Normal
Flashback
"Mental Chat"
'Thoughts'
"Super Sayian 4 speech"
'Super Sayian 4 thoughts'
"Super Spirit 5 speech"
"Inner Moka/Demon form Mental link"
'Inner Moka/Demon form thoughts'
AG000: For those of you who have been wondering what the hell has been going on, There has been trouble with internet where I'm at. I had a lot of time, and I could've worked on everything for the entire time. However, I was too busy reading the stories on Fanfiction.
AG001: You seem to have gotten addicted to Fanfiction.
AG000: I'm not addicted. I'm close, but not yet. I do other things, but only when I have other things to do.
AG001: Sure, and I'm the Easter Bunny.
AG000: Should I get the picture from 2001?
AG001: Point taken. In any case, if you have a problem.
AG000: No, I've pretty much got it figured out. I like reading the things on Fanfiction, and the variety on there. There's a lot of things on here that I like, and a few things I didn't think I would.
AG003: No kidding. By the way, what is up with the whole, Extraction thing? I don't get that at all. There are other ways.
AG004: That's what I'd like to know.
AG000: They already had some experience with a Hanyou-like form. Remember the Half-state?
AG002: That is basically the Hanyou form for them.
AG003: So basically, you gave them what they already had experience with? Not bad. Thinking ahead.
AG000: Actually, I came up with a reason after everything had been put in place with Naruto and Hinata already Hanyous.
AG004: Well, you're thinking about the past, but not that far back. 4 Chapters in one week?
AG000: 5 actually. Remember, I also uploaded one for Dragon Flight.
Silence
Shuuden: Well, in any case, everything's ready. One thing left to do before the chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto/Shippuuden, Rosario + Vampire, or Zoids. I only own a copy of Final Fantasy 13, not the franchise, or anything else related to it. All rights go to their respective owners.
AG000: Damn, that's a lot to say.
Chapter 11: 3rd Exam Preliminaries (P1)
Naruto and Tsukune made it back on the third day after talking with Anko.
-Flashback-
Anko was guided to Naruto and Tsukune by a couple of Spiders.
"Alright, I have some questions for you." Anko stated the moment she saw them.
"Don't bother. I was about to explain a lot more than you think." Naruto said.
"What do you mean, Naruto?" Tsukune asked.
"She needs to know everything about this place. Why I'm accepted here, and why they are accepting you quite fast." Naruto explained, shocking Anko.
"Alright then. Speak up."
"Don't be so quick Anko. Any possible threat to me in this area will be intercepted by them. They do so of their own will. I am one of the only humans that have ever understood their point of view. And only because at one point I was treated like an outcast, and was tortured by the civilian population more times than I care to count." Naruto said.
"Ok..."
"I was a Jinchuuriki, just like you were a bearer of Orochimaru's curse. That's why you took refuge in here. It was a good place to relieve stress of the villagers' cold stares. That's what they gave me, and I still feel them every now and then. A lot less often, but now things could escalate."
"How so?" Anko asked.
"Even with the Kyuubi gone and where he belongs, I'm still in danger. The power of the Kyuubi still flows through me, but not because I'm a Jinchuuriki. It's because I'm a Hanyou. The same thing applies to Hinata and Tsukune here. We're all former Jinchuuriki, and now we are Hanyou. It was a simple thing, but highly dangerous if not done properly, and within a time limit." Naruto stated, earning a nod from Anko.
"What happens now? And where is the Kyuubi no Yoko?" Anko asked.
"Both the Kyuubi no Yoko and the Kyuubi no Kitsune are off with their own kind. Nibi no Bakeneko, or Lady Neko, as we call her, has returned to the Shinigami. We are all still able to use the same abilities as we could in our Half-state, but now it is known as our Hanyou form. Our Full-demon form is still the same, but now we can use Youki just like Chakra, and use it to enhance our size." Tsukune stated.
Anko's jaw dropped. "How?"
"A process Shuuden found out about from Moka. I thought you would've heard of it. Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame are somewhat aware of the situation. Kiba has backed off of Hinata Hyuuga now that she is engaged with me, and he also knows the reasons she had regarding her choosing me over him. I learned that it can be used to pull out a soul completely, and when a Hanyou does it, it's easy as fuck." Naruto said. "Shuuden told me it was a hard thing to come by, but things were also pretty good. It took him a long ass time to learn to use it properly, while I got it down in about an Hour. I perfected its use in another hour."
"How long ago was this?"
"Near as I can figure, the entire process of extraction ended about 2 hours before your confrontation with Orochimaru, who left the moment you were cornered by the Spiders that wanted to guard us. A snake saved your life. Also, by that point Sasuke had already been at the tower long beforehand. Tsukune and I stayed behind to train for a while."
"I needed some training, and then I had decided to lose the Kyuubi no Kitsune and become a Hanyou. I'm actually quite good at it, but the Spiders treat me like I'm one of them. If not, close." Tsukune said.
"You're actually already there. I earned their respect, and from time to time, I can vent, and they have no problems with it. They know I have a lot of pain built up. Tsukune also has a lot of pain built up and after living among actual Youkai, these guys aren't much of a threat alone. However, get them in numbers and they will overrun you. Take one out, 3 more come in their place. It's excellent training for us. Also, we can do it in a place few actually go into due to fear of these guys." Naruto said.
"For good reason." Anko stated.
"They may look scary, but deep down they have hearts as well. They were feared, and in turn, hated. Humans all fear Youkai. It's the same way with the Kyuubi. They feared what I would do with the Kyuubi, or were angry that I was the Kyuubi, neither of which were really true. I was not the Kyuubi, nor was I ever. I was only the Jailer, but I managed to make peace with him, and, in turn, was able to release him without any problems. He left without so much as a threat to society. He was being controlled, after all."
