Disclaimer: Kishi owns Naruto (lucky bastard!) ;)
...
Naruto laughs to himself and waves his friend goodbye as he heads out the door. Sasuke makes his way back to his group, sitting down next to Karin.
Without any provocation he asks her a question, "Did it really look that bad?"
Karin looks down at her shoes as the boy's large arm encircles her, "It did. But people were just... it's unfair I guess. You didn't use any jutsus, and you're still so powerful."
"Well, I did train in Taijutsu," Sasuke adds understanding which direction Karin is going in. He lowers his voice, "I tried Karin. I tried to go easy. I thought it would be better to finish it quickly."
Karin leans on the boy, "I know you tried, Naruto does too, and so does the Hokage... so the people who matter know." She knows she isn't doing a good job of helping Sasuke's psych, but she was never one to sugar-coat things for him.
Sasuke's eyes scan the crowds. All of them, probably forming terrible judgments on him. Gossiping, laughing at his struggles. They don't see him as anyone but a forgiven S-ranked criminal. His eyes stare at the Kage's sitting in the high seats above the arena. He knew that three of them had forgiven him, but the other two... Raikage and Tsuchikage, they were the two who opposed his freedom.
"Sasuke, who cares what people think about you, you can kick all their asses!" Sigestu joins the couple in the chairs. He and Karin exchange glances of disapproval but then both return to Sasuke.
"The problem, Sigestu, is that I do care. I have to. When people see me they see my name, Sasuke Uchiha. That second name is more important to me then anything -"
Karin humphs and folds her arms.
"That second name is more important to me than a lot of things... not everything..." Sasuke corrects, "It's my job to make sure my clan's name and honor is restored."
"Didn't you do that when you helped end the war?" Juugo joins them now, completing the group.
Sasuke sighs, "Listen to them," his eyes move over the people once more, "apparently not."
Juugo thinks thoughtfully for a moment. Karin and Sigestu wonder if they should even comment, in fear of annoying their friend.
Sasuke breaks the silence, "Sigestu, what have you found out about Orochimaru?" His eyes narrow, and his voice offers a more secretive tone. He had had Sigestu gather information while he participated in these exams.
"Doing what he always does, experiments, torture... what did you expect he'd do when you revived him?" Sigestu stares at Sasuke, he is still upset he brought Orochimaru back in the first place.
"It was necessary... but..." Sasuke stops his sentence, leaving his friends hanging and confused. His mind forms and readjusts his plans.
"What are you thinking?" Karin asks, "You know he'll want your body."
"I know." The quickness in Sasuke's response makes the group jump a bit. "Sigestu, what were the prisoners saying?"
"Nothing too much, something about hope in a savior and whatnot, I didn't have the heart to tell them that would never happen." He giggles to himself, "Oh wait, I did tell them that."
"Ugh, Sigestu, you're such an asshole," Karin scolds him. Her eyes fade over a bit and she mumbles to herself, "poor people."
Juugo gives a mean glance to Sigestu too, but doesn't offer any words.
"What?!" Sigestu yells at the group, "Don't look at ME, look at Sasuke! He's the one who brought Orochimaru back in the first place."
"Don't blame Sasuke!" Karin yells. They both begin to bicker, their voices growing louder and louder.
"Both of you stop." Sasuke's voice isn't nearly as loud as theirs, but nonetheless demanding and strong, they stop in their tracks and calm themselves. Sasuke gazes off to a far-away place no one but him can see, "I have a plan."
The crowd cheers wildly, distracting the group of friends. They look down to the arena to find the source of the commotion.
Naruto quickly whips the boy around. Both form their shadow clones once more. Naruto wonders if he should have really helped him in the first place. The boy grins, it's ironic that he's smiling, this will be his last move.
"You're going to feel this one, Uzumaki!" He stares at his opponent. Naruto doesn't even have a scratch. Blood drips down his own face and he can feel his pained insides. He coughs a bit in pain, but still stands up to Naruto.
"Bring it on!" Naruto calls out, getting ready himself.
The young boy summons his clones, but then each of them transforms into Naruto, as Naruto summons his clones. The arena is filled with young men with blond hair and orange jumpsuits. Almost like a bad nightmare. Naruto's opponent looks around, scared. This was his plan, but now he's having second thoughts.
Naruto's clones bind together, a bit confused by their attackers, but nonetheless. They come together and join arms, the unit flies into the air and gets ready with all their force behind them, destroying the earth beneath them causing an earthquake affect.
To Naruto's surprise the Earth opens, but with more shadow clones. They come out of the ground and hit him square in the chin. Naruto blocks the others and suddenly all the clones vanish.
Only a tired little boy lays at Naruto's feet. He must have run out of chakra.
"Winner, Naruto Uzumaki!" The crowd claps, and some of them cheer out the boy's name. He waves to everyone, and helps his opponent off the ground. The boy can hardly move, so Naruto cups him in his hands and moves him off the field.
Karin nudges Sasuke a bit, he's next. Sasuke nods to his friends, "We'll continue this conversation later." He offers up a small smile as he flies down into the arena once more.
The crowd is practically out of their seats looking in at the fight.
"Sasuke Uchiha versus Jashou Naka!" Sasuke lowers his eyes at Jashou who in return shakily stares back. He doesn't want to fight this man. Anyone but him. The announcer looks between the two boys.
