It was the morning of the Exams, Yuma woke up with a yawn, blinking as his vision adjusted to the dim lighting. He rubbed at his tired eyes, looking wearily at his surroundings. He was laying on a bed in a completely blank room, to his left was a lamp and a door that lead into the main hall of the Shimura Dojo.
'...Must've been knocked out during training...But I don't feel injured...Why is that?'
A knock at the door got his attention, as he sat upright in the bed, his feet dangling off the side.
"Come in..." He said with a tired disposition, wondering who it was.
The door opened with a creak, the genuine light spilling in making Yuma squint. Standing in the doorway was Sai, a small smile he was sporting made Yuma grin back.
"Hey Sai, what time is it?" Yuma asked.
Sai nodded his head, his smile still not going away.
"No need to worry, you still have two hours before the exams start." Sai said, assuaging Yuma of his worries.
Yuma got out of the bed, stretching his arms over his head. This action made Sai chuckle.
"You seem to have slept well Yuma." Sai remarked.
"Yeah, its been awhile since I've slept so soundly. This place is ten times better then my dinky old apartment." Yuma said, as he walked to the doorway, ready to get the day started.
"I'm sure Lord Danzo will be glad to hear that." Sai said, bringing a small frown to Yuma.
"So, I noticed you call mister Danzo "Lord" a whole lot. Why the formality?" Yuma asked, bothered how distant Sai seemed to behave with the man Yuma viewed as a father figure.
"That's..." Sai, taken off guard, looked at the ground, holding his chin.
Yuma, thinking he had over stepped his boundaries, tried taking back his question.
"...Never mind. Sorry, it's none of my business." Yuma said.
"No. Its alright. Its just...How do I put it."
Sai's gaze turned vacant, as if he were in deep thought.
"Danzo is...Hard to approach unless he is the one to approach you first. That's the kind of man he is. At least, in my opinion." Sai said, looking as if he had more he wanted to say, but was unable to.
Yuma stared at him in shock. Sai, uncomfortable by the silence, thought he had made a mistake in how he worded his feelings. That is, until...
"Ha! You're totally right. He is hard to approach. Like a cat!"
Sai titled his head in confusion.
"A cat?"
"Yeah! You know, like how a cat acts all contrary and pretends indifferent. Behaving coldly, but then unexpectedly, every now and then, does something kind to show he really cares deep down."
A image of Danzo pulling covers over a Yuma pretending to be asleep flashed through Yuma's mind as he smiled fondly.
"Yeah...Just like a cat." Yuma said, affirming his own statement with an earnest nod.
Sai looked at Yuma in shock, before composing himself, re-adopting his infamous "Smile".
"Well, putting that aside, Lord Danzo wishes to have some words with you before you head off to your exams." Sai said, finally informing Yuma of his reason for coming.
Yuma smiled, something that was beginning to become more common for him as the days passed.
"Yeah, lets go."
And with that, they headed down the Shimura dojo hallway, to speak with the only man Yuma looked up to.
Yuma coughed, blood pouring from his lips. His vision going in and out as he could hear a sharp ringing in his ears. Relying on his instincts, he quickly rolled to the left, narrowly avoiding a stomp to the head. He stood to his three pronged shadow feet in a hurry, blocking his chest as he was roughly kicked, and sent flying to the nearest tree. He cried out in pain as his back pounded against the rough bark.
"What's wrong Yuma?" A voice called out, a mocking sneer carried in its tone.
"All that talk, all that bluster, and for what?"
Yuma grimaced, having told the voice that fate could suck a fat one not long ago, he felt his pride and ego shatter.
To explain what had led to the current circumstances would be a waste of time, considering how simple it was.
After declaring to Neji that he would win, he had since then begun being toyed with.
Mere minutes ago, Yuma had told the voice to take him seriously, and now he was on the receiving end of a brutal beating. Talked down to, and mocked relentlessly, that was Yuma's current situation.
If fate truly were a force in this world, there was no person it hated more than Yuma Ito.
"...s...shut up..." Yuma said, trying to talk but the blood choking him up only allowing him to speak in a dull and small whisper.
"Talking down upon my beliefs. Acting as if you could overcome your fate, the fate of a weakling. How laughable." The voice continued on despite Yuma's request for him not to, uncaring of what the beaten and bloodied one thought.
"...I...Just...S...Up..." He said, Yuma's desperate attempts to covey his words cut off by the blood choking him up.
Full of mockery and rage, that was the voice speaking to Yuma now.
"Everyone's fate is a fixed and unchangeable thing. It cages us all up like mere birds. To truly believe such a thing doesn't exist...Such a notion can only be thought of as arrogance. Just accept that you're a failure and be done with it." The voice said with confidence, talking down to the boy.
