Tales of Shippuden
Chosen arc
Kurama no Kyubi: Hello again, this'll probably be the last chapter in a while since I'll soon be concentrating on Naruto: the Legend of Aang. Now on to the reviews.
JRZTimeTravel: This story become more and more interesting, can I use your idea as an inspire. Thank by the way if you agree of course can't wait until next update
Kurama no Kyubi: Sure, I don't see why not!
Naruto: On with the story!
"Chosen One." Normal speech
'Chosen One.' Normal thought
"Chosen One." Biju, Angel and Summoning speech
'Chosen One.' Biju, Angel, inner Sakura and Summoning thought
Neji: It's not Kurama no Kyubi's destiny to own Naruto or the Tales series.
Chapter 5: Exam finals
"Hey! Where's Sasuke's hospital room?" Naruto asked as he stood in front of a desk in the hospital.
"Visiting hours are over." A Medic behind the desk said and Naruto turned around disappointedly before he saw Kakashi coming out of a corridor.
"Oh! Kakashi-sensei! Hey! I need a favor!" Naruto said as he walked towards his sensei.
"Stop right there… I already know what you're about to ask, so… I've found someone to oversee your training." Kakashi said.
"Huh? I want you to train me, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto said.
"I've got other things going on… I couldn't give you my full attention, but I found you an even better teacher than me." Kakashi said.
"Who is it?" Naruto asked.
"Me!" Said a voice from behind Naruto and the blond Chosen turned around.
"Huh! Hey, you're…" Standing there was none other than Sarutobi Asuma "Aren't you Shikamaru and Choji's sensei? Shouldn't you be training Shikamaru?"
"Yes and Shikamaru is being trained by his father. So Kakashi-san asked me to train you." Asuma said.
Training field 3 a.k.a memorial stone training field
"Alright Naruto, tell me, what techniques do you already know?" Asuma asked once they had reached the training field.
"Hmm… well, I know shunshin, Henge, Kawarimi, tree-walking, water-walking, Kage Bunshin and a few techniques I don't want to talk about." Naruto said.
"I see, well then I suppose that there's no need for me to teach you water-walking like I had originally planned." Asuma said before reaching into his pouch and pulling out two slips of paper.
"Huh? What's this?" Naruto asked as he took one of them.
"They're chakra paper. If you channel your chakra into them, you'll find out what change in chakra nature you have." Asuma explained.
"Change in chakra nature…?" Naruto asked.
"Yes, you know Sasuke's Katon jutsus, right?" Asuma asked and Naruto nodded "Katon is one of the five main elements that you can use for Ninjutsu."
"Five main elements?" Naruto asked and Asuma nodded.
"There's Katon/fire, Futon/wind, Raiton/lightning, Doton/earth and Suiton/water. Each person is born with the affinity for at least one of these five elements. Of course there's also some who are born with two and they are able to combine those two elements into a different element." Asuma explained.
"Oh, you mean like Haku's Hyoton/ice!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Right, Hyoton comes from the combination of Futon and Suiton." Asuma said.
"But what about Gaara's sand? What's that the combination of?" Naruto asked.
"That's just a variation of Doton. Now watch closely!" Asuma said before he held up the paper slip and channeled chakra through it before it split in two "Futon, it splits, Raiton, it wrinkles, Doton, it turns to dust, Suiton, it gets damp and Katon, it burns to ashes."
Naruto then held up his chakra paper and channeled his chakra through it and they were both shocked when the paper started… glowing? Soon after the slip wrinkled, became damp, split in two, one half turned to dust while the other burned to ashes and the dust suddenly turned to ice.
"Okay… what just happened?" Naruto asked.
"It looks like you've got all five main elements." Asuma said, still shocked.
(Naruto received the title: Five Elements: One who can wield all five of the main elements.)
'Must be because I'm the Chosen One. Hee hee, wait till I rub this into Sasuke's face.' Naruto thought.
"Well, I only have the affinity for Futon, but I do have Katon jutsus too. Those are the only two elements I can teach you, however." Asuma said.
During the first week, Asuma had Naruto train on mastering both wind change in chakra nature and fire change in chakra nature. To say that Asuma was surprised at Naruto's progress would be an understatement, from what he had heard of the blond, he thought he'd never get through the elemental training, but it just took him a day to split the leaf. The boy was a genius.
In the second week they concentrated on Futon and Katon jutsus and by the end of it, Naruto had learned three Futon jutsus, two Katon jutsus and he had also learned how to sharpen his kunai and shuriken as well as extending their range with Futon chakra. What Naruto didn't tell Asuma though was that he had managed to combine Katon with Kamiton (Origami) to create explosive paper kunai and shuriken.
On the first day of the third week, he decided to take a break from training for once and headed to the local hot spring to relax. When he got there however, he spotted a man with long white hair and a large scroll on his back who was peeping into the women's bath.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing, you pervert?" Naruto asked, getting the man's attention as he turned around.
"Hey, go away. Shoo. You're interfering in my research." The man said.
"Research? Don't play dumb, I saw you peeping." Naruto said.
"It's the best way for me to come up with ideas for this book that I'm writing." The man said, pulling out an orange book.
"Hey! That's that dirty book Kakashi-sensei's always reading!" Naruto exclaimed.
"DIRTY? WHY YOU…!" The man yelled.
"Who the heck are you, anyway?" Naruto asked.
"I am the most holy Sennin of Mount Myouboku toads, otherwise known as the Gama-Sennin. Pleased to meet ya!" The man said as he did a weird pose.
(Jiraiya received the title: Gama-Sennin: He's the legendary Sennin from Mount Myouboku and a member of the legendary trio from Konoha known as the "legendary three Sannin")
"… Gama-Sennin…?" Naruto said before thinking 'That's Jiraiya of the legendary three Sannin? The one who trained tou-san? Maybe I could get him to train me.'
"Now, would you mind leaving? I've got more research to do." The man, now identified as Jiraiya said.
"First, can I ask you something?" Naruto asked.
"What…?" Jiraiya asked.
"Would you mind training me for the third part of the Chunin exams?" Naruto asked.
"Don't be stupid gaki! I would never train a complete green-horn like yourself." Jiraiya said.
"A "green-horn", eh?" Naruto said before thinking 'If he's really the guy who taught tou-san, then he should know about this little trick!' Naruto then – to Jiraiya's shock – entered Over-Limit.
"Hey, how do you know about Over-Limit?" Jiraiya asked.
"Will you train me now?" Naruto asked.
"All right, I'll train you." Jiraiya said.
"ALRIGHT! Let's start tomorrow." Naruto exclaimed.
Konoha, near Kikyo Castle, later
Kabuto and Baki were standing in the shadows talking as Hayate listened in on their conversation.
"You know, if they discover that we're secretly meeting here, the plot to destroy Konoha and… everything else we've planned… it will all come to naught! I heard you were Orochimaru's right-hand man, but… nonchalantly coming to meet with me despite having been found out by Konoha… you are quite the fool." Baki said.
"Actually… truth be told… I wasn't found out. I deliberately revealed myself to them… I wanted to see what the reaction from Konoha would be… and even after that, I still have a plan to kidnap Sasuke." Kabuto said.
"You Oto ninja are the ones who proposed this scheme to us in the first place… but if you all continue with these blunders, we'll be forced to withdraw our support. Suna will not make our move until the very end. That is Kazekage-sama's will." Baki said.
'What am I hearing…?' Hayate thought.
"This is the blueprint for all our plans." Kabuto said as he handed Baki a scroll "So… pass the information along soon… to your subordinates… please."
"Sure…" Baki said.
"Well, I'm done here…" Kabuto said.
'… Our supposed ally, Sunagakure… is already in league with Oto…! I've got to let Hokage-sama know right away…!' Hayate thought before he moved to leave, but he made a small crunching sound, and the two enemy ninjas heard him.
"Oh… and one more thing… I'll take care of the cleanup… I'll find out who's on our tail and take care of him." Kabuto said.
