Ch.8- Clashing steel; Naruto vs Ten-Ten
xXx
The clear blue sky hanging over the village of Konoha was dotted with colorful smoke as fireworks were set off in celebration. After four long, work-filled weeks the day everyone was waiting for had arrived.
It was time for the third and final part of the Chunin Exams.
At the gates copious foreigners were checked in by the guards Izumo and Kotetsu. Hundreds of thousands of people, ranging from a peddler looking to sell their goods to Daimyo of other countries looking to scout for talent, had turned up eager to take part in the action.
But even with all the excitement going on there were those who had no time to partake in the festivities; those few were the competitors in the days main event.
Each genin could be found at home, preparing for their upcoming match, and hoping that the training they had done over the past month would be enough to earn the title of chunin.
'Today's the day,' Ten-Ten thought confidently as she strapped a pair of pauldron to her shoulders. Finishing with her preparations the young kunoichi looked herself over. Aside from shoulder guards, the bun-haired girl had fitted a pair of shin guards to her legs as well as a chainmail shirt to cover her torso. Around her waist, for added protection, were two extra guards for her thighs.
While not normally one for armor Ten-Ten knew that, going up against Naruto, she couldn't afford to take any chances. So, making sure to keep her selections light but firm the weapon mistress considered herself ready. One last check to make sure all her scrolls were stored properly and Ten-Ten was headed out the door with her father.
In the clan sector of the village, within the walls of the Hyuga compound, both Hinata and her cousin Neji were preparing for their match as well...against each other.
The Hyuga heiress, like her fellow kunoichi, stood in front of a full-length mirror. But rather than readying herself physically the younger girl's actions aimed more towards the mental aspect of competition.
'I can do this,' the heiress thought with conviction. Hinata had proven she could take whatever force an opponent could dish out, and now with her increased training from her father, felt more than sure she could send it back twice as hard.
'I-It doesn't matter that it's Neji,' was Hinata's attempt at convincing her own mind, but berated herself for the mental hiccup. Shaking her head fiercely so that her, now shoulder-length, hair whipped about Hinata hardened her gaze at the reflection she saw and exited her room, chin held high.
Unlike his cousin though Neji Hyuga would not be found giving himself a mental pep talk. No, instead the Hyuga genius was more interested in letting his thoughts wander to how much he was going to make his cousin suffer. He had seen the spoiled daughter of his uncle Hiashi as she trained with the man; her skills in the family taijutsu were nowhere close to his own. Yes, she'd managed the full sixty-four palms, but Neji knew that against his superior speed it would mean nothing.
'Because in the end it won't matter how much she trains, her predestined limits cannot surpass my own fated genius. This match was over before it even started; destiny has already seen to that.' It was these final thoughts that Neji left the Hyuga compound with.
A very similar train of thought made its way through the mind of one Sasuke Uchiha as he too finished getting ready for the finals. However, unlike the rest, the youngest son of Mikoto Uchiha would not be found at home.
The young avenger stood amidst several shattered boulders deep within a canyon outside of Konoha. Beside him stood Kakashi, the Jounin watching as his student strapped the final belt to his new outfit. The Copy-Ninja felt the black spandex would help keep Sasuke more aerodynamic for his fight; no loose sleeves to billow in the wind as he ran. The belts however were special, they were currently circulating the boy's chakra in his arm, making sure it flowed much easier for his new attack.
As he flexed his bandage-covered hand Sasuke couldn't help feeling the fires of rage build up inside as he was forced to look on with only half his vision. While not totally destroying the optical organ Kiba's mutt had cost him much of the sight in his right eye; the scarred tissue surrounding the socket forming three diagonal reminders of the incident. If he ever wanted to have perfect vision again, Sasuke would require an implant.
And while that vexed him the thing that truly sent the last Uchiha's temper sky high was the fact that there would be no punishment for Kiba! It burned Sasuke to the core, and he had demanded retribution from the Hokage as well as the Council, but was stopped short when they all informed him that in granting his request he too would be punished.
"And why is that!? Kiba's mongrel just cost me one of my Sharingan, a clan secret by law, he deserves to be-" Sasuke hadn't been able to finish because Tsume Inuzuka being forcibly restrained interrupted him.
"MONGREL!? Shikaku let go of me right now, I need to teach this insolent pup what happens when you insult a pack member of the Inuzuka clan!" The normally feral-looking but friendly Jounin had dropped all pretenses of civility and looked ready to rip Sasuke's head off. When her rage-filled eyes noticed the dismissive look the boy was giving her she practically ordered the Hokage to explain where the Uchiha could stick his demands.
Finally thinking he was going to speak to someone with sense Sasuke did in fact turn his attention on the elderly shinobi who sat before him...only to seethe at what he was told next.
