Notice: I do not own Naruto, and make no claims of copyright on the
characters who are not my property. Original characters, however, are mine.
Author's Notes: Now, the main matches begin! I'm sorry about the lag between the last update and this one, I was really busy for most of this week and haven't had a lot of time. Some things about these matches, since I'm going to do the entire eleven match tournament, with people facing opponents that actually completed previous rounds I'm had to do certain things. So several of the first couple matches will be kind of reduced in scope, like how several of the prelim fights in Naruto were.
Thanks to all reviewers, and reply comments:
Hattuteline: The 'white-eyed romance expert' indeed, somehow I found that line hilarious. The relationship will develop in fits and starts from here on probably, I'm not sure exactly what's going to happen wit it since it's not central to the plotline. Thanks for the notes about the Jyu characters; I'm certainly not a student of Japanese myself.
Orlha: probably all 17 jutsu will not appear, but Xi will go through a bunch of them in future fights when the Akatsuki eventually show up on scene (so to speak).
SilverDragonfly: I have tried to make Shiren into a strong character, which is something of a challenge because of Neji and Xi's level of ability, but I don't want to her to be like so many of the other girls in Naruto, hideously weak compared to their male teammates. Exactly how Xi met Shiren will indeed be coming up, when all of the past of lightning comes out.
A Step Forward
The heart of winter settles over the Hidden Village of Stone for a month, as ninja strain themselves against the cold and their own limitations for that one-day in the very depths of the chill when they shall be forced to prove themselves. The main matches are come then, as the month seems to fly by, and the lives of twelve ninja are poised before a break in the road, to take one path as chuunin, or remain as genin. Though, there are always dark tendrils and whispers that suggest a third path, that you could die here or be stopped forever, not able to be a ninja anymore. This is the test that comes in winter, the cruel day of the main matches.
Twelve ninja are gathered at the exam stadium, to great crowds, stone ninja, lightning ninja come to see two teams compete, grass ninja to cheer their team, and many feudal lords and their entourages, come for betting and something to do in the middle of winter. The stadium is a cloistered place, built into the side of the mountain, grand and terrible, but also warm, channeling the heat of thousands of observers. An empty field cluttered with rock is in the center of the stadium, with only a few hardy mountain plants and grasses lying on the field, and the husks of last year's growth.
Draci Xi watches from a point far back in the stands, seeing the twelve genin on the field, three of whom he has brought, his team, much rumored and disputed, the first team with genin from different villages to reach the main matches in years. Xi watches, he has heard the rumors, analyzed the competitors in the moments between stretches of training, he has his own worries and fears. I do not know how they will do; I will have to watch like anyone else. Xi looks down as the crowd takes in the gathered genin. At least no one is late, he smirks, recalling the situation in Konoha, and I doubt there will be any Naruto type surprises this time. Neji, I wonder what will happen with you. It has been a bad month.
"What is wrong with you!" Xi remembers shouting the words balefully, almost threatening Neji. "Every day I have gone over a new jutsu, we've covered them all now, and many again, and you have not mastered any yet, and only progress towards the least usable ones! I know your skills are better than this! Where is your drive Neji?" His accusations had gone unanswered, though Xi could well guess. You are trying to flee from the dragon ninja Neji, trying to not embrace the killing soul within. It must be what happened on the mountain, twenty-one Waterfall ninja. Xi could imagine what had happened, the fury of a T'ien Lung in battle, the dragon lord's wrath raw and brutal. Neji had come back from the exam soaked in blood, and it had seemed to stain every part of him. You can't escape it Neji, Xi knew, this is the path you chose yourself, and there is no turning back now. Still, the older ninja had no answers, did not know how to help his student, how to guide him back. He was terribly worried. And I have forbidden him to kill in these matches, which does not help.
He had given that command because he had to, to make the contest worthwhile. Neji could easily defeat any of these opponents, even the strongest, if he used his dragon jutsus and ripped them open. I have made it a test again, but it will not help him accept that he is a dragon ninja. Xi mulled quietly in the stands, standing away by himself, his frightful presence enough to scare most away from him. Of course, that did not count the ANBU that were cautiously observing.
