{{ We were the tears that passion cried
We were the sacrifice
We were the flame that wouldn't die inside
How did we go wrong
We will not forget
We will not be left behind
We won't give up the fight again
We won't be denied
~Who We Are by Red}}
A/N: Yup, just wanted to clear something up. Yugito is younger here, considering she's like a thirty year old woman in canon, she wouldn't be taking the Chuunin Exams. I like Jinchuuriki, however, so I want her in my story. Therefore, she is now Neji, Lee, and Tenten's age.
10/30/2012: Some minor editing was done. Only small things, so to those who have read this chapter already, no need to reread. Thanks to blurple for pointing out my little mistake. ;)
Chapter 19: Chuunin Exams Pt. 2
Naruto, Ino, and Sasuke exchanged grins before heading out into the forest eagerly. This…would be great fun.
"Who are we targeting?" Ino shouted through the roar of the wind as they sped through the treetops.
Naruto felt a small grin slide onto his face. *That Rock team was obviously weak.*
Sasuke gave him a malicious smirk in reply. "Perfect."
Ino rolled her eyes at the two of them. "Boys, boys. Behave now. But it sounds like a good target. We might as well face them head on and then get moving to the tower. I have things to do, and I'm looking forward to the fight."
Naruto frowned and made several Kage Bunshin. He'd seen several cameras scattered through the forest. He wished he could target Kabuto, but he didn't want to arouse suspicion by taking out a target plain view. It would have to wait until after this exam. *I'll find that team. We should stay away from Shika, also. He's getting suspicious, and I hate questions.*
Ino shifted her gaze towards Naruto slightly as they jumped from branch to branch. "You always call him Shika. I didn't know you two were friends."
Naruto's brows shot skywards. *We're not really. We just understand each other, that's all. Besides…he's one of the few people who actually bothered to speak with me.* He spared Ino and Sasuke a pointed glance. *Unlike you two, who saw it fit to hate me for no reason.*
Ino blushed and looked away. Sasuke glowered. "I never hated you, dobe. I just ignored you."
Naruto simply snorted in reply. *I suppose some of it was mutual.* he conceded reluctantly. His face suddenly lit up. *Score for the Kage Bunshin!* he exclaimed, grinning.
Ino grinned back. "You found the Rock team?"
Naruto blinked, as if just realizing he'd spoken that through the link. *Oh. Um, no. My Kage Bunshin in the library just found something I'd been trying to find for weeks.*
Sasuke zeroed in on that. "Why do you have Kage Bunshin in the library?"
Naruto looked amused. *I always have Kage Bunshin in the library. It's a constant flow of information, I might as well capitalize on it.*
Ino shook her head in disbelief. "How many Kage Bunshins do you have walking around right now, Naruto?"
Naruto paused, eyes narrowing in thought. *Probably somewhere near 70, I'd say.*
Ino's eyes bugged out. "SEVENTY? Why in the seven realms would you ever need seventy Kage Bunshin?"
Naruto rolled his eyes. *Look, this is normal for me; seventy are hardly a strain. Ten are in the library researching, fifteen searching this forest. Ten are out training, attempting to gain mastery over various jutsu; twenty are sparring with each other to work on Taijutsu. Ten are in henge throughout Konoha observing body language and facial expressions, and the last five are gathering information outside Konoha.*
Sasuke and Ino were both thunderstruck. That was really amazing…but they were both a little jealous and didn't say anything else.
Naruto suddenly snapped his fingers. *Found those Rock nin. I'll lead the way.* His speed increased as he veered to the left. Sasuke growled and did the same, Ino to his left.
Naruto abruptly slowed. *We're getting close. They haven't sensed us yet. What's the plan?*
"You're team leader, dobe. You tell me." Sasuke still seemed miffed about that.
Naruto rolled his eyes in exasperation. *Seriously? You can be such a prima donna sometimes. All right, Sasuke-hime. What do you suggest?*
Sasuke sent a sharp burst of chakra through the seal, causing Naruto to wince. *Hey, watch it, teme! That hurt!*
"Stop mocking me and I will." Sasuke grumbled.
Ino whacked both boys on the head with her fists. "Stop fighting and focus! We've got work to do. They'll get away if you don't stop bickering like little girls!"
Naruto, to Ino's surprise, laughed. *Touche. Well then, Sasu. Let's get to work, shall we?*
"Sasu" gritted his teeth. "Shut UP!"
Ino suppressed a chuckle. Though their team dynamic was a little strange…it was definitely entertaining.
Elbowing Sasuke in the side to gain a head start, Naruto bolted towards their targets. *Catch me if you can!*
For someone who acted so serious almost all of the time, Naruto definitely had his childish moments.