Spiteful and arrogant, Neji Hyuga was now talking down to the boy who had mocked his way of thinking.
"SHUT UP!" Yuma yelled in rage, his face flushed red as he launched himself at Neji.
Lacking any real urgency or fear of damage, Neji stood in place, dodging all of Yuma's attacks by only ducking, alternating his stance, and bending his body. Driven into a corner and lacking any semblance of self control, Yuma had now flown into a rage. This was causing his attacks to be predictable. The laughing from Neji only added fuel to the flame as he continued to mock him.
"Wow, I knew you were the bottom of your class, but to be this predictable? How disappointing."
"SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP-"
Yuma continued to yell and scream in anger, hoping, praying that at least one of his desperate attacks would land. Sadly however...
He was not born as lucky as others.
"After all that talk about not taking you lightly and your surprisingly well thought out attack that took advantage of my only weakness, I truly thought you would live up to your words."
"AGHHHHHHHHHH" His words changed from shut up to a rage filled scream.
"Guess I was wrong." Neji finished coldly as he performed an "Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation" that sent Yuma's battered and bruised body rolling across the forest floor.
Now covered in mud and blood, and littered with bruise after bruise, this was the pitiful state Yuma was left in.
Yuma coughed up blood, trying to stand to his feet. Falling to his knees, he was beginning to look all the more pathetic. Wheezing tiredly, he rubbed at his lips with his shoulder, trying to rid himself of the taste of copper turning them red.
"You...Scum..." He muttered beneath his breath, his blood dribbling down his now reddened lips, dying the leaves red.
"Ha. The weak will always envy the strong. You are no different. You'd think being on a team with the villages best and brightest would open your eyes." Neji said, his eyes dancing with mirth and amusement.
He took pleasure in humiliating Yuma. Seeing it as humbling a person who was filled with hopeless dreams and aspirations, he felt it was his duty to wipe away such delusions from those who were not chosen by fate.
And so, in Neji Hyuga's mind, the circumstances had changed from a water gun fight to a brutal lesson he needed to teach to the foolish Yuma Ito.
Yuma clenched the dirt between his fingers as he began to see red. The image of a young Naruko and Sasuke walking up trees as he stared enviously flashed in his mind.
"Talking as if...As if you could ever understand how I feel...Stop preaching your pretentious crap!" Yuma shouted, throwing a kunai at the slowly approaching Neji.
He threw one, and then two, and then three. In a rage filled frenzy, he threw Kunai after Kunai, too angry to think. Neji smirked, deflecting each and every weapon with ease. Yuma reached into his pouch pocket one last time...
And found he was out of weapons.
In that moment of realization, Neji dashed in, now but a mere inch a part from Yuma, crouching like a tiger.
"I hate you." Yuma declared with a venomous glare.
And with that, a sharp upper kick was delivered to his face.
As he was sent flying into the sky...
One final thought occurred to him.
'Ah. The sky is reeeeally pretty.'
And with that, he blacked out.
Yuma and Sai entered into the main room of the Shimura Dojo. Light flowed in from the windows, a bright and beautiful sun shining through. Yuma squinted as Danzo moved to stand in front of the door, acting as a wall to shelter Yuma from the light.
"Good morning Yuma." Danzo said, holding back a smile.
"Good morning mister Danzo." Yuma said, a smile over taking his features.
In that moment, a quiet and yet happy and understanding atmosphere was created. Danzo held back a show of surprise, unused to being regarded kindly by another.
"I trust you slept well." Danzo said, cutting the comfortable silence short.
"Yes sir. Thanks for lending me your bed!" Yuma responded enthusiastically, a trait rarely seen in Yuma.
This face, this attitude. It was a side Yuma only showed to those he cared for.
Danzo felt unease knowing that Yuma held him in such high esteem.
"Today's the day when you'll put your three days of training to the test. I eagerly await to see the fruits of your labor bloom. But before you go, I have some things to give you, and some advice to share." Danzo stated matter of factly, sweeping the discussion into a more serious direction.
Yuma nodded, eyes brimming with nothing but trust and admiration for the old man.
"Firstly, I'll give you these." Danzo said, walking to a small table and picking up a bundle.
He handed the bundle to Yuma, noticing the smile on the boys face.
"This is...!" Yuma unfurled the bundle, surprised by its contents.
"Firstly, a jacket that will be useful in blending into dark areas. Some red combat wraps to cover up your shadow arms. Black combat boots, and finally, two Taichi swords. I also put in some ninja wire and a kunai holster for you." Danzo said, as Yuma's eyes widened at the sheer amount of equipment he was being given.