"No… I'll do it… as a gesture of our allegiance. The least we Suna ninja can do is lend a helping hand. Besides… one little mouth… is no big deal." Baki said and Hayate knew that he'd been detected and both him and Baki shunshined up to a roof.
"Well, well… Proctor-san, why are you out here alone?" Baki asked as they both appeared on the roof.
"It seems I have no choice but to fight you. Cough." Hayate said as he got his katana while forming half a sign with his other hand.
"Konoha-Ryu: Mikazuki no Mai." Hayate called out the name of his technique and quickly moved towards Baki before hitting said Suna-nin in the right shoulder.
"This move… the Konoha-Ryu: Mikazuki no Mai? You've mastered it… at such a young age! Leave it to Konoha to have its players lined up…" Baki said as Hayate attempted to pull the sword out again, but he quickly found that he wasn't able to.
'What…? I can't pull my blade out…' He thought.
"Your blade-work is brilliant… but it's a simple task to halt a physical blade. However…" Baki said before held out his arm whit the index, thumb and middle finger pointing up "… blades of wind are impossible to stop." Baki then made a slashing motion with his hand.
'What the…?' Were Hayate's last thoughts.
Near a waterfall outside Konoha, the next day
There were some women bathing beneath a waterfall outside of the village and behind some bushes above the waterfall was Jiraiya staring down towards the women.
"Now… I'm going to instruct you in this move." The perverted Sennin said.
"Hey! C'mon! I'm over here! Eyes on me, Ero-Sennin!" Naruto yelled and Jiraiya turned around before walking over to him.
"All right! The move I'm about to teach you is the Kuchiyose no jutsu!" Jiraiya said.
"Kuchiyose?" Naruto asked and Jiraiya nodded.
"That's right! You make a binding blood-pact with an animal, and then you can use Ninjutsu to summon it to your side whenever you want! It's a type of Space-Time Ninjutsu!" Jiraiya said.
"Cool, show me!" Naruto exclaimed.
"All right." Jiraiya said before he bit his thumb and smirked it over the palm of his left hand. He then went through a few hand signs before he slammed his palm down on the ground while calling out "Kuchiyose no jutsu."
Suddenly a large 12-feet tall toad with a large scroll in his mouth appeared in a puff of smoke and he brought the scroll down to Naruto with his tongue. Naruto put the scroll down on the ground and un-rolled it.
"This contract with the summoning toads has been handed down through the generations. First you sign your name with your own blood, and then below that, you make a fingerprint impression with all your fingers of one hand! After that's done, when you're in a place where you want to call the toads, prepare your chakra, place the hand with witch you signed the contract palm-down on the ground, and make the following signs… i, inu, tori, saru, hitsuji." Jiraiya said before Naruto bit his thumb and signed his name on the contract before he made a fingerprint impression.
"All right! That's it?" Naruto asked when he was done.
"Now, have a go at it!" Jiraiya said.
"I'm on it!" Naruto said as he went through the hand signs and slammed the palm of his right hand down on the ground "Kuchiyose no jutsu." And in a puff of smoke appeared a small orange toad.
"Huh? Hey, who're you?" The toad asked as he looked up at Naruto.
(Naruto received the title: Summoner of Toads: Having made a pact with the toads of Mount Myouboku, he can summon them in times of need.)
'The gaki's better than I thought, to summon Gamakichi on his first try.' Jiraiya thought.
Land of Wind, Suna, Kazekage tower, three days later
After Baki had killed Hayate, he had shown the plans to his team before leaving Konoha and heading for Suna. Three days later, he had reached his home village and immediately headed for the Kazekage tower to give the Yondaime Kazekage – Gaara's father – the plans.
"You have done well… good job, Baki." The Kazekage said.
"All three have safely advanced – as we intended – to the final rounds." Baki said.
"… Now… it truly begins… How is the pact with Oto coming…?" The Kazekage asked.
"Here is their plan of attack, sir." Baki said as he gave the scroll to the Kazekage.
"… Well then, I look forward to your work on the decisive day." The Kazekage said.
"… However, Kazekage-sama… since there are just four of us, including myself… could we not dispatch troops to the border with the Land of Fire under the guise of drills?" Baki asked.
"The Konoha ninja are no fools. Their ANBU teams are patrolling all over. If they notice any troop movement, our intentions will be transparent to them." One of the Kazekage's guards said before he held up a piece of paper "… As expected, the military presence being allowed into Konohagakure has been severely restricted. That is precisely why we sent Gaara and the others."
"Now then… go…" The Kazekage said.
"As you wish." Baki said before shunshining away to return to Konoha.
Land of Fire, Konoha
Naruto trained the rest of the week with the Kuchiyose no jutsu, and to say that Jiraiya was surprised when the blonde managed to summon Gamabunta – the chief of the toads – would be an understatement.
It was finally the last week of training before the finals and Jiraiya had a big surprise in store for the blond.
"Hey, Ero-Sennin! Where are we going?" Naruto asked as they walked away from the village.
"Somewhere with a lot of room, where no one will see us." Jiraiya said before they came into a clearing "Ah, perfect!"
"What are we doing here?" Naruto asked.
"Here, I'm going to teach you an A-ranked Ninjutsu, are you ready to learn it?" Jiraiya said.
"ALRIGHT!" Naruto exclaimed and Jiraiya smiled at his enthusiasm.
Konoha, hospital, a week later
Naruto had trained pretty hard and by the end of the week, he'd driven himself to exhaustion, so Jiraiya decided to bring the boy to Konoha's hospital to was just two more days till the finals would commence, so Naruto needed to get some rest.
When Naruto woke up the next day, he was surprised to find Shikamaru sitting next to his bed.
"Hey… you finally woke up…" Shikamaru said.
"… Where am I…?" Naruto asked.
"The hospital!" Shikamaru said.
"… Why am I here with you…? Where's Ero-Sennin?" Naruto asked.
"Huh? How should I know? I mean… I'm here because I came to visit Choji, even though it's a total drag… When I heard you were laid out too, I poked my head in." Shikamaru said.
"What? He got hurt that bad?" Naruto asked.
"Not quite… after his match, Choji ate too much barbecue… and got a severe case of indigestion." Shikamaru said and Naruto laughed.
"That's just like Choji!" He said.
"Hmm… you two aren't the type to get female visitors, so… Oh, right! It's a huge drag… I bought this fruit basket for Choji, but he's not allowed to have it, doctors' orders. So let's eat it ourselves." Shikamaru said as he put a fruit basket on the hospital bed.
"Cool! You sure?" Naruto asked and Shikamaru nodded "Man! You're a pretty good guy!"
"Shut up! It would just be a shame to let it go to waste." Shikamaru said before Naruto suddenly looked up "Huh? What?"
"I'm getting a bad feeling." Naruto said.
Konoha hospital, Lee's room
Lee was sleeping in his bed in the Konoha hospital. On the nightstand by the bed was a flower that Sakura had brought him. Suddenly the door opened and Gaara walked in before feeling an intense headache as he remembered that Guy had saved the boy.
'… Why…?' He wondered before the headache subsided and he walked towards Lee and reached towards the boy's head as sand came out of his gourd and started going over Lee's body, but just before he could clench his hand, he found that he couldn't move
'… I can't… move…' He thought just before Naruto punched him.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" Naruto yelled.
"… Hey, Naruto… Don't forget, while I've got the Kagemane thing going, anything you do to him, I feel it too!" Shikamaru said. (Kurama no Kyubi: Yet he wasn't affected by the way he knocked-out Kin. Plus I've seen people that he had gotten under the Kagemane getting hit yet he was perfectly fine… several times!)
"Sorry, Shikamaru…!" Naruto said before glaring at Gaara "What the heck are you trying to pull? What were you trying to do to Bushy-Brows?"
"I wanted to kill him…" Gaara stated calmly.
"What…?" Naruto said.