The matches were about to begin; Raikage had come up into the Kage's box with Tsuchikage at the top of the stadium, the mountain to their back. Heh, still wearing that sword strapped over your robes I see. Xi noted of Raikage, and indeed the lightning leader wore an ANBU sword strapped in open harness above his robes, a very strange action. Xi recognized the man easily, a ninja his own age. I'm glad you came, Raikage-sama. Xi decided. You're a better judge of this than I.
"So, the Raikage did come, as was rumored." A voice said from Xi's left. "And the head ninja from grass is also here, so all have their leaders present except Draci Neji."
Xi turned and saw the ninja standing next to him, a stone ninja in their chuunin garb. He was nondescript, perhaps sixteen or seventeen years old. Xi noted only two things about him. His eyes do not blink, they are steady, like lenses, and he wears a straight sword at his side. That was unusual; few ninja wore their swords that way, as samurai do, preferring back harnesses. I wonder who this boy is, who has the courage to speak with me. "You are?" Xi asked, not looking directly at him.
In response the youth slid his sword a few inches out of its scabbard, revealing something very different from steel, a crystalline shine.
The dragon ninja scowled. "I see. You're that one." Strange that I should run into this boy, he thought. He must have some reason to speak with me. "Do you have something to discuss?"
"Not really," The stone ninja replied. "But I expect your comments to be far more interested than those of my countrymen who will talk with me. And really, do you wish to watch the exam alone?"
"I'm accustomed to that," Xi answered, noting that the other ninja's eyes remained focused on the field. "So unless you make it worth me while..."
"Heh." The stone ninja answered. "Tsukabe Ota's the one everyone from stone is talking about to win, but I expect there should be some interesting fights. Most of the first round's a waste, except for the third fight."
"Indeed." Xi replied, waiting for the other ninja to continue.
"Kabure Gosain and Yilosi Nemari, and only one will be walking off the battlefield one way or another. They are closely matched as well. It is impossible to predict a winner. I wonder whom Raikage favors?"
"That one is a soldier." Xi says quietly. "He'll favor the winner, he doesn't have any choice."
"I see." The stone ninja answered. "It seems they're about to begin the first match. What do you think?"
"A grass ninja versus Chi Kiri's nephew." Xi muttered. "The grass team is very dangerous, I hope the stone boy doesn't die."
"Ah." The stone ninja responded, which surprised Xi. He has better judgment than I thought to recognize that.
The examiner, Special Jounin Acade, stood between the two genin in the center of the arena. Chi Yoro, a short stone ninja with a double-bladed kunai hanging from his hip, and Aburanki Kei, the strangely dressed grass ninja with woven branches on her back, the taller of the pair. She wore a grim expression, and looked down at Yoro. "Are you sure you want to do this?" She asked.
Yoro nodded, resolved.
"First Match: Aburanki Kei of Hidden Grass versus Chi Yoro of Hidden Stone." He raised his right hand high. "Begin!" The examiner leapt backward as his hand came down.
Chi Yoro leapt backward, hands moving quickly through seals. "Earth Element: Mud Cone no jutsu!"
He opened his mouth and spat a series of muddy globules far around the arena, encompassing a rough circle around Kei, who watched impassively.
The ground shook where the globs landed, and large cones of mud rose up out of the ground, reaching the height of a person and forming rough cones. Yoro smirked. "Now I have you."
Kei looked unimpressed. "You've covered the field in mud and proclaim victory?" She raised an eyebrow, but did not move.
"She's patient." The stone ninja next to Xi noted. The dragon ninja barely nodded.
Yoro reached down to his double-bladed kunai, and then threw it with a spinning sidearm maneuver. It shrieked out spinning horizontally toward Kei in a parabolic motion.
"Hmm, the Chi family's returning kunai throw, an interesting technique." The stone ninja commented.
Kei dodged aside swiftly, but the motion brought her close to one of the mud cones.
Yoro's hands flashed. "Earth Element: Exploding Shard no jutsu!"
The cone suddenly hardened to rock and blew apart, sending spear like shards of solid mud everywhere. The view vanished for a moment, but before the flying stone obscured everything Xi saw Kei reach back and pull out her woven branches.
