The boy was lying on his back. His clothes were torn and tattered. He was lying in a clearing. Several bodies were strewn about around him. The boy's skin glowed faintly.

A figure approached from the edge of the clearing. The face was somewhat illuminated by the moon above, it was covered in bandages.

"You finally did it," The figure hissed. "You've unlocked your true potential!"

"Master…" The boy panted. A smile appeared on his face. "I did it!"

X

Yoroi came to with a groan. He sat up, clutching his temples.

Misumi appeared at Yoroi's side, helping him up.

"Don't forget your mission," Misumi said. He wore a similar outfit to Yoroi. His glasses sat loosely on his covered nose.

Yoroi glanced over at Naruto on the other side of the battlefield. He was standing beside a defeated Choji.

Choji's teammates were helping him up.

Sasuke Uchiha appeared beside Naruto and patted him on the back.

"Right," Yoroi said.

"Get on with it!" Raikage yelled from the stands. He'd risen from his seat and exposed his chest.

Hiruzen stood up, smirking at the Raikage.

"I'm not planning on holding back, you brat," Hiruzen remarked.

"Lord hokage," Shikaku spoke up. "Please don't get carried away." Hiruzen waved him off.

"Well?" Raikage asked.

Hiruzen moved like a blur, stepping in close to Raikage. He slaps Raikage in the chest. The sound reverberates throughout the arena.

Raikage stared at Hiruzen, unfazed.

"That's it?" Raikage asked.

Hiruzen sat back down with a huff.

"Take your seat and call the next match," Hiruzen sighed.

Raikage pulled his cloak over his chest, disappointed. He sat down on his chair.

The arena was empty now, except for Asuma.

"Fine," Raikage grumbled. "Next match!"

X

Hayate Gekko dashed through tree branches. He was moving at high speeds. The ground blurred past below.

He could sense Kurenai's chakra up ahead and started to slow down.

Kurenai was standing beside a tree holding a hand sign.

"You had to make things difficult," Hayate mumbled. He performed a few hand signs.

"Ninja art, hidden dance."

Hayate vanished.

Kurenai dropped her hand sign. Her eyes widened.

Hayate appeared in front of her, swinging a sword.

Kurenai blocked Hayate's sword with a kunai and kicked him in the chest. She performed several quick hand signs.

"Flower petal escape!"

Kurenai's body exploded into a wave of flower petals. The petals wrapped around Hayate, binding him.

"Damn!" Hayate struggled.

Kurenai appeared from the foliage a few meters away.

"Why have you been following me?" She asked. "Why did you attack me?"

Hayate didn't respond.

"Answer me!"

A sword slipped through Kurenai's chest. Hayate appeared behind her. He pushed the blade all the way through, lifting Kurenai off the ground.

"Why you!" Kurenai spat. She grabbed the blade.

"You won't—" Hayate started. Then, Kurenai was gone. Hayate's sword was buried in a log.

The petals around Hayate's clone faded away. The clone poofed.

"Seriously?" Hayate sheathed his sword. "She's slippery alright." He scratched his cheek. "And now my covers blown. I have to end this now."

X

"I'm so tired," Naruto groaned. He sat between Sakura and Sasuke.

"You did great out there!" Sakura patted Naruto on the head, earning another groan.

The next match was starting.

Shikamaru and Atsui were fighting Temari and Hinata.

Shikamaru shared a look with Atsui. He was wearing a cloud uniform. He had an eyepatch on his left eye.

"This'll be fun!" Atsui grinned.

Temari opened her fan, watching Atsui's expression.

Shikamaru glanced at Hinata.

"Begin!" Shikaku ordered.

Atsui immediately charged at Hinata.

"Bring it on, Hyuga!" Atsui whipped out his sword. "Flame spear!" A spear of flames extended from Atsui's sword at Hinata.

Hinata raised her hands to defend herself.

"Weak!" Temari waved her fan.

A blast of wind blew Atsu's flames away.

Hinata, Shikamaru, and Atsui are knocked off their feet.

"I think I'll fight all of you at once!" Temari declared. "What do you think of that, Raikage?" She points her fans at the three kage sitting in the stands.

"What a mess," Shikamaru gets to his feet.

Atsui got up, plucking his sword off the ground.

"What a hotheaded woman," Atsui said. Still grinning.

"Get up, Hinata!" Neji shouted from the stands. He'd moved from his teammates' side down to the railing.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Hinata rose on unsteady legs.

"Don't you realize who that man is?"

Atsui glanced up at Neji.

"Ah, so you noticed." He patted his eyepatch. "Yeah, a long time ago…" Atsui pulled the eyepatch off, revealing a byakugan. "I was gifted with this hot eye!"

"No!" Hinata gasped.

"Bring it on!" Atsui charged again.

Hinata met Atsui's charge.

"Cloud style, Hot smoke!" Atsui breathed a wave of steam, it washed over Hinata. "Burst!"

The steam combusted, throwing Hinata back. She hit the arena wall and sunk to the floor. Atsui continued his charge.

"Ugh."

Temari leapt between Hinata and Atsui. Her fan snapped shut.

Atsui swung his sword, flames lacing across it. The sword struck Temari's fan, coming to a halt.

Temari grabbed Atsui's wrist and kicked one of his feet out from under him.

"Wind style," Temari let go of her fan, performing hand signs. "Slicing winds!"

Atsui's sword was sliced in half before he hit the ground.

In one swift motion, Temari snatched up her fan, opening it.

"Wind cyclone!"

A swing of Temari's fan sent Atsui flying across the battlefield. He rolled across the ground by Shikamaru.

"You're not doing so hot," Shikamaru said.

"Why aren't you helping?" Atsui snapped, getting up.

Shikamaru shrugged.

"Do you even know how to use that byakugan?" Shikamaru asked.

Atsui didn't answer. He tossed his broken sword aside.

"I need to burn her fan."

"T-thank you," Hinata stumbled up to Temari

"Shut up," Temari grumbled. "You go take care of that leaf guy, I guess."

"Alright," Hinata activated her byakugan.

X

Kurenai hit the ground. She rolled onto her side, swearing. Several kunai were embedded in her back. She was at the edge of a forest.

Hayate appeared a few steps behind her, approaching. His sword was drawn.

"Your genjutsu won't work on me anymore," Hayate said. "I've figured out your trick."

"Why are you doing this?" Kurenai asked. She pulled one of the kunai out of her arm with a wince.

"I don't have a choice," Hayate said. "None of us did."

"Why?" Kurenai threw the kunai at Hayate. He deflected it with his sword.

"You finally caught her."

The air between two trees distorted. A hole seemed to open out of thin air, revealing the inside of a building. A few men stepped out.

Kabuto was at the head. The others were wearing anbu masks.

"Where were you headed?" Kabuto asked. "Shouldn't you be watching the Chunin exams?"

"Who are you?" Kurenai asked.

Kabuto smiled and shook his head. He knelt beside Kurenai and revealed a small pouch. He took a scalpel from the pouch.

Kurenai started to crawl away.

"Hold her," Kabuto ordered. The anbu surrounded Kurenai, restraining her. Kabuto glanced over his shoulder.

"Thanks for your work," He said. "She could've ruined years of planning." Hayate nodded. "Now, don't mind us, shouldn't you be proctoring the Chunin exams?"

"Right." Hayate vanished into the woods, rushing back to the village. He ignored the shrill scream coming from behind him.