Chapter 25

An Illusion of War pt1 pt2 & pt3

The fox reaches the center, and is reunited with all. The Rat runs away. The hawk is attacked by a leech, but it soon gets eaten. The hive is bothered by a spring breeze, but is otherwise undisturbed. The cherry blossom flees from a boar, but is forced to reveal its dark side. The deer dances to music, while the fox fights the two-headed dog for the sunny place, which in turn is darkened by the grudge-shadow. The Tanuki finds the lotus pretty, and tears it to shreds on a whim. The butterfly is scared of by a loud noise, and the fox departs once more.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As Team Seven approached their destination, a general cry of relief was let out.

"Finally! I was sick and tired of that god awful forest!" Sakura exclaimed, stretching her limbs even as se walked. Despite saying nothing, the haggard Uchiha next to her gave a curt grunt in agreement, much to Naruto's chagrin.

"What!? What's wrong with you people, this place is great! You got trees, animals, bugs, water, more trees and unmentionables, what more can you want?" The blonde demanded, stamping his foot furiously, causing his two teammates to sweat drop.

"Dobe, its for those reasons that this place is unbearable." The Uchiha snorted, earning him a menacing glare from the blonde Genin.

"Fine! See if I care." Naruto 'hmphed', before facing away from his two teammates, arms crossed and pouting.

'Jerks! Laughing at my den…I oughta'

'Discourteous guests are not welcome'

"What's his problem?" Sasuke asked, glancing at the muttering blonde.

"Who knows? Lets just hurry up and get the tower" Sakura replied. "Oi! Naruto-Baka! Hurry up!"

"Waah?! Wait for me, Sakura-Chan" Naruto cried, running after his teammates as they left him behind. "Wait!!"

XX

Upon entering the central building, a certain blonde decided to make his thoughts heard.

"He-ey! Why's this place so empty?" Naruto demanded, the room being entirely devoid of life. The only feature was a large scroll hanging from the central wall.

"Huh? What's it saying?" Naruto asked, peering at the scroll.

"'Without…Heaven'…it seems to be missing words, either way I think its telling us to open the scrolls" Sakura said, turning to Naruto expectantly.

"Huh? Oh right" He said, fumbling through his 'pockets' for the scrolls, and handing her one.

"Okay, ready? One-Two-Three!" As the scrolls were unfurled there was a moment of quiet apprehension. For a moment Naruto thought that the scrolls hadn't worked, at least, until a small typhoon of chakra swirled up around them.

"Drop the scrolls!!" Sasuke yelled. Without a moment's hesitation, the two hurled the scrolls to the ground, where they overlapped. As the technique finished, a swirl of smoke remained, wafting aside to reveal-

"Iruka-sensei!!" Naruto cheered, "It's been to long! How are you? You still a Chuunin? Learn any kick-ass Jutsu? I haven't seen you in ages!" He proclaimed, causing the scar-nosed Chuunin to chuckle sheepishly.

'Still the same old Naruto I see'

"It's good to see you all again, heh, it seems like just yesterday I gave you your hitai-ate, now look at you, taking the Chuunin exam" Iruka smiled warmly.

"Ne, ne, Iruka-sensei, so what are you here for? Do we have to fight you or something?" The blonde asked, excited at the prospect of seeing just how skilled his old instructor was.

"No, no, nothing like that" The elder man said, waving his hands dismissively. "I'm here to congratulate you all on passing the second stage of the exam. From here on-"

'poof'

"Iruka-sensei!" ' Naruko' cried out, embracing the taller man fiercely, kissing the sides of his face vigorously. Unprepared, he blushed furiously, only to stiffen as he felt slender fingers clenching around his buttocks.

"Hey! Stop that!" He scolded, forcing the lithe girl off of him.

"Naruto-Baka!" Sakura said, beating the blonde over the head. "Have you no shame?"

"No what now?" She asked mischievously.

"Aergh, you're incorrigible" She groaned, slipping to the ground in exhaustion, the days events catching up on her. Glancing to the side, she was somewhat relieved to see that the Uchiha had followed a similar course of action. In the meantime, Naruko was prancing round in circles with a Naruto clone.

"He could barley stand a few hours ago…we've been walking non-stop since then…how can he have even more energy than before?" Sasuke wondered aloud.

"Oh yeah sensei, what's the meaning of that scroll?" Sakura asked, pointing to the misshapen message.

"Who cares? We passed" 'Naruto' said, pumping his fist in triumph.

"No…I'm also here to say that…read it, it's the Chuunin motto, as written by Hokage-Sama." The brown-haired Nin explained.

"Motto?"

"Yeah, the 'heaven' here refers to the human mind, while 'earth' refers to the human body."

"Ahh"

"'If you lack heaven, seek wisdom, be prepared, if you lack earth, run in the field, seek advantages, and if you have both heaven and earth, you can succeed in even the most dangerous missions "

"Seems like an awfully long way to say 'train hard, study hard' if you ask me" Naruto muttered, earning him a clip on the ear from Sakura.

"But then, what's the missing word?" The pink-haired Kunoichi asked.

"Place the scrolls over that part, and it reads 'these rules will guide a persons extremes'. This exam was designed to test your ability to progress through an unknown environment," Iruka paused to scowl at the sniggering Naruto. "And succeed in a mission in which you don't know all the details, utilizing all your knowledge, stamina, and inner-wisdom. I want you guys to challenge the next step with this Chuunin motto in mind" Iruka finished

"Ossu (yes sir)!" Naruto saluted determinedly.

"Although, for this next part, don't do more than you have to, I don't-"

"Relax sensei," Naruto cut it. "We're Shinobi of Konoha, we don't do things half-assed, right?" The blonde grinned.

"Yeah, right" Iruka smiled back.

"Alright! To the final exam!!"

XXXXXXXX

"First off, for the second test, congratulations to those who passed" The Sandaime said from a raised platform. Behind him stood the passing teams Jounin instructors, behind them, a large statue of a ninja forming the Hitsuji (ram) seal. To his either side stood the ten exam proctors, before him stood the twenty-one passing Genin.

'For the first time in five years more than ten Genin made it to the final exam…'

Amongst both the Genin, and the Jounin, although most stood stoic, a few weren't doing a good job of hiding their feelings.

'Soo hungry…' Chouji stood, sucking on the cloth wrapped around his hand.

'Sasuke-kun's team passed too' Ino glanced at the Uchiha, an appraising look in her eye.

'So many left? Mendoukusai…' Shikamaru let out a barley audible mumble as he slouched back.

"Your team isn't too bad, perhaps they got lucky?" Maito Gai said, glancing at the Hatake to his side. "However, from now on its about real ability, as long as my team is around getting any further is impossible. Ah well, in youth there are sweet times and there are sour times" Slowly, Kakashi turned to look at the spandex clad Jounin with a half-lidded eye.

"Huh? I'm sorry did you say something?" He said, indolently, causing the bowl-haired Nin's brow to twitch in frustration.

'Heh…not bad my rival Kakashi, you're cool in that way…and it really gets on my nerves!'

'Heheh, I win'

'So that's Gai-sensei's eternal rival? He totally loses in terms of looks…' Tenten smirked as her eyes darted between her, and Team Seven's sensei.

'I knew it! Amongst all the teachers Gai-sensei is the coolest! He's positively sparkling!! Yosh (alright), watch me Gai-sensei, I'll sparkle too!!!'

