'Thoughts' "Speaking" Author's Notes/ Bijuu Speaking "Telepathic Talking"
You're still here, even when I warned you about this trash writing? That is some dedication!
Also: here starts the parts that don't make sense. You have been warned. I mean literally, it will make zero sense whatsoever. Well, it may make some sense. You know what? You do you. If you don't like this remember: Chapter 10!
=Chapter 7: Preliminaries, Start!=
=Konoha 9=
The group was following Team 8 to where they saw Dragon and his team fighting each other until they felt some more chakra signatures head in the direction they were going.
"Right, so we found them around this area ove-" She was cut off when a storm of kunai jumped out of the trees and headed straight for the Konoha-nin. The kunai were easily blocked and the they jumped back, realising a thin line of seals moving around the area.
"So they've got a seal master as well... I guess we'll have to wait it out for the mean time. Troublesome people."
=Dragon's Team=
Dragon was still trying to find out the last clue, having no luck and getting no rest from Bird's and Hare's constant bickering. His mind kept going back to disasters and bacteria but those didn't match up at all, let alone match any place in the arena.
"So Dragon, any ideas now?"
"I swear Leader-sama, if you've figured out the answer and you haven't told me, you're dead meat."
"Mah mah, stop fretting so much and no, I have not got a single clue 'ttebayo."
The two kept pondering, despite the fact the sky was turning slightly darker. Menma dropped his transformation, letting his blond hair fall free and his one cerulean blue eye shine in the sky. His other eye, however, was coloured slightly purple and had a ripple pattern through it.
"Oi Naruto, you shouldn't drop your transformation like that." Temari went back to fixing her fan next to the fire.
"I've got seals around this area, I'm fine 'ttebayo. Anyways, can't I let my hair and eyes be free for once and not under a transformation or hood?"
Bird was grinning that he had finally beat Hare at taijutsu, one of his weak points; Snake was working on her paralysis and poison tactics; Ram, Monkey and Rat were working together on their contraption - whatever it was; Fuu having a chat with Chomei; Dog (Konan) was practising her paper techniques; Tiger begging everyone to fight him and Dragon, still working on the last clue.
"Still stuck huh?" He looked up at Naruto, closely studying the scroll.
"It doesn't make any sense at all! This thing all things devours: birds, beasts, trees, flowers - this makes you think its obviously a disease or bacteria but then it goes on to: gnaws iron, bites steel; grinds hard stones to meal; slays king, ruins town, and beats high mountain down - and then that makes it even more confusing!"
"Well we better work it out quick, we only have tonight and tomorrow until we're done. Man, they couldn't have set a shorter time limit for this exam. Three days 'ttebayo. What kind of exam is that? Extremely short if you ask me..."
Dragon's mind clicked. Knowing his luck, the answer would obviously be in front of him without him knowing at all. It was there all along. He was just too dumb to realise it.
Time.
"I'm so dumb!" He called out, getting confused looks from the group.
=Konoha 9=
The Konoha 9 were camping outside the seals, waiting for any sign of movement until they heard a random "I'm so dumb!" come from the direction of the seals, which they were slightly confused at.
They weren't ready however, as the seals began to shift through the trees in their direction.
"Run!" The group jumped out of the way and watched as the patterns leaped from the trees and headed towards the north of the training ground.
The Konoha-nin quickly got their belongings and rushed after the fleeting seals, hopefully to the location of the next exam.
They followed them into the desert but couldn't make out of any of the faces in the group as it was covered by some haze. They followed the seals for about half an hour before reaching the towering mountain.
The seals disappeared, leaving Menma and his group at the mouth of a small cave. "Well this is it . It all matches up here!"
The Konoha-min waited behind a rock for a few more people to enter the area, watching for any attackers and studying Menma and his group.
=Orange Flames=
"It's approaching midnight, everyone split up and pretend to be arriving in your groups. We have company."
Menma walked into the cave, oddly decorated with some ruined pillars, a small pond in the centre and a view of the open sky above them, the moon going into place. The place was dimly lit and a strong breeze entered through the hole.
Fuu and Dragon's team walked in first, followed by the rest of the group under Kumo. They waited for a bit, ignoring each other and then they saw a few more teams walk in.
