Yo
Sorry for the long wait. I had to do an overhaul on this story. Not a major one, but it was rather intrustive. This chapter was one of the main problems actually. I had to almost completely rewrite everything from scratch, and then I had to split the fight into two parts. At any rate I hope you like it.
I own squat.
The arena was impressive. Reiko saw a monolithic animated statue with six gigantic blades systematically taking out large portions of the gennin, but everybody else thought it was nice. Everyone quickly filed into their respective places on the upper level to watch the fights below.
"Okay everyone, the semi-finals will soon commence." Said a booming voice over the loudspeaker that had been rigged to project clearly throughout the whole building "The fighters names will be announced on the electronic screen."
Quiet murmurings grew up from the crowd. Everyone was completely exhausted from the forest of death. They had all strained themselves as it was. There was no doubt that things were going to get serious here.
"Hey guys, I'm gonna go and hit the snack bar." Reiko announced, completely out of the blue to his teammates, who all merely nodded at him "I'll make sure and not miss any of our fights if they get called though."
Reiko walked off without another word, every now and then glancing upward at the ceiling. In truth, he did go by the snack bar, but didn't stop there. He went directly outside. From there, it was a simple thing to shimmy his way up to the roof where he saw three figures sitting near the edge.
"Hey guys, I figured you'd be up here." Reiko said as he walked up. Upon getting closer however, he noticed that the third figure on the roof was the grass shinobi from earlier that kicked all their asses "You're that guy who kicked our asses!"
"Yeah…" Zabuza said, drawing his words out as if Reiko were a retard "This is Orochimaru sama. He's hanging out up here to watch the fights. Is that a problem?"
"Nope." Reiko said quickly, plopping himself right next to the snake sannin, who in turn handed him a pair of binoculars "I was just makin' sure I knew who it was."
"Would any of you boys care for a soft drink?" Haku asked with a smile, opening up a cooler.
"No ma'am." All three of them said in perfect unison. After doing so, they exchanged uncomfortable glances and then went back to watching the fights.
"Hey guys, I can see up this woman's dress…" Zabuza said with a slight chuckle. "She's on the third level, eighteenth row, seat twenty third from the right."
"Wow…" Reiko said, turning his binoculars to the indicated spot. At a sideways glance, he noticed Orochimaru was still watching the fights. "Orochimaru…dude…are you gay or something? Turn your binoculars in the correct direction if you would please."
"I've waited almost ten years until I could give Sasuke my curse seal." Orochimaru said, not taking his eyes off of Sasuke, who was currently fighting, and winning easily "I will see how he fares if it's the last thing I do."
"You need a woman. A strange, sadistic, snake-like woman…" Zabuza said, not taking his eyes off of the woman he was currently glued to.
"If the two of you don't stop being perverted, I'm going to beat you to a pulp." Haku said threateningly in a very calm voice like only she was able to do.
Zabuza and Reiko immediately went back to watching the fight, which was just ending. To themselves, they both wondered why they were taking orders from Haku, but didn't question it, for Reiko's name was suddenly flashed onto the board.
"Oh crap, it looks like I'm fighting that Hyuuga Neji guy." Reiko said, standing up "This is the worst possible fight ever."
"Nah, you could be fighting that Rock Lee kid." Zabuza said in a rather anti-encouraging way.
"Good luck on your fight Reiko kun. Do your best and don't get hurt." Haku said, walking over and hugging him lightly. For an instant Reiko blushed, but he hid it as soon as he could. Assassins didn't blush. Ever.
"Hey kid, don't use your mask." Orochimaru said to him offhandedly, while still not actually looking at him "If you use it to much you could die."
"I'll keep that in mind." Reiko replied in a less than convinced tone as he lowered himself down to the arena floor. It took a few second, and he could tell Neji was getting impatient.
Neji stood with his arms crossed and his eyes closed, seemingly peaceful, but Reiko knew better. He could practically feel the anger and annoyance rolling off of him. He was already a dangerous opponent without being downright peeved. Reiko decided to hurry.
"Sorry I'm late." Reiko said quietly, suddenly appearing on the arena floor "I had to see a guy about a thing…"
Everybody in the entire arena was silent, waiting for the match to begin. The tension was almost a feasible thing. Neji was just plain scary. Reiko swallowed the lump in his throat that had accumulated due to his nerves. This fight was just a little too one-sided for his tastes.
"Alright you two" The jounin who happened to be refereeing the match "Just get on with the fight already. I'm sure you know the rules so I won't explain it for you. Now just knock each other out already."
Reiko and Neji stood facing each other for a second. Each one saw the battle in their minds, unfolding itself in slow motion so they could capture every detail. Without a sound, they flew at each other. Reiko had yet to draw his sword because he wanted to gauge his own speed. Neji decided not to use any real techniques on him
The first blow was a quick jab from Neji using his jyuken. He came in low and aimed at a specific tenketsu on his left shoulder.Reiko was only barely able to register the move and leaned back just in time to get out of the way. Neji's speed was unparalleled, and that was Reiko's biggest weakness. Reiko went in to punch Neji, but only found himself with blood coming out of his mouth. Neji had hit his mark with deadly accuracy.
