I wish I owned Assassin's Creed and Naruto, If I did, Al-Tair would be blasting his enemies to pieces with fire jutsu in the streets of Jerusalem.
Bold is supernatural speech
Italics are thoughts and flashbacks
AU: This is gonna be a very long chapter as I'm narrating every fight, not just the important ones, hopefully you enjoy it.
-Chapter Ten: The Finals: Part One-
Naruto woke up on the morning of the finals energized. He'd slept well, though he did miss Sasuke's culinary skills. The last week or so had been without it for Kakashi had taken him off to hone his skills even more.
Naruto dressed a little differently today, he wore black cargo pants instead of his brown ones, and instead of the usual black t-shirt, he wore a shirt of plated leather armor, he knew of the invasion, and had alerted the Hokage, he had ANBU planted everywhere throughout the village, ready to strike at a moments notice. Naruto dawned a his cloak, then his gauntlets. He wore greaves, and wore his Konoha Hitai-ate over his forehead bandana style much like Ibiki did instead of around his neck. He buckled his sword in place, and doubled his number of bolts and throwing knives, he wanted all the projectiles he could spare, he made sure his blades were honed to their razor sharpness as usual, he also packed a medic kit in his belt kit. He set out, finding Sakura waiting by the front gates, she was dressed no differently, but she had a ninja-to slung across her back, according to her, it was important that she brought it.
"Good Morning Sakura, you've come to guard me on my trip to the stadium?" Naruto joked.
"Of course, we can't have Uzumaki Naruto getting attacked on his way to his fight." She replied mockingly.
"Then let's hope no shinobi attack me on the way." Naruto's face straightened out. "But be careful, I plan on fighting Gaara, and if things get out of hand, I may have to release a surprise, and if I do, then you need to stay out of the way, and help the ANBU fight of the sand and sound, be careful." Naruto said solemnly.
"That's what this is for Naruto." She pointed her thumb at the ninja-to.
"Still. Remember what I taught you, remember what Kakashi taught you, and stay as safe as a person fighting for their life can." Naruto reached an arm around her and embraced her in a hug. Sakura blushed, she'd always been the one to initiate any sort of physical contact other than simple gestures as touching shoulders and training exercises. He held her for a moment, then remembered he had to be there when it began because he was first to fight.
Naruto and Sakura arrived right before it all started, The exam proctor, who's name was Genma, stood chewing on the end of a senbon needle. He introduced the fighters, and the order of the fights, which was to be like this.
-Uzumaki Naruto vs. Hyuuga Neji-
-Nara Shikamaru vs. Aburame Shino (who was currently missing) vs. Sabaku No Kankurou)-
-Haruno Sakura vs. Sabaku No Temari-
-Uchiha Sasuke vs. Sabaku No Gaara-
Cheers erupted from the crowd, The remaining six people walked up to the stadium, leaving Naruto, Neji and Genma in the stadium.
"You guys can start at any time, lethal force is permitted, but only if your opponent is unwilling to go down any other way." Genma stepped back about ten paces. Naruto smirked, he'd finally put this arrogant Hyuuga in his place, among the other shinobi, each who was proud as the next, but none elevated to an arrogant level. He drew his sword, holding it in a relaxed, neutral stance, sword in his right hand, knees slightly bent, front foot pointing forward, left hand floating at about waist level.
"Byakugan!" The Hyuuga activated their signature bloodline, Naruto knew he could end it with just a few words, blasting the ninja to pieces, but his mind was set on teaching him a lesson, not killing him. The Hyuuga got tired of the waiting and dashed forward, Naruto stepped to the side to avoid the dart like fingers of the Hyuuga Jyuuken style. He stepped in, and punched the Hyuuga in the stomach, causing him to double over.
"The first strike goes to me Neji." Naruto stepped back, falling into the same stance as before. Neji growled angrily before standing, and attempting to attack Naruto's arms, he simply took the blows with his metal plated gauntlets. "These are designed to block even chakra scalpels, the metal is made specially to deflect chakra enforced blows. You've got no chance in disabling my arms." Naruto lashed out with a low roundhouse kick that took Neji's legs out from under him, planting him right on the ground again. Naruto backed up, allowing him to stand again, this time he went for Naruto's legs, which Naruto simply used his swordsman's footwork to dodge. He used a palm strike to Neji's metal covered forehead, sending him stumbling.