"T-This is a bit much, don't ya think?" Yuma questioned, prompting Danzo to shake his head.
"No. To pass these exams you will need to muster forth all your power, cleverness, and equipment you have at your disposal." Danzo said, explaining himself.
"I see..." Yuma said as he began to look through the equipment he had received.
"I can not give you much information on the tests, but what I can tell you is that one of them will most likely be taking place in a forest. In such an area, the ones most dangerous to you will be those of the Hyuga clan."
Yuma became quiet, silently listening to his sensei's words.
"The Hyuga have the Kekkai Genkai named the Byakugan. This ability is especially handy in areas such as forests where enemies will be hiding. With the Byakugan they have a Three Hundred and Sixty degree range of vision, making it practically impossible to get the drop in them. They are also adept at Taijutsu, and can shut down an opponents chakra flow. Hand to hand combat with a Hyuga is something you must try to avoid at all costs." Danzo explained.
"Damn...From how you're describing it, they sound unstoppable." Yuma said with a nervous frown.
"You would be incorrect to think that. Everyone, no matter how strong, has a weakness." Danzo responded with a crafty and devious air now surrounding him.
"And a Hyuga's? What's their weakness?" Yuma questioned.
Danzo lifted a finger, turning his back to Yuma and pointing it to the back of his neck.
"A very small point at the back of their neck, at the spot where the back ends and the neck begins. That is their weak point. In this small ray, they can not see anything within this point. And secondly, their range is not infinite. Since your opponents will be Genin, more than likely their range will be around fifty meters." Danzo said, turning back to face Yuma.
Yuma put his hand to his chin, taking in the information given to him.
"So if I get outside the range...The I can...As well as that small area...I see. Thanks for the advice mister Danzo. I appreciate it." Yuma said, taking his hand off his chin as he nodded with a small smile and closed eyes.
Danzo held back a smile as best as he could, as he watched Yuma begin to think over strategies.
'This boy reminds me of my younger years.' Danzo thought fondly, a trait seldom seen in him.
"Well then, about time you get ready, isn't it?" Danzo stated, breaking Yuma out of his thoughts.
Yuma looked up at Danzo and nodded.
"Of course, I'll go get changed into the gear you have gifted me. Thanks for everything mister Danzo."
"It is of no problem for me." Danzo said, trying to brush off Yuma's gratitude.
'I don't deserve it.'
With that thought, he watched Yuma walk into the bathroom to begin changing. As soon as the door closed, Sai approached Danzo.
"Lord Danzo, about what we discussed?" Sai asked, a detached tone carried in his voice.
"Yes. You are to keep a watchful eye on Yuma during the second phase of the exam, and report any changes to him to me. Understood?" Danzo said, an air of professionalism surrounding the two.
"Yes, Lord Danzo." Sai said, obeying the mans words without question as he bowed to his master.
Danzo looked at the boy who was bowing at his feet, a weird and unusual feeling entering his chest at the sight.
'Why does this feel wrong? It never did before.'
"...Sai?" Danzo began, his tone strangely emotional.
Sai seemed to take notice, looking up at Danzo in confusion, tilting his head.
"Yes, Lord Danzo?"
Danzo looked down at the boy, unable to find the words. He was about to continue speaking, when-
"Alright! Sorry for the wait. I got changed as fast as I could." Yuma declared, interrupting the moment as he walked out from the bathroom.
Danzo stiffened, as did Sai. Yuma looked at them curiously, confused as to why the two were quiet and why Sai was on the floor.
"Uh, whats going on?" Yuma asked with a nervous smile.
Danzo sighed, motioning for Sai to stand with a wave of his hand. He did so, walking to Yuma's side and bowing in respect.
"Now then, looks like you're just about ready."
"Yeah, thanks for the help Mister Danzo!" Yuma said, a cheerful smile taking form on his face.
"Before you go, however, I have a few more words for you."
"I know mister Danzo, good luck and all that, anyways I gotta-!?"
Yuma was shocked into silence.
As he was pulled into a hug.
He remained quiet, as Danzo began to speak.
"Even if the road ahead of you is filled with sorrow, even if you experience brutal hardships after brutal hardships, even if you face humiliation; You must fight."
"I..." Yuma tried to respond, but couldn't find the response.
Danzo let Yuma go from the embrace, keeping his hands on both of the boys shoulders as he looking into Yuma's eyes with both pride and expectation in his eyes.
'That's right...To me...This boy is...'
