Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or anything else for the matter. I'm rather poor.
Author's Notes: Again thanks for the reviews, adds, favs (Although I like reviews more than the other two). If I had felt that your reviews were in need of a direct answer, I would have pm-ed you. So far people keep asking me if I had read some Greek plays recently and the answer is no. I read a lot before and my story just so happened to mimic one by accident. Here is your story and hope you enjoy. Also, on monday after school I will be giving my brother that ass kicking he deserves, so if you are a fan of an author on this site called sunwraith rejoice! For after I beat him up, I'll have him start writing again. That poor poor, lazy bastard. That is why he didn't beta this chapter.
After a week passed, all the teams have gathered at the same building as they were in the previous times. Most teams looked worse for wear when they arrived, namely due to the fact that they had survived in the wilderness for more than a few days. Surprisingly enough, not even eleven teams had made it past the second test. Other than Naruto's team, the few other teams that had made it were Team Deidara, Team Darui, another team from Konoha and two other teams from Kumo. A total of six teams only made it. They were all standing in a large empty hall. It was large enough to be considered a training field, with stands and benches far off on the side. What set it a part from other rooms was that the thing benches had large walls separating them from a field in the middle of the room.
In front of everyone was A, donning his Raikage outfit, and the various jounin's of all the squads. As for the teams there were all standing in line with their respective teammates. They were all waiting for the Raikage to say something. A cleared his throat before looking at all the teams. "Greetings to all of you who have made it this far into our chunin exams," A greeted them. "I am proud to say that all of you have shown remarkable skill in the previous tests to make it this far. Before we continue however, I would like to explain why we have chuunin exams." Some where near the back of the line he heard a groan, followed by the sound of something being hit. "Er...as I was saying. These Chuunin Exams are held twice a year every year to select who would be Chuunin, that is what most of you know." There was a collective noise of agreement. "However what you may not know is that, there is another reason for these exams. Some people say that it is to 'build our friendships' and 'make stronger alliances' or some bullshit like that," A stated. Several jounin around there sweat dropped when he said that. "But the real reason is that, this exam is none other than a replacement for wars between us."
"The hell? What do you mean by that?" Deidara shouted from his group.
"As you may know, alliances rise and fall. These allies we have right now, may be enemies or were enemies back then. To prevent unnecessary bloodshed amongst the fighting people, several of kages back then decided to set up a...safer...battlefield in which people can fight. Not just for themselves, but for the pride of their nations as well. People would have fought for the land's prestige."
"Prestige?" Yugao repeated with uncertainty.
"People who watch the third round of the exams will be leaders and influential from many countries who would become later clients to us shinobi, and the leaders of each village will be there to watch each grueling battle. If the people of the country are seen as strong, then they will get more clients. If they are seen as weak, they will lose them. It will also show other nations the force you have. It would be like saying 'This is our strength come at us if you dare!' In other words, it's a political message to the other nations."
"Then why the heck should we risk our lives fighting in these stupid tests then!" Deidara shouted again. "It would be pointless to die here and now!"
"Listen brat," A growled. "The strength of the country is the strength of the village who support it. The strength of that village comes from the shinobi who work there. And that strength is only born through risking your neck in life or death battles!" Deidara flinched when A shouted that. He then turned to all the groups. "These exams were made to show the strength of each country to other people and to show off you, the shinobi, who wield that strength. It's only important because we are risking lives here, and that is why those who came before you, who have fought in the Chuunin Exams, for this reason." All the occupants were silent before A cleared his throat. "Seeing as I have said my piece, I will leave it to your previous proctor. Sawate!"
"Yes boss!" Sawate exclaimed cheerfully jumped in with a smile on her face. This caused, not only the current students, but many of the adults to cringe in the sheer loudness of her voice. She smiled at the kids before clapping her hands together. "I'll explain to you the third exam. They were be all one-on-one battles!"
