Anime Portal Station (Actually it's more of a break room.)

Yuffie: *sputters incredulously* W-What!? Team Rikku!? No way no way! It should have my name in it too! How about, The Amazing-Awesome-Super-Great-Fantastic Team Yuffie and Rikku?

*Mana looks as if she is about to tease AU Whip for his distraction, but her ear twitches and she turns to the approach of Kenshin and Denzel*

Mana: Ah! Kenshin, Denzel. *does a curtsey for them* A pleasure to have you join us~
Kenshin: *has his easygoing smile on his face* You two fought very well, that you did.
Denzel: *nods* You're both really strong... I wish I could be as strong as you two.
Mana: *tilts her head slightly, smiling at the boy* I am sure that you have some unique strengths of your own, Denzel, so do not sell yourself out just yet~ *looks to AU Whip* Would you not agree, Whip?

Tanya: *puffs out her cheeks* Hey, just cause we're thieves doesn't mean we stole the place! *places her hands on her hips proudly* We made this place our home~ *she grins hugely, and one might realize she didn't answer the question directly*

*Rikku nonchalantly waves her hand*
Rikku: We'll work out the subtitle later~!

*AU Whip is taken off guard slightly by his inclusion, but nods as well*
AU Whip: Of course. All you need is a strong heart.
*He starts brushing his bangs*
AU Whip: And good hair, but you have years to sort that out~
*Suddenly, as he does this, a bolt of lightning strikes him from above. Shocked, he spins around to find Rikku calling for their attention and sticking her tongue out*
Rikku: Hey! You guys hear that! Team Rikku and Yuffie is gonna make a comeback! Just wait and see!

Van: ....-
*Whip slaps him on the back*
Whip: Make yourself at home, Spikey~
*Van dusts off his shoulder, and settles for the matter at hand*
Van: This place is really nice, but... why did you bring me here? I thought we were going to find a Chaos Emerald...

Yuffie: *seems slightly put off by the fact that Rikku's name is going first, but figures the title should save the best for last, so she simply grins hugely in synchronization to Rikku's words* I'll get my materia back next time, nyuk nyuk~!
Denzel: *is now self-consciously touching his hair* That explains Cloud...
Mana: *sweatdrops and tries to ease Denzel's worries, not really caring much for Rikku and Yuffie's declaration at the moment in the light of child's discomfort* H-He simply jests, Denzel! Do not take him so seriously! ^v^;;

Tanya: *sticks her tongue out at the Artisan* We're getting supplies, silly! *turns her attention seriously to the north direction* And actually... we're not that far from our target.

AU Whip: You would be surprised of the importance of hair in a battle, Mana~

*Rikku puffs her cheeks out at being ignored*
Rikku: Oooooh! Come on Yuffie! We have vengeance to plan for!
*Rikku exits stage right*

Van: Supplies?
Whip: What, you thought we were just gonna head-rush into it?
*Van scratches his cheek and looks away*
Van: Kind of...

Mana: *slants AU Whip an unimpressed look* For whatever vague reason, I find doubt in your statement.

Yuffie: *looks indignant at being ignored as well* Whenever you losers get over yourselves, prepare yourself for the wrath of Wutai warriors! Nyuk nyuk! *follows Rikku out as well*
Kenshin: *looks up in thought* I seem to recall a second part to challenges...
Denzel: *watches the two mobians bicker* I think you're right, Kenshin...

Tanya: *waves off at Van before turning to a chest off supplies* It didn't work the first three times because of that guys' bodyguards, but we'll get it this time!

*AU Whip gives Mana a teasing glower*
AU Whip: Have you ever tried entering a battle bald? I didn't think so~

Van: B-bodyguards?! Who are you guys trying to steal from, anyways?
*Despite his earlier motivation, Van seems a bit reluctant now*

Mana: I may not personally hold experience, but I have seen many perform the act. After all, you seem to manage just fine~

Kenshin: *notices some of the indoor plants rustling* It seems that we should move to a safer area, Denzel.
Denzel: *nods, but looks at the two mobians with slight concern* Think they'll notice?
Kenshin: *laughs nervously* I would hope so, that I would.

Tanya: *still rifling through the chest* The guy's name is Ling Yao. He's from Xing, an area near Generation Jurisdiction, but he managed to snag a chaos emerald on his way here. From what he told us, he was going to head to Arcana to get some information, ranting on about immortality and crazy stuff like that. His bodyguards are pretty strong-- not as strong as I am, of course, but they managed to screw over Nii-san and made him more useless than usual, so we had to retreat before we could nab the emerald. *turns back to Van grinning with multiple sharp weapons in her arms* Here's your ammo~!

