Disclaimer: Refer to chapter 1.
AN: Full Chapter Title: Time to Meet the Competition! The Exam's First Stage Begins!
"Kakashi, it is great to see you arrive with such unexpected punctuality!" Gai and his team had been in front of the doors for several minutes when the silver haired Jonin had walked in with his team. It was surprising, almost heart stopping for some cases, to see the silver haired Jonin arrive not only not late but early. "I take it from your presence here your team wishes to take part in the Chunin Exams just as mine and no doubt many others?"
"I figure the sooner they become Chunin, the sooner I can stop being a responsible sensei." Kakashi shrugged his shoulders as he walked over to his fellow Jonin along with the three armored Genin. "I'll be off the hook if they end up dying during the Exams too so I have a lot of ways to win here."
"You should not be so morbid Kakashi! Where is your excitement at the display of the talent the current generation holds these tests and trials shall provide a mere glimpse of? I myself can hardly keep my excitement contained at the thought of what I will see!" Gai offered a beaming smile as he gestured to the six Genin that were between the two Jonin. "The Genin of both my team and your own have amazing potential that we as their teachers have had the honor to draw forth! We should look upon this day with pride and, no matter the outcome of the exams, carry it with us for the rest of our youthful days!"
"We were supposed to do something like that?" Kakashi rubbed the back of his head as he chuckled. "I kind of kept throwing missions at them until I got bored and went home."
"Why must your flame of youth be so dull my rival?" Gai seemed almost depressed as his body seemed to fold in on itself. A dark aura briefly consumed the Jonin and the Genin around them took a step away. "You should truly cherish the ability to draw forth the talents of your pupils."
"No one really explained this sensei thing to me in detail." Kakashi shrugged his shoulders once more as he patted the Uchiha on the head. "But I've got a genius like Sasuke to do that stuff for me, right?" He looked down to the Genin that would have preferred to not have the Jonin's hand on his head.
"The skills of Praetor's glorious Legion shall reflect my skills more than my own skills ever could." Sasuke turned and threw his hand out towards Naruto. "The might of his Legion will be the true measurement of the skills of those foolish enough to battle against him."
"Really?" Neji spoke up from in front of Gai, the Hyuga looking towards the Uzumaki with pale eyes that carried with them more arrogance than his stance betrayed. "The former dead last is going to be what we all have to measure ourselves against?" He almost laughed as he spoke. "That only shows how far Konoha has fallen to base ourselves on a failure like him."
"Your words have made you drift into dangerous territory Hyuga." Naruto's blue eyes were dark as he looked to the Hyuga before him. "Do not imagine yourself superior to a man such as myself simply because you know a pitiful way of combat. You shall fall like all others before the glory of my Legion no matter your words. They may only help you suffer greater than I originally planned before killing you."
"You are deluded enough to call the Gentle Fist pitiful?" Neji sneered at the Uzumaki. "The Gentle Fist is a tool to decide the fate of any who go against it." He stepped towards the Uzumaki and rose his hands up as he stepped into a basic stance. "Do you need me to show you how powerless you are against the decider of fate?"
"If you seek the disgrace of defeat, I shall gladly take you on." Sasuke spoke up from Naruto's side, his Sharingan flashing with challenge.
"It doesn't matter which of you I face." Neji had decided his opponent as his Byakugan swiftly took hold as the veins around his eyes bulged. "I will defeat both of you during the Chunin Exams regardless."
"Show him his error Legate." Naruto turned away as Sasuke nodded and drew his sword from his side.
Kakashi did nothing to stop the soon to be fight as more Genin began to arrive, both from Konoha and those outside of the village. A cursory glance showed Iwa, Suna, Kumo, and Kiri had sent a good handful of teams each to the Exams. One of the Kumo Jonin also eyed the fight with her interest astoundingly clear to the Copy Ninja.
"Well, Gai, looks like my team is fighting yours." Kakashi put his hands behind his head as he stood off to the side of the swiftly growing circle as Sasuke spun the blade in his hands before bringing the flat of the blade against his shield, letting the sound ring out around them, and Neji let out an exhale before he was a blur of motion.