"Oh thank kami," Darui mumbled when he heard this. He saw Naruto looking his way with a raised eyebrow before turning back to the proctor.
"These battles have except you cannot have outside help. Also you must listen to what the proctor says. If I say to stop the match, you must stop the match." She then pouted, as she counted up the number of competitors. "However it seems like there are a bit too many of you here right now. So, we are doing a preliminary round first! There will be nine battles, cutting this entire turn out by half!" She then pointed at a large screen behind the teachers. "Your names will appear there to who you should battle. Every one else would stand behind the enclosed spaces behind the walls, to watch! So now let's see who will fight first!" She pressed a switch she took out of her pocket and aimed it at the screen. Several names flashed through rapidly, not staying on one for more than a second. When the names stopped two were in bright yellow. "The fighters in the first match of the preliminaries are Naruto Uzumaki of Konoha against Ura from Iwa! Every please go to the safety zones with your senseis to watch the match. The two fighters please stay on the battle field."
Everyone did as she said leaving only Naruto, and the red haired boy with a staff from Iwa. The red haired boy was holding his staff lazily at his side while smirking at the boy that was a head shorter than himself. "So I'm against the mini-Yondaime Hokage huh?" Ura smiled. Naruto raised an eyebrow in response. "You got any relationship to him?"
"Who knows?" Naruto replied with a shrug and a smile. "I think myself as a long relative, but then again with the name Uzumaki, I may be more related to his wife than anyone else. Although, I wish I had the trademark Uzumaki red hair instead of this yellow one? I mean, can you imagine me with red spiked hair? The chicks would dig me." That had everyone sweat dropping at what he said.
"Chicks already dig you stupid!" Itachi shouted from the sidelines. "Remember your fangirls back home?"
"Don't remind me!"
"Are you two ready?" Sawate asked them with a smile, trying to get back to the matter at hand. Ura nodded his head, but Naruto stopped them.
"Hey, you're name is ura right?" Naruto asked.
"Yeah, what do you need?" Ura smiled back at Naruto.
"Well, I want to ask you something." Ura motioned for him to go on. "Care to make a little wager?"
"What sort of wager?"
"A simple one really, if I win the bet you give me let's say...a hundred ryou. If you I'll give you the same amount."
"That's pretty minor don't you think?" Ura replied.
"Fine, a thousand ryou. Sound good?"
"Agreed. What are the rules?"
"Also simple, I bet I can beat you using only five techniques."
~Sidelines~
Itachi slammed his head into the head wall. "That idiot is going to mess up," Itachi mumbled.
"He's getting too arrogant," Yugao said,
"I agree, he is thinking too much of himself," Mikoto agreed.
"No, both of you are wrong," Itachi sighed after rubbing his forehead. The two women looked at him. "It's not that he's arrogant or anything. It's more likely he'll forget what number he is on."
"What?" the two women asked.
"Mother, you're not there on the weekends when Yugao, Naruto and I all practice on techniques and the basics. We've gotten far stronger than we were from the beginning of the creation of our group. Yugao-senpai can use her element just like Naruto and I can, still shaky like both of us, but she can use it. I have been building up physically, while Naruto has been taking care of his limited genjutsu knowledge, and Yugao has been learning to use a blade. So you don't know how much stronger we are." He then looked at Yugao. "Senpai, what you don't know is that Naruto...is far stronger than most give him credit for."
"Is he stronger than you?" Yugao asked.
"Yes he is stronger, but I am more skilled," Itachi told them. "I have faith Naruto can win this; however, I'm afraid he'll lose this bet since he tends to forget to keep count on anything.
~Battle field~
"Are you serious? You think you will win using only five attacks?" Ura laughed.
"No, I don't think I'll win with five attacks. I think I'll win with five techniques," Naruto smirked at the older kid.
"Interesting. I accept, be prepared to lose all your money Mini-Yondaime."
