Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto Franchise that belongs solely to Masashi Kishimoto; I do not own Heaven's lost Property, High School DxD or any other Anime I borrow themes from. The only thing I claim is my OC's and original Story Plot.


Author's Note (A/N): Hey guys I'm back and with 3 more matches to sate your appetite. How will Tenten fair against Temari when the odds are stacked so heavily against her and how will Shikamaru handled Kin with her debilitating Genjutsu? Will he come up with a plan or will he get some help? Finally our third match... but wait what third match? Who's facing off against each other?

Hey guys I hope you enjoy this chapter and the matches I put together. I took my time on this one as it was quite interesting to write. So sit back, relax, and enjoy.


Chapter 44

Elimination Matches 5 – 7: Kunoichi Domination

The match was officially underway but both kunoichi weren't moving. They were sizing each other up and waiting for the first one to crack. 'Oh boy… why is it so tense already?' Shikamaru thought to himself with a sigh. "What are you waiting for, are you scared?" Temari asked with a taunt. Her sea green eyes were carefully watching Tenten's every move, every facial expression, and every twitch of her muscles.

"As if... I've got no reason to be scared of you." Tenten retorted with a frown on her face. "Oh… I see. Then you must be waiting for me to make the first move. That is a big mistake because the first true move that I make will be the last move you see. So, come on I'll give you the first shot." Temari baited with an arrogant smirk plastered across her otherwise beautiful face. Tenten felt a twinge of annoyance sweep through her at her opponent's casual dismissal of her so she decided it was best to make the first move.

"Ok then you asked for it." Tenten declared as her muscles tensed. 'She's baiting Tenten in? What's her power?' Naruto thought to himself as he watched with careful eyes what was about to happen. 'No Tenten, do not fall for your enemy's taunts. You know better.' Might Guy black eyes narrow down in focus towards the first move of the match.

Jumping up into the air Tenten with a simple flick of her wrist sent four shuriken at Temari with more speed than any other Genin has shown before. The accuracy was there and they looked like they were going to hit since Temari wasn't moving but inexplicably the four-shuriken diverted off course and clattered to the ground at Temari's feet. "No way! There's no way I missed her." Tenten exclaimed with her eyes wide in disbelief. "What was that?" Naruto whispered as he leaned a little bit over the railings. "You saw that too?" Shikamaru mumbled as he casted his close friend a side glance. "Yeah, but I have no idea what she just did. Right before the shuriken came close her whole body and the area around her blurred for barely a second." Naruto described back to Shikamaru who adopted an analytical gleam to his otherwise bored eyes.

'That was Wind Style Manipulation. It makes sense since she is a Genin from the Hidden Sand Village. But still… to see chakra control and manipulation of that level in a Genin is astonishing. What are you going to do Tenten?' Might Guy theorized as being one of the Leaf Village's top tier Elite Jōnin he was very well versatile and knowledgeable in all types of shinobi combat and elemental Chakra manipulation even if he himself sticks solely to Taijutsu as his primary form of combat.

'Textbook Wind Style Manipulation. But for a Genin to reach a level like that is still really surprising.' Asuma Sarutobi thought to himself privately as he leaned against the concrete wall. He breathed in the nicotine from his cigarette in his mouth while casting a semi- disinterested look to the match going on before him. As one of the only Wind Style Chakra Nature users in the entire Land of Fire, it gives Asuma the distinct and overwhelming advantage of being able to identify any use of the Chakra Nature ahead of most of his colleagues.

"Maybe you got a little nervous and it affected your aim? Or perhaps you just aren't that good?" Temari taunted with the same arrogant smirk permanently stained on her face. 'Something isn't right here with this girl's personality. When I first met them; she was really calm, cool, and collected. She was actually trying to deescalate the situation that was happening between us. She wanted peace instead of conflict. Was that an act or is this right here an act that she uses in battle to get under her enemy's skin?' Naruto contemplated in his mind as he couldn't understand the strange from his perspective shift in Temari's overall demeanor from outside of a battle to inside of one.

'She must have either blocked it or dodged it with small precise movements somehow. She was standing right there and three tiles away from that is where I'm standing. So, she never even moved but how? She would have to in order for my Shuriken to miss.' Tenten theorized in a vain attempt to understand exactly how Temari managed to somehow not get struck by her pinpoint accurate throws. But she wouldn't be able to understand what happened. It was too fast for the naked eye.

'Look at her. She's strategizing in her head and measuring her distance. Now she'll make her big move.' Temari thought but to make sure Tenten went through with her next attack she thought it best to give the girl a push. Placing her hand on her giant metal fan Temari got herself ready. 'So, that's it. That is a Metal War Fan. Used in the Land of Wind by many of their shinobi. She's using that to block my attacks.' Tenten scouted as she recognized the weapon Temari was carrying. As a weapon enthusiast and working in one of the most famous and well known weapon shops in the entire country Tenten has a vast knowledge on weapons from all over the world. This however, was the first time she's seen one of the Land of Wind's War Fans up close in real life.

"Are you ready to get serious now… or are we still playing with kiddy gloves?" Temari asked as she saw Tenten's demeanor sour. "Oh, the kiddie gloves are coming off!" Jumping back Tenten pulled out a scroll from her pouch before unraveling it. On it were dozens of storage seals containing what could only be assumed to be numerous amounts of weapons. Jumping into the air with the scroll in her hand Tenten started to spin at blistering speeds. Enough so that any normal person would get dizzy.

Several small puffs of smoke could be seen and heard for everybody and seconds later dozens of weapons ranging from Kunai and Shuriken; to Sickles; Swords; Senbon; Spiked Balls; Hammers; Spears; and more could be seen flying out of the whizzing tornado that Tenten turned herself into. "She's throwing all of them with such precision and accuracy. Incredible." Hinata whispered as with her sharp eyesight she could actually see Tenten spinning inside the vortex of her own scroll. She was throwing each and every weapon by hand and she was doing so with laser like precision as all of them were thrown in a narrow tunnel arc that would rain down on Temari and only Temari.

