The Pantheon of Nine
By: Finn Mertenz
A/N: I should note that I've been reading the Naruto forums and databooks for several days in order to understand the concept/outcome of a Chidori VS Rotation, so if anyone disagrees with that outcome feel free to debate me.
The Sharingan is better than all other doujutsu in terms of genjutsu... just as the Byakugan is better than all other doujutsu in terms of taijutsu while the Rinnegan is better than all other doujutsu in terms of ninjutsu.
Point out my mistakes.
Shino will have his moment, a moment where he shoves his dick down several throats at once but that moment isn't today - I'm saying this because I don't want people to think I'm forgetting about Shino because I'm not.
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO. I DO NOT CLAIM TO OWN NARUTO.
Chapter 36: The Cherry Blossom Blooms! Battle Of Elite Intellect.
"Sasuke! My Love!" Sakura screamed with a tone of panic once she noticed her ideal boyfriend laying unconscious atop the ground over 10ft infront of Neji, who stood calmly and confidently.
During this, several hundred members of the crowd broke into song and dance as others began complaining, some having won hundreds of Ryo while others just lost thousands.
Neji was so resolute in his victory that he deactivated his Byakugan while walking towards his seemingly helpless opponent. This allowed him to see Sasuke's left hand, a hand and wrist that were burnt almost solid black with sections of his partial glove being removed entirely.
"As the last remaining member inside Konoha from your clan, you're technically the Clan head for the Uchiha; this is all they have to offer?" Neji mocked while he glanced down towards Sasuke's unconscious face which offered no hints of movement in response.
"What did you plan to do? Win? For some artificial desire of glory, glory for a clan that doesn't even exist. I can see many things with the Byakugan, things which allowed me to foresee that all our dreams, all our hopes are predetermined at birth." After he spoke, Neji quickly turned around before he began walking towards the stairs.
"Very well, it looks like the winner for the match is-" Hayate's words broke mid sentence once he began coughing harshly. Neji was so focused on mentally preparing himself for his next match that he failed to notice Sasuke's cut-in-half cape laying on the ground barely 5ft away, a cape that had been resting there for almost the entire battle.
Suddenly, the unconscious Uchiha exploded into sparks and Arcs of Lightning while both halves of his cloak erupted into puffs of smoke. Sasuke's right foot then extended out from the smoke before sliding across the ground in a clockwise fashion, knocking Neji out of his feet.
Sasuke's left knee then rose from the smoke before slamming his left heel into Neji's stomach with such speed that Arc's of Lightning could be seen sprawling across his leg. This crushed Neji against the ground while creating a small 1ft deep crater as blood shot out from his mouth and mixed with the Lightning.
"It looks like I was right; I didn't get a single scratch." Sasuke remarked while the smoke cloud finally dissolved, showing that the Uchiha stood confidently above Neji with his left foot atop the latters stomach.
"I... I can't move." Neji remarked as his attempts to move failed entirely, causing Sasuke to smirk in the process.
After several moments, the 2nd smoke cloud dissipated, revealing Sasuke's sword stabbing out vertically from the ground. Sasuke then reached out with his right hand and grabbed the hilt before sheathing the blade behind his back.
Suddenly, the entire arena erupted into a loud chorus of cheers and applause, even those who lost their bets were still overjoyed by the match they had just witnessed.
"I can't even use Lightning Style..." Izumo mumbled out as he stood up and began clapping.
"Can't use your brain either, looks like you just lost 100 Ryo." Kotetsu joked as he clapped while sitting, unwilling to stand up.
"U...uhhhhhhh - Naruto, do you know how Sasuke won?" Sakura mumbled out from atop the special viewing box given to the candidates.
"It's his cloak, earlier in the match when he threw it he had already taken its place and planned his victory, that's why the cloak never disappeared." Shikamaru exclaimed in a bored sigh, his increased IQ allowing him to see things that were very difficult for others.
Mmmmm... The kid is sharp, usually I have to do the explaining. Dosu thought as his left eye narrowed and focused upon Shikamaru, suggesting the 2 Genin held equal intellect with one another.
"The winner for the 1st match is Sasuke Uchiha." Hayate coughed out, only for his words to go completely unnoticed due to the roar of the crowd. During this, Sasuke turned to the right before walking towards the stone door and stairway that lead to the candidate viewing room.
Sasuke didn't take the victory that seriously at all, he didn't even thank the proctor or acknowledge the audience, he merely glanced up towards Naruto at the last moment before disappearing into the doorway.
At the same time, a group of 4 Medical Ninja rushed into the arena before gently lifting and placing the injured Neji atop a stretcher while escorting him out of the battleground. This entire process was drowned out by the endless roars and cheers from the crowd, many of whom had just won hundreds if not thousands of Ryo.
After several moments, Sasuke entered the candidate viewing platform before walking next in between Naruto and Sakura, an action that caused the latter to swell with love and lust.
"Oh Sasuke, that was so awesome! I bet you're looking forward to my match, right?" Sakura teased while she gripped Sasuke's left arm through his cloak before pressing it against her flat chest, hugging his arm as she blushed slightly.
