Dimensional Exchanges

By XyoushaX
 

Chapter 6: Martial Arts Mayhem



 (Tim Seltzer, seltzer@seltzerbooks.com)


Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I do not own Wedding Peach. I do not own any great quantity of money or property. I'm a STUDENT; that's why I'm poor, okay? 

Author's Note: 'Ki', 'aura' and 'chakra' will be used interchangeably from now on. Sakura and those of the Shinobi World will keep on calling it 'chakra', while most of the people in the alternate dimension will call it 'ki' or 'aura'.

Sakura tried not to fidget as the class waited for their teacher to arrive. There were curious glances flying in her direction. She was dressed in the traditional gi, just like all the other students. Her silky pink hair was tied up into a short ponytail. There were many people with strange hair colors in the group, so it wasn't as if Sakura looked any weirder.

She just felt weird. There were angels, demons and even a couple of humans in the circle of fifty-some people. A few of them noticed the abnormal nature of Sakura's aura. Sakura could decipher out complete sentences from some of the whispers.

"Her ki seems even weaker than a normal human girl's."

"Maybe she was desperate and Sensei took pity on her — well, she won't last very long."

"I think she's kinda cute."

Sakura's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't received such a compliment in years. Maybe she could prove that she was strong, too.

The door slid open. In stepped Hinagiku with her gi. Her green hair framed her perky face. "Good-morning, class!" Hinagiku shouted out.

"Good-morning, Sensei!" everybody except Sakura answered.

"Alright, class. We have a new student today." Hinagiku walked over to Sakura and lifted her up to her feet. "Haruno Sakura-san. She's new to this city, so please make her feel welcome."

The class clapped. A number had blank expressions, some looked sympathetic, and there were even a couple with tiny smirks. Only a few had genuine smiles. Sakura smiled back, effectively hiding her nervousness.

"Sakura, can you tell me what kind of training you had before?" Hinagiku asked.

"Um... various projectile-weapons, and taijutsu," Sakura said. Some confused looks went across the room.

"Okay. Does 'taijutsu' involve weaponry as well?" Hinagiku asked, knowing well the answer, but wanting to teach her students something new.

"No, it is just hand-to-hand combat that shi— um, my people use," Sakura answered. 'Close call,' she thought. She was definitely not ready to explain she was from another reality.

"Doesn't that mean 'technique of the body'?" one student whispered to another. "Yet another moron invents some new style."

Sakura's fists clenched. 'You're gonna eat your words for insulting the way of the ninja, SHAAANAROOOO!'

"All right, Haruno-san. Class, not only is Sakura joining us, she is also going to help in today's lesson. In any battle, there will be moves your enemies will use, which none of you have seen before. Many of these moves aren't even recorded in the, quote-on-quote, official books."

"What!?" one student yelled out. His reaction looked like Naruto's when he was told by Kakashi the true purpose of the graduation exam, which seemed to have 'I never was told of THIS!' written all over it.

"The reason you are at this academy is to practice and improve the well-known martial arts," Hinagiku explained. "Don't be surprised if there is some stuff outside the textbooks."

Was that a sadistic grin on the teacher's face?

"Anyway, the junior battle tournament is coming in a month. It will be anything goes — not just magic and weaponry, but also new types of hand-to-hand combat." Hinagiku turned her head back to Sakura. "Haruno-san, will you be willing to have a quick match with Jura-kun?"

A red-haired boy stood up. He was normally built, looked fifteen, and was at least a head taller than Sakura. He was a fire-demon by the looks of him. The two faced each other in the middle of the circle. They did the customary bow, but Sakura could read the blood-lust in his red eyes.

"Alright, once one person lands a hit, falls down or gets the other in a lock, the match is over," Hinagiku said between them. She backed off. "Ready...start!"

Jura lashed out at Sakura. She dodged his fists, barely missing each rapid thrust. His offensive increased, and she started to block in addition to evading the hits.

Jura became angrier: Sakura was like a lizard with the way she controlled her arms and torso. He then resorted to some higher kicking moves.