"Controlled? And these guys are actually friendly?" Anko asked.
"Yes, and yes. Foxy was controlled by a guy known as Uchiha Madara, the enemy of the First Hokage. He survived all these years, although how, no one really knows. Now he's after the Bijuu. With the only Senju around being Tsunade, it's not easy, and now is the perfect time to do so. However, he won't find 2 of them. They are both gone, and in a safe place. As far as Madara knows, the Kyuubi is still sealed within me. He's no longer in this world, in case you couldn't tell." Naruto stated.
"I can see that. In any case, I think you would want to keep the Hanyou thing a secret. I still get the stares from the villagers, but I just send a scowl their way. Being a seductress has it's advantages." Anko said. "I'm not proud of it, but if I didn't go that path they would've tried to kill me like they did you. If I may, how can you understand them?"
"The Spirit Eye. Apparently, it allows us to talk with animals, and we can understand them perfectly. Shuuden never told us this aspect. Then again, I doubt he knew it in the first place." Naruto said.
"In any case, I'll keep the secret of the Hanyou transformation from everyone. I'm good at that." Anko said. "Is that all you want, because these guys are starting to scare me."
"Go ahead, head to the tower. We have some more training to do." Naruto said, as Anko nodded and left. "Well, that was oddly familiar."
"How so?" Tsukune asked.
"She's like us, but because she was Orochimaru's student. In addition, I don't think the word about her mark being gone has gotten out. I think we could get Ino to start a few rumors when we're done with the Exams." Naruto said, grinning.
"Why bother? She isn't like you guys. She kills us without remorse, and doesn't even care."
"The difference between us and her lies in our abilities. The view of others on all 3 of us is the same. You're sounding a lot like Humans right now. Yet you hate humans."
"What do you mean?"
"When you get a taste of each side, you find out they're not that different in anything but form. They fear the other, and from that fear breeds hate. From the hate, comes anger. From anger comes action." Naruto said.
"Translation?"
"You ever hear of the saying "Don't judge a book by it's cover"? That's something the Humans forget, and the Youkai ignore. The inside is what counts. I'm not talking about inner demons, or anything of the like. When you judge what you see, nothing good comes of it, and fighting breaks out almost immediately." Tsukune stated. "Being a Human for most of my life, not knowing I was a Jinchuuriki, was hard on me. No one would've believed me if I knew, or anything else, because I can't show them proof. That's one problem with Humans."
"Youkai are similar. Living among them, and having one inside of you let's you find out a lot more than you'd think." Naruto said.
"Explanation please?"
"Youkai hate humans for killing their own kind, not wary of the fact the Humans fear them. They do so to save the ones they care about, but mostly themselves. A select few have been on both sides. The Jinchuuriki. They know what it's like to be a Youkai among humans. They are hated because of who they are, or what the demon inside has done. They don't realize that the boy or girl is not the demon they all despise." Naruto paused.
"Youkai attack humans to save their own skin, or out of hatred. Humans attack Youkai out of fear, anger, or to save their own skins. If you've seen both of them working at it, you'd see that Humans and Youkai are no different from each other, aside from form."
"You mean, if I tried being nice to them, they might be nice back?"
"I doubt it. They have to open up to you, and so far, only outcasts can do that. Tsukune and I were outcasts ourselves, so we know how it is. It's not a good thing to go through." Naruto said.
"Well, in any case, I think I'll give it a shot. How about another round?"
"Let's do it."
-Flashback end-
They were ready to move on, and they saw that Iruka appeared before them. "Iruka-sensei?" Naruto said, shock on his face.
"Hey Naruto. I'm glad you made it through. From what I hear, you're teammates have already made it in a couple days ago. Care to explain?" Iruka asked.
"Training. Tsukune and I needed some training, Tsukune more than me, and we got a few days in."
"Don't you know that was dangerous?" Iruka had worry in his voice but it sounded like anger.
"Don't worry Iruka-sensei. I know how dangerous it can be to the unwary, but I've been training and venting in the Forest of Death for a few months now. I'm on good terms with the animals here. When they want me to get some rest, saying they will protect us, one would be wary if they weren't on good terms with them." Naruto told him.
"Still, you shouldn't have done that. What about Tsukune? I doubt he'd be on good terms with them."
"Actually I am. I understand their point of view, just like Naruto does. They see me as a good friend of Naruto's and also someone who understands their viewpoint. Being Jinchuuriki for a long time does that to you. You see things the way they truly are, from both sides. Besides, if they like you, they're quite friendly." Tsukune said.
"Are you sure?"
"If you don't call guarding us from Orochimaru 2 hours into our sleep and letting us sleep for another 8 hours being on good terms with them, I don't know what is." Naruto said. "Especially if they do so of their own will."
"Of their own will?" Iruka was shocked they are truly on good terms with the so-called monsters of the Forest.
"Yup. We even asked them to get Anko a few days back. We explained everything to her." Tsukune said. "Afterwards, she left. And now here we are."
"Okay, I get it. Do the two of you get the meaning of the Quote on the wall?" Iruka asked, only to receive 2 nods. "Shuuden knows that a stable mind is nothing without the body to go along with it. Also, a strong body does nothing if you don't know everything you need to know. Your body will get accustomed to the movements, and you can stop thinking about everything and act on instinct. You still need to know the basic knowledge of everything regarding the task before you can do so effectively."
"Well, that's good. You already have a great understanding of the quote, and I don't have to explain it to you." Iruka said. "In any case, how are things you guys? I haven't seen you in a while."