"Stop playing around!" Neji then began to move faster, he lashed out with strike after strike. "You know, you're within my range of divination" Neji smirked, "Hakke: Rokujuuyon shou" He lashed out, "Two strikes" These hit home, then the next barrage of four, eight, sixteen, thirty two, then sixty four. Naruto fell to one knee. "Who's got no chance now?"
"You. I can do something that most can't" Naruto began to focus, then he muttered a few words, and then Neji saw the sixty four tenketsu points burst open. Naruto stood, and lashed out with his sword, slashing his chest open with one fluid motion, sending gouts of blood spraying from his chest.
"Im…Impossible." Neji staggered back.
"No, actually, it's not, you see, if I wanted to kill you, I could simply say 'blow up that man there' while focusing my chakra on you and saying these words in Arabic. Our magic is different than your jutsu. But it's incredibly exhausting, as it requires just as much energy as if I were to plant explosive tags on your body and set each off with my chakra." Naruto sheathed his sword. "The reason I didn't, is because I wanted to teach you the lesson of humility, one that is ground into my bones, in my case by force of beating. The assassins are incredibly torturous in their methods. I'm only without scar, save for this one because of my curse."
"You know nothing of curses." Neji spat.
"You think that caged bird seal is a curse? How about Gaara? He has a psychotic demon sealed in him, he hasn't had a wink of sleep in ages. What of Rock Lee who can't use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu? He is cursed, but he turns it into his greatest gift. You have great power, your curse is no limiting factor. Now FIGHT!" Naruto lashed out with a palm strike, knocking Neji's head back. He then used a combination of punches, kicks, elbows, knife hands and even knees to drive back the Hyuuga, He then used a powerful palm strike to slam Neji into the wall. He coughed blood, the force of the blow was too much. Neji Fell to his knees, only to feel himself be thrown over five meters, landing in a heap, Naruto waited for him to stand before rushing him again.
"You see, a bloodline and chakra control are nothing, I am beating you senseless without it." Naruto jabbed his finger into Neji's cheek. "I could have removed your eye just now. Neji, this whole time was trying in vain to block his strikes, but could do nothing. Finally, Naruto slowed down. "You can clearly not keep up, and I don't want the village thinking I'm some brutal bastard who beats on people slower than I am." Naruto once again drew his sword, and blocked the edge. "Now come at me." Neji, as if baited attacked, full speed, trying his best to attack the assassin, but to no avail, Naruto finally just struck his neck with the pommel, rendering him unconscious. "I hope you learned Neji." He unblocked the edge and sheathed it.
"Winner! Uzumaki Naruto!" The crowd erupted in cheers and loud clapping. Naruto walked off to the stairs.
Shikamaru smirked, someone had put that pompous Neji in his place, and by not even using any projectile or anything other than his fists and sword. He shrugged, he really didn't want to fight that Puppet master.
"Well, I suppose it's my turn to go fight." Shikamaru walked toward the stairs, seeing Naruto walking back up, just how strong was this kid? He continued walking down the stairs. He made his way out on to the stadium's dirt floor.
"Nara Shikamaru, Sabaku no Gaara, since Aburame Shino is absent from this tournament, you two will fight one on one." Genma announced. "you may begin at any time. No lethal force unless your opponent will not stay down otherwise." Genma stepped back, like he did before.
Shikamaru stayed still, allowing his opponent to get what he thought was an ample reading of the Nara. He smiled, He drew several kunai, throwing them, but not at his opponent, but at what seemed to be random points, he then dropped one, and vanished, landing behind Kankurou, who dropped his bundle, Shikamaru remembered this bundle, and had accounted for it. He then began making hand seals.
"Shadow Imitation jutsu." And as soon as Kankurou jumped to escape the circle of kunai, Shikamaru's shadow leapt from the shadow each kunai cast and caught Kankurou by his own shadow, thanks to the bundle on his back, it was double the size of a normal one, so he could catch it from a bit farther. He smiled, and reached his hand to his neck, causing the puppet user to do so as well. Kankurou's neck was much thicker than Shikamaru's so he could squeeze much harder without hurting himself or choking himself to death.
"Surrender or I'll choke you into submission, or here's a better idea…" Shikamaru pulled out a kunai, Kankurou mirroring his actions, his was right against his throat, where Shikamaru's was about a centimeter away from his.
" You wouldn't."
