Later that Evening

After the events earlier in the day, Naruto needed to get some rest. He barely slept the previous night and all the adrenaline he had when he met the Konoha group was now gone. He was very tired to say the least. Euphemia made sure that he got some sleep in, knowing full well that the next few days were going to be even more challenging than today.

Naruto was sleeping in his bed, when a knock at his door awoke him. He looked outside and realized that it was night now. The moon was shining high up in the night sky. As he got out of his bed, Naruto looked out his window. He saw the Festival was still ongoing, seeing huge crowds still wandering the streets of the Capital. This gave him a soft smile, knowing that his people were still enjoying themselves. He got to the door and opened it, seeing Walter standing there patiently.

"Your wife requests your presence in the dining room, Naruto-sama. She would like to eat and converse with her husband," he said as Naruto nodded groggily in confirmation. He was too tired to even correct Walter. Naruto got changed into some nicer clothes and went down to greet the dining room to meet his wife.

When he got there, his grogginess disappeared. It instead turned into anger. He saw Kurenai, setting down some plates and silverware as his wife entered from the kitchen and was placing some side dishes on the table. The two women seemed to be conversing with each other, though Naruto couldn't hear what they were saying. Then Erina entered, bringing in the first course of dinner it looked like. Naruto however, was in no mood to eat at the moment. He entered the room, making his presence known to the three females.

"Oh, dear you are up! Just in time for dinner," Euphemia said cheerfully, not minding her husbands angry face.

"What is she doing here, Euphie?" Naruto asked, as he gazed into the direction of the Genjutsu Kunoichi.

"Why she is here to eat dinner with us tonight. Now would you hurry and wash your hands so we can start eating. Erina has prepared a nice meal for us. Did you also happen to see my brother and sisters on your way down?" Euphemia said, again ignoring Naruto's tone.

"She is not a guest in this house, Euphemia! You should've kept her in her room. I do not want anyone from that village conversing with my family," Naruto said, as Erina quickly placed the plates of food on the table and went back to the kitchen. Though she and Soma were good friends with the Emperor and Empress, she didn't want to be apart of another one of Naruto and Euphemia's quarrells. She didn't like that feeling of almost dying the last time.

"Well she is MY guess in OUR house, Naruto. Don't think I forgot that little stunt you pulled earlier. You're lucky I'm not making you sleep in the living area. So either you can do that, or you'll just have to deal with the fact that Kurenai-san will be joining us for dinner tonight. Besides, she has some things she needs to say to you and I think you should hear her out!" Euphemia threatened, causing Naruto to back down a bit. He did make his wife go through a lot already today, so it looked like he would have to suffer a bit through dinner.

"I'm sorry Kurenai-san. My husband sometimes forgets his manners at the dinner table so you will have to wait until after dinner is served. Especially with ramen on the menu tonight, I don't think he'll hear anything you say as he slurps away," Euphemia joked, her total demeanor changing after threatening Naruto. Kurenai laughed a bit nervously, hoping whatever she said would have a profound effect on both Naruto and Euphemia.

A few moments later, Lelouch, Nunnally and Cornelia entered the dining room as dinner began. They had a few appetizers to start off before the main course of ramen appeared on the table. Naruto let go of his anger for a moment and dug in immediately into the large bowl of ramen. Like Euphemia said, he slurped away very loudly. Everyone else though, didn't seem to mind as they started to ask Kurenai some questions about herself and also her future baby.

When Naruto was finished with his fifth bowl of ramen, he recomposed himself, looking at Kurenai. Though he didn't know her very much, just her being associated with Konoha made him distrust her immensely.

Kurenai took that as her cue, and explained to Naruto what she wanted to say. She explained the entire background of the decision to banish him and the effects it had on everyone he knew. She told him the whole truth, about how all of his former classmates had changed because of his banishment. She reminded him about Shikamaru and Choji and how they defended him and his honor over the years. She even mentioned that Ino reflected about the mistakes she had made in the past. She even explained that Asuma regretted his decision on supporting his banishment and that she chastised him greatly for doing so. She also explained Team Guy's situation. She understood that even though they failed to defend him all those years ago, they were still always thinking of him and were striving to impart what they learned from him into their students. They wanted to make sure that people knew the truth of who the real Naruto was.

Kurenai even mentioned how much Kakashi missed him. Though he had become Hokage now, he was still trying to figure out where Naruto went. She knew that he would be happy to hear that you were here in the West, as an Emperor no less. Naruto tightened up a bit when his old sensei was brought up. Kakashi was nowhere to be found when he was banished and though Naruto didn't have a full resentment to him, he wanted to know why his sensei abandoned him in his time of need.