"Things are good. 6-14 D-ranks a day, minus Weekends, and the times we are on C-rank missions, or the 2 A-ranks we did with an official team. Those actually allowed us some time to train, or have some relaxation. I spent my time in the forest, training, and I made a few friends in the process. Those in the Forest of Death consider me a good friend, and I can talk to them with ease. Tsukune can do the same, and now this place is a good retreat for us. Don't let anyone else know that though. Also, have you heard anything about the Anti-pervert Bomber?" Naruto asked, somewhat out of the blue.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Iruka asked.
Naruto and Tsukune smirked. "The two of us, along with Shuuden are the ones doing all of that. Turning Shadow clones into walking Paper Bombs, and using my old Sexy Jutsu with the clones, you got yourself a blast. No pun intended."
Iruka laughed. "So you guys are the Anti-pervert Bombers? I had no idea."
"Well, you could say we kept it under wraps. Once Ino finds out she'll spread the word, without a doubt." Naruto said, smirk still present.
"I think I can get her to do something about it. Or maybe Mizore-chan could." Tsukune said, looking at Naruto.
"Mizore." they said simultaneously.
"Who's that?"
"My fiancee." Tsukune said, quite plainly.
"And you're not even scared of that?" Iruka asked.
"Hey! She may be a Youkai, but she's friendly. She understood me better than anyone else, in a place that could very well have gotten me killed. I have nothing but gratitude and love for her. We have gotten inside of the other's mind, and we found out that we both love each other enough. Besides, nothing else can compare to her in my opinion." Tsukune said, slightly offended.
"I wasn't talking about that. I meant the whole marriage thing. They say marriage is one of the worst things to ever happen to a guy. It means losing your freedom."
"Not quite." Naruto said. "You can't lose something you never really had. Besides, he knows Mizore inside and out. Just like I know Hinata-hime inside and out. There is no doubt in my mind that we would be happy with our chosen partners in life."
Hinata was watching from above with her Byakugan. She was glad he was complimenting her. Then his next line threw her for a loop.
"I didn't always like her. In fact, at first I thought she was creepy. In truth, she was just shy beyond comprehension. That's why she always stalked me. She didn't have the courage to do anything more."
Hinata was starting to cry at his words, but he continued, and she tried to force herself to pay attention, no matter how much she was hurting inside.
"Then I went to Youkai Academy. I saw a different side of her there, and found out something that few have ever found out. That's when I realized what she felt, and how much. I was surprised to say the least. There was someone I had always thought was creepy, weird, and a lot of other things, but after that day, I realized just how much of a fool I had been for all that time." Naruto continued. Hinata was still watching, but was shocked at what she just saw him say.
"If anything, I was completely clueless to her feelings at first, but then they exploded right in front of me. Right here." Naruto pointed at his lips. "It was then that I truly felt everything she had bottled up inside. The pain, the stress, the longing. Everything she had felt, whether for me or not. I felt it. I could tell she wanted to tell me everything, so I asked her to sit down. We talked for hours, not realizing how much time had past, before the sun set."
Hinata was starting to cry again, but not for the same reason as before. He was basically saying everything right in front of her.
"Why did you have to be so clueless about someone else's feelings for you?" Iruka asked him.
"I guess it was hereditary. My father was the same way with my mother. They were friends for a long ass time, years even. He didn't even notice she wanted to be closer than they were. It wasn't until she outright said it, tears in her eyes, threatening to leave, before he finally caught on. I guess I was the same way. I never really figured it out until that point. I was being a complete a fool, and didn't even see any of it. I take after my father with more than my looks I guess." Naruto said.
Iruka was thrown for a loop, as was the watching Hyuuga. Kiba had walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "You okay, Hinata?"
Hinata rubbed her eyes. "I was just watching Naruto-kun. He just came in. He was telling Iruka-sensei his entire relationship with me, even before we were together. I had no idea he was so clueless about my feelings back then. You'd think me blushing to the point of fainting would've given him a single clue."
"Why follow him then?" Kiba asked, anger seeping into his voice.
"Because of what he said afterwards. He thinks it's hereditary, because his father was the same way with his mother. He never figured out that I liked him until I released everything right on his lips. All of my feelings rushed into him, and that was when he finally found out how I felt."
"Really? I'd like to knock him down a notch." Kiba said, before Shino telling him to calm down.
"I don't think that will be necessary. We're already engaged, but I hope our children aren't as clueless as his father, or him. If that were the case, I'd have to knock them out of it." Hinata said, a bit of mischief in her voice.
"Damn. I'm actually feeling everything she's giving off." Kiba said.
"Well, that comes with me. You either take the whole package, or leave it as it is. He didn't care what I was, but who I was. He didn't give a shit about me being a Hyuuga, or even a Jinchuuriki. In fact, he told me himself, that helps me understand him more than anyone else. He also gave me a lowdown of the other Jinchuuriki. Sabaku no Gaara, who's in the Chuunin Exams is one of them. If you find yourself in a fight against him: Forfeit. Don't even try to fight him."
Kiba was surprised she was telling him to quit without fighting. Before he could retort she continued. "If I figured you'd stand any chance at all, I wouldn't be saying that. You don't stand a chance against him, period. He has no qualms about killing anyone. The only ones that I know for a fact could possibly take him down and are here are Me, Naruto-kun, Tsukune, and Sakura. Sasuke wouldn't stand much of a chance, but he has one. Unlike you guys, we have the training needed for something worse than a Jinchuuriki. The Akatsuki." Hinata went into explaining the details of what they're after. "In addition, it's filled with S-rank Criminals, that travel in pairs. They are deadly, but even though they wouldn't kill us outright, they would be bringing us to a secluded base, to extract it, killing us in the process."