The Konoha 9 walked into the area and then a few minute later, some teams from Kiri and Iwa came in. They all ignored each other but the Orange Flames were tensing up about Tiger, who started to hop around like mad.
Dragon reviewed the clues: Wind - there was a strong breeze here, Darkness - pretty dimly lit around the area, Patience - they were waiting for a while for the moon to arrive, Moon - Well, it was about to reach the peak of the sky and Centre - There was a hole in the cave roof for light and wind to enter.
A few more other teams arrived, waiting outside for their go. They all had a silent agreement of not to fight otherwise there will be a bloodbath in this area.
"So... five Suna teams, four Kumo teams, three Iwa teams, four Konoha teams, two Kiri teams, a Kusa team and another team from Taki- oh wait here comes a Ame team," Menma mumbled out loud, receiving glares from the rest of the Chunins waiting. 'A four person Kusa team? Oh and it's those two stalkers from Konoha, great, under a false identity I see... I know your game Otsutsuki."
=Kage Lounge=
"That's a lot of people that will pass..." the old fence sitter mused loudly.
"We're going to get one hell of a show in the finals," Mei said, earning nods from the rest.
'I see they've passed the second stage. Do not fail me.' Dance activated his Sharingan again, trying to pry into Gaara's mind. 'What are you hiding Kazekage?'
=Above the Chunins' meeting place=
Anko looked down at the Chunins below, waiting intently for the moon to reach its peak. "Two minutes and then I'll make a show!"
She grabbed her stuff and got ready to jump down. 'There's gonna be a show this year and I'm gonna love it!"
Tick.
Tock.
The Chunins watched as the moon shone directly into the small pond, illuminating it and revealing a small fish in the centre, only for it to suddenly get blocked out of their view from a silhouette against the light.
"Alright maggots! All of you outside come in! You all pass this stage of the exam and well done! If you would go to the nearest exit and you will be greeted by your senseis, kage etcetera etcetera... you are free to go!" The teams saw Anko, holding a megaphone, crazy grin on her face.
The Chunins rushes towards the exit, leaving Anko there with a grin still on her face. "Watch our for the traps on the way!"
=Timeskip: Two Days Later=
No more teams passed the next day, leaving 66 Chunins. They had a day to heal and they went straight to the Suna Arena for the next test.
Most of their injuries had been healed and everyone was feeling fresh and ready to fight.
=Menma's Team=
"They're most likely going to hold preliminaries since there's so many of us that passed. Probably a couple of rounds to get us to 16 or possibly 8," Menma told his team as he strolled down the sandy path to the arena.
"It's going to be a literal blood bath you know?" Kankuro absent-mindlessly said as he tightened the screws on his puppet.
They approached it a few minutes later, arriving just on time to see the rest of their allies and enemies. The Kiri-nin all looked extremely nervous at their surroundings and the Konoha 9 looked confident, spare Hinata, nervous as ever.
Menma could feel the two stared aimed at him from the disguised Otsutsuki under Konoha.
"Oh I want to kill them so bad! Let me at them and let me tear them to shreds!"
"Calm down Kura, attacking them now will reveal to much about us and things could go wrong."
"Oi! Menma was it? I'm absolutely gonna wreck your this time without your mates to back you up!" Akamaru yipped in agreement at Kiba's statement.
"In your dreams dog boy!" Menma stood up and walker over to Kiba. 'I'm getting major de ja vu from this.'
"Who are you calling dog boy coward? You needed team mates to stop us from wrecking you and I think your black hair is disgusting!" Akamaru yipped in agreement, not noticing a rising level of killer intent from Dragon.
"You." The killer intent rose higher and Dragon rose to his feet, face covered by his hair. The air started becoming thicker and thicker by the second. "Will." The air started suffocating the weaker Chunins. "Die." Dragon charged at Kiba, speeding up and weaving signs.
"You're on weakling! Fang Over Fang!"
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Jutsu!" A large dragon erupted from Dragon's mouth and surrounded his unsheathed sword.
