In which Naruto and Sasuke watch the finals.
O-O-O-O-O
"Is this fine?" Sasuke asked.
Naruto grunted his assent. "Yeah, It's fine." He walked to his friend's side. "I don't think anyone will bother us here, ya know."
Sasuke nodded. Together, they looked over the edge at the stadium under them. Masses of people scrambled about, searching for the best available seats. Inside the arena itself, shinobi wearing the standard Konoha uniform made some final preparations.
They had tried to find a closer seat earlier, but had attracted too much attention. Not wanting to be bothered— or for Sasuke to start a fight— they had wandered until they found a hallway above the stands. It was far from the front but it gave them an open view of the stage and was partially hidden. Naruto doubted anyone would look for them there.
From their vantage point, they also had a view of the Hokage's box. Naruto could make out the Hokage sitting next to a woman in a blue dress he assumed was the Mizukage. A combination of Kirigakure and Konohagakure shinobi surrounded them.
"I think that's the Hokage over there," Naruto said, pointing toward them.
"I see." A look of mild distaste crossed Sasuke's face at the mention of the old man. "Who's with him?" He frowned as he tried to identify everyone else.
Naruto shrugged. "I see nii-san." Utakata stood at the Mizukage's shoulder, arms crossed. Even from a distance, Naruto thought he looked nervous. "I guess that lady is the Mizukage? And other Kirigakure shinobi?"
Sasuke sighed. "If they're like Utakata, they probably don't even have sharp teeth," he mumbled. "Why do they all have normal teeth?"
"What with you and teeth?"
Sasuke huffed and looked away.
Naruto rolled his eyes. After a few more meetups with Utakata and Kasumi, Sasuke had made a confused confession. Years ago, Shisui had told Sasuke that Kirigakure shinobi sharpened their teeth, consorted with demons, and lay with beasts— although neither knew what that last thing meant. Finding out his older cousin had lied was still a sore spot for him.
In Naruto's mind, Yagura chuckled. 'Actually, a lot of Kirigakure shinobi do sharpen their teeth,' he admitted. 'Though it tends to be more common in the Seven Swordsmen. It's a tradition there.'
'Seven Swordsmen?'
'It's a group of seven people who are swordsmen.'
Naruto forced himself to not groan and roll his eyes. 'That's a stupid explanation.'
Yagura laughed again. 'Then let me introduce the people with the Hokage.'
'The Mizukage, Mei Terumi, used to be my student,' Yagura said. 'The two people standing behind her are her guards and two members of the Seven Swordsmen. The man is Zabuza Momochi and the red-headed woman is Ameyuri Ringo. Next to Utakata is his teacher, Harusame. And...' his tone grew sad for some reason. 'Do you see that woman with black hair and the boy with grey hair standing by the railing?'
'Yeah. Who are they?'
'That's my wife, Anzu. And my son, Asahi.' Naruto suspected the man was holding back the true depth of his feelings for Naruto's sake. 'It's nice to see them again. Even if we can't talk.'
'They look nice,' Naruto said, despite being too far away to make out their faces.
Yagura hummed before growing quiet. Naruto absorbed Yagura's combined grief and happiness at seeing his family, feeling it as his own. Not wanting to start crying with Sasuke there, he clenched his hands into fists and swallowed.
"How much longer do you think until the fights begin?" Sasuke sat on the floor, hanging his legs through the railing.
Naruto shrugged before joining Sasuke's side on the ground. "Probably not long. I see them going to the stage now. Look."
The two boys stared at the stage underneath. The eight genin participants stood in front of a man that looked like a referee. He was saying something to them, but Naruto was too far away to hear. Whatever he said, it captured their full attention.
"Who are we gonna cheer for?" Sasuke asked in a bored tone. "Should we really be cheering for someone from Kirigakure? Considering they're fighting against genin from Konoha."
Naruto shrugged. "Kasumi nee-san is our friend," he argued. "I don't even know who these other people are."
Sasuke nodded. "That's fair." He looked down at the arena again. "I think they're starting the first fight now."
Naruto followed his gaze. Sure enough, the other genin had left, leaving Haku standing in front of a tall girl and her three puppies. The referee was the only other person there.
The man raised a hand and the battle began.
The two combatants leaped back as they assessed their respective opponent. With a puff of smoke, the puppies disappeared and three identical girls appeared in their place. Watching from a distance, Haku tilted his head to the side and took out a kunai for defense.
"Transformation jutsu?" Naruto squinted at the four identical girls.
Sasuke hummed in assent.
The four girls ran toward Haku, surrounding him from all sides. Despite the ambush, Haku remained calm.
Mirrors appeared around the girls, surrounding them from all sides. They had no time to react before they were trapped inside a dome made of ice.
The temperature inside the stadium plummeted. A shiver went up and down Naruto's body at the sudden change, copied among many of the people in the audience.
One of the girls tried to escape. But before she had taken more than a single step, a ghost of Haku stopped her, leaving a slash across her face.
Naruto winced in sympathy. Even from a distance, he could see drops of blood splatter on the ground. The girls tried to escape, attack, and break the mirrors time and time again, but no matter what they did, they could not escape their prison. Trapped and injured, the girl was forced to concede defeat.