Kiba was shocked at the revelation. Shino was actually showing emotion for once. "Why would extracting it kill you?"
"and if you've already lost it, how are you still alive?" Kiba asked, awe in his voice.
"Shino, the Bijuu's Chakra integrates with ours the moment we become Jinchuuriki. That's what allows us to use it's Youki as our Chakra, it just feels different. However, they work in the same way, so we can use their Youki as Chakra for our Jutsu. The downside is that the Bijuu itself integrates into our Nervous system, meaning Removing it after too long would be painful, and result in death, due to losing part of our Nervous System." Hinata explained.
"As for me, I lost it willingly, and had to make a deal with Lady Neko. I turned into something known as a Hanyou, Half-human, Half-demon. I was already familiar with the form of a Hanyou, since my Half-state is basically the same thing. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to use it, unless it's a life or death fight, or an all-out war. However, in the Case of Gaara, I'd have to use it." Hinata paused.
"In any case, after becoming a Hanyou, I was able to release her, and not even feel much pain. Her soul, along with her Youki left my body. When the soul left, she was no longer integrated with my Nervous system. When her Youki left, all that was left was my own power. However, it diminished for a short time, but not for long. It went back to the levels it was at before Lady Neko was released. That's basically how I survived."
Kiba and Shino looked at her in shock and awe. "Well, that's good, I guess. Is it possible for us to at least see your Half-state?" Shino asked, curiosity in his voice. Hinata shook her head. "Not really. It's not a good thing if people see it. The only places I think would be good are those that are miles away from any civilization, or a place no one would dare go into, if they didn't absolutely have to."
"There is a place where I went to train since I was 6, but that place has since been closed off, and only those trained by Shuuden himself. He gave us each a seal allowing us to go there through almost any object." Hinata said. "This means you can't get there."
"Actually they can." Naruto said standing at the door. How none of them noticed he was there was beyond Kiba. "Hinata-hime, did you forget that we can take someone there if they know all about the place, and we want them to?"
Hinata face palmed herself. "Why didn't I remember that? That was something I didn't even think of."
"Don't worry about it. Besides, I know of the safest areas in this Forest. However, I would advise you to take them in via a Brick Wall. It has to be direct contact. Sasuke could take them in with Instant Transmission, as well." Naruto said. Hinata looked at him. "I guess I wasn't really paying much attention to that part. Direct contact only?"
Naruto nodded. "Along with that, you can only take one in at a time via the Seal on your arm. I have tried taking Kakashi-sensei in, and it worked. I also tracked down Yugao, and she has been in there, as well. I have yet to try taking them both in, because I know I couldn't take them both in with the seal."
"Okay then. Do you think it would work with the Warp?" Hinata asked. Naruto shrugged. "Dunno. Never tried it. You could try it. I'm not sure if it would work. You wanna try it with them?"
"Couldn't hurt. They're both used to it already." Kiba and Shino nodded. Akamaru barked as well. "Grab a shoulder, you two." They did so and they all disappeared.
Naruto smirked. He opened the closet door, and a place similar to the White area in the Training grounds appeared. He went through.
-Training grounds-
Hinata warped in to find Naruto already there. "Naruto-kun? How did you get here so fast?"
"I used the closet door in conjunction with the seal. Not sure if that would work, as well." Naruto said. Hinata shrugged it off. "In any case, I think we should show them our Hanyou forms."
"Right." They both closed their eyes. When they opened, their eyes looked different. They were both blood red, one had slitted fox eyes, and the other had a Cat's eyes. "This is our Hanyou form. Note that I have 6 tails right now. In truth, I can go up to 9, and also become a full-demon, and look exactly like the Kyuubi no Yoko did."
Kiba looked scared. He was about to step off of the white ground but Hinata was right behind him stopping him from going further. "I wouldn't step off the white area, if I were you. It's more dangerous than Naruto-kun right now." Kiba looked behind him and took in Hinata's new look.
"S-sorry. He just caught me by surprise. I didn't expect him to say that." Kiba said, fear evident in his voice.
"Don't worry Kiba. I won't attack you like this. I would utterly annihilate you like this with one tail." Naruto sighed. "In any case, I think we should let them know about this place." Hinata nodded.
"The white floor is basically a safety zone. Anything else is enhanced gravity." Hinata said, as she looked out into the distance. "The gravity gets stronger the farther out you go. It goes on forever, as well. I've even seen a few white spots out there before, and they are used as rest spots."
"How far have you gone, Hinata?" Kiba asked, afraid of what the answer would be.
"About 2500x. That means 2,500 times that of Earth's gravity. By the time I went into the academy, I was already at 900x. I reached 2000x right before we graduated from the Academy." Hinata said. "Naruto-kun was at 700x daily when we started, and he was only 6. In addition, before he went to the Academy, he was already at 1500x."
Naruto nodded. "Tsukune was on par with me. We kept sparring after Chakra Control Exercises. We started by climbing trees in the enhanced gravity using Chakra alone. Then did some exercises while sticking to the tree, not once grabbing it physically. We let chakra keep us clinging to the tree, and the enhanced gravity made it even harder. Essentially, it was better Control Training than even Kakashi-sensei could ever have come up with."
"Okay, I know of the Tree Climbing exercise, but if that's the next step in control, I guess I could start." Kiba said.
"It's not. It's what we did, because we could gain more like that, than we could in other ways. And due to our massive levels in Chakra, we needed more Control than others. The true next part in Chakra Control is Walking on water. It comes easy to us, because of all the control we gained in enhanced gravity." Hinata said, earning a nod from Naruto. "Naruto-kun more than any of us."