"No one is looking forward to your match." Sasuke declared nonchalantly, causing Sakura to drop on her knees in depression while Kankuro chuckled on the distant side of the room.
Feeling annoyed with Sakura being so close to him, Sasuke quickly to multiple steps forward before leaning against the railing and looking out across the now empty battlefield, filled only by the coughing Hayate.
"Tell me, Lord Kazekage, what did you think of the 1st match?" Hiruzen asked while he pulled his pipe from his robe before raising it to his mouth and inhaling a fresh gust of leaf, showing that he lit the pipe with his bare fingertips.
"The Hyuga and Uchiha are both well known and respected clans of Konoha, even in my village, but I must admit that Sasuke was far beyond his opponent, it almost wasn't fair." Rasa spoke in a cold and calculated tone as both his eyes and Hiruzen's made direct contact.
"Hahahahah - Yes well, Sasuke has always been a proud boy, I suspect that has helped his strength and determination grow." Hiruzen replied with a friendly chuckle, causing clouds of smoke to pour out from his nose as he spoke.
"Proud indeed... If I'm not mistaken, his brother is Itachi Uchiha, The Clan-Killer." Rasa spoke as his brown eyes first widened then focused upon the 3rd Hokage.
This statement caused Hiruzen to quickly tear his gaze away from Rasa before directing it towards Hayate and giving him a brief nod, signaling for the next match to begin, clearly eager to change the conversation.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Please settle down!" Hayate proclaimed boldly, causing him to cough harshly several times. During this, the several thousand audience members finally began to stop their screaming and clapping before they all sat down, eager for the next match.
"The 2nd match for the finals will now begin, Shino Aburame VS Kankuro, will the Candidates please approach the battleground." As he spoke, Kankuro entered an internal meltdown as his mind raced through several different conclusions.
My match isn't important!... We just need Gaara to battle Naruto, and with Baki gone I don't have the chance to risk exposing my true technique's now, I'll need them to escape. Kankuro concluded as he glanced to his left, staring past Gaara towards Temari who replied with a brief nod of approval.
"He's the next head for the Aburame clan..." Several dozen citizens of Konoha whispered among themselves while they sat inside the 'Fire' section. The entire world knew of the fame and fear that the Aburame name instilled.
"This match won't be much fun, since we both put Ryo on Shino winning." Kotetsu proclaimed with a smirk wide upon his face.
"It's really not even a match, I wouldn't even want to fight Shino." Izumo explained, suggesting Shino was far stronger than the average Genin who graduated.
"Examiner! I forfeit! I forfeit the match, move on to the next Candidates." Kankuro yelled across from atop the balcony. This caused the entire arena to erupt into a loud series of boo's and complaint, very few people actually bet Ryo on Kankuro but many of them wanted to see Shino fight.
This action shocked all 3 members of team 7 and even Shikamaru who stopped yawning just to stare at Kankuro in confusion. During this, Shino glared at Kankuro with his hands in his jacket pockets and his eyes entirely concealed by his glasses, covering any hint of emotion.
"Kankuro has chosen to forfeit the match, therefore Shino Aburame wins by default." Hayate spoke, only to be drowned out by the rage of the crowd.
At this moment, Temari unsheathed her fan before unlatching it and swinging it forward in a horizontal fashion. This created several dozen currents of condensed wind that sliced through the air, silencing the arena and disturbing her nearby Candidates with heavy gusts of wind.
Temari then tossed her fan forward before jumping atop it and sailing the object down to the battleground floor. At the last moment, Temari managed to snap the fan shut before landing harmlessly on her feet while stabbing the end of her now closed fan into the ground with her right hand.
"It's my turn now, right?" Temari asked rhetorically since she already knew the answer. This action caused Sakura to jump up and down multiple times while she held her clenched fists against her jawline.
"Yea! Here I go Sasuke, are you ready for me? This is going to be sweet, you'll love it Sasuke." Sakura proclaimed excitedly, each of her words causing Sasuke to sigh loudly.
After several moments of cheering for herself, Sakura quickly turned around before dashing off towards the stone doorway only to be stopped at the last moment by Naruto.
"Be careful, Sakura." Naruto pleaded in a kind and genuine voice, causing Sakura to turn around before snorting loudly.
"Oh just you wait, I finally managed to nag Kakashi-Sensei enough to teach my some new jutsu, just watch." Sakura replied before disappearing down the staircase, causing Naruto to smile while Sasuke once again sighed loudly.
"The next match is Temari VS Sakura Haruno." Hayate exclaimed as the pink-haired Candidate entered the battleground and began walking towards him.
"I didn't even bother to bet on this match." Kotetsu remarked.
"Atleast we both made free Ryo from the last match." Izumo spoke, causing his friend to nod in agreement.
This will be interesting, a chance to see how far Sakura has grown. Kakashi concluded as he took several steps forward and began leaning up against the railing that lined the entirety of the 'Fire' section.
"Go Sakura! Beat her up with your 16-hit combo!" Ino screamed as she jumped up from her seat and began preforming a series of kicks and punches into the air, alarming the citizens that sat near her.
This level of affection was something Sakura found very endearing since both her parents were at work and unable to attend. In response to Ino's cheering, Sakura abruptly turned around and began waving towards her friend, an action that greatly annoyed Temari.
