A/N: Here's the rest of the story.
Preliminaries (cont.)
"Now for the next match," Hayate announced.
Uzumaki Naruto vs. Inuzuka Kiba
"Thanks for waiting," Naruto yelled. "My turn is finally here!"
"Hell yeah!" Kiba yelled. "We got lucky!"
Shikamaru hmphed. 'Those two troublesome idiots,' he thought. 'This match is going to be entirely one-sided.'
"Seventh match, Uzumaki Naruto versus Inuzuka Kiba," Hayate announced.
Everyone looked on in anticipation of the match. The seconds ticked away as the anxiety between the two fighters grew. Naruto cracked first.
"I'm tired of all the waiting!" He screamed in agony. "It's finally my turn to show off my moves!"
"That's my line!" Kiba yelled back. "Drawing you as my opponent means I already won! Na, Akamaru?"
Akamaru barked in response.
"Keep dreaming!" Naruto shot back. "You can't win against me."
"Temae…" Kiba said as he pulled Akamaru out of his jacket and set him on the floor.
"Oi!" Naruto shouted. "Puppies aren't allowed in here! He's going to interfere with the battle!"
"Baka, Akamaru's going to fight too."
Akamaru gave his toughest bark even though it sounded more cute than intimidating.
Naruto pointed at them but turned to look at Hayate.
"Oi, Oi!" Naruto complained. "Is that legal?"
Hayate just looked at him and spoke calmly.
"Hai, animals and bugs are treated as weapons," Hayate said. "It isn't a problem."
Naruto looked dejected for a second before turning his attention back to Kiba and Akamaru.
"Ha!" he laughed, trying to look tough again. "That's a good handicap."
"Acting tough, eh?" Kiba called his bluff. "Then…" looking down at his dog, Kiba spoke. "Akamaru, you stay out of this. I'll do it alone."
Akamaru looked disappointed.
Shikamaru had enough of the tough guy bullshit. He was seriously considering laying himself down and taking a nap.
"Naruto, don't lose to that guy!" Sakura yelled from the balcony.
"Kiba's…lucky," Chouji whined. He was hoping to face an opponent like Naruto.
Shikamaru snorted.
"Begin," Hayate announced.
Kiba knelt down and put his hands together in the tora seal. He then leaned over so that he was on all fours like an animal.
"Let's go!" he yelled as he took off with blinding speed. He hit Naruto with an elbow and sent him flying backwards. Naruto lay there for a second.
"He won't be getting up for a while, proctor-san," Kiba told Hayate.
"Just as I thought," Shikamaru said.
"Naruto can't beat Kiba," Ino said, sounding a little worried.
Kiba turned and started to walk back to Akamaru.
Naruto got up much to everyone's surprise.
Kiba paused and looked back over his shoulder.
"Don't…" Naruto said. "Don't underestimate me!"
'O, Tough guy, eh,' Shikamaru thought with a smirk on his face.
"Get him, Naruto!" Sakura cheered.
"You're bleeding!" Kiba pointed out. "So stop pretending to be cool."
"Ha, I went easy on you." Naruto laughed. "I just wanted to see how strong you were."
Kiba looked pissed.
"Why don't you stop acting tough and use your puppy or whatever."
Kiba mumbled something to himself, then charged in again. "Let's go, Akamaru."
Akamaru barked as he followed.
"Take this!" Kiba yelled, throwing two smoke bombs at Naruto.
They landed at his feet engulfing him in purple smoke. In the smoke, you could here the sounds of punches striking flesh and Naruto's voice grunting in pain with each strike. After a minute, Naruto tried to exit the cloud of smoke only to be met aggressively by Akamaru, who sent him tumbling back into the cloud.
"Nani?" Ino gasped.
"Damn it!" Shikamaru swore. "I can't see anything."
Kiba leapt out of the smoke and landed facing it. The smoke started to dissipate revealing Naruto laid out and Akamaru sitting there wagging his tail. Akamaru barked towards Kiba.
"Yoshi, way to go!" Kiba cheered.
Akamaru barked a few more times and began bounding towards Kiba.
"Good job, Aka…" Kiba stopped short right before Akamaru jumped up and latched his teeth on his arm.
Everyone was surprised.
"Akamaru…" Kiba questioned. "Why?"
There was a poof and Akamaru was really Naruto transformed.
"What?" Kiba cried. "Henge no Jutsu. Get off."
Kiba shook Naruto until his bite was loosened knocking him back a few steps.
Naruto spit the taste out of his mouth.
"You taste like a dog!"
Kiba didn't care. He was searching frantically.
"Where's Akamaru?"
"Over here," Naruto's kage bunshin said behind Kiba. He held up Akamaru.
"Akamaru!" Kiba exclaimed.
"Uso," Ino said. "That's Naruto?" She couldn't believe it. "He's on equal ground with Kiba. No, he might even be better than him."
"There's no way he could do something as crafty as using a kage bunshin and a henge at the same time," Shikamaru said.
"That was amazing, Naruto!" Sakura yelled.
"It looks like he's no longer the fuck-up that we knew," Shikamaru thought out loud.
Ino nodded an agreement.
Kiba calmed himself down and reached into his pouch.
"Naruto," Kiba said. "You're going to give me back my Akamaru."
Kiba flicked a food pill in Akamaru's direction. Akamaru caught it in his mouth and swallowed, baring his teeth. Akamaru's fur grew and turned a dark crimson. He kicked Naruto's kage bunshin, causing it to dispel and release him.
"Nan da?" Naruto asked. "What did you give him, and why is his fur red?"
"That's why his name's 'Aka'maru." Kiba told him.
Kiba swallowed a food pill of his own.
"Let's go, Akamaru!" Kiba shouted, squatting down while Akamaru jumped on his back.
Gijyuu Ninpou-Jyuujin Bunshin
Akamaru transformed into a Kiba bunshin standing on top of Kiba's back.
Naruto looked panicked.
"He used some kind of drug!" he shouted at Hayate. "Isn't that considered doping?"
"Food pills are considered a tool," Hayate told him calmly before coughing.
"You always say that," Naruto yelled, pointing an accusing finger in his direction.
"What the…" Shikamaru asked. "What did he eat?"
"A food pill," Chouji answered.
"Food pill?" Ino asked.
"It's a special medicine that allows soldiers who use it to fight for three days and nights straight," Chouji explained. "It's high in protein and is quickly absorbed into the body. It also has substances that work both as a stimulus and a tranquilizer."
