Disclaimer: do not own Naruto, the character or the anime/manga, Feneris however is my own Character.

True Power

Chapter 22: The Final Challenge

"Just when you think you're finally done. It all falls down and you have to start all over."

Unknown

The arena was packed with villagers and shinobi. The remaining Gennin sat in the competitors' box waiting for their match to be called.

"Gaara, Haku, best of luck. Now lets give them a show," Naruto said to his two team mates.

"Now, civilians, ninja, our Hokage, and the Kazekage. It gives me great honour to referee the Chunin finals!" Feneris announced, before calling out. "First match, Haku and Namimaru!"

Haku and Namimaru made their way down to the central arena.

"May the best man win," Namimaru greeted. "Reverse Waterfall Jutsu!"

A giant jet of water shot out of the ground, from underneath Haku. Haku was propelled upwards by the force. When the water died down he levitated in the air, much to the amazement of the crowd.

"Is that the best you can do?" he taunted, as he made a quick series of one handed seals. "Hidden Mist Jutsu!"

A thick mist rolled over the arena, obscuring everyone in the pit. Up in the stands the Third was watching with great interest. "The Hidden Mist Jutsu. The signature technique of the late Demon of the Mist, Zabuza. This should be interesting."

Namimaru was glancing though the mist nervously. He suddenly heard a voice that did not sound like Haku. "There are several vital spots in the body." The voice shifted to another part of the arena. "The heart, the lungs, the jugular vein, the vena cava, the kidneys, the brain stem. Which one should I chose?" The voice shifted again. "Maybe the brain stem, you'll suffocate without me touching your lungs."

Namimaru finally came to his senses enough to try and counter the mist jutsu. He made a hand seal and the mist started to clear. It revealed that he was surrounded by mirrors made of ice; an image of Haku was reflected in each mirror.

"These are my demonic ice mirrors. Let's see how long you last against them?"

Haku let fly a deadly crossfire of sebon needles; the needles making a bunch of shallow cuts along Namimaru's skin.

"Heh, that the best you can do? The most these do is scratch me," Namimaru taunted, then, he collapsed on the floor.

Haku emerged from his mirror and let the mirrors melt back into water. "Those needles were coated with a potent neurotoxin; you won't be able to move for the next 5 hours."

Haku walked away, as the medic ninjas hauled Namimaru's limp body onto a stretcher.

"Next fight is Sunamoru and Naruto!" Feneris announced.

Naruto moved into the arena, followed by Sunamoru. "Good luck, you'll need it," Sunamoru said, before he was gone in a blur of speed.

"I better end this quick, and save me strength," Naruto thought, as he made a short series of hand seals. "Thunder Cloud Chidori!"

Lightning gathered in his hand. However, it the electricity burst outward filling the entire arena. When the lightning cleared, Sunamoru was rooted to the spot, as Naruto charged forward. The lightning became more focused, as Naruto charged his target; till it looked like Naruto's hand was encased in a glowing sphere of lightning. However, he stopped the Chidori as it was about to hit Sunamoru. "You're dead," he whispered to Sunamoru.

"Interesting," the Hokage thought. "A modified version of Kakashi's Chidori; it starts with a burst of paralyzing lightning, then focuses as the user moves in for the kill."

"Next contestants… Sasuke and Shino!"

Sasuke and Shino entered the arena.

"Heh, lets see how your bugs like fire." Sasuke taunted, as he made a series of hand seals. "Mythical Fire Flower Jutsu!"

A multitude of small fire balls shot from Sasuke's mouth. A group of bugs with an orange shell flew from Shino's body and formed a shield against the fire balls.

"These bugs like fire," was all that Shino stated. He then used on of his bugs to cut his thumb, before slamming it into the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!"

A large beetle with a red shell appeared from underneath Shino. "And this bug likes it too much."

The beetle spat out a flaming ball of chemicals, in Sasuke's direction. Sasuke jumped out of the way, only to have the ball explode when it hit the ground. The beetle continued to launch more balls of fire at Sasuke, as Sasuke kept dodging. Finally the beetle spat out two balls of fire at the same time. The second ball flew towards Sasuke leaving a crater in its wake.

"Chidori!" Sasuke burst from the ground beneath the beetle; driving the Chidori through the beetle's exoskeleton.

The beetle disappeared in a poof of smoke, as Shino jumped out of range of the Chidori.

"Heh, your bug is gon…" Sasuke then felt a small insect crawling up his neck. The little bug suddenly bit him, and Sasuke felt the world go black, as he passed out.

Shino held up his hand and a small bug flew from Sasuke and landed on his arm. "Size is no indication of power."

"Winner is Shino! Next up… Gaara and Neji!"

"Give up," Neji said, as soon as he had entered the arena. "It is your destiny to loose to me."

"You know this how?" Gaara asked, not believing Neji in the least.

"Because, you cannot change fate, I am genius, and thus will win. Yet, you have no hope against me."

"Then let us fight, to see if you are right," Gaara challenged.

Neji got into the fighting stance for the Gentle Fist and charged at Gaara. The cork popped out of Gaara's gourd, and Gaara was obscured by a haze of sand.

Neji flew through the haze and began to beat the crap out of Gaara. Till Gaara dissolved into sand.

"What? A sand clone! But it had an inner coils system!" Neji thought.

"Sand Shurikin Storm Jutsu!"

The sand around Neji formed into shurikin and shot towards Neji at high speeds. Neji started to spin like a top as chakra poured from his body; creating a sphere of swirling chakra.

"So you can perform the Kaiten." Gaara stated as he emerged from the ground behind Neji. "But how long can you keep that up?"

Spikes of sand shot out of the ground from under Neji's feet. Neji did a back flip to avoid being impaled.

"Block this," Gaara taunted. "Desert Mausoleum Jutsu!"

Eight giant pillars of sandstone shot out of the ground, making a circle around Neji. Sand began to swirl around the pillars, solidifying into stone to create a great dome made of stone.

Then the dome exploded. Chunks of sandstone rained down on the battlefield, as Neji pulled himself out of the smoking crater in the ground.

"Hm… you're still alive," Gaara said faking surprise. "Guess I didn't use enough blast slips."

Neji was gasping for breath but he still managed to spit back a retort. "Fool, you're in my field of divination. 64 Hands of Hakke!" Neji flew forward, as Gaara raised his dome of sand. "2 strikes, 4 strikes, 8 strikes, 16 strikes, 32 strikes, 64 strikes!" Gaara's dome fell, revealing Gaara. He was completely unharmed and still standing.

"You're not the only one with a perfect defense," he taunted. Neji tried to run but found his feet were anchored to the ground, by Gaara's sand.

"Destiny can be changed," Gaara said, "anyone who can really divine, knows this."

He then punched Neji between the eyes, knocking him out.

"Winner… Gaara! Next up…" Feneris was cut off when Kabuto, disguised as an ANBU, cast a Genjutsu over the arena. The war had begun.

Authors Note: God damnit! Why is it that I always find out things, such as the fact you need a sharingan to use the Chidori, only after I put them into the story.

Well here's an overdue update. The war against the Sound and
Sand starts.