*A large, digitally coloured arrow strikes down upon AU Whip, leaving him doubled over*
AU Whip: B-bald...?

Whip: I so could've taken that guy if he didn't hide behind his stupid... nrgh!
Van: W-wait! Ammo? I-I thought I was just- Are you guys sure-
*Whip pats him on the back again*
Whip: Don't worry, we're professionals~ I only lost one life the first time, after all~
Van: ....

*Although Mana looks like as if she was about to say something, she suddenly jolts into awareness and brings up her book just in time to block a kunai*

Mana: *sweatdrops with a shocked expression* E-Eh?

Kenshin: *from a safe distance* It seems that it has begun.

Tanya: *pulls on Van's arm happily* We just need you to play decoy~ Don't worry, Lan Fan and Fu won't hurt you too badly~ *looks at Van seriously* Just don't say anything bad about Ling to Lan Fan's face. She gets scary if you do that.

*AU Whip is surprised by the sudden attack and wields his sword very suddenly and defensively*
AU Whip: An attack?

Van: Ling... Lan Fan?
Whip: And when she says "anything bad", she means don't insult his taste in vegetables either. Stupid guy... who doesn't like turnips!?
Van: Suddenly I don't like this plan at all...
*Van swallows his fear*
Van: S-so all I have to do is distract them then?
Whip: Yeah, but I'd suggest not fighting them. Even if your really bad offensive skill-
Van: Hey!
Whip: -Somehow got past Lan Fan, that Ling is no stranger with a sword either. You'd be lucky to get away from that kind of fight... Or have an escape skill like a certain supposed partner...

*From the surrounding greenery, barrages of shuriken and other sharp weapons are thrown at the duo, to which Mana casts a quick shield spell around the two of them*

Mana: *seems slightly overwhelmed by the never ending attacks* Truly, this land have a strange definition of honor!

Tanya: *kicks Whip in the shin, looking unimpressed by his grumbling* Yeah, and you'll be lucky to have a partner that's not as useless as Nii-san, who actually thought that Shifty Eyes was actually impressed by his fighting. *sniffs in displeasure*

*AU Whip glances around, as if looking for an opening in the barrage*
AU Whip: I don't think they're interested in anything you can't put into a bag.

*Whip holds his shin and withholds a cry*
Whip: Hey! That guys was blinded by my raw talent! That's why his eyes never opened....
*Whip gets over the pain and crosses his arms. Van nervously chuckles*
Van: You two make a pretty interesting team, but do you ever actually get anything do-
Whip: Alright! Enough distractions! Let's get started!
Van: W-wait! What am I supposed to do with all of these weapons?
Whip: ...
*Whip scratches his head*
Whip: ...I know I'm not the brightest bulb in the turnip patch, but what kind of stupid question is that? What else do you do with weapons?

*The rampage of weapons stop, and Mana cautiously looks around*

Mana: Has the attack... ceased? *purses her lips, looking around, before suddenly looking at the rustling trees above them, where a blonde pre-teen with a loud orange outfit and whisker-like marks on his cheeks falls from it with his arms wide open towards AU Whip* E-Eh!? *is in too much of a shock from the recognizable boy to help out her current partner*
Boy: YOU'RE MINE!!

Tanya: Yeah, seriously Van. That's a stupid question! Put them in your inventory so you can play the role of bait already!

*Thanks to the battle cry, AU Whip's quick reflexes slash three times consecutively at the kid*

Van: B-but I can't...
*Van saves his breath and stows away all of the weapons in resignation*
Whip: Alright. Our bait is set. I-
Van: Do you have a pencil?
Whip: ...A... what?
Van: Or, charcoal, or something...
Whip: ...Uhm...
*Completely confused, Whip absent-mindedly pats his body around, causing various item names to poke out from his pockets. One pops up saying Material: <<Charcoal>>*
Whip: Well, I have this thing...
*Whip takes the Charcoal from his inventory and tosses it to Van*
Van: Thanks~!
Whip: What do you want that thing for, anyways? You can't make any weapons with it...
Van: Oh, you know~
Whip: ....
*Whip shrugs it off*
Whip: Okay! Like I was saying! Bait is set up-
Van: Present~
Whip: And we know where our target is! Kind of.
*Whip turns to Tanya*
Whip: Can we stop standing around now and go?

