Chapter 25

Two Faces To Everything

Waiting.

Everyone was waiting.

The dust and smoke continued to swell around the middle of the arena. It danced around with the wind, obscuring anything that could be seen. An ill silence had taken over the stadium. No one dared to say anything, fearing that the slightest sound would only make the smoke stay longer. There was no sound, no color, but worst of all, to Naruto, there was no movement whatsoever from inside the smoke. He leaned farther over the railing of the bunker, trying his best to see anything. But still the smoke swelled, and still he waited.

How long had it been? A minute maybe? Probably, but it felt more like a year. Beside him, he felt Sado shift his weight, and he gave a sigh of relief. At least it wasn't just him agonizing through the wait. He thought back to what Sasuke had said to him.

"Then I guess… This'll be as far as I was meant to go…"

Naruto shook his head. What had Sasuke meant? That if it was his time to die he would just accept it? No questions asked? Naruto couldn't believe it! If you're dead, Sasuke, Naruto thought, squeezing the railing. Then I swear I'm gonna' kill you!

Movement!

At least, Naruto thought it had been movement. Down in the smoke, that had been a slight movement of a shadow right? He squinted. Maybe not, but there was definitely something moving in there! He looked again.

SWOOSH!

A giant, green arm suddenly shot out of the smoke! It smashed into the wall under the bunker, not moving. Naruto was confused. He looked from the arm to the smoke and back again. It was then that he noticed there was something on the other end of the arm… Something the arm had smashed into the wall…

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled.

It was true! Sasuke was hunched over on the arm, his back against the wall. Naruto looked on from above. He wasn't moving. In another moment, there was a grotesque yell from the smoke, and it all evaporated away in an instant, revealing the green cloaked Sengi, arm extended against Sasuke and electricity dripping from his mouth. Despite it all, he was giving off a creepy smile.

He pulled his arm back from Sasuke, who slouched back against the wall, his head dangling toward the ground. He still wasn't moving. Sengi raised his right arm, electricity still streaming from his mouth as if it were liquid. Slowly, his arm formed itself into a chakra blade again. He held it out in front of him, the blade pointed toward Sasuke's motionless body.

"Now…"

In a flash, the blade was shooting forward! Naruto's eyes widened in shock, and without thinking, he hopped over the railing, falling toward Sasuke. He held his right arm in an open palm, and using his left hand, began to swirl and focus his chakra, all the while not taking his eyes off the blade. In an instant, his Rasengan was done.

"Rasengan!"

The blade inches away from Sasuke's defenseless torso, Naruto pushed his Rasengan into it, and watched as the chakra twisted and shredded away along with his attack. He landed in front of Sasuke, smoke spiraling off his hand, and giving Sengi a death glare. Sengi pulled what was left of his arm back, and shot Naruto a glare in return. An odd feeling slammed through Naruto's system.

He pointed a finger at Sengi. "Sengi!" he yelled. The stadium was still deathly quiet. "What's wrong with you?! What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

Sengi didn't reply right away. Instead, he took a step forward, wiping sparks from his lips. "Naruto…"

Suddenly, four figures where standing in front of him: Kakashi, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and the proctor. He looked in between them and found the Raikage was now standing beside Sengi. He looked as calm as ever, in fact, he was actually giving them all a small smile. Tsunade threw her arm out to the side.

"That is enough! This match is over!" She pointed a finger at Sengi. "How dare you! It should have been clear to you that the match was over. Sasuke is sitting there defenseless! You had won, and yet you chose to go for the killing blow!" She paused, trying to calm herself down. "Raikage…"

The Raikage held up his hand. "Now, now… Anyone would have gotten caught up in the moment. You know, adrenaline and all… However, I do agree with you." He placed a hand on Sengi's cloaked shoulder. "Calm down, Sengi."

Slowly, the green chakra that surrounded him slowly began to fade away, and seep back into his body. The sight made Naruto feel uneasy. He watched as Sengi stumbled forward, but caught himself. His left arm dangled limply by his side , and his eyes locked with Naruto's for a second, and Naruto felt something inside him tighten uncomfortably. Sengi turned around, and began to shakily walk toward the arena's ground exit.

