IPF: so let's just forget the intro and get into this
KP: well said
Kuwabara: on with the show
No Guts No Glory Chapter 16
Neji woke up in Sayuri's bed. He noticed she wasn't there anymore ether. He stood up and put his pants on quickly. He grabbed his shirt and slung it over his shoulder and walked into the kitchen to see Sayuri at the sink doing dishes from the night before. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind then whispered in her ear "Guess who"
"Gee I wonder. Is it Rock Lee?" Sayuri said sarcastically
"Yeah right as if his arms would be this well built" Neji replied as Sayuri turned around to face him "Morning beautiful"
"Morning hotshot" Sayuri replied wrapping her arms around him and squeezing him tightly. Sayuri rested her head on his chest.
'I think I could get used to this' Neji thought "You know today is the day of the tournament right?" Neji asked
"Yeah and I wouldn't miss it for the world" Sayuri responded looking into his eyes deeply
"Good then I'll see you this afternoon but right now I have to go report to the Hokage's office" Neji said "Later"
Neji put on his shirt and ran out the door.
Meanwhile
Naruto was waking up at the hospital he shook his head and looked at the clock. 'oh shit I'm late!' Naruto thought 'I have to leave now but I can't Hinata is still recovering and she's out of it right now'. He leaned foreword and kissed Hinata on the cheek and she began to stir in her sleep.
"Naruto" Hinata mumbled happily and Naruto smiled as he headed out the door. He stopped by the main desk "Umm excuse me could you tell Hinata that I had to leave this morning so she doesn't worry" Naruto asked the person behind the desk and she nodded. "Thanks a lot"
Naruto ran out the door and headed for the Hokage's office.
Meanwhile
Tykiei Ken was looking out of his bedroom window with his hands in his pockets. His wife and three kids were all still sleeping. He took out a scroll from his Pocket and set it on the chest that was in front of the bed. The chest that no one was supposed to open until you turned seventeen years of age. Ken sighed a heavy sigh before heading for the door. He felt Rin's hand on his shoulder. "You have the same feeling as me don't you?" Rin asked
"Yeah I know what you're thinking" Ken responded "But I'll prove our history wrong"
"You know no one in your family who has ever come back from the final test of the Jounin exams alive right?" Rin asked her husband
"Yes I know its my family after all" Ken responded smiling "but that's why we are considered normal ninja's. Just the average. I want to prove them wrong I want to prove that the Tykiei clan can be considered a genuis one day"
"Its bad history. Don't go around doing anything stupid today please! If you don't think you're going to win then give up. Please don't use the family jutsu okay?"
"Alright I promise not to use the jutsu" Ken said with his fingers crossed behind his back 'unless it's absolutely necessary' Ken thought and he walked out the door.
Ken jumped up and started to bounce from roof to roof until he reached the Hokage's office. He saw everyone in the office was doing things to pass the time. Tsunade was sitting behind the desk leaning on one arm. "Tykiei Ken reporting for duty lady Hokage" Ken said saluting smartly. He noticed that he wasn't the only one late. Two more people were missing. One was Naruto and he knew the other had to be Neji. But there was also and extra person there. A man with reddish brown hair and dressed in Kage robes of the Sand style. He was leaning back against the wall with the cap slightly tilted away from him. He noticed the girl next to him clinging to his arm tightly. It was the Aki girl. 'I thought she failed the last test' Ken thought 'and that guy has to be the Kazkage'.
Gaara was uncomfortable being back in the leaf. The last time he was here he was an enemy. He was also a heartless killer and not even a chuunin yet. Now he was an ally as well as being the Kazkage. But the biggest deal he felt was the fact that now he had a family and a fiancée. He felt really embarrassed whenever Aki would hold his arm like she was now but at the same time he didn't want her to let go.
A huge BANG sound could be heard throughout the room as Naruto came skidding to a halt in the middle of the Hokage's office. "Uzumaki Naruto reporting for duty!" Naruto said smartly and he noticed that Neji wasn't here yet "YES! I am not last I was so sure I would be the last one here."
A second later Neji came running in "Sorry I'm late I…had important matters that required my attention" Neji said
"That's quite alright Neji" Tsunade said "I already know your excuse" Tsunade continued looking at Naruto who was smiling sheepishly. "Come on you guys have exactly three hours to do whatever you want in the arena but you cannot leave that area until I say otherwise"
Tsunade led them to the arena which was empty at the moment. "So what the hell are we gonna do?" Naruto asked
"Use your three hours to do whatever you want in this area" Tsunade said
"Why are we gonna wait for three hours?" Yingchi Ryu asked
"Because I am having Kakashi referee and he wont be here on time. Three hours is a logical guess." Tsunade responded and everyone did an anime sweat drop.