*The kid freaks out, but manages to block the first two hits before getting his but saved by a man with white hair and a navy blue mask that hides his face saves his hide*

Mana: *seems too bewildered to manage a counterattack* Goodness, did my sister impart all my acquaintances into this game...?

Tanya: *is already jumping from tree to tree, way ahead of Whip, enough that her loud voice sounds quiet* Hurry up, slowpokes~!

*AU Whip faces the new entries, but refers to Mana*
AU Whip: ...You know these two?

*Whip flails his arms*
Whip: YOU ALWAYS DO THIS!
*Whip is not upset enough, however, to forget to initiate Skill Activated: <<Throw!>>*
Van: W-Wait! Can't I jus-
*And off he goes, screams lost in the vastness of the woods*

Mana: *is wearing a slightly exasperated expression* In the true world, yes. Give the boy a moment, he will introduce himself soon enough.

*True to her word, the young blond boy turns around and points a finger decorated by a swirl at the two*

: Don't think you're better than me just yet! My name is Naruto Uzamaki, and I'm gonna be the leader of all three villages! BELIEVE IT!
Mana: (mutters under her breath) You will find that he competes with your counterpart for Most... Exuberant.
Naruto: *looks back to the masked man* Now leave me alone, Kakashi-sensei! I can handle these two on my own!

*Before Kakashi can reply, two preteens that are supposedly the same age as Naruto appear. One is a girl with startling pink hair, donned in a long red dress to bring out her emerald eyes, while the other has dark ebony hair in a cobalt outfit and white shorts. Notably, the four wear headbands with the same insignia*

Girl: *has an cartoonish anime vein on her arguably large forehead* Naruto, you didn't even explain to them why we're here! You just attacked them!
Naruto: (whiny) But Saaaakuraaa-chaaaan! It's not my fault they weren't ready for my greatness!

*Kakashi, the girl, and even Mana all share a tired sigh*

Tanya: *catches Van with one hand an annoyed expression, to which she raises her other hand to her mouth and makes a shushing gesture* Quiet it down! We're getting close!

*AU Whip gains an annoyed expression*
AU Whip: Are we going to be bombarded with kids all day? I have places to be, you know...

*Van's eyes swirl in place, his mouth hanging half open*
Van: Saaaww....
*Whip hops in from a branch above and rendezvous' with Tanya*
Whip: Can you see him yet?

Girl: *suddenly turns towards Whip with a stern expression on her face* Hey, you can't just leave just yet! This is the three part challenge you signed up for!
Mana: E-Excuse me?! Whip and I agreed to a duel with Rikku and Yuffie, not a three part challenge!
Kakashi: Actually, you two agreed to battling "us". Neither Rikku nor Yuffie explained what that meant. You two simply followed along. *from the way his only visible eye closes and his eyebrow lifts, it can be assumed he's giving them a light smile* It was a foolish move, would you agree, Sasuke? Sakura? Naruto?
Sakura: *winks* You shouldn't be so careless in an area filled with ninja~
Naruto: *laughs cockily* Not even I would fall for a stupid trick like that!
Sasuke: *looks away from the two mobians, as if they're not worth his time* Losers.
Mana: ... *suddenly becomes very depressed and has her arm to a tree and her head to her forearm as her only comfort during her sulk fest* That is true... Because I allowed myself to become a fool and simply agree to their terms... I did not follow through my interrogation procedure like a true ninja would have... Have I become so useless so soon...?

Tanya: *nods* Yeah, I see them. *her eyes widen in surprise* And they're fighting someone already. *her eyes narrow, before breaking into shock strong enough to make her forget her cover* It's Shadow!!

*AU Whip doesn't look any less exasperated*
AU Whip: ...What kind of ninjas announce themselves before attacking anyways?
*He crosses his arms*
AU Whip: You seem more like petty thieves to me, tricking people into fighting so many times consecutively like this.
*He quickly readies his sword again*
AU Whip: If we were anyone else, I might say it wasn't fair~

*Whip quickly covers Tanya's mouth, more out of fear than anything*
Whip: IF IT'S SHADOW THEN WHY THE HECK ARE YOU YELLING!? DO YOU WANT TO DIE?!
Van: Whispering so loudly is basically the same as shouting...
Whip: What are they fighting about anyways? You don't think that stupid hedgehog is after our prize?
Van: Wait, who is Shadow, anyways? His name sounds familiar...

Naruto: *gains an anime vein at Whip's insinuation* What's that supposed to mean, huh!?

Tanya: *shushes the both of them* Explanations later! They're talking now and I want to hear what they're saying!