"Hang on!" Tsunade called. "We're not done here." Sengi stopped, but didn't turn around. Tsunade turned to the Raikage. "This was to close, Raikage… Sasuke could have died! I should disqualify him right now!"

The Raikage nodded slowly; a frown had replaced his smile. "I am aware. Please forgive him, though, he's young. And Don't worry, Tsunade, I'll make sure it doesn't happen again." He gave them all a smile. "But… I wonder if you can do the same…" Naruto couldn't help but notice how all of them tensed as the Raikage turned around. "I'll take Sengi to get looked at. I'll have him back in time, I promise." He caught up with Sengi, and placing a hand on his shoulder, they both headed toward the exit.

The proctor took a step forward. "The winner, by knockout, is Sengi." He said it almost distastefully. The crowd perked up with a few cheers and whistles.

Jiraiya leaned in toward Tsunade. "So are you going to disqualify him?"

Tsunade shook her head. "I don't believe so, after all, it may have been an accident. However, we'll be watching him carefully during the next match."

The mention of the match made Naruto realize. "Sasuke!" he said quickly, turning around. He took a step forward, but stopped himself. "Sasuke…"

Sasuke was hunched over against the wall, his body racked with cuts and bruises. His clothes were torn in several places, and there were patches of blood running down his skin. His head was slouched over, looking at the ground, blood slowly dripping from a place obscured by his long bangs. Naruto's eyes found his left arm, which was literally blood soaked. His skin had been ripped in several places along the arm, and Naruto was pretty sure it wasn't supposed to bend that way. His breathing was slow but there. Naruto slowly averted his eyes to the ground as a medical team ran onto the field.

Kakashi pulled Naruto out of the way as Tsunade knelt down in front of Sasuke. She quickly placed her hand on a couple of the wounds, stopping for only a couple of seconds on his arm. She ordered the medical team to take him to the infirmary as fast as possible. They did as they were told, quickly and carefully loading Sasuke on the stretcher, and taking him away.

Tsunade shook her head at Jiraiya solemnly, then took a step toward Kakashi. "It's bad," she said quietly. Naruto tensed. "I'm going with them." With a sigh, she was off, running after them with a couple of Leaf Nin right by her side.

After a long moment, Naruto said, "Kakashi-sensei…"

Kakashi gave Naruto a small smile under his mask. "It'll be okay, Naruto. I promise." He paused. "But don't let this get to your head… Stay calm. Focused."

Naruto clenched his fists, finally raising his head in the direction Sengi and the Raikage had went. He didn't say anything, but Kakashi saw all of his emotions spilling out through his eyes. He also noticed he had begun to shake.

"Naruto…"

"I am so angry right now, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder. "Sasuke's strong. He'll pull through."

Naruto turned on him. "I'm not mad about that! I'm mad at Sengi! What's his fucking problem?! Why would he do something like that?!" His eyes flashed with hate and rage.

Kakashi made to answer, but Jiraiya beat him to it. "Sengi is going down a dark path right now." Naruto looked toward him. "A path that I don't think he truly realizes the consequences. He's teetering on the edge of despair." He gave Naruto a sad frown. "And while he tries to figure things out, he's taking out his confusion on the people around him."

Naruto fumed. "That doesn't make any sense!" He kicked at the ground, then collapsed to his knees, his hands grasping the dirt as if for comfort. "Gah!" Kakashi made to help him up, but Jiraiya grabbed his arm, shaking his head. After a long silence, Naruto finally stood up, not taking his eyes off the ground.

The proctor approached them. "Sorry, gentleman, but we need to get the next match underway. We're losing daylight, here."

"Of course," Jiraiya answered. He took one last look at Naruto before jumping back to the balcony with Kakashi.

"Sado!" the proctor called. In an instant, the Cloud Nin was jumping from the bunker, landing a few feet away from Naruto. "Good. Now, if you'll recall the rules from yesterday, none of that's changed…"

As the proctor spoke, Naruto tuned him out. He was lost in thought. Why would Sengi do that? What had driven him to become so different? He was no longer the same boy Naruto had met in the streets a month ago. Was Jiraiya right? Was he really on the edge of complete despair?

I don't get it! I don't understand at all!

And then…

It is because they do not want you to understand.

Still staring at the ground, Naruto narrowed his eyes.

What are you saying?