Temari smirked as a distortion in the air could be seen for a brief second and all of Tenten's weapons were blow away to the floor surrounding the Sand Genin in a ring of metal weapons. "No freaking way. All of them. You blocked all of them?" Tenten asked in shock as she landed back on the ground without displaying any signs of dizziness or equilibrium loss.

"Take a quick look honey. You see this. This is the first moon. Once you've seen all three this match will come to an end." Temari declared as she sat her massive fan on the ground next to her and it was partially opened showing one large purple circle that was representing a moon in this case. "Hinata take a look at her fan for me… what do you see?" Naruto requested to his best friend. With a short nod Hinata discreetly zoomed in with her Byakugan and scanned Temari's Fan. "I see seals written on those moons." Hinata revealed.

"What type of seals?" Naruto quickly asked as he gave a curious glance to the weapon. "Storage Seals, Chakra Storage Seals, low level barrier seals and a few more." Hinata described as she could see the tiny hard to see seals written out on the surface of the purple circles. "Interesting… so I assume that with each moon she reveals her techniques become much more powerful by using the Chakra Storage Seals to increase the power of whatever technique she's using." Naruto theorized with a hand on his chin in thought. Thinking back on all his knowledge of Fūinjutsu this was the only theory that made any sense to him.

"I think you're right Naruto. With each moon revealed her Jutsu will get stronger. I think it's some type of Wind Style Jutsu she's using." Shikamaru added on as he leaned his body against the railing with a seemingly disinterested look on his face. This look was a front as he was studying Temari extensively in his mind. "Makes total sense. She is from the Land of Wind after all." Naruto conceded as he brought his attention back into the match to catch what was about to happen.

"I'm not done yet!" Tenten declared as she rushed in with surprising speed. Tensing a bit Temari grabbed her fan and folded it up to use as a club. Reaching into Temari's range Tenten quickly grabbed several weapons off the ground and slammed into the older Genin with all of her strength. Pushed back a bit Temari's eyebrows rose at Tenten's ferocity as she was blocking a sword that the weapon specialist was holding. Blocking and deflecting several of Tenten's very accurate and masterful swings Temari managed to knock the sword out of Tenten's hands with the superior weight of her fan but had to immediately block a hail of kunai that Tenten produced in the split second Temari's eyes were off of her. Attempting to open her fan Temari was further cut off by the twin bun haired girl who wrapped a chain and weight around the weapon and pulled Temari towards her.

Rolling with the pull Temari attempted to smash Tenten into the ground but the girl grabbed a mace of the ground and smashed it into Temari's swing creating a horrible metallic clang sound. Growling Temari's whole form blurred as she produced a gust of wind strong enough to untangle the chain attached to her fan. Most of the weapons not wedged into the ground slid across the floor away from the Sand Genin. Skidding back Tenten's body smacked into the wall with a low thud. "Got to hand it to you girl. You've got guts, I'll give you that." Temari applauded with a nod of her head.

"I'm not done yet!" Tenten retorted with more emphasis than last time as she took a deep breath. 'I have no choice but to use this move.' Opening her eyes Tenten took out two identical red scrolls that she placed vertically on the ground. Going through a sequence of hand signs Tenten began molding her chakra. "Whatever you are doing it's not going to work and if it's any more of those weapons then you should just quit while you are ahead." Temari warned as she started to open her large fan again. She knew Tenten was playing her trump card based on the way she was molding up a considerable amount of her overall chakra.

"I won't know if I don't try! Bukijutsu: Twin Rising Dragons!" With a burst of smoke reaching up into the air like a column two dragons made out of the smoke rose into the air in a helix like formation. In the center of the cloud of smoke was Tenten who started to spin at inhuman speeds. Dozens upon dozens of weapons of all kinds started to litter the air and Temari who was the target of these weapons frowned as even she would secretly admit that that was an impressive number of weapons.

"It won't work!" Temari exclaimed as she opened her fan up to the second moon and swung it with some impressive physical strength considering she only used one hand. This time the gust of wind that came out of the fan was nearly three time more powerful than the first few times she's used it. A whirlwind blew all of Tenten's weapons away towards the floor and far away from Temari's position who was now carefully watching Tenten. "She's so strong. But I've still got one more trick up my sleeve." The Chinese themed girl whispered to herself as she flexed her fingertips.

"That blast of wind was at the same level as my Great Breakthrough." Naruto commented with a frown as he thought of what that meant. "That was only the second moon. The final one will really be big." Chōji said as he munched on his chips.

Making a last-ditch effort Tenten yet again jumped up into the air as high as she could go and through the lights in the room everyone could see thin metal wires attached to her fingertips lifting the discarded weapons off the ground for another round. "Oh boy, I guess you just don't learn, do you?" Temari stated with a negative shake of her head. "This match ends now." Opening her fan up to its third moon Temari actually started to channel chakra for a Jutsu. "Wind Style: Wind Scythe Jutsu!" Swinging her giant fan around the weapon created a gale so strong that it suspended Tenten and all of her weapons in the air inside a visible cyclone of slicing air currents. Her weapons which had its wires attached to her fingers started to wrap around Tenten's prone form which were cutting into her body alongside the sharp air currents Temari's Jutsu was creating.

"No way!" Naruto grunted as he grabbed onto the railings for support. The winds off of Temari's Jutsu was so strong that it was threatening to push the others up on the balcony into the walls behind them. "So, this is the full power of her weapon." Shikamaru commented as he was also holding onto the railings while covering his face. The winds soon died down as Tenten's suspended body fell to the ground. In an act of spite Temari folded her fan up and positioned it directly in Tenten's path.

A crack was heard as Tenten's back folded over on Temari's fan. Lee's eye widens in shock at the un-sportsmen like action Temari just committed and Naruto was much the same. The others watching were in the same boat as they were not expected that uncalled for ending. "TENTEN!" Lee yelled in concern for his teammate as Temari threw the weapon's enthusiast off of her fan and towards the ground where all of her weapons were littering the floor. If she landed on them she would be seriously injured.