At once, the mirrors disappeared, leaving Haku standing in the middle of the arena, not a hair out of place. With the fight finished, a large number of jeers erupted from the audience. Yet, Haku did not seem to notice them. Despite the angry crowd, he bowed to his opponent..
"That was fast," Sasuke muttered.
Naruto nodded. "Yeah! But the ice mirrors were really cool! I'm not sure how anyone could escape it if they were trapped inside, ya know."
"If an ally attacks from outside it might be possible," Sasuke speculated.
'Your friend is smart,' Yagura added. 'That jutsu is very difficult to counter once you are trapped. Speed and stamina might allow you to avoid major injuries until someone can come to your rescue, however.'
Naruto nodded, agreeing with both Sasuke and Yagura. Haku and the girl left the stage, the girl carrying her puppies in her arms as she stared at the ground in disappointment. Kasumi and a boy with dark hair that looked a bit like Hinata entered the stage next.
Naruto's eyes brightened and he pointed to her. "Kasumi nee-san is up next! She's so cool!"
Sasuke said nothing, his eyes trained on the stage under them. The referee brought his hand down and the fight began.
Naruto barely had time to blink. Kasumi drew her sword and lunged toward her opponent, avoiding his taijutsu strikes with ease. Less than a second later, the blade of her sword was held up to her enemy's throat in warning. Her other hand pulled the boy's hair from behind.
She whispered something in his ear. Whatever she said, the boy nodded, conceding his loss. With that, Kasumi let go and sheathed her sword, bowing in respect. Like with Haku, the crowd reacted with boos and jeers at the result. Kasumi walked away, head held high.
"That was even faster than the last fight," Sasuke muttered.
"Yeah!" Naruto cheered, his excitement augmented by Yagura's own. "Kasumi nee-san won though! I knew she would!"
Sasuke huffed. "She's faster than I thought," he admitted. "But her opponent was too slow. Didn't even fight back."
Naruto groaned. Sasuke was never happy. "Oh! Look, the next fight's starting!"
Walking toward the center of the arena was a girl wearing a high collar with dark sunglasses. She looked familiar in a way that he couldn't place. In front of her was her opponent— a brown haired boy with a sword strapped to his waist. Naruto had no idea they were.
"Should we be cheering for either of them?" Naruto asked as he leaned forward on the railing and kicked his legs up and down in the air.
Sasuke shrugged. "Cheer for the good one."
The latest fight lasted longer than the previous two. The girl avoided all of the boy's sword strikes, not fighting back. Naruto didn't need Sasuke or Yagura to say anything to know she had some sort of plan.
Sure enough, a few minutes after the fight began, the boy stumbled and he fell to his knees, panting in exhaustion.
Naruto frowned. "It hasn't been that long. He can't be tired yet."
Sasuke grunted, equally confused.
The boy forced himself to stand up, swinging his sword up into the air as he ran toward the girl. Unlike the previous times, the girl did not step aside. She reached toward the boy's arm and gripped his wrist, twisting to grapple him onto the ground. She pinned the boy face-down between her knees, his arms held tight on his back.
A swarm of flying insects appeared, surrounding them in a buzzing that Naruto could hear even from a distance. The boy shrieked, the sound carrying all throughout the stadium and making the two boys wince.
"A-are those... bugs?" Naruto shuddered. He couldn't blame the boy for screaming like that. If he were ever surrounded by a swarm of bugs...
"I think they are." Despite his calm voice, Sasuke shifted in place.
"Ugh! Don't blame him for screaming then."
Naruto turned to Sasuke. His face was green and he nodded.
"I guess Kimimaro nii-san is the last one?" Naruto turned to look back at the stage.
The loser, whoever he was, was walking out, shaking and scratching at his arms. In comparison, the girl remained perfectly composed as she left. Unlike with Haku and Kasumi, loud cheers full of patriotic pride erupted from the audience at the performance.
'I don't think Konoha is being very happy about being shown-up by children from Kirigakure,' Yagura explained. 'I can't blame them though. We had many conflicts over the years.'
Naruto hummed. 'Was it really that bad?'
Yagura's voice became sad. 'It was worse than you might think. Neither side can claim to be fully innocent either.'
As the two genin left, the last two combatants appeared. Kimimaro and a boy carrying a sword leaped into the center of the stage in front of the referee.
'This should be an interesting fight.'
Naruto squinted at the two boys standing underneath. 'So Kimimaro nii-san isn't very strong?'
Yagura hummed. 'That's not what I mean. Just watch.'
But Naruto had no chance to watch. One second the two boys were standing in front of each other. The next, Kimimaro had pinned the older boy under his knees, the blade of his own sword held up against the boy's neck.
Naruto blinked before turning to Sasuke. The other boy looked as amazed as he felt.
"Wait... did Kimimaro nii-san just...win?"
Yagura grunted. 'Yeah, he did.' He did not sound surprised in the slightest.
The rest of the audience sounded as shocked by the quick victory as Naruto. After a few moments of confused muttering, they broke out into heavy boos.
