{{ What have I become
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know goes away
In the end
And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt

~Hurt by Johnny Cash }}

A/N: Wheeeeeeeeeee~

*ehem* Just had to get that out of my system. Yes, I'm very excited about this chapter! And I also wanted you to pardon my strange sense of humor. If you think I'm weird, it's probably because it's true. And if you don't even notice my strange little jokes, well….how disappointing. Besides that, I hope you enjoy…-laughs- and yes, I made up last names for Haku and Karin, because….well, just because.

If you run across an unfamiliar jutsu, there's a list at the bottom. X)

Last but not least, a few reviewers have been asking for omakes. So, if you'd like to see omakes, submit a few things you'd like to see. I'm not funny enough to make them myself without spending a lot of time thinking them up. So….send me an idea, and I'll do my best to write it. –evil chuckle- I look forward to seeing your creativity…and writing strange things.

Chapter 20: Chuunin Exams Pt. 2

Naruto quickly calculated his next move. Baffling, but undetectable. He repeated the mantra over and over in his head, trying to come up with a plan before Sakura made the first move.

A smirk settled over his face. Perfect. Everyone inside the arena felt a sudden chill, and the air itself began to grow heavy. An invisible maelstrom began to gather around Naruto as he drew in the Nature Chakra, preparing himself for a large jutsu that could possibly cause damage to himself. He knew what he would do, and it was something that needed to be done….if only for Sakura's sake.

Meshing all his fingers together, arms at a ninety degree angle, Naruto formed a seal that not one person in all the spectators had ever seen before.

Even Shikamaru couldn't understand what was happening, but he knew one thing for sure: whatever jutsu Naruto was preparing, he sure wouldn't want to be on the end of it.

The ground trembled as Naruto pulled more and more Nature Chakra towards himself. The more of his own chakra that he used, the more dangerous this jutsu was. He was pulling the chakra from the Earth itself in an attempt to preserve his own. Finally feeling as if he had absorbed enough, he whispered mentally, through the seals, *Ninpo: Metsubou.*

The shinobi sensitive to chakra all felt as if they'd been punched in the gut. Karin, being a sensory type, looked a little green. The wave of nature chakra, invisible to everyone but Naruto, crashed into Sakura. The girl had no defense to speak of, and was helpless against the imperceptible attack. Naruto opened his mind and let just the smallest amount of his suffering loose…

Sakura looked around in fear, finding herself engulfed in utter darkness. The sound of voices reached her ears, and a dim light slow stretched towards her, lighting up the surrounding area. Dank and grimy, she realized she was in an alley. A mob surrounded someone, cursing and yelling. "Die, demon!" "Useless piece of scum!" "Why is it still alive?" "That monster…it shouldn't be allowed to roam the streets freely!" The whispers reached Sakura's ears and she cringed, feeling a sudden intense pain and smoldering anger. When she laid eyes upon the person being tormented, it all came rushing back to her. She'd been fighting Naruto. That meant….this was his Genjutsu? She tried her best to dispel it, shouting "Kai!" for all she was worth. Nothing seemed to work.

/You can't escape, child./ A voice startled Sakura, seeming to come from outside the Genjutsu. /Watch, and feel. Feel the same anguish that Naruto does. Maybe then you will understand. Perhaps then, you will lose your naïve principles./

Sakura stared in shock at the small boy, who was quite obviously a younger version of Naruto. He was whimpering and crying, but the mob just laughed and jeered. Bruises littered his face, and he looked scared, thin, and ragged. She watched, horrified, as the crowd descended on the small boy and began to beat him to a bloody pulp. Hours later, the crowd left. Naruto was curled into a ball, tears and blood streaming down his gaunt face. Sakura's heart nearly broke when she heard him croak, "No….Don't leave me alone…"

The scene switched; this time, Naruto was standing outside a store, sprawled onto the ground as if he'd just been thrown out. People were gathered around, whispering and glaring at the blonde boy. "Don't come back, demon. You're a waste of air!" Something was thrown and Naruto, and it struck him with a loud thwack. Sakura's eyes widened in repulsion when she saw it was a rock. Blood trickled down Naruto's scalp, and he had to close his left eye to keep the blood out. He looked miserable, sitting there bleeding in the street. No one made a move to help him out; a few people in the crowd even laughed. Naruto's shoulders hunched inwards and his head drooped. Gathering what little dignity he had left, he stood and hobbled away from the store, and the crowd with eyes full of hate.

