Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. All I own is my own character Sonki Ekibyougami and part of the plot that is coming up.
Naruto
Chapter 8: First Match
Saga: Death and Rebirth
"First off, for the second test… Congratulations on passing!!" Anko shouted out, smiling to herself.
"Can't say I'm getting a good feelings," Sasuke muttered, looking around himself. The room was filled with Chuunin's, and there team leaders. The Hokage was standing up front with Anko at his side.
"Of course not," Sonki muttered back at him. "After all, some of the people in this room, aren't going to be easy opponents…"
"No wonder they all nominated them…" Hokage said to himself as he cast a weary glance at all the team leaders standing behind him.
"The Hokage will now explain the third test! Listen carefully!" Anko shouted into the microphone in front of her.
"For the coming third test… But before I explain that... There is something Id like you to know. It concerns the true reason for this exam…" the Hokage said and stopped, letting his short sentence sink into them.
What am I doing? I know what he's going to talk about…Sonki sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, preparing for a long speech and confused looks ahead.
"Why do we have all the alliance countries taking the exam together?" the Hokage asked, fiddling around with his hat. "To promote friendship among the countries. To raise the level of Shinobi. I don't want you to be confused about the true meaning… This exam is…"
Is…? Naruto looked at him dead on.
Sonki cast a quick glance at Gaara. He remained unscratched and clean. She sighed and then looked back up at the Hokage. Wish I were that clean… The basterd, he knows how I hate being dirty, let alone not taking a shower everyday… Bet he's rubbing it in my face…
"A replacement for war among the allied countries," the Hokage finished up.
"What does that mean…?" Tenten asked looking at him utterly confused.
"If you go back in time, the current allies were enemies. Who fought each other over who would rule. In order to prevent wasteful fighting, the stage that these countries chose for battle… That is the origins of the Chuunin selection exam," the Hokage finished up.
Here comes Naruto…Sonki sighed once more.
"Why the hell do we have to do that crap? Isn't this thing for deciding who's a Chuunin?" Naruto asked, loud enough fro everyone to hear.
"IT is a fact that this exam decides which Shinobi's have what it takes to become a Chuunin. But on the other hand, this exam has another side… Where each country's Shinobi's risk their own life to protect their land's prestige."
"Prestige?" Ino asked crossing her arms over her chest confused.
"Watching this third exam will be leaders and influential individuals from many counties who make up the clients of the Shinobi. And the leaders of the countries will also be there to watch each of your battles. If the strength of a country is clear, that country will receive more clients. And conversely, if seen weak, they will lose clients. And this will signal to potential enemy countries that 'our village has this much power.' So it will send a political message to the outsiders."
"Yeah, but why!? Why do we have to risk our lives in battle?!!" Naruto shouted out.
"The strength of the country is the strength of the village. The strength of the village is the strength of the Shinobi. And a Shinobi's strength is… Born only through life risking battle."
This exam is a place to see each country's strength and to show off your own strength. It only has meaning because lives are at risk. And that's why those that have come before you have fought in the Chuunin exam for this dream that is meaningful."
"But then why… Do you say stuff about it being for friendship?" Tenten asking looking up at him a little agitated.
"I said it in the beginning, I don't want you to confuse the purpose of this. By losing life and establishing balance. This is the shape of friendship in the world of the Shinobi. Before we begin the third test I will tell you one more thing. This is not just a test… This is a life risking battle… With your dreams and your country's prestige on the line."
"I get it," Naruto said smiling to himself, his arms crossed over his chest.
"I don't care what it is… Just hurry up and tell us what this life-risking battle entails," Gaara spat out at him. Sonki…
"Yes, I'd like to now explain the third test but… Actually…" the Hokage stopped a man was now bowing in front of him.
"I apologize Hokage…" he begun. "From here on, as the referee… Will you please all me, Gekkou Hayate…"
"By all means…" the Hokage finished.
"Hello everyone, I am Hayate. But… Before the third test there's… Something I'd like you to do…" Hayate coughed, he looked extremely tired and sick. "Umm… It's a preliminary for the third test to decide who gets to participate in the main event."
"Preliminary?" Sakura asked looking at him confused.
"What do you mean preliminary!?" Shinkamaru shouted out at him angrily.
"But… I don't understand this preliminary but… Why aren't all the people here allowed to participate in the next test?" Sakura asked.
"Umm… Because the first and second test may have been to easy this year… We have a bit too many people remaining… According to Chuunin exam rules, we must have a preliminary and… reduce the numbers of participants for the third test," Hayate said.