'How can he be so calm? He should be paralyzed by my Kagemane, but…' Shikamaru thought before asking "And why would you want to do that?" You won your match against him! Do you have a personal vendetta or something?"
"No, nothing like that. I want to kill him because… I just want to kill him." Gaara said.
"Do you even know what the heck you're saying? Do you?" Naruto yelled.
"You really weren't raised right, were you? You're so self-centered…" Shikamaru said before thinking 'Actually, he's really creepy…! I've got goose-bumps…! If he decides to go for it, he may be too much for Naruto and me to handle alone… geez… What do we do…?'
"If you try to interfere, I'll kill you too." Gaara said.
(Gaara received the title: I'll Kill You: He don't care who you are, if you're strong, he'll kill you!)
"What? Just try it…!" Naruto yelled.
"Hey! Quit it, Naruto!" Shikamaru said before thinking '… Let's see if I can pull one over on him…' "I've seen you fight…I know you're strong. But you see… Naruto and me, we're both pretty capable fighters, too. We both still have moves in reserve that nobody's seen yet! Plus, it'll be two against one. So you'll ba at a disadvantage. But if you swear to leave Lee alone… we'll let you leave. No harm done!"
"I'll say this once more… If you keep interfering, I'll kill you." Gaara said.
'Th-this guy…' Shikamaru thought.
"Oh, yeah? Just try it. I think you'll find us more than a match for you! You may have monster-like strength, but I've got a real live monster inside of me!" Naruto said.
"A monster eh…? Actually… I've got one of those too. Just like you said, I wasn't "raised right"… In the process of my birth, I stole the life of the woman I was supposed to call "mother"… In order to create the world's strongest shinobi, my father used Ninjutsu to implant an incarnation of sand within my body… I was born a monster!" Gaara said.
'… An incarnation of sand…?' Shikamaru thought.
"Known as Shukaku, it was the spirit of a former Sunagakure elder… that had been sealed inside a teakettle." Gaara said.
"A type of possession art that causes a fetus to be forcibly possessed…? To go that far… that's crazy." Shikamaru said.
'… He's got… something… inside of him, too…' Naruto thought.
"Heh… What kind of parent does a thing like that? What twisted love." Shikamaru said.
"Love? … Don't judge me by your standards… "Family"… Let me tell you what that word means to me. Mere hulls of flesh… connected by hatred and murderous intent. My mother's life was sacrificed… so that I could be brought to life as the village's greatest masterpiece… and as Kazekage's son. My father taught me secret shinobi skills, one after another. I was raised in isolation, spoiled and over-protected… at first I thought that was love… until the incident." Gaara said.
"… What incident…?" Shikamaru asked.
"What are you talking about? What the heck happened?" Naruto asked as Gaara started smiling a sadistic smile.
"For the past six years… ever since I turned six… my father has been trying to assassinate me. I've lost count of how many attempts he's made…" Gaara said.
"What? But you said your father spoiled you… so what do you mean?" Shikamaru asked.
"A presence that is too powerful becomes a presence that is feared. Having been born through jutsu… my mind is unstable… It seems the fools of the village finally realized I had emotional issues… To my father – in his role as Kazekage – I was the village's most powerful weapon… but at the same time, I was a fearsome and dangerous object… So apparently, when I turned six… they determined that I was too great a liability. Prior to that, I had merely been handled with care… like any other hazardous instrument. To them, I am now a relic of the past that they wish to erase and forget. So… for what purpose do I exist? Why am I alive? At first, when I asked myself that, I had no answer. But while I continue to live, I need a reason. Otherwise… I might as well be dead." Gaara said.
"What is he talking about…?" Shikamaru muttered to himself.
'… I think I… I get it… this guy… he's just like me…' Naruto thought.
"So this is what I came up with… "I exist to kill all humans other than myself." Living in constant fear, knowing I might be assassinated at any moment, I finally found inner peace. By killing those who sought to kill me… I was able to discern a reason for living and justify my own existence. I would fight only for myself and love only myself. If all other people exist to magnify that love, then there is no more splendid world than this one. They allow me to experience the joy of living… For as long as there are people out there for me to kill… then I will not cease to exist." Gaara said.
'Wh-what the…? This is scary…?' Shikamaru thought.
'… I used to be like that too, all alone… Not knowing why I was alive… in pain… but then Iruka-sensei finally noticed me… acknowledged me… and for the first time, I experienced warmth and love. But this guy… he's still living all alone… only able to assert his existence by killing others… I never knew people like him existed… The world that he lives in… it's too different from ours…! There's just no way…. That we can win against him…' Naruto thought as he started trembling in fear.
"What's the matter, Naruto…?" Shikamaru asked just before Gaara's sand came to life as Shikamaru reached his limit.
"… Now… help me feel alive!" Gaara said before Guy suddenly entered the room and caught everyone's attention.
"The finals start tomorrow. Don't be in such a hurry… unless you're eager to become an inpatient today?" He said just before Gaara got a headache and walked to the door.
"I will kill you all… just you wait." He said before walking out.
The next day
The delegates from the different lands came in through the gates of Konohagakure no sato as Hiruzen looked down upon them from atop the walls of the village.
"And so it begins…" He said.
Konoha stadium
Later, everyone were in the stadium where the finals would take place. As Naruto entered the battle-ground where the applicants would be fighting, he noticed that Shikamaru, Neji, Shino, Gaara, Kankuro, Temari and Dosu were already there, but Sasuke still hadn't showed up.
"… Sasuke-kun's still not here…" Ino said from here place in the stands.
'Where the heck is Sasuke?' Naruto wondered as he looked around.
"Hey! Stop fidgeting! Stand still and face forward, towards the guests… for all of you are the stars of these finals!" The new exam proctor, Genma said.
'What the…? What happened to Hayate-sensei?' Naruto wondered.
Kage block
"Sasuke is still nowhere to be found?" Hiruzen asked his bodyguard, Raido.
"We still have several ANBU teams out searching for him, but… there's no trace…" Raido said before leaning in towards Hiruzen's ear and whispering "He may already be in Orochimaru's clutches… If that's the case, we might never find him…"
"… Understood." Hiruzen said before he noticed that the Kazekage came into the Kage block "Ah… Well, well… Kazekage-dono!"
Stands, Sakura and Ino
"I know you're worried about Sasuke-kun, but… either way, Naruto's match is first, so why don't you stop fretting… and cheer him on?" Ino told Sakura who was sitting next to her.
"… Yeah…!" Sakura said.
Kage block
"You must be tired from your long journey." Hiruzen said.
"Oh no… I'm happy to make the trip. Of course, your still hale and hearty… but the voyage might have been a bit harder on you, Hokage-dono. Perhaps you ought to choose your successor soon…" The Kazekage said.
"… Ha ha… Well, don't bury me yet! I hope to continue here… for another five years, at least. Well then, we ought to begin…" Hiruzen said as he stood up to speak to the whole crowd "Ahem, ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests… welcome and heartfelt thanks for gathering here in Konohagakure for the Chunin examination! We will now begin the matches of the final round between the nine candidates who advanced in the preliminaries. Please sit back and enjoy!"
Arena
"Hey! Hey!" Naruto said as Genma turned around.
"What?" He asked.
"Sasuke's not here yet, so what's gonna happen?" Naruto asked.
"If he doesn't arrive by the start of his own match, he'll lose by forfeit!" Genma said.
'Hm! This is weird… knowing Sasuke, I figured he'd be here even if he'd have to crawl…' Naruto thought as Gaara thought back to something that happened a few weeks ago.
Flashback
Gaara was hiding behind a large rock as he used his third-eye to spy on Kakashi and Sasuke who were training.
"Once more, Sasuke… Here I come!" Kakashi said as Gaara's hand slowly clenched itself.
Flashback end
In the stands were Baki sitting, looking down on Gaara as he recalled when Gaara left their room at the inn for a few hours a few weeks back.
Flashback
"… Where do you think you're going?" Baki asked as Gaara walked towards the door.
"… To verify my existence." Was Gaara's reply.