Sasuke quickly caught up to Naruto, looking furious. Ino followed them, giggling. "Let's do this!"
The three of them Shunshined down in front of the Rock team, all smirking. Not that you could tell from the scarf wrapped around Naruto's face.
*What scroll do we have anyways, Ino?* The boys had given the purple-clad girl the scroll, claiming no one would suspect it. Ino had pouted at first, but she was a little touched so she'd taken the scroll.
*Heaven scroll.* Ino answered telepathically so that the Rock team couldn't hear.
Naruto lifted his chin, blue eyes flashing in the sunlight as he regarded the Rock Genin. *See which one they have. *
Sasuke stepped forwards. "Which scroll do you have?" his voice was thick with anticipation for the fight ahead, and Naruto could practically hear the adrenaline pumping through his veins.
One Genin laughed. He was clad in normal black ninja clothing and a Rock hitai-ate. "You won't be able to take our scroll, so there's no harm in telling you we have the Earth scroll. We'll beat you regardless of what scroll you have. Less competition that way." With a wide grin, the Rock Genin withdrew a kunai. "I am Fujiwara Hyosuke, the man who will be your death."
Naruto looked on impassively. *I'll take care of this. Sasuke did the last one, and Ino will need all her pathetically small chakra reserves later.*
The blonde stuck her tongue out at Naruto, but didn't protest. Sasuke shifted his body subtly to let Naruto step in front, which the blonde promptly did. *Watch my back, teme.*
With a burst of speed almost too quick to follow, Naruto held a kunai to Hyosuke's throat.
Sasuke chuckled. The dobe would take the easiest way. "Give him the scroll, or he'll kill your teammate." He advised the other Rock nin.
"Don't you dare!" Hyosuke grunted to his teammates as Naruto tightened the blade at his neck, causing a small trickle of blood to drip down his neck.
The other Rock Genin exchanged glances. "Dude, we can get two other scrolls easily. It's not worth an injury." One said, reaching into his pouch to pull out the Earth scroll. He tossed it to Sasuke.
Ino spoke up behind him, and Sasuke was startled slightly. "The real scroll, dweebs."
Sasuke quickly activated his Sharingan and found that she was right. The "scroll" he held was a roll of ninja wire. He really hated Genjutsu…
Naruto's kunai dug deeper and Hyosuke gave a whine of pain. The blood was flowing faster now.
"For real this time, or your teammate's dead." Sasuke warned.
The Rock Genin quickly handed over the real scroll, and Naruto released his hostage. "Good luck catching up." Ino said them sweetly before grabbing on to Naruto's shoulder as he Shunshined away. Sasuke did the same.
*Too easy.* Naruto was slightly annoyed at the whole situation. He didn't want to reveal his muteness, but during the Third Exam it would be all too clear. Nobody fights without saying a single word…not even Shino. *Let's go to the Tower. Gaara's team already made it, according to my Kage Bunshin.*
Sasuke snarled. He hadn't really taken Naruto's words seriously, but he was annoyed that they weren't the first ones there.
*Down, boy.* Naruto said mildly. *Gaara is good. I told you that.*
Ino let loose a long, exasperated sigh. "Shunshin to the Tower, Naruto. I want a shower."
Naruto gave her an amused look. *Why? You didn't do anything.*
"Naruto! Leave off! Not in the mood!" Ino scowled at her pesky teammate halfheartedly.
Naruto snickered. His hands snaked out to catch Ino and Sasuke's wrists, and he Shunshined them all to the Tower. Entering the building, they came to some words on the wall. Scanning the lines quickly, Ino told them, "We're supposed to open the scrolls now, at the same time."
Naruto and Sasuke shrugged and did as she said. Kurenai appeared in a burst of smoke, looking mildly surprised. "Well, that was quick." The Genjutsu Mistress commented.
Naruto shrugged, tapping his head. *The advantages of Kage Bunshin, sensei.* he reminded her.
Kurenai laughed freely. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Well, anyways, congratulations on passing the Second Exam. You're the second; a Sand team came in before you. Both of you have record times. And you don't appear to be injured, either."
Team 8 grinned at her cheekily. The crimson-eyed lady shook her head in mock vexation and continued, "You're allowed to sleep, eat, or do whatever you wish within Konoha until the Exam is concluded. That could take up to three days. You will be called back to this building when that happens. Until then, feel free to go about your normal business. Get plenty of rest."
Team 8 saluted their sensei. Naruto grinned. *Thanks for believing in us, sensei! Because as you can see, we totally schooled them all. Well, except Gaara.*
Kurenai chuckled softly at Naruto's words. "You're welcome. Well done, all of you." With a nod of acknowledgement, she disappeared in a swirl of somewhat soggy leaves.