Another memory—for Sakura now understood that this was no ordinary Genjutsu, it was Naruto's memories—surfaced. The fact that she was in this one shocked her to the core. "Sasuke-kuuuun!" she heard a younger Sakura squeal. She recognized this day. It was the first day they'd entered the Academy. She watched in shock as the memory unfolded. This time around, though, she could hear Naruto's thoughts and feelings.

"My name is Haruno Sakura, Sasuke-kun! Can we have lunch together?" The younger Sakura batted her eyes and spoke in what she believed to be a cutesy voice.

"No." Sasuke replied. "I'd rather not." He spoke politely instead of coldly, and Sakura realized with a pang that this was before the Uchiha Massacre had taken place.

Naruto, sitting on Sasuke's far side, smiled at her in a friendly way. "Hi Sakura-chan! My name is Uzumaki Naruto! If you'd like, I'll eat lunch with you!" 'Sakura-chan is really pretty! I hope we can be friends! She seems really nice. Maybe….maybe she's different than everyone else.'

Sakura's eyes watered. She knew what was coming up next… "Okay, Sasuke-kun! Maybe another time." She completely ignored Naruto and returned to her seat next to Hinata.

A crushing wave of sadness filled her heart, and she saw Naruto fighting back tears. Even worse, not a single person in the classroom noticed, not even Sasuke, who was sitting right beside Naruto. 'She's just the same as everyone else. I shouldn't have hoped; I know better. Why…why am I all alone? Why do I exist, if they all look right through me? It hurts…..'

Sakura was sobbing by this point, feeling every pinprick of the agony Naruto felt. She couldn't believe Naruto had felt like this over something she didn't even remember doing, and had never apologized for.

A flurry of scenes passed by: Naruto receiving repeated beatings, being mocked by the villagers and his classmates, and most painful of all, being completely ignored. Every passing scene was like a stab to Sakura's heart. Had he felt this way all along? Was he really all alone? What would she be like now if she had been treated like this? Naruto showed nothing of his current life, but instead chose their Academy years to prove his point. She saw every little painful detail of how badly her friends and classmates had treated him. The memories sped up in a crescendo: scornful laughter and Naruto's grief-stricken crying the soundtrack. Covering her ears and sobbing hysterically, Sakura screamed in pain. 'Make it end….Naruto! Make it end…..'

As if comprehending she'd had enough, Naruto pulled his memories back into himself. His face was blank and expressionless.

From a spectator's point of view, all of this had taken place within a span of about five seconds. Naruto had performed some large, unseen jutsu, Sakura had fallen to the floor screaming and crying, and the pink-haired girl had passed out. Naruto watched coldly, eyes flat.

Everyone stared in amazement, having no clues as to what had just happened. Kiba broke the silence. Wide-eyed, he blurted, "Holy crap! What just happened?" Murmurs broke out through the Genin and Jounin watching, and even Naruto's own team looked baffled as to what had just happened.

"Haruno-san is no longer fit to fight. The winner is Uzumaki Naruto." Hayate said, somewhat pointlessly.

Naruto wordlessly walked up the stairs to join his team, watching Kakashi hurry to Sakura's side. The Jounin sensei knelt down to examine his student, but found no perceptible injuries. "What did you do to her, Naruto?" Kakashi questioned, glaring at Naruto. "She isn't waking up."

Naruto didn't answer as he stared coldly at Kakashi. Those eyes….even his father's student looked at him like that. He hated it.

Ino broke out of her stupor. "Hey, leave him alone! Naruto won the match, and Sakura's not injured. End of story." Sasuke's eyes were locked onto Naruto, intense. Naruto ignored both of his teammates, a little too upset to do anything at this moment. The things he'd shown Sakura still hurt.