"I'm a shinobi, of course I would, this is an end to a troublesome fight." Shikamaru was about to pull, when his opponent announced that he gave up.
"Winner! Nara Shikamaru!" Genma shouted, as the crowd erupted into cheers. Shikamaru picked up his kunai, and put them in his pouch, walking to the stands. He arrived see Sakura walk down to the field. He sat next to Naruto.
"So what can we expect from our pink haired friend?" Shikamaru asked.
"To be honest, I can't tell you, I don't even know, I haven't been training with her much, I taught her some swordplay a couple days ago, but she hasn't shown me any jutsu. So I'll be as surprised as you." Naruto replied.
"I have to hand it to you, you battered Neji pretty bad. Why?"
"He needed to be taught some humility, Al-Tair, and our clan taught us by fist, it's the most effective way to be taught that lesson, to be beaten at your game."
"Makes sense."
"It does, now let's watch Sakura fight."
"You like her don't you? I can hear it in your speech." Shikamaru asked, Naruto stayed silent, not wishing to admit it, but he knew that he really did have feelings for Haruno Sakura.
Her fight began with a simple jump back. Temari drew her fan, and swung, Sakura did something strange, she dropped to the ground, laying flat, the air blast passed harmlessly over her. She stood, and began the seals, firing off a technique that was basically a concentrated earthquake. Temari jumped, Sakura moved in, drawing her sword, she slashed at the Kunoichi. Temari blocked with her fan, but Sakura grabbed it, pulling herself forward, she elbowed Temari in the face, and then jumped off the fan. Temari's nose flowed blood like a stream.
"You Bitch!" Temari swung her fan again, but this time Sakura did seals quickly, and called up her earth affinity with the jutsu
"Earth Style: Earth Shield" The wind died harmlessly against it, she then fired off another one. "Earth Style: Earth bullet!" She slammed her hands into the barrier, and the whole thing exploded into dozens of flying projectiles, Sakura moved in quickly, as Temari blocked the bullets with her fan, she didn't expect the kick to the head however. The heavy blow sent her flying back. Sakura landed, and moved in again, jumping high into the air, and performing a fire jutsu. "Fire Style: Grand Fireball!" She launched the small sun at the other Kunoichi.
In the stands Ino saw as Sakura attacked with power that was foreign to Ino's previous recollection of her friend.
"What did you teach her Naruto?" She asked the boy who was sitting just a row down.
"A man on the battlefield is commonplace, but a woman on the field is a true demon.(1) She's only tapped into her chakra reserves, she's grown a lot in the months I've been here." Naruto smiled. "She's mostly using Kakashi's teachings, though I did advise her to stay in close and then jump back to demonstrate her skills."
Back on the stadium floor, Temari had finally landed a good hit on Sakura, she set up her Kamaitachi, only to have Sakura block it with her shield of earth again, She was too good to be a normal Gennin. But this couldn't last forever. Temari decided to move in for the offensive role, swinging her massive fan, she felt it blocked by the ninja-to that her opponent wielded. She then lashed out with a low kick, trying to take out her legs, Sakura stepped back, dodging the kick, she then pushed the fan off of her, and drew her tanto, she attacked with her longer weapon, and then closed the distance, trying to attack with her second one. Temari was in trouble, she was a long range fighter, but this girl was showing time and again that this was going to be a close range fight.
"Earth and Fire Style: Flaming Sakura storm!" Sakura yelled, Temari wondered what the technique was until she felt the flaming, red hot stone petals slice at her body, cauterizing as they cut. Sakura moved in for the killing blow, but then Temari surrendered, showing that she knew it was a losing battle.
"Winner! Haruno Sakura!" The crowd erupted in cheers, Naruto stood up to meet his friend, he could sense that she'd used a great deal of her chakra, so Naruto offered her a soldier pill. She took it gladly, feeling her energy return to her.
"You did that really well, and followed mine and Kakashi's advice to keep the fight at close quarters. I'm proud of you." Naruto hugged her again, making her blush, then he sat down next to Shikamaru, Sakura taking a seat next to him.
The next and final fight was Sasuke vs. Gaara, one that was what people were waiting for.
-Chapter Ten: End-
Author's Notes: For those who will think that I made Temari seem weak, keep in mind that she is a Long range fighter, Sakura is a close quarters fighter. Sakura was able to keep it that way, so she won, that is why it may seem Temari is weak, though I assure you she'll seem a great deal different later on. Thanks for reading.