Next chapter of Shinobi of Destiny. The Preliminary fights continue as the numbers dwindle down. Each participant being tested to their limit against one another to see who would advance to the third stage of the Chunin Exams and the mysterious Saito reveals himself.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
"So they aren't wasting any time with this." The hunched over bandaged figure said standing across from a Veiled Ninja as the Second match was about to begin. "Well, I'll end this quick."
"Begin!" Hayate ordered as the fight began and the opposition charged him.
"A strike to victory!" The masked Leaf Genin shouted swinging his fist at The bandaged Sound Nin who dodged it.
Dosu Kinuta was facing Kabuto's teammate Tsurugu Misumi in the second match of the Chunin Exams.
Dosu avoided his strikes and blocked an attack with the side of his right arm.
"You'll need more than Taijutsu to beat me." He said to the glasses wearing ninja who smirked under his veil.
Suddenly his arm began to twist and turn and ensnared around Dosu's arm surprising him. The ninja then used his legs to wrap around Dosu from behind and keep him from moving and then wrapped his other arm around his neck.
"Using my chakra, I can dislocate the bones and joints in my body and twist and turn my limbs in any form and direction I please." Tsurugu said to him. "You should've known I planned something more than just Taijutsu, a fool you are for underestimating my power!" He said as he applied pressure around his neck and Dosu grunted.
"Look's like that Sound Nin is going to be out." Naruto said looking on with Hanbei and the others. "That guy gets you it's over."
"Have you forgotten already what he did back in The Forest Naruto?" Sasuke asked him and looked at him. "He's not defeated it, he wanted him to get close and in that position." He said to him and the others and it dawned on them.
"His gauntlet!" Motochika said and remembered how he smashed a tree into pieces with it.
"If you don't want to hear the snapping sound of your neck being broken I advise you surrender!" Tsurugu shouted at the trapped Sound Nin.
"You think I will die to a mere technique?" Dosu asked him despite the pressure that was being applied.
"Wanna bet!" Tsurugu said and applied more pressure attempting to twist the neck. Dosu suddenly began laughing. "What's so funny, have you found a good joke to tell before you die?"
Dosu didn't say anything and suddenly a ringing noise could be heard. First it started small but then it continued to grow louder and louder as the onlookers wondered where it could be coming from.
"Where's that sound coming from?" Misumi asked as it was starting to irritate him and he loosened his grip.
"This nifty device I have is perfect for putting down weak arrogant fools like yourself." Dosu said as he raised his Melody Arm up and let loose a powerful burst of Sound from it Tsurugu screamed in pain and let go of him clutching at his ears. The Genin's glasses cracked and he removed his veil and threw up suddenly.
"Now to end this!" Dosu shouted and threw a fist which connected with his face and his gauntlet activated again sending sound waves into him. Blood poured out of Tsurugu's nose and mouth and he fell unconscious.
"The winner is, Dosu Kinuta." Hayate announced as the bandaged Nin stared at the fallen Misumi with disdain.
"That guy's going to be tough." Naruto said watching from the stands. "He doesn't even have to hit you to infect you with that darn Gauntlet."
"Yeah, I'll be at a major disadvantage if I ever fight him." Motochika responded.
Dosu returned to where the Sound Nins where at in the stands.
"Good job Dosu." Kin said to him.
"Hardly worth the effort. I expect both of you to perform as well as I did." He replied to her and Zaku and look over at the Male Sound Jonin who wasn't even looking at him his attention on the other side of the room where the Leaf nins where at.
(Our job was to pass the stage and get Sasuke wasn't that right Lord Orochimaru? But no, now I see our true purpose. It wasn't Sasuke's life you wanted, it was his body you wanted.) Dosu thought glaring at him as he had realized the deception. (You wanted the Uchiha. You want his special ability. And to test him you used us as bait the way a hunter uses a goat to lure tigers in. I don't know the purpose of the other boy yet but I'm certain it would involve in our deaths. You've used all three of us from the beginning and played us for puppets.) He thought as he realized all that had happened was just to test Sasuke and the man would care less if they had died in the process.
(You played us for fools even me. Well, Orochimaru-sa- or rather Orochimaru, you'll see that I'm more than a mere pawn on the chessboard you can discard whenever you please.)
At that, the next fight of the preliminaries began as two more names where chosen.
Sasuke Uchiha vs. Kiba Inuzuka
"It's finally my turn." Sasuke said and leapt down over the railing onto the floor landing with cool precision.
"Sasuke's already thinks he's won of course." Naruto said dryly looking on as his opponent who was Kurenai's student also leapt down to the ground carrying his dog in his jacket.