*Good fight. Congratulations on the win.* A toneless voice spoke to Naruto via the seal.

Naruto smiled across the room at Gaara, feeling an immense surge of gratitude towards the redhead. Gaara didn't know what he had done either, but took everything in stride calmly and rationally. *Thank you. My clones were working on your seal all day. By the time we're done here, it should be ready.*

*Understood.* their conversation ceased, but Naruto was glad he'd given Gaara the seal. It was nice to talk to someone who just accepted you and didn't ask questions.

The medics arrived to carry Sakura off, and with a heated glare aimed at Naruto, Kiba left with them.

Shikamaru was frantically trying to piece together what he'd just seen, but he didn't have enough information to reach a conclusion. This was…troublesome.

Kurenai-sensei patted Naruto's back as he reached his team. With a concerned look, she asked, "What kind of jutsu was that, Naruto?"

*A psychological attack. She'll wake up in a few hours.* Naruto replied simply.

To an outside observer, it appeared as if Naruto had ignored his sensei and not answered her question. Many frowned at his behavior, but Naruto didn't even care. They could glare all they liked; he was used to it.

Hayate cleared his throat, and their attention was drawn to the board where the next matchups were already written. Aburame Shino vs. Yamato Kaito.

A mist nin and Shino both walked down to the center of the arena. Hayate began the fight. Not many people watched closely. They were still thinking about Naruto and Sakura's fight.

The fight was, again, rather one-sided. At first it seemed as if the Mist nin was getting the best of Shino, but Naruto knew the bug user was only baiting Kaito into a trap. Kaito had a strange ability, it seemed as if he would always appear with perfect timing to strike in your blind spot. But it was a bad matchup for the Mist nin. Shino's bugs sucked his chakra dry, and the fight was over. Kaito couldn't move, but he was still conscious.

Hayate grumbled something under his breath about 'those freaky Aburame'. "Yamato Kaito is not in a state fit to continue battle. Winner: Aburame Shino."

Kaito's teammates helped him back to the balcony. He was not injured, just drained of chakra. Shino walked up the steps and stood to watch. After his match, Kakashi had disappeared to check on Sakura, so he stood by himself.

Naruto gave the bug user a solemn nod of congratulations, which Shino returned.

Everyone watched the display with comically wide eyes. The two silent weirdoes were having a wordless conversation! It was almost scary.

Hayate coughed, returning everyone's attention to the actual Exam. The board read: Gaara vs. Rock Lee

Naruto squashed down his grin and pulled up his scarf over his face again. He didn't mind smiling when people couldn't see it. To Gaara, he spoke. *Do your best. Rock Lee is a Taijutsu expert. Don't underestimate him because of his….eccentric qualities.*

Gaara nodded to Naruto, and everyone went bug-eyed again. Naruto tried not to cackle through the seal. That would be weird, after all. But it was amusing that everyone thought Naruto was some kind of silent-man leader.

Chouji's eyes were bugged out bizarrely. 'What is this, the Silent-Man better-than-you?' he ranted to himself.

After all, Shino, Naruto, and Gaara hadn't spoken a word the entire time they'd been here. It was rather amusing.

Lee was excitedly boasting to Neji, Tenten, and Gai-sensei. "YOSH! I will show my youthfulness to the world! I am burning with the flames of youth! OHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Twin flames appeared in Lee's eyes.

Gai-sensei enveloped his student in a slightly disturbing hug, tears streaming down his frightening face. "LEEEE! The time has come for my cute student to showcase his youthful talents! Do well, Lee! Show everyone here your most youthful fighting spirit!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

Naruto, Tenten, Ino, Neji, and all the Jounin quickly looked away, for they knew the horror that was coming.

As for the rest of them….those poor, poor Genin.

The horrible sunset Genjutsu appeared, and Lee and Gai hugged each other, both crying hysterically.

Sasuke's eye twitched as he stared in repulsion at the display. *You two have been training with this guy?*

*Yup.* Ino and Naruto shot back, amused at Sasuke's twitching. The stoic Uchiha was less stoic than he thought.