Flashback end
'… Don't tell me… even after I told him how important it was to avoid attracting any attention… he better not have killed him…' The Suna Jonin thought.
Arena
"Listen up, all of you. This is the last exam. The landscape may be different, but just as with the prelims, there are no set rules. You fight until one of you dies or admits defeat… unless I determine that a clear winner has already been decided, in which case… I'll stop the match before anyone's killed. Understand?" Genma said and after a few seconds wait he continued by saying "All right then… match one, Uzumaki Naruto… and Hyuga Neji. You two, stand down here… the rest of you, proceed to the waiting room outside the arena!"
Naruto and Neji stayed there while facing eachother as the others walked out of the arena.
Stands, Kiba and Hinata
Kiba and Hinata came up to the stands to find that almost all the seats had been taken and Kiba walked down to see if he could find two empty seats and he did.
"Hey Hinata, there are two seats over here!" He said.
"A-arigato." Hinata said before she walked down and they both sat down as Akamaru was sitting on Kiba's shoulder.
"This'll be quite a show!" Kiba said.
'… Naruto-kun…' Hinata thought.
Stands, Sakura and Ino
"… But against Neji, Naruto hasn't got a chance…" Ino said.
Stands, Kiba and Hinata
"… I never imagined that scamp would last so long…" Kotetsu – who was sitting next to Hinata – said.
"Hmm… But all the ones who were hanging on through luck alone… have been eliminated by now. And this Naruto kid… he drew a tough opponent. Against a member of the Hyuga clan, he's got absolutely no chance at all." Izumo said.
'Well… that's what I used to think, too… but… if you underestimate him, you're in for a big surprise!' Kiba thought before Akamaru licked his cheek to get his attention "What is it, Akamaru?" Kiba asked and Akamaru let out quite barks "What…? Where…?" Kiba asked as he started to look around before he spotted a man in a white robe, wearing a mask '… Over there…! Why the heck are there ANBU agents here? … Is something big about to happen…?'
Arena
"You got something to say…?" Neji asked and Naruto held out his arm with his hand clenched into a fist.
"I've said this once before… I vow to win!" Naruto said and Neji activated his Byakugan.
'… He has absolute faith in himself… as if he hasn't got a single doubt…' Neji thought.
"Now then… match one… begin!" Genma said and Neji assumed the Juken stance.
"Ho ho… it's more fun this way anyway… I can't wait to see the despair in your eyes… what the truth finally dawns on you…" He said.
"Quit yapping… let's fight!" Naruto yelled.
Stands, Hiashi and Hanabi
In the stands were the head of the Hyuga clan, Hyuga Hiashi and his youngest daughter, Hyuga Hanabi sitting.
"The Hyuga blood flows thicker in his veins than in anyone else's… watch closely, Hanabi." Hiashi said.
"Hai… tou-san." Hanabi said.
Arena
'If I get too close to him, he'll press my Tenketsu and I won't be able to use any jutsu… so I've got to fight him from a distance…' Naruto thought before he made the Kage Bunshin hand sign "Kage Bunshin no jutsu." Suddenly four copies of the blond appeared and each of the five of them pulled out a kunai.
Stands, Sakura and Ino
'Good thinking, Naruto! Kage Bunshins are ideal…' Sakura thought.
Stands, Kiba, Hinata, Kotetsu and Izumo
"Heh… he's a quirky kid." Kotetsu said.
"… Kage Bunshin is a Jonin-level jutsu. I'm surprised that he can pull off something so advanced…" Izumo said.
"This is gonna be interesting…" Kotetsu said.
Arena
'… Kage Bunshins? I see… since his chakra is equally and evenly distributed among all of the Bunshins… even my Byakugan won't be able to determine which of the bodies is the genuine article.' Neji thought before saying "But… in the end, there is only one actual body."
"Heh… don't be too confident!" Naruto said.
"Then come at me… if you dare…" Neji said.
Stands, Tenten
'… It's useless… Neji's defense is perfect…' Tenten thought.
Arena
"Hey!" One of the clones said "Don't…" Another one said "… underestimate…" The third one said "… me, okay?" The fourth and final clone said before all four of them charged at Neji, but he leaped into the air as he flipped and tapped the back of the heads of two of the clones, making them fall forward.
"Over there!" One of the other two clones yelled as he and the fourth clone moved towards Neji, hoping to hit him before he could reach the ground. But the Hyuga spun in mid-air before kicking them away.
The other two clones then charged at him from behind, but he grabbed their wrists before elbowing them in the chin and turning around before delivering a palm strike to their stomachs, making them puff into smoke.
"… You want to be Hokage, huh? I don't think that's gonna happen. I can pretty much tell, with these eyes of mine…abilities and talent are determined at birth. In other words, your entire destiny is set from the time you're born." Neji said.
"Why are you so stubborn? You're always so sure that the future is full of doom and gloom… why?" Naruto yelled.
"Well… are you saying that anyone can become Hokage… if they just try hard enough? Only a select few shinobi are even considered for Hokage. Wake up and face reality! Those who will become Hokage are born with that fate. You can't get there by trying… you have to be preselected. Each person's life consists only of being swept along in the inescapable current of his destiny… All of us… have only one thing in common… one shared fate… death." Neji said.
Stands, Hiashi and Hanabi
'… Those eyes… his grudge against the family's main branch is still strong…' Hiashi thought.
Arena
"Well… so what? I guess I'm just a sore loser!" Naruto yelled before he pulled out a kunai and charged at Neji.
"A frontal attack? Do you want to lose this badly?" Neji asked.
"Hm! I told you… you shouldn't make assumptions about the future!" Naruto yelled.
Stands, Sakura and Ino
"What's that baka think he's doing? Attacking Neji head-on like that?" Ino asked.
"I don't know…" Sakura said before thinking 'He's got to have a plan though…'
Konoha, outside the stadium
Kabuto was sitting in a crouched position over a dead ANBU agent on the branch of a tree.
'I hope you can at least give me a good show, Chosen-kun…' He thought as he removed the ANBU's mask before putting it on while saying "I've got quite a tough job ahead of me…"
Arena
As Naruto approached Neji, the Hyuga struck forward with a palm strike, but he noticed that Naruto's ring seemed to glow for a second and the blond vanished, but then Neji struck with a palm strike to his left and suddenly, Naruto was sent skidding backwards.
"What…? How…?" He asked.
"I over-heard you when you told the Oto-nins that that ring of yours can slow down time, so I've been training to hone my Byakugan to be able to track even the fastest moving objects." Neji explained.
"I… see." Naruto said before making the tora sign "In that case, I suppose I could show you this ring's other ability!"
'Other ability…?' Neji thought before he noticed that the stone on the ring turned red and Naruto pointed it towards him.
"Now, let's see how you like this." Naruto said before a large fireball suddenly shot out of the ring and headed towards Neji. The Hyuga managed to dodge the ball of heated oxygen before he charged at Naruto and managed to hit his one of his Tenketsu.
Stands, Kiba, Hinata, Kotetsu and Izumo
"Naruto-kun…" Hinata said.
"That's it… he's done for…" Kotetsu said.
Arena
"… I told you it was useless." Neji said as he took a couple of steps back.
"Heh… heh heh… A-and… I told you… not to make so many assumptions!" Naruto said before he puffed away into smoke.
"… It can't be!" Neji said as he turned around and he saw that the smoke that came from where the fireball had impacted faded to reveal Naruto, holding his kunai up towards the sky.
Stands, Kiba, Hinata, Kotetsu and Izumo
"All right! Go, Naruto!" Kiba cheered.
"Naruto-kun…!" Hinata said.
Arena
'He was inside the fireball, but how? And when could he have made that Bunshin?' Neji thought before he remembered when Naruto slowed down time 'Ah! How couldn't I have noticed it? He must've made that Bunshin while he had slowed down time!'
"From the start… I came into this match fully prepared to lose!" Naruto yelled before he swung the kunai downwards "Demon Fang!"