"Okay, how about right at the edge of the white floor? How strong is it there?" Kiba was more than curious now.
"10x here. In the rest stops, it is wherever the rest stop is. It drops from whatever it is, straight to 1x the moment you go into a white area. Once you leave, the gravity increase is evident." Naruto said.
"I would suggest training with weights before you even try something like this." Hinata said, before turning to her teammates. "I had been doing the same exercises for a year before I even came here once. I had been wearing 8 tons in 4 places. That's 32 tons total before any of this. I lost the weights and came to train here. The Gentle Fist style of the Hyuuga is not the right one for me. Instead, I use something similar. I won't divulge what it is, but Shuuden told me it's similar to the Gentle Fist style, but would compliment both the training, and my flexibility. Needless to say he was right."
"I think it's time we head back. Tsukune will be wondering where I am, as will my team." Naruto said. "But before that, we should go into our Human forms." Hinata nodded, and they both went full human form, in close to an instant.
"Let's get going. I hope they aren't too mad about this." Hinata nodded.
"They shouldn't be. Now they know what you went through and can honestly say they wouldn't stand a chance against you, or anyone on my team. Gaara as well. Am I correct in saying that?"
Kiba nodded, as did Shino. "Are you sure? It doesn't seem like it to me."
"Yeah, we're sure." Shino said. "Although, I doubt Kiba trusts his voice at the moment."
Naruto chuckled. "Why am I not surprised? After finding out everything we did here, anyone would be shocked out of their wits."
Kiba simply nodded. He looked at Kiba. In his eyes, Naruto saw a shitload of fear. "Don't look at me like that. I get enough of that from the villagers. I don't need it from you, as well."
Kiba shook himself out of his fear, and stupor... after Hinata slapped him. "Better?"
"Yeah... I couldn't form any words like that if I even tried. Thanks." Kiba said.
"No problem just don't tell anyone about this place. You can tell them what kind of training we went through, but that is it." Naruto said. Kiba nodded. "Well, in any case, I think this place would be great stamina training."
"No kidding. I trained Stamina, Strength, Speed, and Control here." Naruto said. "Let's go. We've been here long enough." Hinata warped them out, and Naruto warped out himself.
-back at the tower-
Sasuke and Sakura were going through Tsukune's training with Naruto. "You did all that?" Sasuke asked.
"Yeah. I was surprised at how friendly they can be. If anything, I was surprised they didn't kill me when I fell asleep for 10 hours." Tsukune said, chuckling. "In any case, I'm glad they didn't. It shows that they actually accepted me. Can't say the same for Anko. They didn't really like her when I brought her up. Naruto and I got them to realize they were acting just like that which they hate."
"I hope they got the message. It wouldn't do for something like that to happen to someone else." Sakura said. "By the way, what exactly were you guys training while you were out there?"
"Armor, weapons, and controlling the Hanyou form. That was about it." Tsukune answered, knowing it was safe. "In any case, I found out they have several things good about them, and they are more like Humans than we, or even they, thought. Aside from form, there aren't any notable differences."
Sakura and Sasuke nodded. "Okay, so where's Naruto?"
"He said that he knew Hinata was watching us talk with Iruka-sensei. He went to talk to her, and explain everything. After that, I don't know. However, I did feel an opening to the Training Grounds. My guess he went in there." he felt it again. "Scratch that. Another one opened, and he came through it. I guess he was talking about everything with her... Wait, why are Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino coming through at the same time?"
"Oh shit." Sasuke said.
"Why the long faces? I only explained it to them to prove a point that Hinata tried to make, but couldn't bring across. By showing them the Training grounds we went through since we were 6, Tsukune and myself even longer, that got it in Kiba's thick skull that he wouldn't stand a chance against any of us, or Gaara." Naruto said from the door.
"About time. Is there another reason you went there? I know you wouldn't have gone in just to prove that to them." Sakura said.
"Yeah. We showed the 2 of them our Hanyou forms. They both know to keep it a secret. In any case, who else has made it?" Naruto stated.
"Well, aside from our team, and team 8, Team 10, Neji's team, and Gaara's team made it as well. Kabuto's team made it a few minutes after you and Tsukune came in." Sasuke replied.
"Okay then. We still have 2 days to see how many actually get through this. Well then? Let's play some games." Naruto said, a grin on his face.
Everyone nodded and started playing.
-2 days later-
Everyone that had passed was in a large hall. Teams 7, 8, and 10, Team Gai, Gaara's team, and Kabuto's team were all that was there. There was also some Jounin, along with Anko, and the Hokage.
Sarutobi had begun explaining the truth about the Chuunin Exams: It was basically a war between allied Nations in a safe environment.
Then a guy shunshined in. "Lord Hokage please allow me, Hayate Gekko, the proctor of the 3rd Exam, to explain."
Sarutobi nodded. "Proceed." Hayate turned to the Genin, and he looked like he was sick. "Greetings everyone, *cough* I'm Hayate." He said.
"Is he sick?" Sakura asked.
"As far as I know, it's a lung disease. That's why he's here, instead of in ANBU." Naruto replied.
"Do you know the name of it?" Hinata asked.
"No, I wasn't able to find out. The doctors didn't like me, and he died before I could ask." Naruto said. "In any case, this time, I can find out now."
Naruto searched Hayate's Aura. Supposedly, it wasn't able to be cured, and he didn't have 5 months left. Naruto remembered that he died sometime in the middle of the Month-off between the Preliminaries and the Finals. "Not good. A little less than 5 months left due to this disease. I couldn't find a name for it, but I did find that it was incurable. Sakura, you wanna try out that new spell Yukari was teaching you?"