'So…Uchiha Sasuke survived after all…'

'Uchiha…I'll get you back for breaking my arms'

'That sand guy…' Kiba's brow creased as his white-furred partner buried himself further into the Dog-Nin's jacket.

'Gaara's unscathed as usual…'

'So Naruto-kun passed as well…I'm glad' Hinata blushed, pressing her forefingers together.

'All of this years rookies made it??'

'Wow…everyone's here, ehehe'

'…I can't say I'm getting a good feeling…' Sasuke grinned hesitantly, his hand instinctively going to his now-marked shoulder.

"'Ahem' before I explain the third exam, I would like to explain to you something else" The Sandaime said, regaining everyone's attention.

'True reason?'

"Why do we have all the allied countries taking exams together? 'To promote friendship among countries' 'to raise the level of Shinobi'…these are all wrong. The true reason is…war"

"War?"

"To stop the ceaseless fighting amongst nations, these Chuunin exams were set up. Each exam is a miniature war between our nations, with equally minimal losses, and the winners? Watching the third exam will be many powerful lords, and nobles, each one a potential future client. And in the world of Shinobi, such clients seek only the strongest. Do not confuse these battles for mere sparring; these are life-and-death struggles with your dreams, and your countries prestige on the line. I will now allow the proctor for the final exam to explain" The Hokage finished, just as a figure Shunshin (body flicker)'d into the middle of the stage.

"My name is Gekkou Hayate, Hajimemashite (pleased to meet you)." The person had sickly pale skin, limp dark hair, bags under his eyes, and seemed to have something of a cough as he spoke.

'Is he sick or something?'

"Now then…something I need you do to…there's too many of you so…a preliminary round will be held…"

"What!? But why??"

"As Hokage-sama said…there's many important people watching the next part…we don't want the fights to drag out for so long."

'Stupid lazy rich-asses' Naruto grumbled.

"So…the fights will start right away…anyone not up to it, you can go"

"What? Right now??" Kiba shouted angrily. A general tension rose through the air as the Genin considered their chances.

"Ano (um)…I'm…going to quite" Kabuto said, smiling apologetically.

'He's just giving up? No wonder he's had to take the exam six times…'

"You're…Yakushi Kabuto of Konoha, right?" Hayate asked, checking his clipboard. "Right, you're free to go…anyone else wish to surrender? Oh yeah, from now on it's singles matches…so don't worry about letting your team down or anything…".

After speaking to his two teammates, Kabuto turned and left, but not before waving goodbye to a certain blonde Genin, whose eyes suddenly widened.

'Just then…more a split second…I smelt it! On his hands…the blood of hundreds…maybe more…and…wait, is that snake fluids??'

"If…there are no more going to forfeit…"

As Hayate paused, Sasuke suddenly tensed, his hand clutching his neck in pain, his breathe coming in haggard.

"S-Sasuke-kun! Are you okay?" Sakura asked, concern in her eyes.

"I'm fine!" Sasuke assured coldly.

"But your body…"

"My body can take far more than this"

'She plans on holding you back'

"Sasuke-kun…please…I'm worried"

"Don't be"

'She will betray you…' for your own good'' The Uchiha's Oni-Zenshin whispered, mockingly.

"Sasuke-kun I-"

"Urusai (shut up), I am an avenger, it is…no, I need to know, 'how strong am I?'. There are many strong people here. I…must test my capacity. If you take that away from me…I won't forgive you"

'Never forgive. Never forgive.'

"Sasuke-kun…"

"Relax Sakura-Chan" Naruto said assuredly. "Teme's got the power of emo, he won't lose to some two-bit chump." The blonde grinned.

"Naruto…' Sasuke began, an odd look in his eye.

'Between you and him, who is the alpha? Whose power is stronger…whose eyes have seen more?'

"I…you are also someone I want to fight" Sasuke said, his voice neither sarcastic, nor patronizing, instead born solely out of genuine desire.

'The Teme wants to fight? How…excellent' Naruto grinned back at the Uchiha.

"Okay Teme, it's on"

"'Ahem' Okay, we will now begin the preliminary rounds. There will be exactly ten matches; the winners will go on to the preliminaries. There are no real rules…you fight until you or your opponent can no longer continue…death is allowed, but I will call the match if there's a clear winner. Understood? Then…the first match will be announced." There was a whirring sound, and a panel on the wall slid back, revealing a wide, black screen. There was a moments pause, and the machine sprung to life. Names whirring past at high speed until…

"The first match will be Uchiha Sasuke of Konoha, and Akado Yoroi of Konoha, will the two contestants please step forward, all non-combatants are to relocate to the balcony" Hayate explained, even as the other proctors showed the others the way.

XX

'Heh, right off the bat eh?'

'Destroy him'

"Oh? And I didn't even have to beg…" Yoroi said haughtily.

"Are you two ready?"

"Yes"

"Yeah"

"Very well then…Hajime (begin)!"

Yoroi began by channeling chakra to his hand, before hurling a trio of shuriken at the Uchiha. Smirking, Sasuke whipped out a kunai and turned them aside with minimal effort, only to have the curse seal start burning again.

'Kuso! I can't use chakra while this thing's growing, and its not worth the risk of activating it, but the pain's too distracting!' Narrowly dodging a kunai thrust at his head, Sasuke quickly spun around, knocking his opponents legs from beneath him, before quickly pinning him in a triangular entanglement (arm gripped with arms, feet against shoulder and neck) and began squeezing. Letting out a cry of pain, Yoroi desperately clutched at the Uchiha's chest with his pinned arm Mere moments later, Sasuke suddenly felt his grip loosen drastically,

'My strength…'Before he cold ponder the cause, Yoroi quickly broke free, delivering an uppercut that resounded with a very solid crunch, sending the Uchiha sprawling. Before he could react, his 'fellow' leaf-Nin pounced on him, gripping the Uchiha's face with his hand.

"You…my chakra!" He struggled to say.

Naruto watched from the stands as the Uchiha's arms trembled, before falling flat against the ground, all signs of struggle slowly vanishing.

'Come on Sasuke! I know you're stronger than this'

Elsewhere, the Oto (sound) Nin's Jounin sensei watched with glee.

'Yes, that's right Sasuke-kun. It's all drying up; your only chance is to rely on my curse seal. Now release it, that beautiful power!'

"You…Gah!" With a grunt of effort, Sasuke managed to kick his opponent off him, feeing himself from the would-be lethal technique.

'One more hit and I'm finished…he's going to make this a close quarters battle…what should I do…'

"Heh, there's nothing left that you can do, its over!" Yoroi yelled, racing towards the Uchiha, his hand glowing with chakra.

'My only chance…if I can do it…' Breathing in deeply, Sasuke crouched down low…and vanished.

"What??"

"Where did he?"

"That's!"

There was a resounding crack as Sasuke's foot drove into his opponents chin, launching the Genin upwards. With a grunt of effort, Sasuke vanished again, his speed such that he only left a blur. In an instant he appeared behind Yoroi as he continued his aerial ascent.

"Konoha Kage Buyou (Leaf Shadow Dance)…" As he drew back his arm to continue the technique, Sasuke suddenly stiffened in pain.

"Not…now…!' As he struggled to move his arm, his teammates words came back to him.

Flashback

'You should avoid using it in actual combat until your used to using it. Otherwise, you might lose control'

'Onegai (please)! Teiryuu (stop)!' The vision of Sakura's tear-filled face appeared in his head, a site than somehow filled him with remorse.

Flashback End

'That's right…back then I too…crying…'

Flashback

"Why???" A young Sasuke watched helplessly as his elder brother worked, moving swiftly and efficiently. The spray of blood never seemed to stop.