"Go Sasuke-kun!" Ino Yamanaka shouted cheering him on much to Sakura's annoyance.
Sasuke and Kiba walked towards the center of the room and stopped and looked at one another.
"I've always wanted to see if you're more than just a bunch of hype, once I kick your ass we'll see who's the true prodigy of Konoha." Kiba said to him with a grin and his dog Akamaru by his side barked in agreement.
"Heh, dogs are nothing more than wolves that lost their fangs." Sasuke replied to him.
Looking on The Jonin of The Sound Trio licked his lips eager to see the boy's ability.
"Begin!" Hayate shouted signaling the beginning of the fight.
"Akamaru, it's chow time!" Kiba shouted and threw a soldier pill at Akamaru who leapt up and caught and ate it. The dog then transformed into a second Kiba and the two stood together side by side.
"Take this!" Kiba shouted and they attacked him at the same time. Sasuke blocked and dodged their attacks and leapt back and somersaulting prepared hand symbols.
"Fire style: Phoenix Stream!" He shouted and threw several small fireballs at them who dodged them. The two went at him from the side and attacked and Sasuke quickly did a Kawarami to avoid them.
They charged him again attacking him and Sasuke dodged and blocked but was hit low by Akamaru and punched backwards by Kiba and then the two leapt up and delivered two solid kicks to his chest knocking him backwards but recovered before he hit the ground and cart wheeled and backflipped away.
"Fire Style: Grand Fireball!" Sasuke said performing more hand seals and taking a deep breath fired a large fireball from his mouth at them both. The two leapt to the side having to split apart. Sasuke charged Akamaru and attacked him and overwhelmed him driving him back.
"Hang on boy!" Kiba shouted running towards his companion and leapt to attack Sasuke, Sasuke disappeared showing great speed and Kiba landed next to Akamaru. He turned and looked up and saw Sasuke in the air preparing another Jutsu.
"Fireball Jutsu!" He shouted and threw another fireball at them which hit. He landed and looked on and saw them when the dust cleared and aside from a few burns showed no signs of major injury on either of them.
"Tch, damn it you asked for it!" Kiba shouted and they charged him and leapt. "Gatsuuga!" He shouted and they began spinning a ball of claws at Sasuke. Sasuke dodged it and they did it again and he dodged it.
"Sasuke's got his Sharingan activated now." Kakashi said looking on sensing it. "He's now able to read that attack and know how to block and counter it now."
"He's at the top of his game." Naruto said as well as they watched on.
Indeed, his eyes had changed to his Sharingan now as he avoided the attack again and again with Kiba unable to land a hit on him.
After several attempts Kiba and Akamaru stopped both clearly tired and Kiba wiped the sweat from his brow.
"If an attack doesn't work the first time, you shouldn't keep on doing it a dozen more times in hopes it will work that time." Sasuke said to him a taunting smirk on his face.
"Why you…! Let's take him down boy!" Kiba shouted and they both took a soldier pill and recovering charged him intent on bringing him down. Sasuke his Sharingan still on dodged their attacks and blows as they worked together.
Sasuke leapt and kicked Kiba in the face and prepared a Jutsu to finish it.
"Ah, Akamaru do it!" He shouted and Akamaru turned back into a dog and appeared in front of Sasuke.
To Sasuke's disgust, a strain of yellow liquid narrowly would've hit him if he hadn't moved in time.
Kiba took that chance to kip up and did a Gatsuuga by himself and hit Sasuke, not at full power if he had done it with Akamaru but still enough to stun him and knock him back.
"Ha! Looks like the tables have turned!" He said with a laugh feeling confident as Akamaru howled.
Sasuke wiped his jaw a bit annoyed and decided it was time to end it. He got set and ready as they prepared to attack again.
"You lose! Gatsuuga!" Kiba shouted as they had cornered him and they got ready to attack.
Before they could Sasuke suddenly reached towards a pocket in his shorts and pulled out a small bomb. He then threw it into the ground and it exploded as smoke and the smell of pepper filled the room.
"Ah, what the hell?" Kiba shouted coughing and trying to clear his throat from the smoke. He looked around and saw that Sasuke wasn't there as smoke covered the area thicker than fog. "Sniff him out boy!" He ordered but Akamaru was unable too and seemed to be confused as well. He sniffed but could only smell pepper and smoke as it was messing with his nose and left him unable to detect a thing.
Looking on and remembering from his fight with Zabuza, Kakashi knew the outcome was not in doubt now.
