Testing his successor, Zento Anichi Second Hokage!?

Kirito had been keeping tabs on Zento ever since he had promoted Zento to ANBU. Kirito knew he had originally made Taika his successor, but Kirito also knew that Taika had a longing to search for his mother and with the responsibilities of being Hokage Taika would not be able to do so. With that as well as Zento's strength, kind heart, loyalty to the village and ability to command respect Kirito had decided that he would test Zento. If Zento had improved how Kirito thought he had, Zento would become the new Hokage, leaving Taika able to search for his mother and Kirito able to pursue other things.

The sun was quite low in the sky when Kirito had reached the training grounds, the desired location for this fight. It was late afternoon and the sun was setting. Kirito had sent word to Zento to meet Kirito here. The details why and what was to happen were all in the message sent to Zento. Training field three was where Kirito was waiting for Zento. It was a large hundred meter long and seventy five meter wide field with large trees lining the shorter sides of the field while on Kirito's right there was a large lake and on Kirito's left there were several large boulders. The sun was directly behind Kirito as he waited, his three tomoe sharingan eyes were scanning the area. Dark Repulser and Elucidator were strapped to Kirito's back over top of the Blackwyrm Coat. Kirito was standing patiently with his arms folded in front of him, a serious look was on his face.

Zento was sitting in his house with a nice cup of coffee and reading a book. The day was calm and peaceful. He rather enjoyed the peacefulness in this village. There wasn't much for the cause of war and violence in a very long time. Then having a knock on the door, Zento would open the door looking to see an ANBU agent with a paper in hand. Zento would take it and read it carefully. It would see that the hokage wished to meet with him about becoming his replacement. In order to do so, Zento would have to fight him and show he is indeed worth of becoming the Second Hokage. Zento closed the door and set the paper down. His head was over flowing with what was just handed to him. The Second Hokage? Why? He wasn't sure exactly why he needed to become the hokage and why he had to prove to his hokage that he deserved the rank. But, he would think about the past. How things have happened in his life. All the violence. Maybe he could be hokage. Change the villlage and help protect it more than he already has.

Zento would go into his room. Grabbing his pouch and his weapons. Strapping them on and then grabbing his coat. He would sling it around his shoulders and slide it on. Grabbing his hat and placing it over his head. Zento would lastly grab his notebook. Looking at it for a few seconds, Writing something down and setting it back down. He would read from it to himself once he finished with the hokage. Zento of course planning ahead and having his surprises ready. Zento would place his hand on the side of his neck. He knew he would have to use more of his power than normal in order to prove himself to his hokage. The time was now to prove just what he brings to the table to keep this village safe. Opening his door, Zento would go to walk to the area on which was stated he would meet the hokage. Zento's eyes looking more serious than normal. He was aware of exactly what he kage had. So it was best for him to plane for all that was going to appear before him.

Zento would move his shoulders in a circle motion and pop his neck as he went on his walk to the man. His chakra already suppressed as to keep his hokage from knowing on his approach. Zento would reach the training grounds. Checking the floors and all the areas in the trees for traps. All of which perfectly safe. He would jump up into the trees and move quietly to Kirito. His sound as quiet as a grave. Afterall, as a member of the assassination squad in the ANBU, it would be a shame if he was a noisy person. He would follow to have the sun at his back Keeping the light shining behind him as it fell slowly. Noticing his hokage, Zento needed to think about how he could fight this man. Should he go for the quick strike and to end this as it started? No. That doesn't show his power. Zento needed to show that he was worthy of such a title. He would quietly leave the tree he was in and land on the ground about six meters behind the man. His chakra, giving quite the change.

Zento stopped repressing his chakra and the ground under him started to rumble. A white aura leaving his body as the curse mark began to unfold. A foul and evil like chakra would be sensed by most. However, those who dig deep enough sense the true nature of Zento's chakra. Pride and loyalty. He would grab his coat. Keeping a look on his opponents body and not being foolish enough to stare at the eyes. Zento would narrow his eyes as he tossed his hat to the man The hat landed at his opponents feet. Zento then watched as the hat would explode. A favorite trick of Zentos to do. His kage most likely already having some plan to get out of it. He would then unbutton his coat all the way and let it hang off of his shoulders.

The next move was a simple one for Zento. He would simply follow the chakra of his opponent and move accordingly. He then would do a leg sweep for his opponent at very blinding speeds thanks to the curse mark. His strength and speed were something even the kage would have a trouble fighting. Then, Slapping his hands on the ground, Zento would push himself into the air and his leg moving to drop right into the jaw of his kage to knock him into the air with him. If such actions were correct, Zento and the hokage would be knocked about fifteen feet into the air.