"No more. No more. No more. AERAAAAAGGHHHH" Tears streamed down the young Uchiha's face as he struggled to stop the vision, but his eyes wouldn't close, he couldn't turn around, couldn't help but watch as the brother he thought he once knew mercilessly slaughtered them all

Flashback End

'Heh…to think a fan girl actually cares enough to shed tears over me…' Sasuke thought, before opening his eyes, the black orbs steeled with resolution.

'You will NOT control me! I Control YOU!!' He screamed mentally, forcing the spreading flames back, if he could describe it, he would have said it was like herding a wild animal back into its cage.

'He…he forced back the curse?' Anko gasped, the whole episode having only lasted a mere three seconds.

"Now!" Letting go of his foe, the Uchiha spun in mid-air, delivering a kick to Yoroi's mid-section which was easily blocked.

"Heh, not enough". Spinning around again, Sasuke drove his fist into Yoroi's gut, the force spinning him around some more, allowing him to get a hit in with his other arm.

"One more!" Spinning around one final time, the Uchiha delivered a bone-breaking kick across his foes chest, the very second that he hit the ground, the force of the blow enough to crack the tiles beneath them.

"Shishi Rendan (Lion Barrage)!"

Kicking off with his feet, Sasuke skid backwards along the ground, having hit the ground at a high speed himself. As he picked himself up, the proctor raised his arm.

"This match is over, the winner is; Uchiha Sasuke!"

"Hell yeah! Way to go Teme!" Naruto called over the guardrail. "You should see yourself! You're all messed up and everything!" The blonde taunted. Smirking, Sasuke moved to get up, only to see a hand offered to him.

"Hmm? I guess you did good" Kakashi said, almost as though he was unsure.

"Humph" Accepting the offering for help, The Uchiha pulled himself up, only to double over as spasms of pain shot through his body.

'The only reason I won was because I was able to copy the Konoha Kage Buyou off that Lee kid…but still… that move…to receive this much damage from strain alone, I doubt I can rely on it ever again'

Up in the stands Gaara watched impassively, however, his siblings didn't fail to notice the slight grin that adorned his face, just as Gaara hadn't failed to notice the slight burst of odd chakra mid-way through the match.

'Uchiha…Sasuke…I.. blood….'

'This is not good! Gaara's getting excited…'

"Sasuke…I know about the curse seal" Kakashi muttered, quietly enough that only the Uchiha could hear.

"…so?"

"I'm going to take you out back…and seal it away" The copy-ninja said, causing the Uchiha's eyes to widen.

'Even if you seal it away…it just grows in strength until it breaks through…if that happens and I'm unprepared…'

"Can't it wait? I want to watch the remaining matches."

"No. This needs to be done before it's too late. I won't listen to your selfishness anymore." Kakashi said, narrowing his eyes at the Uchiha.

"…what if you're making a mistake? What if by sealing it, you make it worse?"

"Now whatever gave you that idea?"

"Naruto"

"Hmm?"

"Naruto said he has a seal like this one on him as well,"

'What? Naruto told them about the Kyuubi seal?'

"He said that if you seal it away, it just grows stronger until it can break free…in the meantime I'd be cut off…the reason I was able to control the seal then was because…, because I remembered how it felt when it first went off, I was partially used to how the seal worked, if I'm cut off from it, I will lose that familiarity" Sasuke argued back.

'This is…more than I knew…but to claim that they work the same…what connection is there between the Bijuu and the curse seal?'

"I see…very well then, you have until the end of the preliminaries at least, in the meantime I'll do some investigating, there may yet be a way around this thing" Kakashi said, allowing the waiting Medic-Nin to hoist the youth onto a stretcher and carry him out, before leaving in a Shunshin himself.

'I must speak with the Sandaime…probably Anko-Chan as well…and Naruto…I'll need to organize a meeting'

XX

As the next fight, between Aburame Shino and Zaku Abumi, went underway, Naruto sidled up next to the Oto Jounin-sensei.

"Didn't expect to see you here, unsatisfied with your 'Love-Hicky of Doom,'" Naruto said, not taking his eyes off the match.

"Oh? Is it strange for a sensei to be interested in his students progress?" The disguised Orochimaru asked.

"You sent them against the Uchiha, to whom you gave power to…doesn't seem like the actions of a concerned sensei to me"

"You should always test your students' limits, now I know the extent of their usefulness"

"…you're truly despicable"

"Oh? The Kyuubi-Gaki (nine-tails brat) is lecturing me on morals?" The snake Sannin leered. "You haven't even alerted the guards that I'm here, whatever happened to the 'loyal ninja'?"

"You're presence has not gone unnoticed, you got careless when you attacked your other student. You and Oto have been found out." Naruto said, glancing at the various ANBU hidden in the shadows.

"You overestimate this pathetic village. It took them forty years to drive me out, and I still got the better deal"

"But for how many of those years where you a threat?"

"How about this then, if that fool of a Sandaime had named me Yondaime, then by now Konoha would be the most powerful force in the world, and you would never have been sealed"

"You make that sound like a good thing…" Naruto muttered, causing the Snake-Nin's brow to rise. But before he could say anything, the Naruto vanished in a puff of smoke.

'Kage Bunshin eh? Seems the Kyuubi-Gaki knows a few village secrets already…I may have to keep an eye out for him earlier than expected…'

"Winner, Aburame Shino" Hayate announced. Quickly a pair of Med-Nin rushed out and loaded the now armless Zaku onto a stretcher.

"What a shame, blew his own arms off because of a few bugs…what a crappy way to end your career…" The original Naruto said

"True, but it was his own arrogance in the end that did him in" Sakura commented.

"But how cool is Shino? He's like a walking plague or something! I wonder if he can like, fly or turn into a giant bug or anything cool like that?" Naruto exclaimed.

XX

'Hmm…my Kikaichu senses are tingling…and I have a sudden urge to hit Naruto' Shino thought, his brow narrowing in contemplation.

XX

"Ugh…yeah, who knows?" Sakura replied hesitantly.

'Gah! Those bugs really freak me out!!'

"Did I miss anything?" Sasuke asked, walking up the stairs.

"Yo, Teme! The doctors say you're fine?" Naruto asked.

"I'm fine"

"The next match, Misumi Tsurugi vs. Kankurou, will now begin. Hajime"

"Hey, that guy stretches like Hebi-Oban (bitchy old snake hag)" Naruto laughed, pointing at the Konoha Genin.

"…Perhaps there's a relation between them," Sasuke said.

"Eww, snake sex" Naruto said, scrunching his face up in disgust.

"Why would you even say that?" Sakura wailed.

"Winner, Kankurou" Hayate announced. Kankurou sighed as he re-wrapped his puppet, having been forced to reveal it to win the match.

'Heh, that was still too easy'

"Man, two on one? Doesn't really seem fair in a fight like this" Naruto muttered, his eyes dating from Kankurou to Karasu (crow), his puppet.

"Tch, Usuratonkatchi (total moron), what about your Kage Bunshin?" Sasuke said matter-of-factly

"Well, yeah, when you put it like that I guess," The blonde conceded.

"The next match will be; Haruno Sakura vs. Yamanaka Ino"

"Woohoo! Cat Fight!" Kiba called out, accompanied by a piercing wolf-whistle. Scowling Tenten's brow twitched in anger.