Kiba suddenly heard Akamaru yelp and turned and saw him turned back to his dog form unconscious. He then saw Sasuke appear in front of him.
"It's over!" Sasuke shouted and dropping low delivered a hard kick to Kiba's jaw and sent him flying into the air.
Sasuke having copied Rock Lee's movements from before, appeared behind him and prepared to finish him off.
"Shishi Rendan!" He shouted and performed the combo onto him finishing up with a hard kick across his chest knocking him downwards and onto the ground with full force.
Sasuke stood up and overlooked the fallen boy. "And that makes me the winner." He announced as his eyes turned back to normal.
"The winner is Sasuke Uchiha." Hayate announced
"Figured he would've advanced." Naruto said. "And he won pretty easily as he didn't have any real trouble with him."
"Sasuke-kun will be tough to beat." Sakura said as he made his way back up. "Hard to top that performance."
Naruto smirked at her. "Oh yeah? Wait till you see me in action. I'll win and be even more impressive than him." He said to the pink haired girl.
"I'd like to see that." She replied with a smile.
Sasuke joined up with them and the others and ignored Ino's cheering.
"He was just a warmup, the next person I fight even you Naruto should be a more interesting challenge. I'm hoping that you in fact surprise me and pass this round." He said to them.
"You can bet on that." Naruto said as the rivals stared at one another.
Across the room The Sound Jonin grinned pleased with what he saw. Even if he didn't have what he had intended to give him he still had found exactly what he wanted and the boy was as strong as he had hoped. Now all he needed to do was wait for another opportunity.
Looking over at Hanbei who was reaching towards his neck he noted his amber eyes but didn't think much of them. The boy may have survived but he doubted he would get any real use out of him.
Bringing his hands up and forming a symbol he disappeared in a poof of smoke.
He had seen all he had wanted to see…
"Not even wondering how the rest shall perform." Guren muttered standing next to her team. "Don't be outdone by the Uchiha, show them all the might of Otogakure!" She said to the remaining four Sound nins who had yet to go as Kiba was stretchered out.
"We will now take a fifteen minute break." Hayate announced to them.
Hanbei was in the restroom and washing his face and cleaning up reached towards his neck and felt a throb as the seal on him was hurting him but he was going through it gritting his teeth and ignoring it despite the fact it would bring an ordinary ninja to his knees with the way it throbbed.
(Naruto, I don't want you involved with this.) He thought to himself as he knew Naruto if he found out it was hurting him would tell everyone and demand a way for it to be taken off.
The last thing he wanted was for him to know what it was doing to him.
(I'll use it.) He thought to himself and felt another throb of pain from it. (If I can master this Seal that man meant to give Sasuke, then maybe I can use its power to help find the answers that I've been searching for.)
"Hanbei!" A voice said and he turned and saw Motochika walking towards him.
"Me and you have got to pass to the next round." He said to him and Hanbei looked at him. "Jun's already made it so let's all three of us pass through to the next round."
"All of us go to the third stage?" He said to him.
"Yeah, it'd be great if we did that and Sensei would be proud of us. Let's promise that we both will win our match and head to the next round together with Jun." He said and held out his hand.
"Alright, I promise I'll win." Hanbei said and shook his hand.
"You'll know I'll win." Motochika said to him and exited the bathroom to head back to the arena.
Hanbei watched him go and thought back to the argument they had had in the Forest.
Later at the Arena Hayate announced that the next match would be determined.
The remaining sixteen watched on to see which two would be the next ones chosen to face each other.
The screen stopped and revealed two names.
Motochika Osaka vs. Saito
"Yes!" Motochika shouted excited that his name had been chosen. "It's about time my turn has come!" He said barely able to control his excitement.
"Go get them!" Rock Lee shouted giving him encouragement as he made his way down.
Motochika made his way down the stairs and stood across his opponent. The blind and muted Sound Nin Saito who slowly stood across from him.
"How's a ninja who's blind and can't talk suppose to fight?" Naruto asked not understanding why the red wearing Sound Ninja who had his eyes covered with bandages and a hooded veil was still in the exams.
"Many a ninja has fought with a type of handicap before Naruto and proven to be extremely dangerous." Kakashi said to him. "Do not underestimate your opponent cause because he has what appears to be a disadvantage."
Tayuya looking on with the other Sound Ninjas scoffed at the matchup.
"The idiot, he doesn't stand a hell of a chance against him." She muttered looking on.
"Nothing personal but I'm planning on winning." Motochika said to his silent foe.
"Are the competitors ready?" Hayate asked.
Motochika nodded as Saito stood there.