She then explained how much his banishment affected Hinata. How she changed from the soft spoken girl to a fierce warrior almost overnight. She mentioned that even her father hated himself for her changes and wanted the old Hinata back. She also explained that Hinata never wavered in her love for Naruto. She would destroy anyone who spoke ill of him, regardless if they were friend or family.

When she finished, she told Naruto that there were still people supporting him, even though it seemed like everyone was against him. She begged mercy for everyone not named, Sasuke, Sai, and Danzo. Though she knew Kiba was a bit of an idiot, he didn't know any better and he was still her student who she needed to look after.

When Kurenai was done explaining, she could see Naruto was thinking heavily about everything she had just said. Though he was torn deep down about the situation of his former classmates, their situation couldn't be helped at the moment. They made their decisions, and Naruto would make his.

"My ruling will still stand. If they want redemption, they will have to earn it through battle. Though what you have told me tonight does lessen my anger a bit, I need to see it before I believe it. Though I thank you for your support and kind words, Kurenai, we are done here. I truly hope you and your baby live a long and fruitful life," Naruto said as he stood and made his exit from the dining room. Kurenai bowed to Naruto, tears starting to form in her eyes a bit. She did her best, but to no avail. Everyone else in the room though, felt a bit sorry for Kurenai. When they were done with dinner, samurai guards took her back to her room.

Later, when they got into bed, Euphemia snuggled up to her husband, as he laid with her resting his eyes.

"So what do you think?" she asked. Naruto knew all too well where she was going with this.

"I don't know what to think. A part of me wants to spare some of them, but the other part wants to see them get what's coming to them," Naruto replied, looking down at his wife.

"Well, don't you think at least a few of them earned a chance. I mean, they did defend you and displayed some courage today," she said.

"They did, but my decision will still stand. They will have to fight for it. Though they may have defended me, I need to see that it was genuine," Naruto said.

"What about the Hyuuga girl? Do you have some feelings for her?" Euphemia asked, interested in Naruto's answer.

"No I do not. Though, I do consider Hinata a dear friend, she hasn't done anything for me really. However, I do see her as the person who is most deserving of redemption," he answered, causing Euphemia to be intrigued.

"How so?"

"When she confessed to me, I was in my Kyuubi Chakra mode, I felt her feelings and thoughts. They were genuine and it was a very warm feeling. Everything Kurenai said tonight only confirmed that. Just, I don't know how to go about it," he said as a silence came upon husband and wife.

After a few minutes, Euphemia decided she would make a surprise announcement, "Then she should stay here," she said, causing Naruto to look at her with a surprised look.

"What?"

"She should stay here. If she genuinely supports you, then she shouldn't be stuck in that horrid of a place. She should earn your trust back here, where people won't judge her and where everyone will give her a second chance," Euphemia explained.

"You did hear what she had to say today, right? She still loves me. Though I don't like her like that, I will still consider her as a friend. I don't want this causing a rift between you and her if she were to stay here," Naruto said as Euphemia sat up on their bed and repositioned herself so she was laying on her side, facing Naruto.

"To be honest, I was a bit jealous of her earlier today because she changed your entire attitude on your decision. However, I trust you as my husband to do what's right. Plus, she has supported you her entire life. As I think about it more, I can't seem to hate her. She deserves a second chance, though that decision is entirely up to you," Euphemia said as Naruto laid back and thought about it more.

"I'll have to think about it," he replied.

"That's all I ask," Euphemia said as she got herself comfortable.

A Few Days Later

The Konoha group gathered at the competitors entrance at the arena, escorted by their armed guards. All of them had trained their butts off in the past three days, without any incidents surprisingly. It was now time to get what they came here for. If Naruto was true to his word, they just needed to win one match against the West and he would honor an alliance with them. Though some were a bit worried, Sasuke, Danzo and Sai were not. They believed this would be a cake walk. They would all win their respective matches and then make sure to destroy Naruto.

Kenpachi greeted the group at the entrance with Yachiru on his back. He looked over all of them, seeing the confidence on their faces. He motioned them to follow him, as they entered their waiting area.

"It'a shame they're going to get crushed. The confidence on their faces is almost inspiring," Kenpachi grinned. He just wished Naruto gave the go ahead to allow killing in this exhibition.

"There will be time for that later. Let's crush their spirit first. Then we can finish them off when the time comes," he remembers Naruto telling the group of Western fighters.