'Gah, stupid jerk has no respect for women' Noticing the malicious look in her eye, and the awfully shiny looking kunai in her hand, Lee slowly edged away from his irritable teammate and sidled up next to Naruto.

"Yosh! Now it is time for Sakura-san to show her youthful strength! Uwoo, it's getting me excited!" The spandex-clad Nin proclaimed, his eyes burning with inner-fire.

"Well at least you're honest about it" Naruto muttered, glancing at the overzealous Genin.

As Sakura and Ino stood across from one another, the tension between them was almost palpable.

"Sakura…I never thought I'd be fighting you of all people…" Ino said. Saying nothing, the Haruno instead reached for her hitai-ate, whipping it off in a single sweep.

"Ino, in this fight, Sasuke doesn't matter," She began.

"What? What are you-?"

"This is not about him, this is not about our friendship, our rivalry, or even our past." The pink-haired Nin continued, tying her hitai-ate to her head.

"This fight is about who is the superior Kunoichi. If you hesitate, I won't forgive you, if you hold back, I'll hate you forever" She finished, staring Ino in the eye.

"I see, if that's the case, then so will I" no replied, tying her hitai-ate to her own forehead.

'Today we face one another as true Kunoichi…just as you said all that time ago'

"Hajime!"

Immediately, Sakura raced forward at a speed that surprised even herself.

'Chakra to my feet, I go faster! Chakra to my fist…' Drawing back her arm, she could feel the boost in strength that the chakra granted her. The blow she dealt sending Ino flying into the ground.

'Now!' Flashing through some hand seals, she launched her technique just as Ino was picking herself up from the ground.

"Magen: Hakyoku no Uchinaru Sakura (Demonic Illusion: Cataclysm of Inner Sakura)"

As Ino stood, she could immediately sense the foreign chakra lacing her senses.

"Ha. You'll need to do better than this! Kai!" The technique collapsed after a brief moment, leaving Ino only slightly drained.

"My family specializes in techniques of the mind, it'll take a stronger Genjutsu than you can make to catch me" The blonde taunted, drawing a kunai.

'But still, that punch hurt like crap! If I wasn't already in pain I might not have made it' The two rushed at each other, Ino narrowly dodging a blow to the head, her own punch deftly caught and turned aside by her rival, countering it with a roundhouse kick to the abdomen, causing Ino to stagger back a few feet.

"Yeah! Go Sakura-Chan!" Naruto cheered, pumping his fist triumphantly and leaping into the air. Sasuke looked on at the fight with a curious look in his eye.

'Attack, defense, speed, Sakura always hangs back in fights to cats Genjutsu so I've never really seen her Taijutsu…it seems those sparring lessons with Naruto's clones weren't so wasteful after all…'

As Ino dodged blow after blow, she couldn't help but start feel desperate.

'I'm slowing down…It's no good! How did she get so strong? At this rate I'll get worn out, My only choice is that' Leaping back, the blonde quickly burst through some hand seals.

"I won't let you!" Sakura cried, racing forward once again. As the Kunoichi drew closer, Ino's hands came to a stop in a variant of the Tori (rooster) seal.

"That's!"

"Ninpou: Shintenshin no Jutsu (Ninja art: art of the mind/body swap)" As the technique completed, Sakura slumped, moments way from striking distance, while Ino also fell to the ground.

"Heheh…to bad Sakura" Ino said, her voice coming from Sakura's mouth.

"What just happened? Why did Sakura-san stop?" Lee asked, turning to first Naruto, then Sasuke.

"It's useless" Shikamaru said. "Shintenshin allows the user to take over the body of their foe. Sakura's little more than a puppet now" He explained.

'So it works like Kitsunetsuki (fox possession)…'

"Kuso (Shit)!" Naruto swore, banging his fist against the rail. Meanwhile, in the ring, 'Sakura' raised her hand.

"Sakura-Chan!! You can't lose now after coming so far!! And you call yourself a Kunoichi!!" Naruto cried out, leaning over the rail dangerously.

'That annoying…bah, who cares'

"I, Haruno Sa-" Before she could finish, 'Sakura' stiffened suddenly.

'Shannaro! Get the hell out my head!' Inside Sakura's head, Ino was suddenly shoved out of the way by what appeared to be Sakura, but had the words 'Uchinawa (inner voice) Sakura' printed on her forehead.

'W-what?? Th-theres two of her!! Two minds!!! How can a person have two minds??! No!' As the internal forces struggled for control, on the outside Sakura's left hand shot up, grabbing her right hand by the wrist.

"I-I..I gi-"

"Like Hell!!!" Gripping her 'own' hand fiercely, Sakura slowly dragged the wayward limb back down, drops of blood staining her fingers as her nails broke her own skin. Inside her mind, Uchinaru Sakura was increasing in size, seizing the blonde mind-walker and throttling her.

'Ino-Bunta (pig-pig) If you don't get out now you'll be sorry!!'

'No good! I can't…Kai!!' Dispelling the technique, Ino's mind immediately fled back to her body, causing Sakura to slump at the sudden freedom.

"You…what the hell are you?" Ino demanded, her whole body trembling. Sakura said nothing, opting to clench her fists instead. Bracing herself, she crouched down low.

'We're both nearly out of chakra, If I can get a decent hit in I should be fine' Ino thought, a bead of sweat dripping from her brow. Before she could move, however, she was suddenly frozen by a burst of killing intent.

'W-what is?'

"SHANNARO!!!" Sakura bellowed, her eyes filled with a burning white fury. Channeling chakra to her feet she leapt up off the ground, the force of her push crushing the tiles beneath her feet. Before Ino could even blink, what felt like a sledgehammer impacted against her skull, sending her flying into the wall of the arena. When failed to move after several seconds, Hayate walked over and bent down to check her prone form.

"Yamanaka Ino is unable to continue, the winner is Haruno Sakura!" As the words went through her mind, Sakura slumped, before raising her head in a cheeky grin, making a 'V' with her fingers. Gaara looked on with wide eyes, a malicious grin on his face.

'I felt it. I felt it. Just then I felt it. Just a hint. Youki…'

'Bwahahaha! I want to kill the Haruno now too!'

"Woohoo! Way to go Sakura-Chan! Ino got Owned!!" Naruto cheered.

"Yosh! Sakura-san is truly in the midst of her Springtime of Youth!" Instead of reciprocating their cheers, Sakura walked over to the pair of Medic-Nin.

"I uh…kinda went a little overboard with that last attack, I mean, well"

"If you're concerned about her health, you can relax. All Yamanaka-san has is some external bruising, and a mild concussion. She should be up and about in a little while" The med-Nin explained.

"That's good then…" Sakura muttered,

"Do you need any assistance?" The med-Nin asked.

"Iie (no), I'll be fine" She said, before running up to join her teammates.

"I must say I'm impressed" Asuma said, puffing lazily on a cigarette.

"A lot of things have happened…" Kakashi said, cryptically. "When faced with adversity it's adapt or die, and adapting is something my team excels at"

"Hmm…"

XX

"The Fifth match, between Temari and Sogekihei Tenten will now begin"

"Good luck Tenten!" Lee cheered.

"Hmm…the second ninja from Suna (sand)…this should be interesting" Neji wondered aloud.

"Hajime!"

"Tenten!! Youth Power!!"

"Cheer Harder!!!" Gai commanded, raising his fists to the heavens. Behind them, a now recovered Ino approached Sakura.

"Ah, hey Ino…" Sakura said hesitantly.

"Hey Forehead Girl"

"Ino-Bunta!"