Reiko , despite already being wounded, decided it was time to pull out his sword and go after it. The advantages to the sword were it's ability to keep an opponent at bay for a time, but the disadvantage was that it would leave gaping holes in his defenses and it would slow him down a great deal. Reiko swung in a high arc, trying to push Neji back more than anything. Neji dodged to the side however, and went in with another punch. Reiko saw this coming though, and pivoted the handle of the sword to where it blocked the blow with much difficulty.
Reiko took the opportunity to go ahead and use the momentum from his last swing to make another wide front sweep, and did so. This time, all Neji could do was jump back away from the blade, and then continue jumping back to avoid the pursuit of the whistling sword.
Reiko thought he might have the upper hand for a split second, then the reality of it sat in as Neji landed a powerful blow to his chest, sending him sliding back a foot or two and causing the amount of blood coming from his mouth to increase. Then it was a frantic series of blocks and dodges, with Reiko on the defensive. It was only with a sudden epiphany during one particularly difficult block that Reiko realized that neither of them were using their full potential. With this thought in mind, he broke away from the flurry of punches and kicks he was currently dodging to try and set up a genjutsu.
Neji realized what was most likely going to happen when Reiko began forming hand seals. He also realized he didn't have much time left, and flew at him with all the speed he could possibly muster.
Neji flew in as fast as he possibly could, not intent on being caught in a genjutsu. He aimed for a tenketsu on his right arm but quickly realized that he was too late.
"JIGOKUMU NO JUTSU!" Reiko yelled before the hit could connect to his arm, sending Neji reeling across the arena floor from sudden loss of balance and reality.
Neji curled himself up into a little ball and closed his eyes tightly as he fell to the ground. He didn't see Reiko walk over to him and stand over him for a time before holding up his arms and gloating to the crowd. The referee started to step in and almost got the words out of his mouth when Reiko suddenly lost all feeling in his legs.
"So I see your will is too strong for even that illusion." Reiko said, kneeled on the ground and wiping the blood off of his mouth.
"You're petty illusions are nothing to me. In the end all you have is fear, and you can't beat me with so much fear clouding your vision." Neji said with an eerie calm as he relaxed his stance. "It was pathetic for you to even think that you had a chance."
"Know that you have barely begun to scratch the surface of the might of my illusions." Reiko said, outstretching his hand dramatically. "Should I so please, I could put you in the same place as me, where you will undoubtedly be tortured until your mind shuts itself down in a vain attempt to end all of the agony."
"I will not be defeated by that which is not real." Neji said, his eyes white eyes piercing through him coldly.
Reiko then shocked everybody present, from the dumbfounded Naruto to the astounded Orochimaru. He lifted his right leg up first, moving shakily and unsteadily. Then came his left leg. Slowly but surely, he stood once again, grinning like a madman. There was an audible gasp from the crowd.
Neji didn't waste any time and quickly delivered another blow to the stomach. Reiko fell to the ground and sat there for a second. Then, just like the first time, he got up. Blood streamed down his chest like a long red tattoo. The fact that he was standing was mind bendingly inconceivable.
"How are you able to do that?" Neji asked, his calm tone belying his confusion. Everything he knew said that Reiko should be on the ground unconscious right now, yet he wasn't. He didn't even seem like he was hurt all that bad.
"I simply…."Reiko began, forcing the words out between labored breaths "told my legs…to walk…"
Without another word, Neji dove in and slid behind Reiko, striking him in the back. The young swordsman didn't even try to dodge. He merely stood and took it. Neji then moved in front of him as he was falling and hit him in the chest, then struck both of his arms, and both of his legs, and then his hands. No person could move with so many tenketsu taken out. It would be impossible.
Neji stood back with a smug smile on his face as he looked at Reiko lying on the ground. The genjutsu specialist had been annoying, but now he was down for good. He could see his shallow breathing, and with his byukagan, he could see his erratic heartbeat. He was teetering on the brink of life and death as it was. It was a done deal. He turned around to tell the referee that the fight was over, but instead, he saw that the jounin's eyes were wide with what appeared to be shock.
"You were right Hyuuga…I am afraid…" he could hear Reiko saying painfully, each word siphoning more and more strength from his crippled body.
Turning around, he saw that incredibly, against all odds, defeating all logical thought processes and rules, Reiko was sitting up on his elbows. Blood covered his chest and his lower jaw where his life still leaked out of him. Then, he got up on his legs. It didn't look like he had a jutsu activated or anything. This wasn't a trick or an illusion. This was solid and real. This was one boy defying what was supposed to be.
"Every morning, I'm scared of waking up…" Reiko continued on as if him standing was the most normal thing in the world "I'm afraid…of the people I see. I'm afraid of…the village…the buildings…the trees…and my friends."
There wasn't a sound made in the entire stadium. Everyone watched the young swordsman intently. He just stood there. Anyone who hadn't seen the beginning of the fight didn't know why everybody was so amazed. They all saw nothing more than a scared boy who did what couldn't be done.
"Every day…I go through excrutiating pain." Reiko continued on, his tone never changing. This was perfectly normal for him. No big deal "Sometimes I can't sleep. Sometimes…I just wish I was dead…and at the end of the day…I'm afraid to go to sleep because…of nightmares that constantly haunt me."
"What does all of this have to do with why you are standing?" Neji asked calmly, seemingly unphazed by the whole ordeal.
"Because…" Reiko said as blood started to stream out of his eyes. The wind picked up in the stadium and Reiko's chakra seemed to suddenly explode "Fear has turned me into a killing machine."