The Konoha group followed, noticing the sold out crowd in the arena as they walked to their area. People were ready for the festivities, the exhibition matches being one of the highlights of the Unification Festival. Everyone from Konoha was amazed at the large arena and the number of people. This was more people than the Chunin Exams.

Kenpachi explained to them that they would be chosen at random against a group of randomly chosen Western fighters.

"Why is it that the exhibition here is the most popular event? Aren't you all tired of fighting? I thought you wanted your new era of peace or whatever," Kiba asked, causing Kenpachi to look at him with a deadly glare.

"Because unlike you Easterners, fighting will always remain in our blood. It is a part of us. And don't think you are free to talk, Mutt. We have all heard about the stunt you tried to pull in the throne room against the Emperor. There are plenty of people here who want your head. So I would tread very carefully," Kenpachi said, as Kiba cowarded a bit at his words. Yachiru just laughed at Kiba and his pathetic face.

"Now, pay attention, your opponent will be selected on that large screen right there," Kenpachi said as he pointed upwards. All of the Konoha shinobi looked up as they saw their names plus the names of 13 fighters from the West. Then, the arena went pitch black, until a few shining lights came upon a orange haired girl.

"Good day, Ladies and Gentleman to the third annual Unification Festival Exhibition! I'll be your host and play-by-play commentator, Coco!" the woman said over the loud PA system as the crowd cheered for the festivities to begin.

"Today we have a special treat for you all. We have members from the Eastern lands, who will be participating in today's event. We have billed it, the "East vs West Showdown! Make some noise for our guests from the village of Konoha!" she continued as the Konoha group stepped out into the Arena and were met with silence. The crowd were unsure of these unknowns, not knowing whether to clap and cheer or boo. The Konoha shinobi felt a bit embarrassed at the reception.

"Hmph, after I destroy my opponent and Naruto, they will all cheer for me," Sasuke thought.

"Well I tried to hype them up as much as possible. Hopefully they give us some good matches today. Anyways, up next, is our wonderful competitors from the Unified West, give it up for your Western fighters!" she said as the competitors from the West now appeared in the Arena. They were met with loud cheers, as both men and women alike cheered for their favorite fighter.

"Today, there will be thirteen exhibition matches. Each match will be selected at random and the two chosen fighters will duke it out, no holds barred style. As usual, each match will have a referee to ensure an even playing field and that no necessary killing needs to occur," she said as some of the Konoha shinobi breathed a sigh of relief. Sasuke on the other hand, could care less. His opponent would be below him anyways, and he would kill them regardless.

"And as usual, the only rules we have are, be respectful to the referee, stay within the arena grounds, if you're opponent says give up then the match is over and no killing is allowed. So without further ado, let us begin the selection phase. Turn your attention to the screen where you will see the random shuffle happen live," Coco finished as everyone's gaze turned to the large screen hanging from the rafters of the Arena.

The screen showed each match being randomized, and finally stopped, displaying who was facing who, one by one and in their match order.

Kiba vs Sesshomaru

Ino vs Gowther

Lee vs Kenichi

Sai vs Ban

Tenten vs Shigure

Choji vs Luffy

Shino vs Natsu Dragneel

Shikamaru vs Yami Sukehiro

Neji vs Gon Freecss

Hinata vs Miu

Asuma vs Edward Elric

Danzo vs Saitama

Sasuke vs Escanor

The Western crowd yelled, as some of their favorite fighters were participating. The Konoha group were intrigued, wondering just who these fighters were and why people were so excited for them. They observed the Western fighters from afar. They looked like a ragtag bunch of fighters. Nothing seemed to special about them, some of them even seemed really small and weak. And they just needed to win one match? This was going to be a cakewalk some of them thought.

"Now that our matches have been decided, I would like to take this time to thank our wonderful Emperor and Empress for making this entire week possible! They have worked extremely hard, so let's show them our gratitude as they make their entrance!" Coco said as she pointed to the middle of the arena where there was a platform with a kunai at the center of it.

In a flash, Naruto and Euphemia, along with most of their special guard appeared as the crowd roared even louder than before. Even the Western fighters were cheering at the appearance of the Emperor and Empress. Naruto and Euphemia smiled as they waved to the crowd.

"Did..did you guys see that? Was that-," Shikamaru asked once again, only for Asuma to turn to him and nod his head in disbelief. That was most definitely the Hiraishin and that was most definitely going to be the end of Konoha, regardless if they got an alliance or not.

"We love you Emperor and Empress-sama!"

