2 Chapter 2: From the Shadows…

Choza Akimichi sat with his team and young students Might Gai and Genma Shiranui both very capable students. One was an expert in taijutsu, the other's finely honed battlefield senses, he was an all rounder figure that could work well with anyone, in pretty much any instance. He munched down on his bowl of beef as he eyed the two of them, Guy was ferociously devouring his own meal as well, whilst Genma picked away at his food. Tomorrow's chunin exams awaited and he had signed his team up of course but they would up against some stronge competition, namely Kakashi Hatake and his two team members, the boy was a genius…a prodigy, no two ways about it and whilst his own students were well accomplished, he couldn't help but think that it would a little too much for them to handle the son fo the 'White-Fang', final student Ebisu had not arrived yet, the boy was secretive and from what Choza could tell, somewhat of a pervert as well, not openly of course, Ebisu sought respect above all else. Ebisu when comparing to Gai and Genma, he had found a little lacking. The boy was good of course but from what he could tell Gai and Genma had something special compared to that boy but he knew the theory it all of course, by the gods, the boy was highly informed and knowledgeable. As he sat their devouring and thinking a whisper of a voice came from behind him.

"Sensei."

Choza shivered and quickly turned around to see a boy in sunglasses standing right behind him. He gulped…and then spat the remainder of whatever was in his mouth out, something he noticed the boy quickly dodged by leaning back almost unnaturally like a contortionist. The boy came back up and blandly looked at Choza.

"Ah…IT'S EBISU!" came a shout from behind him, no doubt Guy. "WHEN DID YOU GET HERE!?"

Ebisu? The boy had come back, of course it was Ebisu, it looked like Ebisu, why had it taken so long for him understand that and how on earth had the boy snuck up on him in a restaurant that had only one entrance and he was facing it.

"Ebisu?" Choza asked again.

"Yes sensei," said Ebisu confirming his identity.

"You disappeared," said Genma twirling the grass peice in his mouth, a peculiar habit.

"I did," Ebisu agreed.

"Now you're back again," said Genma.

"I am," Ebisu agreed again and Choza sweatdropped at the bland conversation.

"When did you come in?" asked Guy vaulting over the table and landing next to Ebisu in a long jump.

"Just then," said Ebisu.

Choza frowned again…he hadn't noticed the boy and now that he looked over him, he had changed, very much, well the boy was away for a year after seeking permission from the hokage, something the hokage wouldn't normally give but an exception was made in this boy's case. Choza felt himself more unnerved when he found that if he didn't focus enough his attention would just skip over the boy like he was just a chair or another piece of furniture in this establishment. Guy tried to put his arm around the boy's shoulders but the boy swiftly stepped back causing Guy to miss but the boy that worshipped 'youth' like a religion simply shrugged it off.

"You have grown stronger Ebisu," said Gai with a thumbs up.

"Naturally, I left the village precisely for that purpose," said Ebisu.

As Choza scanned the boy agained he noticed the strange blade the boy carried, had he learned kenjutsu. Now Choza was somehow eager to find out the strength Ebisu had attained, there was something very unnerving about him.

|[{BREAK}]|

Choza was positively alarmed as he stood in front of his team at training ground 10, his eyes not leaving Ebisu, afraid if it left then the boy would vanish into thin air. The boy made no footsteps, not even a squeak of a sound, not pebbles crunching under his feet, no sliding, not even the most natural of sounds when you walk, it was silent, completely silent. Choza shook his head, shaking off his nerves.

"Right team," he said looking at all three of them but paying special attention to Ebisu. "Tomorrow's your chunin exams."

"And after tomorrow I will be a youthful chunin!" said Gai giving a thumbs up again as he raucausly laughed and Choza himself laughed a little.

"You won't be a chunin after tomorrow," said Genma in an annoyed tone. "The exams start tomorrow but won't finish tomorrow."

"What!?" Gai said as if it was new information to him.

"He's right," said Ebisu quietly from behind Gai causing the genin to jump nearly a foot into the air.

"EBISU!" shouted Gai turning around. "Since when were you there?"

"Since we got here," Ebisu said and Choza noticed Genma's eyes narrowing as well, it seemed his more intelligent genin had also caught onto the fact that something was wrong.

"Before the chunin exams I thought I would test you all, see how much you have grown," said Choza with a smile, this would also help him with the betting tomorrow, inwardly Choza was guffawing at all the beef he could buy if he won the betting pool.

"Yes…Choza-sensei!" said Gai suddenly standing on his hands, something that was completely normal so they didn't pay an peculiar attention to it.

"Are we doing the bell exercise?" asked Genma.

"No…not today," said Choza with wide smile, his peripheral still locked intently on Ebisu. "Today you'll all be coming at me with the intent as if I was an enemy ninja."