You may not have felt it, but I did. The atmosphere, the chakra! Your friend, Sengi, is more similar to you then you think.

The image of Sengi's strange, green chakra flashed through his mind. You mean…?

Yes… Like you, he is a host to one of the Bijuu, the Three Tailed Sanbi!

So he's been working with his Bijuu the whole time?!

From what I gathered from that last match, their connection is even stronger then ours.

Naruto was hit with sudden realization. He probably was about to kill Sasuke because the Sanbi told him to!

I felt an almost non-existent human presence during that battle. I don't think Sengi's actual mind was in it at all. The Sanbi's done a good job of suppressing it… The Kyuubi let off a low growl. It echoed throughout Naruto's head.

Naruto clenched his fists angrily. I don't care about that! It's still his fault! It has to be! He almost killed Sasuke! I'm gonna make him pay!

A sudden chill crept through his body. You're beginning to think more like me every day, Naruto… Yes! Use your rage! Show him what he's facing!

"Naruto!" Naruto snapped his head up quickly, looking at the proctor. Slowly, the sounds of the crowd came back into focus. It felt like years had passed.

"What?" he said a little more forcefully then he had intended. He found his voice had gone a little rough, and slowly, he realized he could feel the Kyuubi's chakra pouring through his system. A small smile graced his lips.

The proctor sighed. "You weren't listening… Well, I'm not going to repeat myself. Are you ready?"

"…Yeah…"

The proctor nodded. "Very well." He held up his hand. "Sorry for the short wait, ladies and gentleman. The second match of the Semi-Finals is about to begin. Sado versus Naruto Uzumaki!" The crowd cheered, excited to see Naruto in battle once again. "When you both are ready," the proctor continued over the noise, "you may begin!" He swung his arm down, and jumped back just like always.

Sado wasted no time. He jumped away from Naruto, forming a couple of hand sings. He landed as he finished the fifth and final one. I need to make this look good! He thought. He glanced at Naruto and found that he hadn't moved at all. He was just staring at the ground. Sado cursed. Damn it! He's probably still shook up about the Uchiha! This better not affect his performance…

He slammed both his fists into the ground. "Earth Style: Golem Ude!" Pieces of the ground suddenly began to tear away, attaching to Sado's fists. It continued until both of his arms were incased in stone. He got into a stance. "Prepare yourself, Uzumaki!"

Naruto still hadn't moved. Sado watched confused, and glanced toward the proctor, who looked just as baffled. Was this a joke?

"Uzumaki!" The proctor called. "Is something wrong?"

Naruto didn't reply. He slowly lifted his head, and stared directly at Sado. Sado flinched. His eyes had turned a dark red, and his pupils were now narrow, like a cat's. His features had become rough and hardened, his nails having sharpened to claws, and his teeth a little sharper then they should be. Suddenly, a red chakra began to outline him, moving around wildly as it spread. Sado felt a cool bead of sweat run down his face. He knew this all too well…

Naruto finally put himself in a stance. "Is that all!" he yelled at Sado, who took a step back in both surprise and fear. Naruto narrowed his eyes; they were filled with absolute hate. "I'll finish this in no time flat!"

Then, with blinding speed, he charged forward.

-

Sakura had been on the edge of her seat throughout Sasuke's whole battle, and now, she finally sat back comfortably but in an uncomfortable way. Truthfully, Sengi's transformation had frightened her, and although she didn't get a good look from her position and distance, she could tell Sasuke didn't look good. Her heart sank as Tsunade rushed after the medical team…

But now Naruto stood in the arena! As she looked at him, a weird warmth seemed to crawl throughout her whole body. Perhaps it was the way Naruto presented himself, or perhaps it was her new found feelings for him, but either way, she knew she had nothing to worry about. That is, until she really looked at him.

Immediately, she knew something was wrong, and having spent all this time with him, she could tell when something was troubling him. He seemed…unstable, and she wasn't entirely comfortable with him fighting right now. Sasuke's condition worried her, and she definitely didn't want Naruto in the same boat.

She took a deep breath in and out.

"Hey, are you alright?" Shikamaru asked beside her.

She gave him a weak smile. "Would you be able to tell if I was lying?"