A crescent-shaped wave of energy suddenly flew out of the kunai and went straight for Neji, but the Hyuga jumped to his left to dodge it. However then Naruto suddenly appeared under him and swung the kunai upwards.
"Tiger Blade." The blond Chosen called out as he jumped into the air, bringing Neji with him before – at the peak of his jump – he swung the kunai downwards and as Naruto landed on his feet, Neji landed in a crouched position in front of him.
The Hyuga then lashed out with a palm strike, but Naruto vanished and Neji kicked to his right, sending the blond skidding backwards.
"Won't you ever learn? Slowing down time around you isn't gonna help you here." Neji stated before Naruto went through a few hand signs.
"Kamiton: Kami shuriken no jutsu." Naruto said before pieces of his palms seemed to rip themselves off as they turned into paper and folded themselves into shuriken 'And then adding in some Katon chakra.'
Each of the two shuriken then started burning and Naruto threw them towards Neji who jumped out of the way just before the shuriken could hit him, but when they hit the ground, they suddenly blew up.
Stands, Asuma and Kurenai
'Hmmm… Infusing Katon chakra into those paper shuriken to turn them into explosive tags… not a bad idea.' Asuma thought as he observed the battle.
Arena
'So, he's got a fire affinity… well too bad that I can easily dodge any Katon jutsus he may have.' Neji thought.
Naruto then charged at Neji with his kunai as he channeled Futon chakra through it.
'Attacking head-on like this again…? You're really a one-trick pony aren't you?' Neji thought before he got ready to counter the kunai, but then he noticed something 'Wait, there's chakra surrounding the kunai… Futon chakra?'
As Naruto approached Neji, he swung his kunai, but it didn't even get through the Hyuga's clothes and then he noticed that the Hyuga was actually spinning at an incredible speed and Naruto was thrown backwards.
'Wh-what the heck just happened?' He thought.
"You thought… you had me beat?" Neji asked.
Stands, Hiashi and Hanabi
'… Unbelievable…' Hiashi thought.
Stands, Sakura and Ino
"What's going on? I know Naruto hit him with that kunai!" Sakura said.
Stands, Kiba, Hinata, Kotetsu and Izumo
'… That's…!' Hinata thought.
Stands, Hiashi and Hanabi
'… Kaiten…!' Hiashi thought.
Stands, Tenten
'That's Neji's defense… The visual range of Neji's Byakugan is almost a full 360 degrees… in other words, he can pretty much see a full circle around him… and with that same all-seeing eye, he can anticipate all of his opponent's attacks… From now on, Neji will be shielded within the Hakkesho Kaiten! The instant before an attack reaches him, he emits a large amount of chakra from the Tenketsu all over his body… halting the enemy's attack with a cocoon of chakra. And then he moves his body in a circle like a spinning top… repelling and reflecting the attack! Normally, chakra that is emitted from the Tenketsu is difficult to control. Even Jonin can usually only utilize such chakra from a single body-part at a time, like hands or feet… But Neji – a master of the Juken – can emit chakra from his entire body… and with that emitted power alone, can physically block attacks… You could consider it another kind of absolute defense… that's even more powerful than Gaara's!' Tenten thought. (Kurama no Kyubi: And how does she know of Gaara's ultimate defense? She wasn't there!)
Stands, Hiashi and Hanabi
"… Th-that's your…" Hanabi said.
"The Kaiten is a secret art that is passed down only within the Hyuga main branch… taught by the head of the family to the heir alone…" Hiashi said before thinking 'But Neji was able to independently recreate it on his own…! … His brilliance is far beyond what I had ever imagined…'
Stands, Tenten
'And that's not the end of it! Neji's true show of strength is only beginning…' Tenten thought.
Arena
"Man!" Naruto said as he stood back up "Well, if that didn't work, then how about this?" He then went through several hand signs.
"Futon: Kamikaze no jutsu." He then blew a huge gust of wind towards Neji, and the Hyuga was sent flying into the wall.
"Hmm… I see, your affinity isn't fire after all, but wind." Neji said as he got up on his feet before charging at Naruto.
When Neji approached the blond, he struck with a palm strike, but just before he could hit, he was sent skidding a few feet backwards by a powerful shockwave that came out of Naruto's body as said blond entered Over-Limit.
'Over-Limit! I've got to finish this!' Neji thought before assuming a new stance "Hakke Rokujuyon Sho!"
Stands, Hiashi and Hanabi
'That stance… it can't be…!' Hiashi thought.
Arena
Neji then delivered 2 consecutive strikes to Naruto's Tenketsu, followed by 4 consecutive strikes then 8 and 16 and 32 and finally 64 consecutive strikes.
Everyone was surprised however when Naruto hadn't even budged from where he was standing and Neji looked up and his eyes widened when he saw Naruto's smirk, and he realized that his attacks hadn't done any damage to the blond's Tenketsu.
Stands, Hiashi and Hanabi
'A member of the cadet branch… has surpassed the main branch entirely. He truly is… a formidable natural talent… So the divine shinobi blood of the Hyuga clan resides in a child of the cadet branch who can never become heir…? Oh, Hizashi… perhaps you will bring down the house of Hyuga after all…' Hiashi thought.
Arena
"How…?" Neji asked before he jumped back, away from Naruto.
"The Over-Limit aura can act as a shield to absorb most of the damage from an attack. And your Juken won't even be able to get through it." The blond explained.
'Not good… while he's like this, he can use jutsus without worrying about chakra depletion and he won't need hand signs either.' Neji thought.
"Neji, I'm curios… why do you hate Hinata so much that you wanted to kill her?" Naruto asked.
"Very well… I'll tell you… about the hateful legacy of the Hyuga clan!" Neji said before thinking 'If I tell him, it would by me time and he will be forced out of Over-limit.' "There's a secret birthright Ninjutsu passed down… in the Hyuga main branch. It's… a curse mark jutsu."
"A curse mark jutsu…?" Naruto asked.
"This curse mark represents a "caged bird"… And… it is proof that some people are bound by to destinies from which they cannot escape!" Neji said before taking off his Hitai-ate.
"Wh-what the…?" Naruto said, on Neji's forehead was a manji symbol.
"… Th-that's the mark…?" Naruto asked.
Neji then proceeded to tell Naruto about how 9 years ago, Kumo had signed a pact of alliance with Konoha. And one night shortly after, Hinata had nearly been kidnapped, but the kidnapper was quickly dealt with by Hiashi. The kidnapper was none other than the shinobi ruler of Kumo, and afterwards Kumo wanted Hiashi head and Konoha accepted, but instead of giving them Hiashi, they had sent Neji's father, Hizashi.
"Your fate is to lose to me. That's a fact." Neji said.
"You can't know that for sure until we try!" Naruto said as Neji put on his Hitai-ate "I can't even imagine how much pain you felt when your father was killed, but… I think you're wrong to conclude that everyone's destinies are predetermined!"
"You're hopeless…" Neji said as he noticed that the aura around the blond vanished and he rushed at him, before striking him with a palm strike and Naruto was sent flying backwards before hitting the ground hard.
"Proctor… we're finished here." Neji said before turning around to leave as he said "Hm…What a failure…"
"… D-don't you turn your back…" Neji turned around to see Naruto climbing back up on his feet "I won't run away… I never… go back on my word…"
"Heh… I think I've heard that line before…" Neji said.
"I refuse to be defeated by a coward like you… I won't lose to someone who believes in resigning himself to fate…!" Naruto said.
"What a joke… Stop trying to lecture all of us, as if you know anything! Everyone is born shouldering a destiny that cannot be defied." Neji said before recalling something his father had said to him.
"Neji… you… more than anyone else, you've been blessed with the genius of the Hyuga clan… I wish you could have been born into the main branch…"
"How could you understand anything about my fate… about bearing an indelible, inescapable curse?" The Hyuga prodigy yelled.