"That was even faster than the fight with Kasumi," Sasuke muttered.
"Yeah. That was amazing." Naruto gaped in awe at the boy brushing dirt off of his yukata. Kimimaro had not drawn a weapon or broken a sweat. "Do you think we'll be able to be that fast one day?"
Sasuke snorted. "We'll be even faster than that."
Naruto laughed. "'Course we'll be." He turned his attention back to the stage, but instead of readying for the next fight, it stood empty.
"Hn. Guess they're having a break." Sasuke stood up and stretched his arms over his head.
Underneath, people were leaving their seats, presumably in search of toilets or refreshments.
"Guess so." Naruto joined Sasuke's side, stretching just like him. "Should we get anything to eat or drink?"
Sasuke considered the question before answering with a nod. "I can get us something." He extended a hand out and Naruto placed a few coins inside of it. "Anything you want?"
Naruto shrugged. "Something to drink, I guess. If the rest of the fights are this fast, we'll be back home soon, ya know."
"Hn." Sasuke grunted his agreement before walking away, hands in his pockets.
Naruto turned his attention to the Hokage's box. The old man was talking to the Mizukage, although neither looked excited to do so. Out of the Mizukage's companions, everyone except for the short red-headed woman had disappeared.
'Wait, where'd nii-san go?' Naruto asked, squinting across the stage and looking around.
'He must have gone with the others to talk to my daughter and her teammates. Wish them luck and all that.'
'Oh. I see.' Naruto bent forward to lean on the railing. 'That's really nice of them.'
'Yeah, it is. Wish I could be with them right now.'
The same sad and lonely feeling from earlier arose in Naruto's subconscious and he had to push back the tears that had already started to form. Naruto swallowed and clenched his hands into fists. If Sasuke returned and found him crying, he would never hear the end of it.
'So what was Kasumi nee-san like when she was a baby?' he asked to distract the man.
'Kasumi? Oh, she was the sweetest baby.' His voice became clear once again. 'And her brother always wanted to stay close to her. He would stay near her whenever she slept to make sure she wouldn't wake up alone. And he was so gentle whenever holding or hugging her. My wife used to say they took after me, but I never saw it, to be honest.'
Yagura continued, rambling about his family. Naruto nodded along, speaking up only to ask clarification questions
It seemed to take no time at all before Sasuke was back. With only a grunt, he handed over a bottle of water and a box of prepackaged rice balls for them to share.
O-O-O-O-O
Utakata forced himself to take a deep breath in and out as he watched Kimimaro leave the stage. They're safe. Unhurt. That's all that matters.
He gulped before turning his attention to the rest of his stadium.
Sitting on a corridor overlooking the stage, Utakata watched Naruto and Sasuke talking. They seemed to be discussing the latest fight, with Naruto gesticulating wildly as the other boy nodded along. A few seconds later, they stood up, talked some more, and Sasuke left, presumably in search of refreshments. Alone on the hallway, Naruto leaned on the railing, staring at the stage underneath.
With Kimimaro out of frame, Utakata let out a breath as he turned his attention back to Mei Terumi.
"Looks like we have a bit of the upper hand here," the Fifth Mizukage said with a gentle smile. "Though it seems that girl— Hotaru Aburame?— has some potential."
The Third Hokage answered with a smile of his own. "It seems your children are stronger than they appear at first glance." His eyes were full of barely contained annoyance.
Utakata couldn't fault him for being annoyed. While the old mad was serious in his desire to foster peace between the two villages, he was still the leader of Konohagakure. Looking weak in front of potential clients and old enemies must have stung.
Mei Terumi's smile widened. "They're just the best and brightest of this generation. I'm sure you have a lot of good genin as well."
"That we do." The Sandaime gave the Mizukage a curt nod.
The Mizukage said nothing, letting out only an amused hum.
"Mizukage-sama, permission to see my daughter?" Yagura's wife asked, her son close at her heels. Her expression was as composed as always.
Mei Terumi turned to her. "Permission granted. Go and see your daughter."
Yagura's wife and son bowed down, faces as calm as still water, before turning and leaving the Hokage's box.
"I wish to speak to Kimimaro-kun as well, Mizukage-sama," Harusame said as he took a step forward.
"Of course, Harusame-sensei." Mei Terumi gave the older man a kind smile before turning her attention back to the Hokage.
Zabuza stepped forward next. "Mei. With your permission, I would like to speak with Haku," he said, head bowed down. "But I do not wish to—"
Mei Terumi sighed, waving her hand in dismissal. "Yeah, you have my permission. I'll be fine with Ameyuri and Utakata-kun here."
Zabuza grunted before following Harusame. With a sigh, Ameyuri stepped closer to the Mizukage, guarding against unlikely attacks. Mei Terumi opened her mouth to speak with the Hokage once again. Utakata took a deep breath in and out to calm his nerves before talking.
"Mizukage-sama, I—"
"Just go!" Mei Terumi huffed, not looking at him. "Go talk to your kids."
Utakata cleared his throat. "Thank you, Mizukage-sama."
He bowed before walking away as fast as he dared. A few seconds later, he had caught up with the other Kirigakure shinobi. They said nothing to each other, trying and failing to appear composed. Together, they headed toward the participant break room.