"Sand Wall." A large wall rose up, stopping the two attacks. "Sand Restraint." Shackles of sand rose out of the ground and tightened around their legs. "No fighting until your matches are called otherwise you will be disqualified. Understand?" Dragon and Kiba nodded before going back to their teams. Gaara walked back to the watching stand where the other Kages were settling in.
"Hello everyone and I will be the proctor for this exam. There are far too many of you to start the finals and too many people altogether here so preliminaries will be held to cut your numbers, teams against other teams; however, the matches will be made that you will not have to fight anyone from your own village." Everyone looked over to see a certain white-haired Jonin, reading a certain orange book walk into the arena. "My word is law so whatever goes, goes. Knocking out or killing your opponent will ensure your victory but I will stop any needless deaths. If you look up at the board, the first match will start."
The board read: Konohagakure Team 8 VS Iwagakure Team 2. "Please can everyone else go up to the watching stands and the rest of you spread out to your allocated sides." Kakashi brought down his sharingan and put down his orange book.
"Preliminaries Match 1... Start!"
"Man-Beast Transformation!" Two copies of Kiba appeared on the right side of the arena as Hinata activated her Byakugan and Shino sent out his bugs.
"You may be from Konoha but that doesn't meant we're slouches! Let's go, Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullets!" A dragon's head formed out of the ground and shot bullets towards Team 8.
"Rotation!" Hinata jumped in front of the bullets and spun, deflecting all of them.
"Fang Over Fang!"
"Earth Style: Mud Wall! Go, Kairo!"
"Mud Style: Landslide!" The mud wall started melting into mud, covering the arena and slowing down the Fang Over Fang.
"Now, Rosai!"
"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullets!"
"Parasitic Beetles: Chakra Absorption." The arena slowly turned to normal and the dragon's head disappeared back into the ground.
'What the... my chakra...' The three Iwa-nin collapsed onto the ground, extremely low on chakra.
"Winner, Konohagakure Team 8 by chakra exhaustion knockout." Kakashi motioned for them to go to the stands while the boards picked a new fight.
"May Sunagakure Team 1 and Kirigakure Team 5 come down please."
'Great, now we can see some more of that Menma's abilities.' The Konoha 9 watched as Menma and his team faced against a Kiri team.
"You ready to die Suna-scum?" The eldest one snickered out, earning laughs from his teammates. "I saw some of your abilities you black-haired person and you're pathetic, oh and so you know before we fight, my names Gefura and don't you forget it, if you do survive."
"Alright, I won't forget it gaki!" Menma retorted, watching his teammates get ready.
"It's Gefura you nerd!"
"Alright ga-baka!"
"Preliminaries Match 2... Start!" 'That Menma person... his chakra seems awfully familiar except I can't put my finger on it... I'll bring out my sharingan for this.'
"Hidden Mist Jutsu! Go!"
"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
"Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu!"
"Wind Style: Cast Net!" The wall of wind was overcome from the dragon still heading towards Menma's Team, now trapped in the Water Prison.
"Say, Kurama, should I use the Preta Path or a burst of chakra?"
"Both. Chakra to get rid of this prison and Preta to stop that dragon and this mist."
"Alright Kurama!"
Menma clasped his hands together in the Snake seal. "Wind Chakra Burst!" Shock waves erupted of him, dispelling the Water Prison to the Kiri team's surprise. "Preta: Absorption!" Naruto brought his hands up to absorb the incoming Water Dragon and the surrounding mist. "Go!"
"Puppet Art: Puppet Prison!" Kankuro appeared behind the Kiri-team from the disappearing mist and launched his attack, his puppets trapping the enemy in them.
"Final attack, now!"
"Wind Style: Speed of the Sky!" The air accelerated in the arena, whipping up a small storm.
"Water Style: Water Dragon's Destruction Roar!" A larger dragon came out from Menma's hand, gaining speed from the storm and heading towards puppets.
"Puppet Art: Release!" The three Kiri-nin fell onto the ground, to be greeted by a Water Dragon heading towards them.
=Spectators Area=
'A Water Style user in Sunagakure? Somethings up.' Shikamaru's 200 IQ was paying off as he was trying to work out why on earth there was a Water Style user in the desert. He knew something was off but couldn't point it out.
