Demon of the Hidden Leaf

Ch. 9- Chunin Exam finals; show up or get shut down!

xXx

Steel-gray eyes looked down from the Kage's viewing box as their owner, Hiruzen Sarutobi, watched as one of his subordinates exited the arena after winning his first match.

Tipping his hat in an effort to hide his proud smile the Sandaime Hokage couldn't help be wowed by the amount of progress his favorite, blonde knucklehead had made in the months since he'd graduated the academy.

'That boy just might very well take this hat from me after all,' the elderly shinobi thought.

From the first time he'd heard the boy declare his intentions to become the next Hokage Sarutobi could honestly say he wasn't very impressed; the old man could see the blonde's reasons at the time were purely selfish. And had they still been by the time Naruto was old enough to be considered then the reinstated Fire Shadow would have denied him the opportunity.

But then that escort mission to Wave happened, and everything changed.

Hiruzen had seen it right away. Something in Naruto's eyes had been different the day Squad 7 reported on their mission success. The elderly Hokage saw a more mature light, and a sense of understanding that hadn't been there when the boy had left.

Both of which had only intensified the next time he'd seen him before the preliminaries. And then he watched Naruto take a life.

Seeing the way Naruto seemed to just shrug off ending the Oto genin's bloody death had frightened the elderly genius, but after he was taken on by Anko and she assured him that the blonde's mental state was healthy Hiruzen had let out the breath he'd been holding. Naruto was not becoming another Orochimaru.

'No, if anything I can see bits of his mother in there. It seems, like her, he has begun to master the mentality of what it means to be a ninja while understanding how to keep his emotions in tact. And while not a genius like Minato, the boy truly does have that same raw potential his father was so famous for.'

Yes Hiruzen could see, demonstrated clearly from the match he'd just witnessed, that Naruto Uzumaki had truly become a splendid ninja as well as a credit to what it meant to be a shinobi.

And that was why, when it came time to offer names to be promoted, he would have no doubts when he voiced his backing for the blonde's advancement.

The smile on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face was missed by many, but one pair of eyes in particular had caught it immediately. Sitting not five feet away was the Kazekage of Suna; or at least, someone who everyone believed to be Sabaku no Rasa.

In truth, hidden beneath the man's beady eyes was the snake-like gaze of Orochimaru.

The former Leaf shinobi eyed his former teacher with distaste; he had never forgiven the man for choosing Minato to be his successor rather than himself. And sitting there, watching the way Sarutobi smiled at the blonde down below, brought back memories of the day Orochimaru would later learn that Hiruzen mentally chose the next Hokage.

It was that same smile. And now, knowing what it meant, seeing it set off a raging storm inside the snake summoner.

However it also peeked the pale rouge ninja's interest.

Because while he may always despise the Yondaime for stealing the position Orochimaru felt he himself rightly deserved, let it never be said that the Sannin was unable to appreciate true talent.

'And from what I can see,' the man's serpentine tongue slid over his lips, 'that boy has truly tremendous talent.'

Perhaps after the invasion, and Konoha's destruction Orochimaru might even consider keeping the boy to use as the next body after Sasuke.

While Ten-Ten was being carted away and her weapons retrieved Naruto made his way back up into the stands so as to wait for his next match. Upon finding his way to the top step the blonde wasn't surprised to catch a flying, violet-haired missile in his arms.

"Onii-san that was amazing; I knew you would win, but you were great!"

Naruto chuckled lightly at Isaribi's excited praise. Giving the girl one last squeeze he pulled back and, taking her scale-covered hand, began to lead her back to her seat.

"I'm glad you enjoyed the show Isa-chan, though I wish you hadn't skipped class to come watch me."

The girl being admonished turned her bright eyes down bashfully as she replied, "I know big brother it's just that I haven't been able to see you because of your missions with Anko-san, and...well, I missed you."

Isaribi worried that her Onii-san was going to scold her, and so the little girl couldn't help squeaking in surprise when she instead was hoisted up in his arms and held against his chest. Looking up sharply, the child was again shocked to see that she wasn't in trouble.

"And I missed you," Naruto reciprocated with a smile, "but I told you we would have the next seven days after this to spend together. I'm not mad, I just don't want you skipping the academy; you never know what's being taught that could very well be important."

Understanding the older boy's point, and feeling sorry she had disobeyed her guardian Isaribi's face fell into a look of true sorrow and regret. The scale-covered swimmer hated disappointing Naruto.

"You're right Onii-san, I'm sorry. I promise I won't skip again- or at least not unless there's an emergency okay?"

Deciding he could live with that the black-clad blonde voiced his agreement.

It was by this point that they pair had moved to stand among Naruto's fellow genin, and Once inside the gathered circle he noticed the questioning stares.

"What? Why are you all staring at me?"

It came to no one's surprise that Ino was the first to break out a question. "Who is she and what's with this whole 'Onii-san' business Naruto?"

Eyeing his fellow blonde Naruto decided that a partial truth would be more than sufficient. "Her name is Isaribi; she's an orphan, like myself, and I chose to take custody of her when I rescued her from a group of bullies."

"And her skin?" This came from Sakura, who had no knowledge of anyone in Konoha who had any bloodline that even remotely resembled what the young girl seemed to posses.

"With how big the world is you can't honestly sit there and tell me that we've really discovered every single kekkei genkai Sakura. And before anyone even thinks to ask, I visit the orphanage often to pass along a percentage of every mission payment I receive to help fund its upkeep; that's how I met Isa-chan."

His logical, albeit snippy, response was enough to quell anymore questions about the young girl in the blonde's arms. However this did not account for the topic of the next question: Naruto's unusual level of skill.

That curiosity wasn't answered by Naruto though. Instead Anko, who had been standing nearby with her fellow Jounin, snaked her way over and while manhandled the blonde into a headlock told them that it had been due to her amazing teaching skills.

"Yep, this little shrimp was only a little garden snake before I came along. Now though? I've evolved him into a lean, mean butt kicking machine," she laughingly finished off.

It was Shikamaru who finally noticed who she was. "Hey wait, aren't you the woman who proctored the second phase of the exams? What are you doing teaching one of the genin taking it?"

Ino, who while upset she herself hadn't progressed, was still hoping to see both her team-mate and of course Sasuke advance. So hearing her fellow clan heir's words quickly got a rise from her.

"Hey he's right! That should be illegal, and the knucklehead should be disqualified!"

Surprisingly it was the two teen's own sensei that shot down their argument. "If that were really how it works than both Sasuke and Shikamaru would need to be cut as well Ino; they received outside help too"

"Yeah," the pony-tailed blonde voiced her understanding, "but neither you or Kakashi-sensei were proctors in the exam, so it's different."

"How Ino?" This time it was Naruto who answered. "What made my situation different; it's not like there was some way for Anko-sensei to give me any real way to cheat today. I could see if maybe it had been Asuma-sensei or Kurenai-sensei who helped me, and gave me information on how to beat either Shikamaru or Hinata, but that wasn't the case...so what's the problem?"

For her part Ino could only open and close her mouth in an effort to come up with an answer, while her team-mate was quick to see the logic in the explanation he'd been handed.

"Besides, and no offense to you Anko-sensei, the teme got personal training from one of our village's most powerful shinobi; if anyone's allowance into the exams should be questioned it's his. There's no telling just what Kakashi-sensei might have taught him in the last month."