"You… have no idea what you're talking about!" Naruto said as his eyes suddenly became slitted crimson "Heh… you should feel honored, I just decided to finish you off with my strongest jutsu."
Suddenly chakra appeared to form in Naruto's right hand as it started spiraling in all directions and formed a perfect, blue sphere, and every adult from Konoha in the stadium was surprised, they had seen that jutsu being performed before… by the Yellow Flash.
Stands, Kiba, Hinata, Kotetsu and Izumo
"Hey! What jutsu is that?" Kiba asked no one in particular.
"That kid's just full of surprises. If I'm not mistaking, that's the Rasengan, a jutsu created by the Yondaime." Kotetsu said, surprising Kiba and Hinata.
Stands, Asuma and Kurenai
"Since when could Naruto do the Rasengan?" Kurenai asked.
"Hmm… well, Jiraiya-sama did take over Naruto's training after two weeks, so I suppose he must've taught the kid." Asuma said.
Stands, Hiashi and Hanabi
'Rasengan…? If the kid knows that then the battle's already decided, there's no way Neji can defend himself against that, not even with the Kaiten.' Hiashi thought.
Kage block
'Rasengan, eh? So that's what you taught him, Jiraiya?' Hiruzen thought.
Arena
"Heh, you think that'll work? You can't change your fate." Neji said confidently.
"Oh yeah? Well, I won't know till I try!" Naruto said before charging at Neji.
"It's useless." The Hyuga said, and just before Naruto reached him, he started spinning "Kaiten."
"RASENGAN!" Naruto called out as he thrusted his arm forward and hit Neji's "ultimate defense".
Stands, Tenten
'It's useless! When Neji does his Kaiten, he spins around in a circle, blocking and repelling his opponent's chakra!' Tenten thought.
Arena
Suddenly there was a huge explosion and Naruto came skidding out of the dust cloud that had formed, but when the cloud cleared, Neji weren't anywhere to be seen and Naruto smirked.
"It's over!" He said and everyone noticed Neji who had been imbedded in the wall, face-first, and upside-down.
"The winner is… Uzumaki Naruto!" Genma said and everyone cheered as Naruto ran towards the stairs that led up to where the other applicants were while some medics came running to get Neji.
Kage block
"Ho ho… the crowd is astir!" The Kazekage said.
"Yes, it was a rousing battle…" Hiruzen said.
"… No… I believe their excitement is more in anticipation of the next fight… For all of the curious shinobi rulers and lords… no other match is more highly anticipated! By the way… has he arrived yet…?" The Kazekage asked and Raido leaned in to Hiruzen's ear.
"That's the thing… we still haven't had any news of Sasuke… Considering Orochimaru's involvement… perhaps it would be better to announce a forfeit now… before the crowd becomes rowdy…" He whispered.
Stands
"What's going on? Hurry up and start the next match!" A man yelled.
"How long are you gonna make us wait, huh?" Another one yelled.
Stands, Sakura and Ino
"What is going on? Is Sasuke-kun not here yet?" Ino asked.
'… Sasuke-kun…' Sakura thought.
Applicant box
"What could he be doing? Is he not coming at all?" Shikamaru asked.
""The wise man does not court danger"… a prudent decision…" Shino said.
"… What are you guys talking about…? Of course he'll come… no doubt about it!" Naruto said before thinking '… but… where the heck are you…? If you don't show up soon… you'll be disqualified!'
Kage block
"There's no other choice… as the rules dictate… Sasuke will be eliminated by forfeit!" Hiruzen said.
Applicant box
"… Ugh… What are we gonna do? Without him, our plan is ruined…" Kankuro said quietly.
"This is starting to look bad…" Temari said.
Stands, Baki
'Ugh… don't tell me…' Baki thought as he thought back to what Gaara had said.
"I'm going… to verify my existence."
'Man…. I can't believe it… I really hope Gaara didn't kill the boy…' He thought as Gaara recalled when he had spied on Kakashi and Sasuke training.
Flashback
"Once more, Sasuke…" Kakashi said before he noticed something.
"… What is it?" Sasuke asked and Kakashi looked towards the large rock that Gaara was hiding behind.
"I know you're there… the bloodlust is radiating off you. Why don't you come on out…?" Kakashi said and Gaara came out from behind the rock "It's you…?"
Flashback end
"… Hokage-dono… I ask you to stay the declaration of Uchiha Sasuke's forfeit just a bit longer." The Kazekage said.
"Forgive me, but… no matter what their level of brilliance… shinobi who lack punctuality are not competent to become Chunin. Unless we can provide a clear-cut explanation to satsfy the shinobi rulers and lords gathered here. I know of no such reason why we should wait for him." Raido explained.
"I see… But… there is sufficient reason… A majority of the shinobi rulers and lords here – including myself – came here almost solely to observe that match." The Kazekage said.
"… But…" Raido said.
"This boy is the last of the Uchiha clan… and as leader of the Land of Wind, I beseech you… to allow him to face Gaara." The Kazekage said.
"… Sir?" Raido asked as he looked at the aged Hokage.
'Sasuke may never show up, but… there's nothing I can do.' Hiruzen thought before saying "Very well… we'll postpone the match… to wait for Sasuke."
"Hokage-sama! Are you sure?" Raido asked.
"Inform the proctor…" Hiruzen said.
"… yes, sir." Raido said in defeat before shunshining away.
"Well, Kazekage-dono… you are rarely so insistent! I must say I'm surprised…" Hiruzen said.
"Why is that…? If our aim is to show all these potential clients the quality of our village's shinobi… there can be no better opponent than Uchiha. How could I pass up such a wonderful opportunity…?" The Kazekage said.
Arena
"Okay…" Genma said as Raido had just finished explaining and he turned to the crowd before saying "Everyone! One of the contenders for the match has not arrived yet. So… this match will be postponed… and we will proceed with the next scheduled match!"
Stands, Asuma and Kurenai
"What the heck could Sasuke be up to…?" Asuma asked no one in particular.
Stands, Sakura and Ino
"All right! Sasuke-kun won't be forced to forfeit!" Ino exclaimed.
Applicant box
'That's a relief!' Naruto thought as he let out a sigh of relief.
"Hey! You mean my match has been moved up?" Shikamaru yelled.
Arena
"Well then… the next pairing is Kankuro against Aburame Shino. Please come down!" Genma said.
Applicant box
'This match is utterly trivial, and – more importantly – if I reveal Crow's "hidden mechanisms" to the enemy so soon, it might jeopardize the plan!' Kankuro thought before looking at Temari and he looked down towards Genma and said "… I withdraw!"
Temari then got her fan off her back, unfolded it and waved it, creating a gust of wind. She then jumped on top of the fan and sailed down towards the ground.
Arena
(Kurama no Kyubi: I'll just skip this battle, entirely. It's mostly canon anyway, so I'll leave that whole thing of how Temari gets trapped in Shikamaru's shadow – since there aren't any holes in the ground he can use – entirely up to your imagination, and if you'd like, you could even write a fanfic about how the battle goes.)
Shikamaru and Temari – who had been trapped in Shikamaru's shadow – walked towards eachother before stopping.
Stands, Kiba, Hinata, Kotetsu and Izumo
'Before they knew it, the whole crowd got wrapped up in the match…' Kotetsu thought.
'This kid who hadn't made an impression on anyone ends up being a total dark horse…' Izumo thought.
Stands, Sakura, Ino and Choji (Kurama no Kyubi: Choji showed up near the start of the match.)
"Go for it!" Ino yelled.
Arena
Shikamaru then raised his arm into the air, forcing Temari to do the same and he said "That's it… I'm done… I give up!"
Stands, Sakura, Ino and Choji
"Huh? What the heck did you say?" Ino said surprised.
"I told you he was gonna quit… you really don't know anything about Shikamaru, do you?" Choji said as he continued to eat his chips.
Arena
"Wh-what?" Temari asked.