Shikamaru shook his head, letting out a small chuckle. "Trust me, I think what Sengi just did surprised all of us. I mean, who knew he'd be hiding that much power. But I don't think you have to worry about Naruto." He crossed his arms and sat back against his chair. "None of us can really deny it anymore. He's strong."

Shikamaru's words comforted Sakura. "Yeah…" she said softly. "I know."

Shikamaru eyed her carefully. "And hey, don't think about Sengi right now. That's another battle for another time." He nodded toward Sado. "This is his opponent right now, and I wouldn't worry about him either. Even though Naruto wasn't here during my match to see him in action, I don't think he'll be caught too much off guard." Shikamaru grinned. "After all, he seems to do his best when he doesn't know what the hell's coming at him."

"True that!" Chouji piped up though a mouthful of chips. He was on his last bag, having gone though most of the ones he had brought during Sasuke's battle.

Sakura nodded. Shikamaru was right. Naruto would be just fine.

Right?

-

Sado wasn't ready. Naruto was upon him in less then half a second! Fist drawn back, he released, hitting Sado square in the face, and sending him back a couple feet. He finally caught himself, though, using his huge stone arms to cease his momentum entirely. He glanced at Naruto, but found he was no longer there. He blinked; suddenly a leg was coming right toward his gut. He gasped as it connected, sending him farther backward, straight into the wall.

He slouched against it, his head spinning. What in the hell? He thought wildly, eying Naruto, who hadn't moved. So strong! So fast! It's definitely because of the Kyuubi's chakra. He stepped away from the wall, crouching slightly. But it's different from my training with Sengi last month… He's not just using it to increase his chakra capacity or his strength. This atmosphere…

With a yell, he jumped up into the air, and shooting his arms forward, began to descend on Naruto's location like a stone bullet. Naruto waited, and just as Sado was about to hit him, he rolled forward quickly, narrowly avoiding the attack. He got back to his feet, and bent backward, grabbing Sado's legs. Grasping them firmly, he took a step forward, and threw with all his might, sending Sado straight back into the stadium wall. This time, he left a crater.

After a moment, Sado pulled himself out of the hole, and jumped back to the ground. He spit. Yeah… This is definitely different. This feeling, it's totally different from Sengi's. He's using this chakra because he wants to. All this rage I'm feeling and the way he's battling… Oh well, I suppose there's always two different faces to everything. The Uchiha must definitely be the cause of this.

He crashed his fists together, and the stone that incased them suddenly began to crack, eventually falling from his arms altogether. He began to from hand signs, all the while, watching Naruto. My objective is not to win, but merely put up a good match. He finished his signs. You better dodge these!

"Earth Style…" he trailed off, stomping his foot on the ground. A column of stone suddenly shot out of the ground near Naruto, heading right for him. Naruto stepped back, dodging it easily, despite its speed. Sado continued to stomp on the ground, and columns continued to spike from the earth, all shooting at Naruto. Naruto's red chakra swayed about as he dodged every one of them! Bending backward, rolling forward, twisting to the side, and finally jumping out of the tangled mess.

Sado had been waiting, and with a final slam, a large column shot from the ground, much higher then the others, heading straight for Naruto. It was coming fast. You're getting hit at least once, Sado thought, s smirk spreading across his face. There's no way you can dodge this one!

As the column rose to meet Naruto, he peeled his fist back, waiting. It was upon him now, and at that moment, Naruto shot his fist forward, colliding with the stone. At first, it appeared as if nothing had happened, but after a moment, large cracks began to appear in the stone, spreading all they way back down to the ground. Still in the air, Naruto shot a leg up, colliding with the column once more. Almost immediately, it shattered, the rock crumbling and falling back to the earth.

Sado stood flabbergasted. No way! He punched…right through it… He dropped to his knees, beginning to get angry. I didn't want to win, but I don't want to be made a fool of! He clenched his fists. "No!" He began to form hand signs at an alarming rate. Finishing, he slammed both of his hands onto the ground. "No! No! No! I will not be made a fool of! You're getting hit at least once! Earth Style: Stone Hebi Jutsu!"

Naruto landed, and was preparing to attack again when he sensed movement behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and found that all of the previous rock columns were beginning to move, and slide out of the ground. The danced around in the air, slowly spinning together. He glanced back to Sado and found him panting heavily. He watched as the Cloud Nin's fingers sunk into the earth, obscuring everything up to his knuckles.