"And unfortunately we may not even get to see it," Asuma chimed in again. "Because I can see they've finished clearing the field for the next match and, if the kid isn't here by the time Hinata and Neji are finished, he'll forfeit his match by default."

All eyes widened at this except for two; the Hyuga pair.

Neji's because he could care less what happened to Sasuke.

Hinata because, in just a few minutes, she would be facing off against her cousin in front of not only thousands of people, but her father and Naruto as well.

xXx

Pale, lavender orbs stared across the field at pair of eyes almost identical to themselves. The difference being that, the opposite set looked more like rigid cuts of glass than glowing pearls.

Hinata held her clan's taijutsu stance perfectly as she continued her staring contest with Neji. The proctor had signaled the beginning of their match five minutes ago but, other than them both settling in, neither Hyuga had physically made a move.

Oh sure, Neji had attempted to verbally beat down his opponent. He threw every insult he could get away with at the younger girl in an effort to humiliate her into giving up, but quickly brought that to an end when he noticed it wasn't working. So now, both fighters were at a stand still, waiting for the other to make the first move.

It was the Hyuga genius who cracked first.

Angered by his cousin's defiance, as well as refusal to submit, Neji shifted his weight before launching forward to engage Hinata in combat. He would show her why it was foolish to believe she stood any chance of defeating him.

For Hinata the look in her cousin's eyes was unsettling; his fury seemed to pulse along the very veins that marked the activation of his Byakugan. But that was nothing compared to the shock that came when it was time to face the older boy's speed.

Hinata knew she herself was gifted with an unusual amount of it, but Neji's level of velocity was unlike anything she'd ever seen! Other than the boy, Rock Lee, the Hyuga heiress was unaware any genin could move so fast...this caused her to blink, and that caused her to experience a pain unlike any she'd ever felt.

The sheer force behind Neji's opening palm-strike was earth shattering. Upon impact its target, Hinata, was sent back just as Ten-Ten had been in the match before.

However, training with her father allowed the young girl to push aside the pain and get her brain to quit rattling fast enough that she managed to recover. Fighting the force of her launch, Hinata worked herself into a series of back flips before gracefully touching down on the tips of her toes and skidding along the arena floor.

Taking in deep breaths through her nose the Hyuga heiress winced from the bruise that quickly formed along her stomach. Thankfully there had been no chakra behind the thrust, or else Hinata knew the organ hit would have exploded on contact.

It seemed, even in his anger, Neji understood the consequences of going to far.

And yet, even without the older boy using lethal force Hinata knew that wouldn't stop her cousin from permanently ending her ninja career through other means.

Looking up at the teen in question Hinata noticed that Neji had dropped from his stance; he stood, hands at his side, with his nose in the air. He was mocking her. The heiress could see it clearly in the older boy's eyes: the Hyuga genius did not consider her a threat.

While at the start of the exams Hinata would have felt shame at this dismissal, now the girl only felt anger.

The feeling bubbled up inside her, hot like a newly active volcano. She had the worked hard to reach the finals, nearly died in the process, and yet here was her cousin acting as if her accomplishment was worth nothing? Hinata'a eyes narrowed at the thought.

She would just have to show Neji what she'd learned outside of training with her father.

Bringing her hands together the Hyuga heiress surprised many in the stands, as well as her opponent, by winding her fingers through a small chain of hand-signs. When she finished, all who watched were surprised when the young girl didn't produce any form of attack.

Or at least, not one that they could see. Neji, on the other hand, was more than aware of what his cousin had done.

Hinata's palms now arced with sparks of lightning.

'Clever, intending to send the jolts into my system via our Gentle Fist. Unfortunately for you, Lady Hinata, you'll soon find getting within range to perform such a maneuver is impossible.'

These were the confident thoughts that made their way through Neji's mind as he watched his cousin begin to race towards him.

While not on his level, the Hyuga genius did admit that the girl's speed was on par with his own female team-mate. However to Neji this was the only truly notable skill his cousin owned. Settling into a loose defensive stance the older boy readied himself to begin dodging Hinata's moves.

Only to have his eyes widen in astonishment when, instead of continuing her charge, the girl stopped short and leaped into the air, twisting over her stunned cousin, before landing and planting her palms firmly on the ground.

A second later the arena echoed with the cries of Neji's pain.

Through the screeching of the white, electric bolts Neji heard Hinata call out her attack: "Lightning-style: Spark Trap."

The jutsu only lasted all of five seconds, but by the time it was over Neji felt as if he'd suffered for hours; the fact that the feeling reminded him of the seal upon his forehead only further served to agitate the festering mental and emotional wounds deep inside, scored by events from that night.

His body twitching uncontrollably Neji was unprepared for his cousin when she fell upon him again, this time with swift strokes of their clan's taijutsu, and so he was only able to jerkingly respond.

Neji grit his teeth in fury. He was a genius; fate had chosen him the gift of strength. And yet here was his pathetically weak cousin pushing him onto the defensive! The boy flexed every muscle he could and, using his hatred for the girl in front of him to block the pain, now began to deflect her attacks instead of simply dodging.

Hinata wasn't distracted by this though. If anything, she'd expected it, the younger girl knew the vile feelings her once gentle cousin held against her and their clan's leader, her father. There was no way he was going to make victory easy for her, and would use that hate to keep fighting long after his body wanted to stop. For Hinata that was fine; she wouldn't give up either.

'Not now,' the heiress thought as she ducked under a two-finger jab to her shoulder. 'Not when Naruto-kun and father are both watching me, seeing me. I won't lose here!'

Using her own feelings to give her strength Hinata pushed back against her cousin's fierce counter attack. The teen's body may have been damaged from her first attack, and his power cut, but the Hyuga male was proving his title was well deserved as he showed that even at seventy percent he was more than capable of keeping up with her.

Hinata decided that just meant she had to try harder.

The girl's next move came in the form of a sweep-kick. Dropping low, the Hyuga heiress whipped her leg around in an effort to knock her cousin's feet from under him.

Instead of jump over it, like most, Neji chose instead to move back. Hinata allowed herself a smile as she finished her rotation and then pushed off with the foot that had stayed planted on the ground. Bursting with speed the young girl aimed a palm strike at her cousin's chest. When you older boy deflected it Hinata caught him off guard with a vicious headbutt to his nose.

Another shout of pain spewed from Neji's lips, mixing with the blood that flew from his now broken nose. However, this attack used up the last of the boy's patience, and he quickly retaliated with an equally brutal right-hook.

It was Hinata's turn to cry out in pain now as her mouth filled with blood from where she'd chomped down on her own cheek. Neji's flailed counter attack sent the indigo-haired heiress stumbling away, nearly tripping over her own feet. With her head fuzzy, it was only through the activation of her dojutsu that Hinata managed to avoid the next attack that soon followed the first.

Ducking under the open handed blow meant for her own nose, Hinata let her left hand fly in an attempt to give her cousin a matching bruise on his own stomach.

When the boy managed to spin away though Hinata dropped to all fours so she'd avoid a hit to her blind-spot, and threw her legs back to try and take out her cousin's knees. This proved to be a mistake, as almost immediately Neji revealed his attack to be a feint as he reached out and took hold of his cousin's ankles.

Before she could think to free herself Neji showed his strength by heaving his cousin into the air, and then slamming her back into the earth.

What nobody but Hinata realized was that the boy had actually done so much more than that.