Hm, she's water element. Naruto thought to himself absently as he turned towards Ino and Sasuke. *I'm going to get some food. Wanna come along?*
Ino nodded and Sasuke shrugged. "No ramen, though." Ino warned.
Naruto chortled. *Fine. I'm not paying for you two, though. Where should we go?*
Ino's face twisted in concentration. "Yakitori?"
Naruto and Sasuke shrugged in unison.
"I'll take that as a yes." Ino grabbed both of their arms and let Naruto Shunshin them into the restaurant.
*You two are so lazy. Learn Shunshin yourself.* Naruto grumbled as they all sat down and ordered. The food came quickly and was eaten just as quickly. Naruto stood up after he had paid. *I'm gonna go find Gaara.* he told his teammates before disappearing in a swirl of leaves.
It wasn't hard to do, as the redhead radiated killer intent wherever he went.
Naruto stepped into the light and greeted the boy with a tap on the shoulder. Gaara was surprised that his sand hadn't stopped Naruto from touching him, and understood that the reason why the sand hadn't attacked the blonde was because he had no intent to hurt Gaara. Gaara was even more surprised when instead of speaking, the blonde held up a notepad that read, {You are Subaku no Gaara.}
Pale green eyes stared at him. "Who are you?" The toneless voice was exactly as Naruto had expected.
{Uzumaki Naruto.} The blonde stepped closer. {Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko.}
Gaara's black-rimmed eyes widened the slightest centimeter at that proclamation. "You are like me." He stated calmly, though a voice in his head screamed for blood. For once he felt something akin to fear.
{Yes." Naruto's face was just calm. {I came to…speak…with you about your seal.} The hesitation in his word choice was painfully obvious.
Gaara's expression didn't change, but inwardly he was confused and apprehensive. "Why?" he asked in a monotone.
Naruto's expression turned very serious. {I believe it is defective. I think I can help.}
"Why?" Gaara asked again, simply not understanding.
Naruto gave Gaara a very small, sad smile. {There are not many like us. I would like to think that perhaps we are similar, and that we could understand each other. If it were me with a defective seal…I would want the same courtesy extended.}
Gaara watched Naruto, face and eyes blank and expressionless. "…Understand each other?"
{Yes. I know what your village is planning, Gaara. You're all being tricked. Your father….was killed. I can tell you where to find his body. The Kazekage you currently have is an imposter by the name of Orochimaru. He's after my teammate, Uchiha Sasuke. We got away from him in the Forest, but I'm not sure what he'll do next.} Naruto erased this as soon as Gaara had read it.
Gaara suddenly stepped towards Naruto. "We will speak….elsewhere." He touched ice-cold fingers to Naruto's forehead and closed his eyes. Naruto did the same. When they'd both opened their eyes, they were in Naruto's mindscape. Gaara was looking at the caged Kyuubi. "You did not lie." He said blandly. "Can you speak inside this realm?"
Naruto nodded once. "Yes. And as you know it is impossible for a human to lie here. So know that everything I say is completely true. I mean you nor your village any harm. I would like to repair your seal so that you can block out the Ichibi's influence, and perhaps even sleep. I spoke the truth about the Kazekage before, too."
Gaara's expression changed the tiniest bit. He appeared a little hopeful. "And…you can fix the seal? It will block his influence?"
Naruto nodded. "Yes. May I?"
Wordlessly, Gaara lifted his shirt and channeled chakra to reveal his seal. It was on his right hip, drawn in blood.
Naruto pressed his lips together at the shoddy workmanship. "It's a wonder Shukaku hasn't broken free yet," He mumbled absently as he leaned din closer to inspect it. "This is terribly formed." His sharp gaze slid sideways to the bars that contained his tenant. Forming a seal, Naruto allowed a small bit of the Kyuubi's essence to leak through the bars. A fox about the size of a small dog trotted over. "Look at this, Kurou. I know you don't like Shukaku, so give me a hand."
Gaara watched with slightly widened eyes as a miniature Kyuubi regarded his seal. *You'll need a stabilization seal, a suppression seal, and something to help with the chakra overflow. It'll be difficult to layer properly.* the small fox instructed Naruto.
"That's what I thought, too." Naruto, looking pleased with himself, waved Kurou back to his cage and returned his attention to Gaara. "How about making a deal with me, Gaara? I'll fix your seal, and in return, your village fights with us against Sound."
Gaara gave him an almost imperceptible frown. "How will I accomplish this? My village hates me."
Naruto seemed pained at his words. "I know. But your siblings don't. Show them your father's body, and explain about Orochimaru. They will help you stop the village shinobi from attacking Konoha. Your sensei will be of help, too. It will be easy as long as you keep this hidden from Orochimaru. Leave that snake to me." Naruto's gaze hardened.