"If you're not going to attack, I will!" Temari declared as she picked her fan up with one hand and began charging towards Sakura, who was still waving at Ino.
"Wait, we haven't begun the match yet!" Hayate attempted to protest, only for a harsh series of coughs to halt his complaint.
At this moment, Temari leaped 6ft in the air as she raised her closed fan vertically before swinging it down like a club and crashing into the ground, creating a 3ft wide cloud of dust that obscured the Sand Kunoichi from view.
This action created multiple hushed whispers that echoed and resonated around the crowd as they debated what just happened. After several moments, the cloud of dust dissolved before revealing that Temari stood alone with the edge of her fan lodged into the ground.
Where did she go? Temari asked herself as she stood up straight and glanced from side-to-side.
She must be trying to hide from a distance while attack me at range, the brat doesn't realize that Tenten tried the same thing. Still I have to maintain my own distance, I can't get involved with Taijutsu. As Temari's thoughts progressed, her mind wondered back to Sakura's match with Ino.
"I'm surprised you didn't quit like your teammate." Sakura mocked as her entire figure and body was concealed from view. After observing her opponents voice, Temari realized that Sakura was hidden directly behind a tree on the farside of the arena.
"And miss this chance? As if!" Temari proclaimed as she tossed her fan a few inches into the air, forcing it to slide all the way open. The Sand Kunoichi then gripped the flat edged of her fan before slicing it through the air in a slanted horizontal fashion.
"Wind Style: Wind Cutter Jutsu." As Temari spoke, several dozen rotating swirls of condensed and sharpened blades of wind cut through the air as they flew towards the trees that housed Sakura's location.
These blades of wind crashed into the thin bundle of trees, dicing and cutting multiple of them into dozens of pieces, leaving nothing but freshly chopped tree stumps as several pieces of timber fell atop the nearby ground.
These actions only further enraged Temari once she realized Sakura was no where to be seen, even her lifeless body. This realization caused the Sand Kunoichi to position her sprawled out fan atop the ground infront of her, blocking half her body from view.
This girl is quick to run and hide. As Temari's train of thought progressed, members of the crowd began to boo and complain at the lack of combat, every person in the several thousand member large audience paid good money to attend and they expected a good battle.
This only distracted Temari, causing her to glance up towards the crowd in an attempt to direct a disgusted scowl at them. During this, the ground underneath Temari crumbled into sand, forcing the Kunoichi to propel her body upwards with her fan, separating her from the ground.
As Temari hovered in the air, she preformed a backflip before kneeling down atop her opened fan, allowing her to fly 15ft above the ground. Before Temari could observe her surroundings over 20 Senbon flew at her through the air, forcing the Kunoichi to snap her fan shut before jumping to the ground just in time to dodge the attack.
The moment Temari touched the ground, three 10ft tall mud-walls rose from separated corners all around her, forcing only one direction of escape. At the same time, several dozen Senbon flung towards her from a forest on the farside of the battleground.
"Enough!" Temari declared as she sprawled her fan open before slinging it forward in a horizontal fashion. This created a wave of air that collided against the approaching Senbon, forcing them to fall harmlessly to the ground.
Suddenly, Sakura shot out vertically from the ground before hurling her clenched right fist against Temari's jawline, forcing the Sand Kunoichi to fly over 5ft backwards while dropping her fan in the process.
Once Temari landed on the ground, Sakura clapped her hands into the Snake Seal infront of her nonexistent chest before crouching down and slamming her palms atop the dirt.
"Earth Style: Mud Wave Jutsu!" Sakura screamed as the ground underneath and all around her began to rumble and ripple in a 20ft wide radius, almost like an ocean of earth and stone. This prevent Temari from regaining her balance while pushing her against one of Sakura's walls.
As the ground continued to rumble, Sakura began dashing and sliding across the ground towards her opponent with a decent amount of speed. During this, a faint green aura could be seen surrounding Sakura's feet, suggesting she was funneling her chakra there.
That ability... it required a considerable amount of chakra. Naruto noticed as his violet eyes examined Sakura's green chakra network.
I don't have enough chakra to keep this going much longer, I need to finish this now! Sakura concluded as she jumped 3ft into the air and threw a handful of 5 Senbon down towards Temari, who barreled rolled 2 times to the left at the last moment, only to place herself against another corner of the wall.
"Wind Style: Air Current Dance." Temari spoke as she clapped her hands into the Rat Seal before extending both her flat palms towards Sakura. This action created a significant gust of wind that gathered all the nearby dust and dirt together in its swirling rotation.
Soon, the gust of wind grew into a 20ft tall and 5ft wide Dust tornado that enveloped Sakura, obscuring her from view and giving Temari time to stand up. After several moments, 5 Senbon flung out from the tornado before stabbing into Temari's leg, waist and stomach, causing her to fall on her left knee.
Any normal weapon or Senbon would have been deflected by the intense breeze from Temari's technique, but Sakura's weapons were infused with her chakra allowing them the force and accuracy needed to preform such a feat were also giving them a faint green glow as they flew.