Crumpled in the dirt the Hyuga heiress silently berated herself for falling into such a trap. Because now, because of her shortsightedness, Hinata found herself unable to control her legs.

Her cousin had disrupted the chakra flow in her legs.

In a fit of desperation and an effort to bide for time Hinata pulled a handful of shuriken from her hip pouch and sent them whizzing through the air in her approaching opponent's direction. Neji was forced to jump aside due to his closer proximity, and so Hinata used that time to push up onto shaky legs.

Thankful that it had only been a momentary disruption, and that Neji hadn't had time to fully close any of her tenketsu, Hinata took several jumps back so as to widen the distance between herself and the Hyuga genius.

But Neji saw this for what it was and wasn't willing to give the girl even a moment of respite.

Using his extreme levels of speed the older boy, even in his weakened condition, managed to close the gap between himself and his prey with ease before swiftly laying into her with a fast-paced Gentle Fist assault.

Hinata did her best to defend while trying not to engage her legs, but found the feat easier said than done. In her mind her thoughts screamed for her to lash out with kicks and sweeps, but logic forced its way through and told her that doing so would only unbalance her and leave large openings for Neji to actually shut down her chakra. Then she'd really be in trouble.

So, with her breath coming in gasps, Hiashi's daughter weaved and slid her torso around each of her hateful foe's onslaught of jabs and palm-strikes.

Until, finally, the muscles in her legs jolted and she swung her right leg around in a ferocious roundhouse-kick. The speed of the attack, coupled with the surprise factor, allowed Hinata to force Neji into blocking it with his forearms.

And while strength wasn't the petite kunoichi's greatest attribute the simple fact that her opponent hadn't expected the move afforded Hinata the chance make Neji stumble.

However instead of pressing her attack, the female Hyuga chose that moment to put distance between herself and her fellow clan member.

xXx

Up in the stands many of the spectators were confused by what they'd just seen; why hadn't Hinata continued her counter strike?

To find the answer, the more observant minds turned to the girl's Jounin instructor.

"What kind of technique did you teach her?" Anko asked with a raised eyebrow.

Kurenai merely smiled proudly and gave an off-handed shrug. "A little of this, a little of that, maybe a couple of genjutsu for good measure. You know me Anko; I like my students to be well rounded."

The Speacial-Jounin smirked playfully at her female friend and sucked her teeth. "Tch, I think someone's a little too high up on her horse; you don't really think your girl's got a chance to win do ya? I mean, I heard this Neji kid's pretty good."

"If she continues like she has I'd say it's more than a chance," the ruby-eyed beauty countered.

Anko wanted to retort, she really did, but was interrupted by a chuckle from Asuma. Turning her eyes onto the bearded young Sarutobi she asked, "What's so funny Smokey?"

"Oh you'd be laughing too if you'd seen what hand-signs she'd just used. Look."

And so she did...and Anko laughed too.

The Land of Fire truly deserved its name.

xXx

"Fire-style: Phoenix Flower jutsu!"

During her training outside the compound with Kurenai the very first act of the girl's training had been to learn her elemental affinities. The genjutsu mistress had stressed that Hinata learn techniques she could use from a distance, as there would be times she either wouldn't be able to get up close, like her fight with Zaku, or she'd need to keep someone away like with Neji.

When introduced to the chakra paper both women were surprised to find that, while the Hyuga heiress had the usual connection to fire she also had one with lightening. A rare occurrence in their homeland.

After that first day Hinata and her Jounin instructor worked to round out the younger girl's rigidly trained skill set; working to include a handful of lower-rank jutsu that required only minimal amounts of chakra, as well as a number of genjutsu that could be performed without straining what reserves she'd have left. Besides that the two kunoichi brainstormed ways to combine the techniques into useful strategies, and by the end of the month both women felt confident in Hinata's ability to defeat her cousin.

Watching the fist-sized balls of fire sail through the open air towards Neji Hinata hoped she'd bought a moment to think on what her next move should be.

Her mind working fiercely, all the Hyuga girl's thoughts ground to a halt when her Byakuganregistered something unbelievable: Neji performing the kaiten!

Both heiress and clan Head had to fight their own reaction of dropping their jaws to the floor as they watched a member of the lower house perform such an advanced technique. For Hiashi it was like a slap in the face,to see someone not of the Main branch using the Hyuga's ultimate defense,while for his daughter it showed that there truly were those within her own family that wished to see her fail; as only a Main branch member could have taught Neji that move.

By the time her cousin had stopped spinning Hinata realized her own mistake and once again berated herself for letting Neji get ahead of her; she was supposed to use that time to mold chakra for a genjutsu.

Knowing what another jutsu like that would do to her reserves Hinata decided it was better to work with what she had, and instead be thankful that it had at least drawn out her opponent's trump card, and gotten her back into position to spring her trap.

For Neji it was like the worlds' worst insult to his skills that the match had progressed the way that it had, and even worse that he had been forced into using his secret weapon so soon. Elder Shu would not be pleased. Staring down his smaller cousin Neji growled low in his throat; all pretense of being the cool and collected warrior gone.

It was time to end the match.

Knowing he had more energy left than his cousin, it being the main reason he himself didn't use ninjutsu, Neji decided that there was no point in trying to conserve now.

Recalling the basic methods of chakra enhancement that came from the tree and water-walking exercises Neji channeled the flow of his own into the muscles in his legs before dropping into a runner's pose, and then shooting forward like a comet.

Hinata didn't stand a chance.

Before the girl could blink Neji was on her. In a blurring visage of speed the Hyuga warrior sent finger jabs and palm-strikes into every one of his cousin's loose defensive stance. It was only seconds before he'd shut down every tenketsu and left Hinata with nothing; the young kunoichi was quickly made helpless.

But Neji didn't stop there.

Whenever Hinata attempted any sort of defense her opponent used that as an excuse to release even more of his inner hatred. If a hand came up, the arm it was attached to was twisted behind her back and quickly broken. Whenever the girl tried to duck or dodge away the attack was turned into a spot-on feint and her head was knocked around by a swift follow-up. By the time Neji was through, and sent Hinata flying back with a final palm-strike, many onlookers feared for the knowingly delicate girl's ability to handle such treatment.

From her place on the ground Hinata wheezed out short, raspy breaths as she struggled to lift her battered form.

Neji had used more than just the Gentle Fist. The Hyuga heiress could feel that some of her ribs had indeed been broken by blunt elbow strikes, while her normally cute button nose was now swollen and crooked from being broken. Aside from that, and her broken arms that begged to be left alone, Hinata counted that the only real damage was her entire body slowly turning black and blue.

And for her, that was good enough.

With her dojutsu still active Hinata could see her bones, could see where and how they'd been broken. So biting down on the shoulder of her heavy jacket the girl proceeded to shove her bones back into place.

Tears welled in her eyes, but the girl refused to let them fall. There would be time fore that later.

Once it was over though Hinata went on to do the same thing with her nose; the sharp, gross realignment of bone sending shudders through all non shinobi in the arena. Knowing there was nothing she could do about her ribs without proper medical jutsu though, Hinata let herself fall back into her taijutsu stance and stare into the disbelieving eyes of her cousin.

"I hope that wasn't all you had Neji; because if it is, I suggest you quit."