Crash! Crash!

Naruto took a step back, looking up into the air. The columns were beginning to mesh together, and attach end to end. After a second, it was done, and one long, massive stone figure fell back to the ground, which shook violently as it accepted its new guest. Naruto stumbled, and as he watched, the places where the columns had connected became disjointed slightly, allowing the figure to articulate. The end piece became shaven and pointed, and the head piece became more rounded, forming an indention. Slowly, it reared back, using its back columns to support itself into a standing position. Like a snake about to strike…

Get back, Naruto!

Naruto's eyes widened as the stone began to move, its upper half lurching forward. He growled, and jumped back just as it collided with the ground, sending dirt, and dust everywhere. Naruto slid back as he landed. What the…? What in the hell is that?!

It's an old jutsu… I've seen it once or twice before, but I can't imagine where a kid like this picked it up. Watch out, Naruto. That thing's dangerous. He can control it from a distance.

So I just have to take Sado out?

If you can get close, but good luck with that thing in the way… I've battled some before, back in my day; they move just like a snake.

It was moving again, this time sliding across the ground straight at Naruto! Naruto jumped as it reached him, landing on top of it. He stumbled a bit, but gaining his balance, he took off in the direction of Sado, gliding across the rock like it was nothing. Suddenly, like a whip, it snapped, slinging Naruto from its top straight into the air. It curled around, rearing back into a standing position once more, the rounded column acting as its head even with Naruto's body.

It pounced forward, striking at Naruto like a snake. Naruto twisted, catching the column just before it collided with his body. The force of the attack, however, sent him barreling into the closest stadium wall. He extended his feet, hitting the wall, but not going through it. He stood there, holding the rock in place as it pushed against him. Glancing at Sado, he found his fingers were still buried into the earth.

This sucks! Naruto thought. I can't keep fighting this thing like this! That's when he got an idea. But maybe if I had some help… He gave himself a sharp toothed grin, and with all his might, pushed the head of the rock back to the ground. At hit with a thud, but Naruto stayed on the wall. He bit his finger, and began to do the required hand signs. Sado watched curiously, forcing his Stone Snake back to a striking position. After a moment, Naruto was ready.

He slammed his hand on the wall. "Summoning Jutsu!" Naruto was suddenly obscured by a puff of smoke. Sado frowned, commanding his Snake around to the face the smoke's center. He waited. The crowd waited.

Everyone was waiting.

Suddenly, the smoke swept away. Standing in the area it had been obscuring was Naruto, standing atop a pure white toad. The toad wasn't that large, but it was big enough for Naruto to stand on top of its head. It seemed to be wearing a long piece of red and white clothing that resembled an overcoat. Two mighty swords crisscrossed on its back, and it had both its arms and legs extended, hanging on to the wall.

Sado had not been expecting that. Looks like I got a little carried away with the Snake, but all the same, I think he'll pull it out. He smiled. He's just full of surprises. I'll be sure to tell Sengi.

Naruto crouched down, his red chakra still swirling around him, and patted the toad on its head. "Thanks for coming, Gamatosu."

Gamatosu gave Naruto a small laugh, eyeing the Stone Snake with caution. He slid slightly down the wall. "No problem, Naruto. Although, I really wasn't expecting this…"

Naruto returned his laugh. "Yeah, it's a little too big for me."

Gamatosu eyes widened. "But, Naruto," he said playfully, sliding down the wall a bit more before catching himself. "I thought you could handle anything!"

"Enough!" Sado yelled. He flexed his fingers in the ground, and the Snake reared back once again, and thrust at the wall.

"Hold on, Naruto!" Gamatosu yelled, loosening his grip. He slid down, avoiding the Snake's attack, and causing it crash into the sturdy wall. The stadium shook slightly, and the crowd screamed from a mix of excitement and fear. As soon as Gamatosu touched ground, he scooted away, putting distance between the Snake and himself. "Who's controlling it?" he asked, finally stopping.

Naruto pointed to Sado. "Right there."