Gaara considered this for a long while. "If I no longer live to kill, then what is my purpose for being alive?"
Naruto blinked in surprise. "I don't know. Your siblings care about you. Perhaps they can help you. And I….we are remarkably similar. I live to prove them all wrong, every last person who hates me because they think I'm the Kyuubi. I am not optimistic about my chances to change this village, but….True hope looks despair in the eyes and does something about it. For people like you and me, who have seen the darkest depths of the world's despair, are the only ones who can bring true hope. In time, maybe you will understand my words."
Gaara did not understand, but he felt as if Naruto's words were very wise. "I accept your deal, Uzumaki Naruto. I will do my best to stop my village."
A complex wave of emotions danced across Naruto's face. "Thank you. I will work on the seal, and apply it before the next Exam. How shall I let you know when I'm finished with preparations?"
Gaara's face relaxed slightly. "I do not sleep." He said slowly. "I will find you each night to see if you are finished. I will be sending a sand clone to retrieve my father's body. Thank you for informing me of his death. Is there anything else you would like to discuss?"
Naruto gave him a gentle smile. "Only one thing. My teammates all have a seal which allows me to communicate directly to their chakra system with my own chakra. Would you be opposed to receiving this seal?"
Gaara was a little intrigued. "If this seal does me no harm and cannot be eavesdropped upon, this would be acceptable." His voice was still a monotone.
"Thank you for your trust." Naruto and Gaara left Naruto's mindscape so that Naruto could give Gaara the communication seal. With deft brush strokes, Naruto drew the seal on Gaara's neck quickly. *I am finished.*
Gaara didn't even flinch as Naruto's chakra filtered through the seal. *Thank you. We will speak again later.* the redhead disappeared in a swirl of sand.
Naruto felt a full genuine smile cross his face. He was glad he could help Gaara. It would've been hard for him to fight against the Sand, and he was glad he was no longer required to. Naruko and Natsu had told him so much about Gaara that Naruto had immediately felt comfortable around him.
He ran a hand through his hair and turned to leave. Unfortunately, as he abruptly changed directions, he ran into someone.
"Watch where you're going!" A girl hissed at him, gingerly rubbing her jaw which had collided with his shoulder.
Naruto gave her an amused look and replied via notepad, {While I am an excellent ninja, even I do not have eyes in the back of my head. I believe the fault here is yours.} He eyed her curiously. She had been in the Exams…the single team from Cloud. {What is your name?}
The girl frowned as he wrote, but decided not to comment and tossed her plaited hair to her back. "It is polite to give your name first."
{Uzumaki Naruto.} He could tell this girl was an excellent kunoichi, so he wanted to gather as much information about her as he could. {Of Konoha.} He added after a moment's thought, seeing as his hitai-ate wasn't visible.
"I am Yugito Nii." A small smile flitted across her face. "I hope to fight you in the Exams, Uzumaki-kun." With a smirk, she added, almost suggestively, "I am curious why you hide your face." Without giving him a chance to reply, she sashayed past him. "Until next time."
Naruto resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He wasn't fond of women and their ridiculous games. His attention turned as he felt Kyuubi shifting in the back of his mind. /What is it, Kyuu?/
/That girl is a Jinchuuriki. The Two-Tails, if I'm not mistaken./ The fox seemed amused.
/Jinchuuriki?/ Naruto repeated dumbly. His head spun. /Natsu and Naruko didn't say anything about her./
/You can't honestly expect everything to be exactly the same. It's obviously very different. You have a kekkai genkai, kit./ Kyuubi's voice was scornful.
/Yeah, I suppose./ Naruto pulled the scarf tighter around his face, almost like a shield. He started to move again but hushed voices caught his attention.
"You're directly under my command, Karin! And unless you'd like to answer to Orochimaru-sama, you'd best do exactly as I say!" A man's voice hissed.
Naruto moved closer in an attempt to see their faces. He quickly masked his chakra signature so as not to be discovered spying. To his surprise, it was the Sound team. The girl had bright red hair, a little pinker than Gaara's. The guy had a hitai-ate covering his head and wore dull colored clothes. He pulled his hood down and removed his hitai-ate, just in case he was discovered. He wouldn't immediately be recognized as a Konoha Genin in the exams.
"Screw you, Shinseki! Doing your dirty work and following orders are two different things entirely. Just because Orochimaru-sama is interested in the Uchiha doesn't mean I have to sleep around to get information! There haven't been any orders from Kabuto-san!" Karin bit back a growl.
"It's not like you haven't done it before, slut. Shouldn't make much difference to you. Besides, what else are you good for? Women are weak. If Orochimaru-sama hadn't give you a second chance, you'd be dead ten times over. You're lucky I've protected you this long, but from this point on, you're on your own, girlie." Shinseki sneered at her. "Do your job, or I'll report this to Kabuto-san."