"Just a simple sparring then," said Genma and Choza nodded.

"YESSSS!" Gai suddenly shouted as he jumped back onto his feet and jumped several feet into the air. "I'LL PROVE MY YOUTTHHH!!!"

"Very well, prepare yourself," said Choza and his eyes suddenly shot open and his smile became grimmer, the atmosphere had changed as the veteran shinobi prepared himself for the battle.

He watched as Genma and Gai too got into their stances and as expected Gai attacked first with his mastery of taijutsu he did push Choza a little but Choza slammed into him with a partial expansion jutsu crushing the boy into the ground just in time to dodge the well-aimed shurikens and kunais fired at him by Genma. He swatted it aside and charged at the boy only to feel danger from behind him as Genma manipulated several kunais on a string and brought it back at Choza. Choza flicked it away again.

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough," Genma said forming the seals and pushing a heavy gust of wind at him, he took step back owing to him being off balance when suddenly Gai sprung up off the ground and spun around in mid-air.

"Leaf Whirlwind!" Gai shouted as he landed a kick on Choza's guard and several more in quick succession forcing Choza back.

He felt Genma behind him again throwing two kunais. One had an explosive tag on it, he quickly swatted it aside but as the one that was normal came closer in a puff of smoke it transformed as he watched it also contained an explosive tag. Using partial expansion however he quickly smothered the explosion as it went off inside the large palms. He felt a sting but no matter. He kicked Gai away and loomed over Genma who quickly released another 'Great Breakthrough' but he using another partial expansion he swatted at the boy and even as it landed over Genma's guard, his sheer strength made the boy fly away. They had excellent teamwork and their battlefield intelligence, particularly Genma's is exceptional. Well now, he had defeated his two genins...two genins, wait…two genins? He had three genins, he had forgotten about Ebisu, he quickly looked to where the boy was standing only to realize with a sinking feeling the boy was totally off his radar now. He swirled around looking for him when he felt a solid impact on his back pushing him away, he managed to right himself as he landed and he glared at the boy that had suddenly appeared out of thin air behind him.

"Boom," he muttered and Choza's eyes widened…'explosive tag'.

Yes, he could feel his back sizzling now, he reached back to remove it…no time, he pulled off his armor and threw it away but the explosive radius still caught him propelling him forwards and he saw Ebisu's legs come up as it crunched into his jaw, sending his face upwards. He felt tingling sensations in his eyes, as he physically felt the blow, not even Gai had hit him that hard. Gritting his teeth, he flipped back and landed and his eyes glanced over only to realize with cold sweat that Ebisu had disappeared again.

"Shit," he cursed.

With a shiver he felt a slithering snake on his back and his eyes widened. Ebisu had latched onto him. He quickly shook violently in an attempt to throw of the boy but Ebisu held strong and he could feel the boy gaining and even as his heart beat loudly and his stress rose, he found Ebisu's hands slowly wrapping around his neck and for an instance he saw the 'shinigami' before he quickly applied the 'Multi-Size' technique and expanded knocking Ebisu off. Ebisu landed on the ground flipped back onto his feet. Choza whipped around his eyes landing on Ebisu who stood there, his eyes hidden behind those glasses. For a moment there Choza felt like he could die, the boy hadn't just gotten good, he had become a monster, he was untrackable, he seemed to so easily be able to just disappear. Choza needed to make sure his eyes didn't leave the boy lest he disappear again.

"You aren't drawing your sword," said Choza attempting to get the boy to talk so he could enlarge the presence.

"Why draw my blade if I do not aim to kill?" said Ebisu slowly and he felt the tip of what was a large mountain of killing intent and he shivered.

What on earth had happened to the boy, he had expected him to become competent but this…he was a monster now. He watched as both Genma and Gai regrouped with Ebisu, this was not good, whilst Genma and Gai attacked, Ebisu would again disappear. It would be nice if he could sense the boy before the attack but unfortunately that was not to be.

"You have gotten very good Ebisu!" said Gai with a thumbs up and grinning teeth.

"Yes…you have," said Genma thoughtfully as he looked over his teammate carefully, it was only then he noticed, if you didn't pay attention specifically to Ebisu with all you could muster then he would just vanish.

Choza kept carefully looking at the boy from whom he couldn't take his eyes off, even for a moment and as he gulped and turned his eyes to Genma he felt a sudden emptiness, his eyes shot back to the gap where Ebisu should've stood but the kid had gone and disappeared again.

"Goddamnit!" Choza shouted, his kindly demeanor entirely disappearing, Genma and Guy he could take down easily enough, Ebisu on the other hand was an entirely different matter.

It was only now that both Guy and Genma too had noticed the disappearance of their teammate.

"Where'd he go!?" asked Guy looking around, swing his head from side to side as Genma too looked around.