"Finally… Some real action," Sonki muttered, a grin spreading across her face.
"As Hokage indicated earlier, there will be guests at the third test… So the fights could take too long. We are limited in time… Umm.. So anyway those who are not feeling well… Those who feel like quitting after these explanations.. Please come forward now. Since we will be staring the preliminary immediately…" Hayate said waving his hand in front of him.
"What?!! Right now?!!" Kiba shouted out angrily.
This is going to be so much fun… Sonki stuck her hands in her pockets, the smile still on her face.
"Umm… I'm going to quit…" Kabuto said stepping forward.
"What?! Kabuto!?" Naruto shouted out looking at him confused. "Why!?"
"Ummm…" Hayate coughed into his hand. "You're Yakushi Kabuto, from the Leaf, right? You may leave now…"
Anger spread across Naruto's face.
"Does anyone else want to retire? Oh… Umm… I forgot to tell you that from now on it will be individual battling. You may raise your hand based on your own judgment."
"WHY ARE YOU QUITING?!! WHY!?" Naruto shouted at him angrily, his fist shaking in his direction.
"I'm sorry Naruto… But my body is all beat up. And now we'll have to risk out lives… I just..."
A frown appeared on Naruto's face as he lowered his fist, starring at the ground in defeat.
"Good," Sonki said smiling wickedly at him. "I'm tired of looking at your ugly face!"
A small smile spread across Kabuto's face at her sudden statement. What a cruel kid… Guess I'll just have to teach her some manners latter, even if it's without Orochimaru's consult…
"I've seen him before. Didn't he quit during the final test last year? What's he thinking?" Anko asked frowning in confusion at him.
"What kind of record is that?" the fourth asked in just as much confusion, though a little bit of concern, as though he figured something else was taking place then just several failures.
"Since his academy days he was a student who didn't stand out too much, average grades, and then finally graduated on his third try… Completed missions are two C-rank and fourteen D-rank. No spectacular battle history.." Anko replied. "But…"
"Yes?" The fourth asked.
"It's about before he entered the academy…" Anko answered. "Do you remember? That young boy brought back from the battle at Bell Flower pass."
"I do… As I remember, a Jounin member of the medical team brought back a child of the enemy who had survived the battle. So he is that child…"
Kabuto gave a wave of his hand, a cheery smile on his face as he begun to walk away from Naruto and the others.
Sonki glared at him as he begun to walk past her. "Try anything when you come back and I won't hesitate to kill you Kabuto… I know what you're up too… After all, I am in Orochimaru's interest right?"
Kabuto smiled at her, and then left the whole area entirely.
"Umm… Now… There are no more retiring, right?" Hayate asked, now getting all of their attention back to him.
"Sasuke-kun…" Sonki started, her voice was only low enough for him to hear as she walked over to his side. "You don't have to listen to me of course… But… I do want you to know this before you start…"
Sasuke-kun? Did she just call me Sasuke-kun? A total look of surprise was on his face. She was addressing him so friendly.
"I myself and Sakura would love for you to retire from this battle right now," Sonki started up, she was looking at the ground, her eyes lowered and seemed to be showing small signs of pain. "But you're not going to agree, and I find you noble for that… But please, that mark on your neck. It's not good. Orochimaru is a bad guy, don't go out and seek him… All it will do is cause more pain for you! Please!"
"Is that it?" Sasuke asked her.
"Yes…" Sonki replied, sounding a little hurt.
"I… I will keep it in consideration," Sasuke replied, flashing her, a small smile before reverting back to his normal frown. "But I will not stop this fight, just for you, or… Sakura."
"We should remove him from the exam and have the Anbu watching over and protecting him…" Anko said to the Hokage. She had been listening in on ever word Sonki had been telling Sasuke and repeating it to the Hokage. After all Sonki was on of the people all of the adults had their eyes on.
"He's the type that wouldn't easily agree to that…" Kakashi said in a hushed voice as he appeared behind the two of them. "Since he's from that Uchiha clan after all."
"Don't be stupid!! We'll force him to quit!! By just releasing Chakra the curse becomes active and forcibly pulls out Chakra! It's a forbidden Jutsu that eats at the body's user! It's amazing that this child is still standing! He should be dead."
The Hokage sighed. "What Orochimaru said is on my mind. Let's let Sasuke continue and watch over the situation…"
"Hokage-sama…" Anko said looking at him taken back.
"But is the curse begins opening and releasing power, then jump in and stop him…" the Hokage finished up.
"Yes…" Ibiki answered.