The shield on Sasuke's arm was thrown forward and stopped the initial flurry of Gentle Fist strikes and Neji withdrew as his Byakugan allowed him to analyze the Uchiha's entire stance for the obvious weakness: The shield on his arm slowed him down considerably. It also blocked his vision by a wide margin, his Sharingan rendered less effective thanks to it. The Hyuga darted forward but moved to the side, avoiding the shield as it was thrown forward to knock him off his feet. The Uchiha stood no chance to stop him now as he began his next series of blows as he swiftly turned within the Uchiha's guarrd. The tenketsu in his arms were easy targets and it was even easier to seal them in rapid succession.
"You're arm's going numb, correct?" Neji drew back as the Uchiha's sword clattered to the ground from limp fingers. His Sharingan seemed to constrict, the tomoe drawing in to the center, before returning to normal. It made the corners of Neji's lips move up in a smirk. "I see you're having difficulty with maintaining your Sharingan as well."
"Your strikes are ineffective." Sasuke drove his shield into the floor and swept up his sword in his usable arm. "You won't be able to strike me again."
"You fool." Neji shook his head, mocking the Uchiha. "Fate has already decided this battle."
The Hyuga began his attack again. The Sharingan followed his fingertips as Sasuke's body moved, deftly avoiding each of the strikes even with his numb arm swinging beyond his control and swiftly proving itself a hassle.
'Dammit.' He couldn't spare a glance at his arm but the Hyuga's initial attack had rendered his strategy to end the fight quickly useless. He couldn't form hand seals with one arm numb. He couldn't rely on his backup strategy either with his shield more of a burden than he would like to admit. 'I've got to end it this another way.'
The Uchiha pulled back, his sword spinning in the air as he threw a kunai towards the Hyuga. It was something deftly avoided as the sword was buried point first into the ground. The Legate of the Orange Legion filled his usable hand with shuriken which he flung forward with accuracy befitting of the Uchiha prodigy. He looked down towards his arm in that instance and observed the developing bruises on it. He cursed as he realized just how long the Hyuga's attack on his tenketsu had rendered it worthless. His invading Chakra completely blocked the flow of his own. To break it he would need to brute force his way through the foreign Chakra blocks with a surge of his own, something costly in battle as it took focus and, for a battle between Shinobi, a significant amount of time.
'I have just the thing.' His eyes left his arm as he darted forward and ripped his sword free of the ground. He charged towards the Hyuga and their eyes locked. Neji quickly closed his eyes and ran an internal scan of himself using his Byakugan. He found nothing as he avoided the Uchiha's rapid swings and the Hyuga could only internally grin as he settled into a new Gentle Fist stance.
'Fate has decided this battle at last.' The Uchiha was completely open after his last swing. He was drawing his arm back and his footing left him unable to dodge his next strike.
"You are within range of my divination." His smile was cold as he darted forward, Chakra flooding his fingertips as he ended the match.
The Hyuga struck Sasuke in the chest and grinned when he looked up from it and saw the Uchiha's Sharingan vanish from his eyes. Coal black met his own right before the pommel of the Uchiha's sword was driven into his skull. The pain of the blow as he stumbled back snapped him out of the Genjutsu the Genin had placed him under.
"Now-" Sasuke allowed his Chakra to surge as the Hyuga was rendered harmless for a moment, ripping away the barriers caused by Neji's initial strikes against him. "-let me show you why none can stand against the might of Praetor's Legion." His hands flew through the necessary hand seals. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
The circle around the two very swiftly expanded when the shields of a century shoved the watchers away. They turned inward with a shout once the task was complete and Sasuke reclaimed his shield and stood before the dazed Hyuga who's eyes tried to make sense of what he was seeing.
"Sasuke." Kakashi suddenly appeared in front of the Uchiha, one hand reaching out and two of his fingers poking the Uchiha's helmeted forehead. "Keep an ace up your sleeve next time." He turned to Naruto next after his admonishment of Sasuke. "Get rid of them."
"Hmph." Naruto did not bother speaking as he raised a hand into the air. Instantly, the summoned clones vanished in a cloud of smoke that spread throughout the room. "I would never be so foolish Silver Fang. Neither would the Legate of my glorious Orange Legion."
"Whatever you say, Naruto." Kakashi patted him on the head as he walked off. "You three probably have it all from here." The Jonin vanished in a puff of smoke.