Sasuke stared in revolted wonder. *Perhaps you're both stronger than I imagined…..*

*Perhaps?* Naruto snorted back.

Hayate cleared his throat from the center arena, snapping Lee and Gai back into reality. "Fight, Lee!" Gai yelled, shoving Lee over the balcony. Lee landed with a huge crater.

Gai struck a disturbing pose, legs apart and hands on his head. "OH NO! I have given away my youthful student's most hidden secret! Despite this, show them the springtime of your youth, Lee!" Gai gave Lee a teeth-sparkling thumbs-up.

Lee returned the gesture. "Do not worry, Gai-sensei! My secret being found out will not deter my youthful fighting spirit! Yosh!"

"YES! Leeee!" Before the two could launch into another sunset Genjutsu, Hayate quickly spoke up. "The match begins now."

'The crater….he's wearing extremely heavy weights.' Gaara watched Lee carefully, arms folded across his chest.

Lee made the first move. He ran at Gaara, attempting to engage him in a Taijutsu battle. The sand repelled all of Lee's attacks. Lee kept trying, but he couldn't hit Gaara.

Naruto finally started paying attention when Lee discarded his weights. They made an even larger crater in the ground where Lee had fallen in the first place.

Due to Lee's sudden speed boost, Gaara's sand couldn't keep up. Lee's fists marred Gaara's face. For the first time in his life, Gaara's blood spilled.

The voices in his head were going into a frenzy. Kill, kill, blood, blood! They screamed, but for once, Gaara ignored them. His gaze landed on Naruto for a few seconds.

Lee took the opening. "Gate of Opening! Omote Renge!"

Lee used his move to ram Gaara into the ground. Unfortunately, Gaara quickly substituted himself with a Sand Bunshin.

Sending a glance towards Gai-sensei, Lee began to yell. "Gate of Healing: Open! Gate of Life: Open! Gate of Pain: Open! Gate of Limit: Open!" Lee's face turned red and he became a blur of speed. "Ura Renge!" Lee repeated this move over and over, trying to get Gaara to stay down.

The redhead, however, had no intention of being beaten. As he fell to the ground, he dispersed the sand in his gourd to break his fall. His face began to crack, revealing his sand armor. He started to use Sabaku Kyuu, the realized that it could possibly be fatal for Lee. Instead, he murmured, "Fūton: Mugen Sajin Daitoppa." A great wind blew from Gaara's mouth, mixed with the sand on the ground, and slammed Lee back into the wall. "Gokusa Maisō." A great wave of sand rushed towards Lee and buried him up to his head in the ground. Lee couldn't move due to the pressure of the sand on his muscles, even with Fives Gates open.

Seeing Lee was unable to move, Hayate called the match. "Rock Lee cannot move and therefore cannot fight. The Winner is Gaara."

Gaara swept his sand back into his gourd, releasing Lee from his captivity, and returned to his siblings' side. Lee, looking a little downcast, rejoined his team as well.

The board spun again, landing on two names. Uchiha Sasuke vs. Yoroi Akadō

Sasuke gave Naruto the widest grin Naruto had seen him display, ever. "I'll fight you soon, Naruto. I just have to pummel this guy into the ground first."

Kabuto's teammate jumped down into the arena, meeting Sasuke in the center.

Hayate sighed and coughed. "The match begins now."

Yoroi immediately rushed towards Sasuke and began stealing Sasuke's chakra through his hands.

Sasuke wilted as he felt his chakra slipping away. What a dirty way to fight!

The match seemed hopeless for Sasuke, until he heard Naruto snickering in his head. *Was that all talk, teme? You're looking pretty weak right now.*

Sasuke glared up at Naruto, eyes sparking with annoyance. His eyes shifted sideways. Next to Naruto stood Rock Lee, which gave Sasuke an idea. Remembering Lee's earlier Lotus, he attempted to copy the move from what he had seen earlier with his Sharingan. "Shishi Rendan!"

Sasuke performed the Taijutsu combo, and Yoroi was knocked unconscious.