Kirito had been paying close attention to anything that would given away Zento's arrival such as sight, sound, smell or chakra signature. Of course, being trained in the ways of Konoha's ANBU assassination squad, Zento would not give away any of these unless he wanted his presence to be known. Even Zento's shadow would be covered by the shadows of the trees behind him. So Kirito wasn't surprised when Zento's chakra signature had appeared merely six meters behind Kirito. Kirito was ready for this though. Feeling Zento's chakra signature appear, Kirito would immediately act. If Zento was going to be Hokage, he would need to be able to respond to all types of attacks in many different situations.

The moment Zento had stopped repressing his chakra signature, lightning would begin to expand outward from Kirito's body in every direction except below him. The lightning with create a dome, covering every inch of space as it expanded outward to a maximum of twenty five meters. The lightning would only have a power of B rank, extending outwards at B rank speed. However by the time Zento's hat had reached three meters, exactly the center of the distance between Zento and Kirito, the lightning would come into contact with the hat either frying it or causing it to explode early. In the same instant the lightning had begun to expand outward from Kirito's body, several one meter thick roots would emerge from the ground only one meter away from Zento and attempt to pierce Zento's legs as well as wrap around Zento to hold him in place. The roots would move at S rank speed and have S rank sharpness. Of course, Kirito expected Zento to be able to handle this, but Kirito was interested to see how.

Zento paid close attention to the lightning appearing around his hokage. He had to act fast to keep himself from taking any damage from the lightning. Then watching as two roots would jump out of the ground in the attempt to pierce Zento's legs. A simple move really but fast and powerful. However, with this curse mark active, it was hardly a problem for the man and his speed. He would jump back and doge both of the roots. Keeping the gap between him and the roots by moving just a tad bit faster than the roots instead of moving at his full speed. He then would keep his legs up and pull out four kunai and wrapping them in wires. Tossing them down to the ground and then pulling out one Shuriken and creating a conductor for the lightning. Spinning the free wire around in a circle. The lighting would jump right to it once it hit. The lighting from his hokage would zap all of the kunai and the wires that were stabbed into the ground. Next came the fun part.

Zento would stay in the air as the lighting would be channeled through the ground. A simple conductor like this will create a small window for Zento to look inside and see his kage. As long as the chakra and lighting were moving, they would funnel through the ground. Zento making a few handsigns, would use his next jutsu to his kage inside his own prison of lightning. Releasing fire from his mouth, Using the Blast Wave wild dance jutsu. Covering more area than needed in the cage of lighting. But, the man didn't have any seals to escape the jutsu and He needed to make sure that his opponent couldn't leave without taking damage. The jutsu filling up the area with lightning. Moving faster than his opponents lightning and stronger. Zento was sure that his opponent didn't have a way around it. He would then land on the ground. Sure safe from any lightning on the ground do to his thick rubber combat boots. He remembered well about his hokage using lightning and didn't want to be caught in any of it. So choosing such boots would be a logical choice for him to do. Maybe even catch his Hokage off guard with them.

Kirito had turned to face Zento's direction just as Zento had finished his grounding circuit. Kirito watched, arms still folded, as Zento let loose a blast of flames over a wide area effectively encasing Kirito. Kirito would watch contentedly as he was engulfed by flames. This was going to be fun indeed. Just as the flames hit Kirito, a cloud of smoke would cover the area and Kirito would appear sixteen meters behind Zento on the ground.

Upon reappearing on the ground behind Zento, Kirito would toss one raijin kunai up in the air and one riajin kunai directly at Zento. Then, without skipping a beat, Kirito would perform a series of seals and touch the ground in front of him, creating a large earth wall in between Kirito and Zento. While touching the ground to perform the earth wall technique, Kirito would place a small FTG seal on the ground before standing up to perform his next action. A spiraling ball of chakra would form in Kirito's left hand before Kirito disappeared in a flash of yellow light, reappearing at the raijin kunai he had thrown at Zento. The first raijin kunai would be behind the earth wall at this point falling back to the ground. As Kirito appeared in front of Zento at the raijin kunai, Kirito would attempt to smash the Rasengan directly into Zento's stomach while simultaneously trying to make direct eye contact with Zento.