Disappearing in a burst of speed Lee appeared on the arena floor and caught Tenten in midair before her limp and unconscious body could land on the pile of weapons below her. "What was that for!?" Lee yelled in righteous anger. "She was weak. No originality in her performance at all. She should have taken a hint and forfeit." Temari replied as she leaned on her fan. "How dare you! She was a fellow competitor who was just trying her hardest!" Lee defended with a harsh glare at Temari who had a dismissive glance at him. "Don't encourage her, she should learn to do better. Besides you don't look like much either." Temari taunted as Rock Lee sent her another harsh glare as now his pride was hurt as well.

"Oh really!?" Lee challenged as he disappeared in a burst of speed and appeared at Temari's side. "Leaf Hurricane!" Lee's heavy roundhouse kick landed with a resounding clang against Temari's fan which didn't budge an inch. "Not even close. Pathetic." The sand kunoichi said with a shake of her head. "Lee that's enough! It's over!" Might Guy called out as he didn't want the situation to escalate further. Appearing down by Lee's side in one smooth motion Guy placed his hand on his apprentice's shoulder. "Temari you've one already. Don't waste time with that pathetic loser and his mentor." Gaara spoke with his raspy voice which instantly caught the other's attention. Gaara hasn't said a word all day so to hear him now definitely got Naruto and the others paying close attention to him.

"You sand Genin should stay on guard. Lee still hasn't fought yet and you have no idea just how powerful he truly is." Might Guy spoke up in defense of his apprentice as he led him back up the stairs with Tenten being carried out of the room by two Medical Ninja.

Feeling eyes on him Gaara lifted his eyes from Lee who he was staring down merciless and diverted his attention to Naruto who was across the balcony. Gaara didn't say a word but his eyes said everything that he needed too. His eyes on the surface were cold and desolate but shimmering below the surface was cold burning hatred and malice directed at Naruto only. Frowning at this Naruto looked away as to not antagonize the obviously anger prone boy.

"These Sand Genin are going to be a problem. They're no joke." Shikamaru commented with his default disinterested look on his face but this time it looked like stress was also a factor as well. "I agree. They're going to be nothing but trouble." Naruto sighed as he tried to clear his mind. "Under normal circumstances I'd bet your next response to me would be we should keep an eye on them and if they act up we'll take care of it, but given your current physical condition that's going to be quite the issue isn't it Naruto?" Shikamaru patronized slightly in jest as he sent his longtime friend a side glance.

"Trust me I don't like the situation either. As I am now I would probably be able to handle Kankurō and that's a maybe given that he's a puppeteer, Temari seems very intelligent and smart. Very much like you and when you combine that with her Wind Style Abilities that are way more powerful and advanced compared to my own and you have a recipe for disaster. Then theirs Gaara. I know I don't stand a chance against him as I am now. If only I had the rest of my abilities." Naruto analyzed with a frustrated sigh towards the end as he felt helpless without the use of all of his abilities. "That's something you need to get looked at as soon as possible. It wouldn't do to have you handicapped like this." Shikamaru finished off as he focused back down on Hayate who was getting ready to speak again. "I know Shikamaru, I know."

After the arena floor was cleared of Tenten's scattered weapons Hayate called for the screen to choose the next opponents. After a few seconds the screen flashed two names. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me…" Shikamaru moaned in displeasure as his name appeared on screen.


[Shikamaru Nara vs. Kin Tsuchi]

"…and it's a girl too. Man, this is such a drag." The boy genius sighed as he put his hands in his pockets and started to head for the stairs. "Be careful Shikamaru." Naruto warned with some of his other friends doing the same. "Yeah, yeah… I got this. I already know about her from the altercation back in the forest." Shikamaru retorted as he took the stairs to the arena floor below where Kin was already waiting for him with a frown on her face since she didn't bother wasting time and instead just chose to hop the railing of the balcony.

"Alright let's get this over with already." Shikamaru lazily stated as he got into position a few yards away from Kin who seriously looked like she didn't even want to fight the shadow user. 'I'm well aware of what these guys are capable of from our encounter in the forest. If it wasn't for Sasuke going all berserk on them things could have ended differently. The only problem is during the altercation I had to reveal my Jutsu to save everyone and while I saw what the two guys are capable of I never saw her skills. I'm at a clear disadvantage.' Shikamaru analyzed as his small beady eyes watched Kin's every move.

'There's no point stressing it now. I'll figure something out.' Shikamaru reassured himself as Hayate called for the match to begin. Both combatants tensed as Hayate jumped away to give them space. "You're not trying that stupid Shadow technique are you. It's pointless if it can't touch me." Kin began as she waited for Shikamaru to make his first move. Gritting his teeth in sheer annoyance the lazy preteen tried to block out the older girl's taunts.

"It's all I've got, so let's give it a try." Shikamaru stated as he placed his hands in his family's signature hand seal. "Ninja Art: Shadow Possession Jutsu!" Shikamaru's shadow darkened as he flooded chakra into the floor and stretched his shadow out over to Kin who saw it coming from a mile away. "As I said it's pointless little man." Dodging the straight forward attack Kin threw two Senbon with bells attached to them at Shikamaru who reacted quickly enough to duck out of the way. The lodged themselves into the wall were the bells started to jingle a bit which was heard throughout the room.

'Bells? Why would she put bells on the Senbon? I don't get the feeling it's to trick me and get me to only pay attention to any Senbon she throws that has a bell on it. I'd focus in on the sound from the bells while she'll sneak in a regular Senbon that I won't be able to hear. Something tells me she's a little smarter than this. She has a trick up her sleeve.' Shikamaru quickly theorized as it was a tactic he remembered the teachers at the academy covered one week. However, in Shikamaru's mind that tactic is too basic especially for an older Genin to employ. It's best used during the middle of a battle when the opponent is frazzled and not on top of his game.