*What a lame way to win. You totally stole Lee's only move. You know how rude that is? So lame.* Naruto said mildly enough to be irritating.

Sasuke resisted the urge to growl as he picked himself up off of Kabuto's comatose teammate and stalked back to Naruto. "Shut up." He hissed at his teammate, looking livid. "I won, didn't I?"

Shikamaru had definitely had enough. "OKAY! This is too troublesome! What is up with you, Naruto! Stop holding wordless conversations with everyone! It's irritating and hard to decipher!"

Naruto slowly turned toward Shikamaru, almost threateningly. His eyes were very, very narrow. He turned towards Sasuke. *Tell him I'll speak with him later. I don't want to talk here.*

Sasuke relayed the message.

Shikamaru tried to keep the aggravation off his face. Honestly, what was with the silent communication? It was really starting to bug him!

Naruto was trying not to snicker at Shikamaru's face, but it was tremendously difficult.

The medics had cleared Yoroi from the floor, and the next matchup flashed on the screen: Yugito vs. Masaru Hikaru

Another masked Mist nin jumped down. Naruto felt as if the Mist team was very smart, but not very strong. The team leader, the one who had yet to fight, had a vaguely familiar feeling about her.

Yugito looked bored as she jumped down as well. Naruto felt as if this would be an easy match for her, and he was right.

She grew claws from her fingernails, and the match was over in minutes. It had started as a Taijutsu brawl, and with Yugito's claws, she had the definite advantage.

Hikaru had an interesting ability, as well. Every shinobi had their special talents, after all. Hikaru was able to send waves of chakra that crippled the senses for short amount of time. Unfortunately for her, Yugito had another set of 'eyes' that she couldn't reach.

Holding her claws to Hikaru's throat, Yugito forced her to surrender.

"Winner: Yugito Nii."

The board spun in circles and began flashing with bright colors. The Sandaime groaned and buried his face in his hands. There was a peculiar snickering noise, and Naruto had the sudden feeling that Konohamaru lurked somewhere close by.

Nara Shikamaru vs. Ryota Yori

Shikamaru let loose a bored sigh. "Maan, how troublesome. I have to fight a women."

Yori, a Sound nin, glared a Shikamaru. 'What a lazy bones. Do I really have to fight this slouch?'

Shikamaru sighed and began languidly strolling down the stairs. It took him a few minutes to actually reach the arena floor.

Sluggishly, Shikamaru yawned. Ino groaned. "He's so annoying! Sometimes I just want to punch his face in. What a useless shinobi."

Chouji's face grew slightly red. "Don't say that about Shikamaru! He's really, really smart!"

Naruto seconded this. *He may be lazy, but he is a genius. Don't underestimate the laggard.*

Ino sighed. That seemed to be Naruto's favorite phrase lately. "Fine." She agreed.

Chouji smiled, and didn't reply.

The match began. Yori was extremely talented with Kinjutsu, and Shikamaru had to block all her attacks with a kunai.

Yori didn't even see it coming. Shikamaru executed his plan perfectly. One second they were fighting, the next Yori was banging her head on the wall and was unconscious.

There was dead silence. If it had been night time you would've heard crickets chirping. "Winner: Nara Shikamaru."

Naruto chuckled to himself. *Good win, Shika. Good win.*

He turned back to the screen and was instantly flabbergasted.

Karei Haku vs. Yuuto Sora

Haku was here? Sure, he'd told her to join a Hidden Village, but….a bright grin lit up his features. Haku removed her mask and jumped down in the arena to face Yugito's teammate. Her eyes lifted to Naruto, and they exchanged glances.

Naruto wished beyond anything else that he could say something to her to encourage her, but it was not possible for him. At least Haku knew that he couldn't speak, and wouldn't be angry.

Haku spoke, straight to Naruto. "I will show you how strong I've become, Naruto-kun." Her hazel eyes held a great determination, and Naruto smiled back at her and nodded.

Sasuke frowned. She had been at Wave, with Zabuza…why was she speaking to Naruto? When they'd fought the first time, Naruto had known this girl. What was between them?