The three of them turned back to look at Kiba and Akamaru.
"Kiba and Akamaru's chakra has most likely been doubled temporarily," Chouji said.
"Let's go!" Kiba shouted. "Shikyaku no Jutsu"
Both Kibas attacked Naruto.
"Naruto's in a bad situation," Asuma said behind Shikamaru. "Kiba has chakra surrounding his body and he's a total combat type fighter that brawls like a beast. The food pill that doubles his chakra is perfect for him."
Shikamaru turned around and watched as Naruto desperately tried to dodge Kiba's attack.
Naruto leapt in to the air to dodge one of their attacks.
Jyuujin Taijutsu Ougi-Gatsuuga
Kiba flew into a spinning attack that looked like a tornado clipping Naruto, sending him falling through the air screaming. Naruto fell to the ground with a thud and spit up blood on impact.
"That's the difference in our skill," Kiba told him.
Naruto mumbled something as he lay face down on the ground.
"You? Hokage? You're weaker than me." Kiba laughed. "I'll become Hokage for you."
Naruto started to get up again.
'Damn, this guy doesn't know when to give up,' Shikamaru thought. 'He'd better have something planned.'
"Stand up, Naruto!" Sakura yelled.
Naruto stood up and mumbled something through the blood spitting out of his mouth.
"You sure are a persistent guy!" Kiba yelled.
Naruto smirked at him. Kiba mumbled something else in return.
"Let's go, Akamaru!"
Both Kibas charged at Naruto. They leapt into two Gatsuuga's coming at him from different angles. Naruto dodged them by leaping over the top but he fell hard as he landed. Kiba tossed two more smoke bombs at Naruto, engulfing him in purple smoke. The two Kibas launched another round of Gatsuuga attacking Naruto blindly in the smoke. They stopped for a moment and regrouped before launching another attack again, but right before they entered the smoke, they stopped.
Everyone wondered why.
"I see," Kakashi said to Shikamaru's left.
"Huh?" Sakura asked.
"Look closely," he told her.
The smoke drifted away revealing three Kibas staring intently at one another.
"Great idea! Nice plan, Naruto!" Sakura cheered.
Shikamaru smirked. Naruto confused Kiba by making a third one, leaving him an opportunity to counter attack. The three of them stood still in the center of the arena looking over each other.
"Let me warn you…" one of the Kibas spoke. "I underestimated you once before, and it took a while to notice. Your henge won't work on me anymore. Why?"
The one who spoke launched into a flying punch sending another one flying backwards and sliding across the ground.
"Don't underestimate our sense of smell, Naruto," Kiba said.
To everyone's surprise, the Kiba lying on the ground poofed into Akamaru.
"Nani?"
Kiba stood there for a moment looking at Akamaru lying on the ground before turning around and punching the remaining bunshin in the face.
"Then are you Naruto?" He yelled. "Play me for a fool, eh?"
The bunshin rolled across the floor, bouncing to a stop in a cloud of smoke revealing…Akamaru?
The first Akamaru got up and released the henge, revealing Naruto as he charged in and hit Kiba in the face with a flying kick. Kiba slid backwards, coming to a stop next to the real Akamaru who lay there unconscious. Kiba looked between Naruto and Akamaru.
'Maybe Naruto's finally getting his shit together,' Shikamaru thought.
"Was Naruto this clever?" Ino asked astounded.
"Ha!" Naruto laughed. "Use your techniques carefully, after thinking about what you're doing, or your opponent will use it against you, baka!"
Kiba's rage was growing. He bit into his hand in an attempt to calm himself. He stood up and, when he felt he had calmed down enough, he reached into his holster and pulled eight shuriken. Kiba seemed to be done with the big talk and continued watching Naruto to see how he would move.
"So you're finally serious, Kiba?" Naruto said. "Then I'll finish this with a new move I've been saving up." Naruto placed his hands in the hitsuji seal in front of his chest and began molding chakra.
"New move, my ass!" Kiba yelled being easily drawn in. "You're just bluffing."
"We'll see if it's a bluff or not," Naruto countered. "Here we go!" Naruto moved his hands out from his chest, crossing his fingers.
Before Naruto could execute his technique, Kiba charged in and launched all eight shuriken at him. Surprised, Naruto barely dodged the shuriken only to be thrown off guard when Kiba went into 'beast mode' and attacked with blinding speed.
"Naruto!" Sakura yelled.
"Naruto-kun!" A soft voice gasped. Shikamaru didn't turn to look because he was wondering what Naruto would try to pull out.
Naruto landed hard on the ground after the attack. Kiba watched him from a distance.
"Stand up, Naruto!" Sakura urged, drawing Kiba's attention for a second.
As if only for her request, he stood up again, but Kiba wouldn't let him think, much less execute a technique. Kiba charged in and attacked again. Naruto went flying backwards, sliding across the ground.
"He's fast!" Chouji groaned.
"It's impossible. Naruto doesn't have any time to form seals," Ino pointed out.
'There's too much difference in their power,' Shikamaru thought. 'I guess it will be impossible for Naruto to win.'
Kiba dove into another attack as Naruto was trying to rise. Naruto barely had time to guard. As Kiba's fingernails dug into the flesh of the arm Naruto guarded with, Naruto grabbed him with his other arm and used his momentum against him tossing him across the room. Kiba spun in the air and landed on his hands and feet skidding to a stop. Blood trickled down Naruto's clenched fist as he breathed heavily.
"Naruto's really trying hard," Chouji commented.
"Yeah," Ino agreed.
"If I were Kiba, I'd be spent already," Shikamaru said, thinking about how long this battle was dragging out.
"Ha, that didn't affect me at all!" Naruto taunted, shaking the blood from his fist. "I'll whip out my new move at any time." He formed the seal again.
"I won't let you." Kiba charged him once again.
Naruto began molding his chakra and Kiba swooped around to attack from behind. When Kiba reared back to attack at close range, something amazingly stupid happened.
Naruto farted.
In any other situation, this would be considered funny or crass, but at the moment, Naruto's irregular diet, coupled with natural body function, provided him with an opening. Kiba reeled as he tried desperately to remove the stench that was torturing his olfactory senses. Naruto blushed in embarrassment as everyone stared at him flabbergasted.
"Whatever works, Naruto!" Sakura cheered.
"Damn it," Naruto whined. "I strained too much, but this is the good part of my new move."