For the young teen in question the taunt only made him angrier. Who did this pampered weakling think she was talking to!? Flooding his legs with chakra, and sending it to the bottoms of his feet, Neji prepared to launch into another fearsome display of power...until the ground beneath him exploded.

Hinata had quickly brought her hands together and flashed a single seal: release.

To many of the audience this was confusing, but those who had payed attention during the beginning of the match only smiled as they watched Hinata's plan unfold.

Her first jutsu had been a distraction; she'd laid a high-level explosive tag in the dirt. Now, with them back to where they'd started and Neji having flared his chakra, the seal was charged and had been set off. The result? All eyes watched as the Hyuga genius was literally blown sky high before he came back down for a painful landing.

xXx

"That was pretty impressive."

The praise came from Naruto's own mouth as he watched the match below, Isaribi cuddled against his chest.

"What did she do?" Questioned Sakura. "I-I've never heard of a jutsu like that one before."

Shikamaru eyed the pinkette from his peripheral vision. "Because it wasn't a jutsu Sakura; Hinata set a trap for Neji during the first few minutes of the battle...something I'm sure she picked up from you Naruto."

"And if she did?" The blonde in question had a single eyebrow raised, as if to ask: did the move not work?

Sighing in resignation Shikamaru relented and said, "What a drag; we don't need two of you running around Naruto; one knucklehead is enough."

"I still don't get it Shika," Ino interrupted the boys. "What trap did Hinata set up, and when did she do it?"

"During the time she electrocuted her cousin," Naruto answered for the lazy Nara. "Her lightning jutsu was a two-pronged attack. First, it weakened Neji on a physical level, bringing him down enough that Hinata could keep up, and second she buried an explosive note into the ground that would set off when it interacted with a burst of chakra."

Ino and the others who hadn't figured out what had happened couldn't help being amazed. The plan, while ultimately simple, was still brilliant.

"The explosion wasn't predetermined either," Shino threw in. The Aburame was proud of his team-mate and wished to further boast her ingenious plot. "Hinata deliberately left the note uncharged because she wanted it to react instantly when hit with chakra; thus allowing for the large explosion. Neji attempted to push an enormous level of power into his lower-body and instead powered the seal under his feet."

"And now the guy's even more banged up because of it," finished Naruto.

Sakura and her blonde seat-mate understood now what had happened and could only look on in wonder as they realized the same thing: the winner would be whoever could withstand their injuries the longest.

xXx

Back in the stadium both Hyuga members glared at the other. Neji had managed to summon the strength needed to stand on his shredded, blood-covered legs while Hinata hunched to alleviate the pain in her broken ribs.

Both knew that this was it.

Once they started, it would only end when one of them was passed out on the ground or too broken to continue. Neji had the chakra to go on for hours, but his body was thrashed, while Hinata's body was in better shape but she herself had very little energy left.

'This is it,' they both thought, 'it all ends here!'

Pushing off both Hyuga rushed to engage their opponent. Hinata struck first. The struggling kunoichi threw a palm-strike out in and effort to end the match quickly, but missed her mark when Neji swerved out of the way.

Dodging his cousin's attack cost the battered genius though, and his quick movement caused Neji to stumble over his own feet. Fighting to stay on his feet the young shinobi peddled backwards, giving him the added bonus of putting distance between Hinata and himself.

Even with her Byakuganthe Hyuga heiress found that her vision had begun to blur; a sure sign of exhaustion, both of the physical and chakra variety. But, refusing to quit, Hinata chose instead to turn her dojutsu off to conserve her rapidly draining energy supply before balling up her small fists and rushing back in to face her cousin.

From there the battle devolved more into a brawl.

Neji still had the energy to put into using his Gentle Fist so he opted for it whenever possible; some moves being beyond his current physical condition. The labeled genius managed to duck or out-step more than most of Hinata's flailing fists, but found himself hard pressed to mount any real offense.

And yet it seemed, in the end, that such a thing would not be needed.

Hinata tried. The girl gave everything she had left to throw in a last ditch effort to slug her cousin in the face, only to over reach and stumble as she lost her center. With no energy to catch herself, and gravity working against her, the young heiress dropped like a puppet without strings. Clattering to the ground in a beaten heap Hinata chocked on dust as she gasped for air.

Standing over her, Neji looked down at his defeated cousin with contempt. "For all that fire you had in your eyes, and all your training, you continue to forget that our battle was already predetermined. Fate had long ago decided that I would be victorious today while you, cousin, would fall in defeat...you lose."

Hinata wanted to fight, wanted to stand up and prove that Neji's words weren't true. But she just didn't have the strength. Her body ached as if she'd been beaten by a bat, and her eyelids hung heavy as the girl fought to even stay conscious. It broke the young heiress' heart, but there was no denying it.

She'd lost.

And even with the knowledge that her father and the one she loved could see it, the simple fact that she'd failed in front of those azure eyes made Hinata Hyuga cry.

xXx

Neji's eyes watched for a moment as medic-ninja hauled his battered cousin away on a gurney. He looked on for a few seconds before turning his gaze upwards toward the stands. Finding his target, the Hyuga male locked eyes with an older, sharper pair of lavender orbs.

Hiashi Hyuga was looking down at him with a blank stare.

And yet, for all the stern and steel that the Hyuga patriarch possessed, Neji was able to see the signs that told him there would be terrible punishment awaiting him at home. Years of living under the same roof with another person did wonders for one's powers of observation; especially when you had to actively search for emotional tells.

But despite knowing these things the thrashed young man felt no fear as he finally broke eye contact with his uncle; Genma shooing him away to clear the field for the next match. No, instead the prodigious warrior found that his mind was instead centering on the older man's daughter.

Or more specifically, the loss he'd almost suffered at her hands.

Because while it would be nice to say that he'd had everything under control, and that everything that went on had all been part of a predestined cat and mouse game that fated Neji as the winner, a small part of Neji found itself doubting such a belief.

And how could it not when, for a moment, no matter how short it was, Neji Hyuga truly felt as if he might lose?

But then that couldn't be true, could it? He, Neji Hyuga, prodigy and genius of the Hyuga clan, could never be defeated by self-pitying heiress...could he?

Xxx

Naruto watched as Squad 8's Jounin instructor hurriedly exited the stands with Shino following close behind. Seeing this made the blonde smile with the knowledge that Hinata had people who cared about her well-being. Especially when he could see, from the corner of his eye, that none of the Hyuga sitting in their special box so much as twitched while watching their clan member get wheeled away.

However, thinking of Shino's departure made Naruto voice a question asking for Kiba's whereabouts.

"I couldn't tell ya," Choji answered. "He usually joins me and Shika for lunch when we're all still in the village, but after what happened with Akamaru neither of us have seen him."

This was the response he got from the other genin that surrounded him as well. And that fact worried him. Naruto could easily recall the unbridled, animalistic rage that Kiba had fallen into after his partner's death and could only hope that, wherever the Inuzuka was he wasn't thinking of doing anything drastic.

The blonde's thoughts were halted though when Rock Lee, who was just now hobbling up the steps, voiced a question of his own.

"Since it seems the topic of discussion is wayward team-mates I must ask you, Naruto-san, where is yours?"

Drawing attention to the Uchiha's absence made Naruto realize that two of the first round matches had come and gone...meaning Sasuke's was next! Turning his eyes on the crutch-bearing taijutsu user the black-clad blonde answered that he didn't know.