Ino looked confused, too. She hadn't known Haku or Naruto had any sort of connection, but the two were looking at each other like no one else was in the arena. It was clear to Ino that Haku liked Naruto. She was a women and things like this were ones she instinctively knew. Naruto, on the other hand, was watching for Haku's strength and was oblivious. Men.

Shikamaru sighed from where he was, looking bored. "Troublesome. I thought Sasuke was the one with all the fangirls?" He muttered to Chouji.

Chouji smiled in return. "Well, Naruto is very strong. I wouldn't want to fight him."

The Cloud nin sneered at Haku. "Showing off for your boyfriend? This should be an easy fight."

Hayate sighed. "You may begin…" he coughed.

Haku quickly blasted through a rapid set of seals. "Kirigakure no Jutsu." The mist covered the entire arena floor, obscuring the battle from sight. Naruto quickly placed a Genjutsu over his features and activated his Kitsune Sage mode, eager to see the fight. With the enhanced senses, it was possible.

He smiled softly as he saw Haku attacking with senbon. That much, at least, hadn't changed. Sora, Yugito's teammate, was very strong. Naruto, however, knew better than anyone of Haku's strength. He suspected Haku wouldn't use her kekkei genkai, and he was right. She must be saving it for the finals, he decided.

By this point Haku had already struck several of Sora's vital points with her senbon. Sora seemed angry that he was gradually getting bested by a kunoichi. Ah, male pride. It is fortunate I possess very little. Naruto mused to himself, entertained.

Although Haku possessed very little physical strength, she was very smart. Her caring for her friends did not keep her from attacking complete strangers with ferocity. Sora, on the other hand, seemed to have no strategy whatsoever other than beating Haku into the ground.

The Mist kunoichi took several hard hits from the Cloud nin, but Naruto knew that it wouldn't deter her from winning in the in. Haku was strong enough to take a few hits and still come out the victor.

When the mist finally spread out, Haku was the clear victor. Sora was sprawled on the floor, a senbon in his neck. Naruto couldn't hold back a smirk. A near death state? Haku had nice aim.

Hayate grumbled something to himself which Naruto didn't catch. "Winner: Karei Haku."

The medics wheeled Sora out, and Haku walked up the stairs. She stopped in front of Naruto and spoke softly, so that the whole arena couldn't hear. "Naruto-kun. I will see you in the finals."

Naruto smirked and nodded. He met Haku's eyes, and she read what they were saying. Good fight, Haku. It's nice to see you again.

She smiled again, and with a bow, returned to her teammates.

"Dobe, how do you know her?" Sasuke couldn't help but ask.

*I met her in the forest when I was sleeping out there. Then we fought. Though she killed you several times…. She is a good person.* Naruto tried to refrain from laughing at Sasuke's expression. He looked pissed.

"How can you say that when she killed me?" Sasuke hissed quietly, eyes narrowed.

Naruto chuckled. *Because it's true. And I saved you, didn't I?*

Sasuke grumbled something very quietly, and Naruto's hypersensitive ears picked it up. "Yeah. But it won't happen again."

Temari vs. Tenten

Naruto snickered. *Chick fight!* he informed Sasuke, looking amused.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You amaze me with your immaturity sometimes." He sighed.

The two boys watched dispassionately as Tenten hurled hundreds of weapons at the blonde wind mistress, only to get slammed into her giant fan and lose.

*Well, that was boring. I guess I should help Tenten out later. She needs some Ninjutsu, man.* Naruto ranted to Sasuke, just because it annoyed the raven.

"Hn. I don't care." Sasuke frowned.

*Sasuke-ese translation: Train with me instead. Just say it, teme. I can read your face like a book.* Naruto laughed at the dismayed expression that crossed Sasuke's face for about a tenth of a second.

"Hn." Sasuke finally said.

Naruto rolled his eyes. When Sasuke got into the 'hn' stage and wouldn't say anything else, it was best to leave him alone.

"Winner: Temari." Tenten limped up the steps, scowling. She wouldn't even look at her teammates as she took a seat against the wall and glowered at the floor.