For several seconds Temari laid with her back against one of the corners to the 3 walls Sakura had created earlier, after a brief period of rest the Sand Kunoichi began pulling Senbon loose from her body one by one. During this, the tornado dissolved and dissipated, revealing Sakura was nowhere to be seen.
Rather than becoming enraged, Temari was thankful for the time she had to recover since her took almost a minute to pull all 5 Senbon loose from her body, creating streams of blood that ran down her frame in the process.
After standing up, Temari pressed her right palm against the mud-wall as she walk towards her fan before picking the object up and holding it against her side. Hayate watched this entire process from a distance side of the arena, giving enough space for the Candidates to fight but also close enough to intervene at a moments notice.
She is using Earth Style to hide under the ground. Temari concluded as she flew her fan infront of herself, causing it to fly in the breeze as the Sand Kunoichi jumped atop it. This allowed Temari to rise over 15ft into the sky as she glanced from side-to-side in anticipation of future Senbon.
At this moment, 7 Senbon pierced Temari's fan while 3 stabbed into her left leg. These Senbon were thrown from directly under the Sand Kunoichi, allowing them to go completely unnoticed until the last moment.
This caused Temari to fall forward, tumbling off her fan before gripping the edge at the last moment and swinging her weapon vertically through the air, creating several currents of wind that gently carried her to the ground.
Before landing on the ground, Temari snapped her fan shut and used it as a crutch while she struggled to stand on her left leg. Sakura's attack had effectively broken Temari's fan once again, cutting so many holes into the fabric that it was unable to bend air.
Temari was quick to crouch down and pull the 3 Senbon loose from her left leg, creating even more streams of blood that ran down her frame and body. During this, the ground underneath Temari instantly crumbled to sand, only for the Kunoichi to quickly barrel roll to the left just in time to save herself.
Sakura then jumped out of the sand with 3 Senbon protruding out from each of her clenched fists, allowing the objects to extend out from in between her fingers like claws. The tips of these Senbon were bathed in an aura of green light, showing that Sakura was funneling her chakra into them.
Sakura began to slash out with her Senbon-filled fists, striking vertically and horizontally as Temari struggled to deflect the attacks with her fan. This continued assault filled the battleground with the sound of metal scraping metal as Senbon cut several scars into the fan's hilt.
Watch this, Sasuke! Sakura thought as she arched her right fist back while redirecting all her chakra into the 3 Senbon held there, causing them all to glow brightly with a green aura as her left hand became devoid of all chakra.
This display of chakra control impressed many of the Chunin and Jonin who sat in the audience, creating multiple hushed whispers among the crowd. At the same time, Sasuke was watching Sakura, for the first time ever she had managed to garnish his genuine attention.
Sakura hurled her right fist forward, causing them 3 Senbon to pierce through the metal of Temari's fan and almost the Sand Kunoichi herself. This attack prevented Temari from twisting or turning the fan any further.
At this moment, Sakura slung her right arm outward before releasing the Senbon, causing both them and Temari's fan to be hurled over 10ft across the ground. During this, Sakura flung her Senbon-filled left hand toward Temari, forcing the Sand Kunoichi to raise her right forearm in defense.
"Nnhh-" Temari grunted out in pain as the 3 Senbon pierced her right forearm. After several moments, Sakura used this leverage to pull Temari's arm away from her body, an act that inflicted even greater pain on the Sand Kunoichi.
This action revealed that Sakura once again had 3 Senbon placed in between the fingers on her clenched right fist. Because of the intense pain Temari was in, she was unable to prevent Sakura from puncturing her in 3 specific places across her shoulders, places that Haku had trained the Leaf Kunoichi to target.
Suddenly, Sakura raised her right knee against her flat chest before hurling her foot down towards Temari's right knee, striking it and forcing the Sand Kunoichi to fall on her left knee. During this, Sakura raised her right fist high into the air, revealing the dirt and dust that stained both her figure and cloths.
"SASUKE!" Sakura shrieked at the top of her lungs, filling the arena with her voice as she slammed her right fist full-force against the leftside of Temari's forehead, knocking the Sand Kunoichi face-first to the ground with a heavy thud while creating a moment of silence in the arena.
Temari landed atop the ground with such force that the 3 Senbon lodged in her shoulders pierced all the way through to her back, damaging her tendons and muscles. These Senbon also avoided any and all bones, evidence to the extreme precision Sakura had demonstrated.
"U-... U-... No way." Kankuro mumbled out in astonishment as his eyes quaked with shock.
"Haruno... Team 7... Kakashi's student... Same team as the Uchiha." Several hundred members of the audience whispered loudly among one another, filling the arena with buzz and interest towards Sakura.
"I must say, that was quite impressive... She put up more of a fight than I expected." The 4th Kazekage spoke before a loud chorus of applause broke out in the arena.
"Yes, Sakura often surprises many people since she is the first ninja from her family, but I rather enjoy the bright spirit she carries with her." Hiruzen replied joyfully before raising his pipe against his mouth in an attempt to inhale a fresh hit of leaf.
"Makes you wonder what Kakashi does with his students." Izumo proclaimed, ashamed that he didn't have enough faith in Kakashi to believe in the man's student.