"So are you two finally ready to begin?" Sawate asked with a raised eyebrow. Both boys nodded. "Then...BEGIN!" Naruto jumped back away from the staff wielding boy, who had pointed his staff at Naruto. Naruto went through four hand seals, before shouting his technique.
"Fuuton: Harukaze Miyabi! (Wind release: Spring Wind Elegance)" A tiny gust of wind escaped from his body, and everyone, save for his team, awaited it's effects. When nothing happened, Ura looked at him funny.
"What was that?" Ura asked, feeling insulted. "It did absolutely nothing, you just wasted a move!"
"Eh...if you say so..." Naruto then did the come here motion and said, "Come at me bro."
"As you wish!" Ura rushed forward and thrust his staff at Naruto's body. As it neared, Naruto casually half turned and it flew past him. "Hmm, you have faster reflexes than I thought." Before Naruto could respond, Ura swung himself sideways, to attack Naruto from that position. The Iwa ninja was surprised to see Naruto easily predict and dodge the attack, before rolling backwards and away from him. Ura rushed him again, doing various stabbing over and over again, but each move would miss only by an inch. "Stop dodging!"
"I don't think so," Naruto replied jumping back again. He jumped over a sweep at his feet and rolled to the left. Naruto stood up and smiled. "I really don't want to be hit by your stick."
"I didn't know Konoha shinobi were all cowards!" Ura shouted as he jumped back. "Let's see you dodge this!" Without doing any hand seals, Ura slammed the his staff into the ground, causing several orbs of the earth to pop out, nine in total. They then arranged themselves in a diamond shaped, and floated a bit. The Iwa ninja then held the staff oddly. He held one end of the staff in one hand and the the other was placed in between his pointer and thumb of the other. "Doton: Turiku Shooto (Earth Release: Trick shot)!" As if he were playing billiards, Ura slammed the end of the staff into the grouped up orbs. They all scattered in different directions. Some bounced off the floor, others the ceiling and walls, before attacking Naruto. Everyone watched with bated breath as the attack closed in on him.
Naruto sighed before closing his eyes. "HA! You giving up kid!" Ura shouted. He was about to continue insulting him, but was surprised to see him dodging all the attacks with his eyes closed. One went near his head, to which he tilted to the side, before crouching then jumping to avoid two more. The orbs were crazily flying around him as he kept dodging attack, after attack, after attack. After two minutes of a relentless assault of rock orbs, it stopped and Naruto opened his eyes. Everyone was shocked at what had occurred, except for his team mates. "H-How did you manage to avoid all those! With your eyes closed too!"
"Mah who knows?" Naruto said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Is that it or can I finally attack?" Ura gritted his teeth and slammed his staff in the ground again.
"Doton: Tsuchi no kiba! (Earth release: Fang of Earth)!" From behind Naruto, a large earth spike erupted giving the blond no time to react.
"Naruto! Look out!" Yugao shouted. The blond didn't even turn his head as he ran forward, and stopped just in front of Ura, with the other ninja's technique not even touching him. As he stopped in front of Ura, the Iwa ninja was surprised when he looked down to see Naruto smirking up at him. The blond had his right arm cocked back with his left placed on the guy's chest.
"Since you showed me some good move's, I think I'll do some too to return the favor." Ura gulped, before jumping back getting his staff ready to block. "It still may be incomplete, but..." The Iwa ninja started to shake in fear for some reason. The smirk on the boy's face was making him feel nervous.
'I didn't see him during the second or first exam. So I can't say for sure what moves this kid has, and the fact that he looks like the freakin' Yondaime Hokage doesn't help either. I have to go defensive,' Ura thought. Doing the Tiger seal he shouted "Doton: Doryu Joheki (Earth style Rampart)!" A small rock wall erupted in front of him readying him for any attack. He then prepared his staff again and looked to either side and the top of the wall getting ready for the attack.
"The first stance..." Naruto whispered. He then shot forward, before turning left at the wall and towards the right to see Ura already getting ready to attack.