Temari looked to Gaara, wondering if he would say anything to her, too. Seeing her glance, he gave her a small smile. "Good fight."

Her eyes widened, and she smiled back. "Thank you." She said sincerely.

Naruto watched this scene with a faint air of satisfaction about him. It looks like Gaara had really changed. One extra problem off his plate.

Naruto quickly grew bored with the next match. One of Kabuto's teammates fought Yugito's teammate. Neither shinobi had a standout performance, so Naruto decided to observe the Jounin milling around instead. Kakashi and Kiba still hadn't appeared. Naruto let loose a long sigh. He might have to find Tsunade-sama later and send her Sakura's way. He thought Sakura, as a kunoichi, would've been at least strong enough to handle a few memories. Guess he was wrong.

The match seemed to drag on forever before it was announced as a draw. Naruto rolled his eyes. All that time for a draw? How stupid. The two ninja were pulled from the arena, and Naruto let loose a gusty sigh. Finally, the last fight of the day. Glancing around he saw that Chouji and Karin were the only two left to fight. Sure enough….

Akimichi Chouji vs. Izumi Karin

Naruto watched them both take their places in the arena. He knew nothing about Karin's fighting style, but the rest of her team had been rather weak. She had to be at least somewhat strong for her team to have made it this far.

Hinata poked her fingers together timidly. "D-do your b-best, Chouji-kun." Chouji gave her a sincere smile in return. Shikamaru only yawned, but Chouji knew he was watching closely.

Hayate signaled they could begin the fight. "Start."

Karin made the first move. "Kagura Shingan." She used this technique often, as it allowed her to keep track of her opponents, no matter if she could see them or not. Plus, it prevented her from being trapped in Genjutsus. Her intelligent eyes watched Chouji closely, knowing nothing of his techniques.

Chouji immediately retaliated. "Baika no Jutsu ! Nikudan Sensha!" Chouji grew larger and formed into a giant ball, spinning towards Karin.

Karin leapt to the side, landing gracefully. She didn't have many Ninjutsu, so she was going to have to play this right. Reaching behind her, she drew out a small flask and opened it. "Suiton: Suiben!" A small stream of water formed a whip and lashed towards Chouji, winding around his body and bringing him to a stop. "Denpō Sekka." Karin slammed her hands into the ground. This was one of her best combos: it didn't take much chakra, and it could only be done by someone who understood ionization and charges.

The reason for that was that Denpō Sekka was a Raiton technique, but instead of creating actual lightning, Karin simply changed the charges of molecules by stealing electrons. It was much simpler, and required a lesser amount of chakra.

Chouji slumped to the ground, twitching. Karin took a sigh of relief. She hadn't used too many techniques, and still could make it to the finals. Orochimaru-sama would be proud…a smile crept onto her face.

She frowned in annoyance when Chouji stood up again, looking very shaky. The Akimichi's face was puckered in pain, but he didn't seem to be giving up.

So Karin turned to the thing she was next best at: medical Ninjutsu. She pulled a scalpel from her weapons pouch. Moving as nimbly as she could, she ducked towards Chouji and attempted to sever a muscle critical for movement.

Chouji was too unsteady to dodge. His legs crumpled beneath him as Karin went for his knees.

Chouji looked to Hayate. "I give up. I can't move without damaging myself further."

Hayate nodded. "Winner: Izumi Karin."

Shikamaru sighed. "The opponent took it easy on him…" he drawled.

Asuma laughed. "He lost, but I guess I can take him to eat barbecue."

Chouji immediately brightened up. "Meat!" he said happily.

Hayate took a few steps back from the cracked arena floor. "That concludes the Second Exam's preliminary matches. To those who have made it to the main matches of the Chuunin Exam's Third Exam, congratulations." He paused to cough.