"I gotta say, you beat me good…but next time, I'll be the one coming out on top"

"Heh, you say that now, but as it stands I'm in the lead"

"Oh it is on, Forehead Girl!"

"The winner is, Temari" Hayate announced.

"For all her weapons to be neutralized…Suna is truly powerful in its ninja" Neji said.

"I suppose that if you specialize in a single field, you're bound to meet someone you can do nothing against…" Naruto said.

"The next match will be between Nara Shikamaru, and Tsuchi Kin," As the combatants made their way to the arena; Ino ran over to the railing.

"Come on Shika!! You can't lose!!" She called out.

"Tch, Mendoukusai, fighting a woman…" The lazy Nara drawled.

XX

"Winner, Nara Shikamaru"

"Yay Shika!!" Ino cheered.

"You Rule!!" Chouji joined in.

"It was a basic fight…but the ending was worth it, maybe Shikamaru should become a stand-up comedian…" Naruto wondered aloud.

"Man, those sound guys are tough…and the sand guys…" Kiba said, absentmindedly scratching his dogs head.

"Y-you think so?" Hinata asked nervously.

"Yeah, definitely. Those Suna-Nin…they're so strong it's scary, listen. If you go up against that Gaara guy, Sasuke, or Neji, I want you to forfeit, okay?" The dog-Nin asked, causing the shy Hyuuga's eyes to droop.

"H-Hai (yes)…I understand…" She replied, her eyes downcast. Naruto's ears twitched as the words carried over to him.

"Don't listen to him Hinata-Chan, you'll do great no-matter who you fight!" The blonde insisted.

"Baka (idiot), She'll get herself killed!" The Inuzuka shouted.

"Oi, you two, save it for the arena" Sakura said, pointing to the match up.

"The next fight will be Uzumaki Naruto vs. Inuzuka Kiba"

XX

"Hehe, hey Akamaru, this is great isn't it? We've practically won already" Kiba boasted, holding his Ninken (Ninja dog) above his head.

"Urusai! Inuzuka, I can forgive you touching her with your grubby paws, or as it stands you have as much claim as I do, but I can't forgive your lack of faith in your own teammate!" Naruto hissed, so that only those on the floor could hear.

"Well unlike you, I'm not about to let her kill herself" Kiba retorted.

"She's not a glass doll that needs to be sheltered"

"Tch, Akamaru, sit this one out, I can take him all on my own" He instructed his dog, sending the white puppy to the sidelines."

"Naruto! Don't lose to that flea-house!!" Sakura yelled. Sasuke stared at the blond, offering him a curt nod.

'Naruto, after that fight in the forest I expect you to win'

'I…I want to cheer for Naruto-kun…but then Kiba-kun might get mad…what do I do?' Hinata pondered, tapping her fingers together nervously.

"Heh, I'll finish this in one move, Shikyaku no Jutsu (art of four feet)!" As blue chakra encircled the dog-boy, he fell down onto his hands and feet, his nails hardening into claws and the fangs in his mouth extending. Snarling, he moved, flying across the ground at high speed and striking Naruto in the chest and beating him down to the ground.

"Hehe, call the match. He won't be getting up after that" Kiba said, laughing as he walked away.

"Getting up after what?" Naruto asked, causing Kiba to whirl around.

"Wh-what?" Kiba watch as Naruto stood, seemingly unharmed.

"Heh, thanks for that, now I know exactly how strong, and how fast you are, you might as well use Akamaru, I can tell already you won't win without him"

"Tch, you'll regret that"

"Go ahead, hit me with your best shot" Naruto chided, thumping his chest with his fist.

"Alright then, if that's the way you want it, I'll just go all out" Fishing into his pouch, the Inuzuka pulled out a soldier pill and tossed it to his dog.

"Grr-rrr-rrah!!" As the dope took effect, the dog began snarling viciously, his fur turning into a flaring vermilion. Popping a pill himself, Kiba crouched down low, his dog-companion leaping onto his back.

"Juujin Bunshin (man-beast clone)!" There was a poof of smoke, and where Akamaru once stood, there now crouched a second Kiba, identical in every aspect to himself.

"Lets go!!" Leaping from their position, the two dog-boys rushed at Naruto, who took a step back.

"I should warn you Kiba…this isn't my first time fighting outnumbered…or an opponent with claws" As the pair struck, Naruto dropped to all fours, before leaping up again, landing vertically on the wall, the attack missing by millimeters.

'Lets make this fight a bit more even…a little…just enough…perfect!' As the dog-pair leapt at him, Naruto kicked himself off the wall, flying at them.

"Grrraaah!!" The blonde drove a clawed foot into the chest of one of them, pushing him away and himself towards the second. Maneuvering in mid-air, he grabbed the second by the legs and, spinning, hurled him into the wall.

"Gwah-ha!" Kiba coughed as he impacted, before quickly righting himself.

'Claws? How? What does it matter,'

"You'll have to do better than that!!!" The pair raced at the blonde again, from opposite sides this time. Leaping to the side, Naruto barley dodge the attack, the outer layer of his jacket getting torn in the process.

"Take this; Juujin Taijutsu no Ougi (man-beast Taijutsu supreme technique) Yahoo!!" The pair ran, the twisted, and leapt into the air. "Gatsuuga (dual piercing fang)!" Rotating at high speeds, the pair appeared as two large, gray, spinning masses of claws and fangs, both heading straight for the airborne blonde.

"That's-!" The pair shot past Naruto, their claws grinding against the metal mesh within his clothes, only to bounce of the walls and do it again, and again, and again and again and again from every different possible angle, the metal shielding quickly torn to shreds with each impact. When he finally stopped, Kiba and Akamaru came skidding to a halt, leaving Naruto to hit the ground heavily.

"Haah…haa…it's over" Kiba panted, nodding to the proctor.

"Don't…" Naruto muttered, struggling to move.

'That hurt like a bitch…'

"Give up, your to hurt to even move" Kiba taunted, laughing at the struggling blonde.

"Don't ever…" A wave of pain shot through the blonde, even as he raised his hand.

'I am the one born with the mark of the spiral…whose life was determined by a spiral'

"UNDERESTIMATE ME!!" With a grunt of effort, Naruto kicked himself up off the ground, staggering backwards a few steps before righting himself.

'I won't be beaten by a drill here!'

"Even if you can stand, it still won't help you! Gatsuuga!"

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" A pair of clones formed at his side, while three others appeared throughout the arena. As the spinning pair hurtled towards him, the clones on either side grabbed the original by the arm and spun, sending Naruto hurtling towards one of the oncoming attacks.

'What is he planning? He'll get himself killed?'

Moments before impact, Naruto's arm shot out, coated with chakra it went right through the technique, grabbing the Kiba inside.

"What!?"

"Wuoooraah!!" With a great cry, Naruto hurled his captive towards one of his clones, who, in turn, hurled him at the second Kiba, whose technique was still going. As he impacted against the technique, Kiba let out a howled cry, before dropping to the ground. With a 'poof' the Kiba changed back into Akamaru.

"Akamaru!" With a cry, Kiba ended his technique, and ran over to his fallen comrade.

"Making me get Akamaru, you'll pay for that!!" He yelled,

"No, it's over" Naruto said, just as a puff of smoke appeared beneath the Inuzuka.

"Katachi Koutai no Jutsu!" As the smoke cleared, Kiba found himself unable to move, heavy chains restraining his arms and legs.

"Wh-what is this?!"

