Another path

The first trial

< Hello everyone ! Thank you for being so patient, I'm really sorry about yesterday. Anyway, hope you'll enjoy this chapter ! (　^ω^) >

Edit : I just noticed, thanks for the 6k views ! Happy you like this story ! Sleep well, take care and have a nice day !
______

Everyone gasped at the news, making Suzuka and her allies laugh a lot.

" - Your faces are priceless !

- Are you even allowed to do that ?!

- Why would you do that ?!

Mifune himself interfered :

- We agreed to Suzuka-dono's suggestion since she merely suggested the idea and the traps but didn't oversee the construction. She doesn't know how and when the traps will activate, which means she has no advantage on any other participant.

Sakura metaphorically swat away the samurai's words, angrily barking :

- That's not the issue here ! What kind of twisted person would set such dangerous traps during a tournament ?!

- Do you remember the chūnin exams ?

Suzuka's answer took the pinkette aback. She stuttered a bit, not sure of what the other girl meant.

- Y-yes... Of c-course I do ! How is that relevant ?

- So surely you must remember the form we had to sign at the start of the second part of the exams.

- Yes... But it was an exam-

- And you are supposed to be a kunoichi. This tournament serves as a stage for each village to show off the skill and the strength of its shinobi. Thus, it is required for us to be put in adequate situations. During a mission, you're not always in friendly territory and you have to expect and look out for traps. Moreover...

She turned away from the pinkette to look down as Shikamaru had trapped Mabui with his shadow, allowing Asuma to knock her out.

- You had four hours to study the map. That's more than enough time.

All Konoha nin were speechless as they realised that only Asuma, Shikamaru and Neji did so and hence might have an idea where the traps were. And to top it all, the other teams might have actually taken the time to study the map, putting them at a huge disadvantage.
Sasuke gritted his teeth.

" I should have known... I should have known she would do something like this... She's always been like this, traps and seals are her trademark. I didn't thought she would go as far as suggesting to booby-trap the arena. "

Sakura was about to scream again but she was silenced when a loud ringing indicated the end of the match.

The referee announced the winner : team Asuma, with all of its members still standing while Samui was the only one left of her team after Ino and Chôji's efforts took Atsui out.

The next teams to go were team Shizuka from Iwa and team Utakata from Uzushio. That last team consisted of Utakata as its former sensei, Hotaru of the Tsuchigumo clan, Enma - a mysterious white haired boy with piercing red eyes - and Arashi, a young boy with dark blue hair and tattoos all over his neck and arms.

It was over in two minutes, the power and stamina of a Jinchūriki combined with perfect team work left no chance to the Iwa team.
Onoki was twitching either in anger or shock, no one could really tell.

The next battle opposed two teams of Kumo : team Yugito and team B. A wasn't too happy about having at least one of his teams out of the tournament like this but couldn't say anything since the pairing had been randomized.
Bee, Motoi, Karui and Omoi faced Yugito and her team and, while they put up a good fight, Kurama's theory stating "the more tails, the more powerful" seemed to be verified : Yugito stood alone against Bee and his two students by the end of the match.

The fourth fight featured the last team from Kumo and one from Kiri.
As many expected, Asahina and her teammates were wiped out by Darui, C and his two other teammates.

A nodded in satisfaction. Two teams from Kumo were qualified and it was because of fate there wasn't a third one.

Team Sakuya from Uzushio fought against team Mori from Iwa.
That was a very bizarre fight : the very moment the referee called the start of the match, all the members of team Mori fell unconscious on the floor. Sakuya and her students - Muzai, Jin and Harubana - hadn't moved an inch.
Although puzzled, the referee announced Uzushio's victory, making Onoki scoff in apparent disdain - which was actually frustration.

Suddenly, Kurama's eyes lit as she read the screen.

Team Kakashi vs team Kankuro

- Fuck.

- Oi, Kankuro, don't be like that !

- Are you kidding me ?! I'm going to die !

- No, you're not, now go !

- Damnit, Temari...

Kankuro and his three students went down in the arena where Kakashi, Tenten, Higure and Suzuka already stood.

They all got into a stance and the referee started the match.

Kakashi used one of his long-range jutsu, the fire dragon he made being easily avoided by the Suna nin.
They had trouble when their feet reached the earth though as Higure had made a few hand signs before slamming his right hand on the ground, creating a large chasm in the arena.
Kankuro took out one of his puppets, using it to shoot some poisoned needles at Higure who was still crouched down but Kakashi swat them away with a kunai, redirecting it at Kankuro's students.
Said students were trying not to fall into the pit spreading through the arena's floor but then one noticed something peculiar.
Right behind the whole group stood Tenten. She held a nagamaki in front of her, its long blade shining with numerous seals engraved on it.
Kankuro could only watch as the fire dragon got engulfed inside the blade which began to glow.
He didn't get to see much more as Higure's foot collided with his face, smashing it into wooden pieces.
Everyone gasped as the real Kankuro, who had been hiding as his puppet for an occasion to strike, jumped away from the wooden mess Karasu now was. His students got kicked back too by Kakashi and then-

- Step out !

Suzuka had shouted while her hands were posed in the dog sign. Tenten rose her nagamaki and slammed it down in the ground. The heat seemed to leave the blade and reached a seal traced with ink on the ground.
The fire spread from seal to seal at lightning speed all around the Suna team. They tried to move away but chains enclosed their ankles.
" Damnit ! I forgot to keep track of Suzuka's movements ! She already used this tactic during the chūnin exams, how could I not notice ?! Wait... No, that's wrong... They made sure I wouldn't... Kakashi and Higure as distraction, Tenten and Suzuka with the seal... The distraction setting in place the real trap... Still got a way to go, I guess... "

Those were Kankuro's last thoughts as four fire pillars emerged from the ground and took the shape of a gigantic cage.

Neji watched it with wide eyes.

" It looks like the one Tenten used back in the chūnin exams ! They are showing us old tricks ! They managed to take down a shinobi they had already encountered with the techniques everyone already knows ! They're doing this on purpose, showing us that they don't even need to try to beat us... Their team work and skill are enough to take anyone down regardless of our data on them ! "

Similar thoughts crossed Shikamaru, Sasuke, Asuma, Shino, Tsunade and Jiraiya's minds, filling them with dread.

Back in the arena, the team from Suna had lost consciousness due to the heat inside the barrier.
Four minutes after the beginning of the fight, team Kakashi was announced victorious.

Kurama smirked with a proud expression adorning her face and their friends from Uzushio cheered for them.
The scene weighted heavy on the Konoha squad as they felt it would be out of place for them to cheer for their former companions.
The council members who were there felt both scared and amazed at the demonstration.

" Since when... are they that strong ? What have we done ?... "