The Hokage stepped forwards. "I will now begin the explanation for the main matches. Your main match fights will be shown in front of everyone. We wish for all of you to show off your abilities as your country's representative power. Therefore, the main matches will begin in one month. This will give us a period to announce to the feudal lords and head ninja of individual countries that the preliminary matches have ended, and time is needed to gather those people for the main matches. This is also preparation time for you candidates. Please use this time to know your enemy and yourself better. It is a time to analyze the information you have gathered during the preliminary matches. The battles we had were just like real combat situations. There are those who have revealed everything to their rivals, and those who held back your techniques for the finals." The Hokage spared a discreet look at Naruto, who grinned back. So even the Hokage didn't understand what he did? Snazzy. Probably only Jiraiya could've; he was the only one who knew of nature chakra, after all.

"I hope you will use your time to train well. I will see you in one month. You are dismissed. For those who did not win their preliminary matches, do not be discouraged. You are all young and have plenty of time to get stronger, as well. Please train hard, and take the Exams again next time. I wish each Genin the best of luck in the future." With a slight nod of acknowledgement, the Hokage left, Hayate, Ibiki, and Anko trailing after him.

Naruto looked to Kurenai right away. *Do we have a team meeting, or can we leave?*

Kurenai shook her head. "You can leave. We'll meet tomorrow; normal place, normal time. Congratulations to all of you for passing. I will speak to you about training at our meeting tomorrow."

Naruto grinned. *Good. Cuz Shikamaru's coming for me. I must flee. See you later!* With a wave Naruto used a Shunshin to escape the nosy cloud-watching boy.

Shikamaru let loose a frustrated sigh. Naruto got away! Troublesome…..

Ino and Sasuke both couldn't suppress a snort. They turned to leave as well. Kurenai looked after her students, smiling. They were ready….I'm very proud of them.

Ninpo: Metsubou – Ninja Art: Utter Ruin (basically, it takes the user's feelings of pain, rejection, and sorrow and turns it into a psychological attack. The only physical sign of the jutsu's effects is the three days after the jutsu is used, the victim will throw up anything they ingest.

Omote Renge – Primary Lotus: After the First Gate is opened; the user launches the opponent into the air and then uses Shadow of the Dancing Leaf. Once behind the opponent, the user restrains them and pile-drives them into the ground head first while rotating at a ferocious speed.

Ura Renge – Reverse Lotus: After the Third Gate is opened; the user launches the target into the air and strikes them at inhuman speed before hitting them with one arm and one foot, sending the target crashing into the ground. This is usually fatal due to the speed and power behind the attack.

Fūton: Mugen Sajin Daitoppa - Wind Release: Infinite Sand Cloud Great Breakthrough: Gaara first inhales air, and then blows it out along with a chakra-coated sand cloud.

Gokusa Maisō - Prison Sand Burial: Gaara uses his ability to manipulate sand, loosens the ground below his enemy and catches them in a maelstrom of sand. The swallowed enemy sinks up to two hundred meters underground, while completely unable to move a muscle.

Shishi Rendan - Lion Combo: Sasuke's knockoff of Lee's Primary Lotus.

Kagura Shingan – Mind's Eye of the Kagura: This ability allows Karin to find, sense, and track individuals through their chakra over vast range that exceeds ten kilometers. The ability extends to telling when a person is lying from the fluctuations in a person's chakra made from dishonest emotions or detecting if someone, including herself, is under a Genjutsu. Also by focusing on a particular chakra Karin can perceive its location and movement with great detail.

Baika no Jutsu – Multi-Size Technique: Increases the user's body size by converting their calories into chakra. The user can freely alter their size at will when using this technique and can use it for an extensive period of time.

Nikudan Sensha – Human Bullet Tank: Converts the user's obese frame into a destructive weapon; the user tucks their limbs in and uses chakra to propel themselves into a powerful roll. Its effective use of weight and the force of rotation make for an even greater lethality than appearances would let on, enough to pulverize someone's hand with but a mere touch. It is difficult for the user to turn in this form.

Suiton: Suiben – Water Release: Water Whip: The user creates a whip made of water that can wrap around the opponent. The user can also channellightning chakra to shock anyone wrapped in it.

Denpō Sekka – Telegram Flash: The user slams their hand onto the ground and causes lightning to spread from the hand to underneath the opponent.