"There was another clone you didn't see, hidden on my left arm as a patch of blood. When I grabbed Akamaru, he was transferred onto him, as soon as you approached, he then changed into the chains before you, and now, it's over!" With that the remaining Naruto clones encircled Kiba, brandishing their claws menacingly.

"Do you're worst!" The dog-Nin taunted.

"You asked for it" With a quick nod, one of the clones dashed forward, his claws ripping at Kiba's side.

"Gah…that all you've got?"

"Go!!" At his command, all the clones repeated the first's actions, dashing past the Inuzuka and dragging their claws against his flesh, before coming in for another round, as they struck the chains holding Kiba in place vanished, causing him to spin around as he was struck. Their attacks caused Kiba's blood to splatter around him, forming a multi-armed spiral, and around Kiba's midsection, nine red lines appeared where the clones struck.

"Akujunkan (Vicious Circle)" As he spoke, the Inuzuka swayed, before collapsing to the ground, his skin pale from blood loss. After Hayate checked him, the coughing ninja stood up.

"Inuzuka Kiba is unable to continue. The winner is, Uzumaki Naruto!" Naruto let out a sigh of relief, before walking over to his fallen foe.

"Hey, Kiba, you fought well. But I won"

/Take your eyes off Hinata, and let her live her own life. Then we can be allies/ Naruto growled softly, causing Kiba's eyes to widen, before softening.

/Yes…Alpha/ The dog-boy replied, just as unconsciousness claimed him.

"Alright! Way to go Naruto!" Sakura cheered.

"Naruto beat Kiba? I guess he isn't just 'That' Naruto anymore then" Shikamaru said, a smile on his face.

"But what a bloody victory, did he have kunai up his sleeves or something?" Chouji asked, munching on a chip.

"I didn't see one…but he must have…"

"Woohoo! I rock!!" Naruto cheered as he ran up the stairs to the balcony, his fangs and claws already receded. His grin faltered as he saw Hinata, his mind racing.

'Kuso! He's a jerk, but he's still her teammate! What if she's mad at me? What if she-'

"C-congratulations…Naruto-kun" She said, an honest smile on her face.

"Ah, ehe, yeah" He muttered, rubbing the back of his head. The Shy Hyuuga seemed to struggle with something, before making a decision.

'chu '

Naruto's eyes widened as the normally reserved Hyuuga planted a sudden kiss on his lips, only for her to suddenly blush and run back to her team.

'She kissed me…in front of everyone…'. As Sakura walked up to him, he suddenly came back to his senses and licked his lips.

"Mmm…strawberries..." The blonde murmured, a slight trickle of drool escaping his mouth.

"Ewww, Naruto-Baka, don't say things like that" Sakura scolded, hitting him over the head. No one but Gai noticed the way Neji was glaring at the blonde.

'You seem to be enjoying yourself…Hinata-sama'

'This boy…his spite carries deeply…'

XX

"The pairing for the next match are; Hyuuga Hinata vs Hyuuga Neji. Will the combatants please come down to the arena" Hinata's eyes widened, while both Neji and Naruto's eyes narrowed, but for entirely different reasons.

"Hinata-sama…I didn't expect to be facing you…"

"Neji-Nii-San (Brother Neji)…"

'I don't want to fight you…'

'Neji…that's Hinata-Chan's cousin…the 'prodigy of the Hyuuga Branch Family' that she always talks about…'

"A fight between two that belong to the most prestigious clan in Konoha…the house of Hyuuga…this match will be something…" Sasuke muttered aloud.

"This fight may turn ugly…" Naruto muttered.

"Why?" Sakura asked.

"There is much bad blood between the main family of the Hyuuga clan and the Branch family, and between the two of them personally" Lee explained.

"Is that so…" The Kunoichi muttered, turning back to the fight.

"Hajime!"

"Hinata-sama…you should forfeit now" Neji said, his cold eyes bearing down on the shy Hyuuga heir.

"Neji-Nii…"

"You do not make a good Shinobi. You're too kind, you seek to avoid confrontations, and you agree without putting up resistance. I'm sure the only reason you even joined the Chuunin exam was just to benefit your teammates."

"I…no…that is…I…wanted to see…if I could change myself…"

"I see…Hinata-sama, you are a spoilt brat of the main house. People can not change themselves!"

'I…I'm just…a spoilt brat?'

"Losers are losers, personality and strength are things that do not change."

'You…saying such things…' Naruto scowled as the Hyuuga continued.

"Because people cannot change, differences are born. Expressions like 'elite' and 'loser' are born. Looks, brains, size, and personality, all people judge and are judged on these values. Based on these unchangeable factors, people discriminate and are discriminated against, and they suffer within their own means. Just as I am from the branch house, and you are from the main house."

Naruto clenched his teeth in anger as Neji prolonged what was all but an interrogation.

"With these eyes, I can see a great many things. Your movements, your posture, you know you can't win, and are already seeking a way to escape. You already realize it yourself. You cannot, nor ever will be able to change your-"

"YOU CAN!!" Naruto yelled, cutting of the ruthless Hyuuga. "People will always change! Hinata! Kick his ass!!!"

'Naruto-kun…you are someone who's always striving to become better…and bit-by-bit you always do…in that case'

"Byakugan!" Hinata declared, her white eyes pulsating as blood and chakra flowed through them, the veins around her eyes bulging out against her skin. "Neji-Nii-San, I will not run away. We will fight!" She commanded, slipping into her families Jyuuken (gentle fist) stance.

"Hmph, so be it, I won't be held responsible for how this turns out" Neji replied, slipping into the same stance.

"Hyah!" As the two exchanged blows, Naruto couldn't help but swell with pride. Hinata, his Hinata was fighting toe to toe with the person said to be the strongest Genin in Konoha, not only that, but she was actually gaining ground.

'This ferocity, I've never seen Hinata-Sama like this!' Neji gasped, wincing as he failed to properly avoid a strike to his side.

"She got him!"

"No, it wasn't deep enough" Sakura corrected.

"It doesn't matter, every strike does internal damage, even a slight touch can be critical. That's why it's called 'Jyuuken'. Naruto explained, beaming like an idiot.

'Left lung, right kidney, pivot, dodge, right lung, liver…now!' Hinata thrust at her opponent's heart, only for the attack to be stopped inches from its target.

"Not yet!" She struck with her other arm, but it was also dealt with the same way, hand to the wrist, and a finger to the arm.

"How? Her attacks have been landing perfectly!" Naruto demanded in outrage. Neji smirked, before peeling back the sleeve of Hinata's jacket, revealing a row of angry, red dots.

"That is!"

"That's right. I can see the Tenketsu (pressure points)"

"I see…so from the beginning,"

"It took a little bit to get used to your protective jacket, but yes. Your arms have been sealed since the very beginning." Shooting his arm out, Neji impacted against her chest with his palm, sending her sprawling.

"This is the unreachable gap between our powers, the difference between an elite and a loser that can never be changed. You can no longer fight, give up"

"I…I won't run away. I won't go back on my word…that…that is my Nindo (way of the ninja)!" She declared, picking herself up off the ground.

"To continue is futile"

"I won't back down!" With a cry, she leapt at her cousin, attacking him even more viciously than before.

'Even if I can't use Jyuuken…I can still fight!'

'She is…this is getting out of hand! I must end this!' Redirecting her blow, Neji stepped to the side, before striking her directly in the heart. Coughing up blood, Hinata collapsed to the ground.

"I told you, from the beginning you have done nothing"

'A blow to the heart…it is over for the poor girl' Gai muttered.