"I see you brat!" Ura shouted as he stabbed with his staff again. At the same time Naruto threw his fist.
"The first stance: Burakku Sheru (Black Shell)!" Naruto didn't even try to dodge this time, as he plowed forward. When his fist hit the staff, the older boy smirked. The seven year old smirked back when his fist connected. The entire staff cracked the moment it met his fist, then it was destroyed.
"Wh-what!"
"The second stance: Baamirion Uingu (Vermillion Wing)!"Naruto spun on his heel before step putting one foot in the space between Ura's feet. Before the staff wielding ninja could do anything, a small gust of wind pushed him back and causing him to stumble. Naruto then rushed forward, while his opponent was still falling. His hand's were back in the position they were in before Ura ran back. With his right arm cocked back and his left arm put forward. "The third stance: Howaito Dansu (White Dance)!" With a speed no seven year old should have had, Naruto laid down a flurry of attacks to the ill prepared shinobi. Kicks and Punches landed on Ura's body in several places, and Naruto kept pushing forward with each hit until Ura hit the wall separating him and team Darui. Ura felt the wind leave his body.
'Where is this brat getting this power from!" The Iwa ninja thought. 'I can't even feel some of my body parts due to his attacks.'
"The fourth stance: Buruu Sutoomu! (Blue Storm)" The Iwa ninja closed his eyes and Naruto thrust both arms out with his palms forward. Naruto didn't even touch Ura and they both stood still. After a couple of seconds Naruto put his arms down and walked away. Ura opened his eyes and saw the boy leaving the arena.
"What do you think you are doing, turning your back on the opponent!" Ura shouted.
"The match is over, I won," Naruto replied. "In five moves too."
"But I'm still standing! That last move of yours did nothing!" Naruto closed his eyes and shrugged.
"Whatever you say..." As the blond started walking away, Ura growled under his breath.
"Don't you dare pity me!" he shouted after losing his cool. As he took a step forward, he suddenly felt woozy and dropped to one knee. He held his stomach as he started coughing out blood. Ura then fell to his side and kept coughing out blood. "W-What d-did you do to me?" Ura stuttered, starting to lose his breath.
"That move I did, is a dangerous move. It could kill if I had more power," Naruto admitted. "I'm still seven so it's severely lacking it. Try to not waste your breath, you're going to need it. Also don't forget you owe me a thousand ryou." No matter how hard Ura tried to stand up, he just kept falling and coughing up blood. As Naruto walked to where his team was he heard Sawate calling him out as the winner. When he reached the bench where his team was, he saw Itachi looking at him with his Sharingan activated. "Already studying the opponent eh Itachi?"
"You didn't have to show off you know. By the way, when did you have time to learn something like that?" Itachi asked still looking at Naruto. The blond smiled back at him before shrugging like he did that entire day.
"Congratulations Naruto!" Yugao said as the girl hugged her teammate. "You did great! You made it to the third round!"
"I guess I did, didn't I? Thanks Yugao-senpai!" As he was about to return her hug, Mikoto came forward and placed his head in her breast, by accident, when she hugged the seven year old. Naruto started to flail his arms around. "Mikoto-sama...I...can't...breath!"
"Oh sorry Naruto-kun," Mikoto giggled. "I'm just happy one of my students passed!"
"Hehe thanks." Naruto then took a seat next to Itachi. The two were silent before speaking. "You know what I don't you?"
"Using Harukaze Miyabi you dodged all his attacks without even needing to look. Since you made the dome of air around you small enough, you didn't expend so much chakra unlike the first and second test, where you constantly kept using it to watch out for opponents. However, there was a second reason for using that move. You used the air in the dome to move along you with each of your attacks," Itachi whispered, making sure it was not loud enough for anyone to hear. "The first stance interrupts their attacks, with the wind it would be able to cut through even the metal weapons to destroy it. The second stance breaks their balance, making it easier to attack them, with the wind it is easier to do so. Then the third stance breaks their stance, either forcing them to retreat or attack you in turn. The wind is used to empower your movements." Itachi closed his eyes before sighing. "The thing is...I couldn't really tell what happened in that last attack. I just saw you thrust forward and the wind but that is it. I'm surprised though, even with shoddy Fuuton Chakra control, you were able to do that much."