"I'm sorry to say it Sasuke but, in regards to your demands there really is nothing we can do without punishing you as well." When it looked like the boy was going to argue though Hiruzen cut across him, "In the exams it is fully understood by all who participate that things such as death, or mutilation, are a
possibility. These exams are set up to demonstrate real-life scenarios; information gathering, vicious long-term assignments, and even deadly combat. And just because mauling your opponent isn't encouraged, doesn't mean it never happens."
"But that still doesn't answer why Kiba is getting away with breaking the law!"
"Actually, Sasuke Uchiha, It does." This came from Inoichi Yamanaka, who was seated beside Shikaku Nara and a now less irate Tsume.
"What you seem to be forgetting," the Yamanaka Patriarch continued to explain, "is that each and every genin who chooses to take part in the advancement exam are required to fill out an application. This not only allows the for keeping track of all the new faces flooding the hosts village, but there's also a written agreement, like the one given for the Forest of Death, asking if the genin in question is willing to accept the risks involved with testing. In this case, the loss of your sight, or Akamaru's death."
At this point the Hokage took over again, "Which means, Sasuke, that by filling out that applicant form you signed off that you understood the risks involved with taking the exams and were choosing to attempt them anyway. Legally, there truly is nothing to be done other than hand you the compensation fee given out to families that lose a member in the exams."
As he clenched his bandaged fist in anger Sasuke recalled the end of his meeting with the Konoha shinobi Council, and how they went on to explain that, if not for the paperwork, any village could seek retribution, or even declare war, over what they might perceive as a targeted attack on any of their shinobi.
There truly was nothing Sasuke could do.
For the first time since his families massacre Sasuke found himself unable to extort his inflated title to get what he wanted. And although it wasn't something he made a terrible habit of, the last Uchiha found he didn't like the idea of being told 'no'.
Fortunately though for the boy's frustrated feelings, his sensei calling him to run through one last spar before heading to the finals gave him something to vent at.
xXx
From atop the Hokage's monument sharp blue eyes stared out over the village. A few times they strayed towards the large stadium where the finals would soon be taking place;where Naruto knew he would soon, hopefully, become a chunin.
Thinking back over the month he trained under Anko the blonde couldn't help smiling under his bandages.
After their time in Sea country the duo had returned with their new friend, Isaribi, and reported their mission a success. It was only after Anko handed their Hokage a scroll containing everything she'd plundered from Amachi's lab, that the woman's face broke from its stern facade and she ordered her student to meet her outside the Forest of Death the following morning.
Chuckling quietly to himself Naruto recalled how he was expecting her to use the area for their continued training period, only to be surprised when she instead handed him another mission scroll.
This one, a C-rank, was a cleansing of the forest surrounding Bear country; the populace had been over run by bandits.
When he asked about his training Anko informed him that there was no better way to train him in being a chunin than giving him ample, real-world, experience. She informed him that books and practice sessions only got one so far, and that instinct and experience were key to becoming a successful squad leader.
And so, it was after enrolling his new charge, Isaribi, into the ninja academy that student and teacher left to take on their next mission. One that, like the last, would turn out to be more than meets the eye.
'Because that's where I met you,' the young Uzumaki thought fondly as his sharp stare softened. Letting his eyes drop to his lap, Naruto gazed fondly at the small wolf pup cuddling his stomach. However, if one were to look they would quickly see that this small creature was very different from the average wild dog.
For starters, while its fur was a shimmering onyx color the perfection was streaked with numerous lines of red. And even the contrasted fur itself was different; instead of simple splashes of color, they formed runic-like symbols in the pup's coat. But that wasn't the only thing separating Naruto's furry friend from an everyday wolf—it's tail, instead of fur, was made up of a pure blue flame.
This wolf pup was a member of the Hofukami; the flaming wolf clan. Her name was Maya, and she was one of the lowest-level summons in Naruto's contract.
It had been by accident that Naruto found out about the Hokfukami, as he'd never even heard of them. But during his mission with Anko the young genin had found little Maya snagged in a hideous hunting trap, the jaws snapped shut around the whimpering pup's hind leg. What made matters worse were the men that surrounded her.
Naruto still remembered the rage he felt, seeing some of the very same bandits he'd been sent to exterminate about to end the life of such an innocent creature. It was without hesitation that the blonde sprung into action, swiftly dispatching the circle of filth, before then turning his attention to the injured pup.
He'd barely taken a step before the cavalry arrived though.
Through the trees a handful of wolves burst forth, bypassing Naruto and surrounding their downed pack member. And while normally this would set anybody on edge, Naruto had nearly let his eyes pop from his skull when he took a closer look at his new company.
Each of them was a different color; some the common gray or brown, but others stood out with shockingly orange or even green fur.
From there it had quickly gotten interesting, as Naruto rushed to explain the scene; pointing out the other men laying on the ground to help corroborate his story.
However it wasn't until the pup had been freed and tended to that the other wolves fully believed him...and that's when the Leaf shinobi was given another shock: it had been a test!