"No matter how hard, no matter how unbearably painful it may be, you must fight. Fight for the sake of your goal. Fight for the title of "Chunin". Even if the road ahead leads you straight down to the pits of hell. You must fight." Danzo said, burning passion engulfing Yuma as it passed from master to student.
"Mister Danzo..."
"I believe in you. I believe you are capable of great things. Even if others look down on you for being "weak", I do not. So hold your head high, and trust in yourself. Those you can't defeat with strength, defeat with knowledge. Those you can't defeat with knowledge, defeat with strength. And if neither work...Then use all the tools at your disposal. As the man who taught you...I know you are capable of great things... Because...You are-"
...
Neji looked at the fallen opponent. The peer who had given him so much trouble, Yuma Ito, had now been defeated. He looked at the water pistol in his pocket, contemplating if he should use it, before shaking his head.
'No...He isn't worth it.'
And with that thought, Neji deemed the battle over. He began to walk away, the wind blowing past him as he prepared to leave.
"-A boy capable of great things."
Cutting through the silence, the voice of a person Neji had come to despise more than anyone sounded out through the clearing, halting Neji in his tracks. The Hyuga turned quickly, not believing his ears.
Standing there while covered in black spots, bruises, mud and blood was the disheveled sight of Yuma. His face was upturned and his hair was down, looking to the sky as his shadowy arms relaxed at his sides. Neji glared venomously at the boy who had not failed to infuriated him yet.
"Why...Why do you continue to stand!?" Neji asked in a loud voice, angered beyond belief that this fellow boy refused to accept his fate.
"Because...My Sensei told me to..."
Dissolving into Shadow, Neji widened his eyes and shouted "Byakugan!", activating his eyes.
But it was no use.
As quickly as he had entered the shadow, Yuma popped out, sending Neji flying.
"Fight!" Yuma shouted this declaration as he picked one of the Kunai he had previously thrown earlier, attaching an explosive tag to its handle, and throwing it at the airborne Neji.
The explosion sent Neji flying away even further, a ripple of heat blasting through the air, bringing fire to nearby trees.
He threw an explosion tag onto one of the trees, letting it attach to the barks surface. With determined eyes, he ran forward, picking up a Kunai as he did so. Pouring chakra into his Shadow feet gave him a boost of speed, allowing him to appear where Neji would land before he himself did.
Falling from the sky, Neji spiraled to the forest floor. Before he could land however, Yuma grabbed the boy while he was in the air, and while twisting his body to gain momentum and pouring as much chakra as he could muster into his arms, he screamed-!?
"HEAVE HO!"
With a scream Neji was sent flying once more, the air from the force exerted by the Ckakra infused throw causing the trees to bend by the force.
Neji brought his feet to the ground while still moving, causing the skin on his ankles to tear. With a pained howl and bloodshot eyes, he saw a kunai flying at him. With it being so close, he had no choice.
"EIGHT TRIGRAMS: PALM ROTATION!"
As he began to spin however, the tree Yuma had attached an explosion tag onto before was behind him, and exploded. Fiery shrapnel was sent slamming into Neji's back, cancelling the taijutsu move. The kunai stabbed itself into his shoulder, rendering his right arm and hand useless as blood poured down his shoulder. Letting out a scream, he tried to see where Yuma would come from through the fiery haze he had created.
Suddenly, a large shadow descended down from above, making Neji to look up. When he did so, an expression of pure fury and fear washed over his face as he his went wide and he gritted his now bloody teeth.
"A distraction!?"
Yuma, from above, had poured all of his remaining chakra into his shadow hands, causing them to become a massive size. With his mammoth, barrel like hands, he brought them down onto the prodigious Neji Hyuga.
"NEEEEEEEJIIIIIII!"
"YUUUUUUUUMMMMMAAA!"
With their thunderous voices, A large blast sounded throughout the forest, causing many trees to topple to the forest floor.
People nearby, hearing the blast and curious as to what caused it, ran to find the source of the commotion.
And upon arriving, the sight they were met with was...
"That's how you beat fate. I win."
Standing atop Neji, with his feet on the boys back, Yuma shot his water pistol weakly into Neji Hyuga's target, eliminating him from the test. A puff of smoke was left in his wake as the people that had gathered marveled at the scene in horrific awe.
Surrounded by flames, with fallen trees at his side, Yuma looked up to see the audience he had gathered...
And smiled wickedly.
Descending into shadow before they could even blink, he shot all the people's targets, eliminating the nameless Genin from the game.
"Eight people remain. Test complete."
With that announcement, sounding like it came from a loud speaker, Yuma disappeared into a puff of smoke.
And so, the third test of the Chunin exams had finally...
Come to a close.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed my peeps!