Karin's head lowered and she clenched her fists. "Understood." She got out through her anger. The man left and the anger disappeared. She collapsed back against the wall, weary. Tears pricked her eyes as she accepted her fate. There was no one to save her…not trash like her.
Her head jerked upwards as a hand lightly touched her shoulder. Blue eyes bore into hers. They were blue and just that. Not empty, not electrifying, not paled or gleaming, or beating any foreign shine-no. They were the true blue. No personification of thoughts, or feelings, or judgment. Unadulterated, unfiltered, and uncontrollable blue. These were eyes that knew the truth of life: that sometimes, despite your best efforts, someone stronger will come along and crush you underfoot.
Karin knew nothing about this man, or even what village he was from, but right now they were comrades. She put her hand on top of his and took a closer look at his appearance. Unruly and untamed blonde hair stuck up in spikes, giving him a carefree look. A scarf wrapped around his throat and over the lower half of his face, concealing his expression. He was of slight build and his clothing hugged his body. Clearly he was a shinobi, but at that moment she couldn't bring herself to care.
She felt the urge to ask his name, but it seemed like if she broke the silence, the magic would disappear. Instead she buried her face into his chest and inhaled slowly, taking comfort in the closeness of someone who didn't want something from her. She could feel his hypnotic gaze on her as he awkwardly patted her back. Neither moved for a long while.
A shaky breath left Karin as she pulled away from Naruto. "Thank you." She whispered softly, releasing his hand. "I needed that.'
Naruto gave her a small but genuine smile and nodded. With one last glance, he left. He felt glad that he could be there for someone like no one had ever been there for him. He knew nothing about the Sound girl, but from what he'd heard, she was going through a tough situation. Tugging his hood back up over his hair, he headed back to his apartment thoughtfully. He was looking forward to the matches; the Exams had been too short for his tastes.
He was aware that it was necessary, because Orochimaru was after Sasuke. He remembered Naruko and Natsu's words about the Curse Seal and shuddered. It sounded horrible. And worse, he could picture Sasuke giving in to it. It was just the way the Uchiha was: power was his main focus above all else, even comrades.
He turned at a presence behind him. Sasuke was watching him impassively through onyx eyes. "We've been called back to the Tower. Guess they all finished earlier than expected."
Naruto nodded his assent. *Is Ino already there?*
Sasuke frowned. "No. We have to go get her now. Shunshin?"
Naruto gave him an incredulous look. *How many times today has that been?* he grumbled before taking Sasuke's shoulder and using the Shunshin. Ino looked up as they entered the flower shop.
"Already?" she mumbled, somewhat annoyed. Sasuke and Naruto both nodded. "All right, let's go."
Absently, Naruto tied his hitai-ate around his bicep. At his teammates' inquisitive looks, he argued. *Oh no. We're walking. I'm not using Shunshin again.*
Ino and Sasuke both narrowed their eyes at him, which he returned in kind.
Ino snorted. "Don't be such a princess, Naruto."
Rolling his eyes at both of his teammates, Sasuke gripped Naruto's shoulder. "Dobe. It's less work to Shunshin then walk. Just do it. We don't want to be late."
Naruto grumbled a few choice words under his breath as Ino grabbed his other shoulder. *This is the last time, seriously. You two already mooch off my chakra enough.* He used Shunshin to teleport them to the Tower. Kurenai-sensei was waiting for them. "It's good that you're on team." She complimented offhandedly as they gathered around her. "Too many people have passed this year. They're going to have to do Preliminary matches."
"What does that mean, exactly?" Ino wanted to know.
Naruto turned towards her. *The actual purpose of the Chuunin Exams is almost a pseudo-war. So if there are too many participants, the strongest ones will have it easy and there will be no interesting fights. For the actual Finals, they only want somewhere under fifteen participants. Right now, judging by the Genin milling around, there's somewhere near twenty five. Too many.*
Ino looked skeptical. "I guess that makes sense. I don't understand how you figure these things out though."
*Observation. And a crapload of Kage Bunshin reading constantly.* Naruto chortled.
Sasuke, who had been silent up until this time, spoke up. "So we just get an extra fight? Fine with me." Naruto felt the raven's gaze on him, and interpreted it. "Do we know who we're fighting yet?"
Kurenai shook her head. "No. They'll tell you all to line up in a few moments, and give you the match-ups then. Good luck in your fights, I know you all can win. Show them all what a great team you are. I doubt with this many participants any of you will have to fight a teammate, but know that if you do, just try your best. I expect all of you to be skilled enough to neutralize your opponents without killing. Is that understood?"