"The teme took off with Kakashi-sensei almost immediately after the preliminary rounds; stopping only for a minute to get checked over by a nurse. After that, I have no clue what happened to him." Here Naruto let his eyes drift over to Sakura, "Once thing I am sure of though is, if he's not here soon he'll be disqualified."

Not surprisingly it was Ino who spoke up in the boys defense.

"They wouldn't do that," she she barked. "Who do you think all these people came to see? Certainly not Shikamaru or those losers from Suna."

"I'd be careful who you're calling 'loser', little girl, especially when you yourself didn't even make it to the finals."

The voice belonged to Temari; eldest of the Suna Siblings. The fan-wielding beauty sent a sneer in her fellow blonde's direction before continuing. "And besides, it's like I told you girls before, just because his last name is famous or his eyes see better than others doesn't make him any more important than the Streak over here."

All eyes turned in the direction Temari had pointed her thumb, and were surprised to find it jabbed in Naruto's direction.

Naruto himself asked the question that was on their minds, "The 'Streak'?"

Frost-green eyes crinkled as their owner gave a playful smirk. Temari placed a hand on her cocked hip and replied, "That's what Baki, my Jounin instructor, was calling you to my father when he arrived last night. It seems your speed impressed him."

"Oh?" Naruto raised a single eyebrow in response. "And what exactly do you think about the name..."

"Temari," the sandy-blonde finished the lead Naruto had left. "And I'm curious to know what business is it of yours what I think about it?"

A playful smirk slid its way onto Naruto's face. "I only ask because, for you to have heard the name you would need to eavesdrop on that particular conversation; which begs the question what about me is so interesting to you?"

Many eyes watched the battle of words, but few could believe what they were seeing. For those who knew, and had spent time with Naruto found it hard to accept, while those who'd only heard of him watched in fascination.

Naruto Uzumaki looked like he was flirting.

And from the pink glow that now highlighted Subaku no Temari's tan cheeks, it seemed he was succeeding!

However Temari would not be unbalanced so easily. Taking a a few steps forward, in an effort to use her superior height to wrack the boy's nerves, she answered, "Well how else was I gonna know if you were really worth my time?"

Teal met blue as neither Naruto or Temari let themselves back down. For the Leaf shinobi it was a matter of fun; he'd never had such an experience before and it was doing something to his pulse that he liked. For the Sand kunoichi it was a test; to see if the boy in front of her could be what she was looking for, as none of the one's at home ever peeked her interest.

No, neither one would let themselves back down. But someone else had another idea.

"Hey! Don't give my big brother that look lady, he'll knock you into next week if you even think about fighting him." Isaribi's shout at such close range jolted both blonde's from their staring contest.

Temari leaned back, blinking when she realized just how close she'd gotten, before looking down her nose at the little girl she finally noticed was in Naruto's arms. "Big brother? Fight him? Oh you don't have to worry about that kid; I don't know if I have it in me to mar your Onii-san's handsome face."

Laughter rumbled in Naruto's chest as he watched Isa-chan stick her tongue out in response to that remark. But then the sandy-blonde's words worked their way to his brain, and the sword-wielding Uzumaki let another grin find its way to his face.

"Just as your big brother doesn't think he'd be capable of ruining such a beautiful desert flower with such a barbaric activity, Isa-chan." Then, turning his attention back to the older girl in front of him Naruto went on to say, "But I would like to get to know that flower a little better...if she's interested?"

Every pair of eyes that was watching nearly shot from their sockets. Had they really just seen that? Naruto Uzumaki, resident head of Sakura Haruno's fan club for the last four years, had just asked another girl on a date!?

There was only one thing any of them were thinking at the moment: it was a good thing Hinata wasn't there to see it.

On her end Temari was caught a little off guard. In truth, she hadn't expected the boy to push so far this fast. Because while the Suna kunoichi knew she'd like to at least go on one date with him, the sandy-blonde also understood that that wasn't a real possibility.

Because any minute now her father would give the signal, and Temari would become part of an invasion force designed to destroy Konoha. A force that could very well kill the boy in front of her.

And yet, despite this, Temari found her lips moving before she could stop herself.

"I'd like that, Naruto-kun."

xXx

'The crowd is getting restless,' thought Sarutobi. The elderly Hokage looked out over the thousands of faces that filled his village's stadium and could clearly see, despite his age, that each and every one of them was upset.

As well they should be though, since the last time they'd seen anything exciting was ten minutes ago.

Neji and Hinata's match had been well and over with, and since there was nothing to clean up Genma announced the next match immediately after both fighters had left the arena. It was understandable; even more so when one considered the amazing battles that had just taken place, and the hype that had been whispered about the strength of Sasuke Uchiha.

So when the young man in question's match arrived, and he was nowhere to be found, many onlookers quickly became unsettled.

It had been ten minutes since the match was called. Where was Sasuke?

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed in exasperation; he was afraid this would happen. Kakashi had allowed his tardiness rear its head at the worst possible time and, in doing so, now put the Sandaime in a terrible position.

He would have to disqualify the Uchiha heir.

The Kazekage had spoken up within the first few minutes of the wait, when Hiruzen was originally going to voice his decision, and convinced his fellow village leader to stave off such a declaration for a few more minutes.

"Look at all of those people out there Sarutobi, think of how far they've traveled, and all for the chance to see young Sasuke in action against my son. Why deprive them of that?"

At first the Sarutobi clan's leader was in a begrudging agreement. He had had numerous Anbu relay the various whispers of excitement around the village, all centered on Sasuke. And it had been that memory that kept the old man from dismissing his fellow Kage's plea...but this was just ridiculous!

After all, what kind of message did this send to prospective clients? Who would hire Leaf shinobi if they had to worry about their help arriving too late? The village could not afford such a reputation. Especially with their Daiymo present.

No, there was only one thing to do.

Xxx

Sakura Haruno couldn't believe her ears.

Sasuke was...disqualified?

There was no way. It had to be a mistake. The Hokage wouldn't really do that, would he? Not after everything Sasuke went through, and all the training he no doubt underwent in order to prepare for this day. Sasuke couldn't be disqualified; he just couldn't!

And yet, as she listened to the proctor down below call for the next two participants, the pinkette was numbly forced to face the truth. Her Sasuke-kun had been cut from the tournament.

"W-What just—why did he do that? Why did the Hokage disqualify Sasuke-kun you guys?"

Looking around Sakura could see that, while Ino was in a similar state of shock, the rest of the rookies that stood around her just seemed to shrug off the fact one of their own had been deprived the chance to obtain the rank of chunin. Even Naruto remained silent.

And that angered her.

Eyebrows knitting together Sakura jumped from her seat and swiftly stepped in front of her blonde team-mate. With arms flinging, she asked why he wasn't upset like her.

"Because the Hokage made the right decision Sakura; everyone, including Naruto, knows that."

The answer came from Lee. The boy with the large eyebrows hobbled over on his crutches, body still tender from opening so many Gates, and further explained why her raven-haired love interest had been let go.

"For the Hokage to wait any longer, and even then waiting beyond perhaps a minute, could be seen as favoritism. That is something a Kage can not allow. To do so would damage, not only his/her own reputation but also the village's as a whole."

When it looked like Sakura was going to argue it was Asuma who spoke up next; the Jounin present all having listened in.