"What are you planning?" Shikamaru asked in a low voice as he prepared for what his opponent might due. "Oh, you'll see." Kin taunted as she threw two more Senbon that Shikamaru avoided without trouble. He took notice that those two needles didn't have bells attached to them but he became startled when he still heard the sound of jingles behind him. "What?" Turning back to the wall Shikamaru saw in the gleam of the light from the room two thin wires attached to each of the bells that lead back to Kin's hands.

"To late!" Kin threw another pair of Senbon at Shikamaru who was to slow to dodge out of the way. Taking the hit the boy skidded back a few feet in pain. "So, that's how you want to play huh? Fine now it's my turn." Shikamaru countered with a smirk as he started to form his hand sign again. He had a plan.

"Sorry but you don't get a turn." Kin retorted as she tugged on the wires next to Shikamaru. Everyone heard the sound of the bells jingling but the only one who felt its effects were Shikamaru who suddenly fell to the floor on his knees. "What just happened?" Kiba asked as he along with Naruto and Chōji leaned over the railings in suspense.

"Genjutsu." Shikamaru suspected as he lost all motor skills in under five seconds. "Precisely. It's called Harmonic Delirium. Sound waves on a peculiar frequency that is mostly inaudible to humans enters your ears and travels to your brain allowing me to cast my Genjutsu on you. First comes the disruption of your equilibrium and soon you'll start seeing illusions of me and you won't know who to cast your shadow to." Kin boasted with an arrogant smirk on her face as she pulled out several more Senbon.

"Covering your ears won't help either. Once you've heard the sound once then you're already under my Genjutsu. It's over little man." Kin stated as she launched several Senbon at Shikamaru who couldn't dodge at all. Taking them head on Shikamaru crumbled to the floor in pain as he was helpless at his opponent's hands. 'I can't do anything now. I can't move and I can't get this ringing out of my head. Not to mention I can't get my shadow to touch hers since I'm seeing at least several dozen of her. Oh, man this is such a drag.' Shikamaru complained in his mind as he tried desperately to think of a counter.

"If you're so strong just get it over with already. This is more of a hassle than what it's worth." Shikamaru complained as he wanted to see what Kin would do. "Oh, I'll finish you off. Next I'll throw five Senbon then escalate from there until you look like a hedgehog." The sadistic girl threatened with a grin as she pulled out five Senbon from her pouch.

'What is he doing. I get the sneaking suspicion that this boy is very intelligent so why is he biding his time?' Temari thought to herself as she watched Shikamaru struggle with his opponent who if Temari was facing she would have beaten already. Sound based attacks like that wouldn't work if Temari surrounded herself in a vacuum using her strong affinity for Wind Style. 'Come on Shikamaru do something. You should've come up with a strategy by now. What's taking… huh?' Naruto thought to himself in a slight bit of anxiety and frustration as he didn't want his close friend to suffer at the sadistic girl's hands. She was purposefully dragging the match out. Naruto's thought process was halted when he felt Chaos shift within his subconscious.

Over the nauseating sound of the bells Shikamaru heard an all too familiar echoing giggle. A signature giggle that he's heard many times before. 'Chaos?! What are you doing?' Shikamaru questioned within his mind as he couldn't see the tiny terror anywhere. 'Oh nothing. Just reminding you of something important.' The Angeloid responded back inside of Shikamaru's mind. She was using telepathy which was something Shikamaru didn't even knew she could do. 'And what might that something be?' Shikamaru asked as he knew that Chaos's seemingly random actions are never in fact random. She always has an ulterior motive in mind. Her intrusion into his brain right now wasn't just on a whim.

"I'm reminding you that this is nothing new." Chaos whispered with a giggle as her presence faded out of his mind. 'Nothing new? What does that even… wait a minute. She's right. This isn't anything new since this happens to me and everyone else all the time. Chaos's voice is actually one of her signature Genjutsu or her equivalent to one. Once you hear her giggle that usually indicates that she has activated her abilities. She does it so she can confuse a person and mess with their senses. If that's the case, then this is no different.' Shikamaru realized as he came to an epiphany.

With Chaos's impromptu invasion into Shikamaru's mind it brought the genius boy back into the game. 'I've got this.' The boy thought as he went on his counter offensive. Shikamaru slightly shifted his chakra in an ever so minute way, it went undetectable to almost everyone in the room. Only some like the Hokage and the Jōnin caught it.

"Are you ready for another round… huh!? What's going on? I can't move my body?" Kin started to taunt again as she brought out more Senbon to throw but her entire plan got derailed when she suddenly found herself unable to move a muscle. "Heh, it looks like my Shadow Possession Jutsu was a success." Shikamaru said with a smirk as he stood to his feet.

"No way! I double checked! You never casted your shadow anywhere." Kin refuted in denial as she tried in vain to move her body but it wouldn't respond to her commands. "Are you so sure about that? You might want to take another look around. Maybe at the wires you're holding." Shikamaru stated smugly as Kin looked and saw shadows casted from her wires. "No way…" Temari whispered with eyes widening in awe and respect. "How?"

"I bet you'd find it strange your wires would even be able to cast a shadow with how thin they are and how far off the ground they are but every time you use them to vibrate those bells back there they move around just enough that for a split second they create a shadow." Shikamaru explained as Kin paled knowing that she didn't have many options left to her. Her offensive capabilities were cut off now and they were never really outstanding to begin with. She was a support type kunoichi with skills geared towards supporting her teammates and their offense.

"So now that our shadows are connected what do you plan on doing? What's your angle?" Kin questioned as she was trying to think her way out of the situation she was now in. "Oh, shut up and watch troublesome woman." Shikamaru grumbled with a smirk as he pulled out a shuriken from his pouch which forced Kin to do the same thing. Cocking his arm back to aim and throw the smirk on Shikamaru's face never left. "Are you insane. You'll hurt yourself too if you throw a shuriken!" Kin exclaimed as sweat started to appear on her face.