"I used up too much chakra doing all those Kagemane in succession… I won't be able to hold you for more than about 10 seconds. So even though I've planned out around 200 more moves… I think I'm out of time. And this fighting stuff is getting to be a drag… one match is enough for me." Shikamaru said.
'What a weird kid…' Genma thought before saying "The winner is… Temari!"
Shikamaru's shadow then detached itself from Temari's and it retracted back to Shikamaru as he said "Aw man, I'm beat…"
Stands, Sakura, Ino and Choji
"Argh! What a waste. Why…? He could have become a Chunin!" Ino said.
"Shikamaru's Shikamaru." Choji said.
Stands, Asuma and Kurenai
"Sheesh… does he have any will to fight…?" Kurenai asked.
"I really don't know… It's a mystery." Asuma said.
'And yet, that kid's knowledge and strategy are already definitely beyond Genin level… if this had been an actual mission with him as a member of a basic 4-man platoon, Shikamaru's victory would have been assured when he captured Temari. It's a case of winning the battle, but losing the match.' Kurenai thought.
'It's disappointing that he doesn't seem eager to fight, but… you could say that it's because he has the ability to coolly analyze any and all situations. Because he is thoroughly aware of his own knowledge and skills, he doesn't panic or become hot-headed in the midst of battle. And that is how – even if he finds himself in the worst fix – he can clearly retreat. I suspect – in terms of the psychological profiles deemed essential in Chunin – Shikamaru's got the most important one… the disposition of a natural leader!' Asuma thought.
Stands, Kiba, Hinata, Kotetsu and Izumo
"If we assess him as a platoon leader, the ability to protect and safely get one's soldiers out of danger is even more important than carrying out one's mission…" Izumo said.
"In the case of intelligence gathering, completing the mission, but getting wiped out is not a viable option… Unless you can balance risks and sacrifices against the mission and proceed with survival as your foremost concern… you don't have what it takes to be a Chunin…" Kotetsu said.
"Along those lines, neither Hyuga nor Naruto are qualified, although they make perfectly good Genin! Well, I still think Shikamaru gave up too early too, but… what do you think?" Izumo said.
"What do I think…? I think he definitely more promise than Naruto… to become a Chunin…" Kotetsu said.
Arena
Shikamaru walked through the door out of the arena to return to the applicant box as Dosu came out the door and walked to the middle of the arena.
"Next match is Temari vs Dosu Kinuta." Genma said.
Dosu charged at Temari and swung his arm, but Temari blocked it with her fan, however, the sound amplifier on Dosu's arm sent a wave of sound into Temari's ear. She took a few steps back before jumping away.
'Let's see, if I get too close, he'll use that thing on his arm. Good thing I'm better at long-range combat anyway.' She thought before she noticed the cracks on Dosu's melody arm 'Wait a minute, that's it, he'll be powerless without that device on his arm.'
Temari then unfolded the fan and waved it "Kamaitachi no jutsu." A huge gust of wind came and Dosu held his arms in front of himself to protect himself, but the cracks on his melody arm got bigger and the sound amplifier shattered.
'NANI?' He thought just before he was swept by the winds and knocked-out.
"Victor, Temari!" Genma announced and the crowd cheered.
Konoha stadium, outside
Outside the stadium were two men standing guard when they noticed to people coming towards them.
"Oh! You're…" One of the men said.
Stands, Sakura, Ino and Choji
'He's… still not here… Sasuke-kun…' Sakura thought as she looked around.
Konoha stadium, outside
"Good to see you, sirs! Now, please come in!" One of the two men said as they both gestured to the gate that led into the stadium.
"ROGER!" Lee said as he gave a salute.
"All right! Let's go, Lee!" Guy said.
"Oh! Yes sir." Lee said as he looked at his idol.
"Almost all of the first-round battles have concluded…" One of the two men said.
"The only remaining is Uchiha Sasuke vs Gaara!" The other one said.
"Wh-what about Naruto-kun and Neji's battle…?" Lee asked.
"That's the interesting thing… Hyuga lost…" One of the two men said to Lee's and Guy's shock.
'Naruto-kun defeated Neji…' Lee thought before saying "I see…" 'Nice work… Naruto-kun!'
'Lee, you are such a great kid…' Guy thought.
Kage Block
"We've finally received word from Kakashi-san…" Raido whispered.
Applicant box
Temari jumped up to where the applicants were and Kankuro said "H-hey, it's almost time… Is he really going to come?"
"He'll come… I'm sure of it!" Gaara said.
Arena
Suddenly there was a swirl of leafs in the middle of the arena, and Kakashi and Sasuke had appeared at last.
"Ahh, so sorry we're late…" Kakashi apologized.
"Your name?" Genma asked.
"Uchiha… Sasuke." Sasuke said.
Stands, Sakura, Ino and Choji
'Sasuke-kun…!' Sakura thought.
Applicant box
'Heh… acting all high and mighty… even though he's inconvenienced everyone!' Shikamaru thought.
Stands, Sakura, Ino and Choji
"Hey… isn't that…" Ino started.
"It's Sasuke, all right!" Lee said as he and Guy showed up.
"LEE-SAN!" Sakura exclaimed.
Applicant box
"See… he came." Gaara said.
Arena
"Well, uh, flashy entrance notwithstanding… don't tell me… Sasuke lost by forfeit?" Kakashi asked as he scratched the back of his head "See… I told you we'd be late, Sasuke."
"Maybe your tardiness is contagious? Sheesh!" Genma said.
"So… what's the deal?" Kakashi asked.
"Don't worry, you're safe! Sasuke's match was postponed. His match wasn't forfeited." Genma said.
"Ah ha ha… Oh, good! Good!" Kakashi said before he and Sasuke looked up at Gaara.
Stands, Sakura, Ino, Choji, Lee and Guy
"WHEE! SASUKE-KUN!" Ino cheered from the top of her lungs.
'A few minutes ago she was all for Shikamaru, and now she's all for Sasuke… poor Shikamaru.' Choji thought.
Applicant box
'Well, I've gotta admit, I've kinda been looking forward to this match too…' Shikamaru thought.
Stands, Sakura, Ino, Choji, Lee and Guy
"Hey, Sakura! Your team's kinda pretty awesome…! I mean… I never imagined Naruto would beat up Hyuga Neji… and Sasuke-kun's an Uchiha elite… with everyone itching to watch his match!" Ino said.
'Sasuke is fighting that Suna ninja Gaara, whom I was powerless against… and Naruto-kun won against Neji whom I have always wanted to defeat… Why… why am I so… jealous?' Lee thought as he looked down on the floor.
'Lee…' Guy thought.
Arena
"Gaara, come down." Genma said.
Applicant box
'Sh-shoot… I haven't seen Gaara this bad in a while…' Temari thought.
"… H-hey Gaara… don't forget about the plan, all ri…" Kankuro was stooped from saying more when Temari put her hand over his mouth.
"Don't talk to him right now… he'll kill you!" She whispered before Gaara began walking down the stairs.
With Gaara
As Gaara walked through the corridors, two Kusa ninja suddenly stepped in his way.
"Halt!" One of them said.
"Low-level tournaments like this Chunin exam are ideal for gambling, you know… there are a number of lords who have come just for that reason." The other one said.
"And so… this match… we want you to lose it…" The first one said before sand suddenly came out of Gaara's gourd and they were both crushed, and Gaara continued on like nothing had ever happened.
Stands, Sakura, Ino, Choji, Lee and Guy
"Yo, Guy! And you too, Lee… Are you all right now?" Kakashi said as he appeared behind Guy and Lee via shunshin.
"Kakashi!" Guy said.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura said.
"Oh! Sorry, sorry. You were worried weren't you…? Sorry I didn't keep in touch…" Kakashi said.
'Oh yeah. She'll get mad… Sakura will…' Ino thought.
"… It's all right!" Sakura said to Ino's surprise as she looked down towards Sasuke while thinking 'I can't see it very well from up here…'
"… Kakashi-sensei…" She said, catching her sensei's attention "That mark… on Sasuke-kun's neck… it's still…"
"It's nothing to worry about." Kakashi reassured her.