Team 8 nodded dutifully and moved to line up. Sasuke, of course, went to the front. Naruto let Ino follow him and took the back, scanning the participants. All of the Konoha 9 was here, along with Lee's team. Yugito's team, Karin's team, and Kabuto's team had all made it as well. The only team that Naruto knew nothing about was the Mist team. All three Mist Genin were masked and appeared slightly battered. They must have come in later, or run into trouble in the Forest. Orochimaru's Grass team was nowhere to be found.
A man in standard Konoha Jounin garb stepped forwards. "I am Hayate Gekko, the proctor of the Third Exam. You will be fighting one-on-one fights from this point onwards. If you feel you are not fit to fight, please notify me now." The sickly-looking man coughed.
Kabuto raised his hand. "I am out of chakra. I do not believe I can fight."
Hayate nodded once. "Please exit the Tower. Anyone else? No? Then the Third Exam begins now. I reserve the right to step in and stop the fight when I feel that there is a clear winner. Your match-ups will appear on the board above, and you will come to the arena floor and wait until I give you the go-ahead to begin your fight."
They all directed their attention to the electronic board, which was randomly shuffling names. The first match-up read: Hyuuga Hinata vs. Kankurou.
All the participants who had not been selected walked up to the balconies surrounding the arena. Hinata and Kankurou remained below, regarding each other. Sasuke and Ino were on either side of Naruto as Team 8 watched the match. "Who do you think will win?" Ino whispered to a solemn Naruto.
*Hinata.* Naruto answered almost immediately. It was easy for him to predict, as he knew of Kankurou's abilities. It was a bad match up for the puppet user.
Sasuke blinked in surprise. He would've guessed the Sand Genin would win. But if Naruto said the girl would win, he had best watch this match closely.
Kurenai suppressed a chuckle as Sasuke suddenly grew interested due to Naruto's words. "Hinata is a Hyuuga. Her kekkai genkai, the Byakugan, allows her to see her opponent's chakra points. The Jyuuken, her clan's Taijutsu, allows her to target tenketsu and shut down chakra flow throughout the body. She is a formidable opponent."
Ino's eyes brightened. She was looking forward to seeing the shy girl come out of her shell.
Hayate gave the go-ahead, and the fight began.
Hinata activated her Byakugan and instantly understood that "Kankurou" was actually a puppet. Timidly, she took her Jyuuken stance.
Kankurou was not aware of the Byakugan's abilities, so he remained wrapped in the bandages and directed his puppet to face Hinata.
*Mistake number one.* Naruto chuckled to his teammates and sensei.
Hinata smiled shakily. "U-um. I c-can see the p-puppet, Kankurou-san." She told him as she closed in and hit his chakra points.
Kankurou quickly jumped back out of her reach, trying to formulate a plan. The element of surprise was always his best weapon, and he'd lost that due to the Hyuuga's kekkai genkai. Close ranged attacks and Taijutsu was out of the question, and his Ninjutsu and Genjutsu arsenal was pathetic at best. He would have to go for ranged attacks with ninja tools. It was his only chance. His fingers wiggled, directing the puppet to release a barrage of poisoned weapons aimed at Hinata.
Hinata quickly dodged to the side and with a speed that Kankurou was unaware she possessed, executed a Jyuuken to his arms. The puppet fell limply to the floor, as Kankurou could no longer use his chakra to control it. His arms hung limply by his sides. Scowling, he turned to Hayate. "I give up. There is nothing else I can do to counter her."
Hayate nodded. "Winner: Hyuuga Hinata."
Chouji cheered for Hinata as she made her way back up the stairs toward her team. "Great job, Hinata! That was awesome!"
Shikamaru simply grumbled. "Troublesome. You should've tried to draw it out longer. Then I could sleep some more before my fight."
Kankurou walked up the opposite staircase and joined his siblings. Temari smirked at him, and Gaara simply stared impassively into the arena. Both Temari and Kankurou were surprised when Gaara spoke. "You did your best."
Kankurou's eyes widened. "Thanks, Gaara." He said, very unsure if it was the right response.
Gaara simply shrugged and kept staring forwards. The screen started to randomly select names again.
When the screen finally came to a stop, it read: Inuzuka Kiba vs. Yamanaka Ino.
Naruto gave his teammate a wide grin, not that she could see it. *Good luck, Ino. I know you can beat him!*
Kiba laughed loudly. "Oh man, this will be easy!" he boasted.
Ino narrowed her eyes at the dog lover. "You'll eat those words, dog-breath." She promised, with a thin and somehow sinister smile. She jumped over the railing and landed in a crouch on all fours. "Listen up, Forehead! Fix your eyes on this fight. I'll show you how much I've grown. I'll show you what a true kunoichi looks like!"