"Thank you for all your hard work!"

The Konoha group were amazed at the reception Naruto was getting. He really did seem to be some type of hero here. All of them, including Sasuke remembered Naruto being a loser and a troublemaker. Now he was the Emperor of probably the most powerful country in the world, and the people loved him. Hinata blushed as she looked proudly at Naruto. He had finally grown up and finally achieved his dream of being acknowledged. She just hoped, he would give most of them a second chance.

Suddenly, loud chants of Naruto's name rang throughout the arena.

"Naruto!

Naruto!

Naruto!

Naruto!

Naruto!"

"Okay, we know he's a hero and all, but this is getting a bit ridiculous," Ino said as the rest of the group agreed.

Sasuke on the other hand, got even more jealous. It should be his name being chanted throughout the arena, not the Dobe's. His anger was rising. He didn't care who his opponent was anymore. He was going to kill him and then he was going to challenge Naruto for the throne. He was going to kill him and make everybody chant his name.

Danzo was also shaking with jealousy. How had the demon brat brainwashed an entire country into loving him? Though he hadn't been successful into influencing anybody here yet, he hoped to use his sharingan to get some of these powerful fighters on Konoha's side. He wouldn't get that chance.

Naruto, Euphemia and their special guard flashed into their viewing box, which was basically front row seats in the arena. He signaled to Coco to begin the matches.

"With the Emperor's blessing and the power vested in me, I would like to officially kick off the third annual Unification Festival Exhibition! The first match will be between Kiba Inuzuka and Sesshomaru! The referee will be All Might! Will both fighters please step up to the fighting platform," Coco said as she moved out of the way and to her announcers table. Both Kiba and Akamaru stepped up to one side, while Sesshomaru stepped up on the other side.

"Today is the day I show my worth as the alpha of my pack. Be prepared for a world of hurt, pal," Kiba said energetically, followed by a large bark by Akamaru. Sesshomaru just stared at him, knowing all too well who this person was.

"So you're the one who attacked the Emperor? How primitive. You will soon find out that I am not as merciful as he is," Sesshomaru responded, causing Kiba to yelp a bit.

All Might saw that the two were ready and was prepared to begin the match. First however, he had to remind the demon yokai about the rules,

"Remember Sesshomaru-san, no killing," he said, though even he was unsure if yokai would acknowledge him or not. Everyone in the West knew that Sesshomaru's loyalties lied with the Emperor and no one else.

Without further delay, All Might began the match.

Kiba, still not learning his lessons from the previous two matches with Naruto, went on the offensive early. He and Akamaru leaped forward quickly, hoping to attack their opponent before he could react. Sesshomaru was having none of it and just sidestepped both of them and caught them by the neck. He threw them across the arena, into a wall. Before Kiba and Akamaru could react, Sesshomaru was on them, his Dokkaso claws out and ready to strike. Kiba and Akamaru barely managed to dodge Sesshomaru's attacks. The two regrouped and Akamaru transformed into an identical Kiba.

"Looks like we a good one on our hands," Kiba said as Akamaru nodded.

"Gatsuga"

Both Kiba clones launched themselves at Sesshomaru with great speed. Their rotation was much tighter, after only a few days of practice and their attack would be hard to stop for a normal opponent. Unfortunately for them, Sesshomaru was not a normal opponent, and without moving from his spot, impeded their progress with just one arm. Though they were still in a tight rotation, Kiba and Akamaru were basically stuck.

"Useless, human. You think an alpha attacks like this? You are no alpha. You are an omega of your pack. The lowest of all Omega's. Now feel the wrath of the great Sesshomaru," he said as he now directed them into the ground. Kiba and Akamaru hit the ground with tremendous force, and finally stopped their rotation. They were badly injured, as they hit the ground with plenty of force, but they were conscious. However, Sesshomaru wasn't done with them just yet.

"Look at you and your mutt. How pathetic you both are. And you call yourself an alpha. Hmph. Let me show you what a real alpha looks like," Sesshomaru said as he transformed into his demon form. "Now you will pay dearly for your earlier actions," Sesshomaru said as he was about to attack a barely conscious Kiba and Akamaru with his large claws before All Might stepped in. He knocked Sesshomaru out of the way. Causing the now large dog to stumble back a bit.

"I said no killing Sesshomaru-san. Those are the rules," All Might said, ready for anything as he took a defensive stance.

"Woah, that guy is out of control," Ino remarked as everyone else agreed. They thought that the only demons that were alive were the Tailed Beasts. How mistaken they were. There were demons in the West, and they seemed way more powerful than those in the East. Danzo was salivating at the sight, "He will be the first one I control."