"Makes me wonder what Kakashi is feeding these kids." Kotetsu joked as a grin grew upon his face in an attempt to hid the regret he fault for not betting Ryo on Sakura winning.
"Hch... Hch... The winner for the match is Sakura Harun-" Hayate was cut-off midsentence once Sakura began jumping into the air while she cheered.
"Sasuke! Sasuke! Did you see me Sasuke!?" Sakura screamed as she continued to jump up in down, causing the Uchiha to lose all hints of interest before sighing loudly.
"Sakura! Way to go, Sakura!" Ino screamed from the 'Fire' section in the audience, garnishing her friends attention in the process.
"Ino! I was so amazing, Ino!" Sakura replied with a bright smile upon her face. During this, a group of 4 medics enter the battleground before picking up the unconscious Temari and placing her atop a stretcher.
After the patient was picked up, all 4 medics carried Temari's stretcher out of the arena, leaving her broken fan behind her. As the medic's carried Temari away, they all marveled at the surgical precision of the attacks, attacks Sakura had made.
"The next match is Dosu Kinuta VS Shikamaru Nara." Hayate coughed out, causing Sakura to skip across the arena on her way back towards the Candidate platform while Dosu began slowly walking down the stairs.
On her way across the arena, Sakura was blowing a series of kisses towards Sasuke, kisses she tried to infuse chakra into but failed entirely.
"Awh man, why is everyone else so excited?... Come to think of it, I should just act like the other guy and forfeit." Shikamaru sighed, causing Naruto to glance towards him, intent to encourage his friend.
However, before Naruto could even speak Sakura reentered the room before dashing towards Sasuke and wrapping her arms around his stomach as she snuggled next to him.
"Hey dear!" Sakura screamed as she continued to rub against Sasuke's back. This loud nose scared Shikamaru, causing him to fall forward before tripping over the railing until Naruto caught him at the last moment and pulled him to safety.
"Thanks man... This is going to be such a troublesome drag." Shikamaru complained as he turned away before lazily walking towards the doorway and down the stairs, trailing behind Dosu.
"The next head of the Nara clan, I've met his dad, good man, it's why I bet 250 Ryo on Shikamaru winning." Izumo proclaimed, suggesting he held Shikamaru at an extremly high standard.
"That's the most money you've ever put up on one of these things, you're that confident?" Kotetsu asked rhetorically since he already knew the answer.
"It's a good thing I was looking over your shoulder when you made that bet, I put down 100 Ryo on Shikamaru winning, just to even out my odds." As Kotetsu spoke, his longtime friend began to sigh while shaking his head from side-to-side.
After approaching Hayate, both Dosu and Shikamaru stood 5ft away from one another while the latter was staring up at the clouds that drifted over head. During this, Dosu studied and observed each piece of fabric, material and weapon his opponent had.
By defeating my opponent, I should be placed against Naruto next round, assuming he wins his match. Dosu's mind concluded as his left eye widened and narrowed multiple times.
The clouds are so nice... They're so free... Actually, why don't I just forfeit? I only became a ninja because I thought it would be fun, not this drag. Shikamaru thought as his mind began to fade into a distant place.
"Begin." Hayate coughed out, causing Dosu to dash towards Shikamaru, forcing the latter to barrel roll to the right before pressing his hands together into the Rat Seal. This action caused Dosu's left eye to bulged before he jumped back over 10ft, creating a 15ft gap in between the 2 opponents.
He can control and manipulate his shadow... But the real question is, how far can it extend? Dosu asked himself as his head turned slightly sideways. After several moments, Dosu positioned his metal-covered right forearm infront of his chest before he began dragging the nails from his left hand across the surface, creating multiple ripples of sound that echoed out across the battleground.
This sound raced across the battlefield, reaching Shikamaru and forcing him to fall on his knees as he grunted with pain. During this, Shikamaru held each of his hands against his forehead while blood began to pour out of his ears. The sound was so effective that even Hayate was forced to jump back over 20ft just to prevent himself from being harmed or affected.
Sensing an opening, Dosu once again charged forward while reaching out with his right hand, determined to pull Shikamaru close before preforming his next technique. At this moment, Shikamaru dropped 2 Smoke bombs infront of his feet, bombs that abruptly exploded into a 10ft tall and 15ft wide dense smoke cloud.
While he was engulfed by the smoke, Dosu held his right forearm vertically infront of his chest before once again dragging his fingers across the metal gauntlet. The sound created from this somehow managed to dissolve the surrounding cloud, revealing a crouched Shikamaru who was still throbbing with pain.
The hunched figure of Dosu then took several steps forward, allowing him to tower over the downcast face of Shikamaru. Dosu then crouched down slowly before abruptly slamming his palm atop the ground, causing such powerful waves of sound to resonate out that Shikamaru erupted into an explosion of smoke.
Substitution Jutsu. Dosu noticed once the smoke dissipated, revealing a pair of 2 Kunai that were stabbing vertically out from the ground. Meanwhile, on the farside of the arena a panting and disoriented Shikamaru sat with his pat laid against a treebranch.