"What new spell?" Tsukune asked.
"You'll see, Tsukune. Since I'll be a field medic of the team, it will come in handy." Sakura closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Esunaga!"
Hayate felt something hit him like the Yamanaka clan's Mind-transfer Jutsu. The thing is, he was still in control of his mind. 'This is something else. What could it be?'
Peanut Gallery reviews (thoughts only)
Naruto, "Esunaga? Damn!"
Tsukune, "Holy crap. That will come in handy."
Sasuke, "That will come in handy. I didn't think something like that could cure an incurable disease."
Hinata, "If this works, we just found a new cure for diseases."
Ino, "What the hell was that? He recoiled as if he got hit by the Mind-transfer Jutsu. I'm the only Yamanaka here, meaning they're gonna blame me for it."
Shikamaru, "What just happened? It wasn't the Mind-transfer Jutsu, and he looks like he's no longer sick, although the eyes look the same as before. In any case, we'll have to wait and see what happens."
Chouji, "What happened? Oh well. Back to snacking."
Anko, "What did they just do? Well, I guess I'll find out soon."
Peanut Gallery Reviews are done.
Hayate decided to shrug it off and continue explaining. He noticed his chest was no longer in pain, and he was breathing differently than before he got hit. He then spoke up on it after his explanation. "If anyone here is good with Medical Jutsu, raise your hand."
"Looks like he noticed." Sakura raised her hand. "I figure you are feeling the effects of it?" Everyone looked at her to find... a smirk? "I figured it would help with your coughing. It wasn't that appealing, and you look like you're already dead. I just decided to help out. I'm not saying how, or who I learned that from."
"Well then, I think you're good for now. Just know that something like that should require warning." Hayate said.
"Sakura-chan, why did you tell him anything?" Sasuke asked her through the link, not noticing the suffix added. Sakura did, but didn't call him on it... yet.
"I didn't tell him much, but he would easily think Shuuden taught it to me. Yukari is the one who taught me Esuna spells, and Cure spells. I also found out I could enhance my hand with Chakra and shape manipulation, with a Thundara or Thundaga spell to make a different version of Chidori. Yukari is good on stuff like that. Always coming up with ideas, but never going through with them, due to an inability."
"Sakura, didn't you realize he added -chan to your name?" Hinata asked.
Sasuke looked shocked, "Did I really do that?"
"Yes, you did, and yes I noticed. I just think he didn't so I didn't say anything on it." Sakura stated.
"Now see who's being clueless, Hinata-hime? Sasuke had absolutely no idea what he even said. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was falling for Sakura." Naruto said.
"Hey! I don't really see a problem with it, but I would prefer if he would tell me himself whether or not he actually likes me. However, he wouldn't do that until he is absolutely sure about it. That's something I've learned about him from being on the same team. He doesn't like showing emotions when he doesn't need to. Probably an Uchiha thing. It's just like you and Tsukune. The two of you don't show emotions when you can help it, but you have a good reason to." Sakura said.
"I'm surprised you actually noticed that. I guess the Uchiha thing is the feeling of us being the Elite. Nothing else is in my mind about that. Say Naruto?" Sasuke asked.
"Orochimaru? He came by the Northeast sector about 2 or 3 hours after you guys made it to the Tower."
"Got it."
Everyone continued listening, and soon enough, a panel opened, revealing an LED screen. "This screen will select to random participants that are still here." (A/N: Kabuto had already left, I skipped through it, since they were talking in the Chat) Everyone nodded. "Alright, the first match."
Roulette mode!
Sasuke Uchiha
vs
Rock Lee
"Will the ones listed on the screen stay down here, and everyone else head up to the balconies please." Hayate said, obviously no longer sick due to his voice. Everyone went to their respective areas. "Good luck, Lee. You'll need it."
"Thank you. However, I think you will need it more than I." Lee told Sasuke.
"Sasuke Uchiha vs Rock Lee. Ready? Begin!" Hayate jumped back as he finished. Sasuke was in the Kame fighting style. Lee was in his usual stance. "Nice form. However it will do you little good against a Taijutsu specialist."
Sasuke was silent. Instead of replying, he was connecting his spiritual essence with his own to focus on him only. He didn't even activate his Sharingan. It wouldn't do him any good. Lee disappeared, and Sasuke did the same. There were some explosions here and there, resulting in holes in the ground.
However, no one could see how the 2 of them were fighting so fast. Kakashi had revealed his Sharingan and was trying to keep up. Naruto, Sakura, and Tsukune were using the Spirit Eye to keep up with them. Hinata enhanced her eyes with Ki instead of using the Byakugan. "Hinata, can you see what's going on with them?"
"Yes, and I'm not surprised that both of them are moving at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour. Lee's a Taijutsu Specialist, so he needs speed. Sasuke trained for years under Shuuden, in the same area I showed you. It would be natural for a fight like this to be high speed." Hinata said. Her team was right next to Naruto's.
"Hinata-hime, he's not using the Sharingan. I'm surprised he's not affected by tunnel vision at those speeds without it." Naruto said, surprising Kakashi.
"Naruto, what are talking about?"
"Exactly what I said. Sasuke isn't using the Sharingan right now. He's going strict Taijutsu. Lee can't use anything other than Taijutsu, so I think he's just keeping it fair." Naruto told Kakashi.
"Actually, he's not using Chakra period. He's using Ki. I'm using Ki in my eyes as well, that way I don't have to use my Byakugan. I can still see how he's not affected by tunnel vision. He's using Ki in his eyes as well." Hinata said.