The dust cleared and Yoro peered over to wear Kei had been standing.
A wall of grass and sticks stood there with hundreds of rock shards sticking to it. In seconds the wall seemed to fold away, to form back into the woven braches Kei held. "So that's it?" The grass ninja commented. She took the strange constructions and ran them along the ground, picking up the scrubby grass that grew there. Then she stuck both down into the dirt, forming her own hand seals. "Grass element: Woven Leaf Spear!"
Spears of green peeled off from the branches.
Yoro grabbed his returning kunai out of the air. He was obviously confused, and could not see a way to penetrate the wall of branches Kei had created before. He threw his kunai again and rushed forward.
"Wrong strategy." Kei muttered. She leapt up, pulling her green spears along with her. She blocked the oncoming kunai first, those grassy weapons proving as hard as wood, and then threw both.
The spears flight was not smooth or fast, and Yoro looked to simply stand between them and allow them to land next to him.
Kei made a single seal.
The grassy branches burst apart in a storm of razor sharp grass leaves, all pointed at Yoro like a thousand sharp needles. He barely had time to bring his arms up to guard before the storm whipped him aside.
Yoro screamed as the grass needles impacted him, ripping slashes across his flesh as they slashed by, leaving him a mass of cuts. He managed to get up quickly and dodge aside from Kei's charge, but was left standing there with blood leaking out everywhere on his body as the uninjured grass ninja stared at him.
"Not enough?" Kei muttered. "Or will you give up now?"
Chi gritted his teeth and pulled several shuriken. He raised them to throw. "I'm not finished yet."
Kei responded with a dark look, and ran here branches along the ground again. Shuriken flew, but Kei pulled off wooden shuriken and knocked them aside, even as she was already circling.
The wood impacted metal with a clang, and Yoro rolled to hurl more shuriken at Kei as she dashed behind one of his cones.
These shuriken flew straight and clear, to take the grass ninja in the torso. The stone ninja's eyes brightened for a second.
Then his hopes were dashed as Kei's form collapsed into a pile of grass and leaves around one of her woven branches. The other came down like a great club over his head. "Ha!" Kei shouted as the branch impacted with a sickening thud. Chi Yoro dropped to the ground like a stone.
Slowly the grass ninja walked over to her other branch and placed it back in her back harness.
Acade walked over to the stone genin's prone form. When he failed to rise after a moment he raised his hand. "Winner: Aburanki Kei!"
The crowd roared.
"Interesting jutsu style she uses." The stone ninja next to Xi muttered. "Plant manipulation, a tricky technique, and she's pretty good with it. Those branches work as a catalyst for all her jutsus, not a bad focus method."
"She still has to rely on a catalyst, her jutsus are not particularly strong." Xi replied. "More important was that she waited to evaluate her opponent and changed strategies repeatedly to keep him confused. It will be interesting to see how she fares against her teammate."
"Indeed." The stone ninja replied darkly. "No one really knows anything about this Tonetero, but he is apparently very dangerous."
"He is." Xi said. "That bloodline is very dangerous indeed."
There was some shuffling then, as Kei went back to the stands and the next two opponents stepped forward.
Neji, standing in the waiting room next to Gosain and Shiren looked at the grass ninja with new respect when she returned. I though all grass ninja were weak, but this one is reasonably skilled, and intelligent. Still, I won't have to face her until the very last match, and I doubt she'll get that far. He recalled the eyes of the other grass ninja. No, she will not get that far. Both Shiren and Gosain were paying attention to the next match, since it pitted a lightning ninja against the girl from stone. The winner will face Shiren, Neji knew, and so he determined to watch carefully. Which one would you rather face Shiren? Neji wondered, looking at her next to him.
She caught his gaze. "Don't worry about it. I'm ready for whomever I face." She said softly.
"I know that." Neji said steadily. "But it is aggravating to have to watch matches of those I know you will beat."
Shiren laughed softly at that, and Gosain joined in. From the other side of the room, Nemari shot them a lethal glare.