"That kid never wants to do anything, not since the day I met him." Asuma spoke as he sat beside Kurenai, both of them were seated on one of the 12 front rows that adorned the 'Fire' section.
After Asuma finished speaking, Kakashi strolled up lesiurely into the direct view of the former. At the same time, Kurenai also noticed her childhood friend, causing her to smile widely.
"Hey, Kakashi."Kurenai spoke out as Asuma used his right index finger to light the Cigarette in his mouth.
"Two of your kids have put up quite the fight, Kakashi, but I don't think any of them will stand against Shikamaru." Asuma spoke in a playfully tone as he inhaled a deep breathe of Leaf wrapped in paper.
"Oh? Right, the kid hiding right now." Kakashi spoke innocently as he closed his eye while using his left hand to rub the back of his head. This action caused Kurenai to giggle slightly while Asuma sighed with defeat, realizing long ago that he could never one-up Kakashi.
"Hey! Shikamaru! Quit hiding! Other people have match's too!" Sakura complained from atop the Candidate viewing platform.
I knew he could control and manipulate sound, but I didn't know the reach... It'll be tricky to find out what the extent of his jutsu is, but I guess I have too. Shikamaru concluded as his mind raced through thoughts very similar to Dosu's.
No doubt about it, those soundwaves mess with my sense's. He almost had me right then and there, I can't get close again. As his thoughts progressed, Shikamaru used his index fingertips to wipe away the blood that had poured from his ears.
"I'm really not excited about this." As he spoke, Shikamaru glanced to the right, staring past the tree and towards the 3 large walls Sakura created earlier. During this, Shikamaru's eyes also shot in between several of the craters and cracks that had been formed throughout the previous match's, as if he was forming a plan.
"Shikamaru being in the main tournament... It's out of place, isn't it?" Choji asked his Kunoichi teammate as he tossed a single potato chip dramatically into his mouth.
"Don't say that... He might not have any strong moves or jutsu but he is quite good at designing strategies. I think he's the only reason we survived the Forest of Death." Ino spoke quietly as she lowered her face in embarrassment.
"Yea, that's true." Choji mumbled out as he raised a half-empty bag of chips to his mouth before pouring the remaining contents into his mouth.
"I just hope he lets his determination fuel him this match, sometimes he lets his passion drive him and I want that to be now." Ino exclaimed as she stood up while raising her clenched right fist high into the air.
"Go get him, Shikamaru!" As she spoke, Ino's voice echoed and resonated across the battlefield, causing her concealed teammate to sigh loudly as he stood up, finally ready to get to work.
Shikamaru then lazily began walking trough the small bundle of trees before standing at the edge to the treeline. This action alerted thousands of the audience members to Shikamaru's location while Dosu examined his opponent.
I guess things don't go by that easily. Shikamaru concluded as a confident grin grew upon his face.
What is that smile on his face...? Is he underestimating me? Dosu asked himself as his head twisted from side-to-side repeatedly.
At this moment, Shikamaru pressed his hands together into the Rat Seal while kneeling down. This process caused Dosu to jump back over 10ft, creating 25ft of distance between the 2 battling Genin.
He is trying to force me closer to the treeline, no doubt he is trying to use they're shadows in combination with his own. But that doesn't answer the question, how far can his shadow extend? As Dosu's train of thought progressed, his eye once again widened and narrowed multiple times.
Suddenly, Shikamaru's shadow extended and shot out across the ground as he raced towards Dosu. At first, Dosu stood completely still before preforming 3 backflips once he realized the shadow wasn't going to stop. This turned the 25ft distance into 30ft.
Dosu halted all forms of movement once he noticed the shadow was bubbling and rupturing, suggesting it had a hard time expanding any further. This realization caused Dosu to slam his right foot atop the ground before dragging it across the dirt, creating a line with his foot.
I see... The Shadow Possession Jutsu, I believe I've uncovered it's weakness. Dosu concluded as he stood confidently behind the line he just created.
"It looks like there is a limit to how far you can stretch, shrink and transform your shadow." As Dosu spoke, many hushed whispers began echoing throughout the crowd.
"Heh... You're correct." Shikamaru replied before the grin on his face transformed in a frown once he realized his previous plan wouldn't work.
Even if I assume that he used the shadow from the trees to increase his range... That doesn't factor in the height of the wall but still, this is as far as the shadow can stretch. Dosu thought while he glanced down at the line in the dirt infront of him.
His attack range is only 30ft, while mine travels the distance of sound itself... Giving me the decision advantage. As his thoughts progressed, Dosu had no idea that Shikamaru was thinking the exact same thoughts.
He used his foot to measure the shadow's range... But if he intends to fight a battle like this, he has to have enough long-range combat to maintain the attack, which is where that gauntlet on his right arm comes into play. Sasuke Analyzed as he stood in between his 2 teammates.
Suddenly, Shikamaru tore his attention away from Dosu before redirecting it up towards the clouds. For several moments Shikamaru observed and glared at the drifting objects, as if he didn't have a care-in-the-world.
Shikamaru then downcast his face while closing his eyes and placing the edge of each fingertip against one another, forming a wide circular shape his hands. This action caused Dosu to straighten his back slightly while his left eye narrowed with interest.