As they opened the door into the room, Utakata's eyes were immediately drawn to Kimimaro. The boy sat at a table next to his teammates, blinking as he stared uncertainly at them by the entrance.
"Nii-san! Mom!"
Before Utakata had a chance to react, a flash of green and pink ran toward them. Kasumi wrapped her arms around her mother and brother, laughing in excitement.
"Kasumi!" Asahi returned his sister's hug with one of his own, lifting her up off the floor. "You're doing really well. I'm proud of you."
Kasumi's face turned as pink as her scarf and her eyes glistened with easy tears. "Thank you, nii-san."
Her mother took a step forward, placing a kiss on her forehead. "You are doing well, Kasumi. I'm very proud of you, too."
Kasumi sniffled and the tears spilled over. "Thanks, Mom."
"Zabuza-sama." Leaving his seat next to Kimimaro, Haku stood and walked toward Zabuza, bowing in front of the man. "I hope you were satisfied with my performance during the exam."
Zabuza grunted before placing a hand on top of Haku's head for a second before pulling it back. "It was acceptable."
Haku hummed in delight before discussing his strategies for the next round. Zabuza grunted again, saying nothing as the boy talked.
Unlike his two teammates, Kimimaro remained at the table, expression unsure. He avoided Utakata and Harusame's eyes by staring at the table instead.
Well, if he's not coming to us, we'll go to him. With a hum, Utakata headed to Kimimaro's side, Harusame in step with him.
"You did really well in the first round, Kimimaro-kun." Harusame smiled and placed a hand on top of the boy's head. "You must have worked very hard."
Red swept over the boy's face and he nodded, still avoiding Utakata's eyes. "Thank you very much, Harusame-sensei." He bowed his head down.
With a groan, Utakata collapsed on the chair next to Kimimaro, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Harusame-sensei is right. You did well, Kimimaro. I'm proud of you, too."
The boy's face turned an even deeper shade of red. He nodded, hands clenched into fists over his lap and eyes trained on the table. "Thank you, sensei."
Utakata couldn't help it, he laughed. It was rare to see Kimimaro unfettered, even after almost two years. He squeezed the boy's shoulder one last time and leaned back. On Kimimaro's other side, Harusame pulled a chair over, taking his hand away from the boy's head.
"Are you ready for the next round?" Utakata asked. "You'll probably be going against one of your teammates sooner or later." He glanced at Haku and Kasumi. "Though you have to pass the next round first." His eyes searched for Kimimaro's future opponent— Hotaru Aburame— but she was nowhere to be found. "Do you have any strategies for dealing with her?"
Kimimaro shrugged. He met Utakata's eyes and his face returned to its normal color as the conversation turned to fighting. "I think I do, sensei. Her ninjutsu is... different from what I have seen before."
"I imagine it would be." Harusame hummed to himself. "The Aburame clan is well-known in Kirigakure. We had... issues with them a few times. Are you nervous, Kimimaro-kun?"
Kimimaro frowned for a second and he shook his head. "I will be the winner of the tournament," he vowed, turning to look into Utakata's eyes once again. "No matter what."
"I'm sure it's possible." Utakata smiled before gesturing toward Haku and Kasumi. "But those two are not going to make it easy."
"I know just how strong they are," Kimimaro said, staring at his teammates. "But I made a promise, sensei. And I'll do anything to keep it."
Utakata placed the palm of his hand on top of Kimimaro's head. "Good luck, then."
Kimimaro frowned and he bowed again. "Thank you, sensei."
Utakata took his hand away, crossing his arms in front of his chest and yawning.
"Just know that we're proud of you no matter what happens," Harusame added, glaring at Utakata for some reason. "You don't have to prove anything to us. Isn't that right, Utakata-kun?"
Utakata shrugged. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll do fine."
Kimimaro nodded, his eyes focused on Utakata. "I will win," he reiterated.
"I'm sure you will." Utakata stood up and stretched his arms over his head. "Anyway, we should return to Mizukage-sama's side. The break will end soon. Just wanna tell you three something first." He turned his attention to his other two students. "Haku, Kasumi? Come here, please."
The two other children stopped mid-sentence, their heads tilted to the side. They walked to stand in front of Utakata, inquisitive frowns on their faces.
"What is it, sensei?" Kasumi bounced up and down on her toes. At her sides, Haku and Kimimaro blinked at him in silence, expressions serious.
Utakata let out a relieved sigh. In the morning, all three of his students had been full of so much nervous tension they had eaten nothing. Not that Utakata could blame them; he was just better at hiding it.
"I wanted to remind you all of what we talked about," he began. "All eyes will be on you for the final events. But don't let the pressure get to you. And..." he swallowed, the three children's eyes upon him. "No matter what happens, I want you three to look after each other. You may be enemies now, but you will return to being each other's friends and teammates soon enough. So..." he smiled. "Good luck."
Kasumi blushed, a grin taking over her face. "Thank you, sensei!"
Haku nodded, bowing his head. "Thank you for your support, sensei."
Kimimaro said nothing. His face turned pink once again and he avoided Utakata's gaze.