"We will now begin the second match." Examiner Acade spoke to the crowd. "Monihii Waru of Hidden Cloud versus Imidori Kana of Hidden Stone." He raised his had as the two ninja stood facing each other. They both wore simple uniforms in imitation of a chuunin's garb. The lightning ninja towered over his opponent, but there was an obvious strength to the stone girl. Neither carried apparent weapons.
"Begin!" Acade's hand slashed downward.
The examiner leapt out from between the two genin, who paused to stare at each other silently. Neither moved or even twitched, but stood steady, facing each other, hands at their sides. They were very serious. The moment stretched out greatly, and the crowd grew impatient.
"Hmm..." The ninja standing next to Xi muttered.
Xi said nothing. It will be...now!
Kana broke left, ripping shuriken loose from her pouch and throwing them as she moved.
Waru rolled right and dodged them, coming up with a kunai ready as Kana attacked. They met, and metal struck metal in a series of quick blows and counterblows, the clear ringing sounds carrying throughout the arena. As they fought they moved, dashing forward and back left and right, directionless, each seeking an advantage in this taijutsu struggle. Neither found one.
The lightning ninja's kunai came across, a blow that forced Kana back, but instead of following through he jumped back on his own, throwing the weapon forward as a screen. Hands moved and formed seals, a quick and simple pattern, one much practiced. "Lightning Element: Shock blast no jutsu!"
The seals completed a straight and brutal blast of lightning burst from Waru's mouth, to streak toward his stone ninja foe. She rolled away, but the attack was followed by several shuriken. Kana managed to block all but one with her kunai. That shuriken bit deep into her left leg, but the wound was minor, and she was quick to reply.
"Earth Element: Mud Blast no jutsu!" A huge and surging blast of sodden earth filled the air in front of Waru, threatening to trap him and make him easy to finish.
The cloud ninja dodged by leaping upwards, the only option left to him, and exposed himself to the shuriken attack. His counter was much the same as Kana's, but he was struck twice, once in the chest and once on the right arm.
Waru landed far from Kana, and they stood facing each other.
"Similar." The Stone ninja told Xi, "Genin with balanced skills in all areas, no specialization, no distinctive skills."
"The winner will be the one with the most effective jutsu." Xi said quietly. "It will be the next attack."
"Are you sure?" The man asked.
"Perfectly." Xi told him. "The lighting twin will win I expect."
The other turned back to watching the match.
Kana and Waru faced each other, watching carefully. Then they both broke toward the other, going directly forward. No weapons were drawn.
They closed rapidly, sixty feet, fifty feet, thirty feet, then fifteen feet. Then both stopped suddenly. Hands flashed trough the motions of seals, and chakra was gathered. "Earth Element: Spike Raiser no Jutsu!" "Lightning Element: Ball Lightning no jutsu!"
A row of stone spikes erupted from the ground in front of Kana, growing progressively taller as they surged toward Waru, seeking to impale him upon their sharp edges, rocky razors to rise up and kill. In response came three fluorescent balls of crackling energy. Freely moving globes that pulsed with a viscous presence. Waru's right hand formed into a seal as his face took on a cruel smile.
A ball of lightning slammed into the rising cone, and stopped it. Energy cackled and burned as rock creaked, moaned and protested, but it did not advance.
Kana's eyes went wide as the two remaining globes of electrical power streaked towards her.
The Stone ninja jumped back, dodging around one orb and spinning under the other, but she got too close.
"Heh." Waru smirked, and his hand curled into a second seal.
The blasts of lightning exploded, all around Kana, striking her body shocking and burning, obscuring the senses. She collapsed to the ground, but managed to push herself to her knees quickly.
Waru slammed his fist into the back of her skull. The Stone ninja pitched forward and collapsed.
Examiner Acade walked over slowly. He put his hand to Kana's head, then stood up again. "Winner: Monihii Waru!"
So it is done. Xi thought, and he gripped the rail in front of him tightly. Now comes the one important event of the first round. Two lightning ninja will fight each other.
"So, it's your genin next." The ninja next to Xi spoke again. "A lot has been said about this fight. Who do you think will win?" He asked levelly.