Kage bunshin no Jutsu
Naruto created four kage bunshin and together the five of him surrounded the still stunned Kiba.
One Naruto rushed forward and punched Kiba in the face.
"U…"
Another leapt off of the first ones back, as Kiba stumbled backwards from the hit. The remaining three Narutos slid in and kicked him into the air.
"zu…"
"ma…"
"ki…"
As Kiba was lifted skyward, the Naruto, who launched himself into the air earlier, came down with a kick to the face sending Kiba face first into the floor. Kiba's face bounced hard off the floor before coming to rest.
"Naruto Rendan!"
Naruto stood there breathing heavily, while Kiba lay on the floor motionless. The four kage bunshin dispelled as Hayate walked over to check on Kiba. After looking at Kiba, Hayate looked over at Naruto and coughed a couple of times.
"Winner, Uzumaki Naruto."
"Shannarou!" Sakura shouted. "You did good. Yatta!"
"That Naruto beat Kiba!" Shikamaru exclaimed.
"No one expected it," Chouji added.
Shikamaru had no idea when Naruto became that strong.
Naruto went bounding up the stairs to the balcony as the medical squad loaded Kiba onto a stretcher and one of them personally recovered Akamaru.
"I will now announce the next match," Hayate said and the electronic billboard chirped into action again.
Hyuuga Hinata vs. Hyuuga Neji
'Two Hyuuga's,' Shikamaru thought. 'They must be from the same clan.'
Hinata and Neji approached one another in the center of the arena.
"I didn't think I would be fighting you, Hinata-sama," Neji told her.
"Neji-nii-san," was her reply.
"Nii-san?" Sakura questioned aloud.
"Nani?" Naruto asked. "Are those two related?"
"They come from one of Konoha's oldest noble families, the Hyuuga clan," Kakashi told him. "But they aren't siblings."
"Ja," Sakura cut him off with a question. "How are they related?"
"Well," Kakashi continued. "They come from the head and branch families."
"Head and branch families?" Naruto sounded unconvinced.
"Hai," Lee stated pointing a finger in the air. "Hinata-san is from the Hyuuga head family, in other words, the clan's founders. Neji is from the branch family that caries the Hyuuga bloodline."
"So it's a fight between relatives?" Sakura asked. "It must be difficult to fight a family member."
"Hai, demo…" Lee paused.
"Nani?" Sakura asked.
"I believe…" Lee began. "That a lot of things have happened between the head and branch families in the past, and they are not on really good terms right now."
"Nande?" Naruto asked skeptically.
"I don't know the details, but…" Lee said. "In old noble families, like the Uchiha and the Hyuuga, they have special moves and abilities that only run in that clan. To pass those moves down, the Hyuuga have a set of rules, but it seems these rules are favorable to the head family. It is because of those rules that a lot has happened between the head and branch families."
'So it's a family feud,' Shikamaru thought.
"It's about to start," Kakashi reminded them.
"Please begin the match," Hayate said formally.
Neji widened his stance.
"Before we fight, let me warn you about one thing, Hinata-sama," Neji spoke. "Give up. You're not suited to become a ninja."
Hinata gasped.
"You're too kind. You seek harmony and avoid trouble. You go along with other people's ideas, and…" Neji paused. "You have no self-confidence. You always feel inferior. That's why you thought it would be fine to remain a Genin, but you cannot register for the Chuunin exams unless there are three people. You couldn't refuse the offers of Kiba or your other teammate, and the truth is that you're taking this exam unwillingly. Am I wrong?"
"You're wrong," she gasped. "I…I just…" Her voice grew soft and everyone strained to listen. "…wanted to change so I willingly…" The thought was left unfinished.
"Hinata-sama," Neji spoke. "You are indeed a spoiled child of the head family. People can't change." Hinata looked up at him. "A failure is a failure. His personality and power will not change. That is why terms like 'elite' and 'failure' were created. Everyone judges you by your looks, abilities and personality. These things cannot be changed. People live their lives suffering because of their limits; just like how we cannot change the fact that you are from the head family and I am from the branch family."
"My Byakugan has seen many things," Neji continued. "That is why I know you're just trying to be tough. You're really thinking about how much you would like to be somewhere else right now."
"That's not true," Hinata gasped out of her stupor. "I really want to…"
"Byakugan?" Sakura asked Kakashi.
Shikamaru was a bit curious, too.
"It is said that the Uchiha clan stems from the Hyuuga clan," Kakashi explained. "Byakugan is the kekkei genkai of the Hyuuga clan. It's a doujutsu that is similar to the Sharingan, but if you look at its ability of insight alone, it's better than the Sharingan."
"Byakugan!" Neji yelled, drawing attention back to the match.
The two Hyuugas stood silent in the center of the arena. Hinata looked terrified as Neji scrutinized her with his eyes. She looked like she might faint at any minute. Finally, when it looked like Hinata couldn't stand it any longer, she turned her head away.
Shikamaru could almost feel the pressure being put on her. It was as if Neji's stare could change the barometric pressure in the room.
"You can't fool my eyes," Neji told Hinata.
Hinata gasped and turned to look at him.
"When you felt my pressure, your eyes moved to the upper left indicating that you were recalling a harsh, past event. Then they moved down and to the right indicating you were imagining physical and mental pain. In other words, you thought about your past and predicted the outcome of this battle, a prediction that says you will lose."
'Damn,' Shikamaru thought. 'This guy uses intense psychological warfare. He's winning the battle before it ever begins.' Shikamaru wouldn't want to fight him, but this whole thing was just ridiculous.
"By putting your arm in front of you," Neji continued. "Your subconsciously trying to build a barrier between us and create some distance. It shows you don't want me to see your true feelings because everything I've said is correct."
The arm Hinata had in front of her was now raised high enough for her hand to be in front of her face. She subconsciously placed her index finger against her lip.
"Also," Neji continued. "By touching your lip, you're showing that your mind is disturbed. It is a defensive instinct that tries to lower nervousness and uneasiness, but you already know. You can't change."
"Yes, you can!" Naruto screamed from the balcony.
Everyone in the room turned to see him.
"Don't label people like that, baka!" Naruto was outraged. "Beat the shit out of him, Hinata!"
Silence. Everyone just stared but Naruto was still looking at Hinata.
"Hinata!" Naruto screamed at her. "Why don't you say something back? It's making the people watching angry."