'That's exactly like Kakashi.' Asuma observed everything that had happened from the doorway with a small smile as his team walked into the building. 'Looks like he's pretty confident in what his team can do after all.' The Jonin had also seen the Uchiha summon a small portion of the blonde's force. 'Not hard to understand why when at least two of those kids can summon an entire army if things get tough.'
"Alright, I'm sure you three can take it from here, right?" Asuma crushed the burned down cigarette under his foot. He received a trio of nods from his Genin team and he offered the three a smile. "I know you'll ace these exams so go easy on the competition, alright?"
"No promises." Ino flashed him a smile before she grabbed hold of both Shikamaru and Choji by the arm and dragged them forward. "Look out world, here comes the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio!"
"Those kids are sometimes too crazy." Asuma shook his head with a smile before he vanished in a similar vein to Kakashi. The Jonin had a place to be after all.
"Remember, don't try to show off. That paints a target on your back." Kurenai stopped at the edge of the yard they would be stepping into. "Keep track of each other, don't fall for tricks, and make sure to use those tricks I taught you if things get out of hand."
"Don't worry about us Kurenai-sensei, we're ready for this thing." Kiba's eyes shined with determination. "We're going to sweep it."
"I hope so." She couldn't help but smile. "Don't bring anything but your best, no matter what." She held out her hand and the three Genin placed theirs over her own. "Remember, no matter what, I'll be proud of what you three accomplish."
"We're going all the way Kurenai-sensei."
"We will accomplish this task. Why? It is because we have been given a great teacher."
"W-We won't fail. Not a single one of us!"
"That's my team." They broke away and Kurenai vanished in a swirl of leaves.
"Remember! Let your flames of youth be bright through the darkness of challenge! Illuminate the way for others and you will find they shall do the same! The individual does not pass the exams but the group does!" Gai offered his Genin team a blinding smile that two of the three returned. The third was still somewhat irritated at his defeat.
"I shall be a bright illumination like no other, Gai-sensei!"
"I know you shall Lee! But do not be afraid of following the light of others when the time comes!"
'What the hell is going on?' Even after a full year on Team Gai, Tenten still found herself unable to comprehend Gai at times. She did learn to smile through such confusion and think it over later. Her interests were also focused elsewhere regardless. 'Whatever Gai-sensei meant, I can't wait to see what else Naruto can do with those weapons.'
"I shall look forward to hearing of your successes!" Gai vanished at that through an application of his extreme speed.
"Fate has already decided our successes and failures." Neji whispered the words more to himself than his team. His pale eyes narrowed as they spotted an unwelcome face. 'Fate will decide if you live pass these exams as well Hinata.'
"Hey! Shikamaru! Choji!" The voice made the two boys stop being dragged forward by Ino. They turned and not even the lazy Nara could stop himself from grinning as they saw the Inuzuka running over to them. "You guys are in this thing too?"
"You bet." Choji nodded along to Shikamaru's words and Ino turned around and her eyes lit up at the sight they saw.
"Sasuke-kun!" Ino was a blur as she raced across the room and to the armored Uchiha. The entirety of Team 7 stood separate from the other teams from Konoha and it was something the Nara noticed.
'Naruto's probably the cause of that.' Shikamaru shared a glance with Kiba and Choji, the three silently agreeing to head over even if something else reached Team 7 before they did.
"Sakura-chan!" Lee was suddenly in front of Sakura and it was to Naruto's obvious displeasure. "I am g-WOAH!" The Genin dodged the sword that was aimed to separate his head from his shoulders. Naruto held the blade out where it had come to a stop, not bothering returning it to its sheath.
"Do not come before Sakura-chan." Naruto's blue eyes glared into eyes alight with challenge just as the rest of Team Gai rushed over.
"Lee, what do you think you're doing?" Tenten took hold of the green clad boy as Naruto let his sword fall back into its place at his side. His blue eyes did not leave Lee. The light of hate shined within them before his Legate came over to his shoulder.
"Praetor, he can be dealt with later." Sasuke's words only received a brief nod and Naruto turned away, his cape billowing out behind him, and he and Sasuke stepped away. Sakura, after a moment of merely looking at the two, sighed and followed after them.