Gamatosu nodded, and pushed off in Sado's direction. He didn't get far though, because the Snake suddenly crashed into him. Naruto lurched forward about to fall, but caught himself, focusing his chakra to his feet. Gamatosu grunted in pain as he grabbed the Snake and flipped over it, pushing off as he hit the ground yet again. Once again, he'd barely gone a couple of feet. The Snake's other end quickly wrapped around in front of the pair, blocking them once again.

"Up!" Naruto shouted.

"I know!"

Gamatosu jumped into the air, even with the top of the stadium wall, preparing to come down on Sado. Naruto suddenly noticed movement behind them. The Snake was in a standing position once more, using its tail end to achieve maximum height.

Damn! It's fast! "Gamatosu! Behind us!"

"Right!"

The Snake's head charged forward. Gamatosu quickly rolled backward, doing a number of back flips as it passed under him. He stopped, and grabbed onto the top of the stone as best he could. After a bit of fumbling, he finally found his grip. They fell back to the ground, making it shake as they crashed. The Snake tried desperately to reach its back and attack them, but it couldn't arc back enough. It slid across the ground randomly. Naruto imagined Sado was frustrated.

He crouched on top of the toad's head. "Think you can cut it?" Naruto asked, holding on as the Snake scurried in every direction. "I mean, I shattered one with my fist a bit ago."

Gamatosu didn't answer right away. "I can try, Naruto, but its solid rock. Hitting and slicing are two different things." He paused. "Perhaps if I focus some chakra into my blades..." Holding on tightly with both his legs, he grabbed both of his swords' hilts.

Naruto nodded. "It's worth a shot."

With a quick crouch, Gamatosu jumped high into the air. They stopped for just a moment before quickly dropping back down again. Naruto's hair and chakra danced around wildly. The Snake still slid across the ground, but Gamatosu adjusted his falling angle. Finally within striking distance, the toad crisscrossed his arms, drew both his blades, and brought them down in an "X" shape, slicing at the stone with the added momentum of the fall. The force of clash sent a wind spiraling through the arena. Everyone in the crowd covered their eyes as their hair and clothes blew in every direction.

Gamatosu and Naruto watched as the Snake bent inward. The attack had definitely left a large crack where they had hit, but they didn't slice through. The Snake shot toward the ground, hitting it with a large crash. Gamatosu rebounded, landing on the ground, panting. He held his swords firmly.

"I didn't think we'd be able to cut it…"

Naruto gave him a happy pat and a laugh. "It doesn't matter! Hurry, let's get to Sado while it's down!"

Gamatosu nodded, and quickly took off in the direction Sado was. He didn't look afraid though, in fact, he was smiling. Suddenly, the tail of the Snake came out of nowhere, its pointed end heading right for them! Gamatosu raised his swords, blocking the sharp point just in time. He was sent sliding backwards, but held the tail in place. Naruto glanced over at the Snake's head, and found it rising from the ground.

"This thing just won't stay down!" he said breathlessly. Gamatosu grunted in response, caught up in blocking the attack. The Snake continued to push against them while Naruto glanced behind him; they were getting closer to the wall! "There's got to be a way to take this thing out!"

"I have an idea," Gamatosu replied. Naruto raised an eyebrow. His red chakra had dyed down just a bit. "Perhaps if we dampened the rock by wetting it first, it might be soft enough for me to cut it... Although, some of your added chakra wouldn't hurt either."

Naruto nodded in agreement. They had to do something! He quickly did two hand signs, raising his right arm, open-palmed. "I'll help get us a bit of breathing room!" He straightened out his arm. "Wind Style: Turning Winds!" A second passed, then a gust of wind burst from his palm. It hit the tail with full force, and even though it was rock, he was able to push it back enough to allow Gamatosu to slouch forward slightly, but then jump into the air. Naruto closed his palm into a fist as they went, the tail falling back to the ground. The Snake raised its head, rearing back for what Naruto hoped would be the final time.

"Let's hurry up and finish this!" he told Gamatosu, who nodded. He positioned his swords in his hands, offsetting them enough to be able to form a hand sign. They had begun to fall, and Naruto watched as Gamatosu's mouth and cheeks expanded.