"As troublesome as you may find it Sakura, Lee is right. And it's not only the dangers of favoritism that Lord Hokage has to worry about; there's also the business aspect as well. What client is going to send missions to a village that they think won't respond to them in a swift fashion? Like Lee just said, already waiting longer than a minute was bad enough, but ten? "

"This tournament has been marked on people's calender's for weeks Sakura," Naruto finally chimed in. However as he answered his eyes were on the arena, watching Shikamaru attempt to defeat Temari.

"With that being the case, and everybody knowing the time it started, what excuse could Sasuke possibly give for not being here? If this had been a mission, like the one we took months ago to Wave, I don't think the people needing Sasuke's help would be satisfied with 'Sorry, I got lost on the road of life'."

"But Sasuke-kun is—" Sakura tried to defend her other male team-mate, only to be cut off by a cold, sharp voice.

"A coward."

Gaara's presence sent chills down the spines of many who saw him. Naruto was forced to tighten his hold on Isaribi as she curled closer to him in fear.

Ino, who had the unfortunate pleasure of being still being seated, found herself less than two feet away from the frightening red-head. The platinum-blonde could feel her palms sweat, and her legs turn to jelly as she croaked out, "H-How c-can you s-say that?"

Ino thanked every god she knew when Gaara answered her without looking in her direction.

"Because that's what he is. The Uchiha knew I was to be his opponent today, and so he refused to show up. That makes him a coward...and not worth my time."

The chill that frosted over Gaara's words kept even Sakura's usual defensive rant silent. Sea-green eyes blinked once before turning to look at Naruto. Gaara's posture straightened just so, his shoulders shifting, before he hissed at the blonde.

"But you, Naruto Uzumaki, I can feel the power that leaks free. Killing you is sure to prove my existence."

It seemed that was all the red-head wanted to say because almost immediately after Gaara turned and walked away. Yet, even with his departure, all those he left behind could still feel the goosebumps raised against their skin.

There was something not right about Sabaku no Gaara.

Isaribi shook in fright; the boy with the gourd terrified her. Instinct dictated she find comfort in who she saw as the strongest. Turning her teary eyes upward, the trembling academy student whimpered to draw her big brother's attention.

When those caring blue eyes were on her Isaribi managed to squeak out, "O-Onii-san you'll b-beat him right? Y-You won't leave me alone, will you?"

Naruto immediately set to comforting the little child in his arms. Holding her as close as possible, the blonde ducked Isaribi's head under his chin before he slowly started to rock her. "Of course I'll beat him Isa-chan, I promised you I'd never let you feel that loneliness again, and you know your Onii-san never goes back on his word."

"Let's just hope this time you haven't bitten off more than you can chew."

The voice was one that Naruto hadn't expected to hear. Turning his eyes, keeping his head still, the blonde locked into a stare down with Shikamaru.

Looking over the svelte older boy Naruto saw that the Nara heir was covered in scrapes, while his over-shirt had been lost in his match with Temari. Finishing the signs of battle off was a healthy coat of dust and dirt.

"So," the cloaked genin drolled out, "you gave up didn't you."

It wasn't a question; Naruto knew that Shikamaru wasn't interested in winning the tournament. So when the pineapple-headed shinobi shrugged, the blonde couldn't help scoffing out a laugh.

"Which means you're up next," Sakura lightened up. The pinkette had recovered from the previous encounter with Gaara and was eager to get her mind focused on something else. "And with how battered Neji is from his fight with Hinata there's no way you'll lose."

And he didn't...because Neji wound up forfeiting.

This surprised all who knew the cocky Hyuga, but what they didn't know was that Neji had used the whole of Shikamaru's match with Temari to think on how to handle Naruto.

The young prodigy quickly came to the conclusion that, in his current condition, there was no way he could defeat Naruto Uzumaki. Neji's cold, calculating stare had kept the blonde in their sights and took in how the cloak-covered genin stood. What the older boy found cemented hid decision.

As a member of the Hyuga clan Neji had an innate ability to read the body language of any one individual. It was with this power of observation that let Neji know Naruto had yet to use even half of his strength. The blonde wasn't even breathing hard.

After witnessing the amount of skill the younger genin possessed without being pushed, Neji was able to come to a rough estimate of Naruto Uzumaki's true strength. One-on-one, both at one-hundred percent, Neji believed he had a chance to win. But as it stood, with him standing on tattered legs and a debilitating concussion, the Hyuga genius knew he stood no chance.

"Proctor," he called out form his place in the stands, "I choose to forfeit."

Far better to concede looking smart than lose in a humiliating beat down.

A trending thought it seems, because Temari was quick to voice her own removal from the tournament after that. Her opponent having been her younger brother.

All eyes popped when they realized what this meant: Naruto was now left to face Gaara.

'I'd anticipated this end,' Naruto thought begrudgingly, 'I just didn't expect it to be so soon.'

Apparently this was the right move for the crowd, because when the blonde kissed her cheek and set Isaribi down, and started to descend the stairs, he was followed by thunderous applause. The whole time Naruto kept his eyes locked on Gaara who had shunshined into the field via a whirlwind of sand.

Moving to the center of the battleground Naruto stood only a handful of feet away from someone he knew would kill him if given the chance. There would be no warm up, there would be no breaks. Naruto steeled his nerve before nodding to Genma that he was ready.

"Then let the final match of the chunin exams begin!"

Before the Special-Jounin could move out of the way though two things happened.

First: Naruto beat the man to the punch and shot back five yards.

Second: Kakashi and the missing Sasuke appeared in a whirlwind of leaves.

The entire stadium had been supercharged by the explosive way Naruto had reacted, moving faster than a veteran shinobi, so when their exciting spectacle was ground to a halt many of them took to voicing their displeasure. Something that came as a surprise to an incredulous looking Kakashi and Sasuke.

"Hey, get out of the way!"

"We wanna see some action, get off the field!"

"You had your chance kid, now move!"

But what really shook the pair was when a female voice, one that Ino and Sakura recognized as Ami, shouted: "You're old news Uchiha! Now you and the scarecrow get your butts off the field so Naruto can cream this guy!"

For those that new the girl couldn't believe their ears. She had been one of Sasuke's biggest followers back in the academy, vehemently defending the Uchiha's name against every type of slander. So for the kunoichi wash out to now dismiss Sasuke with that same enthusiasm, while simultaneously uplifting Naruto, caused many of their jaws to drop.

When Kakashi finally managed to snap himself out of his stupor the elite Jounin turned his lone eye up in the direction of the Kage box. With a look of confusion he asked, "Hokage-sama, what's going on? I thought Gaara was to be Sasuke's opponent..."

"He was," Genma answered for the elderly shinobi. "But when your student wasn't present at the time of his match Lord Hokage had him disqualified."

Hearing this got a look of disbelief from the Uchiha in question. That look soon morphed into a scowl as he eyed his Jounin instructor. "You said that they would push my match back if I wasn't on time Kakashi; it's the only reason I let you talk me into resting after our spar."

"I-I assumed they would Sasuke," was the man's muttered reply.

"We will be speaking in my office once the exams are over you two," the Sandaime called down from his seat. "This behavior is unacceptable, and I wont have it repeated. But for now you'll need to remove yourselves from the field, as Naruto and the Kazekage's son are due to round out the tournament."

With the dismissal of the Hokage both Kakashi and an irate Sasuke began the walk towards the staircase. The Uchiha heir desperately wanted to argue, but knew better than to do so in front of so many people. Making demands, out loud or even veiled, would not be tolerated by any shinobi no matter what name they carried.