'Mark?' Ino thought, wondering what they were talking about.
Kakashi then looked around and noticed that there were only eight ANBU in the entire stadium.
"Only eight ANBU for this huge stadium…? Two platoons aren't enough… What is Hokage-sama thinking…?" He said quietly.
"Well… not knowing how the enemy is going to act… the ANBU have probably also been dispersed and stationed around key parts of the village." Guy said.
Applicant box
Naruto's ears twitched slightly as he had listened in on Kakashi and Guy's conversation thanks to the super-hearing he got when he was at the first seal.
'Enemy? Are they talking about that Orochimaru guy? Is he here?' Naruto thought before he decided to go and talk to his sensei, hoping to find out what's going on and also tell Kakashi about what Gaara is.
"Hey, Naruto! Where are you going?" Shikamaru asked before he decided to follow the blond.
Arena
"BEGIN!" Genma said and sand suddenly came out of Gaara's gourd as Sasuke jumped back.
'So this is the sand Kakashi was talking about…' He thought just before Gaara got an intense headache and he brought his hand up to his forehead.
"Please… don't be so angry… ka-san…" He said.
'What is he talking about…? Weird.' Sasuke thought.
"I… gave you bad-tasting blood earlier. Didn't I…? I'm sorry… But… don't worry… this time… I'm sure it'll be really tasty…" Gaara said.
Applicant box
"The "Conversation" has started already… this is not good." Kankuro said.
"I've never seen Gaara so worked up before a battle even started… that's how much of an opponent Sasuke is…" Temari said.
Stands, Baki
"It seems to have settled down." Baki said when he noticed that Gaara's headache faded with a final pulse of pain.
Arena
"Come." Gaara simply said.
"Here I come." Sasuke said before drawing two shuriken and throwing them at Gaara, but a column of sand rose up from the ground and shaped itself into a clone of Gaara as it caught the shuriken.
Applicant box
"His sand shield transformed into a Suna Bunshin…!" Temari said.
Arena
Sasuke then charged at Gaara, but the Suna Bunshin sent a wave of sand out of its stomach at the Uchiha.
Sasuke jumped up in the air to avoid the sand, but the Bunshin threw the shuriken at the Genin, but Sasuke threw two other shuriken and hit the two that the clone had thrown. As Sasuke approached the ground, he moved in to kick the Bunshin, but said Bunshin held its arms up in front of itself in hopes to stop the kick, but Sasuke kicked right through both arms. The Uchiha then landed on the ground with his hands, but pushed off to land on his feet before he swung the back of his left arm into the clone's neck, but the clone smirked as sand suddenly enveloped Sasuke's arm, but then Sasuke smirked.
"Now, you can't dodge!" Sasuke said before a red glyph appeared under his feet "Fire Ball." Three small balls of heated oxygen appeared and flew straight into the Suna Bunshin, turning it into glass and the Uchiha easily broke through it.
Sasuke then rushed at the brown-haired Jinchuriki and a wall of sand came up in front of him, but the Uchiha smirked before vanishing and Gaara's eyes widened as he realized that Sasuke was now behind him.
'Fast! Just like… him…' Gaara thought before Sasuke punched him in the face so hard that the sand armor began to crack and the Jinchuriki was sent flying backwards before the sand caught him.
Stands, Sakura, Ino, Choji, Lee, Guy and Kakashi
' He's quick! He's almost as fast as Lee's average speed… and…' Guy thought.
'… His stance matches… my Taijutsu image!' Lee thought.
Arena
"Is that your sand armor?" Sasuke asked as he had assumed a Taijutsu stance, the same one that Lee's "Come!"
Uchiha Hideout
Two men were walking through the ancient home of the Uchiha clan, both of them wore black robes with a red cloud pattern and they also wore weird straw hats, one of them also had a large, bandaged sword on his back while the other one had red eyes with three black tormoe in each.
"You sure this is the place?" The one with the sword asked.
""A place under the banner of the Uchiha"! I'm sure this is the place." The one with the red eyes said as they entered what appeared to be some kind of throne room.
"There's nothing here, this isn't the place." The one with the sword said as he looked around.
"You're wrong!" The one with the red eyes said as he walked past the throne and stopped before a poster on the wall. The poster had the kanji for Kitsune and around it where eight tormoe-like marks, also just underneath the kanji there was some words written in the angelic language and the man's eyes started spinning as the tormoes suddenly formed into a windmill pattern.
""Hold up the sacred ring of the Angels to see the path!"" He read using his eyes, the next seal had been found, it was time to go and get the Chosen One.
Chapter preview
Naruto "Huh… what the… why do I see feathers…?"
Orochimaru "Ho ho… old age has made you feeble-minded… Sarutobi-sensei!"
Kakashi "I've got another mission for you…" "An A-rank assignment…"
Hiruzen "Please prepare yourselves… Shodai Hokage! Nidaime Hokage!"
Shikamaru "Besides, our "friends" were assembled specifically for this plot, while our group is composed of… a dobe… a kunoichi without any particular talent… a dog… and the number one slacker, me!"
Oto-nin "It seems you've reached your limit. Your Kagemane – or whatever you call it – will fail soon… so prepare yourself!"
Sasuke 'Itachi-onii-san chose me as his avenger… as the one who will eventually destroy him!'
Kabuto "Next time on Tales of Shippuden: Operation: Destroy Konoha!"
Hiruzen "I call upon the lord of the underworld, the guardian of the dead! I summon thee, come, SHINIGAMI!"
Character status
Naruto: Level: 20
Techniques: Henge, Kawarimi, Kage Bunshin, Demon Fang, Tiger Blade, Azure Edge, Futon: Kamikaze, Kamiton: Kami shuriken, Kamiton: Kami kunai, Angel style: Angel Feathers jutsu, Kuchiyose, Rasengan.
Weapons: kunai, shuriken.
Titles: Young Uzumaki, Jinchuriki, Genin, Full-Fledged Shinobi, Five Elements, Summoner of Toads.
Sasuke: Level: 21
Techniques: Henge, Kawarimi, Bunshin, Demon Fang, Tiger Blade, Fire Ball, Katon: Goukakyo, Katon: Housenka, Katon: Ryuka Katon: Karyudan.
Weapons: kunai, shuriken.
Kekkei Genkai: Sharingan.
Titles: Uchiha, Genin, Avenger.
Neji: Level: 20
Techniques: Bunshin, Henge, Kawarimi, Juken, Hakkesho Kaiten, Hakke Rokujuyon Sho.
Weapons: kunai shuriken.
Kekkei Genkai: Byakugan.
Titles: Hyuga prodigy.
Shikamaru: Level: 10
Techniques: Bunshin, Henge, Kawarimi, Kagemane, Ino-Shika-Cho.
Weapons: kunai, shuriken.
Titles: Whining Fool, I.Q of Over 200.
Gaara: Level: 21
Techniques: Bunshin, Henge, Kawarimi, Suna Bunshin, Daisan no me, Suna no Tate, Suna no Yoroi, Sabaku Kyu, Sabaku Soso.
Weapons: none
Titles: Spook, I'll Kill You.
Temari: level: 16
Techniques: Bunshin, Henge, Kawarimi, Fusajin, Kamaitachi.
Weapons: giant fan.
Titles: Suna Kunoichi.
Dosu: Level: 15
Techniques: Bunshin, Henge, Kawarimi, Kyomeisen.
Weapons: melody arm.
Naruto: Wait a minute, if I could hear what Kakashi-sensei and Uber-Brows-sensei are talking about, then how come I'm not hearingwhat those Suna guys are talking about.
Kurama no Kyubi: Go watch that movie "To Boldly Flee" on , then you'll understand… it's all because of the Plot Hole! Nah, just kidding. It's because you were focusing your attention elsewhere… specifically wondering where Sasuke was. Oh, and to you readers, I hope you enjoyed this, and PLEASE REVIEW!