"Begin!"
Motochika got his wooden staff out and twirled it and charged him and went to hit him with it upside the head. To his surprise Saito blocked it before it came into contact with him.
Motochika spun his wooden staff and attacked again but found his hits missing against him as Saito dodged and blocked his attacks. The weapon expert planted his staff down and leapt up using it as momentum to kick him in the chest but he sidestepped the attack. Saito then went low and sweeped him off his feet stunning him and then lifted his leg up raising past his own head and slammed it down, Motochika narrowly rolled out of the way as the foot smashed through the concrete leaving cracks in the floor.
Motochika got up and spinning his staff charged him and swung at him but Saito blocked it with one hand catching the blow and then using his free hand brought it up and broke the wooden weapon in two surprising Motochika.
Improvising Motochika got the two pieces and spun them together in both hands and lashed at him with them. Saito dodged them and leapt backwards and Motochika threw them at him and he casually brought his hands up and blocked them.
"Damn! He's good…" Motochika said as he didn't expect someone in his state to read his attacks like that.
"Is he using chakra of some sorts to do all that?" Naruto asked his sensei.
"He's using his other senses," Kakashi explained. "They say that some ninjas can channel the ability to send chakra to their other senses and increase them, such as hearing, smell, and feeling. This ninja although he lacks the ability to see and speak used chakra to make it so he knows what his opponent his doing and how to counter it. Like the way a bat uses sonar to know its surroundings' for example. A radar you can call it he is using."
Naruto looked at him and back at the arena as he watched on.
Motochika did hand symbols and summoned multiple shuriken and then threw them at him. The blind mute dodged them with little trouble and parried an attempted sneak attack by him.
"That idiot doesn't stand a chance, he's not even trying." Tayuya muttered looking on. If her teammate was in fact trying, the Leaf Nin would've been dead before it even started.
Motochika getting a summon scroll out summoned a pair of Tonfas and charged him and attacked again. Saito dodged and evaded the attacks and when he went up high for an attack dropped low and delivered a series of quick blows to his stomach and chest and then followed it up with a spin kick to his head sending him rolling across the floor.
"Motochika is outmatched." Kojiro said to Hanbei and Jun. "He should yield as this opponent is too strong for him. If he doesn't he will be broken by him." The sensei of Team 9 said looking on.
"Motochika won't give up, that's not his style. He's not going to surrender to an opponent no matter how strong they are." Hanbei said to him as Motochika slowly got up.
"If he doesn't he will suffer a devastating defeat." Jun said to him.
Hanbei looked at her and back at the arena as Motochika had gotten up.
"This guy's tough." Motochika said and wiped a bit of blood off of his mouth as Saito stood there his arms folded across his chest not saying a thing.
"Can you no longer continue?" Hayate asked him as he would end it if he couldn't go on.
"Timeout!" Motochika said suddenly surprising the onlookers. "Let me get rid of some additional weight." He said and reached towards the vest he had on. He slipped it off his shoulders and it feel to the ground with a loud thud, he then reached down towards the boots he was wearing and undoing them took them off as well and then reached towards his arms and removed a pair of bracelets on his arms and dropped them.
Kojiro looking on caught on to what he was doing.
"Weighted clothing, he was wearing weighted clothing this entire time!" He said to them. "Ever since your training with Awa he's been doing so to train himself!"
"Feel a lot lighter now." He said and stretched a bit. "That should give me a bit of an edge." He said smirking.
"Hmph, I didn't expect him to use it like that. Now things might get interesting." Kakashi said to them.
Motochika suddenly rushed him going twice as fast as he had gone before surprising Saito and threw a punch at him which narrowly missed. He then followed it up with a kick and again came close to hitting him catching him off guard. His attacks going at a faster pace had caught him off guard as he hadn't expected him to be holding back.
Motochika leapt up and threw Kunai at him at a rapid pace and he dodged the thrown weapons at him. Motochika dashed towards him and attacked with his tonfas and he was driving him back and keeping him off balance as his movements where harder to read now since he was going so quick.
"Yeah! Get him!" Naruto shouted cheering him on as Motochika kept it up.
"This battle isn't over yet." Kojiro said to them. "Even though he's faster and quicker he has yet to land a clear hit on him. This means nothing if he cannot damage his opponent."
"But he's winning ain't he?" Hanbei asked him.
Kojiro didn't answer as he watched on.
Motochika flipped through the air and attacked from above keeping Saito off balance as the Blind Sound Nin was on the defensive and unable to counter his attacks like before.