Once again Team 7 stood apart from the others. Naruto cast his blue eyes around the room before he whispered an order to Sasuke. The Uchiha instantly nodded and formed the same hand seals as he had against Neji in their brief battle.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" The Uchiha fell to a knee as he drove a hand into the ground. Instantly, smoke filled the room once more and several dozen figures similar to Naruto in appearance had joined the Genin gathered in the room. Without speaking a single word, they wordlessly formed a wall with their tall shields stacked on top of each other. The click of the locking mechanism was deafening to the small group, in comparison to the other occupants of the room, of Konoha Genin.
"Well…that could have probably gone better." Shikamaru sighed as he and the others reached Team Gai. "Sorry about how Naruto's been acting. He's not really been the same since he came back in that weird armor."
"There is no need to apologize." Lee's eyes drifted away from the wall of shields and he smiled at the younger Genin as he offered each a thumb up. "He is merely another challenge to overcome to gain the affections of Sakura-chan!"
"You should be more worried about Sasuke-kun." Ino looked toward the wall of shields and sighed. "He looks amazing in that uniform."
"Let's not talk about Team 7 for now." Shino spoke up as he walked over. "Hello by the way."
"You sound almost happy Shino, what's got you so excited?" Shikamaru looked to the Aburame member and received the closest most would ever get to a smile.
"You're right that I'm excited Shikamaru. Why? It is because I find the opportunity to prove myself in the Chunin Exams exciting."
"W-We're all excited to take part in the Chunin Exams." Hinata touched the tips of her index fingers together before her eyes drifted towards the division in the room. "Kurenai-sensei trained the three of us and we don't want to disappoint her."
"We all know we can't do that once we sweep through these exams." Kiba threw an arm over both of his teammates, Hinata almost turning red as Shino remained indifferent. "You guys will need a miracle to beat Team 8 in this thing because we're going all the way to the end. By the time these exams end, all three of us will be Chunin."
"Dismissed!"
"HOO!"
The voice of the Uchiha and the answering cry from the clones around Team 7 drew the attention of the majority of the Genin in the room. The smoke that drifted as the clones and shields around the three Genin vanished was also enough to catch the eye of most. Without acknowledging those watching, Naruto took the lead between his two teammates and they walked through the room and out the doors.
"HA! The Dead Last is chickening out!"
"You're doing the right thing failure!"
"Just like I thought, he can't handle the Exams."
"You're never going to become a Chunin, loser!"
"You should've never graduated!"
Comments like those and more came from the mouths of the Genin of Konoha but none of them reached the Uzumaki as the door sealed shut behind him.
"Something's not right." Shikamaru's eyes narrowed before he turned to Hinata. "Hinata, can you use your Byakugan to see where he's going?"
"I-I can try." Hinata offered the Nara a nod. She rose a hand up in the unique activation seal for the Dojutsu and the veins around her eyes slowly bulged. Her eyes closed as she focused and a grimace crossed her face before her Byakugan was gone quicker than it had appeared. "There's a Genjutsu obstructing something from my view. Whatever it is, it's on the second floor and there's a staircase to it behind the building. N-Naruto-kun is taking his team to whatever it is."
"Well that clears a couple things up." Shikamaru turned away from Hinata and to Neji. His Byakugan was silently activated it seemed. "I'm guessing you figured out the same thing, Neji?"
"Yes." His answer was a single word but it was all Shikmaru needed before he motioned for the three teams to come closer.
"Then I think I cracked whatever this is." He glanced up at a clock on the wall and nodded to himself before continuing. "The Chunin Exams officially start in twenty minutes and I've got a plan to make sure we get pass the entrance exam."
"What's your plan?" Kiba's grin was reflected on Shikamaru's face then.
Five minutes later, a fight broke out between two of the members of Team Kurenai and Team Gai. It took the remainder of both teams and Team Asuma to drag the two battling Genin apart. Kiba still lunged at Neji, screaming obscenities while the Hyuga did the same. The waiting Genin cleared the way for the pack of nine to move out through the doors and a glance at the clock revealed fifteen minutes until the Exams began. The two Genin continued shouting at each other even after the doors had been closed.
"This way." Shikamaru directed the group, Neji and Kiba quickly stopping their false fight and in a few minutes the Nara opened the door at the top of the metal staircase.
"Hmm, it seems the Nara did catch on, Legate." Naruto leaned against the wall of the much smaller room. Sasuke nodded at his side as his Sharingan looked over the three teams. The room itself was sparsely populated by Genin and a Chunin stood at the door at the opposite end of the room.