Utakata hummed to himself before turning back to the other Kirigakure shinobi. "I guess it's time to return." He gestured toward the door.
"Yes, of course, Utakata-kun." Yagura's wife waved at her daughter with a smile before leaving the room, her son following after her.
"Good luck, Kasumi!" Asahi said as he left.
Zabuza only grunted before leaving, glancing at Haku one last time.
"See you after the fights," Harusame said.
"And good luck, all three of you," Utakata added. He waved one last time before exiting with Harusame at his side, sliding the door closed behind them.
"You're putting too much pressure on the boy," Harusame chided as they trailed behind the three other Kirigakure shinobi.
Utakata blinked at the man, hands in his pockets. "What do you mean, sensei?"
Harusame sighed. "Kimimaro-kun already puts so much pressure on himself to do well. Don't make him think he needs to win in order to obtain your approval."
"Why would he think that?" Utakata snorted. "I would hope that by this point he knows I don't demand for him to be perfect. I would have been proud of him even if he had lost the first round."
"It's not about logic," Harusame said. "The boy had a difficult upbringing. He needs to be told directly for him to understand what you mean."
"It's true that Kimimaro has very high expectations of himself," Utakata admitted. "But he knows that him losing a tournament is not going to change what we think of him. He knows we care about him, no matter what."
Harusame sighed. "Well, if Kimimaro breaks down, I won't say I told you so."
"That's 'cause he won't break down."
Harusame sighed again but he said nothing else as they returned to the Hokage's box. Zabuza returned to guard Mei Terumi next to Ameyuri while Yagura's wife and son stood close to the railing. Harusame joined them, murmuring something he couldn't hear.
Utakata walked to stand next to Ameyuri and Zabuza at the Mizukage's shoulder. He looked out over the stadium. Naruto and Sasuke were back in their place on the corridor. They took small bites of what looked like rice balls and took sips of their drinks as they waited for the next round.
Hands inside his pockets, Utakata waited for the referee to come out and for Haku's fight with Kasumi to begin.
"Two of your shinobi are going against each other next," the Hokage commented. "Worried to see the results, Mizukage-sama?"
Before the Mizukage had a chance to reply, the older woman from before interrupted. "I hear fighting between Kirigakure shinobi is not unusual, Hokage-sama," she growled. "A bunch of back-stabbers from what I hear." With a start, Utakata realized the woman had the same face as the girl who had lost against Haku in the first round.
"Tsume!" the old man scolded, face scandalized. "Now's no time for baseless accusations!"
Mei Terumi laughed, unbothered by the older woman's words. She stared at Tsume with a gentle smile that did nothing to conceal her true anger. "Perhaps Kirigakure does have a reputation for violence," she admitted. "But because of that, we fear and respect our teammates enough to not take them lightly. No one can ever know if an attack will come from the inside after all. I'm sure you have some experience with that, Hokage-sama."
Utakata glanced at Sasuke sitting next to Naruto on the balcony. News of the fate of the Uchiha clan had reached Kirigakure's ears days after it had happened. An entire clan being destroyed from the inside by one of its own members was unheard of, even in the Bloody Mist.
The old man's hands tightened into fists and Utakata could have sworn he saw his eyes turn toward Sasuke, too. He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. "It's great to see the faith you have in your shinobi, Mizukage-same."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama."
Utakata blocked out the rest of their posturing. The referee was walking back to the center of the stage, Haku and Kasumi at his heels.
From the distance, the two children looked as composed as usual, although they avoided eye contact. Once they arrived at the center, they bowed to each other before the referee gave them the order to start.
As expected, Kasumi drew her sword and leaped away before Haku could summon any ice. In a defensive position, Kasumi dodged as Haku threw senbon..
But Kasumi was too well-trained for his attacks. She avoided all the projectiles she could dodge and deflected the ones she couldn't with her blade.
She's not going to win by tiring Haku out though. Utakata's hands tightened into fists inside his pockets.
Kasumi seemed to come to the same realization. She paused and allowed Haku's signature jutsu to surround her in a dome of ice mirrors.
But she wasn't trapped like the other girl had been.
Haku jumped from mirror to mirror, throwing waves of senbon from all directions. But it was not enough. Kasumi was too quick to be hit aside from a few minor scratches. Inside the dome, they danced around each other, neither able to get a clear advantage.
Maybe we should have worked harder on improving his speed after all.
Utakata couldn't change the past now though. Besides, after seeing Haku's smile upon entering the correct side of the bathhouse, Utakata had no regrets.
The end came when Haku scratched Kasumi's face with a senbon needle, close to the girl's eye. Kasumi winced at the sudden pain, making Haku pause as he shifted from one mirror to the next.
That moment of hesitation was exactly what Kasumi wanted. Had she allowed herself to be hurt on purpose? She used her sword to cut through Haku's bicep, making the boy flinch before he could flee into a mirror. With her sword tinted in red, she grabbed Haku's injured arm and pushed him to the ground, one knee on his back and the tip of her wakizashi on his neck.