Suddenly Saito stopped and clutched at his chest and a coughing noise came from him as it seemed to be he was in pain
"Take this!" Motochika shouted taking the open opportunity and charging him got right next to him and uppercutted him with his right Tonfa knocking him into the air surprising the Sound Nins. He then leapt up and pulling out a scroll dismissed his current weapons and got out his Hook Swords.
He grasped him by the shoulders with them and then with all his might threw him downwards slamming hard into the stone floor sending a cloud of smoke up into the air with debris.
"He got him!" Hanbei exclaimed as Motochika landed on his feet.
"Take that you bunch of weirdoes!" Naruto shouted over at the Sound Nins smirking cockily.
Tayuya glared at him hard and he was lucky looks couldn't kill or else he'd be dead.
"This is just now getting started." Guren said looking on as Yukimaru looked on concerned.
Motochika smirked and turned to Hayate as the smoke cleared. "Ready to announce me the winner?" He asked.
He turned and saw to his surprise Saito standing up. The Blind Mute was standing there on his feet.
"I don't know how you are still conscious, but one more hit should put you down." Motochika said and got into a fighting stance.
"Oh man, now he's pissed." Tayuya said as she felt the killing intent rising from him.
Saito reached up towards his face and reaching inside his veil tore something off of his face. He then dropped his hand and revealed the bandages he had worn which surprised Motochika and the others.
He then reached towards his outfit and grabbing it pulled it off discarding it and revealing himself.
"What the?" Motochika said in disbelief at what stood before him.
A white haired ninja of fifteen years of age with cold Green eyes wearing a white outfit with a purple bow around his waist stood across from him.
What was most noticeable about him was the two red dots on his forehead.
"That guy wasn't blind at all?" Naruto said in shock looking on as he didn't expect that.
Kakashi's focus was on the red dots he had. (That's…That's the symbol of the Kaguya clan! But how, they where wiped out years ago.) He thought to himself as they where destroyed years ago in Kirigakure or so it was believed as the barbaric clan was wiped out in a failed coup. (To think Sound has one of those fierce warriors as their ninjas.)
Kojiro also saw the danger Motochika was now in.
"Motochika surrender!" He shouted to him surprising the boy and his teammates. "He's too powerful to fight one on one, surrender now!" He called out to him.
Motochika looked at him confused not understanding but clutched his hook swords.
"I don't know why you had yourself covered when you can see and probably talk as well. But that doesn't mean I'll drop out!" He shouted and charged him his swords ready to take him down.
"NO!" Kojiro shouted looking on.
It happened in an instant, too fast for almost any of them to catch what happened but the next thing that was seen was a pair of blades hitting the ground.
Motochika looked on his face a mixture of agony and stun shock as a cry of pain escaped him as slowly it was revealed that the young ninja had a bone like blade impaling him through his abdomen. What was even more shocking was the fact that the bone was coming from Saito's wrist, having shot out and run him through.
"Shikotsumyaku, the bloodline of the Kaguya clan." Kakashi muttered as his team and the others looked on shocked at what had just happened.
The bloody bone was retracted from his body and back into the emotionless figure's wrist. That being the only thing keeping him up Motochika fell backwards as his eyes rolled back into his head.
Before he hit he was caught by Kojiro appearing suddenly catching the boy before he hit the ground.
"The winner is-" Hayate started to say when he was interrupted.
"Kimimaro, Kimimaro Kaguya." The stoic ninja said revealing his true self and not giving them a glance walked backed up the stands.
"Motochika…" Hanbei said as he headed down as well with Jun to check on him who was in his sensei's arms. A group of men came with the stretcher and one performed a Jutsu on him.
"That'll stabilize the wound and stop the bleeding. If we can get him to a hospital and get that cleaned and fixed, he should live. Though a scar will be there most likely for the remainder of his life from it." One said to him as Kojiro gently placed him on the stretcher.
Hanbei watched as they began to carry him out.
"H-Hanbei!" Motochika called out weakly surprising him and he walked towards him the stretcher stopping. Motochika struggled to open his eyes and slowly smiled at him.
"Looks like…I broke our…promise. Sorry that I…didn't win." He said to him.
"Yeah, looks like we all won't be making it through." He responded to him and looked at him. "Back in the forest, I'm sorry about what happened, when I snapped at you when you tried to help." He said to him recalling what had happened earlier.
"It's all in the past." Motochika replied and winced in pain. "Good luck…Hanbei." He said and slipped into unconsciousness.
Hanbei watched him go as his journey to become Chunin had come to an end.
A/N: That's it for this chapter, review please.