"Congratulations Team Asuma, Team Kurenai, and Team Gai of Konoha. You are eligible to exempt the First Stage of the Chunin Exams and move onto the Second Stage. Remain here until I am instructed to open the door. Leaving this room before then will result in your dismissal from the Chunin Exams." The Chunin spoke no more after his brief announcement.
"I am surprised you managed to figure out such trickery." Naruto looked to the nine with something beyond arrogance in his blue eyes. He chuckled, throwing his head back, and truly began to laugh at something he found to be hilarious. "I severely underestimated your intelligence it seems!" He suddenly ceased laughing. "It shall not happen again."
"I don't know why you're making such a big deal of it." Shikamaru rested his hands behind his head and looked towards the Uzumaki with boredom the dominate feature of his face. "There are two Hyuga Clan members with us so of course we were going to show up eventually."
"Indeed." Naruto suddenly turned to Sasuke, a smirk crossing his face. "Your skills are suddenly in question Legate." His tone was almost joking. Almost. "Perhaps I shall have your foe from not too long ago replace you as my Legate? The Byakugan seems to be superior to the Sharingan."
"I assure you here and now Praetor, the Hyuga will never rest on the same level as the Uchiha even when only I am left of my Clan." Sasuke's eyes found Neji's own and he smirked at the unspoken challenge in those pale orbs. "None of their Byakugan possesses even the slightest of potential to compare to the power of my Sharingan."
"We shall see of course." Naruto looked to both of the Hyuga before blue eyes were fully focused on those of the blue haired girl. Kiba noticed and growled as he moved up to her side while a dim buzzing sounded through the room. Naruto grinned at such a thing. "The option shows itself more preferable every second Legate. One of them even comes with her own personal dogs. However ill trained they may be."
"That's it you bastard! You're going down now!" Kiba's teeth became fangs as Akamaru dropped from his hoodie to the ground, growling, as he shot across the room on all fours.
"Reconsider." Sasuke spoke one word from where he stood as eyes locked with those of the Inuzuka and his Sharingan spun. The Genjutsu was performed flawlessly through the Dojutsu he possessed. Kiba at first only stumbled before fully hitting the ground, hard. Akamaru immediately leapt onto the back of his head, a soft whine coming from the ninken before he bit down on Kiba's hand.
Pain snapped Kiba out of the Genjutsu but he didn't attack again.
"You as always surprise me Legate." While Naruto spoke, his blue eyes remained on the slowly turning red Hinata.
'You've got to be kidding me.' Shikamaru couldn't believe the sight even if he knew exactly what was happening. Naruto's grin suddenly shifting to something more charming rather than arrogant made him actually want to do something about it.
"Stop looking at her." Surprisingly, it was Neji who stepped in front of Hinata. His Byakugan was activated and nearly instantly Sasuke was before the Uzumaki, the tomoe of his Sharingan still as one hand fell to the blade at his side. "No matter what you call yourself or what title you shout all the time, you are not worthy to look at the heiress of the Hyuga Clan." His arms may have been folded over his chest but the Hyuga seemed ready to fight once more. The Uchiha probably saw the Chakra gathering there for his Gentle Fist if the way he partially drew the sword was any indication of what was about to happen.
"Naruto, Sasuke." Sakura laid her hand on Naruto's shoulder and instantly the tension left the room. "Don't fight them please, for me?"
"Such a request is easy to fulfill, Sakura-chan." Naruto offered the pink haired Genin a half bow and he turned to his Legate. "We have had enough of these trivial games, Legate. We have things to discuss that lay far beyond the present." Naruto's words garnered the deactivation of Sasuke's Sharingan as he turned away from the other Genin.
"I shall do as you wish of me Praetor." He saluted the Uzumaki with his fist placed over his armored heart.
"Of course you shall." Naruto clapped Sasuke on the shoulder and the two walked away. Sakura sent an apologetic glance to the Genin that she wanted to approach before walking off after the two. The sound her sandals made echoed in the silent room.
"This all just got too troublesome." Shikamaru looked up towards the ceiling, avoiding the looks sent towards him by the more curious Genin.
He knew he was going to hate everything he was about to do today.
AN: 2 of 4.