Everyone turned to see what Hinata's reaction would be. She had her head lowered[,] but when she brought her head back up, her posture was straight and her eyes were as cold as Neji's.
Neji's surprise was evident in the change of his stance. A few shouted words from a knucklehead ninja were all it took to turn her around.
"So you're not going to give up?" Neji asked, regaining his composure. "Don't blame me later."
Hinata ran through her own set of hand seals.
"Byakugan."
She took a fighting stance Shikamaru had never seen before. Neji took a similar stance.
"They're using the same Hyuuga style. Her stance is just like his," Lee said.
"Hyuuga style?" Sakura asked.
"Konoha's strangest taijutsu style," Lee said.
"Huh?"
"Remember what I said before. 'The strongest of the Konoha genin is in my squad.' That…" Lee paused. "…is Hyuuga Neji."
The two Hyuugas moved into each other with various open handed strikes. Each strike deflected in turn by the opponent. You could almost see the air move as each blow missed its target. Hinata sidestepped and landed a glancing blow on Neji's side. Neji hissed in pain as he stepped backward and recovered before resuming his fighting stance.
"Did she get him?" Sakura asked.
"No, it wasn't deep enough." Naruto said.
"No," Lee corrected. "It hurts even if it grazes you. That is why the Hyuuga clan is called Konoha's noble family."
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.
"The Hyuuga have a special taijutsu that is passed on from generation to generation," Gai said. "The taijutsu Lee and I use specializes in breaking the bones and creating external damage. This style is known as Gouken. On the other hand, the Hyuuga try to damage the chakra circulatory system inside the enemy and create internal damage. That style is known as Jyuuken. It doesn't look like much, but it hurts more."
"There's no way to train your internal organs," Kakashi added. "If you get hit enough, no matter how tough you are, it will still be fatal."
The fight continued on. Hinata was holding her own against Neji.
"Sensei," Sakura asked. "How can you attack the chakra circulatory system. We can't even see it."
"Those two," Kakashi referred to the two Hyuugas fighting. "With their Byakugan, can see it, and the Jyuuken style allows you to release chakra from your hands and attack the chakra circulatory system directly."
"Yatta!" Naruto who hadn't paid attention to any of it was still watching the fight.
Both fighters had stopped holding their last attack like a pose. Hinata spit up a mouthful of blood.
"So this is the best the head family could do?" Neji said.
"Why?" Naruto screamed. "Hinata's attack hit him, too."
Hinata pushed Neji's hand away from her chest and moved in to strike. Neji caught her arm with his left hand and shoved chakra into her arm with his right. Neji pulled Hinata's sleeve back, revealing bruises along her arm.
"Did you…" Hinata asked. "So you were…"
"Correct," Neji said. "My eyes can see the tenketsu."
"What's going on?" Naruto asked.
"In the chakra circulatory system," Kakashi explained. "There are three hundred and sixty-one points or chakra holes. They're only as wide as a needle, though. These holes are known as tenketsu and, in theory, if you hit them accurately, you can stop or increase the enemy's flow of chakra."
Hinata screamed as Neji hit her hard, sending her flying backwards. Neji tried once again to destroy her psychologically but in a move reminiscent of Naruto she stood back up refusing to give up. Hinata tried to activate her Byakugan but when she tried to force it she only coughed up more blood.
"His eyes are scary," Ino said. "Hinata won't get killed, right?"
"Hinata!" Naruto screamed. "Do your best!"
Hinata charged Neji and let out a flurry of attacks, guards and counterattacks. For a moment it looked as though Hinata might be able to pull something off, but Neji forced her off balance with a guard and struck her with an uppercut to the jaw, sending her stumbling backwards.
After regaining her balance, Hinata charged in again but only to be met with a strike to the chest from Neji. Blood, mucus and bile spewed from her mouth as she collapsed to the ground. Neji just turned and looked at her.
"You're such a stubborn person," Neji told her. "Your attacks had no effect on me to begin with. It's over."
Neji turned and walked away.
Hayate walked over to her body lying on the floor.
"I'm going to assume that she cannot fight anymore…"
"Don't stop the match!" Naruto yelled.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"Don't stop the match," Naruto said.
"What are you talking about, baka!" Sakura asked. "She can't fight anymore, she…"
Sakura stopped when she saw Hinata getting up out of the corner of her eye. Everyone looked on astonished.
"Why did you stand up?" Neji asked stunned. "If you push yourself, you're really going to die."
When she didn't answer right away, he grew frustrated.
"Why?" He yelled.
She picked her head up and looked him square in the eyes. Something he saw in hers triggered a response.
"I can still…" She stumbled forward a little.
"Don't act tough," he told her. "You can barely stand. You carried the destiny of the Hyuuga family. You cursed your powerlessness and blamed yourself. However, people cannot change. That is destiny. You don't have to suffer. Let yourself go."
She closed her eyes and shook her head.
"You're wrong, Neji-nii-san," She told him. "You are suffering more than I am. You are the one who is confused and suffering inside the fate of the head and branch families."
Neji's anger swelled inside of him. He could dish out the psychological bullshit but he couldn't take it. He charged at Hinata.
"Neji-kun, the match is over," Hayate said.
Neji got closer to Hinata. His special eyes only focusing on a single person didn't see the three Jounin and the proctor making their way to stop him. When the dust settled, it was too late. He was already restrained.
Gai whispered something into Neji's ear.
"Why did the Jounin's come out?" Neji yelled. "Does the head family get special treatment?"
Hinata collapsed to the ground.
"Hinata!" Kurenai ran over to her.
"Hinata!" Naruto, Lee, and Sakura jumped down and rushed to her side. "Hinata-san!"
"Hinata!" Naruto yelled as he knelt down next to her. "Daijoubu ka? Oi!"
Hinata blinked at him and whispered something.
"Oi!" Neji called. "Failure."
Naruto turned to look at him.
"Let me warn you about two things," Neji said sternly. "If you're a shinobi, then stop the unsightly cheering for strangers. One more thing, a failure is a failure. They cannot change."
Naruto stood up and looked him square in the eyes.
"Do you want to try?"
Neji smirked at him. Naruto began to charge only to be cut off by Lee.
"Omae…" Naruto stopped.
"I understand how you are feeling, Naruto-kun," Lee told him. "But you should fight in a proper match. A failure will beat a genius with hard work. The main matches will be exciting, but I may be his opponent. I will hold no grudge if you were to match up against him."