"Oh well. I guess this is like a high stakes game of chicken." Shikamaru said merrily as he threw the shuriken at his opponent. 'Man, what's got me all cheery all of a sudden. Is this Chaos's influence since I don't feel like I'd come up with this particular strategy, especially with the outcome?' Shikamaru questioned himself idly as he saw the two shuriken pass by each other in midair. "Now time to duck." Shikamaru said aloud and this time he felt a ghost of a presence within him that felt like Chaos.

In the final seconds before the shuriken would hit their targets Shikamaru yanked his body back forcefully into a backwards lean dodging the shuriken that sailed right over his face by a good couple of inches. "Ha! I'll just do the same moron, piece of ca…" Kin boasted as she started to lean back as well at the same speed Shikamaru was which the others noted to be quite fast for the lazy boy. A loud and prominent thud resonated throughout the hall as Kin smacked the top and back of her skull into the hard-concrete wall that was directly behind her. The impact was so strong that her eyes rolled into the back of her head while her body slid slowly to the ground unconsciously.

"Kin Tsuchi of the Hidden Sound is unable to continue due to a solid K.O. The winner of this match is Shikamaru Nara of the Hidden Leaf." Hayate officiated with a hand raised in Shikamaru's direction indicating him as the winner.

Naruto released a breath he didn't know he was holding as a small smile came to his face. "There we go. Textbook Shikamaru strategy." Chōji said while opening up a brand-new bag of chips. Hinata agreed with this by shaking her head with a small smile adorning her face as well. She was happy one of her closest friends won their match with relative ease.

One minute later Shikamaru was back on the balcony and Kin was removed from the arena on a stretcher. "Good match Shikamaru." Naruto said as he bumped his elbow into Shikamaru's shoulder in a friendly gesture. "Yeah, yeah. Such a drag." Shikamaru mumbled. "How was your match Shikamaru, did you find it easy?" Chōji asked out of simple curiosity. "Yeah, but when that girl hit me with that Genjutsu of hers I swear I heard little voices in my head. It's what snapped me back to reality. I must be losing my mind in my old age huh?" Shikamaru stated in sarcasm but the discreet look he sent Naruto and the phrase of words he used was anything but light hearted.

Naruto's eyes were focused on the screen on the wall but the narrowing of his eyes and the slight curving of his lips into a frown gave Shikamaru all the answers he needed. The rookies weren't the only ones to see this however. Neji heard this exchange from a few yards away and with his impeccable eyesight he could catch the unnoticeable body language and secret conversation happening between Naruto and his classmates. Narrowing his eyes in suspicion Neji frowned. 'What are you hiding Uzumaki?'

The screen lit up once again and everyone's eyes tuned in to see who was going to compete again. After a few seconds the names came to a final conclusion and Naruto's eyes rose at this one.


[Samui vs. Takei Hitomaro]

'The Hidden Cloud and Stone are going up against one another…?' Naruto idly noted as he watched as the girl from the Hidden Cloud with blond hair and blue eyes calmly walked down the stairs. As Naruto noticed the last time he saw her which was back when they were entering the forest of death the girl had a rather curvaceous figure for her age. She was about 14 at most but she walked with confidence in herself and in her appearance even if the stoic look on her face stated otherwise.

Her opponent. A person from the Hidden Stone's team was a boy with a non-descriptive appearance. He had short black hair and brown eyes with no distinctive features that popped out. He was wearing plain shinobi attire that you would most commonly see in the Hidden Stone. 'Boy this guy's blander than Shikamaru's personality.' Naruto deadpanned in his mind as he would forget the kid's appearance soon after he took his eyes off of him.

"You may begin." Hayate announced as soon as the two combatants were in position.

Samui immediately sprang into action launching nearly a dozen shuriken in the blink of an eye. The boy to his own credit was quick on his feet as he deflected the metallic weapons with the two gauntlets that could be seen attached to his arms. Taking off in a burst of speed Samui crossed the distance between the two before Takei could finish deflecting all of the Shuriken. Going with a straight punch Samui's fist smacked against the gauntlet Takei raised at the last second but that did nothing to stop him from skidding back a few feet from the physical strength the girl displayed.

"Earth Style: Earth Flow Spears Jutsu!" Takei called out as he slammed his gauntlet covered fist into the concrete floor which caused concrete spikes to jut out of the floor in the direction of Samui who seemed completely unfazed. Taking out her Tantō the Hidden Cloud Kunoichi sliced through the concrete spikes with ease while hopping on top of some of the others. Jumping into the air Samui landed behind Takei with several kunai already in hand. Throwing them as a distraction she watched as he blocked them all in the time it took for her to get into his personal space.

A rather impressive display of technical fighting was shown to the spectators watching as Takei proved himself capable of defending himself adequately against sword wielding opponents. He managed to parry and redirect almost all of Samui's impressive sword strikes. It was a sight to see as Samui and Takei engaged each other at close range using combos and reversals to always change the pace of the fight back to them. "Now those are two shinobi I wouldn't mind fighting." Naruto commented as he was enthralled by the dance of death the two clearly well trained Genin were displaying.

"Yeah if you were at full strength, but as you are now I don't see how you'd pull off the win easily." Shikamaru quickly retorted with a dose of realism. Naruto couldn't refute his claim as he chuckled bashfully. He couldn't see himself going toe to toe with them evenly without his full power. At full strength based on what he's seen of them so far Naruto would feel much more comfortable handling either one of them but as Shikamaru stated, it would nearly be impossible. He'd be on his back foot for most of the fight.

Samui seeing an opening darted at Takei with her impressive speed to seize her opportunity. Coming in with a feint that took the boy off guard and balance the kunoichi performed a beautifully coordinated hurricanrana that had Takei thrown through the air and to the ground before he could even blink. Samui's Tantō was moving in to rest itself across Takei's throat in a finishing move but Samui suddenly backed off as Takei produced several earth spears around them that nearly impaled the kunoichi if she hadn't listened to her instincts and moved.