Meanwhile, All Might was having his hands full with a out of control Sesshomaru, "Out of the way All Might. This omega is mine. They are weak, and need to be eradicated from the pack," he said as Kiba and Akamaru were slowly crawling their way back to their group.

"Sesshomaru-san, please. It is enough, you are already the winner of this match," All Might tried, to no avail. Sesshomaru kept coming, until Naruto stepped in.

"That is enough Sesshomaru!" Naruto said, appearing in his Tailed Beast Mode form. He became the same size as Sesshomaru now, and caught the Inu Youkai as he tried to throw a punch at All Might. Sesshomaru looked at Naruto, who had his arms folded and was surrounded by Kurama's chakra and was in Sage Mode. Sesshomaru then reverted back to his human form, as did Naruto.

"As you wish, Emperor," he said as he took his leave as though nothing happened. He moved back to the Western fighters box, as the crowd cheered, even though he had gone batshit crazy.

"All Might, call the match," Naruto said to his advisor as All Might did what he was told. Naruto walked back to his box shaking his head. Sesshomaru was almost loyal to a fault. He would have to talk to him about that later.

"Due to Kiba Inuzuka being unable to continue, the winner of this match is Sesshomaru!" he said as the crowd roared. Sesshomaru put his hand up with a small smile as he acknowledged everyone in the arena. The medical staff stepped in and took Kiba to the tent to get treatment. He would have a concussion, but would remain alive. He would then be put in the dungeon, as per the agreement.

Coco came back to announce the next match between Ino and Gowther. Both competitors stood at the center of the platform. The referee for this match is Kazuma Kuwabara.

"May the best woman win," Ino said as Gowther gave her a puzzling look.

"You do know that I am a man right?" he replied back, as Ino nearly had a heart attack.

"Begin!"

Ino recollected herself and moved in to try and fight close quarters. Though she was a long range specialist, she was able to hold her own when it came to taijutsu. Unfortunately, she wasn't on the level she needed to be yet. She swung wildly, trying to hit Gowther with a serious of combos, though none were landing. Gowther, growing tired of dodging, kicked off of her to create some distance.

"Sokyu Haritto" (Twin Bow Herritt)

He summoned two purple energy bows as he took aim and quickly shot Ino in her head. It rendered her momentarily unconscious, as he decided to search and rewrite her memories. The other Konoha shinobi were wondering what was going on, seeing as though there was no action, yet the referee didn't call anything. Next thing they knew, Ino ran to Asuma immediately,

"Why won't he love me, Sensei! I did everything for him! I even look better than that pink haired bimbo, Sakura," Ino said as she was crying in Asuma's arms. They were all so confused at her sudden change in attitude.

"I saw that she got rejected by that Sasuke guy before. So I readjusted her memories and made it happen over and over again to the point where she's almost insane. Don't worry, she'll recover from it soon, unfortunately though, this makes you 0 for 2 so far," Gowther said as Kazuma declared him the winner. The crowd cheered, seeing another victory for the West. Ino was taken away to the dungeons, still sobbing over her past rejections from Sasuke.

Though they were 0 and 2 so far, the East were still not too discouraged, yet. Though they had lost, Ino and Kiba were probably the weakest out of all of them. So they didn't really have anything to worry about yet.

Coco announced Lee and Kenichi as the next match as both competitors came to the center. Lee was ready, he had been waiting for this moment, to earn his redemption from Naruto. He made a mistake in not defending Naruto in the past, but that would be the last time that would happen. He vowed this match would be where he shows Naruto the fruits of his training. Kenichi on the other hand, remembered that he was facing a person who was silent in defending Naruto. Though normally cheerful and a good sport even to an enemy, Kenichi was dead serious. Even the referee, Killua, was a bit surprised at Kenichi's attitude.

"Be prepared for my Burning Flames of Youth, Kenichi-san," Lee said as he took his stance. Kenichi totally ignored him, and got into his stance.

The fight wasn't even close.

Though Lee was probably the best taijutsu user out of the entire group, he was not on the same level as a determined Kenichi. Not even opening a sixth gate could get Lee past Kenichi. Lee had reached his limits and was barely standing which gave Kenichi the opening.