Naruto seemed to listen to reason and visibly relaxed.
"Fine."
Lee gave Gai a thumbs up who returned the gesture.
Hinata coughed loudly spitting up more blood. Kurenai unzipped her jacket and felt her chest. After a moment, she turned and glared at Neji.
"If you have time to glare at me, I believe that time would be better spent looking at her."
"Medical Squad!" Kurenai yelled. "Hurry up!"
"Excuse us," one apologized as they came rushing in.
The medical squad hurried and placed Hinata on a stretcher and carried her out. Naruto watched as they took her out of the room. Naruto knelt down and drew his fingers through the puddle of blood, mucus and bile Hinata had left on the floor. He clenched his fist and pointed it at Neji; drops of the crimson liquid falling to the floor.
"Zettai katsu!"
Neji smirked at him before returning to the balcony. Kakashi and Sakura were able to corral Naruto and keep him a distance away from Neji. Ibiki came in with a broom and made a half-ass attempt to sweep up the blood.
Shikamaru ran through the list of remaining candidates in his mind. Lee, the Suna shinobi, the Oto shinobi, and…
"Oi, Chouji," he called his best friend. "You're in trouble. Only the strong people are left now. The Oto shinobi looks like he's the strongest from his village. I heard that Lee can fight on equal ground with Sasuke, and that Suna shinobi…"
Shikamaru paused, looking over at the guy in question.
"Guys like him are the most dangerous."
Chouji squatted down, holding on to the railing to maintain his balance.
"I don't care," he mumbled. "I'll just give up."
"But that means…" Asuma interrupted. "You won't be able to enjoy all-you-can-eat barbeque."
"But I want that!" Chouji whined.
Asuma stepped up and knelt down next to him.
"Don't worry," Asuma told him. "If things look bad, I'll stop the match like I did with Hinata's. You can eat expensive cow tongues or…"
'Actually, you weren't the one who stopped Hinata's match,' Shikamaru thought.
"Bar-be-que!" Chouji cheered. "Barbeque, here I come. All-you-can-eat!"
"We will now resume the matches," Hayate announced.
The electronic billboard went into its frenzy again.
Chouji let out a loud yell. "Safe!"
"Hey!" Ino said, slapping him in the head.
"Stop confusing us." Shikamaru dropped an elbow on his head.
Gaara vs. Rock Lee
"Hurry up and come down here," Gaara who had appeared in the center of the arena said.
Lee and Gai exchanged a few student/teacher words of advice before he leapt energetically into the arena.
"I'm very happy that I can fight you so early," Lee said.
Gaara pulled his cork from the gourd and threw it at Lee who caught it.
"Don't get so hasty," Lee told him dropping the cork to the ground.
"Now let the ninth match…" Hayate announced. "Begin."
Lee charged head on at Gaara. Sand began to creep out of the gourd and onto the floor.
"Konoha Senpuu," Lee said as he threw a spinning kick.
A wall of sand shot up in front of Gaara blocking Lee's kick. Lee landed and stepped back. The wall of sand grew higher and started to crash down on Lee like a wave. Lee flipped backwards and skidded to a stop a good distance from Gaara.
"Are wa…" Ino said.
"Suna?" Sakura finished her question.
Lee recomposed himself before charging in again. He threw a barrage of different attacks that were all guarded by the sand preventing any of them from hitting Gaara. Soon the sand went from guarding to attacking and Lee was forced to draw a kunai to help defend himself. Lee was being forced back and in his retreat from the sand, he threw two shuriken which more sand shot up to block.
"Lee-san's fast attacks aren't working at all," Sakura said.
"Is that it?" The red-haired Suna shinobi said. "Let me enjoy this a little more. There isn't enough blood."
The sand shot across the ground quickly and grabbed Lee's ankle as he tried to leap over it. The sand swung him around and threw him into one of the walls. Lee hit hard and fell to the ground. The sand rushed to attack him again. Lee noticed and quickly dodged to the right and charged in at Gaara one more time.
"Why is Lee only using taijutsu?" Sakura asked. "Winning at close combat is going to be tough. He needs to step back and use ninjutsu."
"It's not that he's not using ninjutsu. It's just that he can't use ninjutsu," Gai told her.
Lee tried to attack again but was unable to land a blow.
"Huh?"
"Lee has no talent for ninjutsu or genjutsu."
"Uso!" Sakura said.
"When I first met Lee," Gai continued. "He had no sense for anything. No talent at all."
"I…can't believe that." Sakura said.
Gaara sent his sand after Lee again. Lee flew into back handsprings to escape but some of the sand slipped under his foot, causing him to fall.
"Oi," Shikamaru let slip in a moment of worry.
Gaara's sand began to topple over Lee like a wave. Just when it looked like all was lost, Lee leapt from the ground doing back flips and landed on top of the giant statue's hands. Gaara and Lee stared at each other.
"It is true that ninja who can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu are rare," Gai said. "That's why the only thing left for him, if he was able to survive, was taijutsu, but that's why he can win."
"Huh?" Sakura was confused.
"Lee," Gai yelled sticking his hand out in a thumbs up. "Take 'em off!"
"Gai-sensei," Lee said as he saluted him. "But I thought that was only permitted when protecting many important people?"
"I don't care!" Gai told him, raising his thumbs up to Lee. "I'll allow it."
Lee slowly lowered his salute as realization sank in. He began giggling like a schoolgirl as he sat down and pulled down his leg warmers, revealing the hidden ankle weights.
"Are those…" Ino asked.
"Weights?" Shikamaru finished.
"What a primitive training method," Kakashi commented.
Lee held the weights out to the side as he stood back up.
"Yoshi!" Lee yelled. "I can move easier now!"
Lee released the weights and they fell at a constant rate to the floor, but as they struck the floor, the impact created two craters sending clouds of dust and debris upward until they almost reached Lee atop the statue. Everyone was shocked.
"Go, Lee!" Gai signaled him.
"Osu!" Lee pumped his fists.
Lee leapt off the statue and in the blink of an eye was in front of Gaara attacking him again. Each strike getting closer and closer to Gaara as the sand struggled to keep up with his pace. Even Gaara could not follow his movements. The look of surprise was evident on his face every time the sand moved to block one of Lee's attacks.
"He can't use any ninjutsu or genjutsu," Gai said. "And that is why we spent all our time on taijutsu. He worked hard and did everything for them. Although he cannot use any other techniques, he's a taijutsu combat specialist who won't lose to anyone."