"Liquid Bullet!" he shouted. His cheeks deflated quickly, and he shot two, small, round bursts of water down at the Snake. Sado saw them, and tried to maneuver out of the way, but they were moving to quickly. They hit the joint where the Snake's head was connected to the rest of the stone columns, wetting the surface, and misting away from the impact, spraying some of the nearby crowd, who were on their feet from absolute enjoyment. Some of the water even seeped into the crack from their first attack.

Gamatosu began to fall now, heading right toward the Snake, a new, firm grip on his blades. Naruto held on tight. "As soon as you make contact," he yelled as they fell, "I'm gonna' make a run for Sado! It won't matter if you don't cut all the way this time!"

"I understand."

They were falling fast, finally within striking distance. They repeated the process, Gamatosu bringing his swords down in an "X" shape, his target the wet area joined to the head. Naruto focused a lot of his Kyuubi chakra into the blades, determined to succeed. As soon as they connected, Naruto could see the blades sinking into the stone, but he didn't have time to think about it; he jumped from Gamatosu's head, forming a single hand sign.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" In a puff of smoke, a clone appeared on either side of him. All three landed, and rushed Sado, hopping over the middle section of the Snake, which had ceased movement. Sado was in his sights, and behind him, he head a scraping sound of metal, a sign that Gamatosu had broken through the rock. As if to confirm, a moment later, a loud crash sounded behind the three of them. Naruto couldn't help but smile as they continued to rush Sado. No red chakra was visible around him and his features had returned to normal, but his eyes still held the essence of Kyuubi.

As they ran, Naruto gave both of his clone's a nod and they broke away, coming in at slightly different angles. Naruto caught Sado's eye, but he couldn't recognize the emotion they held if there was one. He was severely out of breath as he pulled his fingers out of the ground. He tried to stand, but he dropped back down to a knee, one of his eyes closed. He looked completely exhausted.

Naruto formed two hand signs. If Sado knew what was coming, he didn't react. Naruto raised his palm. "Turning Winds!" A quick wind funneled from his hand, gliding across the distance between Sado and himself. It went low, but quickly swooped up, knocking Sado into the air helplessly. Naruto closed his palm and continued onward.

The same moment Sado was launched into the air, Naruto's two clones jumped after him. They were coming on both his right and left sides, each with a leg in the air. When they met Sado, they kicked downward, connecting with his face, and launching him back to the ground before disappearing in a puff of smoke. He was coming back down fast, but just before he reached the ground, Naruto rushed the last bit of distance, and punched him in the stomach, sending him spiraling into the stadium wall Naruto was facing. He hit with a loud thud, falling back into the crater he created from his impact.

Naruto wiped the sweat from his brow. He had said he would finish it fast, but the whole Snake thing had surprised him. There was a loud thud beside him as Gamatosu joined him. He had to look up at him, as Gamatosu was twice his size. His swords were back on his back, and his overcoat was ripped in several places. He had a couple of scrapes and bruises, and he was bleeding slightly on his left side, but other then that, he seemed to be fine. Naruto was glad.

Movement in front of them. Naruto had sensed it, and looked only to find Sado pulling himself from the crater, staggering forward on unstable legs. Naruto frowned, and beside him, Gamatosu tensed.

"Our opponent is strong…" he commented.

Naruto grunted as he straightened his back. "Tell me about it…" He was exhausted, but got into a stance, drawing a kunai from his holster. "I'll rush from the front…"

Sado suddenly stopped and held up his hand to them. "No," he said. "That's it. I quit… I'm completely drained… To go on would threaten my health."

In a flash the proctor was in-between them. Naruto, surprised by Sado's sudden words, was barely able to sheath his kunai. The proctor looked from Sado to Naruto, pausing to look at the giant toad for only a second. "It's been decided. The winner, by forfeit, is Naruto Uzumaki!"

The crowd cheered so loud, Naruto almost had to put his hands over his ears. He couldn't help but feel proud though. They were truly happy he had won. He felt the Kyuubi's presence fade as he grinned and waved up at them. Kakashi and Jiraiya were on the ground as he turned to Gamatosu.

"Thanks, Gamatosu. I really couldn't have done this without you." He gave him a pat on the side.

Gamatosu gave him a tired sigh. "I know…" he said simply, then, in a large puff of smoke, he was gone.

"Good job, Naruto!" Kakashi called as he and Jiraiya approached.