"No one will win." Xi said, turning to his companion straight in the eyes. "But Gosain will be the one who survives."
Author's Notes: Now, the main matches begin! I'm sorry about the lag between the last update and this one, I was really busy for most of this week and haven't had a lot of time. Some things about these matches, since I'm going to do the entire eleven match tournament, with people facing opponents that actually completed previous rounds I'm had to do certain things. So several of the first couple matches will be kind of reduced in scope, like how several of the prelim fights in Naruto were.
Thanks to all reviewers, and reply comments:
Hattuteline: The 'white-eyed romance expert' indeed, somehow I found that line hilarious. The relationship will develop in fits and starts from here on probably, I'm not sure exactly what's going to happen wit it since it's not central to the plotline. Thanks for the notes about the Jyu characters; I'm certainly not a student of Japanese myself.
Orlha: probably all 17 jutsu will not appear, but Xi will go through a bunch of them in future fights when the Akatsuki eventually show up on scene (so to speak).
SilverDragonfly: I have tried to make Shiren into a strong character, which is something of a challenge because of Neji and Xi's level of ability, but I don't want to her to be like so many of the other girls in Naruto, hideously weak compared to their male teammates. Exactly how Xi met Shiren will indeed be coming up, when all of the past of lightning comes out.
A Step Forward
The heart of winter settles over the Hidden Village of Stone for a month, as ninja strain themselves against the cold and their own limitations for that one-day in the very depths of the chill when they shall be forced to prove themselves. The main matches are come then, as the month seems to fly by, and the lives of twelve ninja are poised before a break in the road, to take one path as chuunin, or remain as genin. Though, there are always dark tendrils and whispers that suggest a third path, that you could die here or be stopped forever, not able to be a ninja anymore. This is the test that comes in winter, the cruel day of the main matches.
Twelve ninja are gathered at the exam stadium, to great crowds, stone ninja, lightning ninja come to see two teams compete, grass ninja to cheer their team, and many feudal lords and their entourages, come for betting and something to do in the middle of winter. The stadium is a cloistered place, built into the side of the mountain, grand and terrible, but also warm, channeling the heat of thousands of observers. An empty field cluttered with rock is in the center of the stadium, with only a few hardy mountain plants and grasses lying on the field, and the husks of last year's growth.
Draci Xi watches from a point far back in the stands, seeing the twelve genin on the field, three of whom he has brought, his team, much rumored and disputed, the first team with genin from different villages to reach the main matches in years. Xi watches, he has heard the rumors, analyzed the competitors in the moments between stretches of training, he has his own worries and fears. I do not know how they will do; I will have to watch like anyone else. Xi looks down as the crowd takes in the gathered genin. At least no one is late, he smirks, recalling the situation in Konoha, and I doubt there will be any Naruto type surprises this time. Neji, I wonder what will happen with you. It has been a bad month.
"What is wrong with you!" Xi remembers shouting the words balefully, almost threatening Neji. "Every day I have gone over a new jutsu, we've covered them all now, and many again, and you have not mastered any yet, and only progress towards the least usable ones! I know your skills are better than this! Where is your drive Neji?" His accusations had gone unanswered, though Xi could well guess. You are trying to flee from the dragon ninja Neji, trying to not embrace the killing soul within. It must be what happened on the mountain, twenty-one Waterfall ninja. Xi could imagine what had happened, the fury of a T'ien Lung in battle, the dragon lord's wrath raw and brutal. Neji had come back from the exam soaked in blood, and it had seemed to stain every part of him. You can't escape it Neji, Xi knew, this is the path you chose yourself, and there is no turning back now. Still, the older ninja had no answers, did not know how to help his student, how to guide him back. He was terribly worried. And I have forbidden him to kill in these matches, which does not help.
He had given that command because he had to, to make the contest worthwhile. Neji could easily defeat any of these opponents, even the strongest, if he used his dragon jutsus and ripped them open. I have made it a test again, but it will not help him accept that he is a dragon ninja. Xi mulled quietly in the stands, standing away by himself, his frightful presence enough to scare most away from him. Of course, that did not count the ANBU that were cautiously observing.