The wolves explained that they had sensed Naruto's arrival, telling the blonde that the older members of their pack had innate sensory abilities, and that they wished to see if his character was as upstanding as his strength. They themselves were then in for a surprise when Naruto explained that the power they had felt actually belonged to the Kyubi, and that he himself was still only a genin.
'But that didn't change their mind one bit,' Naruto thought as he let his hand run through Maya's sleek, furry coat. 'I was taken to their elder and offered the chance to sign their contract.'
Naruto then recalled, after returning to Anko, how the woman had become ecstatic over her little hatchling having procured his own summon, as well as her express interest in how they did in the field. In short order, the bandit camp was cleaned away an entire day ahead of schedule.
After that Naruto and Anko managed to complete one more mission before, with only a handful of days left, they would spend the rest of their time doing exactly what the blonde had expected from the beginning. With the help of his new summons, Anko ran her charge through the gauntlet that was the Forest of Death.
"And now, it's time to put all that work to the test."
"Which can't happen if you're disqualified for being late Onii-san," came a familiar voice from behind the now standing blonde.
Naruto turned and, with Maya curling against his shoulder, accepted the hug his Isa-chan moved to give him. In the month she'd been in the academy the girl had brightened considerably from the forlorn youth her blonde savior had found her as. And while the genin had been deemed too young to care for Isaribi on his own, Anko had agreed to take the girl in and be her guardian; the two woman's relationship was uneasy at the best of times, but Isaribi was just glad to be able to visit her 'Big Brother' whenever she wanted.
Laughing quietly at the younger girl's jibe Naruto assured Isaribi that he was leaving now, and would be on time.
"Good, because you need to hurry up and make Jounin so I don't have to worry about who my sensei will be after I graduate."
Naruto just reminded her she still had a few more years to go before having to worry about that, and then asked her to wish him luck before disappearing in a whirlwind of leaves.
xXx
The genin competing in the finals all stood in a single-file line. The six pairs of eyes that looked back at Genma Shiranui almost all held a look of fierce determination, only two held something different; arrogance and boredom.
'Wait, six?'
Genma looked again and indeed found that two of the finalists were missing. "Where are Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha?"
"While my team-mate is probably lost somewhere on the "road of life", I'm right here."
The new but familiar voice caused each person on the stadium grounds to crane their necks; Naruto had been standing behind Genma the entire time. However, the sight that filled their eyes was something none of them expected.
'What a drag, we can always count on Naruto to make a spectacle of himself,' Were Shikamaru's thoughts as he took in the blonde's new attire.
Gone was the hooded vest. In its place was a black trench coat, clipped at the waist, whose torso and sleeves were fitted perfectly to the blonde's frame while everything below the waist billowed outwards. Like Naruto's old vest, this too had a hood, it shadows covered all but the young man's still-bandaged jaw. Onlookers could also see, with the zipper pulled partway down, that the blonde was bare-chested underneath.
Naruto's lower-body was clothed in something similar to his coat; form-fitting black pants that disappeared into knee-high, plated boots. His hands were hidden underneath pure black gloves, while the ever imposing Kubikiribocho rested in its carrier against his back.
As he walked over to join his fellow Leaf shinobi some of them couldn't help noticing that, despite his lack of height, the blonde's look cut an impressively imposing figure.
Seeing that he now at least had both competitors for the opening match Genma decided that was more than good enough to begin.
"Alright then, seeing as at least we can start things off properly lets get this thing started. If you take a second to look around you'll see that the stands are filled with not only villagers from Konoha, but numerous dignitaries and travelers from across the country. They are all here for one purpose: to watch you. They've all traveled thousands of miles to see what talented shinobi you all are, so how about we give them a good show?"
Eyeing Naruto and Ten-Ten he explained, like last time, that the two of them would be staying put while the other genin were to ascend into the stands.
It was as he was moving into position that Naruto remembered something.
"Hey wait where's that guy, Genma, the one who proctored the preliminary rounds?"
Genma told the hooded blonde about how, a complication concerning the man's coughing fits, kept him form being able to referee the finals. And while Naruto felt bad for the man, he could only accept the news before turning his attention back to Ten-Ten.
"Now, if there are no more questions and you two are ready, then let the first match of the Chunin Exam finals begin!"
xXx
Neither Ten-Ten nor Naruto took their eyes off each other as their proctor leaped back out of the way.; with the match officially on, both knew that to do so could spell defeat.
Clenching and and opening her fists in calm succession the bun-haired girl smirked at her shorter opponent. "I've been training all month for this moment Naruto; I hope you're ready."
From underneath his bandages she saw him match her smirk with one of his own. "That's flattering,but I'm sorry to say that I just don't think it'll be enough."
Ten-Ten's smirk morphed into a challenging grin as she swiftly pulled two handful of kunai from the holsters on her thighs and answered, "We'll just see about that."