"That not it." Tsukune said. "The Ki isn't in his eyes. It's in his muscles yes, but it's actually only small amounts. He's tracking Lee's spiritual essence. That's how. He's ignoring the eyes which wouldn't be able to keep up, with or without the Sharingan."
"Spiritual Essence?" Kakashi asked. Tsukune nodded. "It's Lee's specific signature. It's also how we can find certain people with the Spirit Eye. Find the right Spiritual Essence, you find them. By connect yours with your opponent's, that means you can track their movements without have to rely on your eyes, or any other of you senses."
"So that's how he's doing it. He's got tunnel vision, but he's ignoring it altogether." Sakura said. Everyone else nodded.
It didn't take long for Lee to finally appear, being sent flying towards a wall. Sasuke appeared as well, but he was floating. He dropped to the ground. Gai walked up to them. "Your student seems to be good at Taijutsu. Almost as good as Lee."
"Not quite Gai-sensei." Naruto said, without looking at him. "They're both holding back. Sasuke a lot more than Lee."
"Care to explain, Naruto? I don't get it." Kakashi asked. Gai nodded in agreement.
"Sasuke isn't even going 1 millionth of his full strength without opening any of the gates, or removing the 100 tons he's got on him. Lee is weighed down by how much weight, Gai-sensei?" Naruto explained.
Gai looked pained. "Lee only has 2 tons total. If the Uchiha is carrying that much weight, he shouldn't even be able to move around properly!"
"Training in enhanced gravity does that to you." Sakura said, not taking her eyes off of the combatants.
"Tell me about it." Kakashi agreed. "How far did he go?"
"You already in the know, Kakashi-sensei?" Kakashi nodded, and Sakura continued. "He went up to 2350x. That's where he was at the end of the Academy days."
"Well, that explains a lot." Kakashi said, confusing Gai. "She means that Sasuke Uchiha was moving around somewhat normally at gravity levels 2,350 times that of here. Being weighed down with 100 tons is nothing to him, and he can still move like that while going at that low of strength."
"YOOSH! He is certainly the Youthful one!" Gai said, before Naruto sent him flying without moving... sort of. Gai hit the wall right next to the Screen. "Sorry, but I didn't want to listen to his Power of Youth speech. It gets annoying." Kakashi nodded, but inwardly smirked. 'Minato, your son is a good one, and even agrees with me on a few things. I'm glad for that. Regardless of your absence, he's grown into a fine young boy.'
"Lee, you should take off your weights. You're going to need all you have for this. The fight so far is proof of it." Sasuke said. Lee simply nodded. "I was just about to suggest that. How you knew, I have no idea, but I do not really care."
Lee proceeded to take off his weights, and threw them out behind him. Making some pretty big explosions, and 2 more dents in the floor. "Now I can move freely."
"Round 2. Let's go!" Sasuke said as they went into another unseeable fight. Naruto, Sakura, and Tsukune were the only ones able to see the fight, but with massive difficulty. Sasuke and Lee were going so fast, they couldn't even track them with the Spirit Eye. They had to rely on finding the Auras of both Sasuke and Lee in order to keep up. Kakashi couldn't even keep up anymore. Gai made it back to them after a bit.
"What's going on? How are they possibly moving so fast?" Gai asked.
"Lee took off his weights, but Sasuke still has his weights on. He's still holding back, just not as much." Naruto said. "I'm even having trouble keeping up, the only way I can keep up now is by following the Spiritual Essence of both of them when they connect. If Lee could fly like Sasuke, this fight would be going on for hours."
"Fly?" Kakashi and Gai asked at the same time. Sakura bonked Naruto on the head. "Sorry Sakura, I didn't think about that."
"Just don't let it happen again." Sakura told Naruto. "Remember, that's something Shuuden taught us, and not everyone can do it. Lee can, but he needs to learn how to. Due to low reserves on Chakra, or none at all, he had to train his body with extreme measures."
Gai nodded. "Yes, he has. It's strange how he has made it this far on hard work alone. I support him every step of the way."
Naruto felt something. "Oh crap, Lee just opened the First Gate." Kakashi and Gai looked at him.
"Naruto, you must be mistaken on that." Kakashi said, but Gai looked at Naruto with shock.
"Why did he open the First Gate? Is he that badly outmatched?"
Kakashi looked at Gai. "You didn't."
"He did Kakashi-sensei. I have no doubt in my mind Gai was doing everything he could to help Lee. I just hope he doesn't go too far." Naruto said.
"Gai, how many gates can he open?" Kakashi asked. Naruto answered before Gai could.
"Five. He's only got the first one open, but has yet to use the Primary Lotus. Which I'm sure he knows how to do." Naruto stated plainly. "Actually, I'm not surprised at that. With the speeds Sasuke's moving at, it's hard to get a good hit in to get him into position for it, so I'm not surprised."
"How do you know how many gates he can open? No one but Lee and Myself know." Gai asked.
"I can see it in his Aura. I can also see he's reaching the limit the First Gate is giving him. I think he'd go for the Third Gate before this match is over." Naruto said.
"How do you figure?" Kakashi asked, before Naruto tensed a bit. "There's the Second Gate opened. Lee is not the type to give up, and neither is Sasuke. Lee will be out of it, or dead, before he gives up. Sasuke knows this, and is currently toying with him."
"You seem to know Lee well." Gai stated. Naruto nodded. "In a way, he's a lot like I used to be. I wanted to prove I was useful. Shuuden provided that path for me. No one was there for Lee but you, something he didn't find until years into his life. Someone he could count on. Whatever happens here, you shouldn't interfere. When the proctor calls the match, Sasuke will stop, unless Lee keeps going."
