angrily.

"That's right, and this is payback for what you did to Fumi." Kai suddenly lost all amusement in his tone as he grew serious.

"I knew it all along, you are a spy!" Namaki yelled as he charged towards Kai, though his attention was distracted as Kai threw the kunai he'd confiscated earlier which caused the bully's eyes to follow it. And when he looked back down, Kai was nowhere to be seen.

"Where-?!" Namaki asked, searching rapidly for where Kai had went before he attempted to look over his shoulder and his eyes grew wide as he realized what Kai was doing.

"Namaki, get out of there!" Reiden yelled from the middle of the group of elders.

"Too late." Kai whispered threateningly from behind Namaki, quickly making the handsign as he prepared to annihilate his opponent. "Leaf Village Hidden Finger Jutsu-!"

"Gyaaaaaaaaaa~!" Namaki screamed as Kai's attack struck the bulls eye.

"-A Thousand Years of Death!" Kai finished while continuing to force his fingers upwards until Namaki was launched off of the ground and soared several meters into the air,  eventually crashing back on the ground a short distance away while not moving yet still managing to hold his twitching arms over his rear.

"W-w-what the heck was that?!" Fumi yelled from the sidelines, causing Kai to lose his evil smirk as he looked towards the rest of his class to see that they were in turmoil. Fumi looked horrified, Ruki was covering her face with her hands in embarrassment, Akihiro was covering his butt and both Emon and Hisa were still rolling on the ground while laughing hysterically.

"I never thought that I would have to use this technique... It's simply too powerful." Kai closed his eyes and shook his fist as if he were regretting it.

"You idiot, how dare you pull a stunt like that in front of the elders!" Reguia shouted angrily at Kai before hitting him on the top of his head with the rolled-up hat that they'd been using to pair sparring partners.

"He deserved it!" Kai protested, holding his hands over his head to protect himself before Reguia grabbed him by the arm and hauled him over to where the rest of the class was standing. Though before he joined the others, Kai had to hide a smile as he caught a glimpse of the shocked expressions that all of the elders were making, not to mention the look of absolute fury that Reiden had.

"I will not soon forget this humiliation, Kai!" Reiden roared as he stood up from the others.

"And I'll not soon forget the look on your face!" Kai replied while laughing, causing the man to circle around the other elders.

"Why you insolent-?!"

"Do you want to have a real sparring match?! Bring it on Old Man!" Kai challenged.

"That's enough!" Ay roared from where he was seated by the elders. "Reguia, continue the matches!"

"Yes, Lord Raikage!" Reguia answered immediately before unrolling the hat and selecting two more strips of paper from it. And after a few more sparring matches that weren't nearly as fun as what Kai's had been, the test eventually ended before Akihiro and Ruki surprisingly ran forward before the elders could get up from their chairs.

"Umm, with your permission, we'd like to show you another display of what we've learned!" Ruki asked as she caught all of the old people's attention.

"Oh? And what do you have to show us?" Ay asked while turning his stern gaze to Ruki, which caused her to shy away from him.

"We'd like to show you a group tactic that we've been working on with several members of the class." Akihiro continued for her.

"Come stand over here Kai, you're a part of this too." Fumi suddenly whispered in his ear as she drug him away from the rest of the class.

"What's going on? Why wasn't I told anything about it?!" Kai asked in reply, hoping that he could fulfill whatever his classmates wanted to do before she left him standing out in the open and hurried back to the rest of the class.

"Hmm, I suppose you can show us, but make it quick." Ay agreed as everyone started watching again. However, while he didn't understand his role in whatever they were doing at first, Kai learned soon enough as both Akihiro and Ruki turned around, making several handsigns along with Hisa and Daishi behind him before he found himself in the center of what looked like a glowing white box. And while he instantly remembered that he'd seen something similar to it before in the anime, Kai couldn't help but smile again as he realized what his purpose in this 'group tactic' was.

"Four White Yang Formation!" All four of the users called out the name of the technique at the same time.

"So that's the way that you want to play it, huh?" Kai asked with a smile as he surrounded himself in chakra strings. "Fine then, bring it on!"