Naruto couldn't hold back a chuckle. Sasuke looked amused, as well. Unless Kiba had improved as drastically as Ino had, he was in for a surprise.
Standing, Ino walked towards Hayate and waited for the signal. Kiba and Akamaru faced her, grinning in a feral manner, assured of their own victory.
With a racking cough, Hayate signaled they could begin. "The fight can start." He said, coughing again.
Ino rushed in right away. Due to her training with Gai, she was extremely confident in her Taijutsu abilities, and rightly so. Kiba had always been more of a brawler type, mainly brute strength and little technique. Ino was schooling him.
After receiving a particularly nasty uppercut to the jaw, Kiba yelled, "Clearly you're asking for a beating! Prepare yourself, I'll show you my Clan's techniques! Jūjin Bunshin! Gatsuuga!"
Akamaru transformed into a Kiba look alike. Both crouched down on all fours, growling and looking extremely beast-like. The two ran spiraled toward Ino, intent on tearing her to shreds.
Ino just smirked back at them. "Hyakkaryōran." Her body dissolved into numerous petals which floated towards Kiba. The petals scored small cuts all over his body, and Akamaru's as well.
A deep slash cut across Kiba's chest as the petals flew back together. Ino's silhouette became visible again. She was holding two kunai dripping with blood. "Asking for a beating, am I?" she taunted the dog boy, a wide grin stretched across her face. Kiba had yet to land a hit on her, after all.
Making a strange seal with her hands, she called, "Genjutsu Binding!" Kiba froze in place, a dazed look on his face. He was unable to move as she entered his mind and immobilized him completely. "Shinranshin no Jutsu!" She forced Kiba to raise his hand and say, "I give up!"
Hayate coughed. "Winner: Yamanaka Ino."
Ino returned to her teammates, a triumphant grin upon her face. "Well done, Ino!" Kurenai congratulated her, grinning brightly.
"Thank you sensei! Did you see that?" She asked excitedly, turning bright eyes on Naruto.
He nodded. *You did excellent, Ino. Way to put dog breath in his place. Man, the girls are wiping the floor today. Serves them right for underestimating you, I suppose.*
Ino beamed at him. "Thanks…I know you and Sasuke-kun will win as well."
Sasuke gave Ino a halfhearted 'congratulations' as he turned his attention back to the center of the arena.
Naruto chuckled and his gaze slid sideways. Sakura was staring in awe at Ino, ignoring her defeated and complaining teammate as he protested receiving medical attention.
*You should go talk to Sakura in the future, Ino-chan.* Naruto encouraged. *Help her become stronger.*
Ino gave him a funny look. "Why would I do that?"
Naruto's eyes took on a tired look for a few moments before it cleared. *Because if she's unprepared, she could die. And even though you two are rivals, you're still friends.*
Ino sighed. "Yeah, you're right. I'll find her after the Exams."
The board's next match-up appeared on the screen.
Hyuuga Neji vs. Ito Shinseki
Naruto watched as the Hyuuga prodigy and Karin's vulgar teammate met in the center of the arena and Hayate began the fight. It was rather one-sided, just as Hinata's fight had been. Neji had none of her mercy, however. He attacked vital points with the Jyuuken. It only took a few hits before Shinseki was on the floor, vomiting up blood. Hayate ended the match then and there before Neji could do any more damage. "Winner, Hyuuga Neji." The medics quickly toted Shinseki away on a stretcher.
Neji impassively returned to his team. The arena was in complete silence. Finally, Tenten uneasily congratulated her teammate on his win. He ignored her, turning his attention to the screen.
Haruno Sakura vs. Uzumaki Naruto
Naruto felt a very, very evil-looking grin spreading across his face as everyone looked around in confusion.
"Naruto? That idiot failed the Exam or something, didn't he?" Kiba protested loudly from his seated position on the left balcony.
Ino couldn't hold back her loud, hysterical laughter. "You only wish!" she crowed, looking forward to seeing "Forehead" get beaten into the ground.
Sakura had already walked down the stairs and into the center of the arena when Naruto vaulted over the railing, eyes alight with anticipation of the fight.
"That's Naruto?" Chouji muttered in disbelief. Shikamaru's eyebrows nearly shot past his hairline. All the Konoha 9 (except Team 8) were mumbling to themselves and looking shocked.
Kakashi and Asuma seemed surprised as well. They knew Naruto as a competent shinobi, but the last they had heard, Naruto had suffered a crippling injury. Why was he fighting in the Exams?
The murmurs were interrupted when Sasuke laughed scornfully. "What a dobe, taking the entire spotlight. Finish up this fight quickly, Naruto. The sooner you finish, the sooner we can fight."