Once the two made their exit Genma signaled for the match to resume.

xXx

Up in his seat Orochimaru was not a happy man. After that fool Kakashi sealed the curse mark he'd placed on Sasuke the Sannin was eager to see how well the boy fared without the added power.

He'd seen it before, back during the preliminary rounds, and could barely contain himself at such a delicious outcome; the inverted Sharingan. Never in his wildest dreams had Orochimaru expected his personal seal to be able to amplify the already tumultuous power of the Uchiha clan's bloodline.

Watching the power explode from Sasuke had sent shivers down his spine. With the curse marks' power being routed to the boy's eyes, there was none of the messy chakra expulsion that accompanied its use by the Sound Four. No, in fact, Orochimaru watched as even his old sensei had been unable to detect the vile ink that coursed through the last Uchiha's veins when he faced the Inuzuka boy.

But the snake Sannin knew, and it pleased him greatly. Enough that he didn't even worry about Kakashi's laughable attempt to interfere with his plan.

Since then Orochimaru imagined what sort of explosion would occur when Sasuke willingly chose to activate his now repressed seal. The rouge ninja could see in his minds eye how the raw, unrestrained power would visibly flare from Sasuke's Sharingan, and licked his lips in pure hunger at just how it would feel to bare witness to the Uchiha's further descent into darkness.

It was why he had so eagerly desired the chance for the jinchuurikiof Suna to be the boy's opponent, so as to force Sasuke to use his power, but now it seems Orochimaru would have to wait.

And even with the invasion set to begin soon, needing only word from his summon team from beyond the walls, Orochimaru was not a patient man. The Sannin hated waiting.

Anger was the minority emotion at the moment, as aside from the disguised Orochimaru, the only other person feeling it was Sasuke. The young clan heir strode over to his fellow genin with his arms crossed and his jaw clenched.

There was no denying where the boy would rather be at the moment.

It was as he and his instructor got closer that Sakura decided she would be the first to greet them. Or rather, to chastise Kakashi for his foolishness.

"Kakashi-sensei what in the world were you thinking? What made you believe that letting Sasuke-kun be late for his was okay?"

Asuma followed the girl's lead. "Your student beat me to it, but I'm curious myself Kakashi, did you really think dad was just gonna let the kid slide?"

Scratching his neck in embarrassment, the Jounin in question gave his response. "Honestly, yes. I figured with everything I was hearing around the village that everyone wanted to watch Sasuke showcase his abilities. And to me, that just translated to them willing to wait until he was ready to fight."

"But they weren't," Sasuke growled. "And now I've lost my chance to become a chunin."

In an attempt to settle her crush's obviously boiling temper Sakura got up from her seat and, walking over to him, softly placed her hand on his shoulder. "It'll be alright Sasuke-kun, this isn't the only way to be promoted, you'll still have your chance."

"What are you talking about Sakura; what other way is there besides the exams?"

Smiling softly at the raven-haired boy's confusion Sakura offered a reply. "It's something called in in-field promotion. Genin can be promoted to chunin through their performance on a mission, the same thing can be done to become a Jounin, but that usually only happens during times of war."

"And just how do you know about this?" The Uchiha's question came with an eyebrow raised in disbelief.

Sakura dropped her hand from its perch and looked down sheepishly. "Well, I know I didn't do so well in the exams, and I was worried about being stuck as a genin until the next year, so I did some research during the month you and Naruto were training."

With a sense of hope welling in his stomach Sasuke turned to look at the Jounin present and asked if what Sakura said was true.

"More or less," answered Asuma. "Besides, most village's ranks are swelled with chunin. If the only way to be promoted was through some series of bi-annual tests we'd be stuck with hundreds of genin."

"Our ranks are filled with chunin?" Ino questioned from her seat.

"Duh Ino," Shikamaru told her. "What, did you think everyone waling around with a flak jacket was a Jounin?"

The platinum-blonde's eyes blazed with feminine fury, "And what if I did you lazy buffoon!?"

"Then it means our academy needs a reboot," snorted Anko as she entered the conversation. Beside her both Kurenai and Shino walked onto the scene.

The trio had gone to check on Hinata after her defeat at Neji's hands; Anko leaving later to support her friend. After learning from the medics that the Hyuga heiress' condition was non life-threatening they made their way back up to the stands, and walked in on the current conversation.

"For the past few years each major ninja village has been made up of roughly fifteen-hundred, to two-thousand shinobi; Konoha holding the largest at twenty-five-hundred and Suna the lowest at a little less than a thousand. Of those numbers, only a small handful are Jounin, the reason being because of the immense level of skill and sheer power required as well as leadership capability. The rest of the force is made up primarily of chunin, and the last percentage being genin."

"What about the Anbu?" This question came from Sakura.

Kakashi took over from Anko at this point. "The Anbu make up a very small number of the ninja inside a village; their own numbers not usually exceeding two handfuls, or roughly twenty shinobi. However these men and women are not counted among the roster, as it is based on war-time account. The Anbu are never put on the front lines."

"How come," Ino asked. "If the Anbu are meant to be the most skilled ninja in a village, under its Kage, why wouldn't they be used in war?"

Kurenai shook her head as she picked up the lesson. "It's not that they're never used Ino, just the opposite actually. Anbu are used heavily in times of war, The difference between them and us being, their assignments are restricted to assassination and sabotage. Very rarely would you see Anbu in open combat, as their skills are needed for more pressing missions."

The genin all listened in rapt attention...at least until Anko's loud voice drew them away.

"How come nobody came and told me my kid was up next!? And he's going up against that freaky Sand kid? This is gonna be great!"

The woman's excitement seemed to leak from her every pore as she leaned over the railing for a better look at the battlefield. Her eager exclamation snapped the rest of the group back into real time, as they all remembered that there was still one more match to watch.

Down below Naruto eyed his opponent wearily. The red-head hadn't moved a muscle since the start of the match, while Naruto himself had settled into a strong defensive stance. Forgoing his heavy zanbato at the moment the blonde instead tried to come up with a way to get past the shield of sand he knew would spring up if he got too close.

'Well, there is one thing I could try,' Naruto thought before he brought forth his hands to forge a hand-sign.

Only to stop so he could catch the cork that rocketed towards his face.

Azure eyes watched as sand slowly snaked its way out of the gourd on Gaara's back. The earthly particles rose into the air and formed a cloud...before a volley of sand needles burst forth and raced through the air: their target being Naruto.

The blonde swordsman jumped to the side so as to avoid being skeward, all the while keeping his eyes on his opponent.

This proved to be the right move because, as soon as his feet had left the ground, a fist of earth burst out of the ground and tried to smash the cloak-covered genin. Nimbly, Naruto twisted around the oncoming attack, and sent a hail of shuriken that he pulled from his pouch at Gaara. Predictably every one of the throwing stars was halted by a wall of sand, but this was what Naruto had wanted.

When raised in defense, Gaara's sand blocked his view of whatever was in front of him.

Using this to his advantage Naruto quickly summoned the necessary chakra, and then seemed to simply vanish. He used the Hidden Chameleon jutsu that Anko had shown him during their first mission together. Once that was done he molded his chakra and began to summon his mist.

This match wasn't a game, and Naruto knew he needed to end it as quickly as possible.

