Arc XII Chapter 29

    XII

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    Arc XII Chapter 29

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    The fight continued while Asami was sipping on her steaming tea. Tobi tried his best to survive, with considerable success and admirable persistence so far. Stubborn as usual, Tobi refused to go down so easily.

    Although Tobi might play the fool, his act did not deceive her. There was more to him than the eye met, yet even now Tobi was hiding his strength. Despite numerous occasions to counterattack, he was solely limiting himself to defensive measures without ever taking the initiative. He merely dodged and evaded. He never attacked. He needed to be put under more pressure to force him to reveal his hand ...

    Her head ever so slightly, dodging a feeble attempt on her life and tea. A kunai sailed past her head, lodging into the rock behind her. The offender was quickly identified. This was le?se majeste?, was it not?

    Asami continued sipping on her tea with stoic tranquillity and all the nonchalance that she could muster, yet her voice was laced with traces of annoyance. “Ino ... Always one rash to act, are you not?”

    “...” The girl clicked her tongue, a drawn kunai in her hand. “Dammit, I missed.”

    “...” Asami was forced to chuckle, a gelid smile adorning her lips. “Well, to be honest, it was a rather feeble attempt on your part. So failure was to be expected, admittedly.”

    Ino clenched her fists, boiling. “Just shut it, bitch! Nobody asked you for your opinion, princess!”

    “Bitch?” Asami furrowed an eyebrow, swirling her tea inside her cup. “Says the scantily clad woman with dubious morals.”

    Her words showed their desired effect, enraging Ino. “What did you just say?!”

    Asami grinned, having Ino right where she wanted her. This was far too easy, was it not? “I think you heard me right.”

    Ino narrowed her eyes, fuming. “Just wait! I will show you ...”

    “... ... ...” Shikamaru stopped her, his arm blocking her way. “Ino, don’t fall for her cheap tricks. Concentrate and focus. Don’t lower your guard!”

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    Tobi stood tall, his arms flailing wildly as he struck a theatrical pose. His voice boomed with bravado, radiating presumed confidence. “Muahahahaha! Kneel before Tobi’s might, feeble humans! Kneel before Tobi the Invincible, Defeater of Tangos and Konoha shinobi, Mightiest amongst the Tables!!! Muahahahahahaha! Your puny attacks are no match for Tobi the Table!!!  Muahahahahahaha!”

    “Dammit! He’s mocking us!” Tenten snapped, her hands twitching toward her holstered storage scrolls. The battlefield was littered with a sea of discarded kunai and shuriken, every single one of them a testament to her failure.

    “He is”, Guy conceded, his voice calm yet his eyes sharp. He was tracking Tobi’s erratic movements. “Don’t let his antics distract you. He has dodged all of our attacks so far. That’s no coincidence. His reflexes are excellent, and his movements are calculated. Caution is advised. Our enemy is skilled. He is far more than he lets on.”

    “Ohohoho!” Tobi wobbled dramatically on one foot, his arms flapping like a bird. “You are right, Tobi the Table is far stronger than you all can imagine! Ohohoho! Shiver in fear!”

    “...” Tenten growled as she yanked on her scrolls, prepared to unleash another volley of kunai and shuriken. “What an annoying guy ...”

    “...” Lee merely nodded in agreement, his fist raised high to guard his posture. He had been intently observing the enemy. “Guy-sensei, what are we going to do?”

    Tobi hopped in place, clapping his hands like a gleeful child. “Oh, yes! What are you going to do? Tell me! Tell me!”

    “...” Guy ignored the enemy’s interjections. “We must continue attacking. We must maintain the pressure. We must increase the speed and tempo. No matter how skilled he might be, he can’t dodge forever. Sooner or later, he will make a mistake.”

    “Understood, Guy-sensei.” Lee agreed.

    “Got it.” Tenten nodded in agreement, her fighting spirit reignited. “Sounds like a plan. We just need to wait and apply further pressure.”

    “Ohohohoho!” Tobi laughed loudly, hardly intimated. “So you think that you can defeat Tobi the Mighty Table? Ohohohoho, how arrogant of you non furniture ...”

    The earth trembled, and the ground was shaking. Something was approaching, and it was approaching fast. Right from behind and right in Tobi’s direction.

    “...” Asami sipped on her tea in deep contemplation. Hopefully he would notice in time. Otherwise, this would spell the end for poor little Tobi. She would need to organise even a proper gravestone for him. That would be a rather laborious affair.

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