Lee saw an opening and went for it. He flipped into the air and came down with a heel strike on top of Gaara's skull.
"Seishun wa!" Gai yelled spinning in a circle. "Bakuhatsu da!"
"Osu!" Lee screamed and you could literally see the fire in his eyes.
Lee charged in faster this time. Gaara tried to anticipate by throwing up a wall of sand which Lee dodged and came around attacking from various sides. The sand blocked a few attacks before Lee landed a punch right on his jaw, sending him flying.
"Incredible," was all Shikamaru could say.
"His attacks are fast," Ino said.
"I can't keep up with him with my eyes," Chouji said.
Gaara slowly stood up, more sand pouring out of his gourd. Sand was falling from his face. As he looked up, it looked like the sand had been caked onto his body and the punch had loosened it. Gaara held a wicked smile on his face.
"He's totally unharmed?" Shikamaru asked.
"Who is that guy?" Sakura asked.
The sand slowly came back up to cover Gaara's body. Gaara's visage changed to an expressionless one as the sand once again hardened around him.
"Is that all you've got?" Gaara asked Lee.
Lee looked up to Gai who nodded. Lee then began unwrapping the bandages around his arms leaving loose strands approximately half a meter in length.
"Prepare yourself," Lee said as he took off sprinting around Gaara at a very high rate of speed.
"Hurry up and come," Gaara said, growing impatient.
"As you wish." Lee said as he made his move.
He cut out of his circle and, before the sand could react, he kicked Gaara into the air from underneath. Gaara didn't fly as high as Lee needed so he kept kicking him higher and higher. The sand followed behind them at a slower pace. As Lee struck his last kick, he winced in pain, then spun around wrapping Gaara in his loose bandages before rocketing them to the ground.
"Omote Renge"
The impact made a huge crater as dust and debris flew everywhere. Even Hayate took a couple of steps back. Everyone looked on in awe as Lee leapt out of the crater. Gaara lay there with chunks of broken stone around him. The sand around his body was cracked all over.
"That," Lee said. "Should have hurt."
"Yoshi!" Gai yelled.
"Yatta!" Sakura cheered. "Lee-san won!"
"Oi," Shikamaru asked. "Did he die?"
Hayate walked over to Gaara's body when pieces of the sand armor began to fall off and crumble revealing nobody underneath.
"Nani?" Lee gasped.
"A shell made of sand," Sakura said.
Lee stared in disbelief as the rest of the sand crumbled. Behind him, a pile of sand rose from the ground revealing Gaara. Lee spun around at the sound of Gaara laughing. Gaara made a hand seal and sand began to fly at Lee who tried to guard and was thrown back. Lee struggled to get to his feet. Gaara sent a huge wave of sand in Lee's direction.
"Run!" Naruto screamed.
The sand picked Lee up and tossed him into a wall before delivering a crushing blow. A massive amount of sand shot in Lee's direction, causing a giant dust cloud on impact.
"Why isn't he dodging?" Sakura asked. "With Lee-san's speed he can dodge that easily."
"He can't," Gai said.
"That move he used, Renge," Kakashi told her. "Is a double edged sword."
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.
"Why do you think the Renge is considered a kinjutsu?" Kakashi said. "The amount of strain it causes on the body is unimaginable. His body hurts all over right now, so he can't move around."
"Oh, no!" Sakura said.
The sand began to peel back away from the wall, revealing Lee standing in a dent holding his guard. More sand came at him and he was able to dive and roll away as each strike that missed him tore up the floor.
"He can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu," Sakura said.
"He can only use taijutsu," Ino added.
"He can't win," Chouji said.
"At this rate, he's going to…" Shikamaru couldn't finish the sentence.
Gaara toyed with Lee some more, attacking him and sending him flying. Lee stood up to his feet and crossed his arms in front of him, attempting to guard his face. Lee took one look up at the balcony and smiled. He switched into his normal fighting stance.
"Don't try to fight anymore, Lee-san!" Sakura screamed. "You're going to die."
Gaara sent another sand attack at Lee but Lee moved in a blur around it. Gaara sent a barrage of sand attacks that Lee dodged easily.
"Lee is laughing even when he's cornered," Sakura said in disbelief.
"No," Gai told her. "Now we corner him. The Lotus in Konoha blooms twice."
"Blooms twice?" Sakura said. "Lee said that, too."
"Gai, did you…" Kakashi asked.
"It's just as you suspect," Gai told him.
"So that boy, a Genin, is capable of opening the inner gates of the Hachimon?" Kakashi asked. "And using the Ura Renge."
"Correct," Gai said.
"What a disaster," Kakashi said. "Gai, how many gates is he capable of opening?"
"Five."
"I have no intention of prying into what that boy means to you, and I won't tell you to leave personal affairs out of this," Kakashi told him. "But there is such a thing as a limit. I've lost faith in you, Gai."
Gai looked at him out of the corner of his eye.
"What…" Gai started. "…do you…" Gai sounded furious. "…know about him!"
Silence from Kakashi.
"He has something very important that he must protect," Gai told him. "Even if it costs him his life. I wanted to make him a man who could live up to his word."
Lee dodged a couple more attacks. When Gaara paused in his attack, Lee crossed his arms in front of his face again. The chakra he was releasing created a visible rift in the air shooting up from around him. His skin began to turn red as veins began to bulge out of his forehead. He threw his arms down by his side.
"Daisan Seimon, Kai!"
The floor beneath him buckled under the pressure of his chakra.
"Daiyon shoumon, Kai!"
The pressure grew to enormous proportions. Pieces of the floor were beginning to rise in the air. Lee bent his legs in preparation to charge. As he took off, the floor erupted underneath him. In an instant, he was kicking Gaara into the air. A plume of dust and debris filled the room. Everyone guarded their eyes.
Shikamaru tried to see anything when Gaara came rising out to the cloud.
"But I can't see Lee anywhere!" Ino exclaimed.
"Where is he?" Chouji asked.
Gaara's sand finally caught up to him in his descent. Lee appeared out of nowhere and hit Gaara, increasing his descent. Before he could hit the floor, Lee appeared behind him and knocked him back into the air. This continued on with Lee keeping Gaara from ever reaching the ground.
Shikamaru could catch glimpses of Lee as he jumped off various surfaces. Lee jumped off the ceiling and flew in to attack Gaara again.