Three long and agonizing hours later
Kakashi came into the arena to see everyone playing in a huge game of Texas hold 'em. Naruto's eye was twitching uncontrollably "All right I'm in" Naruto said throwing a thousand Yen bill into the pot.
"Full house" Sasuke said smirking
"Damn why is he so good at cards" Naruto muttered
"Ahem" Kakashi coughed "If you all don't mind I would like us to get started"
"You should talk Kakashi" Neji said "What took you so long?"
"Well you see a little girl stopped by my door last night and told me I was her father" Kakashi said "And I wanted to talk to her this morning"
"Jeez Kakashi" Naruto said "I prefer your story about saving the village from a group of mysterious bandits"
"Or the time that a black cat crossed your path and you had to deal with it" Sasuke added
"Or the time an old lady needed help crossing the street" Lee said
"Or the time you-" Kiba began Before Kakashi interrupted "I AM TELLING THE TRUTH!"
"Yeah whatever" Naruto said "Lets get started already"
Kakashi held out a box "In this box is a number this will determine the order and who you fight" Kakashi said "so who's first?"
Ken walked up first and drew the number four showed it to Kakashi and he nodded. Neji was next he walked up and grabbed a piece of paper. He showed the number eight to Kakashi and he nodded. Shikamaru was next as he walked up and drew the number five He showed it to Kakashi and walked back over to the group. Ryu went next and he drew the number two. So far no one was fighting anyone.
Naruto was next and he drew the number six. Sasuke went next and drew the number three. Lee jumped over to pull out the number one. Kiba went last and drew the only number remaining. Lucky seven.
"Okay so the fights are the following. Fight one: Rock Lee vs. Yingchi Ryu, Fight two: Uchiha Sasuke vs. Tykiei Ken, Fight three Nara Shikamaru vs. Uzumaki Naruto, and finally fight four Hyuga Neji vs. Inazuka Kiba. The real fighting will begin in exactly one hour that's when the fights are scheduled to take place I would suggest resting at this point." Kakashi said. Kakashi walked over and leaned against the arena wall and pulled out a copy of "Icha Icha Paradise".
Naruto smirked and fell back in the middle of the arena. He placed his hands behind his head and began to zone out. He didn't do it for long before he realized that Shikamaru was right next to him doing the same thing.
Lee was doing vertical push ups and several other types of stretches. Naruto could hear him muttering something about being number 1. Sasuke was sitting down cross-legged trying to think of different strategies he could use against his opponent. Ryu was moving his body all around doing a series of kicks and punches trying to stay loose. Ken was checking out the arena. Walking over inch of ground ever speck of dust. His idea was to know his battlefield for a better advantage. Finally there was Kiba who was playing fetch with Akamaru. Everyone has their own way of getting psyched up. Each one of them was exploiting that.
One hour later
The arena was packed with people. There wasn't an empty seat in the house. Naruto kept scanning to see if Hinata had been able to make it to the fights. He couldn't seem to find her and decided to give up for the time being.
Kakashi was standing in the middle of the arena was stunned at the amount of people this year. The last time he saw this many people at a exam final was his own. That was because both him and Gai were in it. At the end it was Kakashi vs. Gai in the finals. Kakashi laughed at the outcome of that final fight.
"Lets begin round one." Kakashi said "First fight is Yingchi Ryu vs. Rock Lee!"
Lee and Ryu both walked out from the shadows of the entrance. The crowd cheered for the two fighters. Everyone else on the final eight was watching with killer intent. "Hey Neji?" Naruto called
"Yeah what is it?" Neji said coldly
"This Ryu guy isn't he supposed to be really good at taijutsu too?" Naruto asked
"Yeah he's really good" Neji responded not looking away from the two fighters "But Lee is no pushover ether. They are both going to use Taijutsu at their max. nether one is gonna back down ether I don't know what's gonna happen"
Lee was standing in his usual stance with one arm behind his back and one arm outwards. Ryu was standing in a Karate stance with his right arm up in a defnsice position and his left at his side with clenched fists. "So Ryu lets get this party started" lee said smirking "I am glad to fight a taijutsu master such as yourself so that I can test my true hand-to-hand combat skills"
"I appluad your effort Lee but you can't beat me" Ryu responded
"I guess I'll have to prove you wrong" Lee responded
-End of chapter 16
KP: okay I know it was short but I want to build the suspense for the first fight
IPF: yeah what he said
KP: i cant seem to get a break on fiction press though no one wants to read my story over there
IPF: dont let it get to you nad lets get the next chapter out
KP: hey if you want to read my individual original stuff at fictionpress let me know and ill give you my pen name
Kuwabara: you two punks just better hurry up!