"As continuing is impossible, I declare-"

"DON'T!!" Naruto roared, surprising everybody.

"Naruto! She's unconscious and-"

"She can…still fight…" As Naruto spoke, a gasp rang out through the crowd, as Hyuuga Hinata got to her feet.

"You…! If you continue like this you'll die!"

"This is…not over" She panted, limping towards her cousin.

"Acting like this…it's pointless! You have always hated your own weakness as the heir but people cannot change their fate!! Give up now and-!"

"I…can see it…the aura of unhappiness…the darkness enveloping your heart…" Hinata said, her voice wavering as her strength faded. "The one who is suffering in the destiny of the main and branch families…is you…"

"You…WHAT DO YOU KNOW!!!" Roaring, Neji ran toward she faltering Hyuuga heir, his Byakugan blazing in white fury.

"Stop"

With a poof of smoke, no less than four Jounin had surrounded him, effectively making attack impossible.

"Neji, you gave your word as a man not to allow your personal feeling to interfere with this fight" Gai said angrily.

"Why? Does the main family get special treatment!?!?"

Ba-dum

"Guah-haa" Hinata gagged as her heart suddenly beat raggedly, collapsing to the ground as she coughed up a puddle of blood. In an instant Naruto leapt down, and was by her side.

"Hinata-Chan!"

"Na-Naruto…-kun…did I…change?'"Hai…you are…so…"

"…I'm glad" She murmured, slipping into darkness.

Ba…dum…ba…

"MEDIC!!!! MEDIC!!!! GET HER THE HELL OUT OF HERE!!!!" Naruto screamed, red tinting the edges of his eyes.

"Ahh! Right away!"

"Hey, loser over there," Neji said, drawing everyone's attention to him. "I'd like to tell you two things, one, if you really are a Shinobi, then you should stop idiotically cheering on others and two, in the end, a loser is always just a loser. They will never change". Naruto glared at the Hyuuga prodigy, before glancing over towards the medic team taking Hinata away

"Her heart beat's erratic, at this rate she won't last ten minutes"

Ba……dum………

"Hyuuga Neji…" Naruto said, walking over to the blood that Hinata had coughed up.

"…?" Bending down, Naruto dragged his fingers through the puddle, the crimson liquid glistening on his fingertips. Standing, the blonde brought his hands up and dragged them across his face, painting his whiskers red with Hinata's blood.

"I swear…upon the blood that was spilt…I will defeat you…if Hyuuga Hinata dies…then I swear upon her immortal memory…you will wish you has died with her"

It was like a flash of lighting, there, then gone again in the same instant, so fast you'd swear it was just your imagination. But, for one second, just a split second, there was not a whole room full of people standing there. There was only Neji, Hinata, who was fast fading from life, and another. Not a man, but a raging demon, its flames engulfing all around it. It's red eyes turned and settled on Neji, a great, long tail whipping around behind it…

Neji blinked, the vision fast fading to the back of his mind.

'What…what was that? Genjutsu??'

'That Naruto guy…something about him reminds me of Gaara…' Kankurou thought nervously.

"Ahem…if you'll all return to the stands, the next match will now begin.

XX

"To face you this early, I'm honored". Gaara said nothing, the cork from his gourd dropping with a 'pop'.

"The next match will be; Gaara vs. Rock Lee, Hajime!"

Darting forward, lee made the first move.

"Konoha Senpuu (Leaf Whirlwind). As his kick drew near, sand flowed out from Gaara's gourd, blocking the attack.

"Sand?" Gaara's eyes narrowed, and the sand moved to envelop the bowl-haired Nin.

"Uwaah!" Kicking backwards, Lee skidded out of the sands way. Gritting his teeth, his attacked again, launching a barrage of strikes, only to have each one get blocked.

"That's it!!" Naruto exclaimed, suddenly."What's it?" Sakura asked.

"Ah, nothing, never mind" The blonde apologized, turning back to the match.

'Of course, the sand…Shukaku was the Bijuu of wind, but he dwelt in the desert! Gaara's using the wind to move the sand! But…that would require at least…the gourd!! That gourd on his back, it's not a gourd! It's his tail! He's fighting with his tail out!!'

"Taijutsu obviously isn't working, why doesn't Lee use any Ninjutsu or Genjutsu?" Sakura asked, causing Gai to grin.

"It's not that he isn't using Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, it's that he can't!"

"What?"

"For him, molding chakra is next to impossible…so he has devoted all his time into training his Taijutsu" Gai said. As Lee avoid a wave of sand, he leapt up onto the hand-seal statue.

"And his Taijutsu is…well…you'll see. Lee! Take them off!" Gai instructed.

"Ah! But Gai-Sensei! You said that was only for-"

"It's okay, I'll allow it!

"Aha!" Sitting down, Lee pulled off his legwarmers, revealing a pack of weight on each leg. Grinning, he undid the straps, and dropped them to the ground.

"Pffttt, like losing a little weights gonna allow him to stand up to Gaara, he-!!" Temari was cut off as the weights hit the ground with a crash, penetrating the floor tiles and sending up clouds of debris.

"A bit much don't you think?" Kakashi said, appearing behind Gai.

"Kakashi-sensei! When did you get back?" Naruto asked.

"Just now…did I miss anything?" Kakashi asked, smiling.

"Gah, forget it" Naruto muttered, turning back just in time to see lee vanish.

"What!?"

An instant later, he reappeared behind Gaara and drove his fist at him, impacting heavily against the sand. He struck again, and again, each hit penetrating the sand just a little more, until…

"He got him!!" Temari gasped, never having seen Gaara get hit before.

'This is…what's going to happen?'

"Yosh! Now we're just getting started."

"LEE! EXPLODE!!" Gai called out.

"OSSU!!" Vanishing in blur, Lee darted around Gaara, the Shukaku heir's sand scarcely able to keep up, before delivering a heavy right hook to Gaara's face, forcing him back a few steps.

"This is…really bad…" Kankurou muttered.

"Yeah, Itoko's getting his ass kicked. Hah, I doubt he ever expected to fight someone like Lee" Naruto replied. Not that, that. The Puppet wielder said, pointing at Gaara.

"That's…oh…this…is bad" Naruto muttered in agreement. Gaara stood with a maniacal grin on his face, pieces of sand falling from his face like eggshell.

'I had a feeling this was going to happen…that Gaara is fully awake…It's been years since I've seen this face'

"As it is, that guy'll get killed for the fun of it"

"I…I had no-idea he was like that…" Naruto muttered, glancing at Gaara as the sand enveloped him again, filling in the holes in his armor.

'Of course…I've never really met another Jinchuuriki before…I suppose they've all adapted in different ways…'

"Is that all?" Gaara demanded, his calm demeanor returning. Frowning, Lee began undoing his bandages.

'I see…my only option is the lotus' With that Lee vanished again, whirling around Gaara in a circle, causing the sand to whip about.

"Hurry up and come" Gaara said impatiently.

"As you wish!" Lee appeared beneath Gaara, beginning the Konoha Kage Buyou.

'The sand weighing him down…more!!' As he kicked repeatedly, Gaara slowly rose from the ground, each strike increasing his height little by little until…

The bandages around Lee's wrists wrapped themselves around Gaara, the bowl-haired youth turned the two of them upside down and began spinning.

"Omote Renge (Initial Lotus)!"

As Gaara impacted against the ground, Lee leapt away, leaving a prone Gaara lying in the middle of some rubble.

"Did he kill him?"

"No…no way!"