"Korui Nuki"

Kenichi delivered his most powerful attack, straight to Lee's knee. It broke in every place imaginable and the crack could be heard throughout the Arena. Lee yelled in pain, gripping his knee. The bone was already displaced and sticking out of its socket. Killua immediately called the match. That was the moment, the Konoha shinobi started to lose their confidence a bit. Not even a sixth gate Lee could defeat a guy who didn't seem to look all that great. Lee was screaming in pain, as the medical crew came and were putting him onto a stretcher.

"You cry in pain over an injury like this. Imagine having to deal with that pain for your entire life. I hope your silence was worth it," Kenichi said as he walked back to his waiting area. He nodded at Naruto, who in turn gave him a thumbs up. The crowd erupted again, almost cynically this time.

The next match between Sai and Ban was basically a one sided match. Sai didn't have enough time or space to draw any of his summons. And when he did summon his drawings, they turned against him almost immediately. He was so focused on defending himself from his drawings that he didn't keep track of Ban, who appeared behind him and knocked him out with a simple chop to the head.

Tenten vs Shigure was also almost the same. Though she was a weapons specialist, Tenten was no match for Shigure's skill with weapons. Just like the first time the two met each other in battle, Shigure easily knocked TenTen out with the back of her staff. The match was rather merciful though, compared to the others.

The next match between Choji and Luffy peaked Naruto's interest. When the match began, Choji immediately expanded, hoping to use his size and strength to overcome his skinny opponent. He tried to stomp on Luffy, who easily dodged every attack. Choji was exerting his energy quickly and his size was starting to shrink. His attacks were now slowing down, giving Luffy an opening. The Straw Hat wound back as he prepared his attack,

"Gomu Gomu no Pistoru" (Gomu Gomu no Pistol)

Luffy threw a devastating punch, hitting Choji at tremendous speeds and knocked the Akimichi back to the same wall where Kiba landed. Luffy hit Choji right in the chest, causing him to shrink back to his normal size.

"You...you c-can expand to?" Choji asked, clutching his chest and checking to see if the punch broke anything.

"Shihihi, of course I can. I'm like rubber," Luffy said, walking up the injured Akimichi.

"Mendokuse, Choji is in trouble," Shikamaru muttered.

"I would advise you give up. Before you get hurt even more," Luffy said, causing a spark in Choji's eyes.

"No matter if my back is against the wall, I will never give up. That is my ninja way," Choji said, referencing Naruto. He took out his three food pills and promptly ate them, regaining his strength back.

"Suit yourself," Luffy said as he wound up again. "Gomu Gomu no Gatling" Luffy shot a barrage of punches towards Choji, who embraced the hits, but was still standing his ground. In fact, Choji seemed to be getting bigger, as he slowly moved forward to Luffy. He managed to catch one of Luffy's punches and didn't let go. He picked up the pirate and swung him around a bit before throwing him across the arena.

Luffy immediately got up with a wide grin on his face, "My my. Do we have a match now," he said as he shot himself at Choji. Choji remained tough, fighting valiantly throughout the rest of the match, but was ultimately KO'd by a Gomu Gomu no Bazooka. Luffy was declared the winner as the crowd cheered.

Naruto however, was very impressed. Choji's resilience throughout the match made it very entertaining. Even though he was completely outmatched, he never gave up and expanded all of his energy into trying to beat his opponent.

"Well, add one to the list," Naruto thought.

The next match was Shino vs Natsu Dragneel.

"I'm all fired up!" Natsu proclaimed as the ever quiet Shino took his place in the center. This match went in favor of Natsu, who easily dispatched Shino's insects with his fire. He burned through all of them, giving him the opening to attack Shino with a Fire Dragon's roar which rendered Shino unconscious.

"The next match will be Yami Sukehiro vs Shikamaru Nara!" Coco announced as both competitors went to the center of the arena. Shikamaru studied his opponent, who appeared to be trying to intimidate him. It was working. Shikamaru shook a little bit at the man's face. He was definitely someone powerful in his own right. The referee for the match was Meliodas, who looked very uninterested in being apart of this. He shouted begin, to hurry along the proceedings so he could go and grope Elizabeth.

Shikamaru immediately jumped into the air and threw a exploding tag kunai at Yami. The Magic Knight easily avoided the attack and sent out a wave of black magic at Shikamaru. The attack barely missed the Nara but cut a piece of his uniform off. Shikamaru sent out his shadows, trying to take advantage of the well lit arena and his opponents large shadow. Yami saw the shadows creeping and noticed it was similar to his black magic. He threw out his lightless slash as a distraction. Shikamaru had to dodge these too, forcing his shadows to stop. Yami then summoned his dark binding from his grimoire, restraining the Nara who fell right into his trap.