"Um… Now… Let's begin the preliminary. This preliminary will consist of one on one fighting. You will basically fight as if in a real life confrontation. The winners will advance to the third and final test…"
Everyone in the room starred at him in a complete dead silence.
"There are basically no rules. The fight continues until one of you dies or is knocked out or admits your defeat. Umm… If you don't want to die then quickly acknowledge your defeat. But when I decided that the winner has clearly been established… Since we don't want to pointlessly increase the amount of corpses, I'll jump in and stop things…" He paused to cough again. "And the object that controls your destiny is…" A giant electronic bored showed up in back of where the Hokage and the rest of the examiners stood. "Is this… this electric score bored will… Show the match-ups for each battle. Now, this is sudden but let's announce the two names of the first fight…"
Sonki yawned, placing a hand over her mouth as she looked up at the bored.
Uchiha Sasuke and Akado Yoroi appeared on the bored.
"Now these two entrants come to the front…The two participants in the first fight are Akado Yoroi and Uchiha Sasuke. Are you ready?" Hayate asked looking at the two of them that had appeared in front of him.
"Yeah…" Sasuke answered.
"Yes…"
"SASUKE-KUN!" Sakura shouted out at him, lunging herself at the railing in front of her. She gripped on to it tightly, on the verge of tears.
Kakashi looked at her, slightly agitated and sad. She is focusing on him too much…But then again, Sasuke? How are you really going to turn out in this fight? When you can't use your Chakra?
A wave of pain was seen fly onto Sakura's face. "Sasuke-kun…"
"Stop worrying about him!" Sonki said sighing deeply. She reached for her headphones around her neck and put them on over her ears. "Sasuke will win of course. After all he is from the Uchiha Clan. He's not as helpless as you take him to be…"
"How can you say that?" Sakura said frowning angrily as she watched Sasuke get slammed into the ground by Yoroi. His Chakara was beginning to get drained away by his opponent. "How can you say that!?" She spun around facing her, tears in her eyes.
Sonki closed her eyes leaning against the wall behind her, hands in her pocket.
"All I ever wanted to be was a wholly muffler on your naked neck… Double rap me when it's cold…But I feel a little tight just now… And I'm afraid… I feel a choke hold… C-coming on…Yeah I'm afraid I feel a choke hold coming on…" Sonki sand to herself quietly as she bobbed her head to the beat, a small smile on her face.
"You're not even listening to me!" Sakura shouted at her, she was now in front of Sonki, the back of her hand swung at the side of Sonki's face. Making contact as a loud slap was echoed through the whole arena.
All eyes were now on Sonki, waiting to see how she would react to this.
Sonki slowly drew her hand up to the side of her face, her other hand removing the ear phones from over her ears as she slowly opened her eyes to look at Sakura. She sighed deeply and moved her hand away from her face.
"Since I like how you care so deeply for Sasuke… I'm going to forgive you for slapping me," Sonki said looking at her. It was a dead silence besides from the fight going on down below. "In a moment I would like an apology though…"
"For what…" Sakura hissed at her, more anger spreading across her face.
"That's… That's thick brows technique!" Naruto screamed out looking down in the area below him.
Yoroi had just been kicked up in the air, Sasuke below him foot extended where his face used to be.
"What!? Sasuke-kun?!" Sakura shouted out returning back to the railing as she starred down at Sasuke. He was doing just fine.
"The winner of the first match, Uchiha Sasuke! He has passed the preliminaries!" Hayate shouted out steeping away from the unconscious body of Yoroi.
"YES!" Naruto screamed out happily at Sasuke. "But what a lame way to finish! You're all beat up!"
A surprised look appeared on Sakura's face. He…He won… Sonki was telling the truth. She turned around facing her. "Sonki-chan… I'm… I'm sorry for doughting and slapping you earlier, you were right…"
"Drop the chan and you are forgiven," Sonki said a little appalled at the sudden use of chan at the end of her name.
"Yes," Sakura answered nodding her head.
"Oh and Sakura…" Sonki said looking at her with a small smile on her face. "Don't worry about Sasuke that much anymore, okay? Kakashi's gunna put everything under control. He won't be getting out of hand anymore…"
Sakura looking at her with a reassuring smile. Kakashi was already down in the ring with Sasuke.
Chapter eight end! Wow, I'm rolling these out fast all thanks to you wonderful people who have been leaving awesome comets! I thank you so much for them! I might not be updating that often so I'll try and put out another chapter today, sorry if this one was a bit of a bore! But the next should be better!