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 t, yet even now Tobi was hiding his strength. Despite nurous occasions to counterattack, he was solely limiting himself to defensive asures without ever taking the initiative. He rely 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 lèse majesté, 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 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!”
“...” Ino was quick to reconsider, much to Asami’s disappointnt. “... right.”
Asami took another sip, amused. “Are~ are~, you are such a smart boy, Shikamaru-kun. No wonder that they say that you are a cut above the rest.”
“...” Shikamaru ignored her complint, his eyes narrowed. The gears in his head were turning. The master tactician in the making had already begun strategising, plotting her downfall and demise. It was apparent that he was serious. Fortunately for them, she was in no mood to play.
Asami refilled her cup of tea. Much to her dismay, her remaining reserves of chamomile tea had begun to approach critical levels. Her kettle was slowly emptying. What a dreadful prospect. “Anyway. You know, as curious as it might be, I am not in the mood to fight you, which ans my interest in you is exceedingly limited. So what if we strike a little deal, you and ?”
“A deal?” Choji wondered, the distrust in his voice manifest.
Asami smiled to the best of her abilities. “Yes, a deal~.”
“Tsk, and what exactly would that deal of yours entail?” Shikamaru clicked, reluctant, though not entirely disinclined, just as predicted. Though he might be a ninja of Konoha, he did not lack a certain opportunistic streak. If there was one to accept, then it was him.
“...” Asami giggled, resorting to her most diplomatic smile. “Personally, I would define it as so sort of truce. The conditions are simple, as long as you do not bother and my tea, I will not bother you. Does that not sound like an equitable bargain?
Shikamaru rely scoffed in response. Little love was lost. “And why on earth should we accept your proposal? For the sake of old friendship, or what?”
“Hardly.” Asami grinned deviously. “As I see it, we both stand to gain from such an agreent. I profit, but so do you. As long as I do not intervene, you are free to aid your comrades in need. As a matter of fact, I am sure that your support would be appreciated. After all, Tobi appears to give them quite so trouble. So why fight instead for no apparent gain?”
“...” Shikamaru clicked his tongue, not even bothering to hide his distrust. “And what guarantees do we have that you won’t backstab us?”
“...” Asami tilted her head, reflecting for a mont, her index finger caressing her lips. “To be precise, ... none. None besides my word of honour for what it is worth.”
“How deeply reassuring ...” Shikamaru frowned, clearly displeased with her response. “What a drag. You never change, do you, Asami? I have no idea what you are scheming in the little head of yours, but we will accept anyway. Choji, Ino, let’s go. As things stand, we have already wasted enough ti on her.”
“...” Choji and Ino rely nodded. Together, the trio disappeared.
“...” Asami smirked, satisfied with the outco of her negotiations. Success. She had gained a new set of pawns to pressure Tobi. Hopefully, they would prove a useful addition to her board.
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Tobi stood tall, his arms flailing wildly as he struck a theatrical pose. His voice bood with bravado, radiating presud 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 testant to her failure.
“He is”, Guy conceded, his voice calm yet his eyes sharp. He was tracking Tobi’s erratic movents. “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 movents 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 rely nodded in agreent, 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 ! Tell !”
“...” 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 agreent, 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. Sothing 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 ti. 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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