Something latched onto Choza's left hand and he bit his lip as he was pulled forward. Swinging his leg over Ebisu rolled himself and the big jonin instructor into what could be a considered a perfect armbar and as Choza lay there absolutely flabbergasted he could feel the hold tightening around his arm. He'd been snuck up on again, did he need to bring an Inuzuka or a Hyuga, next time he was up against this boy? He grit his teeth and tried to pull out his arm only to realize that his hand was being held in a vice like grip, rather than a hold he felt that something machine like was attached to his hand holding it in place and extending with perfect muscle contractions, it was ridiculous. He grunted again as he went to stand up, he felt the hold loosening and he widened his eyes as a small grin formed only for it replaced with surprise and some rage as he Ebisu suddenly tightened up again pulling Choza back onto the ground. Both Genma and Guy stood there too surprised to do anything whatsoever.

"Partial expansion," Choza murmured as he channelled the chakra and enlarge his left hand but as it started to expand Ebisu quickly let go of it to plant a solid kick right in Choza's face which had him staggering back, his partial expansion cancelled and he almost screamed out in rage when Ebisu put him in an armbar again. The boy wasn't just frustratingly strong with a ridiculously low presence, he was also intelligent, he had gone for his left side, his weaker side, he knew when to when to let go and when to hold back, it was a complete nightmare for Choza fighting him. He didn't think there was ever a point he was this mentally taxed, physically he could still go on but he took great big heaving breathes as he tried to control his mind. There was pressure there, the boy emitted some ungodly amount of it especially in close combat. He had fought against his genins more times than he would care to count but he had never felt like this in any those spars, the pressure Ebisu put on was not normal. What on earth had happened in a year that it changed that naive boy into something akin to a monster. He struggled again, trying to break free, him, an Akimichi couldn't break free of a genin's hold with brute force, if people heard they would laugh. All this while though what also further irritated and unnerved him was that the boy had not made a peep. He struggled to his feet still breathing in great heaving gasps when the weight suddenly dropped from his hand. He pulled his hand free to slap the boy away when he realized that Ebisu had let go willingly.

"Oh-" he started before his legs were sweeped out from underneath him with such force that when he landed on his back air expelled from his lungs.

This time he Ebisu had put his leg in a lock, holding it tightly in place.

"He's playing with Choza-sensei," said Genma narrowing his eyes as he watched his now unfamiliar teammate work the older jonin as he would a kid.

"This…this…" in that moment the hyperactive Gai couldn't even form sentences.

"OH COME OF IT!!" Choza suddenly roared and expanded rapidly as he performed the super multi-size technique turning into a giant of a man, effectively shrugging Ebisu off who flipped off his right hand and landed back on his feet.

|[{BREAK}]|

Ebisu narrowed his eyes as he paused in front of the titanic man in front of him. Was Choza-sensei always such an easy opponent, no not as far as he could remember. He remembered idolizing the man's strength and brute strength when he joined as a genin as part of Team Choza but this was too easy now, so many opening to exploit the only hard part about this spar was not killing the man by mistake. He had worked hard not to squeeze to hard, not aim for the weak spots, not to kill in one strike, the man exposed so many weak points that in front of Ebisu he stood like a training dummy rather than human being. Even in this enlarged state Ebisu felt no fear, no stress, it would be an easy feat to take him down, as his master told him, 'a larger enemy means a larger target'. He stuck his hand into his tool pouch and pulled out a smoke bomb. His teammates were entirely out of the fight now he noticed, they weren't even trying to get involved, just watching him fight against Choza-sensei. He looked at Choza-sensei far enlarged eyes, he felt a small amount of glee but his training masked all his emotions perfectly. He chucked a smoke bomb at Choza-sensei's face, something that got batted aside, he had of course expected this. It would be an easy feat to bring this man down, a harder feat to bring him down without killing him. He rapidly started throwing smoke bombs at the man and several of them finally made it through, naturally, his speed was higher than Choza-sensei's. Three of them exploded smack bang right in the red haired man's face covering that head in smoke. Ebisu pulled out a kunai and rolled up the explosive tag and threw it straight at his sensei's face as he was coughing from the smoke bombs exploding in his face. Normally at this moment he should've undone his technique and shrunk back to normal, then his vision would not be obscured, nevertheless he watched as Choza-sensei caught it, the smile expanded in his heart. Even before the smoke cleared the kunai exploded in his hand and the man let out an ungodly roar as he quickly shrunk back down to normal. Ebisu narrowed his eyes as he charged even as he watched Choza-sensei shake his smoking hand in pain. He had just enough time to watch as Ebisu appeared right in front of him, flipped over him and latched his legs onto the man's neck to put the man in a chokehold, squeezing. He felt the man's throat muscles expand to counteract the hold but he counted down.

