I was overjoyed to find that it the exams were over and i managed to trip over my own two feet six times in under 30 minutes. Now i was being held up by Gaara's sand. He seemed overly annoyed about something but i'm not sure what it is.
Temari and Kankuro were staying a fair distance away from Gaara and me. They were excited to. I hate to say it ut over these two days Kankuro has gotten better at throwing kuni. He hits the center of the target about half the time, and he's close on all the others.
We had left the etower a few minutes ago and were now walking to some place where the Hokage world apparently tell us what happens in the third round. A few to many people passed for them to have a tournament like i think was planned so if my guess is right we'll have preliminaries.
I turned my waist around to look behind me without messing up my neck. The nine rookie genin from Kahna had made it through. I can't help but be surprised that they made it even though i myself am a rookie, "Hey Gaara."
He looked at me and i knew he was listening to me, "Do you think we're almost there?"
"Yes."
I sighed in relief, "Great! Walking like this is getting boring."
Kankuro then decided to reprimand me, "Stop complaining about it Arashi! You aren't even walking so you don't have the right!"
"Give it up Kankuro. You know better than all of us that he doesn't listen to your plees for him to silence his complaining." Temari rolled her eyes at my childish complaints and looked at Kankuro with a bit of annoyance.
"Even you let him get away with this! How could you Temari! I thought we were friends, so how could you do this to me!" that earned him a solid wack to the head.
"It's simple. Arashi will do it no matter what we try and do to make him stop. I find it's better to ignore his childish actions and not act against them. Even you must see that you are getting nowhere." she continued walking. She didn't even bother to check on her downed brother who was clutching his head in pain.
I laughed, "You guys put on the greatest shows ever! You even do it without trying!" i held my stomach laughing but immediately shut up when Gaara's sand shook me about, "AHH!"
I looked at him with alight glare then looked forwards like he was doing. I smiled, "Yay!" before me was a large building that held an arena. We were heading inside and i couldn't help but nearly vibrate in my excitement.
We filed into a large room that could definitely tell was an arena. I looked around smiling. A lot of people had passed but a majority of them didn't look all that special. There was a pineapple head that i have to admit looked wimpy, but i think he's one of those guys whose strength lies in their brain.
The pink haired girl on yellows team seemed to be the same way but a whole lot more dumb. Unless she was put against yellow or that annoyingly loud girl on pineapple heads team i don't think she's get past this.
Well she might get in a draw but she still won't make it past this. We stood in a somewhat organized lump looking up at the Hokage sitting in his perch above the ground. "Congratulations all of you on passing the second exam. Due to so many of you passing though we cannot begin the third exam." he cleared his throat before continuing, "Therefore we will be holding a preliminary round to cut you down by half. I will not explain the rules."
Before he could explain it to us through another man entered the room and claimed himself as the third exam proctor. My face scrunched up in concern. He looked sick, and when he just coughed there was blood on his hand.
I wonder what's wrong with him, "As i was about to say this will be a simple one on one match. Teams no longer matter here do if there is anyone who'd like to drop out now is the time to do so.
My eyes widened as a silverish haired boy from Kahona raised his hand. "Kabuto from Kahona right? You may take your leave." he nodded and began to head out.
"What! Kabuto why are you quitting now!" i glanced at yellow. Why did he seem so concerned.
"I Know my own strengths and weaknesses Naruto. I'm still far to exhausted from the second exam to continue. I won't make it past this no matter what i do." he gave the short rookie gein a small wave and walked away.
I narrowed my eyes. He wasn't slouching in any way and he moved like he was perfectly fine. In fact i think he is. My returned to normal once i realized what was going on. He had to be the spy i was told about. When he looked me in the eye right before leaving the room he held a hand to his ches to make it look like he was itching.
I saw it though. He signed to me quickly in the standard suna shinobi seinlanguage. I pieced together 'Roof' and 'Twelve' quickly and nodded before returning my had back to the exam proctor.
"You're battles will be decided by this large machine." he pointed up at the weird thing hanging on the wall. It was a plain brown color with VS. written in between two screens, "Alright now that that's all over once the battle has been selected the people not fighting will head to the viewing area."
Then the screens flickers to life and the names were selected. Uchiha Sasuke VS. Yoroi Akado
I looked at the two genin who had stepped forwards and then all of a sudden was dropped. I flipped quickly and landed on my feet. I looked at Gaara was awas calmly walking away despite having just dumped me on my head.
I ran after my team and joined them in the stands. The uchihas hair mildly resembled that of ducks but and i couldn't help but snort and point it out to the siblings. Two of witch nodded in agreement. The other just ignored me like he normally does.
The match was interesting, but i think the Uchiha hurt himself more than he did his opponent. He had one nasty curse mark to. It almost took him over during his battle. "Winner Uchiha Sasuke!"
The medical nin took the sound nin away and duck buts sensei took him away. The next match appeared on the match picker thing-a-majig. Zaku Abumi VS. Shino Aburame
This match was even more interesting than the last one was. The sound ninja literally had his arms blown off because of his own jutsu gone wrong and then lost. I wonder if these sound nin are all they make themselves out to be. So far it's been a major let down.
Misumi Tsurugi vs. Kankurō
I smiled at Kankuro as he jumped down into the arena. He then proceeded to trash his opponent. A first the Misumi guy though he won when he broke a bunch of Kankuro's bones but it turns out Kankuro switched places with his puppet and after that he then proceeded to break every single bone in Misamis body like Misumi had tried to do to him
Rock Lee VS. Arashi
I jumped at the sound of my name and lept into the arena. I was shaking with excitement. The only problem was i wasn't allowed to win. Due to my mission i won't be able to participate in the final exam.
I began sulking as i raised my hand, "I forfeit." i muttered under my breath severely depressed as i headed back to the stands. Rock Lee had just reached the arena after an apparently youthful chat with his sensei and now looked like a kicked puppy.
"What!" I heard Kankuro yell from the stands, "But you wanted to fight o badly Arashi! You were so excited for this!"
I looked up at him and he froze at the sight of tears threatening to spill from my eyes, "Of course i want to fight but i can't go past this round. I think i might get my own wished mixed up with my orders."
Then all of a sudden there was a kick being launched at my face, "That is so sad! Then we shall fight! You have already forfeited so this match will not count for anything!"
I suddenly perked up and then without hesitation caught the foot aimed at my head and threw the boy into the closest wall. It nearly shattered as he hit it and i was surprised to find he was quite heavy.
"You wear weights?" i asked tilting my head to the side, "That's so cool! I don't have enough money to get any!" i jumped out of the way of a more of his punches.
"That is so sad!" he then began to move faster and i willed my wind to push me faster as well. Every single one of our moves was enough to send the other one unconscious and i'f hate to lose now when he was so kind as to let me battle him.
I jumped back and bowed, "I am deeply sorry Lee. i have overstepped my boundaries. There are also things i must do." i jumped up into the stands and settled down to watch. I could still feel eyes and me and smirked in amusement.
I watched the rest of the fights silently. Turns out Lee had been the unlucky one who had to fight twice so me forfeiting was good for him. It didn't help that he was put against Gaara though. Temari utterly destroyed her opponent. It was the girl on Lee's team.
There was a little show of clan rivalry to. It was pretty stupid if you ask me. He was beating her up because of his own misfortune. It wasn't her fault. I'm sure she had only been a few years old when whatever happened to make him hate her.
The preliminaries cam to an end and the one month of preparing began.