"What is he doing? What Seal did he just form?" Kurenai asked while Asuma sat to her right and Kakashi stood infront of them, leaning over the railing as he read from his favorite Orange book, as if he wasn't even watching the match.
"Hmph... That's not a Seal, it's a habit of his, it's how he kills time." Asuma replied.
"Habit? Kills time?" Kurenai mumbled in a confused tone.
"Shikamaru knows how to make the best of a boring situation... He's like an old man. That's why he likes to play Shogi, and he even makes me play against him." Asuma explained before inhaling a deep drag of Leaf from his cigarette.
"Anytime he is stuck on a move during our games, he always assumes that position." As he spoke, multiple streams of smoke poured from his nose and mouth.
"Why?" Kurenai questioned.
"It's how he adapts and preforms strategy, strategy that I myself have never been able to defeat. The kid is a Shogi master." Asuma responded.
"But this isn't Shogi and this isn't a game, it's real combat." Kurenai argued.
"I've heard that the pieces used for planning war strategies eventually ended up in games like Shogi, so Shikamaru is like a clever strategist." Asuma protested with a playful grin on his face.
"Wait a minute... You always talk about his IQ being over 200 but when we were forming the Genin Squads, I looked at his grades... The were barely above Naruto's." Kurenai once again argued.
"He said it was too troublesome to move his pencil across the Academy written tests, so he would just sleep doing the tests instead. Since he was so good at strategy games but so bad at paying attention, I decided to give him an IQ test disguised as a puzzle" Asuma replied.
"And, how did he do?" Kurenai asked, causing Asuma to chuckle in response.
"It took me over 5 minutes to finish the puzzle... But Shikamaru, he accomplished it in under 45 seconds." Asuma proclaimed, causing Kurenai's crimson eyes to bulge with shock. During this, Shikamaru's eyes shot open, revealing a determined and focused look, a look he rarely had.
"He's done thinking" As he spoke, Kurenai redirected her attention towards Shikamaru while even Kakashi tore his gaze away from his book, curious to see what would happen next.
"It would appear you're motivated now, I can't allow that." Dosu spoke as he positioned his right forearm vertically infront of his chest while using his left index finger to flick the object, creating multiple ripples of sound that resonated out.
This piercing amount of soundwaves caused Shikamaru to instantly erupt into smoke, revealing it was just another Substitution. During this, Dosu was barely able to notice a fresh new shadow approaching him from the opposite side of the arena.
This realization caused Dosu to calmly step over the line before turning around and staring at the approaching shadow with interest. Since Dosu was in the exact center of the arena every attack from any direction would measure the exact same in distance, allowing him to feel secure and safe.
30ft... It's useless, aslong as I'm behind this line, he can't touch me. Dosu concluded before his eye widened in horror once he realized the shadow was still stretching towards him. Filled with precaution, Dosu quickly jumped back over 5ft, forcing the shadow to once again rupture and strain, unable to stretch any even.
"Good reflex's." Shikamaru mumbled out from one of the distant treelines while his body was concealed entirely from view.
"I see, you were waiting for the sun to rise. After calculating the angle of the sun combined with the shadows created from the trees and walls you were able to extend your jutsu." Dosu examined, impressing Shikamaru with his speed of deduction.
"It's 10:32am right now, the longer this match goes on the higher the sun gets, which means my shadow grows larger by the minute." Shikamaru explained as his was still hidden from view.
Since Dosu was a master of manipulating soundwaves, he was quickly able to locate Shikamaru's location before slowly walking towards the entrenched Shinobi. During this, Dosu's shoes clapped loudly against the dirt underneath him, a sound that filled the arena since the entire crowd was deathly silent.
Once Dosu entered to small forest of trees, he slowly observed his surroundings and the path infront of him while he walked, prepared for an attack at any moment. Suddenly, Dosu's foot stop mid-stride before hovering 3 inches above the ground until he took 1 step back.
Dosu then crouched down and used his right hand to lightly brush away a bundle of Leaf's that lined the ground, revealing a thin tripwire that ran across the pathway. At this moment, Dosu abruptly stood up before slamming his right forearm against a nearby tree, causing sound waves to bounce and ripple across the bundled forest.
Although the nearby trees were affected with multiple Leaf's falling to the ground, Dosu didn't notice any sign of Shikamaru. This realization caused Dosu to continue searching while he walked through the thin bundle of trees, cautious for any moving shadow.
"Yo." Shikamaru screamed from the center of the arena, causing Dosu to slowly walk out of the forest before coming into direct eyesight of his opponent. Dosu noticed that Shikamaru wasn't wearing his short-sleeved jacket.
"Oh? So you've decided to switch to an offensive strategy?" Dosu questioned as he continued to slowly walk towards his opponent while maintaining a 35ft distant from his target. Shikamaru then crouched down while clapping his hands together into the Rat Seal, creating a shadow that dashed towards his opponent.
After calculating the height of the sun with the length of the growing shadow, Dosu estimated that he needed to create a 37ft distance, causing him to take 2 steps back just in time to avoid the shadow.