The matches were about to begin; Raikage had come up into the Kage's box with Tsuchikage at the top of the stadium, the mountain to their back. Heh, still wearing that sword strapped over your robes I see. Xi noted of Raikage, and indeed the lightning leader wore an ANBU sword strapped in open harness above his robes, a very strange action. Xi recognized the man easily, a ninja his own age. I'm glad you came, Raikage-sama. Xi decided. You're a better judge of this than I.
"So, the Raikage did come, as was rumored." A voice said from Xi's left. "And the head ninja from grass is also here, so all have their leaders present except Draci Neji."
Xi turned and saw the ninja standing next to him, a stone ninja in their chuunin garb. He was nondescript, perhaps sixteen or seventeen years old. Xi noted only two things about him. His eyes do not blink, they are steady, like lenses, and he wears a straight sword at his side. That was unusual; few ninja wore their swords that way, as samurai do, preferring back harnesses. I wonder who this boy is, who has the courage to speak with me. "You are?" Xi asked, not looking directly at him.
In response the youth slid his sword a few inches out of its scabbard, revealing something very different from steel, a crystalline shine.
The dragon ninja scowled. "I see. You're that one." Strange that I should run into this boy, he thought. He must have some reason to speak with me. "Do you have something to discuss?"
"Not really," The stone ninja replied. "But I expect your comments to be far more interested than those of my countrymen who will talk with me. And really, do you wish to watch the exam alone?"
"I'm accustomed to that," Xi answered, noting that the other ninja's eyes remained focused on the field. "So unless you make it worth me while..."
"Heh." The stone ninja answered. "Tsukabe Ota's the one everyone from stone is talking about to win, but I expect there should be some interesting fights. Most of the first round's a waste, except for the third fight."
"Indeed." Xi replied, waiting for the other ninja to continue.
"Kabure Gosain and Yilosi Nemari, and only one will be walking off the battlefield one way or another. They are closely matched as well. It is impossible to predict a winner. I wonder whom Raikage favors?"
"That one is a soldier." Xi says quietly. "He'll favor the winner, he doesn't have any choice."
"I see." The stone ninja answered. "It seems they're about to begin the first match. What do you think?"
"A grass ninja versus Chi Kiri's nephew." Xi muttered. "The grass team is very dangerous, I hope the stone boy doesn't die."
"Ah." The stone ninja responded, which surprised Xi. He has better judgment than I thought to recognize that.
The examiner, Special Jounin Acade, stood between the two genin in the center of the arena. Chi Yoro, a short stone ninja with a double-bladed kunai hanging from his hip, and Aburanki Kei, the strangely dressed grass ninja with woven branches on her back, the taller of the pair. She wore a grim expression, and looked down at Yoro. "Are you sure you want to do this?" She asked.
Yoro nodded, resolved.
"First Match: Aburanki Kei of Hidden Grass versus Chi Yoro of Hidden Stone." He raised his right hand high. "Begin!" The examiner leapt backward as his hand came down.
Chi Yoro leapt backward, hands moving quickly through seals. "Earth Element: Mud Cone no jutsu!"
He opened his mouth and spat a series of muddy globules far around the arena, encompassing a rough circle around Kei, who watched impassively.
The ground shook where the globs landed, and large cones of mud rose up out of the ground, reaching the height of a person and forming rough cones. Yoro smirked. "Now I have you."
Kei looked unimpressed. "You've covered the field in mud and proclaim victory?" She raised an eyebrow, but did not move.
"She's patient." The stone ninja next to Xi noted. The dragon ninja barely nodded.
Yoro reached down to his double-bladed kunai, and then threw it with a spinning sidearm maneuver. It shrieked out spinning horizontally toward Kei in a parabolic motion.
"Hmm, the Chi family's returning kunai throw, an interesting technique." The stone ninja commented.
Kei dodged aside swiftly, but the motion brought her close to one of the mud cones.
Yoro's hands flashed. "Earth Element: Exploding Shard no jutsu!"
The cone suddenly hardened to rock and blew apart, sending spear like shards of solid mud everywhere. The view vanished for a moment, but before the flying stone obscured everything Xi saw Kei reach back and pull out her woven branches.