5...Choza-sensei tried to shake him off.

4...He grabbed Ebisu's leg and tried to pull it apart.

3...He knelt on the ground as the lack of oxygen finally got to him.

2...His vision started fading even as he tried to suck in some much needed air.

1...He slumped forward fainting.

Ebisu rolled off of him and stood up, watching blandly at the man he had put out, who quickly regained consciousness and started greedily devouring oxygen.

"Ebisu!" Gai shouted as he came running over, his eyes widened. "That was amazing!"

Ebisu nodded as Choza got up rubbing his neck, a grudging respect shown on his face.

"You never used any ninjutsu?" Genma said appearing by Gai's side.

Ebisu shook his head.

"Well done Ebisu," said Choza in a raspy voice as he further rubbed his neck and then his eyes landed on Ebisu's blade. "You never used any kenjutsu either."

"I have several techniques I could've used," said Ebisu blandly.

"Then why didn't you use them?" asked Genma with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, Ebisu my friend, why didn't you show your YOUTH!" Gai suddenly shouted causing both Choza and Genma to flinch, Ebisu just blandly stared at him until Gai finally started sweating and then Ebisu broke eye contact.

"My techniques are…dangerous," said Ebisu choosing his words carefully, he didn't really mind if these people found out, what he didn't want are those rats that hid in the shadows waiting for a moment to exploit, finding out about his secrets…an assassin was only as good as his secrets, another lesson of his master's.

"Dangerous?" asked Choza frowning…more dangerous than what the boy just showed them?

"Yes," said Ebisu.

"Well…if you consider them dangerous then…" Choza gulped, he wouldn't care if this Ebisu a year prior that had said this but now.

On another brighter note, with the new Ebisu in the mix he could win the betting pool outright. He grinned, his faces indulging in two vices at once, greed and gluttony.

"Choza-sensei…" said Genma. "Please stop that."

"Stop what?" Choza asked absentmindedly.

"You look like you're about to eat us," Genma answered and Choza frowned before quickly wiping the drool from his face.

"What about kenjutsu?" asked Choza.

Gai too nodded, "Yes, you have that strange sword, why would you not use it!"

"It is part of a technique," said Ebisu.

"Another?" asked Genma curiously.

"Yes, it is the most deadly of them all," said Ebisu and Choza gulped again because unknown to Ebisu as he had said it he let out the faintest killing originating from the legend of the 'old man of the mountain'.

He thought back to the battle that had changed his outlook. A most random face off with the man that held a large executioners blade, one that would repair its own damage with the blood of its foes, whilst that itself was a terrifying thought, the fact was the man that wielded the blade was far more terrifying and whilst his own legs had failed him and his more rational teammate Gemma held back, it was Gai that surprised him, the boy with a stubborn vigor charged forward and it was perhaps that distraction that saved them from utter annihilation. It was strange to comprehend the possibility of death when up until that point his life was going very easily. At that point in time he couldn't consider that possibility to be fair but now after his training, he understood it was precisely that possibility he as an assassin, a shinobi aimed for. He didn't need to overpower his enemies, he didn't need to care about what happened or was happening in their lives, he just needed to kill them.

"Ebisu…are you alright?" asked Gemma sounding somewhat concerned and he snapped back out of his contemplation.

"I am…fine," he said with a very serious look.

"Hey, hey, can I have a look at that sword?" Gai suddenly piped up jumping up to draw the blade that was nearly as tall as Ebisu from the scabbard on his back, he quickly flashed back at an unreadable speed.

"You may not," said Ebisu.

"That's it, let's fight, if I win, you let me see that sword," said Gai with flames in his eyes and Ebisu cracked the knuckle on his index finger as he stared at the stubborn youth.

"Now, now boys, we've had enough sparring for one day," said Choza stepping in.

"I agree," said Gemma. "We should go home and rest for tomorrow."

Ebisu kept staring Gai whose flaming eyes only got brighter, for a sparking second he actually wondered if the boy's eyes had actually caught on fire.

"I'll beat him now and then I'll beat Kakashi tomorrow and I'll become a jonin," said Gai with both his fists up in the air.

Choza let out a weak chuckle as Gemma sighed.

"You can't become jonin if you pass the test tomorrow, at best it's a chunin," he said.

Ebisu rolled his tongue over his teeth before letting out a shade of a smile.

"If…you win the spar then I will allow you a glimpse of my blade," said Ebisu stepping forward and both Choza and Gemma blinked in surprise.

"Boys, now, let's no-."

"YOUTH!!" cried out Gai. "If I cannot beat you today Ebisu, then…I'LL RUN TWO-HUNDRED LAPS AROUND THE VILLAGE, ON MY HANDS!"

"You may do what you wish but you will not touch my blade, that I assure you."