Making the first move the brunette kunoichi launched her small volley of kunai at her opponent. However she didn't stop there, once her hands were free the girl leaped into the air and pulled a scroll from a pouch on her belt. Unsealing the weapon inside, Ten-Ten revealed a sickle-and-chain. However unlike most this one had a link far longer than the customary length.
Swinging the weighted end swiftly over her head the bun-haired brunette launched it when she noticed her opponent simply deflected her hail of kunai with a single one of his own.
Naruto saw the attack coming and after knocking away the last opposing kunai, jumped back out of the heavy iron balls flight path. Blue eyes widened underneath the cowl of their owner's hood though when the blonde watched as Ten-Ten let the balls impact into the ground jerk her into a dive attack.
Steel clashed as Naruto's kunai fended off his female opponent's kama.
Twisting her body Ten-Ten hauled herself over her fellow genin, but using her free hand also made sure to wrap her weapon's chain around his neck as she landed. It was as she touched the ground though that the armor-clad fighter spun on the balls of her feet so as to bring herself crouched in front of Naruto's chest.
Jerking the bit of chain wrapped around her hand Ten-Ten pulled Naruto forward and into a fierce palm-strike. While normally she would have thought to use her kama, the bun-haired kunoichi knew that she and Naruto would both do their best to avoid lethal hits; there was no fun if one of them ended up dead after all.
Naruto choked as the hit struck home, but just as quickly smiled before he exploded into a cloud of smoke marking him as a shadow clone.
Ten-Ten just as quickly reeled in her chain before sealing it away and replacing it with a short sword/shield combo.
'I can't say I'm too surprised, but I am curious as to when he did the switch. Or for that matter when the clone was even made.' Thoughts on her opponent's battle strategy were put on hold however, as chocolate-brown eyes watched the arena begin to fill with mist.
Up in the stands many spectators ruffled their feathers at their view being cut off. The shinobi among the civilian mass held a different opinion though.
"He's breaking out that technique already?" Asuma questioned as he and his fellow Jounin looked on. Turning his attention to Anko, who stood to the left of Kurenai he asked her thoughts on the boy's decision.
"Don't you worry about what my student is doing Asuma; just worry about what'll happen to yours if he has to go up against him."
Seeing the smug look on her long-time friends face Kurenai raised a questioning eyebrow of her own and wondered, "When exactly did he officially become your student Anko? Isn't he still part of Squad 7?"
Pupil-less brown eyes gleamed with confidence, a strange sight given the question, until the woman being asked eagerly replied. "That's only until the exams are over; once these matches are through, the kid's all mine as far as I'm concerned."
"You have that much confidence in his ability to impress the judges?" Might Guy chimed in. He himself had seen the great lengths his students had gone in training for this day, but even still would be hard pressed to consider them chunin worthy.
"I do." Was the only reply Anko gave as she returned her eyes to the field below.
Back down in the field Ten-Ten had changed her position. Instead of a crouched, ready stance the girl had shifted so that she now had one knee pressed against the earth and her shield covering her entire left side.
With her sword poised for attack and her senses strained Ten-Ten couldn't help feeling excited. While not an open clash of steel,the bun-haired kunoichi was still enjoying herself; the thrill of the unknown sent her heart racing. However it was the blood rushing to her ears that almost kept her from hearing the oncoming attack.
It was lightening fast, and the girl barely managed to roll out of the way of the shuriken storm, but after doing so realized her folly.
Now Naruto knew her position!
The next attack was a heavy one; it smashed against the girl's shield and sent her toppling into the dirt. The follow-up came just as quick, a lightning fast maneuver that glanced the downed kunoichi's unprotected left side.
"Grgh!" Ten-Ten grunted in pain, thankful that her chainmail shirt had managed to absorb most of the attack. In an act of pure reflex the girl's arm shot out, sword swinging, attempting to strike a blow against her attacker.
No dice. Ten-Ten's blade found nothing but air, and the girl quickly paid for it with another glancing blow. This time to her open back.
However unlike the last attack, which had felt more like the slash of steel claws, this one was very easily identified as a spartan kick. The force of the attack had the unbalanced brunette once again finding her face in the dirt. Only this time, instead of landing in a heap, Ten-Ten managed to carry herself with the momentum and rolled into another defensive crouch.
It was in that position that the girl waited. Ten-Ten sucked air into her lungs as she tried to calm her racing heart; Naruto was much more skilled than she'd expected. To create a mist so thick, and maintain it so long, was a feat no normal genin could ever hope to accomplish.
And yet, just as the bun-haired girl allowed her mind to praise her opponent for this amazing skill the mist began to clear.
It happened slowly as if to act like the reveal of some big mystery, but eventually Ten-Ten's chocolate-brown eyes were filled with the full color view of the arena; one that included an image of Naruto standing barely ten feet from her downed position.