Landing firmly on the ground with a spring in her step Samui watched as Takei went through a quick sequence of hand signs. "Earth Style: Iron Skin Jutsu!" To Samui and the others watching Takei's skin gained a layer of dirt and stone on it that solidified until it was like a second skin. "Pretty cool." Samui commented with a look of curiosity swimming in her eyes. Getting into his fighting stance again Takei took off at Samui going noticeably slower than he was earlier which many noted to be a negative but the positives soon became clear when Samui's sword started to bounce off of his skin. "He trades speed and agility for better defense and offense." Asuma noted as he took a drag of his cigarette. "That has its own pros and cons. But something tells me this girl has a way around it." Shikamaru added on as he watched the match with interest. Normally he would have fell asleep so soon after exerting himself but he would admit that this match did catch his attention. He wanted to see what the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Stone could do.

Samui chipped away at Takei who was swinging his arms around deflecting her strikes and landed some of his own which was now heavier than ever before. Blocking several more of Takei's attacks Samui seized yet another opening. Streaming Lightning Nature Chakra into her Tantō Samui then stabbed Takei in the shoulder with her blade piercing the thick layer of stone on top of his skin. Many of the others were surprised to see her use this method as it was an advanced skill to stream your chakra nature into a weapon.

Takei gave a startled gasp but his body soon exploded in a cloud of smoke and in his place, was a sliced-up piece of concrete from one of his concrete spears. "Substitution Jutsu." Lee called out as his sharp eyes caught Takei further away on the other side of the arena. "Very cool, but not good enough." Samui called out in her monotone voice as she was already going through hand signs. "Lightning Style: Four Pillar Trap!" Four of the many concrete spears jutting out of the ground started to spark with electricity and Takei who was in the middle of them widened his eyes in realization. Lightning bolts shot out of the four spears directly into Takei's body blasting off his protective layer of stone skin. With Lightning Nature Chakra being strong against Earth Nature Chakra the boys Jutsu didn't stand a chance.

With a scream of pain Takei was battered by the lightning bolts that tore off huge chunks of his earthen skin leaving his actual skin charred and burned. Dropping to his knees Takei huffed as he got back to his feet to fight. He was running low on chakra and his body ached but he wasn't ready to quit. Samui seeing this charged at the boy and laid into him with her strong Taijutsu. The pain in his body made it nearly impossible for him to fight back properly but he was trying. In the end, it wouldn't matter as Samui out maneuvered him and got behind him. The kunoichi grabbed Takei around his waist and with a show of dominance and physical strength lifted the boy into the air as she leaned far back throwing the boy over her. However instead of letting go Samui tightened her grip and arched her back causing Takei's head to smack into the concrete floor with a low thud.

"It looks like someone's copying you Shikamaru." Naruto joked which earned him a sideways glare of annoyance from his close friend. Getting up Samui watched as Takei who was dazed and half-conscious tried to stand and fight but a Tantō to his throat made him reconsider his options. "I forfeit." Takei surrendered with a heavy sway of his head as he could feel how badly burned his skin was. He couldn't continue. Especially with how dizzy he felt.

"With that Takei Hitomaro of the Hidden Stone forfeits the match. Samui of the Hidden Cloud is the winner." Hayate announced as he waved his hand in Samui's direction. "You were pretty cool. Good luck next time." Samui stated in a very sportsman like way as she nodded in his direction as he was hauled off out of the room by Medical Nin. It would seem like cool was her favorite word to say. Luckily for Takei his burns and obvious concussion would be taken care of by the medical ninja.


"Wow she's good." Asuma praised as he nodded his head. "I would agree. She's very youthful." Guy agreed with a nod of praise. He was very impressed with Samui's performance. "Guy Sensei, what was that technique she used at the end to win the match?" Rock Lee asked as he's never seen a Taijutsu move quite like that one before.

Guy gained a sparkle in his eye as Taijutsu was his specialty. "That my dear student is known as a belly-to-back waist lock suplex or a back-arch throw, but its most popular name is the German Suplex." Guy stated while those around him leaned in with curiosity. "German Suplex?" Lee questioned with confusion in his voice. He wasn't familiar with the term. He's never heard of that move before. "Yes, it is a part of a style of Taijutsu called Wrestling." Guy revealed as he patted his student on the shoulder.

"Wrestling? I've never heard of it." Naruto mumbled out in interest while looking to the Elite Jōnin to further elaborate. "I'm not surprised young Naruto. Wrestling is not only a Taijutsu style but a cultural sport that is unique and exclusive to the Land of Lightning and The Village Hidden in the Clouds. It's widely practiced and used there. As a matter of fact, each of their four Raikage are master Pro Wrestlers." Guy explained knowingly.

"All of them?" Naruto's eyes lit up in interest as learning about the Kage and other powerful shinobi always piqued his interest. The same question was in everybody else's minds as well.

"Yes, the First Raikage fell into one of two classes in the style. One is called the Cruiser Weight Division which he fell into and he practiced a variation of Wrestling called High Flying Wrestling in which he used very acrobatic moves to dart all across the battlefield. The Second, Third, and Fourth Raikage's all fell into the Heavy Weight Division and they each adapted to various styles which practiced what is known as Heavy Weight style which uses a lot of powerhouse techniques. The Third and Fourth Raikage's who are father and son adapted a mixed style of powerhouse and speed with the Third leaning towards power and the Fourth leaning towards speed." Guy lectured displaying his vast knowledge of Taijutsu both foreign and domestic which he is widely known for.

"That's amazing Guy sensei! I had no idea the Hidden Cloud had such diverse and interesting Taijutsu." Lee exclaimed excitedly as he got pumped up at the thought of the unique fighting styles the Land of Lightning had to offer. "I agree, their culture is obviously much different than ours. But it's still a drag to think of it all." Shikamaru added with a dramatic sigh at the end. 'These fighting styles are pretty unique and interesting. If anyone knows how to teach me some of them other than Guy sensei, it's going to be Shoko. Maybe I should ask her the next time I see her?' Naruto thought to himself with contentment as the thought of seeing Shoko again after the crazy week he just had filled his heart with excitement.