Lee gasped in shock as 'Gaara' melted away into sand, revealing a hollow shell.

'He used Kawarimi, but left his armor behind!'

"Hehehehe" Gaara laughed malevolently as he rose from behind Lee, sand pouring off of him.

"DIE!!" Forming a hand seal, Gaara send another wave of sand at Lee, sending him crashing into the wall.

"Why didn't lee-san dodge it?" Sakura demanded.

"The lotus is a double-edged sword, all that high speed movement puts incredible strain on the body, right now he's in too much pain to even move, right Gai?"

"Kakashi…The Lotus of Konoha always blooms twice" Gai said, an odd look in his eye.

"You don't mean-!"

"Kyuumon-Kai (Rest Gate-Release)!" Lee cried out, crossing his arms across his chest. A burst of energy flew out, and his wounds slowly began to heal.

"Gai…how many of the gates can that kid open?" Kakashi demanded, revealing his Sharingan to watch.

"He can open as many as five of them" Gai said, his voice torn between pride and shame.

"A Genin…you taught a Genin how to perform a technique like that!!? The copy-Nin demanded, his eyes blazing with anger.

"Don't lecture me on how to train my students Kakashi" Gai reprimanded. "He is someone who would go through anything to accomplish his dreams…I simply gave him the means to do so…can you honestly say the same?"

"There are still limits Gai, I've lost respect for you"

'Sasuke-kun, Neji-kun, Naruto-kun. Watch me, all of you…watch as I show you…my burning will!' As Lee's body stained, a slight glow started appeared around it, the veins in his head started pulsing, and his skin started to darken and turn red as more blood was pumped through it.

"SEIMON (Life gate)-KAI!!" With a roar he brought his arms down to his sides, accompanied by an explosion of energy.

'I will protect my Nindo!!' Lee tore down towards Lee, his steps ripping up the ground beneath him. A barley perceivable kick sent the Suna-Nin flying into the air. As the sand trailed behind him, Gaara was suddenly knocked to the side, and the other, a practically invisible Lee bouncing him about in the air.

"SHOUMON (Wound gate)-KAI!"

'The Suna no Yoroi (Armour of sand)…its being knocked off…' Lee drew back his fist for another strike, only the have it tremor sporadically, causing him to wince in pain.

'His muscles just snapped…' Kakashi observed. 'Any more and..'

"TOMON (Limit Gate)-KAI!!"

Naruto shuddered as he felt the sheer power washing off of the green-clad ninja, his hands trembling uncontrollable.

'This power! So much power! Too much power! I can feel it with me…A HUMAN SHOULD NOT HAVE SUCH POWER!!!'

Lee smashed his fist into Gaara's chest, affixing his bandage to the redhead's clothes in the process.

"THIS IS IT!!" Drawing back his fist again, Gaara was pulled back up.

"HAAAAA!!!! URA RENGE!!!" Lee drove his palm into the Suna-Nin's stomach, shattering right through the Suna no Yoroi and sending him crashing to the ground.

"GWAAAaahhh!!" Lee cried out in pain as his whole body shook, the gates re-sealing themselves within him as he fell to the ground as well.

As Lee struggled to get up, he gasped as he saw Gaara; lying on his back in a mound of sand, the gourd on his back no-where to me seen. Grunting, he raised his hand, the sand extending itself towards Lee, enveloping his left arm and leg.

"Sabaku Kyu (Desert Funeral)…Sabaku…Sousou! (Desert Funeral)!" Gaara clenched his fist, and the sand constricted around lee's already damaged limbs, causing him to cry out in agony. The sand moved again, but was stopped by a green blur.

"That's enough" Gai said, staring the Jinchuuriki down.

'He saved him…he saved him…he saved him…'

'…Love…'

"GAH!! Why…, why did you save him!?" Gaara demanded, clutching his head in agony.

"Because…he is my beloved comrade" Gai said. Gaara seemed to shudder for a moment before getting back up, all the sand in the arena reforming into his armor and gourd.

"The Winner is Gaara"

"Fine! I don't care anymore!" Gaara turned to walk away, but a movement out the corner of his eye stopped him.

"Lee!" The spandex-clad ninja stood there, his left arm and leg hanging limp, his right hand bend into his Gouken (strong fist) stance, his whole body twitching sporadically.

"Lee, that's enough, its over. Lee! You shouldn't be standing with your body…Lee! Lee…you,…you…" The elder man broke into tears as he saw his students eyes, glazed and unseeing, he was already unconscious.

"Oh lee…to continue trying to prove your Nindo, even after passing out…what have I done to you?" Gai cried, embracing his zombie-like student gently.

"Lee…you are already…a great ninja…"

The medic team ran over, and took Lee from his Sensei's grasp, lying him out upon a stretcher. After doing a quick diagnosis Jutsu, one of the medics shook his head.

"I'm afraid he has multiple fractures throughout his body…much of his muscle tissue has been torn…but…the damage to his left arm and leg…its so extensive that I doubt we will be able to do anything…he will most likely never be able to perform as a ninja again."

"No…it can't be true…"

'Forgive me Lee…I was unable to stop you…'

As the medics took Lee away Kakashi walked up to Gai.

"Look…I wish to apologize for what I said earlier…I admit…if I where in your position…I probably wouldn't have been able to stop my student either" Kakashi relented. "Come on…they still need to do the next match"

"…Yeah…"

XXXX

Compared to much of the other matches, the final match between Chouji and Dosu was extremely brief, lasting under a minute in total, with Dosu being the winner with a single attack.

'Ah well…at least now these prelims are over'

"With this, the preliminary rounds for the third exam are over. To all of you that passed, Congratulations to you all. Hokage-Sama will now explain the final exam" Hayate coughed, stepping back to allow the Sandaime to step forward.

"Now then, as I told you before, the final matches will be observed by many people, each of you represents the strengths of your respective countries. Because of that, I want you all to show off your abilities and fight with no reserves. Which is why the finals will be held a month from now"

"What? Why don't we fight right now?"

"Firstly, because it will take us that much time to organize the event, and secondly, you all know have a fair idea of each other's strengths and weaknesses, you should use this time to consider your chances of winning, and to develop new techniques so that your opponents don't know everything about you. In other words, this is time for training."

'I have to train hard! As I am know I doubt I could actually beat Neji…I may have to fight Gaara as well…and…Sasuke…'

"Before you go, you will each choose a number from the ballot box, these will determine who fights who in the finals."

As each of the Genin took a number, the Sandaime looked over the Genin.

'The skills some of them have shown here…there are some Jounin that would fall before these children…but still, combat prowess doesn't account for everything'

"Now that you have you're number, please tell us what you get, starting from the left.

"I got Nine" Dosu

"One" Naruto

"Seven" Temari

"Five" Kankurou

"Three" Gaara

"Eight" Shikamaru

"Two" Neji

"Six" Shino

"Four" Sasuke

"Ten" Sakura

"Okay then, the pairings for the first round of the third exam will be; Uzumaki Naruto vs Hyuuga Neji. Gaara vs. Uchiha Sasuke. Kankurou vs. Aburame Shino. Temari vs. Nara Shikamaru. And Dosu Kinuta vs. Haruno Sakura. You're all dismissed

"Alright! Straight to training!" Naruto shouted.

'Ah, I'd better visit Hinata-Chan in the hospital before I do…and Geji Mayu (Thick Brows)…I hope they're okay…'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: The way the Japanese translations are written has changed, as I hope you can see.

Some battles have been skipped, but I liked it that way.