A voice calls out from above them, "Kick him hard Jashou! Show him your true power! He's nothing without his jutsus!" Jashou's eyes grow wide. Those were his teammates. Teammates! He had gone back to them after the encounter with the Uchiha.
"Still planning on revenge?" Sasuke asks awkwardly. He looks at the people cheering him on.
"Of course... but," Jashou frowns, "I guess with comrades I can become stronger quicker."
"You're still going to hurt them."
"Shut up!" The anger and rage flows through Jashou, "You don't know anything!"
Sasuke grunts at this boy but takes his stance.
"Why do you even want to be a Chuunin anyways? Everyone hates you!"
Sasuke tenses and rolls his eyes, "I guess we both have our reasons, but revenge is not going to help you."
"Stop talking... we'll see." Jashou cheers himself on silently, surprised he was able to hold his own against the Uchiha.
Both young men take their mark and wait for their signal.
"Be-"
Both rush into another, clashing their weapons as the sun glares off their blades.
"-gin!"
The announcer quickly steps back to a safer location. Sasuke easily dodges all of Jashou's weapons and carefully places his footing around the puddles Jashou begins forming.
Jashou's eyebrows furrow, how does Sasuke already know what the puddles do? "You're used to real combat aren't you?" He asks, spitting out at Sasuke's quick attacks.
Sasuke jumps back and smiles, "Of course."
Jashou's eyes grow wide, "You weren't even really fighting me! That was nothing!"
"I guess you just need to open your eyes."
Jashou's head whips around to see Sasuke again. His eyes narrow, "If you're using genjutsu, then you're cheating!"
"No genjutsu is needed against you..."
Jashou narrowly dodges Sasuke's fast blade again. He summons his chakra of water off the ground, it's only a waste. He adjusts the chakra flow to his hands as he begins to form the signs to one of his stronger attacks. He waits for Sasuke to land and then bellows the water to his form.
Three large wheels begin circling around Jashou's arms like disks. Their speed quickens as Sasuke hops around the arena. Jashou waits carefully for the next landing spot of the Uchiha.
There it is.
He whips the spherical water disk from his arm at Sasuke who hops up on the wall, only to find the water following him. Sasuke scales the wall and jumps backwards causing the water to crash into the wall and blow a large hole to where Sasuke once stood.
"He already found the weakness..." Jashou grumbles as he throws the second disk towards Sasuke. He simply does the same technique he did last time as another large hole appears in the wall. He curses to himself once more. This jutsu takes too much chakra to manipulate the water.
He throws the last one, and quickly summons the water around him in the air. He freezes the water as he steps through the air, creating a frosted staircase for him. Quickly he freezes his last water disk as it hits the wall and Sasuke dodges. He collects the water from the other blows and creates an ice wave.
The ice gains on the running Sasuke. Jashou is running out of energy. He sits on his ice steps as Sasuke easily runs around the arena. Eventually the new water runs out and Jashou has to unfreeze the used ice and send it back to Sasuke.
Sasuke throws his blade at the ice and glides along it with ease.
"What the!" Jashou sits up, shocked. How is he using his technique against him? Anger furrows him. He can feel the hate fueling his power. He watches Sasuke's confident eyes and the anger grows into fury. "Fucking Uchiha!" He yells.
He summons the last bit of his chakra into his body as Sasuke comes in for the finishing blow. Jashou's eyes grow wide with fear. He uses the water in the air to form a large bubble around them. Both close their mouths, and Jashou freezes both of them.
Both are stuck in the large ice sphere. Sasuke's eyes staring around him as his lungs start to burn from lack of air. Jashou is feeling the same pain. He wasn't quite sure what his plan was. He quickly remembers the small tin of poison in his pocket.
He feebly unfreezes his hand so it can move in the water. He opens his pocket and unlatches the purple liquid, letting it fly into the water and spread as it becomes liquid water once more.
It reaches Jashou first and he watches the world disappear from him. His hands and body begin to shake.
Sasuke watches the reaction and swims to the far end of the bubble. He grasps it tight and begins to use his fire release. Creating a hot aura around him. The water begins to boil and soon evaporate. But the poison is still inching its way towards Sasuke. He swims up for air at the evaporated head of the bubble.
Focusing all his chakra on his fire the bubble evaporates quicker as Sasuke releases himself from the water. Just in time too.
Jashou falls to the ground, unconscious. He poisoned himself just at an attempt to get the Uchiha. Sasuke smiles though. Something told him that the boy would remember the Uchiha, and possibly give up on his path.
"Good fight, kid," was all he could muster.
"Winner, Sasuke Uchiha! Final battle, thirty minutes!"
Naruto runs to hug his friend as he comes up the stairs. Everyone is there cheering them both on. Karin gives Sasuke a large kiss on the cheek that, though he would never admit, makes him blush.
"This is it! You and me, Sasuke! We're going to duke it out! Sage mode, Sharingan and -"
"Excuse me! That is still forbidden," everyone turns to face Tsunade, staring at them angrily. She sighs, "This is it though... but no strong jutsus, I'm serious."
With that, she turns to leave. The Raikage offers Sasuke a menacing glare. Sasuke stares blankly back.
"Naruto, I've been waiting for this day for a while," Sasuke faintly smiles.
"Me too."
...
Me three! ;D