Yami pulled out his sword, prepared to strike Shikamaru before the Nara did something no one from Konoha was surprised at.

"Give up," he said with a dull voice. He had gone over the calculations in his head before the match even started. He realized that the opponents they were fighting had similar abilities to them. These fighters from the West were strong and chances of winning were already slim. He figured out from the beginning that he wasn't going to win the match anyways, but he thought he'd at least try and see what his opponent could do. He was beginning to wonder how "random" this draw really was. Was it just bad luck? Or was it a coincidence? Shikamaru was beginning to wonder if Naruto had planned this from the beginning, just to show how strong the West really was.

As Shikamaru was taken away, he whispered something to Asuma. The Sarutobi looked a bit shocked and his confidence seemed to waver after that.

The next match was between Neji and Gon Freecss. Gon easily dispatched Neji. Even with his Byakugan activated, Neji had a hard time keeping up with Gon's speed and agility. Neji got hit, even in his Kaiten, as Gon found weak points and used his fishing hook to throw Neji into the Eastern waiting area, effectively ending the match by count out.

Hinata vs Miu was almost similar and though Hinata tried her hardest, it wasn't enough against the Elder's granddaughter. Miu knocked down Hinata to the point where she could barely walk, and the referee acknowledged that Hinata couldn't last any longer and gave the victory to Miu. Miu looked very concerned for Hinata, when she was helped off of the platform. She hoped she wasn't hurt too bad, knowing full well the implications of their match.

With only three matches remaining, the Konoha group were still winless. They were heavily outmatched in each, not even coming close to even touching their opponents. It hadn't even been an hour yet, and already the matches were coming to an end. The crowd started to boo whenever a Konoha shinobi was called up. They were seen as weak, not even being able to last a few minutes. It was disheartening for Asuma, but Danzo and Sasuke could care less. They both felt that they would easily win their matches and force Naruto into an alliance.

Asume faced off against Edward Elric. The alchemist overpowered Asuma in close combat weaponry. Edward transmuted his arm into a blade and easily disarmed Asuma from his chakra blade. Edward had his blade at Asuma's neck, before Asuma also gave up. It seemed that whatever Shikamaru told him made him unfocused, and caused him to lose an edge.

Though he was supposed to face another opponent, Asuma was instead escorted to the dungeons. Naruto decided that the ass kicking from Edward was enough. Though he was ruthless at times, Naruto didn't want to see Asuma and Kurenai's future baby to go through the same ordeal as he did.

Up next was Danzo, who looked ready to compete against Saitama. The hero though, looked very disinterested. Danzo thought how stupid this person looked, wearing yellow jumpsuit. As if he were some hero. When the match began, Danzo immediately tried to get Saitama under his control through his hidden Sharingan. He tried to use his Kotoamatsukami, but it seemed to have no effect on Saitama whatsoever. Instead, due to his delay, Danzo got hit by a normal series punch from Saitama. He flew high into the air, crashing into the arena roof, before slamming back down on the ground. He was knocked out cold. Saitama was immediately declared the winner. Danzo was dragged by the samurai guards to the dungeon. They were instructed by Euphemia to not even give him a stretcher or any assistance due to his conduct in the throne room.

And then there was one.

It was Sasuke's turn next. He stepped up to the center of the platform smirking. He knew it was up to him now. However, he thought he was going to just destroy whoever he faced. That's when he noticed the crowd was chanting,

"Escanor! Escanor! Escanor!"

A man stepped out in a bartenders suit, with a red bow tie. He had on spectacles and a large mustache covering his mouth. He walked to the center of the platform with a large axe that looked extremely heavy for him, as Sasuke's smile grew wide.

"This is who I have to face? A pipsqueak like this? Let's start this match. I will make it very quick," he said until the referee stepped up. It was Hayato Furinji, and he smiled at the young Uchiha.

"Calm yourself, Sasuke-chan. There is one important thing we must do since this is the last match of the Festival," Hayato told him, causing some confusion for Sasuke.

"Open the roof," Hayato said as the building started to shake. The crowd went crazy, excited to finally see this experience again. The roof started to open, allowing the rays of sunshine to enter into the arena. Sasuke looked up, his eyes met the bright rays of sunshine. He then looked at his opponent, who was now standing much taller than him. He stood over him, his body transformed into a chiseled physique. His clothes were ripped and the man carried the axe on his shoulder as if it were a feather.

"What is this? Where was the pipsqueak that was just here a second ago?!" Sasuke yelled in confusion. This was not the person he was supposed to be facing. There must've been some trickery in this.