The dust cleared and Yoro peered over to wear Kei had been standing.
A wall of grass and sticks stood there with hundreds of rock shards sticking to it. In seconds the wall seemed to fold away, to form back into the woven braches Kei held. "So that's it?" The grass ninja commented. She took the strange constructions and ran them along the ground, picking up the scrubby grass that grew there. Then she stuck both down into the dirt, forming her own hand seals. "Grass element: Woven Leaf Spear!"
Spears of green peeled off from the branches.
Yoro grabbed his returning kunai out of the air. He was obviously confused, and could not see a way to penetrate the wall of branches Kei had created before. He threw his kunai again and rushed forward.
"Wrong strategy." Kei muttered. She leapt up, pulling her green spears along with her. She blocked the oncoming kunai first, those grassy weapons proving as hard as wood, and then threw both.
The spears flight was not smooth or fast, and Yoro looked to simply stand between them and allow them to land next to him.
Kei made a single seal.
The grassy branches burst apart in a storm of razor sharp grass leaves, all pointed at Yoro like a thousand sharp needles. He barely had time to bring his arms up to guard before the storm whipped him aside.
Yoro screamed as the grass needles impacted him, ripping slashes across his flesh as they slashed by, leaving him a mass of cuts. He managed to get up quickly and dodge aside from Kei's charge, but was left standing there with blood leaking out everywhere on his body as the uninjured grass ninja stared at him.
"Not enough?" Kei muttered. "Or will you give up now?"
Chi gritted his teeth and pulled several shuriken. He raised them to throw. "I'm not finished yet."
Kei responded with a dark look, and ran here branches along the ground again. Shuriken flew, but Kei pulled off wooden shuriken and knocked them aside, even as she was already circling.
The wood impacted metal with a clang, and Yoro rolled to hurl more shuriken at Kei as she dashed behind one of his cones.
These shuriken flew straight and clear, to take the grass ninja in the torso. The stone ninja's eyes brightened for a second.
Then his hopes were dashed as Kei's form collapsed into a pile of grass and leaves around one of her woven branches. The other came down like a great club over his head. "Ha!" Kei shouted as the branch impacted with a sickening thud. Chi Yoro dropped to the ground like a stone.
Slowly the grass ninja walked over to her other branch and placed it back in her back harness.
Acade walked over to the stone genin's prone form. When he failed to rise after a moment he raised his hand. "Winner: Aburanki Kei!"
The crowd roared.
"Interesting jutsu style she uses." The stone ninja next to Xi muttered. "Plant manipulation, a tricky technique, and she's pretty good with it. Those branches work as a catalyst for all her jutsus, not a bad focus method."
"She still has to rely on a catalyst, her jutsus are not particularly strong." Xi replied. "More important was that she waited to evaluate her opponent and changed strategies repeatedly to keep him confused. It will be interesting to see how she fares against her teammate."
"Indeed." The stone ninja replied darkly. "No one really knows anything about this Tonetero, but he is apparently very dangerous."
"He is." Xi said. "That bloodline is very dangerous indeed."
There was some shuffling then, as Kei went back to the stands and the next two opponents stepped forward.
Neji, standing in the waiting room next to Gosain and Shiren looked at the grass ninja with new respect when she returned. I though all grass ninja were weak, but this one is reasonably skilled, and intelligent. Still, I won't have to face her until the very last match, and I doubt she'll get that far. He recalled the eyes of the other grass ninja. No, she will not get that far. Both Shiren and Gosain were paying attention to the next match, since it pitted a lightning ninja against the girl from stone. The winner will face Shiren, Neji knew, and so he determined to watch carefully. Which one would you rather face Shiren? Neji wondered, looking at her next to him.
She caught his gaze. "Don't worry about it. I'm ready for whomever I face." She said softly.
"I know that." Neji said steadily. "But it is aggravating to have to watch matches of those I know you will beat."
Shiren laughed softly at that, and Gosain joined in. From the other side of the room, Nemari shot them a lethal glare.