"Ok we will now be moving on to the next round." Hayate called out which grabbed everyone's attention as the LED board on the back wall came to life again. Multiple names kept flashing across the screen as the randomization script ran its course. For Naruto, in particular. It felt as if an eternity was passing him by in slow motion and he wasn't exactly sure why, he also wasn't sure why he was getting this pit of anxiety forming in his stomach and gripping his heart but he was about to find out.


[Naruto Uzumaki vs. Kiba Inuzuka]

It felt as if the entire room just went deadly silent but in reality, it was just because those around Naruto fell silent. "Naruto…" Hinata whispered in worry as her lavender eyes peered over at her best friend whose face settled into a small but noticeable frown. 'Oh no. This is going to be such a major drag.' Shikamaru groaned in his mind but deep down he was worried about how this matchup would turn out. 'Well now this is going to be real interesting. They were like cats and dogs in the academy, especially after what happened at graduation. I wonder if that animosity has cooled down over the last few months? I would think the Land of Wave's mission would have helped.' Anko thought to herself as she gazed at Naruto who's look of content changed to contempt in the blink of an eye.

"Oh, boy this should be easy. With most of his pesky powers out of the way mopping the floor with Naruto should be a piece of cake." Kiba boasted as he stretched a little. A competitive and arrogant grin was on his face at the thought of fighting Naruto and in his mind winning. "There's no need for any of that Kiba. Besides even in his weakened state it would be unwise to underestimate Naruto. Why? Because it could very well cost you the match." Shino intervened as he came to the defense of Naruto who hasn't said a word.

"Hey! Whose side are you on Shino? I've got this in the bag. Anyways you'll be rooting for me right Hinata? After I've beaten him you'll obviously have to acknowledge who the better guy is between the two of us right?" Kiba questioned as he slid up onto the other side of Hinata while putting a hand around her shoulder. His cocky attitude was still in full effect and the gritting of Naruto's teeth was all of the evidence anybody needed to know that Kiba's words were getting to him.

"I uh… uhmm. Kiba I…" Hinata stuttered and fumbled over her words as she really wanted to cheer Naruto on. Not just because she has a crush on him but more so for the fact that he's her best friend and it feels natural to support him. While good friends and teammates Hinata doesn't feel the same about Kiba. This was putting her in a real tough position.

"Kiba… that's enough. Get down there so you can start your match." Kurenai reprimanded as she did not approve of her student's behavior. She could sense the tension in the air and she didn't want to see and drama unfold in front of her. Not to mention the fact that Kiba was getting a little too physical with Hinata. Kurenai was tasked by Hiashi Hyūga himself to watch over Hinata and to personally oversee her training. At first the then at the time Chūnin Kurenai thought that Hiashi was just pushing Hinata off because he was tired of her but she later came to find out that his intentions weren't so cold hearted. Kurenai can't say for certain why, but she does know that Hiashi had other motives in mind.

"Yeah, whatever. Come on Akamaru. Let's go win us a match." Kiba said with his fateful puppy barking in agreement. The Inuzuka heir hopped the railings of the observation balcony and landed 20 feet below on the concrete tiled floor of the arena. Making his way over to Hayate who was waiting in the center of the room Kiba's grin never diminished.

Seeing this Naruto decided to take the stairs so that he could warm up his legs from standing in the same position all day but also to allow him time to think. "Naruto…" Hinata began to say as her best friend walked passed her. He wasn't even looking at her. "It's ok Hinata. You don't have to cheer me on. Doing so will only put you between a rock and a hard place. I'm not asking you to choose between your best friend and teammate. I'd never make you choose between us." Naruto said quietly as he continued to walk away passing by Neji who heard all of this with a scowl on his face. "… good luck." Hinata whispered out and Naruto heard it but made no noticeable indication back towards her.

Once on the stairs and far enough away from everyone's listening range Eva decided to speak up. "Naru are you ok?" She asked her faithful partner with concern in her voice. "I'm fine Eva." Naruto said without his usual personality leaking into his voice. Eva predictably picked up on this and it worried her. "What are we going to do Naru?" She asked as they approached Kiba and Hayate. "We're going to beat him." Was Naruto's cold reply.

"Ok now. The seventh preliminary match between Naruto Uzumaki and Kiba Inuzuka is about to begin. Both fighters are you ready?" Hayate asked as he gauged the Genin's responses. "Let's do this!" Kiba barked loudly. "Ready." Naruto said as he never took his eyes off of his opponent.

"Well then… you may begin!"


To be continued...


Jutsu Library

1.) Bukijutsu: Twin Rising Dragons - A technique unique to Tenten that takes advantage of her superior skills with weapons. First, she places two small scrolls in an upright position on the floor. When activated, the two scrolls release smoke while also flying and spinning into the air in the shape of two dragons made of smoke. Tenten then jumps between the two scrolls, and starts to rapidly summon and throw all sorts of weaponry as a powerful projectile barrage. If the initial attack were to fail, she can control the discarded weapons with wires attached to her fingertips for a surprise attack. However, because the weapons are thrown, they are easily countered by wind techniques.

2.) Wind Style: Wind Scythe Jutsu - This bold move is Temari's speciality. By freely manipulating the gale brought forth by her Giant Folding Fan, the many air currents collide and create vacuum pockets. The person enveloped by this gale is assaulted by countless invisible blades, carving up their body. Also, the strong wind power will blow away all incoming projectile weapons and will even make the opponent unable to stay on their feet. Temari can also manipulate the form of the gale, creating a tornado to envelop and lift her opponent, while also cutting them several times.

3.) Leaf Hurricane - A taijutsu where one launches a succession of high kicks and low kicks. Firstly, the opponent's evasion margin is restrained upon seeing the high kick, thus augmenting the chances for the low kick to hit the mark. So originally the high kick is little more than a feint. The technique can also be used in the form of a spinning-roundhouse kick through the air, either alone or in unison with another user for more efficiency.