At time moment, a large circular shadow bloomed upon the ground directly infront of Dosu, causing his left eye to bulge widely as he glanced up towards the object that created it. Shikamaru had tied his headband through the sleeves of his jacket while looping the headband's fabric through a Kunai hilt he used as deadweight, creating an artificial shadow.
The shadow's strength combined with his own allowed Shikamaru to extend his jutsu past 37ft feet, capturing and restraining Dosu in the process. Without allowing a moment of rest, Shikamaru then stood up before beginning a series of stretching, causing Dosu to mimic the same actions.
This isn't good...! I need to create sound, now! Dosu panicked as he attempted to move his right forearm only to continue stretching like Shikamaru.
"This is going to be such a drag." Shikamaru complained as he bent down and entered a running stance while positioning his flat palms atop the ground, causing Dosu to preform the exact same actions.
Shikamaru than began running across the battlefield, causing Dosu to run parallel to him over 40ft away. As Shikamaru ran, he was forced to jump and leap over multiple cracks and craters as he approached one of the large mud-walls Sakura had created.
At this moment, Shikamaru jump 5ft into the air before instantly breaking his jutsu, causing Dosu's right foot to land in a small crater before he fell forward, twisting his ankle. As Dosu fell, his forehead smashed against the mud-wall infront of him with a heavy thud.
This action caused Dosu to fall on his left knee before tumbling to his side entirely as he halted any form of movement. After several brief moments of silence, the entire arena erupted into a loud series of cheering and roars, clearing impressed with the battle they had just witnessed.
"Geez, if this went on any further I would have forfeited." Shikamaru sighed from under his breath as Hayate slowly began to approach him.
During this entire process, Choji had stuffed over 3 bags of potato chips into his mouth as he began to stress eat, clearly concerned about his friend.
"Go Shikamaru!" Ino screamed in encouragement.
"Everyone surely has gotten into this match." Kotetsu pointed out as all the citizens nearby stood on their feet cheering.
"It was a good match, a battle of intellect, what the Shinobi world is truly about, Shikaku would be proud." Izumo exclaimed.
"The winner for the match is, Shikamaru Nara." Hayate proclaimed as 4 medics rushed into the arena with a stretcher before picking up the unconscious Dosu and escorting him out of the battlefield.
Not bad. Sasuke thought as Shikamaru began walking back towards the Candidate platform while picking up his headband and jacket to fell to the ground. During this, Naruto smiled at his friends success, Shikamaru was one of his first friends and he was always glad to see him prosper.
"That was cool, but not as badass as me, right Sasuke?" Sakura asked as she used her left index finger to twirl the loose strands of her pink-hair.
"Don't push it." Sasuke sighed, while he was impressed with the display of jutsu Sakura had demonstrated, he would never admit that. During this, the conversation team 7 was having could barely be heard due to the loud grunts that were escaping from Gaara.
"Nnhh-... Nh-" Gaara groaned as both his hands pressed against his throbbing forehead, an area that pulsated with pain.
This is bad, if he breaks loose now... He'll kill me too... The next match needs to begin, now! Kankuro panicked as he took 3 steps back, attempting to hide from Gaara's direct field of vision.
"If we look at the qualities expected from a Chunin... Shikamaru possesses the most important attribute, knowledge." Asuma proclaimed as the citizens around him continued to clap and applaud.
"A fine match." The 4th Kazekage spoke, garnishing a nod of approval from Hiruzen.
"Yes, he is a prodigy of Konoha with an IQ of over 200." Hiruzen replied as he inhaled a fresh hit of leaf from his pipe.
"Oh? A prodigy... speaking of prodigies, I believe Gaara is up next and his opponent is an Uzumaki?" Rasa spoke, not even calling him his son. This statment caused a firm expression to bloom across Hiruzen face before he nodded towards Hayate.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please settle down so the next match can begin." Hayate coughed out but without causing any effect on the crowd.
At this moment, the still panting Gaara raised his left hand to his chest while preforming the half Ram Seal, causing his entire body to crumble and dissolve into thousands of Sand grains that surge forward and floated down into the center of the battleground.
This process caused the entire crowd to halt any and all forms of communication as interest overwhelmed them. Once the cloud of dirt hovered above the ground, the Sand grains began to clump and mold together, first forming Gaara's feet and legs before his torso reappeared into view.
Gaara knew what was next, he knew that the next match would be between him and Naruto, the person who created nothing but pain and hatred inside his mind. As Gaara stood waiting for the next match to begin, the Seal on his forehead continued to throb with pain, causing him to pant loudly.
Gaara would wait no longer, this was his moment, the moment when he would finally kill Naruto before tasting his blood. The urge to strike was almost unbearable, every second that passed only caused his bloodlust to grow.
It's all on you Gaara, the entire mission depends on your success... Release the demon that you truly are and help us win this invasion. Kankuro thought as both his trembling hands gripped the railing infront of him for comfort, clearly disturbed about the upcoming match.
The last match for the 1st round of the Chunin Exam was about to begin, a match that was supposed to lead into the 2nd round and then the final one-on-one match that determined the greatest Chunin. But no one knew what was about to happen during this match, not Hayate, Hiruzen, Kakashi or even Sasuke, no one knew at all.