Hayate was having trouble keeping up... or staying out of the crossfire. Then another huge explosion came from the center of the arena. Sasuke and Lee had their fists connected with the other. Neither one was giving an inch. "You're really good. Above Jounin level in Taijutsu. Too bad I decided to keep my self from using Ninjutsu or Genjutsu."
"So you're toying with me? I thought you would have been better than that." Lee said, trying to insult his pride. It didn't work. "I am not really toying with you. It would be more accurate to say I'm putting myself at your level. So far, you've opened 2 gates, and I've kept up with you so far without opening one. What does that say about your chances?"
Lee was surprised at his revelation and he lost focus for a second, allowing Sasuke to sending him flying with a Ki blast. "So you know, that wasn't a Jutsu. It was an Energy wave. Something you could do easily with the right training. No chakra is required for it, either." Lee got up and went towards Sasuke with renewed vigor.
Lee went for him but missed with the initial punch, but his other hand had something in it that Sasuke didn't notice until after he dodged the punch. He was about to be hit by the Energy wave before he used the Afterimage that Shuuden taught him. 'Damn. He already figured it out? Crap, this just got a lot harder.'
"You did not realize that I already knew of the Energy Wave. I found some old scrolls about Ki some time ago, and never really used it. I have never used it in a real fight, and could never really master it. I am surprised it comes naturally this time around." Lee said. "I know a few things, and none of them would make sense to others and they would mistake it for Chakra, I did at first, as well."
"Well, I'm surprised at this. Ki grows as your fighting experience does. The stronger you get physically the more Ki you have. Helpful tip about Ki: You can manipulate it like Chakra, but it isn't Chakra."
"I figure that much now. I just wonder if I can perform that technique I saw in there." Lee said.
Sasuke smirked. "Round 3. Ready? Go!"
There were beams going everywhere, but it was mainly yellow beams, and explosions. "What the hell is going on?" Gai asked.
"Sakura, Tsukune. Is he using the Dodon Ray?" Naruto asked. They nodded. "Crap. This just became a battle between 2 martial arts schools that Goku had fought."
"Dodon Ray?" Gai asked.
"Sasuke would normally have his hands full with that. However, it seems he's added more Ki into his attacks, and still moving easily. The fight just got slower, but they are still going at it with a few new things." Naruto said. Sasuke and Lee appeared on opposite sides of the arena. Sasuke was in position for the Kamehameha Wave. Lee was charging up the Dodon Ray.
"Dodon..."
"Kamehame..."
"RAY!"
"HA!" The beams connected in the middle, making a blue and yellow ball in the center. Naruto panicked. "Tsukune! Sakura! Protect the other side! Hinata, help me with this one! Hayate, get onto the balconies, NOW!"
Naruto's voice was filled with fear, worry and concern. Those he called to could realize how dangerous this place just became. Tsukune and Sakura went to the other side, on the ends of the balcony, and set up a green Barrier.
Hinata and Naruto did the same with the other Balcony. A green Barrier protecting both balconies was the best they could do, but that was it. Hayate went right next to Kakashi. "Any idea why he was so frantic?"
"The ball of energy between them is my guess. If he was that panicked, I wouldn't be surprised if that thing would kill us all if not for the barrier." Kakashi replied. At that point, the ball was shifting over towards Lee. Blue was winning, and Lee was losing power fast. Lee finally gave in and stopped the Dodon Ray. Getting caught in the Kamehameha Wave.
"LEE!" Gai tried charging towards Lee but got blasted back by the barrier. "What the hell? I have to get to him!"
Lee was unconscious, Sasuke knew it, but he was panting. "Damn. I never thought he would know the specialty of the Crane Hermit. Proctor, the match is over. I win."
Hayate nodded. "Winner: Sasuke Uchiha. Damn, that was one good fight!"
"Naruto, how many Gates did he open from there?" Kakashi asked.
"He was up to the fourth Gate, but he gave in before he could deplete it. There was nothing else he could do, and he knew it." Naruto said, the barrier already down. Team 7 was back together with Kakashi. Hinata was with her own team. "The Charged Particle Shield has several advantages, but something I didn't count on was Lee giving up before the explosion."
Sasuke made it back to his team. "Guys, I don't think he was kidding about know how to use Ki. If anything, I think I should help him out before the actual Final Exam."
"That's provided he can move after this. He opened 4 Gates throughout that battle. If anything, I doubt things would go that easily."
"Alright. Time for the next match."
Roulette Mode!
Kiba Inuzuka
vs
Chouji Akimichi
Kiba sighed. "Well, at least it's better than going up against the Jinchuuriki." Kiba said to himself.
This match was somewhat quick. Chouji got hungry during the fight and Kiba took a shot, knocking Chouji out. He didn't try taunting Chouji, knowing it would make the fight harder on him.
"Alright, next match!"
Roulette Mode!
Team 7's eyes went wide. Naruto said the one thing on all of their minds. "Oh shit."
Sakura Haruno
vs...
00000x00000
Chapter 11 cutoff!
Damn this was an evil Cutoff. Anyone have a guess as to who Sakura's opponent is?
Review and let me know who you think it is. See if you were right next time!
A few of the good guesses due to Naruto's statement can be named easily, I'll even name the most likely ones. Is it:
A: Hinata
B: Tsukune
C: Gaara
D: Naruto
E: Neji (Kind of a longshot, but it's highly possible)
Those are by far the most likely ones, but not really in that order.
Also, a secret will be revealed next Chapter with Naruto in his fight. Let's go!
LATER!