Zento's eyes would narrow a bit as he felt Kirito's chakra form up behind him. He would quickly look down avoiding all eye contact. Then watching as the man would throw two kunai. Both of which had the markings on them. Zento saw one going straight up, and the other one flying right for him. And then, watching a big wall go between Kirito and Zento. Both of them out of each others view. Zento could predict this plan fairly easy. A surprise attack. The kunai above was nothing more than a decoy do to the fact it was still behind the Wall. So he just focused on the kunai coming right for him. Making the one hand sign, Zento would create two shadow clones. Zento would then duck down as the kunai approached him. The clone on his left preforming a round house kick a little bit below the kunai as it passed by behind it. The one on Zento's right would fly its foot right for the kunai itself.

Zento knew exactly what was coming for him with these few are simple plans. He would slam his own foot right for the kunai. As each foot was closing in, the hokage would appear right at the kunai Just as Zento thought. His attacks moving as fast as they can with their boots from the curse mark. Far faster than the Hokage could see coming. These kicks would have no doubt to slam into the gut, face, and spine of the hokage with only the boot hitting him. The attack would cause massive amounts of damage if not break the bones inside the kage with all the force pushing from both directions. The sharingan wouldn't have much to go on either. Do to the simple fact that wall kept Zento perfectly hidden from Kirito. So he wouldn't be able to predict the attack before it already happened.

And once he had appeared, Zento's feet would be far to close for a counter attack. His legs sliding just under his hokage's arm to avoid the ball in his hand that would have hit Zento. By the time the Hokage would see the attack, he wouldnt have time to teleport out of the way to be safe from harm do to the highly increased speed. This fight could even possible end right here. But, Zento wasn't too sure how much the kage could take. He would find out here though. But he was more than sure his opponent wouldn't have any time to avoid without a major damage to take place

(Now hold on a second. In your post before you were set to have your own person attack and not make any clones. Even with the sense of me using shadow clones wouldn't make you able to post back in time when your attacks were not countered before you did them. /you had an action to have the real you teleport to me, it isn't fair if you can change your mind off of small events. I find that to be a little god modding)

(Fair enough. I'll delete and repost when I get off work. Sorry I wasn't trying to God mod I swear)

(Nah it's ok man. I am just making sure fights are fair.)

Kirito ha absolutely no way to know what Zento was doing on the other side of the earth wall. This was probably the biggest disadvantage to Kirito's strategy. Normally, this would have been fine with Kirito's superior speed and reflexes on top of his ultimate defense. If what Zento had planned was a physical attack it should phase right through Kirito without causing him any harm at all. If it was non-physical then Kirito was confident he could simply teleport away from the danger. This overconfidence and underestimating Zento was what led to Kirito's downfall.

Kirito would teleport to the kunai and immediately be kicked by three Zento's. Kirito would be kicked in the face, gut and spine with such immense strength that even Kirito could not take the blows. Instead of phasing through Kirito's body, the three Zento's boots made contact and dealt damage. Zento was indeed clever. From just their one spar he had discerned Kirito's ability to use lightning to dodge attacks, though Kirito was certain Zento did not know about the full extent of the Goro Goro no mi's powers. Because of the force of Zento's attack, Kirito would be sent crashing into the ground below, creating a crater underneath him. Several of Kirito's ribs were broken, his spine was injured and he had a dislocated jaw. Blood trickled out of Kirito's mouth. The battle had only just begun and it was already over. Kirito had chosen a good successor indeed. Kirito would enter sage mode and heal himself before standing.(I know I can't use sage mode. The battle is over this is just so that I can continue talking without dying)

Standing up, Kirito would do as Zento had in their first spar and offer the sign of surrender. Zento would probably understand this as the battle to be over and release his clones. If so, Kirito would then begin to speak when Zento was once more on the ground and facing Kirito. "It seems that I chose my successor well. Zento Anichi. From this point onward you are the Second Hokage of Konoha. All of the information you need is available to you in the Hokage building. The secretary is reliable and you have me to guide you."

Zento would look over at his opponent on the ground. Standing straight up with one foot risen in the air about to slam back into his opponent. Then watch as he stood back up with his hands up. Looking like he was ready for a surrender. Zento's foot would go back down to the ground and he would stand up straight as his two shadow clones turned to smoke and left. His curse mark glowing and fading away back to his neck. The man talked about how Zento was now the Second Hokage. He looked as the man seemed beaten and broken from his attacks. He would nod his head and grab hokage by the shirt and pick him up over his shoulder. He was sure he was having trouble to walk. Zento felt it would be the least he can do to get him to some medical ninja. He would start walking away for the medical field.

(Exit with Kirito)