With no other choices, Haku forfeited. The referee stepped in and declared the match in Kasumi's favor. With the fight over, Kasumi helped Haku stand up, apologizing and fretting over the small cut.
Angry muttering spread throughout the audience.
Utakata let out a sigh of relief. That went about as well as it could have gone.
"I guess even Haku-kun isn't fast enough to go against Kasumi-chan," Ameyuri commented. "Though I imagine you're still proud of what he's done, aren't you, Zabuza-kun?"
"Haku did an acceptable job," the swordsman muttered, his eyes not leaving the boy. "He will be a decent tool once it comes time for me to become the next Mizukage."
"You do know I'm here, right?" Mei Terumi asked, although she sounded more amused than annoyed. "You'll have to do better than that if you ever want my position."
Ameyuri cackled. "Haku is a good boy," she said. "But I trained Kasumi-chan myself. If there's anything I instilled in her, it's that speed is often a deciding factor in battle. Maybe you should've worked on improving Haku's speed more."
Zabuza grunted. "Perhaps."
Utakata hoped he didn't look as guilty as he felt.
He looked back at the stage. His two students were walking out, Kasumi fussing over the injury while Haku's hand glowed green. Kimimaro and his opponent entered the stage from opposite sides and met in the middle.
"Hotaru Aburame," Mei Terumi said, her attention turned toward the Hokage. "She seems like a truly talented girl."
"She's a member of one of our most distinguished clans," the old man answered.
Mei Terumi hummed. "I wish I could say the same for Kimimaro." Her face grew somber, grief flashing in her eyes for the briefest moment. "And he's one of our most talented shinobi. I can only imagine the levels he might reach as an adult."
Utakata looked back down at the battlefield. Kimimaro and the Aburame girl were sizing each other up. The referee, Hayate, coughed before starting the fight.
As soon as the fight began, Kimimaro ran forward, a bone spike already erupting from the palm of his hand. He clearly wanted to finish the match as quickly as possible.
Unlike his last opponent, however, the girl avoided his strikes. She leaped away, her expression hidden by a high collar and sunglasses. But Kimimaro did not relent. He created more bones, shielding him from physical attacks as he threw jabs, punches, and kicks.
Still, the Aburame girl was too experienced and talented. She avoided his attacks with ease.
"I see the boy has a kekkei genkai," the Hokage commented.
"Shikotsumyaku," Mei Terumi and Utakata said together. Utakata's eyes remained on the arena.
Kimimaro seemed to realize getting a hit on his opponent would not be such an easy task. He tried one last kick, which the Aburame girl avoided, and leaped back to assess more of the situation.
But it wasn't a retreat. As he was leaping away, small phalanges erupted from Kimimaro's fingertips. Not expecting a long-range attack and moving too fast to see, they hit the girl on her arms and legs, making her shriek at the pain.
Kimimaro took his chance. He leaped back toward the girl, blades made of bone at the ready. While his opponent was still reacting to the previous attack, he wrestled her to the ground.
But the girl was not done. A swarm of insects rose up around them and tried to attack. Before they had a chance to truly surround the boy, Kimimaro placed the tip of a blade against the girl's neck.
The swarm froze, although it did not disappear. Kimimaro said something to the girl and she nodded. With Kimimaro's blade still resting against her neck, she acquiesced her loss.
With the defeat of the last remaining Konoha participant, the crowd broke out into boos, the loudest yet. Kimimaro ignored them.
"The fights are very quick this year," a Konoha shinobi muttered from the Hokage's shoulder. He did not sound impressed in the least.
Utakata couldn't blame him. It must suck to be shown up in your own nation's chuunin exams by foreigners.
"We have some talented genin this year," the Mizukage said. "I must say, it's much better for genin to fight in controlled matches instead of on the battlefield." Utakata glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Much better than going to war, don't you think, Hokage-sama?" She smiled at the old man. "I guess neither of our villages can claim to be innocent in sending children to battlefields, though."
Ameyuri snorted, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Ain't that the truth. Ao-kun is still whining about being shown up by a kid who looked like his balls had yet to drop. Shisui something or other."
Utakata saw guilt flash through the Hokage's eyes, though it was gone before he could be certain of it. The old man said nothing. He grunted as he turned his attention back to the stage.
Utakata followed his line of sight. The girl, Hotaru Aburame, was being attended to by Konoha medics, who were inspecting her injured limbs. Kimimaro walked away with not a single glance back. A second later, he was gone from his sight.
Utakata bit his tongue before turning and bowing his head. "Permission to talk to my students, Mizukage-sama?"
Mei Terumi nodded. "Permission granted." She glanced at the other Kirigakure shinobi before they could ask, one eyebrow raised. "And anyone else who wishes may go as well."
No one else took on her offer. Yagura's wife and son wavered, but in the end they shook their heads. Utakata bowed to the Hokage and Mizukage before leaping over the edge of the balcony.
A few of the audience members flinched at his sudden appearance. The Konoha shinobi guarding the stadium tensed as well, although no one said anything. Without a word, Utakata followed his students' footsteps and walked up the stairs toward their break room.
"Sensei!" As soon as he opened the door, he was besieged by Kasumi's arms wrapped around his waist. "What did you think of my fight with Haku? It was good, wasn't it?"