"We will now begin the second match." Examiner Acade spoke to the crowd. "Monihii Waru of Hidden Cloud versus Imidori Kana of Hidden Stone." He raised his had as the two ninja stood facing each other. They both wore simple uniforms in imitation of a chuunin's garb. The lightning ninja towered over his opponent, but there was an obvious strength to the stone girl. Neither carried apparent weapons.
"Begin!" Acade's hand slashed downward.
The examiner leapt out from between the two genin, who paused to stare at each other silently. Neither moved or even twitched, but stood steady, facing each other, hands at their sides. They were very serious. The moment stretched out greatly, and the crowd grew impatient.
"Hmm..." The ninja standing next to Xi muttered.
Xi said nothing. It will be...now!
Kana broke left, ripping shuriken loose from her pouch and throwing them as she moved.
Waru rolled right and dodged them, coming up with a kunai ready as Kana attacked. They met, and metal struck metal in a series of quick blows and counterblows, the clear ringing sounds carrying throughout the arena. As they fought they moved, dashing forward and back left and right, directionless, each seeking an advantage in this taijutsu struggle. Neither found one.
The lightning ninja's kunai came across, a blow that forced Kana back, but instead of following through he jumped back on his own, throwing the weapon forward as a screen. Hands moved and formed seals, a quick and simple pattern, one much practiced. "Lightning Element: Shock blast no jutsu!"
The seals completed a straight and brutal blast of lightning burst from Waru's mouth, to streak toward his stone ninja foe. She rolled away, but the attack was followed by several shuriken. Kana managed to block all but one with her kunai. That shuriken bit deep into her left leg, but the wound was minor, and she was quick to reply.
"Earth Element: Mud Blast no jutsu!" A huge and surging blast of sodden earth filled the air in front of Waru, threatening to trap him and make him easy to finish.
The cloud ninja dodged by leaping upwards, the only option left to him, and exposed himself to the shuriken attack. His counter was much the same as Kana's, but he was struck twice, once in the chest and once on the right arm.
Waru landed far from Kana, and they stood facing each other.
"Similar." The Stone ninja told Xi, "Genin with balanced skills in all areas, no specialization, no distinctive skills."
"The winner will be the one with the most effective jutsu." Xi said quietly. "It will be the next attack."
"Are you sure?" The man asked.
"Perfectly." Xi told him. "The lighting twin will win I expect."
The other turned back to watching the match.
Kana and Waru faced each other, watching carefully. Then they both broke toward the other, going directly forward. No weapons were drawn.
They closed rapidly, sixty feet, fifty feet, thirty feet, then fifteen feet. Then both stopped suddenly. Hands flashed trough the motions of seals, and chakra was gathered. "Earth Element: Spike Raiser no Jutsu!" "Lightning Element: Ball Lightning no jutsu!"
A row of stone spikes erupted from the ground in front of Kana, growing progressively taller as they surged toward Waru, seeking to impale him upon their sharp edges, rocky razors to rise up and kill. In response came three fluorescent balls of crackling energy. Freely moving globes that pulsed with a viscous presence. Waru's right hand formed into a seal as his face took on a cruel smile.
A ball of lightning slammed into the rising cone, and stopped it. Energy cackled and burned as rock creaked, moaned and protested, but it did not advance.
Kana's eyes went wide as the two remaining globes of electrical power streaked towards her.
The Stone ninja jumped back, dodging around one orb and spinning under the other, but she got too close.
"Heh." Waru smirked, and his hand curled into a second seal.
The blasts of lightning exploded, all around Kana, striking her body shocking and burning, obscuring the senses. She collapsed to the ground, but managed to push herself to her knees quickly.
Waru slammed his fist into the back of her skull. The Stone ninja pitched forward and collapsed.
Examiner Acade walked over slowly. He put his hand to Kana's head, then stood up again. "Winner: Monihii Waru!"
So it is done. Xi thought, and he gripped the rail in front of him tightly. Now comes the one important event of the first round. Two lightning ninja will fight each other.
"So, it's your genin next." The ninja next to Xi spoke again. "A lot has been said about this fight. Who do you think will win?" He asked levelly.
"No one will win." Xi said, turning to his companion straight in the eyes. "But Gosain will be the one who survives."