"I wanna thank you for letting me test out that strategy Ten-Ten. I'd thought it up just yesterday, so it's not exactly battlefield ready, but you've shown me that with a little tweaking it could be effective."
The blonde's appreciation was lost on all who heard him, as they hadn't been able to see a thing, while the girl being thanked assumed it had been something to do with his clones. What neither she or the spectators below Jounin level knew was that the blonde had just tested an attack pattern with his new summons.
From her spot on the ground Ten-Ten grinned to her fellow genin though, giving little thought to the fact that she had just been knocked around, and instead chose to revel in the fact that she'd been paired with such a fun opponent.
Standing to her feet and settling back into her defensive stance the armored weapon mistress called to Naruto, "I'm more than happy to help Naruto, but what do you say we take some time to give these people a show? The judges do have to see how well we do in open combat after all."
Knowing exactly what she meant the hooded blonde reached back and tightly gripped the handle of his large sword. Pulling it free, Naruto brought it to rest against the ground with both hands.
Letting her smile overtake her face Ten-Ten tensed the muscles in her left arm before pulling back, and then launching it, and her shield, forward. With the release of her defense Ten-Ten quickly pulled another scroll from her belt, dropping her short sword in the scramble, before summoning forth a vicious looking spear.
Naruto dodged the shield before watching as she made good on her word to give the crowd a show by showing off a multitude of flashy spin moves with her new weapon of choice.
Content to follow her advice, as it would give him time to loosen up, the young Uzumaki allowed his opponent the chance to finish before pushing off of his right foot and rushing into battle.
As expected Naruto found himself sliding out of the way as Ten-Ten thrust her spear's gold-plated tip at his sternum. Letting his body swing around, the blonde lowered into a crouch before attempting the knock the bun-haired girl's feet out from under her with the flat of his large blade.
Ten-Ten caught on quick though and easily managed to avoid being taken down. Following through with her opening thrust the young kunoichi ran her spearhead into the ground, and then used it to vault into the air before snapping a leg out in a kick that caught the side of Naruto's head. Pleased when her target didn't burst into smoke this time Ten-Ten fished out another handful of shuriken before launching them as she dropped to the ground.
Rolling with the hit he'd just taken Naruto ended in a crouch and, hearing the fast approaching projectiles, moved kubikiribocho to act as a shield. Peering over the large blade of his sword, Naruto was a little surprised to see his opponent rushing towards him.
Thinking quick Naruto followed the girl's lead and shoved his weapon into the earth when he felt she was close enough. Only this time, the blonde chose to leap over her completely before dead-legging her, and finishing up by slamming her head against his planted sword. However, when Naruto went on to try and follow through with an elbow strike he was halted by Ten-Ten's quick grab for the incoming smash attack.
Using one of her fancy practice maneuvers, Ten-Ten flipped and gripped the tail end of her spear before ramming it into Naruto's gut. With the wind knocked out of him now Ten-Ten's next move was to take hold of her weapon with both hands and snap it up, slamming it into the underside of her blonde opponent's jaw.
Spittle flew from Naruto's lips as he just managed to miss biting his own tongue. However before he could think to try a counter attack, the hooded genin found himself being slammed full force with his female foe's weapon. Ten-Ten had swung it like a bat, and the resounding strength behind the blow sent the unprepared young blonde skidding back along the arena floor.
With Naruto at least a good five yards away Ten-Ten quickly jammed her spear into the ground and reached out to take hold of kubikiribocho's handle. A shiver of excitement wracked the girl's body as she felt the latent power that seemed to ooze from the just the grip alone. Feeling her muscles flex, the girl went and pulled the sword from the earth...or at least she tried to. Ten-Ten found that with just a single arm she barely even able to budge the sword, much less free it from its dirty sheath, so the girl condemned herself to using two hands, and with a groan of effort finally pulled her opponent's weapon free.
'Holy mother of—this thing's gotta weigh at least eighty pounds! How on earth does he even swing this thing, let alone throw it!?' Although she trained under the physically powerful Might Guy, Ten-Ten herself had never been one for muscular strength; making adjustments to heavier weapons to better suit her personal style. Because of that the girl found herself unable to even lift the head-cleaver from its resting place against the ground.
Her distraction cost her.
A fully packed knuckle-sandwich was served to her cheek, and the powerful punch sent Ten-Ten rocketing back. Hands ripping from their hold on the large swords handle, and feet lifting off the ground, every spectator in the arena watched as Ten-Ten was sent flying through the air.
A pair of blue eyes in particular kept themselves trained on their owner's opponent while a gloved hand reached out and caught the fumbled blade, stopping the famous sword from clattering to the dirt.
Not willing to waste an opportunity Naruto quickly followed after his stunned, bun-haired adversary and swiftly managed to close the gap before passing her. Tensing his body, the blonde hopped into the air and delivered a devastating spin-kick. Landing safely Naruto watched a moment as Ten-Ten rolled across the arena grounds before finally stopping on her side.