Hinagiku narrowed her eyes. Sakura was dodging each and every one of Jura's attacks. But her upper body was doing most of all the movement, as if she couldn't use her legs easily. In fact, her legs were barely moving at all. Sure, she lifted her feet from the mat only now and then, but she basically remained in the exact same spot.

Jura noticed this as well, and decided to aim for Sakura's ankles. He did a lower kick on Sakura's ankles, tripping her and knocking her clean off. Her feet slipped on the matt, and she fell forward, her chest hitting the mat.

Jura yelped in pain: something hard was on Sakura's shins; he knew it. Sakura lost the match, but Jura swore that he could feel a bruise forming. "She's cheating with some sort of armor on her legs!" he yelled out.

Hinagiku turned to Sakura, who was just getting up. "Haruno-san? Do you have something on your legs?" Hinagiku asked.

Sakura blushed. "I have a few weights."

"Please take them off," Hinagiku ordered. "I want you to spar without them."

Sakura sighed, rolling up her trousers, revealing a total of four weights attached by strips of white cloth. She pulled out the flat pieces and laid them on her seating area.

'Man that feels so much better! I am PUMPED!'

"Sensei, could I continue to spar with Haruno-san?" Jura asked.in a polite manner. Yet Sakura could feel some other motives.

"Certainly," Hinagiku said. The two faced each other and bowed again. "Ready...go!"

Jura let out a full-power offensive: Sakura literally jumped, turned and twisted around his great array of kicks and punches. Hinagiku was impressed. A few of the students were mesmerized — Sakura's form was a little jerky, but she was dodging nonetheless. The word 'show-off' came into many other students' minds.

And Jura was getting royally pissed off.

Hinagiku noticed a long time ago that this fight had escalated to a higher level far beyond what she originally intended. But she let it be, since Sakura seemed to handle the situation well.

'He's going berserk,' Sakura observed. Her head evaded a quick thrust. 'This can be used as an advantage, but if I don't win soon it'll be bad. When he does land a blow on me, it will be more than just a bruise — he might even attempt to use a spell. He'd get in trouble, but I'd be dead.'

Jura's moves were getting more and more reckless. 'Sakura is playing with fire,' Hinagiku thought. Sakura used her analytical skills well, but was too hesitant to even land a punch.

Sakura then did something amazing, both to herself and Hinagiku. She jumped back with a five-meter leap, and then stood in a straight standing position. Jura was confused, and stopped for a moment. Sakura then beckoned Jura to come closer, using a slight hand movement and an arrogant smirk — just as she had seen Sasuke do in his fight with Gaara.

Jura responded as she pleased, running toward her with sheer hatred in his face. Sakura then left the spot with a burst of speed: Jura's fist met thin air, and Sakura was behind him in an instant. She punched the back of his head, causing him to fall to his knees.

Jura got up, and fire was burning in his eyes. Literally.

'Crap, I missed the nerve that was supposed to knock him out!' Sakura thought. She closed her eyes for the incoming hit.

It never came.

Hinagiku stood in front of Sakura, guarding her. The master held Jura back with one hand on his chest, the other holding his wrist. "Jura-kun, that's enough. Both of you, sit down."

Sakura bit her lip. She wobbled back to her spot, and sat down. She couldn't fight anymore for today.

Hinagiku decided that the demonstration had already fulfilled its purpose. The class went back to normal practice, and Sakura sat in the corner, just watching and thinking.

'I'm always being protected, no matter what I do," She thought. Sasuke's words from a long time ago sank in.

(( "You're the same level as Naruto. If you have time to pay attention to me, then go practice at least one jutsu."

A mental rock dropped on her.

"Frankly, your abilities are even lower than Naruto's."

The rock grew ten-fold.

Sasuke walked away.

Gloom descended upon the kunoichi. 'He's right...' ))

Sakura sighed. 'I guess he's still right.'


If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, please tell me! If I suck, by all means tell me. In an intelligent manner.


Dimensional Exchanges By XyoushaX This fanfic is complete.
 
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