*Tanya moves higher into the tree where leaves are abundant, and she moves them aside so she can peak at the four. She gestures at her hand for the two to silently approach and join her in her sneaking*

AU Whip: What I'm saying.... is that I hope the third part will be an actual challenge.
*AU Whip nods at Mana*
AU Whip: Let's make this quick.

*Whip, surprisingly, hangs from a branch above Tanya's head with no qualms. Van, however, shimmies his way from branch to branch, trying very carefully not to fall*
Van: Just don't look down just don't look down...

Naruto: *adjusts his headband as he steps forward to take the challenge* Heh! Don't take me too lightly! I'm gonna be the boss one day! You two are just warm-ups in comparisons to the bad guys I've taken down!
Sauske: *steps forward next to Naruto, his hands in his pocket to accent his nonchalant expression as he stares down the two mobians* Shut up, loser. You're too loud.
Sakura: *waves her hand* Seriously! You're starting to sound like Black*Star.
Naruto: *gains an anime vein and extremely cross expression* DON'T COMPARE ME TO THAT PATHETIC LOSER! I'M MUCH MORE STRONGER THAN HIM!
Kakashi: Never minding that he took you down easily with his Enchanted Sword Form?
Naruto: *waves his arms around frantically in irritation* THAT WAS A FLUKE, KAKASHI-SENSEI! A FLUKE!

Mana: *readies her wand and tome* Take caution, Whip. Despite their appearances, if they resemble the ninja I know in the true world, they hold more potential than you might expect. *after a moment of hesitation, she looks to the rabbit with an embarrassed expression* And I sheepishly request that you do not hurt Naruto too much. Resemblance to your annoying counterpart or not, I would very much prefer he not be beaten senselessly.

Tanya: *whacks Van to shut up*

*A man with long, raven hair pulled back into a ponytail jumps back from a mobian Knight in ebony and crimson armor after their swords clash, the man's yellow jacket flapping from the movement. Judging by his seemingly closed eyes, the man looks to be the prince named Ling, a fact encouraged by the two bodyguards who don masks that flank him, which would make one draw the conclusion of the other warrior being Shadow. The hedgehog skids back slightly, his shoes igniting to prevent him from going any farther, and he holds a wicked black and gold sword downwards and at an angle as a defensive position*

Ling: *smirks slightly at the hedgehog* Neee, not bad, not bad~ Just what I'd expect from an immortal.
Shadow: Hmph. Enough of these games. Hand over the Chaos Emerald.
Ling: *gains a playful pouting expression* Ehhhh, all this trouble for a measly emerald?
Shadow: If it's so measly, why don't you just give it up?
Ling: *taps his chin in though* Hmmm... *grins and holds his hands outward* No can do~ We need it for our emperor and our quest for immortality.
Shadow: *scoffs as he shifts his position to a more offense-centered and, by extension, a serious one* Seeking immortality will get you nowhere. What you have chosen instead is death.
Ling: *gets into a stance as well* It's easy to say something like that when you're an immortal yourself. But before that-

*Suddenly, Ling's two body guards surround Tanya, Van, and Whip threateningly*

Tanya: NYAAAAH! THEY FOUND US!

*AU Whip glances questioningly at Mana, lowering his sword in an almost disappointed manner*
AU Whip: Hm? ...Why him, specifically?

Van: Ah-!
Whip: Nyah!
*Whip quickly snatches both Tanya and Van and crosses his fingers, initiating the words "Skill Activated: Shadow Escape Art!". The three of them disappear in a cloud of smoke, only to reappear a few feet from Ling and Shadow's confrontation*
Whip: H-HOW THE- YOU DIDN'T EVEN OPEN YOUR EYES!!

Mana: *her cheeks are dusted with a light rosy color and she looks a bit reluctant to share her reasoning as she refuses to meet Whip's gaze and instead watches the ninjas banter* ...I am afraid he is my godchild.

Ling: *laughs* I thought I felt you two around here~! *grins at the two rabbits and flicks both their noses* Did you forget I can sense your Qi~?
Tanya: *rubs her nose as she glares up at Ling* Don't you mean chi? Or chakra? Or spirit energy or something?
Ling: *playfully plays with Tanya's ears* Aren't rabbits supposed to have really good hearing~? Clean out your ears, little rabbit~!
Tanya: *somehow starts spewing fire at the man* DON'T CALL ME LITTLE RABBIT!!
Ling: *laughs once more and seems to spot Van* Eh~? You brought a new one~?