Utakata grinned down at her, patting the top of her head. "It was very good." His eyes turned toward Kimimaro, who stood next to the wall watching them with a frown. "And you did very well as well, Kimimaro. You have no idea how proud I am of you."
Kimimaro's face turned pink and he walked toward them. "Thank you, sensei." He bowed his head down. "I will win the finals."
Kasumi huffed and took a step back from Utakata, hands on hips as she pouted at Kimimaro in mock anger. "I'm not gonna make it easy for you, ya know!"
Oh no, it's spreading.
Utakata shook his head and sighed. "Don't underestimate Kasumi, Kimimaro," he warned. "She's won against you before in practice spars."
Kimimaro blinked up at him. "I'm not underestimating her." His face returned to its normal color. "I know how strong Kasumi is. Which is why I'm not afraid to face her."
Kasumi laughed. "I feel the same way, Kimimaro." She threw him a smile that showed off all her teeth. "I'm not gonna go easy on you just 'cause you're my teammate."
"I can say the same to you."
"There's no need for posturing," Utakata sighed. "I came here to wish you luck. To both of you." He gave them a pointed look.
Kasumi and Kimimaro stopped their glaring to bow at him. "Thank you, sensei," they said at the same time.
Utakata hummed. He placed one hand on Kimimaro's head and the other on Kasumi's. "Remember everything we talked about. And remember your training. Whatever happens, I'm proud of you."
"Yes, sensei."
Utakata smiled one last time before taking his hands away. "The final match should start in around five minutes. I'll be watching."
He shoved his hands inside his pockets and walked back to the Hokage's box, waving goodbye before sliding the door closed behind him.
O-O-O-O-O
Kimimaro kept his eyes locked on the door long after his teacher had walked away. His pulse pounded in his ears and some strange feeling in his stomach twisted over itself. Why was his teacher always so kind to him? He had done nothing to deserve it.
I won't disappoint you, sensei. I'll win this fight.
"Are you two ready?" Kimimaro's thoughts were cut short when their referee entered their break room, coughing as always.
"As ready as we'll ever be," Kasumi answered, stretching her arms over her head. "Let's get this over with."
Kimimaro walked to stand next to Kasumi.
Their referee, Hayate, coughed and gestured for them to follow him out.
Together, Kasumi and Kimimaro returned to the arena, walking in Hayate's shadow. None of them said anything until they were standing face to face in the middle.
Kimimaro used the man's latest coughing fit to study his surroundings.
Utakata had already returned to the Hokage's box. His teacher stood next to Ameyuri, unblinking eyes fixated on the stage and his two students.
His gaze wandered to Harusame next. The older man leaned against the railing next to Kasumi's mother and brother. He caught Kimimaro looking at him and grinned. Kimimaro couldn't stop the smile tugging at his lips. Please watch me too, sensei.
"Ready?" Hayate asked.
Kimimaro's attention snapped back to the fight.
"Ready," he replied at the same time as Kasumi.
"In that case..." Hayate paused for dramatic effect. "Start."
Kasumi ran toward him wielding her wakizashi but Kimimaro was already prepared with a sword of his own. He parried her attack and pushed her away. She jumped back and sank into a defensive crouch a small distance away.
"You're even faster than I remember, Kimimaro-kun," Kasumi commented as she tightened her grip on the hilt of her wakizashi.
Kimimaro said nothing. As she spoke, he pulled back the sleeves of his yukata, leaving him bare-chested. He threw his first, rudimentary, sword away as spikes erupted from his skin and formed a shield around him.
"Cold, Kimimaro-kun?" Kasumi teased with a smirk.
Kimimaro resisted the urge to pout at her, goosebumps already forming up and down his body. He stared in envy at her long sleeves and leggings. At least he would warm up once the fight truly got started.
"You don't have to rub it in," he whined, forming a sword similar to Kasumi's wakizashi out of his chest.
"Sorry," she giggled before jumping forward and attacking with an overhead swipe.
Kimimaro parried it with ease, dodging under the strike to stab at her shoulder. But Kasumi was always too fast. She dodged, pink scarf swirling through the air.
"You're not going to win with those kinds of moves, Kimimaro-kun," she teased as she slashed at him again with her blade. "Is that all you did with Utakata-sensei?"
Kimimaro parried her latest attack. "I should say the same to you." He fell into a defensive lunge, sword held loosely in front of him as he watched her every move.
Standing a small distance away, Kasumi studied him for a moment before her face broke into a grin. "You have no idea what I've been practicing with Utakata-sensei."
He huffed in disbelief. "Then prove it."
"I will."
With that, their fight began in earnest.
Her blade clashed against Kimimaro's white shields, sending chips of bone flying throughout the field. They danced, bitterly contesting for victory and never giving each other an inch to breathe.
Kimimaro lost track of time. It felt like hours but it might have been minutes or it might have been days.
However much time passed, the battle was wearing him down. Muscles burned with exertion. Sweat dripped down his bare spine. Lungs struggled for air.
Yet, whenever he wanted to rest, the possibility that Kasumi could take advantage stopped him. How could he look at Utakata in the eye again if he lost the finals?
