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Legend:

"Someone is talking."
'Someone is thinking.'
"A technique is being used."

Gas XIV:

Genjutsu were techniques that, by manipulating the flow of chakra the victim's brain, could ensnare the mind within an illusion. They were normally used to create false images, inflict mental trauma, interrogation, and even brainwashing unsuspecting victims. It was a demanding art requiring high levels of chakra control, patience, and imagination that few people possessed.

Like Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, there were several branches of Genjutsu. One of the most dangerous branches of Genjutsu were those cast through sound as, opposed to other types of Genjutsu, they allowed the user to attack from afar and were usually much harder to break out of than ordinary Genjutsu. There was also Genjutsu that employed elemental chakra natures, known as "Ningenjutsu", which were a bit risky to use if the user wanted to remain undetected.

Yuki Fuki had turned to the illusionary arts after she had been rescued from Orochimaru. His experimentation had made Taijutsu and Ninjutsu rather difficult and, while it was still hard, Genjutsu had been something she could actually use. She had grown to love Genjutsu throughout the years and had dabbled in Ningenjutsu—creating the Hyōton: Nemui no Jutsu and the Hyōton: Yume o minai sekai—though didn't know how to properly use as she only knew how to form the ice chakra nature.

During her match in the preliminaries, Fuki had struggled. Kankurō had managed to take control of the battle from the start and, with his unique variation of Chakra Strings, could have defeated her. It was only luck that had allowed her to actually cast a Genjutsu on him. If he had noticed and had broken it, she wouldn't have had the time to cast the other Genjutsu she had used or would have been impaled by his Chōka-Ito Muchi because she hadn't had the time to prepare for it.

Yamato-sensei had agreed with her. He had given her a few suggestions and tips on how to improve herself but, not specializing in Genjutsu, had arranged for one of his friends to teach her. It pained her a little that he couldn't help her like he would be helping Sasuke and Naruto—once he got out of the hospital—but Yamato-sensei's friend, Hensen Kuroi, was an amazing teacher.

In the month before the finals, Kuroi-sensei had taught her a lot. He had taught her a few more Genjutsu, helped her to refine the Genjutsu she already knew, and had began teaching her how to layer them. He had also made sure that she knew of multiple ways to recognize and break Genjutsu cast upon her. Kuroi-sensei had been the most helpful, however, in the area of Ningenjutsu. He had taught her how to form the water chakra nature and, using that, a few Ningenjutsu that used water and mist as a medium.

Fuki smiled to herself as she prepared herself for what would be happening today. The final round of the Chūnin Selection Exams. She had been informed that it was in the form of tournament-like fights between those that remained. The fights themselves had been chosen by the Genin themselves by picking out a number from a box; because she had been given "5", she would be fighting Temari who had drawn the "2" in the second round.

Temari would be a difficult opponent, but not impossible. The blonde Sunagakure kunoichi seemed to specialize in Fūton Ninjutsu and Tessenjutsu. Fuki could also assume that she possessed a decent level of strength—carrying and utilizing a weapon like her Giant Folding Fan proved this. So, while difficult, Fuki believed that she had the skills she needed to defeat Temari and advance to the next round.

The reason? Abumi Zaku. He would be facing Nakamura Tenten in the first round and was sure to advance. She wasn't doubting Tenten's skills but, unless she had figured out a strategy to counteract Zaku's Harestu, she would lose. The opportunity to fight Zaku and to take him down was simply something she couldn't afford to miss.

Not after what he'd done to Naruto in the preliminaries. 'You better watch out, Zaku.'

XXXXXX

Uchiha Sasuke had always been somewhat jealous of his teammates' ability to fly. He knew it was petty of him but he couldn't help it. His lack of ability made him feel a little left out or somewhat of a burden—especially when they had to redesign or scrap one of their strategies—but he hadn't mentioned it. He liked his teammates, but hadn't wanted to burden them. He was grateful that they had helped him in the past but this felt like something that he had needed to do on his own.

The problem was that he hadn't had something that would allow him to fly. Naruto was capable of turning his body into gas or transforming into streams of gas that enabled him to allowed him to fly. Fuki possessed a modified body that allowed her the ability to fly though it had been against her will. Sasuke's skills had primarily lain in Taijutsu, Elemental Ninjutsu, and the few non-elemental techniques that Yamato had taught the team.

Everything had changed when Sasuke had discovered Fuinjutsu; Sealing Techniques. The art fascinated him and, while he doubted that he would ever be a Fuinjutsu Master, he could become quite decent with them. Yamato had helped him on the side, teaching him the Generic Sealing Technique and the Fire Sealing Method amongst a few other useful techniques. It was the Fire Sealing Method that had finally given Sasuke an idea of what he could do to solve his problem.

The Fire Sealing Method's jutsu-formula could be inscribed on practically anything. It was more practical to put it onto scrolls which could be retrieved quickly to intercept and then seal approaching flames, but it could be used on other things. And the Fire Sealing Method: Release would unleash the captured flames from the object with the jutsu-formula. So, if the Fire Sealing Method had sealed a stream of flames... the Fire Sealing Method: Release would unleash a stream of flames.

By putting the jutsu-formula on the sole of his boots, Sasuke had found a way to propel himself into the air. In the beginning it had been more of a propulsion than sustained flight but, as time had marched on, he had discovered that sustained flight was possible. Yamato had helped a lot with the theory in it, actually helping him design a suitable hand-seal that would help him control the unsealed flames and then resealing them when he "touched down". He had barely gotten it down before the start of the Chunin Exams.

The month between the preliminaries and the finals had given him more time to perfect his new technique. It had also given him time to widen his arsenal of both elemental and non-elemental ninjutsu, refine his Taijutsu, and come up with a couple of strategies to defeat the opponents he would face.

A/N: Author's Note: Sorry about the length and lack of dialogue in this chapter. I just needed to get this out so that I can focus on my other stories and the upcoming finals for this ficlet series. For all of you awaiting Amity's Arrancar, I'm sorry to say that my co-author has been extremely busy... but we have reached over two thousand words for around one-two different scenes and then another one thousand-one thousand five hundred for another scene.