Propped up by her scraped left arm the aforementioned kunoichi spat out the glob of blood that had pooled in her mouth from the harsh sucker-punch she'd received only seconds ago.
With stained teeth and a distasteful aftertaste burning her tongue Ten-Ten pushed herself onto all fours before making it to a kneeling position. But after only a few seconds to catch her breath, the lightly battered young girl felt her eyebrows jump towards her hairline in shock as she was covered by a dark shadow.
Shooting her eyes up, Ten-Ten barely had time to summon a pair of kodachi and put up a cross block. Just like their fight before the first exam the young kunoichi felt her arms buckle under the intensity of Naruto's strike, as well as the weight of his weapon.
Feeling her muscles screaming at her for ordering them to stave off such a heavy load Ten-Ten grunted harshly as she pushed off her kneeling leg to roll out of Naruto's swing path.
Quickly moving to her feet the armor-clad girl rushed in to try and keep her opponent on the defensive.
Swinging high first with her left hand, Ten-Ten immediately followed suit with a jab from the short blade in her right. Giving herself a silent pat on the back upon noticing she'd gotten inside the blonde's guard, that pride quickly turned to surprise when she saw the blow being glanced off; as if hitting against shield!
Refusing to let the thought distract her though Ten-Ten spun on her foot and threw out a roundhouse-kick.
Naruto expertly managed to duck under it though and even caught the wrist of the arm that swung around next in an attempt to follow up with another horizontal kodachi swipe. Not giving his female opponent the chance to react, the blonde swiftly retaliated with snap-kick that sent Ten-Ten stumbling back. It was here that Naruto engaged his zanbato's reach and shoved the blade forward.
Ten-Ten just managed to stumble out of the way, the attack glancing off her chainmail shirt, before using her double short swords to block the sweeping slash her hooded opponent attempted next. With her sandal-clad feet sliding through the dirt, and her blood once again pumping in her ears, the bun-haired girl decided that it was time to bring out her secret weapon.
Letting Naruto push her away Ten-Ten loosened her stance so that her feet carried her that much further back; once she'd gained enough distance the weapon mistress discarded her latest summon, and replaced it with a standard katana.
From his place about ten yards away Naruto watched as his opponent settled into a stance he'd never seen before. Blue eyes took in the way Ten-Ten stretched her left leg out in front, bending it lightly at the knee, while resting her weight on the back leg whose knee angled to support the added pressure. He watched as the armored girl leveled her katana horizontally beside her chest, elbow bent, while her other hand was stretched out with its fingertips resting against the tip of the blade.
It was a stance the blonde had never seen before, but if the bun-haired girl's triumphant smirk was anything to go off of, then it was one he would need to learn about quickly or otherwise lose the match.
xXx
Back up in the stands many of the veteran shinobi couldn't help being impressed with the level of skill shown by the two genin down below. Unfortunately though, the talks among the group pointed out one major flaw.
"Ten-Ten has great practical skill Guy, but it doesn't look like she puts much thought into planning beyond the moment." The evaluation came from the ever analytical Kurenai.
The ruby-eyed Jounin had watched the match from the minute it began, up until its current moment and had honestly been over all disappointed with her fellow kunoichi. She'd heard that the girl had a goal of becoming a lethal weapon mistress, and in that regard Squad 8's instructor relented she was quickly achieving, but Kurenai was disheartened by the fact that brute force seemed to be the only thing Ten-Ten seemed capable of.
Shaking her head the dress-clad genjutsu mistress relented, "She's well on her way to becoming a powerful weapon specialist, as she's shown great aptitude for various types already, but I fear that in her quest she has forgotten there is more to a fight than just swinging a sword."
"I gotta agree with Kurenai on that one," followed Asuma, "your student hasn't shown off any type of ninjutsu or genjutsu. And any taijutsu has only been tied in to combine with her bukijutsu. I'm sorry to say that, had Naruto decided to keep his mist going or employed any of the ninjutsu he no doubt has under his belt, your student would have fallen by now."
Might Guy listened to all of this with a stern mask of contemplation on his face. The spandex-clad taijutsu master knew his fellow Jounin had a point, so there was no use arguing with them, but the man did voice his own opinion so as to defend his students decision.
"While what you say maybe true you forget two things; both Lee and even Neji employ either complete, or nearly complete taijutsu in battle. Lee has no real chakra potential to speak of and yet managed to stand against a shinobi as powerful as the Kazekage's son. And in regards to Neji? That boy may channel chakra to his fingertips for a deadlier assault, but we all know that even without the use of that technique he's more than a match for almost all of the other genin our village has to offer and possibly even some of our greener chunin."
Continuing on Guy went on to lay out that, while Ten-Ten had yet to truly grasp the concept of strategy, she should not be faulted totally for her devotion to bukijutsu.