"Oi Shika!" Choji was holding onto his potato crisps, desperate not to let them go from the harsh winds. "Your girlfriend over there's pretty strong, good luck my dude!" He went back to eating his crisps, savouring the flavour.
"Troublesome people..."
=Arena Floor=
"Winner, Sunagakure Team 1 wins by knockout."
The medics rushed onto the scene, bringing the injured Kiri-nin to the hospital where they'd be somehow healed from the broken bones and cut joints.
"And that's what Gaki got from being so full of himself! They didn't even present much of a challenge anyways..." Menma huffed, jumping back into the stands, followed suite by his teammates.
"May Kusagakure Team 1 and Amegakure Team 1 come down please."
The four Kusa-nin watched intently as their enemies settled on their side.
"Preliminaries Match 3... Start!"
"Let's go, Karo, Taisu, Pirogo. Lightning Style: Lightning Dragon."
"Go!" The Ame leader called out, the three of them got in a line.
"Water Style: Water Wall!" Three cracks appeared in the ground, each with water bursting out of them. The dragon impacted with them, sending water across the arena.
"Hey, where'd his oth-" One of the Ame team was cut off as they got a swift chop to the neck, courteousy of Pirogo.
"Water Style: Water Jet Burst!" Pirogo was sent back towards the wall, fist clenched and teeth seething.
"Calm down." They looked at the Kusa team leader, black eyes staring intently at the Ame team.
"What is it with your teammates disappearing all of a sudden?" The Ame leader brought up his sword to block a strike from Taisu. His eyes widened as he saw the sword he was wielding. "The Kubikiribōchō? Where'd you get that from?"
"Well... let's see... it was lying down next to a grave and no one was there so I took it!"
He brought his sword down to try to cut his legs off, only for him to be kicked back and to get hit by a stream of water.
"Water Style: Water Bullets!" A barrage of water headed straight to Taisu, him blocking it with his sword. "You're dead now! Water Style: Water Senb-"
He was cut off by a few seals snaking across the ground, paralysing him.
"What the..." He looked over to see Karo holding him still.
"Hey."
"What?"
"Your teammate over there." She motioned over to his not knocked out mate. "He's dead." He saw the last Kusa member stand over his last mate. His hand seemed to crackle with electricity as he impaled his heart. He fainted at the sight of blood, calling the match.
"Winner, Kusagakure Team 1 by knockout and kill." 'That jutsu is awfully like the Chidori but then again, times are changing. It might just be a spin-off or something like that.'
=Spectators Area=
'No mercy. I want to fight them so badly but I can't reveal myself...' Tiger stared at the Kusa team, getting fidgety and wanting to fight now.
'A Chidori? Seems legit. Awfully familiar though.' Menma thought, taking in the battle. 'They did have an advantage but... somethings up again.'
"Next match: Sunagakure Team 3 VS Kumogakure Team Samui. Please can both of you come down."
'I get to fight now!' Tiger leapt onto the arena, shortly followed by Fuu and Konan. They were greeted by a few more sounds of landing from the three Kumo-nin.
=Arena Floor=
"Alright. You people seem strong and you, if I remember were a part of the Akatsuki once, so you'll definitely be a challenge." The tanned red haired girl stated, pointing at Konan.
"And hopefully, you won't be a let down too." Konan's skin started to peel off as pieces of paper, shaping into many pieces.
"Aw man, I bet we'll lose, I bet they are really, really strong, just look at them! A paper girl!" Omoi pointed at Konan. "A hyperactive psycho!" He pointed at Tiger, pouncing around like a mad man. "And someone who gives off a scary aura!" He pointed to Fuu, still under a transformation.
"You bet you'll lose. You on?" Bugs started crawling out of her sleeves and into the arena from outside.
"I can't wait to fight you! Ooh, you're going down!"
The last Kumo-nin said nothing and just observed the situation.
"Preliminaries Match 4... Start!"
So... How'd I do? Good? Bad? Awful? Trash? Amazing? Tell me!
Yes, I know, I promised shorter waiting times but be patient! I'm trying to think of ideas :/
If you have any suggestions, let me know and I'll incorporate them if I like them!
And that's all for now!
See you later: Ja ne!