"This is the end!" Lee yelled. "Daigo Morimon, Kai!"
Lee flew into Gaara landing rapid punches to his torso and finishing off with a solid punch that sent Gaara flying towards the ground. Lee grabbed a hold of Gaara's sash and pulled him back towards him. Lee let out a yell as he hit Gaara with a strong palm thrust.
"Ura Renge!"
What sounded like an explosion and another cloud blinded the onlookers.
'That was so fast, I couldn't see what happened,' Shikamaru thought.
Gaara came out of the bottom of the cloud and his gourd crumbled into sand just before impact. Another plume engulfed the arena. Lee tumbled to the ground, rolling to a stop.
As the cloud settled, Shikamaru gasped.
"What is that?" Ino asked.
The sand from Gaara's gourd cushioned Gaara's impact with the ground. He still looked worn out but he was able to move. Gaara reached a hand out towards Lee who was trying to get back onto his feet. The Ura Renge must have taken a lot out of him. Gaara's sand crept towards Lee who was struggling to make an escape. The sand wrapped around Lee's left arm and leg. Lee tried to pull away but the sand would not let go.
Sabaku Kyuu
The sand squeezed Lee's appendages until you could here the sound of bones cracking. Lee fell down and passed out. Gaara sent another wave of sand at Lee. Right when it was about to get Lee, Gai jumped down and turned away the sand with one blow.
"Why?" Gaara asked.
"Because…" Gai told him. "He's an important subordinate that I love."
Gaara stared at him for a moment with a blank look on his face. As he stood up, the sand began to form into the gourd on his back. He walked towards the balcony.
"I quit," he said.
"He quit…" Sakura said.
"The moment Gai went down there, Lee lost," Kakashi told her.
Hayate looked at Gaara walking away.
"Winner, Gaa…" He stopped when he saw Lee standing up out of the corner of his eye.
Everyone gasped. Gaara stopped walking and turned his head. Gai turned around to see Lee standing there battle-ready.
"This can't be…" Gai said. "Lee, mou ii. It's over. You don't need to stand…"
Gai stopped when he noticed something.
"Lee, omae…" Gai began to cry. "You're trying to prove your nindo even after you've lost consciousness."
Gai pulled Lee's unconscious body into an embrace.
"Winner, Gaara," Hayate announced.
"Lee-san!" Sakura exclaimed hopping up onto the rail.
"Sakura!" Kakashi stopped her. "Even if you go down there, what can you do?"
Sakura looked dejected.
"It's only going to be tougher on him if you try to cheer him up," Kakashi told her.
Gai laid Lee down on the floor. Naruto came running across the arena, sparing Gaara a glance as he passed him.
"Medical squad, please hurry," Hayate told them as they, too, approached.
"Gejimayu!" Naruto said as he looked down on Lee.
The medical squad quickly checked over Lee's body. One of them pulled Gai aside as the other two moved Lee to a stretcher. The medic who pulled Gai aside seemed to deliver some disparaging news. Naruto must have heard because he looked broken over it. The medic left Gai and walked away with the other two carrying Lee out of the arena.
"What's Gejimayu supposed to do if you tell him that?" Naruto screamed. "He said that a failure will beat a genius through hard work! Can't something be done…"
Kakashi appeared behind him and covered his mouth. "Calm down, Naruto."
Naruto threw Kakashi's hand away. "But, Kakashi-sensei, he wanted to fight Neji and Sasuke so badly!"
"That may have caused this unfortunate incident," Kakashi told him. "To make that dream come true, he used a self-damaging kinjutsu to try and win, and that is the result."
They stood there and watched until Lee was out of sight. Gai turned away[,] feeling sorry that he couldn't do any more for Lee. Gaara transported himself to the balcony. Kakashi patted Naruto on the shoulder and turned around to see Gai fighting agony. He took a few steps towards him but stopped.
"Gai," Kakashi called. "I was standing on a soap-box up there, but when I think about it if I were in your position, I would have done the same."
Kakashi saw no reaction from Gai. The electronic billboard was flashing the names of the last to contestants. He glanced back at Naruto who noticed and he turned back to Gai.
"Gai," Kakashi called a little harsher than before. "You're in the way of the next match. Let's go back up."
Gai whispered a response before all three made their way back up the stairs.
"Good luck!" Ino told Chouji.
"Remember your earplugs," Shikamaru told him.
Asuma bent over and whispered something into Chouji's ear, probably implanting images of a smorgasbord of meat.
Chouji made his way to the center of the arena looking, for the lack of a better term, motivated.
"The tenth and final match," Hayate announced. "Fighters, step forward."
Dosu Kinuta vs. Akimichi Chouji
"Now…" Hayate started. "Tenth match, begin."
"Ganbatte de yo!" Shikamaru cheered.
"Debu!" Ino shouted.
Chouji hated being called fat. A visible vein burst in his forehead. He mumbled something under his breath as he clenched his fists in anger.
"Then I'll finish this match without fooling around," Dosu told him. "O-debu-san!"
"Are you talking to me?" Chouji asked pissed off. "You bandaged imp!"
Ninpou Baika no Jutsu
"Konoha style taijutsu!" Chouji yelled as his body swelled and his appendages sucked into his body.
Nikudan Sensha
"Hurray for big boned people!" Chouji chanted as he spun into motion after Dosu.
"Yoshi, crush him, Chouji!" Ino cheered.
'That guy attacks with sound,' Shikamaru thought. 'So he doesn't have to make direct contact. But that's only if the ears are exposed. Chouji has his head sunk into his body, his earplugs in place, and is rotating at a high speed. How do you attack a ball of meat with sound?'
Dosu dodged Chouji's initial attack and kept a good distance, leading Chouji towards a wall. When it looked like Chouji had Dosu pinned, Dosu jumped out of the way, letting Chouji smash into the wall, making a huge hole in which Chouji, in his expanded state, became stuck. Dosu leapt at him and punched his swollen body.
"It's no use, I have earplugs in," Chouji told him.
"No, it's over for you," Dosu corrected as he flicked the device on his arm, sending shockwaves through Chouji's body.
Chouji screamed in pain as his technique dispelled, and he fell to the ground looking dizzy, disoriented and nauseous.
"Winner, Dosu Kinuta," Hayate announced taking pity on Chouji.
Dosu just turned and walked away now that the match was over.
The medical squad ran over to Chouji.