"She very well may not impress the judges this time around but, I believe my student will learn much from her first experience here, and be more than ready to succeed during the next exam."
The three other Jounin saw the smile on Guy's face and were surprised to see the confident look that overtook his thoughtful expression. Each of them could honestly say that the man's belief in his student's potential was one of his greatest qualities.
Over in their seats the genin that fell under the charge of these Jounin were busy having their own conversation.
"Wow Shikamaru, did you see that punch!? Naruto nearly knocked her head off!" Choji spattered crumbs onto the floor as he vocalized his wonder with a mouthful of potato chips.
His childhood friend and now team-mate looked on at the two genin down in the arena and couldn't contain his own surprise as he answered back. "No kidding. Man, what a drag, Naruto went from shrimp to superhuman in the blink of an eye; I don't even recognize him. The dobe we left back at the academy would have never come up with the strategy this Naruto did."
The Nara heir's words drew the attention of said blonde's female team-mate. Sakura was sitting next to Ino, both dressed in civilian clothes as they were merely spectators that day, and had heard what the pony-tailed sloth had muttered. "What do you mean Shikamaru, what did he do?"
"You mean you didn't notice it?" The youth in question raised a brow in surprise.
However before he could answer the pinkette's negative head shake with a reply Shikamaru found himself cut off by the second genius of their age group; Shino.
"Uzumaki set up a shadow-cloneoutside the stadium and somehow managed to follow it inside without anyone seeing him. He then used the clone to engage Ten-Ten in an effort to test her strength, before then using his Hidden Mist technique to allow him the ability to work his way into the battle seamlessly. The plan was quite impressive indeed."
Both kunoichi were equally shocked by this revelation. To the two of them it just didn't seem possible- Naruto using strategy?
But the praise didn't stop there.
"And then there's his combat skills," Shikamaru continued, taking over from the young Aburame. "That girl is a whole year ahead of us and yet Naruto not only caught up to, but is outclassing her in both skill and speed. It's unreal."
For many of the ears that listened in Shikamaru Nara's assessment was correct; the Naruto Uzumaki everybody had known for so long couldn't be doing any of what the one in the arena was doing. But for one young girl in particular, her fellow clan heir was simply stating facts she'd already known.
Hinata Hyuga had absolutely no trouble believing that the blonde who unknowingly held her affections was now skirting around his older opponent so skillfully. For the shy heiress this was all things she had already seen and knew were possible; the fact he was now getting the chance to show this off just meant now others could see what Hinata already idolized.
During the preliminary rounds, and even far back enough to the written exam, Hinata had worried about her blonde crush. He seemed to have become a totally different person after the academy. No longer did he amble around in his orange jumpsuit, or loudly announce his presence to those around him. Instead he had become quieter, more calculating, and had a certain set in his jaw that Hinata couldn't help to notice.
While not sure what had caused it at the time, the shy girl understood immediately what had been the result; Naruto Uzumaki had matured.
No longer the pouting boy of days passed Hinata looked over the new Naruto with scrutiny as she weighed his changes. And while at first, admittedly, she felt the boy she'd grown so fond of had disappeared, Hinata soon realized that all that had really happened was he had evolved into a young man; someone who understood what was asked of him as a shinobi, and was willing to do it.
Even if it meant killing.
That had been a truly frightening, as well as eye opening, experience for the pacifistic young girl. Watching the way her crush so easily managed to end that Sound shinobi's life had worried her; but what was worse was the look she'd seen in his eyes as he did it.
The mesmerizing pools of blue that caused Hinata's heart to race had become cold, rigid cuts of sapphire. For a few moments after that the timid Hyuga heiress believed it was the tell-tale sign that the Naruto she'd originally pined for had died...until that single moment after her match.
Hinata recalled the way he had looked at her as she knelt there on the arena's tile floor. His eyes weren't those of a ruthless killing machine, or something equally as savage, but nor were they the joyful and exuberant pair she had grown to dream of. No, the azure gaze that looked upon Hinata after her match was that of the real Naruto; the one she'd seen glimpses of as she watched him train from afar. They were the eyes of the young man who, behind a goofy smile, refused to give up or dishonor his word.
They were the eyes that she now saw in her dreams as she felt her heart fully open to the finally revealed, true form, of Naruto Uzumaki.
Just thinking about the journey her feelings had taken made Hinata try to hide an embarrassed smile. Through her thoughts and evolving feelings the girl realized that, mentally, she too had changed. Now the only question was: would Naruto notice, and if so, like the new her?
The young heiress didn't get a chance to ponder this thought though as another, younger voice made itself known.
"I know what you guys mean; isn't Onii-san the greatest?"
All eyes turned in the direction of the voice, and each of the surrounding genin were surprised to find a little girl, covered in scales, sitting just a row above where Sakura, Ino, and Hinata were sitting. However the shock of the scales was soon replaced when they all recalled something the new girl had said.