"He is standing right in front of you," the elder Furinji told Sasuke as Escanor looked down at him.

"I am the Empress's loyal guard. The one who sits atop all clans. I am the Seven Deadly Sins Lion's sin of Pride, Lord Escanor." Escanor said causing much laughter out of Sasuke. Both the elder and Escanor looked at Sasuke, confused.

"You have got to be fucking with me. What a complete joke. Let me show you who really sits atop all of the clans," Sasuke said activating his Sharingan. Hayato started the match and Sasuke struck first, attacking Escanor head on at blazing speed. Naruto just shook his head, "the teme still hasn't learned," he thought.

Escanor on the other hand, used his axe as his defense and deflected Sasuke's attack. He swung his battle axe at Sasuke, causing him to jump back and create space. He weaved some hand signs and sucked in,

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu"

A large ball of fire came out of his mouth and headed straight for Escanor. The sin of Pride just stood there and cut the fireball in two with his axe. Immediately though, Sasuke was on him with a powered up Chidori, preparing to strike. Sasuke surmised that he needed to finish this fight quickly if he wanted to challenge Naruto. He tried to stab Escanor, who just caught his arm and slammed him into the ground. The chidori made a small hole, but broke Sasuke's fall a bit. Escanor swung his axe down, but Sasuke turned just in time to see it and moved out of the way.

"Tch, I'm going to have to use it," Sasuke thought, as he started to activate his cursed seal. He started to go into pain immediately, but felt the power rushing through his veins.

"My turn," he said as he rushed at Escanor quickly, his speed nearly doubling. This made Naruto very curious. He had not seen Sasuke ever use that before and wondered if the Snake had anything to do with it.

Even with his cursed seal activate though, Sasuke was still no match for Escanor's strength. In his advance, Sasuke was cut but Escanor's axe. He clutched his arm in pain, as he felt a burning sensation coming from his large gash on his arm. It was as though his arm was on fire. He didn't have time to pay attention to it though, and powered up another Chidori. He wouldn't miss this time. He lunged forward again, slipping past Escanor's axe and met skin. Sasuke smirked, seeing as though he hit his mark. Unfortunately though, he didn't realize that he hadn't even penetrated Escanor's skin to do any damage.

The Lion merely laughed at the efford, "you're going to have to do better than that to defeat me," he said as he picked up Sasuke by the arm, broke it and then threw him high into the air. The entire crowd in the Arena watched as Escanor jumped as high with his axe in tow. Sasuke was powerless to do anything, as Escanor made cuts into each of Sasuke's limbs. Sasuke yelled in pain as they fell back down. He laid there, feeling as though his whole body was on fire.

"Please! Make it stop! Make it stop! It burns!" he screamed as Escanor and Hayato merely looked on at him.

"Can you continue Sasuke-chan?" Hayato asked, only to be met with another scream of pain.

"I declare your winner for this match, Escanor!" Hayato said as he raised Escanor's hand. The samurai guards approached and took Sasuke away. He had reverted back to his human form and was in pain worse than ever before. What made matters worse for him was that the guards never took Sasuke out of the sunshine, which only caused more pain for the Uchiha.

Naruto only laughed when Sasuke screamed in pain. He loved the sight, not to mention that fact that Konoha had not won a single match. He planned this from the very beginning, knowing fully well that the Konoha group didn't stand a chance against any of the fighters from the West.

"I told you. You just had to trust me," Naruto said to Euphemia. She turned to him and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"I never should've doubted you, my husband," was her reply.

The fans cheered for Escanor as he made his way back to the waiting area. Then Naruto appeared in the middle of the Arena to speak. He apologized that the East had sent such weak fighters and that the crowd hadn't seen much action. He therefore set up another round of fights for their entertainment. He selected a few fighters personally, hoping to give the crowd a better showing than the previous thirteen matches.

When he returned to his seat, Jiraiya whispered something into his ear. Naruto just nodded his head as Euphemia gave him a look.

"I have to go and prepare for the important guests tonight. Don't wait up for me. You can take over from here," he said as he smiled and gave her a kiss on the lips. Euphemia knowing all too well who his guests were.

"I can't wait to hear all about it tomorrow then," Euphemia said as Naruto nodded and flashed away with his guards and Jiraiya.

A/N:Sorry about the matches. They were making the chapter too long so I had to summarize them. I will leave it up to the readers imagination about what happened. I'm not very good sometimes at describing fight scenes and what not so hope it'll do.