"Daijoubu ka, gaki?" One of the medics asked him.
"I want to eat meat," Chouji told them still a bit disoriented.
"The opponent went easy on him," Shikamaru said.
Ino sighed.
"He lost," Asuma said. "But I guess I can still treat him to barbeque."
Hayate coughed.
"That concludes the third exam's preliminary matches," Hayate said. "Would the winners of the matches please step forward."
"We'll go see if Chouji's alright," Asuma told Shikamaru. "You tell us what you find out."
Shikamaru grumbled. "How come I'm the only one who has to sit through lectures?"
Shikamaru walked down and stood in front of the small stage where Hayate was standing. Anko and Ibiki flanked Hayate on either side. The Hokage stood behind them on the stage. Shikamaru looked down the line of competitors. To his right were Neji and the quiet guy Shino. To his left were Gaara, Kankurou, Temari, Naruto and Dosu. He had a bad feeling about this whole thing.
'I'm going to end up working too hard.' Shikamaru sighed to himself. 'I just know it.'
"To those of you who have made it to the main matches of the Chuunin exam," Hayate looked over the genin. "Only one of you is not here at the moment, but congratulations."
"I will now begin the explanation of the main matches." The Hokage started. "The main matches will be shown in front of everyone. We wish that all of you will be able to show off your abilities as a representation of your country's power. Therefore, the main matches will begin in one month."
"We're not going to do it now?" Naruto asked.
"The month allows us the time to make preparations for the main matches." The Hokage answered calmly.
"What do you mean?" Neji asked.
"We're going to announce the matches to the Daimyo and the head shinobi of individual countries. Time is needed to arrange a means for everyone to gather for the main matches. This time can also be used as a time of preparation for you, the candidates."
"I still don't understand, explain," demanded Kankurou.
"You can use this time to know your opponent better and to know yourself better," the Hokage said. "It's a time to analyze the information you have gathered during the previous exams. The battles we had were just like real life combat. It was done where both parties knew nothing about each other."
'That's true,' Shikamaru thought. 'I didn't expect that guy to use sand as a weapon.'
"The main matches, however, will not be like that." The Hokage continued. "There are those of you who have revealed everything to your opponents. To make things fair, work hard and improve yourselves in the next month."
'Did he just say work hard?' Shikamaru thought. 'I knew it. What a pain!'
"Before we let you go, there is something we must do," the Hokage told them.
"What is it?" Naruto complained. "I have to hurry up and train."
"Don't get so hasty," the Hokage scolded. "Draw one piece from the box that Anko is holding."
"I'll walk to you, so take turns." She walked to Dosu first. "Just take one."
Dosu reached into the box and pulled out a piece of paper. Anko slid down to Naruto and continued down the line until everyone had drawn a piece of paper.
Shikamaru unfolded his and looked at it. 'Numbers?' He thought. 'Are we drawing for an order or something.'
"Yoshi, does everyone have one?" Ibiki called as he looked over the top of a clipboard. "Good, now tell me what number you have starting from the left."
"Hachi," Dosu called out.
"Ichi, dattebayo" Naruto mumbled.
"Nana," Temari said.
"Go," Kankurou grumbled.
"San," Gaara said flatly.
"Kyuu," Shikamaru drawled.
"Ni," Neji said.
"Roku," Shino said calmly.
"So he must be 'yon'," Ibiki said, writing something on the clipboard.
"Yes," the Hokage agreed. "We will now tell you the match-ups for the tournament."
"Ehh!" Naruto let out.
"That's what we drew for?" Shikamaru asked astonished.
"Ibiki," the Hokage said. "Show them the table."
"Hai," Ibiki said[,] turning the clipboard to face the Genin.
Everyone looked at the piece of paper.
Shikamaru quickly found his name at the far right. 'I actually have an extra match,' Shikamaru thought. 'It's against that Dosu guy, but I don't really want to avenge Chouji.'
"I have a question," Shikamaru raised his hand.
"Okay," the Hokage mused.
"If it's a tournament, that means there's only one winner, right?" Shikamaru asked. "Does that mean that only one person can become Chuunin?"
"No," the Hokage said. "That's not how it works. The main matches will have judges including myself, the Kazekage, the Daimyo as well as the head shinobi from other countries who will be potential clients. These judges will watch and grade you as you fight in the tournament, and those of you who are qualified to become Chuunin, even if you lose the first round, will become Chuunin."
"So there is a possibility that everyone here can become Chuunin?" Temari asked.
"Yes, but…" the Hokage countered. "That also means there is a possibility that none of you will become Chuunin. Winning your matches in the tournament means you will have more chances to show off your skills. Understand, Shikamaru-kun."
'Damn it,' Shikamaru thought. 'How come I'm the only one to get pointed out. This whole thing is troublesome.' Shikamaru looked down the line to where Dosu was standing. He seemed to be lost in thought about something other than the exam. If Shikamaru beat him, he would have to face…
Shikamaru shifted his gaze from the Oto shinobi to the Suna kunoichi a couple spots over. She seemed to be judging Dosu the same way he was a minute ago. She turned around and looked right at Shikamaru. His look reeked of 'why the fuck am I still here'. She gave Shikamaru a funny look and twisted her lips in thought before furrowing her brow and returning to Dosu.
'Hmph,' Shikamaru thought. 'She just wrote me off, troublesome woman.'
"That is all," the Hokage announced. "We are adjourned till next month."
Naruto made a bee-line for the exit. Everyone else just turned around and slowly began to walk away. Shino and Shikamaru were the last ones to file through the door.
'Asuma said they were going to visit Chouji,' Shikamaru thought as he looked down the hallway he had seen the medics carry him.
Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders and began to walk that way.
"This way is faster." A calm voice behind him startled Shikamaru.
He turned around and saw Shino. Shikamaru looked at him quizzically.
"You're going to the infirmary," Shino pointed out. "One of my bugs told me this way is quicker." Shino raised a finger and pointed down an adjacent hallway.
'How did this guy know that's were I was going?' Shikamaru thought.
"Asuma-sensei and Kurenai-sensei are waiting outside the infirmary as the injured are recuperating. My bug tells me he detects high levels of pheromones coming from that area."
"You don't think our senseis are…" Shikamaru started but didn't finish.
"It's a definite possibility," Shino said calmly.
A/N: I know the last few chapters have been cannon heavy, but it was necessary to progress the story. The next chapter will contain more original stuff. Thank You.