'Onii-san?'
xXx
Back down below Naruto had returned his large blade it its place on his back, and then surprised his opponent when he pulled a ninjato from behind his back.
'His coat,' Ten-Ten realized. The billowing waist length hadn't just been for aesthetic appeal, its true purpose had been to conceal the blonde's secondary weapon. As she watched her hooded opponent settle into the common Ko Gasumi stance the female member of Squad 9 had to admit she was impressed to see the blonde understand that, with his limited experience, using the massive zanbato wasn't ideal against a more advanced opponent in a pure clash of steel.
Chocolate-brown locked with azure-blue as both fighters steadied their breathing for what they knew was to be the last round of their match.
Confident in her newly acquired Gatotsu Ten-Ten started things off. Digging her sandal-clad foot into the dirt she used all the strength she had to push off, and then seemed to fly at her blonde target.
Naruto was pleased at the level of speed his female adversary moved to engage him; she had obviously been holding back the lion's share of her physical ability. The blonde dared not to blink as he watched the bun-haired girl swiftly closing in on him from underneath his hood. Deciding not to just stand around and wait though, the young Uzumaki let himself rocket forward to meet his new challenge.
Steel 'clanged' as both blades scraped against each other. With its longer reach Naruto knew he had to act immediately upon making contact with Ten-Ten's katana using his own outstretched blade. Weaving just centimeters underneath the deadly forged steel Naruto could still feel the katana graze his clothed shoulder. Hoping for an opening the blonde swung his arm out to redirect the opposing weapon with his own.
From there Naruto spun himself around the girl in front of him, so that he faced her back, and then ran his ninjato forward in an effort to slice through her unprotected forearm.
Ten-Ten wasn't going to let this happen though and instead somersaulted forward on the momentum of her opening Gatotsu lunge. Once her feet were back on the ground, the bun-haired kunoichi jumped forward to re-engage her opponent.
Ducking under the blade aimed straight at him, Naruto chanced a stab at his fellow genin's unprotected inner-thigh.
This attempt was thwarted as Ten-Ten twisted her body to the left, and the blonde's ninjato instead grazed off her right thigh protector. Angling her katana to a slant, the armored kunoichi pushed her blade down in an effort to pierce into Naruto's shoulder.
The move proved to be a mistake when the girl's target surprised her by deflecting the strike with his forearm, before taking advantage of her awkward position and managed to slice the flesh of her inner left thigh.
Naruto had drawn first blood.
Instinct kicked in and Ten-Ten's uninjured leg shot out, smashing her right knee into Naruto's nose and sending him rolling backwards.
In an attempt to capitalize on his downed form Ten-Ten bit through the hot pain in her leg and rushed after the opponent she'd just knocked away.
Naruto felt his hood fall away as he forced himself to stop, and then threw his arms up, ninjato in hand, to deflect the hasty thrust that the brunette in front of him had put together. After that, the blonde felt the heat of battle rush through his veins and dictate his next move.
Thrusting out his left hand Naruto demonstrated an ability almost no other shinobi had been capable of', and that he himself knew only one of; jutsu without hand-signs.
"Wind-style: Great Breakthrough!"
The force of the C-ranked ninjutsu was amplified by the young genin's seemingly endless chakra reserves. And with his mind so focused on the battle now, Naruto had no thoughts about regulating his strength.
Ten-Ten had no time to even think of avoiding the attack as, like an invisible bull, Naruto's technique slammed against her sternum and blasted her through the air before she was left bouncing against the ground like a skipped stone.
With his hood down and now pooled at his shoulders Naruto was subjected to the bright rays of the early afternoon sun.
Squinting, the blonde looked across the field at his now downed opponent, as Ten-Ten's body had finally stopped skipping and was laying in a crumpled heap in the dirt. He, along with every other pair of eyes watching, waited with bated breath to see what would happen next.
They weren't forced to wait long.
Each set of ears in the stadium was trained on the battlefield and so everyone heard Ten-Ten as she groaned in obvious pain.
Ten-Ten moved her arms in an attempt to push herself up but quickly threw that idea out as her right arm flared in horrendous pain; it had been broken.
'At least it matches those ribs he hit,' the weary kunoichi thought in a moment of dry humor. Taking further stock of her condition the girl noticed that, during her tumble, her buns had come undone and her long brown hair was now raining down like a curtain. Ten-Ten could also see that one of her pauldrons had shattered on impact with the ground too, and the shoulder that had been hidden underneath now sat dripping blood.
These, along with what the girl was sure to be a concussion, were just at the top of the list. Ten-Ten could also feel the various bruises forming all across her body, as well as the many smaller scrapes and cuts that she'd sustained during her crash.
Knowing there was no way she could continue, even if she wanted to, Ten-Ten raised her unbroken hand and flashed the signal for surrender.
Just as in the preliminary rounds, Naruto Uzumaki walked away with the first victory of the day.
xXx