"Mah, that is scary. After seeing it only once, you knew all that already," Naruto smiled. "I guess it comes from being my partner no?"
~On the battle field~
A was near the far wall sitting on a chair, behind him was B. He had his fingers intertwined as he looked at the paramedics taking Ura away. He then looked towards where Naruto was sitting. His eyes were narrowed as he thought about what Ura said.
'So I'm against the mini-Yondaime Hokage huh?...You got any relationship to him?''That is what that Iwa ninja said,' A thought to himself. 'Now that I think about it, he has the Uzumaki last name yet he has the looks of Minato Namikaze.' The Raikage made a hand motion and a Kumo ANBU member appeared. "Dig up any information you can on Naruto Uzumaki. I need to know exactly who that kid is."
"Hai Raikage-sama," the ANBU replied before shunshin-ing away. The Raikage then nodded his head towards Sawate, who nodded back.
"Okay the next pair for the next match will be decided now!" Sawate cheerfully announced. She pressed the button and the names flashed once again before stopping. "Okay the next match is Itachi Uchiha against Yugao Uzuki!"
~With Team Nine~
Yugao gasped, while Itachi frowned and Naruto cursed under his breath. Mikoto looked at her team, and felt sad. Itachi stood up from the bench and past the wall protecting them from the battlefield. "I'm heading out. Yugao-senpai, I'll meet you one the battlefield," Itachi said before standing on center stage.
"M-Mikoto-sensei, what do I do?" Yugao asked confused by the situation. "I'm not sure I want to fight Itachi..."
"I can't really what to do Yugao-chan," Mikoto replied.
"You should go up there and do what you can," Naruto replied. Both females looked at Naruto.
"N-Naruto?" Yugao asked.
"Just go there and do your best. Whether or not you win, shouldn't matter. Remember you made it past two exams of the Chunin exams as a rookie. Whether or not you had help shouldn't matter either. As long as you go up there and do the best you can is all that matters." Yugao looked at him for a moment, before nodding.
"You're right Naruto-san, I should just go out there and do my best. Itachi-san is waiting for me after all," the purple haired girl smiled and stood up. "Right, I'm heading out too." The purple haired girl then passed the wall towards where Itachi was. It was during this time Mikoto looked at Naruto.
"When did you get so insightful Naruto-kun?" Mikoto asked. Naruto laughed and scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Ehehehehe, Shisui-nii has been talking to me a lot. Giving me advice as well as some 'life lessons,'" Naruto replied using air quotes on life lessons. "To be honest all it was him giving me some talks and philosophy. He's a smart person you know? He's like my own big brother some times."
"I see. That's good to hear Naruto-kun," the Uchiha matron replied.
~On the battlefield~
Itachi almost smiled when Yugao met him in the center of the battlefield. "It's good to see you didn't run senpai." He uncrossed his arms.
"I shouldn't be scared of facing my teammates, and I should give my all in everything I do. So come at me with all you got Itachi."
"Interesting, let us begin shall we?" He then looked at Sawate and nodded.
"Are both of you ready to fight?" the happy girl asked. Both kids nodded. "Then the second match begin!"
Both people stood stock still for a few seconds. They both seemed to tense and do nothing.
~Team Iwa~
"Man this is a boring fight," Irouh stated. "They're just standing there."
"You don't get it do you Irouh hn," Deidara hummed. "He is an Uchiha, I hear they are amazing with genjutsus. He must be using one on her right now. I wonder how it is like to face off against them. I heard they are some of the strongest in Konoha."