Gaara's normally impassive facade crinkled into a look of annoyance when his sand dropped to the floor and he was met with a strange, but interesting sight. Naruto Uzumaki was gone. The red-head could find no trace of his fellow genin, and to top it off, a heavy mist was settling onto the field.

Just as Gaara thought about how interesting his new prey was his sea-green eyes widened a fraction in surprise when the barest traces of heat washed over his back.

His sand had just stopped a fireball from scorching him.

Turning his head in the slightest, the Kazekage's son looked again for his blonde foe. The mist had stopped growing, leaving just enough visibility to see a few feet ahead; Naruto was not in range of Gaara's sight.

A shadow had Gaara's eyes snapping to the corners of their sockets. From his peripheral vision the Suna native caught just a glimpse of something moving through the fog, its speed removing it from sight just as quickly as it came. The red-head still sent a powerful blast of sand barreling forward though.

The pillar of sand crashed harmlessly into the earth. Gaara knit his brow together in the barest hint of frustration; his mother wanted blood, but his prey was choosing to hide instead of face him.

And that's when he heard Naruto's voice.

"Oh, you were so close Gaara, I think a few bits landed on my coat."

Naruto's voice seemed to be coming from everywhere at once, echoing without a specific point of origin. The red-head listened as his mother growled in vexation, the taunting tone Naruto's used causing the sand at Gaara's feet to jump in agitation. Sabaku no Gaara had never been taunted before, but he was quickly learning that it was something he did not like.

Sand suddenly jumped up on the red-headed genin's side had him turning to see what had tried to strike him, only to whip his head around when another blow was walled off. Deciding to take initiative Gaara thrust his hand out, pouring his will into the sand and adding to its power, and then shooting spears of sand from the defensive wall in an attempt to catch the blonde he believed to be there.

When that failed, Gaara finally noticed just how close the attacks were getting before being stopped. His sand was only just able to catch them.

This revelation caused his mother's hackles to rise. Who did this worm think they were? Did he not understand who he was dealing with? Well, they'd just have to show him, wouldn't they?

Sand swiftly pooled under Gaara's feet before it solidified and then took to the air.

Naruto's brow was furrowed in thought as he pondered what to do next. His summons had informed him that the Kazekage's son had taken to the air, effectively cutting them off, which meant that it was now in the blonde's hands.

He'd used the same trio from his match with Ten-Ten, using them in another effort to gauge his opponent's strength. Or, rather, to discern the capabilities of that sand for himself.

And Naruto didn't like what he'd learned.

Add to that the fact his opponent was in the air, and Naruto had to wonder if his mist was useless now.

'Unless...' Naruto's scrunched eyebrows jumped to his hairline. That could work. His mind racing, the blonde genin thought back to the first exam. Ice mirrors!

It was risky, and Naruto doubted he had the skill with elemental combination to make them as big as Haku's, but the plan was the best he could think of without taking down his mist. 'Maybe if I make enough it'll make up for their small size.'

Unfortunately the blonde didn't get the chance to set his plan into motion, because he was soon having to avoid being crushed by a dangerous fist of sand.

Jumping back, Naruto outwardly cursed while internally wondering how Gaara had managed to find him. The answer was not one he'd expected; a floating eyeball. It was the same technique the Uzumaki recalled his adversary using during the written exam.

The eye's power quickly became apparent when Naruto found himself leaping and twisting through the air to avoid being caught by Gaara's sand. It was clear that, no matter where the red-head was, he could see Naruto and direct his attacks according.

This was a problem.

Deciding his tactic wasn't working like he hoped Naruto set to work canceling his mist and returning the stadium to normal, but the blonde made sure to activate his stealth jutsu before he was fully exposed.

Once the stage was clear again the invisible Naruto could easily find the floating Gaara, the red-head kneeling on a cloud of sand. Blue eyes watched as that airborne genin used his floating eye, as well as his single open eye to try and pinpoint his location. In fact, it almost looked as if Gaara could sense him.

Knowing that, if such a thing were true, he would lose his element of surprise Naruto opted instead to give his opponent a different target. Using an old trick the blonde's hands formed a cross seal and, out of a cloud of smoke came a shadow-clone.

The plan worked. Immediately upon the copies creation Gaara's attention turned in its direction.

As Gaara hurled a twin strike of sand spears at his clone, Naruto took that moment to move away. Watching as his original clone created two of his own Naruto thought of how best to handle Gaara and his sentient sand. With his speed the blonde was sure he could close the gap fast enough to land blows, but the worry came in being able to pull away before getting captured afterwards. Which meant separating the red-head from his gourd was the first priority.

That came easy enough thanks to the young genin's invisibility. Making his way around the floating Gaara, Naruto silently pulled a kunai from his thigh holster and then dashed towards his opponent. Leaping into the air, the cloaked blonde reached out and took hold of the gourd strap while simultaneously moving his knife through the shoulder.

The leather strap gave out under the sharp blade and Naruto soon found himself falling to the arena floor, where he proceeded to launch the container across the field. Blue eyes watched as one of the clones raced after it and engulfed the deadly sand in a large ball of fire.

Now the only sand Gaara had was what the red-head used to keep him afloat.

Unfortunately, the calm Naruto felt was quickly wiped away when he watched his opponent work through a chain of hand-signs.

"Earth-style: Earth flow river!"

The now visible Naruto watched as his clones were both caught in two separate upsurging pools of mud. The brown sludge quickly swallowed the copies up before they could react, and they dispersed in clouds of smoke. But Gaara wasn't done yet.

"Earth-style: Earth-dragon bullet!"

Now it was the maw of a dragon, drudging up from within the two pools of pre-prepared mud. Naruto sensed trouble, and was proven right when both dragon heads opened their jaws and began sending volleys of compacted mud at him.

Using his great speed though Naruto was able to duck and dodge each of the bullets that threatened to shatter his bones.

Moving around the field, the black-clad swordsman took a chance and jumped into the air. Skimming by another hail of rocketing projectiles, Naruto swiftly flashed through his own set of hand-signs before calling out his jutsu: "Water-style: Exploding Water Shockwave!"

A stone-cutting, pressurized jet of water flew from Naruto's lips. The bone-breaking blast was aimed straight at Gaara but, before it could hit, the red-headed genin swerved out of the way.

Making a choice to not let his attack go to waste, Naruto turned the jutsu on both dragon heads that had been left waiting for Gaara to return his attention to. With the lack of constant chakra flow the technique's elemental advantage wasn't strong enough, and soon both mud dragons were shattered and mixed into the deluge that formed after Naruto ceased his own chakra flow.

The puddle of water left behind wasn't really enough to make a dragon of its own, but the blonde creator of the pool did decide it could be used for a different technique.

Now it was just a matter of timing his jutsu right.

Letting Gaara chase him around with his next Earth-style jutsu, the same dragons he'd used against Lee, Naruto hopped, flipped and dodged to avoid being snagged or slammed by his opponent's impressive display of powerful techniques. It was as he back-flipped away from one particular serpent, letting it smash back into the earth it was made of, that the blonde saw his chance.

"Wind-style- Greatbreak—"

"WOO-WOO-WOO!"

Naruto's plan was cut short when an alarm every citizen of Konoha knew well blared across the air. A loud explosion, and the frightened screams of people outside was all it took for the shinobi in the stands to realize what they were hearing was no mistake.

Konoha was under attack.

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