Kimimaro pushed past his body's protests and kept attacking. Several times, he managed to get past her blade and slash through her clothes and down to her skin. But they were no more than flesh wounds. She continued her dance despite the drops of blood soaking into their battleground.
Kasumi managed to get past his defenses as well, although with his kekkei genkai, the cuts healed within seconds. But since healing required using precious chakra, Kimimaro refrained from doing more than basic care. He had no chakra to waste.
With neither at a clear advantage, they continued to slash at each other with no success.
After some time— and Kimimaro had no idea how much— he began to feel his chakra levels dwindling. Their fight needed to end soon.
Kimimaro bit his tongue hard enough to taste blood as he parried Kasumi's latest strike. But if he was running low on chakra... Kasumi must be running low, too.
He thrust his sword, hoping to hit Kasumi's shoulder, but she ducked and wove her blade up toward his chest. Annoyed, he somersaulted back before she could cut through him. On the other side of the arena, Kasumi also dashed back, increasing the distance between them.
"Are you sure you're not going easy on me, Kimimaro-kun?" Kasumi taunted, standing far from him. Despite her words, her entire face was flushed and she couldn't stop panting.
Kimimaro took the chance to get some semblance of breath back under control. "I can say the same to you," he muttered. He resisted the temptation to waste chakra to heal his newest set of cuts. Weapon held tight in his hand, he waited for Kasumi to make her move.
Kasumi performed a quick series of hand signs, creating a cloud of mist that obscured his vision. He tightened his grip on the weapon and waited. A few seconds later, the cloud dissipated, leaving Kasumi surrounded by three of her clones. All four girls ran toward him, swords pointed at him.
Shadow clones? It was unlikely considering her chakra capacity, but he prepared himself for the possibility anyway. He opened his legs wide in a crouch and waited.
The first girl swiped her sword toward his neck. Kimimaro raised his own weapon to parry it but her attack phased through it.
So they're normal clones after all. With the illusion obvious, he stabbed through the girl's chest, making the clone vanish.
Kimimaro searched for the next clone to dispel. But before he had made a single swipe, hard metal struck his cheek.
He winced, his eyes closing involuntarily from the physical contact. He forced his body to somersault away before Kasumi had the chance to strike again. Eyes half closed, he saw the clones vanish while Kasumi took the chance to rest once more.
Keeping his distance, Kimimaro assessed the latest injury as blood filled his mouth. With distaste, he spit out a broken tooth.
He glared at Kasumi, suppressing the urge to waste precious chakra on growing the tooth back. "Really?" he grumbled.
Kasumi shrugged. "Sorry," she apologized, not looking or sounding sorry at all. "You look pretty cute with the missing tooth though. Like a little kid."
Kimimaro sighed, using the pause to wipe away the blood and sweat from his face with his bare forearm. "You need to be better than that, Kasumi."
Kasumi pouted. With only a huff, she ran toward him, jumped, and struck from overhead, beginning their dance once again.
He avoided a swipe that would have cut through his neck if it had struck and raised his own sword.
She's more ruthless than before, he thought.
Kasumi twisted away before he could counterattack, twisting her sword so it was aimed at his shoulder. He lifted a forearm to shield himself and parry her blade at the last moment. The collision broke off fragments of bone and left a noticeable dent in her blade. She backflipped away to inspect the damage.
Kimimaro fortified his defenses with his depleting chakra as two more spikes erupted from his skin. But she's more reckless, too. Or is she just desperate?
Whether ruthless or reckless, Kimimaro knew what he had to do. He focused on defense and waited.
A moment of weakness came not long after. Kasumi lunged forward, teeth gritted and hilt held tight in her hands. She aimed for his chest as she wove around his attacks. As before, Kimimaro pushed her back and she backflipped away to maintain distance.
But instead of landing in a crouch, she stumbled, her ankle twisting and causing her to slide down to one knee.
Perfect.
Realizing her mistake, she raised her wakizashi to act as a shield. But it was too late.
Kimimaro used the moment to strike. Parrying her sword, he stepped behind her and used his elbow to strike hard at the back of her neck. She went down with a shriek, her sword falling out of her hands as she collapsed unconscious.
Panting, Kimimaro watched her unmoving body with his weapon still held tight in his hand.
Kasumi's body was limp but her steady breathing told him she was still alive. Just unconscious. Relief and pride coursed up and down his body. He'd done it. He'd won. He retracted his shields back into his body and pulled his yukata back on.
With victory at hand, Utakata would—
A sharp and sudden pain erupted from his neck. In front of him, Kasumi's body flickered and disappeared.
"I'm sorry, Kimimaro." Kasumi's voice was soft, sincere and full of regret.
The next thing he knew, he was face down on the ground and the world had grown black.
O-O-O-O-O
A/N: Gotta be careful with genjutsu, kiddos.
Sorry for the wait. This chapter kicked my ass many times over. I'm feeling a bit burnt out recently and I'll also be participating in NaNoWriMo, so I can't promise anything in regards to the next chapter.
Morket is super nice and a great beta reader.
Next chapter: waking up.