~Team Darui~
"That must be an interesting way to be someone isn't it Darui?" C asked as he watched. "An Uchiha using genjutsu to completely dominate a battle."
"From the looks of things, the girl is suffering in whatever is happening in the genjutsu," Yugito stated.
"I wonder what is happening in there?" Darui drawled out. "Although I have to say, we have to be careful. Those two boys, Naruto Uzumaki and Itachi Uchiha, they are dangerous beyond what I expected." Suddenly Yugao dropped to a knee. "It seems like it is about to get real."
~On the battlefield~
"Stand up Yugao-senpai, no, Yugao," Itachi stated. "You won't win if a simple genjutsu like that would bring you to your knees." Yugao was on her knees, her hands on her head while tears streamed down her face.
"Th-That was terrible," Yugao stuttered. She then looked into his Sharingan eyes. "How can you show me something like that! How can you show me Hayate-kun dying over and over again!"
"You told me to come at you with my best. I did that," Itachi said with a stern voice. "If you can break just as easily. I do not think you are ready to be a chunin." All she did was look at him defiantly, causing him to sigh. Itachi then walked up to Yugao, stood her up, only to punch her in the gut, knocking the wind out of her. She fell to the floor before Itachi looked at Sawate. "Call the match. She won't be need to be taken to the infirmary either. She'll wake up in a bit." Sawate nodded and put her hand up.
"The winner of this match is Itachi Uchiha by knock out!" the proctor announced. Itachi sighed again before picking up Yugao bridal style.
"I'm sorry," he whispered to her as he took her to their place in the stands. When he got there, Mikoto gave him a disapproving look, while Naruto merely sighed.
"A little harsh there aren't you Itachi?" Naruto said.
"She told me to go at her with all I have. I what she asked for" Itachi replied. He then looked at his best friend. "If she asked you to do the same, you probably used the move you used on that Iwa ninja wouldn't you?" Naruto hung his head but nodded. "I was right." They both heard Mikoto gasp.
"You mean you would have willingly hurt your teammate?" Mikoto asked surprised at her son and Naruto.
"If she asked us to go at her full on, we wouldn't be holding back," Naruto stated.
"Because if we did, we wouldn't be respecting her wishes," Itachi continued. "It may seem cruel but I did what I had to do." He then looked at the unconscious girl. "I just hope she will forgive me for showing her the nightmare of losing her loved one."
~Team Konoha ROOT~
Standing a few meters away from team nine, was the other Konoha team standing with their sensei. The sensei was in a large raincoat, with the hood up so you couldn't see their face. Another one of the students was wearing exactly the same. The other two's looks, however, were visible. One had black hair and had a black mask covering everything from his nose up. The mask had white holes to allow him to see and the symbol of Konoha was on the middle of it. This person was wearing a long sleeve black coat over a form fitting black shirt. He was also wearing black ninja pants and sandals. Next to him was an orange haired boy with grey eyes. He had on a purple shirt and black shorts. His head band was around his forehead, and he had a sword on his back.
"Sensei," the orange haired boy started. "Do you think that is reportable to Danzo-sama?"
"Yes, the data on both Naruto Uzumaki and Itachi Uchiha will be useful to Danzo-sama Fu Yamanaka," the sensei replied. "Torune, Tera, Fu. If any of you are matched up against them, I want you to quit understand me? Danzo-sama has explicitly ordered us to help them out if need be."
"Hai," the black haired one, Torune Aburame, answered. While Tera, the one with the hood on nodded his head. "Although it looks like they won't need our help. For seven year olds...they are strong. Far stronger than they should be."
"Must be because of their lineage," Fu replied. "An Uchiha and an Uzumaki. A strong pair of families working together. Geniuses from what I heard as well."
Author's End Note: Did you enjoy the chapter? Leave a review if you did or if you didn't! Also the moves Naruto used in his fight come from a Korean Manhwa (their manga) called God of Highschool. Go check it out.