Naruto chuckled inwardly at Sasuke's jealousy. Strolling towards Hayate with one hand shoved into his pocket, he seemed entirely too casual. Almost lazily, he stretched his free hand up and tugged his hood back, revealing shocks of sleek golden hair tumbling down past his neck. Numerous intricate seals that looked like tattoos twisted over his arms, giving him an ethereal and almost otherworldly look. With the fluttering sound of cloth he pulled the scarf down from his face, revealing his whisker marks and lips, which were arranged into a very amused smirk.
First and foremost, all the others were surprised by his silence. Naruto had never been much of a social guy, but he at least liked to brag every once in a while. Everyone did. The fact that he hadn't said a word yet was impressive, and somewhat intimidating, as if they weren't even worth the effort to speak.
The females in the room were surprised by how different (and attractive) Naruto looked. Who knew there was actually a handsome guy beneath all that orange?
Shikamaru was somewhat relieved. The mystery surrounding Ino's teammate was now revealed. However, this 'new' Naruto had him somewhat worried. He of all people knew what it was like to hide your strength. It was what he grew up doing. The Naruto that stood before him now couldn't be a result of a few weeks of training. By a logical reasoning process, the only valid conclusion was that he had been hiding his strength the whole time, as well. This concerned Shikamaru immensely. Judging by the auras surrounding all the Genin present, Naruto was now one of the most dangerous. Shikamaru's eyes were riveted on the blonde in front of him, extremely pleased to be able to gather information about such an interesting subject.
Chouji, on the other hand, was surprised that the stranger he'd met at Ichiraku was Naruto. Did that mean that Naruto was mute? It would explain a lot, especially in the realm of why Asuma-sensei seemed so surprised to see the blonde. He glanced sideways at Shikamaru and saw that his longtime friend was captivated by the puzzle Naruto presented, and normally lazy eyes were glued to the center of the arena as if spellbound. With a shrug, he turned his eyes upon the two in the arena as well.
Ino and Sasuke both looked incredibly smug as they gauged the reactions of everyone in the arena. It was just fun, for some odd reason, to be in on a secret that no one else knew.
Hinata was blushing like crazy. Shino looked as apathetic as ever, but even his attention was fixed on Naruto. Kiba looked mad, as if Naruto appearing suddenly had disrupted the order of the universe. Perhaps to him, it had. Sakura, on the other hand, just looked frightened. It was her who was fighting the enigmatic blonde, after all. She now knew next to nothing about his skill level.
Yugito was intrigued by Naruto's appearance. What was with the scars on his cheeks? The Two-Tails had been particularly interested in him before. Could he be a Jinchuuriki?
Gaara was watching Naruto with a soft smile on his face. Temari and Kankurou were too stunned by the look on Gaara's face to watch Naruto. They had expected a smile, yes, but a bloodthirsty one only. To see him smile like that…had something happened between their brother and this Uzumaki Naruto?
Karin was spellbound. She could now put a name to the face and was sad that Naruto was from Konoha, the village she would be waging war against in a short time. Her depression stemmed from the fact that she had truly wished to get to know the blonde better. Despite the fact that they were enemies, she was still interested to see how strong he was. He was on Uchiha Sasuke's team, wasn't he? Her ruby eyes studied Naruto with interest.
A certain Mist nin was grinning behind her mask. Naruto-kun…You've gotten even stronger. I hope to show you that I have done the same.
Naruto's electric blue eyes gleamed with eagerness as he faced Sakura, muscles tensed in preparation for the fight. He watched Hayate closely, waiting for the match to begin. He wanted to make this match the quickest he'd ever fought. It would serve Sakura right for being such a disgrace to all kunoichi. Not to mention he didn't want to give away too many of his skills with the Sound and Sand nin watching.
Bouncing lightly on his feet, his mind ran over his options. He could end it quickly by using his most powerful move, shocking everyone into staying away from him, he could show nothing and beat Sakura in Taijutsu (which would be far too easy, in Naruto's opinion), or he could win in an extremely baffling matter and make sure that no one understood what had happened. He preferred the last. It would make them wary of what he could do, yet they would have no concrete idea of his skill set.
After what seemed like an eternity, Hayate finally spoke. "The match of Haruno Sakura vs. Uzumaki Naruto begins now."
Hyakkaryōran: One Thousand Flower Petals Dance - Releases many flower petals from a sleeve. These petals will flow through the air and circle around her target Ino will then move through the flowers, making it seem like she would dissolve into petals, using them as a wall so that her target cannot see incoming attacks.
Shinranshin no Jutsu: Mind Body Disturbance Technique – Sends user's chakra into opponent's body, disrupting their chakra system and enabling the user to control their body.