Naruto gave them a small thumbs-up. "Thanks, Kakashi-sensei."

A medical team had arrived now, and after taking a quick look over Sado, decided to take him back to the infirmary. Two of the members supported his shoulders as they led him there. Seeing Sado hobble to the infirmary gave Naruto a startling reminder.

"Sasuke!" he said to no one in particular. He immediately started after Sado, in the direction of the infirmary, but Jiraiya grabbed the back of his shirt, pulling him back.

"Hold on there, kid," he said humorously. "You've still got a Final Match to fight in…"

Naruto's eyes widened as he remembered. That's right… A final battle with Sengi… His eyes narrowed in anger. "You're right," he said quietly, trying to focus.

Jiraiya craned his neck to the ground entrance of the stadium, but he saw no sign of the Raikage or Sengi. He raised an eyebrow, then took a look around the battle torn arena. The craters in the wall and ground, the scorch marks in the dirt, the displaced earth, the giant columns of rock placed almost randomly around the battlefield…

"This place is a wreck," he told Kakashi.

Kakashi nodded, also looking for a sign of the Raikage. The proctor slowly approached them, taking his hand away from a headset in his ear. "Excuse me, gentleman," he said. "But I've been contacted by the higher-ups." Jiraiya glanced toward the crowd. Was he talking about the village elders? "They wish to delay the Final until tomorrow."

Jiraiya took another look at the battlefield, which lay in ruins, then to Naruto, who looked exhausted, then to the ground entrance, but there was still no Raikage. "I think Tsunade would agree," he finally replied. "Yes, let's have both the finalists in top shape for their match." He gave Naruto a slap on the back; he stumbled forward slightly, and shot Jiraiya a mean glare.

The proctor nodded before turning toward the crowd. "Ladies and gentleman," he said. "I'm sorry to report that the Final Match of the Chunin Exam will not take place until tomorrow at noon." Boos and yells from the crowd. "I'm sorry, but we need time to repair the arena and let our genin finalists rest…" More boos. Were people throwing things?

After another moment, the crowd finally realized they weren't going to get their way, and began to vacate the arena, chatting excitedly. Slowly, the many seats became empty. Naruto, Jiraiya, and Kakashi suddenly became aware of a group approaching them. As Naruto looked, he found they were being led by a girl with pink hair. He smiled as his stomach began to twist in an oddly comforting way.

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted as she, Shikamaru, Chouji and Ino reached them. She immediately threw her arms around his neck in a hug. It was so forceful that Naruto almost stumbled backward. He smiled softly, though, and wrapped his arms around her in turn. Jiraiya caught Kakashi's eye and flashed him a grin.

"I was so worried!" Sakura said breathlessly, not taking her arms away. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Sakura," Naruto said quietly. A thought crossed his mind. Was she going to ask about his red chakra?

But she didn't say anything; she just continued to hug him there.

Shikamaru cleared his throat. "So, tomorrow, eh?"

Kakashi nodded. "That's right." He suppressed a chuckle. Shikamaru still didn't know that he was going to become a chunin.

Jiraiya turned. "I'd better go let Tsunade know," he said, starting in the direction of the infirmary.

Naruto's eyes widened. "Wait!" he said, breaking his hug with Sakura, and taking a step toward the pervy ninja. "I'm coming with you."

Sakura seemed to realize. "Me too!"

Kakashi looked at them, then Jiraiya. Jiraiya shrugged. "Alright, we'll all go." He laughed to try to lighten the mood, but he didn't think it worked.

Then they headed toward the infirmary, Jiraiya and Kakashi in the lead, followed by Shikamaru, Ino and Chouji, and finally Naruto and Sakura. Naruto stared at the ground as he walked. Sakura smiled sadly, and reached over, grasping his hand.

"Sasuke'll be just fine."

Naruto gave her a warm smile, weaving his fingers around her own. He didn't say anything. He didn't want to. He just wanted to walk like this.

Forever.

-

Up on the Kage's Balcony, a figure, obscured by the shadows of its rightist most wall, watched the event play out, then, with the smallest smile sitting across their lips, slipped into the shadows.

End of Chapter.

A/N: Happy New Year Everyone! Hope your '09 was good, and here's hoping your '10's even better.

Next Chapter:

His Mind is in The Darkness