Nothing Special

Chapter 14

" Ok then," Hayate said as he walked into the middle of the room. " Let's move right on to the second match." They watched the screen run through names before landing on Zaku Abmuo and Shino Aburame. The two made their way down. " Step forward, please," Aceso recalled that she put Zaku's arms in a cast when he got to the tower, completely broken. " Very good. Now, if you've both ready, then we'll begin.

" Do you think Shino will be all right?" Hinata asked.

" He's ok," Kiba assured. " Don't you worry about him."

" Huh?" Hinata asked as she looked at him.

" He's the last person here I'd ever want to take on," Kiba admitted.

" Candidates ready?" Hayate asked as he backed up. " Begin."

" Should he be fighting with broken arms?" Lee asked.

" Not really," Aceso shook her head. " But he decided his fate when he stayed for the preliminaries."

" If you fight me, you won't be able to recover," Shino advised. " Aceso can try as much as she would like, but she even won't be able to recover you. Forfeit and withdraw."

" But what do you know, I've got a little movement in one of them," Zaku said he tried to move one and freed it. " One good arm is enough to beat you!" He charged at Shino, he swung an arm and Shino stopped it.

" You couldn't beat me using both your arms," Shino stated.

" Yeah, well I've got news for you!" Zaku shouted. " Try this! Clenching sound wave!" Aceso saw Shino rolling as Zaku smoked. Zaku closed his fist and put his arm down. " Alright fool. You had enough?" The smoke cleared and someone's figure stood. " Huh?" Shino was standing up. " He's--there's no way!" There were chittering sounds. " Hey? What?" Everyone had no clue where it was coming from, then many little bugs appeared on Shino and crawled all over him. They crawled out of the hole on Shino's face as well. " Great. Now that you've creeped us all out, what happens next?" He jumped when he turned to see over a million bugs crawling toward him. Zaku trembled at the sight and sounds of the crawling bugs.

" They're a rare species of parasitic beetle," Shino began as he held up his finger with one beetle on it. " That attack their prey in a swarm, eating its chakra. An army of this size will suck you dry in less than a minute. Your only intelligent option is to forfeit the match. You can't fight two opponents at once. If you use your good arm against me, my friends will swarm you from behind. Conversely, if you use your good arm to keep them at bay then you'll have me on your blind side. Either way, your defeat will be certain--and unpleasant. It's wise to always have an ace in the hole." He put his fingers up to his face as Zaku stood there trembling. He let out a roar and put one hand out toward Shino who lowered his hands. " Now you've done it. Now you've made me mad!" He whipped out his other arm and pointed to the bugs.

" His arms," Aceso breathed in horror as her eyes went wide.

" Heh," Zaku smirked as he struggled to open his other hand. " Like you said yourself, always have an ace in the hole. Right? I'll blow you away!"

" Huh?" Shino demanded.

" What the?" Kiba asked. " I thought his right arm was shot!"

" It still is shot," Aceso informed. " He's putting pain and strain on it as he moves it. He's fighting through everything to have it to be able to fight. " He let out a roar. In the middle of both his arms started to let out massive amounts of air, Zaku looked helpless, and everyone gasped.

"Aaahh!" Zaku cried out. " My arms! What's wrong with them?" His arms were limped in front of him. He turned them over. " Aah!" There were bugs crawling out the air holes on his hands. Wh-What?" Shino appeared right behind him.