Game of Shadows by Adrian King1

Chapter 98

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor The Gamer. I own nothing, really.

Cover Art: Kissuli.

Chapter 98

After dodging, Eiji's foot connected with Chouji's abdomen as he sent the other boy flying against a tree. Immediately after, he jumped up to avoid a clawed sweep of Kiba's, which he responded to with another kick, this time down. The Inuzuka's face got very familiar with the ground right then and there.

Looking down as he landed, Eiji raised an eyebrow at the way his shadow was connected with another. Then, he directed the expression towards Shikamaru, unimpressed. Hearing a familiar 'chirping' behind him, Eiji didn't even turn around as his wires rose and wrapped around the running Uchiha that had charged at him.

"How's that going, Shino?" Eiji asked then, feeling the bugs on him trying and failing to drain his chakra. First, because he had a decent recovery rate, and second because Tsuchigumo was the one actually fueling his techniques. That meant that the only thing working against his energy pool were the bugs and they weren't precisely fast even if his Aburame friend had gotten much better in his absence.

"You are as ridiculous as ever, Eiji," The quiet boy replied, pushing his shades up.

"Or more," Shikamaru grumbled to himself before sighing. "You up for it, guys?" Eiji blinked as everyone around him nodded. From Chouji and Kiba, who were still recovering from all the hits they'd been taking through the spar, to Sasuke and Naruto who were both strung up in the air by his wires. The latter of which had been the first to be taken out as he donned on his orange seal armor.

"Born ready, Shika!" Naruto exclaimed as everyone's shadows connected with Shikamaru's. Meanwhile, Eiji's was the only one that disconnected.

'What's that about?' He thought with a frown. If it went to allies though, one simple idea came to mind. 'Does everyone and their mothers-' His thought was interrupted as Chouji and Kiba rushed him instantly and much faster than before. '-have a boosting jutsu now?' He finished as he blocked both of them with one arm each before pushing them away.

As for the Uzumaki and the Uchiha, they freed themselves from their thread prisons with sheer force alone. It was something that they probably didn't need help with all that much, Eiji was sure. It certainly helped though. Even Shino armed himself with kunai and rushed at him, his bugs still working tirelessly to drain Eiji's reserves.

'This is fun,' He thought to himself as he dodged, blocked, parried, deflected and countered the attacks coming his way. Even Tsuchigumo was excited, it seemed, as she broadcasted her delight to him.

"Aren't you gonna actually attack?" Kage asked casually as if he weren't in a battle against a small group of what he was sure were overpowered children. Not that he was one to talk, but Eiji was sure he didn't count. "It's not really all that fair to them if you don't attack during training. Doesn't reflect reality."

"He's not wrong," Hachi pointed out, surprisingly agreeing with her 'brother'. "For once," She added as an afterthought, which made more sense.

"Hey!" Kage protested indignantly.

"Say, would you like to participate, Kage?" Eiji asked then, receding his control the smallest bit.

"What kind of question is that?!" He replied, instantly grasping at the opening and taking over. All of Eiji's friends seemed surprised with the sudden change in style but they recovered quickly. Not that it meant much, if anything it just made things worse, since Kage was much less inclined to give them mercy or go easy on them.