4.) Ninja Art: Shadow Possession Jutsu - This is the signature secret technique of the famous Nara Clan. The user extends their shadow on any surface even water and as far as they want as long as there is a sufficient area. Once it comes into contact with a target's shadow, the two merge and the target is forced to imitate the user's movements. If the target is out of range, the user can produce a better light source to increase their shadow's size or rely on pre-existing shadows for their shadow to freely travel through. It's also possible to split one's shadow, either to trap more opponents at once, or to create a distraction.

5.) Genjutsu: Harmonic Delirium - This unique Genjutsu causes sound waves on a peculiar frequency that is mostly inaudible to humans enters your ears and travels to your brain. Once it reaches your brain the caster can then freely control the person's body and shut down their motor functions. It also induces equilibrium loss as well as vivid hallucinations.

6.) Earth Style: Earth Flow Spears Jutsu - This technique lets the user condense mud or stone from the ground and shape it into spikes that protrude from the ground in order to skewer the target. The spikes cannot penetrate targets of greater density.

7.) Earth Style: Iron Skin Jutsu - The user flows chakra through all parts of their body causing it to become noticeably darker, which increases their defensive power to its utmost limits by making the skin as hard as diamond, easily capable of withstanding most attacks with little to no damage. As a result, the amount of techniques that can break through the areas hardened by the Iron Skin are close to zero, excluding its undeniable weak point: Lightning Style Ninjutsu. Furthermore, the destructive power of physical attacks is increased, making this a great all-purpose technique.

8.) Substitution Jutsu - One of the three basic Jutsu's required by the academy for everyone (with exceptions of course) to master in order to pass or at the very least to adequately on. This Jutsu is simple in how it works. The user searches or senses out a target and with his chakra he will identify that target and latch onto that object or target with his chakra. Then using his chakra like a beacon and transmitter the user will jump to the location of the object causing the object to switch places with the user so that the user can reconnect with his chakra in a space not already being taken up by said object.

9.) Lightning Style: Four Pillar Trap - Four giant rock pillars are summoned around the enemy, which then shoot bolts of lightning between them, immobilising the target and possibly doing great damage to them.

10.) German Suplex - The move is technically known as a belly-to-back waist lock suplex or a back arch throw, the wrestler stands behind the opponent, grabs them around their waist, lifts them up, and falls backwards while bridging his back and legs, slamming the opponent down to the mat (Ground) shoulder and upper back first. The wrestler keeps the waist lock and continues bridging with their back and legs, pinning the opponent's shoulders down against the mat (Ground). The wrestler can also release the opponent in mid arch, which is referred to as a release German suplex


Author's Note (A/N): Hey guys so how was that? Tenten vs. Temari went about the same as in the manga but with my slight tweakings and alterations but the outcome was still very much the same. In the future I plan to upgrade Tenten's ninjutsu arsenal to make her more competitive and versatile against opponents because let's face it. She was not at the top of Kishimoto's list for character development in any category. Her abilities didn't change much between Part 1 and 2.

Now Shikamaru vs. Kin ended the same was as in the Manga but I really added my spin to this. We can all safely say Shikamaru did not have a psychopathic angeloid little girl in the back of his mind talking to him during his fight. So yeah I'd say I added my own flare to that fight. I also decided to name Kin's unknown Genjutsu. It doesn't have an official name on the wiki page so I went out of my way to make one up for her. I also made sure the name made sense and fit the description of what the Genjutsu actually does.

Next we had Samui from the Hidden Cloud vs. Takei Hitomaro an OC I created for the Hidden Stone. He is Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi's Genin teammate. I was originally contemplating using Deidara as their third teammate but I ultimately decided against it. I didn't want him to appear so early. However he will be a fellow Genin of Kurotsuchi but just on a different team that did not participate in the exam. As for Takei I just created him to fill in the third vacant spot on Kurotsuchi's team but after the battle I gave him I might actually make him stick around. I was just going to discard him afterwards but seeing the fight he gave Samui I changed my mind. I made sure Samui stuck to her character with her favorite word being "cool". She however is more closer to a Chunin in strength. I made sure she was very talented and strong as I do plan to have her be a Jonin when Part 2 comes around. I had absolutely no plans for this fight going in. I didn't outline it or come up with a start of finish. I just let my fingers type and it turned into Takei being more competent despite the description I gave him. He put up a decent fight and showed some skills. But I had to have Samui put him down with a German Suplex. I'm a wrestling fan so I had to throw that in their and I'm building the Hidden Cloud up to have their culture influenced by wrestling. It's fitting considering every single one of the Fourth Raikage's moves are wrestling moves.

I also through in a little intermediate scene towards the end with Guy explaining to those around him about the intricacies of the Hidden Clouds culture. I decided that was a good place to insert some world building as I went into depth with the different wrestling styles that will make up their culture. I had fun writing that as I got to add something I like to the story. So I'm glad that turned out alright.

Finally the last segment of the chapter is setting up the Naruto vs. Kiba fight and the tension is so thick you wouldn't need the Sharingan or Byakugan to see it. I put their animosity for each other on the back burner for a long while but it's back again. To keep it in mind Kiba and Naruto don't really get along well in this story. They aren't exactly best friends. Especially with what happened in Chapter 1 of this story. Kiba's not so hidden interest in Hinata has caused some friction between him and Naruto and it's going to come to a boiling point. Kiba made it a point to reinforce the fact that Naruto is severely weakened and that this match was going to be easy for him to win. He also tried to put Hinata in a compromising position by having her choose who to cheer for. This is going to affect Naruto in his upcoming match. We'll have to see what happens.

Next Chapter: (Chapter 45 Elimination Match 8: Rivalry)


That's the end of Chapter 44 I sincerely hoped you enjoyed it.

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Published: 4/15/2017